Light is an essential environmental cue influencing the endogenous circadian clocks that regulate behavioral and physiological processes in animals.Despite extensive research on the circadian rhythms of avian behavior...Light is an essential environmental cue influencing the endogenous circadian clocks that regulate behavioral and physiological processes in animals.Despite extensive research on the circadian rhythms of avian behavior and physiology,the mechanisms by which they adapt and adjust to abnormal photoperiod conditions,such as artificial light,have yet to be fully elucidated.Here,the circadian rhythms of the body mass,activity,and core and peripheral body temperatures of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus,ETS)-a diurnal passerine-were examined under three different lighting conditions:constant light(LL),constant darkness(DD),and normal light-dark cycles(LD).Our results showed that the activity,body mass,core,tarsometatarsus,and eye temperatures of the ETSs varied significantly with treatment,time,and the interaction between treatment and time;however,there was no significant change in body mass in response to the interaction between time and treatment.Under LD conditions,the ETSs exhibited significant circadian rhythms in activity and core,tarsometatarsus,and eye temperatures.Under LL conditions,only the core temperature exhibited significant rhythmicity.Under DD conditions,there were no significant circadian rhythms in activity,body mass,and eye temperature;however,the core and tarsometatarsus temperatures remained rhythmic.Our results indicate that the core body temperature rhythm of ETS is endogenous and can be maintained under abnormal photoperiods.In contrast,the activity and body surface temperature,uncoupled from the core body temperature under abnormal photoperiod conditions,strongly depend on light.These results differ from those of other diurnal avian species,suggesting a unique coping mechanism of ETS in response to an abnormal photoperiod.展开更多
Females actively seek extra-pair paternity(EPP)to acquire a fitness advantage for their offspring.The“contextdependence hypothesis”posits that female extra-pair mate choice has plasticity in response to environmenta...Females actively seek extra-pair paternity(EPP)to acquire a fitness advantage for their offspring.The“contextdependence hypothesis”posits that female extra-pair mate choice has plasticity in response to environmental conditions,and therefore magnitude of female genetic benefits from EPP depends on the environmental variation.Furthermore,chronic heavy metal pollution can cause adverse effects on fitness-related traits of wild birds.However,few studies were available on the interactions between heavy metal pollution and EPP.We selected an area that was contaminated by heavy metals for more than 60 years(Baiyin,BY),a relatively unpolluted area(Liujiaxia,LJX),and Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus)as study species to explore the response of female extrapair mate choice and genetic benefits from EPP to heavy metal pollution in socially monogamous birds.The relatedness between social mates and extra-pair mates was investigated.Additionally,we compared the body size and heterozygosity of extra-pair offspring(EPO),within-pair offspring(WPO),social males and extra-pair males from the two Tree Sparrow populations.We found that at BY,female Tree Sparrows tended to choose extra-pair males with larger body size and lower genetic similarity,thereby producing higher heterozygosity and larger body size of EPO compared with those of WPO.However,no similar phenomenon was observed in the Tree Sparrow population from LJX.In addition,there was a significant interaction between population and paternity in the analyses of the fitness-related traits,suggesting that environmental variation could affect female genetic benefits from EPP.This study confirmed the existence of presumed interactions between environmental pollution and EPP within the natural population of socially monogamous Tree Sparrows.Our findings shed lights on the possible effects of long-term environmental stress on mating system in wild birds.展开更多
Reducing casualties and property losses through effective evacuation route planning has been a key focus for researchers in recent years.As part of this effort,an enhanced sparrow search algorithm(MSSA)was proposed.Fi...Reducing casualties and property losses through effective evacuation route planning has been a key focus for researchers in recent years.As part of this effort,an enhanced sparrow search algorithm(MSSA)was proposed.Firstly,the Golden Sine algorithm and a nonlinear weight factor optimization strategy were added in the discoverer position update stage of the SSA algorithm.Secondly,the Cauchy-Gaussian perturbation was applied to the optimal position of the SSA algorithm to improve its ability to jump out of local optima.Finally,the local search mechanism based on the mountain climbing method was incorporated into the local search stage of the SSA algorithm,improving its local search ability.To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm,the Whale Algorithm,Gray Wolf Algorithm,Improved Gray Wolf Algorithm,Sparrow Search Algorithm,and MSSA Algorithm were employed to solve various test functions.The accuracy and convergence speed of each algorithm were then compared and analyzed.The results indicate that the MSSA algorithm has superior solving ability and stability compared to other algorithms.To further validate the enhanced algorithm’s capabilities for path planning,evacuation experiments were conducted using different maps featuring various obstacle types.Additionally,a multi-exit evacuation scenario was constructed according to the actual building environment of a teaching building.Both the sparrow search algorithm and MSSA algorithm were employed in the simulation experiment for multiexit evacuation path planning.The findings demonstrate that the MSSA algorithm outperforms the comparison algorithm,showcasing its greater advantages and higher application potential.展开更多
