Ca Deficit Research Articles

Elemental profile of food aids and mineral provision for pregnant and lactating refugee women

In this study, the levels of Al, As, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr and Zn were determined in 56 composite samples of food aids using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It also looked at the potential of food aids on mineral provision for pregnant and lactating women (PLW). The mean mineral contents in cereals were 46.3–378 mg kg-1 for Ca, 24.6–64.4 mg kg-1 for Fe, 2752–4072 mg kg-1 for K, 774–1510 mg kg-1 for Mg, and 14.1–26.1 mg kg-1 for Zn. Cereals presented low dietary significance for K, Ca and Zn as a daily portion (450 g) could only provide between 5% and 69% of Adequate Intake (AI) or Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for PLW. Conversely, corn soya blend (CSB) and pulses appear to play a key role in mineral intakes. However, the existing daily ration for pulses demonstrated little importance to complement dietary K and Ca deficits. Fortunately, Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values were low enough to guarantee no potential health risks associated with several toxic elements. Overall, it was observed that the food aids do not provide sufficient amount of selected minerals for PLW.

Strongly Active Responses of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. and Sophora viciifolia Hance to CO2 Enrichment and Drought Revealed by Tree-Ring Isotopes on the Central China Loess Plateau

Understanding the water-use strategy of human-planted species used in response to climate change is essential to optimize afforestation programs in dry regions. Since 2000, trees on the central Loess Plateau have experienced a shift from strengthening drought to weakening drought. In this study, we combined tree-ring δ13C and δ18O records from Pinus tabuliformis (syn. tabulaeformis) Carr. (a tree) and Sophora viciifolia Hance (a shrub) on the central Loess Plateau to investigate species-specific responses to rising atmospheric CO2 (Ca) and drought. We found summer relative humidity controlled the fractionation of tree-ring δ18O, but the magnitude of the climate influence on δ13C differed between the species. The intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) trends of both species suggested a strongly active response to maintain constant intercellular CO2 concentrations as Ca rose. The tree-ring δ13C and δ18O of both species using first-difference data were significantly and positively correlated, with stronger relationships for the shrub. This indicated the dominant regulation of iWUE by stomatal conductance in both species, but with greater stomatal control for the shrub. Moreover, the higher mean iWUE value of S. viciifolia indicated a more conservative water-use strategy than P. tabuliformis. Based on our commonality analysis, the main driver of the increased iWUE was the joint effect of Ca and vapor-pressure deficit (25.51%) for the tree, while it was the joint effect of Ca and the self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index (39.13%) for the shrub. These results suggest S. viciifolia will be more drought-tolerant than P. tabuliformis and as Ca continually rises, we should focus more on the effects of soil drought than atmospheric drought on the water-use strategy of S. viciifolia.

Behaviors of Ca ii K line in A-type stars

A synthetic spectrum-fitting analysis was applied to the Ca II at 3933.68 A for 122 A-type stars (7000 8000 K), the former tends to be lower (by up to -1 dex or even more) than the latter for cooler A stars (Te < 8000 K) including those broad K line objects, This fact suggests that some special mechanism reducing the strength of Ca II 3934 is involved at Te < 8000 K where [Ca/H]39 would be no more reliable. Whereas atomic diffusion causing the deficit of Ca in the photosphere as a result of element segregation in the deeper radiative envelope may be regarded as a promising explanation because it seems to fit in the qualitative trend of [Ca/H]61 in A-type stars, the well-known feature of considerably weak Ca II K in classical Am stars should not necessarily be attributed to only this element diffusion scenario, for which some unknown weakening mechanism specific to this resonance may independently be operative.

