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Adsorption of Uranium(VI) from Aqueous Solution by Modified Rice Stem
Zhang Xiao-teng,1Jiang Dong-mei,1Xiao Yi-qun,1Chen Jun-chang,1Hao Shuai,1and Xia Liang-shu1
Academic Editor: Doina Humelnicu
Received13 Nov 2018
Revised20 Jan 2019
Accepted27 Feb 2019
The biosorption is an effective and economical method to deal with the wastewater with low concentrations of uranium. In this study, we present a systematic investigation of the adsorption properties, such as the kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanisms, of modified rice stems. The rice stems treated with 0.5 mol/L NaOH solutions show higher removal percentage of uranium than those unmodified under the conditions of initial pH (pH = 4.0), absorbent dosage (5–8 g/L), temperature (T = 298 K), and adsorption equilibrium time (t = 180 min). The removal percentage of uranium(VI) decreases with increasing initial concentration of uranium(VI). The Langmuir isotherm model, which suggests predominant monolayered sorption, is better than Freundlich and Temkin models to elucidate the adsorption isotherm of adsorbed uranium. Kinetic analyses indicate that the uranium(VI) adsorption of the modified rice stem is mainly controlled by surface adsorption. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with the correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9992, fits the adsorption process much better than other kinetic models (e.g., pseudo-second-order kinetic model, Elovich kinetic model, and intraparticle diffusion model). The thermodynamic parameters ΔG0, ΔH0, and ΔS0 demonstrate that the adsorption of uranium(VI) is an endothermic and spontaneous process, which can be promoted by temperature. The adsorption of uranium can change the morphology and the structure characteristics of the modified rice stem through interaction with the adsorption sites, such as O-H, C=O, Si=O, and P-O on the surface.
Uranium is a heavy metal with significant chemical toxicity and radioactivity. Since the leakage of radio nuclides in the Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the uranium contamination has attracted more and more attentions. Large amounts of uranium released from aqueous solutions of natural deposits, uranium mill tailings, and ammunition shave migrated into the environment [1, 2]. If uranium-containing wastewater is drained directly without appropriate treatment, the uranium would be absorbed by the humic and mineral materials and gradually enter the biological-geochemical circulation, finally breaking the organism's normal metabolism and even endangering human health and the ecosystem's safety. For example, the uranium leaking into the environment can cause extensive human diseases (e.g., skin erythema, trichomadesis, nephritis, leukaemia, and bone cancer) and even deaths [3]. Therefore, it is critically important to prevent the uranium of wastewater from transporting into the environment.
Many methods, such as chemical precipitation-crystallizing, ion exchange, solvent extraction, and film separation [4–9], have so far been developed to deal with the uranium-containing wastewater. However, these methods are not effective and economical, especially when treating large amounts of wastewater containing the low contents of the radioactive ionic material [10]. Therefore, it is urgent to develop low-cost and easily obtained uranium sorbents for efficient treatment of uranium-containing wastewater. Biosorption has been considered to be a useful method as it utilizes various natural materials of biological origin, including bacteria, fungi yeast and algae, to remove metal ions from solutions [11–14]. Compared with the traditional methods, the biosorption has the following advantages: (1) the fast sorption kinetic and high selectivity for removing low concentrations of heavy metals (e.g., uranium); (2) low energy consumption; (3) abundant sources of biosorbents; (4) simple operation; (5) wide operation ranges of pH and temperature; and (6) good reproduction of adsorbents.
The treatment of heavy metals through biosorption has been extensively studied in the past decades. The researches mainly focus on the selectivity of the biosorbents, the biosorption kinetics and thermodynamics, the biosorption mechanism, and large-scale experiments [15–18]. Currently, some potential biomaterials with higher adsorption capacity of heavy metals have been adopted to treat uranium-containing wastewater. From an economic point of view, researchers mainly use various disposed products from industries or agricultural farms as adsorbents. Thus, it is necessary to seek the most promising biosorbents from an extremely large pool of easily available and inexpensive biomaterials. Disposed agricultural products such as biosorbents are considered to be one of the most potential adsorbents [19]. Until now, various disposed agricultural biosorbents, such as wood powder, wheat straw, grapefruit peel, coir pith, and banyan leaves [19–22], have been investigated for the adsorption of uranium(VI). These biosorbents have been identified as an efficient kind of sorbent for adsorption of uranium.
There are abundant low-cost rice stems from agricultural wastes. At present, the world annual output amounts of the rice stem are over 17 billion tons. Large amounts of rice stem are burnt as fertilizer, resulting in environmental pollution and waste of resources. The rice stem, which is composed of rice hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and protein, can be used to efficiently solve the environmental pollution caused by metals in an economical and eco-friendly way because it has unique characteristics to remove the metal ion from aqueous solution. Some researchers have recognized the feasibility of rice stem for the treatment of wastewater. For example, Liu [23] and Amin et al. [24] suggested that rice stem had a great ability to enrich organic contaminants (e.g., methylene blue and phenol). However, while Sugashini [25] studied the sorption of heavy metal ions (Hg2+, Cr3+, and Mo3+) by rice stem, very few studies have reported the rice stem as a biosorbent [26] for treatment of the wastewater with low contents of uranium.
In this study, the rice stem is chosen to deal with the wastewater with low contents of uranium. The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of different experimental conditions, such as modified methods, pH, adsorbent dose, initial concentration, sorption equilibrium time, and temperature. In addition, the thermodynamics and mechanism of sorption were also systematically investigated based on the batch experiments of uranium(VI) ions adsorption. Our study suggests that the modified rice stem is a kind of promising biosorbent material to efficiently and economically remove uranium(VI) from the wastewater.
All the chemicals and reagents used in this study were analytically pure. The rice stem was supplied by Hengyang County, Hunan Province. Uranium stock solution was prepared by dissolving an certain amount of UO2(NO3)2·6H2O in distilled water, and the initial pH of the uranium(VI) solution was adjusted by addition of 10% HCl and 10% NaOH.
2.2. Preparation of Rice Stem
Rice stems were cut into 5 cm segments and then washed in running water twice and in distilled water once. The washed rice stems were dried in the oven at 80°C for 24 h. Then, the solids were ground into 60 mesh.
2.3. Batch Sorption Experiments
40 mL uranium(VI) ion solution was put into a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask. The pH of solution was adjusted by addition of HCl and NaOH in each experiment. A certain amount of rice stem was added into the Erlenmeyer flask placed in the constant temperature water bath oscillator. The experiment was carried out for 120 min. The suspension was separated by centrifuging at 4000 rpm for 10 min. Then, the supernatant liquid was filtered, and the filtrate was used to analyze the concentration of uranium by 5-Br-PADAP (used as a chromogenic agent in the spectrophotometric method). The uranium(VI) removal percentage R (%) and adsorption capacity Qt (mg/g) were determined using the following equations, respectively:where and represent the initial concentration and concentration at time , respectively, with the unit of mg/L; is the volume of uranium solution (mL); and is the mass of the sorbent (g).
3.1. Effect of the Modified Materials
4 g of rice stem was added into 50 mL mixture of NaOH, HCl, H2O2, ammonium hydroxide, and citric acid solutions and then stirred for 24 h. The resulted mixture was filtered and washed with distilled water at the same time, until the pH of the rice stem was close to neutral. Then, the modified rice stem was dried in the oven at 80°C for 24 h. The color changes of modified rice stem are shown in Figure 1. In this study, the effect of the modified materials on the adsorption capacity of rice stem is investigated using ion solutions of 10 mg·L−1 uranium(VI) at pH = 5. 0.2 g of different modified rice stems was added into aqueous solution containing 10 mg/L of uranium(VI) at room temperature, where the reaction lasted for 120 min. The experimental results are given in Table 1.
The hue changes of rice stem before and after modification by the modified materials: (a) 0.25 mol/L NaOH; (b) 0.5 mol/L NaOH; (c) 1.0 mol/L NaOH; (d) 1.5 mol/L NaOH; (e) HCl; (f) H2O2; (g) ammonium hydroxide; (h) citric acid.
Effect of modified materials on adsorption of uranium(VI).
Figure 1 shows the difference in color and texture of modified rice stem after modification through different ways. The NaOH-modified rice stems show lighter color and slimmer and softer texture. The rice stem treated with 0.5 mol/L NaOH has the highest uranium removal rate (94.55%) because of many SiO2 and nonaromatic esters in the surface of modified rice stem [27], which were dissolved out by NaOH. In this kind of modified rice stem, the cross-linked network structure among cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were broken and then exposed to the surface of sorbents [28]. Thus, the uranium removal percentage increases as a result of increasing specific surface area.
3.2. Effect of the Initial pH
The pH of solution has been considered as one of the most important parameters affecting uranium ion sorption because it can change the ionic forms of the uranyl ions. The effect of the initial pH on the adsorption capacity of modified rice stem is investigated using ion solutions of 10 mgL−1 uranium(VI), where the pH values (pH = 1.4–7.0) are adjusted using HCl and NaOH at room temperature. The solutions were mixed with 0.2 g modified rice stem, where the reaction lasted for 120 min. The experimental results of the initial pH are shown in Figure 2, which indicates that uranium(VI) removal percentage and adsorption capacity reaches the maximum value (97.6% and 1.95 mg/g at pH = 4.0, respectively) with pH values increasing from 3.0 to 4.0. But the uranium removal percentage and adsorption capacity decrease when pH values increase from 4.0 to 7.0. The results demonstrate that pH = 4 is the most efficient pH value for removal of U(VI) by modified rice stem. It could explain the differences between the existence species of the uranium ion and the cell's surface activity sites at different pH values [29]. At lower pH values, H+ (or H3O+) competed with UO22+ for the active sites on the surface of the modified rice stem [30]. Uranium can exist in many forms in different acid environments, such as UO22+, [UO2(OH)]+, [(UO2)2(OH)2]2+, and [(UO2)3(OH)5]+ [2]. The rice stem modified by 0.5 mol/L NaOH has a high sorption capacity in the pH range of pH = 3-4. The adsorption capacity decreases with the increasing pH value (pH > 4), due to the formation of other forms or precipitation [22]. The main form of UO22+ in solution is UO2(OH)2, which deposited on the surface of banyan leaf cells and interfered with the enrichment of cells that cause the losing of absorbent efficacy. Therefore, pH = 4 is suggested as the best pH value for further sorption experiments.
The effect of pH on adsorption of uranium(VI) by modified rice stem.
3.3. Effect of the Contact Time
The effect of the contact time is investigated in the time range of 20–200 min. 0.2 g of modified rice stem was added into 10 mg·L−1 uranium(VI) solution. The results are shown in Figure 3, which indicates an increase in the removal of U(VI) by modified rice stem with the time up to 200 min. This increase is most pronounced during the first 180 min but becomes smaller with further increase in time, demonstrating that the sorption process almost reaches equilibrium at about 180 min. Thus, all the mixtures of the sorbent and the solution were shaken for at least 180 min to ensure full equilibrium in subsequent experiments.
Effect of time on uranium adsorption by modified rice stem.
3.4. Effect of the Adsorbent Dose
The effect of adsorbent dose is investigated in the dose range of 1.25–8.75 mg/L at room temperature (Figure 4), where the solution was shaken for 180 min, and the initial concentration of the solution was 10 mg·L−1 at pH = 4.
Effect of the adsorbent dose by modified rice stem.
Figure 4 shows that the removal percentage increases, but the adsorption capacity of uranium(VI) decreases with the increasing adsorbent dose. It is worth noting that the removal percentage and the adsorption capacity of uranium(VI) are nearly constant when the adsorbent dose reaches 7.5 mg·L−1. This may be because the adsorption capacity of modified rice stem per unit area decreases as a result of the aggregation of excessive adsorbent [21].
3.5. Adsorption Kinetics
To assess the kinetic characteristics of uranium(VI) ions of the adsorption process, we adopted several kinetic models (i.e., pseudo-first-order kinetic model, pseudo-second-order kinetic model, Elovich kinetic model, and intraparticle diffusion model) to calculate the parameters [31, 32]. The expressions of models are shown in the following equations:where k1 (min−1), k2 (mg/(g·min)), kE (mg/(g·min)), ki (min−1), and kd (mg/(g·minn)) are the adsorption rate constant; qt (mg/g) is the amount of adsorbed uranium at time t; qe (mg/g) is the maximum adsorption capacity; and b and C are the constant.
The results of each kinetic model are given in Table 2, which shows that the correlative parameter R2 of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model is the best among the five kinetic models mentioned above, and the calculated equilibrium adsorption amount was 1.9467 mg/g, which was close to the experimental result of 1.8903 mg/g. This demonstrates that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model best fits the adsorption process of uranium(VI) ions. In addition to the physical and chemical processes, there may be other adsorption mechanisms of uranium(VI) by modified rice stem because the fitted curve of the intraparticle diffusion model does not pass across the origin of coordinate [28, 33].
