Electricity consumption: The growth pattern as an ecological indicator

Ecological problems are mainly caused by growth processes. The energy input is a key indicator for ecosystems. In this context, the use of the most valuable kind of energy is of special importance. Economic systems may be considered as special ecosystems. The most valuable kind of energy used in economic systems of industrialised countries is electricity. For some industrialised countries the growth pattern of electricity consumption and its relation to the gross domestic product is considered in this contribution. A linear relation between both indicators for about 3 decades after the Second World War and a coupling of these indicators starting at 1973 has been found. The aim of the contribution is to present this relation and to initiate a discussion about its reason and its interpretation.     

28-homobrassinolide protects chickpea (Cicer arietinum) from cadmium toxicity by stimulating antioxidants

In the present experiment the seeds of Cicer arietinum (L.) cv. Uday were inoculated with specific Rhizobium grown in sandy loam soil and were allowed to grow for 15 days. At this stage, the seedlings were supplied with 0, 50, 100 or 150 microM of cadmium in the form of cadmium chloride and sprayed with 0.01 microM of 28-homobrassinolide (HBL) at 30-day stage. The data indicated that plant fresh and dry mass, number of nodules, their fresh and dry mass, leghemoglobin content, nitrogen and carbohydrate content in the nodules, leaf chlorophyll content, nitrate reductase and carbonic anhydrase activities decreased proportionately with the increasing concentrations of cadmium but the content of proline and the activities of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase increased. The ill effect, generated by cadmium, was overcome if the stressed plants were sprayed with HBL.     

温度及外加碳源对生物脱氮除磷过程的影响

针对污水处理厂普遍面临的进水碳源不足及冬季低温时出水氮磷不能稳定达标的问题,研究了温度(21、15和10℃)和外加碳源(乙酸)对活性污泥缺氧条件下反硝化及释磷过程的影响。结果表明,在缺氧条件下投加乙酸,释磷与反硝化反应可同时进行,且乙酸投量的增加仅延长快速碳源反硝化阶段及缺氧释磷阶段的反应时间;温度降低为15℃和10℃时,快速碳源反硝化阶段反硝化速率及缺氧释磷速率较21℃分别降低了约29.2%、42.2%和26.1%、32.3%。当硝态氮目标去除量与磷酸盐目标释放量之比超过5时,乙酸的最优投量以满足反硝化要求为准,计算得出21、15和10℃时常州某城镇污水处理厂乙酸最优投加量计算值约为30、39和46 mg/L。     

Inorganic nitrogen removal of toilet wastewater with an airlift external circulation membrane bioreactor

Removal of inorganic nitrogen (inorganic-N) from toilet wastewater, using a pilot-scale airlift external circulation membrane bioreactor (AEC-MBR) was studied. The results showed that the use of AEC-MBR with limited addition of alkaline reagents and volumetric loading rates of inorganic-N of 0.19-0.40 kg inorganic-N/(m3·d) helped achieve the desired nitrification and denitrification. Furthermore, the effects of pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) on inorganic-N removal were examined. Under the condition of MLSS at 1.56-2.35 g/L, BOD5/ammonia nitrogen (NH/-N) at 1.0, pH at 7.0-7.5, and DO at 1.0-2.0 mg/L, the removal efficiencies of NH4 -N and inorganic-N were 91.5% and 70.0%, respectively, in the AEC-MBR. The cost of addition of alkaline reagent was approximately 0.5-1.5 RMB yuan/m3, and the energy consumption was approximately 0.72 kWh/m3 at the flux of 8 L/(m2·h).     

渤海沉积物中重金属分布及环境背景值

讨论了渤海25柱岩芯样细颗粒（<0.063mm）中重金属含量分布,采用统计学方法确定了底质重金属的分布类型,通过渤海中部岩芯样分析结果,获得渤海沉积物中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd的环境背景值。在研究中,借助Pb²¹⁰测年技术测定了百年前沉积层中重金属含量,结果与渤海底质Cu、Pb、Zn和Cd环境背景值是吻合的。     

杭州市区机动车污染物排放特征及分担率

选取杭州市区绕城高速、快速路、主干道和民用支路4种典型道路进行工况测试,建立了2010年机动车CO、HC、NOx和PM10排放清单,获得了分车型、燃料类型、排放标准以及道路类型的机动车污染物排放分担率.结果表明,杭州市机动车的污染物排放分担率差别显著,乘用车、出租车和公交车是CO和HC排放的主要来源,重型货车和公交车是NOx和PM10排放的主要来源,且乘用车的NOx排放分担率也较大;柴油车的NOx和PM10的排放分担率远大于其保有量的贡献率,是其排放的主要来源,汽油车是CO和HC排放的主要来源;占保有量30%的国0和国I车辆,对CO、HC、NOx和PM10排放分担率分别为67%、69%、58%和82%;主干道是机动车CO、HC和NOx排放的主要来源,其排放分担率分别为66%、65%和64%,民用支路是PM10排放的主要来源,分担率为55%.     

