High Cd and Pb in Chinese cabbage: how to safely eat vegetables from metal-contaminated agricultural soil

Trace-element contamination poses a serious threat to China's ecology, environment, food safety, and human health. Human exposure to potentially toxic trace elements is predominantly attributed to the consumption of vegetables, especially leafy vegetables, grown on metal-contaminated soil. In the present study, the concentrations of Cd in Chinese cabbage were found to decrease at an exponential rate from the outermost layer to the inner core, while there was a small change in Pb content from the 1st to the 16th layer of the plant, suddenly decreasing at the 17th layer. Although there was a little difference between the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) and the mean Cd content in the plant, from the 1st layer to the 10th layer in the edible part of Chinese cabbage, Cd concentrations were 1.1–2.5 times higher than the MPC. The Pb concentration in the whole plant was 1.9 times higher than the MPC, while the 17th layer to the 25th layer of Chinese cabbage was safe for consumption. Health risk assessment indicated that the surface layer of Chinese cabbage might cause harm to human health, especially to children, in view of cancer risk and non-cancer risk.     

Speciation studies on simulated gastro‐intestinal digests of foodstuffs†

The factors affecting the solubilisation of metals during digestion of food have been examined in a two‐stage model system comprising simulated gastric and intestinal juices. The solubilisation of iron, copper and zinc was examined in digests of white and wholemeal bread. Zinc solubility was principally governed by pH and the simulated digestion had little additional effect. In contrast both iron and copper solubility were markedly affected by digestion of the bread. In the case of copper the enzymolysis increased solubility appreciably at neutral pH. All of the cadmium in a simulated gastric digest of canned crab meat was associated with soluble low molecular weight species of less than 1000 daltons. Cadmium solubility resulted from the acidic conditions of the digest rather than enzymatic solubilisation of binding proteins. Ninety percent of the cadmium in the digest became rebound to the insoluble fraction on adjustment to pH7.0. Subsequent simulated intestinal digestion increased the level of soluble cadmium to 20%; 1.0–1.5% was associated with soluble species in the range 26,000–37,000 daltons and 15.0–20.0% with soluble species of less than 3,000 daltons.     

Climate change and human security in Africa

Climate change poses a major threat to human security and poverty in Africa. In Africa, where livelihoods are mainly based on climate-dependent resources and environment, the effect of climate change will be disproportionate and severe. Moreover, Africa's capacity to adapt to and cope with the adverse effects of climate variability is generally weak. This article discusses how climate change affects human security in Africa. It also assesses the policy options available to policymakers in terms of mitigation and adaptation to climate change to reduce vulnerability and human insecurity in Africa.     

Livelihoods,power, and food insecurity: adaptation of social capital portfolios in protracted crises—case study Burundi

The failure of food security and livelihood interventions to adapt to conflict settings remains a key challenge in humanitarian responses to protracted crises. This paper proposes a social capital analysis to address this policy gap, adding a political economy dimension on food security and conflict to the actor‐based livelihood framework. A case study of three hillsides in north Burundi provides an ethnographic basis for this hypothesis. While relying on a theoretical framework in which different combinations of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking) account for a diverse range of outcomes, the findings offer empirical insights into how social capital portfolios adapt to a protracted crisis. It is argued that these social capital adaptations have the effect of changing livelihood policies, institutions, and processes (PIPs), and clarify the impact of the distribution of power and powerlessness on food security issues. In addition, they represent a solid way of integrating political economy concerns into the livelihood framework.     

吉林电网的暴雨灾害风险等级区划与评估研究

开展暴雨灾害对电网安全的风险等级区划与评估,可以指导电网的规划设计、建设、运行,最大限度保证电网安全.从风险评估四要素出发,充分考虑各要素的空间差异和权重差异,构建了等级划分标准,开展了风险区划和分区评价.结果表明:暴雨洪涝对吉林电网危害最高的地区是长春部分地区、吉林市辖区和通化的集安地区;其次是长春大部、四平大部、吉林部分地区和延边州的珲春部分地区;风险最低的地区主要在白城部分地区、白山部分地区及延边大部.从风险区划各指标的分析来看,通化地区南部的高风险性是由致灾因子的高危险性起主要作用,而吉林省中部地区的高、中风险性是由其孕灾环境的高敏感性及承灾体的高易损性引起的.     

