Preliminary studies about effects of ELF and TAMMEF electromagnetic fields on human lymphomonocytes

In our paper we studied the effects of exposure to ELF (extremely low frequency) or musically generated TAMMEF (therapeutic application of musically modulated electromagnetic fields) electromagnetic fields on the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) release induced by a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from cultured human lymphomonocytes of peripheral blood. Lymphomonocytes, isolated from blood donors buffy-coat, were prepared using standard techniques in cell culture flasks, kept in CO₂ incubator, with controlled temperature and humidity for 5 days. Flasks were subjected to an ELF electromagnetic field (100 Hz sinusoidal) or to TAMMEF electromagnetic fields (with intensity, frequency, and wave shape randomly modified in time, so that all possible codes can occur during a single application). The TNF-α release was determined by ELISA test every 24 h for 92 h and the results were evaluated by a non-parametric test. LPS induces a stronger TNF-α release in cultures that were subjected to ELF when compared with cultures subjected to TAMMEF, at each time period of the experimental protocol. These results seem to indicate that TAMMEF is able to induce a complex modulation of LPS-induced TNF-α release, a cytokine with pro inflammatory property whose release during chronic or neoplastic inflammatory diseases has strong negative effects on several organ systems.     

Sustainability, substance-flow management, and time, Part II: Temporal impact assessment (TIA) for substance-flow management

High-quality food and general good health are fundamental needs that have to be satisfied if society is to attain a high standard of living. Accordingly, a great deal of effort is expended in order to guarantee a high quality of food and ensure healthy living conditions. Among other things, these efforts entail massive substance flows. Significant substance flows are connected with the production and consumption of food and can be regarded from an economic, social, or environmental point of view. Substance flows are a part of both nature and the anthroposphere. This study demonstrates that food production at present is not linked to societal issues of production and sustainability; rather, it shows that a systematic approach and an analysis of issues and measures to be taken are required. This interconnectedness can be described as a timescape, in analogy to a landscape. For proper orientation in a landscape, a map is helpful, especially in combination with a compass. In the same way, we need a temporal orientation. Time scales serve as a compass to give orientation. A complete temporal analysis that includes all relevant temporalities provides the information that is encoded in a map. What has to be learned and exercised is the reading of such temporal maps. One method of doing this is temporal impact analysis (TIA). Temporal impact analysis brings issues that are not normally focused on into the foreground. It allows a better understanding of the implications of certain substance flows and the measures necessary for their management, and it provides an opportunity to develop a more sustainable management of substance flows.     

A Comparison of Sampling Designs for Monitoring Recreational Trail Impacts in Rocky Mountain National Park

The dual goals of the Organic Act of 1916 and Wilderness Act of 1964 are to protect natural resources and provide quality visitor experiences. Park managers need metrics of trail conditions to protect park resources and quality of visitor experiences. A few methods of sampling design for trails have been developed. Here, we describe a relatively new method, spatially balanced sampling, and compare it to systematic sampling. We evaluated the efficiency of sampling designs to measure recreation-related impacts in Rocky Mountain National Park. This study addressed two objectives: first, it compared estimates of trail conditions from data collected from systematic versus spatially balanced sampling data; second, it examined the relationship between sampling precision and sampling efficiency. No statistically significant differences in trail condition were found between the 100-m interval and the spatially balanced datasets. The spatially balanced probability-based dataset was found to be a good estimate of trail conditions when analyses were conducted with fewer sample points. Moreover, spatially balanced probability-based sampling is flexible and allows additional sample points to be added to a sample.     

Estimating the Economic Value of National Parks with Count Data Models Using On-Site,Secondary Data: The Case of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

We estimate an individual travel cost model for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (GSD) in Colorado using on-site, secondary data. The purpose of the on-site survey was to help the National Park Service better understand the visitors of GSD; it was not intended for a travel cost model. Variables such as travel cost and income were estimated based on respondents’ Zip Codes. Following approaches found in the literature, a negative binomial model corrected for truncation and endogenous stratification fit the data the best. We estimate a recreational benefit of U.S. $89/visitor/year or U.S. $54/visitor/24-h recreational day (in 2002 U.S. $). Based on the approach presented here, there are other data sets for national parks, preserves, and battlefields where travel cost models could be estimated and used to support National Park Service management decisions.     

Natural Resource Assessment: An Approach to Science Based Planning in National Parks

We conducted a natural resource assessment at two national parks, New River Gorge National River and Shenandoah National Park, to help meet the goals of the Natural Resource Challenge—a program to help strengthen natural resource management at national parks. We met this challenge by synthesizing and interpreting natural resource information for planning purposes and we identified information gaps and natural significance of resources. We identified a variety of natural resources at both parks as being globally and/or nationally significant, including large expanses of unfragmented, mixed-mesophytic forests that qualify for wilderness protection, rare plant communities, diverse assemblages of neotropical migratory birds and salamanders, and outstanding aquatic recreational resources. In addition, these parks function, in part, as ecological reserves for plants in and wildlife. With these significant natural resources in mind, we also developed a suite of natural resource management recommendations in light of increasing threats from within and outside park boundaries. We hope that our approach can provide a blueprint for natural resource conservation at publically owned lands.     

