某金属冶炼厂周围居民人发的6种元素含量特征

为研究金属冶炼对人体健康的危害水平,利用原子吸收分光光度计和AFS-930型原子荧光光度计对浙江富阳郊区某金属冶炼厂周围部分人发的6种元素Cu、2n、Pb、Cd、As、Se含量进行了测定.结果表明,研究区居民人发样品中具有较高含量,其中Cu、Zn、Pb和Cd最高含量分别达312、513、700和7.41 μg·g-1, As和Se最高量达10.08和0.85 μg·g-1.人发中Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、As含量呈明显相关关系,这在一定程度上反映了人发中元素污染程度的相似来源可能是小高炉冶炼.不同年龄的人发元素含量分析表明,40岁以上人发中Cu、Pb、Cd、As平均含量高于40岁以下约2倍;不同性别的人发元素含量分析表明, Cu、Zn、Cd、Se没有多大差别, Pb和As表现为男性略高于女性,但是经统计检验各元素在年龄和性别差异上均不显著.     

汉江上游不同林龄麻栎林枯落物的水文功能评价

麻栎林普遍存在于汉江上游,其涵养水源能力的发挥对维持汉江上游流域生态平衡具有重要的作用。于2020年12月对汉江上游天柱山3个不同林龄(15a、25a、33a)的麻栎林样地进行了枯落物厚度和蓄积量调查,利用浸泡法测定了枯落物各水文功能指标,运用熵权法对3个林龄麻栎林枯落物的水源涵养能力进行了综合评价。结果表明：麻栎林枯落物总厚度在3.0—4.8 cm,蓄积量介于13.76—14.39 t·hm^-2,二者在林龄之间差异不显著(P=0.591;P=0.993);不同林龄麻栎林内半分解层枯落物的瞬时持水量和吸水速率略大于未分解层的;二者的枯落物瞬时持水量均在10min内快速增加,20min后缓慢增加,其与浸泡时间呈对数关系,R²为0.764 6—0.960 6;未分解层枯落物的瞬时持水量表现为15 a>33 a>25 a,而半分解层的则表现6 h之前25 a的略大于15 a的,之后二者的持水量几乎相等,但二者均大于33 a的;相应的不同林龄内未分解层和半分解的枯落物吸水速率均在20 min内很快降低,2 h之后吸水速率以接近0的趋势变小...     

Hope in a hopeless age: environmentalism’s crisis

In this short essay it is argued that recent criticisms portraying the activist environmental movement as overly pessimistic are valid and that the communication of this pessimism to the public at large has been largely counterproductive to the objectives of environmentalists. It is argued that, in contrast to historic assumptions of a ‘progress paradigm’ that epitomized the widely held optimism of the past, the shock tactics and pessimistic media campaigns employed by the activist environmental movement, and the media that capitalizes upon those campaigns, have contributed to the creation of a figurative hopeless age. The key characterization of the hopeless age is the widely held assumption that the future will be worse than the present and that the lives of future generations will be diminished relative to our own. It is argued that the creation of this social-psychological phenomenon is counterproductive to the aims of the environmental movement and that the restoration of a collective vision and message of hope would be far more productive. Lastly, some reasons for a hopeful outlook are suggested.

宿松-枞阳断裂最新活动时代及未来地震危险性研究

宿松—枞阳断裂卫星影像清晰,是一条对构造、地貌、中新生代盆地有着控制意义的断裂。本文对该断裂所处的区域地震地质构造背景进行了分析,结合断裂的发育历史,选择典型剖面,对断裂的最新活动特征进行调查。根据野外地质考察和断裂沿线地震活动统计结果,对断裂未来的地震危险性进行了定量评估。分析认为,该断裂晚第四纪以来仍然有所活动,但活动强度已减弱,未来可能发生无地表位错的中强地震,最大震级综合判定为M5.5。     

