Overview on Mangrove Forest Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Functions

This paper provides a comprehensive overview on coastal protection and hazard mitigation by mangroves.Previous stud-ies have made great strides to understand the mechanisms and influencing factors of mangroves’protection function,including wave energy dissipation,storm surge damping,tsunami mitigation,adjustment to sea level rise and wind speed reduction,which are sys-tematically summarized in this study.Moreover,the study analyzes the extensive physical models,based on indoor flume experi-ments and numerical models,that consider the interaction between mangroves and hydrodynamics,to help our understanding of mangrove-hydrodynamic interactions.Additionally,quantitative approaches for valuing coastal protection services provided by man-groves,including index-based and process-resolving approaches,are introduced in detail.Finally,we point out the limitations of previous studies,indicating that efforts are still required for obtaining more long-term field observations during extreme weather events,to create more real mangrove models for physical experiments,and to develop numerical models that consider the flexible properties of mangroves to better predict wave propagation in mangroves having complex morphology and structures.

Landslide disaster prevention and mitigation through works in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a high concentration of developments on hilly terrain in close proximity to man-made slopes and natural hillsides.Because of the high seasonal rainfall,these man-made slopes and natural hillsides would pose a risk to the public as manifested by a death toll of 470 people due to landslides since the late 1940s.In 1977,the Government of the Hong Kong SAR embarked on a systematic programme,known as the Landslip Preventive Measure(LPM)Programme,to retroft substandard man-made slopes.From 1977 to 2010,about 4500 substandard government man-made slopes have been upgraded through engineering works.During the period,the Programme had evolved progressively in response to Government’s internal demand for continuous improvement and rising public expectation for slope safety.In 2010,the Government implemented the Landslip Prevention and Mitigation(LPMit)Programme to dovetail with the LPM Programme,with the focus on retroftting the remaining moderate-risk substandard man-made slopes and mitigating systematically the natural terrain landslide risk pursuant to the"react-to-known"hazard principle.This paper presents the evolution of the LPM and LPMit Programmes as well as the insight on landslide prevention and mitigation through engineering works.

Development of a protocol for videoconferencing-based exposure and response prevention treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND The existing literature indicates that psychotherapeutic treatment,especially exposure and response prevention(ERP)is efficacious in treating obsessivecompulsive disorder(OCD).The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic adversely impacted many patients with OCD and disrupted their usual treatment.Moreover,the pandemic forced a global switch to telemental health(TMH)services to maintain the standards and continuity of care.Consequently,clinicians are increasingly using TMH-based psychotherapeutic treatments to treat OCD.However,several challenges have made it difficult for them to implement these treatments in the changed circumstances imposed by the pandemic.AIM To describe the formulation,implementation,feasibility,and usefulness of videoconferencing-based ERP(VC-ERP)treatment for OCD during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.METHODS This prospective,observational study was conducted in the psychiatric unit of a multi-specialty hospital in north India over 12 mo(July 2020-June 2021).All patients with OCD were assessed using the home-based TMH services of the department.The VC-ERP protocol for OCD was the outcome of weekly Zoom meetings with a group of clinicians involved in administering the treatment.After a systematic evaluation of the available treatment options,an initial protocol for delivering VC-ERP was developed.Guidelines for clinicians and educational materials for patients and their families were prepared.The protocol was implemented among patients with OCD attending the TMH services,and their progress was monitored.The weekly meetings were used to upgrade the protocol to meet the needs of all stakeholders.Feasibility and efficacy outcomes were examined.RESULTS All patients were diagnosed with OCD as a primary or a comorbid condition according to the International Classification of Diseases,10th version criteria.Out of 115 patients who attended the services during the study period,37 were excluded from the final analysis.Of the remaining 78 patients,VC-ERP was initiated in 43 patients.Six patients dropped out,and three were hospitalized for inpatient ERP.Eleven patients have completed the full VC-ERP treatment.One patient completed the psychoeducation part of the protocol.VC-ERP is ongoing in 22 patients.The protocol for VC-ERP treatment was developed and upgraded online.A large proportion of the eligible patients(n=34/43;79%)actively engaged in the VC-ERP treatment.Drop-out rates were low(n=6/43;14%).Satisfaction with the treatment was adequate among patients,caregivers,and clinicians.Apart from hospitalization in 3 patients,there were no other adverse events.Hybrid care and stepped care approaches could be incorporated into the VC-ERP protocol.Therefore,the feasibility of VC-ERP treatment in terms of operational viability,service utilization,service engagement,need for additional in-person services,frequency of adverse events,and user satisfaction was adequate.The VC-ERP treatment was found to be efficacious in the 11 patients who had completed the full treatment.Significant reductions in symptoms and maintenance of treatment gains on follow-up were observed.CONCLUSION This study provided preliminary evidence for the feasibility and usefulness of VC-ERP in the treatment of OCD.The results suggest that VC-ERP can be a useful option in resource-constrained settings.

