Digit ratios (2D:4D), secondary sexual characters and cell-mediated immunity in house sparrows <Emphasis Type="Italic">Passer domesticus</Emphasis>

Homeobox genes regulate development of digits, and it has been suggested that the ratio of length of second to length of fourth digit reflects such genetic effects in a sex-specific manner. We show that digit ratios in the sexually dichromatic house sparrow Passer domesticus differ between sexes, with males having higher ratios than females, and that individuals produce consistent ratios on the two feet. If Homeobox or other genes had pleiotropic effects on development of digits, behavior, and physiology of males and females, we would expect secondary sexual characters and immunity to be related to digit ratio in a sex-specific manner. The size of the visible part of the black badge in February (a secondary sexual character), but not total badge size, was positively correlated with digit ratios, suggesting that males with more male-like digit ratios had larger visible badges. Because of sex-specific effects of development on secondary sexual characters and immunity, we predicted sex-specific differences in immune response to be related to digit ratio. House sparrows with large digit ratios had weaker T cell-mediated immune response than individuals with small digit ratios, particularly in females, implying that females with more male-like digit ratios had weak immune responses. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that early development, as reflected by digit ratios, and genetics affect the expression of adult characters that are supposedly strongly contributing to fitness.     

基于矿井通风三维仿真系统软件的矿用空气幕选型方法

根据矿井风流调节的具体要求,合理选择矿用空气幕的型号是应用矿用空气幕技术的关键。在分析矿用空气幕选型依据及原理的基础上,应用矿井通风三维仿真系统软件模拟矿用空气幕运行的效果,来研究确定矿用空气幕的选型参数及影响因素。结果表明,应用矿井通风三维仿真系统软件所选择的矿用空气幕与理论推导的计算结果一致,此方法能够最大限度地反映矿山实际情况,具有直观、高效等特点。     

纳氏试剂比色法测定氨氮的市售试剂检查方法研究

纳氏试剂比色法是测定水中氨氮的常用方法,分析所用的市售试剂纳氏试剂和酒石酸钾钠品种较多,选择国产与进口两种纳氏试剂和三种国产酒石酸钾钠批次试剂进行了筛选实验.通过不同反应时间校准曲线分析、检出限、加标回收率、外观、试剂杂质含量等多方面考察了试剂测定水体氨氮的适用性,初步确定了适合水样氨氮监测的试剂,并为市售试剂的可靠性提供了可行的检验方法,对实验室样品分析过程中的试剂控制具有一定的指导意义.     

基于信息量的ALI影像最佳波段选择及融合研究

分析了EO-1 ALI多光谱遥感影像各个波段的信息特征,根据信息量大小和波段间的相关性,联合偏度—峰度指数JSKF,提出针对ALI图像新的最佳波段组合方法。在最佳波段组合下对ALI多光谱数据与全色数据分别进行IHS、HPF、PCA和Wavelet变换融合,从信息量角度出发,按照定量指标对融合前后的遥感影像进行评价,并对融合前后影像进行分类应用。     

基于最优分割理论的酸雨监控点位的分类研究

Fisher最优分割法是用离差平方和来表示同类样本之间的差异程度,通过简便的计算步骤和作图,确定最优分类数,使同类样本间的差异最小,各类别样本间的差异最大,并用F检验法检验最优分类数的合理性。文章根据Fisher最优分割法的理论内涵,研究其应用于酸雨环境监测优化布点的可行性。以漳州市沿海区域监测点为研究实例,用Fisher最优分割法确定最优的分类情况和最优的优化布点方案。结果表明,原布设的9个监测点用Fisher最优分割法优化为3个典型点位,可客观地反映漳州市酸雨控制区的整体污染状况和污染趋势,该方法理论内涵直观、计算简便、重复性好,对环境质量监测有重要的意义。     

The interrelationships between resource-holding potential,resource-value and reproductive success in territorial males: How much variation can we explain?

