Nanophytoremediation: A Promising Strategy for the Management of Environmental Contaminants

The political divide is characterized by liberals and conservatives who hold strong prejudice against each other. Here we introduce one possible strategy for reducing political prejudice: political inclusion. We define political inclusion as receiving a fair chance to voice one’s opinions in a discussion of political topics with political outgroup members. This strategy may reduce political prejudice by inducing perceptions of the political outgroup as fair and respectful; however, such a strategy may also highlight conflicting attitudes and worldviews, thereby further exacerbating prejudice. In three preregistered studies (total N = 799), we test if political inclusion reduces or increases prejudice toward the political outgroup. Specifically, political inclusion was manipulated with either an imagined scenario (Study 1) or a concurrent experience in an ostensible online political discussion (Studies 2 & 3). Across all studies, participants who were politically included by political outgroup members reported reduced prejudice toward their outgroup compared to participants in a neutral control condition (Cohen’s d [-0.27, -0.50]). This effect was mediated by perceptions of the political outgroup as fairer and less dissimilar in their worldviews. Our results indicate that political discussions that are politically inclusive do not cause additional prejudice via worldview conflict, but instead give others a feeling of being heard. It is a promising strategy to reduce political prejudice.

Download Full-text

Faculty Opinions recommendation of Uncertainties in human health risk assessment of environmental contaminants: A review and perspective.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.733112787.793545346 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas J Weber

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Health Risk ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Risk Assessment ◽

Environmental Contaminants ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Human Health Risk Assessment

Download Full-text

Yield and chlorophyll index in cabbage in function of enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers and urea

Scientific Electronic Archives ◽

10.36560/1312020997 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 6

Author(s):

J. J. Frazão ◽

A. R. Silva ◽

F. H. M. Salgado ◽

R. A. Flores ◽

E. P. F. Brasil

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽

N Losses ◽

N Sources ◽

Promising Strategy ◽

Applied Dose ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Chlorophyll Index ◽

Polymer Coated Urea ◽

N Rates ◽

And Control

The increase of the efficiency of the nitrogen fertilization promotes reduction of the applied dose and decreases the losses of nitrogen (N) to the environment. The objective of this work was to evaluate the yield and the relative chlorophyll index (IRC) in cabbage crop under cover fertilization, using enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, compared to urea, in variable doses. The experimental design was randomized blocks in a 3x4+1 factorial scheme (three sources, four rates and control), with four replications. The N sources used were: common urea (U), urea treated with urease inhibitor NBPT® (UN) and Kimcoat® polymer coated urea (UK). The N rates used were 0, 40, 80, 160 and 320 kg ha-1, divided in two fertilizations at 20 and 40 days after transplantation. Up to 160 kg ha-1 of N, there was no difference between N sources and N rates for both yield and RCI. The enhanced-efficiency N sources (UN and UK) promoted higher averages compared to common urea, possibly due to the higher N losses from common urea. Thus, the use of urease inhibitors or polymers associated with urea is a promising strategy to improve cabbage yield, as well as reducing N losses to the environment.

Download Full-text

Reductive Dehalogenation of Environmental Contaminants: A Critical Review

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.1989.018 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 299-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

R. M. Baxter

Keyword(s):

Hydrogen Atom ◽

Aromatic Compounds ◽

Reductive Dechlorination ◽

Halogen Atom ◽

Environmental Contaminants ◽

Methanogenic Bacteria ◽

Photochemical Reactions ◽

Reductive Dehalogenation ◽

Iron Porphyrins ◽

Aliphatic Compounds

Abstract It is generally recognized that reductive processes are more important than oxidative ones in transforming, degrading and mineralizing many environmental contaminants. One process of particular importance is reductive dehalogenation, i.e., the replacement of a halogen atom (most commonly a chlorine atom) by a hydrogen atom. A number of different mechanisms are involved in these reactions. Photochemical reactions probably play a role in some instances. Aliphatic compounds such as chloroethanes, partly aliphatic compounds such as DDT, and alicyclic compounds such as hexachlorocyclohexane are readily dechlorinated in the laboratory by reaction with reduced iron porphyrins such as hematin. Many of these are also dechlorinated by cultures of certain microorganisms, probably by the same mechanism. Such compounds, with a few exceptions, have been found to undergo reductive dechlorination in the environment. Aromatic compounds such as halobenzenes, halophenols and halobenzoic acids appear not to react with reduced iron porphyrins. Some of these however undergo reductive dechlorination both in the environment and in the laboratory. The reaction is generally associated with methanogenic bacteria. There is evidence for the existence of a number of different dechlorinating enzymes specific for different isomers. Recently it has been found that many components of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), long considered to be virtually totally resistant to environmental degradation, may be reductively dechlorinated both in the laboratory and in nature. These findings suggest that many environmental contaminants may prove to be less persistent than was previously feared.

Download Full-text

Chinese Medicine Protein and Peptide in Gene and Cell Therapy

Current Protein and Peptide Science ◽

10.2174/1389203719666180612082432 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 251-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yinlu Feng ◽

Zifei Yin ◽

Daniel Zhang ◽

Arun Srivastava ◽

Chen Ling

Keyword(s):

Chinese Medicine ◽

Cell Therapy ◽

Future Research ◽

The Past ◽

Promising Strategy ◽

Wide Range ◽

New Directions ◽

Gene And Cell Therapy ◽

Proteins And Peptides

The success of gene and cell therapy in clinic during the past two decades as well as our expanding ability to manipulate these biomaterials are leading to new therapeutic options for a wide range of inherited and acquired diseases. Combining conventional therapies with this emerging field is a promising strategy to treat those previously-thought untreatable diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has evolved for thousands of years in China and still plays an important role in human health. As part of the active ingredients of TCM, proteins and peptides have attracted long-term enthusiasm of researchers. More recently, they have been utilized in gene and cell therapy, resulting in promising novel strategies to treat both cancer and non-cancer diseases. This manuscript presents a critical review on this field, accompanied with perspectives on the challenges and new directions for future research in this emerging frontier.

Download Full-text