The neurobiology of sensing respiratory gases for the control of animal behavior

Aerobic metabolism is fundamental for almost all animal life.Cellular consumption of oxygen (O2) and production of carbon dioxide (CO2) signal metabolic states and physiologic stresses.These respirator...     

Autism-like behavioral phenotypes in BTBR T+tf/J mice

Autism is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown etiology. Mouse models with face validity to the core symptoms offer an experimental approach to test hypotheses about the causes of autism and translational tools to evaluate potential treatments. We discovered that the inbred mouse strain BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) incorporates multiple behavioral phenotypes relevant to all three diagnostic symptoms of autism. BTBR displayed selectively reduced social approach, low reciprocal social interactions and impaired juvenile play, as compared with C57BL/6J (B6) controls. Impaired social transmission of food preference in BTBR suggests communication deficits. Repetitive behaviors appeared as high levels of self-grooming by juvenile and adult BTBR mice. Comprehensive analyses of procedural abilities confirmed that social recognition and olfactory abilities were normal in BTBR, with no evidence for high anxiety-like traits or motor impairments, supporting an interpretation of highly specific social deficits. Database comparisons between BTBR and B6 on 124 putative autism candidate genes showed several interesting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the BTBR genetic background, including a nonsynonymous coding region polymorphism in Kmo . The Kmo gene encodes kynurenine 3-hydroxylase, an enzyme-regulating metabolism of kynurenic acid, a glutamate antagonist with neuroprotective actions. Sequencing confirmed this coding SNP in Kmo , supporting further investigation into the contribution of this polymorphism to autism-like behavioral phenotypes. Robust and selective social deficits, repetitive self-grooming, genetic stability and commercial availability of the BTBR inbred strain encourage its use as a research tool to search for background genes relevant to the etiology of autism, and to explore therapeutics to treat the core symptoms.     

Relatedness and Social Behaviors in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cercopithecus solatus</Emphasis>

Inclusive fitness and kin selection theories predict that organisms will evolve biased behavior toward kin when the inclusive fitness benefits outweigh the costs of such behaviors. Researchers have long observed that primates bias their behavior toward relatives, particularly maternal kin. We examined the effect of kinship on social behaviors in a semifree-ranging colony of Cercopithecus solatus, a poorly studied forest guenon species. We used microsatellite loci and paternity analyses to determine the degree of relatedness between individuals, as well as kinship. Individuals biased some of their behavior according to relatedness. Specifically, related individuals are more spatially associated and less aggressive toward each other. When we replaced the relatedness coefficients with defined kin categories, Cercopithecus solatus seemed to behave preferentially toward maternal kin versus paternal kin. Even though the setting of the colony and the small sample size limit our conclusions, we discuss the potential implications of our finding for the study of the impact of kin selection in primate social relationships.     

All‐In‐One Perovskite Catalyst: Smart Controls of Architecture and Composition toward Enhanced Oxygen/Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

A conventional water electrolyzer consists of two electrodes, each of which is embedded with a costly and rare electrocatalyst, typically IrO₂/C for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and Pt/C for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. HER and OER electrocatalysts usually require very different pH values to keep them stable and active. Thus, the development of earth‐abundant nonprecious metal catalysts for both HER and OER is of great importance to practical applications. This work reports the results of integrated water electrolysis using the hybrids of electrospun La_0.5(Ba_0.4Sr_0.4Ca_0.2)_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3–δ (L‐0.5) perovskite nanorods attached to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets as bifunctional electrodes. Via rationalizing the composition and morphology of L‐0.5/rGO nanohybrids, excellent catalytic performance and stability toward OER and HER are achieved in alkaline media. The operating voltage of integrated L‐0.5/rGO electrolyzer is tested to be 1.76 V at 50 mA cm^–2, which is close to that of the commercially available IrO₂/C‐Pt/C couple (1.76 V @ 50 mA cm^–2). Such a bifunctional electrocatalyst could be extended toward practical electrolysis use with low expanse and high efficiency. More generally, the protocol described here broadens our horizons in terms of the designs and the diverse functionalities of catalysts for use in various applications.     

湖北郧西黄龙洞更新世晚期人类牙齿磨耗与使用痕迹

对2004—2006年在黄龙洞发现的7枚人类牙齿磨耗与使用痕迹的观察显示: 除具有正常牙齿相互接触造成的磨耗外, 黄龙洞人类牙齿还呈现出一些特殊的使用痕迹, 包括明显的前部牙齿釉质破损与崩裂、上颌侧门齿齿冠唇面釉质破损、上颌前部牙齿齿间邻接面沟等。根据这些牙齿使用痕迹集中在前部牙齿, 釉质破损与崩裂主要分布在靠近切缘的上颌门齿唇面及下颌门齿舌面的情况, 推测生活在黄龙洞的更新世晚期人类经常使用前部牙齿从事啃咬、叼衔、或剥离等动作, 并可能将前部牙齿作为工具使用。分布在前部牙齿的齿间邻接面沟提示当时人类经常从事剔牙活动。黄龙洞人类前部牙齿的使用痕迹与当时人类获取、处理及食用附着在骨骼上的筋或肉的动作密切相关, 当时人类的食物构成中可能包含有较多的肉类及粗纤维植物。     

Survival advantage of sluggish individuals in aggregations of aposematic prey, during encounters with ambush predators

