Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoxuan Yu, Jinjin Chen, Qilin Gutang, Edmond Sanganyado, Ran Bi, Wenhua Liu
Summary: Human activities can have negative impacts on the ecosystem health of semi-enclosed bays, particularly on the microbial communities that regulate biogeochemical cycles. This study analyzed sediment samples from a typical semi-enclosed bay in Guangdong, China and found that aquaculture activities were the primary source of potentially toxic elements such as copper, zinc, and lead. High-throughput sequencing revealed Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum in the sediments. Although there was no site-specific variation in microbial function, pollutant-specific variations were observed, with zinc and lead showing potential adverse effects on environmental information processing and arsenic exhibiting a negative correlation with metabolic function.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenli Xing, Xu Gai, Feng Ju, Guangcai Chen
Summary: It is found that woody plants have great potential in remediating heavily contaminated soils by heavy metals, and the root-associated microbiota plays a vital role in phytoremediation. However, the ecological process controlling the assembly and composition of tree root-associated microbial communities under heavy metal stress remains poorly understood.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ting Wang, Xiaoshang Ru, Beini Deng, Chenxi Zhang, Xu Wang, Bo Yang, Libin Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the characteristics of marine sediments under a wind farm in China and found that copper, chromium, and zinc were the major contaminants. The pollution level in the wind farm was relatively light compared to baseline values. The physicochemical features of the sediments explained the changes in microorganisms, and the relative abundance of microorganisms correlated with sediment quality. This comprehensive study fills a knowledge gap and enhances our understanding of assessing sedimentary environments in offshore wind farms.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aurang Zeb, Weitao Liu, Nouman Ali, Ruiying Shi, Yuhang Lian, Qi Wang, Jianling Wang, Jiantao Li, Zeqi Zheng, Jinzheng Liu, Miao Yu, Jianv Liu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of tire wear particles (TWPs) on the growth and metabolism of mung bean plants and soil. Despite the accumulation of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in TWPs-treated soils, there was no significant impact on plant growth, indicating a degree of tolerance. However, TWPs exposure had significant effects on soil enzyme activities, plant metabolite profiles, and microbiota.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jun Yi, Linus Shing Him Lo, Hongbin Liu, Pei-Yuan Qian, Jinping Cheng
Summary: Estuarine sediments are increasingly contaminated by heavy metals due to urbanization and human activities, which pose risks to microbial communities and ecosystems. Research findings show that Cr and Cu concentrations in intertidal sediments of the urbanized Yangtze River estuary consistently exceed threshold effect concentrations, indicating weak to moderate pollution levels and considerable to high ecological risks across all sampling sites. Redundancy and correlation analyses reveal that Zn and Cr play explanatory roles in shifts in microbial community structures, with Zn concentration proposed as a potent indicator for heavy metal pollution-associated microbial community compositional shifts under urbanized estuarine conditions.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francisco L. Massello, Edgardo Donati
Summary: Metal-resistant extremophilic microbes were studied for their high adaptability and versatility, making them suitable for bioremediation, bioleaching, or biomonitoring processes. Through sampling of indigenous microbial communities in extreme environments, it was found that these microbes exhibited remarkable tolerance to heavy metals and could be potentially used for various biotechnological applications.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ming Du, Minggang Zheng, Aifeng Liu, Ling Wang, Xin Pan, Jun Liu, Xiangbin Ran
Summary: This study investigated the combined effects of emerging contaminants (ECs) and heavy metals (HMs) on microbial communities in estuarine sediments around the Bohai Sea. The results showed that the concentration of pollutants affected the abundance of certain bacteria, which can serve as potential contamination indicators. There were differences in the richness and diversity of bacterial communities in sediments from different rivers. The bacterial community composition in estuarine sediments in Liaoning province was found to be more similar to each other.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Irena Macek, Sara Pintaric, Natasa Sibanc, Tatjana Rajnis, Damijana Kastelec, Domen Lestan, Marjetka Suhadolc
