Physico-chemical changes in Ca, Sr and Al-doped La-Mn-O perovskites upon thermochemical splitting of CO2 via redox cycling.

Thermochemical CO2-splitting via redox cycling of Ca, Sr and Al-doped La-Mn perovskites induces irreversible changes in the texture and chemical composition of these oxides. Though the crystal structure is mostly preserved after high-temperature redox cycling, the chemical stability is detrimentally affected by sintering and by the formation and eventual segregation of a carbonate phase during oxidation by CO2. Carbonation of the Ca and Sr phase was diminished by Al-substitution of the Mn-cation in the B-position.

Mg-promotion of Ni natural clay-supported catalysts for dry reforming of methane.

Mg-promotion of natural clay based Ni-catalysts was considered, as a way of boosting the dry reforming of methane (DRM) activity of these materials. The results of the DRM experiments performed at temperatures from 600 °C to 850 °C evidenced much higher methane and CO2 conversions for the Mg-promoted catalysts. Mg-promotion led of course to a significant increase of CO2-adsorption ability (basicity). However, the increased catalytic activity of the Mg-promoted materials was rather linked to increased Ni-dispersion and Ni0 crystallite size. Indeed, independent of the physico-chemical properties of the support, the presence of Mg led to the formation of a MgNiO2 mixed phase that, upon reduction, resulted in the formation of metallic Ni clusters having sizes around 7-9 nm, considerably smaller than in any of the non-promoted catalysts. Carbon formation was found to take place to a greater extent in the presence of the Mg-promoted catalysts, due to C-H bond activation leading also to favored direct methane decomposition (DMD). In spite of this, the activity of the Mg-promoted catalysts was well maintained over 5 hour DRM experiments performed at 750 °C.

Evaluation of metal mobility from copper mine tailings in northern Chile.

This work shows the results obtained on a copper mine tailing in the Antofagasta Region, Chile. The tailing was classified as saline-sodic with high concentrations of metals, especially Cu and Fe, with pH 8.4. Our objectives were to (1) compare the physicochemical properties of the tailing with surrounding soils of the mine under study, and (2) evaluate the effect of two amendments (CaCO3 and compost) and their mixtures on Cu(2+), Mn, Fe, Zn, Mg(2+), and K(+) and Ca(2+), SO4 (2-), NO3 (-), and PO4 (3-) leaching. The data obtained were submitted to variance and covariance analysis. The results from the comparison between both substrates showed that in general, the tailing presented greater content of metals. Regarding tailing leaching, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and concentration of the elements of interest were measured. The statistical analysis showed that Cu(2+) leaching and immobilization of Fe occurred to the greatest extent with compost. The EC decreased throughout the experiment with irrigation and increased upon treatment with compost. The major interactions found among the chemical parameters were (1) tailings without treatment, Cu(2+)/Fe and NO3 (-)/SO4 (2-); (2) tailings treated with CaCO3, Cu(2+)/K(+); (3) tailings treated with compost, NO3 (-)/SO4 (-2) and EC/Cu(2+); and (4) tailings treated with both amendments, EC/Fe and Cu(2+)/Fe. The ANOVA showed that the number of irrigations and the amendments statistically significantly affected the copper mobility and the organic amendment significantly influenced the iron mobility.

Morphological preservation of carbonaceous plant fossils in blueschist metamorphic rocks from New Zealand.

Morphological and chemical evidence of ancient life is widespread in sedimentary rocks retrieved from shallow depths in the Earth's crust. Metamorphism is highly detrimental to the preservation of biological information in rocks, thus limiting the geological record in which traces of life might be found. Deformation and increasing pressure/temperature during deep burial may alter the morphology as well as the composition and structure of both the organic and mineral constituents of fossils. However, microspore fossils have been previously observed in intensely metamorphosed rocks. It has been suggested that their small size, and/or the nature of the polymer composing their wall, and/or the mineralogy of their surrounding matrix were key parameters explaining their exceptional preservation. Here, we describe the remarkable morphological preservation of plant macrofossils in blueschist metamorphic rocks from New Zealand containing lawsonite. Leaves and stems can be easily identified at the macroscale. At the microscale, polygonal structures with walls mineralized by micas within the leaf midribs and blades may derive from the original cellular ultrastructure or, alternatively, from the shrinkage during burial of the gelified remnants of the leaves in an abiotic process. Processes and important parameters involved in the remarkable preservation of these fossils during metamorphism are discussed. Despite the excellent morphological preservation, the initial biological polymers have been completely transformed to graphitic carbonaceous matter down to the nanometer scale. This occurrence demonstrates that plant macrofossils may experience major geodynamic processes such as metamorphism and exhumation involving deep changes and homogenization of their carbon chemistry and structure but still retain their morphology with remarkable integrity even if they are not shielded by any hard-mineralized concretion.

Inhibition of reproductive maturation and somatic growth of Fischer 344 rats by photoperiods shorter than L14:D10 and by gradually decreasing photoperiod.

Photoperiod is the major regulator of reproduction in temperate-zone mammals. Laboratory rats are generally considered to be nonphotoresponsive, but young male Fischer 344 (F344) rats have a uniquely robust response to short photoperiods of 8 h of light. Rats transferred at weaning from a photoperiod of 16 h to photoperiods of < 14 h of light slowed in both reproductive development and somatic growth rate. Those in photoperiods < 13 h of light underwent the strongest responses. The critical photoperiod of F344 rats can be defined as 13.5 h of light, but photoperiods of