Friday, January 24, 2020
Zinc hyperaccumulation :: science
Zinc hyperaccumulation Zinc hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi caerulescens as a chemical defence against herbivory ABSTRACT Thlaspi caerulescens is one of several plant species known to accumulate heavy metals in excess of 2% of their above ground plant biomass. The reasons for hyperaccumulation are unknown, but several studies conclude that it may be a plant chemical defence. This has been of interest to biologists because these metals are usually toxic. The accumulation of these metals may serve as a model for coevolution. We examined the effects of zinc hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi on Xanthomonas campestris and found that the plants containing zinc thrived when inoculated with this bacteria, while plants not containing zinc showed signs of deterioration. INTRODUCTION There are several wild plant species that have the ability to accumulate high quantities of heavy metals in their above ground biomass, up to three percent or more. Many of these plants are found in the Brassicaceae family throughout Europe and the British Isles. These plants thrive on mineral outcrops with calamine and serpentine soils rich with high levels of zinc, cadmium, and nickel (Baker et al, 1994). Several theories have been advanced on the reasons for this hyperaccumulation. Boyd and Martens propose that it could be a form of drought resistance, inadvertent uptake, interference, tolerance or disposal of metal from the plant, or a chemical defence against herbivory or pathogens. Several studies have supported the chemical defence hypothesis. Martens and Boyd (1994 and Boyd and Martens, 1994) showed that nickel hyperaccumulation is an effective defence against insect herbivores in two different feeding experiments. Boyd et at (1994) also demonstrated that nickel hyperaccumulating plants resisted pathogens including Xanthomonas campestris. Thlaspi caerulescens J. and C. Presl (Brassicaceae) is a hyperaccumulating plant found in the British Isles. It has been shown to accumulate 10,000 ppm (>1%) of its biomass in zinc (Bakeret at, 1994), and Pollard and Baker (1997) suggest that this is an effective defence against herbivory for this species. This paper explores the effects of zinc hyperaccumulation in Thlaspi as a defence against Xanthomonas campestris. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thlaspi caerulescens seeds were collected in Cloughwood, U. K. These seeds germinated on polyester beads supported in expanded polystyrene rafts floating on one-tenth strength Rorison's solution (Hewitt, 1966). These containers were placed in a Conviron E-15 environmental growth chamber at the following settings: 20 C, 90% RH, 16 hr day, and 8 hr night. After three weeks, twenty seedlings were transferred to 4 rafts composed of expanded styrene on polyethylene, each supporting five plants individually.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Florence vs. Board of Chosen Freeholders of county of Burlington et al. Essay
Florence vs. Board of Chosen Freeholders of county of Burlington et al. Introduction            1. The case is subtitled â€Å"Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit.†What is the meaning of â€Å"Certiorari†?            Certiorari is an order by a higher court to review the subordinate court. In this the higher court request the lower court to bring the case forward so that it can review how the lower court has gone about with it.            2. Which justice wrote the majority opinion for the court? Which justices joined him/her?            Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion. Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Alito, Justice Breyer later on joined him,            3. In five sentences or fewer and in your own words, what are the underlying facts of this case?            The case involves a plaintiff who was found guilty of a misdemeanor and given a fine for a traffic offense. However, he felt that the police had violated his rights and went to the Supreme Court to seek a certiorari for the court to look at the decision of the lower courts but the court of appeal affirmed the decision by the lower courts.            4. What was the main legal issue in this case? In other words, which constitutional provisions were allegedly violated?            The main legal issues was whether the police had actually violated a fundamental right in the constitution. The right to privacy is the constitutional question in this case. Who did Petitioner sue? (Who was defendant in original case?)            5. The petitioner was the board of chosen freeholders of the county of Burlington.            What was the decision of the District court?       6.The district court held that there was a violation of the fourth amendment.       7.And how about the Appeals court? What was their decision?            The court of appeal upheld the decision of the district court.       8. The U.S. Supreme Court noted in the majority decision that Appeals courts around the country have been split on this issue. Did this influence the Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case? Why?            This did not affect this case as the court applied their discretion to see the events that had been currently been brought before the court and keep aside the ideas that had ever applied in other cases. The court was also interested to create a precedence as such.       9. The majority cites the case Block v Rutherford, 468 U.S. 576. For what purpose did they bring up this case?            The court used this decision to try and explain the reason for upholding the third circuit as such. This tries to explain the reasons as to why the court upheld it and also show situation which the issue of contraband banning could be used. The court used this to show that if the arrested party was a person of higher degree crime then he could be denied the rights.       