Heterogeneity in the relationship between carbon emission performance and urbanization: evidence from China

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - Global change caused by carbon emissions alone has become a common challenge for all countries. However, current debates about urbanization...     

Optical properties of the uropygial gland secretion: no evidence for UV cosmetics in birds

Ultraviolet (UV) reflectance of the plumage is common in birds and plays an important role in sexual signalling. Recently, it has been proposed that birds are able to modify plumage UV reflectance by the application of uropygial gland secretion. Based on a survey of the optical properties of this secretion from 51 species belonging to 12 avian orders, we show that two main types of uropygial secretions exist, one predominantly found in passerines and one in non-passerines, both reducing relative UV reflectance of a white background (Teflon™ tape). We quantified how each type of secretion (exemplified by blue tit and mallard) affected feather UV reflectance. Both secretions reduced overall brightness and relative UV reflectance of white mallard feathers but hardly affected the reflectance of UV/blue blue tit crown feathers. According to models of avian colour vision, changes in reflectance due to application of the secretion were at or below the discrimination threshold of most birds. We conclude that the uropygial secretion is unlikely to play a major role in modifying plumage UV reflectance. However, the optical properties of the uropygial secretion may have been selected to interfere as little as possible with visual signaling through plumage reflectance. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

森林与雾露水关系研究进展

论文从雾露水的形成机制、森林对雾露水的截留量、雾露水对森林分布的影响及雾露水的生态效应方面,阐述了国外在该领域的研究动态和取得的成果,以期推动我国在该领域的研究工作。国外的大量研究表明,雾露水对于植物的生长、分布具有重要的生态意义,是森林生态系统水分平衡、养分循环不可忽视的输入项,其生态效应是多方面的。因而,进一步深入研究雾露水与森林的关系是必要的。     

Cognitive skills and bacterial load: comparative evidence of costs of cognitive proficiency in birds

Parasite-mediated selection may affect the evolution of cognitive abilities because parasites may influence development of the brain, but also learning capacity. Here, we tested some predictions of this hypothesis by analyzing the relationship between complex behaviours (feeding innovations (as a measure of behavioural flexibility) and ability to detect foreign eggs in their nests (i.e. a measure of discriminatory ability)) and abundance of microorganisms in different species of birds. A positive relationship would be predicted if these cognitive abilities implied a larger number of visited environments, while if these skills favoured detection and avoidance of risky environments, a negative relationship would be the prediction. Bacterial loads of eggshells, estimated for mesophilic and potentially pathogenic bacteria (i.e. Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Enterobacteriaceae), were used as a surrogate of probability of contact with pathogenic bacteria. We found that bird species with higher feeding innovation rates and rejection rates of experimental brood parasitic eggs had higher density of bacteria on their eggshells than the average species. Since the analysed groups of microorganisms include pathogenic bacteria, these results suggest that both feeding innovation and ability to recognize foreign eggs are costly and highlight the importance of parasite-mediated selection in explaining the evolution of cognitive abilities in animals.     

Two experimental tests of the relationship between group stability and aggressive conflict in Polistes wasps

Two field experiments were used to examine how the relative benefits of cooperation influence within-group conflict in foundress associations of the paper wasp Polistes dominulus. P. dominulus foundresses can either nest alone or cooperate with other foundresses. We experimentally manipulated the relative benefits of co-foundress associations vs independent reproduction and tested the effect on aggressive within-group conflict. First, we examined aggression between alpha and beta co-foundresses before and after lower-ranking foundresses were removed. Removal of subordinates increases the relative contributions of the remaining subordinates to group reproductive output as there are fewer adults to care for the brood. Transactional models predict that group conflict over reproductive shares will increase as the relative benefits of grouping increase. As predicted, aggression between the co-foundresses significantly increased following subordinate removal. Second, we experimentally reduced ecological constraints on independent nesting by placing a previously orphaned, adoptable nest comb near the occupied nests. Providing an independent breeding opportunity is predicted to increase the benefits of independent reproduction relative to those of cooperating, thereby reducing group stability and aggression. As predicted, aggression between dominant and subordinate foundresses significantly decreased after the orphaned comb was presented. Therefore, group members sense variation in ecological constraints and relative productivity contributions and quickly modulate their behavior in response. Overall, these two experiments suggest that paper wasps behave as if within-group competition is limited by the threat of group dissolution such that stable groups where cooperation is strongly favored can withstand higher levels of conflict than unstable groups.     

