Population Consequences of Environmental Sex Reversal

Abstract:  When sex determination in a species is predominantly genetic but environmentally reversible, exposure to (anthropogenic) changes in the environment can lead to shifts in a population's sex ratio. Such scenarios may be common in many fishes and amphibians, yet their ramifications remain largely unexplored. We used a simple model to study the (short-term) population consequences of environmental sex reversal (ESR). We examined the effects on sex ratios, sex chromosome frequencies, and population growth and persistence after exposure to environmental forces with feminizing or masculinizing tendencies. When environmental feminization was strong, X chromosomes were driven to extinction. Analogously, extinction of normally male-linked genetic factors (e.g., Y chromosomes) was caused by continuous environmental masculinization. Although moderate feminization was beneficial for population growth in the absence of large viability effects, our results suggest that the consequences of ESR are generally negative in terms of population size and the persistence of sex chromosomes. Extreme sex ratios resulting from high rates of ESR also reduced effective population sizes considerably. This may limit any evolutionary response to the deleterious effects of ESR. Our findings suggest that ESR changes population growth and sex ratios in some counter-intuitive ways and can change the predominant factor in sex determination from genetic to fully environmental, often within only a few tens of generations. Populations that lose genetic sex determination may quickly go extinct if the environmental forces that cause sex reversal cease.     

环境样品中汞形态分析技术的进展

汞的毒性、环境行为、生物有效性不仅跟其浓度有关,还决定于其化学形态,因此汞的形态分析在环境科学中具有重要意义。样品前处理几乎是汞形态分析研究中不可或缺的步骤,而色谱和光谱/质谱联用技术是目前普遍采用的分离检测方法。文章对近十年来这些方面的研究进展进行了综述,主要包括样品的前处理方法如酸/碱溶剂萃取、微波辅助萃取、固相萃取、固相微萃取、单滴微萃取、分散液液微萃取等,以及色谱（液相色谱、气相色谱）和毛细管电泳与光谱/质谱（紫外可见光谱、原子吸收光谱、原子荧光光谱、等离子体质谱等）的联用技术在汞化合物形态分析中的应用情况。最后提出今后应重点研究建立高效、简便的前处理方法,发展高分离度、高灵敏度、高速度的分离检测联用技术,以便更好地对汞的形态进行分析监测。     

污水再生用于湖泊的补水模式及其环境效应

提出一种污水分散处理与景观水体修复相结合的城市景观湖泊补水模式,探讨了该模式的经济效益和环境效应.结果表明,采用该补水模式,污水回用成本为常规补水工艺的12%～35%.在高温雨季,分散处理系统出水能够直接满足景观湖泊补水要求;而在低温旱季,沿景观湖泊水流方向,湖泊水质迅速从V类变为III类,污染物集中在分散处理系统以及景观湖泊前端(HRT<2d)去除,大部分湖区可作为全身接触性娱乐类景观功能区.     

热应力对混凝土结构的影响及其处理方法

对广钢轧钢厂厂房环境及结构不同区段、不同部位的温度情况,对结构损坏现状及混凝土的强度和碳化情况进行了检测鉴定,并对其缺陷进行了分析,提出了加固处理方法.     

固定污染源废气中磷酸雾测定方法研究

目前,对固定污染源废气中磷酸雾的检测并无统一的方法,相关含磷污染物的控制指标主要是磷化氢、单质磷以及五氧化二磷。在调研国内外分析方法及相关文献的基础上,通过对几种典型含磷污染源的实样测试,提出了固定污染源废气中磷酸雾的检测方法。结果表明,使用石英滤筒捕集固定污染源废气中的磷酸雾,采样效率可达98%以上。捕集到的总磷酸雾不仅包含磷酸,还包含磷酸盐以及含磷氧化物等,是一项综合指标。该指标能够反映含磷污染物的排放特征,可为未来此类污染物的排放控制提供依据。     

石化废水挥发性有机物逸散量的估算方法

总结了实测法、物料衡算法、模型法、排放系数法、工程估算法等国内外石化废水挥发性有机物(VOCs)逸散量估算方法的主要特点及适用范围。应用排放系数法和实测法估算国内某石化厂废水收集处理系统VOCs逸散量为354.26 t/a。根据估算方法的实际应用研究,建议物料衡算法中废水油相VOCs逸散可结合油相敞口面积和油相性质,提供废水油相的排放系数;应用Water 9软件估算含油膜废水设施逸散量时,应单独估算油膜VOCs逸散量;建议排放系数法中废水收集系统排水口、检查井未密闭VOCs排放系数均确定为0.032 kg/h(每个逸散源),废水处理系统油水分离器、气浮装置按进水中石油类浓度的大小,分别提供VOCs排放系数。     

In Flanders Fields: De/politicization and Democratic Debate on a GM Potato Field Trial Controversy in News Media

In May 2011, a highly mediatized direct action in the form of a “field liberation” took place in Flanders, Belgium, against a field trial of genetically modified potatoes. This direct action and its aftermath revealed the conflictual and antagonistic nature of the genetically modified organisms debate in Flanders. Consequently, it serves as a particularly suitable case to investigate the post-political thesis with regard to environmental discourse and politics. The aim of this paper is to investigate in what ways news media in their reporting contribute to processes of depoliticization and, resultantly, impede a democratic debate on the issues at stake. This paper attempts to provide an answer to this question based on a critical discourse analysis of the reporting by Flanders’ two generalist, elite newspapers, De Standaard and De Morgen and the alternative online news site DeWereldMorgen. The findings reveal the existence of three ideological cultures, which are characterized by different degrees of de/politicization. We conclude by discussing how this study adds to our understanding of the relation between the depoliticization of environmental discourse, democratic debate and twenty-first-century news media.     

Polarographic determination of the stability constant of the ternary complex formed between cocaine and cobalt thiocyanate

The interactions between cocaine -- Co(II) and thiocyanate (or dimethylglyoxime) have been studied by electrochemical means, assuming the existence of a ternary complex with the stoichiometry [(H₂O)₃Co(SCN)(C₁₇H₂₁NO₄)]⁺ and the absence of similar ternary species containing dimethylglyoxime. The formation constant of the complex has been evaluated by polarographic titrations because of the irreversibility of electrochemical processes. This relatively small value of 2.37 × 10⁵ is in agreement with the experimental conditions at which Scott's method is typically carried out to detect cocaine in solid samples by reaction with Co(II) thiocyanate.     

水中油的测定方法探讨

探讨了重量法，紫外光度法测定水中石油类的合适条件和动物油，植物油的干扰。按选定的操作方法测定，取得了满意结果。提供了一个处理石油醚的简单方法。     

腐朽坑木与煤混合物升温氧化特性研究

为研究煤层及腐朽坑木着火特性,采集巷道内腐朽坑木与煤样并进行混合,对其混合物进行燃点测定和程序升温实验;通过对不同煤木混合物在升温过程中产生气体的规律性进行分析,优选出混合物产生的单一气体指标及复合指标.研究结果表明:随朽木在混合物中的比例上升,混合物燃点呈下降趋势,且CO,C2 H4等指标气体出现更早,CO产生量更大...