Osteomyelitis in a Paleozoic reptile: ancient evidence for bacterial infection and its evolutionary significance

We report on dental and mandibular pathology in Labidosaurus hamatus, a 275 million-year-old terrestrial reptile from North America and associate it with bacterial infection in an organism that is characterized by reduced tooth replacement. Analysis of the surface and internal mandibular structure using mechanical and CT-scanning techniques permits the reconstruction of events that led to the pathology and the possible death of the individual. The infection probably occurred as a result of prolonged exposure of the dental pulp cavity to oral bacteria, and this exposure was caused by injury to the tooth in an animal that is characterized by reduced tooth replacement cycles. In these early reptiles, the reduction in tooth replacement is an evolutionary innovation associated with strong implantation and increased oral processing. The dental abscess observed in L. hamatus, the oldest known infection in a terrestrial vertebrate, provides clear evidence of the ancient association between terrestrial vertebrates and their oral bacteria.     

The evolutionary origin of auditory receptors in Tettigonioidea: the complex tibial organ of Schizodactylidae

Audition in insects is of polyphyletic origin. Tympanal ears derived from proprioceptive or vibratory receptor organs, but many questions of the evolution of insect auditory systems are still open. Despite the rather typical bauplan of the insect body, e.g., with a fixed number of segments, tympanal ears evolved at very different places, but only ensiferans have ears at the foreleg tibia, located in the tibial organ. The homology and monophyly of ensiferan ears is controversial, and no precursor organ was unambiguously identified for auditory receptors. The latter can only be identified by comparative study of recent atympanate taxa. These atympanate taxa are poorly investigated. In this paper, we report the neuroanatomy of the tibial organ of Comicus calcaris (Irish 1986), an atympanate Schizodactylid (splay-footed cricket). This representative of a Gondwana relict group has a tripartite sensory organ, homologous to tettigoniid ears. A comparison with morphology-based cladistic phylogeny indicates that the tripartite neuronal organization present in the majority of Tettigonioidea presumably preceded evolution of a hearing sense in the Tettigonioidea. Furthermore, the absence of a tripartite organ in Grylloidea argues against a monophyletic origin and homology of the cricket and katydid ears. The tracheal attachment of sensory neurons typical for ears of Tettigonioidea is present in C. calcaris and may have facilitated cooption for auditory function. The functional auditory organ was presumably formed in evolution by successive non-neural modifications of trachea and tympana. This first investigation of the neuroanatomy of Schizodactylidae suggests a non-auditory chordotonal organ as the precursor for auditory receptors of related tympanate taxa and adds evidence for the phylogenetic position of the group.     

Corporate social responsibility in the mining industry: Exploring trends in social and environmental disclosure

In recent years, concerns about the sustainability and social responsibility (CSR) of businesses have become an increasingly high profile issue in many countries and industries, none more so than the mining industry. For mining, one outcome of the CSR agenda is the increasing need for individual companies to justify their existence and document their performance through the disclosure of social and environmental information. This paper explores recent trends in the reporting of such impacts and issues in the global mining industry. It offers a detailed review of the development of the media of social and environmental disclosure in the mining industry, and of the factors that drive the development of such disclosure. A temporal analysis of the recent trends in disclosure using a case study of the world's 10 largest mining companies is presented. Whilst there is evidence of increasing sophistication in the development of social and environmental disclosure, there is considerable variation in the maturity of reporting content and styles of these companies. The paper offers a simple classification of reporting companies, from ‘leaders’ to ‘laggards’. Stronger leadership and co-operation from the top reporting companies is necessary to support the laggards of the industry.     

Landscape fragmentation by urbanization in the Netherlands:optionsand ecological consequences

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The social dimension of biodiversity policy in the European Union: Valuing the benefits to vulnerable communities

This paper uses GIS-based mapping tools and economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services to explore the social dimension of biodiversity policy. We investigate the linkages between biodiversity, ecosystem service values, and socio-economic vulnerability indicators in a spatially explicit framework and at different geographic scales. Our focus is on Europe, where biodiversity and ecosystem benefits have been well studied for many ecosystems, such as forests, coastal ecosystems and freshwater wetlands. The analysis focuses in particular on rural agricultural areas and remote mountainous regions accounting for the differences across various income groups, both at national and regional levels. The results of the study provide useful insights for EU policymakers in designing policy instruments that can promote biodiversity conservation and prevent natural resource degradation, on the one hand, while contributing to social stability and human livelihoods, on the other hand.     

