Selective effects of natural and synthetic insecticides on mortality of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its predator Eriopis connexa (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious pest of corn in several American countries. It is mainly controlled with synthetic insecticides. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the natural products, neem oil and pyroligneous extract, and the synthetic insecticide, lufenuron, at 2.50mL water (0.25 %) on the mortality of 2-, 4- and 6-day-old caterpillars of S. frugiperda, and their selectivities against fourth instar larvae of Eriopis connnexa Germar (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Four- and 6-day-old S. frugiperda caterpillars showed higher mortality after exposure to neem oil (83.33 ± 0.83 and 89.58 ± 0.90 %, respectively) and lufenuron (95.83 ± 0.96 and 85.41 ± 0.83 %), compared to pyroligneous extract (68.75 ± 0.69 and 31.25 ± 0.31 %). The deleterious effect of pyroligneous extract was higher in 2- (83.33 ± 0.83 % mortality) and 4-day-old (68.75 ± 0.69 %) S. frugiperda caterpillars than in 6-day-old caterpillars (31.25 ± 0.31 %). Larval mortality of the predator E. connexa was lower with neem oil and pyroligneous extract (25.00 ± 0.33 %) than with lufenuron (91.66 ± 1.22 %). Neem oil is thus recommended for control of S. frugiperda because of its high toxicity, combined with its relatively low toxicity to larvae of the natural enemy E. connexa.     

Evident but context-dependent mortality of fish passing hydroelectric turbines

Globally, policies aiming for conservation of species, free-flowing rivers, and promotion of hydroelectricity as renewable energy and as a means to decarbonize energy systems generate trade-offs between protecting freshwater fauna and development of hydropower. Hydroelectric turbines put fish at risk of severe injury during passage. Therefore, comprehensive, reliable analyses of turbine-induced fish mortality are pivotal to support an informed debate on the sustainability of hydropower (i.e., how much a society is willing to pay in terms of costs incurred on rivers and their biota). We compiled and examined a comprehensive, global data set of turbine fish-mortality assessments involving >275,000 individual fish of 75 species to estimate mortality across turbine types and fish species. Average fish mortality from hydroelectric turbines was 22.3% (95% CI 17.5–26.7%) when accounting for common uncertainties related to empirical estimates (e.g., handling- or catch-related effects). Mortality estimates were highly variable among and within different turbine types, study methods, and taxa. Technical configurations of hydroelectric turbines that successfully reduce fish mortality and fish-protective hydropower operation as a global standard could balance the need for renewable energy with protection of fish biodiversity.     

Induced responses to herbivory in the Neotropical ant-plant association between Azteca ants and Cecropia trees: response of ants to potential inducing cues

Plant defense against herbivores often involves constitutive and inducible mechanisms of resistance. Obligate ant-plants, which provide food and housing for ants, are thought to primarily rely on ants for defense against herbivores. This form of plant defense has largely been viewed as static. We have been investigating the dynamic nature of Azteca ants as an inducible defense of Cecropia trees. Ants rapidly recruit to and patrol sites of foliar damage. We propose that Azteca ants can be viewed as an inducible defense for Cecropia trees because of their sensitivity to cues associated with herbivory, their rapid and aggressive recruiting ability, and their reclaimable and redeployable nature as a plant defense. In this study, we examine ant behavior following plant damage, and the potential cues that indude ant recruitment. We found that ants present on leaves when the plant is damaged leave the damaged leaf and recruit other ants to it, presumably by laying recruitment trails. Volatile leaf cues associated with herbivory were important in eliciting an induced response in two experiments. However, we found that cues associated with a congeneric plant elicited a much stronger ant response than conspecific cues. Although the type of leaf damage (gaping wounds versus leaf edge wounds) did not affect the level of ant recruitment, the extent of damage did. Leaves with one hole punched showed a 50% increase in ants, while leaves with five holes punched in them elicited a 100% increase in ant numbers. In sum, it appears that multiple plant-related cues associated with herbivory are involved in induction of ant recruitment in the Cecropia-Azteca system. We discuss the generality of ant responses to herbivory in obligate ant-plant systems, and in facultative ant-plant associations, which may be more common. Received: 23 March 1998 / Accepted after revision: 5 July 1998     

Interactions between cod, herring and sprat in the changing environment of the Baltic Sea: A dynamic model analysis

The interactions between cod (Gadus morhua), herring (Clupea harengus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in the Central Baltic Sea were examined with a simple dynamic model, an alternative to more complicated and data-demanding multispecies and ecosystem models. The main aims of the study were to compare the effect of alternative structures on the model output and examine the control relationships in the fish assemblage under different environmental conditions. The effect of environmental conditions was modelled using a stock-recruitment equation for cod incorporating an environmental index. The model output was especially sensitive to the functional response in predation by cod on herring and sprat. The type II functional response led to a collapse of the clupeid stocks when cod was abundant, while the type III response produced more realistic stock dynamics. According to the simulations, an abundant cod stock was able to keep the sprat stock at a low level, while the herring stock was less affected and benefited from the decreased density of sprat. Simulation of different fishing scenarios indicated that reducing fishing mortality to the level currently advised by ICES would allow the recovery of the cod stock even in unfavourable environmental conditions.     

