Molecular mechanism of zinc neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s disease

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element for most organisms, including human beings. It plays a crucial role in several physiological processes such as...     

Climate change research in Bangladesh: research gaps and implications for adaptation-related decision-making

Regional Environmental Change - In this paper, we present the results of a systematic literature review of climate change vulnerability-related research conducted in Bangladesh between 1994 and...     

Identification of erosion-prone areas using morphometric parameters,land use land cover and multi-criteria decision-making method: geo-informatics approach

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Soil erosion is the main driving force of several devastating natural hazards in the complex mountainous terrain of the Himalayas where the Teesta...     

Geo-based model of intrinsic resilience to climate change: an approach to nature-based solution

A substantial amount of researches have been done on the understanding and assessment of resilience from multiple perspectives, e.g., ecological, social, economic, and disaster management; however, recent international approach is trending toward more systematic and comprehensive risk assessment processes. Pivotal element of such approach is to emphasizing on promoting resilience in the face of climate change impacts. Conceptualization and identification of parameters to assess climate change resilience is one of the remaining challenges that academia is facing. Reviewing the principles of the climate change resilience highlighted in the literature, the goal of this study is to introduce a theoretical model about the climate change resilience concept to facilitate and enhance future climate change resilience-related researches. The model proposed in this study is named as the climate change resilience of place (C-CROP) model, a geo-based model which is designed to assess climate change resilience for any geographic region with an approach to the incorporation of nature-based solution (NBS). C-CROP model considers vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity to climate change on one side; another side is co-benefit, climate proofing, and disservices of proposed NBS. An operational framework of the C-CROP model is also proposed, that allows spatially explicit assessment of climate change resilience in real world by developing an indicator-based framework and comprehensive mapping using the geospatial approach. Therefore, this model includes vulnerability hotspots identification; better understanding of the pathways of resilience; and solutions (i.e., NBS) to infer the impacts and effectiveness of resilience-building interventions.

     

Environmental kuznets curve and causal links between environmental degradation and selected socioeconomic indicators in Bangladesh

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study has investigated the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis and focuses on the resource stock of the country in relation to the...     

Prenatal diagnostic procedure for leukocyte adhesion deficiency

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder which leads to recurrent severe infections due to impaired leukocyte functions. The disorder is caused by an absence or deficiency of leukocyte cell adhesion molecules (LeuCAMs) on the leukocyte membranes. The diagnosis is established with monoclonal antibodies against the LeuCAMs. We have carried out a prenatal diagnostic procedure by means of cordocentesis in a mother who was 20 weeks pregnant and had previously given birth to a child with LAD. This previous child had the severe form of LAD with undetectable mRNA for the β chain, the common subunit of the LeuCAMs. We found that the fetal granulocytes expressed the LeuCAMs normally. At birth, the baby was physically normal and showed no signs of impaired leukocyte functions.     

Fecundity of the freshwater fish Channa punctatus (Bloch) from three aquatic bodies

The fecundity studies on Channa punctatus revealed that there is a relationship between length of the fish with fecundity, weight of the fish and ovary with fecundity. The length and fecundity exhibit curvilinear relationship and a straight line relationship is observed between fecundity and body weight. Fecundity and ovary weight also exhibited linear relationship. The comparative degree of fecundity of the fish is Jagat tank > Kadaganchi tank > Kagina river. Although fish collected from Jagat tank exhibits higher fecundity, all the other three aquatic bodies provide proper environmental conditions for the growth and reproductive activity of the fish.     

