The effects of varying concentrations of two chelators: EDTA, citric acid (CA), and phosphorus on the accumulation of arsenic in soil by two perennial grasses, Leersia oryzoides and (rice cut-grass) Festuca arundinacea (tall fescue). Each experiment was run for eight weeks, after which plants were harvested, oven-dried, digested in acid and analyzed using an ICP-OES. Phosphorus soil amendments were applied as 0, 15, 30, 60, 120 mg P/kg soil. For the first chelator experiment, CA and EDTA concentrations of 0, 2.5, and 5.0 mmol/kg soil were added in pulse form to the soil. In the second chelator experiment, concentrations of CA were added in 0, 2.0, 4.0 mmol/kg soil and EDTA was added as 0, 0.25, 0.50 mmol/kg soil. Both plant species accumulated enough arsenic in the root and shoot tissues to be considered at hyperaccumulator species. Citric acid produced comparable results with EDTA, and is considerable much safer for the environment than any synthetic chelator. Certain soil amendments (citric acid and phosphorus) and hyperaccumulator species used in this study warrant further research in the field.

No description available.

Chill brines used in ready-to-eat meat processing may be an important source of post-processing contamination by Listeria monocytogenes. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of ultraviolet light (UV) in combination with antimicrobials to reduce L. monocytogenes in fresh and used chill brines. Three different antimicrobials were used in combination with UV; citric acid (CA, 0.2 and 0.5%), dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC, 250 and 500 ppm), and hydrogen peroxide (HP, 2000 and 4000 ppm). For fresh brine studies, brine (8.0% w/v NaCl) was prepared and inoculated with a cocktail of three L. monocytogenes strains (approximately 6 log CFU/mL). Brine was treated with UV alone, antimicrobials alone, and combination of UV and antimicrobials. Moreover, to observe the effect of treatment temperature and brine circulation through the UV system on survival of listeriae cells, inoculated brine was circulated through the system without any treatment that served as control for all the treatments. For UV treatment, inoculated brine solution was exposed to UV in an Ultraviolet Water Treatment Unit (Model: AMD 150B/1/2T D; Aquionics Inc., Peak output: 254 nm) fitted with an inline chiller to maintain brine temperature of -1°C. Samples were withdrawn at regular intervals for 120 minutes. When L. monocytogenes population was no longer detectable via direct plating on MOX, enrichment was performed and suspect colonies were confirmed using API-Listeria. For antimicrobial-only (i.e., no UV) treatments, a specific concentration of antimicrobial was added in inoculated brine and samples were taken for 120 minutes. For the brine that received combination of UV and antimicrobial treatments, UV was turned on once a specific concentration of antimicrobial was added in inoculated brine and samples were withdrawn at regular intervals for 120 minutes. When treated with UV alone, L. monocytogenes population decreased from approximately 6 log CFU/mL to below the detection limit (i.e., 1 log CFU/mL) in 15 minutes with the reduction rate of 0.87 log CFU/mL per minute. However, cells were detectable by enrichment through 120 minutes. The highest rate of decline (0.90 log CFU/mL per minute) was achieved by the combination of UV and 500 ppm DMDC (UV+500 ppm DMDC), which was not significantly different from the reduction rates of UV and UV+0.5% CA. UV+500 ppm DMDC reduced L. monocytogenes to the detection limit in 15 minutes and the organism was not detected by enrichment after 60 minutes. Though the reduction rate of UV+0.5% CA was not significantly lower than the rate of UV+500 ppm DMDC (P>0.05), the former treatment resulted in non-detectable levels more quickly (45 minutes) than the latter (60 minutes). Thus, based on enrichment studies UV+0.5% CA was the most effective treatment in reducing the population of L. monocytogenes in fresh brine. Moreover, when brine was treated with 0.5% CA alone the population decreased to below detection limit in 15 minutes with the rate significantly lower than UV+500 ppm DMDC and UV+0.5% CA (P<0.05). However, L. monocytogenes was not detectable by enrichment from 60 minutes. To summarize, through enrichment studies we observed that UV+0.5% CA, UV+500 DMDC, and 0.5% CA Control were more effective than other treatments in reducing the listeriae population to a non-detectable level. Spent brine is recycled brine that was obtained from a frankfurter processor after its maximum usage. Results of spent brine studies showed that when brine was treated with UV+4000 ppm HP and UV+2000 ppm HP, L. monocytogenes population decreased to the detection limit in 45 minutes and was not detected by enrichment from 120 minutes. These treatments were observed to be the most effective treatments with a reduction rate of 0.12 log CFU/mL per minute. The reduction rate of some other treatments such as, UV+250 and 500 ppm DMDC, UV+0.2% and 0.5% CA, and UV alone was not significantly different from UV+4000 and 2000 ppm HP. However, the population was detected through enrichment up to 120 minutes in all other treatments. The results of these studies indicate that combinations of UV and antimicrobial may be more effective than either treatment alone (except 0.5% CA treatment) to process fresh chill brines. However, the antimicrobials and UV were less effective for controlling L. monocytgoenes in spent brine; presumably due to the presence of organic matter. / Ph. D.

