Preparation of Eco-environmental Protection Bricks from Lake Sludge

Eco-environmental protection hollow bricks manufactured from lake sludge collected from North Lake in Wuhan of China were investigated. At first, the recipes of round sam- pies（diameter in 5 cm and thickness in 1 cm） prepared by pressing molding under a pressure of 8 MPa and firing system were optimized, and properties such as bending strength, compressive strength, total shrinkage rate, water adsorption rate, apparent porosity and bulk density of the fired samples were tested. The experimental results showed that water adsorption rate and apparent porosity decreased, while bulk density increased with firing temperature increasing. Addition of additive can result in the improvement of strength of fired samples. At the same time, fly ash and additive may also broaden the firing temperature range and reduce firing temperature. Toxic characteristic leaching procedure （TLCP） tests of samples also show that the metal leaching level is low. The conditions for manufacturing good quality sample include 80% sludge with 10% additive and 10% flyash fired at 1000 ℃ for 60 min. Bending strength and compressive strength of samples prepared under the conditions are 24.64 MPa, 131.95 MPa, respectively,which are far beyond the requirements of clay solid bricks of CNS. Finally, according to the optimized recipe,the eco-environmental protection hollow bricks with the sizes of 40 mm × 38 mm ×25 mm were made and tested by extrusion molding. Compared with the Chinese National Standards （CNS： GB 13545-2003）, compressive strength, water adsorption and bulk denstiy of the hollow bricks are 11.55 MPa ,14.5% and 986 kg/m^3 when they were fired at 1040 ℃, which are far beyond the require of of CNS. Especially, its water adsorption arrives to standard of high-class products（16.0%） and compressive strength is above the hightest class（MU 10.0）.

Water resources optimization and eco-environmental protection in Qaidam Basin

In order to realize sustainable development of the arid area of Northwest China, rational water resources exploitation and optimization are primary prerequisites. Based on the essential principle of sustainable development, this paper puts forward a general idea on water resources optimization and eco-environmental protection in Qaidam Basin, and identifies the competitive multiple targets of water resources optimization. By some qualitative methods such as Input-output Model & AHP Model and some quantitative methods such as System Dynamics Model & Produce Function Model, some standard plans of water resources optimization come into being. According to the Multiple Targets Decision by the Closest Value Model, the best plan of water resources optimization, eco-environmental protection and sustainable development in Qaidam Basin is finally decided.

Research on market-based policy instruments for eco-environmental protection

The selection of policy instruments involves policy efficiency and policy effect.Effective settlement of eco-environment problems in the process of industrialization and implementation of active eco-environment protection depend on the innovation of policy instruments.In this paper,based on a descriptive analysis of the policy instruments for ecoenvironmental protection of our country,combined with the theoretical analysis and the empirical research on current marketization of eco-environmental protection,the authors indicate that eco-environmental problems originate fi'om the damage of eco-environment and the extemalities of eco-service,and that the market-based policy instruments which are helpful to balance the relationship between fight,responsibility and interest in the eco-service are effective measures to eliminate externalities and protect eco-environment.

A spotlight on dosage and subject selection for effective neuroprotection: exploring the central role of mitochondria

Neurons are notoriously vulnerable cell types.Even the slightest change in their internal and/or external environments will cause much distress and dysfunction,leading often to their death.A range of pathological conditions,including stroke,head trauma,and neurodegenerative disease,can generate stress in neurons,affecting their survival and proper function.In most neural pathologies,mitochondria become dysfunctional and this plays a pivotal role in the process of cell death.The challenge over the last few decades has been to develop effective interventions that improve neuronal homeostasis under pathological conditions.Such interventions,often referred to as disease-modifying or neuroprotective,have,however,proved frustratingly elusive,at both preclinical and,in particular,clinical levels.In this perspective,we highlight two factors that we feel are key to the development of effective neuroprotective treatments.These are:firstly,the choice of dose of intervention and method of application,and secondly,the selection of subjects,whether they be patients or the animal model.

Research Review on Construction and Protection of Tibet Eco-environment

Tibet is not only famous ＂ the roof of the world＂ but also is recognized as the ＂ third pole of the earth＂ by the whole world, with very im-portant significance in construction and protection of plateau eco-environment. In Qinghai - Tibet Plateau, there are abundant wild animal and plant resources and a lot of high-mountain mineral resources, and water resources, light resources and characteristic agriculture and animal husbandry resources have broad development and utilization space. When Tibet economy and society improve and develop, eco-environment construction and protection work is also mentioned in the schedule. In this paper, the history, status quo and prospect of Tibet eco-environment protection and development are explored, which could promote the understanding on Tibet eco-environment construction and protection in academic world.

