New mercantilism: A perspective on how politics is shaping world metal supply

The major countries consuming metals tended historically to be also the major countries producing them. It was in their interest to promote mine development to provide low cost raw materials. Over the past fifty years, the share of global production accounted for by consuming countries has declined and producers and consumers of metals have been slowly moving into separate camps having distinct and differing interests. As a consequence of this, governments of producing countries have become more focused on how to maximise the benefit of metal extraction to their economies rather than on how to supply cheap raw materials; a tendency which has found expression in resource nationalism. Governments of consuming countries have in response become increasingly concerned about the implications of this tendency to their economic development and some countries, most notably China, have adopted robust policies to secure their supplies. Through their actions to influence capital flows within the mining industry and to force metals trade into channels which better serve their national interests (a process characterised here as ‘new mercantilism’), metal producing and metal consuming countries are reshaping global supply.     

Anaerobic degradation of naphthalene in a fluvial aquifer: a radiotracer study

A radiotracer study was conducted in a creosote-contaminated aquifer beneath the Fraser River, British Columbia Canada to investigate the in situ degradation of naphthalene. The groundwater is anaerobic, with abundant methane, ferrous iron and carbon dioxide. This study followed earlier work at the site where the contaminant distribution could only be explained by invoking a mass loss through degradation, even though extensive field and laboratory microcosm studies closer to the source zone onshore could not confirm degradation. Accordingly, 14C-naphthalene was injected into the aquifer offshore, further from the source zone where modeling suggested degradation was occurring. During the 230-day monitoring period, 14CO2 was detected, confirming the degradation of the radio-labeled naphthalene tracer. A zero-order degradation rate of naphthalene of 5 microg/L-day was estimated based on the decrease in 14C-naphthalene concentration with time. While the degradation pathway could not be determined from the radiotracer study alone, the geochemistry of the site suggests that either iron reduction or methanogenesis is the terminal electron accepting processes responsible for naphthalene oxidation.     

CSR in metallurgy sector in Greece: A content analysis

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become one of the most widespread business topics among the academic community. Various issues like environmental pollution, economic crisis, corruption, poverty are of major importance these days and besides governments and policy makers responsibility it is obvious that corporations are also part of these problems. In Europe the last 15 years, governments, NGOs, small and large enterprises are making an effort to establish in their business CSR strategies so as to become more competitive and innovative in the global market. The research presents the way 8 Greek companies from the metallurgy sector publish CSR activities and which dimensions of CSR are more common among Greek companies. The companies were selected according to a study of ICAP Group about CSR and Leading Employers in Greece. The findings reveal how Greek companies during the economic crisis make their effort to be more active especially on environmental issues, human resources, health and safety and contribution to local communities. The results of their efforts are controversial as far as their CSR strategy concerns.     

Trisomy 14 mosaicism leading to cytogenetic discrepancies in chorionic villi sampled at different times

Short- and long-term cultures of chorionic villi obtained in the 11th week of pregnancy revealed trisomy 14. After induced abortion trisomy 14 mosaicism was established in fetal skin and umbilical cord tissue while a second long-term culture of chorionic villi exhibited a normal karyotype. The results of the pathological investigations are discussed with respect to the cytogenetic findings.     

PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AND PLANKTON COMMUNITIES IN A TWO-RESERVOIR SERIES1

ABSTRACT: It is suggested that new impoundments undergo an initial period of trophic upsurge lasting one to three years because of organic detritus and inorganic nutrients from the inundated basin. The new Monksville Reservoir in Passaic County, New Jersey, provided an opportunity to study the accelerated transformation of the Wanaque River into a 200-ha lake and to compare productivity with the older Wanaque Reservoir located immediately downstream. A one-year investigation of both reservoirs was conducted during 1988. The primary productivity (0.547 g C m^?2 d^?1) of the new Monksville Reservoir was not significantly different from that of the established Wanaque Reservoir (0.668 g C m^?2 d^?1). Mean surface chlorophyll a concentrations were similar (3.0–4.0 μg 1^?1), although the Monksville Reservoir exhibited more pronounced chlorophyll peaks in spring and late autumn. Phytoplankton and zooplankton populations were consistently larger and fluctuated sharply in the Monksville Reservoir. Both reservoirs became thermally stratified, but only the Monksville Reservoir developed a metalimnetic dissolved oxygen minimum. The results demonstrated that the predicted trophic upsurge in the new reservoir did not occur in the first year therefore, the ecosystem dynamics did not fit the model for larger reservoirs.     

