Heliotropium L. genus belongs to the Boraginaceae family and is represented by approximately 250 species found in the temperate warm regions of the world, and there are 15 species of these species recorded in Turkiye. Heliotropium hirsutissimum Grauer grows in Bulgaria, Greece, N. Africa, Syria, and Turkiye. There is no record showing that H. hirsutissimum is a heat-tolerant plant. However, in our field studies, it was observed that H. hirsutissimum, which is also distributed in Hisaralan Thermal Springs of Sindirgi-Balikesir, Turkiye, grows in the thermal area with extremely high soil temperature (57.6 degrees C (similar to 60 degrees C)). It was thought that it would be useful to investigate the tolerance mechanism of the H. hirsutissimum plant to extremely high temperatures. For this purpose, the plant seeds were obtained from a geothermal area in the thermal spring. Growing plants were exposed to 20, 40, 60, and 80 +/- 5 degrees C soil temperature gradually for 15 days under laboratory conditions. We measured the effect of high soil temperature on some morphological changes, relative water content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, cell membrane stability, and hydrogen peroxide analysis to determine stress levels on leaves and roots. Changes in osmolyte compounds, some antioxidant enzyme activities, ascorbate content, and chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic gas exchange parameters were also determined. As a result of the study carried out to determine the stress level, it was observed that there was not much change and it was understood that the plant was tolerant to high soil temperature. In addition, there was a general increase in osmolytes accumulation, antioxidant enzyme activities, and ascorbate level. There was no significant difference in photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of plants grown at different soil temperatures. The high temperature did not negatively impact the photosynthetic yield of H. hirsutissimum because this plant was found to enhance its antioxidant capacity. The increase in antioxidant activity helped reduce oxidative damage and protect the photosynthetic mechanism under high temperature conditions, while the significant increase in the osmolyte level helped maintain the water status and cell membrane integrity of plants, thus enabling them to effectively withstand high soil temperatures.

BackgroundArchaeological limestone artifacts are subject to several deterioration factors that can cause harm while they are buried in soil, such as wet salt soil. Thus, one of the biggest challenges is restoring limestone artifacts that have been discovered from excavations. Understanding the nature of limestone after extraction and the resulting alterations, such as the stone's structural instability and the high salt content of the artifacts, are prerequisites for the restorer. In 1974 AD, King Ramesses III's gate was excavated from the ancient Heliopolis Temple in Cairo. The stones were removed from the soil and left on display outdoors at the same excavation site, where they were subject to seasonal variations in temperature and environmental changes. The main objective of the research is to select the best consolidating materials suitable for the pieces of limestone stone artifacts discovered from archaeological excavations due to their special nature, which affects them as a result of their presence in burial soil for long time. Selecting appropriate consolidating materials with appropriate characteristics was important. In order to withstand a range of environmental circumstances. The characteristics of the ancient stones at the King Ramesses III Gate site were investigated and analyzed to ascertain their true state, and their percentage of damage was calculated by contrasting them with the identical natural limestone that had not been subjected to any harmful influences. After that, experimental samples were used, and the efficacy of the treatment materials was assessed.ResultExperimental study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of some traditional and nano composites materials to improving the properties of stone artifacts extracted from archaeological excavations. Three consolidating solutions were used as follows, paraloid B72 dissolved in acetone 3%, and Calcium hydroxide nanoparticles dissolved in paraloid polymer with acetone at concentrations of 1% and 3%, in addition to nano calcium carbonate dissolved in paraloid polymer with acetone 1% and 3%. The efficiency of the consolidate materials were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope SEM, as well as measuring the water contact angle, in addition to color change testing and measuring the physical and mechanical properties.ConclusionNano materials are considered better than paraloid B72 as a consolidated material and the best outcomes results were obtained with a nano calcium carbonate dissolved in paraloid polymer with acetone 3%.

