Evaluating the ability of habitat suitability models to predict species presences

Models predicting species spatial distribution are increasingly applied to wildlife management issues, emphasising the need for reliable methods to evaluate the accuracy of their predictions. As many available datasets (e.g. museums, herbariums, atlas) do not provide reliable information about species absences, several presence-only based analyses have been developed. However, methods to evaluate the accuracy of their predictions are few and have never been validated. The aim of this paper is to compare existing and new presence-only evaluators to usual presence/absence measures.     

植物镉耐性/富集基因的筛选方法

植物耐受/富集镉（Cd）是一个复杂的过程,涉及转运蛋白家族、螯合蛋白家族、抗氧化系统等多个方面的参与。文章综述了植物Cd耐性/富集基因的筛选方法,包括抗性表达文库、Cd抗性突变体的图位克隆、基因差异表达、电子克隆。筛选Cd抗性植物cDNA酵母表达文库可鉴定与金属束缚、隔离及外排相关的膜转运蛋白;筛选重金属敏感拟南芥突变体和图位克隆突变基因可鉴定与谷胱甘肽和植物螯合肽合成相关的酶;第二代测序技术、基因差异表达分析则是鉴定Cd响应基因以及揭示金属型植物与非耐性植物表型差异分子基础的有效方法;电子克隆也被应用在模式植物中鉴定重金属转运蛋白家族的编码基因。在此基础上,简述了Cd耐性/富集基因在改良植物Cd耐性或富集上的应用。     

超低排放改造后燃煤电厂常规大气污染物排放特征

基于海口电厂"超低排放"燃煤机组在线监测数据和实测结果，研究颗粒物、SO₂、NO_x排放特征，分析颗粒物粒径分布和化学成分谱.结果显示，"超低排放"机组颗粒物、SO₂、NO_x排放浓度均值分别为（1.57±0.81）、（15.15±6.23）和（40.10±3.63）mg·m^-3，均满足超低排放限值要求.TSP、PM₁₀、PM_2.5、PM₁、SO₂、NO_x的排放因子均值分别为0.0099、0.0098、0.0092、0.0065、0.1131、0.2882 kg·t^-1，排放因子集中在很窄的区间内，呈正态或偏正态分布，与未进行超低改造研究结果比较，排放因子减小了1~2个数量级.颗粒物数浓度分布呈双峰分布，数浓度峰值粒径为0.027 μm和0.641 μm；质量浓度呈单峰分布，峰值粒径为1.100 μm.PM₁₀、PM_2.5、PM₁的成分谱差异很小，其主要化学组分为SO₄^2-、Ca、NH₄⁺、NO₃^-、OC，在PM₁₀中质量占比分别为29.41%±0.94%、12.09%±1.95%、9.49%±2.35%、6.96%±0.49%、4.93%±0.57%；在PM_2.5中质量占比分别为29.18%±1.58%、12.72%±1.77%、9.21%±2.01%、5.31%±0.13%、4.33%±0.72%；在PM₁中质量占比分别为29.04%±3.15%、17.99%±3.61%、8.42%±1.50%、4.445±0.08%、5.075±0.07%.     

The size distribution of airborne bacteria and human pathogenic bacteria in a commercial composting plant

•Bacterial concentrations from eight stages were 10⁴–10⁵copies/m³. •Diameter influenced clustering of bacterial and HPB lineages. •Dg of 8 HPB ranged from 2.42 to 5.09 μm in composting areas. •Dg of 8 HPB ranged from 3.70 to 8.96 μm in packaging areas. •HPB had high concentrations and small sizes in composting areas. Composting plants are regarded as one of the important sources of environmental bioaerosols. However, limitations in the size distribution of airborne bacteria have prevented our comprehensive understanding of their risk to human health and their dispersal behavior. In this study, different sizes of airborne bacteria were collected using an eight-stage impactor from a full-scale composting facility. Size-related abundance and communities of airborne bacteria as well as human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) were investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing coupled with droplet digital PCR. Our results indicate that the bacterial concentrations from the eight stages were approximately 10⁴–10⁵copies/m³. Although no statistical correlation was detected between the particle size and the Shannon index, the influence of size on bacterial lineages was observed in both composting and packaging areas. For airborne bacteria from different stages, the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, and the dominant genera was Bacillus. Seven out of eight HPB with a small geometric mean aerodynamic diameter had a high concentration in composting areas. Based on diameters of 2.42 to 5.09 μm, most HPB in the composting areas were expected to be deposited on the bronchus and secondary bronchus. However, in the packaging areas, the deposition of HPB (diameters 3.70 to 8.96 μm) occurred in the upper part of the respiratory tract. Our results on the size distribution, abundance, and diversity of these bacteria offer important information for the systematic evaluation of bacterial pathogenicity and the potential health impacts on workers in composting plants and the surrounding residents.     

Indian dye yielding plants: Efforts and opportunities

The present review article deals with the information on the dye‐yielding plants of India. Dyes are intensively coloured compounds that are applied to a substrate such as fibre, paper, cosmetics, hair, etc. to give colours and can be extracted from the roots, fruits/berries, bark, leaves, flowers, and stem/wood, fungi, and lichens by various processes of extractions. In addition to their dye‐yielding characteristics, many of these plants possess medicinal values and can be used for multiple other purposes. Plant derived‐colours have an important role in human life because of their safe and eco‐friendly nature. But due to the availability of economically cheaper synthetic dyes, the indigenous knowledge of extraction, processing, and proper utilisation has been diminished. Nowadays, the demand for natural dyes has been increased worldwide due to awareness about their beneficial properties. It has been essential that proper documentation and measure of conservation should be undertaken to preserve these natural dye‐yielding plants. This review article is an aid to a collective inquiry into Indian dye plants.     

