Feeding of Aurelia sp. (Scyphozoa) and links to the microbial food web

The impact of the scyphomedusa Aurelia sp. on planktonic assemblages was experimentally studied in enclosures incubated in situ in the sea lake of Mljet Island (Big Lake, Southern Adriatic), where jellyfish are present throughout the year. In situ feeding experiments using plankton at natural densities indicated a reduction in abundance for small calanoid and cyclopoid copepods, copepodites, nauplii and ciliates in the presence of Aurelia sp. In addition to direct predatory pressure, Aurelia sp. exerted an indirect cascading effect on autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial plankton. Phytoplankton biomass increases of up to 0.5 μg C·l^?1·h^?1 were mainly related to 19′‐hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin‐ and 19′‐butanoyloxyfucoxanthin‐containing phytoplankton. Bacterial production was about twice as high in the presence of Aurelia sp. and biomass was also consistently higher. It appears that the top‐down effect of predation along with material release by Aurelia sp. results in increases in microbial biomass and production.     

Environmental problem solving in coastal ecosystems: A paradigm shift to sustainability

The human ecological footprint now extends to the entire globe, and human impacts are the dominant feature of many ecosystems, resulting in our current era being coined the ‘anthropocene’. This is particularly apparent in coastal ecosystems as human populations are increasing rapidly in coastal cities and the ecosystem services in these areas are rapidly being compromised. Science has historically progressed as a series of paradigm shifts and this paper reviews this history of paradigm shifts and makes the case that the next major paradigm shift will be directed at sustainability, resulting in a shift in scientific focus on solving rather than just studying our current environmental problems. Traditionally, science has been extremely effective at data acquisition and then successively less effective at translating this into information, knowledge and finally environmental problem solving. The currently required paradigm shift is to focus on environmental problem solving, filling gaps in knowledge, information and data only as required to solve a particular problem. A key element in turning this process around is better science communication between scientists, key stakeholders and the community. This will require more ‘science communicators’ who can use credibility, tenacity, creativity and virtue to effect solutions.     

地震荷载作用下饱和砂土的p—y关系

利用给土层施加反压的方法控制饱和砂土中的超孔隙水压力,以此模拟受地震荷载作用饱和砂土具有残余孔压时的状态,进而对具有不同状态饱和砂土与桩的相互作用进行模型试验,研究p—y关系随饱和砂土中残余孔压的变化规律。结果表明,可以按照具有残余孔压饱和砂土的强度确定其极限抗力以及土层反力模量系数,进而确定受震动荷载作用的饱和砂土p—y关系。     

Promising signs of regeneration of blue cod and oyster habitat changed by dredging in Foveaux Strait,southern New Zealand

Epifaunal reefs in Foveaux Strait are oyster (Ostrea chilensis Philippi, 1845) habitat. One hundred and thirty years of oyster dredging has diminished the complexity and distribution of these reefs. Commercial densities of blue cod (Parapercis colias (Forster in Bloch and Schneider, 1801)) were discovered on epifaunal reef habitat in 1989 and became the focus of a major blue cod fishery. We document habitat changes that followed the closing of the oyster fishery in 1993 and interactions between the blue cod and oyster fisheries after the oyster fishery was reopened in 1996. Evidence from blue cod fishers and oyster surveys suggests that the benthic habitat of some oyster beds regenerated in the absence of dredging and that the relative density of blue cod, and then oysters, rebuilt to commercial levels. Benthic habitat was modified once more when oyster dredging restarted and the relative density of blue cod on oyster beds fell again. The observations suggest that rotational fishing of oysters could mitigate the effects of dredging on habitat and that marine protected areas could expedite habitat recovery. Increasing habitat complexity and blue cod density on a reef of oyster shells formed by an oyster fisher suggests that habitat enhancement might remedy effects of dredging. The questions raised by the observations could be answered by management experiments on the scale of the fisheries.     

活性菌肽豆蛋白对鲫(Carassius auratus) 促生长的作用效果及机理分析

采用不同饲料配方投喂,研究了普通豆粕(对照组)、发酵豆粕和活性菌肽豆蛋白配合饲料对鲫(Carassius auratus)生长性状影响的研究。结果表明,活性菌肽豆蛋白组的相对体重生长率高于对照组41.87%(P<0.01)和发酵豆粕组19.11%;血清中的三碘甲状腺原氨酸(T3)、甲状腺素(T4)、胰岛素样生长因子-I(IGF-I)和生长激素(GH)含量活性菌肽豆蛋白组最高,其次是发酵豆粕组,而对照组最低;实时定量PCR检测显示:IGFs(IGF-I和IGF-II)基因的表达量在活性菌肽豆蛋白组中最高,其次是发酵豆粕组,对照组的表达量最低。GHR基因的表达量在活性菌肽豆蛋白组和发酵豆粕组间无显著性差异,但明显高于对照组。因此,活性菌肽豆蛋白可能通过调控鲫血清GH、IGF-I、T3和T4等激素水平,及肝脏GHR和IGFs基因的表达,进而影响鲫的生长。     

