Establishment of a Risk Assessment Framework for Analysis of the Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

To evaluate the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza （HPAI） in China's Mainland, a risk assessment framework was built. Risk factors were determined by analyzing the epidemic data using the brainstorming method; the analytic hierarchy process was designed to weigh risk factors, and the integrated multicriteria analysis was used to evaluate the final result. The completed framework included the risk factor system, data standards for risk factors, weights of risk factors, and integrated assessment methods. This risk assessment framework can be used to quantitatively analyze the outbreak and spread of HPAI in China's Mainland.

Integrated risk assessment framework for transformation products of emerging contaminants:what we know and what we should know

The continuous input of various emerging contaminants(ECs)has inevitably introduced large amounts of transformation products(TPs)in natural and engineering water scenarios.Structurally similar to the precursor species,the TPs are expected to possess comparative,if not more serious,environmental properties and risks.This review summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding the integrated risk assessment frameworks of TPs of ECs,mainly involving the exposure-and effectdriven analysis.The inadequate information within existing frameworks that was essential and critical for developing a better risk assessment framework was discussed.The main strategic improvements include(1)non-targeted product analysis in both laboratory and field samples,(2)omics-based highthroughput toxicity assessment,(3)multichannel-driven mode of action in conjugation with effectdirected analysis,and(4)machine learning technology.Overall,this review provides a concise but comprehensive insight into the optimized strategy for evaluating the environmental risks and screening the key toxic products from the cocktail mixtures of ECs and their TPs in the global water cycle.This facilitates deciphering the mode of toxicity in complex chemical mixtures and prioritizing the regulated TPs among the unknown products,which have the potential to be considered a class of novel"ECs"ofgreatconcern.

Application of BCP-2007 and UBC-97 in seismic vulnerability assessment of gravity designed RC buildings in Pakistan

Recent earthquakes in Pakistan （Kashmir 2005, Balochistan 2008, and Balochistan 2013） revealed the vulnerability of existing building stock and the deficiencies in the then prevalent Pakistan Seismic Code （PSC-86 （1986））. This study investigates, through an analytical framework, the seismic vulnerability of these and other such buildings, in accordance with the newly developed Building Code of Pakistan - Seismic Provisions 2007 （BCP-SP 07）. Detailed failure mode is presented for buildings designed as per the new code. Collapse of structures is predicted for only 8% increase in PGA after moderate damage. A previously developed method, based on Eurocode-8 （2004）, is used as baseline. A deficient reinforced concrete frame, typical to local building practices, is analyzed and assessed for vulnerability using the BCP- SP 07 （2007） framework. A comparison is drawn for the same building, based on Eurocode- 8 （2004）. Derived vulnerability curves show that the previous framework overestimated the damage and hence the vulnerability. Comparison of vulnerability parameters with previous studies show slight difference in performance of buildings.

How to assess the success of the open data ecosystem?

Open data are currently a hot topic and are associated with realising ambitions such as a more transparent and efficient government,solving societal problems,and increasing economic value.To describe and monitor the state of open data in countries and organisations,several open data assessment frameworks were developed.Despite high scores in these assessment frameworks,the actual(re)use of open government data(OGD)fails to live up to its expectations.Our review of existing open data assessment frameworks reveals that these only cover parts of the open data ecosystem.We have developed a framework,which assesses open data supply,open data governance,and open data user characteristics holistically.This holistic open data framework assesses the maturity of the open data ecosystem and proves to be a useful tool to indicate which aspects of the open data ecosystem are successful and which aspects require attention.Our initial assessment in the Netherlands indicates that the traditional geographical data perform significantly better than non-geographical data,such as healthcare data.Therefore,open geographical data policies in the Netherlands may provide useful cues for other OGD strategies.