Resource brief: The National Non-Human Primate DNA Bank

A National Non-Human Primate (NHP) DNA bank has been established by the National Primate Research Centers and the National Center for Research Resources, NIH, providing a new resource for comparative genomic studies. The collection includes genomic DNA samples from macaques, chimpanzees, baboons, vervets, marmosets, sooty mangabeys and titi monkeys. The repository includes DNAs from 697 unrelated animals, suitable for comparing allele representation within and between species. Another 474 DNAs are derived from family-trios (dam, sire, off spring), and are useful for verifying the segregation of genetic variants. The National NHP DNA Bank includes specified holdings within each of the eight National Primate Research Centers, though detailed information on the entire collection is available through a common website.     

Orthogonius species and diversity in Thailand (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Orthogoniini), a result from the TIGER project

The carabid genus Orthogonius MacLeay is treated, based mainly on materials collected in Thailand through the TIGER project (the Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research). Among 290 specimens, 20 species are identified in total, 10 of them are new species: Orthogonius taghavianaesp. n. (Nakhon Nayok: Khao Yai National Park), Orthogonius coomanioidessp. n. (Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius similarissp. n. (Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park; Loei: Phu Kradueng National Park), Orthogonius setosopalpigersp. n. (Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius gracililamellasp. n. (Loei: Phu Kradueng National Park; Chaiyaphum: Tat Tone National Park), Orthogonius pseudochaudoirisp. n. (Phetchabum: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park; Nakhon Nayok: Khao Yai National Park), Orthogonius constrictussp. n. (Phetchabum: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius pinophilussp. n. (Phetchabum: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park), Orthogonius varisp. n. (Cambodia: Siem Reap; Thailand: Ubon Ratchathani: Pha Taem National Park; Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park) and Orthogonius variabilissp. n. (Thailand: Phetchabun: Thung Salaeng Luang National Park; Nakhon Nayok: Khao Yai National Park; Phetchabun: Nam Nao National Park; China: Yunnan). In addition, Orthogonius mouhoti Chaudoir, 1871 and Orthogonius kirirom Tian & Deuve, 2008 are recorded in Thailand for the first time. In total, 30 species of Orthogonius have been recorded from Thailand, indicating that Thailand holds one of the richest Orthogonius faunas in the world. A provisional key to all Thai species is provided. A majority of Thai Orthogonius species are endemic. Among the ten national parks in which orthogonine beetles were collected, Thung Salaeng Luang holds the richest fauna, including 16 species.     

Legal and regulatory concerns about transgenic plants in Brazil

Brazil has a biosafety law that was approved in 1995. This law provides for a horizontal type of regulation that coordinates other existing regulatory frameworks in the areas of agriculture, health and environment. Various federal government departments are responsible for implementing the law. The National Technical Biosafety Commission is the national competent authority on biosafety with overall responsibility. In the case of Bt plants or any insecticidal organism, the Agrochemical Law also applies and authorization for laboratory, greenhouse and field studies must be obtained from the Plant Protection Secretariat, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and the National Agency of Health. Furthermore, the National Environmental Council must issue a license for commercialization of any GMO. There is pressure needed for capacity building and to harmonize the regulatory and administrative frameworks among the different federal departments involved. Some perspectives and challenges for the commercial registration of transgenic crops are discussed.     

The other side of the border: Austrian local residents’ attitudes towards the neighbouring Czech Šumava National Park

Attitudes towards protected areas are seen as a key factor in influencing their success. While the majority of park–people relation research has addressed local residents’ attitudes towards protected areas in their own country, analyses on their attitudes towards a neighbouring national park on the other side of the border have rarely been carried out. This study investigated the attitudes of local residents in Upper Austria towards the Czech ?umava National Park. In 2008, residents (N = 468) of four rural communities bordering the ?umava National Park answered a mailed questionnaire. Compared to national parks in general, the ?umava National Park was perceived as not providing as many ecological, social, and economic benefits as others. Psychological reactance, past visits to the ?umava National Park, and attitudes towards landscape change and national parks in general predicted attitudes towards the ?umava National Park, while group membership, except for that of being a farmer, was not significant. Variables that have been previously identified as influencing the attitudes of local residents towards protected areas also seem to be relevant for protected areas on the other side of the border, while items addressing local trans-border issues and group membership appear to be less important. Management implications are discussed.     

