Resources of medicinal plants in the Kuznetsky Alatau

The paper aims to study the resources of medicinal plants in the the Kuznetsky Alatau. Eighty-four species of vascular plants applied in scientific medicine have been identified, 35 of which have industrial reserves of raw material (resources of categories I and II). The remaining 49 species are not recommended for industrial procurement. Reserves of raw materials have been ascertained for 12 commercial species among which Paeonia anomala (9138 t), Polygonum bistorta (3200 t), Bergenia crassifolia (571 t), Sorbus sibirica (346 t), Veratrum lobelianum (342 t) and Rhaponticum carthamoides (328 t) have been assessed to have the biggest volumes of raw materials’ reserve. Five commercial species of medicinal plants, namely B. crassifolia, P. bistorta, Bupleurum multinerve, P. anomala and R. carthamoides, and a rare valuable medicinal plant Rhodiola rosea are confined to mountain habitats. We determined the optimal part of the cenocomplex, the conditions of habitation and the density of reserves for these species. The paper makes recommendations for their sustainable use. Despite the relatively small territory of the Kuznetsky Alatau, it is considered to have great potential for harvesting of medicinal plants.     

Urban vegetational change as an indicator of demographic trends in cities: the case of Detroit

"In this study the author seeks to find whether changes in urban vegetation can be linked to urban social changes by using Detroit [Michigan] as a case study. Demographic trends in Detroit are analyzed in light of the increasing greenness in the city detected by recent satellite images. Robust relationships between greenness change and demographic factors associated with urban decay (population decline, an increase in poverty level, and an increase in vacant units) are found.... It is concluded that vegetation trends could be used as indicators of urban socioeconomic changes. A vegetation-based urban environmental quality index could therefore be developed to monitor physical and social changes in the cities."     

Occurrence and suitability of sucralose as an indicator compound of wastewater loading to surface waters in urbanized regions

Urban watersheds are susceptible to numerous pollutant sources and the identification of source-specific indicators can provide a beneficial tool in the identification and control of input loads, often times needed for a water body to achieve designated beneficial uses. Differentiation of wastewater flows from other urban wet weather flows is needed in order to more adequately address such environmental concerns as water body nutrient impairment and potable source water contamination. Anthropogenic compounds previously suggested as potential wastewater indicators include caffeine, carbamazepine, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), gemfibrozil, primidone, sulfamethoxazole, and TCEP. This paper compares the suitability of a variety of anthropogenic compounds to sucralose, an artificial sweetener, as wastewater indicators by examining occurrence data for 85 trace organic compounds in samples of wastewater effluents, source waters with known wastewater point source inputs, and sources without known wastewater point source inputs. The findings statistically demonstrate the superior performance of sucralose as a potential indicator of domestic wastewater input in the U.S. While several compounds were detected in all of the wastewater effluent samples, only sucralose was consistently detected in the source waters with known wastewater discharges, absent in the sources without wastewater influence, and consistently present in septic samples. All of the other compounds were prone to either false negatives or false positives in the environment.     

Solar activity as a possible cause of large forest fires--a case study: analysis of the Portuguese forest fires

Fires of large dimension destroy forests, harvests and housing objects. Apart from that combustion products and burned surfaces become large ecological problems. Very often fires emerge simultaneously on different locations of a region so a question could be asked if they always have been a consequence of negligence, pyromania, high temperatures or maybe there has been some other cause. This paper is an attempt of establishing the possible connection between forest fires that numerous satellites registered and activities happening on the Sun immediately before fires ignite. Fires emerged on relatively large areas from Portugal and Spain on August 2005, as well as on other regions of Europe. The cases that have been analyzed show that, in every concrete situation, an emission of strong electromagnetic and thermal corpuscular energy from highly energetic regions that were in geo-effective position had preceded the fires. Such emissions have, usually, very high energy and high speeds of particles and come from coronary holes that also have been either in the very structure or in the immediate closeness of the geo-effective position. It should also be noted that the solar wind directed towards the Earth becomes weaker with deeper penetration towards the topographic surface. However, the results presented in this paper suggest that, there is a strong causality relationship between solar activity and the ignition of these forest fires taking place in South-western Europe.     

