Changes In Element Concentrations Research Articles

兰州市SO2时空动态分布特征及其与城市生态系统的关系

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 兰州市SO2时空动态分布特征及其与城市生态系统的关系 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201903220542 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划项目（2016YFC0500907）；甘肃省重点研发计划（17YF1FA120）；兰州市科技计划（2017RC69） Spatial and temporal dynamic distribution characteristics of SO2 in Lanzhou City and its relation with urban ecosystem Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:强化城市大气污染物多尺度监测手段，辨识污染物时空演变规律及其与城市生态系统各要素间的相互关系，可为城市大气环境质量综合管控提供科学依据。利用OMI、EOS/MODIS卫星影像及其他统计类数据，在分析了兰州市2006-2016年对流层SO2柱浓度的时空分布特征基础上，进一步探讨了NDVI、工业总产值、汽车保有量等城市自然经济社会生态要素的结构变化与SO2浓度变化的关系。结果表明：1）兰州市对流层SO2空间分布不均，呈现出以河谷低海拔区域分布为中心，向西北、东南山地两侧递减的"倒U"形格局；2）近10年内，兰州市大气SO2柱浓度值在0.033-0.25（多布森单位）之间，总体呈下降趋势，年均降幅为14%，降速为0.02（多布森单位）/a；3）兰州市大气SO2柱浓度变化特征与城市工业生产和交通因素关系密切，又受地形、季节风向等气象气候条件制约；4）兰州市NDVI指数与大气SO2柱浓度值相关性明显，兰州市植被覆盖度较低，植被指数为0.09-0.66，对SO2净化能力有限。综合以上结果，本研究认为，通过调控城市社会、经济、自然生态系统结构，并适当采用基因工程等科学技术来增加地表植被覆盖量，是下一步兰州市大气环境质量管理的重要举措之一。 Abstract:Strengthen the methods of multi-scale monitoring for urban air pollutants, identified the temporal and spatial development of pollutants and their relationships with the elements of urban ecosystem can provide a scientific basis for comprehensive management and control of urban air quality. This research analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of SO2 column concentration in the troposphere of Lanzhou City from 2006 to 2016, based on OMI, EOS/MODIS satellite images, and other statistical data. The paper further discussed the relationship between the SO2 concentration and urban structural changes of natural, economic, and social elements, such as NDVI, industrial production, car parc. The results showed that 1) the spatial distribution of SO2 presented an inhomogeneous characteristic in the troposphere in Lanzhou city, which showed an inverted U-shaped pattern with the low elevation of the valley as the center and decreased on both sides of the northwest and southeast mountain areas. 2) In the past 10 years, the concentration of SO2 column in Lanzhou was between 0.033-0.25 Dobson unit. It showed the downward trend with an average annual decline of 14%, and with the declining rate of 0.02 Dobson unit/a. 3) The characteristics of atmospheric SO2 column concentration change of Lanzhou city were closely related to urban industrial production and traffic factors, and also restricted by the meteorological and climatic conditions such as topography and seasonal wind direction. 4) The NDVI index of Lanzhou city was significantly correlated with the concentration of atmospheric SO2 column. Lanzhou city had a low vegetation coverage, with the vegetation index of 0.09-0.66. It had a limited ability to purify SO2. Based on the above results, we consider that it is one of the important measures for Lanzhou's atmospheric environmental quality management to increase the surface vegetation coverage by adjusting the structure of urban social, economic, and natural ecosystems, and using appropriate science and technology such as genetic engineering. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

P.586 Comorbid depression in patients with schizophrenia: does it have an impact on their neurocognitive functioning?

