The Effect of Mineral Composition and Quantity of Fines on the Atterberg Limits and Compaction Characteristics of Soils

Because of the various elements that come into play in natural soil formation, the impact of varied proportions of mineral composition and fines amount on Atterberg limits and compaction characteristics of soils is not well known. Three distinct soil samples were used in this investigation. The findings indicated the effect of varied mineral composition proportions and fines amount on the liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index as assessed by the Casagrande test and hand-rolling method. The fluctuation of maximum dry density and optimal moisture content with these three soils has also been studied. Furthermore, correlations were established to indicate the compaction parameters and the amount of minerals and particles in the soil. The data show that the mineral content of the soil has a direct impact on the Atterberg limits and compaction characteristics. Soils containing larger percentages of expansive minerals, such as montmorillonite, have more flexibility and volume change capability. Mineral composition influences compaction parameters such as maximum dry density, ideal water content, axial strain, and axial stress. Soils with a larger proportion of fines, such as Soil 2 and Soil 3, have stronger flexibility and lower compaction qualities, with higher ideal water content and lower maximum dry density. Soil 1 has moderate flexibility and intermediate compaction qualities due to its low fines percentage. The effect of different mineral compositions and fines on the Atterberg limits and compaction characteristics of soils can be used to predict the behavior of compacted soils encountered in engineering practices, reducing the time and effort required to assess soil suitability for engineering use.

Comparison of Mineral Contents in Three Different Tobacco Formulations

We identified and quantified a variety of mineral elements in 18 tobacco samples purchased from a Tunisian market. In total, 25 mineral elements have been measured in cigarettes, water pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy following microwave-assisted digestion. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSSTM, version 18.0. The lowest concentrations of all studied elements were observed in water pipe tobacco. Significantly higher concentrations of Al, Fe, Mg, Na, Ca, Cr, and Co were found in smokeless tobacco, while cigarettes brands contained the highest concentrations of K, Mn, Ni, Ba, and Sr. There was no significant difference between the mineral contents of local and foreign cigarettes and conventional and light cigarettes. Our findings demonstrated that local smokeless tobacco appears to be the most hazardous tobacco type. The concentration of minerals in light cigarettes was not significantly different from the concentration in conventional cigarettes.

Winter Wheat Salt Tolerance Appraisal Indices with Varied Mineral Content of Saline Water

[Objective] The aim was to study wheat salt resistance appraisal indicators under the condition of saline water irrigation.[Method] A trial was conducted with five varieties irrigated with saline water at 1,2,4,6,and 8 g/L during 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 in the research station of Dry-land Farming Institute of Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences.With standardized indicators for measuring treatment,the response relations among different salt stress levels and winter wheat growth index were analyzed in this study.[Result] Under the condition of different salinity of irrigation,relative plant height after jointing stage,relative leaf area index,relative dry matter weight,relative ear number per unit area showed significant differences among treatments and yield showed significant correlation,which can be taken as salt-resistance examination index of wheat.[Conclusion] The results showed that the relative height after jointing stage was recommended as the most practical salt-tolerance appraisal indices,because it was easy to be observed and sensitive to salt stress.

Yield and Nicotine Content of Flue-Cured Tobacco as Affected by Soil Nitrogen Mineralization

Nitrogen(N)supply is the most important factor affecting yield and quality of flue-cured tobacco(FCT).A field experiment and an in situ incubation method were used to study the effects of soil N mineralization in the later stages of growth on yield and nicotine content of FCT in Fenggang and Jinsha,Guizhou Province.The yield and market value of FCT at Fenggang were much lower than those at Jinsha.However,the nicotine content of middle and upper leaves was much higher at Fenggang than at Jinsha when the same rate of fertilizer N was applied,which might be due to a higher N supply capacity at the Fenggang site.At later stages of growth(7-16 weeks after transplanting),the soil net N mineralization at Fenggang(56 kg N ha^(-1))was almost double that at Jinsha(30 kg N ha^(-1)).While soil NH_4-N and NO_3-N were almost exhausted by the plants or leached 5 weeks after transplanting,the N taken up at the later growth stages at Fenggang were mainly derived from soil N mineralization,which contributed to a high nicotine content in the upper leaves.The order of soil N contribution to N buildup in different leaves was:upper leaves>middle leaves>lower leaves.Thus,soil N mineralization at late growth stages was an important factor affecting N accumulation and therefore the nicotine content in the upper leaves.