热处理改性天然闪锌矿的可见光催化性能研究

天然闪锌矿是一种具有良好可见光催化性能的半导体光催化剂,然而其结构缺陷会成为光生电子的捕获阱,导致其光催化反应效率降低。为了进一步提高其可见光催化效率,本文在空气气氛下对天然闪锌矿进行了500～1 200℃的热处理改性实验研究,并利用X射线衍射(XRD)、紫外-可见漫反射吸收光谱(UV-Vis DRS)对热改性后样品的半导体物理化学性质进行了初步的表征分析;然后以甲基橙为目标降解物进行了热处理样品的光催化实验研究。研究结果显示,空气气氛下的热处理随着温度的逐渐升高,闪锌矿物相先转变为氧化硫酸锌,再转变为红锌矿和锌铁尖晶石,到1 100～1 200℃时样品完全转变为红锌矿-锌铁尖晶石二元复合半导体光催化剂,此时样品在可见光下对甲基橙的降解率从原样的54.2%提高到99.7%,1 100～1 200℃改性后样品的可见光催化性能最好。     

Shear modulus degradation model for cohesive soils

One of the key issues in cyclic behaviour of soft clays is gradual degradation of shear modulus. In most of the cyclic soil models such degrdation of shear modulus of soil with the progression of loading cycle was incorporated, addition to the standard non-linear backbone curves. Such cyclic degradation was usually represented by a parameter, degradation index, which is a function of loading cycles and cyclic shear strain amplitude. However it is well understood from the past experimental studies that the degradation index depends on various other factors as well. The present paper aims to develop a simple empirical model involving degradation index as a function of number of loading cycles, plasticity index, cyclic shear strain, overconsolidation ratio, loading frequency based on the experimental results. It is then fitted with the hyperbolic hysteretic model to estimate the modulus degradation for different cycles. Finally the damping ratio is calculated based on Masing rule with correction factors and validated through experimental results.     

Experimental investigation on dynamic and quasi‐static behavior of low‐rise reinforced concrete walls

Experimental evidence supporting the fact that results from quasi‐static (QS) test of low‐rise reinforced concrete walls may be safely assumed as a lower limit of strength and displacement, and energy dissipation capacities are still scarce. The aim of this paper is to compare the seismic performance of 12 reinforced concrete walls for low‐rise housing: six prototype walls tested under QS‐cyclic loading and six models tested under shaking table excitations. Variables studied were wall geometry, type of concrete, web steel ratio, type of web reinforcement and testing method. Comparison of results from dynamic and QS‐cyclic tests indicated that stiffness and strength properties were dependent on the loading rate, the strength mechanisms associated with the failure mode, the low‐cycle fatigue, and the cumulative parameters, such as displacement demand and energy dissipated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental evaluation of rectangular reinforced concrete column behaviour under biaxial cyclic loading

The cyclic behaviour of reinforced concrete columns has been the subject of many experimental studies in recent years. However, most of these studies have focused on the unidirectional loading of columns with square cross‐sections under constant axial loading conditions. In the present study, four types of full‐scale quadrangular building columns were tested under different types of loading, including uniaxial and biaxial loading conditions. The first two specimens of each column type were independently cyclically tested in the strong and weak directions. Bidirectional tests using different loading paths were performed on the other column specimens. All columns were tested under constant axial loading conditions. In this paper, the experimental results are presented, and the global behaviour of tested columns is discussed, particularly focusing on the stiffness and strength degradation because of the increasing cyclic demand. Finally, the deformation‐based performance limits proposed in Part 3 of Eurocode 8 were calculated and compared with the experimental results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

滩涂围垦对崇明东滩演化影响的遥感研究

崇明东滩在流域、海域来沙供应下面积不断扩大, 从20世纪60年代起, 其东部岸线向海推进大约10 km, 超过150 km²的新生滩涂被围垦。本研究探讨这种筑堤围垦对崇明东滩演化产生的影响。收集了1965年-2011年间的5景Corona影像、40景Landsat影像和1景SPOT影像, 利用影像水边线和对应潮情水位信息得到不同年份的崇明东滩+2 m线位置, 分析其延伸速率和方向的变化;对比影像及解译信息研究滩面植被、潮沟系统和团结沙的演化特点。结果显示, 泥沙供应充足时海堤建设对潮滩的淤涨具有促进作用, 这种作用在建堤初期表现更为明显;随着长江流域来沙的持续减少, 崇明东滩+2 m线的淤涨速度出现明显下降。海堤建设高程较低时可以改变东滩的淤涨方向, 自然状态下向东、东北偏移的趋势减缓, 近期转为向东南淤涨。海堤外潮流的反射和潮沟系统的发育对植被有较大的破坏, 导致堤外集水盆地的形成和扩张, 并最终退化为大面积光滩, 这种退化过程随着多次筑堤重复出现。团结沙的并岸过程对北港北沙的演化具有参照意义