Environmental occurrence of Q1, a C9H3C17N2 compound,that has been identified as a natural bioaccumulative organochlorine

Environmental appearance of Q1, a natural heptachloro compound with the molecular formula C₉H₃Cl₇N₂, was studied in samples from different sites all over the world. Q1 was expected to have a bipyrrole backbone, similar to other compounds ascribed to natural sources. A method for isolation of Q1 was developed by combination of adsorption chromatography on silica and normal phase HPLC with an amino phase. UV-detection of Q1 supports the aromatic character of the compound.

The high levels detected in samples of marine mammals and birds suggested that Q1 is both a persistent and a bioaccumulative contaminant. This was underscored by calculated log K_OW in the range of other lipophilic organohalogens. In accordance with earlier studies, highest Q1 concentrations were found in the Southern Hemisphere, but with a highly selective GC/ECNI-MS-SIM method, detection of Q1 was also achieved in many samples from the Northern Hemisphere. In addition to marine mammals and birds, Q1 was also detected in fish from the Mediterranean Sea and the Antarctic. Traces were also detected in SRM 1588 certified cod liver oil, but Q1 was not detected in fish from Hong Kong and Lake Baikal.     

2014年北京市PM2.5质量浓度分析及比对研究

本研究选择污染严重的北京作为研究区域,自2013年12月起至2014年12月,通过设在北五环中国环境科学研究院(CRAES)内的定点监测,获得375天有效平行样品(T和Q)。统计结果表明,2014年北京市PM_(2.5)质量浓度从优良水平的6.9μg/m~3到极重污染的422.1μg/m~3,年均浓度值在100μg/m~3左右。T组和Q组线性相关,但T/Q并非定值,冬季最高,R~2=0.974,对应T/Q=1.014,可能由于冬季污染程度较重,滤膜性能差异可忽略。除春季外,其它三季的PM_(2.5)都是T组>Q组,与石英膜的纤维结构不够致密有关。以T组质量浓度数据为准,与国控监测点奥体中心点公报的日均PM_(2.5)进行比对,结果显示二者基本同步,在春冬季呈现较高的污染浓度,在夏季最低。在严重污染时(PM_(2.5)>250.0μg/m~3),在线监测可能低估PM_(2.5)而T组能更客观地记录实际污染状况。统计2014年全年污染等级分布,4~8月份基本未出现重度污染,而在冬季采暖期10~12月份,优良天数不足50%。综合分析风速、相对湿度对PM_(2.5)质量浓度的影响,证实冬季取暖燃煤和无风、高湿、逆温的静稳天气是霾频发的主要原因。     

Providing the Spark: Impact of financial incentives on battery electric vehicle adoption

To overcome adoption barriers and promote battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as an energy efficient consumer transportation option, a number of states offer subsidies to consumers for BEVs. We use a national data set of vehicle registrations and state-level financial incentives to assess the impact of vehicle purchase subsidies on adoption using both difference-in-differences and synthetic controls methods. We find that incentives offered as direct purchase rebates generate increased levels of new BEV registrations at a rate of approximately 8 percent per thousand dollars of incentive offered. Between 2011 and 2015, vehicle rebate incentives are associated with an increase in overall BEV registrations of approximately 11 percent. Our findings indicate incentives offered as state income tax credits do not have a statistically significant effect on BEV adoptions, though we caution this may be a result of limited temporal variation in BEV incentives across our sample. Responses to rebate incentives do not differ significantly by the make of the vehicle purchased (i.e., Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles). We combine our results with recent assessments of marginal environmental costs of electric vehicle charging and measure net welfare effects of BEV subsidy programs. Our analysis indicates these programs are not welfare-improving if only considering benefits associated with avoided emissions. Additional benefits associated with long-term market growth, production cost savings, network externalities, or accelerated innovation could substantially impact the net welfare outcomes.     

