Holographic QSAR of selected esters

The HQSAR (Holographic QSAR) method, which has been recently developed, can offer the ability to rapidly and easily generate QSAR models of high statistical quality and predictive value. HQSAR analysis requires selecting values for parameters that specify the size of the hologram that is to be used, and the size and type of fragment substructures that are to be encoded. The color coding is provided by HQSAR to reflect which molecular fragments may be important contributors to the biological activity. In this work, we studied the quantitative structure activity relationship of selected esters using the HQSAR method. A robust HQSAR model with r² (non-cross-validated regression coefficient) of 0.981 and q² (cross-validated regression coefficient) of 0.912, was developed after optimizing the fragment size and the hologram length. The color coding analysis, which has rarely been reported before, was done here to explain the outlier successfully.     

大气微生物粒子与飘尘粒子的关系

用ＡＮＤＥＲＳＥＮ生物粒子采样器和光散射气溶胶粒子计数器，在北京西单对大气细菌、真菌和飘尘粒子的浓度、粒度分布及它们之间的关系进行了观测和研究。结果表明，大气细菌的粒度是负偏态分布，大气真菌是对数正态分布，飘尘是正偏态分布。大气细菌浓度与飘尘浓度的比值冬季大，为１１９５３８；夏季小，为２４２１７；年平均比值为６７５１７，＞２．０μｍ的菌尘比值为１５２５３８７，２．０μｍ～８．２μｍ的菌尘比值为３３１８，＞８．２μｍ的菌尘比值为３９４。大气真菌浓度与飘尘浓度的比值冬季大，为２１２７７０；夏季小，为６５５８５；年平均比值为１３５３４４，＜２．０μｍ的菌尘比值为９５２６９８，２．０μｍ～８．２μｍ的菌尘比值为５３４３，＞８．２μｍ的菌尘比值为２６３２。     

Stratification and Tidal Current Effects on Larval Transport in the Eastern English Channel: Observations and 3D Modeling

We study how the combination of tides and freshwater buoyancy affects the marine organisms accumulation and horizontal transport in the ROFI system of the eastern English Channel. The Princeton Ocean Model coupled with a particle-tracking module is used to study the migration of fish eggs and larvae under different forcing conditions. Results of modeling are validated against observed concentrations of Flounder (Pleuronectes flesus) larvae. Numerical Lagrangian tracking experiments are performed with passive and active particles, representing sea-water organisms. Passive particles are neutrally buoyant whereas active particles are able to exercise light dependent vertical migrations equating to the swimming behavior of larvae. The experiments reveal that the strongest accumulation of particles occurs along the French coast on the margin of the ROFI. This happens because the interaction between the turbulence, the freshwater buoyancy input, and tidal dynamics, produces particle trapping and vertical spreading within the frontal convergence zone. Tides and freshwater input induce net alongshore horizontal transport toward the North. Tidal currents modulate the magnitude of horizontal transport whereas the fresh water input controls more the location of accumulation zones. Tracking experiments with active particles indicate that the vertical migration leads to a significant departure from the passive particle transport pattern. Differences lie in the shape of the particle transport pattern and the rate of the northward migration. In particular, vertically migrating particles travel slower. To find possible Flounder migration pathways, particles are released within the assumed spawning area of Flounder. The model predicts larvae drift routes and demonstrates that throughout the entire particle-tracking period the horizontal structure of the particle distribution is consistent with the larvae concentrations observed during the field experiments.     

Moment and maximum likelihood estimators for Weibull distributions under length- and area-biased sampling

Many of the most popular sampling schemes used in forestry are probability proportional to size methods. These methods are also referred to as size-biased because sampling is actually from a weighted form of the underlying population distribution. Length- and area-biased sampling are special cases of size-biased sampling where the probability weighting comes from a lineal or areal function of the random variable of interest, respectively. Often, interest is in estimating a parametric probability density of the data. In forestry, the Weibull function has been used extensively for such purposes. Estimating equations for method of moments and maximum likelihood for two- and three-parameter Weibull distributions are presented. Fitting is illustrated with an example from an area-biased angle-gauge sample of standing trees in a woodlot. Finally, some specific points concerning the form of the size-biased densities are reported.     

Modeling the brown bear population in Slovenia: A tool in the conservation management of a threatened species

In this paper, we address three aspects of the brown bear population in Slovenia: its size (and its evolution over time), its spatial expansion out of the core area, and its potential habitat based on natural habitat suitability. Data collected through measurement/observation of the bear population and from the literature are used. A model is developed for each aspect. The results are estimates of population size, a picture of the spatial expansion of the population and maps of its optimal and maximal potential habitat (based on natural suitability). Overall, the brown bear population has been increasing since the establishment of a core protective area and has been expanding outside this area. The habitat suitability maps show that there is room for further expansion. Based on habitat suitability and bear population density, as well as human activity and current damage reports, we recommend that the Alps should be temporarily kept free of the bears, until the necessary mitigation measures regarding human–bear conflicts are carried out. On the other hand it is of crucial importance to adapt human activities and improve bear management in the optimal habitat, with which the goals of successful conservation of the species might be achieved.     

