Analysis of Flax and Cotton Fiber Fabric Blends and Recycled Polyethylene Composites

Manufacturing composites with polymers and natural fibers has traditionally been performed using chopped fibers or a non-woven mat for reinforcement. Fibers from flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) are stiff and strong and can be processed into a yarn and then manufactured into a fabric for composite formation. Fabric directly impacts the composite because it contains various fiber types via fiber or yarn blending, fiber length is often longer due to requirements in yarn formation, and it controls the fiber alignment via weaving. Composites created with cotton and flax-containing commercial fabrics and recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were evaluated for physical and mechanical properties. Flax fiber/recycled HDPE composites were easily prepared through compression molding using a textile preform. This method takes advantage of maintaining cotton and flax fiber lengths that are formed into a yarn (a continuous package of short fibers) and oriented in a bidirectional woven fabric. Fabrics were treated with maleic anhydride, silane, enzyme, or adding maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAA-PE; MDEX 102-1, Exxelor^® VA 1840) to promote interactions between polymer and fibers. Straight and strong flax fibers present problems because they are not bound as tightly within yarns producing weaker and less elastic yarns that contain larger diameter variations. As the blend percentage and mass of flax fibers increases the fabric strength, and elongation generally decrease in value. Compared to recycled HDPE, mechanical properties of composite materials (containing biodegradable and renewable resources) demonstrated significant increases in tensile strength (1.4–3.2 times stronger) and modulus of elasticity (1.4–2.3 times larger). Additional research is needed to improve composite binding characteristics by allowing the stronger flax fibers in fabric to carry the composites load.     

基于功能模拟的系统安全分析

对于复杂的工程系统，其安全分析更多的是依赖历史经验和专家知识，难以保证系统性和可操作性。对以系统工程的思想解决安全分析的系统性问题进行了分析，提出了运用功能模拟的目标树一成功树技术建立完整的系统模型，以支持安全分析各项目类型的实施及其分析技术的综合运用。主要介绍了功能模拟的概念和目标树一成功树建模技术以及安全分析项目类型与分析技术，在此基础上，给出了1个基于功能模拟目标树一成功树模型的系统安全分析基本框架。应用此框架，有助于在实际工程中指导系统性的安全分析。     

Are There Ecological Foundations for Ecosystem Health?

We present a critical introduction to the problems shared by ecologists and ecosystem health researchers who attempt to integrate applied ecology with other disciplines. The importance of the concept of ecosystem health as an approach to environmental problems is presented, and the difficulties in integrating ecology into the concept are outlined. A rigorous ecological and evolutionary basis for ecosystem health is introduced through diversity abundance models and especially by the outcome of competitive exclusion, niche hierarchy, and log normality. The importance of defining functional groups for assessing the effects of disturbance (e.g., on pollinators, macrolepidoptera, diatoms, gut bacteria) and in the broader context of ecosystem health (e.g., through pollinating bees) is stressed.     

Variations in surface functional groups, carbon chemical state and graphitization degree during thermal deactivation of diesel soot particles

The thermal deactivation of diesel soot particles exerts a significant influence on the control strategy for the regeneration of diesel particulate filters (DPFs). This work focused on the changes in the surface functional groups, carbon chemical state, and graphitization degree during thermal treatment in an inert gas environment at intermediate temperatures of 600°C, 800°C, and 1000°C and explore the chemical species that were desorbed from the diesel soot surface during thermal treatment using a thermogravimetric analyser coupled with a gas-chromatograph mass spectrometer (TGA-GC/MS). The surface functional groups and carbon chemical state were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The graphitization degree was evaluated by means of Raman spectroscopy (RS). The concentrations of aliphatic C–H, C–OH, C=O, and O–C=O groups are reduced for diesel soot and carbon black when increasing the thermal treatment temperature, while the sp²/sp³ hybridized ratio and graphitization degree enhance. These results provide comprehensive evidence of the decreased reactivity of soot samples. Among oxygenated functional groups, the percentage reduction during thermal treatment is the largest for the O–C=O groups owing to its worst thermodynamic stability. TGA-GC/MS results show that the aliphatic and aromatic chains and oxygenated species would be desorbed from the soot surface during 1000°C thermal treatment of diesel soot.     

Influence of a Large Herbivore Reintroduction on Plant Invasions and Community Composition in a California Grassland

Abstract:  Despite many successful reintroductions of large mammalian herbivores throughout the world, remarkably little attention has focused on how these actions affect native and exotic vegetation at reintroduction sites. One such herbivore is tule elk ( Cervus elaphus nannodes ), which was on the brink of extinction in the mid 1800s, but now has numerous stable populations due to intensive reintroduction efforts. Here, we summarize results from a 5-year exclosure experiment that explored the effects of tule elk on a coastal grassland in northern California. Elk significantly altered the species composition of this community; the response of annual species (dominated heavily by exotic taxa) was dramatically different from perennial species. Elk herbivory increased the abundance and aboveground biomass of native and exotic annuals, whereas it either had no effect on or caused significant decreases in perennials. Elk also decreased the cover of native shrubs, suggesting that these herbivores play an important role in maintaining open grasslands. In addition, elk significantly reduced the abundance and biomass of a highly invasive exotic grass , Holcus lanatus, which is a major problem in mesic perennial grasslands. Our results demonstrate that the successful reintroduction of a charismatic and long-extirpated mammal had extremely complex effects on the plant community, giving rise to both desirable and undesirable outcomes from a management perspective. We suspect that these kinds of opposing effects are not unique to tule elk and that land managers will frequently encounter them when dealing with reintroduced mammals.     

