Hydromorphological and socio-cultural assessment of urban rivers to promote nature-based solutions in Jarabacoa,Dominican Republic

In Latin America and the Caribbean, river restoration projects are increasing, but many lack strategic planning and monitoring. We tested the applicability of a rapid visual social–ecological stream assessment method for restoration planning, complemented by a citizen survey on perceptions and uses of blue and green infrastructure. We applied the method at three urban streams in Jarabacoa (Dominican Republic) to identify and prioritize preferred areas for nature-based solutions. The method provides spatially explicit information for strategic river restoration planning, and its efficiency makes it suitable for use in data-poor contexts. It identifies well-preserved, moderately altered, and critically impaired areas regarding their hydromorphological and socio-cultural conditions, as well as demands on green and blue infrastructure. The transferability of the method can be improved by defining reference states for assessing the hydromorphology of tropical rivers, refining socio-cultural parameters to better address river services and widespread urban challenges, and balancing trade-offs between ecological and social restoration goals.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01565-3.     

NABat: A top-down,bottom-up solution to collaborative continental-scale monitoring

Collaborative monitoring over broad scales and levels of ecological organization can inform conservation efforts necessary to address the contemporary biodiversity crisis. An important challenge to collaborative monitoring is motivating local engagement with enough buy-in from stakeholders while providing adequate top-down direction for scientific rigor, quality control, and coordination. Collaborative monitoring must reconcile this inherent tension between top-down control and bottom-up engagement. Highly mobile and cryptic taxa, such as bats, present a particularly acute challenge. Given their scale of movement, complex life histories, and rapidly expanding threats, understanding population trends of bats requires coordinated broad-scale collaborative monitoring. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) reconciles top-down, bottom-up tension with a hierarchical master sample survey design, integrated data analysis, dynamic data curation, regional monitoring hubs, and knowledge delivery through web-based infrastructure. NABat supports collaborative monitoring across spatial and organizational scales and the full annual lifecycle of bats.     

Transforming urban planning processes and outcomes through creative methods

Inclusively delivering the sustainable development goals (SDGs) remains challenging, particularly in urban areas, where some of the most pressing concerns exist. To achieve the transformative SDG agenda, new methods are required to overcome current deficits in engagement around inclusion and equitable outcomes. Evaluating against theories of governance and inclusion, we test a mixture of digital and physical creative methods abilities to deliver co-designed solutions that influence mobility and road safety planning outcomes in East African cities. Greater inclusion led to improved interactions of citizens with decision makers, and the identification of novel, practical solutions, delivering some elements of transformation. Risks include creative methods being used to co-opt communities to official agendas, and institutional planning norms needing to adapt to respond to a wider range of stakeholders. Overall, where risks are mitigated, we recommend that using Creative Methods could localise SDG delivery, ensuring more equitable and effective outcomes from infrastructure development investments.Supplementary InformationThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01436-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Ethanol mediated As(III) adsorption onto Zn-loaded pinecone biochar: Experimental investigation, modeling, and optimization using hybrid artificial neural network-genetic algorithm approach

Organic matters (OMs) and their oxidization products often influence the fate and transport of heavy metals in the subsurface aqueous systems through interaction with the mineral surfaces. This study investigates the ethanol (EtOH)-mediated As(III) adsorption onto Zn-loaded pinecone (PC) biochar through batch experiments conducted under Box–Behnken design. The effect of EtOH on As(III) adsorption mechanism was quantitatively elucidated by fitting the experimental data using artificial neural network and quadratic modeling approaches. The quadratic model could describe the limiting nature of EtOH and pH on As(III) adsorption, whereas neural network revealed the stronger influence of EtOH (64.5%) followed by pH (20.75%) and As(III) concentration (14.75%) on the adsorption phenomena. Besides, the interaction among process variables indicated that EtOH enhances As(III) adsorption over a pH range of 2 to 7, possibly due to facilitation of ligand–metal(Zn) binding complexation mechanism. Eventually, hybrid response surface model–genetic algorithm (RSM–GA) approach predicted a better optimal solution than RSM, i.e., the adsorptive removal of As(III) (10.47 μg/g) is facilitated at 30.22 mg C/L of EtOH with initial As(III) concentration of 196.77 μg/L at pH 5.8. The implication of this investigation might help in understanding the application of biochar for removal of various As(III) species in the presence of OM.     

