A Retrospective Evaluation of the Global Decline of Carnivores and Ungulates

Assessing temporal changes in species extinction risk is necessary for measuring conservation success or failure and for directing conservation resources toward species or regions that would benefit most. Yet, there is no long‐term picture of genuine change that allows one to associate species extinction risk trends with drivers of change or conservation actions. Through a review of 40 years of IUCN‐related literature sources on species conservation status (e.g., action plans, red‐data books), we assigned retrospective red‐list categories to the world's carnivores and ungulates (2 groups with relatively long generation times) to examine how their extinction risk has changed since the 1970s. We then aggregated species’ categories to calculate a global trend in their extinction risk over time. A decline in the conservation status of carnivores and ungulates was underway 40 years ago and has since accelerated. One quarter of all species (n = 498) moved one or more categories closer to extinction globally, while almost half of the species moved closer to extinction in Southeast Asia. The conservation status of some species improved (toward less threatened categories), but for each species that improved in status 8 deteriorated. The status of large‐bodied species, particularly those above 100 kg (including many iconic taxa), deteriorated significantly more than small‐bodied species (below 10 kg). The trends we found are likely related to geopolitical events (such as the collapse of Soviet Union), international regulations (such as CITES), shifting cultural values, and natural resource exploitation (e.g., in Southeast Asia). Retrospective assessments of global species extinction risk reduce the risk of a shifting baseline syndrome, which can affect decisions on the desirable conservation status of species. Such assessments can help conservationists identify which conservation policies and strategies are or are not helping safeguard biodiversity and thus can improve future strategies. Una Evaluación Retrospectiva de la Declinación Global de Carnívoros y Ungulados     

一株酸性大红3R脱色菌的分离、鉴定及其脱色性能研究

通过浓度梯度驯化,从厌氧污泥中分离到一株酸性大红3R脱色菌M3,根据其形态学特征及16S rRNA基因序列分析,鉴定该厌氧菌株为阴沟肠杆菌(Enterobacter cloacae).同时,研究了该菌株在厌氧静置条件下对酸性大红3R的最适脱色条件.结果表明,菌株脱色的最佳营养源为酵母粉,最适宜脱色条件为酵母粉浓度1％、pH =6.5、温度35 ℃、盐度小于4％,在此条件下,对浓度为100 mg·L-1酸性大红3R溶液厌氧静置培养72 h,脱色率达到98％以上.菌株耐盐性良好,在6％ ～8％的盐度下具有较好的脱色效果.分光光谱表明,菌株脱色机制主要为生物降解脱色.毒性试验表明,脱色后的酸性大红3R毒性明显降低.     

酵母Candida krusei对合成染料的脱色

通过筛选实验,从土壤中新分离到1株对活性艳红K-2BP具有明显脱色效果的酵母菌株Y-G-I,经鉴定为克鲁斯假丝酵母Candida krusei．该菌株对含活性艳红K-2BP起始浓度为200mg／L的培养基,最大脱色率为99％,达到最大脱色率的时间是12h．克鲁斯假丝酵母的最佳接种量应不低于5％（体积分数）,培养基最适pH在4～9之间,氮源（NH4）2S04浓度不低于0．1％,相对应的碳源葡萄糖浓度不低于0．5％．对脱色机理的研究表明,该菌株对活性艳红K-2BP的去除属于降解脱色．此外,该菌株对另外9种染料（50mg／L）的脱色率在62％～96％之间．其中,对偶氮染料弱酸艳红B、活性黑KN-B和活性红M-3BE的脱色率都达到了90％以上,对三苯甲烷染料（酸性媒介漂蓝B）的脱色率达到了93％．表明克鲁斯假丝酵母在染料废水的处理上可能具有较好地应用潜能．     

