The genetic relationship between popping expansion volume and two yield components in popcorn using unconditional and conditional QTL analysis

Popping expansion volume (PEV) is the most important quality trait in popcorn, while its germplasm is inferior to normal dent/flint corn in yield. In this study, 259 F_2:3 families, developed from the cross between a dent corn inbred Dan232 and a popcorn inbred N04, were evaluated for their PEV, grain weight per plant (GWP) and 100-grain weight (100 GW) in two environments. The genetic relationship between PEV and GWP, and 100 GW on individual gene loci were evaluated using unconditional and conditional QTL mapping methods. In total, five, one and three unconditional QTL were identified for PEV, GWP, and 100 GW, respectively. The positive alleles of all QTL for PEV were from N04, while positive alleles of all QTL for GWP and 100 GW were from Dan232. In conditional mapping, one and two QTL failed to be detected, and all four additional QTL were detected. Nevertheless, three QTL were identified, which controlled PEV independently from GWP/100 GW. They seemed to be potential candidates in popcorn breeding to increase PEV without decreasing GWP/100 GW. The results suggested that for significantly correlated traits, the conditional QTL mapping method could be used to dissect the genetic interrelationship between traits at the level of individual QTL, as well as reveal additional QTL that were undetectable by unconditional mapping.     

NCT对小麦衰老生理的影响

以新合成的NCT配制成不同浓度的水溶液，对灌浆初期的大田小麦进行叶面喷施，以喷清水作对照，并以与NCT相同浓度梯度的NAA水溶液作对比处理，测定了喷后不同时期小麦旗叶的相对电导率、叶绿素含量、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活力及丙二醛（MDA）含量。结果表明：NCT能延缓灌浆期SOD活力，使叶绿素含量降低，控制相对电导率和MDA含量的升高，并使小麦穗粒重和千粒重增加，其效果明显优于NAA。     

脉冲式烟雾水雾机热力雾化水剂农药效果分析

针对脉冲式烟雾水雾机在喷施水雾剂农药时常出现滴液、流液或较大雾滴群等雾化不良现象,通过改装6HYW-60S型脉冲式烟雾水雾机,将药液流量设置成可调的测试装置,设定5个油门开度及4个药液流量,测试了脉冲发动机喷药前后的气流速度、温度及各喷药工况下的雾滴粒径分布。结果表明,在最小的油门启动开度到最大的油门工作开度可调范围内,对应的脉冲发动机燃油消耗率变化范围较小（相对变化13.0%）,喷管内对应的气流温度与速度也发生同等程度的变化。喷药时,喷管口处的气流温度与速度发生明显变化,由不喷药时约700℃的高温气流下降为75℃左右的雾滴流,相应的气流速度下降了16%左右;油门开度及药液流量对雾滴流温度的影响非常小,但对雾滴流速度的影响非常明显,油门开度增大,雾滴流速度明显增加,药液流量增大,雾滴流速度明显下降。在各油门开度下,对最小药液流量20L/h的雾化效果均不佳,尤其距喷雾出口较近处存在大量的300μm以上的较大雾滴,这些大雾滴极易跌落至地面,无法有效喷施到目标物上;药液流量增大至40L/h及以上时,各油门开度下的雾滴体积中径均较小,同一工况下各位置点的平均值不超过60μm。热力雾化的雾滴粒径分布曲线不是单一峰值的正态分布形态,常会出现不同中心雾滴粒径的雾滴群,且这些雾滴群的中心雾滴粒径基本保持一致。从喷雾出口喷出的雾滴流中,喷管中心轴线上的雾滴细小均匀、雾化充分,中心轴线上方的雾滴一般比中心点处稍大,中心轴线下方雾滴明显增大,且距中心轴线越远的下方,雾滴增大越明显,即雾滴流中较大雾滴群的量逐渐增加。以药液流量60L/h及油门开度90°为最佳雾化工况,在整个喷施区域内均形成了良好的雾化效果。     

Conserving indigenous crayfish: stock assessment and habitat requirements in the threatened Austropotamobius italicus

