scholarly journals Initial Stages of Gypsum Nucleation: The Role of “Nano/Microdust”

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1083
Author(s):  
Maxim Oshchepkov ◽  
Konstantin Popov ◽  
Anna Kovalenko ◽  
Anatoly Redchuk ◽  
Julia Dikareva ◽  
...  

The primary nucleation mechanism of the gypsum in a bulk aqueous medium was identified as a heterogeneous one for 0.05 and 0.03 mol·L−1 CaSO4·2H2O solutions and 25 °C. By means of a particle counter and dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique, solid nano/microimpurities were found, and controlled in stock brines for gypsum supersaturated solutions preparation. It is demonstrated that the common procedure of reagent grade 0.10 mol·L‒1 CaCl2 and Na2SO4 aqueous solutions filtration via 200 nm membranes is capable to reduce the foreign solid microimpurities content (size > 100 nm) from 106 to 103 units in 1 mL, but fails to affect the more numerous nanofraction (size < 100 nm). Thus, the gypsum nucleation takes place in presence of a significant amount of “nano/microcodust” templates, and has a heterogenous character. The induction time, measured by conductivity for the similar supersaturation levels, reveals a well detectable dependence on nano/microdust concentent: an increasing background particle concentration substantially decreases the induction period at a constant saturation state and temperature, and thus increases the nucleation rate. Therefore, the gypsum nucleation reaction starts tentatively through the fast heterogeneous formation of well-defined, primary nuclei via [Ca2+], [SO42‒], and [CaSO4]o species sorption on the surface of “nano/microdust” particles. Thus, the “nano/microdust”, naturally occurring in any high purity chemical, plays a key role in sparingly soluble salts nucleation in the bulk aqueous medium.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémy Schoppach ◽  
Kwok Pan Chun ◽  
Quing He ◽  
Fabiani Ginevra ◽  
Julian Klaus

&lt;p&gt;Multi-species forests display a substantial tree-to-tree variability in transpiration induced by various vegetation and landscape characteristics. However, how to model transpiration accounting for tree-to-tree variability still needs to be developed. Diameter at breast height (DBH) is a representative variable of tree characteristics related to age, size and social position in the canopy. Landscape characteristics affecting transpiration are usually defined by topographical factors including slope, aspect, curvature, flow accumulation and topographic position index. Among all transpiration drivers, DBH and topographical factors represent the most stable controls over a growing season. Both play a key-role in defining the accessibility and the availability of the water sustaining transpiration flux and consequently in determining tree-to-tree variability in transpiration. However, previous studies showed that DBH and topographical factors can exhibit contrasting effects on sap velocity (a proxy of transpiration) depending on species and the hydro-meteorological conditions. So far, we are still lacking a detailed understanding of the species-specific influence of DBH and topographical factors on sap velocity, which hampers our ability to predict future forest water-use by impeding our capability to build robust procedures for upscaling sap-flow that accounts for tree-to-tree variability. In this study, we used a relative importance analysis to investigate the specie-specific and dynamic role of DBH and topographical factors on sap velocity. We monitored sap velocity in 28 beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak (Quercus robur/petraea) trees in a 0.45 km&amp;#178; forested catchment. We found that the relative importance of DBH and topographical factors depended on species-specific water-use strategies. Based on these results, we developed a novel and robust procedure for upscaling sap velocity using a species-specific non-linear model of sap velocity response to temperature. This new procedure accounts for tree DBH and terrain&amp;#8217;s slope for providing modelled time series of sap velocity. Finally, we compared our new procedure with other available upscaling procedure. In both cases, we used the measured sap velocity data to build models for each approach; then, we compared the modelled sap velocity to the real corresponding measured values of individual 28 trees in order to evaluate the differences between sap velocity estimations resulting from the two approaches. Over the whole year, the common procedure overestimated oak sap velocity by 39% &amp;#177; 5.0 SE and 5% &amp;#177; 2.3 SE for beech, while our new procedure led to an underestimation of only 4.8% &amp;#177; 2.0 SE for oak and 12% &amp;#177; 1.4 SE for beech. Our novel procedure also reduced the standard error of the estimation in both species and therefore the uncertainty on sap velocity of each tree. Moreover, our new procedure appeared to particularly outperform the common procedure during dry summer months when the estimation of forest transpiration is critical. During this period, our procedure slightly underestimated sap velocity by 5.8 &amp;#177; 1.7% and 1.1 &amp;#177; 1.9% while the common one overestimated sap velocity by 32.3 &amp;#177; 4.8% and 8.5 &amp;#177; 2.6% for oak and beech trees, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaya Srivastava ◽  
P. Sunthar ◽  
Petety V. Balaji

