Proteomics study of Southern Punjab Pakistani cobra (Naja naja: formerly Naja naja karachiensis) venom

Because of the potential of significant geographic variation in the compositions of snake venoms, much insight can be gained by examining individuals originating from diverse locations, and detailed characterization of any species can only be done by including animals from the entire range. Pakistani N. naja (formerly N. naja karachiensis) venom was decomplexed by applying diverse techniques and found a concoction of proteins (a total of 43 venomous proteins comprising 11 super families) from 6 to 200 kilodaltons in size. Among them three finger toxins (58%), phosphoplipses A₂ (19%), snake venom metalloproteinases (5%), l-amino acid oxidases (5%), helvepryns (3%), vespryns (2%), cobra venom factor (2%), 5′-nucleotidases (2%), venom nerve growth factor (2%), and Kunitz type serine protease inhibitor (2%) were included. It is the first report that this venom possesses significantly higher percentage of three finger toxins belonging to the cytotoxins (32% overall) and α‐neurotoxins (32% overall, predominately long chain neurotoxins, 24% overall) compared to N. naja from other geographic locations. Better understanding of intraspecific variations in venom can improve the development of location-specific anti-venoms. Furthermore, this pool of diverse toxins could potentially be a source of novel drug candidates for the treatment of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors mediated nervous disorders.     

Fate of selenium in biofortification of wheat on calcareous soil: an isotopic study

Selenium (Se) biofortification of staple cereal crops can improve the Se nutritional status of populations. A field trial employing an enriched stable isotope of Se (⁷⁷Se) was undertaken over three consecutive cropping seasons in a coarse-textured, calcareous soil in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The objectives were to (1) assess the feasibility and efficiency of Se biofortification, (2) determine the fate of residual Se, and (3) assess the consequences for dietary Se intake. Isotopically enriched ⁷⁷Se (⁷⁷Se_Fert) was applied, either as selenate or as selenite, at three levels (0, 10, and 20 g ha^?1) to a wheat crop. Residual ⁷⁷Se_Fert availability was assessed in subsequent crops of maize and wheat without further ⁷⁷Se_Fert addition. Loss of ⁷⁷Se_Fert was c.35% by the first (wheat) harvest, for both selenium species, attributable to the practice of flood irrigation and low adsorption capacity of the soil. No ⁷⁷Se_Fert was detectable in subsequent maize or wheat crops. The remaining ⁷⁷Se_Fert in soil was almost entirely organically bound and diminished with time following a reversible (pseudo-)first-order trend. Thus, repeat applications of Se would be required to adequately biofortify grain each year. In contrast to native soil Se, there was no transfer of ⁷⁷Se_Fert to a recalcitrant form. Grain from control plots would provide only 0.5 µg person^?1 day^?1 of Se. By contrast, a single application of 20 g ha^?1 Se^VI could provide c. 47 µg person^?1 day^?1 Se in wheat, sufficient to avoid deficiency when combined with dietary Se intake from other sources (c. 25 µg day^?1).

     

Determination of heavy metals in fresh water fish species of the River Ravi, Pakistan compared to farmed fish varieties

The untreated industrial and sewage wastes arising from industries and metropolitan activities make their passage to the River Ravi, Pakistan, where Balloki Headworks is one of the major sites of effluent concentration. This study was designed to evaluate the concentration of various toxic elements in fishes of that area compared to a nearby fish farm. The concentrations of heavy metals, such as As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg, and Zn, and electrolytes Ca, K, and Na were determined in different edible and non-edible fresh water fish varieties. Fish samples were collected from two selected sites and were analyzed for aforementioned elements. Higher levels of As (35.74–45.33 ppm), Cd (0.35–0.45 ppm), Pb (2.1–3.0 ppm), Hg (83.03–92.35 ppm) while normal levels of Zn (37.85–40.74 ppm) and Cu (1.39–2.93 ppm) were observed. Mercury, higher levels of which trigger cough, impairment of pulmonary function, and psychotic reactions, was significantly higher in all studied categories. At the sites under study, there has been observed alarming levels of toxic metals which are needed to be monitored regularly.     

Environmental impact assessment (EIA): an overlooked instrument for sustainable development in Pakistan

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a policy tool used for evaluating a project proposal from physical and socioeconomic environmental perspectives. Its aim is to reduce the impact of development on environment, hence, ensuring environmental sustainability. It is mandatory to submit an Environmental Impact Statement before starting a mega project as required by Environmental Protection Act of 1997 and Environmental Policy of Pakistan. Public consultation plays a key role in an EIA system, identifying the likely aspects and impacts of a development activity. This aspect has been ignored in effective enactment of environmental legislation in Pakistan. Sufficient legislative instruments are there to support EIA system in the country but the agencies responsible for the enforcement of environmental regulations have failed to do so. The current research gives an insight into the actual status of EIA system in Pakistan along with the feedback of EIA specialists and university teachers of the concerned departments. A new index has been devised on the basis of questionnaire response to work out the overall performance of EIA system in Pakistan or any other country. The weaknesses and deficiencies of each EIA stage have been worked out for Pakistan and elaborated with the help of the controversial Zero point Interchange Project in the capital city of Pakistan.     

