Ecophysiological constraints associated with aggression,and evolution toward pacifism in Spalax ehrenbergi

Evolution from a solitary way of life to sociality involves changes in the modalities of within-population aggression. This paper is concerned with environmental causes of variation in aggression within the complex of mole-rat species Spalax ehrenbergi. We focus on physiological constraints associated with aggressive behaviour, i.e. those resulting from emotional arousal and thus stress. Aggression, social stress sensitivity and urine osmolarity were studied in males of two chromosomal species of Spalax ehrenbergi, 2n = 52 (occurring in cool humid areas) and 2n = 60 (occurring in warm arid zones). Males with 2n = 52 reached a higher level of within-population aggression during a 3-round tournament (an average, 488 ± 140 acts) than males with 2n = 60 (163 ± 54 acts). The species with 2n = 52 displayed a higher corticosterone response after a social encounter (in average, 5.15 ± 0.54 μg/100 ml) than that with 2n = 60 (3.0 ± 0.3 μg/100 ml) whereas resting levels of this hormone were low and not different between the two species. Urine osmolarity was significantly higher in males with 2n = 60 (331.9 ± 18.6 mmol/kg) than males with 2n = 52 (267.3 ± 10.9 mmol/kg). Considering the overall general trend urine osmolarity tended to be negatively related to the level of aggression, while corticosterone levels tended to vary positively with aggressiveness (Fig. 3). Our results allow further discussion of the hypothesis that high levels of aggression could be selected against in arid habitats due to their physiological correlates (decrease in water economy, increased corticosterone leading to potential energy mobilisation and loss). We propose that behavioural ecophysiology could have contributed to the radiation of the S. ehrenbergi superspecies into increasingly arid environments, and may favour evolution toward social tolerance. Received: 10 June 1995/Accepted after revision: 25 October 1995     

NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN SEDIMENTS AS AFFECTED BY CHEMICAL AMENDMENTS1

ABSTRACT: A study was conducted to elucidate some of the chemical factors affecting the rate and pathways of N transformations in lake sediments. The main emphasis was placed on modifying a noncalcareous sediment with CaCO₃ to approximate the composition of a calcareous sediment. Additionally, the effects of Ca²⁺, CO₃^2-, Mg2⁺ and OH^- were evaluated by using appropriate chemicals. Further, the effect of aluminum sulfate was evaluated with both sediment types. Sediment pH at 7 days was not affected by CaCO₃, but was decreased by aluminum sulfate. The CaCO₃ treatment increased the rate of ammonification, nitrification, reduction of acetylene to ethylene and methane formation, while with few exceptions the other treatments decreased the rate of the transformations studied. Aluminum sulfate, which has been proposed as a lake restoration treatment, increased ammonification but decreased most of the other transformations.     

大气臭氧浓度升高对丛枝菌根(AM)及其功能的影响

通过模拟大气O₃浓度(0.02μL·L^-1、0.1μL·L^-1和0.2μL·L^-1)升高,观察其对丛枝菌根(AM)及功能的影响.结果表明,大气O₃浓度升高对菌根侵染率影响较小,但对孢子和外生菌丝影响显著,高浓度O₃时的孢子数比自然O₃浓度时增加1倍,低、高浓度O₃分别使AM外生菌丝量比自然浓度时下降48.7%和85.6%.随着O相似文献   

Anthropogenic nitrogen sources and exports in a village-scale catchment in Southeast China

An experimental village-scale catchment was selected for investigation of nitrogen (N) sources and exports. The mean N application rate over the catchment was 350.2 kg N ha⁻¹, but this rate varied spatially and temporally. The N leaching loss rate varied from 8.1 to 52.7 kg N ha⁻¹ under different land use regimes. The average N leaching loss rate was 13.4 kg N ha⁻¹ over the whole catchment, representing about 3.8% of the total N inputs. The N export rate through stormflows was 28.8 kg N ha⁻¹, about 8.2% of the total N inputs. Seasonal patterns showed that 95% of N exports through stormflows occurred during July to September in 2002. Overall, the maximum riverine N exports were 12.1% of total N inputs and 15.5% of the inorganic fertilizer N applied. Understanding N sources and exports in a village-scale catchment can provide a knowledge base for amelioration of diffuse agricultural pollution.     

丹江口水库总氮较高原因初步分析

通过对丹江口水库库区、河南省辖入库河流及其它水体含氮类指标的对比,对水库总氮偏高的原因加以分析,指出总氮标准与硝酸盐、氨氮标准有差异,提出合理评价总氮指标及水库水质、加强水质保护措施的建议。     

造船用双角钢式脚手架的危险点电测

对角钢式脚手架进行应力测试和理论计算研究.采用电测法测试了危险截面的应力大小及分布规律.结果表明,2、4测点是危险点;采用斜弯曲理论进行理论计算,所得结论与实验测试是一致的,其中2点受拉应力作用.上述分析为脚手架的设计、制作和安全使用提供了强度分析依据.同时还对脚手架其他安全问题进行了讨论.     

高强与高性能混凝土温湿度场应力分析

针对高强与高性能混凝土易于开裂的特点,对高强高性能混凝土早期温湿度场随龄期发展的分布情况以及混凝土的收缩变形进行理论分析,建立相应的计算模型,编制三维有限元程序,分析在外界温湿度变化以及不同养护条件下由混凝土内部温差和湿度变化产生的温度应力和干燥收缩应力,从施工养护方法上探讨了高强与高性能混凝土抗裂性能的改善措施.     

A moderated mediation test of personality,coping, and health among deployed soldiers

Our study examines how personality and coping influence soldiers' psychological health among 648 US Army personnel who were at that time deployed in Iraq at the height of an insurgency. Conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion were associated with different coping behaviors, and these were in turn related to psychological distress. Conscientiousness was positively associated with problem‐focused coping and negatively with avoidance coping, whereas neuroticism was most positively associated with avoidance coping. Extraversion was positively related to both seeking social support and avoidance coping. As expected, avoidance coping was positively associated with psychological distress. Coping style explained more variance in the relationship between personality and distress among soldiers who perceived higher levels of threat, thus supporting a moderated mediation hypothesis. We discuss implications for facilitating the stress coping of workers who face acute and potentially traumatic stress exposures. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The characteristic of in situ stress in outburst area of China

In order to obtain the characteristics of in situ stress field in outburst mining area, using the hollow inclusion (HI) technique to measure the in situ stress of coal and gas outburst mining area. The measurement sites located in northeast, middle and east of china, which include eight mining areas such as Fuxin, Pingdingshan, Hebi and Huainan. Base on the analysis of measurement data from outburst mining area, conclusions could be obtained as follow: (a) major principal stress and minor principal stress is horizontal stress and interim principal stress is vertical stress, and the type of outburst area’s stress field is dynamic stress field; (b) the major principal stress and minor principal stress are higher than other regions and the tectonic stress is outstanding; and (c) the ratio of major principal and vertical stress is decrease with the increase of depth and the type of stress field is likely transfer dynamic to static. Thus, in situ stress plays a key role during the occurring and development of coal and gas outburst, which is an important reason of severe outburst in China.