Alternative function fulfilment: incorporating environmental considerations into increased design space

The focal point of this paper is the relatively unknown concept of alternative function fulfilment (AFF), which is a design strategy that can be used to generate new ways of fulfilling a certain function and is referred to in the context of ecodesign. It can be considered an attractive environmental innovation strategy, provided that the increased design space is used to create more sustainable products and services.This paper explores the AFF concept and discusses the implications of adopting this concept. It thus focuses on how design and business processes may need to change to allow the radical shift towards AFF, in order to facilitate the envisaged significant environmental improvements.     

玉米赤霉烯酮暴露对秀丽线虫生殖系统的损伤作用

环境雌激素玉米赤霉烯酮(ZEN)的生态安全性近年来受到越来越多的关注。以秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabdites elegans)为模式生物研究ZEN对线虫的生殖损伤作用。在DIC显微镜下观察,48 h暴露后与对照组相比,暴露组线虫性腺臂明显萎缩,卵母细胞数目和大小均受到显著影响(P0.01),并且可见部分暴露组线虫产卵器严重畸形。这均表明ZEN暴露对秀丽隐杆线虫生殖系统的发育和功能可产生损害作用。     

基于广义收益—成本分析的农村面源污染治理策略

应用污染排放系数法、技术经济评价方法,统筹考虑农村面源污染治理的环境效益与经济收益、技术成本与交易费用,构建面向一般区域的农村面源污染治理策略的分析框架与方法.研究表明,2011年宜兴市农村面源污染排放总氮2880.94t,总磷501.19t,水环境经济损失为3.38亿元.耕地测土配方施肥、规模化养殖沼气工程、分散养殖沼气工程和农村生活污水净化工程的净现值率分别为55.00、2.54、0.52、-0.15.综合考虑技术可行性、交易费用和政府管理支撑能力,近期应优先治理规模化养殖和种植业面源污染,分散养殖和农村生活污水污染可作为远期治理重点.     

Maximising the net social benefit of the construction of post‐disaster alternative housing projects

The widespread destruction that follows large‐scale natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, challenges the efficacy of traditional temporary housing methods in providing adequate solutions to housing needs. Recognising these housing challenges, the Congress of the United States allocated, in 2006, USD 400 million to the Department of Homeland Security to support Alternative Housing Pilot Programs, which are intended to explore the possibilities of providing permanent and affordable housing to displaced families instead of traditional temporary housing. This paper presents a new methodology and optimisation model to identify the optimal configurations of post‐shelter housing arrangements to maximise the overall net socioeconomic benefit. The model is capable of quantifying and optimising the impacts of substituting temporary housing with alternative housing on the social and economic welfare of displaced families as well as the required additional costs of doing so. An application example is presented to illustrate the use of the model and its capabilities.     

Review: Windows of exposure to pesticides for increased risk of childhood leukemia

Leukemia is the leading cause of cancer resulting in mortality of children, and there is some evidence suggesting the increased incidence rate increasing during the recent decades. Limited human evidence indicates an increased risk of developing leukemia in childhood as a result of pesticide exposure, with possible significance of exposure occurring during the developmental periods including preconception, pregnancy, and childhood. This review examines the results of relevant literature on the timing of pesticide exposure and leukemia diagnosed in childhood. Results suggest that the risk from pesticide exposure seems to be greater during pregnancy. Other findings indicate that maternal occupational exposure may be more of a greater concern than the paternal occupational exposure; and that the residential indoor use of pesticides tends to result in higher risk estimates than the residential outdoor use. Only limited data are available on particular pesticides, genetic factors, critical windows of exposure during development, and their association with different histological types of leukemia.     

Amelioration of fluoride toxicity by vitamins and calcium on reproductive organs of female rat

Normal female rats of Wistar strain (Rattus norvegicus) weighing between 150–200 g were treated with fluoride (Fl) contaminated drinking water (FW, 5.8 ppm), vitamin C (6 mg) and vitamin C (6 mg) + D (6 mg once a week) + calcium (6 mg) for 30 days. Fl water treatment to rats produced reduction in weights of ovaries, uterus, vagina, kidneys, and adrenal glands, circulating levels of estrogen, number of litters, fertility rate, and altered tissue and serum biochemistry compared to control rats. However, cholesterol concentrations of ovaries and adrenals increased significantly. The above altered parameters were restored partially/completely after exogenous feeding with vitamin C and vitamins (C + D) and calcium. The data suggest that Fl-induced adverse effects on reproductive and other organs in female rats, whereas vitamin C, vitamin D and calcium treatment ameliorated Fl toxicity. Therefore, vitamins (C and D) and calcium play an important role in prophylactic treatment of fluorosis.     

