A SEEC Model Based on the DPSIR Framework Approach for Watershed Ecological Security Risk Assessment: A Case Study in Northwest China

The DPSIR model is a conceptual model established by the European Environment Agency to solve environmental problems. It provides an overall framework for analysis of environmental problems from five aspects: driving force (D), pressure (P), state (S), impact (I), and response (R). Through use of the DPSIR model framework, this paper presents the SEEC model approach for evaluating watershed ecological security. The SEEC model considers four aspects: socioeconomic impact (S), ecological health (E), ecosystem services function (E), and control management (C). Through screening, 38 evaluation indicators of the SEEC model were determined. The evaluation results showed that the ecological security index of the study area was >80, indicating a generally safe level. The lowest score was mainly attributable to the low rate of treatment of rural domestic sewage. The water quality status was used to evaluate the applicability of the SEEC model, and the calculation results indicated that the higher the score of the ecological security evaluation results, the better the water quality status. The findings show that the SEEC model demonstrates satisfactory applicability to evaluation of watershed ecological security.

Media, informacja a szczepienia przeciw COVID-19

The fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is another significant confession for European societies. Despite extensive efforts, a safe level of population resilience has not been achieved in most countries. Previous actions and government programs aimed at persuading as many people as possible to accept vaccinations. Full availability of free vaccination has brought different levels of participation in fully vaccinated people across the European Union. This article presents the preliminary results of research on the role of the media in shaping pro-vaccination attitudes in Poland, based on a critical analysis of the literature on the subject, statistical data and an empirical research. The differences in attitudes towards vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in individual European Union countries have multifaceted conditions. These include factors of a social, political and cultural nature. Information plays an important role, shaping social attitudes in the discussed issue. One of the primary sources of this information is media – both traditional and digital. It is therefore worth defining the strength of media in the fight to build population resilience in the face of a pandemic.

Numerical analysis of the transport of brine in the Odra River downstream of a mine's discharge

The mining of underground deposits causes the inflow of water to workings and the necessity of pumping them to the surface. The mining plant of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. extracts copper ore in plant branches with different hydrogeological conditions. The inflowing water into the workings is characterised by variable mineralisation, which depends on the location of the branch. In the south-western part of the deposit, a low-mineralised stream with a relatively high flow rate can be observed, while the outflow of highly saline waters occurs in the north-eastern branch. Despite the activities undertaken that aim at using the pumped-off mine waters industrially, it is necessary to deposit them into the Odra River. Reducing the environmental impact on the Odra River is one of KGHM's goals, which is being implemented by stabilising its salt concentration at a safe level. The paper presents the results of a 3D simulation of brine plume propagation based on a numerical model of advection–diffusion and turbulent flow. Bathymetric data from a section of the river approximately 500 m long and point data from an Odra water quality test were used to develop and validate the model. The paper discusses the types of factors that minimise the impact of brine discharge. The developed model will be used in the future to propose solutions that accelerate the mixing of mine waters with the waters of the Odra River.

Using Metabolite Data to Develop Patient Centric Specification for Amide Impurity in Vildagliptin Tablets

Many specified impurities in vildagliptin's finished product have been disclosed in the literature that are above their qualification threshold. We used the impurity B (amide impurity) as a case example to explore whether existing literature can be leveraged to determine the safe level of impurity and thereby develop a patient-centric specification (PCS) for impurities. No-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was derived from rate metabolism information and converted to human equivalent dose (HED). The HED was estimated as 6.5 mg/day. The high qualification levels are supported by repeat dose toxicity studies performed in rats, mice and dogs. Maximum theoretical amount (MTA) was correlated with the maximum observed amount (MOA) to verify whether the exposure was due to impurity and/or metabolite. MOA/MTA was found ≥1 suggesting that metabolism contributed to the amount excreted in feces and therefore could be used to further justify a higher specification limit than the usual one of ≤0.5%. Quite often the drug metabolism and degradation pathways overlap, resulting in the formation of identical constituents. Therefore, metabolism data can be leveraged for deriving safe levels of degradation impurities and develop PCS for impurities.

Specifics of Explosion-Venting Structures Providing Acceptable Indoor Explosion Loads

This article experimentally and theoretically demonstrates that the presence of blast-relief openings (windows) equipped with explosion-venting structures (EVS) allows explosive pressure to be reduced to a safe level (2–4 kPa). We provide results of model and full-scale experiments aimed at studying the influence of EVS parameters of blast-relief openings in explosion-hazardous buildings on the intensity of explosive loads. It was demonstrated that the maximum explosive-pressure value inside EVS-equipped buildings depends on the EVS start-to-open pressure, the structure’s response rate (lag), and characteristic dimension of the premises. Thus, each particular building requires individual selection of EVS parameters, which provide a safe level of excessive pressure in case of an explosive accident. This aspect, however, prevents the widespread use of EVS at explosion-hazardous sites. This article offers an modest upgrade of the explosion-venting structure that provides an indoor pressure equal to the EVS start-to-open pressure. The suggested innovation excludes the possibility of a significant increase in explosive pressure due to an EVS response delay. The efficiency of the suggested technical upgrade was proven by numerical experiments and indirectly by experimental studies aimed at exploring the physical processes associated with the opening of EVSs after an explosion accident. The use of upgraded EVSs will allow for provision of a known maximum level of the explosion load should an explosion event occur in an EVS-equipped room.

