Long-term field metal extraction by pelargonium:phytoextraction efficiency in relation to plant maturity

The long length of periods required for effective soil remediation via phytoextraction constitutes a weak point that reduces its industrial use. However, these calculated periods are mainly based on short-term and/or hydroponic controlled experiments. Moreover, only a few studies concern more than one metal, although soils are scarcely polluted by only one element.In this scientific context, the phytoextraction of metals and metalloids (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu,and As) by Pelargonium was measured after a long-term field experiment. Both bulk and rhizosphere soils were analyzed in order to determine the mechanisms involved in soil-root transfer. First, a strong increase in lead phytoextraction was observed with plant maturity, significantly reducing the length of the period required for remediation. Rhizosphere Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and As accumulation was observed (compared to bulk soil), indicating metal mobilization by the plant, perhaps in relation to root activity. Moreover, metal phytoextraction and translocation were found to be a function of the metals’ nature. These results, taken altogether, suggest that Pelargonium could be used as a multi-metal hyperaccumulator under multi-metal soil contamination conditions, and they also provide an interesting insight for improving field phytoextraction remediation in terms of the length of time required, promoting this biological technique

Comparative Bioactivity of Bamboo Leaf Ash and Bularafa Diatomaceous Earth against Maize Weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky)

Maize is one of the major staple foods in Sub-Saharan Africa and there is serious loss in maize storage due to insect damage. This study compared the bioactivity of Bamboo Leaf Ash (BLA) and Bularafa Diatomaceous Earth (BDE) against Maize Weevil (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky) under laboratory conditions. Insecto®, a commercialized DE was also tested as standard check. Adults of the insects were exposed on maize admixed with the BLA at dose rate of 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000ppm; BDE and insecto® at a dose rate of 1,000ppm, at 28.20C and 82.2% relative humidity. Mortality increased with increasing exposure duration and all treatments showed mortality of more than 80% after 14days post-treatment compared to negative control with 0%.The treatments suppressed F1 progeny. Treated grains have weight loss less than 4%, kennel damage less than 14% and grain germination showed no significant change. The decreasing efficacy of the dusts against this insect is Insecto®> BLA > BDE. BLA and BDE have potential for the management of insect pests of stored grain in Nigeria

Effect of fulvic acids on lead-induced oxidative stress to metal sensitive Vicia faba L. plant

Lead (Pb) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant capable to induce various morphological, physiological, and biochemical functions in plants. Only few publications focus on the influence of Pb speciation both on its phytoavailability and phytotoxicity. Therefore, Pb toxicity (in terms of lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide induction, and photosynthetic pigments contents) was studied in Vicia faba plants in relation with Pb uptake and speciation. V. faba seedlings were exposed to Pb supplied as Pb(NO3)2 or complexed by two fulvic acids (FAs), i.e. Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA) and Elliott Soil fulvic acid (ESFA), for 1, 12, and 24 h under controlled hydroponic conditions. For both FAs, Pb uptake and translocation by Vicia faba increased at low level (5 mg l−1), whereas decreased at high level of application (25 mg l−1). Despite the increased Pb uptake with FAs at low concentrations, there was no influence on the Pb toxicity to the plants. However, at high concentrations, FAs reduced Pb toxicity by reducing its uptake. These results highlighted the role of the dilution factor for FAs reactivity in relation with structure; SRFA was more effective than ESFA in reducing Pb uptake and alleviating Pb toxicity to V. faba due to comparatively strong binding affinity for the heavy metal

Solutions of the Faddeev-Yakubovsky equations for the four nucleons scattering states

The Faddeev-Yakubowsky equations in configuration space have been solved for the four nucleon system. The results with an S-wave interaction model in the isospin approximation are presented. They concern the bound and scattering states below the first three-body threshold. The elastic phase-shifts for the N+NNN reaction in different ($S,T$) channels are given and the corresponding low energy expansions are discussed. Particular attention is payed to the n+t elastic cross section. Its resonant structure is well described in terms of a simple NN interaction. First results concerning the S-matrix for the coupled N+NNN-NN+NN channels and the strong deuteron-deuteron scattering length are obtained.Comment: latex.tar.gz, 36 pages, 10 figures, 11 tables. To be published in Physical Review