Several monosaccharides constitute naturally occurring glycans, but it is uncertain whether they constitute a universal set like the alphabets of proteins and DNA. Based on the available experimental observations, it is hypothesized herein that the glycan alphabet is not universal. Data on the presence/absence of pathways for the biosynthesis of 55 monosaccharides in 12 939 completely sequenced archaeal and bacterial genomes are presented in support of this hypothesis. Pathways were identified by searching for homologues of biosynthesis pathway enzymes. Substantial variations were observed in the set of monosaccharides used by organisms belonging to the same phylum, genera and even species. Monosaccharides were grouped as common, less common and rare based on their prevalence in Archaea and Bacteria. It was observed that fewer enzymes are sufficient to biosynthesize monosaccharides in the common group. It appears that the common group originated before the formation of the three domains of life. In contrast, the rare group is confined to a few species in a few phyla, suggesting that these monosaccharides evolved much later. Fold conservation, as observed in aminotransferases and SDR (short-chain dehydrogenase reductase) superfamily members involved in monosaccharide biosynthesis, suggests neo- and sub-functionalization of genes led to the formation of the rare group monosaccharides. The non-universality of the glycan alphabet begets questions about the role of different monosaccharides in determining an organism’s fitness.


Author(s):  
David R. Veblen

Extended defects and interfaces control many processes in rock-forming minerals, from chemical reactions to rock deformation. In many cases, it is not the average structure of a defect or interface that is most important, but rather the structure of defect terminations or offsets in an interface. One of the major thrusts of high-resolution electron microscopy in the earth sciences has been to identify the role of defect fine structures in reactions and to determine the structures of such features. This paper will review studies using HREM and image simulations to determine the structures of defects in silicate and oxide minerals and present several examples of the role of defects in mineral chemical reactions. In some cases, the geological occurrence can be used to constrain the diffusional properties of defects.The simplest reactions in minerals involve exsolution (precipitation) of one mineral from another with a similar crystal structure, and pyroxenes (single-chain silicates) provide a good example. Although conventional TEM studies have led to a basic understanding of this sort of phase separation in pyroxenes via spinodal decomposition or nucleation and growth, HREM has provided a much more detailed appreciation of the processes involved.


2017 ◽  
pp. 98-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tirole

In the fourth chapter of the book “The economy of the common good”, the nature of economics as a science and research practices in their theoretical and empirical aspects are discussed. The author considers the processes of modeling, empirical verification of models and evaluation of research quality. In addition, the features of economic cognition and the role of mathematics in economic research are analyzed, including the example of relevant research in game theory and information theory.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-240
Author(s):  
Eran Laish

This article focuses on the main contemplative principles of the ‘Heart Essence’ (sNying thig), a Tibetan Buddhist tradition that is characterized by a vision of non-duality and primordial wholeness. Due to this vision, which asserts an original reality that is not divided into perceiving subject and perceived object, the ‘Heart Essence’ advocates a contemplative practice that undermines the usual intuitions of temporality and enclosed selfhood. Hence, unlike the common principles of intentional praxis, such as deliberate concentration and gradual purification, the ‘Heart Essence’ affirms four contemplative principles of non-objectiveness, openness, spontaneity and singleness. As these principles transcend intentionality, temporality, and multiplicity, they are seen to directly disclose the nature of primordial awareness, in which the meanings of knowing and being are radically transformed. Therefore, the article will also consider the role of these non-dual contemplative principles in deeply changing our understanding of being and knowing alike.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (10-3) ◽  
pp. 70-81
Author(s):  
David Ramiro Troitino ◽  
Tanel Kerikmae ◽  
Olga Shumilo

