China's endemic vertebrates sheltering under the protective umbrella of the giant panda

The giant panda attracts disproportionate conservation resources. How well does this emphasis protect other endemic species? Detailed data on geographical ranges are not available for plants or invertebrates, so we restrict our analyses to 3 vertebrate taxa: birds, mammals, and amphibians. There are gaps in their protection, and we recommend practical actions to fill them. We identified patterns of species richness, then identified which species are endemic to China, and then which, like the panda, live in forests. After refining each species' range by its known elevational range and remaining forest habitats as determined from remote sensing, we identified the top 5% richest areas as the centers of endemism. Southern mountains, especially the eastern Hengduan Mountains, were centers for all 3 taxa. Over 96% of the panda habitat overlapped the endemic centers. Thus, investing in almost any panda habitat will benefit many other endemics. Existing panda national nature reserves cover all but one of the endemic species that overlap with the panda's distribution. Of particular interest are 14 mammal, 20 bird, and 82 amphibian species that are inadequately protected. Most of these species the International Union for Conservation of Nature currently deems threatened. But 7 mammal, 3 bird, and 20 amphibian species are currently nonthreatened, yet their geographical ranges are <20,000 km² after accounting for elevational restriction and remaining habitats. These species concentrate mainly in Sichuan, Yunnan, Nan Mountains, and Hainan. There is a high concentration in the east Daxiang and Xiaoxiang Mountains of Sichuan, where pandas are absent and where there are no national nature reserves. The others concentrate in Yunnan, Nan Mountains, and Hainan. Here, 10 prefectures might establish new protected areas or upgrade local nature reserves to national status.     

Definition of Planarian Mortality in an Acute Toxicity Test: A Case Study on Dugesia japonica Exposed to 1-Octyl-3-methylimidazolium Bromide

In order to define the mortality criteria of planarian objectively,a case study of Dugesia japonica exposed to 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide([C8mim]Br)was performed followed by a recovery culture.The results showed that defining planarian mortality in light of its body disintegration was appropriate.If the disintegrated tissue of a planarian was more than 1/4 of its body length,it would completely degenerate.However,a planarian would regenerate the lost tissue and return to normal after a few days’recovery culture if the disintegrated part was less than 1/4 of body length.Therefore,we propose to use body disintegration as the endpoint of planarian mortality,i.e.,1/4 body length degenerated is the critical threshold of mortality and survival of planarians when exposed to toxicants.This criterion could be adapted in the standardization of testing protocols and comparability of acute toxicity test or other toxicological research using planarian as the test animal.     

基于模糊综合评估理论的磁铁类玩具风险评估方法研究

磁铁类玩具存在缺陷将威胁到儿童的人身安全,甚至会造成窒息等严重伤害。在磁铁类玩具伤害案例分析的基础上,采用故障树及德尔菲法建立了窒息伤害和磁铁伤害两种伤害模式的风险评估指标体系,并利用G1法进行了指标权重计算。通过对磁铁类玩具伤害风险分析,构造了基于模糊综合评估方法的磁铁类玩具风险评估矩阵,最后通过实证分析,证明该模糊综合评估方法可应用于磁铁类玩具的风险评估。     

