Modelling the propagation of effects of chronic exposure to ionising radiation from individuals to populations

This study evaluated the potential effect of ionising radiation on population growth using simple population models and parameter values derived from chronic exposure experiments in two invertebrate species with contrasting life-history strategies. In the earthworm Eisenia fetida, models predicted increasing delay in population growth with increasing gamma dose rate (up to 0.6 generation times at 11 mGy h(-1)). Population extinction was predicted at 43 mGy h(-1). In the microcrustacean Daphnia magna, models predicted increasing delay in population growth with increasing alpha dose rate (up to 0.8 generation times at 15.0 mGy h(-1)), only after two successive generations were exposed. The study examined population effects of changes in different individual endpoints (including survival, number of offspring produced and time to first reproduction). Models showed that the two species did not respond equally to equivalent levels of change, the fast growing daphnids being more susceptible to reduction in fecundity or delay in reproduction than the slow growing earthworms. This suggested that susceptibility of a population to ionising radiation cannot be considered independent of the species' life history.     

Effects of 17alpha-ethinylestradiol on the reproduction of the cladoceran species Ceriodaphnia reticulata and Sida crystallina

Single-species tests allow the assessment of chronical effects of endocrine disruptors on organisms under laboratory conditions. In the current study, three-generation tests with Ceriodaphnia reticulata and Sida crystallina were carried out to examine the influence of the synthetic hormone 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE) on the reproduction of these cladoceran species. For each species, six different concentrations (10-500 microg/l EE) and two controls were tested with eight replicates for a duration of 4 weeks. The test was initiated by transferring one neonate individual into a test vessel which was incubated under standardized conditions. Every 2 days, the medium was renewed and life history parameters such as survivorship of the adults and juveniles, clutch size, first appearance and number of produced offspring were investigated. Acute toxicity tests showed that C. reticulata (EC50 (24 h) 1814 microg/l) was more sensitive towards the substance compared to S. crystallina (EC50 (24 h) >4100 microg/l). The juvenile phase of S. crystallina was significantly shorter at concentrations above 100 microg/l EE. For C. reticulata, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol caused a higher mortality of the newly hatched juveniles at EE concentrations above 200 microg/l. No effects were found for mortality of adult animals, birth rate, number of juveniles per female and net reproduction rate of S. crystallina and C. reticulata. Thus, sublethal effects on parental generation exposed to EE lead to disturbances in reproduction and to affection of their offspring. Negative consequences for the population dynamic cannot be excluded, e.g. the decrease of a population.     

Physiological mechanisms of degradation of fish populations in acidified water bodies

Disturbances in fish that result from water acidification and related factors are analyzed in the context of generalizations based on the results of experimental and field studies. It is shown that low pH, monomeric aluminum, and other metal ions have an adverse effect on physiological processes in fish and are a major cause of their death in acidified lakes and rivers. The vulnerability of fish to low water pH at different stages of their life cycle and mechanisms of delayed mortality are discussed.     

Chronological Dynamics of the Distribution of Wing Venation Anomalies in Intrapopulation Groups ofCalopteryx splendens Harr. Damselflies

Long-term dynamics of the numbers of complete (normal) veins, venation anomalies, and linear wing parameters were analyzed in male Calopteryx splendens Harr. damselflies from neighboring population groups. Correlation analysis showed that some anomalies may appear additionally to complete veins, whereas other anomalies are formed instead of them. The damselflies from the generations of even years proved to have significantly greater numbers of anomalies. A probable cause of this phenomenon was a sharp increase in the background radiation level in the summer of 1986, after the Chernobyl accident, which could lead to serious hereditary disturbances manifested in a series of generations. The results of the study show that the formation of wing venation anomalies in damselflies is a stochastic process, which is enhanced under the effect of both environmental and genetic stress. These anomalies may be regarded as markers characterizing the degree of stability of ontogenetic processes in the population, which essentially reflect specific genotypic traits of individual organisms. Analysis of wing venation anomalies appears to be a more precise instrument for assessing developmental stability than estimation of the levels of fluctuating asymmetry and general phenotypic variance.     

