Distribution of Fusarium wilt of Bambara nut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) in farmers’ fields’ of Busia County in Western Kenya and its management using farmyard manure

A study was carried out to determine Fusarium wilt distribution in Bambara nut farmers’ fields and its management using farm yard manure (FYM). Four villages in Busia County were purposively sampled for the study. The data generated were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means separated by least significant difference test. Fusarium wilt incidence in the fields ranged from 14.63 to 43.56%. In the greenhouse, FYM reduced the disease incidence by 10.2% and severity by 9.5% on the black landrace and 1.9 and 12.8%, respectively, on the red landrace. In the field, FYM reduced disease incidence by 9.1% and severity by 6.9% on the black landrace and 10.4 and 10.4%, respectively, on the red landrace. Farm yard manure had the lowest area under disease progress curve irrespective of the landrace. The study confirmed the presence of the pathogen in the fields and the ability to manage the disease using FYM.     

中药凌霄花的研究进展

本文对中药凌霄花的研究进展进行了综述,包括生药学研究、化学成分研究、药理学研究及临床应用。     

PERSPECTIVE: DARWIN,PROGRESS, AND ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES

Darwin's concept of progress was an economic one, with the accumulation of adaptations having a strong analogy to technological innovations. This interpretation makes it easier to understand his differences with Lamarck and others whose views he considered metaphysically objectionable. It also clarifies his relationship to Malthus and such features of his theory as the episodic nature of evolutionary change. His position is consistent with modern theories of biotic invasions and long-term evolutionary trends. It also accords well with current efforts to produce a synthesis between biology and economics.     

Circadian organization in the ruin lizard Podarcis sicula: the role of the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus

The effects of electrolytic lesions to the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus (SCN) on circadian rhythms of locomotor activity were examined in ruin lizards Podarcis sicula maintained in constant darkness and constant temperature (29°C). All lizards (N=15) in which the lesion damaged 80% or more of the SCN became behaviorally arrhythmic. On the contrary, locomotor rhythms persisted in all cases (N=11) when the SCN remained intact and lesions were confined to neighbouring regions of the preoptic area. Taken together with previous work which demonstrates that the pineal and the retinae are not essential for the persistence of circadian locomotor rhythmicity in Podarcis sicula and with recent evidence showing the homology between the SCN of lizards and those of mammals the present results strongly support the view that the SCN of Podarcis sicula contain the primary pacemaker(s) for locomotor rhythms.Abbreviations DD constant darkness - LL constant light - SCN suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus - PH nucleus periventricularis hypothalami - OC optic chiasm - te length of circadian activity - freerunning circadian period     

Change and permanence: Reflections on the ethical-social contract of science in the public interest

Summary Modern science, dedicated since its 17th Century origins to the mastery and possession of nature for the relief of man's estate, is a source of great social change, affecting our opinions, practices, and ways of life. It thus exists necessarily in tension with law and morality, our institutions of stability and order. This tension between change and permanence, between science and law or morals, was institutionalized by the American Founders who sought to encourage, under law, the progress in science and the useful arts, by means of the copyright and patent laws. American science and technology have flourished under the patent law, an ingenious ethical and social contract between scientists and the polity, through which private right and interest and public good generally coincide. Nevertheless, this contract has its limitations. Some of these limitations are vividly seen through the recent Supreme Court decision (in the Chakrabarty case) to permit the patenting of living microorganisms. Analysis of this case shows why the contract between science and the polity embodied in the Patent Laws may not always serve the public good and may also be harmful to science itself. Also, permitting ownership of living species shows how close we have come in our thinking to overstepping the sensible limits of the project for the mastery and possession of nature.     

How to predict product yield in kinetically controlled enzymatic peptide synthesis

The published theory of kinetically controlled enzymatic peptide synthesis needed experimental verification. We carried out the measurement of the peptide yield and estimation of the key parameters alpha and beta for papain-catalyzed synthesis of Mal-L-Phe-L-Ala-LLeuNH(2) from Mal-L-Phe-L-AlaOMe and L-LeuNH(2). The experimental results demonstrate that this theory adequately describes the real process. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