Report of the Working Group on Integrated Translational Research in DNA Repair

On September 28-29, 2006, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences led a team from the National Institutes of Health in hosting a Working Group on Integrated Translational Research in DNA Repair, in Berkeley, CA. In recognition of the far-reaching goals for this area of investigation, the Working Group was charged with conceiving a vision to facilitate projects that would apply the lessons of DNA Repair research to clinical application and public health. The participants included basic and physician scientists working in the various areas of DNA Repair and genome stability, as well as agency representatives of the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. In constructing this vision of practical research recommendations, the Working Group was asked to identify roadblocks to progress, suggest enabling technologies, and to consider areas that are ripe for translation. This report summarizes the rationale for this initiative and the recommendations that emerged.     

以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系立法思考

实现十九大报告提出的建立以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系的改革目标需要法治保障。建设自然保护地体系涉及的不同生态系统和多个管理部门、多方利益主体, 是一个巨大的复杂系统, 需要进行整体性、系统性的立法研究。目前, 国家正在推进国家公园体制改革并已将《国家公园法》列入十三届全国人大常委会立法计划。更需要我们从自然保护地立法体系建设的高度, 正确处理《国家公园法》与未来可能制定的《自然保护地法》的关系, 在《国家公园法》制定过程中为今后出台《自然保护地法》预留空间, 并建立相应的衔接机制, 统筹谋划并协同推进国家公园法与自然保护地立法。     

Cleaning up after human activity in Antarctica: legal obligations and remediation realities

National Antarctic Programmes do not have a strict legal obligation to remediate the Antarctic environment following human activity. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the “Madrid Protocol”) obliges parties to conduct environmental impact assessments to prevent adverse impacts on the polar environment and to “clean up” pollution from waste disposal sites. The obligations stemming from the Madrid Protocol are not clearly defined, and give potential scope for parties to neglect past sites of human activity on the continent. This scope is narrowed by the work of the Committee for Environmental Protection in implementing clear practical clean‐up guidelines for National Antarctic Programmes based on scientific‐based recommendations from the Antarctic Treaty Parties. Despite better modern practice, Parties are still faced with damage from past activities. Some of these sites are deemed to be “beyond help.” This article proposes that rather than abandoning waste disposal sites because of widely acknowledged difficulties, that National Antarctic Programmes prioritize research into restorative methodologies and techniques, while increasing cooperation with other parties to overcome the enormous logistical and economic costs of cleaning up pollution in Antarctica.     

Linkage relationships of biochemical markers to Q- and C-band variants in a large black kindred

Summary Lod scores are reported for 86 biochemical to cytogenetic marker comparisons in a Black kindred. Analysis with unconfirmed locus assignments resulted in 12 exclusions of close linkage.This paper is based on a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. degree at North Carolina State University, Raleigh.Research supported by the National Heart and Lung Institute Grant HLO-3341, National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH 26621, and National Institute of General Medical Sciences Grant GN 16697; paper number 6281 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina.     

