Big Cities, Big Impacts? A spatial analysis of 3,335 ecological offsets in France since 2012

This paper assesses the French policy of mitigation hierarchy, with the aim of no net loss of biodiversity, by studying the geographical aspects of the application of the concept of ecological offsets in equivalence between losses and gains using spatialized data. We seek to know whether the dynamics of urban and interurban development (notably built-up and transport infrastructures) lead to a spatially integrated implementation of biodiversity offsets taking into account local characteristics and areas under pressure from land artificialization. Our main finding reveals that the majority of ecological offsets are generated by projects related to transport infrastructures (38%) and urban planning and construction projects (23%). However, if there are fewer, the ecological offsets of projects such as waste storage or energy development are mostly located in natural preserved areas, revealing a potential risk of non additionnality of offset measures and a risk that the private sector (through ecological offsets) will gradually replace the state in the protection of biodiversity. Our analysis also points out that despite the diversity of projects, habitats and protected species across France, there is a typical spatial layout profile of ecological offsets, pleading for a "one size fits all" offsetting in the French policy context of tenuous regulators' availability in time and competence level due to weakness of refresh training and downsizing of public services in the environment. This last result argues for a stronger control from environmental agencies between two tremendously tricky concepts of offsetting, the equivalence valuation methods and the adjustments coefficients (time delay and ecological risk), to drive ecological offsetting future decisions at local but above all regional- and national-level planning documents.

An evaluation of the biological significance of aluminium in plasma and hair of patients on long-term hemodialysis

In hemodialyzed patients, the risk of toxicity attributed to the body accumulation of aluminium (Al) justifies the need for monitoring Al in various human media. In this study, Al concentrations in the hair and plasma of 78 hemodialyzed patients with chronic renal failure and of 351 healthy volunteers were measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman effect. Plasma Al concentrations in patients were significantly higher than in the controls and positively correlated with time on dialysis. Hair Al levels were widely distributed with no significant distinction between patients and controls. On the subject of establishing correlation, the authors stress the importance of taking into account the kinetics of the elimination of minerals from hair. Even when this was done, in the patient group there was no statistical link between plasma and hair Al levels. Hair Al analysis is of no value as an indicator of body Al accumulation.

Association between magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc in umbilical cord plasma and erythrocytes, and the gestational age and growth variables of full-term newborns

We determined reference values in umbilical cord plasma and erythrocytes for magnesium, total calcium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc, and then calculated correlations and stepwise-regression equations in 66 white full-term newborn infants (35 boys, 31 girls). Only infants meeting certain optimal criteria and benefiting from excellent maternal conditions and uncomplicated pregnancies were included. There were no significant sex-related differences at birth among the variables studied. Gestational age was positively correlated with erythrocyte zinc (P less than 0.001), and plasma calcium was positively correlated with erythrocyte copper (P less than 0.001). Plasma copper proved to be the most significant variable in the stepwise-regression equation for birth height as the dependent variable. The most significant regressors accounting for birth weight were erythrocyte zinc followed by plasma zinc.

Changes in magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium, cholesterol, and creatine kinase concentrations in patients from pre-infarction syndrome to fatal myocardial infarction

We measured changes in concentrations of magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium, cholesterol [total and high-density lipoproteins (HDL)], total creatine kinase (CK), and CK isoenzyme-MB in plasma (PI) and/or erythrocytes (Erc) from apparently healthy subjects and from patients with either pre-infarction syndrome (PIS) or myocardial infarction (MI) with a favorable (MI1) or fatal (MI2) outcome, to assess the relationship of these changes to the increasing severity of ischemic disease. Significant sex-related differences led us to study men and women separately. In MI1 and MI2 patients, concentrations of Mg in PI and Erc were increased as a function of time since the infarct, confirming the cardiac Mg leaves the heart and enters the circulatory compartment. Compared with concentrations in MI2 patients, Zn concentrations in PI were lower in MI2 patients in the days before death. Significant negative correlations between Zn in PI in MI1 men or Zn in Erc in MI2 men and CK or CK isoenzyme MB suggest that circulating Zn is taken up by non-necrotic myocardial tissue as part of the repair process. MI2 patients had gradually decreasing Ca concentrations in PI even more marked than those observed in PIS and MI1 patients. We also noted a marked decrease in total and HDL cholesterol concentrations in both MI2 men and MI2 women shortly before death.

Changes in magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium, cholesterol, and creatine kinase concentrations in patients from pre-infarction syndrome to fatal myocardial infarction

We measured changes in concentrations of magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium, cholesterol [total and high-density lipoproteins (HDL)], total creatine kinase (CK), and CK isoenzyme-MB in plasma (PI) and/or erythrocytes (Erc) from apparently healthy subjects and from patients with either pre-infarction syndrome (PIS) or myocardial infarction (MI) with a favorable (MI1) or fatal (MI2) outcome, to assess the relationship of these changes to the increasing severity of ischemic disease. Significant sex-related differences led us to study men and women separately. In MI1 and MI2 patients, concentrations of Mg in PI and Erc were increased as a function of time since the infarct, confirming the cardiac Mg leaves the heart and enters the circulatory compartment. Compared with concentrations in MI2 patients, Zn concentrations in PI were lower in MI2 patients in the days before death. Significant negative correlations between Zn in PI in MI1 men or Zn in Erc in MI2 men and CK or CK isoenzyme MB suggest that circulating Zn is taken up by non-necrotic myocardial tissue as part of the repair process. MI2 patients had gradually decreasing Ca concentrations in PI even more marked than those observed in PIS and MI1 patients. We also noted a marked decrease in total and HDL cholesterol concentrations in both MI2 men and MI2 women shortly before death.

Changes in magnesium, zinc and calcium in men and women after an acute myocardial infarction

The relations between different elements in acute myocardial infarction (MI) led us to determine erythrocyte (Erc) and/or plasma (Pl) concentrations of magnesium (Erc-Mg; Pl-Mg), zinc (Erc-Zn; Pl-Zn) and calcium (Pl-Ca) in 34 men and 8 women upon admission to hospital and then on days 2, 3, 6, 10 and 12. On day 1, these two groups were compared with 58 reference men or 53 reference women. The changes in the different variables from day 1 to day 12 were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. In MI men, from day 1 to day 12, all cations were significantly modified. In MI women, only Erc-Zn and Pl-Ca remained unchanged. In both populations, Pl-Mg, Erc-Mg and Pl-Zn increased significantly between day 1 and day 12.

Se, Zn, Mg, Ca, K, cholesterol, and creatine kinase concentrations in men during the 12 days after an acute myocardial infarction

We determined concentrations of selenium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2) in plasma (P) and (or) erythrocytes (E) of 32 men at the time of hospital admission for acute myocardial infarction and then on subsequent days 2, 3, 6, 10, and 12. During these 12 days, only P-selenium and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations remained unchanged. For the other variables, individual comparison of means indicated the dates of significant changes in concentration (p less than 0.05).

Se, Zn, Mg, Ca, K, cholesterol, and creatine kinase concentrations in men during the 12 days after an acute myocardial infarction

We determined concentrations of selenium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2) in plasma (P) and (or) erythrocytes (E) of 32 men at the time of hospital admission for acute myocardial infarction and then on subsequent days 2, 3, 6, 10, and 12. During these 12 days, only P-selenium and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations remained unchanged. For the other variables, individual comparison of means indicated the dates of significant changes in concentration (p less than 0.05).