Safe Production of Rice ( L.) in Arsenic-Contaminated Soil: a Remedial Strategy using Micro-Nanostructured Bone Biochar.

This study investigated the effects of fine-sized pork bone biochar particles on remediating As-contaminated soil and alleviating associated phytotoxicity to rice in 50-day short-term and 120-day full-life-cycle pot experiments. The addition of micro-nanostructured pork bone biochar (BC) pyrolyzed at 400 and 600 °C (BC400 and BC600) significantly increased the As-treated shoot and root fresh weight by 24.4-77.

Green Synthesis of CuO Nanoparticles from Macroalgae and .

Macroalgae seaweeds such as and cause problems on the northern coast of the Italian Adriatic Sea because their overabundance hinders the growth of cultivated clams, . This study focused on the green synthesis of CuO nanoparticles from and . The biosynthesized CuO NPs were successfully characterized using FTIR, XRD, HRTEM/EDX, and zeta potential.

Real-Time PCR (qtPCR) to Discover the Fate of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Agricultural Soils.

To optimize the application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in field trials, tracking methods are needed to assess their shelf life and to determine the elements affecting their effectiveness and their interactions with plants and native soil microbiota. This work developed a real-time PCR (qtPCR) method which traces and quantifies bacteria when added as microbial consortia, including five PGPR species: , , , , and Through a literature search and in silico sequence analyses, a set of primer pairs which selectively tag three bacterial species (, and ) was retrieved. The primers were used to trace these microbial species in a field trial in which the consortium was tested as a biostimulant on two wheat varieties, in combination with biochar and the mycorrhizal fungus .

Plant responses to climate change, how global warming may impact on food security: a critical review.

Global agricultural production must double by 2050 to meet the demands of an increasing world human population but this challenge is further exacerbated by climate change. Environmental stress, heat, and drought are key drivers in food security and strongly impacts on crop productivity. Moreover, global warming is threatening the survival of many species including those which we rely on for food production, forcing migration of cultivation areas with further impoverishing of the environment and of the genetic variability of crop species with fall out effects on food security.

Microbial consortia and biochar as sustainable biofertilisers: Analysis of their impact on wheat growth and production.

The European Union is among the top wheat producers in the world, but its productivity relies on adequate soil fertilisation. Biofertilisers, either alone or in combination with biochar, can be a preferable alternative to chemical fertilisers. However, the addition of biofertilisers, specifically plant growth promoting microbes (PGPM), could modify grain composition, and/or deteriorate the soil composition.

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and inflammatory response in the KORA study.

Previous studies consistently showed an association between fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM) and cardiovascular diseases. Concerns about adverse health effects of ultrafine particles (UFP) are growing but long-term studies are still scarce. In this study, we examined the association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and blood biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation, including fibrinogen, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) adiponectin and interleukin-6 (IL-6), measured in the German KORA-S4 cohort study (1999-2001).

Comparison of effect of CdS QD and ZnS QD and their corresponding salts on growth, chlorophyll content and antioxidative capacity of tomato.

When applied in the same concentration to tomato plants, cadmium sulfate (CdSO and zinc sulfate (ZnSO) were transported from soil to roots and from roots to shoots more readily than their nano counterparts: cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QD) and zinc sulfide quantum dots (ZnS QD). Compared to the CdS QD, he higher rate of transport of CdSO resulted in a greater negative effect on growth, chlorophyll content, antioxidant properties, lipid peroxidation and activation of antioxidant defence systems. Although ZnSO was transported more rapidly than ZnS QD, the overall effect of Zn addition was positive (increase in total plant mass, stem length, antioxidant content and decrease in lipid peroxidation).

Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ion Mobility-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Evaluate the Metabolomic Response of Durum Wheat to Sustainable Treatments.

Sustainable agriculture aims at achieving a healthy food production while reducing the use of fertilizers and greenhouse gas emissions using biostimulants and soil amendments. Untargeted metabolomics by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-ion mobility-high-resolution mass spectrometry, operating in a high-definition MS mode, was applied to investigate the metabolome of durum wheat in response to sustainable treatments, i.e.

