The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis

In 1858, two naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed natural selection as the basic mechanism responsible for the origin of new phenotypic variants and, ultimately, new species. A large body of evidence for this hypothesis was published in Darwins Origin of Species one year later, the appearance of which provoked other leading scientists like August Weismann to adopt and amplify Darwins perspective. Weismanns neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was further elaborated, most notably in a series of books by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, Julian Huxley and others. In this article we first summarize the history of life on Earth and provide recent evidence demonstrating that Darwins dilemma (the apparent missing Precambrian record of life) has been resolved. Next, the historical development and structure of the modern synthesis is described within the context of the following topics: paleobiology and rates of evolution, mass extinctions and species selection, macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium, sexual reproduction and recombination, sexual selection and altruism, endosymbiosis and eukaryotic cell evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inheritance and molecular evolution, experimental bacterial evolution, and computer simulations (in silico evolution of digital organisms). In addition, we discuss the expansion of the modern synthesis, embracing all branches of scientific disciplines. It is concluded that the basic tenets of the synthetic theory have survived, but in modified form. These sub-theories require continued elaboration, particularly in light of molecular biology, to answer open-ended questions concerning the mechanisms of evolution in all five kingdoms of life.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Dr. hc mult. Ernst Mayr on the occasion of his 100th birthdayThis revised version was published online in March 2004, with corrections to the caption of Figure 6.     

城市生活垃圾理化性质的动态特性分析

对太原市城市生活垃圾的组成、化学元素及重金属等进行了1年(每月2次)共24次的分析。结果表明,太原市生活垃圾的组成在焚烧过程中,能产生低位热值(Q低)的有机物占(44.28±2.24)％,不产生低位热值的无机物占(13.94±2.01)％,混合物(破碎的动植物碎片及粘附在其上面的灰、土、砂)占(43.36±8.67)％。垃圾中可燃物比例较高,水分含量较低,有利于焚烧和热解,低位热值(Q低)平均值为(5590.8±1252.3)kJ/kg,但低位热值随季节变化较大。垃圾中化学元素硫(S)、氯(Cl)、氮(N)、氢(H)、碳(C)、氧(O)的年平均值分别为(0.20±0.13)％、(0.48±0.11)％、(0.87±0.18)％、(2.56±0.76)％、(30.78±4.06)％、(16.42±5.17)％,与其他城市相比,S、N、Cl的含量较高。垃圾中的重金属铅(Pb)、镉(Cd)的年平均值分别为41.94mg/Kg和1.806mg/kg;汞(Hg)含量变化较大。焚烧后的灰渣中,Pb部分挥发,Cd得到富集,但几乎无Hg检出。     

长江中下游火山-侵入杂岩研究中值得探讨的几个问题(一)

长江中下游燕山期中酸性-酸性火山-侵入杂岩大家公认为具有偏碱性到碱性特点，但对富碱原因即碱质来石源则存在不同意见，大多数人认为壳幔亮混源，碱质来源于富集地幔的部分熔融，也受到地壳物质的混染．另一种意见强调富碱是由于岩浆侵位或分异过程中受到蒸发岩（特别是膏盐层）的混染与同化。笔者根据长江中下游有关岩体的大量岩石化学分析数据．分地区、分岩体、也按时代对其K2O、Na2O、CaO、MgO与SiO2的相关性作了直观性对比分析，事实表现出Na2O对SiO2几乎完全没有相关性，Na2O对SiO2可以说是独立变化的；K2O与MgO对SiO2具有不同程度的相关性；而CaO－SiO2则具有明显的直线性相关。据此提出：除了原始岩浆具有的碱质外，在岩浆分导过程中不时地有外来碱质加入，这些外来的碱质主要由中、下三叠统中的膏盐层提供。文中根据岩浆硫的δ34S值偏高、膏盐层主要矿物的自由能在高温下熔融及分解温度与低温下在水中的溶解度、石膏矿山的矿泉水中K＋、Na＋、C1＋、SO32-等的浓度，以及斜长石的环带构造方面作了论证．     

