Oligomeric products and formation mechanisms from acid-catalyzed reactions of methyl vinyl ketone on acidic sulfate particles

Methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) is a key first-generation product from atmospheric isoprene photo-oxidation, especially under high-NO_x conditions. In this work, acid-catalyzed reactions of gas-phase MVK with ammonium sulfate (AS), ammonium bisulfate (ABS), and sulfuric acid (SA) particles were investigated in a flow reaction system at relative humidity (RH) of 40 % and 80 %. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-TOFMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) are utilized to identify particle-phase products for developing the reaction mechanisms. High-order oligomers such as dimers and tetramers were detected when ABS and SA particles were used, while no oligomeric products were found when AS particles were used. Particle-phase oligomeric products were formed via i) acid-catalyzed aldol reaction with or without dehydration and/or ii) acid-catalyzed hydration followed by oligomerization. Reactions on SA particles yield more abundant and higher-order oligomers up to hexamers than on ABS particles. Moreover, aldol reaction occurred only on SA particles, but hydration followed by oligomerization occurred in both ABS and SA particles. The high RH condition with the same type of acidic particles was found to favor hydration and facilitate the subsequent oligomerization, while the low RH condition with the same type of acidic particles was found to favor aldol reaction with dehydration (aldol condensation). Overall, the findings suggest acidic particles can facilitate the formation of high-order oligomers in the particle phase, with particle acidity and RH as key factors.     

Squeezing information from regional climate change projections - results from a synthesis of CMIP5 results for south-east Queensland, Australia

We present a synthesis of CMIP5 model results for projected rainfall changes for a single region (south-east Queensland, Australia) and note that, as was evident in CMIP3 results, the multi-model mean projected changes for the late 21st century are not statistically significant for any season nor annually. Taking account of the number of statistically significant changes to mean rainfall, we find some evidence favouring a decrease in both spring and annual rainfall, but this is not compelling. In almost all cases the most frequent result is for no significant change. However, if we consider the number of results where there is a statistically significant change in the distributions of rainfall amounts, there appears to be slightly more information available for risk assessment studies. These numbers suggest an increase in the frequency of both wet and dry events during summer and spring, and a shift towards more frequent dry events during winter. There is no evidence for any significant changes to the distributions for either autumn or annually. The findings suggest that, in one respect, multi-model rainfall projections may contain more information than is evident from syntheses which focus on changes to the means and that, for some regions where changes in the frequency of wet and dry seasons/years have known impacts, the model projections may be more valuable than previously thought.     

Objective Analysis of Circulation Extremes During the 21 July 2012 Torrential Rain in Beijing

It has been reported that the heaviest rain event since 1951 hit Beijing on 21 July 2012 （henceforth referred to as the 721 case）.The frequency and extreme attributes of the large-scale circulation patterns observed during the 721 case are explored by using obliquely rotated T-mode principle component analysis （PCA） and reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR.The occurrence frequency of the 721-type circulation during the summers of 1951-2012 is 10.9%,while the frequency of torrential rain under this type of circulation is 4.51%.Relative to other rainstorms with similar large-scale circulations during the study period,the 721 case is characterized by a more westward extension of the subtropical high over the western North Pacific,a stronger low-level jet in the lower troposphere over the south of Beijing,a larger amount of ambient precipitable water,and a stronger vertical wind shear over Beijing.Among the 621 days with the 721-type circulation during the study period,the 721 case ranks the 54th in terms of the 925-hPa low-level jet south of Beijing,the 209th in terms of the local vertical wind shear,and the 8th in terms of the local precipitable water.The 721 case is particularly extreme with respect to the 925-hPa low-level jet south of Beijing and local precipitable water.Cases with similar circulations and equal or greater values of the 925-hPa low-level jet south of Beijing and local precipitable water have occurred thrice during the summers of 1951-2012 （i.e.,once every 21 years）.     

Environmental Performance of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Companies in the Pearl River Delta Region (PRDR): a case study of Dongguan City

The environmental performance of foreign direct investment (FDI) companies in the Pearl River Delta Region (PRDR) is examined through a case study of Dongguan City. The influence of host governments, regional/international organisations and export markets is highlighted in the analysis of environmental management systems of the FDI companies. The majority of FDI companies in the region lack effective systems and measures for environmental management. The environmental governance of the host country, the environment-related legislation and policies of the main export markets, and the social responsibility of the company owners are major factors that influence the environmental performance of the FDI companies. A combination of the quality of host government decision making in relation to sustainable development and the high degree of social responsibility and environmental awareness of individual FDI companies is crucial not only to achieving better overall environmental performance but also to achieving better environmental quality in the PRDR.     

