Conjugation of gum Arabic and lentil protein hydrolysates through Maillard reaction: Antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, functional and sensory properties.

Lentil protein hydrolysates (LPH) and lentil protein hydrolysates cross-linked (LPHC) were grafted with gum Arabic (GA) through a wet Maillard reaction at 100°C for 2 h and called MLPH and MLPHC. The samples were assessed for absorption, degree of grafting (DG), surface hydrophobicity, antioxidant activity, molecular weight (MW) profile, chemical alteration, volatile compounds, functional and sensory properties. Results showed that Maillard grafting led to increase in absorption and DG (maximum value: MLPHC), and led to the reduction of the surface hydrophobicity and antioxidant activity (minimum value: MLPHC). MW profiles indicated that MLPH and MLPHC formed new bands at MW >250 kDa. Regarding the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Maillard conjugation led to the occurrence of peaks at 1759 and 1765 cm-1, while the intensities of amide I bands at 1637 and 1659 cm-1 and amide II bands at 1498 and 1495 cm-1 were decreased. Hydrolysis, cross-linking, and especially Maillard grafting provided well-balanced content of volatile components. Indeed, the proportions of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and acids were changed, thereby, the inherent grassy and planty tastes were diminished while new umami taste was developed. Maillard grafting led to significant improvement of functional properties, while MLPH and MLPHC indicated the highest emulsifying activity at pH 10.0 (73.76 and 70.12 m2/g, respectively) and stability (369.64 and 288.22 min), foaming capacity (88.57% and 142.86%) and stability (60.57% and 72%). Sensory analysis has demonstrated that umami taste was highly developed in MLPH and MLPHC, which can be well considered as meat proteins and flavor enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Quantitative risk estimation of CNG station by using fuzzy bayesian networks and consequence modeling.

As one of the potential explosions and inflammation, compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in urban areas cause irreparable losses and casualties. Estimating risk assessment in gas stress based on coherent uses can reduce accidents in urban areas. The purpose of the present study was to estimate a small risk estimation at one of the CNG multipurpose stations, LPG, using combined models of the Fuzzy Bayesian Network, Bow-tie Diagram, and consequence modeling. This study was conducted based on the basic and 25 intermediate events. This study formed a seven-person safety team to identify the primary events and build the Bow-tie diagram. Then, because of the lack of a proper database, fuzzy theory was used to determine the probability of significant events. Bayesian networks were drawn based on the Bow-tie model using GeNLe software. Finally, the main events of the two Bow-tie, Bayesian network modeling, and risk estimation were performed with the help of PHAST/SAFETI (V8.22). The geographical information system software was used to zone the explosion effects. The Risk assessment result showed that the social risks and the Bayesian network model are more than Bow-tie, and the Bow-tie diagram is unacceptable. Therefore, using incompatible land uses in the vicinity of the CNG stations gives rise to the effects of accident scenarios in particular residential and administrative land uses, which decision-makers and city managers should consider. Based on the findings of this study, the obtained results can be utilized to implement effective control measures. These measures encompass devising a response plan tailored to address specific emergency conditions and conducting comprehensive training programs for the individuals and residents residing within the study area.

Inactivation of Mst/Nrf2/Keap1 signaling flexibly mitigates MAPK/NQO-HO1 activation in the reproductive axis of experimental fluorosis.

Fluoride induced reprotoxicity through oxidative stress-mediated reproductive cell death. Hence, the current study evaluated the importance of the MST/Nrf2/MAPK/NQO-HO1 signaling pathway in fluorosis-induced reproductive toxicity. For this purpose, the reproductive toxicity of sodium fluoride (NaF) at physiological, biochemical, and intracellular levels was evaluated. In-vivo, NaF at 100 mg/L instigated physiological dysfunction, morphological, stereological, and structural injuries in the gut-gonadal axis of fluorosis mice through weakening the antioxidant signaling, Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1signaling pathway, causing the gut-gonadal barrier disintegrated via oxidative stress-induced inflammation, mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and autophagy. Similar trends were also observed in-vitro in the isolated Leydig cells (LCs) challenging with 20 mg/L NaF. Henceforth, activating the cellular antioxidant signaling pathway, Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1, inactivating autophagy and apoptosis, or attenuating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can be the theoretical basis and valuable therapeutic targets for coping with NaF-induced reproductive toxicity.

