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Capacitive deionization (CDI), an emerging and promising new method, is being utilized to remove ionic and polarizable species from water. The development of effective electrode materials has been the main driving force behind the increased interest in the CDI system for water purification because it is simple to use, affordable, and environmentally friendly compared to other traditional methods. Carbon electrodes made from biomass are often considered as low-cost, high-performance energy storage materials due to their abundance, simple synthesis methods, and high specific surface area. Herein, we developed materials from biowastes of banana plant leaves (B) and java black (J) that were hydrothermally carbonized. These materials were then chemically treated with KOH at a 1:4 ratio to produce extremely porous activated carbon from the biowastes of banana plant leaves (AC-B) and java black (AC-J). The surface areas of AC-B and AC-J were 84.155 and 295.517 m2 g−1 respectively, with high mesoporous properties. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was employed as a binder to bind the synthetic activated carbons like AC-B and AC-J together in order to make electrodes. Despite the fact that PVA is hydrophilic by nature, the hydrophobic glutaraldehyde (GA) was used to cross-link the PVA molecules in order to increase the durability of the carbon material and produced AC-B-PVA-GA and AC-J-PVA-GA electrodes. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and cyclic voltammetry were used to characterize the synthesized carbon materials. The newly developed CDI electrodes, which demonstrated a variety of electrosorption capacities at different applied potentials, were used to investigate the effectiveness of the desalination process. The developed electrodes showed good stability under shear conditions, and the CDI process was repeatable and stable after around 10 electrosorption cycles. For example, the specific capacities of the AC-B-PVA-GA and AC-J-PVA-GA electrodes were 31.01 and 40.78 F/g, respectively in a 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution. At 1.2 V, it was found that the AC-B-PVA-GA and AC-J-PVA-GA electrodes removed 2.41 and 3.64 mg g−1 of salt, respectively. The findings obtained encourage the development of CDI systems for desalination and water treatment and provide essential information on ion electrosorption. It also demonstrates an effective method for environmental cleanup utilizing a basic CDI system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) is a concerning chemical that is included in the United States Toxic Substances Control Act, and the Stockholm Convention. Knowledge of the sources of HCBD is insufficient and is pivotal for accurate inventory and implementing global action. In this study, unintentional HCBD release and source emission factors of 121 full-scale industrial plants from 12 industries are investigated. Secondary copper smelting, electric arc furnace steelmaking, and hazardous waste incineration show potential for large emission reductions, which are found of high HCBD emission concentrations of > 20 ng/g in fine particulate matter in this study. The highest HCBD emission concentration is observed for the secondary copper smelting industry (average: 1380 ng/g). Source emission factors of HCBD for the 12 industries range from 0.008 kg/t for coal fire power plants to 0.680 kg/t for secondary lead smelting, from which an estimation of approximately 8452.8 g HCBD emissions annually worldwide achieved. The carcinogenic risks caused by HCBD emissions from countries and regions with intensive 12 industrial sources are 1.0-80 times higher than that without these industries. These results will be useful for formulating effective strategies of HCBD control. Recognition on sources of hexachlorobutadiene is needed for their global control. This study clarifies hexachlorobutadiene emission factors from 121 industrial plants assigned to 12 industries and establishes their global emission inventory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is a potent nephrotoxin with carcinogenic properties and, thus, of concern as a food contaminant. Since food contaminant data are scarce in Bangladesh, we applied human biomonitoring to gain more insights into OTA exposure in the country's population. OTA concentrations in human milk and urine samples of nursing mothers were determined with the aim to assess also exposure to this mycotoxin in breastfed infants. Breastfeeding mothers (n = 74) from three districts of Bangladesh (Sylhet, Cumilla, and Mymensingh region) participated in this study. They provided demographic data, along with breast milk and urine samples. OTA levels were measured by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a detection limit of 60 ng/L for milk and 30 ng/L for urine. OTA was detected in 62.2% of all breast milk samples (mean 74.8 ± 