Movement is an important element of prey defense ensembles. The adaptive advantages of either remaining motionless or rapid escape are clear. In contrast, putative benefits are unclear for sluggish movement of aposematic prey that are neither fleeing nor avoiding detection of predators. Nonetheless, sluggish movement is common in aposematic insects. Our central hypothesis is that sluggish movement evolved in part by motion-oriented predators culling the fastest-moving insects from an aggregation. This would be particularly likely in chemically defended prey, which would deter continued predation. We test predictions of our hypothesis with feeding experiments using the sluggish, gregarious Eastern lubber grasshopper and a motion-oriented predator, the Northern leopard frog. Sluggish-moving (i.e., control) grasshoppers were significantly less likely to be eaten than fast-moving (i.e., motion-induced) grasshoppers (p = 0.0098). Next, non-moving grasshoppers were used as extreme sluggish-moving prey. Non-moving prey were significantly less likely to be eaten than sluggish-moving grasshoppers (p = 0.05). In addition, and most importantly, sluggish-moving grasshoppers in an aggregation were significantly less likely to be attacked than fast-moving grasshoppers in the aggregation (p = 0.0156). Finally, the survivorship of sluggish-moving grasshoppers in pairings vs. aggregations was not significantly different (p = 0.33). Our results demonstrate that the fastest-moving individual in an aggregation of aposematic insects is more likely than sluggish cohorts to be attacked by motion-oriented predators. This survival disadvantage for fast-moving, gregarious prey could create a selection pressure for the evolution of sluggish movement as a defense mechanism in aposematic, gregarious prey.     

文化与自然灾害对四川居民保护旅游地生态环境行为的影响

探讨文化与自然灾害对四川居民保护旅游地生态环境行为影响的机理,并对九寨沟与青城山-都江堰进行对比分析。通过多群组结构方程模型分析方法对调研数据进行定量研究。结果发现文化与自然灾害对四川居民保护旅游地生态环境行为有着显著的间接影响;受文化相似性影响两地具有完全相同的结构模型,而且居民利他价值观、生态环境信念及保护旅游地生态环境行为因子均值不具有显著差异;受地方文化与环境状况差异性影响两地居民个人规范、日常环保习惯和灾害后果认知因子均值具有显著性差异,而且对应的路径系数九寨沟样本均大于青城山-都江堰样本。加强传统文化教育、普及环境与灾害知识、增强居民环境责任感等措施有利于旅游地生态环境可持续发展。     

Determining the fitness consequences of antipredation behavior

Any animal whose form or behavior facilitates the avoidanceof predators or escape when attacked by predators will havea greater probability of surviving to breed and therefore greaterprobability of producing offspring (i.e., fitness). Althoughin theory the fitness consequences of any antipredation behaviorcan simply be measured by the resultant probability of survivalor death, determining the functional significance of antipredationbehavior presents a surprising problem. In this review we drawattention to the problem that fitness consequences of antipredationbehaviors cannot be determined without considering the potentialfor reduction of predation risk, or increased reproductive output,through other compensatory behaviors than the behaviors understudy. We believe we have reached the limits of what we canever understand about the ecological effects of antipredationbehavior from empirical studies that simply correlate a singlebehavior with an apparent fitness consequence. Future empiricalstudies must involve many behaviors to consider the range ofpotential compensation to predation risk. This is because antipredationbehaviors are a composite of many behaviors that an animal canadjust to accomplish its ends. We show that observed variationin antipredation behavior does not have to reflect fitness andwe demonstrate that few studies can draw unambiguous conclusionsabout the fitness consequences of antipredation behavior. Lastly,we provide suggestions of how future research should best betargeted so that, even in the absence of death rates or changesin reproductive output, reasonable inferences of the fitnessconsequences of antipredation behaviors can be made.     

对香豆酸对慢性束缚应激诱导小鼠抑郁样行为的作用*

目的: 探索对香豆酸(p-CA)对慢性束缚应激(CRS)诱导小鼠抑郁样行为的作用。方法: 实验分两批进行,第一批小鼠随机分成对照组(Control),慢性束缚应激组(CRS)和慢性束缚应激+p-CA组(CRS+p-CA),每组8只,其中慢性束缚应激小鼠每天接受4 h的束缚应激,连续束缚21 d,而对照组小鼠留在笼中不被打扰。第22日小鼠腹腔注射溶媒(10%吐温80)或p-CA(100 mg/kg),注射后1 h进行自发活动测试(LMA),注射后4 h进行强迫游泳测试(FST),注射后24 h进行悬尾测试。第二批小鼠随机分成慢性束缚应激组(CRS) ,慢性束缚应激+ANA-12(原肌球蛋白激酶B拮抗剂)组(CRS+ANA-12)和慢性束缚应激+p-CA组(CRS+ p-CA)慢性束缚应激+p-CA +ANA-12组(CRS+ p-CA +ANA-12),每组8只,4组小鼠每天接受4 h的束缚应激,连续束缚21 d。第22日小鼠腹腔注射溶媒(10%吐温80)或p-CA(100 mg/kg),ANA-12(0.5 mg/kg)在p-CA注射前30 min给药。注射后1 h进行自发活动测试(LMA),注射后2 h进行强迫游泳测试(FST),注射后24 h进行悬尾测试。结果: ①在实验一中,与Control组相比,CRS组小鼠强迫游泳和悬尾测试中不动时间显著性增多(P＜0.05);而与CRS组相比,CRS+ p-CA组小鼠不动时间显著性减少(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)。②在实验二中,与CRS组相比,CRS+ p-CA组小鼠强迫游泳和悬尾测试中不动时间显著性减少(P＜0.05);而与CRS+ p-CA组相比,CRS+ p-CA +ANA-12组小鼠强迫游泳和悬尾测试中不动时间显著性增多(P＜0.05)。结论: P-CA改善慢性束缚应激诱导小鼠抑郁样行为,TrkB受体可能介导了此作用。