Neural inhibition sharpens auditory spatial selectivity of bat inferior collicular neurons

This study examines the role of neural inhibition in auditory spatial selectivity of inferior collicular neurons of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, using a two-tone inhibition paradigm. Two-tone inhibition decreases auditory spatial response areas but increases the slopes of directional sensitivity curves of inferior collicular neurons. Inferior collicular neurons have either directionally-selective or hemifield directional sensitivity curves. A directionally-selective curve always has a peak which is at least 50% larger than the minimum. A hemifield directional sensitivity curve rises from an ipsilateral angle by more than 50% and either reaches a plateau or declines by less than 50% over a range of contralateral angles. Two-tone inhibition does not change directionally-selective curves but changes most hemifield directional sensitivity curves into directionally-selective curves. Auditory spatial selectivity determined both with and without two-tone inhibition increases with increasing best-excitatory frequency. Sharpening of auditory spatial selectivity by two-tone inhibition is larger for neurons with smaller differences between excitatory and inhibitory best frequencies. The effect of two-tone inhibition on auditory spatial selectivity increases with increasing inhibitory tone intensity but decreases with increasing intertone interval. The implications of these findings in bat echolocation are discussed. Accepted: 18 January 2000     

Validation of discrete time-to-event prediction models in the presence of competing risks

Clinical prediction models play a key role in risk stratification, therapy assignment and many other fields of medical decision making. Before they can enter clinical practice, their usefulness has to be demonstrated using systematic validation. Methods to assess their predictive performance have been proposed for continuous, binary, and time-to-event outcomes, but the literature on validation methods for discrete time-to-event models with competing risks is sparse. The present paper tries to fill this gap and proposes new methodology to quantify discrimination, calibration, and prediction error (PE) for discrete time-to-event outcomes in the presence of competing risks. In our case study, the goal was to predict the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) attributed to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in intensive care units (ICUs). Competing events are extubation, death, and VAP due to other bacteria. The aim of this application is to validate complex prediction models developed in previous work on more recently available validation data.     

Nematode Community Structure along the Continental Slope off the Kenyan Coast,Western Indian Ocean

Metazoan meiofauna and in particular nematode densities, diversity, community structure were studied in relation to water depth (20 m, 50 m, 500 m, 1000 m and 2000 m) along four bathymetric transects in the Western Indian Ocean off the Kenyan coast. Nematode densities ranged between 276–944 ind./10 cm², which is comparable to values from other oligotrophic areas in the world. Densities was correlated with oxygen concentrations in the overlying water, since they were lowest at mid‐depth (500–1000 m) coinciding with the minimum oxygen level. Nematode community structure (at genus level) resembles communities found in temperate slope regions, which are also characterized by a low productivity. The community structure showed correlations with sediment composition, water depth and oxygen levels in the overlying water. Sediment composition was mainly important at the shelf where nematodes separated into a silty sediment‐dwelling community with high abundances of Daptonema, Dorylaimopsis, Terschellingia and Halalaimus, and a sandy sediment‐dwelling community characterised by high abundances of Microlaimus and Halalaimus. The genera Monhystera, Acantholaimus, Sabatieria, Molgolaimus and Halalaimus dominated the slope communities. The characteristic deep‐sea taxa, the monhysterids and Acantholaimus increased in relative abundance with increasing depth, to become dominant at the lower slope (2000 m). The upper (500 m) and mid‐slope (1000 m), which coincided with the lowest oxygen concentrations, were colonised by Sabatieria, a genus that is known to inhabit suboxic sediments. Diversity at the level of the genera showed an unimodal trend along the sampled gradient, with highest values at mid‐depth (500 m). Although the oxygen minimum at mid depths is much less pronounced than in adjacent areas, the results of this study suggest an impact on the present communities.     

河北小五台山北坡植物物种多样性的垂直梯度变化

通过野外群落调查,分析了小五台山北坡植物物种多样性的垂直梯度变化。结果表明：(1)小五台山北坡的物种丰富度随海拔的升高逐渐减小,物种组成趋于简单,乔木树种渐少。d多样性指数变化较小,但呈现出随海拔升高先增大、后减小的趋势。(2)β多样性指数很好地反映了群落之问的变化。相异系数峰值出现在海拔1．400-1500m处灌丛向森林的过渡带和海拔2600—2700m处森林向亚高山草甸的过渡带。海拔1400-1500m处出现的Cody指数极大值反映了灌丛群落向森林群落的变化,而Cody指数在海拔2100—2200m的极大值反映了阔叶林和针叶林之间的过渡。(3)作为小五台山两种最为重要的阔叶树种,白桦(Betula platyphylla)和红桦(Betula albosinensis)沿海拔梯度出现明显的替代现象,随着海拔的升高,白桦逐渐为红桦所取代。     

