Management of red cell alloimmunisation in pregnancy: the non-invasive monitoring of the disease

Haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) due to red cell alloimmunization was a significant cause of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality until the introduction of anti-D immunoglobulin, which has dramatically changed the incidence of the disease. However, it is still a major problem in affected pregnancies. The emphasis of current clinical management has shifted from an invasive approach to non-invasive monitoring of the disease. The key elements of the modern management are determining which fetuses are at risk of HDFN with the use of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma (fetal RHD genotype) and the follow-up of antigen positive fetuses by Doppler ultrasonography to detect anaemia severe enough to need treatment. When anaemia is suspected, an invasive approach is still required in a timely manner for confirmation of the degree of anaemia and to administer blood transfusions. This non-invasive approach prevents unnecessary administration of human-derived blood products, with the consequent ethical and cost implications and most importantly avoids iatrogenic conversion of mild to severe disease by avoiding need for techniques such as amniocentesis. The potential problem of the non-invasive approach is the reduction in the total number of invasive procedures, with the subsequent difficulty of maintaining the skills required to perform them. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Microbial aerosol particles in four seasons of sanitary landfill site: Molecular approaches, traceability and risk assessment

Landfill sites are regarded as prominent sources of bioaerosols for the surrounding atmosphere. The present study focused on the emission of airborne bacteria and fungi in four seasons of a sanitary landfill site. The main species found in bioaerosols were assayed using high-throughput sequencing. The SourceTracker method was utilized to identify the sources of the bioaerosols present at the boundary of the landfill site. Furthermore, the health consequences of the exposure to bioaerosols were evaluated based on the average daily dose rates. Results showed that the concentrations of airborne bacteria in the operation area (OPA) and the leakage treatment area (LTA) were in the range of (4684 ± 477)–(10883 ± 1395) CFU/m³ and (3179 ± 453)–(9051 ± 738) CFU/m³, respectively. The average emission levels of fungal aerosols were 4026 CFU/m³ for OPA and 1295 CFU/m³ for LTA. The landfill site received the maximum bioaerosol load during summer and the minimum during winter. Approximately 41.39%– 86.24% of the airborne bacteria had a particle size of 1.1 to 4.7 µm, whereas 48.27%– 66.45% of the airborne fungi had a particle size of more than 4.7 µm. Bacillus sp., Brevibacillus sp., and Paenibacillus sp. were abundant in the bacterial population, whereas Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus sp. dominated the fungal population. Bioaerosols released from the working area and treatment of leachate were the two main sources that emerged in the surrounding air of the landfill site boundary. The exposure risks during summer and autumn were higher than those in spring and winter.     

土壤调理剂对土壤-水稻系统Cd、Zn迁移累积的影响及健康风险评价

选取湖南省长沙市北山镇某中重度Cd污染稻田,研究了土壤调理剂(石灰石+偏高岭土+钙镁磷肥)对稻田土壤重金属Cd、Zn的钝化效果,以及对水稻各部位累积Cd和Zn的影响,并进行了Cd的健康风险评价.结果表明,使用土壤调理剂提高了稻田土壤p H值.Cd的CaCl_2提取态含量降低了0.9%~24.1%,Zn的CaCl_2提取态含量降低了22.5%~69.6%.土壤调理剂显著降低了水稻糙米中Cd与Zn的含量,与对照相比分别降低了10.8%~47.3%、10.3%~17.5%;土壤调理剂对水稻糙米Cd的吸收和累积的影响要远大于Zn,水稻糙米中的Cd/Zn比随着土壤调理剂施用量的增加而显著降低.研究区大米重金属Cd目标危害系数THQ值大于1,说明当地人群通过食用大米途径摄入重金属Cd存在健康风险.土壤调理剂有效地抑制了水稻植株对土壤中Cd的吸收,并降低了Cd/Zn比,使糙米中的Cd含量显著降低,从而降低了当地人群通过食用大米途径摄入重金属Cd的健康风险.     

