Influenced by rapid changes in climate and landscape features since the Miocene,widely distributed species provide suitable models to study the environmental impact on their evolution and current genetic diversity.The...Influenced by rapid changes in climate and landscape features since the Miocene,widely distributed species provide suitable models to study the environmental impact on their evolution and current genetic diversity.The dice snake Natrix tessellata,widely distributed in the Western Palearctic is one such species.We aimed to resolve a detailed phylogeography of N.tessellata with a focus on the Central Asian clade with 4 and the Anatolia clade with 3 mitochondrial lineages,trace their origin,and correlate the environmental changes that affected their distribution through time.The expected time of divergence of both clades began at 3.7 Mya in the Pliocene,reaching lineage differentiation approximately 1 million years later.The genetic diversity in both clades is rich,suggesting different ancestral areas,glacial refugia,demographic changes,and colonization routes.The Caspian lineage is the most widespread lineage in Central Asia,distributed around the Caspian Sea and reaching the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan,and Eastern European lowlands in the west.Its distribution is limited by deserts,moun-tains,and cold steppe environments.Similarly,Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lineages followed the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya water systems in Central Asia,with ranges delimited by the large Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts.On the western side,there are several lineages within the Anatolia clade that converged in the central part of the peninsula with 2 being endemic to Western Asia.The distribution of both main clades was affected by expansion from their Pleistocene glacial refugia around the Caspian Sea and in the valleys of Central Asia as well as by environmental changes,mostly through aridification.展开更多
The transformation of the medieval city of Rhodes and the modification of its buildings since the siege of 1522 by Suleiman the Magnificent up to the 20th century, were imposed by the social and religious needs of eac...The transformation of the medieval city of Rhodes and the modification of its buildings since the siege of 1522 by Suleiman the Magnificent up to the 20th century, were imposed by the social and religious needs of each of its conquerors. In particular, during the period of the Ottoman rule （1522-1912）, most of the churches were converted into mosques while new buildings like public baths and mansions were constructed, resulting in alterations in the morphological characteristics of the city. Although the buildings of the Hospitalier＇s period （1307-1522） were preserved, the additions and adjustments resulted into a mixture of western and oriental architecture, which today determines the multicultural identity of the city. In 1988, UNESCO （United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization） designated the medieval city of Rhodes as a world heritage city for its exemplary architectural complexity and variability, which perfectly reflects the complex historical phenomena and the unique integration of various cultures for more than seven centuries. In this paper, the management of the modifications and the restoration approach of four representative mosques are presented.展开更多
Aquaculture is a rapidly growing global agriculture sector and the importance of fish health has become of upmost importance as production levels and stocking densities increase. Over the past few decades, there have ...Aquaculture is a rapidly growing global agriculture sector and the importance of fish health has become of upmost importance as production levels and stocking densities increase. Over the past few decades, there have been a large number of immunological investigations on commonly cultured finfish species. Further, new technologies and strategies that embody use of fish immunostimulants, probiotics, and vaccinology rely heavily upon a comprehensive understanding of teleost immune system mechanics. The teleost immune system works in concert to properly recognize, control, and clear aquatic pathogens. Recent findings have exemplified the cooperative efforts of the nonspecific and adaptive branches, and have put forth an emphasis on the importance of the mucosal immune response in all aspects of a mounted immune response. This review provides a generalized overview of the innate and adaptive arms of the fish immune system, and provides highlights of recently published work in the areas of signaling networks and mucosal immune interactions.展开更多
This study aimed to study whether the Sortase A(srt A)gene helps mediate coaggregation and co-adherence between Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)and other salivary bacteria.S.mutans UA159 and srt A-deficient mutant serve...This study aimed to study whether the Sortase A(srt A)gene helps mediate coaggregation and co-adherence between Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)and other salivary bacteria.S.mutans UA159 and srt A-deficient mutant served as"bait"in classical co-aggregation assays and membrane-based co-adherence assays were used to examine interactions of S.mutans with Fusobacterium nucleatum(F.nucleatum),Streptococcus mitis(S.mitis),Streptococcus gordonii(S.gordonii),Streptococcus sanguis(S.sanguis),Actinomyces naeslundii(A.naeslundii)and Lactobacillus.Co-adherence assays were also performed using unfractionated saliva from healthy individuals.Co-adhering partners of S.mutans were sensitively detected using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE).Both UA159 and its srt A-deficient mutant bound to F.nucleatum but not to any of the other five salivary bacteria.The srt A-deficient mutant showed lower co-adherence with F.nucleatum.The two S.mutans strains also showed similar co-adherence profiles against unfractionated salivary bacteria,except that UA159 S.mutans but not the srt A-deficient bound to a Neisseria sp.under the same conditions.Deleting srt A reduces the ability of S.mutans to bind to F.nucleatum,but it does not appear to significantly affect the binding profile of S.mutans to bulk salivary bacteria.展开更多
Attitudes regarding traditional energy sources have shifted toward renewable resources. Specifically, short-rotation woody crop supply systems have become more prevalent for biomass and biofuel production. However, a ...Attitudes regarding traditional energy sources have shifted toward renewable resources. Specifically, short-rotation woody crop supply systems have become more prevalent for biomass and biofuel production. However, a number of factors such as environmental and inherent resource availability can limit tree production. Given the intensified demand for wood biomass production, forest and plantation management practices are focusing on increasing productivity. Fertilizer application, while generally one of the least expensive silvicultural tools, can become costly if application rates exceed nutrient uptake or demand of the trees especially if it does not result in additional biomass production. We investigated the effect of water and varying levels of nitrogen application (56, 112, and 224 kg·N·haǃ·yrǃ) on nutrient content, resorption efficiency and proficiency, N:P and the relationship with ANPP, as well as leaf- and canopy-level nutrient use efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for Populus deltoides, Quercus pagoda, and Platanus occidentalis. P. deltoides and P. occidentalis reached their maximum nitrogen budget with the application of water suggesting old agricultural fields may have sufficient nutrient levels to sustain short-rotation woody crops negating the application of additional nitrogen for these two species. Additionally, for P. deltoides and Q. pagoda application of nitrogen appeared to increase the uptake of phosphorus however, resorption efficiency for these two species were more similar to studies conducted on nutrient poor sites. Nutrient resorption proficiency for all three nutrients and all three species were at levels below the highest rates of nitrogen application. These findings suggest maximum biomass production may not necessarily be tied to maximum nutrient application.展开更多
