Emerging dynamics of environmental governance in northern post-productivist regions

The northern, resource-dependent regions of Canada have long faced distinctive social, economic, and environmental challenges and vulnerabilities. However, these regions and communities increasingly find themselves in a transitional and post-productivist context – the implications of which are largely unclear. Therefore, research is needed to identify the current and emerging challenges facing such regions and how environmental governance and planning must adjust to meet these challenges. We utilise the case study of the Northeast Superior region of Ontario to identify and analyse the dynamics developing in post-productivist, resource-dependent regions and what the implications may be for environmental governance. Several key themes and issues that emerged include an increasingly pluralistic context, new regionalism and north–south tensions, First Nation initiatives and power imbalances, and northern identities which are tied to ideas of historical resource-dependence, remoteness, and intimate and complex links to the landscape, all of which inform environmental governance and sustainability debates. As a result, the Northeast Superior case provides insight into these ongoing dynamics which encompass individuals, government, industry, organisations, and the landscape, with the resultant lessons being transferable to initiatives in other northern, remote, and circumpolar regions.     

Flowering pattern of biodiesel plant Jatropha in frost- and drought-prone regions of Botswana

Jatropha has gained interest as a potential biodiesel feedstock. Nevertheless, its oil production decreases significantly in frost- and drought-prone regions. In this study, we characterized the flowering pattern of Jatropha in Botswana in the 2014/2015 season. Extensive springtime pruning synchronized Jatropha regrowth in summer and effectively stimulated growth after frost damage. Flowering started in February 2015 and peaked in April and May. Wide variations in flowering frequency were observed among different Jatropha accessions. Trees flowering in February and March produced fruit in May, but most trees only flowered in April and May and did not yield fruit because of cold snaps. These observations suggested that harvesting seed before wintertime is the key to improve Jatropha production in the Botswana climate. This study highlighted the importance of inducing early flowering by developing new agricultural managements. These may include frost cover and sun shades to prevent stress-induced damage, canopy control by pruning, optimization of fertilization practice, and/or introduction of superior Jatropha varieties.     

芬顿试剂氧化对污泥脱水性能的影响

利用芬顿试剂调理污泥,以W_C(污泥滤饼含水率)和CST(毛细吸水时间)作为评价污泥脱水性能的指标,通过分析污泥中各层ρ(EPS)(EPS为胞外聚合物)和上清液中小分子有机物质量浓度来阐明污泥脱水性能的变化. 结果表明:芬顿试剂调理可促进EPS氧化分解,TB-EPS(紧密结合的胞外聚合物)破解转化为LB-EPS(松散结合的胞外聚合物)和S-EPS(上清液层胞外聚合物),大幅降低W_C和CST. 试验中当pH为4,w(H₂O₂)和 w(Fe2+)均为40 mg/g时,ρ(EPS)降低了33.04%,W_C和CST分别降至63.36%和28.7 s. Pearson相关性分析表明,ρ(TB-EPS)与W_C和CST均存在显著的正相关性(P＜0.01),是影响污泥脱水性能的重要因素,而ρ(LB-EPS)和ρ(S-EPS)与污泥脱水性能的相关性较低. 液相色谱分析表明,随着芬顿试剂投加量的增大,EPS等有机物分解程度增大,污泥上清液中小分子有机物种类明显增多,其质量浓度显著升高,ρ(甲酸)和ρ(乙酸)分别由原污泥的52.72、15.99 mg/L升至446.05、522.36 mg/L.      

Organizational embeddedness,turnover intentions,and voluntary turnover: The moderating effects of employee demographic characteristics and value orientations

To explain why some employees who experience high embeddedness contemplate leaving their organizations and others do not, we examined the moderating effects of employee demographic characteristics (age and gender) and value orientations (individualism and risk aversion) between organizational embeddedness and turnover intentions. Turnover intentions were further expected to increase voluntary turnover. Data were collected from 643 full‐time employees at three points in time over a 12‐month time period in a wide range of organizations in Japan, a relatively low turnover context with little prior embeddedness research. Findings show that gender and risk aversion moderate the relationship between organizational embeddedness and turnover intentions, which in turn predict voluntary turnover. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simplified model for the evaluation of the effects of explosions on industrial target

The evaluation of vulnerability of process equipment to explosion is a central issue in the analysis of industrial risks. In this work, we have developed a simplified model, however based on fundamental equations, which includes structural and fluid–dynamic parameters for the target (the industrial equipment) and for the impacting pressure wave (shock waves) or object (fragment, debris) produced by different type of chemical explosions.The validity of methodology has been assessed by case histories. Several insights on the dynamic of structural interaction of the explosion with the target have been obtained, with specific reference to escalation effects.The model derives from the well-known Johnson's number, often adopted in impact engineering.     

