Science-based Decisions Research Articles

Bioindication of the ecological state (health) of coastal waters based on the use of automatic bioelectronic systems

The paper presents the data obtained in the study of the health of the ecosystems in a number of recreational areas of the Black Sea and the Eastern Gulf of Finland. Prompt assessment of the health of the ecosystems was carried out by testing the health of adult bivalve mollusks inhabiting them, using the functional load method based on the analysis of their heart rate measured by a fiber-optic bioelectronic system. The goal of the study is to test the innovative bioindication technology developed earlier by the authors on the basis of the above-mentioned method in the regional programs for environmental monitoring of the ecosystems of coastal marine and freshwater recreational water areas (using the example of a number of water areas of Sevastopol, as well as several freshwater areas of the Kurortniy District of St. Petersburg. It has been established that the functional state of mollusks may serve as an indicator of excessive pollution of coastal waters by the objects that discharge insufficiently treated wastewater from their local treatment facilities, including household wastewater. The technology applied in this study for the assessment of functional state of local species of molluscs may be effectively used to solve the problems of early diagnostics of alterations in the health status of coastal aquatic ecosystems and contribute to ensuring the ecological safety of recreational water areas, serving as an infobase for the development of science-based environmental management decisions. Taking into account a high expressiveness and easy-to-use technology applied in the study (which does not require expertise for its practical implementation), this technology may be considered as the best available technology for biomonitoring the water quality of recreational waters in Russia.

Design and application of intelligent monitoring and management system for campus weak current pipeline network based on IoT+GIS technology

In view of the characteristics and problems in the process of information construction and operation of the campus weak current pipeline network, combined with the actual needs of the development of smart campus, an intelligent monitoring and management system of the weak current pipeline network based on IoT+GIS technology is designed and the campus geospatial information database as well as the weak current pipeline network database are established at the same time. The three-dimensional visual integration management of weak current communication resources, such as underground pipeline laying, optical fiber routing analysis, fiber-optic fusion relationship, integrated wiring in the building, off-motion monitoring of well cover, and so on, is realized, which greatly improves the campus weak current pipeline network resources management and maintenance efficiency, and provides scientific decision-making basis for rational and effective use of these resources.

Assessment of Drought Over Parambikulam Aliyar Basin of Tamil Nadu

Rainfall has a greater impact on agricultural, hydrological, economic, environmental and social systems. Inconsistencies in rainfall pattern could lead to extremities like drought and flood. Drought is a long period of unusually low rainfall that severely affects crop production and welfare of the people. Understanding the impacts of drought is crucial for planning, mitigation and responses. The Standardized precipitation index (SPI) method was employed for identifying drought occurrence in Parambikulam aliyar basin based on rainfall data of 37 years (1981–2017). SPI method indicated PAP basin had drought once in 4 years. In 19 per cent times, wet situation found to exist in PAP basin, five years exhibited moderately wet condition (1984, 1996, 2010, 2015 and 2017) and two years (1992 and 2005) fell under extremely wet event. Quantification on the drought events forms the scientific basis for decision makers to reduce the societal vulnerability to drought.

Suitable summer habitat of the khulan in the Mt. Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve and estimation of its population

The khulan (Equus hemionus hemionus) is a representative species in desert, semi-desert and desert steppe in Asia. The estimation of suitable habitat and population density of khulan can provide scientific decision-making basis for the conservation management. We investigated the distribution and population density of khulan in the Mt. Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve in Xinjiang during May-August in 2018 and 2019, using the line transect method. The khulan population density, number and the encounter rate were estimated by the Distance 7.0 software, and through the MaxEnt model analysis and combining environmental variables, we assessed the most suitable habitats and main influencing factors. In total, we recorded 4782 individuals from 718 groups and 363 effective occurrences. Our results showed that the suitable summer habitat covered an area of 6737.5 km2, accounting for 45.4% of the total reserve area and located mainly in the central and eas-tern parts of the reserve. We estimated that the density of the summer khulan population was (0.5±0.1) individuals·km-2 and the total khulan population were (3246±575) individuals in the Mt. Kalamaili Ungulate Nature Reserve. The prediction accuracy of MaxEnt model was relatively high, with an average AUC of 0.890. The results of the Jackknife test showed that the distance to water sources, vegetation type, distance to human interference, distance to national highway G216, altitude, and precipitation of driest areas were the most important factors affecting the habitat suitability for khulan. For improving the protection of the khulan population in this reserve, we suggested strengthen the protection of water sources, adjust the core areas, monitor wildlife passages, and enhance traffic construction.