Effect of sex and rearing system on the quality and mineral content of fiber from raeini cashmere goats

The aim of this study was to compare the quality characteristics and mineral content of the fiber from male and female cashmere goats raised under different management systems. Male and female Raeini cashmere goats （〈1.5 years of age, n=48） were selected from flocks raised at a government breeding station or raised commercially under either rural or nomadic conditions. The staple length, cashmere fiber diameter, coefficient of variation for fiber diameter, percentage of cashmere in a fleece, percentage of guard hair in a fleece and cashmere tenacity averaged 4.6 ±0.1 cm, 18.0 ±0.1 um, 20.9±0.4%, 66.1 ± 1.5%, 33.8± 1.5% and 1.8±0.2 gf/tex, respectively. The sulfur, copper and zinc content of the cashmere averaged 2.8 ± 0.1%, 0.00065 ± 0.00002% and 0.01276 ± 0.00025%, respectively. Rearing method significantly affected staple length, coefficient of variation of fiber diameter, cashmere tenacity and copper content. Males had a higher coefficient of variation of fiber diameter and cashmere tenacity than females （P 〈 0.05）.

RNAi-Mediated Silencing of ITPK Gene Reduces Phytic Acid Content,Alters Transcripts of Phytic Acid Biosynthetic Genes,and Modulates Mineral Distribution in Rice Seeds

Phytic acid is the principal storage form of phosphorus in plant seeds and an essential signalling molecule in several regulatory processes of plant development.However,it is known as an anti-nutrient compound owing to its potent chelating property.Thus,reducing the phytic acid content in crops is desirable.Studies involving regulation of MIPS and IPK1 genes to generate low phytate rice have been reported earlier.However,the functional significance of OsITPK and the effect of its down-regulation on phytic acid content and the associated pleiotropic effects on rice have not yet been investigated.In this study,tissue specific RNA interference(RNAi)-mediated down-regulation of a major ITPK homolog(OsITP5/6K-1)resulted in 46.2%decrease in phytic acid content of T2 transgenic seeds with a subsequent 3-fold enhancement in the inorganic phosphorus content.Silencing of OsITP5/6K-1 altered the transcript levels of essential phytic acid pathway genes,without significantly affecting the transcript levels of other OsITPK homologs.Furthermore,the mapping of elements through X-ray microfluorescence analysis revealed significant changes in the spatial distribution pattern and translocation of elements in low phytate seeds.Additionally,low phytate polished seeds exhibited 1.3-fold and 1.6-fold enhancement in iron and zinc content in the grain endosperm,respectively.Silencing of OsITP5/6K-1 also altered the amino acid and myo-inositol content of the transgenic seeds.Our results successfully established that RNAi-mediated silencing of OsITP5/6K-1 gene significantly reduced the phytate levels in seeds without hampering the germination potential of seeds and plant growth.The present study provided an insight into the mechanism of phytic acid biosynthesis pathway.

Genotypic variation for seed protein and mineral content among post-rainy season-grown sorghum genotypes

Sorghum is an important staple food crop of Asian and African countries.As a poor man s crop",it provides dietary starch,protein,and some vitamins and minerals.Minerals are important for various physiological functions in the human body.As a major staple crop of central and southern Indian provinces,sorghum landraces are a source of supplementary micronutrients.Concentrations of micronutrients and protein and yield parameters were studied using 112 local landraces and varieties.Univariate analysis revealed wide variation for iron(1.10-9.54 mg 100 g^(-1)),zinc(1.12-7.58 mg 100 g^(-1)),protein(3.50-12.60%),and grain yield(2.50-76.50 g) among the landraces.High estimates of genetic/phenotypic coefficient of variation,and genetic advances over the mean were identified for landraces and varieties.High heritabilities were also identified for yield and mineral content.Correlation estimates among the genotypes indicated that grain yield was positively correlated with copper and protein with copper and zinc.Cluster analysis based on Euclidean distance resolved all of the genotypes into three major clusters.The wide range of values with high heritability estimates may favor the use of these landraces in recombination breeding to improve nutritional quality in sorghum.

