Aluminium accumulation by some cerrado native species of central Brazil

Summary Among thirty species belonging to seventeen families common in the cerrado region of central Brazil, eight species belonging to three families were found to accumulate aluminium in their leaves in considerable amounts (4,310 to 14,120 mg/kg on dry weight basis) from a dark red latossol which is strongly-acid and low in available nutrient cations. The aluminium-accumulating species areMiconia ferruginata (DC.) Cogn.,Miconia pohliana Cogn. (Melastomataceae);Palicourea rigida H. B. K. (Rubiaceae);Qualea grandiflora Mart.,Qualea multiflora Mart.,Qualea parviflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae);Vochysia elliptica (Spr.) Mart., andVochysia thyrsoidea Pohl (Vochysiaceae). High levels of aluminium in the leaves of these plants were not associated with low foliar levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc, or phosphorus as compared to the other species which do not accumulate aluminium. In spite of the low pH and the low base saturation of the soil the aluminium-accumulating species seem to have an efficient mechanism for absorbing all cations from the soil.     

Kinetics of mineral nutrient uptake by Saponaria officinalis L. suspension cell cultures in different media

The uptake of mineral nutrients from two media with different mineral composition, a classical MSA medium and a modified MH2 medium, by Saponaria officinalis (soapwort) cells was studied over a growth cycle of 14 days, by continuous measurement of mineral consumption without opening the culture flasks. The mineral composition of the MH2 medium was found to be better suited to S. officinalis cells. Culture on MSA medium showed that copper is probably a factor limiting growth, that phosphate is rapidly exhausted from this medium, that its strong ammonium concentration is antagonistic to the absorption of potassium and, lastly, that sodium and chlorine may be considered as non-essential elements. Received: 13 March 1998 / Revision received: 9 June 1998 / Accepted: 1 July 1998     

Relationships of soil chemical properties to composition of five barley cultivars,and relationships between constituents of whole plants and of grain

Summary No differences were found among the five cultivars studied in the relationships between soil chemical properties and crop concentrations or uptake of macro and micro nutrient cations. Soil pH was significantly correlated with both the concentration and yield of most of the cations from grain of all cultivars with no differences between cultivars determined. None of the cultivars showed significant relationships between the concentration of a nutrient element in the whole plant or in the grain and the available nutrient determined from the soil. The degree of association between the concentration of a given cation in the whole plant and in grain was generally small and, in many cases insignificant. Those cations showing strong relationships were Na, Mn, and Zn. These relationships were not found to differ between cultivars.Stepwise regression analysis showed pH to be the dominant factor determining the composition of whole plants and grain. Addition of soil available nutrients to the equation resulted in slight reductions in the sums of squares.Scientific Paper No. 489, Lacombe be Research Station, Research Branch Agriculture Canada.     

Effects of raw and diluted municipal sewage effluent with micronutrient foliar sprays on the growth and nutrient concentration of foxtail millet in southeast Iran

In this study, the effect of irrigation with raw or diluted municipal sewage effluent accompanied by foliar micronutrient fertilizer sprays was examined on the growth, dry matter accumulation, grain yield, and mineral nutrients in foxtail millet plants. The experimental design was a split plot with three irrigation sources: raw sewage, 50% diluted sewage, and well water comprising the main treatments, and four combinations of Mn and Zn foliar sprays as sub-treatments that were applied with four replications. The experiment was conducted in 2009 at the Zabol University research farm in Zabol, south Iran. The applied municipal sewage effluent contained higher levels of micronutrients and macronutrients and exhibited greater degrees of electrical conductivity compared to well water. Because of the small scale of industrial activities in Zabol, the amount of heavy metals in the sewage was negligible (below the limits set for irrigation water in agricultural lands); these contaminants would not be severely detrimental to crop growth. The experimental results indicated that irrigation of plants with raw or diluted sewage stimulates the measured growth and productivity parameters of foxtail millet plants. The concentrations of micronutrients and macronutrients were also positively affected. These stimulations were attributed to the presence of high levels of such essential nutrients as N, P, and organic matter in wastewater. Supplied in sewage water alone, Mn and Zn were not able to raise the productivity of millet to the level obtained using fertilizers at the recommended values; this by itself indicated that additional nutrients from fertilizers are required to obtain higher levels of millet productivity with sewage farming. Despite the differences in nutrient concentrations among the different irrigation water sources, the micronutrient foliar sprays did not affect the concentrations of micronutrients and macronutrients in foxtail millet plants. These results suggested that municipal sewage effluent could be utilized efficiently as an important source of water, and that the nutrients used in growing foxtail millet with sewage water irrigation did not have any significant harmful effect on crop productivity. In contrast, the nutrients proved beneficial to soil fertility and millet productivity and quality.     

