The use of phosphomannose isomerase selection system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco and flax aimed for phytoremediation

A plant selection system based on the phosphomannose isomerase gene (pmi) as a selectable marker is often used to avoid selection using antibiotic resistance. Nevertheless, pmi gene is endogenous in several plant species and therefore difficult to use in such cases. Here we evaluated and compared Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Linum usitatissimum breeding line AGT-952 (without endogenous pmi gene) and Nicotiana tabacum var. WSC-38 (with endogenous pmi gene). Transformation was evaluated for vectors bearing transgenes that have the potential to be involved in improved phytoremediation of contaminated environment. Tobacco regenerants selection resulted in 6.8% transformation efficiency when using a medium supplemented with 30 g/L mannose with stepwise decrease of the sucrose concentration. Similar transformation efficiency (5.3%) was achieved in transformation of flax. Relatively low selection efficiency was achieved (12.5% and 34.8%, respectively). The final detection of efficient pmi selection was conducted using PCR and the non-endogenous genes; pmi transgene for flax and todC2 transgene for tobacco plants.     

Calibration Catchment Selection for Flood Regionalization Modeling1

Wan Jaafar, Wan Zurina, and Dawei Han, 2012. Calibration Catchment Selection for Flood Regionalization Modeling. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(4): 698‐706. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2012.00648.x Abstract: There are two unsolved problems in flood regionalization model development related to the quantity and quality of calibration catchments: (1) how many calibration catchments should be used? and (2) how to select the calibration catchments? This study explores these two questions through a case study on the median annual maximum flood (QMED) model in the United Kingdom. It has been found that the chance of developing a good QMED model decreases significantly when the number of calibration catchments drops below a critical number (e.g., 60 in the case study). However, no significant improvement is achieved if the number of calibration catchments is above it. This number could be used as a benchmark for choosing randomly selected calibration catchments. Across a broad range of calibration catchment numbers, there are good and poor calibrated models regardless of calibration catchment numbers. High quality models could be developed from a small number of calibration catchments and also poor models from a large number of calibration catchments. This indicates that the number of calibration catchments may not be the dominating factor for developing a high quality regionalization model. Instead, the information content could be more important. The study has demonstrated that the standard deviation values between the best and poorest groups are distinctive and could be used in choosing appropriate calibration catchments.     

Volatile organic compounds at swine facilities: A critical review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are regulated aerial pollutants that have environmental and health concerns. Swine operations produce and emit a complex mixture of VOCs with a wide range of molecular weights and a variety of physicochemical properties. Significant progress has been made in this area since the first experiment on VOCs at a swine facility in the early 1960s. A total of 47 research institutions in 15 North American, European, and Asian countries contributed to an increasing number of scientific publications. Nearly half of the research papers were published by U.S. institutions.Investigated major VOC sources included air inside swine barns, in headspaces of manure storages and composts, in open atmosphere above swine wastewater, and surrounding swine farms. They also included liquid swine manure and wastewater, and dusts inside and outside swine barns. Most of the sample analyses have been focusing on identification of VOC compounds and their relationship with odors. More than 500 VOCs have been identified. About 60% and 10% of the studies contributed to the quantification of VOC concentrations and emissions, respectively. The largest numbers of VOC compounds with reported concentrations in a single experimental study were 82 in air, 36 in manure, and 34 in dust samples.The relatively abundant VOC compounds that were quantified in at least two independent studies included acetic acid, butanoic acid (butyric acid), dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, iso-valeric, p-cresol, propionic acid, skatole, trimethyl amine, and valeric acid in air. They included acetic acid, p-cresol, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, indole, phenol, propionic acid, iso-valeric acid, and skatole in manure. In dust samples, they were acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, p-cresol, hexanal, and decanal. Swine facility VOCs were preferentially bound to smaller-size dusts.Identification and quantification of VOCs were restricted by using instruments based on gas Chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) with different detectors most of which require time-consuming procedures to obtain results. Various methodologies and technologies in sampling, sample preparation, and sample analysis have been used. Only four publications reported using GC based analyzers and PTR-MS (proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry) that allowed continuous VOC measurement. Because of this, the majority of experimental studies were only performed on limited numbers of air, manure, or dust samples. Many aerial VOCs had concentrations that were too low to be identified by the GC peaks.Although VOCs emitted from swine facilities have environmental concerns, only a few studies investigated VOC emission rates, which ranged from 3.0 to 176.5 mg d⁻¹ kg⁻¹ pig at swine finishing barns and from 2.3 to 45.2 g d⁻¹ m⁻² at manure storages. Similar to the other pollutants, spatial and temporal variations of aerial VOC concentrations and emissions existed and were significantly affected by manure management systems, barn structural designs, and ventilation rates.Scientific research in this area has been mainly driven by odor nuisance, instead of environment or health concerns. Compared with other aerial pollutants in animal agriculture, the current scientific knowledge about VOCs at swine facilities is still very limited and far from sufficient to develop reliable emission factors.     

