基于桶式环形加热的阻燃电缆细观竖直燃烧特性研究实验平台的设计

针对阻燃电缆等难燃材料,为研究其在外界热源条件下的火灾性能与蔓延燃烧特性,研制了基于环形加热的阻燃电缆细观燃烧特性诊断实验平台。该平台主要包括三个部分,即:半封闭环形桶式加热与燃烧腔室、样品竖直固定模块和数据采集系统。实验参数的标定及典型阻燃电缆受热与燃烧实验结果表明,常规条件下无法点燃的阻燃电缆,当置于实验平台的加热炉内被加热一段时间后,底部小火源可将其点燃并呈现猛烈的燃烧与蔓延过程。该加热模块能够详细、准确地研究各种阻燃电缆在环形加热条件下的膨胀、引燃及蔓延燃烧的细观特性,而不同的加热模式有助于深入研究阻燃材料在各种热环境下的火灾特性,为阻燃材料的引燃机理及火蔓延模型研究提供了必要的研究平台。     

Whole-mount in situ TUNEL method revealed ectopic pattern of apoptosis in cadmium treated naupliar larvae of barnacle (Balanus amphitrite Darwin)

The effect of cadmium on stage II naupliar larvae of barnacle (Balanus amphitrite Darwin) was investigated. Barnacle larvae were exposed to 0-15 microM CdCl(2) for 24 h. Apoptotic cells were stained by the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) method. Incidence of apoptosis, as measured by numbers of animals with ectopic pattern of apoptosis as well as numbers of apoptotic cells per animal, was assessed using confocal microscopy. An increase in incidence of apoptosis was observed in the experimental animals with an increase in cadmium concentration. Mortality increased, and motility decreased, when barnacle larvae were exposed to an increasing concentration of cadmium. The relationship between the occurrence of apoptosis and swimming behaviour was investigated in larvae exposed to 10 microM CdCl(2). Significant increases in apoptosis were detected in the non-motile and dead nauplii. This study suggested that whole-mount in situ TUNEL method may be used to study increased occurrence of apoptotic cells in crustacean larvae.     

Solar-induced generation of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in sewage wastewaters

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) play an important role in the degradation of pollutants in surface waters. However, the mechanism underlying the photochemical generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH in wastewaters is poorly known. Here we studied the photo-induced generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH in different sewage treatment plant units. The correlation between the generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH and the water constituents was discussed. Our results show that in sewage units the ¹O₂ formation rate ranges from 2.19 × 10^?8 to 6.74 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 s^?1, and the ·OH formation rate ranges from 1.7 × 10^?11 to 3.06 × 10^?10 mol L^?1 s^?1. The average ¹O₂ formation rates in the various sewage units are similar to those in wetland and estuarine waters containing rich dissolved organic matter and 2–4 times higher than those in lake and seawater samples. The average ·OH formation rates of the sewage units are 5–50 times higher than for other water samples reported. The ·OH generation rate increased with the iron content with a correlation coefficient of 0.85, which indicates that the photo-Fenton reaction plays a dominant role in ·OH generation in sewage wastewater.     

Bacterial degradation of acetone in an outdoor model stream

Diurnal variations of the acetone concentration in an outdoor model stream were measured with and without a nitrate supplement to determine if the nitrate supplement would stimulate bacterial degradation of the acetone. Acetone loss coefficients were computed from the diurnal data using a fitting procedure based on a Lagrangian particle model. The coefficients indicated that bacterial degradation of the acetone was occurring in the downstream part of the stream during the nitrate addition. However, the acetone concentrations stabilized at values considerably above the limit of detection for acetone determination, in contrast to laboratory respirometer studies where the acetone concentration decreased rapidly to less than the detection limit, once bacterial acclimation to the acetone had occurred. One possible explanation for the difference in behavior was the limited 6-hour residence time of the acetone in the model stream.     

