The Pending Extinction of the Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly

Previous mark-recapture studies and population size estimates indicated that in the 1980s populations of the endangered Uncompahgre fritillary ( Boloria acrocnema ) declined precipitously, apparently leading to extirpation at its type locality. This locality and a nearby second site, both high in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, constitute the total known range of B. acrocnema . A survey of 20 presumptive allozyme loci from one B. acrocnema population and seven populations of the closely related B. improba , sampled along the Rocky Mountain cordillera from the Yukon Territory, Canada, to the Wind River Range of Wyoming, revealed that B. acrocnema populations are less variable genetically than are B. improba populations in the northern part of that species' North American range. Genetic variability was also assayed at 18 presumptive allozyme loci in populations of Boloria titania, which were sampled from five of the same locations for comparison with the B. improba-B. acrocnema clade. Low estimates of heterozygosity indicate that genetic and demographic factors preceded by historic human disturbance are causing the decline of B. acrocnema . In addition, persistent drought conditions in southwestern Colorado throughout the 1980s probably contributed to the population declines. Conservation recommendations include strict enforcement of the ban against collecting pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, careful monitoring of known B. acrocnema sites, and possible translocations. Extreme measures beyond these will be costly and may be inappropriate for this relict species, which has an unknown capacity to persist in the face of local weather fluctuations and predicted regional warming trends.     

The impact of intersection design on simulated driving performance of young and senior adults

PURPOSE: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposed guidelines for highway design to increase the safe driving ability of older drivers; however, little empirical evidence exists to support the effectiveness of these guidelines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of implementing these guidelines (in 4 pairs of intersections) on safe driving performance of older and younger drivers using a high-fidelity driving simulator. DESIGN AND METHODS: We replicated four intersection pairs (improved versus unimproved) in a high-fidelity, virtual reality driving simulator. Simulator scenarios were created from actual road locations, replicating road geometrics and traffic control devices. The simulator's controls were integrated with an actual vehicle to make the driving experience as realistic as possible. Kinematic measures were obtained from the simulator in conjunction with driving errors recorded by trained driving evaluators sitting in the cab of the car. Thirty-nine subjects, 19 younger and 20 older adults, participated in the study. RESULTS: For the kinematic data we found greater lateral control, as indicated by significantly smaller maximum yaw during the turn phase, at all of the improved intersections when compared to the unimproved intersections. We found some significant age differences, but mostly in only one of the intersection-pairs. For the behavioral data, there were significant differences in driving errors between improved and unimproved intersections in two intersection-pairs; however, there were no significant differences in driving errors between the older and younger drivers. IMPLICATIONS: The findings suggest that both young and older drivers may benefit from roadways with safety features recommended by the FHWA guidelines as indicated by the increased lateral control of the vehicle when negotiating these intersections. These findings generate critical information for those involved in the design of roadway systems.     

Analysis of recent trends in bus and coach safety in Britain

We examine in detail trends from 1966 to 1990 and the fitting of statistical models to assess whether significant changes have taken place in casualty rates since local bus deregulation in 1986.The major source of data is the ‘Stats 19’ collated from police reports by the Department of Transport.The evidence indicates that no significant change in casualty rates for bus and coach occupants (defined as those killed or seriously injured) has occurred since local bus deregulation, although the previous trend of reduction in fatality rates has not been maintained.International comparisons have been made between Britain and a sample of other West European countries. Britain appears to have a higher occupant fatality rate. However, other countries′ data do not always include casualties to bus and coach occupants other than those in which vehicular collisions occur. Better comparative data is available for accidents involving buses and coaches with other road users, notably for Britain and Germany. These suggest that such accidents tend to reflect the national pattern of road casualty rates — for example, Germany has a higher level of collisions between buses and coaches, and other road vehicles, while Britain has a relatively high incidence of casualties involving pedestrians.Differences in accident rates between Britain and other European countries and the extent to which they reflect real differences, as distinct from those due to differences in recording of data, are evaluated, along with policy implications.     

Integrating Remediation and Reuse to Achieve Whole‐System Sustainability Benefits

This perspective article was prepared by members of the Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF), a professional nonprofit organization seeking to advance the state of sustainable remediation within the broader context of sustainable site reuse. SURF recognizes that remediation and site reuse, including redevelopment activities, are intrinsically linked—even when remediation is subordinate to or sometimes a precursor of reuse. Although the end of the remediation life cycle has traditionally served as the beginning of the site's next life cycle, a disconnect between these two processes remains. SURF recommends a holistic approach that brings together remediation and reuse on a collaborative parallel path and seeks to achieve whole‐system sustainability benefits. This article explores the value of integrating remediation into the reuse process to fully exploit synergies and minimize the costs and environmental impacts associated with bringing land back into beneficial use. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cobalt speciation assay for human serum,Part I. Method for measuring large and small molecular cobalt and protein-binding capacity using size exclusion chromatography with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy detection

A method utilizing size exclusion liquid chromatography (SEC) was developed to separate and quantify large molecular cobalt (Co) (e.g., albumin-Co) from cyanocobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) and small molecular Co (e.g., glutathione-Co and free Co) in human serum. Highly selective and sensitive detection using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry was coupled with SEC to provide a method with reliable accuracy, precision, recoveries, stability, and a detection limit of 0.037 μg/L in undiluted serum. Other divalent metal cations known to compete with Co(II) for serum albumin-binding sites (such as iron, zinc, manganese, cadmium, copper, nickel, and lead) did not significantly alter Co(II) quantification. Co–protein binding capacity determination of individual serum samples indicated that addition of 2500 μg Co/L to undiluted human serum resulted in approximately 90% distribution to the large molecular Co peak, consistent with Co binding to high-affinity divalent metal binding sites on albumin. Since serum albumin binding partially sequesters biologically active Co(II) ions, this method provides an important tool for better understanding the kinetics and toxicology of Co compounds. Thus, the proposed method might play an important role in establishing Co dose–response relationships that affect the equilibrium concentrations of free ionic Co(II).     

