Leonardites Rich in Humic and Fulvic Acids Had Little Effect on Tissue Elemental Composition and Dry Matter Yield in Pot-Grown Olive Cuttings

The use of humic substances in agriculture has increased in recent years, and leonardite has been an important raw material in the manufacture of commercial products rich in humic and fulvic acids. Leonardite-based products have been used to improve soil properties and to help plants cope with abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study, the effects of two commercial leonardites and an organic compost, in addition to a control treatment, were assessed for pot-grown olive plants over a period of fourteen months on soil properties, tissue elemental composition and dry matter yield (DMY). Three organic amendments were applied at single and double rates of that set by the manufacturer. The study was arranged in two experiments: one containing the seven treatments mentioned above and the other containing the same treatments supplemented with mineral nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization. Overall, organic compost increased soil organic carbon by ~8% over the control. In the experiment without NPK supplementation, N concentrations in shoots and P in roots were the highest for the compost application (leaf N 12% and root P 32% higher than in the control), while in the experiment with NPK supplementation, no significant differences were observed between treatments. Total DMY was ~10% higher in the set of treatments with NPK in comparison to treatments without NPK. Leonardites did not affect significantly any measured variables in comparison to the control. In this study, a good management of the majority of environmental variables affecting plant growth may have reduced the possibility of obtaining a positive effect on plant nutritional status and growth from the use of commercial leonardites. The leonardites seemed to have caused a slight effect on biological N immobilization. This is not necessarily an advantage or a drawback; it is rather a feature that must be understood to help farmers make better use of these products.

Traditional Peruvian Medicine: An Insight in Geophagy and Machu Rumi Intake

Geophagists are generally defined by culture, social status and gender, and this paper is to identify the chemical elements of the geophagic material called Machu Rumi. The sample was extracted from the center of the geophagic material. Two micrographs were observed, the 1c micrograph contains: O (8.63%), Al (14.85%), SiO2 (33.07%), Fe (5.93%), K (5.36%), Mg (1.37 %) and Ca (0.81%), these elements are characteristics of the clay minerals, the 1d micrograph, contains: oxygen 62.14%, Silicon 37.80% and Aluminum 0.06%, these elements are present in the clay minerals soils. The results of elemental composition and micromorphology reveals the presence of phyllosilicates, SiO2, Fe, K, Mg, Ca, and Al so the consumption of Machu Rumi would contribute to the benefic geophagy.

Characterization of Musts, Wines, and Sparkling Wines Based on Their Elemental Composition Determined by ICP-OES and ICP-MS

Samples from the different processing stages in the elaboration of sparkling wine (cava)—including must, base wine, and sparkling wine—of Pinot Noir and Xarel·lo grape varieties from different vineyard qualities (A, B, C, D) have been analyzed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) techniques to determine their elemental composition. The resulting data has been used to characterize these products according to oenological features and product qualities. For this purpose, box plot diagrams, bar charts, and principal components analysis (PCA) have been used. The study of the behavior of each given species has pointed out the relevance of some elements as markers or descriptors of winemaking processes. Among others, Cu and K are abundant in musts and their concentrations progressively decrease through the cava production process. S levels suddenly increase at the base wine step (and further decay) due to the addition of sulfites as preserving agents. Finally, concentrations of Na, Ca, Fe, and Mg increase from the first fermentation due to the addition of clarifying agents such as bentonite. PCA has been applied to try to extract solid and global conclusions on trends and chemical markers within the groups of samples more easily and efficiently than more conventional approaches.

Characterization Tools for Nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are nanostructures that have gained massive interest in the scientific community due to their exciting functional and physicochemical properties. They offer high stability, advanced optical-electronic properties, and tuneable surface functionalization. Such properties have made them a material of everyday use in the pharmaceutical industries, cosmetics, electronics, and many more. Considering their increasing usage, there is a demand for reliable and better quantitative and qualitative characterization tools. This chapter is dedicated to such characterization methodologies for the analysis of nanomaterials. Numerous distinct and integrated correlated techniques are discussed in detail. Such tools are arranged from the basic to advanced methods, each mentioning the unique property of nanomaterial such as elemental composition, morphology, crystal structure, magnetism, and strength. Lastly, some recent advancements in the characterization methodologies of nanostructures are provided. Understanding the properties of nanomaterials will enable us to expand their applications in society.

Preparation and investigation of Dy3+/Tm3+ doped NaGd(MoO4)2 with thermal-stable and tunable white light emitting for LED applications

In this work, a series of Dy3+-doped, Tm3+-doped and Dy3+/Tm3+-codoped NaGd(MoO4)2 (NGM) were successfully prepared via high-temperature solid-state method. The crystal structure, band structure, elemental composition, and photoluminescence (PL) properties...