Precise and timely prediction of crop yields is crucial for food security and the development of agricultural policies.However,crop yield is influenced by multiple factors within complex growth environments.Previous r...Precise and timely prediction of crop yields is crucial for food security and the development of agricultural policies.However,crop yield is influenced by multiple factors within complex growth environments.Previous research has paid relatively little attention to the interference of environmental factors and drought on the growth of winter wheat.Therefore,there is an urgent need for more effective methods to explore the inherent relationship between these factors and crop yield,making precise yield prediction increasingly important.This study was based on four type of indicators including meteorological,crop growth status,environmental,and drought index,from October 2003 to June 2019 in Henan Province as the basic data for predicting winter wheat yield.Using the sparrow search al-gorithm combined with random forest(SSA-RF)under different input indicators,accuracy of winter wheat yield estimation was calcu-lated.The estimation accuracy of SSA-RF was compared with partial least squares regression(PLSR),extreme gradient boosting(XG-Boost),and random forest(RF)models.Finally,the determined optimal yield estimation method was used to predict winter wheat yield in three typical years.Following are the findings:1)the SSA-RF demonstrates superior performance in estimating winter wheat yield compared to other algorithms.The best yield estimation method is achieved by four types indicators’composition with SSA-RF)(R^(2)=0.805,RRMSE=9.9%.2)Crops growth status and environmental indicators play significant roles in wheat yield estimation,accounting for 46%and 22%of the yield importance among all indicators,respectively.3)Selecting indicators from October to April of the follow-ing year yielded the highest accuracy in winter wheat yield estimation,with an R^(2)of 0.826 and an RMSE of 9.0%.Yield estimates can be completed two months before the winter wheat harvest in June.4)The predicted performance will be slightly affected by severe drought.Compared with severe drought year(2011)(R^(2)=0.680)and normal year(2017)(R^(2)=0.790),the SSA-RF model has higher prediction accuracy for wet year(2018)(R^(2)=0.820).This study could provide an innovative approach for remote sensing estimation of winter wheat yield.yield.展开更多
With rapid urbanization occurring throughout China,the existence of Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) in big cities is likely to be affected by a decrease in habitat and food availability.Can the urban Tree Sparrow adap...With rapid urbanization occurring throughout China,the existence of Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) in big cities is likely to be affected by a decrease in habitat and food availability.Can the urban Tree Sparrow adapt to these changes? To elucidate this question,we studied the effect of urbanization on the abundance and distribution of Tree Sparrows in Beijing.We found the abundance of the Tree Sparrow negatively correlated with an urbanization score.Sparrow abundance was very low in residential areas with high-rise buildings,commercial centers and main roads,while their numbers were significantly higher in parks,university campuses,low building residential and suburban areas.Environmental factors within the 50 m and 200 m scales were most suitable in predicting the distribution of Tree Sparrows during winter,while factors within 50 m and 400 m scales are suitable during the breeding season.During winter,the number of conifer trees and pedestrians were the major factors at the 50 m scale,while the area of high-rise buildings and vegetation become the predominant factors on a 200 m scale.Alternatively,during the breeding season the area of low buildings and the number of conifers and pedestrians were the main factors on the 50 m scale while the area of high-rise buildings and vegetation remained the most important factors on the 400 m scale.These results indicate that highly urbanized areas are not suitable habitats for the Tree Sparrow,although this species can adapt to human environments.Food and nest sites for urban birds should be considered in urban planning of big cities in developing countries.展开更多
Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to acc...Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to accurately measure how seasonal changes in temperature and photoperiod affect physiological processes such as basal metabolic rate(BMR)and metabolic activity.To address this problem,we collected data in each month of the year on body mass(Mb)and BMR,and conducted a series of experiments to determine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on Mb,BMR and physiological markers of metabolic activity,in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus).Methods:In one experiment,we measured monthly change in Mb and BMR in a captive group of birds over a year.In another experiment,we examined the effects of acclimating birds to two different temperatures,10 and 30℃,and a long and a short photoperiod(16 h light:8 h dark and 8 h light:16 h dark,respectively)for 4 weeks.Results:We found that these treatments induced sparrows to adjust their Mb and metabolic rate processes.Acclimation to 30℃for 4 weeks significantly decreased sparrows’Mb,BMR,and energy intake,including both gross energy intake and digestible energy intake,compared to birds acclimated to 10℃.The dry mass of the liver,kidneys and digestive tract of birds acclimated to 30℃also significantly decreased,although their heart and skeletal muscle mass did not change significantly relative to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to 30℃also had lower mitochondrial state-4 respiration(S4R)and cytochrome c oxidase(COX)activity in their liver and skeletal muscle,compared to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to the long photoperiod also had lower mitochondrial S4R and COX activity in their liver,compared to those acclimated to the short photoperiod.Conclusions:These results illustrate the changes in morphology,physiology,and enzyme activity induced by seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod in a small temperate passerine.Both temperature and photoperiod probably have a strong effect on seasonal variation in metabolic heat production in small birds in temperate regions.The effect of temperature is,however,stronger than that of photoperiod.展开更多
