Foot and mouth disease and british agriculture: ethics in a crisis

The 2001 Foot and Mouth Diseaseoutbreak in the UK has had widespread adverseeffects – on the farming community, thetourist industry, millions of farm animals, theenvironment, and citizens' quality of life.This report summarizes the course of theepidemic and then questions the ethicalvalidity of the procedure chosen to eradicatethe disease, namely, the slaughter of millionsof animals. It is argued that the utilitarianbasis of the mass slaughter program isunjustified even in its own terms, and thatrespect for certain deontological principlesmerits increased attention in public policy.The long-term interests of UK citizens, theviability of British farming, and theconservation of the countryside all depend onurgent, critical decisions that should beinformed by a broader conception of the role ofethics in agriculture.     

硒蛋白R抑制铜离子介导的Aβ_(42)聚集和细胞毒性

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)是一种神经退行性疾病,其主要病理特征包括脑内出现老年斑和神经纤维缠结以及神经元缺失。过渡金属离子如Fe~(2+)、Zn~(2+)、Cu~(2+)等会在AD病人脑中大量蓄集,从而促进,-淀粉样多肽(Aβ)聚集并产生大量活性氧自由基,引起细胞功能改变。硒蛋白R(Sel R)是一种蛋氨酸亚砜还原酶,可将蛋白中的蛋氨酸亚砜还原为蛋氨酸。然而Sel R与金属离子的关系尚无报道。文章对Sel R的突变体Sel R'(Sel R中硒代半胱氨酸Sec95突变为半胱氨酸Cys95)结合Cu~+的性质进行了表征,同时也对Sel R'调节Cu~+/Cu~(2+)诱导的Aβ42聚集和细胞毒性的能力进行了研究。结果表明,Sel R'可与Cu~+特异性螯合剂BCA竞争结合Cu~+,说明Sel R'具有较强的Cu~+结合能力。采用硫磺素荧光法(Th T),发现Cu~+/Cu~(2+)显著性抑制Aβ42的纤维化、诱导其形成非纤维化聚集体,而Sel R'则能够显著抑制Cu~+/Cu~(2+)诱导的Aβ42聚集形态的改变。细胞实验表明:Sel R'能显著降低Cu~+/Cu~(2+)诱导的Aβ42的细胞毒性。上述结果提示:Sel R在脑内除了还原蛋氨酸亚砜,还可通过与铜离子的结合抑制其细胞毒性作用,从而干预AD的发展。     

近地层臭氧浓度升高对麦田土壤微生物群落功能多样性的影响

利用中国臭氧FACE(Free-air O3concentration enrichment,开放式空气臭氧浓度增高)试验平台,通过测定麦季土壤水溶性有机碳含量、土壤呼吸强度和BIOLOG指标,研究了近地层臭氧浓度升高50%条件下(~70 nmol mol-1),麦田土壤微生物功能多样性的响应.结果发现,臭氧浓度升高下麦田土壤水溶性有机碳含量提高,土壤微呼吸强度增加,平均吸光值显著高于对照(P<0.05).多样性指数结果显示,臭氧浓度升高对麦田土壤微生物丰富度和优势度指数没有显著影响,但是臭氧处理下均一度指数显著高于对照(P<0.05);主成分分析显示,相对于其它碳源,臭氧浓度升高对麦田土壤微生物的糖类物质利用能力的影响最大.研究揭示了1.5倍的近地层臭氧浓度增强了麦田土壤微生物碳源利用能力,特别是非优势微生物.     

呼吸追随型防护面具的研制及推广应用前景

本文针对坑道施工中个体防护之急需,研制了一种具有呼吸追随功能的电动送风过滤式防护面具,在确保防护效果的基础上实现了自然舒适的呼吸,可有效预防和减少尘肺病等职业病的发生,并展望了该产品在其他领域的推广应用前景。     

职业健康统计研究

基于职业健康内涵和统计学原理,提出职业健康统计学的概念,并分析其学科基础,比较职业健康统计学实践应用的各种统计方法;从行业、工种、职业危害因素、职业病发展动态及等级结构、职业健康损失等方面构建职业健康统计学分支体系;分析职业健康统计绝对指标、相对指标。     

