Defending the Wrist Deviation Test for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Screening: A Comparison of Vibration Thresholds and Distal Motor Latency

This research used distal motor latency (DML) and vibration thresholds (VT) to evaluate 84 hand activity and wrist deviation combinations to determine the best association with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Female volunteers, 2 healthy and 2 CTS diagnosed, were age matched and operated a keyboard for 4 hrs a day. Room temperature was 28°C(±2). Beginning DML and VT were taken with a relaxed neutral posture hand. The wrist was deviated in a randomly selected combination, and determinations were taken at 5-min intervals. The trial ended at 20 min or when discomfort was felt. The CTS conditions were discriminated by pain four times, DML once, and VT 14 times. Vibrometry was the most consistent CTS discriminator. The best VT results for wrist positions were obtained with wrist extension and extended extension, whereas the unclenched, clenched, and loaded power grip activities proved to be the most consistent hand activities.     

水环境中苯氯乙酮的环境安全阈值

研究了苯氯乙酮(CN)对大白鼠灌胃亚慢性毒性试验和对藻类急性毒性试验,分别获得了苯氯乙酮对大白鼠最小有伤害剂量为2.032mg·kg-1,最大无伤害作用剂量为0.812 mg·kg-1,对藻类半数生长抑制浓度(96 h EC50)为0.360 mg·L-1,并运用EPA水环境质量基准方法及欧盟风险评价技术指南的相关方法,推算出水环境中CN的环境安全阈值为0 36 μg·L-1.     

A harvest failure approach to assess the threat from an invasive species

We present the idea of using potential infringements on annual allowable harvest targets as an approach to estimate threats from invasive species to the forest products sector. The approach uses present-day harvest levels as a reference level to estimate when and where the impact of a nonnative forest pest could become economically damaging. We use a generic model that simulates spread and damage by nonnative invasive species, basic harvest and forest growth through time. The concept is illustrated with a case study of a new nonnative invasive pest, Sirex noctilio Fabricius on pine resources in eastern Canada. Impacts of invasion on wood supply, in particular, the point at which present-day harvest levels are not attainable, were identified for 77 non-overlapping geographical regions that delimit the primary wood supply areas around large mills and wood processing facilities in eastern Canada. The results identify the minimum area of a pest outbreak that could trigger harvest shortages (approximately 12.5–14 M ha of pine forests in Ontario and Quebec). Beyond this level, the amount of host resource available for harvesting in any given year declines rapidly. The failure to sustain broad-scale harvest targets may be an attractive and intuitive indicator for policy makers and regulators interested in developing control and “slow-the-spread” programs for non-native forest pests.     

市场激励型环境规制工具对中国资源型城市高质量发展的影响

基于中国114个地级资源型城市2011—2018年的面板数据,采用熵权法测算各资源型城市的高质量发展指数,并利用系统GMM模型、静态面板门限模型和动态面板门限模型,探讨市场激励型环境规制工具对中国资源型城市高质量发展的影响及其作用机制。结果表明：（1）2011—2018年中国资源型城市高质量发展水平在总体向好的同时也存在一定程度的极差扩大现象,且在空间上呈现出“东高西低”的分布态势;（2）市场激励型环境规制工具对资源型城市高质量发展指数存在显著的正向影响;（3）市场激励型环境规制工具对资源型城市高质量发展的促进作用受到城市低碳生活基础设施水平的调节和制约,存在门限效应。基于实证研究结果进一步分析了相应的政策含义。     

我国南方水稻产地镉环境质量类别划分技术

针对我国耕地质量类别划分技术及方法体系不完善的现状,提出应用物种敏感性分布法（SSD）基于不同保护率建立"优先保护类、安全利用类和严格管控类"的土壤镉划分阈值,并对其合理性和科学性验证.结果表明,我国南方水稻产地土壤pH、土壤有机质（SOM）和阳离子交换量（CEC）对水稻富集镉的影响均达到了极显著水平（P<0.01）,并由其构建的三因子生物有效性模型可解释水稻富集系数62.0%的变异;水稻对镉的SSD曲线表明,不同水稻品种对镉的敏感性差异明显,主要与其基因型相关;依据SSD曲线基于保护率为80%和5%推导出我国南方水稻产地"优先保护类和严格管控类"的土壤镉划分阈值分别为0.26 mg·kg^-1和1.67 mg·kg^-1,且当土壤镉≤0.26 mg·kg^-1时划分为优先保护类耕地,土壤镉≥1.67 mg·kg^-1时划分为严格管控类耕地,土壤镉介于0.26~1.67 mg·kg^-1时划分为安全利用类耕地,并通过134组独立数据验证其具有一定合理性和科学性.本研究表明应用SSD法对我国南方水稻产地镉环境质量类别划分时体现出较好的普适性、科学性和合理性,同时可为我国农用地土壤环境质量类别划分技术及方法体系的建设和完善奠定坚实的工作基础.     

城市蔓延、私人交通与雾霾污染

本文选取中国280个地级市2009—2018年的面板数据为研究样本,探究城市蔓延与雾霾污染之间的作用机制。以私人交通为门槛变量,考察城市蔓延对雾霾污染的门槛效应。研究结果表明：①城市蔓延对雾霾污染的影响呈现出先降后升的U形曲线特点;②私人交通对雾霾污染的影响表现为倒U形的曲线特征,即随着私人交通发展水平的提高,雾霾污染呈现先增后减的趋势;③城市蔓延对雾霾污染的影响存在双重门槛效应,当私人交通的门槛值小于第一个门槛值（e^11.6130=110 525辆）时,城市蔓延会加剧雾霾污染;当私人交通的门槛值介于第一个门槛值和第二个门槛值（e^12.2473=208 417辆）之间时,城市蔓延对雾霾污染的影响系数为正,但未通过显著性检验;当私人交通跨过第二个门槛值时,城市蔓延水平的提高有助于抑制雾霾污染。研究城市蔓延、私人交通与雾霾污染这三者之间的关系对于促进城市的健康可持续发展具有重要的意义。     

Behavioral evolution in the major worker subcaste of twig-nesting <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pheidole</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): does morphological specialization influence task plasticity?

