Sustainability at the local scale: defining highly aggregated indices for assessing environmental performance. The province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) as a case study

In order to achieve improved sustainability, local authorities need to use tools that adequately describe and synthesize environmental information. This article illustrates a methodological approach that organizes a wide suite of environmental indicators into few aggregated indices, making use of correlation, principal component analysis, and fuzzy sets. Furthermore, a weighting system, which includes stakeholders' priorities and ambitions, is applied. As a case study, the described methodology is applied to the Reggio Emilia Province in Italy, by considering environmental information from 45 municipalities. Principal component analysis is used to condense an initial set of 19 indicators into 6 fundamental dimensions that highlight patterns of environmental conditions at the provincial scale. These dimensions are further aggregated in two indices of environmental performance through fuzzy sets. The simple form of these indices makes them particularly suitable for public communication, as they condensate a wide set of heterogeneous indicators. The main outcomes of the analysis and the potential applications of the method are discussed.

Diversity and genetic structure of the Mexican endemic epiphyte Tillandsia achyrostachys E. Morr. ex Baker var. achyrostachys (Bromeliaceae)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The monoecious, bird-pollinated epiphytic Tillandsia achyrostachys E. Morr. ex Baker var. achyrostachys is an endemic bromeliad of the tropical dry forests of Mexico with clonal growth. In the Sierra de Huautla Natural Reserve this species shows a host preference for Bursera copallifera (Sessé & Moc ex. DC) Bullock. As a result of deforestation in the study area, B. copallifera has become a rare tree species in the remaining forest patches. This human-induced disturbance has directly affected the population densities of T. achyrostachys. In this study the genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation were assessed by comparing the genetic diversity, gene flow and genetic differentiation in six populations of T. achyrostachys in the Sierra de Huautla Natural Reserve, Mexico.

METHODS

Allozyme electrophoresis of sixteen loci (eleven polymorphic and five monomorphic) were used. The data were analysed with standard statistical approximations for obtaining diversity, genetic structure and gene flow.

KEY RESULTS

Genetic diversity and allelic richness were: HE = 0.21 +/- 0.02, A = 1.86 +/- 0.08, respectively. F-statistics revealed a deficiency of heterozygous plants in all populations (Fit = 0.65 +/- 0.02 and Fis = 0.43 +/- 0.06). Significant genetic differentiation between populations was detected (Fst = 0.39 +/- 0.07). Average gene flow between pairs of populations was relatively low and had high variation (Nm = 0.46 +/- 0.21), which denotes a pattern of isolation by distance. The genetic structure of populations of T. achyrostachys suggests that habitat fragmentation has reduced allelic richness and genetic diversity, and increased significant genetic differentiation (by approx. 40 %) between populations.

CONCLUSIONS

The F-statistic values (>0) and the level of gene flow found suggest that habitat fragmentation has broken up the former population structure. In this context, it is proposed that the host trees of T. achyrostachys should be considered as a conservation priority, since they represent the limiting factor to bromeliad population growth and connectivity.

The size of the whisker barrel field in adult rats: minimal nondirectional asymmetry and limited modifiability by chronic changes of the sensory input

We have evaluated quantitatively the whisker barrel field (posteromedial barrel subfield, PMBSF) size in rats raised in standard cages and in rats chronically exposed to an enriched sensory environment. Some animals were subjected to either chronic trimming of the right whiskers, or permanent transection of the right infraorbital nerve. Coronal brain sections were Nissl-stained or reacted for cytochrome oxidase. All, except the IoN-transected rats, showed +/-5% variation in mean PMBSF thickness, with no consistent side bias. In the transected animals, however, the left PMBSF was a significant 3.1% shallower than the right. This denervation-dependent radial shrinkage was consistent with an 11% volume shrinkage of the deafferented PMBSF. The mean volume of the PMBSF ranged between 8.7 and 9.5 mm(3), with moderate interindividual variability (3.5% to 11%). No significant differences in PMBSF volume were found between groups in the right hemisphere, nor in the right vs. left ratios. However, the PMBSF volume was a significant 6.6% larger in the enriched animals without whisker trimming. The PMBSF volume correlated positively with neocortical volume, and with PMBSF cortex thickness, in rats exposed to enriched environment. These data show that: (1) there is a moderate interanimal and lateral variability in the PMBSF volume, with no side preference; (2) exposing young adult rats to an enriched environment induces a discrete but significant enlargement of the PMBSF; (3) the effects of whisker trimming on the contralateral PMBSF, if any, are lost in the interanimal and lateral variability; and (4) such changes reach significance, however, when studied in combination with exposure to an enriched environment.

