Olfaction in a viscous environment: the “color” of sexual smells in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Temora longicornis</Emphasis>

We investigate chemical aspects of mating in the marine copepod Temora longicornis (Copepoda, Calanoidea). Our emphasis is the female pheromone signaling in form of well-defined trails for males to follow, observed in Doall et al. (Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 353:681–689, 1998). The viscous environment and the properties of the odorants play important roles as the spread of the pheromone trail limits the time during which it is useful for tracing. A key observation from our earlier work is the ability of a searching male to detect the direction of the female and to correct its swimming direction if necessary. We propose a simple mathematical model for the spread of a pheromone from a moving source and carry out numerical simulations of two possible detection mechanisms. We find that a searching agent that is capable to detect a ratio outperforms a searcher that depends on the gradient of a single compound. This suggests that copepod sex pheromones consist of blends of chemical compounds, and that a ratio detection mechanism similar to that in airborne insects is at work.     

Mitochondrial and nuclear rRNA based copepod phylogeny with emphasis on the Euchaetidae (Calanoida)

Phylogenetic relationships within the copepod family Euchaetidae and between representatives of three copepod orders (Calanoida, Harpacticoida, and Poecilostomatoida) were investigated using partial nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and the nuclear 28S rRNA genes. DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction, cloning, and DNA sequencing techniques were customized for these crustaceans. Our results support the monophyly of each copepod order, but in contrast to traditional morphology-based phylogenies of copepod orders, the Poecilostomatoida are basal to the Calanoida and Harpacticoida on our DNA-based phylogenetic tree. Phylogenetic trees generated by maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, and maximum-likelihood analyses support the classification of the genera Euchaeta and Paraeuchaeta in the family Euchaetidae; results, however, suggest that Euchaetaacuta Giesbrecht is more closely related to species of the genus Paraeuchaeta than to those of Euchaeta, although limited taxon sampling may be partially responsible for this result. Phylogenetic mapping using the most parsimonious 16S tree suggests that the morphological synapomorphies distinguishing the genus Euchaeta evolved independently twice during the history of the Euchaetidae. Further, phylogenetic mapping suggests that the most recent common ancestor of the Euchaetidae and the Aetideidae was a deep-living, vertically migrating copepod, and that a bathypelagic, vertically migrating lifestyle characteristic of Paraeuchaeta is an ancestral trait of the family Euchaetidae which was lost apomorphically by Euchaeta. The application of a molecular clock suggests that the sibling species Euchaeta rimana Bradford and Euchaeta marina (Prestandrea) diverged due to the emergence of the Panamanian land bridge. Received: 9 October 1997 / Accepted: 5 August 1998     

Recycling nickel from spent catalyst of Phu My fertilizer plant as a precursor for exhaust gas treatment catalysts preparation

In this study, a very promising way of treating and recycling spent nickel catalysts of fertilizer plants in Vietnam was proposed. Firstly, nickel was recovered from spent catalyst using HNO₃—leaching process. Results show that nickel recovery of over 90% with a purity of over 90% can be achieved with HNO₃ 2.1–2.5 M at 100?°C in 75 min. The residue after leaching is not considered as a hazardous waste according to the Vietnamese regulations. Then, the leachate solution was used as a precursor to prepare a model catalyst for exhaust gas (CO, HC, NO_x) treatment. In comparison with the catalyst prepared from the commercial nickel nitrate solution, the catalyst synthesized from recovered nickel exhibits similar properties and activities. The influence of Ni loading of Ni/alumina catalyst as well as the modification of active phase by some metals addition (Mn, Ba, Ce) was also investigated. It is feasible to modify active phase by transition metals such as Mn, Ba, and Ce for complete oxidation of CO and HC at 270?°C and a reduction of NO_x below 350?°C at high volumetric flow condition (GHSV?=?110.000 h^?1).     

Evaluation of biopolymer-modified concrete systems for disposal of cathode ray tube glass

Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from computer monitors and television sets, which contain significantly high percentage of lead (Pb) by weight, represent an enormous and growing hazardous waste problem in the United States and worldwide. As a result, new technologies are needed to cope with current CRT waste stream and increased hazard and build new markets for its recycled components, developing commercially viable concrete composites, as well as minimizing CRT disposal problems. In this study, commercially available biopolymers, such as xanthan gum, guar gum, and chitosan, were used to encapsulate CRT glass waste, reducing the Pb leachability. The biopolymers utilized contain a number of useful functional groups, such as carboxyl (xanthan), hydroxyl (guar), and amino groups (chitosan), which play important roles in binding and stabilizing Pb onto concrete structures. The use of biopolymers in concrete systems can create a stable interpenetrating cross-linking composite that will last for many years. Results from these new composites show 30% higher compressive strength than standard concrete and a sharp decrease in lead leachability from several thousand milligrams per liter initially to an amount of three-tenths milligrams per liter or lower values (much lower than the U.S. Environment Protection Agency standard for hazardous waste of 5 mg/L by the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test), and for some of the composites leachability is below even the standard for drinking water. This efficient and cost-effective CRT-biopolymer-concrete composite is a new class of biopolymer-modified material that can potentially perform a significant role in relieving the current CRT issue.     