Intrauterine left chamber myocardial infarction of the heart and hydrops fetalis in the recipient fetus due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome

A rare complication of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is described: myocardial infarction of the recipient fetus. Myocardial infarction and hydrops are considered to be consequences of hypertension in the recipient. No other organs were affected. Pathological signs of intrauterine hypertension were estimated by the thickness of vessel walls and signs of hypertrophied myocardial cells. In the heart of the recipient fetus there was a chronic myocardial infarction near the apex cordis on the anterior wall with an aneurysm 4×5 mm in diameter. Diagnosis was based on light microscopic examination. The poor myocardial systolic function resulted in hydrops. Since the mother was administered β sympathomimetics in therapeutic doses the contribution of the drug to the myocardial infarction is uncertain, but we would like to suggest this as a possible adverse effect in TTTS. The present case is the first reported myocardial infarction in connection with the syndrome. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing risk of and adaptation to sea-level rise in the European Union: an application of DIVA

This paper applies the DIVA model to assess the risk of and adaptation to sea-level rise for the European Union in the 21st century under the A2 and B1 scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For each scenario, impacts are estimated without and with adaptation in the form of increasing dike heights and nourishing beaches. Before 2050, the level of impacts is primarily determined by socio-economic development. In 2100 and assuming no adaptation, 780?×?10³ people/year are estimated to be affected by coastal flooding under A2 and 200?×?10³ people/year under B1. The total monetary damage caused by flooding, salinity intrusion, land erosion and migration is projected to be about US$ 17?×?10⁹ under both scenarios in 2100; damage costs relative to GDP are highest for the Netherlands (0.3% of GDP under A2). Adaptation reduces the number of people flooded by factors of 110 to 288 and total damage costs by factors of 7 to 9. In 2100 adaptation costs are projected to be US$ 3.5?×?10⁹ under A2 and 2.6?×?10⁹ under B1; adaptation costs relative to GDP are highest for Estonia (0.16% under A2) and Ireland (0.05% under A2). These results suggest that adaptation measures to sea-level rise are beneficial and affordable, and will be widely applied throughout the European Union.     

Insuring Southeast Asian commercial forests: Fire risk analysis and the potential for use of data in risk pricing and reduction of forest fire risk

The author uses his own data gleaned from over 10 years of commercial forestry insurance across the world to propose that despite a low intrinsic fire risk across most of Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, commercial fire losses are unacceptably high, and could be reduced substantially within the current financial legal and political framework within which forestry companies operate. Opening with a statement about the dearth of forest fire loss data in the commercial sector, it is observed that the consequent inability of general insurers to estimate the rate of fire loss leads to very low insurance participation in forestry within Indonesia. A summary is then provided of the financial and environmental benefits of insurance participation in commercial forestry were this situation to be changed. A short discussion on risk perceptions is introduced to make the point that without reliable commercial forest fire loss data, risk perceptions of fire exposure in Southeast Asia by the financial sector, including insurers, is a barrier to risk transfer and investment. While real fire risk and perceived fire risk for Indonesia seem at present to be in agreement, the paper challenges that this should the case. Comparisons are made with different parts of the world with the knowledge that, in commercial terms, plantations in the low latitudes behave similarly everywhere in terms of fire causes, fire propagation factors, and characteristics of plantation or managed mixed forest fires. A review of the fire sizes within commercial forests is a good indicator of the efficiency of fire management strategies, and profiles from a high fire risk territory and Indonesia are compared. Using commercial and unidentified data the author then demonstrates that commercial growers in Indonesia have a high annual rate of forest fire loss and may also have a significant catastrophe fire exposure. This ‘cat’ exposure is far greater than for equivalent plantations in clearly higher fire risk environments. These conclusions are and should be discussed with forestry companies to change attitude and investment levels. Practical points for improved plantation fire management are made along with comments about the resources required. A parallel discussion then reviews fire risk assessment and management by the insurers to prevent their own ‘forest fire’ losses if they are to get further involved with the provision of Indonesian commercial forest risk transfer. The explanation of how insurers price risk within a portfolio helps identify the specific data needed for a proper risk management strategy to be developed.     

Meconium peritonitis: Extrusion of meconium and different sonographical appearances in relation to the stage of the disease

By chance, we had the opportunity to make serial sonographic observations of the extrusion of meconium in a case of meconium peritonitis. Inflammation leads to exudative processes and production of fluid (ascites) in the fetal abdomen. Sonography at that stage of the disease may lead to a misdiagnosis such as ‘fetal ascites’ or ‘non-immune hydrops’. After bowel perforation and extrusion of meconium, the latter appears as a solitary mass inside fetal ascites or as disseminated echogenic masses distributed subdiaphragmatically or perihepatically. Within a couple of days, in most cases the echogenicity of the masses increases. Calcifications lead to distinct shadowing. These calcifications are often the only visible signs of a previous meconium peritonitis. Serial sonograms are essential for the management of pregnancies with meconium peritonitis. If the amount of fetal ascites does not increase and no signs of cardiovascular stagnation appear, no invasive intrauterine diagnostic and therapeutic steps are required. In none out of the nine cases was a cause found.     

A SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of prioritised pharmaceuticals and EDCs with high environmental risk potential in freshwater

This work describes the development, optimisation and validation of an analytical method for the rapid determination of 17 priority pharmaceutical compounds and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Rather than studying compounds from the same therapeutic class, the analyses aimed to determine target compounds with the highest risk potential (with particular regard to Scotland), providing a tool for further monitoring in different water matrices. Prioritisation was based on a systematic environmental risk assessment approach, using consumption data; wastewater treatment removal efficiency; environmental occurrence; toxicological effects; and pre-existing regulatory indicators. This process highlighted 17 compounds across various therapeutic classes, which were then quantified, at environmentally relevant concentrations, by a single analytical methodology. Analytical determination was achieved using a single-step solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The fully optimised method performed well for the majority of target compounds, with recoveries >71% for 15 of 17 analytes. The limits of quantification for most target analytes (14 of 17) ranged from 0.07 ng/L to 1.88 ng/L in river waters. The utility of this method was then demonstrated using real water samples associated with a rural hospital/setting. Eight compounds were targeted and detected, with the highest levels found for the analgesic, paracetamol (at up to 105,910 ng/L in the hospital discharge). This method offers a robust tool to monitor high priority pharmaceutical and EDC levels in various aqueous sample matrices.     

Expert risk perceptions and the social amplification of risk: A case study in invasive tree pests and diseases

The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) is often used as a conceptual tool for studying diverse risk perceptions associated with environmental hazards. While widely applied, it has been criticised for implying that it is possible to define a benchmark ‘real’ risk that is determined by experts and around which public risk perceptions can subsequently become amplified. It has been argued that this objectification of risk is particularly problematic when there are high levels of scientific uncertainty and a lack of expert consensus about the nature of a risk and its impacts. In order to explore this further, this paper examines how ‘experts’ – defined in this case as scientists, policy makers, outbreak managers and key stakeholders – construct and assemble their understanding of the risks associated with two invasive tree pest and disease outbreaks in the UK, ash dieback and oak processionary moth. Through semi-structured interviews with experts in each of the case study outbreaks, the paper aims to better understand the nature of information sources drawn on to construct perceptions of tree health risks, especially when uncertainty is prevalent. A key conclusion is that risk assessment is a socially-mediated, relational and incremental process with experts drawing on a range of official, anecdotal and experiential sources of information, as well as reference to past events in order to assemble the risk case. Aligned with this, experts make attributions about public concern, especially when the evidence base is incomplete and there is a need to justify policy and management actions and safeguard reputation.     

硝化细菌AOB与NOB衰减速率实验测定

污水生物处理过程中由于硝化反应分两步进行,因而对于硝化细菌的衰减速率也应该分别测定.通过实验测定了氨氮氧化细菌(AOB)和亚硝酸氮氧化细菌(NOB)在好氧饥饿状态下的衰减速率,实验结果显示,AOB和NOB具有不同的衰减特征.前者在衰减过程中其活性匀速下降,而后者的活性则是先迅速下降再平缓降低,通过对比分析还发现,SBR系统中AOB和NOB的衰减速率差异较大,而在常规活性污泥系统中AOB和NOB的衰减速率基本相当.     

Prescriptive conflict prevention analysis: An application to the 2021 update of the Austrian flood risk management plan

Flood events have become more frequent in Europe, and the adaptation to the increasing flood risks is needed. The Flood Directive set up a series of measures to increase European resilience, establishing Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) at the level of the river basin district as one relevant action. In order to efficiently fulfil this objective, the involvement of stakeholders as well as the analysis of their roles, responsibilities, and demands has been considered to be crucial to develop FRMPs. As a result, the hypothesis tested in this paper is that a consensus solution for the 2021 update Austrian Flood Risk Management Plan is feasible. To demonstrate this, both in-depth interviews and questionnaires to key Austrian stakeholders are implemented. The information collected in both participatory techniques are then used to run a conflict prevention analysis. The results show that (a) improving the coordination among regions and including better land-use planning approaches are preferable to a hypothetical business as usual scenario; and (b) a consensus solution for the 2021 update Austrian FRMP might be achievable on the basis of both a deep discussion on the state-of-the art and green infrastructure development.     

