Electron beam pretreatment of sewage sludge before anaerobic digestion

The pretreatment of waste-activated sludge (WAS) by electron beam irradiation was studied in order to improve anaerobic sludge digestion. The irradiation dose of the electron beam was varied from 0.5 to 10 kGy. Batch and continuous-flow stirred tank reactors (CFSTRs) were operated to evaluate the effect of the electron beam pretreatment on anaerobic sludge digestion. Approximately 30–52% of the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) content of the WAS was solubilized within 24 h after electron beam irradiation. A large quantity of soluble COD, protein, and carbohydrates leached out from cell ruptures caused by the electron beam irradiation. Volatile fatty acids production from the irradiated sludge was approx 90% higher than that of the unirradiated sludge. The degradation of irradiated sewage sludge was described by two distinct first-order decay rates (k ₁ and k ₂). Most initial decay reaction accelerated within 10 d, with an average k ₁ of 0.06/d for sewage sludge irradiated at all dosages. The mean values for the long-term batch first-order decay coefficient (k ₂) were 0.025/d for irradiated sewage sludge and 0.007/d for unirradiated sludge. Volatile solids removal efficiency of the control reactor fed with unirradiated sewage sludge at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20 d was almost the same as that of the CFSTRs fed with irradiated sludge at an HRT of 10 d. Therefore, disintegration of sewage sludge cells using electron beam pretreatment could reduce the reactor solid retention time by half.     

A practical approach to the implementation of autoverify

Autoverification is a process in which computer software will automatically evaluate laboratory test results, verify result integrity, and then release the results to the hospital interface without any technologist intervention. Autoverify release criteria are user defined and can be customized. The process of developing, implementing, and monitoring autoverify is achievable for most test results in laboratory medicine. The use of autoverification will improve result quality, increase revenue, and create faster turn-around times. All of this put together will ultimately lead to improved customer satisfaction. Computers and autoverification are survival tools in the competitive market of laboratory diagnostics services.Presented at the 8th Conference on Quality in the Spotlight, 17–18 March 2003, Antwerp, Belgium     

Tamarindus indica mucilage and its acrylamide-grafted copolymer as flocculants for removal of dyes

The application of Tamarindus indica seed mucilage (Tam), a food grade polysaccharide, and its acrylamide grafted copolymer as flocculants was assessed for the first time for removal of various types of dyes from model textile wastewater containing azo, basic, and reactive dyes. Acrylamide grafted T. indica mucilage (Tam-g-PAM) was obtained by ceric ion initiated polymerization technique. A series of contact time experiments were conducted to assess the system variables such as concentrations of mucilage and dyes and pH. These flocculants reduce the dye concentration by flocculation and settling. The grafted copolymer, Tam-g-PAM showed better results for dye removal. The optimal flocculant concentration, which was required to effect flocculation, was independent of dye concentration within the range examined. Both the flocculants performed better for removal of azo dyes than for reactive and basic dyes.     

近5年化学奥林匹克(初赛)试题的分析及建议

从化学核心素养出发，分析近5年化学奥林匹克（初赛）试题考查的学生知识水平、能力水平、素养水平，并针对培养中学生核心素养的教学实践提出建议。     

生物检材中乌头类生物碱的检验

 用薄层 (TLC)、高效液相 光电二极管阵列检测器 (HPLC/DAD)、动物实验等方法对生物检材中乌头生物碱进行检验 ,并对这些方法进行比较。结果发现 ,TLC法为此类药物检验筛选的首选方法 ,最小检出量为 0 3μg。在进行HPLC检测时 ,以乌头生物碱的特征紫外吸收光谱和动物实验结果为重要的定性手段 ,其特征吸收波长为 (2 2 8± 2 )nm和 (2 75± 2 )nm。乌头生物碱在 2mg/L～ 5 0mg/L时其峰面积与质量浓度有很好的线性 ,相关系数为 0 9996。经实际案件证明 ,方法准确、灵敏 ,可用于生物检材中乌头类生物碱的检验。     

Design of experimental routes and data processing for the determination of the depth-distribution of energy in real solids

No adequate thermodynamic definition of non-equilibrated solids is available at present. In this paper a method is suggested for the energetic characterization of solids by estimation of the distribution of the differential molar internal energies — as they appear during the breakdown of sample e.g. by chemical reaction, i.e. the ‘depth distribution of differential energies’ (DDE) of samples. Thermodynamic considerations are presented for approximating this quantity — and experimental possibilities proposed to attain the needed input information by thermoanalytical methods. Application of the suggested procedure is supposed to contribute to the better understanding of structure — energy — reactivity relations in real solids.     

