Degeneration of sperm reservoir and the loss of mating ability in worker ants

Workers never mate in the large majority of ants, and they have usually lost the spermatheca, an organ specialized for long-term storage of sperm. Such ‘non-sexual’ workers are restricted to laying unfertilized eggs that give rise to males, and they cannot compete with the queens for the production of female offspring. In sharp contrast, workers in 200–300 species from phylogenetically basal subfamilies can reproduce sexually (‘gamergates’) because they retain a functional spermatheca like the queens. Importantly, ‘non-sexual’ workers in closely related species have a vestigial spermatheca. In this study, we compared the reservoir epithelium of ‘sexual’ workers to that of congeneric queens and ‘non-sexual’ workers using 21 species of Amblyoponinae, Ponerinae and Ectatomminae. We show that a pronounced thickening of the epithelium near the opening of the sperm duct is strictly associated with sexual reproduction in both castes. This is unlike ‘non-sexual’ workers in which this epithelium is always very thin, with few organelles; but all other structures remain intact. We discuss this evolutionary degeneration of the spermatheca and how it relates to behavioural or physiological modifications linked to mating. Our results help understand the loss of sexual reproduction by ant workers, a critical step in the extreme specialization of their phenotype.     

雨水调蓄池与苏州河市政泵站排江污染削减分析

雨天苏州河延岸市政泵站的排江污染是造成苏州河水质不稳定的原因之一,在兼顾防汛与截污的基础上,对延岸大泵站建设雨水调蓄池是削减苏州河排江污染负荷的重要工程,通过对成都路调蓄池试运行研究,估算每年可削减成都路泵站排江量50%以上,削减CODcr 11.53吨、SS 4.76吨。     

Yearlong hibernation in a marsupial mammal

Many mammals hibernate each year for about 6 months in autumn and winter and reproduce during spring and summer when they are generally not in torpor. I tested the hypothesis that the marsupial pygmy-possum (Cercartetus nanus), an opportunistic nonseasonal hibernator with a capacity for substantial fattening, would continue to hibernate well beyond winter. I also quantified how long they were able to hibernate without access to food before their body fat stores were depleted. Pygmy-possums exhibited a prolonged hibernation season lasting on average for 310 days. The longest hibernation season in one individual lasted for 367 days. For much of this time, despite periodic arousals after torpor bouts of ∼12.5 days, energy expenditure was reduced to only ∼2.5% of that predicted for active individuals. These observations represent the first report on body-fat-fuelled hibernation of up to an entire year and provide new evidence that prolonged hibernation is not restricted to placental mammals living in the cold.     

CO2收集封存战略及其对我国远期减缓CO2排放的潜在作用

碳收集封存(CCS)已被广泛地认为是一种潜在的、可供选择的CO₂减排方案,以稳定大气中CO₂浓度、减缓气候变化.本文介绍了CCS的3大环节：碳的捕获、运输与储存,对不同捕获技术及其技术经济参数进行分析评价,介绍了不同碳地质储存的机理、潜力与成本, 以及CCS的应用对全球减缓碳排放的作用.更新中国MARKAL模型,加入各种可能的CCS技术,特别是考虑CCS的煤间接液化以及多联产技术,以同时考虑石油安全与CO₂减排.通过设置不同的情景,应用中国MARKAL模型研究了CCS对我国远期（到2050年）减缓CO₂排放的潜在作用,结果表明,CCS技术的应用不仅可能减少我国的碳排放,降低边际碳减排成本（碳减排率50%时,下降率达45%）,减轻高减排率时对核电的高度依赖,还可能使我国更长时间地清洁利用煤炭资源（在C70情景下,2050年煤在一次能源消费中的比例可从10%增到30%）.我国应重视对CCS技术的研发以及示范项目的建设.     

贮罐区事故隐患分析及对策

通过对贮罐区组成、贮存物质的理化性质、不安全因素、贮罐区现状的调查,运用事故隐患分析的原理,对调查结果进行了分析,并根据治理隐患一般遵循的10项原则,提出了有针对性的防范对策.     

运用PLC技术构建储油罐消防系统的自动控制

介绍了运用PLC技术构建储油罐消防系统自动控制的工作原理和过程,说明了PLC技术在储油罐消防系统的自动控制中应用的技术特点及应用效果.     

硫磺安全仓储关键技术

介绍了硫磺火灾爆炸机理,并对硫磺仓储系统的危险性进行了分析。结合相关实验数据,提出了仓库设计、工艺运行、事故预防中的安全措施,以保证硫磺散装系统能够安全、长周期平稳运行。     

航空导弹贮存期寿命分析

系统地阐述了航空导弹贮存期寿命分析的相关背景和基本概念.从导弹贮存过程中故障发生的原因分类出发,区分了导弹贮存过程中涉及到的贮存寿命、免维修期、维修间隔期、使用寿命等概念.介绍了国内外导弹贮存期寿命分析相关研究领域的进展情况.最后,对航空导弹贮存期寿命分析领域的发展方向及关键技术进行了展望.     

硝化污泥保藏特性的研究

研究了不同保藏方法对硝化污泥硝化活性和相关性状的影响.结果表明,不同饥饿保藏条件下,各种方法下的硝化活性均呈指数衰减,自然环境、4 ℃、-20 ℃、-20℃加15%体积甘油方法下的活性衰减速率分别为0.012 d-1、0.021 d-1、0.019 d-1、0.013 d-1,半衰期分别为1.71、1.09、1.22、...     

珠江三角洲森林生态系统碳密度分配及其储量动态特征

 在测定植被的含碳率与土壤有机碳含量的基础上,研究了南亚热带珠江三角洲地区森林生态系统碳密度分配及其储量动态.结果表明:植被平均含碳率为35.81%~51.60%,按照生物量加权的含碳率为46.57%~52.45%;土壤有机碳含量及其差异程度为表层最高,随土壤深度增加,有机碳含量及其差异逐渐减小;相同龄级的植被含碳率与土壤含碳量均表现为阔叶林>针阔混交林>针叶林,不同龄级的森林均表现为成龄林>中龄林>幼龄林.植被碳密度与土壤碳密度范围分别为23.58~139.18,55.54~151.16t/hm2,而且土壤分配比例均大于植被分配比例,但土壤分配比例随着龄级的增长呈下降趋势.1989~2003年间,珠江三角洲森林生态系统总体碳储量及其碳密度均呈上升趋势,这说明在改革开放高速发展时期珠江三角洲森林生态系统由于生物量的增加,起到了重要的碳汇功能,而且其碳汇功能正逐步提高.