RAPD Marker and Substrate Utilization Pattern Applied to Study Microbial Community Diversity in the Soil Affected by Agricultural Chemicals

Abstract

Present analyses of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Biolog GN substrate utilization pattern are combined to further study the diversity of microbial communities in four soils affected by agricultural chemicals. The results showed that the four soil microbial communities were apparently distinguishable in the diversity at RAPD level in terms of the richness and modified richness in the summer, which supports our previous report using the same soils in winter. A significant difference for the average well color development (AWCD) at 72 h incubation was found among the soils in winter using Biolog GN substrate utilization pattern, but this difference was not found among the soils in summer. However, Shannon-Weaver indices for microbial communities in the summer soils polluted by agricultural chemicals were significantly higher than those in winter at metabolic level; in contrast, no significant difference existed between the two seasons for microbial communities in the soil without chemical pollution. Present results suggest that the combined approach using RAPD and substrate utilization pattern could be used to effectively quantify microbial community diversity and its changes among the seasons in the soils affected by agricultural chemicals, simultaneously at molecular and physiological levels.     

Diversity and community structure of culturable arsenic-resistant bacteria across a soil arsenic gradient at an abandoned tungsten-tin mining area

We studied the bacterial diversity at a single location (the Terrubias mine; Salamanca province, Spain) with a gradient of soil As contamination to test if increasing levels of As would (1) change the preponderant groups of arsenic-resistant bacteria and (2) increase the tolerance thresholds to arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] of such bacteria. We studied the genetic and taxonomic diversity of culturable arsenic-resistant bacteria by PCR fingerprinting techniques and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Then, the tolerance thresholds to As(III) and As(V) were determined for representative strains and mathematically analyzed to determine relationships between tolerances to As(III) and As(V), as well as these tolerances with the soil contamination level. The diversity of the bacterial community was, as expected, inversely related to the soil As content. The overall preponderant arsenic-resistant bacteria were Firmicutes (mainly Bacillus spp.) followed by γ-Proteobacteria (mainly Pseudomonas spp.), with increasing relative frequencies of the former as the soil arsenic concentration increased. Moreover, a strain of the species Rahnella aquatilis (γ-Proteobacteria class) exhibited strong endurance to arsenic, being described for the first time in literature such a phenotype within this bacterial species. Tolerances of the isolates to As(III) and As(V) were correlated but not with their origin (soil contamination level). Most of the strains (64%) showed relatively low tolerances to As(III) and As(V), but the second most numerous group of isolates (19%) showed increased tolerance to As(III) rather than to As(V), even though the As(V) anion is the prevalent arsenic species in soil solution at this location. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a shift towards preponderance of Gram-positive bacteria (Firmicutes) related to high concentrations of soil arsenic. It was also shown that, under aerobic conditions, strains with relatively enhanced tolerance to As(III) predominated over the most As(V)-tolerant ones.     

基于RBI的苯乙烯/环氧丙烷装置压力管道在线检验研究

对苯乙烯／环氧丙烷装置进行腐蚀回路划分,并将腐蚀回路中的压力管道按照管径、材质及用途等因素划分为不同的组别后进行RBI分析。根据风险评估结果,结合压力管道的使用情况、失效机理及剩余使用寿命等确定下一个检验周期和检验策略。以腐蚀回路中的组别作为检验单元,根据其失效可能性及风险等级确定各检验单元的检验比例和检验方法进行在线检验。结果表明：基于RBI分析结果的压力管道在线抽检方法可以验证风险评估的结果,同时还可以满足使用单位对管道的风险控制要求。     

Modeling quenching distance and flame propagation speed through an iron dust cloud with spatially random distribution of particles

In this research combustion of iron dust particles in a medium with spatially discrete sources distributed in a random way has been studied using a numerical approach. A new thermal model is generated to estimate flame propagation speed and quenching distance in a quiescent reaction medium. The flame propagation speed is studied as a function of iron dust concentration and particle diameter. The predicted propagation speeds as a function of these parameters are shown to agree well with experimental measurements. In addition, the minimum ignition energy has also been investigated as a function of equivalence ratio and particle diameter. The quenching distance has been studied as a function of particle diameter and validated by the experiment. Considering random distribution of particles, the obtained results provide more realistic and reasonable predictions of the combustion physics compared to the results of the uniform distribution of particles.     

Who should wear mask against airborne infections? Altering the contact network for controlling the spread of contagious diseases

There are several ways of controlling the propagation of a contagious disease. For instance, to reduce the spreading of an airborne infection, individuals can be encouraged to remain in their homes and/or to wear face masks outside their domiciles. However, when a limited amount of masks is available, who should use them: the susceptible subjects, the infective persons or both populations? Here we employ susceptible-infective-recovered (SIR) models described in terms of ordinary differential equations and probabilistic cellular automata in order to investigate how the deletion of links in the random complex network representing the social contacts among individuals affects the dynamics of a contagious disease. The inspiration for this study comes from recent discussions about the impact of measures usually recommended by health public organizations for preventing the propagation of the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus. Our answer to this question can be valid for other eco-epidemiological systems.     

Alternative treatments of the cost of time in recreational demand models: an application to whitewater kayaking in Ireland

The measurement of travel costs in recreational demand modeling has been a contentious issue for many decades. This article explores the use of a number of alternative methods of incorporating time costs in the travel cost modeling process. Travel cost values where the opportunity cost of time is excluded, where it is included as a percentage of the individual's reported wage rate and where it based on an estimated wage from a secondary data source (the European Community Household Panel) are compared and then used in a conditional logit model to estimate the demand for whitewater kayaking in Ireland. We then evaluate the effect of different treatments of the cost of travel time on the welfare impacts of a number of different management scenarios for kayaking rivers in Ireland, and find that statistically significant differences emerge.     

Measuring individuals’ valuation distributions using a stochastic payment card approach: application to solid waste management in Nigeria

The objectives of this study are twofold. First it aims to establish empirical grounds for pricing the services of a new environmental management initiative in Enugu state, Nigeria. A joint initiative of the UK Department for International Development (DfID), Enugu State Environmental Protection Agency (ENSEPA) and the State and Local Government Programme (SLGP). The second is to test the empirical performance of a new approach to the contingent valuation method (CVM) i.e., the Stochastic Payment Card (SPC) design proposed by Wang (Contingent valuation of environmental resources: A stochastic perspective, 1997a, Journal of Environmental Economics & Management, 32:219–232, 1997b). The SPC design unlike many of the conventional CVM elicitation formats, takes into account the stochastic nature of individuals’ valuation decisions. The data for the analysis were obtained from a random sample survey of a district in Enugu metropolis. The results show that, on average, households in this city are willing to pay (WTP) 215 Naira ($1.6) monthly as against 200 Naira ($1.5) currently charged for the service by ENSEPA. Analysis of individual’s valuation distribution function indicates that this amount is positively and significantly related to the gender of the respondent, household income and the respondent’s perception of environmental quality.

潮汐河网水环境随机容量研究

根据潮汐河网水环境模型中水文及水质参数具有明显随机性的特点,本文建立了潮汐河网水环境随机模型,给出了随机参数的分布函数形式。用Monte-Carlo随机抽样法求解水项模型 当只抽一个样本时,随机模型的算法与确定性模型的算法一样。计算结果为水环境容量的分布函数,容量结果与保证率成一一对应关系。最后还对随机参数的分布函数形成进行了敏感性讨论。      

A data mining approach to deriving safety policy implications for taxi drivers

Introduction: Traffic safety issues associated with taxis are important because the frequency of taxi crashes is significantly higher than that of other vehicle types. The purpose of this study is to derive safety implications to be used for developing policies to enhance taxi safety based on analyzing intrinsic characteristics underlying the cause of traffic accidents. Method: An in-depth questionnaire survey was conducted to collect a set of useful data representing the intrinsic characteristics. A total of 781 corporate taxi drivers participated in the survey in Korea. The proposed analysis methodology consists of two-stage data mining techniques, including a random forest method, with data that represents the working condition and welfare environment of taxi drivers. In the first stage, the drivers’ intrinsic characteristics were derived to classify four types of taxi drivers: unspecified normal, work-life balanced, overstressed, and work-oriented. Next, priority was determined for classifying high-risk taxi drivers based on factors derived from the first analysis. Results: The derived policies can be categorized into three groups: ‘the development of new policies,’ ‘the improvement of existing policies,’ and ‘the elimination of negative factors.’ Establishing a driving capability evaluation system for elderly drivers, developing mental health management programs for taxi drivers, and inspecting the taxi's internal conditions were proposed as new policies. Improving the driver's wage system, supporting the improvement of rest facilities, and supporting the installation of security devices for protecting taxi drivers are methods for improving existing policies to reinforce the traffic safety of taxi drivers. Last, restricting overtime work for taxi drivers was proposed as a policy to eliminate negative factors for improving taxi traffic safety. Practical Applications: It is expected that by devising effective policies using the policy implications suggested in this study, taxi traffic accidents can be prevented and the quality of life of taxi drivers can be improved.     

基于随机森林的光散射法传感器微站PM2.5监测值的校正方法研究

光散射法传感器微站以其体积小、反应迅速、成本低等优点,已成为城市PM_2.5规模化移动监测的新选择.由于其标准与传统标准台站不同,必须对这类微站的监测数据进行准确地校正.本研究利用2021年06月—2022年02月武汉市江夏区标准台站及同期传感器微站监测数据,探讨传感器微站监测误差与温度、相对湿度的关系,并通过随机森林回归(Random Forest Regressor,RFR)校正传感器微站PM_2.5监测数据.对比单一RFR模型、按气象因素分类后RFR模型、“小波去噪+RFR”组合模型、“加权滑动平均去噪+RFR”组合模型校正效果,结果表明：RFR模型和分类后RFR模型均出现泛化能力差的问题,不能满足校正需求;“小波去噪+RFR”组合模型、“加权滑动平均去噪+RFR”组合模型平均绝对误差分别为8.77μg·m^-3和4.78μg·m^-3,平均相对误差分别为40.80%和18.13%.去噪组合模型能满足校正需求,且“加权滑动平均+RFR”组合模型校正效果明显优于“小波去噪+RFR”组合模型.研究结果可为...