This study evaluated the effect of wood extracts from Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrus deodara, and Pinus roxburghii combined with linseed oil as protectants of two non-durable wood species against the termite, Heterotermes indicola. Heartwood blocks (19 × 19 × 19 mm) and wood shavings were extracted using an ethanol/toluene (2:1) solvent system. Results of choice and no-choice tests with solvent-extracted and non-extracted heartwood blocks showed greater wood mass loss from termite feeding on solvent-extracted blocks compared with non-extracted blocks for all wood species. Significantly higher termite mortality was observed after termite exposure to non-extracted blocks compared with extracted blocks for all durable species. Sapwood blocks of two non-durable wood species (southern pine and cottonwood) were vacuum/pressure impregnated separately with each of the four types of extract at a concentration of 7.5 mg ml⁻¹, linseed oil (20%) and a mixture of oil (20%) and extracts (4.25 mg ml⁻¹) for the laboratory and field tests. Results showed that extract-oil mixture imparted significantly higher termite resistance compared with linseed or extracts alone under laboratory conditions. This apparent synergistic effect was clearly noted when linseed oil was combined with extracts from T. grandis or D. sissoo followed by an extract-oil mixture using C. deodara. These extract oil mixtures showed significantly less weight loss for the treated non-durable wood species and higher termite mortality (83–100%) compared with the control treatments and other extract-linseed oil mixtures tested. Treatment of both non-durable wood species with T. grandis + oil and D. sissoo + oil prevented termite damage compared with other treatments when blocks and stakes were exposed in the field for a period of 2 years. Results of the current study indicated that a mixture of a particular heartwood extract with linseed oil has potential to be used as environmentally friendly wood protectants.

The phosphates (Pi) are nowadays recognized as pollutants. We studied the effect of Pi (0.625–12.500 mM KH₂PO₄) in the culture medium on in vitro grown 2-month-old Populus alba trees. The levels of sugar phosphates and vacuolar and cytoplasmic Pi in cell compartments of roots and stems were determined using ³¹P NMR, while tissue-specific micro- and macroelements mapping on stem cross-sections were performed using synchrotron-based X-ray microfluorescence. Plants grown on 0.625 mM Pi (MS/2 medium) showed a survival rate of 70%. With the increase in Pi concentrations up to 6.250 mM, plant growth and survival increased, without changes in total P content per mass or in the levels of cytoplasmic and vacuolar phosphates, in both stems and roots, while the levels of Fe, Cu, Zn, Ca and Mn in stems increased. Further increase in Pi to 9.375 and 12.500 mM in the medium resulted in inhibited growth comparable with plants grown on MS/2, with the increase in total P content per mass up to 50%, in both stems and roots, but with no changes in cytoplasmic and vacuolar phosphates; 12.500 mM Pi affected even plant survival (70%) and thus might be considered as mildly toxic. ³¹P NMR results indicate that the high tolerance of P. alba to increased Pi could result from its ability to maintain an intracellular P homeostasis, despite P accumulation up to 50%, in both stems and roots, indicating P. alba as a promising wood species for dendroremediation.

The accelerated urbanization process generates a significant increase in energy, whose sources are mainly polluting. The harmful effects of both processes are reflected in climate change. This article examines the equilibrium and causality relationship among urban concentration, non-renewable energy consumption, and the real per capita output in 110 countries during 1971–2017. Using data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (2018), we classify countries into four groups according to their level of development. Our evidence suggests that urban concentration has a negative effect on real per capita output in high-income countries, while non-renewable energy consumption has a positive effect on all groups of countries. The cointegration tests show that there is short- and long-term equilibrium in all groups of countries. The results of the DOLS and PDOLS models indicate that the strength of the cointegration vector is weak in most of the countries and groups analyzed. The Granger-type causality tests show that there is bidirectional causality from the real per capita output to the urban concentration in high and middle-low-income countries. There is unidirectional causality from the population concentration towards the real per capita output in the low-income countries; from the non-renewable energy consumption to the real per capita output in high-income countries; from the real per capita output to the non-renewable energy consumption in the countries of medium-high and medium-low income; and from urban concentration to non-renewable energy consumption in high- and medium-high-income countries. Our results highlight the importance of promoting policies of urban planning and generation and consumption of renewable energy without limiting the expansion of the output.

