Narrow Results

Phytoremediation is a technology for remediation of contaminated soils. In this study, we used a submilli-PIXE camera to analyze plants and soils from a shooting range. Some heavy metals were rapidly and easily detected in these samples. Element dot-maps of the plant show Cu and Pb accumulated in the epidermis of subterranean stems and the venation of leaves. From these findings, it is possible to map the distribution of heavy metals and to detail their location in the plant, using the submilli-PIXE camera. PIXE analysis is an effective tool for undertaking phytoremediation research.

Thick-target PIXE analysis was applied to the study of electrokinetic soil remediation technique. In order to simulate radioactive soil contamination by ¹³⁷Cs, salt of stable cesium was mixed with soil samples. These soil samples were subjected to electrolysis for up to 36 hours with a field gradient of ≈ 1-3 V/cm. After the electrolysis, we measured the distribution of Cs concentration in the soil along the electrolysis cell by PIXE analysis. LX-rays of cesium were used for the analysis. The Cs concentrations in the drain water sampled from the cathode well were also evaluated. After the electrolysis the migration of cesium from the anode to the cathode was clearly observed. Water supply into the anode well enhanced the removal rate. We found that the main driving force of the migration of Cs⁺ observed in this work was not electrophoretic migration, but electroosmotic flow in the soil samples. Owing to the spectral interference by major metallic elements in the soil, the minimum detectable concentration of cesium by the present method was limited to ≈ 800 ppm.

We have measured concentration of multi elements in vegetables on the market and a wild plant gathered around Nishina Memorial Cyclotron Center in Iwate prefecture by means of PIXE. Elemental concentration in vegetables cultivated by spraying mineral-rich waters was also analyzed. As a result, it is found that the mineral-supplying vegetables abundantly contain essential elements for body such as K, Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn in comparison with ordinary ones. With regard to a wild plant, concentration of essential elements such as Ca, Cu and Zn shows no clear difference in comparison with that in commercially available one of the same kind, while that of toxic elements such as Cr and Pb is relatively higher. Moreover, it is suggested that the wild plant has a certain property of concentrating a specific element depending on its growing period. The relation between elemental concentration in the plants and that in their growing environment, such as water and soil, was also examined. It is also suggested that elemental concentration in vegetables reflects elemental constituent not only of the soil but also of the sprayed water as well as of the fertilizer.

We have measured concentration of multi elements in wild plants collected in Iwate prefecture, Japan. It is found that wild plants contain essential elements such as iron, copper and zinc in the same degree or more in comparison with those in vegetables on the market. It is also found that wild plants contain toxic elements such as chromium and lead in the same degree or less in comparison with vegetables on the market. We took the soils together with the wild plants in nine representative spots and analyzed elemental concentration in them in order to examine the relationship of elemental concentration between plants and soils. Although elemental concentration in each soil has distinguished features, which in wild plants grown on the soil does not directly reflect that in the soil. It is expected that elemental concentration in wild plants is influenced by various factors such as chemical state of existing elements in the soil, pH of the soil, activity of microorganism in the soil, and many other factors.

A method of quantitative analysis which is capable of analyzing powdered samples consisting of high-Z elements, such as ash, soil and aerosol, is developed. It is confirmed that an internal standard method using a powdered internal standard, which has almost the same particle size as that of a sample, gives quantitative values of concentration with satisfactory accuracy and reproducibility. It was successfully applied to standard samples such as NIST-Urban particulate matter (1648), GBW-Tibet soil (08302), BCR-City waste incineration ash (0497) and also to a practical fly-ash sample. As a result, it is found that the effect of self-absorption in the target is not negligible even for samples whose particle size is less than 4 μm, and a method of correcting it is established. Firstly, the effective thickness for self-absorption is estimated by comparing peak yields of a certain element for two measuring conditions of beam irradiation from the surface and from the back of the target. The correction factors can be estimated by using the effective thickness, values of concentration of principal elements and their photon absorption cross sections. For practical samples whose compositions are unknown, it is confirmed that accurate correction coefficients can be derived by carrying out an iterative calculation until a self-consistent solution between values of concentration of the main constituents and the correction factors is obtained.

Mechanical energy, such as sound waves and impulses, have been used to detect shallow buried objects for more than half a century. Yet, very little is understood about how mechanical energy propagates into one of the simplest kinds of soil, namely, a granular bed. Here we present an overview of the state of the art in our understanding of mechanical energy propagation in granular beds.

This paper introduces a new technique in ecology to analyze spatial and temporal variability in environmental variables. By using simple statistics, we explore the relations between abiotic and biotic variables that influence animal distributions. However, spatial and temporal variability in rainfall, a key variable in ecological studies, can cause difficulties to any basic model including time evolution.