Summary: This study investigates the importance of plant cover for secondary succession and soil fungal community development in remediated soils. The presence of plants was found to be the main factor affecting the abundance of the total fungal community, with higher abundance in the rhizosphere soil compared to the bulk soil. The study highlights the role of the rhizosphere in the development and succession of fungal communities in soil.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Haoshuai Li, Hu Sun, Xinping Wang, Fujuan Li, Lixin Cao, Yang Li, Ranran Dong, Yuxiang Sun, Peiyan Sun, Mutai Bao
Summary: In this study, a static release experiment was conducted to evaluate the temporal and spatial variation of petroleum hydrocarbons and microbial communities. The results showed that C1 phenanthrene (C1-P) can be used as an evaluation index for different crude oils and their release trends were similar. The release of C1-P was significantly higher in crude oil with higher C1-P content. After 72 hours, crude oil with lower viscosity showed a more obvious release of C1-P. The abundance of bacterial phyla increased more in crude oil with lower viscosity and higher viscosity. Additionally, partial replacement of microbial species was observed in both water columns and sediments. This research provides insights into the migration and transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons from oil pollution sediments and the interaction between extreme weather events and human activities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Carla Cilliers, Olga Neveling, Shepherd M. Tichapondwa, Evans M. N. Chirwa, Hendrik G. Brink
Summary: This research aimed to improve the scalability and cleaner production of a lead bioremediation process by gaining a better understanding of its dominant mechanisms. The study found that the presence of different lead concentrations and complementary anions had significant effects on the composition and structure of the resulting precipitate.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Fen Hou, Junjie Du, Ye Yuan, Xihui Wu, Sai Zhao
Summary: The study found that aged refuse contains higher soil fertility elements and heavy metals, with a distinctly different microbial community composition compared to undisturbed soil. Enriched bacterial genera were identified in aged refuse, and functional predictive analysis revealed significant differences in metabolic pathways.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Zhang, Haojie Yang, Denghui Wei, Zhao Chen, Qiong Wang, Yali Song, Yongpeng Ma, Hongzhong Zhang
Summary: This study used six identical reactors to investigate the effects of heavy metals on anaerobic digestion sludge. The addition of 1-50 mg L-1 of heavy metals had a slight impact on COD removal and biogas production. The extracellular polymeric substance increased to protect microorganisms from the toxicity of heavy metals. The relative abundance of Methanothrix decreased when Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), and the mixture of heavy metals were added. Anaerobic digestion sludge exhibited good tolerance to heavy metals and could be a potential treatment option for heavy metal-containing wastewater.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenshun Ke, Chuxuan Li, Feng Zhu, Xinghua Luo, Xue Li, Chuan Wu, William Hartley, Shengguo Xue
Summary: This study investigated the biological characteristics of bacterial and fungal communities in different polluted areas of a lead smelting site. The results showed that contamination by potential toxic elements affected microbial networks and altered microbial community composition. Dispersal limitation, drift, and homogeneous selection were identified as important community assembly processes. Moreover, the study found that soil bacterial and fungal community assembly processes were regulated by CPI and nutrient availability.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Kumuduni Niroshika Palansooriya, Liang Shi, Binoy Sarkar, Sanjai J. Parikh, Mee Kyung Sang, Sang-Ryong Lee, Yong Sik Ok
Summary: The accumulation of plastics in soil ecosystems is a global environmental concern. This study investigated the effects of low-density polyethylene microplastics on the chemical and microbial properties of agricultural soil. The results showed that increasing the concentration of plastics had significant effects on soil pH, electrical conductivity, and microbial community composition.
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Wen-Jing Gong, Zi-Fan Niu, Xing-Run Wang, He-Ping Zhao
Summary: Long-term heavy metal contamination in soil at an electroplating site in Zhangjiakou, China significantly inhibited soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass carbon content, leading to a decrease in bacterial community richness. However, certain bacterial taxa such as Sphingomonadaceae were able to survive in the presence of high concentrations of heavy metals and showed potential for soil remediation. High-throughput sequencing identified Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi as dominant bacterial phyla in the contaminated soil.
