Mercury concentrations in hair exposed in vitro to mercury vapor

Hair is often used as an index of environmental and industrial exposure to different metals. The interpretation of metal levels in hair is difficult because of the risk of external contamination. The aim of this study was to define the degree of external contamination of hair exposed in vitro to mercury vapor. Specimens of hair were exposed to concentration: 0.026, 0.21, and 2.7 mg Hg/m³ for 2–28 d. Mercury levels in hair increased during 28 d of exposure 2, 3 and 13, times, respectively, when compared to initial values. Mercury levels in hair exposed to the first and second (but not third) concentration of mercury vapor attained a steady state on the 21st d of exposure. The contamination of hair with mercury could not be removed by washing with water, solvent, and detergent. Hair may be used as an index of internal uptake of mercury provided that it was not externally exposed to mercury vapor. In cases of occupational exposure to mercury vapor, hair could become a useful tool for monitoring exposures.     

婴幼儿喂养指数法评价6~23月龄婴幼儿喂养状况的临床价值

摘要 目的：探讨婴幼儿喂养指数法（ICFI）评价6~23月龄婴幼儿的喂养状况的临床价值。方法：于2015年6月至2016年2月，按照多阶段分层整群随机抽样的方法，抽取1418例6~23月龄婴幼儿作为调查对象。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）喂养建议建立喂养指数体系（包括母乳喂养、奶瓶喂养、膳食多样性、食物频率和喂养频率），进行ICFI评分。结果：本次共调查1418例婴幼儿，男766例（54.02 %），女652例（45.98 %）。6~8月龄组482例（33.99 %），9~11月龄组457例（32.23 %），12~23月龄组479例（33.78 %）。母乳喂养率为45.06 %，随月龄增加母乳喂养率降低（x²=234.486，P<0.05）。奶瓶喂养率为74.75 %，随月龄增加奶瓶喂养率升高（x²=75.671，P<0.05）。膳食多样性总满分率为67.42 %，满分率随月龄增加而增加（x²=154.146，P<0.05）。6~8、9~11月龄食物频率总满分率由高到低依次为谷类、蔬菜/水果、蛋/鱼/禽肉类、豆类及其制品、畜肉类；12~23月龄依次为奶类及其制品、蔬菜/水果、蛋/鱼/禽肉类、畜肉类、豆类及其制品。三个月龄组间食物频率评分随月龄增加而增加（F=1240.819，P<0.05）。喂养频率满分率为41.11 %（583/1418），随月龄增加而降低（x²=149.05，P<0.05）。结论：ICFI可客观地反映婴幼儿的喂养状况，目前6~23月龄婴幼儿喂养状况不容乐观，喂养状况随着月龄减小而变差。     

The use of ecological integrity indicators within the natural capital index framework: The ecological and economic value of the remnant natural capital of México

In this paper, the ecological integrity hierarchy framework (EIHF) and the natural capital index framework (NCI) are integrated as decision-making tools for evaluating the natural capital of Mexico. Two hierarchy-levels of ecological integrity indicators are used to estimate the quality and quantity of the natural capital, the amount of ecological degradation and ecological sustainability. After human transformation, the extent still considered as “natural” in the country is ∼67%; while the amount of human transformed areas is ∼33%, which gives a total estimate of NCI = 0.334; i.e., only ∼33.4% of the national capital remains available, while ∼33% is ecologically degraded. Furthermore, the critical natural capital; i.e., the legacy for future generations that remains in the country is only ∼12%. The total estimated value of the current natural capital in Mexico is ∼$457.1 billion/yr, which is ∼435 times greater than the national GDP ($1.051 billion in 2010). The cost of maintaining the degradation of the natural capital is ∼$144.6 billion/yr (∼138 times greater than national GDP in 2010). The potential value of the natural capital after restoration would be ∼$602 billion/yr. Valuing the natural capital can be helpful for strategic environmental evaluations and useful for spatial decision support systems that evaluate natural capital as a decision-making tool.     

Enhancement of the Amazonian Açaí Waste Fibers through Variations of Alkali Pretreatment Parameters

The açaí fruit depulping produces large amounts of long lignocellulosic fiber bundles that are disposed in the environment. Chemical pretreatments may improve açaí fibers favoring their usage in advanced materials. This work aimed to define optimal alkali reaction parameters to improve the properties of açaí fibers. Two NaOH concentrations (5 % and 10 %) and two reaction temperatures (80 °C and 100 °C) were tested. The raw and treated fibers were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermal analyses. All the alkali pretreatments separated fibers from the bundles, unblocked pit channels by removing silicon structures, exposed the inner lignin, partially removed non‐cellulosic compounds, and raised the cellulose crystalline index. The highest temperature and NaOH content resulted in better cleaning and isolation of the fibers, while milder conditions better preserved the cellulose crystalline structure and thermal stability.     

