Cardiovascular Load During Summer Work of Two Age Groups of Van-Rickshaw Pullers in West Bengal,India

Van-rickshaw is a popular mode of transport of people and merchandise in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of age on cardiovascular load of van-rickshaw pullers in the summer season (March-June) in real situations. In 142 participants, divided into 2 age groups (25-40 and 41-55 years), cardiovascular load was assessed on the basis of working and partial recovery heart rate (HR), predicted maximal HR, working maximal HR, average working HR, percentage of reserved HR, sum of recovery heart beats, percentage of recovery, relative and net cardiac cost, etc. Except for percentage of recovery, all parameters differed significantly between the groups and were significantly correlated with age. As this activity is very stressful, it places a heavy demand on the cardiovascular system. Therefore, age is an important factor for sustainability of the work, especially in a hot environment. Some ergonomic interventions are necessary to reduce cardiovascular load.     

Dynamics of abundance and population structure of sea otters, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enhydra lutris</Emphasis> L., on the Commander Archipelago and activity of their migrations between Islands

Fluctuations in the abundance of insular groups of sea otters on the Commander Archipelago are analyzed with regard to changes in meteorological conditions. The main factors responsible for the abrupt decline of the Bering Sea group between 2002 and 2004 are discussed. A statistically significant correlation has been revealed between fluctuations of sea otter abundance and the cycles of solar activity in the period since 1992. Changes in the age and sex structure of the insular groups of sea otters are evaluated.     

新疆阿尔泰成矿带可可塔勒花岗岩体锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

新疆阿尔泰成矿带花岗岩发育,其中很多花岗岩与成矿作用有着密切的联系,特别是400Ma左右的岩浆活动是阿尔泰地区一次重要的岩浆成矿活动,阿尔泰许多金属矿床与这一时期的岩浆构造作用有关。本次研究的出露于可可塔勒铅锌矿区的黑云母花岗岩体,其锆石LA-ICPMS U-Pb年龄为(401.8±1.5)Ma,表明可可塔勒花岗岩是阿尔泰成矿带400Ma左右发生的一次重要岩浆构造作用的产物,该黑云母花岗岩体侵入于矿区下泥盆统康布铁堡组火山岩地层中,岩体与围岩接触带附近的围岩蚀变明显,该黑云母花岗岩的侵入以及其后期的岩浆热液活动可能对区内成矿物质的活化、迁移、富集、成矿具有一定的贡献。     

不同颗粒龄的好氧颗粒污泥性能的研究

在SBR反应器中,分别以絮状活性污泥培养的好氧颗粒污泥和直接接种的已稳定运行1 a的好氧颗粒污泥为对象,对2种颗粒龄不同的颗粒污泥的形态、理化特性、对有机物降解能力以及微生物活性进行了比较研究.结果表明,小颗粒龄好氧颗粒的平均湿密度、污泥的比重和表示物理强度的完整系数(IC)分别为1.066 g.cm-3、1.013 g.cm-3和98.7%,各指标均高于大颗粒龄好氧颗粒的1.026 g.cm-3、1.010 g.cm-3和98.4%,两者的平均粒径分别为1.9 mm和2.2 mm.小颗粒龄好氧颗粒和大颗粒龄好氧颗粒的沉降速度分别为0.005～0.032 m.s-1和0.003～0.028 m.s-1,前者的SVI较低,且两体系中好氧颗粒的沉降速度均随粒径的增大而增大.两者对COD、NH4+-N的去除率都保持在90%以上和85%左右,从出水COD浓度、NH4+-N浓度和周期试验来看,小颗粒龄好氧颗粒对COD、NH4+-N的去除效果更好,两者对TP的去除率分别维持在40%～90%和32%～85%,但两者对TN的去除效果相差不大,去除率都在80%左右.同时,小颗粒龄好氧颗粒的异养菌比耗氧速率(SOURH)、亚硝酸菌比耗氧速率(SOURNH4)、硝酸菌比耗氧速率(SOURNO2)分别为26.4、14.8和11.2 mg.(h.g)-1,均大于大颗粒龄好氧颗粒的25.2、14.4和8.4 mg.(h.g)-1.综上所述,好氧颗粒污泥由于颗粒龄的不同会具有明显不同的理化性质,颗粒龄小的好氧颗粒具有更好的有机物降解能力、更高的微生物活性和更好的稳定性.     

低溶解氧下SBR内短程硝化影响因素试验研究

为了明确低溶解氧下短程硝化的其它控制因素,文章采用序批式反应器(SBR)系统研究了低溶解氧下实现短程硝化影响因素的控制范围。试验结果表明:SBR内较高的游离氨浓度(0.50～20.73 mg/L)对亚硝酸的积累起到一定促进作用;实现低溶解氧下短程硝化的温度和泥龄范围较大,在温度为21～30℃、泥龄为15～40 d的范围内都可以实现稳定的短程硝化,实验过程中亚硝酸积累率一直维持在80%以上;有机物的存在对氨氧化速率影响不大,但高有机物浓度(COD为900 mg/L)下,SBR内发生了高粘性膨胀。     

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris L.) of Bering Island, the Commander Islands: Age and Sex Composition of Dead Animals and Spatial Distribution

Animal censuses and assessment of mortality in the sea otter subpopulation of Bering Island (the Commander Islands) have shown that indices of seasonal mortality may be used as a criterion for estimating well-being of this animal group. In 1999, the subpopulation of Bering Island entered a phase of stabilization of its spatial, age, and sex structure, with the stabilization process proper taking approximately three years after a peak of mortality. Mortality in the course of this process proved to be relatively high in age groups older than eight years but insignificant among middle-aged reproductive animals. As the age and sex structure of the insular group varies during the year and in different coastal areas, the data obtained by collecting dead animals cannot be used for estimating the structure of the whole population.     

New estimates of down syndrome risks at chorionic villus sampling,amniocentesis, and livebirth in women of advanced maternal age from a uniquely defined population

Current measures of livebirth prevalence of Down syndrome are derived from data obtained up to 20 years ago, before the introduction of the prenatal diagnostic tests amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). For women aged 36–52 years, but who were not tested prenatally, we proposed to make a direct estimate of current livebirth prevalence of Down syndrome. We could also determine prevalence at the time of CVS and amniocentesis in women of the same age undergoing prenatal testing. Differences in these prevalences allow an estimation of the relative loss of Down syndrome during pregnancy. In Victoria, Australia, we identified 3041 women having CVS, 7504 having amniocentesis, and 13 139 having no test. Smoothed regression estimates of age-specific livebirth prevalence were found to be higher than in the early studies. The estimate of spontaneous loss was 17 per cent between the time of CVS and amniocentesis, and 18 per cent after the time of amniocentesis. The latter figure is lower than previous estimates and may be explained by a greater likelihood of a Down syndrome fetus surviving to be liveborn, given the modern approach to early obstetric intervention. These current risk estimates of livebirth may be useful updates for genetic counselling, but perhaps more importantly, may be used as precise maternal age-related risk figures, necessary in the design and implementation of prenatal screening programmes for Down syndrome.