Ectoparasites of house sparrows (Passer domesticus): an experimental test of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis and a new model

Conspicuous secondary sexual traits may have evolved as handicap-revealing signals or as badges of status. We present results of an experiment using males of the sexually dimorphic house sparrow (Passer domesticus), that support the idea that the male-specific bib can be both a handicap-revealing signal and a reliable badge indicating the physical condition of the bird. In a test of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, wild-caught adult male house sparrows were studied in captivity. Birds implanted with elevated doses of testosterone were more dominant, had higher circulating levels of both testosterone and corticosterone and they also harboured relatively larger ectoparasite loads. Higher parasite loads were also associated with individuals showing lower immunocompetence and larger changes in bib size. A new model for immunocompetence effects in sexual selection is introduced, integrating actions that the hypothalamopituitary axis exerts on gonads, adrenals and the thyroid gland. The ”integrated immunocompetence model” synthesizes both the ”handicap” (i.e. survival-decreasing) and ”badge of status” (i.e. survival- enhancing) models for evolution of secondary sexual traits. Received: 15 May 1999 / Received in revised form: 2 November 1999 / Accepted: 6 November 1999     

Experimental evidence of a testosterone-induced shift from paternal to mating behaviour in a facultatively polygynous songbird

Previous studies have suggested that testosterone (T) profiles of male birds reflect a trade-off between mate attraction behaviours (requiring high T levels) and parental care activities (requiring low T levels). In this study, we experimentally elevated T levels of monogamous males in the facultatively polygynous European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and compared mate attraction and paternal behaviour of T-treated males with those of controls (C-males). T-males significantly reduced their participation in incubation and fed nestlings significantly less often than C-males. Females paired to T-treated males did not compensate for their mate’s lower paternal effort. The observed reduction in a male’s investment in incubating the eggs was accompanied by an increased investment in typical female-attracting behaviours: T-males spent a significantly higher proportion of their time singing to attract additional females. They also occupied more additional nestboxes than C-males, although the differences just failed to be significant, and carried significantly more green nesting materials into an additional nestbox (a behaviour previously shown to serve a courtship function). T-males also behaved significantly more aggressively than C-males. During the nestling period, the frequency of mate-attracting behaviours by T-treated and control males no longer differed significantly. Despite the reduced paternal effort by T-males and the lack of compensation behaviour by females, hatching and breeding success did not differ significantly between T- and C-pairs. Received: 7 February 2000 / Revised: 10 August 2000 / Accepted: 3 September 2000     

Sexual selection on mature male parr of masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou): does sneaking behavior favor small body size and less-developed sexual characters?

In many salmonid species, males exhibit morphological dimorphism associated with alternative mating behaviors. ”Precocious males” have a small body size with little or no development of sexual characters and adopt sneaking to gain access to females, while ”migratory males” of large body size and well-developed secondary sexual characters fight. We quantified selection on precocious male parr of masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) under simulated natural conditions to examine the contribution of morphology to sneaking success. In contrast to the prediction that sneaking behavior favors small body size, we detected selection favoring relatively large body size for sneaking success. This selection pressure was caused by the dominance hierarchy within parr and may have been facilitated by indifference of dominant migratory males to parr. Unlike the secondary sexual characters exhibited by migratory male salmon, such as the hooked snout and humped back, no morphological characters other than body size contributed to the reproductive success of masu salmon parr. This non-contribution may have been responsible for the lack of development of sexual characters in precocious males. Received: 15 November 1999 / Accepted: 20 May 2000     

Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri Kuhl, 1818) hawks for prey close to vegetation using echolocation signals of very broad bandwidth

We present a hitherto unknown prey perception strategy in bats: Myotis nattereri (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) is able to perceive prey by echolocation within a few centimeters of echo-cluttering vegetation, by using frequency-modulated search signals of very large bandwidth (up to 135 kHz). We describe the species’ search behavior and echolocation repertoire from the field and from experiments in a flight tent. In the field, bats varied signal parameters in relation to their distance from vegetation and usually flew close to vegetation. In the flight tent, M. nattereri detected and localized prey by echolocation alone as close as 5 cm from vegetation. Apparently, the bats were able to tolerate some overlap between prey and clutter echoes. Passive prey cues (vision, olfaction, prey-generated sounds) were not used in prey perception. The bats selected prey by size. The animals performed aerial catches and produced approach sequences typical for aerial hawking bats, but were able to do so within a few centimeters of the substrate. M. nattereri thus has access to silent, suspended prey very close to vegetation (e.g., spiders, and caterpillars on threads). Received: 29 September 1999 / Received in revised form: 12 February 2000 / Accepted: 12 February 2000     

