Cladistic biogeographic analysis suggests an early Caribbean diversification in Mexico

The Great American Biotic Interchange has been the predominant paradigm for explaining biotic diversification in the Nearctic/Neotropical overlap or Mexican Transition Zone, which is commonly explained by the collision of the North and South American continental plates, which began in the Oligocene and fused both landmasses. In the most far-reaching cladistic biogeographical analysis of the area to date, evidence has been found supporting the existence of a remnant Caribbean region extending from eastern Mexico to southeastern USA, a hypothesis that challenges current views of the Great American Biotic Interchange and the Mexican Transition Zone. We show herein that an older terrane, which has drifted to the present day positions of Yucatan and Cuba, may be biogeographically linked to an early ‘Gondwanan’ biota of the Paleocene (ca. 60 Ma). The evidence indicates an east–west biotic divide in Mexico, existing before the collision and formation of Central America. The south–north division of the country, previously recognized by several authors as associated with the Great American Biotic Interchange and the Mexican Transition Zone, is of a younger age. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The Ecological Jeremiad,the American Myth,and the Vivid Force of Color in Dr. Seuss's The Lorax

This essay explores Dr. Seuss's The Lorax through a combination of contextual, visual and narrative-based criticism. Specifically, rhetorical forms of the jeremiad and myth are examined as adaptations to the medium of children's literature. In addition, the force of illustrated images is discussed, including the rhetorical force of color. The essay begins with a discussion of both Dr. Seuss and The Lorax within the contexts of the early environmental movement's rhetoric of alarm and political activism. It then outlines Seuss's attempt at “propaganda with a plot” arguing that a collision of the American myth and ecological jeremiad parallel and divert from the environmentalist norm. A detailed analysis of illustrated imagery and the function of color demonstrate the rhetorical force toward narration and ideology possible in the visual form.     

基于中美10所高校的应急管理核心知识体系的解释结构模型研究

应急管理涉及多学科、多领域,明确其核心知识体系可以为应急管理相关学科融合和发展提供基础。本文收集了中美两国10所高校15个本科专业225门专业课程,构建解释结构模型进行研究。结果显示：应急管理核心知识体系包括8大类：应急类、防灾减灾类、公共服务和社会管理类、安全生产类、国家安全类、法律类、公共卫生类和综合类。这8大类又分为18个小类,应急类包括为理论、技术方法和应用;防灾减灾类包括理论、过程和单灾种防范;公共服务和社会管理类包括理论与应用;安全生产类包括安全、健康和环境;国家安全类包括国土安全、恐怖主义和国际关系;公共卫生类包括心理和医疗救助;而法律类重在应急相关法律,综合类则表现为多个领域相结合。该体系的构建可以为应急管理相关学科研究提供知识基础,促进各学科领域在应急研究方面融合发展。     

"南海贻贝观察":广东沿海牡蛎体中Zn含量水平及其变化趋势

为了了解广东沿海重要养殖水域Zn含量水平变化趋势,1989～1997年间实施"南海贻贝观察"计划对广东12个地点牡蛎体的Zn含量进行了连续监测.广东沿海牡蛎体Zn含量范围为50.4×10-6～768×10-6,总平均值为245×10-6,总体上属清洁～微污染水平.牡蛎体Zn含量的海域分布格局呈珠江口海区＞粤东海区≥粤西海区.1989～1991年,广东沿海牡蛎体Zn含量呈上升趋势,此后略微下降,1994～1997年间牡蛎体Zn含量虽有波动,但年际间没有明显差异.     

人工湿地中除磷填料的筛选及其除磷能力

针对猪场废水水质特点,对4种填料的理化特性进行了分析,并考察了4种填料的除磷能力.结果表明,废砖块和沸石的表面微结构更有利于生物膜的生长,而海蛎壳与废砖块则具有较高的除磷潜能;4种填料对磷素的理论饱和吸附量依次为海砺壳>废砖块>火山岩>沸石,海蛎壳对磷素的吸附主要为化学吸附,而废砖块、火山岩和沸石对磷素的吸附主要为物理吸附,其中废砖块对磷素的吸附过程中存在化学吸附作用;在动态吸附试验中,海蛎壳对磷素的去除效果最好,其次为废砖块、火山岩和沸石,4种填料去除磷素的主要途径由其化学成分和化学形态决定.由试验结果可知,海蛎壳是人工湿地处理猪场废水时较为理想的除磷填料.     