140 Young Scholar Presentation: Immune activation and its effects on energetics and calcium homeostasis

Abstract Nutrient partitioning towards productive processes (i.e., milk production, growth, and reproduction) is key to economically profitable agriculture. During immune activation, the hierarchy of coordinated nutrient trafficking is reprioritized towards the immune system at the expense of production. Dairy cows encounter frequent immune challenges, as bacterial insults can originate from a myriad of sources including the uterus, mammary gland, and gastrointestinal tract. Regardless of the origin, immune activation hinders animal welfare and evidence suggests it may play a role in many post-calving undesirable phenotypes (i.e., decreased DMI, increased NEFA, hypocalcemia). Following activation, leukocytes undergo a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis (a phenomenon known as the “Warburg effect”) and begin consuming copious amounts of glucose. In a lactating cow the glucose requirement of the acutely activated immune system exceeds 1 kg in a 12-hour period. To ensure adequate glucose delivery to leukocytes several well-characterized metabolic adjustments are employed including hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia (depending on the stage and severity of infection), increased insulin and glucagon, increased skeletal muscle catabolism, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypoketonemia. The energetic burden of immune activation is intensified by a simultaneous decrease in feed intake and thus reduced intestinally derived substrates. In addition to energetic metabolism, immune activation induces a marked and sustained decrease in circulating calcium (Ca). Recently, we have demonstrated that the total Ca deficit was ~20 g during an acute (12 hour) and intense model of immune activation. Infection-induced hypocalcemia is a species conserved response, yet, it remains largely unknown what role Ca plays during infection and why it acutely decreases. Although, evidence suggests it may serve as a protective strategy to prevent a hyper-inflammatory systemic response during infection. In summary, immune activation negatively influences metabolic, hormonal, and Ca homeostasis and these alterations closely mimic changes observed in poorly transitioning dairy cows. Having a better understanding of the impact of immune activation on nutrient trafficking and Ca homeostasis will provide foundational information for developing strategies aimed at minimizing production losses during infection.

Effects of maintaining eucalcemia following immunoactivation in lactating Holstein dairy cows

Periparturient hypocalcemia is a common metabolic disorder and it is ostensibly associated with negative health and production outcomes. Acute infection also markedly decreases circulating Ca, but the reasons for and consequences of it on physiological and immunological parameters are unknown. Objectives were to evaluate the effects of maintaining eucalcemia on production, metabolic, and immune variables following an intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Twelve multiparous lactating Holstein cows (717 ± 20 kg of body weight; 176 ± 34 d in milk; parity 3 ± 0.2) were enrolled in a study containing 2 experimental periods (P); during P1 (3 d), cows consumed feed ad libitum and baseline values were obtained. At the initiation of P2 (4 d), cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: (1) LPS administered (LPS-Con; 0.5 μg/kg of body weight LPS; n = 6) or (2) LPS administered + eucalcemic clamp (LPS-Ca; 0.5 μg/kg of body weight LPS; Ca infusion; n = 6). Cows were fasted for the first 12 h during P2. After LPS administration, ionized Ca was determined every 15 min for 6 h and every 30 min for an additional 6 h and intravenous Ca infusion was adjusted in LPS-Ca cows to maintain eucalcemia. Blood ionized Ca was decreased 23% for the first 12 h postbolus in LPS-Con cows, and by design, Ca infusion prevented hypocalcemia. To maintain eucalcemia for the 12 h, 13.7 g of Ca was infused. The total Ca deficit (including Ca not secreted into milk) accumulated over the 12 h was 10.4 and 20.2 g for the LPS-Con and LPS-Ca treatments, respectively. Mild hyperthermia (0.8°C) occurred for ∼6 h post-LPS administration relative to P1. From 6 to 7 h postbolus rectal temperature from LPS-Ca cows was increased (0.6°C) relative to LPS-Con cows. On d 1 of P2, milk yield decreased (61%) in both treatments relative to P1. Relative to LPS-Con cows, milk yield decreased (15%) in LPS-Ca cows during P2. Overall, circulating LPS-binding protein continuously increased postbolus, and at 24 h LPS-binding protein levels in LPS-Ca cows were increased (80%) relative to LPS-Con cows. During P2, serum amyloid A increased (4-fold) in both treatments relative to P1. Administering LPS initially decreased circulating neutrophils, then cell counts progressively increased with time. Calcium infusion decreased neutrophil counts (40%) from 9 to 12 h postbolus relative to LPS-Con cows. Neutrophil function, as assessed by oxidative burst and myeloperoxidase production, did not differ due to treatment. In summary, maintaining eucalcemia (via intravenous Ca infusion) during an immune challenge appeared to intensify inflammation and adversely affect lactation performance.