Impediments to fisheries recovery in Canada: Policy and institutional constraints on developing management practices compliant with the precautionary approach

The status of many Canadian fisheries is poor, a consequence of inadequate implementation of sustainable fishery policy within the context of the Precautionary Approach (PA). A key component of implementation lies with the provision of science advice. Scientists are responsible for advising on options likely to meet policy intent and objectives. Here, we examine PA-compliance in the role of science in Canada's fisheries management decision-making. We distinguish science-based from science-determined decisions and processes. Science-based decisions emerge from consultation processes involving stakeholders; science need not always have a clear and accountable role that can be transparently separable from other inputs. Science-determined decisions result from impartial, publicly available, peer-reviewed scientific determinations clearly distinguishable from other inputs. Our findings are consolidated with a comparison to the European Union (EU), which is legally bound to PA implementation, but which differs in its institutional organization and decision-making process. Compared to the EU, Canada's science advisory process is less structured and transparent, scientific advice is not always clearly distinguishable, and policy formulation is not explicit in affording science a responsibility compliant with the PA. The institutional structure and policy framework in Canada has potential to obfuscate the role of science, leading to an erosion of credibility and accountability of fisheries management decisions. We emphasize the strengths of a structured and transparent decision-making process, the existence of a coherent system for categorizing uncertainty with respective rules for decision-making, and unambiguous definitions of the responsibility of science in sustainable fisheries policy.

Development of quasi real-time comprehensive evaluation system for earthquake disaster

Fast acquisition of the seismic information and accurate assessment of the earthquake disaster is the key problem for emergency rescue after a destructive earthquake. In order to satisfy the requirements of the earthquake emergency response and rescue for the cities and counties, a quasi real-time comprehensive evaluation system for earthquake disaster is developed. This software system has the functions of gathering disaster information, analyzing seismic damage and estimating disaster extent. To prop up such a powerful software platform, data and algorithms are prerequisites. As a result, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) is developed to monitor strong motion underground, application programs for data collection by the mobile terminal are also developed to acquire the basic structural data and disaster information. Besides, based on short-distance emergency communication technology, a set of short-distance multi-modes are designed to transmit those critical data to the evaluation system. After a certain earthquake, using fragility analysis method and dynamic correction algorithm, together with the basic data, seismic disaster evaluation in the county region is finally realized in real-time to provide a scientific basis for seismic emergency command, rescue and assistant decision.

Research on Vehicle Routes Optimization for Emergency Materials Distribution

Disasters such as earthquake, flood and diseases are sudden and urgent. In order to improve the efficiency of emergency materials distribution, scientific decision on vehicle routes plays an important role. This article assumes that the emergency materials required by each disaster site are allowed to be delivered in advance but not delayed. Considering vehicle maintenance and driver’s continuous working ability, taking the distribution cost as the objective function, a mathematical optimization model for the problem is established. Based on ant colony algorithm, optimization algorithm is designed to solve the model. Then, effects of different optimization algorithms were compared. The application shows that the method operates quickly and the results are rational, which can provide scientific basis for decision-making.

Spatial-temporal dynamic simulation of anti-noise urban expansion based on fuzzy intelligent control system and GIS

On the basis of FHWA model of the Federal Highway Administration and the combination with the geographic information system (GIS) and Fuzzy intelligent control system, the group independently researches and develops a simulation and evaluation system for the traffic noise in the urban road. This system is able to simulate the influence of traffic source, point source, and arbitrary shape area source on the urban sound field environment. It is combined with the noise radiation and the communication model, and the occlusion and attenuation by the buildings and forest belts on the traffic noise have been considered. It can calculate the traffic noise in urban areas and directly render the predicted results on the GIS map, and form a traffic noise map, which visually and clearly displays the pollution degree and distribution map of the traffic noise in urban areas. The noise maps of Guangzhou inner ring roads and Zhujiang New Town are drawn to provide scientific decision-making basis for the control of urban traffic noise pollution.

