Is Female Visual Signaling to Male Song Socially Regulated in Brown‐headed Cowbirds?

This research focused on how adult female brown‐headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater, regulate social feedback on a group level to shape the development of male song. Specifically, females produce rapid wing movements in response to male song, termed ‘wing strokes,’ which have been shown to shape male song and predict song quality. These effects have been documented in captive dyads and triads, but not in more naturalistic flocks, where song development actually occurs. Here, we studied wing stroking in small seminatural flocks of differing female‐to‐male ratios. Despite differences in the number of females and their social selectivity, the same pattern of female feedback emerged in seven of eight flocks: One female produced the majority of wing strokes to male song, making her the primary wing stroker in her flock. Previous studies on large flocks have demonstrated females to facilitate male song improvisation and development if they exhibited higher social selectivity by approaching immature males less. Here, we found that primary wing strokers were indeed more socially selective than non‐primary wing strokers. This research is the first to document social stimulation being facilitated at the group level to ensure that more highly selective females deliver the most feedback.     

Localization of the muscular dystrophy AM locus using a chicken linkage map constructed with the Kobe University resource family

A chicken linkage map, constructed with the Kobe University (KU) resource family, was used to locate the genetic locus for muscular dystrophy of abnormal muscle type (AM). The KU resource family is a backcross pedigree with 55 offspring produced from the mating of a White Leghorn F-line (WL-F) male and a hybrid female produced from a cross between the WL-F male and a female of the Fayoumi OPN line who was homozygous for the AM gene. In total, 872 loci were genotyped on the pedigree; 749 (86%) were informative and mapped to 38 linkage groups. These informative loci included 649 AFLPs, 93 MS, three functional genes, the AM locus, sex phenotype, and two red blood cell loci. The remaining 123 markers were unlinked. Nineteen of the 38 KU linkage groups were assigned to macrochromosomes 1-8 and 11 microchromosomes including chromosome W, while 19 linkage groups were unassigned. The total map was 3569 cM in length, with an average marker interval of 4.8 cM. The AM locus was mapped 130 cM from the distal end of chromosome 2q.     

血清胆红素、YKL-40、HMGB-1对糖尿病合并冠心病患者的临床意义

目的:探讨血清胆红素、人类软骨糖蛋白-39(YKL-40)、高迁移率族蛋白1(HMGB-1)对糖尿病合并冠心病患者的临床意义方法:选择2017年1月至2018年12月我院接诊的190例2型糖尿病患者,根据是否合并冠心病分为单纯糖尿病组121例和糖尿病合并冠心病组69例,并选择同期在我院接受体检的100例健康者作为对照组。比较三组临床生化指标、血清胆红素、YKL-40、HMGB-1及不同病变支数、不同病变程度糖尿病合并冠心病组血清胆红素、YKL-40、HMGB-1的表达。结果:三组空腹血糖(FBG)、糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)、三酰甘油(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)、血清胆红素、YKL-40、HMGB-1比较差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);不同病变支数、病变程度糖尿病合并冠心病患者血清胆红素、YKL-40、HMGB-1比较差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);经两两Pearson线性相关性分析结果显示,血清胆红素和Gensini评分呈负相关(r=-0.812,P0.01),YKL-40、HMGB-和Gensini评分正相关(r=0.873、0.801,P0.01)。结论:在糖尿病合并冠心病患者中,血清胆红素的表达明显降低,YKL-40、HMGB-1明显升高,且随着冠脉病变程度的加重变化更明显,本研究也为后期血清胆红素、YKL-40、HMGB-1在该病的早期诊断、预防、治疗效果评价等方面提供了依据     

贵州少数民族地区作物稀有种质资源和野生近缘植物

"贵州农业生物资源调查"项目于2012-2014年已对贵州省21个县(市)进行了系统调查。系统调查的21个县(市)均有少数民族集居,各民族有不同的传统文化和生活习俗,在世代相传中赋予了当地作物种质资源丰富的民族文化内涵。并且,当地的地形地貌复杂,气候类型多样。正因为这种多样的自然条件和各异的民族文化,造就了这里丰富的作物稀有种质资源和野生近缘植物。本次调查获得的作物稀有种质资源和野生近缘植物,对作物的分类研究和新品种选育以及商业开发,将会有一定的利用价值。     

氮素添加对内蒙古退化草原生产力的短期影响

不合理的土地利用方式以及气候变化导致我国草原生态系统普遍退化, 主要表现在土壤养分降低、植被覆盖度减少、生产力下降。外源氮素添加是促进退化草原尽快恢复的一项重要措施, 尤其是对那些退化较为严重的草原。该研究选取内蒙古东乌珠穆沁旗不同退化程度(轻度、中度和重度)的草原群落, 于2014-2015年开展连续两年的氮素添加实验, 设置对照(不添加)、低水平(5.0 g N·m^-2·a^-1)、中水平(10.0 g N·m^-2·a^-1)和高水平(20.0 g N·m^-2·a^-1) 4种氮素添加处理, 探讨退化草原群落生产力在恢复过程中对不同水平氮素添加的响应。结果显示: (1)高、中水平氮素添加显著提高了轻度退化群落的地上生物量, 分别比对照增加了53.1%、51.6%, 氮素各水平添加对中度、重度群落地上生物量无显著影响; (2)高、中水平氮素添加显著提高了轻度退化群落中多年生根茎型禾草地上生物量, 分别比对照增加了45.1%、47.7%, 而多年生杂类草地上生物量分别比对照减少了37.4%、42.1%, 但中度和重度退化群落各功能群生物量的响应不显著; (3)三种水平氮素添加对轻、中、重度退化群落物种丰富度在试验期间均没有显著影响。研究结果表明氮素添加有助于提高轻度退化草原中多年生根茎型禾草的生物量, 进而提高群落的生物量, 但多年生杂类草会被逐渐替代, 导致生物量降低, 可见施氮对草原恢复的影响取决于草原退化 程度。     

Expansion of the canine A blood group system

A detailed study of the canine A blood group system was undertaken, resulting in the expansion of this system into a three-factor, four-allelic one with the recognition of an additional subtype, a3. The serological and extensive family data supported the proposed genetic theory of four alleles with dominance with the order being Aa1, Aa2, Aa3 and A-. Gene frequencies of the alleles were determined in various breeds of dogs with frequencies in the general Brisbane population being 0.244 (Aa1), 0.042 (Aa2), 0.045 (Aa3) and 0.669 (A-).     

Temperature-Dependent Self-Splicing Group I Introns in the Flagellin Genes of the Thermophilic Bacillus Species

A previous report described the presence of a self-splicing group I intron in a flagellin gene from a thermophilic Bacillus species. Here, we present evidence that the splicing reaction of the flagellin introns is dependent on temperature. Furthermore, a complementation analysis using a Bacillus subtilis flagellin-deficient mutant indicated that the intron-containing flagellin gene significantly restored the motility of the mutant at higher temperatures.