The crucial role of roots in increased cadmium-tolerance and Cd-accumulation in the pea mutant SGECd&lt;sup&gt;t&lt;/sup&gt;

Elucidation of mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to cadmium, a widespread toxic soil pollutant, and accumulation of Cd in plants are urgent tasks. For this purposes, the pea (Pisum sativum L.) mutant SGECdt (obtained by treatment of the laboratory pea line SGE with ethylmethane sulfonate) was reciprocally grafted with the parental line SGE, and four scion/rootstock combinations were obtained: SGE/SGE, SGECdt/SGECdt, SGE/SGECdt, and SGECdt/SGE. They were grown in hydroponics in the presence of 1 μM CdCl2 for 30 d. The SGE and SGECdt scions on the SGECdt rootstock had a higher root and shoot biomass and an elevated root and shoot Cd content compared with the grafts having SGE rootstock. Only the grafts with the SGE rootstock showed chlorosis and roots demonstrating symptoms of Cd toxicity. The content of nutrient elements in roots (Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Zn) was higher in the grafts having the SGECdt rootstock, and three elements, namely Ca, Fe, and Mn, were efficiently transported by the SGECdt root to the shoot of these grafts. The content of other measured elements (K, Mg, Na, P, and Zn) was similar in the root and shoot in all the grafts. Then, the non-grafted plants were grown in the presence of Cd and subjected to deficit or excess concentrations of Ca, Fe, or Mn. Exclusion of these elements from the nutrient solution retained or increased differences between SGE and SGECdt in growth response to Cd toxicity, whereas excess of Ca, Fe, or Mn decreased or eliminated such differences. The obtained results assign a principal role of roots to realizing the increased Cd-tolerance and Cdaccumulation in the SGECdt mutant. Efficient translocation of Ca, Fe, and Mn from roots to shoots appeared to counteract Cd toxicity, although Cd was actively taken up by roots and accumulated in shoots.

Calcium deprivation enhances non-selective fluid-phase endocytosis and modifies membrane lipid profiles in Arabidopsis roots

Ecological studies have revealed significant decreases in calcium (Ca) levels in various soils, and widely occurring physiological Ca deficits worldwide. These changes may cause decreases in plant diversity and increases in plant vulnerability to environmental stress, but the underlying cellular mechanism is not well understood. In this study, we found that in Arabidopsis thaliana roots, deprivation of Ca2+, but not other minerals, dramatically enhanced plasma membrane invagination, endosome formation, and trafficking to the vacuole through the trans-Golgi network and pre-vacuole compartment, a typical pathway of endocytosis. Antagonist and cellular tracing analyses using non-bioactive, membrane-impermeable fluorescent probes indicated that this type of endocytosis is not regulated by receptors, instead representing a non-selective, non-specific fluid phase-based process. We performed lipid-profiling analysis of roots in response to Ca2+ deprivation, finding increased phosphatidylcholine (PC), Lyso-PC, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), Lyso-PE, phosphatidylinositol (PI) and triacylglycerols (TAG) biosynthesis but deceased phosphatidic acid (PA) and diacylglycerols (DAG) biosynthesis. The increased TAG contents and molar ratio of PC/PE in these roots might reflect a cellular response to maintain membrane stability and the balance between the membrane and storage lipids. This study demonstrates the essential role of Ca in maintaining plasma membrane stability and the selectivity of plant root cells, and it highlights the potential deleterious effect of decreased Ca levels in surface soil on plant growth.

