Stream-subsurface exchange results from a complex ensemble of transport mechanisms that require different modeling approaches. Field and laboratory experiments show that advective exchange through the underlying sediments is an important mechanism of solutes transport and storage in riverine systems. Here, Transient Storage Model parameters are obtained for reactive solute exchange driven by bedform-induced advection. Consideration of exchange induced by this single mechanism allows specific relationships between model parameters and system properties like solute reactivity to be identified. This work shows that when a simplified model like the Transient Storage Model is applied to analyze metal storage in river sediments, particular attention must be devoted to the choice of modeling parameters. 相似文献
Petrie et al. (1991) demonstrated a correlation between the degree of elaboration of peacocks' trains and their mating success, and also showed that this correlation occurred because females preferred to mate with the male that had the most elaborate train of those sampled on the lek. Although these data suggest that female choice is responsible for non-random mating in this species, they do not conclusively show that train morphology is the cue that females respond to, because they do not rule out the possible influence of another unidentified variable which is correlated with train elaboration. This paper presents an experimental test of the importance of the peacock's train in determining male mating success. If the number or arrangement of eye-spots in the peacock's train influences mating success, then changing the number of eye-spots should change mating success. This prediction was tested in an experiment where the trains of male peafowl (Pavo cristatus) were manipulated by removing a number of eye-spots between mating seasons. Peacocks with eye-spots removed showed a significant decline in mating success between seasons compared with a control group. This result, together with the observational data, supports the hypothesis that the peacock's train has evolved, at least in part, as a result of female choice. 相似文献
Summary A comparative morphological and chemical study of six endemic species ofCataglyphis from the Iberian Peninsula:C. ibericus, C. rosenhaueri, C. hispanicus, C. humeya, C. velox andC. floricola and the Moroccan speciesC. bombycinus is described. The morphological study relied primarily on genitalia characteristics, whereas the chemical study concentrated on the postpharyngeal gland constituents. Cladograms based on the morphological and chemical data were performed using Ward's method. The dendrogram based on morphological features revealed that the IberianCataglyphis can be classified into three species groupsalbicans, altisquamis andemmae. The same pattern occurred when the dimethylalkanes constituents of the postpharyngeal gland were utilised as character states, with a slight displacement of species within thealtisquamis group. However, when the complete hydrocarbon blend was utilised major discrepancies in the dendrograms occurred.Cataglyphis velox proved to be very similar toC. bombycinus, whereasC. floricola clustered with the other two species of thealtisquamis group. Based on the geographical distribution and paleontological data (Tinaut 1993) it is assumed thatC. floricola recently invaded the Iberian Peninsula. Based on the chemical findings we postulate that chemical character displacement occurred inC. floricola as a result of its sympatry withC. velox after the former colonized the Iberian Peninsula. We further discuss the possible reason for the different dendrograms obtained when only the dimethylalkanes are considered and its implication for the communicative role of the postpharyngeal gland secretion in these ants. 相似文献
A single tertiary isomer which is believed to be one of the major branched isomers of the isomeric nonylphenol was synthesized for use in investigations on its metabolism and estrogenicity in aquatic organisms. The physico-chemical properties of the isomer were determined to enable the prediction of its behaviour in aquatic environments. From laboratory investigations on its dissipation and distribution in lake water, which are reported in this paper, it was found that it had a half-life of dissipation of 38.1 days and 20.1 days in an open lake water and in an open lake water/ sediment system, respectively, and to be rapidly partitioned in to sediment giving a high concentration factor of 1.76 after 28 days with an initial dose concentration of 2.52 ppm. The main dissipation route was found to occur through volatilization and co-distillation. The isomer was, however, found to be resistant to biodegradation in both the lake water and sediment, showing only a slight 9% loss (after 56 days) and 4.2% loss (after 28 days), of the 14C-residues in lake water and lake water/sediment systems, respectively, by microbial activity. Transformation to other more polar metabolites possibly by hydroxylation was also found to be minimal in both lake water and sediment samples after 14 days by HPLC analysis. After 7 days, only 2.25 and 7.4% transformation to a more polar metabolite was detected in lake water and sediment samples, respectively. 相似文献
Although filial cannibalism (eating one’s own offspring) occurs in numerous species, including several teleost fishes, its
adaptive value is still not well understood. One often-discussed explanation is that individuals enhance their mass and body
condition by consuming part of their eggs. However, evidence for this assumption is scarce thus far. In this study, male three-spined
sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a species with paternal care, were allowed to care for a batch of eggs or for an empty nest under food-deprived conditions.
