The dust has cleared, and it's time for these rumors to turn over

Qinghai found that wild giant pandas, all sugar-free foods can cause diarrhea...

The dust has cleared, and it's time for these rumors to turn over

【Debunking rumors】

◎ Chen Xi, reporter of this newspaper

The April day in the world should have been "spring breeze and flowers", but this year, many people's spring memories are "shocking the wind and yellow sand walking". As disturbing as this round of dust weather, there are all kinds of rumors.

"Wild giant pandas found in Qinghai", "Returning forests to cultivation leads to frequent sand-and-dust weather", "Rins-free hand sanitizer can inactivate norovirus", "All sugar-free foods can cause diarrhea"... Today, the reporter of Science and Technology Daily will take stock of the rumors in April one by one to help you clear the fog and find the truth.

Wild giant pandas found in Qinghai?

Truth: The giant panda video was filmed in Ya'an, Sichuan

In early April, a video of "wild giant pandas found in Qinghai" circulated on multiple social platforms. In the video, a giant panda crawls on a hillside. The publisher marked the location of the discovery - Shaliu River in Qinghai Province in the video.

Previously, there had been almost no record of giant pandas being found in Qinghai, so the video caused heated discussions as soon as it was released, and the news of "wild giant pandas found in Qinghai" was also widely forwarded in the circle of friends.

Some netizens expressed doubts, how did the giant panda run to the Qinghai Plateau? Could this be a fraud incident?

In this regard, the relevant staff of the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Qinghai Province said in an interview that China's giant pandas are mainly distributed in the Baishui River area of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, and they mainly feed on bamboo such as arrow bamboo. Qinghai does not grow bamboo, so it can be judged that the geographical location in the video is not Qinghai.

"Qinghai does not have any living records of wild giant pandas, and the locations known to be wild giant panda distribution records are particularly far from Qinghai, and Qinghai does not have any suitable habitat for wild giant pandas." Zhao Xiang, conservation director of the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center, said in an interview.

Subsequently, the filmmaker of the original video, Machan Nanga, also refuted the rumors. He said that he posted the video on December 2022, 12 on his WeChat Moments and short video account. The video was shot in the Dawa Gengzha Scenic Area in Baoxing County, Ya'an, Sichuan, where he photographed wild giant pandas that day.

Returning forests to farming leads to frequent sand-and-dust weather?

Truth: The appearance of sandstorms is related to many factors

This spring, the frequent sand and dust weather has made many people wonder: Why has China insisted on large-scale afforestation in the northwest region for many years still unable to stop the wind and sand from the south? As a result, various speculations have appeared on the Internet, including the voice: the promotion of reforestation and cultivation in some areas is the reason for the resurgence of sand.

In this regard, Ma Chuang, a lecturer in the Department of Forestry of the College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture of Tianjin Agricultural College, made it clear that returning forests to cultivation is not necessarily related to the occurrence of sandstorms.

"According to the regulations, the cultivated land currently returned to forest is mainly important agricultural product production land, medium land land, high-standard farmland, vegetable bases and other permanent farmland stipulated by the state. It can be seen that these lands are often some arable land encroached upon by excessive greening, which is originally not suitable for afforestation. Returning forest to cultivation does not mean converting all forest land to arable land, nor does it reduce the area of forest land. Ma Chuang said.

If it is not the disaster of returning forests and ploughing, then why has there been frequent sand and dust weather recently?

"There are three main conditions for the production of dust weather: bare and dry surface, strong windy weather, and locally unstable atmospheric formations." Ma Chuang introduced that the recent precipitation in Mongolia and northern China is low, the vegetation rejuvenation time is delayed, can not effectively cover the surface, short-term heating and dust into the atmospheric circulation, with the cold air south, the formation of frequent sand and dust weather.

Ma Chuang explained that when sand and dust pass through the arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China with atmospheric circulation, they will be replenished along the way. However, in recent years, this supplementary effect has become weaker and weaker, which is mainly due to the construction of China's "three north shelter forest" system.

"The 'Three North Shelter Forest' desertification control project, which began at the end of the 70s of last century, has completed afforestation of an area of 3174,29,<> hectares, which has greatly reduced the probability of sand formation in sand sources and built a green 'Great Wall' for us." Ma Chuang said.

