Do newborn domestic rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus compete for thermally advantageous positions in the litter huddle?

Competition among mammalian siblings for scarce resources can be severe. Whereas research to date has focused on competition for the mother’s milk, the young of many (particularly altricial) species might also be expected to compete for thermally favorable positions within the nest, den, or litter huddle. We investigated this in newborn pups of the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, a species in which the altricial young are not brooded by the mother, and in which competition for milk is severe. In eight unculled litters (N = 86 pups) of a domestic chinchilla strain, we calculated huddling indexes for individual pups on postnatal days 2–5 as a measure of the degree of insulation they received from littermates. Pups maintained almost constant physical contact with the litter huddle. They performed brief but frequent rooting and climbing behaviors, which usually improved their huddling index, interspersed with longer periods of quiescence during which their huddling index declined. As expected, we found a significant positive relation between pups’ mean huddling index and body temperature. Unexpectedly, however, we did not find a relation between huddling index and pups’ birth weight, survival, milk intake, or efficiency of converting milk to body mass. We conclude that rather than competing for thermally advantageous positions within the huddle newborn rabbits share out thermally advantageous positions as they move in a continual dynamic flow through it. Thus, in newborn rabbits, competition for the mother’s milk exists alongside mutual “cooperative” benefits of littermate presence. This contribution is part of the special issue “Sibling competition and cooperation in mammals” (guest editors: Robyn Hudson and Fritz Trillmich).     

Association patterns among wild chimpanzees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii</Emphasis>) reflect sex differences in cooperation

Theory predicts that frequent dyadic association should promote cooperation through kin selection or social tolerance. Here we test the hypothesis that sex differences in the strength and stability of association preferences among free-ranging chimpanzees conform to sex differences in cooperative behavior. Using long-term data from the Kanyawara chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) community (Kibale National Park, Uganda), we calculated indices of intra-sexual dyadic association over a 10-year period. We found that (1) male–male dyads had significantly stronger association indices than female–female dyads, (2) the pattern of association preferences in both sexes changed little over the entire study period, and (3) when comparing periods with different alpha males, changes in association strength were more frequent among males. These results demonstrate that both the strength and stability of association patterns are important components of social relationships. Male chimpanzees, which are characterized by frequent cooperation, had association preferences that were both strong and stable, suggesting that forming long-term bonds is an important dominance strategy. However, the fact that male association patterns were sensitive to upheaval in the male dominance hierarchy suggests that males also take advantage of a changing social climate when choosing association partners. By contrast, the overall strength of female associations was relatively weak. Female association preferences were equally stable as males’; however, this reflected a dyad’s tendency to be found in the same party rather than to associate closely within that party. Therefore, in this community, female association patterns appear to be more a consequence of individual ranging behavior rather than a correlate of cooperation.     

可溶性微生物产物的产生及影响因素分析

对可溶性微生物产物(SMP)的产生和性质进行了概述,指出SMP是影响生化出水水质的重要因素;建立了完全混合反应器中SMP浓度的计算公式。基质降解量(△S)、污泥龄(@)、污泥产率因数(y)和衰减速率系数(b)是影响SMP浓度的4个重要因素,SMP浓度同污泥浓度、水力停留时间无关。分析表明,对应某污泥龄,反应器中SMP浓度可达到最低,控制污泥龄可以达到降低出水中SMP浓度的目的。     

循环式活性污泥法中好氧选择区的运行条件研究

研究了循环式活性污泥法好氧生物选择区的停留时间和整个系统中泥龄、污泥负荷、曝气时间等运行参数对选择区内微生物吸附性能的影响。结果表明 ,选择器停留时间 3 0 min,系统泥龄 9～ 15 d,曝气 2 h,污泥有机负荷为 0 .3 g CODCr/(g ML SS·d)左右时 ,选择器中微生物的吸附性能最优 ,可去除进水中 90以上的 CODCr。     

碳化砂浆轴向冲击动态力学特性与破碎形态分析

为保证长期使用砂浆在动载作用下的安全性,采用非金属超声波检测仪测量不同碳化龄期试件的纵波波速,引入碳化增强因子η表征碳化深度大小,并利用直径50 mm变截面分离式Hopkinson 压杆试验装置开展不同碳化龄期砂浆冲击动态压缩试验,研究碳化后砂浆的动态力学特性与破碎形态,分析砂浆动态应力—应变曲线、峰值应力和破碎形态随碳化龄期变化规律。结果表明:随着碳化龄期的增长,试件波速呈增大趋势,碳化增强因子η增大,碳化深度增加;碳化龄期相同时,砂浆的动态峰值应力、峰值应变都随着冲击气压的增大而增大;冲击气压相同时,砂浆的动态峰值应力随着碳化龄期的增长而增加;试件的破坏形态主要呈现为压碎破坏与劈裂拉伸。     