Historically, the European Atlantic is probably the most important oil-spill hotspot worldwide. One of the most recent accidents occurred in 2002 when the oil-tanker Prestige sank over the Galician Bank causing two major oil-spills followed by several small leaks until March 2003. This resulted in contamination of virtually all types of marine habitat. Considering that parasites have proved to be good effect and accumulation bioindicators, the present study addresses the medium-term changes in trace element content after the Prestige oil-spill in a model host-parasite system, the bogue, Boops boops (Sparidae) and the isopod Ceratothoa oestroides. To our knowledge, this study is the first to address trace element concentrations in natural fish and parasite populations associated with the effects of an oil-spill. We observed that both test organisms examined, the host and the parasite, indicate a detectable change in the relative composition of trace element concentrations before and after the Prestige oil-spill. Multivariate analyses also indicated a differential response of the different tissues to the temporal sampling sequence. However, analyses of both host and parasite tissues supported the pattern of a gradual temporal transition to a state of relative trace element content distinctly departing from the pre-spill situation. Moreover, the parasite-host element accumulation ratios better depicted this temporal pattern. Additionally, changes in V concentrations in fish liver tissues and Ni concentrations in the parasite tissues suggest that this host-parasite system may be a useful tool to assess these two element contaminations linked to heavy fuel oil-spill.

Trace Element Concentration Changes in Brain Tumors: A Review.

Trace elements have been implicated in cancer, since the levels differ between cancerous and noncancerous tissue, different cancer types, and different malignancy grades. However, few studies have been conducted on trace element concentrations in brain tumors. Thus, this study aims to review the available literature on trace element changes related to brain tumors, and to identify gaps in the literature. A literature search was done on Google Scholar and PubMed from their start date to January 2018, using terms related to trace element concentration and brain tumors. All brain tumor types were included, and articles could be published in any year. From this search, only 11 articles on this topic could be found. Tumors had significantly higher concentrations of arsenic, thorium, lanthanum, lutetium, cerium, and gadolinium compared to control brain samples. Compared to adjacent tissue, tumor tissue indicated increased magnesium, decreased copper, and contradicting results for zinc. Furthermore, the higher the malignancy grade, the lower the calcium, cadmium, iron, phosphorus and sulfur concentration, and the higher the mercury, manganese, lead, and zinc concentrations. In conclusion, altered trace element levels differ amongst different tumor types, as well as malignancy grades. Consequently, it is impossible to compare data from these studies, and available data are still considerably inconclusive. Ideally, future studies should have a sufficient samples size, compare different tumor types, and compare tumors with adjacent healthy tissue as well as with samples from unaffected matched brains. Anat Rec, 303:1293-1299, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.

Effect of surface boroaluminizing on thermal corrosion behavior of TC4 (Ti-6AL-4V) titanium alloy

In this experiment, boronizing and boroaluminizing are respectively carried out on the surface of TC4 titanium alloy to improve the thermal corrosion resistance of the titanium alloy surface. The microstructure of the infiltration layer was observed by SEM, and the phase of the infiltration layer before and after thermal corrosion was determined by EDS analysis and XRD test. The change of element content was determined by SEM line scanning. The samples were subjected to thermal corrosion experiments respectively, and the thermal corrosion kinetics curves were drawn according to the experimental results. The results show that the infiltration layer formed by boroaluminizing on TC4 titanium alloy surface is relatively compact, and the particle size distribution on the infiltration layer is smaller. The hardness achieved by surface boroaluminizing is 1221 HV, and the brittleness is reduced. The corrosion weight gain is 0.281 25 mg cm−2 and 0.029 41 mg cm−2 at 700 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Compared with TC4 alloy substrate and boronizing sample, the corrosion weight gain is greatly reduced, and the resistance to thermal corrosion is greatly enhanced.

High-resolution trace element distributions and models of trace element diffusion in enamel of Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic human molars from the Rioja Alavesa region (north-central Spain) help to separate biogenic from diagenetic trends