Measuring segregation: an activity space approach

While the literature clearly acknowledges that individuals may experience different levels of segregation across their various socio-geographical spaces, most measures of segregation are intended to be used in the residential space. Using spatially aggregated data to evaluate segregation in the residential space has been the norm and thus individual’s segregation experiences in other socio-geographical spaces are often de-emphasized or ignored. This paper attempts to provide a more comprehensive approach in evaluating segregation beyond the residential space. The entire activity spaces of individuals are taken into account with individuals serving as the building blocks of the analysis. The measurement principle is based upon the exposure dimension of segregation. The proposed measure reflects the exposure of individuals of a referenced group in a neighborhood to the populations of other groups that are found within the activity spaces of individuals in the referenced group. Using the travel diary data collected from the tri-county area in southeast Florida and the imputed racial–ethnic data, this paper demonstrates how the proposed segregation measurement approach goes beyond just measuring population distribution patterns in the residential space and can provide a more comprehensive evaluation of segregation by considering various socio-geographical spaces.     

An operational MODIS aerosol retrieval algorithm at high spatial resolution,and its application over a complex urban region

Aerosol retrieval algorithms for the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) have been developed to estimate aerosol and microphysical properties of the atmosphere, which help to address aerosol climatic issues at global scale. However, higher spatial resolution aerosol products for urban areas have not been well-researched mainly due to the difficulty of differentiating aerosols from bright surfaces in urban areas. Here, an aerosol retrieval algorithm using the MODIS 500-m resolution bands is described, to retrieve aerosol properties over Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region. The rationale of our technique is to first estimate the aerosol reflectances by decomposing the top-of-atmosphere reflectances from surface reflectances and Rayleigh path reflectances. For the determination of surface reflectances, a Minimum Reflectance Technique (MRT) is used, and MRT images are computed for different seasons. For conversion of aerosol reflectance to aerosol optical thickness (AOT), comprehensive Look Up Tables specific to the local region are constructed, which consider aerosol properties and sun-viewing geometry in the radiative transfer calculations. Four local aerosol types, namely coastal urban, polluted urban, dust, and heavy pollution, were derived using cluster analysis on 3 years of AERONET measurements in Hong Kong. The resulting 500 m AOT images were found to be highly correlated with ground measurements from the AERONET (r² = 0.767) and Microtops II sunphotometers (r² = 0.760) in Hong Kong. This study further demonstrates the application of the fine resolution AOT images for monitoring inter-urban and intra-urban aerosol distributions and the influence of trans-boundary flows. These applications include characterization of spatial patterns of AOT within the city, and detection of regional biomass burning sources.     

非晶硅面阵探测器数字透射成像试验探讨

通过对钢板试件的数字透射成像检测试验,分析并研究了非晶硅面阵探测器成像检测系统、透照参数、检测工艺与检测图像质量的关系,并给出了检测过程中应该注意的问题.具体试验表明:面阵探测器X射线数字成像系统在一定厚度范围内的像质计灵敏度优于同厚度的射线照相B级要求.     

新疆沙尔湖煤田中侏罗世植物化石

首次报道了新疆东部沙尔湖煤田中侏罗世17 属27 种植物大化石和35 属50 种孢粉化石。该植物群以蕨类、苏铁类及本内苏铁类、银杏类为主要组成成分,时代可能为中侏罗早期。其地质古生物特征表明,该植物群生长的古环境可能为温暖潮湿并具季节性变化的暖温带的湖沼地区。     

Tidal flushing time of marine fish culture zones in Hong Kong

Accurate determination of flushing time is crucial for maintaining sustainable production in fish culture zones(FCZs),as it represents the physical self-purification capability via tidal exchange with clean water in the outer sea.However,owing to the temporal and spatial complexity of the coastal flushing process,existing methods for determining flushing time may not be generally applicable.In this paper,a systematic method for determining the flushing time in FCZs is presented,in which bathymetry,runoff,tidal range and stratification are properly accounted for.We determine the flushing time via numerical tracer experiments,using robust 3D hydrodynamic and mass transport models.For FCZs located in sheltered and land-locked tidal inlets,the system boundary can be naturally defined at the connection with the open sea.For FCZs located in open waters,hydrodynamic tracking is first used to assess the extent of tidal excursion and thus delimit the initial boundary between clean water and polluted water.This general method is applied to all designated marine FCZs in Hong Kong for both the dry and wet seasons,including 20 sheltered FCZs(in semi-enclosed waters of Tolo Harbour,Mirs Bay,and Port Shelter) and 6 FCZs in open waters.Our results show that flushing time is the longest in inner Port Shelter(about 40 days in dry season),and the shortest for the FCZs in open waters(less than one week in dry season).In addition,the flushing time in dry season is commonly longer than that in wet season:20%~40% for most well-sheltered FCZs;2.6~4 times for the others.Our results indicate a positive correlation between the flushing time and distance to open boundary,supporting the view that the flushing time of a FCZ is closely related to its location.This study provides a solid basis for mariculture management such as the determination of carrying capacity of FCZs.     

Seismic displacements of torsionally unbalanced buildings

A parametric study is carried out to evaluate the seismic displacements at the flexible edge of torsionally unbalanced (TU) structural systems. Guidelines are provided to estimate these displacements so that they can be incorporated in the formulation of the displacement-based seismic design approach for the design of TU buildings. The ability of three code procedures to estimate the flexible-edge displacement is examined to show that not all procedures lead to conservative estimates. Finally, it is shown that elastic spectrum analysis incorporating accidental torsion effect is a viable means to estimate the flexible-edge displacements.