Advancements in defect engineering of two-dimensional nanomaterial-based membranes for enhanced gas separation.

The advent of two-dimensional nanomaterials, a revolutionary class of materials, is marked by their atomic-scale thickness, superior aspect ratios, robust mechanical attributes, and exceptional chemical stability. These materials, producible on a large scale, are emerging as the forefront candidates in the domain of membrane-based gas separation. The concept of defect engineering in 2D nanomaterials has introduced a novel approach in their application for membrane separation, offering an effective technique to augment the performance of these membranes. Nonetheless, the development of customized microstructures in gas separation membranes via defect engineering remains nascent. Hence, this review is designed to serve as a comprehensive guide for the application of defect engineering in 2D nanomaterial-based membranes. It delves into the most recent developments in this field, encompassing the synthesis methodologies of defective 2D nanomaterials and the mechanisms underlying gas transport. Special emphasis is placed on the utilization of defect-engineered 2D nanomaterial-based membranes in gas capture applications. Furthermore, the paper encapsulates the burgeoning challenges and prospective advancements in this area. In essence, defect engineering emerges as a promising avenue for enhancing the efficacy of 2D nanomaterial-based membranes in gas separation, offering significant potential for advancements in membrane-based gas separation technologies.

Clinical application of middle descending colon-double lumen ostomy with distal stoma narrowing in the treatment of anorectal malformation.

BACKGROUND: Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are the most common congenital anomaly of the digestive tract. And colostomy should be performed as the first-stage procedure in neonates diagnosed with intermediate- or high-type ARMs. However, the most classic Pe˜na's colostomy still has some disadvantages such as complicated operation procedure, susceptibility to infection, a greater possibility of postoperative incision dehiscence, difficulty of nursing and large surgical trauma and incision scarring when closing the stoma. We aimed to explore the effectiveness of middle descending colon-double lumen ostomy (MDCDLO) in the treatment of high and intermediate types of anorectal malformations. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients who underwent MDCDLO for high or intermediate types of ARMs between June 2016 and December 2021 in our hospital. The basic characteristics were recorded. All patients were followed up monthly to determine if any complication happen. RESULTS: There were 17 boys and 6 girls diagnosed with high or intermediate types of ARMs in our hospital between June 2016 and December 2021. All 23 patients were cured without complications such as abdominal incision infection, stoma stenosis, incisional hernia, and urinary tract infection in the postoperative follow-up time of 6 months to 6 years except one case of proximal intestinal prolapse was restored under anesthesia. CONCLUSION: MDCDLO offers the advantages of simplicity, efficiency, safety, mild trauma, and small scarring in the treatment of high and intermediate types of anorectal malformations.

Assessing the impact of river connectivity on fish biodiversity in the Yangtze River Basin using a multi-index evaluation framework.

The Yangtze River Basin, the world's third-largest river basin and a hot spot for global biodiversity conservation, is facing biodiversity crisis caused by reduced river connectivity. The deterioration arises from four dimensions: longitudinal, lateral, vertical and temporal. However, limited research has quantified the spatiotemporal connectivity of the Yangtze River Basin and further evaluated the consequent impact on fish biodiversity. In our study, a multi-index evaluation framework was developed to assess the variations in the four-dimensional connectivity of the Yangtze River Basin from 1980 to 2020, and fish biodiversity affected by reduced connectivity was detected by environmental DNA metabarcoding. Our results showed that the Yangtze River Basin suffers from a pronounced connectivity reduction, with 67% of assessed rivers experiencing deteriorated connectivity in recent years. The lost fish biodiversity along the river reaches with the worst connectivity was likely attributed to the construction of hydropower plants. The headwaters and the downstreams of most hydropower plants had a higher fish biodiversity compared with reservoirs. The free-flowing reaches in the downstream of the lowest hydropower station, had higher lotic fish abundance compared with that in the upstream. As for the entire Yangtze River Basin, 67% of threatened fish species, with 70% endemic species, were threatened by reduced river connectivity. Our result indicates that the massive loss of river connectivity changes the spatiotemporal patterns of fish community and threatens protected fish. More effective measures to restore the populations of affected fish in rivers with reduced river connectivity are required.

Large-scale sediment and phosphorus transport in the Three Gorges Reservoir based on a new reservoir operation method.

