Detection Method for Avian Influenza Viruses in Water

Recent events have shown that humans may become infected with some pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (AIV). Since soil and water, including lakes, rivers, and seashores, may be contaminated by AIV excreted by birds, effective methods are needed for monitoring water for emerging viruses. Combining water filtration with molecular methods such as PCR is a fast and effective way for detecting viruses. The objective of this study was to apply a convenient method for the detection of AIV in natural water samples. Distilled water and lake, river, and seawater were artificially contaminated with AIV (H5N3) and passed through a filter system. AIV was detected from filter membrane by real-time RT-PCR. The performance of Zetapor, SMWP, and Sartobind D5F membranes in recovering influenza viruses was first evaluated using contaminated distilled water. SWMP, which gave the highest virus recoveries, was then compared with a pre-filter combined GF/F filter membrane in a trial using natural water samples. In this study, the cellulose membrane SMWP was found to be practical for recovery of AIVs in water. Viral yields varied between 62.1 and 65.9% in distilled water and between 1 and 16.7% in natural water samples. The borosilicate glass membrane GF/F combined with pre-filter was also feasible in filtering natural water samples with viral yields from 1.98 to 7.33%. The methods described can be used for monitoring fresh and seawater samples for the presence of AIV and to determine the source of AIV transmission in an outbreak situation.     

Prevalence of Norovirus Infection in Children and Adults with Acute Gastroenteritis,Tehran, Iran, 2008–2009

Noroviruses are one of important agents that cause acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide. These viruses are belonging to Caliciviridae family and are genetically diverse. To date, there is no valuable data about prevalence of norovirus infection and the dominant genogroup/genotype among Iranian population. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of norovirus infection in Iranian patients with gastroenteritis referred to three hospitals of Tehran and to specify the dominant genogroup/genotype of this virus among our study population. A total of 293 patients with acute gastroenteritis were included in the study. Detection of norovirus was performed using RT-PCR method and confirmed by direct sequencing with specific designed primers for capsid region of norovirus genome. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the neighbor-joining method. Norovirus strains identified in our study were subsequently categorized according to previously defined genogroup/genotypes. Of these, norovirus GII was dominant genogroup. Sixty-five percent (17 of 26) of positive samples were determined as GII and 35% (9 of 26) were determined as GI, respectively, in 2008–2009. And among 8 sequenced strains of genogroup II the most frequent genotype was GII.3. The results of this study indicated that norovirus must be considered as one of the infectious causes of acute gastroenteritis among Iranian population. We also found that GII.3 is more prevalent in our study population. To the best of our knowledge there is limited data about the role of noroviruses in children and adults’ acute gastroenteritis among Iranian patients and this prevalence and genotyping report of norovirus infection could be remarkable for further studies.     

中国火山地区预警政策研究

本文主要介绍了我国的活火山、火山灾害情况及国内外的火山预警政策。在此基础上讨论了我国火山地区预警政策的组成结构,认为完整的火山地区预警政策应该包括活火山识别、火山风险评价与灾害区划图、制定火山应急预案、火山防灾减灾知识宣传、火山监测和灾害预报、火山灾害预警等级划分、火山减灾工程措施以及预警响应措施等方面,并对火山预警政...     

Characterization of chlorine dioxide as disinfectant for the removal of low concentration microcystins

Microcystins, which represents one kind of cancerogenic organic compounds, is abundant in eutrophication water. The effects of reaction factors on chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) for removal of low-concentration Microcystin-LR, Microcystin-RR, and Microcystin-YR in water as well as the reaction mechanisms was investigated by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that MC-LR, MC-RR, and MC-YR could be efficiently decomposed by ClO₂. The degradation efficiency was shown positively correlated to the concentration of ClO₂ and reaction time; while the effect of reaction temperature and pH is slight. The kinetic constants and activation energies of the reaction of MC-LR, MC-RR, and MC-YR with ClO₂ are determined as 459.89, 583.15, 488.43 L·(mol·min)⁻¹ and 64.78, 53.01, 59.15 kJ·mol⁻¹, respectively. As indicated by high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS) analysis, degradation should be accomplished via destruction of Adda group by oxidation, with the formation of dihydroxy substituendums as end products. This study has provided a fundamental demonstration of ClO₂ serving as oxidizing disinfectant to eliminate microcystins from raw water source.     