Modeling research in low-medium temperature geothermal field, Tianjin

The geothermal reservoir in Tianjin can be divided into two parts: the upper one is theporous medium reservoir in the Tertiary system; the lower one includes the basement reservoir inLower Paleozoic and Middle-Upper Proterozoic. Hot springs are exposed in the northern mountainand confined geothermal water is imbedded in the southern plain. The geothermal reservoir is in-cised by several fractures. In recent years, TDS of the geothermal water have gone up along withthe production rate increasing, along the eastern fracture zone (Cangdong Fracture and West Bai-tangkou Fracture). This means that the northern fracture system is the main seepage channel ofthe deep circulation geothermal water, and the reservoir has good connection in a certain area anddefinite direction. The isotopic research about hydrogen and carbon chronology indicates that themain recharge period of geothermal water is the Holocene Epoch, the pluvial and chilly period of20 kaBP. The karst conduits in weathered carbonate rocks of the Proterozoic and Lower Paleozoicand the northeast regional fracture system are the main feeding channels of Tianjin geothermalwater. Since the Holocene epoch, the geothermal water stayed at a sealed warm period. Thetracer test in WR45 doublet system shows that the tracer test is a very effective measure forunderstanding the reservoir's transport nature and predicting the cooling time and transportvelocity during the reinjection. 3-D numerical simulation shows that if the reinjection well keeps asuitable distance from the production well, reinjection will be a highly effective measure to extractmore thermal energy from the rock matrix. The cooling of the production well will not be a problem.     

茉莉醛相转移催化合成法的改良

茉莉醛又称2-戊基肉桂醛,具有优雅的茉莉花香,是一种深受调香师喜爱的合成香料。目前已广泛应用于各种日用化学品中。     

Characterisation of inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase by an automated amperometric flow-injection system

Acetylcholinesterase was immobilised on magnetic particles and integrated in a flow-injection system via a magnetic reactor. Enzyme activity was determined amperometrically using acetylthiocholine chloride as enzyme substrate. This system was applied to enzyme inhibition tests. Inhibition constants and lower detection limits were determined for carbofuran, paraoxon, malaoxon and paraoxon-methyl. The resulting data were compared to those obtained with a photometric test, i.e. the determination of thiocholine via its reaction with the Ellman's reagent 5,5'-dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoic acid using the same flow system. As they correlated well to those reported for the native enzyme the flow-injection analysis device can be applied to automated determination and characterisation of enzyme inhibitors.     

Development of a one-step immunochromatographic strip test for the rapid detection of nevirapine (NVP), a commonly used antiretroviral drug for the treatment of HIV/AIDS

Currently, high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods are mainly used to measure antiretroviral plasma concentrations in HIV-infected patients. Although the utility of routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) as an additional tool to optimize long-term antiretroviral therapy is unclear, if TDM is to be widely used, the availability of simple, cheap and reliable methods for the measurement of antiretroviral drug levels are needed, particularly in resource-limited settings. In this study, an immunochromatograhic (IC) strip test to detect the presence of nevirapine (NVP) in body fluids has been developed. Antiserum to NVP was first raised in rabbits by immunization against NVP chemically conjugated with bovine serum albumin, and subsequently validated by Western immunoblotting and competitive indirect ELISA. The partially purified anti-NVP antibodies were conjugated with colloidal gold particles. The conjugation of the colloidal gold and polyclonal antibodies was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy, while transmission electron microscopy images were used to characterize the particle size and shape of the conjugates. The resulting colloidal gold conjugates were used for the production of an IC strip test to detect nevirapine in human plasma. Preliminary assessment suggests no-cross reactivity of the NVP polyclonal antibodies but assessment of plasma samples from HIV-infected patients receiving HAART needs to be conducted. This assay could potentially be used for drug monitoring as part of the clinical care of HIV infected patients.