Biodegradation of Coproducts from Industrially Processed Corn in a Compost Environment

Information pertaining to biodegradability of renewable polymeric material is critical for the design and development of single-use biodegradable consumer products. The rate and extent of biodegradation of corn fiber, corn zein, cornstarch, distillers grain, and corn gluten meal were evaluated in compost environments under variable temperature, pH, and moisture conditions. Generally, composts with higher temperature (40°C), neutral pH (7.0), and 50%–60% moisture appeared to be ideal for corn coproduct biodegradation, particularly for corn gluten meal and corn zein. Low moisture conditions slowed biodegradation considerably, but degradation rates improved when moisture content increased up to 60%. Thereafter, increased moisture particularly slowed the degradation of corn gluten meal and corn zein, whereas cornstarch degradation remained unaffected. At low pH (4.0) and high pH (11.0) the rate of degradation of most coproducts was slowed somewhat. Cornstarch degradation was slower at pH 7.0, but degradation improved with increased temperatures. Increase in compost temperature from 25 to 40°C (in 5°C increments) also improved biodegradation of corn fiber and distillers grain. Addition of 1% urea to compost as a nitrogen source decreased the extent of biodegradation nearly 40% for corn gluten meal and corn zein, and 20% for cornstarch samples. Treatment of compost with 0.02% azide inhibited biodegradation of all coproducts, suggesting that the presence of metabolically active microbial cells is required for effective degradation of biobased materials in a compost environment.     

Impacts of climate change on development rate and production of corn in the northeastern China

In this paper, the impacts of climate change on development rate and production of corn in the northeastern China are discussed. The results show that the higher the temperature is, the faster the development rate will be. And the more the precipitation is, the slower the development rate will be. Of which, air temperature is the controlling factor of corn development rate. The influences of development rate on corn yield are remarkable. The impacts of development rate on production in first and last periods are great, and small in the middle two periods. The development rate is positive by relate with corn production from sowing to emergence stage and negative during other periods. So, it is very important to arrange a suitable sowing time for com cultivating in the northeastern China.     

旱作小麦─玉米垅种沟盖地膜带田集水调水与增产效应研究

旱作垅种（小麦）沟盖（玉米）地膜带田优于目前推广的沟种（小麦）垅盖（玉米）带田种植形式。在作物共生期相互调水作用更趋合理，平衡了小麦、玉米不同生育阶段对水分的供需矛盾，作物的生态条件更加适宜，群体结构更加协调，提高了作物的生产量，前者比后者增产９０％～１２５％。     

MBBR泥膜复合系统泥膜竞争关系的影响因素

为探究MBBR泥膜复合硝化系统内泥膜竞争关系，通过小试试验研究了水处理过程中常规因素（污泥浓度、DO、温度、C/N）对MBBR泥膜复合系统硝化效果的影响，分析了系统内污泥容积负荷和移动床生物膜反应器（MBBR，Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactor）生物膜容积负荷变化趋势，进而得出泥膜竞争规律.结果表明，MBBR泥膜复合系统容积负荷均大于单一污泥或MBBR生物膜系统的容积负荷.在一定范围内，污泥浓度、DO、温度与MBBR泥膜复合系统容积负荷呈现正相关，且系统内活性污泥在与MBBR生物膜在竞争DO和基质时优势明显，而MBBR生物膜则具有更强的耐低温能力.进水C/N与MBBR泥膜复合系统硝化负荷呈负相关，且活性污泥在应对进水C/N过高时较MBBR生物膜更具优势，MBBR的“镶嵌”则强化了系统SND效果.微生物群落变化显示MBBR泥膜复合系统内的硝化细菌优势菌属为Nitrospira，且悬浮载体生物膜对其富集能力明显高于活性污泥.     

Eco engineering for wastes treatment in process of alcohol production

１ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＩｔｈａｓｂｅｅｎｆｏｒａｌｏｎｇｔｉｍｅａｄｉｓｔｕｒｂｅｄｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｆｏｒｈｕｍａｎｂｅｉｎｇｓｔｏｆｉｎｄａｔｒａｄｅｏｆｂｅｔｗｅｅｎｅｃｏｎｏｍｉｃｄｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔａｎｄｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌｐｒｏ...     

