The effect of soil risk element contamination level on the element contents in Ocimum basilicum L.

Red basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cv. Red Rubin was cultivated in model pot experiment in the soil amended by arsenic, cadmium and lead solutions in stepwise concentrations representing the soil concentration levels of former mining area in the vicinity of Příbram, Czech Republic. The element levels added to the soil reached up to 40 mg Cd, 100 mg As, and 2000 mg Pb per kg of soil. Moreover, essential macro-and microelements as well as cyanidine contents were investigated to assess their potential interactions with the risk elements. The extractable element portions in soils determined at the end of vegetation period differed according to the individual elements. Whereas the plant-available (extractable with 0.11M CH3COOH) content of Cd represented 70-100% of the added Cd, the mobile portion of Pb did not exceed 1%. The risk element content in plants reflected the increasing element contents in soil. The dominant element portions remained in plant roots indicating the limited translocation ability of risk elements to the aboveground biomass of this plant species. Although the risk element contents in amended plants significantly increased, no visible symptoms of phytotoxicity occurred. However, the effect of enhanced risk element contents on the essential element uptake was assessed. Considering inter-element relationships, elevated sulphur levels were seen in amended plants, indicating its possible role of phytochelatin synthesis in the plants. Moreover, the molybdenum contents in plant biomass dropped down with increasing risk element uptake by plants confirming As-Mo and Cd-Mo antagonism. The increasing content of cyanidine in the plant biomass confirmed possible role of anthocyanins in detoxification mechanism of risk element contaminated plants and suggested the importance of anthocyanin pigments for risk element tolerance of plants growing in contaminated areas

Analiza određenih mehaničkih svojstava konstrukcijskog drva KVH i uslojenog drva PSL

This paper summarizes the results of the analysis of selected physical and mechanical properties of construction wood KVH and composite material Parallam 2.0 E (below Parallam). The following properties were determined: bending strength, local modulus of elasticity in bending, modulus of elasticity in pure bending, modulus of elasticity in shear by the constant span method, compression strength along the grain, compression strength across the grain, tensile strength across the grain, density and moisture content. The determined values were compared to each other and the best material was evaluated. The analyzed materials showed not only different values of monitored properties but also different behavior in particular tests. The presented tables and diagrams show that Parallam demonstrates better strength properties in many cases than construction wood KVH but with respect to the high purchase price of Parallam a manifold higher difference was expected. Comparing both analyzed materials from the aspect of purchase costs, two-fold higher values of the majority of analyzed mechanical properties of Parallam as against the construction wood KVH are irrelevant. The price of construction wood KVH is about EUR 250, and the price of Parallam is about EUR 1540 per m3. Such a high price is the main cause of the minimum use of Parallam as against construction wood KVH.U radu se iznose rezultati istraživanja određenih fizikalnih i mehaničkih svojstava konstrukcijskoga cjelovitog drva KVH (Konstruktionsvollholz) i uslojenog drva PSL (Parallel Strand Lumber). Određivana su ova svojstva: savojna čvrstoća, lokalni modul elastičnosti pri savijanju, modul elastičnosti pri čistom savijanju, modul elastičnosti pri smicanju, određen metodom konstantnog luka, tlačna čvrstoća duž vlakanaca, tlačna čvrstoća okomito na vlakanca, vlačna čvrstoća okomito na vlakanca, gustoća drva i sadržaj vode. Dobivene su vrijednosti istraživanih materijala uspoređene i procijenjeno je koji materijal ima bolja svojstva. Ispitivani materijali nisu pokazali samo različita svojstva već su se u testovima određivanja pojedinih svojstava različito i ponašali. Rezultati prikazani u tablicama i na dijagramima pokazuju da uslojeno drvo PSL u većini slučajeva ima bolju čvrstoću od konstrukcijskog drva KVH, ali s obzirom na mnogo veću cijenu uslojenog drva PSL, očekivana je i veća razlika u svojstvima tih materijala. Analizirajući svojstva obaju materijala, zaključeno je da su dva puta veće vrijednosti gotovo svih svojstava čvrstoće uslojenog drva PSL zanemarive s obzirom na višestruko veću cijenu. Cijena konstrukcijskog drva KVH kreće se oko 250 eura/m3, dok je cijena uslojenog drva PSL oko 1540 eura/m3. Tako visoka cijena glavni je razlog mnogo rjeđe uporabe uslojenog drva PSL od konstrukcijskog drva KVH

Procedia Computer Science

Simulation-based optimization combines simulation experiments used to evaluate the objective and/or constraint functions with an optimization algorithm. Compared with classical optimization, simulation based optimization brings its specific problems and restrictions. These are discussed in the paper. Evaluation of the objective function is based on time consuming, typically repeated simulation experiments. So we believe that the main objective in selecting the optimization algorithm is minimization of the number of objective function evaluations. In this paper we concentrate on integer optimization that is typical in simulation context. Local search algorithms that try to minimize the number of objective function evaluations are described. Examples with both analytical and simulation-based objective functions are used to demonstrate the performance of the algorithms.peer-reviewe

CZECHOSLOVAK FOOTPRINTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS OF THERMOMETRY, CALORIMETRY AND THERMAL ANALYSIS

A short history on the development of thermometric methods are reviewed accentuating the role of Rudolf Bárta in underpinning special thermoanalytical conferences and new journal Silikáty in fifties as well as Vladimir Šatava mentioning his duty in the creation of the Czech school on thermoanalytical kinetics. This review surveys the innovative papers dealing with thermal analysis and the related fields (e.g. calorimetry, kinetics) which have been published by noteworthy postwar Czechoslovak scholars and scientists and by their disciples in 1950-1980. Itemized 227 references with titles show rich scientific productivity revealing that many of them were ahead of time even at international connotation