Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of perfluoroalkyl substances in the human body

Currently, there are limited data on the levels of perfluoroalkyl substances other than perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid in the human body. Most of this information has been extracted from biological monitoring of plasma while the occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances in other human tissues is rarely studied. The objective of the present study was to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to assess the concentration of perfluoroalkyl substances in human tissues, based on an existing model previously validated for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid. Experimental data on concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances in human tissues from individuals in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain) were used to estimate the values of some distribution and elimination parameters needed for the simulation. No significant correlations were found between these parameters and the chain lengths. The model was finally validated for five perfluoroalkyl substances.     

气候变化和人类活动对黄河三角洲植被动态变化的影响

黄河三角洲是我国暖温带最完整、面积最大的湿地生态系统,其植被变化对于黄河三角洲生态功能和生态安全具有重要意义.本研究基于植被覆盖度(fractional vegetation cover,FVC)、叶面积指数(leaf area index,LAI)、净初级生产力(net primary productivity,NPP)3个生态参数,分析了2000-2017年黄河三角洲地区植被的动态变化,并以NPP为指标量化分析了气候变化和人类活动对植被生产力的贡献.研究发现,2000-2017年黄河三角洲FVC(Slope=0.004,p<0.05)、LAI(Slope=0.011,p<0.05)、NPP(Slope=3.54 g·m-2·a-1,p<0.01)呈显著增加趋势,说明2000-2017年黄河三角洲植被生长状况趋好、植被生产力提高.气温、降水和太阳总辐射对植被NPP变化的贡献分别为0.006、0.81、-0.03g·m-2·a-1,即降水对植被NPP变化的贡献最大,这主要是因为黄河三角洲的主要土地利用类型为耕地,受降水影响大,当地土壤具有盐碱化风险,降水可以补充淡水资...     

乡村人居环境系统韧性的演变规律及其提升路径——以国家城乡融合发展试验区重庆西部片区为例

以国家城乡融合发展试验区——重庆西部片区为研究区,以2009年、2014年、2019年为研究时点,以2009—2019年为研究时段,按照思想缘起、理论基础、实证演绎、提升路径的研究思路,建立乡村人居环境系统韧性测度的指标体系,分析其演变规律。研究结果表明：2009—2019年,重庆西部片区的乡村人居环境系统韧性水平不断上升,呈现出“南高北低”的空间格局。各子系统韧性在时间上呈现出不同程度的增长趋势,在空间上差异明显：自然系统韧性与人类系统韧性分别呈现出“由南向北递减”和“东西部向中部递减”的空间格局;居住系统韧性与支撑系统韧性则分别呈现出由“低值点缀分布”逐渐过渡到较为均衡和“普遍均衡、高低值点缀”的空间格局;社会系统韧性表现为“西部增强、东部减弱”的空间格局特征。借助障碍度模型对重庆西部片区乡村人居环境系统韧性提升的障碍因子及不同区县面临的主导障碍进行诊断,根据结果将重庆西部片区划分为单一主导障碍型、双重障碍型与三层障碍型三种类型,据此设计乡村人居环境系统韧性提升的差异化路径,以期打破重庆西部片区乡村人居环境系统韧性提升的多重制约。     

基于可疑筛查技术研究有机磷阻燃剂V6转化规律

运用Orbitrap高分辨质谱仪,评估了人体肝微粒体(HLM)代谢V6的转化规律.除5种已被报道过的O-脱烷基、氧化性去磷酸化和氧化脱氯产物外,首次发现了6种新型产物.基于其MS/MS质谱图,该6种代谢产物被鉴定为醛基和羧基产物.其中,5种代谢物生成量随孵育时间呈线性增加趋势,具有累积性.此外,推导的代谢途径表明,脱烷基化和羟基化代谢物进一步转化为次级代谢物,即醛和羧基代谢物.     

过去两千年长江干流历史洪水事件的时空变化研究

理解极端洪水事件活动特征及其与气候变化、人类活动的相互关系一直是全球变化研究的热点问题。现代器测数据较短对洪水事件变化规律预测存在不足,而利用历史文献记录研究百年-千年尺度洪水事件的发生规律则成为一个较好的选择。洪水灾害是长江流域最为严重的自然灾害之一。本文以官方现存历史记载为依据,构建了过去2000年长江干流上、中、下游洪水事件序列,并将其与气候和人类活动代理指标进行对比。结果表明,1350年之前,长江干流洪水事件受东亚季风(EASM)、西南季风(ISM)、厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)、热带辐合带(ITCZ)移动等多种气候因素驱动,且气候驱动机制在同期不同区、同区不同期存在显著差异。此外,1350年之后人类活动的增强可能明显加剧了长江干流洪水事件的频率和强度。     

长三角典型地区土壤环境中Se的空间变异特征及其与人类健康的关系

农业土壤环境中硒（Se）的缺乏或过量都会通过食物链最终影响人类健康。在203个土壤采样点的基础上,利用GIS和地统计学相结合的方法,对江苏省如皋市农田土壤环境中Se的空间变异特征及其影响因素进行分析,同时,对土壤中Se的空间分布与长寿人口的空间分布进行空间叠加分析。研究结果表明,如皋市土壤环境中总Se及水溶态Se的平均含量分别为0.13 mg/kg和2.16 μg/kg,研究区处在相对低Se的土壤环境中。总Se的空间变异性不大,其空间分布比较均一;但水溶态Se的空间变异性较大,主要受成土条件及土壤母质、土壤类型及地形地貌等结构性因子的影响。水溶态Se对土壤的理化性质也比较敏感,特别是速效磷、有机质及全钾含量与水溶态硒的相关性较显著,因此在有机质及土壤养分含量较高、土壤颗粒组成较细的东部及北部地区水溶态硒的含量也较高。土壤水溶态Se的空间分异与长寿人口比率的空间分异呈极显著的正相关关系(〖WTBX〗P〖WTBZ〗<001),相关系数达〖WTBX〗r〖WTBZ〗=0325,表明人类的健康长寿现象与环境中水溶态硒的含量有很大关系,但人类长寿的本质和真正机理仍需进一步研究验证。     