Forest floor chemistry and mineral soil ion exposure after surface application of alkaline-treated biosolids under two white spruce (Picea glauca) plantations in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract Two field trials were established to evaluate the use of alkaline-treated biosolids (ATB) to offset current or predicted Ca deficits in Nova Scotia forest soils under juvenile white spruce (Picea glauca) plantations. At the rates applied (7.5 and 15 t ha−1 wet weight), ATB treatments led to significant increases in total and available Ca within the forest floor and surface mineral soil, significant increases in forest floor pH, significant or near-significant decreases in exchangeable forest floor Al3+ concentrations, and negligible leaching of metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn) for the 2-year duration of study. Near-surface PO43−-P availability was also slightly enhanced after an initial delay period. However, despite relatively high K concentrations in the ATB product used, there were no significant increases in forest floor K concentrations, suggesting a relatively rapid release and movement of K+ to deeper soil layers compared to Ca2+. There were also no significant increases in forest floor Mg concentrations, or in total and available N. Results suggest that ATB could be a good source of Ca in Ca-limited sites, but nutrient imbalances may be a problem on sites where K and Mg depletion has also occurred or where N is also limiting.

CURRENT ACCOUNT DETERMINANTS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN (SEE) COUNTRIES – PANEL APPROACH

The aim of this paper is to examine the relation between the current account balance and its determinants for a sample of 9 SEE countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania) over the period from 2000 to 2015. After we had established the existence of panel cointegration in the sample, we estimated cointegration equations using FMOLS and DOLS estimator. The results show that real effective exchange rate appreciation had an adverse effect on the current account, while the net inflow of direct foreign investments has a positive impact, as private remittances. The survey also confirmed that the current account deficit in the SEE countries is persistent. The results indicate that the structural changes in the SEE countries should be carried out in order to reduce the CA deficit. Also, the appreciation of the national currency should be avoided, since it will lead to an increase in the CA deficit.

ЭЛЕМЕНТНЫЙ СТАТУС ЗДОРОВЫХ И БОЛЬНЫХ ЖИТЕЛЕЙ ГОРОДА БЛАГОВЕЩЕНСКА

The mineral status of healthy and ill citizens of Blagoveshchensk was studied with the help of atomic absorption spectroscopy. It was found out that in the whole blood of healthy people from Blagoveshchensk in comparison with some average standard rates given in literature, there was a bigger (p&lt;0.001) concentration of Co (3.5 and more times), of Cs (15 times more), of Li (4.5 times more), of Mn (34.3 times more), of Ni (4 times more), and there was significantly less of Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Na, Mg, Rb, Zn. At focal tuberculosis the deficit of Ca and Mg and the excess of Cd, Cr, Cs, Hg, K, Li and Pb were registered. And the other way round, under fibrous-cavernous type in the blood there was a low level of Ca, Mg, Mn and Ni (p&lt;0.001), approximately normal contents of Cu, Fe and Zn, and a high (p&lt;0.001) concentration of Cd, Cr, Cs, Hg, K, Li, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb. Moreover, in the blood of people with lung tuberculosis the contents of Hg were 3-5 times more than in healthy people. Under the peptic ulcer disease the mineral imbalance was revealed through the decrease in the blood of Ca and Mg level (p&lt;0.001) and the increase of (p&lt;0.001) Cd, Cr, Cs, K, Li, Mn, Na, Ni and Pb concentration.

Impact of Consumer Loans on Inflation and Current Account Deficit: A Toda Yamamoto Causality Test for Turkey

This study aims to investigate the causality relationship between consumer loans and inflation, and consumer loans and current account deficit in Turkey. In this scope, Toda Yamamoto causality test is used for the periods between 1994:1 and 2015:3. According to test results, we found that there is no causal relationship between consumer loans and inflation rate, and consumer loans and current account deficit. In other words, changes in consumer loans do not lead neither high current account deficit rates nor high inflation rates in Turkey. Therefore, limiting consumer loans is not the solution for inflation and current account deficit problems of Turkey and policy makers should apply some other effective policies to solve high CA deficit and high inflation problems.

Presenilin 1 Maintains Lysosomal Ca(2+) Homeostasis via TRPML1 by Regulating vATPase-Mediated Lysosome Acidification.

