Integrated environmental assessment of biodiesel production from soybean in Brazil

This paper presents the results of an environmental impact assessment of biodiesel production from soybean in Brazil. In order to achieve this objective, environmental impact indicators provided by Emergy Accounting (EA), Embodied Energy Analysis (EEA) and Material Flow Accounting (MFA) were used. The results showed that for one liter of biodiesel 8.8 kg of topsoil are lost in erosion, besides the cost of 0.2 kg of fertilizers, about 5.2 m² of crop area, 7.33 kg of abiotic materials, 9.0 tons of water and 0.66 kg of air and about 0.86 kg of CO₂ were released. About 0.27 kg of crude oil equivalent is required as inputs to produce one liter of biodiesel, which means an energy return of 2.48 J of biodiesel per Joule of fossil fuel invested. The transformity of biodiesel (3.90E + 05 seJ J^?1) is higher than those calculated for fossil fuels as other biofuels, indicating a higher demand for direct and indirect environmental support. Similarly, the biodiesel emergy yield ratio (1.62) indicates that a very low net emergy is delivered to consumers, compared to alternatives. Obtained results show that when crop production and industrial conversion to fuel are supported by fossil fuels in the form of chemicals, goods, and process energy, the fraction of fuel that can actually be considered renewable is very low (around 31%).     

加强基层环境保护监管措施的研究

党的十八大把生态文明建设列入中国特色社会主义事业五位一体的总体布局,提出大力推进生态文明建设,努力建设美丽中国,实现中华民族永续发展。随着市场经济的持续增长,环境污染、扰民问题愈加突出,人民群众对环境问题日益关注,环境保护工作面临的形势越来越严峻,任务和责任越来越繁重和艰巨,给基层环境保护工作提出更高的要求。基层环境监管在思想观念更新,工作思路调整,能力建设加强,管理机制完善等方面需进一步提高和发展。     

西南地区全新世气候变化概述

本文较为系统地分析了西南地区石笋、泥炭和湖泊沉积物等自然记录恢复古气候的其本原理,概述了西南地区全新世(近万年来)气候变化研究的主要进展。鉴于西南地区古气候研究的现状,未来应着重加强三个方面的研究:1)加强石笋、泥炭和湖泊沉积物等代用指标记录气候变化的机理研究,建立更为有效的古气候定量/半定量重建方法;2)加强高分辨率、多指标的综合对比研究,揭示重大气候变化事件(如8.2 ka事件4、.2 ka事件和小冰期等)的性质及其对西南地区生态环境的影响;3)加强不同区域气候变化的对比研究,为揭示气候变化驱动力和合理预测西南未来可能出现的气候变化提供科学基础。     

哑铃湾网箱养殖自身污染状况

根据2002年4月、7月、10月和2003年1月对哑铃湾海域网箱养殖区的调查数据，分析该海域网箱养殖自身污染情况。结果表明，网箱养殖增加了水体中N、P的含量，改变了养殖水体中一些化学因子的垂直分布，加速了哑铃湾海域的有机污染和富营养化。随着养殖年限的增加，哑铃湾网箱养殖自身污染日趋严重。     

Collagen biosynthesis in cell culture from chorionic villi

After chorionic villus biopsy of human placenta, cell cultures were propagated with Ham's F10 medium or Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM). It was possible to study the morphology of the cells by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after a special culture of the cells in a collagen gel. The cells embedded in a collagen gel were able to contract the gel and to organize collagen fibres, as fibroblast cultures do. TEM showed vacuolization and well-developed cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum, especially in the case of MEM culture. The aim was to determine whether cells cultivated from early placenta were able to synthesize enough collagen for a metabolic study. A high level of collagen biosynthesis could be quantified. Types I and III collagen can be determined which is useful for studying the abnormalities of collagen synthesis in suspected cases of osteogenesis imperfecta or Ehlers–Danlos type IV syndrome. The hydroxylation of lysine can also be studied with respect to Ehlers–Danlos type VI syndrome. Moreover, these cells, in contrast to fibroblast cultures, made it possible to study the biosynthesis of type IV collagen.     

美国化学品管理政策变化值得关注

欧盟“化学品注册、评估、授权与限制（REACH）法规”的出台,刺激美国环保人士和国会民主党议员开展了一系列改革美国现行化学品管理政策的活动。奥巴马新政府上台前后,一贯反对改革美国现行化学品管理政策的美国化工界的立场,发生了变化,美国出现了即将对现行化学品管理政策做重大修订的前景。这一变化的动向值得关注和借鉴。     

Impacts of earthworms on soil nutrients and plant growth in soybean and maize agroecosystems

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of earthworms on soil N pools and plant growth in soybean and maize agroecosystems. The species and number of individuals in earthworm communities were manipulated in plot-scale field enclosures (2.4 m × 1.2 m) by first reducing earthworm populations within enclosures with carbaryl pesticide, and then adding earthworm treatments to the enclosures. Soybean was grown in the enclosures in the first year and stover maize in the second year.The success of earthworm manipulations in field enclosures was affected by climate conditions and available food resources. The endogeic earthworm species Aporrectodea caliginosa was dominant in all enclosures, while introduced anecic Lumbricus terrestris earthworms had poor survival. In the first season, when climate conditions were favourable for earthworm survival and growth, there was a significant (P < 0.05) linear increase in soil mineral-N and microbial biomass N concentrations in the 0–15 cm depth of enclosures with more earthworms. Similarly, soybean grain and grain-N yield was significantly (P < 0.05) greater in enclosures with the largest earthworm populations than the control which had no earthworms added. In the second season, when climate conditions were less favourable, there was no effect of earthworms on soil N pools or maize plants, probably due to poor survival of introduced earthworms.     

哑铃湾网箱养殖环境容量研究Ⅰ.网箱养殖污染负荷分析计算

在综述分析前人关于网箱养殖污染负荷计算方法的基础上,借助网箱养殖物质平衡方程和实地监测实验数据,建立了哑铃湾网箱养殖污染负荷数学模型,并在模型中首次考虑了底泥累积污染影响.一方面为计算网箱养殖环境容量提供理论基础和计算参数,另一方面也为国内外相关的计算提供方法和参考.     

哑铃湾网箱养殖环境容量研究Ⅱ.网箱养殖环境容量计算

根据作者自己建立的网箱养殖污染负荷模型，结合二维水动力和水质数学模型，对哑铃湾网箱养殖环境容量进行了计算。结果表明，随着养殖时间的增加，该海域养殖容量不断地变小，当预计只养1a时，它的容量为54100箱，10a以后，它的容量就变为34500箱。而目前该海域只有4000箱左右的网箱，还远远没有达到它的环境限制容量。     

Reduction of sera requirements in amniotic fluid cell culture

Reduction in serum requirement for culture of primary human amniotic fluid cells can be achieved by the addition of 10 growth-promoting factors to the nutrient medium. This supplemented medium preserves cell types normally found in amniotic fluid cell cultures supplemented with 20–30 per cent fetal bovine serum. The volume of amniotic fluid required to initiate culture can be as little as 1 ml. Amniotic fluid samples contaminated with red blood cells with no visible clot also grow well in the low serum medium. Cell-free amniotic fluid combined with equal parts of supplemented medium is useful in initiating cell culture.