Porous FeOx/BiVO4-δS0.08：Highly efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of Methylene Blue under visible-light illumination

Porous S-doped bismuth vanadate with an olive-like morphology and its supported iron oxide （y wt.% FeOx/BiVO4-δS0.08, y = 0.06, 0.76, and 1.40） photocatalysts were fabricated using the dodecylamine-assisted alcohol-hydrothermal and incipient wetness impregnation methods, respectively. It is shown that the y wt.% FeOx/BiVO4-δS0.08 photocatalysts contained a monoclinic scheetlite BiVO4 phase with a porous olive-like morphology, a surface area of 8.8-9.2 m^2/g, and a bandgap energy of 2.38-2.42 eV. There was co-presence of surface Bi^5＋, Bi^3＋, V^5＋, V^3＋, Fe^3＋, and Fe^2＋ species in y wt.% FeOx/BiVO4-δS0.08. The 1.40 wt.% FeOx/BiVO4-δS0.08 sample performed the best for Methylene Blue degradation under visible-light illumination. The photocatalytic mechanism was also discussed. We believe that the sulfur and FeOx co-doping, higher oxygen adspecies concentration, and lower baudgap energy were responsible for the excellent visible-light-driven catalytic activity of 1.40 wt.% FeOx/BiVO4-δS0.08.     

新型航空清洗剂对航空铝合金防盐雾性能影响的分析

目的 评价新型航空清洗剂对航空铝合金防盐雾性能的影响。方法 对航空铝合金7075在施加清洗剂清洗后开展中性盐雾试验,通过扫描电子显微镜、能谱分析仪、高分辨率拉曼光谱等研究手段,对铝合金的表面形貌、组织成分及关键化学组分的变化情况进行对比分析,综合评价该清洗剂对铝合金的性能影响。结果 经过新型航空清洗剂清洗和6 h中性盐雾试验后,清洗剂仍在铝合金表面残留有保护膜,且清洗后的铝合金表面经盐雾实验后依然光亮,有明显的二次相颗粒,无絮状物和氯化钠结晶体,其表面褐色腐蚀斑点也更小。结论 经清洗后,铝合金的盐雾腐蚀程度明显更轻,说明清洗剂中的缓蚀剂成分起到了保护作用,该清洗剂具有防盐沉降的作用,可提升航空铝合金的防盐雾腐蚀性能。     

Screening hydroxyapatite for cadmium and lead immobilization in aqueous solution and contaminated soil: The role of surface area

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) has been widely used to immobilize many cationic metals in water and soils. The specific reason why an increase in the surface area of HAP enhances cadmium (Cd) uptake, but has no effect on lead (Pb) uptake, is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the factors causing the differences in sorption behavior between Cd and Pb by evaluating HAPs with different surface areas. We synthesized HAPs with two different surface areas, which were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption, and scanning electron microscopy, and then evaluated them as sorbents for Cd and Pb removal by testing in single and binary systems. The sorption capacity of large surface area HAP (1.85 mmol/g) for Cd in the single-metal system was higher than that of small surface area HAP (0.64 mmol/g), but there were no differences between single- and binary-metal solutions containing Pb. After the Cd experiments, the HAP retained a stable structure and intact morphology, which promotes the accessibility of reactive sites for Cd. However, a newly formed precipitate covered the surface and blocked the channels in the presence of Pb, which reduced the number of potential adsorption sites on HAP for Cd and Pb. Remediation experiments using Cd- and Pb-contaminated soil produced similar results to the solution tests. These results indicate that alterations of the structure and morphology during the reaction is an important factor influencing metal sorption to HAP.     

Macroalgal growth in nutrient-enriched estuaries: A biogeochemical and evolutionary perspective

Increased nutrient loading of a body of water leads to an increase in macroalgal growth. It is generally observed, however, that certain species thrive more than others, capitalising on the increased nutrient availability. These are usually small, fast-growing, ephemeral algae that often appear as nuisance blooms. This article discusses the correlation between nutrient increase and macroalgal bloom formation. From a historical perspective, the evolutionary history of nuisance macroalgae, and the habits available to them prior to anthropogenic influences on estuarine geochemistry are considered. The occurrence of macroalgal genera whose distribution is commonly related to estuaries with high nutrient loading is discussed, along with evidence suggesting that the ecophysiological traits of r-selected, ephemeral algae largely contribute to their ecological success and bloom-formation at nutrient-enriched sites.     

