Reducing bioassay variability by identifying sources of variation and controlling key parameters in assay protocol

Reducing bioassay variability by identifying sources of variation and controlling important parameters in assay protocol was demonstrated in this study. The variability of a bioassay based on a luminescent bacterium was examined as an example. This assay involved the growth of cells, storage at a low temperature, activation, and exposure to a test sample, and the assay response was bioluminescence inhibition. After determining that measurement error was small and negligible, the total assay variability was decomposed in an initial variance components study into between-batch, between-vial, and between-tube variations. Results indicated that between-vial variations accounted for the majority of the total observed variability and that reducing this type of variation would be beneficial. Five parameters in the assay protocol were determined as factors that potentially affected assay variability significantly. A split-plot design was employed to investigate the effects of these factors and some of their interactions on the assay response. One of the five factors, i.e., activation temperature, turned out to have a significant effect. The variance components study was repeated with better control of activation temperature as well as other parameters. Results indicated that the total variability of the bioassay was reduced by approximately 85%.     

湿热法处理实现厨余垃圾饲料化的研究

探索了湿热法工艺处理厨余垃圾并将其饲料化的可行性.实验表明,湿热法处理可以在满足消毒杀菌的同时,降低厨余原料中的高油脂含量和高含盐量,调节营养成分,实现物化性状的均一.经湿热法处理后的厨余垃圾的饲用价值得到明显改善,可作为良好的饲料原料,同时可回收利用油脂.总之,湿热法工艺可实现厨余垃圾的无害化、减量化和资源化处理,对于消除环境污染、缓解我国饲料原料紧张及资源回收利用等方面有着显著的环境效益、社会效益和经济效益,具有重要的现实意义.     

Effect of pH on phosphine production and the fate of phosphorus during anaerobic process with granular sludge

The effect of pH on phosphine formation during anaerobic cultivation of granular sludge was investigated. The sludge was taken from full-scale anaerobic reactors treating brewery wastewater. Acetate and phosphate were used as the carbon source and phosphorus source respectively. After 10 days cultivation in the dark, results showed that acidic conditions were more favorable for free phosphine production. At pH 5, the optimum concentration 86.42 ng PH3 m-3 of free phosphine was obtained. The level at pH 7 was reduced to 18.53 ng PH3 m-3, about 1/5 of the maximum. The maximum concentration of matrix-bound phosphine of 3.30 ng PH3 kg-1 wet sludge was achieved at pH 6. More than 83% of the total phosphine was matrix-bound phosphine, which accounted for 0.003-0.009 per thousand of the phosphate removal, while free phosphine comprised 0.00002-0.001 per thousand of the phosphate removal. Most of the phosphorus removal from solution was turned into chemical precipitation or was adsorbed by sludge. The mechanism of the phosphate reduction-step in the formation of phosphine production is still unknown. The promotion of phosphine formation by low pH is compatible with an acidic bio-corrosion mechanism of metal particles in the sludge or of metal phosphides which form phosphine at low pH.     

Comparison of vehicle exhaust emissions from modified diesel fuels

Three diesel fuels, one oil sand-derived (OSD) diesel serving as base fuel, one cetane-enhanced base fuel, and one oxygenate [diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DEDM)]-blended base fuel, were tested for their emission characterizations in vehicle exhaust on a light-duty diesel truck that reflects the engine technology of the 1994 North American standard. Both the cetane-enhanced and the oxygenate-blended fuels were able to reduce regulated [CO, particulate matter (PM), total hydrocarbon (THC)] and nonregulated [polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbonyls, and other volatile organic chemicals] emissions, except for nitrogen oxides (NO(x)), compared with the base fuel. Although burning a fuel that contains oxygen could conceivably yield more oxygenated compounds in emissions, the oxygenate-blended diesel fuel resulted in reduced emissions of formaldehyde along with hydrocarbons such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and PAHs. Reductions in nitro-PAH emissions have been observed in both the cetane-enhanced and oxygenated fuels. This further demonstrates the benefits of using a cetane enhancer and the oxygenated fuel component.     

Simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxide/nitrogen dioxide/sulfur dioxide from gas streams by combined plasma scrubbing technology

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) [nitrogen oxide (NO) + nitrogen dioxide (NO2)] and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are removed individually in traditional air pollution control technologies. This study proposes a combined plasma scrubbing (CPS) system for simultaneous removal of SO2 and NOx. CPS consists of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and wet scrubbing in series. DBD is used to generate nonthermal plasmas for converting NO to NO2. The water-soluble NO2 then can be removed by wet scrubbing accompanied with SO2 removal. In this work, CPS was tested with simulated exhausts in the laboratory and with diesel-generator exhausts in the field. Experimental results indicate that DBD is very efficient in converting NO to NO2. More than 90% removal of NO, NOx, and SO2 can be simultaneously achieved with CPS. Both sodium sulfide (Na2S) and sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) scrubbing solutions are good for NO2 and SO2 absorption. Energy efficiencies for NOx and SO2 removal are 17 and 18 g/kWh, respectively. The technical feasibility of CPS for simultaneous removal of NO, NO2, and SO2 from gas streams is successfully demonstrated in this study. However, production of carbon monoxide as a side-product (approximately 100 ppm) is found and should be considered.     

灾害学本科专业设置与教育模式刍议(一)——以考文垂大学灾害学本科专业设置为例

本文参照英国考文垂大学灾害学本科专业教育特征,结合我国的灾害学本科教育现状,探讨灾害学本科专业教育发展问题。建议在我国的高等教育学科设置体系中,将与灾害相关的学科设置由三级学科提升至二级学科,同时在我国高等院校直接设置与灾害相关的专业。     

沉积物与土壤有机质化学发光分析技术研究

文章提出了一种新的快速、现场分析沉积物和土壤中有机质含量以及组成特征的方法。该方法的提出建立在臭氧与沉积物和土壤中有机质发生氧化反应过程中会产生化学发光现象基础上。研究发现,不同沉积物和土壤样品由于组成结构不同,所产生的化学发光动力学曲线具有明显特异性差异。利用这种差异,通过原理试验样机所获取的样品化学发光动力学曲线,文章针对沉积物和土壤中有机质进行了初步的定量、定性含量研究,并结合现有检测方法,验证了臭氧氧化发光分析方法分析沉积物和土壤中有机质的可行性。根据实验中得到的不同沉积物和土壤样品化学发光动力学曲线具有很大信息差异的现象,进一步提出了建立沉积物和土壤中有机质特征编码"有机质指纹"的概念。     

铁碳微电解法预处理染料废水的研究

采用铁碳微电解法对颜料的实际生产废水进行降解研究。结果表明,pH值为3,铁碳比为1：2,反应时间120 min,曝气的条件下,染料废水的处理效果最好,色度去除达到80%以上,COD的去除率也超过50%以上,可生化性由0.21提高到0.43。     

光纤光栅感温火灾探测及报警系统在原油库的应用

1光纤光栅感温火灾探测系统 1．1光纤光栅测温原理 光纤光栅测温法是美国联合技术研究中心于1989年提出的。它是将温度测量和信息传输分开,利用光栅探头测温,采用一般光纤进行信息传输,光栅探头和相连的光纤合称光纤光栅测温。光栅是在一块石英玻璃片上以光刻方式,刻以一系列等宽间距的平行狭缝即条纹