Recent advancement of nano-biochar for the remediation of heavy metals and emerging contaminants: Mechanism, adsorption kinetic model, plant growth and development.

Even though researches have shown that biochar can improve soil-health and plant-growth even in harsh environments and get rid of harmful heavy metals and new contaminants, it is still not sustainable, affordable, or effective enough. Therefore, scientists are required to develop nanomaterials in order to preserve numerous aquatic and terrestrial species. The carbonaceous chemical known as nano-biochar (N-BC) can be used to get rid of metal contamination and emerging contaminants. However, techniques to reduce hetero-aggregation and agglomeration of nano-biochar are needed that lead to the emergence of emerging nano-biochar (EN-BC) in order to maximise its capacity for adsorption of nano-biochar. To address concerns in regards to the expanding human population and sustain a healthy community, it is imperative to address the problems associated with toxic heavy metals, emerging contaminants, and other abiotic stressors that are threatening agricultural development. Nano-biochar can provide an effective solution for removal of emerging contaminants, toxic heavy metals, and non-degradable substance. This review provides the detailed functional mechanistic and kinetics of nano-biochar, its effectiveness in promoting plant growth, and soil health under abiotic stress. Nonetheless, this review paper has comprehensively illustrated various adsorption study models that will be employed in future research.

Impact of Bacillus cereus SPB-10 on Growth Promotion of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Arsenic-Contaminated Soil.

This study investigates the impact of bacteria on arsenic reduction in wheat plants, highlighting the potential of microbe-based eco-friendly strategies for plant growth. In the present study, bacterial isolate SPB-10 was survived at high concentration against both form of arsenic (As3+ and As5+). SPB-10 produced 5.2 g/L and 11.3 g/L of exo-polysaccharide at 20 ppm of As3+ and As5+, respectively, whereas qualitative examination revealed the highest siderophores ability. Other PGP attributes such as IAA production were recorded 52.12 mg/L and 95.82 mg/L, phosphate solubilization was 90.23 mg/L and 129 mg/L at 20 ppm of As3+ and As5+, respectively. Significant amount of CAT, APX, and Proline was also observed at 20 ppm of As3+ and As5+ in SPB-10. Isolate SPB-10 was molecularly identified as Bacillus cereus through 16S rRNA sequencing. After 42 days, wheat plants inoculated with SPB-10 had a 25% increase in shoot length and dry weight, and 26% rise in chlorophyll-a pigment under As5+ supplemented T4 treatment than control. Reducing sugar content was increased by 24% in T6-treated plants compared to control. Additionally, SPB-10 enhanced the content of essential nutrients (NPK), CAT, and APX in plant's-leaf under both As3+ and As5+ stressed conditions after 42 days. The study found that arsenic uptake in plant roots and shoots decreased in SPB-10-inoculated plants, with the maximum reduction observed in As5+ treated plants. Bio-concentration factor-BCF was reduced by 90.89% in SPB-10-inoculated treatment T4 after 42 days. This suggests that Bacillus cereus-SPB-10 may be beneficial for plant growth in arsenic-contaminated soil.

Mechanistic and future prospects in rhizospheric engineering for agricultural contaminants removal, soil health restoration, and management of climate change stress.

Climate change, food insecurity, and agricultural pollution are all serious challenges in the twenty-first century, impacting plant growth, soil quality, and food security. Innovative techniques are required to mitigate these negative outcomes. Toxic heavy metals (THMs), organic pollutants (OPs), and emerging contaminants (ECs), as well as other biotic and abiotic stressors, can all affect nutrient availability, plant metabolic pathways, agricultural productivity, and soil-fertility. Comprehending the interactions between root exudates, microorganisms, and modified biochar can aid in the fight against environmental problems such as the accumulation of pollutants and the stressful effects of climate change. Microbes can inhibit THMs uptake, degrade organic pollutants, releases biomolecules that regulate crop development under drought, salinity, pathogenic attack and other stresses. However, these microbial abilities are primarily demonstrated in research facilities rather than in contaminated or stressed habitats. Despite not being a perfect solution, biochar can remove THMs, OPs, and ECs from contaminated areas and reduce the impact of climate change on plants. We hypothesized that combining microorganisms with biochar to address the problems of contaminated soil and climate change stress would be effective in the field. Despite the fact that root exudates have the potential to attract selected microorganisms and biochar, there has been little attention paid to these areas, considering that this work addresses a critical knowledge gap of rhizospheric engineering mediated root exudates to foster microbial and biochar adaptation. Reducing the detrimental impacts of THMs, OPs, ECs, as well as abiotic and biotic stress, requires identifying the best root-associated microbes and biochar adaptation mechanisms.