Reciprocal analysis of groundwater potentiality and vulnerability modeling in the Bahabad Plain, Iran.

Heuristic and statistical groundwater quality assessment models are efficient tools in the zoning of groundwater vulnerability to contamination. An important reciprocal methodology, yet neglected in Iran, was conducted to assess the performance of three groundwater vulnerability models, namely GODS, SI, and DRASTIC, and a data mining model for groundwater potential, maximum entropy (MaxEnt). For both the training and validation stages for the MaxEnt model, the Mahalanobis distance technique was adopted. The vulnerability rates obtained from the DRASTIC model with a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.76 had a statistically significant correlation with nitrate concentrations in the 21 wells, compared to SI and GODS. The DRASTIC model can better reflect the vulnerability of groundwater resources to contamination. The impact of the vadose zone with an average effective weight of 33 is more important than other parameters, followed by depth than groundwater (D) (32.01), net recharge (R) (28.95), and the aquifer media (A) (18.1). These weights may not be changed. MaxEnt showed significant performance in both the training and validation stages with the respective area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of 0.907 and 0.901. A reciprocal analysis between the vulnerability map in the superior model and the groundwater potential map derived from MaxEnt revealed that areas with high groundwater potential are still in safe state but require more attention as the top priority for amendment practices. In addition, approximately 8.7% of the entire study area has a high vulnerability to contamination, which requires immediate pragmatic actions.

Taurine Improves Sperm Mitochondrial Indices, Blunts Oxidative Stress Parameters, and Enhances Steroidogenesis and Kinematics of Sperm in Lead-Exposed Mice.

Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic heavy metal. Pb exposure could adversely affect many organs, including the male reproductive system. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial impairment play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of Pb-induced male reproductive system injury. Taurine (TAU) is abundantly found in mammalian bodies. The positive effects of TAU on oxidative stress biomarkers and mitochondrial function have been reported. The current study evaluated the effects of TAU on Pb-induced reproductive toxicity. Mice received Pb (20 mg/kg/day; gavage, 35 consecutive days). Then, sperm indices (quality and quantity) together with sperm kinetics, sperm mitochondrial parameters, testicular and sperm oxidative stress biomarkers, testis and plasma testosterone levels, and the expression of genes involved in the steroidogenesis process have been evaluated. Pb caused significant histopathological alterations and oxidative stress in male mice's reproductive system and sperm. Moreover, significant mitochondrial function impairment was evident in sperm isolated from Pb-treated mice. Pb exposure also suppressed the expression of StAR, 17ß-HSD, CYP11A, and 3ß-HSD genes in the male gonad. It was found that TAU (500 and 1000 mg/kg) significantly improved oxidative stress biomarkers in both male gonads and gametes of Pb-treated mice. TAU also significantly restored sperm mitochondrial function and kinetics. The expression of genes involved in steroidogenesis was also higher in TAU-treated animals. These data suggest TAU as an effective agent against Pb-induced reproductive toxicity. The effects of TAU on oxidative stress markers, mitochondrial function, and the steroidogenesis process seem to play a fundamental role in its protective properties. Further studies are warranted to detect the precise protective effects of this amino acid in the reproductive system. Lead (Pb) is a toxic element that adversely affects the male reproductive system. Mitochondrial impairment and oxidative stress have a crucial role in the Pb-induced reproductive toxicity. Taurine (TAU) could considerably improve the reproductive toxicity induced by Pb via enhancing mitochondrial function and mitigating oxidative stress indices. ΔΨ, mitochondrial membrane potential; ATP, adenosine triphosphate.

Glycine protects the male reproductive system against lead toxicity via alleviating oxidative stress, preventing sperm mitochondrial impairment, improving kinematics of sperm, and blunting the downregulation of enzymes involved in the steroidogenesis.

Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic heavy metal widely dispersed in the environment because of human industrial activities. Many studies revealed that Pb could adversely affect several organs, including the male reproductive system. Pb-induced reproductive toxicity could lead to infertility. Thus, finding safe and clinically applicable protective agents against this complication is important. It has been found that oxidative stress plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of Pb-induced reprotoxicity. Glycine is the simplest amino acid with a wide range of pharmacological activities. It has been found that glycine could attenuate oxidative stress and mitochondrial impairment in various experimental models. The current study was designed to evaluate the role of glycine in Pb-induced reproductive toxicity in male mice. Male BALB/c mice received Pb (20 mg/kg/day; gavage; 35 consecutive days) and treated with glycine (250 and 500 mg/kg/day; gavage; 35 consecutive days). Then, reproductive system weight indices, biomarkers of oxidative stress in the testis and isolated sperm, sperm kinetic, sperm mitochondrial indices, and testis histopathological alterations were monitored. A significant change in testis, epididymis, and Vas deferens weight was evident in Pb-treated animals. Markers of oxidative stress were also significantly increased in the testis and isolated sperm of the Pb-treated group. A significant disruption in sperm kinetic was also evident when mice received Pb. Moreover, Pb exposure caused significant deterioration in sperm mitochondrial indices. Tubular injury, tubular desquamation, and decreased spermatogenic index were histopathological alterations detected in Pb-treated mice. It was found that glycine significantly blunted oxidative stress markers in testis and sperm, improved sperm mitochondrial parameters, causing considerable higher velocity-related indices (VSL, VCL, and VAP) and percentages of progressively motile sperm, and decreased testis histopathological changes in Pb-exposed animals. These data suggest glycine as a potential protective agent against Pb-induced reproductive toxicity. The effects of glycine on oxidative stress markers and mitochondrial function play a key role in its protective mechanism.

Elemental bioimaging of Zn and Cd in leaves of hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and referencing strategies.

The spatial distribution of Zn and Cd in leaves of the heavy metal hyperaccumulator species Arabidopsis halleri, a land plant in the Brassicaceae family of angiosperms, is determined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Detected intensities of nuclides of the environmental pollutants Zn and Cd are referenced to nuclides of the naturally abundant elements C, Mg, P, Ca, and Rb as internal standards, in order to compensate for widespread experimental issues in whole-leaf laser ablation. Referencing occurs by dividing the signal intensity of the analyte by the corresponding intensity of the internal standard. In order to avoid large quotients that occur during division by small numbers, quotients of pixels for which the internal standard is no higher than the background are set to zero. The effects of referencing on a loss of laser focus, overlapping layers of leaf tissue and cell damage within the imaged leaf tissue are addressed specifically. It is reported that referencing to 25Mg, 31P, 44Ca or 85Rb can skew the results of Zn and Cd distribution because of their different ion mobility within leaves or other element-specific effects. This is particularly valid in the leaf venation and in regions of leaves where cell damage has occurred. Considering all aspects, 13C was found to be best suited among the investigated elements for referencing of leaves, because it stabilizes the resulting distributions of Zn and Cd even in samples affected by experimental issues.

Assessment of vulnerability and hydrogeochemical specifications of Bahabad Yazd Plain aquifer.

Available quality groundwater resources are declining globally due to population growth, agricultural activities, industrialization, and urbanization. Wells in Bahabad Plain, located in Yazd Province, Iran, are the primary source of water demanded by humans for drinking and agricultural activities. Hence, it is pivotal to examine the quality of groundwater resources, which is the main objective of this study. To this end, seventeen water samples collected in the region were using standard sampling methods, and ten parameters were examined from the samples, namely pH, TH, TDS, SO4, HCO3, Cl-, K+, Ca+, Mg+, and Na+. Water quality index (WQI) was used to determine water quality, and SI, GODS, and DRASTIC methods were used to examine aquifer vulnerability to contamination. Schoeller's diagram indicated that 11% of the samples were at an excellent level; 33% were at a drinkable level; 20% were at a not-suitable level for drinking; 26% were terrible for drinking; and 10% were at an almost non-drinkable level. According to WQI results, 23.53% of the samples had no limitation for drinking, 35.29 were of low quality, 17.65% were of inferior quality, and 23.53% were non-drinkable. The GODS method results indicated that the eastern, central, western, and small parts sporadically scattered in northern regions of the study area (39.93%) had a moderate vulnerability. Lastly, a significant portion of the northern and southern districts (60.07%) was found to have a low vulnerability to contamination, which was in line with WQI results.

