Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from turf management of two Swedish golf courses

Turf management on golf courses entails frequent maintenance activities, such as mowing, irrigation and fertilisation, and relies on purchased inputs for optimal performance and aesthetic quality. Using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, this study evaluated energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from management of two Swedish golf courses, divided into green, tee, fairway and rough, and identified options for improved management. Energy use and GHG emissions per unit area were highest for greens, followed by tees, fairways and roughs. However, when considering the entire golf course, both energy use and GHG emissions were mainly related to fairway and rough maintenance due to their larger area. Emissions of GHG for the two golf courses were 1.0 and 1.6 Mg CO₂e ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ as an area-weighted average, while the energy use was 14 and 19 GJ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Mowing was the most energy-consuming activity, contributing 21 and 27% of the primary energy use for the two golf courses. In addition, irrigation and manufacturing of mineral fertiliser and machinery resulted in considerable energy use. Mowing and emissions associated with fertilisation (manufacturing of N fertiliser and soil emissions of N₂O occurring after application) contributed most to GHG emissions. Including the estimated mean annual soil C sequestration rate for fairway and rough in the assessment considerably reduced the carbon footprint for fairway and turned the rough into a sink for GHG. Emissions of N₂O from decomposition of grass clippings may be a potential hotspot for GHG emissions, but the high spatial and temporal variability of values reported in the literature makes it difficult to estimate these emissions for specific management regimes. Lowering the application rate of N mineral fertiliser, particularly on fairways, should be a high priority for golf courses trying to reduce their carbon footprint. However, measures must be adapted to the prevailing conditions at the specific golf course and the requirements set by golfers.     

基于智能算法优化SVM的横向通风过程中温度场预测方法探究

将改进的智能预测技术应用于储粮横向通风过程中的粮堆温度预测,为粮食通风智能预测与决策提供了一种新思路。选取河北清苑国家粮食储备库冬季横向通风的实时监测数据,在分析主要影响因素的基础上,应用三种智能优化算法——网格寻优算法、GA遗传算法寻优、PSO粒子群算法,结合回归支持向量机理论,对粮堆的通风过程进行建模。结果表明,优化过的回归预测模型能较好地拟合粮食温度与其他变量之间的非线性关系,尤其是当样本数量较为有限时,该方法具有更高的拟合精度,更适合对储粮通风这一强非线性过程的预测研究,对于人工干预操作具有一定的现实指导意义。     

浅圆仓膜下氮气气调膜上控温储粮试验

通过改造浅圆仓测温电缆,实现了浅圆仓膜下充氮气调和膜上中央空调控温,提高了卸粮口、大门口、通风口等死角的害虫致死率。将浅圆仓氮气气调杀虫与控温储粮相结合,实现了储粮安全度夏。     

不同品种桃果冷链物流特性差异性研究

为了探讨不同品种桃果冷链物流特性的差异化问题,从而为其贮运技术的优化提供参考依据,分别以采自山东省蒙阴县岱崮镇的‘仓方早生’、‘春美’、‘中油4号’和‘锦香’黄桃果实为试材,对不同品种桃果实在长途(山东蒙阴至新加坡)冷链物流期间的预冷特性、蓄冷特性、货架期及其品质的变化情况进行了观察,并对其果心温度在冷链物流期间的变化情况进行了全程跟踪检测。结果表明:在整个冷链物流期间,‘中油4号’和‘春美’的果心温度一直低于其余2个品种,说明其均有较好的预冷和蓄冷性能;在山东冷库温度设为0℃、预冷40 h的条件下,不同品种桃果果心温度方能降低至2.5~3.0℃,说明产区桃果贮运企业的冷库制冷能力还有待提高,或需配置专门的预冷设备和优化预冷技术;货架期第2天(到达目的地后),4个品种桃果果肉组织的硬度均在2 kg·cm-2以上;其中‘仓方早生’和‘锦香’果实中可溶性固形物的含量略高于10%,其余品种的均为8%~9%,说明产地采收果实的品质有待提高;不同品种对冷害的敏感性存在一定的差异性。文中综合分析认为:‘中油4号’的贮运品质较好,其预冷和蓄冷性能均佳,其果实外观和肉质均好,且汁液多,味较甜;而其他品种桃果运至目的地后均发生了不同程度的冷害现象。据此,文末提出了采取终端冷链措施以避免冷害发生的建议。     