The antioxidant properties of various blends of rosemary extract and tocopherols, either alone or with citric and ascorbic acid, were compared in filleted, headed and gutted, and minced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The filleted and headed and gutted products were stored at -29 degrees C for twelve months, while the minced was stored at the same temperature for 24 weeks. Oxidation was measured by following changes in thiobarbituric reactive substances, conjugated diene hydroperoxides, texture, drip loss, pH, sensory evaluation, and gas chromatographic detection of aldehydes. Natural antioxidants, in particular those that contained citric and ascorbic acids, were effective at retarding the development of conjugated diene hydroperoxides and malonaldehyde (p<0.05). Furthermore, sensory evaluation indicated that treated samples were less oxidized. In subsequent studies, however, it was determined that the herbal flavor notes associated with natural antioxidants complicated the ability of the experienced panel to judge extent of oxidation. Also, using filleted samples, further consumer sensory panels indicated that after 12 months frozen storage, the treated and control samples were equally acceptable. For both the filleted and headed and gutted samples, no texture differences were noted over storage time or between control or variable treatments. When using natural antioxidant products, drip loss and pH were found unreliable predicators of oxidation or muscle degradation. / Master of Science

Chapter 2: Germination and Growth of Radish (Raphanus sativus) and Lettuce (Lactuca sativus) Exposed to Arsenite and Arsenate in Hydroponic Growth Solution Little information is available on the survival, uptake, and dry mass production of vegetable seedlings and maturing plants in arsenic enriched environments. Such information is however very important to many vegetable growers in areas of subsistent agricultural like Bangladesh or home-gardeners in closer proximity of As sources such as metal smelters. Accordingly we conducted research investigating (i) the germination and radical formation of radish and lettuce seeds at varying As (V) and As (III) concentrations and (ii) radish and lettuce plants in solution culture. Seed germination studies demonstrated that 0.1mM and 0.025mM are toxic threshold levels of As (III and V) for radishes and lettuce, respectively, while As (V) is more toxic to radish seeds than As (III). Arsenic (III and V) impacted both germination and radical development in radish seeds. For lettuce we observed that As had no impact on germination but reduced radical length significantly (p < 0.01). At most equimolar concentrations, As (III) was more toxic than As (V) in lettuce seeds (0.025 - 0.10mM As), a result contrary to those obtained in radish seeds (0.05 - 0.5mM As). The hydroponic growth studies showed that losses and increases in dry weight are a function of absorbed As and are dependent on the source of As: As (V) or As (III). Moreover, the effect of absorbed As (V) or As (III) on dry weight reductions and increases differed between root and shoot portions of the plants and are crop dependent. Tissue-As (originally solution As (V)) was more toxic at the radish root level and tissue-As (originally solution As (III)) was more toxic at the radish shoot level. Conversely for lettuce, As (III) caused reductions in dry weight, while As (V) had a stimulating effect on biomass production. Lower As (V) concentrations in plant tissue throughout the lettuce study and at low As (V) concentrations (0.02mM) in the radish study may be explained by the molar ratio of P:As of approximately 5. From a food nutrition safety standpoint, studies need to concentrate on sub-lethal levels in order to ensure the proper formation of the harvestable portion of the plant. Chapter 3: Adsorption of Arsenate (V) and Arsenite (III) on Goethite in the Presence and Absence of Soluble Organic Carbon The environmental fate of arsenic is of utmost importance as the U.S. EPA has recently proposed to tighten the arsenic drinking water standard from 50 ppb to 5 ppb. In natural systems the presence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may compete with As for adsorption to mineral surfaces, hence increasing its potential bioavailability. Accordingly, the adsorption of arsenate As (V) and As (III) on goethite (α-FeOOH) was investigated in the presence of either a peat humic acid (Hap), a Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (FA) (IHSS) or citric acid (CA). Adsorption edges and kinetic experiments were used to examine the effects of equimolar concentrations of organic adsorbates on arsenic adsorption. Adsorption envelopes were conducted over a pH range of 11 to 3, while the kinetic studies were conducted at pH 6.5 for As (V) and pH 5.0 for As (III). Arsenate adsorption was inhibited in the order of Hap > FA > CA while arsenite adsorption was inhibited in the order of CA > FA > Hap. Humic acid reduces As V adsorption starting at pH 9, with a maximum reduction at pH 6.5. Fulvic acid slightly inhibited As (V) adsorption starting at pH 5, and this inhibition increased with a decrease in pH. No effect was observed in the presence of CA. Arsenite adsorption is inhibited by HA starting a pH 7 and increases with a decrease in pH, while FA and CA reduce As (III) adsorption beginning at pH 8, with a continuous reduction as the pH decreases. The differential extent of As V adsorption in the presence of the organic acids suggests that the distribution and the respective densities of the abundant functional groups (phenol/ catechol OH or COO⁻) are significant in the adsorption of As (V). Furthermore, larger organic acids may hydrophobically