BMR （basal metabolic rate）, body mass and organ masses of tree sparrows （Passer montanus） were measured to analyze the correlation between organ masses and BMR in tree sparrows, and to evaluate the underlying phys...BMR （basal metabolic rate）, body mass and organ masses of tree sparrows （Passer montanus） were measured to analyze the correlation between organ masses and BMR in tree sparrows, and to evaluate the underlying physiological causes of difference in BMR. Adult tree sparrows were live-trapped by mist net in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province （47°29′N, 124°02′E）. The closed circuit respirometer was used to measure the metabolic rate （MR）, and controlled the ambient temperature by using a water bath （±0.5℃）. Body masses were measured to the nearest 0.01 g before and after BMR measurements with a Sartorius balance （model BT25S）. The mean value was recorded as body mass. Wet and dry masses of several organs were measured, too. BMR was （4.276± 0.385） mL O2/（g·h） and mean body mass was （18.522±0.110） g. Since not all the variables were normal distributed, a log10- transformation of those variables was employed to linearize them, prior to analyses. Simple regression analyses indicated that most organ masses showed a significant high correlation with body mass. Both the small intestine and rectum masses were notable exception to that trend. The body-mass-adjusted residual analysis showed that only the kidney wet mass, brain mass, stomach mass, small mass and rectum wet mass correlated with BMR. In addition, correlations between several organ masses and BMR were observed. Because of the inter-correlations of organ masses, a principal component analysis （PCA） was performed to redefine the morphological variability. The first four components whose eigenvalues were greater than 1 could explain 75.2% variance of BMR. The first component, whose proportion reached 30.19%, was affected mainly by stomach mass, small intestine mass and rectum mass. Therefore, the results supported the hypothesis that BMR was controlled by some ＂expensive metabolic＂ organs展开更多
Concentrations of copper （Cu）, zinc （Zn） and manganese （Mn） were measured in four tissues of Tree Sparrow （Passer montanus） from three sites in Heilongjiang province, China, during four seasons. Among the four...Concentrations of copper （Cu）, zinc （Zn） and manganese （Mn） were measured in four tissues of Tree Sparrow （Passer montanus） from three sites in Heilongjiang province, China, during four seasons. Among the four measured tissues （primary feathers, liver, heart, and pectoral muscle）, the highest concentrations were found in feathers （Zn） or liver （Cu and Mn）, and the lowest concentrations were in muscle, except Cu. For Mn, mean concentrations of the birds from the three study sites were, in decreasing order： Didao mining area （DMA） 〉 urban district of Jixi （UDJ） 〉 Phoenix Mountain national nature reserve （PMR, the reference site）, but not for Zn and Cu. There were significant differences between metal concentrations at the three sites, but differences were not significant for Mn （in muscle and feathers） and Cu （in feathers）. For most elements, the mean concentrations were greatest in summer.展开更多
The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal(HPG)axis ubiquitously regulates seasonal reproduction,following the rhythmicity of a suite of environmental cues.Birds display prominent seasonal variations in gonad size regulated b...The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal(HPG)axis ubiquitously regulates seasonal reproduction,following the rhythmicity of a suite of environmental cues.Birds display prominent seasonal variations in gonad size regulated by two hypothalamic peptides,gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1(GnRH-I)and gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone(GnIH).How multi-brooded avian species adjust GnRH-I and GnIH to regulate gonadal morphology seasonally remains largely unknown.Here,we studied the variations in the hypothalamic immunoreactivity(ir)of GnRH-I and GnIH,gonadal proliferation,and apoptosis in a typical multi-brooded species,the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus),across the pre-breeding(PB),first breeding(FB),second breeding(SB),pre-basic molt(PM),and wintering stages(WS).Our results showed that both sexes had higher preoptic area(POA)-GnRH-I-ir but lower paraventricular nucleus(PVN)-GnIH-ir neurons during the breeding stages(FB and SB)relative to other life-history stages,with no significant differences between two broods.The testes and ovaries were significantly larger during the breeding stages.Testicular volume increased during the two broods due to anincreased diameter of seminiferous tubules.Furthermore,there were more testicular apoptotic cells in PB and WS stages than in breeding stages,and in PB stage than in PM stage.Males had higher POA-GnRH-I expression than females during the breeding stages,but both sexes had comparable PVN-GnIH expression throughout the annual cycle.Both sexes of the sparrows may undergo a similar pattern of life-history stage-dependent variation in the hypothalamic GnRH-I,GnIH,and gonadal morphology,except that during breeding stages,males may display higher expression of POA-GnRH-I relative to females.The higher expression of POA-GnRH-I-ir in breeding male sparrows may be critical for male-dependent parental care.展开更多
Genetic variability of Passer domesticus from different localities of Saudi Arabia was investigated. Six hundred and fifty nine nucleotides were sequenced from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. There was a slight d...Genetic variability of Passer domesticus from different localities of Saudi Arabia was investigated. Six hundred and fifty nine nucleotides were sequenced from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. There was a slight difference among the studied haplotypes and most substitutions were synonymous. In some haplotypes at the west of Arabian Peninsula (mountainous habitat), two transitions only were non-synonymous. The data were used to construct the relationship of the Arabian house sparrow to its con specific taxa from Europe and America. Neigh-bor-joining (NJ), maximum-par-simony (MP) and maximum-likelihood (ML) analytical methods were used. The three methods showed clustering of the Arabian haplotypes in one group and their sister relationship with the haplotypes from Netherlands and America. A spanish Haplotypes came basal to both groups. Collecting more samples and more DNA data could be of necessary to clearly address the genetic variability of this rapidly propagated species in Arabia.展开更多
