ABSTRACT
Persistent air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH) has become an extremely complex challenge due to the combined effects of industrial structure, regional characteristics, weather and climate, and development. Although China's air pollution levels have reduced significantly since the Airborne Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan and the Blue Sky Protection Campaign were implemented, the BTH remains a sensitive and vulnerable area. Such large decrease in primary pollution was mainly attributed to the substantial reductions in economic activities and associated emissions during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, i.e., around the Chinese New Year of 2020. Yet two consecutive severely polluting weather processes occurred in the BTH around the Chinese New Year of 2020, which have seeded doubt among the Chinese public and policymakers regarding the current scientific understanding of the mechanisms of haze pollution. The causes of formation and maintenance of pollution processes can differ significantly. The formation and maintenance of heavy pollution weather is caused by various factors, which is a complex process. Thus, it is crucial to distinguish the contribution of emissions and meteorological conditions on polluting weather, as well as distinguish the contribution of various meteorological factors on the formation and maintenance of polluting weather, for conducting effective attribution diagnostic analysis in actually environmental and meteorological impact assessment operation systems, especially in areas that are sensitive or vulnerable to air pollution. Identifying the specific meteorological conditions formed by polluting weather and establishing a comprehensive model for discriminating atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics can provide a scientific basis for improving numerical models for air pollution potential forecasting in the future. Therefore, in this study, we focused on two consecutive severely polluting weather processes in BTH around the 2020 Chinese New Year (January to February 2020), as an ideal and unique field experiment for the prevention and control of current severe air pollution. We explored the reasons for the formation and maintenance of continuous severely polluting weather in the context of "continuous emissions reduction" and "relatively low social activity levels" from the perspective of the abnormal structure of the high-low atmospheric circulation system. Based on comprehensive diagnostic analyses, we quantified the relative contribution of each key meteorological factor to the continuous severely polluting weather in BTH by using the standardized multiple linear regression method. The results indicated that stable maintenance of low-level coastal high-pressure systems led to higher relative humidity at ground level compared with normal years and blocking systems, which are two key meteorological factors that induced persistent polluting weather in BTH. The abnormally stable blocking situation provided a special circulation background for the occurrence and maintenance of persistent heavy air pollution in BTH. The continuous and stable easterly and southerly water vapor transportation structure provided the BTH with more moisture than normal years, and it was conducive to increased moisture absorption by aerosols, especially under blocking. The "subsidence warming" effect of the high-level blocking high-pressure system facilitated the production of a "warm cover" structure in the middle of the troposphere. The presence of the anomalous warm cover structure in the troposphere facilitated the establishment of stable and high humidity weather, which was conducive to the accumulation of pollutants and continued air pollution. Dynamic systems (blocking systems) and water vapor transportation factors directly explained 46.8% of the meteorological causes of persistent heavy air polluting weather events around the 2020 Chinese New Year in BTH.
ABSTRACT
Purpose COVID-19 (C19) has been destroying the world's health and emergency response system for almost the past year. Policymakers and health practitioners are trying their best to save the public through various policy development and initiatives in this regard. This study aims to examine the containment measures and their impacts on Australia's C19 situation in Australia's COVIDsafe app background. Design/methodology/approach This study investigates the role of the Australian Government's (AG) Health Containment (HC) and Stringency response (SR) in combating the C19 situation in Australia. The time horizon has been taken from January to October 2020 and applied Linear Regression with graphical demonstration analysis by STATA-18 version and MS Word chart features. Findings By applying linear regression and graphical demonstration, statistics revealed that AG made various policy developments during the C19 pandemic. However, due to inconsistent and unsustainable measures, the second C19 wave hit Australia much harder than the first wave. COVIDsafe app has been a vital AG in this regard;however, it did not show its progress during the second wave due to privacy issues. After the more focused and aggressive research and development measures, AG overcame the App drawbacks and controlled the situation, demonstrating 92% recovered statistics from C19. Practical implications The study concludes that AG should enforce many prudent policy measures and distinct E-government features in the COVIDsafe app and make it secure so people will use it in probable forthcoming C19 waves. Originality/value This study has examined the Government of Australia's containment measures in the background discussion of the COVIDsafe app.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has been called a Global Health Emergency worldwide. According to their available resources, developed and developing countries' public and private sectors are fighting against this pandemic. This paper examines how effective the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) strategies under the Chinese government response to control this COVID-19. The study takes the Chinese government and private sector's collective efforts for analysis and discussion from January 01 to October 31, 2020. Applying linear regression revealed that public governance strategies have worked to control this pandemic's severity and frequency. The results also show that despite the negative COVID-19 graph, the Chinese government has remained consistent in health and stringency measures. Furthermore, in cooperation with private sectors, China's emergency management has built two makeshift hospitals in 12 days and 5G technology implementation;Health Code application and volunteer works illustrate sharing governance by PPP. The study advises that by keeping in mind the strategy of PPP in China, other countries should also involve private sectors to mitigate emergency issues like COVID-19 for fast and effective outcomes and ask for assistance from the Chinese government and follow their quarantine and prudent policies to control this contagious disease. It further suggests that governments should engage private sectors before draft effective emergency preparedness policies to fight against future calamities.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate a relatively convenient, safe, and sensitive sampling method in the nucleic acid detection of the 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Materials and method: The nasopharyngeal swab samples of patients admitted to the 13 inpatient areas of the Tumor Center, Xiehe Hospital of the affiliated Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (temporarily transformed into a designated hospital for critical patients with COVID-19) from February 21 to 23, 2020 were used for the nucleic acid detection analysis of 2019-nCoV. The nasopharyngeal swab samples in the present inpatient area were obtained by a standardized sampling method. Results: A total of 663 samples were collected from the tumor center with 125 positive ones. Among these samples, 33 samples were collected from the present inpatient area, and 11 cases (33%) were positive. A further 630 samples were collected from other inpatient areas, in which 114 samples (18%) were positive. The difference in the positivity between the present inpatient area and other areas was statistically significant. Conclusion: The standardized nasopharyngeal swabs sampling had a high positive detection rate in the nucleic acid detection of 2019-nCoV and was safer and more convenient for medical staff and worthy of wider clinical use.
ABSTRACT
The "Four-step Teaching of Encouraging and Sharing" is a learner-centered teaching method that advocates teamwork and gives full play to the role of the teacher in guiding learning. It is an innovative teaching approach to realize students' self-transcendence by stimulating students' internal motivation for independent learning, applying group task-driven learning, and giving teachers' feedback to students' sharing. It consists of four steps: teachers' guiding, students' self-regulated learning, team learning and practice, experience sharing. We have applied this method to the teaching practice of physiology and experimental physiological science with a significant impact on teaching effects. This teaching method has also been implemented to other courses in other majors. To solve the problems of reduced communication and interaction, low learning enthusiasm and motivation in online teaching course during COVID-19 pandemic, we recruited 21 undergraduates from different schools and majors. Using the "Tencent Meeting" platform, the authors tried to apply the whole process of the "Four-step Teaching of Encouraging and Sharing" to the online teaching of physiology. Group tests and questionnaires were used to evaluate teaching effects. The results showed that the implementation of the "Online Four-step Teaching of Encouraging and Sharing (OFST)" was feasible and effective, and to a certain extent alleviated the problems of loneliness and low learning motivation of students during online learning caused by home quarantine, which was particularly helpful for long-distance inter-school and inter-discipline team learning.