10. The court also raises Hudson v. Palmer, 468 U.S. 517. What point were they trying to make here?            The use of this case was also to try and explain why the court had made this decision as such and also show instances that such a decision would not amount to infringement of rights.       11. And Atwater v. Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318 was discussed in depth. In your own words, what were the facts of that case?            In the case the petitioner had come to court to seek whether undoubted security imperatives that are involved in jail supervision override an assertion that some of the detainees must evade from the invasive search.       12.Why did the majority cite the Atwater case?            The majority cited this case to act as a guideline as to whether there can be limitation to enjoyment some rights as such.       1. The majority lists the many types of contraband that can be smuggled into jails. List at least six examples.            Mobile Phones, Drugs, Weapons, Glass materials, Illegal clothing, Messages to other prisoners       2. Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was discussed. Why?            This situation was discussed to show the situations that the right can be limited. The right is explained that it can be limited in cases that the arrested party would pose a threat to the security of the public.       3. Chief Justice Roberts issued a â€Å"concurring†opinion. What is a â€Å"concurring†opinion?            A concurring opinion is an opinion that goes in line with the decision and majority opinion of the courts.       4. In your own words, what is Chief Justice Robert’s point?            Chief justice Roberts tries to explain the impossibility of the court giving the exclusion of a rule delivered by the same court as such. J      5. ustice Alito also filed a concurring opinion. What was his point?            His opinion was that the court will not be present at all times to ensure that the offenders are not subjected to these conditions. He tries to explain the fact that a judicial officer cannot always be present in the police stations to ensure that the right is not infringed at all.       6. Who wrote the dissenting opinion? And who joined him/her?            The dissenting opinion was written by Justice by Breyer       7. The dissent said that a certain standard should apply to searches. What standard were they recommending?            The standard that he sets is the determination of the weight of cases so as to be able to know how serious a matter could be before opting to go ahead to conduct searches on a detainee.       8. The dissent, too, cites Atwater v. Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 315. Why?            The opinion cites this case to cite situations I which the right to privacy could be limited and not in minor offences such as the one brought before the court of justice.       9. On page 5 of the dissent the justices refer to â€Å"amicus†briefs. What is an Amicus brief?            As a matter of fact, an amicus brief simply means an intervening brief to a case presented before the court of law.       10. What examples did the dissent include to show those strip-searched for minor offenses?            The dissent uses the example of traffic offenders being subjected to the same manner just as the people involved in major state offences.       11. If you were on the court, would you side with the majority, the dissent, or one of the concurring opinions? Why?            Most importantly, I would side with the decent since they have managed to show conclusively how the right can be infringed as such and also tries to protect the rights of minor offenders as well. References Florence vs. Board of Chosen Freeholders of county of Burlington et al. (2012)566. U.S Source document
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The Problem Of Poor Birth Outcomes - 1680 Words
The Problem of Poor Birth Outcomes Preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) are the leading causes of neonatal morbidity, mortality, and disabilities (Swamy, Ostbye, Skjaerven, 2008; Wilson-Costello, Friedman, Minich, Fanaroff, Hack, 2005). These poor birth outcomes are costly. In fact, in 2001 LBW and PTB hospital expenses in the United States were approximately $5.8 billion (Russell et al., 2007). Furthermore, they comprised 27% of pediatric stays and 47% of all infant hospitalization (Russell et al., 2007). When considering total cost, such as long-term expense of special education service and lost productivity, preterm birth is estimated to be $26.2 billion dollars (Behrman Butler, 2007). In order to lessen the cost of poor birth outcomes, the U.S. healthcare system should begin to incorporate aspects of preventative care at the level of maternal health. Current System of Neonatal Interventions Rather than Prevention Before proposing policy, it is important to understand the context of prenatal care and the current U.S. health care delivery system. Viewed as an accomplishment, infant mortality rates in the U.S. have declined (Lantos, 2001). Upon a closer examination of how this is achieved, it becomes apparent that reduction in infant mortality has been through neonatal interventions, such as the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In 1999, board-certified neonatologists (about 3,400) were twice the number of other board-certified specialty pediatrician,Show MoreRelatedPoor Birth Outcomes And Maternal Behavioral Health Essay793 Words  | 4 PagesIntroduction: Poor Birth Outcomes and Maternal Behavioral Health Preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and