Threat and management strategies of potentially invasive insects in China

The Global Invasive Species Database, GISD, comprises 27 species of the most significant invasive alien insects in the world (through November, 2005), 6 of which are originally native to China, 11 are established in China, and 10 have a potential invasion

The reproductive strategies of an endemic Tibetan fish, Gymnocypris selincuoensis

The reproductive traits of Gymnocypris selincuoensis from Selincuo Lake and its tributaries were investigated in 1997 and 1998. The youngest mature male was age 7 with a standard length (SL) of 172.0 mm, and the youngest mature female was age 8 with a SL of 194.0 mm. The L(50)s Of SL and age at first maturity were respectively 250.32 mm and age 9 for males and 224.71 mm and age 8 for females. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) significantly changed with seasons for mature individuals but not for immature individuals. GSIs of mature females at stages IV and V of ovary development increased with SL and reached a maximum value at the SL range from 370 mm to 390 mm; the GSIs of mature males were negatively correlated with SL. The breeding season lasted from early April to early August. Egg size did not significantly change with SL but increased with the delay of spawning. The individual absolute fecundity varied from 1,341 to 28,002 eggs (mean 12,607+/-7,349), and the individual relative fecundity varied from 6.4 to 42.0 eggs.g(-1) (mean 25.5+/-9.7). The individual fecundity increased with total body weight; it also increased with SL for those of SL less than 370 mm. There was a rest of spawning for mature individuals.

Ultraviolet-B exposure induces photo-oxidative damage and subsequent repair strategies in a desert cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus Gom.

Biological soil crusts are important in reversing desertification. Ultraviolet radiation, however, may be detrimental for the development of soil crusts. The cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus can be a dominant species occurring in desert soil crusts all over the world. To investigate the physico-chemical consequences of ultraviolet-B radiation on M. vaginatus, eight parameters including the contents of chlorophyll a, reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and proline, as well as the activities of photosynthesis, superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1), peroxiclase (EC 1.11.1.7) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) were determined. As shown by the results of determinations, ultraviolet-B radiation caused decreases both in contents of chlorophyll a and in ratios of variable fluorescence over maximum fluorescence that indicate the growth and photosynthesis of M. vaginatus, besides, increases both in levels of reactive oxygen species and in contents of malondialdehyde and proline, while intensified activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxiclase and catalase reflecting the abilities of enzymatic preventive substances to oxidative stress of the treated cells. Therefore, ultraviolet-B radiation affects the growth of M. vaginatus and leads to oxidative stress in cells. Under ultraviolet-B radiation, the treated cells can improve their antioxidant abilities to alleviate oxidative injury. The change trends of reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, peroxiclase and catalase are synchronous. These results suggest that a balance between the antioxidant system and the reactive oxygen species content may be one part of a complex stress response pathway in which multiple environmental factors including ultraviolet-B radiation affect the Survival of M. vaginatus. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Progress in the evaluation of transgenic fish for possible ecological risk and its containment strategies

Genetically improved transgenic fish possess many beneficial economic traits; however, the commercial aquaculture of transgenic fish has not been performed till date. One of the major reasons for this is the possible ecological risk associated with the escape or release of the transgenic fish. Using a growth hormone transgenic fish with rapid growth characteristics as a subject, this paper analyzes the following: the essence of the potential ecological risks posed by transgenic fish; ecological risk in the current situation due to transgenic fish via one-factor phenotypic and fitness analysis, and mathematical model deduction. Then, it expounds new ideas and the latest findings using an artificially simulated ecosystem for the evaluation of the ecological risks posed by transgenic fish. Further, the study comments on the strategies and principles of controlling these ecological risks by using a triplold approach. Based on these results, we propose that ecological risk evaluation and prevention strategies are indispensable important components and should be accompanied with breeding research in order to provide enlightments for transgenic fish breeding, evaluation of the ecological risks posed by transgenic fish, and development of containment strategies against the risks.

