近红外长余辉纳米颗粒经小鼠眼部暴露后体内分布和代谢情况

为了研究纳米颗粒通过眼部暴露后进入体内的路径及在体内的分布和代谢情况,实验采用近红外长余辉纳米探针作为示踪剂,对小鼠进行眼部暴露,随后利用活体成像技术观察其进入小鼠体内的过程及分布情况,于暴露第4天收集代谢产物,第7天取重要脏器和血液,并检测纳米探针的存在情况.结果显示纳米探针可由眼经口腔进入胃肠道中,并且纳米颗粒暴露4天后在小鼠的粪便中检测到强荧光信号,而尿液中的荧光信号较弱,暴露7 d后在小鼠的眼睑结膜、胃及眼球中检测到强荧光信号,而其余器官的荧光信号较弱.这表明通过眼部暴露后,纳米颗粒主要分布在眼和消化系统中,最后大部分经消化系统代谢.     

Cytotoxicity Assessment of Melamine Using the Ciliated Protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis

三聚氰胺曾被用为牛类的非蛋白类氮源,并被非法掺入食品中从而提高其表观蛋白含量.实验利用一种单细胞真核生物模型——纤毛类原生动物梨形四膜虫(Tetrahymena pyriformis)研究了三聚氰胺的细胞毒性.结果显示,三聚氰胺对梨形四膜虫的生长速率具有抑制作用,并且这种抑制作用与三聚氰胺浓度成正相关性,其IC50值为0.78g·L-1.细胞同时发生形变.实验证明梨形四膜虫生物测定法相对于动物实验具有耗时短、成本低、操作简便的优势,在潜在毒性物质的风险性评估实验中可成为一种优良的替代模型.     

三聚氰胺对纤毛类原生动物梨形四膜虫的细胞毒性

三聚氰胺曾被用为牛类的非蛋白类氮源,并被非法掺入食品中从而提高其表观蛋白含量.实验利用一种单细胞真核生物模型--纤毛类原生动物梨形四膜虫(Tetrahymena pyriformis)研究了三聚氰胺的细胞毒性.结果显示,三聚氰胺对梨形四膜虫的生长速率具有抑制作用,并且这种抑制作用与三聚氰胺浓度成正相关性,其IC50值为0.78g·L-1.细胞同时发生形变.实验证明梨形四膜虫生物测定法相对于动物实验具有耗时短、成本低、操作简便的优势,在潜在毒性物质的风险性评估实验中可成为一种优良的替代模型.     

醇和酚类污染物对欧洲林蛙蝌蚪及梨形四膜虫毒性的定量结构-活性模型

醇和酚类等有机化合物作为重要的工业原料,广泛应用于医药卫生、有机合成、食品工业等领域,但生产中排放于环境的这些物质,会对生物造成一定的毒性作用。为建立包含醇和酚类有机污染物对欧洲林蛙蝌蚪及梨形四膜虫毒性的定量结构-活性相关性模型,计算了227种有机污染物的分子连接性指数和分子形状指数,优化筛选了分子连接性指数的0X、1X、2X、4X和5Xc、分子形状指数的K1和K2共7种参数,将这7种结构参数作为神经网络输入层变量,110种有机污染物对欧洲林蛙蝌蚪的毒性值作为输出层变量,采用7:8:1的网络结构方式,构建了令人满意的对欧洲林蛙蝌蚪毒性的神经网络预测模型,方程总相关系数r为0.988,毒性预测值与实验值之间的平均误差为0.14。为检验指数的普适性,同样用这7个结构参数与117种醇和酚类化合物对梨形四膜虫的毒性进行分析,所得神经网络模型的总相关系数达到0.997,对梨形四膜虫毒性的预测值与实验值之间的平均误差仅为0.065,结果表明,所建模型具有良好的预测有机污染物对林蛙蝌蚪及梨形四膜虫急性毒性的能力。     

水体中金属(氧化物)纳米颗粒的环境行为与污染控制研究进展

金属(氧化物)纳米材料在生产和使用过程中,可以通过各种途径进入到水环境中,对水生生物、生态环境和人体健康产生威胁.理解纳米颗粒在水体中的环境行为,对于评估纳米材料的归趋及其对环境和人体的健康风险至关重要.本文概述了金属(氧化物)纳米颗粒的性质、来源和毒性危害,汇总了表征纳米颗粒浓度、粒径及形貌的分析方法与技术,分析了它们在水环境中的环境行为以及影响其稳定性的主要环境因素,并总结了水体中金属(氧化物)纳米颗粒的去除方法和效果的最新研究进展.随着金属(氧化物)纳米材料的广泛应用,未来有必要加强对自然水体中纳米颗粒环境行为的研究,并系统开展纳米颗粒健康风险评估工作,为预测纳米材料进入水环境后的归趋和风险提供科学依据.     