High resolution in situ trace element μXRF maps and profiles were measured on the enamel exposed in cross sections through archaeological human permanent molars from seven Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic funerary caves and megalithic graves of north-central Iberia. Changes in concentrations of Fe, Zn and Sr in inward direction into the enamel shed light on diagenetic and endogenous trace element concentrations in archaeological tooth enamel. Most of these profiles resemble sigmoid-shaped leaching profiles, suggesting that a combination of diffusion and advection processes govern the uptake of trace elements into the enamel from pore fluids on the outside of the tooth and in the more porous dentine. The present study shows how diffusion-advection (DA) models can be fitted to these trace element profiles to explain changes in trace element concentrations that happen during diagenesis. DA models explain a major part of the variation observed in leaching profiles into the enamel and can be used to reconstruct endogenous trace element concentrations, leaching times and leaching depth as well as trace element concentrations in ambient pore water during diagenesis. Models of trace element leaching together with trace element mapping reveal that Fe, Zn and Sr concentrations consistently increase during diagenesis, regardless of the type of burial site (i.e. funerary caves vs. megalithic graves). Profiles of Pb concentrations show much smaller concentration gradients, causing DA model fitting to be less accurate. Modelled leaching depths of 300–400 μm warrant a careful approach when sampling for endogenous archaeological tooth enamel for trace element and stable isotope analysis. Results also show that it is possible to reconstruct endogenous trace element concentrations from these samples, even without applying pretreatment procedures, because leaching of trace elements into the enamel often remains limited to the outer 300–400 μm of the enamel on archaeological timescales. Modelled leaching times are about ten times lower than the age of the samples, suggesting that the rate of trace element leaching into tooth enamel slows down or even halts during the burial period.

Microstructural evaluation and mechanical properties of 7075 aluminum alloy prepared by controlled diffusion solidification

In the present work, 7075 aluminum alloy (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) was produced by both conventional casting (CC) and controlled diffusion solidification (CDS) methods. Each sample was subjected to different heat-treatment conditions: as-cast, T4, and T6; and their microstructural and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). It was found that CDS promoted the formation of non-dendritic primary α-Al phase and reduced shrinkage porosity, thus resulting in improved mechanical properties. In addition, the eutectic phase of the CDS samples mainly consisted of T(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) phase, which manifested a well-developed lamellar eutectic structure. However, in the CC samples, the T(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) phase was composed of rod-like eutectics. Moreover, the θ(Al2Cu) eutectic contents in the CC samples were greater than those in the CDS samples. Each element in the CC samples had an obvious change in the grain boundary, whereas the change in element content in the CDS samples was gradual. Therefore, the non-dendritic morphology of the primary phase and the presence of rod-like eutectics in the matrix of the CDS samples led to enhanced tensile strength and elongation under different heat treatment conditions.

Biological soil crusts enhance the recovery of nutrient levels of surface dune soil in arid desert regions

Abstract Revegetation, an effective method for restoring desertified lands, helps enhance the colonization and development of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and improves the nutrient conditions of desert soils. This study aims to shed light on the changes of elemental concentrations and their enrichment in fixed surface soil of sand dunes over a 50-year revegetation chronosequence linked to BSCs of different successional stages in the Tengger desert of China. We investigated the elemental levels of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe in surface soil covered by cyanobacteria-lichen crusts, moss crusts and subsoil. Nutrient enrichment of BSCs and soils were analyzed to reflect the nutrient changes in the revegetated desert ecosystem. Concentrations of K, Na, Ca, Mn, Zn, and Cu in cyanobacteria-lichen crusts were significantly higher than in mobile sand dunes. Nutrient enrichment rate (except for Na) exhibited unimodal patterns, and year 31 was a key turning point after which the rate switched from increasing to decreasing over time. Our long-term study indicated that both cyanobacteria-lichen crusts and moss crusts can effectively improve nutrient accumulation and promote edaphic conditions, which is beneficial to the development and nutrient cycling of desert ecosystems.

Small, but surprisingly repetitive genomes: transposon expansion and not polyploidy has driven a doubling in genome size in a metazoan species complex