The reproductive strategies of an endemic Tibetan fish, Gymnocypris selincuoensis

The reproductive traits of Gymnocypris selincuoensis from Selincuo Lake and its tributaries were investigated in 1997 and 1998. The youngest mature male was age 7 with a standard length (SL) of 172.0 mm, and the youngest mature female was age 8 with a SL of 194.0 mm. The L(50)s Of SL and age at first maturity were respectively 250.32 mm and age 9 for males and 224.71 mm and age 8 for females. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) significantly changed with seasons for mature individuals but not for immature individuals. GSIs of mature females at stages IV and V of ovary development increased with SL and reached a maximum value at the SL range from 370 mm to 390 mm; the GSIs of mature males were negatively correlated with SL. The breeding season lasted from early April to early August. Egg size did not significantly change with SL but increased with the delay of spawning. The individual absolute fecundity varied from 1,341 to 28,002 eggs (mean 12,607+/-7,349), and the individual relative fecundity varied from 6.4 to 42.0 eggs.g(-1) (mean 25.5+/-9.7). The individual fecundity increased with total body weight; it also increased with SL for those of SL less than 370 mm. There was a rest of spawning for mature individuals.

Conservation strategies for endemic fish species threatened by the Three Gorges Dam

The largest damming project to date, the Three Gorges Dam has been built along the Yangtze River (China), the most species-rich river in the Palearctic region. Among 162 species of fish inhabiting the main channel of the upper Yangtze, 44 are endemic and are therefore under serious threat of global extinction from the dam. Accordingly, it is urgently necessary to develop strategies to minimize the impacts of the drastic environmental changes associated with the dam. We sought to identify potential reserves for the endemic species among the 17 tributaries in the upper Yangtze, based on presence/absence data for the 44 endemic species. Potential reserves for the endemic species were identified by characterizing the distribution patterns of endemic species with an adaptive learning algorithm called a "self-organizing map" (SOM). Using this method, we also predicted occurrence probabilities of species in potential reserves based on the distribution patterns of communities. Considering both SOM model results and actual knowledge of the biology of the considered species, our results suggested that 24 species may survive in the tributaries, 14 have an uncertain future, and 6 have a high probability of becoming extinct after dam filling.

reuse strategies in distributed complex event detection

Software Engineering Society of Korean; Institute for Information Scientists and Engineers; IEEE Reliability Society; KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology); Korea Information Promotion Agency; Samsung SDS

Life history strategies of Calanus sinicus in the southern Yellow Sea in summer

Ecological and physiological features of the planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus in the southern Yellow Sea in summer were studied to reveal its life history strategy. From the coastal shallow waters to the central part of the southern Yellow Sea, a shift of the stage composition occurs from being dominated by the egg-nauplius stage to being dominated by the fifth copepodite (CV) stage. Most CVs reside in the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM), where both temperature and food abundance are low. CVs in the YSCWM have longer body lengths, heavier body weights and higher carbon contents than those outside the YSCWM. Onboard incubations show that the development of CVs in the YSCWM is suspended. Energy conservation, development suspension and lack of diel vertical migration (DVM) behavior suggest a diapause status for the CVs in the YSCWM, although vertical distribution patterns indicate the CV individuals are not fully synchronous in physiology and development. This adaptive oversummering strategy would help C. sinicus to live through the warm and food-limited summer in the central part of the southern Yellow Sea; both low temperature and low food supply are necessary for CV to maintain the resting state in the YSCWM. Calanus sinicus exhibits different life history strategies in different regions of the southern Yellow Sea in summer.

Oceanic iron fertilization: one of strategies for sequestration atmospheric CO2

Carbon cycle is connected with the most important environmental issue of Global Change. As one of the major carbon reservoirs, oceans play an important part in the carbon cycle. In recent years, iron seems to give us a good news that oceanic iron fertilization could stimulate biological productivity as CO2 sink of human-produced CO2. Oceanic iron fertilization experiments have verified that adding iron into high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) seawaters can increase phytoplankton production and export organic carbon, and hence increase carbon sink of anthropogenic CO2, to reduce global warming. In sixty days, the export organic carbon could reach 10 000 times for adding iron by model prediction and in situ experiment, i.e. the atmospheric CO2 uptake and inorganic carbon drawdown in upper seawaters also have the same magnitude. Therefore, oceanic iron fertilization is one of the strategies for increasing carbon sink of anthropogenic CO2. The paper is focused on the iron fertilization, especially in situ ocean iron experiments in order that the future research is more efficient.

