Two novel sets of UiO-66@ metal oxide/graphene oxide Z-scheme heterojunction: Insight into tetracycline and malathion photodegradation

Nowadays,widespread researches have been focused on the development of effective photocatalysts to remove pollutants of the aquatic system.In accordance with the universal studies,two new sets of UiO-66@metal oxide(including ZnO and TiO_2)/graphene oxide heterojunctions were synthesized for photodegradation of aromatic(tetracycline)and nonaromatic(malathion) pollutants which are challenging cases in the environment.The dosage of the photocatalyst,pH of the solution,the type of metal oxide,and the presence of various scavengers are assayed parameters in this work.In the optimum condition,maximum photodegradation efficiency is achieved in 90 min for tetracycline(81%) and malathion(100%) by the UiO-66@ZnO/graphene oxide.The superior separation of charge carriers by Z-scheme mechanism,excellent electron mobility on layers of graphene oxide and high surface area are factors that enhanced the efficiency.Furthermore,in comparison with pure UiO-66,the band gaps belong to heterojunctions revealed a red shift in the absorption edge,which can be responsible for more expand adsorption of the solar spectrum.Total organic carbon analysis verified the decontamination of these pollutants in the solution.The produced main intermediates during the photocatalytic process were identified and the possible degradation pathway proposed.In general,the superior photocatalytic activity suggests that these designed photocatalysts can be a promising choice for having a clean future.     

区域生态安全演化与绿色经济发展关系实证研究——以辽宁省为例

本文基于DPESAR框架的生态安全指标体系,选择辽宁省1995—2017年的面板数据,应用SPSS17.0和EViews6.0软件,建立生态安全演化与绿色经济发展关系的结构模型,研究二级指标和三级指标间的相互关系,识别其影响绿色经济发展的症结,进而构建最优控制模型,探讨二者之间的演化关系,依据辽宁省"十三五"发展规划的指标要求,模拟并预测辽宁省到2022年的生态安全与绿色经济发展关系的理想演化状态。结果显示:敏感指标的下降会造成生态安全的恶化。但是,通过政府的调控,消除暴露指标C(k)通过压力指标带来的滞后影响可以遏制生态环境的恶化。因此,调整后的生态安全影响因子对绿色经济发展有巨大的促进作用,从而可以为辽宁省"十三五"的绿色经济发展提供决策依据。     

突发事件应急决策模拟演练设计理论框架与技术要点

突发事件应急决策模拟演练是提升参演主体应急处置能力的重要途径，该类演练的设计开发需要系统性的理论与技术进行规范和引导。从实践归纳的角度，将该类演练的设计划分为演练内容设计和演练形式开发2部分，详尽地分析演练内容设计中的4个核心要素（主题与目标、演练情景、演练任务和目标能力）和演练形式开发中的3项关键技术（控制流程、任务导入与方案输出、信息技术平台）。此外，着重介绍了突发事件应急决策模拟演练设计开发过程中容易混淆的几组概念关系，即“情景构建与应急演练的关系”、“应急预案与应急演练的关系”、“演练内容与演练形式的关系”、“演练中‘演’与‘练’的关系”。     

Between resistance and resilience: a study of flood risk management in the Don catchment area (UK)

The river Don catchment area in Sheffield and Rotherham offers a good place for a case study of flood risk management, given the impact of a flooding event in 2007 and the way in which local events have become entwined with national and international policy shifts. To interpret local policy, a combination of systems-based and socio-cultural theory is used. Both the theories and the case study serve to disentangle the multiple meanings of resilience. Understood in opposition to flood resistance, resilience has only limited applicability in an area such as the case study where engineering works protect employment and infrastructure. Resilience as a policy discourse also lacks political transparency and a recognition of socio-cultural influences. Underlying the shift towards resilient styles of management is an appreciation of the importance of capacity, to learn and to act. The case study identifies blockages to the realisation of that capacity.     

Participatory development of incentives to coexist with jaguars and pumas

Reducing costs and increasing benefits for rural communities coexisting with large carnivores is necessary for conservation of jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor). To design acceptable incentives, stakeholders must be involved in the process. We conducted an innovative, structured, group communication process based on a Delphi technique as a template for identifying potential incentives. Community workshops with 133 members of 7 communities and surveys with 25 multidisciplinary experts from government, nongovernmental organizations, and academia provided iterative data to design a plan of incentives through 4 rounds of discussion. The final product integrated 862 ideas into 6 types of incentives: organization of communities, mechanisms for improved dialogue, citizen technical assistance, green labeling for community products, payment for the ecosystem service of biodiversity, and an assessment of financial alternatives. We used quantitative and qualitative techniques to indicate support for decisions about the design of incentives, which reduced researcher subjectivity. The diverse incentives developed and the cooperation from multiple stakeholders resulted in an incentive plan that integrated issues of governance, equity, and social norms.     

