A comparative analysis between composite indexes of environmental performance: An analysis on the CIEP and EPI

The measurement of environmental impact through composite indexes provides information about the effects of human activities on the ecosystem. Over recent years proposals regarding the environmental composite indexes (ECI) have emerged, suggesting that they can be used to help in decisions about public policies. Due the number of these indicators, issues arise about the asymmetry of information provided, although all ECI seek to measure ecosystem quality or damage. The present paper compares the Composite Index of Environmental Performance (CIEP) (García-Sánchez et al., 2015) and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) (Hsu et al., 2014) in order to find convergent and divergent characteristics, studying methodological aspects and empirical evidence through statistical analysis, in order to favour the decision-making by stakeholders and to improve the existing ECI in order to determine adequately the environmental impact. The results show that the indexes were developed using different methods and variables, however, they share around 20% identical variables. Despite these differences, the rate of variation in ranking countries between the indexes is 21%, on average. The EPI policy category ‘water & sanitation (effects on humans)’ has two common variables and explains part of the CIEP performance. The effect dimension of the CIEP has one more identical variable and it reduces the individual variation between rank positions.     

人与自然和谐是构建和谐社会的物质基础

在剖析和谐社会及人与自然和谐基本内涵的基础上。通过分析资源短缺、生态破坏和环境污染对社会和谐的破坏作用。阐明了人与自然和谐是构建和谐社会的基本前提；通过分析加强环境保护、合理开发利用资源可以促进民主法治和公平正义。促使社会充满活力、安定有序。促进经济繁荣和持续发展。阐明了以人与自然和谐推进和谐社会的构建。进而全面论述了人与自然和谐是构建和谐社会的物质基础。     

响水风电基础地震动参数选取及抗震性能分析

响水风电场位于江苏省响水沿海滩涂地区,是国内目前单体较大的风电项目。本风电场是Ⅳ类场地条件对抗震不利,因此有必要对基础抗震性能进行验算。首先选取不同地震动参数进行了对比计算,计算表明根据风电场场区地形地貌、区域地质条件确定的地震动参数,考虑土层特性后,地震作用放大较多。然后针对在多遇地震和基本烈度地震两种情况下,综合考虑波浪力、风荷载的联合作用,对风电基础进行抗震验算,计算表明多遇地震烈度时,可满足现行建筑结构抗震规范的要求。基本烈度地震时,结构的应力、内力及其墩台处位移均满足抗震要求,但泥面处位移超过限制要求,泥面位移控制是抗震设计的主要目标。     

基于SEM-MC的地铁车站深基坑施工危险性测度研究*

为提高地铁车站深基坑施工危险性测度的准确性,考虑多风险因素耦合作用和危险性测度主观性对传统风险评测结果的影响,提出基于结构方程（SEM）与蒙特卡洛模拟（MC）相结合的地铁车站深基坑施工危险性测度方法。首先,从基坑支护、基坑开挖、降水排水以及周边环境4个维度建立危险性测度指标体系,利用SEM确定指标权重,并确定关键因素;然后,根据指标的数据分布特征,利用MC法模拟出潜变量值并与风险损失程度、指标权重相结合得出危险度;最后,将该危险性测度方法运用于南昌地铁双港站。研究结果表明:该地铁车站深基坑风险等级为4级,基坑开挖为该地铁车站深基坑施工主要风险影响因素,其直接影响因素为开挖技术参数设置。项目实施结果表明该方法对地铁车站深基坑施工危险性评测适用可信。     

人工冻结法调控多年冻土区桩基础地温场的效果分析*

为了解决青藏铁路运营过程中,由于多年冻土地基的升温退化,部分多年冻土区桥梁桩基础承载性能下降,产生有害沉降变形,进而造成桥梁上部结构移位破坏,甚至部分桥梁桩基础在短时间内产生较大的沉降变形这一严重问题。基于当前多年冻土区桥梁桩基础沉降病害快速抢修技术空缺,提出人工冻结技术处置多年冻土区桥梁桩基础沉降病害的新设想,利用数值软件建立冻结管-桩基础三维模型分析该技术的可行性与调控效果,分析冻结参数、场地冻土条件等对冻结效果的影响。研究结果表明:人工冻结法可以快速降低桩周多年冻土温度;同时,冻结96 h可以对桩基地温场起到较好的冷却效果;冻结管至桩的距离对冻结效果的影响最为显著,冻土的含冰量越大,则降温速率越慢。     