纳米材料的食品暴露及其毒性研究进展

纳米材料作为一类新兴化学品广泛用于食品加工、作物栽培和包装运输等领域,来改善营养成分、生物活性和包装材料性能,经摄食进入人体后能分布于血液、消化道和组织细胞中,广泛参与多种生理代谢过程.当前,纳米材料在食品中的暴露途径、分类、存在状态和毒性机制引起了广泛关注,但尚未形成完整、广泛接受的科学研究体系.结合近几年文献,本文分析了食品中纳米颗粒的暴露途径,探讨了当前食品中纳米颗粒分析检测技术的优缺点,阐述了生物化学转化、生物过程环境及分布状态对纳米毒性的诱导机制,在结尾归纳相关研究不足并对今后研究的趋势进行了展望.     

金属纳米颗粒的环境行为及其与藻类的相互作用概述

金属纳米颗粒在各领域的应用日益广泛，可通过多种途径进入环境，并在水生生态系统中积累.因此关于其进入水环境后的行为及与水中初级生产者—藻类相互作用的研究至关重要.金属纳米颗粒在水中会发生团聚、沉降、溶解、硫化反应及光化学反应等，这些行为受到自身理化性质(大小、形状、表面电荷、晶体结构、化学组成等)和环境因素(pH、离子强度、阳离子价态等)的影响，进而改变金属纳米颗粒在藻类表面的吸附聚集和可能的吸收累积.金属纳米颗粒还可能影响藻类光合作用、引起氧化应激、甚至造成藻类的凋亡.同时，与金属纳米颗粒共存的其它污染物及天然有机质也可能改变金属纳米颗粒的行为、生物吸附、生物累积和生物效应.相应地，藻类在面对金属纳米颗粒胁迫时也会启动自我防御机制.尽管如此，真实环境中金属纳米颗粒与藻类的相互作用及分子机制仍有待进一步研究.     

氟化酚对梨形四膜虫毒性的定量构效关系解析

应用Chem3D Ultra 7.0软件中的MOPAC半经验方法PM3,计算了16种氟化酚的19个量子化学和理化参数.采用PLS-VIP方法,筛选出影响氟化酚毒性的7个主要参数,即最低空轨道能量(ELUMO)、最高轨道能量与最低空轨道能量之差(△E)、分子总能量(ET)、最正H原子电荷(QH+)、羟基基团中氧原子的最负电荷(QO-)、connolly分子可及表面积(CAA)和connolly溶剂排斥体积(CSV),并据此建立模型对水生梨形四膜虫的急性毒性作定量构效关系研究.结果表明,氟化酚对梨形四膜虫的毒性作用表现为反应性毒性,ELUMO,QH+,ET对氟化酚的毒性作用有重要贡献,氟化酚对四膜虫急性毒性的大小与ELUMO、△E和ET呈负相关,而与QH+、QO-、CAA、CSV呈正相关,所得最优模型具有良好的预测效果(R2=0.961,F=344.8,P=2.92×10-11)和较高的稳定性(Q2cum=0.909).     

单颗粒-电感耦合等离子体质谱测定白酒中纳米金的方法

使用NexION 2000 ICP-MS和Syngistix Nano软件模块,分析市售白酒样品中的纳米金(Au NPs)特性.单颗粒-电感耦合等离子体质谱法(SP-ICP-MS)可以直接测试样品中的纳米颗粒尺寸、颗粒物浓度和溶解离子浓度.依照本文所建立方法,白酒样品纳米颗粒标准品以及金离子标准溶液的加标回收率均在90%—110%之间.     

Cupriavidus metallidurans SHE胞内提取物合成纳米金及其催化应用

纳米金(AuNPs)凭借其在电化学和光学方面独特的性能,在催化、环境污染物的降解以及环境修复等方面近年来成为研究热点.相比较传统的合成方法,生物法合成纳米金具有过程简单、无毒、环保、成本较低等优势;除此之外,生物法合成的纳米金颗粒具有尺寸均一、单分散性好且生物相容性好的特性.利用Cupriavidus metallidurans SHE胞内提取物合成纳米金,结果显示最适反应条件为胞内提取物浓度为500 mg/L,HAuCl_4浓度为1 mmol/L,p H为7,反应时间为7 d;透射电子显微镜(TEM)图像表明纳米金颗粒主要为球形和伪球形,平均粒径为14.3 nm;通过傅里叶转换红外线光谱(FTIR)分析结果推测提取物中的羟基、氨基、羧基等官能团参与了纳米金的稳定过程;在上述条件下合成的纳米金对4-硝基苯酚具有较好的催化还原活性,其催化速率常数k为5.98×10~(-4)/s,且该纳米金能催化脱色多种偶氮染料.本研究表明Cupriavidus metallidurans SHE能绿色合成尺寸均一、分散性良好的纳米金,且该纳米金在催化还原硝基芳烃污染物和偶氮染料方面具有潜在的应用价值.(图4表1参28)     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.