Doubled Concentration Research Articles

Higher Concentration of Ascorbic Acid as a Sole Induction Factor for Osteogenesis on MC3T3-E1 Cell Model

This research aimed to investigate the potential of ascorbic acid (Asc) to act independently as an osteogenic induction factor in a murine pre-osteoblast (MC3T3-E1) model. MC3T3-E1 cells were seeded in culture wells and hydroxyapatite scaffold for two-dimensional and three-dimensional analyses respectively. Cell morphology, viability, osteoblast differentiation, and mineralisation potentials of MC3T3-E1 cells were compared between induction of standard (50 µg/mL) and doubled (100 µg/mL) Asc concentrations in growth media. Cells with fibroblast-like morphology became confluent earlier on day 6 in the standard group compared to the doubled group on day 9. Cell viability and differentiation potential were significantly increased in the doubled group (p < 0.01). Mineralisation occurred in the doubled group after 15 days of seeding but no mineralisation was seen in the standard group. Findings were similar in 3D analysis whereby mineralized nodules were seen only in the doubled group. The relative expression of collagen 1(α) and osteocalcin genes were increased in the doubled group than the standard group. Doubling Asc concentration in a growth medium to 100 µg/mL can induce viability, differentiation, and mineralisation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Thus, higher concentration of ascorbic acid can potentially be used as the sole induction factor in osteogenic medium.

The effect of capromorelin on glycemic control in healthy dogs

Capromorelin is a ghrelin-receptor agonist widely used as an appetite stimulant in dogs. Capromorelin disrupts glucose homeostasis in cats but information regarding its effects on canine glucose homeostasis is lacking. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of capromorelin on glucose homeostatic mechanisms in healthy dogs. Eight clinically healthy client-owned adult dogs were enrolled in this prospective, cross-over, placebo-controlled study. Dogs were randomized to receive capromorelin (Entyce, 3 mg/kg) or placebo, q24h for 3 d. A wk later, treatments were crossed over. Interstitial glucose (IG) concentrations were measured using a flash glucose monitoring system throughout. On d 1 of each treatment, blood glucose (BG), insulin, glucagon, glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) concentrations were measured before drug administration, then before and 30–120 min after feeding a glucose-rich diet (Ensure Plus, 21 kcal/kg). Data were analyzed as a 2-period crossover design using generalized least squares estimation. Capromorelin administration increased mean 48 h IG by10% and mean BG by 20% at 90 and 120 min post-prandially (P < 0.0001). Post-prandially, there was a time-by-treatment effect for insulin (P = 0.03) and GIP (P = 0.0002) because capromorelin doubled geometric mean insulin concentrations at 120 min and increased geometric mean GIP concentrations more rapidly than after placebo. There were no differences in glucagon or GLP-1 concentrations between treatment groups. The increase in post-prandial blood glucose was not the result of overt suppression of incretin hormone secretion. There was also no suppressive effect of capromorelin on insulin.

Effects of increasing CO2 concentration and water deficit on photosynthetic performance and water use efficiency of typical green manure plants

Exploring the impacts of CO2 and soil water availability on the photosynthetic performance and water use efficiency of three green manure plants could provide theoretical basis for the adaptive management of grassland ecosystems under future climate change. An experiment was conducted in an artificial climate chamber with precisely controled CO2 concentrations of 400 (natural atmospheric) and 800 μmol·mol-1 (doubled), and four water treatments, 80% field water holding capacity (FC) (full irrigation control group), 55%-60% FC (mild water deficit), 35%-40% FC (moderate water deficit), &lt;35% FC (severe water deficit) to investigate the impacts of increasing CO2 concentration and water deficit on chlorophyll content, gas exchange variables, and water use efficiency (WUE) of oilseed rape (Brassica napus), white clover (Trifolium repens), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The results showed that under the same CO2 concentration, when soil moisture was less than 40% FC, the chlorophyll content and gas exchange parameters of three plants were significantly decreased. The treatment of 55%-60% FC did not alter the total chlorophyll content of three species, but reduced the photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) of white clover and alfalfa by 6%-25% and did not affect their WUE. Compared with atmospheric CO2 concentration, the doubled CO2 concentration significantly decreased the Pn of oilseed rape by 21.5% under the full irrigation treatment, increased the Pn of three species under mild water deficit, increased the Pn of oilseed rape and alfalfa under moderate water deficit, but only improved the Pn of alfalfa under severe water deficit. The doubled CO2 concentration significantly increased WUE of white clover and alfalfa under all water deficit conditions, but only increased WUE of oilseed rape under mild water deficit. Increasing CO2 concentration and water deficit significantly interacted to affect Pn of three species and the WUE of oilseed rape. In summary, the three species differed in their responses to doubled atmospheric CO2 concentration and different levels of water deficit. Our results suggested that elevated CO2 concentration could improve the adverse effects of mild water deficit on photosynthetic performance and WUE of three species, but only improve the photosynthetic performance of alfalfa under severe water deficit.

