Group size and composition influence male and female reproductive success in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra)

It has been argued that grouping patterns might influence the reproductive performance of individuals. Increasing group size results in greater travel costs and competition over depletable food resources, which could lead to reduced individual reproductive success. However, in groups with an increasing number of males, female reproductive success is predicted to augment because larger male groups might better protect immatures from infanticidal attacks. In contrast, male reproductive success is predicted to decrease with number of males in a group because fertilization cannot be shared between males. In this paper, we test these predictions on the Mesoamerican black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) with data on group size and composition for 120 groups from eight populations of black howler monkeys existing in eight protected forests in Mexico and Guatemala. Male and female reproductive success were calculated as a deviation of the observed number of infants (or immatures) from the expected number of infants (or immatures), relative to the number of males and females in a group. Results indicate that both male and female reproductive success decreased with group size. Male reproductive success decreased with an increasing number of males in a group and with increasing proportion of males relative to females in a group. Decreased female reproductive success was associated with increasing number of females in a group, and female reproductive success had a tendency to increase with increasing number of males in a group. These results suggest that in black howler monkeys, living in larger groups might negatively affect the reproductive success of each member. Our findings are similar to those reported for a population of a sister species, Alouatta palliata, living in larger groups.     

乌体林斯联合化疗治疗耐多药肺结核疗效观察

目的探讨乌体林斯联合化疗治疗耐多药肺结核（MDR-TB）疗效。方法将146例耐多药肺结核患者随机分为乌体林斯加化疗的治疔组（76例）和仅用化疗的对照组（70例）。治疗组采用左氧氟沙星＋吡嗪酰胺＋乙胺丁醇＋利福喷丁＋异烟肼及乌体林斯1.72μg/m l深部肌注,每周2次;对照组单纯用左氧氟沙星＋吡嗪酰胺＋乙胺丁醇＋利福喷丁＋异烟肼方案治疗,疗程均为18个月。结果治疗6个月、12个月、18个月后,治疗组涂阳阴转率分别为67%、82%、92%,对照组涂阳阴转率分别为34%、44%、51%,痰菌阴转率治疗组显著高于对照组（P〈0.05）组。治疗组病灶吸收显著高于对照组。结论乌体林斯能增加肺结核患者的痰菌阴转率,促进病灶吸收好转,可以作为耐药性肺结核的辅助治疗。     

Methyl jasmonate promotes anthocyanins’ production in Prunus salicina × Prunus persica in vitro shoot cultures

In vitro shoot cultures of Prunus salicina × Prunus persica, “Citation®” rootstock, were treated with 50-μM methyl jasmonate (MJ) or 100-μM abscisic acid (ABA); in MJ-treated shoots, total anthocyanins increased significantly (1.88 mg/g fresh weight) relative to controls (0.43 mg/g fresh weight). Cyanidin 3-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin in both MJ-treated and control explants. The addition of ABA to the culture medium did not elicit anthocyanins’ accumulation.     

Mechanisms of NLRP1-Mediated Autoinflammatory Disease in Humans and Mice

NLRP1 was the first NOD-like receptor described to form an inflammasome, recruiting ASC to activate caspase-1, which processes interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 to their active form. A wealth of new genetic information has now redefined our understanding of this innate immune sensor. Specifically, rare loss-of-function variants in the N-terminal pyrin domain indicate that this part of NLRP1 is autoinhibitory and normally acts to prevent a familial autoinflammatory skin disease associated with cancer. In the absence of a ligand to trigger human NLRP1, these mutations have now confirmed the requirement of NLRP1 autolytic cleavage within the FIIND domain, which had previously been implicated in NLRP1 activation. Autolytic cleavage generates a C-terminal fragment of NLRP1 containing the CARD domain which then forms an ASC-dependent inflammasome. The CARD domain as an inflammasome linker is consistent with the observation that under some conditions, particularly for mouse NLRP1, caspase-1 can be engaged directly, and although it is no longer processed, it is still capable of producing mature IL-1β. Additional rare variants in a linker region between the LRR and FIIND domains of NLRP1 also cause autoinflammatory disease in both humans and mice. This new genetic information is likely to provide for more mechanistic insight in the years to come, contributing to our understanding of how NLRP1 functions as an innate immune sensor of infection and predisposes to autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases.     