partition to surfaces via a more favorable entropy driven reaction mechanism which may influence As (V) diffusion and its subsequent adsorption to surfaces. The decrease in As (III) adsorption is caused by its reduced affinity for the surface at pH values lower than 9, and the simultaneous increase in surface activity by the organic substances' via their COO⁻ functional groups. The results of these experiments suggests that dissolved organic carbon substances are capable of increasing the bioavailability of As in soil and water systems in which the dominant solid phase is a crystalline iron oxide. Chapter 4: Adsorption of Arsenate and Arsenite on Ferrihydrite in the Presence and Absence of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) The adsorption of As (V) and As (III) on synthetic 2-line ferrihydrite in the presence and absence of a peat humic acid (Hap), Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (FA) or citric acid (CA) was investigated. Previous work with goethite has demonstrated the ability of DOC materials to reduce As (V) and As (III) adsorption. In this study, a batch technique was used to examine the adsorption of arsenic (III and V) and DOCs on ferrihydrite in the pH range from 3 to 11. The results obtained demonstrated that As (V) adsorption on ferrihydrite was reduced only in the presence of CA. Arsenate reduced the adsorption of all organic acids except Hap. Both FA and CA reduced As (III) adsorption on ferrihydrite, while Hap had no effect. Fulvic and citric acid adsorption on ferrihydrite was reduced in the presence of As (III), however, adsorption increases of FA and CA were observed at lower pH, which is consistent with a decrease in As(III) adsorption. The peat humic acid had no effect on As (III) adsorption, and we believe that the adsorption process of Hap and As (III and V) on ferrihydrite are independent of each other. The observed differences between this study and the study on goethite are believed to be an intricate function of ferrihydrite's surface characteristics, which affects the mechanisms of surface adsorption and hence the affinity of organic acids such as Hap, FA, and CA for the ferrihydrite surface. As such, the adsorption of DOCs to ferrihydrite are assumed to be energetically less favorable and to occur with a fewer number of ligands, resulting in lower surface coverage of weaker bond strength. Additional factors for the observed differences are discussed. This work demonstrates the importance of the solid phase in adsorption processes and functional group composition, as noticeable differences are observed in comparison to a crystalline Fe-oxide solid phase. / Master of Science

Background: Trauma is a major cause of death and disability. Adverse events, such as prolonged prehospital time, hypoxia, hypotension and/or hyperventilation have been reported to correlate to poor outcome. Adequate cortisol levels are essential for survival after major trauma. In hypotensive critically ill patients, lack of sufficient amount of cortisol can be suspected, and a concept of critical illness related corticosteroid insufficiency has been proposed. Corticosteroid therapy has many adverse effects in critically ill patients and should only be given if life-saving. Correct measurement of serum cortisol levels is important but difficult in critically ill patients with capillary leakage. Estimation of the free and biologically active cortisol is preferable. In serum less than 10% of cortisol is free and biologically active and not possible to measure with routine laboratory methods. Salivary cortisol can be used as a surrogate for free cortisol, but salivary production is reduced in critically ill patients. Liver resection could reduce cortisol levels due to substrate deficiency. Aims: 1. Evaluate the occurrence of early adverse events in patients with traumatic brain injury and relate them to outcome. 2. Assess cortisol levels over time after trauma and correlate to severity of trauma, sedative/analgesic drugs and cardiovascular function. 3. Evaluate if saliva stimulation could be performed without interfering with salivary cortisol levels. 4. Assess cortisol levels over time after liver resection in comparison to other major surgery. Results: There was no significant correlation between prehospital time ³60 minutes, hypoxia (saturation &lt;95%), hypotension (systolic blood pressure &lt;90 mmHg), or hyperventilation (ETCO2 &lt;4.5 kPa) and a poor outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale 1-3) in patients with traumatic brain injury. Cortisol levels decreased significantly over time after trauma, but there was no correlation between low (&lt;200 nmol/L) serum cortisol levels and severity of trauma. Infusion of sedative/analgesic drugs was the strongest predictor for a low (&lt;200 nmol/L) serum cortisol. The odds ratio for low serum cortisol levels (&lt;200 nmol/L) was 8.0 for patients receiving continuous infusion of sedative/analgesic drugs. There was no significant difference between unstimulated and stimulated salivary cortisol levels (p=0.06) in healthy volunteers. Liver resection was not associated with significantly lower cortisol levels compared to other major surgery. Conclusion: There was no significant correlation between early adverse events and outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury. Cortisol levels decreased significantly over time in trauma patients. Low cortisol levels (&lt;200 nmol/L) were significantly correlated to continuous infusion of sedative/analgesic drugs. Saliva stimulation could be performed without interfering with salivary cortisol levels. Liver resection was not associated with low cortisol levels compared to other major surgery.