The origin and early evolution of birds: discoveries,disputes, and perspectives from fossil evidence

The study of the origin and early evolution of birds has never produced as much excitement and public attention as in the past decade. Well preserved and abundant new fossils of birds and dinosaurs have provided unprecedented new evidence on the dinosaurian origin of birds, the arboreal origin of avian flight, and the origin of feathers prior to flapping flight. The Mesozoic avian assemblage mainly comprises two major lineages: the prevalent extinct group Enantiornithes, and the Ornithurae, which gave rise to all modern birds, as well as several more basal taxa. Cretaceous birds radiated into various paleoecological niches that included fish- and seed-eating. Significant size and morphological differences and variation in flight capabilities, ranging from gliding to powerful flight among early birds, highlight the diversification of birds in the Early Cretaceous. There is little evidence, however, to support a Mesozoic origin of modern avian groups. Controversy and debate, nevertheless, surround many of these findings, and more details are needed to give a better appreciation of the significance of these new discoveries.     

The relationship between the black carbon and bisphenol A in sea and river sediments (Southern Baltic)

This study was derived from field investigations to assess bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations in the sea and river sediments of the Gulf of Gdansk. Black carbon (BC) and total organic carbon (TOC) were identified as influencing factors on the accumulation. As a result of the transportation of BC with organic matter via rivers into the Gulf of Gdansk, the highest mean concentrations (11.26 ng BPA/(g dry weight (dw))), were determined in the sediments of river estuaries. Sediments in coastal stations were characterized by the lowest mean concentrations (5.73 ng BPA/(g dw)). TOC content below 0.1% determined the sorption of BPA on BC particles in sediments, and statistically significant correlation between the concentration of BPA and the BC/TOC ratio was found in these cases. In addition, dependency between the concentration of BPA and the content of BC was discovered in sediments where the BC/TOC ratio was > 0.33.     

Possible postcranial pneumaticity in the last common ancestor of birds and crocodilians: evidence from Erythrosuchus and other Mesozoic archosaurs

Birds and crocodilians (extant archosaurs) have differing, distinctive morphologies. Birds have respiratory airsacs with diverticula that pneumatize the postcranial skeleton, a feature absent in crocodilians. Bony correlates of pneumatic sinuses are known in the vertebrae of some non-avian dinosaurs and in pterosaurs - taxa more closely related to birds than crocodilians. This and the apparent absence of pneumatic postcranial bones in fossil archosaurs more closely related to crocodilians than to birds, has been interpreted as evidence that postcranial pneumaticity is a derived character of birds and their nearest fossil relatives. The presence of apparent osteological correlates of postcranial pneumaticity is here reported in some non-crown-group archosaurs, and some of the fossil taxa more closely related to crocodilians than to birds. This suggests that the last common ancestor of birds and crocodilians might have had a pneumatized postcranium, and that the absence of this feature in crocodilians might be derived.     

二噁英结构与正辛醇-水分配系数相关性的密度泛函理论

为精确描述二噁英分子的电子结构及其定量结构/性质相关关系(QSPRs),运用密度泛函理论,在B3LYP/6-311G**水平上,分别对多氯二苯并对二噁英(PCDDs)和多氯二苯并呋喃(PCDFs)进行了优化计算.相应量子化学参数,即平均分子极化率(α),熵(S),极化率和四极矩的张量分量(αxx,αyy,αzz和Qxx,Qyy,Qzz)用于该类化合物辛醇-水分配系数的QSPR研究,构建了2个单变量和1个双变量模型,其决定系数R2分别为0.962、0.950和0.951;其显著性检验因子F分别为509.759、379.498和186.234.PCDD/Fs在辛醇相-水相间的分配性质主要与分子体积因素有关,而电性因素的影响较小;不同模型预测值间的差异与模型中预测变量本身性质和实验值的有限性有关.经比较,本研究中所建立的3个QSPRs模型尽管只有1个或2个变量,但其结果与复杂的偏最小二乘分析(PLS)相近.     