陕西五曲湾滑坡发育特征和~(14)C测龄

在陕西省凤翔县五曲湾滑坡的滑带土中发现一段树根,表面被炭化,并且发生了强烈的剪切变形,分析认为此乃滑坡滑动所致。经过14C测龄,年龄为462±45年B.P,这一年龄与地质分析获取的认识基本吻合,与1556年"华县大地震"发生的年份非常接近,从而为研究五曲湾滑坡的触发机制提供了重要依据。最后提出,如果在滑带土中发现可用于定年的样品,采用14C法测定滑坡年龄,是对滑坡进行定年的有效途径。     

The effect of in utero exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls on reproductive development in eight year-old children

We have previously reported on the effects of in utero exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on thyroid function and growth hormone concentrations at birth and in two and five year-old children. Herein, we present our most recent follow-up examination findings for the same cohort of children at eight-years of age. A total of 56 children (23 boys, 33 girls) were examined. Bone age (BA), hormone concentrations, and indicators of reproductive development including Tanner, breast, genital, and armpit stages were assessed. Estradiol concentrations were significantly lower in children exposed to higher levels than median of PCDD/Fs + PCBs TEQ compared to the children exposed to levels lesser than median (P = 0.003). Girls exposed to higher levels than median of indicator PCBs had a significantly greater proportion in genital stage 1 and shorter fundi and uteri lengths, as compared to those exposed to low levels (P = 0.025 and P < 0.05, respectively). There was a significant negative relationship between estradiol concentrations and PCDD/Fs + PCB exposure level (P = 0.005). After adjusting for BA, there was a significant association between fundus length and indicator PCB exposure level (P = 0.034). Exposure to both high levels of ΣPCDD/Fs + PCBs TEQ and high levels of total PCBs was associated with decreased fundus length (P = 0.016) and uterus length (P = 0.016). In utero exposure to high levels of PCDD/Fs and PCBs may result in lower estradiol concentrations in eight year-old children and impaired reproductive development in girls.     

Investigating factors influencing pedestrian injury severity at intersections

Objective: Vehicle crashes that involve pedestrians at intersections have been reported occasionally. Pedestrian injury severity in these crashes is significantly related to driver and pedestrian attributes, vehicle characteristics, and the geometry of intersections. Identifying factors associated with pedestrian injury severity (PIS) is critical for reducing crashes and improving safety. For developing the proposed probit models, drivers involved in crashes are classified into 3 groups: young drivers (16 ≤ age ≤ 24), middle-aged drivers (25 ≤ age ≤ 64), and older drivers (age ≥ 65). This study determines that PIS is significantly but differently affected by these grouped drivers with different sets of explanatory variables.

Methods: A total of 2,614 crash records (2011–2012) at intersections in Cook County, Illinois, were collected. An ordered probit modeling approach was employed to develop the proposed model and examine factors influencing PIS. The likelihood ratio test was used to assess model performance. Elasticity analysis was conducted to interpret the marginal effect of contributing factors on PIS associated with different driver groups by age.

Results: The results show that 4 independent variables, including pedestrian age, vehicle type, point of first contact, and weather condition, significantly affect PIS at intersections for all drivers. Two additional independent variables (i.e., number of vehicles and traffic type) affect PIS for young and middle-aged drivers, and 2 other variables (i.e., divided type and hit-and-run related) are significant to PIS for both young and older drivers.

Conclusions: The independent variables significant to PIS at intersections for young, middle-aged, and older driver groups were identified and the marginal effect of each variable to the likelihood of PIS were assessed.     

Model for predicting peak expiratory flow rate of Nigerian workers in a cement factory in Itori,Ogun State,Nigeria

The main aim of the study was to propose a model for predicting the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) of Nigerian workers in a cement factory. Sixty randomly selected non-smoker and healthy workers (30 in production sections, 30 in the administrative section of the factory) participated in the study. Their physical characteristics and PEFR were measured. Multiple correlations using SPSS version 16.0 were performed on the data. The values of PEFR, using the obtained model, were compared with the measured values using a two-tailed t test. There were positive correlations among age, height and PEFR. A prediction equation for PEFR based on age, height, weight and years of exposure (experience) was obtained with R²?=?.843 (p?<?0.001). The developed model will be useful for the management in determining PEFR of workers in the cement industry for possible medical attention.