On formation‐based sampling proxies and why they should not be used to correct the fossil record

The fossil record is a unique resource on the history of life, but it is well known to be incomplete. In a series of high‐profile papers, a residual modelling technique has been applied to correct the raw palaeodiversity signal for this bias and incompleteness, and the claim is made that the processed time series are more accurate than the raw data. We apply empirical and simulation approaches to test for correlation and directionality of any relationships between rock and fossil data. The empirical data comprise samples of the global fossil record through the Phanerozoic, and we use simulations to assess whether randomly sampled subsets of modelled data can be improved by application of the residual modelling technique. Our results show that using formation counts as a sampling proxy to correct the fossil record via residual modelling is ill founded. The supposedly independent model of sampling is information‐redundant with respect to the raw palaeodiversity data it seeks to correct, and so the outputs are generally likely to be further from the truth than the raw data. We recommend that students of palaeodiversity cease to use residual modelling estimates based on formation counts, and suggest that results from a substantial number of papers published in the past ten years require re‐evaluation.     

High power line collision mortality of threatened bustards at a regional scale in the Karoo,South Africa

Quantifying avian collisions with power lines at large spatial scales is difficult, but such mortality is of serious conservation concern for many bird species worldwide. To investigate effects on the Endangered Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii and two other bustard species, mortality surveys were conducted quarterly along high‐voltage transmission lines at five sites (total length 252 km) across the Karoo for 2 years and one low‐voltage distribution line site (95 km) for 1 year. Thirty bird species were found, with Ludwig's Bustards constituting 69% and other bustards a further 18% of carcasses (n = 679 birds). Significant explanatory variables of Ludwig's Bustard collisions were season (collisions more likely in winter), rainfall (less likely in drier areas) and year on transmission lines (highlighting variability between years). Season and proximity to roads were significant variables on distribution lines, with collisions more likely during winter and away from roads. Ludwig's Bustard collision rates (corrected for survey biases) were higher on transmission (1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40–2.58 bustards/km/year) than on distribution lines (0.86; 95% CI 0.30–1.96), but these smaller lines are four times as extensive in South Africa and so probably kill more birds. Despite being much less abundant, Kori Bustards Ardeotis kori were the second most commonly recovered species, with collision rates of 0.10 (95% CI 0.05–0.19) on transmission lines in the Nama Karoo alone. Collision rates are highly variable but suggest mortality suffered by these two species is worryingly high. This adds to growing concern about the impacts of power lines on bustards globally, so given ongoing expansion to the power grid, collision mitigation measures should be implemented at all new power lines.     

Influence of Edaphic Factors and Previous Crop on Pratylenchus spp. Population Densities in Potato

Root and soil samples from commercial potato fields were assayed for nematodes in 1983 and 1984. Pratylenchus spp. population densities in Suffolk County, New York, were consistently, though not always statistically, higher in potato fields that had been planted to rye or wheat rather than potatoes during the previous growing season. Regardless of the previous crop, population densities in the two potato production areas in Suffolk County differed significantly: population densities on the south fork were 1.9-5.5 times higher than those on the north fork. Species prevalence differed significantly on the two forks but was not related to the previous year''s crop. P. penetrans and P. crenatus were found primarily on the north and south forks, respectively. Differences in species distribution were associated with differences in soil types. P. crenatus was usually found on loams and silt loams, but P. penetrans was found more frequently on sandy soils.     

The fresh waters of Shetland: Chemical characteristics of running waters

The water chemistry of 48 streams on Shetland was determined as part of a synoptic survey of the islands during 1974. Principal component analysis identified three main contributors to stream chemistry: solid geology, drift geology (in the form of peat) and marine influence. The sites could be clustered by their chemistry according to these factors. The likely chemical characteristics of sites could be predicted from map analysis of altitude, solid and drift geology and oceanicity. There was little evidence of acidification of Shetland streams, but the peatiness of the water made acidification difficult to detect using the usual criteria. Most sites did show a reduction in alkalinity compared to a calculated value for non-aidified sites.     

Yeast ferrochelatase: expression in a baculovirus system and purification of the expression protein.

