scholarly journals Remediation of mercury-contaminated soils and sediments using biochar: a critical review

Biochar ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Yang ◽  
Yongjie Wang ◽  
Huan Zhong
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Functional Materials ◽  
Redox Conditions ◽  
Existing Problems ◽  
Soils And Sediments ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Biochar Amendment

AbstractThe transformation of mercury (Hg) into the more toxic and bioaccumulative form methylmercury (MeHg) in soils and sediments can lead to the biomagnification of MeHg through the food chain, which poses ecological and health risks. In the last decade, biochar application, an in situ remediation technique, has been shown to be effective in mitigating the risks from Hg in soils and sediments. However, uncertainties associated with biochar use and its underlying mechanisms remain. Here, we summarize recent studies on the effects and advantages of biochar amendment related to Hg biogeochemistry and its bioavailability in soils and sediments and systematically analyze the progress made in understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for reductions in Hg bioaccumulation. The existing literature indicates (1) that biochar application decreases the mobility of inorganic Hg in soils and sediments and (2) that biochar can reduce the bioavailability of MeHg and its accumulation in crops but has a complex effect on net MeHg production. In this review, two main mechanisms, a direct mechanism (e.g., Hg-biochar binding) and an indirect mechanism (e.g., biochar-impacted sulfur cycling and thus Hg-soil binding), that explain the reduction in Hg bioavailability by biochar amendment based on the interactions among biochar, soil and Hg under redox conditions are highlighted. Furthermore, the existing problems with the use of biochar to treat Hg-contaminated soils and sediments, such as the appropriate dose and the long-term effectiveness of biochar, are discussed. Further research involving laboratory tests and field applications is necessary to obtain a mechanistic understanding of the role of biochar in reducing Hg bioavailability in diverse soil types under varying redox conditions and to develop completely green and sustainable biochar-based functional materials for mitigating Hg-related health risks.

STATE REGULATION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES MARKET IN UKRAINE

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (11) ◽  
pp. 30-47
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Nikolayevna Akimova ◽  
Alla Vasilievna Lysachok
Keyword(s):  
Life Insurance ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Credit Unions ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Existing Problems ◽  
Insurance Contracts ◽  
State Pension

The essence of such concepts is “financial service”, “financial ser- vices market”, and “participants of the financial services market”; determined the purpose of state regulation of the financial services market; forms of state regu- lation of the financial services market; financial services that are present in the financial services market; the structure of state regulation bodies of the financial services market in Ukraine is given; The role of state bodies in the regulation of the financial services market was studied; to characterize the regulatory le- gal regulation of the financial services market in Ukraine; the main problems of functioning of the domestic market of financial services are revealed; ways to solve existing problems. It is grounded that the state regulation of financial ser- vices markets consists in the state’s implementation of a set of measures aimed at regulating and overseeing financial services markets to protect the interests of financial services consumers and preventing crisis phenomena. It is concluded that the financial services market is an important element of the development of the economy as a whole, in particular, it concerns not only the state but also society. We must understand that when this market is settled, that is, all bodies that carry out state regulation are competent in their powers, only then will we make informed, effective decisions about the normal and effective functioning of the RFP. It is important that the data of the subjects of control do not overlap, their activities should be fixed at the legislative level. It is also worth bearing in mind that appropriate conditions must be created to create compensatory mecha- nisms in the financial services markets by developing a system for guarante- eing deposits and providing for payments under long-term life insurance contracts, non-state pension provisions, deposits with deposit accounts to credit unions, etс.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 and the Brain: What Do We Know about the Causality of ‘Cognitive COVID?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3441
Author(s):  
Hashir Ali Awan ◽  
Mufaddal Najmuddin Diwan ◽  
Alifiya Aamir ◽  
Muneeza Ali ◽  
Massimo Di Giannantonio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Olfactory Pathway ◽  
Cognitive Sequelae ◽  
Significant Burden ◽  
Inflammatory State ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Acute Changes ◽  
A Minor

