Sperm precedence and sperm storage in multiply mated red flour beetles

In insects, the last male to mate with a female often gains access to a disproportionate number of subsequent fertilizations. This study examined last-male sperm precedence patterns in doubly and triply mated Tribolium castaneum females. Sperm storage processes were investigated by measuring the quantity of sperm stored within the female spermatheca following single, double, and triple matings. Both doubly mated and triply mated females exhibited high last-male sperm precedence for progeny produced during the first 48 h following the last mating, with females in both groups exhibiting parallel declines in sperm precedence 1 and 2 weeks later. The number of sperm stored by females increased by 33% between singly mated and doubly mated females, indicating that the spermatheca is filled to only two-thirds capacity following insemination by the first male. Based on the proportion of stored sperm from first and second matings, we tested predictions about sperm precedence values based on models of random sperm mixing. High initial last-male sperm precedence strongly supports stratification of last-male sperm. By 1–2 weeks after double matings, sperm precedence declined to levels indistinguishable from values expected under random mixing. These results provide insight into mechanisms of sperm storage and utilization in this species. Received: 20 August 1997 / Accepted after revision: 24 May 1998     

Factors influencing wastewater management performance: case study of housing estates in suburban Bangkok, Thailand

As population densities have risen and settlements become increasingly crowded, wastewater effluent volumes have, not unexpectedly, also risen. The adverse impacts of effluent from housing estates (HEs) in suburban areas of Thailand, served by local wastewater management (WWM) systems, are of particular concern. Because of this problem, which reflects the poor performance of WWM systems, it has become increasingly important that the pivotal factors that hinder WWM improvements be identified and effective solutions be proposed and implemented. The goal of the research described in this paper was to determine the critical factors influencing WWM performance at HEs in suburban Bangkok, using multiple regression analysis. Three significant factors encompassing financial, social, institutional and general aspects were identified for each type of WWM system (community centralized and onsite). For the community centralized system, the key factors were house price, type of organization managing the HE, and the attitudes of the organization. For onsite systems, the three factors were total number of house units, direct experience with water pollution and percentage of occupied houses. These findings reflect the importance of having a WWM that employs an integrated approach rather than focusing on specific aspects in isolation from other factors. WWM performance could be improved if significant factors indicating high priority concerns were to be identified and properly applied. Addressing the priority concerns could, consequently, contribute to the development of appropriate environmental management measures, plans, and policies related to HE WWM.     

Formation of Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) in Surface Water Sources: Differential Ultraviolet (UV) Absorbance Approach

Chlorination for drinking water forms various disinfection byproducts (DBPs) of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Chlorination has been attributed to the destruction of activated aromatic sites of the natural organic matter (NOM) predominantly at electron rich sites. Experiments with Istanbul surface waters showed that the magnitude of the decrease in the ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 272 nm (UV₂₇₂) was an excellent indicator of destruction of these sites by chlorine. The main objective of the present study is to develop the differential UV₂₇₂ absorbance (ΔUV₂₇₂) related models for the prediction of the formation of THM, HAA, and their species in raw water samples from Terkos, Buyukcekmece, and Omerli lakes under different chlorination conditions. Significant factors affecting DBP formation in the raw waters were identified through numerical and graphical techniques. The R² values of the models varied between 0.94 and 0.97, indicating excellent predictive ability for THM₄ and HAA₉ in the raw waters. The models were validated using additional data. The results of this study concluded that addition of ΔUV₂₇₂ parameter into THM₄ and HAA₉ models make the prediction of these DBP compounds more precisely than those of DBP models developed in the past. A better understanding of these modeling systems will help the water treatment plant operators to minimize the DBP formation, providing a healthier and better drinking water quality as well as identifying strategies to improve water treatment and disinfection processes.     

Land-Use Planning in the Chaco Plain (Burruyacú, Argentina): Part 2: Generating a Consensus Plan to Mitigate Land-Use Conflicts and Minimize Land Degradation

The Burruyacú district (Tucumán province, Northwest Argentina) has been traditionally an area with rural activities based on the exploitation of the Chaco forest for timber and livestock browsing. Since the 1960s, local institutions started promoting soybean due to favorable land conditions and good market prices. Soybean extension, as from the 1970s, has resulted in important reduction of the Chaco forest and also caused physical soil degradation, especially soil compaction and erosion. A land-use-planning exercise was carried out using the Land-Use Planning and Information System (LUPIS) as a spatial decision support system. LUPIS facilitates the generation of alternative land-use plans by adjusting the relative importance attributed by multiple stakeholders to preference and avoidance policies. The system leads to the allocation of competing land uses to land map units in accordance with their preferred resource requirements, conditional upon the resource base of the area and the stakeholders' demands. After generating a land use plan for each stakeholder category identified in the study area, including commercial farmers, conservative/conventional farmers, and conservationists, a consensus plan was established to address the land-use conflicts between mechanized agriculture, traditional agriculture and forest conservation, and to mitigate soil degradation caused by extensive dry-farming. Although the planning exercise did not directly involve the stakeholders, the results are sufficiently practical and realistic to suggest that the approach could be extended to the entire Chaco plain region.     