Adsorption kinetic parameters of uranium(VI) adsorption by modified rice stem.
3.6. Effect of the Initial Uranium(VI) Concentration
The effect of initial uranium ion concentration is investigated at room temperature under the conditions of the initial pH (pH = 4.0) and uranium contents (5–60 mg·L−1), using 0.2 g modified rice stem, which was shaken for 180 min. The results about the effect of the initial uranium concentration are shown in Figure 5.
Effect of the initial uranium concentration by modified rice stem.
As shown in Figure 5, the uranium(VI) removal percentage slightly decreases from 97.8% to 94.7% with the increasing initial uranium concentration from 5 mg/L to 60 mg/L, where the adsorption capacity, however, increases from 0.97 mg/g to 11.36 mg/g. This may be because most uranium(VI) ions interact with the sufficient surface active sites of modified rice stem, resulting in higher uranium(VI) removal percentages at lower uranium(VI) concentrations; however, the excessive uranium(VI) ions in the solutions increase with further increase in the uranium concentration, which would cause the increase of adsorption amount at higher uranium(VI) concentrations.
3.7. Equilibrium Adsorption Isotherms
Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms models are generally used to study the adsorption equilibrium [20]. The Langmuir isotherm model assumes that the sorption is monolayered, and the attractive force of the intermolecular sharply depresses with the increasing distance [34]. The Freundlich isotherm model is robust to elucidate the surface heterogeneity and the exponential distribution of active sites [35]. On the contrary, the Temkin isotherm model suggests that the adsorption heat decreases with the reduction of adsorption quantity [36]. The expressions of the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models are given by the following equations:where is the amount of adsorbed metal ions, mg/g; is the equilibrium concentration in solution, mg/L; is the amount of maximum adsorbed metal ions, mg/g; is the Langmuir adsorption model constant; and are the Freundlich adsorption model constants; and and a are the Temkin adsorption model constants. With as the ordinate and as the abscissa, a straight line can be obtained, the slope of the line is , and the vertical intercept of the line is . The parameters of the remaining two equations can be calculated in the same way. The parameters of the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models for the adsorption of uranium ions by rice stem are shown in Table 3.
Parameters of different isothermal models of uranium(VI) adsorption by rice stem.
Table 3 shows that the model parameters (e.g., in the Langmuir model, in the Freundlich model, and a and in the Temkin model) increases slightly with increasing temperature, demonstrating that the uranium adsorption process by rice stem is endothermic. On the contrary, the comparison between the correlation parameters R2 of the three isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin) (Table 3) shows that the Langmuir model is better than Freundlich and Temkin models to elucidate the adsorption isotherm of adsorbed uranium. Therefore, it can be concluded that the predominant adsorption of uranium by modified rice stem is monolayered.
3.8. Effect of Temperature
The effect of temperature on adsorption properties of uranium is shown in Figure 6. As can be seen from Figure 6, the removal percentage of uranium increases slightly with temperature in the T range of 298–318 K, demonstrating that the adsorption reaction is more pronounced at higher temperature. This may be because (1) some new active sites are produced with heating and (2) the metal ions have stridden across the energy barrier to endure diffusion transmission or resist concentration gradient [28]. Thus, T = 298 K is suggested as the most appropriate temperature for adsorption experiments.
Effect of temperature on adsorption properties.
3.9. Adsorption Thermodynamics
The thermodynamic parameters of the sorption process are calculated according to the following equations at different temperatures [37]. The values of thermodynamic parameters are showed in Table 4:where is the Gibbs free energy, kJ/mol; is the ideal gas constant, with the value of 8.314 kJ/(mol·K); is the absolute temperature; is the thermodynamic stability constant; is the equilibrium concentration, mg·L−1; is the distribution coefficient; is the standard entropy, kJ/(mol·K); and is the enthalpy, kJ/mol.
Thermodynamic parameters of uranium(VI) adsorption by modified rice stem.
For the initial mass concentration, with as the ordinate and 1000/T as the abscissa, a straight line can be obtained, the slope of the line is−ΔH/R, and the vertical intercept of the line is S0/R.
As showed in Table 4, the negative free energy is less than zero, and decreases with the increasing temperature, indicating that the uranium adsorption process by rice stem is spontaneous, where the reaction is promoted by temperature. The enthalpy change () indicates an endothermic uranium adsorption. The positive entropy reflects the inconvertible process of adsorption uranium and little possibility of desorption. The three parameters illustrate that the adsorption process is a physical and chemical reaction.
3.10. Adsorption Mechanism
3.10.1. FT-IR Analysis
FT-IR spectra of samples are measured by Fourier infrared spectrum instrument which collects and analyzes scattered IR energy [38] (Figure 7). FT-IR spectra record the presence of different typical peaks which correspond to functional groups and surface properties. The curve a in Figure 7 shows the FT-IR spectrum of modified rice stem before adsorption of uranium. The widely strong peak observed at 3431 cm−1 is due to O-H stretching vibration [28]. The band at 2912 cm−1 is formed as a result of C-H asymmetric stretching vibration of methyl and methylene groups in cellulose [4], whereas that at 2312 cm−1 is produced due to overtone or combination band of amino acids. The peak located at 1635 cm−1 indicates the stretching vibration of carbonyl groups from carboxylates and ketones [5]. The peak at 1433 cm−1 is due to C-H bending vibration in lignin [39], while that at about 1026 cm−1 is attributed to C-O-C and asymmetric stretching vibrations of phosphate and silicate groups [39].
FT-IR spectra of modified rice stem: (a) before adsorption of uranium(VI); (b) after adsorption of uranium(VI).
The curve b in Figure 7 illustrates the FT-IR spectrum of modified rice stem after adsorption of uranium, which shows a slight shift. None of new bands appear, but the transmittance is reduced. It can be inferred that the structure of rice stem does not change after adsorption of uranium. The peaks at 3431, 2912, 2312, 1635, 1433, and 675 cm−1 are shifted to 3429, 2900, 2310, 1633, 1381, and 686 cm−1 after the adsorption of uranium, respectively, implying the replacement of some H+ by UO22+, which causes the decrease of the vibration strength and the absorption peak wavenumber [40, 41]. The observed FT-IR spectra show that O-H, C=O, Si=O, and P-O are the main adsorption sites in the uranium adsorption process.
3.10.2. EDS Analysis
The EDS can detect the difference in excited X-ray energies when the surface atoms of sample are bombard by the electron beam. The EDS images of modified rice stem before and after adsorption are shown in Figure 8. The EDS images before adsorption of uranium (Figure 8(a)) show that the modified stem is composed of C, O, Ca, Si, and Mg elements. On the contrary, the EDS images after adsorption of uranium (Figure 8(b)) show the appearance of the U element and the decrease in the amounts of Si and Ca elements. These results indicate that the interaction of active groups of modified rice stem with uranium(VI) can cause a good adsorption of uranium(VI).
EDS analyses of modified rice stem: (a) before adsorption of uranium(VI); (b) after adsorption of uranium(VI).
3.10.3. SEM Analysis
The SEM images of modified rice stem before and after adsorption of UO22+ are shown in Figure 9, which indicates the variation in morphology of modified rice stem. For example, the images before adsorption show a rough surface of modified rice stem, with many voids in the distribution (Figure 9(a)). However, the distributed interstices and voids in the surface obviously decrease after adsorption, indicating a significant change in the surface morphology of rice stem (Figure 9(b)). This means that a large amount of UO22+ is adsorbed by the rice stem in the adsorption process. The reason for this phenomenon may be because of (1) the interaction of UO22+ with the functional organic groups (e.g., the hydroxyl group, carbonyl group, silicon oxygen bond (Si-O), and P-O) of the cell walls of rice stem [28, 37]; (2) the exchange of H+ on the surface with UO22+; and (3) diffusion of free UO22+ into the void of the stem.
SEM images of modified rice stem: (a) before adsorption of uranium(VI) (2000x); (b) after adsorption of uranium(VI) (2000x).
3.10.4. XRD Analysis
The XRD images of the modified rice stem before and after adsorption of uranium(VI) are shown in Figure 10. The XRD result of the rice stem before adsorption represented by the curve a shows diffraction peaks at 2θ = 15.64, 22.08, and 29.17, whereas that after adsorption shown in curve b illustrates the weaker diffraction peak at 2θ = 15.64, and 22.08, and even disappearance of the peak at 2θ = 29.17°, implying that new crystals are not formed, and that the number of the crystal structure decreases in the adsorption process. This may be due to the adsorption of uranium(VI) by modified rice stem, which causes part of the molecule structures change from crystal to amorphous [21, 42].
XRD images of modified rice stem: (a) before adsorption of uranium(VI); (b) after adsorption of uranium(VI).
3.11. Adsorption Process
Based on the results of FT-IR, SEM, EDS, and XRD mentioned above, we suggest that the adsorption process may be divided into the following 3 stages (Figure 11):(1)UO22+ migrates to the cell wall surface in solution(2)UO22+ reacts with active sites of the cell wall of rice stem(3)UO22+ deposites on the surface of the rice stem cell wall
Adsorption process of uranium(VI) by modified rice stem.
This study presents a systematic investigation of the adsorption properties, such as the kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanisms of modified rice stem. The following conclusions can be drawn:(1)The rice stem treated with 0.5 mol/L NaOH solutions can effectively remove uranium(VI) from aqueous solution. pH = 4.0 is the best pH condition to remove uranium(VI). The removal percentage of uranium(VI) decreases with increasing initial concentration of uranium(VI).(2)The sorption mode calculations using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models show that the maximum adsorption capacity of uranium by modified rice stem increases with temperature. Langmuir model, which indicates predominant monolayered adsorption of uranium, is better than Freundlich and Temkin models to describe the adsorption isotherm of uranium.(3)The thermodynamic parameters , , and show that the adsorption of uranium(VI) is an endothermic and spontaneous process, where the temperature promotes the process. It is also suggested that the adsorption process is a physical and chemical reaction.(4)The pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with the correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.9992, fits the adsorption process of uranium(VI) much better than other kinetic models (e.g., pseudo-first-order kinetic model, pseudo-second-order kinetic model, Elovich kinetic model, and intraparticle diffusion model). (5) FT-IR and EDS analyses show that the interaction of the main adsorption sites (O-H, C=O, Si=O, and P-O) of modified rice stem with uranium(VI) can cause a good adsorption of uranium(VI). SEM and XRD analyses show that the surface morphology and the crystal structure of rice stem treated with NaOH solutions have significantly changed during the adsorption process.
This is a research article, and the data are from the experiment. All the data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 11575078).
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A. Esposito, F. Pagnanelli, and F. Vegliò, "pH-related equilibria models for biosorption in single metal systems," Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 307–313, 2002.
H. B. Yang, N. Tan, F. J. Wu et al., "Biosorption of uranium (VI) by a mangrove endophytic fungus Fusarium sp.#ZZF51 from the South China Sea," Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, vol. 292, no. 3, pp. 1011–1016, 2012.
K. V. Kumar and S. Sivanesan, "Pseudo second order kinetics and pseudo isotherms for malachite green onto activated carbon: comparison of linear and non-linear regression methods," Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 136, no. 3, pp. 721–726, 2006.
C. Valderrama, J. L. Cortina, A. Farran, X. Gamisans, and C. Lao, "Kinetics of sorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons onto granular activated carbon and Macronet hyper-cross-linked polymers (MN200)," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, vol. 310, no. 1, pp. 35–46, 2007.
S. Tunali, T. Akar, A. S. Özcan, I. Kiran, and A. Özcan, "Equilibrium and kinetics of biosorption of lead (II) from aqueous solutions by cephalosporium aphidicola," Separation and Purification Technology, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 105–112, 2006.
R. Ahmad, "Sawdust: cost effective scavenger for the removal of chromium (III) ions from aqueous solutions," Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, vol. 163, no. 1–4, pp. 169–183, 2005.
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K. Vijayaraghavan, T. V. N. Padmesh, K. Palanivelu, and M. Velan, "Biosorption of nickel (II) ions onto sargassum wightii: application of two-parameter and three-parameter isotherm Models," Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 133, no. 1–3, pp. 304–308, 2006.
S. Yusan and S. Erenturk, "Behaviors of uranium (VI) ions on α-FeOOH," Desalination, vol. 269, no. 1–3, pp. 58–66, 2011.
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Copyright © 2019 Zhang Xiao-teng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