Certain traits of recipient environments,such as the availability of limiting resources,strongly determine the establishment success and spread of non-native species.These limitations may be overcome through behaviora...Certain traits of recipient environments,such as the availability of limiting resources,strongly determine the establishment success and spread of non-native species.These limitations may be overcome through behavioral plasticity,allowing them to exploit alternative resources.Here,we show how a secondary cavity nester bird,the rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri,innovates its nesting behavior as a response to the shortage of tree cavities for nesting in its invasive range in Tenerife(Canary Islands).We observed that some breeding pairs excavated their own nest cavities in palms,thus becoming primary cavity nester,whereas others occupied nests built with wood sticks by another invasive species,the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus.The use of these novel nesting strategies increased the number of breeding pairs by up to 52%over 6 years,contributing to a 128.8%increase of the whole population.Innovative nests were located at greater heights above ground and were more aggregated around conspecifics but did not result in greater breeding success than natural cavities.Occupation of monk parakeet colonies by rose-ringed parakeets also benefited the former species through a protective-nesting association against nest predators.Our results show how an invasive species innovate nesting behaviors and increase nest-site availability in the recipient environment,thus facilitating its population growth and invasion process.Potential behavioral innovations in other invasive rose-ringed parakeet populations may be overlooked,and should be considered for effective management plans.展开更多
Background： Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index （LAI）, fractional vegetation cover （FCover） and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation （fAPAR）, regulates a wide range of forest functi...Background： Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index （LAI）, fractional vegetation cover （FCover） and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation （fAPAR）, regulates a wide range of forest functions and ecosystem services. Spatially consistent field-measurements of canopy structure are however lacking, particularly for the tropics. Methods： Here, we introduce the Global LAI database： a global dataset of field-based canopy structure measurements spanning tropical forests in four continents （Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas）. We use these measurements to test for climate dependencies within and across continents, and to test for the potential of anthropogenic disturbance and forest protection to modulate those dependences. Results： Using data collected from 887 tropical forest plots, we show that maximum water deficit, defined across the most arid months of the year, is an important predictor of canopy structure, with all three canopy attributes declining significantly with increasing water deficit. Canopy attributes also increase with minimum temperature, and with the protection of forests according to both active （within protected areas） and passive measures （through topography）. Once protection and continent effects are accounted for, other anthropogenic measures （e.g. human population） do not improve the model. Conclusions： We conclude that canopy structure in the tropics is primarily a consequence of forest adaptation to the maximum water deficits historically experienced within a given region. Climate change, and in particular changes in drought regimes may thus affect forest structure and function, but forest protection may offer some resilience against this effect.展开更多
Asian carp are expanding their range throughout the Mississippi River; however, abundance is thought to be highest in reaches within close proximity to the Illinois River. In the Mississippi River, Lock and Dam 19(L&a...Asian carp are expanding their range throughout the Mississippi River; however, abundance is thought to be highest in reaches within close proximity to the Illinois River. In the Mississippi River, Lock and Dam 19(L&D 19) at Keokuk, Iowa is the primary barrier to slow the expansion upstream. As Asian carp abundance increases below L&D 19, it is important to investigate potential means of control(i.e., reduction through harvest and barriers) that will prevent complete invasion of the Mississippi River above L&D 19. Silver Carp and Bighead Carp were collected below L&D 19, a subsample were implanted with ultrasonic transmitters to evaluate passage through the lock chamber and the remainder were used to determine population dynamics at the leading edge of invasion. Although the dam portion of the structure poses a complete barrier to upstream expansion, we documented lock chamber passage demonstrating the lock chamber has the capability to provide passage upstream. Based on the results of the population assessment, in order to induce recruitment overfishing at this leading edge of invasion, Asian carp will need to be intensively harvested at 300 mm and larger. The combination of commercial fishing efforts and research investigating ways to prevent passage upstream must be employed.展开更多
The Sumampa River in Mampong-Ashanti in Ghana is a very important river that supplies water to the water processing company for treatment for the whole community and its environs. In spite of its importance, the buffe...The Sumampa River in Mampong-Ashanti in Ghana is a very important river that supplies water to the water processing company for treatment for the whole community and its environs. In spite of its importance, the buffer area of the river has been encroached by settlers. Residential houses sited along the river have channeled their waste water into the river and several anthropogenic activities go on along the river. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quality of the river. Water samples were collected from various parts of the river including the source and outflow for physico-chemical and microbial analyses. The results showed that, the water was highly turbid with high total dissolved solids at some points because of intense anthropogenic activities. High turbidity and total dissolved solids greatly influence the microbial load of the water. We therefore recommend that measures are put in place to protect the Sumampa River through the creation of a buffer zone by planting trees along the banks of the river. The trees could help detoxify the run-off water that flows into the river.展开更多
