低覆盖度灌木群丛的水平配置格局与固沙效果的风洞试验

针对覆盖度为18%～20%的灌木固沙疏林,在风洞内,模拟了行带式、等株行距和随机不均匀等3种水平配置格局的风力侵蚀机理和固沙效果.结果表明:1.当风速为10m/s时,行带式内吹风30min后不出现风蚀,等株行距和随机模式内分别在吹风8min和3min出现风蚀;2.当风速增大为15m/s时,行带式仅在模式内出现微弱的风蚀和积沙,吹风30min后形成稳定的凹月形沙面,最大蚀、积厚度为0.4cm和0.7cm,没有形成风沙流,而等株行距和随机模式则出现强风沙流,吹风30min后,模式内65.57%和66.96%的沙被吹走;3.等株行距主要风蚀灌空隙丛间的沙面,随机配置主要风蚀灌丛分布的大空隙间的沙面,而在灌丛相对集中的部位积沙,因此形成非常复杂的沙面形状.     

空肠弯曲菌生物学分型的研究

用马尿酸水解,28℃中生长及10种试剂抗性试验,研究了空肠弯曲菌的生物学分型,每株菌按3种方法,4组实验进行计数,我们对86株弯曲菌进行了生物学分型,其中空肠弯曲菌79株,分为17种类型,结肠弯曲菌5株为5种类型,海鸥弯曲菌2株为2种类型。这对菌株在流行病学上分析有一定意义。     

基于自组织特征映射模型(SOFM)网络的中国自然资源生态安全区划

自然资源生态安全是国家安全的重要组成部分,自然资源生态安全区划对保障区域可持续发展提供了重要途径。基于自然资源数据、生态环境数据和相关区划资料,从生态敏感性与生态服务重要性角度构建了自然资源生态安全评价指标体系,进而揭示了中国自然资源生态安全的空间格局;通过建立区划的原则和指标,按照一级区主要反映自然资源空间分布格局,二级区主要揭示自然资源生态安全水平的差异,采用SOFM网络制订了中国自然资源生态安全区划方案。结果显示：(1)中国自然资源生态安全水平整体偏低,以中警与重警状态区域为主,安全和较安全状态的区域仅占24.22%,其中低安全等级区多分布于400mm等降水量线以西的干旱、半干旱区,高安全等级区则集中分布于水热资源与生物资源较为丰富的东南部地区;(2)中国自然资源生态安全区划方案包括8个一级区与27个二级区,总结归纳各大区自然资源的特征和威胁生态安全的问题,并针对二级区自然资源生态安全状况提出了对策建议。研究结果可为分区、分类推进全国自然资源可持续利用和国土空间优化提供理论支持与决策依据。     

Molecular Modelling of the Mechanism of Action of Borate Retarders on Hydrating Cements at High Temperature

Abstract

We consider the class of borate additives in an attempt to understand, on the basis of molecular modelling techniques, why they are effective high temperature cement setting retarder aids. Borates are known to act as cement retarders under ambient conditions, for which the Billingham-Coveney clock reaction scheme [1] based on a gel → crystalline ettringite transformation provides the basic model. Under conditions of high temperature (above ca. 80°C) ettringite is known to be unstable, so that a modification to this mechanism is then required. However, conceptually (and mathematically) the kinetic scheme remains unchanged: we are concerned with a gel → crystalline silicate transition, which can be inhibited by suitable retarders. Thus the proposed mechanism for the high temperature retardation of hydrating cements by borates is that the latter prevent the growth of polymeric or crystalline calcium silicate hydrates such as tobermorite from the initially formed C ? S ? H gel.

The mechanism which we propose in this paper, which is based on chemisorption of borate species, explains some experimentally observed phenomena relating to the retarding action of both monomeric and polymeric borates in solution. On the basis of this work, we are able to predict vibrational frequencies for the cyclic borosilicate species which is formed, observation of which would confirm the validity of the mechanism proposed here. We can also use our work to explain the effectiveness of different borates. We conclude by suggesting a novel boronate retarder which might be expected to be more potent than those currently in use.     

部分力偏倚蒙特卡罗方法和它在计算相对自由能中的应用

提出了一种部分力偏倚蒙特卡罗模拟方法,其中力偏倚仅用于体系中每个分子质心的平动而不用于分子的转动.此方法的总体效益较之先前几种方案为佳,同时报导了该方法在自由能微扰计算中的具体应用.     

The cost of stabilising the German lapwing population: A bioeconomic study on lapwing population development and distribution using a cellular automaton

The populations of farmland birds such as the lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) are declining sharply. These populations suffer from frequent cultivation measures and degraded habitat quality on arable land. An effective conservation measure is the lapwing plot, an agriculturally unused section within an arable field. We address German lapwing population development and dispersal if different shares of the population are safeguarded by the use of lapwing plots. We adapted a matrix projection model and extended it by projecting population development in three different habitat types (arable land, grassland and optimal habitat) and in varying scenarios. We introduced a cellular automaton and developed a new algorithm to simulate dispersal dynamics. The results show that without further conservation measures, the population could decline from 70 000 breeding pairs in 2006 to 12 000 or 23 000 pairs in 2055, depending on the underlying assumptions. Our model can be used to set environmental goals and then simulate the necessary implementation levels of conservation measures, such as the lapwing plot, and estimate the corresponding costs. For the goal of at least stabilising the population, 60% of the pairs in the normal agricultural landscape need to be safeguarded. For the population on arable land the corresponding costs range between 1.6 and 2.8 million € per year.     

