Environmental-economic models for total emission control of regional environmental pollution — input-output approach

This paper deals with a Leontief-type dynamic input-output analysis for total emission control of pollution. A dynamic input-output model can be described as a linear programming problem. In this paper an objective function to be minimized is chosen as the sum of pollutants emitted in a regional area throughout the planning period. It is assumed that consumption grows with a constant growth rate throughout the planning period. With this model, we can tell how to assign the elimination rate of pollutants to each production sector, under the constraint that the total emission standard is satisfied in each term of the planning period.     

Early life history of tropical Anguilla leptocephali in the western Pacific Ocean

In order to examine the early life-history characteristics of tropical eels, otolith microstructure and microchemistry were examined in leptocephali of Anguilla bicolor pacifica (27.6-54.1 mm TL, n=20) and A. marmorata (22.0-47.3 mm TL, n=8) collected during a cruise in the western Pacific. A. bicolor pacifica occurred between 10°N and 15°N in the west and between 5°S and 10°N farther to the east. A. marmorata also occurred in two different latitudinal ranges in the Northern (15-16°N) and Southern Hemispheres (3-15°S) of the western Pacific. The increment widths in the otoliths of these leptocephali increased between the hatch check (0 days) and about an age of 30 days in both species, and then gradually decreased toward the otolith edge. Otolith Sr:Ca ratios showed a gradual increase from the otolith center to the edge. The ages of A. bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata leptocephali ranged from 40 to 128 days and from 38 to 99 days, respectively. Growth rates of A. bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata leptocephali ranged from 0.33 to 0.71 mm day^-1 and from 0.45 to 0.63 mm day^-1, respectively. These leptocephali had estimated growth rates that were spread out throughout most of the reported range of growth rates of the leptocephali of the temperate species, the Japanese eel and the Atlantic eels. Differences in the spatial distribution in relation to current systems, and the age and size compositions of the leptocephali of A. bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata suggested different spawning locations for these two species.     

Simplified Fabrication of Optically Transparent Composites Reinforced with Nanostructured Chitin

Optically transparent films reinforced with micro to nano scale chitin particles were successfully developed in this study. Chitin composites based on micro scale particles which are larger than the optical wavelength do not cause light scattering provided that chitin particles are composed of nano structure networks which allow monomer impregnation and polymerization. This could lead a simplified process for fabricating transparent composites. The composites reinforced by the chitin micro particles not only retained the transparency of the plastic but also helped the effectiveness of its co-efficient of thermal expansion as similar to chitin nanofibers. Furthermore, chitin nanofibers transparent films are thermally stable against temperature as high as 200 °C for a long period of time. This could lead to number of important commercial applications, and is a significant move towards the sustainable utilization of marine bio-resources.     

Molding Method, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Jute/PLA Injection Molding

Natural composites have been important materials system due to preservation of earth environments. Natural fibers such as jute, hemp, bagasse and so on are very good candidate of natural composites as reinforcements. On the other hand regarding matrix parts thermosetting polymer and thermoplastic polymer deriver form petrochemical products are not environmental friendly material, even if thermoplastic polymer can be recycled. In order to create fully environmental friendly material (FEFM) biodegradable polymer which can be deriver from natural resources is needed. Therefore poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymer is very good material for the FEFM. In this paper jute fiber filled PLA resin (jute/PLA) composites was fabricated by injection moldings and mechanical properties were measured. It is believable that industries will have much attention to FEFM, so that injection molding was adopted to fabricate the composites. Long fiber pellet fabricated by pultrusion technique was adopted to prepare jute/PLA pellet. Because it is able to fabricate composite pellets with relative long length fibers for injection molding process, where, jute yarns were continuously pulled and coated with PLA resin. Here two kinds of PLA materials were used including the one with mold releasing agent and the other without it. After pass through a heated die whereby PLA resin impregnates into the jute yarns and sufficient cooling, the impregnated jute yarns were cut into pellets. Then jute/PLA pellets were fed into injection machine to make dumbbell shape specimens. In current study, the effects of temperature of PLA melting temperature i.e. impregnation temperature and the kinds of PLA were focused to get optimum molding condition. The volume fractions of jute fiber in pellet were measured by several measuring method including image analyzing, density measurement and dissolution methods. Additionally, thermal and mechanical properties were investigated. It is found that 250° is much suitable for jute/PLA long fiber pultrusion process because of its less heat degradation of jute, better impregnation, acceptable mechanical property and higher production efficiency. Additionally the jute fibers seem much effective to increase deflection temperature under load, tensile modulus and Izod strength.     

