Some results on the design of field experiments for comparing unreplicated treatments

In early generation variety trials, large numbers of new breeders’ lines need to be compared, and usually there is little seed available for each new line. A so-called unreplicated trial has each new line on just one plot at a site, but includes several (often around five) replicated check or control (or standard) varieties. The total proportion of check plots is usually between 10% and 20%. The aim of the trial is to choose some good performing lines (usually around 1/3 of those tested) to go on for further testing, rather than precise estimation of their mean yield. Now that spatial analyses of data from field experiments are becoming more common, there is interest in an efficient layout of an experiment given a proposed spatial analysis. Some possible design criteria are discussed, and efficient layouts under spatial dependence are considered.     

Where can tigers persist in the future? A landscape-scale, density-based population model for the Indian subcontinent

Despite being targeted as a conservation flagship species for several decades, the tiger (Panthera tigris) grows ever more imperiled. Debate exists as to where tiger conservation should focus: on protected nature reserves or larger landscapes. We developed a landscape scale, density-based model to assess whether reasonably effective management of current reserves is adequate to ensure the survival of tiger populations. We focused on the Indian subcontinent, the region likely to harbor most tigers. Using tiger density estimates and vegetation data, we set tiger population targets that could be attained through reasonable management of the subcontinent’s nature reserves. Depending on the quality of the surrounding landscape matrix, our model indicated that the subcontinent could potentially hold ∼3500-6500 tigers, in up to 150 reserves. Strikingly, just 21 reserves can hold most (58-95%) of this tiger capacity. These high-population target reserves were relatively insensitive to the hostility of the surrounding matrix to tigers, as their aggregate capacity varied by <10% across a wide range of matrix conditions. In contrast, the remaining 129 reserves were highly sensitive to matrix quality, as they were unable to sustain populations with a tiger-hostile matrix, even with reasonable management. Our results suggest that reasonably improved management of the subcontinent’s reserves can sustain multiple tiger populations based on two differing conservation strategies. Conservation within the 21 reserves with the largest population targets should focus primarily on the reserves themselves. In contrast, tiger conservation in the remaining reserves can succeed only with additional management of the unprotected landscapes that surround them.     

DDX3 RNA解旋酶在基因调控、肿瘤和病毒感染中的功能

DEAD-box RNA解旋酶DDX3是一种多功能的蛋白,其参与RNA代谢的多个过程,包括转录、剪接、mRNA核输出、翻译、RNA降解和核糖体生物合成。此外,DDX3还参与了细胞周期调控、细胞凋亡、Wnt-β-catenin信号和肿瘤发生等。最近研究表明,DDX3参与天然免疫信号通路并且促进抗病毒分子(如:干扰素调控因子3和Ⅰ型干扰素)的产生,DDX3也是一些病毒的主要靶点,因此,DDX3可作为研发抗病毒药物的新靶点。本文简单介绍了DDX3的结构和功能,总结了其在基因表达调控、细胞周期调控和细胞凋亡过程中发挥的作用,最后阐述了病毒如何通过与DDX3的互作调控宿主先天性免疫,以期为细胞的稳态调控和抗病毒先天性免疫调控提供新的思路。     

奶牛分子育种专题学习网站的建设构想

阐述了建设奶牛分子育种专题学习网站的意义和构想,规划了网站的主要内容和发展方向,为相关专业的研究者和从业人员提供参考。     

Survey of pigs' kidneys with lesions consistent with PMWS and PDNS and ochratoxicosis. Part 2: pathological and histological findings

One thousand condemned pigs' kidneys were collected in February 2002 from two pig abattoirs in England to assess the lesions due to postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (pmws) and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (pdns) and the possible contribution of ochratoxicosis; 174 of the kidneys were pale, 295 were swollen and 81 were abnormally firm with the gross appearance of fibrosis. The main macroscopic finding was the presence of multifocal pale cortical lesions, observed in 446 of the kidneys, and there were large cysts in 266 of them. Histopathological lesions of non-suppurative tubulointerstitial nephritis, with degeneration and fibrosis of renal tubules, were identified in 213 of 250 (85.2 per cent) of the kidneys examined. These lesions were consistent with those reported in cases of pmws and pdns. The tubular degeneration and fibrosis were also consistent with ochratoxicosis. A higher mean concentration of ochratoxin A was significantly (P=0.020) associated with the presence of multifocal pale cortical lesions consistent with ochratoxicosis, but a causal relationship was not confirmed because histochemistry was not used to detect ochratoxin in the lesions directly. There was no significant correlation between the microscopic lesions and the concentration of ochratoxin. The degenerative lesions may have been caused by previous exposure to ochratoxin that had subsequently been excreted, but the microscopic lesions also included non-suppurative interstitial nephritis, which was unlikely to have been caused by ochratoxicosis.     