This article highlights the role of Charles de Gaulle in the history of united post-war Europe, his approaches to the internal and foreign French policies, also vetoing the membership of the United Kingdom in the European Community. The authors describe the emergence of De Gaulle as a politician, his uneasy relationship with Roosevelt and Churchill during World War II, also the roots of developing a “nationalistic” approach to regional policy after the end of the war. The article also considers the emergence of the Common Agricultural Policy (hereinafter - CAP), one of Charles de Gaulle’s biggest achievements in foreign policy, and the reasons for the Fouchet Plan defeat.


2019 ◽  
pp. 512-519
Author(s):  
Teymur Dzhalilov ◽  
Nikita Pivovarov

The published document is a part of the working record of The Secretariat of the CPSU Central Committee on May 5, 1969. The employees of The Common Department of the CPSU Central Committee started writing such working records from the end of 1965. In contrast to the protocols, the working notes include speeches of the secretaries of the Central Committee, that allow to deeper analyze the reactions of the top party leadership, to understand their position regarding the political agenda. The peculiarity of the published document is that the Secretariat of the Central Committee did not deal with the most important foreign policy issues. It was the responsibility of the Politburo. However, it was at a meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee when Brezhnev raised the question of inviting G. Husák to Moscow. The latter replaced A. Dubček as the first Secretary of the Communist party of Czechoslovakia in April 1969. As follows from the document, Leonid Brezhnev tried to solve this issue at a meeting of the Politburo, but failed. However, even at the Secretariat of the Central Committee the Leonid Brezhnev’s initiative at the invitation of G. Husák was not supported. The published document reveals to us not only new facets in the mechanisms of decision-making in the CPSU Central Committee, the role of the Secretary General in this process, but also reflects the acute discussions within the Soviet government about the future of the world socialist systems.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Grossmann ◽  
Nic M. Weststrate ◽  
Monika Ardelt ◽  
Justin Peter Brienza ◽  
Mengxi Dong ◽  
...  

Interest in wisdom in the cognitive sciences, psychology, and education has been paralleled by conceptual confusions about its nature and assessment. To clarify these issues and promote consensus in the field, wisdom researchers met in Toronto in July of 2019, resolving disputes through discussion. Guided by a survey of scientists who study wisdom-related constructs, we established a common wisdom model, observing that empirical approaches to wisdom converge on the morally-grounded application of metacognition to reasoning and problem-solving. After outlining the function of relevant metacognitive and moral processes, we critically evaluate existing empirical approaches to measurement and offer recommendations for best practices. In the subsequent sections, we use the common wisdom model to selectively review evidence about the role of individual differences for development and manifestation of wisdom, approaches to wisdom development and training, as well as cultural, subcultural, and social-contextual differences. We conclude by discussing wisdom’s conceptual overlap with a host of other constructs and outline unresolved conceptual and methodological challenges.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 588-596
Author(s):  
Haibao Zhang ◽  
Guodong Zhu

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the common urologic neoplasms, and its incidence has been increasing over the past several decades; however, its pathogenesis is still unknown up to now. Recent studies have found that in addition to tumor cells, other cells in the tumor microenvironment also affect the biological behavior of the tumor. Among them, macrophages exist in a large amount in tumor microenvironment, and they are generally considered to play a key role in promoting tumorigenesis. Therefore, we summarized the recent researches on macrophage in the invasiveness and progression of RCC in latest years, and we also introduced and discussed many studies about macrophage in RCC to promote angiogenesis by changing tumor microenvironment and inhibit immune response in order to activate tumor progression. Moreover, macrophage interactes with various cytokines to promote tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis, and it also promotes tumor stem cell formation and induces drug resistance in the progression of RCC. The highlight of this review is to make a summary of the roles of macrophage in the invasion and progression of RCC; at the same time to raise some potential and possible targets for future RCC therapy.


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