Sperm storage reflects within- and extra-pair mating opportunities in a cooperatively breeding bird

In passerine birds, storage and maturation of sperm takes place in the cloacal protuberance (CP), an external swelling of the reproductive organ. The considerable variation in CP size among species is presumed to be a consequence of varying levels of sperm-competition, but whether individual variation in CP size within a species also reflects sperm competition is not well established. Here, we study temporal variation in male CP size in relation to within-pair and extra-pair mating opportunities and cuckoldry risk in purple-crowned fairy-wrens Malurus coronatus. This is a socially monogamous cooperatively breeding passerine that can breed year-round and has low levels of extra-pair paternity (in 6?% of broods). We show that male CP size sharply increased a few weeks before, and rapidly regressed after his partner laid eggs, consistent with a cost of its maintenance and/or sperm production. Surprisingly, despite low levels of extra-pair paternity, CP size of non-breeding and pre-breeding males was positively correlated with the number of breeding females in the population, suggesting that CP size is sensitive to extra-pair mating opportunities. However, CP sizes do not seem to reflect cuckoldry risk: CP size of dominant males was unaffected by the presence of a subordinate that was unrelated to the dominant female, although those subordinates occasionally sire offspring, and had a larger CP than subordinates living with their mother. Our results suggest that, even in a species with low levels of extra-pair paternity, individual investment in sperm storage reflects both within-pair and, albeit to lesser extent, extra-pair mating opportunities.     

辽宁省某典型500kV变电站电磁污染分布特性研究

为了了解500 kV变电站电磁污染分布特性,利用EFA-300电磁场强分析仪对变电站内500 kV配电区、220 kV配电区、变电站主要设备及变电站周边不同类型环境的工频电场强度与磁感应强度进行检测,从中找出其工频电磁场污染分布特性。共检测92个测点,结果显示电场强度、磁感应强度均在允许范围内。但是,变电站的个别设备附近电场强度接近职业标准限值,做防护措施时需重点关注。     

退牧还草前后鄂尔多斯市生物资源产品消费的生态影响

为了明晰退牧还草工程前后生物资源产品消费结构变化对生态环境的影响差异,以内蒙古自治区鄂尔多斯市为例,通过对传统生态足迹计算中的“全球公顷”进行本地化处理,采用“省公顷”生态足迹法分析该地区1995年(退牧还草前)、2012年(退牧还草后)生物资源产品消费特点及其生态影响. 结果表明:与1995年相比,2012年鄂尔多斯市生物资源产品消费结构呈现多元化特征,由以粮食油料和肉蛋奶为主向多种食物种类转变,化石能源的大量使用使薪柴消费量相对减少;与此同时,2012年鄂尔多斯市粮食油料和薪柴消费的生态足迹消耗量均呈降低趋势(降幅分别为53.23%和86.49%),而蔬菜瓜果和肉蛋奶的生态足迹均有所增加(其中蔬菜瓜果增幅达到44.97%). 各种生物资源产品的消费主要是对耕地生态足迹的消耗,粮食油料对耕地生态足迹消耗量的贡献率由1995年的40.17%降至2012年的21.74%,而蔬菜瓜果和部分肉蛋奶的贡献率均有所增加. 2012年鄂尔多斯市生态赤字(2.738 4 hm2/人)低于1995年(3.438 2 hm2/人),生态效率亦明显较高,表明人类活动对自然资源的扰动、占用和对生态环境的影响均有所缓解,并且资源环境利用效率得到显著提升. 但该市生态赤字率仍然很高,伴随着外来人口的迁入,还需548.83×104 hm2的生物生产性土地面积才能满足2012年鄂尔多斯市常住人口对生物资源产品消费生态足迹的总需求. 研究显示,鄂尔多斯市生物资源产品消费结构的多元化转变在一定程度上可有效缓解其所产生的生态压力,生态效率的提高有助于进一步调解人地关系、改善生态环境.      

活性污泥高质量RNA快速提取方法研究

通过比较RNA产量、纯度、降解程度、特定基因的扩增能力、微生物多样性等评价指标,考察和探讨了5种不同RNA提取方法对活性污泥总RNA提取效果的影响并最终建立了一种快速、有效的活性污泥RNA提取方法,即在TENP和PBS洗涤沉淀污泥的基础上,分别采用溶菌酶和TRIzol裂解活性污泥细菌、氯仿去除细菌裂解液中的蛋白和大部分DNA、异丙醇沉淀核酸和DNase I水解残留DNA后,最后进一步用离心柱纯化RNA.结果表明,这种方法可以有效提取高质量的菌群RNA,不仅提取的RNA总量多(每g污泥可提取169.6μg RNA)、纯度高、降解程度低、完整性好、具有丰富的生物多样性,而且可同时进行16SrRNA和amoA基因的RT-PCR扩增反应;与其它方法相比,性价比高,具有明显的优越性,适用于活性污泥RNA的大量提取,同时,T-RFLP结果证明RNA提取方法对分析样品的微生物种类和丰度分析结果影响较大,不同的RNA提取方法所获得的微生物群落基因多样性及其种类、丰度均不同.本研究建立了一种快速、有效的高质量RNA提取方法,将在监测活性污泥菌群动态变化、菌群代谢功能学、微生物群落芯片等研究上具有重要意义.     