Synthesis of Short-chain-length/Medium-chain-length Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Copolymers in Peroxisome of the Transgenic Arabidopsis Thaliana Harboring the PHA Synthase Gene from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3

In this paper, the photosynthetic production of short-chain-length/medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers is reported. The wild-type and highly active doubly mutated PHA synthase 1 (S325T/Q481K, abbreviated ST/QK) genes from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana. Peroxisome targeting signal 1 (PTS1) was used to target PHA synthases into the peroxisome to synthesize PHA from the intermediates of the β-oxidation pathway. The transgenic Arabidopsis produced PHA copolymers consisting of 40–57 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate, 21–49 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate, 8–18 mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate, and 2–8 mol% 3-hydroxyoctanoate. The maximum PHA contents were 220μ g/g cell dry weight (cdw) in leaves, and 36μ g/g cdw in stems, respectively. The expression of the ST/QK mutated PHA synthase in leaves gene did not lead to significant difference in PHA content and monomer composition of PHAs, compared to the wild-type PHA synthase gene, suggesting that the supply of monomers may be a rate-determining step of PHA biosynthesis in the peroxisome. However, in stems, there were significant differences dependent on whether the wild-type or ST/QK mutated PHA synthase was expressed. These results suggest that tissue-specific monomer availability is important in determining the final mol% composition of PHA copolymers produced by the peroxisome in plants.     

日本城市土壤的重金属污染研究

采用X-射线光谱法测定了一些日本城市公园土壤样品中的Pb,Zn,Cu,Cr,Ni,As,Fe,Ti,Mn,K,Ca,Rb和Sr共13种元素,结果发现Pb和Zn的含量在土壤剖面中从上至下有明显下降的趋势,并显示出Pb与Zn污染有一定的相关关系。同时,也探讨了一种判断土壤污染的方法。      

Troop size,habitat quality,and home range area in Japanese macaques

Summary The correlation between troop size (N) and home range area (R) is examined in terms of habitat quality with 32 data sets for the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) from its entire distribution range. The habitat quality is represented by the vegetation type and the degree the habitat is disturbed. A proportional relationship is found between N and R when the two major vegetation types (deciduous and evergreen) are discriminated and only the data from relatively undisturbed habitats are considered. This result is discussed in relation to bioenergetics.     

Estrus cycle asynchrony in wild female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii

Although estrous synchrony has been reported in a number of mammalian species, most often among primates, methodological and analytical problems make it difficult to interpret these results. We developed a novel estrous synchrony index and employed a randomization procedure to analyze long-term observations of female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) estrous cycles at the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. Our results revealed that female chimpanzees at Mahale avoid synchronizing their estrous periods with each other. We also found that birthrates decreased as the breeding sex ratio increased. We suggest that estrous asynchrony decreases female–female competition for mates. Asynchrony may also reduce the potential for male sexual coercion by nonpreferred mating partners.     

Alum amendment effects on phosphorus release and distribution in poultry litter-amended sandy soils

Increased poultry production has contributed to excess nutrient problems in Atlantic Coastal Plain soils due to land application of poultry litter (PL). Aluminum sulfate [alum, Al(2)(SO(4))(3).14H(2)O] amendment of PL effectively reduces soluble phosphorus (P) in the PL; however, the effects of these litters when added to acidic, sandy soils are not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of alum-amended poultry litter in reducing P release from three Delaware Coastal Plain soils: Evesboro loamy sand (Ev; excessively drained, mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments), Rumford loamy sand (Ru; well drained, coarse-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Hapludults), and Pocomoke sandy loam (Pm; very poorly drained, coarse-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Typic Umbraquults). Long-term (25 d) and short-term (24 h) desorption studies were conducted, in addition to chemical extractions and kinetic modeling, to observe the changes that alum-amended versus unamended PL caused in the soils. The Ev, Ru, and Pm soils were incubated with 9 Mg ha(-1) of alum-amended or unamended PL. Long-term desorption (25 d) of the incubated material resulted in approximately 13.5% (Ev), 12.7% (Ru), and 13.3% (Pm) reductions in cumulative P desorbed when comparing soil treated with unamended and alum-amended PL. In addition, the P release from the soil treated with alum-amended litter was not significantly different from the control (soil alone). Short-term desorption (24 h) showed 7.3% (Ev), 15.4% (Ru), and 20% (Pm) reductions. The overall implication from this study is that the use of alum as a PL amendment is useful in coarse-textured soils of the Coastal Plain. With increased application of alum-amended PL, more significant decreases may be possible with little or no effect on soil quality.