元谋干热河谷冲沟坡度与植物优势种关系

在元谋干热河谷冲沟发育典型的三个样区(沙地村、金雷村、苴林村)采集48条冲沟的植物样方数据和冲沟沟底的坡度数据,运用重要值方法对植被优势种进行判别和筛选,以灌木优势种和草本优势种为主要研究对象,探讨植被优势种与冲沟沟底坡度的关系。结果表明：(1)灌木优势种为车桑子Dodonaea viscosa和山合欢Albizia kalkora,重要值分别为0.486和0.342,占灌木总体的83%;草本优势种为扭黄茅Heteropogon contortus、孔颖草Bothriochloa pertusa和茅草Imperata cylindrica,重要值分别为0.386、0.140及0.196,占草本总体的72%。(2)除草本优势种中的茅草盖度与坡度相关性显著(P<0.05)外,样区冲沟沟底坡度与灌木优势种和草本优势种相关性均不显著(P>0.05),表明在元谋干热河谷地区,冲沟沟底坡度对植被优势种生长状况影响较小。     

黄土高寒区典型植被类型土壤入渗特征及其影响因素

为了研究黄土高寒区典型植被在不同坡位下土壤入渗性能差异及其影响因素,采用恒定水头法测定了不同植被类型的土壤入渗过程,并分析了土壤孔隙状况、机械组成、水稳性团聚体等与渗透速率的相关性。结果表明:(1)初渗速率和稳渗速率均表现为青海云杉>祁连圆柏>华北落叶松>荒草地,且差异性显著;同一植被类型的土壤入渗速率沿坡面向下逐渐增大,但差异性不显著;(2)对不同植被类型的土壤入渗过程模拟发现Horton模型拟合效果最好,决定系数均在0.8以上,通用经验模型拟合精度较差,决定系数在0.614—0.982之间;(3)土壤入渗性能与孔隙状况、水稳性团聚体质量分数、有机质含量均有极显著相关性;>0.25 mm团聚体质量分数是影响稳渗速率的主要决策因素;总孔隙度是影响初渗速率的最主要的决策因素,而毛管孔隙度是主要的限制因子。为高寒地区土壤入渗模拟以及植被配置等提供了科学依据。     

采用最大溯源径流路径法估算RUSLE模型中地形因子探讨

采用基于AML的提取坡长值的新方法--最大溯源径流路径法,对贵州省毕节地区5个不同范围区域的DEM数据进行坡长值、地形因子的提取,并与基于AML的迭代累计坡长法和基于C⁺⁺的迭代累计坡长法对提取坡长值的时间消耗、地形因子值进行了比较.结果表明：基于AML的最大溯源径流路径法能够实现修正的通用土壤流失模型(RUSLE)中坡长值、地形因子的提取,可达到与迭代累计坡长法相同的效果;与基于AML的迭代累计坡长法相比,该方法计算效率较高,大大减少了提取坡长值的时间消耗,可实现基于AML的坡长值、地形因子提取在大范围区域上的扩展;与基于C⁺⁺的迭代累计坡长法相比,该方法计算时效和结果相当,程序编写简单,容易修改和调试,能更普遍应用于GIS用户.     

Endogenous cardiac activity rhythms of continental slope Nephrops norvegicus (decapoda: nephropidae)

The endogenous cardiac activity rhythm of the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus was studied under constant conditions of darkness by means of a computer-aided monitoring system (CAPMON). Time series recordings of the heart rate (beats min^?1) were obtained from 47 adult males freshly collected from the continental slope (400–430?m) in the western Mediterranean. Periodogram analysis revealed the occurrence of circadian periodicity (of around 24?h) in most cases. A large percentage of animals showed significant ultradian periods (of around 12 and 18?h). The analysis of the circadian time series revealed the occurrence of peaks of heart rate activity during the expected night phase of the cycle. These results are discussed in relation to the emergence and locomotor activity rhythms of the species.     

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。     

Determination of species-area relationships and minimum sampling area for the shrub communities in the arid valley in the upper reach of the Minjiang River, China

The minimum sampling areas (MSAs) for the shrub communities in the arid valley in the upper reach of the Minjiang River, China, were studied by fitting community species-area relationships using 3 types of equations. The MSAs were determined at the proportional factor (ρ) 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9. The proportional factors represent the proportion of the number of species within a sampling plot in the total number of species. The MSAs of the shrub communities at different elevations and on different slope faces for ρ = 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 were all around 100 m². Hence, the MSAs could be set to be 100 m² (10 m × 10 m) at 60%–80% precision levels. For ρ = 0.9, that is, for a 90% precision level, the MSAs were less than 200 m² (10 m × 20 m). The MSAs and species richness increased gradually with the rising elevation. At the elevation below 2000 m, the MSAs and species richness on the north-facing slope were larger than those on the south-facing slope. However, at the elevation around 2200 m, there was no difference amongst different facing slopes. For the shrub communities in the arid valley in the upper reach of the Minjiang River, the species-area curves by fitting the first two equations are better than that by fitting the third equation.