Is There a Risk for Introducing Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) Through the Legal Importation of Pork?

Since the appearance of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in the late 1980s, the virus has become endemic throughout the world, with only the countries of Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand historically free of PRRS virus. Biosecurity is maintained largely through restrictions on the importation of pigs and semen. The risk for a PRRSV outbreak via the legal importation of fresh/chilled/frozen pork from PRRSV-positive countries remains controversial. However, examination of the historical record shows that countries retained a PRRSV-negative status during the importation of more than 500,000 tons of fresh/chilled/frozen pork from PRRSV-positive trading partners. This review describes some of the unique properties of PRRSV, including the poor stability of the virus in the environment, the low probability for airborne transmission, and the inability to sustain infections in feral swine, which make PRRSV a poor candidate for disease introduction through the legal importation of pork.     

Perinatal outcome after maternal primary cytomegalovirus infection in the first trimester: a practical update and counseling aid

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection with approximately 0.5% of pregnant women in developed countries seroconverting during pregnancy. In utero transmission occurs in about one third of women who develop primary infection in the first trimester, and these fetuses are at risk for adverse perinatal outcomes and long-term neurological complications. The great promise of a prenatal therapy to reduce fetal infection after maternal primary CMV infection has not been realized to date. The prediction of CMV sequelae is particularly challenging for clinicians because of the heterogeneity of the published literature, the wide spectrum of perinatal outcomes, the adjustment of fetal risk at each stage of assessment, and the variable quality of published data. Given the continued lack of a proven fetal therapy, it is timely to review the natural history of congenital CMV in the modern management era. We have analyzed the recent literature, integrated findings from multiple studies, and calculated stage-specific risks for adverse perinatal outcome to assist in counseling women with first trimester primary CMV infection. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Do larger cephalopods live longer? Effects of temperature and phylogeny on interspecific comparisons of age and size at maturity

The relationship between size and age at maturity in cephalopods is unresolved. The most recent interspecific comparison of size and age of cephalopods contradicts two previous studies by concluding that larger species do not live longer. This paper addresses the confounding effects of temperature and phylogeny while answering the question, “Do larger cephalopods live longer?”. To test this hypothesis, life-history data from 18 species of cephalopods, from five orders, with sizes at maturity spanning five orders of magnitude, were obtained from the literature. Without temperature consideration and with Nautilus spp. included in the sample, regression analysis suggests (r ² = 0.376, p?=?0.007) that larger cephalopods take longer to reach maturity. Once temperature was controlled by using physiological time (degree-days), the coleoid cephalopods moved closer to the best fit line and the genus Nautilus became an outlier. When Nautilus was removed and time measured in degree-days, the relationship was very strong (r ²?=?0.785, p?相似文献   

Response of red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) to playback of harsh versus common roars

Red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) give two distinct types of roars during the breeding season, the “common roar” and the “harsh roar.” Harsh roars are more frequent during contexts of intense competition, and characterized by a set of features that increase their perceptual salience, suggesting that they signal heightened arousal. While common roars have been shown to encode size information and mediate both male competition and female choice, to our knowledge, the specific function of harsh roars during male competition has not yet been studied. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that the specific structure of male harsh roars signals high arousal to competitors. We contrast the behavioral responses of free ranging, harem-holding stags to the playback of harsh roars from an unfamiliar competitor with their response to the playback of common roars from the same animal. We show that males react less strongly to sequences of harsh roars than to sequences of common roars, possibly because they are reluctant to escalate conflicts with highly motivated and threatening unfamiliar males in the absence of visual information. While future work should investigate the response of stags to harsh roars from familiar opponents, our observations remain consistent with the hypothesis that harsh roars may signal motivation during male competition, and illustrate how intrasexual selection can contribute to the diversification of male vocal signals.     