Reducing the environmental impact of rice production in subtropical India by minimising reactive nitrogen loss.

The future of reactive nitrogen (N) for subtropical lowland rice to be characterised under diverse N-management to develop adequate sustainable practices. It is a challenge to increase the efficiency of N use in lowland rice, as N can be lost in various ways, e.g., through nitrous oxide (N2O) or dinitrogen (N2) emissions, ammonia (NH3) volatilization and nitrate (NO3-) leaching. A field study was carried out in the subsequent wet (2021) and dry (2022) seasons to assess the impacts of different N management strategies on yield, N use efficiency and different N losses in a double-cropped rice system. Seven different N-management practices including application of chemical fertilisers, liquid organic fertiliser, nitrification inhibitors, organic nutrient management and integrated nutrient management (INM) were studied. The application of soil test-based neem-coated urea (NCU) during the wet season resulted in the highest economic yield, while integrated nutrient management showed the highest economic yield during the dry season. Total N losses by volatilization of NH3, N2O loss and leaching were 0.06-4.73, 0.32-2.14 and 0.25-1.93 kg ha-1, corresponding to 0.06-5.84%, 0.11-2.20% and 0.09-1.81% of total applied N, respectively. The total N-uptake in grain and straw was highest in INM (87-89% over control) followed by the soil test-based NCU (77-82% over control). In comparison, recovery efficiency of N was maximum from application of NCU + dicyandiamide during both the seasons. The N footprint of paddy rice ranged 0.46-2.01 kg N-eq. t-1 during both seasons under various N management. Ammonia volatilization was the process responsible for the largest N loss, followed by N2O emissions, and NO3- leaching in these subtropical lowland rice fields. After ranking the different N management practices on a scale of 1-7, soil test-based NCU was considered the best N management approach in the wet year 2021, while INM scored the best in the dry year 2022.

Effect of irrigation on wild and inbred maize with relation to the antioxidant status of pollens, flag leaves, and developing grains.

The investigation was carried out to evaluate the net effect of limited irrigation on the antioxidant status of pollens, flag leaves, and developing grains of wild and inbred maize lines. Teosinte pollens showed the highest activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), and peroxidase (POX) under stressful conditions while LM 11 showed a significant decrease in APX, CAT, GR, and GST activities. Limited irrigations increased the contents of superoxide and malondialdehyde (MDA) to maximum levels in LM 11 leaves. The pollens, leaves, and developing grains of teosinte had the highest content of total phenols. Proline was maximum in the developing grains of teosinte and CML 32 while lowest in those of LM 11. Principal component analysis showed that LM 11 genotype and the respective antioxidant enzymes were in completely opposite quadrants. Chord analysis showed that CAT activity and total phenol content in pollens, leaves, and developing grains contributed towards most of the variations observed in teosinte and might be responsible for managing the yield attributes of genotype during stress conditions. The pollens and leaves of teosinte, with significant SOD activity, further helped in optimizing plant yield, under stressful conditions. CML 32 occupied intermediate position owing to the unaffected activities of most of the antioxidant enzymes and high content of antioxidants in its tissues. It may be concluded that the overall antioxidant status of tissues decides the tolerance behavior of plants.

Plants, animals, and fisheries waste-mediated bioremediation of contaminants of environmental and emerging concern (CEECs)-a circular bioresource utilization approach.