Zinc bioremediation in soil by two isolated L-asparaginase and urease producing bacteria strains

Since urease-based microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) process produces high ammonia levels, alternative strategies are very useful in adopting the MICCP process for bioremediating heavy metals. This study aimed to investigate the potential application of two native L-asparaginase and urease-producing isolates and Sporosarcina pasteurii as an indicator strain in removing zinc (Zn) from a contaminated solution and immobilizing it in soil through MICCP method. Zn removal from contaminated solution was 70.36% and 71.46% in 4 mmol L−1 Zn by S. pasteurii and urease-producing isolate, respectively. However, it was 97.32% when L-asparaginase-producing isolate was inoculated in solution with doubled Zn concentration (8 mmol L−1 Zn). The overall mean reduction of Zn in soluble-exchangeable fraction of soil was the highest in L-asparaginase-producing isolate treatment (71.8%) in comparison to S. pasteurii (61.8%) and urease-producing isolate treatments (56.2%). In contaminated soil with 150, 300, 400, and 500 mg kg−1 Zn, carbonate-bound Zn fraction increased to 79.2–85.35% and 83.86–85.12% in soil inoculated with S. pasteurii and urease-producing isolate, respectively. However, this fraction increased to 80.67, 84.95, 85.45, and 86.05%, respectively, in the case of L-asparaginase-producing isolate inoculation. Overall, the results confirmed the efficacy of both isolated strains in removing and immobilizing Zn in comparison to the indicator strain, which indicated the higher potential of the L-asparaginase strain. Therefore, due to the less ammonia production, L-asparaginase based MICCP process can be considered as a more environmentally friendly approach for bioremediating soil heavy metal.

PGF&lt;sub&gt;2α&lt;/sub&gt; induced estrus synchronization of native buffaloes in Bangladesh

Buffaloes have low fertility due to silent estrus, seasonal anestrous, delayed puberty and long calving interval. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of single and double doses of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2a) on synchronization of estrus in buffaloes. A total of 66 buffaloes were selected and subjected to estrus synchronization experiments: single dose PGF2a, and double dose PGF2a. In single dose PGF2a experiment, buffaloes were injected with either 500 or 875 µg of cloprostenol (PGF2a) and all buffaloes were examined to identify corpus luteum through rectal palpation before administration of PGF2a. In double dose experiment, buffaloes were injected with either 500 or 875 µg of cloprostenol (PGF2a) on Day 0 and Day 12 without identifying corpus luteum. The buffaloes were examined for estrus by collecting cervical mucus using universal artificial insemination gun from the mid cervix and timed artificial inseminations (TAI) were done after 72 hrs of last dose of PGF2α injection. The results showed that there were no significant differences in estrus rate (75±3.96% and 85±0.79%) single dose of PGF2α with 500 and 875 µg of cloprostenol, respectively. However, 875 µg of cloprostenol significantly (P&lt;0.05) increased estrus rate in buffaloes than double doses with 500 and 875 µg of cloprostenol (60 ± 12.72% and 63 ± 2.22%). The conception rate in buffaloes were 45±6.91% and 55±6.91% in 500 µg and 875 µg of cloprostenol in single dose of PGF2a and 30±14.69% and 37±8.81% in 500 µg and 875 µg of cloprostenol in double dose of PGF2a. The calving rate in buffaloes were 10±5.20% and 15±0.79% in 500 µg and 875 µg of cloprostenol in single dose of PGF2a and 10±8.33 and 12±6.18% in 500 µg and 875 µg of cloprostenol in double dose of PGF2a. However, there were no significant differences in conception and calving rates in buffaloes neither between single and double doses PGF2a nor different concentrations of PGF2a. In conclusion, single dose of PGF2a with 875 µg of cloprostenol injection efficiently increased estrus synchronization rate in buffaloes.&#x0D; Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2021. 50 (2): 80-85