当代常用“虫”旁汉字初探

昆虫与人类的衣食住行密切相关,汉字是中国文化最基本的单元。文章从昆虫学的角度对当代“虫”字旁汉字进行了科学归类。结果表明,常用带“虫”字偏旁部首的汉字有262个,其中繁体字57个,简体字205个;简体字中带“虫”字旁的汉字有40%归属于昆虫纲。在昆虫纲的28个目中发现有带“虫”字旁的汉字,其中直翅目、鞘翅目、同翅目和鳞翅目分布较多,描述“蝉”和“蝗虫”的“虫”字旁汉字最多。在某种程度上从侧面反映了昆虫与中国文化的相关性及前人对昆虫学科的认知度。     

长牡蛎“海大2号”四倍体的人工诱导

为筛选适宜的四倍体诱导条件,研究了细胞松弛素B(CB)浓度(0.3、0.5、0.7和0.9 mg/L)、起始诱导时间(5、10和15min)、诱导持续时间(10、15、20和25min)及三者的交互作用对长牡蛎“海大2号”四倍体诱导率(四倍体率)和D形幼虫率的影响,并对诱导处理组获得的幼贝倍性进行检测分析,进一步验证了...     

低温胁迫下嫁接对黄瓜叶片SOD和CAT基因表达与活性变化的影响

研究了低温胁迫下嫁接和自根黄瓜叶片Mn-SOD、Cu/Zn-SOD和CAT mRNA基因表达和酶活性变化及其与抗冷性的关系.结果表明:低温胁迫下,嫁接与自根黄瓜叶片Cu/Zn-SOD、Mn-SOD mRNA基因相对表达量变化分别与其Cu/Zn-SOD、Mn-SOD活性变化相吻合,而CATmRNA相对表达量变化与其CAT活性变化并不一致;嫁接黄瓜叶片Cu/Zn-SOD和Mn-SOD mRNA相对表达量及SOD、Cu/Zn-SOD和Mn-SOD活性均高于自根黄瓜,MDA含量和电解质渗漏率均低于自根黄瓜,嫁接黄瓜较高的SOD基因表达量调控的较高SOD活性是其抗冷性强于自根黄瓜的主要因素;嫁接黄瓜的功能叶CAT mRNA相对表达量略高于自根黄瓜,而幼叶CAT mRNA相对表达量低于后者,但两者CAT活性差异不大,说明低温胁迫对嫁接黄瓜叶片CAT mRNA相对表达量及CAT活性的影响不大.     

基于遥感-过程耦合模型的1988～2004年青海三江源区净初级生产力模拟

 三江源区不仅是地处青藏高原的全球气候变化的敏感区, 也是我国甚至亚洲最重要河流的上游关键源区。作为提供物质基础的植被净初级生产力(Net primary production, NPP), 是评价生态系统状况的重要指标。该文应用已在碳通量观测塔验证, 扩展到区域水平的遥感-过程耦合模型GLOPEM-CEVSA, 以空间插值的气象数据和1 km分辨率的AVHRR遥感反演的FPAR数据为模型主要输入, 模拟并分析了1988～2004年该区NPP时空格局及其控制机制。结果表明, 该区植被平均NPP为143.17 gC·m^–2·a^–1, 呈自东南向西北逐渐降低的空间格局, 其中, 以森林NPP最高(267.90 gC·m^–2·a^–1), 其次为农田(222.94 gC·m^–2·a^–1)、草地(160.90 gC·m^–2·a^–1)和湿地(161.36 gC·m^–2·a^–1), 荒漠最低(36.13 gC·m^–2·a^–1)。其年际变化趋势在空间上呈现出明显的差异, 西部地区NPP表现为增加趋势, 每10 a增加7.8~28.8 gC·m^–2; 而中、东部表现为降低趋势, 每10 a降低13.1~42.8 gC·m^–2。根据显著性检验, NPP呈增加趋势(趋势斜率b>0), 显著性水平高于99%和95%的区域占研究区总面积的13.43%和20.34%, 主要分布在西部地区; NPP呈降低趋势(趋势斜率b<0), 显著性水平高于99%和95%的区域占研究区面积的0.75%和3.77%, 主要分布在中、东部地区, 尤以该区长江和黄河等沿线区分布更为集中, 变化显著性也更高。三江源NPP的年际变化趋势的气候驱动力分析表明, 整个区域水平上该地区植被生产力受气候变化的主导, 西部地区暖湿化趋势, 造成了该地区生产力较为明显的、大范围的增加趋势; 但东、中部地区则主要受人类活动的影响, 特别是长江、黄河等河流沿线, 是人类居住活动密集的地区, 造成这些地区放牧压力较大、草地退化严重, 而该地区暖干化趋势加剧了这一过程。