Article
Plant Sciences
Muhammad Ikram, Niaz Ali, Gul Jan, Farzana Gul Jan, Rainaz Pervez, Muhammad Romman, Rimsha Zainab, Humaira Yasmin, Naeem Khan
Summary: This study explored the diversity of endophytic fungi from different parts of three healthy halophytic plants and found that these fungi have the ability to tolerate salt and produce plant hormones. These fungi have a positive impact on the growth and development of plants.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Uzma Hanif, Chand Raza, Iram Liaqat, Maryam Rani, Sherif M. Afifi, Tuba Esatbeyoglu, Saraj Bahadur, Sara Shahid
Summary: The study investigated the potential anti-hyperglycemic effect of Dryopteris stewartii using Swiss albino mice. Results showed that the aqueous extract had higher anti-diabetic potential compared to the ethanol extract, effectively lowering blood glucose levels. A histopathological evaluation showed no morphological abnormalities, suggesting the possible use of D. stewartii as an herbal drug for diabetes in the future.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Muhammad Ahsan Altaf, Rabia Shahid, Ravinder Kumar, Muhammad Mohsin Altaf, Awadhesh Kumar, Latif Ullah Khan, Muhammad Saqib, Muhammad Azher Nawaz, Bushra Saddiq, Saraj Bahadur, Rahul Kumar Tiwari, Milan Kumar Lal, Safina Naz
Summary: The changing climate poses a significant threat to global horticultural crop production. Phytohormones and phytohormone-like plant growth regulators play crucial roles in stress response and tolerance in horticultural crops. Understanding the complex interactions between different phytohormones and their signaling pathways can advance the development of stress-tolerant cultivars.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Rabia Anwar Rao, Aisha Waheed Qurashi, Iram Liaqat, Mawra Gohar, Urooj Zafar, Muhammad Amjad Khan, Saraj Bahadur
Summary: This study demonstrates the utilization of fish scales bacteria for gelatin extraction and highlights the potential applications of the extracted gelatin in plant growth promotion, anti-adhesion, food coatings, and biodegradable plastics.
TURKISH JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Saraj Bahadur, Mushtaq Ahmad, Wenxing Long, Muhammad Yaseen, Uzma Hanif
Summary: This study examines the foliar anatomy and micromorphology of Euphorbiaceae and Phyllanthaceae taxa from Hainan Island using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It identifies common and variable traits, and analyzes the relationships between species. These traits can be used for species identification and discrimination.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Muhammad Yaseen, Wenxing Long, Farhan Khalid, Saraj Bahadur, Hamza Armghan Noushahi
Summary: This study investigates the changes in plant attributes and their connections among various vegetative organs of woody tree species in Hainan Island. The results show that the stem organic matter and organic carbon play a significant role in plant trade-offs, and there are significant positive correlations between different vegetative organs. These findings have important implications for understanding the ecology of tropical coastal secondary forests, habitat restoration, and green infrastructure design.
Article
Plant Sciences
Saraj Bahadur, Wenxing Long, Mushtaq Ahmad, Muhammad Yaseen, Fazal Ullah, Saddam Saqib
Summary: This study provides new palynological information for identifying and defining species boundaries within the Papilionoideae subfamily. The research reveals significant variations in exine sculpturing and colpus surface membrane morphology among different taxa, which can aid in species delimitation. The presence of various sculpturing in certain species is considered a potential taxonomic trait for the subfamily. The study also highlights the importance of pollen morphological traits in correctly identifying species and supports further phylogenetic and molecular studies of Papilionoideae.
