REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION, POPULATION, AND ECOLOGY OF THE YUNNAN SNUB-NOSED MONKEY (RHINOPITHECUS-BIETI)

The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), an endangered species in China, has received more protection in theory than in practice. Therefore it is on the very verge of extinction. The population of the species was estimated less than 2,000 individuals spread in 19 distinct groups. It was confirmed that the monkey was confined to the Yunling Mountain System, the area between the Yangtze River (Changjiang, aka Jinshajiang) to the east and the Mekong River (Lancangjiang) to the west. We further concluded that a lowland belt to the east, about 100 km long and 20 - 30 km wide was not suitable habitat for the monkeys, and appeared to serve as the natural ecogeologic barrier for the species. Our results indicated that the southern limit of the distribution was at Longma (26-degrees 14'N), and that the northern limit of the distribution was at Xiaochangdu (29-degrees 20'N). The distribution area of the species was substantially smaller than previously estimated. There were substantial ecological differences between the southern and northern parts of the species range. The monkey was found only in fir-larch forest.

Social organization and range use in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti

We studied social organization, behavior, and range use of the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) at Wuyapiya (99 degrees 12'E, 28 degrees 30'N, the People's Republic of China) over 12 months between May 1992 and June 1994. The Wuyapiya band contained greater than or equal to 175 members and had two levels of social organization. At one level, the monkeys formed multifemale, one-male units (OMUs) similar to those of many other colobines. At another level, 15 to 18 OMUs traveled together in a cohesive band. Unlike the bands of other species of Rhinopithecus, the Wuyapiya band of R. bieti did not show seasonal fission-fusion, although some social behavior, such as male-male aggression, was seasonal. With regard to range use, the Wuyapiya band had a large home range and long daily travel distances compared with other colobines. Minimum range size in 1 year at Wuyapiya is 16.25 km(2), although there is no asymptote for range size as a function of observation time. Range size for the Wuyapiya band is 25.25 km(2) over the 2-year study and appeared to cover 100 km(2) between 1985 and 1994. The primary food of R. bieti at Wuyapiya is lichens, which are ubiquitous in fir frees. The multitiered social organization of R. bieti appears to result from the interaction of food resource characters with the forces of mate competition, with band sizes based on female responses to the spatial and temporal characteristics of lichens and subdivisions within bands based on male competition for mates.

The influence of 1D, meso- and crystal structures on charge transport and recombination in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

We have prepared single crystalline SnO2 and ZnO nanowires and polycrystalline TiO2 nanotubes (1D networks) as well as nanoparticle-based films (3D networks) from the same materials to be used as photoanodes for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. In general, superior photovoltaic performance can be achieved from devices based on 3-dimensional networks, mostly due to their higher short circuit currents. To further characterize the fabricated devices, the electronic properties of the different networks were measured via the transient photocurrent and photovoltage decay techniques. Nanowire-based devices exhibit extremely high, light independent electron transport rates while recombination dynamics remain unchanged. This indicates, contrary to expectations, a decoupling of transport and recombination dynamics. For typical nanoparticle-based photoanodes, the devices are usually considered electron-limited due to the poor electron transport through nanocrystalline titania networks. In the case of the nanowire-based devices, the system becomes limited by the organic hole transporter used. In the case of polycrystalline TiO2 nanotube-based devices, we observe lower transport rates and higher recombination dynamics than their nanoparticle-based counterparts, suggesting that in order to improve the electron transport properties of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells, single crystalline structures should be used. These findings should aid future design of photoanodes based on nanowires or porous semiconductors with extended crystallinity to be used in dye-sensitized solar cells. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

金丝厂黑白仰鼻猴Rhinopithecus bieti 的生境植被、食性、家域和社会组织

在黑白仰鼻猴（Rhinopithecus bieti）分布区南段的金丝厂（99o37’E，26o50’N），野外工作分别于1997年11 – 12月（代表秋季）、1998年4 – 5月（冬春季）、9 – 10月（夏季）进行。我们分别以中点象限法和样地法、粪斑计数法、直接观察法、粪便食物残片计数法收集植被结构、生境利用、猴群年龄-性别构成、食物组成数据。 林带（3200 – 4100 m）有乔木33种，灌木30种，可分为三个群落：1）云冷杉-霉箭竹群落（3300 m 和3500 m海拔样带），相对优势度为针叶树73%，阔叶树27%，箭竹密度10/m2；2）冷杉-玉龙箭竹群落（3700 m海拔样带），针叶树90%，阔叶树10%，箭竹密度2/m2；3）冷杉群落（3900 m海拔样带），针叶树99%，阔叶树1%，无箭竹。不同于该种分布区北部（Kirkpatrick，1996），猴群全年局限于群落1中，海拔3200 – 3650 m，家域面积4.0 km2，全年食物中箭竹叶占59%，阔叶树叶占28%，地衣的比例小于5%，秋季种子残片占9%。生境利用模式主要由食物的时空分布所决定。 猴群有51只个体，成年性比是1 : 3.4（雄 : 雌），成年未成年比为1 : 1.2，暗示其数量在增长中。群体由5个单雄多雌单位组成。这种两层社会组织与Kirkpatrick等（1998）的描述一致。看来，该种OMU-band结构中的OMU代表了亚洲疣猴的系统发生遗产，而大群集结可能是一种低成本反捕食对策，因其主要食物呈均匀分布。

