Lack of mtDNA control region variation in Hainan Eld's deer: Consequence of a recent population bottleneck?

We find no genetic variation at 550bp of mtDNA control region among 55 Hainan Eld's deer in an island population that has suffered recent population contractions. Congeneric species show high levels of variation at this locus. We use a simulation approach to test the likelihood of various bottleneck scenarios, and show, in the context of what is known about the recent demographic history of this population, that there are credible scenarios for a bottleneck driven by hunting pressure in the 1960s that could account for the lack of variation at this locus.

Sleeping sites of Rhinopithecus bieti at Mt. Fuhe, Yunnan

Data on sleeping site selection were collected for a group of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti; around 80) at Mt. Fuhe, Yunnan, China (99degrees20'E, 26degrees25'N, about 3,000 m asl) from November 2000 to January 2002. At the site mainly three vegetation types were present in an elevation-ascending order: deciduous broad leaf forest, mixed coniferous and broad leaf forest, and dark coniferous forest. In addition, bamboo forest presented in areas burned in 1958. Sleeping sites (n = 10) were located in the coniferous forest, where trees were the tallest, bottommost branches were the highest, the diameter of crowns was the second largest, and the gradient of the ground was the steepest. Monkeys usually kept quiet during entering and staying at a sleeping site. The site choice and the quietness may be tactics to avoid potential predators. In the coniferous forest, however, monkeys did not sleep in the valley bottom where trees were the largest, but frequently slept in the middle of the slope towards the east/southeast, in the shadow of ridges in three other directions, to avoid strong wind and to access sunshine; in winter-spring, they ranged in a more southern and lower area than in summer-autumn. These may be behavioral strategies to minimize energy stress in the cold habitat. Monkeys often slept in the same sleeping site on consecutive nights, which reflected a reduced pressure of predation probably due to either the effectiveness of anti-predation through sleeping site selection, or the population decline of predators with increasing human activities in the habitat. The group's behavioral responses to interactive and sometimes conflicting traits of the habitat are site-specific and conform to expectations for a temperate zone primate.

Travel behaviour applied in freight transportation using intelligent products

The route planning problem for an order in freight transportation involves the selection of the best route for its transportation given a set of options that the network can offer. In its adaptive (or dynamic) version, the problem deals with the planning of a new route for an order while it is actually in transit typically because part or all of its pre-selected route is blocked or disrupted. In the intelligent product approach we are proposing, an order would be capable of identifying and evaluating such new routes in an automated manner and choosing the most preferable one without the intervention of humans. Because such approaches seek to mirror (and then automate) human decision making, in this paper we seek to identify new ways for dynamic route planning in industrial logistics inspired by the way people make similar decisions about their journey when they travel in multi-modal networks. We propose a new simulation game as a methodological tool for capturing their travel behaviour and we use it in this study. The results show that a simulation game can be used for capturing strategies and tactics of travellers and that intelligent products can provide a proper platform for the usage of such strategies in freight logistics. © 2012 IEEE.

Deceptive female oviposition behaviour elicits male ejaculation in the European bitterling

In European bitterling Rhodeus amarus, fish that lay their eggs in the gill chambers of living freshwater mussels, females perform conspicuous behaviours associated with spawning that increases the probability of males performing ejaculatory behaviour and participating in a spawning. A significant positive association was detected between behaviour in which a female performs a spawning action but without releasing eggs, here termed 'deceptive female oviposition', and ejaculatory behaviour by courting males.

The role of sense organs in the feeding behaviour of Chinese perch

Experiments were conducted to identify the rules of the individual sense organs in the feeding behaviour of Chinese perch Siniperca chuatsi by determining the consumption of natural food after selective removal or blocking of eyes, lateral lines and olfactory organs, and also by observing the behavioural response to visual, mechanical and chemical stimulation by artificial prey. Chinese perch were able to feed properly on live prey fish when either eyes or lateral lines were intact or functional, but could scarcely feed without these two senses. Chinese perch recognized its prey by vision through the perception of motion and shape, and showed a greater dependence on vision in predation when both visual and mechanical cues were available. Chemical stimulation by natural food could not elicit any feeding response in Chinese perch, and gustation was only important to the fish for the last stage of food discrimination in the oropharyngeal cavity. The sensory basis of Chinese perch in feeding is well adapted to its nocturnal stalking hunting strategy. and also explains its peculiar food habit of accepting live prey fish only and refusing dead prey fish or artificial diets. (C) 1998 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

一种基于SAT的运算电路查错方法

基于SAT的运算电路查错方法将被验证系统中系统规范成立与否的问题转换为布尔公式和数学公式的混合形式E-CNF，通过采用了标志子句技术的E-SAT求解器进行求解．实验表明该方法自动化程度高，能处理大规模的运算电路，有较强的查找错误能力．