Since acorn production is a foundational process of ecosystems dominated by oaks, understanding the impact of forest management practices on acorn production is critical to the sustainable management of oak forests. T...Since acorn production is a foundational process of ecosystems dominated by oaks, understanding the impact of forest management practices on acorn production is critical to the sustainable management of oak forests. This investigation addressed the impact of even-aged management (EAM), uneven-aged management (UAM), and no-harvest management (NHM) on the production of mature, sound acorns over an 18-year period (1993-2010) of a long-term, landscape-scale forest management experiment in the Missouri Ozarks. Forest management impacts were investigated at two operational scales: the multi-stand compartment and the stand. We hypothesized that acorn production at both scales would be lower under active management (EAM and UAM) than NHM on these oak-dominated landscapes. Acorn production (acorns/ha/year) of red oaks (mainly black oak (Quercus velutina) and scarlet oak (Q. coccinea)) at the compartment level was lower under active management than NHM during the post-treatment period (1997-2010), but not for white oaks (mainly white oak (Q. alba) and post oak (Q. stellata)), which was largely a result of greater abundance and preferential harvesting of mature red oaks. At the stand scale, acorn production following either intermediate thinning or single-tree selection was comparable to yields observed in untreated stands suggesting that partial overstory removal can be implemented for harvesting timber and other silvicultural objectives without sacrificing acorn production. In many oak-dominated forests, active management will be necessary to mitigate future losses of acorn production driven by oak decline, succession, and climate change, including approaches for sustaining oak recruitment and acorn production.展开更多
Ammonium oxalate treatment, previously extensively studied on limestone in the laboratory, was applied to powdering historical stonework （limestone） situated on the shoreline in the Mediterranean Island of Malta. Th...Ammonium oxalate treatment, previously extensively studied on limestone in the laboratory, was applied to powdering historical stonework （limestone） situated on the shoreline in the Mediterranean Island of Malta. This paper presents the results obtained from onsite testing that aimed at evaluating the treatment in terms of its aesthetic performance, the depth of treatment, the mechanical properties of the consolidated stone and the influence on water transport. To this end, the testing program included colorimetry, DRMS （drilling resistance measurement system） and water absorption through the contact sponge method. This study is Part One of the final phase of a wider research program which included two previous phases progressing from treating this same very porous stone type in a laboratory-based controlled environment to uncontrolled site conditions, seeking to quantify this treatment＇s effectiveness in the field. Results showed that onsite consolidation was achieved and that although some changes in colour and water absorption were brought about by the treatment, these were within acceptable tolerance limits. Besides carrying out these treatments and evaluations directly on the coast, this study anticipates further studies which will look at rural and urban sites where the types and concentrations of salts are expected to be different.展开更多
Naqsh-e-Rostam is known as an ancient periphery which is located in northwest of Persepolis in Fars Province, lran. The oldest relief at Naqsh-e-Rostam is severely damaged and dates to 1,200 B.C.. There is a rock reli...Naqsh-e-Rostam is known as an ancient periphery which is located in northwest of Persepolis in Fars Province, lran. The oldest relief at Naqsh-e-Rostam is severely damaged and dates to 1,200 B.C.. There is a rock relief thought to be elimate, originally. Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face and seven oversized rock reliefs at Naqsh-e-Rostam depict the monarchs of the Sassanid Period. These works are located in orographic mountains which are exposed to the interaction with their surrounding environment. Therefore, existing deterioration as well as erosion process is mainly observed due to climatically conditions and geo-environmental factors which have caused such challenges. Transverse and micro cracks are most kinds of damages that will result in erosion in whole of these works. The focal sources which cause ground cracks have been studied with hydro geological survey. Actually considering the storage volume changing and the calculation of hydrological budget for aquifer, this conclusion drown that the ground crack in this site is the direct result of land subsidence resulting from ground water extraction.展开更多
LULC （land use and land cover） plays an important role in mathematical hydrological modeling. As many countries, available LULC are not always updated to reflect the most current situation. In this regard, the objec...LULC （land use and land cover） plays an important role in mathematical hydrological modeling. As many countries, available LULC are not always updated to reflect the most current situation. In this regard, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential capability of moderate resolution satellite imagery such as MODIS （Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer）, acquired in 2010 for updated LULC. This issue was illustrated through the application of the most current LULC as one of the data inputs of the SWAT （Soil and Water Assessment Tool） model in the Tonle Sap Lake Basin, a sub-basin of the Mekong River. The streamflow was tested using moderate resolution LULC of 500 meters. The statistical evaluation results at a monitoring station for model calibration and validation showed that the R2 for daily and monthly values range from 0.76 to 0.88 and 0.86 to 0.89 respectively, whereas the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency daily and monthly values range between 0.75 to 0.85 and 0.76 to 0.87 respectively. The simulation result based on MODIS imagery demonstrates LULC at moderate resolution holds considerable potential as an effective hydrological modeling tool. An additional level of confidence is provided by the notion that the methods described here could be applied in similar watershed conditions.展开更多
This part of study represents the applied study;which is a continuation of the experimental study that was carried out in part 1 [1]<span "="">. The experimental study in part 1 focused on ev...This part of study represents the applied study;which is a continuation of the experimental study that was carried out in part 1 [1]<span "="">. The experimental study in part 1 focused on evaluation of the effectiveness of Montmorillonite clay, calcium carbonate, and silicon dioxide nanoparticles for enhancing the performances of epoxy adhesives used in re-assembly of archaeological </span>massive limestones. Based on the obtained results in part 1, the choice fell on epoxy-clay nanocomposites as the best re-assembly adhesive material reinforced with Stainless Steel to conduct the applied study project. The current applied study that <span "="">represents a big project was carried out on 3 archaeological pharaonic massive limestones discovered separately in Ain Shams (Heliopolis) archaeological area in Egypt. The methodology included an accurate archaeological study, followed by analytical, and then the restoration and reassembly process. Firstly;in order to prove whether these artifacts are complementary to each other or not, then with a view to re-assembly and conserving these artifacts in the form of one stone block to be ready for museum display. Referred to the comprehensive archaeological and analytical study of the mentioned archeological stones, the results confirmed that, these stone pieces, in the original were one piece, therefore, it is possible to regrouping again to become one block complementary to each other, and this is what was done in this study.展开更多