The checkered puffer (Spheroides testudineus) and its helminths as bioindicators of chemical pollution in Yucatan coastal lagoons

The suitability of using helminth communities as bioindicators of environmental quality of the Yucatan coastal lagoons status was tested on the checkered puffer (Spheroides testudineus) in four coastal lagoons along the Yucatan coast. The concentration of chemical pollutants in sediments, water quality parameters, helminth infracommunity characteristics, as well as fish physiological biomarkers, including EROD (7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase) and catalase activities, were measured. Results from sediment analyses demonstrated the presence of hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls at varying concentrations, some of which exceeded the Probability Effect Level (PEL). Significant negative associations among organochlorine pesticides, infracommunity characteristics and fish physiological responses were observed in most of the lagoons. Results suggest that EROD activity and parasite infracommunity characteristics could be useful tools to evaluate the effects of chemical pollutants on the fish host and in the environment. Importantly, certain parasites appear to influence biomarker measurements, indicating that parasites should be considered in ecotoxicological studies.     

The history and modern condition of the brown bear (Ursus arctos L., 1758) of the West Siberian plain

Abstract

Ursus arctos is a large carnivore and a common species for Western Siberia. The earliest traces of it date back to the Middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, its population grew and its range significantly extended northwards. The modern West Siberian habitat lies between 55° and 67°N, and its dynamics are being affected by human activity and climate change. The beginning of the twenty-first century has been marked by the growth of the population of the brown bear and its occurrence in unusual habitats. Earlier studies of the population genetic structure prove the existence of a Pleistocene refugium on this territory. The body size of the West Siberian brown bear is the largest for U. arctos subscpecies within its range.     

Landsliding in seismic areas: the case of the Acquara-Vadoncello landslide (southern Italy)

On 29 December 1993, a slump-earthflow was activated in the outskirts of Senerchia (southern Italy) in a locality named "Vadoncello". Mass movement has been active until the time of writing, at a variable rate. Maximum velocity was reached during 1995, when a seismic sequence of low magnitude (maximum 3.6) was recorded. The landslide evolution was studied considering both the characteristics of seismic activity and slope stability conditions. The results of the analyses showed that the role of seismic action in triggering mass movement is uncertain, although it cannot be excluded. Slope behaviour is more likely to have been controlled by morphological and hydrogeological factors and their modifications, which could also have been responsible for the vulnerability of the slope. In conclusion, the mass movement observed in 1995, triggered by the possible contribution of low magnitude shocks repeated at short intervals, determined new and more stable equilibrium conditions in the slope.     

郊区被动型城镇化区域产业发展问题研究——以天津市东丽区无暇街为例

我国农村城镇化存在两种基本途径:一是自主型的城镇化即农村通过乡镇企业的发展走向城镇化;二是由于城市经济的发展,城市逐步向农村扩展,属于被动型的城镇化。随着天津经济的快速发展,城市规模的扩大,城市功能的提升,越来越多的城郊农村走向了城镇化的道路。无暇街地处东丽区东     

Caffeine as an indicator for the quantification of untreated wastewater in karst systems

Contamination from untreated wastewater leakage and related bacterial contamination poses a threat to drinking water quality. However, a quantification of the magnitude of leakage is difficult. The objective of this work is to provide a highly sensitive methodology for the estimation of the mass of untreated wastewater entering karst aquifers with rapid recharge. For this purpose a balance approach is adapted. It is based on the mass flow of caffeine in spring water, the load of caffeine in untreated wastewater and the daily water consumption per person in a spring catchment area. Caffeine is a source-specific indicator for wastewater, consumed and discharged in quantities allowing detection in a karst spring. The methodology was applied to estimate the amount of leaking and infiltrating wastewater to a well investigated karst aquifer on a daily basis. The calculated mean volume of untreated wastewater entering the aquifer was found to be 2.2 ± 0.5 m³ d⁻¹ (undiluted wastewater). It corresponds to approximately 0.4% of the total amount of wastewater within the spring catchment.     