Exercise in the cold

Exercising in the cold is not an attractive option for many athletes; however, defining what represents cold is difficult and is not standard for all events. If the exercise is prolonged and undertaken at a moderate intensity, environmental temperatures around 11 degrees C can be an advantage. If the intensity is lower than this value and the individual does not generate sufficient metabolic heat to offset the effects imposed by the cold environment, then temperatures of 11 degrees C can be detrimental to performance. Similarly, when the performance involves dynamic explosive contractions, then a Cold ambient temperature can have a negative influence. Additional factors such as the exercising medium, air or water, and the anthropometric characteristics of the athlete will also make a difference to the strategies that can be adopted to offset any negative impact of a cold environment on performance. To plan for a performance in the cold requires an understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the physiological response. This review attempts to outline these mechanisms and how they can be manipulated to optimize performance.

A framework for landscape ecological design of new patches in the rural landscape

This study developed a comprehensive framework to incorporate landscape ecological principles into the landscape planning and design process, with a focus on the design of new patches in the rural landscape. The framework includes two interrelated phases: patch analyst (PA) and patch designer (PD). The patch analyst augments the process of landscape inventory and analysis. It distinguishes nodes (associated with potential habitat patches) from links (associated with corridors and stepping stones between habitats). For natural vegetation patches, characteristics such as size, shape, and spatial arrangement have been used to develop analytical tools that distinguish between nodes and links. The patch designer uses quantitative information and analytical tools to recommend locations, shapes, sizes, and composition of introduced patches. The framework has been applied to the development of a new golf course in the rural Mediterranean landscape of Apulia, Southern Italy. Fifty new patches of Mediterranean maquis (24 patches) and garrigue (26 patches) have been designed and located in the golf course, raising the overall natural vegetation area to 70 ha (60% of total property). The framework has potential for use in a wide variety of landscape planning, design, and management projects.

Hippocampal Lesions Disrupt Navigation Based on the Shape of the Environment

Geometric information provided by the walls of an environment has a strong influence over hippocampal unit activity. This suggests that the hippocampus forms part of a cognitive mapping system that encodes geometric relationships between environmental cues and the animal's location. Here, the authors show for the first time that excitotoxic lesions of the hippocampus disrupt the ability of rats to navigate to a goal using shape information provided by a solid-walled arena and an array of identical landmarks. These results are consistent with cognitive mapping theories of hippocampal function and extend previous research by showing that hippocampal cell loss impairs navigation with respect to shape information provided by both physical barriers and an array of landmarks.

The Effects of Health and Environment on Exercise-Class Participation in Older, Urban Women

This research investigated the effects of health and environmental factors on the dropout and intermittent nonattendance of an exercise program designed specifically for older, female, primary-care patients living in the inner city. Class-attendance records (n = 21,538) from a cohort 110 women were analyzed. Women who dropped out early had poorer perceived health and were more likely to report pain as an exercise barrier at baseline. Those who lived in a census tract where a larger percentage of workers walk to work were less likely to drop out early. Intermittent nonattendance was associated with adverse weather conditions including heat index above 90 degrees F, wind-chill index below 20 degrees F, overcast sky, and snow. Better attendance was associated with greater atmospheric pressure, as well as lower number of sunlight hours per day. This research highlights the need to better understand environmental barriers when promoting physical activities in older women.

