Food consumption and related water resources in Nordic cities

Many modern cities have strongly invested in the sustainability of their urban water management system. Nordic cities like Stockholm or Copenhagen are amongst pioneers in investments towards integrated urban water management. However, cities can never be fully self-sufficient due to their dependency on external (water) resources. In this paper, we quantify this water dependency with respect to food consumption in nine cities located in the five Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland), by means of the water footprint concept. Detailed urban water footprint assessments are scarce in the literature. By analysing national nutrition surveys, we find that urban food intake behaviour differs from national food intake behaviour. In large Nordic cities people eat generally less potatoes, milk products (without cheese), meat and animal fats and they drink less coffee than outside city borders. On the other hand, they generally eat more vegetables and vegetable oils and they drink more tea and alcoholic beverages. This leads consistently – for the six large Nordic cities Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo and Reykjavik – to slightly smaller food related urban water footprints (−2 to −6%) than national average values. We also analyse the water footprint for different diets based upon Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) for these cities. We assessed three healthy diet scenarios: 1) including meat (HEALTHY-MEAT), 2) pesco-vegetarian (HEALTHY-PESCO-VEG) and 3) vegetarian (HEALTHY-VEG). This shows that Nordic urban dwellers 1) eat too many animal products (red meat, milk and milk products) and sugar and drink too much alcohol and 2) they eat not enough vegetables, fruit and products from the group pulses, nuts and oilcrops. Their overall energy and protein intake is too high. A shift to a healthy diet with recommended energy and protein intake reduces the urban WF related to food consumption substantially. A shift to HEALTHY-MEAT results in a reduction of −9 to −24%, for HEALTHY-PESCO-VEG the reduction is −29 to −37%, for HEALTHY-VEG the reduction is −36 to −44%. In other words, Nordic urban dwellers can save a lot of water by shifting to a healthy diet.     

An Ecteola-cellulose chromatography assay for 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate: Phenol sulfotransferase

A new assay procedure for phenol sulfotransferase which employs [35S]-3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate as a sulfate donor and a variety of phenols as sulfate acceptors was developed. The appearance of the 35S-sulfated products or the disappearance of the [35S]-3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate are determined simultaneously by chromatography of the assay incubation mixtures on Ecteola-cellulose columns, eluting with an NH4HCO3 step gradient. Various acidic, neutral, and basic phenols can be employed as substrates for phenol sulfotransferase using this procedure.     

上海市潮滩湿地大型底栖动物的空间分布格局

通过对上海市6个典型潮滩湿地（崇明东滩、崇明北滩、九段沙、青草沙、南汇边滩和杭州湾北岸）的调查，共记录到大型底栖动物112种，甲壳动物、软体动物和环节动物分别占总物种数的51．8％、22．3％和18．8％。6个潮滩湿地中大型底栖动物生物量的空间分布呈现一致的规律，即高潮区〉中潮区〉低潮区；在生物量构成中，甲壳动物是最为重要的类群，其总体平均相对贡献率在51％～97％之间，软体动物的总体平均相对贡献率在2％～48％之间。大型底栖动物密度的空间分布在地点间存在较大差异，在崇明东滩、九段沙和杭州湾北岸湿地中，软体动物在数量上占优势；而在崇明北滩、青草沙和南汇边滩，甲壳动物却是优势类群。与20世纪80和90年代的调查资料相比，近20多年来上海市潮滩湿地中大型底栖动物生物量明显增加，但群落结构发生了根本改变，优势类群由个体较小的软体动物转变为平均体重较大的甲壳动物，这主要与人类活动（过度采捕、环境污染和生物促淤等因素）的强度干扰有关，也反映上海市潮滩湿地的环境质量和生态功能正在逐步下降。     

基于能值改进的开放系统生态足迹模型及其应用——以深圳市为例

对生态经济复合系统综合评价是实现区域可持续发展首先要面对的科学问题.针对传统生态足迹模型的系统封闭性和空间互斥性等不合理假设,利用从系统论出发并具有基于流量算法优点的能值分析理论,对传统生态足迹模型加以改进,同时将人类劳务纳入系统评价.改进后的模型仍然从供给与需求角度分析区域消费足迹与承载力,强调区域资源进出口,分析开放系统条件下区域发展状况,并将人类的作用纳入可持续发展评价范畴.以深圳市2006年发展状况为例对改进模型进行实证分析.计算结果显示:研究区域具有48.08ghm2的人均潜在生态承载力;在生物生产账户上存在3.60ghm2的人均生态赤字,需进口来弥补,而在工业产品账户上3.14ghm2的人均盈余,可供出口;具有约4.87ghm2的人均净承载力出口,为其他区域的发展做出了贡献;人力资源是深圳市可持续发展的重要保障,至少提供相当5.20ghm2的人均生态承载力;发展高新技术产业、低能耗的清洁工业,产出高能值转换率的产品,实现区域本地产品在能量系统等级的提升,是提升本地承载力的现实途径.结果表明,改进后模型突破了传统生态足迹模型偏生态的弱可持续性评价局限,成为综合反映区域生态经济发展状况的可持续性评价模型.     

