Investigating Potential for Depensation in Marine Turtles: How Low Can You Go?

Abstract:  Where mechanisms inherent within the biology of a species affect individual fitness at low density, demographic-scale depensation may occur, hastening further decline and leading ultimately to population extirpation and species extinction. Reduction in fertility at low population densities has been identified in marine and terrestrial species. Using data on hatch success and hatchling-emergence success as proxies for fertilization success, we conducted a global meta-analysis of data from breeding aggregations of green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) and loggerhead turtles ( Caretta caretta ). We found that there has been no reduction in fertility in small nesting aggregations in either of these species worldwide. We considered mechanisms within the mating strategies and reproductive biology of marine turtles that may allow for novel genetic input and facilitate enhanced gene flow among rookeries. Behavioral reproductive mechanisms, such as natal philopatry and polyandry, may mitigate potential impacts of depensation and contribute to the resilience of these species.     

Anthropogenic influence on the water quality in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Guanabara Bay is a 384-km² coastal bay with 70% of the population of the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro located within its drainage basin. The water quality of the Bay is impacted by domestic and industrial runoff, of which only 15% has been adequately treated. However, based on a 14-year monitoring program, the water quality for most of Guanabara Bay remains acceptable because of intense tidal flushing, and we failed to find a worsening of conditions during the 14-year study. The inner shallow regions of the Bay, the western and northwestern parts, receive most of the drainage from metropolitan Rio de Janeiro. It is here that the water quality is alarmingly poor, characterized by hypertrophic conditions and occasional hypoxic events. Fecal coliform counts in these inner reaches of the Bay are 4–100 times higher than the maximum acceptable count for recreational waters. Hypertrophic conditions prevail in Guanabara Bay, which is characterized by low dissolved oxygen, high biochemical oxygen demand, peaks in fecal coliform, and extremely high chlorophyll-a concentrations, which reflect high quantities of nutrients entering the system. These anthropogenic pressures are a threat to planktonic and benthic communities and are reminiscent of San Francisco Bay 30 years ago. The Guanabara Bay water quality could be returned to pre-1950 conditions, but it would require sufficient political will and economic investment to ensure that at least 80–90% of the domestic and industrial sewage were treated adequately. Electronic Publication     

Numerical investigation into dynamic responses of RC columns subjected for fire and blast

Structures may be exposed to fire and blast due to accidents (i.e. explosion of flammable gas in industrial structures) or terrorist attacks during the service life. Performances of RC structures subjected to extreme conditions of fire and blast, thus, have drawn much attention from academia. In this paper, the coupling effect of high temperature and high strain rate in concrete was firstly studied based on the experimental data to improve the damage plasticity concrete model in ABAQUS. Secondly, the transient heat transfer effects in different fire scenarios and following fire resistances of RC columns with constant axial forces were numerically investigated on the basis of the improved concrete model, which are validated by the corresponding test data, and the residual axial loading capacity of RC columns was quantitatively calculated. By incorporating the different merits of implicit algorithm applied to heat transfer analyses and explicit algorithm usually used in blast analyses, a numerical approach to analyze the responses of RC columns subjected to the coupling loadings of fire and blast was finally developed. Mid-span displacements and damage of the RC columns subjected to fire and explosions were quantitatively calculated and discussed. The proposed approach was demonstrated to be effective in predicting the responses of RC structures subjected to coupling loadings of fire and blast.     

纳米碳黑与重金属对BEAS-2B细胞的联合毒性作用模式评价

通过研究空气颗粒物的代表性组分纳米碳黑(nano particle carbon black,NPCB)与重金属(Pb/Cr/Cd)联合染毒对BEAS-2B细胞存活率和LDH漏出率的影响,旨在阐明NPCB与重金属对细胞毒性的联合作用模式。检测NPCB与重金属(Pb/Cr/Cd)联合染毒24 h后BEAS-2B细胞存活率(CCK-8法)和LDH漏出率(LDH活性比色法)的变化,采用析因方差分析判断其是否存在联合毒性作用及联合作用模式。NPCB与重金属(Pb/Cr/Cd)联合染毒在细胞存活率和LDH漏出方面存在联合作用;与对照组和单独染毒组相比,低剂量Pb(125μmol·L-1)与NPCB联合染毒对细胞存活率无交互作用,对LDH漏出表现为拮抗作用;高剂量Pb(1 000μmol·L-1)与NPCB联合染毒对细胞存活率表现为协同作用,对LDH漏出无交互作用;Cr和Cd与NPCB联合染毒在细胞存活率方面均表现为协同作用;低剂量Cr和Cd与NPCB联合染毒在LDH漏出方面无交互作用,高剂量时表现为协同作用。NPCB与重金属存在联合作用,金属不同、剂量不同以及评价指标不同,其联合作用模式不尽相同。     