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE EVOLUTION OF REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERS IN PONTEDERIACEAE USING PHYLOGENETIC EVIDENCE FROM CHLOROPLAST DNA RESTRICTION-SITE VARIATION

We reconstructed the phylogenetic history of Pontederiaceae using chloroplast DNA restriction-site variation from approximately two-thirds of the species in this family of aquatic monocotyledons. The molecular phylogeny was used to evaluate hypotheses concerning the evolution of reproductive characters associated with the breeding system. The family has four main genera, two of which (Eichhornia and Pontederia) have tristylous, predominantly outcrossing species, while two (Monochoria and Heteranthera) have enantiostylous taxa. Self-incompatibility is restricted to some but not all tristylous species. In Eichhornia and Pontederia, predominantly selfing species with small monomorphic flowers (homostyly) have been hypothesized to result from the multiple breakdown of tristyly. Restriction-site variation provided a well supported phylogeny of ingroup taxa, enabling the mapping of reproductive characters onto trees. Two contrasting optimization schemes were assessed, differing in the relative weights assigned to shifts in character states. The reconstructed sequence of floral character-state change was used to assess competing hypotheses concerning the origin and breakdown of tristyly, and the relationships between tristylous and enantiostylous syndromes. Our results indicate that the class of optimization scheme used was the most critical factor in reconstructing character evolution. Despite some topological uncertainties and difficulty in reconstructing the primitive floral form in the family, several broad conclusions were possible when an unordered, unequally-weighted optimization scheme was used: (1) tristyly originated either once or twice, while the occurrence of enantiostyly in Monochoria and Heteranthera was always found to have independent origins; (2) tristyly has repeatedly broken down leading to selfing, homostylous taxa; and (3) self-incompatibility probably arose after the origin of floral trimorphism, a sequence of events that conflicts with some evolutionary models.     

Quantification of PDZ domain specificity, prediction of ligand affinity and rational design of super-binding peptides

Transient macromolecular complexes are often formed by protein-protein interaction domains (e.g. PDZ, SH2, SH3, WW) which recognize linear sequence motifs with in vitro affinities typically in the micromolar range. The analysis of the resulting interaction networks requires a quantification of domain specificity and selectivity towards all possible ligands with physiologically relevant affinity. As representative examples, we determined specificity as a function of ligand sequence-dependent affinity contributions by statistical analysis of peptide library screens for the AF6, ERBIN and SNA1 (alpha-1-syntrophin) PDZ domains. For this purpose, the three PDZ domains were first screened for binding with a peptide library comprising 6223 human C termini created by SPOT synthesis. Based on the detected ligand preferences, we designed focused peptide libraries (profile libraries). These libraries were used to quantify the affinity contributions of the four C-terminal ligand residues by means of ANOVA models (analysis of variance) relating the C-terminal ligand sequences to the corresponding dissociation constants. Our models agreed well with experimentally determined dissociation constants and allowed us to design super binding peptides. The latter were shown experimentally to bind to their cognate PDZ domains with the highest affinity. In addition, we determined structure-activity relationships and thereby rationalized the position-specific affinity contributions. Furthermore, we used the statistical models to predict the dissociation constants for the complete ligand sequence space and thus determined the specificity overlap for the three investigated PDZ domains (). Altogether, we present an efficient method for profiling protein-protein interaction domains that provides a biophysical picture of specificity and selectivity. This approach allows the rational design of functional experiments and provides a basis for simulating interaction networks in the field of systems biology.     

First passage time problem for a drifted Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process

We consider a continuous stochastic process defined as a drifted Ornstein-Uhlenbeck, for which the first passage time is of interest. The process being non-homogeneous, the first passage time probability density function cannot be found analytically, but numerical methods enable to find its estimate. Estimating the first passage time implies solving an unsteady convection-diffusion equation, with variable coefficients, and we use an implicit Euler scheme to solve it. This work is applied to simulated data, and the continuous process is inspired from recent work on biological marker modelling for HIV-positive patients. The first passage time probability density function can be useful to compare the marker progression in different groups. Numerical results show that the first passage time is highly dependent from the process perturbation, and is then more relevant than methods not considering the stochastic process directly to compare the progression.     

Review: Towards the agroecological management of ruminants,pigs and poultry through the development of sustainable breeding programmes. II. Breeding strategies

Agroecology uses ecological processes and local resources rather than chemical inputs to develop productive and resilient livestock and crop production systems. In this context, breeding innovations are necessary to obtain animals that are both productive and adapted to a broad range of local contexts and diversity of systems. Breeding strategies to promote agroecological systems are similar for different animal species. However, current practices differ regarding the breeding of ruminants, pigs and poultry. Ruminant breeding is still an open system where farmers continue to choose their own breeds and strategies. Conversely, pig and poultry breeding is more or less the exclusive domain of international breeding companies which supply farmers with hybrid animals. Innovations in breeding strategies must therefore be adapted to the different species. In developed countries, reorienting current breeding programmes seems to be more effective than developing programmes dedicated to agroecological systems that will struggle to be really effective because of the small size of the populations currently concerned by such systems. Particular attention needs to be paid to determining the respective usefulness of cross-breeding v. straight breeding strategies of well-adapted local breeds. While cross-breeding may offer some immediate benefits in terms of improving certain traits that enable the animals to adapt well to local environmental conditions, it may be difficult to sustain these benefits in the longer term and could also induce an important loss of genetic diversity if the initial pure-bred populations are no longer produced. As well as supporting the value of within-breed diversity, we must preserve between-breed diversity in order to maintain numerous options for adaptation to a variety of production environments and contexts. This may involve specific public policies to maintain and characterize local breeds (in terms of both phenotypes and genotypes), which could be used more effectively if they benefited from the scientific and technical resources currently available for more common breeds. Last but not least, public policies need to enable improved information concerning the genetic resources and breeding tools available for the agroecological management of livestock production systems, and facilitate its assimilation by farmers and farm technicians.