A critical exploration of blood and environmental chromium concentration among oral cancer patients in an oral cancer prevalent area of Taiwan

The growing incidence of oral cancer (OC) in Taiwan has become a crucial public health concern. In particular, Changhua, a county in central Taiwan, carries persistently high OC incidence rate, with an alarmingly high male/female ratio of OC incidence. Previous epidemiological studies had found that the incidence is spatially correlated with the level of soil content to certain heavy metals in the central Taiwan area. Soil and the human body both intake environmental heavy metals, which can be absorbed through various ways. The soil metal concentration is an index of possible environmental exposure to heavy metal, and the blood metal concentration somewhat reflects the level of the exposure on the human body. Metallic carcinogen is likely to generate free radicals and play a role in many cancers, and many studies had reported that environmental exposure to heavy metals is an important risk factor for developing cancer. Studies on animals showed that chronic intake of chromium (Cr) could induce OC. This study aims to explore the association between the Cr concentration in the farm soil and in the blood of OC patients. We recruited 79 OC patients from Changhua County, with their lifestyle being adjusted in regression analysis. The results showed that the Cr concentration in the blood of OC patients is significantly higher than the background value, and is positively associated with the Cr concentration in the soil surrounding their residence (p-value < 0.023). Because Changhua County is only with moderate prevalence of the known OC habitual risk factors, an environmental factor related to heavy metal Cr exposure is suspected. Future investigations may verify the causal relation between Cr and OC.     

Weak indirect effects inherent to nitrogen biogeochemical cycling within anthropogenic ecosystems: A network environ analysis

Indirect effects are assumed to be the major causes of the complexity and stability of ecological networks. The complexity of urban-rural complexes (URCs) could also be attributed to the indirect effects associated with human activities. No studies, however, have quantified the strength of indirect effects in relation to urban biogeochemistry. A network environ analysis (NEA) was used for this study to investigate and compare indirect effects in relation to the nitrogen (N) cycling networks of 22 natural ecosystems and five URCs. Results show that indirect effects were proven to be weak for URC N cycling networks (accounting for only ∼2% of the overall effects measured in natural ecosystems). The weak indirect effects found provide a counterexample for the hypothesis that indirect effects are in fact the dominant components of biogeochemical networks. It also implies that human activity in itself does not always raise the complexity of ecological processes as previously suggested. Weak indirect effects also lead to perturbation fragility for URC N cycles (where the decay rate is greater in comparison to natural ecosystems by a factor of 13). In order to improve the robustness and efficiency of URC biogeochemical cycling, a knockout analysis was carried out. By comparing results after removing single interactions between natural ecosystems and URCs it was found that the loss of indirect effects require cooperative strategies to optimize N cycling networks within URCs.     

UV-B辐射增强对不同大麦品种生理特性的影响

通过大田试验,研究了UV-B辐射增强对不同生育期3个大麦(Hordeum vulgare)品种光合和蒸腾生理特性的影响。试验设对照(自然光)和辐射增强(辐照强度14.4 kJ.m-2.d-1)2个UV-B辐射水平。结果表明,UV-B辐射增强明显抑制大麦光合作用和蒸腾作用。与对照相比,UV-B辐射增强可降低叶片叶绿素含量、气孔导度、净光合速率和蒸腾速率,但对胞间CO2摩尔分数基本没有影响。不同大麦品种对UV-B辐射增强响应的敏感性存在差异,单2号对UV-B辐射增强较为敏感,而苏啤4号较不敏感。     

能源消费与中国可持续发展——以Hartwick准则为视角

能源是一种重要的生产要素,与经济可持续发展的关系密不可分.经济学家Hartwick于1977年提出了Hartwick准则,具有很高的理论价值.通过引入Hartwick准则及其相关理论成果,结合我国能源利用与经济发展的实际情况,在理论和实践两个方面研究能源枯竭对经济可持续发展的影响,从而为解决我国可持续发展中遇到的能源瓶颈得出一些研究结论和政策建议.     

An integrated approach: managing resources for post-disaster reconstruction

A lack of resources for post-disaster housing reconstruction significantly limits the prospects for successful recovery. Following the earthquake in Wenchuan, China, in May 2008, housing reconstruction was not immune to resource shortages and price inflation. Difficulties in sourcing materials and labour considerably impeded recovery. This paper provides evidence of the resourcing bottlenecks inherent in the post-Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction process. Its aim is to present an integrated planning framework for managing resources for post-disaster housing rebuilding. The results are drawn from in-field surveys that highlight the areas where stakeholders need to concentrate effort, including revising legislation and policy, enhancing capacity for rebuilding in the construction industry, strengthening the transportation network, restructuring market mechanisms, and incorporating environmental considerations into overall planning. Although the case study presented here is country-specific, it is hoped that the findings provide a basis for future research to identify resourcing constraints and solutions in other disaster contexts.     

Improvement of nuclide leaching resistance of paraffin waste form with low density polyethylene

Low-level liquid borate wastes have been immobilized with paraffin wax using a concentrate waste drying system (CWDS) in Korean nuclear power plants. The possibility for improving chemical durability of paraffin waste form was suggested in this study. A small amount of low density polyethylene (LDPE) was added to increase the leaching resistance of the existing paraffin waste form. The influence of LDPE on the leaching behavior of waste form was investigated by performing leaching test according to ANSI/ANS-16.1 procedure during 325 days. It was observed that the leaching of nuclides immobilized within paraffin waste form made a marked reduction although little content of LDPE was added to waste form. The acceptance criteria of paraffin waste form associated with leachability index (LI) and compressive strength after the leaching test were fully satisfied with the help of LDPE.     

Numerical Simulation of Light/Dark Cycle Frequency of Microalgae Fluid in a Helical Tubular Photobioreactor for Carbon Dioxide Capture

In the present study, three-dimensional numerical simulations are conducted on hydrodynamics and light-intensity distribution of microalgae fluid flow in a helical tubular photobioreactor for CO₂ capture. The effect of incident direction of the light illumination is discussed and the light/dark cycle frequency experienced by the microalgae fluid in the cross-section of the photobioreactor is investigated. The simulation results reveal the steadily nonhorizontal and unsymmetrical Dean roll-cells of the microalgae fluid flow in the cross-section of the helical tube. The external light projecting onto the helical tubular photobioreactor from the center is a better way for microalgae cultivation. The light/dark cycle frequency of the microalgae fluid flow is calculated based on the light-intensity distribution inside the photobioreactor. The light/dark cycle frequency keeps constant for the same stream trace of the microalgae flow while varies with different flow regions. Meanwhile, the light/dark cycle frequency increases with the increase in microalgae fluid velocity. The suitable demarcation between the light and the dark zone depends on the shape and the location of the Dean roll-cells.     

接枝淀粉高分子絮凝剂的合成及其应用

本文研究了Ｃｅ（Ⅳ）／ＨＮＯ３引发体系下，丙烯酰胺──淀粉接枝共聚合反应的影响因素及最佳工艺条件，由此得到的接枝淀粉接技效率达到９４．９％，支链分子量超过３００万．对多种工业污水絮凝处理结果表明，ＣＯＤｃｒ去除率、污泥沉降速度均不逊于聚丙烯酰胺３００万产品．     

Near-surface wind profile test based on accuracy verification of UAV anemometer lifting height in an urban fringe built-up area

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Multirotor UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been widely used in urban vertical wind environment testing, whereas less attention has been given to...