Distribution and dietary regulation of an associated facultative Rhizobiales-related bacterium in the omnivorous giant tropical ant,Paraponera clavata

We document a facultative Bartonella-like Rhizobiales bacterium in the giant tropical ant, Paraponera clavata. In a lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica, 59 colonies were assayed for the prevalence of the Bartonella-like bacterium (BLB), 14 of which were positive. We addressed three questions: First, how does the prevalence of BLB within colonies vary with environmental conditions? Second, how does diet affect the prevalence of BLB in P. clavata? Third, how does the distribution of BLB among colonies reflect ambient differences in food resources and foraging habits? A variety of environmental variables that may be predictive of the presence of BLB were measured, and diet manipulations were conducted to test whether the prevalence of BLB responded to supplemental carbohydrate or prey. The ambient frequency of BLB is much higher in young secondary forests, but is nearly absent from older secondary forests. The prevalence of BLB inside field colonies increased over the duration of a 2-week carbohydrate supplementation; however, water and prey supplementation did not alter the prevalence of BLB. The diets of the colonies located in young secondary forest, compared to other habitats, have a diet richer in carbohydrates and lower in prey. The abundance of carbohydrate, or the relative lack of N, in a colony’s diet influences the occurrence of the BLB microbe in P. clavata. As experimental diet manipulations can affect the facultative presence of an N-cycling microbe, a consistent diet shift in diet may facilitate the emergence of tighter symbioses.     

流化床O2/CO2气氛燃煤痕量元素的排放特性及控制

通过平顶山烟煤在小型流化床中的燃烧实验,采用X-射线荧光光谱仪(XRF)对低压撞击器(LPI)收集到的细颗粒物元素组成进行定量测定,研究了O2/CO2气氛下硅藻土对煤粉燃烧痕量元素的排放控制.结果表明,Zn、Mn和Ni的含量随粒径呈双峰分布,峰值分别在0.1μm和2μm附近,Hg和Co的含量在0.1μm附近有一峰值;Hg和Zn在亚微米颗粒上有一定程度的富集,Mn、Ni和Co在亚微米和超微米颗粒上的含量基本相当;当颗粒物粒径一定时,随着硅藻土含量的增加,5种元素的富集因子呈减小的趋势;随着添加剂粒径的减小,颗粒物中Hg、Mn、Zn、Ni和Co的含量呈减少的趋势;当颗粒物粒径一定时,5种元素含量顺序为MnZnNiCoHg.     

不同构造措施的钢管混凝土边框钢板剪力墙抗震性能试验研究

钢管混凝土边框钢板剪力墙是一种新型抗震剪力墙,为了比较不同构造措施对该新型剪力墙抗震性能的影响,进行了3个剪跨比为1.5的钢管混凝土边框钢板剪力墙低周反复荷载试验.其中,试验模型1为墙体钢板与边框柱钢管焊接,试验模型2为墙体钢板与边框柱钢管螺栓连接,试验模型3为墙体钢板开孔并与边框柱钢管焊接.通过试验研究,比较了各剪力...     

对中国综合风险管理机构体系建设的建议

在大量调研的基础上,分析了我国风险管理机构体系的现状和存在的问题,并以“统筹规划,专人负责,科学管理,共担风险”为原则,以梯形架构为理论基础,提出了对中国综合风险管理机构未来体系建设的一个建议,并对其进行了可行性分析。     

英国国防工业安全生产法制体系研究及对我国的启示

为建立健全我国国防工业安全生产法制体系,从构建历程、宏观设计和微观建设要点等方面对英国国防工业安全生产法制体系展开系统研究,并分析当前我国国防工业安全生产法制体系存在的主要问题以及英国国防工业安全生产法制体系建设对我国的启示。结果表明:在宏观设计方面,英国构建以国防安全局为监管主体的高度扁平化监管体系;在微观建设方面,其更加注重国防工业安全生产法律体系的层次性、内容完备性,法律的实操性、更新机制,以及监管职责界定的建设。借鉴英国经验,指出将国防工业安全生产法制体系建设提升至国家战略高度,实现国防工业安全生产专门立法、强化法律可操作性、完善法律制修订机制和科学界定监管职责是我国今后努力的重要方向。     

