Nano-calcium carbonate reinforced polypropylene and propylene-ethylene copolymer nanocomposites: Tensile vs. impact behavior

Improvement of both the tensile and impact strength of the same polymeric material has always been a great challenge for the plastic industry. The study focuses on the effect of incorporation of calcium carbonate nanoparticles (0.3 wt% to 15 wt%) into three polypropylene (PP) based matrices viz. PP homopolymer, propylene-ethylene (PP-PE) copolymer and the blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) to improve their impact behavior without hampering the tensile strength much. A loss in both the tensile and impact properties was observed in PP based nanocomposite. However, PP-PE based nanocomposites showed a significant improvement in impact strength (47 %) at 10 wt% loading with a loss of tensile strength by 22 %. To minimize this loss a blend of PP:PP-PE (30:70) was explored as a matrix. At 10 wt% loading, this matrix showed an improvement of 30 % in impact strength whereas the tensile loss was minimized to 10 %. Further, silane coupling agent which promoted good interfacial adhesion was used for best compositions. The variation of crystalline morphology of the nanocomposites with various formulations was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction.     

Drivers of fine-scale avian functional diversity with changing land use: an assessment of the effects of eco-estate housing development and management

Landscape Ecology - The effects of changing land use, and especially urbanisation, on species and functional diversity are of global concern. Eco-estates are a form of urban housing development...     

基于‘罗氏沼虾’养殖尾水灌溉条件下稻田养分利用效能提升技术研究

为了实现稻田消纳罗氏沼虾养殖尾水过程中水稻稳产及养分利用效率最大化,设置CK（空白对照）、BC（添加生物炭）、TG（添加土壤改良液）、BT（生物炭及土壤改良液分别减半）4个处理,依据养分运移状况及水稻生长指标的比较,筛选适宜材料类型。结果表明,BC、TG及BT的添加对表层土壤(0~10cm)TN累积、土壤(0~25cm)TP累积及养分损失,BC、TG对土壤(0~25cm)TN累积及养分损失均存在正面效应;TG显著促进表层土壤(0~10 cm)NO₃ ^-累积(P<0.05);除BC外,其他材料的养分表聚作用均促使TN、TP向根部运移(P<0.05);BT处理中灌浆期叶绿素含量显著高于TG和CK(P<0.05),材料处理组在第一节间长度均显著低于CK(P<0.05),其余处理间的差异性均未达到显著水平(P>0.05)。各处理的理论和实际产量间的差异性均未达到显著水平(P>0.05)。综上所述,相较于其他材料,有效截留NO₃ ^-为主氮素养分,提高养殖尾水养分利用率,降低淋洗污染风险;显著控制水稻底部节间生长,降低倒伏风险;且其对水稻生长及产量性状并无显著抑制作用,因而将其作为水稻消纳罗氏沼虾养殖尾水中养分利用效率提升材料具有一定应用潜力。     

浅谈楼房养猪除臭技术设计与应用

楼房养猪相较于传统平房养猪,占用面积更小,可节省用地60%以上。楼房养猪同时方便集中管理,易于采光通风和保暖;但是楼房养猪也有明显的缺点,相较于传统的平房养猪,楼房养猪作为集约化、规模化、现代化养猪的集中表现模式,建造及运营维护成本相对较高,消毒及防疫工作较为困难。高楼环境易于通风的同时,猪舍的污染问题也更加突出。猪舍给空气带来的污染不仅会影响猪舍内外的空气质量,同时还会影响猪只的繁殖、生长和发育,并将会对养殖人员与附近居民的身体健康产生重要影响。所以,必须采取相应完善的系统科学措施,处理楼房养猪中的空气除臭问题,保证生猪生活环境的清洁。文章通过结合平房养猪以及楼房养猪的特点,浅谈一下楼房养猪的除臭技术的设计与应用。     

Verrucosamide,a Cytotoxic 1,4-Thiazepane-Containing Thiodepsipeptide from a Marine-Derived Actinomycete

A new cytotoxic thiodepsipeptide, verrucosamide (1), was isolated along with the known, related cyclic peptide thiocoraline, from the extract of a marine-derived actinomycete, a Verrucosispora sp., our strain CNX-026. The new peptide, which is composed of two rare seven-membered 1,4-thiazepane rings, was elucidated by a combination of spectral methods and the absolute configuration was determined by a single X-ray diffraction study. Verrucosamide (1) showed moderate cytotoxicity and selectivity in the NCI 60 cell line bioassay. The most susceptible cell lines were MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma with an LD₅₀ of 1.26 µM, and COLO 205 colon adenocarcinoma with an LD₅₀ of 1.4 µM. Also isolated along with verrucosamide were three small 3-hydroxy(alkoxy)-quinaldic acid derivatives that appear to be products of the same biosynthetic pathway.     

The ecosystem services concept: a new Esperanto to facilitate participatory planning processes?

Landscape Ecology - Several case studies investigated the role of ecosystem services in participatory planning processes. However, no systematic study exists that cuts across a large number of...     

Epidermal growth factor-like activity in mares' milk.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like activity was measured in mares' colostrum and milk by radioreceptor assay. Milk samples were collected from 22 mares 1 or more times during early lactation. Samples of colostrum were taken after parturition and before the foal first suckled (presuckle), within 6 hours after the foal first suckled (postsuckle), and on days 1, 2, 4, and 8 of lactation. In the 5 mares from which milk samples were obtained at each sampling time, presuckle colostral mean EGF-like activity (17.8 ng/ml) was greatest (P less than 0.05). The mean values for EGF-like activity at all other sampling times were not significantly different from each other (postsuckle colostrum, 9.7 ng/ml; day 1, 9.6 ng/ml; day 2, 8.5 ng/ml; day 4, 8.0 ng/ml; day 8, 7.8 ng/ml).