Biao Hu was one of the eight famous traditional crafts in the late Qing dynasty.This skill involved decorating the interiors of ancient buildings such as ceilings,walls,and windows and creating burial objects.It was p...Biao Hu was one of the eight famous traditional crafts in the late Qing dynasty.This skill involved decorating the interiors of ancient buildings such as ceilings,walls,and windows and creating burial objects.It was primarily used for wooden buildings in northern China during the early Qing dynasty.For example,there is white-patterned wallpaper in the Forbidden City utilizing both traditional and nontraditional patterns.Moreover,there was wallpaper with a special pattern in the Lodge of the Bamboo Fragrance(Zhuxiang Guan).Its structure and composition were studied via morphological observations and spectral analyses,the pigments and dyes were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum(UPLC-MS).Traditional technology and exchanges between China and the West were discussed by the study of patterned wallpapers in other buildings of the Forbidden City.展开更多
Vernacular settlements provide us an opportunity to learn how sustainable building was inherently practiced in various regions of the world.This paper looks at how rituals that are a part of the Indra Jatra,a communit...Vernacular settlements provide us an opportunity to learn how sustainable building was inherently practiced in various regions of the world.This paper looks at how rituals that are a part of the Indra Jatra,a community festival,reinforces the ideals of sustainable spatial planning in the vernacular settlements of the Newars who are the indigenous community belonging to the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.The settlement-pattern and vernacular dwellings are appraised,and the current scenario is analyzed so as to derive how the ritual spaces get activated during the festival(that have been spatially planned)and whether they guide decision-making and policy planning.This is essential to determine whether these spaces face any urban pressures and to further investigate how they can be mitigated.展开更多
It has been suggested that spatial heterogeneity is key to the coexistence at local spatial scales of subordinate and dominant predator species by allowing the former to shift to more protective habitats when the risk...It has been suggested that spatial heterogeneity is key to the coexistence at local spatial scales of subordinate and dominant predator species by allowing the former to shift to more protective habitats when the risk of intraguild predation exists. Here, we show how the smaller carnivore Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) may coexist on a local scale with its intraguild pre- dator, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), by using places with different microhabitat character- istics. We expect that mongooses living within lynx home ranges will use denser and more protective habitats when active in order to di- minish their risk of being killed by lynx com- pared to those living in areas similar in vege- tation and prey availability but where lynx are absent. The scrubland cover of points used by mongooses outside lynx areas, and that of points located within lynx areas but not used by mongooses, were significantly lower than, or similar to, cover of points used by mongooses within lynx areas. The probability of finding mon- goose tracks was constant across levels of scrubland cover when lynx were absent, but more mongoose tracks were likely to be found in thicker scrubland within lynx areas, especially if these areas were intensively used by lynx. This result agrees with the hypothesis on shifts in microhabitat use of subordinate carnivores to prevent fatal or risky encounters with dominant ones.展开更多
The Lower Globigerina Limestone of the Maltese Islands is here being proposed for nomination as a“Global Heritage Stone Resource”.This stone,continuously used for building and sculpture for 6000 years,is well suited...The Lower Globigerina Limestone of the Maltese Islands is here being proposed for nomination as a“Global Heritage Stone Resource”.This stone,continuously used for building and sculpture for 6000 years,is well suited to fit this global designation as it is not only of great local cultural,historic and economic importance,but it is also the building stone used in construction of the UNESCO,and hence internationally recognized,World Heritage city of Valletta,as well as the UNESCO-listed Prehistoric Megalithic Temples of the Maltese Islands.The stone was also exported to several European and North African countries especially in the early 20th century.The entire range of archaeological remains and historic architecture which cover the Maltese Islands have been built in this stone,and encompass innumerable palaces and churches,including the fortified cities of Valletta,Mdina(the old capital of Malta),the Three Cities on the Grand Harbour and the Citadel of Gozo,as well as the vernacular architecture ubiquitous within the village cores all over the Islands.The soft limestone has also been widely used over the millennia for elaborate and extensive sculptural motifs.Practically the only natural resource of the Islands,it continues to be quarried today,and is used not only for new construction,but also for the regular restoration of Malta’s great and imposing architectural heritage,remaining thus an important pillar of the Maltese economy.展开更多
Knowing how environmental conditions affect performance traits in pest insects is important to improve pest management strategies.It can be informative for monitoring,but also for control programs where insects are ma...Knowing how environmental conditions affect performance traits in pest insects is important to improve pest management strategies.It can be informative for monitoring,but also for control programs where insects are mass-reared,and field-released.Here,we investigated how adult thermal acclimation in sterile Bactrocera dorsalis affects dispersal and recapture rates in the field using a mark-release-recapture method.We also considered how current abiotic factors may affect recapture rates and interact with thermal history.We found that acclimation at 20 or 30℃ for 4 d prior to release reduced the number of recaptures in comparison with the 25℃ control group,but with no differences between groups in the willingness to disperse upon release.However,the deleterious effects of acclimation were only detectable in the first week following release,whereafter only the recent abiotic conditions explained recapture rates.In addition,we found that recent field conditions contributed more than thermal history to explain patterns of recaptures.The two most important variables affecting the number of recaptures were the maximum temperature and the average relative humidity experienced in the 24 h preceding trapping.Our results add to the handful of studies that have considered the effect of thermal acclimation on insect field performance,but notably lend support to the deleterious acclimation hypothesis among the various hypotheses that have been proposed.Finally,this study shows that there are specific abiotic conditions(cold/hot and dry)in which recaptures will be reduced,which may therefore bias estimates of wild population size.展开更多
基金supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract APVV-19-0076 and by the grant VEGA 1/0242/21 of the Scientific Grant Agency of the Slovak RepublicSH was supported by the German Research Foundation(DFG,grant no.HO 3792/8-1)The work of OK was carried out within the framework of research topics of the state assignments nos.121032300023-7 and 122031100282-2.The research of DJ in Afghanistan has been approved by the National Environmental Protection Agency of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan(permits for access to genetic resources nos.12429 and 12455).
