A Century of Plant Species Loss from an Isolated Fragment of Lowland Tropical Rain Forest

An isolated 4-ha fragment of lowland tropical rain forest has been preserved in the Singapore Botanic Gardens since their founding in 1859. The Botanic Gardens'Jungle has recently had enumerated all woody stems 5 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and larger and the complete vascular plant flora inventoried. This inventory can be compared with the historic record of the flora of the Gardens'Jungle obtained from the extensive collection of herbarium specimens dating back to the 1890s. Of the 448 historically recorded native species, 220 are still present. Ninety-four native species for which there were no historic records and 80 introduced species were also recorded in the recent inventory. The 50.9% loss of plant species richness over approximately the last century has not been distributed uniformly across plant life-form groups. Tree species have been less likely to go extinct than shrubs, climbers, or epiphytes. But half of the tree species present in 1994 were represented by only one or two individuals ≥ 5 cm dbh and larger. Individual longevity may be the major correlate with persistence of plant species in isolated forest fragments. Shade-tolerant understory shrubs (mostly Rubiaceae ) and rattans ( Palmae ) have been particularly prone to extinction. Some species have probably proliferated during the period of isolation. The tree Calophyllum ferrugineum currently constitutes one quarter of all woody stems. A group of climbers has become very common and covers large areas, probably inhibiting tree regeneration. We conclude that tiny fragments will act as refuges for tropical rain-forest plant species for decades, possibly even centuries after isolation but on their own they will not provide a permanent guarantee of the conservation of tropical biodiversity.     

Treatment of methylene blue-containing wastewater using microorganisms supported on granular activated carbon under packed column operation

We studied the feasibility of using biological granular activated carbon-packed column in treating methylene blue-containing wastewater. The granular activated carbon with immobilized microbes was packed into a column and fed with 3 liter methylene blue-containing wastewater daily. With initial 1350 mg/l of methylene blue and 1550 mg/l of chemical oxygen demand, it was observed that the colour and chemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies were 99 and 78%, respectively. The high treatment performance of the system could be due to the simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation processes and advantages of immobilized microbes compare to suspended cell system.     

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Rougan, a Traditional Chinese Barbecued Food, by Capillary Gas Chromatography

Several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including those which are carcinogenic, have been detected in rougan, a traditional Chinese barbecued pork dish. The food samples were cleaned up by caustic digestion, solvent extraction, liquid-liquid partition, and column chromatography. The determination was carried out using capillary gas-chromatography with a flame ionization detector. A 25-m HP-1 capillary column was used. Fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene and benzo[k]fluoranthene were detected in three of the five samples within the range of 3-17 ng/g. Fluoranthene and pyrene were detected in only two of the samples at similar levels. Two potent carcinogenic compounds, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[b,j,k]fluoranthene, were not detected in any of the samples. No detectable PAHs have been found in meat cooked without the direct contact of food with flame and smoke. In barbecuing over an open charcoal fire, animal fat and juices dripping onto the open fire probably enhanced the formation of PAHs.     

Maternal serum activin A and inhibin A in trisomy 18 pregnancies at 10–14 weeks

In 45 cases of trisomy 18 and 493 control pregnancies at 10–14 weeks of gestation, maternal serum inhibin A, total activin A, free β-hCG and PAPP-A were measured. In the trisomy 18 pregnancies the median values were 0.74 MoM for inhibin A, 1.23 MoM for activin A, 0.38 MoM for free β-hCG and 0.16 MoM for PAPP-A. The degree of deviation from normal in the levels of inhibin and activin is small in comparison with free β-hCG and PAPP-A and they are therefore unlikely to be of value in improving the sensitivity of 90% for a 1% false-positive rate achieved by screening with fetal nuchal translucency and maternal serum free β-hCG and PAPP-A. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Remediation of nutrient-rich waters using the terrestrial plant, Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.

