Pre- and post-hatch trophic egg production in the subsocial burrower bug, Canthophorus niveimarginatus (Heteroptera: Cydnidae)

In recent years, three terrestrial bugs, Adomerus triguttulus and Sehirus cinctus (Cydnidae) and the closely related Parastrachia japonensis (Parastrachiidae), have been the focus of several fascinating studies because of the remarkable, extensive parental care they were found to display. This care includes egg and nymph guarding, production of trophic eggs, unfertilized, low cost eggs that are used as food by newly hatched nymphs, and progressive provisioning of the host seed. In this study, we have investigated yet a third related Asian cydnid, Canthophorus niveimarginatus, with regard to the possible occurrence of some or all of these complex traits in order to assess how widespread these maternal investment patterns are in this group of insects and to better understand the implications of their manifestations from an evolutionary context. Manipulative experiments were carried out in the lab to determine whether females provision nests. Observational and egg removal studies were carried out to determine whether trophic eggs are produced, and, if they are, their possible impact on nymphal success. The findings revealed that C. niveimarginatus does, in fact, progressively provision young, and this species also displays all of the other behaviors associated with extended parental care in subsocial insects. Moreover, unlike the other two related species, which place trophic eggs on the surface of the original egg mass, C. niveimarginatus produces both pre- and post-hatch trophic eggs. Nymphs deprived of access to post-hatch trophic eggs had significantly lower body weight and survival rate than those that fed on them. To our knowledge, this is the first time the production of both pre- and post-hatch trophic eggs has been demonstrated in insects outside the Hymenoptera. In this paper, we qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate the provisioning behavior and patterns of trophic egg production in C. niveimarginatus. When and how trophic eggs are produced and delivered to young should have important correlations with the ecological and life history constraints under which a species has evolved. Thus, we also discuss the possible ecological and life history factors that favor the evolution of post-hatch trophic eggs.     

应用GEM法对硫酸工业中重金属污染的研究

为查明硫酸工业中主要重金属的危害以及不同制酸工艺产生的危害差异，对辽宁省主要生产硫酸企业进行了调研，并应用ＭＥＧ法，对矿石原料中重金属的含量进行了数学模型分析。     

土壤中重金属镉锌铅复合污染的研究

采用吸附与解吸实验及盆栽试验，研究了在重金属镉、锌、铅复合污染条件下，棕壤对重金属的吸附、解吸规律，以及菠菜吸收重金属的特点。结果表明：棕壤对铅、锌的吸附分别符合Ｌａｎｇｍｕｉｒ、Ｆｒｅｕｎｄｌｉｃｈ方程，对镉的吸附用Ｌａｎｇｍｕｉｒ、Ｆｒｅｕｎｄｌｉｃｈ及Ｔｅｍｋｉｎ方程回归都不显。重金属被吸附后的解吸率顺序为：Ｚｎ〉Ｃｄ〉Ｐｂ。Ｐｂ＾２＋与吸附位结合的牢固程度较单一污染时大，而Ｃｄ＾２＋和Ｚ     

Elevated water temperature reduces the acute toxicity of the widely used herbicide diuron to a green alga, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

In the actual environment, temperatures fluctuate drastically through season or global warming and are thought to affects risk of pollutants for aquatic biota; however, there is no report about the effect of water temperature on toxicity of widely used herbicide diuron to fresh water microalgae. The present research investigated inhibitory effect of diuron on growth and photosynthetic activity of a green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata at five different temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C) for 144 h of exposure. As a result, effective diuron concentrations at which a 50 % decrease in algal growth occurred was increased with increasing water temperature ranging from 9.2 to 20.1 μg L^–1 for 72 h and 9.4–28.5 μg L^–1 for 144 h. The photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F _v/F _m ratio) was significantly reduced at all temperatures by diuron exposure at 32 μg L^–1 after 72 h. Inhibition rates was significantly increased with decreased water temperature (P?<?0.01). Intracellular H₂O₂ levels as an indicator of oxidative stress were also decreased with increasing temperature in both control and diuron treatment groups and were about 2.5 times higher in diuron treatment groups than that of controls (P?<?0.01). Our results suggest water temperatures may affect the toxicokinetics of diuron in freshwater and should therefore be considered in environmental risk assessment.     

基于系统仿真模拟的三峡库区生态承载力分区动态评价

针对现有生态承载力评价研究中时间动态性、空间差异性考虑不足等问题,引入系统动力学(SD)模型,围绕生态承载力关键指标实施三峡库区分单元的系统仿真模拟和预测,整合生态承载力综合评价方法,对不同控制单元承载力状况进行动态评价. 结果表明:①2010年三峡库区生态承载力指数为0.55,为弱可承载状态. 生态承载力限制因素分析显示,长江嘉陵江重庆市辖区控制单元、长江涪陵区万州区控制单元主要受制于资源、环境要素,其他3个控制单元(澎溪河开县控制单元、长江云阳县巫山县控制单元、长江恩施州宜昌市控制单元)主要受制于社会、经济要素. ②现有发展趋势下,2010—2025年三峡库区生态承载力指数为0.48~0.57,呈先增后减的趋势,拐点出现在2015年附近,整体亦处于弱可承载状态. 2015年后,以资源、环境为主要限制因素的2个控制单元生态承载力指数开始逐年下降;以社会、经济为主要限制因素的其他3个控制单元生态承载力指数则呈延续上升态势. ③综合调控方案下,三峡库区生态承载力指数在2015年达到0.60,由弱可承载提升为基本可承载;至2018年,所有控制单元均达到基本可承载,生态承载力指数为0.60~0.76. 可见,综合调控方案对各控制单元人口、经济、环境、资源因素的调控行之有效.      

