Sex and status in a cooperative breeding fish: behavior and androgens

Among taxonomically widespread cooperatively breeding vertebrates, those with non-breeding helpers-at-the-nest provide an excellent opportunity to understand the proximate mechanisms underlying care and allocare. In this study, we examined androgen levels in relation to care behavior in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher, from Lake Tanganyika. We concentrated on androgens, as these hormones have been linked to the defense behavior, and the defense of young is a common form of parental care in fishes. N. pulcher dominant female breeders performed the most care and also displayed the highest levels of plasma testosterone (T) compared with other individuals within the social group. We also found that dominant male breeders provided a similar amount of care as did the subordinate helpers, but breeding males had the highest levels of 11-ketotestosterone (11KT), an important androgen in fish. Breeders had higher levels of both androgens (T and 11KT) compared to helpers. There was a weak but significant positive correlation between T levels and the frequency of care regardless of sex and status. Our results suggest that androgens may promote defense of young and are in contrast to the commonly reported trade-off between androgen and parental care.     

鼠Tcp11l1基因的结构与表达分析

为了分析鼠Tcp11l1基因的结构和表达,从小鼠睾丸组织总cDNA中扩增鼠Tcp11l1基因的开读框架(Open reading frame,ORF),定向克隆到真核表达载体pEGFP-N1,构建融合表达质粒pTcp11l1-EGFP,转染HEK293细胞,荧光显微镜下观察Tcp11l1基因的亚细胞定位;设计跨小鼠Tcp11l1基因两个外显子的引物,RT-PCR分析此基因在小鼠各组织中的表达情况.并利用生物信息学的方法对鼠Tcp11l1基因的结构进行初步预测.转染pTcp11l1-EGFP后在胞质中能明显看到绿色荧光信号,而在胞核和胞膜中无绿色荧光信号,表明鼠Tcp11l1蛋白定位于细胞质;RT-PCR分析结果表明,鼠Tcp11l1基因在小鼠各组织中广泛表达.生物信息学结果表明,鼠Tcp11l1和鼠Tcp11的蛋白具有相同的TCP11结构域,不能确定是否存在跨膜序列.鼠Tcp11l1基因和鼠Tcp11基因具有相似的亚细胞定位和TCP11结构域,表明这两个基因可能具有相似的受体功能.但是与Tcp11特异表达于睾丸组织的延长精细胞和精子不同,Tcp11l1为广泛表达,说明Tcp11l1可能在多种组织细胞中发挥作用.     

Concentrations of phthalate esters and identification of other additives in PVC children’s toys

This study was intended to provide data on the composition of soft PVC toys, addressing the widest practicable range of chemical additives and including non-phthalate additives. The study also included toys from as many countries as possible, since for many, no data were available. A total of 72 toys were purchased in 17 countries. The majority (64) were PVC or had PVC sections. In almost all the soft PVC toys analysed, phthalates comprised a sizeable proportion (most frequently 10–40%) of the total weight of the toy. The predominant phthalates detected were diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Other phthalates identified in high concentrations in some toys include isomeric mixes of diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP). The estrogenic chemical nonylphenol was isolated from 13 toys, while 2 toys were found to contain the fungicide Fungitrol 11 (Folpet). 78% of PVC toys contained one or more extractable organic compounds in addition to those reported above. Some of these data have been released previously by Greenpeace and made available on the internet.This report, however, which is intended for a technically expert audience, has been peer reviewed and contains further analytical data that have not been published before.     

TC11钛合金盘形件锻造过程的有限元模拟

在建立动态接触边界条件的通用处理方法的基础上,采用刚粘塑性有限元法模拟了TC11钛合金盘形件的锻造过程。     

A chromosome 21-specific cosmid cocktail for the detection of chromosome 21 aberrations in interphase nuclei

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with a 21q11-specific probe (CB21c1) consisting of three non-overlapping cosmids has been applied to interphase amniocytes of pregnancies at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy (N = 78) and to interphase lymphocytes, cultured and uncultured, of patients referred for Down syndrome (N = 19 and 28, respectively). In the uncultured amniocytes, six chromosome aberrations were detected: three cases of trisomy 21, a triploidy, a de novo 46,XX,t(21q21q), and a mosaic 46,XY/47,XY,+dic(21)(q11)/48,XY,+dic(21)(q11), +del(21)(q11). In 15 cultured and 20 uncultured blood samples, FISH correctly diagnosed trisomy 21 (full or mosaic) at the interphase level, which was confirmed in all cases by subsequent karyotyping. Because of specific and strong signals in interphase nuclei, CB21c1 appears to be a useful tool for the rapid detection of chromosome 21 abnormalities.     