He said that by the end of 2022, China's forest area reached 2 million hectares, with a forest coverage rate of 31.24%. Especially after the 02th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the quality of China's forests has been significantly improved. Returning forest to cultivation is not simply turning forest land into arable land, but better adhering to the principle that suitable forests are suitable for forests and suitable for farming, fully considering the conditions of the land, ensuring the high-quality development of forests, and giving play to their greater ecological benefits.

"In fact, in the face of meteorological disasters with typical regional characteristics such as sandstorms, our country has been trying to contribute. The global extreme weather problem is not something that one or two countries can deal with, and all countries should strengthen cooperation with the world. Ma Chuang said.

Does rinse sanitizer inactivate norovirus?

Truth: Only chlorine-containing disinfectants are effective against them

Recently, some provinces and cities in China issued notices that norovirus has entered a period of high incidence. In order to avoid infection with norovirus, there are many "warm tips" circulating on the Internet, including "rinse-free hand sanitizer can inactivate norovirus".

In this regard, Ji Mingsuo, member of the Respiratory Professional Committee of Tianjin Binhai New Area, said that norovirus is extremely vigorous, can survive within 0-60 degrees Celsius, can survive on the surface of objects for 2 weeks, and survive in water for more than 2 months. Alcohol, disinfectant wipes, and rinse sanitizer are not effective against norovirus.

Norovirus belongs to the caliciviridae family and is one of the common pathogens that cause acute gastroenteritis. Norovirus has a short incubation period, usually only 12 to 48 hours. After infection, the most common symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, followed by nausea, abdominal pain, chills, muscle pain, chills, fever and other symptoms. It can occur in both children and adults.

"Although infectious diarrhoea caused by norovirus infection is a self-limiting disease that generally resolves itself within two or three days after becoming ill, it is very contagious and spreads in a variety of ways." Ji Mingsuo introduced, contact with items infected by the virus; close contact with the patient's vomit, faeces, or aerosols produced; Eating and drinking foods and liquids contaminated with the virus can be infected.

Ji Mingsuo reminded that at present, only the use of higher concentrations of chlorine-containing disinfectants (effective chlorine concentration needs to reach 5000-10000 mg / l) can effectively inactivate norovirus. In addition, if you want to prevent it, you must prevent "disease from entering the mouth" and wash your hands frequently; Fruits and vegetables should also be carefully washed before consumption; Try not to go to densely populated places during periods of high virus incidence.

Can all sugar-free foods cause diarrhea?

Truth: It is related to physique and sugar substitute types

Sugar-free foods have a sweet taste but are low in calories, so they are popular with people who lose weight. However, some people say that sugar-free foods have a big "pit" - eating them can cause diarrhea.

In this regard, Wang Hao, a professor at the School of Food Science and Engineering of Tianjin University of Science and Technology, said that sugar-free foods refer to foods without added sucrose or glucose, and the corresponding population is people who have blood sugar instability or need to control carb intake. Many sugar-free foods will add sugar substitutes, there are many types of sugar substitutes, not all sugar substitutes will cause diarrhea, mainly sugar alcohols that cause diarrhea, such as maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, isomaltitol and lactitol. Moreover, each person's tolerance to sugar alcohols is different, and some people will not have diarrhea even if they eat sugar-free foods based on sugar alcohols.

"Sugar alcohol substitutes cause diarrhea mainly because sugar substitutes are carbohydrates with a sweet taste, and the way they are metabolized in the human body is very different from sugar." Wang Hao explained that because sugar alcohols cannot be completely absorbed by the body, they will remain in the intestine, increase the osmotic pressure in the intestine, and increase the water of feces accumulated in the colon. Microbes in the gut also "like" sugar alcohols, so a large number of microorganisms ferment so that a large amount of gas is produced in the intestine. Under the dual action of water and gas, it can cause diarrhea.

Different people have different tolerances for sugar alcohols, and children have relatively low tolerance, adults weighing 60 kg may have diarrhea if they consume more than 48 grams of maltitol per day, while children may have diarrhea if they consume 15 grams.

"The same person has different tolerance for different sugar substitutes. According to China's candy related standards, isomaltitol should not exceed 25 grams at a time, while lactitol should not exceed 5 grams at a time. Wang Hao said that common sugar substitutes added to beverages are mainly aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, steviol glycosides, which are usually less likely to cause diarrhea. (Science and Technology Daily)