The mbuna cichlids of Lake Malawi: a model for rapid speciation and adaptive radiation

Mbuna, the dominant fishes on the rocky shores of Lake Malawi, have become a major ‘model system’ for the study of rapid speciation and adaptive radiation. At least 295 putative species are known, of which more than 200 remain undescribed. There is no good evidence for monophyly in the mbuna, rather mitochondrial DNA phylogenies indicate that they are polyphlyetic with respect to benthic feeding cichlids of the genera Aulonocara, Alticorpus and some species of Lethrinops. Male mbuna hold territories for 18 months or more and breed year‐round. All species are maternal mouthbrooders, but females do not guard free‐swimming young. Mbuna are polygamous (both sexes). There is sexual dimorphism in size, colour and fin length, and many species show within‐population colour polymorphism. Mbuna genera are largely differentiated on the basis of head, jaw and tooth morphology, but congeneric species are generally distinguished by male colour. Many morphologically specialized forms have broad diets and often feed on common easily obtainable resources. While it is likely that dietary and habitat niche partitioning contributes to species coexistence, this has never clearly been demonstrated under experimental conditions. Populations on spatially separated habitat patches are often genetically differentiated, probably because most species are specialized for life on rocky shores, and lack a dispersal phase in their life histories. Males seem to disperse more than females, but are able to home several kilometres back to their territories. Some closely related ecologically equivalent allopatric populations are differentiated in male colour. Those tested have been shown to mate at least partially assortatively. Sexual selection acting on male colour seems the most plausible mechanism for initial species divergence. The same colour forms seem to have arisen several times, suggesting frequent parallel evolution. The main conservation threat to mbuna at present seems to be translocation of species within the lake as a result of the aquarium trade. However, deleterious effects on indigenous populations are not documented. In the long run, sedimentation, pollution, introduction of alien species and the development of targeted food fisheries could be more serious threats.     

Forest management and forest state in southern Sweden before and after the impact of storm Gudrun in the winter of 2005

About three times the annual cut in southern Sweden (Götaland) was damaged by the storm Gudrun in January 2005, i.e. almost as much as the normal annual cut for all of Sweden. To establish any differences in forest management and state before and after the storm, measures such as growing stock volume, age-class distribution, and species composition were analyzed within the damaged area. As a reference the situation before and after the storm within the area in Götaland not damaged by the storm was also analyzed. For all analyses, sample plots from the Swedish National Forest Inventory were used. Results based on mean values for the years 2000–2004/2005–2009 showed that the total growing stock for the damaged area decreased by approximately 30 million m³ after the storm. This was mainly caused by a decrease in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst). Annual growth for pine, spruce, and deciduous trees decreased by 1.8 million m³ in the damaged area. This mainly included stands already thinned and not, as expected, in the stands ready for final felling. Also, the proportional area within each of the age classes 21–40, 41–60, and 61–80 years decreased. The storm led to an increased area in immediate need of precommercial thinning. No changes in choice of species when regenerating could be observed. Furthermore, only marginal adaptation by forest owners to future risk of wind throw could be detected.     

低轨无拖曳卫星的自适应神经网络控制器设计

低轨无拖曳(Drag-free)卫星为相对论的验证、引力波探测以及地球重力场的测量提供了低干扰的试验环境。目前已有的工作主要对无拖曳卫星模型进行线性化,然后进行控制器设计,此种方法忽略了无拖曳卫星控制系统的非线性环节,因此降低了控制器的精度。本文将基于Lyapunov稳定性理论和自适应反步控制,直接针对无拖曳卫星控制系统的非线性模型进行分析,设计一种自适应神经网络控制器。针对系统建模过程中的线性化和未建模动态,利用RBF神经网络对非线性项进行拟合和补偿,建立自适应神经网络权值自适应律,保证闭环系统具有较好的鲁棒稳定性能和抗干扰性能,实现无拖曳卫星控制系统的设计要求。仿真结果表明控制器的有效性,满足了无拖曳卫星的控制精度要求。     

一种新型的流媒体系统设计与实现

介绍了一种适用于网络带宽不稳定环境下的高效、可扩展、自适应以及鲁棒性高的视频流压缩与传输技术,并以此为基础最终实现了一个流媒体系统。该系统由流媒体压缩和网络传输控制两部分组成,详细介绍了这两部分所采用的关键技术。     

