Understanding implications of consumer behavior for wildlife farming and sustainable wildlife trade

Unsustainable wildlife trade affects biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities dependent upon those resources. Wildlife farming has been proposed to promote sustainable trade, but characterizing markets and understanding consumer behavior remain neglected but essential steps in the design and evaluation of such operations. We used sea turtle trade in the Cayman Islands, where turtles have been farm raised for human consumption for almost 50 years, as a case study to explore consumer preferences toward wild‐sourced (illegal) and farmed (legal) products and potential conservation implications. Combining methods innovatively (including indirect questioning and choice experiments), we conducted a nationwide trade assessment through in‐person interviews from September to December 2014. Households were randomly selected using disproportionate stratified sampling, and responses were weighted based on district population size. We approached 597 individuals, of which 37 (6.2%) refused to participate. Although 30% of households had consumed turtle in the previous 12 months, the purchase and consumption of wild products was rare (e.g., 64–742 resident households consumed wild turtle meat [i.e., 0.3–3.5% of households] but represented a large threat to wild turtles in the area due to their reduced populations). Differences among groups of consumers were marked, as identified through choice experiments, and price and source of product played important roles in their decisions. Despite the long‐term practice of farming turtles, 13.5% of consumers showed a strong preference for wild products, which demonstrates the limitations of wildlife farming as a single tool for sustainable wildlife trade. By using a combination of indirect questioning, choice experiments, and sales data to investigate demand for wildlife products, we obtained insights about consumer behavior that can be used to develop conservation‐demand‐focused initiatives. Lack of data from long‐term social–ecological assessments hinders the evaluation of and learning from wildlife farming. This information is key to understanding under which conditions different interventions (e.g., bans, wildlife farming, social marketing) are likely to succeed.     

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis of the fragile X syndrome by use of linked polymorphic markers

Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of familial mental retardation. The most common mutation is expansion of a triplet (CGG)_n repeat in the 5′ untranslated region of the FMR1 gene on Xq27.3. The expansion is refractory to PCR due to preferential amplification of the smaller allele in heterozygous cells and the high GC content of the repeat and surrounding sequences. Direct detection of the normal parental alleles in preimplantation embryos has been used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of this disorder. However, this approach is only suitable for approximately 63% of couples due to the heterozygosity of the repeat in the normal population. As an alternative we investigated the use of polymorphic markers flanking the mutation to track the normal and premutation carrying maternal chromosomes in preimplantation embryos. Using a panel of 11 polymorphisms, six (CA)_n repeats and five single nucleotide polymorphisms, diagnosis was developed for 90% of referred couples. Multiplex amplification of informative markers was tested in 300 single buccal cells from interested couples with efficiency and allele drop out (ADO) rates ranging from 69% to 96% and 6% to 18%, respectively. Use of this approach is accurate and applicable to a larger number of patients at risk of transmitting fragile X to their offspring. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prenatal diagnosis of a 45,X male with a SRY-bearing chromosome 21

Male phenotype associated with a 45,X karyotype is an infrequent finding. We present a case diagnosed prenatally on amniocentesis performed for maternal age. The male phenotype was associated with a translocation of a distal part of Yp including the pseudoautosomal SHOX gene and SRY gene on the short arm of a chromosome 21. By DNA analysis we could show that the X chromosome was of maternal origin and that the breakpoint was in interval 3 of the Y chromosome. Mechanisms and genetic counselling are discussed based on a review of published cases of 45,X and XX males. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

表面活性剂增强修复地下水中PCE的砂箱实验及模拟

在石英砂充填的二维砂箱中开展表面活性剂（Tween 80）冲洗四氯乙烯（PCE）的修复实验,基于图像分析技术监测不同污染源区结构条件下NAPL相的去除过程.由于实验条件限制,实验中缺乏溶解相浓度数据.为此进一步基于UTCHEM数值模拟方法来理解NAPL相和溶解态之间的质量传输过程,并探讨表面活性剂浓度、注入速率等因素对修复效率的影响.综合砂箱实验和数值模拟结果表明：介质均质和非均质条件下会形成不同类型DNAPL污染源区结构,表现为离散状PCE与池状PCE体积比（GTP）差异.由于离散状污染物与表面活性剂的接触面积更大,更易被优先去除;初始GTP值越高,污染物的修复速率和修复效率也越高.增大表面活性剂浓度或提高表面活性剂的注入速率,虽然能提高DNAPL的修复速率,但会明显降低表面活性剂的修复效率,实验过程中修复效率降幅可达93%.线性驱动溶解模型可以有效地模拟表面活性剂修复DNAPLs过程,基于数值模拟方法选择合适的表面活性剂配比可有效的节省实际污染场址修复经费和时间成本.     

海水中阴极极化对X80钢应力腐蚀及氢脆敏感性的影响

目的研究不同p H值海水中阴极极化对X80管线钢应力腐蚀及氢脆的抑制作用。方法采用慢应变速率拉伸试验、电化学测试、微观组织观察等分析方法。结果 X80钢在天然海水中的析氢电位约为-940m V(vs.SCE,下同),海水p H为3.5时析氢电位发生正移。其应力腐蚀敏感性与极化电位有很大关系,随着极化电位负移,X80钢的氢脆敏感性增加。天然海水中当极化电位负于-950 m V时,断口出现准解理断裂特征形貌。在-1050 m V极化电位下,钢材进入氢脆断裂区发生脆性断裂。海水p H为3.5时,-900 m V钢材有发生氢脆的危险。结论与天然海水相比,X80钢在p H为3.5的酸性海水中具有较高的应力腐蚀敏感性,两种海水介质中X80钢的应力腐蚀敏感性均随极化电位负移而增加。     

高灵敏XRF测定废水中痕量砷

本文提出了在硫酸介质中，以锌粒还原产生氢化物，溴化铜溶液吸收，微孔滤膜过滤制成薄样，Ｘ射线荧光测定水中痕量砷的分析方法。     

Influence of chlorsulfuron herbicide on size of microbial biomass in the soil

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Petro-chemical wastewater treatment by biological process

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On the study of ecosystem health:state of the art

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Stipulation of the criteria for the construction of eco agricultural county in China

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