Constitutively enhanced genome integrity maintenance and direct stress mitigation characterize transcriptome of extreme stress-adapted Arabidopsis halleri.

Heavy metal-rich toxic soils and ordinary soils are both natural habitats of Arabidopsis halleri, a diploid perennial and obligate outcrosser in the sister clade of the genetic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The molecular divergence underlying survival in sharply contrasting environments is unknown. Here we comparatively address metal physiology and transcriptomes of A. halleri originating from the most highly heavy metal-contaminated soil in Europe, Ponte Nossa, Italy (Noss), and from non-metalliferous (NM) soils. Plants from Noss exhibit enhanced hypertolerance and attenuated accumulation of cadmium (Cd), and their transcriptomic Cd responsiveness is decreased, compared to plants of NM soil origin. Among the condition-independent transcriptome characteristics of Noss, the most highly overrepresented functional class of 'meiotic cell cycle' comprises 21 transcripts with elevated abundance in vegetative tissues, in particular Argonaute 9 (AGO9) and the synaptonemal complex transverse filament protein-encoding ZYP1a/b. Increased AGO9 transcript levels in Noss are accompanied by decreased long terminal repeat retrotransposon expression. Similar to Noss, plants from other highly metalliferous sites in Poland and Germany share elevated somatic AGO9 transcript levels in comparison to plants originating from NM soils in their respective geographic regions. Transcript levels of Iron-Regulated Transporter 1 (IRT1) are very low and transcript levels of Heavy Metal ATPase 2 (HMA2) are strongly elevated in Noss, which can account for its altered Cd handling. We conclude that in plants adapted to the most extreme abiotic stress, broadly enhanced functions comprise genes with likely roles in somatic genome integrity maintenance, accompanied by few alterations in stress-specific functional networks.

Injury severity prediction of traffic crashes with ensemble machine learning techniques: a comparative study.

A better understanding of injury severity risk factors is fundamental to improving crash prediction and effective implementation of appropriate mitigation strategies. Traditional statistical models widely used in this regard have predefined correlation and intrinsic assumptions, which, if flouted, may yield biased predictions. The present study investigates the possibility of using the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model compared with few traditional machine learning algorithms (logistic regression, random forest, and decision tree) for crash injury severity analysis. The data used in this study was obtained from the traffic safety department, ministry of transport (MOT) at Riyadh, KSA, and contains 13,546 motor vehicle collisions along 15 rural highways reported between January 2017 to December 2019. Empirical results obtained using k-fold (k = 10) for various performance metrics showed that the XGBoost technique outperformed other models in terms of the collective predictive performance as well as injury severity individual class accuracies. XGBoost feature importance analysis indicated that collision type, weather status, road surface conditions, on-site damage type, lighting conditions, and vehicle type are the few sensitive variables in predicting the crash injury severity outcome. Finally, a comparative analysis of XGBoost based on different performance statistics showed that our model outperformed most previous studies.

Performance Evaluation of Cementitious Composites Incorporating Nano Graphite Platelets as Additive Carbon Material.