Using a goal programming approach to design and evaluate protected areas for the conservation of multiple dimensions of biodiversity

The decline and loss of biodiversity provoked by human activities have caused ecologists and conservationists to center their attention on the design of conservation priority areas (PAs), focusing mainly on species conservation in terms of richness, rarity and/or vulnerability. However, biodiversity has multiple dimensions, evolutionary processes have recently been labeled the ‘missing component’ of conservation strategies, and increasingly more authors are suggesting that the ecological, evolutionary and historical aspects of biodiversity are key components of conservation planning. In this study we develop a prioritization system to design conservation PAs using the wild terrestrial mammals of the Iberian Peninsula as an example. We aim to contribute to the design of more suitable PAs by integrating ecological components of biodiversity (species richness, vulnerability and rarity), evolutionary aspects (accumulated genetic diversification) and historical information relevant to the study area. After selecting a set of biodiversity indicators, we applied a multi-objective technique (extended goal programming) to construct a combined index, where values in the top 90th percentile were then used to select the PAs. According to our most efficient and satisfactory results, some areas highlighted for their conservation are currently categorized as PAs, however, we found that it would be necessary to reconsider their extent, especially in northern Spain, where the historical aspects of biodiversity (the missing component) are more widely present. The need to determine PAs is unquestionable. However, it should also be a priority to move towards a model of sustainable and fair development.     

有色大麦种质芽期耐盐性鉴定

以44份有色大麦种质为试材,通过测定发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数、萌发活力指数结合两个颜色指标YU(颜色亮度和浓度)进行芽期的耐盐性鉴定,并运用相关性分析、主成分分析、聚类分析等方法对有色大麦材料进行多指标耐盐性综合评价。结果表明,发芽率和发芽指数对盐胁迫响应最为敏感,芽长和根长对盐胁迫响应较为迟钝;粒色亮度与耐盐性综合评价F值呈显著负相关;粒色浓度与耐盐性综合评价F值呈显著正相关;综合指标F值相关分析表明,颜色越深,耐盐性越强;用综合指标F值,可将44份有色大麦分为4类,其中强耐盐材料包括XZDM-1401、XZDM-1404、XZDM-1543、XZDM-1546等4份,中等耐盐性包括XZDM-926、XZDM-957、XZDM-972等16份,弱耐盐性包括XZDM-815、XZDM-1606、XZDM-1030等12份,敏盐性包括XZDM-973、XZDM-1042、XZDM-1318等12份。     

引进马铃薯种质资源抗旱性评价

马铃薯属于干旱敏感型作物,当前生产上的马铃薯品种多数不耐旱,中国马铃薯抗旱育种进程又受到遗传背景狭窄的制约。引进外来种质资源,拓宽我国马铃薯遗传背景,加快选育抗旱品种是马铃薯应对干旱的关键策略。2016年和2017年,在常规滴灌和雨养条件下,利用增广设计方法,以生产上常用的5个马铃薯品种为对照,对来自国际马铃薯中心的315份高代品系和中国已有的3个品种进行抗旱性评价。通过AMMI模型和GGE模型分析基因型、环境及二者互作对产量的影响,并结合抗旱指数筛选抗旱性稳定且产量高的材料。从整体上看,在雨养条件下,两年马铃薯平均产量差异较小,但是变异系数较大,常规滴灌条件下正好相反。马铃薯产量受基因型、环境及其交互作用的显著影响,其变异平方和分别占总处理平方和的43.39%、39.36%和17.26%;C93和YS902两年的抗旱指数均高于对照品种,稳产性好,C48虽然抗旱指数相对较低,但是高产和稳产性高于所有材料。筛选出来的材料不仅可以作为抗旱育种亲本,还可以通过进一步研究其抗旱机制,为抗旱育种提供理论支持。     

西双版纳5种附生兰非菌根内生真菌多样性研究

从西双版纳纳板河流域国家级自然保护区的盆距兰Gastrochilus、隔距兰Cleisostoma、毛兰Eria、贝母兰Coelogyne和万代兰Vanda的根、茎、叶分离得到172株非菌根内生真菌,根据ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA系统发育分析鉴定为盘菌亚门的4纲11目29属,其中炭角菌目、肉座菌目和格孢腔菌目真菌的相对频率最高;Xylaria、Fusarium和Phoma为主要优势属,相对频率分别为23.3%、14.5%和10.5%,它们的组织专化性不同,其中Xylaria在根、茎和叶均有分布,而Fusarium和Phoma都分离自根部。不同组织的内生真菌多样性和种类组成差异明显,根、茎和叶的内生真菌Shannon多样性指数分别为2.4083、1.0312和0.6557,表明根部内生真菌多样性显著高于茎、叶内生真菌多样性,其中根的主要优势内生真菌类群有Fusarium、Xylaria和Phoma,茎的主要优势内生真菌类群有Xylaria、Pestalotiopsis和Colletotrichum,叶的主要优势内生真菌类群有Colletotrichum、Pallidocercospora、Pantospora和Phyllosticta。从附生兰种类来看,盆距兰、隔距兰、毛兰、贝母兰和万代兰内生真菌的Shannon多样性指数分别为2.2689、2.2635、2.0115、1.9197、1.7139,表明盆距兰和隔距兰内生真菌多样性高于毛兰、贝母兰和万代兰。     

基于计算流体力学数值模拟的城市绿地温湿效应及室外热舒适评价研究进展

近年来随着计算机与各学科领域交叉研究的发展,计算流体力学数值模拟方法在城市环境的微气候研究方面得到较多应用,为研究绿地在有限面积内更有效地实现其降温效应提供了新的思路。回顾计算流体力学（CFD）数值模拟方法在不同尺度的城市绿地温湿效应及室外热舒适度评价研究中的应用,在此基础上,总结目前存在的问题及不足,对未来该领域的研究方向提出3点展望,以期为未来城市绿地微气候研究提供参考：1）多平台与尺度扩展研究;2）微气候特征指标的综合交叉分析;3）高适配度模拟模型的及时更新。