Long-term trends in the abundance and breeding performance in Adélie penguins:the Argentine Ecosystem Monitoring Program

In this work,we report long-term trends in the abundance and breeding performance of Adélie penguins(Pygoscelis adeliae)nesting in three Antarctic colonies(i.e.,at Martin Point,South Orkneys Islands;Stranger Point/Cabo Funes,South Shetland Islands;and Esperanza/Hope Bay in the Antarctic Peninsula)from 1995/96 to 2022/23.Using yearly count data of breeding groups selected,we observed a decline in the number of breeding pairs and chicks in crèche at all colonies studied.However,the magnitude of change was higher at Stranger Point than that in the remaining colonies.Moreover,the index of breeding success,which was calculated as the ratio of chicks in crèche to breeding pairs,exhibited no apparent trend throughout the study period.However,it displayed greater variability at Martin Point compared to the other two colonies under investigation.Although the number of chicks in crèche of Adélie penguins showed a declining pattern,the average breeding performance was similar to that reported in gentoo penguin colonies,specifically,those undergoing a population increase(even in sympatric colonies facing similar local conditions).Consequently,it is plausible to assume a reduction of the over-winter survival as a likely cause of the declining trend observed,at least in the Stranger Point and Esperanza colonies.However,we cannot rule out local effects during the breeding season affecting the Adélie population of Martin Point.

基于客户满意度的低碳冷链多式联运路径优化

目的实现生鲜产品的高效配送,尽可能提高客户满意度。方法分析多式联运和冷链物流的特点,选择最优物流路径。在路径选择模型的建立中,结合客户对生鲜产品的质量及到货时间的满意程度,引入顾客满意度参数。同时响应国家“碳中和”政策的号召,在模型构建中考虑了低碳策略,以总成本最小、客户满意度最大为目标函数。以15个枢纽城市及公路、铁路、水路3种方式的冷链运输为例,将目前较新的帝企鹅算法与传统的启发式算法(遗传算法、粒子群算法)进行对比,并针对转运时间进行灵敏度分析。结果最优联运路线对应的客户满意度为0.96,转运时间的增加导致总成本上升、客户满意度下降和最优路径发生变化。结论帝企鹅算法在求解多式联运问题上具有较好的收敛速度和收敛精度,为多式联运承运人的决策提供了依据。转运时间的波动导致适应度函数发生变化,因此在兼顾客户满意度的前提下,选择合适的运输方式和路径,减少非必要的转运。

企鹅式培育在产科新入职护士培训中的应用效果

目的探讨企鹅式培育在产科新入职护士培训中的应用效果。方法选取2021年8月1日至31日南京市妇幼保健院产科新入职的48名护士作为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分为对照组(n=24)和观察组(n=24)。对照组采用传统带教方法进行护士培训,观察组采用企鹅式培育法进行护士培训。比较两组护士临床实践能力、护士职业幸福感及患者满意度的差异。结果观察组临床实践能力(专业理论知识、专业操作技能、核心规章制度掌握、沟通能力、人文关怀能力)、护士职业幸福感、患者满意度均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论企鹅式培育方式可有效提升新入职产科护士临床实践能力,提高护士职业幸福感,提高患者满意度,可广泛应用推广。

企鹅珍珠贝(Pteria penguin)在海南黎安港的生长特征

对海南黎安港的企鹅珍珠贝养殖群体的生长进行了20个月的观察,每月测量其壳高(SH)、最大对角线长(MDL)、绞合线长(HL)和总重(TW)四个生长指标,并用模型y=y∞/(1+e-k(t-a)+d sin (2п/365.25)(t-b))分别拟合这四个指标的生长曲线。结果表明,三个长度指标中MDL生长速度最快,其理论最大值约为112mm;HL的生长在初期快于SH,但到养殖实验结束时两者接近,理论最大值都在85mm左右;总重的增长在实验的前半段非常缓慢,但到后半段呈加速增长趋势,其理论最大值约为115g。企鹅珍珠贝的生长特征表现为初期长度增长迅速,经过大约一年左右,长度的增长减缓,而重量的增长开始加快,符合双壳贝一般的增长模式。研究也表明,在海南黎安港,降雨季节与快速生长季节存在明显的对应关系,暗示了降雨可能是导致生长出现季节性特征的诱因。

