Preliminary shotgun glycoproteome analysis of N-glycosylation sites in serum proteins of ricin-intoxicated rats

In this study, the variations of serum glycoproteins after exposure to ricin toxin (RT) in Wistar albino rats are reported. For glycopeptide enrichment, Microcon YM-3 centrifugal filter device capture and micro-liquid chromatography (LC)–electrospray ionization (ESI)–tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) analysis were used; 74 trypsin-digested proteins were identified in the control group, and 58 in the RT-intoxication group. Additionally, 33 N-glycosides and 14 glycoproteins were identified in the control, and 50 and 21 in the RT-intoxication group.     

Factors influencing sexual cannibalism and its benefit to fecundity and offspring survival in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Sexual cannibalism is hypothesized to have evolved as a way to obtain a high-quality meal, as an extreme mate choice or as a consequence of female aggressive spillover. Here, we examined underlying factors likely to influence sexual cannibalism in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) from China, including mating status, female egg-laid status, female hunger level, female adult age and mate size dimorphism. The results showed that about 10 % of P. pseudoannulata virgin females cannibalized the approaching males before mating and that 28 % of P. pseudoannulata virgin females immediately cannibalized the males after mating. No incidents of sexual cannibalism during copulation were observed. Before mating, previously mated females and starved females tended to engage in significantly higher rates of attacks compared to virgin and well-fed females. Females that had laid egg sacs tended to engage in a significantly higher rate of attacks and sexual cannibalism than virgin females before mating. Regardless of pre- or post-mating, there was a strong positive relationship between mate size dimorphism and the occurrence of sexual cannibalism. We also tested the effects of sexual cannibalism on the fecundity of cannibalistic females and the survival of their offspring. Our results indicated that sexual cannibalism affected positively the offspring survival of cannibalistic females, but not fecundity. Our findings support the hypothesis that sexual cannibalism has evolved as an adaptive component of female foraging strategy and that it benefits offspring survival as a result of paternal investment.     

建筑工人不安全行为影响因子分析及控制措施研究

为有效的控制建筑工人的不安全行为,从而减少事故,须分析出建筑工人不安全行为主要影响因素,并提出针对性控制措施。从各种不安全行为中提取13个影响因子,在此基础上通过访谈和调研获得直接影响矩阵,借助决策试验和评价实验室方法(DEMATEL)计算出每个因子的影响度、原因度和中心度,由此分析出安全态度、安全技能、安全认知和安全培训在影响因素体系中最为重要,领导的重视对建筑工人的不安全行为也有很大影响。结果表明:个人因素是影响工人安全行为的主要因素,环境因素和管理因素通过影响个人因素影响工人的安全行为。最后,针对个人影响因素,提出了合理开展安全培训、加强现场行为管理、加强安全心理干预、完善用工制度等措施。     

采用零价铁-缓释碳修复氯代烃污染地下水的中试研究

针对受氯代烃污染的地下含水层,采用零价铁-缓释碳技术进行修复中试研究。中试期间,向地下9～18 m受氯代烃污染的含水层(体积900 m3)注入7 200 kg零价铁-缓释碳药剂。对地下水中污染物进行定期监测,结果显示:零价铁-缓释碳技术可以高效地将地下含水层中的氯代烃污染物脱氯降解。其中1,2-二氯乙烷的去除率达99.90%以上,1,1-二氯乙烷的去除率达86.00%以上,氯仿的去除率达98.00%以上。在零价铁-缓释碳还原体系存在的条件下,1,2-二氯乙烷、1,1-二氯乙烷和氯仿三种污染物的半衰期分别为46,115,70 d。研究证明:零价铁-缓释碳技术可以高效地修复被氯代烃污染的地下含水层,并且修复期较短,对氯代烃类污染场地地下水的修复有重要的实用价值。     

Associations between soil lead concentrations and populations by race/ethnicity and income-to-poverty ratio in urban and rural areas

Lead (Pb) is a well-studied environmental contaminant that has many negative health effects, especially for children. Both racial/ethnic and income disparities have been documented with respect to exposure to Pb in soils. The objectives of this study were to assess whether soil Pb concentrations in rural and urban areas of South Carolina USA, previously identified as having clusters of intellectual disabilities (ID) in children, were positively associated with populations of minority and low-income individuals and children (≤6 years of age). Surface soils from two rural and two urban areas with identified clusters of ID were analyzed for Pb and concentrations were spatially interpolated using inverse distance weighted analysis. Population race/ethnicity and income-to-poverty ratio (ITPR) from United States Census 2000 block group data were aerially interpolated by block group within each area. Urban areas had significantly higher concentrations of Pb than rural areas. Significant positive associations between black, non-Hispanic Latino, individuals and children ≤6 years of age and mean estimated Pb concentrations were observed in both urban (r = 0.38, p = 0.0007) and rural (r = 0.53, p = 0.04) areas. Significant positive associations also were observed between individuals and children with an ITPR < 1.00 and Pb concentrations, though primarily in urban areas. Racial/ethnic minorities and low ITPR individuals, including children, may be at elevated risk for exposure to Pb in soils.     