基于MIKE 11模型的引江济淮工程涡河段动态水环境容量研究

为探索分析水体环境容量的动态特性,论文以引江济淮工程涡河段为例,首次提出MIKE 11模型结合稀释流量比m值法计算河流水环境容量。计算结果表明:1)基于MIKE 11模型的m值法计算环境容量来分析河流水体环境容量的动态特性是可行的,它综合了环境管理中的总量控制和质量控制思想。2)通过对参数的合理取值,可建立客观反映模拟河段水动力、水质时空演变规律的模型;MIKE 11模型综合考虑河床糙度、纵向扩散系数、综合衰减系数、地表储水层最大含水量、土壤或根区储水层最大含水量等因素,水深的绝对误差(Re)、确定性系数(R2)和Nash-Suttcliffe系数Ens分别为3.30%、0.990和0.984;流量的Re、R2和Ens分别为9.8%、0.969和0.997;义门大桥断面COD模拟误差为13.7%,氨氮模拟误差为14.7%。3)基于MIKE 11模型的m值法计算谯城区COD的月均环境容量为-220.48 g/s、氨氮的月均环境容量为-10.97 g/s;涡阳县COD的月均环境容量为-17.05 g/s、氨氮的月均环境容量为2.56 g/s;蒙城县COD的月均环境容量为30.58 g/s、氨氮的月均环境容量为4.47 g/s;怀远县COD的月均环境容量为176.59 g/s、氨氮的月均环境容量为10.67 g/s;与传统的一维模型计算值相比,计算精度更高。结论认为,此方法可为MIKE 11模型的应用拓宽新思路,为引江济淮工程中河流水体的动态水环境容量计算提供依据,为污染物在横断面均匀混合的非感潮河流水体的环境容量计算和流域水污染治理提供一种新的技术方法。     

基于MIKE11模型入河水污染源处理措施的控制效能分析

为分析入河水污染源不同处理措施的控制效能,以中国多闸坝重污染河流的典型代表—涡河为例,针对"引江济淮"工程涡河段的水质改善需求,以涡河主要污染物COD、氨氮为指标,应用MIKE 11模型建立能客观反映模拟河段水动力、水质时空演变规律的模型;结合情景分析方法对涡河流域入河水污染源不同处理措施的控制效能进行量化评估.模拟结果表明:截污是改善"引江济淮"工程涡河段水质的关键,可降低约18.9%~36.8%的COD入河负荷,以及13.9%~26.3%的氨氮入河负荷;提高污水厂的处理量是改善"引江济淮"工程涡河段水质的有效措施,可削减15.0%的COD和10.8%的氨氮污染;综合处理措施优于单一措施,通过截污、提高污水厂的处理量和排放标准可以使86%以上的河段达到IV类水体要求.本研究结果可为"引江济淮"工程沿线的水污染防治提供技术支持,同时为河流综合治理工程决策提供借鉴和依据.     

基于MIKE11模型提高污染河流水质改善效果的方法

为寻求提高污染河流水质改善效果的方法,本研究选择中国多坝闸重污染河流颍河为研究对象,针对引江济淮工程颍河段的水质改善要求,以颍河主要的污染物高锰酸盐指数、氨氮为指标,提出了应用MIKE11建立试验河流一维河网水动力和水质模型,采用数值模拟的方法,试验研究河流水质改善的最优技术方法,模拟试验主要进行了补水流量、补水水质、补水位置和补水方式等措施对改善颍河水质效果的影响.模拟结果表明:用MIKE11模型中水动力模块(HD)和对流扩散模块(AD)并结合降雨径流模块(NAM)来进行污染河流水质改善是可行的,即补水流量为河流本底流量的10%,分别对补水点1采用Ⅲ类水,补水点2和补水点3采用Ⅳ类水进行补给,补给效果最佳,高锰酸盐指数和氨氮的去除率分别为72.3%和55.7%,使研究区颍河85%以上的河段达到Ⅳ类水水质标准,为河流污染控制提供了一种新方法.     

Identification of cuticular lipids eliciting interspecific courtship in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica

The cuticular surface of sexually mature females of the German cockroach contains a sex pheromone that, upon contact with the male's antennae, elicits a characteristic species-specific courtship behavior. This female-specific pheromone is a blend of several long-chain methyl ketones, alcohols and aldehydes, all derived from prominent cuticular hydrocarbons found in all life stages of this cockroach. We found that contact with the antennae of 5 out of 20 assayed cockroach species elicited courtship behavior in German cockroach males. The heterospecific courtship-eliciting compounds were isolated by behaviorally guided fractionation of the active crude extracts and compared to the native sex pheromone components. We identified two active compounds from the cuticular extract of the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis -- 11-methylheptacosan-2-one and 27-oxo-11-methylheptacosan-2-one; the former compound was confirmed by synthesis and proved to independently stimulate courtship in German cockroach males. These compounds share common features with, but are distinct from, any of the known contact sex pheromone components. This suggests that sex pheromone reception in the male German cockroach is unusually promiscuous, accepting a wide range of compounds that share certain features with its native pheromone, thus resulting in a broad spectrum of behavioral response to other species. We propose that several characteristics of their mating system -- chiefly, absence of closely related species in the anthropogenic environment, resulting in relaxation of selection on sexual communication, and a highly male-biased operational sex ratio -- have driven males to respond with extremely low thresholds to a wide spectrum of related compounds.     

废弃聚氨酯硬泡中CFC-11的释放机理

将聚氨酯硬泡在密闭室中切割破碎,破碎后的颗粒置于密闭瓶中并对其加热及常温下长期放置,用GC/MS测量切割破碎和加热时CFC-11的释放量,以及长期放置时CFC-11释放量。结果表明:破碎处理PUR泡沫时,CFC-11的释放分为瞬间释放、短期释放和长期释放三个阶段。将硬泡破碎至<8 mm、<4 mm、<1 mm和<0.5 mm时,CFC-11瞬间释放量分别占CFC-11总量的40.72%、65.24%、70.79%和75.16%;当破碎粒径<0.5 mm时,包裹于硬泡泡孔中的CFC-11全部释放;PUR泡沫破碎后,短期释放和长期释放同时发生;根据理想数学扩散模型和实验所得扩散系数估算,1~10 mm颗粒中残留的CFC-11长期释放时间为2.4~120年。