柴油机冷起动辅助措施的匹配优化试验研究

重点论述了柴油机冷启动辅助装置燃油加热器的选型试验。对燃油加热器优劣的评价指标进行了分析研究,提出了燃油加热器的评价方法。最后通过样本CFD分析,优化了燃油加热器与发动机之间水路系统的匹配,实际效果进行了试验验证。     

城市污泥模拟堆肥过程中高温菌群的筛选、鉴定及降解效果

在城市污泥模拟堆肥过程的高温期通过平板培养法筛选出一组强化菌群.该组菌群不但可以分解污泥有机质,还可以分解淀粉、蛋白质、油脂、纤维素等大分子有机物.经鉴定,筛选出的菌种分别为地衣芽孢杆菌(B.licheniformis)、短小芽孢杆菌(B.pumilus)、高温放线菌(Thermoactinomyces)、凝结芽孢杆菌(B.coagulans)、枯草芽孢杆菌(B.subtilis);将菌株两两接种到平板,发现各菌株间可以共存.将上述菌种混合后添加到堆肥样品中,其有机质去除率、脱氢酶增加率、比耗氧速率SOUR增加率均高出不加菌样品40%以上,表明该组菌群具有使堆肥腐熟进程加快的应用潜力.     

排水管网设计中管材的选择

排水管网使用的各类排水管材种类繁多,性能差异较大.根据排水管材的材质、性能分析,对常用几种排水管材进行了技术经济比较.以实际工程为例,概述了不同施工条件和不同地质条件下排水管材的设计选择方法.     

辽宁团山海蚀地貌自然保护区选划研究

根据2003年11月辽宁团山海蚀地貌自然保护区选划研究现场调查,探讨了该区海蚀地貌的成因,评价了海域环境质量和生物多样性,依据海洋自然保护区类型与级别划分原则(GBT17504-1998),确定了保护区类型,并采用定性与定量相结合方法给出了保护区级别。结果表明,保护区海域环境质量总体尚好,生态群落正常,保护区类型符合《海洋自然保护区分类原则》(类别III)相关标准,主要保护对象为海蚀地貌景观,该保护区可建成国家级,这在全国沿海尚不多见。     

考虑公众选择偏好的应急避难安置双阶段选址-分配模型

为使开放避难场所符合公众自行避难的实际情况,借鉴Huff模型量化公众选择行为,构建双阶段选址-分配模型,第1阶段确定开放避难场所位置,第2阶段将溢出容量的灾民二次分配到有剩余容量的避难场所,并利用改进粒子群算法进行求解。研究结果表明：双阶段选址-分配模型能够实现同一需求点灾民前往不同避难场所的过程,管理者干预政策能够使服务人数大幅度增加,避免资源浪费、灾民流离失所且二次分配情况主要依赖于第1阶段的结果。研究结果可为管理部门规划应急避难场所提供参考。     

Location selection of emergency supplies repositories for emergency logistics management: A variable weighted algorithm

With the development of the city, the number of establishments that are proposed or under construction is increasing year by year, and if they are industries that handle flammable, explosive, toxic, harmful, and dangerous substances, the public safety will face great threats, which will bring great challenges to emergency rescue work. Therefore, providing reasonable solutions to the problem of location selection of emergency supplies repositories are necessary for improving the emergency response efficiency in chemical industrial parks. A mathematical model for location selection of emergency supplies repositories in emergency logistics management are presented considering more actual factors. The optimization objectives of the model are to minimize total transport length and cost. And then a Variable Weighted Algorithm is designed to solve the model, where an auxiliary function was constructed with different methods of building weighting factors based on the theory and method of solving multi-objective optimization problems in operational research. Simulation results show the effectiveness and feasibility of the models and algorithms presented in this paper.