Significance of intra-inflorescence variation on flowering time of a spring ephemeral, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gagea lutea</Emphasis> (Liliaceae), under seasonal fluctuations of pollinator and light availabilities

I studied the relationship between seed-set patterns within inflorescences and temporal variations in light and pollinator availabilities for 2 years in the spring ephemeral species Gagea lutea in a deciduous forest. Timing of canopy closure and seasonal trend of pollinator frequency did not synchronize with the annual fluctuation in flowering phenology. In the early snowmelt year, seed-set success reflected the seasonal pollinator abundance from early to middle flowering periods. In the late snowmelt year, however, seed-set rates were independent of pollinator activity and decreased with canopy closing even after hand pollination. The restricted seed production by defoliation and the increase in seed-set rates at the forest edge suggested that seed production was supported by current photosynthetic carbon gain. Thus, annual fluctuations of reproductive success can explain the variation in flowering phenology within a population although seasonal light deterioration would serve as a selective force for flowering in the early season.     

Time estimation of fear cues in human observers

Previous research suggests that time judgments are a function of the affective properties of to-be-timed stimuli and that time judgments are longer for stimuli that are fear-inducing (e.g., [Hare, 1963] and [Watts and Sharrock, 1984]). The goals of the present study were twofold: to replicate the effect of a fear cue on time estimation, and to evaluate the mechanism underlying the effect. Seven stimulus durations in two different duration ranges (short: 250-1000 ms; long: 400-1600 ms) were employed in the bisection procedure. Adult human participants were exposed to two successive sessions, one each with the short and long range. Images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS; Lang et al., 2008) that were rated on three scales including arousal and fear were presented as temporal stimuli. Three images that were rated high on fear and three rated low served as fear cues and neutral control images, respectively. Results indicated that for both ranges, judgments were longer for fear cues than for neutral images, and that the magnitude of the effect did not differ between ranges as measured by the bisection point. Application of scalar expectancy theory (SET; [Gibbon, 1977] and [Church, 1984]) to these results suggests that the fear effects were mediated by switch latency of an internal clock, rather than by clock speed.     

Aβ(42) induced MRI changes in aged rabbit brain resembles AD brain

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and is structurally characterized by brain atrophy and loss of brain volume. Aβ is one of the widely accepted causative factors of AD. Aβ deposition is positively correlated with brain atrophy in AD. In the present study, structural brain imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were used to measure neuroanatomical alterations in Alzheimer’s disease brain. MRI is a non-invasive method to study brain structure. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the role of Aβ on brain structure in the aged rabbit brain. Among 20 aged rabbits, one batch (n = 10) rabbits was injected chronically with Aβ(1-42) and another batch (n = 10) with saline. The MRI was conducted before Aβ(1-42)/saline injection and after 45 days of Aβ(1-42)/saline injection. All the aged rabbits underwent MRI analysis and were euthanized after 45 days. The MRI results showed a significant reduction in thickness of frontal lobe, hippocampus, midbrain, temporal lobe and increases in the lateral ventricle volume. We also conducted an MRI study on AD (n = 10) and normal (n = 10) cases and analyzed for the thicknesses of frontal lobe, hippocampus, midbrain, temporal lobe and lateral ventricle lobe. We found significant reductions in thickness of the frontal lobe and the hippocampus. However, no significant reduction in the thickness of midbrain, temporal lobe or increase in the lateral ventricle volume was observed compared to normal. Correlations in brain atrophy changes between rabbit brain and human AD brain were found for frontal lobe and hippocampal regions. In contrast, other regions such as midbrain, temporal lobe, and lateral ventricles were not correlated with rabbit brain atrophy changes in the corresponding regions. The relevance of these changes in AD is discussed.     

三门湾海域冬夏季口足目和十足目虾类的种类组成、时空分布及多样性分析

根据2007年12月和2008年6月三门湾海域的2个航次的渔业资源调查资料,研究三门湾海域口足目与十足目中虾类在冬季和夏季的密度、优势种及多样性的时空分布,并结合该调查海区的地形地貌和水文等因素对虾类的分布进行分析.结果表明,三门湾海域虾类以广温、广盐种为主,其夏季种类数高于冬季,且夏季虾类质量和尾数密度均值亦高于冬季...     