Nano graphite platelets (NGPs) belong to the carbon family and have a huge impact on the construction industry. NGPs are used as multi-functional fillers and have the potential to develop reinforcing within cementitious composites. In this paper, NGPs were incorporated in cementitious composites to investigate the effects of NGPs on the fresh, mechanical, durability, and microstructural properties of concrete. Five mixes were prepared with intrusion of NGPs (0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 3%, and 5% by weight of cement). The properties studied involved workability, air content, hardened density, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, sorptivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), water absorption, and external sulfate attack. The workability and percent air content decrease by 22.5% and 33.8%, respectively, for concrete with 5% NGPs compared to the control mix. The specimens containing 5% of NGPs revealed the hardened density, compressive, tensile, and flexural strength to increase by 11.4%, 38.5%, 31.6%, and 44.34%, respectively, compared to the control mix. The results revealed that the incorporation of 5%NGPs in cementitious composites reduces the sorptivity and water absorption by 32.2% and 73.9%, respectively, whereas, it increases the UPV value by 7.5% compared to the control mix. Furthermore, the incorporation of NGPs provided better resistance against external sulfate attacks. SEM-EDX spectroscopy was carried out to investigate its microstructural analysis.

New water-soluble colorimetric pH and metal ione sensor based on graphene quantum dot modified with alizarine red S.

A new colorimetric sensor was designed for the screening pH changes in solutions, as well as, detection of some cations. The sensor preparation includes the chemical binding of alizarine red S (ARS) as a sensor of pH and cation to graphene quantum dots (GQD). Loading ARS on GQD led to the formation of water soluble sensor which finally responded to the colorimetric detection of some cations in water. Solubility and stability of the sensor in water indicate that the sensor is an ideal system for the biological and environmental applications. To demonstrate the applicability of the new sensor, the colorimetric responds of sensor were examined for some cations including Fe3+, Co2+, Ca2+, As3+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Pb2+, Sn2+, Al3+, and Cr3+. The colorimetric detections of all the ions were performable individually in a solution. In addition, GQD-ARS as a colorimetric sensor detected Co2+ at pH < 0.6 with limit of quantification 0.08 mM and Fe3+ at 0.6 < pH < 4.0 with limit of quantification 0.03 mM in the mixture of cations.

Adopting Machine Learning and Spatial Analysis Techniques for Driver Risk Assessment: Insights from a Case Study.

Traffic violations usually caused by aggressive driving behavior are often seen as a primary contributor to traffic crashes. Violations are either caused by an unintentional or deliberate act of drivers that jeopardize the lives of fellow drivers, pedestrians, and property. This study is aimed to investigate different traffic violations (overspeeding, wrong-way driving, illegal parking, non-compliance traffic control devices, etc.) using spatial analysis and different machine learning methods. Georeferenced violation data along two expressways (S308 and S219) for the year 2016 was obtained from the traffic police department, in the city of Luzhou, China. Detailed descriptive analysis of the data showed that wrong-way driving was the most common violation type observed. Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation in the ArcMap Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to develop violation hotspots zones to guide on efficient use of limited resources during the treatment of high-risk sites. Lastly, a systematic Machine Learning (ML) framework, such as K Nearest Neighbors (KNN) models (using k = 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12), support vector machine (SVM), and CN2 Rule Inducer, was utilized for classification and prediction of each violation type as a function of several explanatory variables. The predictive performance of proposed ML models was examined using different evaluation metrics, such as Area Under the Curve (AUC), F-score, precision, recall, specificity, and run time. The results also showed that the KNN model with k = 7 using manhattan evaluation had an accuracy of 99% and outperformed the SVM and CN2 Rule Inducer. The outcome of this study could provide the practitioners and decision-makers with essential insights for appropriate engineering and traffic control measures to improve the safety of road-users.

The two copies of the zinc and cadmium ZIP6 transporter of Arabidopsis halleri have distinct effects on cadmium tolerance.

Plants have the ability to colonize highly diverse environments. The zinc and cadmium hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri has adapted to establish populations on soils covering an extreme range of metal availabilities. The A. halleri ZIP6 gene presents several hallmarks of hyperaccumulation candidate genes: it is constitutively highly expressed in roots and shoots and is associated with a zinc accumulation quantitative trait locus. Here, we show that AhZIP6 is duplicated in the A. halleri genome. The two copies are expressed mainly in the vasculature in both A. halleri and Arabidopsis thaliana, indicative of conserved cis regulation, and acquired partial organ specialization. Yeast complementation assays determined that AhZIP6 is a zinc and cadmium transporter. AhZIP6 silencing in A. halleri or expression in A. thaliana alters cadmium tolerance, but has no impact on zinc and cadmium accumulation. AhZIP6-silenced plants display reduced cadmium uptake upon short-term exposure, adding AhZIP6 to the limited number of Cd transporters supported by in planta evidence. Altogether, our data suggest that AhZIP6 is key to fine-tune metal homeostasis in specific cell types. This study additionally highlights the distinct fates of duplicated genes in A. halleri.

