Genetic toxicology of metal compounds: An examination of appropriate cellular models †

Bacterial systems have not had success predicting metal carcinogenicity. Hypotheses explaining this failure are examined. Using a broad genetic endpoint, λ prophage induction, under sub‐toxic growing conditions, genotoxicity is seen for compounds of chromium, manganese, lead, molybdenum and tungsten. Copper, manganese, arsenic and molybdenum compounds enhanced UV mutagenesis in E. coli WP2.

The toxicity of metal compounds to cultured mammalian cells correlates well with rat oral LD₅₀ values. Whereas insolubility can present problems in bacterial studies, concentrations of metal compounds toxic to mammalian cells can be determined even in the presence of precipitate, and sometimes [Pb(NO₃)₂, BaCl₂ and BeCl₂] occurs only in its presence. PbS and MnS, which are insoluble, are much more toxic than the more soluble compounds Pb(NO₃)₂ and MnCl₂. These results demonstrate the importance of cellular phagocytosis of insoluble metal compounds as a factor in studying the toxicity and genotoxicity of metal compounds.     

Sustainable tourism for remote atolls in the Pacific

SUMMARY

Coral atolls, as visitor destinations, have received little attention in the literature of tourism on mid-oceanic islands. However, the current trend of nature-based tourism, which involves travelling to relatively remote and undisturbed places, makes the atolls a desirable destination. This paper explores ways of how appropriate tourism can be introduced to atoll society within the context of traditional resource uses and the application of intermediate technologies. With the acceptance of a code of ethics for tourist behaviour and technologies aimed at reducing dependency of foreign imports, atoll tourism could become a viable economic alternative to the continued over-exploitation of marine resources.     

Rehabilitation of degraded community lands for sustainable development in Himalaya: a case study in Garhwal Himalaya,India

SUMMARY

An approach to the rehabilitation of degraded community lands built on people's perceptions and traditional knowledge was developed, implemented on a small scale (6 ha plot), and evaluated in terms of economic and ecological costs and benefits over a period of 5 years in a mid-altitude (1200 m) village of Garhwal Himalaya. Rehabilitation comprised establishment of water harvesting tanks, organic management of soil, agroforestry (native multipurpose trees t traditional crops), and decision making by the whole village community. Costs and benefits under irrigated and unirrigated conditions were compared. The total cost of establishing the irrigated agroforestry system was 1.23 fold that of the unirrigated one, whereas the total benefit was 2.09 fold. The average standing above-ground biomass of the 4-year-old plantation in the irrigated agroforestry system was 11.69 t/ha compared to 8.34 t/ha in the unirrigated system. Improvement in soil properties was more pronounced in the irrigated system than in the unirrigated one. Nutrient input, an input derived largely from forest biomass, in the unirrigated system was nearly 3 times higher than that in the irrigated system. It is concluded that, considering the local and national/regional/global interests in an integrated manner, agroforestry incorporating water management would be a more effective option for rehabilitating degraded community lands than the afforestation currently being attempted by the government in the mid-altitudes of Indian Himalaya.     

Oxidative and genotoxic effects of bisphenol A on primary gill cell culture of Lake Van Fish (Alburnus tarichi Güldenstädt, 1814)

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey. The lake limits lifespan due to its high pH and brackish water. For this reason, only a single species of fish (Van Fish) is living in the lake that has been adapted to these conditions. In the present study, we investigated the total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), malondialdehyde (MDA) level and DNA damage effect of bisphenol A (BPA) (10^?7, 10^?6 and 10^?5?M) on primary gill cell culture of Van Fish for 24 and 48?h of incubation periods. TAS levels were not changed when compared to those of the control group, but TOS levels were decreased in both 24 and 48?h. The MDA level increased only at the highest concentration (10^?5) at the end of 12 and 24?h (p?.05). DNA damage increased only at the 10^?5?M concentration after 48?h. At the end of the experiment, BPA exposure caused lipid peroxidation and genotoxic effect. These results indicate that high levels of BPA exposure induced oxidative stress and DNA damage by time- and concentration-dependent fashion in the gill cell culture of Van Fish. Gill cell culture is a useful model for the rapid identification of the harmful effects of chemicals in the aquatic environment.     

The role of Confucianism in South Korea's emergency management system

Numerous Western researchers have examined the influence of Confucianism on development in Asia, but almost no South Korean researchers have studied the topic in regard to emergency management in their own country. This study begins by considering Confucianism as a social culture. Next, it goes on to evaluate its role in South Korea's emergency management system, contributing, ultimately, to efficiencies in emergency management. Drawing on a literature review and a case study, the paper assesses the double‐ and single‐faced approaches, using four major Confucian components: destiny; family; ritual; and relation. The double‐faced approach includes the positive and negative aspects of emergency management, whereas the single‐faced approach incorporates only its positive aspects. This paper provides, for the first time, a systematic analysis of the relationship between Confucianism and emergency management in South Korea. Its key finding is that the double‐faced approach needs to be transformed into a single‐faced approach through active facilitation of behavioural change.     