企鹅珍珠贝(Pteria penguin)主要经济性状对体重的影响效果分析

采用多元线性回归和通径分析方法,研究企鹅珍珠贝主要经济性状对体重的影响效果。结果表明,6个性状间的相关系数均达到极显著水平(P<0.01);通径分析表明各经济性状对体重的直接影响效果为软体部重(0.726)>壳长(0.146)>壳高(0.107)>闭壳肌重(0.058)>壳宽(0.049),壳长、壳高、闭壳肌重和壳宽对体重的影响主要通过软体部重实现的,其间接作用依次为0.459、0.371、0.431和0.462;各经济性状对体重的直接决定效应依次为软体部重(0.527)>壳长(0.021)>壳高(0.011)>闭壳肌重(0.003)>壳宽(0.002),壳长通过软体部重对体重的间接决定效应最大为0.134。经多元回归分析,采用逐步回归方法,剔除了偏回归系数不显著的壳宽,建立了壳长、壳高、闭壳肌重和软体部重对体重的最优回归方程:Y=-26.211+0.557X1+0.257X2+0.668X3+1.429X4,R2=0.921(P<0.01)。

A 50-years record of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes and hexachloro-cyclohexanes in lake sediments and penguin droppings on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic

Since the ban on the use of organochlorine pesticides （OCPs） such as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane （DDT） and hexachlorocyclohexane（HCH） in agriculture, their levels have generally dropped. In a number of cases, however, the levels of these OCPs were found to be unchanging or even increasing after the ban. With the aim to unveil the possible causes of these exceptions, we collected two lake cores from King George Island, West Antarctica, and determined their accumulation flux profiles and temporal trends of these OCPs. In the lake core sediments with glacier meltwater input, the accumulation flux of DDT shows an abnormal peak around 1980s in addition to the expected one in 1960s. In the lake core sediments without glacier meltwater input, the accumulation flux of DDT shows a gradual decline trend after the peak in 1960s. This striking difference in the DDT flux profiles between the two lake cores is most likely caused by the regional climate warming and the resulted discharge of the DDT stored in the Antarctic ice cap into the lakes in the Antarctic glacier frontier. Furthermore, to investigate the change of OCPs loadings in the Antarctic coastal ecosystem, we reconstructed the HCH and DDT concentration profiles in penguin droppings and observed a gradual increase for the former and a continuous decrease for the latter during the past 50 years. The increase of HCH seems to be due to the regional warming from the early 1970s and the resulted HCH discharge to the coastal ecosystem by glaciers＇ meltwater and the illegal use of HCH in the Southern Hemisphere in the recent decade. The different temporal trends of HCH and DDT accumulation rate in the lake core with glacier meltwater input and the aged penguin droppings can be explained by their different water-soluble property.

The sediments of lake on the Ardley Island, Antarctica: Identification of penguin-dropping soil

During CHINARE 15(Dec. 1998 Mar. 1999), a lake core 67.5 cm in length, was sampled in Y2 lake, which is located on the Ardley Island, Antarctica. The concentrations of some chemical elements in Y2 lake sediments were analyzed. According to comparative research on elementary characters of sediments in Antarctic West Lake, fresh penguin dropping as well as guano soil on the Ardley Island and Pacific Island in South China Sea, it presents that the Y2 lake sediments were ameliorated by penguin dropping. The result of element cluster analysis shows that the type elements in the sediment impacted by penguin dropping include Sr,F,S,P,Ca,Se,Cu,Zn and Ba. This can provide a base for further interpreting the climatic and environmental event recorded in the sediment.

Drag Reduction in a Swimming Humboldt Penguin, Spheniscus Humboldti, when the Boundary Layer is Turbulent

An area of protruding feathers found around the beak of many penguin species is thought to induce a turbulent boun~dary layer whilst swimming. Hydrodynamic tests on a model Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, suggest that induced turbulence causes a significant reduction in boundary layer height, flow separation, and an average of 31 % reduction in drag (1.0 m/s to 4.5 m/s). Visualisation of surface flow showed it to follow the body profile, over the feet and tail, before separating. Movement of the feet in swimming penguins correlates with steering of the bird. Induced turbulence may therefore further increase swimming efficiency by reducing the amount of foot movement required to direct the swimming bird.

Preliminary investigation of mercury in bone tissues of skua and penguin in Antarctica using AFS and Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence(SR-XRF)

Mercury （Hg） was investigated in bone tissues of skua （ Catharacta maccormick） and penguin （Pygoscelis adeliae） collected in the maritime Antarctic using atomic fluorescence spectrometry （AFS） and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SR-XRF） method. The total levels of mercury in bone tissues of penguin and skua are much lower than those in other organs （e. g. , kidney, liver）. The toxic effects of mercury in bone tissues of seabirds in polar region are not known. We have used SR- XRF method to map the distribution of trace levels of mercury in bones. The levels of mercury are found to be enriched somewhere near the periosteal surface and/or endosteal surface. The distribution of mercury shows strongly correlation with that of some essential elements and probably poses negative effect on the bone metabolism inferring from the relationship of mercury with the other elements. These studies represent a first step toward understanding the toxic effects of mercury on bone of polar animals by suggesting the possible microscopic investigation.

