Seizing Opportunities for Further Advancements——Address at the 35th Anniversary Symposium of BES

The year 2023 marks the 35^(th) anniversary of the establishment of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences(BES) by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).This milestone provides an opportunity to review past achievements and envisage future advancements.Thirty-Five-Year Progress and Achievements In 1988,Professor Chunming Chen,the founding Director General of the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (CAPM,renamed the China CDC in 2002),established the international journal BES to publish research results from Chinese scientists in English.Initially,Professor Chen,along with the renowned toxicologist Professor Frederick Coulston of Albany Medical College in the United States,jointly served as the editors-in-chief,propelling the growth and development of this pioneering journal,while the editorial team is composed exclusively of professionals from the China CDC,and the editorial office was located at the China CDC.

Healthier Food of Animal Origin and Prevention of Campylobacteriosis

Campylobacter species belong to the most important foodborne bacteria which cause gastroenteritis in humans in both developed and developing countries. Applied hygienic measures result only partially efficient, as demonstrated by the high number of reported cases in the human population. Alternative strategies to prevent the disease though a direct action at primary production level have been explored. Preliminary data showed that cattle and pigs fed with bamboo and olive by-products, respectively, were free from Campylobacter, suggesting potential sustainable prevention strategy. In addition, biochemical analysis showed high levels of unsaturated fatty acids in red meat and meat products, adequate for the application of health claims in line with EU food law.

Wastewater Treatment Trial by Double Filtration on Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Prepared from Peanut Shells

The aim of this work is the purification of wastewater by double filtration on granular activated carbon prepared from peanut shells. The samples of carbonized peanut shells were activated with 35% sulfuric acid and finally, we proceeded to the purification tests on double filtration of wastewater. Granular activated carbons (GAC) were very effective for the treatment of turbidity, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, iron, COD and BOD5 but the best results were observed with nitrite, nitrate and phosphate. However, the second filtration was the most efficient while the lowest rates were observed for pH (17.91% on average), and conductivity (29.71% on average). In addition, this work has allowed increasing the dissolved oxygen by more than 50.16% at the exit of the first filter and more than 105.36% at the exit of the second filter. This study shows that granular activated carbon prepared from peanut shells could be a credible alternative for developing countries in the control of pollution and environmental protection.

An Inventory of Some Relatively Large Marine Mammals, Reptiles, and Fishes Sighted, Caught, By-Caught, or Stranded in the Mediterranean Coast of the Gaza Strip-Palestine

The Mediterranean Sea is home to an interesting biodiversity. The current cumulative and descriptive study aims to enumerate some relatively large marine mammals, reptiles, and fishes that have been spotted, caught, by-caught, or stranded on the coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, which extends about 42 km along the Mediterranean Sea. This 20-year study from 2003 to 2022 relied much on frequent field visits, meetings, and discussions with stakeholders, following local media sites and social media pages, and photography. The study recorded at least 26 giants or relatively large marine organisms on the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Certainly, the coming years may bring other marine organisms of relatively large sizes. Marine mammals included three species of cetaceans with the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) being the largest mammal and even the largest animal ever recorded in this study. Marine reptiles included three species of sea turtles, the largest of which is the Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), which is in fact the world’s largest sea turtle. The bony fishes were represented by ten species, the largest of which was the Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola), which is the largest bony fish in the world. The cartilaginous fishes included ten species with the largest specimens encountered were the Shortfin Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus), Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini), and Giant Devil Ray (Mobula mobular). Seabirds were not included in the study. The Alexandria Pompano (Alectis alexandrinus) and the Silver-Cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), which are bony fishes, appear to be the relatively smallest marine organisms recorded here. In conclusion, the role of the various parties must be coordinated to ensure the sustainability of human activities and their compatibility with the task of conserving local marine biota, including the gigantic or relatively large ones.

