Additional disturbances as a beneficial tool for restoration of post-mining sites: a multi-taxa approach

Open interior sands represent a highly threatened habitat in Europe. In recent times, their associated organisms have often found secondary refuges outside their natural habitats, mainly in sand pits. We investigated the effects of different restoration approaches, i.e. spontaneous succession without additional disturbances, spontaneous succession with additional disturbances caused by recreational activities, and forestry reclamation, on the diversity and conservation values of spiders, beetles, flies, bees and wasps, orthopterans and vascular plants in a large sand pit in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. Out of 406 species recorded in total, 112 were classified as open sand specialists and 71 as threatened. The sites restored through spontaneous succession with additional disturbances hosted the largest proportion of open sand specialists and threatened species. The forestry reclamations, in contrast, hosted few such species. The sites with spontaneous succession without disturbances represent a transition between these two approaches. While restoration through spontaneous succession favours biodiversity in contrast to forestry reclamation, additional disturbances are necessary to maintain early successional habitats essential for threatened species and open sand specialists. Therefore, recreational activities seem to be an economically efficient restoration tool that will also benefit biodiversity in sand pits.     

背角无齿蚌对养鱼水体的净化效果

通过建立微型生态系统,研究了不同养殖密度和处理时间条件下,背角无齿蚌(Anodonta woodiana)对大宗淡水鱼养殖水体理化指标和营养盐的影响及净化特征。研究结果表明,背角无齿蚌对水体p H、CODMn和NH+4-N的影响不明显;电导率、总固溶物、NO-2-N、DTP、PO3-4-P和DOC呈升高的趋势;DO随蚌养殖密度和时间的增加而降低;能够显著降低水体的浊度、Chl-a、TN、NO-3-N和TP含量(P0.05),最大去除率分别为90.9%、90.8%、24.1%、23.1%和23.4%。响应面优化分析显示,蚌养殖密度和处理时间分别为21 ind./m3和15.35 d、25 ind./m3和10 d时,对NO-3-N、TP的去除率可进一步提升至42.6%和35.0%。本研究表明,背角无齿蚌可以用于养鱼水体的水质净化。     

高炉渣制备聚硅酸硫酸铝铁混凝剂

以高炉渣为原料,分别采用酸浸及碱浸-酸化工艺得到铁、铝离子及聚硅酸,再将铁、铝离子引入聚硅酸制得聚硅酸硫酸铝铁(PSAFS)混凝剂。考察了PSAFS的聚合条件对焦化废水混凝效果的影响,并与市售混凝剂进行了对比。实验结果表明:PSAFS的最佳制备条件为n(Al+Fe)∶n(Si)=0.53,混凝剂p H=1,熟化时间0.5 h,熟化温度60℃;PSAFS加入量为4 m L/L时,混凝效果最好,对焦化废水的浊度和COD的去除率分别达到98.9%和74.5%;PSAFS的性能优于市售的3种混凝剂。     

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye using ZnO/graphitic C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanocomposites synthesized by microwave

Semiconductor photocatalysis is a solution to issues of environmental pollution and energy shortage because photocatalysis can use solar energy to degrade pollutants. The photocatalytic activity can be improved by using composites of ZnO and other semiconductors. Here, composites of ZnO and polymeric graphite-like C₃N₄ (g-C₃N₄) with high photocatalytic activities were prepared by microwave synthesis. Products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B was tested under irradiation from a Xe lamp. Results show that adding graphite-like C₃N₄ promotes the photocatalytic activity of ZnO. Composites with 1.0 wt% g-C₃N₄ showed the best photodegradation efficiency, and the reaction average energy was approximately 33.71 kJ mol^?1.     

Differential toxicity of arsenic on renal oxidative damage and urinary metabolic profiles in normal and diabetic mice

Diabetes is a common metabolic disease, which might influence susceptibility of the kidney to arsenic toxicity. However, relative report is limited. In this study, we compared the influence of inorganic arsenic (iAs) on renal oxidative damage and urinary metabolic profiles of normal and diabetic mice. Results showed that iAs exposure increased renal lipid peroxidation in diabetic mice and oxidative DNA damage in normal mice, meaning different effects of iAs exposure on normal and diabetic individuals. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolome analyses found that diabetes significantly changed urinary metabolic profiles of mice. Oxidative stress-related metabolites, such as arginine, glutamine, methionine, and β-hydroxybutyrate, were found to be changed in diabetic mice. The iAs exposure altered amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy metabolism in normal and diabetic mice, but had higher influence on metabolic profiles of diabetic mice than normal mice, especially for oxidative stress-related metabolites and metabolisms. Above results indicate that diabetes increased susceptibility to iAs exposure. This study provides basic information on differential toxicity of iAs on renal toxicity and urinary metabolic profiles in normal and diabetic mice and suggests that diabetic individuals should be considered as susceptible population in toxicity assessment of arsenic.     