篮状菌属微生物次级代谢产物研究进展

天然产物的主要来源之一是微生物,不同于其他的生物资源,真菌菌种相对容易选育和保藏、适应力较强,可通过大规模发酵获取产物,更具有利于自然资源的可持续发展性和利用价值。篮状菌（Talaromyces sp.）及其次级代谢产物在天然色素上的研究受到科学家的青睐,同时在食品、环境、农业和医药等方面发挥了重要作用,尤其是海洋来源的篮状菌及其次级代谢物表现出显著的生物活性,例如杀虫、抗肿瘤、抗菌、抗病毒等。近来研究表明,篮状菌次级代谢产物根据生物合成的方式可以分为六大类：萜类（terpenes）、生物碱类（fumiquinazolines）、聚酮类（polyketides）、聚酯类（lactones）、醌类（quinones）和甾体类（steroids）,这些活性物质对促进药物的先导物质挖掘与开发具有重要意义。本文通过对文献和资料的查阅,总结了近年来篮状菌及其次级代谢物的研究开发进展,希望为后续研究和应用提供参考。     

中国生物多样性研究文献计量分析

生物多样性是人类赖以生存的重要物质基础,中国在生物多样性研究领域做了大量的工作,发表了众多有价值的学术论文。通过文献计量方法,对2009-2018年中国生物多样性研究领域WOS（Web of Science）和CNKI（中国知网）数据库收录论文的数量及被引情况、载文期刊分布等进行统计;并借助CiteSpace文献可视化软件,分析论文的作者合作、合作机构、国家（地区）合作和研究热点等。结果表明：2009-2018年间,中国生物多样性研究领域共发表论文17035篇,其中CNKI收录文献13365篇,WOS收录文献3670篇;年度发文总量以及WOS年度发文量总体呈上升趋势;CNKI文献被引频次最高的论文是于2009年发表在《生物多样性》上的"植物群落清查的主要内容、方法和技术规范",WOS文献被引频次最高的论文是于2011年发表在Global Change Biology上的"TRY-a global database of plant traits";朴世龙教授、骆亦其教授和唐志尧教授等是基于WOS文献的生物多样性研究领域核心作者,王得祥教授、马克平研究员和张文辉教授等基于CNKI文献的生物多样性研究领域主要作者;WOS文献与CNKI文献发文量最多的机构均为中国科学院所属相关科研院所;与中国合作的国家或地区共有106个,包括美国、英国、澳大利亚等;《生态学报》和Global Change Biology分别是该领域中文和外文文献的重要期刊载体;基于WOS文献的研究热点为气候、土壤等环境因子变化对物种多样性的影响研究以及基于微卫星分子标记技术的物种遗传多样性研究,基于CNKI文献的研究热点为环境因子与群落结构的关系研究。上述研究结果从收录论文的角度,定量、客观、科学地描述了2009-2018年中国生物多样性研究状况及研究热点,以期促进中国生物多样性的深入研究,并为相关领域学者凝练研究动向和科学问题等提供参考信息。     

旅游生态学研究进展

作为生态学和旅游学相交叉的一门新兴分支学科,旅游生态学关注旅游发展中的生态环境问题,以生态学原理指导旅游生态系统管理,是促进旅游业可持续发展的重要理论支撑。论文采用引文可视化分析软件CiteSpace5.3和文献阅读相结合的方法分析旅游生态学研究的国际进展。分析发现,文献数量在进入21世纪后快速增长,文献来源地集中在北美和欧洲国家,研究方法呈现多学科综合性和最新科学技术成果应用及时等特点,研究内容主要集中在旅游活动的生态环境影响、旅游生态系统管理和旅游可持续发展的测度及实现途径3个方面。基于国际进展的分析,论文最后提出我国旅游生态学研究应在学科的基础理论、旅游影响的系统性和持续性、旅游生态修复、旅游开发活动的生态环境影响、生态环境变化对旅游业发展的影响和本土性旅游生态系统管理方法等方面加强。     

基于文献计量分析的联合国可持续发展目标研究

厘清联合国可持续发展目标(SDGs)研究的现有进展和发展脉络,有助于深化SDGs研究和推动可持续发展。本文基于Web of Science核心合集数据库,运用可视化分析软件CiteSpace对SDGs相关文献进行文献计量分析,并绘制知识图谱。结果表明：(1)SDGs相关研究经历了萌芽阶段、快速增长阶段和稳定发展阶段,累计发文量呈稳步上升趋势,且涉及学科领域广泛。(2)英国、美国和中国等是SDGs的主要研究力量,发展中国家对SDGs研究的影响也持续增强。(3)环境问题、多方合作、SDGs全球治理与地方化等是SDGs研究的热点方向,而公民健康和推动可持续发展教育是SDGs未来研究的关注重点。鉴于文献计量分析结果,后续研究应重视SDGs评估、扩展指标数据源和制定可持续发展策略等。