Promoting regional sustainability by eco-province construction in China: A critical assessment

The regional level has been recognized as a good scale for implementing actions towards sustainable development (SD). An important pathway to improve regional sustainability is to locally carry out long-term ecological planning. In order to reduce environmental impacts from fast economic growth, several eastern provinces of China began Ecological Province Construction (EPC) at the end of 1990s. This paper presented a case for analyzing the progress of EPC in China via both qualitative and quantitative methods. We studied Shandong Eco-province Construction (SEPC) and evaluated its outcomes with its pre-set indicators in 2003–2010. A further evaluation with eco-efficiency and de-linking indices was conducted. The results indicated the pre-set indicators could not effectively reflect of the ecological province construction. It was recommended to introduce an evaluated framework combined with eco-efficiency and de-linking indices to indicate ecological planning at the regional scale.     

Assessing regional sustainable development through an integration of nonlinear principal component analysis and Gram Schmidt orthogonalization

The regional sustainable development level (SDL), sustainability of regional development (SRD) and system coordination (SC) make up the triangular truss of regional sustainable development assessment, but it is debated how should traditional practice best weight and calculate the whole sustainable development system level. The Bohai Rim, covering three provinces and two municipalities in China, lies in a region that is sensitive to profound conflict between socioeconomic development and environment pollution in the process of sustainable development. Considering the defects of traditional models and the multidimensionality of regional sustainability issues, we proposed an integrated model of nonlinear principal component analysis and Gram Schmidt orthogonalization and presented a novel regional sustainable development assessment method and framework from three perspectives for the society–economy–environment system of the Bohai Rim region. The results show that: (a) the integration of nonlinear principal component analysis and Gram Schmidt orthogonalization can well remedy the defects of traditional methods and provide a more objective conceptual framework; (b) the sustainability of regional development and system coordination models graphically demonstrate the essence and connotation of a dynamic sustainable development system; (c) the empirical study demonstrated that the Bohai Rim region has experienced a distinct development period in which the SRD experienced a steady decline and the SDL and SC generally increased; (d) the coordination ability can be improved by a decline in the environmental sustainability, which reveals the importance of environment subsystem optimization; and (e) the weight distribution of variables demonstrates that the most significant factors affecting sustainable development are the indicators from the dimensions of people's standard of living, economic structure and environmental pollution. This study enriches the sustainable development assessment theory and methodology, and lays the foundation for further sustainable development research in the Bohai Rim region.     

Co-transfer of two plasmids determining bacteriocin production and sucrose utilization in Streptococcus faecium

Abstract Streptococcus faecium strain 25 produced a bacteriocin (enterococcin Sf25), metabolized sucrose and contained three plasmids of 2.4, 4.7 and 13.0 MDa. Plasmids Sfp2.4 and Sfp4.7 were cotransferred in a filter mating procedure to sucrose negative and bacteriocin negative S. faecium strain M16. Strain M16 harboured a nonselftransferable plasmid Sfp 19.1 MDa, which was responsible for erythromycin resistance. Transcipient cells of S. faecium M16 contained the 19.1-MDa plasmid and plasmids Sfp2.4 and Sfp4.7, produced the enterococcin Sf25 and gained the ability to degrade sucrose.     

Stimulation of glucose utilization and lactate production in cultured human fibroblasts by thyroid hormone

Human dermal fibroblasts were obtained by harvesting outgrowing cells from the dermal tissue explants and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. After the cells reached confluency, culture was continued in the medium containing calf serum which was deprived of thyroid hormone by the treatment with activated charcoal. These fibroblasts were responsive to exogeneously added thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine) at physiological concentrations, resulting in enhanced utilization of glucose and production of lactate. This stimulation by thyroid hormone was dependent upon the length of exposure to the hormone and its concentration.The hormone did not show any effects on cellular DNA and protein content. The experimental system described above seems to be easy to reconstitute and should be useful for the elucidation of the mechanism of thyroid hormone action.     