Sexual selection for male parental care in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus

Male parental care is typically thought to come at a cost to mate attraction and future mating success. However, it has also been hypothesized that paternal care may be under sexual, as well as natural, selection, such that good fathers actually attract more mates. Here we show experimentally that in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus, females prefer to mate with males that provide higher levels of parental care. We manipulated male behavior using (1) different nest sizes and (2) an application of low-O₂ water in the nests, and found that females consistently preferred males with elevated levels of care in dichotomous mate choice tests. This complements our earlier study in which we showed that males increase the amount and quality of care they provide in the presence of females. Our results demonstrate that male care may have evolved as a result of sexual selection rather than natural selection alone, and furthermore, that male care may not necessarily be in conflict with mate attraction.     

Territory and group sizes in Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber): echoes of settlement and reproduction?

According to current theories of territoriality, an animal is expected to defend the smallest area that can provide resources for maximisation of reproduction, known as the economically defendable area. In group territorial species however, the strategies behind resource defence are likely to be more complex with corporate territoriality, cooperative breeding, delayed dispersal and intra-group competition all potentially playing a role. Here we examined group territoriality in a social herbivorous rodent, the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber. Beavers in our study do not inhabit economically defendable territories. Instead the sequence of arrival of pairs into unoccupied areas seems to play a more important role in determining the size of the territory, whereas group size is determined by past reproductive success. We argue that the settlement pattern and reproductive history have a lasting impact in the territorial system of beavers due to a combination of the low adult mortality, high dispersal costs, and avoidance of resource depletion.R.D. Campbell and F. Rosell contributed equally to this work     

近海海洋大气颗粒物中元素浓度及粒径分布研究

本工作用质子激发Ｘ荧光分析光测定近中国海域上空不同粒径大气颗粒物中１４个元素的浓度、粒径分布及富集因子。研究发现，在开阔海域大气污染元素和地壳元素主要来自亚洲大陆长距离输送的贡献，海水元素浓度受海盐气溶胶的控制，估算近中国海域大气中的尘土量为０．４－２．３μｇ／ｍ＾３，尘土粒子的输入量控制着海洋大气颗粒物中地壳元素浓度。     

Organic carbon stratification and size distribution of three typical paddy soils from Taihu Lake region, China

Developing realistic soil carbon (C) sequestration strategies for China’s sustainable agriculture relies on accurate estimates of the amount, retention and turnover rates of C stored in paddy soils. Available C estimates to date are predominantly for the tilled and flood-irrigated surface topsoil (ca. 30 cm). Such estimates cannot be used to extrapolate to soil depths of 100 cm since soil organic carbon (SOC) generally shows a sharp decrease with depth. In this research, composite soil samples were collected at several depths to 100 cm from three representative paddy soils in the Taihu Lake region, China. Soil organic carbon distribution in the profiles and in aggregate-size fractions was determined. Results showed that while SOC decreased exponentially with depth to 100 cm, a substantial proportion of the total SOC (30%–40%) is stored below the 30 cm depth. In the carbon-enriched paddy topsoils, SOC was found to accumulate preferentially in the 2–0.25 and 0.25–0.02 mm aggregate size fractions. σ13C analysis of the coarse micro-aggregate fraction showed that the high degree of C stratification in the paddy topsoil was in agreement with the occurrence of lighter @1313C in the upper 30 cm depth. These results suggest that SOC stratification within profiles varies with di erent pedogenetical types of paddy soils with regards to clay and iron oxyhydrates distributions. Sand-sized fractions of aggregates in paddy soil systems may play a very important role in carbon sequestration and turnover, dissimilar to other studied agricultural systems.     

渤海非色素颗粒物和黄色物质的吸收特性研究

非色素颗粒物和黄色物质的吸收是海水总吸收系数中重要的组成部分,也是海洋光学和水色遥感目前主要的研究内容.本文利用2005年测量的渤海黄色物质与非色素颗粒物的吸收系数,回归了两者吸收系数的曲线斜率,平均值分别为0.012和0.014 nm-1,这与国外测量的结果是一致的;分析了吸收系数和曲线斜率的时空分布,发现两者存在比较明显的负相关关系,可能是由于非色素颗粒物与黄色物质的两种来源导致的.