Ordinary Plants Research Articles

Potential Combination of Phytoremediation Plants and Compost in Remediation of Hg in Ex-Gold Mine Soil Contaminated Mercury (Hg)

Heavy metal mercury pollution in the environment can have negative impacts on both surrounding ecosystems and human health. Sources of mercury pollution often come from mining activities, particularly from many unlicensed gold mines (PETI) that use the mercury amalgamation method to extract gold. Due to the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic nature of mercury, contamination in the soil has increased. One effort to reduce mercury toxicity is the application of absorption methods using phytoremediation plants and compost as regulating factors. The aim of this study is to review sources of information related to the use of phytoremediation plants and the application of compost as remediators to clean mercury (Hg)-contaminated soil. To reduce levels of heavy metal contamination, plants employ five phytoremediation mechanisms: phytoextraction, phytostabilization, rhizofiltration, phyto degradation, and phytovolatilization. Therefore, selecting hyperaccumulator plants that have the ability to accumulate mercury (Hg) at levels 100 times higher than ordinary plants is crucial for effective remediation. Additionally, the use of compost as a source of organic material can enhance mercury mobility. The addition of organic materials such as compost can increase C organic content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, and Hg-chelate formation, thereby maximizing mercury absorption by plants. This combination has a positive impact on reducing mercury levels in the soil and is environmentally safe.

Numerical research on air-based cooling photovoltaic roof

As a new type of building material for plants, photovoltaic roof building materials can be used as roofs of ordinary plants to reduce damage caused by secondary construction to the roofs, and can also absorb and utilize solar radiation to make full use of renewable energy. This article combines photovoltaic modules with air channels to form building material structures with ventilation ducts, establishes physical and mathematical models for photovoltaic roofs in three different inlet modes, and studies the flow and heat transfer characteristics inside air cooling integrated photovoltaic roofs. The simulation results show that the staggered-overlap-joint waterproof double-inlet photovoltaic roof can prevent rain and snow infiltration, and meanwhile, has a cooling effect on the PV panels significantly better than that of the traditional single-inlet air cooling system and the ordinary parallel double-inlet system, and its temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the PV panels is increased by 19.88% compared to the traditional single-inlet air cooling system and by 15.12% compared to the parallel double-inlet system at the maximum. When the included angle between the PV panels of the staggered-overlap-joint waterproof double-inlet photovoltaic roof and the roof is 3°, the change in average temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the PV panels is maximum, which is increased by 3.88% compared with that at 2°. The thickness of the air channel has small influences on the temperature change inside the air channel, the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the PV panels, and the outlet temperature. When the thickness increases from 50 mm to 200 mm, the change in outlet temperature does not exceed 0.3 K, but the increase in thickness of air layers increases the airflow velocity, which helps to take away more heat.

Visualisation of calcium oxalate crystal macropatterns in plant leaves using an improved fast preparation method.

Leaves of the majority of plants contain calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals or druses which often occur in spectacular distribution patterns. Numerous studies on CaOx in plant tissues across many different plant groups have been published, since it can be visualised readily under a light microscope (LM). However, there is surprisingly limited knowledge on the actual, precise distribution of CaOx in the leaves of quite ordinary plants such as common native and exotic trees. Traditional sample preparation for the documentation of the distribution of CaOx crystals in a given sample - including overall distribution - requires time-consuming clearing procedures. Here we present a refined fast preparation method to visualise the overall CaOx complement in a sample: The plant material is ashed and the ash viewed under the polarising microscope. This is a rapid method which overcomes many shortcomings of other methods and permits the visualisation of the entire CaOx content in most leaf samples. Pros and cons in comparison with the conventional clearing technique are discussed. Further aspects for CaOx investigations by micro-CT and scanning electron microscopy are discussed.

