Effect of temperature on swimming performance of sea bass juveniles

At four temperatures ( T= 15, 20, 25 and 28° C) swimming performance of Dicentrarchus labrax was significantly correlated with total length (23–43 mm L _T); r²=0.623–0.829). The relative critical swimming speed ( RU _crit= U _crit L _T⁻¹), where U _crit is the critical swimming speed, was constant throughout the L _T range studied. The significant effect of temperature on the relative critical swimming speed was described binomially: RU _crit=−0.0323T²+ 1.578 T −10.588 (r²=1). The estimated maximum RU _crit (8.69 L _T s⁻¹) was achieved at 24.4° C, and the 90% performance level was estimated between 19.3 and 29.6° C.     

棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂的生物学特性

研究了湖南长沙地区棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂的生物学特性及田间消长规律,棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂在湖南长沙地区年发生约10代,以7个世代发生在棉田,田间出现3个寄生高峰,分别在5月上旬－6月下旬,8月中旬－9月上旬及9月中旬－10月中旬,寄生率平均在25,1－63,1％,从卵发育到成虫的平均历期变化范围在32℃下13天至11．6℃下75．5天,棉铃虫齿唇姬蜂能寄主棉铃虫,斜纹夜蛾和甜菜夜蛾,但偏爱寄主棉铃虫。该蜂能寄生棉铃虫1－3龄幼虫,很少寄生4－6龄幼虫,喜寄生2－3龄幼虫,每雌可寄生斜夜蛾2龄幼虫5－23头。本建立了发育速率及成蜂寿命与温度关系的回归模型,探讨了越冬问题,比较了长江流域和黄河流域铃虫齿唇姬蜂生物学特性的差异。     

Mobility of moose—comparing the effects of wolf predation risk,reproductive status,and seasonality

In a predator–prey system, prey species may adapt to the presence of predators with behavioral changes such as increased vigilance, shifting habitats, or changes in their mobility. In North America, moose (Alces alces) have shown behavioral adaptations to presence of predators, but such antipredator behavioral responses have not yet been found in Scandinavian moose in response to the recolonization of wolves (Canis lupus). We studied travel speed and direction of movement of GPS‐collared female moose (n = 26) in relation to spatiotemporal differences in wolf predation risk, reproductive status, and time of year. Travel speed was highest during the calving (May–July) and postcalving (August–October) seasons and was lower for females with calves than females without calves. Similarly, time of year and reproductive status affected the direction of movement, as more concentrated movement was observed for females with calves at heel, during the calving season. We did not find support for that wolf predation risk was an important factor affecting moose travel speed or direction of movement. Likely causal factors for the weak effect of wolf predation risk on mobility of moose include high moose‐to‐wolf ratio and intensive hunter harvest of the moose population during the past century.     

秸秆、有机肥及氮肥配合使用对水稻土微生物和有机质含量的影响

通过大田试验,研究了秸秆还田、施用有机肥和氮肥对水稻土微生物和土壤有机质含量的影响。试验结果表明:(1)在秸秆还田的情况下,增施氮肥(0-330kg/hm2范围内)可促进秸秆的的腐解;(2)秸秆还田、施用有机肥和氮肥中的单一措施均能不同程度地增加水稻土壤细菌、真菌、放线菌的数量;(3)综合运用秸秆还田、施用有机肥和氮肥措施能协同增加土壤微生物数量,提高土壤生物量态氮和有机质含量,以秸秆还田量为6000kg/hm2、施用有机肥量为4500kg/hm2、施用氮肥量为240kg/hm2效果较佳。     

高速逆流色谱法分离纯化茶黄素

首次应用高速逆流色谱法分离纯化茶黄素单体成分,溶剂系统为乙酸乙酯－正己烷－甲醇－水（３：１：１：６）,优化了分离茶黄素的条件。同时与ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＬＨ－２０柱色谱法梯度洗脱对比,结果表明,高速逆流色谱法分离时间相对较短,可进行较大量的分离制备。高速逆流色谱法较之ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＬＨ－２０柱色谱法还有一个突出的优点,即无不可逆吸附污染及不会导致样品化学变性。     

Factors Affecting Swimming Speed in the Rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus plicatilis</Emphasis>

This study examines the swimming speed in amictic females of Brachionus plicatilis in laboratory cultures. Five different stages were examined: recently hatched females, juveniles, adult non-ovigerous females, ovigerous females with 1 attached egg and ovigerous females with 2 attached eggs. We tested the speed at two temperatures, 15 °C and 25 °C, and two feeding conditions, presence and absence of microalgal cells. An automated motion analysis system was used to measure speed which was then video recorded. Swimming speed (μm s⁻¹) increased with increasing body size. There was a slight decrease in the speed of adult females as the number of attached eggs increased. Swimming activity was higher at 25 °C than at 15 °C and in the absence of food than if microalgae were present. Average values under the different experimental conditions ranged between 500 μm s⁻¹ for the recently hatched and fed females and 1500 μm s⁻¹ for the adult non-ovigerous females in the absence of microalgae. Mass-specific swimming speed decreased with body mass increase.     

