Phenoloxidase activity in the infraorder Isoptera: unraveling life-history correlates of immune investment

A termite colony is usually founded by a pair of alates, the primary reproductives, which produce all the nestmates. In some species, secondary reproductives appear to either replace the primaries or supplement colony reproduction. In termites, secondary reproductives are generally ergatoids derived from workers or nymphoids derived from nymphs. Silvestritermes euamignathus is a termite species that forms multiple nymphoid reproductives, and to date it was hypothesized that these secondary reproductives were the progeny of the primary founding reproductives. We developed markers for 12 microsatellite loci and used COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to genotype 59 nymphoid neotenics found in a colony of S. euamignathus to test this hypothesis. Our results showed that nymphoids of S. euamignathus are not all siblings. The microsatellite analysis suggests that the secondary reproductives derived from a minimum of four different pairs of reproductives belonging to at least two different matrilines. This is the first record of non-sibling secondary reproductives occupying the same nest in a higher termite. These unrelated reproductives might be the result of either pleometrotic colony foundation or colony fusion.

     

Rural energy transitions in developing countries: a case of the Uttam Urja initiative in India

In most developing countries, at the household level, traditional burning of biomass or use of inefficient technologies for domestic applications like lighting is common, triggering concerns related to fuel or technology switching. The paper focuses on opportunities to promote cleaner energy options through development of value chains delivering improved energy efficiency and access in developing countries. We discuss the example of Uttam Urja, a field project involving the dissemination of photovoltaic lighting technologies in rural areas of India. We focus on the challenges of introducing radical innovations into the residential energy sector in developing countries. For the purpose of this paper the Uttam Urja project is conceptualized as an ‘experiment’ and analysed using the Strategic Niche Management (SNM) framework. The paper emphasizes that to effect socio-technical transitions to clean energy options on the ground, it is desirable to focus on technology customization and innovative financing to cater to the needs and concerns of end users.     

Croppers to livestock keepers: livelihood transitions to 2050 in Africa due to climate change

The impacts of climate change are expected to be generally detrimental for agriculture in many parts of Africa. Overall, warming and drying may reduce crop yields by 10–20% to 2050, but there are places where losses are likely to be much more severe. Increasing frequencies of heat stress, drought and flooding events will result in yet further deleterious effects on crop and livestock productivity. There will be places in the coming decades where the livelihood strategies of rural people may need to change, to preserve food security and provide income-generating options. These are likely to include areas of Africa that are already marginal for crop production; as these become increasingly marginal, then livestock may provide an alternative to cropping. We carried out some analysis to identify areas in sub-Saharan Africa where such transitions might occur. For the currently cropped areas (which already include the highland areas where cropping intensity may increase in the future), we estimated probabilities of failed seasons for current climate conditions, and compared these with estimates obtained for future climate conditions in 2050, using downscaled climate model output for a higher and a lower greenhouse-gas emission scenario. Transition zones can be identified where the increased probabilities of failed seasons may induce shifts from cropping to increased dependence on livestock. These zones are characterised in terms of existing agricultural system, current livestock densities, and levels of poverty. The analysis provides further evidence that climate change impacts in the marginal cropping lands may be severe, where poverty rates are already high. Results also suggest that those likely to be more affected are already more poor, on average. We discuss the implications of these results in a research-for-development targeting context that is likely to see the poor disproportionately and negatively affected by climate change.     

“三合一”建筑场所成因及火灾隐患整治对策

＂三合一＂建筑场所的形成有一定历史背景,与我国经济社会发展有密不可分的联系,历次惨痛火灾教训,让人们对该类建筑场所危害性有了更为深刻的认识,面对严峻的火灾形势,短时间内根治＂三合一＂建筑场所火灾隐患显得极为困难。因此,如何应急解决现有＂三合一＂建筑场所火灾隐患,并从长远角度防止出现新的＂三合一＂建筑场所,是实现当前社会稳定、经济健康、稳定、和谐发展目标的重要课题。本文着力在分析＂三合一＂建筑场所成因、短期应急措施、长期有效管理,以及如何走出当前消防工作误区等方面提出了对策和意见。     

Unexpected structural chromosome rearrangements in prenatal diagnosis

Among 5315 prenatal diagnoses performed for various indications (maternal age, neural tube defect, metabolic diseases, X-linked diseases, pathologic pregnancies) 29 unexpected structural chromosome rearrangements were found in fetal cells. Fourteen were de novo chromosome rearrangements, six unbalanced, and eight balanced. Fifteen were inherited and balanced rearrangements. This high frequency of structural anomalies is discussed.     

