Biofabrication of calcium phosphate nanoparticles using the plant Mimusops elengi

Nanoparticles are now widely applied in products. The synthesis of nanomaterials using biological materials is an emerging field, notably for medical applications because biologically derived compounds can be safe. For instance, calcium phosphate is a natural biomineral that possesses an excellent biocompatibility due to its chemical similarity to human hard tissue such as bone and teeth. Here, we synthesized calcium phosphate nanoparticles by using bark extract of Spanish cherry (Mimusops elengi). Calcium phosphate nanoparticles showed an absorbance at 275 nm by UV–visible analysis and particle size of 25 nm by nanoparticle tracking and analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the presence of aromatic amines as a capping and reducing agent. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of polydispersed spherical nanoparticles with an average size of 50 nm. Measurements of zeta potential revealed the stability of the synthesized calcium phosphate nanoparticles. These particles demonstrated antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. We conclude that the synthesis of calcium phosphate nanoparticles by using a M. elengi is easy, eco-friendly and scalable.     

Future habitat loss and extinctions driven by land‐use change in biodiversity hotspots under four scenarios of climate‐change mitigation

Numerous species have been pushed into extinction as an increasing portion of Earth's land surface has been appropriated for human enterprise. In the future, global biodiversity will be affected by both climate change and land‐use change, the latter of which is currently the primary driver of species extinctions. How societies address climate change will critically affect biodiversity because climate‐change mitigation policies will reduce direct climate‐change impacts; however, these policies will influence land‐use decisions, which could have negative impacts on habitat for a substantial number of species. We assessed the potential impact future climate policy could have on the loss of habitable area in biodiversity hotspots due to associated land‐use changes. We estimated past extinctions from historical land‐use changes (1500–2005) based on the global gridded land‐use data used for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report and habitat extent and species data for each hotspot. We then estimated potential extinctions due to future land‐use changes under alternative climate‐change scenarios (2005–2100). Future land‐use changes are projected to reduce natural vegetative cover by 26‐58% in the hotspots. As a consequence, the number of additional species extinctions, relative to those already incurred between 1500 and 2005, due to land‐use change by 2100 across all hotspots ranged from about 220 to 21000 (0.2% to 16%), depending on the climate‐change mitigation scenario and biological factors such as the slope of the species–area relationship and the contribution of wood harvest to extinctions. These estimates of potential future extinctions were driven by land‐use change only and likely would have been higher if the direct effects of climate change had been considered. Future extinctions could potentially be reduced by incorporating habitat preservation into scenario development to reduce projected future land‐use changes in hotspots or by lessening the impact of future land‐use activities on biodiversity within hotspots.     

The effects of parasites on male ornaments and female choice in the lek-breeding black grouse (Tetrao tetrix)

Summary We describe the results of two studies of parasitic infection in the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). The first deals with our own observations of lekking black grouse in which the parasite levels of two blood parasites, the protozoan Leucocytozoon lovati and microfilaria, probably produced by a nematode worm Splendidofilaria tuvensis, were scored. We also obtained measures of age, survival, number of copulations, body mass and length of the ornamental tail feathers (the lyre) of the lekking males. The second study analysed the data from Lund (1954) which involved eight gut parasites obtained from birds which were killed. In the first study we found higher levels of infection of Leucocytozoon in adults relative to young birds. Parasites had no effect on male survival and there was no correlation in infection between the two types of parasites. Birds infected with microfilaria had shorter tail ornaments. There was no relationship between parasitic infection and mating success. However, the data indicated that such a trend indeed may exist for Leucocytozoon and the most successful males on the leks were less often infected by Leucocytozoon than other males. Results of the second study showed a negative relationship between parasite load (a combined measure of all parasites) and both ornamental tail feather length and body mass. These observations are compatible with, but not conclusive evidence for, the hypothesis of Hamilton and Zuk (1982) on the evolution of secondary sexual characters, where females choose to mate with genetically resistant males which show their resistance by expressing larger and more showy secondary sexual characters. Alternative explanations for the observed patterns are: females avoid infected males for some immediate benefit; and/or parasite loads are indicators of general stress rather than genetical resistance. Under the latter hypothesis females could mate with more vigorous males for reasons unrelated to parasite resistance.     

