Assessment and Evaluation of an Integrated Hybrid Anaerobic–Aerobic Sewage Treatment System for the Removal of Enteric Viruses

The capability of a cost-effective and a small size decentralized pilot wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to remove enteric viruses such as rotavirus, norovirus genogroup I (GGI), norovirus genogroup II (GGII), Hepatitis E virus (HEV), and adenovirus was studied. This pilot plant is an integrated hybrid anaerobic/aerobic setup which consisted of anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB), biological aerated filter (BAF), and inclined plate settler (IPS). Both the UASB and BAF are packed with a non-woven polyester fabric (NWPF). Results indicated that the overall log₁₀ reductions of enteric viruses’ genome copies through the whole system were 3.1 ± 1, 3.3 ± 0.5, and 2.6 ± 0.9 log₁₀ for rotavirus, norovirus GGI, and adenovirus, respectively. Reduction efficiency for both norovirus GGII and HEV after the different treatment steps could not be calculated because there were no significant numbers of positive samples for both viruses. The overall reduction of rotavirus infectious units through the whole system was 2.2 ± 0.8 log₁₀ reduction which is very close to the overall log₁₀ reduction of adenovirus infectious units through the whole system which was 2.1 ± 0.8 log₁₀ reduction. There was no considerable difference in the removal efficiency for different rotavirus G and P types. Adenovirus 41 was the only type detected in the all positive samples. Although the pilot WWTP investigated is cost effective, has a small footprint, does not need a long distance network pipes, and easy to operate, its efficiency to remove enteric viruses is comparable with the conventional centralized WWTPs.     

基于实时交通信息的道路机动车动态排放清单模拟研究

以上海市为例开展了实际道路车流分布、行驶工况和车辆技术的实地调查,建立了道路车流、VSP分布和车辆技术数据库.在此基础上,基于实时的车流、车速等交通信息,构建了动态化的道路机动车污染物排放清单模拟方法,并开展了城区典型道路的机动车小时排放模拟案例研究.调查结果表明,上海市城区道路车流以轻型客车和出租车为主,分别占各时段车流总量的48%～72%和15%～43%;VSP分布与平均车速存在较好的规律,各车型VSP峰值随平均车速的上升向高负荷去移动,且峰值逐渐降低;当前上海市车辆以国2和国3车型为主,经过年检站调查结果的校正,国2和国3车型分别占各车型的11%～70%和17%～51%.模拟案例结果显示,道路机动车CO、VOC、NOx和PM日排放峰谷比可达3.7、4.6、9.6和19.8左右,CO和VOC排放主要来自轻型客车和出租车,与车流变化的相关性较好,而NOx和PM排放主要来自重型客车和公交车,且主要集中在早晚高峰时段.采用建立的动态排放模拟方法可实时反映实际道路的机动车排放变化,获取高排放路段和时段,为交通环境管理提供重要的技术手段和决策依据.     

2株降解菲的植物内生细菌筛选及其降解特性

为了获得具有菲降解特性的植物内生细菌,通过选择性富集培养,本研究从多环芳烃污染区植物体内分离得到2株能够降解液体培养基中高浓度菲(200 mg·L-1)的植物内生细菌(菌株P1和P3).经形态观察、生理生化特征鉴定和16S rDNA序列同源性分析,分别将菌株P1和P3鉴定为寡养单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas sp.)和假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas sp.)的细菌.菌株P1和P3均为好氧生长,28℃、150 r·min-1摇床培养7 d,2株菌对无机盐培养基中菲(100 mg·L-1)的降解率均高于90%.条件实验表明,温度20～30℃,pH 6.0～8.0,盐含量0%～4%,装液量10～30 mL(100 mL三角瓶)2菌株生长良好且对菲降解率高于70%.其最适生长和降解温度为30℃,pH为7.0,盐含量≤4%,装液量≤30 mL.综合比较2株菌对菲的降解特性,P1菌株高温耐受性稍强,而P3菌株对环境pH改变和缺氧的耐受性稍强.     

