The contrasting role of male relatedness in different mechanisms of sexual selection in red junglefowl

In structured populations, competition for reproductive opportunities should be relaxed among related males. The few tests of this prediction often neglect the fact that sexual selection acts through multiple mechanisms, both before and after mating. We performed experiments to study the role of within‐group male relatedness across pre‐ and postcopulatory mechanisms of sexual selection in social groups of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus, in which two related males and one unrelated male competed over females unrelated to all the males. We confirm theoretical expectations that, after controlling for male social status, competition over mating was reduced among related males. However, this effect was contrasted by other sexual selection mechanisms. First, females biased male mating in favor of the unrelated male, and might also favor his inseminations after mating. Second, males invested more—rather than fewer—sperm in postcopulatory competition with relatives. A number of factors may contribute to explain this counterintuitive pattern of sperm allocation, including trade‐offs between male investment in pre‐ versus postcopulatory competition, differences in the relative relatedness of pre‐ versus postcopulatory competitors, and female bias in sperm utilization in response to male relatedness. Collectively, these results reveal that within‐group male relatedness may have contrasting effects in different mechanisms of sexual selection.     

Cloning,expression, and purification of an antiviral protein from Pseudomonas fluorescens CZ and its antagonistic activity against tobacco mosaic virus

The antiviral alkaline phosphatase L (AapL) protein of Pseudomonas fluorescens CZ was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified using the Ni-NTA column, and its antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-infected Nicotiana was tested. The recombinant protein (360?µg/mL) showed stability and most effective suppression in vitro (94.85%) against TMV.     

西藏年楚河流域水土流失及生态重建研究

西藏著名粮仓年楚河流域位于北纬 2 8°10′～2 9°2 0′、东经 88°35′～ 90°15′ ,地处喜马拉雅地质构造区中段。年楚河全长 2 17ｋｍ ,平均坡降 0 .6 1% ,落差达 132 2ｍ ,大致呈东南 西北流向 ,于日喀则附近逆向汇入雅鲁藏布江。行政区划上包括康马、日喀则县大部和江孜、白朗县全部 ,总面积 6 311ｋｍ2 ,耕地面积 4 .70× 10 4 ｈａ ,农业人口 16 .5 9万人 ,分别占西藏自治区的 0 .9% ,13.5 %和 7.7% ,现为国家级农业综合开发区“一江两河”(雅鲁藏布江中游及其支流拉萨河、年楚河流域 )地区的重要组成部分。近年 ,水土流失对生态环…     

Inhibition and promotion by light of the accumulation of translatable mRNA of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein of photosystem II

The amount of in-vitro translatable mRNA of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (LHCP) of photosystem II strongly increases in darkness (D) after a 5-min red-light pulse while continuous illumination of mustard seedlings with far-red (FR), red or white light leads only to a slight increase in the amount of translatable LHCP-mRNA. No increase can be observed after a long-wavelength FR (RG9-light) pulse. However, a FR pretreatment prior to the RG9-light pulse strongly increase LHCP-mRNA accumulation in subsequent D. This is not observed in the case of the mRNA for the small subunit of ribulose-1.5-bisphosphate carboxylase. The increase of LHCP-mRNA in D after a FR pretreatment can be inhibited by a reillumination of the seedlings with FR. The inhibition of LHCP-mRNA accumulation during continuous illumination with FR and the strong increase in D following a FR illumination was found to be independent of chlorophyll biosynthesis since no correlation between chlorophyll biosynthesis and translatable LHCP-mRNA levels could be detected. Even strong changes in the amount of intermediates of chlorophyll biosynthesis caused by application of levulinic acid or 5-aminolevulinic acid did not affect LHCP-mRNA levels. Therefore, we conclude that the appearance of LHCP-mRNA is inhibited during continuous illumination, even though illumination leads to a storage of a light singal which promotes accumulation of translatable LHCP-mRNA in D.Abbreviations c continuous - Chl chlorophyll - D darkness - FR far-red light (3.5 W·m^-2) - LHCP light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein of photosystem II - NF Norfluration - PChl protochlorophyll(ide) - Pfr far-red absorbing form of phytochrome - Ptot total phytochrome - R red light (6.8 W·m^-2) - RG9-light long-wavelength FR (10 W·m^-2) - SSU small subunit of ribulose-1.5-bisphosphate carboxylase - WL white light - () Pfr/Ptot=wavelength-dependent photoequilibrium of the phytochrome system     

