Synthesis of Short-chain-length/Medium-chain-length Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Copolymers in Peroxisome of the Transgenic Arabidopsis Thaliana Harboring the PHA Synthase Gene from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3

In this paper, the photosynthetic production of short-chain-length/medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers is reported. The wild-type and highly active doubly mutated PHA synthase 1 (S325T/Q481K, abbreviated ST/QK) genes from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana. Peroxisome targeting signal 1 (PTS1) was used to target PHA synthases into the peroxisome to synthesize PHA from the intermediates of the β-oxidation pathway. The transgenic Arabidopsis produced PHA copolymers consisting of 40–57 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate, 21–49 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate, 8–18 mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate, and 2–8 mol% 3-hydroxyoctanoate. The maximum PHA contents were 220μ g/g cell dry weight (cdw) in leaves, and 36μ g/g cdw in stems, respectively. The expression of the ST/QK mutated PHA synthase in leaves gene did not lead to significant difference in PHA content and monomer composition of PHAs, compared to the wild-type PHA synthase gene, suggesting that the supply of monomers may be a rate-determining step of PHA biosynthesis in the peroxisome. However, in stems, there were significant differences dependent on whether the wild-type or ST/QK mutated PHA synthase was expressed. These results suggest that tissue-specific monomer availability is important in determining the final mol% composition of PHA copolymers produced by the peroxisome in plants.     

青藏铁路救援指挥系统的研究

通过对青藏铁路特点及运营模式的分析,提出构建青藏铁路事故救援指挥系统的重要性。结合青藏铁路信息化总体规划,在充分利用青藏铁路各信息系统及通讯网络基础上,利用地理信息系统(GIS)技术和无线通讯技术,建设具有指挥、控制、通信及情报(C3I)功能的青藏铁路事故救援指挥系统。提出了系统应达到的目标功能,结合青藏铁路生产作业实际情况,给出了系统实现的信息流程、体系结构,并开发了原型系统。系统将青藏铁路多源信息整合并结合GIS技术以直观的电子地图、图像等方式展示出来,实现了救援预案管理和智能化查询、匹配;并通过应急无线通讯设备实现事故现场视频、图像实时播放及指挥调度与事故现场间的语音双向通讯;同时可建立事故数据库,为统计报告和事故分析服务。     

UV/O3复合降解水中2,4-二氯酚的试验研究

以紫外光源为主要依托,变换反应器中的不同工艺条件,分别对紫外光、臭氧和紫外/臭氧三种不同于工艺条件对水中污染物2,4-二氯酚(2 ,4-DCP)的降解规律进行研究.结果表明,UV/O3复合对2,4-DCP的降解较UV、O3单独作用效果好;溶液的酸碱度影响UV/O3对2 ,4-DCP的降解;此外,溶液中含有细菌时,E. coli的杀灭效果仍表现为UV/O3＞O3＞UV.细菌的杀灭和2,4-DCP的降解均消耗羟基自由基,形成竞争反应,从而影响到2,4-DCP的降解效果.     

系统评价天然蛭石吸附氨氮的效果

采用在人工配置含氨氮的污水中投加蛭石的方法,系统研究了天然蛭石吸附污水中氨氮的饱和吸附容量以及蛭石吸附氨氮的等温吸附曲线,探讨了污水的pH值、温度、浓度对氨氮去除率的影响及各影响因子的大小,结果表明,蛭石的饱和吸附量为20 8mg/g;蛭石吸附量在pH2 0～6 0范围内随着pH的增大而增大,最佳pH为4 0～6 0;温度在15～35℃范围内,吸附量随温度的升高减小,氨氮的去除率随着蛭石用量的增加而增加,影响因素的大小顺序为:pH>蛭石的用量>吸附时间>温度。这为蛭石作为一种新型氨氮吸附材料提供了基础参数。     

Hazardous wastes transboundary movement management: a case study in Taiwan

More than 50,000 tons of hazardous waste are imported and exported worldwide each year. Over 50% of hazardous waste is exported to Southeast Asia, of which leather waste is the major component. The exportation quantities of hazardous waste to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries are decreasing while they are on the increase to non-OECD countries. Some of these wastes are intended for recycling purposes but the usage of some others is not stipulated. The hazardous waste importation quantity kept fairly steady from 1997 to 2000, of which ash or residues containing copper or copper compounds were the major component. Under existing regulations and measures, the transboundary movement of hazardous waste cannot be effectively controlled and monitored. In order to ensure environmentally sound hazardous waste management, EPA-Taiwan revised the Waste Disposal Act in 2001 and cooperated with the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) to promote industrial waste reduction and recycling projects. Strategies were proposed based on evaluation according to the 3Es Principles and the site investigation in this study.     

饮用水源水库铁锰垂直分布规律及原因

经对水温分层型季节性缺氧水库铁、锰污染的研究表明,Fe、Mn分布随着季节变化、水库水温分层而变化,呈现明显的垂直分布规律:高浓度Fe、Mn主要出现在水温分层期水库中、下层,与库底缺氧、pH值下降、基岩溶蚀、沉积物高浓度Fe、Mn释放造成的二次污染等密切相关,从而为自来水厂实施优化分层取水和污染控制提供了依据.     