超声相控阵检测焊缝三维可视化

介绍超声相控阵扇形（s型）扫查法对焊缝实施全体积检测的优势：信号（色码幅度）实时显示,自动存储,特别是检测数据可三维（5D）显示,又可多视角观测,缺陷四定（定位、定性、定量、定级）更方便,符合国际权威法规ASME最新版（2011a）的有关要求。期盼UT人员能在日常焊缝检测中熟练运用相控阵三维可视化技术。     

A new method for the prediction of flash points for ternary miscible mixtures

The flash point is one of the most important physicochemical parameters used to characterize the fire and explosion hazard for flammable liquids. The flash points of ternary miscible mixtures with different components and compositions were measured in this study. Four model input parameters, being normal boiling point, the standard enthalpy of vaporization, the average number of carbon atoms and the stoichiometric concentration of the gas phase for mixtures, were employed and calculated based on the theory of vapor–liquid equilibrium. Both multiple linear regression (MLR) and multiple nonlinear regression (MNR) methods were applied to develop prediction models for the flash points of ternary miscible mixtures. The developed predictive models were validated using data measured experimentally as well as taking data on flash points of ternairy mixtures from the literature. Results showed that the obtained average absolute error of both the MLR and the MNR model for all the datasets were within the range of experimental error of flash point measurements. It is shown that the presented models can be effectively used to predict the flash points of ternary mixtures with only some common physicochemical parameters.     

基于小波分析优化PM 2.5浓度预测模型

采用多元线性回归方法(MLR)和BP神经网络方法(BPNN),按1 h、3 h、6 h、12 h、24 h、48 h预测时长对贵港市2015—2018年PM_2.5浓度建模并检验对比模型准确率。结果表明,基于MLR与BPNN都能对PM_2.5浓度作预测,预测效果随着预测时长的增加而下降,MLR、BPNN模型预测结果平均绝对误差(MAE)分别为4.01μg/m³~15.48μg/m³、3.89μg/m³~15.63μg/m³。采用小波分析方法对污染物数据优化并再次建模,结果表明,小波-多元线性回归(W-MLR)模型与小波-神经网络(W-BPNN)模型均得到优化,3 h~24 h预测时长优化效果尤为显著,W-MLR、W-BPNN模型预测结果分别使MAE降低1.6%~13.5%、0.8%~9.8%,且后者预测效果优于前者。     

膨胀石墨吸附材料在环境保护中的应用

介绍了膨胀石墨吸附材料的特点、结合国内外研究资料和我们对膨胀石墨吸附性能的研究，重点分析了这种新型吸附材料在环境保护中的各种用途     

青藏高原东缘黄土石英光释光信号积分区间选择

光释光信号积分区间的选择对等效剂量（D _e ）的估算有重要影响。光释光衰减曲线并非单一的指数衰减,而由多个指数衰减函数组成,且每个衰减函数代表不同的信号组分。因矿物晶格陷阱类型不同,各组分有不同的衰减率、热稳定性等。本文对采自青藏高原东缘4个典型黄土分布区的黄土样品进行了系统的石英光释光组分分析和背景区间扣除研究。结果发现：（1）高原东缘黄土石英光释光信号由快、中、慢组分组成,并以快组分占主导,适合用单片再生剂量法测定等效剂量;（2）不同背景区间扣除对小于10 Gy样品等效剂量结果影响较小,误差范围内一致;（3）对大于10 Gy样品,选取早、晚不同背景区间扣除其等效剂量结果差异显著,两者差值占晚期背景扣除所得D _e 值的10%—38%,且有随D _e 值增加而增大的趋势,因此计算大于10 Gy样品D _e 时应慎重选择积分区间。     

沧炼曝气池串联改造的应用

论述了沧炼曝气池由原来的并联运行改造为串联运行的原理，特点，并经过运行证明，改造后的曝气池运行方式更加灵活，且其耐冲击能力，处理效果等有较大幅度的提高。