The second year of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic has seen the need to identify and assess the long-term consequences of a SARS-CoV-2 infection on an individual’s overall wellbeing, including adequate cognitive functioning. ‘Cognitive COVID’ is an informal term coined to interchangeably refer to acute changes in cognition during COVID-19 and/or cognitive sequelae with various deficits following the infection. These may manifest as altered levels of consciousness, encephalopathy-like symptoms, delirium, and loss of various memory domains. Dysexecutive syndrome is a peculiar manifestation of ‘Cognitive COVID’ as well. In the previous major outbreaks of viruses like SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and Influenza. There have been attempts to understand the underlying mechanisms describing the causality of similar symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review, therefore, is attempting to highlight the current understanding of the various direct and indirect mechanisms, focusing on the role of neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2, the general pro-inflammatory state, and the pandemic-associated psychosocial stressors in the causality of ‘Cognitive COVID.’ Neurotropism is associated with various mechanisms including retrograde neuronal transmission via olfactory pathway, a general hematogenous spread, and the virus using immune cells as vectors. The high amounts of inflammation caused by COVID-19, compounded with potential intubation, are associated with a deleterious effect on the cognition as well. Finally, the pandemic’s unique psychosocial impact has raised alarm due to its possible effect on cognition. Furthermore, with surfacing reports of post-COVID-vaccination cognitive impairments after vaccines containing mRNA encoding for spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, we hypothesize their causality and ways to mitigate the risk. The potential impact on the quality of life of an individual and the fact that even a minor proportion of COVID-19 cases developing cognitive impairment could be a significant burden on already overwhelmed healthcare systems across the world make it vital to gather further evidence regarding the prevalence, presentation, correlations, and causality of these events and reevaluate our approach to accommodate early identification, management, and rehabilitation of patients exhibiting cognitive symptoms.

scholarly journals Memory, not just perception, plays an important role in terrestrial mammalian migration

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1855) ◽  
pp. 20170449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloe Bracis ◽  
Thomas Mueller
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Clear Signal ◽  
Individual Based Simulation ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
With Memory ◽  
Key Questions

One of the key questions regarding the underlying mechanisms of mammalian land migrations is how animals select where to go. Most studies assume perception of resources as the navigational mechanism. The possible role of memory that would allow forecasting conditions at distant locations and times based on information about environmental conditions from previous years has been little studied. We study migrating zebra in Botswana using an individual-based simulation model, where perceptually guided individuals use currently sensed resources at different perceptual ranges, while memory-guided individuals use long-term averages of past resources to forecast future conditions. We compare simulated individuals guided by perception or memory on resource landscapes of remotely sensed vegetation data to trajectories of GPS-tagged zebras. Our results show that memory provides a clear signal that best directs migrants to their destination compared to perception at even the largest perceptual ranges. Zebras modelled with memory arrived two to four times, or up to 100 km, closer to the migration destination than those using perception. We suggest that memory in addition to perception is important for directing ungulate migration. Furthermore, our findings are important for the conservation of migratory mammals, as memory informing direction suggests migration routes could be relatively inflexible.

scholarly journals Phylogeographic parallelism: concordance of patterns in closely related species illuminates underlying mechanisms in the historically glaciated Tasmanian landscape

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kreger ◽  
B. Shaban ◽  
E. Wapstra ◽  
C.P. Burridge
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
Glacial Refugia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Past Climate Change ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Environmental Tolerances

AbstractPhylogeography provides a means to understand mechanisms that shaped the distribution and abundance of species, including the role of past climate change. While concordant phylogeographic relationships across diverse taxa suggest shared underlying mechanisms (“phylogeographic parallelism”), it is also possible that similar patterns are the product of different mechanisms (“phylogeographic convergence”), reflecting variation among taxa in factors such as environmental tolerances, life histories, and vagility. Hence, phylogeographic concordance among closely related and ecologically similar species can yield a more confident understanding of the past mechanisms which shaped their distribution and abundance. This study documented mitochondrial and nuclear phylogeographic patterns in the ectotherm skink, Niveoscincus metallicus, which occupies historically glaciated regions of Tasmania, and contrasted these with the closely related and broadly sympatric N. ocellatus. Major phylogeographic breaks were similar in location between the two species, and indicative of isolation caused by retreat from high elevation areas during glaciations, but with long-term persistence at multiple low elevation sites. Hence, Pleistocene glacial refugia were altitudinal rather than latitudinal, a pattern mirrored in other temperate Southern Hemisphere taxa. This study also examined phylogeographic patterns across the intermittently inundated Bassian Isthmus between mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania, and revealed that structuring is similarly maintained when populations were physically isolated during interglacial rather than glacial stages.

