Several social mammals, including elephants and some primates, whales and bats, live in multilevel societies that form temporary subgroups. Despite these fission–fusion dynamics, group members often maintain long-term bonds. However, it is unclear whether such individual links and the resulting stable social subunits continue to exist after a complete reorganisation of a society, e.g. following a population crash. Here, we employed a weighted network analysis on 7,109 individual roosting records collected over 4 years in a wild Bechstein’s bat colony. We show that, in response to a strong population decline, the colony’s two stable social subunits fused into a non-modular social network. Nevertheless, in the first year after the crash, long-term bonds were still detectable, suggesting that the bats remembered previous individual relationships. Our findings are important for understanding the flexibility of animal societies in the face of dramatic changes and for the conservation of social mammals with declining populations.
Algae biomass is an attractive biofuel feedstock when grown with high productivity on marginal land. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) produces more oil from algae than lipid extraction (LE) does because protein and carbohydrates are converted, in part, to oil. Since nitrogen in the algae biomass is incorporated into the HTL oil, and since lipid extracted algae for generating heat and electricity are not co-produced by HTL, there are questions regarding implications for emissions and energy use. We studied the HTL and LE pathways for renewable diesel (RD) production by modeling all essential operations from nutrient manufacturing through fuel use. Our objective was to identify the key relationships affecting HTL energy consumption and emissions. LE, with identical upstream growth model and consistent hydroprocessing model, served as reference. HTL used 1.8 fold less algae than did LE but required 5.2 times more ammonia when nitrogen incorporated in the HTL oil was treated as lost. HTL RD had life cycle emissions of 31,000 gCO2 equivalent (gCO2e) compared to 21,500 gCO2e for LE based RD per million BTU of RD produced. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased when yields exceeded 0.4 g HTL oil/g algae because insufficient carbon was left for biogas generation. Key variables in the analysis were the HTL oil yield, the hydrogen demand during upgrading, and the nitrogen content of the HTL oil. Future work requires better data for upgrading renewable oils to RD and requires consideration of nitrogen recycling during upgrading. 相似文献
Torque teno virus (TTV) was surveyed in tap water collected in schools from three municipalities located in the south of Brazil. TTV genomes were found in 11.7 % (4/34) of the samples. TTV DNA was detected in 10.5 % (2/19) of the samples collected at the city of Caxias do Sul and in 25 % (2/8) of the samples from Pelotas. Those cities have a low rate of sewage treatment. All samples from Santa Cruz do Sul, which has nearly 92 % of its sewage treated, were negative. These results suggest that the amount of sewage treated may have an effect on the detection rates of TTV DNA in drinking water in a given urban area, showing a mild negative correlation (r = ?0.76), when comparing the percentage of sewage treatment to the detection of TTV genomes. The detection rate of TTV was also compared with Escherichia coli, showing a strong correlation (r = 0.97), indicating that TTV may be a suitable marker of fecal contamination. 相似文献
Recent events have shown that humans may become infected with some pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (AIV). Since soil
and water, including lakes, rivers, and seashores, may be contaminated by AIV excreted by birds, effective methods are needed
for monitoring water for emerging viruses. Combining water filtration with molecular methods such as PCR is a fast and effective
way for detecting viruses. The objective of this study was to apply a convenient method for the detection of AIV in natural
water samples. Distilled water and lake, river, and seawater were artificially contaminated with AIV (H5N3) and passed through
a filter system. AIV was detected from filter membrane by real-time RT-PCR. The performance of Zetapor, SMWP, and Sartobind
D5F membranes in recovering influenza viruses was first evaluated using contaminated distilled water. SWMP, which gave the
highest virus recoveries, was then compared with a pre-filter combined GF/F filter membrane in a trial using natural water