Background: Laying sequence has important effects on eggshell color and embryonic development in birds. Some birds can allocate resources unevenly among the eggs within a clutch, prioritizing those at the beginning of...Background: Laying sequence has important effects on eggshell color and embryonic development in birds. Some birds can allocate resources unevenly among the eggs within a clutch, prioritizing those at the beginning of the laying sequence, in order to maximize reproductive success. The changes in egg color according to laying sequence may be an adaptation to pressure from predators or brood parasites.Methods: In this study, effects of laying sequence on egg color and embryonic heart rate in Russet Sparrows(Passer cinnamomeus) were investigated using artificial nest boxes. The eggs were divided into three groups: first to be laid, intermediate in the laying sequence, and last to be laid. We maintained the eggs in an incubator and measured embryonic heart rates.Results: Avian visual modeling showed that the background color brightness of the last eggs laid was significantly higher(whiter) than those of the other eggs. All eggs were about the same size and hatched around 13 days, indicating that laying sequence significantly affected embryonic development speed; the last eggs to be laid developed significantly faster than did the first in the clutch.Conclusions: Our study quantified the effect of laying sequence on egg color variation and proved that laying sequence has an important effect on embryonic heart rate in Russet Sparrows.展开更多
The safety factor is a crucial quantitative index for evaluating slope stability.However,the traditional calculation methods suffer from unreasonable assumptions,complex soil composition,and inadequate consideration o...The safety factor is a crucial quantitative index for evaluating slope stability.However,the traditional calculation methods suffer from unreasonable assumptions,complex soil composition,and inadequate consideration of the influencing factors,leading to large errors in their calculations.Therefore,a stacking ensemble learning model(stacking-SSAOP)based on multi-layer regression algorithm fusion and optimized by the sparrow search algorithm is proposed for predicting the slope safety factor.In this method,the density,cohesion,friction angle,slope angle,slope height,and pore pressure ratio are selected as characteristic parameters from the 210 sets of established slope sample data.Random Forest,Extra Trees,AdaBoost,Bagging,and Support Vector regression are used as the base model(inner loop)to construct the first-level regression algorithm layer,and XGBoost is used as the meta-model(outer loop)to construct the second-level regression algorithm layer and complete the construction of the stacked learning model for improving the model prediction accuracy.The sparrow search algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters of the above six regression models and correct the over-and underfitting problems of the single regression model to further improve the prediction accuracy.The mean square error(MSE)of the predicted and true values and the fitting of the data are compared and analyzed.The MSE of the stacking-SSAOP model was found to be smaller than that of the single regression model(MSE=0.03917).Therefore,the former has a higher prediction accuracy and better data fitting.This study innovatively applies the sparrow search algorithm to predict the slope safety factor,showcasing its advantages over traditional methods.Additionally,our proposed stacking-SSAOP model integrates multiple regression algorithms to enhance prediction accuracy.This model not only refines the prediction accuracy of the slope safety factor but also offers a fresh approach to handling the intricate soil composition and other influencing factors,making it a precise and reliable method for slope stability evaluation.This research holds importance for the modernization and digitalization of slope safety assessments.展开更多
Background:As one of the reproductive strategies adopted by bird species,variation in investment in egg production and its influencing factors are important and well-studied subjects.Intraclutch changes in egg size as...Background:As one of the reproductive strategies adopted by bird species,variation in investment in egg production and its influencing factors are important and well-studied subjects.Intraclutch changes in egg size associated with laying order may reflect a strategy of"brood survival"or"brood reduction"adopted by female birds in different situations.Methods:We conducted field studies on the breeding parameters of the Saxaul Sparrow(Passer ammodendri)in Gansu Province,China from 2010 to 2017,to clarify the factors affecting the egg investment and reproductive performance of this passerine species.Results:Our results revealed significant differences in clutch size,egg size and the fledging rate between the first and second brood of Saxaul Sparrows and suggested that this typical desert species allocates more breeding resources to the more favourable second brood period,leading to greater reproductive output.Female body size presented a positive relationship with egg size,and male body size presented positive relationships with clutch size and hatchability.The females that started their clutches later laid more eggs,and hatchability and the fledging rate also increased with a later laying date in the first brood period.With successive eggs laid within the 5-egg clutches(the most frequent clutch size),egg size increased for the first three eggs and then significantly decreased.Conclusions:Our results indicate that female Saxaul Sparrows increased egg investment because of good quality of paired males and good environmental conditions.The intraclutch variation of egg size suggests that this species inhabiting an arid environment adopts a"brood reduction"strategy.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,31971413)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province(C2020205038)to Dongming Li.
