Acoustic communities in an environmental gradient from native to urban areas in Central Brazil

As urban areas expand due to increasing human populations, natural habitats are diminishing in quantity and quality. We conducted a study to examine the response of diurnal acoustic communities along a gradient of environments, ranging from native to dense urban areas. We hypothesized that acoustic indices would decline with urbanization, transitioning from natural and rural areas to urban environments. We conducted the research in and around Brasília, Central Brazil. We deployed 24 digital recorders in native, rural, low-density and high-density urban areas. We employed five commonly used acoustic indices (ADI, ACI, NDSI, H and BI) to characterize the acoustic communities and represent the existing biodiversity numerically. We initially compared the index values across different land use types using a non-parametric rank sum test. Subsequently, we selected eight landscape metrics and performed a principal component analysis to summarize the surrounding matrix at each sampling point. We then employed generalized linear models to determine if the acoustic indices exhibited the anticipated variations. The results indicated significant variations in all indices among the different land use types, indicating their responsiveness to distinct acoustic communities and environmental characteristics. ADI, H and NDSI exhibited declining values from native to urban areas, while ACI and BI displayed the opposite trend. These findings underscore the influence of landscape structure on acoustic indices. Consequently, we concluded that adopting appropriate landscape planning, mainly through integrating natural and urban areas, could help preserve biodiversity in tropical urban regions.     

模拟酸雨对蒙古栎幼苗生长和根系伤流量的影响

选择中国北方落叶阔叶林的主要组成树种蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica Fisch.ex Ledeb.)的1年生幼苗为研究对象,设置4个酸雨酸度(重度、中度、轻度和对照)和3个降雨量(自然雨量和增、减雨量30％),以期阐明酸雨对蒙古栎幼苗形态生长、生物量和根系伤流量的影响,探讨中国北方日趋严重的酸雨是否会影响蒙古栎幼苗的生长,为酸雨区森林恢复植物的选择提供依据.研究结果显示:1)在本实验的酸雨酸度下,酸雨降雨量的增加对蒙古栎幼苗各生理生态指标均有一定的促进作用;2)酸雨酸度对蒙古栎幼苗形态和生物量的影响不显著,但酸度增加降低了幼苗的根系伤流量;3)增雨的重度酸雨处理促进了蒙古栎幼苗形态生长和生物量累积;4)两因素对蒙古栎幼苗的影响没有交互作用.说明蒙古栎对酸雨具有一定的抗性,可考虑选择为酸雨区植被构建的物种.     

Robustness of the biotic indicators used for classification of ecological status of lotic water bodies: A testing method when the data series are short

Successful implementation of the Water Framework Directive and achieving its objective of good ecological status of all water bodies depend on the power of the set of monitoring indicators to capture the change in the ecological status of aquatic systems. In this context, testing the robustness and sensitivity of ecological indicators currently used for assessing the status of lotic water bodies is instrumental for the adaptation and further development of assessment methods. This is also a prerequisite for an effective, context-based monitoring system and for improving the quality of the decision making for water bodies. This is particularly challenging in regions where the sets of indicators are under development, the data series are relatively short and data which addresses the individual error sources are lacking. Here we show that hierarchical clusters and ordination analysis provide appropriate tools with which the validity of the ecological status of water bodies set up based on biological multimetric monitoring indices in a small water basin could be tested. We hypothesize that robust and informative monitoring methods classify all water bodies belonging to a single ordination grouping in the same quality class (high, good, moderate, poor or bad). In our case study multimetric biological indicators failed to discriminate between the good and moderate ecological status. Community structure as well as water conductivity and nitrate load were primarily responsible for the observed difference between ordination groupings. Inconsistencies shown in our case study are likely to be induced by insufficient refinement of monitoring schemes and by the constraints existing in the data series and available metadata. We show that multiplication of indicators leads to discrepant interpretation and problematic application. Proposed ordination analysis proves to be a simple and useful tool to detect such discrepancies and support further progress in indicator development. Integrated and longer data and metadata series are needed to refine context-based monitoring methods.     

Mapping habitat indices across river networks using spatial statistical modelling of River Habitat Survey data

Freshwater ecosystems are declining faster than their terrestrial and marine counterparts because of physical pressures on habitats. European legislation requires member states to achieve ecological targets through the effective management of freshwater habitats. Maps of habitats across river networks would help diagnose environmental problems and plan for the delivery of improvement work. Existing habitat mapping methods are generally time consuming, require experts and are expensive to implement. Surveys based on sampling are cheaper but provide patchy representations of habitat distribution. In this study, we present a method for mapping habitat indices across networks using semi-quantitative data and a geostatistical technique called regression kriging. The method consists of the derivation of habitat indices using multivariate statistical techniques that are regressed on map-based covariates such as altitude, slope and geology. Regression kriging combines the Generalised Least Squares (GLS) regression technique with a spatial analysis of model residuals. Predictions from the GLS model are ‘corrected’ using weighted averages of model residuals following an analysis of spatial correlation. The method was applied to channel substrate data from the River Habitat Survey in Great Britain. A Channel Substrate Index (CSI) was derived using Correspondence Analysis and predicted using regression kriging. The model explained 74% of the main sample variability and 64% in a test sample. The model was applied to the English and Welsh river network and a map of CSI was produced. The proposed approach demonstrates how existing national monitoring data and geostatistical techniques can be used to produce continuous maps of habitat indices at the national scale.     

