Medaka (Oryzias latipes) for use in evaluating developmental effects of endocrine active chemicals with special reference to gonadal intersex (testis-ova).

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) has been widely used for the evaluation of the toxicity of endocrine active chemicals (EACs) and other chemicals as well as for monitoring the adverse effects of effluent discharges in relation to sexual development and function. It is useful for these evaluations for many reasons including the following: 1) it has a short life cycle facilitating studies extending over long phases of development and over multigenerations, 2) it is easy to rear, 3) male and female phenotypes can easily be distinguished on the basis of secondary sex characteristics, and 4) a genetic marker (DMY) is available for identifying the true genotypic sex. Several biomarkers have been found to be useful for identifying the effects of exposure to estrogenic and androgenic chemicals in medaka and they include increased levels of hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) and testis-ova induction in males for exposure to estrogenic chemicals, and decreased levels of hepatic VTG in females and an altered morphology of dorsal and anal fins and formation of papillae for androgenic chemicals. In this paper, we present a critical analysis of the use of medaka as a test species for studies of endocrine disruption and report on the use of sex-related genetic markers and alterations in gonadal development, including the induction of testis-ova formation, for assessing the disruptive effects of EACs. In this paper, we focus on some of the more recent studies and findings.     

A MONTE CARLO TEST OF LOAD CALCULATION METHODS,LAKE TAHOE BASIN,CALIFORNIA‐NEVADA1

ABSTRACT: The sampling of streams and estimation of total loads of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment play an important role in efforts to control the eutrophication of Lake Tahoe. We used a Monte Carlo procedure to test the precision and bias of four methods of calculating total constituent loads for nitrate‐nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment in one major tributary of the lake. The methods tested were two forms of the Beale's Ratio Estimator, the Period Weighted Sample, and the Rating Curve. Intensive sampling in 1985 (a dry year) and 1986 (a wet year) provided a basis for estimating loads by the “worked record” method for comparison with estimates based on resampling actual data at the lower intensity that characterizes the present monitoring program. The results show that: (1) the Period Weighted Sample method was superior to the other methods for all constituents for 1985; and (2) for total phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, and suspended sediment, the Rating Curve gave the best results in 1986. Modification of the present sampling program and load calculation methods may be necessary to improve the precision and reduce the bias of estimates of total phosphorus loads in basin streams.     

Reproductive health in Turner syndrome: A narrative review

Turner syndrome (TS), a common chromosomal abnormality affecting females, is associated with partial or complete loss of the second sex chromosome. Although the classic karyotype is 45, X, the detection of mosaic TS is increasing. TS is a multi-system disorder with significant endocrine, cardiovascular and reproductive impacts. Accelerated ovarian follicular loss leads to primary amenorrhoea or premature ovarian insufficiency and infertility. Early diagnosis and counselling regarding hormone replacement therapy and future reproductive capacity, including fertility preservation, are essential to improve reproductive outcomes. Pubertal induction or estrogen replacement is usually required to optimise long-term health outcomes; however, initiation may be delayed due to delayed diagnosis. Spontaneous pregnancy occurs in a small number of women; however, many require donor oocytes and assisted reproductive technology to achieve a pregnancy. Pregnancy is a high risk especially when associated with congenital heart disease. Prepregnancy counselling by the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to identify contraindications and optimise pre-existing health issues is essential. Pregnancy management should be led by a maternal-fetal medicine unit with input from the MDT. This review examines reproductive health outcomes in women with TS and how best to manage them to reduce health risks and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.     