文摘Light is an essential environmental cue influencing the endogenous circadian clocks that regulate behavioral and physiological processes in animals.Despite extensive research on the circadian rhythms of avian behavior and physiology,the mechanisms by which they adapt and adjust to abnormal photoperiod conditions,such as artificial light,have yet to be fully elucidated.Here,the circadian rhythms of the body mass,activity,and core and peripheral body temperatures of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus,ETS)-a diurnal passerine-were examined under three different lighting conditions:constant light(LL),constant darkness(DD),and normal light-dark cycles(LD).Our results showed that the activity,body mass,core,tarsometatarsus,and eye temperatures of the ETSs varied significantly with treatment,time,and the interaction between treatment and time;however,there was no significant change in body mass in response to the interaction between time and treatment.Under LD conditions,the ETSs exhibited significant circadian rhythms in activity and core,tarsometatarsus,and eye temperatures.Under LL conditions,only the core temperature exhibited significant rhythmicity.Under DD conditions,there were no significant circadian rhythms in activity,body mass,and eye temperature;however,the core and tarsometatarsus temperatures remained rhythmic.Our results indicate that the core body temperature rhythm of ETS is endogenous and can be maintained under abnormal photoperiods.In contrast,the activity and body surface temperature,uncoupled from the core body temperature under abnormal photoperiod conditions,strongly depend on light.These results differ from those of other diurnal avian species,suggesting a unique coping mechanism of ETS in response to an abnormal photoperiod.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32370508)the Foundation for Excellent Doctoral Student of Science and Technology Program of Gansu Province(No.23JRRA1125)。
文摘Females actively seek extra-pair paternity(EPP)to acquire a fitness advantage for their offspring.The“contextdependence hypothesis”posits that female extra-pair mate choice has plasticity in response to environmental conditions,and therefore magnitude of female genetic benefits from EPP depends on the environmental variation.Furthermore,chronic heavy metal pollution can cause adverse effects on fitness-related traits of wild birds.However,few studies were available on the interactions between heavy metal pollution and EPP.We selected an area that was contaminated by heavy metals for more than 60 years(Baiyin,BY),a relatively unpolluted area(Liujiaxia,LJX),and Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus)as study species to explore the response of female extrapair mate choice and genetic benefits from EPP to heavy metal pollution in socially monogamous birds.The relatedness between social mates and extra-pair mates was investigated.Additionally,we compared the body size and heterozygosity of extra-pair offspring(EPO),within-pair offspring(WPO),social males and extra-pair males from the two Tree Sparrow populations.We found that at BY,female Tree Sparrows tended to choose extra-pair males with larger body size and lower genetic similarity,thereby producing higher heterozygosity and larger body size of EPO compared with those of WPO.However,no similar phenomenon was observed in the Tree Sparrow population from LJX.In addition,there was a significant interaction between population and paternity in the analyses of the fitness-related traits,suggesting that environmental variation could affect female genetic benefits from EPP.This study confirmed the existence of presumed interactions between environmental pollution and EPP within the natural population of socially monogamous Tree Sparrows.Our findings shed lights on the possible effects of long-term environmental stress on mating system in wild birds.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(71904006)Henan Province Key R&D Special Project(231111322200)+1 种基金the Science and Technology Research Plan of Henan Province(232102320043,232102320232,232102320046)the Natural Science Foundation of Henan(232300420317,232300420314).