Presenilin 1 (PS1) deletion or Alzheimer's disease (AD)-linked mutations disrupt lysosomal acidification and proteolysis, which inhibits autophagy. Here, we establish that this phenotype stems from impaired glycosylation and instability of vATPase V0a1 subunit, causing deficient lysosomal vATPase assembly and function. We further demonstrate that elevated lysosomal pH in Presenilin 1 knockout (PS1KO) cells induces abnormal Ca(2+) efflux from lysosomes mediated by TRPML1 and elevates cytosolic Ca(2+). In WT cells, blocking vATPase activity or knockdown of either PS1 or the V0a1 subunit of vATPase reproduces all of these abnormalities. Normalizing lysosomal pH in PS1KO cells using acidic nanoparticles restores normal lysosomal proteolysis, autophagy, and Ca(2+) homeostasis, but correcting lysosomal Ca(2+) deficits alone neither re-acidifies lysosomes nor reverses proteolytic and autophagic deficits. Our results indicate that vATPase deficiency in PS1 loss-of-function states causes lysosomal/autophagy deficits and contributes to abnormal cellular Ca(2+) homeostasis, thus linking two AD-related pathogenic processes through a common molecular mechanism.

Nitrogen assimilation and nitrate reductase activity in tomato seedlings. I. Comparative studies on the influence of the Ca:Mg ratio on nitrogen metabolism in relation to absorption of nitrates or ammonium salts

A change in the Ca:Mg ratio in the nutrient solution from the value optimal for tomato growth (3:1) to an unsuitable value (3:30) increases several times Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; accumulation with simultaneous reduction of Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; accumulation independently from the absorption of mineral nitrogen from, viz. NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; - or NH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;,- ions. Tomato seedlings receiving nitrogen in the form of NH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; show a complete tolerance to the unsuitable Ca:Mg ratio in the nutrient solution, whereas those supplied with NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; react by growth inhibition, reduced dry weight increment and protein weight and inhibition of nitrogen reductase (NR) activity. It is suggested that the reaction of plants to an excess of Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; in the nutrient solution in relation to Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; depends above all on the form in which nitrogen is supplied to the plants. It was found that the reduction of dry weight increment and protein synthesis preceded in time NR activity inhibition. Accumulation of excess Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; and decreased Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; accumulation occur rather rapidly. It is, therefore, supposed that the excess of accumulated Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; induces a physiological deficit of Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; in the tissue of plants taking up NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; nitrogen. This calcium deficit leads to inhibtion of nitrate assimilation.

Effect of a combination GOS/FOS® prebiotic mixture and interaction with calcium intake on mineral absorption and bone parameters in growing rats.

Increasing calcium intake is the most effective strategy for avoiding Ca deficit. However, if intake remains inadequate, improving Ca absorption becomes an important tool to optimize Ca homeostasis and bone health. The effect of a mixture of GOS/FOS(®) 9:1 added to a normal- or low-Ca diets on Ca absorption and bone mineralization, density and structure was investigated, in a model of growing rats. Several colonic parameters to help support the findings were also evaluated. Weanling Wistar rats received one of the four experimental AIN-93G diets: C5: 0.5% Ca; C3: 0.3% Ca; P5: 0.5% Ca + 5.3% GOS/FOS(®); P3: 0.3% Ca + 5.3% GOS/FOS(®) until 50 days (T = 50). At T = 50, lactobacillus and cecum weights were higher, whereas cecum pH was lower in P5 and P3 versus C5 and C3 (p < 0.001). At T = 50, fecal Ca, Mg and P were lower and their absorptions (mg/dL) were higher in P5 and P3 versus C5 and C3, respectively (p < 0.05). Ca, Mg and P absorption % was higher in P5 and P3 versus C5 and C3 (p < 0.001). Femur Ca and P content, bone mineral content, trabecular bone mineral density, tibia length, bone volume, osteoblast surface, stiffness and elastic modulus were higher in P5 and P3 versus C5 and C3 (p < 0.05). Despite the lower Ca content, P3 group reached similar values than C5 in all these latter parameters. Supplementing diets with the GOS/FOS(®) mixture increased bone mineralization, density and structure due to an increase in Ca, P and Mg absorptions. Thus, this prebiotic mixture may help to improve bone development in a period of high calcium requirements.

