中国“合成生物学”973项目研究进展

本文回顾了自2011年我国启动"合成生物学"973项目以来所取得的进展。到2014年底为止,我国共启动了9个"合成生物学"973项目,主要集中在微生物制造,加上最近启动的一个动物和一个植物的合成生物学项目,体现了我国以制造业为主,并向复杂的动物和植物逐渐推进的国家战略。     

国家基本药物制度对基层医疗卫生机构合理用药影响分析

目的 了解在实施国家基本药物制度之后,基层医疗卫生机构在合理用药方面的变化情况。方法 采用定量分析与定性研究相结合的研究方法,选取黑龙江已开展基本药物制度工作的四个县市在实施基本药物制度前后的共1630张处方进行定量分析,并对关键人物进行定性访谈。结果 对比2008年与2013年实施基本药物制度前后,每处方用药种数由3.04种下降到1.57种,抗生素使用率由53.29%下降到38.62%,其他指标也均呈下降趋势,差异具有统计学意义。结论 基本药物制度对改善合理用药具有一定的促进作用,但抗生素与注射剂不合理使用现象仍然存在。     

基于MODIS NDVI数据的陕西省植被绿度时空变化及人类活动影响

气候和人类活动是控制和影响植被空间分布及其变化的基本驱动力。利用2001-2018年的MODIS NDVI和1999-2018年的降雨时间序列数据,分析了陕西省NDVI的时空变化规律。采用TSS-RESTREND （Time Series Segmentation and Residual Trend）算法剥离了气候要素（降雨）对植被NDVI的影响,分析了人类活动对植被变化的影响程度和区域。（1）2001-2018年间,陕西省NDVI呈显著增加,全省平均增加速率为0.006/a;（2）相比18年来的平均值,77.29%的区域大于均值。其中,陕北的榆林市、延安市大于均值的区域较大,分别为97.52%和89.03%,秦巴山区次之,为73.91%。2012年之后,NDVI高值向北逐年推进趋势明显。（3）全省NDVI增加的区域达71.77%,而陕北地区的增加量明显大于关中平原区和陕南秦巴山地,其中陕北的榆林NDVI增加区域为72.11%,延安为86.44%,均超过了全省平均水平。（4）总体上陕西全省呈变绿趋势。榆林市和延安市的变绿区域明显多于关中平原和秦巴山地,延安和榆林的剧烈增长区域分别为55.46%和34.34%,而陕南为41.03%,说明处于湿润气候区的陕南地区也有显著变绿趋势。     

DIASPORIC GENERATIONS. MEMORY,POLITICS AND NATION AMONG CUBANS IN SPAIN

Both national and international studies of education often show that the performance of immigrant students is substantially lower than that of non-immigrant students. This article investigates the contribution of socio-economic, sociocultural and school factors to the relative performance of first- and second-generation immigrant students in twenty countries using data from the OECD's 2000 Program for International Student Assessment. In most countries, socio-economic factors substantially account for the weaker performance of immigrant students, whereas sociocultural factors contribute little and school factors are important in only a limited number of instances. Altogether, these factors account for the bulk of the difference in achievement between immigrant and non-immigrant students in almost all the countries examined.     

Fluids from the Oceanic Crust Support Microbial Activities within the Deep Biosphere

The importance of crustal fluid chemical composition in driving the marine deep subseafloor biosphere was examined in northeast Pacific ridge-flank sediments. At IODP Site U1301, sulfate from crustal fluids diffuses into overlying sediments, forming a transition zone where sulfate meets in situ-produced methane. Enhanced cell counts and metabolic activity suggest that sulfate stimulates microbial respiration, specifically anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to sulfate reduction. Cell counts and activity are also elevated in basement-near layers. Owing to the worldwide expansion of the crustal aquifer, we postulate that crustal fluids may fuel the marine deep subseafloor biosphere on a global scale.     

THE POTENTIAL INDICATOR VALUE OF RARE TAXA RICHNESS IN DIATOM‐BASED STREAM BIOASSESSMENT1

Despite their recognized contribution to species richness, the importance of rare taxa richness in bioassessment is unclear. This study aimed to characterize the environmental factors affecting the number of rare diatom taxa in western U.S. streams and rivers, and to evaluate whether this number can be used to differentiate streams with contrasting human disturbance. Three different categories of rare taxa were used: satellite (taxa with low occurrence and low abundance), rural (taxa with high occurrence and low abundance), and urban (taxa with low occurrence and high abundance). Common taxa were included as a separate category of core taxa (taxa with high occurrence and high abundance). We analyzed 987 diatom samples collected over the period of 5 years (2000–2004) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Western Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (WEMAP). The results showed that rural taxa richness (number of rural taxa per site) increased along a longitudinal gradient from mountainous, fast‐flowing oligotrophic streams with fewer fine substrates to large, slow‐moving, nutrient‐rich rivers with abundance of fine substrates. Rural taxa richness was the only rarity metric that distinguished least disturbed (reference) sites from the most disturbed (impacted) sites, but it was significantly different only in the mountains ecoregion. Core taxa richness distinguished reference from impacted sites in the West and in each one of the three ecoregions (mountains, plains, and xeric). Our findings revealed that rural taxa richness can be used as an indicator of human disturbance in streams/rivers, especially in the mountains ecoregion, and that rarity definition is important in bioassessment.     

