Characterization of dissolved organic carbon and Humic substances in the well water of the Blackfoot disease area in Taiwan

Since the early 1960s, many investigators have reported that blackfoot disease, a peripheral vascular disease, observed in southwestern Taiwan is due to drinking the higher arsenic concentration in well water. However, recent studies indicated that the relationship with blackfoot disease is not only with arsenic but also humic substances. This paper presents some results concerning the characterization (such as fluorescence, elemental composition, molecular weight and carbon distribution) of humic substances isolated from the Fuhsing well water of the blackfoot disease area. For comparison, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and humic substances in the normal well water from Chiuying and the Nanwan coastal water were also analyzed. In general, in the well water of the blackfoot disease area, extremely high concentrations of DOC (18.5mg/L) and fulvic acid (7.54mg/L) with high fluorescence intensity (59.1, equivalent to 0.0282uM quinine sulfate solution) and high percentages (over 50%) of low molecular weights of less than 1,000 were obtained compared with those of normal waters. C‐13 Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed a high content (37.2%) of aromatic carbon. These higher concentrations of DOC and fulvic acid with the higher content of aromatic carbon in well water might be one of the key factors causing the blackfoot disease in Taiwan.     

衰变子体对241Am2Zr2O7固化体晶胞体积影响的模拟

为探索241 Am核素衰变子体对241Am2Zr2O7烧绿石固化体晶胞体积的影响,根据递次衰变理论计算了241Am衰变子体种类及其含量随时间的变化值,并以Nd2Zr2O7作为Am2Zr2O7的模拟物,La作为241Am衰变子体Np的模拟元素,采用Sol-喷雾热解法合成了(Nd1-xLax)2Zr2O7(0.1≤x≤0.9)系列模拟固化体.利用XRD和SEM研究了该固化体晶胞参数(α、V)随x的变化关系以及其烧结体的微观结构.结果表明,经103 a后,241 Am核素的相对摩尔分数仅为最初的10-5at％,其子体237Np的摩尔分数将达到70at％以上,并在4.3×103a后达到峰值(约99at％).相较其他常规方法,Sol-喷雾热解法能在更低温度、更温和的条件下获得纯相的(Nd1-xLax)2Zr2O7烧绿石样品,且能保证其烧结体晶粒细小(约10 μm),结构致密,残余气孔率可减少到5％.(Nd1-xLax)2Zr2O7模拟固化体的晶胞参数(α、V)均随x的增加而逐渐增大,在相同x条件下,其晶格常数理论值较试验值大0.2％,其晶胞体积在x为0.9时将膨胀约4％.(Nd1-xLax)2Zr2O7模拟固化体晶胞参数变化趋势与(Am1-xNpx)2Zr2O7固化体的理论值基本一致.     

Movement patterns of juvenile sand tigers (Carcharias taurus) along the east coast of the USA

To date, movement patterns of juvenile sand tigers (Carcharias taurus) along the east coast of the USA have been loosely defined. Given the magnitude of the purported decline in the sand tiger population in the western North Atlantic (WNA), characterization of the species’ movement patterns throughout this broad area is essential for the effective management and recovery of this population. Using passive acoustic telemetry, pop-up satellite archival transmitting tags, and conventional fishery-dependent tag/recapture data, seasonal movements of juvenile sand tigers (ages 0–2 years; <125 cm fork length) were monitored between Maine and Florida along the US east coast from 2007 to 2013. Collectively, tag data indicated that juvenile sand tigers undergo extensive seasonal coastal migrations moving between summer (June–October) habitat (Maine to Delaware Bay) and winter (December–April) habitat (Cape Hatteras to central Florida) during the spring (April–June) and fall/early winter (October–December). Juvenile sand tigers occurred in a wide range of temperatures (9.8–26.9 °C) throughout the year, but spent the majority of their time in water from 12 to 20 °C. Given the extensive movements and continuous utilization of relatively shallow (<80 m) nearshore waters exhibited by these relatively small individuals throughout their first years of life, it is imperative that precautions be taken to limit negative effects of anthropogenic interactions on this species (i.e., fisheries bycatch, coastal degradation) in an effort to rebuild and sustain the WNA population.     

Using expert knowledge to support Endangered Species Act decision-making for data-deficient species

Many questions relevant to conservation decision-making are characterized by extreme uncertainty due to lack of empirical data and complexity of the underlying ecologic processes, leading to a rapid increase in the use of structured protocols to elicit expert knowledge. Published ecologic applications often employ a modified Delphi method, where experts provide judgments anonymously and mathematical aggregation techniques are used to combine judgments. The Sheffield elicitation framework (SHELF) differs in its behavioral approach to synthesizing individual judgments into a fully specified probability distribution for an unknown quantity. We used the SHELF protocol remotely to assess extinction risk of three subterranean aquatic species that are being considered for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. We provided experts an empirical threat assessment for each known locality over a video conference and recorded judgments on the probability of population persistence over four generations with online submission forms and R-shiny apps available through the SHELF package. Despite large uncertainty for all populations, there were key differences between species’ risk of extirpation based on spatial variation in dominant threats, local land use and management practices, and species’ microhabitat. The resulting probability distributions provided decision makers with a full picture of uncertainty that was consistent with the probabilistic nature of risk assessments. Discussion among experts during SHELF's behavioral aggregation stage clearly documented dominant threats (e.g., development, timber harvest, animal agriculture, and cave visitation) and their interactions with local cave geology and species’ habitat. Our virtual implementation of the SHELF protocol demonstrated the flexibility of the approach for conservation applications operating on budgets and time lines that can limit in-person meetings of geographically dispersed experts.     

