Females’ sampling strategy to comparatively evaluate prospective mates in the peacock blenny <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salaria pavo</Emphasis>

Emerging evidence suggests the occurrence of comparative decision-making processes in mate choice, questioning the traditional idea of female choice based on rules of absolute preference. In such a scenario, females are expected to use a typical best-of-n sampling strategy, being able to recall previous sampled males based on memory of their quality and location. Accordingly, the quality of preferred mate is expected to be unrelated to both the number and the sequence of female visits. We found support for these predictions in the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, a fish where females have the opportunity to evaluate the attractiveness of many males in a short time period and in a restricted spatial range. Indeed, even considering the variability in preference among females, most of them returned to previous sampled males for further evaluations; thus, the preferred male did not represent the last one in the sequence of visited males. Moreover, there was no relationship between the attractiveness of the preferred male and the number of further visits assigned to the other males. Our results suggest the occurrence of a best-of-n mate sampling strategy in the peacock blenny.     

The mystery of a missing bone: revealing the orbitosphenoid in basal Epicynodontia (Cynodontia,Therapsida) through computed tomography

The basal non-mammaliaform cynodonts from the late Permian (Lopingian) and Early Triassic are a major source of information for the understanding of the evolutionary origin of mammals. Detailed knowledge of their anatomy is critical for understanding the phylogenetic transition toward mammalness and the paleobiological reconstruction of mammalian precursors. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT), we describe the internal morphology of the interorbital region that includes the rarely fossilized orbitosphenoid elements in four basal cynodonts. These paired bones, which are positioned relatively dorsally in the skull, contribute to the wall of the anterior part of the braincase and form the floor for the olfactory lobes. Unlike procynosuchids and the more basal therapsids in which the orbitosphenoids are well developed, dense, and bear a ventral keel, the basal epicynodonts Cynosaurus, Galesaurus, and Thrinaxodon display cancellous, reduced, and loosely articulated orbitosphenoids, a condition shared with many eucynodonts. The hemi-cylindrical orbitosphenoid from which the mammalian condition is derived re-evolved convergently in traversodontid and some probainognathian cynodonts.     

Male scent-marking pheromone of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus ardens ardens</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera; Apidae) attracts both conspecific queens and males

To explore the role of the volatiles emitted from male labial gland (LG) of the bumblebee Bombus ardens ardens, we investigated the responses of virgin queens and males to volatiles using a gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector (GC–EAD) system and Y-tube olfactometer. GC–EAD analysis revealed that citronellol, the main compound detected in the male LG, caused clear electrophysiological responses in the antennae of B. a. ardens virgin queens and males although two minor compounds elicited antennal responses when applied in a high concentration. Behavioral tests using a Y-tube olfactometer showed that queens and males were significantly attracted to both LG extracts and citronellol more than to the solvent alone. This is the first study to demonstrate that citronellol as a major compound of male scent-marking pheromone in B. a. ardens functions as a sex attractant for queens. The results also suggest that this compound has another function as a trail marker used by males.     

Seasonality and microhabitat selection in a forest-dwelling salamander

Many small terrestrial vertebrates exhibit limited spatial movement and are considerably exposed to changes in local environmental variables. Among such vertebrates, amphibians at present experience a dramatic decline due to their limited resilience to environmental change. Since the local survival and abundance of amphibians is intrinsically related to the availability of shelters, conservation plans need to take microhabitat requirements into account. In order to gain insight into the terrestrial ecology of the spectacled salamander Salamandrina perspicillata and to identify appropriate forest management strategies, we investigated the salamander’s seasonal variability in habitat use of trees as shelters in relation to tree features (size, buttresses, basal holes) and environmental variables in a beech forest in Italy. We used the occupancy approach to assess tree suitability on a non-conventional spatial scale. Our approach provides fine-grained parameters of microhabitat suitability and elucidates many aspects of the salamander’s terrestrial ecology. Occupancy changed with the annual life cycle and was higher in autumn than in spring, when females were found closer to the stream in the study area. Salamanders showed a seasonal pattern regarding the trees they occupied and a clear preference for trees with a larger diameter and more burrows. With respect to forest management, we suggest maintaining a suitable number of trees with a trunk diameter exceeding 30 cm. A practice of selective logging along the banks of streams could help maintain an adequate quantity of the appropriate microhabitat. Furthermore, in areas with a presence of salamanders, a good forest management plan requires leaving an adequate buffer zone around streams, which should be wider in autumn than in spring.     

Postnatal nutrition influences male attractiveness and promotes plasticity in male mating preferences

Poor early-life nutrition could reduce adult reproductive success by negatively affecting traits linked to sexual attractiveness such as song complexity. If so, this might favor strategic mate choice, allowing males with less complex songs to tailor their mating tactics to maximize the reproductive benefits. However, this possibility has been ignored in theoretical and empirical studies. By manipulating the micronutrient content of the diet (e.g., low or high) during the postnatal period of male zebra finches, we show for the first time (1) that males reared on a poor (low) micronutrient diet had less complex songs as adults; (2) that these males, in contrast to the high micronutrient diet group, were more selective in their mating strategies, discriminating against those females most likely to reduce their clutch size when paired with males having less complex songs; and (3) that by following different mating strategies, males reared on the contrasting diets obtained similar reproductive benefits. These results suggest that early-life dietary conditions can induce multiple and long-lasting effects on male and female reproductive traits. Moreover, the results seem to reflect a previously unreported case of adaptive plasticity in mate choice in response to a nutritionally mediated reduction in sexual attractiveness.     

