Long-term monitoring program of organisms is the most recommended for understanding changing processes on reefs. The video transect method presents advantages for that. Specialists state that it is important to make sure that the recorded coverage is always the same between campaigns, so that differences in results may be entirely attributed to environmental changes. This study aimed to test the capability of implementing this requirement through tracking simulation and its validity for monitoring the benthic communities of reefs using the video transect method. Ten transects 20 m long were established in Todos os Santos Bay coral reefs. Subsequent to the first transect capture, a second diver repeated the same track, simulating two different monitoring campaigns. Data were transformed and a matrix of similarity was generated using Bray–Curtis’ Index. ANOSIM analysis was performed to test the similarity of the ten transects and its repetitions. The result, R = 0.08 (P = 0.928), shows that reef monitoring using video transect, the way it is described in the literature, is appropriate, but it is important to consider some premises discussed in this work. 相似文献
The use of recycled material is a key building block for the circular economy. In this study, we explore the impact of recycling laws in Japan on the use of recycled materials in the production process of intermediate plastics. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we investigate whether the input share of recycled plastics in intermediate plastic products increased after the Container and Packaging Recycling Law (CPR Law) was enforced in 1997 in Japan. Results indicate that the input share of recycled plastics increased by 1 percentage point after the law’s implementation. Meanwhile, the input share of virgin plastic materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and vinyl chloride, per plastic product decreased by 3 percentage points on average. These results suggest that the CPR law helped shift inputs from virgin plastics to recycled plastic materials even though the impact size has been small. To further encourage the use of recycled plastic materials, policy interventions should directly incentivize producers to increase the use of recycled plastics.
Waste incineration fly ash was successfully recycled to calcium phosphate hydrogel, a type of fast proton conductor. The crystallized hydrogel from incineration fly ash had a lower electric conductivity and a lower crystallinity than that from calcium carbonate reagent. However, the difference in electric conductivity between these crystallized hydrogels decreases with temperature. This was due to the presence of potassium in the incineration fly ash. The fuel cell with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) using the calcium phosphate hydrogel membrane prepared from incineration fly ash was observed to generate electricity. The performance of this fuel cell was almost equal to that of a mixture of K2CO3 and CaCO3 reagents; further, the performance of the former was superior to the fuel cell with a perfluorosulfonic polymer membrane at temperatures greater than approximately 85 °C. 相似文献
Surrogate measurements should be low in cost and quick to perform. To examine its feasibility, continuous surrogate monitoring
was performed using an organic halogen compound (OHC) analyzer. Surrogates for dioxins (DXNs) from waste incinerators were
examined by changing the operating conditions such as the atomized volume of activated carbon added and the temperature at
the inlet of the dust collector. OHCs were measured along with DXNs in flue gas at the inlet and the outlet of the dust collector
of two waste incinerators over five runs; the fly ash was sampled at the same time. Although the final flue gas concentration
of DXNs at the incineration plants was below the regulation criteria, this does not mean complete reduction of DXNs. In addition,
the de novo synthesis of DXNs inside the dust collectors was studied by analyzing the mass balance for DXNs concentrations
in flue gas and fly ash. Semivolatile chlorinated organic compound concentrations at the outlet of the bag filter were basically
well correlated with DXNs levels at the inlet of the bag filter in the test runs. When advanced flue gas treatment is applied
by using a bag filter and lime/activated carbon adsorbent, DXNs that may be generated during flue gas cooling processes move
to the fly ash, and this amount determines the mass balance of the entire system. It may be useful to monitor surrogate organic
halogens for detecting changes in DXN concentrations of both flue gas and fly ash in incineration plants. 相似文献
Rice plays a major role in the global supply and demand for sustainable food production. The constraints of maintaining sustainable
rice production are closely linked to the relationship between the distribution patterns of human activity on the planet and
economic growth. Global patterns of rice production can be mapped by using various criteria linked to domestic income, population
patterns, and associated satellite brightness data of rice-producing regions. Prosperous regions have more electric lighting,
and there are documented correlations between gross domestic product (GDP) and nighttime light. We chose to examine global
rice production patterns on a geographical basis. For the purposes of this study, each country is considered to be made up
of regions, and rice production is discussed in terms of regional distribution. A region is delineated by its administrative
boundaries; the number of regions where rice is produced is about 13,839. We used gridded spatial population distribution
data overlain by nocturnal light imagery derived from satellite imagery. The resultant relationship revealed a correlation
between regional income (nominal values of GDP were used) and rice production in the world. The following criteria were used
to examine the supply and demand structure of rice. Global rice consumption = “caloric rice consumption per capita per day”
multiplied by “regional population values”. Regional rice yields = “country-based production” divided by “harvested area”
(multiple harvests are taken into account). Regional rice production = “regional harvested areas” multiplied by “rice yield
values”. We compared regional rice consumption and production values according to these methods. Analysis of the data sets
generated a map of rice supply and demand. Inter-regional shipping costs were not accounted for. This map can contribute to
the understanding of food security issues in rice-producing regions and to estimating potential population values in such
regions. 相似文献
Six products were formed by reaction of ethynylestradiol (EE2) with sodium hypochlorite in buffered solutions. 4-Chloroethynylestradiol (4-ClEE2) and 2,4-dichloroethynylestradiol (2,4-diClEE2) were identified as the two major reaction products, using preparative HPLC, MS, and NMR. When EE2 reacted with chlorine at different pHs (pH 5, 7, and 9) or chlorine concentrations (0.2, 1, 2, and 5 mmol/l, corresponding to molar ratios to EE2, 1, 5, 10, and 25, respectively), the formation of 4-ClEE2 and 2,4-diClEE2 was observed under the above conditions, and the highest yields were 20 and 52 mol%, respectively. EE2 was consumed almost completely within 5 min of chlorination by addition of chlorine of more than 1 mmol/l (molar ratio to EE2, 5). On the other hand, the two products existed in highly chlorinated solutions after 60 min (4ClEE2, 1-6 mol%; 2,4-diClEE2, 3-25 mol%). The estrogenic activities of 4-ClEE2 by estrogen receptor alpha or beta binding assay were similar to those of the parent EE2, and the activities of 2,4-diClEE2 were lower about 10 times. 相似文献
Although traditional sexual selection theories for the evolution of ornamental male traits often assume consistency in female preferences for the traits over time, recent theories predict plasticity in female mate preferences and the contribution of plastic female preferences to the maintenance of polymorphism in male sexual ornaments. However, the plasticity of female preferences and its influences on male ornaments are almost unknown in natural populations. Here we examined both the intensity of female preferences and the exaggeration of a male ornament (relative area of orange spots) in a wild population of the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) every few months over a period of 3 years. Results indicated that female preference intensity was negatively correlated with the relative area of orange spots of males. In addition, we found a positive correlation between female preference intensity and the relative area of orange spots of males of their offspring generation. Because the relative area of orange spots of male guppies is a heritable trait, female preferences might have a strong influence on male orange spot size in the next generation. This study provides the first evidence of plastic female preferences depending on the scarcity of males with large ornaments in a natural population. Results of this study imply a possible contribution of female preferences for the maintenance of variation in male ornamentation. 相似文献