Decision-making for sustainable location of a cement plant in the state of Florida

Site selection is a typical strategic decision for many industries that deals with specifying the most appropriate location for a facility. In the context of sustainable development, site selection decisions need to be improved by adopting environmental, economic and social requirements. This study aims to frame sustainable location decisions by conducting a case study of siting a new cement plant in the state of Florida. As a part of the study, a wide range of technical and sustainability criteria has developed. These criteria can help decision-makers in the cement industry evaluate the selection of a location with the requirements of sustainable development. The sustainability characteristics of alternative sites in the state of Florida are evaluated based on the criteria to identify the most appropriate ones. The analytical hierarchy processand geographic information system techniques are utilized to weight the criteria and evaluate the characteristics of site candidates.     

中国城市低碳发展的模式选择

低碳城市是当今世界城市发展的大趋势,国内外一些城市已经开始践行低碳理念并形成了各具特色的发展模式,较为成熟的可归纳为"哥本哈根模式"、"伦敦模式"、"伯明翰模式"、"东京模式""保定模式"、"上海模式"等。中国低碳城市的建设和发展目前正处于起步阶段,存在一定的盲目性。中国城市的多样性、差异性和复杂性决定了其低碳发展不能千篇一律的复制和模仿,而必须在工业化和城市化进程中探索适合自身的发展模式。本文将中国城市的类型和特征与其低碳发展模式的选择相结合,从人口规模、区位、资源禀赋及工业化阶段等角度对我国城市进行类型划分,并认为任何一类城市的低碳发展都必须依据自身特征选择适宜的发展模式。同时,对武汉市的案例研究表明,因地制宜的选择一条重化工集聚、中部特大型城市的综合低碳发展模式是武汉市实现低碳转型的必然选择。     

西部地区促进农民工就业的产业选择

金融危机后,西部地区存在大量返乡农民工和就地转移的农村富余劳动力,农民工亟待"就业"与企业亟待"用工"凸显西部地区劳动力市场矛盾和产业结构偏差。西部地区调整产业偏差,进行慎密的产业选择,成为必然。通过构建农民工产业供求模型,对农民工产业流向进行理论分析,表明在区域工业化初期向工业化中期的过渡期以及在工业化中期,重化工业和高端技术产业对资本和技术的偏好,限制了劳动力从农业向非农产业的转移;通过运用比较分析法,考察西部产业选择的宏观与微观条件,透析出西部的资源特点、产业发展现状、城镇化水平、非农产业收入状况、非农产业就业吸纳能力。在理论模型推导和现实社会经济状况分析基础上,提出了产业选择思路和选择结果,即西部地区应重点发展技术—劳动密集型制造业、技术—劳动密集型农产品加工业、技术—劳动密集型服务业、旅游和旅游服务业和公益事业。     

Basis of energy crop selection for biofuel production: Cellulose vs. lignin

This paper investigates the suitability of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.), fiber hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), energy sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), Amur silver-grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus), and energy grass cultivar (cv) Szarvasi-1 for biofuel production in Northern climatic conditions. Above ground biomass, bioethanol production yield, and methane production yield are used as indicators to assess the bio-energy potential of the culture. Results presented show that energy crops of Southern origin produce 30–70% less biomass than in the origin region. Nonetheless, both perennial and annual energy crops produce high above ground biomass yields (660–1280 g m^–2) for Northern climatic conditions. Experimental results show that bioethanol yield is dependent on cellulose content of the biomass. The higher the cellulose content, the higher the bioethanol yield. The biogas production on the other hand, depends on lignin content. The lower the lignin content the higher the biogas yield. Therefore, the selection of the energy crop for bioethanol production should be based on high cellulose content, while for biogas production it should rather be based on the low lignin content.     

Research on central village selection in western underdeveloped region: a case study of Lidian Town,Jingning County,Gansu Province,China

Central village selection is the priority of small town construction. Depending on the development potential analysis, classification analysis, and quantitative and qualitative analysis, this article systematically proposes the specific methods of central village selection and also constructs the indicator system used in central village selection in small towns of western underdeveloped region in China. The article also puts forward ideas and methods for selection of central village in the western underdeveloped region through an empirical research on Lidian Town, Jingning County, Gansu Province. In the final part, suggestions and recommendations on how to develop central village for Lidian Town are made.     

垃圾填埋场选址与风水选址浅析

通过对风水理论中关于选址要素的科学阐述,从自然环境和社会环境两个方面分析了风水选址和垃圾填埋场选址的共通与不同之处,并根据风水理论中“天人合一”的和谐理念,提出了在填埋场选址过程中,应该融入崇尚自然,尊重自然;结合实际,因地制宜;整体系统;以人为本,和谐构建等原则。     

Application of spatial multi-criteria analysis to site selection for a local park: a case study in the Bergamo Province, Italy

This contribution discusses a site selection process for establishing a local park. It was supported by a value-focused approach and spatial multi-criteria evaluation techniques. A first set of spatial criteria was used to design a number of potential sites. Next, a new set of spatial and non-spatial criteria was employed, including the social functions and the financial costs, together with the degree of suitability for the park to evaluate the potential sites and to recommend the most acceptable one. The whole process was facilitated by a new software tool that supports spatial multiple criteria evaluation, or SMCE. The application of this tool, combined with a continual feedback by the public administration, has provided an effective methodology to solve complex decisional problem in land-use and urban planning.