文摘Influenced by rapid changes in climate and landscape features since the Miocene,widely distributed species provide suitable models to study the environmental impact on their evolution and current genetic diversity.The dice snake Natrix tessellata,widely distributed in the Western Palearctic is one such species.We aimed to resolve a detailed phylogeography of N.tessellata with a focus on the Central Asian clade with 4 and the Anatolia clade with 3 mitochondrial lineages,trace their origin,and correlate the environmental changes that affected their distribution through time.The expected time of divergence of both clades began at 3.7 Mya in the Pliocene,reaching lineage differentiation approximately 1 million years later.The genetic diversity in both clades is rich,suggesting different ancestral areas,glacial refugia,demographic changes,and colonization routes.The Caspian lineage is the most widespread lineage in Central Asia,distributed around the Caspian Sea and reaching the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan,and Eastern European lowlands in the west.Its distribution is limited by deserts,moun-tains,and cold steppe environments.Similarly,Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan lineages followed the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya water systems in Central Asia,with ranges delimited by the large Kyzylkum and Karakum deserts.On the western side,there are several lineages within the Anatolia clade that converged in the central part of the peninsula with 2 being endemic to Western Asia.The distribution of both main clades was affected by expansion from their Pleistocene glacial refugia around the Caspian Sea and in the valleys of Central Asia as well as by environmental changes,mostly through aridification.
文摘The transformation of the medieval city of Rhodes and the modification of its buildings since the siege of 1522 by Suleiman the Magnificent up to the 20th century, were imposed by the social and religious needs of each of its conquerors. In particular, during the period of the Ottoman rule （1522-1912）, most of the churches were converted into mosques while new buildings like public baths and mansions were constructed, resulting in alterations in the morphological characteristics of the city. Although the buildings of the Hospitalier＇s period （1307-1522） were preserved, the additions and adjustments resulted into a mixture of western and oriental architecture, which today determines the multicultural identity of the city. In 1988, UNESCO （United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization） designated the medieval city of Rhodes as a world heritage city for its exemplary architectural complexity and variability, which perfectly reflects the complex historical phenomena and the unique integration of various cultures for more than seven centuries. In this paper, the management of the modifications and the restoration approach of four representative mosques are presented.
文摘Aquaculture is a rapidly growing global agriculture sector and the importance of fish health has become of upmost importance as production levels and stocking densities increase. Over the past few decades, there have been a large number of immunological investigations on commonly cultured finfish species. Further, new technologies and strategies that embody use of fish immunostimulants, probiotics, and vaccinology rely heavily upon a comprehensive understanding of teleost immune system mechanics. The teleost immune system works in concert to properly recognize, control, and clear aquatic pathogens. Recent findings have exemplified the cooperative efforts of the nonspecific and adaptive branches, and have put forth an emphasis on the importance of the mucosal immune response in all aspects of a mounted immune response. This review provides a generalized overview of the innate and adaptive arms of the fish immune system, and provides highlights of recently published work in the areas of signaling networks and mucosal immune interactions.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81570974)the Key Project of the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province(No.2015JY0260)
文摘This study aimed to study whether the Sortase A(srt A)gene helps mediate coaggregation and co-adherence between Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)and other salivary bacteria.S.mutans UA159 and srt A-deficient mutant served as"bait"in classical co-aggregation assays and membrane-based co-adherence assays were used to examine interactions of S.mutans with Fusobacterium nucleatum(F.nucleatum),Streptococcus mitis(S.mitis),Streptococcus gordonii(S.gordonii),Streptococcus sanguis(S.sanguis),Actinomyces naeslundii(A.naeslundii)and Lactobacillus.Co-adherence assays were also performed using unfractionated saliva from healthy individuals.Co-adhering partners of S.mutans were sensitively detected using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE).Both UA159 and its srt A-deficient mutant bound to F.nucleatum but not to any of the other five salivary bacteria.The srt A-deficient mutant showed lower co-adherence with F.nucleatum.The two S.mutans strains also showed similar co-adherence profiles against unfractionated salivary bacteria,except that UA159 S.mutans but not the srt A-deficient bound to a Neisseria sp.under the same conditions.Deleting srt A reduces the ability of S.mutans to bind to F.nucleatum,but it does not appear to significantly affect the binding profile of S.mutans to bulk salivary bacteria.