Shellfish conflict in Baynes Sound: a strategic perspective

The shellfish aquaculture industry (SAI) has operated in Baynes Sound, British Columbia (BC) since the early 1900s. Recognizing the economic potential of the area, the industry has requested additional farming opportunities. However, Baynes Sound upland residents and many other stakeholders have expressed concerns that SAI activities are having a negative impact on the environment, quality of life, and other nonaquaculture resource uses in the area. In order to address these issues, the Action Plan was initiated by a BC government interagency project team in November 2001. To assist in assessing the strategic aspects of this conflict, the decision support system GMCR II is employed here to apply a new methodology, the graph model for conflict resolution, to systematically analyze the ongoing conflict over shellfish aquaculture development in Baynes Sound within a social, economic, and environmental framework. Valuable insights are procured to guide decision-makers toward sustainability of the shellfish industry.

Extraction, detection and persistence of extracellular DNA in forest litter microcosms

A DNA extraction method was developed that preferentially extracted extracellular DNA rather than intracellular DNA from forest litter. The method purposely avoided the use of harsh chemicals and physical disruption steps used in total DNA extraction to release DNA from cells. The detection limit of PCR, determined by spiking forest litter samples with a dilution series of Choristoneura fumiferana MNPVegt(-)/lacZ(+) genomic DNA, was about 1 ng DNA or 6.85 x 10(6) target copies 0.5 g(-1) moist forest litter or 0.14 g(-1) dry forest litter. In this study, outdoor terrestrial microcosms, each spiked with 49.2 microg of genomic DNA (from the baculovirus CfMNPVegt(-)/lacZ(+)), were exposed to summer conditions. A 530 bp DNA fragment from the genome of the baculovirus CfMNPVegt(-)/lacZ(+) was detected in these microcosms for about 3 months. The DNA may have persisted for a longer period but was below the detection limit of the PCR analysis.

Application of benzo(a)pyrene and coal tar tumor dose-response data to a modified benchmark dose method of guideline development

Assessment of cancer risk from exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been traditionally conducted by applying the conservative linearized multistage (LMS) model to animal tumor data for benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), considered the most potent carcinogen in PAH mixtures. Because it has been argued that LMS use of 95% lower confidence limits on dose is unnecessarily conservative, that assumptions of low-dose linearity to zero in the dose response imply clear mechanistic understanding, and that "acceptable" cancer risk rests on a policy decision, an alternative cancer risk assessment approach has been developed. Based in part on the emerging benchmark dose (BMD) method, the modified BMD method we used involves applying a suite of conventional mathematical models to tumor dose-response data. This permits derivation of the average dose corresponding to 5% extra tumor incidence (BMD0.05) to which a number of modifying factors are applied to achieve a guideline dose, that is, a daily dose considered safe for human lifetime exposure. Application of the modified BMD method to recent forestomach tumor data from BaP ingestion studies in mice suggests a guideline dose of 0.08 microg/kg/day. Based on this and an understanding of dietary BaP, and considering that BaP is a common contaminant in soil and therefore poses human health risk via soil ingestion, we propose a BaP soil guideline value of 5 ppm (milligrams per kilogram). Mouse tumor data from ingestion of coal tar mixtures containing PAHs and BaP show that lung and not forestomach tumors are most prevalent and that BaP content cannot explain the lung tumors. This calls into question the common use of toxicity equivalence factors based on BaP for assessing risk from complex PAH mixtures. Emerging data point to another PAH compound--H-benzo(c)fluorene--as the possible lung tumorigen.

Spatial risk assessment across large landscapes with varied land use: lessons from a conservation assessment of military lands

Spatial decision-support tools are necessary for assessment and management of threats to biodiversity, which in turn is necessary for biodiversity conservation. In conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division's Species at Risk program, we developed a GIS-based spatial decision-support tool for relative risk assessments of threats to biodiversity on the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss (New Mexico and Texas) due to land uses associated with military missions of the two bases. The project tested use of spatial habitat models, land-use scenarios, and species-specific impacts to produce an assessment of relative risks for use in conservation planning on the 1.2 million-hectare study region. Our procedure allows spatially explicit analyses of risks to multiple species from multiple sources by identifying a set of hazards faced by all species of interest, identifying a set of feasible management alternatives, assigning scores to each species for each hazard, and mapping the distribution of these hazard scores across the region of interest for each combination of species/management alternatives. We illustrate the procedure with examples. We demonstrate that our risk-based approach to conservation planning can provide resource managers with a useful tool for spatial assessment of threats to species of concern.