社会资本对农村贫困代际传递影响机制研究

社会资本在反贫困领域的重要作用已被理论和实践所证实。在新时代脱贫攻坚的决胜阶段,有效发挥社会资本的周急济贫功能,缓解乃至阻断贫困代际传递,已成为当前反贫困战略推进中亟待探讨的问题。研究整合了四期中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS 2010、2012、2014、2016)个体家庭和村庄的嵌套数据,建立了“认知型”和“结构型”两种类型以及“个体家庭”和“村庄”两个层级的社会资本框架,并基于探索性因子分析构建了社会网络、社会信任、社会声望、社会参与、集体参与以及公共服务6个社会资本变量。研究利用HLM软件构建了多层广义线性模型(HGLM),通过四阶段的空模型、截距模型、随机效应模型以及完整模型分析了绝对贫困背景下社会资本对农村贫困代际传递的影响机制。研究结果表明:①个体社会资本总量与贫困代际传递呈显著负相关。②在个体家庭层面,社会网络、社会声望、社会参与对贫困代际传递有显著负向影响,但社会信任和地方信任对贫困代际传递的影响并不显著。③在村庄层面,公共服务对贫困代际传递具有显著负向影响,集体参与对贫困代际传递具有显著正向影响,且公共服务水平对社会网络和贫困代际传递具有正向调节作用。研究提出要大力培植贫困群体和乡村两个层级的社会资本以缓解农村贫困代际传递趋势:①要通过协调“乡政”与“村治”以形成良性的乡村治理格局。②要促进精准扶贫与乡村振兴战略紧密衔接,在保障个体脱贫的同时完善农村公共服务及基础设施建设,推进城乡基本公共服务均等化;③须提振贫困群体脱贫信心,增强村级自治与集体参与的水平和能力。     

Gathering “wild” food in the city: rethinking the role of foraging in urban ecosystem planning and management

Recent “green” planning initiatives envision food production, including urban agriculture and livestock production, as desirable elements of sustainable cities. We use an integrated urban political ecology and human–plant geographies framework to explore how foraging for “wild” foods in cities, a subversive practice that challenges prevailing views about the roles of humans in urban green spaces, has potential to also support sustainability goals. Drawing on research from Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle, we show that foraging is a vibrant and ongoing practice among diverse urban residents in the USA. At the same time, as reflected in regulations, planning practices, and attitudes of conservation practitioners, it is conceptualised as out of place in urban landscapes and an activity to be discouraged. We discuss how paying attention to urban foraging spaces and practices can strengthen green space planning and summarise opportunities for and challenges associated with including foragers and their concerns.     

Biomechanics of Brain and Spinal-Cord Injury: Analysis of Neuropathologic and Neurophysiology Experiments

This study analyzes 46 brain and 48 spinal-cord impact experiments. The velocity of brain impact was 2.0-10.0 m/s and displacement, 0.75-5.0 mm (5.3-33% compression) using a controlled pneumatic impact. The velocity of spinal-cord impact was 1.5-6.0 m/s and displacement, 1.25-3.25 mm (25-65% compression). Brain injury varied from cortical contusion, diffuse axonal injury (DAI), to fatalities, and spinal-cord injury from temporary to complete loss of somatosensory-evoked potentials. Logist functions were determined for each injury severity and various biomechanical parameters, VC, C, V, and combinations. Brain and spinal-cord injury is most strongly correlated to VC, the viscous response. The goodness-of-fit was x² = 22.1, R-0.84 and p< 0.0000 for fatal brain injury, x² = 27.5, R = 0.96 and p< 0.0000 for cortical contusion, and x² = 17.7, R = 0.49 and p < 0.0001 for partial recovery of spinal-cord conduction. Neural tissue is viscoelastic, with a rate-dependent tolerance related to energy absorption. VC is a measure of energy absorption by impact deformation and is predictive of neural contusion, DAI, long-duration coma, spinal-cord dysfunction, and death. Tolerances for various severities of neural injury are presented. At the tissue level, VC is the product of strain and strain-rate, ε dε/dt. The research shows that strain is not a sufficient parameter of neural injury risk, and that the product of strain and strain-rate is a key biomechanical parameter for brain and spinal-cord injury.     

Motivations for Conserving Urban Biodiversity

Abstract: In a time of increasing urbanization, the fundamental value of conserving urban biodiversity remains controversial. How much of a fixed budget should be spent on conservation in urban versus nonurban landscapes? The answer should depend on the goals that drive our conservation actions, yet proponents of urban conservation often fail to specify the motivation for protecting urban biodiversity. This is an important shortcoming on several fronts, including a missed opportunity to make a stronger appeal to those who believe conservation biology should focus exclusively on more natural, wilder landscapes. We argue that urban areas do offer an important venue for conservation biology, but that we must become better at choosing and articulating our goals. We explored seven possible motivations for urban biodiversity conservation: preserving local biodiversity, creating stepping stones to nonurban habitat, understanding and facilitating responses to environmental change, conducting environmental education, providing ecosystem services, fulfilling ethical responsibilities, and improving human well‐being. To attain all these goals, challenges must be faced that are common to the urban environment, such as localized pollution, disruption of ecosystem structure, and limited availability of land. There are, however, also challenges specific only to particular goals, meaning that different goals will require different approaches and actions. This highlights the importance of specifying the motivations behind urban biodiversity conservation. If the goals are unknown, progress cannot be assessed.