Insight into Cu (II) adsorption on pyrochar and hydrochar resultant from Acacia Senegal waste for wastewater decontamination.

Acacia Senegal waste (ASW) is remaining biomass following gum Arabic harvesting and has no use mentioned in the literature as of yet. This study aims to convert ASW into valuable biochar via two comparative thermal and hydrothermal techniques, which include pyrochar ASW at 300 °C (PC ASW300) and hydrochar ASW at 180 °C (HC ASW180), respectively, for Cu (II) adsorption from aqueous solutions. SEM-EDS, FTIR, XRD, and XPS were used to characterize the biochar. Adsorption performance was studied as a function of pH, contact time, and adsorbent concentration. Adsorption kinetics were best fit for a pseudo-second-order model. And thermodynamics studies revealed that Cu (II) on biochar was endothermic, spontaneous, and best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model. Pyrochar adsorption capacity (31.93 mg g-1) was seven times that of hydrochar (5.45 mg g-1). ASW treated with phosphorus (PC H3PO4 and HC H3PO4) prior to the carbonization altered the pore structure and surface functional groups as well (O-P-O, P-CH3, and P-OH) of biochar. It was found that treating with phosphorous acid increased adsorption capacity to 141.7 mg g-1 and 22.24 mg g-1 for PC H3PO4 and HC H3PO4, respectively. The surface functional groups of biochar resulted from lignin, alkaloids, and polysaccharides combined with Cu (II) during the adsorption process via surface complexation accompanied by π-electron interaction and Cu (II) reduction. These findings shed light on the ASW biochar potential as a new green cost-effective adsorbent and drew an insightful understanding of Cu (II) adsorption performance and mechanism. It is concluded that ASW-derived biochar is highly effective and a promising alternative for Cu (II) decontamination from wastewater.

Validation of EORTC IN-PATSAT32 for Chinese cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to test the psychometric properties and acceptability of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) inpatient satisfaction with care questionnaire 32 (IN-PATSAT32) for evaluating Chinese cancer patients and to analyze the influence of age, educational level, diagnostic time, and tumor stage on patient satisfaction. METHODS: Three hundred two cancer inpatients in Tianjin Cancer Institution and Hospital from June 2013 to December 2013 were recruited for this study. All participants self-administered the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 and EORTC quality of life questionnaire-core 30 (QLQ-C30). Psychometric evaluation of the validity, reliability, acceptability, as well as the influence of age, educational level, diagnostic time, and tumor stage on patient satisfaction, was conducted. RESULTS: A favorable internal consistency reliability was confirmed, as the Cronbach's α coefficients were >0.80 for all scales in the EORTC IN-PATSAT32, ranging from 0.849 to 0.944. Multi-trait scaling analysis showed that all item-scale correlation coefficients met the standard of convergent validity, and 79.3 % met the standard of discriminant validity. Weak correlations were found between the scales and single items of the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 and EORTC QLQ-C30, proving the validity of EORTC IN-PATSAT32. None of the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 scales were able to discriminate between patients across age categories, while significant influences of educational level on doctors' and nurses' conduct, as well as influences of diagnostic time and tumor stage on nurses' conduct, and information provision scales were discovered. The questionnaire was easily understood with a satisfactory acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The EORTC IN-PATSAT32 appears to be a reliable, valid, and acceptable instrument to use on cancer patients and is appropriate for measuring the patient satisfaction of Chinese patients.

Validation of EORTC QLQ-LC43 for Chinese patients with lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To test the validity, reliability and acceptability of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Lung Cancer 43 (EORTC QLQ-LC43) for Chinese patients with lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients from Tianjin Cancer Institution and Hospital with lung cancer were enrolled in this study. All were treated in Tianjin Cancer Institution and Hospital from December 2012 to April 2013. All participants self-administered the EORTC QLQ-LC43 and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). The Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) was performed to evaluate scores. Reliability test of the questionnaires was based on Cronbach's α coefficients, Pearson correlation test and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: This study included 317 inpatients and outpatients. The Cronbach's α coefficients were >0.70 in all scales of the two questionnaires, except that of cognitive functioning. High correlations were found among the quality of life (QoL), physical functioning, role functioning, dyspnea, and KPS scores (r>0.40). Mild correlations were discovered among the rest of the items. Dividing the participants into three groups based on the KPS scores showed that QoL and functional scales scores progressively decreased and the symptom items scores progressively increased as KPS scores decreased. All inter-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The EORTC QLQ-LC43 is a reliable and valid instrument in patients with lung cancer and is appropriate for measuring the QoL of Chinese patients.

