Space use by two arboreal rodent species in a Neotropical cloud forest

Studying animal space use patterns can help increase our understating of ecological processes such as competition and community dynamics. To quantify space and habitat use in an isolated and patchy cloud forest community in Mexico, we evaluate the vertical stratification, home range and habitat selection of two arboreal rodents: Habromys schmidlyi and Reithrodontomys microdon. Using live-traps at ground level and different forest strata, we radio-equipped nine individuals of H. schmidlyi and seven of R. microdon, and evaluated fine-scale space use and broad-scale habitat selection between cloud forest and oak forest. We found an average home range of 0.24 ha for R. microdon males and 0.72 ha for females, with a preference for higher canopy in the cloud forest. For H. schmidlyi the home range was 0.83 ha for males and 0.29 ha for females, with a preference for the understory level in the cloud forest. Home range is three-dimensional for these rodents, so we estimate that on average, individuals of both species used eight trees in the time they were tracked. We characterised the vegetation at the trap sites, and used recursive partitioning to relate the presence of different plants with the probability of finding these two species and Peromyscus aztecus, a third rodent species also present in the area and considered in our analysis of habitat use. The highest probability of finding R. microdon (96%) was related to the presence of Brachythecium occidentale and Renauldia mexicana, while H. schmidlyi (95%) was found in close proximity to Fabronia ciliaris and Everniastrum. We highlight the importance of arboreal trapping in biodiversity assessments, and the role of arboreal rodents in maintaining tropical forest ecosystems. We suggest that these rodent species could avoid or reduce competition by using the vertical strata differentially, and that H. schmidlyi and R. microdon can be biological indicators for cloud forest management and conservation.     

Increased migration of olfactory ensheathing cells secreting the Nogo receptor ectodomain over inhibitory substrates and lesioned spinal cord

Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation emerged some years ago as a promising therapeutic strategy to repair injured spinal cord. However, inhibitory molecules are present for long periods of time in lesioned spinal cord, inhibiting both OEC migration and axonal regrowth. Two families of these molecules, chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans (CSPG) and myelin-derived inhibitors (MAIs), are able to trigger inhibitory responses in lesioned axons. Mounting evidence suggests that OEC migration is inhibited by myelin. Here we demonstrate that OEC migration is largely inhibited by CSPGs and that inhibition can be overcome by the bacterial enzyme Chondroitinase ABC. In parallel, we have generated a stable OEC cell line overexpressing the Nogo receptor (NgR) ectodomain to reduce MAI-associated inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Results indicate that engineered cells migrate longer distances than unmodified OECs over myelin or oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp)-coated substrates. In addition, they also show improved migration in lesioned spinal cord. Our results provide new insights toward the improvement of the mechanisms of action and optimization of OEC-based cell therapy for spinal cord lesion.     

Diet composition of an invasive population of Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) from Argentina

The American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus has been introduced around the world, with invasive populations reported from almost all South American countries. A population of this species was introduced in the Calingasta department of San Juan province, which is an arid environment in western Argentina. This work provides information on the dietary composition of an invasive population of L. catesbeianus, and compares the degree of dietary overlap between adults and juveniles. Stomach contents of 169 bullfrogs (82 adults and 87 juveniles) were analysed. Adults consumed 40 prey taxa and Hymenoptera (Insecta) was the most numerous prey item (41.8%), followed by Araneae (13.6%) and Aeglidae (13.4%). Juveniles consumed 29 prey taxa and Hymenoptera constituted the highest percentage in prey number (77.2%). The trophic overlap niche index at the same level shows a value of 0.64 overlap in dietary community between adults and juveniles of this bullfrog. Aeglidae was volumetrically the most important trophic item (25.4%), followed by Anura (25.02%). Our results showed that cannibalism in bullfrogs is more common than the consumption of native anurans, coinciding with that reported in other populations of introduced bullfrogs. The high similarity in the diets of both size classes and the association between the size of the predator and prey suggest that the impact caused by bullfrogs throughout their ontogeny is high and probably has an impact on their prey. Freshwater crabs are the main items in the diet of Lithobates catesbeianus in other introduced populations and are usually the most conspicuous at our study site. The crabs in freshwater ecosystems are part of the lowest trophic level in the food chain. The major threats to the southern region’s freshwater crabs include deforestation, farming and exotic species. Lithobates catesbeianus has a generalist diet and high overlap between adults and juveniles.     