The effect of non-specific binding of Pd(II) complexes with N-heteroaromatic hydrazone ligands on the protein structure

Previously, the cytotoxic actions of five Pd(II) complexes with bidentate N-heteroaromatic chelators (complexes 1?5) on a palette of several cancer cell lines were investigated. However, the results of the cytotoxic activity did not correlate with the hydrophobic character of the complexes. To gain further insight into the structure?activity relationship, essential for the design of novel potential drugs, other factors, such as non-specific interactions with cellular proteins, have to be taken into account. To explore the potential non-specific influence of the complexes on protein structures, ovalbumin (OVA) was chosen as a model system to mimic cellular non-specific crowding environments with high protein concentrations. A Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy study implied that the binding of 3 and 4 led to only moderate alternations in the secondary structures of the protein, without the possibility to penetrate into hydrophobic core of the protein and disruption of protein native fold. Contrary, the effect of complex 5 on OVA secondary structures was concentration- dependent. While the lower concentration of complex 5 had no effect on OVA structure, a doubled concentration of complex 5 led to complete disruption of the content native-like secondary structures. The concentration-dependent effect of complex 5 on the changes in secondary structures and considerable increase in the exposure of OVA hydrophobic surfaces to water may be related to a potential crosslinking that leads to OVA aggregation.

Optimization of dye solutions for detecting damaged pancreatic tissues during islet isolation procedures.

We previously reported that dye was effective to prevent the leakage of enzyme solutions from pancreatic glands during an islet isolation procedure. However, the dye used for islet isolation has not yet been optimized. In this study, we focused on pyoktanin blue (PB), diagnogreen (DG), and indigo carmine (IC) as potential candidates among clinically established dyes. A serial dilution assay was performed to determine minimal effective concentrations of each dye for detecting damaged pancreatic tissues. According to the outcome of serial dilution assays, double minimum effective concentrations of each dye were used for in vitro toxicity assays on islets and used in the isolation procedure to investigate whether they adversely affect islet isolation efficiency. The evaluations included islet yield, ADP/ATP, ATP/DNA, glucose stimulation test, and insulin/DNA assays. Islet viability cultured with PB contained medium was significantly lower than the other dyes. DG and IC appeared to be non-toxic to the islets. In isolation experiments, the islet yield in the DG group was considerably lower than that in the Control group, suggesting that DG might inhibit enzyme activity. The present study demonstrates that IC could be a promising candidate for an effective dye to detect damaged pancreatic tissues without affecting the enzyme activity and islet quality.

Heterotrophic cultivation of Galdieria sulphuraria under non-sterile conditions in digestate and hydrolyzed straw

Non-sterile heterotrophic cultivation of Galdieria sulphuraria in presence of digestate as well as straw after hydrolysis was investigated. G. sulphuraria can be grown in pure digestate at rates of 0.9 day−1 with glucose. However, a proteolytic treatment of digestate resulted in increased growth rates (1.2 day−1) and doubled cell concentrations. Furthermore, G. sulphuraria can utilize glucose obtained after straw hydrolysis. Biomass yields in glucose limited cultures were around 0.9 g per g glucose, while only 0.2 g biomass was formed per g glucose in glucose sufficient cultures. Biomass composition (w/w) of G. sulphuraria grown in digestate supplemented with straw hydrolysate consisted of 20% carbohydrates, 37% proteins and 3% lipids. This study revealed the potential to utilize agricultural waste streams to form algal biomass rich in proteins and may pave the way to novel utilization strategies to be implemented in rural areas.

