Development of controlled release nanoformulations of carbendazim employing amphiphilic polymers and their bioefficacy evaluation against Rhizoctonia solani

Controlled release nanoformulations of carbendazim (Methyl 1H-benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate), a systemic fungicide, have been prepared using laboratory synthesized poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs)-based functionalized amphiphilic copolymers. The release kinetics of carbendazim from developed controlled release (CR) formulations was studied and compared with that of the commercially available 50% Wettable Powder (WP). Further, the bioefficacy evaluation of developed formulations was done against plant pathogenic fungi Rhizoctonia solani by the poison food technique method. The release of maximum amount of carbendazim from developed formulations was dependent on the molecular weight of PEGs and was found to increase with increasing molecular weights. The range of carbendazim release was found to be between 10th to 35th day as compared to commercial formulation which was up to 7th day. The diffusion exponent (n value) of carbendazim in water ranged from 0.37 to 0.52 in the tested formulations. The half-release (t_1/2) values ranged between 9.47 and 24.20 days, and the period of optimum availability (POA) of carbendazim ranged from 9.15 to 26.63 days. Also, ED₅₀ values of the developed formulations vary from 0.40 to 0.74 mg L^?1. These formulations can be used to optimize the release of carbendazim to achieve disease control for the desired period depending on the matrix of the polymer used.     

Priorities for Improving the Scientific Foundation of Conservation Policy in North America

Abstract:  The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) can enhance conservation of biodiversity in North America by increasing its engagement in public policy. Toward this end, the North America Section of SCB is establishing partnerships with other professional organizations in order to speak more powerfully to decision makers and taking other actions—such as increasing interaction with chapters—geared to engage members more substantively in science-policy issues. Additionally, the section is developing a North American Biodiversity Blueprint, which spans the continental United States and Canada and is informed by natural and social science. This blueprint is intended to clarify the policy challenges for protecting continental biodiversity, to foster bilateral collaboration to resolve common problems, and to suggest rational alternative policies and practices that are more likely than current practices to sustain North America's natural heritage. Conservation scientists and practitioners can play a key role by drawing policy makers' attention to ultimate, as well as proximate, causes of biodiversity decline and to the ecological and economic consequences of not addressing these threats.     

Inflammation biomarkers associated with arsenic exposure by drinking water and respiratory outcomes in indigenous children from three Yaqui villages in southern Sonora,México

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental arsenic exposure in adults and children has been associated with a reduction in the expression of club cell secretory protein (CC16) and...     

Environmental pollution,energy import,and economic growth: evidence of sustainable growth in South Africa and Nigeria

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Simultaneous achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially energy efficiency (SDG 7), economic growth (SDG 8), and pollution...     

Re-visiting serum cotinine concentrations among various types of smokers including cigarette only smokers: some new,previously unreported results

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Data (N = 11614) from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 1999–2016 for US adults aged ≥ 20 years were analyzed...     

Sol-gel-derived transparent metal oxide flexible field effect transistors

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - ZnO and ZnO:Al thin films have been successfully synthesized by simple solution processable method at low temperature. Highly crystalline (002)...     

Management strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtle’s terrestrial reproductive phase

Climate change poses a serious threat to sea turtles (Cheloniidae) as their terrestrial reproductive phase is only successful within a limited range of environmental and physical conditions. These conditions are likely to become less optimal as climate change progresses. To date, management and conservation of sea turtles has focused almost entirely on non-climatic stressors, due at least in part to practitioners not knowing what strategies to take and the feasibility and risks of potential strategies. To aid the management of sea turtles in a changing environment, we identified management strategies via a focus workshop and surveys to mitigate the impacts of climate change to the terrestrial reproductive phase of sea turtles. The effectiveness, ecological risks and potential social and logistical constraints associated with implementing each of the identified management strategies is discussed. Twenty management strategies were identified; strategies varied from habitat protection to more active and direct manipulation of nests and the nesting environment. Based on our results, we suggest a three-pronged approach to sea turtle conservation in light of climate change, where managers and researchers should: 1) enhance sea turtle resilience to climate change by mitigating other threats; 2) prioritise implementing the ‘no regret’ and ‘reversible’ management strategies identified here; and 3) fill the knowledge gaps identified to aid the trial and implementation of the potential strategies identified here. By combining these three approaches our collective toolkit of sea turtle management strategies will expand, giving us an array of viable approaches to implement as climate change impacts become more extreme.     

Does safety climate moderate the influence of staffing adequacy and work conditions on nurse injuries?

PROBLEM: Hospital nurses have one of the highest work-related injury rates in the United States. Yet, approaches to improving employee safety have generally focused on attempts to modify individual behavior through enforced compliance with safety rules and mandatory participation in safety training. We examined a theoretical model that investigated the impact on nurse injuries (back injuries and needlesticks) of critical structural variables (staffing adequacy, work engagement, and work conditions) and further tested whether safety climate moderated these effects. METHOD: A longitudinal, non-experimental, organizational study, conducted in 281 medical-surgical units in 143 general acute care hospitals in the United States. RESULTS: Work engagement and work conditions were positively related to safety climate, but not directly to nurse back injuries or needlesticks. Safety climate moderated the relationship between work engagement and needlesticks, while safety climate moderated the effect of work conditions on both needlesticks and back injuries, although in unexpected ways. DISCUSSION AND IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Our findings suggest that positive work engagement and work conditions contribute to enhanced safety climate and can reduce nurse injuries.