Effects of ignition energy on fire and explosion characteristics of dilute hybrid fuel in ventilation air methane

Deflagration explosions of coal dust clouds and flammable gases are a major safety concern in coal mining industry. Accidental fire and explosion caused by coal dust cloud can impose substantial losses and damages to people and properties in underground coal mines. Hybrid mixtures of methane and coal dust have the potential to reduce the minimum activation energy of a combustion reaction. In this study the Minimum Explosion Concentration (MEC), Over Pressure Rise (OPR), deflagration index for gas and dust hybrid mixtures (K_st) and explosive region of hybrid fuel mixtures present in Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) were investigated. Experiments were carried out according to the ASTM E1226-12 guideline utilising a 20 L spherical shape apparatus specifically designed for this purpose.Resultsobtained from this study have shown that the presence of methane significantly affects explosion characteristics of coal dust clouds. Dilute concentrations of methane, 0.75–1.25%, resulted in coal dust clouds OPR increasing from 0.3 bar to 2.2 bar and boosting the K_st value from 10 bar m s⁻¹ to 25 bar m s⁻¹. The explosion characteristics were also affected by the ignitors’ energy; for instance, for a coal dust cloud concentration of 50 g m⁻³ the OPR recorded was 0.09 bar when a 1 kJ chemical ignitor was used, while, 0.75 bar (OPR) was recorded when a 10 kJ chemical ignitor was used.For the first time, new explosion regions were identified for diluted methane-coal dust cloud mixtures when using 1, 5 and 10 kJ ignitors. Finally, the Le-Chatelier mixing rule was modified to predict the lower explosion limit of methane-coal dust cloud hybrid mixtures considering the energy of the ignitors.     

臭氧水杀灭模式微生物效果的试验研究

臭氧水对所选择的模式生物(大肠杆菌、不动杆菌)均有很强的杀灭作用。随着施加臭氧水剂量(浓度)的上升,模式生物的灭活率显著上升;在1 mL的大肠杆菌菌液中滴加2 500μL臭氧水就可以将浓度约为106 CFU/mL的大肠杆菌全部杀灭;在1mL的不动杆菌菌液中滴加1 750μL臭氧水就可以将浓度约为106CFU/mL的不动杆菌全部杀灭,而且杀灭细菌效果持久,均无细菌再生现象。大肠杆菌对于高浓度臭氧水的抗性大于不动杆菌,其灭活速率K值分别为0.192 min-1、0.279 9 min-1,Chick一级反应动力学模型能够体现出大肠杆菌、不动杆菌的灭活特性,所得结论与实验结果一致。     

过敏症状儿童室内PM_(2.5)对小鼠巨噬细胞的氧化损伤及VE的抗氧化保护作用研究

越来越多的研究提示,主要空气污染物PM_(2.5)暴露浓度的升高与儿童过敏性疾病的发病率有着密切的关系,然而PM_(2.5)暴露与过敏性疾病之间的关联尚未完全阐明。为探究患有过敏症状儿童的室内PM_(2.5)对小鼠巨噬细胞的氧化损伤作用以及维生素E(vitamin E,VE)的抗氧化保护作用,从5户患有1种或1种以上的过敏性症状(如过敏性鼻炎、哮喘)儿童的室内采集PM_(2.5),分别考察了不同剂量PM_(2.5)暴露24 h后如何影响小鼠巨噬细胞的氧化应激水平,指标包括活性氧(ROS),还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH),丙二醛(MDA),8-羟基脱氧鸟苷(8-OH-dG),以及炎症因子水平,指标包括肿瘤坏死因子ɑ(TNF-ɑ),白介素8β(IL-8β)的影响。结果表明,200μg·mL~(-1)PM_(2.5)暴露组与对照组比较,细胞内ROS积累,出现脂质过氧化以及DNA损伤,并伴有炎症反应的发生,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05或P0.01);VE(50 mg·mL~(-1))+200μg·mL~(-1)PM_(2.5)组的ROS、MDA、8-OHdG、TNF-ɑ、IL-8β含量低于200μg·mL~(-1)PM_(2.5)组,GSH含量高于200μg·mL~(-1)PM_(2.5)组。较高剂量(200μg·mL~(-1))PM_(2.5)可诱导小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞出现氧化损伤,VE在该应激过程中起着一定的保护作用。     