Reflection on China's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Construction after Rainstorm and Snowstorm

On July 10,2004,Beijing was hit by the rainstorm that has not been seen for many years,which caused water accumulation in many places of the urban area,power supply interruption in many places,and traffic paralysis for nearly 5 h. On July 12,2004,the rainstorm in Shanghai lasted less than 1 h,but it caused 7 deaths,more than 20 injuries,extensive power outages and traffic paralysis. At the end of 2005,the continuous snowfall in Weihai City of Shandong Province for half a month caused direct economic losses of over 200 million yuan,and the continuous heavy snowfall had a serious impact on people’s lives. From July 17 to 23,2021,Henan Province suffered a rare extremely heavy rainstorm in history,with a direct economic loss of 120.6 billion yuan. Faced with such urban meteorological disasters and other types of urban disasters,combined with the current situation of disaster prevention and reduction in China,what will managers,decision-makers,and experts and scholars think about from them.

Study on Risk Assessment of Summer Rainstorm Disaster and Countermeasures for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Shaoyang City

Using summer(June-August)precipitation observation data in 10 representative stations of Shaoyang City during 1971-2021 and disaster data caused by summer rainstorm in nine counties(cities)and four districts of Shaoyang during 1981-2021,statistical analysis on summer rainstorm and its caused disaster in Shaoyang was conducted,and spatial and temporal characteristics of summer rainstorm and spatial distribution rule of disaster were found out.The results showed that(1)the rainstorm disaster in Shaoyang City occurs almost every year and is highly seasonal.(2)Rainstorm disaster loss is the first of other meteorological disasters.(3)The summer rainstorm disaster has the characteristics of sudden and destructive.On this basis,the relative grades of rainstorm disaster risk degree and disaster loss degree were divided,and the risk assessment of rainstorm and flood disaster in Shaoyang City was made,and the disaster prevention and mitigation measures and countermeasures were put forward.The research could provide scientific decision basis for party and government departments guiding flood fighting and disaster relief.

“An integrated system,three separated responsibilities”,a new fever clinic management model,in prevention and control of novel coronavirus pneumonia

BACKGROUND Since December 2019,there have been many new cases of coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan,Hubei Province,which has gradually spread throughout the country.AIM To explore our hospital’s innovative management system to ensure the efficient operation of fever clinics during the epidemic,since controlling the spread of disease is an important way to prevent and control the epidemic.METHODS In total,200 outpatients with fever at our hospital between November 2019 and July 2020 were selected and allocated into two groups.RESULTS The fever clinic in our hospital operated smoothly,and infection with the novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19)has not been reported in our hospital.Additionally,we did not have any cases of missed diagnosis.The awareness regarding COVID-19 infection sources,transmission routes,early symptoms,and preventive measures was significantly higher in our fever clinic than in those of the pre-management group.CONCLUSION"An integrated system,three separate responsibilities"ensured the efficient functioning of our fever outpatient clinic and early screening of COVID-19 cases,which effectively curbed the transmission of COVID-19 and hence prevented COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic in our hospital,ultimately achieving the maximum effect of epidemic prevention and control.

Improving nutrition for the prevention of gestational diabetes:Current status and perspectives

Gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)is a common complication of pregnancy and a serious public health problem.It carries significant risks of short-term and longterm adverse health effects for both mothers and their children.Risk factors,especially modifiable risk factors,must be considered to prevent GDM and its consequences.Observational studies have identified several nutritional and lifestyle factors associated with the risk of GDM.The results of intervention studies examining the effects of diet and lifestyle on the prevention of GDM are contradictory.Differences in the study populations,types and intensity of intervention,time frame of the intervention,and diagnostic criteria for GDM may explain the heterogeneity in the results of intervention studies.This review provides an overview of new diets and other factors that may help prevent GDM.The main results of epidemiological studies assessing the risk factors for GDM,as well as the results and methodological problems of intervention studies on the prevention of GDM and their meta-analyses,are discussed.In addition,the evidence that gene and lifestyle interactions influence the development of GDM,as well as prospects for increasing the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent GDM,including new data on the possible uses of personalized diet therapy,are highlighted.

