Defending the Wrist Deviation Test for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Screening: A Comparison of Vibration Thresholds and Distal Motor Latency

This research used distal motor latency (DML) and vibration thresholds (VT) to evaluate 84 hand activity and wrist deviation combinations to determine the best association with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Female volunteers, 2 healthy and 2 CTS diagnosed, were age matched and operated a keyboard for 4 hrs a day. Room temperature was 28°C(±2). Beginning DML and VT were taken with a relaxed neutral posture hand. The wrist was deviated in a randomly selected combination, and determinations were taken at 5-min intervals. The trial ended at 20 min or when discomfort was felt. The CTS conditions were discriminated by pain four times, DML once, and VT 14 times. Vibrometry was the most consistent CTS discriminator. The best VT results for wrist positions were obtained with wrist extension and extended extension, whereas the unclenched, clenched, and loaded power grip activities proved to be the most consistent hand activities.     

水环境中苯氯乙酮的环境安全阈值

研究了苯氯乙酮(CN)对大白鼠灌胃亚慢性毒性试验和对藻类急性毒性试验,分别获得了苯氯乙酮对大白鼠最小有伤害剂量为2.032mg·kg-1,最大无伤害作用剂量为0.812 mg·kg-1,对藻类半数生长抑制浓度(96 h EC50)为0.360 mg·L-1,并运用EPA水环境质量基准方法及欧盟风险评价技术指南的相关方法,推算出水环境中CN的环境安全阈值为0 36 μg·L-1.     

A harvest failure approach to assess the threat from an invasive species

We present the idea of using potential infringements on annual allowable harvest targets as an approach to estimate threats from invasive species to the forest products sector. The approach uses present-day harvest levels as a reference level to estimate when and where the impact of a nonnative forest pest could become economically damaging. We use a generic model that simulates spread and damage by nonnative invasive species, basic harvest and forest growth through time. The concept is illustrated with a case study of a new nonnative invasive pest, Sirex noctilio Fabricius on pine resources in eastern Canada. Impacts of invasion on wood supply, in particular, the point at which present-day harvest levels are not attainable, were identified for 77 non-overlapping geographical regions that delimit the primary wood supply areas around large mills and wood processing facilities in eastern Canada. The results identify the minimum area of a pest outbreak that could trigger harvest shortages (approximately 12.5–14 M ha of pine forests in Ontario and Quebec). Beyond this level, the amount of host resource available for harvesting in any given year declines rapidly. The failure to sustain broad-scale harvest targets may be an attractive and intuitive indicator for policy makers and regulators interested in developing control and “slow-the-spread” programs for non-native forest pests.     

市场激励型环境规制工具对中国资源型城市高质量发展的影响

基于中国114个地级资源型城市2011—2018年的面板数据,采用熵权法测算各资源型城市的高质量发展指数,并利用系统GMM模型、静态面板门限模型和动态面板门限模型,探讨市场激励型环境规制工具对中国资源型城市高质量发展的影响及其作用机制。结果表明：（1）2011—2018年中国资源型城市高质量发展水平在总体向好的同时也存在一定程度的极差扩大现象,且在空间上呈现出“东高西低”的分布态势;（2）市场激励型环境规制工具对资源型城市高质量发展指数存在显著的正向影响;（3）市场激励型环境规制工具对资源型城市高质量发展的促进作用受到城市低碳生活基础设施水平的调节和制约,存在门限效应。基于实证研究结果进一步分析了相应的政策含义。     

Behavioral evolution in the major worker subcaste of twig-nesting <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pheidole</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): does morphological specialization influence task plasticity?

Polymorphism frequently correlates with specialized labor in social insects, but extreme morphologies may compromise behavioral flexibility and thus limit caste evolution. The ant genus Pheidole has dimorphic worker subcastes in which major workers appear limited due to their morphology to performing defensive or trophic functions, thus providing an ideal model to investigate specialization and plasticity. We examined worker morphology, brood-care flexibility, and subcaste ratio in 17 species of tropical twig-nesting Pheidole by quantifying nursing by major workers in natural colonies and in subcolonies lacking minors, in which we also measured brood survival and growth. Across species, majors performed significantly less brood care than minors in intact colonies, but increased rates of brood care 20-fold in subcolonies lacking minors. Brood nursed by majors had lower survival than brood tended by minors, although rates of brood growth did not vary between subcastes. Significant interspecific variation in rates of brood care by major workers did not lead to significant differences in brood growth or survival. Additionally, we did not find a significant association between the degree of major worker morphometric specialization and rates of nursing, growth, or survival of brood among species. Therefore, major workers showed reduced efficacy of brood care, but the degree of morphological specialization among species did not directly compromise task plasticity. The compact nests and all-or-nothing consequences of predation or disturbance on colony fitness may have influenced the evolution of major worker brood-care competency in twig-nesting Pheidole. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Dedicated to Professor Edward O. Wilson on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