南帕斯凝析油存储挥发与安全影响分析

南帕斯凝析油产自于伊朗,在炼制过程几乎不残留油渣,因而倍受炼油企业青睐。南帕斯凝析油中硫化氢及硫醇硫等有毒气体的浓度较高,在储存过程中由于储罐呼吸现象的存在,有毒气体挥发量较大。一旦有毒气体挥发量超出《工作场所有害因素职业接触限值》中规定的限值,极容易引发安全事故。南帕斯凝析油的这一特性给企业安全工作带来了很大挑战。以分析南帕斯凝析油理化性质以及存储设备设施现状为基础,运用储罐大小呼吸计算公式定量计算出有毒气体的挥发量及在空气中的含量;并且以呼吸阀口为连续性点源建立气体扩散模型,根据高斯定律推算出下风向各点有毒气体浓度值,从而划分防护等级区域并制定相应的安全操作要求,为企业存储安全提供有效的防护方案。     

煤矿工人常见的呼吸系统疾病及防护

文章介绍了煤矿工人常见的呼吸系统疾病,并从加强职业安全卫生监督、改革工艺、宣传教育、定期体检等多个方面提出了干预措施,为今后保障煤炭工人的健康提出科学依据。     

自吸过滤式全面罩呼吸阻力检测方式探讨

简要介绍了自吸过滤式呼吸防护用品的种类和全面罩的基本结构.重点描述了日本社团法人产业安全技术协会和我国国家标准中规定的自吸过滤式全面罩呼吸阻力的检测原理、检测程序和检测方式,用两种检测方式分别对DR165LAN型全面罩和X- Plore 5500全面罩的呼吸阻力进行测试,对测试结果进行比较,通过分析与讨论,建议检测自吸过滤式全面罩呼吸阻力时,应采用将全面罩的外面罩和内面罩拆开分别测试的方式,阻力值加和,进而得出贴近自吸过滤式全面罩在实际使用时呼气和吸气阻力的值.     

医用防护口罩测试装置的对比研究

结合医用防护口罩实际使用工况,设计了两种针对环境气溶胶过滤性能的测试方法与装置.采集部分常用的防护口罩,分别采用TSI CERTITEST Models 8130型自动过滤测试仪及本文研发的测试装置DHU-Ⅰ平板型口罩性能测试台和DHU-Ⅱ实况型口罩性能测试台进行测试.对结果进行对比分析发现,DHU-Ⅰ平板型口罩性能测试台和8130型自动过滤测试仪测定结果比较接近,能够反映出防护口罩在环境大气中使用的情况;而DHU-Ⅱ实况型口罩性能测试台相对前两者而言,在吸气阻力基本不变的情况下,测得过滤效率降低近40%,结果更接近实际工况.     

Risk communication, value judgments, and the public-policy maker relationship in a climate of public sensitivity toward animals: revisiting britain's foot and mouth crisis

This paper offers some suggestions on, and encouragement for, how to be better at risk communication in times of agricultural crisis. During the foot and mouth epizootic, the British public, having no precedent to deal with such a rapid and widespread epizootic, no existing rules or conventions, and no social or political consensus, was forced to confront the facts of a perceived "economic disease. Foot and mouth appeared as an economic disease because the major push to eradicate it was motivated exclusively by trade and economic reasons and not because of threats it posed to the lives of human beings and livestock. The British public deferred responsibility to their elected officials for a speedy end to this non-life threatening viral epizootic. The latter, however, did not have a contingency plan in place to tackle such an extensive outbreak. The appeal to an existing policy, i.e., mass eradication, as the exclusive strategy of containment was a difficult pill for the public to swallow well before the end of the 226-day ordeal. Public outcry reflected (in part) serious misgivings about the lack of effective communication of risk-informed decisions between government agents and all concerned. The government's handling of the matter underestimated concerns and values about animal welfare, public trust, and the plight of farmers and rural communities. A general loss of trust by some segments of the public was exacerbated by perceived mismanagement and early fumbles by government agents.Public moral uneasiness during the crisis, while perhaps symbolic of growing discontent with an already fractured relationship with farmed animals and the state of animal farming today, arguably, also reflected deep disappointment in government agents to recognize inherently and conditionally normative assumptions in their argument as well as recognize their narrow conception of risk. Furthermore, broader stakeholder participation was clearly missing from the outset, especially with respect to the issue of vaccination. A greater appreciation for two-way risk communication is suggested for science-based public policy in agriculture, followed by suggestions on how to be more vigilant in the future.