The hazelnut weevil larvae (Curculio dieckmanni) is a major pest of nut weevils, spending part of its life cycle in the soil and causing significant damage to hazelnut crops. Moreover, its concealed feeding behavior complicates effective control with chemical insecticides. The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, which efficiently kills weevil larvae, offers a promising biological control agent. To investigate the molecular responses of hazelnut weevil larvae to nematode infection, we employed integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses following infection by S. carpocapsae. Our results revealed substantial alterations in gene expression, particularly the upregulation of immune-related transcripts such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and stress-responsive proteins like heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Furthermore, significant metabolic reprogramming occurred, marked by the downregulation of carbohydrate metabolic pathways and activation of energy conservation mechanisms. Although we observed an overall correlation between mRNA and protein expression levels, notable discrepancies highlighted the critical roles of post-transcriptional and post-translational regulatory processes. Collectively, these findings advance our understanding of the molecular interaction between insect hosts and pathogenic nematodes and contribute valuable knowledge for enhancing the effectiveness of EPN-based pest management strategies.

Soil erosion is an important driver of land and ecological degradation, with hydraulic erosion in particular leading to widespread impacts and damage. As an important concept and indicator for characterizing the potential and pathways of sediment production and transportation within watersheds or on slopes, sediment connectivity has gained global attention and thus been analysed since its proposal in 2003. Sediment connectivity has become an effective metric for analysing the sources, processes, and potentials of soil erosion and sediment yield (SY) in watersheds, and it has been considered a popular research topic in the field of soil erosion over the past decade. Considering the lack of up-to-date systematic reviews of conceptual connotations, characterization indicators for sediment connectivity, and quantitative relationships between these indicators and erosion and SY, a bibliometric analysis of sediment connectivity was conducted via the CiteSpace tool, which is based on the Web of Science (WOS), Scopus (Elsevier) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. In this research, the current state, popular topics, and trends in relevant studies were identified, and the conceptual connotations, influencing factors, and indicator algorithms of sediment connectivity and their quantitative relationships with soil erosion and SY were summarized. Furthermore, the contents and directions to be strengthened and improved in the future were determined. The results indicated that over the past 21 years, sediment connectivity has been analysed in 123 countries or regions. Researches have focused primarily on related concepts, indicators, scales, and influencing factors. This concept has been widely applied in various practices such as soil and water resource regulation, land use optimization, and soil erosion control. In previous studies, several linear (SY = a center dot IC + b) and exponential (SY = a center dot eb center dot IC) increasing relationships between sediment connectivity indicators (such as the index of connectivity (IC)) and SY at the slope or watershed scale have been established, facilitating the development of research on prediction and attribution analysis for the identification of sediment sources and changes. There is a consensus on what sediment connectivity is to date, but a unified and complete system has not been yet formed for sediment connectivity and several of its derived concepts. The Index of Connectivity (IC), as the primary means for quantitatively characterizing the status and distribution of sediment connectivity, has led to the creation of more than 20 different algorithms, whereas the included parameters mainly reflect the internal factors influencing topography and land use/cover. The effects of climatic factors and human activities have not been fully considered in previous studies, which has led to relatively backwards researching on functional connectivity indicators. Hence, the classification systems and theoretical frameworks for a series of concepts must be further refined on the basis of sediment connectivity, such as the objective openness, scale dependence, comprehensive impact, and distribution heterogeneity. Moreover, the amount of research on the influences of external drivers and the coupled effects of different factors on indicators of sediment connectivity should be increased. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to explore certain aspects, such as the parameter combinations and normalization methods of the upslope and downslope components of the IC algorithm, and to continuously improve the explanation of the dynamic changes in sediment while considering both hydrological connections along flow paths and off-site impacts on underlying surface variations. Moreover, there is a need to increase the spatiotemporal scale of research on sediment connectivity, explore its feedback mechanisms and close quantitative relationships with soil erosion and SY, focus on the integrated application of different indicators (methods), and validate and results via multisource information to promote relevant applications. The obtained results provide valuable reference for the refinement of theories and methods for sediment connectivity and enhance its support of studies of soil erosion and SY in watersheds.