酵母Candida krusei对合成染料的脱色

通过筛选实验,从土壤中新分离到1株对活性艳红K-2BP具有明显脱色效果的酵母菌株Y-G-1,经鉴定为克鲁斯假丝酵母Candida krusei.该菌株对含活性艳红K-2BP起始浓度为200mg/L的培养基,最大脱色率为99%,达到最大脱色率的时间是12h.克鲁斯假丝酵母的最佳接种量应不低于5%(体积分数),培养基最适pH在4～9之间,氮源(NH₄)₂SO₄浓度不低于0.1%,相对应的碳源葡萄糖浓度不低于0.5%.对脱色机理的研究表明,该菌株对活性艳红K-2BP的去除属于降解脱色.此外,该菌株对另外9种染料(50mg/L)的脱色率在62%～96%之间.其中,对偶氮染料弱酸艳红B、活性黑KN-B和活性红M-3BE的脱色率都达到了90%以上,对三苯甲烷染料(酸性媒介漂蓝B)的脱色率达到了93%.表明克鲁斯假丝酵母在染料废水的处理上可能具有较好地应用潜能.     

裂褶菌F17对偶氮染料刚果红的脱色降解及其产物分析

利用本实验室新构建的染料脱色降解体系,对裂褶菌F17(Schizophyllum sp.F17)脱色降解刚果红进行了研究,分析了该菌的主要降解酶,并对刚果红降解产物进行分离和鉴定.结果表明,裂褶菌F17在此体系中对刚果红表现出较高的脱色降解能力,菌球加入48h后脱色率达到91.5%;酶活检测表明,该菌主要产生锰过氧化物酶(MnP),并在脱色48h时,MnP酶活达到最大值96.1U·L-1.此外,对脱色96h和192h后的脱色液进行紫外-可见扫描,发现刚果红在可见光区495nm处的吸收峰已消失,并在紫外区出现多个吸收峰.通过高效液相色谱分离得到1种刚果红降解产物,用质谱和傅立叶红外光谱鉴定,发现该产物相对分子量为184.2,主要官能团为-C6H4-和芳基-NH2,结合刚果红结构和该产物的核磁共振波谱推断其为联苯胺;并且随着降解时间的延长,联苯胺逐渐被降解.     

Preparation, characterization, and photocatalytic activities of boron- and cerium-codoped TiO2

Boron- and cerium-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using modified sol-gel reaction process and characterized by X- ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, particle size distribution （PSD）, diffuse reflectance spectra （DRS）, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET）. The photocatalytic activities were evaluated by monitoring the degradation of dye Acid Red B （ARB）. The results showed that the prepared photocatalysts were mixed oxides mainly consisting of titania, ceria, and boron oxide. The structure of TiO2 could be transformed from amorphous to anatase and then to rutile by increasing calcination temperature; the transformation being accompanied by the growth of particle size without any obvious change in phase structure of CeO2. The XPS of B1.6Ce1.0-TiO2 prepared at 500℃ showed that a few boron atoms were incorporated into titania and ceria lattice, whereas others existed as B2O3. Cerium ions existed in two states, Ce^3＋ and Ce^4＋, and the atomic ratio of Ce^3＋/Ce^4＋ was 1.86. When boron and cerium were doped, the UV-Vis adsorption band wavelength showed an obvious shift toward the visible range （〈526 nm）. As the atomic ratio of Ce/Ti increased to 1.0, the absorbance edge wavelength increased to 481 nm. The absorbance edge wavelength decreased for higher cerium doping levels （Ce/Ti=2.0）. The particles size ranged from 122 to 255 nm with a domain at 168 nm （39.4%）. The degradation of ARB dye indicated that the photocatalytic activities of boron- and cerium-codoped TiO2 were much higher than those of P25 （a standard TiO2 powder）. The activities increased as the boron doping increased, whereas decreased when the Ce/Ti atomic ratio was greater than 0.5. The optimum atomic ratio of B/Ti and Ce/Ti was 1.6 and 0.5, respectively.     

Effects of red light camera enforcement on fatal crashes in large U.S. cities

Objective

To estimate the effects of red light camera enforcement on per capita fatal crash rates at intersections with signal lights.

Methods

From the 99 large U.S. cities with more than 200,000 residents in 2008, 14 cities were identified with red light camera enforcement programs for all of 2004-2008 but not at any time during 1992-1996, and 48 cities were identified without camera programs during either period. Analyses compared the citywide per capita rate of fatal red light running crashes and the citywide per capita rate of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections during the two study periods, and rate changes then were compared for cities with and without cameras programs. Poisson regression was used to model crash rates as a function of red light camera enforcement, land area, and population density.

