Proteomics study of Southern Punjab Pakistani cobra (Naja naja: formerly Naja naja karachiensis) venom

Because of the potential of significant geographic variation in the compositions of snake venoms, much insight can be gained by examining individuals originating from diverse locations, and detailed characterization of any species can only be done by including animals from the entire range. Pakistani N. naja (formerly N. naja karachiensis) venom was decomplexed by applying diverse techniques and found a concoction of proteins (a total of 43 venomous proteins comprising 11 super families) from 6 to 200 kilodaltons in size. Among them three finger toxins (58%), phosphoplipses A₂ (19%), snake venom metalloproteinases (5%), l-amino acid oxidases (5%), helvepryns (3%), vespryns (2%), cobra venom factor (2%), 5′-nucleotidases (2%), venom nerve growth factor (2%), and Kunitz type serine protease inhibitor (2%) were included. It is the first report that this venom possesses significantly higher percentage of three finger toxins belonging to the cytotoxins (32% overall) and α‐neurotoxins (32% overall, predominately long chain neurotoxins, 24% overall) compared to N. naja from other geographic locations. Better understanding of intraspecific variations in venom can improve the development of location-specific anti-venoms. Furthermore, this pool of diverse toxins could potentially be a source of novel drug candidates for the treatment of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors mediated nervous disorders.     

Analysis of the ph in Europe during the period 1986–1997

The annual averages (1986–1997) of pH are analysed for the most important European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme stations in Europe. The first objective is to discover the different temporal patterns and trends for the pH. To do this, a cluster analysis is developed. The trends are analysed by linear regression for the annual averages. In general, the pH shows an increasing trend significant at 0.05 level and the annual change ranging from +0.01 to +0.05 pH‐units per year for the different clusters obtained. The second objective is to examine the spatial variability of pH in precipitation through the use of principal component analysis. Six statistically significant modes of variability are obtained for the pH which represent the 84.5% of the total variance.     

南疆西部不同植被类型NDVI对风沙灾害的响应

不同植被类型对风沙灾害的响应研究有助于风沙灾害的遥感监测评估和防灾减灾工作。采用传统统计学和空间自相关方法,利用MODIS的每日反射率和土地类型产品,分析了风沙灾害后南疆西部不同植被类型NDVI的变化规律及其空间分布特征。结果表明：风沙灾害后,研究区不同植被类型NDVI的差异在增大,NDVI变化值在一0．3865~0．4148之间,NDVI减小的面积占整个研究区面积的54．98％,变异系数增大值在2．44％～36．75％之间;受到风沙灾害的影响,研究区植被NDVI全局Moran’SI系数从0．7982减小到0．6786,但在空间上仍存在显著的正相关性,具有显著的空间集聚特征;由NDVI差值的局部空间自相关指标集聚图以及不同植被类型NDVI差值的空间关联区域面积百分比,可以发现落叶针叶林和裸地或低植被覆盖地受风沙灾害的影响较小,郁闭灌丛和作物受风沙灾害的影响较大。上述关于风沙灾害后南疆西部不同植被类型的变化及其空间格局的研究结果,不仅证明了防护林的风沙阻挡作用,也可以为风沙灾害的防治工作提供参考依据。     

欧洲的恶臭污染法规及测试技术进展

欧洲城市中人口密度的增加导致了严重的恶臭污染,几百年来,各种有关恶臭污染的法规相继出台。在过去的30年中,恶臭测试方法有所发展,人们不再轻信环境健康工作者的主观判断,而是将恶臭测试推向定量化的轨道。根据恶臭排放测试,扩散模式以及恶臭标准(以定量恶臭性质的影响研究为基础,确定恶臭污染的可忍受程度),荷兰率先推动了恶臭量化管理趋势。恶臭标准根据各行业的恶臭污染的具体程度制定。嗅觉计测试臭气浓度是一项可靠的技术,目前已经写入欧洲标准(EN13725:2003),将嗅觉计测试法和日本的三点式比较臭袋法进行比较,发现结果具有显著的一致性。嗅辨员的严格筛选也是促成其一致性的关键因素。     

Network-based exploration and visualisation of ecological data

Networks – structured graphs consisting of sets of nodes connected by edges – provide a rich framework for data visualisation and exploratory analyses. Although rarely used for the visualisation of ecological data, networks are well suited to this purpose, including data that one might not normally think of as a network. We present a simple method for transforming a data matrix into network format, and show how this can be used as the basis for interactive exploratory analyses of ecological data.The method is demonstrated using a database of marine zooplankton samples acquired in the Southern Ocean. The network analyses revealed zooplankton community structures that are in good agreement with previously published results. Variations in community structure were observed to be related to the temporal and spatial pattern of sampling, as well as to physical environmental factors such as sea ice cover. The analyses also revealed a number of errors in the data, including taxon identification errors and instrument failures.The method allows the analyst to generate networks from different combinations of variables in the data set, and to examine the effects of varying parameters such as the scales of spatial, temporal, and taxonomic aggregation. This flexibility allows the analyst to rapidly gain a number of perspectives on the data and provides a powerful mechanism for exploration.     

