一种新型水质自动采样仪的研制

将计算机技术应用于采样仪中,实现人－机对话,同时配以运行可靠,成本较低的水样采集,贮存和转换等部件,实现自动采样,达到智能化的目的。采样仪的控制采用单片机技术,以８０３１芯片作为微处理器,配以外围接口电路和功能键盘,体积小,成本低。采集贮存系统由蠕动泵,电磁铁及配套的机械传动装置,水样贮存盘和容器等组成,结构简单,运行平稳。采样有连续采样和间歇采样２种功能,并可按需要任意调节采样时间,采样周期,切     

A correlation of the lower flammability limit for hybrid mixtures

Hybrid mixtures are widely encountered in industries such as coal mines, paint factories, pharmaceutical industries, or grain elevators. Hybrid mixtures explosions involving dust and gas can cause great loss of lives and properties. The lower flammability limit (LFL) is a critical parameter when conducting a hazard assessment or developing mitigation methods for processes involving hybrid mixtures. Unlike unitary dust or gas explosions, which have been widely studied in past decades, only minimal research focuses on hybrid mixtures, and data concerning hybrid mixtures can rarely be found. Although methods to predict the LFL have been developed by using either Le Chatelier's Law, which was initially proposed for homogeneous gas mixtures, or the Bartknecht curve, which was adopted for only certain hybrid mixtures, significant deviations still remain. A more accurate correlation to predict an LFL for a hybrid mixtures explosion is necessary for risk assessment. This work focuses on the study of hybrid mixtures explosions in a 36 L dust explosion apparatus including mixtures of methane/niacin, methane/cornstarch, ethane/niacin and ethylene/niacin in air. By utilizing basic characteristics of unitary dust or gas explosions, a new formula is proposed to improve the prediction of the LFL of the mixture. The new formula is consistent with Le Chatelier's Law.     

Planting gardens to support insect pollinators

Global insect pollinator declines have prompted habitat restoration efforts, including pollinator-friendly gardening. Gardens can provide nectar and pollen for adult insects and offer reproductive resources, such as nesting sites and caterpillar host plants. We conducted a review and meta-analysis to examine how decisions made by gardeners on plant selection and garden maintenance influence pollinator survival, abundance, and diversity. We also considered characteristics of surrounding landscapes and the impacts of pollinator natural enemies. Our results indicated that pollinators responded positively to high plant species diversity, woody vegetation, garden size, and sun exposure and negatively to the separation of garden habitats from natural sites. Within-garden features more strongly influenced pollinators than surrounding landscape factors. Growing interest in gardening for pollinators highlights the need to better understand how gardens contribute to pollinator conservation and how some garden characteristics can enhance the attractiveness and usefulness of gardens to pollinators. Further studies examining pollinator reproduction, resource acquisition, and natural enemies in gardens and comparing gardens with other restoration efforts and to natural habitats are needed to increase the value of human-made habitats for pollinators.     

Environmental effects of oil and gas lease sites in a grassland ecosystem

The northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan is one of the most significantly modified landscapes in Canada. While the majority of anthropogenic disturbances to Saskatchewan’s grasslands are the result of agricultural practices, development of petroleum and natural gas (PNG) resources is of increasing concern for grassland conservation. Although PNG developments require formal assessment and regulatory approval, follow-up and monitoring of the effects of PNG development on grasslands is not common practice. Consequently, the effects of PNG activity on grasslands and the spatial and temporal extent of such impacts are largely unknown. This paper examines the spatial and temporal extent of PNG development infrastructure from 1955 to 2006 in a grassland ecosystem in southwest Saskatchewan. The effects of PNG development on grassland ecology were assessed from measurements of ground cover characteristics, soil properties, and plant community composition at 31sites in the study area. PNG lease sites were found to have low cover of herbaceous plants, club moss (Lycopodiaceae), litter, and shallow organic (Ah) horizons. Lease sites were also characterized by low diversity of desirable grassland plants and low range health values compared to off-lease reference sites. These impacts were amplified at active and highly productive lease sites. Impacts of PNG development persisted for more than 50 years following well site construction, and extended outward 20 m–25 m beyond the direct physical footprint of PNG well infrastructure. These results have significant implications with regard to the current state of monitoring and follow-up of PNG development, and the cumulative effective of PNG activity on grassland ecosystems over space and time.     