Effects of CO2-water interaction with coal on mineral content and pore characteristics

There are a large number of abandoned coalmines in China,and most of them are located around major coal-fired power stations,which are the largest emission sources of carbon dioxide(CO2).Considering the injection of CO2 into abandoned coalmines,which are usually in the flooded condition,it is necessary to investigate the effect of CO2-water-coal interaction on minerals and pore structures at different pressures,temperatures and times.It reveals that the CO2-water-coal interaction can significantly improve the solubility of Ca,S,Mg,K,Si,Al,Fe and Na.By comparing the mineral content and pore structure before and after CO2-water-coal interaction,quartz and kaolinite were found to be the main secondary minerals,which increased in all samples.The structures of micropores and mesopores in the range of 1.5-8 nm were changed obviously.Specific surface areas and pore volumes first increased and then decreased with pressure and time,while both increased with temperature.By using the Frenkel-Halsey-Hill model,the fractal dimensions of all samples were analyzed based on D(s1)and D(s2),which reflected the co mplexities of the pore surface and pore volume,respectively.The re sults show that fractal dimensions had very weak positive correlations with the carbon content.D(s1)had a positive correlation with the quartz and kaolinite contents,while D(s2)had a negative correlation with the quartz and kaolinite contents.

Physicochemical properties, fatty acid and mineral content of some walnuts (Juglans regia L.) types

Some physical and chemical properties, mineral content and fatty acid compositions of kernel and oils of several walnut types (Büyük Oba, Kaman2, Kaman5) were determined. The oil yields from these kernels changed between 61.4% to 72.8%. The crude fibre contents of ker nels ranged between 3.77% and 3.80%. In add ition, crude protein contents of kernels ranged between 7.05% and 8.10%. While the peroxide values of kernel oils change between 3.18 meq/ Kg and 3.53 meq/Kg, acidity values ranged be tween 0.35% and 0.56%. The main fatty acids of walnut kernel oils were oleic, linoleic, linolenic and palmitic acids. Linoleic acid contents of ker nel oils varied between 49.7% and 55.5%. On the other hand, oleic acid contents ranged between 20.5% and 26.4%. As a result, the present study showed the walnut kernels of the researched species of walnut kernels from Turkey are a potential source of valuable oil which might be used for edible and other industrial applica tions.

Effect of Se-S Cooperated Application on the Mineral Content and Nutrition Quality of Garlic （Allium Sativum L.）

Eleven nutrition elements and 5 quality elements of garlic （Allium sativum L.） in different Se, S level and their interaction pot experiments were analyzed by atom absorbing spectrophotometer, titration and fixing sulfur method. The mineral elements were analyzed by the Principal Component Analysis and the Factor Analysis on the SPSS 10.0 and three main factors were picked. The results showed that Se, S and Se-S cooperated application enhanced the garlic nutrition quality by increasing mineral nutrition. The garlic Vc was the highest after using higher Se compared middle S level （S 20 mg/kg soil ＋ Se 40 mg/kg soil）. Lower Se level compared middle S level （S 40 mg/kg soil ＋ Se 20 mg/kg soil） get the highest garlic abio-Se in all treatments. The garlic organic Se content was the highest after using higher Se compared middle S （S 40 mg/kg soil ＋ Se 40 mg/kg soil）. The treatment lower S compared lower Se level get the highest garlic allicin in all treatment. It showed that the fresh eating factor was affected by the element Se. The flavor factor and health care factor were affected by both Se and S.

Study of Suspended Sediment and Its Mineral Content Analysis with Impact on Hydropower Design： A Case Study of Rahughat Hydroelectric Project

Rahughat Hydroelectric Project is an ROR （run of river） project with the installed capacity of 40 MW. The suspended sediment study was carried out in 2008 and 2015 AD. The present study is concentrated on the study carried out in 2015 AD. The suspended sediment samples were collected in the headworks site and its analysis was done in Hydro Lab Pvt. Ltd. Concentration analysis, PSD （particle size distribution） analysis and mineral content analysis were carried out. The minimum and maximum sediment concentration is 54 PPM and 3,759 PPM respectively. The PSD analysis shows that 52% of the suspended sediment contained sand fraction and 48% is fine sediments. The mineral content analysis shows presence of quartz, feldspar, mica, kyanite, garnet, carbonates, chlorite, clay and some fragments of shale, phyllite and slate with few unidentified sediments. The proposed desander in RGHEP is designed to settle particles of size 0.2 mm and above. The sediments lesser than 0.2 mm size that reach the turbine may affect the loss of turbine material due to erosion.

Some Thoughts on the Teaching Content of Mineral Resources Economics

Based on the teaching practice of mineral resources economics,this article believes that a certain economic foundation is an indispensable condition for learning mineral resource economics well for the students of geology majors,and the teaching content of mineral resources economics must include the basic knowledge of economics;Mining resource management is an indispensable content for constructing a knowledge system of economic analysis and evaluation of mineral resources.The teaching content of mineral resource economics should include the sustainable use of mineral resources and the environmental protection.In order to meet the needs of society,the teaching content of mineral resources economics must be updated in time.