文摘Attitudes regarding traditional energy sources have shifted toward renewable resources. Specifically, short-rotation woody crop supply systems have become more prevalent for biomass and biofuel production. However, a number of factors such as environmental and inherent resource availability can limit tree production. Given the intensified demand for wood biomass production, forest and plantation management practices are focusing on increasing productivity. Fertilizer application, while generally one of the least expensive silvicultural tools, can become costly if application rates exceed nutrient uptake or demand of the trees especially if it does not result in additional biomass production. We investigated the effect of water and varying levels of nitrogen application (56, 112, and 224 kg·N·haǃ·yrǃ) on nutrient content, resorption efficiency and proficiency, N:P and the relationship with ANPP, as well as leaf- and canopy-level nutrient use efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for Populus deltoides, Quercus pagoda, and Platanus occidentalis. P. deltoides and P. occidentalis reached their maximum nitrogen budget with the application of water suggesting old agricultural fields may have sufficient nutrient levels to sustain short-rotation woody crops negating the application of additional nitrogen for these two species. Additionally, for P. deltoides and Q. pagoda application of nitrogen appeared to increase the uptake of phosphorus however, resorption efficiency for these two species were more similar to studies conducted on nutrient poor sites. Nutrient resorption proficiency for all three nutrients and all three species were at levels below the highest rates of nitrogen application. These findings suggest maximum biomass production may not necessarily be tied to maximum nutrient application.
基金This work was supported by the Severo Ochoa Program(Grant No.SVP2014-068732)Action COST“ParrotNet”(Grant No.ES1304).
文摘Certain traits of recipient environments,such as the availability of limiting resources,strongly determine the establishment success and spread of non-native species.These limitations may be overcome through behavioral plasticity,allowing them to exploit alternative resources.Here,we show how a secondary cavity nester bird,the rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri,innovates its nesting behavior as a response to the shortage of tree cavities for nesting in its invasive range in Tenerife(Canary Islands).We observed that some breeding pairs excavated their own nest cavities in palms,thus becoming primary cavity nester,whereas others occupied nests built with wood sticks by another invasive species,the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus.The use of these novel nesting strategies increased the number of breeding pairs by up to 52%over 6 years,contributing to a 128.8%increase of the whole population.Innovative nests were located at greater heights above ground and were more aggregated around conspecifics but did not result in greater breeding success than natural cavities.Occupation of monk parakeet colonies by rose-ringed parakeets also benefited the former species through a protective-nesting association against nest predators.Our results show how an invasive species innovate nesting behaviors and increase nest-site availability in the recipient environment,thus facilitating its population growth and invasion process.Potential behavioral innovations in other invasive rose-ringed parakeet populations may be overlooked,and should be considered for effective management plans.
基金supported by the‘Uncovering the variable roles of fire in savannah ecosystems’project,funded by Leverhulme Trust under grant IN-2014-022 and‘Resilience in East African Landscapes’project funded by European Commission Marie Curie Initial Training Network(FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN project number606879)funding from Australian Research Council,IUCN Sustain/African Wildlife Foundation and University of York Research Pump Priming Fund+1 种基金funding through the European Research Council ERC-2011-St G_20101109(project number 281986)and the British Ecological Society-Ecologists in Africa programmesupport through the‘Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Food Security in Eastern Africa(CHIESA)’project(2011–2015),which was funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland,and coordinated by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology(icipe)in Nairobi,Kenya
文摘Background： Canopy structure, defined by leaf area index （LAI）, fractional vegetation cover （FCover） and fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation （fAPAR）, regulates a wide range of forest functions and ecosystem services. Spatially consistent field-measurements of canopy structure are however lacking, particularly for the tropics. Methods： Here, we introduce the Global LAI database： a global dataset of field-based canopy structure measurements spanning tropical forests in four continents （Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas）. We use these measurements to test for climate dependencies within and across continents, and to test for the potential of anthropogenic disturbance and forest protection to modulate those dependences. Results： Using data collected from 887 tropical forest plots, we show that maximum water deficit, defined across the most arid months of the year, is an important predictor of canopy structure, with all three canopy attributes declining significantly with increasing water deficit. Canopy attributes also increase with minimum temperature, and with the protection of forests according to both active （within protected areas） and passive measures （through topography）. Once protection and continent effects are accounted for, other anthropogenic measures （e.g. human population） do not improve the model. Conclusions： We conclude that canopy structure in the tropics is primarily a consequence of forest adaptation to the maximum water deficits historically experienced within a given region. Climate change, and in particular changes in drought regimes may thus affect forest structure and function, but forest protection may offer some resilience against this effect.
文摘Asian carp are expanding their range throughout the Mississippi River; however, abundance is thought to be highest in reaches within close proximity to the Illinois River. In the Mississippi River, Lock and Dam 19(L&D 19) at Keokuk, Iowa is the primary barrier to slow the expansion upstream. As Asian carp abundance increases below L&D 19, it is important to investigate potential means of control(i.e., reduction through harvest and barriers) that will prevent complete invasion of the Mississippi River above L&D 19. Silver Carp and Bighead Carp were collected below L&D 19, a subsample were implanted with ultrasonic transmitters to evaluate passage through the lock chamber and the remainder were used to determine population dynamics at the leading edge of invasion. Although the dam portion of the structure poses a complete barrier to upstream expansion, we documented lock chamber passage demonstrating the lock chamber has the capability to provide passage upstream. Based on the results of the population assessment, in order to induce recruitment overfishing at this leading edge of invasion, Asian carp will need to be intensively harvested at 300 mm and larger. The combination of commercial fishing efforts and research investigating ways to prevent passage upstream must be employed.
