Reconstruction of Climate,Soils, and Vegetation in the Turan–Uyuk Basin of South Siberia at the Beginning of the Subatlantic Period of the Holocene

Four Scythian kurgans of the burial site Beloe Lake-3 were studied in the Turan–Uyuk Depression in the Republic of Tyva. They were constructed about 2565–2390 calendar years ago (calibrated with deviation 1 σ). Soil formation after 2500 yrs of the construction of the kurgans was examined in the interkurgan area. The properties of the background surface and ancient buried soils have much in common, and the difference between the soils of the four kurgans is small. This attests to the fact that the paleoclimatic conditions in the period of the necropolis construction remained stable and were similar to the modern climatic conditions. According to palynological data, the climate at the stage of the construction of the first two kurgans was a little more humid in comparison with the modern climate; it became somewhat drier after 95 years, during the construction of the third kurgan (2425 cal. BP) and again tended to humidification at the final stage of the necropolis creation. These changes in the paleoclimatic conditions are indicated by variations in the structure and composition of associations of xerophytes, mesophytes, hydrophytes, and ruderal plants. At the Uyuk stage, the area was mainly occupied by steppe phytocenoses with a predominance of xerophytes over mesophytes, and hydrophilous vegetation was allocated to moistened habitats near water reservoirs. Larch forests grew near water bodies. The variable anthropogenic impact on the landscape was stronger at the initial and final stages of the construction of the Uyuk culture necropolis.     

Application of the Weng’s ratio for the identification of Zn, Cu, and Pb contamination in soils and sediments

Purpose

This work explores the application of the use of Zn, Cu, and Pb relative contents as a new type of normalization method for geochemical properties of soils and sediments in an Atlantic Basin (Anllóns River, NW Spain). The method is based on the conservative behavior of these elements, which exhibit a certain concentration ratio that remains stable as long as there are no human disturbances.

Materials and methods

The average relative contents of Zn, Cu, and Pb were calculated by dividing the concentration of each metal in soils or sediments, in the <63-μm fraction, by the sum of Zn, Cu, and Pb, expressed as a percentage. The evaluation of the sum of the average relative concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Pb (Ri), together with three standard deviations for each element, namely, Ri ± 3Si, allows a hexagon to be constructed, represented in ternary diagrams of Zn:Cu:Pb. Following the method proposed by Weng et al. (Environ Geol 45:79–85, 2003), those samples falling outside the hexagon must be considered outliers.

Results and discussion

Results obtained confimed the conservative behavior between the relative contents of Zn, Cu, and Pb in surficial samples (soils, bed, and suspended sediments). Only sediment cores displayed nonconservative behavior, showing a marked Pb enrichment, with respect to the surficial samples. When Zn, Cu, and Pb relative contents were plotted in ternary diagrams, outliers were best classified when the hexagon was drawn with standard deviations of samples from the study area. The hexagon drawn with an international database of soils and sediments showed a poorer classification of outliers.

Conclusions

The results showed that total Zn, Cu, and Pb relative contents may be employed to investigate anthropogenic disturbances of these elements in soils and sediments of the Anllóns River Basin, thus corroborating that this type of normalization may be employed as a tool to assess outliers in a contaminated area.     

Razorbacks: Feral Pigs as Agricultural Pests,Disruptors of Ecosystems,Reservoirs of Contagion,and Favored Game for Sport and Subsistence Hunters: A Review of the Literature, 2005–2011

Whether they are called “razorbacks,” as is common in the southern United States (and where they are notably the official sports mascots of the University of Arkansas), or “wild boar,” in much of the rest of the world, feral pigs are interbreeding subtypes of Sus scrofa, the same pig domesticated over 5,000 years ago. Once they have become established in the wild, these formerly manageable animals rapidly undergo a dramatic reversion to a wild appearance, may display aggression toward humans, engage in agriculturally and ecologically damaging behaviors, and spread diseases to both livestock and humans. They are the targets of many ongoing, increasingly sophisticated, science-based, eradication efforts.     

