Enhancing Phytoextraction Potential of Brassica napus for Contaminated Dredged Sediment Using Nitrogen Fertilizers and Organic Acids.

Dredged sediment contaminated with heavy metals can be remediated through phytoremediation. The main challenge in phytoremediation is the limited availability of heavy metals for plant uptake, particularly in multi-contaminated soil or sediment. This study aimed to assess the effect of the nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium sulfate (AS), and urea (UR)), organic acids (oxalic (OA) and malic (MA) acids), and their combined addition to sediment on enhancing the bioavailability and phytoremediation efficiency of heavy metals. The sediment dredged from Begej Canal (Serbia) had high levels of Cr, Cd, Cu, and Pb and was used in pot experiments to cultivate energy crop rapeseed (Brassica napus), which is known for its tolerance to heavy metals. The highest accumulation and translocation of Cu, Cd, and Pb were observed in the treatment with AN at a dose of 150 mg N/kg (AN150), in which shoot biomass was also the highest. The application of OA and MA increased heavy metal uptake but resulted in the lowest biomass production. A combination of MA with N fertilizers showed high uptake and accumulation of Cr and Cu.

Microglial TNFα controls daily changes in synaptic GABAARs and sleep slow waves.

Microglia sense the changes in their environment. How microglia actively translate these changes into suitable cues to adapt brain physiology is unknown. We reveal an activity-dependent regulation of cortical inhibitory synapses by microglia, driven by purinergic signaling acting on P2RX7 and mediated by microglia-derived TNFα. We demonstrate that sleep induces microglia-dependent synaptic enrichment of GABAARs in a manner dependent on microglial TNFα and P2RX7. We further show that microglia-specific depletion of TNFα alters slow waves during NREM sleep and blunt memory consolidation in sleep-dependent learning tasks. Together, our results reveal that microglia orchestrate sleep-intrinsic plasticity of synaptic GABAARs, sculpt sleep slow waves, and support memory consolidation.

Differences in anthropometrics characteristics and body composition between two elite youth male basketball national teams - participants at u18 European Championship 2019 / Diferencias en las características antropométricas y la composición corporal entre dos equipos nacionales de baloncesto masculino juvenil de élite - participantes en el Campeonato de Europa u18 2019

SUMMARY: The aim of this research was to determine the differences among the male basketball players of the National team of Montenegro U18 and the National team of Republic of North Macedonia, in terms of their anthropometric characteristics and body composition. A sample of 27 subjects was divided into two sub-samples. The first sub-sample of the subjects consisted of 15 players of the National team of Montenegro, average age 17.6±0.63, while the other sub-sample consisted of 12 players of the National team of Republic of North Macedonia, average age of 17.17± 0.72. All players were tested in Podgorica, in lasting period of two days, while they held preparations for the European Championship. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition were evaluated by a battery of eleven variables: body height (cm), body weight (kg), triceps skinfold, back skinfold, biceps skinfold, abdominal skinfold, thigh skinfold, calf skinfold, body mass index (BMI), percentage of fat and muscle mass (kg). Differences in anthropometric characteristic and composition of the body of the basketball players of two national teams were determined by using a discriminatory parametric procedure with t-test for small independent samples (p<0.05). The players of the two teams were found to differ statistically in thigh skinfold. Furthermore, it is concluded that Montenegro players are taller and heavier and have higher muscle mass than North Macedonian players, with approximate skinfolds, BMI and fat percentage values.

RESUMEN: El objetivo de esta investigación fue determinar las diferencias en las características antropométricas y composición corporal entre los jugadores de baloncesto masculino del equipo nacional de Montenegro U18 y el equipo nacional de la República de Macedonia del Norte. Una muestra de 27 sujetos se dividió en dos submuestras. La primera sub muestra consistió en 15 jugadores del equipo nacional de Montenegro, con una edad promedio de 17,6 ± 0,63 años. La otra muestra consistió en 12 jugadores del equipo nacional de la República de Macedonia del Norte, con un promedio edad de 17,17 ± 0,72 años. Todos los jugadores fueron evaluados en Podgorica, durante un período de dos días, mientras realizaban los preparativos para el Campeonato de Europa. Las características antropométricas y la composición corporal se evaluaron mediante una batería de once variables: altura (cm), peso (kg), pliegue de tríceps, pliegue de espalda, pliegue de bíceps, pliegue abdominal, pliegue de muslos, pliegue de pantorrilla, índice de masa corporal (IMC), porcentaje de grasa y masa muscular (kg). Se determinaron las diferencias en las características antropométricas y la composición del cuerpo de los jugadores de baloncesto de dos equipos nacionales a través de un procedimiento paramétrico discriminatorio con prueba t para muestras independientes (p <0,05). Se determinó que los jugadores de ambos equipos difieren estadísticamente en el pliegue del muslo. Además, se concluyó que en comparación con los jugadores de Macedonia del Norte los jugadores de Montenegro son de mayor altura y peso, además de contar con una mayor masa muscular, con valores aproximados de pliegues cutáneos, IMC y porcentaje de grasa.