TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

This article has 730 authors, of which I have only listed the lead author and myself as a representative of University of HelsinkiPlant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.Peer reviewe

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.Rest of authors: Decky Junaedi, Robert R. Junker, Eric Justes, Richard Kabzems, Jeffrey Kane, Zdenek Kaplan, Teja Kattenborn, Lyudmila Kavelenova, Elizabeth Kearsley, Anne Kempel, Tanaka Kenzo, Andrew Kerkhoff, Mohammed I. Khalil, Nicole L. Kinlock, Wilm Daniel Kissling, Kaoru Kitajima, Thomas Kitzberger, Rasmus Kjøller, Tamir Klein, Michael Kleyer, Jitka Klimešová, Joice Klipel, Brian Kloeppel, Stefan Klotz, Johannes M. H. Knops, Takashi Kohyama, Fumito Koike, Johannes Kollmann, Benjamin Komac, Kimberly Komatsu, Christian König, Nathan J. B. Kraft, Koen Kramer, Holger Kreft, Ingolf Kühn, Dushan Kumarathunge, Jonas Kuppler, Hiroko Kurokawa, Yoko Kurosawa, Shem Kuyah, Jean-Paul Laclau, Benoit Lafleur, Erik Lallai, Eric Lamb, Andrea Lamprecht, Daniel J. Larkin, Daniel Laughlin, Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Guerric le Maire, Peter C. le Roux, Elizabeth le Roux, Tali Lee, Frederic Lens, Simon L. Lewis, Barbara Lhotsky, Yuanzhi Li, Xine Li, Jeremy W. Lichstein, Mario Liebergesell, Jun Ying Lim, Yan-Shih Lin, Juan Carlos Linares, Chunjiang Liu, Daijun Liu, Udayangani Liu, Stuart Livingstone, Joan Llusià, Madelon Lohbeck, Álvaro López-García, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Zdeňka Lososová, Frédérique Louault, Balázs A. Lukács, Petr Lukeš, Yunjian Luo, Michele Lussu, Siyan Ma, Camilla Maciel Rabelo Pereira, Michelle Mack, Vincent Maire, Annikki Mäkelä, Harri Mäkinen, Ana Claudia Mendes Malhado, Azim Mallik, Peter Manning, Stefano Manzoni, Zuleica Marchetti, Luca Marchino, Vinicius Marcilio-Silva, Eric Marcon, Michela Marignani, Lars Markesteijn, Adam Martin, Cristina Martínez-Garza, Jordi Martínez-Vilalta, Tereza Mašková, Kelly Mason, Norman Mason, Tara Joy Massad, Jacynthe Masse, Itay Mayrose, James McCarthy, M. Luke McCormack, Katherine McCulloh, Ian R. McFadden, Brian J. McGill, Mara Y. McPartland, Juliana S. Medeiros, Belinda Medlyn, Pierre Meerts, Zia Mehrabi, Patrick Meir, Felipe P. L. Melo, Maurizio Mencuccini, Céline Meredieu, Julie Messier, Ilona Mészáros, Juha Metsaranta, Sean T. Michaletz, Chrysanthi Michelaki, Svetlana Migalina, Ruben Milla, Jesse E. D. Miller, Vanessa Minden, Ray Ming, Karel Mokany, Angela T. Moles, Attila Molnár V, Jane Molofsky, Martin Molz, Rebecca A. Montgomery, Arnaud Monty, Lenka Moravcová, Alvaro Moreno-Martínez, Marco Moretti, Akira S. Mori, Shigeta Mori, Dave Morris, Jane Morrison, Ladislav Mucina, Sandra Mueller, Christopher D. Muir, Sandra Cristina Müller, François Munoz, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Randall W. Myster, Masahiro Nagano, Shawna Naidu, Ayyappan Narayanan, Balachandran Natesan, Luka Negoita, Andrew S. Nelson, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Jian Ni, Georg Niedrist, Jhon Nieto, Ülo Niinemets, Rachael Nolan, Henning Nottebrock, Yann Nouvellon, Alexander Novakovskiy, The Nutrient Network, Kristin Odden Nystuen, Anthony O'Grady, Kevin O'Hara, Andrew O'Reilly-Nugent, Simon Oakley, Walter Oberhuber, Toshiyuki Ohtsuka, Ricardo Oliveira, Kinga Öllerer, Mark E. Olson, Vladimir Onipchenko, Yusuke Onoda, Renske E. Onstein, Jenny C. Ordonez, Noriyuki Osada, Ivika Ostonen, Gianluigi Ottaviani, Sarah Otto, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Wim A. Ozinga, Anna T. Pahl, C. E. Timothy Paine, Robin J. Pakeman, Aristotelis C. Papageorgiou, Evgeniya Parfionova, Meelis Pärtel, Marco Patacca, Susana Paula, Juraj Paule, Harald Pauli, Juli G. Pausas, Begoña Peco, Josep Penuelas, Antonio Perea, Pablo Luis Peri, Ana Carolina Petisco-Souza, Alessandro Petraglia, Any Mary Petritan, Oliver L. Phillips, Simon Pierce, Valério D. Pillar, Jan Pisek, Alexandr Pomogaybin, Hendrik Poorter, Angelika Portsmuth, Peter Poschlod, Catherine Potvin, Devon Pounds, A. Shafer Powell, Sally A. Power, Andreas Prinzing, Giacomo Puglielli, Petr Pyšek, Valerie Raevel, Anja Rammig, Johannes Ransijn, Courtenay