水稻上部叶片叶绿素含量的高光谱估算模型

叶片叶绿素 (Chl) 状况是评价植株光合效率和营养胁迫的重要指标,实时无损监测Chl状况对作物生长诊断及氮素管理具有重要意义.以不同生态点、不同年份、不同施氮水平、不同类型水稻品种的4个田间试验为基础,于主要生育期同步测定了水稻主茎顶部4张叶片的高光谱反射率及Chl含量,并计算了350～2500 nm范围内任意两波段组合而成的比值(SR[λ1,λ2])和归一化(ND[λ1,λ2])光谱指数以及已报道的对Chl敏感的光谱指数,进一步系统分析了叶片Chl含量与上述光谱指数之间的定量关系.结果表明,红边波段的比值和归一化光谱指数可以较好地预测水稻上部4叶的Chl含量(R~2>0.9),但对于不同Chl指标其最佳组合波段有所差异.估算叶绿素a (Chla)、叶绿素总量(Chla+b)和叶绿素b (Chlb)的最佳比值光谱指数分别为SR(724,709)、SR(728,709)和SR(749,745),方程拟合决定系数R~2分别是0.947、0.946、0.905;最佳归一化光谱指数分别为ND(780,709)、ND(780,712)和ND(749,745),R~2分别是0.944、0.943、0.905.引入445 nm波段反射率对上述光谱指数进行修正,可以降低叶片表面反射差异的影响,提高模型的应用范围.利用不同年份独立的试验资料对所建模型进行了检验,结果表明,修正型比值光谱指数 mSR(724,709)、mSR(728,709) 和 mSR(749,745),以及修正型归一化光谱指数mND(780,709)、mND(780,712) 和 mND(749,745) 预测 Chla、Chla+b 和 Chlb 的效果更好,其测试的RMSE分别为 0.169、0.192、0.052、0.159、0.176、0.052,RE分别为8.18%、7.74%、13.01%、8.26%、7.59%、12.96%,均较修正前降低,说明修正后的光谱指数普适性更好.     

玉米蛋白粉替代鱼粉对大黄鱼生长、血清生化指标及肝脏组织学的影响

为探讨玉米蛋白粉替代鱼粉对大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea) 幼鱼生长、血清生化指标及肝脏组织形态的影响, 进行了为期56d的养殖试验, 探索玉米蛋白粉替代大黄鱼幼鱼饲料鱼粉的适当比例。以初始体重为(10.49±0.03) g的大黄鱼幼鱼为研究对象, 用玉米蛋白粉替代基础饲料(含40%鱼粉)0、15%、30%、45%、60%和75%的鱼粉来配制6种等氮(粗蛋白含量45%)等脂(粗脂肪含量10%)的实验饲料, 分别标记为C0、C15、C30、C45、C60、C75组。除C0以外的替代组分别添加了适量的晶体氨基酸(赖氨酸和蛋氨酸)。结果表明, 玉米蛋白粉替代水平对大黄鱼幼鱼存活率、试验鱼特定生长率、饲料系数均无显著性差异(P>0.05)。C45和C60组肌肉粗蛋白含量显著高于C0组(P<0.05), 肌肉粗脂肪含量C45组显著高于C0、C15和C75组 (P<0.05), C45、C60和C75组肌肉水分显著低于C0组(P<0.05), 全鱼粗蛋白、粗脂肪、水分含量无显著差异(P>0.05); 灰分含量有上升趋势, C75组显著高于其他组(P<0.05)。各替代组的血清白蛋白、白球比、谷草转氨酶、葡萄糖均无显著性差异(P>0.05); 随着替代比例的升高, 总胆固醇有降低的趋势, 除C15组与C0无显著性差异外(P>0.05), 4组均显著低于CO组(P<0.05); 实验探讨替代后对鱼的影响, C75组血清总蛋白和球蛋白含量显著低于C0组(P<0.05); C75组血清谷草转氨酶含量显著高于C0(P<0.05)。各处理组总抗氧化能力、过氧化氢酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化氢酶均没有显著性影响(P>0.05), 但替代组总抗氧化能力含量均高于C0; 丙二醛在C75组显著高于C0组(P<0.05)。通过肝组织学观察表明, 当替代比例高于45%时, 呈现肝细胞核偏位、胞浆内脂肪滴较多、细胞透明空泡化等症状。综上所述, 在实验条件下, 研究认为玉米蛋白粉替代鱼粉对大黄鱼幼鱼的适宜添加量为45%。     