49.0 ng/L, range < LOD–243.3 ng/L) and in 51.4% of all urine samples (mean 44.3 ± 63.5 ng/L, range < LOD–519.3 ng/L). The differences observed between regions for mean breast milk or for urinary OTA levels were relatively small. No significant correlation was observed between OTA levels in breast milk and food consumption patterns among nursing mothers. Regarding infant exposure, the estimated average daily intake of OTA for all was 15.0 ng/kg bw/day (range 4.5–45 ng/kg bw/day). In 34.5% of these infants, their estimated daily OTA intake exceeded a preliminary TDI value set by EFSA (17 ng/kg bw/day). The mean OTA intake was slightly higher (16.2 ± 7.8 ng/kg bw/day) in 1–2 months babies than in older infants (< 2 to 12 months), although the difference was not significant. Presence of OTA in most milk and urine samples of nursing mothers documents their widespread dietary mycotoxin exposure. Although based on a relatively small number of participants, the present analysis indicates non-negligible exposure of some nursed infants in Bangladesh. Therefore, further biomonitoring studies and investigations on major sources of OTA in food commodities are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore the association between cost stickiness and firm value. Using a large sample of U.S. data, we find a robust negative relationship between cost stickiness and firm value. We then explore whether the resource adjustment, managerial expectations, and agency theories of cost stickiness affect the negative relation and find support for the managerial expectation and agency theories. Furthermore, we find evidence that the detrimental impact of cost stickiness on firm value is mediated partially through the cost of equity and cash flow channels. Further investigation suggests that the adverse effects of cost stickiness on firm value is stronger in the presence of high information asymmetry. We enrich the cost management literature by integrating cost stickiness with corporate finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthine oxidase (XO) is an enzyme associated with purine metabolism. The relationship between XO levels and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not clear yet or little is known so far. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the association of XO levels with T2D in a Bangladeshi adult cohort. A total of 325 participants (234 males and 91 females) were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into three groups; diabetic (n = 173), prediabetic (n = 35), and non-diabetic control (n = 117). Serum levels of XO were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and other biochemical parameters including fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum uric acid (SUA), and lipid profile markers measured by colorimetric methods. Participants with T2D were confirmed according to the definition of the American Diabetic Association. The association between serum XO levels and T2D was determined by logistic regression models. The mean level of serum XO was significantly higher in females (6.0 ± 3.7 U/L) compared to male (4.0 ± 2.8 U/L) participants (p < 0.001). In contrast, males had a higher mean level of SUA (6.1 ± 1.9 mg/dL) than female (4.4 ± 1.9 mg/dL) participants (p < 0.001). The mean level of XO was significantly higher in the diabetic group (5.8 ± 3.6 U/L) compared to the prediabetic (3.7 ± 1.9 U/L) and control (2.9 ± 1.8 U/L) groups (p < 0.001). On the other hand, the mean SUA concentration was significantly lower in the diabetic group than in the other two groups (p < 0.001). A significant increasing trend was observed for FBG levels across the XO quartiles (p < 0.001). A decreasing trend was found for SUA levels in the XO quartiles (p < 0.001). Serum levels of XO and SUA showed a positive and negative correlation with FBG, respectively. In regression analysis, serum XO levels showed an independent association with T2D. In conclusion, this study reports a positive and independent association between XO levels and T2D in Bangladeshi adults. Monitoring serum levels of XO may be useful in reducing the risk of T2D. Further research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms of the association between elevated XO levels and T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dyslipidemia, a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases, is rapidly increasing in Asian countries including Bangladesh. In addition to the cardiovascular system, abnormal lipid levels are also known to cause complications in renal and hepatic systems. The data regarding dyslipidemia and its relationship with liver enzymes are scarce for the Bangladeshi population. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and determine the relationship between lipid profile and liver enzymes in Bangladeshi adults. A total of 405 participants (318 males and 87 females) were enrolled in the study. Serum levels of TG, TC, LDL, HDL and liver enzymes including ALT, AST, GGT and ALP were analyzed using standard methods. Dyslipidemia and liver function tests abnormalities were defined according to the international standard guidelines. The association between elevated lipid profile markers and liver enzyme abnormalities was assessed by logistic regression analysis. Overall, the prevalence of elevated TG, TC, LDL and low HDL were 30.9%, 23.7%, 26.2% and 78.8%, respectively. On the other hand, the prevalence of elevated liver enzymes ALT, AST, GGT and ALP were 18.8%, 21.6%, 12.9% and 21.9%, respectively. Dyslipidemia and liver enzyme abnormalities were higher in diabetic and hypertensive participants than in the healthy participants. About 61% of participants with dyslipidemia had at least one or more elevated liver enzymes. In regression analysis, an independent association was observed between serum GGT and all lipid components. In conclusion, a high prevalence of dyslipidemia and liver enzyme abnormalities were observed among the study participants. Of the four liver enzymes, the serum levels of GGT showed an independent association with all lipid components. Moreover, this study indicates that subjects with dyslipidemia often have a higher chance of having liver diseases than subjects with no dyslipidemia. However, large-scale prospective studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of lipid-induced hepatic dysfunction in the Bangladeshi population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinetics between 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(N-methylpyridium-4-yl)porphyrin and Ni2+ species were investigated in aqueous solution at 25 ±1 °C in I = 0.10 M (NaNO3). Speciation of Ni2+ was done in I = 0.10 M (NaNO3) for knowing distribution of Ni2+ species with solution pH. Experimental data were compared with speciation diagram constructed from the values of hydrolysis constants of Ni2+ ion. Speciation data showed that hexaaquanickel(II) ions took place in hydrolysis reactions through formation of [Ni(OH2)6-n(OH)n]2-n species with solution pH. According to speciation of Ni2+ and pH dependent rate constants, rate expression can be written as: d[Ni(TMPyP)4+]/dt = (k1[Ni2+(aq)] + k2[Ni(OH)+(aq)] + k3[Ni(OH)2o(aq)] + k4[Ni(OH)3-(aq)])[H2TMPyP4+], where k1, k2, k3 and k4 were found to be k1 = (0.62 ± 0.22) × 10-2; k2 = (3.60 ± 0.40) × 10-2; k3 = (2.09 ± 0.52) × 10-2, k4 = (0.53 ± 0.04) × 10-2 M-1s-1 at 25 ±1 °C, respectively. Formation of hydrogen bonding between [Ni(H2O)5(OH)]+ and [H2TMPyP]4+ causes enhanced reactivity. Rate of formation of [Ni(II)TMPyP]4+ complex was to be 3.99 × 10-2 M-1s-1 in I = 0.10 M, NaNO3 (25 ± 1 °C). UV-Vis and fluorescence data suggested that [Ni(II)TMPyP]4+ and [H2(TMPyP)]4+ interact with DNA via outside binding with self-stacking and intercalation, respectively. SYNOPSIS [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the association between financial constraints and cost asymmetry. Using a large U.S. sample of firms from 1976 to 2016, we find that financially constrained firms exhibit less cost asymmetry. However, such low cost asymmetry is more pronounced for SG&A cost category compared to operating cost category. Our results remain generally consistent across various specifications of financial constraints measures and various asymmetric cost behavior measures. We explore three contextual settings that might affect the association differentially, namely, the future value-creating potential of SG&A expense setting, the investment opportunities setting, and the earnings management setting. In addition, we find evidence that financial constraint leads to lower cost asymmetry, even when managers have received optimistic signals about future sales. As resources drive the costs of a business, and financial constraints affect resource availability, studying the cost behavior of constrained firms makes a valuable contribution to the existing cost asymmetry literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Message: A novel and major QTL for the effective tiller number was identified on chromosomal arm 1BL and validated in two genetic backgrounds The effective tiller number (ETN) substantially influences plant architecture and the wheat yield improvement. In this study, we constructed a genetic map of the 2SY (20828/SY95-71) recombinant inbred line population based on the Wheat 55K array as well as the simple sequence repeat (SSR) and Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers. A comparison between the genetic and physical maps indicated the marker positions were consistent in the two maps. Additionally, we identified seven tillering-related quantitative trait locus (QTLs), including Qetn-sau-1B.1, which is a major QTL localized to a 6.17-cM interval flanked by markers AX-89635557 and AX-111544678 on chromosome 1BL. The Qetn-sau-1B.1 QTL was detected in eight environments and explained 12.12–55.71% of the phenotypic variance. Three genes associated with the ETN were detected in the physical interval of Qetn-sau-1B.1. We used a tightly linked KASP marker, KASP-AX-110129912, to further validate this QTL in two other populations with different genetic backgrounds. The results indicated that Qetn-sau-1B.1 significantly increased the ETN by up to 23.5%. The results of this study will be useful for the precise mapping and cloning of Qetn-sau-1B.