The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the content of macro and micro elements in grapevine (Vitis vinifera, L.) leaves

In a two-year field experiment we used leaf analysis to evaluate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the content of some macro elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and micro elements (Zn, Mn, Fe) in grapevine leaves at the beginning of softening/veraison of grape berries. The contents of the individual elements differed which was caused both by the different varieties of Rulandské modré (Pinot Noir) and Frankovka (Blaufränkisch), and by the effect of the conditions of the year (2010, 2011), and by the actual treatment of the experiment (untreated control, mycorrhizal /AM/ plants). In 2010 the contents of all the nutrients in leaves of the variety Rulandské modré (Pinot Noir) were optimal with the exception of the contents of Ca and Mg in 2011 and content of K in 2010. In the mycorrhizal plants in both years only calcium increased significantly (3.50 % as against 3.29 % and 1.54 % as against 1.31 %, respectively). The contents of micro elements in the variety Rulandské modré (Pinot Noir) fluctuated irregularly; only the content of Mn was higher in the control treatment in both years. The variety Frankovka (Blaufränkisch) showed a small to great Ca deficit in the leaves in both years; in 2010 also a K deficit and in 2011 a deficit in Mg. The contents of N, K and Mn increased significantly in the mycorrhizal treated plants both in 2010 and in 2011.

Ca, Fe, AND Mg TRENDS AMONG AND WITHIN ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES

In a sample of elliptical galaxies that span a large range of mass, a previously unused Ca index, CaHK, shows that [Ca/Fe] and [Ca/Mg] systematically decrease with increasing elliptical galaxy mass. Metallicity mixtures, age effects, stellar chromospheric emission effects, and low-mass initial mass function (IMF) boost effects are ruled out as causes. A [Ca/Fe] range of less than 0.3 dex is sufficient to blanket all observations. Feature gradients within galaxies imply a global Ca deficit rather than a radius-dependent phenomenon. Some, but not all, Type II supernova nucleosynthetic yield calculations indicate a decreasing Ca/Fe yield ratio in more massive supernovae, lending possible support to the hypothesis that more massive elliptical galaxies have an IMF that favors more massive stars. No Type II supernova nucleosynthetic yield calculations show significant leverage in the Ca/Fe ratio as a function of progenitor metallicity. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the Ca behavior can be explained as a built-in metallicity effect, and this argues against explanations that vary only the Type II to Type Ia supernova enrichment ratio.

Ion substitutions and non-stoichiometry of carbonated apatite-(CaOH) synthesised by precipitation and hydrothermal methods

Apatite-(CaOH), either carbonate-free or with different concentrations of carbonate ions of the predominantly (not less than 60%) B type, was synthesised by precipitation from solutions, by hydrothermal methods from solid compounds and by hydrothermal treatment of calcite. In B type apatite, the concentration of CO 3 2 - ions could be up to 20.5 wt.%. The reverse precipitation method and hydrothermal treatment of calcite obtained monophase samples with a maximal concentration of CO 3 2 - ions of 10.3–10.5 wt.%. In apatites of a mixed type, the total concentration of CO 3 2 - ions did not exceed 8 wt.%. The synthesised apatites could be divided into three groups according to the degree and origin of non-stoichiometry: 1. Apatite of nearly stoichiometric composition. Apatite of this type was synthesised by all methods. 2. Calcium-deficient apatite. The Ca deficit was mainly due to CO 3 2 - incorporation. Monophase samples with maximal concentrations of CO 3 2 - ions were synthesised by the reverse precipitation method and by hydrothermal treatment of calcite. 3. Calcium-deficient apatite. The Ca deficit was mainly due to a deficit of OH − ions and resulted in the incorporation of water into channels of the crystal structure. This group was synthesised by reverse precipitation and hydrothermal methods. This apatite was a crystal chemical analogue of the apatite formed in the hard tissues of the human body such as teeth, bone and different stones. Apatites formed by the precipitation methods revealed higher variations in composition (including variations in the concentration of CO 3 2 - ions), compared to hydrothermally-synthesised samples. The observed effect of aqueous solution composition on the ion substitution and apatite composition was stronger than previously reported.

