A paradigm for virus-host coevolution: Sequential counter-adaptations between endogenous and exogenous retroviruses

Endogenous retroviruses ( ERVs) are remnants of ancient retroviral infections of the host germline transmitted vertically from generation to generation. It is hypothesized that some ERVs are used by the host as restriction factors to block the infection o

Revealing the History of Sheep Domestication Using Retrovirus Integrations

The domestication of livestock represented a crucial step in human history. By using endogenous retroviruses as genetic markers, we found that sheep differentiated on the basis of their "retrotype" and morphological traits dispersed across Eurasia and Afr

Socio-economic baseline assessment: Thayawthatangyi and Langan Islands, Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar

This report details the methodology and results of a 2014 socio-economic baseline assessment of 4 villages in the Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar undertaken as part of a programme to build local stakeholders capacity to use data to inform marine resource planning and managemnt

森林认证与系统思想

森林认证是缓解全球森林退化、实现可持续发展战略的重要手段之一。它包括森林经营认证和森林产品认证。森林认证将影响到世界森林资源、各国林业发展以及生态、经济和社会。森林认证是一项复杂的系统工程,涉及国家政策和国民经济的方方面面。只有利用系统理论,才能更好分析论证在中国特定条件下的森林认证系统;在系统思想指导下,找出我国森林认证的关键要素、主要子系统和最优结构,才能发挥森林认证体系的最佳功能。

Know thy neighbour: A normative theory of synaptic depression

Synapses exhibit an extraordinary degree of short-term malleability, with release probabilities and effective synaptic strengths changing markedly over multiple timescales. From the perspective of a fixed computational operation in a network, this seems like a most unacceptable degree of added variability. We suggest an alternative theory according to which short-term synaptic plasticity plays a normatively-justifiable role. This theory starts from the commonplace observation that the spiking of a neuron is an incomplete, digital, report of the analog quantity that contains all the critical information, namely its membrane potential. We suggest that a synapse solves the inverse problem of estimating the pre-synaptic membrane potential from the spikes it receives, acting as a recursive filter. We show that the dynamics of short-term synaptic depression closely resemble those required for optimal filtering, and that they indeed support high quality estimation. Under this account, the local postsynaptic potential and the level of synaptic resources track the (scaled) mean and variance of the estimated presynaptic membrane potential. We make experimentally testable predictions for how the statistics of subthreshold membrane potential fluctuations and the form of spiking non-linearity should be related to the properties of short-term plasticity in any particular cell type.

三聚氰胺对吉富罗非鱼的急性毒性研究

采用接触、腹腔注射及口服3种致毒方式,对吉富罗非鱼(GIFT Oreochromis niloticus)进行三聚氰胺的急性毒性研究.口服急性毒性实验中,在饲料中添加不同浓度的三聚氰胺,进行21 d的吉富罗非鱼摄食养殖实验,实验鱼初体重为(55.00±0.05)g.实验结果表明:三聚氰胺溶解度较低,在接触实验中其水溶液没有表现出毒性,96LC50>3500 mg/L;而在腹腔注射致毒方式下,三聚氰胺对吉富罗非鱼的半致死剂量LD50=1311.90 mg/kg;LD5095%可信限为1169.06~1472

高原鳅属Triplophysa鱼类的分子系统发育和生物地理学研究

高原鳅属Triplophysa鱼类广泛分布于亚洲中部的高原地区,是青藏高原鱼类区系重要的组成部分．它们对高原环境表现出极强的适应性,是已知世界上分布海拔最高的鱼类,采用线粒体DNA细胞色素凸基因序列分析了青藏高原及其邻近地区13个水系30个地点22种高原鳅属鱼类的分子系统发育关系．结果表明高原鳅属鱼类不是一个单系群,赫氏鳅亚属Hedinich- thys的种类嵌入到其他条鳅亚科鱼类分支中,而依据第二性征划分的高原鳅亚属Triplophysa是一个单系群．在高原鳅亚属中,最先发生分歧的是分布于黄河上游的似鲶

