Search

To promote the development of nuclear power project in inland China, a specialized multi-criteria decision support framework is constructed for the site selection of inland nuclear power plants in this work. The best worst method (BWM), decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) are integrated with Z-numbers, namely Z-BWM, Z-DEMATEL, and Z-TOPSIS. Z-BWM and Z-DEMATEL are combined to produce the weights of criteria, and an extended Z-TOPSIS is utilized to determine the ranking of all alternatives. Finally, a case study is performed in Hunan province to demonstrate the practicability of the proposed decision support framework. The robustness and feasibility of the proposed method are shown by an in-depth analysis of the decision results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Leigong Mountain is an area in the Southwest of China where there is a high incidence rate of athlete's foot, but the Miao people, a Chinese minority who reside in this mountainous area have suffered less from this disease due to their use of the herbal medicine Isodon flavidus (Hand.-Mazz.) H. Hara. Aim of the study The present study is to identify the active chemical constituents responsible for antifungal effects of the folk medicine plant. Materials and methods The natural compounds were separated from the methanol extract of the twigs and leaves of I. flavidus by phytochemical study using chromatographic methods, and their chemical structures were determined by analysis of the spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The absolute configuration of fladin A ( 1 ) was further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The compounds were evaluated for their antifungal activity against the athlete's foot fungus Trichophyton rubrum . They were further evaluated for their antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity against the dental pathogens Streptococcus mutans , Porphyromonas gingivalis and Candida albicans . Results Phytochemical and biological studies of I. flavidus led to the discovery of two antifungal compounds, fladin A ( 1 ) and lophanic acid ( 2 ). Fladin A ( 1 ) is a novel diterpene with an unprecedented cyclic ether group formed between C-4 and C-9. Lophanic acid ( 2 ) displayed inhibition activity against the athlete's foot fungus Trichophyton rubrum with an MIC value of 7.8 μg/mL, and fladin A ( 1 ) also showed inhibition activity against the fungus with a MIC value of 62.5 μg/mL. Conclusions Our identification of two antifungal compounds provided strong evidence for the Miao people to use I. flavidus as a medicinal plant for treatment of athlete's foot disease. The very different chemical structures of the active compounds from those in the market presents them as potential antifungal lead compounds for follow-up study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To discuss health assessment and epidemic prevention in earthquake rescue, to establish emergency health and epidemic prevention mode for the national earthquake emergency medical rescue team scientifically, and to provide references and consultations for emergency hygiene and epidemic prevention measures in disaster medicine., Methods and Results: China National Earthquake Disaster Emergency Search and Rescue Team gathered and evaluated environment, food, drinking water and other health related information around more than 2000 earthquake victims in Baoxing County, Shuangshi Town and Qingren Township from 20th April 2013 to 27th by using methods such as field epidemiological investigations. The national earthquake emergency medical rescue team spread comprehensive evaluation focusing on the local epidemics, find out the starting point of epidemic prevention, and then built reporting system in disaster area. The team also formulated the emergency detection system of food and drinking water and carried out health education., Conclusion: After the golden 72 hours, by comprehensive evaluation the establishment of early response in disaster area and spreading epidemic prevention, this team achieved the full coverage of three in the earthquake area, the resettlement of residents and families in that area and gradually formed a disaster medical rescue hygiene and epidemic prevention mode.