Lichen biomonitoring to assess spatial variability, potential sources and human health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and airborne metal concentrations in Manchester (UK).

Airborne metals and organic pollutants are linked to severe human health impacts, i.e. affecting the nervous system and being associated with cancer.

High spatial resolution assessment of air quality in urban centres using lichen carbon, nitrogen and sulfur contents and stable-isotope-ratio signatures.

Air pollution and poor air quality is impacting human health globally and is a major cause of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and damage to human organ systems. Automated air quality monitoring stations continuously record airborne pollutant concentrations, but are restricted in number, costly to maintain and cannot document all spatial variability of airborne pollutants. Biomonitors, such as lichens, are commonly used as an inexpensive alternative to assess the degree of pollution and monitor air quality.

Integrating knowledge on green infrastructure, health and well-being in ageing populations: Principles for research and practice.

Ageing and urbanisation pose significant challenges for public health and urban planning. Ageing populations are at particular risk from hazards arising from urbanisation processes, some of which are in turn exacerbated by climate change. One approach for mitigating the negative effects of urbanisation on ageing populations is the leveraging of the beneficial effects of urban green infrastructure as a public health intervention in the planning process.

Distinguishing atmospheric nitrogen compounds (nitrate and ammonium) in lichen biomonitoring studies.

Nitrogen speciation, distinguishing nitrate (NO) and ammonium (NH), is commonly undertaken in soil studies, but has not been conducted extensively for lichens. Lichen total nitrogen contents (N wt%) reflect airborne atmospheric nitrogen loadings, originating from anthropogenic sources ( vehicular and agricultural/livestock emissions). Albeit nitrogen being an essential lichen nutrient, nitrogen compound ( NO and NH) concentrations in the atmosphere can have deleterious effects on lichens.

Spatiotemporal variability of nitrogen dioxide (NO) pollution in Manchester (UK) city centre (2017-2018) using a fine spatial scale single-NO diffusion tube network.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO) is linked to poor air quality and severe human health impacts, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and being responsible annually for approximately 23,500 premature deaths in the UK. Automated air quality monitoring stations continuously record pollutants in urban environments but are restricted in number (need for electricity, maintenance and trained operators), only record air quality proximal to their location and cannot document variability of airborne pollutants at finer spatial scales. As an alternative, passive sampling devices such as Palmes-type diffusion tubes can be used to assess the spatial variability of air quality in greater detail, due to their simplicity (e.

Forecasting the outbreak of moorland wildfires in the English Peak District.

Warmer, drier summers brought by climate change increase the potential risk of wildfires on the moorland of the Peak District of northern England. Fires are costly to fight, damage the ecosystem, harm water catchments, cause erosion scars and disrupt transport. Fires release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Quantitative trait loci associated with traits determining grain and stover yield in pearl millet under terminal drought-stress conditions.

Drought stress during the reproductive stage is one of the most important environmental factors reducing the grain yield and yield stability of pearl millet. A QTL mapping approach has been used in this study to understand the genetic and physiological basis of drought tolerance in pearl millet and to provide a more-targeted approach to improving the drought tolerance and yield of this crop in water-limited environments. The aim was to identify specific genomic regions associated with the enhanced tolerance of pearl millet to drought stress during the flowering and grain-filling stages.

Cloning and sequence of a gene encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 beta subunit of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

A 4906-bp DNA fragment, which complemented Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains partly defective in pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), was cloned and sequenced. The fragment contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 366 amino acids (aa), which showed 62% identity with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene encoding the PDH E1 beta subunit, and significant similarity to subunits from a number of other 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complexes from mammals, Gram+ and some Gram- bacteria. The clone hybridised to a 1.

Mutations which reduce levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase in Schizosaccharomyces pombe cause a requirement for arginine or glutamine.

Forty-four mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe were isolated which required supplementation with arginine or glutamine. These mutants appear to define three genes, provisionally named agg1, agg2 and agg3 (arginine, glutamine requiring). Mutants in all three genes were found to have reduced levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase compared to wild-type.