Innovative policy practices to advance building energy efficiency and retrofitting: Approaches,impacts and challenges in ten C40 cities

This study examines ten programmes to advance energy efficiency and retrofitting of existing, private sector buildings in C40 cities in Asia-Pacific and USA. We set out to identify differing policy approaches, together with potential impacts and implementation challenges for each. Findings unearthed six policy models – both mandatory and voluntary – with unique impacts and challenges. We demonstrate that innovation occurs without new policy inventions and largely by necessity, as new features are added and generic models are adapted to local circumstances. Our sample demonstrated experimentation with benchmarking in the USA, comprehensive regulation in Asia, and voluntary approaches in Australia. Overall, environmental impacts are particularly slow to emerge and plagued with attribution challenges. We found limited evidence of benchmarking programme effectiveness in reducing energy consumption in the short-term, but some indication of mid-term outcomes. Driven by unique local circumstances, the cap-and-trade model stood out by fostering large, sustained and attributable GHG emission reductions and retrofitting. Market and social impacts are highly significant across all programmes, highlighting needs to consider non-environmental impacts in policy evaluation. We emphasise the complementary potential of voluntary and regulatory approaches to advancing energy efficiency and climate resilience. We also underscore the potential for reporting or benchmarking programmes to later transition to models mandating performance improvements, such as cap-and-trade.     

Prenatal diagnosis in three cases of iniencephaly with unusual postmortem findings

Iniencephaly is a rare and lethal congenital malformation of the neural tube characterized by occipital bone defect, cervical dysraphism, fixed retroflexion of the fetal head and severe lordosis of the cervicothoracic spine. The etiology is unknown. Prenatally diagnosed cases of iniencephaly are rare because careful and early ultrasonographic evaluation is necessary. We present three cases of iniencephaly prenatally diagnosed by sonography at 20–22 weeks' gestation in which therapeutic abortion was induced. The sonographic findings were compatible with the postmortem findings. The present cases of iniencephaly were found to carry unusual associated malformations such as two lobes in the right lung and chorangiosis of the placenta. Only hypoplastic lungs have been reported by previous authors. We also studied the 677C→T mutation on the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene in the parents in one of the present cases. The mother was found to be heterozygous for the 677CT polymorphism. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prenatally detected trisomy 7 mosaicism in a dysmorphic child

Trisomy 7 mosaicism was detected prenatally in cultured amniocytes but not in fetal lymphocytes. The child that was born had pigmentary changes of the skin and facial asymmetry suggestive of a chromosomal mosaicism. Skin fibroblasts were studied and trisomy 7 mosaicism was confirmed. At 3 years of age the boy had developed mentally within normal limits. However, dysmorphic findings include sparse hair, short leftpalpebral fissure, ptosis of the left eyelid, strabismus, enamel dysplasia, low-set and posteriorly rotated ears and undescended testes. These findings share some common features with previously reported cases of trisomy 7 mosaicism. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of land management on soil microbial N supply to crop N uptake in a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania

In Sub-Saharan Africa, conservation of available soil N during early crop growth, when N loss by leaching generally occurs, is important to improve crop productivity. In a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania, we assessed the potential role of soil microbes as a temporal N sink-source to conserve the available soil N until later crop growth, which generally requires substantial crop N uptake. We evaluated the effect of land management [i.e., no input, plant residue application before planting (P plot) with or without fertilizer application, fertilizer application alone, and non-cultivated plots] on the relationship between soil N pool [microbial biomass N (MBN) and inorganic N] and crop N uptake throughout the ∼120-d crop growth period in two consecutive years. In the P plot, MBN clearly increased (∼14.6-29.6 kg N ha⁻¹) early in the crop growth period in both years because of immobilization of potentially leachable N, and it conserved a larger soil N pool (∼10.5-21.2 kg N ha⁻¹) than in the control plot. Especially in one year in which N leaching was critical, increased MBN maintained a larger soil N pool in the P plot throughout the experimental period, and a delay of increased MB C:N ratio and a substantial decrease in MBN was observed, indicating better soil microbial N supply for crop N uptake during later crop growth. Therefore, plant residue application before planting should enhance the role of soil microbes as a temporal N sink-source, leading to the conservation of potentially leachable N until later phase of crop growth, especially in years in which N leaching is relatively severe. Although further studies are necessary, our results suggest that plant residue application before planting is a promising option to achieve better N synchronization.     