斜带石斑鱼囊胚期胚胎和尾芽期胚胎差异表达基因的筛选及克隆

以斜带石斑鱼囊胚期胚胎和尾芽期胚胎分别作为检验组和驱动组,构建了石斑鱼囊胚期胚胎和尾芽期胚胎的抑制性差减杂交cDNA文库。以α-tubulin作为检测指标,显示差减效率分别高达28和27。分别取囊胚期胚胎和尾芽期胚胎各192和960个PCR阳性克隆进行斑点杂交,得到15个囊胚期和131个尾芽期的斑点杂交阳性克隆。测序和数据库比对分析表明,囊胚期15个阳性克隆中有11个已知基因的cDNA片段和没有同源性的4个cDNA片段;而在尾芽期的131个阳性克隆中,有123个已知基因的cDNA片段和8个没有同源性的cD

浅水湖泊内源磷负荷季节变化的生物驱动机制

由于磷是重要的生源要素,过量的磷促进浮游植物(包括有毒蓝藻)的生长而使水质恶化,水一泥界面的磷交换机制受到广泛关注。一般认为沉积物的磷释放模式在浅水湖泊和深水湖泊之间有很大的差异。在探讨沉积物中磷释放机制时,人们一直最关注的要素为铁和氧及其相关的环境因子(如扰动、分解),但是浅水湖泊中磷含量变化的大部分结果仍然无法解释。通过对欧洲温带浅水湖泊和亚热带气候的长江中下游浅水湖泊中有关沉积物磷释放模式的野外和实验研究结果的分析,认为在浅水湖泊内源磷负荷季节变动模式的驱动因子中,pH可能比溶氧更为重要,即浮游藻类

A value mapping tool for sustainable business modelling

Purpose: Although business models that deliver sustainability are increasingly popular in the literature, few tools that assist in sustainable business modelling have been identified. This paper investigates how businesses might create balanced social, environmental and economic value through integrating sustainability more fully into the core of their business. A value mapping tool is developed to help firms create value propositions better suited for sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: In addition to a literature review, six sustainable companies were interviewed to understand their approaches to business modelling, using a case study approach. Building on the literature and practice, a tool was developed which was pilot tested through use in a workshop. The resulting improved tool and process was subsequently refined through use in 13 workshops. Findings: A novel value mapping tool was developed to support sustainable business modelling, which introduces three forms of value (value captured, missed/destroyed or wasted, and opportunity) and four major stakeholder groups (environment, society, customer, and network actors). Practical implications: This tool intends to support business modelling for sustainability by assisting firms in better understanding their overall value proposition, both positive and negative, for all relevant stakeholders in the value network. Originality/value: The tool adopts a multiple stakeholder view of value, a network rather than firm centric perspective, and introduces a novel way of conceptualising value that specifically introduces value destroyed or wasted/ missed, in addition to the current value proposition and new opportunities for value creation. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Elevated ability to compete for limited food resources by 'all-fish' growth hormone transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio

Food consumption, number of movements and feeding hierarchy of juvenile transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio and their size-matched non-transgenic conspecifics were measured under conditions of limited food supply. Transgenic fish exhibited 73 center dot 3% more movements as well as a higher feeding order, and consumed 1 center dot 86 times as many food pellets as their non-transgenic counterparts. After the 10 day experiment, transgenic C. carpio had still not realized their higher growth potential, which may be partly explained by the higher frequency of movements of transgenics and the 'sneaky' feeding strategy used by the non-transgenics. The results indicate that these transgenic fish possess an elevated ability to compete for limited food resources, which could be advantageous after an escape into the wild. It may be that other factors in the natural environment (i.e. predation risk and food distribution), however, would offset this advantage. Thus, these results need to be assessed with caution.

Influence of spacer layer thickness on the current-voltage characteristics of pseudomorphic AlAs/In0.53Ga0.47As/InAs resonant tunnelling diodes

This paper investigates the dependence of current-voltage characteristics of AlAs/In0.53Ga0.47As/InAs resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs) on spacer layer thickness. It finds that the peak and the valley current density J in the negative differential resistance (NDR) region depends strongly on the thickness of the spacer layer. The measured peak to valley current ratio of RTDs studied here is shown to improve while the current density through RTDs decreases with increasing spacer layer thickness below a critical value.

Performance analysis of very-small-aperture lasers

The fabrication of very-small-aperture lasers is demonstrated, and their performance is analyzed. Because of strong optical feedback caused by a gold film on the front facet of the laser, its behavior changes: The threshold current decreases, the density of light inside the laser diode and the redshift effect of the spectra are enhanced, and the laser diode's lifetime is shorter than that of common laser diodes with large driving current. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America