中国农村贫困的测度与模拟:1995-2003

本文介绍了基予GQ Lorenz曲线的参数方法测度贫困的基本原理，测算了1995—2003年中国农村贫困状况，重点对贫困的变化进行模拟分析。不同贫困线的模拟分析表明：各贫困指标对贫困线较小的移动具有较商的敏感性，其政策涵义是扶贫不应当只注意贫困线以下的家庭。而且也应当注意陷入贫困风险商的家庭。贫困分解的模拟分析表明：不仅收入与贫困发生率有关，而且分配不合理却增加了贫困的深度和强度，其政策涵义是贫困问题的根本解决应将更多的注意力放在贫困人口的收入及其分配上。     

Specific Features of Interactions between the Active and Passive Population Components in Some Life Forms of Flowering Plants

The soil banks of disseminules (seeds in therophytes and dormant tubers or bulbs in geophytes) can serve as genetic reserves of populations and contribute to the maintenance of a high variation level in the material presented to natural selection. Populations of the liliaceous geoephemeroid Fritillaria meleagroidesmanifest each year no more than fragments of variation, which can be observed in plants of active subpopulations. The differences in individual activity rhythms accounted for statistical significance of the difference between the samples taken from the same population in different years.     

Integrated phytobial remediation for sustainable management of arsenic in soil and water

Arsenic (As), cited as the most hazardous substance by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR, 2005), is an ubiquitous metalloid which when ingested for prolonged periods cause extensive health effects leading to ultimate untimely death. Plants and microbes can help mitigate soil and groundwater As problem since they have evolved elaborate detoxification machineries against this toxic metalloid as a result of their coexistence with this since the origin of life on earth. Utilization of the phytoremediation and bioremediation potential of the plants and microbes, respectively, is now regarded as two innovative tools that encompass biology, geology, biotechnology and allied sciences with cutting edge applications for sustainable mitigation of As epidemic. Discovery of As hyperaccumulating plants that uptake and concentrate large amounts of this toxic metalloid in their shoots or roots offered new hope to As phytoremediation, solar power based nature's own green remediation. This review focuses on how phytoremediation and bioremediation can be merged together to form an integrated phytobial remediation which could synergistically achieve the goal of large scale removal of As from soil, sediment and groundwater and overcome the drawbacks of the either processes alone. The review also points to the feasibility of the introduction of transgenic plants and microbes that bring new hope for more efficient treatment of As. The review identifies one critical research gap on the importance of remediation of As contaminated groundwater not only for drinking purpose but also for irrigation purpose and stresses that more research should be conducted on the use of constructed wetland, one of the most suitable areas of application of phytobial remediation. Finally the review has narrowed down on different phytoinvestigation and phytodisposal methods, which constitute the most essential and the most difficult part of pilot scale and field scale applications of phytoremediation programs.     

The elementary chorological structure of a species population as exemplified by voles

The results of 25-year monitoring have been used to develop a local approach to analysis of the spatiotemporal population dynamics of rodents. The main processes of the formation of the rodent population structure in a heterogeneous environment have been considered on the basis of experimental quantitative estimates obtained under natural conditions. The possibility of real-time identification of elementary chorological units of a species population has been substantiated. It has been found that complete cycles of vital activity of a model rodent species are usually no longer than 18 months. The strategy of the regional population functioning in species with short individual life cycles is considered at a new angle.     

Perceptions and patterns of human–elephant conflict at Barjora block of Bankura district in West Bengal, India: insights for mitigation and management

Human–elephant conflict is an issue of great concern regarding the growing competition between people and wildlife for food and shelter throughout Asia and Africa. The situation the Asian elephant faces is much critical. According to IUCN (Big hopes for endangered Asian Elephants, News Release, Gland, 2006), one of the prime factors to the decline of elephant population in India is the increasing trend in human–elephant conflict. Barjora block of Bankura district in West Bengal is one of the severe conflict prone zones in West Bengal, where elephant raid in every year has now become an inevitable phenomenon. As a result, crop damage, infrastructural damages, disturbances of daily activities, occurrence of human death and injuries have no doubt annihilated and frustrated the social fabric of life. This paper is an empirical attempt to address various consequences of human–elephant encounters which have an adverse impact on social, economic as well as the cultural life of the people. Instead of pursuing some traditional mitigation techniques, we argued much on understanding peoples’ perception to explore some sustainable mitigation measures to ensure the interest of both human and elephant and also to safeguard ecological integrity.     