产业转型对中国资源型城市增长与收缩演变轨迹的影响机制

中国正进入高质量发展阶段,资源型城市的增长与收缩面临着内外部条件的系统性重构,资源型城市在转型发展过程中如何摆脱“矿竭城衰”的历史宿命,实现城市人口的正增长,目前尚缺乏经验证据。本文采用2010—2020年116个资源型城市的截面与面板数据,定量刻画了资源型城市增长与收缩的演变轨迹,并实证考察了产业结构转型对人口增减变化的相关影响机制。研究发现：中国六成以上的资源型城市在研究期内表现为收缩状态,呈现出“一带两片”的空间分布格局;产业结构合理化和高级化在短期内均对资源型城市的人口增长表现为挤出效应,长期来看,产业结构合理化的影响转为正向,产业结构高级化的补偿效应暂未显现;产业结构多样化在短期内可促进资源型城市人口的增长,但长期来看并不显著。基于此,资源型城市的转型发展需要以提高产业结构合理化水平为重要突破口,以产业结构高级化为长期主线,基于地方比较优势实施产业延伸与产业更新并行战略,构建多元化的产业体系,不同类型、不同发展阶段资源型城市的产业结构转型应强调战略差异化。     

Increasing land pressure in East Africa: The changing role of cassava and consequences for sustainability of farming systems

Increasing land pressure during the past three to four decades has transformed farming systems in the mid-altitude zone of East Africa. Traditional millet-, cotton-, sugarcane- and/or banana-based farming systems with an important fallow and/or grazing component have evolved into continuously cultivated cassava or cassava/maize-based systems. Within three to four decades, cassava cultivation increased from 1–11 to 16–55% of cropped fields in our six study sites. Declining soil fertility, and not labour or food shortage, was apparently the primary trigger for this transformation. The land use changes have increased nutrient offtakes and reduced nutrient recycling rates. Cassava and maize now account for 50–90% of nutrient removal. Whereas single-season fallows were the most important source of nutrient recycling on cropped fields in the past, currently cassava litterfall and maize stover contribute roughly 70% of nutrient recycling, with 50–70% of N, P and K recycled in cassava litterfall. This may explain why many farmers reason that cassava ‘rests’ the soil. With increasing land use pressure farmers progressively use cassava as an ‘imitation fallow’ throughout their farm. Farmers increasingly target cassava to poor fertility fields characterized by low pH and available P. High cassava intensities are nonetheless maintained on more fertile fields, probably to guarantee regeneration of soil fertility on all fields. Once cassava is targeted to poor fertility soils, farmers have run out of low-input management options and need to intensify management to maintain system productivity. As cassava is now used by more farmers and on a larger acreage than fallowing in the studied farming systems, cassava cropping could perhaps serve as an excellent entry point to strengthen system sustainability.     

Unusual pheromone chemistry in the navel orangeworm: novel sex attractants and a behavioral antagonist

Using molecular- and sensory physiology-based approaches, three novel natural products, a simple ester, and a behavioral antagonist have been identified from the pheromone gland of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). In addition to the previously identified (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienal, the pheromone blend is composed of (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9,12,15-tricosapentaene, (Z,Z,Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9,12,15-pentacosapentaene, ethyl palmitate, ethyl-(Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadienoate, and (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadien-1-yl acetate. The C₂₃ and C₂₅ pentaenes are not only novel sex pheromones, but also new natural products. In field tests, catches of A. transitella males in traps baited with the full mixture of pheromones were as high as those in traps with virgin females, whereas control and traps baited only with the previously known constituent did not capture any moths at all. The navel orangeworm sex pheromone is also an attractant for the meal moth, Pyralis farinalis L. (Pyralidae), but (Z,Z)-11,13-hexadecadien-1-yl acetate is a behavioral antagonist. The new pheromone blend may be highly effective in mating disruption and monitoring programs.     