BackgroundThe causes and consequences of genome size variation across Eukaryotes, which spans five orders of magnitude, have been hotly debated since before the advent of genome sequencing. Previous studies have mostly examined variation among larger taxonomic units (e.g., orders, or genera), while comparisons among closely related species are rare. Rotifers of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex exhibit a seven-fold variation in genome size and thus represent a unique opportunity to study such changes on a relatively short evolutionary timescale. Here, we sequenced and analysed the genomes of four species of this complex with nuclear DNA contents spanning 110–422 Mbp. To establish the likely mechanisms of genome size change, we analysed both sequencing read libraries and assemblies for signatures of polyploidy and repetitive element content. We also compared these genomes to that of B. calyciflorus, the closest relative with a sequenced genome (293 Mbp nuclear DNA content).ResultsDespite the very large differences in genome size, we saw no evidence of ploidy level changes across the B. plicatilis complex. However, repetitive element content explained a large portion of genome size variation (at least 54%). The species with the largest genome, B. asplanchnoidis, has a strikingly high 44% repetitive element content, while the smaller B. plicatilis genomes contain between 14 and 25% repetitive elements. According to our analyses, the B. calyciflorus genome contains 39% repetitive elements, which is substantially higher than previously reported (21%), and suggests that high repetitive element load could be widespread in monogonont rotifers.ConclusionsEven though the genome sizes of these species are at the low end of the metazoan spectrum, their genomes contain substantial amounts of repetitive elements. Polyploidy does not appear to play a role in genome size variations in these species, and these variations can be mostly explained by changes in repetitive element content. This contradicts the naïve expectation that small genomes are streamlined, or less complex, and that large variations in nuclear DNA content between closely related species are due to polyploidy.

Medium-term dynamics of element concentrations in a sparid fish and its isopod parasite after the Prestige oil-spill: Shifting baselines?

Historically, the European Atlantic is probably the most important oil-spill hotspot worldwide. One of the most recent accidents occurred in 2002 when the oil-tanker Prestige sank over the Galician Bank causing two major oil-spills followed by several small leaks until March 2003. This resulted in contamination of virtually all types of marine habitat. Considering that parasites have proved to be good effect and accumulation bioindicators, the present study addresses the medium-term changes in trace element content after the Prestige oil-spill in a model host-parasite system, the bogue, Boops boops (Sparidae) and the isopod Ceratothoa oestroides. To our knowledge, this study is the first to address trace element concentrations in natural fish and parasite populations associated with the effects of an oil-spill. We observed that both test organisms examined, the host and the parasite, indicate a detectable change in the relative composition of trace element concentrations before and after the Prestige oil-spill. Multivariate analyses also indicated a differential response of the different tissues to the temporal sampling sequence. However, analyses of both host and parasite tissues supported the pattern of a gradual temporal transition to a state of relative trace element content distinctly departing from the pre-spill situation. Moreover, the parasite-host element accumulation ratios better depicted this temporal pattern. Additionally, changes in V concentrations in fish liver tissues and Ni concentrations in the parasite tissues suggest that this host-parasite system may be a useful tool to assess these two element contaminations linked to heavy fuel oil-spill.

The Legacy of Sexual Ancestors in Phenotypic Variability, Gene Expression, and Homoeolog Regulation of Asexual Hybrids and Polyploids.

Hybridization and polyploidization are important evolutionary processes whose impacts range from the alteration of gene expression and phenotypic variation to the triggering of asexual reproduction. We investigated fishes of the Cobitis taenia-elongatoides hybrid complex, which allowed us to disentangle the direct effects of both processes, due to the co-occurrence of parental species with their diploid and triploid hybrids. Employing morphological, ecological, and RNAseq approaches, we investigated the molecular determinants of hybrid and polyploid forms.In contrast with other studies, hybridization and polyploidy induced relatively very little transgressivity. Instead, Cobitis hybrids appeared intermediate with a clear effect of genomic dosing when triploids expressed higher similarity to the parent contributing two genome sets. This dosage effect was symmetric in the germline (oocyte gene expression), interestingly though, we observed an overall bias toward C. taenia in somatic tissues and traits. At the level of individual genes, expression-level dominance vastly prevailed over additivity or transgressivity. Also, trans-regulation of gene expression was less efficient in diploid hybrids than in triploids, where the expression modulation of homoeologs derived from the “haploid” parent was stronger than those derived from the “diploid” parent.Our findings suggest that the apparent intermediacy of hybrid phenotypes results from the combination of individual genes with dominant expression rather than from simple additivity. The efficiency of cross-talk between trans-regulatory elements further appears dosage dependent. Important effects of polyploidization may thus stem from changes in relative concentrations of trans-regulatory elements and their binding sites between hybridizing genomes. Links between gene regulation and asexuality are discussed.