Gliosarcoma case report and review of the literature.

Gliosarcoma is an unusual subtype of glioblastoma multiforme. Its characteristic features are biphasic configuration, constituting a definite, separate glial and sarcomatous differentiation, on histological evaluation. Herein, we present a rare case of Gliosarcoma that had presented only once in our center in last 13 years. A 60 years old, diabetic, hypertensive male patient came to e emergency department with disturbed level of consciousness and right sided hemiplegia which was progressive over four days. On examination he was, conscious, unoriented in time, person or place, his mouth deviated to left and vitally stable. After initial evaluation, CT scan and MRI were advised. These showed a complex left parieto-occipital heterogeneous mass lesion with cystic and solid components, measuring approximately 5.2x4cm. The mass lesion was seen displacing the occipital horn anteriorly and inferiorly with probable extension into the lateral ventricular cavity. There was no associated midline shift or definite herniation. The lesion was diagnosed as highly suggestive of brain tumor with a differential diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme or ependymoma. Blood picture revealed a rapidly increasing level of anemia. Surgical intervention comprising left parieto-occipital craniotomy and near total resection of the tumor was carried out. On histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation the diagnosis of GS was established. A plan of a combination of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation was formulated that was however, declined by the family. On regular follow up, the patients clinical state rapidly deteriorated with persistence of seizures and requirement of repeated blood transfusions. The patient finally passed away after eighth months.

The Dilemma of Road Safety in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: Consequences and Prevention Strategies.

Road traffic crashes (RTCs) are one of the most critical public health problems worldwide. The WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety suggests that the annual fatality rate (per 100,000 people) due to RTCs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased from 17.4 to 27.4 over the last decade, which is an alarming situation. This paper presents an overview of RTCs in the Eastern Province, KSA, from 2009 to 2016. Key descriptive statistics for spatial and temporal distribution of crashes are presented. Statistics from the present study suggest that the year 2012 witnessed the highest number of crashes, and that the region Al-Ahsa had a significantly higher proportion of total crashes. It was concluded that the fatality rate for the province was 25.6, and the mean accident to injury ratio was 8:4. These numbers are substantially higher compared to developed countries and the neighboring Gulf states. Spatial distribution of crashes indicated that a large proportion of severe crashes occurred outside the city centers along urban highways. Logistic regression models were developed to predict crash severity. Model estimation analysis revealed that crash severity can be attributed to several significant factors including driver attributes (such as sleep, distraction, overspeeding), crash characteristics (such as sudden deviation from the lane, or collisions with other moving vehicles, road fences, pedestrians, or motorcyclists), and rainy weather conditions. After critical analysis of existing safety and infrastructure situations, various suitable crash prevention and mitigation strategies, for example, traffic enforcement, traffic calming measures, safety education programs, and coordination of key stakeholders, have been proposed.

Convergent evolution in Arabidopsis halleri and Arabidopsis arenosa on calamine metalliferous soils.

It is a plausible hypothesis that parallel adaptation events to the same environmental challenge should result in genetic changes of similar or identical effects, depending on the underlying fitness landscapes. However, systematic testing of this is scarce. Here we examine this hypothesis in two closely related plant species, Arabidopsis halleri and Arabidopsis arenosa, which co-occur at two calamine metalliferous (M) sites harbouring toxic levels of the heavy metals zinc and cadmium. We conduct individual genome resequencing alongside soil elemental analysis for 64 plants from eight populations on M and non-metalliferous (NM) soils, and identify genomic footprints of selection and local adaptation. Selective sweep and environmental association analyses indicate a modest degree of gene as well as functional network convergence, whereby the proximal molecular factors mediating this convergence mostly differ between site pairs and species. Notably, we observe repeated selection on identical single nucleotide polymorphisms in several A. halleri genes at two independently colonized M sites. Our data suggest that species-specific metal handling and other biological features could explain a low degree of convergence between species. The parallel establishment of plant populations on calamine M soils involves convergent evolution, which will probably be more pervasive across sites purposely chosen for maximal similarity in soil composition. This article is part of the theme issue 'Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions'.

