Progress and challenges in consolidating the management of Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories

Effective management refers to the ability of a protected area or indigenous territory to meet its objectives, particularly as they relate to the protection of biodiversity and forest cover. Effective management is achieved through a process of consolidation, which among other things requires legally protecting sites, integrating sites into land‐use planning, developing and implementing management and resource‐use plans, and securing long‐term funding to pay for recurrent costs. Effectively managing all protected areas and indigenous territories in the Amazon may be needed to avoid a deforestation tipping point beyond which regional climatic feedbacks and global climate change interact to catalyze irreversible drying and savannization of large areas. At present, protected areas and indigenous territories cover 45.5% (3.55 million km²) of the Amazon, most of the 60–70% forest cover required to maintain hydrologic and climatic function. Three independent evaluations of a long‐term large‐scale philanthropic initiative in the Amazon yielded insights into the challenges and advances toward achieving effective management of protected areas and indigenous territories. Over the life of the initiative, management of sites has improved considerably, particularly with respect to management planning and capacity building, but few sites are effectively managed and many lack sufficient long‐term financing, adequate governance, support of nongovernmental organizations, and the means to withstand economic pressures. The time and money required to complete consolidation is still poorly understood, but it is clear that philanthropic funding is critical so long as essential funding needs are not met by governments and other sources, which could be on the order of decades. Despite challenges, it is encouraging that legal protection has expanded greatly and management of sites is improving steadily. Management of protected areas in other developing countries could be informed by improvements that have occurred in Amazonian countries.     

Cyclodextrin-based supramolecular assemblies: a versatile toolbox for the preparation of functional porous materials

The discovery of ordered mesoporous materials in 1992 by Mobil Oil Corporation scientists has opened great opportunities for new applications in many emerging fields such as heterogeneous catalysis, biocatalysis, energy conversion, biosensors, photocatalytic devices and environmental technologies. Porous materials are grouped by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) into three classes according to their pore diameter: microporous (<?2 nm), mesoporous (2–50 nm) and macroporous (>?50 nm). One of the most versatile methods for the preparation of those materials is the soft template approach which combines the sol–gel process with molecular self-assembly. While the micelles formed by ionic or nonionic surfactants, as well as amphiphilic polymers, have been extensively used as templates, the supramolecular assemblies formed between cyclodextrins and block copolymers have been less investigated, despite their large chemical and structural diversity. This review article focuses mainly on nanostructured porous inorganic materials derived from cyclodextrins or cyclodextrin-based assemblies. More than 100 references are described and discussed, in which we look both at their synthesis and characterization, as well as their applications in the emerging fields of heterogeneous catalysis and photocatalysis. A special attention is paid to the evaluation of the critical parameters that need to be controlled for improving their (photo) catalytic performances.     

基于关联性及趋势性分析的AVHRR NDVI及#br# MODIS NDVI数据产品比较

针对AVHRR NDVI和MODIS NDVI数据集中不同数据产品间的差异和区域适应性问题，利用2003~2013年重叠时间段MODIS Terra/Aqua的NDVI Collection 5(C5)和Collection 6(C6)产品以及AVHRR NDVI中的GIMMS NDVI3g产品，选择汉江流域典型区域进行数据对比分析。通过关联指数IOAs(Index of Association)来评价各数据在季节波动上的一致性；采用Mann Kendall检验分析各数据的长期趋势差异。结果表明，在季节性变化上，同一卫星不同版本产品之间的关联性相对较高。在年际变化上，GIMMS产品相对MODIS 产品，仅能检出部分NDVI变化趋势。在地表覆被异质性相对较高地区，GIMMS产品的长期变化趋势检出率较低。MODIS Terra的NDVI C5产品受传感器退化影响，表现出相对较高的减少趋势。 关键词： GIMMS NDVI；MODIS NDVI；Mann Kendall检验；趋势分析     

Is using nanosilver mattresses/pillows safe? A review of potential health implications of silver nanoparticles on human health

