Individual heterogeneity in recapture probability and survival estimates in cheetah

Accurate estimates of demographic parameters are key for understanding and predicting population dynamics and for providing insights for effective wildlife management. Up until recently, no suitable methodology has been available to estimate survival probabilities of species with asynchronous reproduction and a high level of individual variation in capture probabilities. The present work develops a capture-mark-recapture model for cheetahs in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, which (a) deals with continuous reproduction, (b) takes into account the high level of individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities and (c) is spatially explicit. Results show that (1) our approach, which is an extensive modification of the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model, provides a lower female adult survival estimate and a higher male adolescent survival estimate than previous approaches to estimate cheetah survival in the area, (2) using sighting location alone is not sufficient to capture the individual variation in resighting probabilities for both sexes, and (3) precision in estimated survival probabilities is generally increased. Species which are individually recognizable, wide-ranging and/or where individuals differ substantially in sightability are particularly appropriate to our modelling approach, and our methodology would thus be appropriate for a wide number of species to provide more accurate estimates of survival.     

短时高温暴露对Q型烟粉虱发育和繁殖的影响

为探明卵期受短时高温暴露对Q型烟粉虱(Bemisia tabaci Q-biotype)存活、繁殖和后代适合度的影响,以适温(26℃)处理为对照,研究Q型烟粉虱卵在不同高温(37、39、41℃)条件下分别暴露1 h、2 h和4 h后转至适温饲养,其F0代的存活率、羽化率、雌成虫比例、寿命和产卵量及F1代的发育历期和雌成虫比例.结果表明:1)随着暴露温度升高和暴露时间延长,F0代Q型烟粉虱由卵发育至成虫的存活率和蛹羽化率均显著降低,41℃暴露2 h后的存活率和蛹羽化率最低,分别为49.1%和76.2%,显著低于未经高温暴露的对照(分别为83.4%和96.6%);2)卵期于41℃暴露1 h后其F0代雌成虫比例(61.0%)显著高于对照(52.0%),其他各处理与对照差异不显著;3)卵期高温暴露对F0代雌成虫寿命无显著影响,但单雌产卵量均显著低于对照(117.9粒),并随暴露温度升高呈降低趋势;4)F0代卵期在39℃暴露2 h、4 h和41℃暴露1~4 h后,F1代卵到成虫历期均较对照显著延长;5)与对照相比,F0代卵期分别在37℃暴露1~4 h、39℃暴露1~2 h或41℃暴露4 h,还可显著提高F1代雌成虫比例.可见,短时高温暴露可降低Q型烟粉虱的发育适合度,导致F0代存活率降低、产卵量下降和F1代发育历期延长,但一定程度上提高F1代雌成虫比例,从而对种群发展产生一定的代偿作用.表5参20     

Photosynthetic characteristics and reproductive strategies of Polygonum viviparum at different altitudes in the Qilian Mountains北大核心CSCD

Polygonum viviparum, which reproduces sexually and asexually, is widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and its reproduction strategies are very sensitive to changes in the environment. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of altitude on the photosynthetic characteristics and reproductive strategies of P. viviparum. This study was conducted to investigate the responses of photosynthetic, vegetative, and reproductive traits of P. viviparum populations along six altitudinal gradients in the eastern part of the Qilian Mountains in China. Our results indicated that, with increasing altitude, the net photosynthetic rate of P. viviparum showed an increasing trend, reaching its maximum value (14.39 μmol m–2 s–1) at 3 700 m above sea level. The transpiration rate showed an increasing trend, followed by a decreasing trend, and the intercellular CO2 concentration did not differ significantly between altitudes. With increasing altitude, the plant height and leaf area of P. viviparum showed a downward trend, the aboveground and underground biomass decreased, and the specific leaf area initially decreased and then increased. However, the leaf greenness index showed an upward trend, and the number of stomata in the upper and lower epidermis of leaves initially increased and then decreased. With increasing altitude, the proportion of inflorescence length per plant (the ratio of inflorescence length to plant height), the proportion of bulbil length per inflorescence (the ratio of bulbil length to inflorescence height), and the proportion of the number of bulbils per inflorescence (the ratio of the number of bulbils to the total number of flowers and bulbils) showed an increasing trend. Air temperature and light intensity are the major environmental factors affecting the photosynthetic characteristics and functional traits of P. viviparum. Thus, P. viviparum is exposed to more environmental stresses and obtains less energy when altitude increases, but it adapts to the harsh alpine environment by increasing the photosynthetic capability per unit area. With increasing altitude, P. viviparum populations may be sustained by investing less energy in vegetation and more in reproduction, especially asexual reproduction. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Hormonal response to conspecific chemical signals as an indicator of seasonal reproduction dynamics in the desert hamster, Phodopus roborovskii