Therapeutic Assessment of Combination Therapy with a Neprilysin Inhibitor and Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor Antagonist on Angiotensin II-Induced Atherosclerosis, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, and Hypertension.

Combined neprilysin (NEP) inhibition (sacubitril) and angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonism (valsartan) is used in the treatment of congestive heart failure and is gaining interest for other angiotensin II (AngII)-related cardiovascular diseases. In addition to heart failure, AngII promotes hypertension, atherosclerosis, and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Similarly, NEP substrates or products have broad effects on the cardiovascular system. In this study, we examined NEP inhibition (with sacubitril) and AT1R antagonism (with valsartan) alone or in combination on AngII-induced hypertension, atherosclerosis, or AAAs in male low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient mice. Preliminary studies assessed drug delivery via osmotic minipumps for simultaneous release of sacubitril and/or valsartan with AngII over 28 days. Mice were infused with AngII (1000 ng/kg per minute) in the absence (vehicle) or presence of sacubitril (1, 6, or 9 mg/kg per day), valsartan (0.3, 0.5, 1, 6, or 20 mg/kg per day), or the combination thereof (1 and 0.3, or 9 or 0.5 mg/kg per day of sacubitril and valsartan, respectively). Plasma AngII and renin concentrations increased 4-fold at higher valsartan doses, indicative of removal of AngII negative feedback on renin. Sacubitril doubled plasma AngII concentrations at lower doses (1 mg/kg per day). Valsartan dose-dependently decreased systolic blood pressure, aortic atherosclerosis, and AAAs of AngII-infused mice, whereas sacubitril had no effect on atherosclerosis or AAAs but reduced blood pressure of AngII-infused mice. Combination therapy with sacubitril and valsartan did not provide additive benefits. These results suggest limited effects of combination therapy with NEP inhibition and AT1R antagonism against AngII-induced hypertension, atherosclerosis, or AAAs.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe combination of valsartan (angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist) and sacubitril (neprilysin inhibitor) did not provide benefit above valsartan alone on AngII-induced hypertension, atherosclerosis, or abdominal aortic aneurysms in low-density lipoprotein receptor–deficient male mice. These results do not support this drug combination in therapy of these AngII-induced cardiovascular diseases.

Metallic insignia in primary teeth: A biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Lead accumulations have been found in teeth and related to behavior deficits in children, but there is a dearth of studies in exploring the role of zinc and manganese dysregulations in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using the primary tooth as biomarker. The objectives of the study were to evaluate and compare the concentrations of zinc and manganese in the primary teeth serving as biomarker, in typically developing children and children with ASD. Twelve primary incisors indicated for extraction were collected from children between the age group 6 and 9 years, for the study. Six primary incisors were obtained from children who had been diagnosed with ASD (study group). The other six teeth were obtained from typically developing children, in the similar age group. The primary incisors obtained were analyzed for metal concentrations using the technique Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. This study was statistically analyzed by student's t-test. It was observed that there are significant differences in metal concentrations found between tooth samples of ASD children and typically developing children. Zinc concentrations were double and manganese concentrations were three times, in teeth of ASD children group as compared to the children in the control group. Results of the current study indicate that there are considerable differences in concentrations of zinc and manganese between the two groups and support the contention that there might be an association between metal exposures of a pregnant mother and child during early years of childhood and incidence of ASD.

Effects of elevated CO2 on the evapotranspiration over the agricultural land in Northwest China

The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is changing plant physiology, thus affecting terrestrial hydrological response. A nonlinear stomatal conductance response to carbon dioxide concentration (gs-CO2) was incorporated in the VIC model for better representation of the evapotranspiration (ET) response to the elevated CO2. The annual ET of maize and wheat over the agricultural land in Northwest China was found to decrease by 0.54% and 0.21% during 1980–2010, respectively. Under doubled CO2 concentration (660 ppm), the ET reduction of maize and wheat was 23.3 mm and 8.9 mm, which accounted for 4.3% and 1.8% of the corresponding annual ET. The annual ET reduction of maize, under the four future scenarios (RCP4.5_2040s, RCP4.5_2080s, RCP8.5_2040s, and RCP8.5_2080s), was about 1.1–6.4%, resulted from an ensemble mean of eight general circulation models. The effects of elevated CO2 offset part of ET increase caused by the precipitation and temperature changes. This study has practical implications for precise irrigation. The ET response of maize should be paid more attention for its larger potential in saving irrigation water for the studied region. The elevated CO2 concentration will be beneficial for saving irrigation water to a certain degree.