寒冷地区土壤冷源直接供冷空调系统的实验研究

提出了用土壤作冷源直接供冷的新构想,并在哈尔滨地区建立了相应的实验系统。经过一个供冷季的实验,该系统的季节供冷系数为9.85,平均供冷率为0.93kW,取冷井的热作用半径小于3m;本文所提出的土壤冷源直接供冷空调系统在一定的地域范围内具有较大的节能潜力。     

Soil erosion as a result of the man activity-geological environment relationship an example of quantitative evaluation in the mugello valley (Tuscany,Italy)

The spreading mechanization of the agricultural activities has determined, in the last decades, an enlargement of the fields generally obtained from natural landforms rearrangement without the employment of the necessary support practices. It has brought about a break in the weak equilibrium between the old agricultural practice and the geological environment, increasing on sloping fields morphogenetic processes and especially soil erosion. Therefore the evaluation of soil losses amount assumes a basic role in the agricultural planning. After a synthetic and critical review of the more diffuse methodologies for the evaluation of the erosion risks, a new field rain simulator is briefly described, which rapidly allows to obtain reliable practical answers. The study area was subdivided in homogeneous units for climatic, lithologic, pedologic, morphometric and land use characteristics (land units map). The employed methodology including the use of rain simulator, establishes, for each unit, the analysis of the relation between antropic activities (agricultural practices) and soil erosion, in function of the most important factors acting in the erosive process (rain erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and gradient, crops and support practices). In this report the results related to the “Mugello Lacustrine Clay” unit are reported; this unit is a part of the sample area under study (Mugello Valley, Tuscany, Italy), and it is representative of a large extension in the ancient interappenninic lacustrine basins.     

基于社会网络分析法的技术标准网络实证研究 ——以消防行业国家、行业标准为例

文章以消防行业国家和行业标准为研究对象,选择社会网络分析法,运用Ucinet 6.0软件了构建消防行业引用标准矩阵,选取全国消防标准化技术委员会(SAC/TC113)标准网络结构和节点两个维度,通过成分、网络密度、孤点率、凝聚力指数、点度中心度、中间中心度等观测指标进行实证比较分析。研究结果表明,SAC/TC113?的标准网络形成了一个整体,运行良好;但其SAC/TC113/SC?的标准网络运行良莠不齐。文章通过分析找到了标准网络的关键节点标准和孤点标准,并给出了相关建议,此方法为标准化管理部门和标准化技术委员会的管理和评价提供了科学依据。     

Sustainable urban development in historical areas using the tourist trail approach: A case study of the Cultural Heritage and Urban Development (CHUD) project in Saida,Lebanon

Cultural assets are vital aspects for any urban development process. Their importance increases considerably in historical areas, where the richness of cultural heritage has the ability to motivate cultural tourism. This paper emphasizes the sustainable development of urban historical areas based on their potential as cultural tourism sites. It argues that to guarantee the sustainability of any development intervention in these areas, a master planning process must be undertaken to balance all of the aspects of development. It tackles the interconnectedness of these aspects as an approach to their simultaneous development. As a focus of study, this paper raises a question about the ability of a ‘heritage trail’—an area of direct interactions between parties sharing in urban development in historic areas—to achieve the sustainability goals of the involved areas. To answer this question, the paper investigates three nodes of interaction stimulated by the heritage trail: conservation and rehabilitation, interpretation, and micro-economic development. To illustrate the validity of the proposed approach, this paper discusses the heritage trail as an approach used in the Cultural Heritage and Urban Development (CHUD) project in the historical core of Saida (Old Saida), Lebanon as a case study.     