Risk assessment of offshore photovoltaic projects under probabilistic linguistic environment

Offshore photovoltaic (PV) power generation has received extensive attention for its advantages of saving land resources, high power generation efficiency and proximity to load centers. However, investors are bound to face a series of risks since China’s offshore PV power generation is still in its infancy. To this end, a multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) framework for the risk assessment of offshore PV projects is constructed in this paper. Firstly, 17 risk factors are identified and classified into 4 groups. Probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs) are then introduced to evaluate the criteria values to depict the uncertainty and fuzziness. Furthermore, a probabilistic linguistic ordered average Choquet integral (PLOAC) operator is proposed to aggregate criteria values and deal with the correlations between criteria. In addition, an expert weight-determining model is built based on the entropy and interaction-entropy measures of PLTSs. Finally, the risk levels of the project and each criterion are determined by similarity measure and the corresponding risk countermeasures are given. According to the case study and comparative analysis, the risk level of Zhejiang Ninghai offshore PV project is slightly high. This work provides a scientific theoretical basis for investment decision-making and risk prevention of offshore PV projects.

Coastal Impacts, Recovery, and Resilience Post-Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern US

Post-Hurricane Sandy research has improved our understanding of coastal resilience during major storm events, accelerated sea level rise, and other climate-related factors, helping to enhance science-based decision-making, restoration, and management of coastal systems. The central question this special section examines is: “looking across the breadth of research, natural resource management actions and restoration projects post-Hurricane Sandy, what can we say about coastal impact, recovery, and resilience to prepare for increasing impacts of future storms?” These five studies, along with lessons from other published and unpublished research, advance our understanding beyond just the documentation of hurricane impacts but also highlights both natural and managed recovery, thereby advancing the developing field of coastal resilience.

Universe of PFAS Regulation Rapidly Expanding

Even as states are responding to the coronavirus pandemic, their efforts to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment and in drinking water continue. As of this writing, seven states have taken specific steps in 2020 and eight states continue to follow through on ongoing initiatives. Most state activities are focused on setting drinking water standards, with California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont all advancing primary drinking water standards. State legislative activity continues to target PFAS in drinking water as well. In Virginia, two laws were signed that mandate efforts to develop standards for PFAS, and many other states have seen similar bills introduced. While state efforts have emerged out of frustration that federal action requires time to assess the risks posed by PFAS before taking appropriate regulatory steps, the array of federal activities and work products has changed. A key tenet that AWWA shares with many other stakeholders is that neither the federal government nor states should rely solely on the Safe Drinking Water Act to address PFAS. Preventing PFAS from entering the water supply starts with making sound decisions about if, and how, to use PFAS. While the public spotlight has often focused on PFAS in drinking water, this is slowly changing. Since the publication of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) PFAS Action Plan, research programs have ramped up focus on PFAS. A major component of USEPA research is the characterization of toxicity, including an ongoing effort to conduct rapid screening toxicity research for 150 PFAS and risk assessments for seven specific PFAS. There is also ongoing work to develop analytical methods for natural waters, wastewaters, biosolids, soils, and other media, with a method suitable for monitoring wastewater now available for use. Core regulatory programs at USEPA have taken steps to address PFAS as well. USEPA's solid and hazardous waste program released interim cleanup recommendations for sites contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) that are tied directly to the existing PFOA and PFOS health advisory levels. The agency also recently added 172 PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), according to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which will help characterize facilities releasing PFAS into the environment. USEPA also has recently promulgated a rule that imposes restrictions on the commerce of products containing certain PFAS. As these efforts have proceeded, USEPA has moved forward to address PFAS in drinking water. Not only has the USEPA Office of Water proposed to regulate PFOA and PFOS, it is expected to finalize the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) to gather occurrence data for 29 PFAS using new analytical methods by next summer. While there are considerable differences in the policy debate around PFAS, one constant is the need to make science-based decisions that provide meaningful public health protection. To that end, AWWA and many others expressed support for USEPA's positive regulatory determination for PFOA and PFOS and encouraged the agency to conduct a thorough and transparent evaluation of potential standards. Additionally, AWWA and others emphasized that the agency should not consider additional PFAS yet, given outstanding data gaps and forthcoming data collection activities that would directly address those gaps. Ongoing efforts include data collection programs such as the TRI, UCMR 5, and toxicity research. These programs are expected to facilitate evaluations for more meaningful future determinations for additional PFAS with substantially more data than what are currently available. Education and outreach by the entire water sector will continue to be critical to ensure that all state and federal authorities identify and manage PFAS use. We urge the drinking water community to continue to communicate with state and local decision makers about the need for protecting public health using sound standards. Chris Moody is the regulatory technical manager at the AWWA Government Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at cmoody@awwa.org.