Para testar a hipótese de que a desmineralização in situ das superfícies de contato enxerto-leito, e a forma como o enxerto é estabilizado ao leito, podem influenciar os mecanismos envolvidos na consolidação do enxerto, fragmentos ósseos de 10 mm de diâmetro foram removidos das metáfises proximais tibiais de 36 coelhos (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) e transplantados para uma área adjacente. Na tíbia esquerda dos animais, as superfícies de contato do enxerto e do leito hospedeiro foram desmineralizadas com ácido cítrico pH 1,0 por 3 minutos antes dos enxertos serem fixados ao leito. Na tíbia direita, o transplante do bloco ósseo não foi precedido de desmineralização. Metade dos enxertos foi imobilizada sobre o leito pela superposição de uma membrana não reabsorvível de politetrafluoretileno colada com cianoacrilato ao leito à distância da interface enxerto-leito. A outra metade dos enxertos foi fixada por um parafuso de titânio no centro do enxerto. Assim, foram formados 4 grupos de estudo: membrana (M), membrana + ácido (MA), parafuso (P) e parafuso + ácido (PA). Três animais de cada grupo forneceram espécimes para análise microscópica quantitativa e qualitativa aos 15, 30 e 45 dias de pós-operatório. A análise qualitativa demonstrou que não houve formação óssea na interface em nenhum espécime aos 15 dias e que nos demais períodos, em todos os grupos, a quantidade de tecido ósseo neoformado na interface e seu estágio de maturação aumentaram com o tempo. Ambos os métodos de fixação empregados foram eficientes em manter os enxertos em posição, porém a membrana promoveu menor reabsorção da estrutura do enxerto. A análise quantitativa computadorizada revelou que, aos 30 dias, os grupos MA e PA apresentaram maior área de formação óssea na interface (71,34 ± 12,03%; 56,74 ± 2,15% respectivamente) em relação aos grupos M e P (51,75 ± 11,02%; 43,95 ± 4,05% respectivamente) e superfícies de consolidação óssea mais extensas (93,41 ± 5,95%; 93,73 ± 4,96% respectivamente) do que os grupos sem tratamento ácido (73,49 ± 7,7%; 73,77 ± 11,77% respectivamente para M e P), sendo essas diferenças estatisticamente significantes (p<0,05). Aos 45 dias de pós-operatório, os grupos MA e PA (71,18 ± 8,9%; 58,97 ± 3,97% respectivamente) apresentaram resultados superiores aos grupos M e P (59,78 ± 11,28%; 46,08 ± 3,53% respectivamente) em relação à área de neoformação óssea na interface, porém essa diferença não foi significativa. Concluiu-se que a desmineralização ácida das superfícies contactantes nos enxertos ósseos autógenos em bloco na tíbia de coelhos promoveu a osteogênese na interface enxerto-leito e acelerou a consolidação dos enxertos. Além disso, quando o tratamento ácido foi associado ao uso de membrana como método de fixação, a consolidação e grau de reabsorção óssea foram otimizados. / In order to test the hypothesis that the demineralization \"in situ\" of contacting surfaces of bone graft/bone bed and the fixation method used for graft stabilization can influence the mechanisms involved in the consolidation of the graft, bone fragments of 10 mm in diameter were removed from the proximal tibial metaphysis of thirty-six male rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) and transplanted to an adjacent area. In the left tibia of the animals, the contacting surfaces of the graft and host bed were demineralized with citric acid pH 1.0 for 3 minutes before the grafts were fixed to the receptor bed. In the right tibia, the bone block transplantation was not preceded by demineralization. Half of the grafts were immobilized on the bone bed by a nonresorbable polytetrafluoroethylene membrane glued with cyanoacrylate adhesive to the host bed distant from the bone graft-bone bed interface. The other half of the grafts were fixed by a titanium screw in the center of the graft. Thus, four groups were formed: membrane (M), membrane + acid (MA), screw (P) and screw + acid (PA). Three animals from each group provided specimens for quantitative and qualitative microscopic analysis at 15, 30 and 45 days