Waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens

The Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF), as its voluntary energy-saving action plan, proposed a 10% energy reduction by 2010 with 1990 as the basis. Further, it has suggested an additional 1.5% energy saving by the use of waste plastics as a metallurgical raw material. The amount of processing of waste plastics which corresponds to this amount of energy conversion is about 1 million t scale during 1 year. Conventional known methods for recycle-processing of waste plastics include, for example, the method of injection into a blast furnace to use waste plastics as an iron-ore reducing agent instead of coal. On the other hand, the coking process is considered to be suitable as a waste plastic recycling facility because the process involves coal carbonization in a high-temperature and reducing atmosphere. Carbonization tests with mixed waste plastics were conducted with laboratory equipment and in actual coke ovens. As a result, it was confirmed that the waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens is feasible. Therefore, a waste plastics recycling process using coke ovens was started as a chemical recycling technology at Nippon Steel.     

中日合作项目职业安全卫生法规与标准体系初步研究

按照中日合作项目《加强中国安全生产科学技术能力计划》,分析了中国职业安全卫生法规标准体系现状,提出了中国《安全生产法》和日本《劳动安全卫生法》的各自特点与不同点。同时,系统梳理了中国危险化学品、机械安全和职业卫生等领域安全生产法规标准体系,分析了其中存在的主要问题,提出了针对性对策和建议。这对健全中国职业安全卫生法规体系建设具有重要的借鉴和参考意义。     

Hesitation behaviour of hoverflies Sphaerophoria spp. to avoid ambush by crab spiders

Pollinators possess several antipredator adaptations that minimise predation risk during foraging. In addition to morphological adaptations, hoverflies might have behavioural antipredator adaptations. We conducted three field experiments to investigate whether the "hesitation behaviour" of hoverflies Sphaerophoria spp., moving backwards and forwards in front of a flower, is effective in avoiding ambush predators on flowers. First, we compared the behaviour of different flower visitors, including several bees and other hoverflies, with Sphaerophoria spp. behaviour. Only Sphaerophoria spp. exhibited the hesitation behaviour in front of flowers. The flight behaviour was observed more frequently before landing on flowers than on leaves. Second, we investigated rejection by Sphaerophoria spp. to artificially placed corpses of the crab spider Thomisus labefactus. The rejection rate of flowers with a crab spider placed on or under it was significantly higher than that of non-treated flowers. Moreover, the presence of a spider on the flower decreased the number of hesitation displays, compared with non-treated flowers. Finally, to determine whether hesitation behaviour could be a consequence of floral assessment, we investigated hoverfly rejection of previously foraged flowers. Sphaerophoria spp. did not reject flowers that had been visited by the same individual or conspecifics within 3 min. We suggest that hesitation behaviour may be adaptive, enabling assessment of predation risk and hence avoiding ambush predators on flowers.     

复合式厌氧氨氧化反应器脱氮性能研究

采用低速机械搅拌装置,以无纺布作为固定床的填料,把搅拌床与固定床的优点有机结合起来,设计一种复合式厌氧氨氧化反应器.在反应器中,生物滞留量相对较高,微生物的性状由接种时的碎絮状很快转变成颗粒状,短期内反应器系统的脱氮性能迅速提高,启动时间大为缩短.仅用38d,反应器中总氮去除速率稳定增长至1.9kg·m·-3d-1.随...     

The use of heterospecific scent marks by the sweat bee <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halictus aerarius</Emphasis>

To forage effectively amongst flowers, some bee species utilize olfactory cues left by previous visitors in addition to direct assessment of visual cues to identify rewarding flowers. This ability can be more advantageous if the bees can recognize and use scent marks left by heterospecifics, not just marks left by members of their own species. We conducted field experiments to investigate whether the sweat bee Halictus aerarius avoids visiting flowers of trailing water willow Justicia procumbens emptied by other bee species. We found that H. aerarius rejected the flowers visited by both heterospecifics and conspecifics. They also rejected visited flowers artificially replenished with nectar. Our results demonstrate that social bees outside the Apidae can detect marks left on flowers by heterospecifics but that (on this plant species) they are unable to discriminate against flowers by directly detecting nectar volume. H. aerarius exhibited different rejection rates according to the identity of the previous bee species. We suggest that the frequency of rejection responses may depend on the amount of chemical substances left by the previous bee. In general, the use of scent marks left by previous visitors is almost certainly advantageous, enabling foragers to avoid flowers with depleted nectar levels and thereby improving their foraging efficiency.     

Ambiguities inherent in sums-of-squares-based error statistics

Commonly used sums-of-squares-based error or deviation statistics—like the standard deviation, the standard error, the coefficient of variation, and the root-mean-square error—often are misleading indicators of average error or variability. Sums-of-squares-based statistics are functions of at least two dissimilar patterns that occur within data. Both the mean of a set of error or deviation magnitudes (the average of their absolute values) and their variability influence the value of a sum-of-squares-based error measure, which confounds clear assessment of its meaning. Interpretation problems arise, according to Paul Mielke, because sums-of-squares-based statistics do not satisfy the triangle inequality. We illustrate the difficulties in interpreting and comparing these statistics using hypothetical data, and recommend the use of alternate statistics that are based on sums of error or deviation magnitudes.     

日本职业卫生管理及对中国的启示

依据中日合作项目<加强中国国家安全生产科学技术能力计划>成果,系统介绍了日本职业卫生监管机构、法规、职业病确定、作业环境管理等.同时,结合中国职业卫生管理体制尚未完全理顺、法规较滞后、专业人才不足、企业基础资料不全和自主管理体制不健全等现状,提出了进一步明确职业卫生管理体制、完善职业卫生法规、建立职业卫生统计制度、强化企业自主管理能力等建立健全中国职业卫生管理的对策和建议.本文对完善中国职业卫生管理具有重要的参考意义.     

日本职业卫生管理及对中国的启示

依据中日合作项目《加强中国国家安全生产科学技术能力计划》成果,系统介绍了日本职业卫生监管机构、法规、职业病确定、作业环境管理等。同时,结合中国职业卫生管理体制尚未完全理顺、法规较滞后、专业人才不足、企业基础资料不全和自主管理体制不健全等现状,提出了进一步明确职业卫生管理体制、完善职业卫生法规、建立职业卫生统计制度、强化企业自主管理能力等建立健全中国职业卫生管理的对策和建议。本文对完善中国职业卫生管理具有重要的参考意义。     

Effect of carbon tetrachloride on sonochemical decomposition of methyl orange in water

Two types of sonicators were used for the sonochemical decomposition of methyl orange (MO) in the presence and absence of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4): One is a 45kHz ultrasonic cleaning bath (a low intensity sonicator) and the other is a 200kHz ultrasonic reactor (a high intensity sonicator). It was clearly confirmed that the rates of the sonochemical decomposition of MO increased with increasing the concentration of CCl4 in both sonicators. The enhancement effect of CCl4 was much higher in the high intensity sonicator than in the low intensity one: by the addition of 100ppm of CCl4, the decomposition ratio of MO with the high intensity sonicator became 41 times larger, while that with the low intensity sonicator became 4.8 times larger. Based on the obtained results, it was suggested that the formed cavitation phenomenon was different between sonicators. It was also suggested that the sonochemical decomposition of MO in the presence of CCl4 would be useful to evaluate the sonochemical efficiency, because the rate of MO decomposition can be effectively enhanced by the sonolysis of CCl4.