Capability of solvent retention capacity to quality of flat bread in three wheat cultivars.

Variations in levels and properties of flour constituents have an impact on the quality of its end products and a given application. While the solvent retention capacity test has been used to assess flour quality of pan breads and cookies, to date, this test for determination the suitability of flour for flat breads, where extensibility is the most desirable, has not been evaluated. In this study, three bread wheat cultivars were investigated for their major polymeric constituents, the number of disulfide bonds and SRC test values. The attained results revealed that in the gluten network, WRC and SuRC were affected by the gliadin, whereas SCRC and LaRC by gluten as a whole and glutenin content. These observed relationships are respectively owed to the solubility of gliadin in alcoholic solutions, and the solubility of glutenin in either acid or basic solutions. Also, consumers acceptability of flat-bread was observed at higher ratio of arabinose/xylose, which related to structural characteristics of arabinoxylan.

CAX1 suppresses Cd-induced generation of reactive oxygen species in Arabidopsis halleri.

The molecular analysis of metal hyperaccumulation in species such as Arabidopsis halleri offers the chance to gain insights into metal homeostasis and into the evolution of adaptation to extreme habitats. A prerequisite of metal hyperaccumulation is metal hypertolerance. Genetic analysis of a backcross population derived from Arabidopsis lyrata × A. halleri crosses revealed three quantitative trait loci for Cd hypertolerance. A candidate gene for Cdtol2 is AhCAX1, encoding a vacuolar Ca2+ /H+ antiporter. We developed a method for the transformation of vegetatively propagated A. halleri plants and generated AhCAX1-silenced lines. Upon Cd2+ exposure, several-fold higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detectable in roots of AhCAX1-silenced plants. In accordance with the dependence of Cdtol2 on external Ca2+ concentration, this phenotype was exclusively observed in low Ca2+ conditions. The effects of external Ca2+ on Cd accumulation cannot explain the phenotype as they were not influenced by the genotype. Our data strongly support the hypothesis that higher expression of CAX1 in A. halleri relative to other Arabidopsis species represents a Cd hypertolerance factor. We propose a function of AhCAX1 in preventing a positive feedback loop of Cd-elicited ROS production triggering further Ca2+ -dependent ROS accumulation.

Effects of Cd and Zn on physiological and anatomical properties of hydroponically grown Brassica napus plants.

Clarifying the connection between metal exposure and anatomical changes represents an important challenge for a better understanding of plant phytoextraction potential. A hydroponic screening experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of combined interactions of Cd and Zn on mineral uptake (Mg, K, Ca, Na) and on the physiological and anatomical characteristics of Brassica napus L cv. Cadeli, Viking, and Navajo. Plants were exposed to 5 µM Cd (CdCl2), 10 µM Zn (ZnSO4), or both Cd + Zn, for 14 days. Cadmium exposure led to a significant reduction in root growth, shoot biomass, and chlorophyll content. After Cd-only and Cd + Zn treatment, primary root tips became thicker and pericycle cells were enlarged compared to the control and Zn-only treatment. No differences between metals were observed under UV excitation, where all treatments showed more intensive autofluorescence connected with lignin/suberin accumulation compared to control conditions. The highest concentrations of Cd and Zn were found in the roots of all tested plants, and translocation factors did not exceed the threshold of 1.0. The root mineral composition was not affected by any treatment. In the shoots, the Mg concentration slightly increased after Cd-only and Cd + Zn treatments, whereas Zn-only treatment caused a sharp decrease in Ca content. Slight increases in K were seen after the addition of Zn. Significantly higher concentrations of Na were induced by Cd- or Zn-only treatment.