The use of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii, Girard) as indicator of the bioavailability of heavy metals in environmental monitoring in the River Guadiamar (SW, Spain)

A translocation experiment of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) to different sites located in the River Guadiamar was performed in order to assess the ability of this species as bioindicator of heavy metal and metalloid contamination. Crayfish were placed in cages and exposed to polluted environment during either 6 or 12days in the three sites with different concentration of contaminants. Their tissues (exoskeleton+gills, hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle) were dissected and analysed by ICP-MS to assess for concentration of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb and As. Both exposure times result in significant bioaccumulation of some metals in crayfish tissues as compared to their concentration in the environment. According to overall metal concentration, crayfish tissues rank as follows: hepatopancreas/viscera>exoskeleton/gills>abdominal muscle. Essential metals for crayfish metabolism (Cu and Zn) are always found in high concentrations independently of their quantities in the environment because of the ability of crayfish to manipulate their levels for their own metabolic profit. Metals not involved in crayfish metabolism (Cd, Pb, As) tend to increase with increasing concentration in the surrounding environment and with longer exposure times. Thus crayfish could be used as bioindicator of these pollutants because their dose- and time-dependent accumulation may be reflective of the levels of non-essential metals present in contaminated wetlands. Future guidelines in plans for monitoring contamination on polluted Mediterranean rivers and wetlands should take into account the implementation of the incubation of crayfish during 6days and their subsequent analyses of metal contents, as a routine.     

Soil nutrient status and revegetation practices of downhill skiing areas in Finnish Lapland — a case study of Mt. Ylläs

Ski slope construction is one of the major anthropogenic factors responsible for ecosystem degradation in mountain areas in Finnish Lapland. Mt. Ylläs has been used as a downhill skiing slope for about 30 years. Until 1992, the ski slopes were kept in their natural condition: there was no removal of vegetation and soil above the tree line. After 1992, Mt. Ylläs went through an extensive construction, the ski slopes were machine-graded and machine-levelled, which caused damage to both vegetation and soil. The aim of the study presented here was to examine nutrient status of various soils on the machine-graded and machine-levelled ski slopes in relation to their potential use as a substrate for revegetation practices.Soil organic matter and nutrient status were analysed in three sites on the slopes of Mt. Ylläs in the tree line zone (transit zone between wooded vegetation and treeless alpine vegetation): (1) reference site on the undisturbed area between the ski-runs (Control); (2) disturbed site on the ski-run area (DSP — ‘DiSturbed Podzol’, DSL — ‘DiSturbed Leptosol’ and DSB — ‘DiSturbed Bare soil’); and (3) Revegetation study Plots established on the ski-runs (RP). The analysis of element concentrations and their relative proportions allow us to conclude that only DSP and DSL can be considered as potentially appropriate for unassisted ecosystem recovery on the ski-runs. Presence of native plant species on these patches supports our conclusion. As a recommendation for revegetation of ski-runs, we propose implementation of substrate composed of upper layer of initial soil. Such substrate can be collected during the construction work on ski slopes or on building sites in the area with similar soils. Uncomposted substrate or at least short period of composting is preferable.     

A comparative study of the evolution of blood and hematopoietic cancers in agricultural and industrial zones in the Valencian community (Spain)

