海地危机追踪笔记

时近中秋,北京之夜安宁祥和。而此时,万里之外的加勒比小国海地的危机已经进入白热化阶段。这和平与战争的强烈反差,使我们不能不将目光投向当今世界的热点话题。

来自关塔那摩湾的报告

冷战时期作为对付古巴的美国军事基地关塔那摩,现在却成了大批海地及部分古巴难民的收容所和集中营。难民的涌入不仅给美国驻军带来了极大的麻烦,而且给克林顿政府造成了严重的政治压力和巨大的经济负担。

河之洲

用人当用其心康熙时,黄河泛滥,经年不治,工程上马后又众说纷纭,意见不一。

艾滋病及病毒感染

“艾滋病”是指获得性免疫缺陷综合症。是艾滋病病毒感染的 晚期,英文缩写为(AIDS),中文译音为“艾滋病”。 “艾滋病病人”是指艾滋病病毒抗体阳性,临床上出现条件性 感染或恶性肿瘤者。 “艾滋病病毒感染者”是指艾滋病病毒抗体阳性,无症状或尚 不能诊断为艾滋病病人者,英文缩写为(HIV)。 艾滋病病毒于1981年春天,首先发现于美国的洛杉机。起源 于中、东非洲,它贮存于乡间饲养的绿猴身上,42％的绿猴血液中 有艾滋病病毒的相应抗体。所以说,艾滋病的疫源地是非洲。非洲 绿猴是一种中等大小绿色长尾古代猴,体重约十公斤。

惨剧发生在加勒比海

1993年2月20日,是海地人民最悲痛的一天。海地政府为了悼念“海王星”号海难中的死难者,规定这一天为全国哀悼日。成千上万的人面对着茫茫的大海,祭奠那些死不见尸的葬身鱼腹的亡灵。是谁夺走了他们的生命呢?“海王星”号是一艘旧船,船龄已经39岁,原来是货船,后来改装成客轮,可载运旅客800人。近年海地政局不稳,公路年久失修,加之汽油奇缺,公共汽车锐减,陆路交通不畅,人们被迫坐船走海路,其中许多人是出售农产品的农民。

莫斯利:目标锁定梅威瑟

WBC次中量级拳王安德烈·博托因海地地震失去数名家人遭受沉重打击,在经过几番痛苦的思索之后,他决定取消原定于1月30日与莫斯利在拉斯维加斯曼德雷海湾大酒店进行的拳王统一战比赛。而这场对决的取消很可能导致莫斯利将目光转向弗洛伊德·梅威瑟,因为种种迹象表明:他很有可能在今年春天与小梅威瑟进行自己的卫冕战。

Ataxia,acute mountain sickness,and high altitude cerebral edema

Previous investigations suggest that ataxia is common and often one of the most reliable warning signs of high altitude cerebral edema(HACE). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic role of ataxia in acute mountain sickness(AMS)and HACE among mountain rescuers on the quake areas,and in approaching the relation between AMS and HACE. After the earthquake on April 14,2010,approximately 24 080 lowland rescuers were rapidly transported from sea level or lowlands to the mountainous rescue sites at 3 750 ~ 4 568 m,and extremely hardly worked for an emergency treatment after arrival. Assessments of acute altitude illness on the quake areas were using the Lake Louise Scoring System. 73 % of the rescuers were found to be developed AMS. The incidence of high altitude pulmonary edema(HAPE)and HACE was 0.73 % and 0.26 %,respectively,on the second to third day at altitude. Ataxia sign was measured by simple tests of coordination including a modified Romberg test. The clinical features of 62 patients with HACE were analyzed. It was found that the most frequent,serious neurological symptoms and signs were altered mental status(50/62,80.6 %)and truncal ataxia(47/62,75.8 %). Mental status change was rated slightly higher than ataxia,but ataxia occurred earlier than mental status change and other symptoms. The earliest sign of ataxia was a vague unsteadiness of gait,which may be present alone in association with or without AMS. Advanced ataxia was correlated with the AMS scores,but mild ataxia did not correlate with AMS scores at altitudes of 3 750~4 568 m. Of them,14 patients were further examined by computerized tomographic scanning of the brain and cerebral magnetic resonance imagines were examined in another 15 cases. These imaging studies indicated that the presence of the cerebral edema was in 97 % of cases who were clinically diagnosed as HACE(28/29). Ataxia seems to be a reliable sign of advanced AMS or HACE,so does altered mental status.

