Impact of highly basic solutions on sorption of Cs+ to subsurface sediments from the Hanford site, USA

The effect of caustic NaNO3 solutions on the sorption of 137Cs to a Hanford site micaceous subsurface sediment was investigated as a function of base exposure time (up to 168 d), temperature (10°C or 50°C), and NaOH concentration (0.1 mol/L to 3 mol/L). At 10°C and 0.1 M NaOH, the slow evolution of [Al]aq was in stark contrast to the rapid increase and subsequent loss of [Al]aq observed at 50°C (regardless of base concentration). Exposure to 0.1 M NaOH at 10°C for up to 168 d exhibited little if any measurable effect on sediment mineralogy, Cs+ sorption, or Cs+ selectivity; sorption was well described with a two-site ion exchange model modified to include enthalpy effects. At 50°C, dissolution of phyllosilicate minerals increased with [OH]. A zeolite (tetranatrolite; Na2Al2Si3O10·2H2O) precipitated in 0.1 M NaOH after about 7 days, while an unnamed mineral phase (Na14Al12Si13O51·6H2O) precipitated after 4 and 2 days of exposure to 1 M and 3 M NaOH solutions, respectively. Short-term (16 h) Cs+ sorption isotherms (10−9–10−2 mol/L) were measured on sediment after exposure to 0.1 M NaOH for 56, 112, and 168 days at 50°C. There was a trend toward slightly lower conditional equilibrium exchange constants (∆log NaCsKc ~ 0.25) over the entire range of surface coverage, and a slight loss of high affinity sites (15%) after 168 days of pretreatment with 0.1 M base solution. Cs+ sorption to sediment over longer times was also measured at 50°C in the presence of NaOH (0.1 M, 1 M, and 3MNaOH) at Cs+ concentrations selected to probe a range of adsorption densities. Model simulations of Cs+ sorption to the sediment in the presence of 0.1 M NaOH for 112 days slightly under-predicted sorption at the lower Cs+ adsorption densities. At the higher adsorption densities, model simulations under-predicted sorption by 57%. This under-prediction was surmised to be the result of tetranatrolite precipitation, and subsequent slow Na → Cs exchange. At higher OH concentrations, Cs+ sorption in the presence of base for 112 days was unexpectedly equal to, or greater than that expected for pristine sediment. The precipitation of secondary phases, coupled with the fairly unique mica distribution and quantity across all size-fractions in the Hanford sediment, appears to mitigate the impact of base dissolution on Cs+ sorption

Impact of highly basic solutions on sorption of Cs+ to subsurface sediments from the Hanford site, USA

The effect of caustic NaNO3 solutions on the sorption of 137Cs to a Hanford site micaceous subsurface sediment was investigated as a function of base exposure time (up to 168 d), temperature (10°C or 50°C), and NaOH concentration (0.1 mol/L to 3 mol/L). At 10°C and 0.1 M NaOH, the slow evolution of [Al]aq was in stark contrast to the rapid increase and subsequent loss of [Al]aq observed at 50°C (regardless of base concentration). Exposure to 0.1 M NaOH at 10°C for up to 168 d exhibited little if any measurable effect on sediment mineralogy, Cs+ sorption, or Cs+ selectivity; sorption was well described with a two-site ion exchange model modified to include enthalpy effects. At 50°C, dissolution of phyllosilicate minerals increased with [OH]. A zeolite (tetranatrolite; Na2Al2Si3O10·2H2O) precipitated in 0.1 M NaOH after about 7 days, while an unnamed mineral phase (Na14Al12Si13O51·6H2O) precipitated after 4 and 2 days of exposure to 1 M and 3 M NaOH solutions, respectively. Short-term (16 h) Cs+ sorption isotherms (10−9–10−2 mol/L) were measured on sediment after exposure to 0.1 M NaOH for 56, 112, and 168 days at 50°C. There was a trend toward slightly lower conditional equilibrium exchange constants (∆log NaCsKc ~ 0.25) over the entire range of surface coverage, and a slight loss of high affinity sites (15%) after 168 days of pretreatment with 0.1 M base solution. Cs+ sorption to sediment over longer times was also measured at 50°C in the presence of NaOH (0.1 M, 1 M, and 3MNaOH) at Cs+ concentrations selected to probe a range of adsorption densities. Model simulations of Cs+ sorption to the sediment in the presence of 0.1 M NaOH for 112 days slightly under-predicted sorption at the lower Cs+ adsorption densities. At the higher adsorption densities, model simulations under-predicted sorption by 57%. This under-prediction was surmised to be the result of tetranatrolite precipitation, and subsequent slow Na → Cs exchange. At higher OH concentrations, Cs+ sorption in the presence of base for 112 days was unexpectedly equal to, or greater than that expected for pristine sediment. The precipitation of secondary phases, coupled with the fairly unique mica distribution and quantity across all size-fractions in the Hanford sediment, appears to mitigate the impact of base dissolution on Cs+ sorption