青少年双生子体型指征相关指标的遗传度研究(英文)

目的:用经典的双生子设计探讨遗传因素对青少年身高、体重、体质指数(BMI)等体型指征的影响程度。方法:从青岛市双生子库中选择自愿参加本研究的362对11-19岁双生子,测量身高、体重。同性别的双生子通过16个多态标记进行卵型鉴定,在此基础上,应用Mx软件构建结构方程模型分析计算遗传度。结果:对362对有效双生子数据进行分析,其中同卵双生子194对,异卵双生子168对,身高的最佳拟合模型ACE模型,体重和BMI的最佳拟合模型为AE模型。调整年龄性别后,身高的遗传度为66%,体重的遗传度为84%,体质指数的遗传度为75%。结论:在青少年体型指征的相关指标中,身高、体重、BMI受遗传因素影响都较大。     

RESPECTING AUTONOMY WITHOUT DISCLOSING INFORMATION

There is widespread agreement that it would be both morally and legally wrong to treat a competent patient, or to carry out research with a competent participant, without the voluntary consent of that patient or research participant. Furthermore, in medical ethics it is generally taken that that consent must be informed. The most widely given reason for this has been that informed consent is needed to respect the patient's or research participant's autonomy. In this article I set out to challenge this claim by considering in detail each of the three most prominent ways in which ‘autonomy’ has been conceptualized in the medical ethics literature. I will argue that whilst these accounts support the claim that consent is needed if the treatment of competent patients, or research on competent individuals, is to respect their autonomy, they do not support the claim that informed consent is needed for this purpose.     

黄土丘陵小流域土壤侵蚀的时空变异及其影响因子

采用土壤侵蚀模型LISEM(Limburg Soil Erosion Model)模拟黄土丘陵沟壑区大南沟小流域5种土地利用格局下立地尺度上土壤侵蚀量的空间分布,从土壤侵蚀量与环境因子的关系分析入手,研究黄土丘陵小流域立地尺度上土壤侵蚀的时空变异性及其影响因子.研究结果表明,立地尺度上平均土壤侵蚀强度以1975年>1998年>退耕格局,可见优化土地利用格局(陡坡农地退耕)可以有效地降低立地尺度上的土壤侵蚀强度.各种土地利用方案下土壤侵蚀强度的空间变异都很显著,相对来说以1975年<1998年<退耕格局,可见优化土地利用格局可以提高土壤侵蚀的空间变异性,降低土壤侵蚀危险的空间聚集度.土壤侵蚀量与降雨呈现显著正相关性,相关性以LU75>LU98>退耕格局,可见合理的土地利用格局可以有效地削弱降雨对土壤侵蚀强度的影响.土地利用方式对土壤侵蚀空间分布具有显著影响.从1975年、1998年到3种退耕格局,陡坡农地退耕还林还草,植被覆盖度增加,林地/灌木地、果园/经济林地、农地和休闲地的平均土壤侵蚀强度都逐渐降低.相关分析表明,林地/灌木地上土壤侵蚀量最小,荒草地相对最严重;果园、休闲地和农地居中.土壤侵蚀强度还存在显著的地形分异.水平凹凸度和相对海拔对土壤侵蚀空间分布的影响比较显著,而坡向、坡度和垂直凹凸度的影响较小.土壤侵蚀强度以水平凸坡大于水平凹坡、垂直凹坡略大于垂直凸坡、偏南坡大于偏北坡、低海拔大于高海拔.对1975年和1998年土地利用格局来说,土壤侵蚀强度以偏西坡大于偏东坡、陡坡大于缓坡;对3种退耕格局而言则正相反.可见,优化土地利用格局(陡坡农地退耕),可以有效地削弱甚至逆转地形对土壤侵蚀强度的影响.     

Reconsidering paternalism in clinical research

The ethical standards that regulate clinical research have multiple rationales. Among them is the need to protect potential subjects from making imprudent decisions, which extends beyond the soft paternalistic concern to protect people from making uninformed decisions to participate in trials. This article argues that a plausible risk/benefit restriction on clinical trials is presumptively justified by hard paternalism, which in turn is supported by a deeper fairness‐based rationale. This presumptive case for hard paternalism in research is not defeated by the alleged right to participate in clinical trials, by concerns about insult or status, by the need to conduct early phase trials that promise little to no benefit to participants, or by the recognition that some potential subjects are altruistically motivated.