Helminth parasites of Caspian kilka (genus Clupeonella) as bioindicators of heavy metals

In the present study, intestinal helminth parasite fauna of 398 specimens of three species of kilkas, C. engrauliformis (N= 92), C. grimmi (N= 136) and C. cultriventris (N= 170) from Babolsar harbor were investigated. Five parasite species were found including: Corynosoma strumosum (Acanthocephala), Pronoprymna ventricosa (Trematoda), Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda), Raphidascaris sp. (Nematoda) and Anisakis sp. (Nematoda). The highest prevalence and abundance were observed in C. strumosum and P. ventricosa. The prevalence and abundance of C. strumosum in C. grimmi was significantly higher than C. engrauliformis. The prevalence and abundance of P. ventricosa in C. cultriventris was significantly higher than C. engrauliformis. The prevalence, mean intensity and mean abundance of the parasites were compared according to the sex, length group and season also effect of parasite on host growth parameters was considered. The diversity, equability, similarity, species richness, dominance Indices and specificity indices of helminth parasites of the three host species were studied. Also the lead and cadmium concentrations in the intestine, muscle, liver, kidney and gonad of kilkas and their parasites C. strumosum and P. ventricosa were measured and compared. The results revealed that lead and cadmium concentrations in C. strumosum and P. ventricosa were significantly higher than kidney, liver, intestine, gonad and muscle. The lead and cadmium concentrations of the parasites were compared according to the sex, parasitism and season.

Trace metal (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd) concentrations of three subfractions of organic matter from Lake Mariut sediments, Egypt

Trace elements associated with organic subfractions (humic, fulvic, and non-humic substances) were identified for seven core sediments from Lake Mariut, Egypt. Results indicated that the amounts of trace metals in humic acid and non-humic substances decreased in the following order: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cr>Cd, while in fulvic acid the order the order was Cu>Zn>Pb>Cr>Cd. There is a higher contribution of Zn, Pb, Cu and Cr in humic acid compared to fulvic acid in most samples. Slight changes in the amounts of cadmium bounded with humic and fulvic acids was also found.

Speciation of some trace metals (Fe, Cu, and Cd) in El-Mex Bay waters, Alexandria, Egypt

Surface- and bottom-water samples were collected from October 1996 to August 1997 to study levels of iron, copper, and cadmium species in their dissolved labile as well as non-labile and particulate forms in the waters of El-Mex Bay. The results showed that the non-labile concentration of the metals was generally more abundant than that of the labile form: its content reached more than 90% of the total dissolved metal for Cu and more than 80% for Fe. The particulate form was almost at the level of the labile form. The annual concentration of the trace metals of the labile form was 13 µglˉ¹ for Fe; 3µglˉ¹ for Cu, and 1.2 µglˉ¹ for Cd in the surface- and bottom-waters.

Investigation on the ecological impact of constructing and activities of petrochemical industries of petrochemical special economic zone of Mahshahr on the abundance and diversity of macrobenthic fauna in Jafari Creek, north-west of the Persian Gulf

The impact of Petrochemical Special Economic Zone (PETZONE) activities on the health status of Jafari Creek was studied by assessing the changes in macroinvertebrate assemblages in nine sites during September 2006- January 2008. Furthermore to evaluate the ecological status of the Jafari Creek the WFD indices (i.e. AMBI, M-AMBI) were used. The relationship between spatial pattern of macro invertebrate assemblages and ambient factors (i.e. water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, total hardness, total nitrogen, ammonia, total phosphorous, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, sediment grain size distribution, sediment organic content, heavy metals contents) was measured. Background Enrichment indices, Contamination factor and Contamination degree, were used to assess the health status in the study area based on Nickel, Lead, Cadmium and Mercury contents of the sediments. The macrobenthic communities had a low diversity and were dominated by opportunistic taxa, and the AMBI and M-AMBI indices need to be calibrated before using in Persian Gulf and its coastal waters. The BIO-ENV analysis identified pH, dissolved oxygen, TDS, and the total organic content of sediments as the major environmental variables influencing the infaunal pattern. This suggests that management should attempt to ensure minimal disturbance to environmental variables underlying the spatial variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages. Background Enrichment indices showed that the health of Jafari Creek has declined over time due to the constant discharge of heavy metals to the Creek system. Furthermore WQS index shows that the quality condition of the water column in Jafari Creek, regard to the calculated number (3) is week. These indices also identified a significant degree of pollution in the study area. The decrease in the ecological potential of Jafari Creek was best highlighted by the alteration in macrobenthic assemblages.