Kinetics of inorganic carbon utilization by microalgal biofilm in a flat plate photoreactor

A kinetic model was developed to describe inorganic carbon utilization by microalgae biofilm in a flat plate photoreactor. The model incorporates the fundamental mechanisms of diffusive mass transport and biological reaction of inorganic carbon by microalgal biofilm. An advanced numerical technique, the orthogonal collocation method and Gear's method, was employed to solve this kinetic model. The model solutions included the concentration profiles of inorganic carbon in the microalgal biofilm, the growths of suspended microalgae and microalgal biofilm, the effluent concentrations of inorganic carbon, and the flux of inorganic carbon from bulk liquid into biofilm. The batch kinetic test was independently conducted to determine biokinetic parameters used in the microalgal biofilm model simulation while initial thickness of microalgal biofilm were assumed. A laboratory-scale flat plate photoreactor with a high recycle flow rate was setup and conducted to verify the model. The volume of photoreactor is 60 l which yields a hydraulic retention time of 1.67 days. The model-generated inorganic carbon and the suspended microalgae concentration curves agreed well with those obtained in the laboratory-scale test. The fixation efficiencies of HCO(3)(-) and CO(2) are 98.5% and 90% at a steady-state condition, respectively. The concentration of suspended microalgal cell reached up to 12 mg/l at a maximum growth rate while the thickness of microalgal biofilm was estimated to be 104 microm at a steady-state condition. The approaches of experiments and model simulation presented in this study could be employed for the design of a flat plate photoreactor to treat CO(2) by microalgal biofilm in a fossil-fuel power plant.     

Oxygen deficit determinations for a major river in eastern Hong Kong, China

Determination of oxygen deficit in the Hong Kong Shing-Mun River was based on the oxygen uptake by water, algal respiration and river sediment and the oxygen supplied to the river by surface reaeration and algal photosynthesis. A systematic study was conducted to examine the effect of water temperature, flow velocity and water depth on both the oxygen demands and the oxygen supplies. The oxygen budget of a water column in a selected section of the river was modeled. The results of the oxygen budget analysis showed that when water temperature was around 10 degrees C (the lowest temperature in the river), no deficit was observed. When water temperature was 10 degrees C to 20 degrees C, a small oxygen deficit appeared, especially in the deeper water. At the highest water temperature (30 degrees C), the oxygen deficit was maximal, -6.84 g O2/m2/day, in the night-time during the Spring tide period.     

Hydrometallurgical processing of Nd–Fe–B magnets for Nd purification

An evaluation of various metal purification processes subsequent to the leaching processing of the neodymium (Nd) product from neodymium–iron–boron (Nd–Fe–B) magnets has been conducted. These post-leaching purification processes included precipitation; replacement and electrolysis were studied in order to check the purity of the recovered neodymium. A hydrometallurgical investigation was adopted to digest the metal content of the scrap Nd–Fe–B magnets for the recovery of valuable Nd metal and other metals such as Fe, B, Co and Ni. The effect of leaching conditions such as solid-to-liquid ratio and temperature were optimized and 100 % Nd, 100 % Fe, 100 % B and 85.87 % Co leaching efficiencies were achieved under these conditions. The coating material of the magnet, Ni, achieved 50 % impregnation after increasing the reaction temperature to 70 °C. The metals present in the optimal leaching solution were recovered 99 % by pH adjustment. However, the replacement had the highest separation efficiency for the recovery of Nd metal. Further, the optimal leaching Nd–Fe–B solution was subjected to the electrolysis processes in order to verify the recovery efficiency for all metals.     

成组生物毒性测试法综合评价典型工业废水毒性

为了更加准确地评估典型工业废水的综合生物毒性以及处理工艺对废水毒性的削减情况,采用发光细菌急性毒性实验、大型溞急性毒性实验和单细胞凝胶电泳实验,结合潜在生态毒性效应探测(potential ecotoxic effects probe,PEEP)指数对常州市7种典型工业废水的综合生物毒性进行了评价。结果表明,7种工业原水都表现出了急性毒性或遗传毒性,综合生物毒性强度的排序为电子厂>电镀厂>综合污水处理厂>印染厂>化工厂>食品厂>制药厂。而7种工业废水的处理后出水综合生物毒性强度的排序为印染厂>化工厂>电子厂>综合污水处理厂>食品厂>制药厂>电镀厂。其中,印染和化工厂出水综合生物毒性高于原水,分别增加了43.3%和38.7%,PEEP评价结果显示分别属于剧毒和高毒,而电镀、电子、综合污水处理和食品厂出水的综合生物毒性削减明显,分别比原水削减了76.9%、53.1%、48.3%和26.6%,PEEP结果表明基本无毒。建立在成组生物毒性实验基础上的PEEP评价方法可全面反映工业废水的综合生物毒性,进而更客观地评价废水对水生态系统乃至人类健康的潜在影响。     

Self-contamination of aquaculture cages in shallow water

Fish farms, which initially colonized quiet and protected natural coastal areas, are now frequently installed in open flow zones, due to the lack of space along coasts and to the emergence of new environmental constraints. For the past two decades, a salmon fish farm has been located inside the roadstead of Cherbourg (France) to benefit from both sea protection and tide currents which regularly refresh the water. In spite of these favourable environmental conditions, periods of non-negligible fish mortalities have been observed to occur without clear evidence of their origin. This motivated the turbidity measurements and the numerical simulations presented in this paper. Firstly, it is shown that high turbidities in the farm site under study are mainly due to the flow acceleration under the cages, which causes the re-suspension of sediments and bio-deposits. Secondly, particles which enter the fishnet can have different origins (external source, bottom, or the net itself). Numerical simulations, based on the Reynolds equations and on the discrete random walk model for particle dispersion, suggest that the rear area of the net can be reached by particles emerging from below the net. It is observed that turbulent dispersion is a key ingredient for such a behaviour, as it can lead particles towards a large recirculation cell behind the net. Dispersion by realistic unsteady vortices has also been analysed by means of a Lattice-Boltzmann model. Though these computations involve smaller Reynolds numbers, they confirm qualitatively the observations of the random walk model. In addition, they suggest that vortex shedding and unsteady recirculation cells near the bottom can force particles from the sand bed to be lifted up and reach the rear of the net.