Book Reviews

Books reviewed:
Rutherford H., Platt et al. Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events
S., Suri Orissa Disaster: Agony of the Living     

Bio-efficacy evaluation of nanoformulations of β-cyfluthrin against Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

In the present investigation, bioefficacy of developed β-cyfluthrin formulations, utilizing laboratory synthesized poly(ethylene glycols) based amphiphilic copolymers, were evaluated against Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). The bioefficacy data indicated that the formulations developed by utilizing polymers having PEG – 1500 (3c) and PEG – 2000 (3d) as the hydrophilic segment showed greater efficacy after 14 days as evident from EC₅₀ values (2.2 and 1.58 mg L^?1 respectively). Also, release from the commercial SC formulation was faster than developed formulations as the commercial formulation had the lowest EC₅₀ value on the first day (0.51 mg L^?1). The mean EC₅₀ of the commercial formulation against C. maculatus was quite high as compared to those of developed formulations. The results suggest that depending upon the polymer matrix used, the application rate of β-cyfluthrin can be optimized to achieve insect control at the desired level and period. The results described in this paper are promising and provide a comparison of developed formulations with the commercial one showing an earlier degradation of β-cyfluthrin in the latter and relatively prolonged activity in the former.     

Black Disease (Terpios hoshinota): A Probable Cause for the Rapid Coral Mortality at the Northern Reef of Yongxing Island in the South China Sea

The northern reef of Yongxing Island, the largest reef island of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, was in good condition with significant cover of scleractinian corals until 2002. Surveys in 2008 and 2010, however, found that coral coverage had declined rapidly and severely, implying that catastrophic coral mortality occurred during the past 8 years. A blackish mat was observed covering live and dead corals in both 2008 and 2010 that was identified as an encrusting sponge, Terpios hoshinota, by special surface morphology and spicule structure. In addition, spicule residues were found on the surface of long-dead corals, indicating a previous invasion of T. hosinota. T. hoshinota is referred to as the "black disease" because it rapidly overgrows and kills corals. Our evidence indicates that outbreaks of black disease are at least partially responsible for the massive coral mortality at the northern reef of Yongxing Island over the past 8 years, although human activities and heat-related coral bleaching cannot be discounted as minor causes for this coral decline.     

Mortality of US pentachlorophenol production workers through 2005

A cohort of 2122 US pentachlorophenol (PCP) production workers from four plants in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Dioxin Registry was exposed to PCP and to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran contaminants of PCP production. A subcohort of 720 was also exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, a contaminant of trichlorophenol (TCP) while using TCP or a TCP derivative. PCP and several production contaminants have been implicated as animal carcinogens. A priori hypotheses were that the cohort would have elevated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for aplastic anemia, soft-tissue sarcoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as suggested by human studies, and for leukemia and liver, adrenal, thyroid, and parathyroid cancer, as suggested by animal studies. From 1940 to 2005 1165 deaths occurred with an overall SMR of 1.01 [95% confidence limits (CI), 0.95-1.07]. Overall cancer mortality (326 deaths, SMR 1.17, CI 1.05-1.31) was in statistically significant excess. There were excess deaths for trachea, bronchus and lung cancers (126 deaths, SMR 1.36, CI 1.13-1.62), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (17 deaths, SMR 1.77, CI 1.03-2.84), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (63 deaths, SMR 1.38, CI 1.06-1.77), and medical complications (5 deaths, SMR 3.52, CI 1.14-8.22). In race- and sex-specific analyses, white males had increased non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality (17 deaths, SMR 1.98, CI 1.15-3.17) and males of other races had increased leukemia mortality (four deaths, SMR 4.57, CI 1.25-11.7). The excess of cancers of a priori interest, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia, provide some support for the carcinogenicity of PCP, however, further studies with more detailed exposure assessment are needed.     

Dynamics of Policy Networks. The Case of Organic Farming Policy in the Czech Republic

To better understand the potential for successful and long-term establishment of environmental policy, the aim of this paper is to explore the network dynamics of a policy field that has become well established in the EU: organic farming. We look at the dynamics of the organic farming policy network in the Czech Republic over a period of 10 years by applying a comparative formal network analysis. We focused in particular on the distribution of power between actors and how capacities of policy actors have evolved between 2004 (its year of accession to the EU) and 2014. We conclude that the organic farming policy network in the Czech Republic has been highly dynamic and has changed from one that was decidedly influenced by organic sector organizations to a network centralized around the Ministry of Agriculture. However, the organic farming organization managed to maintain its good reputation for competence in organic farming policy, which creates opportunities for the organization to remain active in the policy debate.     

辽西褐土施肥及养分循环再利用中长期试验Ⅰ. 作物产量

在辽宁西部褐土上历时10 a的田间试验结果表明：氮肥对提高作物产量效果最好，平均增产率50%，平均每千克 N增产粮食21 kg。供试褐土富磷，试验前3 a施磷肥不显增产作用，之后增产明显，10 a平均增产率10.9%，平均每千克 P增产粮食47 kg。供试褐土富钾，连续10 a施钾肥不显增产作用。 在施用化肥基础上每年以60%收获产品直接堆腐回田，可比对应的化肥处理分别增产（10 a平均）40.6%（无肥对照）、19.5%（N肥基础）、12.1%（NP肥）和8.1%（NPK肥），平均年增产粮食（混合、烘干）分别为1.54、1.08、0.79、0.52 t/hm2。养分循环再利用的作物增产效益在试验的10 a中有着逐年增长的趋势，表明以堆肥形式循环回田养分的作物增产作用有着明显的残效叠加效应。     

长期施肥对红壤性水稻土磷素积累与形态分异的影响

通过红壤性水稻土19a肥料长期定位试验，结果表明，不施磷处理的土壤磷素处于耗竭状态，耕层土壤全磷含量持续下降，但耕层以下土层的全磷尚未耗损；连年施磷的土壤耕层全磷含量提高，提高的幅度呈现明显量级关系。在本试验条件下，土壤中各组分无机磷含量以Fe-P和O-P为主体，各占土壤无机磷总量的44.63％和31.27％；其次是A1-P和Ca     

长江口溯河鳗苗开发率估算

利用长江口南支上段东风西沙调查站位(121°15′45′′E;31°40′18′′N)2015年度鳗苗捕捞数据,通过CPUE波动趋势分析,确定当年日本鳗鲡鳗苗溯河汛期特征;进而采用Leslie和Delury两种方法估算东风西沙站位鳗苗资源指标。结果显示,2015年度东风西沙站位出现6个明显的鳗苗补充汛期,两种方法估算的汛期波动规律一致。各汛期捕捞持续时间5~27 d,平均为10.17 d。Leslie法估算的各汛期捕捞开发率43.38%~96.30%,平均77.14%;Delury法估算结果为43.36%~105.37%,平均81.43%;均为较高水平。高开发率表明东风西沙水域樯张网作业方式致使溯河迁移鳗苗处于高度开发状态,减少溯河鳗苗数量,影响长江流域成鳗资源。Leslie法估算日捕捞死亡系数和日捕捞死亡率平均值分别为0.23和20.02%,均分别低于De Lury法估算平均值0.27和22.79%;捕捞死亡系数将为采用年渔获量估算鳗苗资源量提供基础数据。     

Amphibian Encounter Rates on Roads with Different Amounts of Traffic and Urbanization

Abstract: Although amphibians have relatively high rates of road mortality in urban areas, the conditions under which traffic threatens the survival of local amphibian populations remain unclear. In the Sandhills region of North Carolina (U.S.A.), we counted living and dead amphibians along two transects (total length 165 km) established on roads in areas with varying degrees of urbanization. We found 2665 individuals of 15 species, and amphibian encounter rates declined sharply as traffic and urban development increased. Regression‐tree models indicated that 35 amphibians/100 km occurred on roads with <535 vehicles/day, whereas the encounter rate decreased to only 2 amphibians/100 km on roads with >2048 vehicles/day. Although mortality rate peaked at higher traffic levels (47% dead on roads with >5200 vehicles/day), the number of dead amphibians was highest at low levels of traffic. This suggests that areas where amphibian mortality is concentrated may actually contain the largest populations remaining on a given road transect.     

Evaluating long-term urban resilience through an examination of the history of green spaces in Tokyo

Long-term urban resilience requires urban systems with the capacity to respond to change and disturbance and to enhance the conditions for lasting wellbeing. Over the past century Tokyo has demonstrated impressive resilience, especially a capacity to reorganise and rebuild in response to successive major disturbances. Throughout these recoveries, the city-region maintained a focus on re-establishing, improving and maintaining international competitiveness through industrial development. Green spaces in Tokyo provided a flexible, but gradually disappearing resource. Today, to meet the needs of its ageing and minimally expanding population for enhanced wellbeing, Tokyo requires active transition planning covering many intertwined factors, but the adaptive capacity provided by the green space resource is no longer available. The Tokyo case underscores the risk inherent in the depletion of non-renewable resources (in this instance, green space) to secure immediate recovery and accommodate growth and short-term resilience at the expense of long-term resilience.