Abundance and removal of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the rearing environments of intensive shrimp aquaculture in South China

Although research regarding antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aquaculture environments has gained increasing scientific interest, further studies are required to understand the abundances and removal mechanisms of ARGs during the entire rearing period of shrimp aquaculture. Thus, in this study, abundances, distributions and removal rates of ARGs in different environmental compartments of intensive shrimp farms in South China were investigated during the entire rearing period. The results indicated that sul1 and cmlA were the predominant ARGs in the water and sediment samples. Additionally, the total abundance of ARGs was higher in shrimp pond water than in the source water and farm effluent. Moreover, sediment samples indicated significantly higher ARG abundances than water samples from the shrimp ponds (P?<?0.05). Environmental factors were found to significantly affect the distribution of ARGs in shrimp rearing environments. Furthermore, stable ponds aided the removal of ARGs from shrimp pond water. This study accounted for temporal variations in ARG abundances as well as removal of ARGs in different environmental compartments during the entire shrimp rearing period. However, additional research is required to optimize the water treatment process for removal of ARGs from the aquaculture.     

厌氧动态膜生物反应器处理冷轧平整液废水

平整液废水作为碱性含油废水,一直是冶金行业较难处理的废水之一。搭建了一套厌氧动态膜生物反应器（AnDMBR）,通过梯级驯化的方式,处理COD为2 500 mg·L-1左右的平整液废水。经过88 d的启动驯化,在膜通量为6 L·（m2·h）-1,HRT为2.5 d的条件下,出水稳定在500 mg·L-1左右,甲烷产率约0.151 L·g-1,动态膜的一个运行周期可以分为成膜阶段、稳定阶段和堵塞阶段3个阶段。成膜阶段出水浊度随动态膜的逐渐形成而下降;而后动态膜形成,出水浊度稳定,为稳定阶段;最后为堵塞阶段,跨膜压差激增,出水浊度上升。同时对驯化及稳定运行阶段的污泥进行了微生物菌群分析,在细菌群落中主要的微生物菌群为Clostridia（梭状芽胞杆菌纲）、Bacteroidia（拟杆菌纲）、Anaerolineae（厌氧绳菌纲）、OP8_1和Spirochaetes（螺旋体纲）,其中拟杆菌纲是处理平整液废水的优势细菌菌群。在古菌群落中,Methanolinea（甲烷绳菌属）和Methanosaeta（甲烷鬃毛菌属）为主要菌种,随着反应器的长期驯化和运行,甲烷鬃毛菌逐渐成为反应器中优势菌群。     

微波法处理含铬废渣的可行性分析

微波辐照解毒铬渣是一项新技术,为考察该技术应用的可行性,本文对铬渣解毒前后性状的变化进行了讨论。结果表明,该技术能较完全地使高价铬转化为低价铬,解毒渣中铬主要以三价形态存在,铬渣毒性得到消除;解毒渣浸出液中Cr6+浓度远低于国家危险废物鉴别标准,解毒渣已不属于危险固体废弃物,其在环境条件下可安全存放。说明该技术具有应用前景。     

Seasonal Fluctuation in Heavy Metal Pollution in Iran´s Siahroud River - A Preliminary Study (7 pp)

Background The management of its available water resources has become a key issue for Iran. During the last few decades, the water quality of Siahroud River in the coastal plain of the Caspian Sea in Gilan Province in Northern Iran has significantly degraded. The scarcity of water has been compounded by rapid population growth and increasing pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and municipal and industrial wastes. One of the sources of this degradation is the movement of heavy metals from the river's watershed into the various water systems supported by the river, including the water system for Rasht City. Methods To study the magnitude of heavy metal pollution in the Siahroud River, seven heavy metals including Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, and Ni were measured in duplicate from replicated water samples collected over five consecutive seasons and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. In situ measurements of pH were taken with the samples and total organic carbon (TOC) was analyzed by IR gas measurement. Results The results demonstrated that four of the seven heavy metals including Pb, Fe, Cd, and Mn exceeded permissible safe levels as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Multivariate factor analysis suggested that industrial land-use was the main contributing factor for the high levels of Fe and Mn in the Siahroud River, whereas, Cd was principly from agricultural activities in the watershed. The data also suggested that pH and TOC had an important role in the behaviour of Pb and Mn, and that the elevated levels of these two heavy metals in Siahroud River was the consequence of other anthropogenic sources. Only negligible levels of Zn, Cu and Ni were detected. Finally, all the sampling stations were subjected to cluster analysis. The results indicated that three different zones could be distinguished according to the levels of pollution. In addition, it was shown that the urban areas did not have a significant impact on the heavy metal pollution in the river. This observation stems from the fact that the data from the sampling stations before and after Rasht City were not significantly different. Recommendation . Preventive measures need to be undertaken in the land-use systems and watersheds of the Siahroud River to reduce the pollution levels of Pb, Cd, Mn and Fe.     

