scholarly journals Biochemical and Metabolic Changes in Arsenic ContaminatedBoehmeria niveaL.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussani Mubarak ◽  
Nosheen Mirza ◽  
Li-Yuan Chai ◽  
Zhi-Hui Yang ◽  
Wang Yong ◽  
...  

Arsenic (As) is identified by the EPA as the third highest toxic inorganic contaminant. Almost every 9th or 10th human in more than 70 countries including mainland China is affected by As. Arsenic along with other toxins not only affects human life but also creates alarming situations such as the deterioration of farm lands and desertion of industrial/mining lands. Researchers and administrators have agreed to opt for phytoremediation of As over costly cleanups.Boehmeria niveaL. can soak up various heavy metals, such as Sb, Cd, Pb, and Zn. But the effect of As pollution on the biology and metabolism ofB. niveahas been somewhat overlooked. This study attempts to evaluate the extent of As resistance, chlorophyll content, and metabolic changes in As-polluted (5, 10, 15, and 20 mg L−1As)B. niveain hydroponics. Toxic effects of As in the form of inhibited growth were apparent at the highest level of added As. The significant changes in the chlorophyll, electrolyte leakage, and H2O2, significant increases in As in plant parts, catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA), with applied As revealed the potential ofB. niveafor As decontamination. By employing the metabolic machinery ofB. nivea, As was sustainably removed from the contaminated areas.

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 444f-445
Author(s):  
J.W. Gonzales ◽  
D.P. Coyne ◽  
W.W. Stroup

Iron deficiency chlorosis (FeDC) can cause significant seed yield reduction in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown on high-pH calcareous soils. To determine the effects of FeDC on seed yield, and the effect of Fe-spray as a correction factor for FeDC, 22 breeding lines/cultivars were planted on high-pH (8.0), calcareous (3.2–3.5 calcium carbonate equivalent), and low-Fe (1.8–4.2 ppm DTPA) sandy clay loam Tripp soils at Mitchell and Scottsbluff in western Nebraska. A split-plot design was used with Fe treatments as main plots and breeding lines/cultivars as subplots. Three foliar sprays of Fe-EDDHA (2.4 kg·ha–1) were applied at V4, R5, and R7 dry bean growth stages, during 1996 and 1997. Leaf chlorosis was measured simultaneously by using a Minolta Chroma-meter (CIE L* a* b* color space system), a Minolta Chlorophyll-meter (chlorophyll content index), and by visual ratings (1 = normal green to 5 = severe chlorosis). In 1996 no significant Fe-spray × line interaction (P = 0.776) and Fe-spray effect (P = 0.884) on seed yield was observed. Breeding lines showed significant differences in seed yield (P = 0.0001) with WM2-96-5 being the highest-yielding line (4047 kg·ha–1). In 1997 a significant Fe spray × line interaction (P = 0.029) was observed. The cultivar Chase without Fe spray (3375 kg·ha–1), and lines WM2-96-5 (3281 kg·ha–1), WM2-96-8 (3171 kg·ha–1) with Fe spray were the highest yielding entries under those treatments. Differences in visual ratings after the third Fe spray in 1997 were significant (P = 0.004) for Fe spray × line interaction. In 1996 visual ratings were different only for breeding lines. Chlorophyll content index showed a significant Fe spray × line interaction after the second Fe spray (P = 0.022) and after the third Fe spray (P = 0.0003) in 1997.


Author(s):  
Sangeetha Annam ◽  
Anshu Singla

Abstract: Soil is a major and important natural resource, which not only supports human life but also furnish commodities for ecological and economic growth. Ecological risk has posed a serious threat to the ecosystem by the degradation of soil. The high-stress level of heavy metals like chromium, copper, cadmium, etc. produce ecological risks which include: decrease in the fertility of the soil; reduction in crop yield & degradation of metabolism of living beings, and hence ecological health. The ecological risk associated, demands the assessment of heavy metal stress levels in soils. As the rate of stress level of heavy metals is exponentially increasing in recent times, it is apparent to assess or predict heavy metal contamination in soil. The assessment will help the concerned authorities to take corrective as well as preventive measures to enhance the ecological and hence economic growth. This study reviews the efficient assessment models to predict soil heavy metal contamination.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 563
Author(s):  
Esther Anokye ◽  
Samuel T. Lowor ◽  
Jerome A. Dogbatse ◽  
Francis K. Padi