Effects of phosphorothionate on the reproductive system of male rats

Acute and Sub-acute toxic effects of a new pesticide phosphorothionate coded as RPR-V on testis of albino rat were studied. For the acute study, rats received a single dose of 30 mg/kg of RPR-V and sacrificed after 24 hours. For the Subacute study, 1.42 mg/kg/day was administered orally to rats for 10 days and 21 days. Acute exposure of rats to RPR-V brought no change either in the Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) or in the structure of testis or in the serum levels of Testosterone. Similarly, no significant change was observed in the Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. But, in testis there was significant increased in the reduced Glutathione (GSH) and Acid Phosphatase (AcP), whereas Alkaline Phosphatase (AkP) levels decreased significantly at 24hr post treatment. On 7th day (withdrawal period) after the cessation of the treatment the GSH, AcP, and AkP levels reached to near control. The sub-acute study revealed a significant post treatment. Due to RPR-V treatment the testis AcP levels increased significantly at 21st day of medication but AkP levels decreased both at 10th and 21st day of post treatment. Histopathological studies showed that after 10th day testis showed considerable loss of spermatozoids and at 21st day complete derangement of cellular organization was observed. Testosterone levels decreased significantly after 10th day and remained significantly low at 21st day. However, withdrawal studies showed a recovery in testis of rat treated with RPR-V. GST, GSH, GSI, AcP and AkP values were recovered, testosterone levels were also recovered but recovery in testis structure remained at a low profile.     

Dissipation of the herbicide clopyralid in an allophanic soil: laboratory and field studies

Soil dissipation of the herbicide clopyralid (3,6-dichloropicolinic acid) was measured in laboratory incubations and in field plots under different management regimes. In laboratory studies, soil was spiked with commercial grade liquid formulation of clopyralid (Versatill, 300 g a.i. L(-1) soluble concentrate) @ 0.8 microg a.i. g(-1) dry soil and the soil water content was maintained at 60% of water holding capacity of the soil. Treatments included incubation at 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C, day/night cycles (25/15 degrees C) and sterilized soil (20 degrees C). Furthermore, a field study was conducted at the Waikato Research Orchard near Hamilton, New Zealand starting in November 2000 to measure dissipation rates of clopyralid under differing agricultural situations. The management regimes were: permanent pasture, permanent pasture shielded from direct sunlight, bare ground, and bare ground shielded from direct sunlight. Clopyralid was sprayed in dilute solution @ 600 g a.i. ha(-1) on to field plots. Herbicide residue concentrations in soil samples taken at regular intervals after application were determined by gas chromatograph with electron capture detector. The laboratory experiments showed that dissipation rate of clopyralid was markedly faster in non-sterilized soil (20 degrees C), with a half-life (t1/2) of 7.3 d, than in sterilized soil (20 degrees C) with t1/2 of 57.8 d, demonstrating the importance of micro-organisms in the breakdown process. Higher temperatures led to more rapid dissipation of clopyralid (t1/2, 4.1 d at 30 degrees C vs 46.2 d at 10 degrees C). Dissipation was also faster in the day/night (25/15 degrees C) treatment (t1/2, 5.4 d), which could be partly due to activation of soil microbes by temperature fluctuations. In the field experiment, decomposition of clopyralid was much slower in the shaded plots under pasture (t1/2, 71.5 d) and bare ground (t1/2, 23.9 d) than in the unshaded pasture (t1/2, 5.0 d) and bare ground plots (t1/2, 12.9 d). These studies suggest that environmental factors such as temperature, soil water content, shading, and different management practices would have considerable influence on rate of clopyralid dissipation.     

Arsenic and other toxic elemental contamination of groundwater, surface water and soil in Bangladesh and its possible effects on human health

The problems of contamination caused by arsenic (As) and other toxic metals in groundwater, surface water and soils in the Bengal basin of Bangladesh have been studied. Altogether 10 groundwater, seven surface water and 31 soil samples were collected from arsenic-affected areas and analysed chemically. The geologic and anthropogenic sources of As and other toxic metals are discussed in this paper. The chemical results show that the mean As concentrations in groundwater in the Char Ruppur (0.253mg As L^–1), Rajarampur (1.955mg As L^–1) and Shamta areas (0.996mg As L^–1) greatly exceed the WHO recommended value, which is 0.01mg As L^–1. The concentrations of As in groundwater are very high compared to those in surface water and in surface soil in the three (As-affected) areas studied. This indicates that the source of As in groundwater could be bedrock. The relatively high concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in surface water, compared to world typical value, are due to the solubility of metal ions, organometalic complexes, coprecipitation or co-existance with the colloidal clay fraction. In the soil, the elevated concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn are due to their strong affinity to organic matter, hydrous oxides of Fe and Mn, and clay minerals.