BackgroundForensic entomotoxicology is a crucial field that studies the effects of drugs and poisons on carrion-feeding insects, particularly in crime investigations. Hydrogen cyanamide, a plant growth regulator, is hazardous and used in agriculture but is limited in some countries due to its high cost and severe toxicity. The terrestrial isopod Porcellio laevis plays a vital role in soil ecosystems and biosystem management. Accordingly, authors aimed to examine the impact of hydrogen cyanamide toxicity on arthropods, specifically Porcellio laevis, Musca domestica (House flies), and Sarcophaga sp. (Flesh flies) visiting decomposing covered/uncovered rat carrions, which could be relevant in forensic investigations. A total of 20 rats were divided into two control (I and II, covered/uncovered) and two treated groups (III and IV, covered/uncovered, euthanized using hydrogen cyanamide). Arthropods were gathered bi-daily during the initial week and then once daily for a duration of 1 month and were assessed for growth rate. Morphological and histological alterations were analyzed using light and electron microscopes.ResultsThe results revealed that hydrogen cyanamide caused a delay in postmortem interval (PMI) by 22-33 h in certain insect species, particularly in uncovered carrion. Severe damage was observed in the carrions of Groups III and IV, specifically Porcellio laevis.ConclusionA scanning electron microscope (SEM) would be beneficial for scrutinizing insects as postmortem toxicological specimens.

The unmanaged waste disposal, coupled with the increased industrialization and urbanization, has aggravated the problem of heavy metal contamination in the environment, especially in the agricultural soils. In view of this, the present study was planned to evaluate the effectiveness of zinc (Zn) in the amelioration of cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants, thereby sustaining the crop productivity in near future. The experiment was performed in two parts. The first part focused on calculating the EC50 (half-effective concentration) of Cd, for which the potted experimental plants (Amaranthus cruentus L.) were treated with different doses of Cd (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mgL(-1)). In the second part, the EC50 Cd dose was combined with different Zn doses (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mgL(-1)) and the effect of Zn supplementation on Cd exposed plants was studied by evaluating the response of different biochemical, physiological and yield parameters. The EC50 Cd dose was calculated to be 26.5 mgL(-1). Plant yield increased significantly with reduced Zn dosages. Biochemical parameters improved more than physiological parameters after Zn treatment in Cd-stressed plants. At higher Zn doses, its toxic effects exacerbate Cd toxicity. The study indicates that Zn partially decreases Cd toxicity in Amaranthus plants. The results suggest that 300 mgL(-1) Zn dose was sufficient to bring about maximum recorded mitigation of Cd toxicity. However, since the synergistic effects of high doses of Zn with Cd cannot be ruled out, the selection of the applied Zn dose should be carefully selected.

Asbestos is a silicate mineral that occurs naturally and is made up of flexible fibres that are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. Both anthropogenic disturbance and natural weathering of asbestos-containing waste materials (ACWMs) can result in the emission of asbestos fibre dust, which when breathed, can cause asbestosis, a chronic lung illness that happens due to prolonged exposure of such fibre dust, and can cause 'mesothelioma' cancer. Although asbestos mining and its utilisation had been banned in many countries, there is still a significant issue of ACWMs disposal in the built environment and abandoned sites. It is neither practical nor economical to safely eliminate ACWMs from the built environment, and it is estimated that globally, 4 billion metric tonnes of ACWMs require safe management strategies. The toxicity of inhaled asbestos fibre relies on its surface properties, and in particular the distribution of iron, which serves a critical role in pathogenicity by forming reactive free radicals that damage DNA, thereby trigging cancer. Examining the usefulness of higher plants and microbes in the bioremediation of soil contaminated with ACWMs is the prime aim of the review. Higher plants and microorganisms such as lichens, fungi, and bacteria often play a major role in the remediation of soil contaminated with ACWMs by facilitating the bioweathering of asbestos and the removal of iron to mitigate the toxicity of asbestos.

Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of microplastics on soil eco-system, yet little attention has been given to the specific effects of mulch microplastics and the leaching of plastic additives from mulch films. This review inspects the propensity of commonly used plastic additives in mulch films, such as Di(2ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bisphenol A (BPA), and benzophenones (BPs), to migrate into soils and pose potential risks to soil biota. Further, we highlight the degradation of non-biodegradable plastic mulch films over time, which leads to an increase in the release of plastic additives and microplastics into agricultural soils. DEHP has been detected in high concentrations for example 25.2 mg/kg in agricultural soils, indicating a potential risk of uptake, translocation and accumulation in plants, ultimately altering soil physicochemical properties and affecting soil microflora and invertebrates. The review also explores how exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and microbial activities accelerates the weathering of mulch films. Moreover, the resultant plastic additives and mulch microplastics can lead to genotoxicity and growth inhibition in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and negatively impact the soil microbiome. Despite the significant implications, there has been a lack of comprehensive reviews comparing the effects of non-biodegradable mulch film additives on agricultural soil flora and fauna. Therefore, this review addresses the knowledge gaps providing a bibliometric analysis and eco-toxicological evaluation, discussing the challenges and future perspectives regarding mulch plastic additives and microplastics, thus offering a comprehensive understanding of their impact.

Red clay soil in Guilin, characterized by a large pore ratio, high liquid-plastic limit, and high shrinkage, necessitates effective stabilization methods due to the region's seasonal flooding. This study employed enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation technology in conjunction with MgO and lignin fiber to stabilize the soil. The study aimed to elucidate the solidification mechanism of red clay and assess the effects of admixture dosage and curing age on unconfined compressive strength, carbonate formation, liquid-plastic limit, and fine particle content. The findings indicated that MgO significantly enhanced the unconfined compressive strength through a synergistic effect. The mineralization process of EICP technology facilitated CO2 production, promoting the carbonation of MgO, which, in turn, established an alkaline environment that further increased carbonate formation. The damage to the specimen was in the form of brittle damage. Conversely, conversely, the inclusion of lignin fibers enhanced the ductility of the soil matrix. The fibers interlaced within the soil matrix, preventing contraction and cracking under external forces and inhibiting the propagation of small fissures into larger ones, leading to plastic deformation. The dosage of MgO played a crucial role in the strength of stabilized red clay. At lower dosages, strength gains were primarily due to increased carbonate content, while higher dosages reduced water content, increasing inter-particle friction and soil densification. As strength increased, clay content decreased, and specific gravity rose.

In conventional agricultural practices, pesticides are applied to protect crops from harmful insect pests; however, pervasive usage in high-yield crop systems poses a significant risk to the viability and sustainability of agroecosystems. Agricultural output may be adversely affected by pesticide deposition in the soil as it affects biochemical interactions between plants and soil. Pesticides cause oxidative stress by blocking physiological and biochemical pathways and disrupting the photosynthetic machinery of plants. When exposed to abiotic challenges, plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as auxin, gibberellins, cytokinin and abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), brassinosteroids (BR), and 24-epibrassinolides (EBL) reduce pesticide toxicity by strengthening antioxidant defence mechanisms and enhancing tolerance to stressful conditions. By modulating a variety of physio-biochemical mechanisms, PGRs reduce pesticide toxicity in intact plants. Furthermore, PGRs eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by inducing antioxidant enzyme production. Pesticide residues in plant compartments are reduced as a result of PGR-mediated increase in pesticide degradation. This review provides a detailed account of the potential role of PGRs in pesticide detoxification and growth promotion in plants. This work examines several elements of plant pesticidal reactions and assesses how PGRs support plants in tolerating pesticides. The underlying mechanisms during pesticide stress are also discussed. The need for additional study on PGR applications is also emphasized.