An experiment on the ability of free-ranging turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) to locate carrion by chemical cues

((without abstract.))     

Effects of exogenous acylated homoserine lactones on biofilms in biofilters for gaseous toluene treatment

● Biofilm formation was enhanced by exogenous AHLs. ● EPS production and microbial adhesive strength of biofilm were promoted. ● Exogenous AHLs improved the performance of biofilters treating toluene. Biofilters are typical biofilm reactors, and they usually have poor biofilm formation resulting in limited reactor performance. Exogenous acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) can enhance biofilm formation in many bioreactors based on quorum sensing regulation. However, their effect on biofilm in biofilters utilized for volatile organic compound (VOC) removal is unknown and needs to be investigated. In this study, the effects of the exogenous AHLs on biofilters for gaseous toluene removal were investigated. Analysis of biofilms in biofilters showed that the addition of exogenous AHLs considerably enhanced biofilm growth; the average biofilm concentration increased by 18%. Furthermore, the average biofilm coverage proportions in biofilters with and without exogenous AHLs were 17 % and 13 %, respectively, demonstrating the positive effect of exogenous AHLs on biofilm coverage. In particular, exogenous AHLs promoted the production of extracellular polymeric substances and the microbial adhesive strength of the biofilm. In addition, the exogenous AHLs showed no significant effect on the gaseous toluene removal efficiency of the biofilter. These results show that exogenous AHLs can enhance biofilm formation and can guide the application of exogenous AHLs in VOC biofilters.     

Geochemical evidence of pollutants from coalfired generating stations in late Pleistocene palaeosols in the Dalijia Shan,northwestern China

Surface palaeosols in two tills and a diamicton from an area in northwestern China were analysed for geochemical pollutants. Elevated levels of Br, As and Sb indicate that pollution from coal-burning and/or coal-fired electricity generating stations is delivered by aeolian transport into palaeosols dating from the last glaciation. Because the climate in the field area is sub-humid (precipitation <760 mm) the relative movement of soluble elements in palaeosols dating from early and late stades of the last glaciation is not expected to be high. The glacial and aeolian parent materials of the palaeosols indicate differences that are probably related to their source areas and to the incorporation of geochemical pollutants.     

Use of inert C&D materials for seawall foundation: quality control measures

The technical viability of using inert construction and demolition (C&D) materials for the construction of seawall and breakwater foundations has been established by laboratory testing of the materials, numerical analysis of foundation stability, and a pilot field-scale engineering performance evaluation. However, quality control measures are still required so that only suitable materials are used for seawall and breakwater foundation construction. The development of different quality control measures for different site conditions is presented in this paper. The rationale, practicality, and implementation of these quality control measures are also discussed.     

Nanocomposites of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals

Nanocrystals were prepared by acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose microfibrils. These were topochemically trimethylsilylated, in an attempt to reduce their hydrophilicity. Composites were made by dispersing either native or silylated crystals in cellulose acetatebutyrate matrixes and solution casting of the dispersions. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The composites were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The unmodified cellulose crystals exhibited better reinforcement characteristics than the trimethylsilated crystals.     

Behavior of an MBT waste in monotonic triaxial shear tests

Legislation in some parts of the world now requires municipal solid waste (MSW) to be processed prior to landfilling to reduce its biodegradability and hence its polluting potential through leachate and fugitive emission of greenhouse gases. This pre-processing may be achieved through what is generically termed mechanical–biological-treatment (MBT). One of the major concerns relating to MBT wastes is that the strength of the material may be less than for raw MSW, owing to the removal of sheet, stick and string-like reinforcing elements during processing. Also, the gradual increase in mobilized strength over strains of 30% or so commonly associated with unprocessed municipal solid waste may not occur with treated wastes. This paper describes a series of triaxial tests carried out to investigate the stress–strain–strength characteristics of an MBT waste, using a novel digital image analysis technique for the determination of detailed displacement fields over the whole specimen. New insights gained into the mechanical behavior of MBT waste include the effect of density on the stress–strain response, the initial 1-D compression of lightly consolidated specimens, and the likely reinforcing effect of small sheet like particles remaining in the waste.     

