Spectroscopy properties and optimization for the detection of mercury（Ⅱ） with series hydroxyl-porphyrins

结合紫外分光光度法研究系列羟基卟啉与汞离子的显色反应,并优化其检测条件.在pH=7.5的条件下,以N,N-二甲基甲酰胺（DMF）作为溶剂,加入0.4 mL表面活性剂Tween-80,系列羟基卟啉与Hg2＋发生配位反应,发现其最大吸收峰与卟啉环上（meso）位苯基对位上的羟基数目相关.热力学研究表明,单羟基卟啉化合物对Hg2＋检测效果最好,形成1∶1配位化合物,检测限可达0.042μg.L-1,且在0—50 mg.L-1范围内符合比尔定律.     

Landscape context and scale differentially impact coffee leaf rust, coffee berry borer, and coffee root-knot nematodes

Crop pest and disease incidences at plot scale vary as a result of landscape effects. Two main effects can be distinguished. First, landscape context provides habitats of variable quality for pests, pathogens, and beneficial and vector organisms. Second, the movements of these organisms are dependent on the connectivity status of the landscape. Most of the studies focus on indirect effects of landscape context on pest abundance through their predators and parasitoids, and only a few on direct effects on pests and pathogens. Here we studied three coffee pests and pathogens, with limited or no pressure from host-specific natural enemies, and with widely varying life histories, to test their relationships with landscape context: a fungus, Hemileia vastatrix, causal agent of coffee leaf rust; an insect, the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); and root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. Their incidence was assessed in 29 coffee plots from Turrialba, Costa Rica. In addition, we characterized the landscape context around these coffee plots in 12 nested circular sectors ranging from 50 to 1500 m in radius. We then performed correlation analysis between proportions of different land uses at different scales and coffee pest and disease incidences. We obtained significant positive correlations, peaking at the 150 m radius, between coffee berry borer abundance and proportion of coffee in the landscape. We also found significant positive correlations between coffee leaf rust incidence and proportion of pasture, peaking at the 200 m radius. Even after accounting for plot level predictors of coffee leaf rust and coffee berry borer through covariance analysis, the significance of landscape structure was maintained. We hypothesized that connected coffee plots favored coffee berry borer movements and improved its survival. We also hypothesized that wind turbulence, produced by low-wind-resistance land uses such as pasture, favored removal of coffee leaf rust spore clusters from host surfaces, resulting in increased epidemics. In contrast, root-knot nematode population density was not correlated to landscape context, possibly because nematodes are almost immobile in the soil. We propose fragmenting coffee plots with forest corridors to control coffee berry borer movements between coffee plots without favoring coffee leaf rust dispersal.     

Bayesian testing for trend in a power model for clustered binary data

Developmental toxicity studies are widely used to investigate the potential risk of environmental hazards. In dose–response experiments, subjects are randomly allocated to groups receiving various dose levels. Tests for trend are then often applied to assess possible dose effects. Recent techniques for risk assessment in this area are based on fitting dose–response models. The complexity of such studies implies a number of non-trivial challenges for model development and the construction of dose-related trend tests, including the hierarchical structure of the data, litter effects inducing extra variation, the functional form of the dose–response curve, the adverse event at dam or at fetus level, the inference paradigm, etc. The purpose of this paper is to propose a Bayesian trend test based on a non-linear power model for the dose effect and using an appropriate model for clustered binary data. Our work is motivated by the analysis of developmental toxicity studies, in which the offspring of exposed and control rodents are examined for defects. Simulations show the performance of the method over a number of samples generated under typical experimental conditions.     

Contrasts in Livelihoods and Protein Intake between Commercial and Subsistence Bushmeat Hunters in Two Villages on Bioko Island,Equatorial Guinea

