Children and the Sphere standard on mental and social aspects of health

Most of the world's children live in resource-poor countries where people are at a relatively high risk of exposure to catastrophic situations arising from conflict and natural disasters.(6) Given the potential social, psychological and psychiatric consequences of exposure to disaster, mental health and psychosocial support programmes are increasingly part of humanitarian aid. A minimum standard on mental and social aspects of health is included in the recently revised Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere Handbook) (Sphere Project, 2004). Most recommendations for mental health and psychosocial interventions in guidance documents are based on expert opinion rather than research. Consequently, interventions are being implemented without full understanding of their potential benefit or harm. This paper offers a child-focused review of the evidence for each of the interventions described as indicators for the Sphere standard on mental and social aspects of health. It suggests some, but limited, support for each of them. However, the evidence base needs substantial strengthening.     

Still falling short: protection and partnerships in the Lebanon emergency response

The Israeli–Hezbollah conflict in the summer of 2006, although brief, had a lasting impact on the region and prompted an intense humanitarian response. The conflict raised challenging questions for the United Nations (UN) about how to assist a middle‐income yet extremely vulnerable population in a context where global and local relations are highly politicised. This paper focuses on two key questions that emerged from the humanitarian response. First, how can humanitarian agencies, and particularly the UN, improve the protection of civilians, and was what they did in Lebanon enough? Second, how can humanitarian agencies create partnerships with local actors and still remain true to core humanitarian principles when local actors are fiercely divided along confessional lines and influenced by external actors, and when some, such as Hezbollah, are parties to the conflict? This paper argues that despite the importance of protection and partnerships to the humanitarian response, their role in the UN emergency response still falls short.     

Impact of continental margins in the Mediterranean Sea: Hints from the surface colour and temperature historical record

The surface colour and temperature fields of the Mediterranean Sea, as appearing in time series, of basin-wide images available in the CZCS (1979–1985) and AVHRR (1982–1991) historical archives, differentiate between basin interior and continental margins affected by coastal patterns, river plumes, and mesoscale features. The original data were processed to apply calibration factors, to correct for atmospheric contamination, and to estimate chlorophyll-like pigment concentration and surface temperature. Composites were derived, as monthly and annual means, using a fixed equal-area projection with a 1-km² pixel grid. Enhanced pigment values and lower temperatures along the northern coastal areas (i.e. the Ligurian, Provençal and Balearic basins, as well as the Adriatic, and Aegean Seas) have been associated with the impact of runoff from continental margins (i.e. both a direct impact due to the sediment load and one induced on the planktonic flora by the associated nutrient load) and with vertical mixing due to the prevailing winds (i.e. the Mistral in the northwest, the Bora in the Adriatic, the Etesians in the Aegean). The pattern of increasing pigments and decreasing temperatures in seen to develop in the monthly images from the coastal zone towards the open sea from summer to winter, and then back from winter to summer. The southern coastal areas show different values, namely lower pigments and higher temperatures (except in areas where the data are altered by signal contamination). It is suggested that differences in geomorphology and meteorology of the basin margins have an impact on both water biogeochemistry and dynamics, influencing the biooptical and thermal properties of the various sub-basins, and of the entire Mediterranean region.     

Oviposition of carrot fly (Psila rosae) in response to foliage and leaf surface extracts of host plants

Summary. Foliage of twelve host and two non-host species and surrogate leaves treated with the respective leaf extracts were presented to laboratory populations of the carrot fly (Psila rosae) in oviposition choice assays. The stimulatory activity of dichloromethane surface extracts and the diethyl ether fraction of hot water extracts did not reflect accurately the differences in acceptability observed among intact leaves. A better correlation was found using hexane extracts prepared in a microwave oven. Two out of five fractions of this crude hexane extract obtained by silica gel column chromatography stimulated oviposition. The diethyl ether fraction, which contained the previously identified oviposition stimulants (propenylbenzenes, furanocoumarins, polyacetylenes), could account for only a minor part of the variation in the acceptability of host leaves. The preference hierarchy for intact leaves corresponded better to the ranking of species according to activity of the methanolic fraction, which apparently contains unknown stimulatory compounds.? The water fractions of the hot water extracts were shown to reduce egg-laying underneath surrogate leaves treated with a stimulatory extract. This oviposition-deterring effect was particularly strong with the non-preferred species Pimpinella major, which is also highly resistant in the field. Hence, unidentified inhibitory compounds may also contribute to differential accept ability of host plants. It is concluded that antixenotic (non-preference) resistance of host plants to carrot fly attack depends on complex mixtures of semiochemicals. Received 11 June 1997; accepted 26 November 1997.     

