Comparative Assessment of Sweet (Zeamays Convar.Saccarata) and Dent Maize (Zeamays) for Phytoremediation of Chromium and Nickel Polluted Agricultural Soils

The consequential effects of heavy metal consumption by man suggest the need for plant assessment for bio-concentration and translocation potentials. This study aimed at comparing the potential of dent maize with sweet maize for phytoremediation of Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni) contaminated soils. Soil samples were taken randomly to a depth of 20 cm. Out of the samples taken; about 500 g of the samples were homogenized, dried, sieved, and used for the determination of soil physicochemical properties. The remaining soil samples were used to fill the polythene bags for the plant growth. The experimental design used was 22 by 2 general factorial design consisting of 4 treatments (1 g/dm3 of Ni (NO3)2.6H2O; 3 g/dm3 of Ni (NO3)2.6H2O; 1 g/dm3 of Cr (NO3)2.9H2O and 3 g/dm3 of Cr (NO3)2.9H2O), 2 replicates of each and the control. The setup was made for each of the maize types. Three seeds of maize were planted on each of the soil samples at a depth of 4 cm and the setup was properly monitored. Soil samples were analyzed at day 1 and every 14 days interval in a period of 70 days after planting (DAP). The result of the initial analysis of the soil samples indicates that the control soil sample contained 0.17+0.002 mg/kg of Cr and 0.03+0.001 mg/kg of Ni for soil seeded with both the dent and sweet maize. The mean concentration of Cr and Ni from the soil samples taken from soil contaminated with 1g treatment were 1.24+0.001 mg/kg and 1.43+0.002 mg/kg respectively, while that contaminated with 3g treatment has 3.98+0.02 mg/kg of Cr and 2.96+0.02 mg/kg of Ni. The results also show a reduction in the heavy metal concentrations of the soil through the 70 days of planting. The Cr and Ni contents of the two maize types increase with the increase in the amount of metals (3 g > 1 g> control) in the soils in which they were seeded. Though, the two types of maize are good phytoplant, sweet maize is more active in Cr removal than dent maize. The two maize types are better in bioaccumulation than in translocation. The growth of the plants was not retarded by the presence of the metal which shows their tolerance and effectiveness in remediating Cr and Ni contaminated soil. The use of this technology will help in attaining sustainable development goals as it addresses the problem of environmental degradation while the subsistence agriculture will be promoted and hence poverty will also be alleviated or eradicated

Glyphosate does not substitute for glycine in proteins of actively dividing mammalian cells

Glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) and its commercial herbicide formulations have been shown to exert toxicity via various mechanisms. It has been asserted that glyphosate substitutes for glycine in polypeptide chains leading to protein misfolding and toxicity. However, as no direct evidence exists for glycine to glyphosate substitution in proteins, including in mammalian organisms, we tested this claim by conducting a proteomics analysis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells grown in the presence of 100 mg/L glyphosate for 6 days. Protein extracts from three treated and three untreated cell cultures were analysed as one TMT-6plex labelled sample, to highlight a specific pattern (+/+/+/−/−/−) of reporter intensities for peptides bearing true glyphosate treatment induced-post translational modifications as well as allowing an investigation of the total proteome

Regional and experiential differences in surgeon preference for the treatment of cervical facet injuries: a case study survey with the AO Spine Cervical Classification Validation Group

Purpose: The management of cervical facet dislocation injuries remains controversial. The main purpose of this investigation was to identify whether a surgeon’s geographic location or years in practice influences their preferred management of traumatic cervical facet dislocation injuries. Methods: A survey was sent to 272 AO Spine members across all geographic regions and with a variety of practice experience. The survey included clinical case scenarios of cervical facet dislocation injuries and asked responders to select preferences among various diagnostic and management options. Results: A total of 189 complete responses were received. Over 50% of responding surgeons in each region elected to initiate management of cervical facet dislocation injuries with an MRI, with 6 case exceptions. Overall, there was considerable agreement between American and European responders regarding management of these injuries, with only 3 cases exhibiting a significant difference. Additionally, results also exhibited considerable management agreement between those with ≤ 10 and > 10 years of practice experience, with only 2 case exceptions noted. Conclusion: More than half of responders, regardless of geographical location or practice experience, identified MRI as a screening imaging modality when managing cervical facet dislocation injuries, regardless of the status of the spinal cord and prior to any additional intervention. Additionally, a majority of surgeons would elect an anterior approach for the surgical management of these injuries. The study found overall agreement in management preferences of cervical facet dislocation injuries around the globe

Full Length Research Article - Effects of chromatographic fractions of Euphorbia hirta on the rat serum biochemistry.

The effects of the chromatographic fractions of Euphorbia hirta Linn on the serum biochemical parameters in rats were investigated. The ethanolic extract of this plant was subjected to chromatographic separation using the vacuum liquid chromatographic technique, a modified form of classical column chromatography. With the aid of thin layer chromatography, six fractions of this plant were obtained and were administered to rats in graded doses of 400mg/kg, 800mg/kg and 1600mg/kg orally for fourteen days. Some fractions of this plant caused significant increase in the levels of total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Some fractions also caused significant decrease in the level of conjugated bilirubin. The result from this study thus showed that some chromatographic fractions of Euphorbia hirta have potentially deleterious effects on the serum chemistry of rats; therefore caution should be exercised in the use of Euphorbia hirta as medicinal plant. It also means that the presence of this plant in the pasture could serve as a source of toxicosis to grazing animals

Formulating Poultry Feeds from Food Processing By-Products

This study was undertaken to formulate poultry feeds (chick mash, growers mash and layers mash) from food processing by-products using mixture design experimental methodology. The proximate composition of the formulated feeds were also determined and compared with the recommended nutrient level of layers feed. Models for the proximate composition of the formulated feeds were also developed. The results of analyses for the formulated samples of chicks, growers and layers mashes showed that the crude protein, the crude fibre, the moisture, the fat, the ash, and the carbohydrate contents, ranged respectively from 16.1% to 17.89%, 4% to 6.25%, 9.34% to 11.9%, 2.9% to 6.1%, 3.54% to 6.23%, and 55.3% to 60.98%. The respectively recommended values for chick mash, growers mash and layers mash are: 18%, 16%, 15% (crude protein); 6.25%, 4.56%, 5.94% (crude fibre); 9.45%, 9.65%, 7.98% (moisture content); 3.25%, 3.84%, 4.1% (fat); 4.29%, 6.02%, 5.39% (ash); and 57.98%, 59.48%, 61.28% (carbohydrate). The study showed that the proximate compositions of the formulated feeds are in close agreement with recommendations on nutrient levels for poultry feeds