Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Precautionary Science and Conflicts of Interests

Risk governance of GM plants and GMfood products is presently subject to heatedscientific and public controversies. Scientistsand representatives of the biotechnologyindustry have dominated debates concerningsafety issues. The public is suspicious withregard to the motives of scientists, companies,and political institutions involved. Thedilemmas posed are nested, embracing valuequestions, scientific uncertainty, andcontextual issues. The obvious lack of data andinsufficient information concerning ecologicaleffects call for application of thePrecautionary Principle (PP). There are,however, divergent opinions among scientistsabout the relevance of putative hazards,definition of potential ``adverse effects,' andwhether actions should be taken to preventharm. The reliance on the concept ofsubstantial equivalence in safety evaluation ofGM food is equally controversial. Consequently,value assumptions embedded in a scientificframework may be a barrier for employment ofthe PP. One of our major conclusions is thatprecautionary GMP usage requires riskassessment criteria yet undeveloped, as well asbroader and more long-term conceptions of risk,uncertainty, and ignorance. Conflicts ofinterest and public participation are otherissues that need to be taken intoconsideration. GMP governance regimes that arejustifiable from a precautionary and ethicalpoint of view must transcend traditionalscientific boundaries to include alternativescientific perspectives as well as publicinvolvement.     

BUILDUP,WASHOFF, AND EVENT MEAN CONCENTRATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Most watershed water quality simulation models require the user to specify pollutant buildup and washoff rate parameters for pollutants, by land use. Buildup and washoff rates are difficult to measure directly, and only limited guidance and few observed data are available from the literature. Many studies, however, report storm event mean concentrations (EMCs). These EMCs must arise as a result of the buildup and washoff processes, but typically represent the net contribution from a variety of pervious and impervious surfaces. This paper explores the relationship between EMCs and buildup/washoff parameters. An assumption of the mathematical form of the buildup/washoff relationship gives an algebraic expression for the EMC consistent with model assumptions. This yields techniques to separate observed EMCs into contributions from different land uses and from pervious and impervious surfaces. Given this relationship, numerical optimization may be used to estimate site specific values of buildup and washoff parameters from observed storm EMCs for use in modeling. Use of this approach helps ensure that model parameters are consistent with observed data, providing a rational starting point for final model calibration. Several site examples demonstrate use of the method.     

入侵检测的1类支持向量机模型

计算机网络尤其是互联网的迅速发展与普及 ,使得信息安全已经成为一个全球瞩目的重要研究课题。随着攻击技术的不断进步与更新 ,迫切需要一种有效的入侵检测技术来保护信息系统的安全。由于几乎所有的攻击与滥用都被记录在系统的网络数据中 ,因而可以基于计算机系统的网络数据构造入侵检测系统。在对网络数据进行深刻的分析和研究的基础上 ,提出了入侵检测的 1类支持向量机模型。第一 ,构造适于异常点检测的1类支持向量机模型 ;第二利用抽象化的网络数据对该模型进行训练以确定其中各个参数的值。实验表明 ,该方法是行之有效的     

利用地理信息系统(GIS)开发多功能空管系统

在航空运输中 ,飞行安全最为重要 ,空管指挥是保证飞行安全的重要手段。地理信息系统 (GIS)能够将空间位置和性质属性结合在一起 ,非常适合空管指挥中直观性、安全性方面的需要。笔者在研究开发多功能空管系统的基础上 ,讨论了对地形、地物、航道、空管区、禁飞区等进行数字化的方法 ,提出了系统开发的主要技术 ,介绍了多功能空管系统的显示、控制、示警、辅助决策、智能纠错等功能 ,指出了空管系统的发展方向     

移动床生物膜反应器充氧能力的试验研究

对移动床生物膜反应器的充氧能力进行了试验研究，结果表明：反应器充氧能力在添加填料比无填料时大；在悬浮载体能够均匀流化的填充率范围内，反应器充氧能力随着填充率的增大而增大；当填充率大于可以均匀流化的最大填充率时，反应器的充氧能力略有下降。     

