On the study of ecosystem health:state of the art

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＤｕｒｉｎｇｌａｓｔｄｅｃａｄｅｓ,ｔｈｅｔｅｒｍ“ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｈｅａｌｔｈ”ｉｓｕｓｅｄｗｉｔｈｉｎｃｒｅａｓｉｎｇｆｒｅｑｕｅｎｃｙｉｎｔｈｅｌｉｔｅｒａｔｕｒｅ.Ｔｈｅｇｒｏｗｉｎｇｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｓｉｎｔｈｅｓｔｕ...     

Sustainable urban development — the public health dimension

１　Ｓｕｓｔａｉｎａｂｌｅｕｒｂａｎｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔ—ｔｈｅｐｕｂｌｉｃｈｅａｌｔｈｄｉｍｅｎｓｉｏｎＴｏｗｎｓａｎｄｃｉｔｉｅｓａｒｅｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｌｙｔｈｅｆｏｃｕｓｆｏｒｅｃｏｎｏｍｉｃｐｌａｎｎｉｎｇａｎｄｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｉｎＥｕｒｏｐｅａｎｃｏｕｎｔｒｉｅｓ．Ｆｏｒｍｅｒｌｙ，ｐｏｌｉｔｉｃｉａｎｓａｎｄｐｌａｎｎｅｒｓｐｒｉｏｒｉｔｉｚｅｄｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌａｎｄｎａｔｉｏｎａｌｌｅｖｅｌｓ，ｗｉｔｈｍａｃｒｏｅｃｏｎｏｍｉｃｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｓｅｅｎａｓｔ…     

Health officials’ perceptions of and preparedness for the impacts of climate variability on human health in the Somali region of Ethiopia

A proactive strategy to respond effectively to health impacts related to climate variability, particularly within vulnerable populations, is of vital importance. Such a strategy can be attained if health officials have a deep understanding of how climate variability affects human health and if the resources available for the health care sector are sufficient. This study assessed the perceptions and preparedness of health officials toward climate variability and health impacts in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The resources available for the health care sector were also assessed. The results show that approximately 80% of health officials were aware of the relationship between climate variability and human health impacts, but the majority of them were unable to project the future trend of related health problems in the region. The results also show an inadequate availability of health care resources, particularly in regards to infrastructure, numbers of health professionals, and training on climate variability and health. The results further revealed problems with poor living conditions, such as access to sanitation and safe water, for the majority of people in the study area. Climate variability is thus one of the many factors exacerbating the increasing trend of human health problems in the Somali region. Besides improving training to increase health officials’ knowledge of climate variability and human health impacts, the government should also address other factors that currently hinder a successful response to increasing disease prevalence.     

Seasonal variation and health risk assessment of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons（PAHs） in the urban area of Xi＇an

利用大流量主动采样器于2008年8月至2009年7月采集了西安城区大气样品,研究了大气中多环芳烃（PAHs）的季节变化特征.结果表明,西安大气中16种美国EPA优控的PAHs（∑PAHs）气固两相总浓度为37～620ng·m-3（年平均为195ng·m-3）,具有明显的季节差异,依次为夏季（74ng·m-3）〈春季（106ng·m-3）〈秋季（213ng·m-3）〈冬季（360ng·m-3）.气态PAHs以3～4环为主,颗粒态PAHs以5～6环为主.分子组成表明西安大气PAHs主要来自于燃煤和机动车尾气及生物质燃烧的复合源.应用BaP毒性当量因子及健康风险评价模型对西安城区成人和儿童进行PAHs健康风险评价,结果显示成人和儿童的日均暴露剂量分别为24.3×10-6mg·kg-·1d-1和5.6×10-6mg·kg-·1d-1,终身致癌超额危险度分别为7.5×10-5和1.7×10-5,可能造成成人和儿童的预期寿命损失分别约为467.6min和107.5min.     

Nano polystyrene microplastics could accumulate in Nile tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus): Negatively impacts on the intestinal and liver health through water exposure

Microplastics(MPs) have become a significant concern for their potential toxicity. However,the correlation between the size of plastic particles and their toxicity remains inconclusive.Here, we investigate the toxic effects of different sizes(80 nm, 800 nm, 8 μm and 80 μm)polystyrene MPs(PS-MPs) on the model organism Nile tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus). The results of bioluminescent imaging indicate that the 80 nm PS-MPs are more likely to invade the body. H&E staining shows severe damage on...     