Suppression of sexual behavior in male Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to 17beta-estradiol

Mating pairs of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) received 17beta-estradiol (E2; dose, 3 and 30 microg/g body weight daily) in their diet and E2-free diet (control) for two weeks. The effect on reproductive success was assessed in the mating pairs, and sexual and nonsexual behaviors in the male were quantified. The fecundities of the E2-treated groups were reduced significantly (p < 0.05) compared with those of control, and the sexual behaviors (following, dancing, floating, and crossing) of male fish in response to prostaglandin F2alpha (PG)-injected E2-unexposed females were suppressed dramatically. While the fertility of spawned eggs and the frequencies of the nonsexual behaviors of resting and swimming in a straight line performed by male were unchanged in E2-exposed groups. Therefore, sexual behavior in male may be linked with reproductive success in mating pair of madaka exposed to E2. This assay for sexual behavior using PG may provide a useful tool for assessing the effect of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.     

Impact of food waste disposers on the generation rate and characteristics of municipal solid waste

Field surveys were carried out to ascertain the reduction in the generation rate of municipal solid waste as a result of the use of food waste disposers (FWDs). The generation rate and characteristics of garbage and of the food waste ground by FWDs in households were investigated, and the effect of FWDs was discussed. In a medium-sized village, the amount of garbage collected per collection decreased from 251.2 kg to 114.7 kg as a result of FWD use. The unit loading of ground food waste was estimated to be 111 g/cap·day. In a small village, the amount of garbage collected weekly decreased from 175 kg to 112 kg. The average unit loading of ground food waste was measured and found to be 126 g/cap·day. The reduction rate of garbage varied from 25% to 39% monthly and the average reduction rate was 31% throughout the surveying period. Dramatic variations in the characteristics of the collected garbage were recognized: the ratio of food waste on a dry basis declined by more than half, the moisture content decreased to half or less, the combustible matter content increased approximately 1.7 times or more, and the lower heating value increased approximately 2.0 times or more compared to the case without FWD use.     

Techniques to separate metal from waste printed circuit boards from discarded personal computers

Waste printed circuit boards contain valuable metals such as Au, Pd, Ag, and Cu that can be reutilized and harmful elements such as Pb, Br, and Cr that must be removed from the viewpoint of environmental conservation. In this research, we examined a method that separates the materials from printed circuit boards contained in discarded personal computers. After cutting the printed circuit boards to a size of 20 × 20 mm, they were heated at 873 K under an Ar atmosphere to remove organic resins containing elements such as C, H, and N. After heat treatment, the printed circuit boards were crushed using a planetary ball mill and the pulverized powders were filtered. The fraction with a granularity of greater than 250 μm was separated into magnetic and nonmagnetic materials by a magnetic field. Because the fraction with a granularity of less than 250 μm contained 39 mass% of C, it was heated at 1273 K in an atmosphere of 95% Ar and 5% O₂ to allow carbon combustion to take place, followed by metal reduction processing at the same temperature in an atmosphere of 97% Ar and 3% H₂. The basicity of the resulting powder was adjusted and the powder was heated at 1773 K under an Ar atmosphere. The proposed method separated the slag and metal, and 80% of the valuable metals contained in printed circuit boards could be collected.     

Residence time effects on phase transformation of nanosilver in reduced soils

Residence time effects on phase transformation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) (15–50 nm, with and without polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coating) were investigated in reducing soils using experimental geochemistry and synchrotron-based x-ray techniques. After 30 days of anaerobic incubation, a substantial fraction of PVP-coated AgNPs (15 nm) were transformed into Ag₂S and or humic acid (HA) complexed Ag(I), whereas only the HA fraction was dominant in uncoated AgNPs (50 nm). Several investigations recently reported that sulfidation of AgNPs to Ag₂S was the predominant mechanism controlling the fate of AgNP in soil–water environments. However, this investigation showed each AgNP underwent particle-specific chemical transformations to different end compounds after 30 days. Considering the small contribution of Ag(I) dissolution from all AgNPs (less than 5 %), we concluded that changes in solid-state chemical speciation of sorbed AgNPs was promoted by particle-specific interactions of NPs in soil chemical constituents, suggesting a critical role of soil absorbents in predicting the fate of AgNPs in terrestrial environments.     

Radiolysis of aqueous phenol solutions with nanoparticles. 1. Phenol degradation and TOC removal in solutions containing TiO2 induced by UV,gamma-ray and electron beams

Aqueous phenol solutions containing TiO(2) nanoparticles were irradiated with ultraviolet (UV), gamma-ray and electron beams. Organic compounds were fully removed by each type of radiation in the presence of the particles. The absorbed energy of the ionizing radiation (gamma-ray and electron beams) needed for removal was much lower than that of UV photocatalysis. Phenol was decomposed by the ionizing radiation in the absence of the nanoparticles and the addition of TiO(2) had no significant effect on phenol decomposition rate. Instead, total organic carbon (TOC) removal using the ionizing radiation was accelerated drastically by TiO(2). It is suggested that TiO(2) particles affect the intermediate compounds produced through the decomposition of phenol. The amount of removed TOC per absorbed energy were compared in the absence and the presence of TiO(2) nanoparticles. Radiolysis with the nanoparticles showed consistently high rate and high efficiency of TOC removal.