Extent and Structure of Phenotypic Variability in Solenostemon rotundifolius Germplasm from Ghana and Burkina Faso

Solenostemon rotundifolius is a species belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It is currently one of the minor plants of high socio-economic interest. One of the limitations to promoting this species in Burkina Faso is the lack of varieties that meet consumers’ demands. Implementing a breeding program is an important step toward achieving this goal. Such a program is based on the variability of agronomical traits of interest within evaluated germplasm. This study aimed to assess the level of two germplasms variability of S. rotundifolius from Ghana and Burkina Faso for traits related to vegetative development, cycle, and yield. Agromorphological characterization of 174 accessions, including 116 from Ghana and 58 from Burkina Faso was carried out in Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications. The characterization was made on the basis of fifteen (15) quantitative traits related to the canopy and leaf size, the cycle, and the yield. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences between accessions within each germplasm for all the evaluated traits. The analysis of the structuration of this agromorphological variability allowed organizing the accessions into different groups. These results could lead to the identification of accessions within each germplasm for breeding purposes or future research on genotype-environment interactions.

Economic value and exploiting approaches of sea asparagus, a seawater-irrigated vegetable

Sea asparagus is a newly emerging seawater-irrigated vegetable. Firstly, the economic value of sea asparagus was introduced, and then, someexploiting approaches of sea asparagus werefully reviewed. The exploiting approaches mainly include fresh vegetable, pickle, bio-salt, health-care products, animal feed, vegetable oil, bio-diesel and skin-care products.

An Assessment of the Marine Mammal Abundance and Population Density within the Ghanaian Offshore Construction Areas

The Gulf of Guinea region enjoined with the unique characteristics of the Guinea surface and underwater currents driving the upwelling season, besets the ecological importance of the area amidst growing offshore development. Though several attempts are being made to identify the various cetacean species inhabiting the area, little to no progress is made to under the animal population, their behaviour and distribution in the face of the growing threat. The study hence attempts to develop cetacean population and distribution estimation within Ghana’s offshore construction sites in the time frame of field development while emphasizing the effects of operations on animal behaviour and habitats, purpose at providing an understanding with the general behaviour of these mammals peculiar to the area and too what level the impact of change is having on distribution trends. The study finds the upwelling tends to suggest, strong animal presence in the area during feeding. Short-fin pilot whales were a dominant cetacean feature within the observed cetacean population estimated to have 160 (CV = 0.3728) presence. Findings suggest the strong biological importance, BIA (habitat, feeding and breeding), as well as operations drawing on animal curiosity, heightened animal vulnerability. Further studies are required to understand the temporal and spatial distributions patterns, while efforts are needed to ensure protected areas are established, animal surveillance and conservative attitudes are encouraged.

Adopting Health Apps, What’s Hindering Doctors and Patients?

There are high expectations for Mobile Health to transform health into a sustainable and prevention-based system. Unfortunately it has not reached its scale of adoption many had hoped for, due to the existence of adoption barriers. More insight into these barriers fosters adoption of mHealth and the innovation it can bring to worldwide healthcare. This study investigates the main barriers in the adoption of mHealth, their underlying causes and their breakthrough possibilities. All the data are gathered from an international and multi-stakeholder point of view. First of all we tried to identify the main barriers by doing an international literature study. Second of all we asked Dutch mHealth Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) to rank the barriers to importance. These KOLs were from different stakeholder groups;policy-makers, users and developers. At last we asked the KOLs in interviews for underlying causes and breakthrough opportunities of the barriers. Eventually twelve main adoption barriers emerged. According to literature and to the KOLs the most important barriers are “Integration and interoperability” and “Business case”. An underlying cause for the barrier “Integration and interoperability” might be the active closed power system of technology suppliers, which exists in the Netherlands. Furthermore there seems to be a difference in the importance of the barriers “Privacy and security” and “Conservative culture” when perceptions of Dutch KOLS and international literature are compared. Within the stakeholders-groups, the KOLs think differently about the importance of the barriers “Visionless development” and “Competing payment mechanism”. The Dutch healthcare insurers could take a more leading role in the fragmented landscape of mHealth in the Netherlands, by strategically funding new initiatives that use open standards and deliver better value for end-users. Other chances might lie in the international cooperation between countries to overcome certain barriers.

