Proposing of new building scheme and composite towards global warming mitigation for Malaysia

The building sector has been regarded as a potential sector where there is large capacity to reduce the climate change effect. This study has proposed solutions to mitigate environmental impacts and achieve low CO₂ emission from residential sector. Therefore, full life cycle assessment (LCA) has been run to assess the CO₂ emission and its effect on the atmosphere and climate change. Based on the result, timber scheme is the best choice due to releasing less CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere. However, house builders in Malaysia have almost completely neglected timber as a building material, with timber use as building components reduced to 5%. In this study, LCA Software was used to assess CO₂ emissions from different wall construction. The alternative building scheme has been made by reinforce steel stud, wooden beam and timber wall (S8) to improve the scheme deficiency while releasing less CO₂ emissions compared to other schemes. Therefore, S8 has a decreased CO₂ effect by 85% less than precast concrete frame and 90% less than brick over their lifetime. (S8) increased the load bearing compared to conventional timber beam. Thus, new scheme S8 could be replaced by current scheme and promote more adjustable scheme for Malaysian housing.     

Preparation and Fundamental Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystal from Oil Palm Fronds Biomass

The objective of this work was to isolate cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) from oil palm fronds (Elaeis guineensis) and its subsequent characterization. Isolation involves sodium hydroxide/anthraquinone pulping with mechanical refining followed by total chlorine free bleaching (includes oxygen delignification, hydrogen peroxide oxidation and peracetic acid treatment) before acid hydrolysis. Bleaching significantly decreased kappa number and increased α-cellulose percentage of fibers as confirmed by Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry standards. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that acid hydrolysis along with bleaching improved crystallinity index and thermal stability of the extracted nanocrystals. It was observed that CNC maintained its cellulose 1 polymorph despite hydrolysis treatment. Mean diameter as observed by TEM and average fiber aspect ratio of obtained CNC was 7.44 ± 0.17 nm and 16.53 ± 3.52, respectively making it suitable as a reinforcing material for nanocomposite.     

Anti-oviposition activities of used sock media against a dengue vector: prospects of eco-friendly control and solutions to pollution

Yearly, huge amounts of sock refuse are discarded into the environment. Socks contain many molecules, and worn ones, which are rich in smell-causing bacteria, have a strong influence on animals’ behaviors. But the impacts of sock odor on the oviposition behavior of dengue vectors are unknown. We assessed whether Aedes albopictus changes its oviposition activity in response to the presence of used socks extract (USEx) in potential breeding grounds, using choice and no-choice bioassays (NCB). When furnished even chances to oviposit in two sites holding USEx and two others containing water (control), Ae. albopictus deposited significantly less eggs in USEx than in water sites. A similar pattern of oviposition preference was also observed when there were more oviposition options in water. When there were greater oviposition opportunities in USEx sites, Ae. albopictus oviposited preferentially in water. Females laid significantly more eggs during the NCB involving water than USEx. Also, significantly more mature eggs were retained by females in the NCB with USEx than in that with water. These observations strongly suggest the presence of molecules with either repellent or deterrent activities against Ae. albopictus females and provide an impetus to advocate the integration of used socks in dengue control programs. Such applications could be a realistic end-of-life recourse to reroute this waste from landfills.

     

膨润土、煤渣在稳定底泥中对上覆水体及底泥pH Eh COD的影响

采用静态模拟试验,选取膨润土、煤渣为帽封材料,研究两者覆盖于河水底泥表层后各体系上覆水体及底泥的pH、氧化还原电位（Eh）、有机含量指标在60 d的变化情况。结果表明：底泥表层覆盖膨润土或煤渣后,上覆水体中的pH约为7.5,Eh在80~110 mV波动,均未造成持久严重的影响;同时由于它们的吸附性能使得上覆水体CODCr在反应周期里有所减少。膨润土存在体系,其底泥pH在反应周期里呈下降趋势,Eh呈上升趋势,底泥有机质去除率在25%左右。而煤渣帽封于底泥上,其底泥pH、Eh在反应周期里均呈上升趋势,底泥有机质去除率约为19%     

鄱阳湖流域水化学环境参数的变化特征

分别于2010年2月和7月,对鄱阳湖湖区和入湖河流的pH、TDS以及主要离子浓度进行了测定,分析了主要离子组成的时空变化特征及其影响机制。结果表明,鄱阳湖流域水体属于弱矿化度软水,Ca2+是湖水和河水的主要阳离子,分别占阳离子总数〖JP〗的5935%、4989%;HCO-3是湖水和河水的主要阴离子,分别占阴离子总数的5337%、5937%,水质类型为Ca-HCO-3型水;主要离子组成和TDS浓度具有明显的季节和沿程变化特征,这与降雨季节性变化以及不同水系的地质背景有关;从河流水系上游至湖区的水化学特征依次为HCO-3型、HCO-3-SO2-4和SO2-4型。从水化学控制机制上看,鄱阳湖丰水期受大气降水作用和地质条件影响显著,而枯水期降雨量大大减少,主要受岩石风化、蒸发沉淀作用和人为输入的影响。除此之外,SO2-4型水的增加与长江干流酸化以及丰水期长江顶托倒灌现象有密切关系     