Evaluation of Quicklime Incorporation in Bench-Scale and Full-Scale Lime Stabilized Biosolids Using a Flat Surface pH Electrode

Abstract

Uniform lime incorporation into sewage sludge is critical for biosolid lime stabilization processes. There is no class B biosolids regulation for lime incorporation. The slurry method is currently used to evaluate the pH of limed biosolids, but this method homogenizes the biosolids and potentially masks poor lime mixing. In this study, a flat-surface pH electrode was used in bench-scale and full-scale experiments to measure the pH of lime-stabilized biosolids without creating slurries. The standard deviation of 15 pH measurements at different locations in a biosolid sample was used to assess mixing quality. The bench-scale experimental study showed that well-mixed limed biosolids had consistently high pHs (~12) with low standard deviations (<0.5 pH units), whereas poorly mixed biosolids had areas with low pH (<10) and high standard deviations (>2 pH units). Poorly mixed biosolids exhibited rapid and marked pH reduction, as well as offensive odor generation, whereas well-mixed biosolids resisted pH reduction and offensive odor generation. The full-scale study aimed at improving lime incorporation and biosolids quality confirmed the use of a flat surface pH electrode to capture low pH regions in biosolids that were masked by the current slurry method.     

Watershed development in India. 2. New approaches for managing externalities and meeting sustainability requirements

This paper recognises the need for a revision of watershed development policy in India in relation to the planning of development interventions involving agricultural intensification and rainwater harvesting and the need for new approaches to assist the planning process. Building on, and using as an example, the results of biophysical and societal impact studies carried out on two watershed development projects in Karnataka three new management/dissemination tools, are suggested. These are (1) the web-based geographical information systems exploratory, climate land assessment and impact management tool dissemination tool for disseminating to policymakers and non-specialist stakeholders the downstream impacts of watershed interventions, (2) the ‘quadrant’ approach for ensuring that sustainability criteria are met and (3) Bayesian networks to investigate the biophysical and societal impacts of interventions. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue     

Fe/La定向修饰凹凸棒土稻壳基颗粒成型生物炭：磷酸盐吸附行为与机制

本研究合成一种新型除磷载Fe/La定向修饰凹凸棒土稻壳基颗粒成型生物炭吸附材料（Fe-La/AC）,考察了材料表面特性、Fe/La投加量、热解温度、保温时间以及凹凸棒土投加量等对磷素吸附影响规律. Fe/La最佳投加量为2：2 mmol,AT添加量为30%,热解温度为350 ℃,热解时间2 h,制备的Fe-La/AC对磷酸根的最大吸附量可以达到47.62 mg·g^-1（以磷计）. 傅里叶红外光谱分析表明Fe、La主要以铁镧氧化物及铁镧水合氯化物的形式存在于炭材料表面,Fe和La提供了磷酸盐吸附的活性中心. 该材料吸附动力学过程符合准二级动力学模型,吸附等温线拟合分析Langmiur模型更适于描述Fe-La/AC对磷酸盐的吸附过程,表明吸附动力学主要受化学作用控制. 磷酸盐吸附机制主要涉及静电吸引、配体交换和内层络合作用. 本研究制备的Fe-La/AC颗粒成型生物炭,可作为低磷浓度废水处理及水体富营养化调控的一种高效除磷吸附剂,具有较大的实际应用前景.     

Neighborhood and habitat effects on vital rates: expansion of the Barred Owl in the Oregon coast ranges

In this paper, we modify dynamic occupancy models developed for detection-nondetection data to allow for the dependence of local vital rates on neighborhood occupancy, where neighborhood is defined very flexibly. Such dependence of occupancy dynamics on the status of a relevant neighborhood is pervasive, yet frequently ignored. Our framework permits joint inference about the importance of neighborhood effects and habitat covariates in determining colonization and extinction rates. Our specific motivation is the recent expansion of the Barred Owl (Strix varia) in western Oregon, USA, over the period 1990-2010. Because the focal period was one of dramatic range expansion and local population increase, the use of models that incorporate regional occupancy (sources of colonists) as determinants of dynamic rate parameters is especially appropriate. We began our analysis of 21 years of Barred Owl presence/nondetection data in the Tyee Density Study Area (TDSA) by testing a suite of six models that varied only in the covariates included in the modeling of detection probability. We then tested whether models that used regional occupancy as a covariate for colonization and extinction outperformed models with constant or year-specific colonization or extinction rates. Finally we tested whether habitat covariates improved the AIC of our models, focusing on which habitat covariates performed best, and whether the signs of habitat effects are consistent with a priori hypotheses. We conclude that all covariates used to model detection probability lead to improved AIC, that regional occupancy influences colonization and extinction rates, and that habitat plays an important role in determining extinction and colonization rates. As occupancy increases from low levels toward equilibrium, colonization increases and extinction decreases, presumably because there are more and more dispersing juveniles. While both rates are affected, colonization increases more than extinction decreases. Colonization is higher and extinction is lower in survey polygons with more riparian forest. The effects of riparian forest on extinction rates are greater than on colonization rates. Model results have implications for management of the invading Barred Owl, both through habitat alteration and removal.     