Low utilization of skilled birth attendants in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania: A complex reality requiring action

Limited integration of contextual factors in maternal care contributes to slow progress towards achieving MDG5 in sub-Sahara Africa. In Ngorongoro, rural Tanzania, the maternal mortality ratio is high with 642 maternal deaths/100,000 live births. Skilled birth attendants (SBAs) assist only 7% of deliveries. This study, undertaken from 2009 to 2011, used Participatory Action Research involving local stakeholders (Maasai women and men, traditional birth attendants (TBAs), hospital staff) to examine reasons for low utilization of SBAs and moreover to develop proposals how to integrate contextual factors and local needs in the health care system. Interviews, observations and literature study were also conducted. Thaddeus and Maine’s Three Delays model is used to structure the analysis. Delaying factors in decision making at home: negative perceptions by the community on availability and quality of care in the hospital;discontinuity of care by TBAs;food and financial insecurity;desired nearness to cattle and family;limited recognition of maternal deaths;limited male health education and suboptimal birth preparedness. Delaying factors in reaching the hospital: vehicle and road limitations. Delaying factors in receiving hospital care: limited (human) resources and limited knowledge sharing at the hospital. Community members and health workers proposed: increasing food/financial security;tailoring male health education;combining TBA/SBA care to provide continuous, culturally appropriate labour support;creating separate maternity wards;increasing the number and training of staff;ensuring continuous availability of Emergency Obstetric Care. Applying solutions to increase hospital utilization seems complex as collaborative actions by multiple actors and institutions are needed to create both a needs based and clinically sound continuum of maternal care. To follow-up this process of integrating local solutions into the maternal care system, we suggest to adapt the WHO Strategic Approach—a top-down framework for the implementation of innovations—to fit this bottom-up approach.

东海内陆架泥质沉积反映的古环境演化

通过对东海内陆架闽浙沿岸泥质沉积体的MD06-3040孔进行粒度及年代测试,重建了东海内陆架1万年以来的古环境。认为研究区的沉积环境曾发生过3次变化:孔深18·6m至底部(10～10.7kaBP)对应近滨环境;15·13～18.6m(7.1～10kaBP)为过渡带环境;0～15.13m(0～7.1kaBP)是海侵结束后高海平面的浅海环境,自10kaBP以来东海沿岸流开始影响本区并不断输送河流来源物质,7kaBP起形成稳定的泥质沉积体。根据该孔沉积物的沉积速率与粒度组分特征,说明不能简单地应用平均粒径指示冬季风强度,在东海地区,不仅冬季风控制着沿岸流强度,夏季风也会影响河流入海物质的搬运沉积作用。

CO_2浓度变化下燕麦对干旱胁迫的生理响应

利用步入式CO2生长室模拟研究了CO2浓度变化和土壤含水量的交互作用对燕麦(Avena sativa)的光合、生长及水分利用效率的影响。结果表明,低CO2浓度对燕麦的光合作用和生物量产生极大的抑制作用,而高CO2浓度产生一定的促进作用。在低CO2浓度下,燕麦的净光合速率和水分利用效率随着水分含量的降低没有发生显著变化,生物量和叶氮含量有少量降低,根冠比增加。在高CO2浓度下,燕麦的净光合速率、根冠比、水分利用效率随着水分含量的降低而有升高趋势,叶氮含量变化不显著,但生物量显著下降。研究认为过去低CO2浓度没有加剧干旱对燕麦的负面影响,将来高CO2浓度也未能减缓干旱对燕麦的负面影响。燕麦对过去低CO2浓度的适应可能限制了自身对将来高CO2浓度的响应。