Comprehensive Disaster Risk Prevention of "the Belt and Road Initiative":Important Significance,Catastrophe Risk,International Cooperation and Strategic Countermeasure

"The Belt and Road Initiative"is major decision proposed by the CPC Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping as the core co-ordinating the domestic and international overall situations,and concerns peaceful rise of China and extension of the strategic opportunity period of modernization construction.It needs multi-faceted safeguards to successfully impel"the Belt and Road Initiative",in which disaster risk identification and its effective prevention and control are indispensable links.By integrating geogeographic and atmospheric environmental factors,countries along"the Belt and Road Initiative"belong to frequent occurrence region of major natural disasters.It restricts not only the economic and social development of relevant countries but also implementation effect of"the Belt and Road Initiative"construction,and is also related to the success or failure of Chinese enterprises going out to a certain extent.It should enhance disaster prevention and mitigation and ensure safety of major infrastructure construction related to interconnection of"the Belt and Road Initiative"by disaster identification and prevention,which is the key of successfully impelling strategy implementation and major need for guaranteeing the people s livelihood of the countries along the line.The work of disaster prevention and mitigation in the countries along the line is generally weak,and it is urgent to raise the level of disaster prevention as a whole by promoting the disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation in the"the Belt and Road Initiative"area;improve the coverage and level of disaster risk insurance;enhance construction in monitoring and early warning capability of natural disaster;strengthen structural adjustment of economy,industry and land use responding to climate change risks;establish a comprehensive disaster reduction forum of"the Belt and Road Initiative",and contain relevant content in"the Belt and Road Initiative"series of high-end forum topics.

Research on the Prevention and Control Methods for Forest Disasters in China's Forestry Ecological Environment Construction

With the development of economy,China has gradually begun to pay attention to the protection of the natural environment.Under the concept of"lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets",importance has been attached to the development of forestry economy.The protection of forest resources and the prevention and control of disasters are important contents and necessary components in the construction of China's forestry ecological environment.Through the analysis and research on the types of forest disasters(forest fires,biological disasters,meteorological disasters,geological disasters,deforestation)and disaster-causing factors,some basic countermeasures were put forward with the aim to enhance the production capacity of forest resources,improve the ecological environment of forest resources and prevent forest resource disasters.

Prevention of Malpractice in the Field of Health, as the Other Type of Prevention

Background: So far, five types of prevention including: primordial, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary prevention levels have been defined in literatures. Aim: In this study, we have proposed “prevention of malpractice” as the other level of prevention. Methods: Qualitative comparison of the data, obtained from the review of conducted studies by using of scientific literatures, registered in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus sites. Results: Bringing dozens of examples of “malpractice” in the five areas of prevention. Conclusion: We concluded that, “malpractice” may be occurred at all levels of prevention and preventing it can be considered as the other level of prevention.

HIV Prevention Concepts—Counter Movements Challenging Societies

This article focuses on emerging trends conflicting current HIV prevention concepts. We address developments in Europe where similar HIV prevention strategies are applied. With epidemiological, time-staggered records from a European institution, we show how ineffective HIV prevention measures have turned out. The decision-makers responsible for these prevention concepts have ignored a multitude of individual motivations from people responsible for the spread of HIV. Both the legal classification of the messages of the prevention campaigns and the obligations of those affected by HIV concerning their social responsibility are analyzed. There are published requirements for updated, multisectoral prevention campaigns. They focus on the intensification of HIV testing concepts to reduce the proportion of late presenters and to link key populations of various kinds to medical and social care services. Four categories present relevant issues with the potential to combine them into suitable arrangements for new prevention concepts.

Study on Risk Prevention of Rainstorm Disaster in the Jinji River of Guilin

The research aimed to prevent and reduce rainstorm disaster in the Jinji River of Yongfu County,Guilin City.Distribution of population,cultivated land and GDP in the Jinji River were analyzed,and the influence of historical rainstorm process was studied.Moreover,high risk area of meteorological disasters and the region not suitable for constructing residential areas,development zones and projects were distinguished,and its influence on agriculture and forestry was analyzed.If it was necessary to build residential areas,development zones and projects or the human society has already been in the high-risk area of meteorological disasters and it was difficult to move,what engineering measures should be taken to prevent the occurrence of risks.The research could provide scientific basis for design standard of disaster prevention engineering,to prevent the occurrence of disaster risk.