重庆市主城区排水管道沉积物性质研究

为了解重庆市主城区排水管道沉积物的性质,调研和采集了生活区、交通区、文教区、商业广场等不同功能区的排水管道沉积物,分析了沉积物的粒径、密度、有机物含量(VSS/TSS)和污染物含量等指标,研究了不同功能区沉积物的差异.结果表明:不同功能区排水管道沉积有不同的理化性质,沉积物的粒径,交通区>文教区>商业广场>居住区.沉积物的密度与有机物含量(VSS/TSS)呈负相关(R2=0.998).沉积物污染物含量空间分异性显著,COD含量,文教区>居住区>商业广场>交通区.TN和TP含量,文教区>商业广场>居住区>交通区,与街尘相比,TP呈现显著富集特点.对于重金属含量,交通区显著高于其他3个功能区,Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd 最大值分别为303.5、539、104、1.14mg/kg.     

枯草芽孢杆菌Bs-15对板栗土壤微生物种群数量及功能多样性的影响

土壤微生物是维持土壤质量的重要组成部分,是土壤中生物活性的具体体现。土壤微生物多样性的变异可反映其对环境的响应与适应,能敏感反映生态系统的功能演变和生态环境的变化。本研究采用固体平板法研究了枯草芽孢杆菌（Bacillus subtilis）Bs-15对板栗（Castanea mollissimaBL）土壤微生物种群数量的影响,并通过BIOLOG ECO微孔板法分析Bs-15对板栗土壤功能多样性的影响。结果表明,接种Bs-15后,土壤中细菌数量比对照略有增加,但差异不显著;接种后放线菌的数量与对照相比有所减少,第7天达到极显著（p〈0.01）差异,之后差异变小,第14 d开始,处理与对照之间放线菌数量基本持平;真菌数量则先增加后减少,第7天开始接种后的真菌数量与对照相比达极显著（p〈0.01）差异。BIOLOG ECO微孔板分析显示,Bs-15使得土壤中微生物的AWCD值变大,72小时以后,AWCD值与对照相比差异达到极显著（p〈0.01）水平;接种Bs-15后增大了土壤微生物多样性指数,其中Shannon多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数和McIntosh多样性指数分别增加了4.09%、6.01%和7.20%,对对照相比差异均达到极显著水平（p〈0.01）,Simpson均匀度和McIntosh均匀度分别增加了2.07%和2.53%,与对照相比差异均达到显著水平（p〈0.05）。本研究结果表明,Bs-15不但提高了板栗土壤微生物的整体活性,丰富了土壤微生物种群,有利于保持和促进土壤肥力和健康状况;还提高了板栗土壤微生物功能多样性,使板栗土壤微生态系统功能更加稳定。     

“平面型”十三聚合铝形态水交换反应的密度泛函研究

采用密度泛函DFT量子化学计算,初步探讨了"平面型"十三聚合铝(F-Al13)的水交换反应.在B3LYP/6-31G水平下模拟了气相体系中全水合F-Al1153+与脱质子形态(F-Al913+和F-Al313+)中η-OH2(1)键合水位点的水交换反应;比较了F-Al13和K-Al13两种不同十三聚合铝形态的水交换反应特点;讨论了不同铝形态(二聚铝Al2、三聚铝Al3、Al6六元环以及Al7Anderson内核等)水交换反应研究对于阐明F-Al13形成机制的重要意义.     

近地层臭氧浓度升高对麦田土壤微生物群落功能多样性的影响

利用中国臭氧FACE(Free-air O3concentration enrichment,开放式空气臭氧浓度增高)试验平台,通过测定麦季土壤水溶性有机碳含量、土壤呼吸强度和BIOLOG指标,研究了近地层臭氧浓度升高50%条件下(~70 nmol mol-1),麦田土壤微生物功能多样性的响应.结果发现,臭氧浓度升高下麦田土壤水溶性有机碳含量提高,土壤微呼吸强度增加,平均吸光值显著高于对照(P<0.05).多样性指数结果显示,臭氧浓度升高对麦田土壤微生物丰富度和优势度指数没有显著影响,但是臭氧处理下均一度指数显著高于对照(P<0.05);主成分分析显示,相对于其它碳源,臭氧浓度升高对麦田土壤微生物的糖类物质利用能力的影响最大.研究揭示了1.5倍的近地层臭氧浓度增强了麦田土壤微生物碳源利用能力,特别是非优势微生物.     

Temporal dimension and water quality control in an emission trading scheme based on water environmental functional zone

Emission trading is one of the most effective alternatives to controlling water pollution. Water environmental functional zone (WEFZ) is used to determine the water quality standard and identify the zone boundary for each river or reach. In this study, a new emission trading scheme was addressed based on WEFZ, accounting for both the temporal dimension and water quality control. A temporal factor of emission trading was proposed based on variations in the environmental capacity within a year by dividing the year into three periods, including high, normal, and low periods of environmental capacity. During each period, emission trading was implemented exclusively. A water quality-control scheme was suggested based on the water quality requirement in the water functional zone, in which the water quality at the downstream boundary of the zone was required to meet the water standard following auto-purification in the stream. Two methods of calculating water quality control are addressed for point-source pollution and non-point-source pollution. The calculated temporal dimension and water quality control were located in Dongxi River of the Daning Watershed in the Three Gorges Watershed. The high period was during June, July, and August, the normal period was during April, May, September, and October, and the low period was during January, February, March, November, and December. The results from the water quality calculation demonstrated that the discharge of point-source and non-point-source pollutions led to an excess of common contaminants at the downstream boundary of WEFZ. The temporal and spatial factors above should be incorporated into the emission trading scheme based on WEFZ.