BP网络应用于大气环境监测点的优选

为了对大气环境监测点进行优化选择 ,以大气质量分级标准为训练样本 ,构造BP网络进行训练 ,用训练好的BP网络对某地的大气环境监测采样点进行了优选 ,并与物元分析法优选结果进行比较。结果表明 ,BP网络用于环境测点优选具有较好的客观性和应用性     

Production of laccase by Coriolus versicolor and its application in decolorization of dyestuffs: (Ⅱ) Decolorization of dyes by laccase containing fermentation broth with or without self-immobilized mycelia

The capability of decolorization for commercial dyes by Coriolus versicolur fermentation broth containing laccase with or without immobilized mycelium was evaluated.With cell-free fermentation broth containing laccase,high decolorization ratio was achieved for acid orange 7,but not for the other dyes concerned.The immobilized mycelium was proved to be more efficient than the cell-free system.All the four dyestuffs studied were found being decolourized with certain extent by immobilized mycelium.The repeated-batch decolorization was carried out with satisfactory results.The experimental data showed that the continuous decolorization of wastewater from a printing and dyeing industry was possible by using self-immobilized C.Versicolor.     

Sustainable resource management coupled to resilient germplasm to provide new intensive cereal–grain–legume–livestock systems in the dry savanna

Sustainable resource management is the critical agricultural research and development challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. The accumulated knowledge on soil management gathered over the last 10 years, combined with solid crop improvement and plant health research at farmers’ level, has brought us to a stage where we can now address with confidence the intensification of cereal–grain–legume-based cropping systems in the dry savanna of West Africa in a sustainable and environmentally positive manner.Two sustainable farming systems that greatly enhance the productivity and sustainability of integrated livestock systems have been developed and implemented in the dry savanna of Nigeria. These are: (i) maize (Zea mays L.)–promiscuous soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations that combine high nitrogen fixation and the ability to kill large numbers of Striga hermonthica seeds in the soil; and (ii) miflet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaerth] and dual-purpose cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. Improvement of the cropping systems in the dry savanna has been driven by the adoption of promiscuously nodulating soybean varieties (in particular TGx 1448-2E) and dual-purpose cowpea. The rate of adoption is very high, even in the absence of an efficient seed distribution system. The number of farmers cultivating the improved varieties increased by 228% during the last 3 years. Increased production of promiscuous soybean has been stimulated by increased demand from industries and home utilization. Production in Nigeria was estimated at 405,000 t in 1999 compared to less than 60,000 t in 1984. Economic analysis of these systems shows already an increase of 50–70% in the gross incomes of adopting farmers compared to those still following the current practices, mainly continuous maize cultivation. Furthermore, increases in legume areas of 10% in Nigeria (about 30,000 ha in the northern Guinea savanna) and increases of 20% in yield have translated into additional fixed nitrogen valued annually at US$ 44 million. This reflects, at the same time, an equivalent increase in land-use productivity, and with further spread of the improved crops, there are excellent prospects for additional economic and environmental benefits from a very large recommendation domain across West Africa.     

Inter and intra-population variation in shoaling and boldness in the zebrafish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>)

Population differences in anti-predator behaviour have been demonstrated in several species, although less is known about the genetic basis of these traits. To determine the extent of genetic differences in boldness (defined as exploration of a novel object) and shoaling within and between zebrafish (Danio rerio) populations, and to examine the genetic basis of shoaling behaviour in general, we carried out a study that involved laboratory-raised fish derived from four wild-caught populations. Controlling for differences in rearing environment, significant inter-population differences were found in boldness but not shoaling. A larger shoaling experiment was also performed using one of the populations as the basis of a North Carolina type II breeding design (174 fish in total) to estimate heritability of shoaling tendency. A narrow-sense heritability estimate of 0.40 was obtained, with no apparent dominance effects.     

The effect of heating temperature of thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) optical waste glass as a partial substitute partial for clay in eco-brick

In order to fulfill the current WEEE directives, the traditional approach to manage thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) waste glass is inadequate. It is a serious opportunity to achieve resource conservation, reduction, stabilization and safety of management of TFT-LCD in the near future. To assist in achieving these goals, this study investigated the sintering characteristics and material properties of TFT-LCD waste glass, which can be pulverized and ground and subsequently blended with clay, at various substitution levels (0–40%) and finally fired from 800 °C to 1000 °C to make eco-brick. The brick thus produced was analyzed to determine variations in weight losses on ignition, 24-h absorption, bulk density, shrinkage, compressive strength and microstructure changes. The results for specific gravity, water adsorption, and compressive strength revealed that bricks made from mixtures containing TFT-LCD waste glass met the general requirements for bricks. The advantages of less water absorption, less weight loss on ignition, and a gain in compressive strength in the clay-TFT-LCD waste glass bricks should encourage the use of TFT-LCD waste glass as a brick additive.     

Toxic metals in sewage sludge-amended soils: has promotion of beneficial use discounted the risks?

Land application of contaminated waste products has been defended as beneficial use by some scientists and regulators, based on the premise that the behavior of any toxins accumulated in soils from this practice is reasonably well understood and will not have detrimental agronomic or environmental impacts into the foreseeable future. In this review, I use the case of toxic metals in sewage sludges applied to agricultural land to illustrate that metal behavior in soils and plant uptake is difficult to generalize because it is strongly dependent on the nature of the metal, sludge, soil properties and crop. Nevertheless, permitted agricultural loadings of toxic metals from sewage sludges are typically regulated using the sole criterion of total metal loading or concentrations in soils. Several critical generalizing assumptions about the behavior of sludge-borne metals in soil-crop systems, built into the US EPA risk assessment for metals, have tended to underestimate risks and are shown not to be well justified by published research. It is argued that, in the absence of a basic understanding of metal behavior in each specific situation, a more precautionary approach to toxic metal additions to soils is warranted.