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Abstract: We chose five study sites, from a traditional village, the Laoxiancheng Village, in remote mountainous areas to towns, the Houzhenzi Xiang Township, the Mazhao Town and the Zhouzhi County Town, as well as in a modern city, Xi’an in the Shaanxi Province of China, to study differences in energy consumption between rural and urban households and to assess its conservation implications. This study confirmed the prediction of the ‘ladder of fuel preferences’ theory. Energies used in urban households are more convenient, cleaner, and more efficient than those used in rural areas, where biomass and coal are common fuel. The amount of energy used for entertainment and electric appliances is greater in urban areas, whereas the quantity used for cooking is larger in rural districts. People in Laoxiancheng Village completely depended on fuelwood for cooking and heating. In the Houzhenzi Xiang Township, 16.7% household use coal ball, and 23.3% use LPG. Electricity and fuelwood were used in each household. In the Mazhao Town, 96.7% households used crop residue, 90% used coal, about 30% use LPG, and every household used electricity. In the Zhouzhi County Town, of the entire sampled household, 92.7% used coal, 92.7% of household used LPG and 37.5% household used gasoline. In the Xi’an city, of the entire sampled household, 32.8% household used natural gas, 67.2% used LPG; about 34.9% household used gasoline, 48.6% household used electricity and 51.4% used natural gas for heating in winter. In the five study areas, the ratio of each energy source consumed per household was also different. In the Houzhenzi Xiang Township, coal took 6.2%, LPG 1.4%, electricity 1.4% and fuelwood 91%. In the Mazhao Town, crop residue took 31.4%, coal 62.2%, LPG 2.2%, and electricity 4.2%. In the Zhouzhi County Town, the importance of energy ranked as follows: coal 75.8%, LPG 12.8%, electricity 5%, and gasoline 6.4%. In the Xi’an city, LPG took 17.6%, natural gas 27.3%, gasoline 16.9%, and electricity 38.2%. Comparing total annual consumption, households in villages used more energy compared to the households in cities. The mean of total annual energy consumption was 79.57, 63.07, 37.75, 42.53, and 29.73GJ in the Laoxiancheng Village, Houzhenzi Xiang Township, Mazhao Town, Zhouzhi County Town, and Xi’an City, respectively. We should improve the efficiency of fuel burning and introduce cleaner energy resources, such as biogas and hydropower in villages. For the households in rural areas, it is necessary to substitute coal with other cleaner energy resources and it is more important and urgent for urban households to save energy, considering large population in cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata is a threatened and endemic species to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. With the method of group scan sampling, we observed the behaviours of males and females of the gazelle in the two summers of 2005 and 2006, in order to test the group size effect on group vigilance. We found that male gazelles were significantly more vigilant than the females at both group scan level (percentage of individuals scanning during a session) and group scan frequency (percentage of intervals with at least one individual scanning). We also found a negative correlation between group scan level and group size and a positive correlation between group scan frequency and group size, showing the group size effect on vigilance was testified in Tibetan gazelle. The predation factor might be the main driving force for the group size effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigated the impact of enclosure size and animal density on behavior and adrenocortical secretion in Père David’s deer in Dafeng Nature Reserve, China. From February 15 to April 16 in 2004, we conducted two experiments. First, we studied maintenance behavior and conflict behavior of Père David’s deer stags in a large enclosure (200ha) with low animal density (0.66deer/ha) and a small display pen (0.75ha) with high animal density (25.33deer/ha). The maintenance behavior we recorded included standing, locomotion, foraging and rest. During the behavioral observations, we collected fresh voided fecal samples from the stags periodically, and analyzed the fecal cortisol concentrations in those samples using radioimmunoassay technique. Second, we monitored the fecal cortisol concentrations of one group of stags (12 deer lived in an enclosure of 100ha) before and after transferred into a small pen (0.5ha). We found that in the first experiment: (1) there were significant differences in standing and rest whereas no significant differences of locomotion and foraging between the free-ranging group and the display group; (2) frequency of conflict behavior in the display group was significantly higher than those in the free-ranging group; and (3) fecal cortisol concentration of the display group (326.17±16.98ng/g dry feces) was significantly higher than that of the free-ranging group (268.98±15.21ng/g dry feces). In the second experiment, there was no significant difference of the fecal cortisol concentrations among sampling days, but the mean fecal cortisol concentration of the day after transferring (337.46±17.88ng/g dry feces) was significantly higher than that of the day before transferring (248.44±7.99ng/g dry feces). Comparison with published findings, our results indicated that enclosure size and animal density affect not only behaviors, but also adrenocortical secretion in Père David’s deer. Small living space with high animal density may impose physiological stress to captive Père David’s deer. Moreover, long-term physiological stress and increase of conflict behavior may subsequently affect survival and reproduction of the deer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We studied the impact of activity space on the reproductive behaviours of eleven healthy adult female and three adult male giant pandas with natural mating ability from the Beijing Zoo, the Lanzhou Zoo, the Chengdu Zoo and the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center during their non-mating and mating season from November 1999 to May 2003. We contrasted the frequencies of reproductive behaviour and activities of the giant pandas that kept in different size of activity spaces during their estrous period and found that the frequencies of reproductive behaviours and other activities of the female and male giant pandas in large activity space were significantly higher than that of those when they were kept in small pens (P <0.05). When the giant pandas were kept in small pens (<12m2), the frequencies of reproductive behaviours occurred at lower level. Once the captive giant pandas were released into a larger playground (>200m2), their reproductive behaviour was expressed at higher frequency. If the giant pandas were confined in pens again from the playground, then their reproductive behaviour would be restrained again by the limited space and the frequency of reproductive behaviour decreased. This reversibility of reproductive behaviour of giant pandas proved that small activity space suppresses the reproductive behaviour of the giant pandas in captivity; the elasticity of reproductive behaviour was high. Therefore, to provide larger activity space to the giant panda in captivity will help them to fully express their behaviour, especially the reproductive behaviour. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To understand the relationship between behavioral expression of Père David''s deer and environmental elements, we carried out an experiment in the Dafeng Père David''s Deer Nature Reserve, China. From May to September 2001, we observed maintenance behavior and rut behavior in free-ranging Père David''s deer. During behavioral observations, we also recorded the type of habitat in which the behavior occurred. Statistical analysis showed that: (1) Père David''s deer tended to stand, sit and ruminate in barren land, a water body and the muddy shore of a pond. (2) Père David''s deer foraged in grassland and forested land. (3) Père David''s deer stags expressed the marking and display components of rut behavior more often in water body and wetland than in grassland and forest. Our data indicated that Père David''s deer is a typical ungulate species living in wetland and selects different habitats to express different behaviors. We discuss the possible reasons for Père David''s deer to choose specific habitats to express behavior. We suggest that, in ex situ conservation of Père David''s deer, environmental prerequisites for behavioral expression should be considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) is a threatened species and distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China (Qinghai Province, Tibet Autonomous Region and the adjacent Gansu Province, Sichuan Province, and Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region). Small peripheral populations of Tibetan gazelle were once found in northern Sikkim and Ladakh, but now these are close to extinction. To describe the evolutionary history and to assess the genetic diversity within this monotypic species and population structure among different geographic locations in China, we sequenced mitochondrial DNA from the control region (CR) and cytochrome (cyt) b gene for 46 individuals from 12 geographic localities in Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang, Gansu, and Sichuan. A total of 25 CR haplotypes and 16 cyt b haplotypes were identified from these gazelle samples. CR haplotype diversity (0.98±0.01) and nucleotide diversity (0.08±0.009) were both high. Phylogenetic trees indicate that the Tibetan gazelle in China can be divided into three main clades: Tibet, Sichuan (SCH) and Qinghai-Arjin Shan-Kekexili (QH-ARJ-KKXL). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and network analysis consistently support this geographic structure in both datasets. Significant differentiation between populations argues for the presence of management units (MUs). Such differentiation may reflect a geographic separation resulting from the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Late Pliocene and Pleistocene. Mismatch distribution analysis implies that Tibetan gazelle has undergone complex population changes. We suggest that the present population structure has resulted from habitat fragmentation during the recent glacial period on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and population expansion from glacial refugia after the glacial period. It is likely that the present populations of Tibetan gazelle exhibit a pattern reminiscent of several bottlenecks and expansions in the recent past. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies of the relationship between sexual behavior and reproductive endocrinology in females offer critical insight into sexual selection, mate choice, and female reproductive strategies in primates. We examine the relationship between sexual solicitations and urinary estradiol in female Sichuan golden monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) living under semiwild conditions at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, China. We collected data on the frequency of sexual solicitations and urinary samples on 4 adult females during 2 mating seasons. We determined urinary estradiol levels via radioimmunoassay. Our results indicate that during the ovarian cycle, solicitation focused on the periovulatory period around the estradiol peak. The frequency of female solicitations rose to a peak after the peak of estradiol level, suggesting that ovarian steroids modulate sexual behavior during the fertile phase of the ovarian cycle. We also found that females frequently solicited matings during pregnancy, most of which the α male accepted and that resulted in copulations. During pregnancy, however, there was no obvious relationship between sexual solicitation and urinary estradiol. We conclude that in Rhinopithecus roxallana, sexual behavior and estradiol production do not strictly correlate during different parts of the reproductive cycle. We discuss additional relationships between social interactions, dominance, sexual behavior, and endocrine function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the purchase of snakes for leather, food, and traditional medicine has increased in China, which has greatly reduced certain snake populations. Trade records show that since the 1990s, with respect to some species of snakes, China is changing from a net export country to a net import country. We analyzed data on international trade in snake species, concentrating, in particular, on trade dynamics and species composition. The overall number of snakes exported appears to have decreased in the last 10 years. However, the number of snakes imported during this period has increased steadily. Many species of snakes that are traded in significant numbers are endangered or threatened species. To conserve snakes in China, we recommended that the Chinese government and the international conservation community take the following actions: enhance legislation and list several species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) appendices; register all snake farms in China; carry out population and market surveys; monitor the dynamics of trade; encourage biological research; encourage change in food habits; and enhance cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted an experiment in the Beijing Milu Park to study the social behavior of male Père David's deer, and related social behavior to social position and serum testosterone level of the stags during rut. We classified the stags into three rank classes according to their rutting behavior: `harem master', `challenger' and `bachelor'. We monitored the behaviors of four `harem masters', five `challengers' and five `bachelors', and analyzed serum testosterone levels in blood samples of those 14 stags using radioimmunoassay. We defined the effectiveness value, E = A/T, to assess the effectiveness of herding or mating attempts made by stags (`T' represents the frequency of herding or mating attempts made by a stag and `A' represents the frequency of herding or mating attempts accepted by hinds). We found that: (1) the `harem masters' and the `challengers' displayed more frequent rut and locomotive behaviors but fewer ingestion behaviors than the `bachelors'; (2) serum testosterone levels in the `harem masters' and the `challengers' were higher than that in the `bachelors'; (3) effectiveness value of herding attempts differed significantly between the three types of stags, being highest in the `harem masters' and the lowest in the `bachelors'; and (4) effectiveness value of mating attempts was significantly greater for the `harem masters' than for the `challengers'. We conclude that: (1) reproductive behavior of the Pére David's deer stags is strongly associated with social rank; (2) social roles of Pére David's deer stags during the rut are related to the testosterone secretion; and (3) rank class affects the mating opportunity of the stags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important food competitor of the critically endangered Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) is the domestic Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) in the steppe and deserts around Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We used microscopic analysis of fecal samples from August 1998 to August 2001 to estimate botanical composition in the diets of Przewalski's gazelle and domestic Tibetan sheep. We found that approximately 63-76% of the diet of the Przewalski's gazelle consisted of graminoids, composites, legumes, sedges, and Rosaceae. These plants made up 71-92% of Tibetan sheep diets. Dietary overlap between Przewalski's gazelle and Tibetan sheep ranged from 61% during the plant-growing period to 81% during the plant-withering period, indicating severe food competition between the domestic sheep and gazelle. The dietary diversity of Przewalski's gazelle ranged from 26.5 to 35.6 and that of Tibetan sheep from 37.7 to 40.1. The diversity of plants in the diets was similar between the Przewalski's gazelle and Tibetan sheep (P > 0.05), using the independent t -test. To protect the gazelle, managers should control the number or distribution of the Tibetan sheep and take actions to increase food production for Przewalski's gazelle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which examined the reintroduction of Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) in China. Study sites and methods; Results and discussion.

Presents a study which recommended some indices for measuring the intensity of aggregation and sexual segregation in animals. Methodology; Results; Discussion.