一种基于硼氢化钠的新型储氢材料研究

硼氢化钠的水解产物是一种新的储氢材料，其良好的可逆储氢能力在5MPa氢气压力真空条件下3分钟后在室温下吸收氢150。根据报道，它已被证明，这两种改变的催化剂NaBH4水解和添加催化剂直接插入接口是两个非常有效进一步提高接口的储氢容量。对hpsb-y2o3脱氢TiO2分别掺杂均达到重量2.4%和重量4.6%。重要的是对hpsb-y2o3可逆的脱氢能力不下降后成功———超循环。相比之下，对hpsb-ceo2可逆脱氢高达到重量5.9%，在室温下5分钟后3MPa氢气压力150氢吸附。     

温度对黑鲷无水保活工艺的影响

比较了-2,0,2,4,6℃等5种不同无水保活温度下,黑鲷(Sparus macarocephlus)的成活率、O2消耗量、CO2排放量、血清皮质醇及肌糖原的变化趋势。结果表明:在0℃条件下,无水保活36 h后,黑鲷成活率为100%,0℃组在整个无水保活过程中耗氧量最少,CO2释放量上升最缓慢,其皮质醇含量始终接近正常值,因此,0℃为黑鲷最佳无水保活温度。     

Shifts in microbial diversity through land use intensity as drivers of carbon mineralization in soil

Land use practices alter the biomass and structure of soil microbial communities. However, the impact of land management intensity on soil microbial diversity (i.e. richness and evenness) and consequences for functioning is still poorly understood. Here, we addressed this question by coupling molecular characterization of microbial diversity with measurements of carbon (C) mineralization in soils obtained from three locations across Europe, each representing a gradient of land management intensity under different soil and environmental conditions. Bacterial and fungal diversity were characterized by high throughput sequencing of ribosomal genes. Carbon cycling activities (i.e., mineralization of autochthonous soil organic matter, mineralization of allochthonous plant residues) were measured by quantifying ¹²C- and ¹³C-CO₂ release after soils had been amended, or not, with ¹³C-labelled wheat residues. Variation partitioning analysis was used to rank biological and physicochemical soil parameters according to their relative contribution to these activities. Across all three locations, microbial diversity was greatest at intermediate levels of land use intensity, indicating that optimal management of soil microbial diversity might not be achieved under the least intensive agriculture. Microbial richness was the best predictor of the C-cycling activities, with bacterial and fungal richness explaining 32.2 and 17% of the intensity of autochthonous soil organic matter mineralization; and fungal richness explaining 77% of the intensity of wheat residues mineralization. Altogether, our results provide evidence that there is scope for improvement in soil management to enhance microbial biodiversity and optimize C transformations mediated by microbial communities in soil.     

Earthworms increase soil microbial biomass carrying capacity and nitrogen retention in northern hardwood forests

Earthworms have been shown to produce contrasting effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and dynamics. We measured soil C and N pools and processes and traced the flow of ¹³C and ¹⁵N from sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) litter into soil microbial biomass and respirable C and mineralizable and inorganic N pools in mature northern hardwood forest plots with variable earthworm communities. Previous studies have shown that plots dominated by either Lumbricus rubellus or Lumbricus terrestris have markedly lower total soil C than uncolonized plots. Here we show that total soil N pools in earthworm colonized plots were reduced much less than C, but significantly so in plots dominated by contain L. rubellus. Pools of microbial biomass C and N were higher in earthworm-colonized (especially those dominated by L. rubellus) plots and more ¹³C and ¹⁵N were recovered in microbial biomass and less was recovered in mineralizable and inorganic N pools in these plots. These plots also had lower rates of potential net N mineralization and nitrification than uncolonized reference plots. These results suggest that earthworm stimulation of microbial biomass and activity underlie depletion of soil C and retention and maintenance of soil N pools, at least in northern hardwood forests. Earthworms increase the carrying capacity of soil for microbial biomass and facilitate the flow of N from litter into stable soil organic matter. However, declines in soil C and C:N ratio may increase the potential for hydrologic and gaseous losses in earthworm-colonized sites under changing environmental conditions.     