Direct evidence for maternal inheritance of bacterial symbionts in small deep-sea clams (Bivalvia: Vesicomyidae)

Bacterial symbiont transmission is a key step in the renewal of the symbiotic interaction at each host generation, and different modes of transmission can be distinguished. Vesicomyidae are chemosynthetic bivalves from reducing habitats that rely on symbiosis with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, in which two studies suggesting vertical transmission of symbionts have been published, both limited by the imaging techniques used. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization and transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate that bacterial symbionts of Isorropodon bigoti, a gonochoristic Vesicomyidae from the Guiness cold seep site, occur intracellularly within female gametes at all stages of gametogenesis from germ cells to mature oocytes and in early postlarval stage. Symbionts are completely absent from the male gonad and gametes. This study confirms the transovarial transmission of symbionts in Vesicomyidae and extends it to the smaller species for which no data were previously available.     

Sorption kinetics of parent and substituted PAHs for low-density polyethylene (LDPE): Determining their partition coefficients between LDPE and water (KLDPE) for passive sampling

Low-density polyethylene(LDPE) has been widely used as a sorbent for passive sampling of hydrophobic organic contaminants(HOCs) in aquatic environments.However,it has seen only limited application in passive sampling for measurement of freely dissolved concentrations of parent and substituted PAHs(SPAHs),which are known to be toxic,mutagenic and carcinogenic.Here,the 16 priority PAHs and some typical PAHs were selected as target compounds and were simultaneously determined by gas chromatography–...     

“水蚯蚓-微生物共生系统”细观机理模型(T-FCASM)建立及校验

基于浙江省诸暨市菲达宏宇污水处理厂新型氧化沟工艺的现场长期观察和试验研究,提出“水蚯蚓-微生物共生系统”的新技术原理,获得了“水蚯蚓-微生物共生系统”中污染物输入量与输出量随时间的动态变化规律,并建立了水蚯蚓作用的传递函数,从而实现水蚯蚓在污水处理和污泥降解过程中对污染物去除作用的模拟.以全耦合活性污泥模型（FCASM3）为基础平台,结合水蚯蚓作用的传递函数,最终建立了污水厂“水蚯蚓-微生物共生系统”细观机理模型（T-FCASM）.利用对该污水处理厂常规水质指标测定和进水模型组分分析等试验结果,完成了对“水蚯蚓-微生物共生系统”细观机理模型（T-FCASM）的校验工作.动态模拟结果表明：T-FCASM实现了对回流污泥浓度的准确模拟;同时该模型能够对污水处理厂生物去除有机物及脱氮过程进行较准确的模拟,而对生物除磷过程的模拟,由于该污水处理厂低磷进水的原因,与实测值存在一定的偏差.     

淀山湖营养物输入响应关系的分位数回归分析

采用分位数回归方法研究了淀山湖富营养化输入(总氮和总磷)及响应指标(叶绿素a)之间的关系.结果表明,淀山湖营养物TP和TN(输入指标)对不同分位叶绿素a(响应指标)的影响不同.在低分位(0.10~0.50)时,淀山湖的藻类生物量(叶绿素a)主要受TP的控制;在高分位(0.60~0.90)时,淀山湖的藻类生物量同时受TP和TN的控制;TN对藻类生长的抑制作用随分位数升高而加强.0.60分位时是TP和TN对藻类增长影响发生变化的分位.普通最小二乘法(OLS)方法得到的经验方程,不能估计淀山湖多个因素不同变化速率对湖泊营养物输入响应关系的影响.     

苯砜基环烷酸酯类化合物的结构与急性毒性关系的密度泛函理论研究

用密度泛函理论方法,在B3LYP／LANL2DZ水平上,计算了28个苯砜基环烷酸酯类化合物的结构参数;将结构参数作为理论描述符,导出苯砜基环烷酸酯类化合物的分子结构参数(α、εa、q^-和μ)与对发光菌毒性(EC50和LC50)的定量关系方程,并用交叉验证法验证,r^2分别为0.9509和0.9320,q^2分别为0．9318和0．9025,其结果优于AM1、CoMFA和CoMSIA方法的计算结果．     

Behavioral evidence for host fidelity among populations of the parasitic wasp, Diachasma alloeum (Muesebeck)