Current Status of Population Density of Mediterranean Fruit Fly （Ceratitis capitata） in Fruit Orchards in Central Iraq

In the recent years The Mediterranean Fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is distributed in the orchards of central Iraq and caused highly economic losses. This study was conducted in orchards in central Iraq during 2009 and 2010 and made field survey of the insect in four types of orchards （Citrus, Apricot, Figs ＆ Citrus and A mixture of fruit trees） and used for this purpose Tephri Traps supplied with Q-Lure and dimethyl dichloroviny phosphate （DDVP）. The present preliminary study has shown that the Mediterranean fruit fly C. capitata has a year round presence in fruit orchards in central Iraq and reached its highest ntunerical density of the pest in citrus orchards during of November and December were 345 and 363 insect/trap per month in citrus orchards and the least numerical density during of January and February while the highest numerical density of the insect in orchards of Apricot in March 2010, Figs ＆ Citrus in August 2009 and a Mixture of fruit trees in November 2009 were 45, 116, 311 insect/trap per month respectively. The population density of the pest was highest is started 2010 compared with 2009, but the high temperature degree （46-51℃） in August 2010 caused decreasing the population density of this pest. C. capitata caused highly economic losses in citrus reached 68% and 71% of the Mandarin and Kaki fruits respectively Currently in Iraq to fight no control method to reduce the economic losses caused by this pest except the use of pesticides GF-120.

A necklace of pearl in high altitude medicine and hypoxic physiology in Yushu Earthquake

During Yushu Earthquake,a large number of rescuers flocked to the mountainous quake areas. Under such a very specific circumstance,a high incidence of acute altitude illness was observed in rescuers who rapidly traveled from near sea level to an altitude of 4 000 m. It is evident that acute altitude illness leads to a significant human and economic toll,and also seriously influences the mountain rescue operation. So what does this teach us about mountain rescue in Yushu? Professor Wu Tianyi and many other authors collected shining points of the experiences and drew the lessons from the Yushu Earthquake into this special issue in Engineering Sciences which is like to thread pearl beads for a necklace. What readers learn from this special issue will have implications for the health and well-being of all high altitude populations all over the world.

Causes of Land Loss in Tuvalu,a Small Island Nation in the Pacific

Studies on land loss in Tuvalu reveal the following findings. Although both sea level rise and coastal erosion can cause land loss in the tropic Pacific oceanic islands, their mechanisms are different. When sea level rises, the low elevation coastal zone submerges and the erosion datum plane rises, the beach process progresses normally as always, resulting in no beach sediment coarsening. When the sea level is stable, coastal erosion removes finer sediment from reef flat, beach and land, resulting in beach sediment coarsening. The human-induced coastal erosion in the tropic Pacific oceanic islands has the following features. 1) Erosion occurs or intensifies immediately after inappropriate human activities. 2) It occurs near the places having human activities and places related to the above places in sediment supply. 3) It often occurs on original prograding or stable coasts (on lagoon coasts for atolls) because there are more coastal engineering projects and other human activities on such coasts. 4) It is chronic, covering a long period of time. The coastal geological events in Tuvalu islands do not accord with the features resulted from sea level rise but do accord with the features resulted from coastal erosion, particularly from human-induced erosion. The land loss in Tuvalu is mainly caused by inappropriate human activities including coastal engineering and aggregate mining, and partly caused by cyclones. Moreover, all recent measurements (satellite altimetry,thermosteric sea level data and tide observations) so far have not been able to verify any sea level rise around Tuvalu islands.

Shifting towards a Mediterranean Diet in the US： How Far Do We Have to Go, What Are the Potential Health Benefits and Can We Get There？

In the public dialogue surrounding the development of the 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans, public health and environmental advocates converged around a simple theme of shifting towards a more plant-forward Mediterranean-style diet. A robust body of literature documenting the health benefits of this eating pattern provides compelling reasons to change our dietary habits in ways that also benefit our environment, but we also need to have the right foods available and affordable to support this modest shift. This commentary discusses the gaps in current US dietary intakes compared to recommendations for meat and protein versus plant-based foods and the potential health benefits of shifting towards a more plant-based diet, focusing on the complex role of Mediterranean crops, such as tree nuts and olive oils, needed to support this shift.

