Costs of brood parasitism and the lack of defenses on the yellow-winged blackbird - shiny cowbird system

The shiny cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) is a generalist brood parasite that lays either white-immaculate or spotted egg morphs in eastern Argentina and Uruguay. Some hosts accept both morphs, others accept spotted eggs and reject the white morph, but no host has been found to accept white eggs and reject spotted ones. It has been suggested that the yellow-winged blackbird (Agelaius thilius) may be that type of host. The finding of a white acceptor-spotted rejector species would help to explain the occurrence and maintenance of the parasite egg polymorphism. We studied the incidence of shiny cowbird parasitism on this host, its costs for their reproductive success and the presence of antiparasitic defenses in the yellow-winged blackbird - shiny cowbird system. The parasite affected the reproductive success of the host in two ways. Cowbirds punctured host eggs causing a reduction in clutch size, and yellow-winged blackbirds deserted their nests whenever they suffered high egg loss. In addition, parasitized nests suffered higher predation during the nestling stage, but not during egg stages, indicating that the difference found was related to the presence of the cowbird chick, and not to higher exposure of parasitized nests to both parasites␣and predators. Despite the costs imposed by the parasite, yellow-winged blackbirds have not evolved antiparasitic defenses. This host did not reject any egg morph of the shiny cowbird nor desert parasitized nests unless it had suffered high egg loss. Current explanations for the host lack of defenses, the “time lag” and the “equilibrium” hypothesis, are discussed. Received: 29 August 1997 / Accepted after revision: 10 January 1998     

Influence of plants on the reduction of hexavalent chromium in wetland sediments

This work addresses the effect that plants (Typha latifolia and Carex lurida) have on the reduction of Cr(VI) in wetland sediments. Experiments were carried out using tubular microcosms, where chemical species were monitored along the longitudinal flow axis. Cr(VI) removal was enhanced by the presence of plants. This is explained by a decrease in the redox potential promoted by organic root exudates released by plants. Under these conditions sulfate reduction is enhanced, increasing the concentration of sulfide species in the sediment pore water, which reduce Cr(VI). Evapotranspiration induced by plants also contributed to enhance the reduction of Cr(VI) by concentrating all chemical species in the sediment pore water. Both exudates release and evapotranspiration have a diurnal component that affects Cr(VI) reduction. Concentration profiles were fitted to a kinetic model linking sulfide and Cr(VI) concentrations corrected for evapotranspiration. This expression captures both the longitudinal as well as the diurnal Cr(VI) concentration profiles.     

平板膜污泥浓缩工艺操作条件的优化研究

为了解决传统污泥浓缩存在的问题,采用平板膜污泥浓缩(MST)工艺进行污泥浓缩,在浓缩污泥的同时实现中水回用.采用正交试验和层次分析法分析评价操作条件对MST工艺的影响.正交试验选择了膜通量、曝气量和抽停比3个操作条件.结果表明,针对污泥浓缩效果、出水水质和曝气量3个不同的考核指标,工艺具有不同的最佳操作条件;整个试验过程中出水浊度小于1,COD在30mg/L左右,氨氮小于5mg/L,基本满足城市杂用水水质标准.采用层次分析法选择出了MST工艺的最佳操作条件为:曝气量1.0 m3/h,膜通量18L/(m2·h),抽停比10min:2min.     

氧化-絮凝耦合处理酸性大红废水的机理研究

用氧化-絮凝耦合法处理酸性大红GR废水,以高锰酸钾为氧化剂、聚硅硫酸铁为絮凝剂,脱色率达到94.9%,COD去除率达到55.2%.通过用倒置式生物显微镜观察絮体,对反应机理进行推测.对高锰酸钾与酸性大红之间氧化还原反应产物和氧化-絮凝耦合处理的絮体进行紫外和红外吸收光谱扫描分析,探讨了氧化-絮凝耦合的反应历程和机理:酸性大红被高锰酸钾氧化成小分子有机物而脱色,还原产物新生态水合二氧化锰胶体吸附小分子有机物,并被聚硅硫酸铁卷裹成紧密絮体,氧化与絮凝之间产生协同作用,从而有效去除了色度和COD.     

