The first report of gynandromorphy in termites (Isoptera; Kalotermitidae; <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neotermes koshunensis</Emphasis>)

This is the first report of gynandromorphy in Isoptera. An Asian dry-wood termite, Neotermes koshunensis (Shiraki) [Kalotermitidae], possessing both male and female phenotypic characteristics, was found on Okinawa Island, Japan. This deformed individual showed morphological and anatomical hermaphroditism in the abdomen. The right side of the seventh sternite was the female form and contained an ovary, while the left side was the male form and contained a testis. Genotypic analysis revealed that this individual was a genotypic bilateral chimera. These results suggested that the termite was a bilateral gynandromorph with a male left side and a female right side. As reported previously in other insects, double fertilization (by two sperms, one with an X and one with a Y chromosome) of a binucleate egg is the most likely mechanism that generated this genotypic bilateral chimera. N. koshunensis has the ability to reproduce through parthenogenesis, in which the secondary polar body is likely to be used for nuclear phase recovery. If the second polar body in this mechanism has high fertility and healthy embryogenic potential, like an egg nucleus, some of gynandromorphs might be produced by a side effect of parthenogenetic ability.     

Females’ sampling strategy to comparatively evaluate prospective mates in the peacock blenny <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salaria pavo</Emphasis>

Emerging evidence suggests the occurrence of comparative decision-making processes in mate choice, questioning the traditional idea of female choice based on rules of absolute preference. In such a scenario, females are expected to use a typical best-of-n sampling strategy, being able to recall previous sampled males based on memory of their quality and location. Accordingly, the quality of preferred mate is expected to be unrelated to both the number and the sequence of female visits. We found support for these predictions in the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, a fish where females have the opportunity to evaluate the attractiveness of many males in a short time period and in a restricted spatial range. Indeed, even considering the variability in preference among females, most of them returned to previous sampled males for further evaluations; thus, the preferred male did not represent the last one in the sequence of visited males. Moreover, there was no relationship between the attractiveness of the preferred male and the number of further visits assigned to the other males. Our results suggest the occurrence of a best-of-n mate sampling strategy in the peacock blenny.     

The mystery of a missing bone: revealing the orbitosphenoid in basal Epicynodontia (Cynodontia,Therapsida) through computed tomography

The basal non-mammaliaform cynodonts from the late Permian (Lopingian) and Early Triassic are a major source of information for the understanding of the evolutionary origin of mammals. Detailed knowledge of their anatomy is critical for understanding the phylogenetic transition toward mammalness and the paleobiological reconstruction of mammalian precursors. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT), we describe the internal morphology of the interorbital region that includes the rarely fossilized orbitosphenoid elements in four basal cynodonts. These paired bones, which are positioned relatively dorsally in the skull, contribute to the wall of the anterior part of the braincase and form the floor for the olfactory lobes. Unlike procynosuchids and the more basal therapsids in which the orbitosphenoids are well developed, dense, and bear a ventral keel, the basal epicynodonts Cynosaurus, Galesaurus, and Thrinaxodon display cancellous, reduced, and loosely articulated orbitosphenoids, a condition shared with many eucynodonts. The hemi-cylindrical orbitosphenoid from which the mammalian condition is derived re-evolved convergently in traversodontid and some probainognathian cynodonts.     

Male scent-marking pheromone of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus ardens ardens</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera; Apidae) attracts both conspecific queens and males

To explore the role of the volatiles emitted from male labial gland (LG) of the bumblebee Bombus ardens ardens, we investigated the responses of virgin queens and males to volatiles using a gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector (GC–EAD) system and Y-tube olfactometer. GC–EAD analysis revealed that citronellol, the main compound detected in the male LG, caused clear electrophysiological responses in the antennae of B. a. ardens virgin queens and males although two minor compounds elicited antennal responses when applied in a high concentration. Behavioral tests using a Y-tube olfactometer showed that queens and males were significantly attracted to both LG extracts and citronellol more than to the solvent alone. This is the first study to demonstrate that citronellol as a major compound of male scent-marking pheromone in B. a. ardens functions as a sex attractant for queens. The results also suggest that this compound has another function as a trail marker used by males.     