单一重金属污染对灯心草生长及重金属积累特性的影响

盆栽试验结果表明:在设置的低浓度范围内,Cd、Pb、Cu能够刺激灯心草的生长。而As(地上部除外)、Zn在整个浓度设置范围内对灯心草的生长都表现出抑制作用,且各重金属对灯心草地下部生物量影响不显著。各重金属对灯心草生长抑制程度为:Zn>As>Cu>Pb>Cd。以灯心草生物量减产10%为依据,将土壤中Cd、Pb、Cu3种重金属临界值分别设定为10、100、100~200 mg.kg-1。灯心草不适合在Zn污染的土壤中种植,土壤中As临界值尚需作进一步的研究来确定。除Cd外,其余4种重金属主要累积于灯心草根部。回归分析表明,Cd、Pb在灯心草地上和地下部以及As在灯心草地下部的积累量与土壤中各重金属添加量之间存在显著线性关系(P<0.05)。     

城市蔓延、私人交通与雾霾污染

本文选取中国280个地级市2009—2018年的面板数据为研究样本,探究城市蔓延与雾霾污染之间的作用机制。以私人交通为门槛变量,考察城市蔓延对雾霾污染的门槛效应。研究结果表明：(1)城市蔓延对雾霾污染的影响呈现出先降后升的U形曲线特点;(2)私人交通对雾霾污染的影响表现为倒U形的曲线特征,即随着私人交通发展水平的提高,雾霾污染呈现先增后减的趋势;(3)城市蔓延对雾霾污染的影响存在双重门槛效应,当私人交通的门槛值小于第一个门槛值(e^11.6130=110 525辆)时,城市蔓延会加剧雾霾污染;当私人交通的门槛值介于第一个门槛值和第二个门槛值(e^12.2473=208 417辆)之间时,城市蔓延对雾霾污染的影响系数为正,但未通过显著性检验;当私人交通跨过第二个门槛值时,城市蔓延水平的提高有助于抑制雾霾污染。研究城市蔓延、私人交通与雾霾污染这三者之间的关系对于促进城市的健康可持续发展具有重要的意义。     

我国区域空气污染治理效率及其影响机制——基于超效率SBM模型和门槛回归模型

随着人民对美好生活需求的日益增长,政府空气污染治理的效率问题日益得到重视。本文从地方政府空气污染治理效率及其影响因素的视角入手,以全国30个省份为研究对象,运用超效率SBM模型测算2003—2015年各省级区域的空气污染治理效率。在此基础上,运用门槛回归模型分析政府空气污染治理效率的影响机制。研究表明:①地区间空气污染治理效率差异性较为显著。中部、西部空气污染治理效率整体呈下降趋势。东部和东北地区空气污染治理效率则上升比较平稳。②政策规划、碳源、污染物排放和环境治理投入表现出双重门槛特征,其中碳源对空气污染治理效率影响显著,而以碳为首的能源消费结构则主要对中部和西部空气污染治理效率产生影响。落后地区政府应注重产业升级,财政上应对碳税等税目进行征收,产业上应鼓励企业创新,并对落后企业进行倒逼升级。     

恶臭物质的嗅觉阈值与致臭机理研究概况与展望

嗅阈值是表征气味物质特性的重要指标,对认识异味污染的形成机理、恶臭评估及污染控制有重要意义.围绕嗅阈值的测定方法、嗅阈值与分子结构的关系及复合臭气评估模型,论述国内外相关研究的概况,在指出现有研究不足的同时,提出有待解决的关键问题及重点研究内容.     

新乡市地表水体HCHs和DDTs的分布特征及生态风险评价

为了解新乡市地表水中HCHs和DDTs的分布特征及生态风险,采集新乡市18个地表水样并测定其中HCHs和DDTs的含量,采用概率密度函数重叠面积法和安全阈值法评价了HCHs和DDTs的生态风险.结果表明,新乡市地表水中HCHs和DDTs的质量浓度范围分别为1.28~49.2 ng·L-1和0.42~12.3 ng·L-1,与世界各地的地表水中HCHs和DDTs残留质量浓度相比属于中等污染水平.异构体比值表明HCHs污染的主要来源是林丹的使用,而DDTs的残留来源于工业品DDTs的使用.生态风险评价基于DDD、γ-HCHs和p,p'-DDT的暴露浓度以及相应的毒性数据,概率密度函数重叠面积法和安全阈值法均表明了这3种有机氯农药中DDD的风险最大,其次是γ-HCHs,p,p'-DDT的生态风险最小;安全阈值法进一步表明DDD、γ-HCHs和p,p'-DDT超过影响10%水生生物的概率分别为10.2%、5.94%和0.01%.