文摘Reducing casualties and property losses through effective evacuation route planning has been a key focus for researchers in recent years.As part of this effort,an enhanced sparrow search algorithm(MSSA)was proposed.Firstly,the Golden Sine algorithm and a nonlinear weight factor optimization strategy were added in the discoverer position update stage of the SSA algorithm.Secondly,the Cauchy-Gaussian perturbation was applied to the optimal position of the SSA algorithm to improve its ability to jump out of local optima.Finally,the local search mechanism based on the mountain climbing method was incorporated into the local search stage of the SSA algorithm,improving its local search ability.To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm,the Whale Algorithm,Gray Wolf Algorithm,Improved Gray Wolf Algorithm,Sparrow Search Algorithm,and MSSA Algorithm were employed to solve various test functions.The accuracy and convergence speed of each algorithm were then compared and analyzed.The results indicate that the MSSA algorithm has superior solving ability and stability compared to other algorithms.To further validate the enhanced algorithm’s capabilities for path planning,evacuation experiments were conducted using different maps featuring various obstacle types.Additionally,a multi-exit evacuation scenario was constructed according to the actual building environment of a teaching building.Both the sparrow search algorithm and MSSA algorithm were employed in the simulation experiment for multiexit evacuation path planning.The findings demonstrate that the MSSA algorithm outperforms the comparison algorithm,showcasing its greater advantages and higher application potential.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52079103)。
文摘Precise and timely prediction of crop yields is crucial for food security and the development of agricultural policies.However,crop yield is influenced by multiple factors within complex growth environments.Previous research has paid relatively little attention to the interference of environmental factors and drought on the growth of winter wheat.Therefore,there is an urgent need for more effective methods to explore the inherent relationship between these factors and crop yield,making precise yield prediction increasingly important.This study was based on four type of indicators including meteorological,crop growth status,environmental,and drought index,from October 2003 to June 2019 in Henan Province as the basic data for predicting winter wheat yield.Using the sparrow search al-gorithm combined with random forest(SSA-RF)under different input indicators,accuracy of winter wheat yield estimation was calcu-lated.The estimation accuracy of SSA-RF was compared with partial least squares regression(PLSR),extreme gradient boosting(XG-Boost),and random forest(RF)models.Finally,the determined optimal yield estimation method was used to predict winter wheat yield in three typical years.Following are the findings:1)the SSA-RF demonstrates superior performance in estimating winter wheat yield compared to other algorithms.The best yield estimation method is achieved by four types indicators’composition with SSA-RF)(R^(2)=0.805,RRMSE=9.9%.2)Crops growth status and environmental indicators play significant roles in wheat yield estimation,accounting for 46%and 22%of the yield importance among all indicators,respectively.3)Selecting indicators from October to April of the follow-ing year yielded the highest accuracy in winter wheat yield estimation,with an R^(2)of 0.826 and an RMSE of 9.0%.Yield estimates can be completed two months before the winter wheat harvest in June.4)The predicted performance will be slightly affected by severe drought.Compared with severe drought year(2011)(R^(2)=0.680)and normal year(2017)(R^(2)=0.790),the SSA-RF model has higher prediction accuracy for wet year(2018)(R^(2)=0.820).This study could provide an innovative approach for remote sensing estimation of winter wheat yield.yield.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30900181)“111 Project” (2008-B08044)
文摘With rapid urbanization occurring throughout China,the existence of Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) in big cities is likely to be affected by a decrease in habitat and food availability.Can the urban Tree Sparrow adapt to these changes? To elucidate this question,we studied the effect of urbanization on the abundance and distribution of Tree Sparrows in Beijing.We found the abundance of the Tree Sparrow negatively correlated with an urbanization score.Sparrow abundance was very low in residential areas with high-rise buildings,commercial centers and main roads,while their numbers were significantly higher in parks,university campuses,low building residential and suburban areas.Environmental factors within the 50 m and 200 m scales were most suitable in predicting the distribution of Tree Sparrows during winter,while factors within 50 m and 400 m scales are suitable during the breeding season.During winter,the number of conifer trees and pedestrians were the major factors at the 50 m scale,while the area of high-rise buildings and vegetation become the predominant factors on a 200 m scale.Alternatively,during the breeding season the area of low buildings and the number of conifers and pedestrians were the main factors on the 50 m scale while the area of high-rise buildings and vegetation remained the most important factors on the 400 m scale.These results indicate that highly urbanized areas are not suitable habitats for the Tree Sparrow,although this species can adapt to human environments.Food and nest sites for urban birds should be considered in urban planning of big cities in developing countries.
基金This study was financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31470472 and 31971420).
文摘Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to accurately measure how seasonal changes in temperature and photoperiod affect physiological processes such as basal metabolic rate(BMR)and metabolic activity.To address this problem,we collected data in each month of the year on body mass(Mb)and BMR,and conducted a series of experiments to determine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on Mb,BMR and physiological markers of metabolic activity,in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus).Methods:In one experiment,we measured monthly change in Mb and BMR in a captive group of birds over a year.In another experiment,we examined the effects of acclimating birds to two different temperatures,10 and 30℃,and a long and a short photoperiod(16 h light:8 h dark and 8 h light:16 h dark,respectively)for 4 weeks.Results:We found that these treatments induced sparrows to adjust their Mb and metabolic rate processes.Acclimation to 30℃for 4 weeks significantly decreased sparrows’Mb,BMR,and energy intake,including both gross energy intake and digestible energy intake,compared to birds acclimated to 10℃.The dry mass of the liver,kidneys and digestive tract of birds acclimated to 30℃also significantly decreased,although their heart and skeletal muscle mass did not change significantly relative to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to 30℃also had lower mitochondrial state-4 respiration(S4R)and cytochrome c oxidase(COX)activity in their liver and skeletal muscle,compared to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to the long photoperiod also had lower mitochondrial S4R and COX activity in their liver,compared to those acclimated to the short photoperiod.Conclusions:These results illustrate the changes in morphology,physiology,and enzyme activity induced by seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod in a small temperate passerine.Both temperature and photoperiod probably have a strong effect on seasonal variation in metabolic heat production in small birds in temperate regions.The effect of temperature is,however,stronger than that of photoperiod.
基金Supported by Natural Foundation for Youth of Daqing Normal College (YZQ004)
文摘BMR （basal metabolic rate）, body mass and organ masses of tree sparrows （Passer montanus） were measured to analyze the correlation between organ masses and BMR in tree sparrows, and to evaluate the underlying physiological causes of difference in BMR. Adult tree sparrows were live-trapped by mist net in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province （47°29′N, 124°02′E）. The closed circuit respirometer was used to measure the metabolic rate （MR）, and controlled the ambient temperature by using a water bath （±0.5℃）. Body masses were measured to the nearest 0.01 g before and after BMR measurements with a Sartorius balance （model BT25S）. The mean value was recorded as body mass. Wet and dry masses of several organs were measured, too. BMR was （4.276± 0.385） mL O2/（g·h） and mean body mass was （18.522±0.110） g. Since not all the variables were normal distributed, a log10- transformation of those variables was employed to linearize them, prior to analyses. Simple regression analyses indicated that most organ masses showed a significant high correlation with body mass. Both the small intestine and rectum masses were notable exception to that trend. The body-mass-adjusted residual analysis showed that only the kidney wet mass, brain mass, stomach mass, small mass and rectum wet mass correlated with BMR. In addition, correlations between several organ masses and BMR were observed. Because of the inter-correlations of organ masses, a principal component analysis （PCA） was performed to redefine the morphological variability. The first four components whose eigenvalues were greater than 1 could explain 75.2% variance of BMR. The first component, whose proportion reached 30.19%, was affected mainly by stomach mass, small intestine mass and rectum mass. Therefore, the results supported the hypothesis that BMR was controlled by some ＂expensive metabolic＂ organs
基金financially supported by Outstanding Youth Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (JC200709)
文摘Concentrations of copper （Cu）, zinc （Zn） and manganese （Mn） were measured in four tissues of Tree Sparrow （Passer montanus） from three sites in Heilongjiang province, China, during four seasons. Among the four measured tissues （primary feathers, liver, heart, and pectoral muscle）, the highest concentrations were found in feathers （Zn） or liver （Cu and Mn）, and the lowest concentrations were in muscle, except Cu. For Mn, mean concentrations of the birds from the three study sites were, in decreasing order： Didao mining area （DMA） 〉 urban district of Jixi （UDJ） 〉 Phoenix Mountain national nature reserve （PMR, the reference site）, but not for Zn and Cu. There were significant differences between metal concentrations at the three sites, but differences were not significant for Mn （in muscle and feathers） and Cu （in feathers）. For most elements, the mean concentrations were greatest in summer.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,31971413)to DL and NSFC(31770445)to YWthe Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province,China(NSFHB,C2020205038)to DL and NSFHB(C2020205005)the Postdoctoral Research Foundation of China(PRFC,2020M670685)to LW。
文摘The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal(HPG)axis ubiquitously regulates seasonal reproduction,following the rhythmicity of a suite of environmental cues.Birds display prominent seasonal variations in gonad size regulated by two hypothalamic peptides,gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1(GnRH-I)and gonadotropin-inhibiting hormone(GnIH).How multi-brooded avian species adjust GnRH-I and GnIH to regulate gonadal morphology seasonally remains largely unknown.Here,we studied the variations in the hypothalamic immunoreactivity(ir)of GnRH-I and GnIH,gonadal proliferation,and apoptosis in a typical multi-brooded species,the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus),across the pre-breeding(PB),first breeding(FB),second breeding(SB),pre-basic molt(PM),and wintering stages(WS).Our results showed that both sexes had higher preoptic area(POA)-GnRH-I-ir but lower paraventricular nucleus(PVN)-GnIH-ir neurons during the breeding stages(FB and SB)relative to other life-history stages,with no significant differences between two broods.The testes and ovaries were significantly larger during the breeding stages.Testicular volume increased during the two broods due to anincreased diameter of seminiferous tubules.Furthermore,there were more testicular apoptotic cells in PB and WS stages than in breeding stages,and in PB stage than in PM stage.Males had higher POA-GnRH-I expression than females during the breeding stages,but both sexes had comparable PVN-GnIH expression throughout the annual cycle.Both sexes of the sparrows may undergo a similar pattern of life-history stage-dependent variation in the hypothalamic GnRH-I,GnIH,and gonadal morphology,except that during breeding stages,males may display higher expression of POA-GnRH-I relative to females.The higher expression of POA-GnRH-I-ir in breeding male sparrows may be critical for male-dependent parental care.
文摘Genetic variability of Passer domesticus from different localities of Saudi Arabia was investigated. Six hundred and fifty nine nucleotides were sequenced from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. There was a slight difference among the studied haplotypes and most substitutions were synonymous. In some haplotypes at the west of Arabian Peninsula (mountainous habitat), two transitions only were non-synonymous. The data were used to construct the relationship of the Arabian house sparrow to its con specific taxa from Europe and America. Neigh-bor-joining (NJ), maximum-par-simony (MP) and maximum-likelihood (ML) analytical methods were used. The three methods showed clustering of the Arabian haplotypes in one group and their sister relationship with the haplotypes from Netherlands and America. A spanish Haplotypes came basal to both groups. Collecting more samples and more DNA data could be of necessary to clearly address the genetic variability of this rapidly propagated species in Arabia.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31672303 to CY,and 31772453 to WL)
文摘Background: Laying sequence has important effects on eggshell color and embryonic development in birds. Some birds can allocate resources unevenly among the eggs within a clutch, prioritizing those at the beginning of the laying sequence, in order to maximize reproductive success. The changes in egg color according to laying sequence may be an adaptation to pressure from predators or brood parasites.Methods: In this study, effects of laying sequence on egg color and embryonic heart rate in Russet Sparrows(Passer cinnamomeus) were investigated using artificial nest boxes. The eggs were divided into three groups: first to be laid, intermediate in the laying sequence, and last to be laid. We maintained the eggs in an incubator and measured embryonic heart rates.Results: Avian visual modeling showed that the background color brightness of the last eggs laid was significantly higher(whiter) than those of the other eggs. All eggs were about the same size and hatched around 13 days, indicating that laying sequence significantly affected embryonic development speed; the last eggs to be laid developed significantly faster than did the first in the clutch.Conclusions: Our study quantified the effect of laying sequence on egg color variation and proved that laying sequence has an important effect on embryonic heart rate in Russet Sparrows.
基金supported by the Basic Research Special Plan of Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology-General Project(Grant No.202101AT070094)。
文摘The safety factor is a crucial quantitative index for evaluating slope stability.However,the traditional calculation methods suffer from unreasonable assumptions,complex soil composition,and inadequate consideration of the influencing factors,leading to large errors in their calculations.Therefore,a stacking ensemble learning model(stacking-SSAOP)based on multi-layer regression algorithm fusion and optimized by the sparrow search algorithm is proposed for predicting the slope safety factor.In this method,the density,cohesion,friction angle,slope angle,slope height,and pore pressure ratio are selected as characteristic parameters from the 210 sets of established slope sample data.Random Forest,Extra Trees,AdaBoost,Bagging,and Support Vector regression are used as the base model(inner loop)to construct the first-level regression algorithm layer,and XGBoost is used as the meta-model(outer loop)to construct the second-level regression algorithm layer and complete the construction of the stacked learning model for improving the model prediction accuracy.The sparrow search algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters of the above six regression models and correct the over-and underfitting problems of the single regression model to further improve the prediction accuracy.The mean square error(MSE)of the predicted and true values and the fitting of the data are compared and analyzed.The MSE of the stacking-SSAOP model was found to be smaller than that of the single regression model(MSE=0.03917).Therefore,the former has a higher prediction accuracy and better data fitting.This study innovatively applies the sparrow search algorithm to predict the slope safety factor,showcasing its advantages over traditional methods.Additionally,our proposed stacking-SSAOP model integrates multiple regression algorithms to enhance prediction accuracy.This model not only refines the prediction accuracy of the slope safety factor but also offers a fresh approach to handling the intricate soil composition and other influencing factors,making it a precise and reliable method for slope stability evaluation.This research holds importance for the modernization and digitalization of slope safety assessments.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31672296 and 31172104)。
文摘Background:As one of the reproductive strategies adopted by bird species,variation in investment in egg production and its influencing factors are important and well-studied subjects.Intraclutch changes in egg size associated with laying order may reflect a strategy of"brood survival"or"brood reduction"adopted by female birds in different situations.Methods:We conducted field studies on the breeding parameters of the Saxaul Sparrow(Passer ammodendri)in Gansu Province,China from 2010 to 2017,to clarify the factors affecting the egg investment and reproductive performance of this passerine species.Results:Our results revealed significant differences in clutch size,egg size and the fledging rate between the first and second brood of Saxaul Sparrows and suggested that this typical desert species allocates more breeding resources to the more favourable second brood period,leading to greater reproductive output.Female body size presented a positive relationship with egg size,and male body size presented positive relationships with clutch size and hatchability.The females that started their clutches later laid more eggs,and hatchability and the fledging rate also increased with a later laying date in the first brood period.With successive eggs laid within the 5-egg clutches(the most frequent clutch size),egg size increased for the first three eggs and then significantly decreased.Conclusions:Our results indicate that female Saxaul Sparrows increased egg investment because of good quality of paired males and good environmental conditions.The intraclutch variation of egg size suggests that this species inhabiting an arid environment adopts a"brood reduction"strategy.