Article
Plant Sciences
Wenxing Long, Saraj Bahadur, Shazia Rehman, Mushtaq Ahmad, Fazal Ullah, Maryam Akram Butt
Summary: This study used scanning electron microscopy to investigate the leaf anatomical features of Asteraceae species on Hainan Island. The results revealed that the trichomes and stomata can be used to accurately identify these species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iram Fatima, Naila Safdar, Wasim Akhtar, Ammara Munir, Saddam Saqib, Asma Ayaz, Saraj Bahadur, Abdulwahed Fahad Alrefaei, Fazal Ullah, Wajid Zaman
Summary: This study examined the biological potential and phytochemicals of Sophora mollis, Mucuna pruriens, and Indigofera atropurpurea leaf extracts. In vitro assays showed the antiacetylcholinesterase and anti-lipase activities of the plant extracts, with S. mollis displaying the highest inhibition percentage for anti-acetylcholinesterase activity and M. pruriens for anti-lipase activity. Cytotoxic potential against different cell lines was observed, with I. atropurpurea showing promising results against the PC3 cell line. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the presence of various therapeutic compounds in the plant species.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shazia Rehman, Saraj Bahadur, Wei Xia
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive review on the complex process of floral initiation in angiosperms, which is influenced by both endogenous and exogenous signals. The study summarizes the regulatory genes and their functions in annuals and perennials. Seven primary pathways leading to flowering have been discovered in Arabidopsis under different growth conditions, including photoperiod, temperature, vernalization, gibberellins, autonomous, aging, and carbohydrates. These pathways involve interlinked signaling pathways that respond to internal and external signals to coordinate gene expression associated with flower development. The photoperiodic pathway is the most important and conserved, with fundamental loci and mechanisms shared even among closely related plant species. Activation of floral regulatory genes such as FLC, FT, LFY, and SOC1 determines floral meristem identity and transitions to the flowering stage. Recent studies have highlighted the role of alternative splicing, antisense RNA, and epigenetic modifications in regulating gene expression related to blooming. Additionally, the article documents recent progress in understanding floral transition time in annuals and perennials and explores specific regulatory mechanisms using various molecular approaches. Understanding the similarities and differences between annual and perennial flowering is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of perennial plant development and floral initiation regulation.
Article
Ecology
Irfan Ullah, Ihsan Ullah, Maroof Ali, Faran Durrani, Saad Ullah Khan, Dildar Hussain, Sultan Mehmood, Sami Ullah Khan, Manzoor Ullah, Khateeb Hussain, Saraj Bahadur, Ina Yosifova Aneva, Rainer W. Bussmann
Summary: This study investigated the most commonly used medicinal plants in the district of Bannu and the biological activities of two species. The results showed that Withania coagulans and Mentha viridis were the most frequently used medicinal plants in the area. The study will contribute to further research in pharmacology and clinical medicine, aiming to discover new drugs.
ACTA ECOLOGICA SINICA
(2023)
Article
Management
Maryam Ishaq, Felix Puime-Guillen, Raquel Fernandez-Gonzalez, Joanna Duda
Summary: This study provides a critical appraisal of the empirical literature on the Balassa-Samuelson hypothesis for emerging and developing Asian countries. It highlights significant irregularities and inconsistencies in the existing studies, which are crucial for obtaining consistent empirical estimates. The review emphasizes the importance of carefully handling the selection of price indicators, econometric methodology, and theoretical framework in future research on this topic.
PROBLEMY ZARZADZANIA-MANAGEMENT ISSUES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wajid Zaman, Mushtaq Ahmad, Muhammad Zafar, Hafiza Amina, Lubna, Saddam Saqib, Fazal Ullah, Asma Ayaz, Saraj Bahadur, SeonJoo Park
INDIAN JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shumaila Gul, Fida Hussain, Alia Gul, Syed Abidullah, Ruby Wali Khan, Shazia Sakhi, Shazia Dilbar, Shoaib Ahmad, Nadeem Khan, Saraj Bahadur, Muhammad Shuaib
Summary: This study investigated the allelopathic effects of extracted leaves from Populus nigra and Melia azedarach on seed germination and growth performance of Brassica campestris. The results showed that the plant extracts inhibited seed germination and had negative effects on various growth parameters of Brassica campestris, except for internodal length which was positively affected.
CATRINA-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Aftab Alam, Muhammad Tariq, Ikram Ul Haq, Jawad Ali, Muhammad Adnan, Shah Fahad, Manzoor Ahmad, Muhammad Romman, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Shakeel Ahmad, Farhana Gul, Durrishahwar, Fazli Subhan, Fazli Wahid, Inyat-ur-Rahman, Ghulam Yasin
Summary: A field experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effect of phosphorus and sulfur on yield, quality, and nutrient uptake of tobacco. Application of 90 kg P2O5/ha improved various parameters, while application of 45 kg S/ha optimized leaf area and other components. Phosphorus application antagonized leaf S content but did not have adverse effects on other agronomic and quality parameters.
PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURAL SCIENTIST
(2022)