Polymorphism frequently correlates with specialized labor in social insects, but extreme morphologies may compromise behavioral flexibility and thus limit caste evolution. The ant genus Pheidole has dimorphic worker subcastes in which major workers appear limited due to their morphology to performing defensive or trophic functions, thus providing an ideal model to investigate specialization and plasticity. We examined worker morphology, brood-care flexibility, and subcaste ratio in 17 species of tropical twig-nesting Pheidole by quantifying nursing by major workers in natural colonies and in subcolonies lacking minors, in which we also measured brood survival and growth. Across species, majors performed significantly less brood care than minors in intact colonies, but increased rates of brood care 20-fold in subcolonies lacking minors. Brood nursed by majors had lower survival than brood tended by minors, although rates of brood growth did not vary between subcastes. Significant interspecific variation in rates of brood care by major workers did not lead to significant differences in brood growth or survival. Additionally, we did not find a significant association between the degree of major worker morphometric specialization and rates of nursing, growth, or survival of brood among species. Therefore, major workers showed reduced efficacy of brood care, but the degree of morphological specialization among species did not directly compromise task plasticity. The compact nests and all-or-nothing consequences of predation or disturbance on colony fitness may have influenced the evolution of major worker brood-care competency in twig-nesting Pheidole. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Dedicated to Professor Edward O. Wilson on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

月湖底栖动物的空间格局及其对水草可恢复区的指示

底质适宜是富营养湖泊恢复沉水植物(水草)的重要前提。大型底栖动物可综合指示底质的污染程度,于2002~2003年在武汉月湖开展了底栖动物水平分布对水草可恢复区指示作用的研究。首先通过月湖底栖动物与环境的相关分析,选择颤蚓科寡毛类作为底质营养状况的指示类群,然后利用同类湖泊群颤蚓与水草数据分析阈值,初步确定颤蚓密度≤100 ind/m2的底质适合水草生长,最后绘制月湖颤蚓分布的水平等值线,显示水草恢复的合适区域。在此基础上构建了应用底栖动物空间格局指示水草恢复区的技术原理框架。     

财政分权与环境治理——基于动态视角的理论和实证分析

基于动态视角,对财政分权与环境治理的关系进行理论分析,提出研究假说,并利用1997—2016年的省级面板数据,对两者的关系进行实证检验。理论研究认为:财政分权在不同的经济发展阶段对环境治理的影响不同。当经济发展水平较低时,财政分权对环境治理的影响以负向的替代效应为主,财政分权不利于环境治理;而当经济发展水平较高时,财政分权对环境治理的影响以正向的收入效应为主,财政分权有利于环境治理。实证研究表明:①在样本时期内,整体而言,我国的财政分权不利于环境治理。该结论在通过模型设定、指标选取以及内生性控制等检验后,仍然成立。②随着经济发展水平的不断提高,财政分权对环境治理的负向效应不断减弱。③面板门槛模型的结果表明,当人均GDP达到3.123万元时,财政分权对环境治理的影响才有可能出现拐点。若以环境污染治理投资总额和行政处罚案件数作为被解释变量时,人均GDP分别要达到4.379万元和6.276万元时,拐点才有可能出现。以上发现的政策启示在于:一方面,尽管现阶段我国的财政分权对环境治理存在负向影响,但是这种负向影响仅是阶段性的,不能因为这种阶段性特征,而否定财政分权制度本身;另一方面,由于我国大部分地区仍处在经济发展的中等收入阶段,为了缓解财政分权的负向效应,可能还需要中央政府进行适当的干预以消除地方政府在环境治理方面的扭曲。     

Analysis of motorcycle accidents using association rule mining-based framework with parameter optimization and GIS technology

IntroductionAnalyzing key factors of motorcycle accidents is an effective method to reduce fatalities and improve road safety. Association Rule Mining (ARM) is an efficient data mining method to identify critical factors associated with injury severity. However, the existing studies have some limitations in applying ARM: (a) Most studies determined parameter thresholds of ARM subjectively, which lacks objectiveness and efficiency; (b) Most studies only listed rules with high parameter thresholds, while lacking in-depth analysis of multiple-item rules. Besides, the existing studies seldom conducted a spatial analysis of motorcycle accidents, which can provide intuitive suggestions for policymakers. Method: To address these limitations, this study proposes an ARM-based framework to identify critical factors related to motorcycle injury severity. A method for parameter optimization is proposed to objectively determine parameter thresholds in ARM. A method of factor extraction is proposed to identify individual key factors from 2-item rules and boosting factors from multiple-item rules. Geographic information system (GIS) is adopted to explore the spatial relationship between key factors and motorcycle injury severity. Results and conclusions: The framework is applied to a case study of motorcycle accidents in Victoria, Australia. Fifteen attributes are selected after data preprocessing. 0.03 and 0.7 are determined as the best thresholds of support and confidence in ARM. Five individual key factors and four boosting factors are identified to be related to fatal injury. Spatial analysis is conducted by GIS to present hot spots of motorcycle accidents. The proposed framework has been validated to have better performance on parameter optimization and rule analysis in ARM. Practical applications: The hot spots of motorcycle accidents related to fatal factors are presented in GIS maps. Policymakers can refer to those maps straightforwardly when decision making. This framework can be applied to various kinds of traffic accidents to improve the performance of severity analysis.