中国粮食作物产量和木本植物生物量与地表臭氧污染的响应关系

当前我国地表臭氧（O₃）污染日趋严重,对植物生产力构成了严重威胁.本文综述了粮食作物产量和木本植物生物量与O₃暴露水平指标M7（7 h平均O₃浓度,09：00~16：00）、SUM06（每小时O₃浓度大于60 nmol·mol^-1的累积值）、W126（每小时O₃浓度在特定时段内用Sigmoidal函数加权求和值）、POD_Y［每小时气孔O₃通量高于阈值Y nmol·（m²·s）^-1的累积吸收通量］和最常用的AOT40（每小时O₃浓度超过40 nmol·mol^-1部分的累积值）之间的响应关系,并计算了相应的损伤阈值.基于AOT40的结果表明,导致水稻、冬小麦、玉米和大豆产量下降5%的O₃风险阈值分别为5.93、2.69、8.67和4.17 μmol·mol^-1·h,说明我国玉米对O₃的耐受性可能要高于其它3种作物;对于木本植物,杨树5个品种的熏蒸实验和17种木本植物的整合分析的结果显示,导致其总生物量减少5%的O₃风险阈值分别为12.20 μmol·mol^-1·h和10.87 μmol·mol^-1·h.此外,提出了未来相关研究应关注建立植物其它重要参数与O₃污染的响应关系与提高O₃区域风险评估精度,同时需要重点考虑如何将影响植物O₃敏感性的重要因子（如土壤氮素和树龄等）耦合到区域评估模型中.     

黑岱沟露天矿区排土场2种典型植物的水分来源及利用策略

论文利用稳定性同位素示踪技术,分析排土场2种典型植物水分来源的差异及水分利用策略.结果表明,黑岱沟矿区大气降水的氢,氧同位素含量均落在中国大气降水的变化范围之内,不同月份大气降水的δD(δ¹⁸Ο)值表现出明显的降水量和季节效应.旱季小叶杨主要利用10 cm土层以下的水分,对100~150 cm土层水分利用率最高,达25.6%;沙棘对各层次土壤水分的利用比例接近,差异不明显,对表层土壤水分的利用最高,达26.5%;为了避免种间竞争,小叶杨很少利用表层(0~10 cm)土壤水分.雨季小叶杨主要利用表层和浅层土壤水分,利用比例高达70.9%,沙棘主要利用30~60 cm土层的水分,达73.5%,其次是10~30 cm土层,达17.4%.两种不同生活型植物通过不同策略合理利用旱季有限的水分,而在雨季水分供给充分时,均优先利用浅层水源,使其组成的生态系统更好地适应矿区排土场脆弱的生态环境.     

燃煤电厂污染减排成本有效性分析及超低排放政策讨论

中国的空气污染与以煤为主的能源结构关系密切.燃煤电厂是中国煤炭消费量最大且大气污染物排放量最大的部门,因此,也必然成为污染物排放控制的主要对象.针对最近公布的电厂超低排放政策,本文采用成本有效性评估方法对燃煤电厂污染物减排进行了分析,研究结果表明：全面进行超低排放改造以实现污染物减排的成本高昂,其中,燃煤电厂超低排放改造的脱硫、脱硝、除尘的单位减排成本分别为：4.46万元/t,2.35万元/t,0.43万元/t.现有燃煤电厂实施超低排放的行业成本较高;鉴于其他燃煤部门技术水平相对落后、排放标准宽松,现阶段是否首先针对燃煤电厂全面实施超低排放改造需要更为全面的环境经济评估.基于本文的分析,以度电成本为衡量指标将会误导超低排放改造的减排路径选择.研究结论表明：燃煤电厂行业最低成本超低排放改造,应从规模较小、煤质水平较差的机组开始.     

The potential of current legal structures to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests in the Australian bush food industry

There are complex connections between Australia’s native plants and first peoples, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The maintenance of these connections is central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and well-being and the tangible realisation of Australian policy commitments. Diverse cultural connections combine with other motivations to underpin an array of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests in the commercial development of traditional plant foods (‘bush foods’). Despite nation-wide policy support for these interests, there is no national legal framework to support them. This fortifies the popular call for a new (sui generis) law that transforms the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into enforceable legal rights. It is unclear the extent to which a single sui generis law might help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples realise their diverse interests in the development of gourmet bush food products and new bush food varieties. It is also unlikely that Australia will implement such a law in the near future. This paper offers a preliminary study of the capacity of current legal structures to support some key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interests that might arise in these two development contexts. The study can inform the future development of practical legal strategies to support the diverse interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the bush food industry.     

Simple model of sludge thickening process in secondary settlers

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a secondary settler acts as a clarifier, sludge thickener, and sludge storage tank during peak flows and therefore plays an important role in the performance of the activated sludge process. Sludge thickening occurs in the lower portions of secondary clarifiers during their operation. In this study, by detecting the hindered zone from the complete thickening process of activated sludge, a simple model for the sludge thickening velocity, u _s = aX ^b (a = 0.9925SSVI _3.5, b = 3.541ln(SSVI _3.5)+12.973), describing the potential and performance of activated sludge thickening in the hindered zone was developed. However, sludge thickening in the compression zone was not studied because sludge in the compression zone showed limited thickening. This empirical model was developed using batch settling data obtained from four WWTPs and validated using measured data from a fifth WWTP to better study sludge thickening. To explore different sludge settling and thickening mechanisms, the curves of sludge thickening and sludge settling were compared. Finally, it was found that several factors including temperature, stirring, initial depth, and polymer conditioning can lead to highly concentrated return sludge and biomass in a biologic reactor.