Modelling the outcrossing between genetically modified and conventional maize with equation discovery

Many studies explore the feasibility of co-existence between genetically modified (GM) and conventional (non-GM) crops. An important research topic in these studies is the process of outcrossing, i.e., the process of gene flow via pollen flow from GM to non-GM crops. In this paper, we address a new modelling approach to define the environmentally driven processes of outcrossing for maize from existing empirical datasets. In particular, we use equation discovery methodology that combines background knowledge and empirical data from several studies. We induce models that predict the degree of outcrossing rate between the donor (GM) and the recipient (non-GM) maize field from the distance between the fields and the local wind characteristics (speed, direction and duration). This results in highly accurate models, for which both variables (distance and wind) are essential and of roughly equal importance.     

“大气十条”实施后大气污染协同治理政策的量化研究

针对大气污染问题,2013年国务院颁布了《大气污染防治行动计划》,从更高层次上实施国家及区域层面的大气污染协同治理战略。区域联合防控及协同治理是当前情况下治理好大气污染的必然选择,但是尚未形成完整的体系。收集整理了100篇大气污染协同治理相关政策文件,构建了政策工具量化的二维分析框架,探讨了当前对大气污染协同治理的政策工具使用情况,并针对性地提出了强化命令型政策工具、弥补能力型建设工具、完善奖惩福利机制、完善监督监测预警系统等一系列政策建议。     

Understand the local and regional contributions on air pollution from the view of human health impacts

• PM_2.5-related deaths were estimated to be 227 thousand in BTH & surrounding regions. • Local emissions contribute more to PM_2.5-related deaths than PM_2.5 concentration. • Local controls are underestimated if only considering its impacts on concentrations. • Rural residents suffer larger impacts of regional transport than urban residents. • Reducing regional transport benefits in mitigating environmental inequality. The source-receptor matrix of PM_2.5 concentration from local and regional sources in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and surrounding provinces has been created in previous studies. However, because the spatial distribution of concentration does not necessarily match with that of the population, such concentration-based source-receptor matrix may not fully reflect the importance of pollutant control effectiveness in reducing the PM_2.5-related health impacts. To demonstrate that, we study the source-receptor matrix of the PM_2.5-related deaths instead, with inclusion of the spatial correlations between the concentrations and the population. The advanced source apportionment numerical model combined with the integrated exposure–response functions is used for BTH and surrounding regions in 2017. We observed that the relative contribution to PM_2.5-related deaths of local emissions was 0.75% to 20.77% larger than that of PM_2.5 concentrations. Such results address the importance of local emissions control for reducing health impacts of PM_2.5 particularly for local residents. Contribution of regional transport to PM_2.5-related deaths in rural area was 22% larger than that in urban area due to the spatial pattern of regional transport which was more related to the rural population. This resulted in an environmental inequality in the sense that people staying in rural area with access to less educational resources are subjected to higher impacts from regional transport as compared with their more resourceful and knowledgeable urban compatriots. An unexpected benefit from the multi-regional joint controls is suggested for its effectiveness in reducing the regional transport of PM_2.5 pollution thus mitigating the associated environmental inequality.     

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix combined with regional integration analysis to characterize the composition and transformation of humic and fulvic acids from landfill at different stabilization stages

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) analysis was used to investigate the composition and transformation of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) from landfill. The EEMs of HAs at different landfill ages were characterized by two typical fluorescence chromophores with Ex/Em pairs at Ex = 420-470 nm/Em = 490-530 nm and Ex = 345-375 nm/Em = 450-465 nm. EEMs of FA were featured by other two distinctly different fluorophores with Ex/Em pairs at Ex = 315-335 nm/Em = 420-440 nm and Ex = 255-275 nm/Em = 425-455 nm. The results show that HA extracted from the refuse disposed in the year of 1989 was formed by connecting small-condensed aromatic structures with protein-like chains. Compared with HA extracted from the refuse disposed in the year of 1992, HA extracted from the refuse of 1996 had a higher fluorescence intensity and lower r_(B,A) (the ratio of the fluorescence intensities of peak B and peak A) value. It contained low molar mass components, low aromatic condensation degree, and more easily oxidized substituents. This indicates that the landfill time strongly affects the EEMs characteristics of HA, and that the humification degree of HA increases with the landfill time. A red shift to a longer wavelength region and an increase of fluorescence intensity were observed when the concentration of HA was increased, suggesting that concentration had a great influence on the fluorescence characteristics of HAs. pH (2-12) also had significant effects on the fluorescence intensity, although it exerted no effect on the peak position of fluorescence of HA and FA. The results of FRI show that increasing concentration lead to more interactions among various structure components and that small molecular weight units tend to aggregate or be masked into more complicated and larger structures. The pH influence on the fluorescence intensity of HA seems mainly through molecular configuration, while the fluorescence intensity change with pH may be due to various substituents of FA.     