文摘The Sumampa River in Mampong-Ashanti in Ghana is a very important river that supplies water to the water processing company for treatment for the whole community and its environs. In spite of its importance, the buffer area of the river has been encroached by settlers. Residential houses sited along the river have channeled their waste water into the river and several anthropogenic activities go on along the river. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effects of anthropogenic activities on the quality of the river. Water samples were collected from various parts of the river including the source and outflow for physico-chemical and microbial analyses. The results showed that, the water was highly turbid with high total dissolved solids at some points because of intense anthropogenic activities. High turbidity and total dissolved solids greatly influence the microbial load of the water. We therefore recommend that measures are put in place to protect the Sumampa River through the creation of a buffer zone by planting trees along the banks of the river. The trees could help detoxify the run-off water that flows into the river.
文摘Since acorn production is a foundational process of ecosystems dominated by oaks, understanding the impact of forest management practices on acorn production is critical to the sustainable management of oak forests. This investigation addressed the impact of even-aged management (EAM), uneven-aged management (UAM), and no-harvest management (NHM) on the production of mature, sound acorns over an 18-year period (1993-2010) of a long-term, landscape-scale forest management experiment in the Missouri Ozarks. Forest management impacts were investigated at two operational scales: the multi-stand compartment and the stand. We hypothesized that acorn production at both scales would be lower under active management (EAM and UAM) than NHM on these oak-dominated landscapes. Acorn production (acorns/ha/year) of red oaks (mainly black oak (Quercus velutina) and scarlet oak (Q. coccinea)) at the compartment level was lower under active management than NHM during the post-treatment period (1997-2010), but not for white oaks (mainly white oak (Q. alba) and post oak (Q. stellata)), which was largely a result of greater abundance and preferential harvesting of mature red oaks. At the stand scale, acorn production following either intermediate thinning or single-tree selection was comparable to yields observed in untreated stands suggesting that partial overstory removal can be implemented for harvesting timber and other silvicultural objectives without sacrificing acorn production. In many oak-dominated forests, active management will be necessary to mitigate future losses of acorn production driven by oak decline, succession, and climate change, including approaches for sustaining oak recruitment and acorn production.
文摘Ammonium oxalate treatment, previously extensively studied on limestone in the laboratory, was applied to powdering historical stonework （limestone） situated on the shoreline in the Mediterranean Island of Malta. This paper presents the results obtained from onsite testing that aimed at evaluating the treatment in terms of its aesthetic performance, the depth of treatment, the mechanical properties of the consolidated stone and the influence on water transport. To this end, the testing program included colorimetry, DRMS （drilling resistance measurement system） and water absorption through the contact sponge method. This study is Part One of the final phase of a wider research program which included two previous phases progressing from treating this same very porous stone type in a laboratory-based controlled environment to uncontrolled site conditions, seeking to quantify this treatment＇s effectiveness in the field. Results showed that onsite consolidation was achieved and that although some changes in colour and water absorption were brought about by the treatment, these were within acceptable tolerance limits. Besides carrying out these treatments and evaluations directly on the coast, this study anticipates further studies which will look at rural and urban sites where the types and concentrations of salts are expected to be different.
文摘Naqsh-e-Rostam is known as an ancient periphery which is located in northwest of Persepolis in Fars Province, lran. The oldest relief at Naqsh-e-Rostam is severely damaged and dates to 1,200 B.C.. There is a rock relief thought to be elimate, originally. Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face and seven oversized rock reliefs at Naqsh-e-Rostam depict the monarchs of the Sassanid Period. These works are located in orographic mountains which are exposed to the interaction with their surrounding environment. Therefore, existing deterioration as well as erosion process is mainly observed due to climatically conditions and geo-environmental factors which have caused such challenges. Transverse and micro cracks are most kinds of damages that will result in erosion in whole of these works. The focal sources which cause ground cracks have been studied with hydro geological survey. Actually considering the storage volume changing and the calculation of hydrological budget for aquifer, this conclusion drown that the ground crack in this site is the direct result of land subsidence resulting from ground water extraction.
文摘LULC （land use and land cover） plays an important role in mathematical hydrological modeling. As many countries, available LULC are not always updated to reflect the most current situation. In this regard, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential capability of moderate resolution satellite imagery such as MODIS （Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer）, acquired in 2010 for updated LULC. This issue was illustrated through the application of the most current LULC as one of the data inputs of the SWAT （Soil and Water Assessment Tool） model in the Tonle Sap Lake Basin, a sub-basin of the Mekong River. The streamflow was tested using moderate resolution LULC of 500 meters. The statistical evaluation results at a monitoring station for model calibration and validation showed that the R2 for daily and monthly values range from 0.76 to 0.88 and 0.86 to 0.89 respectively, whereas the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency daily and monthly values range between 0.75 to 0.85 and 0.76 to 0.87 respectively. The simulation result based on MODIS imagery demonstrates LULC at moderate resolution holds considerable potential as an effective hydrological modeling tool. An additional level of confidence is provided by the notion that the methods described here could be applied in similar watershed conditions.
文摘This part of study represents the applied study;which is a continuation of the experimental study that was carried out in part 1 [1]<span "="">. The experimental study in part 1 focused on evaluation of the effectiveness of Montmorillonite clay, calcium carbonate, and silicon dioxide nanoparticles for enhancing the performances of epoxy adhesives used in re-assembly of archaeological </span>massive limestones. Based on the obtained results in part 1, the choice fell on epoxy-clay nanocomposites as the best re-assembly adhesive material reinforced with Stainless Steel to conduct the applied study project. The current applied study that <span "="">represents a big project was carried out on 3 archaeological pharaonic massive limestones discovered separately in Ain Shams (Heliopolis) archaeological area in Egypt. The methodology included an accurate archaeological study, followed by analytical, and then the restoration and reassembly process. Firstly;in order to prove whether these artifacts are complementary to each other or not, then with a view to re-assembly and conserving these artifacts in the form of one stone block to be ready for museum display. Referred to the comprehensive archaeological and analytical study of the mentioned archeological stones, the results confirmed that, these stone pieces, in the original were one piece, therefore, it is possible to regrouping again to become one block complementary to each other, and this is what was done in this study.