醋酸铅对大鼠胰岛瘤细胞INS-1自噬与凋亡的影响

为了研究环境中常见重金属污染物铅对大鼠胰岛瘤细胞INS-1自噬与凋亡的影响及其可能的分子机制,使用不同浓度醋酸铅暴露大鼠胰岛瘤细胞INS-1,利用磺酰罗丹明B(sulforhodamine B,SRB)法检测细胞存活率;Western blot法检测不同浓度醋酸铅对细胞中自噬与凋亡标志蛋白及哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(mammalian target of rapamycin,mTOR)信号通路标志分子表达的影响;利用活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)试剂盒检测细胞内ROS水平;用ROS清除剂N-乙酰-L-半胱氨酸(N-acetylcysteine,NAC)预处理细胞,检测醋酸铅引起的细胞自噬与凋亡是否受到影响。使用统计学软件SPSS 17.0对数据进行统计学分析后,与对照组相比,醋酸铅导致INS-1细胞的存活率下降(p0.05),且呈时间-剂量依赖性;随醋酸铅浓度增大,自噬和凋亡标志蛋白表达增加,mTOR信号途径标志分子没有明显变化;NAC预处理后醋酸铅引起的细胞自噬和凋亡减少。实验结果表明,醋酸铅可通过mTOR-非依赖途径诱导INS-1细胞的自噬与凋亡,其可能机制为刺激细胞内ROS的产生。     

An unforgettable event: a qualitative study of the 1997–98 El Niño in northern Peru

During the 1997–98 El Niño, Tumbes, Peru received 16 times the annual average rainfall. This study explores how Tumbes residents perceived the impact of the El Niño event on basic necessities, transport, health care, jobs and migration. Forty‐five individuals from five rural communities, some of which were isolated from the rest of Tumbes during the event, participated in five focus groups; six of these individuals constructed nutrition diaries. When asked about events in the past 20 years, participants identified the 1997–98 El Niño as a major negative event. The El Niño disaster situation induced a decrease in access to transport and health care and the rise in infectious diseases was swiftly contained. Residents needed more time to rebuild housing; recover agriculture, livestock and income stability; and return to eating sufficient animal protein. Although large‐scale assistance minimized effects of the disaster, residents needed more support. Residents' perspectives on their risk of flooding should be considered in generating effective assistance policies and programmes.     

Multistep conversion of cresols by phenol hydroxylase and 2,3-dihydroxy-biphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase

A mulfistep conversion system composed of phenol hydroxylase （PHrND） and 2,3-dihydroxy-biphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase （BphCLA_4） was used to synthesize methylcatechols and semialdehydes from o- and m-cresol for the first time. Docking studies displayed by PyMOL predicted that cresols and methylcatechols could be theoretically transformed by this multistep conversion system~ High performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS） analysis also indicated that the products formed from multistep conversion were the corresponding 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, 2- hydroxy-3-methyl-6-oxohexa-2,4-dienoic acid （2- hydroxy-3-methyl-ODA） and 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-6-oxo- hexa-2,4-dienoic acid （2-hydroxy-5-methyl-ODA）. The optimal cell concentrations of the recombinant E. coli strain BL21 （DE3） expressing phenol hydroxylase （PHrND） and 2,3-dihydroxy-biphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase （BphCLA_4） and pH for the multistep conversion of o- and m-cresol were 4.0 （g-L-1 cell dry weight） and pH 8.0, respectively. For the first step conversion, the formation rate of 3- methylcatechol （0.29μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1cell dry weight） from o-cresol was similarly with that ofmethylca- techols （0.28 μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1 cell dry weight） from m-cresol by strain PHrND. For the second step conversion, strain BphCLA_4 showed higher formation rate （0.83 μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1 cell dry weight） for 2-hydroxy-3-methyl- ODA and 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-ODA from m-cresol, which was 1.1-fold higher than that for 2-hydroxy-3-methyl- ODA （0.77 μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1. mglcell dry weight） from ocresol. The present study suggested the potential application of the multistep conversion system for the production of chemical synthons and high-value products.     

Speciation of particulate trace metals in sediments of Anarbe reservoir∗

Total concentration and chemical forms of heavy metals in samples of sediment from a drinking water reservoir have been analysed. The result of total metal contest shows Fe and Mn concentration increase along the reservoir, from 4.4% in Fe and 0.07% in Mn in the end part to 6.4% Fe and 0.22% Mn at the dam. However, a decrease in organic matter along the reservoir is observed. In order to test the accuracy of the digestion methods used, a standard reference material was also analysed.