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1BL/1RS translocation is widespread in a large number of wheat varieties. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the effects of the 1BL/1RS translocation on 24 traits in a recombinant inbred line population derived from the cross between 20828 and Chuannong16. The phenotypic data was from multiple environments and major loci for a given trait were excluded to avoid their interference with the effects of 1BL/1RS translocation. Comparison results showed that 1RS chromosome arm carried lines had positive effect on increasing maximum root length and spike density. While 1BS chromosome arm carried lines had positive effects on increasing plant height, grain number per spike, effective tiller, root tip number, and resistance to stripe rust. The stripe rust resistance genes, Yr15 detected on 1BS in this study and QYr.sicau-1B.1 identified previously on 1BL were both derived from 20828. These results revealed the genetic mechanism of near-immune resistance to stripe rust in 20828 that has been utilized as a breeding parent for over a decade, and thus possibly accelerate its breeding utilization. This study combined with previous studies indicated that 1BS chromosome arm is likely beneficial to yield increase, while 1RS is more helpful for drought tolerance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Major and environmentally stable QTL for flag leaf-related traits in wheat were identified and validated across ten environments using six populations with different genetic backgrounds. Flag leaf size and posture are two important factors of "ideotype" in wheat. Despite numerous studies on genetic analysis of flag leaf size including flag leaf length (FLL), width (FLW), area (FLA) and the ratio of length/width (FLR), few have focused on flag leaf posture including flag leaf angle (FLANG), opening angle (FLOA) and bend angle (FLBA). Further, the numbers of major, environmentally stable and verified genetic loci for flag leaf-related traits are limited. In this study, QTL for FLL, FLW, FLA, FLR, FLANG, FLOA and FLBA were identified based on a recombinant inbred line population together with values from up to ten different environments. Totally, eight major and stably expressed QTL were identified. Three co-located chromosomal intervals for seven major QTL were identified. The five major QTL QFll.sicau-5B.3 and QFll.sicau-2D.3 for FLL, QFlr.sicau-5B for FLR, QFlw.sicau-2D for FLW and QFla.sicau-2D for FLA were successfully validated by the tightly linked Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers in the other five populations with different genetic backgrounds. A few genes related to leaf growth and development in intervals for these major QTL were predicated. Significant relationships between flag leaf- and yield-related traits were evidenced by analyses of Pearson correlations, conditional QTL and genetic mapping. Taken together, these results provide valuable information for understanding flag leaf size and posture of "ideotype" as well as fine mapping and breeding utilization of promising loci in bread wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A major and stably expressed QTL for spikelet number per spike identified in a 2-cM interval on chromosome arm 2DS was validated using two populations with different genetic backgrounds. Spikelet number per spike (SNS) plays a key role in wheat yield improvement. Numerous genetic and environmental factors influencing SNS have been documented, but the number of major, stably expressed and validated loci underlying SNS is still limited. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a normal spikelet cultivar and a multiple-spikelet wheat line (with a longer spike with more canonically oriented apical spikelets) was genotyped using a Wheat55K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. SNS was measured for this RIL population in eight environments. Five QTL were each identified in two or more environments. One of them, QSns.sau-2D (LOD = 3.47–38.24, PVE = 10.16–45.68%), was detected in all the eight environments. The QTL was located in a 2-cM interval on chromosome arm 2DS flanked by the markers AX-109836946 and AX-111956072. This QTL, QSns.sau-2D, significantly increased SNS by up to 14.72%. Several genes associated with plant growth and development were identified in the physical interval of QSns.sau-2D. This QTL was further validated by the tightly linked Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) marker, KASP-AX-94721936, in