The study was of a landscape scale (three million square kilometers in eastern Australia), mainly over the period of 1998–2004. We simultaneously considered qualitative spatial (soil and habitat types) and quantitative temporal (rainfall) variables in a Geographical Information System environment. In addition to some techniques commonly used in ecology, we applied a new method, Functional Principal Component Analysis, which proved to be very suitable for this case, as it explained more than 97% of the total variance of the rainfall data, providing us with substitute variables that are easier to manage and are even able to explain rainfall patterns. The main variable came from a habitat classification that showed strong correlations with rainfall values and soil types.

The manure which we are using for plant growth does not help to increase the porosity of the soil. We use pyroligneous acid to treat the soil as softener, nutrient and porosity increaser. This helps to the soil to remove unwanted carbonates and separate the soil particles. In this way, we can increase 30% porosity of the soil. When we pour pyroligneous acid into soil, the soil increase the carbon content. We consider changes of pore space of a soil by image analysis and also assess the applicability of fractal scaling of pore surfaces. The calculated pore surface dimension showing that the surface exhibit fractal structure. Lacunarity shows the size distribution of holes. If Lacunarity increases, then the value become decreases. This study demonstrates that applicability of fractal scaling for evaluating pore surface of the soil images.

A 2D computer simulation method of random packings is applied to sets of particles generated by a self-similar uniparametric model for particle size distributions (PSDs) in granular media. The parameter p which controls the model is the proportion of mass of particles corresponding to the left half of the normalized size interval [0,1]. First the influence on the total porosity of the parameter p is analyzed and interpreted. It is shown that such parameter, and the fractal exponent of the associated power scaling, are efficient packing parameters, but this last one is not in the way predicted in a former published work addressing an analogous research in artificial granular materials. The total porosity reaches the minimum value for p = 0.6. Limited information on the pore size distribution is obtained from the packing simulations and by means of morphological analysis methods. Results show that the range of pore sizes increases for decreasing values of p showing also different shape in the volume pore size distribution. Further research including simulations with a greater number of particles and image resolution are required to obtain finer results on the hierarchical structure of pore space.

AUSTRALIA – HIV trial validates novel drug mechanism.

SINGAPORE – IBN engineered artificial human livers for drug testing and discovery.

SINGAPORE – Scientists at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore catch evolving germs and cancer cells early.

SINGAPORE – DocDoc and Chatter Buzz Media enter strategic partnership to launch Asia's first healthcare Content Marketing Network.

UNITED STATES – New method developed to expand blood stem cells for bone marrow transplant.

UNITED STATES – Fibrocell/UCLA study on human skin cells yields promising results.

UNITED STATES – Metal stents are effective treatment for blocked bile ducts.

UNITED STATES – Pain drug may prevent preemie lung damage.

UNITED STATES – Gene x3 helps corn grow in acidic soil.

UNITED STATES – Cancer Genetics selected by Gilead Sciences, Inc. to provide clinical trial services for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

UNITED KINGDOM – DaTSCAN™ SPECT imaging demonstrates impact on the diagnosis of patients with clinically uncertain dementia.

AFRICA – Failing vaccine strategies need to be revamped.

AFRICA – RegeneCure's membrane implant shows 40% accelerated healing time of severe bone fractures.

ScinoPharm Taiwan and Coland Holdings establish strategic alliance for oncological injectable products for China.

Researchers investigate the effects of thinning on soil respiration and its sensitivity in a pine plantation, eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Ascletis gains China market rights from Janssen to a clinical stage HIV protease inhibitor.

The genome sequences of soft-shell turtle and green sea turtle offer new clues to the development and evolution of turtle-specific body plan.

Daiichi Sankyo launches Silodosin for the treatment of Dysuria in China.

China plans research centres to aid developing world.

HKU finds novel coronavirus can infect humans respiratory tract even better than SARS-CoV.

BGI Health collaborates with Eastern Biotech & Life Sciences on non-invasive fetal Trisomy test for improving reproductive health in the Middle East.

Baxter China partners with government to increase access to renal therapy.

INDONESIA – Alleged cure for dengue in Indonesia stirs debate.

JAPAN – Daiichi Sankyo submits SAVAYSATM tablets new drug application to the U.S. FDA.

MALAYSIA – Marine bacterial compound shows antiviral potential.

THE PHILIPPINES – Rice bias in the Philippines ‘neglects soil problems’.

SINGAPORE – Start-up market's artificial cell membranes can speed up drug discovery.

SINGAPORE – NCCS scientists discover gene regulation is dependent on protein.

SINGAPORE – Elephant shark genome provides new insights into bone formation and adaptive immunity in humans.

SINGAPORE – Vela Diagnostics launches qualitative test to identify never before documented virus in Western hemisphere.

