Identifying priority protection areas of key food resources of the giant panda

Animals that live in seasonal environments adjust their reproduction cycle to optimize seasonal forage quality.Giant pandas(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)are seasonal altitudinal migrants that feed on bamboo shoots and leaves with different nutritional quality.However,the importance of bamboo shoots to giant pandas,especially small and isolated populations,is not fully appreciated.Here,we explored whether mating time of giant pandas is shaped by bamboo shoot phenology.We also assessed the intensity of ongoing bamboo shoot harvesting by local communities in 42 giant panda reserves based on questionnaire surveys.Varying intensity and protection levels of bamboo shoot harvesting were found.From these data,we developed a priority ranking scheme of protection areas for this key food resource.Our study showed that pandas time their mating behavior to coincide with bamboo shoot phenology due to the high nutritional demands associated with mating and pregnancy.We also found that bamboo shoots were not well protected in many places.Liangshan,Daxiangling,and Xiaoxiangling,containing the most isolated panda populations,were identified as the areas with the most urgent need of protection.Furthermore,equal attention should be paid to the Qiong L-B population,as this region holds considerable potential to serve as a corridor between the Minshan and Qionglai populations.To address the challenges posed by bamboo shoot harvesting,we recommend establishing more practical bamboo shoot management policies,increasing public awareness of bamboo shoot protection,and providing alternative sources of income for local communities.

Multi-wavelength continuous-wave Nd:YVO4 self-Raman laser under in-band pumping

Multi-wavelength continuous-wave self-Raman laser with an a-cut composite YVO4/Nd:YVO4/YVO4 crystal pumped by an 879-nm wavelength-locked laser diode is demonstrated for the first time.Multi-wavelength Raman lasers at 1168.4,1176,1178.7,and 1201.6 nm are achieved by the first Stokes shift of the multi-wavelength fundamental lasers at 1064,1066.7,1073.6,1084,and 1085.6 nm with two Raman shifts of 890 and 816 cm^-1.A maximum Raman output power of 2.56 W is achieved through the use of a 20-mm-long composite crystal,with a corresponding optical conversion efficiency of 9.8%.The polarization directions of different fundamental and Raman lasers are investigated and found to be orthogonalπandσpolarizations.These orthogonally polarized multi-wavelength lasers with small wavelength separation pave the way to the development of a potential laser source for application in spectral analysis,laser radar and THz generation.

Establishment,simulation and verification of firepower safety control model

On a narrow warship platform,the coordinated use of shipborne weapon systems may cause firepower conflicts,which seriously endangers the ship safety.Meanwhile,with directed-energy weapons mounted on ships,firepower conflicts between weapons become a“high probability event”.Aiming at the problem of firepower safety control,based on the research about the collision probability model of air crafts and space targets and according to the cone of fire model of conventional weapons and directed-energy weapons,this paper solved the firepower conflict probabilities between conventional weapons as well as between conventional weapons and directed-energy weapons respectively using the methods of probability theory,and established the firepower safety control model.Then the calculation of firepower conflict probability was carried out using the dimensionality reduction method based on the equivalent conversion of polar coordinates and the power series method based on Laplace transform.The simulation results revealed that the proposed model and calculation methods are effective and reliable,which can provide theoretical basis and technical support for resolution of firepower conflicts between weapons.

Does high vegetation coverage equal high giant panda density?

DEAR EDITOR,The giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)is a unique forest-dwelling species endemic to China.Previous studies have suggested that giant pandas are heavily reliant on old-growth forests with high vegetation coverage.As such,management has primarily focused on improving vegetation coverage in the potential range of giant pandas to increase the availability of suitable habitat.However,it remains unclear whether high vegetation coverage itself results in higher giant panda density.Here,we analyzed changes in vegetation coverage from 2001 to 2011 as well as the occurrence of wild giant pandas in five mountain areas.

Effect of siRNA-mediated knockdown of eIF3c gene on survival of colon cancer cells

Eukaryotic initiation factor subunit c(eIF3c) has been identified as an oncogene that is over-expressed in tumor cells and,therefore,is a potential therapeutic target for gene-based cancer treatment.This study was focused on investigating the effect of small interfering RNA(siRNA)-mediated eIF3c gene knockdown on colon cancer cell survival.The eIF3c gene was observed to be highly expressed in colon cancer cell models.The expression levels of the gene in eIF3c siRNA infected and control siRNA infected cells were compared via real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and western blotting analysis.Cell proliferation levels were analyzed employing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) and colony formation assays.Furthermore,the effects of eIF3c gene knockdown on the cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry.The results showed that suppression of eIF3c expression significantly(P<0.001) reduced cell proliferation and colony formation of RKO colon cancer cells.The cell cycle was arrested by decreasing the number of cells entering S phase.Further,apoptosis was induced as a result of eIF3c knockdown.Collectively,eIF3c deletion effectively reduced the survival of colon cancer cells and could be used as a therapeutic tool for colon cancer therapy.