投喂不同密度卤虫无节幼体对灰海马幼体生长和存活的影响

为比较投喂不同密度卤虫对灰海马幼体生长和存活的影响,共设3个卤虫无节幼体密度组[5(A)、10(B)和20(C)个/mL],用初始密度为2尾/L的灰海马幼体进行为期50 d的养殖研究.结果显示,总体而言,3个饵料密度对灰海马幼体的存活、生长有显著影响(P<0.05).在前10 d,3组海马间的成活率和生长速度差异均不显著(P>0.05);d20～50,B、C两组海马的成活率均显著高于A组(P<0.05),而B、C两组之间无显著差异(P>0.05).d 20时,B、C两组的生长速度显著快于A组(P<0.05);d 30往后,A、C两组的生长速度开始加快,随后3组海马生长速度间的差距进一步缩小,直至A组的体质量和体高超过B组和C组(P<0.05),而B、C两组间的差异显著性消失(P>0.05).随着投放卤虫密度的增加,各时间点水体的pH和溶氧含量呈显著下降的趋势(P<0.05);C组氨态氮含量显著高于A组和B组(P<0.05);除第24 h外,3组间亚硝态氮的含量差异不显著.综合结果表明,卤虫的最适投喂密度应随着灰海马的生长进行适时调整.从初孵至d 10,饵料密度以10个/mL最佳;从d 10起,将饵料密度上调至20个/mL;d 30后当海马密度降至0.5～1尾/L时,卤虫密度可降至10个/mL左右.图2表1参21     

基于多主体建模的安全注意力衰减模型研究

为预防由安全注意力衰减引起的虚假安全问题,构建员工安全注意力衰减模型。采用多主体建模法并基于Netlogo仿真平台,分析个体因素、管理因素和环境因素对员工安全注意力水平的影响。试验结果表明:在环境因素和管理因素确定的情况下,员工安全注意力水平主要受熟悉程度和安全意识的影响。同时员工安全注意力水平对管理者的危机意识有反馈作用。安全信号强度、频率、员工对安全信息的期待和任务难度以及管理者的监督有效性,均影响员工安全注意力水平。在企业安全管理的具体实施过程中,企业应该考虑如何有效控制上述调节因素并提高员工安全注意力水平。     

风险管理在船舶保安中的应用研究

对一艘船舶而言,由于其货物、人员、贸易航线具有流动性、危险性和隐蔽性等特点,存在着不同程度被恐怖主义利用和攻击的威胁风险,并且一旦发生保安事件所带来的后果非常严重,包括人命伤害、财产损失、环境破坏,甚至引起社会恐慌等,因此,船舶保安已成为国际航运界关注的焦点。本文根据风险管理原理,结合ISPS规则要求,确定船舶保安风险管理流程,并对船舶面临的保安威胁进行辩识分析,提出旨在降低船舶可能遭受恐怖威胁的保安措施,以指导航运企业保安工作的开展。     

基于系统集成的民航机场安全调度综合信息平台研究

本文对民航机场安全调度综合信息平台进行了研究,对民航机场各部分的运行过程进行精细化、全天候的实时监控,建立了基于系统功能集成、指标集成、技术集成与信息集成的民航机场运行实时监控系统集成模型;同时,借助三维可视化技术及灰色评价方法,对民航机场运行过程中的各环节的实时安全监控信息,进行动态高效地集成化管理和可视化分析,实时评估机场运行的安全状况,找出运行安全面临的主要问题,并分析可行的解决方案,通过机场安全调度方案的生成以辅助民航机场安全运行与管理决策,提高机场安全管理水平;文章的最后进行实例应用分析。     

浅析归因引起的安全感偏差

安全与安全感是两个不同的概念,安全是客观存在的状态,安全感是行为主体认为所处的状态是安全的.安全感在工作与日常生活中对个体行为的安全性发挥着重要作用,而个体的归因行为对安全感的判断产生巨大影响.应用归因理论,通过分析生产与日常生活中的典型案例,说明归因行为引起的安全感判断偏差所带来的危害,以从一个新的角度引起人们的重视;最后根据分析结果针对性地提出建议措施.总之,在从事行为活动时,人们必须增强安全意识,通过正确归因获得有益的安全感,以避免或减轻由于归因引起的安全感偏差而带来的危害.