postoperatively. Qualitative analysis showed no significant bone formation at the interface in any specimen of the groups at 15 days and on the other periods in all groups, the amount of newly formed bone at the interface as well as the stage of bone maturation increased with time. Both fixation methods were effective in maintaining the graft in position, but the membrane resulted in less resorption of the graft. Quantitative analysis, performed by means of a computer program for image analysis, showed that at day 30, groups MA and PA, showed greater area of bone formation at the interface (71.34 ± 12.03%; 56.74 ± 2 15%) than groups M and P (51.75 ± 11.02%, 43.95 ± 4.05%) and more osseointegrated bone surfaces (93.41 ± 5.95%, 93.73 ± 4.96%) than those without acid treatment (73.49 ± 7.7%, 73.77 ± 11.77%), and these differences were statistically significant. At 45 days postoperatively MA and PA groups (71.18 ± 8.9%, 58.97 ± 3.97%) showed better results than the M and P groups (59.78 ± 11.28%, 46 , 08 ± 3.53%) compared to the area of new bone formation at the interface and osseointegrated surfaces, but these differences were not significant. It was concluded that the acid demineralization of contacting surfaces in autogenous onlay bone grafts in the tibia of rabbits promotes osteogenesis in bone graft-host bed interface and accelerates the consolidation of the grafts. Furthermore, the association of this surface treatment to the use of membrane/cyanoacrylate fixation method, optimizes the results regarding consolidation and degree of bone graft resorption.

<p>U radu je analiziran&nbsp; uticaj limunske kiseline na morfolo&scaron;ke, fiziolo&scaron;ke i&nbsp; biohemijske<br />karakteristike&nbsp; odabranih&nbsp; klonova&nbsp; vrba&nbsp; (Salix&nbsp; spp.)&nbsp; gajenih&nbsp; u&nbsp; zemlji&scaron;tu&nbsp; umereno zagađenom&nbsp; kadmijumom&nbsp; (Cd).&nbsp; Definisanjem&nbsp; parametara&nbsp; akumulacije,&nbsp; otpornosti&nbsp; i tolerantnosti različitih klonova vrba na prisustvo kadmijuma u podlozi, kao i uspe&scaron;nosti primene&nbsp; limunske&nbsp; kiseline&nbsp; kao&nbsp; helatora&nbsp; u&nbsp; procesu&nbsp; asistirane&nbsp; fitoremedijacije,&nbsp; mogao&nbsp; bi se&nbsp; identifikovati&nbsp; klon&nbsp; (ili&nbsp; klonovi)&nbsp; pogodan&nbsp; za&nbsp; dekontaminaciju&nbsp; zemlji&scaron;ta&nbsp; zagađenog kadmijumom. Da&nbsp; bi&nbsp; se&nbsp; postigao&nbsp; cilj&nbsp; istraživanja biljke su gajene u polu-kontrolisanim uslovima tokom 3 meseca. Eksperiment je podeljen u dve faze (dve godine istraživanja),zasnovane&nbsp; na&nbsp; razlikama&nbsp; u&nbsp; metodolo&scaron;kom&nbsp; pristupu.&nbsp; Tokom&nbsp; prve&nbsp; godine&nbsp; limunska kiselina je dodata jednom, dok je tokom druge druge godine aplikacija ovog helatora vr&scaron;ena&nbsp; u&nbsp; tri&nbsp; ponavljanja.&nbsp; U&nbsp; radu&nbsp; je&nbsp; analizaran&nbsp; sadržaj&nbsp; i&nbsp; distribucija&nbsp; Cd&nbsp; u&nbsp; zemlji&scaron;tu&nbsp; i<br />različitim&nbsp; biljnim&nbsp; organima&nbsp; (koren,&nbsp; izdanak,&nbsp; mladi&nbsp; i&nbsp; stari&nbsp; listovi);&nbsp; uticaj&nbsp; Cd i&nbsp; limunske kiseline na morfometrijske parametre: visina i prečnik izdanka, masa i povr&scaron;ina listova, broj&nbsp; listova,&nbsp; masa&nbsp; i&nbsp; zapremina&nbsp; korena;&nbsp; na&nbsp; fotosintetičke&nbsp; karakteristike:&nbsp; intenzitet fotosinteze,&nbsp; intenzitet&nbsp; transpiracije,&nbsp; stomatalnu&nbsp; provodljivost,&nbsp; intercelularnu koncentraciju&nbsp; CO2,&nbsp; efikasnost&nbsp; kori&scaron;ćenja&nbsp; vode,&nbsp; koncentraciju&nbsp; fotosintetičkih&nbsp; pigmenata; na mineralnu ishranu i distribuciju makronutrijenata u biljkama (sadržaj azota, fosfora i kalijuma);&nbsp; na&nbsp; sadržaj&nbsp; aminokiseline&nbsp; prolina&nbsp; i&nbsp; cisteina;&nbsp; na&nbsp; aktivnost&nbsp; antioksidativnih enzima&nbsp; (katalaza,&nbsp; askorbat-peroksidaza,&nbsp; gvajakol-peroksidaza),&nbsp; kao&nbsp; neezmiskih antioksidanata poput sadržaja redukovanog glutationa i tiola. Dobijeni&nbsp; rezultati&nbsp; su&nbsp; ukazali&nbsp; na&nbsp; genotipsku&nbsp; specifičnost&nbsp; analiziranih&nbsp; klonova&nbsp; vrba&nbsp; u procesu&nbsp; fitoremedijacije&nbsp; u&nbsp; zavisnosti&nbsp; od&nbsp; primenjenog&nbsp; tretmana,&nbsp; doze&nbsp; Cd&nbsp; i&nbsp; prisustva limunske kiseline. Toksično dejstvo nije bilo jasno uočljivo na morfolo&scaron;kom nivou, dok su&nbsp; primenjeni&nbsp; tretmani&nbsp; signifikantno&nbsp; uticali&nbsp; na&nbsp; fiziolo&scaron;ko-biohemijske&nbsp; procese&nbsp; u biljkama.