欧洲酸雨控制历程及效果综合评述

在分析大量文献资料的基础上,综合评述了欧洲酸雨发展和控制的主要历程. 20世纪70年代以来,欧洲酸雨控制主要经历了EMEP建立与达成共识,CLRTAP公约形成与实施平均减排方针,基于临界负荷与生态敏感性制定减排策略,以及多污染物协同控制与追求多重环境效应等4个发展阶段,并取得了显著的控制效果. 1980—2007年,欧洲硫排放减少了84%,NO_x排放减少了37%;大气中ρ(SO₂)从10.32 μg/m3降至1.26 μg/m3,ρ(NO₂)从10.38 μg/m3降至7.15 μg/m3;欧洲降水酸度呈不断下降的趋势. 最后,基于欧洲酸雨控制先进经验的分析,结合实际情况提出了未来我国酸雨控制建议.      

Non-linear ecological processes, fires, environmental heterogeneity and shrub invasion in northwestern Patagonia

The emergent behaviors of nature are not only the sum of interactions among ecosystem parts but also depend on the organization of these interactions. Fire, climate and vegetation patterns produce non-linear fire propagation across the landscape. Environmental heterogeneity, like outcrop presence and hare density, increases landscape patchiness and makes possible the occupation of fire refuges by plants, like Fabiana imbricata shrubs. We monitored shrub recruitment and cover during nine postfire years in northwestern Patagonia grasslands and we studied the long-term population dynamics under different environmental conditions through a matrix model, exploring different fire frequencies and spring precipitation regimes. Both, the field monitoring and the model seem to confirm the relationships between shrub invasion and fire. The climate change forecast predicts an increase in the frequency of El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomena that could causes more coupled fires—rainy springs in northwestern Patagonia, and consequently, more recruitment windows for shrubs, like F. imbricata. The matrix model also indicates that this scenario would be the most favourable for shrub invasion. Our results contribute to the knowledge of the ecosystem properties and processes, providing useful information to improve the grasslands sustainable use.     

花岗岩地区水蚀荒漠化问题探讨——以澄源河流域为例

以安徽省绩溪县澄源河流域为例,说明我国南方受干旱影响的亚湿润地带花岗岩地区水蚀荒漠化的存在,并探讨了其成因及危害。该流域１９８４年水蚀荒漠化面积为７．５６ｋｍ２,占流域总面积的１８．０３％;经过１０ａ的治理取得了一些成就和经验,至１９９６年水蚀荒漠化的面积已减少到２．５６ｋｍ２,占流域总面积的６．１１％,获得了可观的经济、社会和环境效益。事实说明只要采取一系列预防和治理措施,荒漠化过程是可以逆转的。     

Fertility Intentions and Risk Management: Exploring the Fertility Decline in Eastern Europe During Transition

Between 1985 and 1995, fertility in Eastern Europe declined from 2.2 children per woman to merely 1.5 on region-average. Previous research has emphasized mainly the economic turmoil during transition or the influx of new ideas regarding fertility and family relations. This article suggests that applying a risk management perspective on fertility patterns may put additional light on the reasons behind the fertility decline in post-communist Europe. The complexity of modern social systems has made people increasingly dependent on the state for risk evaluation and risk management. The article formulates the hypothesis that transition itself disrupted the mental models that helped people to navigate among the risks associated to having and raising children. Left to their own devices, women in Eastern Europe became more inclined to postpone childbirth or discard this option altogether.     

Developing spatially stratified N(2)O emission factors for Europe

We investigate the possibility to replace the – so-called – Tier 1 IPCC approach to estimate soil N₂O emissions with stratified emissions factors that take into account both N-input and the spatial variability of the environmental conditions within the countries of the European Union, using the DNDC-Europe model. Spatial variability in model simulations is high and corresponds to the variability reported in literature for field data. Our results indicate that (a) much of the observed variability in N₂O fluxes reflects the response of soils to external conditions, (b) it is likely that national inventories tend to overestimate the uncertainties in their estimated direct N₂O emissions from arable soils; (c) on average over Europe, the fertilizer-induced emissions (FIE) coincide with the IPCC factors, but they display large spatial variations. Therefore, at scales of individual countries or smaller, a stratified approach considering fertilizer type, soil characteristics and climatic parameters is preferable.