Change of hydrodynamic conditions is a key factor inducing sedimentation, water eutrophication and algal blooms in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). How to mitigate sedimentation and phosphorus (P) retention by improving hydrodynamic conditions in the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA) is an urgent issue in the study of sediment and water environment. In this study, a Hydrodynamic-Sediment-Water quality model for the whole TGRA is proposed considering sediment and P inputs from numerous tributaries, and a new reservoir operation method namely the tide-type operation method (TTOM) is used to investigate the large-scale sediment and P transport in the TGR based on the model. Results indicate that the TTOM can reduce sedimentation and total phosphorus (TP) retention in the TGR. Compared with the actual operation method (AOM), sediment outflow and sediment export ratio (Eratio) of the TGR increased about 17.13% and 1%-3% in 2015-2017, and sedimentation decreased about 3% under the TTOM. TP retention flux and retention rate (RE) decreased about 13.77% and 2%-4%. The flow velocity (V) and sediment carrying capacity (S*) increased about 40% in the local reach. Larger daily water level fluctuation at dam site is more conducive to reducing sedimentation and TP retention in the TGR. Sediment inputs from the Yangtze River, Jialing River, Wu River and other tributaries account for 59.27%, 11.21%, 3.81% and 25.70% of the total sediment inflow during 2015-2017, and TP inputs were 65.96%, 10.01%, 17.40% and 6.63%. In the paper, an innovative method is proposed to reduce sedimentation and P retention in the TGR under the given hydrodynamic conditions and related quantitative contribution driven by the proposed method is analyzed. The work is favorable for expanding the understanding of the hydrodynamic and nutrition flux changes in the TGR, and provides a new perspective for water environment protection and reasonable operation of large reservoirs.

Improvement in water pollution control alters nutrient stoichiometry of Guanting Reservoir near Beijing, North China.

Significant improvement in wastewater treatment is the most effective way for eutrophication control, especially in semiarid regions. However, its effect on the nutrient status and stoichiometry of the receiving water body has remained poorly considered and understood at broad temporal scales. Taking Guanting Reservoir (GR) in Hebei-Beijing (P. R. China) as an example, we present a study that links a continuous monitoring dataset for GR with corresponding estimates of human-induced nutrient discharges in its watershed from the year 2006 to 2019. We find that current GR belongs to strict P limitation and the faster decrease of TP than TN concentrations and continuous increase of TN/TP mass ratios in GR are attributed to the water restoration investment-induced declining of nutrient loadings. The improved municipal wastewater treatment capacity is mainly responsible for these significant changes, due to the higher removal efficiency of TP than TN in municipal wastewater. Given the potential ecological impact on aquatic biodiversity as well as ecosystem function of changes in TN/TP ratios and higher retention rate of TP (97.4%) compared with TN (93.1%) in GR, our findings highlight that future strategy for water pollution control should not only concentrate on more nutrient reduction efficiencies but attach importance to their stoichiometric balance to reduce the potential risk of phytoplankton blooms and toxin production during the water quality recovery of lakes or reservoirs.

Study on the sediment and phosphorus flux processes under the effects of mega dams upstream of Yangtze River.

The upper Yangtze River (UYR) plays an important role in water supply, hydropower generation, environmental and ecological protection. Constructions of Mega cascade reservoirs have significantly affected the transport of sediment and P, but the evolution of sediment and P in the mega cascade reservoirs of the UYR is unclear. This study investigated the variations in sediment load and total P (TP) flux based on the flow and sediment data from 1990 to 2019 and TP concentrations from 2005 to 2019. In addition, the proportion of sediment load and TP flux from tributaries, variations in the concentrations of particulate P (PP) and dissolved P, trapping effect of dams, and statistical uncertainties were analyzed and discussed. The main results are as follows: (1) the sediment load and TP flux evidently decreased after the impoundment of reservoirs in the UYR and Jinsha River, and the contribution rate of TP flux from main tributaries (except Wu River) to mainstream increased by 3.82-24 %; (2) the error of TP flux calculated by daily and monthly data is within 30 %, which shows that the uncertainty range is clear at some degree attributed to the different monitoring frequency, and the concentration of PP in flood season is greater than that in non-flood season; (3) the total retention rates of sediment and TP in the Three Gorges Reservoir and Gezhouba were 86.78 %, and 49.83 % (2009-2012), respectively, but decreased to 82.85 % and 15.26 % (2013-2019), and the values in Xiangjiaba and Xiluodu were 97.83 % and 60.27 % (2013-2019). The retention rates of newly built reservoirs (Wudongde and Baihetan) were predicted using an empirical method, and the results revealed that new dams would facilitate long-term reduction in sediment downstream.

