Concentrations of 14 heavy metals (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, V, and Zn) in needles, twigs, bark and xylem of spruce and fir collected at the timberline of eight sites along the Hengduan Mountains, eastern Tibetan Plateau, are reported. Twigs had the highest concentration for most of elements, while xylem had the lowest concentration. The connections between elements in twigs were much richer than other organ/tissues. Pb, Ni, As, Sb, Co, Cd, Hg, Cr and Tl which are partly through anthropogenic sources and brought in by monsoon, have been accumulated in twigs and needles by wet or dry deposition in south and east sites where are within or near pollutant sources. Under moderate pollution situation, vegetation are able to adjust the nutrient element (Cu and Zn) cycle rate, thus maintain a stable concentration level. Seldom V, Ag, and Mo are from external anthropogenic sources. Needles and twigs can be used as biomonitors for ecosystem environment when needles can simply distinguish the origin of elements and twigs are more sensitive to extra heavy metal input.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10646-014-1251-5 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Laboratory for Protein Crystallography, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
[FeFe]-hydrogenases catalyze the reversible two-electron reduction of two protons to molecular hydrogen. Although these enzymes are among the most efficient H-converting biocatalysts in nature, their catalytic cofactor (termed H-cluster) is irreversibly destroyed upon contact with dioxygen. The [FeFe]-hydrogenase CbA5H from has a unique mechanism to protect the H-cluster from oxygen-induced degradation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Clinical Evaluation Technology for Medical Device of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Engineering and Material Supplies, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
The structural alterations in the constituent materials of nanocomposites such as graphene nanocomposites typically induce changes in their properties including mechanical, electrical, and optical properties. Therefore, by altering the preparation conditions of nanocomposites and investigating their responsiveness to basic biomolecules (such as proteins), it is possible to explore the application potentials of the composites and guide development of new nanocomposite preparation. In this study, different composites of graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/GO) were obtained by varying the volumes of reducing agents used in the one-pot hydrothermal method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Background: It is unclear what impact iron deficiency has on fatigue in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This systematic review examined the evidence of whether iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, was associated with fatigue in IBD. Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with IBD that can be difficult to manage and treat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiol Trace Elem Res
January 2025
Department of Geriatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210011, China.
Several studies have reported associations between specific heavy metals and essential trace elements and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, there is limited understanding of the relationships between trace elements and AMI in real-life co-exposure scenarios, where multiple elements may interact simultaneously. This cross-sectional study measured serum levels of 56 trace elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Biotechnol (NY)
January 2025
School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Wenhua West Road, 2#, Weihai, 264209, People's Republic of China.
Recently, the scale and frequency of harmful algae blooms (HABs) have gradually increased, posing a serious threat to human health, marine ecosystems and economic development. For early warning, a method is required that can quickly detect and monitor microalgae. It is proposed to use aptamer targeted to Prorocentrum minimum, along with exonuclease III (Exo III), gold nanoparticles, target single-stranded DNA and hairpin structure probe to construct a new method, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!