母羊妊娠期添加多不饱和脂肪酸对新生行为的改变

研究目的确定妊娠母羊日粮中添加长链脂肪酸（n-3）鱼油,以及维生素E是否会改变羊的初生行为。将Twin-（n=36）和triplet-（n=12）的妊娠103d的母羊分成4组．4种日粮处理．包括2种脂肪资源[Megalac,棕桐油提取物或鱼油混合物,20：5（n-3）和22：6（n-3）],2种维生素E浓度（50或500mg／kg）进行2×2设计。饲喂鱼油妊娠期延长2d,初生羊血浆中22：6（n-3）的比例增加5．1-fold．大脑中的比例增加10％,而大脑中的20：5（n-3）的比例增加5％。母羊饲喂鱼油而不是Megalac时,日粮高浓度的维生素E缩短羔羊站立的潜在期．而添加鱼油同样缩短出生至哺乳之间的时间43至34min。添加鱼油可降低初乳分泌率（ml／h）和脂肪及蛋白质的产量（g／h）。我们得出以下结论：母羊日粮添加鱼油可缩短出生至哺乳的时间,延长妊娠期,并且初生大脑中22：6（n-3）：20：4（n-6）的比率增加,同时能提高羔羊存活率。但是如何减少鱼油给初乳产量带来的负面影响有待进一步的研究。     

Callus and axillary-bud culture of Vitis vinifera ‘Sylvaner Riesling’

Healthy growth of serially subcultured callus of the grape Vitis vinifera cultivar ‘Sylvaner’ was obtained by incubation at 30° C in continuous light in a defined culture medium containing 2% w/v sucrose, 1.0 mg l^?1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 0.2 mg l^?1 kinetin (K). Organogenesis was not induced in this callus by alteration in the absolute or relative levels of NAA and K.Continued shoot initiation was obtained by culture of axillary buds in a medium containing 10^?5 M Benzyladenine (BA). Plantlets could be generated from these shoot buds by transfer to media containing 10^?7 M BA or lacking a cytokinin.     

Human disturbance in Western Gull Larus occidentalis livens colonies and possible amplification by intraspecific predation

Indirect evidence is presented that human disturbances are having a profound effect on reproductive efforts of Larus occidentalis livens at several colonies in the Gulf of California. Breeding adults that lose their eggs or chicks apparently practise conspecific predation whether or not humans are present, thus increasing effects of human intrusions. These combined effects could lead to a severe decline in numbers or even pose a threat to the survival of this endemic population, if human disturbance is widespread. Attempts to assess breeding success throughout the Gulf seem warranted and, if necessary, some action to regulate human contact may be essential.     

Conserved eukaryotic fusogens can fuse viral envelopes to cells

Caenorhabditis elegans proteins AFF-1 and EFF-1 [C. elegans fusion family (CeFF) proteins] are essential for developmental cell-to-cell fusion and can merge insect cells. To study the structure and function of AFF-1, we constructed vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) displaying AFF-1 on the viral envelope, substituting the native fusogen VSV glycoprotein. Electron microscopy and tomography revealed that AFF-1 formed distinct supercomplexes resembling pentameric and hexameric "flowers" on pseudoviruses. Viruses carrying AFF-1 infected mammalian cells only when CeFFs were on the target cell surface. Furthermore, we identified fusion family (FF) proteins within and beyond nematodes, and divergent members from the human parasitic nematode Trichinella spiralis and the chordate Branchiostoma floridae could also fuse mammalian cells. Thus, FF proteins are part of an ancient family of cellular fusogens that can promote fusion when expressed on a viral particle.     

Fishing, trophic cascades, and the process of grazing on coral reefs

Since the mass mortality of the urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983, parrotfishes have become the dominant grazer on Caribbean reefs. The grazing capacity of these fishes could be impaired if marine reserves achieve their long-term goal of restoring large consumers, several of which prey on parrotfishes. Here we compare the negative impacts of enhanced predation with the positive impacts of reduced fishing mortality on parrotfishes inside reserves. Because large-bodied parrotfishes escape the risk of predation from a large piscivore (the Nassau grouper), the predation effect reduced grazing by only 4 to 8%. This impact was overwhelmed by the increase in density of large parrotfishes, resulting in a net doubling of grazing. Increased grazing caused a fourfold reduction in the cover of macroalgae, which, because they are the principal competitors of corals, highlights the potential importance of reserves for coral reef resilience.