13C在草原土壤呼吸区分中的应用

区分草原土壤呼吸的主要目的在于准确估算草原生态系统土壤碳蓄积和碳源、 汇潜力,为预测气候变化提供科学依据。论文主要论述了稳定同位素¹³C在草原土壤呼吸区分方面的应用。主要在以下几个方面进行了阐述:①碳同位素区分土壤呼吸的两种主要标记方法——脉冲标记法和持续标记法,其中脉冲标记法包括单次脉冲标记法和重复脉冲标记法,持续标记法包括FACE实验标记法和¹³C自然丰度标记法,也介绍了利用核爆产生的¹⁴C标记;②应用碳稳定同位素区分土壤呼吸的理论依据和计算方法;③土壤呼吸稳定同位素组成的取样方法和测定,包括静态箱-Keeling Plot法、 静态箱平衡状态法和动态箱连接红外分析仪法等;④指出了减小静态箱-Keeling Plot法测定土壤呼吸碳同位素值的误差需采取的措施。     

亚硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化微生物特性研究进展

亚硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化(nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation,N-DAMO)是新近发现的生物反应,是偶联碳氮循环的关键环节,是环境领域和微生物领域的重大发现.N-DAMO的发现对于完善碳氮生物地球化学循环、丰富微生物学内容和研发新型生物脱氮除碳工艺均具有巨大的推动作用.催化N-DAMO反应的微生物为Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera(M.oxyfera),其隶属于一新发现的细菌门——NC10门.近年来,M.oxyfera的生物学研究取得了许多突破性进展,如初步探明了其个体形态特征、细胞化学组分特征、富集培养特征、生理生化特征及生态学特征,最突出的例子包括发现了M.oxyfera独特的细胞(星状)形态及特殊的脂肪酸(10Me C16∶1Δ7)组分等.最近,N-DAMO的机制研究方面也有了突破性进展:发现了地球上第4种生物产氧途径.目前认为,M.oxyfera具有内产氧功能,其首先将NO-2还原为NO,然后将2分子NO进行歧化反应生成N2和O2,最后利用生成的O2对甲烷进行氧化.本文系统地介绍了M.oxyfera各方面的微生物特性.     

载银活性炭活化过硫酸钠降解酸性橙7

采用硝酸氧化的颗粒活性炭浸渍制备Ag/GAC活化剂,利用N₂吸附、 SEM、 FT-IR及XRD对Ag/GAC进行表征,得出Ag成功负载于颗粒活性炭上,并以Ag/GAC在常温常压下活化过硫酸钠(PS)产生硫酸根自由基(SO^－4 ·)降解偶氮染料酸性橙7(AO7). 考察了Ag负载量、 PS浓度、 Ag/GAC投加量、 初始pH对AO7降解效果的影响. 结果表明,当Ag负载量为12.7 mg ·g^-1、 n(PS) :n(AO7)为120 :1、 Ag/GAC投加量为1.0 g ·L^-1,降解180 min后AO7降解率达95.0%以上. 初始pH对Ag/GAC活化PS降解AO7有较大影响,pH为5.0时降解效果最优. 通过紫外可见光谱、 气相色谱-质谱(GC/MS)对AO7降解过程进行了探讨,在降解过程中AO7的偶氮键和萘环结构均被破坏,并检测出主要降解产物有邻苯二甲酸和乙酰苯.     