厌氧-好氧一体化反应器处理高浓度有机废水的运行特性研究

本实验采用新型厌氧—好氧一体化反应器处理高浓度有机废水,主要研究了系统的启动与运行性能,并对系统的NH3 N去除效果作了初步考察。实验结果表明:在16℃～24℃的自然温度下,采用递增负荷、厌氧和好氧分期启动的方式,系统可在38天内达到较好的启动效果;在系统负荷运行期内,当系统总进水COD浓度平均值为3601 8mg/L,总出水COD浓度平均值为384 0mg/L,系统容积负荷平均值为2 54kgCOD/(m3·d),系统总HRT平均值为35 1h时,系统总COD去除率平均值达90 6%。实验还发现:当进水NH3 N浓度为280 3～350 7mg/L,整个系统的NH3 N去除率在68 5%～91 7%,平均为81 0%。由此说明,本反应器具有很好的COD去除性能和NH3 N去除效果,适合于处理COD浓度高且含有中等NH3 N浓度的有机废水。     

The role of scientists in statutory interpretation of the U.S. Endangered Species Act

Like many federal statutes, the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) contains vague or ambiguous language. The meaning imparted to the ESA's unclear language can profoundly impact the fates of endangered and threatened species. Hence, conservation scientists should contribute to the interpretation of the ESA when vague or ambiguous language contains scientific words or refers to scientific concepts. Scientists need to know at least these 2 facts about statutory interpretation: statutory interpretation is subjective and the potential influence of normative values results in different expectations for the parties involved. With the possible exception of judges, all conventional participants in statutory interpretation are serving their own interests, advocating for their preferred policies, or biased. Hence, scientists can play a unique role by informing the interpretative process with objective, policy‐neutral information. Conversely, scientists may act as advocates for their preferred interpretation of unclear statutory language. The different roles scientists might play in statutory interpretation raise the issues of advocacy and competency. Advocating for a preferred statutory interpretation is legitimate political behavior by scientists, but statutory interpretation can be strongly influenced by normative values. Therefore, scientists must be careful not to commit stealth policy advocacy. Most conservation scientists lack demonstrable competence in statutory interpretation and therefore should consult or collaborate with lawyers when interpreting statutes. Professional scientific societies are widely perceived by the public as unbiased sources of objective information. Therefore, professional scientific societies should remain policy neutral and present all interpretations of unclear statutory language; explain the semantics and science both supporting and contradicting each interpretation; and describe the potential consequences of implementing each interpretation. A review of scientists’ interpretations of the phrase “significant portion of its range” in the ESA is used to critique the role of scientists and professional societies in statutory interpretation.     

An interdisciplinary review of current and future approaches to improving human–predator relations

In a world of shrinking habitats and increasing competition for natural resources, potentially dangerous predators bring the challenges of coexisting with wildlife sharply into focus. Through interdisciplinary collaboration among authors trained in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, we reviewed current approaches to mitigating adverse human–predator encounters and devised a vision for future approaches to understanding and mitigating such encounters. Limitations to current approaches to mitigation include too much focus on negative impacts; oversimplified equating of levels of damage with levels of conflict; and unsuccessful technical fixes resulting from failure to engage locals, address hidden costs, or understand cultural (nonscientific) explanations of the causality of attacks. An emerging interdisciplinary literature suggests that to better frame and successfully mitigate negative human–predator relations conservation professionals need to consider dispensing with conflict as the dominant framework for thinking about human–predator encounters; work out what conflicts are really about (they may be human–human conflicts); unravel the historical contexts of particular conflicts; and explore different cultural ways of thinking about animals. The idea of cosmopolitan natures may help conservation professionals think more clearly about human–predator relations in both local and global context. These new perspectives for future research practice include a recommendation for focused interdisciplinary research and the use of new approaches, including human‐animal geography, multispecies ethnography, and approaches from the environmental humanities notably environmental history. Managers should think carefully about how they engage with local cultural beliefs about wildlife, work with all parties to agree on what constitutes good evidence, develop processes and methods to mitigate conflicts, and decide how to monitor and evaluate these. Demand for immediate solutions that benefit both conservation and development favors dispute resolution and technical fixes, which obscures important underlying drivers of conflicts. If these drivers are not considered, well‐intentioned efforts focused on human–wildlife conflicts will fail.     

Toward reassessing data‐deficient species

One in 6 species (13,465 species) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is classified as data deficient due to lack of information on their taxonomy, population status, or impact of threats. Despite the chance that many are at high risk of extinction, data‐deficient species are typically excluded from global and local conservation priorities, as well as funding schemes. The number of data‐deficient species will greatly increase as the IUCN Red List becomes more inclusive of poorly known and speciose groups. A strategic approach is urgently needed to enhance the conservation value of data‐deficient assessments. To develop this, we reviewed 2879 data‐deficient assessments in 6 animal groups and identified 8 main justifications for assigning data‐deficient status (type series, few records, old records, uncertain provenance, uncertain population status or distribution, uncertain threats, taxonomic uncertainty, and new species). Assigning a consistent set of justification tags (i.e., consistent assignment to assessment justifications) to species classified as data deficient is a simple way to achieve more strategic assessments. Such tags would clarify the causes of data deficiency; facilitate the prediction of extinction risk; facilitate comparisons of data deficiency among taxonomic groups; and help prioritize species for reassessment. With renewed efforts, it could be straightforward to prevent thousands of data‐deficient species slipping unnoticed toward extinction.