Nest-building by crested tit Parus cristatus males: an analysis of costs and benefits

In a population of crested tits in Belgium, one out of three breeding males participated in nest-building. Since variation in the amount of nest-building among 11 building males was low, analysis of male nest-building allowed a logistic regression design. The probability of building increased with male condition and for late nests. The effect of male condition decreased with date, and date was the only factor predicting nest-building for repeat broods. The effect of male condition on nest-building suggests that building entails important costs for males. Based on correlative data, we argue that building by males shortens the interval between the start of nest-building and the onset of egg-laying by about 5 days. Since clutch size, incubation and nestling time did not differ between early and late broods, male nest-building apparently affects fledging date. Since early fledgers (early dispersers) are more likely to settle in future winter flocks, building behaviour by crested tit males should be favoured by natural selection. So far, male nest-building in hole-breeding birds might have been overlooked due to the widespread use of artificial nest-boxes in behavioural studies.     

Investigation of chlorinated phenols sorption mechanisms on different layers of the Danube alluvial sediment

The characteristics of the Danube river alluvial sediment are of great importance in assessing the risk for transport of pollutants to drinking water sources. Characterization of the sediment column layers has shown that the alluvial sediment, sampled near the city of Novi Sad, is a mesoporous sandy material with certain differences in the properties of individual layers. In order to investigate the sorption mechanisms of four chlorinated phenols (CPs) on the alluvial deposit, static sorption experiments were performed at pH 4, 7 and 10. The results of sorption experiments, confirmed by principal components analysis sugest different mechanisms govern the sorption process at different pH conditions. This can be attributed to the molecular characteristics of CPs, geosorbent properties and to variations in the surface charge of the sorbent at different pH conditions.     

低温等离子体协同催化降解废气污染物的研究进展

阐述了低温等离子体协同催化工艺流程与反应机理,探讨了反应温度、废气进口组分、废气中水蒸气含量、气体流速、气溶胶等因素对降解效果的影响。分析认为:一段式低温等离子体协同催化可改变低温等离子体特征及催化剂催化特性,但尚未解决尾气臭氧逃逸、副产物产生及放电稳定性等问题;两段式低温等离子体协同催化可提高污染物分子降解效率并减少尾气臭氧逃逸,但未能有效利用等离子体的能量,气体中的水蒸气、粉尘及反应过程中产生的气溶胶均能影响后置催化剂的催化性能;两段式低温等离子体协同催化已具备工程应用条件,还需配套高效预处理单元以降低废气中水蒸气、粉尘等对催化剂的影响。     

GHG emission reductions and costs to achieve Kyoto target

Emission projection and marginal abatement cost curves (MACs) are the central components of any assessment of future carbonmarket, such as CDM (clean development mechanism) potentials, carbon quota price etc. However, they are products of very complex,dynamic systems driven by forces like population growth, economic development, resource endowments, technology progress and so on. The modeling approaches for emission projection and MACs evaluation were summarized, and some major models and their results were compared.Accordingly, reduction and cost requirements to achieve the Kyoto target were estimated. It is concluded that Annex I Parties‘ total reduction requirements range from 503--1304 MtC with USA participation and decrease significantly to 140--612 MtC after USA‘ s withdrawal. Total costs vary from 21--77 BUSD with USA and from 5--36 BUSD without USA if only domestic reduction actions are taken. The costs would sharply reduce while considering the three flexible mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol with domestic actions‘ share in the all mitigation strategies drons to only 0--16%.     

Synergistic effect of F and triggered oxygen vacancies over F-TiO2 on enhancing NO ozonation

Oxidation-absorption technology is a key step for NO_x removal from low-temperature gas. Under the condition of low O₃ concentration (O₃/NO molar ratio = 0.6), F-TiO₂ (F-TiO₂), which is cheap and environmentally friendly, has been prepared as ozonation catalysts for NO oxidation. Catalytic activity tests performed at 120°C showed that the NO oxidation efficiency of F-TiO₂ samples was higher than that of TiO₂ (about 43.7%), and the NO oxidation efficiency of F-TiO₂-0.15 was the highest, which was 65.3%. Combined with physicochemical characteristics of catalysts and the analysis of active species, it was found that there was a synergistic effect between F sites and oxygen vacancies on F-TiO₂, which could accelerate the transformation of monomolecular O₃ into multi-molecule singlet oxygen (¹O₂), thus promoting the selective oxidation of NO to NO₂. The oxidation reaction of NO on F-TiO₂-0.15 follows the Eley-Rideal mechanism, that is, gaseous NO reacts with adsorbed O₃ and finally form NO₂.     