The concept of host fidelity, where host-specific mating occurs in close proximity to the oviposition site and location of larval development, is thought to impart a pre-mating isolation mechanism for sympatric speciation (sensu members of the genus Rhagoletis). The apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, and the blueberry maggot fly, R. mendax, are morphologically similar sibling species thought to have speciated in sympatry by divergence of host plant association. Both of these fly species are attacked by the specialist braconid parasitoid, Diachasma alloeum. The current study demonstrates that both male and female D. alloeum exhibit a behavioral preference for the odor of the fruit of their larval Rhagoletis host species. Specifically, those D. alloeum emerging from puparia of R. pomonella are preferentially attracted to hawthorn fruit and those emerging from puparia of R. mendax are preferentially attracted to blueberry fruit. However, male D. alloeum reared from either R. pomonella or R. mendax were equally attracted to females originating from both Rhagoletis species. We suggest that the data herein present evidence for host fidelity, where populations of D. alloeum exhibit a greater tendency to mate and reproduce among the host plants of their preferred Rhagoletis hosts. Furthermore, host fidelity may have resulted in the evolution of distinct host races of D. alloeum tracking the speciation of their larval Rhagoletis prey.     

Evaluation of the relationship between two different methods for enumeration fecal indicator bacteria： Colony-forming unit and most probable number

Most probable number (MPN) and colony-forming unit (CFU) estimates of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentration are common measures of water quality in aquatic environments. Thus, FIB intensively monitored in Yeongsan Watershed in an attempt to compare two di erent methods and to develop a statistical model to convert from CFU to MPN estimates or vice versa. As a result, the significant di erence was found in the MPN and CFU estimates. The enumerated Escherichia coli concentrations in MPN are greater than those in CFU, except for the measurement in winter. Especially in fall, E. coli concentrations in MPN are one order of magnitude greater than that in CFU. Contrarily, enterococci bacteria in MPN are lower than those in CFU. However, in general, a strongly positive relationship are found between MPN and CFU estimates. Therefore, the statistical models were developed, and showed the reasonable converting FIB concentrations from CFU estimates to MPN estimates. We expect this study will provide preliminary information towards future research on whether di erent analysis methods may result in di erent water quality standard violation frequencies for the same water sample.     

Dietary characterization of the hominoid Khoratpithecus (Miocene of Thailand): evidence from dental topographic and microwear texture analyses

The genus Khoratpithecus, a hominoid thought to be related to the orangutan lineage, is represented by two known fossil species K. chiangmuanensis and K. piriyai. Both were discovered in Southeast Asia (Thailand) and are dated to the Middle and Late Miocene, respectively. In this study, dental topographic and microwear texture analyses were used to examine molars from both of these species, with the goal of understanding their dietary preferences. Although sample sizes are small for Khoratpithecus, available data are compared to that collected for extant apes. Environmental evidence, such as botanical remains and sedimentological data, is also considered for comparisons with dietary reconstruction. Results from dental topographic analysis suggest that the two fossil species were better adapted to a diet of fruits than to one of leaves, much like the living orangutan or chimpanzee. Results from microwear texture analysis further support this, suggesting that Khoratpithecus preferred soft fruits to hard fruits or seeds. And finally, the botanical and sedimentological evidence point to environments for Khoratpithecus that would have been compatible with a fruit-eating species. Given the small sample sizes available for analysis, however, definitive judgments are not yet possible at this time.     

和平发展与和平共存——中国的气候政策和亚太合作伙伴关系

《亚太清洁发展与气候新伙伴计划》（以下简称《新伙伴计划》）是国际气候政策中相对较新的一项机制。这项新伙伴计划由一些重要的国家参与组成,旨在应对一些严峻的长期挑战,其中包括人类活动引起的气候变化。参加该计划的伙伴——澳大利亚、中国、印度、日本、韩国和美国,以及最近加入的加拿大一起拥有世界一半以上的人口和超过50％的国内生产总值,其能源消耗和温室气体排放总量也占全球的一半以上。因此,这样一个“温室气体排放国的联合体”是国际气候政策中必不可少的要素。对中国来说,伙伴计划也是“和平发展”战略中气候政策的一个重要部分。