An Integrated Coastal Zone Management （ICZM） Project： CoastLearn in Black Sea （CLBS）

The importance attached to the need for sustainable development in the coastal areas is increasing. A management plan is required to minimize the environmental destruction resulting from the complexity of the property in coastal areas, of human activities and of natural systems and to utilize the coastal resources effectively. The utilization of coasts, besides becoming very important particularly in views of tourism, has faced pressures caused by huge. These areas are mostly self-contradictory demands for the environmental protection. The project is an EU Life Long Learning Programme Project and the project duration is 24 months. The aim of the CoastLearn in Black Sea （CLBS） is to mobilize the human resources in the tourism and coastal management sector in Black Sea in general and notably Sinop, Varna and Constanta by raising awareness among the local decision making mechanisms of the integrated coastal zone management in order to encourage people to utilize the coastal resources in a coherent and balanced way.

Medical mountain rescue in the Yushu Earthquake: Have lessons been learned?

On April 14,2010,an earthquake reaching Richter scale 7.1 struck Jiegu Town of Yushu,a mountain rescue operation promptly launched. All injurers had a direct assess to take medical care,and were immediately rescued and rapidly evacuated by air to Xining and Golmud at lower altitudes and admitted to advanced hospitals. Almost all of the injurers have been completely recovered. Yushu Earthquake was one of the highest earthquakes in the world,with a high incidence of acute altitude illness,which was observed in about 80 % of the lowland rescuers at an altitude of 4 000 m."Rescue the rescuers"became the major task of Qinghai-Tibetan rescue teams,all the severe patients were rapidly descended to Xining and treated promptly and effectively. The outcome was excellent,all patients survived. After the earthquake,it is a long and arduous task to reconstruct what has been destroyed. Medical teams continue to work in the Yushu Earthquake area because about 30 000 workers and carders are now here for rebuilding the earthquake center. Thus the prevention and treatment of altitude illness are still critical tasks for medical teams. Although all the fights are successful,there are more experiences and lessons we have learned from the medical mountain rescue during the earthquake and the reconstruction,and reports here are to sum up our experiences from the medical mountain rescue operation in Yushu Earthquake and draw the lessons that we should learn. With the increasing of earthquake probability occurring in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,we also should prepare against earthquake disasters and for further rescue training in the high mountains.

Urban flood control strategy based on new relationship of human and flood

China is one of the countries with the most serious flooding disasters.In China,above 70% of big cities,50% of population and 75% of industrial and agricultural output value are distributed in eastern coastal areas with serious flooding.Therefore,enhancement of theoretical study and experience summarization of urban flood control is of great theoretical and practical significance.As economy is developing rapidly,urban scale is expanding fast,and urban flood control stand is promoted.Urban flood control calls for new concept and methods.This paper makes a systematic summarization of concept evolution and advanced methods concerning urban flood control at home and abroad.The concept of urban flood control has transformed from simple flood control and drainage to coexistence with and use of flood.Flood control measures have transferred form emphasis upon engineering ones to priority to both engineering and non-engineering ones,with special attention to ecological flood control,such as making full use of ecological revetment,ecological realignment of a river,multi-objective management of urban flood detention region,turning flood into resources and utilization of wetlands.

Sea Turtles in Vietnam： On the Edge of Extinction

Five species of foraging and breeding sea turtles have been identified in Vietnam, they are Green turtle （Chelonia mydas）, Loggerhead turtle （Caretta caretta）, Olive ridley turtle （Lepidochelys olivacea）, Hawksbill turtle （Eretmochelys imbricata） and Leatherback turtle （Dermochelys coriacea）. Among them, with the exception of Loggerhead turtle （Caretta caretta）, four species have been being lay eggs on the beaches along the country. However, these populations have been strongly suffered by human activities for decades. The number of foraging and breeding Hawksbill and Leatherback sea turtles has dramatically decreased, and Olive Ridley turtle has almost disappeared on their traditional nesting beaches. Beside the reason of harvesting eggs and nesting turtles by catch or by purpose, the developments in coastal areas where sea turtles laying eggs such as in shrimp aquaculture, tourist resort and residential area developments etc., also contributed to this decline of sea turtles. Despite the fact that the recent raising awareness programs on protection and conservation of the sea turtle were very well done with the participation of many organizations and provinces, this important animals still face the risk of extinction in Vietnam.

