Natural history of a South African insect pollinator assemblage (Insecta: Coleoptera,Diptera, Hymenoptera,Lepidoptera): diagnostic notes,food web analysis and conservation recommendations

We describe activity patterns, relative abundances and pollen transport by insect floral visitors in the Skukuza Ranger District, Kruger National Park, Republic of South Africa, based on field surveys conducted during the early rainy seasons of years 2006 to 2012 (inclusive). Diagnostic notes, illustrations and natural history observations are provided for species in the families Buprestidae, Cerambycidae, Cleridae, Lycidae and Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera), Muscidae, Platystomatidae and Tabanidae (Diptera), Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, Sphecidae and Vespidae (Hymenoptera), and Pieridae and Thyrididae (Lepidoptera) that transported pollen of tree or shrub species. Observations on floral phenology and pollination syndrome are presented for 27 flowering tree or shrub species. To provide a foundation for studies of the effects of drought and climate change on pollination services in the Kruger National Park, we applied methods of food web analysis to characterise this plant-pollinator assemblage. The food web analysis shows moderate levels of redundancy in plant-pollinator interactions (with connectance values averaging 0.19 for plant species and 0.20 for pollinator species), suggesting that pollination services in this system may exhibit some resilience to environmental perturbations. Possible conservation strategies for maintaining pollination services in this ecological system are discussed, including habitat management to conserve larval or nesting areas for social and solitary bees and scarab beetles, as well as further inventories and long-term monitoring of pollinator species.     

Subjective intervention in formal models

Success in forecasting using mathematical/statistical models requires that the models be open to intervention by the user. In practice, a model is only one component of a forecasting system, which also includes the users/forecasters as integral components. Interaction between the user and the model is necessary to adequately cater for events and changes that go beyond the existing form of the model. In this paper we consider Bayesian forecasting models open to interventions, of essentially any form, to incorporate subjective information made available to the user. We discuss principles of intervention and derive theoretical results that provide the means to formally incorporate feedforward interventions into Bayesian models. Two example time series are considered to illustrate why and when such interventions may be necessary to sustain predictive performance.     

Atomic structure of a fragment of human CD4 containing two immunoglobulin-like domains.

The structure of an N-terminal fragment of CD4 has been determined to 2.4 A resolution. It has two tightly abutting domains connected by a continuous beta strand. Both have the immunoglobulin fold, but domain 2 has a truncated beta barrel and a non-standard disulphide bond. The binding sites for monoclonal antibodies, class II major histocompatibility complex molecules, and human immunodeficiency virus gp120 can be mapped on the molecular surface.     

应用量子力学

量子力学是当前物理学及其相关科学的重要科学分支，也是当前许多新科学技术中的重要应用的基础。本书包含了现代新科学技术工程师所需要的量子力学方面的新材料，如研究和了解原子核、原子、分子和固体材料，以及激光器和其他量子光学器件所需要的科学资料等。     

Comments on the big-bang

Is the big-bang hot, warm or cold? And are galactic masses determined by the interplay of gravitational and strong interactions in the very early universe?