Reduced Susceptibility and Increased Resistance of Bacteria against Disinfectants: A Systematic Review

Disinfectants are used to reduce the concentration of pathogenic microorganisms to a safe level and help to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. However, bacteria have a tremendous ability to respond to chemical stress caused by biocides, where overuse and improper use of disinfectants can be reflected in a reduced susceptibility of microorganisms. This review aims to describe whether mutations and thus decreased susceptibility to disinfectants occur in bacteria during disinfectant exposure. A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted with the databases PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science. For the final analysis, 28 sources that remained of interest were included. Articles describing reduced susceptibility or the resistance of bacteria against seven different disinfectants were identified. The important deviation of the minimum inhibitory concentration was observed in multiple studies for disinfectants based on triclosan and chlorhexidine. A reduced susceptibility to disinfectants and potentially related problems with antibiotic resistance in clinically important bacterial strains are increasing. Since the use of disinfectants in the community is rising, it is clear that reasonable use of available and effective disinfectants is needed. It is necessary to develop and adopt strategies to control disinfectant resistance.

Optimization and Practice for Partition Pressure Relief of Deep Mining Roadway Using Empty-Hole and Deep-Hole Blasting to Weaken Coal

Rockbursts are among the most harmful dynamic disasters, threatening the personnel safety and mine operation. In order to alleviate stress concentration of roadsides and prevent rockbursts, the large-diameter boreholes and deep-hole blasting are employed for partition pressure relief in the deep mining roadway. Combined with failure behavior and stress distribution of the coal, the multilevel division of risk degree for roadsides stress is determined. Based on the orthogonal test of borehole pressure relief in the general danger partition, the response degree of quantitative indexes to main factors influencing the pressure relief effect is considered. The optimal drilling parameters of 120.0 mm diameter, 20.0 m depth, 1.0 m hole spacing, and 5° elevation angle are obtained, determining the stress boundary of safe pressure relief with boreholes. At higher dangerous stress divisions, the optimized blasting parameters through numerical simulation could be obtained as follows: 15.0 m depth, 1.3 decoupling coefficient, and 2.0 m hole spacing, and meanwhile, a stress relief partition of crisscross cracks with 0.61 m height is formed. The roadsides stress could be well controlled within the safe level. Then, an optimal combination of pressure relief is applied to different stress partition of roadsides, and the effectiveness is validated by field test, which proves remarkably applicable for engineering.

Determining the causes, prevention and elimination of unstable modes of gas turbochargers of marine diesels

Annotation – With commissioning of the “Socofl Star” ship’s series, negative occurrences relative to surging of the Main Engine (ME) «Hanshin Diesel» 6LF46 turbochargers (TC) VTR 401-2. To elimination of a surging, it was necessary reduce loading of ME to the safe level. This action caused the ship’s speed to fall from 11 – 10 to 4 knots which resulted in worsening of the ship’s maneuverability characteristics and lead to the failure to provide the ship’s service speed stipulated in the contractual arrangements. Existence of this problem instigated the shipowner to charge us as experts with the mission of carrying out appropriate investigations and working out recommendations as to how to prevent and eliminate surging of TC. This task was solved on the m/v “Socofl Star”. Based on results the ME shop test and trial test of the vessel and also the saved-up data of work of ME in various conditions of swimming, the analysis of the causes of a surge of the TC was made. It is established that small values of safety factor of stability of the compressor of TC on a surging – KCT which are not allowing to ensure effective functioning of TC on the main modes of loading of ME are its reason. For increase in area of steady work of TC it is necessary to reduce the hydraulic resistance of components of the Air-Gas Path (AGP) of the ME which can be realized by changes in a design of units of air supply and gas exchange or reduction of productivity and extent of increase in pressure of air in the compressor of TC. Under operating conditions vessels an optimal solution an objective is removal of a part of blowing-off air after compressor of the TC. The air can be discharged into the flue gas header after the waste heat recovery boiler or directly into the atmosphere. This allowed the shipowner not to make constructive changes to the components of the AGP of ME and TC. The description of the operated unloading device controlled remotely on removal of air which ensures effective functioning of TC and ME that is confirmed by results of natural tests and the subsequent operating experience of vessels of the “Socofl Star” series is provided.

Motivations for Caffeine Consumption in New Zealand Tertiary Students

Caffeine-related health incidents in New Zealand have escalated over the last two decades. In order to reduce the risk of substance-related harm, it is important to understand the consumers’ motivations for its use. This is especially true for tertiary students who are presumed to be at a higher risk due to seeking out caffeine’s well-known cognitive benefits as well as the targeted marketing of such products to young adults. This study examined the habits and motivations for caffeine consumption in tertiary students in New Zealand. A previously validated caffeine consumption-habits (CaffCo) questionnaire was administered online to 317 tertiary students (n = 169 females), aged ≥16 years. Of the 99.1% of participants who regularly consumed caffeine, coffee (76.3%) tea (71.6%) and chocolate (81.7%) consumption were the most prevalent. Motivations for caffeinated-product consumption differed according to caffeine source. Tea was consumed for the warmth and taste, coffee was consumed to stay awake and for warmth, and chocolate, for the taste and as a treat. Marketing was not identified by participants as influencing their consumption of caffeinated products. Knowledge of motivations for caffeine consumption may assist in identifying strategies to reduce caffeine intake in those New Zealand tertiary students who regularly consume amounts of caffeine that exceed safe level.

The case for compulsory surgical smoke evacuation systems in the operating theatre

Perioperative staff are frequently exposed to surgical smoke or plume created by using heat-generating devices like diathermy and lasers. This is a concern due to mounting evidence that this exposure can be harmful with no safe level of exposure yet identified. First, I briefly summarise the problem posed by surgical smoke exposure and highlight that many healthcare organisations are not sufficiently satisfying their legal and ethical responsibilities to protect their staff from potential harm. Second, I explore the ethical case for compulsory smoke evacuation systems using the principlist framework and its four ethical principles – autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. I then consider some objections and argue that surgical smoke evacuation systems – when indicated – should be made compulsory.