有机物分子结构与光催化氧化反应活性的关系

从正辛醇－水分配系数与Ｈａｍｍｅｔｔ常数，光催化氧化过程中的光解作用，表面活性剂的微环境效应及取代基的诱导效应等方面，探讨了有机物分子结构与其光催化氧化反应性之间的关系。     

粉煤灰综合利用—制无烟型煤

粉煤灰,又称“烟道灰”,是从燃烧装置的烟道气中收集而得到的细灰.目前,国内外对粉煤灰的综合利用极为重视,但大部分都着眼于建材、建筑和农业等方面,而本发明是将粉煤灰作为型煤的掺合料配制型煤,即将粉煤灰与烟煤、褐煤和泥炭混配,再加入适量的添加剂,混匀后经压力成型制成各种形状的无烟燃料.实践证明,只要灰质、煤质和掺比相匹配,可压制成合格的掺灰型煤,达到“煤掺灰,灰代煤、效益高”的效果.该掺灰型煤,具有反应活性高,燃烧效果好,基本无烟等特点,投资少,见效快,效益高,节约能源等.经试烧证明,燃烧排烟中的各种污染物可消减50%以上,节约煤炭约30%以上,并且,每吨掺灰型煤(按售价每吨100元计算)可增收15—20元.     

Decomplexation of Cu-1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid by a three-dimensional electrolysis system with activated biochar as particle electrodes

The feasibility of decomplexation removal of typical contaminants in electroplating wastewater, complexed Cu(II) with 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (Cu-HEDP), was first performed by a three-dimensional electric reactor with activated biochar as particle electrodes. For the case of 50 mg/L Cu-HEDP, Cu(II) removal (90.7%) and PO initial pH 7, acid-treated almond shell biochar (AASB) addition 20 g/L, and reaction time 180 min, with second-order rate constants of 1.10 × 10⁻³ and 1.94 × 10⁻⁵ min⁻¹respectively. The growing chelating effect between Cu(II) and HEDP and the comprehensive actions of adsorptive accumulation, direct and indirect oxidation given by particle electrodes accounted for the enhanced removal of Cu-HEDP, even though the mineralization of HEDP was mainly dependent on anode oxidation. The performance attenuation of AASB particle electrodes was ascribed to the excessive consumption of oxygen-containing functionalities during the reaction, especially acidic carboxylic groups and quinones on particle electrodes, which decreased from 446.74 to 291.48 µmol/g, and 377.55 to 247.71 µmol/g, respectively. Based on the determination of adsorption behavior and indirect electrochemical oxidation mediated by in situ electrogenerated H₂O₂ and reactive oxygen species (e.g., •OH), a possible removal mechanism of Cu-HEDP by three-dimensional electrolysis was further proposed.     

Experimental and theoretical studies on NO selective catalytic oxidation over α-MnO2

Based on the experimental and theoretical methods, the NO selective catalytic oxidation process was proposed. The experimental results indicated that lattice oxygen was the active site for NO oxide over the $\mathrm{\alpha }$-MnO₂(110) surface. In the theoretical study, DFT (density functional theory) and periodic slab modeling were performed on an $\mathrm{\alpha }$-MnO₂(110) surface, and two possible NO oxidation mechanisms over the surface were proposed. The non-defect $\mathrm{\alpha }$-MnO₂(110) surface showed the highest stability, and the surface O_s (the second layer oxygen atoms) position was the most active and stable site. O₂ molecule enhanced the joint adsorption process of two NO molecules. The reaction process, including O₂ dissociation and O=N-O-O-N=O formation, was calculated to carry out the NO catalytic oxidation mechanism over $\mathrm{\alpha }$-MnO₂(110). The results showed that NO oxidation over the $\mathrm{\alpha }$-MnO₂(110) surface exhibited the greatest possibility following the route of O=N-O-O-N=O formation. Meanwhile, the formation of O=N-O-O-N=O was the rate-determining step.     

The Value of Using Feasibility Models in Systematic Conservation Planning to Predict Landholder Management Uptake

Understanding the social dimensions of conservation opportunity is crucial for conservation planning in multiple‐use landscapes. However, factors that influence the feasibility of implementing conservation actions, such as the history of landscape management, and landholders’ willingness to engage are often difficult or time consuming to quantify and rarely incorporated into planning. We examined how conservation agencies could reduce costs of acquiring such data by developing predictive models of management feasibility parameterized with social and biophysical factors likely to influence landholders’ decisions to engage in management. To test the utility of our best‐supported model, we developed 4 alternative investment scenarios based on different input data for conservation planning: social data only; biological data only; potential conservation opportunity derived from modeled feasibility that incurs no social data collection costs; and existing conservation opportunity derived from feasibility data that incurred collection costs. Using spatially explicit information on biodiversity values, feasibility, and management costs, we prioritized locations in southwest Australia to control an invasive predator that is detrimental to both agriculture and natural ecosystems: the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). When social data collection costs were moderate to high, the most cost‐effective investment scenario resulted from a predictive model of feasibility. Combining empirical feasibility data with biological data was more cost‐effective for prioritizing management when social data collection costs were low (<4% of the total budget). Calls for more data to inform conservation planning should take into account the costs and benefits of collecting and using social data to ensure that limited funding for conservation is spent in the most cost‐efficient and effective manner.