A. Ray, Peter B. Reich, Markus Reichstein, Douglas E. B. Reid, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Victor Resco de Dios, Sabina Ribeiro, Sarah Richardson, Kersti Riibak, Matthias C. Rillig, Fiamma Riviera, Elisabeth M. R. Robert, Scott Roberts, Bjorn Robroek, Adam Roddy, Arthur Vinicius Rodrigues, Alistair Rogers, Emily Rollinson, Victor Rolo, Christine Römermann, Dina Ronzhina, Christiane Roscher, Julieta A. Rosell, Milena Fermina Rosenfield, Christian Rossi, David B. Roy, Samuel Royer-Tardif, Nadja Rüger, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado, Sabine B. Rumpf, Graciela M. Rusch, Masahiro Ryo, Lawren Sack, Angela Saldaña, Beatriz Salgado-Negret, Roberto Salguero-Gomez, Ignacio Santa-Regina, Ana Carolina Santacruz-García, Joaquim Santos, Jordi Sardans, Brandon Schamp, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Matthias Schleuning, Bernhard Schmid, Marco Schmidt, Sylvain Schmitt, Julio V. Schneider, Simon D. Schowanek, Julian Schrader, Franziska Schrodt, Bernhard Schuldt, Frank Schurr, Galia Selaya Garvizu, Marina Semchenko, Colleen Seymour, Julia C. Sfair, Joanne M. Sharpe, Christine S. Sheppard, Serge Sheremetiev, Satomi Shiodera, Bill Shipley, Tanvir Ahmed Shovon, Alrun Siebenkäs, Carlos Sierra, Vasco Silva, Mateus Silva, Tommaso Sitzia, Henrik Sjöman, Martijn Slot, Nicholas G. Smith, Darwin Sodhi, Pamela Soltis, Douglas Soltis, Ben Somers, Grégory Sonnier, Mia Vedel Sørensen, Enio Egon Sosinski Jr, Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia, Alexandre F. Souza, Marko Spasojevic, Marta Gaia Sperandii, Amanda B. Stan, James Stegen, Klaus Steinbauer, Jörg G. Stephan, Frank Sterck, Dejan B. Stojanovic, Tanya Strydom, Maria Laura Suarez, Jens-Christian Svenning, Ivana Svitková, Marek Svitok, Miroslav Svoboda, Emily Swaine, Nathan Swenson, Marcelo Tabarelli, Kentaro Takagi, Ulrike Tappeiner, Rubén Tarifa, Simon Tauugourdeau, Cagatay Tavsanoglu, Mariska te Beest, Leho Tedersoo, Nelson Thiffault, Dominik Thom, Evert Thomas, Ken Thompson, Peter E. Thornton, Wilfried Thuiller, Lubomír Tichý, David Tissue, Mark G. Tjoelker, David Yue Phin Tng, Joseph Tobias, Péter Török, Tonantzin Tarin, José M. Torres-Ruiz, Béla Tóthmérész, Martina Treurnicht, Valeria Trivellone, Franck Trolliet, Volodymyr Trotsiuk, James L. Tsakalos, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Niklas Tysklind, Toru Umehara, Vladimir Usoltsev, Matthew Vadeboncoeur, Jamil Vaezi, Fernando Valladares, Jana Vamosi, Peter M. van Bodegom, Michiel van Breugel, Elisa Van Cleemput, Martine van de Weg, Stephni van der Merwe, Fons van der Plas, Masha T. van der Sande, Mark van Kleunen, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Mark Vanderwel, Kim André Vanselow, Angelica Vårhammar, Laura Varone, Maribel Yesenia Vasquez Valderrama, Kiril Vassilev, Mark Vellend, Erik J. Veneklaas, Hans Verbeeck, Kris Verheyen, Alexander Vibrans, Ima Vieira, Jaime Villacís, Cyrille Violle, Pandi Vivek, Katrin Wagner, Matthew Waldram, Anthony Waldron, Anthony P. Walker, Martyn Waller, Gabriel Walther, Han Wang, Feng Wang, Weiqi Wang, Harry Watkins, James Watkins, Ulrich Weber, James T. Weedon, Liping Wei, Patrick Weigelt, Evan Weiher, Aidan W. Wells, Camilla Wellstein, Elizabeth Wenk, Mark Westoby, Alana Westwood, Philip John White, Mark Whitten, Mathew Williams, Daniel E. Winkler, Klaus Winter, Chevonne Womack, Ian J. Wright, S. Joseph Wright, Justin Wright, Bruno X. Pinho, Fabiano Ximenes, Toshihiro Yamada, Keiko Yamaji, Ruth Yanai, Nikolay Yankov, Benjamin Yguel, Kátia Janaina Zanini, Amy E. Zanne, David Zelený, Yun-Peng Zhao, Jingming Zheng, Ji Zheng, Kasia Ziemińska, Chad R. Zirbel, Georg Zizka, Irié Casimir Zo-Bi, Gerhard Zotz, Christian Wirth.Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry; Max Planck Society; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; International Programme of Biodiversity Science (DIVERSITAS); International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP); Future Earth; French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB); GIS ‘Climat, Environnement et Société'.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gcbhj2021Plant Production and Soil Scienc