STATE REGULATION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES MARKET IN UKRAINE

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 30-47
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Nikolayevna Akimova ◽  
Alla Vasilievna Lysachok
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Existing Problems ◽  
Insurance Contracts ◽  
State Pension

The essence of such concepts is “financial service”, “financial services market”, and “participants of the financial services market”; determined the purpose of state regulation of the financial services market; forms of state regulation of the financial services market; financial services that are present in the financial services market; the structure of state regulation bodies of the financial services market in Ukraine is given; The role of state bodies in the regulation of the financial services market was studied; to characterize the regulatory legal regulation of the financial services market in Ukraine; the main problems of functioning of the domestic market of financial services are revealed; ways to solve existing problems. It is grounded that the state regulation of financial services markets consists in the state’s implementation of a set of measures aimed at regulating and overseeing financial services markets to protect the interests of financial services consumers and preventing crisis phenomena. It is concluded that the financial services market is an important element of the development of the economy as a whole, in particular, it concerns not only the state but also society. We must understand that when this market is settled, that is, all bodies that carry out state regulation are competent in their powers, only then will we make informed, effective decisions about the normal and effective functioning of the RFP. It is important that the data of the subjects of control do not overlap, their activities should be fixed at the legislative level. It is also worth bearing in mind that appropriate conditions must be created to create compensatory mechanisms in the financial services markets by developing a system for guaranteeing deposits and providing for payments under long-term life insurance contracts, non-state pension provisions, deposits with deposit accounts to credit unions, etс.

scholarly journals DIGITAL MEDIA AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ON HEALTH RISKS OF SMOKING AMONG DRIVERS IN ANAMBRA STATE

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Afam Kenechukwu
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Mass Transit ◽  
Health It ◽  
Anambra State ◽  
Media Messages ◽  
Effective Use

Smoking is the inhalation and exhalation of fumes of burning tobacco and other dangerous nicotine substances that endanger health. It is also a learned behaviour capable of causing addiction. The study examined civic engagement through digital media on health risks of smoking among drivers in Onitsha, Anambra State. The study focused on drivers of registered Mass Transit companies:  Eastern Mass Transit and Onitsha South Mass Transit. The study was anchored on two theories: grounded theory of smoking decision which explains pre-and-post effects of smoking quitting, and mediatisation theory which examines the long-term structural change in the role of media in culture and society. The study adopted a survey of drivers of select Mass Transit companies in Anambra State. This was to ensure that these drivers were studied in their varying work atmospheres concerning smoking. Findings of the study showed that drivers of both companies make effective use of digital media for information on the dangers of smoking while driving and erring drivers are adequately penalised. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that media messages on the dangers of smoking tobacco or other dangerous substances on the wheel should be sustained. It equally recommended psychological tests on drivers before recruitment.

scholarly journals Wheat Straw Biochar as a Specific Sorbent of Cobalt in Soil

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Medyńska-Juraszek ◽  
Irmina Ćwieląg-Piasecka ◽  
Maria Jerzykiewicz ◽  
Justyna Trynda
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Straw ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Material Efficiency ◽  
Ft Ir ◽  
Heavy Metal Adsorbent

There is an urgent need to search for new sorbents of pollutants presently delivered to the environment. Recently biochar has received much attention as a low-cost, highly effective heavy metal adsorbent. Biochar has been identified as an efficient material for cobalt (Co) immobilization from waters; however, little is known about the role of Co immobilization in soil. Hence, in this study, a batch experiment and a long-term incubation experiment with biochar application to multi-contaminated soil with distinct properties (sand, loam) were conducted to provide a brief explanation of the potential mechanisms of Co (II) sorption on wheat straw biochar and to describe additional processes that modify material efficiency for metal sorption in soil. The soil treatments with 5% (v/w) wheat straw biochar proved to be efficient in reducing Co mobility and bioavailability. The mechanism of these processes could be related to direct and indirect effects of biochar incorporation into soil. The FT-IR analysis confirmed that hydroxyl and carboxyl groups present on the biochar surface played a dominant role in Co (II) surface complexation. The combined effect of pH, metal complexation capacity, and the presence of Fe and Mn oxides added to wheat straw biochar resulted in an effective reduction of soluble Co (II), showing high efficiency of this material for cobalt sorption in contaminated soils.

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