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Size Fractions (size + fraction)
Kinds of Size Fractions Selected AbstractsThe influence of parent material on topsoil geochemistry in eastern EnglandEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 13 2003B. G. Rawlins Abstract The topsoil of around 10 000 km2 in eastern England has recently been sampled intensely at 4609 sites to characterize its geochemistry. The parent materials, which include both solid geology and Quaternary sediments, range in age from Permian to Holocene. The distributions of the concentrations of major and trace elements have been characterized geostatistically, and the role of parent material on their spatial structure (anisotropy) and their spatial relationships (coregionalization) have been investigated. Analysis of variance with the sites grouped by major parent material type showed that this classi,cation accounted for 14 to 48 per cent of the variance for the various elements. Global variograms of 13 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Ti, and U) have been computed and modelled. Eleven of the variograms seem to comprise two structures, both of which we modelled with spherical functions, one of short range, 3·5 to 9 km, and the other with a range of 15 to 23 km. The models included a nugget variance, which varied from 27 per cent (for As, Fe, and Mg) to 63 per cent (for P) of the total. The long-range structures are related to the separations of the major parent materials. The variograms of several elements showed appreciable anisotropy, most notably that of Mg. Anisotropy is evident at short ranges of less than 5 km. This accords with the geological structure of the beds which dip from west to east so that their outcrops are elongated from north to south. A linear model of coregionalization ,tted to the data emphasized several important geochemical associations, which we interpret. Elements commonly associated with clay minerals (Mg, Al) and the clay size fraction (Ti) are dominated by the long-range structure of the coregionalization, whilst several trace elements (As, Cr, Ni and U) are spatially correlated with Fe over short distances, through adsorption of the former on the surfaces of Fe oxyhydroxides. The topsoil around large urban areas is enriched in lead, but it is not clear whether anthropogenic sources are responsible for this metal's anomalous spatial relationships with other elements. Crown copyright © 2003. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Of,ce. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Genotoxicity and physicochemical characteristics of traffic-related ambient particulate matterENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 2 2005Theo M. de Kok Abstract Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) has been linked to several adverse health effects. Since vehicular traffic is a PM source of growing importance, we sampled total suspended particulate (TSP), PM10, and PM2.5 at six urban locations with pronounced differences in traffic intensity. The mutagenicity, DNA-adduct formation, and induction of oxidative DNA damage by the samples were studied as genotoxicological parameters, in relation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels, elemental composition, and radical-generating capacity (RGC) as chemical characteristics. We found pronounced differences in the genotoxicity and chemical characteristics of PM from the various locations, although we could not establish a correlation between traffic intensity and any of these characteristics for any of the PM size fractions. Therefore, the differences between locations may be due to local sources of PM, other than traffic. The concentration of total (carcinogenic) PAHs correlated positively with RGC, direct and S9-mediated mutagenicity, as well as the induction of DNA adducts and oxidative DNA damage. The interaction between total PAHs and transition metals correlated positively with DNA-adduct formation, particularly from the PM2.5 fraction. RGC was not associated with one specific PM size fraction, but mutagenicity and DNA reactivity after metabolic activation were relatively high in PM10 and PM2.5, when compared with TSP. We conclude that the toxicological characteristics of urban PM samples show pronounced differences, even when PM concentrations at the sample sites are comparable. This implies that emission reduction strategies that take chemical and toxicological characteristics of PM into account may be useful for reducing the health risks associated with PM exposure. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Powder Metallurgical Near-Net-Shape Fabrication of Porous NiTi Shape Memory Alloys for Use as Long-Term Implants by the Combination of the Metal Injection Molding Process with the Space-Holder Technique,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009Manuel Köhl Abstract A new method was developed for producing highly porous NiTi for use as an implant material. The combination of the space-holder technique with the metal injection molding process allows a net-shape fabrication of geometrically complex samples and the possibility of mass production for porous NiTi. Further, the porosity can be easily adjusted with respect to pore size, pore shape, and total porosity. The influence of the surface properties of powder metallurgical NiTi on the biocompatibility was first examined using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). It was found that pre-alloyed NiTi powders with an average particle size smaller than 45,,m led to the surface properties most suitable for the adhesion and proliferation of hMSCs. For the production of highly porous NiTi, different space-holder materials were investigated regarding low C- and O-impurity contents and the reproducibility of the process. NaCl was the most promising space-holder material compared to PMMA and saccharose and was used in subsequent studies. In these studies, the influence of the total porosity on the mechanical properties of NiTi is investigated in detail. As a result, bone-like mechanical properties were achieved by the choice of Ni-rich NiTi powder and a space-holder content of 50,vol% with a particle size fraction of 355,500,,m. Pseudoelasticity of up to 6% was achieved in compression tests at 37,°C as well as a bone-like loading stiffness of 6.5,GPa, a sufficient plateau stress ,25 of 261,MPa and a value for ,50 of 415,MPa. The first biological tests of the porous NiTi samples produced by this method showed promising results regarding proliferation and ingrowth of mesenchymal stem cells, also in the pores of the implant material. [source] Strain rates from snowball garnetJOURNAL OF METAMORPHIC GEOLOGY, Issue 3 2003C. Biermeier Abstract Spiral inclusion trails in garnet porphyroblasts are likely to have formed due to simultaneous growth and rotation of the