Cyclicity in the structure of female baboon social networks

There is an established and very influential view that primate societies have identifiable, persistent social organizations. It assumes that association patterns reflect long-term strategic interests that are not qualitatively perturbed by short-term environmental variability. We used data from two baboon troops in markedly different habitats over three consecutive seasons to test this assumption. Our results demonstrate pronounced cyclicity in the extent to which females maintained differentiated relationships. When food was plentiful, the companionships identified by social network analysis in the food-scarce season disappeared and were replaced by casual acquaintanceships more representative of mere gregariousness. Data from the fourth, food-scarce, season at one site indicated that few companions were re-united. It is likely that this reflected stochastic variation in individual circumstances. These results suggest that attention could profitably be paid to the effects of short-term local contingencies on social dynamics, and has implications for current theories of primate cognitive evolution. This contribution is part of the special issue “Social Networks: new perspectives” (Guest Editors: J. Krause, D. Lusseau and R. James).     

Potential for Advanced Technology to Improve Air Quality and Human Health in Shanghai

/ Air quality in most Asian cities is poor and getting worse. It will soon become impossible to sustain population, economic, and industrial growth without severe deterioration of the atmospheric environment. This paper addresses the city of Shanghai, the air-quality problems it faces over the next 30 years, and the potential of advanced technology to alleviate these problems. Population, energy consumption, and emission profiles are developed for the city at 0.1 degrees x 0.1 degrees resolution and extrapolated from 1990 to 2020 using sector-specific economic growth factors. Within the context of the RAINS-Asia model, eight technology scenarios are examined for their effects on ambient concentrations of sulfur dioxide and sulfate and their emission control costs. Without new control measures, it is projected that the number of people exposed to sulfur dioxide concentrations in excess of guidelines established by the World Health Organization will rise from 650,000 in 1990 to more than 14 million in 2020. It is apparent that efforts to reduce emissions are likely to have significant health benefits, measured in terms of the cost of reducing the number of people exposed to concentrations in excess of the guidelines ($10-50 annually per person protected). Focusing efforts on the control of new coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities has the greatest benefit. However, none of the scenarios examined is alone capable of arresting the increases in emissions, concentrations, and population exposure. It is concluded that combinations of stringent scenarios in several sectors will be necessary to stabilize the situation, at a potential cost of $500 million annually by the year 2020. KEY WORDS: Coal; China; Shanghai; Sulfur dioxide; Air quality; Health effects     

A review of personal care products in the aquatic environment: environmental concentrations and toxicity

Considerable research has been conducted examining occurrence and effects of human use pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment; however, relatively little research has been conducted examining personal care products although they are found more often and in higher concentrations than pharmaceuticals. Personal care products are continually released into the aquatic environment and are biologically active and persistent. This article examines the acute and chronic toxicity data available for personal care products and highlights areas of concern. Toxicity and environmental data were synergized to develop a preliminary hazard assessment in which only triclosan and triclocarban presented any hazard. However, numerous PCPs including triclosan, paraben preservatives, and UV filters have evidence suggesting endocrine effects in aquatic organisms and thus need to be investigated and incorporated in definitive risk assessments. Additional data pertaining to environmental concentrations of UV filters and parabens, in vivo toxicity data for parabens, and potential for bioaccumulation of PCPs needs to obtained to develop definitive aquatic risk assessments.     

Effects of previous sublethal pulse to ammonium nitrate on mortality and total length on Epidalea calamita larvae

Ammonium nitrate is one of the most widespread contaminants related with the viability of natural amphibian populations. In this study we have evaluated in terms of mortality and total length the effects that a previous sublethal pulse to ammonium nitrate generates in Epidalea calamita. Experiments were divided in two phases. In the first one, tadpoles were exposed to two different treatments, with and without a low ammonium nitrate concentration (22 mg NH₄NO₃ L⁻¹). The second phase consisted in static toxicity experiments from both origin treatments with five different nominal concentrations (0, 22, 45, 90 and 180 mg NH₄NO₃ L⁻¹). Results showed that tadpoles that had experienced a previous sublethal exposure showed a negative effect on survival (57% of reduction in the LC₅₀ value) and total length, throughout an increase in their sensitivity. These results could help us to understand the situation of amphibian populations inhabiting aquatic ecosystems exposed to discontinuous and variable pulses of pollutants.     

