Modelling of silica diffusion experiments with Si in Boom Clay

A mathematical model describing the dissolution of nuclear glass directly disposed in clay combines a first-order dissolution rate law with the diffusion of dissolved silica in clay. According to this model, the main parameters describing the long-term dissolution of the glass are ηR, the product of the diffusion accessible porosity η and the retardation factor R, and the apparent diffusion coefficient D_app of dissolved silica in clay.For determining the migration parameters needed for long-term predictions, four Through-Diffusion (T-D) experiments and one percolation test have been performed on undisturbed clay cores. In the Through-Diffusion experiments, the concentration decrease after injection of ³²Si (radioactive labelled silica) was measured in the inlet compartment. At the end of the T-D experiments, the clay cores were cut in thin slices and the activity of labelled silica in each slice was determined. The measured activity profiles for these four clay cores are well reproducible.Since no labelled silica could be detected in the outlet compartments, the Through-Diffusion experiments are fitted by two In-Diffusion models: one model assuming linear and reversible sorption equilibrium and a second model taking into account sorption kinetics. Although the kinetic model provides better fits, due to the sufficiently long duration of the experiments, both models give approximately similar values for the fit parameters. The single percolation test leads to an apparent diffusion coefficient value about two to three times lower than those of the Through-Diffusion tests.Therefore, dissolved silica appears to be strongly retarded in Boom Clay. A retardation factor R between 100 and 300 was determined. The corresponding in situ distribution coefficient K_d is in the range 25–75 cm³ g⁻¹. The apparent diffusion coefficient of dissolved silica in Boom Clay is estimated between 2×10⁻¹³ and 7×10⁻¹³ m² s⁻¹. The pore diffusion coefficient is in the range from 6×10⁻¹¹ to 1×10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹.     

Spatial,temporal, and environmental limits on xanthotoxin induction in wild parsnip foliage

Summary Although present constitutively in large amounts, furanocoumarins in leaves of wild parsnip,Pastinaca sativa, are inducible to even higher concentrations by mechanical and insect damage. We conducted several experiments in order to characterize the nature and extent of xanthotoxin inducibility inP. sativa foliage. In order to determine the extent to which induction is localized, we mechanically damaged a single leaflet of a compound leaf on seven plants. Xanthotoxin concentrations increased significantly only in the damaged leaflet and in the half of the terminal leaflet closest to the damaged leaflet; thus, xanthotoxin induction is localized to the immediate vicinity of damage. To determine whether xanthotoxin induction results fromin situ biosynthesis or translocation from other plant parts, we detached individual leaflets from ten plants, damaged half of these detached leaflets, and compared xanthotoxin concentrations after 6 h in damaged and intact leaflets. We found that xanthotoxin concentrations increased 41% in damaged leaflets compared to detached leaflets that were not damaged. We also determined the rapidity and duration of the induction response. In leaflets that were damaged and then harvested after 0, 3, 24, 72, 120 and 168 h, xanthotoxin concentrations increased rapidly compared to undamaged leaflets on the opposite side of the leaf, reaching maximum levels within 24 h. This response was of comparatively short duration; concentrations declined to preinduction levels after seven days. To determine whether availability of resources influences the induced response, we performed two experiments, one in which soil nutrients were manipulated and one in which light level was manipulated. The low nutrient treatment was sufficiently extreme to cause cessation of aboveground growth, and the low light treatment caused etiolation. Extremes of resource limitation notwithstanding, leaflets significantly increased xanthotoxin production (2 to 3-fold increase under nutrient limitation and 3-fold increase under light limitation) in response to damage in both experiments.     

Thermodynamics of tetracycline adsorption on silica

The adsorption of antibiotic tetracycline onto silica particles was investigated. The effects of pH, electrolyte concentration and temperature on the adsorption equilibrium were examined and the data correlated with a dual site adsorption model. Adsorption of tetracycline onto approximately 9% of the adsorption sites was found to be irreversible, whereas the rest exhibited Langmuir behaviour. Increasing pH of the solution had a strong negative effect on the adsorbed amounts. Adsorption decreased also with increasing ionic strength and temperature. The enthalpy and entropy of adsorption were found to be approximately −16 and −25 J/mol, respectively.     

Evidence for seasonal mate limitation in populations of an intertidal amphipod, Corophium volutator (Pallas)

Potential rates of reproduction (PRR) differ between the sexes of many animal species. Adult sex ratios together with PRR are expected to determine the operational sex ratio (OSR) defined as the ratio of fertilizable females to sexually active males at any given time. OSR is expected to determine the degree to which one sex competes for another—the limiting sex. We explored the potential for mate limitation in an intertidal amphipod, Corophium volutator (Pallas). Males have higher PRR than females, but males may be limiting because of extreme female-biased sex ratios observed in this species. Consistent with this idea, late season females were less likely to be ovigerous and had smaller size-specific clutches, both of which were associated with seasonal declines in availability of males of reproductive size. Seasonal changes in ovigery could not be explained by seasonal changes across sites in other factors (e.g., female body size or phenology of breeding). Smaller females were less likely to become ovigerous later in the season at three of four sites. Seasonal reductions in clutch size also occurred among small females expected to be reproducing for their first time. In complimentary laboratory experiments, reduced likelihood of ovigery and reduced fecundity occurred when the number of receptive females was increased relative to availability of a reproductively active male. Our results suggest male mate limitation can occur seasonally in this species and that male limitation is regionally widespread and may affect recruitment.     