Results

The average annual rate of fatal red light running crashes declined for both study groups, but the decline was larger for cities with red light camera enforcement programs than for cities without camera programs (35% vs. 14%). The average annual rate of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections decreased by 14% for cities with camera programs and increased slightly (2%) for cities without cameras. After controlling for population density and land area, the rate of fatal red light running crashes during 2004-2008 for cities with camera programs was an estimated 24% lower than what would have been expected without cameras. The rate of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections during 2004-2008 for cities with camera programs was an estimated 17% lower than what would have been expected without cameras.

Conclusions

Red light camera enforcement programs were associated with a statistically significant reduction in the citywide rate of fatal red light running crashes and a smaller but still significant reduction in the rate of all fatal crashes at signalized intersections.

Impact on Industry

The study adds to the large body of evidence that red light camera enforcement can prevent the most serious crashes. Communities seeking to reduce crashes at intersections should consider this evidence.     

荧光光谱结合主成分分析对赤潮藻的识别测定

利用主成分分析和非负最小二乘法,建立了我国近海常见的11种赤潮藻在属水平上的活体荧光识别测定技术.利用Delaunay三维插值法,消除浮游藻三维荧光光谱的瑞利散射和拉曼散射峰, 根据Fisher判别分析方法对各主成分及其组合的分辨能力的判别结果,确定赤潮藻三维荧光光谱的第一主成分得分谱和第二主成分得分谱作为赤潮藻识别特征谱,建立赤潮藻荧光特征谱库,在此基础上,利用非负最小二乘法对11种赤潮藻在属水平上进行识别测定,赤潮藻的识别正确率≥85%,其中9种赤潮藻的识别正确率≥90%,特别是对于近几年东海发生赤潮频率极高的东海原甲藻（Prorocentrum donghaiense）、中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）和裸甲藻（Gymnodinium sp.）,识别正确率≥95%.本研究表明,利用主成分分析提取赤潮藻三维荧光光谱特征以实现赤潮藻在属水平上的识别测定是可行的.     

质子化焦化污泥作为生物吸附剂对水溶液中活性红4的吸附性能

以焦化厂污水处理车间的剩余污泥为材料,经过质子化处理制备生物吸附剂,进行了吸附活性红4(RR4)的研究. 考察了吸附平衡时间,溶液pH,染料质量浓度,NaCl浓度等因素对RR4吸附的影响. 结果表明:生物吸附剂对RR4的吸附所需平衡时间为48 h;溶液的pH对吸附过程有较大影响,酸性条件利于吸附,碱性条件下发生解吸附(解吸附率大于70%);吸附等温曲线符合Langmuir和Freundlich方程, pH=1的条件下最大吸附量为(72.33±5.59) mg/g;ρ(RR4)为100 mg/L时,NaCl浓度对RR4的吸附不产生可见影响,ρ(RR4)为500 mg/L时,NaCl的存在对吸附有阻碍作用.      

Dyes wastewater treatment by reduction-oxidation process in an electrochemical reactor packed with natural manganese mineral

A novel technology which combined electrochemical process catalyzed by manganese mineral with electro-assisted coagulation process was proposed in this study. The mineralization of organic pollutant from simulated dye wastewater containing an azo dye Acid Red B（ARB） was experimentally investigated using this method. It was found that the manganese mineral could catalyze the electrochemical process dramatically. The TOC removal percentage of electrochemical treatment catalyzed by manganese mineral was 43.6% while the TOC removal percentage of the process using the manganese mineral alone and using the electrolysis alone were 9.3% and 20.8%, respectively. Moreover, it was found that combined electroxidation with electro-assisted coagulation process could more effectively eliminate ARB. After a period of 180 min electrooxidation and 300 min electroreduction, almost 66.9% of TOC was removed, and the dissolved Mn^2＋. could be effectivly removed. The effects of the order of oxidation and reduction, the proper ratio electrooxidation/reduction time, and current density on the removal efficiency were investigated in detail. In addition, a proposed mechanism of manganese-mineral-catalyzed electrooxidation-reduction process was discussed in this paper.