Resourcing ecological restoration: the legal context for commercial initiatives

Ecological restoration often depends on substantial funding to be initiated and sustained. So far, the dominant strategies to fund it have been philanthropic altruism or regulatory compulsion. Both make important contributions, but the commercial sector is a further source that has thus far not played a significant role relative to its potential. Just as philanthropic and regulatory strategies are both modulated by the law, so too law shapes the commercial sector's participation in ecological restoration. Corporate law and its market context are particularly significant, and they are both a potential hindrance and opportunity. Some options for law reform are available to improve the contribution of the business sector to restoration.     

Genome Characteristics and Evolution of Pseudorabies Virus Strains in Eastern China from 2017 to 2019

Since late 2011, outbreaks of pseudorabies virus(PRV) have occurred in southern China causing major economic losses to the pig industry. We previously reported that variant PRV forms and recombination in China could be the source of continued epidemics. Here, we analyzed samples from intensive pig farms in eastern China between 2017 and 2019, and sequenced the main glycoproteins(gB, gC, gD, and gE) to study the evolution characteristics of PRV. Based on the g C gene, we found that PRV variants belong to clade 2 and detected a founder effect during by the PRV epidemic. In addition,we detected inter-and intra-clade recombination; in particular, inter-clade recombination in the g B genes of strains FJ-ZXF and FJ-W2, which were recombinant with clade 1 strains. We also found specific amino-acid changes and positively selected sites, possibly associated with functional changes. This analysis of the emergence of PRV in China illustrates the need for continuous monitoring and the development of vaccines against specific variants of PRV.     

高黎贡山雉类生境预测

物种分布信息对野生动物的保护和管理至关重要。基于物种访查数据和气候数据,采用基于物种生境偏好、利比希最小因子定律和谢尔福德耐受性定律构建的生态位模型,综合考虑物种出现点和环境变量,预测了高黎贡山白尾梢虹雉Lophophorus sclateri、血雉Ithaginis cruentus、白鹇Lophura nycthemera、白腹锦鸡Chrysolophus amherstiae的潜在分布区域。结果表明,模型对4种雉类的预测均达到较好效果;白尾梢虹雉、血雉、白鹇和白腹锦鸡的潜在生境总面积分别为6 432 km^2、8 464 km^2、9 573 km^2和13 691 km^2,白鹇和白腹锦鸡的潜在生境面积大于白尾梢虹雉和血雉,但后两者具有更多的高质量生境。高黎贡山北段是4种雉类潜在生境的重叠区,为高黎贡山雉类保护的优先区域,尤其是白尾梢虹雉,建议加大该区域的雉类调查和保护力度。     

Studies on the structure of human coronary vasculature

Based on morphometric data, we calculate the structural parameters of the coronary vasculature as an optimal branching bed. We show (i) significant correlations between the diameters of the larger daughter and the parent vessel and between the diameter of the smaller daughter vessel and the asymmetry coefficient; (ii) differences in the structural parameters for two types of artery that deliver and distribute blood in the cardiac muscle; and (iii) the length-diameter relationships for different arteries. The coronary vasculature is characterized by asymmetrical branching and thus should be modeled with self-similar asymmetrical tree-like systems.     

云南省爬行动物名录和地理区划更新

云南省作为中国生物多样性最高的省份, 其详实的物种本底资料对我国生物多样性研究和保护具有重要意义。本文在前期研究的基础上, 结合实体标本, 汇总编制了云南省现生、原生爬行动物更新名录。截至2021年12月31日, 云南省记录爬行动物25科82属235种, 其中龟鳖目4科12属16种, 有鳞目蜥蜴亚目6科20属72种, 蛇亚目15科50属147种。较《云南两栖爬行动物》确认新增82种, 存疑收录21种, 移除23种。基于先前云南省爬行动物区划和更新后的物种分布信息, 将云南省爬行动物地理分为6个动物地理区, 即滇西北横断山区、滇西山地区、滇南山地区、滇东南山地区、滇中高原区以及滇东北山地区; 其中滇西北横断山区、滇西山地区、滇中高原区和滇东南山地区的范围与先前研究相比有所调整。结合调整后的爬行动物地理区划, 对物种分布、物种特有性、受威胁状况等给出了统计结果。云南省爬行动物特有物种、国内仅见于云南的非特有物种数量较多, 受威胁等级高。建议今后继续加大分类学研究投入, 对滇西北、滇中特有爬行动物分布集中的区域积极开展栖息地保护工作, 同时在最新调整的《国家重点保护野生动物名录》基础上, 定期组织专家研讨, 对《云南省省级重点保护动物名录》提出更新建议。     

Scaling law in sizes of protein sequence families: from super-families to orphan genes

It has been observed that the size of protein sequence families is unevenly distributed, with few super families with a large number of members and many "orphan" proteins that do not belong to any family. Here it is shown that the distribution of sizes of protein families in different databases and classifications (Protomap, Prodom, Cog) follows a power-law behavior with similar scaling exponents, which is characteristic of self-organizing systems. Since large databases are used in this study, a more detailed analysis of the data than in previous studies was possible. Hence, it is shown that the size distribution is governed by two exponents, different for the super families and the orphan proteins. A simple model of protein evolution is proposed, in which proteins are dynamically generated and clustered into families. The model yields a scaling behavior very similar to the distribution observed in the actual sequence databases, including the two distinct regimes for the large and small families, and thus suggests that the existence of "super families" of proteins and "orphan" proteins are two manifestations of the same evolutionary process.     

A model of Taura syndrome virus (TSV) epidemics in Litopenaeus vannamei

Taura syndrome virus (TSV) is a highly virulent pathogen of Litopenaeus vannamei, has affected shrimp aquaculture throughout the world, and threatens wild populations. Despite its importance, little work has been done on the pathogen's formal epidemiology. Therefore we developed a compartment model for epidemics of TSV in closed populations of L. vannamei. The model includes five compartments, uninfected susceptible, prepatently infected, acutely infected, chronically infected, and dead infected shrimp. The transmission coefficients, patency coefficient, virulence coefficients, and removal coefficient (disappearance of dead infected shrimp) control the dynamics of the model. We estimated the coefficients in laboratory studies and inserted the estimates in the model to characterize TSV epidemics and to estimate the basic reproduction ratio R(0) and threshold density for TSV epidemics in L. vannamei. Further we examined through computer simulation the effect of varying the coefficients on R(0). Decreases in transmission decrease R(0), decreases in virulence increase R(0), increases in patency do not affect R(0), and increases in recovery most likely increase R(0) but under some conditions might decrease it.     

Power-law versus exponential distributions of animal group sizes

There has been some confusion concerning the animal group size: an exponential distribution was deduced by maximizing the entropy; lognormal distributions were practically used; as power-law decay with exponent 3/2 was proposed in physical analogy to aerosol condensation. Here I show that the animal group-size distribution follows a power-law decay with exponent 1, and is truncated at a cut-off size which is the expected size of the groups an arbitrary individual engages in. An elementary model of animal aggregation based on binary splitting and coalescing on contingent encounter is presented. The model predicted size distribution holds for various data from pelagic fishes and mammalian herbivores in the wild.     

Does tumor growth follow a "universal law"?

A general model for the ontogenetic growth of living organisms has been recently proposed. Here we investigate the extension of this model to the growth of solid malignant tumors. A variety of in vitro and in vivo data are analysed and compared with the prediction of a "universal" law, relating properly rescaled tumor masses and tumor growth times. The results support the notion that tumor growth follows such a universal law. Several important implications of this finding are discussed, including its relevance for tumor metastasis and recurrence, cell turnover rates, angiogenesis and invasion.