Comparison of eddy covariance and chamber-based methods for measuring CO2 flux in a temperate mixed forest.

Two methods, eddy covariance and chamber-based measurements, were employed to measure the net ecosystem CO(2) exchange in a mature temperate mixed forest in 2003. The eddy covariance system was used as a reference, which was compared with the chamber-based method. Based on chamber fluxes, the ecosystem had a gross primary production of 1490 g C m(-2) year(-1), 90% of which was released as efflux back into the air via respiration of the entire ecosystem. This was comprised of about 48% from soil surface CO(2) efflux, 31% from leaf respiration and 21% from stem and branch respiration. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE), estimated from the sum of daily component fluxes, was 146 g C m(-2) year(-1). Ecosystem respiration (ER), estimated from the sum of daily ecosystem respiration, was 1240 g C m(-2) year(-1). NEE was 9.8% of actual gross primary production (GPP). The eddy covariance estimates of NEE, ER and GPP were 188, 1030 and 1220 g C m(-2) year(-1), respectively. The eddy covariance estimation of NEE was higher than that of the chamber-based estimation by 22.5%. On a daily basis, NEE of the scaled chamber measurements was in acceptable agreement with eddy covariance measurement data with R(2) values of 0.71. The discrepancy between the measurement of the two methods was greater in the non-growing season primarily due to the lack of spatial variability in the scaled chamber estimates and weak atmosphere turbulence by eddy covariance measurements. There are many uncertainties for determination of absolute values of ecosystem component flux. More detailed experiments and related theoretical studies are needed in the future.

[Effects of precipitation and interspecific competition on Quercus mongolica and pinus koraiensis seedlings growth].

Aiming at the variation of precipitation pattern caused by global warming, a field simulation experiment was conducted to study the effects of 30% increase (+W) and decrease (-W) of precipitation on the morphology, growth, and biomass partitioning of mono- and mixed cultured seedlings of Quercus mongolica and Pinus koraiensis, the two dominant tree species in temperate broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Mountains. Comparing with monoculture, mixed culture increased the canopy width and main root length of Q. mongolica seedlings, but decreased the basal diameter, plant height, leaf number, and dry masses of root, stem, leaf and whole plant of P. koraiensis seedlings significantly. Treatment (-W) increased the stem/mass ratio while decreased the main root length of Q. mongolica seedlings, and decreased the main root length, leaf number, dry masses of leaf and whole plant, and leaf/mass ratio, while increased the stem/mass ratio of P. koraiensis seedlings significantly, compared with treatment CK. Treatment (+W) had no significant effect on these indices of the two species. At early growth stage, interspecific competition and precipitation pattern had significant effects on the morphology and growth of the seedlings, and the responses were much stronger for P. koraiensis than for Q. mongolica.

[Chemical constituents from leaves of Paulownia fortunei].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of leaves of Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl. METHODS: The constituents were isolated by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic analysis. RESULTS: The compounds were identified as mimulone (I), apigenin (II), luteolin (III), 2alpha, 3beta, 19beta-trihydroxyurs-28-O-beta-D-galactonopyranos ylester (anserinoside, IV), 3alpha-hydroxyl-ursolicacid (V), ursolicacid (VI), daucosterol (VII), beta-sitosterol (VIII). CONCLUSION: The compounds I - V are obtained from leaves of Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl for the first time.

[Stem respiration of dominant tree species in broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Mountains].

By using soil respiration chamber, the stem respiration of dominant tree species Pinus koraiensis, Quercus mongolica, Fraxinus mandshurica and Tilia amurensis in broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest of Changbai Mountains was measured from April to October 2003. The temperature on the stem surface and in the forest was determined simultaneously. The results demonstrated that the stem respiration rate of test tree species had an obvious seasonal variation, with the maximum occurred in July and the minimum in October. The diurnal variation of the stem respiration rate was in a 'S' curve, with the minimum at 6:00 for all test tree species, and the maximum at 18:00, 20:00, 16:00, and 14:00 for P. koraiensis, Q. mongolica, F. mandshurica, and T. amuremis, respectively. The response of stem respiration to temperature differed with tree species, and the Q10 value ranged from 2.24 to 2.9, which were decreased in the order of F. mandshurica > Q. mongolica > P. koraiensis > T. amurensis.