PM2.5致卵巢癌的风险及城乡差异的生态学研究

为了评估PM_2.5排放导致女性生殖系统癌症的风险以及城乡差异,以卵巢癌为例,分析了中国东部地区2000~2011年期间PM_2.5和卵巢癌发病率和死亡率的相关关系,并估算了PM_2.5排放导致卵巢癌发病率和死亡率升高的风险.结果表明,城市地区卵巢癌发病率和死亡率显著高于农村,在城市地区,PM_2.5与卵巢癌发病率显著相关,PM_2.5年平均浓度每上升10μg/m³,城市地区卵巢癌发病率上升的相对风险为9.3%（相对于PM_2.5年平均浓度为35μg/m³时）,每十万人口升高0.51人.     

广州市大气NO2污染对暴露人群不同疾病死亡的影响

通过收集广州市2011~2015年6种疾病（非意外因素、心血管疾病、脑卒中、缺血性心脏病、呼吸系统疾病以及慢性阻塞性肺疾病）逐日死亡人数、逐日NO₂浓度以及同期气象资料,采用广义相加模型探讨了NO₂暴露对不同疾病死亡的影响（相对危险度,RR值）和累积滞后效应,并进一步采用分层分析方法解析了冷季（11月至次年4月）和暖季（5~10月） NO₂死亡风险的差异.结果表明,NO₂影响急促短暂,通常持续4d.当NO₂浓度升高10μg/m³,在Lag0-4d时,人群非意外死亡人数将上升2.18%（RR=1.0218;95% CI：1.0167,1.0270）,在冷季与暖季分别上升2.6%（RR=1.0260;95% CI：1.0191,1.0328）与0.57%（RR=1.0057;95% CI：0.9952,1.0163）,两者差异有统计学意义（P=0.002）.在不同疾病中,NO₂对慢性阻塞性肺疾病的影响最大.因而NO₂仍然为广州地区人群健康重要的危险因素,需要加强NO₂排放的控制与治理,并且加强冷季健康风险预警以保护公共健康.     

Estimation of spatiotemporal trends in bat abundance from mortality data collected at wind turbines

Renewable energy sources, such as wind energy, are essential tools for reducing the causes of climate change, but wind turbines can pose a collision risk for bats. To date, the population-level effects of wind-related mortality have been estimated for only 1 bat species. To estimate temporal trends in bat abundance, we considered wind turbines as opportunistic sampling tools for flying bats (analogous to fishing nets), where catch per unit effort (carcass abundance per monitored turbine) is a proxy for aerial abundance of bats, after accounting for seasonal variation in activity. We used a large, standardized data set of records of bat carcasses from 594 turbines in southern Ontario, Canada, and corrected these data to account for surveyor efficiency and scavenger removal. We used Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate temporal trends in aerial abundance of bats and to explore the effect of spatial factors, including landscape features associated with bat habitat (e.g., wetlands, croplands, and forested lands), on the number of mortalities for each species. The models showed a rapid decline in the abundance of 4 species in our study area; declines in capture of carcasses over 7 years ranged from 65% (big brown bat [Eptesicus fuscus]) to 91% (silver-haired bat [Lasionycteris noctivagans]). Estimated declines were independent of the effects of mitigation (increasing wind speed at which turbines begin to generate electricity from 3.5 to 5.5 m/s), which significantly reduced but did not eliminate bat mortality. Late-summer mortality of hoary (Lasiurus cinereus), eastern red (Lasiurus borealis), and silver-haired bats was predicted by woodlot cover, and mortality of big brown bats decreased with increasing elevation. These landscape predictors of bat mortality can inform the siting of future wind energy operations. Our most important result is the apparent decline in abundance of four common species of bat in the airspace, which requires further investigation.     

Differential toxic response of Chironomus travalensis kieffer ( Chironomidae : Diptera ) to some industrial effluents

Acute toxicity testing of some industrial effluents (rubber (Rr), brewery (Br), and bottling (Bt)) on Chironomus travalensis (Diptera larvae) was determined at 96-h using a static bioassay technique. Effluent quality characterization revealed acidic pH values of 4.5 for Rr, 5.64 for Br, and 4.32 for Bt effluents. Tests were carried out in replicates between 10 and 100% effluent concentrations. Mortality rate rose progressively with increasing concentrations. Bt effluent was the most toxic with 96-h LC₅₀ of 61.5%, closely followed by Rr effluent with 96-h LC₅₀ of 87% and the least toxic was Br effluent with 96-h LC₅₀ of 90%.     

技术进步对煤矿安全生产的影响分析

安全生产是我国煤炭行业健康发展的重要前提。通过研究我国煤矿安全生产现状,分析其影响因素,提出技术进步在保障安全生产中的重要性。运用多元回归分析方法建立基于技术进步的从业人员素质、机械化程度与百万吨死亡率之间关系的回归分析模型,研究结果表明它们之间的关系为高度相关,且模型具有很好的拟合度。根据分析结论提出相应的政策建议,为基于安全生产的技术进步与煤矿产能之间的协调发展提供理论依据。