Bioaccumulation pattern of lanthanides in pteridophytes and magnoliophytes species from Atlantic Forest

The availability of chemical elements for plants is mainly dependent on the nature of the soil and characteristics of each species. The transfer factors of lanthanides from the soil to the tree leaves of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil, were calculated for one fern species (Alsophila sternbergii-Pteridophyta division) and four magnoliophytes species (Bathysa australis, Euterpe edulis, Garcinia gardneriana and Guapira opposita-Magnoliophyta division) obtained in two areas of Serra do Mar State Park and collected in two different seasons. Samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The soil-to-plant transfer factor (TF = C(plant):C(soil)) in magnoliophytes species was correlated to the mass fraction of lanthanides in the soil, described by a exponential model (TF = a.C (soil) (-b) ). Despite the tree fern Alsophila sternbergii presented a hyperaccumulation of lanthanides, this species did not have a significant relationship between TF and mass fraction in soil. Results indicated that plants of Magnoliophyta division selected the input of lanthanides from the soil, while the same was not observed in Alsophila sternbergii.

Changes in subduction in the South Atlantic Ocean during the 21st century in the CCSM3

The Community Climate System Model version 3 is used to analyse changes in water mass subduction rates in the South Atlantic Ocean over the 21st century. The model results are first compared to observations over 1950-2000, and shown to be rather good. The subduction rates do not change significantly over the 21st century, but the densities at which water masses form become significantly lighter. The strong westerly winds in this region do not change much, which suggests small changes to the rate at which the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean takes up heat and carbon dioxide over the 21st century.

Taxonomy of ""Mouse-colored Tapaculos"". I. On the application of the name Malacorhynchus speluncae Menetries, 1835 (Aves: Passeriformes: Rhinocryptidae)

The type specimen of Malacorhynchus speluncae was described and illustrated as being ""mouse gray with a bluish luster"" on the upperparts and as having a ""lighter color on the lower side of the body"" which ""becomes whitish towards the middle of the throat and breast"". It represents a taxon presently placed in the genus Scytalopus. Since 1907, the name Scytalopus speluncae has been attributed to the predominantly dark-gray species from the southeastern coastal Brazilian mountains. Recently, it was suggested that the name S. speluncae should be applied to a species that is light-gray with whitish belly and extensive barring on the flanks and that occurs predominantly in the Espinhaco Range, Minas Gerais state, to the west of the range of the dark-gray taxon. As a consequence, the dark-gray species, presumably without any available name, was described as a new species, S. notorius. However, on the basis of a critical analysis of the available information on the type specimen of S. speluncae, including the original description and illustration (Menetries 1835), and our examination of large series of museum specimens, we demonstrate that the type of S. speluncae falls within the known plumage variation of the dark-gray species and that it does not show the diagnostic characters of the light-gray form. Thus, we propose that the name S. speluncae be applied only to the dark-gray species. Consequently, S. notorius must be regarded a junior-synonym of S. speluncae. Because of problems related to the exact collecting sites of Menetries, and taking into consideration the distribution of the dark-gray species, we suggest ""Serra dos Orgaos"", in Rio de Janeiro state, as the type-locality of S. speluncae.

Film based on Y2O3: Eu3+ (5 mol% of Eu3+) for flat panel display

This paper reports on Y2O3:Eu3+ containing 1 mol% of Ag-0 nanoparticle films recovered with a SiO2 layer by using glass foil as a substrate for a possible optical display device application. The obtained film showed an intense emission at 612 nm due to the Eu3+ 5D0 -> F-7(2) hypersensitive transition, a high transmittance in that emission range, an excellent optical quality, and a high absorption only below 300 nm. Moreover, despite the presence of the SiO2 layer used to improve the phosphor adhesion on Corning (R) foil substrates, the intensity ratios between the emissions assigned to Eu3+ D-5(0) -> F-7(2) (dipole electric transition) and D-5(0) -> F-7(1) (dipole magnetic transition) were not affected by it. The x and y coordinate values found in the 1931 Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage Chromaticity Diagram for this film reveal that it has a suitable pure red color emission for optical displays devices. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Novel europium and gadolinium complexes with methaneseleninate as ligand: Synthesis, characterization and spectroscopic study

The methaneseleninate and 1,10-phenanthroline were used as ligands in the synthesis of new lanthanide complexes. The photostability, emission quantum yield (q) and quantum efficiency (eta) of the D-5(0) emitting level of the Eu3+ ion were determined. An energy level diagram was used to establish the most relevant channels involved in the ligand-to-metal intramolecular energy transfer process. The nephelauxetic effect was investigated to assess the covalency of the ligand-metal chemical bond. The values of the experimental 4f-4f intensity parameters, suggest that this ion is in a chemical environment less polarisable than in the case of complexes with beta-diketonates as ligands. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Terbium(III) and dysprosium(III) 8-connected 3D networks containing 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate anion: Crystal structures and photoluminescence studies

Two novel coordination polymers with the formula {[Ln(2)(2,5-tdc)(3)(dmso)(2)].H2O}(n) (Ln = Tb(III) for (1) and Dy(III) for (2)), (2,5-tdc(2-) = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate and dmso = dimethylsulfoxide) have been synthesized by the diffusion method and characterized by thermal analysis, vibrational spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Structure analysis reveals that 2,5-tdc(2-) play a versatile role toward different lanthanide ions to form three-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in which the lanthanides ions are heptacoordinated. Photophysical properties were studied using excitation and emission spectra, where the photoluminescence data show the high emission intensity of the characteristic transitions D-5(4 ->) F-7(J) (J= 6, 5, 4 and 3) for (1) and (F9/2 -> HJ)-F-4-H-6 (J = 15/2, 13/2 and 11/2) for (2), indicating that 2,5-tdc(2-) is a good sensitizer. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and Characterization of the Europium(III) Pentakis(picrate) Complexes with Imidazolium Countercations: Structural and Photoluminescence Study

