In situ study on effect of food competition on diet shifts and growth of silver and bighead carps in large biomanipulation fish pens in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu

Silver and bighead carps were cultured in large fish pens to reduce the risks of cyanobacterial bloom outbreaks in Meiliang Bay, Lake Tauhu in 2004 and 2005. Diet compositions and growth rates of the carps were studied from April to November each year. Both carp species fed mainly on zooplankton (> 50% in diet) in 2004 when competition was low, but selected more phytoplankton in 2005 when competition was high. Silver carp had a broader diet breadth than did bighead carp. Higher densities and fewer food resources increased diet breadths but decreased the diet overlap in both types of carps. It can be predicted that silver and bighead carps would be released from diet competition and shift to feed mainly on zooplankton at low densities, decreasing the efficiency of controlling cyanobacterial blooms. Conclusively, when silver and bighead carps are used to control cyanobacterial blooms, a sufficiently high stocking density is very important for a successful practice.

The impact of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) on the rotifer community in a eutrophic subtropical Chinese lake

From 20 April to 25 June in 1999, an enclosure experiment was conducted in Lake Donghu to assess the impact of planktivorous silver carp on the planktonic rotifer community. We set up four treatments with silver carp biomass at 0, 116, 176, and 316 g m(-2). Total rotifer density was significantly higher in the no-fish enclosure than in fish-present enclosures. Fish predation on the rotifers alleviated zooplankton competition and resulted in dominance of small zooplankton species (Anureaopsis fissa, Trichocerca pusilla and Moina micrura) in fish-present enclosures. However, some relatively larger species (Polyarthra vulgaris, Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, and Asplanchna spp.) showed higher densities in the no-fish enclosure than in fish-present enclosures.

Experimental study of trophic cascade effect of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrixon) in a subtropical lake, Lake Donghu: on plankton community and underlying mechanisms of changes of crustacean community

An enclosure experiment was carried out to test trophic cascade effect of filter-feeding fish on the ecosystem: growth of crustacean zooplankton, and possible mechanism of changes of crustacean community structure. Four fish biomass levels were set as follows: 0, 116, 176 and 316 g m(-2), and lake water ( containing ca. 190 g m(-2) of filter-feeding fishes) was comparatively monitored. Nutrient levels were high in all treatments during the experiment. Lowest algal biomass were measured in fishless treatment. Algal biomass decreased during days 21-56 as a function of fish biomass in treatments of low (LF), medium (MF) and high (HF) fish biomass. Crustaceans biomass decreased with increasing fish biomass. Small-bodied cladocerans, Moina micrura, Diaphanosoma brachyurum and Scapholeberis kingii survived when fish biomass was high whilst, large-bodied cladocerans Daphnia spp. and the cyclopoids Theromcyclops taihokuensis, T. brevifuratus, Mescyclops notius and Cyclops vicinus were abundant only in NF enclosures. Evasive calanoid Sinodiaptomus sarsi was significantly enhanced in LF, but decreased significantly with further increase of fish biomass. Demographic data indicated that M. micrura was well developed in all treatments. Our study indicates that algal biomass might be controlled by silver carp biomass in eutrophic environment. Changes of crustacean community are probably affected by the age of the first generation of species. Species with short generation time were dominant and species with long generation time survived less with high fish biomass. Evasive calanoids hardly developed in treatments with high fish biomass because of the ( bottle neck) effect of nauplii. Species abundance were positively related to fish predation avoidance. Other than direct predation, zooplankton might also be suppressed by filter-feeding fish via competition.

Energy Dissipation In Fracture Of Bulk Metallic Glasses Via Inherent Competition Between Local Softening And Quasi-Cleavage

Compression, tension and high-velocity plate impact experiments were performed on a typical tough Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu10Ni12.5Be22.5 (Vit 1) bulk metallic glass (BMG) over a wide range of strain rates from similar to 10(-4) to 10(6) s(-1). Surprisingly, fine dimples and periodic corrugations on a nanoscale were also observed on dynamic mode I fracture surfaces of this tough Vit 1. Taking a broad overview of the fracture patterning of specimens, we proposed a criterion to assess whether the fracture of BMGs is essentially brittle or plastic. If the curvature radius of the crack tip is greater than the critical wavelength of meniscus instability [F. Spaepen, Acta Metall. 23 615 (1975); A.S. Argon and M. Salama, Mater. Sci. Eng. 23 219 (1976)], microscale vein patterns and nanoscale dimples appear on crack surfaces. However, in the opposite case, the local quasi-cleavage/separation through local atomic clusters with local softening in the background ahead of the crack tip dominates, producing nanoscale periodic corrugations. At the atomic cluster level, energy dissipation in fracture of BMGs is, therefore, determined by two competing elementary processes, viz. conventional shear transformation zones (STZs) and envisioned tension transformation zones (TTZs) ahead of the crack tip. Finally, the mechanism for the formation of nanoscale periodic corrugation is quantitatively discussed by applying the present energy dissipation mechanism.