The distribution and concentration levels of trace metals in water and sediments of Lake Victoria, Kenya

The water and bottom sediments of Lake Victoria (Kenya) were analysed for A1, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr and Cd. The total metal concentrations were determined and their mean variations and distributions discussed. The bottom lake waters showed higher concentration levels than the surface waters. The range of values (in mg/l) in the bottom and surface lake waters were as follows: Surface Waters: A1(0.08 - 3.98), Fe(0.09 - 4.01), Mn(0.02 - 0.10). Zn(0.01 -0.07), Pb(0.001- 0.007), Cu(not detected - 0.006), Cr(not detected - 0.004). Bottom Waters: A1(0.1 0 - 6.59), Fe(0.23 - 9.64), Mn(0.04 - 0.39), Zn(0.01- 0.08), Pb(0.002 - 0.009), Cu(not detected - 0.03). Cr(not detected -0.002). River mouths and shallow areas in the lake showed higher total metal concentrations than offshore deeper areas. Apart from natural metal levels, varied urban activities and wastes greatly contribute to the lake metal pollution as shown by high Pb and Zn levels in sediments, around Kisumu and Homa Bay areas. Other comparatively high values and variations could be attributed to the varied geological characteristics of the lake and its sediments. Compared to the established W.H.O (1984) drinking water standards manganese, aluminium and iron levels were above these limits whereas zinc, lead, chromium, copper and cadmium were below.

A phototaxis inhibition assay using barnacle larvae

The effects of sublethal concentrations of phenol and cadmium on the phototactic responses of the stage II nauplii of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite were investigated. Increased toxicant concentrations caused a reduction in phototactic responses. Balanus amphitrite nauplii exposed to nominal phenol concentrations of 100 ppm and higher for 1-12 h failed to exhibit phototactic responses, while longer exposure times of 24 and 48 h reduced the lowest observable effect concentration (LOECs) to 80 and 60 ppm, respectively. For cadmium, the LOECs, based on nominal concentrations, for B. amphitrite following 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h exposures were 20, 4.5, 4.0, 1, and 0.75 ppm, respectively. The LOECs can be significantly reduced by increasing the duration of exposure to the toxicants. A good relationship exists between the phototactic response and toxicant concentration as well as exposure time. Results of this study indicate that the toxicant-induced reduction in phototactic responses of barnacle larvae can be used in a sensitive, rapid screening test for ecotoxicological assessments. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Revised ab initio natural band offsets of all group IV, II-VI, and III-V semiconductors

Using an all-electron band structure approach, we have systematically calculated the natural band offsets between all group IV, III-V, and II-VI semiconductor compounds, taking into account the deformation potential of the core states. This revised approach removes assumptions regarding the reference level volume deformation and offers a more reliable prediction of the "natural" unstrained offsets. Comparison is made to experimental work, where a noticeable improvement is found compared to previous methodologies.

Two-photon excited fluorescence from CdSe quantum dots on SiN photonic crystals

Two-photon excited fluorescence from CdSe quantum dots on a two-dimensional SiN photonic crystal surface is investigated by using a femtosecond laser. By using a photonic crystal, a 90-fold enhancement in the two-photon excited fluorescence in the vertical direction is achieved. This is the highest enhancement achieved so far in the two-photon excited fluorescence in the vertical direction. The mechanism of the enhancement for two-photon excited fluorescence from quantum dots on photonic crystals is analyzed.