crystals, during syn-metamorphic deformation. Thus, they contain information on the strain rate of the rock. Strain rates may be interpreted from such inclusion trails if two functions are known: (1) The relationship between rotation rate and shear strain rate; (2) the growth rate of the crystal. We have investigated details of both functions using a garnetiferous mica schist from the eastern European Alps as an example. The rotation rate of garnet porphyroblasts was determined using finite element modelling of the geometrical arrangement of the crystals in the rock. The growth rate of the porphyroblasts was determined by using the major and trace element distributions in garnet crystals, thermodynamic pseudosections and information on the grain size distribution. For the largest porphyroblast size fraction (size L=12 mm) we constrain a growth interval between 540 and 590 °C during the prograde evolution of the rock. Assuming a reasonable heating rate and using the angular geometry of the spiral inclusion trails we are able to suggest that the mean strain rate during crystal growth was of the order of =6.6 × 10,14 s,1. These estimates are consistent with independent estimates for the strain rates during the evolution of this part of the Alpine orogen. [source] Granulation sensing of first-break ground wheat using a near-infrared reflectance spectrometer: studies with soft red winter wheats,JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 3 2003Melchor C Pasikatan Abstract A near-infrared reflectance spectrometer, previously evaluated as a granulation sensor for first-break ground wheat from six wheat classes and hard red winter (HRW) wheats, was further evaluated for soft red winter (SRW) wheats. Two sets of 35 wheat samples, representing seven cultivars of SRW wheat ground by an experimental roller mill at five roll gap settings (0.38, 0.51, 0.63, 0.75 and 0.88,mm), were used for calibration and validation. Partial least squares regression was applied to develop the granulation models using combinations of four data pretreatments (log(1/R), baseline correction, unit area normalisation and derivatives) and subregions of the 400,1700,nm wavelength range. Cumulative mass of size fraction was used as reference value. Models that corrected for path length effects (those that used unit area normalisation) predicted the bigger size fractions well. The model based on unit area normalisation/first derivative predicted 34 out of 35 validation spectra with standard errors of prediction of 3.53, 1.83, 1.43 and 1.30 for the >1041, >375, >240 and >136,µm size fractions respectively. Because of less variation in mass of each size fraction, SRW wheat granulation models performed better than the previously reported models for six wheat classes. However, because of SRW wheat flour's tendency to stick to the underside of sieves, the finest size fraction of these models did not perform as well as the HRW wheat models. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Uppermost impact fallback layer in the Bosumtwi crater (Ghana): Mineralogy, geochemistry, and comparison with Ivory Coast tektitesMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 4-5 2007Christian KOEBERL In one (LB-05) of 16 cores drilled into the lake sediments, the zone between the impact breccias and the post-impact sediments was penetrated, preserving the final, fine-grained impact fallback layer. This ,30 cm thick layer contains in the top 10 cm "accretionary" lapilli, microtektite-like glass spherules, and shocked quartz grains. Glass particles,mostly of splash form less than 1 mm size,make up the bulk of the grains (,70,78% by number) in the coarser size fraction (>125 ,m) of the top of the fallback layer. About one-third of all quartz grains in the uppermost part of the layer are shocked, with planar deformation features (PDFs); almost half of these grains are highly shocked, with 3 or more sets of PDFs. K-feldspar grains also occur and some show shock deformation. The abundance of shocked quartz grains and the average shock level as indicated by the number of sets of PDFs, for both quartz and K-feldspar, decrease with depth into the layer. The well-preserved glass spherules and fragments are chemically rather homogeneous within each particle, and also show relatively small variations between the various particles. On average, the composition of the fallback spherules from core LB-5B is very similar to the composition of Ivory Coast tektites and microtektites, with the exception of CaO contents, which are about 1.5 to 2 times higher in the fallback spherules. This is a rare case in which the uppermost fallback layer and the transition to the post-impact sediments has been preserved in an impact structure; its presence indicates that the impactite sequence at Bosumtwi is complete and that Bosumtwi is a very well-preserved impact crater. [source] The behavior of specific sediment yield in different grain size fractions in the tributaries of the middle Yellow River as influenced by eolian and fluvial processesEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2008Jiongxin Xu Abstract Based on data from 35 stations on the tributaries of the Yellow River, annual specific sediment yield (Ys) in eight grain size fractions has been related to basin-averaged annual sand,dust storm days (Dss) and annual precipitation (Pm) to reveal the influence of eolian and fluvial processes on specific sediment yield in different grain size fractions. The results show that Ys in fine grain size fractions has the highest values in the areas dominated by the coupled wind,water process. From these areas to those dominated by the eolian process or to those dominated by the fluvial process, Ys tends to decrease. For relatively coarse grain size fractions, Ys has monotonic variation, i.e. with the increase in Dss or the decrease in Pm, Ys increases. This indicates that the sediment producing behavior for fine sediments is different from that for relatively coarse sediments. The results all show that Ys for relatively coarse sediments depends on the eolian process more than on the fluvial process, and the coarser the sediment fractions the stronger the dependence of the Ys on the eolian process. The Ys,Dss and Ys,Pm curves for fine grain size fractions show some peaks and the fitted straight lines for Ys,Dss and Ys,Pm relationships for relatively coarse grain size fractions show some breaks. Almost all these break points may be regarded as thresholds. These thresholds are all located in the areas dominated by the coupled wind,water process, indicating that these areas are sensitive for erosion and sediment production, to which more attention should be given for the purpose of erosion and sediment control. A number of regression equations were established, based which the effect of rainfall, sand,dust storms and surface material grain size on