Synthesis of fluoroalkylsilane-coupling agents and their self-assembled monolayers

In this paper, 3-isocyanatepropyl triethoxysilane (IPTS) was synthesized using one-pot reaction using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) and triphosgeneas as the raw materials. IPTS was then reacted with three kinds of perfluoroalkyl alcohol to obtain 3-(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoroalkoxyamidepropyl)-triethoxysilanes with different fluoroalkyl chain lengths. The silicon wafer was etched to obtain an active and coarse surface followed by coating with self-assembled monolayer (SAMs) using fluoroalkylsilane as materials. AFM were used to reflect the variation of the surface morphologies and roughness of self-assembled films before and after coating. ATR-IR test indicated that a combination of possible bonding forms the SAMs. EDS was used to characterize the distribution of the elements on the SAMs. The result of contact angle testing and surface energy counting showed that the SAMS have good water- and oil repellency, which improved with the increment of fluoroalkyl chain length. XPS were used to characterize the change of surface element content of SAMs before and after heat treatment, which resulted in the microphase separation on the film surfaces and made the fluoroalkyl migrate from the internal of the monolayer to the outermost surface. After heating, the fluoroalkyl accumulated on the surface, which lowered the surface energy further and obtained the better water- and oil repellency.

Microstructural Evolution of 52M Weld Metal Near the Fusion Boundary and Oxide Films Formed in Simulated PWR Primary Water

Environmentally assisted cracking of structural materials such as dissimilar metal welds in high temperature water environments is strongly affected by the surface oxide film formed in the operating environments. In the present work, Nickel-base 52M weld metal samples are taken from two dilution zones and undiluted zone, and the microstructure was analyzed. Oxide films formed on these samples immersed in simulated PWR primary water at 325oC for 100h. The films are duplex-layered with the outer layer consisted of larger and scattered particles, and the inner layer consisted of small and dense particles. With increasing the distance from FB, the number of larger particles of outer layer decreased while the appearance of smaller particle of inner layer changed into needle-liked particles. With the increase of distance, the proportion of needle-liked particles increase, but the larger particles became less angular. The inner layer became thinner while the size of larger particles of outer layer became smaller with the distance from FB increases. The outer layer was Fe-rich while the inner layer was Cr-rich. The change of element concentration resulted in different oxidization behavior in PWR primary water. The formation of larger particles of outer layer can influence the appearance of inner oxide film. Figure 1

Experimental study the influences of geochemical reaction on coal structure during the CO2 geological storage in deep coal seam

Deep unminable coal seams are suitable geological bodies for carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). In order to discuss the geochemical reaction between the injected carbon dioxide (CO2) and deep coal seam, and study its influence on the structure of reservoir, the high-ash anthracite, high-volatile anthracite, low-volatile bituminous coal obtained from Qinshui basin, China, and high-volatile bituminous coal obtained from Bohaiwan basin, China, were processed to 4–8 mm. Then the simulation experiments for the CO2 injection were conducted for 10 days at the burial depth of 1500 m under in-situ reservoir conditions. The conclusions were obtained based on the changes of minerals, elemental concentrations and pore structure parameters of coal before and after the reaction. Different minerals underwent various geochemical reactions and mechanisms after CO2 injection. These geochemical reactions can transform the reservoir structure, which was mainly reflected in the connection of pores and fissures, and the blockage on the pore throat. The reactions between carbonate minerals and the CO2 acid fluid were violent and quick, which can increase the volume of macropores and fractures. While the weak reactions of silicate minerals may affects the micropores in coal. The chlorite and feldspar could continuously react with the CO2 acid fluid, with the slow dissolution of potassium, sodium and silicon, which makes it possible to use these characteristics to monitor the geochemical reaction. Besides, the volumes of the micropores (1–2 nm) in the anthracite were significantly increased, making it a potential geological body for CCS.