All brood-caring males cannibalised at least part of their eggs and thus preserved their initial mass and body condition.
Furthermore, mass as well as body condition was significant positively correlated with the number of cannibalised eggs. In
contrast, empty-nest males that had no possibility to cannibalise eggs significantly lost mass and body condition. This is,
to our knowledge, the first experimentally documented evidence that mass as well as body condition were preserved by filial
cannibalism. 相似文献
Objective: Cycling is a complex skill consisting of motor skills such as pedalling, braking, and steering. Because the ability to perform cycling skills is based on the age-related development of the child, experience and age-related reference values are of interest in light of customized testing and training.
Methods: One hundred thirty-eight children from the second (7–8 years), fourth (9–10 years), and sixth (11–12 years) grades performed a practical bicycle test consisting of 13 test items with specific points of interest. Moreover, age at onset of cycling, cycling to and from school, independent mobility, and minutes cycling per week were estimated using a parental questionnaire.
Results: It is found that cycling skills are strongly related to age with 11- to 12-year-old children outperforming 7- to 8-year-old children for 11 test items and 9- to 10-year-old children for 8 test items.
Conclusions: Next to age, age at onset of cycling also contributed to cycling skills. Therefore, our results suggest that cycling skills are associated with physical and mental maturation. Subsequently, age-related reference values are provided to customize testing and training. 相似文献
The European Food Safety Authority proposed a concept for the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants in the EU that is based on the definition of thresholds for the acceptability of potential adverse effects on the environment. This concept, called Limits of Concern (LoC), needs to be further refined to be implemented in the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified organisms.
Methods
We analyse and discuss how LoC can be defined for the environmental risk assessment for three different types of genetically modified plants. We outline protection goals relevant to the genetically modified plants in question and discuss existing concepts and suggestions for acceptability thresholds from the environmental risk assessment of different regulatory areas. We make specific recommendations for the setting and use of LoC for each type of genetically modified plant.
Results
The LoC concept can be suitably applied for the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified organisms, if the different protection goals in agro-environments are specifically considered. Not only biodiversity protection goals but also agricultural protection goals need to be addressed. The different ecosystem services provided by weeds inside and outside agricultural fields have to be considered for genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops. Exposure-based LoCs are suggested based on knowledge about dose–effect relationships between maize pollen and non-target Lepidoptera for insect-resistant maize. Due to the long-term nature of biological processes such as spread and establishment, LoCs for genetically modified oilseed rape should be defined for the presence of the genetically modified plant or its genetically modified traits in relevant protection goals.
Conclusions
When setting LoCs, the focus should be on protection goals which are possibly affected. Potential overlaps of the LoC concept with the ecosystem service concept have to be clarified to harmonise protection levels in the agro-environment for different stressors. If additional impacts on agro-biodiversity resulting from the cultivation of genetically modified plants are to be avoided, then high protection levels and low thresholds for acceptable effects (i.e. LoC) should be set.
The objectives of this work were to study the effect of urea addition to the fuel before the combustion on the suppression of PCDD/F emissions, to examine the influence of urea to PCDD/F isomer patterns by employing statistical analysis techniques and to determine the most effective method of urea addition. Urea in the form of powder and as an aqueous solution was mixed with RDF and the fuel mixtures were incinerated in a lab-scale reactor at 1000 degrees C. PCDD/F emitted during combustion experiments were collected in a quartz wool filter downstream the reactor unit. Analysis and quantification of PCDD/F showed that urea significantly affected PCDD/F emissions. Combustion of RDF containing 10% w/w urea resulted in PCDD/F emissions lower than 8 I-TEQ ng/g RDF, while the corresponding average value from single RDF combustion was 17 I-TEQ ng/g RDF. The PCDD/F prevention capacity of urea was independent from the method of urea addition to the fuel, as similar results were obtained after the addition of urea in the solid and in the aqueous phases. Results assessment by statistical methods showed that isomer patterns remained almost stable and were not affected by the method of urea addition. 相似文献