The effect of a biofilm on solute diffusion in fractured porous media

At sites in fractured rock where contamination has been exposed to the rock matrix for extended periods of time, the amount of contaminant mass residing in the matrix can be considerable. Even though it may be possible to diminish concentrations by the advection of clean water through the fracture features, back diffusion from mass held in the matrix will lead to a continuing source of contamination. In such an event, the development of a biofilm (a thin film of microbial mass) on the wall of the fractures may act to limit or prevent the back diffusion process. The objective of this preliminary study is to explore the influence imparted by the presence of a biofilm on the process of matrix diffusion. The investigation was conducted using radial diffusion cells constructed from rock core in which biofilm growth was stimulated in a central reservoir. Once biofilms were developed, forward diffusion experiments were conducted in which a conservative solute migrated from the central reservoir into the intact rock sample. Diffusion experiments were performed in a total of 11 diffusion cell pairs where biofilm growth was stimulated in one member of the pair and inhibited in the other. The effect of the presence of a biofilm on tracer diffusion was determined by comparison of the diffusion curves produced by each cell pair. A semi-analytical model that accounts for the presence of a biofilm was used to investigate the effect of the biofilm on mass transfer due to changes in the effective porosity, effective diffusion coefficient, and the depth of penetration of the biofilm into the intact rock. The results show that the biofilm acted to plug the rock matrix, rather than forming a discrete layer on the reservoir surface. The reduction in effective porosity due to the biofilm ranged from 6% to 52% with the majority of the samples in the 30% to 50% range. Based on the present results, with more efficient biofilm stimulation, it is reasonable to assume that a more complete plugging of the microcrack porosity might be possible, leaving a much thicker and efficient barrier than could be achieved via a surface biofilm.     

复杂地质条件下某高层建筑基础方案比选

某高层建筑位于内蒙古赤峰市,地下1层,地上11层。本文通过对该高层建筑的工程地质勘察资料进行分析,结合本工程所属的地质条件、本地区常用的施工方法,预估本工程可能采用的基础方案,进行分析比较,最终对基础方案进行评价和优选。     

An optimized two-step derivatization method for analyzing diethylene glycol ozonation products using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

The ozonation of hydroxyl compounds(e.g., sugars and alcohols) gives a broad range of products such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. This study developed and optimized a two-step derivatization procedure for analyzing polar products of aldehydes and carboxylic acids from the ozonation of diethylene glycol(DEG) in a non-aqueous environment using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Experiments based on Central Composite Design with response surface methodology were carried out to evaluate the effects of derivatization variables and their interactions on the analysis. The most desirable derivatization conditions were reported, i.e., oximation was performed at room temperature overnight with the o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxyl amine to analyte molar ratio of 6, silylation reaction temperature of 70°C, reaction duration of 70 min, and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide volume of 12.5 μL. The applicability of this optimized procedure was verified by analyzing DEG ozonation products in an ultrafine condensation particle counter simulation system.     

Selective oxidation of benzyl alcohols to benzoic acid catalyzed by eco-friendly cobalt thioporphyrazine catalyst supported on silica-coated magnetic nanospheres

A novel magnetically recoverable thioporphyrazine catalyst (CoPz(S-Bu)8/SiO2@Fe3O4) was prepared by immobilization of the cobalt octkis(butylthio) porphyrazine complex (CoPz(S-Bu)8) on silica-coated magnetic nanospheres (SiO2@Fe3O4). The composite CoPz(S-Bu)8/SiO2@Fe3O4 appeared to be an active catalyst in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol in aqueous solution using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as oxidant under Xe-lamp irradiation, with 36.4% conversion of benzyl alcohol, about 99% selectivity for benzoic acid and turnover number (TON) of 61.7 at ambient temperature. The biomimetic catalyst CoPz(S-Bu)8 was supported on the magnetic carrier SiO2@Fe3O4 so as to suspend it in aqueous solution to react with substrates, utilizing its lipophilicity. Meanwhile the CoPz(S-Bu)8 can use its unique advantages to control the selectivity of photocatalytic oxidation without the substrate being subjected to deep oxidation. The influence of various reaction parameters on the conversion rate of benzyl alcohol and selectivity of benzoic acid was investigated in detail. Moreover, photocatalytic oxidation of substituted benzyl alcohols was obtained with high conversion and excellent selectivity, specifically conversion close to 70%, selectivity close to 100% and TON of 113.6 for para-position electron-donating groups. The selectivity and eco-friendliness of the biomimetic photocatalyst give it great potential for practical applications.     

Development of metal organic framework-199 immobilized zeolite foam for adsorption of common indoor VOCs

Reticulated foam shaped adsorbents are more efficient for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly from low VOC-concentration indoor air streams. In this study composite structure of zeolite and metal organic frameworks (MOFs), referred as ZMF, has been fabricated by immobilization of fine MOF-199 powder on foam shaped Zeolite Socony Mobil-5 (ZSM-5) Zeolitic structure, referred as ZF. The ZMF possess a uniform and well-dispersed coating of MOF-199 on the porous framework of ZF. It shows higher surface area, pore volume, and VOCs adsorption capacity, as compared to ZF-structure. Post-fabrication changes in selective adsorption properties of ZMF were studied with three common indoor VOCs (benzene, n-hexane, and cyclohexane), using gravimetric adsorption technique. The adsorption capacity of ZMF with different VOCs follow the order of benzene > n-hexane > cyclohexane. In comparison with MOF-199 and ZF, the composite structure ZMF shows improvement in selectivity for benzene from other two VOCs. Further, improvement in efficiency and stability of prepared ZMF was found to be associated with its high MOF loading capacity and unique morphological and structural properties. The developed composite structure with improved VOCs removal and recyclability could be a promising material for small to limited scale air pollution treatment units.