Optical transition energies for carbon nanotubes from resonant Raman spectroscopy: environment and temperature effects

This Letter reports the laser energy dependence of the Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman spectra of carbon nanotubes dispersed in aqueous solution and within solid bundles, in the energy range 1.52-2.71 eV. The electronic transition energies (E(ii)) and the radial breathing mode frequencies (omega(RBM)) are obtained for 46 different (18 metallic and 28 semiconducting) nanotubes, and the (n,m) assignment is discussed based on the observation of geometrical patterns for E(ii) versus omega(RBM) graphs. Only the low energy component of the E(M)(11) value is observed from each metallic nanotube. For a given nanotube, the resonant window is broadened and down-shifted for single wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles compared to SWNTs in solution, while by increasing the temperature, the E(S)(22) energies are redshifted for S1 [(2n+m) mod 3=1] nanotubes and blueshifted for S2 [(2n+m) mod 3=2] nanotubes.

Beneficial use of dredged material for habitat creation, enhancement, and restoration in New York-New Jersey Harbor

A comprehensive Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) has been developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District (USACE-NYD) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ). The primary objective of the DMMP is to identify cost-effective and environmentally acceptable alternatives for the placement of dredged material derived from ongoing and proposed navigation improvements within the PANY/NJ. A significant portion of this dredged material is classified as unsuitable for open-ocean disposal. One suite of alternatives presented within the DMMP is the beneficial use of dredged material for habitat creation, enhancement, and restoration within the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. Proposed beneficial use/habitat development projects include the use of dredged material for construction of artificial reefs, oyster reef restoration, intertidal wetland and mudflat creation, bathymetric recontouring, filling dead-end canals/basins, creation of bird/wildlife islands, and landfill/brownfields reclamation. Preliminary screening of the proposed beneficial use alternatives identified advantages, disadvantages, potential volumes, and estimated costs associated with each project type. Continued study of the proposed beneficial use alternatives has identified areas of environmental research or technology development where further investigation is warranted.

Sensorineural hearing loss in Jewish children born in Jerusalem

OBJECTIVE

Many factors, hereditary and environmental, may cause deafness. The aim of the present study was to analyze data on the etiology of bilateral sensorineural hearing impairment in children born in the Jerusalem area during 1978-1991, and to compare the results to those of a previous survey (1968-1977) in the same area.

METHODS

The study included 150 Jewish children (139 families) with hearing loss, born during 1978-1991. Information was obtained on prenatal, perinatal and postnatal events, history of hearing loss in the family, the parents' communities and consanguinity. Children with a sensorineural hearing impairment of 56 dB HL or greater in the better ear, within the frequency range of 0.5-4 kHz were included in the study. The hearing loss was classified as moderate-severe (56-70 dB HL), severe (71-90 dB HL) and profound (91 dB HL or more) in the better ear. Mutations in the coding sequence of the connexin 26 (C x 26) and the connexin 30 genes were examined in some of the families.

RESULTS

The hearing impairment was hereditary in 66 (44%) of the children, environmental in 31 (21%) and four children (3%) had multiple malformations. The cause was unknown in 49 (33%) children. Sixty-two families were of European origin (Ashkenazim) and 62 of Afro-Asian origin (Sephardim). Consanguinity was in 7% of the families. Mutations in connexin 26 and the deletion in connexin 30 were diagnosed in 9/18 families tested. The incidence of hearing loss decreased from 1.28 per thousand during 1968-1977 to 1.06 per thousand during 1978-1991. The rate of environmental causes decreased over the years together with an increase in the rate of unknown causes. The rate of hearing loss among Sephardim decreased significantly and increased among Ashkenazim.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of hearing impairment in Israel is as that found in other countries, as was the distribution of the causes of deafness. The decrease in the rates of hearing impairment among the Sephardim may be due to a continuing decrease in consanguineous marriages among Sephardim. It is expected that the group of unknown causes will become smaller in future with the availability of more molecular genetic tests.

