Amelioration of toxicopathological effects of cadmium with silymarin and milk thistle in male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cadmium is an important widely distributed heavy metal in the environment due to its several industrial uses, while milk thistle is an important herb...     

Assessing the chemical and biological accessibility of the herbicide isoproturon in soil amended with biochar

Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a cyclic volatile methyl siloxane (cVMS) commonly found in commercially available products. D5 is expected to enter the terrestrial environment through the deposit of biosolids from sewage treatment plants onto agricultural fields for nutrient enrichment. Little to no information currently exists as to the risks of D5 to the terrestrial environment. In order to evaluate the potential risk to terrestrial organisms, the toxicity of a D5 contaminated biosolid in an agricultural soil was assessed with a battery of standardized soil toxicity tests.D5 was spiked into a surrogate biosolid and then mixed with a sandy loam soil to create test concentrations ranging from 0 to 4074 mg kg⁻¹. Plant (Hordeum vulgare (barley) and Trifolium pratense (red clover)) and soil invertebrates (Eisenia andrei (earthworm) and Folsomia candida (springtail)) toxicity tests were completed to assess for lethal and sub-lethal effects. Plant testing evaluated the effects on seedling emergence, shoot and root length, and shoot and root dry mass. Invertebrate test endpoints included adult lethality, juvenile production, and individual juvenile dry mass (earthworms only). Soil samples were collected over time to confirm test concentrations and evaluate the loss of chemical over the duration of a test. The toxicity of the D5 was species and endpoint dependent, such that no significant adverse effects were observed for T. pratense or E. andrei test endpoints, however, toxicity was observed for H. vulgare plant growth and F. candida survival and reproduction. Chemical losses of up to 50% were observed throughout the tests, most significantly at high concentrations.     

Ozone affects pollen viability and NAD(P)H oxidase release from Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen

Air pollution is frequently proposed as a cause of the increased incidence of allergy in industrialised countries. We investigated the impact of ozone (O₃) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and allergen content of ragweed pollen (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). Pollen was exposed to acute O₃ fumigation, with analysis of pollen viability, ROS and nitric oxide (NO) content, activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAD[P]H) oxidase, and expression of major allergens. There was decreased pollen viability after O₃ fumigation, which indicates damage to the pollen membrane system, although the ROS and NO contents were not changed or were only slightly induced, respectively. Ozone exposure induced a significant enhancement of the ROS-generating enzyme NAD(P)H oxidase. The expression of the allergen Amb a 1 was not affected by O₃, determined from the mRNA levels of the major allergens. We conclude that O₃ can increase ragweed pollen allergenicity through stimulation of ROS-generating NAD(P)H oxidase.     

Distribution of toxic and essential elements in various chicken organs

An instrumental neutron activation technique was applied to determine toxic, essential and other elements in various chicken organs namely; liver, heart, gizzard, breast and leg. The range, arithmetic mean, geometric mean and median were computed which indicate normal distribution pattern for Hg, Se, Cl, Fe, Zn, Mn, Na, K and Cs in the five chicken organs. The concentration of Hg, Se, As, Fe, Zn and Mn in local chicken liver were also compared with the literature values. Dietary intake value for toxic and essential elements were also computed and compared with the recommended values.     

The role of private investment in ICT on carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) mitigation: do renewable energy and political risk matter in Morocco?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study proposed the relationship among private investment in information and communication technology (ICT), carbon emissions (CO2),...     

Impact of peri-urban landscape on the organic and mineral contamination of pond waters and related risk assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Ponds are important for their ecological value and for the ecosystem services they provide to human societies, but they are strongly affected by human...     

Development of a simulator for training of fetoscopic myelomeningocele surgery

Objective

To develop a realistic simulation model for laparotomy-assisted fetoscopic spina bifida aperta (SBa) surgery, to be used for training purposes and preoperative planning.

Methods

The predefined general requirement was a realistic model of an exteriorized uterus, allowing all neurosurgical steps of the intervention. The uterus was modelled using ultrasound and MRI images of a 25 weeks’ gravid uterus, consisting of flexible polyurethane foam coated with pigmented silicone. The fetal model, contained an opening on the dorsal side for a customizable spinal insert with all the aspects of a SBa, including a cele, placode, and myofascial and skin layer. The model was assessed in a series of validation experiments.

Results

Production costs are low, uterus and fetus are reusable. Placental localization and the level and size of the spinal defect are adjustable, enabling case-specific adaptations. All aspects of the simulator were scored close to realistic or higher for both appearance and functional capacities.

Conclusions

This innovative model provides an excellent training opportunity for centers that are starting a fetoscopic SBa repair program. It is the first simulation model with adjustable spinal defect and placental localisation. Further objective validation is required, but the potential for using this model in preoperative planning is promising.     

Manure and adoption of modern seeds in cereal‐based systems in West African drylands: linkages and (non)complementarities

Using a stepwise approach that combines several econometric methods, we assessed whether or not the adoption of modern seeds and the use of manure in cereal‐based systems are linked and, if so, what are the driving forces of the linkages between these two agricultural technologies under dry‐climate conditions in West Africa. We found complementary and substitutability linkages arising from jointness and endogeneity between the two technologies. Specifically, our findings reveal positive joint determination along with negative endogeneity between the two technologies indicating that, controlling for observable variables, both technologies are positively linked, but unobserved factors that affect one adoption decision are negatively correlated with the other. After controlling for jointness and endogeneity, we found significant complementarity linkages showing a significant positive effect of manure use on the adoption of modern seeds, which is also significantly and positively affected by the number of cash crops grown and remittances. The two technologies are reversely affected by schooling and the incidence of soil fertility problems within the farm, whereas the amount of healthy land has a positive effect on both. The study suggests that organic fertilizer can serve as an enabling factor for greater adoption of modern seeds, especially in less favourable climate areas, and strongly supports the argument behind the need to breed seeds suitable for the use of organic fertilizers. These findings provide avenues for re‐orientation of policies that promote the use of modern seeds in dryland areas in sub‐Saharan Africa, with a possibility of breeding and promoting them in packages with organic fertilizers to upscale their adoption.