Territory defence in tropical birds: are females as aggressive as males?

Much of our knowledge concerning the functions of territorial behaviour and how territories are defended by individuals comes from research on birds. The vast majority of this work has focused on temperate zone breeding territoriality in which territories are defended most obviously by males. Our understanding of the female role in territory defence is limited because they are less conspicuous and much harder to observe. We studied sex roles in territory maintenance and defence in a duetting, resident neotropical passerine, the white-bellied antbird (Myrmeciza longipes). This species maintains territories and pair bonds year round and both sexes sing and actively participate in territory defence. We performed a series of playback experiments throughout the dry (non-breeding) and wet (breeding) seasons. We exposed territorial pairs to three types of stimuli including: (1) single sex, male only songs, (2) single sex, female only songs, and (3) both sex songs/duets. Contrary to findings for most other tropical species, individuals defended their territories with equal levels of aggression regardless of stimuli. Furthermore, sex roles were very different, with males responding more aggressively than females to all stimuli throughout both seasons. Both males and females consistently responded more aggressively to territorial intrusions during the dry season than during the wet season, likely because food abundance is low in the dry season and territory value is high. Our analysis of duetting behaviour suggests that duets do not serve a significant role in mate guarding, or territory defence.     

以学生为中心的外语教学中教师的新角色

以学生为中心的外语教学模式不再是以老师为中心开展教学活动.学习者的地位有所改变,然而与此同时,教师也被赋予了一个新的角色.本文引用语言学的理论对教师在这一全新的外语教学模式中的新角色作了阐述,探讨要适应这一角色所应具备的素质.     

Exploration of relationships between phytoplankton biomass and related environmental variables using multivariate statistic analysis in a eutrophic shallow lake： A S-year study

Understanding the process of the changing phytoplankton patterns can be particularly useful in water quality improvement and management decisions. However, it is generally not easy to illustrate the interactions between phytoplankton biomass and related environmental variables given their high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. To elucidate relationships between them, in a eutrophic shallow lake, Taihu Lake, relative long-term data set of biotic and abiotic parameters of water quality in the lake were conducted using multivariate statistical analysis within seasonal periodicity. The results indicate that water temperature and total phosphorus （TP） played governing roles in phytoplankton dynamics in most seasons （i.e. temperature in winter, spring and summer; TP in spring, summer and autumn）; COD （chemical oxygen demand） and BOD （biological oxygen demand） presented significant positive relationships with phytoplankton biomass in spring, summer and autumn. However, a complex interplay was found between phytoplankton biomass and nitrogen considering significant positive relationships occurring between them in spring and autumn, and conversely negative ones in summer. As the predatory factor, zooplankton presented significant grazing-pressure on phytoplankton biomass during summer in view of negative relationship between them in the season. Significant feedback effects of phytoplankton development were identified in summer and autumn in view that significant relationships were obser,qed between phytoplankton biomass and pH, Trans （transparency of water） and DO. The results indicate that interactions between phyto：plankton biomass and related environmental variables are highly sensitive to seasonal periodicity, which improves understanding of different roles of biotic and abiotic variables upon phytoplankton variability, and hence, advances management methods for eutrophic lakes.     

Decision rules for egg recognition are related to functional roles and chemical cues in the queenless ant Dinoponera quadriceps

The capacity to distinguish colony members from strangers is a key component in social life. In social insects, this extends to the brood and involves discrimination of queen eggs. Chemical substances communicate colony affiliation for both adults and brood; thus, in theory, all colony members should be able to recognize fellow nestmates. In this study, we investigate the ability of Dinoponera quadriceps workers to discriminate nestmate and non-nestmate eggs based on cuticular hydrocarbon composition. We analyzed whether cuticular hydrocarbons present on the eggs provide cues of discrimination. The results show that egg recognition in D. quadriceps is related to both age and the functional role of workers. Brood care workers were able to distinguish nestmate from non-nestmate eggs, while callow and forager workers were unable to do so. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

高职《会展服务与管理》课程三元模式的构建

三元模式是高等职业教育改革的一条重要途径。通过把三元模式与《会展服务与管理》课程相结合,具体细化三元模式的实践应用,深化《会展服务与管理》课程三元模式的内涵,重点对高等职业教育《会展服务与管理》课程三元模式的实现途径进行了探讨,包括整合教育资源、独创性的课程设计、采用“双导师”制授课、研究教学活动特点等方面。     

企业安全生产管理责任矩阵应用

在全面分析安全生产责任矩阵的基础上,进一步提出针对落实企业安全生产主体责任的企业安全生产管理责任矩阵新方法。围绕企业安全生产责任管理,彻底分解企业安全生产管理任务,明确划分企业安全生产管理个人和部门的角色,并按照每一项安全生产任务有且只有一个角色、每一个角色至少参与一项安全管理任务的准则,建立一般类型的中小企业安全生产管理责任矩阵,将企业安全生产责任管理有序清晰地体现在一个责任矩阵中,使企业安全生产主体责任管理权有所属、事有所任、责有所归。这对指导和落实企业安全生产主体责任具有一定的参考作用和借鉴意义。     

Roles of State Strategy of Adaptation to Climate Change in China

Abstract

For the adverse impacts of climate change, China government should place the problem of adaptation to climate change on the agenda. It is time to institute and implement a state adaptive strategy to reduce the adverse impacts on economy, community and people's health and life by international cooperation and our own endeavor. A state strategy of adaptation to climate change should be closely linked with other current interrelated national strategies, and they should be supplemented and improved by each other. This paper discusses the roles of the state strategy of adaptation to climate change in the state climate change integrative strategy, the environmental protection strategy, and the sustainable development strategy in China. Furthermore, it proposes the main aims of the state adaptive strategy of China.     

Predicting the form and direction of work role performance from the Big 5 model of personality traits

This research examined the prediction of the form and direction of work role performance from the Big 5 model of personality traits. Nine dimensions of work role performance are created by cross‐classifying the form of work role behavior (proficient, adaptive, and proactive) with the level at which that behavior contributes to effectiveness (individual, team, and organizational). The authors collected self‐report measurements of personality from 1447 government employees and supervisor ratings of performance. Openness to experience and agreeableness had opposing effects on individual proactivity – openness was positively related, whereas agreeableness was negatively related to this dimension. Openness to experience also had opposing effects on the form of work role performance – it was positively related to individual and organizational proactivity but negatively related to team and organizational proficiency. Conscientiousness was a stronger predictor of individual task proficiency than the remaining eight dimensions, whereas the reverse was true for neuroticism. Extraversion was negatively related to individual proficiency. Using a broad taxonomy of performance that incorporates a theoretical framework for distinguishing between constructs shows promise for identifying which personality traits are important for which aspects of work role performance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Roles of State Strategy of Adaptation to Climate Change in China

For the adverse impacts of climate change, China government should place the problem of adaptation to climate change on the agenda. It is time to institute and implement a state adaptive strategy to reduce the adverse impacts on economy, community and people＇s health and life by international cooperation and our own endeavor. A state strategy of adaptation to climate change should be closely linked with other current interrelated national strategies, and they should be supplemented and improved by each other. This paper discusses the roles of the state strategy of adaptation to climate change in the state climate change integrative strategy, the environmental protection strategy, and the sustainable development strategy in China. Furthermore, it proposes the main aims of the state adaptive strategy of China.