Across West and Central Africa, wildlife provides a source of food and income. We investigated the relation between bushmeat hunting and household wealth and protein consumption in 2 rural communities in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. One village was dedicated to commercial hunting, the other trapped game primarily for food. We tested whether commercial‐hunter households were nutritionally advantaged over subsistence‐hunter households due to their higher income from the bushmeat trade and greater access to wild‐animal protein. We conducted bushmeat‐offtake surveys in both villages (captures by hunters and carcasses arriving to each village). Mammals (including threatened primates: black colobus [Colobus satanas], Preussi's guenon [Allochrocebus preussi], and russet‐eared guenon [Cercopithecus erythrotis]), birds, and reptiles were hunted. The blue duiker (Philantomba monticola), giant pouched rat (Cricetomys emini), and brush‐tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) contributed almost all the animal biomass hunted, consumed, or sold in both villages. Monkeys and Ogilbyi's duikers (Cephalophus ogilbyi) were hunted only by commercial hunters. Commercial hunters generated a mean of US$2000/year from bushmeat sales. Households with commercial hunters were on average wealthier, generated more income, spent more money on nonessential goods, and bought more products they did not grow. By contrast, households with subsistence hunters spent less on market items, spent more on essential products, and grew more of their own food. Despite these differences, average consumption of vegetable protein and domestic meat and bushmeat protein did not differ between villages. Our results highlight the importance of understanding the socioeconomic and nutritional context of commercial and subsistence bushmeat hunting to correctly interpret ways of reducing their effects on threatened species and to enable the sustainable offtake of more productive taxa. Contrastes en el Sustento y la Ingesta de Proteínas entre Carne de Caza de Subsistencia y Comercial en Dos Aldeas en Isla Bioko, Guinea Ecuatorial     

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the root uptake and translocation of radiocaesium

Because mycorrhizal fungi are intimately associated with plant roots, their importance in radionuclide (RN) recycling and subsequent dispersion into the biosphere has received an increasing interest. Recently, the capacity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to take up and translocate radiocaesium to their host was demonstrated. However, the relative contribution of these processes in comparison to the ones of roots remains unknown. Here, the respective contributions of the hyphae of a Glomus species and the transformed carrot (Daucus carota L.) roots on radiocaesium uptake and translocation were compared and quantified. We observed that radiocaesium uptake by hyphae was significantly lower as compared to that of the roots, while the opposite was noted for radiocaesium translocation/uptake ratio. We also observed that the intraradical fungal structures might induce a local accumulation of radiocaesium and concurrently reduce its translocation within mycorrhizal roots. We believe that intraradical fungal structures might induce the down-regulation of radiocaesium channels involved in the transport processes of radiocaesium towards the xylem.     

Role and influence of mycorrhizal fungi on radiocesium accumulation by plants

This review summarizes current knowledge on the contribution of mycorrhizal fungi to radiocesium immobilization and plant accumulation. These root symbionts develop extended hyphae in soils and readily contribute to the soil-to-plant transfer of some nutrients. Available data show that ecto-mycorrhizal (ECM) fungi can accumulate high concentration of radiocesium in their extraradical phase while radiocesium uptake and accumulation by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is limited. Yet, both ECM and AM fungi can transport radiocesium to their host plants, but this transport is low. In addition, mycorrhizal fungi could thus either store radiocesium in their intraradical phase or limit its root-to-shoot translocation. The review discusses the impact of soil characteristics, and fungal and plant transporters on radiocesium uptake and accumulation in plants, as well as the potential role of mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation strategies.     

Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on uranium accumulation by plants

Contamination by uranium (U) occurs principally at U mining and processing sites. Uranium can have tremendous environmental consequences, as it is highly toxic to a broad range of organisms and can be dispersed in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Remediation strategies of U-contaminated soils have included physical and chemical procedures, which may be beneficial, but are costly and can lead to further environmental damage. Phytoremediation has been proposed as a promising alternative, which relies on the capacity of plants and their associated microorganisms to stabilize or extract contaminants from soils. In this paper, we review the role of a group of plant symbiotic fungi, i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which constitute an essential link between the soil and the roots. These fungi participate in U immobilization in soils and within plant roots and they can reduce root-to-shoot translocation of U. However, there is a need to evaluate these observations in terms of their importance for phytostabilization strategies.     

Litter-based methods in developmental toxicity risk assessment

Developmental toxicity experiments are designed to assess potential adverse effects of drugs and other exposures on developing fetuses from pregnant dams. Extrapolation to humans is a very difficult problem. An important issue here is whether risk assessment should be based on the fetus or the litter level. In this paper, fetus and litter-based risks that properly account for cluster size are defined and compared for the beta-binomial model and a conditional model for clustered binary data. It is shown how the hierarchical structure of non-viable implants and viable but malformed offspring can be incorporated. Risks based on a joint model for death/resorption and malformation are contrasted with risks based on an adverse event defined as either death/resorption or malformation. The estimation of safe exposure levels for all risk types is discussed and it is shown how estimation of the cluster size distribution affects variance estimation. The methods are applied to data collected under the National Toxicology Program and in large sample simulations.