Helpers in colonial cooperatively breeding sociable weavers <Emphasis Type="Italic">Philetairus socius</Emphasis> contribute to buffer the effects of adverse breeding conditions

Some studies on the effects of helpers in cooperatively breeding vertebrates show a positive effect of helper presence on reproductive output whereas others find no effect. One possibility for this discrepancy is that helpers may have a positive effect when breeding conditions are adverse, while their effect might go unnoticed under good conditions. We investigate this hypothesis on sociable weavers Philetairus socius, a colonial cooperatively breeding passerine that inhabits a semi-arid region where breeding conditions vary markedly. We used multivariate mixed models to analyse the effect of helpers on reproduction under contrasting environmental and social conditions while controlling for parental and colony identity. We found that reproductive success in sociable weavers was primarily influenced by nest predation and rainfall. In addition, colony size was negatively associated with hatching and fledging success and number of young fledged per season. Helpers had a less prominent but significant influence on feeding rates and reproductive outcome. In agreement with expectations, the presence of helpers counteracted some of the negative effects of breeding in periods of low rainfall or in large colonies and was also associated with an increased number of young fledged per season. Our results illustrate that the effect of helpers might be detectable mostly under unfavourable conditions, but can contribute to improve reproductive performance in those situations.     

Prenatal diagnosis of Fanconi anemia (Group C) subsequent to abnormal sonographic findings

Manifestations of Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group C (FA-C) include multiple major congenital malformations, hypoplastic radius, absent thumb, growth retardation, elfin-like facial features, microphthalmia, microcephaly, café-au-lait spots, early onset of hematologic disease and poor survival (Auerbach, 1997). We describe two cases in which second-trimester sonographic findings led to parental carrier testing for FA-C and subsequent prenatal diagnosis of affected fetuses. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

理性对待 稳妥操作 切实调整完善废旧物资税征政策

围绕废旧物资增值税税征管理政策调整完善工作，论述了其在废旧物资“产废”、“收废”、“利废”三大基础环节的现状及存在的问题，提出合理平衡三大环节的经济利益及打造三大环节税征链扣的建议，为切实做好废旧物资税征政策调整完善工作提供参考。     

Trade-offs between time, predation risk and life history, and their implications for biogeography: A systems modelling approach with a primate case study

Group sizes are often considered to be the result of a trade-off between predation risk and the costs of feeding competition. We develop a model to explore the interaction between different ecological constraints on group sizes, using a primate (baboons) case study. The model uses climatic correlates of time budgets to predict maximum ecologically tolerable group size, and climatic predictors of predation risk (reflected mainly in predator density and female body mass) to predict minimum tolerable group size for any given habitat. As well as defining the range of sustainable group sizes for a given habitat, the model also allows us to reliably predict our exemplar taxon's biogeographical distribution across Africa. We also explore the life history implications of the model to ask whether baboons form group sizes which maximise survival or fecundity in the classic trade off between these two key life history variables. Our results indicate that, within the range of study sites in our sample, baboons prefer to maximise fecundity. However, the data indicate that in higher predation risk habitats they would switch to maximising survival at the expense of fecundity. We argue that this is due to the fact that interbirth interval and developmental rates have a ceiling that cannot be breached. Thus, while females can shorten interbirth intervals to compensate for increased predation risk, there is a limit to how much these life history variables can be altered, and when this is reached the best strategy is to maximise survivorship.     

城市地下水流场人工调控与减灾方案

以郑州市为例,针对城市区域长期过量开采地下水导致的一系列严重的环境地质灾害,诸如地下水水位持续下降形成区域地下水降落漏斗并不断扩张、含水层疏干、供水井吊泵、泉水断流、地下建筑工程浸没、地面沉降和塌陷等,探讨了城市地下水流场人工调控的减灾方案。建立了地下水系统的准三维动态数值仿真模型,以非均质各向同性渗流模型仿真地下水流,用不规则三角网格有限差分法求解了三维数值仿真模型。先解逆问题反求参数,再解正问题计算地下水各项资源量,数值仿真预报地下水渗流场至１９９８年。在此基础上,通过地下水渗流场的宏观调控与优化管理,使研究区内不合理开采地下水资源所引发的环境灾害减小到最低程度,为郑州市的环境减灾工作提供了科学依据。     

四川省金川县土地利用结构的初步研究

金川县地处青藏高原向横断山脉深切峡谷过渡地带,在土地利用上具有明显的立体结构。森林采伐、土地开垦都在不断改变土地利用的状况。怎样合理利用土地,成为目前突出的问题。本文以1/20万土地利用现状图量算面积及1984年以前的统计资料为基础,着重分析了土地利用结构及其调整问题。     

气候变暖对黑龙江省作物生产的影响及其对策

黑龙江省在未来30年和50年内气温分别增高1.9℃和2.4℃的情景下,积温带将向北推移近5个纬距,至2050年,原第一积温带将北移至大兴安岭北部,其余4个积温带将基本消失.模拟结果显示,未来水稻将减产9%,主栽区将北移至黑龙江流域;小麦应压缩耕作面积,未来产量变化不大,应逐步扩大冬小麦试种区域,最后达到规模生产;气候变暖使玉米生育期缩短11.3天,产量减少2.7%,应发展早熟玉米、饲料玉米、经济玉米,提高经济效益;气候变暖对大豆生产极为有利,高产区北移,产量可提高70%～80%,在黑龙江流域松嫩和三江平原北部,特别垦区发展大豆生产优势很大;喜凉经济作物受到一定影响,应向北发展.提出了未来适应性农业的6项对策,特别要安排好主要作物的结构调整及区域分布.     

城市产业水污染控制优化研究--以株洲市为例

针对城市产业水污染状况,应用产业结构和工业行业结构优化模型,试图找出城市产业结构调整方法.研究以株洲市为例,根据株洲市产业结构和行业结构特点对模型进行改进和最优化计算.计算结果表明,产业和行业生产用水的调整可以减少废水排放量和实现经济增长.在此基础上,提出了株洲市产业和行业调整方案,以期实现城市经济发展与环境保护协调发展.     

武钢循环冷却水钢管腐蚀的原因及其对策

针对武钢循环冷却水系统部分钢管腐蚀,造成管管漏水,严重影响正常生产的问题.探讨了钢管产生腐蚀的原因及其对策.近2年,通过实施减缓循环冷却水钢管腐蚀的对策,取得了明显的效果.     

Retiring: Role identity processes in retirement transition

Retirement transition has become a prolonged process of adaptation, including changes in role identity. However, there is a dearth of research on the process by which retirees cope with the role transition, including how pre-retirement role identities shape the transition, the forms of identity work undertaken by retirees, and the unfolding nature of retirement transition. In an in-depth qualitative examination of the transition process, we identify pre-retirement role identity profiles based on work and nonwork role identities. We then examine how pre-retirement role identities influence the transition process, including the nature of identity work in transition and the transition pathways demonstrated by retirees. Our findings provide insights into strengths and limitations afforded by pre-retirement identities: They facilitate agentic coping in which retirees shed old and adopt new identities but also impose inertia and prolong the transition until identity crises force the retirees to undergo identity exploration and adoption of new identities.