新型抗风振、耐腐蚀铰链式接续线夹的研究

本文通过实地考察,针对接续线夹发生腐蚀失效的现象进行分析,研制新型接续线夹,并通过机械拉力试验、电阻试验、温升试验、盐雾腐蚀试验对新型接续线夹的性能进行分析研究,证实新型接续线夹性能较现有线夹优异。     

The moderating role of calling in the work–family interface: Buffering and substitution effects on employee satisfaction

This research seeks for improved understanding regarding the interaction of meaningful work and the work–family interface. Existing literature suggests that experiencing a sense of calling toward work makes the work domain particularly salient to employees compared to other life domains. In this article, we draw on this idea, rooted in identity theory, to hypothesize that a sense of calling toward work diminishes the effects of work–family conflict and work–family enrichment on employee's job and life satisfaction. We test these ideas in two studies. First, we surveyed an alumni sample of 598 employees from various jobs, industries, and job levels. Then, in a constructive replication, we surveyed 327 employees using a time-lagged design. Calling was found to significantly buffer the effect of work–family conflict on job satisfaction in Study 2, but not Study 1. Calling did not buffer the effect of conflict on life satisfaction in either study. However, both studies demonstrated that calling attenuated (substituted for) the effect of work–family enrichment on job satisfaction. Study 1 supported the idea that calling attenuates the effect of enrichment on life satisfaction; however, this interactive effect was reversed in Study 2, contrary to expectations. We discuss implications for theory and practice related to callings and career choices, as well as for the role of calling and work identity in the work–family interface.     

Muskox status,recent variation,and uncertain future

Ambio - Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are an integral component of Arctic biodiversity. Given low genetic diversity, their ability to respond to future and rapid Arctic change is unknown, although...     

Growth of Dehalococcoides spp. and increased abundance of reductive dehalogenase genes in anaerobic PCB-contaminated sediment microcosms

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminate 19% of US Superfund sites and represent a serious risk to human and environmental health. One promising strategy to remediate PCB-contaminated sediments utilizes organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) that dechlorinate PCBs.

However, functional genes that act as biomarkers for PCB dechlorination processes (i.e., reductive dehalogenase genes) are poorly understood. Here, we developed anaerobic sediment microcosms that harbor an OHRB community dominated by the genus Dehalococcoides. During the 430-day microcosm incubation, Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA sequences increased two orders of magnitude to 10⁷ copies/g of sediment, and at the same time, PCB118 decreased by as much as 70%. In addition, the OHRB community dechlorinated a range of penta- and tetra-chlorinated PCB congeners including PCBs 66, 70?+?74?+?76, 95, 90?+?101, and PCB110 without exogenous electron donor. We quantified candidate reductive dehalogenase (RDase) genes over a 430-day incubation period and found rd14, a reductive dehalogenase that belongs to Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain CG5, was enriched to 10⁷ copies/g of sediment. At the same time, pcbA5 was enriched to only 10⁵ copies/g of sediment. A survey for additional RDase genes revealed sequences similar to strain CG5’s rd4 and rd8. In addition to demonstrating the PCB dechlorination potential of native microbial communities in contaminated freshwater sediments, our results suggest candidate functional genes with previously unexplored potential could serve as biomarkers of PCB dechlorination processes.

     

A Characterization of Selected Endocrine Disruptor Compounds in a Portuguese Wastewater Treatment Plant

Anthropogenic compounds that are able to disrupt the endocrine system of wildlife species are a major cause for concern and have led to a demand for new screening methods. The identification and quantification of endocrine disruptor compounds at wastewater treatment plant is of major interest to assess the endocrine activity of wastewater treatment plant discharges into the environment. This study consists of a preliminary survey of concentrations of previously selected endocrine disruptor compounds, undertaken to establish environmental concentrations and to support a biological program assay exposing freshwater fish to them. Selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (APEs, bisphenol A and 17 β-estradiol) were measured in samples from a wastewater treatment plant located in Lisbon (Portugal), using recent commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits and also LC-MS/MS. The results show that the wastewater treatment plant treatment process is efficient on the removal of target endocrine disruptor compounds. However, environmentally significant concentrations are still present in the treated effluent. The results also show that enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit is suitable for routine analysis of the selected compounds. The results are also useful since the wastewater treatment plant is located in a Mediterranean region, which results in an effluent with its own characteristics.