ARIPEKA, Fla. – A 40-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman that were reported missing while boating in the vicinity of Hammock Creek near Apripeka, Fla., Monday, have been found safe.
At 10:07 a.m., Allen Norfleet and Melissa Wells were spotted by a good Samaritan south of the mouth of Hammock Creek, and taken back to shore where they were able to notify the Coast Guard and their family that they were safe.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Yankeetown, Fla., received a call Monday at approximately 9 p.m., from a man stating that his brother and girlfriend had not returned after departing for their boating trip at 1 p.m.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., diverted an 18-foot Shallow Water Response boat crew from Station Yankeetown, and launched an Air Station Clearwater, Fla., MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.
Crews arrived on scene at 10:14 p.m. Monday and searched for Norfleet and Wells, who were last seen leaving a boat ramp in Hammock Creek at 1 p.m. Monday.
Along with the Coast Guard, marine units from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted in the search.
The Coast Guard reminds boaters that the proper emergency equipment, including a marine band radio, lifejackets, emergency signaling devices, and filing a float plan, are essential to keeping safe on the water.


text:
local common = require('test_scripts/WidgetSupport/common')

--[[ Local Variables ]]
local params = {
  windowID = 2,
  windowName = "Name of the widget",
  type = "MAIN"
}

--[[ Scenario ]]
common.Title("Preconditions")
common.Step("Clean environment and Back-up/update PPT", common.precondition)
common.Step("Start SDL, HMI, connect Mobile, start Session", common.start)
common.Step("App registration", common.registerAppWOPTU)

common.Title("Test")
common.Step("App creates a widget with type MAIN, windowID for a widget",
  common.createWindowUnsuccess, { params, "INVALID_DATA" })

common.Title("Postconditions")
common.Step("Stop SDL, restore SDL settings and PPT", common.postcondition)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The best markets in Ho Chi Minh City are must-visits for shopping enthusiasts and first-time visitors looking to experience the daily lives of the local population. Mostly set within the tourist-friendly District 1, these traditional markets open as early as 06:00 with local vendors selling fresh produce, household supplies, and Vietnamese street food at attractive prices.
If you're looking for a more unique shopping experience, there are also marketplaces that specialise in niche items such as war memorabilia, authentic woodwork, fashion wholesale outlets, and branded sportswear. Whether you're looking to enjoy a day of retail therapy or immerse yourself in the local culture, Ho Chi Minh City's most popular street markets are not to be missed on your travel itinerary.
The Russian Market, located next to Sunland Hotel Ho Chi Minh City, attracts a steady following of expats and tourists from northern Eurasia. Set within an air-conditioned building, you can find lots of branded winter gear, luggage, shoes, and sportswear at a fraction of the price you'd get at typical retail outlets. Do note that the merchandises are often stacked up in piles, so you may need to spend some time at Russian Market to rummage around. However, it's often well worth the effort as high-quality winter jackets sell for about VND 950,000 while women and children clothing cost between VND 20,000 and VND 80,000.


These are so cute! There is a local chocolate shop in my town that has the best chocolates!
Oh la la! What a lovely post about our chocolates!! You & your fabulous readers can use the coupon code "FP2012" to get 10% off their next purchase. Cheers!!