Eustatic and tectonic control on late Eocene fan delta development (Orava Basin, Central Western Carpathians)

The evolution of the Central Carpathian Paleogene Basin (CCPB) reflects an important role of relative sea level changes on a tectonically active basin margin. After the initial upper Lutetian/Bartonian transgression, the next regressive-transgressive cycle played a key role in a formation of the late Eocene fan delta facies associations in the southern Orava region of Northern Slovakia. Detailed sedimentary analysis allowed the separation of the following three facies associations which represent distinct depositional environments: alluvial fan (subaerial fan delta; Unit 1); subaqueous fan delta (Unit 2); and prodelta/slope and basin (Unit 3). The first stage of delta development is connected with eustatic sea level fall at the Bartonian/Priabonian boundary, accompanied by subaerial exposure, fluvial incision and deposition of alluvial fan sediments. Subaerial deposition was characterized by a variety of mass flow conglomerates with a red muddy matrix, interfingering with stream or sheetflood deposits. The next stage of the delta corresponds to high-amplitude transgression related to rapid tectonic subsidence along the CCPB margins during the Priabonian. The vertical arrangement of facies suggests retrograde delta development that shows rapid submergence of the subaerial parts and onlap of subaqueous mass flow conglomerates, often reworked by waves or wave-induced shallow-marine currents. Continuous deepening of the depositional environment during the late Priabonian/early Rupelian led to the relatively rapid superposition of prodelta/slope and basin facies associations by slowly accumulated hemipelagic deposis