High levels of fluctuating asymmetry in populations of Apodemus flavicollis from the most contaminated areas in Chornobyl

Random deviations from the perfect symmetry of normally bilaterally symmetrical characters for an individual with a given genotype occur during individual development due to the influence of multiple environmental factors. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is often used as a measure of developmental instability, and can be estimated as the variance of the distribution of differences between the left and right sides. We addressed the question of whether levels of FA were elevated in radioactively contaminated populations living around Chornobyl compared to those in reference populations of the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). In addition, we studied amounts of directional asymmetry (DA) when one side is larger than the other on average. There was a significant difference among populations, including reference populations, in the amount of both FA and DA. A higher level of FA was documented for the contaminated populations in close proximity to the failed Chornobyl reactor for both the asymmetry of size and shape. The FAs of size and shape were highest in populations from the most contaminated locations in the Chornobyl exclusion zone. Although the directional asymmetry of shape was also highest in the contaminated populations, it was not significantly different from those in most of the reference populations. Populations from less contaminated areas inside the Chornobyl exclusion zone did not express FA values different from those of the reference populations outside the affected area. FA of skulls of A. flavicollis may indicate the degree to which the level of radioactive contamination affects the development of animals at Chornobyl. However, the mechanisms leading to these effects are not clear and probably vary from population to population. There were significant correlations between the overall right to left differences for the Procrustes aligned shape configurations, centroid sizes, and intramuscular (137)Cs. Detectable effects of radiation on developmental stability probably start to occur between 0.132 and 0.297 microGy/h.     

Ecological and economical assessment of end‐of‐life waste recycling in the electrical and electronic recovery sector

Technological innovation and shorter product life cycles of electrical and electronic equipment coupled with their rapidly growing applications have resulted in the generation of an enormous amount of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To address the potential environmental problems that could stem from improper end‐of‐life management of WEEE, many countries have drafted national legislation to improve the reuse, remanufacture and material recycling from WEEE, and to reduce the amount of such waste going to landfills. With the introduction of such legislation comes an increased need for the recovery operators to evaluate the recycling costs and environmental benefits of reclaimed products and materials in order to select the most appropriate end‐of‐life options for individual products in WEEE. This paper presents a systematic methodology for ecological and economical assessment to provide a holistic understanding of the impacts associated with different end‐of‐life options for such waste. This assessment, in addition to providing decision‐support for the selection of the best possible end‐of‐life option for a particular product in WEEE, could also generate vital information to support the design and material selection processes during the initial product development activities. The assertion made is that the detailed considerations of the ecological and economical impacts associated with different end‐of‐life options will significantly improve the recovery and recycling of WEEE.     

A possible approach for the assessment of radiation effects on populations of wild organisms in radionuclide-contaminated environments?

It is frequently asserted that measures to protect the biotic environment from increased radiation exposures arising from human activities should be focussed on the population rather than the individual. It is, however, difficult (if not impossible) to identify any population-specific attributes that can be affected by radiation exposure directly rather than through the mediation of direct, known and identifiable effects in individual organisms. Indeed, it is often conceded that this difficulty forces attention to be refocussed onto the effects in individuals. Regulatory controls on radioactive waste management and disposal could then be implemented to ensure that any radiation effects in individual native plants and animals remain at, or below, some acceptable level (yet to be defined). Nevertheless, the question remains as to whether such controls would also provide for the protection of the population. An answer to this question depends on the availability of a model that allows the integration of the known effects of radiation exposure on the mortality, morbidity, fertility and fecundity of individuals into an assessment of the possible impact at the population level. The utility of one such approach, the Leslie Matrix Model, is explored in respect of a fish population (the plaice, Pleuronectes platessa). This initial implementation of the population model is simplistic (and, certainly, environmentally unrealistic), but it is concluded that the output from the model does provide some insights into how the population might respond to radiation-induced changes in individual attributes, and that further development in the direction of increased realism is fully warranted.     