text:
Fair Ball
By Derek Jeter
With Paul Mantell
(Part of Jeter Publishing)
Trade Paperback Hardcover
Amazon's Kindle Store
Reading Group Guide
Inspired by Derek Jeter's own life, Fair Ball is the fourth middle grade novel in the New York Times bestselling Jeter Publishing Program and focuses on the theme "the world isn't always fair."
Life isn't always fair. You can't control that, but you can control how you think and act when things don't go your way. You have to hang in there and keep after it, not get down and give up.
Derek has a lot to look forward to. School is almost out, his baseball team is competing in the Westwood Little League Playoffs, and then he'll head to his grandparents' house for the summer. Sure, there are finals to study for first, but Derek doesn't mind. Maybe this year he'll get better grades than Gary. But when his best friend Dave starts to act strangely, ignoring Derek and canceling their plans, his summer isn't looking quite so fun. What's going on? Doesn't he want to be Derek's friend anymore?
Derek is so distracted by his problems with Dave that he makes a mistake in the outfield during a key play—and his team loses the game. It's so unfair! With the championship at stake and finals looming, Derek needs to stay focused or risk everything.
Get a FREE e-book by joining our mailing list today! Plus, receive recommendations for your next Book Club read.
A Reading Group Guide to
by Derek Jeter with Paul Mantell
Chapter 1—Playoffs!
Derek Jeter has a lot to look forward to. The Indians, his baseball team, are competing in the Westwood Little League playoffs; his best friend, Dave, is going to sleep over; and Derek is excited about the plans to visit his grandparents in New Jersey during the upcoming summer break. With the season playoffs approaching, team and player expectations are high. Can the Indians win and secure the team's chance to compete for the Kalamazoo Trophy? What could go wrong?
Describe and discuss a time when you or a family member were anticipating a great event or trip. Did everything go as expected? If so, how did you contribute to its success? If not, briefly explain what went wrong.
In The Contract, Hit & Miss and Change Up, the first three books in the series, we are reminded that Derek's parents established a contract to ensure he succeeds in school and accomplishes his life dreams. This contract lists several expectations and carries consequences for breaking the rules. Fair Ball has examples of that as well. Have you discussed writing a contract with your parents?
Also in Fair Ball, Derek realizes that sometimes in life when your joys and expectations are so high, something may happen that seems unfair.
Share an incident or event when everything was going great and then it all changed through no fault of your own. How did you respond?
Chapter 2—The Best-Laid Plans
Derek is working hard to live up to the section on his contract of "Do Your Schoolwork and Maintain Good Grades (As or Bs)." However, finding time to study for his finals and practice baseball seems difficult for Derek. As the end of school approaches, there is a need to practice more for the pending playoffs. How does Derek plan to help his teammates prepare for the upcoming Little League Championship games? Briefly explain what happens.
Mrs. Jeter reminds Derek that his birthday is coming up soon, and she wants to know what he would like for a present. Derek decides that he wants to take a friend with him to visit his grandparents' house during the summer.
Describe in a travel journal format a visit to see relatives or family friends. Where did you go, what did you do? How long did it take to get there? Were you alone or did you travel with someone?
Chapter 3—Trouble Brewing
Derek is upset when he plans an unofficial afterschool baseball practice on Jeter Hill with his teammates, but his friends Gary and Dave do not come. The next day at school, they both offer excuses for their absences. Which excuse seemed more appropriate? What would you have done? How do you feel if something you plan does not get the results you were looking for? How would you approach your friends about the matter?
Derek finds it hard to focus on his school homework because he is worried about his friend Dave's recent and unusual behavior. What is going on with him? Why has his behavior seemed so distant and curious? Have you ever had an incident with a friend that reminds you of this problem between Derek and Dave?
Chapter 4—Breaking News
Gary, one of Derek's teammates, is upset because his mother signed him up to take karate classes, and he really does not want to go. Derek advises him to make the best of it because "Life isn't always fair." Can you think of a time when something like this happened to you? Share your situation with a classmate in a one-on-one exchange session. Offer advice for their dilemma and listen to their advice for your issue.
Derek suspects that his friend Dave is keeping something from him. Fear of receiving disappointing news has caused Derek to be distracted and moody at a time when he needs to be sharp and focused. What should Derek do to get it together and resolve his suspicions?
Chapter 5—Storm Clouds
Just before a big game, Dave backs out on a promised commitment with Derek without a legitimate excuse. This last-minute change in plans devastates Derek, and he loudly challenges his friend regarding the broken promise. With no time to resolve the matter, Derek fumes. What would you do if you were faced with a sudden change of plans with a friend that you were looking forward to? What would be your first reaction? Be specific.
As a good friend, Derek already knew that something was wrong with Dave. Can you generally tell when something is wrong with a good friend or sibling? List a few easily observed behavioral signs that can let you know when a friend or loved one is going through a difficult time or having a bad day.
Chapter 6—Battleground
After their encounter, Dave and Derek seemed to find it hard to get into the game. Their problems distracted them and adversely affected their performance. Neither player was performing at his best, and they were in real jeopardy of losing the game. What would you suggest as the best option for Derek and for Dave? And for the coaches?
Even if you try your best, sometimes situations may still get out of control through no fault of your own. It's important to recognize this and still do your best. Share an incident at school that was clearly out of your control but affected you directly. Was there any other way that the problem could have been resolved? What did you learn from it?
Chapter 7—Tricks and Tests
Sharlee, Derek's sister, was having a wonderful time at her beginner karate class. She was a jubilant bundle of energy as she demonstrated her kicks and punches. Derek enjoyed taking time out to spar with his sister, even allowing her to flip him. Why was this an important opportunity for Derek, even if it was a trick move? What did he learn from spending a few quality moments with his little sister?
Taking finals at the end of the school year is extremely important. Derek and each of his friends, particularly Gary, know how important it is to study hard for each exam. Why is it beneficial to clear your mind of all distractions when taking an exam?
Chapter 8—What Lies Beneath?
There is a phrase "Put on your Game Face." Look up the definition of Game Face and explain how this expression applies to the Indians, Derek's Little League baseball team, and offer examples.
In the final days of school before summer break, Gary and Dave come to class each day distracted and looking grim. Derek can sense that something is wrong. However, Derek's father reminds him "We can only control our own selves, our own actions." Why is this advice important? Derek's mom also offers him sound advice about his dilemma. What do you think she meant about "being a good friend and being true to yourself"?
Chapter 9—Friends and Finals
Derek's close friend and supporter, Vijay, studied with him for the end of school exams. During one of their after-school study sessions, Vijay encouraged his friend not to be upset over Dave's recent bizarre behavior. He reminded him that you can't force someone to like you or to be a good friend. Why was this message from Vijay particularly important?
Conflicts with good friends happen all the time. What do you think it means to be a good friend? Do you have a best friend? How do you know? Discuss.
Chapter 10—Victory and Defeat
It was the day of the big game, and the energy from both teams was very high. This game would determine which team would make it to the finals. Coach Jeter decided to switch up some of the positions. Derek was asked to pitch and then to play in the outfield. How did this make Derek feel? Why do you think Coach Jeter did this? Was this unfair? Discuss.
Conflicts with Dave, his best friend, continue to plague Derek. He needs to focus if he is going to do his best. An unfortunate encounter with Dave after the game confirms that something is truly wrong. He tries to resolve it. What does Derek do? How would you have handled Dave's obvious resistance to friendship? Can you figure out what is wrong with Dave?
Chapter 11—What's the Difference?
Sharlee, Derek's little sister, is studying diversity in her class. Her mother offers a simple explanation to Sharlee's question, "What's diversity?" Explain your thoughts about diversity and discuss some examples of diversity you've encountered, witnessed or experienced in your life.
Chapter 12—A World of Difference
As part of a class assignment on diversity, Sharlee spent a day visiting a college class where her father, Coach Jeter, teaches. She had an experience that really opened her eyes. What was the experience, and what did she learn from it? What did you learn about diversity?
Coach Jeter took time to talk to his son privately about the complexities of diversity. He emphasized that the overall issues are much more complicated than the differences Derek had heard discussed with Sharlee. Listening to his dad, Derek was reminded of the troubles with his best friend, Dave. Could their differences be the main reason for Dave's bizarre behavior? Derek could not understand why Dave refused to visit his home or hang out like he used to do. What would you do think was going on with Dave if you were in Derek's position? What would you do to resolve the situation?
Chapter 13—What Is a Friend?
After school, near the end of a hectic week of exams, Vijay and Derek go to Jeter Hill to practice their game. With no one else around, they have a serious conversation about what it means to be a good friend. Vijay thinks that a good friend will always find a way to spend time with his best friend. Compile a list of one-word definitions that describe a true friend. Compare your list with the other classmates.
