By combining coral with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), rhBMP-2/coral composite was obtained in this study. Following implantation of the composite into the muscle pouches of mice, cartilage ...By combining coral with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), rhBMP-2/coral composite was obtained in this study. Following implantation of the composite into the muscle pouches of mice, cartilage growth was induced in the pores or on the surface of the implants at one week, woven bone at three week and lamellar bone with bone marrow at six week, and coral was absorbed partially. The induced formation of endochondral bone was time-related and rhBMP-2 dose-related. The results of this study indicate that the composite possesses a superior ability of osteogenesis, and coral acts as one of the most suitable rhBMP-2 slowrelease carriers currently available. The composite will be a new type of bone substitute to be used in orthopaedics and maxillofacial surgery.展开更多
Species＇ partitioning of resources remains one of the most integral components for understanding community assem- bly. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in animal tissues has the potential to help resol...Species＇ partitioning of resources remains one of the most integral components for understanding community assem- bly. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in animal tissues has the potential to help resolve patterns of partitioning be- cause these proxies represent the individual＇s diet and trophic niche, respectively. Using free-ranging rodents in a southern Afri- can savanna as a model community, we find that syntopic species within habitats occupy distinct isotope niches. Moreover, spe- cies with strongly overlapping isotope niches did not overlap in their spatial distribution patterns, suggesting an underlying effect of competitive exclusion. Niche conservatism appears to characterize the behaviour of most species in our sample - with little or no observed changes across habitats - with the exception of one species, Mastomys coucha. This species displayed a generalist distribution, being found in similar abundances across a variety of habitats. This spatial pattern was coupled with a generalist isotope niche that shifted across habitats, likely in response to changes in species composition over the same spatial gradient. The case for M. coucha supports contentions that past competition effects played a significant evolutionary role in shaping community structures of today, including the absence of strong interspecific niche overlaps within particular habitats. Our study highlights the value of stable isotope approaches to help resolve key questions in community ecology, and moreover introduces novel ana- lytical approaches to quantifying isotope niche breadths and niche overlaps that are easily comparable with traditional metrices展开更多
Morphologically divergent ecotypes arise in fish populations on postglacial time scales, and resource polymorphisms are often invoked to explain their origin. However, genetic recombination can constrain the ability o...Morphologically divergent ecotypes arise in fish populations on postglacial time scales, and resource polymorphisms are often invoked to explain their origin. However, genetic recombination can constrain the ability of divergent selection to pro- duce reproductive isolation in sympatry. Recombination breaks up favorable combinations of traits （＂adaptive suites＂） if indivi- dual traits are affected by different loci. Recombination also breaks up any association between traits under divergent selection and traits contributing to reproductive isolation. Thus, ecological speciation in the absence of preexisting barriers to gene flow is more likely when pleiotropy minimizes the number of loci involved. Here, we revisit research conducted by Carl Hubbs in the early 1900s on the effects of developmental rate on morphological traits in fishes. Hubbs＇ work provides a mechanism to explain how sympatric divergence by trophic polymorphism can occur despite the challenges of recombination. We consider the implica- tions of Hubbs＇ observations for ecological speciation with gene flow in fishes, as well as rapid evolution in captive fish popula- tions [Current Zoology 58 （1）： 21-34, 2012].展开更多
文摘By combining coral with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), rhBMP-2/coral composite was obtained in this study. Following implantation of the composite into the muscle pouches of mice, cartilage growth was induced in the pores or on the surface of the implants at one week, woven bone at three week and lamellar bone with bone marrow at six week, and coral was absorbed partially. The induced formation of endochondral bone was time-related and rhBMP-2 dose-related. The results of this study indicate that the composite possesses a superior ability of osteogenesis, and coral acts as one of the most suitable rhBMP-2 slowrelease carriers currently available. The composite will be a new type of bone substitute to be used in orthopaedics and maxillofacial surgery.
基金Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Na- tional Science Foundation （NSF, USA） and the Palaeontolo- gical Scientific Trust （PAST, RSA）. We thank Jurie du Plessis, Isak Sekhuni, Carl Pohl, Bianca Bester, Ethan Codron, and Jesse Codron for assistance in the field. Two anonymous re- viewers and the journal editor are thanked for useful com- ments that helped improve the quality of this paper. The re- search and protocols were approved by the Gauteng Provincial Government, authorization number MA： 8/1/1/6/1-2011/01/001.
文摘Species＇ partitioning of resources remains one of the most integral components for understanding community assem- bly. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in animal tissues has the potential to help resolve patterns of partitioning be- cause these proxies represent the individual＇s diet and trophic niche, respectively. Using free-ranging rodents in a southern Afri- can savanna as a model community, we find that syntopic species within habitats occupy distinct isotope niches. Moreover, spe- cies with strongly overlapping isotope niches did not overlap in their spatial distribution patterns, suggesting an underlying effect of competitive exclusion. Niche conservatism appears to characterize the behaviour of most species in our sample - with little or no observed changes across habitats - with the exception of one species, Mastomys coucha. This species displayed a generalist distribution, being found in similar abundances across a variety of habitats. This spatial pattern was coupled with a generalist isotope niche that shifted across habitats, likely in response to changes in species composition over the same spatial gradient. The case for M. coucha supports contentions that past competition effects played a significant evolutionary role in shaping community structures of today, including the absence of strong interspecific niche overlaps within particular habitats. Our study highlights the value of stable isotope approaches to help resolve key questions in community ecology, and moreover introduces novel ana- lytical approaches to quantifying isotope niche breadths and niche overlaps that are easily comparable with traditional metrices
文摘Morphologically divergent ecotypes arise in fish populations on postglacial time scales, and resource polymorphisms are often invoked to explain their origin. However, genetic recombination can constrain the ability of divergent selection to pro- duce reproductive isolation in sympatry. Recombination breaks up favorable combinations of traits （＂adaptive suites＂） if indivi- dual traits are affected by different loci. Recombination also breaks up any association between traits under divergent selection and traits contributing to reproductive isolation. Thus, ecological speciation in the absence of preexisting barriers to gene flow is more likely when pleiotropy minimizes the number of loci involved. Here, we revisit research conducted by Carl Hubbs in the early 1900s on the effects of developmental rate on morphological traits in fishes. Hubbs＇ work provides a mechanism to explain how sympatric divergence by trophic polymorphism can occur despite the challenges of recombination. We consider the implica- tions of Hubbs＇ observations for ecological speciation with gene flow in fishes, as well as rapid evolution in captive fish popula- tions [Current Zoology 58 （1）： 21-34, 2012].
