Condition and coalition formation by brood-rearing common eider females

Partner choice is important in nature, and partnerships or coalitionswithin which reproduction is shared are the subject of growinginterest. However, little attention has been given to questionsof which individuals are suitable partners and why. Common eider(Somateria mollissima) females sometimes pool their broods andshare brood-rearing duties, and body condition affects caredecisions. We constructed a model in which females, based ontheir body condition and the structure of the joint brood, assessthe fitness consequences of joining a coalition versus tendingfor young alone. We tested the model's predictions by comparingdata on the condition of females in enduring and transient coalitions.Our model showed that the range of acceptable brood arrays ina female coalition decreases with increasing condition of thefemale, so females tending alone should be in better conditionthan multifemale tenders. This prediction is in agreement withprevious data. The model also predicts that females in goodcondition should join coalitions with females in poor conditionand not with other females in good condition. This predictionwas also supported by data: in enduring two-female coalitions,the positive correlation between the better female's conditionand the difference in condition between the two females wasstronger than would be expected by random grouping of females.In contrast, in transient coalitions of females, this correlationdid not differ from the correlation expected under random grouping.Model assumptions seem to fit with eider natural history, andthe model may prove to be a useful way to study brood amalgamationbehavior of waterfowl in general.     

Polymorphic microsatellites developed by cross-species amplifications in common pheasant breeds

Genetic variability was analysed in two common breeds of pheasant (Phasianus colchicus L. 1758) by means of cross-species amplifications of microsatellite loci: 154 chicken, Gallus gallus and 32 turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, primers were tested for amplification of pheasant DNA. Thirty-six primers (25 specific for chicken and 11 for turkey) amplified pheasant DNA. Fifteen markers yielded specific products and were tested for polymorphism. Eight of them (55%) were polymorphic, with an average polymorphism of two alleles per locus. Specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were sequenced; repeats were found in 11 of the 15 markers, although only two loci showed the same repeat and could be homologous to chicken ones.     

A hot summer,cold winters,and the geographical limit of Trochocochlea lineat in Somerset

The common or toothed topshell, Trochocochlea lineata (da Costa, 1778), is at its northeastern geographical limit in the south and west of the British Isles. It is likely that these limits are related to some feature of air or water temperature. Along the Somerset coast, as elsewhere in southern Britain, the summer of 1995 was warmer for longer than most of its predecessors and the 1995–1996 winter was colder for longer than any since 1978. This combination of circumstances prompted an investigation into the relative effects of these two seasons. Recruitment of the 1995 cohort was unusually successful at some sites but the subsequent cold winters have removed much of that advantage on Gore Point, probably the easternmost permanent population in the Bristol Channel. The two most easterly populations, either side of Helwell Bay (Watchet), did not survive the winter of 1996–1997. The conclusion from these observations is that a hot summer can encourage recruitment but that the geographical limit in Somerset may be maintained by cold weather in winter.     

数量化理论在建立多地域产量通用模型上的应用

通过应用数量化理论和多元回归分析理论,解决了小样本多变量自由度小及各地域数据不能通用的问题,建立了河北、北京等八个试验地域的掖单13号夏玉米产量的通用模型,并由此建立各地域的产量模型,研究地域因素对产量的影响,最后又以河北试验区为例进行了施肥方案的优化研究．     

Improved methods to detect GTP-binding proteins from plants

Improved methods are described for the detection of G1P-binding proteins (G-proteins) in the protonema of mossFunaria hygrometrica and coleoptiles of corn(Zea mays) and sorghum(Sorghum vulgare). We optimized conditions for the transfer of proteins to nitrocellulose, production of high titer polyclonal anti-Gα (common) antibodies and finally the detection of G-proteins by amplification. In addition to the α-subunit of heterotrimeric G-proteins (M _r 41–43 kDa), a small molecular weight class (< 30 kDa) was also detected by anti-Gα (common) antibodies. An easy, reliable and efficient filter assay is also described to quantify the toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation. The apparentK _m of the NAD has been determined to be approximately 1.5μM for the microsomal fraction of moss. Inclusion of G1P stimulated ADP-ribosylation by 2–27-fold. One to three polypeptides representing the α-subunit of heterotrimeric G-proteins of (M_r 37–43 kDa) were ADP-ribosylated in all three plants. The anti-Gβ (C-terminus) antibody cross-reacted strongly with 39 and 34 kDa polypeptide in moss and corn respectively. By employing improved methods two classes of G-proteins have been shown to be present in three plant species.     

Temporal rules in vocal exchanges of phees and trills in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

Marmosets exchange two types of calls: phees and trills. We played back phees and trills to investigate the temporal rules of vocal exchanges using ten captive common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). The marmosets usually emitted the same type of vocalizations just after the stimulus playbacks, and similar regularities were observed in the temporal intervals of phees and in trills. They vocalized with shorter intervals when they responded with trills rather than phees, and, after the first call, they repeatedly vocalized trills with shorter intervals than phees. These results suggest that the temporal rules between phees and trills are qualitatively similar but quantitatively different. These results might be owing to the different distances over which these contact calls are used. Am. J. Primatol. 71:617–622, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

菜豆种质资源抗普通细菌性疫病鉴定

采用针刺叶片接种法、温室地面水层保湿方式,对146份普通菜豆种质资源进行抗普通细菌性疫病鉴定和评价,结果表明,该接种方法简便实用,保湿方式效果良好,鉴定结果准确;从146份普通菜豆种质中筛选出抗病种质(R)2份、中抗(MR)种质50份、感病(S)种质81份、高感种质(HS)13份。本研究表明针刺叶片接种、温室地面水层自然蒸发保持湿度可以作为大规模菜豆抗普通细菌性疫病鉴定的适宜方法。     

Efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae in controlling the two‐spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean in screenhouse and field experiments

The efficacy of aqueous and emulsifiable formulations of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE78 was evaluated on the population density of Tetranychus urticae infesting common bean plants under screenhouse and field conditions. Synthetic acaricide abamectin was included as a check. Bean plants were artificially infested with T. urticae and allowed to multiply. Three treatments were applied in the screenhouse and 1 treatment in field trials. Mite density was recorded 2 d before spraying and weekly postspraying. The number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and the dry weight of seeds per plant were recorded only in the screenhouse trials. In both screenhouse and field trials, fungal formulations applied at the concentration of 10⁸ conidia/mL and the acaricide reduced the population density of mites as compared to the controls. There were significant differences in T. urticae population densities between the treatments at the various post‐spraying sampling dates. In the screenhouse, the mite densities were near zero from 3‐week postspraying in the treated leaves. At 4‐week postspraying, there were no more leaves in the untreated control (T1) and in the control water + Silwet‐L77 (T2). Fungal formulations were as effective as abamectin in reducing mite densities in both screenhouse and field experiments. There were significant differences in the production parameters during the 2 screenhouse trials, with fungal and abamectin treatments generally having the highest yield. Results of this study underline the potential of the M. anisopliae isolate ICIPE78 as an alternative to acaricides for T. urticae management.