Understanding implications of consumer behavior for wildlife farming and sustainable wildlife trade

Unsustainable wildlife trade affects biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities dependent upon those resources. Wildlife farming has been proposed to promote sustainable trade, but characterizing markets and understanding consumer behavior remain neglected but essential steps in the design and evaluation of such operations. We used sea turtle trade in the Cayman Islands, where turtles have been farm raised for human consumption for almost 50 years, as a case study to explore consumer preferences toward wild‐sourced (illegal) and farmed (legal) products and potential conservation implications. Combining methods innovatively (including indirect questioning and choice experiments), we conducted a nationwide trade assessment through in‐person interviews from September to December 2014. Households were randomly selected using disproportionate stratified sampling, and responses were weighted based on district population size. We approached 597 individuals, of which 37 (6.2%) refused to participate. Although 30% of households had consumed turtle in the previous 12 months, the purchase and consumption of wild products was rare (e.g., 64–742 resident households consumed wild turtle meat [i.e., 0.3–3.5% of households] but represented a large threat to wild turtles in the area due to their reduced populations). Differences among groups of consumers were marked, as identified through choice experiments, and price and source of product played important roles in their decisions. Despite the long‐term practice of farming turtles, 13.5% of consumers showed a strong preference for wild products, which demonstrates the limitations of wildlife farming as a single tool for sustainable wildlife trade. By using a combination of indirect questioning, choice experiments, and sales data to investigate demand for wildlife products, we obtained insights about consumer behavior that can be used to develop conservation‐demand‐focused initiatives. Lack of data from long‐term social–ecological assessments hinders the evaluation of and learning from wildlife farming. This information is key to understanding under which conditions different interventions (e.g., bans, wildlife farming, social marketing) are likely to succeed.     

Prenatal prediction of childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in Turkish families

Childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most common neurodegenerative genetic disorders. SMN1 is the SMA-determining gene deleted or mutated in the majority of SMA cases. There is no effective cure or treatment for this disease yet. Thus, the availability of prenatal testing is important. Here we report prenatal prediction for 68 fetuses in 63 Turkish SMA families using direct deletion analysis of the SMN1 gene by restriction digestion. The genotype of the index case was known in 40 families (Group A) but unknown in the remaining 23 families (Group B). A total of ten fetuses were predicted to be affected. Eight of these fetuses were derived from Group A and two of these fetuses were from Group B families. Two fetuses from the same family in Group A had the SMNhyb1 gene in addition to homozygous deletion of the NAIP gene. One fetus from Group A was homozygously deleted for only exon 8 of the SMN2 gene, and further analysis showed the presence of both the SMN1 and SMNhyb1 genes but not the SMN2 gene. In addition, one carrier with a homozygous deletion of only exon 8 of the SMN1 gene was detected to have a SMNhyb2 gene, which was also found in the fetus. To our knowledge, these are the first prenatal cases with SMNhyb genes. Follow-up studies demonstrated that the prenatal predictions and the phenotype of the fetuses correlated well in 33 type I pregnancies demonstrating that a careful molecular analysis of the SMN genes is very useful in predicting the phenotype of the fetus in families at risk for SMA. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dandy – Walker syndrome and corpus callosum agenesis in 5p deletion

5p deletion syndrome commonly known as cri du chat is well described in affected neonates with catlike cry and hypotonia. Karyotyping will usually show a deletion of the short arm of one chromosome 5 with variable breakpoints. Only a few cases have been reported prenatally, and the fetal form of the syndrome has not been clearly individualised. We report a new case of 5p deletion syndrome diagnosed prenatally in association with Dandy–Walker syndrome and agenesis of the corpus callosum. Other brain anomalies have been reported previously, but this unusual association suggests the use of a specific probe in the investigation of these malformations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synergistic effects of Cu species and acidity of Cu-ZSM-5 on catalytic performance for selective catalytic oxidation of n-butylamine

In this work, a series of Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts with different SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios (25, 50, 100 and 200) were synthesized and investigated in n-butylamine catalytic degradation. The n-butylamine can be completely catalytic degradation at 350°C over all Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts. Moreover, Cu-ZSM-5 (25) exhibited the highest selectivity to N₂, exceeding 90% at 350°C. These samples were investigated in detail by several characterizations to illuminate the dependence of the catalytic performance on redox properties, Cu species, and acidity. The characterization results proved that the redox properties and chemisorption oxygen primarily affect n-butylamine conversion. N₂ selectivity was impacted by the Brønsted acidity and the isolated Cu²⁺ species. Meanwhile, the surface acid sites over Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts could influence the formation of Cu species. Furthermore, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra was adopted to explore the reaction mechanism. The Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts are the most prospective catalysts for nitrogen-containing volatile organic compounds removal, and the results in this study could provide new insights into catalysts design for VOC catalytic oxidation.     

