Integration of technologies and alternative sources of water and energy to promote the sustainability of urban landscapes

Recent research has highlighted the positive role of green areas in urban environments, providing numerous social, environmental and economic services, such as mitigation of the urban heat island effect, storm attenuation, increased water infiltration into the soil, reduction of noise and air pollution, among others. However, the maintenance of green areas may result in high consumption of water, reaching 50% of the total consumption in some municipalities, and energy, becoming a reason of concern. The present study aimed to integrate techniques and technologies that promote the automatic and efficient irrigation of urban landscapes, using alternative sources of energy and water, toward its sustainability. The conceptual unit was able to reduce in 64% the water consumed in irrigation. Rainwater met 69% of the demand and the photovoltaic system supplied all the energy required. The economic feasibility analysis showed that the conceptual unit is financially unfeasible, under the conditions of this study. However, with some interventions for reusing the surplus energy and water, and considering the higher fees charged by other cities, the investment became attractive. In this new scenario, the internal rate of return (15 years) was 27.3% and the discounted payback period was 4.9 years.     

New fetal cardiac imaging techniques

Rapid advances in graphics computing and micro-engineering have offered new techniques for prenatal cardiac imaging. Some of them can be non-invasively applied to both clinical and laboratory settings, including dynamic three-dimensional echocardiography, myocardial Doppler imaging, harmonic ultrasound imaging, and B-flow sonography. With clinical constraints, a few others have been mainly used in laboratories, such as endoscopic ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and biomicroscopy. Appropriate use and co-use of these new tools will not only provide unique information for better clinical assessment of fetal cardiac disease but also offer new ways to improved understanding of cardiovascular development and pathogenesis. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于LEI和MSPA的南昌市城市扩张类型与生态景观类型变化关联分析

中国正处于城市化快速发展阶段,城市扩张导致大量生态景观日益破碎,分析城市扩张类型与生态景观类型的变化及其关联机制能为改善生态环境提供指导。以南昌市为研究区,采用景观扩张指数（LEI）和形态学空间格局分析法（MSPA）识别南昌市的城市扩张类型和生态用地景观类型,并通过建立缓冲区带分析城市扩张类型与生态景观类型变化的关联特征。结果表明：（1）南昌市城市扩张主要以边缘型扩张为主,生态用地以“核心”形态为主;（2）不同圈层的城市扩张类型和生态景观类型的关系在不同发展阶段差异显著;（3）在城市扩张过程中,总体上生态景观越加破碎,边缘型扩张会加速大型绿色斑块的减小,飞地型扩张促进绿色景观单元的破碎化,填充型扩张则有弱化这一过程的作用。研究结果可为控制城市无序扩张提供可靠的理论参考,并为研究区的城市有序扩张和生态环境保护提供决策依据。     

岩溶山区城镇化进程的土地利用景观格局演变特征——以贵阳市为例

基于多期贵阳市土地利用现状数据,运用景观生态学原理系统研究了城镇化进程中贵阳市景观格局时空演变特征。结果表明,城镇化进程中建设用地景观面积持续增加,耕地、林地和草地景观面积减少。城市建设用地景观早期集中于贵阳市中部,其它呈零星点状分布;中期以南部和西北部为主,逐渐由零星点状向带状发展;后期由带状向四周拓展的区位演变特征。城镇化进程中景观蔓延度和景观形状呈下降趋势,斑块数和破碎度增加,景观形状趋于规则;景观多样性和均匀度随城镇化推进有所上升,景观异质性增强。景观格局变化受控于国家政策、城市发展理念与规划调整。     

长江上游小型水库枯水期水质对景观组成、配置和水库特征的响应

长江流域小型水库数量多分布广,具有重要的生态经济效益,探明小型水库水质对环境变量的响应规律对于提升水库水质具有非常重要的意义.基于长江上游36个小型水库枯水期水质数据,运用相关分析和冗余分析等研究方法,将环境变量划分为景观配置指标、景观组成指标和水库特征指标这三大类,探明其对水质指标变化的影响.结果表明：(1)旱地是NO^-₃-N、TN和TP的主要来源;居民点是TP物质的主要来源;水田、林地和荒草地对水库N、P的截留和净化具有正向作用;(2)旱地最大斑块指数与水库TN和NO^-₃-N浓度显著正相关,水田散布与并列指数、林地散布与并列指数与水库NO^-₃-N和TN浓度显著负相关;旱地斑块密度与TP物质含量显著正相关;林地最大斑块指数与TP含量显著负相关;(3)水库库容、水库平均深度和水库形状指数对水库水质提升具有显著的正向作用;(4)水库环境变量中,景观配置指标对水库水质指标变化的解释率最高(24%),其次是水库特征指标(11%),最后为景观组成指标(9%).流域...     

洞庭湖区近50年土地利用/覆盖的变化研究

利用1978，1989，1998年的Landsat卫星遥感影像资料及20世纪50年代航测的地形图，研究了洞庭湖区近50年土地利用／覆盖及其景观结构的变化，土地利用／覆盖类型分为水体，湿地，农田，林地和建成区五类，各时期遥感影像的总体分类精度都在80％以上，运用ArcInfo和ArcView GIS软件，将不同时期的土地利用／覆盖格局在空间上清晰地显示出来，通过叠加4个不同时期的影像分类图，计算出各种土地利用／覆盖类型转变为其他土地利用／覆盖类型的比例，洞庭湖区50年来水体面积不断减少，减少量为1460km^2，其中1955年到1978年水面面积缩小了970。57km^2，分别为1978年到1989年和1989年到1998年缩小面积的2．23倍和1805倍，湿地面积逐渐增加，1998年湿地面积分别为1955，1978和1989年的1．46，1．41和1．09倍，农田的面积百分比从1955年的54．70％增加到1978年62．15％，又逐渐降低到1989年的51．88％和1998年的48．17％，林地的面积1978年比1955年减少了17％,，1989年比1978年增加了57％，1998年比1989年增加了11％，建成区的变化表明近50年来湖区城市化的进程，洞庭湖区土地利用／覆盖及其景观结构的变化是社会经济和自然因素综合作用的结果。     

Three Different Topics for Bioremediation Application on Soils and Waters Contaminated with Aromatic Compounds, by Using Immobilized Bacteria

Molecular techniques and modelling are presented as powerful tools required in the performance of efficient soil and water bioremediation systems. An Escherichia coli CC118-D strain was constructed by inserting the Klebsiella pneumoniae hpa B gene, coding for the unstable 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate 2,3-dioxygenase, into its chromosome. When the constructed strain was immobilized, both enzyme stability and viability increased along the studied period, in absence of antibiotic. We proposed this strategy as an approach to overcoming plasmid instability and to enhance enzyme activity and stability, avoiding antibiotic utilization. A model was developed to understand and predict the behaviour of bacteria and pollutants in a bioreactor system, considering: fluid dynamics, molecular/cellular scale processes and biofilm formation.