WATER EXTRACT OF CAESALPINIA PULCHERRIMA FLOWERS INCREASES GLUCOSE UPTAKE IN INSULIN RESISTANT ADIPOCYTES IN A DOSEDEPENDENT MANNER

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (CP) flower extract has been shown to have antidiabetic effects on pancreatic beta cell regeneration and improved skeletal muscle glucose utilisation. However, little is known about its effect on adipocytes, particularly insulin resistant adipocytes. This study investigated the possibility of improving glucose uptake in adipocytes obtained from chickens which are naturally insulin resistant via direct effects of water extract of Caesalpinia pulcherrima flowers. The extract was prepared by boiling air dried CP flowers in a water based modified Krebs Ringer Bicarbonate buffer for 5mins and sterilizing the filtrate via vacuum filtration. A glucose load of 18mM and 10% ITS was added to the extract. In the absence of adipocytes, the glucose concentration of the CP extract remained unchanged (p=0.5087). Insulin resistance in the chicken adipocytes was confirmed by delayed and limited glucose uptake (maximum 2.9% + 1.62% in 60mins). This was reversed via the addition of the water extract of the CP flowers as concentrations as low as 2.8mg/ml doubled glucose uptake and concentrations as low as 5.6mg/ml increased the rate of glucose uptake to that of insulin sensitive cells. These results suggest that water extract of CP flowers directly modulate glucose uptake into insulin resistant cells at concentrations as low as 2.8mg/ml following a 5mins decoction preparation.

Return to different climate states by reducing sulphate aerosols under future CO2 concentrations

It is generally believed that anthropogenic aerosols cool the atmosphere; therefore, they offset the global warming resulting from greenhouse gases to some extent. Reduction in sulphate, a primary anthropogenic aerosol, is necessary for mitigating air pollution, which causes atmospheric warming. Here, the changes in the surface air temperature under various anthropogenic emission amounts of sulphur dioxide (SO2), which is a precursor of sulphate aerosol, are simulated under both present and doubled carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations with a climate model. No previous studies have conducted explicit experiments to estimate the temperature changes due to individual short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) in different climate states with atmosphere–ocean coupled models. The simulation results clearly show that reducing SO2 emissions at high CO2 concentrations will significantly enhance atmospheric warming in comparison with that under the present CO2 concentration. In the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the temperature change that will occur when fuel SO2 emissions reach zero under a doubled CO2 concentration will be approximately 1.0 °C, while this value will be approximately 0.5 °C under the present state. This considerable difference can affect the discussion of the 1.5 °C/2 °C target in the Paris Agreement.

Optimization of mixing in a Chinese dome digester for tropical regions

Optimization of mixing in a Chinese dome digester for tropical regions

Prenatal and childhood exposure to phthalic acid esters and vaccination antibodies in children: A 15-year follow-up birth cohort study

Phthalic acid esters (PAE) are widely used during chemical synthesis and do not form covalent linkages with products. It has been reported that exposure to PAE affects the immune response. However, their effect on antibody concentrations in children is still under investigation. We aimed to examine the association between early-life phthalate exposure and antibody concentrations in children in a longitudinal birth cohort established in 2000–2001.We recruited 398 neonates in central Taiwan and followed them up every 2–3 years, with various antibody-related studies at 11- and 14-year follow-ups. Seven urinary phthalate metabolites were quantified in mothers during pregnancy and children aged 11 years. Four antibody concentrations were analyzed in children aged 11 and 14 years. The percent change in antibody concentrations from ages 11 to 14 years was calculated and its association with phthalate exposure was evaluated via multivariate regression analysis.Eighty-one followed-up children were with sufficient data. After adjusting for prenatal exposure and other confounders, double concentrations of the urinary sum of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (ΣDEHPm) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) were associated with a 18.06% (95% CI = 3.34%, 32.78%) and 22.53% decrease (95% CI = 3.39%, 41.66%) in antibody concentration against hepatitis B, respectively.Phthalate exposure was found to be related to decreased antibody concentrations against hepatitis B (DEHP, DBnP) in the early teens. This exposure is suggested to be considered for clinical re-booster vaccines among junior high school students. Further verification with additional cohorts and studies on the underlying mechanisms of phthalate exposure are warranted.