Assessing the corrosion protection property of coatings loaded with corrosion inhibitors using the real-time atmospheric corrosion monitoring technique

The atmospheric corrosion monitoring(ACM)technique has been widely employed to track the real-time corrosion behavior of metal materials.However,limited studies have applied ACM to the corrosion protection properties of organic coatings.This study compared a bare epoxy coating with one containing zinc phosphate corrosion inhibitors,both applied on ACM sensors,to observe their corrosion protection properties over time.Coatings with artificial damage via scratches were exposed to immersion and alternating dry and wet environments,which allowed for monitoring galvanic corrosion currents in real-time.Throughout the corrosion tests,the ACM currents of the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating were considerably lower than those of the blank epoxy coating.The trend in ACM current variations closely matched the results obtained from regular electrochemical tests and surface analysis.This alignment highlights the potential of the ACM technique in evaluating the corrosion protection capabilities of organic coatings.Compared with the blank epoxy coating,the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating showed much-decreased ACM current values that confirmed the effective inhibition of zinc phosphate against steel corrosion beneath the damaged coating.

Tangible Results In China's Eco-Environmental Protection

A decade of China’s awakening to environmental protection I have been working in the wildlife conservation and environmental protection field for nearly 40 years.From 2013 to before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,I visited China for one or two months every year,working with my Chinese colleagues,and visiting and learning from NGO peers.

Eco-environment Evolution and Its Sustainable Development Strategies in Western China

Natural condition in Western China is relatively poor and regional economy level is low. The ecological environment has been seriously damaged by population growth and over-exploitation of natural resources. It is very important for coordinating the regional development and safeguarding ecological security to discuss the eco-environment evolution trend and its sustainable development strategies in Western China. Based on analyzing documents and relative research,the changes of main ecological and environmental problems in the western region,such as degradation of forest and grassland ecosystems,shrinkage of wetland,desertification,water and soil erosion,etc. were synthetically discussed. Then,according to the development trend,some countermeasures for eco-environment protection and rehabilitation and sustainable development were proposed.

Effects of Southward Flow of Yellow River on Eco-environment of Xu-Huai River Basin

Based on the historical records,the flood disasters in Xu-Huai River Basin caused by southward flow of Yellow River were studied,while its effects on Xu-Huai regional economic,transportation and eco-environment were also highlighted,and finally historical natural disasters were presented in this study.

Eco-Environment Status of the Bohai Bay and the Impact of Coastal Exploitation

With the rapid economic development in the surrounding coastal zone, more and more wastewater has been discharged into the Bohai Bay. And with the scale of coastal exploitation being expanded year by year, the eco-environment of the Bohai Bay has been confronted with great pressure. In this paper, the main problems in the eco-environment of the Bohai Bay were summarized firstly. Red tides occurred more frequently and more seriously; salinity rose in inshore area, the fishery resources degenerated; all the above indicate that the eco-environment of the Bohai Bay is under a severe situation Next, to make a concrete study of the existing status of the Bohai Bay, the eco-environment index system was set up. Then the principal components analytic method and grey relation method were adopted to carry on a comprehensive analysis on the status. The results show that serious pollution of inorganic nitrogen and active phosphate, and poor species diversity are the main presentations of the bad quality of the inshore aquatic eco-environment of the Bohai Bay, which is mainly induced by the massive discharge of pollutant from land and the overexploitation in the surrounding coastal zone. At last, the variations of hydrodynamic characteristics and the pollutant transport caused by coastal exploitations such as reclamation and seawater desalination are analyzed. The results show that reclamation in coastal water not only decreases the tidal prism and weakens the tidal current action, but also influences the pollution distribution in the coastal water. The seawater desalination project would cause tremendous influence to the aquatic eco-environment of the Bohai Bay as the pollutant＇s pulse impact. Much more attention would be paid to the reasonable use of the coastal zone resources and the control of pollution from land-based sources.

Impact of Agricultural Eco-environment on the Architectural Form of Vernacular Dwellings

Through analyzing the form, materials, building techniques of vernacular dwellings in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province, this study tries to explore the influence of agricultural eco-environment on the form of folk houses, points out that vernacular dwellings are fully combined with local traditional agricultural environment from site selection, spatial form, architectural style, building materials and detail designs, which unifies the economic and environmental benefits of vernacular dwellings.

