Effects of dietary copper exposure on accumulation,growth, and hematological parameters in Cyprinus carpio

The influence of dietary copper (Cu) exposure on accumulation, growth, and hematological parameters was investigated in Cyprinus carpio after sub-chronic ingestion of 0, 250, 500, 750 or 1000?mg?kg^?1 for 60 days. The profile of Cu accumulation among tissues in C. carpio was dependent on the exposure period and Cu concentration. Liver of C. carpio was the predominant storage tissue and the order of Cu accumulation in tissues was liver?>?intestine?> gill?>?kidney?>?muscle. Cu concentration at >125?mg?kg^?1 reduced growth rate, and was inversely related to growth. The RNA?:?DNA ratios were not affected by exposure and there was no correlation between growth rate and RNA?:?DNA ratio in liver and muscle. There were no significant effects of exposure on blood parameters except for magnesium. Cu exposure time and dose increased the serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) activity levels.     

Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in the Upper Blue Nile River Basin,Ethiopia1

Kim, Ungtae and Jagath J. Kaluarachchi, 2009. Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in the Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Ethiopia. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 45(6):1361‐1378. Abstract: Climate change affects water resources availability of international river basins that are vulnerable to runoff variability of upstream countries especially with increasing water demands. The upper Blue Nile River Basin is a good example because its downstream countries, Sudan and Egypt, depend solely on Nile waters for their economic development. In this study, the impacts of climate change on both hydrology and water resources operations were analyzed using the outcomes of six different general circulation models (GCMs) for the 2050s. The outcomes of these six GCMs were weighted to provide average future changes. Hydrologic sensitivity, flow statistics, a drought index, and water resources assessment indices (reliability, resiliency, and vulnerability) were used as quantitative indicators. The changes in outflows from the two proposed dams (Karadobi and Border) to downstream countries were also assessed. Given the uncertainty of different GCMs, the simulation results of the weighted scenario suggested mild increases in hydrologic variables (precipitation, temperature, potential evapotranspiration, and runoff) across the study area. The weighted scenario also showed that low‐flow statistics and the reliability of streamflows are increased and severe drought events are decreased mainly due to increased precipitation. Joint dam operation performed better than single dam operation in terms of both hydropower generation and mean annual storage without affecting the runoff volume to downstream countries, but enhancing flow characteristics and the robustness of streamflows. This study provides useful information to decision makers for the planning and management of future water resources of the study area and downstream countries.     

Economic and Ecological Transformation Processes in East German Water Management Regimes: The Role of Property Rights and Governance Structures

As in many fen land regions in East Germany, long-standing intensive arable farming—enabled by reclamation—has caused soil deterioration and high water runoff in the Schraden region. The more than ten years of economic and political transformation that followed the breakdown of the socialist regime has worsened the situation and even added new problems. The visible consequences are droughts in the summer, waterlogged plots in the spring, and worn-down water management facilities that operate in an uncoordinated or even unauthorized way. Given the local public-good character of some features of the fen land, the common-pool character of the ecosystems intermittently scarce resource water, and the conflicting interests of regional stakeholders, it is argued that the reallocation of property rights over reclamation systems, together with ineffective coordination mechanisms, have caused the physical and institutional failure of the water management system and so impeded appropriate land use. Note: This version was published online in June 2005 with the cover date of August 2004.     

Food Health Policies and Ethics: Lay Perspectives on Functional Foods

Functional foods are a challenge tofood health policies, since they questioncentral ideas in the way that food healthpolicies have been developed over the lastdecades. Driven by market actors instead ofpublic authorities and focusing on the role ofsingle foods and single constituents in foodsfor health, they contrast traditional wisdombehind nutrition policies that emphasize therole of the diet as a whole for health.Sociological literature about food in everydaylife shows that technical rationality co-existswith other food related rationalities, such aspractical and economic rationalities, socialand relational rationalities, and symbolicrationalities that influence citizens' ordinaryeating habits. An examination of lay views onexpert knowledge about food and health showthat skepticism exists with respect to thebasis of and balance of expert advice. Critical points with respect to how functionalfoods may influence routines in the populationswith relevance for public health include thefact, that they promote a way of thinking offood and health that is in conflict withwell-established practical ways of ensuring abalanced diet.     