The Effect of Storage Solutions on Mineral Content of Enamel

Purpose: This study evaluated the influence of different storage times and storage solutions on the mineral content of enamel. Methods: Ninety enamel slabs were randomly divided into 2 groups of 45: a 45-day group and a 90-day group. Each of these main groups was further subdivided into 9 experimental groups of 5 slabs, and each subgroup was stored in a different storage solution. The mean percentage weights of 5 elements (calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and magnesium) presented in each enamel slab was measured after storage using inductively coupled plasmaatomic emission spectrometry. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Turkey’s honestly significant difference tests were used to analyze differences between the groups. Results: Storage conditions significantly affected the levels of calcium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus (p 0.05). Storage procedures can significantly affect the calcium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus contents of enamel.

Macro-and Microelement Contents of Fruiting Bodies of Wild-Edible Mushrooms Growing in the East Black Sea Region of Turkey

Eleven different wild-edible mushroom species growing in the Black Sea region of Turkey were analysed for their metal content. Specimens of mushrooms were gathered in Trabzon, Giresun and Ordu and analyzed for 31 minerals, four of which (Be, Sb, Te and Ti) were not detected. Whereas some minerals including Ag, As, Cd, La, Mo, Pb, Se, Y and Zr were detected in just a few mushroom species, another 18 minerals were found in all 11 species. All metal concentrations were expressed on a dry weight basis (d.w.). With regard to nutritionally important amounts of essential and trace minerals, the metal content (μg/g d.w.) of mushroom samples ranged from 21,800-39,800 for K, 2590-14,000 for P, 268-1600 for Ca, 561-1210 for Mg, 74-829 for Fe, 11.2-321 for Cu, 36.2-241 for Zn, 14.1-76.5 for Mn and 0.13-2.85 for Co. Small amounts of toxic metals such as As, Cd and Pb were found in all 11 mushroom species. L. laccata contained a large amount of As (145 μg/g d.w.). These results show that the investigated mushrooms can be a useful component for human diets because of their high content of many essential minerals and trace elements and low content of toxic metals.

Proximate and mineral components of Viscum album var. coloratum grown on eight different host tree species

Mistletoes are parasite plants growing on various tree species,taking nutrients from the host.Beneficial compounds of mistletoe were used in medicine and these mistletoes were commonly collected from oak species that were not well identified.We analyzed the nutritional value by measuring proximate and mineral components of Korean mistletoe(Viscum album var.coloratum)from various host trees.Carbohydrate was the most proximate component in both leaves and twigs followed crude protein,crude fiber,crude ash and crude fat.While the contents of the proximate components and minerals varied among hosts and between plant parts,leaves contained higher crude protein and ash,and more minerals except for magnesium than twigs,although no significant difference was found inmistletoe grown on Prunus mandshurica.There were significant differences of proximate and mineral contents depending on the host species.Mistletoe grown on Chaenomeles sinensis contained higher levels of carbohydrates,crude fat,crude ash,magnesium,calcium,sodium,iron,and zinc than mistletoe grown on other species.Mistletoe grown on P.mandshurica contained high mineral levels of potassium,copper and phosphorous.The nutritional value of mistletoes were greatly influenced by the host species but among the hosts,specific nutrients accumulated in leaves more than in twigs,and vice versa.Based on the analysis,Korean mistletoe contains relatively good quality of nutrients and has high potential for dietary supplements as well as for medicinal compounds.

Chaos Dynamic Behaviour of Mineralization

Abstract: In this paper a nonlinear dynamic model for the distribution of element content and mineralization in the crust is suggested and the iteration relationship formula of this model coincides with the logistic equation. This shows that mineralization related with migration and enrichment of elements is in chaos, thus resulting in fractal structures of element content and ore reserves and their spatial distribution in the crust.

