Incorporating effectiveness of community-based management in a national marine gap analysis for Fiji

Every action in a conservation plan has a different level of effect and consequently contributes differentially to conservation. We examined how several community-based, marine, management actions differed in their contribution to national-level conservation goals in Fiji. We held a workshop with experts on local fauna and flora and local marine management actions to translate conservation goals developed by the national government into ecosystem-specific quantitative objectives and to estimate the relative effectiveness of Fiji's community-based management actions in achieving these objectives. The national conservation objectives were to effectively manage 30% of the nation's fringing reefs, nonfringing reefs, mangroves, and intertidal ecosystems (30% objective) and 10% of other benthic ecosystems (10% objective). The experts evaluated the contribution of the various management actions toward national objectives. Scores ranged from 0 (ineffective) to 1 (maximum effectiveness) and included the following management actions: permanent closures (i.e., all extractive use of resources prohibited indefinitely) (score of 1); conditional closures harvested once per year or less as dictated by a management plan (0.50-0.95); conditional closures harvested without predetermined frequency or duration (0.10-0.85); other management actions, such as regulations on gear and species harvested (0.15-0.50). Through 3 gap analyses, we assessed whether the conservation objectives in Fiji had been achieved. Each analysis was based on a different assumption: (1) all parts of locally managed marine areas (including closures and other management) conserve species and ecosystems effectively; (2) closures conserve species and ecosystems, whereas areas outside closures, open to varying levels of resource extraction, do not; and (3) actions that allow different levels of resource extraction vary in their ability to conserve species and ecosystems. Under assumption 1, Fiji's national conservation objectives were exceeded in all marine ecosystems; under assumption 2, none of Fiji's conservation objectives were met; and under assumption 3, on the basis of the scores assigned by experts, Fiji achieved the 10% but not the 30% objectives for ecosystems. Understanding the relative contribution of management actions to achieving conservation objectives is critical in the assessment of conservation achievements at the national level, where multiple management actions will be needed to achieve national conservation objectives.     

利用环境一号卫星热红外通道反演太湖流域地表温度的3种方法比较

利用太湖流域2010年3月26日过境的1景环境一号卫星热红外数据(轨道号为451/77),根据同步modis数据反演大气水汽含量参数,分别利用覃志豪单窗算法、普适性单通道算法、基于影像的Artis反演算法反演太湖流域地表温度,通过与同期的MOD11_L2级modis温度产品进行对比分析,探寻适合于环境卫星热红外通道反演地表温度的方法,以达到对环境一号卫星热红外数据定量化应用示范的目的。结果表明,相比其他算法,普适性单通道算法精度较高,与modis温度产品温差较小,为+1.23 K,而环境一号卫星过境时间与modis温度产品时差为39 min,因此该方法的反演精度可以接受。     

Decolorization of oxygen-delignified bleaching effluent and biobleaching of oxygen-delignified kraft pulp by non-white-rot fungus Geotrichum candidum Dec 1

Decolorization of oxygen-delignified bleaching effluent (abbreviated as OBE) and biobleaching of oxygen-delignified kraft pulp (OKP) were conducted using a non-white rot fungus Geotrichum candidum Dec 1 (abbreviated as Dec 1) which has ability to decolorize various synthetic dyes and molasses. Dec 1 decolorized up to 77% of OBE for 6 days. In addition, Dec 1 increased the brightness of OKP from 47.8% to 51.2% and decreased the kappa value of OKP from 12.4 to 10.4 points during a 6-day incubation period at a 25% of pulpconcentration. At 2% pulp-concentration, the brightness of OKP increased by 13% and the kappa value of OKP decreased by 4 points only for a 3-day incubation period. When the decolorized OBE was used for bleaching of OKP, the brightness of OKP increased to 62.7% under the shaking culture to a 2% pulp-concentration using culture fluid of decolorized OBE. It was revealed that Dec 1 is a potential to apply for decolorization of wastewater and biobleaching of pulp in paper-mills.     

Prenatal diagnosis in a family with X-linked hydrocephalus

The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Its expression is essential during embryonic development of the nervous system and it is involved in cognitive function and memory. Mutations in the L1CAM gene are responsible for four related L1 disorders; X-linked hydrocephalus/HSAS (H ydrocephalus as a result of S tenosis of the A queduct of S ylvius), MASA (M ental retardation, A phasia, S huffling gait, and A dducted thumbs) syndrome, X-linked complicated spastic paraplegia type I (SPG1) and X-linked A genesis of the C orpus C allosum (ACC). These four disorders represent a clinical spectrum that varies both between and within families. The main clinical features of this spectrum are C orpus callosum hypoplasia, mental R etardation, A dducted thumbs, S pastic paraplegia and H ydrocephalus (CRASH syndrome). Since there is no biochemically assayed disease marker, molecular analysis of the L1CAM gene is the only means of confirming a clinical diagnosis. Most L1CAM mutations reported to date are point mutations (missense, nonsense, splice site) and only a few patients with larger rearrangements have been documented. We have characterised a rare intragenic deletion of the L1CAM gene in a sample of DNA extracted from a chorionic villus biopsy (CVB) performed at 12 weeks' gestation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高效异养硝化-好氧反硝化菌Glutamicibacter sp.WS1低温下对多种氮源的脱氮特性及氮代谢机制

针对污水处理厂冬季生物脱氮效率低、出水水质不达标的问题,从活性污泥中分离出1株耐低温异养硝化-好氧反硝化菌株Glutamicibacter sp.WS1.采用PCR技术扩增该菌株的脱氮功能基因,研究其对不同氮源的低温脱氮效能,通过单因素实验探究环境因子对其低温好氧反硝化性能的影响,并利用氮平衡解析其氮代谢路径.结果表明,菌株WS1含有氮代谢相关的功能基因amoA、napA、nirS和nirK;在15℃低温条件下,菌株WS1在以NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N、NO₂^--N+NO₃^--N和NH₄⁺-N+NO₃^--N为氮源时,对各无机氮的去除率分别为100%、98.10%、99.87%+100%和100%+94.92%;菌株WS1的最佳反硝化条件：柠檬酸钠为碳源、C/N为16、pH为8、ρ（DO）为4.5~6.8 mg ·L^-1和温度为30℃;在低温（15℃）和低C/N （10）条件下,菌株WS1对NO₃^--N的去除率达到92.50%;异养硝化-好氧反硝化/好氧反硝化和同化作用是菌株WS1去除不同氮源底物的主要途径,其中大部分的无机氮（47%~56%）通过异养硝化-好氧反硝化/好氧反硝化作用转化为了气态氮.菌株WS1在低温污水脱氮领域具有广阔的应用前景.