随机振动响应峰值因子的预计理论研究

简要介绍了超越概率理论、超越频次理论、损伤等效理论和功率谱密度(PSD)的时域拟合理论等4种常见的峰值因子预计理论,并基于三角级数提出了一种新的预计理论。结合试飞加速度数据样本,对比分析超越频次理论、PSD时域拟合理论和三角级数理论的预估精度。研究表明,上述4种常见的预计理论本质上属于统计学理论;PSD时域拟合理论预计的峰值因子波动较大,峰值因子与归一化次数满足高斯分布;三角级数理论的预估精度较高,但缺乏离散峰个数的合理判据。     

基于FLUS模型的湖北省生态空间多情景模拟预测

改革开放以来,中国经济在飞速发展的同时,生态环境问题日益严峻。为保障国家和地区的生态安全,对未来生态空间进行模拟预测十分必要。在长江大保护和长江经济带绿色发展背景下,以湖北省为研究区,利用FLUS模型基于湖北省2010年、2015年土地利用数据及包含自然和人文因素的15种驱动因子数据,对2035年的湖北省生态空间进行模拟预测。结果表明：利用2010年土地利用现状模拟出的2015年湖北省土地利用变化情况,总体精度达到0.976,Kappa系数达到0.961,模拟精度较高。设置的生产空间优先、生活空间优先、生态空间优先以及综合空间优化4种不同情景,基本满足未来湖北省不同发展导向的需求。从地貌单元角度来看,在不同情景下,湖北省生态空间主要分布于湖北省边陲四大山区,中部江汉平原生态空间零星分布。从数量规模上来看,不同情景下各个用地类型数量规模差异较为明显,生产空间优先情景下耕地面积增加1216 km²,生活空间优先情景下城镇用地规模增加5959 km²,生态空间优先情景下生态空间用地增长722 km²,综合空间优化情景下生态空间用地规模变化更趋于平缓。从生态空间变化分布来看,四大山区的生态空间变化不大,但中部江汉平原生态空间变化较为明显,其中从行政区划上来看,变化范围主要分布于武汉城市圈、襄阳市、宜昌市中西部地区及随州市中部地区。总而言之,FLUS模型对于湖北省生态空间模拟的适用性较好,多情景模拟结果可为湖北省未来国土空间规划及未来生态空间管控提供多角度、多方向的政策决策参考。     

黄河三角洲典型地区耕地土壤养分空间预测

掌握土壤养分的分布特点是实现养分优化管理的重要基础。论文选择黄河三角洲典型地区山东省垦利县为研究区,通过田间采样与实验室化验分析获取了1 278个样本（0~20 cm）的土壤碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾数据。在经典统计分析的基础上,用地统计学方法分析了土壤养分的空间变异特征,并拟合了养分的变异函数模型。利用普通克里格法（OK）、反距离权重法（IDW）、泛克里格法（UK）、径向基函数法（RBF）和局部多项式法（LP）5种方法进行空间插值,并采用独立数据集验证对插值结果进行精度评价,进而分析了各养分空间分布规律。为深入探索各方法的适用性规律,基于AN数据设计了离散、随机、聚集3种空间分布模式的数据,利用各模型的自动优化进行试验,对比分析了不同插值方法在土壤养分空间预测中的自适应性。结果表明：1）研究区碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾均为中等强度的空间变异和中等程度的空间自相关,其变异函数模型分别为球状模型、指数模型和球状模型,决定系数依次为0.951、0.892和0.787;2）在空间分布上,土壤碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾含量与地形和土地利用类型等有关,西南部地势较高,以水浇地和旱田为主,东北部沿黄农田受黄河淡水影响,耕地质量较好,而中部地区地势低平,以水田为主,养分含量偏低;3）相对于块金系数/基台值,Moran’s I是更为稳健有效的衡量土壤养分空间自相关性的方法;4）论文认为,空间分布模式、样本量、空间自相关性和空间聚集程度（最近邻比）均影响插值精度。在离散模式下,各方法自适应性均较差;在随机模式下,IDW与RBF自适应性优于OK和LP;在聚集模式下,各方法自适应性与样本量和空间自相关性有关,直至样本足够多时,4种插值方法精度接近。论文探明了研究区主要土壤养分的最佳插值预测方法,分析了土壤养分的变异特征和空间分布规律,为黄河三角洲典型地区耕地土壤养分利用管理和农业可持续发展提供了理论依据。     