睾丸酮丛毛单胞菌对喹啉类化合物的降解

对喹啉、异喹啉、2-甲基喹啉、3-甲基喹啉、4-甲基喹啉和6-甲基喹啉在睾丸酮丝毛单胞菌(Comamonas testosteroni Q10)作用下的降解及底物之间的相互作用进行研究．结果表明,喹啉和3-甲基喹啉不仅能有效地被降解,而且细菌也有明显的生长,而其它化合物虽有部分降解但没有观察到细胞生长．底物初始浓度的增加对菌Q10有一定抑制作用．喹啉的存在对其它化合物的降解具有不同的促进效应,其中尤以6-甲基喹啉和4-甲基喹啉最为明显．能在较短时间内得到完全去除,而在各二元体系中喹啉的降解受到这些化合物的抑制作用．     

国产Q345钢在不同热-力路径下的材料性能对比和材料模型应用

为评估和分析钢结构的耐火性能,以我国10个钢厂生产的Q345钢的424次恒载升温试验和152次恒温加载试验结果为依据,对钢材强度和应变以及不同的热-力作用路径下的力学性能进行对比研究。结果表明,在所有热-力作用路径下,恒载升温试验的强度最小,应变最大,临界温度最低;恒温加载试验的强度最大,应变最小,临界温度最高。随温度升高,热-力作用路径对钢材的力学性能影响增大:在450℃以下影响较小,在500℃以上时影响显著。如果规范采用恒温加载试验强度,是不可靠的。恒载升温条件下的ε-T-k材料模型和恒温加载条件下的ε-k-T材料模型均不能单独用于超静定钢结构的性能分析。超静定钢结构的性能分析可把火灾过程离散为若干时段,把每个时段分解为两个独立的应变-温度过程和应变-应力过程,分别应用恒载升温条件下的ε-T-k和恒温加载条件下的ε-k-T材料模型进行分析,然后迭加计算以得出最后的应变。     

Human perspectives and conservation of grizzly bears in Banff National Park, Canada

Some conservation initiatives provoke intense conflict among stakeholders. The need for action, the nature of the conservation measures, and the effects of these measures on human interests may be disputed. Tools are needed to depolarize such situations, foster understanding of the perspectives of people involved, and find common ground. We used Q methodology to explore stakeholders' perspectives on conservation and management of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in Banff National Park and the Bow River watershed of Alberta, Canada. Twenty-nine stakeholders participated in the study, including local residents, scientists, agency employees, and representatives of nongovernmental conservation organizations and other interest groups. Participants rank ordered a set of statements to express their opinions on the problems of grizzly bear management (I-IV) and a second set of statements on possible solutions to the problems (A-C). Factor analysis revealed that participants held 4 distinct views of the problems: individuals associated with factor I emphasized deficiencies in goals and plans; those associated with factor II believed that problems had been exaggerated; those associated with factor III blamed institutional flaws such as disjointed management and inadequate resources; and individuals associated with factor IV blamed politicized decision making. There were 3 distinct views about the best solutions to the problems: individuals associated with factor A called for increased conservation efforts; those associated with factor B wanted reforms in decision-making processes; and individuals associated with factor C supported active landscape management. We connected people's definitions of the problem with their preferred solutions to form 5 overall problem narratives espoused by groups in the study: the problem is deficient goals and plans, the solution is to prioritize conservation efforts (planning-oriented conservation advocates); the problem is flawed institutions, the solution is to prioritize conservation efforts (institutionally-oriented conservation advocates); the problems have been exaggerated, but there is a need to improve decision-making processes (optimistic decision-process reformers); the problems have been exaggerated, but managers should more actively manage the landscape (optimistic landscape managers); and the problem is politicized decision making, solutions vary (democratizers). Although these 5 groups differed on many issues, they agreed that the population of grizzly bears is vulnerable to extirpation, human use of the area should be designed around ecological constraints, and more inclusive decision-making processes are needed. We used our results to inform a series of workshops in which stakeholders developed and agreed on new management strategies that were implemented by Parks Canada. Our research demonstrates the usefulness of Q method to illuminate people's perspectives and identify common ground in settings where conservation is contested.     