Quantitative Analysis of Trace Metals in Engine Oil Using Indirect Ablation-Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

In engine oil, the element composition and concentration changes as the engine operates. A rapid and effective detection of these changes, therefore, is needed to prevent accidents. Indirect ablation laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (IA-LIBS) is a new technology introduced specially for oil samples. In this paper, 5 different oils are used for the analysis. The matrix effect on the calibration curves of analytical elements (Cu, Ti, Fe, and Ni) in these oils is investigated. The results show that the matrix effect is reasonably negligible under the conditions of our experiment. A generalized calibration curve can be established for analytical metals in different types of oils. We use the generalized calibration curves established to determine the concentrations of Cu, Ti, Fe, and Ni in mixed oils. The IA-LIBS results show that good agreement is obtained between the measured and known values.

Calibrating chemical abrasion: Its effects on zircon crystal structure, chemical composition and U[sbnd]Pb age

The present sub-permil precision of single zircon chemical abrasion, isotope-dilution, thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) UPb dates often reveals age dispersions that are outside of analytical uncertainty. Interpreting these complex age distributions requires the ability to distinguish between protracted crystallization of zircon over a few 100 kyr, age bias due to radiation damage induced Pb-loss, and analytical artefacts. This is a particularly critical issue when a number of these factors occur together. To ensure geologically meaningful results, the complete eradication of Pb-loss is of paramount importance.The impact of Pb-loss can be removed by chemical abrasion (CA) applied prior to the dissolution of zircon. However, CA is an empirical approach that is used without a detailed understanding of how the temperature applied during the annealing step, or the temperature and duration of the partial dissolution step affect the radiation-damaged zones. In addition, the conditions of the CA procedures differ between laboratories making comparisons of age data problematic.This study presents an experimental approach to quantify how chemical abrasion affects the crystal structure and the chemical composition of zircon as well as its UPb age. For this experiment, we have chosen the Plešovice reference zircon, because of its known variation in trace element concentrations and especially the presence of domains rich in actinides. We performed CA experiments under different temperature-time conditions on fragmented Plešovice crystals. These were compared in respect to the changes in trace element concentration, lattice order and UPb date. The most reliable UPb results are obtained by chemically abrading Plešovice fragments at 210 °C for 12 h. Additionally, we demonstrate that the Plešovice zircon cannot be considered homogenous at the current level of precision achieved by CA-ID-TIMS dating due to a natural age variation at the ~900 kyr scale.

Solubility of elements in waste incineration fly ash and bottom ash under various leaching conditions studied by a sequential extraction procedure

An optimized 7-step sequential extraction was applied to fly ash samples from two waste incineration plants and a bottom ash sample. The solubility of 37 elements in water under alkaline and neutral conditions, ion exchange, acid solubility as well as the influence of reducing and oxidizing agents, were investigated using reagents which are typically applied in sequential extractions. Potential error sources and the suitability and selectivity of individual steps and extracting agents were also evaluated. Additionally, the amounts of total dissolved solids were determined for each extraction step, and the results were validated by comparison with the analysis data of the elemental composition.All the investigated incineration residues exhibited a very similar solubility behavior. Only the alkali metals in the bottom ash were considerably less water-soluble than those in the fly ash. The solubility behavior among the rare earth elements was alike. The pH of the fly ash suspensions in water increased over several hours from neutral to alkaline. Concentration changes of water-soluble elements were investigated during the pH increase and to what extent precipitated elements can be re-dissolved by a subsequent neutralization.Meanwhile, it was shown that chloride ions in commonly used sequential extraction agents (e.g., MgCl2 and NH2OH·HCl) can influence the extractability of individual elements, which can lead to misinterpretations of the results. Using MgCl2 to study Mg2+ ion exchange led to the dissolution of Ag and Cd only caused by the chloride ions. Furthermore, the order of the reducing and oxidizing step was found to be interchangeable.

Assessing the impacts of sewage sludge amendment containing nano-TiO2 on tomato plants: A life cycle study.