SINGAPORE – New discovery of biomarker to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

VIETNAM – Setback for dengue-blocking mosquito trial in Vietnam.

AFRICA – Scientists to create disease-resistant Ethiopian enset.

AFRICA – Viral load tests ‘could transform HIV treatment failure’.

EUROPE – QIAGEN and Exosome Diagnostics to develop first-in-class, non-invasive diagnostics for key genetic biomarkers in lung and other cancers.

EUROPE – Study examines probiotic use in preventing gastrointestinal disorders in infants.

EUROPE – Gecko Biomedical's co-founders demonstrate a ‘bio-inspired’ tissue adhesive that shows promise for minimally invasive heart surgery and vessel repair.

UNITED STATES – Scientists solve 40-year mystery of how sodium controls opioid brain signaling.

UNITED STATES – Scripps Florida scientists identify possible key to drug resistance in Crohn's disease.

UNITED STATES – On-demand vaccines possible with engineered nanoparticles.

UNITED STATES – Odor receptors discovered in lungs.

UNITED STATES – New technique targets specific areas of cancer cells with different drugs.

In this study, the impact responses of concrete debris against soil are investigated. Three types of concrete debris are shot at soil with different incident conditions in experiments. A numerical modeling for the impact process is established and calibrated by the experimental results. A further study on the effect of debris size is then carried out based on the calibrated numerical modeling. A set of formulation is presented to predict the outgoing velocity and the outgoing angle in terms of the incident velocity and the incident angle. Critical lethality curves are derived based on the assumption of a critical kinetic energy of 79 J.

The selection of stable wavebands for the near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic analysis of total nitrogen (TN) in soil was accomplished by using an improved moving window partial least squares (MWPLS) method. A new modeling approach was performed based on randomness, similarity and stability, which produced an objective, stable and practical model. Based on the MWPLS method, a search was in the overall scanning region from 400 to 2498 nm, and the optimal waveband was identified to be 1424 to 2282 nm. A model space that includes 41 wavebands that are equivalent to the optimal waveband was then proposed. The public range of the 41 equivalent optimal wavebands was 1590 to 1870 nm, which contained sufficient TN information. The wavebands of 1424 to 2282 nm, 1590 to 1870 nm, and the long-NIR region 1100 to 2498 nm all achieved satisfactory validation effects. However, the public waveband of 1590 to 1870 nm had only a minimum number of wavelengths, which significantly reduced the method complexity. Various equivalent wavebands serve as guidelines for designing spectroscopic instruments. These wavebands could address the restrictions of position and the number of wavelengths in instrument design.

The chapter deals with some important aspects of the relationship of lithium and nickel with the ecosystem, which consists mainly of soil, water, plants and air. Some aspects of lithium and nickel use in the energy industry are also mentioned. We begin by considering the fact that the metallic elements lithium and nickel, either alone or in the form of their chemical compounds, are currently considered potential energy materials whose applicability is increasing with the transition to the mass use of electricity and batteries for powering motor vehicles. Both lithium and nickel are commonly found in nature. Even in relatively low concentrations, their presence is very dangerous or even toxic to some animals and biological organisms. On the other hand, certain plants and animals are a natural part of ecosystems and are unable to survive with-out their presence because they are vital to them. This contradiction and its implications form the main content of this chapter. The most significant effects of lithium and nickel in the environment, particularly in soil, water and plant systems, are presented. The interconnectedness between soil, water and plants is shown in relation to each other. Some of the analytical methods used for the detection of lithium and nickel are also given. In addition, some specific results are presented, which are not intended to specify particular locations in the field, but rather to highlight the ability of researchers to monitor the presence of lithium and nickel in the environment and to create conditions for their removal and possible reuse.

In order to effectively address the optimization of remediating agricultural lands affected by nuclear accidents, thorough research on the parameters of radionuclide accumulation by crops and the factors that influence this process is necessary.

The mobility of radionuclides in soil is affected by a number of factors, including the granulometric composition of soils. Soils with high-dispersed particles are characterized by a high absorption capacity. Differences in the ability to fix radionuclides are associated with the mineralogical composition of the mechanical fractions of the soil. The ability of soils to fix ¹³⁷Cs is largely determined by the content of labile clay minerals in the soil.

The development of remediation techniques for contaminated soils relies on effectively regulating the processes of sorption/fixation of ¹³⁷Cs. These techniques involve the use of agromeliorants (sorbents) to minimize the mobility of the radionuclide in the soil–plant system. The physicochemical processes of the interaction between agromeliorants (sorbents) and soil, as well as the behavior of chemical analogues such as potassium (K), play a crucial role in understanding how these substances influence the transfer of radionuclides, particularly ¹³⁷Cs.

