A Note on Quantile Estimation for Curtailed Experiments

There may be experiments where due to misadventure or logistic or ethical reasons final measurements on all experimental units cannot be obtained. If at least 50% of the final measurements have been taken estimates of the lower quantiles and the median can be obtained. For such curtailed experiments it is shown how quantiles, above those that can be estimated directly from the data set, can be estimated indirectly by exploiting a property of symmetric distributions. The performance of the indirect quantile estimator is compared with that of the direct quantile estimator and conditions for the indirect estimator to have smaller variance than the direct estimator are presented. It is also shown how the indirect estimator may be pooled with the direct estimator to obtain an improved estimate of the upper quantiles. When it cannot be assumed that the data come from a symmetric distribution transformations to symmetry may be performed and the indirect estimation technique used on the transformed data; back transformations then yield the estimates of the upper quantiles.     

Physiological responses to maximal intensity intermittent exercise

Physiological responses to repeated bouts of short duration maximal-intensity exercise were evaluated. Seven male subjects performed three exercise protocols, on separate days, with either 15 (S15), 30 (S30) or 40 (S40) m sprints repeated every 30 s. Plasma hypoxanthine (HX) and uric acid (UA), and blood lactate concentrations were evaluated pre- and postexercise. Oxygen uptake was measured immediately after the last sprint in each protocol. Sprint times were recorded to analyse changes in performance over the trials. Mean plasma concentrations of HX and UA increased during S30 and S40 (P less than 0.05), HX increasing from 2.9 (SEM 1.0) and 4.1 (SEM 0.9), to 25.4 (SEM 7.8) and 42.7 (SEM 7.5) mumol.l-1, and UA from 372.8 (SEM 19) and 382.8 (SEM 26), to 458.7 (SEM 40) and 534.6 (SEM 37) mumol.l-1, respectively. Postexercise blood lactate concentrations were higher than pretest values in all three protocols (P less than 0.05), increasing to 6.8 (SEM 1.5), 13.9 (SEM 1.7) and 16.8 (SEM 1.1) mmol.l-1 in S15, S30 and S40, respectively. There was no significant difference between oxygen uptake immediately after S30 [3.2 (SEM 0.1) l.min-1] and S40 [3.3 (SEM 0.4) l.min-1], but a lower value [2.6 (SEM 0.1) l.min-1] was found after S15 (P less than 0.05). The time of the last sprint [2.63 (SEM 0.04) s] in S15 was not significantly different from that of the first [2.62 (SEM 0.02) s]. However, in S30 and S40 sprint times increased from 4.46 (SEM 0.04) and 5.61 (SEM 0.07) s (first) to 4.66 (SEM 0.05) and 6.19 (SEM 0.09) s (last), respectively (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A bioenergetic model for simulating athletic performance of intermediate duration

Simulating factors affecting human athletic performance, including fatigue, requires a dynamic model of the bioenergetic capabilities of the athlete. To address general cases, the model needs inputs, outputs, and states with a set of differential equations describing how the inputs affect the states and outputs as functions of time. We improve an existing phenomenological muscle model, removing unnecessarily fast dynamic behavior, adding force–velocity dependence, and generalizing it to task level activities. This makes it more suitable for simulating and calculating optimal strategies of athletic events of medium duration (longer than a sprint but shorter than a marathon). To examine the validity and limitations of the model, parameters have been identified from numerical fits to published experimental data.     

A functional approach to ecomorphological patterns of feeding in cottid fishes

Synopsis One of the major goals of an ecomorphological analysis is to correlate patterns of interspecific differences in morphology with patterns of interspecific differences in ecology. Information derived from functional morphological studies may provide a mechanistic framework supporting the correlation, but the move from a correlational relationship to a causal relationship requires experimental evidence that the interspecific morphological differences create performance differences and therefore ecological differences. The goal of this study was to examine ecomorphological relationships in the diets of cottid fishes (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) from the northeastern Pacific by using functional classifications of predators (based on their mode of attack) and of prey (based on their anti-predator defenses). The proposed ecomorphological relationships were tested by examining capture success among the cottids in attacks on prey with different escape abilities. As predicted on functional morphological grounds, both multivariate and univariate analyses indicated that the gravimetric importance of elusive prey (i.e. fishes, shrimp, mysids, and octopods) was greater in cottid species with a larger relative mouth size. Supporting a causal link between morphology and ecology, performance tests indicated that larger-mouthed cottids had significantly higher capture success on Heptacarpus shrimp than did smaller-mouthed species. As predicted, there were no differences in capture success among predators regardless of their attack style or ecomorphological patterns in attack on crabs (Cancer and Petrolisthes spp.) when the crabs were presented on a sand surface (i.e. easy prey). Several difficulties still exist when trying to apply a functional group approach to ecomorphology. These include the behavioral plasticity of the predators, the confounding factor of evolutionary history in identifying correlated ecomorphological features, multiple morphological solutions to common functional problems, the limitations of traditional dietary studies during extremes of prey abundance, and an inadequate understanding of the anti- predator defenses of most prey, including modifications that occur during ontogeny or in different habitats.     