&nbsp; Sa&nbsp; povećanjem&nbsp; sadržaja&nbsp; Cd&nbsp; u&nbsp; biljkama&nbsp; je&nbsp; utvrđena&nbsp; tendencija&nbsp; smanjenja intenziteta fotosinteze, transpiracije, kao i efikasnosti&nbsp; kor&scaron;ćenja vode, dok je primena limunske&nbsp; kiseline&nbsp; ublažila&nbsp; &scaron;tetan&nbsp; efekat&nbsp; ovog&nbsp; te&scaron;kog&nbsp; metala,&nbsp; &scaron;to&nbsp; je&nbsp; registrovano&nbsp; na<br />kombinovanim tretmanima.&nbsp; Kao odgovor na akumulaciju Cd u biljnom tkivu utvrđena<br />je&nbsp; promena&nbsp; aktivnosti&nbsp; antioksidativnih&nbsp; enzima,&nbsp; kao&nbsp; i&nbsp; neezimskih&nbsp; komponenti<br />odbrambenog&nbsp; sistema&nbsp; za&scaron;tite.&nbsp; Pored&nbsp; toga,&nbsp; u&nbsp; radu&nbsp; je&nbsp; utvrđeno&nbsp; da&nbsp; primena&nbsp; limunske kiseline&nbsp; utiče&nbsp; na&nbsp; usvajanje,&nbsp; akumulaciju&nbsp; i&nbsp; toleranciju vrba na prisustvo Cd,&nbsp; te&nbsp; rezultati ove&nbsp; studije&nbsp; imaju&nbsp; praktičan&nbsp; značaj&nbsp; u&nbsp; usavr&scaron;avanju&nbsp; tehnika&nbsp; fitoremedijacije&nbsp; i dekontaminacije zagađenih područja.</p> / <p>The role of citric acid on morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of selected willow clones (Salix spp.) grown in soil with moderately polluted cadmium (Cd)&nbsp; was&nbsp; presented.&nbsp; The&nbsp; aim&nbsp; of&nbsp; this&nbsp; study&nbsp; was&nbsp; to&nbsp; determine&nbsp; the&nbsp; Cd&nbsp; accumulation, translocation&nbsp; and tolerance of different willow clones, as well as the influence of citric acid as a chelator in the assisted phytoremediation process.&nbsp; In order to achieve this goal, plants&nbsp; were&nbsp; grown&nbsp; in&nbsp; semi-controlled&nbsp; conditions&nbsp; for&nbsp; 3&nbsp; months.&nbsp; The&nbsp; experiment&nbsp; was divided&nbsp; into&nbsp; two&nbsp; phases&nbsp; (two&nbsp; years&nbsp; of&nbsp; research),&nbsp; based&nbsp; on&nbsp; differences&nbsp; in&nbsp; the methodological approach, regarding the application of citric acid. During the first-year experiment, citric acid was added once, while in the second year the application of this chelator was performed in three repetitions.&nbsp; The analyses included:&nbsp; the accumulation and distribution of Cd in soil and various plant organs (root, stem, young and old leaves); influence of Cd and citric&nbsp; acid on morphometric parameters: stem hight and diameter, number&nbsp; of&nbsp; leaves,&nbsp; biomass&nbsp; and&nbsp; area&nbsp; of&nbsp; leaves,&nbsp; biomass&nbsp; and&nbsp; volume&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; root;&nbsp; on&nbsp; photosynthetic&nbsp; characteristics:&nbsp; net&nbsp; photosynthetic&nbsp; and&nbsp; transpiration&nbsp; rate,&nbsp; water&nbsp; use efficiency, stomatal conductance, intercellular concentration of CO2, concentration of photosynthetic&nbsp; pigments;&nbsp; on&nbsp; mineral&nbsp; nutrition&nbsp; and&nbsp; distribution&nbsp; of&nbsp; macronutrients&nbsp; in plants (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content); on the content of the amino acid proline&nbsp; and&nbsp; cysteine;&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; activity&nbsp; of&nbsp; antioxidant&nbsp; enzymes&nbsp; (catalase,&nbsp; ascorbate peroxidase,&nbsp; guaiacol&nbsp; peroxidase),&nbsp; as&nbsp; non- enzymatic&nbsp; components&nbsp; such&nbsp; as&nbsp; reduced glutathione and thiol content.<br />The obtained results indicated the genotypic specificity of the analyzed willow clones in the phytoremediation process, depending on the treatment applied, the Cd dose, and the presence of&nbsp; citric acid.