Electric field driven quantum phase transition between band insulator and topological insulator

We demonstrate theoretically that electric field can drive a quantum phase transition between band insulator to topological insulator in CdTe/HgCdTe/CdTe quantum wells. The numerical results suggest that the electric field could be used as a switch to turn on or off the topological insulator phase, and temperature can affect significantly the phase diagram for different gate voltage and compositions. Our theoretical results provide us an efficient way to manipulate the quantum phase of HgTe quantum wells.

Photoluminescence degradation in GaN induced by light enhanced surface oxidation

The exponential degradation of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity at the near-band-gap was observed in heavily doped or low-quality GaN with pristine surface under continuous helium-cadmium laser excitation. In doped GaN samples, the degradation speed increased with doping concentration. The oxidation of the surface with laser irradiation was confirmed by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements. The oxidation process introduced many oxygen impurities and made an increase of the surface energy band bending implied by the shift of Ga 3d binding energy. The reason for PL degradation may lie in that these defect states act as nonradiative centers and/or the increase of the surface barrier height reduces the probability of radiative recombination.

Optical properties and electrical bistability of CdS nanoparticles synthesized in dodecanethiol

We reported the synthesis of CdS semiconductor nanoparticles using a simple one-pot reaction by thermolysis of cadmium acetylacetonate in dodecanethiol. Optical measurements of the as-obtained CdS nanoparticles revealed that their optical properties were closely related to surface effects. Based upon the cocktail of poly (N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) and CdS nanoparticles, a bistable device was fabricated by a simple solution processing technique. Such a device exhibited a remarkable electrical bistability, which was attributed to the electric field-assisted charge transfer between PVK and the CdS nanoparticles capped by dodecaethiol. The conduction mechanism changed from an injection-controlled current to a bulk-controlled one during switching from OFF-state to ON-state.

Formation and Properties of a Novel Heavy-Metal Chalcogenide Glass Doped with a High Dysprosium Concentration

A novel heavy-metal chalcogenide glass doped with a high dysprosium ion (Dy(3+)) concentration was prepared by the well-established melt-quenching technique from high-purity elements. The results show that when Cadmium (Cd) is introduced into chalcogenide glass, the concentration of Dy(3+) ions doped in GeGaCdS glasses is markedly increased, the thermodynamic performance improves, and the difference between T(g) and T(x) is >120 degrees C. The Vickers microhardness is also modified greatly, about 245 kgf/mm(2). The optical spectra indicate that all absorption and emission bands of Dy(3+) are clearly observed and red-shifted with increasing Dy(3+) concentration.

