Higher education for today and tomorrow: university appraisal for diversity, innovation and change towards sustainable development

This article serves as a position paper of a consortium of universities in the Asia–Pacific region working to address challenges of sustainable development and rapidly changing social, economic and natural environments. Member universities of ProSPER.Net (Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network) have embarked on a project to develop an alternative university appraisal system that would potentially become a viable alternative to the existing higher education ranking and assessment systems perceived as constraining, yet, powerful. The article discusses the changing landscape for knowledge creation and the need for universities to assume new roles in a new kind of modernity—variously termed as “liquid modernity” (Z. Bauman), “reflexive modernization” (U. Beck) or other neologisms. It recognises that the mainstream ranking and assessment systems are powerful guiding systems for higher education institutions (HEIs) and, if modified, could be a significant force for transformation towards a more sustainable future. Recognising the need for HEIs to address societal challenges and needs, the Alternative University Appraisal (AUA) project of ProSPER.Net starts by reviewing existing models of recognition and appraisal of various aspects of HEIs’ work and aims at creating space for individual and collective reflection on HEI practices and outcomes. In addition to extensive consultations among ProSPER.Net members, as well as with other higher education actors and international organisations addressing higher education for sustainability, cross-sectoral consultations, assessments of the uncertainties and pertinent trends, and engagement with policy-making processes would be required for the AUA system to become a guiding force that shapes higher education of today and tomorrow.     

α1-Microglobulin levels and correlation with cadmium and other metals in urine of non-smoking women among general populations in Japan

The present study was initiated to examine urinary α₁-microglobulin (α₁-MG-U) levels among non-smoking women in the general population in Japan. A previously established database on spot urine samples from adult woman volunteers in 10 non-polluted areas all over Japan was re-examined. The data examined were on α₁-MG-U, cadmium, calcium, magnesium and zinc levels in urine (Cd-U, Ca-U, Mg-U and Zn-U, respectively), urinary creatinine (CR or cr), urine specific gravity (SG or sg), smoking habits and age. Thus, 8975 never-smoking women were selected for statistical analyses. The grand geometric mean (GM) for α₁-MG-U among the population was 2.1?mg/L or 2.5?mg/g?cr, depending on the correction for urine density. It was 1.1?µg/L or 1.3?µg/g?cr for GM Cd-U. The inter-area difference in α₁-MG-U was <1.5?mg/g?cr or <0.7?mg/L; the area with the highest or lowest GM Cd-U was not always highest or lowest in GM α₁-MG-U. The correlation coefficient (0.53) between log?Cd-U and log?α₁-MG-U (both without urine density correction) became substantially smaller when the analyte levels were corrected for CR (0.25) or SG (0.26). In multiple regression analysis, the power of influence of the five independent variables (log?Cd-U, Ca-U, Mg-U, Zn-U and age) in combination was small (R ²?≦?0.13). In contrast, logistic regression analysis suggested that α₁-MG-U might be elevated as a function of an increase in Cd-U, depending on the cut-off values. Discussion was made on dose (Cd-U_cr) and response (α₁-MG-U_cr) relationship based on information available in literatures to show that the increment in α₁-MG-U_cr per Cd-U_cr was much greater when Cd-U_cr was large, e.g., in excess of 10?µg/g?cr.     

乳酸和复合脂肪酸抑制奶牛对环境污染的效果分析

将20头荷斯坦产奶奶牛随机分为对照组和试验Ⅰ～Ⅲ组,对照组饲喂全混日粮(TMR),试验Ⅰ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g复合脂肪酸,试验Ⅱ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g乳酸,试验Ⅲ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g复合脂肪酸/乳酸(质量比为1∶1),分析探讨了复合脂肪酸和乳酸对奶牛粪尿、氮、总磷排泄量和CH4释放量的影响.结果表明,相比对照组,试验Ⅲ组1头奶牛1年CH4释放量减少30.64 kg,粪尿、氮、总磷排泄量分别减少1.43 t、28.32 kg和2.36 kg,标准乳(FCM)提高3.28%.在奶牛饲料中添加乳酸和复合脂肪酸的混合酸,能有效抑制奶牛对土壤、水体及空气的污染,显著提高奶牛的生态效益和经济效益.     

A method for determination of methyl chloride concentration in air trapped in ice cores

A method for measuring the concentration of methyl chloride (CH3Cl) in air trapped in an ice core was developed. The method combines the air extraction by milling the ice core samples under vacuum and the analysis of the extracted air with a cryogenic preconcentration/gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry system. The method was applied to air from Antarctic ice core samples estimated to have been formed in the pre-industrial and/or early industrial periods. The overall precision of the method deduced from duplicate ice core analyses was estimated to be better than +/-20 pptv. The measured CH3Cl concentration of 528+/-26 pptv was similar to the present-day concentration in the remote atmosphere as well as the CH3Cl concentration over the past 300 years obtained from Antarctic firn air and ice core analyses.     

Separation of plastic mixtures using liquid-fluidized bed technology

Separation of heavier-than-water plastic mixtures had been investigated via the fluidization of their packed beds induced by an upward flow of water. The samples examined were resin pellets and crushed plastic products including PVC, PET and PBT. On the onset of a flow, a mixed bed was swelled to the state of fluidization and separated into layers of respective resins depending on their density. The effects of the flow rate, an amount of the samples and their density difference were examined on the separation of resin pellets. Under an appropriate condition, the process was completed within a few minutes, and satisfactory separation was attained when the density difference of the samples exceeded 0.05 g cm-3. By using a column equipped with several sample outlets sorted resins could be recovered with their purity intact by withdrawing each layer successively from above through a suitable outlet. Multi-stage separation was also found to be effective in treating close-density samples. Compared with uniform-sized resin pellets, size distribution of crushed plastic samples deteriorated the separation to some extent.     

Airborne hydrophilic microplastics in cloud water at high altitudes and their role in cloud formation

Microplastic pollution is occurring in most ecosystem, yet their presence in high altitude clouds and their influence on cloud formation and climate change are poorly known. Here we analyzed microplastics in cloud water sampled at the summits of Japan mountains at 1300–3776 m altitude by attenuated total reflection imaging and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We observed nine microplastics including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyamide 6, polycarbonate, ethylene–propylene copolymer or polyethylene–polypropylene alloy, polyurethane, and epoxy resin. Microplastic were fragmented, with mean concentrations ranging from 6.7 to 13.9 pieces per liter, and with Feret diameters ranging from 7.1 to 94.6 μm. Microplastics bearing hydrophilic groups such as carbonyl and/or hydroxyl groups were abundant, suggesting that they might have acted as condensation nuclei of cloud ice and water. Overall, our finding suggest that high-altitude microplastics cloud influence cloud formation and, in turn, might modify the climate.

     

土壤和沉积物中痕量元素的ICP质谱法测定

人们对环境中污染物 (特别是重金属 )的“安全”水平的关注与日俱增 ,要分析的元素更多 ,浓度更低 ,从而暴露出当前所用分析技术的局限性 ,需要进一步提高分析方法的灵敏度和可分析的元素数量 .尽管ＧＦＡＡＳ (石墨炉原子吸收光谱 )和ＩＣＰ ＯＥＳ (感耦等离子体发射光谱 )仍是环境元素分析中最常用的技术 ,但ＩＣＰ ＭＳ (等离子体质谱 )是具有更高灵敏度的分析技术 ,不久肯定会被普遍接受 .ＨＰ 4 50 0台式ＩＣＰ质谱仪具有实际惯常分析应用所必需的可靠性和易于操作 ,可进行亚ｎｇ·ｍｌ- 1级 (ｐｐｂ)浓度水平的多元素快速分析 .本篇…     

Variation in lipid classes during the molting cycle of the prawn Penaeus japonicus

The variation in the concentration and fatty acid composition of lipid classes during the molting cycle of the prawn Penaeus japonicus was investigated. The lipid concentration of the whole body reached a maximum at mid-premolt (Stage D₂) and then decreased to low level at late premolt (Stage D_3–4). The accumulation of lipids during the premolt period seemed to be attributable to the increase of both polar and neutral lipids. The increase of neutral lipids at Stage D₂ was derived from not only triglycerides but also free sterols and free fatty acids. Regarding the fatty acid composition of every lipid class, a marked variation occurred mainly at the intermolt (Stage C). In this stage, the polar lipids were rich in monoenoic acids such as 18:1 and poor in polyenoic acids such as 20:53 and 22:63. The triglycerides were rich in polyenoic acids at Stage C, but poor in monoenoic acids such as 16:1 and 18:1. The steryl esters contained large amounts of saturated acids such as 16:0 and 18:0 throughout the molting cycle, however the level of polyenoic acids increased at Stage C.     

Analysis of running child pedestrians impacted by a vehicle using rigid-body models and optimization techniques

Lack of information from vehicle-to-child pedestrian impacts provides considerable challenges when developing vehicle countermeasures for the pediatric population. Crash reconstructions of real-world incidents provide useful information about the vehicle damage and injury outcome but do not permit definitive and quantitative measures of the impact severity given the high level of uncertainty in the initial conditions of the pedestrian and the vehicle prior the impact. This paper develops an advanced methodology for reconstructing child pedestrian–vehicle impacts that combines the crash data with multi-body simulations and optimization techniques for identifying the pedestrian posture and vehicle speed prior to impact. For the child pedestrian posture, a continuous sequence of the running gait was developed based on the literature data and simulations. Using vehicle damage information from an actual child pedestrian crash, an objective function was developed that minimized the difference between vehicle and pedestrian contact points for the simulated child postures, pedestrian, and vehicle speeds. Simulated annealing and genetic optimization algorithms were used to identify sets of potential solutions for the pedestrian and vehicle initial conditions. Local minimums were observed for several response surfaces of the objective function which shows the non-convex nature of the crash reconstruction optimization problem with the chosen objective function. Based on the results of the real-world reconstruction, this study indicates that numerical simulations coupled with heuristic optimization algorithms can be used to reconstruct child pedestrian and vehicle pre-impact conditions.