Waterborne and sediment toxicity of fluoxetine to select organisms

Ecological risk assessments of pharmaceuticals are currently difficult because little-to-no aquatic hazard and exposure information exists in the peer-reviewed literature for most therapeutics. Recently several studies have identified fluoxetine, a widely prescribed antidepressant, in municipal effluents. To evaluate the potential aquatic toxicity of fluoxetine, single species laboratory toxicity tests were performed to assess hazard to aquatic biota. Average LC(50) values for Ceriodaphnia dubia, Daphnia magna, and Pimephales promelas were 0.756 (234 microg/l), 2.65 (820 microg/l), and 2.28 microM (705 microg/l), respectively. Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata growth and C. dubia fecundity were decreased by 0.044 (14 microg/l) and 0.72 microM (223 microg/l) fluoxetine treatments, respectively. Oryias latipes survival was not affected by fluoxteine exposure up to a concentration of 28.9 microM (8.9 mg/l). An LC(50) of 15.2 mg/kg was estimated for Chironomus tentans. Hyalella azteca survival was not affected up to 43 mg/kg fluoxetine sediment exposure. Growth lowest observed effect concentrations for C. tentans and H. azteca were 1.3 and 5.6 mg/kg, respectively. Our findings indicate that lowest measured fluoxetine effect levels are an order of magnitude higher than highest reported municipal effluent concentrations.     

Space-time modeling of environmental monitoring data

This study describes and applies statistical methods for space-time modeling of data from environmental monitoring programs, e.g., within areas such as climate change, air pollution and aquatic environment. Such data are often characterized by sparse sampling in both the temporal and spatial dimensions. In order to improve the amount of information on the physical system in question we suggest using statistical modeling methods for monitoring data. Model predictions combined with observations could be analyzed directly to assess the environmental state or as forcing functions for time series models and deterministic, hydrodynamic models. To illustrate the approach we applied the proposed modeling methods to data from the Danish and Swedish marine monitoring programs. Time series with a weekly resolution were predicted from observations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from the Kattegat basin (1993–1997). DIN observations were sparse, irregularly distributed and comprised approximately 10% of the generated time series.     

Comparison of 1-(2-naphthyloxymethylcarbonyl) pyrrolidine,PP-20/DPJ,newly synthesized compound with the nootropic drug piracetam in normal and aluminum-induced neurotoxic state

Nootropic drugs like piracetam, oxiracetam, and nifiracetam are used as memory enhancers. They are thought to directly influence the energetic processes in the brain and produce elevated acetylcholine levels, but they lack protecting therapeutic potentials. Thus, there is a continuing effort directed towards developing a new cognition-enhancing agent, which would be more effective than the currently available drugs, and 2-Naphthyloxy derivatives (PP-20/DPJ) were consequently developed. This in vivo study was designed to compare the memory enhancing potential of PP-20/DPJ with the known nootropic agent, piracetam, in aluminum (Al)-induced neurotoxic model. Results indicated that PP-20/DPJ improved the short-term memory and cognitive behaviors similar to piracetam. Further, both the compounds were equally effective in elevating the acetylcholinesterase and Mg⁺-ATPase enzyme activity in both the brain regions after Al treatment. Thus the current study suggests, that PP-20/DPJ acts as both a cognition-enhancing agent and as a metabolic enhancer.     

Biosorption of chromium(VI), nickel(II) and copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions using Pithophora algae

The biosorption of heavy metals is considered to be one of the best alternatives for the treatment of wastewater. The metal binding capacity of algae and acid-treated algae is investigated to find out the removal characteristics of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions from single metal solutions. Batch experiments are conducted and the study is extended to investigate the effect of pH, amount of adsorbent and adsorbate concentration on the extent of biosorption. The results indicate that the adsorption capacity of algae depends strongly on pH. The maximum adsorption of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Cu(II) occurs at pH values of 2, 7 and 4.3, respectively. The adsorption process follows first-order kinetic equation. The data obtained are correlated with Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms.     

An Investigation of Stress Level and Human Reliability Analysis of Two Security Companies in Taiwan

This article presents the results of an evaluation and comparison study of three subjective techniques for determining human reliability under stress for work performed at two Taiwanese security companies. Stress levels at security companies were estimated by using the Unified Tri-service Cognitive Performance Assessment Battery and 40 participants from two similar-sized companies. Experiment results (memory searching task and mathematical processing task) indicated that the participants were under high levels of stress. Three subjective techniques (Success Likelihood Index Method, Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction, and Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique) for estimating human error probability were evaluated and compared by using 20 experts for six tasks. The comparison criteria are interjudge consistency and accuracy. Of the three human error probability tests studied, the Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction and Success Likelihood Index Method were more consistent than the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique. The same relationship occurred in the comparison of accuracy. Thus, the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique may need to be modified in some way if it is to be useful. It was already known that this technique required modifications in error-producing conditions and nominal human unreliability. Our work presents additional evidence to substantiate this.