Newborn resuscitation and support of transition of infants at birth European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021

The European Resuscitation Council has produced these newborn life support guidelines, which are based on the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) 2020 Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR) for Neonatal Life Support. The guidelines cover the management of the term and preterm infant. The topics covered include an algorithm to aid a logical approach to resuscitation of the newborn, factors before delivery, training and education, thermal control, management of the umbilical cord after birth, initial assessment and categorisation of the newborn infant, airway and breathing and circulation support, communication with parents, considerations when withholding and discontinuing support.Developmen

Reply letter to: Intubation in neonatal resuscitation - compelling necessity or incalculable risk?

Developmen

Sex Determination In Plants

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Stable Transformation of the Food Yam Dioscorea alata L. by Particle Bombardment

A biolistic particle gun was used to deliver genetic material into intact yam cells. Cultured suspension cells of D. alata were bombarded with microprojectiles coated with pBI221.2 DNA and histochemical assays were carried out to show transient GUS expression in bombarded cells. Stably transformed D. alata cells were recovered from cultured cells after bombardment with microprojectiles coated with pRT99gus harbouring both the nptII and uidA genes. Bombarded cells were selected on a medium containing geneticin (G418). Two months after bombardment, calli resistant to G418 were assayed for GUS expression. There was a 100% correlation between resistance to G418 and GUS expression. From these calli, four cell lines were established and GUS activity in each line was determined fluorometrically. The use of a specific GUS inhibitor showed that the GUS activity was due to the introduced uidA gene rather than to any intrinsic GUS-like activity originating from the plant. Incorporation of the introduced DNA into the plant genomic DNA was confirmed by Southern analysis

Endophytic Bacteria Expressing β-glucuronidase Cause False Positives in Transformation of Dioscorea Species

False positive transformants obtained during plant transformation experiments on species of the monocotyledonous genus Dioscorea (yam) are described. The false positive results were found to be due to endophytic bacteria which exist within aseptically micropropagated shoot cultures and which express -glucuronidase (GUS). The bacteria were isolated and identified as two species of Curtobacterium. The expression of GUS in these organisms was found to be induced by a variety of glucuronide substrates. The induction of GUS activity in the bacteria can be inhibited by chloramphenicol, tetracycline, ticarcillin and sodium azide. Implications of these results for use of the gus gene in plant transformation work are discussed

Isolation and Culture of Protoplasts from Immature Leaves and Embryogenic Cell Suspensions of Dioscorea Yams: Tools for Transient Gene Expression Studies

Leaf mesophyll protoplasts from immature leaves of in vitro shoot cultures of a range of cultivars of three species of food yam (Dioscorea alata, D. bulbifera and D. cayenensis-rotundata) were isolated and their responses to culture in agarose-solidified media compared. Leaves at early stages of development (< 1.0 cm in length) proved most suitable for production of active yam protoplasts capable of cell division. Formation of cell colonies to the 50-cell stage was observed in protoplast cultures in five of ten cultivars of D. alata and to the 30-cell stage in two cultivars of D. cayenensis-rotundata but not in cultures of D. bulbifera. Embryogenic cell suspension protoplasts of D. alata cv. Oriental Lisbon were successfully transformed with plasmids pBI 221.2, pBI 221.54, pBSGUS1 and pJT137 using a standard polyethylene glycol-mediated uptake method. Levels of transient expression of the uidA gene varied according to the plasmid used and the cell lines from which yam protoplasts were derived. This is the first report of yam protoplast culture leading to cell regeneration and direct gene transfer into protoplasts of this monocotyledonous genus