Studies on Selective Uptake Behavior of Hg(II) and Pb(II) by Functionalized Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Fiber with 4-Vinyl Pyridine/2-Hydroxyethylmethacrylate

The adsorption behavior of 4-vinyl pyridine and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate grafted poly(ethylene terephthalate) fiber toward the Hg(II) and Pb(II) ions in aqueous solutions was studied by a batch equilibration technique. The influence of the treatment time was considered as well as the pH of the solution, the initial metal ions concentration, the graft yield, and the temperature. Such parameters as the adsorption kinetics, the adsorption isotherm, and the desorption time were further studied. Maximum adsorption occurred at pH 3 and pH 6 for Hg(II) and Pb(II), respectively. The adsorption kinetics followed the mechanism of the pseudo-second-order equation for heavy metal ions. The adsorption data is a good fit with Freundlich isotherm. Desorption studies indicated that the maximum percent recovery of Hg(II) and Pb(II) was 93.4% and 76.3%, respectively with 1 M HNO₃.     

Effect of saline irrigation on the biomass yield,and the protein,nitrogen, phosphorus,and potassium composition of alfalfa in a pot experiment

During 1994–1995, field experiments were conducted in six apple orchards located in the southwest of Finland (the mainland and the Åland Islands). The cultivars were ‘Melba’, ‘Raike’, ‘Red Atlas’, ‘Lobo’, ‘Aroma’, and ‘Åkero’. Fruit samples were picked at about one week before commercial maturity and stored for three to six months at 2 to 4°C and 85–95% relative humidity. During storage the percentage of physiological disorders was visually recorded. Fruit nitrogen (N) and calcium (Ca), firmness, diameter, juice titratable acidity (TA), and soluble solids concentrations (SSC) were determined at harvest. Nitrogen and Ca in the soil and leaves collected during fruit development were determined. The ranges in fruit N were 296–624 and Ca 27–68 mg kg^‐1 fresh weight, and in the leaves N 15–23 and Ca 9–19 g kg^‐1 dry matter. The N/Ca ratio was 5 and 16 and 0.9 and 2.3 in fruit and leaves, respectively. There was more variation between years in N and Ca contents of leaves than that of fruit. Other fruit quality characteristics varied between seasons and cultivars. Leaf N correlated positively with fruit diameter and negatively with fruit dry matter. The incidence of physiological disorders on apples after three month storage was 2 to 13% and after six months 10 to 95%. Fruit with Ca content below 45 mg kg^‐1 fresh weight were susceptible to bitter pit ('Aroma’ and ‘Åkero') and Jonathan spot ('Red Atlas'). The cultivar ‘Melba’ was susceptible to bruising damages and ‘Raike’ and ‘Red Atlas’ were affected more with internal breakdown and core browning.     

Influence of plant residue chemistry on soil CO2–C production: A study with Arabidopsis thaliana cell wall mutants of KNAT7, MYB75 and CCR1

Alteration of plant lignin concentration is expected to affect the C mineralization of crop residues. Mutations of single genes involved in biosynthesis of secondary cell walls such as KNOTTED ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 7 (KNAT7), PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT 1 (PAP1) also known as MYB75, and cinnamoyl CoA reductase 1 (CCR1) coding genes could change lignin concentration in specific plant tissues. This study assessed the CO₂–C production of soil amended with stem and root tissues of down-regulated (k/o) and over expression (o/x) KNAT7 and MYB75 and the CCR1 k/o mutant lines of A. thaliana. KNAT7 k/o and MYB75 k/o were grown in two different environmental conditions (two cohorts) in the greenhouse. Oven dried, finely ground (<0.5 mm) stem and root residues underwent biochemical analysis, then were mixed separately with sandy loam or clay loam soil to assess CO₂–C production under controlled laboratory conditions for 63 days. Compared to wild ecotypes, C:N ratio and acid unhydrolyzable fraction (AUF) concentration tended to be higher in stem residues of KNAT7 k/o and MYB75 k/o mutant lines. The C:N ratio was lower in stem and roots of CCR1 k/o line, and the AUF concentration was lower in CCR1 k/o stem residues than in the wild ecotypes. Hemicelluloses were lower in stem residues of KNAT7 k/o and MYB75 k/o (first cohort) than their wild ecotypes. Cumulative CO₂–C production was lower in soil amended with stem residues of KNAT7 k/o (first cohort) and MYB75 k/o (first and second cohorts). CCR1 k/o stem tissues caused higher CO₂–C production from soil. After 63 days incubation, the acid/aldehyde ratio (Ad/Al) of vanillin (V) and syringyl (S) lignin monomers of soil was higher for stem amended CCR1 k/o and lower for stem amended MYB75 k/o soils as compared to their wild ecotypes. Generally root residues caused lower CO₂–C production from soil than stem residues. There was no difference in CO₂–C production for root residues between mutant lines and their wild ecotypes. In conclusion, KNAT7 k/o, MYB75 k/o and CCR1 k/o mutations resulted in altered C:N ratio and resistant compounds (i.e., AUF) especially in stems, and these alterations in residue chemistry influenced CO₂–C production and also lignin degradation in soil.     