马雪山黑白仰鼻猴Rhinopithecus bieti的生境垂直利用、过夜处选择、社会组织和笼养性行为及出生季节性

在黑白仰鼻猴（Rhinopithecus bieti）分布区北端的南仁（99o04’E, 28o34’N）, 野外工作分别于2001年4月10日 － 6月30 日（代表冬末和春季），9月14日 － 12月20日（夏秋季）进行。我们分别用粪便取样法、录像带记录和直接观察法收集了猴群生境的垂直利用、过夜处选择和社会组织数据。此外，我们于1998年8月20日到12月31日在中科院昆明动物研究所老所利用全发生取样法（All-Occurence sampling）收集了一个单雄多雌单元（One-male, multi-female unit: OMU）的性行为数据。另外，我们利用昆明动物所1994 - 2003年和昆明动物园1991 - 2003年笼养黑白仰鼻猴群的出生记录来说明出生季节和出生间隔。 黑白仰鼻猴群全年在3500 - 4300 m的林带上活动，集中利用的海拔带为3900 - 4200 m，这可能与猴群的主食（松萝）主要分布于高海拔有关。冬季, 山沟中的粪便密度高于山脊，这可能是猴群在沟中过夜的缘故。猴群喜欢在树高（27.5 ± 3.2 m）较高、胸径（57.9 ± 16.9 cm）和树冠（6.3 ± 1.4 m）大的针叶树（云冷杉）上过夜。猴群冬季喜欢在阳坡中部的针叶树上过夜，这样既安全又可以接受适量的阳光照射。这是猴群在选择最安全和最暖和过夜处的一种折衷策略。 1994年猴群OMUs大小为7.8 ± 1.7（n = 17），成年性比（M/F）是1.0: 3.8。2001年OMUs大小为10.1 ± 3.7 （n = 15），成年性比是1.0: 4.9。1994-2001年，OMUs中每个成年雌性每年的平均增长率是0.04。这种OMU-band两层社会组织与Kirkpatrick（1996）的报道一致。 雌性以匍匐地面或栖木上，同时面部和视线左右摆动，或者坐着上下移动头部的动作邀配；雄性则以伴有特别的叫声、露齿动颌表情邀配。在有射精记录的观察日中，平均每5.2次爬跨有1次射精，而单次爬跨就射精的仅占4.4％。雌性邀配了18次射精爬跨的大多数（72%），但163次非射精爬跨中她们邀配的仅为45%。雄性在射精交配中叫声多于非射精交配。该种交配模式与其它疣猴亚科动物相似，而性内交配竞争可能与这种模式的进化有关。 笼养黑白仰鼻猴群的出生日期为12 - 6月份，出生高峰期为3 - 5月份。猴群的平均出生日期为4月18日（标准差为43天），中位出生日期为4月10日。猴群的出生间隔平均为624 ± 150天（n = 15，范围：332 - 787天）。幼猴可活到1岁后的出生间隔（706 ± 71, n = 12, 498 - 787天）显著长于1岁内死亡或流产后的出生间隔（428 ± 87, n = 5, 332 - 568天）。婴猴性比（M/F）显著偏离1: 1。

Serviceability of bridge deck slabs with arching action

The deterioration of infrastructure, such as bridges, has been one of the major challenges facing both the designers and the owners of such utilities. Sustainable development and a climate of increasing commercialism has led to a requirement for more accurate means of structural analysis. Bridge assessment is one area where this is particularly relevant. It has been known for some time that bridge deck slabs have inherent enhanced strength due to the presence of arching or compressive membrane action (CMA) but only in recent years has there been some acceptance of a rational treatment of this phenomenon for design and assessment purposes. To use the benefits of arching action, this paper presents the results of tests carried out on a reinforced-concrete beam and slab bridge in Northern Ireland that incorporated novel reinforcement type and position. The research was aimed at extending previous laboratory tests on 1/3scale bridge deck edge panels. The measured crack widths and deflections have been compared with the current code requirements.