One example of being a good friend could mean standing up for one another when faced with adversity, or when critical support is needed. When confronted by two bullies in the hallway at school, Gary is backed into trouble, a recipient of jeers and name-calling. Derek steps into the hostile situation and defends his friend against the abuse. Share a similar personal situation where this type of bullying may have occurred. What did you learn from the encounter? What was the result?
Chapter 14—This Magic Moment
"Life is just not fair" always seems to be the cry when something goes wrong, particularly when it's not your fault. This feeling is especially true when you are blamed for something that you did not do. Please discuss or create a situation in which you were falsely accused of something or blamed for a project failure that was not your fault.
Derek and the Indians were playing the Giants in the finals for the Westwood Little League Championship. It was a crucial game, and Derek knew that he had to perform his best. How do you think Derek felt when he stepped into the batter's box with the game on the line? Write a brief essay that emphasizes a personal or group experience in which the final result depended on you. What did you do to prepare for this moment? What was the result?
Chapter 15—Breaking Point
Sometimes you must break out of your comfort zone to resolve a dilemma on your own, no matter what the cost. Dave reached out to Derek in friendship by making an unexpected move of defiance. What did he do? What were the results?
In an effort to restore his friendship with Derek, Dave knowingly broke the rules by disobeying his parents. Was this a good idea? What did his behavior tell you about Dave and what he was going through? What else could he have done? Share a problematic situation that may have caused you to reach a breaking point. What happened? How was the situation resolved?
Chapter 16—Moment of Truth
Why do you think this chapter was titled "Moment of Truth?" Offer a specific and detailed response.
Derek's mom and Dave's mom finally meet face-to-face. They have a brief but seriously important discussion about differences, barriers, and assumptions. When conflicts surface, often the best solution is to talk things out. How did the "Meeting of the Moms" resolve the friendship situation with Dave and Derek? Create a dialogue scenario between the mothers and their sons. Suggest an alternative process to resolve this problem. What else could have happened?
When Dave's mom asked Coach Chase to drive her to Derek's home to pick up her son, tensions appeared high and uncertain. What do you think Dave's mom was concerned about? What about Derek's mom? Do you think they had similar or different feelings?
Chapter 17—Endings and Beginnings
Derek finally realized that no matter how hard you wish or work for something, you cannot always be in control of every situation. If things do not go the way you want them to go, you should learn to adjust, refocus, and control what you can control: your own behavior. Even if life is not always fair, what lessons can be learned from your mistakes or your successes?
Aided by skilled last-minute maneuvers from their MVP Derek Jeter, the Indians won the Kalamazoo Trophy! At the ice cream awards party, each player received a trophy and enthusiastic congratulations from the coaches. Derek was surprised with a birthday cake. He was also happy to see his family and Dave's parents relaxed and enjoying the celebration. It was beginning to look like a great ending to a complex and challenging school year. What were some of the tough lessons that Sharlee, Derek, and his parents learned? Pick just one lesson and apply it to your own situation at school or home. Write this lesson in the form of a personal goal strategy, and then share it with someone close to you, such as a parent, sibling, or good friend. Ask them to hold you accountable for your goal. In one year, ask them to share this strategic lesson learned today with you again and see what kind of difference it has made in your life. Trust the process.
Extension Activities
Ask readers to review Derek Jeter's 10 Life Lessons. They are listed in the front of each book in the series and on his website: http://mlb.mlb.com/players/jeter_derek/kids/handbook.jsp.
LIFE IS NOT FAIR
Refer to the Blue eyed-Brown eyed project. Over thirty years ago, Jane Elliott--America's foremost diversity educator, internationally known teacher and the recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education--conducted a startling and controversial, yet now acclaimed, exercise with third graders exposing prejudice and bigotry yielding dramatic results. The exercise offered an intense examination of the realities of discrimination via a simple division of class indicating superiority and inferiority based solely on the color of the students' eyes.
Created in response to an 8-year-old inquiry about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., educators using this classroom exercise will find this an eye-opening opportunity to emphasize the dangers of discrimination. Announce one day that all of the blue-eyed students can sit comfortably at the front on the class, but the brown-eyed or green-eyed students must stand in the back for the rest of the class period. Explain that this is an experiment in discrimination, and offer further rules for the day that offer the blue-eyes more privileges and the others less, i.e. longer recess time, use of certain utensils or toys forbidden by the latter group, etc. In a few days or hours, depending on the length of your planned group exercise, switch the privileges and the penalties. You will see a marked difference in behavior. The research documented by Elliott is critical to review thoroughly before application in the classroom. Written learning guides and media materials are available online at www.janeelliott.com.
Emphasize to the students that the lessons Derek Jeter and his friends and family learned and shared in Fair Ball are still important today. Understanding diversity at an early age and how we may be different from our friends, neighbors or teachers will help us to be more empathetic and sensitive to the ever-present problems of racial and social injustice.
LIFE SAVERS COME IN MANY COLORS
CLASSROOM ICEBREAKER ASSIGNMENT: Prepare individual index cards with quotes from civil rights leaders or human rights advocates (a few sample quotes are listed in the appendix). As students enter the classroom, give each one a card with an individually wrapped Life Saver taped on the back and a famous quote on the front. Immediately warn them not to open their candy until they are given instructions for the upcoming activity; learning to follow instructions and practice patience will be one of the lessons emphasized here. When each of the students has received a Life Saver card, ask them to locate the work table matching the color of the Life Saver they were given. In advance, prepare each classroom table with a large (8 x 10) stand-up sign with an image of a colorful Life Saver on the front and discussion questions on the back. Prepare at least ten work stations. Each table should feature a different flavor, but the discussion instructions should be the same. Allow a few moments for students to find their selective work spaces. Ask them to choose a discussion leader at their table. The discussion leader reads the printed instructions and then encourages each student to read and share the quote printed on their Life Saver card. At the end of the round table exercise, students are invited to eat their candy. To extend this exercise, if time permits, ask students to switch to a different table with a different flavor than their initial Life Saver color.
UNDERSTANDING OTHERS EXERCISE
LARGE GROUP ACTIVITY: Reader's Theater, "Frog and Snake." We know children often ask "why" when they do not understand the rules. Derek could not understand why his friend Dave was not allowed to be best friends with him anymore; he could not figure out the reason for the change in Dave's behavior. Most of the time, parents and care providers establish rules of behavior to keep their young loved ones safe and protected. However, in most cases of prejudice or racism, we find that our rules may only be based on partial facts or social norms and unexplainable innuendo. Prejudicial behavior could also be based on a lack of clear understanding about a particular class or culture. This lack of understanding usually prevents the possibility of making well-informed decisions. Cultural awareness workshops are often needed to bridge this gap.
Introduce the African folktale "Why Frogs and Snakes Never Play Together" to the classroom. See this sample Pourquoi tale (pronounced "por-kwa") a story of origins, taken from the Teaching Tolerance website. A Reader's Theater version is attached in the appendix for group use.
Using a narrator to carry the tale is recommended. Engage the entire class or a large group to act out the parts. Cast the play by selecting a few students to be the frog siblings and a few to be the snake siblings. There are several other positions that may be used to guarantee full class participation. Schedule time for them to practice and perform the story. Refer to Teaching Tolerance (www.teachingtolerance.org) for more detailed and age-appropriate story performance details, discussion questions, and alternative endings. This exercise is recommended for use with upper grade levels.
After the presentation, open the dialogue by asking a few discussion questions, such as:
What did the young frog and snake do when they met each other for the first time in the forest?
What did they learn later in the evening from their parents when they shared their encounter?
What do you think would have happened if the frog and snake had continued to play together and ignored their parents' warnings?
What did the young frog and snake do at the very end of the story that brings us hope? Why?
In Fair Ball, Derek's and Dave's mothers eventually meet and come to an agreement about the boys' friendship. Discuss whether this kind of encounter would have made a difference with the young frog and snake.
Conclude the activity by passing out the lyrics and playing the classic song "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAZ8yOFFbAc). Barbara Streisand also has an updated version of this song, if the black and white version is not preferable. Locate her rendition on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZSt1pgjQdk.
Guide written in 2017 by Chrystal Carr Jeter of Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library (no relation to Derek Jeter or his family).
This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes.
Maureen Cavanagh/Jeter Publishing
Derek Jeter is a fourteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series winner who has played for one team—the storied New York Yankees—for all twenty seasons of his major league career. His grace and class on and off the field have made him an icon and role model far beyond the world of baseball.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (April 2017)
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Konrad Breitrainer (* 3. Mai 1933 in Pfaffenbichl, Gemeinde Söllhuben) ist ein deutscher Politiker (CSU).