Crash rates over time among younger and older drivers in the SHRP 2 naturalistic driving study

Objective: To examine crash rates over time among 16–17-year-old drivers compared to older drivers. Methods: Data were from a random sample of 854 of the 3,500 study participants in SHRP 2, a U.S. national, naturalistic driving (instrumented vehicle) study. Crashes/10,000 miles by driver age group, 3-month period, and sex were examined within generalized linear mixed models. Results: Analyses of individual differences between age cohorts indicated higher incidence rates in the 16–17-year old cohort relative to older age groups each of the first four quarters (except the first quarter compared to 18–20 year old drivers) with incident rate ratios (IRR) ranging from 1.98 to 18.90, and for the full study period compared with drivers 18–20 (IRR = 1.69, CI = 1.00, 2.86), 21 to 25 (IRR = 2.27, CI = 1.31, 3.91), and 35 to 55 (IRR = 4.00, CI = 2.28, 7.03). Within the 16–17-year old cohort no differences were found in rates among males and females and the decline in rates over the 24-month study period was not significant. Conclusions: The prolonged period of elevated crash rates suggests the need to enhance novice young driver prevention approaches such as Graduated Driver’s Licensing limits, parent restrictions, and post-licensure supervision and monitoring. Practical Applications: Increases are needed in Graduated Driver’s Licensing limits, parent restrictions, and postlicensure supervision and monitoring.     

Influence of pedestrian age and gender on spatial and temporal distribution of pedestrian crashes

Objectives: Every year, about 1.24 million people are killed in traffic crashes worldwide and more than 22% of these deaths are pedestrians. Therefore, pedestrian safety has become a significant traffic safety issue worldwide. In order to develop effective and targeted safety programs, the location- and time-specific influences on vehicle–pedestrian crashes must be assessed. The main purpose of this research is to explore the influence of pedestrian age and gender on the temporal and spatial distribution of vehicle–pedestrian crashes to identify the hotspots and hot times.

Methods: Data for all vehicle–pedestrian crashes on public roadways in the Melbourne metropolitan area from 2004 to 2013 are used in this research. Spatial autocorrelation is applied in examining the vehicle–pedestrian crashes in geographic information systems (GIS) to identify any dependency between time and location of these crashes. Spider plots and kernel density estimation (KDE) are then used to determine the temporal and spatial patterns of vehicle–pedestrian crashes for different age groups and genders.

Results: Temporal analysis shows that pedestrian age has a significant influence on the temporal distribution of vehicle–pedestrian crashes. Furthermore, men and women have different crash patterns. In addition, results of the spatial analysis shows that areas with high risk of vehicle–pedestrian crashes can vary during different times of the day for different age groups and genders. For example, for those between ages 18 and 65, most vehicle–pedestrian crashes occur in the central business district (CBD) during the day, but between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., crashes among this age group occur mostly around hotels, clubs, and bars.

Conclusions: This research reveals that temporal and spatial distributions of vehicle–pedestrian crashes vary for different pedestrian age groups and genders. Therefore, specific safety measures should be in place during high crash times at different locations for different age groups and genders to increase the effectiveness of the countermeasures in preventing and reducing vehicle–pedestrian crashes.     

Estimation of the accumulation rates and health risks of heavy metals in residential soils of three metropolitan cities in China

Heavy metal concentrations in urban soils are likely to increase over time because of continuous urbanization and heavy metal emissions. To estimate the accumulation rates of heavy metals in urban soils, we collected soil samples from residential areas with different building ages in the metropolitan cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, China. Heavy metal concentrations in the soils varied among the cities and were primarily affected by soil parent material and the intensity of anthropogen...     

基于投入产出方法的中国居民虚拟水消费研究

居民在消费商品或服务的过程中,即在消费隐含其中的虚拟水,并且虚拟水的消费量远大于实物形态的水的消耗。不同消费模式对水资源的需求差异很大。文章借助投入产出方法计算了2002年中国各省及城乡居民的虚拟水消费情况,并分析了造成虚拟水消费差距的原因。结果表明,人均虚拟水消费量省际间及城乡间差异显著,基本是发达地区高于欠发达地区,城镇高于农村;每万元消费的虚拟水含量省际间及城乡间也有所不同,基本是欠发达地区高于发达地区,农村高于城镇。分析认为,消费水平和消费结构是造成这种差异的根本原因。     

Determining the age of cyclomorphic rodents: Functional-ontogenetic determination,ecological aspects

Functional-ontogenetic determination of age-dependent dental changes (ADCs) in voles has been demonstrated. The relationship between ADCs and the functional state of animals has been analyzed. A scheme and a table for determining individual chronological and biological ages in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus Sch.) are proposed, which markedly improve the accuracy of results. Cases of rodent maturation and breeding in winter are considered.