Literasi Keuangan pada Kelompok Wanita Telang di Desa Bandengan Kab. Pekalongan

The butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) are by most the community considered only ordinary plants actually have extraordinary benefit (Imayanti et al., 2019). Bandengan Village in Pekalongan Regency is one of the villages that has experienced floods since the last 10 years. Thus, many residents especially women, have used many pots to cultivate butterfly pea plants. Moreover, women in Bandengan Village, Pekalongan Regency try to be independent in terms of income and also want to increase their capability. Womenpreneur makes a big contribution to Small Medium Enterprise in Indonesia. According to Biro Pusat Statistik in 2021, the majority of the total Small Medium Enterprise in Indonesia, to be precise, 64.5 or 37 million Small Medium Enterprise are managed by women (BPS, 2021). The contribution of Small Medium Enterprise to employment is about 97% of the total workforce and able to increase about 60.4% of the total investment. However, the high number of Small Medium Enterprise have main problems such as low level of access to financial literation. Small Medium Enterprise can’t managed business and personal finance. They are have no record of income, costs and sales. As a result, they can not identify the financial needs of their business. Hence, financial literacy training and assistance is expected to be able to increase the financial capacity of Small Medium Enterprise owners, an make simple reports in managing their business.

Использование технологий фиторемедиации для очистки почв загрязненных тяжелыми металлами

Heavy metals are among the most toxic pollutants in the environment. This paper presents data on contaminated soils with heavy metals of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The ways of their solution are proposed and characterized. Soil contamination with heavy metals is one of the urgent problems of geoecology, they will be transferred to the soil around the storage facility and pose a great threat to the ecosystem, agricultural system and human health. Several methods are already being used to clean the environment of these types of pollutants, but most of them are expensive and far from their optimal performance. The use of plants for cleaning the environment became an effective and cost-effective method only after hyperaccumulative plants were discovered, capable of accumulating up to 5% of nickel, zinc or copper in their tissues in terms of dry weight, that is, tens of times more than ordinary plants. The article provides an overview of phytoremediation technology as an improved method of soil purification. Different types of plants are considered as hyperaccumulators. Hyperaccumulating plants are found in different families and each of them plays an important role in phytoremediation. Since each of them is unique in its own way and each has its own response to the presence of heavy metals in the soil. The increased interest in this new technology is also explained by the fact that plants are hyperaccumulators of heavy metals, with high efficiency can be used on large areas. This property increases the efficiency of this technology and increases the demand.

<i>De novo</i> transcriptome analysis reveals an unperturbed transcriptome under high cadmium conditions in the Cd-hypertolerant fern <i>Athyrium yokoscense</i>

Athyrium yokoscense shows strong tolerance to cadmium exposure, even at levels that are many times greater than the toxic levels in ordinary plants. To determine the mechanism of Cd tolerance in A. yokoscense, we grew these plants under high Cd conditions and observed the tissue-specific accumulation of Cd and generation of reactive oxygen species, which is one of the major physiological responses to Cd stress. Fuchsin staining indicated the existence of a casparian strip in A. yokoscense roots, which may participate in Cd hypertolerance in A. yokoscense. Moreover, we performed RNA-seq of RNA samples from A. yokoscense plants treated with or without Cd exposure and obtained comprehensive RNA sequences as well as the Cd-responsive expression patterns of individual genes. Through de novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression analysis, we found that A. yokoscense showed normal features with no significant change in the expression levels of any transporter genes, even under high Cd exposure conditions. Our results demonstrate that A. yokoscense has an unusual mechanism that allows the invading Cd to partition into the distal roots, thus avoiding translocation of Cd into the xylem.

The effect of bermuda grass root morphology on the displacement of slope

During recent years, with the drastic development of highway, lots of slopes are produced which cause the increase of geological disasters including soil erosion on the slope and shallow sliding surface, it makes significant impact on the ecological environment. Adopting ecological protection technique of plant slope protection not only can prevent geological disasters, but also benefit the protection of ecological environment. In the paper, bermuda grass, as one kind of ordinary slope protection plants, was chosen as specimen, and the root-soil composite was regarded as organic system which consists of soil and root system; the effect of root morphology on displacement of slope surface under the function of rain erosion and slope runoff erosion was studied and analyzed by using nonlinearity finite calculation method. The result indicates Bermuda grass root system can defense the rain erosion of slope surface soil, restrain the soil displacement and prevent water and soil erosion of slope.