旅游资源及其评价过程与机制:技术性评价到社会建构视角

合理评价旅游资源,发掘具有价值的潜在旅游资源,是促进旅游产业发展的重要基础。采用文献分析法,结合理论与实践,系统梳理回顾我国旅游资源评价的发展历程,分析旅游资源评价变迁所经历的三个不同阶段及其基本特征,并尝试探索转变的关键驱动力和影响机制。研究发现:我国的旅游资源评价经历了“要素评价—综合评价—社会评价”的过程,与旅游资源相对应的旅游吸引物等概念也被广泛接受和使用,在此过程中,政策、资本、社会经济、客源市场结构和信息传播媒介等是不同阶段转变的主要影响因素。未来的旅游资源评价将更注重实用性和可持续性及游客的需求和体验,并关注其经济、政治、文化、社会和生态综合价值;而新技术如5G的应用,会提高旅游资源（吸引物）的可视化和提高评价效率。     

Electricity sector reform in Mozambique: a projection into the poverty and social impacts

The Government of Mozambique, in step with global trends, has embarked on a process of regulatory and structural reform of its electricity sector with support from the World Bank. The reform which is part of the Energy Reform and Access Programme (ERAP) aims to increase efficiency of the electricity distribution services, as well as expand access mainly in the urban and peri-urban areas. This paper takes a closer look at the basis for the reform, as well as a projection into the likely poverty and social impacts of this process on the poor. The paper draws mainly from secondary literature from Latin America, Africa and Asia to compare and contrast the presence of needed critical success factors from past experiences, if the reform is to deliver on its objectives. In conclusion, the paper makes recommendations on how the process could be adjusted to deliver on poverty and social objectives in line with the government framework, as set out in the Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty (PARPA 2001–2005).     

全国碳市场引入配额拍卖机制的经济影响 ——基于CGE模型的分析

基于电力部门细分的CGE模型,针对碳配额分配中有偿拍卖的引入、是否配套实施碳税政策以及碳减排目标设定等关键机制问题,设置了差异化的政策情景,模拟分析了不同机制设计对碳市场及宏观经济带来的影响.研究发现:全国碳市场引入配额拍卖机制有助于降低碳交易价格、促进我国碳市场总体规模扩大并激发碳市场活力,高碳行业将成为碳配额拍卖市...     

Reversed sex change by widowed males in polygynous and protogynous fishes: female removal experiments in the field

Sex change, either protogyny (female to male) or protandry (male to female), is well known among fishes, but evidence of bidirectional sex change or reversed sex change in natural populations is still very limited. This is the first report on female removal experiments for polygnous and protogynous fish species to induce reversed sex change in the widowed males in the field. We removed all of the females and juveniles from the territories of dominant males in the cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus (Labridae) and the rusty angelfish Centropyge ferrugata (Pomacanthidae) on the coral reefs of Okinawa. In both species, if new females or juveniles did not immigrate into the territories of the widowed males, some of them emigrated to form male–male pairs. When a male–male pair formed, the smaller, subordinate partner began to perform female sexual behaviours (n = 4 in L. dimidiatus; n = 2 in C. ferrugata) and, finally, released eggs (n = 1, respectively). Thus, the reversed sex change occurred in the widowed males according to the change of their social status. These results suggest that such female removal experiments will contribute to the discovery of reversed sex change in the field also in other polygnous and protogynous species.     

黄土高原生态环境的恶化及其对策

由于种种原因,黄土高原生态环境脆弱现象日益扩张,水土流失、沙漠化、干旱、沙尘暴等灾害频繁发生,生态环境的可持续性引起了科技工作者的关注。利用历史资料,从黄土高原2000a左右的自然灾害发生频率、森林植被的严重破坏、土壤侵蚀的不断加剧、人口的无限制增长以及近几十年来黄河的频繁断流等几个方面出发,说明了黄土高原生态环境在这些重要因素的影响下,表现出明显的不可持续性发展,并提出了相应的防治对策,包括加强人口控制、加快植被的恢复与重建、节约利用水资源以及提高利用效率等。该研究的目的并非消极悲观,而是正确认识黄土高原生态环境的演变历史,树立国民的环境忧患意识和可持续发展的思想,为实现黄土高原的生态安全和持续发展提供科学依据。     

A contact anti-aphrodisiac pheromone supplied by the spermatophore in the rove beetle Aleochara curtula: mode of transfer and evolutionary significance

By reducing the attractiveness of their mating partner via an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone, males can prevent a remating of the female and thus reduce the risk of sperm competition. For females, the main benefit from allowing the chemical manipulation of their attractiveness is probably the avoidance of sexual harassments from rival males. While mating plugs generally constitute a physical barrier which hinders male mating attempts, chemical manipulations must trustfully inform the responding male of the female's reluctance to mate; otherwise, it would be beneficial to ignore the repellent information. In our experiments, males of the polyandrous rove beetle Aleochara curtula chemically manipulated the attractiveness of their mating partner. Coincident with the deposition of a spermatophore into the female genital chamber, an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone was transferred and readily spread onto the female surface, where it was subsequently perceived by rival males via parameres, the claspers of the male genitalia. Males aborted contact with the mated female to avoid further time- and energy-consuming elements of the mating sequence. The chemical mode of action was demonstrated inter alia by spicing virgin females with spermatophore extracts. The action of the anti-aphrodisiac correlated with the persistence of the spermatophore in the female genital chamber and corresponded to the length of stay of the mated female at a carcass, where the density of rival males is highest. The ensuing benefits for all three parties involved in this communication system, which render this post-copulatory mate guarding strategy evolutionary stable, are discussed.     