With increasing frequency and intensity of dry spells in the cocoa production zones of West Africa, strategies for mitigating impact of water stress on cocoa seedling survival are urgently required. We investigated the effects of applied potassium on biomass accumulation, physiological processes and survival of cocoa varieties subjected to water stress in pot experiments in a gauzehouse facility. Four levels of potassium (0, 1, 2, or 3 g/plant as muriate of potash) were used. Soil water stress reduced plant biomass accumulation (shoot and roots), relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content and fluorescence. Leaf phenol and proline contents were increased under water stress. Additionally, compared to the well-watered conditions, soils under water stress treatments had higher contents of exchangeable potassium and available phosphorus at the end of the experimental period. Potassium applied under well-watered conditions reduced leaf chlorophyll content and fluorescence and increased leaf electrolyte leakage, but improved the growth and integrity of physiological functions under soil water stress. Potassium addition increased biomass partitioning to roots, improved RWC and leaf membrane stability, and significantly improved cocoa seedling survival under water stress. Under water stress, the variety with the highest seedling mortality accumulated the highest contents of phenol and proline. A significant effect of variety on plant physiological functions was observed. Generally, varieties with PA 7 parentage had higher biomass partitioning to roots and better seedling survival under soil moisture stress. Proportion of biomass partitioned to roots, RWC, chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf electrolyte leakage appear to be the most reliable indicators of cocoa seedling tolerance to drought.


Author(s):  
Yiwei Zhao ◽  
Liangmin Gao ◽  
Fugeng Zha ◽  
Xiaoqing Chen ◽  
Xiaofang Zhou ◽  
...  

AbstractDue to the special sensitivity of typical ecologically fragile areas, a series of human life, mining, and other activities have a greater impact on the environment. In this study, three coal mines in Ordos City on the Loess Plateau were selected as the study area, and the pollution levels of heavy metals in the area were studied by measuring As, Hg, Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb in the soil of 131 sampling points. Combined with the concept of “co-occurrence network” in biology, the level of heavy metals in soil was studied using geostatistics and remote sensing databases. The results showed that the concentrations of Hg, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Pb in more than half of the sampling points were higher than the local environmental background value, but did not exceed the risk control value specified by China, indicating that human factors have a greater influence, while Cd and As elements are mainly affected Soil parent material and human factors influence. Heavy metal elements have nothing to do with clay and silt but have an obvious correlation with gravel. Cd, Pb, As and Ni, Cd, Cr are all positively correlated, and different heavy metals are in space The distribution also reflects the autocorrelation, mainly concentrated in the northeast of the TS mining area and the middle of the PS mining area.


2011 ◽  
Vol 138-139 ◽  
pp. 1149-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Dong Guan ◽  
Ye Hong Du ◽  
Zhen Dong Li ◽  
An Cheng Luo

This paper reports the concentration of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the soils and rices surrounding the abandoned rural waste dumping sites in Ningbo. Igeo (geoaccumulation index) was calculated to assess the contamination degree of heavy metals in soils. The mean contents of Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn and Pb of soils were 33.3, 24.1, 1.5, 118.9 and 45.6 mg/(kg DW) (dry weight), respectively. All of them were much higher than that of the reference value (i.e. CK), but there were no coherent trend of the metal contents within 1-120m distance from the dumping site. Igeo of heavy metals reveals the order of Cd>Cu>Cr>Pb>Zn, and the contamination assessment of soils using Igeo indicate the moderate Cd pollution, while the soils were unpolluted-moderately overall by Cr, Cu, Zn as well as Pb. The heavy metal contents in root, stem & leaf and rice grains were all remarkable higher than that of the CK at 20-120 m distances, and the heavy metal contents in root were evidently much higher than other plant parts, while those in rice grain were lowest, indicating the great bioaccumulation trend of heavy metals. Although the metal contents in the rice grain were within the legislation limit, its bioaccumulation trend of heavy metals was remarkable, whose contents were 4.38-fold for Cr, 1.76-fold for Cu, 1.28-fold for Zn, 2.67-fold for Cd and 3.03-fold for Pb higher than that of reference value, respectively. Finally, we proposed a decentralized in-situ restoration approach for the dumping sites.


Author(s):  
Vadim Markovich Rozin

This article offers a nontraditional approach towards studying the poetics of literary work, which considers personality of the reader and analysis of the reality that he reconstructs and experiences. The empirical material is comprised on the authorial analysis of the poetics of Meir Shalev's novel “Fontanelle”. This literary work features the four major themes: love of the protagonist Michael, creation of the new world from its inception, the characteristic of life values of a person, and discussion of the peculiarities of reality that Meir Shalev builds as an artist. In the first theme, the author reveals several images of love, reflecting on the mystical love of the protagonist for the young woman Ana, love in the family and marriage, love for children. At the same time, the author discusses not only the way that Meir Shalev understands and describes love in “Fontanelle”, but also talks about the own interpretation of love. In the plotline of the second theme, the author also distinguishes two lines: the story the protagonist’s grandfather Apupa, who carries his beloved Amuma on his shoulders across the country, seeking a place where they could create a home and family; and the story of gradual development of a small settlement into a city, created by Apupa and Amuma on the mountain, and several Jewish families at the lower valley. Discussing in the third topic the anchors of human life, the author emphasizes such values as effort, love, family and family line, creativity, indicating that Michael is not alone, he is loved, he gets involved in family history, as well as the history of Israel and Jewish culture, drawing strength in the heroes of this story. The last part of the article gives characteristic to the reality of “Fontanelle” and explains why the author liked it.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadia Qayyum ◽  
Ke Meng ◽  
Sidra Pervez ◽  
Faiza Nawaz ◽  
Changsheng Peng