Serving the Common Interest in U.S. Forest Policy: A Case Study of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act

In the United States, the common interest often is conceived as a by-product of the pluralist, interest-group-driven democratic process. Special interests dominate in many political arenas. Consequently, we have lost the language, vocabulary, and ability to talk about the common interest. The way to reverse this trend is to develop and practice with new tools that allow us to articulate what we mean by the common interest in specific contexts. In this article, we leveraged the literature on procedural, substantive, and pragmatic decision making to illustrate how they work together to demonstrate whether and how the common interest was served in three case studies of Healthy Forests Restoration Act implementation on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. In two of the cases we found that the common interest was mostly served, while in the third case it was not. Our results raise questions about the ability of procedural criteria or substantive criteria alone to determine effectiveness in decision making. When evaluated together they provide a more complete understanding of how the common interest is or is not served.

中国建立落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区的战略思考

2016年12月,国务院发布《中国落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区建设方案》,引起了国内外的广泛关注,成为当前中国推进可持续发展的标志性事件.本文介绍了该方案的制定过程及其重要意义,对方案的主要内容进行了解析,并提出了近期应围绕创新示范区建设开展的几项重点工作.文章认为,建立落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区是中国顺应全球可持续发展趋势的必然选择,是解决国内可持续发展主要问题的迫切需要,是回应国际社会期待的客观要求.文章提出,在建设落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区时关键要把握好四个原则:①勇于突破GDP导向的传统发展思维,真正以可持续发展的理念推动地方发展;②从制约地方可持续发展的瓶颈问题入手,通过制度、科技等各方面的改革和创新,形成成熟有效的系统性解决方案;③调动社会各界的积极性,形成政府引导、市场配置资源、各利益攸关方共同参与的机制;④主动分享系统性解决方案和实践经验,为全球可持续发展做出中国贡献.文章最后提出,面向未来,建设中国落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区要做好四个衔接:①加强与国家可持续发展实验区工作的衔接,形成互为支撑的布局体系;②加强与"绿色技术银行"工作的衔接,促进先进适用技术落地生根;③加强与国家科技计划的衔接,促进创新能力的提升;④加强与各领域改革工作的衔接,形成综合创新示范的局面.     

沈阳市利用国家开发银行贷款推动环保产业发展浅析

沈阳市政府从2005年开始到2007年11月末,通过沈阳恒信国有资产经营有限公司融资平台从国家开发银行融入贷款资金近295．17亿元用于老工业基地改造。据统计,共有139亿元开发银行贷款用于沈阳市“沈阳西部污水治理工程（西部细河改造）”等环保工程、环境治理等项目,占全市开行贷款总数的47％。项目的实施改善了我市的生产和生活环境,对提高沈阳市的城市品位,完善城市功能起到了积极的促进作用。但由于部分项目前期准备工作不充分、管理主体缺位、二级平台不健全、配套资金筹措不及时等原因,影响了项目进展和资金有效使用,为提高沈阳政府融资信誉,有关部门应通过建立我市开行贷款项目的储备制度、加强二级平台建设、多渠道筹集配套资金、建立有效的防范债务风险的机制等项措施,努力防范和化解财政风险。     

人工湿地生态系统健康评价实证研究

建立了健康评价指标体系,改进了原有评价标准,构建了模糊综合评价模型,对苏州太湖国家旅游度假区一期人工湿地生态系统进行了健康评价,得出了度假区人工湿地健康评价综合评分为0．784,识别了健康制约因子,并提出了相应的调控措施,以期为湿地的二期、三期工程建设提供科学依据。     

A review of atmospheric benzene homologues in China: Characterization, health risk assessment, source identification and countermeasures

Benzene homologues are important chemical precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere, in addition, some toxic species are harmful to human health. Strict countermeasures have been taken to fight air pollution since 2013, and total amount control of volatile organic compounds is being promoted in China at present. Therefore, it is important to understand the pollution situation and the control status of ambient benzene homologues in China. This paper reviews research progress from published papers on pollution characteristics, atmospheric photochemical reactivity, health risk assessment and source identification of ambient benzene homologues in recent years in China, and also summarizes policies and countermeasures for the control of ambient benzene homologues and the relevant achievements. The total ambient levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) shows a declining tendency from 2001 to 2016 in China. The mass concentrations of BTEX are generally higher in southern regions than in northern regions, and they present vertical decreasing variation characteristics with increasing altitude within the height range of about 5500 m. Toluene has the highest ozone formation potential and SOA formation potential both in urban areas and background areas, while benzene poses an obvious carcinogenic risk to the exposed adult populations in urban areas. Source identification of ambient benzene homologues suggested that local governments should adopt differentiated control strategies for ambient benzene homologues. Several recommendations are put forward for future research and policy-making on the control of ambient benzene homologues in China.