2003年夏秋季大气环流异常对西北地区降水的影响

根据2003年6～10月西北地区118站逐日降水资料,对该地区、该时段的大气环流及其对该地区降水的影响进行了分析研究.     

基于模糊贴近度的岩溶塌陷易发性研究

在综合分析岩溶塌陷特点及其影响因素的基础上,参考大量实例及专家意见,结合模糊贴近度理论,建立了岩溶塌陷易发性评价模型.在模型的建立过程中,讨论了岩溶塌陷评价指标隶属度的计算,使用层次分析法确定了各评价指标的权重.以武山铜矿区上屋周地段岩溶塌陷评价为实例,利用模型分别对该地段目前和1994年的岩溶塌陷易发性进行了评价,并进行了对比,评价结果与实际情况基本一致.利用武山铜矿区多个已发生岩溶塌陷的地段对方法进行了验证,并对整个碳酸岩覆盖区域进行评价,均表明该评价模型效果良好.所提基于模糊贴近度的岩溶塌陷易发性评价模型原理直观,计算方法简单、快速、实用,为岩溶塌陷易发性评价提供了新的思路和方法.     

1960年代以来西北地区暴雨气候变化特征

为了揭示西北地区暴雨的时空演变特征,利用该地区109个站44年（1961—2004年）的日降水资料,采用小波分析等方法研究了该地区暴雨的气候变化。研究指出,西北地区平均每年有40站次的暴雨;暴雨频次最少的地方在中西部,最多的地方在东部;4—11月都可能出现暴雨,其中6—9月占93．1％。暴雨开始和结束的时间年际差异较大,最早可发生在4月初,最迟到7月中旬发生;最早8月初结束,最迟11月中旬结束。区域性暴雨平均每年发生4．7场次,主要发生在6—9月;第一场区域性暴雨平均日期为7月2日,最早出现在4月初,最迟在9月下旬;最后一场区域性暴雨平均日期为8月31日,最早结束于6月中旬,最迟结束于10月中旬。     

Passive scalar roughness lengths for atmospheric boundary layer flow over complex, fractal topographies

When modeling atmospheric boundary layer flow over rough landscapes, surface fluxes of flow quantities (momentum, temperature, etc.) can be described with equilibrium logarithmic law expressions, all of which require specification of a roughness length that is, physically, the elevation at which the flow quantity equals its surface value. In high Reynolds number flows, such as the atmospheric boundary layer, inertial forces associated with turbulent eddy motions are responsible for surface momentum fluxes (form, or pressure drag). Surface scalar fluxes, on the other hand, occur exclusively via diffusion in the immediate vicinity of the topography—the interfacial region—before being advected by turbulent eddy motions into the bulk of the flow. Owing to this difference in surface transfer mechanism, the passive scalar roughness length, $z_{0S}$ , is known to be less than the momentum roughness length, $z_0$ . In this work, classical relations are used to specify $z_{0S}$ during large-eddy simulation of atmospheric boundary layer flow over aerodynamically rough, synthetic, fractal topographies which exhibit power-law height energy spectrum, $E_h (k) \sim k^{\beta _s}$ , where $\beta _s$ is a (predefined) spectral exponent. These topographies are convenient since they resemble natural landscapes and $\beta _s$ can be varied to change the topography’s aerodynamic roughness (the study considers a suite of topographies with $-2.4 \le \beta _s \le -1.2$ , where $-2.4$ and $-1.2$ are the “most smooth” and “most rough” cases, respectively, corresponding with roughness Reynolds number, $Re_0 \approx 10$ and $300$ ). It is often assumed that $z_{0S}/z_{0} \approx 10^{-1}$ for all $Re_0$ . But results from this work show that the roughness length ratio, $z_{0S}/z_{0}$ , depends strongly on $Re_0$ , ranging between $10^{-3}$ and $10^{-1}$ .