基于析因设计的多种重金属对发光菌联合毒性研究

文章采用析因设计的方法,研究沉积物水浸提液掺杂的多种重金属Cu、Cd、Zn、Pb和Ni对发光菌的联合毒性。通过对试验结果进行方差分析和多元线性回归,建立了重金属浓度和发光菌发光抑制率的关系模型:T=97.983Cu+41.111Cd-27.297Zn+129.869Pb+16.715Ni-5 803.639Cu*Cd+2 270.182Cd*Zn-6 411.870Cd*Pb-675.052Cd*Ni-3 108.544Pb*Ni+15 9552.434Cd*Pb*Ni+274 718.434Zn*Pb*Ni。模型分析结果表明:Zn对联合毒性产生负的影响,Cu、Cd、Pb、Ni对联合毒性具有正的贡献;Cd*Zn二元交互作用和Cd*Pb*Ni、Zn*Pb*Ni三元交互作用表现为协同作用,Cu*Cd、Cd*Pb、Cd*Ni、Pb*Ni二元交互作用表现为拮抗作用,而重金属四元和五元交互作用对联合毒性的贡献不显著。上述重金属联合毒性的作用可为沉积物中重金属复合污染控制提供参考。     

适应气候变化是当务之急

地球气候变化既有自然因素又有人为因素,全球变暖主要原因是人类活动温室气体排放过度。因此,在应对气候变化问题上,人们对减排温室气高度重视是理所当然,而长期以来对＂适应气候变化＂却有所忽视。其实,对发展中国家《适应气候变化》才是当务之急。本文在＂发展低碳经济,应对全球变暖＂减排二氧化碳温室气体的基础上,论述适应气候变化的迫切性和基本途径。     

浑河主要污染指标特征性分析

利用1995年至2010年浑河干流7个常规监测断面的历年监测数据,通过统计分析确定浑河水质的主要污染指标为氨氮、总磷（TP）、化学需氧量（COD）和生化需氧量（BOD）。并指出1995～2000年间,浑河有机污染突出,2000年以后,浑河水质氮、磷污染更为突出,有机污染有所改善。并详细分析了这四项主要污染指标的时间及水期间分布规律,为浑河流域水污染治理及编制流域规划提供技术支撑。     

工业用煤气燃烧装置二氧化硫减排方式的讨论

工业用煤气是工业生产中普遍采用的气体燃料,煤气燃烧过程会产生二氧化硫,减少煤气燃烧过程的二氧化硫排放可采用煤气脱硫和烟气脱硫两种方式。本文通过对煤气脱硫工艺及烟气脱硫工艺原理及参数进行对比的方式,讨论工业用燃气燃烧装置的两种二氧化硫减排方式的优缺点,为该类装置脱硫设计提供参考。     

A framework for analyzing climate change adaptations as actions

Developing generalized theories about adaptation to climate change requires common concepts to map different adaptation situations. The paper aims to contribute to this endeavor by presenting a novel framework that conceptualizes adaptations to climate change as actions. The framework is intended to systematically analyze the actor relations involved in adaptations and the barriers to their implementation. By combining established scientific action theories with terminology from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in an innovative way, it can be used to clarify the notion of adaptation used in adaptation assessments. The framework’s potential is illustrated by a case study on cooling water management in the river Rhine catchment and by the elucidation of some prominent concepts in adaptation research. We show that by framing adaptations as actions, the purpose of adaptations and how they tend to connect up in means-ends-chains becomes crucial. Actors can take different functional roles as exposure unit, operator and receptor of adaptation. A mismatch of these roles can lead to barriers to adaptation, of which we deduce four types: complex actor relations, missing operators, missing means and unemployed means. The case study yields a complex bundle of adaptations, and shows that the potential barriers involved are quite diverse. There is thus no blueprint solution. Although we identify entry points for adaptation, the analysis leads to a skeptical conclusion for adapting cooling water management in the whole Rhine catchment.