Behavior and Impact of Zirconium in the Soil–Plant System: Plant Uptake and Phytotoxicity

Because of the large number of sites they pollute, toxic metals that contaminate terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly of environmental and sanitary concern (Uzu et al. 2010, 2011; Shahid et al. 2011a, b, 2012a). Among such metals is zirconium (Zr), which has the atomic number 40 and is a transition metal that resembles titanium in physical and chemical properties (Zaccone et al. 2008). Zr is widely used in many chemical industry processes and in nuclear reactors (Sandoval et al. 2011; Kamal et al. 2011), owing to its useful properties like hardness, corrosion-resistance and permeable to neutrons (Mushtaq 2012). Hence, the recent increased use of Zr by industry, and the occurrence of the Chernobyl and Fukashima catastrophe have enhanced environmental levels in soil and waters (Yirchenko and Agapkina 1993; Mosulishvili et al. 1994 ; Kruglov et al. 1996)

Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI): facing the challenges and pathways of global change in the 21st century

During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments must now be secured through science-based strategies co-designed with regional decision makers to lead their societies to prosperity in the face of environmental and institutional challenges. NEESPI scientific research, data, and models have created a solid knowledge base to support the NEFI program. This paper presents the NEFI research vision consensus based on that knowledge. It provides the reader with samples of recent accomplishments in regional studies and formulates new NEFI science questions. To address these questions, nine research foci are identified and their selections are briefly justified. These foci include: warming of the Arctic; changing frequency, pattern, and intensity of extreme and inclement environmental conditions; retreat of the cryosphere; changes in terrestrial water cycles; changes in the biosphere; pressures on land-use; changes in infrastructure; societal actions in response to environmental change; and quantification of Northern Eurasia's role in the global Earth system. Powerful feedbacks between the Earth and human systems in Northern Eurasia (e.g., mega-fires, droughts, depletion of the cryosphere essential for water supply, retreat of sea ice) result from past and current human activities (e.g., large scale water withdrawals, land use and governance change) and potentially restrict or provide new opportunities for future human activities. Therefore, we propose that Integrated Assessment Models are needed as the final stage of global change assessment. The overarching goal of this NEFI modeling effort will enable evaluation of economic decisions in response to changing environmental conditions and justification of mitigation and adaptation efforts

Fusion of Ca-48+Sm-154 near the Coulomb barrier: enhancement vs. suppression

Fusion-evaporation and fusion-fission cross sections have been measured in the reaction48Ca+154Sm from well below to well above the Coulomb barrier. The comparison of fusion cross sections for this reaction with previous data corresponding to16O+186W, leading to the same compound nucleus202Pb*, puts in evidence an interesting competition between sub-barrier enhancement, due to the strong couplings related to the154Sm deformation, and above barrier suppression for the48Ca induced reaction. The fusion hindrance mechanism has been attributed to the strong quasi-fission component observed in the mass-energy distributions of fission fragments

Shell effects in Fusion-Fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei

The process of fusion-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei (SHE) with Z=82 12122 formed in the reactions with 48Ca and 58Fe ions at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier has been studied. The experiments were carried out at the U-400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR) and at the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro (LNL) using the time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET and the neutron multi-detector DEMON. As a result of the experiments, mass and energy distributions (MED) of fission fragments, fission, quasi-fission and evaporation residues cross sections, multiplicities of neutrons and \u3b3 quanta and their dependence on the mechanism of formation and decay of compound systems have been studied

Shell effects in fission and quasi-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei

Results of the experiments aimed at the study of fission and quasi-fission processes in the reactions 12C+204Pb,48Ca+144,154Sm,168Er,208Pb,244Pu,248Cm;58Fe+208Pb,244Pu,248Cm, and64Ni+186W,242Pu are presented in the work. The choice of the above-mentioned reactions was inspired by recent experiments on the production of the isotopes283112,289114 and283116 at Dubna [1],[2] using the same reactions. The58Fe and64Ni projectiles were chosen since the corresponding projectile-target combinations lead to the synthesis of even heavier elements. The experiments were carried out at the U-400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Russia), the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro (LNL, Italy) and the Accelerator of the Laboratory of University of Jyvaskyla (JYFL, Finland) using the time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET[3] and the neutron multi-detector DEMON[4],[5]. The role of shell effects and the influence of the entrance channel on the mechanism of the compound nucleus fusion-fission and the competitive process of quasi-fission are discussed

Tunable Plasmonic Properties and Absorption Enhancement in Terahertz Photoconductive Antenna Based on Optimized Plasmonic Nanostructures

Herein, we numerically investigate terahertz photoconductive antennas (PCAs) based on optimized plasmonic nanostructures and absorption enhancement in nanocylinders. Plasmonic behavior in the visible to near-infrared light spectrum is achievable due to the metallic nanostructure employment. Herein, we study the absorption enhancement of silver and transparent-conducting oxides (TCO) nanocylinders with different diameters by means of effective medium approximation. This study also reports on the stronger enhancement in the case of TCO nanocylinders. The results show that resonant absorption amplitude and wavelength are dramatically affected by the thickness of the nanostructure as well as by the distances between nanocylinders. The outputs reported here provide a fertile ground for precise control of the nanowire structures for sensing and other enhanced optical applications. It is worthwhile noting that in case of TCO nanocylinders, absorption enhancement for NIR wavelengths, being relevant for present terahertz generation setup, reaches up to fivefold leading to 25-fold increase in terahertz radiation

Rough-legged buzzards, arctic foxes and red foxes in a tundra ecosystem without rodents

Small rodents with multi-annual population cycles strongly influence the dynamics of food webs, and in particular predator-prey interactions, across most of the tundra biome. Rodents are however absent from some arctic islands, and studies on performance of arctic predators under such circumstances may be very instructive since rodent cycles have been predicted to collapse in a warming Arctic. Here we document for the first time how three normally rodent-dependent predator species—rough-legged buzzard, arctic fox and red fox – perform in a low-arctic ecosystem with no rodents. During six years (in 2006-2008 and 2011-2013) we studied diet and breeding performance of these predators in the rodent-free Kolguev Island in Arctic Russia. The rough-legged buzzards, previously known to be a small rodent specialist, have only during the last two decades become established on Kolguev Island. The buzzards successfully breed on the island at stable low density, but with high productivity based on goslings and willow ptarmigan as their main prey – altogether representing a novel ecological situation for this species. Breeding density of arctic fox varied from year to year, but with stable productivity based on mainly geese as prey. The density dynamic of the arctic fox appeared to be correlated with the date of spring arrival of the geese. Red foxes breed regularly on the island but in very low numbers that appear to have been unchanged over a long period – a situation that resemble what has been recently documented from Arctic America. Our study suggests that the three predators found breeding on Kolguev Island possess capacities for shifting to changing circumstances in low-arctic ecosystem as long as other small - medium sized terrestrial herbivores are present in good numbers