The application of stereo-video technology for the assessment on population change of black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in a vessel reef area in Haizhou Bay,China

The assessment of population structure and abundance of fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs(ARs) is an important aspect of AR management.In the present study,we used a DiveOperated Stereo Video(stereo-DOV) technique to assess the population structure and abundance of Sebastes schlegeli associated with two metallic,and three wooden,vessel reefs in Haizhou Bay during 2012 and2013.The study used video systems to obtain length measurements and estimates of abundance.The size composition of S.schlegeli differed among reefs and individuals around vessel reefs were all adults,with total lengths(TL) of >20 cm.Juvenile fish were encountered by divers in a rocky area near the island away from the vessel reefs.The largest individual S.schlegeli(with the highest TL) among five reefs were found around a metallic vessel reef in both 2012 and 2013.TL of S.schlegeli from all reefs increased by an average of 3.2 cm(P<0.05) from 2012 to 2013,with an estimated mean weight increase of 250.4 g(P<0.05).The video survey also indicated a decrease in the biomass of schools near two metallic vessels between the years.Stereo-video technology was found to be suitable for rockfish surveys around the reefs.

A Transition from Wood Fuel to LPG and Its Impact on Energy Conservation and Health in the Central Himalayas, India

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impacts of the transition from wood fuel to Liquefied Petroleum Gas （LPG） from energy use and health perspectives along an altitudinal gradient （viz., lower altitude; middle altitude; and higher altitude） of the Central Himalayas. Empirical field study and questionnaire based survey was conducted for obtaining the data. A total of 2o households from each altitude were selected for obtaining reliable information on the actual quantity of fuelwood consumed. Of the 2o households, five households each based on the family size i.e., small families （〈4 members）, medium （5-8 members） and large （〉9 members） from all the altitudinal regions were selected. This was followed by an administration of a questionnaire on the quantity of fuelwood consumed. After the completion of the questionnaire survey, the data was validated using a weighted survey for the randomly selected households for obtaining precise information on the actual quantity of fuelwood consumed. Energy analysis is done with respect to the time spent on fuelwood collection and energy value of burning of per kg of fuelwood. Study indicates that declining biomass requirement from forests contributes significantly towards energy conservation, also has positive impact on human health. Per capita annual energy expenditure on collection of fuelwood is 752 MJ which is higher than any other activity in villages of Central Himalaya. The LPG substitution has contributed to energy saving which is equivalent to 2976-3,742 MJ per capita per year in middle and lower altitudes respectively. In the higher altitude the energy saving is calculated to be about 257 MJ per capita per year. Replacing fuelwood with LPG has made positive impact on society in terms of improving the health while reducing diseases that are caused due to indoor air pollution.

Toxicity of graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes against human cells and zebrafish

Graphene possesses unique physical and chemical properties, which have inspired a wide range of potential biomedical applications. However, little is known about the adverse effects of graphene on the human body and ecological environment. The purpose of our work is to make assessment on the toxicity of graphene oxide (GO) against human cell line (human bone marrow neuroblastoma cell line and human epithelial carcinoma cell line) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) by comparing the toxic effects of GO with its sister, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The results show that GO has a moderate toxicity to organisms since it can induce minor (about 20%) cell growth inhibition and slight hatching delay of zebrafish embryos at a dosage of 50 mg/L, but did not result in significant increase of apoptosis in embryo, while MWNTs exhibit acute toxicity leading to a strong inhibition of cell proliferation and serious morphological defects in developing embryos even at relatively low concentration of 25 mg/L. The distinctive toxicity of GO and MWNTs should be ascribed to the different models of interaction between nanomaterials and organisms, which arises from the different geometric structures of nanomaterials. Collectively, our work suggests that GO does actual toxicity to organisms posing potential environmental risks and the result is also shedding light on the geometrical structure-dependent toxicity of graphitic nanomaterials.