Decomposition patterns of leaf litter of seven common canopy species in a subtropical forest： dynamics of mineral nutrients

Dynamical patterns of mineral elements during decomposition processes were investigated for seven common canopy species in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest by means of litterbag technique over 2 years. The species studied are representative for the vegetation in the study area and differed significantly in chemical qualities of their litter. No significant relationships were found between decomposition rate （percentage dry mass remaining and decomposition constant k） and initial element cuncentrations.However, there were significant correlations betweeu the percentage of dry mass remaining and the mineral element concentrations in the remaining litter for most cases. The rank of the element mobility in decomposition process was as follows： Na = K 〉 Mg ≥ Ca 〉 N ≥ Mn ≥ Zn ≥ P 〉 Cu 〉〉 Al 〉〉 Fe. Concentrations of K and Na decreased in all species as decomposition proceeded. Calcium and Mg also decreased in concentrntion but with a temporal increase in the initial phase of decomposition, while the concentrations of other elements （Zn, Cu, AL and Fei increased for all species with exception of Mn which revealed a different pattern in different species. In most species, microelements （Cu, Al, and Fe） significantly increased in absolute amounts at the end of the litterbag incubation, which could be ascribed to a lange extent to the mechanism of abiotic fixation to humic substances rather than biological immobilization.

The geomicrobiology of bauxite deposits

Bauxite deposits are studied because of their economic value and because they play an important role in the study of paleoclimate and paleogeography of continents. They provide a rare record of the weathering and evolution of continental surfaces. Geomicrobiological analysis makes it possible to verify that microorganisms have played a critical role during the formation of bauxite with the possibility already intimated in previous studies. Ambient temperature, abundance of water, organic carbon and bioavailable iron and other metal substrates provide a suitable environment for microbes to inhabit. Thiobacillus, Leptospirilum, Thermophilic bacteria and Heterotrophs have been shown to be able to oxidize ferrous iron and to reduce sulfate-generating sulfuric acid, which can accelerate the weathering of aluminosilicates and precipitation of iron oxyhydroxides. Microorganisms referred to the genus Bacillus can mediate the release of alkaline metals. Although the dissimilatory iron-reducing and sulfate-reducing bacteria in bauxites have not yet been identified, some recorded authigenic carbonates and ＂bacteriopyrites＂ that appear to be unique in morphology and grain size might record microbial activity. Typical bauxite minerals such as gibbsite, kaolinite, covellite, galena, pyrite, zircon, calcium plagioclase, orthoclase, and albite have been investigated as part of an analysis of microbial mediation. The paleoecology of such bauxitic microorganisms inhabiting continental （sub） surfaces, revealed through geomicrobiological analysis, will add a further dimension to paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental studies.

Understanding the initial use stage of cement mortar lining in drinking water distribution systems:Silicon and aluminum as stability indicators

The cement mortar lining(CML)of commonly used ductile iron pipes can severely deteriorate the drinking water quality at the initial stage of use,but the behavioral characteristics of different elements release from the CML in this stage is still unclear.In this study,dynamic immersion experiments with new cement mortar lined ductile iron pipe reactors were conducted under different feed water hardness and alkalinity conditions.The results showed that the release of alkaline substances from the CML at the initial stage of use could strongly influence the pH of water,which consequently greatly impacted the release/precipitation behaviors of calcium,aluminum and silicon.The pH and aluminum concentration of the effluent water could reach 11.5 and 700μg/L within 24 hr of hydraulic retention time,respectively,under conditions of relatively lower hardness and alkalinity.Due to the pH elevation,calcium carbonate precipitation could occur even at much lower feed water alkalinity.Whereas the aluminum and silicon could keep release from the CML in soluble form at different hardness and alkalinity levels,and their release rate depended on the amount of calcium carbonate precipitation.Thus,aluminum and silicon were more suitable as indicators of the corrosion intensity at the initial stage of CML use rather than the traditional calcium carbonate precipitation potential.Appropriate feed water hardness and alkalinity levels for mitigating the initial intense corrosion of CML were proposed:hardness>40 mg/L(CaCO_(3)),alkalinity>100 mg/L(CaCO_(3)).

Effect of Ionic Concentration on Drug Release from Polyelectrolyte Hydrogel Carriers Analyzed via Triphasic Mechanism Model

In different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, the rate of drug release from polyelectrolyte hydrogel tablets is highly affected by variance of ionic concentration. This research aims at revealing clearly how the drug release from a hydrogel matrix is affected by ionic concentration of external solution through the finite element simulation and triphasic mechanism model. The coupled relationship of the motions including the polyelectrolyte hydrogel swelling, the water flow and the ion diffusion, is illustrated in the present work. In order to simulate the drug controlled release from a swollen polyelectrolyte hydrogel carrier, the mathematical model was built on the basis of the multiphasic theory of polyelectrolyte hydrogels. Finally, the reliability of the simulation method was verified qualitatively by experimental results. The results reveal that when the initial concentration of fixed anions of polymer network is higher than the concentration of free anions in the external solution, the drug release rate increases with increasing the ionic concentration of the external solution. The research is helpful for the optimal design of oral drug release in gastrointestinal tract.