Fish mercury development in relation to abiotic characteristics and carbon sources in a six-year-old, Brazilian reservoir

Time series on fish mercury (Hg) development are rare for hydroelectric reservoirs in the tropics. In the central-western part of Brazil, a hydroelectric reservoir, called Lago Manso, was completed in 1999 after that background levels of fish Hg concentrations had been determined. The development for the first 3 years was studied in 2002. The objective of the present study was to determine development of fish Hg concentrations for a second three-year period after flooding. The bioaccumulation factor and certain abiotic and biotic factors, possibly affecting the availability and accumulation of Hg, were also examined. The results show that Hg levels in fish from Lago Manso have increased more than five times compared to the background levels observed before construction of the reservoir. At the same time, dissolved organic carbon has increased while dissolved oxygen has decreased indicating enhanced bioavailability of Hg. In the reservoir, Salminus brasiliensis had in average a Hg content of 1.1 microg g(-1) f.w., Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum 1.2, Serrasalmus marginatus/spilopleura 0.9, and Brycon hilarii 0.6 microg g(-1) f.w. The average fish Hg contents were higher downstream, except for B. hilarii. In the reservoir, the average Hg content of each species was in 2005 always over the consumption limit (0.55 microg total Hg g(-1) f.w.) recommended by WHO. Therefore, the people living around Lago Manso should be informed of the health effects of Hg, and fish consumption recommendations should be carried out. The accumulation of Hg varies widely between species as shown by the bioaccumulation factor which ranges between 5.08 and 5.59 log units. The observed variation is explained by differences in diet and trophic position with piscivorous fish exhibiting the highest mean Hg concentration, followed by carnivorous and omnivorous species. Carbon isotope analyses imply that trophic position is not the only cause of the observed differences in Hg levels between omnivorous B. hilarii, having a diet partly based on C(4) plants, and carnivorous S. marginatus as well as piscivorous S. brasiliensis, whose carbon sources are depleted in (13)C. The fact that the species have different carbon sources indicates that they belong to different food chains.     

Night and day at the beach: Relating social life to location and infrastructure in a Brazilian city

Brazilian city beaches are public spaces favoring citizens well-being. Urban studies relate built form and infrastructure with urban vitality and coastal studies underline uses as important for beach management, yet few researches relate form and infrastructure with beach uses. Understanding daily life as essential for public spaces and that spatial form relates with uses, this paper assesses time-based relationships between built and natural physical attributes and social life on the beaches of João Pessoa, a coastal city in North-east Brazil. Physical attributes are investigated at city scale - beach type, street network centrality and topography - and seafront scale - land uses, public/private interfaces, public infrastructure, beach sections and water quality. Beach social life was surveyed online, enquiring peoples' beach choice, visiting time and place, activities and evaluation. Infrastructure and street network follow topography and help configure shore and promenade for different landscapes. More central beaches have diverse land uses, well-equipped promenades and lighting and were popular night and day, while less central beaches had less infrastructure and were visited only by day. Findings highlight how physical attributes facilitate uses and, together with peoples’ evaluation, can inform urban beach design and planning.     

基于Livermore模型CT图片构建人体躯干数字体模及其在肺部计数器虚拟刻度中的应用

基于Livermore 人体躯干物理模型CT图片构建数字体模,并结合蒙特卡罗程序MCNP对一套由四个宽能高纯锗探测器(BEGe)构成的肺部计数器进行了虚拟刻度.首先,利用点源(241Am,137Cs,60Co,54Mn,57Co,109Cd) 实验数据,对高纯锗晶体尺寸进行调整以获得正确的探测器几何参数,在γ射线能量13.9 keV～1332.5 keV范围内,调整后四个探测器全能峰效率实验测量的平均值与蒙特卡罗计算值的差别在±10%范围内.之后,对不同胸壁厚度(CWT=19 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 43 mm)躯干体模进行CT扫描获得其CT图片,利用Dosigray软件对CT图片进行分割后,连同探测器几何描述文件输入到OEDIPE软件,生成数字体模虚拟刻度用MCNP输入程序.最后,利用241Am、152Eu肺部源对数字体模虚拟刻度结果进行了实验验证,结果表明:在59.5 keV～1408 keV能量范围内,虚拟刻度结果与实验结果的差别在±10%之间;对于17.5 keV能量,差别在±30%之间.     

浅谈中职德育的有效性途径

中职学生是个特殊群体,其道德的完善比技术和职业训练更为重要.中职德育不仅需要传授道德知识,还需要以公共生活为中心,向生活世界回归,注重对学生的日常生活习惯和行为的养成,还需要道德体验的交流,并注重潜移默化的影响.     