泥鳅在污染物毒性评价中的应用研究

泥鳅营底栖生活,生存能力强,易于饲养,便于采集和处理,有作为模式生物的潜力。受到污染物胁迫时,泥鳅在分子、细胞、组织、器官和个体水平上会发生明显的变化,其存活、生长和繁殖从而受到影响。泥鳅的这些特性可以被用来进行污染物毒性评价。从急性毒性、蓄积毒性、生殖力毒性、遗传毒性等方面,综述和分析了泥鳅在污染物毒性评价中的应用研究进展,并对未来研究重点进行了展望。     

外来入侵植物美洲商陆的繁殖生物学特性及其与入侵性的关系

美洲商陆（Phytolacca americana）是一种我国广泛分布的商陆科入侵植物。通过实验观察和人工控制套袋等方法,对其开花动态、花部综合特征、繁育系统和种子萌发率等与繁殖相关的特性进行了研究,探讨了这些繁殖特性与入侵性的关系。结果表明,美洲商陆每年6—8月开花,单花序的花期为6~7 d,单花的花期为2~4 d。其花直径、雄蕊长、花柱长、柱头直径分别为(6.43±0.15)、(2.83±0.10)、(0.92±0.06)和(1.02±0.08) mm。套袋实验表明,美洲商陆自交亲和,自交结实率较高,为(93.33±1.92)%,而其同样存在异交结实现象,开花前去雄,不套袋,自然条件下其结实率为(42.22±2.22)%,其 P/O 值为372.37±31.24,杂交指数为3。综合套袋实验、P/O 值及杂交指数,表明其繁育系统为兼性自交,有时需要传粉者。主要访花昆虫为蜜蜂科（Apidae）、胡蜂科（Vespidae）、麻蝇科（Sarcophagidae）和食蚜蝇科（Syrphidae）昆虫。种子千粒质量为6.43 g,室内萌发率相对较低,但出苗整齐,寿命长。交配机制灵活、结实量大、种子寿命长、具有克隆繁殖等特性增强了美洲商陆的入侵性,是其入侵成功的重要因素。     

吉林省生物入侵的现状及对策

通过对吉林省通化地区野外实地调查及全省有关外来物种的文献资料分析,依据7种危害性较强的外来入侵种(稻水象甲、日本松干蚧、栗山天牛、菜豆象、美洲斑潜蝇、松针红斑病菌、三裂叶豚草)的生物生态学特性及其被入侵地的特征,总结了吉林省生物入侵的现状.包括:入侵种传播速度快,传播途径以无意引入为主;被人侵地多为人工生物群落,并且聚集在生物多样性较丰富的东部地区;其危害性造成的直接经济损失严重.针对这些现状,提出了相应的防治对策,即要有效防预、有效控制、有效恢复、加紧研究、加强合作、加大宣传,力争最大限度地降低生物入侵给吉林省带来的损失.     

水源水中有机提取物生殖毒性评价和敏感检测指标的筛选（Reproductive Toxicity of Drinking Source Water and Selection of Sensitive Bioassays）

以原代培养的大鼠睾丸细胞为体外毒性试验靶细胞,采用支持细胞、生精细胞、间质细胞的形态、细胞活力、胞外乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)活力、细胞早期凋亡坏死率和间质细胞睾酮分泌量5种检测指标评价了X市和L市水源水中有机提取物的生殖毒性,并筛选了对痕量有机污染物敏感的生殖毒性指标.研究结果表明,两市水源水中有机提取物皆可引起支持细胞、间质细胞和生精细胞形态的变化,相比较而言,对生精细胞的影响更严重.X市水源水有机提取物对3种生殖细胞胞外LDH活力没有显著影响(p>0.05);而在L市水源水中有机提取物的暴露下,支持细胞和间质细胞胞外LDH活力显著增强(p<0.01).X市水源水中有机提取物可使间质细胞睾酮分泌量显著减少(p<0.01);而L市水源水有机提取物对间质细胞睾酮分泌量无明显影响(p>0.05).两市水源水有机提取物均能不同程度地诱发大鼠睾丸细胞损伤,生精细胞对环境毒物是比较敏感的细胞,细胞形态、活力、LDH活力、凋亡坏死率、睾酮分泌量等生殖毒理学检测指标可用于饮用水源地水质的评价.