The release of contaminants of environmental concern including heavy metals and metalloids, and contaminants of emerging concern including organic micropollutants from processing industries, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and anthropogenic sources, is a growing threat worldwide. Mitigating inorganic and organic contaminants, which can be coined as contaminants of environmental and emerging concern (CEECs), is a big challenge as traditional physicochemical processes are not economically viable for managing mixed contaminants of low concentrations. As a result, low-cost materials must be designed to provide high CEEC removal efficiency. One of the environmentally viable and energy-efficient approaches is biosorption, which involves using biomass or biopolymers isolated from plants or animals to decontaminate heavy metals in contaminated environments using inherent biological mechanisms. Among chemical constituents in plant biomass, cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, proteins, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and animal biomass include polysaccharides and other compounds to bind heavy metals covalently and non-covalently. These functional groups include carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amide, amine, and sulfhydryl. Cation-exchange capacities of these bioadsorbents can be improved by applying chemical modifications. The relevance of chemical constituents and bioactives in biosorbents derived from agricultural production such as food and fodder crops, bioenergy and cash crops, fruit and vegetable crops, medicinal and aromatic plants, plantation trees, aquatic and terrestrial weeds, and animal production such as dairy, goatery, poultry, duckery, and fisheries is highlighted in this comprehensive review for sequestering and bioremediation of CEECs, including as many as ten different heavy metals and metalloids co-contaminated with other organic micropollutants in circular bioresource utilization and one-health concepts.

Awareness, perspectives and satisfaction levels among patients with psoriatic arthritis: a multicentric cross-sectional survey.

Perception of the disease and its management impacts patients with Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) to a great degree. Studies examining patients' viewpoints and perception of their disease and its management are scarce. This multicentric cross-sectional survey was undertaken to understand the perspectives of patients with PsA. A survey questionnaire with items on demographics, awareness about their disease, treatment, physical therapy, quality of life and satisfaction with the care received was designed. After internal and external validation, a pilot survey was conducted, and the questionnaire was finalized. The final survey (with translations in local languages) was carried out at 17 centres across India. There were 262 respondents (56% males) with mean age of 45.14 ± 12.89 years. In 40%, the time lag between onset of symptoms and medical assessment for it was more than a year. In most of the patients, the diagnosis of PsA was made by a rheumatologist. Over 83% of patients were consulting their rheumatologist periodically as advised and fully compliant with the treatment. Lack of time and cost of therapy were the most common reasons for non-adherence to therapy. Eighty-eight patients (34%) were not fully satisfied with their current treatment. Over two-third of patients had never seen a physiotherapist due to barriers including a lack of time, pain, and fatigue. The daily activities and employment status were affected in nearly 50% of patients with PsA. The current survey has identified a gap in patients' awareness levels and helps healthcare providers in understanding the varied perceptions of patients with PsA. Addressing these issues in a systematic manner would potentially improve the treatment approaches, outcomes, and patient satisfaction levels.

Efficient removal of total arsenic (As3+/5+) from contaminated water by novel strategies mediated iron and plant extract activated waste flowers of marigold.

In this investigation, marigold flower-waste was activated with iron salts (MG-Fe), subsequently marigold plant extract (MG-Fe-Ex) for the adsorptive elimination of As3+ and As5+ from contaminated water. The governing factor such as medium pH, temperature, pollutant concentration, reaction time, adsorbent dose were considered for the study. The complete elimination of As3+/5+ was recorded with MG-Fe-Ex at pH 8.0, 90 min, 30 °C, dose 4 g/L, 20 mg/L of As3+/5+ and shaking rate 120 rpm, while under the identical experimental condition, MG-Fe exhibited 98.4% and 73.3% removal for As5+ and As3+, respectively. The MG-Fe-Ex contains iron oxides (Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) as a result of iron ions reaction with plant bioactive molecules as evident from x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic study. The adsorption data of As3+/5+ on MG-Fe and MG-Fe-Ex was best fitted by pseudo-first order kinetic and freundlich isotherm except As5+ adsorption on MG-Fe-Ex that can be described by langmuir isotherm model. The prevailing mechanism in adsorption of As3+/5+ on both adsorbent might be hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction and complexation. From the above, it is confirmed that MG-Fe-Ex adsorbent has high potential and can be used for the adsorptive elimination of As3+/5+ from contaminated water in sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles from plant, animal, and fisheries wastes: potential and valorization for application in agriculture.