餐厨废水中解磷菌、固氮菌及解钾菌的互作效应研究

针对餐厨垃圾无害化和资源化处理过程中产生的餐厨垃圾废水处理难题,探讨餐厨垃圾废水用作发酵基制备复合液态菌肥过程中菌株间的互作效应。将解磷菌、固氮菌及解钾菌在餐厨废水中单独和混合接种,通过测定菌悬液细胞密度的变化来研究它们之间的互作效应。研究表明,在餐厨垃圾废水中解磷巨大芽孢杆菌对圆褐固氮菌有促进作用,与解钾芽孢杆菌之间存在拮抗作用,同时圆褐固氮菌与解钾芽孢杆菌之间亦存在拮抗作用,3个菌株的混合培养中解磷巨大芽孢杆菌为优势菌种。研究结果同时显示,利用餐厨垃圾废水可以制备合格的复合菌肥。     

Halogen-specific total organic halogen analysis: Assessment by recovery of total bromine

Determination of halogen-specific total organic halogen(TOX) is vital for studies of disinfection of waters containing bromide, since total organic bromine(TOBr) is likely to be more problematic than total organic chlorine. Here, we present further halogen-specific TOX method optimisation and validation, focusing on measurement of TOBr. The optimised halogen-specific TOX method was validated based on the recovery of model compounds covering different classes of disinfection by-products(haloacetic acids, haloacetonitriles,halophenols and halogenated benzenes) and the recovery of total bromine(mass balance of TOBr and bromide concentrations) during disinfection of waters containing dissolved organic matter and bromide. The validation of a halogen-specific TOX method based on the mass balance of total bromine has not previously been reported. Very good recoveries of organic halogen from all model compounds were obtained, indicating high or complete conversion of all organic halogen in the model compound solution through to halide in the absorber solution for ion chromatography analysis. The method was also successfully applied to monitor conversion of bromide to TOBr in a groundwater treatment plant. An excellent recovery(101%)of total bromine was observed from the raw water to the post-chlorination stage. Excellent recoveries of total bromine(92%–95%) were also obtained from chlorination of a synthetic water containing dissolved organic matter and bromide, demonstrating the validity of the halogen-specific TOX method for TOBr measurement. The halogen-specific TOX method is an important tool to monitor and better understand the formation of halogenated organic compounds, in particular brominated organic compounds, in drinking water systems.     

经济、环境与人口健康的相互影响:基于我国省区面板数据的实证分析

经济增长造成环境变化;收入水平和环境质量共同影响着人口健康;人口健康状况又影响着经济增长.本文构建了一个描述兰者之间关系的联立方程模型,使用省区面板数据.分析了我国20世纪90年代至今省区层面上经济、环境与人口健康的相互影响.实证结果表明,工业污染是经济增长的阻碍因素;经济增长对人口健康有显著的正影响,而工业污染对人口健康有显著的负影响;人口健康对经济增长的贡献不显著;教育状况对经济增长有显著促进作用,但对人口健康没有显著的直接影响;第三产业的发展有利于减少工业污染,改善环境质量.因此,发展教育事业和第三产业,是促进经济增长和提高环境质量的有效举措.     

The safety of obstetrical ultrasound: a review

Ultrasound is a commonly employed imaging modality in obstetrics and is generally regarded as safe to the fetus. Current ultrasound technology, however, has significantly higher output potential than older machines used in most clinical studies, and the safety profile for the increasing use of Doppler, 3-dimensional (D) and 4-D ultrasound with modern machines is unknown. This article reviews the current status of ultrasound safety within obstetrics, including proposed mechanisms of harm, existing scientific and clinical evidence regarding those mechanisms, and considerations of safety for the clinical user. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of municipal solid waste composting kinetics

Most modern municipal solid waste (MSW) composting operations have emphasized the enhancement of decomposition of the organic fraction of the waste to comply with strict environmental regulations. This can be achieved once the composting process kinetics are well understood. This study examined process kinetics through experimentation with bench-scale reactors under controlled composting conditions to show the interdependence between biological, chemical and physical factors during composting of MSW. The effects of temperature, moisture content, waste particle size and carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio on process kinetics were evaluated. The results obtained revealed that these factors should be carefully controlled in order to achieve optimum process performance. It has been found that the organic matter degradation during composting follows a first-order kinetic model.