Effect of water washing on the thermal behavior of rice straw

Rice straw can be used as a renewable fuel for heat and power generation. It is a viable mean of replacing fossil fuels and preventing pollution caused by open burning, especially in the areas where this residual biomass is generated. Nevertheless, the thermal conversion of rice straw can cause some operating problems such as slag formation, which negatively affects thermal conversion systems. So, the main objective of this research is studying the combustion behavior of rice straw samples collected from various regions by applying thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, the thermal behavior of ashes from rice straw was also analyzed in order to detect their melting points, and ash sintering was detected at different temperatures within the range between 550 and 1000 °C. Since washing rice straw with water could reduce the content of undesirable inorganic compounds related to the ash fusibility, samples of washed rice straw were analyzed under combustion conditions to investigate its differences regarding the thermal behavior of rice straw. The results showed that rice straw washing led to a significant improvement in its thermal behavior, since it reduced the ash contents and sintering formation.     

铜铈复合氧化物上石化行业典型VOCs的氧化行为与动力学

采用共沉淀法和等体积浸渍法制备了CuCeO x复合催化剂,对材料的物化性质进行了XRD、低温N2吸脱附、H2-TPR和O2-TPD表征.以石化行业典型VOCs(苯、甲苯和正己烷)为探针污染物,研究了污染物组成与浓度、反应空速、O2浓度、H2O浓度和催化剂种类对其氧化行为的影响,并对反应动力学参数进行了模型拟合.共沉淀得到的催化剂具有均匀的活性相、好的低温可还原性能和较多的活性表面氧物种.甲苯氧化率随着污染物浓度升高而降低,高转化率下苯浓度与其氧化率无相关性,正己烷的氧化率与入口浓度呈正比.苯能够显著抑制甲苯的氧化,而甲苯加入有利于苯的氧化.正己烷对苯氧化的影响较小,但能够促进甲苯的转化,苯系物对正己烷氧化有明显的抑制作用.低空速和高氧浓度都有利于污染物的氧化,氧浓度的变化对正己烷和苯的氧化影响较小.水汽对甲苯的氧化有明显的抑制作用,而对苯和正己烷氧化有明显的促进作用.共沉淀催化剂具有更好的甲苯和苯氧化性能,而无水条件下浸渍催化剂具有更好的正己烷氧化性能.拟一级动力学模型能够很好地模拟不同条件下污染物的氧化行为.     

温度与pH对生物合成施氏矿物在酸性环境中溶解行为及对Cu2+吸附效果的影响

探析施氏矿物在不同温度、pH下的溶解行为,对其在酸性煤矿废水(ACMD)重金属去除领域的应用具有重要的工程指导意义.本研究通过摇瓶实验,在0.16mol·L-1FeSO4·7H2O,初始pH为2.5的酸性体系中,采用氧化亚铁硫杆菌A.ferrooxidans催化合成施氏矿物.考察了15℃与30℃,pH为2.0$6.0环境条件下矿物的溶解行为,及生物合成施氏矿物对酸性体系Cu2+的吸附去除效果.研究结果表明,经过24h反应,施氏矿物合成体系pH从原始2.50降低至2.18,体系Fe2+氧化完全,27.3%的铁离子参与矿物的合成,矿物分子式可表示为Fe8O8(OH)4.22(SO4)1.89.生物合成施氏矿物在温度为15℃,pH分别为3.2、3.0、2.8、2.6、2.4、2.2与2.0液态体系中振荡72h,矿物溶解率分别为1.92%、3.34%、5.90%、13.09%、28.74%、44.53%与61.46%.在温度为30℃的上述酸度体系中,矿物溶解率在相应时间却达到2.04%、3.98%、8.34%、20.53%、43.50%、96.74%与99.92%.在pH≥3.5的不同温度液态体系中该矿物无溶解迹象.在15℃,pH为6.0、5.0、4.5、4.0与3.5,Cu2+浓度为40mg·g-1的液态体系中,生物合成施氏矿物对Cu2+的吸附量为(50.9±2.2)、(47.3±13.3)、(40.5±4.7)、(31.1±5.0)及(16.9±6.5)mg·g-1.体系酸度一定,施氏矿物在15℃与30℃条件下对Cu2+的吸附效果无显著差异.本研究结果对生物合成施氏矿物在ACMD重金属去除工程应用提供必要的参数支撑.     