An efficient Cr(VI) adsorbent, mesoporous amine-functionalized silica (NH-SiO₂), was successfully synthesized within 2 h by a facile one-step route under room temperature and aqueous solution. The structure properties of the obtained materials were characterized by N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm, XRD, TEM, and FT-IR. The Cr(VI) removal performance was investigated by batch experiment. It was found that Cr(VI) removal performance was dependent on solution pH, and the removal efficiency is above 90% for initial pH in the range of 1.0–4.0. The adsorption process was obeyed by pseudo-second-order model, and the equilibrium adsorption data were fitted well by Langmuir model. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was 205.76 mg/g at pH 2.0, which was larger than that of traditional two-step tri-amine-functionalized MCM-41. Additionally, high selectivity was exhibited in NH-SiO₂ for removal Cr(VI) from co-presence anions Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, PO₄³⁻, SO₄²⁻, and SiO₃²⁻. Furthermore, the spent NH-SiO₂ could be regenerated by 0.005 M NaOH, and Cr(VI) removal is above 92% after NH-SiO₂ recycled four. From the analyzed results of adsorption energy, FT-IR, and XPS, the electrostatic attraction between protonated amine group and HCrO₄⁻ was the mainly adsorption mechanism. And then some adsorbed Cr(VI) was reduced to low toxicity Cr(III) on the adsorbent surface by electron transfer from nitrogen in –NBr group to Cr(VI).

The aim of the study was frequency analysis of GSTM1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase in the group of patients with prostate cancer and in a control group of healthy individuals. Genomic DNA was isolated; molecular analysis of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T2 polymorphisms was performed using multiplex PCR and RFLP methods. The products of the PCR reaction were then visualized in agarose gel, and a statistical analysis of the results was performed. No statistically significant differences were found in the frequency of glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms between 66 patients with prostate cancer and the control group (64 healthy volunteers). The GSTM1 gene deletion was found in ca. 47% of patients with prostate cancer and in ca. 55% of the controls. The GSTT1 deletion was found in approximately 17% of patients and 14% of the controls. The distribution of GSTP1 Ile/Ile, Ile/Val, and Val/Val polymorphisms was ca. 51.5%, 39%, and 9% in the group of patients and 61%, 34%, and 5% in the control group, respectively. The results indicate that there is no relationship between glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and prostate cancer in the study group, which is a novelty when compared with the previous work on the role of these genetic variants in the etiology of cancer.

For the purpose of enhancing the removal rate of nitrogen (N) and organic matters, intermittent aeration and carbon source were used in filled-and-drained vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs). The results showed that the best removal of COD (74.16%), NH₄⁺-N (93.56%), TN (86.88%), and NO₃⁻-N (79.65%) was achieved in VFCW1 (aerated with carbon source system). Illumina MiSeq300 high-throughput sequencing showed that carbon source aerated system increases the diversity and richness of the microbial community. The copy numbers of nitrification functional genes (nxrA, amoA), denitrification functional genes (nirS, nirK, nosZ), and anammox functional gene (anammox 16S rRNA) displayed various changes when applied different aeration modes and additional carbon source to each system. An increase of the DO concentration and carbon source facilitated the absolute abundance of microbial nitrification and denitrification functional genes, respectively. All in all, these results demonstrate that carbon source combined with intermittent aeration is valid to improve the pollutant treatment performance in these systems.