Governance of sustainable transitions: about the 4(0) ways to change the world

Transitions are radical system innovations that usually take 1–2 generations. Using Cultural Theory as a heuristic, this paper presents four archetypical approaches to transition management. The fatalist approach refrains from transition management (motto: ‘First, disaster must happen’). The system is in a stalemate that no experiment or hierarchy can break; external events must bring the window of opportunity for change. The hierarchic approach relies on a dominant actor coalition to steer change (motto: ‘Let's put a man on the moon!’). The individualist approach relies mainly on changing the financial ground rules (motto: ‘Sustainability through the market’). Finally, the egalitarian approach relies on process management, doing experiments, etc. (motto: ‘A good transition arena will solve it all’). This approach makes sense if the situation is not clear enough to be managed via one of the other approaches, and there is a clearly identifiable learning objective.     

Familial marker chromosome due to 3:1 Disjunction of t(9;15) in a grandparent

An extra small chromosome detected in amniotic fluid was identified as the product of a translocation [46,XX,t(9;15)(p24;q11.2)]. This case is unusual in that individuals with the unbalanced karyotype resulting from a 3:1 disjunction are phenotypically normal.     

Structural phase transitions and the catalytic role of RNA in proton transfer events

Conversations with Manfred Eigen proved useful.     

Mill’s scissors: structural change and the natural-resource inputs to labour

The environmental structural change strategy claims that by shifting our expenditures to economic sectors with lower environmental intensity, absolute resource consumption and environmental impact can be lowered. Environmental Input-Output methodologies for computing these intensities attribute no resource consumption to labour or households because these are not classified as sectors. The suggestion that service sectors entail less environmental impact, however, loses force if a unit of labour contains embodied energy, and attributing these inputs to labour drastically reduces intensity variation between sectors. Relative growth of service sectors has furthermore not been accompanied by decreased resource consumption; thus models whose intensity computations cover not only inter-firm payments but also labour earnings and household expenditures may have superior predictive power. If moreover natural-resource and labour inputs to product are incommensurable, intensity ratios themselves have perhaps only monetary, rather than real, significance.     

浅覆盖区第四系三维地质结构模型不确定性分析——以运漕幅离散钻孔为例

针对以离散钻孔为主要数据源建立的第四系三维地质结构模型,采用地统计学方法以置信度指数定量评估三维地质结构模型的不确定性。通过分析目标地层顶面趋势,获取其地质复杂度信息;利用半方差函数模型分析目标地层顶面的空间自相关性,获取其数据精度信息;结合专家经验,以置信度综合评估模型的不确定性。以运漕幅第四系三维地质结构模型为例,分别绘制早—中更新世青弋江组(Qp1-2 qy)与中—晚更新世大桥镇组(Qp2-3 d)顶面高程与置信度指数图。结果表明,钻孔位置和运漕幅右下角钻孔密集处的置信度指数较高,图幅边缘及地层缺失处的置信度指数偏低。置信度指数与钻孔数据精度呈正相关,与地质复杂度呈负相关。置信度指数可为以离散钻孔为主要数据源建立的第四系三维地质结构模型的不确定性分析提供量化工具。     

Modelling farm structural change for integrated ex-ante assessment: review of methods and determinants

This paper provides a literature review of methods and determinants relevant for modelling farm structural change within an integrated modelling chain. Environmental and economic impacts at farm level and individual farm responses to agricultural and agri-environmental policies strongly depend on characteristics like farm size, specialisation, and production intensity. Consequently, up-scaling results of corresponding farm type models in ex-ante assessment exercises requires comprehensive and valid predictions of the farm types’ future relevance under different scenarios. The paper reviews methods relevant to forecasting farm numbers in classes defined by farm typologies with the objective to identify (1) a preferable modelling approach and (2) empirically relevant determinants. Despite the literature's considerable size, even recent studies are rather limited in scope and typically restricted to a subset of farm types and one or very few regions. With regard to data availability, computational complexity and statistical validation procedures, Markov chain models are identified as the only generally suitable method for a broadly scoped modelling approach across European regions and a differentiated farm typology. However, other research on determinants of farm growth, the number of farm holders, farm succession as well as new multi-agent based simulation approaches hint at relevant explanatory variables previously not considered in Markov chain analyses. Their impact seems testable in more ambitious cross-regional and cross-farm type setups.