北京大气PM2.5中微量元素的浓度变化特征与来源

为了解北京大气细粒子中微量元素的污染水平和来源,在车公庄和清华园进行了连续1年、每周1次的PM_2.5采样和全样品分析.微量元素浓度的周变化大,尤以冬季为甚,相邻2周最大相差达1.6倍;但除冬季的平均浓度较高之外,其季节变化并不显著.微量元素的富集因子在春季最低,反映了频繁发生的沙尘天气的影响.Se、Br和Pb的浓度比来自于北京A层土壤中的含量要高出约1000～8000倍,表明它们主要来自于人为污染.其中Se的富集度最高,反映了北京细粒子来自于燃煤污染的特征.Pb的年均浓度(0.31μg·m^-3)虽然未超过WHO的年均标准,但与洛杉矶和布里斯班相比处于较高的水平;与Br、Se的比较分析表明,燃煤可能是Pb除机动车排放之外的另一个重要来源.     

Optimal heat rejection pressure for transcritical CO2 refrigeration cycle with an expander

Heat rejection pressure plays an important role in designing a transcritical CO₂ refrigeration system, and it has an optimal value to maximize the system’s coefficient of performance (COP). With a thermodynamic simulation model, the optimal heat rejection pressure is studied in the paper for an expander cycle, as well as conventional throttle valve cycle. The effects of compressor efficiency, expander efficiency, gas cooler outlet temperature, and evaporation temperature on the optimal heat rejection pressure are analyzed. It is the first time for a transcritical CO₂ expander cycle that the optimal heat rejection pressure is correlated with the gas cooler outlet temperature and the evaporation temperature at given compressor efficiency and expander efficiency. The average deviation from the correlation to simulation results is less than 1.0%. The correlation provides a guideline to system development and performance optimization of a transcritical CO₂ expander cycle.     

Relationship between road traffic noisescape and urban form in Hong Kong

This paper reports on a study which explored the possible relationship between road traffic noisescape and urban form in Hong Kong. A total of 212 residential complexes from 11 contrasting urban forms were sampled, and their noise levels assessed both at dwelling and neighbourhood scales by noise mapping. Its findings indicate that residential complexes with different urban forms have significantly different noisescape attributes. There is a strong correlation between the noise characteristics and morphological indicators at the dwelling scale. A less obstreperous noisescape is associated with urban forms with lower road and building densities, and with building arrangements which provide self-noise screening. These findings suggest that urban form is an influential determinant of the noisescape in the urban environment, and they point to the need to rethink the conventional approach to managing the urban acoustic environment.     

Variation of cholinergic biomarkers in brain regions and blood components of captive mink

Studies are increasingly using cholinergic parameters as biomarkers of early neurotoxicity, but few have characterized this system in ecologically relevant model organisms. In the present study, key neurochemicals in the cholinergic pathway were measured and analyzed from discrete parts of brain and blood from captive mink (Mustela vison). Similar to other mammals, the regional distribution of cholinergic parameters in the brain could be ranked from highest to lowest as: basal ganglia > occipital cortex > brain stem > cerebellum (F _3,192?=?172.1, p?<?0.001). Higher variation in cholinergic parameters was found in the cerebellum (coefficient of variation = 34.9%), and the least variation was measured in the brain stem (19.7%). Variation was also assessed by calculating the difference between the lowest and highest measures among individual animals: choline acetyltransferase (1.6× fold difference), cholinesterase (2.0×), muscarinic receptor levels (2.4×), acetylcholine (3.7×), nicotinic receptor levels (3.9×), and choline transporter (5.0×). In blood samples, activity and inter-individual variation of cholinesterase was highest in whole blood and lowest in plasma and serum. By using captive mink of a common genetic source, age, gender, and rearing conditions, these data help establish normal levels, ranges, and variations of cholinergic biomarkers among brain regions, blood components, and individual animals. Such information may better enable the utility of cholinergic biomarkers in environmental assessments.