Acrylamide-induced disturbance of the redox balance in the chick embryonic brain

This study was undertaken to determine the redox balance in the developing brain after exposure to acrylamide (ACR), a potent neurotoxin. The studies were performed using an in ovo chick embryo model. The antioxidant enzymes SOD, GPx, CAT, and reduced glutathione (GSH) were used as indicators of the redox balance. Eggs were injected with ACR doses of 40 mg kg^?1 egg mass (2.4 mg egg^?1) on embryonic day 17 (E17). The activity of the antioxidant enzymes and the concentration of GSH were measured at E17, E18, and E19 in the medulla oblongata, cerebrum, cerebellum, and optic lobe. The results indicated a significant decrease in the GSH concentrations in the optic lobe (E19, E20) and cerebrum (E20) of embryos exposed to ACR. The activities of SOD and GPx were significantly increased in the majority of the examined structures after injection of ACR. CAT activity was completely inhibited in the brains of the embryos exposed to ACR compared to that in the brains of the control embryos. Thus, we concluded that ACR exerts a significant influence on the redox balance in the developing brain by impacting the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of GSH.     

Influence of the organic complex concentration on adsorption of herbicide in organic modified montmorillonite

This study was undertaken to determine the impact of the organic complex concentration on the adsorption of herbicide (acetochlor) at the surface of the organic modified montmorillonite. In this work, natural montmorillonite from Bogovina (Boljevac municipality, Serbia) was used for organic modification. Cation-exchange capacity of this montmorillonite was determined using a methylene blue method (86 mmol/100 g of clay). Montmorillonite has been modified first with NaCl and then with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA-bromide) organic complex. Saturation of cation exchange capacity (CEC) was 50%, 100%, and 150%. Changes in the properties of the inorganic and organic montmorillonite have been examined using the X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and batch equilibrium method. Montmorillonite modified with HDTMA-bromide demonstrated higher uptake of the herbicide, compared to the inorganic montmorillonite. Comparing the values Freundlich coefficients in batch equilibrium method, it can be seen that the adsorption of acetochlor decreased in the series: 0.5 CEC HM > 1 CEC HM > 1.5 CEC HM > NaM.     

采用光谱学技术分析邻苯二甲酸酯与DNA互作机制

邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)作为增塑剂被广泛使用,易渗透到环境中产生环境毒性,多种PAEs已被美国环境保护署和中国环境监测中心列为优先控制污染物,其生态毒理学机制被广泛关注。本试验以小牛胸腺DNA(ct DNA)为供试材料,旨在通过光谱学技术探究PAEs与DNA的相互作用机制。在紫外可见光谱试验中,随着PAEs浓度的增加,DNA紫外光谱出现增色效应,证明DNA的部分碱基对被PAEs破坏,且PAEs与DNA通过嵌插作用结合。荧光光谱试验中,随着PAEs浓度的增加,EBct DNA体系荧光强度逐渐降低,邻苯二甲酸二甲酯(DMP)、邻苯二甲酸二乙酯(DEP)和邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)的最大荧光抑制率分别为55%、50%和36%;KI荧光猝灭试验中,在加入DNA之后KI对DMP、DEP和DBP的荧光猝灭常数Ksv分别从7.992(R2=0.9970)、10.270(R2=0.9960)和13.52(R2=0.9806)降低到6.721(R2=0.9963)、7.047(R2=0.9599)和11.03(R2=0.9803),荧光猝灭常数均降低,实验结果证明PAEs与DNA通过嵌插作用结合。盐离子试验中,随着Na Cl浓度的增加,PAEsct DNA的荧光强度没有发生变化。试验结果排除了PAEs与DNA分子之间沟槽作用的可能,确定了其结合方式为嵌插作用,随着PAEs侧链的逐渐增长,嵌插作用逐渐减弱。     

Service quality evaluation in the context of a technology laboratory

The intent of this research is to investigate how the customers of a technological control laboratory for civil construction materials perceived the quality of the services delivered by the lab, specifically in regard to the service of concrete compression testing. The popular SERVQUAL scale, a multidimensional instrument used to capture customer expectations and perceptions, was used as a model for the application of a survey. Exploratory factor analyses were employed to evaluate customers’ perceptions and experiences of service quality in regard to the dimensions and accompanying attributes of the SERVQUAL scale. Twenty attributes, which were grouped within five dimensions (Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Responsiveness, and Empathy), were identified, explaining 80.417% of the variance between customer expectations and perceptions and characterizing these dimensions on a modified SERVQUAL scale. Analysis of the results allowed us to identify discrepancies in perceived service quality compared with customers’ expectations. Most of the identified gaps between expectations and perceptions resulted in negative values.