易燃、易爆(有毒)重大危险源(罐区)泄漏物扩散模型及数值模拟

在研究易燃、易爆、有毒的重大危险源和泄漏物扩散模型的基础上,建立了易燃、易爆、有毒物三维数值模拟程序,得到了复杂地形条件下关键点的有害物浓度历史和有害物的时空分布     

区域农业生态环境质量综合评价方法与模型研究

为了客观准确的评价区域农业生态环境质量,引入灰色系统理论中的关联度分析法,提出了区域生态环境质量的多级模糊综合评价——灰色关联优势分析复合模型,并以安徽省芜湖市区域农业生态环境质量的综合评价为例,根据芜湖市区域农业生态环境调查与监测资料,进行了实例研究。结果表明:安徽省芜湖市区域农业生态环境已经受到了明显的污染,并且各区域污染水平具有一定的差异;芜湖市区域农业生态环境质量优劣的关联序依次为:南陵县、芜湖县、繁昌县和城市郊区。      

天山北坡经济带城市NO2污染的时空分布特征

基于2015—2020年近地面NO₂质量浓度数据和2019年哨兵-5P TROPOMI卫星探测的对流层NO₂柱浓度数据,采用相关性分析、趋势分析等方法探究新疆天山北坡经济带6个城市NO₂污染的时空分布特征。结果表明：（1）从年均值来看,天山北坡经济带NO₂质量浓度总体呈下降趋势,尤其2018—2020年下降明显。其中乌鲁木齐NO₂质量浓度值最高、博乐最低。（2）从季度均值和月均值来看,各城市NO₂质量浓度季节变化明显,其中夏季最低、冬季最高;月均值呈“中间低、两头高”的变化特征。（3）从日均值来看,各城市NO₂质量浓度大多呈现双峰型分布,分别出现在早上10:00和晚上23:00。（4）从空间分布来看,NO₂柱浓度高值区多分布在人口密集和工业发达的城市地区,尤其是乌鲁木齐、昌吉、五家渠、石河子污染最为严重。     

应用统计分析方法优化布点监测区域环境噪声

应用统计分析方法,对湖南省湘潭市2001年城区环境噪声网格布点及其监测结果总体进行了区域环境噪声监测点的最优集合,并通过网格布点法与优化布点法对该市2002年和2003年环境噪声监测结果进行了对比检验,结果表明,两种方法监测的等效声级和标准差平均值均<1dB(A),监测结果之间无显著性差异。     

Root uptake of lead by Norway spruce grown on Pb spiked soils

The root uptake of lead (Pb) by trees and the transfer of Pb by leaf litter deposition to the forest floor were investigated through a pot experiment with Norway spruce. Natural Pb and radio isotopic lead (²¹⁰Pb) were determined in needles and twigs and in the pot soil spiked with ²¹⁰Pb. Calculations of the specific activity in plant material and in the supporting pot soil showed that less than 2% of the Pb content of needles and twigs originates from root uptake and approximately 98% are deposited from the atmosphere. Atmospheric Pb has declined by a factor of 7 from 1980 to 2007 but is still a major pathway of Pb to vegetation and topsoils. The conclusion from the experiment is that the internal circulation of Pb through root uptake, translocation and litterfall, gives an insignificant input of Pb to the forest floor compared to atmospheric deposition.     

Requirements for estimation of doses from contaminants dispersed by a ‘dirty bomb’ explosion in an urban area

The ARGOS decision support system is currently being extended to enable estimation of the consequences of terror attacks involving chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological substances. This paper presents elements of the framework that will be applied in ARGOS to calculate the dose contributions from contaminants dispersed in the atmosphere after a ‘dirty bomb’ explosion. Conceptual methodologies are presented which describe the various dose components on the basis of knowledge of time-integrated contaminant air concentrations. Also the aerosolisation and atmospheric dispersion in a city of different types of conceivable contaminants from a ‘dirty bomb’ are discussed.