处理“难加工”材料的捷径

一般情况下，金属切削指的是切削钢件和铸铁。但是，在当今的车间里，我们面对的是其它一些材料，诸如不锈钢、铁基和非铁基（如钛合金）耐热合金和高温合金等。这些材料和传统的钢件之间存在很大差异，正是它们体现了“难加工”的真正含意。     

Prediction of ruminal pH from pasture-based diets

This study identified suitable predictors of ruminal pH and identified relationships between ruminal pH and animal measures for diets based on fresh pasture. Animal and dietary variables (121 treatment means from six countries) were collated from 23 studies of lactating dairy cows fed pasture. Mean daily ruminal pH ranged from 5.6 to 6.7 across studies. Within studies, a low ruminal pH was associated with higher (P < 0.05; r2 > 0.40) microbial N flow from the rumen, total and individual volatile fatty acid concentrations, milk and milk component yields, and dry matter intake, and with lower (P < 0.05; r2 > 0.30) concentrations of milk fat, fat:protein, and acetate:propionate. Large variation between studies meant that these ruminal and production variables could not be used to make reliable predictions of ruminal pH in future pasture-based studies or feeding scenarios. Ruminal pH was positively related (P < 0.05; r2 < 0.15) to forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and NDF content within study, and negatively related (P = 0.001; r2 = 0.14) to nonstructural carbohydrate across studies. No single dietary variable, or group of variables, could be used to make a reliable prediction of ruminal pH. Estimates of effective fiber for diets containing only pasture were made using the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System ruminal pH equation. Mean effectiveness of fiber in pasture was 43% of NDF, and ranged from 17 to 78% across studies. High flows of microbial nitrogen, milk, milk fat yield, and dry matter intake suggested that the performance of cows fed high quality pasture was not limited when mean ruminal pH decreased to 5.8.     

Prediction of ammonia emission from dairy barns using feed characteristics part 1: Relation between feed characteristics and urinary urea concentration

Urinary urea concentration is an important predictor of NH3 emission from dairy barns. To reduce urinary urea concentration, accurate and precise prediction of urea concentration for different feeding regimes is a prerequisite. The objective of this research, therefore, was to predict urinary urea concentration of a cow using feed characteristics. To compute urinary urea concentration of a cow, we predicted: urine volume; urinary N excretion, using a regression or a mechanistic model; and the relationship between urinary urea concentration and urinary N concentration, which was derived from experimental data. Model results were validated using experimental data. Cows were fed one of nine diets, which was a combination of one of three rumen-degradable protein balances, and one of three roughage compositions. Each diet was repeated once. Measured parameters included herd, diet, and urine characteristics. Observed urinary urea concentration can be predicted with reasonable accuracy from existing models to predict urine volume and urinary N excretion using feed characteristics. The regression model predicted N excretion slightly better than the mechanistic model. In addition, input parameters required for the regression model are recorded at each dairy farm in The Netherlands. This regression model, therefore, can be used by animal nutritionists and producers to determine diets that result in a reduced NH3 emission.     

Prediction of the adherence, growth and release of microorganisms in production chains

The aim of this study was to develop a mathematical model that describes the bacterial contamination of food as a result of adherence, growth and release of bacteria in process equipment. The model developed can be applied to control the bacterial quality of food products produced in process chains in which the final contamination of the product is governed by growth and heat-induced destruction of bacteria. To set up the model, experiments were carried out with a plate heat exchanger using milk inoculated with Streptococcus thermophilus. The growth rate of S. thermophilus in milk could be described accurately by the modified expanded model of Ratkowsky. The observed increase in the concentration of S. thermophilus in milk at the outlet of the plate heat exchanger could be described quantitatively by the model. To predict the contamination of the product, the model was integrated into NIZO-PCS (Process Chain Simulator). The results of computer simulations were validated by a number of measurements in a cheese factory. It turned out that the agreement between the measured and calculated concentrations of S. thermophilus was sufficient for the model to be used for predictions in industrial production chains.     

Spatiotemporal EEG/MEG source analysis based on a parametric noise covariance model

A method is described to incorporate the spatiotemporal noise covariance matrix into a spatiotemporal source analysis. The essential feature is that the estimation problem is split into two parts. First, a model is fitted to the observed noise covariance matrix. This model is a Kronecker product of a spatial and a temporal matrix. The spatial matrix models the spatial covariances by a function dependent on sensor distance. The temporal matrix models the temporal covariances as lag dependent. In the second part, sources are estimated given this noise model, which can be done very efficiently due to the Kronecker formulation. An application to real electroencephalogram (EEG) data shows that the noise model fits the data very well. Simulation results show that the resulting source estimates are more precise than those obtained from a standard analysis neglecting the noise covariance. In addition, the estimated standard errors of the source parameter estimates are far more precise than those obtained from a standard analysis. Finally, the source parameter standard errors are used to investigate the effects of temporal sampling. It is shown that increasing the sampling by a factor x, decreases the standard errors of all source parameters with the square root of x.