Building environment assessment methods and social studies of rural villages in Yunnan and urban development in Chongqing City, Southwest China

Recent urbanization processes and corresponding government policies in China have highlighted the need for much greater understanding of sustainable development and the requirements for sustainability in settings that are very different in rural and urban regions. This paper examines practice and knowledge linked to typical vernacular houses constructed since 1950 in Yunnan Province and regional buildings in Chongqing City in Southwest China. Both areas have played crucial roles in contributing to regional architectural design since the beginning of the 20th Century because of the diversity arising from numerous ethnic groups and various climate types and topography features in the region. The study explores how academic and end-user knowledge accumulated and developed, and how this has revealed social, cultural and political influences on how designers and consumers were motivated towards sustainable design over the same time period. It is argued that locally shared knowledge bases should be considered important for informing governmental policies, planning strategy and consumers’ preferences, as well as influencing actions and social acceptance in relation to sustainable development. Furthermore, sustainable design should not be regarded as a contemporary new idea, but one that has its roots in the historical changes in built environment design and practice

1-(2-Ureidoeth­yl)quinolinium tetra­phenyl­borate

In the cation of the title salt, C12H14N3O+·C24H20B−, the dihedral angle between the quinoline ring and the mean plane of the urea fragment is 61.51 (5)°. In the crystal, the cations inter­act through weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonding, forming a zigzag chain along the c-axis direction; the cations and anions are involved in weak inter­molecular C—H⋯π and N—H⋯π inter­actions as donors and acceptors, respectively

Species Boundaries and Parapatric Speciation in the Complex of Alpine Shrubs, Rosa sericea (Rosaceae), Based on Population Genetics and Ecological Tolerances

Discerning species boundaries among closely related taxa is fundamental to studying evolution and biodiversity. However, species boundaries can be difficult to access in plants because ongoing divergence and speciation may leave an evolutionary footprint similar to introgression, which occurs frequently among species and genera. In this study, we sought to determine species boundaries between two closely related alpine shrubs, Rosa sericea and Rosa omeiensis, using population genetics, environmental data and ecological niche modeling, and morphological traits. We analyzed populations of R. sericea and R. omeiensis using genetic markers comprising a fragment of the single-copy nuclear gene, LEAFY, micro-satellites (EST-SSR), and plastid DNA sequences. The DNA sequence data suggested clusters of populations consistent with geography but not with previously proposed species boundaries based on morphology. Nevertheless, we found that the ecological niches of the previously proposed species only partially overlap. Thus, we suspect that these species are in the process of parapatric speciation; that is, differentiating along an ecological gradient, so that they exhibit differing morphology. Morphology has previously been the basis of recognizing the species R.sericea and R. omeiensis, which are the most widely distributed species within a broader R. sericea complex that includes several other narrow endemics. Here, we recognize R.sericea and R. omeiensis as independent species based on morphological and ecological data under the unified species concept, which emphasizes that these data types are of equal value to DNA for determining species boundaries and refining taxonomic treatments. While the DNA data did not delimit species within the R.sericea complex, we expect to develop and utilize new, robust DNA tools for understanding speciation within this group in future studies

An Efficient Process for Pretreatment of Lignocelluloses in Functional Ionic Liquids

Background and Aims. The complex structure of the lignocelluloses is the main obstacle in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into valuable products. Ionic liquids provide the opportunities for their efficient pretreatment for biomass. Therefore, in this work, pretreatment of corn stalk was carried out in ultrasonic-assisted ionic liquid including 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [BMIM]Cl, 1-H-3-methylimidazolium chloride [HMIM]Cl, and 1-(1-propylsulfonic)-3-imidazolium chloride [HSO3-pMIM]Cl at 70°C for 2 h. We compared the pretreatments by ionic liquid with and without the addition of deionized water. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to analyze the chemical characteristics of regenerated cellulose-rich materials. Results. [HMIM]Cl and [HSO3-pMIM]Cl were effective in lignin extraction to obtain cellulose-rich materials. FTIR analysis and SEM analysis indicated the effective lignin removal and the reduced crystallinity of cellulose-rich materials. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose-rich materials was performed efficiently. High yields of reducing sugar and glucose were obtained when the corn stalk was pretreated by [HMIM]Cl and [HSO3-pMIM]Cl. Conclusions. Ionic liquids provided the ideal environment for lignin extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stalk and [HMIM]Cl and [HSO3-pMIM]Cl proved the most efficient ionic liquids. This simple and environmentally acceptable method has a great potential for the preparation of bioethanol for industrial production

3-[(E)-2-Chloro-3,3,3-trifluoro­prop-1-en-1-yl]-N-(2-fluoro­phen­yl)-2,2-dimethyl­cyclo­propane-1-carboxamide

The phenyl ring in the title compound, C15H14ClF4NO, makes a dihedral angle of 80.3 (3)° with the cyclo­propane ring. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into chains running along the a axis

Predictability of the corneal flap creation with the VisuMax femtosecond laser in LASIK

AIM: To observe the predictability of corneal flap creation with the VisuMax femtosecond laser and preliminarily analyze the factors correlated to the thickness and diameter of the flap. <p>METHODS: This retrospective case series study included 300 eyes of 150 consecutive patients. The eyes were assigned to two groups according to intended flap thickness, 100μm(204 eyes)and 110μm(96 eyes), which created with the VisuMax femtosecond laser. Intended flap diameters were 7.9mm and 8.3mm. Difference analysis of flap diameter and intended diameter as well as flap thickness and intended thickness were made. The data were analyzed with SPSS to sum up a multiple stepwise regression formula that could express their quantitative relationship. <p>RESULTS: The 100μm flap group had an average flap thickness of 103.11±4.07μm, while for the 110μm group the average flap thickness was 113.35±5.71μm. The difference between right and left eyes was not statistically significant(<i>t</i>_100μm =-0.901, <i>t</i> _110μm=-0.490; <i>P</i>>0.05). Corneal flap thickness was not related to flap diameter(<i>r</i>=0.003, 0.018; <i>P</i>>0.05), preoperative patient age(<i>r</i>=0.022, 0.050; <i>P</i>>0.05), corneal thickness(<i>r</i>=0.051, 0.101; <i>P</i>>0.05), keratometric value K(<i>r</i>=-0.048, -0.136; <i>P</i>>0.05)or intraocular pressure(<i>r</i>=-0.113, 0.047; <i>P</i>>0.05). Preoperative corneal keratometric value K was positively correlated with corneal flap diameter(<i>r</i>=0.359, 0.532; <i>P</i>=0.01, 0.007<0.05). <p>CONCLUSION:The LASIK flap creation with the VisuMax femtosecond laser has relatively good predictability. There is no influencing factor for flap thickness