Conservation problems in the norfolk broads and rivers of East Anglia,England—Phytoplankton,boats and the causes of turbidity

The Norfolk Broads and rivers of eastern England (Fig. 1) comprise an area hitherto farmed for the diversity of its wildlife and submerged aquatic plant communities. The latter have progressively disappeared since the early 1950s, until only four sites currently retain more than remnants of the original sub-aquatic macrophyte flora and its associated invertebrate fauna. Increases in turbidity of the water have been associated with the loss of macrophytes, and these increase have been variously attributed to phytoplankton and to disturbance of sediment by the many boats of visiting tourist and residents. Synoptic surveys of turbidity were carried out in the navigable waterways of Broadland in summer and winter 1973, and of phytoplankton in summer 1973. The differential distribution of phytoplankton is discussed in terms of the nutrient loadings on, and flushing coefficients of, the waterway. Highly significant correlations were obtained between phytoplankton numbers and turbidity in the system as a whole and Broads and rivers considered separately. A very weak correlation between boat activity and turbidity was shown to be non-causative. It is concluded that increase in turbidity is a function of increased nutrient loading from human activities in the catchment area and that boat disturbance does not contribute significantly to the sustained turbidity.     

Examining the Effects of the Destroying Ammunition,Mines, and Explosive Devices on the Presence of Heavy Metals in Soil of Open Detonation Pit: Part 1—Pseudo-total Concentration

This paper presents the results of determining the pseudo-total concentration of five heavy metals in the soil on which the destruction of ammunition, mines, and explosive devices is carried out by the method of open detonation. In the analyzed area, the concentrations of cadmium, lead, nickel, copper, and zinc were determined, while from the physical properties of the soil were determined the granulometric composition and the pH. The aim of the study is to determine the origin and total load on heavy metals and, based on that, to assess the dangers and impact of the site in terms of the soil pollution by heavy metals. In accordance with the regulations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the results of the soil testing showed a significant load of copper (up to seven times) and cadmium (up to six times), and exceeding the allowed values for nickel and zinc in some places. Lead was the only metal whose concentration was within the maximum allowed and according to that the soil was classified as unpolluted. A sample of soil from the edge of the pit is the only sample in which all heavy metals, except Ni, were within the maximum allowable concentration. In regard to the concentration of the examined metals, the soil of the pit is classified as medium polluted from the aspect of copper, cadmium, and nickel and highly contaminated with zinc. The concentrations of copper and zinc in the examination area correspond to contaminated soil that represents ecological risk, which requires soil remediation.     

Does white wine qualify for French paradox? Comparison of the cardioprotective effects of red and white wines and their constituents: resveratrol, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol

It is generally believed that the French paradox is related to the consumption of red wine and not other varieties of wine, including white wine or champagne. Some recent studies have indicated that white wine could also be as cardioprotective as red wine. The present investigation compares the cardioprotective abilities of red wine, white wine, and their principal cardioprotective constituents. Different groups of rats were gavaged with red wine, white wine, resveratrol, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol. Red wine and its constituent resveratrol and white wine and its constituents tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol all showed different degrees of cardioprotection as evidenced by their abilities to improve postischemic ventricular performance, reduce myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and reduce peroxide formation. It was discovered in this study that although each of the wines and their components increased the enzymatic activities of the mitochondrial complex (I-IV) and citrate synthase, which play very important roles in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis, some of the groups were more complex-specific in inducing the activity compared to the other groups. Cardioprotective ability was further confirmed by increased expression of phospho-Akt, Bcl-2, eNOS, iNOS, COX-1, COX-2, Trx-1, Trx-2, and HO-1. The results of this study suggest that white wine can provide cardioprotection similar to red wine if it is rich in tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol.     

