Lipid content and fatty acid composition of freshwater eels Anguilla japonica caught in different seasons and locations in South Korea

Fisheries Science - The objective of this study is to determine the lipid content and fatty acid composition of Anguilla japonica caught in South Korea. Seventy-nine eels caught at four different...     

Sporophytic photosynthesis and gametophytic growth of the kelp Ecklonia stolonifera affected by ocean acidification and warming

Juvenile sporophytes and gametophytes of Ecklonia stolonifera were incubated in combinations of three pCO₂ levels (360, 720 and 980 ppmv) and two temperatures (10 and 15°C for sporophytes; 15 and 20°C for gametophytes) to examine potential effects of climate change on photosynthesis and growth. Sporophytes had significantly higher maximum quantum yields (F_v/F_m) and maximum relative electron transport rates (rETR_max) at 720 ppmv than 360 and 980 ppmv. Also, these parameters were significantly lower at higher temperature of 15°C than at 10°C. Growth of female gametophytes was maximal at 360 ppmv rather than enriched pCO₂ levels. Female gametophytes had significantly lower growth at higher temperature of 20°C than at 15°C. These results indicate effects of elevated pCO₂ varied between generations: stimulating sporophytic photosynthesis and inhibiting gametophytic growth. Ocean acidification and warming would constitute a grave threat to seedling cultivation of E. stolonifera caused by growth inhibition of gametophytes at high pCO₂ levels and temperatures.     

Steam activation of biochars facilitates kinetics and pH-resilience of sulfamethazine sorption

Purpose

Sulfamethazine (SMT) is increasingly detected in environmental matrices due to its versatile use as antibiotics. We aimed to investigate the benefits and roles of steam activation of biochars with respect to SMT sorption kinetics and equilibrium sorption.

Materials and methods

Biochars were produced from burcucumber plant and tea waste using a pyrolyzer at a temperature of 700 °C for 2 h. The biochar samples were treated with 5 mL min^?1 of steam for an additional 45 min for post-synthesis steam activation. The SMT sorption on the unmodified and steam activated biochars were compared.

Results and discussion

The time taken to reach equilibrium was significantly less for steam activated biochars (～4 h) than non-activated biochars (>24 h). Up to 98 % of SMT could be removed from aqueous solutions by steam activated biochars. The sorption kinetic behaviors were well described by the pseudo-second model and SMT sorption rates of steam activated biochars (k ₂?～?1.11–1.57 mg g^?1 min^?1) were significantly higher than that of the unmodified biochars (k ₂?～?0.04–0.11 mg g^?1 min^?1) because of increased availability of accessible porous structure with averagely larger pore diameters. Moreover, the equilibrium sorption on the unmodified biochars was significantly influenced by increasing solution pH (～30–50 % reduction) because of speciation change of SMT, whereas steam activated biochars manifested much stronger sorption resilience against pH variation (～2–4 % reduction only) because the enhanced porosity offset the effect of unfavorable electrostatic repulsion.

Conclusions

The observed features of steam activated biochars would render their applications more versatile and reliable in field throughout changeable environmental conditions.

     

基于3S技术的野生动物生境研究进展

3S技术可快速、准确、实时地获取、处理空间信息,具有极大的应用价值。该文介绍了3S技术在研究野生动物生境格局、生境破碎化、生境因子特性、生境分析模型建立、生境评价等诸多方面中的应用,综合了近年来的最新研究进展,并探讨了今后3S技术在野生动物生境研究中的应用前景。     

Size and shape of fine quartz in the clay fraction of soils and geological materials

Fine clay fractions of two soils and five geological materials including three formed in late Wisconsinan glacial rock flour were separated by decantation and centrifugation procedures. X-ray diffractograms (XRD) showed mica and chlorite as the main components. Pyrosulfate fusion which removed the phyllosilicates and iron oxides revealed presence of quartz and some feldspars. After dilute H₂SiF₆ treatment, blade-shaped, platy and sheroidal particles mainly of 0.2–0.1 μm size were observed by scanning electron microscope. Fine feldspars and quartz were found to be susceptible to the chemical treatments. On treatment with diluted H₂SiF₆ + HF + H₃BO₃, the crystallinity of fine quartz was considerably decreased as indicated by a very broad diffraction maximum at a spacing of about 4 Å.     

Sorption of copper(II) from synthetic oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) by pine sawdust biochars: effects of pyrolysis temperature and steam activation

Purpose

Remediate metal contamination is a fundamental step prior to reclaim oil sands tailing ponds, and copper (Cu(II)) is the most abundant metal in the tailings water or oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). Biochars produced at four pyrolysis conditions were evaluated for sorption of Cu(II) in synthetic OSPW to explore different biochar potentials in removing Cu(II) from the contaminated water.

Materials and methods

Pine sawdust biochars pyrolyzed at 300 and 550 °C with and without steam activation were investigated by batch sorption experiments. Isotherm and kinetic studies were conducted to compare the sorption capacities of the four biochars and to examine potential mechanisms involved.