Increasing evidence indicates the presence of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in sewage sludge derived from wastewater treatment. Land application of sewage sludge is, therefore, considered as an important pathway for ENP transfer to the environment. The aim of this work was to understand the effects of sewage sludge containing nano-TiO2 on plants (tomato) when used as an amendment in agricultural soil. We assessed developmental parameters for the entire plant life cycle along with metabolic and bio-macromolecule changes and titanium accumulation in plants. The results suggest that the sewage sludge amendment containing nano-TiO2 increased plant growth (142% leaf biomass, 102% fruit yield), without causing changes in biochemical responses, except for a 43% decrease in leaf tannin concentration. Changes in elemental concentrations (mainly Fe, B, P, Na, and Mn) of plant stem, leaves and, to a lesser extent fruits were observed. Fourier-transformed infrared analysis showed maximum changes in plant leaves (decrease in tannins and lignins and increase in carbohydrates) but no change in fruits. No significant Ti enrichment was detected in tomato fruits. In conclusion, we evidenced no acute toxicity to plants and no major implication for food safety after one plant life cycle exposure.

Repeated turnovers in Late Jurassic faunal assemblages of the Gulf of Mexico: Correlation with cold ocean water

Our research on Late Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous (Kimmeridgian–earliest Berriasian) marine shelf to bathyal sediments in northeastern Mexico reveals significant repeated oceanic and biotic turnovers in the northwestern Proto-Gulf of Mexico. We here document these environmental changes based on alternating cold and warm water mollusk assemblages, element concentrations and organofacies, as well as associated changes in sea level. We hypothesize that oscillations in the oceanic current system of the Gulf of Mexico were responsible for appearance of cold-water assemblages of Boreal and possibly Austral origins, situated in specific horizons which were previously described as poor in fossil content or even as fossil-free. In addition, these specific horizons show significant changes in element concentrations and organofacies and correlate to relative sea-level changes.

Various Nucleolar Stress Inducers Result in Highly Distinct Changes in Water, Dry Mass and Elemental Content in Cancerous Cell Compartments: Investigation Using a Nano-Analytical Approach.

Rationale: Numerous chemotherapeutic drugs that affect ribosome biogenesis in the nucleolus induce nucleolar stress. Improving our understanding of the effects of these drugs will require uncovering and comparing their impact on several biophysical parameters of the major cell compartments. Here, we quantified the water content and dry mass of cancerous cells treated with CX-5461, DRB or DAM to calculate macromolecular crowding and the volume occupied by free water, as well as elemental content.Methods: HeLa-H2B-GFP cells were treated with CX-5461, DRB or DAM. Water content and dry mass were measured in numerous regions of interest of ultrathin cryo-sections by quantitative scanning transmission electron microscope dark-field imaging and the elements quantified by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The data were used to calculate macromolecular crowding and the volume occupied by free water in all cell compartments of control and treated cells. Hydrophobic and unfolded proteins were revealed by 8-Anilinonaphtalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS) staining and imaging by two-photon microscopy. Immunolabeling of UBF, pNBS1 and pNF-κB was carried out and the images acquired with a confocal microscope for 3D imaging to address whether the localization of these proteins changes in treated cells.Results: Treatment with CX-5461, DRB or DAM induced completely different changes in macromolecular crowding and elemental content. Macromolecular crowding and elemental content were much higher in CX-5461-treated, moderately higher in DRB-treated, and much lower in DAM-treated cells than control cells. None of the drugs alone induced nucleolar ANS staining but it was induced by heat-shock of control cells and cells previously treated with DAM. UBF and pNBS1 were systematically co-localized in the nucleolus of CX-5461- and DAM-treated cells. pNF-κB only localized to the nucleolar caps of pre-apoptotic DAM-treated cells.Conclusion: We directly quantified water and ion content in cell compartments using cryo-correlative electron microscopy. We show that different chemotherapeutic nucleolar stress inducers result in distinctive, thus far-unrecognized changes in macromolecular crowding and elemental content which are known to modify cell metabolism. Moreover we were able to correlate these changes to the sensitivity of treated cells to heat-shock and the behavior of nucleolar pNBS1 and pNF-κB.

Changes in Inorganic Element Concentrations in Leaves, Supplied and Drained Nutrient Solution according to Fruiting Node during Semi-forcing Hydroponic Cultivation of ‘Bonus’ Tomato

Changes in Inorganic Element Concentrations in Leaves, Supplied and Drained Nutrient Solution according to Fruiting Node during Semi-forcing Hydroponic Cultivation of ‘Bonus’ Tomato