Visualization and interpretation of birth defects data using linked micromap plots

BACKGROUND: Many states have implemented birth defects surveillance systems to monitor and disseminate information regarding birth defects. However, many of these states rely on tabular methods to disseminate statistical birth defects summaries. An innovative presentation technique for birth defect data that portrays the information in a joint geographical and statistical context is the linked micromap (LM) plot. METHODS: LM plots were generated for oral cleft data at two geographical resolutions—USA states and counties of Utah. The LM plots also included demographic and behavioral risk data. RESULTS: A LM plot for the USA reveals spatial patterns indicating higher oral cleft occurrence in the southwest and the midwest and lower occurrence in the east. The LM plot also indicates relationships between oral cleft occurrence and maternal smoking rates and the proportion of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. In particular, the five states with the highest oral cleft occurrence had a higher proportion of American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Among the 15 states with the highest oral cleft occurrence, nine had a smoking rate of 16% or higher while among the 15 states with the lowest oral cleft occurrence only one state had a smoking rate greater than 16%. The LM plot for the state of Utah shows no clear geographic pattern, due perhaps to a relatively small number of cases in a limited geographic area. CONCLUSIONS: LM plots are effective in representing complex and large volume birth defects data. Integration to birth defects surveillance systems will improve both presentation and interpretation. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Land‐use changes may explain the recent range expansion of the Black‐shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus in southern Europe

Occasional observations of Black‐shouldered Kites Elanus caeruleus in Europe date back to the mid‐19th century, but it was only recorded as a breeding species in the early 1960s in Portugal and a few years later in neighbouring Spain. This recent colonization, possibly from Africa where the species is abundant, may be due to climate change, land‐use changes in southern Europe, or both. As a first step to understanding this range expansion process we have developed a habitat selection model using data from the current strongholds of its European distribution. Comparing the proportion of different habitat types around 46 breeding sites and 45 randomly chosen plots, we have found that the area of cultivated parklands known as dehesas in Spain is a strong predictor of the current distribution range of breeding pairs of Black‐shouldered Kites. Specifically, the percentage of dehesas with planted cereal and a low density of trees (i.e. < 7 trees/ha and thus a savannah‐like habitat) within the study plots explained 44.6% of the residual deviance in our model. The minimal adequate model classified 81.3% of breeding sites and random plots correctly. Our results suggest that Black‐shouldered Kites may have taken advantage of the gradual increase of cultivated dehesas in the second half of the 20th century to expand its range in Europe. This particular type of dehesa is structurally similar to the African savannahs where the species thrives and may offer a higher density of rodents than traditional dehesas, which primarily contain pastureland for livestock ranching.     

竹篦舟蛾发生规律及综合防治研究

通过毛竹林间系统观察和调查,明确了竹篦舟蛾种群数量消长与气候因子和天敌数量关系密切。第1代幼虫的大发生主要与2月下旬至3月中旬的温度、降雨有关,第2-3代幼虫的大发生主要与天敌数量多省关系密切。该虫在1年内有3个为害高峰,以6月上旬最为严重。提出了以林业防治为主要手段,应用生物、化学药剂协调防治,维持竹林的生态平衡的综合防治技术措施。     

酵母基因中转录正调控内含子序列特征的统计分析

大量实验研究显示,真核基因的许多内含子具有调控转录的功能,但是对此问题尚缺乏全面的研究.观察一些酵母基因的转录频率与基因的内含子序列后,发现一个值得注意的现象：转录频率高的基因内含子序列一般都比较长,而转录频率低的基因内含子一般都比较短.这提示高效转录基因的较长内含子中可能含有某些增强基因转录的特征性结构.于是选取两组酵母基因的内含子进行详细研究,第一组的基因具有较高的转录频率（>30）,第二组的基因转录频率较低（≤10）.对寡核苷酸（主要是四核苷酸、五核苷酸）的出现频率进行统计比较分析,探测到一批寡核苷酸,它们在第一组内含子中出现的频率显著高于在第二组内含子中出现的频率,同时也显著高于与第一组内含子相邻的外显子中的出现频率.其中一些寡核苷酸与实验研究得到的转录调控元件相同.从这批寡核苷酸在内含子和外显子序列中的分布看,高效转录基因内含子的序列结构确实有利于基因的转录.     

