Seasonal trend in movement directions at dawn and dusk: a study on crow and white herons

Crows (Corvus splendens) and white herons (Ardea alba) inhabit the agricultural landscapes nearby human habitats which represent dynamic ecosystem and show seasonal crop patterns. We studied the movement pattern in these birds at dawn and dusk, during solstices (December and June) and equinoxes (March and September). The movement directions were changed from uniform at dawn to a concentrated distribution at dusk all along the season suggesting that morning movements are more exploratory than evening with seasonal differences. Differential use of directions in December than June could be the effect of temperature, food availability or wind direction and speed. During breeding, less number of directions used suggests that birds might be moving towards the directions having high probability of food availability. It is likely that avian dispersal in space and time is dependent on the food availability however, further studies are required to be carried out.     

基于遥感技术的城市下垫面参数与热环境关系的研究——以北京市朝阳区为例

城市热岛（UHI）不仅直接关系到城市人居环境质量和居民健康状况,同时还对城市能源消耗、生态系统过程演变、生物物候以及城市经济可持续发展有着深远的影响。以北京市朝阳区2002—2017年夏季4期Landsat系列遥感影像为数据,采用大气反演法,对15年间朝阳区城市地表温度（LST）时空变化进行分析,发现15年间朝阳区城市热岛比例指数上升迅速,热岛效应逐年加剧。进一步研究表明,城市地表温度与归一化植被指数（NDVI）及归一化建筑指数（NDBI）密切相关：地表温度与NDBI正相关,NDBI指数每升高0.1,地表升温0.79~2.37°C;与NDVI指数负相关,NDVI指数每提高0.1,地表降温0.4~0.77°C。本研究可为城市规划建设与城市绿地营建提供科学具体的参考指导依据,并促进生态可持续发展与人居环境改善。     

Evolution of ASPM coding variation in apes and associations with brain structure in chimpanzees

Studying genetic mechanisms underlying primate brain morphology can provide insight into the evolution of human brain structure and cognition. In humans, loss‐of‐function mutations in the gene coding for ASPM (Abnormal Spindle Microtubule Assembly) have been associated with primary microcephaly, which is defined by a significantly reduced brain volume, intellectual disability and delayed development. However, less is known about the effects of common ASPM variation in humans and other primates. In this study, we characterized the degree of coding variation at ASPM in a large sample of chimpanzees (N = 241), and examined potential associations between genotype and various measures of brain morphology. We identified and genotyped five non‐synonymous polymorphisms in exons 3 (V588G), 18 (Q2772K, K2796E, C2811Y) and 27 (I3427V). Using T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging of brains, we measured total brain volume, cerebral gray and white matter volume, cerebral ventricular volume, and cortical surface area in the same chimpanzees. We found a potential association between ASPM V588G genotype and cerebral ventricular volume but not with the other measures. Additionally, we found that chimpanzee, bonobo, and human lineages each independently show a signature of accelerated ASPM protein evolution. Overall, our results suggest the potential effects of ASPM variation on cerebral cortical development, and emphasize the need for further functional studies. These results are the first evidence suggesting ASPM variation might play a role in shaping natural variation in brain structure in nonhuman primates.     

Metallic Slit–Loaded Ring Resonator–Based Plasmonic Demultiplexer with Large Crosstalk

Plasmonics - Photonics provides a key solution to limit the myriads of challenges offered by existing silicon technology. Here, we propose a simple 2-channel Plasmonic demultiplexer with...