玉米地氮肥释放N_2O的研究

测定了３种施氮肥处理的玉米地Ｎ＿２Ｏ的排放通量，计算了氮肥以Ｎ＿２Ｏ形式排放成的氮损失率。在玉米生长期内，对照田、施化肥田和施混合肥田排放Ｎ＿２Ｏ通量分别是８．５±２．２、１８．９±１１．７和１５．４±５．９μｇＮ／ｍ￣２·ｈ，尿素和有机肥释放出的Ｎ＿２Ｏ占其相应施肥量的０．１９％和０．１２％。     

镉对不同基因型水稻生长毒害影响的比较研究

利用水培分期添加镉试验，研究了杂交水稻和常规水稻在不同生育时期对环境镉毒害的反应。结果表明，在水稻幼穗分化之前，镉主要降低光合生产力，影响植株生长；幼穗分化至抽穗期，主要抑制生殖器官分化，造成颖花败育；抽穗期之后，镉主要干扰体内营养物质的迁移和再分配。就对产量影响而言，幼穗分化至抽穗期是水稻对镉反应最敏感时期，杂交稻比常规稻对镉污染毒害敏感。     

Complex courtship in a bimodal grasshopper hybrid zone

Grasshoppers of the Chorthippus albomarginatus-group, which is outstanding with respect to its complex courtship song, were studied at fifteen localities in the Ukraine and Moldova. The analysis of the courtship songs revealed two species: C. albomarginatus in north-eastern Ukraine and Chorthippus oschei in the south-western Ukraine and Moldova. In a belt about 200 km wide, not only were one or the other pure species found, but also males with intermediate song characters. C. albomarginatus and C. oschei were hybridised in the laboratory, and F1 hybrid males as well as F2 hybrid males produced intermediate song patterns, quite similar to those recorded in the field. We defined a "hybrid song score" for intermediate songs. The score showed a bimodal distribution with most songs resembling one or other parental type, but with only a few intermediates. At several localities, where hybrids with songs similar to one of the parental species dominated, some individual males sang more similarly to the other species. In one locality, two hybrid populations only 3 km apart had different parental types. Hybrid songs can contain novel elements, even more complex than the parental ones, which may offer a new starting point for sexual selection. We suggest that genetic introgression occurs between the two sibling species C. albomarginatus and C. oschei within a wide hybrid zone stretching over a distance of several hundred kilometres, but with a patchy spatial distribution. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article if you access the article at . A link in the frame on the left on that page takes you directly to the supplementary material. Communicated by D. Gwynne     

玉米秸秆干式厌氧发酵乙酸产生规律及其对发酵的影响

为解决玉米秸秆干式厌氧发酵系统因乙酸积累而致发酵失败、工程运行不稳定等问题,利用气相色谱仪对玉米秸秆干式厌氧发酵过程中w(乙酸)和w(CH₄)进行检测,结合相关性分析和回归分析等方法,研究了乙酸动态产生趋势、w(TS)(TS为总固体)与w(乙酸)的相关性,以及w(乙酸)对CH₄产生的作用机制. 结果表明:发酵过程中w(乙酸)先增后降,w(TS)由20%增至30%,w(乙酸)增加的持续时间由5 d延至15 d. Pearson相关性分析结果表明,w(TS)与w(乙酸) 呈极显著负相关(R<-0.979,P<0.01). 一元线性回归分析得到拟合方程y=-1 214.8w(TS)+668.2,由斜率(-1 214.8)可知,w(TS)对产乙酸过程具有较明显的抑制作用. 玉米秸秆干式厌氧发酵系统内w(乙酸)为160~451 mg/g,随着w(乙酸)的增加,底物CH₄产率经历上升、稳定、下降后再稳定和下降4个阶段,其中w(乙酸)为212~312 mg/g时,底物CH₄产率(大于120 m3/t,以秸秆干质量计)最大,其次为w(乙酸)在>312~410 mg/g时的80~120 m3/t.      

玉米燃料乙醇生命周期碳平衡分析

玉米燃料乙醇作为化石燃料的替代品,其温室气体排放的多少(净碳排放量)是评价其可持续性的一个重要标准.基于生命周期分析原理,建立了玉米燃料乙醇的碳平衡分析方法.以我国夏玉米燃料乙醇的生产为例,计算了玉米燃料乙醇生命周期的净碳排放量并对其影响因素进行了分析.研究表明:与汽油相比,目前我国夏玉米燃料乙醇的生产并不能明显减少温室气体的排放,为此玉米生产过程中氮肥施用和灌溉以及乙醇转化过程的能耗等方面有待于重点改善.