Sedimentary organic carbon and nutrient distributions in an endorheic lake in semiarid area of the Mongolian Plateau.

Due to the lack of outlets, inflowing pollutants are often deposited in an endorheic lake, posing potential pressure on the environment. With climate change, extreme weather is expected to be more frequent and will contribute to the release of carbon and nutrients buried in the lakebeds. However, the distribution of sedimentary organic carbon and nutrients and the mechanisms that control the distribution are not fully understood, despite their significance to environmental development in endorheic lakes being widely recognized. In this study, the mechanisms controlling the sedimentary organic carbon and nutrient distributions in endorheic lakes were examined based on the analysis of an endorheic lake in the semiarid area of the Mongolian Plateau. The field survey results indicate that the concentrations of sedimentary organic carbon (TOC) and nutrients (NH3-N and TP) on the lakebed have significant correlations and present spatial heterogeneities. To further study the distribution mechanisms, numerical models were established to calculate the age of the water discharged from the rivers around the lake, and satellite remote sensing data were applied to examine the external source of organic carbon and nutrients and the factors influencing their movements to the lake. Based on the distribution of the water age, the water flow and mass transport trends in Lake Hulun were determined, and the time scales of the environmental processes were compared with those of water circulation. Further analysis indicates that the water circulation in the lake favors the accumulation of sedimentary organic carbon and nutrients in the northwestern part of the lake, and the organic carbon produced in the lake is transported to this region within an ice-free period. Satellite remote sensing data indicate that the region on the northwest bank of the lake experiences a larger terrestrial slope and better vegetation coverage than that on the southeast bank, which corresponds to a higher concentration of sedimentary organic carbon and nutrients in the northwest of the lake. This suggests that the sediment quality is closely related to the environment around the endorheic lake, and the larger slope and better vegetation coverage are significant factors for the high concentration of sedimentary organic carbon and nutrients on the lakebed under the conditions of scarce precipitation and low temperature. This study provides a theoretical basis and direction for further protection and management of the ecological environment of endorheic lakes.

Prediction of chemical reproductive toxicity to aquatic species using a machine learning model: An application in an ecological risk assessment of the Yangtze River, China.

The endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been at the forefront of environmental issues for over 20 years and are a principle factor considered in every ecological risk assessment, but this kind of risk assessment faces difficulties. The expense, time cost of in vivo tests, and lack of toxicity data are key limiting factors for the ability to conduct ecological risk assessments of EDCs to aquatic species. In this study, a machine learning model named the support vector machine (SVM) was used to predict the reproductive toxicity of EDCs, and the performance of the models was evaluated. The results showed that the SVM model provided more accurate toxicity prediction data compared with the interspecies correlation estimation (ICE) model developed by previous study to predict the reproductive toxicity. The application of the predicted toxicity data was an important supplement to the observed data for the ecological risk assessment of EDCs in the Yangtze River, where estrogens and phenolic compounds have been found at some sampling sites in the middle and lower reaches. The results showed that the ecological risk of estrone, 17ß-estradiol, and ethinyl estradiol were significant. This study revealed the application potential of machine learning models for the prediction of reproductive toxicity effects of EDCs. This can provide reliable alternative toxicity data for the ecological risk assessments of EDCs.

[Tempo-spatial and Retention Analysis of Total Phosphorus in the Three Gorges Reservoir].

Phosphorus, as a limiting and vital macronutrient in water, circulates mainly with sediment through rivers. The construction and operation of large reservoirs can have a profound impact on the characteristics of phosphorus transportation and transformation. Based on measured hydrological and water quality data during 2008-2016 in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), a statistical model of total phosphorus (TP) flux and sediment load in different periods was established. The formula of TP flux was established by analyzing the interpolation of unmeasured TP concentration, tempo-spatial characteristics, flux variation, and the retention effect of TP in the TGR. The results indicated that taking no account of the effects of TP inflows of tributaries, annual TP concentration in the TGR varied between 0.196 mg·L-1 and 0.290 mg·L-1 during 2008-2012, and inner-annual changes in TP concentration presented an "M" type with two obvious peaks. TP concentration decreased slowly from upstream to downstream of the TGR, and increased significantly from Cuntan to Qingxichang in some years. The average annual TP flux and retention rate of the TGR were 82300 t and 49.76% during 2008-2012, respectively. During 2013-2016, the average annual TP flux and retention rate decreased significantly, to about 47900 t and 12.03%, respectively.