一条断层的活动性鉴定及其工程意义

拟建中的某工程场址经工程地质勘探和基础开挖发现一规模较大的北西向断层.本文通过对该断层的地貌形态、断层面宏观结构、断层带内物质的显微构造分析以及第四纪地层的~(14)C测年,对该断层进行了活动性鉴定,并提出了工程设计应注意的问题.     

墨汁鬼伞对重金属铅离子的耐受与富集作用及其在铅离子胁迫下的差异表达蛋白鉴定

铅是已知毒性最大的重金属污染物之一,具有极强的积累性和不可逆性.生物修复环境重金属污染以其成本低、能实现对重金属回收等特点被认为是最有前景的修复技术.墨汁鬼伞被认为具有富集重金属离子的能力,本文首先通过在含Pb~(2+)的固体培养基上培养墨汁鬼伞分析了墨汁鬼伞对不同浓度Pb~(2+)的耐受能力,结果表明当Pb~(2+)浓度低于50 mg·L~(-1)的情况下,墨汁鬼伞的生长不会受到影响;随着Pb~(2+)浓度提高,墨汁鬼伞生长缓慢,菌丝稀疏,菌落形状不规则;当浓度高于500 mg·L~(-1)时,墨汁鬼伞生长明显被影响,并产生色素.进一步分析墨汁鬼伞对不同浓度Pb~(2+)的富集能力表明即使在Pb~(2+)浓度高达800 mg·L~(-1)的情况下,墨汁鬼伞仍然可以富集培养基中的94.7%的Pb~(2+).此外通过分析墨汁鬼伞的差异蛋白,鉴定到一个受Pb~(2+)诱导的14-3-3类蛋白.以上研究表明墨汁鬼伞可以用于环境重金属污染的生物修复.     

Physico-chemical versus microbial release of c-atrazine bound residues from a loamy clay soil incubated in laboratory microcosms

A loamy clay soil containing unextractable ¹⁴C-ring labeled atrazine residues was incubated in microcosms under abiotic and biotic conditions. The mineralization activity of the soil microflora was evaluated by the release of total CO₂ and ¹⁴C0₂. After 63 days of sample incubation the total organic carbon mineralization was of 1.71%, that of ¹⁴C-residues was of 0.72% of the initial radioactivity. No direct relationship was established between the mineralization of atrazine residues and the global mineralization. The contribution of soil microorganisms in the release of ¹⁴C-residues was weak. The availability of non-extractable residues was mainly controlled by physico-chemical factors. The low value of the reextractability rate and the distribution of bound residues during the soil sample incubation shown the active role of organic matter in detoxification procedure. Ninety percent of the residues remained bound after 63 days of incubation and were thus, potentially available without biocide activity.

The fractionation of soil organic matter allowed to specify the distribution of bound residues within the organic compartments. After a long-stay of pesticides in soils, approximately 65% of bound residues were associated with humin.     

对福建深沪海底古森林遗址古地理环境的探讨

前人在1987年就开始对福建深沪海底古森林遗址进行了研究,本文在前人调查研究工作的基础上,通过钻探、坑探、14C测年、微体古生物分析等工作,探讨了福建深沪海底古森林遗址古地理环境及海陆变迁情况。该海底古森林生长于全新世长乐组冲洪积地层中,距今约7 000~7 700 a,为湿热气候环境。牡蛎的生长环境为滨海泥滩环境,距今约26 000~27 000 a左右和距今约4 500 a,处于海侵影响范围。研究表明该处经历过多次海陆变迁。