Regional assessment of cadmium pollution in agricultural lands and the potential health risk related to intensive mining activities： A case study in Chenzhou City, China

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent of cadmium （Cd） contamination in agricultural soil and its potential risk for people. Soils, rice, and vegetables from Chenzhou City, Southern China were sampled and analyzed. In the surface soils, the 95% confidence interval for the mean concentration of Cd varied between 2.72 and 4.83 mg/kg （P 〈 0.05） in the survey, with a geometric mean concentration of 1.45 mg/kg. Based on the GIS map, two hot spot areas of Cd in agricultural soils with high Cd concentrations were identified to be located around the Shizhuyuan, Jinshiling, and Yaogangxian mines, and the Baoshan and Huangshaping mines, in the center of the city. About 60% of the total investigated area, where the agricultural soil Cd concentration is above 1 mg/kg, is distributed in a central belt across the region. The critical distances, at which the soil Cd concentration were increased by the mining activities, from the mines of the soils were 23 km for the Baoshan mine, 46 km for the Huangshaping mine, and 63 km for the Shizhuyuan mine, respectively. These are distances calculated from models. The Cd concentrations in rice samples ranged from 0.01 to 4.43 mg/kg and the mean dietary Cd intake from rice for an adult was 191 μg/d. Results of risk indexes showed that soil Cd concentrations possessed risks to local residents whose intake of Cd from rice and vegetables grown in soils in the vicinity of the mine was 596 μg/d.     

Epidemiological investigation on mercury contamination in gold mining and its effect on health

Ｉｎｒｅｃｅｎｔｙｅａｒｓ,ｍｅｒｃｕｒｙｃｏｎｔａｍｉｎａｔｉｏｎｈａｓｂｅｅｎ ｐａｉｄ ｇｒｅａｔａｔｔｅｎｔｉｏｎｔｏｏｖｅｒｔｈｅｗｏｒｌｄ(Ｚｉｌｌｏｕｘ ,1993;Ｍｏｎａｍｙ ,1993;Ｇｕａｎ ,1994;Ｙａｎｇ ,1992 ;Ｌｉ,1993;1994;ＳＣＯＰＥ ,1994) .ＴｈｅｐｒｉｎｃｉｐａｌｆｏｃｕｓｉｓｔｏｄｅｃｒｅａｓｅＨｇｃｏｎｔａｍｉｎａｔｉｏｎｉｎｏｒｄｅｒｔｏｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｔｈｅｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｎｄｔｈｅｈｕｍａｎ’ｓｈｅａｌｔｈ .Ｉｔｉｓｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔｆｒｏｍ“ｍｉ…     

Asynopsis of the book Ecological Indicators for the Nation

ＴｈｅＵ .Ｓ .ＥｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌＰｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｏｎＡｇｅｎｃｙｒｅｑｕｅｓｔｅｄｔｈｅＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈＣｏｕｎｃｉｌ(ｗｈｉｃｈｉｓｔｈｅｏｐｅｒａｔｉｎｇａｒｍｏｆｔｈｅＵ .Ｓ .ＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓａｎｄｔｈｅＵ .Ｓ .ＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＥｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇ)ｔｏｃａｒｒｙｏｕｔａｃｒｉｔｉｃａｌｓｃｉｅｎｔｉｆｉｃｅｖａｌｕａｔｉｏｎｏｆｉｎｄｉｃａｔｏｒｓｔｏｍｏｎｉｔｏｒｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｃｈａｎｇｅｓｆｒｏｍｅｉｔ…     

Is the ‘Lost World’ really lost? Palaeoecological insights into the origin of the peculiar flora of the Guayana Highlands

The peculiar biogeography of the so-called Lost World, i.e. the summits of sandstone tableaux (tepuis) in the Neotropical Guyana region of Venezuela, has generated a debate regarding the factors that are thought to account for modern vegetation patterns in the region. Some argue that plant communities on these high-elevation summits reflect a long history of evolution in isolation, while others surmise that there has been substantial biotic interchange with the surrounding lowlands during glacial times. Until now, these apparently competing hypotheses have not been tested using palaeoecological methods. I used pollen analysis of Quaternary sediments and documented past vertical migrations of vegetation in response to climate changes, which supports the second hypothesis. Physiographical analysis, however, shows that about half the tableaux summits are too high for their flora to have reached the lowlands during the last glaciation, suggesting that a portion of the tableaux vegetation has always experienced some degree of biotic isolation. Thus, a component of the summit vegetation evolved in isolation, whereas other taxa experienced interchange, as reflected in endemism patterns among the tableaux summits. Biogeographical patterns on the summits are the result of complex evolutionary processes. The two hypotheses invoked to explain the vegetation patterns are not mutually exclusive, but instead complement one another.     

A new direction for the development of the paper industry

-In order to reduce the increasingly serious environmental impact caused by wastewater from the paper industry, the municipality of Jinan plans to adopt a specialized production technology. The new technology will centralize pulp production and decentralize paper production. It is predicted that the new technology will greatly reduce the environmental effects of the paper industry. Perhaps it is a new direction for the development of the paper industry in China.     

Purification function of the natural wetland in the Liaohe Delta

１ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＳｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅ，ｆｕｎｃｔｉｏｎａｎｄｃｈａｎｇｅａｒｅｔｈｒｅｅｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔａｓｐｅｃｔｓｏｆｌａｎｄｓｃａｐｅｅｃｏｌｏｇｙ（Ｆｏｒｍａｎ，１９８６）．Ｌａｎｄｓｃａｐｅｆｕｎｃｔｉｏｎｍｅａｎｓｔｈｅｉｎｔｅ...     