Exploration of Water and Soil Conservation's Function in Construction of Eco-environment

Eco-environment lays foundation for human existence and development, and social and economy evolvement. Therefore, it is a fundamental principle to pro- tact and construct eco-environment and achieve sustainable development. With ur- ban development, and destruction on natural environment, however, the issue of water and soil losses has become a serious problem, affecting people＇s life and production. The research, therefore, explored the role of water and soil conservation in ecological civilization construction, including bomprehensive treatment of water storage and sand reduction, improving agricultural structure and advancing rural econ- omy, relieving the conflict between supply and demand of water resources, improv- ing eco-environment in mountainous regions and accelerating eco-construction.

A Theoretical Analysis of Interactive Coercing Effects Between Urbanization and Eco-environment

Objectively, a complex interactive coercing relationship exists between urbanization and eco-environment, and the research of this relationship is primarily divided into three schools, i.e., interactive coercion theory, interactive promotion theory and coupling symbiosis theory. Harmonizing the relationship between urbanization and eco-environment is not only an important proposition for the national development plan but also the only way to promote healthy urbanization. Based on an analysis of urbanization process and its relationship with the eco-environment, this article analyzes interactive coercing effects between urbanization and eco-environment from three perspectives of population urbanization, economic urbanization and spatial urbanization, respectively, and analyzes risk effects of the interactive coercion. Further, it shows six basic laws followed by interactive coercion between urbanization and eco-environment, namely, coupling fission law, dynamic hierarchy law, stochastic fluctuation law, non-linear synergetic law, threshold value law and forewarning law, and divides the interactive coercing process into five stages, namely, low-level coordinate, antagonistic, break-in, ameliorative and high-grade coordinate. Based on the geometric derivation, the interactive coercing relationship between urbanization and eco-environment is judged to be non-linear and it can be explained by a double-exponential function formed by the combination of power and exponential functions. Then, the evolutionary types of the interactive coercing relationship are divided into nine ones: rudimentary coordinating, ecology-dominated, synchronal coordinating, urbanization lagging, stepwise break-in, exorbitant urbanization, fragile ecology, rudimentary break-in and unsustainable types. Finally, based on an interactive coercion model, the degree of interactive coercion can be examined, and then, an evolutionary cycle can be divided into four phases, namely rudimentary symbiosis, harmonious development, utmost increasing and spiral type rising. The study results offer a scientific decision-making of healthy urbanization for achieving the goal of eco-environment protection and promoting urbanization.

Quantitative Analysis of the Coupling Coordination Degree Between Urbanization and Eco-environment in Mongolia

Mongolia is an important country in the Economic Corridor of China-Mongolia-Russia, a deep understanding of the coupling relationship between urbanization and the eco-environment in Mongolia is meaningful to achieve green development of the Belt and Road. The entropy method and coupling coordination degree model were integrated to evaluate the coupling coordination degree between urbanization and the eco-environment in Mongolia during 2000-2016. The results showed that the coupling coordination degree between urbanization and the eco-environment in Mongolia was generally at the stage of seriously unbalanced development, and that the main contributor of the urbanization and the eco-environment subsystem were demographic urbanization and eco-environment endowment, respectively. The southern part of Mongolia central zone should be paid more attention due to the lower degree of coupling coordination between urbanization and the eco-environment. To promote the healthy urbanization development in Mongolia, six-layer eco-city establishing green development pattern is proposed to provide scientific support for Mongolia.

CATASTROPHIC ECO-ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE IN THE SONGNEN PLAIN,NORTHEASTERN CHINA SINCE 1900S

Although the Songnen Plain in the northeastern China was developed relatively late in the temperate zone of the world, its eco-environment has changed greatly. This paper analyzes the changes of land cover and the rates and trends ofdesertification during the past 100 years in the Songnen Plain. According to the macroscopic analysis, we find that the eco-environment in the plain has reached to the threshold of catastrophic change since the 1950s. The Thom Needle Catastrophic Model was used to determine and validate this conclusion. Human activities, including large-scale construction projects, such as huge dams and dikes, and excessive grazing were the primary factors contributing to regional eco-environmental catastrophe. And irrational reclamation of the wilderness also affected the eco-environmental change. The results reveal the complex human-land interactions.