城市化与北京增温的协整分析

城市增温现象和城市热岛效应对人居环境的影响日益显著，而城市化是否是城市增温现象的一个主要影响因素，为此。利用协整分析等经济计量方法研究城市化对城市增温现象的影响。协整分析是近年来计量经济学发展的最新成果，能够揭示变量之间存在着的长期均衡变动关系。分析发现，城市化因子与城市气候因子之间存在着协整关系。长期看北京市的年平均最低温度与人口密度基本上处于同步增长状态；短期内城市气温的变动受人口和城市化因素的影响较大。为此可知，北京市70年代以来，城市气温的升高基本上与城市化的发展相一致。二者具有长期协同变动的均衡关系。这些发现对我们制定减缓城市热岛效应的城市规划以及合理人口规模的城市发展战略都有很大的帮助。     

The short-term effect of heat waves on mortality and its modifiers in China: An analysis from 66 communities

BackgroundMany studies have reported increased mortality risk associated with heat waves. However, few have assessed the health impacts at a nation scale in a developing country. This study examines the mortality effects of heat waves in China and explores whether the effects are modified by individual-level and community-level characteristics.MethodsDaily mortality and meteorological variables from 66 Chinese communities were collected for the period 2006–2011. Heat waves were defined as ≥ 2 consecutive days with mean temperature ≥ 95th percentile of the year-round community-specific distribution. The community-specific mortality effects of heat waves were first estimated using a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM), adjusting for potential confounders. To investigate effect modification by individual characteristics (age, gender, cause of death, education level or place of death), separate DLNM models were further fitted. Potential effect modification by community characteristics was examined using a meta-regression analysis.ResultsA total of 5.0% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.9%–7.2%) excess deaths were associated with heat waves in 66 Chinese communities, with the highest excess deaths in north China (6.0%, 95% CI: 1%–11.3%), followed by east China (5.2%, 95% CI: 0.4%–10.2%) and south China (4.5%, 95% CI: 1.4%–7.6%). Our results indicate that individual characteristics significantly modified heat waves effects in China, with greater effects on cardiovascular mortality, cerebrovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, the elderly, females, the population dying outside of a hospital and those with a higher education attainment. Heat wave mortality effects were also more pronounced for those living in urban cities or densely populated communities.ConclusionHeat waves significantly increased mortality risk in China with apparent spatial heterogeneity, which was modified by some individual-level and community-level factors. Our findings suggest adaptation plans that target vulnerable populations in susceptible communities during heat wave events should be developed to reduce health risks.     

Practical improvement of the radiological quality of milk produced by peasant farmers in the territories of Belarus contaminated by the Chernobyl accident. The ETHOS project.

The Chernobyl post-accident situation has highlighted how the sudden emergence of persistent radioactive contamination in the environment is severely affecting the quality of life of the inhabitants in the concerned territories. The management of this situation is complex, mainly conditioned by the ability of the inhabitants themselves to be directly involved in the process of improving their living conditions. In this process, quality of life cannot be restricted solely to the dimension of radiological risk, but needs to encompass the diverse aspects of daily living, including the social, psychological, economic, political and ethical aspects. This paper presents the experience of the involvement of a group of peasant farmers from a village in the Republic of Belarus, in the process of improving the radiological quality of privately produced milk. This experience took place in the context of the ETHOS project, funded by the radiation protection research programme of the European Commission. The principal objective was to implement a complementary approach to the rehabilitation strategies adopted so far in the contaminated territories of the Republic of Belarus. This paper retraces the process of involvement of the inhabitants in a working group. It describes the characterisation of the situation by local actors, the opening of new possible actions to improve the radiological quality of milk at the individual level and the positive consequences at the scale of the village. The ETHOS project also illustrates how the scientific knowledge accumulated over many years since the Chernobyl accident in the field of radiation protection and radioecology can enter into local practices in the form of practical tools, which can be used by the population to produce significant improvements in the radiological situation.     

