Disturbance does not have a significant impact on waders in an estuary close to conurbations: importance of overlap between birds and people in time and space

Disturbance of wildlife is a potential cause of conservation concern, not least to overwintering waders Charadrii inhabiting estuaries close to conurbations where human recreational and economic activities are often concentrated. Disturbance from people on and alongside intertidal foraging areas could make it more difficult for birds to survive until spring in good condition by reducing the time available for foraging, increasing energy requirements and displacing birds to poorer foraging areas. We adopted a two-part approach to testing whether such significant impacts occurred in a Special Protection Area where disturbance risk was high because of its small size and close proximity to conurbations. In part one, we recorded over the whole estuary during stages of the tidal cycle when part or all of the intertidal zone was exposed and so accessible to waders (i.e. on receding, low and advancing tides): (1) the numbers and activities of people on the intertidal flats and on the adjacent land in those places where people were visible to waders in the intertidal zone and (2) the numbers of waders present and disturbed into flight, the flight distance and flight duration in the ‘overlap’ areas where people did disturb waders. People occurred on < 25% of the 938 ha of intertidal flats, but most waders foraged on mudflats, whereas most people were on sandflats. People on land were visible to foraging waders along < 35% of the 16.5 km of shoreline. Waders and people were therefore substantially separated in space. Within overlap areas, people and waders were often frequently separated in time: for example, people on land mostly disturbed waders when only the upper shore levels were exposed. The average overwintering wader spent < 0.1% of its foraging time during daylight flying away from people and the additional energy expenditure was equivalent to < 0.02% of its daily requirements. The comparison made in part two between our study area and two comparable estuaries showed that the number of visits each day to the overlap areas would need to be 29 or 43 times greater for disturbance to have lowered the birds’ body condition and winter survival. Both parts of the study therefore suggested strongly that the amount of disturbance was too trivial to have a significant impact on waders. It is concluded that: (1) to properly assess disturbance risk to waders, both extensive and intensive observations must be made on the behaviour of people and birds to quantify the extent to which they overlap in space and time, and (2) it should not be assumed that an estuary's close proximity to conurbations, and the presence of large numbers of people in the vicinity of the SPA, necessarily implies a significant disturbance risk to waders.     

The Caribou Migration Model for Arctic Hadrosaurs (Dinosauria: Ornithischia): A Reassessment

The recovery of abundant dinosaur fossils from high paleolatitudes of northern Alaska has raised some hard questions in relation to any available model of dinosaur physiology. To explain the occurrence of hadrosaurs at high ancient latitudes, a model involving long-distance migration analogous to that of the modern caribou has been proposed. The model calls for seasonal movements over great latitudinal distances by these Cretaceous hadrosaurs. This model is reassessed in terms of the growth, body sizes, and inferred physiological ecology of the hadrosaurs and the caribou. Histological data suggest that juvenile hadrosaurs obtained from northern Alaska were greater than 1 year in age. Comparison of the relative sizes of juvenile and adult hadrosaurs with juvenile and adult caribou suggests, based on qualitative energetics, that the juvenile hadrosaurs were too small to participate in long-distance migration. The "hadrosaurs as caribou" model provides clues to the feeding ecology of North Slope hadrosaurs, if they are reinterpreted as year-round residents of high latitudes. However, it does not constitute a satisfactory basis on which to infer long-distance seasonal migrations by these animals.     

宁乡花猪原代和第一代血液生理生化指标比较

目的比较原代宁乡花猪与其第一代仔猪血液生理生化指标的变化。方法常规方法测定宁乡花猪F0代16头,F1代16头血液18项生理指标和13项生化指标。结果F0代与F1代部分血液生理指标如白细胞（WBC）、红细胞（RBC）、血红蛋白（HGB）、红细胞积压（HCT）等13项有显著性差异（P〈0．05）;部分血液生化指标如总胆红素（TBIL）,尿素氮（BUN）,总蛋白（TP）,白／球蛋白（ALB／GLB）,葡萄糖（GLU）,有显著性差异（P〈0．05）;其他指标均无统计学差异。结论2代宁乡花猪之间部分血液生理生化指标有显著性差异。得到的数据可以为实验动物化研究提供相应的基础生理参考数据。     