Global agriculture is facing tremendous challenges due to climate change. The most predominant amongst these challenges are abiotic and biotic stresses caused by increased incidences of temperature extremes, drought, unseasonal flooding, and pathogens. These threats, mostly due to anthropogenic activities, resulted in severe challenges to crop and livestock production leading to substantial economic losses. It is essential to develop environmentally viable and cost-effective green processes to alleviate these stresses in the crops, livestock, and fisheries. The application of nanomaterials in farming practice to minimize nutrient losses, pest management, and enhance stress resistance capacity is of supreme importance. This paper explores innovative methods for synthesizing metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles using plants, animals, and fisheries wastes and their valorization to mitigate abiotic and biotic stresses and input use efficiency in climate-smart and stress-resilient agriculture including crop plants, livestock, and fisheries.

Wear rate and biocompatibility of pre and post UV irradiated UHMWPE for tribo-pair in total knee replacement application.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and CoCr alloy are popular tribo-pair in total knee replacement. Wear in the liner is a major failure reason for knee implant. Therefore, this work focuses on an approach for reducing the wear rate by irradiating the UHMWPE specimens using Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The powder of UHMWPE was molded into a plate by microwave-assisted compression (MAC) molding. The UV radiations of intensity 0.025 J/cm2 were irradiated on the MAC molded UHMWPE specimens. The wear rate was determined using a pin on the disc wear tribometer using the pre and post-irradiated UHMWPE specimens as a pin and CoCr alloy as the disc. The pre and post-irradiated UHMWPE sliding was done at the load of 40 N for 1500 m under dry conditions. The reduction in the wear rate recorded was 56% after UV irradiation. The surface morphology of the worn specimens was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the 3D surface mapping technique. The obtained results of wear rate were validated numerically by implementing the contact problem solution in Archard's wear law using user-subroutine on Python. The experimental and numerically obtained results were in good agreement. The biological response of pre and post-irradiated specimens was evaluated by hemolysis assay, cellular compatibility against peripheral blood mononuclear cells, platelet adhesion, and in vitro degradation under a simulated blood fluid environment.

Range grasses to improve soil properties, carbon sustainability, and fodder security in degraded lands of semi-arid regions.

Tropical grasses are the primary source of forage for livestock and a valuable resource for improving soil health and environmental sustainability in semi-arid regions. A study was carried out in a semi-arid region of central India to determine the short-term (6-year) impact of nine range grasses on soil physio-chemical and biological properties, carbon stock, and forage security. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with three replications. Results show that the majority of the grass roots were distributed in the upper soil layer (0-10 cm, 63.5-76.5 %), and then in the middle (10-20 cm, 21.3-25 %) and lower (20-30 cm, 2.2-11.5 %) layers. Perennial tussock grass (Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult) had a higher root volume (2219 mm3), followed by Guinea grass [Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs] (1860 mm3). A lower soil bulk density (BD, 1.11-1.23 g cm-3), higher gravimetric water content (GMW, 14.0-17.8 %), and soil organic carbon (0.38-0.73 %) were recorded for grass-cultivated plots compared to the barren land (1.38 g cm-3, 13.0 %, and 0.28 %, respectively). The perennial tussock grass and Guinea grass resulted in the highest soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC, 70.1 mg kg-1 soil) and enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, 17.09 µg TPF g-1 day-1 and fluorescein diacetate activity 4.94 µg fluorescein g-1 h-1). The considerable improvement in soil properties with minimal inputs resulted in a higher sustainable yield index and carbon sustainability index in plots planted with Guinea grass (0.9 and 89.29) and perennial tussock grass (0.89 and 71.61). Therefore, the cultivation of either Guinea grass or perennial tussock grass as an intercrop or sole crop in the semi-arid environment can be an ecologically sound strategy to improve soil health, C sequestration, and fodder supply.