Jejunojejunal Intussusception and Colonic Impaction in a 12-Day-Old Orphan Foal

A 12-day-old, 14.4-kg, female foal of Australian Miniature Pony breed was presented at the National Chung Hsing University Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, Taiwan, with a history of weakness of 2 days’ duration. The mare died of unknown cause on the previous day. Abnormal findings during physical examination included an estimated dehydration of 3 to 5%, dark red oral mucous membranes, elevated heart and respiratory rates, stiffened feces, and absence of intestinal motility on auscultation. Continual nursing care was followed by intravenous fluid therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and antibiotic treatment. The foal's condition deteriorated rapidly, and feeding was refused. Subsequently, she developed signs of pyrexia and panting. In spite of oxygen supplement, she died 18 hours after admission. Postmortem examination revealed the presence of a jejunojejunal intussusception, 20 cm in length; a torsion of jejunum proximal to the intussusception also was noted. An ulcerative lesion, 3 cm in diameter, was found on the mucosa of duodenum. Large amounts of sand, coat hair, and hay mantling in bloody discharge were observed in a colonic impaction. That it was an acute case was evident by the involvement of intussusception and ulceration, indicating desquamation of the necrotic epithelial cells with edema and distinct infiltration of neutrophils. These results suggested that a practical management strategy for nursing an orphan foal should be performed to avoid a similar case in the future.     

超声波提取福建佛手皮渣多糖及抗氧化分析

以福建佛手加工中废弃的皮渣等下脚料为原料,对佛手多糖提取工艺进行了优化研究,并对其抗氧化性进行了分析.通过正交试验法确定超声波提取建佛手粗多糖的最优提取工艺:料液比1:60、超声功率为50 W、提取温度为60℃、提取40 min,提取率可达3.32％.当佛手粗多糖质量浓度为1.4 mg/mL时,多糖溶液对·OH和·O2-的清除率分别为86.12％和35.87％.由此可知,建佛手多糖具有较强的体外抗氧化活性,但抗氧化活性均不如VC.     

Cutaneous hemangioma in a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

An adult male giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) was presented with a cutaneous mass ventral to the eye. The animal was anesthetized and the mass was surgically excised. Histopathologic examination determined that the mass was a benign cavernous hemangioma, the first reported case in a giant panda.     

磁性分子印迹聚合物的制备及对食品中氯霉素残留的检测

将磁性分离技术和表面分子印迹技术相结合,首先通过化学改性的方式在Fe₃O₄磁性纳米粒子表面接枝双键,以氯霉素(chloramphenicol,CAP)为模板分子、甲基丙烯酸(methacrylic acid,MAA)为功能单体、乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate,EDGMA)为交联剂、偶氮二异丁腈(azobisisobutyronitrile,AIBN)为引发剂,采用悬浮聚合法合成CAP的磁性分子印迹聚合物微球(magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer,MMIP),以及对应的非印迹微球(magnetic molecularly non-imprinted polymer,MNIP)。在表征试验中,用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪对每一步合成的产物进行红外光谱检测,用扫描电子显微镜对MMIP和MNIP的微观形态进行观察,用振动磁强计测定磁性纳米粒子和MMIP的饱和磁强度。对MMIP和MNIP的吸附性能进行研究,将MMIP作为固相萃取剂应用于实际样品检测,进行方法学考查。试验结果表明,合成的磁性分子印迹聚合物微球直径400~700 nm,分散性较好,在溶剂中可在外加磁场作用下快速分离。MMIP的最大表观吸附容量可达29.18 mg·g^-1,具有良好的选择识别性能。MMIP作为固相萃取剂在对实际样品进行检测时回收率(86.30%~94.21%)、精密度(RSD≤1.53%)、稳定性(RSD≤1.87%)均良好,且具有较低的检测限(3.0 μg·kg^-1)。将MMIP作为固相萃取剂用于食品中残留氯霉素的分离检测具有良好的效果。