Ecology of Infectious Disease: Forging an Alliance

The Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID) program is a joint National Science Foundation–National Institutes of Health initiative to produce predictive understanding of disease dynamics, with a focus on diseases with an environmental component. The interdisciplinary research projects funded by this program take advantage of the wide range of theoretical and methodological advances developed over the past 30 years. The challenge for disease ecology is to unravel these systems, discover how complex they truly are, and to determine if they can be predicted and controlled using targeted environmental, public health, or medical interventions. Between 1999 and 2005, a total of 42 research awards were made under the EID program. EID projects have had affects on policy in two areas: adoption of novel interventions on a local scale and use of models by government agencies for the purpose of allocating public health resources. The past 6 years have been an exciting time for the field of disease ecology; we expect the coming years to be even more exciting and productive. As US federal government employees writing an article as part of our official duties, copyright of all publications is retained by the US government. The views expressed here by Samuel M. Scheiner and Joshua P. Rosenthal are those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, or the United States Government.     

Pioneering Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives for Oceans and Human Health

Following the release of the report From Monsoons to Microbes by the National Research Council in 1999, efforts began to promote federal sponsorship of research and education in a new scientific discipline focusing on how the ocean affects human health. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated a joint program to establish and sustain several research Centers for Oceans and Human Health (COHH) at nonfederal institutions. Shortly thereafter, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mounted a similar initiative to establish intramural centers at existing NOAA facilities as well as an extramural grants program. This profile reviews the history and current state of these developments. The statements and opinions in this report are those of the authors only and do not necessarily represent the position of, or imply commitments by, any agency of the United States Government.     

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING ALGAL SYSTEMS INTO A BALANCE MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO AQUACULTURE

McVey, J. P. Program Director, National Sea Grant College Program, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910, USA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through its National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) has developed a vision for how seafood will be produced in the USA which includes the proper management of natural fisheries, aquaculture and the management and involvement by human coastal communities. The concept of balanced ecosystem management is not only being talked about at national levels but active research programs are being planned and supported. The recent $5 million National Marine Aquaculture Initiative (NMAI) specifically called for proposals that study the “trophic level consequences of marine aquaculture and marine species enhancement”. Recent workshops at the World Aquaculture Society meeting in Orlando and at the regional aquaculture meeting held at Boston on the topic of “Aquaculture and the Environment” have focused on a balanced approach to both aquaculture and fisheries management. All of the workshops focused on the important role of plants in the aquatic community. The basic premise about a balanced ecosystem approach is to incorporate the biological functions of a diverse group of plants and animals into a unified system that maintains the natural interactions of species and allows an ecosystem to function. Models are useful in understanding the energy and nutrient flow within an ecosystem; as are GIS technologies that allow us to map biological and ecological regimes. Macroalgae and phytoplankton both convert nutrients to plant material and transform carbon dioxide to oxygen. In contrast, animals derive much of their nutrition from plants, in one way or another and transform oxygen to carbon dioxide. This presentation will discuss the need to incorporate the use of plants in ecosystem maintenance such that there is balance between the animal, including humans, and plant communities in coastal areas. This will all be related to new NOAA programs and funding opportunities for research support in this area.     

三江源国家公园鸟类物种多样性研究

三江源国家公园位于青藏高原腹地,是生物多样性最为集中的区域。为了系统掌握公园内的鸟类分布状况,2015—2017年,对三江源国家公园区域进行了长期的野外调查,结合文献资料,发现三江源国家公园内共分布野生鸟类196种,隶属于18目45科121属。各级保护鸟类59种,占公园鸟类总数的30.1%,其中,国家I级重点保护鸟类8种;国家II级重点保护鸟类27种;青海省级保护鸟类24种。另外,还有国家三有鸟类120种。根据中国物种红色名录,受威胁(濒危、易危和近危)物种有39种,占公园鸟类总数的19.9%。中国特有鸟类15种,占园区内鸟类总数的7.65%。在地理分布型上,三江源国家公园位于古北界青藏区,古北界物种有145种;东洋界物种有37种;广布种有14种。利用G-F指数对物种多样性进行评估,三江源国家公园鸟类的G-F指数为0.825,表明公园内的鸟类物种多样性处于较高水平。长江源园区、澜沧江源园区和黄河源园区的平均动物区系相似性结果表明,三个园区之间动物区系关系均为密切关系。三江源国家公园鸟类物种多样性高、特有种及珍稀濒危物种丰富,具有极高的保护价值和意义。     

大学与国家公园的合作伙伴关系：课堂、户外实验室与世界之窗

2016年美国国家公园系统庆祝其成立100周年。在过去的100年间,作为国家公园的合作伙伴,美国的大学一直致力于为国家公园提供科学、教育和培训方面的支持。在中小学阶段,国家公园就成为学生们的学习场所。大学生在读期间会以实习生和季节工的身份参加国家公园的实践。研究生在完成论文和论文项目时为国家公园提供必要的研究,而所有参与者也就成了传递国家公园价值的更好的老师。这种支持有助于实现公园保护目标、解决公园面临的问题。同时,为在校学生和毕业后的学生提供了丰富学习经验的平台。为此还成立了专门的行政机构,以促进学校与公园的沟通、签订合约、建立合作伙伴。美国的大学与国家公园共同创造了一种有利于学术研究和管理实践的强有力合作伙伴关系,为世界以及中国国家公园体制的建设树立了很好的榜样。     

广西恩城国家级自然保护区兽类和鸟类多样性红外相机监测初报

2019年12月—2021年1月,利用红外相机技术在广西恩城国家级自然保护区内布设了58个红外相机监测位点,对保护区内的兽类及地栖性鸟类多样性开展监测。本次监测共完成17 332个相机工作日,累计获得独立有效照片6 680张。共鉴定出兽类5目13科20种,鸟类9目20科61种,其中黑叶猴(Trachypithecus francoisi)为国家一级重点保护野生动物,26种为国家二级重点保护野生动物。被中国脊椎动物红色名录评估为濒危(EN)的有2种,易危(VU) 6种,近危(NT) 19种。物种相对多度指数(RAI)最高的兽类是小泡巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsi),鸟类是白鹇(Lophura nycthemera)。本次监测初步掌握了广西恩城国家级自然保护区内的兽类及地栖性鸟类的种类组成和相对多度指数,为后续开展野生动物研究与保护管理工作提供基础资料。     

Distribution of lichen flora on South Korea

After an overview on the temporary situation of the lichenology in South Korea, localities of 95 macrolichen taxa are reported for South Korea. In this revised lichen flora of South Korea, 16 species are apparently new to the territory. Voucher specimens have been deposited in the Korean Lichen Research Institute (KoLRI) at Sunchon National University in Korea, and duplicates have also been donated to the National History Museum and Institute, in Chiba, (CBM) Japan.     

Draft National Institutes of Health guidelines for research involving human pluripotent stem cells (December 1999)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting public comment on a document entitled "Draft National Institutes of Health guidelines for research involving human pluripotent stem cells (December 1999)". The purpose of these draft guidelines is to recommend procedures to help ensure that NIH-funded research in this area is conducted in an ethical and legal manner. The NIH will not fund research using human pluripotent stem cells until final guidelines are published in the Federal Register and an oversight process is in place.     

唐家河国家级自然保护区大型真菌多样性研究

为了摸清保护区大型真菌资源,2003～2007年多次对保护区大型真菌资源种类及利用情况进行深入调查,基本摸清了保护区大型真菌资源种类,本次调查显示保护区大型真菌有8目39科95属219种,有经济价值的真菌162种,其中可食用真菌149种、药用真菌52种、毒菌31种、木腐菌82种、菌根菌72种。为达到不破坏生态环境和保护资源的目的,根据保护区大型真菌资源特点提出保护和综合利用建议,为保护区管理处制定大型真菌资源保护与利用对策提供科学依据。     

