Safety Evaluation for a Biodiesel Process Using Prion-Contaminated Animal Fat as a Source (6 pp)

Background Due to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), specified risk material (SRM) as well as animal meat and bone meal (MBM) are banned from the food and feed chain because of a possible infection with pathogenic prions (PrPSc). Nowadays, prions are widely accepted to be responsible for TSE(transmissible spongiform encephalopathies)-caused illnesses like BSE and scrapie, and especially for the occurrence of the new variant of CJD in humans. Presently, SRM and MBM are burnt under high temperatures to avoid any hazards for humans, animals or the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a method using animal fat separated from Category I material which includes SRM and the carcasses of TSE-infected animals, or animals suspected of being infected with TSE, as a source for producing biodiesel by transesterification, analogous to the biodiesel process using vegetable oil. Methods For this purpose, animal fat was spiked with scrapie-infected hamster brain equivalents – as representative for a TSE-infected animal – and the biodiesel manufacturing process was downscaled and performed under lab-scale conditions. Results and Discussion The results analysed by Western blotting showed clearly that almost each single step of the process leads to a significant reduction of the concentration of the pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) in the main and side-products. Conclusion The data revealed that the biodiesel production, even from material with a high concentration of pathogenic prions, can be considered as safe. Recommendations and Outlook The obtained results indicated that biodiesel produced from prion-contaminated fat was safe under the tested process conditions. However, it has to be pointed out that the results cannot be generalized because a different process control using other conditions may lead to different results and then has to be analysed independently. It is clear that the production of biodiesel from high risk material represents a more economic usage than the combustion of such material.     

渝鄂湘黔接壤贫困山区农村劳动力就业转移研究

渝鄂湘黔接壤地区是位居我国腹心的重要待开发贫困山区。农村劳动力严重过剩，就业转移问题；突出，１９９６年农村劳动力剩余量达８００～１０００万人，且呈增长趋势。到２０１０年，农村劳动力将达２２００万人，剩余量约达１２００～１４００万人，就业压力很大。本区农村劳动力就业转移应实行就地转移和输出转移双管齐下，其转移的主要领域包括商品农业、乡镇企业、生态经济经营型生态环境建设及劳务输出等。研究结果说明，上述     

洞庭湖区城镇体系建设研究

洞庭湖区是国内重要的商品粮猪基地。从城市地理学和区域地理学的角度探讨洞庭湖区城镇体系的建设问题,就湖区城镇的规模体系,职能体系和空间体系３个方面展开了专门分析。在城镇等级体系建设方面,应着重加强其中心化趋势和有序性。强调中心城市对于中小城镇的带动作用,科学地确定在不同阶段较大城市的发展规模,形成大中小相结合,结构合理的城镇等级系统。在城市职能体系建设方面,应扬长避短,突出特色,强调产业结构的趋异和     

Integrated catchment management in Western Australia: Transition from concept to implementation

Integrated catchment management (ICM) was introduced as state policy in 1988 to overcome land and water degradation in Western Australia (WA). Key elements of ICM are cooperation among state and local governments and landholders; involvement of landholders and local communities in identification of issues and solutions; and, agreement on common objectives. This study identifies the issues that led to the adoption of integrated catchment management in Western Australia, outlines its main characteristics, and reviews the progress and problems encountered during its initial implementation. ICM has generally been accepted and endorsed in WA. However, differences of opinion have emerged regarding exactly what it means and how it should be applied. Designing ideal organizational structures for ICM is not sufficient for it to be effective. Ultimately, people have to make ICM function, and therefore it is essential that priority be given to cultivating the good will and trust necessary for ICM to work well. ICM also requires a long-term perspective and appreciation that it requires many people and agencies to move out of current “comfort zones.” As a result, initial implementation of ICM usually will encounter turbulence and debate.     

Marine Protected Areas and Dugong Conservation Along Australia's Indian Ocean Coast

/ The coastal zone of the Indian Ocean is coming under increasing pressure from human activities. Australia may be one of the few countries in this region that can afford to take adequate conservation measures in the near future. As it also has one of the longest Indian Ocean coastlines, Australia has the opportunity, and responsibility, to make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of Indian Ocean biodiversity. Threatened species, including marine turtles, inshore dolphins, and dugongs are an important component of that biodiversity. The dugong has been exterminated from several areas in the Indian Ocean, and it appears to be particularly threatened by mesh netting andhunting. Its long-term survival may depend on adequate protection in Australia, which contains the largest known Indian Ocean populations. This protection will require, in part, an appropriate system of marine protected areas (MPAs). This paper examines the adequacy of MPAs along Australia's Indian Ocean coast. Dugongs occur in two MPAs in Western Australia. The proposed expansion of the system of marine reserves is based primarily on representative samples of ecosystems from each biogeographic region. It is inadequate because it does not take into account the distribution and relative abundance of threatened species. If the conservation of biodiversity is to be maximized, the system of MPAs should incorporate both representativeness and the needs of threatened species. The level of protection provided by MPAs in Western Australia is low. Under current government policy potentially damaging activities, including commercial fishing, seismic surveys, and oil and gas drilling are permitted in protected areas.KEY WORDS: Marine protected areas; Dugongs; Western Australia; Indian Ocean; Conservation; Biodiversity     

1996年7月湖南益阳特大水灾分析

全面科学地分析了1996年7月湖南益阳夏季特大水灾的历史背景、特点及防御对策，对综合治理洞庭湖提供了科学依据。     

湖南省历史旱灾时空分布规律

本文综合考虑气候条件、下垫面条件、史料记载的均一性等因素，将湖南省划分为１０个研究区；根据１４５０～１９４９年湖南省气候史料记载１），采用区内平均等级，描绘了全省１０个区旱灾的时间序列，并据此探讨了全省近５００ａ来旱灾的时空分布规律。     

Management strategy for acidic deposition in Western and Northern Canada

The governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Canada held joint consultations in 1980 to review the available information on acid rain from Western and Northern Canada. It was concluded that acid rain might become a problem in the future and, hence, a research, monitoring, and management strategy for acidic deposition was needed. An overview of the joint governments' management strategy, organization of research and monitoring programs, and accomplishments to date are discussed in this article.The authors are members of the Technical Committee for the Long Range Transport of Atmospheric Pollutants (LRTAP)/Acid Deposition in Western and Northern Canada, and represent Alberta and British Columbia, respectively.     

扬子板块东南缘湖南区段上元古界构造变形

本文就扬子板块东南缘湖南段上元古代三套同期异相沉积层—泥市群、板溪群及高涧群的构造变形特征分别作了简要概述。指出它们的主体构造变形是显生宙以来构造叠加变形的综合反映,其中,板溪群与高涧群的构造变形型式迥然有别,“雪峰隆起”的南北两侧不仅在组成上而且结构上均具显著的不对称性。     

湖南大义山花岗岩南体黑云母40Ar-39Ar定年及地质意义

大义山岩体是一个多时代形成的复式岩体,习惯有大义山南体和北体之分.岩体内外接触带产有较多的W、Sn、Cu、Pb、Zn等多金属矿产.长期以来对南体主体形成的时代归属存在较大的差异,一部分人认为是印支期的产物,另一部人认为是燕山期的产物,这种结果对该区成矿作用的研究和指导找矿都带来很大的不利.本次研究通过对岩体的解体以及精确的黑云母氩氩法定年,确切地将大义山南体归属于两个不同的时代,即南体的北部为中侏罗世,南部为晚三叠世.这一成果对该岩体和成矿作用的研究都具有重要的现实意义.