specific sediment yield can be assessed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Genotoxicity and physicochemical characteristics of traffic-related ambient particulate matterENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 2 2005Theo M. de Kok Abstract Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) has been linked to several adverse health effects. Since vehicular traffic is a PM source of growing importance, we sampled total suspended particulate (TSP), PM10, and PM2.5 at six urban locations with pronounced differences in traffic intensity. The mutagenicity, DNA-adduct formation, and induction of oxidative DNA damage by the samples were studied as genotoxicological parameters, in relation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels, elemental composition, and radical-generating capacity (RGC) as chemical characteristics. We found pronounced differences in the genotoxicity and chemical characteristics of PM from the various locations, although we could not establish a correlation between traffic intensity and any of these characteristics for any of the PM size fractions. Therefore, the differences between locations may be due to local sources of PM, other than traffic. The concentration of total (carcinogenic) PAHs correlated positively with RGC, direct and S9-mediated mutagenicity, as well as the induction of DNA adducts and oxidative DNA damage. The interaction between total PAHs and transition metals correlated positively with DNA-adduct formation, particularly from the PM2.5 fraction. RGC was not associated with one specific PM size fraction, but mutagenicity and DNA reactivity after metabolic activation were relatively high in PM10 and PM2.5, when compared with TSP. We conclude that the toxicological characteristics of urban PM samples show pronounced differences, even when PM concentrations at the sample sites are comparable. This implies that emission reduction strategies that take chemical and toxicological characteristics of PM into account may be useful for reducing the health risks associated with PM exposure. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cytotoxicity and oxidative stress caused by chemicals adsorbed on particulate matter,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Andrea Müller Abstract Air particulate matter (PM) and bound chemicals are potential mediators for adverse health effects. The cytotoxicity and changes in energy-providing processes caused by chemical compounds bound to PM of different size fractions were investigated in Tetrahymena pyriformis. The PM samplings were carried out using a high volume cascade impactor (6 size fractions between 10 ,m and less than 0.49 ,m) at three points of La Plata, Argentina: in an industrial area, a traffic-influenced urban area, and a control area. Extracts from respirable particles below 1 ,m initiated the highest cytotoxic effects, demonstrating their higher risk. In contrast, an increase on oxygen consumption was observed especially in tests of extracts from particles less than 1 ,m from urban and industrial areas. The increase on oxygen consumption could be caused by decoupling processes in the respiratory chain. Otherwise the ATP concentration was increased too, even though to a lower extent. The observed imbalance between oxygen consumption and ATP concentration in exposed T. pyriformis cells may be due to oxidative stress, caused by chemical compounds bound to the particles. Owing to the complexity of effects related to PM and their associated chemical compounds, various physiological parameters necessarily need to be investigated to obtain more information about their possible involvement in human relevant pathogenic processes. As shown here, effects on cell proliferation and on energy-providing processes are suitable indicators for the different impact of PM and adsorbed chemicals from various sampling locations. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 457,463, 2006. [source] How quality and quantity of organic matter affect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon desorption from Norwegian harbor sedimentsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2006Amy M. P. Oen Abstract The desorption behavior of phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo[a]pyrene was investigated for three Norwegian harbor sediments and their respective particle size fractions using the Tenax desorption method. Rate constants for rapidly, slowly, and very slowly desorbing fractions were on the order of 10,1, 10,2 to 10,4, and 10,4 to 10,6/h, respectively. Relatively small amounts were present in the rapidly desorbing fractions (Frapid: <6% for phenanthrene, 3,19% for pyrene, and 1,12% for benzo[a]pyrene). With the exception of benzo[a]pyrene, these Frapid values were generally lower than median Frapid values obtained from more than 100 literature values for native polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (22% for phenanthrene, 29% for pyrene, and 8% for benzo[a]pyrene). To understand which parameters influence PAH desorption, relations between desorption behavior and the sediment characteristics were investigated. A significant positive correlation was found between the extent of slow and very slow desorption and the ratios of black carbon to total organic carbon, as well as the temperature at which 50 and 90%, respectively, of the organic matter was oxidized, as obtained from oxidation-only Rock Eval analysis. Thus, black carbon-bound PAHs probably desorb slowly and very slowly. Furthermore, significant positive correlations between desorption behavior and the average particle size were observed, which could be explained by retarded intraparticle diffusion. [source] Impact of activated sludge-derived colloidal organic carbon on behavior of estrogenic agonist recombinant yeast bioassayENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2005R. David Holbrook Abstract The impact of size-fractionated colloidal organic carbon (COC) originating from a biological wastewater treatment facility on the sensitivity of the yeast estrogen screen (YES) bioassay containing the human estrogen receptor (hER) gene was evaluated. Dose-response curves of serially diluted 17,-estradiol (E2), both in the presence and absence of COC, were generated by the YES bioassay. The concentration of E2 leading to a 50% YES response (effective concentration 50%, or EC50) was used to evaluate quantitatively the estrogenic activity of the different COC-E2 mixtures. The EC50 values for all COC size fractions, including COC-free samples (<1 kD), were statistically greater than the controls using Milli-Q water. Normalized EC50 values significantly increased as a function of COC concentration for the larger size fractions (>0.22 ,m), but were not significantly affected by smaller COC material at environmental levels (1,5 mg/L), while both