Context dependency and generality of fever in insects

Fever can reduce mortality in infected animals. Yet, despite its fitness-enhancing qualities, fever often varies among animals. We used several approaches to examine this variation in insects. Texas field crickets (Gryllus texensis) exhibited a modest fever (1 °C increase in preferred body temperature, T _pref) after injection of prostaglandin, which putatively mediates fever in both vertebrates and invertebrates, but they did not exhibit fever during chronic exposure to heat-killed bacteria. Further, chronic food limitation and mating status did not affect T _pref or the expression of behavioural fever, suggesting limited context dependency of fever in G. texensis. Our meta-analysis of behavioural fever studies indicated that behavioural fever occurs in many insects, but it is not ubiquitous. Thus, both empirical and meta-analytical results suggest that the fever response in insects ‘is widespread, although certainly not inevitable’ (Moore 2002). We highlight the need for future work focusing on standardizing an experimental protocol to measure behavioural fever, understanding the specific mechanism(s) underlying fever in insects, and examining whether ecological or physiological costs often outweigh the benefits of fever and can explain the sporadic nature of fever in insects.     

Effects of exotic fish farms on bird communities in lake and marine ecosystems

Salmon farming is a widespread activity around the world, also known to promote diverse environmental effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, information regarding the impact of salmon farming on bird assemblages is notably scarce. We hypothesize that salmon farming, by providing food subsidies and physical structures to birds, will change their local community structure. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a seasonal monitoring of bird richness, abundance, and composition at paired salmon pen and control plots in two marine and two lake sites in southern Chile, from fall 2002 to summer 2004. Overall, salmon farming had no significant effects on species richness, but bird abundance was significantly and noticeably higher in salmon pens than in controls. Such aggregation was mainly accounted for by the trophic guilds of omnivores, diving piscivores, carrion eaters, and perching piscivores, but not by invertebrate feeders, herbivores, and surface feeders. Species composition was also significantly and persistently different between salmon pens and controls within each lake or marine locality. The patterns described above remained consistent across environment types and seasons indicating that salmon farming is changing the community structure of birds in both lake and marine habitats by promoting functional and aggregation responses, particularly by favoring species with broader niches. Such local patterns may thus anticipate potential threats from the ongoing expansion of the salmon industry to neighboring areas in Chile, resulting in regional changes of bird communities, toward a less diverse one and dominated by opportunistic, common, and generalist species such as gulls, vultures, and cormorants.     

Bechstein’s bats maintain individual social links despite a complete reorganisation of their colony structure

Several social mammals, including elephants and some primates, whales and bats, live in multilevel societies that form temporary subgroups. Despite these fission–fusion dynamics, group members often maintain long-term bonds. However, it is unclear whether such individual links and the resulting stable social subunits continue to exist after a complete reorganisation of a society, e.g. following a population crash. Here, we employed a weighted network analysis on 7,109 individual roosting records collected over 4 years in a wild Bechstein’s bat colony. We show that, in response to a strong population decline, the colony’s two stable social subunits fused into a non-modular social network. Nevertheless, in the first year after the crash, long-term bonds were still detectable, suggesting that the bats remembered previous individual relationships. Our findings are important for understanding the flexibility of animal societies in the face of dramatic changes and for the conservation of social mammals with declining populations.

     

直接大红4BE的磷钨酸均相光催化还原脱色

以磷钨酸(H3PW12O40,PW12)为光催化剂,异丙醇(Isopropanol)作为电子给体的条件下对偶氮染料直接大红4BE进行均相光催化还原脱色研究,考察PW12用量、IS浓度、直接大红4BE和盐浓度等因素的影响,结果表明杂多蓝(PW1-2)对直接大红4BE具有明显的还原脱色作用.pH=2.0,直接大红4BE初始浓度50 mg·L-1,PW12浓度为600 mg·L-1,IS浓度为0.13mol·L-1,50 min直接大红4BE的脱色率可达到90.39%.4BE的光催化还原脱色速率随PW12和IS浓度的增加而增加,最后趋于恒定;直接大红4BE初始浓度增加,其光反应一级速率常数降低;PW12、IS和4BE浓度之间存在交互影响.离子强度增加,4BE脱色速率减小,表现为负的盐效应,推测4BE与光反应生成的杂多蓝(PW1-2)进行复合,然后发生电子转移引起偶氮染料还原脱色和杂多蓝氧化复原.本研究结果表明PW12/IS/UV能够有效用于偶氮染料直接大红4BE的还原脱色处理.     

