Understanding the changing role of global public health in biodiversity conservation

Zoonotic disease emergence has become a core concern of biodiversity conservation amid the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Major international conservation groups now comprehensively center larger human–nature imbalances not only as problems of global public health but as a core challenge of the conservation movement, alongside habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and climate change. There is, however, little consideration of how new biosecurity concerns might alter conservation practice with unexpected and potential harmful impacts on human communities, particularly in developing nations with significant human–wildlife interfaces. Reviewing emerging policy positions from key conservation organizations, this article argues that the proposed responses to the COVID-19 pandemic hold the potential to (a) amplify existing people-park conflicts, and (b) generate new tensions by integrating global systems of viral surveillance into biodiversity conservation. I conclude that the close integration of biosecurity concerns into conservation policies requires greater acknowledgment of the unique challenges for human communities.Supplementary InformationThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-021-01576-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

环境中氟化物的迁移和转化及其生态效应

本文对环境中氟化物的迁移和转化及其对人体、动物、植物的污染生态效应作一简要的综述,主要包括以下几方面：１．环境中氟化物的来源及其地球化学特征;２．土－水－气－食物链中氟化物的迁移和积累与地方性氟流行病;３．土－水－气中氟的迁移和积累与植物氟毒效应;４．土－水－气中氟的迁移和积累与蚕桑氟化物污染;５．环境中氟污染的防治对策。     

医护人员血源性病原体职业危害研究进展

本研究的目的是了解医护人员血源性病原体职业接触流行特征、职业危害及其研究进展。结果表明,发生针刺及其他锐器损伤的最主要的职业群体是护理人员,最容易导致医护人员损伤的锐器为注射器针头、玻璃安瓿、缝合针和手术刀片等,导致医护人员锐器伤的最常见的医疗操作是注射、缝合和采血。发生血源性病原体职业接触后,医护人员可能感染HBV、HCV及HIV等多种血源性病原体。国内既往研究大多关注伤害发生率及相关危险因素,未对血源性病原体职业接触后感染HBV、HCV及HIV的风险开展研究,尚需通过建立队列,开展前瞻性调查研究。     

试论环境犯罪中因果关系的确立原则

修订后的《刑法》在环境刑事立法上虽有重大发展，但摁环境犯罪的特殊性而使传统的刑法因果关系理论受到冲击，新因果关系确立原则－因果关系推定原则应运而生。我国应以最高人民法院发布司法解释的形式确立因果关系推定原则，将其适用于污染环境的犯罪行为和部分破坏环境的犯罪行为的因果关系确立中。     

Screening maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and human parvovirus antibodies

The association between gestational infection with human parvovirus (B19) and fetal loss has increased interest in this virus and demand for diagnostic testing. However, serological assays for B19 are not yet widely available. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) testing is commonly used during the second trimester to screen for various fetal defects. We attempted to determine whether an elevated level of MSAFP would be an appropriate indication for B19-specific tests. Over a 26-month period, MSAFP tests were performed at Michigan State University for 21 392 women. Sera remaining after that testing were stored frozen. Of these, 22 case samples—from women with MSAFP levels greater than 3·0 multiples of the median (MOM) and pregnancies that ended in fetal loss—and 44 matched control samples—from women with MSAFP levels greater than 0·4 and less than 2·2 MOM and live births at term—were tested for B19 antibodies. None of the 66 samples was IgM positive, while 33 (50 per cent) were IgG positive. The presence of IgG was not significantly associated with case or control status (matched odds ratio=0·77, 95 per cent confidence interval 0·28–2·11). These findings are consistent with other studies indicating prior infection in approximately half of adults and suggest that elevated screening MSAFP levels, in the absence of other evidence of B19 infection, should not prompt B19-specific testing.     

Ring 19 mosaicism detected during prenatal diagnosis

A ring chromosome 19 was found in 14 of 20 metaphases (67 per cent) derived from amniotic fluid cell cultures following amniocentesis because of increased maternal age. Elective termination of the pregnancy revealed a hypotrophic female fetus with mild dysmorphic signs, but no congenital malformations. The case is discussed in relation to three reports in the literature of ring chromosome 19 mosaicism in a phenotypically normal girl, a mentally retarded man, and a boy with normal psychomotor development and minor dysmorphic features.     