• 1. As part of the Austropotamobius pallipes species complex, the crayfish Austropotamobius italicus is a species of community interest whose preservation requires the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) (Annex II, EU Habitats Directive). This study aimed at (1) assessing the conservation status of this threatened indigenous species by stock assessment in central Italy and (2) identifying some aspects of its elective habitat.
• 2. Surveys were conducted in nine streams harbouring A. italicus (streams WI) and in 10 streams where crayfish populations became extinct at least 5 years before the study (streams WO).
• 3. The results confirmed that A. italicus is a K‐selected species, with a relatively slow growth rate (males: 0.34; females: 0.37) and a long life expectancy (males: 8.2 years; females: 7.8 years). The extant populations are healthy, showing balanced sex‐ratios and well structured age‐class compositions. Mortality is mainly due to fishing, which is illegal in Tuscany.
• 4. Principal Components Analyses showed that the streams WI and WO differ in the abundance of allochthonous plant detritus but not in the taxonomic composition of their macroinvertebrate communities. Age classes were found to be spatially segregated, juveniles mainly using cobbles as substrates and adults seemingly avoiding them.
• 5. The loss of the pristine riverine landscape seems to have been responsible, together with illegal fishing, for the local extinction of the species. As a consequence, retaining, enhancing, and restoring the habitat and its complexity are required for the preservation of A. italicus.
• 6. The designation of SACs might help in this endeavour if accompanied by programmes aimed at publicizing the need for conservation of this species. Unfortunately, crayfish‐focused projects supported by LIFE in Italy since 1992 (4%) and the SACs involved (1.4%) have been relatively few, despite the poor conservation status of this species and its well recognized ecological role.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Condition assessment of lamprey populations in the Yorkshire Ouse catchment,north‐east England,and the potential influence of physical migration barriers

• 1. River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) and sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are designated features of the River Derwent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Humber Estuary (a possible SAC). This study determined the condition of lamprey populations in the Yorkshire Ouse catchment by assessing the species composition, distribution, abundance and size‐structure of larval (ammocoete) populations in five major tributary rivers (Derwent, Swale, Ure, Nidd and Wharfe).
• 2. According to EU condition assessment criteria, Lampetra populations (assumed to be mostly river lamprey) are at present in favourable condition, with site mean (±SE) densities ranging from 2.7 (±1.2) to 160.3 (±50.5) individuals m^?2 (all river means >2 individuals m^?2), and at least two size (≈age) classes present in optimal microhabitats. By contrast, no sea lamprey larvae were recorded, suggesting that populations of this species are in unfavourable condition.
• 3. Actions to protect and enhance nationally or internationally important stocks must be implemented from at least a catchment perspective, because many of the issues affecting such species are not localized. With respect to lampreys, particular attention should be given to protecting spawning and nursery habitats, improving water quality, reducing impingement at abstraction points, preventing exploitation at spawning grounds and increasing passage at potential physical obstructions.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Foraging specialisms, prey size and life-history patterns: a test of predictions using sympatric polymorphic Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

Abstract –  We use arguments based on optimal foraging theory to predict body size constraints and the consequences of these on a range of life-history traits in three trophic specialist morphs of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus , living in sympatry in Loch Rannoch, Scotland. As predicted, foraging specialists feeding on small prey items with a narrow size range showed evidence of deterministic growth; the ultimate body size of macrobenthos feeders being larger ( L _∞ = 238 mm) than that of planktivores ( L _∞ = 216 mm). In contrast, the piscivorous morph showed no evidence of reaching a maximal body size.
The two size-constrained morphs (benthivores and planktivores) matured earlier and died younger (living for up to 11 and 7 years, respectively, in this study) than did the piscivorous charr which showed continuous growth up to at least 17 years.
The pattern of annual reproductive investment in maturing individuals was complex. Planktivores invested in larger eggs than the other two forms, but benthivores produced a greater number of eggs than planktivores, which in turn produced more than piscivores. Planktivorous males had a greater investment in mean testis weight than the other two forms.
Lifetime reproductive output was the greatest in the benthivorous charr, intermediate in planktivorous and the lowest in the piscivorous charr when measured either as fecundity or as gonadal weight. We conclude that constraints imposed upon foraging specialists by foraging efficiency is a significant driver of body size and ultimately reproductive investment in gape-limited foraging salmonids.     