基于判别准则基尼系数法的流域初始排污权配置模型

在对流域内区域间初始排污权配置的影响因素与基本原则进行分析基础上,构建流域内区域间初始排污权配置的判别准则,将基尼系数法与判别准则相结合,构建基于判别准则的基尼系数法.应用模型对各区域之间初始排污权配置进行协商调整,保障基尼系数最小化,并且通过建立不同区间水质不达标对排污量配置的惩罚函数,把水质不达标的外部性内化到区域排污量配置上,实现流域内区域间初始排污权的公平合理分配.案例分析表明,模型综合考虑了人口、现状、水域面积、和排污绩效等影响因素,分配结果优于人口、现状分配模式,使得流域内区域间初始排污权分配更具可行性与可操作性.     

Invasive species policy and climate change: social perceptions of environmental change in the Mediterranean

Climate change is raising significant issues for European invasive species policy. As natural and anthropogenic systems experience changing climatic conditions, opportunities for the distribution and establishment of invasive exotic plant species are projected to increase. Such environmental changes will provide significant challenges for the strategic planning and management of natural, agricultural and urban spaces. In this study, the perceptions of the impacts of invasive exotic plant species are examined and compared to perceptions of other environmental issues on the islands of Mallorca, Sardinia and Crete. A survey of key stakeholders was undertaken on the Mediterranean islands with the use of questionnaires and in-depth interviews. While there is a widespread tolerance of environmental change associated with the establishment of invasive species on the islands, local stakeholders raise concerns about specific impacts and the policies in place to respond to future risk. To build resilience within natural and anthropogenic systems to the changing climatic circumstances, a need exists for integrative environmental policy that supports local capacity to manage invasive species within Mediterranean landscapes.     

The potential to encode sex,age, and individual identity in the alarm calls of three species of Marmotinae

In addition to encoding referential information and information about the sender’s motivation, mammalian alarm calls may encode information about other attributes of the sender, providing the potential for recognition among kin, mates, and neighbors. Here, we examined 96 speckled ground squirrels (Spermophilus suslicus), 100 yellow ground squirrels (Spermophilus fulvus) and 85 yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) to determine whether their alarm calls differed between species in their ability to encode information about the caller’s sex, age, and identity. Alarm calls were elicited by approaching individually identified animals in live-traps. We assume this experimental design modeled a naturally occurring predatory event, when receivers should acquire information about attributes of a caller from a single bout of alarm calls. In each species, variation that allows identification of the caller’s identity was greater than variation allowing identification of age or sex. We discuss these results in relation to each species’ biology and sociality.     

Inclusion of sex chromosomes in noninvasive prenatal testing in Asia,Australia, Europe and the USA: A survey study

Objective

To examine the extent to which sex chromosomes are included in current noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and the reporting practices with respect to fetal chromosomal sex and sex chromosome aberrations (SCAs), in addition to an update on the general implementation of NIPT.

Method

A questionnaire addressing the research objectives was distributed by email to fetal medicine and clinical genetics experts in Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA.

Results

Guidelines on NIPT are available in the majority of the included countries. Not all existing guidelines address reporting of fetal chromosomal sex and SCAs. In most settings, NIPT frequently includes sex chromosomes (five Australian states, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, Thailand, USA and 23 of 31 European countries). This occurs most often by default or when parents wish to know fetal sex. In most settings, a potential SCA is reported by stating the risk hereof as “low” or “high” and/or by naming the SCA. Less than 50% of all pregnant women receive NIPT according to respondents from three Australian states, China, Israel, Singapore, Thailand and 24 of 31 European countries. However, this percentage, the genomic coverage of NIPT and its application as primary or secondary screening vary by setting.

Conclusion

In most of the studied countries/states, NIPT commonly includes sex chromosomes. The reporting practices concerning fetal chromosomal sex and SCAs are diverse and most commonly not addressed by guidelines. In general, NIPT is variably implemented across countries/states.