健美操运动对军校中青年女性心肺功能的影响

目的:本文通过对我校参加了6个月健美操锻炼的50名中青年女教师及150名青年女学员,进行心肺功能测试评价健美操运动对军校中青年女性心肺功能的影响.方法:测试训练前后安静心率、血压、呼吸频率、肺活量及哈佛试验指数.结果:健美操训练后中青年女教师和青年女学员的心肺功能增强,哈佛指数增加.结论:经常参加有氧健美操锻炼,对中青年女性心肺功能具有明显的改善作用.有氧健美操锻炼是一种适合中青年女性特别是适合中年女性的体育锻炼方式.     

Variations in lipophilic and vacuolar flavonoids among European Pulicaria species

Four European Pulicaria species, P. odora, P. paludosa, P. sicula and P. vulgare, were analysed for their surface and vacuolar constituents for comparison with previous data obtained for P. dysenterica. Each species had a distinct flavonoid pattern with notable differences between leaf and inflorescence. 6-Hydroxyflavonols were the major lipophilic components in all of the species and tissues except in the leaves of P. paludosa and P. vulgare, where scutellarein 6-methyl ether was the main constituent. In the leaves of P. sicula a more unusual flavone, 6-hydroxyluteolin 5,6,7,3',4'-pentamethyl ether, was a major component. Pulicaria odora was distinguished by the presence of a series of methylated 6-hydroxykaempferol derivatives including a 3,5,6,7,4'-pentamethyl ether. Quercetagetin hexamethyl ether occurred in both tissues of P. sicula together with the 3,7,3,4'-tetra methyl ether and other quercetagetin derivatives, which were 5-methylated. Quercetagetin 3,7,3'-methyl ether was present in all species except P. odora. Flavonol glucuronides were characteristic vacuolar constituents of all the taxa studied. Two rare glycosides, patuletin and 6-hydroxykaempferol 6-methyl ether 7-glucuronides were identified in the inflorescence of P. odora. Pulicaria vulgaris, a rare plant of southern England, had the vacuolar flavonoid profile most similar to the other more abundant British plant, P. dysenterica.     

Hydration, structure, and molecular interactions in the headgroup region of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers: an electron spin resonance study

The relationship between bilayer hydration and the dynamic structure of headgroups and interbilayer water in multilamellar vesicles is investigated by electron spin resonance methods. Temperature variations of the order parameter of a headgroup spin label DPP-Tempo in DOPC in excess water and partially dehydrated (10 wt % water) show a cusp-like pattern around the main phase transition, Tc. This pattern is similar to those of temperature variations of the quadrupolar splitting of interbilayer D2O in PC and PE bilayers previously measured by 2H NMR, indicating that the ordering of the headgroup and the interbilayer water are correlated. The cusp-like pattern of these and other physical properties around Tc are suggestive of quasicritical fluctuations. Also, an increase (a decrease) in ordering of DPP-Tempo is correlated with water moving out of (into) interbilayer region into (from) the bulk water phase near the freezing point, Tf. Addition of cholesterol lowers Tf, which remains the point of increasing headgroup ordering. Using the small water-soluble spin probe 4-PT, it is shown that the ordering of interbilayer water increases with bilayer dehydration. It is suggested that increased ordering in the interbilayer region, implying a lowering of entropy, will itself lead to further dehydration of the interbilayer region until its lowered pressure resists further flow, i.e., an osmotic phenomenon.     

Combined analysis of group recorded feed intake and individually recorded body weight and litter size in mink

