Effect of high dietary starch levels on the growth performance, blood chemistry and body composition of gibel carp (Carassius auratus var. gibelio)

An 8-week growth trial was carried out in a semi-recirculation system to investigate the effect of high dietary starch levels on the growth performance, blood chemistry, starch utilization and body composition of gibel carp (Carassius auratus var. gibelio). Five isonitrogenous and isocarloric experimental diets were formulated to contain different starch levels (24%, 28%, 32%, 36% and 40% respectively). Triplicate groups of fish (24 fish per tank with an average body weight, of 8.5 g) were assigned to each diet. The results showed that dietary carbohydrate levels significantly affected the growth performance, hepatopancreatic lipid content, pyruvate kinase (PK) activity and whole-body lipid content. Growth performance, body crude lipid and plasma glucose concentrations showed a decreasing trend with an increase in dietary starch from 24% to 40%. Pyruvate kinase activities and hepatopancreatic lipid content showed an increasing trend with the dietary starch increasing from 24% to 32%, and then a decreasing trend with the dietary starch increasing from 32% to 40%. No significant difference in the hepatopancreatic hexokinase (HK) activity, plasma triglyceride contents, body crude protein, ash and calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents was observed between different treatments. In conclusion, higher dietary starch levels (32-40%) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the growth of gibel carp in the present study.

The industrial emergence of commercial inkjet printing

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how supply and demand interact during industrial emergence. Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds on previous theorising about co-evolutionary dynamics, exploring the interaction between supply and demand in a study of the industrial emergence of the commercial inkjet cluster in Cambridge, UK. Data are collected through 13 interviews with professionals working in the industry. Findings: The paper shows that as new industries emerge, asynchronies between technology supply and market demand create opportunities for entrepreneurial activity. In attempting to match innovative technologies to particular applications, entrepreneurs adapt to the system conditions and shape the environment to their own advantage. Firms that successfully operate in emerging industries demonstrate the functionality of new technologies, reducing uncertainty and increasing customer receptiveness. Research limitations/implications: The research is geographically bounded to the Cambridge commercial inkjet cluster. Further studies could consider commercial inkjet from a global perspective or test the applicability of the findings in other industries. Practical implications: Technology-based firms are often innovating during periods of industrial emergence. The insights developed in this paper help such firms recognise the emerging context in which they operate and the challenges that need to overcome. Originality/value: As an in depth study of a single industry, this research responds to calls for studies into industrial emergence, providing insights into how supply and demand interact during this phase of the industry lifecycle. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Influence of turbulence-chemistry interaction for n-heptane spray combustion under diesel engine conditions with emphasis on soot formation and oxidation

The influence of the turbulence-chemistry interaction (TCI) for n-heptane sprays under diesel engine conditions has been investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The conditional moment closure approach, which has been previously validated thoroughly for such flows, and the homogeneous reactor (i.e. no turbulent combustion model) approach have been compared, in view of the recent resurgence of the latter approaches for diesel engine CFD. Experimental data available from a constant-volume combustion chamber have been used for model validation purposes for a broad range of conditions including variations in ambient oxygen (8-21% by vol.), ambient temperature (900 and 1000 K) and ambient density (14.8 and 30 kg/m3). The results from both numerical approaches have been compared to the experimental values of ignition delay (ID), flame lift-off length (LOL), and soot volume fraction distributions. TCI was found to have a weak influence on ignition delay for the conditions simulated, attributed to the low values of the scalar dissipation relative to the critical value above which auto-ignition does not occur. In contrast, the flame LOL was considerably affected, in particular at low oxygen concentrations. Quasi-steady soot formation was similar; however, pronounced differences in soot oxidation behaviour are reported. The differences were further emphasised for a case with short injection duration: in such conditions, TCI was found to play a major role concerning the soot oxidation behaviour because of the importance of soot-oxidiser structure in mixture fraction space. Neglecting TCI leads to a strong over-estimation of soot oxidation after the end of injection. The results suggest that for some engines, and for some phenomena, the neglect of turbulent fluctuations may lead to predictions of acceptable engineering accuracy, but that a proper turbulent combustion model is needed for more reliable results. © 2014 Taylor & Francis.

Water solubility enhancement of phthalates by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and beta-cyclodextrin

Water solubility enhancements of six phthalates (five aliphatic phthalates and one phenyl phthalate) by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) were studied at 25 degreesC. The solubilities of these plithalates are remarkably enhanced by CTAB solutions above the critical micelle concentration (cmc). Only marginal enhancement of phthalate solubility was observed in solutions containing CTAB below its cmc and beta-CD at low concentrations (less than 5 mM). The solubility enhancements of the plithalates are proportional to the added amount of CTAB and beta-CD. Partition coefficients of the plithalates between monomeric CTAB surfactant and water (K-MN) and between CTAB micelle and water K-MC) were estimated from the experimental data. The mechanisms of solubility enhancements by CTAB and beta-CD were discussed. A log-linear equation was proposed and evaluated for the solubilization by CTAB below cmc, while the previously proposed linear partitioning model was questioned. The structures of the complexes formed between plithalates and beta-CD were proposed, and the formation constants were estimated. The values of log K-MC, log K-MN, and log Kbeta-CD of the plithalates were found to correlate linearly with the log K-OW of plithalates, with the exception of the solid phenyl phthalate.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ya-Er Lake (Hubei, China): sources and distribution