LLDPE接枝新型表面活性剂共聚物的制备及其结构、性能与应用的基础研究

合成三个系列的新型表面活性剂，制备了三个系列的聚乙烯接枝共聚物。第一系列的表面活性剂是将Tween8O、span80，聚氧乙烯肉桂醇醚，PEO（400），PEO（1000），PEO（2000）OCOC1’7H35和PEO（6000）-OCOC17H35引入双键而使其功能化，然后接枝到聚乙烯分子链上，表面活性剂的引入改变了聚乙烯的表面性能，使其亲水性增加。前三者为商品防雾滴剂，实验发现防雾滴剂的聚乙烯接枝共聚物膜的防雾滴性不如物理共混法制备的聚乙烯防雾滴膜的效果好。接枝聚乙烯共聚物LLDPE-g-PEO和LLDPE-g-PEO-sterate，由于结构差别，共聚物表面组成不同。前者随着支链长度的增加，支链柔性降低，共聚物表面氧的富集量趋于减少；而后者由于疏水基硬脂酸中碳链的存在，随着支链的增加，共聚物表面氧的富集量增加。LLDPE-g-PEO（400）和LLDPE-g-PEO（1000）的等温结晶速率都比空白聚乙烯的快。由于PEO与聚乙烯不相容，支链PEo在接枝共聚物中起异相成核剂的作用，使结晶速率加快。LLDPE-g-PEO（2000）-stearate的等温结晶速率与聚乙烯的接近，但比空白聚乙烯的略慢。这是由于支链末端硬脂酸碳链是柔性的疏水链，且与聚乙烯有较好的相容性，在本体聚乙烯非晶区中活动性较强，带动聚氧乙烯支链向相同的方向运动，使支链在聚乙烯中分散且伸展，对聚乙烯分子起惰性稀释剂的作用而导致结晶速率降低；但聚氧乙烯（2000）又具有结晶性，在本体聚乙烯中起异相成核剂的作用，使聚乙烯结晶速率加快，这两种作用消长的结果，使LLDPE-g-PEO（2000）-stearte接枝共聚物的结晶速率接近聚乙烯，但比聚乙烯的结晶速率略慢。LLDPE-g-PEO（6000）-stearate接枝共聚物的结晶速率比聚乙烯的快，这是由于聚氧乙烯（6000）的结晶性较强，活动性较强的硬脂酸基团很难使其伸展，其晶粒在本体聚乙烯中主要起异相成核剂的作用，导致其结晶速率比聚乙烯的快。为了弄清表面活性剂接枝到大分子链上的作用机理，特设计第二、第三系列的表面活性剂。第二系列的新型表面活性剂是I、II、III、IV和V，以及含有不饱和键的表面活性剂A-I、A-II和A-III。这些表面活性剂是以聚乙二醇、乙二醇、1，6-己二醇和1，10-癸二醇为主要的起始原料制得的。实验结果发现这些表面活性剂的表面张力随着疏水链长度的增加而增加。以A-I、A-II和A-II作为接枝单体，将其成功接枝到聚乙烯分子链上，从而改善了聚乙烯的表面性能。 由FTIR确定了其接枝率。由DSc对其等温结晶行为的研究发现：接枝链在本体聚合物中起异相成核剂的作用，加速了结晶过程，但没有改变聚乙烯晶格结构（WXA）。随着接枝链中的疏水链长度的增加，等温结晶速率加快。在低剪切速率时，空白聚乙烯具有牛顿流体的特性，而接枝聚乙烯表现出非牛顿流体行为。接枝聚合物在低剪切速率具有剪切变稠、高剪切速率时剪切变稀的现象。第三系列的新型表面活性剂是含氟和聚氧乙烯的特种表面活性剂：productIII（600-4600）。以FTIR和1HNMR表征其结构。以productIII（600-4600）为接枝单体，成功制得含氟接枝聚乙烯共聚物，亲水性表面活性剂的引入，同样改变了聚乙烯的表面性能。当PEO分子量较低时，含氟接枝聚乙烯共聚物的表面极性随着接枝链的分子量增加，极性增加，在ProductIII（1500）时，达到最大值，分子量继续增加，极性反而降低。这是由于支链结晶增加而影响分子链的迁移。含氟接枝聚乙烯共聚物的等温结晶速率比空白LLDPE的高，而且接枝共聚物的结晶速率随着支链分子量的增加而加快。这是由于含氟聚氧乙烯的接枝链在结晶体系中起成核剂的作用，使结晶过程加速。由于接枝率低，接枝链在接枝共聚物起异相成核剂的作用，虽然加速了结晶速率，但没有破坏聚乙烯晶格。

Thermoluminescence of CdS clusters in zeolite-Y

Thermoluminescence (TL) of CdS clusters encapsulated in zeolite-Y is reported for the first time. The TL of the clusters is much stronger than that of the bulk CdS and increases as the CdS loading decreases. This inverse dependence of TL intensity upon CdS loading is caused mainly by the size-effect of the clusters. All samples exhibit almost the same glow peak position and shape, indicating that traps or surface states are not sensitive to the cluster sizes.

New observation on the luminescence of CdS clusters in zeolite-Y

The excitation spectrum of CdS dusters in zeolite-Y is consistent with their absorption spectrum, both showing two absorption bands that are assigned to the Is-is and Is-lp transitions, respectively. A new emission at 400 nn is considered to be the recombination of the bounded excitons. The emission firstly increases then decreases with increasing cluster size or loading. The emission by excitation into the Is-is band is stronger and sharper than that by excitation into the Is-lp band. This phenomenon is attributed to the size inhomogeneity and the strong electron-phonon interaction of the dusters. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd