Mn2+促进载体挂膜的机理研究

通过向自制固定床生物膜反应器(FBBR)中投加氯化锰,考察了Mn~(2+)对生物膜量、形态结构、降解性能及其胞外聚合物(EPS)组分的影响,并探究了Mn~(2+)在生物膜形成中的作用、影响规律及其对生物膜反应器运行效能的影响.结果表明,投加Mn~(2+)有助于生物膜形成,增强生物膜致密性,并促进生物膜生长;在生物膜成熟期连续投加10 mg·L~(-1)Mn~(2+)对一个周期内生物膜的降解活性影响很小,反应器COD和NH_4~+去除率分别达到85.4%±1.5%和76.3%±1.9%;生物膜不同类型EPS含量的变化表明,Mn~(2+)不仅加速了生物膜的成熟和增强了生物膜去除有机物的稳定性,而且还会刺激生物膜分泌产生更多的紧密粘附型EPS,其中的蛋白质和多糖能够保护微生物免受Mn~(2+)伤害.     

纳米铁炭复合材料的制备及对水中镉(Cd)污染的修复

为提高纳米零价铁对水体中镉污染的修复效果,通过液相化学还原法制备纳米零价铁颗粒,并用活性炭包覆,制备纳米铁炭复合材料。设计单因素和正交实验,探讨材料制备中的3个主要因素对材料降解水体中镉(Cd(II))的影响。结果表明:在炭铁比为0.2,硼氢化钠加料速率为32 m L/min,搅拌强度为1 000 r/min的条件下,材料对水体中Cd(II)的降解效果最好;实验表明纳米铁炭复合材料对Cd(II)的去除以纳米零价铁的化学还原过程为主,活性炭的物理吸附为辅。     

集成仿真在空间望远镜设计和优化中的应用

针对空间望远镜设计过程中涉及学科多、系统复杂、真实环境验证难度大等特点,集成仿真在空间望远镜设计和优化过程中具有巨大应用价值。本文给出了集成仿真在NGST、NEXUS和JWST等空间望远镜设计过程中的应用实例,介绍了集成仿真所包括的扰动源、结构、光学、控制和模型集成等方面的具体内容,并给出了集成仿真在性能分析、灵敏度分析、同效性分析、多目标优化和干扰来源定位与缓解等方面的应用。集成仿真技术及其应用案例,对我国在研大型空间望远镜的设计有指导和借鉴意义。     

火电行业"十三五"主要大气污染物减排潜力情景分析研究

火电行业是总量减排的重点行业,也是主要大气污染物削减量的首要贡献者,其主要大气污染物排放量的削减抵消了其他行业的排放增长,为"十二五"全国减排任务的完成做出了重大贡献.本研究在火电行业主要大气污染物排放控制现状分析的基础上,结合火电行业技术政策措施要求,对火电行业"十三五"新增排放量进行了预测,并设置基于技术可行、排放标准以及超低排放三套减排情景,测算"十三五"减排潜力,评估火电行业"十三五"减排空间,对全国及各省火电行业减排形势提出了相应的意见和建议.     

Experimental investigation on the performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine by varying the injection pressure and injection timing using mixed biodiesel

Biodiesel is a promising fuel for compression ignition engines instead of diesel fuel. Due to the depletion of diesel fuel, an alternative fuel can be used in an engine. The experiments were conducted on a four-stroke, single cylinder CI engine. In this present investigation, an attempt has been made to study the influence of injection pressure (IP) and injection timing (IT) on the performance and emission characteristics of diesel engines by using mixed biodiesel (Thevetia peruviana, Jatropha, Pongamia, and Azadirachta indica). The injection pressure is varied from 200 to 230 bar and the injection timing is varied from 23 to 29° bTDC at an increment of 10 bar and 2° bTDC, respectively, and the results were compared with diesel. From this study, the results showed that the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) was increased by 2.4% with an increase in injection pressure and 1.5% with an increase in the injection timing for the maximum load, but lesser than diesel. Furthermore, a reduction of 5.08% of brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) has been noticed for the rise in IP and IT with loads but higher than diesel. The reduction was 34.17%, 53.85%, and 29.7% and 29.17%, 53.85%, and 21.95% of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and smoke emissions, respectively, at 230 bar injection pressure and at 27° bTDC injection timing. Also, a significant increase in nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions at the maximum load was observed by increasing the injection pressure and injection timing.     

Income,environmental considerations,and sustainable energy consumption in Africa

Evidence on income as a crucial driver of renewable energy consumption in Africa is mixed. But hydropower accounts for over 90% of renewable energy in sub-Sahara Africa alone. Yet, empirical evidence suggests that hydropower may not be as environmentally sustainable as believed and, as a legacy source of energy in Africa, may not accurately reflect attitudes on renewable energy motivated by environmental concerns. This paper examines the role played by economic performance in the rising sustainable energy consumption in Africa, focusing on the renewable energy sources that are compatible with sustainable development. The difference generalized method of moments, fully modified ordinary least squares, and dynamic ordinary least squares are employed to estimate the statistical significance of income, environmental sustainability proxy, and prices as important drivers of sustainable energy consumption in a panel of 10 African countries for the period 2000–2011—a time frame characterized by a rapid rise in renewables as a priority in environmental policy. With timing and measurement considerations on sources of renewables, results indicate that in contrast to recent literature, the rise in sustainable energy consumption in Africa is strongly driven by rising domestic incomes. In line with literature, however, there is a generally positive, albeit statistically insignificant relationship between sustainable energy consumption and levels of carbon emissions. Oil prices in real terms also correlate with sustainable energy consumption. Available data also show that countries with low energy security also coincidentally tend to have high small hydropower capacity, providing potential for sustainably reducing energy insecurity.     

LCA-Based Economic Benefit Analysis for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Façades: A Case Study in Taiwan

Solar energy is one of the major sources of alternative and green energies that humanity need now and will continue to need in the future. There are now a large number of R&D activities on solar power generation facilities and equipment around the world. Located in a subtropical region, Taiwan is rich in solar energy resources; therefore, how to effectively use and store solar energy is a research topic of great interest to Taiwan. The main purpose of this study explores the economic benefits of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) facilities and equipment by analyzing the net present values (NPV) and payback period of the BIPV façade of a shopping mall in Taiwan over its lifecycle. The NPV and payback period analysis results both indicate that the BIPV façade in the case study reaches its breakeven point within 10 years of payback period and 16 years of NPV during a life cycle of 20 years. By showing BIPV investments can bring an acceptable range of benefits profits, this study hopes to provide references for promoting the photovoltaic (PV) industry.     

Younger supervisors,older subordinates: An organizational‐level study of age differences,emotions, and performance

Younger employees are often promoted into supervisory positions in which they then manage older subordinates. Do companies benefit or suffer when supervisors and subordinates have inverse age differences? In this study, we examine how average age differences between younger supervisors and older subordinates are linked to the emotions that prevail in the workforce, and to company performance. We propose that the average age differences determine how frequently older subordinates and their coworkers experience negative emotions, and that these emotion frequency levels in turn relate to company performance. The indirect relationship between age differences and performance occurs only if subordinates express their feelings toward their supervisor, but the association is neutralized if emotions are suppressed. We find consistent evidence for this theoretical model in a study of 61 companies with multiple respondents. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Behavioural toxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to waterborne zinc and chromium(VI)

This study is to investigate the behavioural responses of zebrafish to the toxic effects of waterborne zinc and chromium(VI). Swimming performance of fish was tracked by a real-time toxicity bio-monitoring system and transformed into data to calculate individual and fish school behavioural endpoints. Behavioural responses under metals were in accordance with the Stepwise Behavioural Response model. Significant and concentration-dependent effects on swimming speed and turning times were found at concentrations equal to or higher than 3.5 mg L^-1 for zinc and 0.7 mg L^-1 for chromium. Swimming height significantly declined in concentrations equal to or higher than 3.5 mg L^-1 under zinc exposure, while for the chromium treatment, it significantly increased in lower concentration exposures and decreased in higher concentration exposures. Average distance and dispersion of fish school decreased at the beginning but there were no obvious changes during the whole exposure period. Behavioural responses under metal exposures were time-dependent: avoidance (increased speed and turning times and decreased average distance and dispersion) might be the first response and followed by height changes. Changes in behavioural endpoints ‘swimming speed and height’ can be used as early stress responses for acute aquatic metal contamination as part of ecological risk assessment.     

A comparative analysis between composite indexes of environmental performance: An analysis on the CIEP and EPI

The measurement of environmental impact through composite indexes provides information about the effects of human activities on the ecosystem. Over recent years proposals regarding the environmental composite indexes (ECI) have emerged, suggesting that they can be used to help in decisions about public policies. Due the number of these indicators, issues arise about the asymmetry of information provided, although all ECI seek to measure ecosystem quality or damage. The present paper compares the Composite Index of Environmental Performance (CIEP) (García-Sánchez et al., 2015) and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) (Hsu et al., 2014) in order to find convergent and divergent characteristics, studying methodological aspects and empirical evidence through statistical analysis, in order to favour the decision-making by stakeholders and to improve the existing ECI in order to determine adequately the environmental impact. The results show that the indexes were developed using different methods and variables, however, they share around 20% identical variables. Despite these differences, the rate of variation in ranking countries between the indexes is 21%, on average. The EPI policy category ‘water & sanitation (effects on humans)’ has two common variables and explains part of the CIEP performance. The effect dimension of the CIEP has one more identical variable and it reduces the individual variation between rank positions.