基于含水率变化的气体射流冲击干燥过程温度自适应控制系统

为了给变温干燥工艺提供新的技术支持，实现基于含水率变化的干燥温度自适应控制，该研究设计了具有物料含水率在线检测功能的温度自适应控制系统。采用卷积神经网络建立了以质量检测值、气流冲击速度、称重传感器弹性基体温度、气流冲击距离为输入，物料真实质量为输出的含水率在线检测模型。进行了含水率在线检测模型验证试验。结果表明，该模型满足变温干燥工艺中含水率在线检测的精度要求，5组含水率在线检测模型验证试验的决定系数R²和均方根误差RMSE依次为0.9934和1.20%。该文设计了改进神经网络-PID（improved neural network-PID，INN-PID）控制器来实现变温干燥工艺中的温度控制。在MATLAB软件中以单位阶跃信号为输入对PID、神经网络-PID（neural network-PID，NN-PID）和INN-PID控制器的动态性能进行仿真。对3种控制器分别进行了50~55 ℃的干燥温度控制试验。结果表明，在仿真试验中，INN-PID控制器的控制稳定性和调节时间均显著优于另外两种控制器；干燥温度控制试验结果与仿真结果存在近似相同的规律，INN-PID控制器的峰值时间是208.00 s，调节时间是120.59 s，最大超调量是4.87 %，满足变温干燥过程中温度控制的要求。该研究在气体射流冲击干燥机中搭建了温度自适应控制系统，进行了基于含水率变化的温度自适应控制试验。结果表明，该系统可以对基于含水率变化的变温干燥工艺中的干燥温度进行快速且有效的调节。该研究对提高干燥设备的自动化水平以及开发新的变温干燥工艺具有重要意义，对其他领域的多信息融合检测和控制策略研究提供参考。     

Research and Extension Supporting Ecologically Based IPM Systems

Summary

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has a long history of developing pest management strategies based on ecological principles. While IPM systems differ in their reliance on chemical controls, an ecological approach to IPM offers opportunities both to test ecological theory and to develop novel pest management techniques. We review ecological concepts relevant to habitat management as a tool for managing pest and natural enemy populations in annual cropping systems, and we describe a case study of the impacts of habitat management on predatory ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in annual cropping systems. Experimental manipulation of carabid population density revealed a positive relationship between the abundance of carabids in cropland and prey removal. Provision of stable refuge habitats in annual crops increased carabid species richness and abundance. Further studies demonstrated that the presence of refuge habitats mitigated the impacts of insecticide disturbance on carabid abundance and community structure in adjacent cropland. These results were used as part of a program to educate extension agents and producers in the principles of agroecology and ecologically based pest management. We encourage extension agents and producers to test novel practices using adaptive management. In this approach, predictions are formulated regarding specific management practices and evaluated against the results. Based on these observations, management is then adapted to yield the desired outcome. Such an approach recognizes the inherent uncertainty of multifactor ecological manipulation while providing producers with methods to manage this uncertainty.     

东祁连山几种高山杜鹃的种群垂直分布对策

东祁连山大阴坡几种杜鹃种群在不同海拔高度上的垂直分布对策是各物种生态位重叠与分离的结果:千里香杜鹃和头花杜鹃为海拔3300m以下梯度内的优势种;陇蜀杜鹃在海拔3300m以上更湿冷的范围内开始增加,并占绝对优势;烈香杜鹃在3400m时分盖度最大,在低处与千里香杜鹃和头花杜鹃伴生,在高处与陇蜀杜鹃伴生。     

在中职英语教学中开展“适性教育”的设想

中职生英语基础较差，个体差异大，英语教学质量令人堪忧。笔者分析了目前中职英语教学中存在的突出问题，并提出在中职英语教学中开展“适性教育”的设想。     

Effects of the Adaptable Distribution for Lateral Forces Considering modes Coupling on Structural Pushover Analysis

Two high and flexible RC frame structures are analyzed;the paper explains the rise in the structural damping ratio and the base mode's drifting,and the modes coupling is caused by the greatly rising damping ratio.The paper also proposes that the modes coupling need be considered in the pushover analysis of the high and flexible RC frame structures.A CQC adaptive distribution for lateral forces in considering the modes coupling at every load step is given,and is compared with the traditional SRSS one.Meanwhile,some practical engineering suggestions are given.     

Quantifiable Technique for Product Definition

近年来，我国水果种植业发展十分迅速，总产量跃居世界第一位。但是，一种奇怪的现象一直困扰着水果市场，一方面农民卖果难；另一方面水果出口数量发展缓慢，国内市场终端的水果质量也不尽人意。除了某些水果品种过时、栽培技术有待改进外，另一个主要原因就是水果物流过程中存在着诸多问题。提高我国水果在国际市场的竞争能力，改善我国水果市场终端的商品品质，减少水果采后物流中的损耗是摆在水果研究人员面前亟待解决的问题。本文将对几种有代表性水果的物流现状进行概述，并就目前水果物流中存在的问题进行分析。１红富士苹果１．１主…