青藏高原生态系统完整性远程评价与国家公园群建设时序研究

青藏高原是我国重要生态安全屏障，保有大量重要的受人类活动干扰较小的自然生态系统。但近年来受社会经济发展和气候变化的影响，高原生态系统面临退化风险。为了更好地守护地球第三极，第二次青藏科考提出建立青藏高原国家公园群的科学构想。为了全面掌握人类胁迫和气候变化背景下，青藏高原生态系统完整性维持情况，并识别生态系统完整性维持较好的区域，为青藏高原国家公园群的规划布局提供支撑，研究基于对生态系统完整性内涵的理解以及青藏高原生态系统特征，借鉴加拿大国家公园生态系统完整性评估框架，构建了"格局-质量-功能-问题-压力"生态系统完整性远程评估框架，对青藏高原生态系统完整性进行了综合评估并分析了其空间格局特征。结果显示：青藏高原整体维持了较好的生态系统完整性，分别有3.52%、7.51%和70.71%的区域生态系统完整性等级为优、良和中，但受人类胁迫影响，部分区域生态系统完整受到破坏，分别有18.17%和0.10%的区域生态系统完整性等级为较差和极差。从空间上看，青藏高原东部地区生态系统完整性整体高于西部地区。从生态系统完整性保护的角度看，青藏高原可用于建设国家公园的备选区数量多、分布广，且呈现大面积连片分布的格局。目前正在开展的三江源、祁连山、大熊猫、普达措等国家公园体制试点区均具有较高的生态系统完整性。为了加快推动生态系统完整性高的区域保护，根据青藏高原国家公园潜在建设区的生态系统完整性指数结果，建议优先启动雅鲁藏布大峡谷、色林错-普若岗日、独龙江三江并流、若尔盖、贡嘎山、稻城亚丁等国家公园建设，待条件成熟后，再逐步启动其他具有景观、文化价值的国家公园建设。     

Breastfeeding and child disability: A comparison of siblings from the United States

Little is known about whether breastfeeding may prevent disabilities throughout childhood. We evaluate the effects of breastfeeding on child disability using data from the National Survey of Family Growth merged to the National Health Interview Survey for a large nationally representative sample of children aged 1–18 years from the U.S. including over 3000 siblings who are discordant on breastfeeding status/duration. We focus on a mother fixed effect model that compares siblings in order to account for family-level unobservable confounders and employ multiple specifications including a dynamic model that accounts for disability status of the prior child. Breastfeeding the child for a longer duration is associated with a lower risk of child disability, by about 0.2 percentage-points per month of breastfeeding. This effect is only observed on the intensive margin among breastfed children, as any breastfeeding has no effect on the extensive margin. We conclude that very short breastfeeding durations are unlikely to have an effect on reducing disability risk.     

Noninvasive genetic monitoring of tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population of Orang National Park in the Brahmaputra floodplain, Assam, India

The Brahmaputra Valley of Assam, India, is one of the prime habitats for the endangered Royal Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris. With dwindling global population, estimation of the minimum number of tigers has always been a curiosity to wildlife researchers as well as to protected area managers. In the present study, DNA-based techniques were used for identifying individual tigers present in Orang National Park of Assam, from 57 faecal samples collected during February 2009. Orang National Park stands as an island of a single forest patch along the north bank of river Brahmaputra. The present study confirms the presence of 17 individual tigers in Orang National Park, with five male and 12 female. DNA-based capture–recapture analysis yielded minimum range estimate of 18 and 19 individuals, with possible overestimates of population size following two models of capture probability in CAPWIRE. The results of our genetic counting of tigers are compared with the estimates of 19 tigers based on pugmark analysis by the state Forest Department in 2000 and an independent capture–recapture estimate of 14 (±3.6) individuals based on photographic identity study in 2009. Looking at high mortality of tigers in the area, with 19 reported deaths during 2000 to 2009, our results indicate high individual turnover in the area. This study shows that Orang National Park harbours a healthy breeding population of tigers. However, the possibility of a source-sink dynamics operating in the landscape could not be ruled out, with possible immigration from nearby Kaziranga National Park on the south bank of Brahmaputra, which has the highest reported density of the species in the world.