3种氨基糖苷类抗生素对水生生物的时间依赖联合毒性作用比较

以3种氨基糖苷类(AG)抗生素:硫酸安普霉素(APR)、双氢链霉素(DIH)和硫酸链霉素(STS)为研究对象,以生态系统中2类重要的水生生物分解者如青海弧菌(Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67,Q67)和生产者蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa,CP)为受试生物,运用均匀设计射线法设计抗生素三元混合物体系,共5条具有不同浓度配比的射线,应用已建立的分别基于Q67和CP的时间毒性微板分析法系统测试抗生素及其三元混合物射线对Q67和CP在不同暴露时间的毒性。对于Q67和CP,暴露时间分别为0.25、2、4、8、12 h和12、24、48、72、96 h。应用浓度加和(CA)模型分析混合物在不同暴露时间的毒性相互作用。结果表明:APR、DIH和STS及其5条混合物射线对2种指示生物的毒性均具有明显的时间依赖性,且Q67对AG抗生素及其混合物射线的响应比CP的灵敏;以半数效应浓度的负对数p EC50值为毒性大小指标,3种抗生素对2种指示生物的毒性大小顺序随暴露时间的变化而变化,3种AG抗生素对Q67和CP分别在12 h和96 h的毒性大小顺序均为STSDIHAPR;5条具有不同浓度配比的混合物射线对Q67在不同暴露时间的毒性均呈加和作用,但对CP的毒性既有加和作用也有拮抗作用,且拮抗作用随暴露时间和组分浓度配比的变化而变化,表明AG抗生素毒性的联合毒性作用与暴露生物、暴露时间以及混合物组分的浓度配比等有关。     

Byproduct production of minor metals: Threat or opportunity for the development of clean technologies? The PV sector as an illustration

Today, the fight against global warming and the coming hydrocarbon exhaustion involve a drastic increase of clean energies. These technologies resort to many minor metals which are byproduct of major metals. We will take the definition of Hagelüken and Mesker (2010, Complex Life Cycles of Precious and Special Metals. In: Edition Thomas E. Graedel, Ester van der Voet (Eds.), Strüngmann Forum Report, Linkages of Sustainability, MIT Press) to show precisely what minor metals are: “[they are] metals that have relatively low production or usage, which occur in low ore concentrations, are regarded as rare, or are not traded at major public exchanges”. We will analyze the byproduct status affecting almost each minor metal in order to determine if the link with the metal main product can involve a threat for clean technology development. This paper will also deal with the theory and implications of the relationship between the byproduct and the main-product and then check it with empirical data. Until now, byproduct metal production and its variations seem relatively independent from major metal production thanks to the non-saturation of potential supply. By 2050, photovoltaic solar development should not lead to the saturation of potential supply.     

The legal environmental risk analysis (LERA) sample of mining and the environment in Turkish legislation

As advancing technology and increasing demands for natural resources continue to mount pressure on the environment, environmental conservation and sustainable management have become ever more important. Individual countries have been increasingly taking action to reduce environmental destruction caused by human activities in an attempt to find a balance in between the necessary exploitation of resources and environmental conservation. In Turkey, the struggle between environmental conservation and mining activities is set within the legal context, with the requisite legal regulations (which describe various procedures) in the midst of being updated or renewed. The legal environmental risk analysis (LERA), beginning by discussing the main legal regulations of environmental conservation in relation to mining activities, defines basic environmental components which form the basis of environmental conservation in relation to mining, and analyzes the impact of mining on each component. The analysis (LERA) finishes with an evaluation of the components as they currently stand and makes some suggestions for the improvement of insufficient regulations.     

Dynamics of global oil prices,exchange rate and precious metal prices in India

This study examines cointegration and Granger causality among global oil prices, precious metal (Gold, Platinum and Silver) prices and Indian Rupee–US Dollar exchange rate using daily data spanning from 2nd January 2009 to 30th December 2011. ARDL bounds tests indicate that the series are cointegrated. Toda–Yamamoto version of Granger causality has been employed to establish the causation amongst the variables. The study also examines generalized error variance decomposition of variables due to various shocks in the system. Such information provides insight into the transmission links between the global oil market and the Indian precious metals and foreign exchange market. These have the potential for significant impact in further research, portfolio management and central bank policy design.