Effects of Zr substitution on soot combustion over cubic fluorite-structured nanoceria: Soot-ceria contact and interfacial oxygen evolution

Ceria is widely used as a catalyst for soot combustion, but effects of Zr substitution on the reaction mechanism is ambiguous. The present work elucidates effects of Zr substitution on soot combustion over cubic fluorite-structured nanoceria. The nanostructured CeO₂, Ce_0.92Zr_0.08O₂, and Ce_0.84Zr_0.16O₂ composed of 5–6 nm crystallites display T_m-CO2 (the temperature at maximum CO₂ yield) at 383, 355, and 375°C under 10 vol.% O₂/N₂, respectively. The size of agglomerate decreases from 165.5 to 51.9–57.3 nm, which is beneficial for the soot-ceria contact. Moreover, Zr increases the amount of surface oxygen vacancies, generating more active oxygen (O₂^? and O^?) for soot oxidation. Thus, the activities of Ce_0.92Zr_0.08O₂ and Ce_0.84Zr_0.16O₂ in soot combustion are better than that of CeO₂. Although oxygen vacancies promote the migration of lattice O^2?, the enriched surface Zr also inhibits the mobility of lattice O^2?. Therefore, the T_m-CO2 of Ce_0.84Zr_0.16O₂ is higher than that of Ce_0.92Zr_0.08O₂. Based on reaction kinetic study, soot in direct contact with ceria preferentially decomposes with low activation energy, while the oxidation of isolated soot occurs through diffusion with high activation energy. The obtained findings provide new understanding on the soot combustion over nanoceria.     

上海市PM2.5的物理化学特征及其生物活性研究

采集了上海市区和郊区春季和夏季的大气PM2.5样品,分析了市区和郊区春夏2季PM2.5质量浓度变化的规律,使用PIXE(Proton Induced X-ray Emission)分析技术获得S、K、Ca、Ti、Cr、Mn、Fe、Ni、Cu、Zn、As、Se、Br、Sr、Pb等15种元素的质量浓度.结果表明,上海PM2.5中化学元素的质量浓度在春季(5038.6ng·m-3)比在夏季(3810.6ng·m-3)高,春季郊区(2528.9ng·m-3)和市区(2509.7ng·m-3)PM2.5中化学元素的质量浓度相当,夏季市区样品(1674.2ng·m-3)中化学元素质量浓度的总量比郊区(2136.3 ng·m-3)的低,但来自人为污染的化学元素(Cr、Mn、Ti、Ni、Cu、Zn、As、Br、Sr、Pb)在市区PM2.5中的含量较高;场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)分析显示,上海PM2.5主要由烟尘集合体、燃煤飞灰、矿物颗粒、生物质颗粒和不明物质组成,质粒DNA评价揭示上海市区PM2.5比郊区的具有更强的生物活性,主要原因可能在于市区样品中含有较高的重金属元素和较多的烟尘集合体.     

硫酸铵气溶胶对甲苯-NOx-空气体系光化学反应的影响

利用大气模拟烟雾箱,研究了硫酸铵气溶胶对甲苯-NOx-空气体系光化学反应的影响.结果表明,硫酸铵作为气溶胶种子,其存在可以加快反应过程中颗粒物(particle matter,PM)的生成速度,并提高甲苯的气溶胶产率.在高浓度的硫酸铵气溶胶种子条件下,其初始浓度对反应过程中NOx、NO和O3的浓度变化没有明显的影响,但对二次有机气溶胶(secondary organic aemsol,SOA)的生成有显著影响.在硫酸铵气溶胶种子浓度小于160 μg·m-3时,SOA的产率随初始气溶胶种子浓度的增大而增大,从最小7.2%到最大11.7%,其增幅超过60%.     

MR imaging of the fetal musculoskeletal system

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appears to be increasingly used, in addition to standard ultrasonography for the diagnosis of abnormalities in utero. Previous studies have recently drawn attention to the technical refinement of MRI to visualize the fetal bones and muscles. Beyond commonly used T2-weighted MRI, echoplanar, thick-slab T2-weighted and dynamic sequences, and three-dimensional MRI techniques, are about to provide new imaging insights into the normal and the pathological musculoskeletal system of the fetus. This review emphasizes the potential significance of MRI in the visualization of the fetal musculoskeletal system. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

非点源污染河流的水环境容量估算和分配

通过河流相应集水区内氮磷的各污染源分析(包括农地、畜禽养殖和生活排污等),利用输出系数模型估算各非点源的氮磷投(排)放量和入河量;采用河段氮磷输入-输出平衡关系分析方法,估算河流对氮磷的每月自净量.以此为基础,参照水功能区划所要求的水质目标,提出了水质未超标河段相应集水区的氮磷剩余水环境容量按月估算模型,和水质超标河段相应集水区内氮磷投放削减量的按月估算模型,及其在各污染源之间的分配方案.结果表明,长乐江的总氮和总磷自净量分别达到775.9 t·a^-1和30.9 t·a^-1,自净率分别为28.8%和51.2%.河流对氮磷的自净量不仅受水文生态条件的影响而表现出较大的季节性变化,而且随着污染负荷量本身的增加而提高.按照水功能区划中Ⅲ类水的水质要求,长乐江总氮含量全年超标;各非点源的总氮投(排)放量均须不同程度的削减,削减总量应达到1 581.0　t;氮源削减量分配结果表明,化肥是应削减的最大氮源,要求在河流相应集水区内的化肥氮投放削减量为1 047.4 t·a^-1;而与各种氮源的投排放现状相比,要求削减比例最高的是畜禽养殖的氮排放量,达32.4%.长乐江流域尚有一定的总磷剩余水环境容量(2 335.7 t·a^-1).根据目标水质要求,平水期是各污染源总氮投放需要削减的量最大的时期,丰水期则是总磷剩余水环境容量最小的时期.     

Twelve years of assessing the quality of preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders

Objective

Genomics Quality Assessment has provided external quality assessments (EQAs) for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for 12 years for eight monogenic diseases to identify sub-optimal PGT strategies, testing and reporting of results, which can be shared with the genomics community to aid optimised standards of PGT services for couples.

Method

The EQAs were provided in two stages to mimic end-to-end protocols. Stage 1 involved DNA feasibility testing of a couple undergoing PGT and affected proband. Participants were required to report genotyping results and outline their embryo testing strategy. Lymphoblasts were distributed for mock embryo testing for stage 2. Submitted clinical reports and haplotyping results were assessed against peer-ratified criteria. Performance was monitored to identify poor performance.

Results

The most common testing methodology was short tandem repeat linkage analysis (59%); however, the adoption of single nucleotide polymorphism-based platforms was observed and a move from blastomere to trophectoderm testing. There was a variation in testing strategies, assigning marker informativity and understanding test limitations, some clinically unsafe. Critical errors were reported for genotyping and interpretation.

Conclusion

EQA provides an overview of the standard of preimplantation genetic testing-M clinical testing and identifies areas of improvement for accurate detection of high-risk embryos.