Year-round activity patterns in a hyperdiverse community of rainforest amphibians in Madagascar

Madagascar hosts a high diversity of amphibians estimated at over 500 species, nearly all of them endemic. Surprisingly few data are available on the activity cycles of this fauna, despite its importance for ecological, evolutionary and conservation research. Here we report the results of a year-round survey of amphibians along a transect bordering the Analamazaotra forest near Andasibe in central eastern Madagascar. During 120 transect walks evenly spaced through the year, a total of 2530 individuals of 40 species of anurans was observed. Abundance was higher during the warm/rainy season (December to April) and peaked in February. Of the five climatic predictors measured, only mean temperature and relative humidity showed high importance values, and multi-model averages indicate that these two variables have a strong effect on amphibian abundance along the transect. Species richness showed no evident peak during the study period and was best explained by a model including average temperature and rainfall. Canonical correspondence analysis indicates that Boophis sibilans, B. tephraeomystax, B. boehmei and Plethodontohyla notosticta were more frequently encountered along the transect on cold and humid days while Plethodontohyla mihanika, Gephyromantis boulengeri and Spinomantis aglavei were distinctly more abundant on cold and dry days, and Paradoxophyla palmata on warm and dry days. The results of our study flag a number of species as suitable candidates for future monitoring initiatives and suggest that a simple combination of visual and acoustic surveys can estimate amphibian activity with high sample sizes in Madagascar’s rainforests.     

亚胺基二乙酸树脂对锰(Ⅱ)的吸附性能及其机理

研究了亚胺基二乙酸树脂对锰(Ⅱ)的吸附行为及其机理.结果表明,在pH=5.6时树脂对锰的吸附效果最佳.298K时静态饱和吸附容量为106.7mg/g,表观吸附速率常数为1.315×10-5s-1,表观吸附活化能是35.6kJ/mol,树脂功能基与锰(Ⅱ)的配位摩尔比为2:1.化学分析及红外光谱表明树脂功能基上的氧原子与Mn2 发生配位键合.     

煤升温氧化过程特征的热重分析

用热重方式进行了煤在常规条件下的热重实验,分别用TG/DTG曲线描述了煤燃烧的整个过程,分析了煤升温氧化过程的特征参数,得到了各种煤的着火温度等特征温度.结果表明,煤样的特征温度与挥发分存在一定的规律性,特征温度下的失重值受挥发分的影响,着火温度随挥发分增加呈线性下降.     

日粮中性洗涤纤维水平对中国荷斯坦公牛营养物质消化率的影响

选用6头13月龄左右的中国荷斯坦生长公牛,分别饲喂6种NDF水平(NDF的质量含量分别为30.26%,32.49%,34.71%,36.94%,39.16%和41.39%)的日粮,并采用6×6的拉丁方试验设计,考察了日粮NDF水平对生长公牛营养物质消化代谢规律的影响.试验结果表明:在NDF水平为30.26%的日粮组中,生长公牛的干物质(DM)的表观消化率显著高于其他NDF水平组的DM的表观消化率(P＜0.05),在其他各组之间,生长公牛的DM的表观消化率则没有显著差异(P＞0.05);NDF水平为30.26%,32.49%,36.94%的日粮组之间和NDF水平为32.49%,34.71%,36.94%,39.16%,41.39%的日粮组之间,生长公牛的有机物(OM)的表观消化率差异不显著(P＞0.05),而在其他组之间,其OM的表观消化率差异显著(P＜0.05).日粮NDF水平对生长公牛的NDF和酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)的表观消化率影响较明显(P＜0.05),且随着日粮NDF水平的增加,其表观消化率也随之升高;NDF水平对生长公牛的淀粉的表观消化率的影响则不明显(P＞0.05);氮的沉留效率受日粮中NDF水平的影响,过高和过低的NDF水平都不利于氮的沉积;生长公牛在采食不同NDF水平的日粮时,其能量的表观消化率差异显著(P＜0.05),并且随着日粮NDF水平的增加,其能量的表观消化率明显下降(P＜0.05).     

高峰林场厚荚相思幼林营养诊断

测定和分析高峰林场厚荚相思(Acacia crassicarpa)速丰林幼林的土壤和厚荚相思叶片的营养元素含量,并与相关树种叶子营养元素含量比较,探讨厚荚相思在赤红壤山地营林中的施肥技术.结果表明,高峰林场界牌分场内用于种植厚荚相思树的赤红壤土壤中有效N、P、K含量极低;厚荚相思叶片中N、P、K营养元素含量低于马占相思(Acacia mangium)、红锥(Castanopsis hystrix)和木荷(Schima superba)3个相关树种;P、K、Ca营养元素在冬季至春季的过程中有明显的减少.因此,在营养元素缺乏的赤红壤林地,对厚荚相思速丰林的配方施肥过程除了应对N给予重视外,更应适当增加P、K和Ca的施用量.     

Banach空间中的一阶积分——微分方程边值问题

研究了抽象空间中的一阶积分——微分方程的边值问题,给出了解存在的一个条件．