ISOBUTYRAMIDE ACTIVATES TRANSCRIPTION OF HUMAN FETAL γ-AND MURINE EMBRYONIC εy-GLOBIN GENES

Objective. To examine the effect of isobutyramide synthesized in our laboratory on human and murine globin gene expression and to test cell toxicity ofthe drug.Methods. MEL cells were transfected with the recombinant construct μLCRAγψβδβand the stable transformants were cultured in the medium with different concentrations of isobutyramide. The experimental mice and rabbit were injected with different doses of isobutyramide. The globin mRNAs were analyzed by RNase protection assay. The hematological toxicity and electrolyte toxicity ofthe drug were tested.Results. An inducible and dose dependent expression of the human γ , β and mouse α globin gene was observed in the transfected MEL cells. The induction of the human γ globin gene is significant stronger than that of the β globin gene. With 2.5～5 mmol/L isobutyramide, the induction of the human γ globin gene is even more effective than that of mouse α globin gene. After a 15 day injection under the doses of 500～900mg·kg-1·d-1, the level of the mouse embryonic εy globin mRNA could be significantly induced up to 3～4 fold of that of uninjected controls. The changes of hemoglobin(Hb), RBC, hematocrit(HCT), WBC, derived from mice injected with different doses of isobutyramide at the interval of 24 hours for 2～4 weeks, were generally within the normal range. In rabbits injected with isobutyramide in the same regiment for 2 weeks, the concentration of blood K+, Na+, Cl-and CO2 were all within normal range and serum ionic osmotic pressure remained stable as well. Conclusion. Our results suggested that isobutyramide is a weak inducer ofcell differentiation, but it can selectively activate transcription of human γ globin gene at a certain degree, and it can act on early stages of erythroid progenitor differentiation in adult mice and activate transcription of embryonic εy-globin gene and have no hematological toxicity. Our results have further proved the potential value of isobutyramide in treatment of β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

Population Structure and Sexual Maturity of the Pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus （Osteichthyes, Tetraodontidae） in the Lebanese and Syrian Marine Waters （Eastern Mediterranean）

The pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus is an invasive Lessepsian species of Indo-Pacific origin that has established an increasing population over the past decade in the Levantine basin of the Mediterranean. Besides its toxicity due to the accumulation of tetrodotoxin in its body, it is causing damage to fishing gears and fishermen＇s catches. This study aims to provide data on the population structure and sexual maturity of this species in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean. A total of 214 individuals were collected in the coastal marine waters of Lebanon and Syria, between January 2012 and June 2013 by means of different types of nets and lines, on soft bottoms, at depths ranging from 10 m to 170 m. The TL （total length） of the samples varies between 10.8 cm and 71 cm. The most common size classes, represented by 125 individuals, are the ones between 30 cm and 50 cm TL, with a bulge at 40 cm, represented by 44 individuals. The average TL is 43.99 cm （standard deviation： SD = 17.65） for both males and females. The TW （total weight） of the specimens ranges between 14 g and 4,603 g with an average value of 1,458.52 g （SD = 1,329.49）. The sex ratio （M/F） is 1：1.35 with a total number of 87 males, 118 females and nine unidentified individuals. The weight-length relationship （TW = aTLb） shows a negative allometric growth with b = 2.9481 and R2 = 0.9806. The condition factor （K） is close to one for all samples. The average value of the GSI （gonadosomatic index） shows a substantial increase from winter to spring. The spawning takes place between April and June.

通过文化紧急响应计划,促进海地重建

文化紧急响应计划(CER)于2003年由荷兰克劳斯亲王文化发展基金会1创立。当时,伊拉克国家博物馆的艺术品遭到劫掠破坏,令世界震惊。该事件暴露出机构在应对此类文化灾难方面缺乏能力。基金会认为应该采取行动,遂创立CER。

多灾多难的海地

海地,全称为海地共和国,印第安语意为"多山的地方"。1804年1月1日宣告独立,是拉丁美洲第一个独立的黑人国家(图1)。近日发生的地震使该国备受关注,就让我们通过海地发行的邮票来了解一下这片多灾多难的土地吧。