Results and discussion

For all the biochars, Langmuir and pseudo-second order models were the best-fit for isotherm and kinetic studies, respectively. According to the Langmuir parameters, the maximum adsorption capacities of the biochars produced at 550 °C were around 2.5 mg Cu(II)?g^?1, which were 30-folds higher than those produced at 300 °C. However, steam activation did not cause any significant difference in the biochars’ sorption performance. The kinetic study suggested that chemisorption involving valence forces was the limiting factor of the sorption. In addition, ion exchange and precipitation were likely the primary mechanisms for Cu(II) sorption which outweigh complexation with functional groups on the biochars’ surface.

Conclusions

Pine sawdust biochar produced at 550 °C without steam activation could be utilized as a sustainable and cost-effective material to remove Cu(II) from the OSPW.

     

Analysis of methanogenic archaeal communities of rumen fluid and rumen particles from Korean black goats

Molecular diversity of methanogens in the rumen of Korean black goats was investigated with 16S rRNA gene clone libraries using methanogen‐specific primers. The libraries were composed of rumen fluid‐associated methanogens (FAM) and rumen particle‐associated methanogens (PAM) from rumen‐fistulated Korean black goats. Among the 141 clones of the FAM library, the sequences were mostly related to two phyla, the Methanobacteriaceae family (77.3%) and the Thermoplasmatales family (22.7%); and among the 68 clones of the PAM library, sequences were also mainly clustered in the two phyla, the Thermoplasmatales family (63.24%) and the Methanobacteriaceae family (35.29%). Most of the sequenced clones in the two libraries were closely related to uncultured methanogenic archaeon. Quantitative real‐time PCR revealed that PAM (8.97 log 10) had significantly higher (P < 0.01) density of methanogens by the methanogenic 16S rRNA gene copies than FAM (7.57 log 10). The two clone libraries also showed difference in Shannon index (FAM library 1.70 and PAM library 1.59) and Chao 1 estimator (FAM library 18 and PAM library 17 operational taxonomic units). Apparent differences found in the microbial community from the two 16S rRNA gene libraries could be a result of such factors as the chemical and physical nature of the target material surface, types or component of diets, the interaction between the methanogens and other microbes, and age of the experimental goats.     

Glycol Chitosan-Based Fluorescent Theranostic Nanoagents for Cancer Therapy

Theranostics is an integrated nanosystem that combines therapeutics with diagnostics in attempt to develop new personalized treatments with enhanced therapeutic efficacy and safety. As a promising therapeutic paradigm with cutting-edge technologies, theranostic agents are able to simultaneously deliver therapeutic drugs and diagnostic imaging agents and also monitor the response to therapy. Polymeric nanosystems have been intensively explored for biomedical applications to diagnose and treat various cancers. In recent years, glycol chitosan-based nanoagents have been developed as dual-purpose materials for simultaneous diagnosis and therapy. They have shown great potential in cancer therapies, such as chemotherapeutics and nucleic acid and photodynamic therapies. In this review, we summarize the recent progress and potential applications of glycol chitosan-based fluorescent theranostic nanoagents for cancer treatments and discuss their possible underlying mechanisms.     

Aroma finishing of PET fabrics with PVAc nanoparticles containing lavender oil

A durable aroma finishing for PET fabric was carried out by adopting poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) nanoparticles containing lavender oil (LO) in core. Relatively small size of PVAc nanoparticles (ca. 244 nm of mean particle diameter) was expected to resist the frictional destruction of the particles, which is frequently observed in cases of microcapsules. PVAc nanoparticles containing LO in core were prepared by emulsification-diffusion method and their application as an aroma releasing agent for PET fabrics was assessed through the observation of releasing profiles of LO in ethanol for experimental acceleration. Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) microcapsules containing LO were also prepared and treated on fabrics for comparison. PVAc nanoparticles treated on PET fabric showed higher initial releasing amount, which was ascribed to the enhanced surface area. After 2 days of releasing, PET fabric treated with PVAc nanoparticles showed slower and more stable releasing profile and reached about 12 ppm of cumulative release after 16 days, which was under two thirds of that with MF microcapsules. PVAc nanoparticles can be used as an agent for durable aroma finishing of PET fabrics.     

Effect of conformation on the properties of uniaxially drawn polylacide films upon drawing temperature

Polylactide(PLA) films were drawn at various drawing temperature of 65, 90 and 120 °C. The effects of drawing temperature on structural conformation and properties of PLA films were investigated. It was confirmed that the PLA films at drawing temperature of 65 and 90 °C were composed of α′ phase crystal form. The strain-induced crystallization and molecular orientation increased with increasing the draw ratio, which result in improving the mechanical and thermal properties of α′ phase PLA films. However, at drawing temperature of 120 °C, the strain-induced crystallization and molecular orientation of PLA films were not distinctly detected. It was supposed that the rate of the chain relaxation was faster than chain orientation and strain-induced crystallization during uniaxial drawing process.