渭河流域沉积物碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄物源示踪

渭河盆地是秦岭山前新生代陆内断陷盆地,接受大量秦岭造山带的沉积。建立渭河盆地沉积物物源示踪体系,对了解渭河盆地和秦岭的盆山耦合关系及其周缘构造-沉积演化均具有重要的意义。对渭河流域干流及主要支流沉积物进行碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄测试。结果表明:渭河干流沉积物碎屑锆石主要呈现五组年龄区间,分别为100~300、300~500、700~1000、1700~2000和2100~2500 Ma,其中以100~300 Ma和300~500 Ma的锆石为主,判别渭河干流沉积物主要来自北秦岭造山带。渭河上游与中下游沉积物在1700~2000 Ma和2100~2500 Ma的年龄组成存在差异,主要与上游出露的元古代岩体相关。渭河支流沉积物碎屑锆石年龄分布存在显著差异。泾河和洛河流经黄土高原,沉积物碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄与黄土高原相似,主要表现为200~300、400~500、800~1100、1800~2000和2400~2550 Ma五组年龄;灞河沉积物继承了北秦岭造山带的特征。通过对渭河流域沉积物的物源分析可知:泾河对渭河干流沉积物贡献较大,灞河对渭河干流沉积物贡献较小,洛河对渭河干流沉积物有一定贡献。渭河汇入黄河前后,黄河沉积物碎屑锆石年龄峰分布及各年龄区间锆石含量比例有明显变化,反映渭河对黄河沉积物有较大影响。

A Synoptic Overview and Moisture Tra jectory Analysis of the“7.21” Heavy Rainfall Event in Beijing

The heavy rainfall in Beijing on 21 July 2012 was a high impact event. First, a synoptic overview of this event is presented based on the ECMWF reanalysis and forecast data, together with observations of hourly precipitation. It is found that an east to northeastward moving ＂low-level northwest vortex＂ caused this event. The vortex was formed under favorable circulation patterns and intensified by low-level dry intrusions. The source regions of the large volume of moisture necessary to sustain the intense rainfall are diagnosed by back-trajectory analysis. Approximately 77% of the moisture was transported from the Bay of Bengal （BOB）. The transport processes, including vertical profiles, mean humidity variations, and relative importance of the rain-paths, are further quantified by the back-trajectory analysis and cluster analysis. The results highlight the importance of the southwestern path in transporting moisture to northern China, which accounts for 88.4% of the moisture from the BoB, and 68% of the total of the ＂7.21＂ heavy rainfall event.

Small-scale switch in cover-perimeter relationships of patches indicates shift of dominant species during grassland degradation

草地生态系统普遍经受着全球气候变化和不可持续的土地利用方式的胁迫,这些环境胁迫往往引起草地生态系统状态在多稳态间跃变,甚至诱发灾变性跃变,直至荒漠化的发生。研究表明,植被斑块的空间构型可以指示较大空间尺度的生态系统状态跃变。本文展示了小尺度斑块构型如何指示草地生态系统的状态跃变。在高寒草甸生态系统选取7种草甸群落类型作为研究对象,这7种类型的草甸群落具有高寒草甸退化过程不同阶段的典型群落特征。在每一种群落类型内,采用样带方法进行植被斑块调查,沿样带采用邻接格子样方法记录样方内的斑块数量、斑块周长和斑块面积,并测定了每个斑块内的物种多度。研究结果表明,沿着草甸退化阶段七种类型的草甸群落(即未退化的禾草-嵩草群落、轻度退化的高山嵩草-禾草群落、中度退化的高山嵩草群落、重度退化草皮开裂的高山嵩草群落、侵蚀期的高山嵩草-杂草群落、严重侵蚀期的杂草-高山嵩草群落、零星杂草的黑土滩裸地),斑块数量和斑块周长随斑块面积的下降呈现先增加的变化趋势,而后,随斑块面积的急剧降低呈下降的趋势。斑块数量、周长与面积关系变化的拐点出现在植被总面积约占68%的状态处。在这一拐点附近,斑块上的植物组成呈现出高山嵩草或杂草占优势两种状态往复波动的不稳定状态,表明草地状态处于向荒漠化裸地跃变的边缘。本研究展示了如何基于小尺度植被斑块空间构型为草地退化、状态跃变提供数量化的早期预警信号,有望为嵩草草甸退化至黑土滩裸地的早期预警提供判定指标。

Identification of a female murder victim found in Burgenland,Austria in 1993

In 1993,the skeletal remains of a female corpse were found in Burgenland,Austria.Initial identification of the approximately 25–35-year-old female appeared impossible,but the case was reopened 23 years later.By applying biogeochemical isotope methods to her body tissues,the geographical origin of the unknown corpse could be predicted.The results of the C,N,S,H,Sr,and Pb isotope analyses suggested that the female did not originate from Europe and most likely spent her youth in the northern Caribbean.Using these findings,the police were able to identify the woman within 2 weeks.The female came from the Dominican Republic and resided in Austria for only a short period before she was murdered.This case shows that isotope biogeochemistry investigations can provide the police with crucial information that enables unknown persons to be identified.