Human exposure to engineered nanoparticles has become inevitable in today’s extensive commercial use and large-scale production of engineered nanoparticles. Even though several studies have characterised the exposure to nanomaterials during wakeful state (related to occupational exposures and exposures from commercially available particles), very few studies on human exposure during sleep exist. As the study of exposure to all possible nanomaterials during sleep is extensive, this study focuses on exposure to specifically silver nanoparticles which are present in beddings and mattresses. The reasoning behind the use of silver nanoparticles in bedding and related materials, possible routes of entry to various population groups in several sleep positions, exposure characterisation and toxicity potential of such silver nanoparticles are reviewed in this study. The toxicity potential of silver nanoparticles in vivo tests with relation to mammals and in vitro tests on human cells has been tabulated to understand the risks associated during oral, dermal and inhalation exposure to silver nanoparticles. The exposure to humans with regard to dermal absorption and oral intake has been summarised. Although potential inhalation exposure to silver nanoparticles is increasing, only a few studies address the possible toxic effect of inhaled silver particles. Determination of exposure to silver nanoparticles in beddings is a topic that has been less researched, and this review aims to provide background information for future research and help establish a comprehensive risk assessment during sleep in the times of increasing usage of nanoparticles in our daily activities. Despite the current limitations of our understanding, risk assessments must utilise the available data and apply extrapolation procedures in the face of uncertainty, in order to address the needs of regulatory programs. This would enable safe use of the antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles without negatively impacting human health. Until then, it would be better to adopt a conservative approach on the usage of silver nanoparticles in daily used commercial items.

     

Climate readiness of recovery plans for threatened Australian species

The rapidly changing climate is posing growing threats for all species, but particularly for those already considered threatened. We reviewed 100 recovery plans for Australian terrestrial threatened species (50 fauna and 50 flora plans) written from 1997 to 2017. We recorded the number of plans that acknowledged climate change as a threat and of these how many proposed specific actions to ameliorate the threat. We classified these actions along a continuum from passive or incremental to active or interventionist. Overall, just under 60% of the sampled recovery plans listed climate change as a current or potential threat to the threatened taxa, and the likelihood of this acknowledgment increased over time. A far smaller proportion of the plans, however, identified specific actions associated with ameliorating climate risk (22%) and even fewer (9%) recommended any interventionist action in response to a climate-change-associated threat. Our results point to a disconnect between the knowledge generated on climate-change-related risk and potential adaptation strategies and the extent to which this knowledge has been incorporated into an important instrument of conservation action.     

Electrodisinfection of real swine wastewater for water reuse

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Swine production generates large volumes of wastewater, rich in organic matter, nutrients and pathogens. Electrodisinfection is used to remove organic matter and...     

Optimal Absorbent Evaluation for the CO2 Separating Process by Absorption Loading,Desorption Efficiency,Cost, and Environmental Tolerance

The CO₂ absorption capacities of potassium glycinate, potassium sarcosinate (choline, proline), mono-ethanolamine (MEA), and tri-ethanolamine were evaluated to find the optimal absorbent for separating CO₂ from gaseous products by a CO₂ purification process. The absorption loading, desorption efficiency, cost, and environmental tolerance were assessed to select the optimal absorbent. MEA was found to be the optimum absorbent for separating the CO₂ and H₂ mixture in gaseous product. The maximum absorption loading rate was 0.77 mol CO₂ per mol MEA at temperature of 20°C and absorbent concentration of 2.5 mol/L, whereas desorption efficiency was 90% by heating for 3 h at 130°C. MEA was found to be an optimal absorbent for the purification process of CO₂ during gaseous production.     

提高电捕焦油器安全生产运行的措施

简要叙述了电捕焦油器开工以来存在的问题,对电捕捕焦油器不能安全稳定运行的原因进行了分析,并采取改进措施。实践证明,改进工艺技术合理,方法可行,电捕焦油器运行效果达到指标要求。     

模糊综合评价法在钢铁企业安全投资合理性评价中的应用

为了对钢铁企业安全投资进行模糊综合评价,建立了钢铁企业安全投资的评价体系,确定各因素的权重。得出模糊综合评价矩阵,可对各因素进行评价分析;得出某钢铁企业安全投资现状分数为83.9分,等级为较好,需着重加强安全培训、劳保品、工业卫生等人因素方面的投资;在环境方面的投资较合理。