Trends of air pollution in the Fichtelgebirge Mountains, Bavaria

We analyzed 13 years of hourly measurements of SO₂, NO_x, and O₃, at forest ecosystem research sites in SE Germany. A quasi-continuous data record was obtained by combining data sets from two locations. Before interpreting trends in the combined data set, we analyzed if the change of location introduced a systematic bias. We employed autocorrelation functions, Hurst statistics, complexity analysis, and recurrence quantification and found that the partial data sets exhibited no indication of the presence of any bias. For SO₂, we also compared the data from the forest sites with data obtained in nearby cities and also found no indications for any systematic effects. Applying nonparametric trend statistics we found a significant decrease of the SO₂. Most of the observed decrease is due to the reductions of SO₂ emissions in eastern Germany, but reductions in western Germany and the Czech Republic also played important roles. For O₃, we observed a significant increase, the causes of which are unclear from our data alone. No trend was identified for NO_x.     

太湖梅梁湾富营养化相关问题探讨

太湖水体富营养化问题已严重威胁着太湖流域社会经济发展,特别是梅梁湾湖区尤为严重。以实测资料为基础,分析了太湖富营养化的环境影响因子,得出以下结论：磷为梅梁湾湖区主要的限制性因子;光照、水温为该区富营养化重要影响因素,但不是主要的限制性因子。CODMa与富营养化关系密切,但需进一步探讨其影响实质。     

爆炸荷载作用下钢筋混凝土防爆墙动力响应研究

为了研究钢筋混凝土防爆墙的抗爆能力,采用有限元分析方法对不同纵向配筋率、不同高跨比、不同厚度的墙体在爆炸动态荷载作用下的动力响应进行研究,对各种不同设置的钢筋混凝土防爆墙的抗爆性能进行评估。结果表明:减小高跨比对提高钢筋混凝土防爆墙的抗爆能力最为重要,提高纵向配筋率,增加厚度都能增加防爆墙的抗爆能力。     

The effect of barriers on reducing thermal heat fluxes from a hydrocarbon pool fire

The radiant heat flux from a pool fire is frequently calculated using the solid flame model, where the flame envelope is approximated as a stationary cylinder whose surface emits thermal radiation at a constant rate. Radiant heat flux calculations using the solid flame model assume the target to be at a given elevation, typically at ground level, and to have an unobstructed view of the fire. The presence of obstacles (e.g., walls, buildings, etc.) or terrain features that would create shaded areas and provide shielding of a target from the fire is typically neglected in these calculations: this is a conservative approach, but it is not accurate. This paper presents a methodology to utilize the solid flame model to calculate the heat flux to a target while taking into account the presence of an obstruction between the target and the fire. The shielded solid flame method can quantitatively account for the presence of obstacles as a passive mitigation measure and allows project developers or designers to optimize their facility layout to meet safety requirements. The methodology presented in this paper uses the same correlations found in currently used solid flame models (e.g., LNGFIRE3), therefore, it remains consistent with current regulatory requirements for LNG facilities in the U.S.     

Idiosyncratic deals in contemporary organizations: A qualitative and meta‐analytical review

Idiosyncratic deals (i‐deals) research focuses on the emergence of customized work arrangements employees negotiate with their employers. This article provides a critical review and synthesis of i‐deals research, combining a qualitative review of i‐deals theory and research with a supplementary meta‐analysis of 23 empirical studies (k = 27 samples, N = 8110 individuals). The qualitative review examines the conceptualization and measurement of i‐deals and identifies patterns and gaps in i‐deals research, while the quantitative meta‐analysis tests the moderating effect of societal cultures on the predictors and consequences of ideals investigated to date. In each section, attention is given to strengths and weaknesses of current approaches to i‐deals theory and research. Future research directions are identified with particular emphasis on the largely unexamined role of i‐deals from a multilevel perspective. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occupational risks and the value and modelling of a measurement of severity

In studies of occupational risks, severity, which is a component of the estimation of every risk, appears as a multifaceted entity assessable according to numerous criteria. A method of measuring the degree of severity of the consequences of potentially dangerous events would be of undeniable value to organisations seeking to improve their understanding of the complexity of such events. The need to control severity is highlighted by scientifically acquired improvements in the understanding of occupational risks, by certain new regulatory obligations in Europe, and by some requirements in the financial management of organisations. We put forward a statistical way of integrating several constituent elements of severity and hence of determining a relevant, synthetic, one-dimensional index. This is achieved by means of principal component analysis (PCA), which is used here to calculate a resultant severity, as in some physical measurements. We also investigate how severity may be statistically modelled, with the aim of contributing to the quantitative assessment of occupational risks. The choice of parametric models is detailed and illustrated by the search for a suitable model for workplace accidents in an organisational setting. The practical value of modelling severity is two-fold. First, one is able to study the distribution of the numerical values of severity over a continuum (a theoretically infinite numerical set) rather than through a limited number of arbitrarily defined categories. Second, with a generally applicable parametric model, one can estimate the law of probability of a measurement of severity in a particular situation, notably recent or new. Lastly, the statistical concept of risk curve is defined and discussed. The goal is to incorporate the severity component into the risk assessment in the form of a probability law, thus circumventing the difficulties associated with an analysis of scenarios.