ALBERT

Description: This data set contains the stable isotope record of Uvigerina auberiana, Melonis barleeanus and Cibicidoides spp., abundance and fragmentation of planktonic foraminifera, major and trace elements and total inorganic carbon content of ODP Site 202-1242.

Description: The current trend of climatic alterations will accelerate the modification of the ocean system by, among other aspects, changing the metal speciation and its bioavailability which may have an impact in their accumulation by marine organisms. Understanding the impact of these potential changes is essential for future risk assessment of metal contamination. In the present study, we selected the species Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as the main European aquaculture production bivalve and due to its widespread use for biomonitoring purposes. A long-term test (2 months) was carried out to explore the impact that global change in the marine environment (warming and CO2 increase) may exert on the accumulation of dissolved trace metals (Cu, Co, Pb, Cd, Cr, As and Ni) in different body parts of mussels (foot and soft tissue). Studied mussels were collected at two different climatic locations (Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea) and exposed to unspiked, unpolluted seawater from the Vigo Ria (NW Iberian Peninsula). Results showed that under the global change conditions proposed in this study (1100 pCO2 and 25 °C), the increase in temperature resulted in a lower condition index and byssus strength for mussels from Atlantic Sea, while Mediterranean sea mussels, adapted to higher temperatures, did not show remarkable variations. According to trace metals accumulation in different body parts of the studied mussels, it was observed that the effect of increasing CO2 alone did not show to have an impact in the bioaccumulation, but the combined stressors (increase in CO2 and temperature) may lead to an increase in the bioaccumulation for some elements. The increase in temperature resulted in a decrease of the Cu content of foot tissue (byssus gland) in mussels from Atlantic Sea, which is in accordance with the lower byssus strength observed under such conditions. Our results indicate that the expected seawater temperature increase, which will be produced gradually during next decades, should be further study to ensure the species adaptability and aquaculture production.

Description: Perovskite-type LaAlO 3 nanoparticles have been prepared by a facile, rapid, and environmentally friendly molten salts method using alkali metal nitrates as low-temperature fluxes. Starting from hydrated lanthanum and aluminum nitrates and alkali metal hydroxides, the proposed methodology consists briefly of two steps: a mechanically induced metathesis reaction followed by short firing at temperatures above nitrates melting points. The purpose of the first is twofold: on the one hand to generate in situ the alkali metal nitrate flux and on the other hand, to obtain a La and Al -containing precursor material suitable for the synthesis of bulk LaAlO 3 nanoparticles in molten nitrates. Different alkali metal nitrates and eutectic mixtures were used to analyze the influence of melt basicity in the reaction outcome. Single phase LaAlO 3 was obtained directly, without any purification step when using three molten media: LiNO 3 , NaNO 3 , and their mixture; using KNO 3 as flux either alone or as part of eutectic compositions, prevents complete conversion, and the title material is obtained mixed with additional crystalline phases such as lanthanum hydroxinitrates and carbonates. As-prepared LaAlO 3 powders are composed of loosely agglomerated nanoparticles with very fine crystallite size (32–45 nm). The present method reduces considerably previously reported synthesis time/temperatures for this material.

Description: Validity of mixture rule for dielectrics in series configuration and the correlation between microstructure and electrical properties in bilayered BaTiO 3 /BaTi 1− x Zr x O 3 ceramics were studied. Samples were obtained from BaTi 1− x Zr x O 3 (BTZ x ) nanopowder synthesized by the polymeric precursor technique and had their microstructure, dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties investigated. These bilayered ceramics' properties were compared to the properties of homogeneous BTZ x samples. And, also, the formers' electrical permittivities were compared with the predictions of the simple mixture rule. According to the results, the microstructures of the layers do not differ from the microstructure of the corresponding homogeneous BTZ x ceramic. And pyroelectric coefficient measurements show that the electrical properties of the interface do not contribute to the functional properties of the bilayered samples. Nevertheless, on increasing Zr 4+ , the agreement between the experimental and the predicted permittivity of the bilayered ceramics is gradually reduced, mainly at temperatures where the permittivity is governed by the response of the layer containing Zr 4+ . As a mechanical joint between the layers, the interface induces stresses during sintering due to thermal mismatch between compositions, thereby affecting the bilayers' electrical properties. Our results show that interface's mechanical effects compromise the functional properties of layered ferroelectric ceramics.