Breitrainer besuchte die Volksschule in Söllhuben und machte eine dreijährige Lehre im Malerhandwerk, ehe er die Berufsschule in Rosenheim mit der Gesellenprüfung verließ. Es folgten zwei Jahre Wanderzeit in Rosenheim, München und Waldkraiburg, der Besuch des Spätberufenenseminars Fürstenried und des Humanistischen Gymnasiums Rosenheim mit Abitur. Daraufhin studierte Breitrainer die Sprachen Deutsch, Latein und Griechisch an der Universität München. Er machte 1962 die wissenschaftliche und 1964 die pädagogische Staatsprüfung, gefolgt von einer Referendarzeit in München und Traunstein und einer Unterrichtstätigkeit in Bad Reichenhall und Rosenheim. Breitrainer ist Oberstudienrat a. D., Mitglied des Bayerischen Philologenverbands und der Katholischen Erziehergemeinschaft. Er war auch Altsenior bei Kolping Bad Reichenhall und im Bezirk Rupertigau und Vorsitzender des Kolpingwerks Bezirk Rosenheim. Er war als Referent tätig bei Kolping, der Katholischen Arbeitnehmer-Bewegung und in Kreisbildungswerken.

1964 wurde Breitrainer Mitglied der CSU. Er war Gemeinderat und CSU-Vorsitzender in Rohrdorf, Kreisrat des Landkreises Rosenheim und stellvertretender Diözesanvorsitzender der KAB München und Freising. Am 26. August 1980 rückte er für den verstorbenen Hans Kohlmann in den Bayerischen Landtag nach. Er war dort bis 1994 Abgeordneter.

Er ist Mitglied der katholischen Studentenverbindung K.B.St.V. Rhaetia München.

Weblinks

Landtagsabgeordneter (Bayern)
CSU-Mitglied
Deutscher
Geboren 1933
Mann
Korporierter in der K.B.St.V. Rhaetia zu München

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The latest malware I do not know how to remove is News.net. What to do?
Also could you recommend any on line/you tube video downloader which do not loads secretly malwares on my PC?


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Peep The Trailer To Spike Lee's Vietnam Film 'Da 5 Bloods' [Video]
This looks like it's going to be official...
Source: Netflix / Netflix
t's been more than a year since we learned that Chadwick "Black Panther" Boseman was cast in Spike Lee's newest project, Da 5 Bloods. While it may sound like a film about gangbanging, it's actually much deeper than that.
The Oscar-winning director's latest film centers around four African-American Vietnam veterans – Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), and Melvin (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) – who come together to fulfill a pact made when they were young soldiers serving on the front lines of Nam. Now well into their senior years, the four men return to Vietnam five decades later to not only retrieve the remains of their deceased squadron leader (Chadwick Boseman), but also dig up a treasure chest filled with enough gold to have them set for life. Well, what's left of their lives anyway (no shots).
The film will feature Boseman as "the best damn soldier that ever lived" during the flashback scenes while Lindo, Peters, Lewis and Whitlock, Jr. travel the country looking for his remains throughout the rest of the movie.
And do expect there to be divisions and comedic conflict amongst this brotherhood as Spike Lee told Vanity Fair that Delroy Lindo's character is indeed a Trumpian.
"So we've got this group, and I had to show some type of diversity amongst these African American men. They can't be all alike—that's not only stupid, it's not dramatic. […] And there are a small minority of black folks who drank the orange Kool-Aid. To make him more dramatic, Paul is a MAGA-hat-wearing motherfucker."
Watch Paul be Kanye West's favorite character in the film.
Peep the trailer to Da 5 Bloods below and let us know if you'll be streaming it on Netflix come June 15. If the shelter-at-home orders are once again put back in place you might as well.
Peep The Trailer To Spike Lee's Vietnam Film 'Da 5 Bloods' [Video] was originally published on hiphopwired.com
Chadwick Boseman da 5 bloods spike lee


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New Hongqiao Airport terminal opens for business
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport's new second runway and terminal building became operational today, two of a plethora of projects being rushed and completed for the 2010 World Expo Shanghai.
As earlier reported (see news), the US$2.24 billion expansion now allows the city's first air facility, which was built in 1964, to handle the super-jumbo Airbus A380.
Despite losing international tenants to Pudong International Airport in 1999, Hongqiao Airport continued to function as a domestic airport. About 90 percent of the carriers in the old building have transferred to the just launched terminal. Originally meant to accommodate 9.6 million passengers annually, Hongqiao Airport was recorded last year to have had a passenger throughput of over 25 million. Now the enhanced infrastructure will cater to 40 million passengers annually.
Besides the terminal, the Hongqiao Transport Hub has been created, consisting of the eastern extension of the Metro Line 2 (originating from Pudong International Airport), a private jet terminal, bus stops and parking for 3,000 cars.
The airport will also be linked to different areas of Shanghai and beyond through four daytime bus services and two at night to downtown, while shuttle services are available between Hongqiao and Pudong Airports.
To start off, the two runways will handle 33 landings and take offs hourly, to increase during the World Expo to 45 landings and take offs hourly.
For more details, visit www.shanghaiairport.com
Margie T Logarta
Tags: Hongqiao Airport, Pudong International Airport, Shanghai
Australia banks on Asian events recovery
BA puts strike contingency plans in place