Abstract Soil contamination with heavy metal content is a growing concern throughout the world as a result of industrial, mining, agricultural and domestic activities. Fungi are the most common and efficient group of heavy metal resistant microbe family which have potential for metal bioleaching. The use of filamentous fungi in bioleaching of heavy metals from contaminated soil has been developed recently. The current study intends to isolate a strain with the ability to degrade the pH value of the liquid medium. Identification results based on morphological and molecular biological analysis gave a 98% match to Aspergillus flavus. Batch experiments were conducted to select the optimal conditions for bioleaching process which indicated that 130 mg/ L sucrose, neutral pH and temperature of 30°C were more suitable during 15-day bioleaching experiments using A. flavus. In one-step bioleaching, the bioleaching efficiencies were 18.16% for Pb, 39.77% for Cd and 58.22% for Zn+2, while two-step bioleaching showed efficiencies of 16.91% for Pb, 49.66% for Cd and 65.73% for Zn+2. Overall, this study indicates that bioleaching of heavy metals in contaminated soil using A. flavus has the potential for contaminated soil remediation.


Revista CERES ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-367
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ferreira de Araújo ◽  
Lucas Cavalcante da Costa ◽  
Tania Pires da Silva ◽  
Mário Puiatti ◽  
Fernando Luiz Finger

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and the physiological responses of summer squash ‘Menina Brasileira’ to ethylene. Immature fruits were harvested and placed in 20 L sealed buckets, in which ethylene was applied at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100, and 1000 μL L-1 for 24 h. Fruits were placed in buckets with no ethylene as a control treatment. Thereafter, the fruits were taken out of the buckets and maintained on bench, wherein on days 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8, they were evaluated regarding the accumulated fresh weight loss, soluble sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugars, starch, total chlorophyll, content of malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage. Fruits of summer squash ‘Menina Brasileira’ showed sensitivity to exogenous ethylene with no weight loss stimulation. Additionally, the fruits exhibited small changes in nutritional quality attributes and changes in the external fruit appearance, including decreased chlorophyll content as well as damage to cell membrane characterized by increase in malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage. These changes were stimulated by increasing exogenous ethylene concentration.


Author(s):  
Marta Makara-Studzińska ◽  
Kornelia Zaręba ◽  
Natalia Kawa ◽  
Dorota Matuszyk

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus emerged in the world at the end of 2019. The introduction of a number of restrictions had a significant effect on numerous aspects of human life with particular influence being exerted on pregnant women and their sense of security. The study aimed to assess the level of anxiety and its main determinants in women in the third trimester of pregnancy during the coronavirus pandemic. The study technique included the present purposely designed questionnaire, Labor Anxiety Questionnaire (KLPII), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The study was conducted in a group of 315 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. A total of 258 women (81.9%) completed the questionnaire in May 2020, and 57 of them (18.1%) completed it in October 2020. The overall analysis of the Labor Anxiety Questionnaire and the STAI inventory revealed a high level of anxiety, particularly situational anxiety, in pregnant women during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The age and financial status of the women were the factors which contributed to the intensification of tokophobia. Women interviewed in October 2020 were characterized by higher tokophobia levels compared to the respondents included in May 2020. It seems justified to in-crease the vigilance in the diagnostics of possible mental disorders in the perinatal period during pandemic.


Imaji ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumaryadi

Regarding the implementation of art education in schools, it is seen that art performance education is put in the third position after visual arts and literature. Among other forms of art performance, drama’s position is under music and dance. Drama is a performance delineating human life, which is acted on stage in front of public. The story generally has conflicts, performed through movements, actions and dialogs. Drama needs introducing to children. The attempts to introduce drama to children should be done as early as possible since the early ages have appropriate space and time, which are strategic to implant basic values in children. Related to this, there are at least two things to be put into consideration. The first is related to literature and the second to art performance. The former covers the determination of theme, synopsis, characters and characterization, plot, dramatic conflict, setting and language use. The latter includes script writing, directing, producer, technical staff, players, and audience. Keywords: art education, drama, early ages


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