Weak indirect effects inherent to nitrogen biogeochemical cycling within anthropogenic ecosystems: A network environ analysis

Indirect effects are assumed to be the major causes of the complexity and stability of ecological networks. The complexity of urban-rural complexes (URCs) could also be attributed to the indirect effects associated with human activities. No studies, however, have quantified the strength of indirect effects in relation to urban biogeochemistry. A network environ analysis (NEA) was used for this study to investigate and compare indirect effects in relation to the nitrogen (N) cycling networks of 22 natural ecosystems and five URCs. Results show that indirect effects were proven to be weak for URC N cycling networks (accounting for only ∼2% of the overall effects measured in natural ecosystems). The weak indirect effects found provide a counterexample for the hypothesis that indirect effects are in fact the dominant components of biogeochemical networks. It also implies that human activity in itself does not always raise the complexity of ecological processes as previously suggested. Weak indirect effects also lead to perturbation fragility for URC N cycles (where the decay rate is greater in comparison to natural ecosystems by a factor of 13). In order to improve the robustness and efficiency of URC biogeochemical cycling, a knockout analysis was carried out. By comparing results after removing single interactions between natural ecosystems and URCs it was found that the loss of indirect effects require cooperative strategies to optimize N cycling networks within URCs.     

Effect of starvation on the energy budget of two Asian horseshoe crab species: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tachypleus tridentatus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda</Emphasis> (Chelicerata: Xiphosura)

Energy budget is one of the most studied parameters in aquatic animals under environmental challenge. To examine how prolonged starvation would affect their energy budget, respiration rate (RR), ammonia excretion rate (ER), oxygen consumption to ammonia–nitrogen excretion (O:N) ratio and scope for growth (SfG) representing the balance between energy intake and metabolic output, two Asian horseshoe crab species, Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, were investigated in two feeding regimes (fed and starved) over a period of 7 weeks. No significant effects of species and time course, as well as their interaction, on absorption efficiency were observed in the fed treatments. For both species, RR and ER of the starved treatments significantly decreased, while their O:N ratio significantly increased during the experiment. However, such values for the fed treatments remained relatively stable over the study period. A rapid reduction in SfG was only apparent in the first week of the starved treatments for both species; thereafter, their SfG remained relatively constant. In the fed treatments, SfG of T. tridentatus was significantly lower than that of C. rotundicauda throughout the experiment. In general, C. rotundicauda showed a greater decrease in SfG under starvation than T. tridentatus, suggesting that they may have a more competitive life-history strategy for adjusting to poor nutritional conditions.     

Stereoselective toxicity of malathion and its metabolites, malaoxon and isomalathion

In recent years, the stereoselective toxicity of chiral organophosphorus pesticides has received increasing attention from environmental toxicology scientists. In an attempt to explore the stereoselective effects of chiral organophosphorus pesticides on non-target organisms and enzymes, this work investigated the stereoselective toxicity and inhibition of malathion, malaoxon and isomalathion on Daphnia magna and on acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase extracted from wheat flour, respectively. Toxicity differences were observed between the two enantiomers of malathion and malaoxon and among the four stereoisomers of isomalathion in the LC50 values on D. magna and the IC50 values on acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase. Enantiomers with (R)-configuration in all the tested compounds showed higher toxicity to D. magna than their (S)-forms and racemic forms. Racemic malaoxon and isomalathion showed the strongest inhibition on acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase compared to their respective enantiomers and stereoisomers.     

环境中多环芳烃(PAHs)的生物标志物的功效分析

污染物的生物监测一直是环境风险评估研究的重要内容.肝脏中谷胱甘肽硫转移酶(glutathione-S -transferase,GST)、7-乙氧基-3-异吩恶唑酮-脱乙基酶(ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase,EROD)、DNA-加合物(DNA-adducts)和胆汁中多环芳烃代谢物(PAH m...     

硫酸锰废渣浸出液对斑马鱼的毒性及抗氧化酶活性的影响

已有研究表明,堆积在湘西花垣河河岸的硫酸锰废渣含有多种重金属,可能是导致花垣河河水和沉积物重金属污染的主要原因.为了评价硫酸锰废渣的潜在生态风险和对水生动物的毒性,本研究分析了硫酸锰废渣浸出液中的主要重金属成分,用漫出液对斑马鱼进行了急性毒性实验,观察在急性胁迫下斑马鱼的体征变化,测定了斑马鱼在亚致死浓度下的生化指标的...     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in effluents from wastewater treatment plants and receiving streams in Tianjin, China

Surface water, suspended particulate matter, pore water, and sediment samples were collected and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Yongding New River, South Drainage Canal and North Drainage Canal, which receive most of wastewater from industrial city of Tianjin. PAH concentrations in effluent samples of wastewater treatment plants (WTP) discharging into the South Drainage Canal and North Drainage Canal were quantified for the first time. The results showed that the discharge of the WTPs recently only contributed to the PAH contamination in the canals near the outlets of the WTPs. PAH levels in sediments of the streams were greatly higher than those in soils by riverbank probably due to receiving large amounts of untreated wastewater. Unusually high benz[a] anthracene concentration strongly influenced the seasonal and spatial variation of total PAH concentrations in South Drainage Canal. Paired samples t test of ??Nap, Fl, Phe, Fluo and ??Nap, Phe, Fluo, Chry concentrations, which were dominant components in the air samples from non-heating and heating season, respectively, in the suspended particulate matters from the streams showed that PAH source from air deposition was more important for Yongding New River than that for South Drainage Canal and North Drainage Canal. Source apportionment based on PAH profiles indicated that coal combustion was the major PAH contamination source, and coke oven sources and wood combustion also contributed to the PAH contamination of the streams. This was further indicated by organic petrography analysis.     

基于ARM处理器的CO气体在线监测系统的设计

以三星公司的ARM7处理器S3C44B0X、嵌入式实时操作系统uC/OS -Ⅱ为基础,介绍了一种CO气体在线监测仪器电路部分的实现,分析其基本原理,给出了系统整体框图,完成了其硬件系统和软件系统的设计.实践证明,该方法能够满足系统控制和数据处理要求,具有较好的实用性.     

化工园区泄漏事故安全风险评估模式研究

为减少化工事故频发造成严重人员伤亡及财产损失,在分析危化品泄漏事故类型的基础上,从事故发生概率和事故后果两方面提出危化品泄漏事故风险评估模型.以中毒事故为例,对重庆长寿化工园区内某企业一液氨储罐进行风险评估.基于概率模型计算中毒事故概率,结果表明该储罐发生泄漏引起中毒的概率较小;数值模拟结果显示:影响范围随时间的增加而...     

综合交通枢纽运营安全集成管理机制的构建

为提高综合交通枢纽(ITH)运营安全管理的效率和效果,从脆弱性的角度,分析综合交通枢纽运营安全事故的机理和运营安全管理的特性,构建综合交通枢纽运营安全集成管理机制。该机制以安全信息、安全组织和安全资源的协调、集成和优化为核心,包含干扰监测、威胁预警、漏洞修复、事故控制、鲁棒性提升和应急与恢复等实施机制。建立包含管理措施和技术手段的支撑体系。研究表明:脆弱性是综合交通枢纽运营安全事故发生的根源;该机制以脆弱性为突破口,通过若干管理措施和技术手段,能够实现综合交通枢纽运营安全的全要素、全过程和全资源的集成管理。     

Severity models of cross-median and rollover crashes on rural divided highways in Pennsylvania

Introduction

Crossover and rollover crashes in earth-divided, traversable medians on rural divided highways can lead to severe injury outcomes. This study estimated severity models of these two crash types. Vehicle, driver, roadway, and median cross-section design data were factors considered in the models. A unique aspect of the data used to estimate the models were the availability of median cross-slope data, which are not commonly included in roadway inventory data files.

Methods

A binary logit model of cross-median crash severity and a multinomial logit model of rollover crash severity were estimated using five years of data from rural divided highways in Pennsylvania.

Results

The highest probability of a fatal or major injury in cross-median and rollover crashes was found to occur in cases when a driver was not wearing a seatbelt. While flatter cross-slopes and narrower medians were associated with more severe cross-median crash outcomes, steeper cross-slopes and narrower medians significantly increased rollover crash severity outcomes. The presence of horizontal curves was associated with increased probabilities of high-severity outcomes in a median rollover crash.

Impact on Industry

Modeling results in this study confirmed that cross-median and median rollover crash severity outcomes are associated with median cross-section design characteristics. Based on the estimated models, it appears that flatter and narrower medians lead to more severe injury outcomes in cross-median crashes. Steeper median cross-slopes and narrower medians were associated with higher probabilities of more severe outcomes in median rollover crashes. The results presented in this study suggest that there is a trade-off between median cross-section design and cross-median and rollover crashes in earth-divided, traversable medians on rural divided highways. While the severity models can be included in a framework to develop design guidance in relation to this trade-off, models of crash frequency should also be considered.