Synthesis of Bioethanol from Oat Husk via Enzyme-Substrate Feeding

A promising way of utilizing oat husks is its bioconversion into technical bioethanol. Ways of increasing the concentration of bioethanol in the mash must be found to increase the economic efficiency of the process. A combination of enzymatic hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation (combined biocatalytic stages, or CBS) can be used to obtain bioethanol. In addition, delayed introduction of the inoculum can be used when combining stages. In this work, a comparative study is performed of the CBS processes with an initial substrate concentration of 60 g/L (one-time substrate loading) and an increased substrate concentration of 120 g/L after enzyme–substrate feeding (loading the substrate at a concentration of 60 g/L at the beginning of the process and feeding 30 g/L of the substrate after 4 and 8 hours. The substrate is oat husks treated with 4 wt % nitric acid in a pilot plant; a multi-enzyme composition of industrial preparations Cellolux-A and Ultraflo Core is used for enzymatic hydrolysis. Alcohol is fermented using the yeast Saccharomyces сerevisiae Y-1693 (VKPM). The equipment is a fermenter with a capacity of 11 L. Feeding with a doubled concentration of the substrate raises the concentration of bioethanol by 1.7 times (from 2.4 to 4.0 vol %) but lowers its yield by 11.4%. Make-up regimes are being developed that ensure higher concentrations of bioethanol in the mash without reducing its yield.

Future warming exacerbated by aged-soot effect on cloud formation

Clouds play a critical role in modulating the Earth’s radiation balance and climate. Anthropogenic aerosol particles that undergo aging processes, such as soot, aid cloud droplet and ice crystal formation and thus influence the microphysical structure of clouds. However, the associated changes in cloud radiative properties and climate effects remain uncertain and are largely omitted in climate models. Here we present global climate simulations of past and future effects of both ozone-aged soot particles acting as cloud condensation nuclei and sulfuric acid-aged soot particles acting as ice-nucleating particles on the structure and radiative effects of clouds. Under pre-industrial conditions, soot aging led to an increase in thick, low-level clouds that reduced negative shortwave effective radiative forcing by 0.2 to 0.3 W m−2. In the simulations of a future, warmer climate under double pre-industrial atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, soot aging and compensating cloud adjustments led to a reduction in low-level clouds and enhanced high-altitude cirrus cloud thickness, which influenced the longwave radiative balance and exacerbated the global mean surface warming by 0.4 to 0.5 K. Our findings suggest that reducing emissions of soot particles is beneficial for future climate, in addition to air quality and human health. Aged soot particles in the atmosphere enhance future warming through their influence on cloud formation and thus Earth’s radiation balance, according to global climate simulations.

Chemical Compounds, Pharmacological and Toxicological Activity of Brugmansia suaveolens: A Review

This study investigates updated information in different search engines on the distribution, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of Brugmansia suaveolens (Solanaceae) using the extracts or chemical compounds at present. This plant has been used in traditional medicine in different cultures as a hallucinatory, analgesic, aphrodisiac, nematicide, sleep inducer, and muscle relaxant, as well as a treatment for rheumatism, asthma, and inflammation. The flowers, fruits, stems, and roots of the plant are used, and different chemical compounds have been identified, such as alkaloids, volatile compounds (mainly terpenes), coumarins, flavonoids, steroids, and hydrocarbons. The concentration of the different compounds varies according to the biotic and abiotic factors to which the plant is exposed. The toxic effect of the plant is mainly attributed to atropine and scopolamine, their averages in the flowers are 0.79 ± 0.03 and 0.72 ± 0.05 mg/g of dry plant, respectively. Pharmacological studies have shown that an aqueous extract exhibits the antinociceptive effect, at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg i.p. in mice. On the other hand, the ethanolic extract at 1000 mg/L, showed a nematocidal activity in vitro of 64% against Meloidogyne incognita in 72 h. Likewise, it showed a 100% larvicidal activity at 12.5 mg/L against Ancylostoma spp. In another study, the lethal activity of shrimp in brine from an ethanolic extract showed an LC50 of 106 µg/mL at double serial concentrations of 1000–0 (µg/mL). Although there are pharmacological and phytochemical studies in the plant, they are still scarce, which has potential for the examination of the biological activity of the more than one hundred compounds that have been reported, many of which have not been evaluated.