Dissipation of Excess Excitation Energy by Drought-Induced Nonphotochemical Quenching in Two Species of Drought-Tolerant Moss: Desiccation-Induced Acceleration of Photosystem II Fluorescence Decay

Drought-tolerant mosses survive with their green color intact even after long periods of dehydration that would kill ordinary plants. The mechanism of dissipation of excitation energy under drought stress was studied in two species of drought-tolerant moss, Rhytidium rugosum and Ceratodon purpureus. They showed severe quenching of photosystem II chlorophyll fluorescence (PSII) after being dehydrated in the dark. Quenching was induced by the acceleration of the fluorescence decay rate. This drought-induced nonphotochemical quenching (designated d-NPQ) was fully reversed by rehydration. Global analysis of fluorescence decay at 77 K indicated rapid 46 ps transfer of excitation energy from the 680-690 nm PSII bands to a 710 nm band, and to 740-760 nm bands. The latter bands decayed to the ground state with the same time constant showing the rapid dissipation of excitation energy into heat. The quenching by d-NPQ in dry moss was stronger than that by PSII charge separation or nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), which operates under hydrating conditions. Drought-tolerant mosses, thus, dissipate excess excitation energy into heat. The d-NPQ mechanism in moss resembles that reported in lichens, suggesting their common origin.

Morphogenesis in the Parasitic PlantViscum minimum(Viscaceae) Is Highly Altered, Having Apical Meristems but Lacking Roots, Stems, and Leaves

Premise of research. The parasitic plant Viscum minimum allows its embryo to die after it infects its host. The plant then exists completely inside its host, Euphorbia polygona (Euphorbiaceae), which has a soft succulent cactus-like body. Other parasitic plants that grow entirely within their hosts have extremely modified, very simple bodies, and we suspected that V. minimum does as well. Our objective was to examine the body of V. minimum inside its host and determine the ways its morphogenesis differs from that of ordinary plants such as Arabidopsis. Methodology. Plants of E. polygona infected with V. minimum were dissected, fixed, embedded in wax, and prepared for LM. Because the host is so soft and easy to microtome, numerous samples were examined from many sites in the infected plants. Pivotal results. Morphogenesis of V. minimum is highly altered and differs greatly from that of ordinary nonparasitic plants. Viscum minimum has no leaves, roots or stems; no epidermis or endodermis. Its vessel elements and sieve tube members form just small patches rather than continuous vessels or sieve tubes. Viscum minimum grows by multicellular apical meristems varying from 2 to 9 cells wide that produce axes of pure parenchyma, lacking the patterns of tissues typical of stems or roots. Conclusions. Parasitic plants evolved from photosynthetic ancestors, so their morphogenic genes must be orthologous to those of model plants such as Arabidopsis, Zea, and others. But morphogenic programs in V. minimum must be highly modified, so molecular genetic studies of morphogenesis in V. minimum would greatly expand our understanding of morphogenesis in all plants.

Applications of Advanced Composite Materials in Bullet-Proof Fields and their Study

The development of bulletproof materials indicates the military and scientific strength of a country in the fields of modern national defenses and military affairs. With the advancement and development of scientific technologies in the world of human being, the bulletproof materials experienced the changes from the ordinary natural plants or simple metal substances to the synthetic composite materials with high intensity. In this work, we emphasized the applications of some advanced composite materials and their study in bulletproof fields.

Anomalous accumulation of selenium by genetically modified potato, stable to Colorado beetle

Although ordinary and genetically modified potatoes stable to Colorado beetles (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, are known to possess very small differences in chemical composition, nothing is known about selenium (Se) accumulation by these plants. Using a fluorimetric method of analysis, we have demonstrated extremely high Se accumulation in leaves of CPB-resistant potatoes (more than 1 mg kg −1 dry weight) and moderate accumulation levels of Se in tubers (1.39 times more than in ordinary plants). Leaves of genetically modified potatoes are shown to possess a decreased concentration of ascorbic acid (1.5 times less than controls) and slightly elevated levels of nitrates. The possibility of Se participation in the protection of genetically modified potatoes against CPB is discussed.