colloidal polysaccharide concentrations and colloidal fluorophores (measured at an excitation/emission wavelength pair of 350 nm/450 nm) appear to have an important role in the sensitivity of the YES bioassay. Estimates of the colloid-associated E2 fraction did not predict accurately increases in EC50 values. Matrix effects of the specific environment being tested with the YES bioassay need to be evaluated closely due to the sensitivity of the hER and reporter plasmid. [source] Effect of earthworm activity (Aporrectodea giardi) on atrazine adsorption and biodegradationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006T. Alekseeva Summary We investigated the influence of earthworm (Aporrectodea giardi) activity on soil properties and on atrazine (AT) adsorption and biodegradation by comparing a coarse-textured smectite-free wetland soil (Brittany, France) with the earthworm casts derived from the top horizon of this soil. Casts are characterized by lower pH, are enriched in organic carbon (OC) and clay content, have a larger cation exchange capacity, and a greater exchangeable Ca content. The clay mineralogy of the soil studied and casts is characterized by a muscovite,kaolinite,chlorite association. In addition, the clay fraction of the soil contains lepidocrocite (,-FeOOH), which was not found in the casts. Atrazine adsorption isotherms were reasonably well described by the Freundlich equation and were all non-linear. The mean amounts of adsorbed AT for starting concentrations of 3,30 mg litre,1 ranged from 8 to 34%, being largest in earthworm casts. Soil AT adsorption capacity was well correlated with OC content. Non-decomposed organic matter present in the coarse size fractions and specific compounds present in earthworm casts (proteins, mono- and polysaccharides, polyphenols, sugars, lignin) and microbial and fungal biomass contribute to AT adsorption. Weak electrostatic (physical) sorption of AT on organic compounds and on mineral surfaces prevails. For casts, the formation of additional hydrophobic interactions between AT and SOM is proposed. We also studied AT biodegradation by the model bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP in the presence of soils or earthworm casts. An enhancement of the AT disappearance rate was observed in the presence of all the solid matrices tested compared with that obtained in an aqueous medium. The biodegradation rate was shown to be dependent not only on the OC content of the solid matrix, but mainly on its composition and structure. [source] Carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of bulk soils, particle-size fractions and organic material after treatment with hydrofluoric acidEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2005M. W. I. Schmidt Summary Soils and sediments contain only small amounts of organic matter, and large concentrations of paramagnetic metals can give poor solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of organic matter. Pretreatment of samples with hydrofluoric acid (HF) dissolves significant proportions of the mineral matrix and extracts paramagnetic elements. We investigated the effects of 10% HF treatment on the stable isotope content of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) of organic matter from soils, composts and shales. Additionally we inferred molecular and isotopic characteristics of lost materials from calculations of isotope mass balances. Treatment with HF enriched C and N in mineral samples substantially (factors 2.5,42.4), except for Podzol B horizons (1.1,1.7) and organic material (1.0,1.3). After treatment most of the C (59.7,91.7%) and N (53.7,86.6%) was recovered, although changing C/N ratios often indicated a preferential loss of N-rich material. Isotope ratios of C and N in the remaining material became more negative when net alterations exceeded 0.3,. The isotope ratios of the lost material contained more 13C (1,2,) and 15N (1,4,) than the initial organic matter. Acid hydrolysis typically removes proteins, amino acids and polysaccharides, all of which are enriched in 13C, and in the case of proteins and amino acids, enriched in 15N as well. We conclude that HF treatment released fresh, soluble, probably microbial, biomass in addition to carbohydrates. Net changes of the bulk chemical composition of organic matter were small for most soils, size fractions and plant material, but not for samples containing little organic matter, or those rich in easily soluble organic matter associated with iron oxides, such as Podzol B horizons. [source] Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass and its implications for the dynamics of an oligotrophic tropical lakeFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008MARĶA FERNANDA ADAME Summary 1. Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass was examined in relation to the hydrodynamics of tropical Lake Alchichica from 1999 to 2002. 2. Alchichica is a warm monomictic lake, in which mixing takes place from late December to early March. The lake is oligotrophic (mean total chlorophyll- a concentration 4.2 ± 4.2 ,g L,1) and its phytoplankton biomass is dominated (72.3 ± 16.4%) by large individuals (>2 ,m). The degree of dominance of the large size class (nano- and microplankton) over the small size class (picoplankton) throughout the year is mainly determined by the availability of silicate and the Si/N ratio in the hypolimnion prior to the mixing period. 3. This is the first record of an oligotrophic tropical lake dominated by large size fractions of phytoplankton. Because of this dominance, the fate of most primary productivity is rapid sedimentation to the bottom followed by decomposition that promotes an anoxic hypolimnion. 4. Our findings in tropical Lake Alchichica challenge the idea that oligotrophic waters are dominated by small phytoplankton, as has been well established for the oligotrophic ocean and temperate lakes. [source] Sequestration and turnover of plant- and microbially derived sugars in a temperate grassland soil during 7 years exposed to elevated atmospheric pCO2GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007MICHAEL BOCK Abstract Temperate grasslands contribute about 20% to the global terrestrial carbon (C) budget with sugars contributing 10,50% to this soil C pool. Whether the observed increase of the atmospheric CO2 concentration (pCO2) leads to additional C sequestration into these ecosystems or enhanced mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of the presented study was to investigate the impact of elevated atmospheric pCO2 on C sequestration and turnover of plant- (arabinose and xylose) and microbially derived (fucose, rhamnose, galactose, mannose) sugars in soil, representing a labile SOM pool. The study was carried out at the Swiss Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment near Zurich. For 7 years, Lolium