袋式除尘器喷管喷吹口径优化

喷管喷吹均匀是为了使同一排滤袋清灰力度均匀。针对袋式除尘器喷管喷吹气流均匀性的问题,国内外学者对各喷嘴出口气流质量流量的均匀性十分关注。采用流体力学fluent软件对喷管内流场进行模拟,提出了同一排滤袋清灰强弱分布受到各喷嘴出口气流的动量通量分布的影响,而不是质量流量的看法。对引射空间流场进行模拟,验证了这一看法。结果表明,为了达到喷管喷吹均匀,应使各喷嘴出口气流动量通量分布均匀。采用动量通量修正和重复迭代的方法对喷管喷吹口径进行优化设计,获得了较好的动量通量均匀性。     

正交设计法在刺叶墙藓土培中的应用

采用正交设计,研究了新疆的一种荒漠苔藓——刺叶墙藓的最适生长条件,包括最适基质、最适生长温度及最佳培养液的筛选。结果表明,5℃(8h)～15℃(16h)的温度,田土+砂+营养土的基质,最适合刺叶墙藓的生长;培养液的种类对其生长的影响并不明显。     

Optimizing carbon sequestration in commercial forests by integrating carbon management objectives in wood supply modeling

This paper provides a methodology for generating forest management plans, which explicitly maximize carbon (C) sequestration at the forest-landscape level. This paper takes advantage of concepts first presented in a paper by Meng et al. (2003; Mitigation Adaptation Strategies Global Change 8:371–403) by integrating C-sequestration objective functions in existing wood supply models. Carbon-stock calculations performed in Woodstock^TM (RemSoft Inc.) are based on C yields generated from volume table data obtained from local Forest Development Survey plots and a series of wood volume-to-C content conversion factors specified in von Mirbach (2000). The approach is used to investigate the impact of three demonstration forest-management scenarios on the C budget in a 110,000 ha forest in south-central New Brunswick, Canada. Explicit demonstration scenarios addressed include (1) maximizing timber extraction either by clearcut or selection harvesting for greatest revenue generation, (2) maximizing total C storage in the forest landscape and in wood products generated from harvesting, and (3) maximizing C storage together with revenue generation. The level of clearcut harvesting was greatest for scenario 1 (≥15 × 10⁴ m³ of wood and ≥943 ha of land per harvesting period), and least for scenario 2 (=0 m³ per harvesting period) where selection harvesting dominated. Because softwood saw logs were worth more than pulpwood ($60 m⁻³ vs. $40 m⁻³) and were strategic to the long-term storage of C, the production of softwood saw logs exceeded the production of pulpwood in all scenarios. Selection harvesting was generally the preferred harvesting method across scenarios. Only in scenario 1 did levels of clearcut harvesting occasionally exceed those of selection harvesting, mainly in the removal of old, dilapidated stands early in the simulation (i.e., during periods 1 through 3). Scenario 2 provided the greatest total C-storage increase over 80 years (i.e., 14 × 10⁶ Mg C, or roughly 264 Mg ha⁻¹) at a cost of $111 per Mg C due to lost revenues. Scenarios 3 and 1 produced reduced storage rates of roughly 9 × 10⁶ Mg C and 3 × 10⁶ Mg C, respectively; about 64% and 22% of the total, 80-year C storage calculated in scenario 2. The bulk of the C in scenario 2 was stored in the forest, amounting to about 76% of the total C sequestered.     

Early genetic amniocentesis—4 years' experience

Four hundred and thirty early amniocenteses (EAC) from 10 to 14 weeks' gestation were compared with 300 routine amniocenteses (RAC) from 15 weeks' gestation (control A) and 733 routine amniocenteses from 16 to 18 weeks' gestation (control B) with regard to success rates, various growth parameters, and cytogenetic results. Using both in situ and trypsiniz-ation techniques, the success rate was 99·8 per cent for EAC versus 100 per cent for RAC. The average turn-around time for establishing a diagnosis was 8·4 days in EAC versus 8·3 days in 15 weeks' specimens (n.s.) and 7·7 days in 16 to 18 weeks' specimens (p ≦ 0·0001) for the last 200 samples. The banding quality of early specimens compared favourably with that of controls (both 500–550 bphs) and was much better than that in long-term cultured chorionic villus sampling (CVS) (350–400 bphs). For level I and level II mosaicism, no statistically significant differences were noted between EAC and control group A. Comparing EAC with control group B, a significant increase in the number of numerical and structural single cell aberrations was observed (p ≦ 0·025 and p ≦ 0·001, respectively), whereas for multiple cell aberrations only the increase in numerical aberrations was statistically significant (p ≦ 0·001) (x²-test). Clinical problems arising from the detection of mosaicism were solved in all cases by investigating parallel cultures. It is concluded that early amniocentesis is a reliable procedure which permits prenatal diagnosis of numerical and structural chromosome aberrations to a high standard.