Environmental differences between sites control the diet and nutrition of the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia

Background and aims: Carnivorous plants are sensitive to small changes in resource availability, but few previous studies have examined how differences in nutrient and prey availability affect investment in and the benefit of carnivory. We studied the impact of site-level differences in resource availability on ecophysiological traits of carnivory for Drosera rotundifolia L. Methods: We measured prey availability, investment in carnivory (leaf stickiness), prey capture and diet of plants growing in two bogs with differences in N deposition and plant available N: Cors Fochno (0.62 g m−2 yr.−1, 353 μg l−1), Whixall Moss (1.37 g m−2 yr.−1, 1505 μg l−1). The total N amount per plant and the contributions of prey/root N to the plants’ N budget were calculated using a single isotope natural abundance method. Results: Plants at Whixall Moss invested less in carnivory, were less likely to capture prey, and were less reliant on prey-derived N (25.5% compared with 49.4%). Actual prey capture did not differ between sites. Diet composition differed – Cors Fochno plants captured 62% greater proportions of Diptera. Conclusions: Our results show site-level differences in plant diet and nutrition consistent with differences in resource availability. Similarity in actual prey capture may be explained by differences in leaf stickiness and prey abundance

Determination of optimal use of hydromechanical method of coal mining using plane in various geological-mining conditions

W artykule przeanalizowano możliwość efektywnego stosowania metody hydromechanicznego urabiania węgla z wykorzystaniem wyprzedzającego podcinania strumieniem wody w pokładzie urabianym strugiem. Istotą metody jest wstępne podcinanie ociosu na poziomie stropu i spągu, strumieniem wody pod dużym ciśnieniem, w celu zmniejszenia sił spójności i przylegania warstwy węgla do skał. W efekcie uzyskuje się znaczące zmniejszenie siły niezbędnej do urabiania górotworu i w rezultacie mniejszy wydatek energetyczny na jednostkę urobku. Podcinania dokonuje się cienkim strumieniem wody tłoczonej przez specjalnie uformowane dysze pod bardzo wysokim ciśnieniem tłocznym, powyżej 100 MPa. Przy oddziaływaniu tego strumienia wody na górotwór, jego energia przekształca się w pracę mechaniczną cięcia, a sam strumień staje się narzędziem tnącym. W rozpatrywanym procesie urabiania górotworu są stosowane dwa sposoby niszczenia materiału – jest to cięcie nożami struga z wykształceniem elementarnego wióra i uderzeniowe niszczenie strumieniem wody. Samo nacięcie strumieniem wody nie powoduje tworzenia się szczelin lub stref deformacji plastycznej w górotworze, a skała jest niszczona natychmiast na całym obszarze przyłożenia obciążenia, bez powodowania efektu krawędziowego. Dlatego też ciśnienie wody niezbędne do wykonania nacięcia jest wprost proporcjonalne do granicznej wytrzymałości materiału na jednoosiowe ściskanie. W artykule określono uogólnione zależności między regulowanymi parametrami podcinania i stratami energii zużytej na urabianie węgla zalegającego w skałach o wysokich charakterystykach wytrzymałościowych. Z przywołanych w artykule pozycji literatury wynika, że z technologicznego punktu widzenia najbardziej racjonalne głębokości nacinania strumieniem wody powinny mieścić się w granicach 30–40 mm.The article contains an assessment of the effectiveness of the application of hydromechanical destruction of coal deposits using the pre-emptive undercutting with waterjet in the deposite treated with plane. The aim of the work is to make a preliminary cutting of side wall at the roof and floor level, in order to reduce the cohesion and adhesion force between carbon layer and rocks. As a result of this cutting there is a significant reduction in force necessary to mine the rock mass and consequently less energy expenditure per mining unit. The undercutting is carried out by a thin water stream pressed by the specially formed nozzles under very high pressure discharged at above 100 MPa. When this water stream has the influence on the material, its energy is converted into cutting mechanical work, and the stream itself becomes the cutting tool. In the process of mining the rock mass, the two technologies of material destruction are present - cutting with plane blades with elementary chip as well as impact destruction by the water stream. The cut with water stream does not cause the formation of cracks or zones of plastic deformation in rock masses and the rock is destroyed immediately at the whole surface of application of the load, without causing the edge effect. Therefore, the water pressure necessary for the implementation of the incision is directly proportional to the border strength of the material to the uniaxial compressive strength. The article specifies the generalized relationship between adjustable undercutting parameters and levels of lost energy used for mining the coal occuring in the rocks of high strength characteristics. On the basis of the bibliography referred to in the article it can be stated that from the technological point of view the most rational depth of cutting with waterjet should be within the limits of 30-40 mm

Enzymatic functionalization of cork surface with antimicrobial hybrid biopolymer/silver nanoparticles

Laccase-assisted assembling of hybrid biopolymer-silver nanoparticles and cork matrices into an antimicrobial material with potential for water remediation is herein described. Amino-functional biopolymers were first used as doping agents to stabilize concentrated colloidal dispersions of silver nanoparticles (AgNP), additionally providing the particles with functionalities for covalent immobilization onto cork to impart a durable antibacterial effect. The solvent-free AgNP synthesis by chemical reduction was carried out in the presence of chitosan (CS) or 6-deoxy-6-(omega-aminoethyl) aminocellulose (AC), leading to simultaneous AgNP biofunctionalization. This approach resulted in concentrated hybrid NP dispersion stable to aggregation and with hydrodynamic radius of particles of about 250 nm. Moreover, laccase enabled coupling between the phenolic groups in cork and amino moieties in the biopolymer-doped AgNP for permanent modification of the material. The antibacterial efficiency of the functionalized cork matrices, aimed as adsorbents for wastewater treatment, was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus during 5 days in conditions mimicking those in constructed wetlands. Both intrinsically antimicrobial CS and AC contributed to the bactericidal effect of the enzymatically grafted on cork AgNP. In contrast, unmodified AgNP were easily washed off from the material, confirming that the biopolymers potentiated a durable antibacterial functionalization of the cork matrices.Peer Reviewe