Mass-dependent take-off ability in wintering great tits (Parus major): comparison of top-ranked adult males and subordinate juvenile females

When birds are attacked by predators, initial take-off is crucial for survival. Theoretical studies have predicted that predation risk in terms of impaired flight ability increases with body weight. However, studies in which attacks were simulated, and within-individual daily changes in body weight were used to test mass-dependent take-off outside migration period, have so far failed to show an effect of mass on velocity. In this field study I compared the mass/velocity relationships of alarmed adult male and juvenile female great tits, Parus major. Fattening strategies differ among members of the dominance-structured basic flocks of wintering great tits, and dominant individuals often carry significantly less amount of fat reserves than subordinates. Since the range of body weight gain/loss is the least among dominant males, it was expected that impaired flight ability is more likely in lower-ranked female great tits. The results show that the birds differed significantly in their daily increase of relative body weight. Average daily weight increase of adult males was 6.2%, while it was 12.2% in juvenile females. Males were faster than females at take-off both at dawn and at dusk. Flight velocity of males did not differ significantly between dawn and dusk, whereas females took off at a significantly lower speed at dusk than at dawn. The results suggest that the larger fat reserves of subordinate females needed to increase their chances of overwinter survival probably place them at increased risk of predation. Electronic Publication     

Contest behaviour in the speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria): seasonal phenotypic plasticity and the functional significance of flight performance

Although contemporary animal contest theory emphasises the importance of physical asymmetries in resolving disputes, such asymmetries do not obviously settle fights in all groups. Territorial male butterflies, for example, compete via elaborate non-contact aerial interactions in which success is determined by relative persistence. Prior research suggests that the resolution of these contests is not clearly related to physical variables such as body size or energy reserves. However, given that the contests involve elaborate aerial manoeuvres, one long-standing suggestion is that asymmetries in flight performance, and thus flight morphology, may be important. We addressed this hypothesis via a manipulative investigation into the biophysical correlates of contest success in the speckled wood butterfly, Pararge aegeria. This species possesses the ability for significant adaptive phenotypic plasticity in relevant flight morphological parameters. We took advantage of this plasticity to rear 90 individuals of markedly varying flight morphologies, which we then pitted against each other in a semi-controlled experimental fashion. Multiple logistic and lognormal analyses provided little evidence for the relevance of morphological parameters, including relative flight musculature, wing loading and wing aspect ratio (wing length relative to area), to the outcome and/or duration of experimental contests. Instead, we found a positive effect of age upon contest success. Given that ability for high acceleration is strongly linked to variation in these morphological parameters, our findings suggest that flight performance is not a strong determinant of resource-holding potential in this notably territorial butterfly.     

轧辊辊型曲线的计算机辅助设计

用影响函数法确定普通四辊轧机辊系的弹性变形 ,用有限单元法确定工作辊的热凸度 ,在此基础上耦合求解轧辊原始辊型曲线 ,与现场使用的辊型曲线对比表明 :该法能较准确地快速确定轧辊的原始辊型     

利用造纸黑液木质素制备沥青乳化剂的研究

本文介绍了以木质素为原料制备沥青乳化剂的原理和方法，并比较了乳化成本、乳化性能。将该成果应用于生产具有明显的经济效益和环境效益。     

Nature of the action of a compost from olive mill wastewater on Cu sorption by soils

The reaction of two soils that have received composted OMW as manure with Cu solutions is studied. The data were fitted into a multi‐reaction model which considers both reversible and irreversible adsorption sites, and an ‘instantaneous’ fraction. The presence of composted OMW caused a strong increase in the distribution coefficient describing the instantaneous fraction, and the disappearance of the irreversible fraction. This behaviour was attributed to blocking of some sorbing surfaces by the organics, and to new surfaces present in the compost. These effects can have some environmental significance from the viewpoint of Cu mobility.     

湿法脱硫石灰石制浆系统的比选

石灰石制浆系统被广泛应用于燃煤电厂石灰石／石膏湿法烟气脱硫系统中。对典型的湿磨制浆和石灰石粉制浆系统从工艺流程特点、设备组成、技术经济等方面进行详细的分析比较。考虑到1000MW机组工程石灰石耗量较大，从电厂长期运行角度考虑，推荐采用技术成熟、运行经济的石灰石湿磨制浆方案，同时要加强湿磨制浆系统的日常维护和管理：     

Echolocation signals of the bat Eptesicus serotinus recorded using a vertical microphone array: effect of flight altitude on searching signals

The acoustic behaviour of Eptesicus serotinus was investigated in the field using a 13.5-m vertical, linear microphone array that allowed for simultaneous recordings at three different heights and for the calculation of flight altitude and distance from the array. Recordings were made at two locations that differed in bat species diversity. E. serotinus hunted on average at an altitude of 10.7 m (±2.7) at one location and 6.8 m (±3.6) at the other location. Search signals were 5–17 ms long depending on flight altitude, and consisted of two to three frequency-modulated harmonics. For bats flying below 8–10 m altitude, signal duration decreased with decreasing flight altitude, whereas signal interval, terminal frequency, peak frequency and frequency range of the first harmonic increased. Above 8–10 m flight altitude, the signal parameters were fairly constant. The –10 dB bandwidth and duty cycle did not change with flight altitude. Source levels were calculated to between 121 and 125 dB peSPL re 20 μPa at 10 cm. For bats flying higher than 9 m, the microphone placed 1.5 m above the ground recorded significantly reduced signal durations and frequency ranges of the first harmonic compared to the same signals recorded with the microphones at heights of 7 or 15 m. We caution the use of ground recordings to fully describe the echolocation signals of high-flying bats. We demonstrate that flight altitude significantly influences the structure of sonar signals from E. serotinus. Received: 17 May 1999 / Received in revised form: 20 September 1999 / Accepted: 25 September 1999     

水泥厂清库作业必须用好安全绳

简述了水泥厂贮存生料和熟料的直筒库清库作业中常常发生人身伤害事故的原因,提出了预防事故的措施。     

扬州电厂200MW机组烟气脱硫石灰石制粉系统

介绍了扬州电厂石灰石制粉系统、主要设计参数及其核心设备的技术特点，为同类工程提供参考。