samples. In this study, the cellulose membrane SMWP was found to be practical for recovery of AIVs in water. Viral yields
varied between 62.1 and 65.9% in distilled water and between 1 and 16.7% in natural water samples. The borosilicate glass
membrane GF/F combined with pre-filter was also feasible in filtering natural water samples with viral yields from 1.98 to
7.33%. The methods described can be used for monitoring fresh and seawater samples for the presence of AIV and to determine
the source of AIV transmission in an outbreak situation. 相似文献
Noroviruses are one of important agents that cause acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide. These viruses are belonging to Caliciviridae
family and are genetically diverse. To date, there is no valuable data about prevalence of norovirus infection and the dominant
genogroup/genotype among Iranian population. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of norovirus infection
in Iranian patients with gastroenteritis referred to three hospitals of Tehran and to specify the dominant genogroup/genotype
of this virus among our study population. A total of 293 patients with acute gastroenteritis were included in the study. Detection
of norovirus was performed using RT-PCR method and confirmed by direct sequencing with specific designed primers for capsid
region of norovirus genome. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the neighbor-joining method. Norovirus strains identified
in our study were subsequently categorized according to previously defined genogroup/genotypes. Of these, norovirus GII was
dominant genogroup. Sixty-five percent (17 of 26) of positive samples were determined as GII and 35% (9 of 26) were determined
as GI, respectively, in 2008–2009. And among 8 sequenced strains of genogroup II the most frequent genotype was GII.3. The
results of this study indicated that norovirus must be considered as one of the infectious causes of acute gastroenteritis
among Iranian population. We also found that GII.3 is more prevalent in our study population. To the best of our knowledge
there is limited data about the role of noroviruses in children and adults’ acute gastroenteritis among Iranian patients and
this prevalence and genotyping report of norovirus infection could be remarkable for further studies. 相似文献
Developing generalized theories about adaptation to climate change requires common concepts to map different adaptation situations.
The paper aims to contribute to this endeavor by presenting a novel framework that conceptualizes adaptations to climate change
as actions. The framework is intended to systematically analyze the actor relations involved in adaptations and the barriers
to their implementation. By combining established scientific action theories with terminology from the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) in an innovative way, it can be used to clarify the notion of adaptation used in adaptation assessments.
The framework’s potential is illustrated by a case study on cooling water management in the river Rhine catchment and by the
elucidation of some prominent concepts in adaptation research. We show that by framing adaptations as actions, the purpose
of adaptations and how they tend to connect up in means-ends-chains becomes crucial. Actors can take different functional
roles as exposure unit, operator and receptor of adaptation. A mismatch of these roles can lead to barriers to adaptation,
of which we deduce four types: complex actor relations, missing operators, missing means and unemployed means. The case study
yields a complex bundle of adaptations, and shows that the potential barriers involved are quite diverse. There is thus no
blueprint solution. Although we identify entry points for adaptation, the analysis leads to a skeptical conclusion for adapting
cooling water management in the whole Rhine catchment. 相似文献
We explored the possible future impacts of increased coastal flooding due to sea level rise and the potential adaptation responses
of two urban, environmental justice communities in the metropolitan Boston area of Massachusetts. East Boston is predominantly
a residential area with some industrial and commercial activities, particularly along the coastal fringe. Everett, a city
to the north of Boston, has a diversified industrial and commercial base. While these two communities have similar socioeconomic
characteristics, they differ substantially in the extent to which residents would be impacted by increased coastal flooding.
