Principles for linking fish habitat to fisheries management and conservation

A set of eight simple ecological and social principles is proposed that could enhance the understanding of what constitutes fish 'habitat' and, if implemented, could contribute to improved management and conservation strategies. The habitat principles are a small, interrelated sub‐set that may be coupled with additional ones to formulate comprehensive guidelines for management and conservation strategies. It is proposed that: 1) habitat can be created by keystone species and interactions among species; 2) the productivity of aquatic and riparian habitat is interlinked by reciprocal exchanges of material; 3) the riparian zone is fish habitat; 4) fishless headwater streams are inseparable from fish‐bearing rivers downstream; 5) habitats can be coupled – in rivers, lakes, estuaries and oceans, and in time; 6) habitats change over hours to centuries; 7) fish production is dynamic due to biocomplexity, in species and in habitats; 8) management and conservation strategies must evolve in response to present conditions, but especially to the anticipated future. It is contended that the long‐term resilience of native fish communities in catchments shared by humans depends on incorporating these principles into management and conservation strategies. Further, traditional strategies poorly reflect the dynamic nature of habitat, the true extent of habitat, or the intrinsic complexity in societal perspectives. Forward‐thinking fish management and conservation plans view habitat as more than water. They are multilayered, ranging from pools to catchments to ecoregions, and from hours to seasons to centuries. They embrace, as a fundamental premise, that habitat evolves through both natural and anthropogenic processes, and that patterns of change may be as important as other habitat attributes.     

天然保肝药研究进展

本文综述了天然保肝药的筛选方法,活性成分的化学结构,以及临床应用.     

An ecological approach to biosystem thermodynamics

The general attributes of ecosystems are examined and a naturally occurring reference ecosystem is established, comparable with the isolated system of classical thermodynamics. Such an autonomous system with a stable, periodic input of energy is shown to assume certain structural characteristics that have an identifiable thermodynamic basis. Individual species tend to assume a state of least dissipation; this is most clearly evident in the dominant species (the species with the best integration of energy acquisition and conservation). It is concluded that ecosystem structure results from the antagonistic interaction of two nearly equal forces. These forces have their origin in the Principle of Most Action (least dissipation or least entropy production) and the universal Principle of Least Action. Most action is contingent on the equipartitioning of the energy available, through uniform interaction of similar individuals. The trend to Least action is contingent on increased dissipation attained through increasing diversity and increasing complexity. These principles exhibit a basic asymmetry. Given the operation of these opposing principles over evolutionary time, it is argued that ecosystems originated in the vicinity of thermodynamic equilibrium through the resonant amplification of reversible fluctuations. On account of the basic asymmetry the system was able to evolve away from thermodynamic equilibrium provided that it remained within the vicinity of ergodynamic equilibrium (equilibrium maintained by internal work, where the opposing forces are equal and opposite).At the highest level of generalization there appear to be three principles operating: i) maximum association of free-energy and materials; ii) energy conservation (deceleration of the energy flow) through symmetric interaction and increased homogeneity; and iii) the principle of least action which induces acceleration of the energy flow through asymmetrical interaction. The opposition and asymmetry of the two forces give rise to natural selection and evolution.     

Restorative and regenerative: Exploring the concepts in the circular economy

The most recognized definition of the circular economy is that it is a restorative and regenerative economy. Despite the wide use and importance attributed to the concepts of “restoration” and “regeneration,” they are rarely defined or explained in the circular economy literature. In this context, this study critically examines the two terms, while providing guidance on their future utilization and development. Specifically, the study investigates the origin of the concepts, their adoption in frameworks that anticipated the idea of the circular economy, and their connotations in the circular economy literature. The examination supports the need for clear and distinct definitions, combined with precision in usage. From a review of the literature, restoration is a better‐defined concept than regeneration, although it needs conceptual re‐enforcement relative to the biological/ecological aspects of the circular economy. This study suggests looking in the direction of restoration ecology, a well‐established branch of ecological research. Conversely, regeneration is a symbolic/evocative term with little practical application in the context of circular systems except in the case of certain agricultural practices. Until new conceptual developments intervene, regeneration does not seem to be applicable to the economy as a whole and because of this, might be abandoned as a guiding principle of the circular economy. Unlike regeneration, restoration can be considered a core principle because it has widespread application and can be a point of reference for circular applications. This does not preclude the possibility that other concepts may be needed to augment restoration.     

中国植被分类系统修订方案

为了推动《中国植被志》研编工作, 该文回顾了中国植被分类系统的发展过程和主要阶段性成果, 提出了作为《中国植被志》研编技术框架组成部分的中国植被分类系统修订方案, 对各植被型组及各植被型进行了简单定义和描述, 并针对中国植被分类系统若干问题, 特别就中国植被分类系统总体框架、混交林的界定以及土壤在植被分类中的重要性等问题进行了讨论。1960年侯学煜在《中国的植被》中首次提出了中国植被分类的原则和系统, 1980年出版的《中国植被》制定了分类等级和划分依据等更加完善的系统, 之后《中国植被及其地理格局——中华人民共和国1:1 000 000植被图说明书》和《中国植物区系与植被地理》以及很多省区的植被专著对该系统进行过修订。2017年宋永昌在《植被生态学》中提出了一个分类等级单位调整的方案。本次提出的中国植被分类系统修订方案基本沿用《中国植被》的植被分类原则、分类单位及系统, 采用“植物群落学-生态学”分类原则, 主要以植物群落特征及其与环境的关系作为分类依据, 包含三级主要分类单位, 即植被型(高级单位)、群系(中级单位)和群丛(低级单位); 在三个主要分类单位之上分别增加辅助单位植被型组、群系组和群丛组, 在植被型和群系之下主要根据群落的生态差异和实际需要可再增加植被亚型或亚群系。修订方案包含了森林、灌丛、草本植被(草地)、荒漠、高山冻原与稀疏植被、沼泽与水生植被(湿地)、农业植被、城市植被和无植被地段9个植被型组, 划分为48个植被型(含30个自然植被型、12个农业植被型、5个城市植被型和无植被地段)。自然植被中有23个植被型进一步划分出了81个植被亚型。     