Effects of speed-control measures on the safety of unsignalized midblock street crossings in China

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different speed-control measures on the safety of unsignalized midblock street crossings.

Methods: In China, it is quite difficult to obtain traffic crash and conflict data for pedestrians using such crossings, mainly due to the lack of traffic data management and organizational issues. In light of this, the proposed method did not rely on such data, but considered vehicle speed, which is a leading contributing factor of pedestrian safety at mid blocks. To evaluate the speed reduction effects at different locations, the research team utilized the following methods in this study: (1) testing speed differences—on the basis of the collected data, statistical analysis is conducted to test the speed differences between upstream and crosswalk, upstream and downstream, and downstream and crosswalk; and (2) mean distribution deviation—this value is calculated by taking the difference in cumulative speed distributions for the two different samples just mentioned. In order to better understand the variation of speed reduction effects at different distances from speed-control facilities, data were collected from six types of speed-control measures with a visual range of 60 m.

Results: The results showed that speed humps, transverse rumble strips, and speed bumps were effective in reducing vehicle speeds. Among them speed humps performed the best, with reductions of 21.1% and 20.0% from upstream location (25.01 km/h) and downstream location (24.66 km/h) to pedestrian crosswalk (19.73 km/h), respectively. By contrast, the speed reduction effects were minimal for stop and yield signs, flashing yellow lights, and crossings without treatment.

Conclusions: Consequently, in order to reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety at mid blocks, several speed-control measures such as speed humps, speed bumps, and transverse rumble strips are recommended to be deployed in the vicinity of pedestrian crosswalks.     

Choice of teenagers' vehicles and views on vehicle safety: survey of parents of novice teenage drivers

Objective

To examine parental decisions about vehicles driven by teenagers and parental knowledge of vehicle safety.

Methods

About 300 parents were interviewed during spring 2006 in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Rhode Island while teenagers took their first on-road driving tests.

Results

Fewer than half of parents surveyed said teenagers would be the primary drivers of the chosen vehicles. Parents most often cited safety, existing family vehicle, and reliability when explaining the choices for their teenagers’ vehicles. About half of the vehicles intended for teenagers were small/mini/sports cars, pickups, or SUVs — vehicles considered less safe for teenagers than midsize/large cars or minivans. A large majority of vehicles were 2001 models or earlier. Vehicles purchased in anticipation of adding a new driver to the family were more likely to be the sizes/types considered less safe than vehicles already owned. Few parents insisted on side airbags or electronic stability control, despite strong evidence of their safety benefits. Even when asked to identify ideal vehicles for their teenagers to drive, about half of parents identified less safe vehicle sizes/types. Most parents knew that midsize/large vehicles are safer than small vehicles, and at least half of parents said SUVs and pickups are not safe for teenage drivers, citing instability.

Conclusions

The majority of parents understood some of the important criteria for choosing safe vehicles for their teenagers. However, parents actually selected many vehicles for teenagers that provide inferior crash protection.

Impact on industry

Vehicle safety varies substantially by vehicle size, type, and safety features. Many teenagers are driving inferior vehicles in terms of crashworthiness and crash avoidance.     

中美典型大城市突发事件应急管理模式的比较研究

我国经济的高速发展,我国城市突发公共安全事件也进入了一个相对高发期, 城市应急管理体系能有效地处理和预防城市突发公共事件,保障城市居民的人身安全和财产 安全.结合美国大城市的先进管理模式和经验,通过与我国大城市的应急管理模式在城市应 急管理体制的本质、应急管理的组织机构、应急管理运作机制、应急参与主体等几个方面的比较,...     

如何用资料搜索器通过因特网来收集环境保护信息(英文)

资料搜索器是因特网中最有用的资源之一 ,了解资料搜索器如何工作以及如何用它们来寻找你所需要的信息是非常重要的 ,本文简要的描述八种资料搜索器以及如何高效的运用它们通过因特网来搜索有关环境保护信息。     

一般系统的事故致因分析

运用系统论的观点分析了生产系统中的危害源与相关因素,揭示了生产事故的最终原因是社会环境与生产管理上的缺陷,这些缺陷导致工人产生不安全行为,从而引起事故发生.分析了单元作业子系统的4种事故致因类型,根据分析结果提出了事故预防措施.     

顺序氯化对微生物、副产物和生物稳定性的综合控制

在中试规模试验中,研究了“短时游离氯后转氯胺的顺序氯化消毒工艺”对微生物、消毒副产物和生物稳定性指标的控制效果.该顺序氯化消毒工艺综合利用了游离氯消毒灭活微生物迅速彻底,氯胺消毒副产物生产量低的特点,通过氯化消毒技术的组合,安全经济地实现了消毒卫生学和消毒副产物指标的双重控制.该消毒工艺对细菌总数、异养菌平板计数、总大肠菌群指标的控制效果略好于传统游离氯消毒,对脊髓灰质炎病毒和大肠杆菌f2噬菌体的灭活效果与游离氯相同.相同原水条件下,顺序氯化消毒工艺比游离氯消毒工艺产生的三卤甲烷浓度减少35.8%～77.0%;卤乙酸减少36.6%～54.8%.消毒进水水质越差,顺序氯化消毒工艺在消毒副产物控制方面就越有优势.该工艺对生物稳定性指标的控制效果明显高于游离氯消毒.