Real-world in-use activity, fuel use, and emissions for nonroad construction vehicles: a case study for excavators

A study design was developed and demonstrated for deployment of a portable emission measurement system (PEMS) for excavators. Excavators are among the most commonly used vehicles in construction activities. The PEMS measured nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and opacity-based particulate matter. Data collection, screening, processing, and analysis protocols were developed to assure data quality and to quantify variability in vehicle fuel consumption and emissions rates. The development of data collection procedures was based on securing the PEMS while avoiding disruption to normal vehicle operations. As a result of quality assurance, approximately 90% of the attempted measurements resulted in valid data. On the basis of field data collected for three excavators, an average of 50% of the total nitric oxide emissions was associated with 29% of the time of operation, during which the average engine speed and manifold absolute pressure were significantly higher than corresponding averages for all data. Mass per time emission rates during non-idle modes (i.e., moving and using bucket) were on average 7 times greater than for the idle mode. Differences in normalized average rates were influenced more by intercycle differences than intervehicle differences. This study demonstrates the importance of accounting for intercycle variability in real-world in-use emissions to develop more accurate emission inventories. The data collection and analysis methodology demonstrated here is recommended for application to more vehicles to better characterize real-world vehicle activity, fuel use, and emissions for nonroad construction equipment.     

Treatment of tannery wastewater in a pilot-scale hybrid constructed wetland system in Bangladesh

This paper reports the pollutant removal performances of a hybrid wetland system in Bangladesh for the treatment of a tannery wastewater. The system consisted of three treatment stages: a subsurface vertical flow (VF) wetland, followed by a horizontal flow (HF) and a VF wetland. The wetlands were planted with common reed (Phragmites australis), but employed different media, including organic coco-peat, cupola slag and pea gravel. In the first stage, experimental results demonstrated significant removal of ammonia (52%), nitrate (54%), BOD (78%), and COD (56%) under high organics loading rate (690 g COD m⁻² d⁻¹); simultaneous nitrification, denitrification, and organics degradation were attributed to the unique characteristics of the coco-peat media, which allowed greater atmospheric oxygen transfer for nitrification and organic degradation, and supply of organic carbon for denitrification. The second stage HF wetland produced an average PO₄ removal of 61%, primarily due to adsorption by the iron-rich cupola slag media. In the third treatment stage, which was filled with gravel media, further BOD removal (78%) from the tannery wastewater depleted organic carbon, causing the accumulation of NO₃ in the wastewater. Overall, the average percentage removals of NH₃-N, NO₃-N, BOD, COD, and PO₄ were 86%, 50%, 98%, 98% and 87%, respectively, across the whole hybrid system. The results provided a strong evidence to support widespread research and application of the constructed wetland as a low-cost, energy-efficient, wastewater treatment technology in Bangladesh.     

Most Influential Parameters for the Bed-Load Sediment Flux Equations Used in Alluvial Rivers1

Khorram, Saeed and Mustafa Ergil, 2010. Most Influential Parameters for the Bed-Load Sediment Flux Equations Used in Alluvial Rivers. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA): 46(6):1065–1090. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00468.x Abstract: Problems of bed-load sediment transport equations in alluvial rivers are addressed in this study where user-friendly parameters were developed. To determine the influences of 300 parameters on the final result, 52 selected bed-load equations for noncohesive particles (sand and gravel separately) were gathered and individually investigated. The influences of discrepancies among the computed and measured datasets were obtained by sensitivity analysis through multilinear regression method. The most influential parameters for the bed-load sediment flux equations used to describe sand particles in alluvial rivers are: the gravitational power due to Shields’ parameter with an energy slope, the universal stream power due to critical Shields’ parameter with an energy slope, the Shields’ parameter ratio, the critical unit stream power, and the Shields’ parameter with energy slope. For gravel particles, the most influential parameters are: the universal stream power due to critical Shields’ parameter with an energy slope, the Shields’ parameter ratio, the gravitational power due to Shields’ parameter with an energy slope, the Shields’ parameter with an energy slope, and the Froude number of the channel. It is expected that researchers working in this field will be able to use these predicted parameters to generate new bed-load sediment flux equations that give results that more closely agree with the actual values measured in alluvial rivers.     

The impact of age-related sub-chronic exposure to chlorpyrifos on metabolic indexes in male rats

Chlorpyrifos (CPF), an organophosphorus pesticide (OP), has been implicated in metabolic diseases; however, the data are controversial. Rising age has been     

Use of recycled plastics in wood plastic composites – A review

The use of recycled and waste thermoplastics has been recently considered for producing wood plastic composites (WPCs). They have great potential for WPCs manufacturing according to results of some limited researches. This paper presents a detailed review about some essential properties of waste and recycled plastics, important for WPCs production, and of research published on the effect of recycled plastics on the physical and mechanical properties of WPCs.     

Manual Material Handling Assessment Among Workers of Iranian Casting Workshops

Manual material handling (MMH) tasks can be found in most workplaces and they may constitute a risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of WMSDs and to compare MMH loads with the acceptable weight and force limits among Iranian casting workers. Data were collected from 50 workers of casting workshops who performed MMH tasks. The Nordic musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire and the Snook tables were used as tools for data collection. Hand/ wrist symptoms were the most prevalent problems among the workers (84%). The results of the Snook tables showed that the loads in lifting (84%), lowering (86%), carrying (66%), pushing with initial (43%) and sustained force (59%), and pulling tasks with initial (48%) and sustained force (93%) exceeded recommended limits. WMSDs occurred in high rates among the workers and, thus, ergonomics interventions should focus on decreasing WMSDs and redesigning MMH tasks.