Since drought can seriously affect plant growth and development and little is known about how the oscillations of gene expression during the drought stress-acclimation response in soybean is ...affected, we applied Illumina technology to sequence 36 cDNA libraries synthesized from control and drought-stressed soybean plants to verify the dynamic changes in gene expression during a 24-h time course. Cycling variables were measured from the expression data to determine the putative circadian rhythm regulation of gene expression.
We identified 4866 genes differentially expressed in soybean plants in response to water deficit. Of these genes, 3715 were differentially expressed during the light period, from which approximately 9.55% were observed in both light and darkness. We found 887 genes that were either up- or down-regulated in different periods of the day. Of 54,175 predicted soybean genes, 35.52% exhibited expression oscillations in a 24 h period. This number increased to 39.23% when plants were submitted to water deficit. Major differences in gene expression were observed in the control plants from late day (ZT16) until predawn (ZT20) periods, indicating that gene expression oscillates during the course of 24 h in normal development. Under water deficit, dissimilarity increased in all time-periods, indicating that the applied stress influenced gene expression. Such differences in plants under stress were primarily observed in ZT0 (early morning) to ZT8 (late day) and also from ZT4 to ZT12. Stress-related pathways were triggered in response to water deficit primarily during midday, when more genes were up-regulated compared to early morning. Additionally, genes known to be involved in secondary metabolism and hormone signaling were also expressed in the dark period.
Gene expression networks can be dynamically shaped to acclimate plant metabolism under environmental stressful conditions. We have identified putative cycling genes that are expressed in soybean leaves under normal developmental conditions and genes whose expression oscillates under conditions of water deficit. These results suggest that time of day, as well as light and temperature oscillations that occur considerably affect the regulation of water deficit stress response in soybean plants.
The aim of this work was to synthesize polymeric microparticles as carriers for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK fertilizer) for agricultural applications, using polyglycerol (PG) to improve ...the synthesis procedure. Multivariate experimental designs were employed to obtain a satisfactory synthesis. The desirability function identified the best conditions for preparation of the microparticles as being 100.00 mg of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), 825.00 mg of PG, 9.25 mL of chloroform, and 0.9% w/v of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). This resulted in average encapsulation rates of 94.23% for N, 99.80% for P, and 65.00% for K. The profile of release from the microparticles was according to diffusion following Fick’s Law. These observations confirmed the capacity of the proposed microparticles to sustain a continuous and prolonged release of NPK for the purpose of plant fertilization.
The main purpose of this study was to build multivariate classification models using water quality monitoring data for the hydrographic basin of the Gualaxo do Norte River, Minas Gerais state, ...Brazil, which was impacted in 2015 by the rupture of a containment structure for iron ore tailings. A total of 27 points were evaluated, covering areas affected and unaffected by the disaster, with monitoring of chemical, physical, and microbiological variables during the period from July 2016 to June 2017. Multivariate classification techniques were applied to the data, with the aim of developing models to determine when the impacted locations would present characteristics equivalent to those existing prior to the rupture. Classification models constructed using PLS-DA and LDA were able to predict three classes: unaffected main river, affected main river, and tributaries. The first technique was able to clearly differentiate the three classes for the data evaluated, achieving averages corresponding to 90% accuracy. The second method was consistent with the first, identifying the chloride content, conductivity, turbidity, and alkalinity as discriminatory variables, among those monitored, with the relationships among the parameters being coherent with the environmental conditions of the region. The model, with a correct classification rate of 91.67%, enabled identification of the behavior of new samples, using only these easily measured variables. In summary, application of the multivariate statistical tools allowed the development of models capable of providing information about the recovery process of an ecosystem impacted by the greatest environmental disaster to have occurred in Brazil.
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•Assessment of the long-term environmental effects of the Fundão dam failure, Brazil.•Multivariate classification models to assess the profile impacted and non-impacted.•Samples collected in the dry season already showed pre-disaster characteristics.
Due to their widespread use in agriculture as well as in urban areas, agricultural chemicals are globally some of the most commonly encountered substances in waters. The objective of this study is to ...develop (including preparation and characterization) a new modified release system for the herbicide atrazine, employing poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) microspheres. The microspheres were prepared by the emulsification/solvent evaporation method, emulsifying an organic phase (atrazine and PHBV dissolved in chloroform) into an aqueous phase containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as surfactant, under stirring, and then evaporating the solvent. A 2
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fractional factorial design, investigating the influence of four variables at two levels, was performed to obtain formulations with optimized association efficiencies. There was a greater dependence of association efficiency on PVA concentration (negative) and the mass of polymer (positive) with lesser influence of both stirring speed and organic phase volume. The size of the particles was assessed using scanning electron microscopy, which showed that the particles were rough-surfaced spheres. The results obtained are promising, since the formulations presented encapsulation efficiency near 25% and the release kinetics profile of atrazine was altered when it was encapsulated in the microparticles, indicating that these systems may be efficient in reducing the environmental impact caused by the herbicide, hence making it safer to use.
In this study, polymeric nanocapsules of PCL containing the herbicide atrazine were prepared. In order to optimize the preparation conditions, a 2³ factorial design was performed using different ...formulations of nanocapsules, which investigated the influence of three variables at two levels. The factors varied were the quantities of PCL, Span 60 and Myritol. The results were evaluated considering the size, polydispersity, zeta potential and association rate and the measures of these parameters were taken immediately after preparation and after 30 days of preparation. The formulations with minimum level of polymer in the preparation showed better stability results.
Systems composed of poly(ethylene)glycol (PEG 400) + water + either potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate were studied at 283.15, 298.15, and 313.15 K. The effects of temperature and the ...electrolyte on phase segregation were evaluated. The phase segregation process was endothermic and entropically driven. The efficacy of the cations in inducing phase formation with PEG 400 followed the order K2CO3 < Na2CO3. The binodal curves were successfully described using the empirical equation suggested by Merchuk and modified to include the effect of temperature. Tie-line compositions were correlated using the Othmer–Tobias, Bancroft, and Hand equations. The experimental tie-line data for PEG 400 + K2CO3 + water and PEG 400 + Na2CO3 + water were also correlated using the nonrandom two liquid model. The use of this thermodynamic model resulted in reliable data for the system while reducing the number of experiments needed. All of the correlations indicated satisfactory fits between the calculated and experimental data.
The objective of this work was to investigate the interaction of arsenic species (As(III) and As(V)) with tropical peat. Peat samples collected in Brazil were characterized using elemental analysis ...and ¹³C NMR. Adsorption experiments were performed using different concentrations of As with peat in natura and enriched with Fe or Al, at three different pH levels. Peat samples, in natura or enriched with metals, were analysed before and after adsorption processes using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy. The adsorption kinetics was evaluated, and the data were fitted using the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The results showed that interaction between As and peat was dependent on the levels of organic matter (OM) and the metals (Fe and Al). As(III) was not adsorbed by in natura peat or Al-enriched peat, although small amounts of As(III) were adsorbed by Fe-enriched peat. Adsorption of As(V) by the different peat samples ranged from 21.3 to 52.7 μg g ⁻¹. The best fit to the results was obtained using the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption of As(V) could be described by the Freundlich isotherm model. The results showed that Fe-enriched peat was most effective in immobilizing As(V). FTIR analysis revealed the formation of ternary complexes involving As(V) and peat enriched with metals, suggesting that As(V) was associated with Al or Fe-OM complexes by metal bridging.
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