How much more exposed are the poor to natural disasters? Global and regional measurement

This paper proposes a simple indicator to measure the exposure to natural disasters for the poor and non-poor population, in order to assess the global and regional trend of natural hazard and poverty. Globally, poor people are two times more exposed to natural disasters than the non-poor in the twenty-first century. The time trend varies across regions, with poor people in East Asia and Pacific being most exposed to natural disasters, followed by those in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The change of exposure measure over time is decomposed into two factors: a pure exposure change, which could be fuelled by climate change; and a concentration component. The result shows that the total net increase of exposure between the 1970s and the 2000s is driven significantly by the increased concentration of the poor (26 per cent) in disaster-prone areas, whereas the contribution of that factor remains very small for the non-poor (six per cent).     

再论自然灾害风险的定义

系统地总结了现有自然灾害风险的定义,并指出其存在的问题。重新甄别了自然灾害系统的组成要素及其作用机制,深入分析了自然灾害风险的核心内涵,据此提出了自然灾害风险的新定义,即自然灾害风险是由自然灾害系统自身演化而导致未来损失的不确定性。结合定义的相关规则,对自然灾害风险新定义进行了符合性验证。新定义不仅深化了人们对自然灾害风险本身的认识,而且明确了自然灾害风险评估的内容。     

Effects of wavelength and water quality on photodegradation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potent carcinogen that yields a cancer risk of 10⁻⁶ at concentrations as low as 0.7 ng L⁻¹. Tentative guideline values are set at 3 ng L⁻¹ in California, USA; 9 ng L⁻¹ in Ontario, Canada; 40 ng L⁻¹ nationwide in Canada; and 100 ng L⁻¹ by the World Health Organization. NDMA is a great concern in treating reclaimed water as well as drinking water. UV degradation can be considered effective degradation method. A 1-log reduction of NDMA is achieved by 1000 mJ cm⁻² of a 254-nm low pressure (LP) mercury UV lamp. However, a higher degradation efficiency than that provided by LP lamps is desired in practical treatment. In this study, the effects of wavelength and water quality were investigated to achieve higher degradation efficiency. The effects of wavelength were examined by comparing three UV lamps: a 222-nm Kr Cl Excimer UV lamp, a 254-nm LP mercury UV lamp, and a 230- to 270-nm filtered medium pressure (FMP) mercury UV lamp. The 222-nm lamp and FMP lamp achieved 4 times and 2.8 times higher degradation efficiency, respectively, than the conventional 254-nm LP lamp. Effects on water quality were also simulated by using absorption spectrum data of nitrate solutions and process water from a drinking-water treatment plant. In the simulation, the 222-nm lamp was affected by UV-absorbing compounds in the water, whereas the FMP lamp showed more stable degradation efficiency. Appropriate use of these three types of lamps could enhance the efficiency of degradation of NDMA.     

2005~2010年我国自然灾害救助应急响应的时间变化特征

自然灾害救助应急响应是减轻自然灾害风险的重要途径,也是政府的重要职责,2005年被纳入《国家自然灾害救助应急预案》,反映了我国自然灾害救助工作的发展变化和“以预防为主”的应急管理新思路。收集整理2005~2010年国家启动的历次自然灾害救助应急响应情况,对应急响应的时间变化特征进行分析讨论。结果表明：（1）2005~2010年,国家共针对130次重大灾害事件启动应急响应235次,各级别响应的比例与灾害发生的频次比例相当;（2）近年应急响应以洪涝、台风及其引发的滑坡和泥石流灾害为主,高发重发期在汛期（6～9月）,尤以7月为最;而旱灾、低温冷冻和雪灾以及风雹灾害的关键期分别为春夏秋三季、冬春季节和春末夏初;（3）应急响应特征研究启示减灾救灾工作要因时、因地、因灾制宜,并加快基于过程的灾害风险评估和脆弱性机理研究等 .     

3D-QSAR of fungal quorum-sensing inhibiting analogs of farnesol

Thirty-four analogs with variable antifungal activity were selected to develop models for establishing three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR). Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative similarity indices analyses (CoMSIA) were conducted on the group of analogs to determine the structural requirements for selectivity and potency in inhibiting biofilm formation and fungal growth. The best CoMFA model predicted a q² = 0.5 and an r² = 0.991, and revealed that electrostatic properties play a significant role in potency and selectivity. The best CoMSIA model combined electrostatics, hydrogen bond acceptor and donor, and hydrophobic fields with a q² = 0.664 r² = 0.952, S = 0.099, and F = 139.892. The analyses of the contour maps from both models provide significant insight into the structural necessities for a potent compound. Therefore, manipulating various chemical properties of the substituted groups on the farnesol chain can be used to enhance the fungicidal properties of the target compound.     