The terminal step of the heme biosynthetic pathway is catalyzed by the enzyme ferrochelatase (EC 4.99.1.1). In eukaryotes this enzyme is bound to the inner mitochondrial membrane with its active site facing the matrix side of the membrane. Previously this laboratory has characterized this enzyme via kinetic and protein chemical modification techniques, and with the recent cloning of the enzyme from yeast, mouse, and human sources it now becomes possible to approach structure-function questions by using site-directed mutagenesis. Of primary significance to this is the development of an efficient expression vector. This is of particular significance for ferrochelatase, as it is a low-abundance protein whose DNA coding sequence has a very low codon bias. In the current work we describe the production of yeast ferrochelatase in a baculovirus system. This system is shown to be an excellent one in which to produce large quantities of active ferrochelatase. The expressed enzyme is membrane associated and is not released into the growth medium either during or after virus development and cell lysis. The expressed protein can be purified in a procedure that requires only 1 day and makes use of a Pharmacia Hi Trap blue affinity column. The measured Km's for the substrates mesoporphyrin and iron are the same as those reported previously for the yeast enzyme. To our knowledge this is the first example of a mitochondrial membrane protein that has been expressed in a baculovirus system.     

不同取样方式在稻田节肢动物采集中的效率评估

水稻是我国主要粮食作物,每年都会因虫害造成大量的经济损失,为了挽回害虫造成的损失,必须对害虫进行防治。田间节肢动物群落调查是评价害虫防治效果的重要依据,取样方式对节肢动物群落调查的准确性具有重要的影响。另外,对转基因作物对稻田生物多样性安全性进行评价时,取样方式对多样性评价的准确性也具有重要的影响。本文采用吸虫器法、盆拍法和马氏网诱集法3种取样方式进行稻田节肢动物调查,并评估不同取样方式的采集效率。得到的结果有:1.采集到的节肢动物物种数:马氏网诱集法吸虫器法盆拍法;2.采集的节肢动物数量:盆拍法吸虫器法马氏网诱集法;3.吸虫器取样法在调查叶蝉科、秆蝇科、茧蜂科、姬蜂科、金小蜂科、缘腹细蜂科、蕈蚋科时,取样效率较高;4.盆拍取样法在调查叶蝉科、瘿蚊科、微蛛亚科、跳蛛科、狼蛛科、猫蛛科、弹尾虫目、飞虱科时,取样效率较高;5.马氏网诱集法在调查缟蝇科和毛蠓科时取样效率较高。马氏网诱集法善于采集具有飞行能力的节肢动物;吸虫器法对不同习性的节肢动物采集效果均较高;盆拍法适合采集活动于水稻基部的节肢动物。     

Bitter taste receptors: Novel insights into the biochemistry and pharmacology

Bitter taste receptors (T2Rs) belong to the super family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). There are 25 T2Rs expressed in humans, and these interact with a large and diverse group of bitter ligands. T2Rs are expressed in many extra-oral tissues and can perform diverse physiological roles. Structure-function studies led to the identification of similarities and dissimilarities between T2Rs and Class A GPCRs including amino acid conservation and novel motifs. However, the efficacy of most of the T2R ligands is not yet elucidated and the biochemical pharmacology of T2Rs is poorly understood. Recent studies on T2Rs characterized novel ligands including blockers for these receptors that include inverse agonist and antagonists. In this review we discuss the techniques used for elucidating bitter blockers, concept of ligand bias, generic amino acid numbering, the role of cholesterol, and conserved water molecules in the biochemistry and pharmacology of T2Rs.     

内蒙古地区道地药材蒙古黄芪资源调查及产地适宜性

在文献检索的基础上,运用样地调查法和踏查法调查野生、人工种植蒙古黄芪的资源分布、生境特点、生长状况,探寻影响蒙古黄芪生长的生态因子,结合中药材产地适宜性分析地理信息系统,区划蒙古黄芪在内蒙古地区的适宜产地.结果表明: 栽培蒙古黄芪生产区域主要分布在武川县、固阳县等15个旗县,其生态特征为海拔高于1000 m,土壤类型为沙土、砂砾土和钙土.野生蒙古黄芪覆盖内蒙古中东部地区,生于向阳处,喜冷凉干燥气候,适宜沙壤土或砂砾土,忌阴湿黏重土壤.应用TCMGIS-Ⅱ分析得到内蒙古境内野生蒙古黄芪生态因子相似系数>95%的生态适宜区为43个县区,面积为94460.30 km²;栽培蒙古黄芪生态适宜区为32个县区,面积为76013.93 km².