Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 1 (2), pp. 001-004, November, 2010. © International Scholars Journals

Editorial

Harmattan Haze and Environmental Health

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 1 (2), pp. 001-006, November, 2010. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Social and ecological mediators of environmental Lead exposure in Nigeria

Oladele A. Ogunseitan* and Timothy R. Smith

Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-7070, USA.

Accepted 24 September, 2010

Abstract

This study aimed to identify socio-ecologic variables contributing to lead poisoning among children in suburban regions of Nigeria. We surveyed 306 children and their families to determine the statistical association between specific social ecological factors and measured blood lead levels (BLL). The BLL among children (< 6 years old) ranged from 2.1 to 31.8 mg/dl (mean = 9.4 mg/dL; SD = 4.2), with 35% of the children exhibiting a BLL > 10 mg/dL. Mean BLL was significantly associated with household size, maternal literacy, parental occupation, home floor type, time spent outside the home, residential proximity to a ceramics shop, and by parental employment in a print shop (p < 0.05), but not with age, years of parental education, housing situation, drinking water, and frequency of hand- to-mouth beha-vior. Although gasoline remains the main source of environmental lead, occupational circumstances also contribute to the predisposition of children to high exposures.

Key words: Lead (Pb) poisoning, cottage industry, exposure assessment, maternal literacy, ceramics manu-facturing, printing shop, leaded gasoline, children, Africa, Nigeria.

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 1 (2), pp. 001-004, November, 2010. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Regional scaled mapping of gully erosion sensitivity in Western Kenya

Yusuke Katsurada

Nagoya University Museum, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 Japan. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel.: +81-52-789-2527.

Accepted 30 August, 2010

Abstract

East African Rift regions suffer from serious gully erosion. As a preliminary step to assess gully erosion and to establish appropriate managements of geological/geomorphological conditions of the East African Rift escarpments, slope gradient, vegetation coverage, and sediment hardness in western Kenya, were used as mapping factors and overlayed to create separate channels in RGB color space. Pixels highlighted in this mapping can be considered as indicators of sediment erosion potential and runoff sensitivity of igneous rocks. The precision of the model for gully erosion sensitivity may be improved by including soil properties and topographic information.

Key words: Gully erosion, East African Rift, Kavirondo Rift, Lake Victoria basin, GIS, remote sensing, RGB color space.

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 1 (1), pp. 001-004, October, 2010. © International Scholars Journals

Editorial

The Local Language of Global Environmental Knowledge

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 1 (1), pp. 001-003, October, 2010. © International Scholars Journals

Editorial

Framing Vulnerability and Adaptation to Environmental Change in Africa

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 7675-1686 Vol. 1 (1), pp. 001-013, October, 2010. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Microarray analysis of genes affected by salt stress in tomato

Suping Zhou¹, Shu Wei², Braden Boone³ and Shawn Levy¹

¹Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN37209, USA.

²Plant Biology Department, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108. USA. Current Address: Saskatoon Research Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X2, Canada.

³Vanderbilt Microarray Shared Resource, Vanderbilt University,465 21st Avenue South, MRBIII Room 9274, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.

Accepted 15 August, 2010

Abstract

Large-scale gene expression affected by salt stress was analyzed with tomato seedlings (Lycoperson esculentum Mill cv. Money Maker) by a cDNA microarray (Tom1). The significantly differentially expressed genes (5% Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate) consisted of 1757 sequences in the analyzed tissues (cotyledons + shoot tip). Genes with over 2 fold difference were selected from the list and further categorized into different function and cellular processes. Tomato homologous genes for the chaperone proteins, antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), and ion transporters (Na⁺-driven multidrug efflux pump, vacuolar ATPase, and others) were induced. The ACC oxidase and ethylene-responsive gene tomato homologs had higher transcript level after salt treatment. Multiple members with different expression patterns were identified for the bZIP, WRKY, and MADS-box transcription regulator. Different genes in the signal transduction pathway, such as the protein kinases (Shaggy kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, ethylene receptor neverripe, and others), protein phosphatases, calmodulin, G -protein, and the N - myristoyltransferase were regulated by salt stress. Most of the protease and the inhibitor homologs were suppressed by salt stress. In addition, different isoforms of cytochrome P450, genes for polyamine biosynthesis (putrescine and proline) and detoxification compounds (glutathione and thioredoxin), several key enzyme genes in the metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, amino acids, and fatty acids, were also affected by salt treatment. This study has provided a set of candidate genes, especially those in the regulatory machinery that can be further investigated to define salt stress in tomato and other plant species.

Key words: Antioxidants, cellular metabolism, cell wall, chaperonine, ethylene, protein kinase, tomato, transcription regulator, translation regulator, salt stress.