Is the rate of adverse reaction to rabies vaccine in China really as the public thinks?—based on a meta analysis

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the rate of adverse reaction toward rabies vaccine in China from 2008 to 2019, explore its characteristics and to provide a scientific and objective basis for future policy decisions. Methods Literature on the rate of adverse reaction to rabies vaccine in China from 2008 to 2019 was retrieved and collected in CNKI, Wanfang, VIP databases, PubMed and Embase. A meta analysis was carried out then. Results Totally, 35 articles were included. The combined rate of adverse reaction to rabies vaccine was 5.6% (95% CI = 5.1% – 6.0%). Adverse reactions to rabies vaccine were 11.3% and 4.5% before and after 2011, 5.3% and 7.1% in the eastern and midwestern regions, 13.2%, 25.5% and 3.7% in the tertiary hospitals, secondary hospitals and primary medical institutions, respectively. And 13.3% were in the areas where the Changchun immortal vaccine was used. The combined rate of adverse reaction to rabies vaccine inoculated in Changsheng vaccine area was 5.1%. Conclusion After 2011, the rate of adverse reaction to rabies vaccine in China has decreased dramatically. The rate of adverse reaction to rabies vaccine in the midwestern regions is higher than the counterpart in the eastern regions. The primary medical institutions are lower than the counterpart in the tertiary and secondary hospitals.

Spatial Predictions of Debris Flow Susceptibility Mapping Using Convolutional Neural Networks in Jilin Province, China

Debris flows are a major geological disaster that can seriously threaten human life and physical infrastructures. The main contribution of this paper is the establishment of two–dimensional convolutional neural networks (2D–CNN) models by using SAME padding (S–CNN) and VALID padding (V–CNN) and comparing them with support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models, respectively, to predict the spatial probability of debris flows in Jilin Province, China. First, the dataset is randomly divided into a training set (70%) and a validation set (30%), and thirteen influencing factors are selected to build the models. Then, multicollinearity analysis and gain ratio methods are used to quantify the predictive ability of factors. Finally, the area under the receiver operatic characteristic curve (AUC) and statistical methods are utilized to measure the accuracy of the models. The results show that the S–CNN model gets the highest AUC value of 0.901 in the validation set, followed by the SVM model, the V–CNN model, and the ANN model. Three statistical methods also show that the S–CNN model produces minimum errors compared with other models. The S–CNN model is hailed as an important means to improve the accuracy of debris–flow susceptibility mapping and provides a reasonable scientific basis for critical decisions.

Study on Benchmarking Evaluation System for Technological Innovation of Power Grid Enterprises

China attaches great importance to corporate scientific and technological innovation, and technological innovation has become a powerful driving force for continuous promotion of corporate scientific development. According to the new requirements of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on the reform and development of central enterprises and the high-quality economic development of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee, the company’s scientific and technological innovation index evaluation was carried out. Based on the theoretical research, evaluation methods and enterprise management practices of world-class enterprises, this article establishes an effective mechanism to guide the technological innovation of power grid enterprises and provides a scientific decision-making basis for technological innovation of power grid enterprises.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response in Japan: What Is behind the Initial Flattening of the Curve?

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emerged in December 2019 and became a global pandemic in March 2020. The unprecedented speed of SARS-CoV2 spread, the high infection rate among the aged population, and the collapse of healthcare systems in several countries have made COVID-19 the worst “modern” pandemic. Despite its proximity to China, a large aged population, and a high urban density, Japan has mitigated successfully the initial catastrophic impacts of COVID-19. This paper analyzed the key policy measures undertaken in Japan and suggests that Japan’s culture, healthcare system, sanitation, immunity, and food habits, along with citizens’ behavior, are the possible reasons for the successful flattening of the curve. Although additional disease peaks may occur, and a consequent increase in the number of affected individuals, a combination of policy, good governance, a healthy society, and good citizen behaviors’ should be sufficient to provide enough time for the health care system to cope with them. Cluster approach, science-based decision making, and scenario planning were some of the key policy decisions taken by the government. Based on the lessons from Japan, this paper suggests the importance of an ecosystem-based lifestyle as a potential way to cope with pandemic events.