大气自净能力指数的气候特征与应用研究

为了定量地评估污染气象条件对空气污染的作用并实现对空气污染潜势的预报,本文在城市大气污染数值预报系统（CAPPS）预报原理的基础上,定义了大气自净能力指数,并分别给出了采用气象站观测资料和通过数值模拟计算大气自净能力指数的方法.基于气象站观测资料的全国大气自净能力指数分析计算表明,全国大气自净能力最差的地区分布在四川盆地和新疆塔里木盆地,大气自净能力最强的地区分布在青藏高原、蒙古高原、云贵高原、以及东北平原和三江平原、山东半岛和海南岛;1961~2017年,京津冀、长三角和珠三角地区的大气自净能力指数呈下降的变化趋势,全年低自净能力日数呈上升的变化趋势.采用大气自净能力指数评估2014年北京APEC会议期间大气污染防控效果,表明在11月8~10日极端不利扩散气象条件发生时,减排措施使北京市空气质量AQI平均降低77%,使京津冀平原地区11个城市的空气质量AQI平均降低37%.基于国家气候中心月动力延伸气候预测模式（DERF2.0）的预报产品和中尺度模式（WRF）,建立了可以预测全国未来40d逐日大气自净能力指数的延伸期-月尺度大气污染潜势预测系统,回报实验表明,在大多数情况下可以提前15d预报出大气重污染过程;月尺度的大气重污染过程预报效果更大程度上取决于月动力延伸气候预测模式（DERF2.0）的预报准确率.     

新型Fe3O4@α-MnO2活化过一硫酸盐降解水中偶氮染料

采用两步水热法制备了新型磁性纳米Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂复合材料作为催化剂,用于活化过一硫酸盐（PMS）产生强氧化性的硫酸根自由基（SO₄^-·）氧化降解偶氮染料活性黑5（RBK5）.采用透射电子显微镜（TEM）,X射线粉末衍射仪（XRD）和振动样品磁强计（VSM）对制备的催化剂进行表征,证明成功合成了纳米α-MnO₂包覆Fe₃O₄形态的Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂催化剂,催化剂的饱和磁化强度为39.89emu/g.Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂催化剂活化PMS与单一的Fe₃O₄和α-MnO₂活化PMS相比,具有更高的催化效率,说明铁锰双金属存在协同作用.同时研究了催化剂的投加量、PMS的浓度和初始pH值等各种因素对RBK5的降解效率以及反应动力学的影响.实验结果表明,Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂催化剂活化PMS降解RBK5的过程符合准一级反应动力学,在催化剂投加量为1.2g/L,PMS的浓度为4mmol/L,初始pH值为7.0,反应时间为60min的情况下,浓度为30mg/L的RBK5的降解效率可达到91%,此时RBK5的降解速率常数也达到最高值0.023min^-1.此外,通过加入自由基淬灭剂甲醇、叔丁醇和硝基苯判断了Fe₃O₄@α-MnO₂/PMS体系中起主要氧化降解作用的活性物种为SO₄^-·.     

飞机用铝合金腐蚀行为和腐蚀预测研究现状及问题分析

针对不同的航空铝合金结构及部位,从腐蚀机理、腐蚀行为和腐蚀预测技术三方面较为系统地分析了研究现状及进展。在此基础上,明确了航空铝合金腐蚀预测技术需要进一步研究的问题,分别为飞机结构表面腐蚀环境的确定问题,材料在海洋大气环境下腐蚀电化学性能的准确测量问题,腐蚀预测模型的选取问题。