&nbsp; The toxic effect was not evident on the morphological&nbsp; level, while&nbsp; the&nbsp; applied&nbsp; treatments&nbsp; showed&nbsp; a&nbsp; significant&nbsp; influence&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; physiologicalbiochemical processes in the willows. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, as well as,&nbsp; water use eficiency&nbsp; showed decreasing with increasing Cd concentration in plant tissue,&nbsp; while&nbsp; the&nbsp; application&nbsp; of&nbsp; citric&nbsp; acid&nbsp; mitigated&nbsp; the&nbsp; harmful&nbsp; effect&nbsp; of&nbsp; this&nbsp; heavy metal, which was registered on combined treatments. In response to the accumulation of Cd in plant tissue, a&nbsp; change in the&nbsp; activity&nbsp; of&nbsp; anti-oxidant enzymes,&nbsp; as&nbsp; well as nonenzymatic&nbsp; components&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; defense&nbsp; system&nbsp; has&nbsp; been&nbsp; established.&nbsp; In&nbsp; addition,&nbsp; the<br />application of citric acid showed the promotion role on the&nbsp; absorption, accumulation and tolerance of willows grown in moderately polluted soil cadmium, which has a practical significance in the improvement of phytoremediation techniques and decontamination of polluted soil.</p>

Realizaram-se estudos potenciostáticos e potenciodinâmicos do comportamento eletroquímico do estanho em meio ácido de perclorato de sódio desaerado, com adições sistemáticas de ácido cítrico. Paralelamente aos ensaios eletroquímicos acompanhou-se o estado superficial do eletrodo com microscópio de luz refletida e microscópio eletrônico de varredura (SEM). Foi constatada, inicialmente, a ocorrência da redução do perclorato em presença do eletrodo de estanho. A redução do perclorato de sódio 0,5 M no eletrodo de estanho ocorre durante catodizações em meio ácido, no intervalo de potenciais de -0,7 V a -1,3 V; sendo que a presença do óxido facilita a redução. A geração de CI- deve ocorrer após a redução do cloreto básico de estanho. A presença do ácido cítrico reduz, mas não inibe completamente, a formação de cloreto, e causa a formação de uma camada de óxido que contém átomos de estanho e cloro. O potencial crítico de corrosão foi determinado em meio de perclorato de sódio 0,5 M, no intervalo de pH de 1,0 a 4,0. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o tipo de corrosão depende do pH. Em pH 3,0 e 4,0, a formação de pite é antecedida pela formação de uma camada de óxido, que pode ser descrita por um modelo de dissolução-precipitação. A nucleação e o crescimento dos pites envolvem uma série de contribuições de corrente: corrente de formação do óxido, corrente de nucleação instantânea e corrente de nucleação progressiva. A formação dos pites, em pH=4,0, ocorre em duas etapas: nucleação instantânea tridimensional seguida de crescimento controlado por difusão hemisférica (nucleação progressiva). A presença de cloreto agrava a corrosão do estanho com e sem a presença de ácido cítrico. A concentração mínima do ácido orgânico para inibir a corrosão por pite do estanho em CIO4- 0,5 M é de 10-2 M, para o intervalo de pH estudado. A influência de adições sistemáticas de ácido cítrico no perfil potenciodinâmico do estanho foi observada. A concentração mínima do ácido orgânico para modificar a curva I/E do estanho em CIO4- 0,5 M é de 10-2 M, para o intervalo de pH estudado. A presença do ácido orgânico causa a formação de óxidos mais estáveis que são detectados em dois picos de corrente. No primeiro ocorre a oxidação de espécies adsorvidas de acordo com o modelo de Srinivasan e Gileadi. No segundo, ocorre a oxidação de espécies em solução onde a formação do filme pode ser descrita pelo modelo de Muller e Calandra. / Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic studies of the electrochemical behaviour of tin in sodium perchlorate deaerated, with and without citric acid, were carried out. Besides the electrochemical experiments, the electrode surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by a metallographic microscope. The electrochemistry of tin in sodium perchlorate has been found unexpectediy to be complicated by the reduction of the