Effective control of eutrophication is generally established through the reduction of nutrient loading into waterways and water bodies. An economically viable and ecologically sustainable approach to nutrient pollution control could involve the integration of retention ponds, wetlands and greenways into water management systems. Plants not only play an invaluable role in the assimilation and removal of nutrients, but they also support fauna richness and can be aesthetically pleasing. Pandanus amaryllifolius, a tropical terrestrial plant, was found to establish well in hydrophytic conditions and was highly effective in remediating high nutrient levels in an aquatic environment showing 100% removal of NO~-N up to 200 mg/L in 14 days. Phosphate uptake by the plant was less efficient with 64% of the PO4-P removed at the maximum concentration of 100 mg/L at the end of 6 weeks. With its high NO~-N and PO43--P removal efficiency, P. amaryllifolius depleted the nutrient-rich media and markedly contained the natural colonization of algae. The impediment of algal growth led to improvements in the water quality with significant decreases in turbidity, pH and electrical conductivity. In addition, the plants did not show stress symptoms when grown in high nutrient levels as shown by the changes in their biomass, total soluble proteins and chlorophyll accumulation as well as photochemical efficiency. Thus, P. amaryUifolius is a potential candidate for the mitigation of nutrient pollution in phytoremediation systems in the tropics as the plant requires low maintenance, is tolerant to the natural variability of weather conditions and fluctuating hydro-periods, and exhibit good nutrient removal capabilities.     

Dissipation of atrazine, enrofloxacin, and sulfamethazine in wood chip bioreactors and impact on denitrification

Wood chip bioreactors are receiving increasing attention as a means of reducing nitrate in subsurface tile drainage systems. Agrochemicals in tile drainage water entering wood chip bioreactors can be retained or degraded and may affect denitrification. The degradation of 5 mg L atrazine, enrofloxacin, and sulfamethazine under denitrifying conditions in wood chips from an in situ reactor was determined. The impact of these chemicals on denitrifying microorganisms was assessed using the denitrification potential assay, most probable number (MPN), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting the gene of the denitrifiers. Initial half-lives for these chemicals in the aqueous phase were 0.98 d for atrazine, 0.17 d for enrofloxacin, and 6.2 d for sulfamethazine. Similar rates of disappearance in autoclaved and nonautoclaved wood chip solutions during the first 48 h suggested sorption was the dominant mechanism. The presence of atrazine did not impair denitrification potential, the MPN, or the copy number. The denitrifier MPN and copy number in sulfamethazine- and enrofloxacin-treated microcosms were less than the control within the first 5 d after chemical addition, whereas the denitrification potentials were not affected. However, after 45 d the denitrification rate, MPN and gene copy numbers for sulfamethazine and enrofloxacin were similar to that of the no-chemical control, indicating that acclimation of the denitrifier population to the antibiotic or reduced bioavailability over time allowed recovery of the denitrifier population.     

Modeling of air sparging of VOC-contaminated soil columns

Air sparging is a remediation technology currently being applied for the restoration of sites contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Attempts have been made by various researchers to model the fate of VOCs in the gas and liquid phase during air sparging. In this study, a radial diffusion model with an air–water mass transfer boundary condition was developed and applied for the prediction of VOC volatilization from air sparging of contaminated soil columns. The approach taken was to use various parameters such as mass transfer coefficients and tortuosity factors determined previously in separate experiments using a single air channel apparatus and applying these parameters to a complex system with many air channels. Incorporated in the model, is the concept of mass transfer zone (MTZ) where diffusion of VOCs in this zone was impacted by the volatilization of VOCs at the air–water interface but with negligible impact outside the zone. The model predicted fairly well the change in the VOC concentrations in the exhaust air, the final average aqueous VOC concentration, and the total mass removed. The predicted mass removal was within 1% to 20% of the actual experimental mass removed. The results of the model seemed to suggest that air-sparged soil columns may be modeled as a composite of individual air channels surrounded by a MTZ. For a given air flow rate and air saturation, the VOC removal was found to be inversely proportional to the radius of the air channel. The approach taken provided conceptual insights on mass transfer processes during air sparging operations.     