Microbial cycling of iron and sulfur in acidic coal mining lake sediments

Lakes caused by coal mining processes are characterized by low pH, low nutrient status, and high concentrations of Fe(II) and sulfate due to the oxidation of pyrite in the surrounding mine tailings. Fe(III) produced during Fe(II) oxidation precipitates to the anoxic acidic sediment, where the microbial reduction of Fe(III) is the dominant electron-accepting process for the oxidation of organic matter, apparently mediated by acidophilic Acidiphilium species. Those bacteria can reduce a great variety of Fe(III)-(hydr)oxides and reduce Fe(III) and oxygen simultaneously which might be due to the small differences in the redox potentials under low pH conditions. Due to the absence of sulfide, Fe(II) formed in the upper 6 cm of the sediment diffuses to oxic zones in the water layer where itcan be reoxidized by Acidithiobacillus species. Thus, acidic conditions are stabilized by the cycling of iron which inhibits fermentative and sulfate-reducing activities. With increasing sediment depth, the amount of reactive iron decrease, the pH increases above 5, and fermentative and as yet unknown Fe(III)-reducing bacteria are also involved in the reduction of Fe(III). Sulfate is reduced apparently by the activity of spore-forming sulfate reducers including new species of Desulfosporosinus that have their pH optimum similar to in situconditions and are not capable of growth at pH 7. However, generation of alkalinity via sulfate reduction is reduced by the anaerobic reoxidation of sulfide back to sulfate. Thus, the microbial cycling of iron at the oxic-anoxic interface and the anaerobic cycling of sulfur maintains environmental conditions appropriate for acidophilic Fe(III)-reducing and acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing microbial communities.     

Starch, Poly(lactic acid), and Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blends

Research on biodegradable materials has been stimulated due to concern regarding the persistence of plastic wastes. Blending starch with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most promising efforts because starch is an abundant and cheap biopolymer and PLA is biodegradable with good mechanical properties. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) contains unhydrolytic residual groups of poly(vinyl acetate) and also has good compatibility with starch. It was added to a starch and PLA blend (50:50, w/w) to enhance compatibility and improve mechanical properties. PVOH (M_W 6,000) at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% (by weight) based on the total weight of starch and PLA, and 30% PVOH at various molecular weights (M_W 6,000, 25,000, 78,000, and 125,000 dalton) were added to starch/PLA blends. PVOH interacted with starch. At proportions greater than 30%, PVOH form a continuous phase with starch. Tensile strength of the starch/PLA blends increased as PVOH concentration increased up to 40% and decreased as PVOH molecular weight increased. The increasing molecular weight of PVOH slightly affected water absorption, but increasing PVOH concentration to 40% or 50% increased water absorption. Effects of moisture content on the starch/PLA/PVOH blend also were explored. The blend containing gelatinized starch had higher tensile strength. However, gelatinized starch also resulted in increased water absorption.     

活性污泥吸附重金属Cr6+的研究

以活性污泥为材料，采用不同时间、温度、pH进行吸附重金属Cr^6 的研究。实验结果表明，当吸附时间为15min，吸附温度为28℃，吸附pH=7时具有较好吸附效果。在此条件下，当重金属Cr^6 浓度为50mg/L，其吸附率可达97．2％。     

生态条件和瘤胃菌丛密度与纤维分解的关系

在自行设计装配的人工模拟瘤胃发酵装置内，用90523-1瘤胃菌丛进行瘤胃体外发酵试验，结果表明纤维素的分解与瘤胃细菌的密度及其类群变化有着密切关系，都受生态环境条件的制约。在发酵温度40℃，搅拌速度为60～70r／min的条件下搅动20min／h，C／N为10：1的生态条件环境中的细菌密度和纤维素分解率都高于相同生态条件的其它梯度组。     

环境医学：人类生存发展战略的大课题

文章用大量翔实数据，分析论证：人类由于淡化环境意识，坚持急功近利的片面发展观，造成整个地球环境质量正在全面下降和恶化，全球已有１／５的人口受到环境污染之害的基点上，作者提出了只有跳出以自我生存为中心的狭隘圈，确立发展环境医学为主体的预防医学战略，并提示要遵循中国古代强调的“天人合一”论概念和钱学森提出的“开放的巨系统方法论”在当代科技领域进行“天地生人巨系统的综合集成研究”，树立“天地与我并生，万物与我同运”的自然生态观，为创建“生物心理社会自然”为模式的全科新医学，这是实现２１世纪“人类健康工程”的开拓性目标。