GIS ASSESSMENT OF THE VULNERABILITY OF THE ROSETTA AREA, EGYPT TO IMPACTS OF SEA RISE

A study of the area, including Rosetta city and the estuary of the river Nile (Rosetta branch), has been carried out for assessment of the impact of sea level rise (slr). A geographic information system (GIS) has been built including layers of land use, topography, archeological sites, land cover and population. Analysis of data has been carried out to assess vulnerability of various land use and land cover classes to the impact of sea level rise.Because the area under study has geomorphic relief profiles just over the sea level, inundation of total land could reach 26% of total study area due to only half a meter rise in sea level. This lost area includes 32% of urban clusters mainly used for human shelter and contains 52% of present monuments, 25% of valuable high quality dense palm trees cultivation, 75% of beaches and 19% of lands suitable, 25% of valuable high quality dense palm trees cultivation, 75% of beaches and 19% of lands suitable for agricultural reclamation (although suffering from salt water intrusion and soil salinization). This is expected to cause a significant impact on the present population, economic activities, total regional revenue, and also on tourism. At 1.1 m sea level rise, 72% to total study area could be inundated. This area contains all beaches, half of the palm cultivation, 43% of total urban clusters, which includes 81% of the monumental sites and historic buildings.Other environmental problems such as solid waste management, sanitary disposal network, deteriorating conditions of some monumental structures, in addition to the sea level rise act negatively on the environmental quality of the urban community. Future plans for urban expansion in the area must be studied carefully in order to preserve valuable palm lands and maintain and protect monuments and historic sites which help the promotion of tourism. An environmental management program is essential for upgrading tourism, promoting urban development and protecting coastal lands.     

三峡175米蓄水期间春季嘉陵江出口段藻类变化

为认识三峡大坝175m蓄水对春季嘉陵江藻类的影响,开展了春季嘉陵江出口段藻类活动频繁时期的现场调研。结果表明,与2007年春季相比,三峡大坝175m实验性蓄水期间,2009年春季嘉陵江出口段水位上涨、流速减缓、水体容量增大,营养盐受到一定程度稀释;硅藻为嘉陵江出口段绝对优势藻种,其中星肋小环藻与极小冠盘藻为水华藻种,星肋小环藻具有快速增长性,流速变缓不利于硅藻繁殖,致使总藻密度降低,总藻种数增加,其中绿、蓝、硅藻增加百分比较大,藻类多样性增大。     

Relationship between neuropsychological tests and driver's license renewal tests in Parkinson's disease

Objective: To determine whether the standard Spanish driving test (ASDE test) was able to identify patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) at risk of unsafe driving and to examine the relationship between the ASDE test and the Useful Field of View (UFOV) as well as with a battery of neuropsychological tests in drivers with PD.

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with PD and 33 controls matched by age and education level were included in an observational study. All participants were active drivers and patients with PD underwent study procedures after taking the medication in the “on” period. Subjects with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤ 24 were excluded. Neuropsychological tests (Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status [RBANS], Trail Making Test [TMT-A and -B], and Block Design test), driving performance tests (ASDE Driver Test and UFOV), and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) were assessed.

Results: The PD group performed significantly worse than healthy controls in the ASDE Motor Coordination tests. No significant differences were observed in anticipation speed, multiple reaction time, concentrated attention, and resistance to monotony. All participants successfully completed the UFOV tests. Statistically significant differences between patients with PD and controls were found in processing speed (UFOV1; P =.03) and more patients with PD were found in the categories of higher driving risk levels (P =.03). In addition, patients with PD showed worse scores than healthy controls in visuospatial capacities (Line Orientation), psychomotor speed (Coding and TMT-A), memory (List Recognition, Story Recall), and executive function (TMT-B). The driving tests (ASDE and UFOV) showed a low sensitivity and a high specificity but a higher percentage of patients in the PD group failed in multiple reaction time, concentrated attention, and resistance to monotony. In addition, 18.9% of patients with PD showed a cutoff of 4 for UFOV risk. In the discriminant analysis, Line Orientation (visuospatial/constructive domain) and Figure Recall (delayed memory) were found to be statistically significant with a rate of correct classification of unsafe drivers with PD of 78.2%. In addition, normal results on the Line Orientation item were associated with a 1.5 times higher probability of non-risky driving in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: At early stages of the disease, about 19% of patients with PD showed difficulties that may affect their driving capabilities. Line Orientation and Figure Recall are useful to alert clinicians to the risk of unsafe driving. For this reason, patients with PD should be evaluated for driving abilities more regularly to determine the extent of deficits that may influence driving performance.     

基于SWAT模型的汉江流域水资源对气候变化的响应

汉江流域未来的气候变化趋势和对水资源的影响,将直接关系到南水北调工程和引江济汉工程的使用和效益。因此,分析研究汉江流域水资源对气候变化的响应特点,可为地面调水、空中水资源开发、应对气候变化的不利影响和更好地保护南水北调中线水源区的水资源提供科学依据。以1971～2000年为基准期,应用SWAT模型对汉江流域基准期内的逐月径流进行了模拟;在30 a基准期径流模拟的基础上,以全球变化背景下可能出现的25种不同气候变化模式为假设条件,模拟出各假设气候变化模式下汉江流域水资源状况,获得了各气候变化模式下汉江流域水资源相对于基准期的变化率,研究了汉江流域水资源对气候变化的响应程度。结果表明：模型模拟精度高于评价标准（〖WTBX〗Ens>05,r2>06〖WTBZ〗）,SWAT模型适用于汉江流域的径流模拟;不同气候变化情景下,汉江流域径流变化较实际蒸散发的变化明显;降水对地表径流、基流的影响要大于气温;气温对实际蒸散发的影响大于降水;降水增加或气温降低都会导致径流增加,而降水增加或气温增加都会导致实际蒸散发的增加.     

