Turbidity‐induced changes in emergent effects of multiple predators with different foraging strategies

Abstract – In natural systems, prey frequently interact with multiple predators and the outcome often cannot be predicted by summing the effects of individual predator species. Multiple predator interactions can create emergent effects for prey, but how those change across environmental gradients is poorly understood. Turbidity is an environmental factor in aquatic systems that may influence multiple predator effects on prey. Interactions between a cruising predator (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides) and an ambush predator (muskellunge Esox masquinongy) and their combination foraging on a shared prey (bluegill Lepomis macrochirus) were examined across a turbidity gradient. Turbidity modified multiple predator effects on prey. In clear water, combined predators consumed in total more prey than expected from individual predator treatments, suggesting risk enhancement for prey. In moderately turbid water, the predators consumed fewer prey together than expected, suggesting a risk reduction for prey. At high turbidity, there were no apparent emergent effects; however, the cruising predator consumed more prey than the ambush predator, suggesting an advantage for this predator. Understanding multiple predator traits across a gradient of turbidity increases our understanding of how complex natural systems function.     

Influence of basin‐based conservation agriculture on selected soil quality parameters under smallholder farming in Zimbabwe

The research was carried out to determine the effect of basin‐based conservation agriculture (CA) on selected soil quality parameters. Paired plots (0.01 ha) of CA and conventional tillage based on the animal‐drawn mouldboard plough (CONV) were established between 2004 and 2007 on farm fields on soils with either low (12–18% – sandy loams and sandy clay loams) or high clay levels (>18–46% – sandy clays and clays) as part of an ongoing project promoting CA in six districts in the smallholder farming areas of Zimbabwe. We hypothesized that CA would improve soil organic carbon (SOC), bulk density, aggregate stability, soil moisture retention and infiltration rate. Soil samples for SOC and aggregate stability were taken from 0 to 15 cm depth and for bulk density and soil moisture retention from 0 to 5, 5 to 10 and 10 to 15 cm depths in 2011 from maize plots. Larger SOC contents, SOC stocks and improved aggregate stability, decreased bulk density, increased pore volume and moisture retention were observed in CA treatments. Results were consistent with the hypothesis, and we conclude that CA improves soil quality under smallholder farming. Benefits were, however, greater in high clay soils, which is relevant to the targeting of practices on smallholder farming areas of sub‐Saharan Africa.     

中波塔高强瓷绝缘柱脚性能研究

本文提出了一种新型柱脚设计方案，将非金属预应力筋安装在柱脚，运用施加预应力的方法改变柱脚应力性质，使其不仅易于抗压，也易于抗弯和抗拉，改善了高强绝缘陶瓷的脆性特性，提高其韧性。针对该新型柱脚设计方案，以一实际工程为算例，进行了AFRP张拉锚固方法探究试验以及瓷绝缘柱脚抗弯试验。通过试验，总结了AFRP筋施加预拉力的方法，并分析了该新型柱脚的受力性能。     

Pedotransfer functions to assess adsorbed phosphate using iron oxide content and magnetic susceptibility in an Oxisol

Adsorbed phosphate in soils can be chemically extracted; however, this process is both time‐consuming and not cost‐effective if large numbers of samples have to be analysed. Indirect assessment of adsorbed phosphate by pedotransfer functions (PTFs) can help optimize fertilizer strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of adsorbed phosphate (P_ads), iron oxides and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in oxisols and to calibrate PTFs to predict P_ads. A total of 308 soil samples were collected from Hapludox and Eutrudox soils formed from sandstone in Brazil. The contents of clay (196–607 g/kg), iron oxides (40–165 g/kg), MS (1.2–29 × 10^?6 m³/kg) and P_ads (327–842 mg/kg) were in the range of typical values for these highly weathered soils. This study showed that the attributes studied were spatially dependent. Geomorphic surfaces enabled understanding of spatial variability and helped to develop a more efficient sampling scheme to calibrate PTFs. Moreover, the adsorbed phosphate in these oxisols could be predicted by a PTF using iron oxides and MS as predictors. The MS attribute enabled the most accurate prediction (concordance coefficient = 0.95, root‐mean‐square error = 46 mg/kg and relative improvement in root‐mean‐square error = ?4.12) of spatial variability through PTF compared to other predictors.     

Criterion for estimating humidity control capacity of materials in a room

As a measure of estimating humidity control capacity of materials in an airtight room under sinusoidal temperature variation, we used the Cb value, which is the ratio of the range of variation in relative humidity in a steel box lined with the material of interest to the range in an empty steel box. In order to clarify the factors that affect the Cb value, we focused on both the temperature variation rate and the area that is lined in the box. It was found that changing the rate of temperature variation over one period strongly affected the Cb value, although the amplitude of temperature variation did not. We further noticed that the difference between the time when peak temperature was reached and the time when peak absolute humidity was reached (peak time difference), was found to be useful for estimating the humidity control capacity of materials. Knowing the difference between the phase when peak temperature was reached and the phase when peak absolute humidity was reached (phase angle difference) was also useful. Because the Cb value was affected by both the variation period and the lined area in the box, we can draw a contour diagram of the period and the lined area for materials to give an overview of the humidity control capacity of a material. The materials of primary interest in this study were Japanese cedar and porous ceramics.     

指数平滑法在公路软土地基沉降预测中的应用

运用指数平滑法分析计算公路软土地基沉降量,并对下一时间段的沉降量进行预测.结合哈尔滨绕城高速公路西段软基沉降观测数据,证明了指数平滑法预测软基沉降量的实用性.     

Si3N4/TiCnano制备中Y2O3-Al2O3的影响机理研究

采用Y2O3-Al2O3复合烧结助剂制备Si3N4／TiCnano复合陶瓷材料，研究了Y2O3与Al2O3的配比、烧结助剂体积分数对纳米复合陶瓷材料力学性能、致密化进程和显微结构的影响，并利用SEM等手段对其影响机理作了探讨。研究结果表明：烧结助剂的配比、体积分数影响到烧结体中液相的量和粘度等，并进一步影响到材料的致密化进程和显微组织，材料致密化程度的提高和显微结构的改善是其力学性能提高的根本原因。