Depressed resilience of bluefin tuna in the western atlantic and age truncation

Following intense overfishing in the 1970s, the western stock of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) experienced a long period of depressed abundance, which has been attributed to failure of the population to periodically produce large numbers of juveniles, the western stock mixing with the more highly exploited eastern stock (fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea), and regime shift in the population's ecosystem resulting in lower replacement rates. To evaluate the presence of relatively strong years of juvenile production, we analyzed age structure from a recent sample of otoliths (ear stones) collected from the western stock (2011–2013, North Carolina, U.S.A., winter fishery). Mixing levels for the recent sample were analyzed using otolith stable isotopes to test whether age structure might be biased through immigration of eastern stock bluefin tuna. Age structure from historical samples collected from United States and Canadian fisheries (1975–1981) was compared with more recent samples (1996–2007) to examine whether demographic changes had occurred to the western stock that might have disrupted juvenile production. Relatively high juvenile production occurred in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Otolith stable isotope analysis showed that these recruitments were mostly of western stock origin. However, these high recruitments were >2‐fold less than historical recruitment. We found substantial age truncation in the sampled fisheries. Half the historical sample was >20 years old (mean age = 20.1 [SD 3.7]; skewness = ?0.3), whereas <5% of the recent sample was >20 years old (mean age = 13.4 [SD 3.8]; skewness = 1.3). Loss of age structure is consistent with changes in fishing selectivity and trends in the stock assessment used for management. We propose that fishing, as a forcing variable, brought about a threshold shift in the western stock toward lower biomass and production, a shift that emulates the regime shift hypothesis. An abbreviated reproductive life span compromised resilience by reducing the period over which adults spawn and thereby curtailing the stock's ability to sample year‐to‐year variability in conditions that favor offspring survival (i.e., storage effect). Because recruitment dynamics by the western stock exhibit threshold dynamics, returning it to a higher production state will entail greater reductions in exploitation rates.     

Kinetic analysis of anaerobic phosphorus release during biological phosphorus removal process

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is a commonly used and sustainable method for phosphorus removal from wastewater. Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyphosphate, and glycogen are three kinds of intracellular storage polymers in phosphorus accumulation organisms. The variation of these polymers under different conditions has an apparent influence on anaerobic phosphorus release, which is very important for controlling the performance of EBPR. To obtain the mechanism and kinetic character of anaerobic phosphorus release, a series of batch experiments were performed using the excessively aerated sludge from the aerobic unit of the biological phosphorus removal system in this study. The results showed that the volatile suspended solid (VSS) had an increasing trend, while the mixed liquid suspended sludge (MLSS) and ashes were reduced during the anaerobic phosphorus release process. The interruption of anaerobic HAc-uptake and phosphorus-release occurs when the glycogen in the phosphorus-accumulating-organisms is exhausted. Under the condition of lower initial HAc-COD, HAc became the limiting factor after some time for anaerobic HAc uptake. Under the condition of higher initial HAc-COD, HAc uptake was stopped because of the depletion of glycogen in the microorganisms. The mean ratio of Δρ _P/Δρ _PHB, Δρ _GLY/Δρ _PHB, Δρ _P/ΔCOD, was 0.48, 0.50, 0.44, and 0.92, respectively, which was nearly the same as the theoretical value. The calibrated kinetic parameters of the HAc-uptake and phosphorus-release model were evaluated as follows: Q _HAc,max was 164 mg/(g · h), Q _P,max was 69.9 mg/(g · h), K _gly was 0.005, and KCOD was 3 mg/L. An apparently linear correlation was observed between the ratio of Δρ _P/ΔCOD and pH of the solution, and the equation between them was obtained in this study. Translated from Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 2005, 25(9), 1164–1169 [译自: 环境科学学报]     

VTBR反应器的应用与设计

类似于多个深井曝气池串联起来运行的VTBR反应器具有多种其他反应器不具备的优点,在多个行业(化纤,啤酒,生活污水)废水的工程中取得了成功,该反应器具有较高速率的质量传递,使得溶解氧的效率要比目前的常压耗氧生物曝气法要高得很多;正确的设计是保证工程正常运行成功的关键.     

双SBR脱氮除磷工艺的数学模型分析

应用ASM2和Delft代谢模型,结合双SBR(A2-SBR)脱氮除磷系统的特点,建立了数学模拟器,并将其运用于双SBR脱氮除磷系统运行特性的动力学分析.主要探讨了不同泥龄、碳氮比、碳磷比对系统的影响,并从模型的角度进行了分析.结果表明,利用ASM2和Delft代谢模型结合所建立的数学模拟器可以对双SBR(A2-SBR)脱氮除磷系统进行模拟.双SBR中具有脱氮除磷功能的A2-SBR的运行参数是关键因素,最佳污泥龄为9～12d时,碳氮比为3.75左右,碳磷比大于15条件下,双SBR运行正常,能得到较好的处理效果.当系统在泥龄大于12d条件下运行时,由于PAO储存了大量的聚合态磷(XPP/XPAO接近0.5)造成除磷效率降低.同样的原因也导致了碳磷比值低于15时,PAO的聚磷反应变慢或停止.     