Energy and environmental applications of carbon nanotubes

Energy and environment are major global issues inducing environmental pollution problems. Energy generation from conventional fossil fuels has been identified as the main culprit of environmental quality degradation and environmental pollution. In order to address these issues, nanotechnology plays an essential role in revolutionizing the device applications for energy conversion and storage, environmental monitoring, as well as green engineering of environmental friendly materials. Carbon nanotubes and their hybrid nanocomposites have received immense research attention for their potential applications in various fields due to their unique structural, electronic and mechanical properties. Here, we review the applications of carbon nanotubes (1) in energy conversion and storage such as in solar cells, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, lithium ion batteries and electrochemical supercapacitors, (2) in environmental monitoring and wastewater treatment for the detection and removal of gas pollutants, pathogens, dyes, heavy metals and pesticides and (3) in green nanocomposite design. Integration of carbon nanotubes in solar and fuel cells has increased the energy conversion efficiency of these energy conversion applications, which serve as the future sustainable energy sources. Carbon nanotubes doped with metal hydrides show high hydrogen storage capacity of around 6?wt% as a potential hydrogen storage medium. Carbon nanotubes nanocomposites have exhibited high energy capacity in lithium ion batteries and high specific capacitance in electrochemical supercapacitors, in addition to excellent cycle stability. High sensitivity and selectivity towards the detection of environmental pollutants are demonstrated by carbon nanotubes based sensors, as well as the anticipated potentials of carbon nanotubes as adsorbent to remove environmental pollutants, which show high adsorption capacity and good regeneration capability. Carbon nanotubes are employed as reinforcement material in green nanocomposites, which is advantageous in supplying the desired properties, in addition to the biodegradability. This article presents an overview of the advantages imparted by carbon nanotubes in electrochemical devices of energy applications and green nanocomposites, as well as nanosensor and adsorbent for environmental protection.     

Effect of pH on transport of Pb（2＋）,Mn（2＋）,Zn（2＋）and Ni（2＋） through lateritic soil： Column experiments and transport modeling

This study investigated the e ects of pH on the transport of Pb2+, Mn2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+ through lateritic soil columns. Model results by fitting the symmetric breakthrough curves (BTCs) of bromide (Br??) with CXTFIT model suggested that physical non-equilibrium processes were absent in the columns. The heavy metal BTCs were, however, asymmetrical and exhibited a tailing phenomenon, indicating the presence of chemical non-equilibrium processes in the columns. The retardation factors of Pb2+ were the largest of the four metal ions at both pH 4.0 (33.3) and pH 5.0 (35.4). The use of Langmuir isotherm parameters from batch studies with HYDRUS-1D did not predict the BTCs well. Rather the two-site model (TSM) described the heavy metal BTCs better than the equilibrium linear/nonlinear Langmuir model. The fraction of instantaneous sorption sites ( f ) of all four metal ions on the lateritic soil was consistently about 30%–44% of the total sorption sites.     

The power of reflection for would-be leaders: Investigating individual work reflection and its impact on leadership in teams

This paper examines the key role that individual work reflection plays in facilitating individuals' leadership in teams. Consistent with the functional perspective on leadership, we argue that individual work reflection allows individuals to better understand their team's needs, and therefore enact higher levels of task-, relational-, and change-oriented leadership behaviors and be more effective leaders in their teams. We first conducted a series of measure development studies to validate a measure of individual work reflection comprising four dimensions of reflection at work: goals-, methods-, relationships-, and self-focused reflection. Then, across two independent studies assessing individuals in self-managing teams over time, we found support for our theoretical model linking individual work reflection to peer-rated leadership behaviors (Main Studies 1 and 2) and leadership effectiveness (Main Study 2). In further support of our theorizing, Main Study 2 also indicates that individual work reflection shapes leadership behaviors and effectiveness via understanding the team's needs, beyond a wide range of related constructs (e.g., feedback seeking, mindfulness, and rumination), as well as commonly studied predictors of leadership behaviors (i.e., the Big Five). Our theory and empirical findings help advance insights on the role of individual work reflection in improving leadership outcomes in organizations.