Sulodexide improves endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. Physiol Res

Summary Diabetes mellitus is associated with many complications including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and angiopathy. Increase

Bioługowanie litu z lepidolitu przy pomocy drożdży Rhodotorula Rubra

In this present work lithium recovery from lepidolite (3.79% Li2O) by bioleaching was investigated. Lithium due to its electrochemical reactivity and also other unique properties has attracted much attention for their application in many industrial fields such as batteries, ceramics and glass production, greases, pharmaceuticals and polymers and other uses. The tremendous growth in lithium demand for lithium batteries used in hybrid and electromobiles has raised great concern about the future availability of lithium. In nature lithium is present in a variety of aluminosilicates and continental brines. One of the principal lithium minerals in the world is lepidolite. Its destruction and consequent lithium is a high capital and energy intensive process therefore it is necessary to seek an efficient, economic technique to handle this ore. Biohydrometallurgical approaches with low energy and cost requirement are coming into perspective. Some species of bacteria, fungi and yeasts contribute to weathering processes and mineralization of metal containing materials. The most active leaching fungi such as Penicillium simplicissimum and Aspergillus niger produce great amounts of organic acids which play an important role as leaching agents in metal dissolution. However, there is a lack of studies on metal bioleaching from solid substrates using the yeast Rhodotorula rubra. In nature R. rubra may be found in silicates near lithium mining deposits. It is a slime producer and by means of macromolecules such as polysaccharides or polypeptides present in the capsule and wall can enhance silicate weathering processes. The main aim of this research work was to investigate lithium extraction from lepidolite using the yeast R. rubra and also the influence on nutrients on metabolic and leaching activity of the yeast. During the bioleaching of lepidolite using R. rubra Li extracted and accumulated in the biomass was 412.6 μg/g and 181.2 μg/g in nutrient and salt-limited medium, respectively. In leach liquor, lithium concentration was 25 μg/l and 89 μg/l in nutrient and salt-limited medium, respectively.W niniejszej pracy badany jest odzysk litu z lepidolitu (3.79% Li2O poprzez bioługowanie). Lit, ze względu na elektrochemiczną reaktywność, jak również inne unikalne cechy znalazł zastosowanie w wielu branżach przemysłowych m.in. przy produkcji baterii, ceramiki i szkła, stosuje się go również do smarów, farmeceutyków, polimerów itp. Ogromny wzrost popytu na lit i litowe baterie, używane w hybrydowych i elektrycznych samochodach, wzbudził obawy względem zasobów litu w przyszłości. W naturze lit występuje we wszelkim rodzaju glinokrzemianu i solnisk. Jednym z głównych minerałów na świecie, zawartym w licie jest lepidolit. Jego destrukcja z uzyskaniem litu to wysoce kosztowny i energochłonny proces, dlatego bardzo ważne jest znalezienie skutecznej i wydajnej techniki wydobycia tego kruszcu. Pojawiają się nowe możliwości w związku z metodami biohydrometalurgicznymi, które nie wymagają dużego nakładu energii i kosztów. Niektóre gatunki bakterii, grzybów i drożdży przyczyniają się do procesów wietrzenia oraz mineralizacji metali zawierających pierwiastki. Najaktywniejsze z grzybów ługujących, takie jak Penicil-liumsimplicissimum oraz Aspergillusnige, produkują znaczne ilości kwasów organicznych, które grają ważną rolę jako czynniki ługujące w procesie rozpadu metalu. Niemniej jednak, brak jest badań nad bioługowaniem metalu ze stałego substratu z użyciem drożdży Rhodotorula rubra. W naturze R. rubra występuje w krzemianach przy złożach kopalnianych litu. Głównym założeniem niniejszych badań jest sprawdzenie wydobycia litu z lepidolitu przy użyciu drożdży R. rubra jak również zbadanie wpływu na odżywcze wartości aktywności metabolicznej i ługującej drożdży. Podczas bioługacji lepidolitu przy pomocy R. rubra, wydobycie i gromadzenie litu w biomasie wyniosło odpowiednio 412,6 μg/g oraz 181.2 μg/g dla wartości odżywczych i medium solnego. W płynie ługowym, stężenie litu wyniosło odpowiednio 25 μg/l i 89 μg/l dla wartości odżywczych i medium solnego

