Caco<inf>3</inf> precipitation in multilayered cyanobacterial mats: Clues to explain the alternation of micrite and sparite layers in calcareous stromatolites

© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Marine cyanobacterial mats were cultured on coastal sediments (Nivå Bay, Øresund, Denmark) for over three years in a closed system. Carbonate particles formed in two different modes in the mat: (i) through precipitation of submicrometer-sized grains of Mg calcite within the mucilage near the base of living cyanobacterial layers, and (ii) through precipitation of a variety of mixed Mg calcite/aragonite morphs in layers of degraded cyanobacteria dominated by purple sulfur bacteria. The 13C values were about 2‰ heavier in carbonates from the living cyanobacterial zones as compared to those generated in the purple bacterial zones. Saturation indices calculated with respect to calcite, aragonite, and dolomite inside the mats showed extremely high values across the mat profile. Such high values were caused by high pH and high carbonate alkalinity generated within the mats in conjunction with increased concentrations of calcium and magnesium that were presumably stored in sheaths and extracellular polymer substances (EPS) of the living cyanobacteria and liberated during their post-mortem degradation. The generated CaCO3 morphs were highly similar to morphs reported from heterotrophic bacterial cultures, and from bacterially decomposed cyanobacterial biomass emplaced in Ca-rich media. They are also similar to CaCO3 morphs precipitated from purely inorganic solutions. No metabolically (enzymatically) controlled formation of particular CaCO3 morphs by heterotrophic bacteria was observed in the studied mats. The apparent alternation of in vivo and post-mortem generated calcareous layers in the studied cyanobacterial mats may explain the alternation of fine-grained (micritic) and coarse-grained (sparitic) laminae observed in modern and fossil calcareous cyanobacterial microbialites as the result of a probably similar multilayered mat organization

The Frasnian-Famennian events in a deep-shelf succession, Subpolar Urals: biotic, depositional, and geochemical records

The Frasnian-Famennian (F-F) boundary is well biostratigraphically documented in the Palmatolepis-rich deposits exposed along the Syv'yu River in the lower slopes of the Subpolar Urals. The thin-bedded calcareous-clayey-siliceous deep-slope succession of the Vorota Formation appears to represent continuous Domanic-type deposition throughout the world-wide carbonate crisis time, without evidence for the basal Famennian hiatus or a large-scale sedimentary perturbation within a regressive setting. The northernmost Laurussian sequence exhibits many well known signatures throughout the broad F-F timespan: the appearance of organic- and clay-rich deposits, icriodontid and radiolarian blooms, and a correlative shift of several geochemical proxies towards hypoxic and high-productivity regimes, perfectly recorded by positive δ13Ccarb excursions of +3.5%. Integrative biotic, microfacies and geochemical data substantiate a longer-term oceanographic destabilization, attributable to multiple Earth-bound triggering factors in (episodically enhanced?) greenhouse climate and punctuated eustatic sea-level highstands, superimposed on the elevated deposition of organic carbon-rich sediments during the Upper Kellwasser Event. Unsteady eutrophicated, and oxygen-depleted ecosystems during the F-F biotic crisis interval could be assumed, especially when intensified by various spasmodic tectono-volcanic phenomena in the incipiently closing Ural Ocean

The effect of pre-incubation of Allium cepa L. roots in the ATH-rich extract on Pb uptake and localization

The positive influence of anthocyanin (ATH) on toxic metal-treated plant material is well documented; however, it is still not explained if it is caused by changes in element absorption and distribution. Therefore, detailed analysis of the effect of the ATH-rich extract from red cabbage leaves on Pb uptake and localization at morphological, anatomical and ultrastructural level was the goal of this study. Two-day-old adventitious roots of Allium cepa L. (cv. Polanowska) were treated for 2 h with the aqueous solution of Pb(NO3)2 at the concentration of 100 μM with or without preliminary incubation in the anthocyanin-rich extract from Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata rubra leaves (250 μM, 3 h). The red cabbage extract did not change the total Pb uptake but it enhanced the translocation of accumulated metal from roots to shoots. Within the pretreated roots, more Pb was deposited in their basal part and definitely smaller amount of the metal was bound in the apoplast of the outer layers of cortex cells. The ultrastructural analysis (transmission electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis) revealed that the ATH-rich extract lowered the number of Pb deposits in intracellular spaces, cell wall and cytoplasm of root meristematic cells as well as in such organelles important to cell metabolism as mitochondria, plastids and nucleus. The Pb deposits were preferably localised in those vacuoles where ATH also occurred. This sequestration of Pb in vacuoles is probably responsible for reduction of metal cytotoxicity and consequently could lead to better plant growth.This work was supported by the grant of the University of Lodz, no. 505/04038

Laboratory large power load model. Concept, implementation, experiments

W referacie przedstawiono koncepcję oraz sposób realizacji laboratoryjnego modelu odbioru o mocy 150 kVA. Odbiornik zaprojektowano w taki sposób aby umożliwić emulację zmienności mocy dowolnego odbiorcy, jak również pracę transformatora zasilającego takiego odbiorcę. W referacie zaprezentowano też przykładowe wyniki prób eksperymentalnych potwierdzające słuszność przyjętej koncepcji sterowania.First section of the paper provides concept of laboratory load model basing on 150 kVA power frequency converter and Simulink Real-Time platform. Assumptions, as well as control algorithm structure is presented. Theoretical considerations based on criteria which load types may be simulated using discussed laboratory setup, are described. Implementation details are given in second section of paper. Hardware structure is presented and described. Information about used communication interface, data maintenance and storage solution, as well as used Simulink real-time features are presented. Third section describes performed laboratory tests and their results