镧负载改性TiO2太阳光催化降解微囊藻毒素的研究

考察了镧负载改性TiO2催化剂在太阳光下降解微囊藻毒素LR(MCLR)的效果及其影响因素.结果表明,镧负载改性的TiO2可显著增加MCLR在TiO2表面的吸附量,同时提高MCLR在太阳光下的降解率.随着镧负载量的增加,太阳光下MCLR降解率可从65%提高到95%,pH降低可促进MCLR的降解.改性TiO2对藻毒素的降解存在最佳投加量,实验结果表明,在pH=6,MCLR初始浓度为2 mg/L,0.001-La-TiO2的最佳投量为0.5 g/L,在3 600 μW/cm2太阳光下照射30 min,降解率可达97%.     

壳聚糖混凝剂除氟的研究

合成了壳聚糖和丙烯酰胺改性壳聚糖两种高分子混凝剂,并以NaF溶液为研究对象,考察了两种壳聚糖混凝剂投加量、pH值、接触时间及温度对除氟性能的影响.实验结果表明:丙烯酰胺改性壳聚糖的除氟效果优于未改性的壳聚糖;随着两种混凝剂投量的增加,除氟效率增大,当剂量分别大于50 mg/L和60 mg/L时,除氟效率趋于稳定;壳聚糖与改性壳聚糖混凝剂分别在pH值为6.2和5.4时,获得了最佳的除氟效果;接触时间小于12 min时,随着接触时间延长,除氟效率快速增加,大于20 min时,除氟率趋于稳定;混凝温度升高有利于提高除氟率,两种混凝剂在25℃即达到最大除氟率.     

典型环境污染物对肠道菌群的影响及机制研究进展

随着环境污染日益严重,国内外有关环境污染物导致健康风险的毒性机制研究已引起广泛关注.然而,环境污染物对机体肠道菌群结构、功能的改变及其对毒性效应的调控作用研究尚处起步阶段.本综述在归纳近年来国内外人体及模式生物的肠道菌群研究进展的基础上,重点阐述了以重金属污染物、微纳米颗粒污染物、持久性有机污染物以及抗生素为代表的典型...     

爆炸振动环境中电子装备的损伤模拟

对电子装备爆炸振动损伤模式进行了分析,确定了评判准则,并以此为基础对装备损伤的模拟进行研究,建立了爆炸地面振动及结构响应模型、装备结构模型、装备结构响应模型和振动损伤模拟模型.     

Correlates of bushmeat in markets and depletion of wildlife

We used data on number of carcasses of wildlife species sold in 79 bushmeat markets in a region of Nigeria and Cameroon to assess whether species composition of a market could be explained by anthropogenic pressures and environmental variables around each market. More than 45 mammal species from 9 orders were traded across all markets; mostly ungulates and rodents. For each market, we determined median body mass, species diversity (game diversity), and taxa that were principal contributors to the total number of carcasses for sale (game dominance). Human population density in surrounding areas was significantly and negatively related to the percentage ungulates and primates sold in markets and significantly and positively related to the proportion of rodents. The proportion of carnivores sold was higher in markets with high human population densities. Proportion of small‐bodied mammals (<1 kg) sold in markets increased as human population density increased, but proportion of large‐bodied mammals (>10 kg) decreased as human population density increased. We calculated an index of game depletion (GDI) for each market from the sum of the total number of carcasses traded per annum and species, weighted by the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r_max) of each species, divided by individuals traded in a market. The GDI of a market increased as the proportion of fast‐reproducing species (highest r_max) increased and as the representation of species with lowest r_max (slow‐reproducing) decreased. The best explanatory factor for a market's GDI was anthropogenic pressure—road density, human settlements with >3000 inhabitants, and nonforest vegetation. High and low GDI were significantly differentiated by human density and human settlements with >3000 inhabitants. Our results provided empirical evidence that human activity is correlated with more depleted bushmeat faunas and can be used as a proxy to determine areas in need of conservation action.