Nutritive and Mineral Composition in a Collection of <i>Cucurbita pepo</i>L Grown in Kosova

In Kosovo, in most cases C. pepo is grown both in maize fields and vegetable gardens as well as in other more intensive systems. Our expedition has identified different location t of Kosovo where we were collected a samples at altitudes from 545 till 748 m.a.s.l. The aim of the present investigation was carried out to study morphological diversity, protein and lipids content. Protein content (PC) was determined by Kjeldahl method. Lipids were determined by extraction using Soxhlet apparatus and diethyl ether was used as extraction solvent. Pumpkin populations show great diversity for quality traits. The greater part of variance was accounted for Protein Content (PC) and Lipid Content (LC). The estimation overall value μ in seed for PC and LC were 14.59%, and 32.99% respectively. The genetic diversity studies of the investigated of C. pepo showed significant genetic variation on chemical parameters, which could be largely due to that they were of different origins. This evaluation of traits variability can assist breeders to identify populations with desirable characteristics for inclusion in variety breeding programs.

Changes in Some Nutritional and Mineral Components of Nerica Rice Varieties as Affected by Field Application with Mycorrhiza and Chemical Fertilizer in Northern Cameroon

Rice as staple food is the most important and valuable cereal crop in Cameroon, particularly in rural areas where poor population cannot afford to cook and eat at their convenience. With the outbreak of Nerica varieties, it is important to evaluate and compare their nutritional and mineral properties to those of the local ones prior to their vulgarisation. Therefore, some nutritional and mineral properties of 4 Nerica and a local seeds varieties used in this study were harvested from control (T0), chemical fertilizer (TE), mycorrhiza (TM) applied plants, or their mixture (TEM). These seeds originating from Wakwa and/or Yagoua experimental sites were assessed and compared in a split-plot design (4 × 5) × 3 between treatments (4) and varieties (5). The local DIR-95 variety had values close to those of Nerica varieties in all the parameters assessed. Protein contents ranged from 17.66% - 24.35%, and was higher than those reported in rice samples elsewhere. All the studied varieties were classified as high amylose rice, and therefore, their textures in cooked form should be less sticky and harder, which is convenient to the diet behavior of many consumers. The relative low Fe content in Nerica rice suggest that these varieties may be resistant to Fe accumulation in seeds. The P, N, Mg contents were found to be more elevated in seeds harvested from mycorrhiza or chemical fertilizer applied plants, with Nerica seeds variety FKR62-N as the best of all in nutrients mineral and nutritional compositions. These results confirm varietal and site influences on proximate and mineral contents in the studied rice varieties.

Fluid components in accessory minerals of Pan-African granitoids in the S■r Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica

Fluids （fluorine, chlorine, and OH） in accessory minerals （apatite, titanite and allanite） of Pan-African granitoids （Group-I granitoids, Group-II granitoids and Mefjell Plutonic Complex） from the Sor Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica were precisely measured by an electronic microprobe analyzer in this study. Apatites in the granites have commonly high fluorine contents. However, fluorine contents from the Group-Ⅰ, Group-Ⅱ granitoids and Mefjell Plutonic Complex （MPC） are of important variation, which F contents （3.21-7.20 wt%） in apatite from the Group-Ⅱ granitoids are much higher than those from the Group-Ⅰ granitoids （1.22-3.60 wt%） and the MPC （3.21-4.11 wt%）. Titanite in the MPC has a low fluorine content （0.23-0.50 wt%）, being less than those in the Group-Ⅰ granitoids （2.28 wt%） and Group-Ⅱ granitoids （1.85-2.78 wt%）. Fluorine in allanite in the Group-Ⅱ granitoids seems to have much lower contents than those from the Group-Ⅰ granitoids and the MPC. Higher fluorine contents in the titanite from the Group-Ⅱ granitoids may be mainly controlled by late-magmatic fluid-rock interaction processes associated with melt, but may not be indicative of original magma contents based on its petrographic feature, Due to very lower chlorine contents from all of accessory minerals, the authors suggest that titanite and apatite with higher fluorine contents in the Group-Ⅱ granitoids have much lower H2O （OH） contents compared with those in the Group-Ⅰ granitoids according to the partition among （F, Cl, OH）. Fluorine contents in whole-rock samples show a variation from the higher in the Group-Ⅰ granitoids to the lower in the Group-Ⅱ granitoids and the MPC, which are consistent with the changes of those from the biotite and hornblende as well as fluorite occurred in the Group-Ⅰ granitoids reported previously. Based on the above study of fluorine in accessory minerals and combined with the previous fluorine contents from biotites and hornblendes, the authors suggest that apatites and titanites with higher F contents in the Group-Ⅱ granitoids and the MPC may not be an indicator of higher fluorine contents in whole-rock, which reflect fluorine contents in magma sources and/or late-thermal activity. Higher fluorine contents in apatite, titanite and allanite may be an additional evidence of A-type affinity.