The evolution of non-maternal caretaking among anthropoid primates: do helpers help?

Non-maternal infant care among nonhuman primates has frequently been investigated from the perspective of the caretaker. Here we examine whether allocaretaking behavior provides direct reproductive benefits to mothers. Comparative analyses that control for the effects of allometry and phylogeny reveal that allocaretaking behavior correlates with relatively fast infant growth and reproduction, but is not associated with the production of large infants. These results are consistent with those from studies of other taxa; primate helpers appear to increase the reproductive success of female breeders. In addition, our findings contrast with those derived from traditional allometric analyses and underscore the importance of controlling for the potentially confounding effects of phylogeny in comparative analyses. Received: 28 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 16 November 1996     

Underwater towed video: a useful tool to rapidly assess elasmobranch populations in large marine protected areas

Elasmobranch stock assessment studies are usually made through fisheries surveys data. However, in large marine protected areas (MPAs) the use of destructive techniques must be dismissed in order to avoid population impacts. In 2005, while conducting a marine habitat survey in two marine Special Areas of Conservation (Sebadales de Playa de Inglés and Franja Marina de Mogán) in south Gran Canary Island (Canary Islands, Spain) with underwater towed video (UTV) and underwater visual census (UVC) transects, we recognized the opportunity rose to assess elasmobranch populations through UTV. Number of observed species and specimens, overall field work effort and total surveyed area were determined and compared between methods. Mean observations per day per unit of time (MOPUT) and mean observations per day per unit of surveyed area (MOPUA) were also compared through Mann–Whitney rank sum statistical test (α = 0.05). Data analysis demonstrated that UTV is a very useful tool to rapidly assess elasmobranch populations in large MPAs in good visibility underwater environments. It can assess larger areas than UVC with the same effort (statistically significant difference found for the MOPUT; p =< 0.001), leading to more observed species (5 vs 2) and specimens (46 vs 3) per day of work, with no loss in resolution power (MOPUA values were not significantly different between UTV and UVC; p = 0.104).     

Accounting for time in Mitigating Global Warming through land-use change and forestry

Many proposed activities formitigating global warming in the land-use change and forestry(LUCF) sector differ from measures to avoid fossilfuel emissions because carbon (C) may be held out ofthe atmosphere only temporarily. In addition, thetiming of the effects is usually different. Many LUCFactivities alter C fluxes to and from the atmosphereseveral decades into the future, whereas fossil fuelemissions avoidance has immediate effects. Non-CO₂ greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are animportant part of emissions from deforestation inlow-latitude regions, also pose complications forcomparisons between fossil fuel and LUCF, since themechanism generally used to compare these gases(global warming potentials) assumes simultaneousemissions. A common numeraire is needed to expressglobal warming mitigation benefits of different kindsof projects, such as fossil fuel emissions reduction,C sequestration in forest plantations, avoideddeforestation by creating protected areas and throughpolicy changes to slow rates of land-use changes suchas clearing. Megagram (Mg)-year (also known as`ton-year') accounting provides a mechanism forexpressing the benefits of activities such as these ona consistent basis. One can calculate the atmosphericload of each GHG that will be present in each year,expressed as C in the form of CO₂ and itsinstantaneous impact equivalent contributed by othergases. The atmospheric load of CO₂-equivalent Cpresent over a time horizon is a possible indicator ofthe climatic impact of the emission that placed thisload in the atmosphere. Conversely, this index alsoprovides a measure of the benefit of notproducing the emission. One accounting methodcompares sequestered CO₂ in trees with theCO₂ that would be in the atmosphere had thesequestration project not been undertaken, whileanother method (used in this paper) compares theatmospheric load of C (or equivalent in non-CO₂GHGs) in both project and no-project scenarios.Time preference, expressed by means of a discount rateon C, can be applied to Mg-year equivalencecalculations to allow societal decisions regarding thevalue of time to be integrated into the system forcalculating global warming impacts and benefits. Giving a high value to time, either by raising thediscount rate or by shortening the time horizon,increases the value attributed to temporarysequestration (such as many forest plantationprojects). A high value for time also favorsmitigation measures that have rapid effects (such asslowing deforestation rates) as compared to measuresthat only affect emissions years in the future (suchas creating protected areas in countries with largeareas of remaining forest). Decisions on temporalissues will guide mitigation efforts towards optionsthat may or may not be desirable on the basis ofsocial and environmental effects in spheres other thanglobal warming. How sustainable development criteriaare incorporated into the approval and creditingsystems for activities under the Kyoto Protocol willdetermine the overall environmental and social impactsof pending decisions on temporal issues.     