SCENARIOS SIMULATION OF COUPLING SYSTEM BETWEEN URBANIZATION AND ECO-ENVIRONMENT IN JIANGSU PROVINCE BASED ON SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODEL

By means of ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling) and SD (System Dynamics) methods, this paper made a system dynamics model of urbanization and eco-environment coupling in Jiangsu Province according to the implication and PSR (Pressure State Response) framework of urbanization and eco-environment coupling. Moreover, five typical scenarios during 2000-2015 have been simulated and analyzed based on the time serial statistical data during 1990-2003 in Jiangsu, which indicates: firstly, there are significant differences between the results and the scenarios, and the five coupling models all have comparative advantages and drawbacks; secondly, in terms of the characteristics and regional development disparities of Jiangsu and the general rule of world urbanization process, this paper reveals that only when either population urbanization model or social urbanization model to be correspondingly adopted, the sustainable development among population, economy, urbanization and eco-environment can be realized.

Land Use/Land Cover Change(LUCC) and Eco-Environment Response to LUCC in Farming-Pastoral Zone,China

In order to understand land use/land cover changes （LUCC） and the eco-environment response to LUCC in farming- pastoral zone of the northern China during the recent twenty years, Baotou prefecture was selected as a case study area for investigation and quantitative evaluation. Technologies of remote sensing （RS）, global positioning system （GPS）, geographic information system （GIS）, and other statistical methods were employed to implement. Results showed that： （1） During the recent twenty years, the areas of forest lands, grasslands and water were reduced, whereas the areas of other types were enlarged. Parts of forest lands, grasslands, and waters had become farmlands, and about 31.5% of the changed grasslands transferred into unused lands. The newly increased farmlands mainly came from grasslands and unused lands. And the newly increased construction lands mainly came from grasslands and farmlands. （2） Regional eco- environmental quality decreased by 12.6%, for which the land degradation （especially the meadow degeneration） and the developing of the cultivated land were mainly responsible, and their contributions to the regional eco-environment changes were 51.84 and 23.63% respectively. （3） The tendency of LUCC and the eco-environment response to LUCC displayed spatial heterogeneity. It can be concluded that the present agricultural production mode was not sustainable in farming-pastoral zone of northern China. Land degradation, especially meadow degradation induced by over-trampling and overgrazing, and developing of cultivated land were mainly responsible for regional eco-environment deterioration. Changing the cultivated land to forest or grass, however, can relieve deterioration of local eco-environment to some extents. And in the farming-pastoral zone in the northern China, evaluating regional eco-environment responses to LUCC was very necessary due to its fragile eco-environments.

Use of rural energy resources and eco-environmental degradation in Tibet

Cattle dung, firewood, and crop straw have being used as survival necessities by farmers and herdsmen for thousands of years in Tibet. Until recently such biotic energy source still constitutes more than 92 per cent of total rural energy consumption due to lack of petroleum, coal and new alternative energy sources. As a result, environmental degradation such as land desertification, soil erosion, grassland degradation and soil fertility reduction is increasingly aggravated, the area of desertified land has increased 1467.5 km2 from 1991 to 1997. Degraded area of grassland has reached 2.60×107hm2, increased by 116.1% from 1987 to 1996. To prevent further deterioration of eco-environment in Tibet great efforts should be made to make full use of ample solar energy, wind energy and other biotic energy of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The solar cooking stoves and solar hothouse, expand forest area and replace existing abiotic energy sources with firewood forest should be popularized. This is an urgent task to protect the eco-environment of Tibet today.

Exploring harmonious development between urbanization and eco-environment based on climate analysis—A study in Changsha, China

The process of urbanization affects the urban warming.The change of urban warming was investigated by several urbanization factors in Changsha,China.The data of surface temperature(minimum,maximum and mean) of Changsha were analyzed to understand the possible effects of urbanization on the climate of this region owing to the population growth,built-up area expansion and energy consumption increases.The weights of these three factors were calculated by the analytical hierarchy process(AHP).Then,three weights were simulated with nonlinear method to obtain the urbanization development rate which was utilized to reveal the influence of the urbanization factors on the surface temperature.The result shows that there is a significant upward trend in the urban temperatures of Changsha.The temperature increase seems to be closely related to the rate of urbanization between 1993 and 2008,and there is an evidential increase trend of the influence on urban temperature by urbanization during 16 years.It is a quantifiable approach measuring the relationship between urbanization and urban eco-environment,and can be applied for the urban sustainability.