Ensemble Modeling of the Baltic Sea Ecosystem to Provide Scenarios for Management

We present a multi-model ensemble study for the Baltic Sea, and investigate the combined impact of changing climate, external nutrient supply, and fisheries on the marine ecosystem. The applied regional climate system model contains state-of-the-art component models for the atmosphere, sea ice, ocean, land surface, terrestrial and marine biogeochemistry, and marine food-web. Time-dependent scenario simulations for the period 1960–2100 are performed and uncertainties of future projections are estimated. In addition, reconstructions since 1850 are carried out to evaluate the models sensitivity to external stressors on long time scales. Information from scenario simulations are used to support decision-makers and stakeholders and to raise awareness of climate change, environmental problems, and possible abatement strategies among the general public using geovisualization. It is concluded that the study results are relevant for the Baltic Sea Action Plan of the Helsinki Commission.     

钻井废水的生物强化处理简

从受钻井废水污染的土壤样品中筛选菌株进行生物处理实验,确定7株菌进行菌剂配伍。通过正交实验剔除可能有抑制作用的菌株,并确定菌剂各组成菌株的最佳配比,制成复合微生物菌剂。考察5种添加物对菌剂的影响,结果显示,当硫酸铵的添加量为20 mg/L时降解率为60%,高于其他添加物。生物强化实验结果显示,投加菌剂的反应器对钻井废水的平均降解率为42%,比未投加菌剂的对照实验的平均降解率（16%）高,而且耐冲击负荷性和降解性能稳定性优于对照实验。     

Pseudomonas fluorescens Dynamics in the Soil Surface to Subsurface Transect

Microbial displacement in the soil is an important process for bioremediation and dispersal of wastewater pathogens. We evaluated cell movement in surface and subsurface red-yellow podzolic soil driven by advection and microbial motility and also survival of a microbial population at high pressure as is prevalent in deep soil layers. Pseudomonas fluorescens Br 12, resistant to rifampycin and kanamycin, was used as a model organism traceable in non-sterile soil. Our results showed that more than 40% of the P. fluorescens population survived under high pressure, and that microbial motility was not a major factor for its displacement in the soil. Cells were adsorbed in similar amounts to surface and subsurface soils, but more viable cells were present in the leachate of surface than in subsurface soils. The nature of this unexpected cell binding to the subsurface soil was studied by EPR, Mossbauer, NMR, and infrared techniques, suggesting iron had a weak interaction with microbes in soil. P. fluorescens movement in soil resulted mainly from convection forces rather than microbial motility. The transport of this bacterium along the transept toward groundwater encountered restricted viability, although it survived under high pressure conditions simulating those in deep soil layers.     

Spatial concentration distributions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in Patras, Greece, in a winter period

An economic and quick methodology for performing a preliminary spatial assessment of a city air quality with the purpose to identify locations and zones susceptible to high pollution levels is proposed. A Patras case-study is selected, regarding the air pollutants of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x). A total number of 451 samples of short duration, of which 225 were randomly picked in morning rush hours and 226 within evening rush hours, were collected from 50 locations of the major Patras area during a year period, when peaks of primary air pollutants usually occur. Concentration measurements at prescribed locations used to statistically calculate spatial average concentrations approximating 1-h mean values with mean probable errors less than 25.9% for SO₂, NO and NO_x and less than 15.5% for NO₂. Then iso-concentration contour diagrams plotted indicate high pollution zones and possibly appropriate locations for continuous or random monitoring according to the European Community (EC) Directives. The 1-h mean concentrations were in good correlation to the corresponding traffic rates and useful relationships are given (0.54 ≤ r ≤ 0.63). In addition, comparisons with data available for other cities, as well as with the limit and guide values provided by the EC and the World Health Organization (WHO) were given. The present data could be useful for the design and optimization of a city network of stations for monitoring air quality, for environmental impact assessments, future reference and comparisons due to city development needs, as well as for validating dispersion models.     

The Avoidance Responses of Daphnia magna to the Exposure of Organophosphorus Pesticides in an On-Line Biomonitoring System

In this study, avoidance behavior of the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus was used as indicator to assess the early stress of accidental organophosphorus pesticide (OP) contamination. The movement behavior was detected by a multi-species biomonitoring system. There was obvious concentration–response relationship between the OP stress and the behavioral response even at sublethal exposure. A rising OP stress resulted in a significant decrease of response time to escape (RTE; p<0.05). In comparison of different OPs, it was found that there was a power regression between RTE and the toxic unit of OPs. Therefore, the avoidance behavior of D. magna was a sensitive indicator of sublethal OP stress, and the power relationship could be used to predict the early warning thresholds of more OPs in the on-line biomonitoring system.     

乌鲁木齐市煤改气工程对采暖期 SO2和 NO2浓度变化的影响分析

通过对乌鲁木齐市2011-2013年采暖期SO2、NO2、PM10的年均浓度、月均浓度、日均浓度的变化比较,分析了乌鲁木齐市煤改气工程实施前后大气环境发生的变化趋势,论证了乌鲁木齐市煤改气工程对城市大气环境的改善作用,为该工程今后的推广与发展得到了可靠的实践依据。