《国家重点保护野生植物名录》调整的必要性、原则和程序

我国是世界上植物多样性最丰富的国家之一, 1999年发布的《国家重点保护野生植物名录》(下称《名录》(第一批))明确了国家重点保护野生植物的范围, 为依法强化保护、规范无序开发利用、提高公众保护意识奠定了基础。20多年来, 我国野生植物多样性保护形势发生了很大变化, 需要对《名录》进行调整。2018年, 国家林业和草原局、农业农村部启动《名录》调整工作, 物种的遴选遵循了5条基本原则和4条补充性原则, 这些原则主要涉及中国珍稀濒危物种, 具有重要经济、文化、科研、生态等价值物种的入选以及部分物种的排除。经国务院批准, 2021年9月7日, 国家林业和草原局、农业农村部发布了调整后的《名录》, 包括真菌类、藻类、苔藓、石松类和蕨类植物、裸子植物和被子植物, 共计约1,101种(455种和40类)野生植物列入其中。本文简要介绍了《名录》调整的必要性、原则和程序及调整后的情况。     

THE PROGRAMMING OF SOMATIC GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION IN THE CRAB,PARATELPHUSA HYDRODROMOUS (HERBST)

In the Calicut population of P. hydrodromous, eyestalk principles are either directly or indirectly involved in maintenance of the differential growth rate of the sexes during the latter half of the first year of the life cycle. The prebreeding season (September—November), which is distinct in crabs 4.0 cm and over in carapace width (cw), is either absent or not distinct in young females (cw 2.8–3.2 cm), though the latter enter their first reproductive cycle by December, when 8–9 mth old. December—March is a period of active vitellogenic growth; from March onwards, there is a distinct swing in favor of somatic growth in females, though the proecdysis per se is not initiated until May. A typical brachyuran, Paratelphusa restricts its reproductive activity to intermolt and somatic growth chiefly to premolt; there are, however, definite phases within the intermolt itself when the physiological tilt favors somatic growth or alternatively reproduction. In females above cw 4.0 cm, the tendency for somatic growth is suppressed once they attain this cw after the monsoon (June—July) molt; eyestalk ablation during the prebreeding season precipitates accelerated ovarian growth. Administration of β-ecdysone in premolt titers failed to restrain this ovarian response and to promote somatic growth sufficiently. Conceivably, gonadal growth-promoting principles keep under check the responsiveness of the target tissues involved in somatic growth perhaps by affecting ecdysone receptors. The present investigations do not indicate a vitellogenesis-inhibiting role for β-ecdysone.     

A conserved threonine spring‐loads precursor for intein splicing

Protein splicing is an autocatalytic process where an “intein” self‐cleaves from a precursor and ligates the flanking N‐ and C‐“extein” polypeptides. Inteins occur in all domains of life and have myriad uses in biotechnology. Although the reaction steps of protein splicing are known, mechanistic details remain incomplete, particularly the initial peptide rearrangement at the N‐terminal extein/intein junction. Recently, we proposed that this transformation, an N‐S acyl shift, is accelerated by a localized conformational strain, between the intein's catalytic cysteine (Cys1) and the neighboring glycine (Gly‐1) in the N‐extein. That proposal was based on the crystal structure of a catalytically competent trapped precursor. Here, we define the structural origins and mechanistic relevance of the conformational strain using a combination of quantum mechanical simulations, mutational analysis, and X‐ray crystallography. Our results implicate a conserved, but largely unstudied, threonine residue of the Ssp DnaE intein (Thr69) as the mediator of conformational strain through hydrogen bonding. Further, the strain imposed by this residue is shown to position the splice junction in a manner that enhances the rate of the N‐S acyl shift substantially. Taken together, our results not only provide fundamental understanding of the control of the first step of protein splicing but also have important implications in various biotechnological applications that require precursor manipulation.     

Stable Dynamics Performance and High Efficiency of ABX3‐Type Super‐Alkali Perovskites First Obtained by Introducing H5O2 Cation

Developing new ABX₃‐type perovskites is very important for expanding the family of perovskites and obtaining excellent light absorbing material. One strategy is replacing A site atoms with super‐alkali atoms for the perovskites, but super‐alkali perovskites with stable dynamics performance and high efficiency have not been found until now. Herein, massive super‐alkalis, such as Li₃O, Li₂F, H₅O₂, and so on, are introduced into the cubic CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskites, and the perovskites with these super‐alkalis are systematically studied by using ab initio molecular dynamics simulation and density functional theory based first principles calculations. Calculated results indicate that the perovskites with the super‐alkalis including metal atoms show unstable dynamics performance under normal temperature and pressure. On the contrary, the first obtainable super‐alkali perovskites of cubic H₅O₂MBr₃ (M = Ge, Sn, Pb) and H₅O₂PbI₃ show stable dynamics performance. They also show suitable tolerance factors, negative formation energies, tunable direct band gaps, and small effective hole and electron masses. Moreover, the calculated power conversion efficiencies of 23.17% and 22.83% are obtained for the single‐junction solar cells based on the cubic H₅O₂SnBr₃ and H₅O₂PbBr₃ perovskites, respectively.