In vitro study of the efficacy of acrylic bone cement loaded with supplementary amounts of gentamicin: Effect on mechanical properties, antibiotic release, and biofilm formation

Background: Infection remains a severe complication following a total hip replacement. If infection is suspected when revision surgery is being performed, additional gentamicin is often added to the cement on an ad hoc basis in an attempt to reduce the risk of recurrent infection.

Methods and results: In this in vitro study, we determined the effect of incorporating additional gentamicin on the mechanical properties of cement. We also determined the degree of gentamicin release from cement, and also the extent to which biofilms of clinical Staphylococcus spp. isolates form on cement in vitro. When gentamicin was added to unloaded cement (1–4 g), there was a significant reduction in the mechanical performance of the loaded cements compared to unloaded cement. A significant increase in gentamicin release from the cement over 72 h was apparent, with the amount of gentamicin released increasing significantly with each additional 1 g of gentamicin added. When overt infection was modeled, the incorporation of additional gentamicin did result in an initial reduction in bacterial colonization, but this beneficial effect was no longer apparent by 72 h, with the clinical strains forming biofilms on the cements despite the release of high levels of gentamicin.

Interpretation: Our findings indicate that the addition of large amounts of gentamicin to cement is unlikely to eradicate bacteria present as a result of an overt infection of an existing implant, and could result in failure of the prosthetic joint because of a reduction in mechanical performance of the bone cement.

Suitability of Crangonyx pseudogracilis (Crustacea : Amphipoda) as an early warning indicator in the multispecies freshwater biomonitor

Background. Biological monitors are increasingly important in 'Biological Early Warning Systems' (BEWS) for monitoring water quality. This study examines the freshwater amphipod Crangonyx pseudogracilis as a potential new indicator species when used in the Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor (MFB). The MFB is an online continuous biomonitor which uses impedance conversion to record behavioural responses of vertebrates and invertebrates.

Use of the multispecies freshwater biomonitor to assess behavioral changes of Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766) (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in response to toxicant exposure in sediment

Automated sediment toxicity testing and biomonitoring has grown rapidly. This study tested the suitability of the marine amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas, 1766) for sediment biomonitoring using the Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor (MFB). Two experiments were undertaken to (1) characterize individual behaviors of C. volutator using the MFB and (2) examine behavioral changes in response to sediment spiked with the pesticide Bioban. Four behaviors were visually identified (walking, swimming, grooming and falling) and characterized in the MFB as different patterns of locomotor activity (0-2 Hz range). Ventilation was not visually observed but was detected by the MFB (2-8 Hz). No clear diel activity patterns were detected. The MFB detected an overall increase in C. volutator locomotor activity after Bioban addition to the sediments (56, 100, 121 mg kg(-1)). C. volutator was more active (both locomotion and ventilation) in the water column than the spiked sediment. C. volutator appears a sensitive and appropriate species for behavioral sediment toxicity assessment and biomonitoring. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sustainable bridge construction through innovative advances

Sustainability is now recognised as a key issue that must be addressed in the design, construction and lifelong maintenance of civil engineering structures. This paper briefly discusses the generic aspects of sustainability, but the main focus is its application to bridges. Motorway bridges built in the 1960s and 1970s had design lives of 120 years; many, however, were showing signs of deterioration after only 20–40 years. This led to much (ongoing) debate on the issue of initial versus full life-cycle costing. In order to address the highly complex issue of the sustainability of bridges, this paper considers the following specific areas that impinge on this important subject: the impact on sustainability of different forms of bridge construction and maintenance/repair/replacement strategies; the utilisation of innovative in situ testing equipment for assessing the long-term durability of concrete; the development of innovative structural designs for bridges that inherently have greatly extended lives at minimal, if any, additional cost.

UK Food Standards Agency Workshop Report: Diet and Immune Function

The UK Food Standards Agency convened a workshop on 13 May 2009 to discuss recently completed research on diet and immune function. The objective of the workshop was to review this research and to establish priorities for future research. Several of the trials presented at the workshop showed some effect of nutritional interventions (e.g. vitamin D, Zn, Se) on immune parameters. One trial found that increased fruit and vegetable intake may improve the antibody response to pneumococcal vaccination in older people. The workshop highlighted the need to further clarify the potential public health relevance of observed nutrition-related changes in immune function, e.g. susceptibility to infections and infectious morbidity.