Millennium time-scale experiments on climate-carbon cycle with doubled CO2 concentration

Earth system models (ESMs) are commonly used for simulating the climate–carbon (C) cycle and for projecting future global warming. While ESMs are most often applied to century-long climate simulations, millennium-long simulations, which have been conducted by other types of models but not by ESM because of the computational cost, can provide basic fundamental properties of climate–C cycle models and will be required for estimating the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and subsequent climate stabilization in the future. This study used two ESMs (the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate, the Earth system model version (MIROC-ESM) and the MIROC Earth system version 2 for long-term simulation (MIROC-ES2L)) to investigate millennium-scale climate and C cycle adjustment to external forcing. The CO2 concentration was doubled abruptly at the beginning of the model simulations and kept at that level for the next 1000 or 2000 years; these model simulations were compared with transient simulations where the CO2 was increased at the rate of 1% year−1 for up to 140 years (1pctCO2). Model simulations to separate and evaluate the C cycle feedbacks were also performed. Unlike the 1pctCO2 experiment, the change in temperature–cumulative anthropogenic C emission (∆T–CE) relationship was non-linear over the millennium time-scales; there were differences in this nonlinearity between the two ESMs. The differences in ∆T–CE among existing models suggest large uncertainty in the ∆T and CE in the millennium-long climate-C simulations. Ocean C and heat transport were found to be disconnected over millennium time-scales, leading to longer time-scale of ocean C accumulation than heat uptake. Although the experimental design used here was highly idealized, this long-lasting C uptake by the ocean should be considered as part of the stabilization of CO2 concentration and global warming. Future studies should perform millennium time-scale simulations using a hierarchy of models to clarify climate-C cycle processes and to understand the long-term response of the Earth system to anthropogenic perturbations.

Effects of Low pH of Hydroponic Nutrient Solution on Plant Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Root Rot Disease Incidence of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Rootzone pH affects nutrient availability for plants. Hydroponic leafy greens are grown in nutrient solutions with pH 5.5 to 6.5. Lower pH may inhibit plant growth, whereas pathogenic oomycete growth and reproduction may be mitigated. General understanding of pH effects on nutrient availability suggests likely toxicity and deficiency of specific micronutrients. We hypothesized that if adjustments are made to the micronutrient concentrations in solution, plants will grow in lower-than-conventional pH without nutrient disorders, while oomycete disease incidence and severity may be reduced. To develop a new nutrient solution management strategy, we examined pH of 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 with or without micronutrient adjustments for growing two cultivars of basil plants Dolce Fresca and Nufar in a greenhouse hydroponic deep-water culture (DWC) system. Micronutrient adjustments included reduced concentrations of copper, zinc, manganese, and boron by one-half and doubled molybdenum concentration. Plants harvested 20 to 28 days after transplanting did not show significant effects of pH or the micronutrient adjustment. Phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, manganese, and zinc concentrations in leaves significantly declined, while potassium and aluminum concentrations increased with decreasing pH. However, these changes and therefore micronutrient adjustments did not affect basil plant growth significantly. ‘Nufar’ basil plants were then grown in a growth chamber DWC system at pH 4.0 or a conventional 5.5 with and without inoculation of Pythium aphanidermatum zoospores. Fourteen days after inoculation, P. aphanidermatum oospore production was confirmed only for the inoculated plants in pH 5.5 solution, where a significant reduction of plant growth was observed. The results of the present study indicate that maintaining nutrient solution pH at 4.0 can effectively suppress the severity of root rot caused by P. aphanidermatum initiated by zoospore inoculation without influencing basil growth.