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.     

Prenatal diagnosis and molecular cytogenetic characterisation of a small de novo interstitial duplication 16q11.2-q13

We describe the first prenatally detected case of a small de novo interstitial duplication of chromosome 16q. This chromosomal aberration is extremely rare. Amniocentesis was indicated by advanced maternal age only. Ultrasound examinations of the foetus showed no abnormalities. Conventional and molecular cytogenetic analyses on cultured amniocytes by comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using partial chromosome paints and a locus-specific YAC clone revealed a de novo direct duplication of the chromosomal region 16q11.2-q13 leading to a partial trisomy 16q (46,XX,dup(16)(q11.2q13)). There are only five postnatal reports of comparable duplications involving this chromosomal region. These patients presented with little or no associated dysmorphic features but with significant neurodevelopmental delay and severe behavioural problems. After genetic counselling, the parents opted for termination of pregnancy. Post-mortem examination showed slight facial dysmorphic signs, minor dysgenesis of the ovaries and an atypical outflow of the arteria thyroidea ima. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dandy – Walker syndrome and corpus callosum agenesis in 5p deletion

5p deletion syndrome commonly known as cri du chat is well described in affected neonates with catlike cry and hypotonia. Karyotyping will usually show a deletion of the short arm of one chromosome 5 with variable breakpoints. Only a few cases have been reported prenatally, and the fetal form of the syndrome has not been clearly individualised. We report a new case of 5p deletion syndrome diagnosed prenatally in association with Dandy–Walker syndrome and agenesis of the corpus callosum. Other brain anomalies have been reported previously, but this unusual association suggests the use of a specific probe in the investigation of these malformations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

BiOBr分子印迹材料的制备及其降解诺氟沙星性能

为了有效处理低浓度抗生素残留废水,以水热法制备的BiOBr为载体,诺氟沙星（NOR）为模板,通过表面分子印迹法制备了BiOBr分子印迹材料（MIP）.同时,采用SEM与XRD对制备的材料进行相分析及显微结构分析,并利用XPS、FTIR、BET和UV-Vis DRS对所合成材料的微观结构进行观察.最后,以诺氟沙星（NOR）为目标污染物,对MIP在暗反应下的吸附性能及300 W Xe灯照射下的光催化性能进行测定,并探讨pH、投加量、初始浓度、是否印迹处理对NOR去除的影响.实验结果表明,在pH为中性,MIP投加量为2.5 g·L^-1的条件下,MIP对5 mg·L^-1 NOR溶液的去除率达到96.2%,且对低浓度（1 mg·L^-1）NOR溶液的去除率达到99%.综合表明,本文所制备的MIP适用于低浓度诺氟沙星废水的处理.     

Synergistic effects of Cu species and acidity of Cu-ZSM-5 on catalytic performance for selective catalytic oxidation of n-butylamine

In this work, a series of Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts with different SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios (25, 50, 100 and 200) were synthesized and investigated in n-butylamine catalytic degradation. The n-butylamine can be completely catalytic degradation at 350°C over all Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts. Moreover, Cu-ZSM-5 (25) exhibited the highest selectivity to N₂, exceeding 90% at 350°C. These samples were investigated in detail by several characterizations to illuminate the dependence of the catalytic performance on redox properties, Cu species, and acidity. The characterization results proved that the redox properties and chemisorption oxygen primarily affect n-butylamine conversion. N₂ selectivity was impacted by the Brønsted acidity and the isolated Cu²⁺ species. Meanwhile, the surface acid sites over Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts could influence the formation of Cu species. Furthermore, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra was adopted to explore the reaction mechanism. The Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts are the most prospective catalysts for nitrogen-containing volatile organic compounds removal, and the results in this study could provide new insights into catalysts design for VOC catalytic oxidation.     

腐植酸中不同分子量组分与As(Ⅲ)的络合性能

采用超滤方法将腐植酸（HA）分成5个不同分子量组分,利用平衡透析法研究HA中不同分子量组分与As（III）的络合特征和作用机理,计算络合过程的条件分配系数、表观稳定常数.结果表明,腐植酸组分的分子量对HA与As（III）的络合过程有显著的影响,当分子量小于10kDa时,HA与As（III）络合能力明显强于其他条件.其中羧基和酚羟基在HA与砷络合中起重要作用,为主要络合位点.采用Scatchard分析和双位点配体模型对络合结果进行拟合,发现HA中不同分子量组分和As（III）的络合过程中均存在强和弱2种络合位点.     

新型Fe3O4@α-MnO2活化过一硫酸盐降解水中偶氮染料

采用两步水热法制备了新型磁性纳米Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂复合材料作为催化剂,用于活化过一硫酸盐（PMS）产生强氧化性的硫酸根自由基（SO₄^-·）氧化降解偶氮染料活性黑5（RBK5）.采用透射电子显微镜（TEM）,X射线粉末衍射仪（XRD）和振动样品磁强计（VSM）对制备的催化剂进行表征,证明成功合成了纳米α-MnO₂包覆Fe₃O₄形态的Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂催化剂,催化剂的饱和磁化强度为39.89emu/g.Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂催化剂活化PMS与单一的Fe₃O₄和α-MnO₂活化PMS相比,具有更高的催化效率,说明铁锰双金属存在协同作用.同时研究了催化剂的投加量、PMS的浓度和初始pH值等各种因素对RBK5的降解效率以及反应动力学的影响.实验结果表明,Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂催化剂活化PMS降解RBK5的过程符合准一级反应动力学,在催化剂投加量为1.2g/L,PMS的浓度为4mmol/L,初始pH值为7.0,反应时间为60min的情况下,浓度为30mg/L的RBK5的降解效率可达到91%,此时RBK5的降解速率常数也达到最高值0.023min^-1.此外,通过加入自由基淬灭剂甲醇、叔丁醇和硝基苯判断了Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂/PMS体系中起主要氧化降解作用的活性物种为SO₄^-·.     

TSP-PM10-PM2.5-2型中流量大气颗粒物采集系统的开发和应用

自行开发并研制了TSP-PM10-PM2.5-2型中流量TSP、PM10、PM2.5大气颗粒物采集系统,是目前中国唯一可以采集TSP、PM10、PM2.5样品并提供足够的样品量进行大气颗粒物化学成分分析的中流量大气颗粒物采集器.该系统精心设计和加工的限流孔可以保持完全固定的流量,保证切割粒径的稳定,减小采样的误差并方便操作.该系统已经成功地应用于20多个城市和地区大气颗粒物的监测和研究中,为研究大气颗粒物的污染状况和来源提供了有效的技术手段和支持.     

差压式BOD5测定法的评价研究

对BOD5的测压法测定进行了评价,探讨了该法对接种量的特殊要求;比较了含毒物水样不同稀释比BOD5测定的区别,从而验证了该测定法可用以表征毒性物质对微生物活性的影响程度.通过模拟含毒印染废水活性污泥的处理,指出其不同稀释比BOD5值可作为该处理法的设计和运行管理的重要参数.