Morphology,Radiocarbon Age,and Genesis of Vertisols of the Eisk Peninsula (the Kuban–Azov Lowland)

Data on the morphology and radiocarbon ages of humus of dark vertic quasigley nonsaline clayey soils with alternating bowl-shaped (Pellic Vertisols (Humic, Stagnic)) and diapiric (Haplic Vertisols (Stagnic, Protocalcic)) structures are discussed, and the genetic concept for these soils is suggested. The studied soils develop on loesslike medium clay in the bottom of a large closed depression on the Eisk Peninsula in the lowest western part of the Kuban–Azov Lowland. The lateral and vertical distribution of humus in the studied gilgai catena displays a lateral transition of a relatively short humus profile of the accumulative type with a maximum near the surface and with a sharp increase in ¹⁴C dates of humus in the deeper layers within the diapiric structure to the extremely deep humus profile with a maximum at the depth of 40–80 cm, with similar mean residence time of carbon within this maximum, and with a three times slower increase in ¹⁴C dates of humus down the profile within the bowl-shaped structure. The development of the gilgai soil combination is specified by the joint action of the lateral–upward squeezing of the material of the lower horizons from the nodes with an increased horizontal stress toward the zones a decreased horizontal stress, local erosional loss of soil material from the microhighs and its accumulation in the adjacent microlows, leaching of carbonates from the humus horizons in the microlows, and the vertical and lateral ascending capillary migration of the soil solutions with precipitation of calcium carbonates in the soils of microhighs.     

River and harbor remediation: “polluter pays,” alternative finance,and the promise of a “circular economy”

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Contaminated sediments in rivers, lakes, and harbors around the world result in diminished ecological health, degradation of environmental resources, economic...     

Reactions between β-lactoglobulin and genipin: kinetics and characterization of the products

In this paper, we present the first detailed study of the reaction kinetics and the characterization of the products from the endothermic reactions between β-lactoglobulin and genipin. The effects of the concentration, temperature, and pH were investigated. In the temperature range studied, the reaction was approximately a pseudo-first-order with respect to genipin and 0.22-order and -0.24-order with respect to β-lactoglobulin for pH 6.75 and 10.5 with corresponding activation energy (E(a)) estimated to be 66.2 ± 3.8 and 9.40 ± 0.36 kJ/mol, respectively. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis studies, validated by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, showed the presence of oligomeric, i.e., di-, tri-, quadri-, and pentameric, forms of cross-linked β-lactoglobulin by genipin at neutral but not alkaline pH; however, an extensive cross-linked network was not observed, consistent with the atomic force microscopy images. It was demonstrated that the reaction temperature and the concentration of genipin but not that of β-lactoglobulin positively affected the extent of the cross-linking reactions.     

Influence of trenching,soil amendments,and mulching on the mineral content,growth, yield,and quality of “Italian” prunes

Abstract

Yields were evaluated three years after applied treatments to determine if responses that were not evident during earlier years eventually occurred. Potassium sulfate was applied to established, non‐irrigated, K deficient trees on fine textured soil by banding, placing in augered holes, adding to the backfilled trenches, and by injecting into the soil. Trenches were dug in the fall beside trees to break roots and ammended during backfilling with K₂SO₄, dolomite lime or combinations of the two. Additional trees received a heavy compost mulch in the early fall. Trenching treatments were generally detrimental. Trenching alone reduced yield and leaf Ca but increased fruit soluble solids content. Trenching plus K₂SO₄, trenching and lime, all soil amendments, and mushroom compost elevated leaf K from deficient or below normal to the normal range, but decreased leaf Mg. Most K application techniques eventually increased yield, but simple surface applications of K₂SO₄ in a narrow band were as effective as other more costly procedures. Mulching treatments appear to be as effective as K additions and produce quicker yield responses. Mushroom composts and alfalfa increased leaf N and yield in two years. Mushroom compost doubled yield even three years after a single application.     

What's the Beef in South Korea Protests?: The Technical,Psychometric, and Sociocultural Dimensions of News Coverage of Risk

Millions of South Koreans took to the streets for more than 2 months in 2008 ostensibly in protest over their government's handling of beef imports from the United States. This study examines the technical, psychometric, and sociocultural dimensions of these public protests by conducting a content analysis of the coverage of the English language daily newspaper The Korea Herald. The results suggest that the scarcity of technical risk assessment information and the preponderance of normative or outrage factors in the newspaper's coverage (lack of trust in government, perceptions of inequity, and unequal benefits accruing to both nations) may have fueled public anxiety and anger. The findings also point to social, cultural, and historical factors that may explain why allowing U.S. beef into the Korean market elicited strong public reactions.     