Trace metal concentrations, with exception of Cadmium, Pb and Mn, found in fraction 5 are higher than those observed in the others extractions, Fe, Ni, Zn, Cr and Cu content in non‐residual fraction is found mainly in moderately reducible fraction, but the percentage of this fraction in each metal is very different.     

Metallothionein induction in mice by CCL4: Hepatic Zn‐status and distribution of administered Cd∗

Induction of metallothionein (MT), Zn status and the subcellular distribution of administered Cd were studied in liver after single administration of CC1₄ to mice. Hepatic MT was increased up to 153±16 μMT/g liver 18 h after injection of 2ml CCl₄/kg body weight. The observed decrease in Zn bound to cytosolic high molecular weight proteins from 25.5 ± 0.6 to 19.8±1.1 resp. 19.0 ± 1.7 μgZn/g and the increase in MT bound Zn from 4.0±0.5 to 9.5 ± 1.1 resp. 10.9±1.1 μgZn/g compensate each other.

Zn content of whole liver and hepatic cytosol remained unchanged. Hepatic subcellular distribution of 4 mg Cd/kg body weight, administered 2 h prior termination was also influenced by CC1₄. Cd bound to high molecular weight proteins decreased from 10.0±1.0 to 7.2±1.6 resp. 3.7 ± 2.6 μg Cd/g and Cd bound to MT increased from 12.5 ± 1.4 to 18.0 ± 3.8 resp. 23.1± 6.4 μgCd/g. Cd content of both, whole liver and cytosol was not significantly different from control. The induction of MT has been suggested to be beneficial due to its role in the sequestration of toxic metals. The depletion of Zn from cytosolic high molecular weight proteins however might adversively influence essential physiological processes.     

Relation between Occupancy and Abundance for a Territorial Species,the California Spotted Owl

Land and resource managers often use detection–nondetection surveys to monitor the populations of species that may be affected by factors such as habitat alteration, climate change, and biological invasions. Relative to mark‐recapture studies, using detection–nondetection surveys is more cost‐effective, and recent advances in statistical analyses allow the incorporation of detection probability, covariates, and multiple seasons. We examined the efficacy of using detection–nondetection data (relative to mark‐recapture data) for monitoring population trends of a territorial species, the California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis). We estimated and compared the finite annual rates of population change (λ_t) and the resulting realized population change (Δ_t) from both occupancy and mark‐recapture data collected over 18 years (1993–2010). We used multiseason, robust‐design occupancy models to estimate that territory occupancy declined during our study (Δ_t = 0.702, 95% CI 0.552–0.852) due to increasing territory extinction rates ( = 0.019 [SE 0.012]; = 0.134 [SE 0.043]) and decreasing colonization rates ( = 0.323 [SE 0.124]; = 0.242 [SE 0.058]). We used Pradel's temporal‐symmetry model for mark‐recapture data to estimate that the population trajectory closely matched the trends in territory occupancy (Δ_t = 0.725, 95% CI 0.445–1.004). Individual survival was constant during our study ( = 0.816 [SE 0.020]; = 0.815 [SE 0.019]), whereas recruitment declined slightly ( = 0.195 [SE 0.032]; = 0.160 [SE 0.023]). Thus, we concluded that detection–nondetection data can provide reliable inferences on population trends, especially when funds preclude more intensive mark‐recapture studies. Relación entre Ocupación y Abundancia en una Especie Territorial, el Búho Moteado de California     

数值分析技术在荔湾3-1项目安全施工方面的应用

海上油气田开发具有高风险、高投入、高技术的特点。基于我国第一艘深水铺管起重船“海洋石油201”的技术参数特点,研究了“海洋石油201”船在荔湾3-1项目中可能的应用范围及可行性。提出了对应的深水海管铺设工艺、PLEM&PLET安装方案,并采用专业计算分析软件对上述安装过程进行了计算模拟,计算结果表明本文所提出方法可以很好地实现海管和PLET以及PLEM的安全安装。