perchlorate anion. The reduction process has been shown to take place through a potential region comprising the negative side of the double layer region and the positive side of the hydrogen region (-0,7 V &#8804; E &#8804; -1,3 V). The presence of oxide on the electrode surface favours the reduction. The reduction may occur in two steps: the formation of basic tin chloride followed by its reduction, producing CI-. The presence of citric acid reduces, but don\'t inhibits completely, the formation of chloride, during reduction, and induces the growth of an oxide layer which contains Sn and CI atoms. The breakdown potential was determined in sodium perchlorate 0,5 M in the pH range from 1,0 to 4,0. The results showed that the type of corrosion - pitting or general corrosion - depends on pH. At pH 3,0 and 4,0 the pit initiation is preceeded by the formation of an oxide layer, described by a dissolution-precipitation model for metal passivation. Pit nucleation and growth involve a number of contributions which were distinguished through the analysis of current transients at constant potentials. At pH 4,0, pit growth occurs in two steps and can, in principie, be described by instantaneous nucleation followed by progressive nucleation. The inhibiting effect of citric acid on pitting corrosion is recognized by the shift of the breakdown potentials to more positive values. The minimum concentration of the organic acid to inhibit pitting of tin is 10-2 M. The influence of systematic additions of citric acid on the potentiodynamic profile of tin in NaCIO4 0,5 M was observed. The minimun concentration of the organic acid to change the I/E curves is 10-2 M, in the pH range from 1,0 to 4,0. The scan rate dependence in the potential region of formation and reduction of the film showed that in a first stage adsorption occurs, according to Srinivasan and Gileadi\'s model. In the second stage, the v1/2 dependence found can be explained by ohmic resistance control, on the basis of Muller\'s passivation model.

Lanthanum orthoborate (LaBO3) has aroused interest of scientists for many decades because of their remarkable properties and potential applications. They provide favorable magnetic properties for various applications. Additionally, they possess high VUV transparency and exceptional optical damage when they compose with rare earth elements. This study comprises the synthesis of pure lanthanum orthoborate, europium, dysprosium and terbium doped lanthanum orthoborate by two methods with v three fuels, citric acid, glycine and urea. LaBO3 has already been synthesized by various methods, however / in this work, two alternative roads are suggested, microwave assisted method and sol-gel microwave assisted method. The second task of the work is to find out the best luminescent product by altering the synthesis conditions, type of the doping material and the doping amount of the rare earth element. For the microwave assisted combustion method, urea was used as a fuel. After synthesis in the microwave oven, further heating up to 950&deg / C was performed. For the microwave assisted sol-gel method, citric acid and glycine were used. After obtaining the gel mixture, the product is synthesized in the microwave oven at 1200 W for ten minutes. For this route, again 950&deg / C heating for 2 hours was performed. Powder X-ray diffraction method was employed for the characterization of the material. The morphological properties of doped and un-doped materials were studied by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope). Besides, FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infra red) spectrometry analyses were performed to detect the differences in the bond structure and also to identify the corresponding bands. Luminescence studies were performed to detect the best emission intensities by using Fluorescence spectroscopy. The XRD patterns confirmed that lanthanum orthoborate production was successful by three precursors. The space group is Pnma, and the crystal system is orthorhombic with the unit cell dimensions / a= 5.8761(1)