intrauterine growth restriction (IGUR) are the leading causes of neonatal morbidity, mortality, and disabilities (Swamy, Ostbye, Skjaerven, 2008; Wilson-Costello, Friedman, Minich, Fanaroff, Hack, 2005). These poor birth outcomes are costly. In fact, in 2001 LBW and PTB hospital expenses in the United States were approximately $5.8 billion (Russell et al., 2007). Furthermore, theyRead MoreThe Problems Of Unintended Pregnancies759 Words  | 4 PagesPROBLEMS OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES The United States citizens (especially women) have one of the least access to healthcare and worst health outcomes among developed countries in the world despite the US spending about two and a half times higher on health care per person than any other developed country in the world (Flynn, 2013). The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA, 2013) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2016) report similar data. This is reflected in the country’sRead MorePoverty Of Poverty And Poverty1448 Words  | 6 Pageschildhoods. Being poor at birth strongly predicts future poverty status. Using the PSID, this study finds that 49 percent of children who are poor at birth go on to spend at least half their childhoods living in poverty. In addition, children who are born into poverty and spend multiple years living in poor families have worse adult outcomes than their counterparts in higher-income families. This is because of the way there lifestyle is having to do with their environment, neighbors, and how poor they areRead MoreDeveloping Countries Are Plagued By Issues Of Poor Maternal, Infant And Child Health Essay1268 Words  | 6 PagesCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION, THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING 1.1 Relevance of study Developing countries are plagued by issues of poor maternal, infant and child health (WHO 2011). Approximately 358000 women die during pregnancy and 7.6 million children under five years of age die annually, worldwide (WHO 2011). Adequate maternal health and nutrition are imperative for child survival (WHO 2011). Maternal, perinatal and under-five mortality is still considerably high in South Africa [Department of HealthRead MoreThe Effects Of Oral Health On Pregnant Women1706 Words  | 7 PagesAbstract Several studies have demonstrated that poor oral health in pregnant women may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The lead maternity carers are in the best position to provide dental health advice and referral. The aim of this study is to find out if oral health education in antenatal classes/visits can improve women’s oral health. Sample population includes all pregnant women at the Dunedin parent Centre. The control will not receive any dental education, while interventionRead MoreMaternal and Child Deaths during Pregnancy924 Words  | 4 Pagesthem covered by India only. Among 1.5 billion, 210 million become pregnant every year; of which; 86.66% (accounting as 182 million) of in developing world and remaining 13.33% (28 million) was in developed countries. 1, 2 Similarly 139.65 million births were in 2009 in the world and 26.92 million only in India.2 Pregnancy and childbirth are special events in women’s lives. This can be a time of great hope and joyf ul anticipation3. Though pregnancy and childbirth are a natural and usual phenomenonRead MoreNeighborhood Poverty, Social Capital, and the Cognitive Development of African American Preschoolers1482 Words  | 6 Pagesconnected with poor cognitive and social development in early childhood. The studies that I chose to use evaluate the cognitive and social development during early childhood using various surveys, evaluations, and observations completed by or with the children, parents, and teachers. Development of any kind is dependent on the interplay of nature and nurture, or genetics and environment. These studies draw from a child’s environment during the earliest years of development, specifically birth, pre-schoolRead MoreThe Low Country Healthy Start Program919 Words  | 4 PagesThe Low Country Healthy Start program was designed to eliminate disparities in perinatal health, improve birth outcomes, and quality of life in African American women and infants living in Allendale, Bamberg, Hampton, and Orangeburg counties. This process evaluation sought to determine whether the services provided by LCHS were effective in changing the birth outcomes associated with chronic disease in African American women. Data collected from the initial risk screening and assessment survey alongRead MoreDeveloping Countries Are Plagued By Poor Maternal, Infant And Child Health Essay1240 Words  | 5 PagesDeveloping countries are plagued by issues of poor maternal, infant and child health (WHO 2011). Approximately 358000 women die during pregnancy and 7.6 million children under five years of age die annually, worldwide (WHO 2011). Adequate maternal health and nutrition are imperative for child survival (WHO 2011). Maternal, perinatal and under-five mortality is still considerably high in South Africa [Department of Health (DOH) 2012]. This is despite efforts to achieve the Millennium DevelopmentRead MoreEssay1325 Words  | 6 Pagesof the main things th at a research has found is that childhood lead poisoning can lead to many later poor health effects or complications during pregnancy. Lead is usually found in older homes in many cities. Even though there are rules and regulations about a home with lead, many landowners usually just end up paying a fine that goes with having lead in their house, rather than fixing the problem and not have lead, since it will be more cost effective for them. Many times the older homes with lead
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)