浙江三门湾柱样沉积中长链烯酮、正构烷烃和多环芳烃组成、分布特征及对厄尔尼诺／拉尼娜事件的追踪

利用气相色谱对浙江三门湾H30柱样沉积中长链烯酮、正构烷烃和多环芳烃组成和来源进行分析,并对柱样沉积中相关有机地化指标与厄尔尼诺／拉尼娜事件的关联性进行了探讨。正构烷烃GC谱图显示碳数分布范围为C14-C35,呈双峰型,低碳峰群的主峰为C17-C19,高碳峰群的主峰为C27-C31,这种分布特征表明三门湾沉积物中陆地高等植物和海洋菌藻类的烷烃共存。根据多环芳烃的菲／蒽比值、荧蒽／芘比值、2-3环化合物总量和4环以上化合物总量等可推断,三门湾沉积地层中的多环芳烃主要来源于化石燃料的不完全燃烧物和石油源（航运事件）。基于精确的。mPb定年,1822-2005年间正构烷烃和多环芳烃含量分布、分子组合特征指数可能与厄尔尼诺,拉尼娜事件具有一定的关联。具体表现在,长链正构烷烃的含量与总多环芳烃含量变化具有良好的一致性,二者含量和花、CPI、烷烃C旷C19在厄尔尼诺年增加（尤其在厄尔尼诺结束年）,指示陆源有机质输入和海洋菌藻类一致增加;而二者含量和∑C21／∑C22＋、烷烃C15．C19在拉尼娜事件时降低,表明海洋菌藻类减少。     

云南地区种子植物东亚分布成分的地理分布格局

植物区系分析是理解植被起源、性质和分布的基础.本研究利用大尺度的区系分布信息,结合地理信息系统平台和统计分析方法,探讨了云南地区种子植物东亚分布成分的地理分布格局以及"田中线"的生物地理意义.结果表明,东亚分布成分及其亚型所占比重均随着纬度的升高呈递增趋势.在经度梯度上,中国-日本植物分布亚型所占的比重从东到西呈递减趋势,而中国-喜马拉雅分布亚型所占比重的经度格局则与此相反.东亚分布成分在云南地区的扩散方向以由北到南为主,其次为经度梯度上的双向迁移.与过去的研究不同,本研究结果表明,东亚分布成分在云南地区的起源中心更可能为滇西北.我们未能证实"田中线"对中国-喜马拉雅分布亚型的分布具有限制意义,但对东亚分布成分(总体)和中国-日本分布亚型在云南地区的分布具有严格的限制意义.     

Molecular changes of aquatic humic substances formed from four aquatic macrophytes decomposed under different oxygen conditions

Aquatic macrophytes’ decomposition is a source of recalcitrant carbon in the long term contributing to humic substances (HS) formation. Understanding the influence of plant detritus quality and oxygen availability over molecular changes of these compounds provides ecological information related to their cycling. This study described the molecular variation of dissolved HS from Eichhornia azurea, Egeria najas, Oxycaryum cubense and Salvinia molesta decomposition under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The aquatic HS formed from the four aquatic macrophytes showed similar features (e.g. molecular weight and aromaticity). This fact indicates little influence of the detritus quality or availability of oxygen on the fulvic acids (FA) and humic acid characteristics. Under aerobic condition a decrease in the polysaccharides content in FA occurred. HS from E. najas were related to less-recalcitrant features, while HS from S. molesta were related to recalcitrant.     

