On the contested nature of place: ‘Figuera’s Well’, ‘The Hole of Shame’ and the ideological struggle over public space in Barcelona

This paper explores some of the discursive practices through which the place meanings are formulated, warranted and, above all, contested. Drawing particularly on the work of the social psychologist Michael Billig, we present a rhetorical analysis of newspaper reports and interview accounts about the ‘development’ of a contested public space in Barcelona, known locally both as Figuera’s Well and the Hole of Shame. This analysis explores a number of rhetorically opposed constructions of the nature, purpose and appropriate beneficiaries of this place, whose implications are discussed both within the context of local power struggles and within the context of wider ideological struggles over the nature of public spaces in Barcelona. We argue that a rhetorical perspective reveals how practices of attributing meaning and value to places are often more conflict-ridden, action-oriented, and politically-charged than is implied by much research in environmental psychology. Relatedly, we argue that environmental psychologists need to complement a ‘weak’ conception of the role of conflict in the formation of public space (focused on subjective differences in environmental tastes, preferences and values) with a ‘strong’ conception of the role of conflict (focused on ideological struggles over access, equality and inclusion).     

煤矿企业安全风险集成管理系统及其ANP测评模型研究

为了帮助煤矿企业科学地评价其安全风险集成管理水平和不断提高安全风险管理能力,通过采用问卷调查、实地走访和理论演绎等方法,提出以全过程、全要素和全员安全风险管理为目标,风险管理为过程,组织保障、管理机制、管理方法、资源投入、人员能力和安全文化为要素的煤矿安全风险集成管理系统,并基于网络分析法(ANP)建立煤矿企业安全风险集成管理水平测评模型,同时结合对某煤矿集团的相关问卷调查数据,对该测评模型的有效性和合理性进行检验。     

基于FT与BCCT的采油管柱落井事故溯源

针对采油管柱落井事故原因多且复杂的问题,基于FT与BCCT对采油管柱落井事故进行溯源分析。通过建立采油管柱落井事故树(FT)计算最小割集,绘制等效事故树;结合博德事故因果连锁理论(BCCT)确定直接原因、间接原因,在此基础上追溯其根本原因。结果表明:造成采油管柱落井事故的直接原因是油管挂断裂、油管断裂、修井队操作失误、卡瓦故障;间接原因是油管挂或新油管或丝扣或卡瓦质量差、油管挂或油管长期服役、修井频繁、操作不稳、解卡不当、起下钻操作不当、对扣作业不当、设备失灵、卡瓦磨损严重、卡瓦操作失误;根本原因是与管理相关的产品采购、校准、检验、试验过程管理不当,缺少寿命预测或设备更新改造不合理,人员的培训不足或考核不合格,未制定合理的设备检验维修计划。最后通过钻井现场实例分析,说明管理缺陷对采油管柱落井事故发生的影响。     

Decomposition of carboxymethyl cellulose based on nano-knife principle

The traditional degradation of organic pollutants is based on the sacrifice of chemical or biological reagents. In this study, a purely physical technique was developed to break the chemical bonds and consequently decompose macromolecules in aqueous solution. Assisted with a high-speed mechanical blade, refined quartz sand grains with particularly sharp nanoscale edges can act as ‘nano-knives', which are able to cut the long chain of carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC, as a model molecule). High performance size exclusion chromatography measurements evidenced that the original CMC molecules(41,000 Da) were decomposed into a series of smaller molecules(460, 1000, 2200, 21,000, 27,000 and 31,000 Da). Consequently, the initial viscosity of the CMC solution(2 g/L) rapidly decreased by approximately 50% after 3 min treatment by the nano-knife materials along with the mechanical blade. Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectra indicated that the original functional groups were still present and new functional groups were not produced after shearing. The intensity of the main functional groupβ-1-4-glycosidic bond(wavenumber 1062 cm-1) was observed to markedly decrease after shearing. These results indicated that the long-chain CMC was cleaved into short-chain CMC. A degradation mechanism was proposed whereby the cutting force generated by the rapid motion of the nano-knives may be responsible for the breakage of β-1-4-glycosidic bonds in the macromolecular cellulose backbone. These results provide support for a potentially more affordable and environment-friendly strategy for physical-based decomposition of recalcitrant organic pollutants from aqueous solution without the need of chemical or biological reagents.     

Co-composting of fresh tobacco leaves and soil: an exploration on the utilization of fresh tobacco waste in farmland

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A large amount of fresh tobacco waste with high water content are produced in farmland, and it may cause environmental pollution if it is not properly...     

Preparation and performance of a biological dust suppressant based on the synergistic effect of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation and surfactant

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To control the dust pollution caused by open-pit coal mining and reduce or avoid the secondary hazards of existing dust suppressants to the...     

Size-dependent biological effect of copper oxide nanoparticles exposure on cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have received considerable attention for their toxic effects on crops and potential application in agriculture. In order to investigate the biological effects of CuO NPs on plants, we exposed cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to two sizes of CuO NPs (510 nm, μCuO and 43 nm, nCuO). Results indicated that with concentration increased, the available Cu content in soil increased significantly. The addition of CuO NPs increased Cu content and other nutrient element (e.g., K, P, Mn, and Zn) content in plants. However, diverse particle sizes had different effects. The nCuO treatment had larger translocation factor, higher nutrient element content in fruits, and lower oxidative damage than μCuO treatment. Moreover, nCuO of 100 mg/kg could stimulate cucumber growth, while μCuO had no obvious effects on growth. Conclusively, CuO NPs could be used as copper fertilizer to supply copper to cucumber. The nCuO had better effects on improving the bioavailability of Cu and nutritional value of fruits. These results can help develop strategies for safe disposal of CuO NPs as agricultural fertilizer.

     

Total Factor Productivity Change in the New England Groundfish Fishery: 1964–1993

We develop estimates of total factor productivity (TFP) change in the New England groundfish fishery from 1964 to 1993, using a procedure similar to Squires' (1992, Rand J. Econom.23(2), 221–236) method, which extends standard TFP measurement by including the effect of fluctuations in stock abundance. The results indicate that TFP increased on average by 4.4% per year from 1964 to 1993. A higher average rate of increase occurred between 1964 and 1982, possibly due to new technologies (e.g., fishfinders). TFP declined at 0.33% annually from 1983 to 1993 due to stringent output and effort control measures.