Coping with insularity: the need for crop genetic improvement to strengthen adaptation to climatic change and food security in the Pacific

The capability of Pacific Island countries’ agriculture to adapt to climatic and environmental changes is analysed. After presenting key features of the region’s food cropping systems, findings of genetic diversity studies for the most important food crops are reviewed and their implications for adaptation are discussed. Biophysical and economic vulnerabilities of the food system are identified. For the major food crops, the needs for genetic improvement are detailed, and practical solutions for broadening genetic bases are suggested. The paper concludes by identifying areas for additional research on crops and agro-ecosystems adaptation aiming at increasing the flexibility of agriculture in the Pacific. In this region, plant breeding has to cope with the insularity constraints of the small island states. The new varieties need to satisfy farmers’ agronomic requirements in very diverse environments. However, because of genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E), it is difficult to identify a variety that would be accepted by most farmers on different islands. A new type of breeding programme with a pragmatic approach is therefore necessary. The geographical distribution of allelic diversity appears as a practical and cost-efficient solution.     

The NEP scale: measuring ecological attitudes/worldviews in an African context

Given the significance of human behavior as a major driver of most environmental problems, it is generally agreed that efforts to promote global ecological and economic sustainability must now include attempts to understand public perceptions of, and attitudes toward, environmental issues. Research findings generally indicate that attitudes are important determinants of ecological behaviors, and over time, scientists have strived to develop sound measurement instruments for studying public environmental attitudes. Of these attitude measures, the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale stands out as being the most widely accepted with documented validity and reliability. In this study, the NEP scale was used to examine environmental attitudes among 355 university students in Ibadan, Nigeria. Overall, the Nigerian students were found to have a lower endorsement of the pro-ecological ideologies included in the NEP compared with similar samples from other cultural contexts. However, a strong consensus was observed among the sample on the fragility of nature’s balance and possibility of eco-crisis facets of the NEP. The findings of the study are discussed in the context of relevant Nigerian social and cultural factors, and recommendations for future research are provided.     

Assessing the impacts of sustainable development projects in the Amazon: the DURAMAZ experiment

Since 1992, a boom of “sustainable development projects” has been registered in the Brazilian Amazon, turning it into a kind of open-air laboratory for sustainability. But their real impacts remain unclear, especially because of inadequate evaluation tools. A new device is therefore needed to unveil the inner mechanisms of development aid despite the difficulties linked with the diversity of contexts or the heterogeneity in the relevant parameters. Those are the challenges we met when we engaged in comparing the impacts of sustainable development programs in 13 sites throughout the Brazilian Amazon in order to identify determining factors of sustainability. To achieve our objective, we conceived an indicator system based on the results of intensive fieldwork, including social, economic, environmental, and biographical issues. Our results show that the most prominent problem of sustainability—evaluation of effectiveness—has not been tackled; life conditions and environmental preservation continue to appear antagonistic. At the same time, variability appears among outwardly coherent social groups, showing that a case-to-case approach is definitely indispensable and confirming the need to go “beyond panaceas” to find resolutions. This article successively addresses three points. First, we present the starting point of our research, or how the Amazon region was turned into a laboratory for sustainability and how our research project aimed at analyzing the consequences of this trend. Second, we discuss how available indicator systems fail to respond to the need for a multidimensional evaluation at the local level and, therefore, how we constituted our own analytical tool. Third, we focus on some results that can be derived from our system, especially in terms of identifying key factors needed to achieve sustainability in the Amazon.