Nitrogen to phosphorus ratios of two understory plant species in response to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in tropical forest of southern China北大核心CSCD

The secondary tropical forests in southern China have suffered from frequent human disturbance and increasing high N deposition. In order to explore the nutrient limitation status in secondary tropical forests of South China, this 3-year field experiment of nitrogen (+N) and phosphorus (+P) addition investigated nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations of the aboveground tissue (leaf and branch) of two widely distributed understory native species Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum and Uvaria microcarpa in a secondary tropical forest of South China. The results showed that: 1) the N and P concentrations of the two species were significantly different (P < 0.001); N and P concentrations of different tissues in the same species were different; N&P addition greatly affected N and P concentrations in branch rather than new leaf and older leaf. 2) +N treatment had no significant effect on N or P concentrations of either species, but significantly decreased N:P ratios (P = 0.001), at the level of 9% for C. cyrtophyllum and 50% for U. microcarpa, respectively. 3) +P treatment had no significant effect on tissue N concentrations, but significantly increased plant P concentrations (P < 0.001), at 54% for C. cyrtophyllum and 88% for U. microcarpa, respectively; +P treatment significantly decreased plant N:P ratios (P < 0.001), at 28% and 60%, respectively. 4) The alterations of P concentrations of two species had significantly negative correlations with N:P alterations under +N/+P treatment (P < 0.001), suggesting that the alteration of P concentrations in plant tissue was the major driver for N:P alteration. Our results show that N and P addition would affect tissue N and P concentrations of the two species, with +P treatment having relatively greater effect on nutrient concentrations than +N treatment; the branch is more sensitive than new or older leaf in response to nutrient addition. Therefore, P availability may be the limiting factor for plant growth in the tropical forests.     

Green additives to enhance silica dissolution during water treatment

The effect of various environmentally friendly chemical additives on the dissolution of colloidal silica is systematically studied. These silica scale dissolvers are principally polycarboxylates with one to five –COOH groups, mixed polycarboxylates/phosphonates and aminoacids. Based on these results, an effort is made to link their dissolution performance to structural features in this structure/function study. Presence of additional groups (eg. –PO₃H₂, –NH₂, or –OH) in the dissolver molecule augments the dissolution process.     

高等级公路车速管理研究

高等级公路交通事故中约 1/ 3与车速直接相关。为保证高等级公路行车安全 ,车速管理非常必要。从我国高等级公路管理现状出发 ,根据对我国高等级公路车辆实际运行特征和运行车速的实地调查 ,笔者对高等级公路车速限制的设定、发布及实施进行了研究 ,提出了应根据公路、交通、气象、历史事故数据等条件动态确定限制车速的概念 ,并就高等级公路车速管理的实施进行了探讨 ,重点强调了道路设计和交通安全文化建设在实施车速管理中的重要性。     

楼房火灾的安全灭火时限分析与施救对策

在楼房建筑物火灾灭火时 ,常由于火燃造成建筑材料强度失效导致整体坍塌 ,给施救工作带来很大的威胁。强调了在灭火过程的始终 ,应不断进行高温状态下建筑材料强度的失效判定 ,评估出安全的灭火时限和调整施救对策 ,有利于从根本上预防楼房坍塌意外事故的发生。定义了火灾高温状态下建筑材料危险应力点上的可靠度 ,提出依据火灾现场因素和数据 ,用数值模拟方法分析建筑材料强度失效随时间的变化过程 ,确定安全的灭火时限。给出了以火灾施救为主线的并适时考虑构件强度分析和安全时限判定交叉平行作业的多阶段施救对策框架 ,建立了楼房火灾施救安全支持系统结构。     

LIMITING NUTRIENT DETERMINATION IN LOTIC ECOSYSTEMS USING A QUANTITATIVE NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT PERIPHYTOMETER1

ABSTRACT: The decline of water quality in United States’ lotic ecosystems (streams and rivers) has been linked to nonpoint source nutrient loading (U.S. EPA, 1990). Determining limiting nutrients in streams is difficult due to the variable nature of lotic ecosystems. We developed a quantitative passive diffusion periphyton nutrient enrichment system, called the Matlock Periphytometer, to measure the response of attached algae (periphyton) to nutrient enrichment. The system is simple to build and provides quantitative nutrient enrichment of a surface for periphytic growth. The periphyton grow on a glass fiber filter, which allows complete recovery of periphyton for chlorophyll a analysis. A 14-kilodalton dialysis membrane was used as a biofilter to prevent bacterial and algal contamination of the nutrient solution. We determined the rates of diffusion of nitrogen and phosphorus ions across the Matlock Periphytometer's dialysis membrane and glass fiber filter over a 21-day period (42 and 22 μg/cm²/hr, respectively). We used the Matlock Periphytometer to determine the limiting nutrient in a woodland stream. Six replicates each of a control, nitrogen, and phosphorus treatment were placed in the stream for 14 days. The results indicated that phosphorus was the limiting nutrient in the stream for the period and location sampled.     

长江经济带土地开发均衡度及限度评价研究

基于长江经济带11个省市2005~2015年土地变更调查数据,从土地开发均衡度和土地开发限度两方面对该地区的土地开发强度进行综合评价。研究表明:(1)长江经济带各省市土地均衡度呈现两极分化,东部和西部地区土地开发失衡,中部地区土地开发相对均衡;(2)长江经济带整体土地开发限度为5.58%,11省市均超过或临近极限值,未来需建立集约型土地开发模式;(3)长江经济带不同地区的土地开发强度差异显著,呈现出下游高上游低,东部高集聚的空间格局。因此,应参考各省市土地开发限度对规划进行修编;增强土地供给能力,为建设用地紧张地区挖掘新的开发潜力;建立跨区域的土地开发体制等,通过完善政策法规促进土地的合理开发利用。