Services provided for axial spondyloarthritis patients by rheumatologists in India: a survey.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the current knowledge and attitudes of Indian rheumatologists concerning axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) with respect to recent terminology for diagnosis, management strategies and additional services. Methods: The survey was designed for spondyloarthritis care given by rheumatologists in the Indian health-care context. The structured survey consisted of a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. An anonymous Web-based questionnaire was sent to 710 members of the Indian Rheumatology Association, and descriptive analysis of responses was done. Results: The survey respondents were from government and private health-care facilities and gave a response rate of 19% (133 of 710). About 49% of respondents were using the terminology axSpA for a new diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (SpA). BASDAI was used routinely as the main disease monitoring tool by most respondents (76.2%). Same-day MRI was available to 42.9% (51 of 119) respondents. Selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors were the preferred first NSAID for 50% of respondents, and SSZ was the most preferred DMARD for peripheral arthritis. Financial constraints were the most common factor that affected the initiation of biologics and also the most common reason for stopping biological therapies. Nearly 65% (80 of 122) of respondents did not have a multidisciplinary team available in clinical practice, and only 15% of respondents had access to patient support groups. Conclusion: For a new diagnosis, the terminology of axSpA is not fully accepted by Indian rheumatologists. The axSpA management given by Indian rheumatologists is in agreement with recent guidelines, however, there is a significant lack of accessibility to multidisciplinary care and patient support groups in India.

Corrigendum to: Services provided for axial spondyloarthritis patients by rheumatologists in India: a survey.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/rap/rkab048.][This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/rap/rkab048.].

Chikungunya arthritis.

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection epidemic has emerged as a significant public health concern in the last 10-15 years, especially in Asian and south American countries. However, with ever-expanding tourism and migration, cases have now been reported in north America and Europe. CHIKV infection predominantly causes musculoskeletal symptoms with a chronic polyarthritis which may resemble autoimmune inflammatory arthritis. CHIKV infection should always be suspected in a returning traveller presenting with fever, skin rash and arthralgia. Though first reported in the last century, a series of epidemics since 2004 have substantially improved our knowledge. There has also been a significant increase in our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of chikungunya infection. This knowledge is being used in the development of new treatment strategies and preventive measures. In this narrative review, we discuss some of the recent advances in the epidemiology, immunopathogenesis, and management of CHIKV arthritis.

Gamma irradiation protect the developing wheat endosperm from oxidative damage by balancing the trade-off between the defence network and grains quality.

Gamma irradiation has been reported to modulate the biochemical and molecular parameters associated with the tolerance of plant species under biotic/ abiotic stress. Wheat is highly sensitive to heat stress (HS), as evident from the decrease in the quantity and quality of the total grains. Here, we studied the effect of pre-treatment of wheat dry seeds with different doses of gamma irradiation (0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 kGy) on tolerance level and quality of developing wheat endospermic tissue under HS (38 °C, 1 h; continuously for three days). Expression analysis of genes associated with defence and starch metabolism in developing grains showed maximum transcripts of HSP17 (in response to 0.25 kGy + HS) and AGPase (under 0.30 kGy), as compared to control. Gamma irradiation was observed to balance the accumulation of H2O2 by enhancing the activities of SOD and GPx in both the cvs. under HS. Gamma irradiation was observed to stabilize the synthesis of starch and amylose by regulating the activities of AGPase, SSS and α-amylase under HS. The appearance of isoforms of gliadins (α, ß, γ, ω) were observed more in gamma irradiated seeds (0.20 kGy), as compared to control. Gamma irradiation (0.25 kGy in HD3118 & 0.20 kGy in HD3086) was observed to have positive effect on the width, length and test seed weight of the grains under HS. The information generated in present investigation provides easy, cheap and user-friendly technology to mitigate the effect of terminal HS on the grain-development process of wheat along with development of robust seeds with high nutrient density.