two other populations with different genetic backgrounds. The significant correlation between SNS and anthesis date, plant height, spike length, grain number per spike and thousand-grain weight were detected and discussed. These results lay the foundation for fine mapping and cloning gene(s) underlying QSns.sau-2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: This study demonstrates the feasibility of developing co-segregating markers and identifying candidate genes for Fusarium crown rot resistance in barley based on the generation and exploitation of a near-isogenic line-derived large population.Abstract: Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a chronic and severe disease in cereals in semi-arid regions worldwide. Previous studies showed that FCR assessment could be affected by many factors including plant height, growth rate as well as drought stress. Thus, accurate assessment, which is essential for detailed mapping of any locus conferring FCR resistance, is difficult. Targeting one of the resistance loci reported earlier, we developed a near-isogenic line-derived population consisting of 1820 F9 lines. By analysing this population, the Qcrs.cpi-4H locus was mapped to an interval of 0.09 cM covering a physical distance of about 637 kb and 13 markers co-segregating with the targeted locus were developed. Candidate genes underlying the resistance locus were identified by analysing the expression and sequence variation of genes in the targeted interval. The accurate localization and the development of co-segregating markers should facilitate the incorporation of this large-effect QTL into breeding programmes as well as the cloning of gene(s) underlying the locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: This study demonstrates how identification of genes underpinning disease-resistance QTL based on differential expression and SNPs can be improved by performing transcriptomic analysis on multiple near isogenic lines.Abstract: Transcriptomic analysis has been widely used to understand the genetic basis of a trait of interest by comparing genotypes with contrasting phenotypes. However, these approaches identify such large sets of differentially expressed genes that it proves difficult to isolate which genes underpin the phenotype of interest. This study tests whether using multiple near isogenic lines (NILs) can improve the resolution of RNA-seq-based approaches to identify genes underpinning disease-resistance QTL. A set of NILs for a major effect Fusarium crown rot-resistance QTL in barley on the 4HL chromosome arm were analysed under Fusarium crown rot using RNA-seq. Differential gene expression and single nucleotide polymorphism detection analyses reduced the number of putative candidates from thousands within individual NIL pairs to only one hundred and two genes, which were differentially expressed or contained SNPs in common across NIL pairs and occurred on 4HL. Our findings support the value of performing RNA-seq analysis using multiple NILs to remove genetic background effects. The enrichment analyses indicated conserved differences in the response to infection between resistant and sensitive isolines suggesting that sensitive isolines are impaired in systemic defence response to Fusarium pseudograminearum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) plays conflicting roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, clearing β-amyloid (Aβ) from the brain while also enhancing APP endocytosis and resultant amyloidogenic processing. We have recently discovered that co-expression of mutant LRP1 C-terminal domain (LRP1-CT C4408R) with Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPswe) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells decreases Aβ production, while also increasing sAPPα and APP α-C-terminal fragment (α-CTF), compared with CHO cells expressing APPswe alone. Surprisingly, the location of this mutation on LRP1 corresponded with the α-secretase cleavage site of APP. Further experimentation confirmed that in CHO cells expressing APPswe or wild-type APP (APPwt), co-expression of LRP1-CT C4408R decreases Aβ and increases sAPPα and α-CTF compared with co-expression of wild-type LRP1-CT. In addition, LRP1-CT C4408R enhanced the unglycosylated form of LRP1-CT and reduced APP endocytosis as determined by flow cytometry. This finding identifies a point mutation in LRP1 which slows LRP1-CT-mediated APP endocytosis and amyloidogenic processing, while enhancing APP α-secretase cleavage, thus demonstrating a potential novel target for slowing AD pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on the use of quaternary tree instead of binary tree to speed up the decoding time for Huffman codes. It is usually difficult to achieve a balance between speed and memory usage using variable-length binary Huffman code. Quaternary tree is used here to produce optimal codeword that speeds up the way of