Development of the procedure for the stabilization of rainwater samples

ＤｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｆｔｈｅｐｒｏｃｅｄｕｒｅｆｏｒｔｈｅｓｔａｂｉｌｉｚａｔｉｏｎｏｆｒａｉｎｗａｔｅｒｓａｍｐｌｅｓＹｕａｎＺｈｏｎｇｘｉｎ；Ｃｈｕｎｇ－ＳｈｉｎＹｕａｎ（ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＣｈｅｍｉｃａｌＥｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇＮａｔｉ...     

Have the results of the TOTAL-trials changed the attitude and practice of maternal-fetal medicine specialists?

Objective

To explore the views and practices of maternal-fetal medicine specialists on offering fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO) for left- and right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (LCDH, RCDH) in the post Tracheal Occlusion To Accelerate Lung growth (TOTAL)-trial era.

Method

Cross-sectional knowledge, attitude and practice survey was conducted among 105 attendees of the 19th World Congress of Fetal Medicine.

Results

On average, respondents were knowledgeable about CDH, involved in research, and provided antenatal treatment options. Four out of five (82%) agreed that neonatal survival in LCDH can be reliably predicted in the prenatal period. Few respondents considered the exact risks and benefits of FETO for severe LCDH as being unclear (16%), yet half were uncertain about this for moderate LCDH (57%) and severe RCDH (45%). Most respondents offer FETO for severe LCDH (97%) and RCDH (79%), but only 59% offer it for moderate LCDH. However, half of respondents (58%) stated that not offering FETO for moderate LCDH would be a psychological burden for parents.

Conclusion

Respondents consider the risk-benefit ratio of FETO for severe LCDH clear and consistently offer FETO, but not for moderate LDCH and severe RCDH. However, not offering the option of FETO to parents was considered a psychological burden.     

Can the Earth's magnetic field be simulated in the laboratory?

Today it is generally accepted that the Earth's magnetic field, as well as that of many other planets, is generated by buoyancy driven convection in the electrically conducting liquid cores of these rotating celestial bodies. The conversion of mechanical energy into electromagnetic energy is known as the dynamo effect. In contrast to technical dynamos, which utilize the rotational motion of a complex arrangement of wire coils and other materials of different electrical and magnetic properties, the geodynamo is based on a freely developing spiral flow in a practically homogeneous, electrically conducting liquid core domain, and is therefore termed a homogeneous dynamo. This report outlines some fundamental properties of the Earth's magnetic field. The structure of the spiral flow in the liquid interior of planets is explained with the help of some model experiments in rapidly rotating spherical shells, which were carried out by Busse and Carrigan (1974). Based on the main ideas of electromagnetism it is shown that spiral motion in well-conducting fluids, like liquid metals, can amplify seed magnetic fields to generate dynamo action. Starting from the conjectured flow structure in the Earth's interior, a conceptional and engineering design is described for a laboratory dynamo experiment. Some details of the construction of the test facility and first experimental results are presented and discussed.     

Linking the Northeast states of the US mitigation program to the EU Emission Trading Scheme—Implications and costs

It is argued that there are at least five reasons for the Northeast states of the United States to implement a regional emission trading scheme for carbon dioxide despite the lack of federal policy regulations: goodwill, learning, political influence, risk management and competitiveness interests. Using an energy-economy model, the carbon price to bring the firms into compliance with a 10% reduction by 2020 is estimated to be 20-150 US$ per ton C. There have been discussions about linking the ongoing EU Emission Trading Schemes to the Northeast state initiative. The prime argument is that such a linkage would encourage a change of the federal US policy, which has traditionally followed action taken at the state level. Emissions trading with binding mitigation commitments could thus be demanded and accepted also on federal level. This paper demonstrates that the impact of linkage on permit prices depends on the reduction target in the European scheme: A low EU target results in a net flow of permits to the Northeast scheme, while a 40% EU reduction target results in a net flow of permits from the Northeast. Flow of permits from the Northeast state must be compensated for by the EU because the United States is not a party of the Kyoto Protocol. The EU must therefore buy permits in allowances recognized in the Kyoto regime in an amount equal to the net flow of permits from the Northeast states.

A method for calculating the total ozone amount in the clear skies

Ａｍｅｔｈｏｄｆｏｒｃａｌｃｕｌａｔｉｎｇｔｈｅｔｏｔａｌｏｚｏｎｅａｍｏｕｎｔｉｎｔｈｅｃｌｅａｒｓｋｉｅｓ￥ＢａｉＪｉａｎｈｕｉ；ＷａｎｇＧｅｎｇｃｈｅｎ（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃＰｈｙｓｉｃｓ，ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏ...