Sperm competition in horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)

Male horseshoe crabs have two mating tactics. Some males come ashore attached to a female (clasping the posterior margin of the females' carapace with their modified pedipalps) and nest with her on the intertidal portion of the beach during the high tide. Other males come ashore unattached and crowd around nesting couples. Fertilization is external and unattached males that are in contact with a pair, i.e. satellite males, release sperm, so the assumption has been that they are fertilizing eggs. We conducted a paternity analysis to determine the proportion of eggs fertilized by attached and satellite males. Pairs with one satellite were observed during nesting on beaches in Florida and Delaware and their eggs were collected and reared to the late trilobite or first instar horseshoe crab stage. DNA was extracted from these offspring and from each adult (female, attached and satellite male) for use in paternity analysis. A Limulus-specific hypervariable microsatellite locus was identified and primers were constructed to amplify this locus via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotypes of putative parents and offspring were determined by resolving length variants of these PCR products on acrylamide gels. This allowed us to determine parentage of the offspring. We demonstrate that satellite males fertilized 40% of the eggs on average, attached males fertilized 51% and 4% of the eggs that were laid by the female were fathered neither by the attached male nor by the satellite (and 5% could not be determined unambiguously). There is high variability in the success of satellite males, ranging from 0 to 88%. Part of this variability can be explained by the position of the satellite relative to the attached male. We discuss the mechanics of fertilization and the possible advantages for multiple mating in this species.     

渭河下游洪水,地震灾害综合风险分析与损失评估

根据渭河下游洪水、地震灾害生成环境建立了洪水、地震灾害叠加模型，进而依据大量实际资料进行了灾害叠加风险水平估计和定量损失计算。     

Governmental Provisions to Manage and Eradicate Feral Swine in Areas of the United States

Feral swine (wild hogs) are one of the most widely distributed free-ranging mammals in the world. In the United States, feral swine serve as game animals for the sport of hunting in some areas, while they are nuisance species at other locations. Increasing feral swine populations creates negative impacts to growing crops, native plant communities, and wildlife. Feral swine can also serve as reservoirs for a number of bacterial and viral diseases that can infect wild animals, livestock, and humans. The US state governments are adopting statutes and regulations to reduce the growth and dispersal of feral swine populations. An analysis of these provisions suggests that while they seek to control feral swine populations, they are unlikely to provide any significant relief from damages to crops and native ecosystems. More localized reduction plans and a national disease control program are suggested to assuage damages being wrought by these invasive animals.     

Glutathione S-transferase gene polymorphism,cigarette smoking and DNA damage

Several factors such as smoking habits, diet, occupational, and environmental exposure to chemical carcinogens influence the overall level of DNA damage. In 69 healthy adult volunteers’ polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase (GST), an enzyme which participates in the metabolism of a broad range of carcinogens and endogenous compounds were determined. The level of DNA damage was assessed by comet assay and classified according to GSTT1/M1 genotype and smoking habits. GSTM1 null genotype was recognized in 48% of studied subjects and GSTT1 null genotype in only two cases (3%). In subjects carrying GSTT1/M1 alleles a significantly lower degree of DNA damage, determined as % DNA in the comet's tail, than in null individuals was noted. However, the results obtained did not indicate that in studied subjects an elevated endogenous level of DNA damage may be significantly related to smoking habits.     

铅染毒导致小鼠DNA损伤与氧化损伤

为了研究亚急性铅暴露对小鼠的遗传毒性及氧化损伤的诱导,将不同剂量的醋酸铅对小鼠隔日灌胃4周,用彗星实验检测其外周血淋巴细胞DNA损伤,并测定肝组织中活性氧自由基(ROS)的水平和脂质过氧化主要终产物丙二醛(MDA)的含量.结果显示,随染铅剂量的增加,小鼠肝线粒体中的ROS水平明显升高,染铅剂量为500 mg·kg-1组与对照组相比有显著性差异;肝MDA含量以及淋巴细胞尾长和尾相显著增加,染铅剂量为50、100、500 mg·kg-1组与对照组相比均有显著性差异;MDA与尾长和尾相的变化趋势一致.诱导产生自由基并导致脂质过氧化作用增强及DNA损伤是铅引起机体损伤的主要机制之一.     

Analysis of parental strain DNA fragments existing in GEMs-Fhhh

There were 6 target DNA fragments of the three parental strains existing in the cell of GEMs( genetically engineered microorganism strain) Fhhh measured in this research by PCR(polymerase chain reaction). The determination showed that GEMs Fhhh contained all the 6 target DNA fragments, mnpl, mnp2, lipl, lip2, FLOI and 16S rDNA, and had the molecular genetic stability. Meanwhile the PCR production of each parental strain could only had its target DNA fragments and was different from each other. It may illustrate that the technique of the inter-kingdom protoplast fusion for the construction of GEMs Fhhh through the process of intercellular gene recombination could be used as a reliable bioengineefing technique to create the soecific functional stain for the nollution control.     

农药毒死蜱对小鼠脑细胞氧化损伤的研究

毒死蜱是一种高效、低毒、广谱的有机磷杀虫杀螨剂.为研究其对生物体的氧化损伤,以昆明小鼠为受试体,毒死蜱按3、6和12 mg·kg-13个剂量水平灌胃染毒小鼠7d,以脑组织匀浆测定活性氧(Reactive oxygen species,ROS)、还原型谷胱甘肽(Glutathione,GSH)和丙二醛(Malondialdehyde,MDA)的含量,以脑细胞测定DNA-蛋白质交联(DNA-protein Crosslink,DPC)系数.实验结果表明,随着毒死蜱染毒剂量的升高,ROS和MDA含量及DPC系数逐渐上升,GSH含量逐渐降低,各指标呈一定的剂量-效应关系.染毒剂量为6 mg·kg-1时,与对照组相比,DPC有显著差异(p＜0.05),MDA有极显著差异(P＜0.01);染毒剂量为12 mg·kg-1时,与对照组相比,ROS和DPC有显著差异(p＜0.05),GSH和MDA有极显著差异(p＜0.01).说明较高剂量的毒死蜱可造成小鼠脑组织的氧化损伤和DNA-蛋白质交联作用增强.     

《昆明-蒙特利尔全球生物多样性框架》下的生物多样性监测

生物多样性监测是执行和评估《昆明-蒙特利尔全球生物多样性保护框架》（简称《昆-蒙框架》）长期目标和行动指标所需要的关键数据的主要来源。简要介绍了《昆-蒙框架》下的全球生物多样性观测网络（The global biodiversity observation network,GEO BON）概况、中国已有的生物多样性监测/观测网络,构建全球生物多样性观测系统（A global biodiversity observation system,GBiOS）的目的和核心监测指标,分析了生物多样性监测网络建设的一般步骤和GEO BON建议的4种生物多样性监测新方法。提出,地理空间单元与生物类群的全覆盖监测是建设生物多样性监测网络的主要目标,传统监测方法和新监测技术的互补是当前生物多样性监测的重点工作内容。     

一种简便快速检测涕灭威对 DNA损伤的方法

介绍一种简便、快速检测涕灭威对DNA损伤的方法,并将这种方法与其他几种检测DNA损伤的方法进行了比较.这种方法直接把菌体或组织匀浆液放入琼脂糖凝胶的加样孔穴中,在原位裂解后,在较高pH环境下进行电泳,根据DNA的量和损伤程度评价涕灭威对生物个体或生态系统产生的影响.