道化学指数评价法在淮化集团某合成氨厂的应用

化工企业由于工艺装置复杂、产品危险性高等特点极易发生事故,极小的安全隐患往往导致重大事故给企业甚至国家带来严重损失。为探求潜在事故的危险性和总损失,在对淮化集团的合成氨厂生产工序流程分析基础上划分三个评价单元,应用美国道化学公司火灾爆炸指数评价法对此三个评价单元分别进行评价并量化可能造成的损失。评价结果显示各评价子单元的危险等级分别为非常大、很大和最轻,采取安全补偿措施后危险等级降为较轻、较轻和最轻,说明采取措施后若发生事故损失将会减少,通过对比补偿前后的财产损失可以说明这一结论。从另一角度来看,表明合成氨厂有较大的安全隐患需有关管理者采取措施以保障安全生产。采用的道化学指数法比较准确地反映出了被评价单位的实际情况,为化工企业的安全生产、安全管理提供了一定参考。     

动态群体安全投入博弈模拟*——以我国煤矿为例

为探究煤矿生产中的群体安全投入博弈特点,针对煤矿生产参与者面临的安全投入囚徒困境（SIPD）博弈,基于NetLogo模拟平台设计博弈模型,获取不同安全投入策略的工人群体变化、死亡情况和安全收益特征,探究不同安全环境对博弈结果的影响。研究结果表明:在低安全水平煤矿中,消极型工人（D-worker）可以利用积极型工人（C-worker）的安全投入,快速增加消极型群体规模,并攫取高达70%的安全收益,而在高安全水平煤矿中,在制裁型工人（T-worker）影响下,D-worker安全收益可被限制到20.4%。D-worker在恶劣安全环境中将成为主流,攫取最大安全收益,产生较高死亡率,并严重损害群体安全,扭转上述局面的短期方法为抑制群体消极心理,长期方法为逐步提高安全管理技术水平。研究结果可为我国煤矿安全水平提升提供安全投入策略参考。     

Benzene, toluene and xylenes levels in new and used vehicles of the same model

The aim of this work was to determine the level of benzene, toluene, o-xylene and m, p-xylene （BTX） in air samples collected from the cabins of new and used vehicles of the same model. Ten new vehicles were examined in order to check interior emission from materials used to equip the passenger compartment. In order to compare and define the impact of exhaust gases, air samples were also collected from two used cars, at different mileages （up to 20,000 kin）. All vehicles tested were of the same type. Samples were collected onto Carbograph 1TD sorbent, thermally desorbed and examined with the use of gas chromatography with flame ionisation and mass spectrometry detectors. All results obtained were referred to Polish and German requirements for indoor air quality （both in public buildings and in workspace environments）. Average benzene, toluene, o-xylene and m, p-xylene concentrations in new cars were determined at the level of 11.8 μg/m^3, 82.7 μg/m^3, 21.2 μg/m^3 and 89.5 μg/m^3, respectively. In the used cars, BTX concentration increased with increasing vehicle mileage. The most significant increase of BTX concentration was observed above 11,000 km mileage.     

Energy and carbon dioxide intensity of Thailand's steel industry and greenhouse gas emission projection toward the year 2050

The purpose of this article is to study the energy and carbon dioxide intensities of Thailand's steel industry and to propose greenhouse gas emission trends from the year 2011 to 2050 under plausible scenarios. The amount of CO₂ emission from iron and steel production was calculated using the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines in the boundary of production process (gate to gate). The results showed that energy intensity of semi-finished steel product was 2.84 GJ/t semi-finished steel and CO₂ intensity was 0.37 tCO_2eq/t semi-finished steel. Energy intensity of steel finishing process was 1.86 GJ/t finished steel and CO₂ intensity was 0.16 tCO_2eq/t finished steel. Using three plausible scenarios from Thailand's steel industry, S1: without integrated steel plant (baseline scenario), S2: with a traditional integrated BF–BOF route and S3: with an alternative integrated DR-EAF route; the Greenhouse Gas emissions from the year 2011 to 2050 were projected. In 2050, the CO₂ emission from S1 (baseline scenario) was 4.84 million tonnes, S2 was 21.96 million tonnes increasing 4.54 times from baseline scenario. The CO₂ emission from S3 was 7.12 million tonnes increasing 1.47 times from baseline scenario.     

The Great East Japan Earthquake,tsunami, and nuclear meltdown: towards the (re)construction of a safe,sustainable, and compassionate society in Japan's shrinking regions

Japan's rural regions have been shrinking for the entire post-war period, and successive efforts to revitalise rural society have failed. This article examines whether the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, present the Japanese state and society with a watershed opportunity to rethink regional revitalisation and national energy procurement strategies. The article begins by summarising the events of March and April 2011, examines possible approaches to the reconstruction of communities in the Tōhoku region, and critiques problems of governance in post-war Japan that the disaster reveals. It concludes by pulling together the information and analysis presented into a discussion of the prospects for achieving the three-point vision for a safe, sustainable, and compassionate society that Prime Minister Naoto Kan set the Reconstruction Design Council.     

Computer Professionals and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is an important problem among computer professionals. Hence the prevalence of CTS among computer professionals and risk factors were studied. 648 subjects were selected from 4,276 computer professionals from 21 companies with a simple random sampling method. CTS was diagnosed based on clinical features.

The prevalence of CTS was found to be 13.1% (95% CI 10.5–15.7%). Subjects with over 8 years of computer work, over 12 hrs of work per day and system administrators were at a higher risk for CTS (OR 3.3, 4.9 and 2.5 respectively). Flexed or extended hand position had higher risk for CTS.

Higher risk for CTS was found with higher exposure to computer work. Ergonomic considerations are important in facilitating proper positioning of hand while working with a computer. Further studies on CTS risk factors among computer professionals are essential for planning prevention.