Estrus cycle asynchrony in wild female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Although estrous synchrony has been reported in a number of mammalian species, most often among primates, methodological and analytical problems make it difficult to interpret these results. We developed a novel estrous synchrony index and employed a randomization procedure to analyze long-term observations of female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) estrous cycles at the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Our results revealed that female chimpanzees at Mahale avoid synchronizing their estrous periods with each other. We also found that birthrates decreased as the breeding sex ratio increased. We suggest that estrous asynchrony decreases female–female competition for mates. Asynchrony may also reduce the potential for male sexual coercion by nonpreferred mating partners.     

日本关东南部冬季飘尘中有机碳和元素碳污染现状研究

气溶胶中常含有一定的碳化合物,其中最主要的为有机碳(OC)和元素碳(EC),它们主要来源于化石燃料燃烧等人为活动,并强烈地影响着气溶胶的污染性质。日本关东平原南部初冬季节常发生高浓度飘尘污染,在对这种污染现象的研究中分析了OC和EC在飘尘中的含量,结果表明OC和EC是飘尘中重要的组成部分,二者之和可占质量浓度的20%左右,这也从一个侧面揭示了飘尘的污染状况和污染来源。      

Emission control for precursors causing acid rain (V): Improvement of acid soil with the bio-briquette combustion ash

The bio-briquette technique which mixes coal, biomass and sulfur fixation agent and bio-briquettes under 3-5 t/cm^2 line pressure has aroused people‘s attention in view of controlling the air pollution and the acid rain. In this paper, the physicochemical properties of bio-briquette and its ash were investigated. And the acid soil was improved by the bio-briquette combustion ash, which contained nutritive substances such as P, N, K and had the acid-neutralizing capacity(ANC). The pH, EC, effective nutrient elements(Ca, Mg, K, P and N), heavy metal elements(AI, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Mn) and acid-neutralizing capacity change of ash-added soils within the range of 0-10%, were also studied. Specially, when 5% bio-briquette combustion ash was added to the tested soil, the content of the effective elements such as Ca, Mg and K rose by 100 times, ? times and twice, respectively. The total nitrogen also increased by about twice. The results showed the oxyanions such as that of AI, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Mn were not potentially dangerous, because they were about the same as the averages of them in Chinese soil. It is shown that the ANC became stronger, though the ANC hardly increases in the ash-added soil. On the basis of the evaluation indices, it is concluded that the best mixture ratio is to add 2.5%--8% of the bio-briquette combustion ash to the tested soil.     

偏振激光雷达在沙尘暴观测中的数据解析

阐述了日本国立环境研究所(NIES)研制的双波长偏振激光雷达的工作原理和主要工作参数,探讨了激光雷达方程在沙尘暴监测中的应用条件,并对激光雷达获取的各种信息进行直观图视化处理.分别用光学强度、后向散射强度、退偏振率、消光系数以及双波长信号比等对沙尘天气的污染特征进行了解析,并对垂直方向沙尘浓度的分布进行了计算.研究表明:退偏振率大于10%时,即可判断为沙尘天气;双波长信号比(P(1 064)/P(532))大于0.4,则表示该期间为沙尘天气;利用消光系数表示气溶胶浓度时,NIES激光雷达观测沙尘气溶胶消光系数超过0.3 km-1(ρ(TSP)约为500　μg/m3),且持续时间超过3　h的沙尘天气现象即可判断为一次沙尘事件.根据激光雷达特有物理量对沙尘气溶胶的不同判定标准,对沙尘事件的强度、持续时间、沙尘云厚度以及沙尘天气的污染特征进行了解析和探讨.      

Photochemical and photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene using short-wavelength UV irradiation with TiO2 catalyst: comparison of three UV sources

The feasibility of the use of short-wavelength UV (254+185 nm) irradiation and TiO2 catalyst for photodegradation of gaseous toluene was evaluated. It was clear that the use of TiO2 under 254+185 nm light irradiation significantly enhanced the photodegradation of toluene relative to UV alone, owed to the combined effect of photochemical oxidation in the gas phase and photocatalytic oxidation on TiO2. The photodegradation with 254+185 nm light irradiation was compared with other UV wavelengths (365 nm (black light blue lamp) and 254 nm (germicidal UV lamp)). The highest conversion and mineralization were obtained with the 254+185 nm light. Moreover, high conversions were achieved even at high initial concentrations of toluene. Catalyst deactivation was also prevented with the 254+185 nm light. Regeneration experiments with the deactivated catalyst under different conditions revealed that reactive oxygen species played an important role in preventing catalyst deactivation by decomposing effectively the less reactive carbon deposits on the TiO2 catalyst. Simultaneous elimination of photogenerated excess ozone and residual organic compounds was accomplished by using a MnO2 ozone-decomposition catalyst to form reactive species for destruction of the organic compounds.     

日本东京湾地区冬季飘尘污染研究

对东京湾地区冬季高浓度飘尘污染进行了分析，研究结果表明，日本某些特定地区也存在着与中国严重污染城市相当的飘尘污染；分析指出高浓度的飘尘污染主要来自于人为污染，其中废弃物焚烧和汽车排气的贡献占重要地位，这与中国大气煤烟型污染截然不同。     

Removal of PCDDs/DFs and dl-PCBs in MWI fly ash by heating under vacuum

Temperature dependence of PCDD/DF and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (dl-PCB) concentrations in fly ash from a municipal waste incinerator (MWI) heated under vacuum has been investigated as a function of sample temperature ranging from T(s)=425 to 800 K to find out if PCDDs/DFs in fly ash evaporate and are trapped in a liquid nitrogen-cooled trap. The results show that more than 99.98% of PCDDs/DFs in TEQ is removed from fly ash by vacuum heat treatment at T(s)>650 K for 4 h. Almost no PCDDs/DFs were detected in the liquid nitrogen-cooled trap. Homologue distributions indicate that dechlorination/hydrogenation (DCH) reactions proceed in fly ash at T(s)>450 K. Arrhenius rate parameters for the DCH reactions have been determined for each homologue assuming that only DCH reactions occur. The fly ash heated under vacuum at 650 or 800 K was reheated at 573 K (300 degrees C) in a stream of dry or humid air to see how much PCDDs/DFs and dl-PCBs are regenerated. We have found that (1) PCDDs/DFs are regenerated in both 650 K and 800 K treated fly ash, whereas dl-PCBs are regenerated in 650 K treated fly ash, (2) formation of PCDFs predominates over that of PCDDs or dl-PCBs, and (3) less chlorinated homologues are abundant for PCDDs/DFs and dl-PCBs.