Entrepreneur environment management behavior evaluation method derived from environmental economy

Evaluation system can encourage and guide entrepreneurs, and impel them to perform well in environment management. An evaluation method based on advantage structure is established. It is used to analyze entrepreneur environment management behavior in China. Entrepreneur environment management behavior evaluation index system is constructed based on empirical research. Evaluation method of entrepreneurs is put forward, from the point of objective programming-theory to alert entrepreneurs concerned to think much of it, which means to take minimized objective function as comprehensive evaluation result and identify disadvantage structure pattern. Application research shows that overall behavior of Chinese entrepreneurs environmental management are good, specially, environment strategic behavior are best, environmental management behavior are second, cultural behavior ranks last. Application results show the efficiency and feasibility of this method.     

佛山市创建生态市差距分析与策略研究

生态市建设是探索区域生态文明的准备阶段,亦是区域可持续发展道路的重要阶段。成功的生态市创建策略是在充分认识本区域发展现状及创建差距的基础上,抓住重点任务作出科学、合理、可操作的政策措施。佛山市提出了在2015年建成国家生态市的奋斗目标,时间紧任务重,必须尽快制定行之有效的策略。本文重点分析佛山市目前经济、生态环境与社会进步等方面与生态市考核指标要求之间的差异,在此基础上识别佛山市创建生态市的重点任务,进一步研究相应的配套政策需求。     

超市塑料袋使用行为的环境实验研究

塑料购物袋一直是社会关注的热点环境问题。文章以上海某超市为对象,采用现场观察实验方法记录了5 086份超市顾客塑料袋使用行为的样本,初步揭示了超市塑料袋使用情况和塑料袋使用的顾客行为特征,尝试为超市塑料袋的环境管理政策提供基础性的科学依据。结果表明:(1)超市中主要有3种塑料袋使用方式,依次为购买塑料袋、自带购物袋、使用免费手撕袋,其比例为15%、29%、9%,说明目前塑料袋使用行为具有一定的多样性;(2)影响顾客购买塑料袋的因素为是否有会员卡、是否徒手购物、购物金额,其偏相关系数依次为0.114、0.085、0.042。占总样本63.4%的单人购物情境中,购买塑料袋的影响因素为是否徒手购物、是否有会员卡、年龄、购物金额、性别,偏相关系数依次为0.849、0.486、0.329、0.291、0.180;说明影响塑料袋使用的因素具有综合性和复杂性。(3)顾客购物金额、购物件数、结账时间与塑料袋购买比例有密切的正相关关系;(4)按照购买塑料袋的倾向程度,可将顾客分为高、中、低3类特征群体。其中,购买倾向最高的顾客特征为无会员卡的男性中青年、非徒手购物,购物金额较高。文章研究为解决环境管理问题提供了一种基于现场观察实验方法的案例参考,建议将定量、可重复、可检验、以现场观察记录主的实验方法应用于各类环境问题研究和解决方案中,为环境管理提供更扎实的科学依据。     

The theory of planned behavior as mediator of the effect of parental supervision: a study of intentions to violate driving rules in a representative sample of adolescents

INTRODUCTION: The study reported here was designed to test the ability of the theory of planned behavior to mediate the effect of parental supervision on adolescents' intentions to violate driving rules. METHOD: A representative sample of 1,654 adolescents completed questionnaires during individual and anonymous interviews carried out at their schools. RESULTS: Results showed that age, gender, prior risky driving-behavior, and parental supervision significantly predict intentions to violate driving rules. Attitude and the subjective norm partially mediate the effect of age, prior behavior, and parental supervision. Perceived behavioral control does not predict intention and is not predicted by other variables. IMPACT: The results suggest that social cognitive variables partially mediate the effect of parenting practices such as supervision.     