湖北省榉树自然种群分布研究

对湖北省天然榉树的自然种群分布现状、种群特征及种群分布格局进行了研究。结果表明：湖北榉树资源主要分布在海拔500~1 000 m地带,不同程度地分割包围在谷底和山腰,地理分布点呈收缩集群分布,种群规模较小;采用方差/均值法对榉树地理分布格局类型进行分析,其值=1.66>1,表明其分布点的地理分布趋于集群分布。湖北榉树种群星散间隔的地理分布形式,使地理分布点间产生空间间隔,成为相互间基因交错的障碍,而较小的种群规模,增加了遗传漂变的机率,导致遗传上的不稳定性增加,影响种群的生存能力,这些是导致物种趋向濒危的重要原因。湖北榉树种群这种分布现状产生的原因,一方面是物种自身的生物学特性及对生境的特定要求所致,另一方面是由于人类对榉树资源的过度开发利用以及人类经济活动导致的生境片段化。应借助于人为帮助,改善生态环境,扩大其种群规模,促进不同种群之间的基因交流,以利保护。     

公众太湖蓝藻水华生态风险感知特征研究——以无锡市区为例

蓝藻水华暴发已成为全球性生态环境问题。太湖作为流域重要的水源地,2007年蓝藻水华事件的暴发引起公众的高度关注。运用问卷调查法,研究无锡市区489名公众的太湖蓝藻水华生态风险感知特征及其主要影响因素。研究结果表明：蓝藻水华生态风险被公众知觉为总体风险是陌生和完全可控的;蓝藻水华暴发原因是陌生和不可控的,这是引起公众风险意识的主要因素。影响公众蓝藻水华生态风险感知水平的主要因素有媒体、信息和个体因素。报纸广播电视是主要的媒体因素。信息因素有灾害信息、灾害治理信息、政府防范措施信息。灾害治理信息的影响作用最大,其次是灾害信息和政府防范措施信息。不同性别、年龄段、教育程度、收入水平及职业的人群,对不同类别的风险信息关注程度不同,影响到个体风险偏好的不同。研究结果有助于决策者更全面地理解蓝藻水华风险的本质,开展风险沟通,针对不同特征的人群选择有效的风险管理方案。〖     

Fluctuations of Population Size and Structure in the Northern Mole Vole: Preliminary Analysis

Long-term stationary studies on the ecology of the northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinus Pall.), performed by the mark–recapture method from 1985 to 1997, have provided original data on population dynamics and structure. The analysis shows that, to reveal cyclic fluctuations of population size in this species, the period of three years should be taken as a unit of time for estimating the duration of one phase. The 12-year population cycle in E. talpinus has four distinct phases: an increase, a peak, a decline, and a minimum. At each phase, the population is characterized by certain features of family structure, age composition, birth and death rates, and the composition of migrants.     

Elevation-dependent genetic variation of plants and seed embryos in the Crimea Mountain population of Pinus pallasiana D. Don

In the Crimea Mountain population of Pinus pallasiana D. Don, the genetic structure of adult plants and embryos was studied along an elevation gradient (150, 400, 600, and 900 m a.s.l.). Ten polymorphic loci of six enzyme systems were examined. The degree of differentiation of plants from different elevations and their progeny with respect to genetic structure proved to be low, indicating the absence of strict isolation barriers that would interfere with gene flow along the elevation gradient.     

是"城市化"还是"城镇"化--一个新型城市化道路的战略发展框架

对中国农村人口问题有两种不弼的理论主张和政策导向：一是城市化。二是城镇化。由于“城镇化”模型的基本结构是：“城镇化”=“城市化“ “乡镇化”其框架所明含的“乡镇化”倾向必然存在下述显著弊端：选择了不可能从根本上解决农民问题的农村化乡镇框架；将会对中国现代化进程中的农村人口压力产生短期缓解而长期困抗的不良后果；将会导致资泊配置的浪费；将会导致后果严重的长期环境污染；违背了农村人口的最优化理性选择；乡镇企业存在和发展主妻理由已经基本上不复存在。中国农村人口目艇t性发展的战略框架是：必须和只能走新型城市化道路；尽快理智而清晰地确立城市化的惟一发展战略；尽快建构“教育化 城市化”的提升国民素质的社会发展框架；尽快把县级城市作为中国城市化发展战略的根本空间选择和主要社会载体。中国在这方面具有广阔的制度创新空间。应尽快通过镧度现代化而开辟出一条农民市民化和人口现代化的制度通道。