Nanoparticles and biochar with adsorbed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria alleviate Fusarium wilt damage on tomato and watermelon.

The addition of biochars and nanoparticles with adsorbed Azotobacter vinelandii and Bacillus megaterium alleviated damage from Fusarium infection in both tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) plants. Tomato and watermelon plants were grown in greenhouse for 28 and 30 days (respectively) and were treated with either nanoparticles (chitosan-coated mesoporous silica or nanoclay) or varying biochars (biochar produced by pyrolysis, gasification and pyrogasification). Treatments with nanoparticles and biochars were applied in two variants - with or without adsorbed plant-growth promoting bacteria (PGPR).

Cadmium Sulfide Quantum Dots, Mitochondrial Function and Environmental Stress: A Mechanistic Reconstruction through In Vivo Cellular Approaches in .

Research on the effects of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on mitochondria, which represent one of the main actors in cell function, highlighted effects on ROS production, gametogenesis and organellar genome replication. Specifically, the mitochondrial effects of cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) exposure can be observed through the variation in enzymatic kinetics at the level of the respiratory chain and also by analyzing modifications of reagent and products in term of the bonds created and disrupted during the reactions through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). This study investigated both in intact cells and in isolated mitochondria to observe the response to CdS QDs treatment at the level of electron transport chain in the wild-type yeast and in the deletion mutant , whose function is implicated in nucleo-mitochondrial protein trafficking.

Engineered Nanoparticles, Natural Nanoclay and Biochar, as Carriers of Plant-Growth Promoting Bacteria.

The potential of biochar and nanoparticles to serve as effective delivery agents for beneficial bacteria to crops was investigated. Application of nanoparticles and biochar as carriers for beneficial bacteria improved not only the amount of nitrogen-fixing and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria in soil, but also improved chlorophyll content (1.2-1.

Combination of Biochemical, Molecular, and Synchrotron-Radiation-Based Techniques to Study the Effects of Silicon in Tomato ( L.).

The work focused on the analysis of two cultivars of tomato ( L.), Aragon and Gladis, under two different treatments of silicon, Low, 2 L of 0.1 mM CaSiO and High, 0.

Protein Analysis of and Hyperaccumulators When Exposed to Nano and Ionic Forms of Cd and Zn.

Hyperaccumulator plant species growing on metal-rich soils can accumulate high quantity of metals and metalloids in aerial tissues, and several proteomic studies on the molecular mechanisms at the basis of metals resistance and hyperaccumulation have been published. Hyperaccumulator are also at the basis of the phytoremediation strategy to remove metals more efficiently from polluted soils or water. and are both hyperaccumulators of metals and nano-metals.

Nanomaterials biotransformation: In planta mechanisms of action.

Research on engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) exposure has continued to expand rapidly, with a focus on uncovering the underlying mechanisms. The EU largely limits the number and the type of organisms that can be used for experimental testing through the 3R normative. There are different routes through which ENMs can enter the soil-plant system: this includes the agricultural application of sewage sludges, and the distribution of nano-enabled agrochemicals.

A Metagenomic and Gene Expression Analysis in Wheat () and Maize () Biofertilized with PGPM and Biochar.

Commodity crops, such as wheat and maize, are extremely dependent on chemical fertilizers, a practice contributing greatly to the increase in the contaminants in soil and water. Promising solutions are biofertilizers, i.e.

Effectiveness of a Protocol to Reduce Children's Exposure to Particulate Matter and NO in Schools during Alert Days.

Reducing children's exposure to air pollutants should be considered a primary goal, especially for the most vulnerable subjects. The goal of this study was to test the effectiveness of applying a protocol in the event of alert days, i.e.

Cadmium Sulfide Quantum Dots Adversely Affect Gametogenesis in .