不同分娩方式对产妇产后心理和生理的影响

目的:探讨不同分娩方式对产妇产后心理和生理的影响.方法:随机选择2011年1月～2011年12月在苏大附一院分娩的初产妇400例,其中剖宫产、阴道自然分娩各200例,对两组产妇产后42天心理状况、恶露持续时间、泌乳情况进行调查.结果:两种分娩方式对产妇产后42天发生焦虑和抑郁心理的影响无明显差别(P＞0.05);阴道自然分娩组产后恶露持续时间短于剖宫产组,差异有显著意义(P＜0.01).有抑郁、焦虑情绪的产妇泌乳始动时间显著长于正常产妇,24h泌乳量显著少于正常产妇(P＜0.01).结论:剖宫产对产妇身体生理创伤大过阴道自然分娩,应严格控制剖宫产的适应症,鼓励阴道自然分娩.     

Sustaining biological welfare for our future through consistent science

Physiological anthropology presently covers a very broad range of human knowledge and engineering technologies. This study reviews scientific inconsistencies within a variety of areas: sitting posture; negative air ions; oxygen inhalation; alpha brain waves induced by music and ultrasound; 1/f fluctuations; the evaluation of feelings using surface electroencephalography; Kansei; universal design; and anti-stress issues. We found that the inconsistencies within these areas indicate the importance of integrative thinking and the need to maintain the perspective on the biological benefit to humanity. Analytical science divides human physiological functions into discrete details, although individuals comprise a unified collection of whole-body functions. Such disparate considerations contribute to the misunderstanding of physiological functions and the misevaluation of positive and negative values for humankind. Research related to human health will, in future, depend on the concept of maintaining physiological functions based on consistent science and on sustaining human health to maintain biological welfare in future generations.     

On the evolution and diversification of an Andean clade of reptiles: combining morphology and DNA sequences of the palluma group (Liolaemidae: Phymaturus)

Phymaturus comprises 44 species mainly distributed along the south‐west of South America on both sides of the Andes. In this study we present a phylogenetic analysis of Phymaturus of the palluma group, one of its two large clades, including almost all described species. This analysis duplicates the number of in‐group taxa compared with previous contributions. We performed a total‐evidence analysis, combining molecular and morphological characters: sequencing fragments of cytochome b (cytb), 12S, and ND4, for all terminals; describing 45 new morphological characters; and incorporating all DNA sequences available from GenBank. Separate analyses of morphology and DNA partitions are presented and discussed in detail. Seven subclades are recognized here. We named three new subclades and redefined another, found to be paraphyletic. In order to recognize lineages within the traditional Phymaturus palluma group we proposed to treat it as a natural group, containing within it the ranks of clade, subclade, and lineages, respectively. The palluma group is composed by the vociferator and the bibronii clades. The vociferator clade, composed of Chilean and Argentinean species, would be the most basal in the group. Within the bibronii clade, the roigorum subclade includes the Phymaturus verdugo lineage, whereas the mallimaccii subclade would consist of 13 terminal taxa, for which three Chilean species have been added. In this study, morphological apomorphies are identified for all clades and the evolution of ‘male head melanism’ is discussed. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

冬眠动物骨骼肌生理适应及机制的研究进展

非冬眠动物的骨骼肌在废用条件下会发生明显的萎缩。冬眠动物在历经数月的冬眠期骨骼肌废用后,仍能保持较完整的形态结构与良好的收缩功能,成为天然的抗废用性肌萎缩动物模型。探明冬眠动物骨骼肌对废用的生理适应机制,是生理生态学领域的重要课题之一。本文从形态结构、肌纤维类型和收缩功能等方面综述了冬眠动物对冬眠期骨骼肌废用状态的生理适应,并从蛋白质代谢、生长与分化的调控、代谢类型的调控、氧化应激以及线粒体结构与氧化能力等方面分析了冬眠期骨骼肌生理适应的可能机制。     