perenne swards were exposed to ambient and elevated pCO2 (36 and 60 Pa, respectively). The additional CO2 in the FACE plots was depleted in 13C compared with ambient plots, so that ,new' (<7 years) C inputs could be determined by means of compound-specific stable isotope analysis (13C : 12C). Samples were fractionated into clay, silt, fine sand and coarse sand, which yielded relatively stable and labile SOM pools with different turnover rates. Total sugar sequestration into bulk soil after 7 years of exposure to elevated pCO2 was about 28% compared with the control plots. In both ambient and elevated plots, total sugar concentrations in particle size fractions increased in the order sand Stocks and dynamics of SOC in relation to soil redistribution by water and tillage erosionGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 10 2006JIANHUI ZHANG Abstract Soil organic carbon (SOC) displaced by soil erosion is the subject of much current research and the fundamental question, whether accelerated soil erosion is a source or sink of atmospheric CO2, remains unresolved. A toposequence of terraced fields as well as a long slope was selected from hilly areas of the Sichuan Basin, China to determine effects of soil redistribution rates and processes on SOC stocks and dynamics. Soil samples for the determination of caesium-137 (137Cs), SOC, total N and soil particle size fractions were collected at 5 m intervals along a transect down the two toposequences. 137Cs data showed that along the long slope transect soil erosion occurred in upper and middle slope positions and soil deposition appeared in the lower part of the slope. Along the terraced transect, soil was lost over the upper parts of the slopes and deposition occurred towards the downslope boundary on each terrace, resulting in very abrupt changes in soil redistribution over short distances either side of terrace boundaries that run parallel with the contour on the steep slopes. These data reflect a difference in erosion process; along the long slope transect, water erosion is the dominant process, while in the terraced landscape soil distribution is mainly the result of tillage erosion. SOC inventories (mass per unit area) show a similar pattern to the 137Cs inventory, with relatively low SOC content in the erosional sites and high SOC content in depositional areas. However, in the terraced field landscape C/N ratios were highest in the depositional areas, while along the long slope transect, C/N ratios were highest in the erosional areas. When the samples are subdivided based on 137Cs-derived erosion and deposition data, it is found that the erosional areas have similar C/N ratios for both toposequences, while the C/N ratios in depositional areas are significantly different from each other. These differences are attributed to the difference in soil erosion processes; tillage erosion is mainly responsible for high-SOC inventories at depositional positions on terraced fields, whereas water erosion plays a primary role in SOC storage at depositional positions on the long slope. These data support the theory that water erosion may cause a loss of SOC due to selective removal of the most labile fraction of SOC, while on the other hand tillage erosion only transports the soil over short distances with less effect on the total SOC stock. [source] Composite suspended sediment particles and flocculation in glacial meltwaters: preliminary evidence from Alpine and Himalayan basinsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 9 2002J. C. Woodward Abstract Research over the last decade has shown that the suspended sediment loads of many rivers are dominated by composite particles. These particles are also known as aggregates or flocs, and are commonly made up of constituent mineral particles, which evidence a wide range of grain sizes, and organic matter. The resulting in situ or effective particle size characteristics of fluvial suspended sediment exert a major control on all processes of entrainment, transport and deposition. The significance of composite suspended sediment particles in glacial meltwater streams has, however, not been established. Existing data on the particle size characteristics of suspended sediment in glacial meltwaters relate to the dispersed mineral fraction (absolute particle size), which, for certain size fractions, may bear little relationship to the effective or in situ distribution. Existing understanding of composite particle formation within freshwater environments would suggest that in-stream flocculation processes do not take place in glacial meltwater systems because of the absence of organic binding agents. However, we report preliminary scanning electron microscopy data for one Alpine and two Himalayan glaciers that show composite particles are present in the suspended sediment load of the meltwater system. The genesis and structure of these composite particles and their constituent grain size characteristics are discussed. We present evidence for the existence of both aggregates, or composite particles whose features are largely inherited from source materials, and flocs, which represent composite particles produced by in-stream flocculation processes. In the absence of organic materials, the latter may result solely from electrochemical flocculation in the meltwater sediment system. This type of floc formation has not been reported previously in the freshwater fluvial environment. Further work is needed to test the wider significance of these data and to investigate the effective particle size characteristics of suspended sediment associated with high concentration outburst events. Such events make a major contribution to suspended sediment fluxes in meltwater streams and may provide conditions that are conducive to composite particle formation by flocculation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Major and trace element provenance signatures in stream sediments from the Kando River, San'in district, southwest JapanISLAND ARC, Issue 2 2006Edwin Ortiz Abstract Basement rocks in the catchment of the Kando River in southwest Japan can be divided into two main groups. Paleogene to Cretaceous felsic granitoids and volcanic rocks dominate in the upstream section, and more mafic, mostly Miocene volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks occur in the downstream reaches. Geochemically distinctive Mount Sambe adakitic volcanic products also crop out in the west. X-ray fluorescence analyses of major elements and 14 trace elements were made of two size fractions (<180 and 180,2000 µm) from 86 stream sediments collected within the catchment, to examine contrasts in composition between the fractions as a result of sorting and varying source lithotype. The <180 µm fractions are depleted in SiO2 and enriched in most other major and trace elements relative to the 180,2000 µm