Diet quality affects an attractive white plumage pattern in dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis)

Sexually selected traits that act as signals of quality often display some degree of condition dependence. In birds, condition dependence of ornamental plumage is often mediated by production costs related to acquisition or allocation of dietary resources. White plumage ornaments, however, have often been assumed to be inexpensive because their production requires neither pigment nor specialized feather structure. In male dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), the size of a white patch on the tail contributes to attractiveness and mating success. Using captive males, we examined the effects of diet quality on the size and brightness of the tail-white patch. After removing four tail feathers to induce replacement, we maintained subjects on a subsistence (low-protein) or enriched (high-protein) diet while induced feathers grew. Birds that received an enriched diet grew their feathers more quickly and grew larger, brighter white patches. Feather growth rate was positively correlated with the increase in the size of the tail-white patch, a relationship that was stronger in the subsistence diet group. However, within diet treatments, faster-grown feathers were slightly duller. Taken together, these results suggest that variation in diet quality may lead to condition-dependent expression of tail white and that condition dependence may be stronger in more stressful environments. We suggest a mechanism by which increased feather growth rate may lead to an increase in the size of the tail-white patch and discuss potential trade-offs between signal size and brightness.     

上海市蔬菜地土壤硝态氮状况研究

以上海市郊不同管理方式下菜地表层土壤采样测定土壤硝态氮含量为基础,并以水稻土等土壤作为对照,以期了解上海蔬菜地土壤硝态氮的现状,为菜地的合理施肥提出科学依据。结果表明,由于管理方式不同,土壤的硝态氮的NO3--N质量分数差异明显。大棚蔬菜地土壤中NO3--N明显高于其它其他用地管理方式下的土壤,依次为:w(大棚蔬菜地)>w(露天蔬菜地)>w(传统自留地),而且土壤硝态氮的积累是全剖面性的,而非仅在表层,如在80~100cm土层,大棚土壤硝态氮也为农田的好几倍。而且,大棚蔬菜地土壤盐渍化明显,主要特点之一是硝态氮积累,盐分高的土壤一般硝态氮也高。此外,长期大量的N肥投入引起了土壤酸化。土壤pH与土壤NO3--N质量分数呈线性负相关,经统计检验相关性达极显著水平。     

Cave molly females (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae, Teleostei) like well-fed males

We examined the preference of Atlantic molly females (Poecilia mexicana) to associate with a well-fed or a starved male in simultaneous choice tests. Females from three different populations were tested in three treatments: (1) the females could choose on the basis of multiple cues from the males (visual plus non-visual); (2) only non-visual cues could be perceived in darkness, (3) only visual cues were presented. The three tested populations differ clearly in their ecology: one population occurs in a typical river habitat, the second one in a milky sulfur creek outside a cave, and the third population occurs in a cave habitat (cave molly). In the river-dwelling population, females never showed a preference. In the population from the sulfur creek, females preferred to associate with the well-nourished male when visual cues from the males were available. Only cave molly females exhibited a strong preference for well-nourished males in all treatments. A morphological comparison demonstrated that wild-caught males from river habitats are typically in a good nutritional state. In the sulfur creek, males showed signs of starvation. Cave molly males were in an even worse nutritional state. In the cave population, saturated males probably indicate high fitness, thereby driving the evolution of the preference for good male nutritional state.Communicated by K. Lindström     

水质酸化对水生生物影响的研究

通过人工模拟试验,评价了水体酸化对不同营养级水生生物的影响.结果表明,不同营养级水生生物忍耐pH的阈限为5.0—5.5.     

石灰湿法脱硫过程中pH条件对结垢的影响研究

针对石灰湿法脱硫中存在的结垢问题，在鼓泡床中模拟了石灰湿法脱硫过程，通过分析液相的组成，结合反应机理探讨了pH对结垢的影响。结果表明，当pH控制在6.0～4．0时，既能避免结垢，又能获得较高的脱硫率。提出了实际中预测结垢倾向的方法。     

DO和pH值在短程硝化中的作用

在SBR反应器中对DO和pH值在短程硝化和半亚硝化过程中的作用进行试验研究,结果表明,控制低DO和适宜的pH值在短程硝化过程中起着重要的作用.本试验条件下,当DO为0.5～1.0 mg/L、pH值为7.5～8.0时,在SBR反应器中很容易实现短程硝化;当DO＞0.3 mg/L时,DO越低,出水NO2--N积累率越高;当pH值＞6.8时,不会影响系统NO2--N积累的稳定性.另外,研究结果还表明,通过控制DO和pH值可以实现半亚硝化.本试验条件下,当进水氨氮浓度为120 mg/L时,控制DO为0.3～0.4 mg/L可实现出水半亚硝化;当进水氨氮浓度为200 mg/L时,控制DO为0.5～0.6 mg/L或pH值为6.8也可以实现出水半亚硝化.     

各种影响因子对电解法预处理医药废水的影响研究

探讨了电解法预处理医药废水时停留时间、电解电压、废水初始浓度、温度和废水pH值等影响因子对去除色度、COD和提高废水可生化性等处理效果的影响，并考察了其应用于工业实际废水处理的可行性。实验结果表明：电解法更适合高浓度医药废水的处理，色度的去除率可达到90％以上；电解时间宜控制在40-60min；电解电压越高，废水COD和色度去除效果越好；在实验温度范围内，温度对色度和COD去除率的影响不大；废水pH值为7．5时电解效果最佳，工程运用宜控制在6—9之间。     

以pH和ORP作为脉冲SBR工艺的实时控制参数

为了实现脉冲SBR深度脱氮的实时控制，以某污水处理厂市政污水为处理对象，考察了脉冲SBR在深度脱氮过程中pH及ORP的变化规律。试验结果表明，pH及ORP的变化规律与脉冲SBR有机物去除、硝化与反硝化过程存在较好的相关关系。可以根据pH和ORP变化曲线上的特征点对脉冲SBR进行实时控制。并考察了污水C／N（COD／NH4^＋-N）对pH及ORP的变化规律的影响。在硝化过程中，C／N对pH及ORP曲线变化点的出现没有影响；在反硝化过程中，应结合pH值“硝酸盐峰”和ORP“硝酸盐膝”来判断低C／N污水反硝化的终点。在该试验中，出水TN低于2mg／L，TN去除率可达到96％以上。     

H2O2 formation from photocatalytic processes at the ZnO/water interface

The paper focuses on the production of H2O2 by photocatalysis over ZnO in an aerated aqueous phase. The presence of different reductants that increase the H2O2 production in the aqueous phase is analysed; particular attention is paid to nitrite, which has been shown to be the reductant that produces the most significant increments in the H2O2 production. The photocatalytic anodic decomposition of ZnO in the presence of the different reductants is also investigated. From the results obtained, the relevance of the ZnO photocatalysis in the formation of environmental hydrogen peroxide is estimated.     

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.