Seasonality and microhabitat selection in a forest-dwelling salamander

Many small terrestrial vertebrates exhibit limited spatial movement and are considerably exposed to changes in local environmental variables. Among such vertebrates, amphibians at present experience a dramatic decline due to their limited resilience to environmental change. Since the local survival and abundance of amphibians is intrinsically related to the availability of shelters, conservation plans need to take microhabitat requirements into account. In order to gain insight into the terrestrial ecology of the spectacled salamander Salamandrina perspicillata and to identify appropriate forest management strategies, we investigated the salamander’s seasonal variability in habitat use of trees as shelters in relation to tree features (size, buttresses, basal holes) and environmental variables in a beech forest in Italy. We used the occupancy approach to assess tree suitability on a non-conventional spatial scale. Our approach provides fine-grained parameters of microhabitat suitability and elucidates many aspects of the salamander’s terrestrial ecology. Occupancy changed with the annual life cycle and was higher in autumn than in spring, when females were found closer to the stream in the study area. Salamanders showed a seasonal pattern regarding the trees they occupied and a clear preference for trees with a larger diameter and more burrows. With respect to forest management, we suggest maintaining a suitable number of trees with a trunk diameter exceeding 30 cm. A practice of selective logging along the banks of streams could help maintain an adequate quantity of the appropriate microhabitat. Furthermore, in areas with a presence of salamanders, a good forest management plan requires leaving an adequate buffer zone around streams, which should be wider in autumn than in spring.     

Postnatal nutrition influences male attractiveness and promotes plasticity in male mating preferences

Poor early-life nutrition could reduce adult reproductive success by negatively affecting traits linked to sexual attractiveness such as song complexity. If so, this might favor strategic mate choice, allowing males with less complex songs to tailor their mating tactics to maximize the reproductive benefits. However, this possibility has been ignored in theoretical and empirical studies. By manipulating the micronutrient content of the diet (e.g., low or high) during the postnatal period of male zebra finches, we show for the first time (1) that males reared on a poor (low) micronutrient diet had less complex songs as adults; (2) that these males, in contrast to the high micronutrient diet group, were more selective in their mating strategies, discriminating against those females most likely to reduce their clutch size when paired with males having less complex songs; and (3) that by following different mating strategies, males reared on the contrasting diets obtained similar reproductive benefits. These results suggest that early-life dietary conditions can induce multiple and long-lasting effects on male and female reproductive traits. Moreover, the results seem to reflect a previously unreported case of adaptive plasticity in mate choice in response to a nutritionally mediated reduction in sexual attractiveness.     

基于Monte Carlo模拟法对水源水体中微囊藻毒素的健康风险评估

调查水源水体中微囊藻毒素MCs(MC-RR、MC-LR和MC-YR)的污染情况,结合调查情况应用蒙特卡洛法(Monte Carlo)模拟量化人群通过饮水途径摄入微囊藻毒素的风险.在珠江西航道沿线设置5个采样点,在2016年1~6月期间共采集90份水样,根据国标(GB/T 20466-2006)推荐的HPLC方法检测水体中的微囊藻毒素,运用专业风险评估软件@Risk7.0,构建非参数概率评估模型,对通过饮水途径摄入微囊藻毒素(暴露)风险进行概率评估.对随机采集90份水源水体中微囊藻毒素MCs质量浓度检测值进行分布拟合,并运用Chi-Squared、Anderson-Darling、Kolmogorov-Smirnov这3种统计方法进行拟合度检验,根据3种评估拟合结果,确定最佳拟合分布模型.结果表明,在检测的90个水样品中,MC-RR的检出率最高,达到51.11%,质量浓度范围为0.001 7~0.386 3μg·L~(-1);其次为MC-LR和MC-YR,检出率分别是47.78%和21.11%,质量浓度范围分别是0.028 5~0.279 6μg·L~(-1)和0.003 0~0.136 2μg·L~(-1),水源水体中3种微囊藻毒素以MC-RR为主,最大检出质量浓度为0.386 3μg·L~(-1),MC-YR的含量最低.采用软件@Risk7.0分布拟合结果显示,MC-LR质量浓度最适的拟合分布为Ext Value Min模型(0.113 91,0.098 462),MC-RR质量浓度最适的拟合分布为Logistic(0.058 064,0.053 044).健康风险评估表明,MC-LR对人体健康危害的风险高于MC-RR的风险,儿童比成人更易于受到MCs污染的威胁.MC-LR对儿童健康危害的致癌年风险数值大于美国环保署(USEPA)推荐的最大可接受风险水平1×10-4;MC-LR对成人的致癌暴露年风险数值大于国际辐射防护委员会(ICRP)推荐的最大可接受风险水平5×10-5,表明水源水体中的MCs对人体健康存在潜在的危害,有必要加强饮用水源水体的保护与监控,为有效控制水源地水质污染和更好地保障人民健康奠定基础.     