Adult size and tinning of reproduction in five species of Asobara parasitoid wasps

The majority o f adult parasitoid wasps are unable to synthesize lipids and therefore face a trade-off between the investment of lipids in eggs or in the maintenance of soma.It has been shown that resource allocation should depend on body size in parasitoids.Given that smaller females have shorter expected life times,they should concentrate their reproductive effort into early life.To test this prediction,we investigated the relationship between body size and the timing of egg production in parasitoids.We measured body size,lipid reserves,and reproductive investment(number of eggs,ovigeny index equivalent[OIE]and egg size)at eclosion in five species of Asobara(Hymenoptera:Braconidae)originating from different geographic and climatic environments.Our results show significant interspecific variation in all these traits.A diagnostic test for phylogenetic independence revealed that closely related species did not resemble each other more closely than expected by chance for all traits measured.Lipid reserves scaled positively with body size both between and within species.In agreement with theory,01 correlated negatively with body size both between and within species.Total egg area at eclosion correlated negatively with lipid reserves both between and within species.This indicates the existence of a trade-off between allocation of lipids to current reproduction and survival/future reproduction.With the exception of the most extreme pro-ovigenic species,A.pers im ilis,we found that proovigeny was compensated for by small egg size.Our results indicate the role of habitats in shaping interspecific variation in resource allocation strategies.

Impact of overgrazing on the transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis in Tibetan pastoral communities of Sichuan Province,China

Background Overgrazing was assumed to increase the population density of small mammals that are the intermediate hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis, the pathogen of alveolar echinococcosis in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. This research tested the hypothesis that overgrazing might promote Echinococcus multilocularis transmission through increasing populations of small mammal, intermediate hosts in Tibetan pastoral communities. Methods Grazing practices, small mammal indices and dog Echinococcus multilocularis infection data were collected to analyze the relation between overgrazing and Echinococcus multilocularis transmission using nonparametric tests and multiple stepwise logistic regression. Results In the investigated area, raising livestock was a key industry. The communal pastures existed and the available forage was deficient for grazing. Open （common） pastures were overgrazed and had higher burrow density of small mammals compared with neighboring fenced （private） pastures; this high overgrazing pressure on the open pastures measured by neighboring fenced area led to higher burrow density of small mammals in open pastures. The median burrow density of small mammals in open pastures was independently associated with nearby canine Echinococcus multilocularis infection （P=-0.003, OR=1.048）. Conclusion Overgrazing may promote the transmission of Echinococcus multilocularis through increasing the population density of small mammals.

黄土中的碳酸盐矿物特征与化学风化

从中国黄土沉积中提取古环境演化信息已取得重大进展，然而，如何有效区分黄土中原生和次生碳酸盐，进而用于追踪粉尘的来源和揭示风化成壤的强度，仍有很大困难。为了辨别黄土中不同成因的碳酸盐矿物，本文从黄土高原西部靖远和古浪剖面中选取2个典型古土壤和黄土样品（S0和L1），分为5个粒级（〈4μm，4～8μm，8～16μm，16～32μm和32～63μm），进行了热重分析（TGA）和X射线衍射测试（XRD）。结果表明：1）黄土中的碳酸盐主要由方解石和白云石组成，原生方解石和白云石在黄土中的含量比古土壤中含量高，并偏富集于粗颗粒组分；2）次生方解石在占土壤中的含量比黄土中高，并显著富集于细颗粒组分。在黄土和古土壤全样和分粒级样品中，TGA和XRD方法分别测出的Carb-B/Carb-A和（方解石＋白云石）/方解石比值变化一致，有望成为反映黄土风化成壤强度的新代用指标。