基于城市微气候模拟软件的城市道路绿化带对PM2.5消减作用的研究

随着经济的快速发展及机动车保有量的持续增长,车辆造成的道路污染问题日益严重。广州作为中国重要的经济发展城市,交通源排放问题高度集中,机动车排放是城市PM2.5的主要来源之一,开展减缓城市道路污染危害的研究具有重要意义。本研究为调查绿化带对广州城市道路PM2.5的影响,运用实测与城市微气候模拟软件（ENVI-met）模拟结合的研究方法,实测并分析城市道路空间PM2.5的浓度分布及其影响因素,使用实测数据对模拟软件进行验证分析,模拟研究理想道路模型下不同高宽比、风向等因素及绿化带植配类型对PM2.5的消减作用。研究表明：（1）城市道路空间PM2.5浓度分布受污染源、街道高宽比、风速风向、绿化带等综合影响,自然消减情况下,其主要受风速风向和高宽比双因素影响;（2）通常街道高宽比越大,越有利于道路空间PM2.5的扩散;（3）城市道路空间PM2.5自然沉降最小距离为12 m,0-12 m范围内应保持无障碍物的开敞环境,PM2.5消减的关键范围是12-24 m,此范围内可以利用生态手段沉降颗粒物;（4） PM2.5消减率受绿化带和风向的双控制,应根据主导风向选择绿化带植配方式。在主导风平行面和垂直迎风面绿化带对PM2.5有正消减效应,建议植配类型为"乔-乔+灌+草";在主导风垂直背风面绿化带对PM2.5呈负消减效应,植配类型为"乔-灌"绿化带消减率接近于自然消减率,而植配类型为"乔-灌+草"和"乔-乔+灌+草"的绿化带加重了颗粒物在该区域的积聚。     

Low-grade chronic inflammation and superoxide anion production by NADPH oxidase are the main determinants of physical frailty in older adults

Abstract

Background. Physical performance measured by gait speed is being recognized as a major instrument for clinical evaluation in older adults, because it predicts physical frailty, loss of autonomy, hospitalization and decreased survival. Low-grade chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, mediated partly by the superoxide anion produced by NADPH oxidase, are closely linked and could be involved in age-related physical decline. Objective. To determine whether slow gait speed is associated with superoxide anion overproduction by NADPH oxidase and low-grade chronic inflammation. Design and setting. Observational study among the 280 elderly of an ambulatory geriatric care unit (191 women, 89 men, 79.9 ± 6.1 years old). Methods. Gait speed was evaluated by walking at self-chosen usual pace. Usual gait speed < 0.8 m/s was defined as slow gait speed. Superoxide anion production was evaluated using a lucigenin-based chemiluminescence method. Inflammation was evaluated by CRP, fibrinogen and leukocyte count. Results. Among the 280 participants, 179 (63.9%) walked with a gait speed < 0.8 m/s (slow walkers) and 101 (36.1%) with a gait speed ≥ 0.8 m/s. Superoxide production and inflammation markers, such as fibrinogen, were more important in slow walkers (p = 0.004 and p = 0.006, respectively). In multivariate analysis, superoxide anion overproduction and fibrinogen were independently associated with physical frailty assessed by slow gait speed (p = 0.028 and p = 0.007, respectively). Conclusion. Physical frailty in older people is associated with superoxide anion overproduction by NADPH oxidase and low-grade chronic inflammation.     

INFLUENCE OF VEGETATION,TOPOGRAPHY, AND ROADS ON COUGAR MOVEMENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Abstract: Models of individual movement can help conserve wide-ranging carnivores on increasingly human-altered landscapes, and cannot be constructed solely by analyzing the daytime resting locations typically collected in carnivore studies. We examined the movements of 10 female and 7 male cougars (Puma concolor) at 15-min intervals during 44 nocturnal or diel periods of hunting or traveling in the Santa Ana Mountain Range of southern California, USA, between 1988 and 1992. Cougars tended to move in a meandering path (mean turning angle ∼54°), and distance moved (mean and mode ∼300 m) was not correlated with turning angle. Cougars used a broader range of habitats for nocturnal or diel movements than for previously described daybed locations for this same population. Riparian vegetation ranked highest in a compositional analysis of vegetation types selected during movement; grassland, woodland and urbanized sites were least selected. During periods of stasis (we presume many of these were stalking locations), patterns of selection were less marked. Cougars spent a disproportionate amount of time in highly ranked vegetation types, and traveled slowest through riparian habitats and fastest through human-dominated areas. Our results suggest that travel speed may provide an efficient index of habitat selection in concert with other types of analysis. Hunting or traveling individuals consistently used travel paths that were less rugged than their general surroundings. Traveling cougars avoided 2-lane paved roads, but dirt roads may have facilitated movement. Maintenance and restoration of corridors between large wildlands is essential to conserving cougars in southern California. Our results indicate that riparian vegetation, and other vegetation types that provide horizontal cover, are desirable features in such corridors, that dirt roads should not impede cougar use of corridors, and that corridors should lie along routes with relatively gentle topography. Our results suggest that cougars do not key in on highway-crossing structures in a way that creates a prey trap. Our empirical frequency distributions of distances and turning angles, along with cougar responses to vegetation, topography, and roads can help parameterize an individually-based movement model for cougars in human-altered landscapes.