Clinical applications of orthopedic implants require porous structure and hydroxyapatite for osseointegration and osteoinductivity. Nevertheless, contents of hydroxyapatite (HA) and high porosity will degenerate mechanical and corrosion properties of implants. Therefore, a novel function-structure-integrated (Ti–Nb–Zr)/(Ti-HA) composites with high strength, activity and porosity and low elastic modulus consisting of a high dense Ti–13Nb–13Zr core and an external micro- and macro-porous Ti-HA part were designed and fabricated. The central compact Ti–Nb–Zr alloy provides excellent mechanical properties, while the external part with appropriate characteristics of porous structure and bioactive HA, which enhances bioactivity and provides low elastic modulus. The relative density of Ti–Nb–Zr part was 92%, and the porosity of radial Ti-HA part were between 35.3% (5 wt% HA) and 40.1% (20 wt% HA). The compressive strength of composites exhibits a remarkable improvement from 248 to 421 MPa and the elastic modulus from 10.8 to 18.9 GPa. Bioactive HA and specific pores characteristics induced bone-like apatites to deposit on porous part. The homogeneity and thickness of bioactive apatite layer on composites were enhanced with the increase of HA contents. Experimental results of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) proliferation, the HA and the pore structure make the (Ti–Nb–Zr)/(Ti-HA) exhibited good cell activity and extensibility to BMSCs. This research would offer a potential strategy for designing and preparing function-structure-integrated orthopedic implants. • A fabrication of radial structural-functional composite was introduced. • An inner dense Ti–13Nb–13Zr core with a radial porous Ti-HA was fabricated by SPS. • The core dense Ti–13Nb–13Zr part provides desirable mechanical properties. • The radial porous Ti-HA part provides low elasticity modulus and enhanced bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade records show that since the 1990s China has changed from a net exporting to a net importing country with respect to some species of snakes. Imports of snakes to China increased up to 2002, when the National Wildlife Management Authority imposed a suspension of international trade in snakes. We investigated the impact of the ban using the same methods as an earlier study of this trade for the period 1990–2001. We found that both imports and exports of snakes recorded in the CITES Trade Database and the Wild Animal and Plant International Trade Database of China have decreased markedly since 2004. The combination of national-level control measures and CITES regulations appear to have controlled the previously unsustainable utilization of snakes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Design for Remanufacturing (DfRem) plays an important role in remanufacturing, which promotes the product remanufacturability, and enhance the efficiency of remanufacturing processes. However, due to the large and fuzzy demand data, it is difficult to accurately extract DfRem targets from the customer demand data. Moreover, the process of DfRem scheme generation includes conceptual design, general design and detailed design. The remanufacturability of products needs be considered at the design process, which makes the DfRem scheme solution process very complicated. For the purpose of accurately extracting DfRem targets and shortening design cycle, it is necessary to apply intelligent technology for customer demand analysis and DfRem solution. To address this, an intelligent DfRem method based on vector space model (VSM) and case-based reasoning (CBR) is proposed. Firstly, for accurate extraction of DfRem targets, VSM is employed to extract customer demand data features from the mass customer demand data embedded with remanufacturing information, and K-means technique is applied to classify customer demand data features thus to extract DfRem targets. After extraction of DfRem targets, CBR is utilized to retrieve the case that is most similar to the DfRem targets from DfRem and remanufacturing process knowledge bases. In order to improve the accuracy of the retrieval, ontology is used to construct standard knowledge expression. Finally, this method has been evaluated utilizing the DfRem of clutch remanufacturing as case studies. The results show that the method can accurately generate design scheme to satisfy the customer demands. In this paper, the intelligent DfRem method has been developed by Visual Studio and Microsoft SQL Server, which can quickly generate the most suitable solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elusive species often use latrines which also serves as communication and information hubs. Thus, studying behavior at latrines may provide critical insights into the species' ecology and behavior. While it is established that musk deer use latrines for defecating, very little is known about the endangered Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) and their latrines. We examined musk deer behavior from the various video clips lasting 238 min altogether, captured at latrine sites during both breeding and non‐breeding seasons in the Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal. A total of 428 visits by musk deer and 479 behavioral events by them were captured. We constructed an ethogram to describe musk deer behavior and compared behavior across individuals and sex using parametric and non‐parametric tests. We found that musk deer are crepuscular and nocturnal animals. Both male and female musk deer repeatedly and independently visited shared latrine sites as well as exclusively used latrine sites. The proportion of male musk deer visited latrine sites were significantly higher than that of female musk deer. Hence, male musk deer were found more active (>2 times) than females during both seasons. The most frequently observed behavioral activities at the latrine sites were defecating, sniffing and browsing, followed by scrapping and covering, and ignoring the latrine sites. The defecating and sniffing activity were performed throughout breeding and non‐breeding seasons to establish communication among peers and to claim territory. Based on the behaviors observed at the latrine sites, we can presume that Himalayan musk deer likely use latrines to convey various messages, including personality, maturity, sexual status, and territory marking among conspecifics. These findings of this study can be used for the conservation of musk deer in its natural habitat and replicated in captivity to enhance breeding performance that improves long‐term conservation prospects for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product conceptual design plays a decisive role in carbon emission of the products. Unfortunately, the traditional design methods based on carbon footprint calculation are not suitable for the conceptual design stage, and the latest low-carbon conceptual design research mainly focus on technology development to reduce carbon emissions at the manufacturing stage and less on carbon emissions caused by the unsustainable human use. This makes low-carbon product conceptual design less effective. To address this, a low-carbon conceptual design method is proposed for improving existing products, in which an improved process of requirements elicitation and analysis is implemented firstly, and then the improvement strategies are proposed from the perspectives of technical system and human use to help establish a low-carbon function structure. The conceptual design of a boiling water dispenser is taken as a case study. As a result, 5 low-carbon design strategies and a low-carbon function structure were comprehensively obtained. Next, by calculating the energy consumption of the assumed ideal scenario, it can be found that the re-designed product can save 39.4% energy compared to the existing product in the use stage. The results showed that the proposed method is effective in the generation of low-carbon design schemes at the conceptual design stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The numerical model bases on the three-level kinetic algorithm of alkali atoms. • The model has employed a several-divided cylindrical disk as a vapor cell. • The model could investigate the parameters and signal deformation for DPAA systems. • More direct component will bring in serious temporal distributions in a DPAA system. • The simulation results are similar to the experimental results in terms of trends. Diode-pumped alkali amplifiers (DPAAs) have become a hot research topic recently. As a new laser amplifier, the alkali laser amplifier employs alkali vapor as the laser medium. Comparing with the traditional MOPA system, an alkali laser amplifier has a lot of unique merits, especially when it is used to amplify a pulsed seed laser signal. In this report, the model of an end-pumped MOPA system has been constructed by use of the three-level theory of atomic alkali. We investigated the parameters such as output power, amplification factor, and signal deformation as a pulsed seed laser passing through the alkali laser amplifier with different pump levels. Our research results have demonstrated the great potential of the realization of the pulsed alkali laser amplifier in a high-powered laser system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of green scheduling and lot splitting scheduling is indispensable for ensuring the coordinated optimization of economic and environmental benefits in flexible job-shop scheduling (FJS). However, this integration involves not only the indicator of greenness and economy but also the process of production planning and scheduling, which is substantially complicated. To this end, a hierarchical integrated scheduling method is proposed by comprehensively considering the multilevel organizational structure and task configuration characteristics of flexible job-shop, as well as the differences in objectives on different scheduling levels: workshop level, process unit level, machine tool level. On the workshop level, a lot splitting model is presented to obtain the optimal processing task set for each production cycle with the minimum expected cost (startup cost, tardiness cost, and holding cost). On the process unit level, a task allocation model is given to allocate the optimal workload for each machine tool with the minimum processing energy consumption and maximum machine load. On the machine tool level, an operation sequencing model is established to obtain the optimal processing sequence for each machine tool with the minimum standby energy consumption and makespan. According to the solving characteristics of the hierarchical models, a multi-objective algorithm is applied. Finally, a case study is demonstrated to validate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankyrin repeat and suppression-of-cytokine-signaling box (Asb) proteins, a subset of ubiquitin ligase E3, include Asb5 with six ankyrin-repeat domains. Zebrafish harbor two asb5 gene isoforms, asb5a and asb5b. Currently, the effects of asb5 gene inactivation on zebrafish embryonic development and heart function are unknown. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated asb5a-knockout zebrafish, revealing no abnormal phenotypes at 48 h post-fertilization (hpf). In situ hybridization showed similar asb5a and asb5b expression patterns, indicating the functional redundancy of these isoforms. Morpholino interference was used to target asb5b in wild-type and asb5a-knockout zebrafish. Knocking down asb5b in the wild-type had no phenotypic impact, but simultaneous asb5b knockdown in asb5a-knockout homozygotes led to severe pericardial cavity enlargement and atrial dilation. RNA-seq and cluster analyses identified significantly enriched cardiac muscle contraction genes in the double-knockout at 48 hpf. Moreover, semi-automatic heartbeat analysis demonstrated significant changes in various heart function indicators. STRING database/Cytoscape analyses confirmed that 11 cardiac-contraction-related hub genes exhibited disrupted expression, with three modules containing these genes potentially regulating cardiac contractile function through calcium ion channels. This study reveals functional redundancy in asb5a and asb5b, with simultaneous knockout significantly impacting zebrafish early heart development and contraction, providing key insights into asb5's mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses initiatives taken by China to deal with illegal ivory trade that has become a threat to wildlife. Topics discussed include the ban on import of ivory carvings announced by the State Forestry Administration of China, the Demand-side Strategies for Curbing Illegal Ivory Trade workshop that was organized to understand economy of illegal trade and participation in the law enforcement operation Operation Cobra III that led to several seizures such as elephant ivory.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a project launched by the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Chinese Academy of Sciences which is focused on evaluating the life of vertebrates in China.

Accurate estimation of the state of charge (SOC) of a lithium-ion battery is important to ensure the safe operation of the battery management system. Adaptive extended Kalman filter (AEKF) is used to estimate SOC, which approximates nonlinear function to linear function by first-order Taylor expansion with large truncation error. Therefore, the second-order AEKF is proposed to reduce the truncation error and improve the accuracy of SOC estimation. Since the estimation accuracy of second-order AEKF is also affected by the sliding window length (SWL), correspondence analysis is proposed in this paper to verify the correlation between SWL and algorithm errors and obtain a reasonable SWL parameter value, which helps to ensure that the algorithm has higher accuracy in SOC estimation under the condition that the value of SWL is not changed when the working condition changes. To substantiate the efficacy of the algorithm outlined in this paper, data sets collected from different sources and at various temperatures are employed. The experimental results obtained through meticulous analysis demonstrate that the second-order AEKF proposed in this study excels in terms of estimation accuracy and robustness. • Second order Taylor expansion is used to approximate nonlinear functions. • The second-order adaptive extended Kalman filter (SOAEKF) algorithm is proposed. • Correspondence table is used to select the value of sliding window length (SWL). • Verify the correlation between SWL and SOAEKF error with correspondence analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and sales of electric vehicles in China are continuously increasing, and a massive wave of scrap batteries is about to emerge. However, there are many challenges in the power battery recycling, such as a disorganized recycling system, a lack of standards, and low efficiency. In addition, the power battery recycling supply chain faces issues such as a lack of transparency, inadequate data management, low trustworthiness, and counterfeit products. Therefore, it's crucial to establish an efficient and sustainable power battery supply chain recycling system. Blockchain technology can provide solutions in decentralized data management, privacy protection, and anti-counterfeiting traceability. It addresses existing problems and improves the Power Batteries Reverse Supply Chain (PBRSC) ecosystem. Thus, this paper proposes a blockchain-based PBRSC management integration framework. Firstly, a four-layer blockchain power battery recycling platform is designed. Secondly, based on the proposed PBRSC framework, this paper studies three key component technologies: double-chain structure and its storage mechanism, information tracing module, and smart contract enabled battery trading management. Then, the validity and feasibility of the double-chain structure was demonstrated experimentally. Finally, the above architecture and key technologies are implemented in the system, the main functional modules are displayed on the interface, and the effectiveness of the framework is explained in cooperation with related enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many ungulates are reported to use natural or artificial licks with seasonal patterns around the world. From December 2016 to August 2017, we used infrared camera to record the use of artificial licks in wild sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Zhejiang Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve, China. We explored the daily rhythm, seasonal pattern and sex difference in lick utilization. In total, 12,043 videos and 22,901 pictures were collected. Our results showed that: (1) the lick visiting frequency was higher at night than that during daytime; (2) the difference in lick visiting frequency between females and males disappeared after taking into account of sex ratio; (3) the lick duration peaked in April during a year. These findings suggested that there were clear daily rhythm and seasonal pattern of lick use in sika deer. Seasonal change in lick use intensity was consistent with our prediction. These variations in lick use might be driven by both the physiological needs of the mineral elements in different life stages and the seasonal changes in climate and food. The reserve management authority should pay more attention to the supplement of licks in spring and summer to fulfill animal's physiological needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report a new type of anode consisting of mixed detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) hollow nanospheres (HNSs) for improving the specific capacity of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Benefiting from the unique characteristics (high lithium adsorption capacity, large specific surface area and chemical inertness) of DNDs and the porous structure of TiO2 HNSs, the anode plays an important role in realizing remarkable capacity performances (with a capacity of 348.8 mA h g−1 at 0.5C after 100 cycles) and superior long-term cycle stability (with a capacity of 246.3 mA h g−1 at 5C after 800 cycles) of LIBs, which are significantly better than those of the battery with the TiO2 anode alone. The improvement can be attributed to the enhanced Li+ storing capacity and stability of the anode consisting of DNDs and TiO2 HNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective We investigated the impact of subchronic low-dose exposure to nonylphenol (NP) on depression-like behaviors and synaptic morphological plasticity in the context of a high-sucrose/high-fat diet in rats. Methods Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 8 groups (n = 10 per group), as follows: rats fed a normal-diet (ND), as the control (C-ND); rats fed a normal diet and gavaged with NP at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg/day (NP-L-ND), 0.2 mg/kg/day (NP-M-ND) or 2 mg/kg/day (NP-H-ND); rats fed a high-sucrose/high-fat diet (HSHFD), as the HSHFD control (C-HSHFD); rats fed a HSHFD and gavaged with NP at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg/day (NP-L-HSHFD), 0.2 mg/kg/day (NP-M-HSHFD) or 2 mg/kg/day (NP-H-HSHFD). Elevated plus maze was used to evaluate anxiety behavior. Open field test was used to evaluate locomotor activity. Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in hippocampal tissue was measured by immunohistochemistry. The ultrastructure of hippocampal mitochondria and the synaptic plasticity were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Results Significant interactions between HSHFD and NP-H were observed, reflected by the time spent exploring the open arms, time spent in the center area, distance traveled in the center area and total distance traveled (p < 0.05). Exposure to NP-H-HSHFD resulted in swelling of the mitochondria, associated with an increased number of disordered and partially disrupted cristae compared with the control group. Synaptic interface curvatures and postsynaptic density thickness decreased as the NP dose increased among the treatment groups. Co-exposure to HSHFD and NP showed an increase in synaptic cleft width compared with the HSHFD-only and NP-only exposure groups (p < 0.05). COX-2 expression and integral optical density value increased as the NP dose increased among the NP treatment groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion Subchronic low-dose exposure to NP might induce alterations in depression-like behaviors, synaptic morphological plasticity and COX-2 expression in the hippocampus. Co-exposure to NP and HSHFD had significantly more dissimilarities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta diversity patterns along elevational gradients have become a hot topic in the study of biogeography and can help illuminate the processes structuring mountain ecosystems. Although elevational species richness patterns have been well documented, there remains much uncertainty over the causes of beta diversity patterns across elevational gradients. We conducted bird surveys and obtained high‐resolution climatic data along an elevational gradient in Gyirong Valley in the central Himalayas, China, between 1,800 and 5,400 m elevation. In total, we recorded 182 bird species (including 169 breeding birds). We simulated beta diversity patterns with the mid‐domain effect (MDE) null model and conducted distance‐based redundancy analyses (db‐RDA) to relate beta diversity to dispersal limitations, spatial constraints, habitat complexity, contemporary climate, and historical climate. Mantel tests and variation partitioning were employed to identify the magnitude of independent statistical associations of environmental factors with beta diversity. Patterns of empirical and simulated beta diversity were both hump‐shaped, peaking at intermediate elevations. The db‐RDA indicated that beta diversity was correlated with changes in spatially structured environmental factors, especially with contemporary climate and habitat complexity. Mantel tests and variation partitioning also suggested that climate dissimilarity was the major independent correlate of beta diversity. The random community structure and spatial constraints may also contribute to the overall hump‐shaped pattern. Beta diversity of bird communities in Gyirong Valley could be explained by the combination of different factors but is mainly shaped by the spatially structured environmental factors, especially contemporary climate. To increase our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of distributional patterns across elevation, we examine beta diversity patterns of birds in Gyirong Valley by sampling continuously over an elevational gradient and using high‐resolution environmental or spatial variables to explain those diversity patterns. We find that bird beta diversity patterns are mainly structured by climate variables, with little contribution from spatial factors. These results provide further insight into the structuring of ecological communities, which can also help guide necessary management actions toward the preservation of biodiversity in the Himalayas and other mountain ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) are used to regenerate the myocardium during cardiac repair after myocardial infarction. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying their ability to form mesodermal cells and differentiate into cardiomyocytes remains unclear. Here, we established a human-derived MSCs line isolated from healthy umbilical cords and established a cell model of the natural state to examine the differentiation of hUC-MSCs into cardiomyocytes. Quantitative RT-PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, RNA Seq, and inhibitors of canonical Wnt signalling were used to detect the germ-layer markers T and MIXL1; the markers of cardiac progenitor cells MESP1, GATA4, and NKX2.5 and the cardiomyocyte-marker cTnT to identify the molecular mechanism associated with PYGO2, a key component of the canonical Wnt signalling pathway that regulates the formation of cardiomyocyte-like cells. We demonstrated that PYGO2 promotes the formation of mesodermal-like cells and their differentiation into cardiomyocytes through the hUC-MSC-dependent canonical Wnt signalling by promoting the early-stage entry of β-catenin into the nucleus. Surprisingly, PYGO2 did not alter the expression of the canonical-Wnt, NOTCH, or BMP signalling pathways during the middle–late stages. In contrast, PI3K-Akt signalling promoted hUC-MSCs formation and their differentiation into cardiomyocyte-like cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that PYGO2 uses a biphasic mechanism to promote cardiomyocyte formation from hUC-MSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological niche divergence and adaptation to new environments are thought to play important roles in driving speciation. Whether recently evolved species show evidence for niche divergence or conservation is vital towards understanding the role of ecology in the process of speciation. The genus Procapra is an ancient, monophyletic lineage endemic to Asia that contains three extant species (P. gutturosa, P. przewalskii and P. picticaudata). These species mainly inhabit the Qinghai-Tibetan and Mongolian Plateaus, and today have primarily allopatric distributions. We applied a series of geographic information system-based analyses to test for environmental variation and niche divergence among these three species. We found substantial evidence for niche divergence in species' bioclimatic preferences, which supports the hypothesis that niche divergence accelerates diversification in Procapra. Our results provide important insight into the evolutionary history of ungulates in Asia and help to elucidate how environmental changes accelerate lineage diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the tiger Panthera tigris has been ranked in the Appendix one of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

Confined concrete has superior anti-penetration performance over unconfined concrete. A finite dynamic spherical cavity-expansion approximation model with radially elastic confinement is proposed to analyze the confinement on concrete targets and predict the depth of penetration (DOP), taking steel-tube-confined concrete (STCC) targets normally penetrated by rigid projectiles as an example. Firstly, the validity of a nonlinear failure criterion to describe strength feature of concrete in the comminuted region is demonstrated by triaxial compressible tested data and the reference range of dimensionless parameter m in the modified Griffith criterion is recommended. Secondly, the relationship between the stresses in concrete and cavity-expansion velocity is developed. Furthermore, the confinement effects on response modes of confined concrete, radial stress at cavity wall and stresses distribution in concrete are analyzed. Lastly, an engineering model is also established to predict the DOP of STCC targets normally penetrated by rigid projectiles. The results show that the radial stress at cavity wall is not a constant during the cavity-expansion process in finite concrete with radially elastic confinement, which is different from the steady spherical cavity-expansion of infinite material in which the radial stress at cavity wall is a constant with constant cavity-expansion velocity. The possible response phases of confined concrete targets normally penetrated by rigid projectiles include “elastic-cracked-comminuted”, “cracked-comminuted” and “full-comminuted”, depending on the relationship among cavity-expansion velocity, radial confining stiffness and radius ratio of cavity to target. The DOP data from the engineering model established in this paper agree well with those of experiments in the published references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelcasting is a simple near-net shaping method to fabricate large-sized and/or complicated-structural ceramics. In this paper, a transparent yttrium alumina garnet (YAG) ceramic was successfully fabricated by gelcasting with a nontoxic, water soluble copolymer (isobutylene and maleic anhydride, Isobam) as both dispersant and gelling agent. The rheological behaviors of the slurries with different solids loading and Isobam contents were systematically investigated. The optimized slurry of 0.5 wt% Isobam and the solid loading of 68 wt% had the low viscosity and high stability, resulting in better homogeneity of the green body and better optical quality of transparent ceramics. A nearly pore-free structure of the sintered YAG ceramics with average grain size about 10.0 µm was obtained possessing an in-line transmittance of 75.7% at the wavelength of 1064 nm for a sample 2.5 mm thick. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Habitat fragmentation, associated with human population expansion, impedes dispersal, reduces gene flow and aggravates inbreeding in species on the brink of extinction. Both scientific and conservation communities increasingly realize that maintaining and restoring landscape connectivity is of vital importance in biodiversity conservation. Prior to any conservation initiatives, it is helpful to present conservation practitioners with a spatially explicit model of functional connectivity for the target species or landscape. Methodology/Principal Findings:Using Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) as a model of endangered ungulate species in highly fragmented landscape, we present a model providing spatially explicit information to inform the long-term preservation of well-connected metapopulations. We employed a Geographic Information System (GIS) and expert-literature method to create a habitat suitability map, to identify potential habitats and to delineate a functional connectivity network (least-cost movement corridors and paths) for the gazelle. Results indicated that there were limited suitable habitats for the gazelle, mainly found to the north and northwest of the Qinghai Lake where four of five potential habitat patches were identified. Fifteen pairs of least-cost corridors and paths were mapped connecting eleven extant populations and two neighboring potential patches. The least-cost paths ranged from 0.2 km to 26.8 km in length (averaging 12.4 km) and were all longer than corresponding Euclidean distances. Conclusions/Significance:The model outputs were validated and supported by the latest findings in landscape genetics of the species, and may provide impetus for connectivity conservation programs. Dispersal barriers were examined and appropriate mitigation strategies were suggested. This study provides conservation practitioners with thorough and visualized information to reserve the landscape connectivity for Przewalski’s gazelle. In a general sense, we proposed a heuristic framework for species with similar biological and ecological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the circadian rhythms of the glucose metabolism and related hormones in desert reptiles, we studied the daily changes in plasma leptin, insulin, and glucose in the toad-headed lizard,Phrynocephalus versicolor, in the semi-desert of the Alashan Plateau. Blood samples were obtained from groups of 20 lizards (about equal sex ratio for each group) at 4-h intervals throughout a 24-h period. Leptin, insulin, and glucose levels were determined using ELISA, RIA, and the glucose oxidase method, respectively. Ambient temperature and humidity were also measured when the blood samples were taken. We found that: (1) there was a significant difference in plasma leptin concentrations at different times of day; (2) no significant circadian rhythm could be measured for plasma insulin and glucose; (3) ambient temperature, humidity, and body condition had no significant effect on plasma leptin, insulin, and glucose levels; and (4) there were significant correlations between plasma glucose concentrations and leptin concentrations 8 h later, and between insulin concentrations and leptin concentration 8–12 h later. These results suggested that the secretions of leptin and insulin played an important role in glucose metabolism in reptiles in an arid environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

End-of-life (EOL) strategies selection of used parts is important to ensure efficient resource utilization. However, the diversity and uncertainty of remaining life characteristics of used parts make the EOL strategies selection more complicated. To select appropriate EOL strategies scientifically and effectively, this paper proposes a decision-making approach for EOL strategies selection, considering remaining useful life (RUL) estimation and reliability analysis. By comparing the reliabilities of a used part at the end of its actual useful life and estimated RUL with its reliability threshold, the optimal EOL strategy of used part is determined. Furthermore, an EOL strategies evaluation support system (EOLSESS) is developed for easier application of the presented method. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A blank dimension is not only a premise of blank design and manufacture, but also plays a significant role to decide the machining process and the energy consumption of the machining process. The design of an appropriate blank dimension is important to ensure efficient energy usage. However, consideration of a workpiece machining process and energy consumption during the machining process in the blank dimension design phase is often neglected. To design a blank dimension scientifically and effectively, this paper proposes an optimization approach for blank dimension design, by considering energy consumption, machine cost, and process time. The three objectives are affected by three variables, cutting depth, feed rate, and cutting speed. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) algorithm was used to solve multi-objective optimization problem, and blank dimensions could be calculated from the cutting depth of minimum energy consumption and workpiece dimension. The results indicated that the proposed approach is effective in realizing energy savings due to the appropriate blank dimension design. The optimization approach not only offers some insights for designing a new blank dimension, but also provides a theoretical basis for existing blank dimension selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems play a very important role in the sustainable development of remanufacturing. Research has often focused on the sustainability of remanufacturing systems from the aspect of general technological activities, for which there is a lack of an in-depth consideration of ecological services. This may lead to an imbalanced development of ecosystems. This paper proposes a full lifecycle-based sustainability evaluation model for remanufacturing ecosystem services (ESs) from the novel perspective of technology-ecology synergy. Firstly, by analyzing the coupling effect of technical activities and ecological services, a technology-ecology synergy in a lifecycle assessment (TES-LCA) computing model is established to quantify the sustainability of remanufacturing ESs. Secondly, the supply and allocation of ESs considering multiple users are proposed and addressed. Thirdly, regional differences in ESs are investigated. The sustainability of ESs is then analyzed and calculated on a multi-spatial scale. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed model is verified by performing a case analysis of the remanufacturing of a spindle of a machine tool that is to be adopted in two regions. The case study results showed that the air quality control service in both two regions is unsustainable; however, the water supply service is sustainable. The proposed model can provide data support for governmental policy makers and businesses to formulate relevant policies to maintain a balanced development of ecosystems. [Display omitted] • Assess the remanufacturing sustainability from the technology-ecology synergy view. • The multi-user allocation accounting strategy of ecosystem services is established. • The regional difference in ecological services is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that a meeting on the reopening of the international trophy hunting of blue sheep and seven Tibetan gazelles in Dulan International Hunting Ground, Qinghai Province, China was conducted by the State Forestry Administration's national wildlife management authority held on August 5, 2011. It says that the issue came out after five years suspension of international trophy hunting. It mentions that an alliance was formed by persons who oppose the idea.

Aim: Many studies have explored taxon‐specific richness patterns with elevation, but few have concurrently evaluated different mechanisms to explain elevational patterns across multiple taxa. We used a novel, cross‐taxa approach to study species richness patterns combined with a framework that tests drivers of species accumulation versus decline along the elevational gradient in the Himalayas. Location: The Himalayas. Taxon: Mammals, birds and amphibians. Methods: We used geographical and elevational data of 314 mammals, 842 breeding birds and 147 amphibians to investigate species richness patterns across elevational and geographical spaces. We divided the elevational species richness gradient into segments of species accumulation versus species decline by piecewise linear regressions. We used path analysis to disentangle the direct and indirect effects of the predictors on species richness for the overall pattern and its divided segments. We test the asymmetry of main drivers between the accumulation and decline segments of richness by iteration procedure. Results: Species richness for most taxa tracks an elevational hump‐shaped distribution. The dominant driver of the overall pattern varied by taxa and in context to subregion. Across taxa, precipitation best predicts the accumulation of species richness, whereas temperature best predicts the decline in species richness. Moreover, temperature and precipitation can affect species richness indirectly through productivity, showcasing a large interactional effect of climate and productivity on species richness. Main conclusions: Resource allocation of the ecosystem and requirements of the species differ between the lower and upper elevation segments but remain consistent across the overall gradient. The resources essential for promoting diversity and mediating stochastic processes are directly tied to precipitation at the process of species accumulation and temperature at the process of species richness decline. Our findings support the existing theory in climate change science that reduced precipitation combined with increasing temperature may cause species extinction in the species‐rich lowlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal activation of the classical Wnt pathway has been reported in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously. Pygo family genes, the core regulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, were also reported to be involved in tumorigenesis. However, the role of the homolog Pygo1 in human lung cancer remains unclear. In the current study, we demonstrated an association of increased Pygo1 expression with consistent high nuclear β-catenin signals across pathological tissue samples of early-stage human NSCLC. Overexpression of Pygo1 in lung cancer cells resulted in enhanced G1/S cell phase transformation, reduced apoptosis, and increased cell proliferation. These changes were accompanied by the downregulation of cell cycle-related proteins, such as RB, p16, p53, and p27Kip1, and increased expression of CyclinE1. Migration, wound healing, and colony formation assays revealed that Pygo1 overexpression enhanced the invasion and migration of lung cancer cells, increased the formation of clones, and suppressed E-cadherin expression. In addition, overexpression of Pygo1 in lung cancer cells led to an increase of β-catenin/TCF4 complex, as well as upregulated expression of target genes of β-catenin. In vivo experiments also revealed that Pygo1 overexpression promoted the tumorigenicity of a xenograft tumor model, while Wnt inhibition partially blocked the effect of Pygo1 overexpression. In conclusion, Pygo1 affects human NSCLC via the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which provides new clues for lung cancer pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article on the need for measures to protect wild tigers.

With the ongoing global biodiversity crisis in the Anthropocene, it is critical to understand how to save endangered species to "bend the curve" of biodiversity decline. The Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) is a Critically Endangered species that is endemic to Hainan Island. We performed two synchronized total count surveys in Hainan Tropic Rain Forest National Park in November and December of 2020 and 2021 by locating gibbon groups from their morning calls and conducting detailed counts in all potential habitat fragments. We compared our findings with existing data to model the population trend, and analyzed the potential and realized reproductive potentials. We found 5 groups with a total of 33 gibbons in 2020 and 35 in 2021, including 4 and 6 solitary individuals respectively. This is an increase of 169% since 2003, when there were 13 individuals with 2 groups and 2 solitary individuals. Logistic and linear curves fitted the 2003-2021 population census data equally well. Although the population is growing, it has not realized its full reproductive potential (when all adult females give births at 24-month intervals), suggesting that external factors like available habitat, as well as nutritional, physiological, and behavioral factors may be limiting the population. The gibbon's recovery demonstrates that establishing a nature reserve with regular patrols, banning logging, curbing poaching, and environmental education have been effective. Because the Hainan gibbon population is still extremely small, carefully planned conservation actions, including an ambitious forest restoration program, will be needed to ensure the species' continued survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction during the water splitting requires high-performance electrocatalysts with low cost and good stability. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted much attention as electrocatalysts owing to their unique properties. To improve their electrocatalytic activity and stability, we report a selenylation method to modulate the morphology and interfaces by forming flower-like MOF-selenide nanocomposites. The optimal sample exhibits high activity with an overpotential of 260 mV at 10 mA cm−2, much better than commercial RuO 2 and the control samples. Moreover, the optimal sample has the lowest Tafel slope of 54.3 mV dec-1, indicating the fast reaction kinetics, which can be attributed to the lower charge-transfer resistance and high intrinsic activity. Chronoamperometry shows that the optimal sample can maintain the current density for 60 h at 10 mA cm−2 after the initial surface reconstruction, demonstrating good stability. This study provides a new perspective on the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts based on polymetallic MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Understanding the ecological processes involved in establishing a metacommunity, a collection of small communities linked by species dispersal, could help with biodiversity conservation. In this work, we examine how local community connectivity affects the distributional patterns of various bird species across metacommunities in the strikingly different Altai landscapes. We discovered that connectivity was most important for determining community composition in metacommunities. High beta diversity and a high turnover component in the research region showed that regional-scale conservation efforts should consider overall biodiversity. Although they are not part of the Altai-Sayan biodiversity ecoregion, the riparian and desert landscapes are essential to the birds that reside in the mountain ranges and should be regarded as integral parts of the ecoregion, and high connectivity stepping-stone habitats in these landscapes should be protected. Located on the southwest slope and plain areas of the Altai Mountains in China, this study aims to explore bird composition variation (beta diversity) in mountain landscape (metacommunity M), riparian landscape (metacommunity R), desert landscape (metacommunity D) and across the three landscapes (metacommunity A), and to assess how patch connectivity with environmental and spatial factors influence species distributional patterns across multiple metacommunities. In 78 transect lines over the study area, 9724 detections of 139 bird species were detected. We calculated the beta diversity, its turnover and nestedness components in four metacommunities. We used the variation partitioning method to investigate the relative importance between the environment, spatial variation and locality connectivity in driving bird community composition variation. We found high beta diversities with a small contribution of nestedness components in all four metacommunities. When only a single set of predictors is contained in the model, the predictor that best explains the variation of bird community composition is connectivity in metacommunity M, R and D and spatial predictor in metacommunity A. In all three sets of predictors, 73.8~85.4% of variations of community composition can be explained in the four metacommunities, and connectivity always contributed the most. High beta diversity and a high turnover component imply that regional-scale conservation efforts should be thought of as preserving overall biodiversity. A conservation strategy is to keep stepping-stone habitats with good connectivity in the middle of the riparian landscape. Along with the Altai-Sayan biodiversity ecoregion, the desert and riparian environments are essential for birds residing in the mountainous terrain. Furthermore, they should be regarded as integral parts of the ecoregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bluetongue virus (BTV), a member of the genus Orbivirus in the family Reoviridae, is transmitted by biting midges and causes severe disease in domestic and wild ruminants. In the present study, a BTV strain, BTV‐20/GX015/China/2013 (GX015), was isolated from sentinel cattle in Guangxi, China. Virus neutralization tests and phylogenetic analyses based on genomic segments 2 (S2) and 6 (S6) indicated that GX015 belongs to BTV serotype 20 (BTV‐20) and represents a new topotype within BTV‐20 strains, which makes GX015 the first BTV‐20 strain isolated in China. Genomic analyses suggested that the 10 genomic segments of GX015 originated from a reassortment event, in which S2 and S6 are derived from exotic BTV‐20 strains (South Africa or Australia), whereas the remaining eight genomic segments are apparently of Chinese origin and most likely share the same ancestor with a Taiwanese BTV‐12 strain. Importantly, we evaluated the infectivity and pathogenicity of the BTV‐20 strain in mice lacking the interferon receptor (IFNAR–/– mice, a good animal model for studying the pathogenesis, virulence and transmission of BTVs) and sheep for the first time, and found that GX015 causes severe disease and death in IFNAR–/– mice and clinical signs and viraemia in the natural host sheep. These results improve our understanding of the genetic characteristics, diversity and pathogenicity of BTVs, which is important for developing diagnostic methods and vaccines for the surveillance and prevention of bluetongue disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection with bovine leukemia virus (BLV) leads to enzootic bovine leukosis, the most prevalent neoplastic disease in cattle. Due to the lack of commercially available vaccines, reliable eradication of the disease can be achieved through the testing and elimination of BLV antibody-positive animals. In this study, we developed a novel competitive ELISA (cELISA) to detect antibodies against BLV capsid protein p24. Recombinant p24 protein expressed by Escherichia coli , in combination with the monoclonal antibody 2G11 exhibiting exceptional performance, was used for the establishment of the cELISA. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the assay were 98.85 % and 98.13 %, respectively. Furthermore, the established cELISA was specific for detecting BLV-specific antibodies, without cross-reactivity to antisera for six other bovine viruses. Significantly, experimental infection of cattle and sheep with BLV revealed that the cELISA accurately monitors seroconversion. In a performance evaluation, the established cELISA displayed a high agreement with Western blotting and the commercial BLV gp51 cELISA kit in the detection of 242 clinical samples, respectively. In conclusion, the novel p24 cELISA exhibited the potential to be a reliable and efficient diagnostic tool for BLV serological detection with a broad application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote energy saving, high efficiency and quality production in the mechanical manufacturing industry, a large number of studies have been conducted on modelling and evaluation. However, most of the approaches have focused on single objective modelling, evaluation and conventional machining method like unidirectional turning (UDT). This paper presents a multi-objective modelling and evaluation method for energy, efficiency, economy and quality using a new process of forward-and-reverse multidirectional turning (MDT). Firstly, the multi-objective influential factors of cutting parameters for energy consumption, cutting time, production cost and surface roughness of MDT are analyzed to establish the corresponding models, respectively. Then taking the energy consumption, cutting time, production cost and surface roughness as the objectives, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is applied for the multi-objective evaluation through different processes. Finally, the case study shows the practicability of the MDT method and evaluation method for energy optimization and energy conservation. • Proposing a new method of energy saving and high efficiency production oriented multidirectional turning (MDT). • Illustrating the characteristics of MDT. • Establishing entropy-weight and fuzzy evaluation models. • Analyzing the practicability of the multi-objective evaluation and models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]