典型碳酸盐岩区耕地土壤剖面重金属形态迁移转化特征及生态风险评价

碳酸盐岩土壤母质区是我国耕地土壤重金属高含量的主要分布区,且耕地重金属迁移转化受到自然过程与人为活动的交互影响.以广西碳酸盐岩母质水田9条土壤剖面为研究对象,在分析测试土壤Cd、As、Zn、Cr、Cu、Hg、Ni和Pb含量、pH、Corg含量等土壤性质指标以及Cd、As、Zn和Cr赋存形态基础上,重点探讨了研究区耕地土壤重金属形态垂向分布特征、重金属生态风险以及对比在自然成土过程中和人为活动干扰下重金属迁移转化的影响因素.结果表明,研究区土壤剖面中Cd、As、Zn和Cr存在样本超农用地（水田）污染风险筛选值,Cd和As部分超管制值.土壤剖面Cd各形态均有一定比例分布,且随剖面深度由浅至深,Cd生态风险较高的水溶态、离子交换态比例呈显著下降趋势;土壤剖面As、Zn和Cr各深度段均以残渣态为主,随深度加深,水溶态和离子交换态比例变化不大.风险评价编码法（RAC）和次生相与原生相分布比值法（RSP）评价结果显示,研究区土壤Cd污染风险相对较高,总体上As、Zn和Cr处于无污染或无风险状态.研究区自然发育的土壤,黏土矿物含量和土壤发育程度对Cd迁移活动性的影响较为显著,而受人为活动影响的耕作层中,土壤pH与有机质含量则成为其迁移活动性的主控因素;土壤As的迁移能力主要与土壤有机质、Fe₂O₃含量以及土壤发育程度有关,但在耕作层中,有机质对其控制作用明显增强;土壤中Zn、Cr迁移能力的主控因素均为pH,而在人类活动干扰下,pH对其影响更为强烈.     

Varying responses of northeastern North American amphibians to the chytrid pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is widespread among amphibians in northeastern North America. It is unknown, however, whether Bd has the potential to cause extensive amphibian mortalities in northeastern North America as have occurred elsewhere. In the laboratory, we exposed seven common northeastern North American amphibian species to Bd to assess the likelihood of population-level effects from the disease. We exposed larval wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and postmetamorphic frogs of six other species to two different strains of Bd, a northeastern strain (JEL404) and a strain that caused die-offs of amphibians in Panama (JEL423), under ideal in vitro growth conditions for Bd. Exposed American toads (Anaxyrus americanus) all died; thus, this species may be the most likely to die from Bd-caused disease in the wild. Both Bd strains were associated with mortalities of wood frogs, although half the metamorphs survived. The Bd strain from Panama killed metamorphic green frogs (L. clamitans), whereas the northeastern strain did not, which means novel strains of Bd may lead to death even when local strains may not. No mortality was observed in four species (bullfrogs [L. catesbeianus], northern leopard frogs [L. pipiens], spring peepers [Pseudacris crucifer], and blue-spotted salamanders [Ambystoma laterale]) and in some individuals of green frogs and wood frogs that we exposed. This finding suggests these six species may be Bd vectors. Our results show that systematic exposures of amphibian species to Bd in the laboratory may be a good first step in the identification of species susceptible to Bd-caused declines and in directing regional conservation efforts aimed at susceptible species.     

基于复合LSTM模型的PM2.5浓度预测

在对淄博市19个空气质量监测站点监测数据进行分析后,提出了一种基于机器学习的复合模型——灰色关联度分析(GRA)-改进的完备总体经验模态分解(ICEEMD)-长短期记忆网络(LSTM)模型。通过分析淄博市2019年大气污染物和气象数据,选用LSTM模型预测PM_2.5浓度。由于传统单一模块机器学习模型具有训练时间较长和预测精度较低的问题,提出了复合LSTM模型。该模型由3部分组成：GRA,用于PM_2.5浓度影响因素变量筛选;ICEEMD,用于PM_2.5分解、分量筛选和原始大气污染物及气象数据处理;LSTM,用于PM_2.5浓度预测。预测结果表明：淄博市中部丘陵地带PM_2.5浓度高于南部山区和北部平原,东部高于西部;淄博市逐月PM_2.5浓度呈“U”形分布,1月最高,8月最低;淄博市PM_2.5浓度受PM₁₀和CO影响较大,受湿度和温度影响较小。对比单一LSTM模型和GRA-LSTM模型,GRA-ICEEMD-LSTM模型...     

Exploring barriers to home gardening in Ohio households

Scholars have noted that race and ethnicity, socio-economic status (SES) as well as other socio-demographic factors may limit participation in local food systems based on the historic and structured patterns of inequalities that remain in communities promoting alternative agriculture and food (agrifood) activities. However, few empirical studies have examined the barriers which prevent people from participating in local food system activities. This paper uses survey data from the 2008 Ohio Survey of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Issues to consider whether barriers such as interest, time, financial resources, geography and space impact the participation of households in home gardening. Results from logistic regression show that SES, the availability of space and housing type are important factors which limit or enable household participation in home gardening. This paper contributes to our understanding of the barriers that prevent households from participating in home gardening, a form of food system localisation that, while a potentially powerful way to transform the agrifood system, has been underexamined in its own right.     

Modeling of organic pollutant destruction in a stirred-tank reactor by ozonation

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