Six new lanthanide complexes of stoichiometric formula (C)(2)[Ln(Pic)(5)]-where (C) is a imidazolium cation coming from the ionic liquids 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium picrate (BMIm-Pic), 1-butyl-3-ethylimidazolium picrate (BEIm-Pic), and 1,3-dibutylimidazolium picrate (BBIm-Pic), and Ln is Eu(III) or Gd(III) ions-have been prepared and characterized. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first cases of Ln(III) pentakis(picrate) complexes. The crystal structures of (BEIm)(2)[Eu(Pic)(5)] and (BBIm)(2)[Eu(Pic)(5)] compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The [Eu(Pic)(5)](2-) polyhedra have nine oxygen atoms coordinated to the Eu(III) ion, four oxygen atoms from bidentate picrate, and one oxygen atom from monodentate picrate. The structures of the Eu complexes were also calculated using the sparkle model for lanthanide complexes, allowing an analysis of intramolecular energy transfer processes in the coordination compounds. The photoluminescence properties of the Eu(III) complexes were then studied experimentally and theoretically, leading to a rationalization of their emission quantum yields.

Tb3+-> Eu3+ Energy Transfer in Mixed-Lanthanide-Organic Frameworks

In this work, we report a theoretical and experimental investigation of the energy transfer mechanism in two isotypical 2D coordination polymers, (infinity)[(Tb1-xEux)(DPA)(HDPA)], where H(2)DPA is pyridine 2,6-dicarboxylic acid and x = 0.05 or 0.50. Emission spectra of (infinity)[(Tb0.95Eu0.05)(DPA)(HDPA)] and (infinity)[(Tb0.5Eu0.5)(DPA)(HDPA)], (I) and (2), show that the high quenching effect on Tb3+ emission caused by Eu3+ ion indicates an efficient Tb3+-> Eu3+ energy transfer (ET). The k(ET) of Tb3+-> Eu3+ ET and rise rates (k(r)) of Eu3+ as a function of temperature for (1) are on the same order of magnitude, indicating that the sensitization of the Eu3+5D0 level is highly fed by ET from the D-5(4) level of Tb3+ ion. The eta(ET) and R-0 values vary in the 67-79% and 7.15 to 7.93 angstrom ranges. Hence, Tb3+ is enabled to transfer efficiently to Eu3+ that can occupy the possible sites at 6.32 and 6.75 angstrom. For (2), the ET processes occur on average with eta(ET) and R-0 of 97% and 31 angstrom, respectively. Consequently, Tb3+ ion is enabled to transfer energy to Eu3+ localized at different layers. The theoretical model developed by Malta was implemented aiming to insert more insights about the dominant mechanisms involved in the ET between lanthanides ions. Calculated single Tb3+-> Eu3+ ETs are three orders of magnitude inferior to those experimentally; however, it can be explained by the theoretical model that does not consider the role of phonon assistance in the Ln(3+)-> Ln(3+) ET processes. In addition, the Tb3+-> Eu3+ ET processes are predominantly governed by dipole-dipole (d-d) and dipole-quadrupole (d-q) mechanisms.

Influence diagnostics for elliptical semiparametric mixed models

In this paper we extend semiparametric mixed linear models with normal errors to elliptical errors in order to permit distributions with heavier and lighter tails than the normal ones. Penalized likelihood equations are applied to derive the maximum penalized likelihood estimates (MPLEs) which appear to be robust against outlying observations in the sense of the Mahalanobis distance. A reweighed iterative process based on the back-fitting method is proposed for the parameter estimation and the local influence curvatures are derived under some usual perturbation schemes to study the sensitivity of the MPLEs. Two motivating examples preliminarily analyzed under normal errors are reanalyzed considering some appropriate elliptical errors. The local influence approach is used to compare the sensitivity of the model estimates.

The need of a weight management control program in judo: a proposal based on the successful case of wrestling

Judo competitions are divided into weight classes. However, most athletes reduce their body weight in a few days before competition in order to obtain a competitive advantage over lighter opponents. To achieve fast weight reduction, athletes use a number of aggressive nutritional strategies so many of them place themselves at a high health-injury risk. In collegiate wrestling, a similar problem has been observed and three wrestlers died in 1997 due to rapid weight loss regimes. After these deaths, the National Collegiate Athletic Association had implemented a successful weight management program which was proven to improve weight management behavior. No similar program has ever been discussed by judo federations even though judo competitors present a comparable inappropriate pattern of weight control. In view of this, the basis for a weight control program is provided in this manuscript, as follows: competition should begin within 1 hour after weigh-in, at the latest; each athlete is allowed to be weighed-in only once; rapid weight loss as well as artificial rehydration (i.e., saline infusion) methods are prohibited during the entire competition day; athletes should pass the hydration test to get their weigh-in validated; an individual minimum competitive weight (male athletes competing at no less than 7% and females at no less than 12% of body fat) should be determined at the beginning of each season; athletes are not allowed to compete in any weight class that requires weight reductions greater than 1.5% of body weight per week. In parallel, educational programs should aim at increasing the athletes', coaches' and parents' awareness about the risks of aggressive nutritional strategies as well as healthier ways to properly manage body weight.