The Introduction of the Precautionary Principle in Danish Environmental Policy: The Case of Plant Growth Retardants

In this paper, we investigate the Precautionary Principle (PP) in action. Precaution is a fairly new concept in environmental policy. It emerged back in the 1960s but did not consolidate until the 1980s, as it formed part of the major changes taking place in environmental policies at that time. The PP is examined in three contexts. Firstly, we look at the meaning of the concept and how it is disseminated through the media and public discourses to the political arenas of Denmark. Then we examine how the idea is adopted to the political level. Thirdly, we look briefly at the first Danish translation of the principle into a practical context, which includes translations into concrete scientific practices. It is concluded that if the PP shall be more than a simple “idea” or a frequently used “term,” emphasis must be put on the transformation of the concept into concrete practices, like e.g., the alternative testing regimes that we show in the case of plant growth-retarding pesticides presented in this paper.     

大豆膳食纤维改性及其对阳离子染料吸附特性

对大豆膳食纤维进行了羧甲基化改性,并利用红外光谱(FT-IR)和扫描电镜(SEM)对其结构进行了表征.研究了羧甲基化大豆膳食纤维用量、吸附时间、吸附温度、溶液pH值等因素对其吸附亚甲基蓝、结晶紫和品红效果的影响.结果表明,当吸附温度为25℃、羧甲基化大豆膳食纤维浓度为20 mg/L、溶液pH值为6.8和吸附时间为60 min时,羧甲基化大豆膳食纤维对亚甲基蓝、结晶紫和品红的去除率分别达到96.4％、95.6％和94.7％.另外,此吸附过程较好地符合Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附模型.     

长春市膳食水足迹研究

食物是居民日常生活首要的消费品,膳食水足迹能反映一个地区对水资源的利用情况。根据长春市2000年一2009年城乡居民膳食消费量,量化长春市城乡居民膳食水足迹,分析其特征。10年来长春市城乡居民膳食水足迹差异在逐渐减小,城镇居民的多样性指数始终高于农村居民,但差值逐渐减小,城乡居民膳食水足迹存在巨大差距,不公平现象很明显。探讨不同膳食消费模式下水资源的节约量,为长春市合理利用水资源提供依据。     

贵州喀斯特地质背景异常区农产品中氟镉暴露水平及健康风险评估

研究贵州喀斯特高地质背景对农产品中F、Cd含量水平的影响,评价农产品F、Cd暴露对不同人群的健康风险。以7个市州为研究区域,采集255个样品(110个水稻、130个玉米、15个马铃薯),分别采用氟离子选择电极法及电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)测定样品中F、Cd含量。参照靶标危害系数(THQ)和危害系数(HI)对儿童及成人的健康风险进行评价。结果表明,大米、玉米及马铃薯中Cd含量为0.003～0.629、0.000～0.556、0.016～0.153 mg/kg;F含量分别在0.130～1.970、0.357～4.717、0.557～1.058 mg/kg之间。大米、玉米及马铃薯分别有19.09%、23.08%、26.70%的样品Cd含量超过阈值(0.2、0.1、0.1 mg/kg,GB2762-2017)。大米中氟镉含量呈正相关(r=0.376,p＜0.01),玉米中呈负相关(r=-0.391,p＜0.01)。不同作物的THQ和HI显示,儿童和成人摄食大米的风险大于玉米和马铃薯。儿童及成人摄食大米后THQ_Cd、THQ_F、HI分别为:0.965、 0.073、0.970;0.799、0.060、0.859,儿童及成人摄食玉米后THQ_Cd、THQ_F、HI分别为:0.430、0.185、0.422;0.121、0.052、0.173,儿童及成人摄食马铃薯后THQ_Cd、THQ_F、HI分别为:0.020、0.069、0.024;0.008、0.019、0.028。研究结果表明贵州省农产品受不同程度氟镉污染,食用当地生产的农作物具有潜在的健康风险,且儿童风险大于成人。     

Issues in extractive resource taxation: A review of research methods and models

This paper provides a conceptual overview of economists′ attempts to learn about the effects of taxes on extractive resources. The emphasis is on research methods and techniques, with no attempt to provide a comprehensive tabulation of previous empirical results or policy conclusions regarding preferred tax instruments or systems. We argue, in fact, that the nature of such conclusions largely depends on, and is limited by, the researcher′s choice of modeling framework. Many alternative frameworks and approaches have been developed in the literature. Our goal is to describe the differences among them and to note their strengths and limitations.     

PCBs和PBDEs的生物效应及人体健康影响的研究现状

环境中的多氯联苯(PCBs)和多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)通过食物链,可以在水生生物实现生物积累。而人类食用这些含有污染的食品,可以造成对人体的健康危害的摄食暴露,导致癌症、内分泌失调等疾病,并影响生育能力和儿童智力发育。但由于生物体内在因素的复杂性,PCBs和PBDEs在生物体内的代谢、放大等机制仍不明确,有待进一步的研究。