Modeling fecundity in birds: Conceptual overview, current models, and considerations for future developments

Fecundity is fundamental to the fitness, population dynamics, conservation, and management of birds. For all the efforts made to measure fecundity or its surrogates over the past century of avian research, it is still mismeasured, misrepresented, and misunderstood. Fundamentally, these problems arise because of partial observability of underlying processes such as renesting, multiple brooding, and temporary emigration. Over the last several decades, various analytical approaches have been developed to estimate fecundity from incomplete and biased data. These, include scalar arithmetic formulae, partial differential equations, individual-based simulations, and Markov chain methodology. In this paper, we: (1) identify component processes of avian reproduction; (2) review existing methods for modeling fecundity; (3) place these diverse models under a common conceptual framework; (4) describe the parameterization, validation, and limitations of such models; and (5) point out future considerations and challenges in the application of fecundity models. We hope this synthesis of existing literature will help direct researchers toward the most appropriate methods to assess avian reproductive success for answering questions in evolutionary ecology, natural history, population dynamics, reproductive toxicology, and management.     

全氟和多氟烷基化合物微生物降解与转化研究进展

全氟和多氟烷基化合物(PFASs)因其持久性、长距离迁移性、生物积累性和生物毒性而受到广泛关注.目前世界上对环境中PFASs的监测和管控主要针对全氟烷基酸(PFAAs).而大部分多氟烷基化合物在环境中能够被微生物降解为PFAAs,也被称为前体物.因此,探究前体物在环境中的微生物转化行为有助于综合评价PFASs的环境风险,以及制定相关的管控和修复措施.虽然PFAAs一直被认为是环境中的“永久化合物”,但近年来,PFAAs的厌氧微生物还原脱氟作为一项极具潜力且充满挑战的修复技术,成为研究的一个前沿热点.系统总结了前体物(氟调化合物和全氟辛烷磺胺衍生物)、 PFAAs和新型PFASs在微生物作用下的降解规律和转化路径,并讨论了PFASs微生物降解的影响因素,最后提出未来的研究方向.     

神经网络法应用于酚类化合物对青海弧菌毒性的预测

青海弧菌对有毒酚类化合物具有强烈的敏感性,为建立酚类衍生物对青海弧菌毒性的定量结构-活性相关性(QSAR)模型,分析了16种酚类衍生物的分子结构与对青海弧菌毒性之间的相关关系,计算了酚类衍生物的分子连接性指数和分子形状指数,并优化筛选了分子连接性指数的1阶路径指数(~1χ)和分子形状指数的2阶特征指数(K_2)及1阶和2阶指数乘积值(K_4),用这3种指数与对青海弧菌的毒性进行多元回归分析,多元回归方程的决定系数R~2=0.971。为进一步提高预测精度,将这3种分子结构参数作为神经网络的输入变量,毒性值作为输出变量,采用3:2:1的网络结构,通过反向传播(BP)神经网络法获得满意的QSAR预测模型,总的相关系数r为0.996,计算得到的毒性预测值与实验值较为吻合,平均相对误差仅为1.98%,结果表明该模型具有良好的预测酚类衍生物毒性的能力,可以看出神经网络方法对酚类化合物发光菌毒性预测比多元线性回归方法的统计学意义更加明显。     

二氧化硫衍生物对背根神经元钙通道的影响

应用全细胞膜片钳技术研究了SO₂衍生物对大鼠DRG(背根神经节)神经元不同亚型钙通道的影响. 结果表明,1 μmol/L SO₂衍生物对不同电压下的钙电流均有增大作用,在-10 mV时可使钙电流增幅达到63.4%±5.7%. 在细胞外液中加入不同亚型钙通道的阻滞剂并经过修正计算发现,1 μmol/L SO₂衍生物使L型钙电流增长了82.2%,N型钙电流增长了95.3%,r型(非L型、非N型)钙电流增长了9.4%,说明高阈值激活的N型和L型钙电流对SO₂衍生物特别敏感,推测SO₂衍生物诱发神经性疼痛,引起神经毒性,可能主要通过增大DRG神经元上N型和L型钙通道发生电流介导.      