In the mink industry, feed costs are the largest variable expense and breeding for feed efficient animals is warranted. Implementation of selection for feed efficiency must consider the relationships between feed efficiency and the current selection traits BW and litter size. Often, feed intake (FI) is recorded on a cage with a male and a female and there is sexual dimorphism that needs to be accounted for. Study aims were to (1) model group recorded FI accounting for sexual dimorphism, (2) derive genetic residual feed intake (RFI) as a measure of feed efficiency, (3) examine the relationship between feed efficiency and BW in males (BWM) and females (BWF) and litter size at day 21 after whelping (LS21) in Danish brown mink and (4) investigate direct and correlated response to selection on each trait of interest. Feed intake records from 9574 cages, BW records on 16 782 males and 16 875 females and LS21 records on 6446 yearling females were used for analysis. Genetic parameters for FI, BWM, BWF and LS21 were obtained using a multivariate animal model, yielding sex-specific additive genetic variances for FI and BW to account for sexual dimorphism. The analysis was performed in a Bayesian setting using Gibbs sampling, and genetic RFI was obtained from the conditional distribution of FI given BW using genetic regression coefficients. Responses to single trait selection were defined as the posterior distribution of genetic superiority of the top 10% of animals after conditioning on the genetic trends. The heritabilities ranged from 0.13 for RFI in females and LS21 to 0.59 for BWF. Genetic correlations between BW in both sexes and LS21 and FI in both sexes were unfavorable, and single trait selection on BW in either sex showed increased FI in both sexes and reduced litter size. Due to the definition of RFI and high genetic correlation between BWM and BWF, selection on RFI did not significantly alter BW. In addition, selection on RFI in either sex did not affect LS21. Genetic correlation between sexes for FI and BW was high but significantly lower than unity. The high correlations across sex allowed for selection on standardized averages of animals’ breeding values (BVs) for RFI, FI and BW, which yielded selection responses approximately equal to the responses obtained using the sex-specific BVs. The results illustrate the possibility of selecting against RFI in mink with no negative effects on BW and litter size.     

肥沃耕层构建对东北黑土区旱地土壤肥力和玉米产量的影响

有机物料还田是提高土壤肥力、改善土壤结构和增加作物产量的重要农艺措施之一。本研究通过分析有机物料深混还田构建肥沃耕层后土壤的有机质、速效养分含量和玉米产量,明确了黑土区不同土壤类型旱地土壤肥力指标和玉米产量对肥沃耕层构建方式的响应特征,以期为实现东北黑土区旱地保护性利用和农业可持续发展提供科学依据。采用小区试验与大区示范相结合的方式,在黑龙江省、吉林省和辽宁省选取9个生态类型区作为试验点,土壤类型包括黑土(中厚黑土和薄层黑土)、草甸土、黑钙土、白浆土、棕壤、暗棕壤和褐土。每个试验点均设置了玉米秸秆深混构建肥沃耕层(CF_Ⅰ)、秸秆配合有机肥深混构建肥沃耕层(CF_Ⅱ)和无有机物料还田(CK)3个处理。其中,CF_Ⅰ、CF_Ⅱ处理的小区试验和大区示范的秸秆还田量分别为10000 kg·hm^-2和全量还田,CF_Ⅱ处理的有机肥施用量为30000 t·hm^-2;CF_Ⅰ和CF_Ⅱ处理中有机物料的还田深度均为0~35 cm。结果表明: 不同土壤类型旱地的土壤肥力差异较大,不同土层表现为亚耕层土壤肥力小于耕层土壤,其中暗棕壤和白浆土尤为突出;棕壤、褐土耕层和亚耕层的土壤肥力均偏低;黑土和草甸土的质地比较黏重和犁底层较厚。在试验时间为两年以上的5个试验点中,与CK相比,CF_Ⅰ和CF_Ⅱ处理耕层的土壤有机质、碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾含量平均增加1.85 g·kg^-1、20.16 mg·kg^-1、1.56 mg·kg^-1和17.2 mg·kg^-1,亚耕层较耕层增加了2.09 g·kg^-1、12.06 mg·kg^-1、2.18 mg·kg^-1和3.84 mg·kg^-1。与CK相比,CF_Ⅰ处理显著增加了耕作层和亚耕层土壤有机质和速效磷含量,CF_Ⅱ处理显著增加了耕作层和亚耕层的全部土壤肥力指标,说明肥沃耕层构建是提高土壤肥力的重要途径,其中玉米秸秆配施有机肥是快速提升土壤肥力的有效方法。受不同地区水热条件和土壤类型等的影响,不同试验区的玉米产量差异较大;不同处理间差异显著,表现为CF_Ⅱ>CF_Ⅰ>CK,说明肥沃耕层构建方式在不同生态类型区均能有效提高玉米产量。采用玉米秸秆或者玉米秸秆配合有机肥深混的肥沃耕层构建方式能够同步培肥耕层和亚耕层土壤,提高玉米产量。不同生态类型区应根据土壤类型、有机物料来源等采取相应的肥沃耕层构建方式,建议在有机肥源充足的区域,优先采用秸秆配合有机肥深混构建肥沃耕层。