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Something familiar and something new: Introducing the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Since its founding in 1943, the University of California, San Francisco's Department of Psychiatry has been comprised of professionals representing a wide variety of allied behavioral health fields. Now, the department's name will officially reflect that.
LGBTQ+ populations experience newfound anxiety and depression in COVID-19 pandemic
The LGBTQ+ communities have experienced increased anxiety and depression since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those who haven't struggled with these conditions before, according to researchers at UCSF.
Dementia may develop 7 years earlier for adults with inflammatory bowel disease
Older adults with chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract may develop dementia more than seven years earlier than those without the condition, according to a new study by researchers at UCSF and Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan.
FDA approves video game based on UCSF brain research as ADHD therapy for kids
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first video game therapeutic as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, based on research by UCSF's Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD.
Disrupted circadian rhythms linked to later Parkinson's diagnosis
Older men who have a weak or irregular circadian rhythm guiding their daily cycles of rest and activity are more likely to later develop Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by scientists at UCSF.
Rubenstein elected to the National Academy of Sciences
UC San Francisco neuroscientist and Nina Ireland Distinguished Professor in Child Psychiatry John L.R. Rubenstein, MD, PhD, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
UCSF Psychiatry selects Becker to lead its development of clinical behavioral health partnerships
Following an extensive national search initiated last year, the UCSF Department of Psychiatry has appointed Daniel Becker, MD, as its inaugural Vice Chair for Strategy, effective July 1, 2020.
From apps to expert advice, invaluable resources for well-being during the coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus crisis is testing the limits of the health care system, the global economy and many facets of American business, media, and culture. As this social upheaval filters into family life, it can be traumatic for older adults, children, and people with mental health issues.
Four chosen as 2020 Grand Rounds Trainee Research Award honorees
Four early career researchers from the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences have been selected to present their scholarship and research at Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds events later this spring as part of a series designed to highlight the work of senior trainees
UCSF named second best school in the nation for psychiatry by U.S. News
UC San Francisco's psychiatry program has been ranked second in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's annual survey of the best graduate and professional schools.


All you Need to know about Quebec Business Immigration Program!
Are you planning to move and establish your business in Quebec? Well, if the answer is yes, then you are at right stop as here you will get to know about how you can easily make the most and the at the same time Quebec business immigration program. It will help you to take up thing, as this will help you to know some of the point about so that you can choose the best option that would suffice the purpose.
Without ado, let us quickly see about the Quebec business immigration program and how you can easily make the most through it. In addition, this is why here we bring you some of the points that will help you to have more clear vision of the program and how you can start with it.
The individual interested in applying for this very program, you need to prove your credibility as this will certainly help you to make the most from this very immigration program.It is indeed one of the best way through which you can easily expand your ways to earn money and at the same time you need to contribute in the economy of the country.
Quebec immigration has its own set of rules that need to adhere, as this will certainly help you to take up things in the best way. Here we are going to throw light on the selection process, as this will certainly help you to take up things in the right direction.
Interested candidate will apply for the concerned immigration program. In addition to the province of Quebec approves your application then only things will take its further course. You need to pass and go through the health, security, and examination that are mandatory. Once all the formalities are completed then you can easily get the PR visa under the same category.
You need to have intention to create job by the working in the area of your expertise.
Minimum two years of experience in your profession and trade and you must be willing to practice in the province of Quebec. Apart from that, it is important to know about the process, as this will certainly help you to take up things as this will help you to choose the right option and for that, it is important to know about the immigration consultant, as they will help you to get things done in more apt manner.
In addition to that, it is important to find the best immigration consultant as this will certainly help you to take up things and you can easily get your visa approval.
Immigration Services PR visa, Quebec business immigration program. permalink.


Wednesday night Scott and I went to the Back9Network's Launch Party. We got invited by a friend and thought it would be great to finally check out ICEBAR Orlando. That…we certainly did.
If you've never been to an ICEBAR before, it's definitely something worth checking out. Beyond the ice, there's a regular temperature bar with seating and a large dance floor area. Check out the virtual 360 degree inside tour.
The coats you see in the tour outline the actual ICEBAR, which is an extremely chilly 20 degrees, made entirely from ice. Tables, chairs, decorations and even cups were stone cold.
They provide one for you.
The event was great, and we are excited to see what the Back 9 Network is all about. Look out for it airing in the near future.
Contrary to what most people might think about the bar and location, I think this venue would be a great place for tourists AND locals to go out.
International Drive used to scream the word tourist to me, but Scott and I have been enjoying dinners, movies and outings in the area lately. You're okay, I-Drive.
I'm sure we'll be back to the ICEBAR soon.
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Pakistan - part of the problem, not the solution
U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter
The recent attack on two Pakistani border posts by NATO (read: American) combat aircraft and the political fallout it has generated highlights the fragile relationship between the United States and Pakistan. This incident comes at a time when the earlier damage to the relationship caused by the American special operations forces raid that killed Usamah bin Ladin was beginning to fade.
As expected, there are conflicting reports about exactly what happened. NATO and Afghan forces claim that artillery was fired at them from the vicinity of the two Pakistani border posts. The Pakistanis, of course, deny this claim. One senior Pakistani officer went so far to make the ludicrous claim that this may have been a deliberate attack on the part of NATO.
I have to assume that there was artillery fire from the Pakistani side of the border. The question is who conducted the fire - was it Pakistani troops or members of the Taliban using Pakistani territory as a safe haven, knowing that NATO and Afghan forces cannot legally follow them or attack them in Pakistan? The Americans responded, as they should have, with overwhelming firepower.
The thought that it may have been Pakistani artillery is not out of the question - the Pakistani army and intelligence services are full of Taliban (and al-Qa'idah) sympathizers. More likely, though, the fire was from Afghan Taliban fighters operating right under the nose of the Pakistani troops who have rarely intervened to prevent the Afghan Taliban from using Pakistani territory. Note that the Pakistanis have taken action against the Pakistani Taliban, but often ignore at best - and support at worst - the Afghan Taliban.
The relationship between the United States and Pakistan can hardly be called an alliance. Much of that is due to the fact that Pakistan is hardly a viable country. It is yet another country cobbled together in the waning days of the British Empire. It has disparate ethnic groups that have not truly reconciled themselves into being a nation. One of these groups is the Pushtuns, the same group that comprises the largest ethnic group across the border - an artificial construct diving the Pushtuns - in Afghanistan.
I have always wondered about Pakistan and other countries in the region whose borders were drawn by failed European colonialists, where the loyalties of many of the tribal and ethnic groups lie. Are the Pushtuns of Pakistan more loyal to the government in Islamabad or to their blood relatives on either side of an imaginary line drawn by a foreign power? Will the Pushtuns of Afghanistan take up arms against the Pushtuns in Pakistan based on orders issued by a multi-ethnic government in Kabul?
The Pakistanis have retaliated for the incident by demanding that the CIA leave a Pakistani air base in Baluchistan from which the controversial - and highly effective - Predator armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation is conducted. I am not sure that will really happen. If you look at the targets killed by the UAVs, the program benefits Pakistan more than the United States. Since the attacks are launched from Pakistani soil against targets also on Pakistani soil, the targets must be approved by the Pakistani intelligence service, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate. Therefore, all of the militants killed by American UAV-launched missiles are actually those that the Pakistanis want dead, almost exclusively Pakistani Taliban members. It is the militants that appear on both the Pakistani and American lists that are targeted. Why would the ISI halt an operation that furthers its interests at almost no cost to them?
The targets who are missing from the UAV program targets are the al-Qa'idah and Afghan Taliban militants that the United States wants dead - but the Pakistanis may not. The ISI is manned by officers who were responsible for the creation of the Taliban and by officers who were at least sympathetic to Usamah bin Ladin. There are some analysts (me included) who believe that the ISI was also protecting bin Ladin, necessitating the unilateral American special operations raid on the bin Ladin compound in Abbottabad, a city full of retired Pakistani military and intelligence officers and home to the country's military academy. Most of the analysts I speak with believe that the Pakistanis are either complicit or incompetent in the bin Ladin case. I am not sure which is more palatable.
Pakistan has tried, with some success, to manipulate the United States because it believes that the Americans need Pakistan to prosecute the war on al-Qa'idah. That may have been the case in 2001, but much less so today. This is where I take exception with the Obama Administration's policy on the war on Afghanistan, as I did with the Bush Administration as well. The war in Afghanistan was launched to attack and destroy al-Qa'idah. That objective, as far as Afghanistan is concerned, was met that same year. The remnants of al-Qa'idah fled to Pakistan, and later Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. Operations against al-Qa'idah in Pakistan were impossible - after all, the Pakistanis or elements in the Pakistani military and intelligence services were providing support to al-Qa'idah.
For whatever reason, the United States embarked on a nation-building exercise in Afghanistan which of necessity included military operations against the Taliban. Until that time, the Taliban had never been a threat to the United States. At some point, America was engaged in a war against a group that had not threatened the United States in a country that has no national security interest to the United States. The enemy - al-Qa'idah - had mostly fled to Pakistan.
At best, Pakistan made virtually no effort to take on the al-Qa'idah Organization (tanzim al-qa'idah). At worst, the Pakistani military and intelligence establishments either actively or passively supported the terrorist group. The group's leader was found living in a compound virtually in the Pakistani government's backyard almost 10 years later.
Bottom line for me: the United States should no longer be engaged in military operations in Afghanistan. Our mission there should have ended with the removal of the Taliban government and the flight of the al-Qa'idah vermin to Pakistan. Our attention should then have shifted to Pakistan. Our attempts to ally with Pakistan have failed - we are doing their bidding in their war against the Pakistani Taliban while they continue to support the Afghan Taliban and any remaining elements of al-Qa'idah.
The Pakistanis are not part of the solution - they are part of the problem.
Labels: Afghanistan , Pakistan
Syria - nearing the brink of civil war?
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Upgraded weapons in the Gaza Strip


