Biochemical changes in Conocarpus species under saline soils of Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur

In Pakistan, arid and semi-arid areas are more prone to limited rainfall, extensive evapo-transpiration and higher temperatures. For better understandings of current situation, a field experiment was carried out to study the morphological characteristics, biochemical responses and ionic composition of Conocarpus species (Conocarpus erectus and Conocarpus lancifolius) under saline soil conditions in Lal Suhanra National Park, Bahawalpur during 2019-21. Three sites one at normal soil (S.I) and two at different salinity levels (Medium and High Salinity) were observed in order to assess their effect on plant growth and other parameters. The data regarding physiological and biochemical parameters were recorded. Conocarpus lancifolius and Conocarpus erectus has maximum (233) mmol m-2sec-1 and (162) mmol m-2sec-1 stomatal conductance respectively. Maximum transpiration rate (4.57 MMOL M-2S-1) was observed at site-I in case of C. lancifolius, while maximum transpiration rate in case of C. erectus was (2.94 MMOL M-2S-1) at site-I. At control level, maximum photosynthetic rate was measured as (8.76 µmol m-2sec-1) in C. lancifolius and (5.59 µmol m-2sec-1) in case of C. erectus. Conocarpus species; Conocarpus lancifolius and Conocarpus erectus has maximum SOD (13.29 and 19.62) and CAT (16.48 and 42.05), and POD (14.81 and 8.81 U/mg protein) respectively. Maximum values of Na+K+ ratio in leaves (3.08), shoots (5.98) and roots (9.84) were detected at site-I in C. lancifolius. Based on statistically analyzed data, it is revealed that Conocarpus lancifolius can tolerate better salt stress as compared to Conocarpus erectus. Both species of Conocarpus can tolerate salinity up to 40 dSm-1 but growth of Conocarpus erectus is affected more as compared to Conocarpus lancifolius.

Impact of ionic composition of groundwater on oxidative iron precipitation

In the Netherlands, approximately 60% of drinking water is obtained from (generally anaerobic) groundwater. This requires aeration followed by rapid sand filtration (RSF) to remove iron, manganese, arsenic and ammonium. The mechanisms responsible for their removal or the clogging of RSFs and breakthrough of colloidal iron or manganese oxides have not been fully elucidated in previous studies. In this work, factors affecting iron precipitation have been studied in an aerated, continuously stirred bench scale jar experiments to simulate the supernatant layer of submerged sand filters. Time series data of filtered iron concentration and precipitate size have been collected in experiments with synthetic groundwater with and without P, Si, HCO3 and Ca at neutral pH. We show that precipitate growth is not influenced by different HCO3 concentrations but is reduced drastically when NOM is present and, to lesser extent, Si as well. The addition of P appears to hamper precipitate growth to some extent, but requires more research. We also observe that addition of Ca improves the growth of Fe precipitates in the presence of Si and especially NOM. These results have great significance for improving Fe removal efficiency of groundwater treatment plants in Netherlands and abroad.

Albumin–Hyaluronan Interactions: Influence of Ionic Composition Probed by Molecular Dynamics

The lubrication mechanism in synovial fluid and joints is not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, intermolecular interactions between various neutral and ionic species including large macromolecular systems and simple inorganic ions are the key to understanding the excellent lubrication performance. An important tool for characterizing the intermolecular forces and their structural consequences is molecular dynamics. Albumin is one of the major components in synovial fluid. Its electrostatic properties, including the ability to form molecular complexes, are closely related to pH, solvation, and the presence of ions. In the context of synovial fluid, it is relevant to describe the possible interactions between albumin and hyaluronate, taking into account solution composition effects. In this study, the influence of Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ ions on human serum albumin–hyaluronan interactions were examined using molecular dynamics tools. It was established that the presence of divalent cations, and especially Ca2+, contributes mostly to the increase of the affinity between hyaluronan and albumin, which is associated with charge compensation in negatively charged hyaluronan and albumin. Furthermore, the most probable binding sites were structurally and energetically characterized. The indicated moieties exhibit a locally positive charge which enables hyaluronate binding (direct and water mediated).

Finely dispersed salt particles morphometric properties obtained by carnallite solutions spray drying

Currently, there is no consensus on the salt caves aero ionic environment effects mechanism on the human body, however, there is physiotherapy a separate type, based on such exposure health-improving effect, known as speleotherapy. To recreate the salt cave environment aero ionic composition, a halo chamber is used. To reduce their cost, recreating the air environment methods by contacting flowing air means with carnallite rock finely dispersed powder and dry and wet aerosols generators have been developed. When implementing these methods, both the powder obtained directly by crushing the rock and the powder obtained by salt solutions evaporation drying can be used. The study aim is to reveal finely dispersed salt particles morphometric properties obtained by carnallite solutions spray drying based on different dispersion raw materials. It has been established fine salt particles those morphometric properties obtained by spray drying of carnallite solutions based on different dispersion raw materials differ in average size, sphericity factor, topography character and chemical composition. Particles formed by solution evaporation on the macro disperse raw materials (3-5 mm) basis have larger size, smaller fractional range, more compact shape and relief characterized by multifractality. At the same time, solution-based particles from macro disperse raw materials contain more impurities. Particles a distinguishing characteristic from solution-based lumpy raw materials is the potassium cluster distribution on the surface.