Performance Evaluation of Integrated Constructed Wetlands Treating Domestic Wastewater

The performances of a new and a mature integrated constructed wetland (ICW) system treating domestic wastewater were evaluated for the first time. The new ICW in Glaslough (near Monaghan, Ireland) comprises five wetland cells, and the mature system in Dunhill (near Waterford, Ireland) comprises four cells. The performance assessment for these systems is based on physical and chemical parameters collected for 1 year in Glaslough and 5 years in Dunhill. The removal efficiencies for the former system were relatively good if compared to the international literature: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD, 99.4%), chemical oxygen demand (COD, 97.0%), suspended solids (SS, 99.5%), ammonia nitrogen (99.0%), nitrate nitrogen (93.5%), and molybdate-reactive phosphorus (MRP, 99.2%). However, the mature ICW had removal efficiencies that decreased over time as the Dunhill village expanded rapidly. The mean removal efficiencies were as follows: BOD (95.2%), COD (89.1%), SS (97.2%), ammonia nitrogen (58.2%), nitrate nitrogen (?11.8%), and MRP (34.0%). The findings indicate that ICW are efficient in removing BOD, COD, SS, and ammonia nitrogen from domestic wastewater. Moreover, both ICW systems did not pollute the receiving surface waters and the groundwater.     

Copper Accumulation in Tissues of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oreochromis niloticus</Emphasis> Exposed to Copper Oxide Nanoparticles and Copper Sulphate with Their Effect on Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Liver

Copper accumulation in the gill, liver, kidney, spleen, and muscle tissues of Oreochromis niloticus was determined after exposing the fish to 10, 50, and 100 μg Cu/L applied as copper sulphate (CuSO₄) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) after 1, 7, and 15 days. Changes in the liver SOD, CAT, and GPx activities influenced by this accumulation were also studied. No mortality was observed during the experiments. Copper levels increased in the gill, liver, kidney, and spleen tissues of O. niloticus compared to control when exposed to both CuSO₄ and CuO NPs, whereas no accumulation was detected in muscle tissue at the end of the exposure period. Highest accumulation of copper was observed in the order of the liver, kidney, spleen, and gill tissues, respectively. SOD, CAT, and GPx activities increased in the liver tissue at the end of the exposure period. Overall, CuO NPs are more effective than CuSO₄ in terms of tissue accumulation and liver enzyme activities.     

小麦矮秆基因Rht-8对株高和其它农艺性状的遗传效应

分析矮秆基因Rht-8的遗传力及其对小麦株高及相关农艺性状的影响。利用三个小麦品种晋麦47、西峰20、丰产3号分别与Rht-8的供体亲本济宁13杂交,以其F₂分离群体分析Rht-8的遗传效应。结果表明,丰产3号和济宁13后代的遗传力最高（74.32％）,西峰20、晋麦47与济宁13后代的遗传力分别为69.49%、67.60%。Rht-8在西峰20和济宁13的F₂中具有较强的效应,株高和穗下节分别降低了30.26％和19.20％。在丰产3号和晋麦47与济宁13的F₂中,株高和穗下节分别降低了27.14%和26.15%、14.86 %和14.59%。Rht-8减少了有效分蘖个数,对其他性状则无明显的不利影响。相关性分析表明株高与分蘖数显著正相关（r为0.415,0.355,0.489）,与穗下节显著正相关（r为0.408,0.450,0.500）;株高与穗长、每穗小穗数、穗粒数没有显著相关性。     

Human CHN1 mutations hyperactivate alpha2-chimaerin and cause Duane's retraction syndrome

Duane's retraction syndrome (DRS) is a complex congenital eye movement disorder caused by aberrant innervation of the extraocular muscles by axons of brainstem motor neurons. Studying families with a variant form of the disorder (DURS2-DRS), we have identified causative heterozygous missense mutations in CHN1, a gene on chromosome 2q31 that encodes alpha2-chimaerin, a Rac guanosine triphosphatase-activating protein (RacGAP) signaling protein previously implicated in the pathfinding of corticospinal axons in mice. We found that these are gain-of-function mutations that increase alpha2-chimaerin RacGAP activity in vitro. Several of the mutations appeared to enhance alpha2-chimaerin translocation to the cell membrane or enhance its ability to self-associate. Expression of mutant alpha2-chimaerin constructs in chick embryos resulted in failure of oculomotor axons to innervate their target extraocular muscles. We conclude that alpha2-chimaerin has a critical developmental function in ocular motor axon pathfinding.