An important increase in the frequency of cancer has been observed throughout the industrialized world since the turn of the century attributable not only to an increase in the number of cases diagnosed and to a greater life expectancy, but also to the effects of a series of environmental and life style factors. Based on the categories of blood and hematopoietic cancers corresponding to references 200–208 of the IX Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), we have carried out a comparative study of the evolution of mortality due to these tumors in the Valencian Community. Four zones were selected: two clearly agricultural and two with a marked industrial activity. Mortality data were obtained from statistics published by the regional healthcare authorities, corresponding to age and sex groups and information was collected on the period 1976–1992. We calculated Mortality Rates per 100000 inhabitants, followed by their standardization by the direct method. The Mean Standardized Mortality Rates (MSMR) were also calculated and we determined the Period Percentage Increment (PPI) and the Annual Percentage Increment (API). Finally, the Standardized Mortality Rates (SMR) were subjected to linear regression analysis (Poisson regression) and a statistical significance test was applied to each of the above mentioned calculations. In all cases MSMR were higher among males than in females. Moreover, the MSMR corresponding to 1987–1992 were higher than in the 1976–1980, both in males and females, and in the total population. Blood and hematopoietic cancers mortality exhibited an increasing tendency throughout the study period and, the rising tendencies were statistically significant. We may conclude that the rising tendency cannot be attributed to any single cause and that measures should be investigated and adopted to control the consequences of this increased use of certain substances.     

Project competition intensity (PCI) in the construction market: a case study in China

In economic terminology, ‘competition intensity’ can be used to mirror to a certain degree the status of industrial competition in a specific market, while in the construction market, it particularly involves the part of project competition intensity (PCI). Based on a road project in China, two forms of PCI, overt and covert, are identified in this study. To lower project construction cost thus enabling better project tendering performance, clients can facilitate higher levels of overt PCI by tailoring their tendering procedures, whereas, through covert PCI project competitors can adopt anti‐competitive behaviours to attain the expected works. The difference between overt PCI and covert PCI indicates various practitioners' perspectives and impact on the levels of competition intensity in construction. The findings suggest a way to promote PCI studies in the future, and offer new insights into other parts of competition intensity in construction.     

Introduction of an empirical classification system for evaluating tunneling impact on the discharge of springs (TIS) in the surrounding areas

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Water inflow caused by tunneling can have severe impacts on the springs’ discharge rate. If these impacts have not been predicted...     

The natural environment in socialist modernity: three case studies of new urban areas in Czechoslovakia (1966–1991)

ABSTRACT

This article presents three case studies of projects to construct new urban areas situated around the capital city of Prague. These urban areas were among the largest Czechoslovak urban planning projects and were intended as comprehensive environmental planning. Indeed, all of these projects included a formal declaration of the importance of protecting the existing environment while also creating a new environment for socialist people. The first of these case studies is the unrealized project of the city of Etarea (1967) planned for 135.000 inhabitants and based on an eco-friendly systems approach. The two other case studies represent implemented projects: Ji?ní Město (South City) which was, in 1971 planned for 64.000 inhabitants (then in the 1980s for more than 100.000 inhabitants) and Jihozápadní Město (Southwest City) which was, in 1968 planned for 80.000 inhabitants (then in the 1980s for more than 147.000 inhabitants).     

Use of cholinesterase activity as an indicator for the effects of combinations of organophosphorus pesticides in water from environmental sources

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) are commonly detected in agricultural products, animal-derived foodstuffs, and environmental samples. Until now, the focus of research has been to evaluate the adverse effect of a single OP. While each OP may be present at concentrations under recognized as “no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL)”, the combined effects of multiple OPs present at these low concentrations have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, we developed an in vitro testing method to evaluate the toxicity of multiple OPs based on the degree of inhibition of cholinesterase (ChE) activity. This method requires only 10 min to complete and no specialized technology. We examined 15 OPs by this method and categorized them into three groups according to the degree of ChE inhibition. A relationship between the OPs’ chemical structures and the degree of ChE inhibition emerged with the moiety –P–O–CN– showing the strongest action. The degree of ChE inhibition increased with multiple OPs, and the degree of inhibition seemed to be additive. These results demonstrate that the combined toxicity of multiple OPs present in food or environmental samples is an easily determined and toxicologically relevant measure of overall toxicity of complex OPs mixtures. It is possible to apply this testing method as a monitoring technique in water quality management in order to control OPs. As a result, this method can play the role for the potential risk reduction to the ecosystem and may contribute to the preservation of the environment.