This chapter presents the findings of a series of comprehensive studies that examine how the mineral composition of soil’s clay fraction affects the behavior of ¹³⁷Cs, investigate the migration parameters of the isotopes ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K from soil to pasture grasses, and analyze the impact of agromeliorants on the biological mobility of ¹³⁷Cs in soil using radiocesium interception potential.

In the decades since the Chernobyl NPP accident, ¹³⁷Cs has remained the primary radionuclide contributing to radiation exposure. Contaminated food is one of the primary sources of exposure for humans. Therefore, restricting the entry of this radioisotope into crops is a key measure of radiation protection for the population.

The behavior of ¹³⁷Cs in the soil–plant system changes over time due to redistribution between forms with varying degrees of biological availability and vertical migration, the effects of protective measures, and other factors. The “aging” of radioactive cesium in the soil leads to changes in the contributions of various factors affecting its accumulation in crops. Identifying patterns of ¹³⁷Cs accumulation at later stages of the Chernobyl catastrophe is essential for optimizing radiation protection measures during the transition to the existing exposure situation.

This study is based on the analysis of a dataset pertaining to ¹³⁷Cs transfer to crops during the years 2019–2020. The results of the study show a nonlinear relationship between the aggregated transfer factor of ¹³⁷Cs and the concentration of K⁺ in soil solution, soil moisture in the growing season, and the percentage of the ion-exchangeable form of the radionuclide. Furthermore, the contribution of transfoliar uptake of the radionuclide from atmospheric fallout in later stages of the Chernobyl catastrophe is identified in fields with a low level of contamination density.

Rates of selected soil nitrogen transforming processes as well as kinetic parameters of denitrification enzymes were determined in a cattle overwintering area. Soils from three localities differently impacted by the cattle (severe, moderate, control with no impact) were examined. In cattle-influenced soils, total N, organic C and pH were significantly increased. Consequently rates of potential mineralization, nitrifying enzyme activity and denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA) were enhanced compared to control, while potential nitrogenase activity was lowered in both soils influenced by cattle. The soils differed substantially in DEA, which was about 60 ng N₂O-Ng dw^-1h^-1 in control soil but 3 times and 34 times higher in moderately and severely impacted soils, respectively. The soils also exhibited significantly different maximum reaction velocity (V) and Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m) of enzymes responsible for reduction either of nitrate to nitrous oxide or of nitrous oxide to di-nitrogen. Results suggest that the cattle-induced stress alters the functioning of soil microbial community.

It is known that, organic wastes added to soil improve many soil properties. Bio-solid (BIO), tea production wastes (TEW) and tobacco production wastes (TOW) are some organic wastes used for this target. The objective of our study was to find out the effects of these organic matter sources on dehydrogenase enzyme activity (DHA) in different levels of eroded soils. To determine different soil erosion levels (slightly, moderately and severely), erosion ratio (ER) and structural stability index (SSI) parameters were used. ER values of slightly, moderately and severely eroded soils were determined as 5.36, 6.65 and 12.17 while their SSI values were determined 78.3, 77.8, and 68.7 respectively. Vertic calciudoll samples used in this research were taken from surface (0 to 20 cm depth) located on agricultural areas of Samsun, Northern Turkey. This area has been used as agricultural activity for a long time. This study was conducted by applying four different doses of BIO, TEW and TOW (0, 2, 4 and 6 %, basis dry weight) into eroded soils under greenhouse condition. Each treatment was replicated three times in a split block design. After eighteen weeks incubation period, DHA was determined in all pots. According to analysis results, relation between erosion level and DHA were found as negative. TEW and TOW were increased DHA values in all erosion levels contrast to itself control application. The effects of different organic wastes on DHA were increasing depended on application dose. Additionally, BIO application was increased DHA with 2 % doses whereas it was decreasing DHA with 4 % and 6 % doses. These results were found statistically significant at P<0.001.

In this experiment, the chosen site Basilicata in Italy consists of two types of soil treatments; bioagriculture (BA) and conventional agricultural (CA). The aim for this study was to determine the microbial diversity which can be use to differentiates the level of soil degradation and yet be the microbiological indicator. The soil samples were extracted for the DNA by combination of two conventional methods of Calvo-Bado et al. (2003) and Griffiths et al. (2000). The soil DNA was amplified for the target 16S rRNA genes using the Universal primer; P1 and P2. The amplified DNA was then run on the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to separate the PCR band. Marker was taken from the amplified soil DNA which produces a very strong band from one of the treatment. Two 16S rDNA clone libraries were constructed from the plot; BA and CA. Actinobacteria was the known genera that 26% and 38% dominate in BA and CA respectively. The specific results for Actinobacteria in clone libraries suggested that water content is highly correlated with actinobacteria numbers and diversity.