Impacts of environmental factors on urban heating

This study investigated the impact of important environmental variables (i.e.,wind speed,solar radiation and cloud cover) on urban heating.Meteorological parameters for fifteen years (from 1990 to 2005),collected at a well developed and densely populated commercial area (Tsim Sha Tsui,Hong Kong),were analyzed in details.Urban heat island intensity (UHII),a well known indicator of urban heating,has been determined as the spatially averaged air-temperature difference between Tsim Sha Tsui and Ta Kwu Ling (a thinly populated rural area with lush vegetation).Results showed that the UHII and cloud cover have increased by around 9.3% and 4%,respectively,whereas the wind speed and solar radiation have decreased by around 24% and 8.5%,respectively.The month of December experienced the highest UHII (10.2°C) but the lowest wind speed (2.6 m/sec) and cloud cover (3.8 oktas).Conversely,the month of April observed the highest increases in the UHII (over 100%) and the highest decreases in wind speed (over 40 %) over fifteen years.Notably,the increases in the UHII and reductions in the wind speed were the highest during the night-time and early morning.Conversely,the intensity of solar radiation reduced while the intensity of urban cool island (UCII) increased during solar noon-time.Results demonstrated strong negative correlation between the UHII and wind speed (coefficient of determination,R2=0.8) but no negative correlation between UCII and solar radiation attenuation.A possible negative correlation between UHII and cloud cover was investigated but could not be substantiated.     

Arsenic in the food chain and assessment of population health risks in Bangladesh

The most consumed food samples of cereals (rice, maize and wheat), vegetables (lentil, brinjal, carrot, bean, potato, tomato, onion and chili), fruits (banana, mango and jackfruit), fish (taki, rui, pangas and tilapia), egg (chicken and duck), milk (cow) and meat (chicken, duck, beef and mutton) were collected from some markets of Bogra district northern part of Bangladesh to evaluate the levels of arsenic (As) and associated health risk to the adult’s and child inhabitants. Arsenic is a highly toxic element, and its presence in food composites is a matter of concern to the world scientists. Target hazard quotients (THQs) and target carcinogenic risk were calculated to evaluate the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk from ingested arsenic. The highest and the lowest mean concentrations of arsenic were noted in the Tilapia fish [(0.94 mg/kg, wet weight (ww)] and beef (0.012 mg/kg, ww). The daily intakes of arsenic via foodstuffs were 1.92 and 3.30 µg/kg-bw/day for rural adults and children and 1.69 and 3.04 µg/kg-bw/day for urban adults and children, respectively. The result shows the highest THQs of arsenic in cereals and vegetables for both the rural and urban inhabitants which exceed the safe limit (>1) indicating that cereals and vegetables are the main food items contributing to the potential health risk. The estimated target cancer risks from ingesting dietary arsenic all exceeded 10^?6, indicating increased risk of cancer for adults and children in the study area.     

Droplet digital PCR is a cost-effective method for analyzing long cell-free DNA in maternal plasma: Application in preeclampsia

Objective

Long cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be found in the plasma of pregnant women and cancer patients. We investigated if droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) can analyze such molecules for diagnostic purposes using preeclampsia as a model.

Method

Plasma samples from ten preeclamptic and sixteen normal pregnancies were analyzed. Two ddPCR assays targeting a single-copy gene, VCP, and one ddPCR assay targeting LINE-1 repetitive regions were used to measure the percentages of long cfDNA >533, 1001, and 170 bp, respectively. The LINE-1 assay was developed as guided by in silico PCR analyses to better differentiate preeclamptic and normal pregnancies.

Results

Preeclamptic patients had a significantly lower median percentage of long cfDNA than healthy pregnant controls, as determined by the LINE-1 170 bp assay (28.9% vs. 35.1%, p < 0.0001) and the VCP 533 bp assay (6.6% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.014). The LINE-1 assay provided a better differentiation than the VCP 533 bp assay (area under ROC curves, 0.94 vs. 0.79).

Conclusion

ddPCR is a cost-effective approach for unlocking diagnostic information carried by long cfDNA in plasma and may have applications for the detection of preeclampsia. Further longitudinal studies with larger cohorts are required to assess the clinical utility of this test.     

Performance comparison of tin oxide anodes to commercially available dimensionally stable anodes

Dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) demonstrate potential for the electrochemical treatment of industrial waste streams and disinfection of effluent. Oxidation by laboratory-prepared tin oxide DSAs was compared with that of commercially available ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, and mixed metal oxide DSAs, using hexanol as a probe molecule. The performance of the four anodes was similar in two-chamber reactors, in which the anode cell was separated from the cathode cell by a Nafion membrane, which allows transmission of current between the chambers, but not passage of chemical constituents. The anodes were then evaluated in single-cell reactors, which are more representative of potential treatment and disinfection applications. However, in the single-cell reactors, the tin oxide anodes were significantly more effective at oxidation and generated higher quality cyclic voltammograms than the other DSAs. These results suggest that tin oxide anodes have greater potential than the three commercially available DSAs tested for industrial waste stream treatment and effluent disinfection.