Wpływ wieku zarodników Aspergillus niger na roztwory litowe z lepidolitu

Lithium and its compound have several commercial applications uses, including metal refining, organic synthesis and polymerization, manufacture of pharmaceuticals, glass, ceramics and batteries. Nowadays, lithium is becoming more and more interesting and attractive as a constituent of batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles. In nature lithium is the most frequently occurring metal; however, in very low concentration. The conventional processing of pegmatites containing lithium bearing aluminosilicates is time, energy and cost intensive. Biohydrometallurgical approaches are generally considered as technologies with low-cost and low-energy requirement. Some species of heterotrophic microorganisms such as Aspergillus and Penicillium have shown a great potential for metal bioleaching from ores and various waste materials such as fly ash, spent catalysts and electrical waste. Heterotrophic microorganisms of genera from Aspergillus exhibit a good potential in producing of organic acids, mainly oxalic, citric and gluconic acids, effective for metal extraction from low-grade ores and waste. This present study examines the influence of spore age of Aspergillus niger on lithium extraction from aluminosilicates. Spores or conidia, used for the experiment, were cultured 4 and 12 days. The metal bioleaching experiments were carried out in low nutrient media at ambient temperature. For the first time lithium was present in the solution on day 26 in both cases in the amount of 60 μg/l and 26 μg/l using 4-day and 12-day old spores, respectively. Since A. niger is characterized by a high ability to accumulate various metals lithium was also determined in the biomass. Results revealed that much more biomass (fungal mycelium) was generated by long-term cultured spores than short-term ones. Lithium concentrations accumulated in the biomass produced by 4-day and 12-day old spores were found to be 121μg/l and 545μg/l, respectively. In spite of rather low pH values, about pH=3, in both leaching systems a higher Li bioleaching efficiency was achieved using long-term cultured fungi. The results of a scanning electron micrograph (SEM) examination of the mineral before and after the bioleaching process pointed out the structural changes of the mineral surface after the attack by A. niger. X-ray analysis also confirmed the changes in crystalline structure of the mineral before and after the bioleaching process.Lit i jego związki mają kilka zastosowań komercyjnych, np. w rafinacji metali, syntezach organicznych i polimeryzacji, produkcji leków, szkła, ceramiki czy baterii. Obecnie lit staje się coraz bardziej interesujący i atrakcyjny jako składnik baterii do pojazdów elektrycznych i hybrydowych. W naturze lit jest najczęściej występującym metalem, jednakże w niskim stężeniu. Konwencjonalnie przetwarzanie pegmatytów (glinokrzemiany) zawierających lit są czaso-, energo- i kosztochłonne. Biohydrometalurgia uważana jest za technologię o niskich kosztach i niskich wymagań energetycznych. Niektóre gatunki heterotroficznych organizmów, takich jak Aspergillus i Penicillium wykazują wielki potencjał w bioługowaniu metali z rud I różnych typów odpadów, np. popiołów lotnych, zużytych katalizatorów czy odpadów elektrycznych. Mikroorganizmy heterotroficzne z rodzaju Aspergillus posiadają potencjał w produkcji kwasów organicznych, głównie szczawiowego, cytrynowego i glukonowego, działających na metale wydobywane z niskiej jakości rud i odpadów. Artykuł prezentuje badania nad wpływem wieku zarodka Aspergillus niger na wydobycie litu z glinokrzemianów. Zarodki i związki conidia użyte w doświadczeniu były hodowane 4 i 12 dni. Doświadczenia bioługowania metali zostały przeprowadzone w pożywce o niskiej temperaturze otoczenia. Po raz pierwszy lit pojawia się w roztworze 26 dnia w obu przypadkach w ilości 60 μg/l i 26 μg/l przy użyciu odpowiednio 4 i 12 dniowych zarodków. Jako, że A. Niger cechuje się znaczną możliwością kumulacji różnych metali, lit znaleziono także w biomasie. Badania pokazują, że dłużej hodowane zarodniki wytwarzają więcej biomasy niż krócej hodowane. Stężenie litu w biomasie wyprodukowanej przez 4 i 12 dniowe zarodniki wynosiło odpowiednio 121μg/l i 545μg/l. Pomimo niskiej wartości pH (pH = 3) wyższa wydajność bioługowania została otrzymana z dłużej hodowanych zarodników. Wyniki badań na elektronowym mikroskopie skaningowym (SEM) przed i po bioługowaniu wykazały zmiany strukturalne powierzchni minerału po zaaplikowaniu A. Niger. Analiza rentgenowska potwierdziła zmiany w sieci krystalicznej minerału przed i po procesie bioługowania