Traffic behaviour among adolescents using mopeds and light motorcycles

INTRODUCTION: Motorcycling is recognized to be a relatively risky activity. Powered two wheelers (PTW) are classified as mopeds, light, and heavy motorcycles, the first two categories being denoted light PTWs. This paper reviews the scientific literature on accident risks and traffic behavior among users of light PTWs with the aim of clarifying the current state of knowledge. METHOD: Based on a risk analytical and an anthropological perspective on motorcycling, the paper discusses the significance of cultural and social factors as important aspects of safety. More targeted and effective safety measures, for example better training programs, are needed to prevent motorcycle accidents. This means developing a deeper understanding of the rider as an individual, and the individuals within different groups and settings. Why and how motorcyclists approach the road, its function as a social arena, the varieties of goals and values, and the motorcyclists' own perceptions of the behavior that ensures their "achievements" or "successes", are some of the issues. Today, this kind of knowledge is scarce and almost entirely absent from the scientific literature. RESULTS: We conclude that the massive quantities of data on numbers of accidents, the categorization of situations, the causal explanations related to speed, gender, age, lack of concentration so forth, can only be employed as support for safety measures as long as they are linked to social and cultural factors. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Risk informed decision making has become an integral part of authorities' and manufacturers' implementation of safety measures. This tendency is strengthened by the fact that the responsibility of product safety rests upon the manufacturers, cf. for example EU safety regulations. Therefore it is paramount that a thorough understanding of social and cultural factors related to the PTW driving is necessary for the industry to develop targeted and efficient safety measures.     

Parasitoid-induced mortality of Araneus omnicolor (Araneae, Araneidae) by Hymenoepimecis sp. (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) in southeastern Brazil

All species included in the Polysphincta genus-group develop as ectophagous parasitoids of active spiders, killing their hosts prior to pupation. However, little information regarding natural history and ovipositing behavior of most species are available. In this study we inspected 85 webs of Araneus omnicolor to evaluate the frequency of parasitism and host size preferences of the wasp Hymenoepimecis sp. We also described the web characteristics of normal and parasitized spiders and the wasp ovipositing behavior. About 41% of the adult females of A. omnicolor inspected were parasitized. The highest incidence of parasitism was observed among relatively small females while no egg or larva was found in large individuals. Araneus omnicolor builds a strong web composed of an orb and barrier threads, where the spider rests within a curled leaf. The parasitoid larva builds its cocoon within this refuge, and modified cocoon webs were not observed. The ovipositing behavior of Hymenoepimecis sp. was very similar to that of Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga parasitizing Leucauge argyra, including the position of the sting, the killing of a previously attached larva, and the expelling of the egg from the base of the ovipositor.     

Secondary analysis of time of day on simulated driving performance

PROBLEM: Age and gender are frequently controlled for in studies of driving performance, but the effects of time of day or circadian cycles on performance are often not considered. Previous research on time of day effects of simulated driving is contradictory and provides little guidance for understanding the impact of these variables on results. METHODS: Using driving simulator data from 79 subjects ages 18 to 65, this paper focuses on the impact of age, gender, and time of day on the simulated driving performance of subjects who self-selected the time of participation. RESULTS: Time of day effects were consistently evident for drivers' speed overall and across different simulated environments. Drivers in the late afternoon period consistently drove significantly slower than drivers in other time periods. Age and gender affected speed such that women and those participants 50 and older tended to drive more slowly. Time of day also had an effect on reaction time and on speed variability measures. Gender did not have significant effects on reaction time or variability measures, but age effects were present. SUMMARY: Taken together, the results suggest that time of day effects should be considered as part of simulated driving performance, and that interactions between time of day and other variables, notably age, should be controlled for as part of future research. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Implications of these findings on current efforts for older driver testing are discussed.