Pseudomonas sp. ZXY-1, a newly isolated and highly efficient atrazine-degrading bacterium, and optimization of biodegradation using response surface methodology

Atrazine, a widely used herbicide, is increasing the agricultural production effectively, while also causing great environmental concern. Efficient atrazine-degrading bacterium is necessary to removal atrazine rapidly to keep a safe environment. In the present study, a new atrazine-degrading strain ZXY-1, identified as Pseudomonas, was isolated. This new isolated strain has a strong ability to biodegrade atrazine with a high efficiency of 9.09 mg/L/hr.Temperature, p H, inoculum size and initial atrazine concentration were examined to further optimize the degradation of atrazine, and the synthetic effect of these factors were investigated by the response surface methodology. With a high quadratic polynomial mathematical model(R~2= 0.9821) being obtained, the highest biodegradation efficiency of 19.03 mg/L/hr was reached compared to previous reports under the optimal conditions(30.71°C, pH 7.14, 4.23%(V/V) inoculum size and 157.1 mg/L initial atrazine concentration).Overall, this study provided an efficient bacterium and approach that could be potentially useful for the bioremediation of wastewater containing atrazine.     

流体剪切与超声空化破解剩余污泥的参数优化

为提高剩余污泥的破解效果并降低能耗,采用FS（fluid shear,流体剪切）、UC（ultrasonic cavitation,超声空化）、FS和UC联合工艺（FS-UC,UC-FS）破解剩余污泥,并应用单因素试验结合响应面法对联合工艺进行优化.结果表明:FS对剩余污泥破解效果一般,只在开始阶段具有较好效果,随作用时间延长,破解效果未有显著提高甚至下降.UC对剩余污泥破解效果明显,随作用时间延长,破解效果显著提升,但能耗也随之增大,EDR（energy disintegration ratio,效能比）明显下降.相同作用时间下,UC破解效果优于FS破解效果,UC破解剩余污泥的DD_COD（degree of disintegration,破解率）与EDR均明显高于FS方法.单因素试验得出的较优FS作用时间范围为2~8 min,较优UC作用时间范围为5~15 min.响应面法试验结果显示,联合工艺的剩余污泥破解效果和能量利用率均优于单一方法,联合工艺中FS-UC工艺的破解效果优于UC-FS工艺.FS-UC工艺的最佳参数:FS处理5.6 min再UC处理15.0 min,该条件下剩余污泥实际DD_COD为50.8%,EDR为26.8%.UC-FS工艺的最佳参数:先UC作用15.0 min再FS作用7.8 min,该条件下剩余污泥实际DD_COD为36.5%,EDR为17.1%.研究显示,以DD_COD和EDR为指标,4种工艺的高效性顺序为FS-UC > UC-FS > UC > FS,其中FS-UC工艺具有能耗低、破解效率高的特点,是4种工艺中剩余污泥破解效果最好的一种工艺.      

某城市污水处理厂二期污水处理工程设计研究

详细介绍了某城市第一污水处理厂在现有工程的基础上二期工程的工艺设计以及构筑物、设备参数;二期工程充分利用原有工程场地,本着现有、新建运行管理便捷统一原则,采用改良型A/A/O生化池作为二级处理主体工艺;二期工程投入运营后,某城市污水处理厂达到20×104 m3/d的污水设计规模.最终污水厂出水水质达到了《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB 18918-2002)一级 A排放标准.污水处理厂运营后,经济效益显著,可保本经营,并具有企业自我发展的能力.     

飞行器环境适应性设计方法研究与实践

目的针对飞行器环境适应性设计不足的现状提出对策。方法分析飞行器环境适应性设计的特点和当前存在的不足,以某电气设备为对象开展应用研究。结果提出环境适应性设计工作内容、工作流程、设计原则和技术手段等方面的对策。环境适应性设计应采用环境仿真和验证试验相结合的手段,并逐步形成环境适应性设计准则。结论飞行器环境适应性设计应采用系统工程的思路,覆盖产品层级、环境因素和研制阶段。技术手段方面应大力推进环境仿真研究和应用,建立产品环境适应性设计规范。     

GJB 4239《装备环境工程通用要求》在直升机研制中的应用研究

根据直升机及直升机型号的特点,结合直升机环境工程及传统研制、设计经验,提出了直升机及直升机型号研制中贯彻GJB 4239的具体实施程序和方法,试图将GJB 4239的通用要求转化为直升机和直升机型号系统、部件/设备环境适应性分析、设计、试验及管理具体实用,易于操作的工程技术要求,并提出直升机研制中环境试验与评估的实施要求和方法。     

GJB 4239—2001在航空型号研制中的应用

结合GJB 4239—2001《装备环境工程通用要求》在航空重点型号研制中应用案例和工作经验,系统地阐述了环境工程技术体系在立项论证阶段、工程研制阶段和设计定型阶段的实现方式,并着重介绍了近几年以来GJB 4239—2001《装备环境工程通用要求》在重点航空型号项目研制中的应用情况。最后,分别在环境分析、环境设计、环境试验,以及环境工程管理等四个方面分析了实际型号研制工作中工作项目、开展时机、输出形式所存在的突出问题,并给出了今后改进完善的建议。