In the last decades, nanotechnology-based tools have attracted attention in the scientific community, due to their potential applications in different areas from medicine to engineering, but several toxicological effects mediated by these advanced materials have been shown on the environment and human health. At present, the effects of engineered nanomaterials on gametogenesis have not yet been well understood. In the present study, we addressed this issue using the yeast as a model eukaryote to evaluate the effects of cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) on sporulation, a process equivalent to gametogenesis in higher organisms.

MicroRNA global profiling in cystic fibrosis cell lines reveals dysregulated pathways related with inflammation, cancer, growth, glucose and lipid metabolism, and fertility: an exploratory study.

Background And Aim: Cystic fibrosis (CF), is due to CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) loss of function, and is associated with comorbidities. The increasing longevity of CF patients has been associated with increased cancer risk besides the other known comorbidities. The significant heterogeneity among patients, suggests potential epigenetic regulation.

Building a risk matrix for the safety assessment of wood derived biochars.

Biochar is recognized as an efficient amendment and soil improver. However, environmental and quality assessments are needed to ensure the sustainability of its use in agriculture. This work considers the biochar's chemical-physical characterization and its potential phyto- and geno-toxicity, assessed with germination and Ames tests, obtaining valuable information for a safe field application.

Nanomaterials Induced Genotoxicity in Plant: Methods and Strategies.

In recent years, plant-nanomaterial interactions have been studied, highlighting their effects at physiological and molecular levels. Transcriptomics and proteomics studies have shown pathways and targets of nanomaterial exposure and plant response, with particular regard to abiotic stress and oxidative stress. Only little information has been reported on engineered nanomaterial (ENMs) interactions with plant genetic material, both at a genomic and organellar DNAs level.

Data on the interaction of hyperaccumulating plants with nanoscale metals Zn and Cd.

The article describes: growth phenotypes of the four plant species () before and after the treatment with ionic and nanoscale Zn and Cd (Fig. 1); the method of synthesis and characterization of ZnS QDs and CdS QDs (Fig. 2); the genetic characterization (performed with molecular markers) of the four plant species, their relative genecological relation (Fig.

Engineered Nanomaterial Exposure Affects Organelle Genetic Material Replication in .

Mitochondria and chloroplasts not only are cellular energy sources but also have important regulatory and developmental roles in cell function. CeO, FeOx ENMs, ZnS, CdS QDs, and relative metal salts were utilized in Murashige-Skoog (MS) synthetic growth medium at different concentrations (80-500 mg L) and times of exposures (0-20 days). Analysis of physiological and molecular response of chloroplasts and mitochondrion demonstrates that ENMs increase or decrease functionality and organelle genome replication.

Interaction of hyperaccumulating plants with Zn and Cd nanoparticles.

Metal hyperaccumulating plant species are an interesting example of natural selection and environmental adaptation but they may also be useful to developing new technologies of environmental monitoring and remediation. Noccaea caerulescens and Arabidopsis halleri are both Brassicaceae and are known metal hyperaccumulators. This study evaluated tolerance, uptake and translocation of zinc sulfide quantum dots by N.

Immunomodulatory peptides-A promising source for novel functional food production and drug discovery.

Immunomodulatory peptides are a complex class of bioactive peptides that encompasses substances with different mechanisms of action. Immunomodulatory peptides could also be used in vaccines as adjuvants which would be extremely desirable, especially in response to pandemics. Thus, immunomodulatory peptides in food of plant origin could be regarded both as valuable suplements of novel functional food preparation and/or as precursors or possible active ingredients for drugs design for treatment variety of conditions arising from impaired function of immune system.

Antimicrobial Properties of Antidepressants and Antipsychotics-Possibilities and Implications.

The spreading of antibiotic resistance is responsible annually for over 700,000 deaths worldwide, and the prevision is that this number will increase exponentially. The identification of new antimicrobial treatments is a challenge that requires scientists all over the world to collaborate. Developing new drugs is an extremely long and costly process, but it could be paralleled by drug repositioning.