STUDY ON TYPHOON DISASTER LOSS AND RISK PREDICTION AND BENEFIT ASSESSMENT OF DISASTER PREVENTION AND MITIGATION

Based on the meteorological monitoring data of Typhoon Nesat and Haitang in Fujian Province in 2017, the data of the typhoon disaster situation and third-party evaluation of typhoon disaster prevention and mitigation benefit were investigated. By using the mean value anomaly estimation method in the similarity analysis method, it is estimated that typhoon Nesat and Haitang will cause direct economic losses of 0.8 ～ 1.8 billion yuan, and the typhoon disaster risk index evaluation model is used. The disaster risk pre-assessment of Typhoon Nesat and Haitang is carried out. The results of the study and analysis show that the pre-assessment results of Typhoon Nesat and Haitang are basically consistent with the actual disaster situation. The disaster loss was reduced to the minimum. According to the third party evaluation and investigation, it was concluded that the contribution rate of reducing economic benefits was 75% in Fujian Province for preventing and landing double typhoons Nesat and Haitang. Mainly reflected in the ship return to the port to avoid the wind, geological hazards prone to the site construction and cage culture danger removal reinforcement and other links; The contribution rate of reducing casualties is 86, mainly reflected in fishermen disembarkation and personnel transfer to safety emergency shelter and other links. The benefit of this double typhoon disaster prevention and mitigation in Fujian Province is about 0.6 billion yuan to reduce the direct economic loss. According to the investigation, the overall satisfaction of the double typhoon meteorological service is 91.0 points. Typhoon early warning information service convenience satisfaction is 91.4 points, early warning information accuracy satisfaction is 87.2 points, government departments strong anti-Taiwan disaster reduction organization, linkage departments participate in disaster prevention and mitigation high. However, there is a gap between public awareness and participation in typhoon disasters.

Recent researches on disaster prevention and mitigation in civil engineering

Disaster prevention and mitigation for civil engineering structures is an important research field. It involves disaster field forming mechanism, disaster dynamic responses and collapse analysis, disaster prevention and mitigation strategies, and so on. The recent researches and applications on disaster prevention and mitigation in civil engineering are commented, especially for the new researches published in Science China.

Optimization of Stealthwatch Network Security System for the Detection and Mitigation of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack: Application to Smart Grid System

The Smart Grid is an enhancement of the traditional grid system and employs new technologies and sophisticated communication techniques for electrical power transmission and distribution. The Smart Grid’s communication network shares information about status of its several integrated IEDs (Intelligent Electronic Devices). However, the IEDs connected throughout the Smart Grid, open opportunities for attackers to interfere with the communications and utilities resources or take clients’ private data. This development has introduced new cyber-security challenges for the Smart Grid and is a very concerning issue because of emerging cyber-threats and security incidents that have occurred recently all over the world. The purpose of this research is to detect and mitigate Distributed Denial of Service [DDoS] with application to the Electrical Smart Grid System by deploying an optimized Stealthwatch Secure Network analytics tool. In this paper, the DDoS attack in the Smart Grid communication networks was modeled using Stealthwatch tool. The simulated network consisted of Secure Network Analytic tools virtual machines (VMs), electrical Grid network communication topology, attackers and Target VMs. Finally, the experiments and simulations were performed, and the research results showed that Stealthwatch analytic tool is very effective in detecting and mitigating DDoS attacks in the Smart Grid System without causing any blackout or shutdown of any internal systems as compared to other tools such as GNS3, NeSSi2, NISST Framework, OMNeT++, INET Framework, ReaSE, NS2, NS3, M5 Simulator, OPNET, PLC & TIA Portal management Software which do not have the capability to do so. Also, using Stealthwatch tool to create a security baseline for Smart Grid environment, contributes to risk mitigation and sound security hygiene.

Mining seismicity in the Witwatersrand Basin:monitoring,mechanisms and mitigation strategies in perspective

The Kaapvaal Craton in South Africa hosts one of the largest gold placer deposits in the world. Mining in the Witwatersrand Basin here has been the source of about one third to one half of the gold ever produced in the world. Gold was discovered in the Johannesburg area in 1886 and after 120 years of continuous operation, mining is currently approaching depths of 4 000 m. In spite of the challenges and risks that the industry has had to deal with including rock temperature, ventilation and water, one of the most feared hazards in the basin has been the threat from the ongoing occurrence of seismicity and rockbursts. The problem first manifested itself by way of the occurrence of tremors roughly twenty years after the commencement of mining operations. This paper traces the history of the approach to rockbursts and seismicity during the 120 year history of mining in the basin. It portrays a picture of the mining seismicity in terms of monitoring phases, mechanisms and mitigation strategies. The work of research organizations over the years is highlighted with a brief mention of current regulation strategies on the part of the mining inspectorate.