过量氮输入对寡营养海水细菌群落代谢潜力的影响

细菌在海洋氮循环中起关键作用,而过量氮输入对细菌群落代谢潜力的影响还未被充分阐明.本研究通过构建3组寡营养海水生态微宇宙,包括对照组、一次性输入组(一次性输入硝酸盐使体系中硝氮浓度为1.0 mg·L-1)和连续性输入组(每隔2 d输入一次硝酸盐,使体系中硝氮浓度每次增加0.125 mg·L-1,直至与一次性输入组达到相同水平),利用Biolog-Eco板技术和16S rDNA PICRUSt(Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states)功能基因预测,研究过量氮输入下细菌群落代谢潜力的动态变化.结果表明,实验第16 d,氮的连续性输入提高了细菌群落的碳源利用能力,对照和连续性输入组中碳源利用特征随采样时间发生了显著变化.此外,预测到的功能基因家族组成随时间明显变化,并与亚硝酸盐、铵盐、磷酸盐、化学需氧量、溶解氧、pH和总磷密切相关,固氮、异化硝酸盐还原、反硝化、异化硝酸盐还原到铵和同化硝酸盐还原相关基因的相对丰度受到了氮输入的影响,而氮连续输入导致的氮代谢相关基因变化较一次性输入更为普遍.本研究初步揭示了过量氮输入对寡营养海水细菌群落代谢潜力的影响,为探明近岸海域过量氮输入的微生态效应提供了基础数据.     

含四环素沼肥对蔬菜品质及抗性基因的影响

为探讨含四环素沼肥的生态毒性,采用盆栽试验研究了含四环素沼肥对小白菜品质、土壤微生物群落代谢功能多样性及抗性基因的影响. 结果表明:与CK相比,添加高浓度(15 mg/kg)四环素沼肥处理下,小白菜鲜质量和w(维生素C)分别降低了5.7%和16.7%,w(硝酸盐)增加了34.3%. Biolog微平板分析显示,添加高浓度四环素的沼肥显著提高了土壤微生物群落碳源利用多样性和物种丰富度. 实时荧光定量PCR分析发现,在小白菜幼苗期,添加高浓度四环素的沼肥处理下,土壤中四环素类抗性基因相对丰度比CK高出0.69~4.03倍. 无论沼肥中是否添加四环素,施肥后小白菜内生菌中均存在抗性基因,并且小白菜内生菌抗性基因相对丰度均以CK最高,比其他处理高出0.55~325.72倍. 研究显示,添加四环素的沼肥改变了小白菜品质和产量以及土壤微生物群落碳源利用多样性和物种丰富度,增加了土壤中四环素类抗性基因丰度,降低了小白菜内生菌的抗性基因水平.      

A~2/N-SBR工艺短程反硝化除磷脱氮研究

以生活污水作为处理对象,研究了双污泥短程硝化-反硝化除磷工艺A2/N-SBR长期反硝化除磷脱氮的性能,考察了典型周期系统运行效果,并探讨短程反硝化聚磷菌代谢机制。结果表明:A2/N-SBR工艺长期稳定运行有机物去除及脱氮除磷性能良好;典型周期内NO-2-N和TP出水浓度分别为0.53 mg/L和1.14 mg/L,TP去除率达88.8%;厌氧释磷阶段COD和胞内糖原浓度分别减少107.21 mg/L和76.81 mg/L,内碳源PHB含量增加150.88 mg/L,厌氧末期TP浓度是初始TP浓度的2.6倍,缺氧吸磷阶段TP和NO-2-N去除率分别为94%和96%。A2/N-SBR工艺脱氮除磷效果显著且稳定性强,短程反硝化聚磷菌吸磷反应的电子供体PHB的合成来自外碳源和糖原。     

Effects of alkali promoters on the textural and catalytic properties of mesoporous Fe–Al–Cu catalysts for water gas shift reaction

Mesoporous Fe₂O₃–Al₂O₃–CuO catalysts promoted with alkali oxides were synthesized and used in water gas shift reaction (WGSR) at high temperatures for hydrogen purification. These chromium-free catalysts were characterized using nitrogen adsorption/desorption, hydrogen temperature programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The synthesized catalysts with narrow single-modal pore size distribution in mesopore region possessed high specific surface area. The catalytic results revealed that except Cs, the addition of other alkali promoters declined the catalytic activity. However, all catalysts showed higher catalytic performance than the conventional commercial catalyst. The results showed an optimum content of Cs promoter (3 wt.%) for the promoted Fe–Al–Cu catalyst (3 wt.% Cs-FAC), which exhibited the highest activity in WGSR at high temperature.     

Internal and External Factors Influencing Time-Related Injury Risk in Continuous Shift Work

Time-related accident risk in shift work may be attributed to internal factors, such as fatigue, level of performance, sleep propensity, and to some external factors, like shift system, physical and social environment. Six hundred and sixty-eight events in the metallurgical industry have been analysed in terms of time of day, time on task, consecutive day of the shift block, day of the week, and season.

The injury rate was similar on all shifts but more severe accidents happened in the nighttime. Somewhat more injuries occurred in the second half of the shift, in the second part of a shift block, and in summer compared with winter. There were fewer injuries at weekends.     

Fighting against water crisis in China—A glimpse of water regime shift at county level

Three decades of economy growth and urbanization has brought China into the rim of water crisis. Transition to sustainability has gained consensus and put into practice at all administrative levels. However, due to locking mechanisms such as sunken investments, vested interests, and economic structure, such transition would not prove to be easy. Here we adopt the Multi-Level Perspective framework to analyze a county level water regime shift in Yiwu of Zhejiang province, which is representative for its economic success and severity of water problem in China. The transition is described as the interactions between water regime subsystems including society, economy, administration, infrastructure, and natural water cycling process, as well as the influence from the landscape level such as politics. Figures show that the water system is making a turnaround to the better side, while the government plays a key role in pushing and managing the transition. This study allows us to have a glimpse of the whole water regime transition currently happening in China, as well as being used for reference in other parts of the developing world, for the promoting of sustainable water resource management.