Induction and amplification of T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to periodate and soybean agglutinin by human adult vascular endothelial cells

Human mononuclear phagocyte (M phi) populations were compared to adult human endothelial cells (HEC) for their respective abilities to influence the proliferative responses of purified human T lymphocytes to the mitogenic agents Na-m-periodate (IO-4), soybean agglutinin (SBA), or allogeneic cells. HEC and M phi were both capable of inducing proliferative responses of allogeneic T lymphocytes in mixed-lymphocyte culture. Under low cell density culture conditions, purified T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to IO-4 or SBA could be restored by addition of syngeneic M phi or HEC. At higher cell density culture conditions, proliferation of T cells to IO-4 could be amplified more by HEC than M phi. T-lymphocyte proliferative responses to SBA were amplified by addition of HEC but were suppressed by addition of M phi. These findings indicate that human adult HEC are unique and potent accessory cells for T lymphocytes. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that accessory cell functions of HEC can be discriminated from those of M phi.     

Progesterone antagonism of androgen-dependent marking in gerbils

The role of progesterone (P) as an androgen antagonist in Mongolian gerbil territorial marking was assessed in the present investigation. Twenty-seven mature males were observed for two consecutive weeks in a marking apparatus. On the basis of the average of the two sessions, subjects were matched and assigned to one of three groups. All animals were orchidectomized and tested three weeks after surgery. Three days after a single postoperative session a schedule of hormonal replacement was initiated. Group 1 was administered 640 μg testosterone propionate (TP). Group 2 received 640 μg TP followed immediately by 3 mg P. A third group received 640 μg TP followed by a 1 mg injection of P. Subjects were tested for marking 24 hr after the injection for a cumulative period of 6 wk.Results indicated that (a) castration drastically reduced marking; (b) TP alone and TP + 1 mg P restored the behavior; (c) TP + 3 mg P inhibited its restoration; and (d) a significant interaction was present between hormonal therapy and the 6-wk testing interval. However, all three hormonal treatments restored sebaceous gland dimensions. Results are discussed in terms of a model of hormone-gene action.     

Proton nmr spectroscopy of high-spin ferrous cytochrome P-450 models

Alkyl mercaptide complexes of both synthetic and natural-derivative iron(II) porphyrins have been characterized in DMSO solution by proton nmr spectroscopy. A single mercaptide ligand binds to form a high-spin iron(II) complex as determined by solution magnetic measurements and the nmr isotropic shift pattern. Ligand exchange is slow on the nmr time scale unlike corresponding 2-methyl imidazole exchange rates which are very rapid. Further comparison of mercaptide and 2-methyl imidazole adducts reveals a downfield bias in isotropic shift values for the mercaptide species, which may be explained by different signs in the dipolar shift term for the two complexes. This apparent magnetic anisotropy of the mercaptide complex is in the same direction, although smaller, than that observed for bacterial cytochrome P-450. Isotropic shift values of at least 250 ppm for methylene resonances of the coordinated mercaptide support a very efficient unpaired spin delocalization for this axial ligand.     

城镇化进程中居民生活消费的生态环境压力评估—— 以江苏省江阴市为例

消费问题是区域生态环境压力增大和生态环境问题产生的根本原因。提出人口环境消费的概念和理论模型,并在生态足迹理论和方法的支撑下分别计算江苏省江阴市1997～2004年城镇居民和农村居民生活消费的环境压力;采用SPSS14.0软件,分析城镇和农村居民这两类人群人均环境消费的变化规律及其影响因素,并通过建立多元线性回归预测模型,估算在城镇化快速发展的情况下江阴市人口环境消费期望值。研究表明：江阴市城镇居民人均环境消费从1997年的1.395hm^2上升到2004年的1.960hm^2,年均递增0.081hm^2;农村居民则从1997年的1.345hm^2上升到2004年的1.465hm^2,年均递增0.017hm^2。城乡居民人均环境消费与人均可支配收入、人均受教育年限、恩格尔系数、人均地区生产总值等社会经济指标呈显著线性相关。预计到2010年城乡居民人均环境消费将分别达到2.258hm^2和1.919hm^2,到2020年将分别达到2.807hm^2和2.303hm2;2010年和2020年区域生态赤字将比2004年分别增长55%和107%,给区域生态环境造成巨大压力。为有效缓解区域环境压力,论文提出合理控制区域人口规模和城镇化发展速度,大力发展生态产业,培养可持续消费观念,引导绿色、健康和环境友好型的消费模式等对策措施。