Effect of water temperature on the courtship behavior of the Alpine newt Triturus alpestris

Temperature is expected to have an effect on the behavioral patterns of all organisms, especially ectotherms. However, although several studies focused on the effect of temperature on acoustic displays in both insects and anurans, almost nothing is known about how environmental temperature may affect ectotherm visual courtship displays and sexual performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of environmental temperature on the sexual behavior of Alpine newts (Triturus alpestris). We subjected T. alpestris to two different temperatures in controlled laboratory conditions. Temperature had a major effect on both male and female behaviors: at low temperature, the frequencies of several displays, including tail-raising during sperm deposition, are lowered. This variation is caused indirectly by temperature because it is due to female responsiveness, which is temperature-dependent. However, the fanning movement of the males tail during its main courtship display is independent of female behavior: at lower temperatures, the tail beats at a lower rate, but for a longer time. The similar reproductive success (i.e. sperm transfer) at the two temperature ranges indicates that breeding in cold water is not costly but instead allows males and females to mate early in the season. This is particularly adaptive because, in many habitats, the reproductive period is shortened by drying or freezing conditions, which may impair survival of branchiate offspring. This study also demonstrates the necessity of considering environmental parameters when modeling optimality and characteristics of ectotherm behaviors.Communicated by W. Cooper     

Energy taxes and endogenous technological change

This paper studies the effects of a tax on energy use in a growth model where market structure is endogenous and jointly determined with the rate of technological change. Because this economy does not exhibit the scale effect (a positive relation between TFP growth and aggregate R&D), the tax has no effect on the steady-state growth rate. It has, however, important transitional effects that give rise to surprising results. Specifically, under the plausible assumption that energy demand is inelastic, there may exist a hump-shaped relation between the energy tax and welfare. This shape stems from the fact that the reallocation of resources from energy production to manufacturing triggers a temporary acceleration of TFP growth that generates a √-shaped time profile of consumption. If endogenous technological change raises consumption sufficiently fast and by a sufficient amount in the long run, and households are sufficiently patient, the tax raises welfare despite the fact that—in line with standard intuition—it lowers consumption in the short run.     

四川跨世纪经济发展中防灾与环保的思考

本文试从防灾与环保的角度，结合三个跨世纪经济发展地区的实际，论述了三峡库区水环境恶化，库岸地质灾害的发展趋势，攀枝花能源和矿产资源开发区的自然灾害与人类不合理活动加剧可能带来的灾害性后果；川西经济开发区日益严重的环境污染问题，提出了加强防灾、环保的一些建议，作为四川跨世纪经济发展避免少走弯路的引玉之砖。     

开创环境信息工作的思考

分析乌拉特前旗环保局信息化的基础及发展趋势,提出大力促进信息宣传教育工作的意义。通过对目前实践经验的分析,提出继续充分发挥现有成功模式的作用,不断进行改革,以扩大环境监测站的社会影响力,提高经济效益,促进环境监测事业发展。     

高危作业监测预警系统的总体设计

为探索高危作业监测预警系统的建立,对风险监测预警系统进行了系统研究,在研究总结其基本原理的基础上,从理论上提出筛选高危作业监测预警指标的原则、要求和方法,进而提出高危作业监测预警的核心技术指标体系的建立及其基本结构和运行模式的总体设计思路,首次提出职业危害控制的先行指标、同步指标和滞后指标,在高危作业监测预警系统中建立信息咨询系统、信息监测系统、风险评估与诊断系统、预防控制与应急救援决策系统等子系统和高危作业监测预警系统基本结构与运行模式。该系统可以科学判断出当前政策、法规、标准、规划,经济贸易的影响及相应需采取的政策调整,在控制、检测、评价、诊断、防护等领域应重点开展的关键技术研究,当前机构、人员、设施、财力等方面的能力建设要求,分析政府、企业、劳动者应采取的主要行为干预。本文逻辑清晰、系统性强、内容全面,可为进一步开展职业病防治工作提供前沿考虑。     

Integrating safety,health and environmental management systems: A conceptual framework for achieving lean enterprise outcomes

IntroductionExpectations from external stakeholders for eco-safe products and production processes and internal stakeholders for transparent, stable, and robust environment, safety, and health operations have driven high technology organizations to adopt multipart management systems. Organizations can protect workers and the environment and simultaneously contribute to lean management principles by implementing integrated management systems. This research adds to the existing discourse and theory pertaining to the integration of environment, safety, and health management systems. Methods: The research was exploratory and inductive in nature and used mixed methods. Specifically, qualitative methods included use of an iterated Delphi method to elicit information from a panel of experts and detailed case studies conducted at four high technology performance manufacturing firms, while quantitative analysis of variance of correlated data investigated the within-firm and between-firm variability in motivating factors for adopting integrated systems and methods used for implementing integrated systems. Results: The results offer an integrated-lean management system framework and the strategies available and used by a sample of high technology performance organizations to simultaneously protect workers, the environment, and support lean enterprise outcomes. Practical applications: Organizations can protect workers, the environment, and simultaneously contribute to lean management principles by implementing integrated management systems requiring joint management that allow for the shared design, evaluation, and continuous improvement of environmental, safety, and health practices that are compatible with the lean enterprise movement in today’s high-performance driven organizations.     

城郊型小城镇环境保护及生态建设初探--以扬州市邗江区甘泉镇为例

城郊型小城镇位于城乡结合部，由于受大城市的辐射，发展较快，做好城郊型小城镇的环境保护与生态建设具有重要的战略意义：本文以扬州市邗江区甘泉镇为例，探讨了城郊型小城镇环境保护及生态建设的思路。     

Creating biodiversity partnerships: The Nature Conservancy's perspective

The Nature Conservancy is an international organization dedicated to the mission of conserving biodiversity throughout the world. By working in a nonconfrontational manner, an approach that has promoted both government and corporate sponsorship of its activities, The Nature Conservancy has developed symbiotic relationships with many electric utility companies. Drawing on the organization's experiences, and the experiences of the author as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, five broad areas of cooperation between conservation organizations and the utility industry are explored: landmanagement agreements, mitigation projects, conflictavoidance programs, program support, and volunteer activities. The paper is concluded with comments on the future trends of biodiversity conservation, challenging the electric utility industry to become involved with conservation efforts by forming cooperative partnerships.     

热应激与人的行为特性

在许多作业环境中，人们都要受到热应激的作用，热应激不仅能引起不良的生理反应，还会对人的行为特性有不利的影响。人们往往注重于热应激引起的生理反应及生理耐受极限，忽视了它对人的行为特征的影响。本文侧重论述热应激对人的行为影响，以加深了解热应激的作用，为存在热应激的人－机系统设计及改善人－机关系综合措施提供理论依据。     

黄河源头生态环境变化的遥感监测及驱动因素

利用1990年、2000年和2004年的TM卫星影像数据研究表明,近10 a来,黄河源头玛多县生态环境状况变化剧烈,主要表现为沼泽、滩涂、河流、湖泊等湿地萎缩干涸,所占比例持续减少,表明水源涵养力减弱.同时,沙地、盐碱地和不宜林草荒地等劣质土地的增加使天然草地破碎化程度加大;而天然草地、林地和宜林草荒地比例持续增加,说明在21世纪初以来的暖湿化气候背景下,黄河源头-玛多县生态环境呈良性发展态势.分析认为气温、降水、蒸发、冻土等自然因素,以及超裁过牧、滥采乱挖和草地鼠害等人类活动是导致黄河源头生态环境变化的共同驱动因素,其中又以气候因子为主导,与冻土环境及水文条件相互影响.