Preliminary determination of calcium,phosphorus,and the calcium/phosphorus ratio in cortical bone of Chinstrap penguin using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analysis

Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SR-XRF） approach was applied to analyzing of Chinstrap penguin （ Pygoscelis Antarctica） cortical bone. The method enabled the in situ determination of Ca and P concentrations and the Ca/P ratio in cortical bone. The preliminary results show that ： （ 1 ） there is the bone site-related difference for Ca and P concentrations. The mean values for the investigated parameters （ on a dry-weight basis） are： 30.7% （Ca） and 14.9% （P） for the femoral cortical bone, 21.4% （Ca） and 11.5% （P） for wing cortical bone. （2） The variation for the Ca/P ratio in cortical bone is lower than those for Ca and P separately. This is in agreement with the previous report that the specificity of the Ca/P ratio is better than that of Ca and P concentrations and is more reliable for the diagnosis of bone disorders. The authors suggest that further studies be conducted to establish norreal values of Ca, P and Ca/P ratio for polar animals and provide a basis for the diagnosis of bone disorders.

Assessment of trace metals in droppings of Adélie penguins(Pygoscelis adeliae) from different locations of the Antarctic Peninsula area

In recent decades, polar regions of the planet have witnessed an increase in human presence. Antarctica is considered one of the most pristine regions of the world, but it could be affected by pollution owing to anthropogenic activities, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula. Human presence can increase the levels of some trace metals in Antarctic environments, an issue that needs to be evaluated. To acquire data of trace metal contamination in the Antarctic Peninsula region, concentrations （dry weight） of Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Hg and Zn in fresh excrement of Ad61ie penguins were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. During the 2012/2013 austral summer, samples were collected from four important nesting sites on the Antarctic Peninsula： Arctowski Base, Kopaitic Island （both sites in the northern Antarctic Peninsula）, Yalour Island and Avian Island （both sites in the southern Antarctic Peninsula）. Data showed that Ad61ie penguin excreta had significantly higher levels （mg.kg~） of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Cu at Arctowski Base and Kopaitic Island, both sites that have major anthropogenic activities that probably contributed to increased metal levels. The levels of trace metals in Ad61ie penguins were similar to those reported in excreta of Antarctic species in previous studies, and lower than those in excreta of other Antarctic animals. Data suggest that metals ingested by these penguin species that feed in the sea, end up in terrestrial ecosystems.

From sea to land: assessment of the bio-transport of phosphorus by penguins in Antarctica

In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem is dynamically interrelated with the terrestrial ecosystem. An example of the link between these two ecosystems is the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus. Bio- vectors, such as penguins, transport phosphorus from sea to land, play a key role in this cycle. In this paper, we selected three colonies of penguins, the most important seabirds in Antarctica, and computed the annual quantity of phosphorus transferred from sea to land by these birds. Our results show that adult penguins from colonies at Ardley Island, the Vestfold Hills, and Ross Island could transfer phosphorus in the form of guano at up to 12 349, 167 036, and 97 841 kg/a, respectively, over their breeding period. These quantities are equivalent to an annual input of 3.96× 10^9-1.63 × 10^10 kg of seawater to the land of Antarctica. Finally, we discuss the impact of phosphorus on the ice-flee areas of the Antarctica.

A Novel Binary Emperor Penguin Optimizer for Feature Selection Tasks

Nowadays,due to the increase in information resources,the number of parameters and complexity of feature vectors increases.Optimizationmethods offermore practical solutions instead of exact solutions for the solution of this problem.The Emperor PenguinOptimizer(EPO)is one of the highest performing meta-heuristic algorithms of recent times that imposed the gathering behavior of emperor penguins.It shows the superiority of its performance over a wide range of optimization problems thanks to its equal chance to each penguin and its fast convergence features.Although traditional EPO overcomes the optimization problems in continuous search space,many problems today shift to the binary search space.Therefore,in this study,using the power of traditional EPO,binary EPO(BEPO)is presented for the effective solution of binary-nature problems.BEPO algorithm uses binary search space instead of searching solutions like conventional EPO algorithm in continuous search space.For this purpose,the sigmoidal functions are preferred in determining the emperor positions.In addition,the boundaries of the search space remain constant by choosing binary operators.BEPO’s performance is evaluated over twenty-nine benchmarking functions.Statistical evaluations are made to reveal the superiority of the BEPO algorithm.In addition,the performance of the BEPO algorithm was evaluated for the binary feature selection problem.The experimental results reveal that the BEPO algorithm outperforms the existing binary meta-heuristic algorithms in both tasks.