Complex-Orbital Order in Fe_3O_4 and Mechanism of the Verwey Transition

Electronic state and the Verwey transition in magnetite (Fe_3O_4) are studied using a spinless three-band Hubbard model for 3d electrons on the B sites with the Hartree-Fock approximation and the exact diagonalisation method. Complex-orbital, e.g., 1/sqrt(2)[|zx> + i |yz>], ordered (COO) states having noncollinear orbital moments ~ 0.4 mu_B on the B sites are obtained with the cubic lattice structure of the high-temperature phase. The COO state is a novel form of magnetic ordering within the orbital degree of freedom. It arises from the formation of Hund's second rule states of spinless pseudo-d molecular orbitals in the Fe_4 tetrahedral units of the B sites and ferromagnetic alignment of their fictitious orbital moments. A COO state with longer periodicity is obtained with pseudo-orthorhombic Pmca and Pmc2_1 structures for the low-temperature phase. The state spontaneously lowers the crystal symmetry to the monoclinic and explains experimentally observed rhombohedral cell deformation and Jahn-Teller like distortion. From these findings, we consider that at the Verwey transition temperature, the COO state remaining to be short-range order impeded by dynamical lattice distortion in high temperature is developed into that with long-range order coupled with the monoclinic lattice distortion.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Foliar lead uptake by lettuce exposed to atmospheric fallouts

Metal uptake by plants occurs by soil−root transfer but also by direct transfer of contaminants from the atmosphere to the shoots. This second pathway may be particularly important in kitchen gardens near industrial plants. The mechanisms of foliar uptake of lead by lettuce (Lactuca sativa) exposed to the atmospheric fallouts of a lead-recycling plant were studied. After 43 days of exposure, the thoroughly washed leaves contained 335 ± 50 mg Pb kg−1 (dry weight). Micro-X-ray fluorescence mappings evidenced Pb-rich spots of a few hundreds of micrometers in diameter located in necrotic zones. These spots were more abundant at the base of the central nervure. Environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed that smaller particles (a few micrometers in diameter) were also present in other regions of the leaves, often located beneath the leaf surface. In addition, submicrometric particles were observed inside stomatal openings. Raman microspectrometry analyses of the leaves identified smelter-originated Pb minerals but also secondary phases likely resulting from the weathering of original particles. On the basis of these observations, several pathways for foliar lead uptake are discussed. A better understanding of these mechanisms may be of interest for risk assessment of population exposure to atmospheric metal contamination

Behavior and Impact of Zirconium in the Soil–Plant System: Plant Uptake and Phytotoxicity

Because of the large number of sites they pollute, toxic metals that contaminate terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly of environmental and sanitary concern (Uzu et al. 2010, 2011; Shahid et al. 2011a, b, 2012a). Among such metals is zirconium (Zr), which has the atomic number 40 and is a transition metal that resembles titanium in physical and chemical properties (Zaccone et al. 2008). Zr is widely used in many chemical industry processes and in nuclear reactors (Sandoval et al. 2011; Kamal et al. 2011), owing to its useful properties like hardness, corrosion-resistance and permeable to neutrons (Mushtaq 2012). Hence, the recent increased use of Zr by industry, and the occurrence of the Chernobyl and Fukashima catastrophe have enhanced environmental levels in soil and waters (Yirchenko and Agapkina 1993; Mosulishvili et al. 1994 ; Kruglov et al. 1996)

An ACACB variant implicated in diabetic nephropathy associates with body mass index and gene expression in obese subjects

Acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase B gene (ACACB) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2268388 is reproducibly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM)-associated nephropathy (DN). ACACB knock-out mice are also protected from obesity. This study assessed relationships between rs2268388, body mass index (BMI) and gene expression in multiple populations, with and without T2DM. Among subjects without T2DM, rs2268388 DN risk allele (T) associated with higher BMI in Pima Indian children (n = 2021; p-additive = 0.029) and African Americans (AAs) (n = 177; p-additive = 0.05), with a trend in European Americans (EAs) (n = 512; p-additive = 0.09), but not Germans (n = 858; p-additive = 0.765). Association with BMI was seen in a meta-analysis including all non-T2DM subjects (n = 3568; p-additive = 0.02). Among subjects with T2DM, rs2268388 was not associated with BMI in Japanese (n = 2912) or EAs (n = 1149); however, the T allele associated with higher BMI in the subset with BMI≥30 kg/m(2) (n = 568 EAs; p-additive = 0.049, n = 196 Japanese; p-additive = 0.049). Association with BMI was strengthened in a T2DM meta-analysis that included an additional 756 AAs (p-additive = 0.080) and 48 Hong Kong Chinese (p-additive = 0.81) with BMI≥30 kg/m(2) (n = 1575; p-additive = 0.0033). The effect of rs2268388 on gene expression revealed that the T risk allele associated with higher ACACB messenger levels in adipose tissue (41 EAs and 20 AAs with BMI\u3e30 kg/m(2); p-additive = 0.018) and ACACB protein levels in the liver tissue (mixed model p-additive = 0.03, in 25 EA bariatric surgery patients with BMI\u3e30 kg/m(2) for 75 exams). The T allele also associated with higher hepatic triglyceride levels. These data support a role for ACACB in obesity and potential roles for altered lipid metabolism in susceptibility to DN