On the search for mimetic patterns in environmental disclosure: an international perspective

In this paper, we assert and test the proposition that environmental disclosure (ED) is structured by institutionalised myths and that is why ED is decoupled from environmental performance and media pressures. Focusing on firms from Canada, France and Germany, findings show that ED mimetic isomorphism for different topics varies among countries and by industry sensitiveness to the environment. The results corroborate the institutional presumption that institutionalised myths vary among different contexts. Our findings also suggest that institutionalised ED structures may not reflect environmental performance, mimetic patterns being affected by environmental performance. However, the decoupling between ED mimetic isomorphism and environmental performance decrease when firms’ ED credibility is questioned by the media.     

Dissolution of zinc oxide nanoparticles in exposure media of algae,daphnia, and fish embryos for nanotoxicological testing

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are being widely investigated in a bioassay due to potential negative effects to biological receptor. The dissolution of metal nanoparticles such as ZnO NPs is crucial to interpret nanotoxicity results because ZnO NPs can release toxic-free ions in exposure media. In the present study, dissolution of ZnO NPs was evaluated in three selected synthetic media for aquatic toxicological testing: Elendt M4 daphnia medium, OECD algal medium, and fish embryo rearing solution. Both media are currently recommended for OECD testing for daphnia and algae. Time-dependent dissolution of ZnO NPs has been investigated in terms of sonication time to be used for the preparation of aqueous NPs suspension, and dissolution time corresponding to exposure period in toxicity testing. Since sonication is widely applied for NPs dispersion in the most of nanotoxicological testing, the emphasis of this study was on the dissolution of NPs as a function of sonication time. We also investigated the concentration-dependent dissolution of ZnO NPs. Our results demonstrated that dissolution of ZnO NPs was significantly affected by sonication and dissolution time, as well as NPs concentration. This study showed that parameters affecting dissolution of ZnO NPs should be considered in nanotoxicological testing.     

Locating Co-presence in Media Messages about Global Warming

This paper responds to recent calls for alternative approaches to the analysis of environmental communication that uncover overlooked voices in the discussion of environmental issues. Borrowing core principles from critical rhetoric, it suggests a way to categorize media messages according to how human–nature relationships are constructed in media discourse. The paper illustrates how, in presenting contrasting and often oppositional constructions of human–nature relationships, the media messages examined articulate three recurrent (but not equal) discourses on global warming. These discourses include (1) nature-as-out-of-reach discourse, (2) nature-as-antagonist discourse, and (3) nature-as-co-present discourse. By juxtaposing these discourses, the paper shows how environmental communication scholars can engage in critical realism and political advocacy to illuminate latent public discourse that holds the potential to champion marginalized voices of nature and accentuate the interconnectedness of humans and the environment.     

官方媒体参与下不同风险感知群体竞争模型及其演化规律

为识别公众风险感知的演化规律和官方媒体参与的作用机制，首先，根据公众的行为表现划分不同风险感知群体，并分析群体间的相互竞争和官方媒体的扰动作用；然后，通过扩展Lotka Volterra模型建立群体间的相互竞争模型；在此基础上，通过推导模型平衡点及其稳定性分析模型演化规律；最后，运用数值仿真考查了官方媒体的参与对模型演化的影响。研究结果表明:模型演化具有3种结果情景，官方媒体参与能够显著改变模型演化的速度和结果。     

Using culturomics and social media data to characterize wildlife consumption

Wildlife provides food, medicine, clothing, and other necessities for humans, but overexploitation can disrupt the sustainability of wildlife resources and severely threaten global biodiversity. Understanding the characteristics of consumer behavior is helpful for wildlife managers and policy makers, but the traditional survey methods are laborious and time-consuming. In contrast, culturomics may more efficiently identify the features of wildlife consumption. As a case study of the culturomics approach, we examined tiger bone wine consumption in China based on social media and Baidu search engine data. Tiger bone wine is one of the most purchased tiger products; its consumption is closely related to tiger poaching, which greatly threatens wild tiger survival. We searched a popular social media website for the term “tiger bone wine” and focused on posts that were originally created from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2018. We filtered and classified posts related to the purchase, sale, or consumption of tiger bone wine and extracted information on providers, consumption motivations, year of production, and place of origin of the tiger bone wines based on the texts and photos of these posts. We found 756 posts related to tiger bone wine consumption, 113 of which mentioned providers of tiger bone wine, including friends (53%), elder relatives (37%), peer relatives (7%), and others (3%). Out of the 756 posts, 266 indicated the motivations of tiger bone wine consumption. Tiger bone wines were consumed as a tonic (34%), medicine (23%), game product (30%), and a symbol of wealth (28%). Some posts indicated ≥2 consumption motivations. These findings were consistent with the search queries from Baidu index. Such information could help develop targeted strategies for tiger conservation. The culturomics approach illustrated by our study is a rapid and cost-efficient way to characterize wildlife consumption.     

金属丝网对甲烷/空气预混火焰管道内传播的影响

为研究管道内金属丝网对甲烷/空气预混火焰传播的影响，通过实验和三维数值模拟研究安装金属丝网的管道内火焰传播特性以及流场、温度场的变化。结果表明:40目4层的金属丝网可以使火焰淬熄，30目4层的金属丝网无法淬熄，但可以使火焰停滞3 ms；大涡模型可以很好地对管道内火焰淬熄现象进行模拟；当火焰穿过30目4层金属丝网时，速度增大，在Kelvin Helmholtz不稳定和Rayleigh Taylor不稳定的耦合作用下形成湍流；金属丝网的目数会影响热量在丝网层中的扩散，当金属丝网为30目4层时，火焰热量扩散快，而当金属丝网为40目4层时，火焰热量扩散慢且温度大幅度衰减，衰减率达到83%。     

Effects of amusing memes on concern for unappealing species

There is limited knowledge of the mechanisms that can inspire people's concern and engagement in the protection of unpopular and unappealing species. We analyzed Polish people's interest in themed internet memes featuring the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) and the consequences of this interest for conservation marketing. We examined Google Trends data, used Google Search, and searched popular media materials to estimate interest in the proboscis monkey in Poland. Photos of the proboscis monkey when presented with humor in internet memes attracted as much interest as usually more popular species (e.g., koala, panda, and orangutan) used in marketing by nongovernmental organizations. Amusing internet memes spread by social media positively correlated with increasing interest in the unappealing species, such as proboscis monkey. Interest in amusing internet memes positively correlated with individuals’ decisions to donate to 6 crowdfunding actions. Thus, conservation marketing that includes amusing memes and social media may provide a worthwhile complement to traditional campaigns and are likely to influence individuals who are unaffected by the usual means.     

水源水库污染底泥不同修复方法脱氮效果对比实验研究

总氮超标是大部分水源水库具有的共性水质问题.在外源污染得到有效控制,上游来水氮负荷较低的情况下,底泥內源氮释放对上覆水体水质影响巨大.因此,在泥水界面处对污染底泥进行合理修复以有效抑制底泥氮释放是解决总氮超标问题、控制水源水质的关键.本研究通过模拟实验对比研究了3种不同修复方法,即覆盖填料、投加功能微生物和投加铁粉在界面处的脱氮效果.结果表明,填料覆盖技术具有更明显的脱氮效果,对氨氮的平均抑制率为83%,最高时可达92%,对总氮的平均抑制率达73%,且效果稳定.     

三层滤料高速过滤应用于再生水生产的研究

试验在传统混凝—沉淀—三层滤料过滤工艺的基础上,通过对滤料级配的改进,将三层滤料高速过滤工艺应用于再生水的生产,对其可行性进行分析研究。结果表明:在最佳工艺条件下出水浊度的去除率可达97.5%～98.5%,COD去除率在43%左右。同时研究发现,在高速过滤条件下,通过絮凝剂在滤床中发挥的微絮凝作用,可以起到良好的除污效果且出水水质稳定。     

Comparative study of microbial community structure in di erent filter media of constructed wetland

Comparisons of microbial community structure, in eight filter media of zeolites, anthracite, shale, vermiculite, ceramic filter media, gravel, steel slag and bio-ceramic, were undertaken by analyzing the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition. A total of 20 fatty acids in the range of C11 to C20 were determined but only 13 PLFAs were detected in steel slag. They consist of saturated fatty acids, branched fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The variation of fatty acids was revealed in the relative proportions of these fatty acids in di erent media. The aerobic prokaryotes were the predominant group in all media. The PLFA composition showed significant di erences among the eight di erent media by Tukey’s honestly test. It was found that steel slag was significantly di erent in the microbial community as compared to other filter media, probably due to its alkaline e uent. Steel slag alone is probably not a good choice of substratum in constructed wetlands. The principle components analysis (PCA) showed that zeolites, bio-ceramic, shale and vermiculite had a similar microbial community structure while steel slag and ceramic filter media were distinct from other media.