青藏高原多年冻土区铁路路堤变形特征研究

路堤的稳定是公路、铁路等行车安全的保证。路堤变形通过路基—轨道—车辆大系统的相互作用而影响行车安全。冻胀、融沉是多年冻土地区路堤变形的重要形式。多年冻土区的路基变形问题是至今仍未彻底解决的一大难题。青藏铁路穿越 5 5 0km多年冻土区 ,为研究多年冻土区路堤变形特征 ,笔者对青藏铁路某试验段进行变形监测并对监测数据进行分析。结果表明铁路路堤的修建改变了多年冻土原来的水热平衡 ,天然冻土上限的变化导致路堤产生变形。同时 ,变形特征还受路堤边坡的坡向、降水量和地基土类型等因素的制约。在此基础上 ,提出几点减少多年冻土区铁路路堤变形的一些看法和建议。     

Detection of dicofol and related pesticides in human breast milk from China, Korea and Japan

Previously, we demonstrated that the concentrations of DDTs were greater in breast milk collected from Chinese mothers than from Japanese and Korean mothers. To investigate dicofol as a possible source of the DDTs in human breast milk, we collected breast milk samples from 2007 to 2009 in China (Beijing), Korea (Seoul, Busan) and Japan (Sendai, Takarazuka and Takayama). Using these breast milk samples, we quantified the concentrations of dichlorobenzophenone, a pyrolysis product of dicofol (simply referred to as dicofol hereafter), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) using GC-MS. Overall, 12 of 14 pooled breast milk samples from 210 mothers contained detectable levels of dicofol (>0.1 ng g⁻¹ lipid). The geometric mean concentration of dicofol in the Japanese breast milk samples was 0.3 ng g⁻¹ lipid and significantly lower than that in Chinese (9.6 ng g⁻¹ lipid) or Korean breast milk samples (1.9 ng g⁻¹ lipid) (p < 0.05 for each). Furthermore, the ΣDDT levels in breast milk from China were 10-fold higher than those from Korea and Japan. The present results strongly suggest the presence of extensive emission sources of both dicofol and DDTs in China. However, exposure to dicofol cannot explain the large exposure of Chinese mothers to DDTs because of the trace levels of dicofol in the ΣDDTs. In the present study, dicofol was confirmed to be detectable in human breast milk. This is the first report to identify dicofol in human samples.     

Rank-related partner choice in the fission–fusion society of the spotted hyena (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocuta crocuta</Emphasis>)

When social partners vary in their relative value, individuals should theoretically initiate partnerships with conspecifics of the highest value. Here, we tested this prediction in a wild population of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Crocuta live in complex, fission–fusion societies structured by dominance hierarchies in which individuals vary greatly in their value as social companions. Because patterns of association among Crocuta reflect social preferences, we calculated association indices (AIs) to examine how social rank influences intrasexual partner choice among unrelated adults of both sexes. The highest-ranking individuals were generally most gregarious in both sexes. Females associated most often with dominant and adjacent-ranking females. Females joined subgroups based on the presence of particular conspecifics such that subordinates joined focal females at higher rates than did dominants. Dominants benefit from associations with subordinates by enjoying priority of access to resources obtained and defended by multiple group members, but the benefits of these associations to subordinates are unknown. To investigate this, we tested three hypotheses suggesting how subordinates might benefit from rank-related partner choice among unrelated females. We found that subordinates who initiated group formation benefited by gaining social and feeding tolerance from dominants. However, rates at which dominants provided coalitionary support to subordinates did not vary with AIs. Overall, our data resemble those documenting patterns of association among cercopithecine primates. We consider our results in light of optimal reproductive skew theory, Seyfarth’s rank attractiveness model, and biological market theory. Our data are more consistent with the predictions of Seyfarth’s model and of biological market theory than with those of skew theory.     

纳氏试剂光度法测定水体中氨氮常见问题与解决办法

针对在实际工作中用纳氏试剂光度法测定水体中氨氮存在的一些问题,在参考相关研究资料的基础上,并根据工作经验,对纳氏试剂光度法测定水体中氨氮常见问题进行了探讨与总结,以期更好的指导实际工作。     

石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区多媒体演示系统的研究

本文利用计算机多媒体技术 ,研制出石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区多媒体演示系统。该系统以 WINDOWS98窗口环境为平台 ,融图、文、声、像、数据库、动画等多种媒体于一体 ,将先进的图像处理技术、声音处理技术、文字处理技术、视频处理技术、以及三维动画技术集成到计算机中 ,可使原本单调的静态材料变成有声有色的动态画面 ,全方位展示该保护区的历史、现状与未来