物理化学法治理印染废水的研究

本文提出了两个治理印染废水的综合物化流程:(1)SE—J型絮凝剂絮凝→气浮→次氯酸钙氧化→炉渣吸附;(2)SE—型絮凝剂絮凝→气浮→活性炭吸附,并对每个处理过程进行了条件实验。实验结果表明:废水经流程(1)处理后,COD去除率达82—87%,色度去除率达88—92%,废水经流程(2)处理后,COD去除率达89—92%,色度去除率达97—98%。经两个流程处理后的出水水质分别接近或达到国家排放标准。     

水和废水中多氯联苯(PCBs)的测定方法及进展

本文引用了七十余篇近几年国内外的有关著文,对水和废水中的多氯联苯(PCBs)的测定方法进行了评述,全面系统地介绍了水样的采集、富集、净化和分析测定等操作程序,着重于样品的前处理和气相色谱分析,并提出了这一领域今后的发展趋势。     

引入稀释因素后的废水处理效果估算方法讨论

讨论了经稀释后废水处理时几种常州的污染物去除率及削减量的估算方法，通过实例分析了各估算方法的区别与联系，并提出了在选用估算方法时的注意事项。     

Testing biodegradability with standardized methods

Laboratory test methods are used by industry laboratories to determine biodegradability, an important parameter for the evaluation of the ecological behaviour of substances. Biodegradability has a key role due to the simple fact that a degradable substance will cause no long term risk in the environment. The great variety of biodegradation processes in the natural environment and in technical plants for treating waste water and solid wastes gave rise to a rather large number of test methods based on different test principles. To guarantee the acceptance of the test results by authorities and customers internationally standardized methods (ISO, OECD) and established quality criteria (GLP, EN 45000, ISO 9000) are used.     

排污申报数据审核的一般方法

排污申报登记工作具有数据量大、逻辑性强、专业要求高的特点,环保部门必须力求通过强化数据的审核来获得完整、准确的排污申报数据。     

不同运行策略下厌氧氨氧化的脱氮性能

采用厌氧氨氧化反应器(ASBR)处理模拟生活污水,考察低基质比、降温方式及pH对系统脱氮性能的影响.结果表明,温度为30℃时,控制进水NO_2~--N浓度为(30±0.2)mg·L~(-1),基质比(NO_2~--N/NH_4~+-N)由0.9升至1.4,系统NH_4~+-N和NO_2~--N去除率均值分别从54.4%和65.3%升至95.8%和92.5%;当基质比继续升高至1.6时,NH_4~+-N去除率基本不变,而NO_2~--N去除率降至54.6%,即基质比接近理论值1.32时,其厌氧氨氧化脱氮性能较强.当反应温度一次性从30℃降低至15℃时,NH_4~+-N和NO_2~--N的去除率由97.5%和98.5%分别降至35.2%和40.1%,当采用阶梯式降温方式(30℃→25℃→20℃→15℃)时,NH_4~+-N和NO_2~--N的去除率分别由97.7%和98.6%逐渐降至52.7%和62.4%.控制NO_2~--N/NH_4~+-N为1.4,逐步升高pH由7.7至8.5时,NH_4~+-N和NO_2~--N的去除率先增大后减小,当pH为8.3时系统脱氮性能最佳.     

不同培养方式下絮状污泥颗粒化特性和灰色关联度分析

为探索好氧颗粒污泥形成机理,开展了不同培养方式下絮状污泥颗粒化特性研究.选取3种培养方式:人工配水培养、海藻酸钠强化培养和农村模拟污水培养,利用灰色关联分析法,对比3种不同培养方式下,污泥颗粒化过程中各影响因素灰色关联度系数,筛选好氧颗粒污泥培养的关键因素.研究发现,人工配水培养方式下经过40 d成功出现好氧颗粒污泥,投加海藻酸钠强化培养方式下经过20 d出现好氧颗粒污泥,农村模拟污水经过55 d培养出好氧颗粒污泥.3种培养方式下出现的好氧颗粒污泥均具有密实的结构和较好的沉降性能,同时可实现对污染物的高效去除.利用数据处理系统(Data Processing System,DPS)对各影响因素的灰色关联度进行分析,发现不同培养方式下污泥颗粒化过程中起主导作用的影响因素并非唯一,水力停留时间和胞外聚合物在各培养方式中均具有较高的关联度系数,对好氧颗粒污泥的形成具有关键作用.