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors and Epilepsy: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are a group of ubiquitously expressed metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration/dehydration of CO2/HCO3. Thus, they are involved in those physiological and pathological processes in which cellular pH buffering plays a relevant role. The inhibition of CAs has pharmacologic applications for several diseases. In addition to the well-known employment of CA inhibitors (CAIs) as diuretics and antiglaucoma drugs, it has recently been demonstrated that CAIs could be considered as valid therapeutic agents against obesity, cancer, kidney dysfunction, migraine, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder that dramatically affects people of all ages. It is characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures that are related to a rapid change in ionic composition, including an increase in intracellular potassium concentration and pH shifts. It has been reported that CAs II, VII and XIV are implicated in epilepsy. In this context, selective CAIs towards the mentioned isoforms (CAs II, VII and XIV) have been proposed and actually exploited as anticonvulsants agents in the treatment of epilepsy. Here, we describe the research achievements published on CAIs, focusing on those clinically used as anticonvulsants. In particular, we examine the new CAIs currently under development that might represent novel therapeutic options for the treatment of epilepsy.

Atmospheric Deposition on the Southwest Coast of the Southern Basin of Lake Baikal

A precipitation monitoring station in Listvyanka was set up to determine the potential impact of the coastal area on the state of the adjacent air environment above Lake Baikal on its southwest coast. This article presents the results of studying the chemical composition of atmospheric deposition (aerosols and precipitation) at this station in 2020, and of their comparison with the data from previous years (from 2000 to 2019). In 2020, the ionic composition of atmospheric aerosols and precipitation had changed compared to previous years. In the modern period, the total amount of ions in aerosols, accounting for 0.46 ± 0.40 μg∙m−3, was lower by an order of magnitude than between 2000 and 2004. The average annual total amount of ions in precipitation in Listvyanka was almost unchanged from the average values in 2000–2010 and was 10% lower than that from 2011 to 2019 (7.3 mg/L). The ratio of major ions of sulphates and ammonium changed in the aerosol composition: compared to the period from 2000 to 2004, in 2020, the contribution of ammonium ions had decreased significantly, from 32% to 24%; the contribution of sulphates had increased to 43%, and the contribution of calcium had increased from 8 to 13%. Since 2010, the contribution of K+ ions has increased to 8–10%, indicating the effect of smoke aerosols from wildfires. In precipitation, despite the dominance of sulphates (26%) and calcium (18%) throughout the year, the contribution of nitrates increases to 19% during the cold season (from October to March), while the contribution of ammonium ions and hydrogen ions increases to 13% and 17%, respectively, in the warm season (from April to September). In 2020, as in previous research years, the acidity of precipitation at the Listvyanka station was elevated (pH 5.1 ± 0.5); 50% of precipitation in 2020 had pH ˂ 5. We quantified ions in atmospheric aerosols and precipitation on the underlying surface of the coastal southwestern part of Lake Baikal. Ion fluxes with precipitation were the highest in the warm season, which corresponds to the annual maximum precipitation. Unlike previous years (from 2000 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2019), wet deposition of most ions—especially calcium, ammonium and nitrates—had decreased in 2020. There was a 35-fold decrease in nitrogen fluxes and a 5-fold decrease in sulphur fluxes in aerosols, as well as 1.6-fold and 1.3-fold decreases, respectively, in precipitation.

Estimation of probe measurements reliability in a supersonic flow of a four-component collisionless plasma

The aim of this work is to estimate the reliability of extracting the plasma electron density and temperature and ionic composition from the current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of an isolated probe system with cylindrical electrodes. An earlier proposed mathematical model of current collection by the probe system at positive bias potentials and an arbitrary ratio of the electrode areas is analyzed. The model is supplemented with a formula that determines, with an accuracy of several percent, the value of the bias potential at which the probe is under the plasma potential and the I-V characteristic splits into a transition and an electronic region. The analytical dependence of the bias potential on the plasma parameters and the ratio of the electrode areas made it possible to formalize the procedures for determining and assessing the reliability of the extracted plasma parameters using the regions of their strongest effect on the collected probe current. Parametric studies of the effect of the plasma parameters on the probe current were carried out for conditions close to measurements in the ionosphere. The paper demonstrates the feasibility of partitioning the sought-for plasma parameters into the regions of their strongest and weakest effect on the probe current in the range of the bias potentials considered. The problem of plasma parameter identification is formulated on the basis of a comparison of the probe current and the measured I-V characteristic in the L2 theoretical approximation. To each parameter there corresponds an objective function of its own, which differs in the domain of definition and the ratio of the electrode areas used in I-V characteristic measurements. Based on this formulation of the inverse problem in L2, estimates of the reliability of identification of the parameters of a plasma with two ion species are obtained depending on the errors of the model and probe measurements. The results obtained may be used in ionospheric plasma diagnostics.