Electrical signals and their physiological significance in plants

Electrical excitability and signalling, frequently associated with rapid responses to environmental stimuli, are well known in some algae and higher plants. The presence of electrical signals, such as action potentials (AP), in both animal and plant cells suggested that plant cells, too, make use of ion channels to transmit information over long distances. In the light of rapid progress in plant biology during the past decade, the assumption that electrical signals do not only trigger rapid leaf movements in 'sensitive' plants such as Mimosa pudica or Dionaea muscipula, but also physiological processes in ordinary plants proved to be correct. Summarizing recent progress in the field of electrical signalling in plants, the present review will focus on the generation and propagation of various electrical signals, their ways of transmission within the plant body and various physiological effects.

Extraction of total RNA from Chrysanthemum containing high levels of phenolic and carbohydrates

Some standard methods are available in total RNA extraction of plant tissue, which are effective for the ordinary plants. But it is difficult to extract the total RNA from the plants with high levels of phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, or other compounds that bind and/or coprecipitate with RNA. In this paper, a method was described that used the soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), ethanol precipitation, phenol extraction and LiCl precipitation. By this method, RNA capable of reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was isolated from Chrysanthemum that contains high levels of phenolic compounds and carbohydrates. The OD 260/OD 280 absorbance ratio is 2, and the RNA is intact. Other specialized RNA extraction methods failed to deliver suitable product. Bands of PCR products are clearly appearing on the polypropylene acyl gel electrophoresis (PAGE) gel, which indicates that the purity, concentration and integrity of total RNA were suitable for the sequent researches.

Phytoremediation, Part I: Fundamental Basis for the Use of Plants in Remediation of Organic and Metal Contamination

Phytoremediation, the use of plant systems for contaminant cleanup, is among the fastest growing areas of environmental remediation research, technology development, and implementation. The practice is facilitated by a number of plant adaptations. First, selected plant species can take up and accumulate certain metals in their shoots at levels that are toxic to ordinary plants (hyperaccumulation). The phenomenon is an evolutionary adaptation of specific plant species to natural metal enrichments; consequently, its occurrence is geographically restricted, and the plant species involved are highly specific with respect to types of metals tolerated. Other plant species can take up, metabolize and thereby detoxify certain organic contaminants in their shoots, or cause their transformations through substances released into their root zones (rhizospheres). The extent to which an organic contaminant may be translocated in plants is determined largely by its partitioning into lipid phases (its lipophilicity), while rhizo-sphere transformations are determined largely by types and amounts of plant exudations, and microbial populations that are stimulated by these exudates. Interactions between plant systems and contaminants that can facilitate phytoremediation are complex, and complicated further by strong influences of climate, particularly temperature, and matrix factors such as nature and reactivity of surfaces, pH, and oxidation-reduction statuses. The ways in which the various factors interact to render a contaminant more or less susceptible to phytoremediation are discussed, with the objective of providing information needed for decision making when considering phytoremediation for the cleanup of particular contaminants.

A design of in-plant electric power system for the HTR-10

The design of in-plant electric power system for the 10 MW high-temperature gas-cooled reactor-test module (HTR-10) has taken into full consideration the feature of good inherent safety existing with the HTR-10 and has adopted a scheme different from those adopted for ordinary nuclear power plants. This paper gives an introduction to the structure, design objectives of in-plant electric power system, the designing schemes of different subsystems and the main equipment. The result of system test and operation show that the design can meet the demand for power reply from the reactor under any operational conditions. At the same time, it can reduce the system cost and improve the reliability and the safety of the system.

Arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris Vittata L. and its arsenic ac-cumulation

An arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. (Chinese brake) was first discovered in China by means of field survey and greenhouse cultivation. Field survey showed that Chinese brake had large accumulating capacity to arsenic; the orders of arsenic content in different parts of the fern were as follows: leaves>leafstalks>roots, which is totally different from that of ordinary plants; bioaccumulation coefficients of the above ground parts of the fern decreased as a power function of soil arsenic contents. In the control of pot trials with normal unpolluted soil containing 9 mg/kg of arsenic, the bioaccumulation coefficients of the above ground parts and rhizoids of Chinese brake were as high as 71 and 80 respectively. Greenhouse cultivation in the contaminated soil from mining areas has shown that more than 1 times greater arsenic can be accumulated in the leaves of the fern than that of field samples with the largest content of 5070 mg/kg As on a dry matter basis. During greenhouse cultivation, arsenic content in the leaves of the fern increased linearly with time prolonging. Not only has Chinese brake extraordinary tolerance and accumulation to arsenic, but it grew rapidly with great biomass, wide distribution and easy adaptation to different environmental conditions as well. Therefore, it has great potential in future remediation of arsenic contamination. It also demonstrates important value for studies of arsenic physiology and biochemistry such as arsenic absorption, translocation and detoxification mechanisms in plants.

The role of nuclear power in the hydrogen fuel cell economy

A clean motor car that emits only water vapour – it makes great PR, but the hydrogen to fuel it still has to be produced and distributed. Production requires a lot of energy, generated by ordinary power plants, and distribution requires a new infrastructure. Nuclear power may be a bête noir for some environmentalists, but others now see it as the only way to make the 21st century truly “green”.

Winter hardiness of micropropagated and conventionally propagated strawberry plants

SummaryEnhanced vigour of micropropagated strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duch.) plants has given cause to suspect their winter hardiness to be inferior to that of conventionally propagated plants. This experiment was carried out to examine and compare cold hardiness and overwintering of three types of strawberry plants of cultivars Senga Sengana and Jonsok: 1) micropropagated virus-free elite plants, 2) certified plants (runner plants from elite plants), and 3) ordinary plants (runner plants of conventionally propagated plants from a strawberry farm). A special “double pot”-method was developed and used in planting so that the plants could be lifted for controlled freezing tests during winter. Additionally, winter survival was evaluated in the field during flowering. In controlled freezing tests, strawberry crowns survived -8°C without injury, suffered minor injury at -10°C and severe injury at -12°C. No consistent differences in cold hardiness among the three types of plants were detected during winter. Field evaluation did not reveal any differences in their winter survival, either. Micropropagated plants flowered more freely than did the plants produced through runners.

Fertility of exceptional bisexual individuals in four dioecious plant species

Exceptional, very rare, bisexual (hermaphroditic or monoecious) individuals have been detected in strictly dioecious populations of Rhamnus alaternus, R. palaestinus, Bryonia syriaca and Populus euphratica (a single individual in each species). While ordinary male plants in each species exhibited fully normal pollen, and female individuals set a considerable amount of fruit, the exceptional bisexual plants showed a reduction in male or female fertility, or both. This inability of the rare bisexual individuals to fully invest in the two genders suggests that trade-offs between male and female functions possibly play a major role in the breeding systems of these dioecious species, and probably implicates resource allocation (among other factors) as a selective force in the evolution of dioecy.

Hu Yinglin's ‘Connoisseurs of Flowers’: translation and commentary

People who love flowers are rare enough, but people who are connoisseurs of flowers are even rarer — not that anyone who is a connoisseur of flowers is not a lover of flowers. Nowadays, it is not just the case that vulgar people fail to cultivate flowers at home; even enthusiasts who do cultivate them are ignorant of their names. To regard them as ordinary plants, to treat them as invasive shrubs, is something that really ruins a good atmosphere. So it was that the men of old said that it is rare to find a connoisseur of flowers. People often plant lagerstroemia and banksia roses, but it was Bai Juyi who really loved them. So one of his poems says: ‘Apart from Yuan Zhen who would love them at first sight, few are the connoisseurs of flowers in this world’. And also: ‘Transplanted here, they must take pride of place; none but a connoisseur should gaze upon their face’. Thus, one may say that Grand Mentor Bai was the master connoisseur of flowers, while Yuan Zhen was merely an ordinary connoisseur.