Accumulation of nutrients by eucalyptus seedlings from acidic and calcareous soils of the cerrado region of Central Brazil

Summary The accumulation of nutrients by seedlings ofEucalyptus grandis andE. saligna from a latosol and two other fertile soils was compared. Both species performed well in a calcareous soil and an acidic but fertile gallery forest soil but not in the dystrophic latosol.E. grandis accumulated more nutrients from the calcareous soil thanE. saligna. In the other two soils these two species showed similar growth and nutrient accumulation. In spite of the high acidity, manganese toxicity did not seem to be a limiting factor in the latosol or the gallerty forest soil. Correlations among the shoot concentrations were not always the same as those among the total contents of the nutrients in the aerial biomass.     

Can nudging overcome procrastinating on preventive health investments?

A fundamental puzzle about human behavior is low investment in preventive health inputs. Present-biased preferences have frequently been put forth as a theoretical explanation for this, but with limited empirical evidence supporting it, especially in developing countries. We extend our previous analysis of a field experiment testing advertising strategies to increase demand for a potentially life-saving preventive health technology, voluntary medical male circumcision. Offering compensation of US$10 conditional on a complement to the procedure, a short counseling session at a providing clinic, tripled uptake of the procedure. This is consistent with the idea that subsidizing a complement encouraged procrastinating men with latent demand to invest in preventive health. In addition, framing the basic advertisement using the statement “Are you tough enough?” doubled uptake.     

Developing diatom-based transfer functions for Central Mexican lakes

This paper is the first attempt to produce diatom-based transfer functions for the northern tropical Americas. A dataset of 53 modern diatom samples and associated hydrochemical variables from 31 sites in the volcanic highlands of central Mexico is presented. The relationship between diatom species distribution and water chemistry is explored using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and partial CCA. Variance partitioning indicates that ionic strength and ion type both account for significant and independent portions of this variation. Transfer functions are developed for electrical conductivity (r² = 0.91) and alkalinity (as a percentage of total anions) (r² = 0.90), reflecting ionic strength and ionic composition respectively. Prediction errors, estimated using jack-knifing, are low for the conductivity model, but the carbonate transfer function performs less well. This study highlights the potential for diatom-based quantitative palaeoenvironmental reconstructions in central Mexico. However, a number of key diatom species found in fossil material are not represented in the modern flora. Sampling of additional sites may resolve this, but it is thought that the lack of modern analogues may reflect the high degree of anthropogenic disturbance in many of the catchments. This highlights the problem of trying to reconstruct pre-disturbance environmental changes in highly modified ecosystems. One possible solution is to merge the central Mexican data with the African dataset, which includes sites of similar chemical composition, but which have not suffered the same degree of disturbance.     

公立医院现金持有量水平评价分析

在借鉴公司现有持有相关研究的基础上,结合我国公立医院实际情况,构建实证模型,以B地区171家二级医院和三级医院2006—2009年数据验证。实证结果表明：公立医院并不像感性认识的那样不重视财务管理,就现金管理来说,医院积极进行现金管理,对其现金持有量进行动态调整,以实现目标现金持有额。以现金持有量满足日常运营的时间判断,公立医院现金持有水平是合理的。     

Reliability of the Circadian Rhythm of Water and Macronutrient-Rich Diets Intake in Dietary Choice

Rats with ad libitum water and the ability to self-select among three macronutrient-rich diets—carbohydrate (CHO), protein (PRO), and lipid (LIP)—show a circadian rhythmicity in their ingestion. The aim of the present study was to determine whether this circadian rhythmicity is reliable from day to day. Eight rats were offered ad libitum water and a choice of three isoenergetic diet rations providing carbohydrate, protein, and lipid. Water and food intake was recorded every 3 h for 7 days. The reliability of the circadian rhythm of water and food intake was assessed by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and the test-retest reliability using the Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r). The results showed that the circadian rhythm of water, CHO, and PRO intake are strongly reliable. However, the circadian rhythm of LIP intake is less reproducible. Among the three reliable parameters—water, CHO, and PRO, the circadian rhythm of water intake was the most reproducible over 7 days. This suggests that water intake may be used as a marker of circadian rhythmicity in ingestive behavior.     