黄土高原植被恢复与建设策略

以中国水土流失与生态安全综合科学考察——西北黄土区考察组获得的资料为依据,对黄土高原地区植被恢复的基础和潜力进行了系统分析,提出了植被恢复的目标和策略。黄土高原天然群落恢复的基本措施是封育,有条件的区域应实施人工促进,使植被自然恢复力与人为促进力相结合;人工植被建设应充分利用乡土树草种,合理利用外来种,采用防护性整地和管理措施,造林种草后引导乡土物种进入群落,进行天然化培育;以流域为治理单元,优化景观斑块空间布局和面积构成,逐步改造具有退化特征的人工群落,使建群种能够自我更新,群落可永续利用;政府部门在政策上要保护现有成果,扩大自然修复比例;保护大户承包治理的积极性,鼓励多元化投资,进行植被建设;扩大黄土区植被建设和科研投资力度,培育黄土区植被恢复方面的科技创新能力。

中国西部退耕还林基本策略研究

21世纪,生态危机成为人类面临的最大威胁,森林作为陆地生态系统的主体,自然成为世人瞩目的集点.由于中国西部水土流失、土地沙化、水资源紧张、生物多样性锐减等问题越来越突出,给人民的生活与国民经济发展造成巨大损失.退耕还林成为中华民族生存与发展的根本大计,这不仅关系到当代人的生存与发展,而且关系到子孙后代的生存与发展.文章在上述背景下,提出了符合中国实际的对策,供决策部门参考.

纸房沟流域生态经济系统演变分析

通过对纸房沟流域土地利用结构和收入结构的简要分析 ,提出了生态系统与经济系统演变的一般规律 ,受生态系统与经济系统演变规律的启示 ,提出了纸房沟流域生态经济系统进一步建设的策略。

基于网络环境的地理信息系统-WebGIS

Web GIS作为一门新兴的技术学科 ,依托互联网的环境和 Internet实用技术 ,成为地理信息系统理论研究和技术创新的增长点。随着网络技术和应用市场的不断发展和扩大 ,将促进 GIS新兴信息产业的形成。本文结合工作实践 ,论述了 Web GIS的技术背景与发展 ,以及系统功能等基础理论 ,重点讨论了 Web GIS的体系结构、实现策略和技术方法

一个用于自治智能移动式机器人导航和监控的实验系统

文中重点讨论了系统实现过程中,任务分解与行走命令下达,时序分配与同步,路标定位与行走误差修正.动态障碍感知,测定与响应和特别情况紧急处理等难题的解决策略及遇到的问题.

地震力对高架桥梁上轨道车辆的动态分析与安全性研究

The stability and derailment behavior analysis of railway vehicle system has been discussed by many papers in the past. In stability, give first place to consider hunting behavior of vehicle, therefore most of papers was only consider lateral and yaw motion, but vertical motion is the important factor in derailment behavior, and it will be quite effect in stability. We will probe the running stability and derailment behavior of railway vehicle moving on the viaduct in this paper. In this paper, we use Nadal’s formula to get the derailment quotient. In this paper, the railway vehicle is considered to be three subsystems, carbody, bogie and wheelset. There are secondary suspension systems between carbody and bogies, and primary suspension systems connecting bogies and wheelsets. A vehicle with vertical, lateral, roll, and yaw directions motion is considered to derive the mathematical equations. A vehicle with three-dimensional model has 16 degrees of freedom is used to develop the equations of train motion. In this study, results show that the track shift force and derailment factor increase with an increase of ground acceleration. But for the track shift force and derailment factor, the effects of track irregularities and train speed are very small. Key words: earthquake, railway vehicle, viaduct, derailment factor.

The Computer as Coach: An Athletic Paradigm for Intellectual Education

Over the next five years, computer games will find their way into a vast number of American homes, creating a unique educational opportunity: the development of "computer coaches" for the serious intellectual skills required by some of these games. From the player's perspective, the coach will provide advice regarding strategy and tactics for better play. But, from the perspective of the coach, the request for help is an opportunity to tutor basic mathematical, scientific or other kinds of knowledge that the game exercises.

Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence

Gunning, Jeroen, Hamas in Politics: Democracy, Religion, Violence (London: Hurst Publishers Ltd, 2007), pp.xiv+310 RAE2008

Pleasure and instruction in the Prologue of Longus’ “Daphnis and Chloe”

The present study attempts to demonstrate that the ancient Greek novel Daphnis and Chloe systematically explores the problem expressed by Horace in the phrase docere et delectare, and that this purpose is announced in the Prologue. The functions of prologues as such are briefly reviewed. After a consideration of the prologues of the remaining ancient Greek novels, the Prologue of Longus’s Daphnis and Chloe is analyzed line by line. Longus uses the Prologue, then, to establish a series of dialectical tensions that operate throughout the novel, allowing it to delight and instruct at the same time.