searching. We analyzed the performance of our algorithms with the Huffman-based techniques in terms of decoding speed and compression ratio. The proposed decoding algorithm outperforms the Huffman-based techniques in terms of speed while the compression performance remains almost same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten pairs of near-isogenic lines (NILs) were developed for a major quantitative trait locus conferring Fusarium crown rot (FCR) resistance in barley. The locus locates on the long arm of chromosome 4H and the presence of the resistance allele reduced FCR severity by between 32.8 and 63.4 % with an average of 43.9 % across these NILs. Histological and quantitative PCR analyses all confirmed that the rates of Fusarium infection and disease development were much slower in the resistant isolines compared with those in the susceptible isolines. The contrasting phenotypes in FCR severity between the isolines for each of these NIL pairs would facilitate efforts in cloning and functional analyses of genes conferring resistance to this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a serious disease in wheat and barley in semiarid regions worldwide. The feasibility of enhancing FCR resistance by gene pyramiding was investigated by generating and assessing two populations segregating for three large-effect QTL located on the long arms of chromosomes 1H, 3H and 4H, respectively. Significant effects were detected for each of the three QTL in both of the populations assessed. Lines with any combination of two resistant alleles from the three QTL gave, on average, significantly better resistance than those with a single resistant allele only, and lines with resistant alleles from all three of the QTL gave the least FCR symptom. However, wide variations in FCR severity were detected for lines belonging to each of the groups with different numbers of resistant alleles. Significant effects of plant height on FCR were detected in both populations, and a significant association between heading date and FCR severity was detected in one of the two populations assessed. Results from the current study also showed that the effects of a given allele of resistance decreased with the increase in the number of resistant alleles an individual group possessed. Overall, results from this study demonstrate that gene pyramiding can be an effective approach in improving FCR resistance and those lines with resistant alleles from all of the three QTL could be valuable for breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was used to screen six potato cultivars (Alpha, Bintje, Green Mountain, Kennebec, Russet Burbank, and Shepody) and two wild species (S. microdontum and S. kurtzianum) for ability to take up the tracer45Ca2+ from treatment solutions containing high (15 mM) or low (5 mM) Ca2+ levels. In vitro potato micropropagation, microtuberization, and tissue calcium content, determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS), were compared for the six cultivars when Murashige-Skoog basal medium Ca2+ level was increased from 3, to 5 or 15 mM. All aspects of growth were improved when medium Ca2+ level was 15 mM. Microtuber induction occurred earlier, leading to improved yield (19–31%), and microtuber tissue Ca2+ concentration was greater (38–226%). Cv. Bintje was the most efficient genotype at accumulating Ca2+ from treatment solutions or growth media containing high or low Ca2+ levels. It could be identified as a calcium-packer using either LSC or FAAS screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium uptake into potato plants was examined using test solutions containing 5% safranin dye (C20H19N4C1 mw 350.85) and the radiotracer45CaCl2. When minitubers were suspended in test solutions for up to 5 days, safranin moved into the outer pith tissues while45Ca2+ was located throughout the pith. Ca2+ is apparently taken up directly from the tubersphere by a slow diffusion process. Plantlets with one microtuber were used to investigate calcium uptake via basal roots.45Ca2+ was well ahead of the safranin dye front in all plantlet stems.45Ca2+ in shoot tips was significantly greater than in microtubers and no safranin entered the microtubers. Greenhouse-grown ex vitro plantlets with minitubers attached were used to determine the relative uptake by basal and stolon roots. Basal root feeding contributed significantly more45Ca2+ to shoot tips and tubers than stolon root feeding while combined feeding gave the greatest shoot tip and tuber45Ca2+ levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfortunately, the author contribution statement was missed out in the original publication. The complete statement is given below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including the potential use of organic/polymer solar cells in power generation, economic benefits of the hydrogen cycle and the provision of greener environment through the use of technologies.