Geostructures, dynamics and risk mitigation of high-altitude and long- runout rockslides

Long-runout rockslides at high altitude could cause disaster chain in river basins and destroy towns and major infrasturctures.This paper firstly explores the initiation mechanism of high-altitude and long-runout rockslides.Two types of sliding-prone geostructure models,i.e.the fault control type in orogenic belt and the fold control type in platform area,are proposed.Then,large-scale experimental apparatus and associated numerical simulations are conducted to understanding the chain-style dynamics of rockslide-debris avalanche-debris flow.The results reveal the fragmentation effects,the rheological behaviors and the boundary layer effect of long-runout avalanche-debris flow.The dynamic character-istics of quasi-static-transition-inertia state and solid-liquid coupling in rapid movement of rockslide-debris avalanche-debris flow are investigated.Finally,the risk mitigation strategy of the non-structure and structure for resilient energy dissipation are illustrated for initiation,transition and deposition zones.The structural prevention and mitigation methods have been successfully applied to the high-altitude and long-runout rockslides in Zhouqu and Maoxian of the Wenchuan earthquake zone,as well as the other major geohazards in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its adjacent areas.

Subacute ruminal acidosis in dairy herds:Microbiological and nutritional causes,consequences,and prevention strategies

Dairy cattle are frequently fed high-concentrate(HC)diets in modern intensive feeding systems,especially in the transition period.During this period,cows face many alterations that include hormonal changes and shifting to a lactating state.Switching to a HC diet that may disrupt the ruminal microbiota balance can lead to subacute ruminal acidosis(SARA).Moreover,the main factor shaping the rumen microbiota is dietary composition,especially the ratio of starch to fibrous carbohydrates.Feeding highly fermentable carbohydrate diets after adaptation to forage diets leads to a rumen fermentation rate that exceeds rumen absorption and buffering rates,resulting in a reduction in ruminal pH.As a result of Gram-negative bacterial cell lysis,an increase in harmful ruminal bacterial metabolites,including lipopolysaccharide,lactic acid,and histamine,is observed.The interactions between the host immune system and the ruminal microbiota play an essential role in many physiological processes and the development of the disorder.Progress in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics platforms provides new opportunities to investigate the composition of ruminal microbes and yields unique advances in understanding ecology of the rumen.Subacute ruminal acidosis is linked with a change in the ruminal microbiota structure and richness and with other metabolic disorders;such as rumenitis,milk fat depression,laminitis,and liver abscesses.Therefore,this review aims to explore a better understanding of the crosstalk between diet and microbiota in the prevalence of rumen acidosis and its consequences,which is crucial for control strategies such as feeding management,and supplementation with thiamine,prebiotics,and probiotics.

Enlightenment from the COVID-19 Pandemic:The Roles of Environmental Factors in Future Public Health Emergency Response

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic is challenging the current public health emergency response systems(PHERSs)of many countries.Although environmental factors,such as those influencing the survival of viruses and their transmission between species including humans,play important roles in PHERSs,little attention has been given to these factors.This study describes and elucidates the roles of environmental factors in future PHERSs.To improve countries’capability to respond to public health emergencies associated with viral infections such as the COVID-19 pandemic,a number of environmental factors should be considered before,during,and after the responses to such emergencies.More specifically,to prevent pandemic outbreaks,we should strengthen environmental and wildlife protection,conduct detailed viral surveillance in animals and hotspots,and improve early-warning systems.During the pandemic,we must study the impacts of environmental factors on viral behaviors,develop control measures to minimize secondary environmental risks,and conduct timely assessments of viral risks and secondary environmental effects with a view to reducing the impacts of the pandemic on human health and on ecosystems.After the pandemic,we should further strengthen surveillance for viruses and the prevention of viral spread,maintain control measures for minimizing secondary environmental risks,develop our capability to scientifically predict pandemics and resurgences,and prepare for the next unexpected resurgence.Meanwhile,we should restore the normal life and production of the public based on the“One Health”concept,that views global human and environmental health as inextricably linked.Our recommendations are essential for improving nations’capability to respond to global public health emergencies.

Overview of Earthquake Preparedness and Disaster Mitigation in China1

As an earthquake-prone country, China has made sustained efforts in the study of earthquakes and disaster mitigation during the past several decades, with China Seismological Bureau (CSB) as the backbone of these efforts. Working towards this purpose, a series of key projects were implemented in the “Ninth Five-Year Plan” (1995-2000) to upgrade earthquake monitoring systems and to improve the supporting infrastructure, significant results in earthquake science were achieved. In the new century, we have worked out a blueprint for earthquake preparedness and disaster mitigation in the “Tenth Five-Year Plan”, which emphases 3 systems (i.e. Seismic Monitoring & Prediction, Seismic Hazards Prevention, Emergency Response), and 10 key projects in earthquake science and technology.