In vitro microbiological evaluation of novel 2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde containing 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety

4-(5-(Methylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde (3) and 4-(5-(ethylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylamino)-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde (4) were prepared. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were characterized by infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds were screened in vitro for their antibacterial activities. The synthesized compounds demonstrated moderate antimicrobial activity.     

Humic substances. Part III. sorptive interactions with environmental chemicals†

The formation of covalent binding to DNA of a carcinogen is now widely accepted to represent a classical mechanism of tumour induction in mammals. This mechanism does not operate with metals since no covalent binding of these agents to DNA does occur. Nevertheless, somatic mutations as typical consequences of DNA‐damage have been reported to be induced by metals in various model systems. Beside DNA‐alkylation such damages can be caused by changes in the conformation of DNA or in the fidelity of DNA‐repair. The activity of the repair enzymes DNA‐polymerases is indeed impaired by many metal ions at least in vitro. It is not yet established whether these mechanisms are also important in the intact mammalian organism. Much evidence has accumulated during the last years that a disturbance of the balance of cations and especially metal ions represents another possible mechanism of tumour induction. The tumours found with high doses of chelating agents such as nitrilo‐triacetic acid (NTA) have to be discussed in this context. Since most—if not—all of the speculative mechanisms of metal carcinogenesis resemble classical pharmacological reactions the existence of a threshold level is likely. So metal carcinogenesis will not be a problem of the environmental contamination at trace levels but a problem of occupational medicine.     

巨灾保险衍生品

巨灾保险衍生品将巨灾风险引入资本市场，扩大了巨灾保险的融资渠道，增加了保险市场的承保能力，已经成为巨灾保险的重要补充手段之一。系统总结了巨灾保险衍生品的发展过程，介绍了几种较常见的巨灾保险衍生品。由于我国巨灾保险正处于探索阶段，建议借鉴发达国家和地区的巨灾风险管理经验，将巨灾保险衍生品作为补充手段，推动我国巨灾保险的发展。     

多元混合气爆炸极限的非线性预测研究

根据混合气的爆炸极限与混合气各成分的体积浓度之间具有非线性关系的特点,笔者提出采用神经网络非线性方法来计算含有H2,CH4和CO的多元混合气体的爆炸极限。在模型中,H2,CH4和CO的体积浓度作为输入,爆炸上限和下限作为输出。计算结果表明,该非线性模型预测混合气爆炸下限和上限的最大相对误差为3.90%,3.57%,而模型预测值与计算值的相关系数分别为0.971,0.981;非线性模型的预测结果要好于偏最小二乘回归的预测结果。当H2,CO,CH4在混合气中的体积浓度给定时,非线性模型能够准确预测混合气的爆炸极限。     

Pb（II） biosorption using chitosan and chitosan derivatives beads： Equilibrium, ion exchange and mechanism studies

The study examined the adsorption of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution onto chitosan, chitosan-GLA and chitosan-alginate beads. Several important parameters influencing the adsorption of Pb(II) ions such as initial pH, adsorbent dosage and di erent initial concentration of Pb(II) ions were evaluated. The mechanism involved during the adsorption process was explored based on ion exchange study and using spectroscopic techniques. The adsorption capacities obtained based on non–linear Langmuir isotherm for chitosan, chitosan-GLA and chitosan-alginate beads in single metal system were 34.98, 14.24 and 60.27 mg/g, respectively. However, the adsorption capacity of Pb(II) ions were reduced in the binary metal system due to the competitive adsorption between Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions. Based on the ion exchange study, the release of Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ and Na+ ions played an important role in the adsorption of Pb(II) ions by all three adsorbents but only at lower concentrations of Pb(II) ions. Infrared spectra showed that the binding between Pb(II) ions and the adsorbents involved mostly the nitrogen and oxygen atoms. All three adsorbents showed satisfactory adsorption capacities and can be considered as an e cient adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions.     

紫外分光光法测定苯胺类化合物的注意事项及解决方法

对国标法(GB 11889-89)中的N-(1-萘基)乙二胺偶氮分光光度法测定水中苯胺类化合物进行了深入研究,同时指出了苯胺类化合物测定全过程中应注意的问题及解决方法。应用改进过的方法测定水中苯胺类化合物,方法快速、准确、简便,检出限为0.03 mg/L。应用该方法分别对金华市地表水及工业废水中的苯胺类化合物进行检测,加标回收率为93.1%~104%。