Staphylococcus aureus autolysins interact with caprine vitronectin without involving the heparin binding domain and the second arginine-glycine-aspartic acid motif of the host protein.

Many bacteria exploit host proteins for their colonization. Vitronectin (Vn), present in the blood and extracellular matrix, is one such protein that acts as a bridge between the bacteria and the host tissues leading to infection. In this study, Vn binding protein of Staphylococcus aureus (COL strain) (SaVnBP) has been characterized as autolysin(s) based on mass spectrometry data and the ability of these proteins to degrade S. aureus substratum. Deletion of the heparin-binding domain (residues 341-380) from the Vn did not affect its ability to interact with SaVnBP. Similarly, change of R to A or D to A in the second arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD2) motif of Vn had no negative effect on protein-protein interaction. These results imply that the primary heparin-binding site and the second RGD motif of caprine Vn may not be involved in the initial step of S. aureus colonization.

Characterization of novel heat-responsive transcription factor (TaHSFA6e) gene involved in regulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs) - A key member of heat stress-tolerance network of wheat.

Heat stress has an adverse effect on the quality and quantity of agriculturally important crops, especially wheat. The tolerance mechanism has not been explored much in wheat and very few genes/ TFs responsive to heat stress is available on public domain. Here, we identified, cloned and characterized a putative TaHSFA6e TF gene of 1.3 kb from wheat cv. HD2985. We observed an ORF of 368 aa with Hsf DNA binding signature domain in the amino acid sequence. Single copy number of TaHSFA6e was observed integrated in the genome of wheat. Expression analysis of TaHSFA6e under differential HS showed maximum transcripts in wheat cv. Halna (thermotolerant) in response to 38 °C for 2 h during pollination and grain-filling stages, as compared to PBW343, HD2329 and HD2985. Putative target genes of TaHSFA6e (HSP17, HSP70 and HSP90) showed upregulation in response to differential HS (30 & 38 °C, 2 h) during pollination and grain-filling stages. Small HSP17 was observed most triggered in Halna under HS. We observed increase in the catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and decrease in the lipid peroxidation in thermotolerant cvs. (Halna, HD2985), as compared to thermosusceptible (PBW343, HD2329) under differential HS. Multiple stresses (heat - 38 °C, 2 h, and drought - 100 mL of 20% polyethylene Glycol 6000) during seedling stage of wheat showed positive correlation between the expression of TaHSFA6e, putative targets (HSP70, HSP90, HSP17) and TAC. Halna (thermotolerant) performed better, as compared to other contrasting cvs. TaHSFA6e TF can be used as promising candidate gene for manipulating the heat stress-tolerance network.

Services for spondyloarthritis: a survey of patients and rheumatologists.

Objectives: There have been significant advances in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), with implications for service delivery. We evaluated the state of axSpA rheumatology services and how people with axSpA perceive their care. Methods: An online patient survey was emailed to all members of the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society and advertised widely via social media. Separately, a Web-based questionnaire about axSpA services was sent to rheumatologists at all 172 acute hospital trusts in the UK. Results: From the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society survey, data for 1979 surveys (56% males) were available for analysis. The majority of respondents had longstanding disease and identified their diagnosis as AS, with only 44% aware of the term axSpA. Eighty-two per cent of respondents were currently attending a rheumatologist, with 43% on biologic agents. Satisfaction scores for rheumatology care were high. Respondents' concerns included access during disease flares and adverse effects of analgesics. From the rheumatology survey, the concept and terminology of axSpA was widely accepted by respondents (88%). The majority of centres had at least one rheumatologist with a specialist interest in axSpA (62%), dedicated axSpA clinics (58%) or a multidisciplinary team for axSpA (64%). BASDAI (99%), BASFI (74%) and BASMI (65%) were routinely performed. All centres had access to MRI scans, but scanning protocols varied and were often sub-optimal. Conclusion: Although overall satisfaction with rheumatology care was high, the results indicate significant unmet patient needs and discrepancies in service provision. This information will inform the development of quality standards for axSpA in order to improve quality and deliver equitable care for all patients.