Genetics of human arterial hypertension

Arterial hypertension is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors in Western countries. Besides some well established, but rather rare forms of secondary hypertension, essential hypertension is the most common diagnosis. The hereditary nature of this disease has been well established in many familial studies. The quantitative contribution of genetic factors to blood pressure variance is estimated to be about 30%, however, the genetic background of essential hypertension is complex and currently not fully understood. Besides few monogenetic forms of Mendelian transmitted hypertension, current efforts are usually directed at the identification of single contributing genetic factors. This review is thought to highlight current strategies towards a better understanding of the genetic background of essential hypertension with particular respect to genetic variants of the renin-angiotensin system, of signaling pathways such as heterotrimeric G-proteins and alpha-adducin. Moreover, genetic association studies often fail to replicate findings from previous studies. This may be in part due to the polygenetic nature of the disease. Another potential reason may be the diversity of the investigated populations. The current results of genetic analyses of essential hypertension highlight, thus, the need for a more differentiated approach to the understanding of complex, polygenetic traits implementing gene-gene-, and gene-environment interactions or distinguished functional testing of thoroughly phenotyped cohorts under standardised environmental conditions.

Repeatability of Phase 1 habitat survey

As the major part of a Habitat Survey of Wales, over 80% of the land surface was surveyed in the field between 1987 and 1997 using the Phase 1 method. A resurvey of 294 randomly selected points was carried out during the early stages to audit the quality of the data being collected, leading to the development of a set of recommendations for the surveyors to improve the consistency and accuracy of habitat mapping. Recent studies have indicated a high level of discrepancy between organisations in field habitat mapping using the Phase 1 method. The findings of the Phase 1 audit in Wales are presented here to show the level of repeatability that was achieved within an organisation. There was 76% correspondence in habitat mapping between 'surveyor' and 'assessor' at the level of individual Phase 1 habitat classes. The degree of repeatability varied according to habitat strata: it was highest for modified land cover types (88%), lowest for semi-improved types (56%) and intermediate for semi-natural types (75%). An overall estimate of the repeatability of Phase 1 survey in the study area of 83% was obtained by weighting the figures for the three strata by the proportion of land area occupied by each stratum. This figure increased to 85% when habitats were amalgamated into Broad Habitat groups. These results are considerably better than those reported by studies of consistency between organisations. Most of the discrepancies between surveyor and assessor were caused by differences in habitat identification. However, at almost two thirds of the points where such a difference occurred, the assessor noted that the vegetation was transitional or borderline with that mapped by the surveyor.

Probabilistic uncertainty analysis of the European Union system for the evaluation of substances multimedia regional distribution model

The European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES) is a computerized model system to facilitate and harmonize health and environmental risk assessment of previously notified and new substances. For calculation of regional background exposure, a multimedia distribution model is used. In the present study, the uncertainty of this regional model is analyzed. Environmental parameters were collected for North Rhine Westphalia (Germany), which resembles the standard region of EUSES. Probability distribution functions of various types (uniform, triangular, normal, log normal) depending on data availability were derived for environmental input parameters, including geometric parameters. Generic log-normal distribution functions with fixed standard deviations were chosen for solubility in air, water, and n-octanol as well as for degradation half-lives. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out for 10 reference substances having different properties. Contribution of environmental parameter uncertainty to total output uncertainties is higher than that of substance parameters. Range of output uncertainty, defined as the ratio of the logarithms of the 90th and 10th percentiles of the cumulative probability distribution function, shows an increase from air and water to soil. The highest-occurring range is 1.4 orders of magnitude, which means that total uncertainty of the regional model is relatively low and, usually, is lower than the range of measured values. The median of output probability distributions lies above the point estimate. Influence of input parameters was estimated as their rank correlation coefficients to output uncertainty. Substance and environmental parameters contribute differently to output variance depending on individual substance properties and environmental compartment. Hence, the present study underlines the need to perform uncertainty analyses instead of either using a set of simple rules or just looking at certain parameters.