天然锰砂去除水中的砷

天然锰砂是一种廉价、高效的水处理用材料,但尚未用于水中砷的去除。实验研究了反应时间、砷形态、初始砷浓度、温度、溶液初始pH对吸附过程的影响。结果表明,天然锰砂对As(Ⅲ)的吸附能力大于As(Ⅴ)。25℃时,固液比为10 g/L的条件下,天然锰砂对初始浓度为5.0 mg/L的砷溶液吸附过程经72 h基本达到平衡,平衡时对As(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅴ)的去除率分别达到94.5%和85.9%。吸附过程符合Lagergren准一级反应动力学模型和假二级反应动力学模型。相比之下,假二级动力学模型拟合程度更高。对As(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅴ),45℃时的吸附量均大于25℃时。不同温度下,天然锰砂对As(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅴ)的吸附过程更符合Freundlich等温吸附模型。在溶液初始pH为3～10范围内,锰砂对砷的吸附能力受pH的影响较小。实验结果表明,天然锰砂是一种具有实际应用潜力的除砷材料。     

Three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationships of quorum-sensing and biofilm inhibitors in gram-negative bacteria

Thirty N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) analogs with variable antibacterial activity and displaying inhibition of biofilm formation were selected to develop models for establishing three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR). Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were carried out to determine the optimum structural requirements for selectivity and potency of quorum-sensing and bacterial biofilm inhibition. The best CoMFA model predicted a q² value of 0.519 and an r² value of 0.984 and revealed that electrostatic and steric properties play a significant role in potency and selectivity. The CoMSIA model predicted a q² value of 0.411 and an r² value of 0.938 based on a combination of steric, electrostatic, and hydrophobic effects. The analysis of the contour maps from each model provide insight into the structural requirements for increasing the activity of a compound. Consequently, manipulating the chemical and physical properties of substituted acyl groups on the homoserine lactone moiety can provide important information toward enhancing the antibacterial properties of the target chemical compound.     

UASB反应器反硝化处理对氨基二苯胺生产废水

采用UASB工艺处理橡胶助剂对氨基二苯胺（RT培司）生产废水。实验结果表明：UASB启动初期（1~16 d）,COD去除率由60.8%降至24.2% ,TOC去除率由75.6%降至37.2%;UASB运行16 ~50 d,COD去除率逐渐提高;运行50 d时COD去除率为69.4%,TOC去除率高达90.0%。在进水COD负荷不超过6 kg/（m³·d）的条件下,UASB对COD的去除率为42.7%~69.4%,TOC去除率为58.0%~90.0%,NO_{3^--N去除率接近100%。本实验最佳进水TOC 与TN 比为2.0,UASB进水pH可调节为4.5左右,反应温度为18~34 ℃时对UASB反硝化处理效果影响不大。UASB对苯系化合物的去除率从高至低顺序为对硝基酚>苯酚>苯胺。}     

Studying common-pool resources over time: A longitudinal case study of the Buen Hombre fishery in the Dominican Republic

Like many small-scale fishing communities around the world, the community of Buen Hombre in the Dominican Republic is dealing with a set of challenges to reconcile its fishing activities with the ecology on which it depends. Also like many such communities, this case has been examined at a particular period in time by a group of social scientists, but not over substantial lengths of time in order to examine the longitudinal validity of the conclusions made during this period. In this paper we combine data from previous anthropological work with our own primary social and ecological data to conduct a longitudinal case study of the Buen Hombre fishery. Our over-time comparison focuses on a suite of mostly social and institutional variables to explain what we find to be a continued degradation of the fishery, and we conclude the analysis by presenting a causal-loop diagram, summarizing our inferences regarding the complex interactions among these variables. We find that a mix of factors, notably changes in gear and fishing sites used, the number of fishermen and their livelihood diversity, as well as an increased connectivity between Buen Hombre and its external environment, have contributed to the decline of the condition of Buen Hombre coral reef fishery. We conclude with a discussion of what may lie ahead for this particular case and others like it.     

Shrines in Central Italy conserve plant diversity and large trees

Sacred natural sites (SNS) are instances of biocultural landscapes protected for spiritual motives. These sites frequently host important biological values in areas of Asia and Africa, where traditional resource management is still upheld by local communities. In contrast, the biodiversity value of SNS has hardly been quantitatively tested in Western contexts, where customs and traditions have relatively lost importance due to modernization and secularization. To assess whether SNS in Western contexts retain value for biodiversity, we studied plant species composition at 30 SNS in Central Italy and compared them with a paired set of similar but not sacred reference sites. We demonstrate that SNS are important for conserving stands of large trees and habitat heterogeneity across different land-cover types. Further, SNS harbor higher plant species richness and a more valuable plant species pool, and significantly contribute to diversity at the landscape scale. We suggest that these patterns are related not only to pre-existent features, but also to traditional management. Conservation of SNS should take into account these specificities, and their cultural as well as biological values, by supporting the continuation of traditional management practices.

Electronic supplementary material

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