The ontogeny of immunity in the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. following an immune challenge

The honey bee, Apis mellifera, is an ideal system for investigating ontogenetic changes in the immune system, because it combines holometabolous development within a eusocial caste system. As adults, male and female bees are subject to differing selective pressures: worker bees (females) exhibit temporal polyethism, while the male drones invest in mating. They are further influenced by changes in the threat of pathogen infection at different life stages. We investigated the immune response of workers and drones at all developmental phases, from larvae through to late stage adults, assaying both a constitutive (phenoloxidase, PO activity) and induced (antimicrobial peptide, AMP) immune response. We found that larval bees have low levels of PO activity. Adult workers produced stronger immune responses than drones, and a greater plasticity in immune investment. Immune challenge resulted in lower levels of PO activity in adult workers, which may be due to the rapid utilisation and a subsequent failure to replenish the constitutive phenoloxidase. Both adult workers and drones responded to an immune challenge by producing higher titres of AMPs, suggesting that the cost of this response prohibits its constant maintenance. Both castes showed signs of senescence in immune investment in the AMP response. Different sexes and life stages therefore alter their immune system management based on the combined factors of disease risk and life history.     

Network Analysis of the Default Mode Network Using Functional Connectivity MRI in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) is an fMRI method that examines the connectivity of different brain areas based on the correlation of BOLD signal fluctuations over time. Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is the most common type of adult epilepsy and involves multiple brain networks. The default mode network (DMN) is involved in conscious, resting state cognition and is thought to be affected in TLE where seizures cause impairment of consciousness. The DMN in epilepsy was examined using seed based fcMRI. The anterior and posterior hubs of the DMN were used as seeds in this analysis. The results show a disconnection between the anterior and posterior hubs of the DMN in TLE during the basal state. In addition, increased DMN connectivity to other brain regions in left TLE along with decreased connectivity in right TLE is revealed. The analysis demonstrates how seed-based fcMRI can be used to probe cerebral networks in brain disorders such as TLE.     

Retroviral Infection of Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Embryoid Body Cells for Analysis of Hematopoietic Differentiation

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are an outstanding model for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cellular differentiation. They are especially useful for investigating the development of early hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). Gene expression in ESCs can be manipulated by several techniques that allow the role for individual molecules in development to be determined. One difficulty is that expression of specific genes often has different phenotypic effects dependent on their temporal expression. This problem can be circumvented by the generation of ESCs that inducibly express a gene of interest using technology such as the doxycycline-inducible transgene system. However, generation of these inducible cell lines is costly and time consuming. Described here is a method for disaggregating ESC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) into single cell suspensions, retrovirally infecting the cell suspensions, and then reforming the EBs by hanging drop. Downstream differentiation is then evaluated by flow cytometry. Using this protocol, it was demonstrated that exogenous expression of a microRNA gene at the beginning of ESC differentiation blocks HPC generation. However, when expressed in EB derived cells after nascent mesoderm is produced, the microRNA gene enhances hematopoietic differentiation. This method is useful for investigating the role of genes after specific germ layer tissue is derived.     

基于地统计学的二化螟种群时间格局分析

对常德鼎城区1960～2001年二化螟各世代的越冬后幼虫高峰虫量的时间序列资料进行了地统计学分析.结果表明,年际间二化螟种群总虫量、第1代虫量、第2代虫量和冬后基数序列数据结构性较强,可预测性较好,特别是年际间总虫量其结构性占总变异的比例高达91.1％,可以前11年总虫量预测下年总虫量;世代间幼虫高峰虫量,年际间第1代虫量、第3代虫量和冬后基数序列数据的长期趋势较为明显,特别是冬后基数的长期趋势极为明显;世代间幼虫高峰虫量呈现3代（1年）的季节性周期.首次采用缺失某世代虫量或插入冬后基数的方法分析了各世代虫量和冬后基数对整个世代间虫量数据系列的重要程度,结果表明,各世代虫量和冬后基数单独对整个世代间虫量数据系列的影响均较小,二化螟发生量更多地受栽培制度、气候、食料和天敌等因子的影响.初步总结并建立了种群时间格局分析的地统计学方法.     

江苏省区域农业生态经济的时空变异分析

以江苏省徐连、沿海、宁镇扬、沿江和太湖5个经济区及其9个代表县市区域为研究对象,基于"社会-生态-经济"的系统分析,建立了包括目标层、准则层和指标层3个层次多指标的农业生态经济综合评价指标体系,采用主成分分析方法对评价指标体系进行检验、筛选,并以江苏省为案例,综合分析了农业生态经济系统的时空变异特征。结果表明:江苏省农业生态经济发展水平的时空变异明显,空间上,徐连、沿海、宁镇扬、沿江和太湖5个经济区表现出由北向南逐渐上升的趋势,且随时间的推移逐渐上升;时间上,徐连和太湖经济区农业生态经济发展水平在1999—2008年间呈持续上升,处于良好或优质协调状态。虽然两经济区的农业生态环境-经济发展协调发展水平均较高,但差距较大,徐连和太湖经济区的农业生态环境-经济发展协调度从1999年到2008年呈逐渐下降趋势,但总体上仍处于良好或优质协调状态。