城市酒店业的碳排放核算及低碳指标分析

随着中国的快速城市化和服务业的发展,旅游业逐渐成为主要的温室气体排放者之一,酒店面临节能减排的压力并缺乏相关的评价标准.本文建立了生命周期的酒店业碳排放核算框架和低碳指标,并以宁波市为案例城市,对其3种类型的酒店进行碳排放核算和低碳指标的分析.结果表明,能源消费是酒店业最大的碳排放源,占93.5%~94.1%;各类酒店的碳排放量在2013—2015年间有约8.2%~9.2%的减少;从低碳指标看,五星级酒店的单位建筑面积的碳排放最小,单位出租间天数和单位旅客的碳排放最大,而四星级酒店的单位营业额碳排放最小.优化区域电力碳排放水平和酒店的软硬件设施是减少酒店碳排放的有效措施,碳标签是有效的酒店业低碳管理的政策工具.     

基于本地污染源调查的杭州市大气污染物排放清单研究

基于实地调查数据并辅以统计数据,采用物料衡算法和排放因子法,估算了杭州市2015年大气污染物排放清单,并选取经纬度坐标、路网、航道、土地类型和人口等数据作为权重因子,研究了该地区各类排放源污染物排放空间分布特征.结果表明,杭州市2015年SO_2、NO_x、CO、VOCs、PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)和NH_3年排放总量分别为22.20×10~3、108.17×10~3、192.10×10~3、134.94×10~3、78.12×10~3、27.65×10~3和59.75×10~3t.工业源是杭州市SO_2排放的主要来源,移动源对NO_x和CO的排放贡献最为显著,扬尘源是杭州市PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)排放的最主要来源,其次为工业源;VOCs排放的主要来源依次为工业源、天然源和移动源;NH_3排放主要来自农业源.从空间分布来看,排放主要集中在中心城区及其周边的萧山、下沙、大江东、余杭和富阳等工业企业相对密集的区域.本研究建立的排放清单在污染源覆盖范围和排放因子方面仍然存在一定的不确定性,建议在后续研究中重点开展低、小、散企业及本地化排放因子调查研究工作,进一步提升大气污染物排放清单的准确度.     

苯酚、菲在BS-12/DTAB复配修饰膨润土上吸附的差异

为了探究复配修饰膨润土吸附疏水性不同的污染物的差异,采用阳离子型表面修饰剂十二烷基三甲基溴化铵(DTAB)对两性表面修饰剂十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱(BS-12)修饰膨润土进行复配修饰,采用批处理法研究复配修饰膨润土总修饰比例对苯酚和菲的等温吸附影响,并对比不同温度、pH值和离子强度条件下供试土样对苯酚和菲吸附量、热力学参数的差异.结果表明:随着总修饰比例的增大,复配修饰膨润土对苯酚及菲的吸附能力逐渐增强,0~50%CEC修饰比例下,菲的吸附率大于苯酚的吸附率,当修饰比例超出50%CEC后,苯酚的吸附率大于菲的吸附率,总修饰比例超出150%CEC后,膨润土对苯酚的吸附率变化趋于平缓,而对菲的吸附率开始呈下降趋势;随着土样总修饰比例的增大,温度对苯酚及菲吸附量的抑制效果降低;在KNO_3浓度为0.001~0.1 mol·L~(-1)时,苯酚及菲的吸附量均随着KNO_3浓度的增大而增大;随着pH值的升高,苯酚的吸附量逐渐增大,在pH=7处达到最大,而菲的吸附量则始终呈降低趋势.热力学参数显示,随着总修饰比例的增大,复配修饰土样对苯酚和菲的吸附自发性增强,混乱度增大,当总修饰比例超出150%CEC后,自发性减弱,混乱度下降.