ASM1中废水和污泥组分浓度的测定方法研究

对呼吸计量法应用于校准ASM1作了简明的阐述。在呼吸速率与模型组分关系的基础上,介绍了ASM1中废水与污泥各组分浓度的测定方法,并指出模型组分细化的意义。     

Overestimates of black carbon in soils and sediments

Several recent reports suggest that black carbon (BC), which broadly encompasses charcoal, soot, and other forms of pyrogenic carbon, may constitute a significant proportion of the refractory carbon in soil and sedimentary organic matter. BC is a sink for biospheric and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and is intimately tied to the biogeochemical cycling of both carbon and oxygen through its role in organic matter cycling. Additionally, BC may represent a large fraction of the missing carbon sink in global carbon accounting. Here, we demonstrate that documented measurements of BC may be the result of methodological artifacts, which inadvertently overestimate the amount of BC. We found that a widely used thermal oxidative method can create a residue that falls under the operational definition of BC in samples that are relatively BC-free. Moreover, during this procedure, labile organic matter constituents are condensed into pyrogenic carbon, implying that the labile components are present in lesser quantities. These methodological deficiencies are promoting overestimates in the amount of refractory carbon in soil and sedimentary organic matter and may endorse inaccuracies in the rates of carbon fluxes, the mean residence times of terrestrial carbon, and organic matter burial rates in oceanic environments.     

昆明城市太阳辐射资源及利用现状初探

利用有关资料,对昆明城市太阳辐射资源和利用现状进行了初步探讨。分析得知,昆明地区太阳辐射具有独特的分布特征,为太阳能的利用提供了良好的环境条件;太阳能热水器在干季晴好天气时增温效果显著。通过对不同太阳能热水器普及率和不同增温率的太阳能热水器等的计算,可以看出昆明城市太阳能热水器的节能效应是十分显著的,但仍有较大空间。加大昆明城市太阳能热水器的普及工作对于城市太阳能利用将是十分重要的。     

Fetal nuchal oedema and antenatal diagnosis of trisomy 10

Trisomy 10 was detected at amniocentesis undertaken following observation of fetal nuchal oedema. This is the first report of fetal trisomy 10 in association with nuchal oedema. The physical features of fetal trisomy 10 are described.     

The effect of octopamine on behavioral responses of free-foraging bumblebees to a change in food source profitability

The invertebrate neuromodulator octopamine is known to be involved in bees' associative learning, enhancing the responsiveness of a bee to a conditioned stimulus. In this study, we tested the effect of octopamine on the choice behavior of free-flying bumblebees using a two-phase experiment in an array of artificial flowers. During the first phase of the experiment, the bee was allowed to collect octopamine-laden sugar water from two types of equally rewarding flowers (yellow versus blue). In the second phase, one type of flower was set to be unrewarding. The behavior of the bee (proportion of visits to the unrewarding flowers) over the two phases was fitted to a sigmoid regression model. Our results show that octopamine had no significant effect on the bees' equilibrium choice or on the overall rate of the behavioral change in response to the change in reward. Rather, octopamine significantly affected the time interval between the change in reward status and the initiation of behavioral change in the bee.     

长江中下游海相三叠系膏盐层与铜(金)、铁矿床

长江中下游海相三叠系膏盖层中含有很大比例的大、中型铜（金）、铁、多金属矿床。膏盐层不仅是铜（金）、铁矿床的主要赋矿层位之一，而且是部分成矿金属的矿源层；膏盐层还为燕山期岩浆提供部分钠质、钾质及挥发组分，影响岩浆演化的方向，改变了含矿流体的性质；另外，从岩体和矿床中金属硫化物中流同位素重硫成分的增高，说明在成者、成矿过程中，膏盐层是硫的供应者之一。因此膏盐层与铜（金）、铁、多金属矿床之间存在着特殊的成因联系。     

The Value Of Public Participation During a Hazard,Impact, Risk And Vulnerability (HIRV) Analysis

The first part of this paper discusses the links between hazard, risk and vulnerability (HRV) analysis and the development of mitigative strategies. The second part discusses the need to include public participation when completing an HRV analysis. Two current HRV models are used to illustrate the general failure of HRV analysis to include public participation. The third part of this paper provides a brief overview of the Hazard, Impact, Risk and Vulnerability (HIRV) model and its use of public participation. The paper concludes by offering a synopsis of a case study in the town and regional area surrounding Barriere, British Columbia, Canada. This case study demonstrates a positive outcome when public participation is incorporated into an HIRV analysis.