Pliocene to Quaternary stress field change in the western part of the Cen tral West ern Carpathians (Slovakia)

Knowledge of the current tectonic regime plays an essential role in natural hazard assessment, especially in the risk assessment of fault activity. Structural analysis of brittle deformations (using in version techniques) was used to determine the stress field state occurring within Pliocene and Quaternary deposits in the western part of the Central Western Carpathians. The deformation pattern of the reduced stress tensor showed that all structural measurements could be separated into two groups. An older, Late Pliocene fault population was activated un der NNW-SSE oriented extension. A younger, Quaternary fault population reflected origin in a NE–SW extensional tectonic regime and it distinctly showed a change the orientation of the S3 of about 70. The change in tectonic activity, as well as in the stress field orientation, is dated to the Pliocene-Pleis to cene boundary. The Quaternary stress field developed dur ing the post-collisional stage of the orogen. Our study shows that the West ern Carpathian internal units document NE-SW to NNE-SSW extension in the broader region around of the north ern Danube Basin

Geochronological evidence for the Alpine tectono-thermal evolution of the Veporic Unit (Western Carpathians, Slovakia)

Tectono-thermal evolution of the Veporic Unit was revealed by multiple geochronological methods, including 87Rb/86Sr on muscovite and biotite, zircon and apatite fission-track, and apatite (U-Th)/He analysis. Based on the new data, the following Alpine tectono-thermal stages can be distinguished: The Eo-Alpine Cretaceous nappe stacking (~135-95 Ma) resulted in burial of the Veporic Unit beneath the northward overthrusting Gemeric Unit and overlying Jurassic Meliata accretionary wedge. During this process the Veporic Unit reached metamorphic peak of greenschist- to amphibolite facies accompanied by orogen-parallel flow in its lower and middle crust. The subsequent evolution of this crust is associated with two distinct exhumation mechanisms related to collision with the northerly Tatric-Fatric basement. The first mechanism (~90-80 Ma) is associated with internal subhorizontal shortening of the Veporic Unit reflected by large-scale upright folding and heterogeneous exhumation of the Veporic lower crust in the cores of crustal-scale antiforms. This led to juxtaposition of the higher and lower grade parts of basement, all cooled down to ~350 °C by ~80 Ma. The second mechanism is associated with the overthrusting of the Veporic Unit over the attenuated Fatric crust. This led to a passive en-block exhumation of the Veporic crust from ~350 °C to 60 °C between ~80 and 55 Ma followed by erosion (~55-35 Ma). The erosion processes resulted in formation of planation surface before the Late Eocene transgression. After erosion and planation, a new sedimentary cycle of the Central Carpathian Palaeogene Basin was deposited with the sedimentary strata thickness of ~1.5-2.0 km (~21-17 Ma). The early to middle Miocene is characterised by destruction tectonic disintegration and erosion of this basin (~20-13 Ma) and formation of the Neogene Vepor Stratovolcano (~13 Ma). The final shaping of the area has been linked to erosional processes of the volcanic structure since the Late Sarmatian with accelerated processes during the Plio-Quaternary