大学生现实自我与理想自我差异的特点、产生机制和效应

The arguments on self discrepancy can be traced back to the old ages, but the systematic investigations were started by Higgins et al. at 1985.Compared to the large number of foreign studies, only a few ones have been conducted in our own country. Numerous characteristics of undergruaduate’s actual-ideal discrepancy and a great many determinative factors have been found as well as many of its negative effects—especially the greater the actual-ideal discrepancy, the more negative on the mind and behavior. Nevertheless, there are still many issues to be solved, such as the extend of the undergruaduate’s actual-ideal discrepancy level in own country. On the other hand, although there are a great many internal and external determinative factors of actual-ideal discrepancy, how they overally influence the discrepancy of the same individual is still unknown; to what extent does actual-ideal discrepancy influence the human mind and behavior and whether the influence is positive or negtive? This research collected a sample consisting of 4 undergraduate grades and 5 majors from a middle-ranked university. We adopted questionnaires in the study, and analyzed the data using correlation analysis, regression analysis, variances analysis, and path analysis. Our aim focused on the general characteristics of the undergruaduate’s actual-ideal discrepancy in own country, the overall working mechanism of the determinative factors including environmental and personal factors on the actual-ideal discrepancy of the same individual, and the effects of the actual-ideal discrepancy on psychological adaption, motivation, and behavior. The main results are as following: (1)The improved measurement instrument possesses good validity and reliability, and can be used in future research. (2) The actual-ideal discrepancy level among undergraduates is slightly bellow medium. The proportion of undergraduates who have a higher actual-ideal discrepancy level is small. There is significant gender difference in actual-ideal discrepancy level, but no significant difference across different majors and grades. (3)This research probed the overall working mechanism of the parenting style(environmental factors) and the personality factors(personal factors) including stability, flexibility, cleverness, and esteem on the undergruaduate’s actual-ideal discrepancy. The results shows that the parenting style of warmth and understanding, stability, flexibility, and esteem influence the actual-ideal discrepancy. Esteem entirely moderate the relationship between the parenting style of warmth and understanding and actual-ideal discrepancy, partially moderate the relationship between the flexibility, stability and actual-ideal discrepancy. Furthermore, the above factors can be order as stability, flexibility, and parenting style of warmth and understanding in terms of decreasing impact on the actual-ideal discrepancy. No significant effect of cleverness and other parenting style was found. The parenting style of warmth and understanding, stability, and flexibility interactively influence the actual-ideal discrepancy in the following manner: the stability and flexibility, both of which have independent influence on the actual-ideal discrepancy, entirely moderate the relationship between the parenting style of warmth and understanding and actual-ideal discrepancy. (4) Actual-ideal discrepancy plays a negative role in adaption indices, including self-efficacy, self-identity, self-actualization. Actual-ideal discrepancy also has negative effects on the 9 symptoms measured by SCL-90, vitality, approach motivation, avoidance motivation, and performance goals. No significant influence on mastering goals was found. Actual-ideal discrepancy uniquely correlates with depression symptom. The above results contribute from the point of self-discrepancy to the understanding of self-identity of undergraduates, and they enrich the knowledge of the development of self and contribute to the understanding of the development of human personality.This research advances on the two key problems of the developmental mechanism of actual-ideal discrepancy and that promotes the knowledge of the developmental mechanism of actual-ideal discrepancy. The research probed the relationship between the actual-ideal discrepancy and motivation which is an important phenomenon and this enlarges the domain of the actual-ideal discrepancy research. The results make sure that actual-ideal discrepancy is one of the important factors influencing undergruaduate’s mind and behavior. The conclusions can provide reference and guidance in the diagnosis and intervension strategies for mental health education and counseling practice in university.