Decrease in feeding niche breadth of Melasoma lapponica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) with increase in pollution

We studied host-plant preference and performance of the leaf beetle, Melasoma lapponica, around Severonikel smelter situated in Monchegorsk, Russia. The breadth of feeding niche (Smith's measure) based on both field counts and preference tests decreased with an increase of ambient SO₂ concentration, but showed no relationship with either metal pollutants or beetle population densities. In heavily polluted plots (mean annual SO₂ concentrations 400–1000 g/m³) the beetles concentrated on Salix borealis, Whereas in moderately and slightly polluted plots they used other willow species as well. No difference in survival was revealed between M. lapponica fed with leaves of S. borealis from heavily and sloghtly polluted plots. However, performance of larvae fed with Salix caprea and S. Phylicifolia was significantly lower when leaves were collected from heavily polluted plots. In these plots beetles clearly preferred S. borealis, the only species assuring high survival of M. lapponica under strong pollution impact. Decrease in preference of two less favourable hosts, S. caprea and S. phylicifolia, with increase in pollution can therefore be considered as an adaptive response of M. lapponica to pollution-induced changes in host-plant quality.     

蝴蝶花无性系在不同光强度下表现结构的研究

本文以四川缙云山的克隆草本蝴蝶花为对象,对其在竹林和针阔叶混交林林窗地带不同的光变化生境中的表现结构进行了研究。经对蝴蝶花无性系小株的高度、基径、叶片数以及地上和地下生物量的统计分析,结果表明：从林窗→林缘→林下,随着光照强度的减弱,蝴蝶花的高度、基径和地上生物量相应减小,在林下达到最小,而地下生物量在林下却最大,叶片数目没有明显变化。文章分析和讨论了蝴蝶花所表现出的结构变化,并分别对株高和地上生物量与基径的关系拟合了回归方程。     

锦鲫幼鱼标准代谢率与生长性能的关联

为考察温水性鲤科鱼类在不同食物资源条件下标准代谢率(Standard metabolic rate, SMR)与其生长性能的关系, 研究在(25.00.5)℃条件下测定体重相近的30尾锦鲫(Carassius auratus)幼鱼的SMR, 将所有实验鱼置于多单元格水槽进行实验处理(摄食与饥饿)。实验时间为4周(0、7d、14d、21d和28d), 包括两周的生长实验(014d)和两周的饥饿实验(1528d)。摄食期间, 于每天上午9: 00和下午21: 00用商业饲料对每尾鱼饱足投喂并记录投喂量。单尾鱼的体重和体长每隔1周测定一次, 而SMR仅在第0、第14和第28天测定。结果显示:(1)锦鲫幼鱼在摄食期间的体重、体长以及SMR均明显上升, 饥饿期间体重和SMR显著降低(P0.05), 但体长变化不明显; SMR不论摄食期间还是饥饿期间呈现较好的稳定性(二者P0.05)。(2)锦鲫幼鱼在摄食期间开始时的SMR (测定Ⅰ)与摄食率(FR)、摄食转化率(FE)以及特定体重生长率(SGRBM)均无相关性, 摄食期间结束时的SMR (测定Ⅱ)仅与FR呈正相关(P0.05), 但与FE以及SGRBM不相关。(3)摄食期间(饥饿期间)实验鱼的第一周日均体重增(减)量与第二周日均体重增(减)量呈正相关, 其体重的增率与减率无显著差异(P0.05)。(4)实验鱼在摄食期间的特定体重增长率(SGRBM)与饥饿期间的不相关(P0.05), 但摄食期间的特定SMR增长率(SGRSMR)与饥饿期间的呈负相关(P0.05)。研究表明在实验室环境中锦鲫幼鱼的SMR具有稳定性, 该种鱼的日均体重变化量保持相近, 此形态变化特征与SMR不相关, 并且该种鱼在实验起始时的SMR的个体差异未能预测其在实验室食物资源变动下生长性能的适应特征。     

Sustainable transportation systems performance evaluation using fuzzy logic

Sustainability has become an overarching concern for transportation policy and planning around the world. This article presents an approach for urban transport sustainability performance evaluation using fuzzy logic. This article presents a model for transport sustainability performance evaluation. Appropriate transport sustainability indicators were identified based on literature. The model addresses all major dimensions of transport sustainability such as Economic Sustainability, Social Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability and Transportation System Effectiveness. Transport sustainability index has been computed as (5.05, 6.62, 8.12) and weaker transport sustainability attributes were found. Transport sustainability index highlights the question how far toward becoming transport sustainable is an enterprise or region? While, weaker transport sustainability attributes reveals that how can an enterprise or region improve its transport sustainability effectively? Appropriate actions were initiated to improve urban transport sustainability performance. The results indicate that the model is capable of effectively assessing transport sustainability and has practical relevance. An example is also used to illustrate the approach developed. The results obtained using fuzzy approach has been validated with conventional crisp approach. 20 transport sustainability attributes out of 60 are found to be weaker and appropriate actions were derived to improve the weaker attributes.     

‘Optimal thermal range’ in ectotherms: Defining criteria for tests of the temperature-size-rule

Thermal performance curves for population growth rate r (a measure of fitness) were estimated over a wide range of temperature for three species: Coleps hirtus (Protista), Lecane inermis (Rotifera) and Aeolosoma hemprichi (Oligochaeta). We measured individual body size and examined if predictions for the temperature-size rule (TSR) were valid for different temperatures. All three organisms investigated follow the TSR, but only over a specific range between minimal and optimal temperatures, while maintenance at temperatures beyond this range showed the opposite pattern in these taxa. We consider minimal and optimal temperatures to be species-specific, and moreover delineate a physiological range outside of which an ectotherm is constrained against displaying size plasticity in response to temperature. This thermal range concept has important implications for general size-temperature studies. Furthermore, the concept of 'operating thermal conditions' may provide a new approach to (i) defining criteria required for investigating and interpreting temperature effects, and (ii) providing a novel interpretation for many cases in which species do not conform to the TSR.