土地督察的耕地保护效果评价

为分析土地督察的耕地保护效果,论文把这目标分解为两个问题,即土地督察制度的实施是否对减少建设占用耕地面积产生了影响;如果有显著影响,效果有多大.论文收集了1999-2007年的省级面版数据,分别采用了固定效应模型、随机效应和混合OLS模型加以估计,通过相关检验,采用了固定效应模型的估计结果.在模型估计结果的基础上,对土地督察的耕地效果进行了评价.分析表明:①土地督察的确对减少建设占用耕地面积有显著影响,土地例行督察的耕地保护效果要好于土地专项督察的耕地保护效果,土地专项督察比例(每提高1%,约能减少建设占用耕地面积为261 hm<'2>,例行督察比例每提高1%,约能减少建设占用耕地面积为929 hm<'2>;②由于实施专项督察,2007年和2008年分别减少建设占用耕地面积32 160.52 hm<'2>和6 442.90 hm<'2>,分别占当年建设占用耕地面积的17.08%和3.36%;2008年由于实行了土地例行督察,减少建设占用耕地面积41 127.79 hm<'2>,约占当年建设占用耕地面积的21.5%;③由于实行了土地例行督察和专项督察,2007年和2008年分别减少建设占用耕地面积32 160.52 hm<'2>和47 570.70 hm<'2>,分别占当年建设占用耕地面积的17.08%和24.83%.     

环形热岛格局演变过程的遥感分析

城市热岛效应的空间格局在一定程度上可以反映城市规划和管理的成败得失,也是城市大气污染的驱动因素之一。〖JP2〗使用2000、2003、2004、2006、2008和2010年2～3月下午成都的6次NOAA/AVHRR（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer）卫星遥感数据反演亮温,采用均值 标准差法将热岛强度分为7个等级,用面积加权平均法将研究区强度分为高温、中温和低温3类。结果表明：（1）热岛空间格局呈现巨大变异,由前期的中心型演变为中期的环型,后期是热岛环的形态和高温中心的调整阶段;（2）研究区的强度为前期强,2004年迅速减弱,高温类的强度2004年比2003年减弱259℃,2004年之后的平均减弱率仅为024℃/a;（3）城市东北部和西南部高温区的温度梯度出现逆向升降趋势。由于地表温度对城市气温有重要影响,热岛形态的变化是人们从更复杂角度分析大气污染机制、设计热岛数值模型和进行城市规划的客观依据     

Ecological and Toxicological Effects of Exposure to an Acidic, Radioactive Tailings Storage

The persistence of an island of remnant vegetation within a tailings retention system provided an opportunity to conduct a pilot study to develop hypothesis concerning the impacts of acid spray and radiation on arid zone flora and fauna. Ecological changes were investigated by comparing species abundance and condition on both the study island and remote control areas. Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa), geckos and a common ant species, Iridomyrmex rufoniger sp. B were abundant in control regions but absent from the study region, whereas densities of colonising plant species, Helea beetles and scorpions were unusually high at the impacted site. These disparities are probably attributable to acid spray at the impacted site and hence are potentially useful bioindicators of these impacts. Dragon and skink populations were apparently unaffected by the polluted ecosystem, although Ctenophorus nuchalis proved to be a significant bioaccumulator of radionuclides. Bioaccumulation of the radionuclides, ²³⁸U, ²³⁰Th, ²¹⁰Pb and particularly ²¹⁰Po were significantly greater than that reported elsewhere in the literature. Further radionuclide monitoring of herbivorous dragon species, possibly concentrating upon ²¹⁰Po levels, was the suggested outcome of this pilot study.     

微塑料在哺乳动物的暴露途径、毒性效应和毒性机制浅述

微塑料广泛存在于大气、土壤和水体环境中,其对人体的危害正受到广泛关注.本文阐述了当前对微塑料在哺乳动物的暴露途径、毒性作用和毒性机制的认识.空气-呼吸系统、食物/饮水-消化系统以及洗漱/护肤产品-皮肤等都是目前最常见的微塑料人体暴露途径,其中消化系统暴露是最主要的方式.目前的研究显示肠道、肝脏和肾脏是主要的微塑料富集部...     

Mountain substitutability and peak load pricing of high alpine peaks as a management tool to reduce environmental damage: A contingent valuation study

High alpine peaks throughout the world are under increasing environmental pressure from hikers, trekkers, and climbers. Colorado's “Fourteeners”, peaks with summits above 14,000 feet are no exception. Most of these peaks have no entrance fees, and reach ecological and social carrying capacity on weekends. This paper illustrates how a series of dichotomous choice contingent valuation questions can be used to evaluate substitutability between different alpine peaks and quantify the price responsiveness to an entrance fee. Using this approach, we find that peak load pricing would decrease use of popular Fourteeners in Colorado by 22%. This reduction is due almost entirely to substitution, rather than income effects. There is also price inelastic demand, as 60% of the hikers find no substitution for their specific Fourteener at the varying cost increases posed in the survey. The no substitute group has a mean net benefit of $294 per hiker, per trip, considerably higher than visitor net benefits in most recreational use studies.     

环境工艺方法论研究——环境制约法

环境工艺与外在环境是一个互动系统。本文将从整体的角度探讨工艺技术所受环境制约方面的方法论规律,通过总结这一方法运用的实例,揭示其内在的哲学思想。