Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and infancy increased the risk of upper respiratory tract infections in infants: A birth cohort study in Wuhan,China

We aimed to evaluate the association of the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during pregnancy and infancy with the risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in infants based on a Chinese birth cohort study. Among 4178 infants who constituted the final study population, 46.8% experienced URTI in their first year of life. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the risk of URTI were assessed using Cox regression models. Compared with no ETS during pregnancy, continued ETS during pregnancy was independently associated with a higher risk of URTI (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.63) after adjustment for potential confounders and also associated with earlier occurrence of URTI (log-rank P = .002). The association remained consistent across the strata defined according to maternal age, number of siblings, sex, and breastfeeding. Exposure to ETS during infancy was associated with URTI only among infants who were breastfed for less than 12 months (P for interaction < 0.05).Furthermore, infants exposed to ETS during both pregnancy and infancy showed the highest HR of 1.46 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.85) for URTI. Efforts should be made to protect pregnant women and infants from the adverse effects of indoor and outdoor ETS.     

超厚板TC4钛合金电子束焊接接头应力腐蚀敏感性

针对100 mm超厚板TC4钛合金电子束焊接接头，采用慢应变速率拉伸方法评价接头在人造海水中的应力腐蚀敏感性，分析接头的显微组织和断口形貌，对接头的腐蚀机制进行研究. 结果表明，室温条件下应变速率为ε=1×10-6 s-1时，母材在海水中未表现出应力腐蚀敏感性；焊缝上部、中部和下部具有轻微应力腐蚀敏感性. 焊缝在海水中发生阳极溶解，产生氢吸附，导致裂纹的萌生. 同时氢扩散诱导α'相界及α'相内发生位错塞积，进而使裂纹在更低的应力水平下发生扩展.     

Effectiveness of English local plan SA/SEAs

Fourteen years since the implementation of the European SEA Directive, the effectiveness of the English system of Local Plan sustainability appraisals/strategic environmental assessments (SA/SEAs) is analysed, based on 15 case studies, five interviews, and questionnaires of 11 planners. Substantively, SA/SEA leads to fine-tuning of plan policy wording and a more robust choice of development sites, but to only limited wider influence on the plan. Normatively, there seems to be a direct conflict between the requirement that Local Plans must provide enough housing for ‘objectively assessed need’, and environmental protection. From a pluralist perspective SA/SEA reports are very long, and although the statutory consultees often comment on them, the public do so only infrequently. It is in the transactive dimension that the largest changes have taken place: both consultants and planners have had to do more with less. This does not yet seem to have negatively affected the other effectiveness dimensions, but may not be sustainable over time.     

A Study on Dual-Load-Zone Model of Overlying Strata and Evolution Law of Mining Stress

The changeable structure and movement law of overlying strata are the main contributor to the change of mining stress. Starting from the relevant theory of key stratum and particularly based on the theory of mine ground pressure and strata control, this research proposed a new solution to mining stress problems by establishing a dual-load-zone stratum structural model. Elastic foundation beam theory was used to solve the stress of overlying strata of the dual-load-zones with superposition method, which revised the traditional calculation method of mining stress. The abnormal increase of lead abutment pressure in the mining area was explained effectively, through which the evolution law of mining stress in the case of hard rock was obtained. The results indicate that mining stress experiences a drastic change within the range of 50 m ahead of the coal wall due to the collapse of main roof; under the influence of main key stratum and inferior key strata, the influence range of lead abutment pressure is extended up to approximately 120 m in the working face; this remarkable increase can be attributed to the excessive length of sagging zone. Results from both the dual-load-zone model experiment and field measurement demonstrate high consistency. The model can predict the influence range of abutment pressure effectively and thus guide the safety production of mining.     

Reflecting on the preparation of guidelines for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of nuclear power programmes

In this paper, the ‘guidelines for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of nuclear power programmes’ by the International Atomic Energy Agency are introduced. This includes a reflection on their preparation process and contents as well as consultation feedback. The preparation process started with two meetings of international nuclear and SEA experts and the creation of a writing team which prepared an initial set of draft guidelines. This was followed by various consultation exercises. The guidelines are organised along an allocation of tasks within a tiered system of energy related policies, plans, programmes and projects. Whilst consultation showed that there was agreement on the approach to most issues, no consensus was present on the extent to which economic and social issues should be fully integrated with environmental considerations. Strong support was given to the way quality review is designed, going beyond focusing on the main SEA reports to cover procedural and participatory aspects next to elements of a comprehensively tiered decision making framework, the ability to influence decisions as well as the quality (expertise and experience) of those involved in conducting the SEA.

Abbreviation: SEA: Strategic Environmental Assessment; EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment; IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency     

Stress intensity factor evaluations for a curved crack in orthotropic particulate composites using an interaction integral method

This paper develops a domain-independent interaction integral (DII-integral) for extracting mixed-mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) for orthotropic materials with complex interfaces. The DII-integral does not require material property gradients, and moreover its validity is not affected by material interfaces. Combined with the extended finite element method (XFEM), the DII-integral is employed to investigate a straight crack in an orthotropic functionally graded plate and a curved crack in orthotropic particulate composites.