Community mental health care worldwide: current status and further developments

This paper aims to give an overview of the key issues facing those who are in a position to influence the planning and provision of mental health systems, and who need to address questions of which staff, services and sectors to invest in, and for which patients. The paper considers in turn: a) definitions of community mental health care; b) a conceptual framework to use when evaluating the need for hospital and community mental health care; c) the potential for wider platforms, outside the health service, for mental health improvement, including schools and the workplace; d) data on how far community mental health services have been developed across different regions of the world; e) the need to develop in more detail models of community mental health services for low‐ and middle‐income countries which are directly based upon evidence for those countries; f) how to incorporate mental health practice within integrated models to identify and treat people with comorbid long‐term conditions; g) possible adverse effects of deinstitutionalization. We then present a series of ten recommendations for the future strengthening of health systems to support and treat people with mental illness.     

水体盐度对中华绒螯蟹成体雄蟹渗透压调节和生理代谢的影响

为研究长期不同水体盐度对中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis以下简称河蟹)成体雄蟹渗透压调节和生理代谢的影响, 在不同水体盐度条件下(0、6、12和18)对河蟹雄体进行为期60d的养殖实验, 并分别检测其渗透调节及生理代谢相关指标。结果显示: (1)血清渗透压、Na+、Mg2+和Cl-含量随水体盐度上升而显著上升(P0.05), K+和Ca2+含量有上升趋势, 但各盐度组差异不显著(P0.05); 无论何组雄蟹, 其血清渗透压均显著高于对应的水体渗透压; (2)0组雄蟹后鳃Na+/K+-ATP酶活性显著高于其他组(P0.05), 其他各组间差异不显著(P0.05); (3)就血清生理代谢指标而言, 12组雄蟹血清中甘油三酯(TG)含量显著高于其他组(P0.05), 而尿酸(UA)、葡萄糖(Glu)、丙二醛(MDA)含量和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性相对较低; 所有组尿素(Urea)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)含量差异不显著(P0.05); (4)就肝胰腺生理代谢指标而言, 6组肝胰腺MDA含量和-谷氨酰转肽酶(-GT)活力最低, 12组酸性磷酸酶(ACP)和-GT活性显著高于其他盐度组(P0.05)。因此, 适当提高水体盐度可提高河蟹成体雄蟹的血清渗透压及其主要离子含量, 同时降低其后鳃中Na+/K+-ATP酶活性。肝胰腺和血清代谢指标暗示12盐度组雄体的代谢水平相对较低, 具有较强的免疫性能和抗氧化能力。     

不同植物脂肪源对吉富罗非鱼生长性能、肌肉脂肪酸和生理生化指标的影响

配制了6种等氮等脂的饲料饲喂(12.320.02) g的吉富罗非鱼8周, 探讨罗非鱼对不同脂肪源的利用效果,筛选出适合吉富罗非鱼的植物脂肪源。6种饲料中分别添加大豆油(SO)、棕榈油(PO)、棉籽油(CO)、菜籽油(RO)、磷脂(SL)和1:1:1:1:1大豆油-棕榈油-棉籽油-菜籽油-磷脂混合油(MIX)。结果显示: (1)菜籽油组特定生长率显著高于棕榈油组、棉籽油组、磷脂油组和混合油组(P0.05), 大豆油组显著高于棉籽油组和棕榈油组(P0.05)。菜籽油组饲料系数显著低于棉籽油组、磷脂油组和棕榈油组(P0.05), 与其他各组无显著性差异(P0.05); (2)肌肉脂肪酸明显受饲料脂肪源影响, 棕榈油组肌肉脂肪酸组成与饲料脂肪酸组成相关性最大(P0.05), 棉籽油组肌肉脂肪酸组成与饲料脂肪酸组成相关性最小(P0.05); (3)棕榈油组天冬氨酸转氨酶活性显著高于菜籽油组(P0.05)。棉籽油组高密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇含量显著高于菜籽油组(P0.05), 大豆油组肝脏脂蛋白酯酶活性显著高于棉籽油组和菜籽油组(P0.05)。研究结果表明: 菜籽油、大豆油可以作为吉富罗非鱼饲料中良好的脂肪源, 棉籽油不利于吉富罗非鱼生长。