The relevance of physical forces on land-use change and planning process

This study analysed the importance of physical forces on land-use change, on the planning framework in a Portuguese periurban area. A temporal matrix showing the trajectories of land transformation was obtained. A multivariate redundancy analysis explored the importance of physical parameters on temporal and spatial land-use change. A content analysis on urban or municipal master plans was made framing the importance of physical parameters on the planning process. The results highlighted a consistent trajectory of profound land-use changes with distinctive trajectories, with increasingly complex patterns with a limited dependence on physical variables. The trajectories were more related to the planning framework, where political actors and planning managers seemed to be most important. A theoretical model balancing three main components – physical forces, actors, and land transformation (DFA-C model) is proposed, reflecting the informal relationships between physical parameters and actors during the planning process.     

Green Lean Six Sigma implementation framework: a case of reducing graphite and dust pollution

ABSTRACT

Modern organisations are in search of initiatives which will enable them to be sustainable as well as gain a competitive advantage. Lean, Six Sigma and Green initiatives are some of the widely used tools which aid the organisation to be sustainable. Recent studies have suggested that the integration of Green and Lean Six Sigma (LSS) will create a powerful methodology and help organisations to be sustainable. Yet, many organisations have found it difficult due to the lack of a generic implementation framework, which can be used for any processes and cultural context. The purpose of this study is to answer the research question: how to implement a sustainable Green LSS initiative in the organisation. Through a critical analysis of previous literature, an implementation framework is developed and practically implemented through a case study to reduce the graphite and dust pollution in a mine in India. Within case analysis, it is conducted to develop propositions, future research directions and managerial implications. This is a first study to develop and practically test a generic implementation Green LSS framework.     

Resilience-based approach to safety barrier performance assessment in process facilities

The performance assessment of safety barriers is essential to find vulnerable elements in a safety barrier system. Traditional performance assessment approaches mainly focus on using several static indicators for quantifying the performance of safety barriers. However, with the increasing complexity of the system, emerging hazards are highly uncertain, making it challenging for the static indicators to assess the performance of safety barriers. This paper proposes a resilience−based performance assessment method for safety barriers to overcome this problem. Safety barriers are classified according to their functions first. The dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) is then introduced to calculate the availability function under normal and disruption conditions. The ratio of the system's availability, when affected by the disruption, to the initial availability, is used to determine the absorption capacity of the system. The ratio of the quantity of availability recovery to the total quantity of system represents the adaptation and restoration capacity of the system. The system's resilience is represented by the sum of absorption, adaptation, and restoration capacities. The wax oil hydrogenation process is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology.     

Examining the impacts of disaster resettlement from a livelihood perspective: a case study of Qinling Mountains,China

Disaster resettlement, as a mitigation and preparedness measure, entails significant economic, physical, and social impacts, which continue to challenge understanding of recovery from major events, especially regarding the extent of the context and environmental efforts to rebuild livelihoods. Based on a case study of Qinling Mountains, China, this research investigates the effects of disaster resettlement from a livelihoods perspective. Methodologically, it proposes a framework that combines the pressure–state–response framework and the sustainable livelihoods approach, and it employs a structural equation model to examine how specific factors affect disaster resettlement. The results indicate that conflicts may occur during and after resettlement owing to the difference or disparity between the concerns of resettled peasants and those of the government. Consequently, the risks related to livelihoods need to be taken seriously. Effective risk communication is critical to bridge the gap between different stakeholders. The paper concludes with some practical and policy recommendations.     

A framework to guide the conservation of species hybrids based on ethical and ecological considerations

Species hybrids have long been undervalued in conservation and are often perceived as a threat to pure species. Recently, the conservation value of hybrids, especially those of natural origin, has gained recognition; however, hybrid conservation remains controversial. We reviewed hybrid management policies, including laws, regulations, and management protocols, from a variety of organizations, primarily in Canada and the United States. We found that many policies are based on limited ethical and ecological considerations and provide little opportunity for hybrid conservation. In most policies, hybrids are either unrepresented or considered a threat to conservation goals. This is problematic because our review of the hybrid conservation literature identified many ethical and ecological considerations relevant to determining the conservation value of a hybrid, all of which are management‐context specific. We also noted a lack of discussion of the ethical considerations regarding hybrid conservation. Based on these findings, we created a policy framework outlining situations in which hybrids could be eligible for conservation in Canada and the United States. The framework comprises a decision tree that helps users determine whether a hybrid should be eligible for conservation based on multiple ecological and ethical considerations. The framework may be applied to any hybrid and is flexible in that it accommodates context‐specific management by allowing different options if a hybrid is a threat to or could benefit conservation goals. The framework can inform policy makers and conservationists in decision‐making processes regarding hybrid conservation by providing a systematic set of decision criteria and guidance on additional criteria to be considered in cases of uncertainty, and it fills a policy gap that limits current hybrid management.