Phytostabilization of Pb and Cd polluted soils using Helianthus petiolaris as pioneer aromatic plant species

The area of soils polluted with heavy metals is increasing due to industrialization and globalization. Aromatic plant species can be a suitable alternative way for agricultural valorization and phytomanagement of such soils by the commercialization of essential oils avoiding risks for the food chain. The potential of growing Helianthus petiolaris in heavy metal polluted soils was assessed in pot experiments using spiked soils and soils from a shooting range. In terms of phytostabilization, H. petiolaris could grow in soils containing 1000 mg/kg Pb2þ, 50 mg/kg Cd2þ, accumulating more than three times the soil Cd content in the aerial parts and translocating significant amounts of Pb to the aerial parts when growing in soils polluted with up to 500 mg/kg Pb. When phytostabilization is considered, phytotoxicity of heavy metals strongly depends on the rhizospheric microbial communities, either by mitigating trace element phytotoxicity or promoting plant growth via phytohormone production. So, the effects of heavy metals on the diversity of the rhizospheric bacterial community were assessed using DNA-fingerprinting.Fil: Saran, Anabel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina. Hasselt University; BélgicaFil: Fernandez, L.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: Cora, F.. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Savio, Marianela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Thijs, S.. Hasselt University; BélgicaFil: Vangronsveld, J.. Hasselt University; Bélgica. Maria Curie-Sklodowska; PoloniaFil: Merini, Luciano Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina. Gobierno de la Provincia de la Pampa.; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

A cross-sectional study to investigate current social adjustment of offspring of patients with schizophrenia

Objective To investigate the impact of parental disorder in the life of adult offspring by evaluating education, current employment and marital status of a sample of offspring of patients with schizophrenia and comparing findings with population rates. Methods A sample of 489 patients with DSM-IV diagnoses of schizophrenia was identified in the public outpatient mental health services of the city of Cuiaba, Brazil. Of these patients, 294 had children, and a total of 828 offspring were identified. Data for 431 offspring aged 18 years or older were collected using a structured questionnaire answered by the patient-parent and a family member. Results The percentage of age-grade discrepancy for offspring aged 18 and 19 years was 59.2% (95% CI 45.4-73.0), not significantly different from the discrepancy rate for the same age group in the general population, which was 71.1%. Offspring of patients with schizophrenia had a significantly poorer employment situation than the general population (66.7% and 75.6%; 95% CI 62.1-71.3). Fewer male offspring were married than males in the general population (54.7% and 66.0%; 95% CI 48.2-61.2). Conclusion Adult offspring of patients with schizophrenia had social adjustment problems that were markedly reflected in employment and marital status