GIS-based integrated evaluation of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) for land use planning in Langkawi,Malaysia

Extensive economic growth, tourism activities and over-exploitation of resources have become the common causes of environmental degradation in Langkawi. The sudden development leap resulting from UNESCO's recognition of Langkawi Archipelago as a Global Geopark in 2007, leads to continuous conflicts between enhancing environmental protection and meeting tourism and development needs. Environmental sensitivity evaluation is a basis upon which the concept of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) can be practised in order to protect the environment, regulate development activities and promote sustainable land use planning. This study embarks on evaluating and classifying environmental sensitivity as well as comparing different ESA approaches applicable for land use planning in Langkawi. A GIS-based integrated evaluation model was performed on two assessment sets (Set A and Set B) using a standard grading system and weights determined with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Of these sets, the former consists of selected indicators from the Malaysian integrated ESA instrument while the latter are derived from previous eco-environmental studies conducted in China. The projected final ESA maps of Langkawi indicate spatial distribution of four environmental sensitivity classes. More highly and moderately sensitive areas are observed in Set A, accounting for 339.15 km² or 72.24% of the total land area compared to Set B with only 259.04 km² or 55.18% respectively. The results also reveal large proportion of low sensitivity areas in Set A, covering areas of 117.42 km² (25.01%). In contrast, more areas with non-sensitivity are widely distributed in Set B, occupying areas of 123.02 km² (26.20%). Taking into consideration the natural and cultural characteristics of the islands, it is suggested that Set A is a better approach to portray current environmental concerns and to coordinate future land use planning as well as fits Langkawi's aspiration in becoming a sustainable, world-class Global Geopark. This study provides beneficial information and opportunity for reasonable rearrangement of zoning and development guidelines and strategies within sensitivity areas. It promotes effective utilization of the natural resources, minimizes negative tourism impacts and adequately highlights ecosystem functions to prosper local socio-economic growth. It also represents an early step for the design of universal ESA instruments to regulate local development activities and promote sustainable land use planning in vulnerable areas at global levels.     

Food utilization by insects: Interpretation of observed differences between dry weight and energy efficiencies

Over 80% of the values of approximate digestibility (AD), efficiency of conversion of assimilated food to biomass (ECD) and efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) calculated using energy terms are greater than the corresponding dry weight (DW) values, based on data for over 65 species (38 studies; number of comparative values: AD=139, ECD=128 and ECI=169). Largest positive differences (energy > DW values) are 30 (AD, ECD) and 24 (ECI) percentage points and largest negative differences (energy < DW values) are 9 (AD), 11 (ECD) and 8 (ECI) percentage points. These differences generally are least for ECI (71% of the differences fall between 0 and +5 percentage points), and AD (68%), followed by ECD (only 47% fall between 0 and +5), and they may vary with temperature, food and other factors. The differences tend to increase (esp. for ECD and ECI) when comparing later with earlier instars. Energy > DW efficiency values are commonly expected for AD because of the generally greater energy content of food than feces, and for ECD and ECI because of the generally greater energy content of insect biomass than ingested and assimilated food. Deviations from predicted differences in surveyed literature data are discussed in terms of possible methodological sources of error.

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Résumé Plus de 80% des valeurs de la digestibilité approchée (AD), de l'efficacité de la conversion de la nourriture assimilée en biomasse (ECD) et de l'efficacité de la conversion de l'aliment ingéré (ECI), calculées en termes énergétiques, et obtenus à partir de données sur 65 espèces, sont supérieures aux valeurs des poids secs correspondants (DW): 38 études; valeurs comparatives: AD=139, ECD=128, ECI=169. Les plus importantes différences positive (énergie>valuers DW) sont de 30 (AD, ECD) et de 24 (ECI) centièmes (les différences négatives les plus fortes = 9 (AD), 11 (ECD) et 8 (ECI); ces différences sont moindres pour ECI (71% des différences tombent à 0 et +5 centièmes), et AD (68%), suivi de ECD (seulement 47% tombent entre 0 et +5). Ces différences peuvent varier avec la température, l'alimentation et d'autres facteurs; les différences tendent à croître (particulièrement pour ECD et ECI) quant on les compare plus tard avec des stades plus précoces. Energie > aux valeurs d'efficacité DW sont généralement attendues pour AD par suite du contenu énergétique supérieur de l'aliment à celui des excréments, et pour ECD et ECI par suite du contenu énergétique généralement plus élevé pour la biomasse de l'insecte que pour l'aliment ingéré et assimilé. Les écarts par rapport aux différences prédites dans les données de la littérature examinée sont analysées en considérant les sources possibles d'erreurs méthodologiques.

     

Degradation of Machine Oil by Nocardioform Bacteria

Gas liquid chromatography (GLC) was used for the first time to screen for machine oil–degrading microorganisms. Oil degradation was evaluated from the microorganism respiratory activity during the utilization of oil as the sole carbon and energy source. The results are consistent with those obtained by the conventional weighing method. Substrate specificity of the active strains with respect to different machine oils was studied. Bacterial communities exhibited the highest activity, whereas a Rhodococcus erythropolisstrain was the most active among pure cultures. Various stages of bacterial interaction with oil drops were followed by means of fluorescent microscopy.