Currently particularly relevant is the interaction between ecology and people. The study had been carried to examine the correlation of congenital malformations from the residence. The analysis showed that increasing concentrations of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and chromium) in soil and air in some districts of the Ulyanovsk region correlates with a large number of congenital malformations in children, in contrast to those areas, where their content does not excees MPC, which allows to consider imbalance of trace elements as a possible factor in the development of congenital malformations.

This study reviews the current supporting laws, regulations, and policies in Vietnam and their applicability in the effective implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) agriculture activities in Vietnam. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is responsible for the development of NDC activities for the agricultural sector. It can be noted that there is a strong supporting legal framework in Vietnam. There are, however, some challenges and gaps that could potentially affect the effective implementation of NDC activities in agriculture. The study considered the following five areas as critical to NDC implementation: 1) awareness and technical capacity; 2) implementation coordination; 3) downscaling to the provinces; 4) engagement of private sector and NGOs; and 5) regulatory framework. Some recommendations are proposed on how to address the challenges in the five areas identified.

Several sets of soil samples were chosen to demonstrate the applicability of the Mehlich 3 extractant for the determination of sulphur (S) in soils. Archived samples from 139 basal soil monitoring plots (BSMS) sampled in 1995 and 2013, samples from eleven long-term field trials sampled in 1981 and 2017, 1167 soil samples from the areas vulnerable to S losses and 720 samples from the non-vulnerable areas sampled in 2010 were chosen for the experiments. Mehlich 3 clearly showed a statistically highly significant decrease in the soil S content caused by reduction of SO₂ emissions in the long-term field experiments from 33 mg/kg in 1981 to 8 mg/kg in 2017 for the median of the untreated controls. Similar results were obtained for BSMS samples, where an average decrease from 26 mg/kg in 1995 to 17 mg/kg in 2013 was found. Mehlich 3 also showed that more than 52% of samples from the areas vulnerable to S losses were in a very low content category in contrast to only 3% of soils from the other areas. Mehlich 3 clearly proved the capacity to distinguish changes in the content of soil S in all studied cases.

Brazil is the first developing country to provide an absolute emissions cut as its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), seeking to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 37% below 2005 levels by 2025 and 43% by 2030. The NDC is also noteworthy in focussing on emissions from deforestation control and land use change. Agricultural intensification is a key component of the offer, potentially allowing the country to make credible mitigation commitments that are aligned with a national development strategy of halting deforestation in the Amazon, and increasing livestock production. This apparent contradiction is potentially resolved by understanding the technical, economic and policy feasibility of intensification by pasture restoration. We use bio-economic modelling to demonstrate the extent of cost-effective mitigation that could be delivered by this measure, and to show a result that underpins the target of zero deforestation in Brazil. The analysis was requested by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture prior to the NDC announcement at COP21 by the Government of Brazil. The study provided the basis of the livestock sector contribution to the NDC and highlights the on-going role of effective deforestation control policies. It also contributes to the global debate on land sparing by sustainable agricultural intensification.

Enchytraeids have been used in standard ecotoxicity testing for approximately 20 yr. Since adopting the standard test for survival and reproduction, a number of additional tools have been developed, including transcriptomics and enzymatic biomarkers. So far, a genotoxicity tool and endpoint have not been used; hence, the goals of the present study included optimization of the in vivo alkaline comet assay in Enchytraeus crypticus. Further, the effect of silver nanomaterial (Ag NM300K, dispersed, 15 nm) was tested and compared with silver nitrate. Hydrogen peroxide was used as a positive control. The various steps were optimized. The fully detailed standard operating procedure is presented. Silver materials caused genotoxicity, this being differentiated for the nano and non‐nano forms. Silver nitrate caused genotoxicity after 3 d of exposure in a dose‐related manner, although after 7 d the effects were either reduced or repaired. Ag NM300K caused higher genotoxicity after 7 d for the lowest concentration, highlighting a potential nonmonotonic dose–response effect. Overall, the comet assay showed the power to discriminate effects between materials and also toxicity at low relevant doses. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:184–191. © 2017 SETAC

Abstract The cytokine TGFβ provides important information during embryonic development, adult tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. Alterations in the cellular response to TGFβ are involved in severe human diseases. To understand how cells encode the extracellular input and transmit its information to elicit appropriate responses, we acquired quantitative time‐resolved measurements of pathway activation at the single‐cell level. We established dynamic time warping to quantitatively compare signaling dynamics of thousands of individual cells and described heterogeneous single‐cell responses by mathematical modeling. Our combined experimental and theoretical study revealed that the response to a given dose of TGFβ is determined cell specifically by the levels of defined signaling proteins. This heterogeneity in signaling protein expression leads to decomposition of cells into classes with qualitatively distinct signaling dynamics and phenotypic outcome. Negative feedback regulators promote heterogeneous signaling, as a SMAD7 knock‐out specifically affected the signal duration in a subpopulation of cells. Taken together, we propose a quantitative framework that allows predicting and testing sources of cellular signaling heterogeneity.

The search for hydrocarbon molecular biomarkers in Archean metasediments is of prime importance for deciphering the early evolution of life. Suitable criteria are required to identify promising targets for further molecular biomarkers. Possible criteria include the Hydrogen-to-Carbon (H/C) atomic ratio used as a proxy of the aliphatic content of the kerogen matrix. However, H/C ratio values exhibit large variation in Archean kerogens and their significance remains poorly understood. In this study, we thus investigate the significance of the H/C ratios of Archean kerogens by combining elemental analyses, Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (NanoSIMS), Rock-Eval pyrolysis and Raman spectroscopy. First, NanoSIMS investigations show the H/C ratio of kerogen can be compromised by residual minerals. In addition, Rock-Eval pyrolysis underlines the fact that thermal cracking of Archean kerogens does not just release hydrocarbon covalently linked to the macromolecular network but also a complex mixture of organic pools distinguished by their thermal maturity. Therefore, the H/C ratio alone cannot be used to probe the preservation of aliphatic compounds bound to kerogen since it can be biased by the presence of (i) residual bitumen, as well as (ii) refractory organic matter in secondary hydrothermal veins whose syngenecity is debatable. Rock-Eval pyrolysis then provides a useful and complementary method to check the significance of H/C atomic ratio as a proxy for hydrocarbon preservation in Archean kerogens.

Review of river terraces is main issues related to river geomorphology. They are areas with low slope that is parallel to the axis of the river valley and are in the higher levels of the river bed and created through cutting the river bed and response to changes in external factors such as climate, tectonics and base level. Ghezel owzan River is as one of the longest river systems in the country, responded well to changes in external factors (climate, tectonics and base level). For this purpose, after dividing the river into nine periods, Profile was drawn on the terraces adjacent faults in order to study in terms of height level and symmetry. In order to assess the effect of Tectonic activity on Ghezel owzan Catchment area, Four sub-basin are studied: Divandareh, Zanjan rood, Gharanghochay and Hashtchin- Tarom, from Upstream to downstream , With the help of two indicators, River Gradient length (SL) and Valley floor width to valley height (Vf) by determined sections, The results indicate the relationship building terraces with tectonic factors. This means that form terraces in downstream river is more a reflection of the effects of neo-tectonics and tectonic if they originate, reflecting the effects of tectonics. Feedback such activities is in basin downstream for nested alluvial fans and vertical-walled terraces in bedrock and in the mirage nested terraces in alluvial sediments with low sides slope.