Consequences of communal gall occupation and a test for kin discrimination in the aphid Tamalia coweni (Cockerell) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

This study investigated the consequences of communal gall induction on individual and group fitness in the aphid Tamaliacoweni. The possibilities that kin discrimination and foundress density are factors favoring communal gall occupation were examined. Clonally produced aphid foundresses were collected to create two treatments: clonal groups and groups of less closely related individuals. These were confined on suitable host plant tissue to compare their respective propensities towards communal behavior. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of communal gall occupation; therefore, active kin discrimination by T.coweni foundresses apparently does not play a role in their communal behavior, within the context of this experiment. In a second experiment, aphid foundress density on the host plant was manipulated in three treatments and was correlated with the frequency of communal gall occupation. Individual fitness was inversely related to the mean number of foundresses per gall. These results suggest that communal gall occupation does not necessarily represent mutual cooperation but may instead be the outcome of competition for limited gall sites on the host plant. However, natural selection at the clonal level may favor communal gall occupation under the conditions of resource limitation and high within-group relatedness. Received: 26 September 1997 / Accepted after revision: 28 March 1998     

Use of preserved museum fish to evaluate historical and current mercury contamination in fish from two rivers in Oklahoma, USA

We examined the effects of a commonly used preservation technique on mercury concentration in fish tissue. After fixing fish muscle tissue in formalin followed by preservation in isopropanol, we found that mercury concentration in fish muscle tissue increased by 18%, reaching an asymptote after 40 days. We used formalin–isopropanol-preserved longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History to examine historical changes and predict current mercury concentrations in fish from two rivers in southeastern Oklahoma. Glover River was free-flowing, while Mountain Fork River was impounded in 1970 and a coldwater trout fishery was established upstream from the collection site in 1989. Mercury concentrations in longear sunfish from Glover River showed no historical changes from 1963 to 2001. Mercury concentrations in longear sunfish from Mountain Fork River showed no change from 1925 to 1993 but declined significantly from 1993 to 2003. We also compared mercury concentrations of the most recently collected longear sunfish in the museum to mercury concentrations of unpreserved fish collected from the rivers in 2006. Concentrations of mercury in museum fish were not significantly different from mercury concentrations in unpreserved fish we collected from the rivers. Our study indicates that preserved museum fish specimens can be used to evaluate historical changes and predict current levels of mercury contamination in fish.     

Investigation of titanium liquid/gas diffusion layers in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells

In a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC), liquid/gas diffusion layer (LGDL) is expected to transport electrons, heat, and reactants/products to and from the catalyst layer with minimum voltage, current, thermal, interfacial, and fluidic losses. In addition, carbon materials, which are typically used in PEM fuel cells (PEMFCs), are unsuitable in PEMECs due to the high ohmic potential and highly oxidative environment of the oxygen electrode. In this study, a set of titanium gas diffusion layers with different thicknesses and porosities are designed and examined coupled with the development of a robust titanium bipolar plate. It has been found that the performance of electrolyzer improves along with a decrease in thickness or porosity of the anode LGDL of titanium woven meshes. The ohmic resistance of anode LGDL and contact resistance between anode LGDL and the anode catalyst play dominant roles in electrolyzer performance, and better performance can be obtained by reducing ohmic resistance. Thin titanium LGDLs with straight-through pores and optimal pore morphologies are recommended for the future developments of low-cost LGDLs with minimum ohmic/transport losses.     

Photocatalytic degradation of contaminants of concern with composite NF-TiO2 films under visible and solar light

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of composite nitrogen and fluorine co-doped titanium dioxide (NF-TiO₂) for the removal of contaminants of concern in wastewater under visible and solar light. Monodisperse anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles of different sizes and Evonik P25 were assembled to immobilized NF-TiO₂ by direct incorporation into the sol–gel or by the layer-by-layer technique. The composite films were characterized with X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and porosimetry analysis. The photocatalytic degradation of atrazine, carbamazepine, and caffeine was evaluated in a synthetic water solution and in an effluent from a hybrid biological concentrator reactor (BCR). Minor aggregation and improved distribution of monodisperse titania particles was obtained with NF-TiO₂-monodisperse (10 and 50 nm) from the layer-by-layer technique than with NF-TiO₂?+?monodisperse TiO₂ (300 nm) directly incorporated into the sol. The photocatalysts synthesized with the layer-by-layer method achieved significantly higher degradation rates in contrast with NF-TiO₂-monodisperse titania (300 nm) and slightly faster values when compared with NF-TiO₂-P25. Using NF-TiO₂ layer-by-layer with monodisperse TiO₂ (50 nm) under solar light irradiation, the respective degradation rates in synthetic water and BCR effluent were 14.6 and 9.5?×?10^?3?min^?1 for caffeine, 12.5 and 9.0?×?10^?3?min^?1 for carbamazepine, and 10.9 and 5.8?×?10^?3?min^?1 for atrazine. These results suggest that the layer-by-layer technique is a promising method for the synthesis of composite TiO₂-based films compared to the direct addition of nanoparticles into the sol.     

Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed an interconnected and tightly coupled globalized world in rapid change. This article sets the scientific stage for understanding and responding to such change for global sustainability and resilient societies. We provide a systemic overview of the current situation where people and nature are dynamically intertwined and embedded in the biosphere, placing shocks and extreme events as part of this dynamic; humanity has become the major force in shaping the future of the Earth system as a whole; and the scale and pace of the human dimension have caused climate change, rapid loss of biodiversity, growing inequalities, and loss of resilience to deal with uncertainty and surprise. Taken together, human actions are challenging the biosphere foundation for a prosperous development of civilizations. The Anthropocene reality—of rising system-wide turbulence—calls for transformative change towards sustainable futures. Emerging technologies, social innovations, broader shifts in cultural repertoires, as well as a diverse portfolio of active stewardship of human actions in support of a resilient biosphere are highlighted as essential parts of such transformations.     

将高纬度地区生态系统的反馈与恢复力引入公司决策

本文讨论了在高纬度地区公司所起的作用,它被概念化为以社会和经济为媒介的生态系统,同时指出了商业环境里其他的一些重要的社会参与者.我们列举了高纬地区企业行为的三个案例并对其中各种共性进行了讨论.特别的,我们认为有必要对商业理论和实践进行革新,以使其不只是停留在社会与经济概念的组织恢复力上,而要把高纬地区的生态恢复力也包括到商业管理的目标之中.同时我们也认为区域生态系统的恢复力应该成为衡量企业可持续管理的一个有意义的指标,企业高层可以据此制定和修改企业的管理策略.最后,文章在结尾处呼吁对高纬地区内的跨国公司和国内公司的作用制定更为详细的研究议程.     

Crustacean epifauna of seagrass and macroalgae in Apalachee Bay,Florida, USA

Epifaunal crustaceans on turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) and five dominant macroalgae (Anadyomene stellata, Digenia simplex, Halimeda incrassata, Laurencia poitei and Penicillus lamourouxii) were quantitatively sampled bimonthly over a one-year period from September 1979 to September 1980 in a subtropical seagrass meadow in Apalachee Bay, Florida (northeastern Gulf of Mexico). These plant species exhibited a wide range of morphologies, with surface area-to-biomass ratios differing by over 2.5 times. A similar suite of crustaceans occurred on all macrophytes despite differences in shape or architecture among plant species. Relative abundances of many crustaceans, however, varied among plant hosts. Similarity analysis indicated that the epifaunal associates of T. testudinum were distinct from those of the macroalgae. Species richness was generally higher on turtlegrass than on any of the macroalgae. Abundances of total crustaceans per plant biomass or per plant surface area, on the other hand, were greater on all macroalgal species compared to the seagrass. Abundances (per plant biomass or plant surface area) of 14 of the 16 numerically dominant epifaunal species differed significantly among macrophytes. Twelve of the 16 species had greater abundance on one or more macroalgae, while only two species were more abundant on T. testudinum. Almost half of the dominant species had greatest abundances on the branching red alga L. poitei. Although abundances per plant biomass and plant surface area were greater on macroalgae relative to turtlegrass, densities (individuals per meter square of bottom) of animals associated with T. testudinum were significantly greater than those associated with macroalgae, primarily because of the greater abundance of turtlegrass in the grass bed. Both surface area-to-biomass ratios and degree of branching were poorly correlated with epifaunal abundance and number of species. Neither structural feature is an adequate predictor of faunal abundance and species richness among plant species, especially when macrophytes with very different morphologies are compared.     

A comprehensive review of climate adaptation in the United States: more than before, but less than needed

We reviewed existing and planned adaptation activities of federal, tribal, state, and local governments and the private sector in the United States (U.S.) to understand what types of adaptation activities are underway across different sectors and scales throughout the country. Primary sources of review included material officially submitted for consideration in the upcoming 2013 U.S. National Climate Assessment and supplemental peer-reviewed and grey literature. Although substantial adaptation planning is occurring in various sectors, levels of government, and the private sector, few measures have been implemented and even fewer have been evaluated. Most adaptation actions to date appear to be incremental changes, not the transformational changes that may be needed in certain cases to adapt to significant changes in climate. While there appear to be no one-size-fits-all adaptations, there are similarities in approaches across scales and sectors, including mainstreaming climate considerations into existing policies and plans, and pursuing no- and low-regrets strategies. Despite the positive momentum in recent years, barriers to implementation still impede action in all sectors and across scales. The most significant barriers include lack of funding, policy and institutional constraints, and difficulty in anticipating climate change given the current state of information on change. However, the practice of adaptation can advance through learning by doing, stakeholder engagements (including “listening sessions”), and sharing of best practices. Efforts to advance adaptation across the U.S. and globally will necessitate the reduction or elimination of barriers, the enhancement of information and best practice sharing mechanisms, and the creation of comprehensive adaptation evaluation metrics.     

Transcervical CVS sample size: Correlation with placental location,cytogenetic findings,and pregnancy outcome

Data from 2907 transcervical CVS cases performed on singleton pregnancies were reviewed retrospectively and villus sample size was correlated with cytogenetic results, placental location, maternal age at the expected date of confinement (EDC), gestational age at the time of sampling, birth weight, gestational age at the time of delivery, and pregnancy outcome. No correlation was noted between villus sample size and maternal age, gestational age at sampling, gestational age at delivery, birth weight, or pregnancy outcome. An inverse correlation between villus sample size and percentage of abnormal cytogenetic findings was statistically significant (X² = 8·53, p <0·01). The percentage of small samples was greater when the placenta was anterior, lateral, or fundal than when the placenta was posterior.