Geographic Analysis of Forest Health Indicators Using Spatial Scan Statistics

Geographically explicit analysis tools are needed to assess forest health indicators that are measured over large regions. Spatial scan statistics can be used to detect spatial or spatiotemporal clusters of forests representing hotspots of extreme indicator values. This paper demonstrates the approach through analyses of forest fragmentation indicators in the southeastern United States and insect and pathogen indicators in the Pacific Northwest United States. The scan statistic detected four spatial clusters of fragmented forest including a hotspot in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain region. Three recurring clusters of insect and pathogen occurrence were found in the Pacific Northwest. Spatial scan statistics are a powerful new tool that can be used to identify potential forest health problems.     

WATER RESOURCES AND HUMAN HEALTH: THE VIEWPOINT OF MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY1

ABSTRACT: Medical geography studies both areal patterns of human health and disease and the environmental and cultural factors that contribute to such conditions. In such studies water resources are of major importance, not only because they are essential for life and their scenic beauty is of inspirational value, but also because they are involved, directly or indirectly, in more than 80 percent of all disease. The direct involvements result from various disease causing agents sometimes found in surface or ground water organic ones such as bacteria, worms, etc., which are known as pathogens, and inorganic ones such as trace elements and synthetic toxic chemicals. Surface waters may have indirect effects also, for they may serve as habitats or breeding places for organisms that do not themselves cause human disease but that serve as vectors or hosts for such pathogens. This paper will discuss these various roles of water resources in both endemic and epidemic disease occurrences and ways in which various human activities domestic, economic, recreational, or religious — increase or reduce our exposure to such diseases.     

The epidemic characteristics of Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) in different eco-environments

Epidemiological survey of 573 families, clinical examination of 2593 persons, and X-ray examination of 1136 persons (in 16 typical endemic villages) were conducted, based on the classification of endemiology for KBD disease areas, i.e, mountain type, loess plateau type, plateau type, and flatlands type. It was revealed that the KBD disease areas exhibited the regular pattern of corming-into-being, development and passing-away and the characteristics of growth and decline. Further, it was found clinically that the disease areas may be divided into 4 types, i.e., recent onset, developing, stable, and historical. This division is simple and easy, practical, scientific, and reliable and can be applied by medical personnel at different levels.     

空气污染与儿童呼吸系统患病率的相关分析

 在流行病学调查和空气污染物监测的基础上，研究讨论了儿童呼吸系统患病率与空气污染之间的相关关系，结果表明，空气中细颗粒物（PM_2.5）和可吸入颗粒物（PM₁₀）与儿童呼吸系统患病率呈线性正相关关系，其影响比SO₂、Nox更密切．哮喘明显受颗粒物、SO₂、Nox的综合作用的影响．未感冒咳嗽发生率明显受细颗粒物和Nox污染综合作用的影响．     

北方蚕区夏秋蚕病的防范对策

夏秋蚕病是北方蚕桑生产上存在的主要问题,对蚕桑的危害不断扩大。为此,笔者根据多年调查研究,试验摸索出了北方蚕区夏秋蚕病的防范对策。     

Ecology of Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus in Western Siberian Populations of the Gypsy Moth (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lymantria dispar</Emphasis> L.)

The impact of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus on the population dynamics of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. has been studied. The results have shown that polyhedrosis morbidity in the western Siberian population of the insect is relatively low, compared to that reported for North American and European populations. A possible cause of this situation is found in the high migration activity of moths in the Asian L. dispar populations, which allows the virus load on the biotope to remain relatively stable and insufficient for the initiation of mass viral diseases during population outbreaks.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 222–226.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ilinykh.     

Effects of pond salinization on survival rate of amphibian hosts infected with the chytrid fungus

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been implicated in the decline and extinction of amphibian populations worldwide, but management options are limited. Recent studies show that sodium chloride (NaCl) has fungicidal properties that reduce the mortality rates of infected hosts in captivity. We investigated whether similar results can be obtained by adding salt to water bodies in the field. We increased the salinity of 8 water bodies to 2 or 4 ppt and left an additional 4 water bodies with close to 0 ppt and monitored salinity for 18 months. Captively bred tadpoles of green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) were released into each water body and their development, levels of B. dendrobatidis infection, and survival were monitored at 1, 4, and 12 months. The effect of salt on the abundance of nontarget organisms was also investigated in before and after style analyses. Salinities remained constant over time with little intervention. Hosts in water bodies with 4 ppt salt had a significantly lower prevalence of chytrid infection and higher survival, following metamorphosis, than hosts in 0 ppt salt. Tadpoles in the 4 ppt group were smaller in length after 1 month in the release site than those in the 0 and 2 ppt groups, but after metamorphosis body size in all water bodies was similar . In water bodies with 4 ppt salt, the abundance of dwarf tree frogs (Litoria fallax), dragonfly larvae, and damselfly larvae was lower than in water bodies with 0 and 2 ppt salt, which could have knock‐on effects for community structure. Based on our results, salt may be an effective field‐based B. dendrobatidis mitigation tool for lentic amphibians that could contribute to the conservation of numerous susceptible species. However, as in all conservation efforts, these benefits need to be weighed against negative effects on both target and nontarget organisms.     

湘黄鸡马立克氏病(MD)临床免疫方法及效果研究

通过本次临床试验得出；湘黄鸡马立克氏病(MD)的免疫以CVI988 HVT苗或Rispens CVI988苗为最佳效果，可使该病的临床发病率分别控制在1．33％和1．67％以下，致瘤率为34％左右．用中药进行预防达不到免疫的效果．所以认为用血清I型疫苗是目前衡阳地区湘黄鸡马立克氏病(MD)的唯一有效的免疫方法．     

皖江流域及其以南地区的血吸虫病害度区划

皖江流域及其以南地区是安徽省血吸虫病害的主要区域。本文通过对血吸虫病害的孕灾环境,致灾因子和承灾体的分析,探讨了血吸虫病害的区划指标,并进行了病害度分区。