Effects of elevated UV-B radiation and N deposition on the decomposition of coarse woody debris.

Increases in nitrogen (N) deposition and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation play an important role in global climate change. Because coarse woody debris (CWD) represents a sizeable proportion of total carbon (C) pool in forest ecosystems, understanding the response of CWD decomposition to increased UV-B and N deposition become necessary for evaluating forest C storage under global climate change. In this study, we investigated the respiration of CWD (RCWD) in response to increased UV-B and N deposition over a two-year period for two tree species in subtropical Chinese forests: Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. (CL) and Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl (CC). We found that N and UV-B treatment, alone or in combination, significantly promoted RCWD, which was further magnified by increased temperature. Moreover, the combined treatment (UV-B + N) far exceeded the sum of the individual effects of N and UV-B treatments. Our results indicated that the three components of global climate change (increased UV-B, N deposition, and warming) worked interactively to accelerate CWD decomposition in forest ecosystems, suggesting that the biogeochemical cycling of subtropical forests could be altered greatly in the future, and this alteration must be considered in modelling the effects of global climate change.

Omphaloceles in combination with a self-made hemispherical cushion: a report of 12 cases.

The aim of this study was to discuss the curative effect of applying "capsule-reserved normal saline bag and self-made hemi-spherical cushion oppression" for treating giant omphaloceles. Twelve patients with giant omphaloceles who were admitted to our hospital between January 2008 and June 2016 were selected for treatment as follows: a capsule-reserved normal saline bag was used to promote the gradual return of the abdominal contents into the abdominal cavity in phase I, and a self-made hemi-spherical cushion was used for compression combined with a local dressing change in phase II to treat the giant omphaloceles without surgical treatment. All 12 patients in this group were cured, and after follow-up visits for >10 months, they had no abdominal infections, wound disruption, intestinal obstruction, or other complications, and their growth was normal. Two patients had abdominal hernias, and they recovered after herniorrhaphies. Giant omphaloceles in newborns were treated in stages, and in phase II, non-surgical treatment was applied, which was easily performed with a smaller wound, low cost, an obvious curative effect, and higher safety and effectiveness.

Omphaloceles in combination with a self-made hemispherical cushion: a report of 12 cases

The aim of this study was to discuss the curative effect of applying "capsule-reserved normal saline bag and self-made hemi-spherical cushion oppression" for treating giant omphaloceles. Twelve patients with giant omphaloceles who were admitted to our hospital between January 2008 and June 2016 were selected for treatment as follows: a capsule-reserved normal saline bag was used to promote the gradual return of the abdominal contents into the abdominal cavity in phase I, and a self-made hemi-spherical cushion was used for compression combined with a local dressing change in phase II to treat the giant omphaloceles without surgical treatment. All 12 patients in this group were cured, and after follow-up visits for >10 months, they had no abdominal infections, wound disruption, intestinal obstruction, or other complications, and their growth was normal. Two patients had abdominal hernias, and they recovered after herniorrhaphies. Giant omphaloceles in newborns were treated in stages, and in phase II, non-surgical treatment was applied, which was easily performed with a smaller wound, low cost, an obvious curative effect, and higher safety and effectiveness.

Effects of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) invasions on soil nitrogen cycles depend on invasion stage and warming.

Plant invasions may alter soil nutrient cycling due to differences in physiological traits between the invader and species they displace as well as differences in responses to anthropogenic factors such as nitrogen deposition and warming. Moso bamboo is expanding its range rapidly around the world, displacing diverse forests. In addition, near expansion fronts where invasions are patchy, moso bamboo and other species each contribute soil inputs. Nitrogen transformations and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are important processes associated with nutrient availability and climate change that may be impacted by bamboo invasions. We collected soils from uninvaded, mixed, and bamboo forests to understand bamboo invasion effects on carbon and N cycling. We incubated soils with warming and N addition and measured net nitrification and N mineralization rates and GHG (CO2 and N2O) emissions. Mixed forest soils had higher pH and total N and lower total organic carbon and C/N than either uninvaded or bamboo forest soils. Bamboo forest soils had higher total carbon, dissolved organic carbon, and ammonium N but lower total and nitrate N than uninvaded forest soils. Soil GHG emissions did not vary among forest types at lower temperatures but bamboo forest soils had higher CO2 and lower N2O emissions at higher temperatures. While net N transformation rates were lower in bamboo and uninvaded forest soils, they were highest in mixed forest soils, indicating non-additive effects of bamboo invasions. This suggests that plant invasion effects on N transformations and GHG emissions with global change in forests partially invaded by bamboo are difficult to predict from only comparing uninvaded and bamboo-dominated areas.