基金the support from the National Key R&D Program of China(2019YFC1520300).
文摘Biao Hu was one of the eight famous traditional crafts in the late Qing dynasty.This skill involved decorating the interiors of ancient buildings such as ceilings,walls,and windows and creating burial objects.It was primarily used for wooden buildings in northern China during the early Qing dynasty.For example,there is white-patterned wallpaper in the Forbidden City utilizing both traditional and nontraditional patterns.Moreover,there was wallpaper with a special pattern in the Lodge of the Bamboo Fragrance(Zhuxiang Guan).Its structure and composition were studied via morphological observations and spectral analyses,the pigments and dyes were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrum(UPLC-MS).Traditional technology and exchanges between China and the West were discussed by the study of patterned wallpapers in other buildings of the Forbidden City.
文摘Vernacular settlements provide us an opportunity to learn how sustainable building was inherently practiced in various regions of the world.This paper looks at how rituals that are a part of the Indra Jatra,a community festival,reinforces the ideals of sustainable spatial planning in the vernacular settlements of the Newars who are the indigenous community belonging to the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.The settlement-pattern and vernacular dwellings are appraised,and the current scenario is analyzed so as to derive how the ritual spaces get activated during the festival(that have been spatially planned)and whether they guide decision-making and policy planning.This is essential to determine whether these spaces face any urban pressures and to further investigate how they can be mitigated.
基金funded by project CGL2004-00346/BOS of Ministry of Education and Sciencesupported by a predoctoral grant of CSIC-Spanish Council for Research,“I3P”programsupported by a FPU and a post-doctoral fellowships from the Spanish Ministry of Education.
文摘It has been suggested that spatial heterogeneity is key to the coexistence at local spatial scales of subordinate and dominant predator species by allowing the former to shift to more protective habitats when the risk of intraguild predation exists. Here, we show how the smaller carnivore Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) may coexist on a local scale with its intraguild pre- dator, the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), by using places with different microhabitat character- istics. We expect that mongooses living within lynx home ranges will use denser and more protective habitats when active in order to di- minish their risk of being killed by lynx com- pared to those living in areas similar in vege- tation and prey availability but where lynx are absent. The scrubland cover of points used by mongooses outside lynx areas, and that of points located within lynx areas but not used by mongooses, were significantly lower than, or similar to, cover of points used by mongooses within lynx areas. The probability of finding mon- goose tracks was constant across levels of scrubland cover when lynx were absent, but more mongoose tracks were likely to be found in thicker scrubland within lynx areas, especially if these areas were intensively used by lynx. This result agrees with the hypothesis on shifts in microhabitat use of subordinate carnivores to prevent fatal or risky encounters with dominant ones.
文摘The Lower Globigerina Limestone of the Maltese Islands is here being proposed for nomination as a“Global Heritage Stone Resource”.This stone,continuously used for building and sculpture for 6000 years,is well suited to fit this global designation as it is not only of great local cultural,historic and economic importance,but it is also the building stone used in construction of the UNESCO,and hence internationally recognized,World Heritage city of Valletta,as well as the UNESCO-listed Prehistoric Megalithic Temples of the Maltese Islands.The stone was also exported to several European and North African countries especially in the early 20th century.The entire range of archaeological remains and historic architecture which cover the Maltese Islands have been built in this stone,and encompass innumerable palaces and churches,including the fortified cities of Valletta,Mdina(the old capital of Malta),the Three Cities on the Grand Harbour and the Citadel of Gozo,as well as the vernacular architecture ubiquitous within the village cores all over the Islands.The soft limestone has also been widely used over the millennia for elaborate and extensive sculptural motifs.Practically the only natural resource of the Islands,it continues to be quarried today,and is used not only for new construction,but also for the regular restoration of Malta’s great and imposing architectural heritage,remaining thus an important pillar of the Maltese economy.
基金funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under agreement No 818184(FF-IPM)Citrus Research International for provided pupae used to establish the cultures。
文摘Knowing how environmental conditions affect performance traits in pest insects is important to improve pest management strategies.It can be informative for monitoring,but also for control programs where insects are mass-reared,and field-released.Here,we investigated how adult thermal acclimation in sterile Bactrocera dorsalis affects dispersal and recapture rates in the field using a mark-release-recapture method.We also considered how current abiotic factors may affect recapture rates and interact with thermal history.We found that acclimation at 20 or 30℃ for 4 d prior to release reduced the number of recaptures in comparison with the 25℃ control group,but with no differences between groups in the willingness to disperse upon release.However,the deleterious effects of acclimation were only detectable in the first week following release,whereafter only the recent abiotic conditions explained recapture rates.In addition,we found that recent field conditions contributed more than thermal history to explain patterns of recaptures.The two most important variables affecting the number of recaptures were the maximum temperature and the average relative humidity experienced in the 24 h preceding trapping.Our results add to the handful of studies that have considered the effect of thermal acclimation on insect field performance,but notably lend support to the deleterious acclimation hypothesis among the various hypotheses that have been proposed.Finally,this study shows that there are specific abiotic conditions(cold/hot and dry)in which recaptures will be reduced,which may therefore bias estimates of wild population size.