Distribution and reproductive behavior of penguins on Ardley Island and their environmental impact factors

During the 2006/07 Antarctic summer,the species population,distribution and reproductive behavior of penguins in areas near the Great Wall Station were investigated.Five species of penguin were recorded：gentoo penguin（Pygoscelis papua）,adelie penguin（P.adeliae）,chinstrap penguin（P.antarctica）, King penguin（Aptenodytes patagonicus） and Emperor penguin（A.forsteri）. The first three species bred locally,while the other two species were observed occasionally.Ardley Island is one of the most important breeding areas for penguins.After the breeding season of 2006/07,there were a total of about 17 234 penguins and the breeding success rate was 0.40—1.41.Comparing with historical data,changes in penguin species populations and distribution were analyzed, and their relationships with the environment,climate change and human activity were investigated.

Sodium and potassium in the bones of penguin and skua revealed by EPR and SR-XRF technique

Penguin and skua in the maritime Antarctic have high salt loadings in the body due to almost exclusive diet consumption of marine invertebrates.However,the storage and turnover of sodium and potassium in these animals are poorly investigated.Here we determined the concentration and microscopic distribution of the two elements in the bones of penguin and skua.The average concentrations of sodium and potassium in penguin bone were comparable with that in skua bone（0.18% and 0.82% for penguin bone;0.19% and 0.76% for skua bone in dry weight）.The ratios of sodium to calcium and potassium to calcium（0.0330 and 0.0075 for penguin,0.0335 and 0.0082 for skua in average by weight） were somewhat higher than the reported ratios for terrestrial animals,indicating these marine animals＇ bone enrichment of salt.The ratios of sodium to potassium in average by weight were 6.75 and 4.65 for penguin and skua,respectively.This value is much lower compared with the bulk sea water ratio of about 27.0,implying that potassium is favorable to reside in the bone rather than sodium.Both sodium and potassium were found to significant correlation with the content of organic materials in bone based upon the intensity of native signal determined by electron paramagnetic resonance（EPR）.It was estimated that almost all of potassium is kept within the organic phases,while about 30% of sodium is stored in organic phases and the other 70% within mineral phase.The microscopic distributions of potassium in the cross-section and/or surface were revealed by synchrotron radiation Xray fluorescence（SR-XRF） technique.The ratio of potassium to calcium based upon the SR-XRF intensity counter varied considerably from the surface to the interior,and on the surface the highest concentration of potassium was observed in the middle section with decreasing amounts toward the edge.This indirectly documented that exchange of potassium between fluid and bone organic phase maybe occur.

企鹅珍珠贝天然珍珠成分和快速鉴定

采用红外光谱和拉曼光谱研究了企鹅珍珠贝天然珍珠的矿物组成;采用X荧光光谱仪对企鹅珍珠贝天然珍珠进行了元素检测,并计算锶/钙计数比率;采用钴^(60)-γ射线(装源100万Ci)对企鹅珍珠贝天然珍珠进行辐照处理3 h、6 h、9 h、12 h和15 h,观察其颜色的变化。结果表明:企鹅珍珠贝天然珍珠的矿物成分为文石;锶/钙计数比率在0.2以上;经过辐照处理,颜色没有变化。提出了开发利用企鹅珍珠贝天然珍珠的建议。

企鹅珍珠贝微卫星标记与生长性状的相关性研究

研究利用5个高度多态性的微卫星标记,对500个企鹅珍珠贝(Pteria penguin)的4个生长性状进行了关联分析。结果显示, QEB-D15和CL-232两个微卫星标记与企鹅珍珠贝的壳宽呈极显著相关(P<0.01);位点QEBD15基因型是239/263的个体壳宽为最大值,基因型是239/273的个体壳宽为最小值,推测263 bp等位基因与壳宽之间存在正相关关系,而273 bp等位基因与壳宽之间存在负相关关系;位点CL-232基因型为157/174的个体壳长、壳宽、总重的均值较同一位点的其他基因型均为最大值,该基因型推测为优势基因型;而基因型为177/192的个体壳长、壳宽、壳高和总重的均值较同一位点的其他基因型均为最小值,推测该基因型为劣势基因型,上述结果可为企鹅珍珠贝分子标记辅助选择育种提供理论依据和参考。