Comparative economic performance and carbon footprint of two farming models for producing Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): Land-based closed containment system in freshwater and open net pen in seawater

Ocean net pen production of Atlantic salmon is approaching 2 million metric tons (MT) annually and has proven to be cost- and energy-efficient. Recently, with technology improvements, freshwater aquaculture of Atlantic salmon from eggs to harvestable size of 4–5 kg in land-based closed containment (LBCC) water recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) has been demonstrated as a viable production technology. Land-based, closed containment water recirculating aquaculture systems technology offers the ability to fully control the rearing environment and provides flexibility in locating a production facility close to the market and on sites where cost of land and power are competitive. This flexibility offers distinct advantages over Atlantic salmon produced in open net pen systems, which is dependent on access to suitable coastal waters and a relatively long transport distance to supply the US market. Consequently, in this paper we present an analysis of the investment needed, the production cost, the profitability and the carbon footprint of producing 3300 MT of head-on gutted (HOG) Atlantic salmon from eggs to US market (wholesale) using two different production systems—LBCC-RAS technology and open net pen (ONP) technology using enterprise budget analysis and carbon footprint with the LCA method. In our analysis we compare the traditional open net pen production system in Norway and a model freshwater LBCC-RAS facility in the US. The model ONP is small compared to the most ONP systems in Norway, but the LBCC-RAS is large compared to any existing LBCC-RAS for Atlantic salmon. The results need to be interpreted with this in mind. Results of the financial analysis indicate that the total production costs for two systems are relatively similar, with LBCC-RAS only 10% higher than the ONP system on a head-on gutted basis (5.60 US$/kg versus 5.08 US$/kg, respectively). Without interest and depreciation, the two production systems have an almost equal operating cost (4.30 US$/kg for ONP versus 4.37 US$/kg for LBCC-RAS). Capital costs of the two systems are not similar for the same 3300 MT of head-on gutted salmon. The capital cost of the LBCC-RAS model system is approximately 54,000,000 US$ and the capital cost of the ONP system is approximately 30,000,000 US$, a difference of 80%. However, the LBCC-RAS model system selling salmon at a 30% price premium is comparatively as profitable as the ONP model system (profit margin of 18% versus 24%, respectively), even though its 15-year net present value is negative and its return on investment is lower than ONP system (9% versus 18%, respectively). The results of the carbon footprint analysis confirmed that production of feed is the dominating climate aspect for both production methods, but also showed that energy source and transport methods are important. It was shown that fresh salmon produced in LBCC-RAS systems close to a US market that use an average US electricity mix have a much lower carbon footprint than fresh salmon produced in Norway in ONP systems shipped to the same market by airfreight, 7.41 versus 15.22 kg CO₂eq/kg salmon HOG, respectively. When comparing the carbon footprint of production-only, the LBCC-RAS-produced salmon has a carbon footprint that is double that of the ONP-produced salmon, 7.01 versus 3.39 kg CO₂eq/kg salmon live-weight, respectively.     

GM1 gangliosidosis in a Japanese domestic cat: a new variant identified in Hokkaido,Japan

A male Japanese domestic cat with retarded growth in Hokkaido, Japan, showed progressive motor dysfunction, such as ataxia starting at 3 months of age and tremors, visual disorder and seizure after 4 months of age. Finally, the cat died of neurological deterioration at 9 months of age. Approximately half of the peripheral blood lymphocytes had multiple abnormal vacuoles. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bisymmetrical hyperintensity in the white matter of the parietal and occipital lobes in the forebrain on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images, and mild encephalatrophy of the olfactory bulbs and temporal lobes. The activity of lysosomal acid β-galactosidase in leukocytes was negligible, resulting in the biochemical diagnosis of GM1 gangliosidosis. Histologically, swollen neurons characterized by accumulation of pale, slightly granular cytoplasmic materials were observed throughout the central nervous system. Dysmyelination or demyelination and gemistocytic astrocytosis were observed in the white matter. Ultrastructually, membranous cytoplasmic bodies were detected in the lysosomes of neurons. However, genetic analysis did not identify the c.1448G>C mutation, which is the single known mutation of feline GM1 gangliosidosis, suggesting that the cat was affected with a new variant of the feline disease.