Leaching of styrene and other aromatic compounds in drinking water from PS bottles

Bottled water may not be safer, or healthier, than tap water. The present studies have proved that styrene and some other aromatic compounds leach continuously from polystyrene （PS） bottles used locally for packaging. Water sapmles in contact with PS were extracted by a preconcentration technique called as ＂purge and trap＂ and analysed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer （GC/MS）. Eleven aromatic compounds were identified in these studies. Maximum concentration of styrene in PS bottles was 29.5 μg/L. Apart from styrene, ethyl benzene, toluene and benzene were also quantified but their concentrations were much less than WHO guide line values. All other compounds were in traces. Quality of plastic and storage time were the major factor in leaching of styrene. Concentration of styrene was increased to 69.53 μg/L after one-year storage. In Styrofoam and PS cups studies, hot water was found to be contaminated with styrene and other aromatic compounds. It was observed that temperature played a major role in the leaching of styrene monomer from Styrofoam cups. Paper cups were found to be safe for hot drinks.

Survey on gastrointestinal parasites and detection of Cryptosporidium spp. on cattle in West Java,Indonesia

Objective:To evaluate the presence of gastrointestinal parasites on cattle in Indonesia because the prevalence of parasites varies between counlries depending on the terrain surrounding livestock farms and investigations in Indonesia have never been performed.Methods:Fecal samples from cattle at 35 farms in 7 districts in West Java,Indonesia,has been examined using the floatation or sedimentation methods,and a immunofluorescence assay and experimentally inoculation to mice for Cryptosporidium or Giardia spp.Results:153 of 394 examined cattle(38.8%)were infected with gastrointestinal parasites.The prevalence of Eimeria spp.,Nematoda spp.(including Oesophagustomum and Bunostomum-like),Fasciola gigantica and Paramphistomum spp.was 22.4%,11.2%,12.5%and 3.8%,respectively.Cryptosporidium andersoni(C.andersoni)was also found in two samples.One isolate of this parasite was confirmed to be transmitted to mice,in contrast to the isolates from other countries.Conclusions:although this survey is preliminary,the results shows that the infection of gastrointestinal parasites in Indonesia was not high,but these infected cattle could be as a potential source leading to economic losses in livestock production.

Modeling the rate of corrosion of carbon steel using activated diethanolamine solutions for CO2 absorption

A mechanistic model is developed to investigate the influence of an activator on the corrosion rate of carbon steel in the absorption processes of carbon dioxide(CO2).Piperazine(PZ)is used as the activator in diethanolamine(DEA)aqueous solutions.The developed model for corrosion takes into consideration the effect of fluid flow,transfer of charge and diffusion of oxidizing agents and operating parameters like temperature,activator concentration,CO2 loading and pH.The study consists of two major models:Vapor–liquid Equilibrium(VLE)model and electrochemical corrosion model.The electrolyte-NRTL equilibrium model was used for determination of concentration of chemical species in the bulk solution.The results of speciation were subsequently used for producing polarization curves and predicting the rate of corrosion occurring at the surface of metal.An increase in concentration of activator,increases the rate of corrosion of carbon steel in mixtures of activated DEA.

Macroeconomic Regulation Not the Answer to Rocketing Housing Prices

Resident income inequality has widened drastically within a short timeframe in the process of transition. From a static point of view, there is a combination of three factors underpinning the widening of the resident income gap. Such factors include a) the variation in quantity of factors of production accumulated during the planned economy era; b) the difference between localities in respect of starting points at different historical stages along their varying paths of evolution; c) the illegal and abnormal income stemming from institutional loopholes and policy deficiencies. From a dynamic point of view, there are three root causes underlying resident income gap expansion. Firstly, the privileged group has been continuing to benefit from an increasingly large share of institutional transition returns by exerting influence over the path of evolution; secondly, the underprivileged group has lost their ability to capture income on a sustainable basis due to the lack of a mechanism to express their interests; thirdly, public policies are not designed or enforced well enough to regulate income inequality. Given the significant effects of excess income disparity on economic performance and social stability, it is thus imperative to hold the income gap in check in light of the societal reality of the transitional stage.

Development Of China's Space Telemetry Technology

Space telemetry systems are an essential part of the TT&C system and play a very important role in the development and application of launch vehicles,satellites and spaceships. China's space telemetry technology has been developing along with the development of its space industry.