生物吸附/MBR/硫铁自养反硝化组合工艺运行特性及蛋白质源污泥增量研究

为实现污水处理的深度脱氮除磷及蛋白质源污泥增量,进行了生物吸附/MBR/硫铁自养反硝化组合工艺处理城镇污水的试验研究.结果表明,生物吸附池可以快速富集进水中的大部分有机物,COD平均去除率为55.1%,剩余污泥采用厌氧发酵方式处理,用于生产优质碳源.通过组合工艺系统中的硝化、硫自养反硝化及铁屑除磷作用,出水氨氮、总氮和总磷分别达到1、5和0.4 mg·L~(-1)以下.优质碳源投加到MBR工艺段,碳源环境的改善使得污泥增长率从0.17 g VSS/g COD提高至0.49 g VSS/g COD,进水中总氮的同化比例从40%提高至59%.此外,污泥中蛋白质及氨基酸含量也显著增长,增长率分别为18.3%和19.7%.组合工艺在获得高排放标准水质的同时,实现了高蛋白质源污泥的增量,可为污泥资源化利用提供优质原料.     

喜马拉雅山中段北坡地表水体主要离子特征及其控制因素——以叶如藏布流域为例

为调查喜马拉雅山中段北坡地表水环境特征,2015年9月在叶如藏布流域采集24个地表水体水样并对其水化学特征分析测定,研究结果表明:(1)叶如藏布流域水化学特征存在显著空间差异.随着海拔升高,地表水体p H值、TDS值呈微弱的减小趋势.24个水样中23个水样属于淡水,1个为微咸水.(2)叶如藏布流域内地表水阳离子主要为Ca~(2+),阴离子以SO_4~(2-)为主,其次为HCO_3~-,即地表水为Ca~(2+)-SO_4~(2-)型.(3)叶如藏布流域地表水中各离子之间具有不同程度的相关性.其中Cl~-、HCO_3~-、Na~+和K~+4种离子共源性好;阳离子的来源不同,Na~+和K~+主要来源于碳酸氢盐,Ca~(2+)主要来源于硫酸盐,而Mg~(2+)的来源比较广泛.(4)叶如藏布流域大部分离子主要来源于陆地,受陆源影响从小到大排列顺序为:Na~+Mg~(2+)SO_4~(2-)Ca~(2+)K~+HCO_3~-.流域水文化学过程主要受岩石风化作用控制,特别是受到碳酸盐风化影响.以强木村为界,流域下游地区地表水化学特征受人类活动影响逐渐变大,特别是畜牧活动及人类施肥的影响.     

BiOCl/ZnMgAl-HTLCs复合材料光催化去除水中的甲基橙

以Mg(NO3)2·6H2O、Al(NO3)3·9H2O、Zn(NO3)2·6H2O、Bi(NO3)3·5H2O为主要原料,采用水热合成法,制备了Bi OCl/Zn Mg Al-HTLCs光催化剂,对其进行XRD、EDS、SEM、FT-IR、UV-Vis、TGA表征,并通过降解甲基橙(MO)实验,探究催化剂水热合成的p H、溶剂、温度对其光催化性能的影响.结果表明:Zn Mg Al-HTLCs改善了Bi OCl的分散性,Bi OCl/Zn Mg Al-HTLCs能够有效地催化去除水中的甲基橙,在p H=7.5、溶剂为水、T=140℃条件下,可见光催化活性最佳,光照60 min后对10 mg·L-1的甲基橙溶液(MO)的降解率均达到85%以上.综合表明,Bi OCl/Zn Mg Al-HTLCs是一种具有潜在应用前景的光催化剂.     

云南白秧坪铜银矿床Cu、Ag迁移形式探讨

在野外地质研究的基础上,采用地球化学热力学方法研究了Cu、Ag的迁移形式。研究结果表明,铜在热液中主要以CuCl42-、Cu(H2O)42+、Cu(S2O3)46-、CuS46-、Cu(HS)42-、Cu(SbS3)410-形式迁移;银在热液中主要以AgCl2-、Ag(S2O3)23-、Ag(HS)2-、AgS23-、Ag(SbS3)25-形式迁移。铜银矿床是在含矿热液物理化学条件发生改变的情况下铜银化合物发生解析作用而成。     

千岛湖水源水微生物安全性评价

千岛湖作为国家战略水源地,其微生物安全直接关系到千万居民的用水安全.为了研究千岛湖湖水的生物安全性,于2018-2019年采集了金竹牌取水口不同深度的水样,并检测了水样的可生物降解溶解性有机碳(BDOC)、细菌再生长的潜力(BGP)、可培养细菌数、潜在的条件致病菌和细菌群落结构.结果显示,千岛湖水质属地表水Ⅱ～Ⅲ类水,...