fractions. Na2O, K2O, Ba, Rb and Sr are either depleted relative to the 180,2000 µm fractions, or show little contrast in abundance. Sediments from granitoid-dominated catchments are distinguished by greater K2O, Th, Rb, Ba and Nb than those derived from the Miocene volcanic rocks. Granitoid-derived <180 µm fractions are also enriched in Zr, Ce and Y. Sediments derived from the Miocene volcanic rocks generally contain greater TiO2, Fe2O3*, Sc, V, MgO and P2O5, reflecting their more mafic source. Sediments containing Sambe volcanic rocks in their source are marked by higher Sr, CaO, Na2O and lower Y, reflecting an adakitic signature that persists into the lower main channel, where compositions become less variable as the bedload is homogenized. Normalization against source averages shows that compositions of the 180,2000 µm fractions are less fractionated from their parents than are the <180 µm fractions, which are enriched for some elements. Contrast between the size fractions is greatest for the granitoid-derived sediments. Weathering indices of the sediments are relatively low, indicating source weathering is moderate, and typical of temperate climates. Some zircon concentration has occurred in granitoid-derived <180 µm fractions relative to 180,2000 µm counterparts, but Th/Sc and Zr/Sc ratios overall closely reflect both provenance and homogenization in the lower reaches. [source] Contact metamorphic P,T,t paths from Sm,Nd garnet ages, phase equilibria modelling and thermobarometry: Garnet Ledge, south-eastern Alaska, USAJOURNAL OF METAMORPHIC GEOLOGY, Issue 6 2001H. H. Stowell Abstract Sm,Nd garnet-whole rock geochronology, phase equilibria, and thermobarometry results from Garnet Ledge, south-eastern Alaska, provide the first precisely constrained P,T,t path for garnet zone contact metamorphism. Garnet cores from two crystals and associated whole rocks yield a four point isochron age for initial garnet growth of 89.9 ± 3.6 Ma. Garnet rims and matrix minerals from the same samples yield a five point isochron age for final garnet growth of 89 ± 1 Ma. Six size fractions of zircon from the adjacent pluton yield a concordant U,Pb age of 91.6 ± 0.5 Ma. The garnet core and rim, and zircon ages are compatible with single-stage garnet growth during and/or after pluton emplacement. All garnet core,whole rock and garnet rim-matrix data from the two samples constrain garnet growth duration to ,5.5 my. A garnet mid-point and the associated matrix from one of the two garnet crystals yield an age of 90.0 ± 1.0 Ma. This mid-point result is logically younger than the 90.7 ± 5.6 Ma core,whole rock age and older than the 88.4 ± 2.5 Ma rim-matrix age for this sample. A MnNaCaKFMASH phase diagram (P,T pseudosection) and the garnet core composition are used to predict that cores of garnet crystals grew at 610 ± 20 °C and 5 ± 1 kbar. This exceeds the temperature of the garnet-in reaction by c. 50 °C and is compatible with overstepping of the garnet growth reaction during contact metamorphism. Intersection of three reactions involving garnet-biotite-sillimanite-plagioclase-quartz calculated by THERMOCALC in average P,T mode, and exchange thermobarometry were used to estimate peak metamorphic conditions of 678 ± 58 °C at 6.1 ± 0.9 kbar and 685 ± 50 °C at 6.3 ± 1 kbar, respectively. Integration of pressure, temperature, and age estimates yields a pressure-temperature-time path compatible with near isobaric garnet growth over an interval of c. 70 °C and c. 2.3 my. [source] Wet granulation as innovative and fast method to prepare controlled release granules based on an ion-exchange resinJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2008Beatrice Albertini Abstract The goal of this work was to evaluate the suitability of wet granulation as an innovative and fast method for the preparation of granules containing a drug,resin complex (resinate), having cholestyramine as resin and potassium diclofenac (KD) as drug. Resinate and granules were prepared directly by steam granulation in high shear mixer (method A), using two different amount of resin (granules 1 and 2). For comparison granules 1 were also prepared by conventional batch method followed by steam granulation (method B). All granules showed quite irregular shape, main size fractions between 75 and 500 µm, good flowability and uniform KD distribution. Granules 1A exhibited controlled release profiles at pH 7.4, while granules 2A showed a burst effect due to KD free crystals. FT-IR studies confirmed the complete complexation between resin and KD during the granulation process with method A for granules 1. Finally, the dissolution test of granules 1A in different media revealed a controlled drug release in 12 h, providing the utility of this system for enteric drug delivery. Granules 1B evidenced similar characteristics to those of granules 1A; the drawback of the multistep procedure was related to the long processing time. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 97:1313,1324, 2008 [source] FIB-Nanotomography of Particulate Systems,Part I: Particle Shape and Topology of InterfacesJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 8 2006Lorenz Holzer A new 3D-microscopy method, focused ion beam-nanotomography (FIB-nt), has been applied to the statistical particle shape analysis and for topological characterization of granular textures in cement samples. Because of its high resolution (15 nm), FIB-nt reveals precise microstructural information at the submicrometer scale, which cannot be obtained with conventional tomography methods. It is demonstrated that even from complex granular textures with dense agglomerates, it is possible to identify the individual sub-grains. This is the basis for reliable statistical shape analysis. For this purpose, moments of inertia were determined for particles from five different grain size fractions of a given cement, which provides important input data for future modeling of rheology and hydration processes. In addition, FIB-nt was used for topological characterization of the particle,particle interfaces in the dense and fine-grained granular textures. The unique 3D-data obtained with FIB-nt thus open new possibilities for quantitative microstructure analysis and the data can be used as structural input for object-oriented modeling. [source] THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL UPLAND EROSION MODEL CASC2D-SED,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 1 2000Billy E. Johnson ABSTRACT: The two-dimensional soil erosion model CASC2D-SED simulates the dynamics of upland erosion during single rainstorms. The model is based on the raster-based surface runoff calculations from CASC2D. Rainfall precipitation is distributed in time and space. Infiltration is calculated from the Green-Ampt equations. Surface runoff is calculated from the diffusive wave approximation to