Results of the first adapted design for sustainability project in a South Pacific small island developing state: Fiji

With high population densities concentrated in predominately coastal zones, the South Pacific will, in this century, be heavily impacted by global temperature and sea level rises. Small island developing states do have a number of unique problems, namely, small scale economic development together with environmental sustainability. This paper presents the lessons learnt from the implementation of the first cleaner production and design initiative project conducted in a Pacific small island developing state(s) (SIDS) using the design for sustainability (D4S) methodology. The final product was analysed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. Implemented within a medium-sized enterprise operating in Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Samoa, the project focused on improving an existing product and its associated life cycle to make it more environmentally friendly to manufacture, retail, and dispose of. The project outcomes revealed that D4S provides a suitable tool for a country like Fiji to pursue more intensively an eco-friendly manufacturing agenda. However, when combined with LCA, the qualitative nature of D4S shows that not all solutions produce the best overall result. Specifically, the “improved” design, whilst being less impactful on Fiji in terms of disposal, has a higher impact globally due to the production and manufacture of the new materials used. For this reason designers need to address the impact criteria and decide whether a domestic or international agenda is of greater concern within the SIDS context.     

Evaluation of a Coulometric Procedure For the Detection of Strong and Weak Acid Components in Rainwater

A rapid coulometric procedure is described for the determination of non-volatile strong and non-volatile and volatile weak acids in rain samples. A constant current with known amperage is passed into a measured volume of the sample, with and without volatiles, and the changes in the electromotive force monitored with a potentiometer. Molarities of the different acids are calculated by plotting the function of the electromotive force against time in seconds according to Gran’s theory. The method is useful at acid concentrations of 10^-6 to 10^-4 M.     

Conservation planning at the landscape scale: A landscape ecology method for regional land trusts

This paper illustrates a landscape ecology approach for land trusts undertaking conservation at the watershed scale. A conservation plan was created for the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) in the headwaters of Michigan's Manistee River Watershed (USA). Eight conservation drivers were devised to identify Conservation Focus Areas (CFAs) of highest ecological importance. The CFAs were ranked based on ecological importance, feasibility of protection and size. Parcels were ranked, totalling nearly 5000 ha, within the three highest-ranking CFAs in one key county. This approach is useful to land trusts trying to operationalize three distinct goals in conservation planning: to find areas of high ecological importance, to promote the landscape's spatial integrity and to delineate threats to ecological systems and processes.     

Controlled release,blind tests of DNAPL characterization using partitioning tracers

The partitioning tracer technique for dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) characterization was evaluated in an isolated test cell, in which controlled releases of perchloroethylene (PCE) had occurred. Four partitioning tracer tests were conducted, two using an inverted, double five-spot pumping pattern, and two using vertical circulation wells. Two of the four tests were conducted prior to remedial activities, and two were conducted after. Each test was conducted as a "blind test" where researchers conducting the partitioning tracer tests had no knowledge of the volume, method of release, nor resulting spatial distribution of DNAPL. Multiple partitioning tracers were used in each test, and the DNAPL volume estimates varied significantly within each test based on the different partitioning tracers. The tracers with large partitioning coefficients generally predicted a smaller volume of PCE than that expected based on the actual release volume. However, these predictions were made for low DNAPL saturations (average saturation was approximately 0.003), under conditions near the limits of the method's application. Furthermore, there were several factors that may have hindered prediction accuracy, including tracer degradation and remedial fluid interference.     

MANAGEMENT MODEL FOR CONTROLLING NITRATE CONTAMINATION IN THE NEW JERSEY PINE BARRENS AQUIFER1

ABSTRACT: Land use planning in rapidly developing areas can serve as an effective tool for minimizing water quality impacts on ground water supplies. A land use management model applied to Jackson Township of the New Jersey Pine Barrens was developed. The management model consisted of a simulation model for the transport of nitrates from septic tank systems through the aquifer and a multiobjective, goal programming optimization model to determine population density restrictions using 208 areawide planning population projections. Results showed that growth may have to be curtailed in several areas of Jackson Township and that current population projections over the next 30 years may result in unacceptably high nitrate concentrations downgradient of Jackson Township. The management framework provides a flexible approach to land use planning.     

生态旅游与可持续发展

国际生态旅游学会已经采取了一套标准化措施进行生态旅游指导方针的开发 . 本文介绍了生 态旅游标准的基本概念 ; 生态旅游市场定位之演变 ; 与生态旅游相关的官方政策 ; 以及为当 地居民增加效益的途径 . 总之 , 对旅游产业的可持续性进行世界级定位刚刚开始 , 确保生态 旅游的国际合作正处于初创阶段 .