Transient risk factors for acute occupational hand injuries among metal manufacturing workers: A case-crossover study in southern China.

BACKGROUND: Acute occupational hand injuries are a common occurrence in China's metal manufacturing industries. This study aimed to explore the transient risk factors for acute occupational hand injuries among metal manufacturing workers. METHODS: A case-crossover study was conducted from October 2013 through December 2013 in Zhongshan city, southern China. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect information on the occurrence of 12 transient risk factors during the "hazard" period (a 60-min period prior to occupational hand injury) and a "control" period (the week before the injury). RESULTS: One hundred ninety-four qualified acute occupational hand injury cases (139 male, 55 female) were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 35.5 (standard deviation [SD] 10.4) years. The most common (64.9%) type of work was punching, and the most common injures were crushes and fractures (28.8 and 23.7%, respectively). Of these cases, 62.9% were regarded as severe or major. Among the 12 transient risk factors, 11 ones were significantly associated with acute occupational hand injuries occurring during the hazard period: "replacing sharp knives" (IRR = 14.38, 95%CI 11.43-18.08), "using malfunctioning machinery" (IRR = 30.59, 95%CI 17.84-52.48), "using different tools" (IRR = 10.96, 95%CI 4.77-25.17), "using different machines" (IRR = 5.20, 95%CI 2.25-12.00), "performing unusual work tasks" (IRR = 24.38, 95%CI 14.11-42.15), "working overtime" (IRR = 13.40, 95%CI 7.70-23.29), "performing a task with a different method" (IRR = 56.41, 95%CI 23.61-134.81), "being in a bad mood" (IRR = 108.11, 95%CI 55.10-211.11), "feeling ill" (RR = 12.27, 95%CI 4.95-30.43), "rushing" (IRR = 5.16, 95%CI 2.49-10.70), and "not wearing gloves" (IRR = 1.63, 95%CI 1.23-2.15). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that multiple transient risk factors were responsible for the acute occupational hand injuries in China's metal manufacturing industries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:832-840, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Association between occupational stress, social support, and occupational unintentional injuries: a case-control study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between occupational stress, social support, and occupational unintentional injuries. METHODS: A 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted in 151 cases of occupational unintentional injuries who were admitted to 6 occupational injury-admitted hospitals in Zhongshan City from October 2013 to December 2013 and 151 matched controls without unintentional injuries in the last year who had matched age, sex, and occupation. Their demographic characteristics, occupational stress (by the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire), and social support were investigated with a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Analysis of the data showed that there were significant differences in the score of each dimension of occupational stress, the ratio of effort to reward, and the score of superior support between the case group and the control group (P < 0.05). The Cox regression analysis results showed that more extrinsic efforts (OR = 1.47, 95%CI = 1.20∼1.80) and over commitment (OR = 1.30, 95%CI = 1.08∼1.55) were the risk factors for occupational unintentional injuries, while more superior supports (OR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.48∼0.84) and higher earnings (>3 000 yuan each month) (OR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.54∼0.84) were protective factors. CONCLUSION: Occupational stress and social support have an influence on the occurrence of occupational injuries.

[Study on prevalence of occupational musculoskeletal disorders and their risk factors among workers in three industries in Zhongshan, China].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (OMSD) and its risk factors among workers in three manufacturing industries in Zhongshan, China by cross-sectional epidemiological investigation. METHODS: A total of 2 035 workers from the industries of metals (1001 persons), electrical appliances (455 persons), and furniture (579 persons), including 1 402 males and 633 females, were selected; the mean age was 32.9 ± 8.2 years, and the mean length of service was 6.4 ± 5.6 years. A revised Northern Europe Standardized Questionnaire was used for cross-sectional epidemiological investigation of OMSD. RESULTS: The results showed that OMSD in these workers was primarily located in the neck, waist, and shoulder, with annual prevalence rates of 23.1%, 20.1%, and 15.8%, respectively. The overall prevalence of OMSD was 43.1% in metal industry, 44.0% in electrical appliance industry, and 26.6% in furniture industry. OMSD prevalence showed significant differences between different industries (χ(2) = 54.2, P < 0.01). The prevalence of OMSD in the shoulder and back increased with working years (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for OMSD were working age >10 years, safety behavior such as "bending down when lifting heavy things from the ground", and different types of industries. CONCLUSION: OMSD is mainly manifested by neck pain, waist pain, and shoulder pain among front-line manufacturing workers in Zhongshan, and working age, poor labor posture, and different types of industries were risk factors for waist pain.