In East Boston, a large portion of residents would be flooded, while in Everett, it is the commercial/industrial districts
that are primarily vulnerable. Through a series of workshops with residents in each community, we found that the target populations
do not have an adaptation perspective or knowledge of any resources that could assist them in this challenge. Furthermore,
they do not feel included in the planning processes within their communities. However, a common incentive for both communities
was an intense commitment to their communities and an eagerness to learn more and become actively engaged in decisions regarding
climate change adaptation. The lessons that can be applied to other studies include 1) images are powerful tools in communicating
concepts, 2) understanding existing cultural knowledge and values in adaptation planning is essential to the planning process
and 3) engaging local residents at the beginning of the process can create important educational opportunities and develop
trust and consensus that is necessary for moving from concept to implementation. 相似文献
It has been recognized that the involvement of local community is essential to ensure the sustainability of A/R CDM (afforestation/reforestation
clean development mechanism) project. This study verifies if the risks of non-permanence and leakage are addressed in a registered
small scale A/R CDM project in Vietnam. Workshops, interviews, and a questionnaire survey of local villagers revealed that
the project has caused a shortage of land for conventional activities such as grazing, fuel wood collection and shifting cultivation,
and consequently posed the risks of project non-permanence and leakage. It is suggested that participation of all stakeholders
in the community to the A/R CDM project beyond existing land tenure and adequate carbon benefit sharing according to the level
of contribution to the project are required to reduce the risk of non permanence. To ensure the participation, the community
should have capability such as consensus building and collective action. Leakage would be minimized if the community has alternative
measures to the conventional activities before starting the project. We argue that it is necessary to first develop a community’s
capabilities in the readiness phase of any A/R CDM project in order to reduce the risks for the project sustainability, and
that new sources of funding are needed for this purpose. 相似文献
Indentifying common priorities in shared natural resource systems constitutes an important platform for implementing adaptation
and a major step in sharing a common responsibility in addressing climate change. Predominated by discourses on REDD + (Reduced
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of
forest carbon stocks in developing countries) with little emphasis on adaptation there is a risk of lack of policy measures
in addressing climate change in the Congo Basin. Forest products and ecosystem services provide security portfolios for the
predominantly rural communities, and play major roles in national development programmes in both revenue and employment opportunities.
Thus, raising the profile of forests in the policy arena especially in the twin roles of addressing climate change in mitigation
and adaptation and achieving resilient development is crucial. Within the framework of the Congo Basin Forests and Climate
Change Adaptation project (COFCCA) project, science policy dialogue was conducted to identify and prioritize forest based
sectors vulnerable to climate change but important to household livelihoods and national development. The goal of the prioritization
process was for the development of intervention in forest as measures for climate change adaptation in Central Africa. Participants
constituted a wide range of stakeholders (government, Non Governmental Organizations, research institutions, universities,
community leaders, private sectors etc.) as representatives from three countries directly involved in the project: Cameroon,
Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo. Building on national priorities, four forest related sectors were
identified as common priorities at the regional level for focus on climate change adaptation. These sectors included: (1)
energy with emphasis on fuel wood and Charcoal; (2) Water principally quality, quantity, accessibility, etc.; (3) Food with emphasis on Non Timber Forest Products, and (4) Health linked to healthcare products (medicinal plants). Using these prioritized sectors, the project focused on addressing the impacts of climate change on local communities and the development of adaptation strategies in the three pilot countries
of the Congo Basin region. The four sectors constitute the key for development in the region and equally considered as priority sectors in the poverty
reduction papers. Focused research on these sectors can help to inject the role of forests in national and local development
and their potentials contributions to climate change adaptation in national and public discourses. Mainstreaming forest for
climate change adaptation into national development planning is the key to improve policy coherence and effectiveness in forest
management in the region. 相似文献
Myrmecophily provides various examples of how social structures can be overcome to exploit vast and well-protected resources.
Ant nest beetles (Paussinae) are particularly well suited for ecological and evolutionary considerations in the context of
association with ants because life habits within the subfamily range from free-living and predatory in basal taxa to obligatory
myrmecophily in derived Paussini. Adult Paussini are accepted in the ant society, although parasitising the colony by preying
on ant brood. Host species mainly belong to the ant families Myrmicinae and Formicinae, but at least several paussine genera
are not host-specific. Morphological adaptations, such as special glands and associated tufts of hair (trichomes), characterise
Paussini as typical myrmecophiles and lead to two different strategical types of body shape: while certain Paussini rely on
the protective type with less exposed extremities, other genera access ant colonies using glandular secretions and trichomes
(symphile type). We compare these adaptations with other taxonomic groups of insects by joining contemporary research and
early sources and discuss the possibility of an attracting or appeasing effect of the secretion. Species that are ignored
by their host ants might use chemical mimicry instead. Furthermore, vibrational signals may contribute to ant–beetle communication,
and chemical signals have proven to play a role in host finding. The powerful defense chemistry of paussines as “bombardier
beetles” is not used in contact with host ants. We attempt to trace the evolution of myrmecophily in paussines by reviewing
important aspects of the association between paussine beetles and ants, i.e. morphological and potential chemical adaptations,
life cycle, host specificity, alimentation, parasitism and sound production.