三维有序介孔铈钴铜催化剂的制备及其降解邻二甲苯的机制

以PMMA为模板,通过聚乙二醇(PEG400)和柠檬酸辅助的溶胶凝胶法制备三维有序介孔铈钴铜(3DOM 3C)催化剂,应用BET、SEM、XRD和XPS等对不同煅烧温度的3DOM 3C催化剂进行表征分析,研究了催化剂活性及其影响因素,并利用FT-IR和GC-MS对降解产物进行分析,推测出催化降解邻二甲苯的机理.结果表明,煅烧温度500℃时制备的3DOM 3C催化剂表面具有三维介孔结构,且分散均匀,表面的晶体氧化物最少,存在大量的Cu~(2+)、Ce~(3+)和表面氧,催化剂表面存在更多的固溶体、表面活性位点和氧空位,有利于提高催化活性.在邻二甲苯初始浓度600 ppm、空速16000 h~(-1)、50%O_2条件下,煅烧温度500℃时制备的3DOM 3C催化效果最佳,在260℃时,3DOM 3C催化剂对邻二甲苯的转化率达98%,T_(90)为250℃. 3DOM 3C对邻二甲苯的转化率随着初始浓度、空速和相对湿度的升高而呈下降趋势,随着O_2含量的增加而增加.气流中混入150 ppm的乙酸乙酯能够提高邻二甲苯的转化率,提高其低温催化性能.邻二甲苯催化反应后催化剂表面的O—H、■、C—H和金属—氧键都相应的减少,降解中间产物主要有邻甲基苯甲醛和邻甲基苯甲酸.邻二甲苯降解反应涉及Mars Van Krevelen机理(MVK),先被氧化成邻甲基苯甲醛,再进一步氧化成邻甲基苯甲酸,最终生成CO_2和H_2O.     

碳源对耐低温哈尔滨不动杆菌HITLi7T氨氮代谢以及胞外分泌物的影响

碳源对微生物异养硝化至关重要,为了探究碳源对耐低温异养硝化菌-哈尔滨不动杆菌HITLi 7~T低温生长和氨氮代谢的影响,考察了乙酸钠、碳酸钠、淀粉、柠檬酸钠、蔗糖、葡萄糖、甘油、糊精、乳糖和麦芽糖10种碳源.结果表明,碳源种类对HITLi 7~T低温生长速率和胞外分泌物含量影响较大.乙酸钠是HITLi 7~T的最优碳源,低温下培养4 d后OD_(600)能提高到0.146,产生的ATP也明显高于其他组,为5.124μmol·mg~(-1)·prot~(-1);此时,总胞外分泌物量最多,为3.86 mg·L~(-1),多糖占比也最高为41.7%;4 d氨氮平均降解速率最大,为0.042 mg·L~(-1)·h~(-1);其次为葡萄糖和碳酸钠.同时考察了不同碳氮比的影响,结果表明HITLi 7~T以乙酸钠为碳源时,最佳C/N比为8,此时氨氮去除速率最高为0.216 mg·L~(-1)·h~(-1),总EPS量为7.04 mg·L~(-1),其中多糖占比为55.3%.     

炭化压力对编织C/C复合材料致密过程及结构的影响

目的研究不同炭化压力环境对C/C复合材料致密过程及结构的影响。方法通过浸渍/高压炭化工艺在不同炭化压力下制备高温煤沥青炭块及沥青基C/C复合材料,并研究不同炭化压力环境下对其密度和孔隙的影响。结果制备沥青炭的炭化压力由20 MPa增大至60 MPa时,沥青炭体积密度由1.08 g/cm~3增加至1.39g/cm~3,质量比表面积由14.74增加至16.51,开孔率由26.73减少至7.94,孔隙填充效果明显改善,浸渍-炭化的增密效率得到提升。结论在编织C/C材料的致密过程中,压力越大,其孔隙越小,分布越均匀,故产品致密效果越好。