Changes in male blood plasma testosterone and cortisol in response to exposure to scent marks (urine and midventral gland secretion, MVGS) of conspecific males and diestrous females in different seasons have been studied in the desert hamster (Phodopus roborovskii), a species whose ecological features are poorly known. The results show that a significant increase in the plasma testosterone level is observed in winter (only to female MVGS), spring (to female MVGS and urine), and summer (to female urine), but not in autumn. The level of plasma cortisol significantly increases only in response to female urine in spring and male MVGS in summer.     

First trimester screening for Down syndrome and assisted reproduction: no basis for concern

In pregnancies obtained after assisted reproduction the false-positive rate of second trimester Down syndrome (DS) screening is increased by 1.5–3-fold. This may cause an increase in the number of amniocenteses and the fetal loss rate. The present study for the first time examined whether assisted reproductive technologies affect the results of first trimester screening. The markers PAPP-A, free β-hCG and the nuchal translucency (NT) thickness were examined at 12–14 weeks' gestation. Screening markers in 47 in vitro fertilisation (IVF), 63 ovulation induction (OI) and 3026 spontaneously conceived singleton pregnancies were compared. The MoM (multiples of the median) value in the IVF pregnancies was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.85–1.22) for PAPP-A, 1.14 (95% CI: 0.95–1.37) for β-hCG and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89–1.05) for NT; the MoM value in the OI pregnancies was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.76–1.05) for PAPP-A, 1.08 (95% CI: 0.93–1.25) for β-hCG and 1.02 (95% CI: 0.95–1.11) for NT. The first trimester marker values in assisted reproductive pregnancies and spontaneously conceived pregnancies were not significantly different. Estimated false-positive rates for a risk cut-off of 1:400 varied from 4.7% in IVF pregnancies to 5.1% in OI pregnancies. Therefore the false-positive rate in Down syndrome screening should be independent of the method of conception. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zebrafish as a possible bioindicator of organic pollutants with effects on reproduction in drinking waters

Organic contaminants can be detected at low concentrations in drinking water, raising concerns for human health, particularly in reproduction. In this respect, we attempted to use the zebrafish as a bioindicator to detect the possible presence of these substances in drinking water, aiming to define the most relevant parameters to detect these substances, which particularly affect the development and reproduction of zebrafish. To this end, batches of 30 embryos with the chorion intact were cultured in drinking waters from different sources, throughout their full life-cycle up to 5 months, in 20 L tanks. Six replicates were performed in all water groups, with a total of 24 aquariums. Two generations (F0 and F1) were studied and the following parameters were tested: in the F0 generation, survival and abnormality rates evaluated at 5 dpf (days post-fertilization) and at 5 mpf (months post-fertilization), the onset of spawning and the fertility rate from 3 mpf to 5 mpf, and the sex ratio and underdeveloped specimens at 5 mpf. Furthermore, in the F0 offspring (F1), survival and abnormality rates were evaluated at 5 dpf and the hatching rate at 72 hpf. These results revealed that the hatching rate is the most sensitive parameter to distinguish different levels of effects between waters during the early life stages, whereas the rate of underdeveloped specimens is more suitable at later life stages. Regarding adult reproduction, fertility rate was the most sensitive parameter. The possible reversibility or accumulative nature of such effects will be studied in future work.     

垃圾处理产业化的内涵

垃圾处理产业化是造就一种特定模式，聚合已进入垃圾处理行业的事业体并培育核心事业体的一种过程，一般包括导入、扩散、发展和聚变等4个子过程．产业化应将垃圾处理由公有公益性服务事业转化成服务产业，并最终转化成物质生产的基础产业。涉及到社会再生产的4个环节.宏观来看，涉及到经济、文化和政治等层面。