Reproductive season and female maturity size of coconut crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Birgus latro</Emphasis> on Hatoma Island,southern Japan

Information about reproductive season, size at sexual maturity and size-dependent reproductive potentials is important for efficient resource management. Such information is necessary to determine seasonal closures and minimum legal size limits. To conserve resources of coconut crab Birgus latro, which are in danger of extinction due to excessive exploitation, their reproductive season, female size at functional maturity and relationship between female size and reproductive potentials were investigated. The reproductive season started in early June and ended late August, and females with higher reproductive potentials showed a tendency to spawn early in the reproductive season. The prohibition of exploiting the resources during the reproductive season, especially early in the season, would be appropriate for sustainability of high reproductive outputs. Fifty percent of investigated females matured functionally at 24.5-mm thoracic length (TL). However, the size at which all females reached functional maturity was 32.3 mm TL, and there was a wide variation in the size of functional maturity among individuals. We must determine minimum legal size by taking the variation into account to allow all individuals to mate at least once before they are caught, which may prevent serious depression in reproductive rate and genetic diversity.     

辽东湾北部近海海域表层沉积物类型及分布特征

对2004年采自辽东湾北部近海海域的16个表层沉积物样品作了粒度分析和粒度参数计算,并进行了沉积物分类和分布特征的研究,结果表明,辽东湾北部近海的表层沉积物粒度主要由粉砂组成,平均含量65.15%,平均粒径5.031。总的特征是在5~10 m等深线,沉积物粒度的平均粒径由东部的4.530、中部的5.050逐渐增大到西部的6.236。沉积物粒度的组成类型由东向西按粉砂质砂→砂质粉砂→粉砂→砂-粉砂-黏土→黏土质粉砂由粗至细排列。     

饵料种类、温度和规格对硬壳蛤的同化率的影响

试验结果表明,温度和规格对硬壳蛤同化率的影响不显著(P>0.05);饵料种类对硬壳蛤同化率影响显著(P<0.05).其中小球藻和湛江等鞭金藻的同化率显著高于小新月菱形藻(P<0.05),而小新月菱形藻又显著高于扁藻(P<0.05).     

Variability in the composition of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) meals influences their digestible nutrient and energy value when fed to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Over a series of seven separate experiments 76 different lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) meals were assessed for their digestible dry matter, protein, amino acid and energy characteristics when fed to rainbow trout. Two reference diets (a common basal diet and a reference lupin meal) were also included in each experiment. Minimal variance in the digestibility parameters of both reference diets was observed among the experiments ensuring that there was a high degree of robustness in the across-experiment evaluations. Using simple and multiple-regression techniques, principal diet and ingredient composition factors affecting diet and ingredient digestibilities and ingredient digestible values were explored within the dataset. Using simple linear regression, it was shown that nitrogen digestibility of the lupin meals was negatively influenced by ingredient lignin content, but positively affected ingredient protein (N × 6.25) content. The energy digestibility of the lupin meals was positively affected by a range of compositional features including protein, sum of amino acids and negatively affected by carbohydrate content. The digestible nutrient and energy content of the meals reflected the combined effects of both ingredient digestibilities and ingredient composition. The digestible nitrogen content of the lupin meals was positively affected by protein (N × 6.25), sum of amino acids and energy content, but was negatively affected by lignin and carbohydrate content. The digestible sum of amino acids was also positively affected by protein, sum of amino acids, but only negatively affected by carbohydrate content, not lignin content. The digestible energy content of the lupin meals was also positively affected by protein, sum of amino acids and their own energy density, but only negatively affected by carbohydrate content. Multiple linear regression modelling supported that together ingredient protein and lignin content were the strongest predictors of digestible protein value, explaining close to 60% of the variability in this parameter. Discrete reassessment of these relationships using non-linear analysis methods provided a stronger interpretation of the ingredient composition effects. In recognition of this, a functional model including terms for ingredient protein and lignin content on the digestible protein value was defined. This study demonstrates that within one raw material type that not only does significant variability in the digestible value of the raw materials exist, but that it is possible to identify compositional features of that raw material that are intrinsically influencing their own digestible value.