Sources and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the Ya-Er Lake area (Hubei, China) sediment cores of 3 ponds in the shallow Ya-Er Lake were investigated for 16 PAH. Analytical procedure included extraction by ultrasonication, clean-up by gel-permeation and quantification by HPLC with fluorescence detection. The total PAH amount in sediment samples of the Ya-Er Lake ranged from 68 to 2242 mu g/kg. Concentrations decreased from pond 1 to pond 3 and from upper to lower sediment layers. In addition a soil sample from Ya-Er Lake area showed a total PAH amount of 58 mu g/kg. The PAH pattern in lower sediment layers were similar to that of the soil sample which indicates an atmospheric deposition into the sediments prior to 1970 only. The PAH profile of upper sediment samples, which differs completely from that of lower layers, may be explained by a gradually increasing input of mixed combustion and raw fuel sources since 1970. Therefore the origin of increased PAH contamination in Ya-Er Lake during the last 3 decades has been probably an industrial waste effluent in pond 1.

Experimental Investigation into the Production Behavior of Methane Hydrate in Porous Sediment with Hot Brine Stimulation

The gas production behavior from methane hydrate in porous sediment by injecting the brine with the salinity of 0−24 wt % and the temperature of −1 to 130 °C was investigated in a one-dimensional experimental apparatus. The results show that the gas production process consists of three periods: the free gas production, the hydrate dissociation, and the general gas reservoir production. The hydrate dissociation accompanies the temperature decrease with the injection of the brine (NaCl solution), and the dissociation duration is shortened with the increase of the salinity. With the injection of hot brine, instantaneous hydrate dissociation rate also increases with the increase of the salinity. However, while the NaCl concentration is beyond a certain value, the rate has no longer continued increasing. Thermal efficiency and energy ratio for the hydrate production can be enhanced by injecting hot brine, and the enhanced effectiveness is quite good with the injection of high salinity at lower temperature.

Investigation of Interfacial Tensions for Carbon Dioxide Aqueous Solutions by Perturbed-Chain Statistical Associating Fluid Theory Combined with Density-Gradient Theory

The perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory and density-gradient theory are used to construct an equation of state (EOS) applicable for the phase behaviors of carbon dioxide aqueous solutions. With the molecular parameters and influence parameters respectively regressed from bulk properties and surface tensions of pure fluids as input, both the bulk and interfacial properties of carbon dioxide aqueous solutions are satisfactorily correlated by adjusting the binary interaction parameter (k(ij)). Our results show that the constructed EOS is able to describe the interfacial properties of carbon dioxide aqueous solutions in a wide temperature range, and illustrate the influences of temperature, pressure, and densities in each phase on the interfacial properties.

包头稀土工业区土壤中钍的环境化学行为

本论文分为两部分：1. 综述部分（第一章和第二章），介绍了我国包头地区稀土工业区钍污染概况，对稀土工业生产造成的放射性生态环境污染进行了分析和归纳；评述了土壤和沉积物中放射性核素污染生态物理化学研究和进展；说明了本研究课题的背景、意义和技术路线。2. 实验部分（第三章至第六章），包括以下几方面内容：土壤样品和高铁矿渣样品中钍的分析方法的建立；对土壤和矿渣样品中钍的形态进行定量分析，考察了土壤性质对土壤中钍形态分布的影响；模拟自然环境，研究钍在土壤-植物系统之间的迁移积累和钍形态的植物可利用性；土壤样品对钍的吸附-解吸行为及其影响因素。 我国包头稀土工业在稀土矿浮选和稀土精矿湿法冶炼过程中产生了大量含放射性钍的废渣、废水和粉尘，对当地生态环境造成严重的破坏和放射性污染。 采用合适内标，ICP-MS法对样品中钍分析，考察了基体干扰、记忆效应和质谱干扰，比较了不同的样品消解方法对钍测定的影响，并用标准土壤样品和标准加入法对方法的准确性进行了评价。分别采用Tessier、BCR和Martínez-Aguirre形态萃取方法对土壤和样品中钍的形态进行分析，通过对总量的回收率和萃取剂选择性比较，选择了Martínez-Aguirre连续萃取法定量样品中钍的形态，并对其进行了优化和评价。考察了土壤性质影响着钍的形态分布。 通过盆栽实验，考察了小麦对根际土壤中钍形态分布以及的在不同生长期对钍的吸收影响。利用相应的材料人工模拟了土壤中钍的形态，对模拟的钍各形态的植物可利用性和植物吸收贡献指数进行评估分析。利用不同的磷酸盐对土壤进行培养处理，考察了磷酸盐的加入对土壤中钍的生物可利用性影响。 实验了土壤样品对钍的吸附-解吸过程，通过吸附容量、分配系数和吸附百分比等参数考察土壤对钍吸附能力，并考察了被土壤吸附钍的解吸行为。通过吸附机理的分析，土壤对钍的吸附作用主要是通过Th(IV)的表面水解吸附模式进行。根据实验结果，土壤样品对溶液中钍的吸附热力学可以用Freundlich方程式来描述，吸附的动力学过程可用Elovich方程描述，并对吸附方式和吸附过程进行论述。实验发现，吸附-解吸条件、土壤性质、外源稀土元素和施肥等对土壤吸附钍有一定影响。