the Saint-Venant equations in two-dimensions. Watershed data bases in raster Geographical Information System (GIS) provide information on the soil type, size fractions, soil erodibility, cropping management, and conservation practice factors for soil erosion calculations. Upland sediment transport is calculated for the size fractions (sand, silt, and clay), and the model displays the sediment flux, the amount of suspended sediment, and the net erosion and deposition using color graphics. The model has been tested on Goodwin Creek, Mississippi. The peak discharge and time to peak are within ± 20 percent and sediment transport rates within ,50 percent to 200 percent. [source] Morphological, thermal, rheological and retrogradation properties of potato starch fractions varying in granule sizeJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 10 2004Narpinder Singh Abstract The physicochemical properties of small, medium and large starch granules separated from four potato cultivars were investigated to reveal whether functional properties differed among the various size classes of the starches. Large-size fractions showed higher amylose content and light transmittance and lower swelling power than small-size fractions. The granules from the three fractions had diameters of 5,20, 25,40 and 40,85 µm respectively. The large and medium granules were ellipsoidal to irregular or cuboidal while the small granules were spherical or ellipsoidal in shape. The transition temperatures and gelatinisation temperature range of the fractionated starches increased while the enthalpy of gelatinisation decreased with decreasing granule size. Rheological parameters such as peak storage (G,) and loss (G,) moduli increased in the order small-, medium- and large-granule starches when subjected to temperature sweep testing. The breakdown in peak G, during the heating cycle and retrogradation during storage were found to be highest for large- and lowest for small-size fractions. The differences in functional properties among the different size fractions suggested that the granule size distribution is an important parameter that can influence the behaviour of potato starch during processing. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Granulation sensing of first-break ground wheat using a near-infrared reflectance spectrometer: studies with soft red winter wheats,JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 3 2003Melchor C Pasikatan Abstract A near-infrared reflectance spectrometer, previously evaluated as a granulation sensor for first-break ground wheat from six wheat classes and hard red winter (HRW) wheats, was further evaluated for soft red winter (SRW) wheats. Two sets of 35 wheat samples, representing seven cultivars of SRW wheat ground by an experimental roller mill at five roll gap settings (0.38, 0.51, 0.63, 0.75 and 0.88,mm), were used for calibration and validation. Partial least squares regression was applied to develop the granulation models using combinations of four data pretreatments (log(1/R), baseline correction, unit area normalisation and derivatives) and subregions of the 400,1700,nm wavelength range. Cumulative mass of size fraction was used as reference value. Models that corrected for path length effects (those that used unit area normalisation) predicted the bigger size fractions well. The model based on unit area normalisation/first derivative predicted 34 out of 35 validation spectra with standard errors of prediction of 3.53, 1.83, 1.43 and 1.30 for the >1041, >375, >240 and >136,µm size fractions respectively. Because of less variation in mass of each size fraction, SRW wheat granulation models performed better than the previously reported models for six wheat classes. However, because of SRW wheat flour's tendency to stick to the underside of sieves, the finest size fraction of these models did not perform as well as the HRW wheat models. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Soil restorative effects of mulching on aggregation and carbon sequestration in a Miamian soil in central OhioLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2003G. S. Saroa Abstract Soils play a key role in the global carbon cycle, and can be a source or a sink of atmospheric carbon (C). Thus, the effect of land use and management on soil C dynamics needs to be quantified. This study was conducted to assess: (1) the role of aggregation in enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) concentrations for different mulch rates, (2) the association of SOC and TSN with different particle size fractions, and (3) the temporal changes in the SOC concentration within aggregate and particle size fractions with duration of mulching. Two experiments were initiated, one each in 1989 and 1996, on a Crosby silt loam (Aeric Ochraqualf or Stagnic Luvisol) in central Ohio. Mulch treatments were 0, 8, and 16,Mg,ha,1,yr,1 without crop cultivation. Soil samples from 0,5,cm and 5,10,cm depths were obtained in November 2000; 4 and 11 years after initiating the experiments. Mulch rate significantly increased SOC and TSN concentrations in the 0,5,cm soil layer only. The variation in the SOC concentration attributed to the mulch rate was 41 per,cent after 4 years of mulching and 52 per,cent after 11 years of mulching. There were also differences in SOC and TSN concentrations among large aggregate size fractions, up to 2,mm size after 4 years and up to 0,5,mm after 11 years of mulching. There were also differences in SOC and TSN concentrations among particle size fractions. Variation in the SOC concentration in relation to particle size was attributed to clay by 45,51 per,cent, silt by 34,36 per,cent, and to sand fraction by 15,19 per,cent. Bulk of the TSN (62,67 per,cent) was associated with clay fraction and the rest was equally distributed between silt and sand fractions. The enrichment of SOC and TSN concentrations in the clay fraction increased with depth. The C:N ratio was not affected by the mulch rate, but differed significantly among particle size fractions; being in the order of sand >silt >clay. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Isotopic compositions of different presolar silicon carbide size fractions from the Murchison meteoriteMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 5 2000Sachiko AMARI Ratios of 12C/13C range from 37 to 42 and 14N/15N ratios from 370 to 520, within the range of single-grain measurements on coarser samples and in agreement with an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star origin of most of the grains. Variations among size fractions do not show any simple trend and can be explained by varying contamination with isotopically normal material. Silicon isotopic ratios vary only little and, with one exception, lie to the right of the singlegrain mainstream correlation line. This might indicate a higher percentage of the minor populations Y and Z among finer grain-size fractions. All bulk samples have large 26Mg excesses attributed to the presence of short-lived 26Al at the time of grain formation. Inferred 26Al/27Al ratios are much larger than those measured in single larger mainstream grains. This is probably because of the presence of SiC grains of type X; we obtain an estimate of 0.4 for their 26Al/27Al ratio. Our Ca-isotopic measurements, the first made on presolar SiC grains, show excesses in 42Ca and 43Ca, which is in general agreement with theoretical expectations for AGB stars. Calcium-44 excesses are much larger than expected and are probably because of X grains, which have high44Ca excesses because of the decay of short-lived 44Ti produced in supernova explosions. We arrive at an estimate of 0.014 for the initial 44Ti/48Ti ratio of the X grains, within the range obtained from previous single X grain measurements. The Ti-isotopic ratios of the bulk samples show a V-shaped pattern with excesses of all isotopes relative to 48Ti. Isotopes 46Ti, 47Ti, and 50Ti show excesses relative to the correlation between Ti and Si ratios for single grains and are in general agreement with theoretical models of s-process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars. In contrast, 49Ti does not show any excess relative to the singlegrain data; it also fails to agree with theory, which predicts much larger excesses than observed. Measured 53Cr/52Cr and 57Fe/56Fe ratios are normal within errors. The first result is expected even for Cr in AGB star envelopes, but the second result suggests that most of the Fe analyzed originates from contamination. We have found no simple trends in isotopic composition with respect to grain size that can be interpreted in terms of nucleosynthetic origin, unlike the results for Kr, Xe, Ba, and Sr. [source] Screening of binding activity of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus suis to berries and juicesPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue S1 2010Marko Toivanen Abstract Antiadhesion therapy is a promising approach to the fight against pathogens. Antibiotic resistance and the lack of effective vaccines have increased the search for new methods to prevent infectious diseases. Previous studies have shown the antiadhesion activity of juice from cultivated cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) against bacteria, especially E. coli. In this study, the binding of two streptococcal strains, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus agalactiae, to molecular size fractions (FI, FII and FIII, <10,kDa, 10,100,kDa, and >100,kDa, respectively) of berries and berry and fruit juices from 12 plant species were studied using a microtiter well assay. For Streptococcus suis a hemagglutination inhibition assay was used. In general, binding activity was detected especially to wild cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos L.) and to other Vaccinium species. S. pneumoniae cells bound most to cranberry juice fraction FI and S. agalactiae cells to cranberry fraction FIII. Hemagglutination induced by S. suis was most effectively inhibited by cranberry fraction FII. NMR spectra of some characteristic active and non-active fractions were also measured. They indicate that fractions FII and FIII contained proanthocyanidins and/or other phenolic compounds. The results suggest Vaccinium berries as possible sources of antiadhesives against bacterial infections. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effect of acidification on elemental and isotopic compositions of sediment organic matter and macro-invertebrate muscle tissues in food web researchRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 20 2010Debashish Mazumder Stable isotope techniques in food web studies often focus on organic carbon in food sources which are subsequently assimilated in the tissue of consumer organisms through diet. The presence of non-dietary carbonates in bulk samples can affect their ,13C values, altering how their results are interpreted. Acidification of samples is a common practice to eliminate any inorganic carbon present prior to analysis. We examined the effects of pre-analysis acidification on two size fractions of sediment organic matter (SOM) from marine and freshwater wetlands and pure muscle tissue of a common freshwater invertebrate (Cherax destructor). The elemental content and isotopic ratios of carbon and nitrogen were compared between paired samples of acidified and control treatments. Our results showed that acidification does not affect the elemental or isotopic values of freshwater SOM. In the marine environment acidification depleted the ,13C and ,15N values of the fine fraction of saltmarsh and ,15N values of mangrove fine SOM. Whilst acidification did not change the elemental content of invertebrate muscle tissue, the ,13C and ,15N values were affected. We recommend to researchers considering using acidification techniques on material prepared for stable isotope analysis that a formal assessment of the effect of acidification on their particular sample type should be undertaken. Further detailed investigation to understand the impact of acidification on elemental and isotopic values of organic matter and muscular tissues is required. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Role of particle size in till-fabric characteristics: systematic variation in till fabric from Vestari-Hagafellsjökull, IcelandBOREAS, Issue 4 2007Simon J. Carr Till-fabric analysis has often been used to interpret glacier flow directions and subglacial dynamics using vector-based statistics, but recent data suggest that such analysis may also effectively indicate former glacier dynamics. The results of a fabric investigation of subglacially strained till deposited during a surge of Vestari-Hagafellsjökull, Iceland, are presented. Till fabric was collected at four sites within a limited area where ice-flow direction during deposition was known from subglacial bedforms at the site. Analysis was carried out on elongate grains (axial ratio <1.5:1) at seven size fractions, with the a-axis length ranging from 0.25 to 32 mm. The largest grains tend to be parallel to ice flow, whereas smaller grains reflect a mix of parallel and transverse orientations. The implications of these data for the role and validity of till-fabric analysis are discussed, with reference to vector analyses and the compilation of fabric shape envelopes. It is noted that, in contrast to laboratory experimental data, neither March nor Jeffery mechanisms explain the fabric configurations reported. It is concluded that a standardized approach is necessary for collecting fabric data, and in many situations analysis of data populations at a range of particle sizes is desirable. [source]
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