Continued long-term monitoring of vegetation activity in national key ecological function zones (NKEFZs) has implications for national ecological security and sustainability in China. We used Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI3g) dataset to map and analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of change in vegetation growth and their linkage with climate change and human activities in NKEFZs during 1982–2013. Statistically significant increases of growing season, spring, and autumn NDVI were observed during all or most periods while 25 NKEFZs are taken as a whole. Non-significant decreases of NDVI were found in 7 NKEFZs during a few periods, and obvious increases were observed during fifteen periods in all other NKEFZs. Vegetation growth in NKEFZs was mainly regulated by a thermal factor, and the dominant climatic drivers varied across different regions and seasons. The influence of temperature was stronger on vegetation activity in spring and autumn for those NKEFZs located in high latitudes and high elevations, while precipitation was the main climatic control factor for NKEFZs in the arid and semi-arid regions. The effects of human activity on the NDVI of NKEFZs were not ignored; a significant decrease of NDVI in the Sanjiang Plain may be related to the rapid change in land use from wetland into farmland.

In recent years, the volume of wastewater produced worldwide has led to an increase in the study and use of different membranes and their properties. The progress of membrane technology in hand with nanotechnology has brought to the establishment of advanced membrane materials that are effective in the field of wastewater treatment and water reclamation. This study focuses on the effectiveness of exfoliated hydrotalcite (EHT) nanosheets in the membrane structure which has been evaluated by water flux and heavy metal rejection studies from aqueous solutions. Moreover, the shedding of HT in an organic polar solvent provides a new type of 2-D nanosheet with higher positive charge density. Hydrophilicity, porosity, surface and cross-section morphology, functional groups, and mechanical strength are determined to characterize the prepared membranes. The effect of adding a pore-forming agent to the dope solution is also investigated. Increased hydrophilicity of the modified membranes is confirmed by water contact angle measurement. Furthermore, EHT is found to be an efficient inorganic additive to get better membrane performance and can be employed as a promising candidate for the removal of Pb²⁺. The rejection % enhanced substantially (50.2% as compared with 29.5% for PES membrane) with increased loading of EHT up to 0.5 g.

Since antibiotics show hormesis effects in cyanobacteria at the nanogram per liter concentration level, the possibility for two commonly used antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline) to increase lipid productivity in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was assessed in the present study. The two target antibiotics significantly promoted (p < 0.05) the biofuel productivity of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 through the increase of both biomass and lipid content. Sulfamethoxazole and tetracycline significantly stimulated (p < 0.05) cyanobacterial growth by upregulating proteins related to cell differentiation, cell division, and gene expression; significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) the photosynthetic activity by upregulating photosynthesis-related proteins; and significantly increased (p < 0.05) the lipid content in cyanobacterial cells by downregulating carbohydrate catabolic proteins and carbohydrate transport proteins. Due to the altered expression pattern of biosynthesis-related proteins, the two antibiotics increased the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids, while tetracycline reduced the proportions of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The changes in fatty acid composition may improve the combustion performance of biofuel. This study provided insights into the application of antibiotics in cyanobacteria-based biofuel production. Graphical abstract

Acrylamide concentration in food products collected from the Tehran market was investigated by the aid of a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) system coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Also, the dietary exposure distribution and related potential risk for acrylamide ingestion were estimated by the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The highest and lowest mean concentration of acrylamide was detected in coffee and roasted nuts samples as 549 and 133 μg/kg, respectively. The mean acrylamide dietary exposure values for children (3–10 years), adolescents (11–17 years), adults (18–60 years), and seniors (61–96 years) were estimated to be 1.81, 1.02, 0.61, and 0.53 μg/kg body weight (BW)/day, respectively. In all age groups, except children, the estimated exposure in men and boys was higher than that in women and girls. Bread, despite containing low acrylamide content groups (157 μg/kg while compared with other, except roasted nuts), showed with the highest contribution rate in all age groups due to its high consumption rate. The estimated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for all age groups was noted as greater than 10⁻⁴ indicating serious risk to the population. Moreover, the margin of exposure (MOE) values based on carcinogenicity showed health concern to all age groups (< 10,000). Regarding the non-carcinogenic risk, the target hazard quotient (THQ) was lower than 1, and MOE based on neurotoxicity was higher than 125 (safety thresholds), which represented negligible and ignorable risk in all age groups except in a small group of children and adolescents. Graphical abstract