Field and laboratory studies in a Neotropical population of the spinose ear tick, Otobius megnini

Abstract One ear of each of five cows on a property close to Dean Funes, province of Córdoba, Argentina, was inspected monthly from December 2004 to November 2006 to determine the presence of Otobius megnini (Dugès) and to ascertain its seasonality. Ticks were collected to study the biological parameters of larvae, nymphs and adult ticks. Groups of nymphs were also maintained at three different photoperiods at 25 °C. The abundance of immature stages was greatest during January–April and August–October in the first and second years of the study, respectively. No larvae successfully moulted. Nymphs weighing < 17 mg also failed to moult, but 89% of heavier nymphs moulted into adults. Nymphs moulting to males weighed less (49.5 ± 16.09 mg) than nymphs moulting to females (98.1 ± 34.08 mg). The pre‐moult period was similar for nymphs moulting to either sex and significantly longer (P < 0.01) for female nymphs maintained at 25 °C compared with nymphs kept at 27 °C. No effect of photoperiod on the pre‐moult periods of nymphs was detected. Female ticks produced a mean of 7.0 ± 1.94 egg batches after a preoviposition period of 16.4 ± 8.41 days for the first batch. The mean oviposition period was 61 ± 20.8 days and the duration of oviposition for each batch varied from 1 to 6 days. The mean number of eggs per batch was 93.1 ± 87.53. The minimum incubation period for the first egg batch was 13.6 ± 2.77 days. The total number of eggs laid by each female was 651.6 ± 288.90. Parthenogenesis was not observed. The reproductive efficiency index (REI) (number of eggs laid/weight of female in mg) was 5.5 ± 1.26. Pearson’s correlations showed a significant direct relationship between the weight of the female and number of eggs laid (P < 0.01) and REI (P < 0.05). Several of the biological values presented above for the tick population from the Neotropical zoogeographic region showed marked differences to equivalent values for O. megnini populations from the U.S.A. (Nearctic) and India (Oriental). Nevertheless, the only two sequences of 16S rDNA deposited in GenBank from ticks originating in Argentina and allegedly in the U.S.A. indicate that they are conspecific (99.8% agreement). We tentatively consider the biological differences among populations of this tick species to represent adaptations for survival at different conditions.     

Rationality in collective decision-making by ant colonies

Economic models of animal behaviour assume that decision-makers are rational, meaning that they assess options according to intrinsic fitness value and not by comparison with available alternatives. This expectation is frequently violated, but the significance of irrational behaviour remains controversial. One possibility is that irrationality arises from cognitive constraints that necessitate short cuts like comparative evaluation. If so, the study of whether and when irrationality occurs can illuminate cognitive mechanisms. We applied this logic in a novel setting: the collective decisions of insect societies. We tested for irrationality in colonies of Temnothorax ants choosing between two nest sites that varied in multiple attributes, such that neither site was clearly superior. In similar situations, individual animals show irrational changes in preference when a third relatively unattractive option is introduced. In contrast, we found no such effect in colonies. We suggest that immunity to irrationality in this case may result from the ants’ decentralized decision mechanism. A colony''s choice does not depend on site comparison by individuals, but instead self-organizes from the interactions of multiple ants, most of which are aware of only a single site. This strategy may filter out comparative effects, preventing systematic errors that would otherwise arise from the cognitive limitations of individuals.     

The count of number of organisms by the areal method

A model is proposed to link the basic parameters of a population obtained by the areal method of count. The model is based on regular changes of occurrence and abundance consequent upon changes in the area of the sample plot. This method is applicable to the conditions of aggregation of counted species on the plot under study.     

稻田杂草稻发生情况调查

2007年杂草稻在江苏省海安县各类稻田中的发生率达44．35％,平均每公顷穴数和穗数分别为1023穴和10796穗,最高田块分别达12万穴和180万穗,已成为水稻生产上的潜在威胁。杂草稻在不同稻田的发生程度表现以下趋势：轻-中壤〉砂-轻壤〉重壤土稻田、直播〉抛栽〉机插〉手栽稻田、非统一供种〉统一供种稻田。     

Species composition of ichthyofauna of Baidaratskaya Bay of the Kara Sea

An inventory of the fish species composition of the community from Baidaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea was performed. On the basis of published data and the results of our own studies, the dynamics of changes in the species composition of marine ichthyocenosis of Baidaratskaya Bay from 1932 to 2007 was analyzed. Differences in qualitative (occurrence) and quantitative (proportion in catches) characteristics are shown.