坚持积极应对气候变化战略定力继续做全球生态文明建设的重要参与者、贡献者和引领者 ——纪念《巴黎协定》达成五周年

习近平总书记在2020年9月22日第七十五届联合国大会一般性辩论上表示:"中国将提高国家自主贡献力度,采取更加有力的政策和措施,二氧化碳排放力争于2030年前达到峰值,努力争取在2060年前实现碳中和。"在应对气候变化领域,在全球低碳转型的关键时刻,中国以大国担当更新了国家自主贡献方案,这是中国向世界发出的又一个强有力信号。国家自主贡献方案之所以备受全球关注,是因为这是《巴黎协定》最核心的制度,它很大程度上决定了各国的减排力度、低碳转型进程,乃至全球气候行动势头。为此我刊特转发《中国环境报》2020年12月14日第二版刊载的中国气候变化事务特使、生态环境部气候变化事务特别顾问解振华关于纪念《巴黎协定》达成五周年一文,以飨读者。     

Body fluid analog chlorination: Application to the determination of disinfection byproduct formation kinetics in swimming pool water

Disinfection by-products(DBPs) are formed in swimming pools by the reactions of bather inputs with the disinfectant.Although a wide range of molecules has been identified within DBPs,only few kinetic rates have been reported.This study investigates the kinetics of chlorine consumption,chloroform formation and dichloroacetonitrile formation caused by human releases.Since the flux and main components of human inputs have been determined and formalized through Body Fluid Analogs(BFAs),it is possible to model the DBPs formation kinetics by studying a limited number of precursor molecules.For each parameter the individual contributions of BFA components have been quantified and kinetic rates have been determined,based on reaction mechanisms proposed in the literature.With a molar consumption of 4 mol Cl_2/mol,urea is confirmed as the major chlorine consumer in the BFA because of its high concentration in human releases.The higher reactivity of ammonia is however highlighted.Citric acid is responsible for most of the chloroform produced during BFA chlorination.Chloroform formation is relatively slow with a limiting rate constant determined at 5.50 × 10~(-3) L/mol/sec.L-histidine is the only precursor for dichloroacetonitrile in the BFA.This DBP is rapidly formed and its degradation by hydrolysis and by reaction with hypochlorite shortens its lifetime in the basin.Reaction rates of dichloroacetonitrile formation by L-histidine chlorination have been established based on the latest chlorination mechanisms proposed.Moreover,this study shows that the reactivity toward chlorine differs whether L-histidine is isolated or mixed with BFA components.     

污泥絮体特征与微型动物运动速度相关性研究——以自由运动型微型动物为例

为了克服利用微型动物群落物种变化指示活性污泥运行状态存在的微型动物鉴别误判、分类和统计分析工作量大等问题,通过PCA法的相关性分析判断絮体微观形态参数降维成综合指标的可能性,采用“微型动物运动视频采集+定量图像分析”法表征微型动物的运动速度（平均线速度V和平均角速度W）,分析SBR系统中锐利楯纤虫（A.lynceus）等7种自由运动型微型动物的运动速度与污泥絮体微观特性之间的相关性.结果表明：多个污泥絮体微观形态参数之间存在较好的相关性,可降维成2大综合指标（絮体大小密实度（SC）和絮体形状规则度（SR））.絮体SC和SR指标与须足轮虫属（Euchlanis sp.）、凹扁前口虫（F.depressa）和锐利楯纤虫（A.lynceus）的运动速度之间具有较显著相关性（|r|>0.50,P<0.05）,因此利用典型的自由运动型微型动物运动速度变化能够快速指示污泥絮体的微观形态变化.     

Application of ion chromatography to the determination of water-soluble inorganic and organic ions in atmospheric aerosols

A simple, sensitive and convenient ion chromatography(IC) method was established for the simultaneous determination of twelve water-soluble inorganic anions(F^-, Cl^-, NO2^-, NO3^-, SO3^2-, SO4^2-, PO4^3- ), and fifteen water-soluble organic ions(formate, acetate, MSA, oxalate, malonate, succinate, phthalates, etc. ) in atmospheric aerosols. The linear concentrations ranged from 0.005 μg/m^3 to 500 μg/m^3 (r = 0.999--0.9999). The relative standard deviation(RSD) were 0.43%--2.00% and the detection limits were from 2.7 ng/m^3 to 88 ng/m^3. The proposed method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of those inorganic ions and organic ions in PM2.5 of Beijing.     

2000-2019年中国北方地区沙尘暴时空变化及其相关影响因素

利用多年多源环境、气象和卫星遥感资料,从年代际、年际异常和气候变化的角度分析了21世纪以来中国北方地区沙尘暴的时空演化特征及其气象、植被变化的影响机理.结果 表明:①2000-2013年中国北方地区沙尘暴年日数呈显著波动下降趋势,下降速率为1.1 d/10 a,2013年后呈微弱增长趋势.近40年来,春季沙尘暴日数占全...