Influence of dissolved organic matter character on mercury incorporation by planktonic organisms：An experimental study using oligotrophic water from Patagonian lakes

Ligands present in dissolved organic matter （DOM） form complexes with inorganic divalent mercury （Hg^2＋） affecting its bioavailability in pelagic food webs. This investigation addresses the influence of a natural gradient of DOM present in Patagonian lakes on the bioaccumulation of Hg^2＋ （the prevailing mercury species in the water column of these lakes） by the algae Cryptomonas erosa and the zooplankters Brachionus calyciflorus and Boeckella antiqua. Hg^2＋ accumulation was studied through laboratory experiments using natural water of four oligotrophic Patagonian lakes amended with^197Hg^2＋. The bioavailability of Hg^2＋ was affected by the concentration and character of DOM. The entrance of Hg^2＋ into pelagic food webs occurs mostly through passive and active accumulation. The incorporation of Hg^2＋ by Cryptomonas, up to 27% of the Hg^2＋ amended, was found to be rapid and dominated by passive adsorption, and was greatest when low molecular weight compounds with protein-like or small phenolic signatures prevailed in the DOM. Conversely, high molecular weight compounds with a humic or fulvic signature kept Hg^2＋ in the dissolved phase, resulting in the lowest Hg^2＋ accumulation in this algae. In Brachionus and Boeckella the direct incorporation of Hg from the aqueous phase was up to 3% of the Hg^2＋ amended. The dietary incorporation of Hg^2＋ by Boeckella exceeded the direct absorption of this metal in natural water, and was remarkably similar to the Hg^2＋ adsorbed in their prey. Overall, DOM concentration and character affected the adsorption of Hg^2＋ by algae through competitive binding, while the incorporation of Hg^2＋ into the zooplankton was dominated by trophic or dietary transfer.     

煤矿酸性矿井水处理方法研究

某些煤炭资源的开采不可避免地将伴随着含铁、锰酸性矿井水的外排。论述了含铁、锰酸性矿井水的形成机制,对中和法、人工湿地法、微生物法等几种酸性矿井水处理工艺进行比选,提出了适宜以中和法为主体对煤矿酸性矿井水进行处置,并对石灰石中和法、石灰中和法、石灰石-石灰联合中和法处理酸性矿井水进行了分析研究。     

Simulations and experiments in punching spring-steel devices with sub-millimeter features

This work demonstrates the feasibility of meso-scale (100 μm to mm) punching of multiple holes of intricate shapes in metals. Analytical modeling, finite element (FE) simulation, and experimentation are used in this work. Two-dimensional FE simulations in ABAQUS were done with an assumed material modeling and plane-strain condition. A known analytical model was used and compared with the ABAQUS simulation results to understand the effects of clearance between the punch and the die. FE simulation in ABAQUS was done for different clearances and corner radii of the punch, die, and holder. To complement modeling with real experiments and for the purpose of comparison, a set of punches and dies were made to punch out a miniature spring-steel gripper. Comparison of compliant grippers made by wire-cut electro discharge machining (EDM) and punching shows that realizing sharp interior and re-entrant corners by punching is not easy to achieve. However, the promise of realizing meso-scale parts with complicated shapes through punching is demonstrated in this work; and further work is identified and some strategies are suggested for improvement. The main contribution of this paper is in adapting the well-established punching and blanking operations to the meso-scale as a viable alternative to making miniature devices currently dominated by lithography-based techniques.