高校安全文化建设现状及对策研究——以L大学为例

为了改善L大学安全状况,提高L大学安全文化建设水平,采用文献对比分析法研究高校安全文化定义及其理论实质,从狭义的角度提出高校安全文化是高校管理的一系列安全理念,具体化为32条高校安全文化核心元素。以L大学为研究样本,定性分析其安全文化建设内容;编制高校安全文化定量测量量表,对其安全文化建设水平进行定量测量。评价结果表明L大学安全文化建设存在缺欠,提出了实用性对策措施和建议。     

论政府安全文化的若干基本问题

为明晰政府安全文化的基本理论问题,进而确立政府安全文化研究与实践的基本理论框架,根据组织安全文化与政府文化的定义,提出政府安全文化的定义,并依次从政府安全文化的主体、载体、主要内容与直接目的等9方面出发,详细探讨政府安全文化的重要内涵。在此基础上,深入解析政府安全文化的建设思路与路径。结果表明:政府安全文化建设是推进政府安全监督管理体制机制改革和提升政府安全监督管理水平的一条重要思路和措施,政府安全文化的建设思路与路径主要包括4方面内容,即建设内容、建设方向、核心理念与建设途径。     

不同类型生态浮床对富营养河水脱氮效果及微生物菌群的影响

通过设施大棚内容积为1.5 m3的人工模拟池试验,研究了框式与传统旱伞草浮床对富营养河水氮素转化及微生物菌群的影响. 传统浮床是以聚乙烯泡沫板为载体,栽植陆生植物来削减水体氮磷和有机物质等,从而达到净化水质的效果. 框式浮床是以塑料镂空支架为载体,除种植陆生植物外还添加填料等组件的新型浮床. 结果表明:①2种浮床对水体中TN,NH₄+-N和NO₃--N均有显著的去除效果,其中框式浮床和传统浮床的NH₄+-N去除率分别高达91%和86%,TN去除率也分别达到74%和64%,NO₃--N去除率分别为49%和31%. ②2种浮床系统有效地提高了水体中微生物和氮循环细菌总数和种群数量,尤其是框式浮床不同时期均比空白对照高出2～3个数量级. ③氮循环细菌的数量跟水体氮素去除有显著相关性. 其中水体ρ(NH₄+-N)和氨化菌数量呈显著正相关,ρ(NH₄+-N)和硝化菌数量呈极显著负相关,ρ(NO₃--N),ρ(TN)和反硝化菌数量之间呈极显著负相关. ④框式浮床的独特结构使之比传统浮床的去氮能力更强. 其中,填料系统吸附贡献率为8%,植物吸收的去氮贡献为16.5%,微生物系统脱氮则为75.5%;而传统浮床植物系统吸收贡献率为31.8%,微生物系统脱氮贡献率为68.2%. 说明浮床系统中植物吸收只是系统去氮的一种途径,微生物脱氮在2种浮床脱氮途径中占主导作用.      

Evaluating Rapid Participatory Rural Appraisal as an Assessment of Ethnoecological Knowledge and Local Biodiversity Patterns

Abstract:  There is a pressing need to find both locally and globally relevant tools to measure and compare biodiversity patterns. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is important to biodiversity monitoring, but has a contested role in preliminary biodiversity assessments. We examined rapid participatory rural appraisal (rPRA) (a tool commonly used for local needs assessments) as an alternative to surveys of vascular plants conducted by people with local knowledge. We used rPRA to determine the local-knowledge consensus on the average richness, diversity, and height of local grasses and trees in three habitats surrounding Boumba, Niger, bordering Park-W. We then conducted our own vascular plant surveys to collect information on plant richness, abundance, and structure. Using a qualitative ranking, we compared TEK-based assessments of diversity patterns with our survey-based assessments. The TEK-based assessments matched survey-based assessments on measures of height and density for grasses and trees and tree richness. The two assessments correlated poorly on herb richness and Simpson's D value for both trees and grasses. Plant life form and gender of the participant affected the way diversity patterns were described, which highlights the usefulness of TEK in explaining local realities and indicates limitations of using TEK as a large-scale assessment tool. Our results demonstrate that rPRA can serve to combine local-knowledge inquiry with scientific study at a cost lower than vascular plant surveys and demonstrates a useful blunt tool for preliminary biodiversity assessment.     

The determinants of employee participation in occupational health and safety management

This article focuses on employee direct participation in occupational health and safety (OHS) management. The article explains what determines employee opportunities to participate in OHS management. The explanatory framework focuses on safety culture and safety management at workplaces. The framework is empirically tested using Estonian cross-sectional, multilevel data of organizations and their employees. The analysis indicates that differences in employee participation in OHS management in the Estonian case could be explained by differences in OHS management practices rather than differences in safety culture. This indicates that throughout the institutional change and shift to the European model of employment relations system, change in management practices has preceded changes in safety culture which according to theoretical argument is supposed to follow culture change.