Aerobic sludge granulation in a full-scale sequencing batch reactor.

Aerobic granulation of activated sludge was successfully achieved in a full-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with 50,000 m(3) d(-1) for treating a town's wastewater. After operation for 337 days, in this full-scale SBR, aerobic granules with an average SVI30 of 47.1 mL g(-1), diameter of 0.5 mm, and settling velocity of 42 m h(-1) were obtained. Compared to an anaerobic/oxic plug flow (A/O) reactor and an oxidation ditch (OD) being operated in this wastewater treatment plant, the sludge from full-scale SBR has more compact structure and excellent settling ability. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis indicated that Flavobacterium sp., uncultured beta proteobacterium, uncultured Aquabacterium sp., and uncultured Leptothrix sp. were just dominant in SBR, whereas uncultured bacteroidetes were only found in A/O and OD. Three kinds of sludge had a high content of protein in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that metal ions and some inorganics from raw wastewater precipitated in sludge acted as core to enhance granulation. Raw wastewater characteristics had a positive effect on the granule formation, but the SBR mode operating with periodic feast-famine, shorter settling time, and no return sludge pump played a crucial role in aerobic sludge granulation.

[Study on occupational safety climate in different types of enterprises and its relationship with occupational accidental injury].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occupational safety climate in different types of enterprises and its relationship with occupational accidental injury. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey based on self-report questionnaires was performed among 3311 front-line workers from 54 medium and small-sized manufacturing enterprises of different types in Zhongshan, China to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics, safety climate experience in workplace, and incidence of occupational accidental injury in the past year. RESULTS: Analysis of the data revealed that employees in different types of companies perceived different levels of safety climate, according to the scores on four subscales; the European and American enterprises had significantly better safety climate than the Hong Kong and Chinese private enterprises (P < 0.01). The self-reported rates of occupational injury were 3.38%, 4.76%, and 6.72%, respectively, for European and American, Hong Kong, and Chinese private enterprises (χ(2) = 6.78, P < 0.05). After control of such factors as age, sex, income, education level, and marriage, the logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of occupational accidental injury in the European and American enterprises was significantly lower than that in the Chinese private enterprises (OR = 0.57, 95%CI = 0.35-0.91). CONCLUSION: The type of enterprise influences the occupational safety climate and incidence of occupational injury among workers.

Small mammal community succession on the beach of Dongting Lake, China after the Three Gorges Project.

Although the Three Gorges Project (TGP) may have affected the population structure and distribution of plant and animal communities, few studies have analyzed the effect of this project on small mammal communities. Therefore, the present paper compares the small mammal communities inhabiting the beaches of Dongting Lake using field investigations spanning a 20-year period, both before and after the TGP was implemented. Snap traps were used throughout the census. The results indicate that the TGP caused major changes to the structure of the small mammal community at a lake downstream of the dam. First, species abundance on the beaches increased after the project commenced. The striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius) and the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), which rarely inhabited the beach before the TGP, became abundant (with marked population growth) once water was impounded by the Three Gorges Reservoir. Second, dominant species concentration indices exhibited a stepwise decline, indicating that the community structure changed from a single dominant species to a more diverse species mix after TGP implementation. Third, the regulation of water discharge release by the TGP might have caused an increase in the species diversity of the animal community on the beaches. A significant difference in diversity indices was obtained before and after the TGP operation. Similarity indices also indicate a gradual increase in species numbers. Hence, a long-term project should be established to monitor the population fluctuations of the Yangtze vole (Microtus fortis), the striped field mouse and the Norway rat to safeguard against population outbreaks (similar to the Yangtze vole outbreak in 2007), which could cause crop damage to adjacent farmland, in addition to documenting the succession process of the small mammal community inhabiting the beaches of Dongting Lake.