Effect of crop load on hardiness,protein and amino acids content of apple flower buds at the wintering stage and the begining of the growth∗

The cold tolerance of flower buds of apple Malus domestica Borkh. ('Mclntosh'/M.7) declined during spring growth. The absence of fruit in the previous year increased the ability of the buds to withstand lower temperatures. All flower buds retained the capacity to tolerate freezing injury until first pink stage. The median lethal temperature (MLT) of the flower buds increased relatively throughout the sampling period. The flower buds of cropped trees were more susceptible to low temperature injury during spring at all stages of development. The flower buds of non‐cropped trees contained higher levels of hydrophilic and acidic amino acids from October until April, which may be related to their greater cold tolerance. A new nitrogen:protein conversion factor (5.51) was calculated based on total amino acid analysis which could be substituted for 6.25 as a means of estimating total protein content of apple flower bud tissue using the Kjeldahl method.     

Effect of the maturation process on the phenolic fractions, fatty acids, and antioxidant activity of the Chétoui olive fruit cultivar

Maturity is one of the most important factors associated with the quality evaluation of fruit and vegetables. This work aims to investigate the effect of the maturation process of the olive fruit on the phenolic fraction and fatty acid of irrigated Chétoui cultivar. The phenolic composition was studied by using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography followed by LC-MS and GC-MS analyses and fatty acids by GC. Oleuropein was the major phenolic compound at all stages of ripeness. Unexpectedly, both phenolic compounds hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein exhibited the same trends during maturation. Indeed, the oleuropein levels decreased during the ripening process and were not inversely correlated with the concentrations of hydroxytyrosol. The antioxidant capacity of olive extracts was evaluated by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and the beta-carotene linoleate model system. The IC 50 and AAC values of the olive extracts decreased from 3.68 to 1.61 microg/mL and from 645 to 431, respectively. There was a correlation between the antioxidant activity and the oleuropein concentration. The fatty acid composition was quantified in olive fruit during maturation and showed that fatty acids were characterized by the highest level of oleic acid, which reached 65.2%.     

Does Fumigation of Durum Wheat and Semolina with Sulfuryl Fluoride Affect Quality of the Grain,Semolina, and Derived Spaghetti and Bread?

There is no information on the effect of sulfuryl fluoride (SF) on durum wheat technological properties and products made from fumigated durum wheat. Durum wheat and semolina were exposed to a range of SF applications under conditions that might be typically encountered in bulk storage facilities used in many countries. SF greatly reduced the germination percentage of fumigated durum wheat, with increasing impact under higher SF concentration, grain moisture content, and fumigation temperature. SF greatly reduced seed germination percentage, impacting more the higher the SF concentration. SF had little to no effect on grain test weight, 1,000‐grain weight, hardness, protein content, semolina ash content, and mixograph properties. At the highest SF concentration (31.25 mg/L for 48 h) there was a tendency for pasta cooking loss to be increased but still acceptable, and other pasta properties were largely unaffected. Fumigation with SF did not have any impact on the baking properties of a wholemeal durum flour–commercial flour mix. Therefore, SF is not recommended if the grains are to be used as seeds for agricultural production, but for the production of semolina, pasta, and bread, SF used under typical fumigation conditions has little to no impact on technological properties of durum wheat.     

Studies on soil fumigation—I: Effects on ammonium,nitrate and phosphate in soil and on the growth,nutrition and yield of wheat

Fumigation of field soil with chloropicrin alone or followed by methyl bromide, each at 220Kg·ha^?1, released 20–30 parts/10⁶ NH⁺₄-N which persisted for 75 days; such fumigation also doubled the amount of bicarbonate-extractable phosphate 28 days after fumigation. Soil fumigation increased both the vegetative and grain yields as well as increasing the content of N in the grain and the content of K and Cl in the tops at ear emergence. Root growth and the phosphate uptake activity of the roots were increased by soil fumigation.