A long-standing hypothesis in behavioural ecology posits that males with greater resource-holding potential (RHP) control resource sites deemed more valuable by sexually-receptive females and, thereby, males controlling such sites accrue greater reproductive success (RS). This hypothesis has historically been investigated using three separate but non-mutually exclusive relationships (male RHP vs. resource value, resource value vs. male RS and male RHP vs. RS). The relationships between these three variables are predicted to be strongly positive, however, due to measurement error and biological noise, perfect correlations (r = 1.0) are rare in biology even for well-established relationships. Moreover, the inaccurate identification of either the male trait(s) important to RHP or the resource characteristic sought by females will weaken the observed strength of the relationships. Here, I use meta-analysis to quantitatively describe the general pattern of these relationships in animals. I predict that the relationships between male RHP, resource-value and RS should be significantly positive (male RHP and resource-value should explain a large amount of the variation in male RS). My meta-analysis supports this hypothesis; however, in the best case scenario only ca. 20% of the variation in the response variable was explained. I conclude by identifying areas in which we need to improve our investigations of resource-defence animals and recommending approaches to meet these needs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Limb regeneration and subsequent asymmetry in a male secondary sexual character influences sexual selection in wolf spiders

Males of the brush-legged wolf spider Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) have conspicuously decorated forelegs used in courtship and agonistic displays. Approximately one in five juvenile males has a missing or regenerating foreleg, and regeneration of a leg lost during development usually results in the absence of a decorative tuft on that leg. The subsequent asymmetry in this male secondary character significantly decreases success in both courtship of females and male-male agonistic interactions. Experimental removal of tufts from one leg of previously successful symmetric males produces similar results. As a test for concomitant behavioral effects, female spiders were shown video images of a courting male with symmetric tufts and the same video image altered to have asymmetric tufts. Female receptivity to the asymmetric video image was lower. In contrast to fluctuating asymmetry resulting from developmental instability, leg tuft asymmetry in S. ocreata most likely arises from a single event during ontogeny – possibly leg loss from an aggressive or predator encounter  – and may serve as a quality indicator in female mate choice. Received: 27 July 1995/ Accepted after revision: 19 November 1995     

Permanent exposure versus facultative concealment of sexual traits: an experimental study in the house sparrow

In many bird species the cryptic winter plumage is due to the presence of light feather tips that conceal conspicuous colorations. The gradual abrasion of these tips that makes sexual traits visible has been interpreted as a strategy to improve mating success (here referred as the permanent exhibition hypothesis). However, under some circumstances, the maintenance of a full plumage that facultatively enables the bird to exhibit or cover aggression-inducing traits has proved to be advantageous (the coverable badge hypothesis). In a population of house sparrows where black throat patches (here called badges) are used in intrasexual competition, the degree of abrasion of dull feather tips that conceal bright colour early in the breeding season correlated neither with badge size nor with traits indicating morphology and body condition. These results are only in accordance with predictions of the coverable badge hypothesis. In 1992 experimental clipping of badge feather tips, which forced permanent exposure of badges, negatively affected birds with the largest badges in terms of nest acquisition, but an opposite trend was indicated for birds with the smallest badges. In 1993, when more novel birds in the study area were competing for nesting sites than in 1992, only badge size, but not the experimental manipulation, affected nesting success. These results suggest that the loss of the ability to conceal badges was disadvantageous, and more so if most competing individuals had already been resident in the colony in previous years and the larger their badges were. There is a striking contrast between the results reported for this study population, where badges mainly signal fighting ability, and those reported for another house sparrow population, where badges are mainly used in mate choice. In this last population, tip abrasion is advantageous for dominant individuals showing the largest badges. This suggests that the trade-off between conserving versus wearing off the feathers that conceal ornaments could have different optimal resolutions depending on the relative importance of inter and intrasexual selection on indicator traits. Received: 29 September 1995/Accepted after revision: 14 July 1996