Carotenoids and Flavonoids Contribute to Nutritional Protection against Skin Damage from Sunlight

The concept of photoprotection by dietary means is gaining momentum. Plant constituents such as carotenoids and flavonoids are involved in protection against excess light in plants and contribute to the prevention of UV damage in humans. As micronutrients, they are ingested with the diet and are distributed into light-exposed tissues, such as skin or the eye where they provide systemic photoprotection. β-Carotene and lycopene prevent UV-induced erythema formation. Likewise, dietary flavanols exhibit photoprotection. After about 10–12 weeks of dietary intervention, a decrease in the sensitivity toward UV-induced erythema was observed in volunteers. Dietary micronutrients may contribute to life-long protection against harmful UV radiation.     

北京市方庄地区儿童全血微量营养素含量检测结果分析

目的:通过分析北京市方庄地区儿童全血微量营养素的含量及影响因素,研究探讨微量营养素缺乏的防治措施。方法:2011年1月至12月北京中医药大学东方医院儿科门诊1887例健康体检儿童,收集末梢血,采用原子吸收光谱仪检测全血5种微量营养素铜、锌、钙、镁、铁的含量,并从性别、年龄、季节(月份)方面进行比较分析。结果:全血5种微量营养素含量无性别差异(P0.05),但存在季节差异,4-6月铜、锌含量降低;7-9月钙、镁含量降低;10-12月铁含量降低(P0.05)。全血锌、铁含量存在年龄差异,婴幼儿最低(P0.05)。1887例儿童中,缺乏较多的元素依次为铁(38.8%)、钙(22.3%)、锌(12.8%),其中,4-7岁(17.0%)、7-12岁(21.5%)年龄段组以锌缺乏居多。1岁以内(51.2%)、1-3岁(44.6%)年龄段组以铁缺乏居多。全血铜、锌、钙、铁缺乏无性别差异(P0.05)。全血5种微量营养素缺乏存在季节差异,1-3月镁缺乏明显,4-6月铜、锌缺乏明显,10-12月钙、铁缺乏明显(P0.05)。结论:北京市方庄地区儿童主要存在锌、钙、铁的缺乏,以秋冬季及初春明显。其中婴幼儿以铁缺乏为主,学龄前期及学龄期儿童以锌缺乏为主。应加强对此地区儿童的营养宣教和饮食指导。     

Cadmium-induced oxidative damage in mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.] plants can be alleviated by salicylic acid

The present study was carried out to examine the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on growth, activities of antioxidant enzymes and some physio-biochemical attributes in mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss.] plants exposed to cadmium (Cd) stress. Increasing concentrations of Cd led to decreased growth, shoot biomass, relative water content (RWC) and rate of photosynthesis (A). SA allayed the adverse effects of Cd on growth, RWC, and A, but the inhibitory effect of Cd on stomatal conductance (g_s) and transpiration rate (E) was further promoted due to SA treatment. Cadmium-induced oxidative stress increased proline, lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage, but on exposure to SA, these parameters showed a marked decrease. Lower concentrations of Cd caused enhanced Cd transport into the plant. Cadmium suppressed the uptake of macro- and micro-nutrients, but exogenous application of SA restored the capability of plants to accumulate essential elements. SA mitigated the Cd-induced inhibition in the growth of mustard plants. Cadmium-induced increase in the activities of some key antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) was reduced by the exogenous application of SA. This reflects that SA might have acted as one of the potential antioxidants in mustard plants under Cd stress.     

Estimation of Intake of Zinc, Copper and Iron in the Diet of Patients with Chronic Renal Failure Treated by Haemodialysis

The aim of this study was to analyse the dietary zinc, copper and iron intakes in haemodialysis patients and in healthy controls. A statistically significant lower intake of these elements was observed in the patients group. In particular, the copper intake was extremely low in that group, not reaching 40% of the recommended value.