印度结核病控制的现状与展望

背景:有关结核病控制的全球策略多数是在印度建立。但是,在印度每年估计有200万结核病人发生。 目的:本文报导了印度在修订后的国家结核病控制规划内,应用DOTS原则作为控制政策及其初步的结果。 设计:修订后的国家结核病控制规划于1993年开始设计和实施,资金来源于印度政府、邦政府、世界银行和双边支持的赞助商。常规的药品供应和后勤服务得到了保证。有呼吸道症状的人都能到卫生机构并转到显微镜检查中心进行诊断,病人分类根据WHO的大纲,病人治疗采用督导化疗,实施了系统的登记和队列报告。 结果:自1993年10月至1999年中,规划内治疗病人146012例,病人诊断的质量得到改善,涂阳病人与涂阴病人的比例为1:1。病人发现率在项目地区之间有不同程度的进步,与接受诊断检查的人群中涂阳病人百分比有关,提示疾病的不均衡性。新涂阳病人的治疗成功率达81％,新涂阴病人达82％,肺外结核病人达89％,复治病人的成功率为70％。 结论:在印度15个邦的20个区,大约80％的病人在国家规划中获得成功的治疗。治疗成功率比以前的规划提高一倍,死亡率得到下降,为原先的1/7。自1998年后期开始,新规划逐渐扩展,至今已覆盖1.3亿人口,在进一步扩展期间,保持实施质量是进一步的挑战。

Progress of China's Agenda 21

After the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro,the concept of sustainable development has been widely recognized all over the world.More than 100 countries,including China,have adopted sustainable development strategies according with their own situations.For 20 years,

India-Afghanistan Relations in the Post 2014 Scenario in Afghanistan

Introduction Important developments have taken place in Afghanistan.On May 1,2012,U.S.President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA),which signaling the end of U.S.combat role in Afghanistan after 2014 and providing the outline of U.S.-Afghanistan ties in the post-2014 period.According to the summary of the SPA provided by the White House,the U.S.will not be seeking permanent military bases in Afghanistan but will continue to provide security assistance to the country.The U.S.has also designated Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally.It is understood that the U.S.may maintain some troops in the country to train and equip the Afghan security forces and help them in combating A1 Qaeda remnants.

Sustainable Energy Development in China

1.The Status of Energy Development in China Rapid economic growth and an export-driven chemical-intensive economic structure have led to a rapid increase in energy consumption. Rapid economic development and the corresponding surge in energy consumption in China have raised public concern.From 1978,when

Development of Different Strategies for the Clean-Up of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Congeners Using Pressurized Liquid Extraction

The extracted fish samples (w/w) using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) were cleaned up by applying different adsorbent materials such as: combination of acidic/ basic silica and alumina, florisil, and silica gel either alone or in combination with another sort of sorbent. Different solvents such as hexane (H), dichloromethane (DCM), with different compositions were used to elute the PCBs target compounds from the spiked fish samples. Overall the mean percentage recoveries for all PCBs congeners using PLE were ranging from 78.6% to 98.7%;from 79.4% to 91.8%;from 65.8% to 104.5% and from 82.4% to 100.9% for cases A, B, C, D and E, respectively. However, the overall mean percentage recoveries for the 13C-PCBs surrogate including: 101, 138, 153, 180 and 209 were ranging from 88.2% to 97.6%;from 79.4% to 90.2%, from 88.3% to 96.4%, from 79.8% to 90.4% and from 83.9% to 95.9%, for cases A, B, C, D and E, respectively. The limits of detection of the proposed method were varied from 0.01 to 0.28 ng/g (w/w) for different PCBs congeners. The proposed method has linear dynamic range from 21.5 ng/g to 109 ng/g. This method was applied to fish samples for the determination of the target PCBs components.

Toxicogenomics technology develops a new era of toxicological science

Chemical hazards have been an object of public concern all over the world. The greatest problems are classified into two categories. One is environmental pollution. During the rapid industrialization of Japan, environmental pollution from industrial wastes produced many victims. Reflecting on past conduct, most problems are now being solved by setting strict standards for emission. However, there have been some cases that health hazards are revealed with the aging of the exposed people.

COVID-19 epidemic control approach in Italy

1.Diffusion of pathogens and globalization The diffusion of health risks in a globalized world is characterized by an exponential increase of transmission opportunities requiring more important and extensive control and prevention measures against possible impact on public health and agro-zootechnics production.Various keywords in this global situation are:diffusion of vectors,alien and invasive species,mutations,international trade,migrations,emerging diseases,climate changes and global warming.As a result,for example,we can observe the geographic extension of arboviruses and subsequent diffusion of different pathogens as the West Nile,Chikungunya or Zika viruses.All of them are previously negligible African diseases:West Nile(Uganda,1937),until the beginning of 90s,was sporadic and considered as minor risks for men,and is now the most common cause of mosquito-borne disease in the USA and is included in the list of climatic change indicators.Chikungunya(Tanzania,1952)previously a self-limiting nonfatal disease was responsible for a serious outbreak at La Réunion in 2005 and could also cause meningo-encephalitis.Zika(Uganda,1947),previously a banal infection with flu-like symptoms,then caused high numbers of serious fetal brain defects,especially in Brazil during 2015.

China's 60 years of industrial transformation reviewed

In China, the real industrialization and modernization process started in 1949, when the Chinese people were emancipated from the yoke of the Kuomintang and the People's Republic of China (P.R.C) was founded. However, the road of emancipation has been a bumpy one. In particular, the emancipation of the mind has often been full of twists and turns. The tremendous liberation of social productive forces originated in the emancipation of the mind, whose truth has been tested by economic development practices. In the past 60 years China has paid tremendous efforts and costs in pursuit of emancipation, and today it still needs to emancipate the mind anew. For 60 years, since the formation of P.R. C, the country has kept pursuing the emancipation of the mind while exploring ways of change in institution, strategy and policy. In the first 30 years China attempted to devise an idealistic approach of transition to the socialist planned economic system, which was characterized by continuous revolution and movement. In the second 30 years China explored a realistic approach of transition to the socialist market economic system, which is characterized by incremental reform and opening-up. For six decades industry has remained at the forefront of transformation. The emancipation of the mind and the realization of change aim to ultimately make China a strong nation with an affluent people. The purpose of the six-decade struggle in new China is to erase the stigma of "being poor and blank," secure a firm and strong foothold in the world, restore China's status as a world power and let the Chinese people enjoy the affluence and welfare of a well-off society. The central mission of this national revitalization is to realize industrialization. Therefore, industrialization has been the central theme of China's revitalization in the past 60 years. After 60 years of industrialization, hundreds of millions of Chinese people are now able to enjoy ever-increasing wealth from industrial civilization. However, still a larger proportion of China's 1.3 billion people are awaiting industrial civilization. In this sense, industrialization is not only the focus of China's socioeconomic development but also the world's largest livelihood mission. Industrial development is more of a means of enhancing people's livelihood than a means of regaining the title as a world power. This will become one of the distinctive characteristics of China's industrialization in the new stage.

The Support of Public Opinion Is Imperative for any Legislative Construction

In the early spring of 2007,two important matters of great public concern finally bore fruition.Firstly,the National People’s Congress eventually passed the Law of Property following 13 years of&bate,revision and deliberation.Secondly,China initiated the individual tax return filing system in which an individual earning RMB 120,000 or above per year is required to file his/her annual tax returns separately with China’s tax authorities.To date,there have been about 1.6 million Chinese nationals filing tax returns under the new system.

Obstructive sleep apnea among commercial vehicle drivers in Malaysia: Issues and initiatives

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been identified by many studies as one of the significant contributing factors for motor vehicle accidents. However, only a small number of studies have been conducted in Malaysia. Objective: This paper aims to highlight the prevalence of OSA among truck drivers and express bus drivers in Malaysia and efforts being undertaken to address issues related to OSA among commercial vehicle drivers. Methodology: Two separate studies were conducted: a cross sectional study among truck drivers and secondly among express bus drivers. The screening process for identifying the high risk group for OSA was done using Berlin questionnaire. Meanwhile, among express bus drivers, OSA was confirmed with sleep study using polysomnography test. Result: Screening of risk group of OSA among truck drivers revealed that 14.6% (19) of drivers were categorized as having high risk of OSA while 85.4% (111) having low risk of OSA. While, in another study, polysomnography test among express bus drivers showed that 83 (28.7%) had mild OSA, 26 (9.0%) had AHI moderate OSA, and 19 drivers (6.6%) severe OSA. Conclusion: This paper highlighted the issues of OSA among commercial vehicle drivers in Malaysia. With an alarming high prevalence, OSA should be a major road safety concern in this country. A special study focusing on sleep and fatigue related crashes may need to be conducted to complement the current studies and full implementation of existing efforts and initiatives to address OSA in road crashes should be realized by the relevant authorities.