Winter squash are perfect right now. Reposting this fab recipe. Enjoy!
Warm, fluffy, moist, lightly spiced, pumpkin pancakes. They're just right to get you started on a Fall morning. Or, for a fun twist, try them for dinner one night.
Mix all ingredients until just blended, adding extra buttermilk if needed to get a nice, thick consistency. This batter should be a little thicker than regular pancake batter. Fry on a hot griddle and enjoy with butter and pure maple syrup.
Whipped Cream and Spiced Powdered Sugar version. For an extra special treat, try this decadent option instead of butter and syrup. Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp. ground ginger. Top hot pumpkin pancakes with freshly whipped heavy cream, then sprinkle with the spiced powdered sugar.
Thanks! I hope you will enjoy them.


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Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Mineral Deposit
Economically Important Metal Concentrations in Earth's Crust
Ore Bearing Hydrothermal Fluids
Hydrothermal Alteration
Porphyry Deposits: General characteristics and modeling
Natural Hazard
Elements of The Hydrologic Cycle
Evaporation and Transpiration
Earth Interior
Geology Science
Home General Geology Structure of Earth
General Geology
Structure of Earth
Interior of the Earth: Crust, Mantle and Core
In this article (geography section), we discuss the interior of the earth. Understanding the basic structure of earth is very important to learn higher concepts well. Also, the origin of many phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami etc are linked with the structure of earth's interior.
What should you understand about the interior of the earth?
It is not possible to know about the earth's interior by direct observations because of the huge size and the changing nature of its interior composition.
It is an almost impossible distance for the humans to reach till the centre of the earth (The earth's radius is 6,370 km).
Through mining and drilling operations we have been able to observe the earth's interior directly only up to a depth of few kilometers.
The rapid increase in temperature below the earth's surface is mainly responsible for setting a limit to direct observations inside the earth.
But still, through some direct and indirect sources, the scientists have a fair idea about how the earth's interior look like.
Sources of Information about the interior of the earth
Direct Sources:
Rocks from mining area
Indirect Sources
By analyzing the rate of change of temperature and pressure from the surface towards the interior.
Meteors, as they belong to the same type of materials earth is made of.
Gravitation, which is greater near poles and less at the equator.
Gravity anomaly, which is the change in gravity value according to the mass of material, gives us information about the materials in the earth's interior.
Magnetic sources.
Seismic Waves: the shadow zones of body waves (Primary and secondary waves) give us information about the state of materials in the interior.
Structure of the earth's interior
Seismic wave velocities. 6km/s. Continental crust. Crust. Lithosphere. Oceanic crust. 7km/s. 8km/s. Upper mantle. Asthenosphere. 7.8km/s. Upper mantle. Mantle. Mesosphere. 13km/s. Mantle. Outer Core. 8km/s. Outer core. Core. Inner Core. 11km/s. Inner core. Compositional. Mechanical.
Structure of earth's interior is fundamentally divided into three layers – crust, mantle and core.
It is the outermost solid part of the earth, normally about 8-40 kms thick.
It is brittle in nature.
Nearly 1% of the earth's volume and 0.5% of earth's mass are made of the crust.
The thickness of the crust under the oceanic and continental areas are different. Oceanic crust is thinner (about 5kms) as compared to the continental crust (about 30kms).
Major constituent elements of crust are Silica (Si) and Aluminium (Al) and thus, it is often termed as SIAL (Sometimes SIAL is used to refer Lithosphere, which is the region comprising the crust and uppermost solid mantle, also).
The mean density of the materials in the crust is 3g/cm3.
The discontinuity between the hydrosphere and crust is termed as the Conrad Discontinuity.
CONRAD and MOHO discontinuities
The portion of the interior beyond the crust is called as the mantle.
The discontinuity between the crust and mantle is called as the Mohorovich Discontinuity or Moho discontinuity.
The mantle is about 2900kms in thickness.
Nearly 84% of the earth's volume and 67% of the earth's mass is occupied by the mantle.
The major constituent elements of the mantle are Silicon and Magnesium and hence it is also termed as SIMA.
The density of the layer is higher than the crust and varies from 3.3 – 5.4g/cm3.
The uppermost solid part of the mantle and the entire crust constitute the Lithosphere.
The asthenosphere (in between 80-200km) is a highly viscous, mechanically weak and ductile, deforming region of the upper mantle which lies just below the lithosphere.
The asthenosphere is the main source of magma and it is the layer over which the lithospheric plates/ continental plates move (plate tectonics).
The discontinuity between the upper mantle and the lower mantle is known as Repetti Discontinuity.
The portion of the mantle which is just below the lithosphere and asthenosphere, but above the core is called as Mesosphere.
It is the innermost layer surrounding the earth's centre.
The core is separated from the mantle by Guttenberg's Discontinuity.
It is composed mainly of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) and hence it is also called as NIFE.
The core constitutes nearly 15% of earth's volume and 32.5% of earth's mass.
The core is the densest layer of the earth with its density ranges between 9.5-14.5g/cm3.
The Core consists of two sub-layers: the inner core and the outer core.
The inner core is in solid state and the outer core is in the liquid state (or semi-liquid).
The discontinuity between the upper core and the lower core is called as Lehmann Discontinuity.
Barysphere is sometimes used to refer the core of the earth or sometimes the whole interior.
Temperature, Pressure and Density of the Earth's Interior
A rise in temperature with increase in depth is observed in mines and deep wells.
These evidence along with molten lava erupted from the earth's interior supports that the temperature increases towards the centre of the earth.
The different observations show that the rate of increase of temperature is not uniform from the surface towards the earth's centre. It is faster at some places and slower at other places.
In the beginning, this rate of increase of temperature is at an average rate of 1C for every 32m increase in depth.
While in the upper 100kms, the increase in temperature is at the rate of 12C per km and in the next 300kms, it is 20C per km. But going further deep, this rate reduces to mere 10C per km.
Thus, it is assumed that the rate of increase of temperature beneath the surface is decreasing towards the centre (do not confuse rate of increase of temperature with increase of temperature. Temperature is always increasing from the earth's surface towards the centre).
The temperature at the centre is estimated to lie somewhere between 3000C and 5000C, may be that much higher due to the chemical reactions under high-pressure conditions.
Even in such a high temperature also, the materials at the centre of the earth are in solid state because of the heavy pressure of the overlying materials.
Just like the temperature, the pressure is also increasing from the surface towards the centre of the earth.
It is due to the huge weight of the overlying materials like rocks.
It is estimated that in the deeper portions, the pressure is tremendously high which will be nearly 3 to 4 million times more than the pressure of the atmosphere at sea level.
At high temperature, the materials beneath will melt towards the centre part of the earth but due to heavy pressure, these molten materials acquire the properties of a solid and are probably in a plastic state.
Due to increase in pressure and presence of heavier materials like Nickel and Iron towards the centre, the density of earth's layers also gets on increasing towards the centre.
The average density of the layers gets on increasing from crust to core and it is nearly 14.5g/cm3 at the very centre.
Jijo Sudarsan ,Interior of the Earth: Crust, Mantle and Core(2018),https://www.clearias.com/interior-of-the-earth/
Cite this article as: Geology Science. (2021). Structure of Earth. [online] Available at: https://geologyscience.com/general-geology/structure-of-earth/ [19th January 2021 ]