Status and habitat description of the globally threatened Udzungwa Forest Partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis thirty years after discovery

Summary The Udzungwa Forest Partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis was discovered in 1991 in the geologically old and eco-climatically stable Udzungwa Mountains (hereafter the Udzungwas) in Tanzania - a global biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Arc Mountains of East Africa. The partridge is categorised as globally ‘Endangered’ and this study aims at assessing its population status and habitat requirements in the two separate montane forests where it was discovered c.30 years ago and for the first time using systematic playback technique. We estimate the partridge population at c.2,800 individuals (1,680–3,860) confined to less than 150 km2 and now confined to a single forest and with a clearly declining distribution within the last few decades since its discovery. The species is confined to evergreen closed (semi-closed) canopy forest habitat with leaf litter and sedges on the forest floor for feeding and cover. The partridge has become an emblem for the high concentration of endemic species of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. At the same time there is a risk that this species could go extinct without notice if the Tanzanian authorities do not tackle two envisaged main drivers, namely fragmentation of the evergreen forest area over the last few centuries and current illegal hunting. Hence it seems crucial to allow natural expansion of its forest habitat in the Udzungwas and to eliminate hunting in the other forest within its recently known distribution where the population has presumably been extirpated. The partridge is remarkable as its closest relatives are in South-east Asia and it is used as a flagship species for the Udzungwas, which has one of the highest concentrations of endemic species on earth.

Golden jackal, a natural disperser or an invasive alien species in Slovakia? A summary within European context

This summary provides an overview of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) categorization in Europe with particular focus on its presence in Slovakia. The distribution range of this species in Europe has been expanding in recent decades. Currently, European population is in constant and fast increase, widening their ranges towards Central and Eastern Europe and more recently in some western countries. All over Europe, the categorization of the golden jackal status is discussed with some controversial. A recent genetic study helped to determine that golden jackals do not meet the established three criteria, which categorize a species as an invasive alien species. In Slovakia, golden jackals’ numbers grown considerably in the last decade and with an increasing of their distribution through the country it became a permanent species of the Slovak fauna. The only internal status is the hunting Act no. 274/2009, which classifies it as, game species. The fast adaptation and dispersion through Slovakia can be considered similar to the behaviour of an invasive species, as suggested in previous studies in Hungary. Based on widely accepted definitions, agreed under international legal instruments, it is quite clear that the term ‘Invasive Alien Species’ only encompasses non-native species specifically introduced by humans (intentionally or accidentally). Following this Invasive Alien Species terminology, golden jackals cannot be categorized as such in Slovakia. The natural expansion, the growing ranges, and the increase in numbers of the golden jackal in Slovakia in the last decades points to a need to improve the knowledge of the species.

The Sequence of Loyalty and Filial Piety and Its Ideological Origins in the Traditional Ethical Culture of China and Japan

The traditional ethical culture of Japan is under the influence of Chinese Confucian culture. However, due to differences in historical tradition and social structure, in traditional Japanese culture, “loyalty”, as the highest value, is in preference to “filial piety” and it lays a foundation for universal moral principles of the society; while in the Chinese Confucian culture, “filial piety” is regarded as the first and “loyalty” is the natural expansion of “filial piety”. The main reason is the influence of the indigenous Shinto in traditional Japanese culture. After the internalization of the indigenous Shinto and the Tennoism as well as the indoctrination of over 600-year ruling of the samurai regime, “loyalty”, as the national cultural and psychological heritage, has the religious and irrational mysterious color, which is different from the secularization and the practical rationality of the pre-Qin Confucian ethics of China. Loyalty to the emperor and devotion to public interests advocated by Bushido is an important characteristic of traditional Japanese ethical culture, and the religious and absolute understanding of “loyalty” is hidden with the risk of nationalism and irrationality.

Restricted geographic distribution and low genetic distinctiveness of steppic Crioceris quinquepunctata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations in Central East Europe

Crioceris quinquepunctata is a European leafbeetle, rare and strictly associated with steppe-like habitats in Central and Eastern Europe. We sampled suitable localities in Central East Europe to determine the current distribution and to verify whether populations isolated by the Carpathian Mountains (within Pannonian and Pontic area) show genetic differentiation. Sequences from the beetle COI and ITSl were amplified and compared. Furthermore, ftsZ and hcpA genes of the endosymbiont Wolbachia were analysed as additional genetic markers. We found only two populations of C. quinquepunctata (in Moravia and Podolian Upland). Unusually low genetic differences between these populations were revealed, which is in contrast to previous studies on other steppe beetles. The reasons for such low diversity are speculative and probably related to recent natural expansion or man-made translocation of C. quinquepunctata.

A NEW DP-MINIMAL EXPANSION OF THE INTEGERS

We consider the structure $({\Bbb Z}, + ,0,|_{p_1 } , \ldots ,|_{p_n } )$, where $x|_p y$ means $v_p \left( x \right) \leqslant v_p \left( y \right)$ and vp is the p-adic valuation. We prove that this structure has quantifier elimination in a natural expansion of the language of abelian groups, and that it has dp-rank n. In addition, we prove that a first order structure with universe ${\Bbb Z}$ which is an expansion of $({\Bbb Z}, + ,0)$ and a reduct of $({\Bbb Z}, + ,0,|_p )$ must be interdefinable with one of them. We also give an alternative proof for Conant’s analogous result about $({\Bbb Z}, + ,0, < )$.

Simulation on the Compression Molding Process of Biomass Material

ANSYS finite element analysis theory was employed to simulate the process of biomass compression molding. The analysis and calculation like element selection, material attribute setting, mesh generation, contact pair establishment, load and constrain applying and solver setting were finished. The results shows that: The biomass produced in this mold contains heterogeneous density where the density in one end is higher than the other end; There is still shear stress at the section of molding fuel, which cannot be removed after molding; moreover, along with the natural expansion of biomass material after compression, crack is likely to appear on the surface of biomass molding fuel. With respect to mold, it is obvious that, the stress of top of compression material to mold is the largest, which is caused by the concentrated stress on mold generated by joint action of friction between raw material and mold, larger extrusion force at top and deformation force of raw material resisting compression. Thus, the abrasion of this mold at this part is the largest.

IS THE SOCIAL SECURITY CRISIS REALLY AS BAD AS WE THINK?

Because they ignore the household-level and macroeconomic adjustments associated with longevity improvements, the actuarial projections of the Social Security Administration overestimate the Social Security crisis. Using a general-equilibrium model with heterogeneous households and incomplete markets, I show that with these adjustments accounted for, a significantly smaller decline in benefits is needed to balance the Social Security budget. Households respond by delaying retirement and Social Security benefit collection, by working more hours, and by also saving more. In general equilibrium, these effects lead to a natural expansion of Social Security's tax base and generate significant delayed retirement credits, which the actuarial estimates completely overlook.