Sustainability of Current Account and Trade Deficits in Transition

Trade deficits are caused by the balances between saving and investment and the effects of those balances on international flows of capital. Generally, there are three primary sources of the trade deficit: a decline in saving/GDP ratio; fluctuations in the business cycles; investment opportunities in the country. Generally, less sustainable or unsustainable CA deficits in transitional countries are the consequence of either a fall in savings or an increase of investment; these two events might be determined by a sharp increase of imported consumption goods (substitution of savings by consumption), by a real appreciation of the domestic currency that leads to the loss of competitiveness, or by the weakness of banking and financial systems that are unable to cope with large capital flows. The current Foreign Trade policy of Serbia and Montenegro, aimed to protect its domestic economy from excessively high imports, is economically ineffective. Both consumers and producers prefer to buy imported commodities instead of domestically produced ones, despite high import prices, either because the domestic supply is insufficient or because the quality of internally manufactured goods is very low. Currently, Serbia and Montenegro records the highest import-export ratio among all former socialist countries: 3.04 for the period January - April 2004 (3.2 in case of Serbia alone). The export potential is very limited because of low competitiveness and productivity, while the capacity to reduce in the near future the CA deficit and the accumulated debt is rather modest (the debt - export ratio is 2.5 times higher than the average for transitional economies). In addition, Serbia and Montenegro records the lowest investment rate (13.5% of GDP) among the same group of countries (the average is 23.75%). Low investment in the economy implies a modest growth rate of the GDP in the future and consequently insufficient national income. As a result, paying back the debt will become more problematic in the future, while the sustainability of CA and Trade Balance a serious issue of concern.

Atmospheric Quality, Soil Acidification and Tree Decline in Three Korean Red Pine Forests

Although a forest damage of large area due to air pollution has not yet been found in Korea, declines of Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.), the most common coniferous species, have been locally reported. To evaluate the effect of air pollution and acid deposition on the forests, SO<TEX>$_2$</TEX> concentration, acid load, soil pH and tree decline were monitored for 13 years from 1988 to 2001 in Namsan, Doowang and Gyebangsan with the gradient of air pollution. During the study period, annual mean SO<TEX>$_2$</TEX> concentration in Namsan, Doowang and Gyebangsan were 14 ppb, 13 ppb and 6 ppb, respectively. Annual mean acid loads in Namsan and Doowang were three to four times more than that in Gyebangsan. As respected, forest surface soils in Namsan and Doowang were acidified to pH 4.1 and 4.3, whereas that in Gyebangsan showed normal value as pH 5.4. On the other hand, decline degrees of Korean red pines in Namsan and Doowang in both 1996 and 2001 were higher than those in Gyebangsan. It is reasonable that the severer tree declines in Namsan and Doowang could be closely related with the higher air pollution, acid load, and the effects (possibly Ca deficit and Al toxicity) of soil acidification.

Limiting factors for &lt;em&gt;Vitis vinifera&lt;/em&gt; L., Albariño variety production in soils dedicated to the vineyard single-crop system

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;With the purpose of studying the influence of &lt;em&gt;Vitis vinifera&lt;/em&gt; L. (Albariño variety) single-crop system on the limiting edaphic factors for the grape production four plots dedicated to this single-crop during 6, 12, and 100 years were selected. The most usual limitations for the chemical fertility are the low CECe in the youngest vineyards (&amp;lt;4 cmol&lt;sup&gt;+)&lt;/sup&gt;.kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; and 4-7 cmol(&lt;sup&gt;+)&lt;/sup&gt;.kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the rest) and the low contents of Mg in sixty per cent of the surface samples and 90 % of the subsurface ones and deficit of Ca in 90 % of the subsurface samples (0.96 cmol. kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;). It is remarkable also the Fe deficit in ail the samples and the Cu and Zn excess in the surface layer of the oldest vineyards. It is evident the presence of DDT and its metabolites (DDD and DDE) in the youngest vineyards, though in low quantifies.&lt;/p&gt;