Mushroom harvesting ants in the tropical rain forest

Ants belong to the most important groups of arthropods, inhabiting and commonly dominating most terrestrial habitats, especially tropical rainforests. Their highly collective behavior enables exploitation of various resources and is viewed as a key factor for their evolutionary success. Accordingly, a great variety of life strategies evolved in this group of arthropods, including seed harvesters, gardeners, and planters, fungus growers, nomadic hunters, life stock keepers, and slave makers. This study reports the discovery of a new lifestyle in ants. In a Southeast Asian rainforest habitat, Euprenolepis procera is specialized in harvesting a broad spectrum of naturally growing mushrooms, a nutritionally challenging and spatiotemporally unpredictable food source. While unfavorable to the vast majority of animals, E. procera has developed exceptional adaptations such as a shift to a fully nomadic lifestyle and special food processing capabilities, which allow it to rely entirely on mushrooms. As a consequence, E. procera is the most efficient and predominant consumer of epigeic mushrooms in the studied habitat and this has broad implications for the tropical rainforest ecosystem.     

NiO纳米颗粒对小球藻(Chlorella sp.)细胞胁迫性的研究

从小球藻生长及细胞微观结构方面对比研究了纳米NiO与Ni2+对小球藻(Chlorella sp.)的胁迫性.结果表明概率单位法计算得纳米NiO对小球藻96 h EC50为31.4 mg/L,而Ni2+对小球藻96h EC50为1.73 mg/L,利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜研究了受纳米NiO和Ni2+胁迫前后小球藻细胞微观结构变化,结果表明,受Ni2+胁迫的小球藻多数出现细胞缩小、变形、细胞器损坏、空泡等细胞凋亡现象,而受纳米NiO胁迫的细胞则部分表现细胞凋亡现象,表明Ni2+对小球藻的毒性远大于纳米NiO.     

Rheum palaestinum (desert rhubarb), a self-irrigating desert plant

The rare plant Rheum palaestinum (Polygonaceae) is a perennial hemicryptophyte that grows during the rainy winter in desert mountainous areas in Israel and Jordan that receive an average annual rainfall of ca. 75 mm. It produces between one and four large round leaves that are tightly attached to the ground and form large rosettes of up to 1 m². These leaves differ markedly from the typical small leaves of most desert plants. Moreover, they have a unique 3D morphology resembling a scaled-down mountainous area with well-developed steep drainage systems, raising the question which selective agents were involved in their evolution. We propose that the large leaves collect rainwater that then infiltrates the soil surrounding the root. We measured the seasonal course of leaf growth, examined the area of wet soil surrounding the root after actual and simulated rain, and modeled the water harvesting capacity using the plant leaf area and the weekly precipitation. We show that even in the slightest rains, water flows above the veins to the leaf’s base where it irrigates the vertical root. A typical plant harvests more than 4,100 cm³ of water per year, and enjoys a water regime of about 427 mm/year, equivalent to the water supply in a Mediterranean climate. This is the first example of self-irrigation by large leaves in a desert plant, creating a leaf-made mini oasis. All authors contributed equally to this paper.     

Effect of lead on survival, locomotion and sperm morphology of Asian earthworm, Pheretima guillelmi

To provide basic toxicity data for formulating risk characterization benchmarks, the effects of lead on survival, locomotion, and sperm morphology were investigated in the Asian earthworm Pheretima guillelmi. The LC50 of P. guillelmi for 7 and 14 d were 4285±339 mg/kg and 3207±248 mg/kg, which shows P. guillelmi can tolerate a higher concentration of lead nitrate. The average weight of the surviving earthworms decreased at concentration of 2800 mg Pb/kg soil, and the locomotor ability of earthworms exposed ...