Effect of cerium oxide on the precipitation of silver nanoparticles in femtosecond laser irradiated silicate glass

We investigated the effect of cerium oxide on the precipitation of Ag nanoparticles in silicate glass via a femtosecond laser irradiation and successive annealing. Absorption spectra show that Ce3+ ions may absorb part of the laser energy via multiphoton absorption and release free electrons, resulting in an increase of the concentration of Ag atoms and a decrease of the concentration of hole-trapped color centers, which influence precipitation of the Ag nanoparticles. In addition, we found that the formed Ag-0 may reduce Ce4+ ions to Ce3+ ions during the annealing process, which inhibits the growth of the Ag nanoparticles.

Femtosecond filamentation and supercontinuum generation in silver-nanoparticle-doped water

The authors report the investigation of filament and supercontinuum generation by focusing a femtosecond laser beam into water doped with silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles enhance the nonlinear optical response of water, leading to broadening of supercontinuum spectra in self-focused femtosecond filaments. During the propagation of the supercontinuum light in the filament, the silver nanoparticles preferentially scatter the short-wavelength light near the plasmon resonant wavelength peak, followed by the scattering of the long-wavelength light. Thus, a side view of the filament shows a full-color spectrum in the visible range, which is herein called "rainbow filament." (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

Study of oscillatory behavior of recording process arising from electron-hole competition in strongly oxidized LiNbO3 : Ce : Cu

We have investigated ultraviolet (UV) photorefractive effect of lithium niobate doubly doped with Ce and Cu. It is found the diffraction efficiency shows oscillating behavior Under UV-1ight-recording. A model in which electrons and holes can be excited from impurity centers in the UV region is proposed to study the oscillatory behavior of the diffraction efficiency. Oil the basis of the material equations and the coupled-wave equations, we found that the oscillatory behavior is due to the oscillation of the relative spatial phase shift Phi. And the electron-hole competition may cause the oscillation of the relative spatial phase shift. A switch point from electron grating to hole grating is chosen to realize nonvolatile readout by a red light with high sensitivity (0.4 cm/J). (c) 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and formation mechanism of silver nanowires by a templateless and seedless method

Silver nanowires in large quantities can be obtained through a simple method in the absence of a surfactant or polymer and without addition of external seeding nanocrystallites. A plausible mechanism was proposed to elucidate the formation mechanism of silver nanowires based on TEM studies.

Dynamic readout of subdiffraction-limited pit arrays with a silver superlens

Recent theoretical and experimental results suggested that the silver superlens could be constructed through controlling silver thin film thickness and preparation conditions, and applied in subdiffraction-limited optical imaging and optical lithography. In this work, we report another significant application of silver superlens-ultrahigh density optical data storage. With the silver superlens the subdiffraction-limited pit arrays on an optical disk are dynamically read out and the carrier-to-noise ratio can reach 25 dB for the thin film thickness of 46 nm. The readout laser power and readout velocity have little effect on the carrier-to-noise ratio. Additionally, in our experiment the silver thin film thickness needs to be controlled in the range from 20 to 80 nm.

On the dynamic readout of sub-diffraction-limit pit arrays with a silver thin film

Fast moving arrays of periodic sub-diffraction-limit pits were dynamically read out via a silver thin film. The mechanism of the dynamic readout is analysed and discussed in detail, both experimentally and theoretically. The analysis and experiment show that, in the course of readout, surface plasmons can be excited at the silver/air interface by the focused laser beam and amplified by the silver thin film. The surface plasmons are transmitted into the substrate/silver interface with a large enhancement. The surface waves at the substrate/silver interface are scattered by the sinusoidal pits of sub-diffraction-limit size. The scattered waves are collected by a converging lens and guided into the detector for the readout.

Mode competition in acousto-optically Q-switched planar waveguide lasers

Multi-mode rate equations have been developed to investigate mode competition in high-power acousto-optically Q-switched planar waveguide lasers. The mode competition arises from coupling effects and temporal losses in the transform between guided modes and free-space propagation. Pulse-to-pulse instability and temporal beam distortions are enlarged by mode competition when the laser works in the multi-mode regime. The influence of parasitic oscillation is also discussed. A Nd:YAG planar waveguide laser has been established with a folded hybrid/unstable resonator. A maximum average power of 83 W with a beam propagation factor M-x(2) x M-y(2) = 1.2 x 1.4 is obtained. The theoretical simulation agrees well with the experimental observation. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space-selective co-precipitation of silver and gold nanoparticles in femtosecond laser pulses irradiated Ag+, Au3+ co-doped silicate glass

We report on space-selective co-precipitation of silver and gold nanoparticles in Ag+, Au3+ co-doped silicate glasses by irradiation of femtosecond laser pulses and subsequent annealing at high temperatures. The color of the irradiated area in the glass sample changed from yellow to red with the increase of the annealing temperature. The effects of average laser power and annealing temperature on precipitation of the nanoparticles were investigated. A reasonable mechanism was proposed to explain the observed phenomena. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.