Stereoisomeric profiling of pharmaceuticals ibuprofen and iopromide in wastewater and river water, China

Stereoisomeric compositions can provide insights into sources, fate, and ecological risks of contaminants in the environment. In this study, stereoisomeric profiles of ibuprofen and iopromide were investigated in wastewater and receiving surface water of the Pearl River Delta, south China. The enantiomeric fraction (EF) of ibuprofen was 0.108–0.188 and 0.480, whereas the isomer ratio (IR) of iopromide was 1.426–1.673 and 1.737–1.898 in the influent and final effluent, respectively, suggesting stereoselective degradation occurred for both pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment. Ibuprofen showed enantioselective degradation in the anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic conditions, whereas iopromide displayed isomer-selective degradation only under the aerobic condition. In the river waters, the EF of ibuprofen was 0.130–0.327 and the IR of iopromide was 1.500–2.531. The results suggested that pharmaceuticals in the mainstream Pearl River were mainly from discharge of treated wastewater, whereas in the tributary rivers and urban canals, direct discharge of untreated wastewater represented a significant contribution. The IR of iopromide can be an applicable and efficient tracer for wastewater discharge in the environment.     

Environmental and energy-related challenges to sustainable tourism in the United States and China

This article examines the relationship between tourism, energy, and environment. This article approaches tourism as a complex adaptive system composed of consumers, transportation providers, travel intermediaries, and destinations composed of multiple tourism-related companies and other stakeholder groups. Environmental and energy-related challenges of components to the system are examined as well as various units – the system as a whole, enterprises and individuals – within the system. A total of 92 peer-reviewed articles were studied that address ‘energy’ and ‘tourism’ published between 1974 and 2011. Also addressed are the impacts of social and cultural differences between the United States and China concerning responses to environmental and energy-related challenges. This article concludes with recommendations for addressing the challenges associated with such challenges, including building system capacity, technology development and adoption, support of individual behavior change, increasing understanding of the trade-offs and interactions within the system, and adoption of multidisciplinary approaches to these challenges within the tourism system.     

Space-time stick-breaking processes for small area disease cluster estimation

We propose a space-time stick-breaking process for the disease cluster estimation. The dependencies for spatial and temporal effects are introduced by using space-time covariate dependent kernel stick-breaking processes. We compared this model with the space-time standard random effect model by checking each model’s ability in terms of cluster detection of various shapes and sizes. This comparison was made for simulated data where the true risks were known. For the simulated data, we have observed that space-time stick-breaking process performs better in detecting medium- and high-risk clusters. For the real data, county specific low birth weight incidences for the state of South Carolina for the years 1997–2007, we have illustrated how the proposed model can be used to find grouping of counties of higher incidence rate.     

社区灾害风险管理现状与展望

加强社区灾害风险管理是当前国际减灾的主要趋势之一。经验表明,社区灾害风险管理是治理和减少风险并确保可持续发展的有效手段。在分析国内外社区灾害风险管理成效基础上,指出我国社区灾害风险管理还存在总体发展不平衡、社会化参与程度不高、综合减灾协调机制不完善、防灾规划和应急预案针对性不强、防灾减灾宣传教育力度和减灾资源整合力度不够等问题。在全球化背景下,与日俱增的各种灾害风险对社区减灾提出了更高的要求,建议从以下几方面加强我国社区灾害管理工作:促进社区灾害管理立法,建立社会参与的长效激励机制,健全参与式社区减灾机制,加强社区防灾减灾综合能力建设,加强灾害资源化利用,并注重多方共同参与的社区灾害风险管理模式的研究。     

2012年上半年我国南方地区极端阴雨天气评价——以湖南省为例

基于湖南省97个地面气象观测站观测资料,根据所选定的阴雨天气评价指标,运用数理统计方法,对2012年上半年湖南省阴雨天气特征及强度进行分析评估,结果表明,阴雨天气阶段性特征显著,属隆冬至初春历史罕见的寡照低温多雨事件与初春至初夏的极端多雨寡照事件的组合。同时根据社会调查数据对阴雨天气的影响展开多方位分析,得出低温阴雨天气不仅对农业造成了重大影响,而且对水利、交通、建筑业等多行业和人们身体健康也有较大影响,以此提出了应对极端天气气候事件的对策建议。