Design and Application of Dynamic Monitoring Platform about Black and Odorous Water Body

In order to resolve the problems existing in the traditional regulatory means of black and odorous water body (BOWD), a dynamic monitoring platform about BOWD with two monitoring stations was established based on B/S architecture and 5G wireless technologies under the laboratory conditions. Platform database included monitoring data transmitted online, manual entry data. Data analysis, automatic alarm, public participation and other functions can be implemented based on this database. Users can obtain and publish relevant information in mobile terminal and personal computer terminal with different permissions. The information of BOWD can be showed on the map. This platform can improve the regulatory efficiency and provide scientific basis for rapid decision-making.

Community Citizen Science for Risk Management of a Spontaneously Combusting Coal-Mine Waste Heap in Ban Chaung, Dawei District, Myanmar.

Since 2015, a large heap of improperly disposed coal‐mine waste in Ban Chaung, Dawei district, Myanmar, has repeatedly spontaneously combusted, affecting an indigenous community. Recently, the regional Myanmar government has compelled the mine to properly manage the mine waste heap, but there is no opportunity for affected villagers to participate. This study empowers the affected villagers to make risk management decisions via a community citizen science approach. First, field investigations were performed with the affected community to identify hot spots at the waste heap releasing gaseous pollutants that may exceed acceptable levels. Next, existing monitoring data previously collected by the community were interpreted as clear evidence of past poor waste management. Information about suppression of existing fire and mine waste storage options was presented to the community for them to make an informed decision about the most appropriate corrective action that should be taken by the mine. The mining company chose to use surface sealing for both suppression of existing fire and on‐site storage of the mine waste but did not install any long‐term monitoring system. Nevertheless, the community's choice was surface sealing with preventive monitoring together with emergency response, which is the more scientifically appropriate option. This outcome of a science‐based risk management decision by the community will be forwarded to the regional government for enforcement. This process of community citizen science is in line with the normative rationale of public participation, which is meant to influence decisions, elevate democratic capacity, and empower marginalized individuals and communities.

The use of smart remote sensing technologies in the development of master plans of cities on the example of the city of Basra

The aim of this paper is to use remote sensing data for developing smart technology in oil cities, Basra city as study area. Smart city is one of smart technology governments need to implement in oil cities to give suitable solution for audience such as easy transportation access between cities. The planning problem in oil production areas of Iraq, which is carried out on the territories of the cities is the lack of balanced policies aimed at their development, taking into account on the one hand, areas disturbed by petroleum activities on the other areas of the existing development in the settlement in other hand. Urban use of the areas disturbed by oil production requires right science-based decisions associated with the development of quantitative methods of accounting and evaluation of territorial -construction resource (TCR) in a particular urban territory. Success smart city in Basra city needs hardware, software, remote sensing data and users, network and good understanding of how smart technology working on. This research defined the required steps and roles to develop smart city technology in Basra city as one of Iraqi oil cities territories.

What We Need to Consider During and After the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

Even though extreme containment and mitigation strategies were implemented by numerous governments around the world to slow down the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the number of critically ill patients and fatalities keeps rising. This crisis has highlighted the socioeconomic disparities of health care systems within and among countries. As new CoVID policies and responses are implemented to lessen the impact of the virus, it is imperative (1) to consider additional mitigation strategies critical for the development of effective countermeasures, (2) to promote long-term policies and strict regulations of the trade of wildlife and live animal markets, and (3) to advocate for necessary funding and investments in global health, specifically for the prevention of and response to natural and manmade pandemics. This document considers some of these challenges.

Advances in biocultural geography of olive tree (Olea europaea L.) landscapes by merging biological and historical assays

Olive tree is a vector of cultural heritage in Mediterranean. This study explored the biocultural geography of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from the cultivar Ogliarola campana in Campania region, Italy. Here, the rich cultural elements related to olive tree and oil represent a suitable case study for a biocultural analysis. We joined analytical techniques, based on stable isotopes and trace elements of EVOOs, with humanistic analyses, based on toponymy and historical data. In order to provide a science-based assessment of the terroir concept, we set up a new method of data analysis that inputs heterogeneous data from analytical and anthropic variables and outputs an original global evaluation score, named terroir score, as a measure of biocultural distinctiveness of the production areas. The analysis highlighted two distinct cultural sub-regions in the production area of Ogliarola campana: a continental cluster in the inner area of Irpinia and a coastal one around Salerno province. Finally, a biocultural map displays the diversity of heterogeneous variables and may support science-based decision making for territory valorisation. This novel biocultural analysis is a promising approach to substantiate the terroir concept with science-based elements and appears suitable to characterize local agri-food products with old tradition and historical data.