Environment and COVID-19 incidence: A critical review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented worldwide health crisis. Many previous research studies have found and investigated its links with one or some natural or human environmental factors. However, a review on the relationship between COVID-19 incidence and both the natural and human environment is still lacking. This review summarizes the inter-correlation between COVID-19 incidence and environmental factors. Based on keyword searching, we reviewed 100 relevant peer-reviewed articles and other research literature published since January 2020. This review is focused on three main findings. One, we found that individual environmental factors have impacts on COVID-19 incidence, but with spatial heterogeneity and uncertainty. Two, environmental factors exert interactive effects on COVID-19 incidence. In particular, the interactions of natural factors can affect COVID-19 transmission in micro- and macro- ways by impacting SARS-CoV-2 survival, as well as human mobility and behaviors. Three, the impact of COVID-19 incidence on the environment lies in the fact that COVID-19-induced lockdowns caused air quality improvement, wildlife shifts and socio-economic depression. The additional value of this review is that we recommend future research perspectives and adaptation strategies regarding the interactions of the environment and COVID-19. Future research should be extended to cover both the effects of the environment on the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19-induced impacts on the environment. Future adaptation strategies should focus on sustainable environmental and public policy responses.     

Identifying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on driving behavior using naturalistic driving data and time series forecasting

Introduction: COVID-19 has disrupted daily life and societal flow globally since December 2019; it introduced measures such as lockdown and suspension of all non-essential movements. As a result, driving activity was also significantly affected. Still, to-date, a quantitative assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on driving behavior during the lockdown is yet to be provided. This gap forms the motivation for this paper, which aims at comparing observed values concerning three indicators (average speed, speeding, and harsh braking), with forecasts based on their corresponding observations before the lockdown in Greece. Method: Time series of the three indicators were extracted using a specially developed smartphone application and transmitted to a back-end platform between 01/01/2020 and 09/05/2020, a time period containing normal operations, COVID-19 spreading, and the full lockdown period in Greece. Based on the collected data, XGBoost was employed to identify the most influential COVID-19 indicators, and Seasonal AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models were developed for obtaining forecasts on driving behavior. Results: Results revealed the intensity of the impact of COVID-19 on driving, especially on average speed, speeding, and harsh braking per 100 km. More specifically, speeds were found to increase by 2.27 km/h on average compared to the forecasted evolution, while harsh braking/100 km increased to almost 1.51 on average. On the bright side, road crashes in Greece were reduced by 49% during the months of COVID-19 compared to the non-COVID-19 period.     

一组表达安全创新的新概念及其关联问题

为提升安全创新能力和水平及公正评价安全成果,本文从表达安全创新的新概念创设开始,以科学学思想为指导,以元概念演绎法和双向思维法,创设了正负“元事物”“元创事物”“颠覆性元创事物”等系列新概念,将表达安全创新的“负元事物”“负元创事物”和“负颠覆性元创事物”等概念与商业和科技等颠覆性创新对等起来,并推论出正负两类“颠覆性元创事物”所涉及的重要科学问题。之后,通过正负两类“颠覆性元创事物”的比较,并以近期发生的新冠肺炎为典型案例,得到一些发展和鉴别“负颠覆性元创事物”的方法与途径。研究结果对安全科技创新发展和评价等具有重要的理论意义。     

清代北京地区瘟疫流行的社会影响及政府应对

清代北京地区瘟疫反复流行,不仅导致人口大量死亡,还对政治制度、经济发展、城市建设、民众信仰产生重大影响.瘟疫流行期间,清政府拨付专款,设局施药施棺进行直接救治.同时,还注意安置解决来京流民饥民问题,对控制疫情的蔓延起了重要的作用.此外,基于传统天象示警的观念,统治者还通过重清理刑狱和征求直言的方式挽回天意,达到消除瘟疫...