THE EFFECTIVE SIZE OF A HIERARCHICALLY STRUCTURED POPULATION

A knowledge of the effective size of a population (N_e) is important in understanding its current and future evolutionary potential. Unfortunately, the effective size of a hierarchically structured population is not, in general, equal to the sum of its parts. In particular, the inbreeding structure has a major influence on N_e. Here I link N_e to Wright's hierarchical measures of inbreeding, F_IS and F_ST, for an island-structured population (or metapopulation) of size N_T. The influence of F_ST depends strongly on the degree to which island productivity is regulated. In the absence of local regulation (the interdemic model), interdemic genetic drift reduces N_e. When such drift is combined with local inbreeding under otherwise ideal conditions, the effects of F_IS and F_ST are identical: increasing inbreeding either within or between islands reduces N_e, with N_e = N_T/[(1 + F_IS)(1 + F_ST) ? 2F_ISF_ST]. However, if islands are all equally productive because of local density regulation (the traditional island model), then N_e = N_T/[(1 + F_IS)(1 –F_ST)] and the effect of F_ST is reversed. Under the interdemic model, random variation in the habitat quality (and hence productivity) of islands act to markedly decrease N_e. This variation has no effect under the island model because, by definition, all islands are equally productive. Even when no permanent island structure exists, spatial differences in habitat quality can significantly increase the overall variance in reproductive success of both males and females and hence lower N_e. Each of these basic results holds when other nonideal factors are added to the model. These factors, deviations from a 1:1 sex ratio, greater than Poisson variance in female reproductive success, and variation in male mating success due to polygynous mating systems, all act to lower N_e. The effects of male and female variance on N_e have important differences because only females affect island productivity. Finally, it is noted that to use these relationships, F_IS and F_ST must be estimated according to Wright's definition (and corrected to have a zero expectation under the null model). A commonly used partitioning (θ, θ_g) can be biased if either island size or the number of islands is small.     

区域气候背景对城市热岛效应的影响规律

城市热岛效应受到区域气候背景的影响而具有显著的时空差异性,尚缺少大尺度对比研究。利用1991-2019年的月均气象数据,量化了我国69个典型城市的大气城市热岛效应强度,从热带、干带、暖温带、冷温带和极地带五个气候带,分析城市热岛效应的时空特征规律。结果表明：（1）区域差异：干带热岛效应明显高于其他气候带,极地带最弱,且表现为较强的冷岛效应,热带、暖温带、冷温带热岛效应较弱,而冷温带的京津冀地区由于城市化程度较高,表现出较强的热岛效应,温暖带中西南地区较为明显;（2）季节性差异：不同季节城市热岛效应的强弱关系在不同气候带有所不同,秋季热岛效应较为稳定,热岛和冷岛效应均主要处于弱强度范围,春、冬热岛效应较为波动,易出现强热岛、强冷岛效应的极端现象,夏季热岛效应发生率最高;（3）时间演变规律：城市热岛效应的多年演变规律在相同气候带较为一致,2010年前后是各气候带各季节城市热岛效应的变化拐点,2010年后,干带、冷温带、暖温带热岛效应均有所下降,热带、极地带有所上升。     

Regeneration of excised shell by the invasive apple snail Pomacea canaliculata

After excision of shell from Pomacea canaliculata, survival rates, repair process, haemocyte response, and calcium content were observed and quantified for three weeks. The following experimental treatments were used: black-colored individuals with large (BL-group) or small (BS-group) shell heights, yellow-colored individuals with large (YL-group) or small (YS-group) shell heights. The survival rates in BL-, YL-, BS-, and YS-groups after making partial excisions of snail shells were, respectively, 93.59, 94.87, 92.31, and 96.15%. Freshly regenerated shell could be seen at 1 day among the four groups after induction of shell regeneration. Regeneration shell filled the wound after 5–10 days. The area of regenerated shell in yellow-colored individuals was larger than that of black-colored individuals, but the thickness of regenerated shell was not significantly different. Multiple (four times) inductions of shell regeneration significantly enhanced the thickness of newly formed shells. Two types of circulating haemocytes (hyalinocytes and granulocytes) were identified under light microscopy based on Wright’s staining. Artificial induction of shell regeneration rendered a significant increase in the number of total circulating haemocytes which was followed by a decrease to pre-wounding levels. This peak value of total circulating haemocytes was 2.86, 2.43, 1.69, and 1.71-fold higher than pre-wounding levels in group BL, YL, BS, and YS, respectively. The number of total circulating haemocytes in yellow-colored individuals was significantly higher than in black-colored. Calcium concentrations in the mantles of snails are favorable for calcium nucleation. It is postulated that calcium content increased in the mantle increase at the start of the experiment and then returned to pre-wounding levels at the end of the experiment. This study shows that apple snails have effective shell regeneration abilities and that haemocytes and calcium transportation appear to play an important role in shell growth and regeneration.     

Beak from the body chamber of an Early Carboniferous shelled longiconic coleoid cephalopod from Arkansas,USA

Here we report the discovery of an Early Carboniferous (Late Visean) 3D cephalopod beak displaying significant similarity to the lower beak of Recent coleoids. It was uncovered in a fragmentarily preserved, longiconic shell from the Moorefield Formation in Arkansas, USA. This shell comprises a fractured 29‐mm‐long body chamber having a maximum diameter of ~14 mm and showing an indistinct pro‐ostracum‐like structure. The beak‐bearing shell could easily have been mistaken for a bactritid or orthocerid if it were not for a coleoid‐type, weakly mineralized, evidently organic‐rich shell wall which shows a lamello‐columnar ultrastructure of a bulk of shell wall thickness and plate ultrastructure of thin outer layer. The specimen is assigned to an as‐yet unnamed shelled coleoid of a so far unknown high‐level taxonomic group. A partially exposed, 4.0‐mm‐long portion of the beak is the lower beak in oblique view from its left side. It exhibits fractured anthracite‐like black, apparently originally chitin material, helmet‐like general shape, broad hood with narrow shallow median groove and small notch posteriorly, pronounced pointed, non‐biomineralized upside belt rostrum, high shoulder and about a 90–100 degrees jaw angle. A broad hood and massive rostrum emphasize its similarity to the lower mandible of Recent Vampyroteuthis and signify that its unique, among living coleoids, structure has been existed for at least since Late Visean time (~333 my).     

不同干扰强度生境中啮齿动物对苦槠种子的取食和扩散

在浙江省千岛湖地区,选择了受人类活动干扰较轻、中度和严重的3个生境,采用金属片标记法研究了啮齿动物对苦槠种子的取食和扩散.结果表明:在研究点捕获的取食种子的啮齿动物为针毛鼠( Niviventer fulvescens),尽管捕获的数量少,但种子被取食和扩散的速率很快,3个样地内的种子均在2d内被取食或扩散完毕;中等干扰强度的生境中,被就地取食的种子最多,占鉴别种子总数的37.8%.种子扩散距离大多<5m,最大扩散距离为24.76m,3个样地种子扩散均符合负指数分布,且样地间没有显著差异;饱满种子与虫蛀种子被就地取食与搬运后取食的命运没有显著差异,但饱满种子的最大扩散距离均显著大于虫蛀种子(P<0.05),除中等干扰样地中饱满种子与虫蛀种子平均扩散距离没有显著差异外,其余2个样地中饱满种子的平均扩散距离均显著大于虫蛀种子,显示啮齿动物对饱满种子与虫蛀种子有一定的区分能力.     

Conjugation of Multiple Copies of Polyethylene Glycol to Hemoglobin Facilitated Through Thiolation: Influence on Hemoglobin Structure and Function

PEGylation induced changes in molecular volume and solution properties of HbA have been implicated as potential modulators of its vasoconstrictive activity. However, our recent studies with PEGylated Hbs carrying two PEG chains/Hb, have demonstrated that the modulation of the vasoconstrictive activity of Hb is not a direct correlate of the molecular volume and solution properties of the PEGylated Hb and implicated a role for the surface charge and/or the pattern of surface decoration of Hb with PEG. HbA has now been modified by thiolation mediated maleimide chemistry based PEGylation that does not alter its surface charge and conjugates multiple copies of PEG5K chains. This protocol has been optimized to generate a PEGylated Hb, (SP-PEG5K)₆-Hb, that carries ~six PEG5K chains/Hb – HexaPEGylated Hb. PEGylation increased the O₂ affinity of Hb and desensitized the molecule for the influence of ionic strength, pH, and allosteric effectors, presumably a consequence of the hydrated PEG-shell generated around the protein. The total PEG mass in (SP-PEG5K)₆-Hb, its molecular volume, O₂ affinity and solution properties are similar to that of another PEGylated Hb, (SP-PEG20K)₂-Hb, that carries two PEG20K chains/Hb. However, (SP-PEG5K)₆-Hb exhibited significantly reduced vasoconstriction mediated response than (SP-PEG20K)₂-Hb. These results demonstrate that the enhanced molecular size and solution properties achieved through the conjugation of multiple copies of small PEG chains to Hb is more effective in decreasing its vasoconstrictive activity than that achieved through the conjugation of a comparable PEG mass using a small number of large PEG chains.