三峡工程对下荆江径流变化影响分析

下荆江作为长江最不稳定的江段之一,三峡工程的运行必然会对该江段的水文过程产生深远影响。以监利水文站日均流量数据为基础,研究分析了1983~2012年近30 a来下荆江年径流量、各月月均流量的变化趋势。结合三峡工程的阶段性蓄水,以蓄水前流量的自然波动幅度为基础,定量分析了三峡工程对下荆江径流变化的影响程度。趋势性分析结果显示,近30 a来下荆江年径流量呈波动性变化,无显著趋势。1~3月月均流量有极显著的增加趋势,10月份有极显著的下降趋势。从三峡工程蓄水前后各月份月均流量的绝对变化量来看,10、7和8月的变化量最大,但结合三峡工程蓄水前各月月均流量的自然波动幅度,相对变化率最大的月份为1、2和10月,其相对变化量均超过其自然波动幅度的1.5倍。对于相对变化量较大的月份可能产生的潜在影响亟需进一步的深入研究     

水温分层对香溪河库湾浮游植物功能群季节演替的影响

三峡水库水环境问题近年来引起社会广泛关注,以浮游植物功能群为基础,通过对2010年1~12月香溪河库湾水温、浮游植物等进行跟踪监测,探究支流库湾浮游植物群落结构演替趋势及其影响因子。结果表明：香溪河库湾2010年共出现18个浮游植物功能群,其中B、X1、P、Y、X2、D、LO、J、MP、G是代表性功能群;水温分层的季节性发育和消失是浮游植物群落结构演替的主要影响因素;冬季以耐受水温及光照限制的CS/S策略藻种为主;春季弱分层时,CR/R策略藻种适宜生长;夏季汛期时,呈现CR/R/C/CS多种策略藻种混生格局,强分层时,适宜稳定生境的S型策略藻种占据优势;秋季分层被打破,群落结构演替为耐受频繁波动环境的R型群落格局占优势     

陕西省产业结构演变的城市化响应地域差异分析

将产业结构演变的城市化响应系数作为衡量区域产业结构演变城市化响应强度的变量指标,运用变异系数和离差分析方法对陕西省产业结构演变的城市化响应进行类型划分,可划分为强响应区、中等响应区、弱响应区三种类型区;运用广义脉冲响应法对三种类型区分别进行产业结构演变城市化响应系数与各影响因素之间相关性的动态研究,探讨陕西省产业结构演变的城市化响应时至差异性。     

Sisal/Carbon Fibre Reinforced Hybrid Composites: Tensile, Flexural and Chemical Resistance Properties

The variation of mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural properties of randomly oriented unsaturated polyester based sisal/carbon fibre reinforced hybrid composites with different fibre weight ratios have been studied. The chemical resistance test of these hybrid composites to various solvents, acids and alkalies were studied. The effect of NaOH treatment of sisal fibres on the tensile, flexural and chemical resistance properties of these sisal/carbon hybrid composites has also been studied. The hybrid composites showed an increase in tensile and flexural properties with increase in the carbon fibre loading. The tensile properties and flexural properties of these hybrid composites have been found to be higher than that of the matrix. Significant improvement in tensile properties and flexural properties of the sisal/carbon hybrid composites has been observed by alkali treatment. The chemical resistance test results showed that these untreated and alkali treated hybrid composites are résistance to all chemicals except carbon tetra chloride. Hand lay-up technique was used for making the composites and tests are carried out by using ASTM methods.     

Development and characterization of cell line from the gill tissue of Catla catla (Hamilton, 1822) for toxicological studies

Catla gill cell line (ICG) was established from gill tissue of Indian major carp (Catla catla), a freshwater fish cultivated in India. The cell line was maintained in Leibovitz’s L-15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. These cells have been sub-cultured more than 55 passages over a period of 2 years. The ICG cell line consists predominantly of epithelial-like cells. The cells were able to grow at a wide range of temperatures from 24 °C to 32 °C with an optimum temperature of 28 °C. The growth rate of gill cells increased as the fetal bovine serum (FBS) proportion increased from 2% to 20% at 28 °C with optimum growth at the concentrations of 10% or 15% FBS. Amplification of mitochondrial gene 12s rRNA using primers specific to C. catla confirmed the origin of this cell line from C. catla. The cells were successfully cryopreserved and revived at passage numbers 25, 35, 45 and 55. The cytotoxicity of three metal salts (ZnCl₂, CuSO₄ and CdCl₂) was assessed in ICG cell line using multiple endpoints such as MTT, Neutral Red assay, Alamar Blue assay and Coomassie Blue protein assay. Acute toxicity assay on fish were conducted by exposing C. catla for 96 h to three metal salts under static conditions. Statistical analysis revealed good correlation with r² = 0.908–0.985 for all combinations between endpoints employed. Linear correlations between each in vitro EC₅₀ and the in vivo LC₅₀ data were highly significant.