Effects of a phycotoxin,okadaic acid,on oyster heart cell survival

Okadaic acid (OA) is a dinoflagellate toxin which accumulates in shellfish producing diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans. It was found that OA is a highly selective inhibitor of protein phosphatase types 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) which produces a marked increase in phosphorylation of several proteins, including p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. The cytotoxicity attributed to OA and the effects on p38 MAP kinase and calcium current were examined in the oyster Crassostrea gigas in this study. Data showed that p38 MAP kinase is strongly expressed in oyster heart and that OA bioaccumulated in cultured heart cells. Hence the effects of OA was tested in vitro and in vivo on oysters. OA was found to (i) exert a positive chronotropic effect on cultured atrial cardiomyocytes which is related to an increase in calcium current via PKC as shown by patch clamp measurements, (ii) produce an activation/phosphorylation of MAP kinase as shown by Westernblot while the non-phosphorylated p38 remained constant during treatment, (iii) did not induce a pro-apoptotic effect. Data suggest that OA may also stimulate the anti-apoptotic pathway by phosphatase inhibition.     

五种不同养殖生物中氯化二苯并二噁英和呋喃的污染水平及特征

对五种养殖生物进行二噁英类化合物污染水平和指纹特征的研究结果显示,鱼、虾、蟹、扇贝和牡蛎的平均浓度分别是0.35pg·g-1,0.57pg·g-1,0.62pg·g-1,0.11pg·g-1和1.38pg·g-1.OCDD是五种养殖生物的最主要污染物,其次是2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD和OCDF. 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD和2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF是五种养殖生物中二噁英毒性最主要的贡献者.初步认为,生活习性的差异是造成五种不同养殖生物二噁英污染水平差异的重要原因.     

生物法去除西洋参中有机氯农药

从西洋参种植土壤中分离到一株高效有机氯农药降解细菌,将该菌制成固体菌剂,应用于田间试验,实验结果表明,对3a生西洋参的1a生长期内BHC总量的降解率达36.27%～49.90%,DDT总量的降解率达25.19%～35.61%。     

磁铁锆改性牡蛎壳对水体磷的控释行为研究

通过磁化和添加溶解性锆盐,制成一种磁铁锆改性牡蛎壳粉材料,对其性质及除磷效果进行研究.结果表明,经磁铁锆改性,牡蛎壳具备磁性且比表面积和孔隙度均得到了显著提升,磷吸附量由4.5 mg·g^-1提高到了46.5 mg·g^-1,同时通过外加磁场可成功实现改性牡蛎壳粉的回收,而吸附动力学研究则证明整个磷吸附过程包括快速吸附和平衡吸附两个阶段.另外,改性牡蛎壳粉末对于水体中磷的吸附主要以溶解性磷酸盐（SRP）为主,相较于底泥间隙水,改性牡蛎壳粉对底泥上覆水的释磷行为具有更好的抑制效果,同时该材料还会促进底泥磷形态中易释放的铁结合态磷（Fe-P）向难释放的闭蓄态磷（Oc-P）转化,并降低易释放交换态磷（Ex-P）的含量.上述结果说明磁铁锆改性牡蛎壳适合作为一种高效除磷吸附剂用于控制富营养化水体中磷过量现象.     

Levels of persistent organic pollutant and their predictors among young adults

Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p′-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) continues to be of concern due to their ubiquitous distribution and high persistence. Current toxicant body burden is still a primary concern within the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation since other studies conducted within the community have shown relationships between these POPs and endocrine disruption.In this article we describe the levels of these toxicants in young adults of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation between the ages of 17 and 21 years of age (mean age 18.1 years), and investigate potential influences of their current body burden. Seventeen congeners in fourteen chromatographic peaks were detected in 50% or more of the individuals sampled (geometric mean [GM] of the sum of these congeners = 0.43 ppb). Congeners 118, 138[+163 + 164] and 153 had the highest rate of detection (?98%) within the Akwesasne young adults. Of the other organochlorines, HCB (GM = 0.04 ppb) and p,p′-DDE (GM = 0.38 ppb) were found in 100% and 99% of the sample respectively.Significantly higher levels of PCBs were found among individuals who were breastfed as infants, were first born, or had consumed local fish within the past year. When compared to levels of p,p′-DDE, HCB, and 13 specific congeners reported by the CDC for youth between the ages of 12 and 19 years, the geometric means of several congeners (CBs 99, 105, 110, and 118) among the Akwesasne were higher than the reported CDC 90th percentile. In contrast, levels of CB 28 in Akwesasne young adults were ∼50% or less than those of the CDC cohort. p,p′-DDE and HCB levels were generally higher in the CDC cohort (GM of 0.516 and 0.065 ppb, respectively for Mohawks vs. 2.51 and 0.123, respectively, for CDC). Concentrations of non-persistent PCBs among this sample of Akwesasne young adults were higher than those reported by the CDC suggesting continued exposure, but lower than those associated with severe contamination.Additional research into the concentration trends of individual PCB congeners within Akwesasne youth and young adults is warranted to further improve our insight into the determinants and influences of organochlorine concentrations within members of the Akwesasne community.