The Impact of Urbanization and Protection of Water Resources in Owerri and Environs SE, Nigeria

Untreated sewage and agriculture are the most important sources of contamination. The study was carried out by conducting a short-term surface water and groundwater pollution survey of the Owerri Urban area and its environs, in order to establish the current levels of pollution. An attempt has been made to show the relationships between pollution levels, population density, industrial and agricultural activities. The spatial distribution of pollutants due to a poor land use system and to human activities was investigated. This emphasises integrated planned development as a preventive measure for arresting pollution levels in fast growing urban centres. The total groundwater stored in the area amounts to 7.87 × 10⁹ m³. Twenty five percent of this is released as base flow into the adjacent rivers (Otamiri and Nworie). The annual groundwater recharge is 3.4 × 10⁹ m³. The enormous volume of groundwater stored and the comparatively low cost of development makes groundwater an excellent alternative supply source for the area (Uma et al., 1984).     

Pb/Zn冶炼废渣中重金属的生物浸出-盐浸处理

利用中温嗜热菌对某铅锌冶炼废渣进行生物浸出盐浸处理研究,并根据国家固体废物浸出毒性方法(HJ/T299-2007)对盐浸后余渣进行毒性分析。研究结果表明,在pH 1.5、温度65℃、矿浆浓度5%的优化条件下生物浸出3 d后,废渣中Cu、In、Ga和Zn的浸出率分别达到了91.5%、91.8%、84.9%和93.4%;盐浸生物浸出渣,其浸出液中Ag、Pb浓度分别为7.6和247.5 mg/L,可从废渣中有效回收Cu、In、Ga、Zn、Ag和Pb。生物浸出盐浸处理后余渣约为原渣量的70%;毒性分析浸出液中重金属元素Ag、As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn浓度分别为2～3.5、2～3、0.3～0.5、30～50、2～4、20～60 mg/L,低于国家危险废物鉴别标准(GB5085.3-2007)。根据试验结果,提出了针对冶炼废渣资源化、减量化、无害化的生物浸出盐浸联用工艺。     

超临界CO2回收线路板工艺研究

采用正交试验设计进行了超临界CO₂回收废弃印刷线路板的实验。以温度、压强、时间和夹带剂为实验因素,通过对实验前后样本在重量、厚度、弯曲强度和断裂强度四方面变化的分析考察了各实验因素对实验效果的影响。实验结果表明,影响超临界CO₂法回收印刷线路板的最主要因素为温度、时间和夹带剂,超临界CO₂法回收废弃印刷线路板的最佳工艺条件：温度270℃,压强大于7.38 MPa,时间3 h,夹带剂(水)160 mL。实验进一步验证了压强对实验结果的非显著性影响。     

乌鲁木齐城市地表温度时空变化与贡献度研究

伴随着新疆首府乌鲁木齐市经济快速发展,人口持续增加、城市化进程不断加快,地表温度也发生极其显著的变化.以乌鲁木齐市中心城区为研究对象,利用1990—2018年的4期Landsat卫星影像和中国科学院土地利用/覆被分类数据,采用地表温度反演、重心转移模型、空间聚类分析以及计算贡献度指数等方法,定量研究乌鲁木齐市城市化进程...     

活性炭纤维复合材料的脱硫性能

本实验以粘胶基活性炭纤维和酚醛树脂复合,制备出了一种可用于烟气脱硫的活性炭纤维复合材料（ACFM）,考察了制备工艺条件对脱硫性能和比表面积的影响,测试其在填充床的压降。结果表明：粘结剂用量、炭化及活化条件对样品的脱硫性能和比表面积有较大的影响;与其他活性炭材料相比ACFM压降相对较低,只有活性炭纤维的1／20。     

几何法测定生物栅中美人蕉根系面积

设计了1种测定生物栅中水生植物根系面积的方法.通过分别测定美人蕉(Canna indica)3级根平均直径和2级根平均直径计算得到植物根系总面积.这种方法比常用的不分级测定植物根系直径及表面积的方法准确度高1个数量级,可以应用于大根系植物的根系测定.研究结果表明,生物栅装置中美人蕉根系总面积39.4 m2,3级根系面积是2级根系的22.2倍,而体积比接近2:1,3级根和2级根平均直径比小于1:10.应用生物栅技术处理富营养化水体时,表面积占绝对优势的3级根系在对氮、磷等元素的吸收,作为微生物附着的重要载体及加强植物与填料的固着能力,改善根系与填料的空间结构等方面起重要作用.