Bighorn Sheep Abundance Following a Suspected Pneumonia Epidemic in Rocky Mountain National Park

Abstract: Anecdotal evidence of a pneumonia epizootic among bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, USA, during the mid-1990s prompted park officials to examine the current condition of the herds. Here we present a mark—resight study design to estimate population abundance that, in many circumstances, is a reliable and cost-effective alternative to traditional mark—recapture or to indices of population abundance. We captured 59 adult females and radiocollared them via helicopter net-gunning during winter 2002–2003. From ground resighting surveys conducted May—September, we estimated the total RMNP bighorn population at 389.9 (SE = 34.9, CI = 327.2–464.6) in 2003 and 366.4 (SE = 34.7, CI = 304.4–441.0) in 2004. Previous abundance estimates suggest a park-wide decline has occurred between the late 1980s and the suspected pneumonia epidemic of the mid-1990s. Although the 2 years of data from our study are not enough to predict whether the herds are capable of recovering to previous levels, they provide park officials the tools necessary to make the most informed decisions for future monitoring and management of this fragile species.     

Detection Probability and Sources of Variation in White-Tailed Deer Spotlight Surveys

Abstract: As a first step in understanding structure and dynamics of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations, managers require knowledge of population size. Spotlight counts are widely used to index deer abundance; however, detection probabilities using spotlights have not been formally estimated. Using a closed mark—recapture design, we explored the efficiency of spotlights for detecting deer by operating thermal imagers and spotlights simultaneously. Spotlights detected only 50.6% of the deer detected by thermal imagers. Relative to the thermal imager, spotlights failed to detect 44.2% of deer groups (≥1 deer). Detection probabilities for spotlight observers varied between and within observers, ranging from 0.30 (SE = 0.053) to 0.66 (SE = 0.058). Managers commonly assume that although road counts based on convenience sampling designs are imperfect, observers can gather population-trend information from repeated counts along the same survey route. Our results indicate detection rate varied between and within observers and surveyed transects. If detection probabilities are substantially affected by many variables, and if transect selection is not based on appropriate sampling designs, it may be impractical to correct road spotlight counts for detection probabilities to garner unbiased estimates of population size.     

Improved methods for estimating abundance and related demographic parameters from mark‐resight data

Over the past decade, there has been much methodological development for the estimation of abundance and related demographic parameters using mark‐resight data. Often viewed as a less‐invasive and less‐expensive alternative to conventional mark recapture, mark‐resight methods jointly model marked individual encounters and counts of unmarked individuals, and recent extensions accommodate common challenges associated with imperfect detection. When these challenges include both individual detection heterogeneity and an unknown marked sample size, we demonstrate several deficiencies associated with the most widely used mark‐resight models currently implemented in the popular capture‐recapture freeware Program MARK. We propose a composite likelihood solution based on a zero‐inflated Poisson log‐normal model and find the performance of this new estimator to be superior in terms of bias and confidence interval coverage. Under Pollock's robust design, we also extend the models to accommodate individual‐level random effects across sampling occasions as a potentially more realistic alternative to models that assume independence. As a motivating example, we revisit a previous analysis of mark‐resight data for the New Zealand Robin (Petroica australis) and compare inferences from the proposed estimators. For the all‐too‐common situation where encounter rates are low, individual detection heterogeneity is non‐negligible, and the number of marked individuals is unknown, we recommend practitioners use the zero‐inflated Poisson log‐normal mark‐resight estimator as now implemented in Program MARK.     

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse nesting ecology: wind energy and habitat

The rapid pace of wind-energy development has increased stakeholder concerns regarding the potential effects on wildlife. Locations targeted for wind-energy development frequently overlap prairie grouse and greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitats. Research suggests that anthropogenic developments may have negative effects on these species. There is, however, no information published regarding the effect of wind-energy development on Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus), a subspecies that has twice been petitioned for Endangered Species Act protection. To address this need, from 2014 to 2015 we studied Columbian sharp-tailed grouse nesting ecology across restored grasslands in eastern Idaho, USA, where a 215-turbine wind-energy complex had been developed. We monitored 147 nests from 135 females captured at leks 0.1–13.8 km from wind turbines. We used an information-theoretic approach to evaluate the influence of wind-energy infrastructure and habitat characteristics on nest-site selection and daily nest survival. We did not detect any influence of wind-energy infrastructure on nest-site selection or nest survival. Nest-site selection and daily nest survival were influenced by vegetation structure and composition measured at 2 spatial scales. Females selected nest sites with more restored grassland containing >30% forb cover within the nesting core-use area (i.e., 60 ha around the nest) and exhibited a functional response to the availability of that land cover type. Daily nest survival was best predicted by visual obstruction at the nest site and the amount of restored grassland containing >30% forb cover within the nesting core-use area. We recommend wildlife managers continue to implement management practices that will provide bunchgrass-dominated grasslands with >30% forb cover in restored grasslands (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program fields) within Columbian sharp-tailed grouse range. © The Wildlife Society, 2019