Studies on the drug resistance profile of Enterococcus faecium distributed from poultry retailers to hospitals

The multidrug resistant Enterococcus faecium (MEF) strains originating from farm animals are proliferating at a substantial pace to impact downstream food chains and could reach hospitals. This study was conducted to elucidate the drug susceptibility profile of MEF strains collected from poultry products in Ann Arbor, MI area and clinical settings from Michigan State Lab and Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) in Florida. Presumptive positive Enterococcus isolates at species level were identified by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis. The antibiotic susceptibility profile for both poultry and clinical strains was determined by the Thermo Scientific's Sensititre conform to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and validated via quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) methods. Out of 50 poultry samples (Turkey: n = 30; Chicken: n = 20), 36 samples were positive for Enterococcus species from which 20.83% were identified as E. faecium. All the E. faecium isolates were multidrug resistant and displayed resistance to the last alternative drug, quinupristin/dalfopristin (QD) used to treat vancomycin resistant E. faecium (VRE) in hospitals. Results indicate the presence of MEF strains in food animals and clinical settings that are also resistant to QD.     

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Burkina Faso: Suggestion of multi-agent methodology as a complementary support in elaborating a policy

In order to better manage artisanal and small-scale gold mining, the Burkinabe authorities have planned to build a suitable methodological support as an aid to elaborating appropriate policies and actions. The developed methodology concerns (a) at a spatial level, the generation and analysis of a geological resources map needed by the artisanal miners and (b) at a socioeconomic level, analysis of the miners' activity. This paper reports and discusses the results of our suggestion to also introduce the use of an approach known as multi-agent system (MAS) as a complementary part of this initial methodology, at a downstage level to the above two analysis stages. MAS methodology could be used to develop simulation models to forecast the future of the activity. MAS is appropriate for describing the dynamics of systems where it is impossible to obtain all output data of a model from a purely mathematical or statistical transformation of input data. Our suggestion involves (i) demonstrating the capacity of the approach to simulate all parameters needed by mining policy makers and (ii) evaluating to what extent the methodology is accepted by them, as well as, at a more scientific level, the literature regarding mining system simulation.     

Estimating the Microbial Risk of E. coli in Reclaimed Wastewater Irrigation on Paddy Field

Microbial risk was quantified to assess human health risk as a result of exposure to E. coli in reclaimed wastewater irrigation. Monitoring data on E. coli were collected from pond water in paddy rice plots during the growing season. Five treatments were used and each was triplicated to evaluate the changes in E. coli concentrations in experiments performed in 2003 and 2004. The Beta-Poisson model was used to estimate the microbial risk of pathogen ingestion among farmers and neighboring children. A Monte Carlo simulation (10,000 trials) was conducted to estimate the risk associated with uncertainty. In this study, risk values ranged from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁸. UV-disinfected irrigation water showed a lower risk value than others, and its level was within the range of the actual paddy rice field with surface water. Agricultural activity was thought to be safer after 1–2 days, when the paddy field was irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Also, children were found to have a greater risk of infection with E. coli. This paper should be viewed as a first step in the application of quantitative microbial risk assessment of wastewater reuse in paddy rice culture.     

Electrochemical Detection of Pathogen Infection Using Cell Chip

The immobilized cell using self-assembled synthetic oligopeptide was applied to the electrochemical detection of pathogen infection. Thin films based on cysteine-terminated synthetic oligopeptides were fabricated for the immobilization of HeLa cell on gold (Au) substrate. Layer formation and immobilization of the cell were investigated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Experimental results showed that the thin film of cysteine-terminated synthetic oligopeptide was successfully fabricated and it could be applied for the immobilization of HeLa cells. The adhered living cell was exposed to E. coli O157:H7, which induced the change of SPR angle and electrochemical impedance signal. The proposed cell immobilization method using self-assembly technique can be applied to construct the cell microarray for on-site pathogen monitoring.