Shafaqat Ali

Bio: Shafaqat Ali is an academic researcher from Government College University, Faisalabad. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Biochar. The author has an hindex of 72, co-authored 517 publications receiving 18442 citations. Previous affiliations of Shafaqat Ali include China Medical University (Taiwan) & Zhejiang University.

The effect of excess copper on growth and physiology of important food crops: a review

Abstract: In recent years, copper (Cu) pollution in agricultural soils, due to arbitrary use of pesticides, fungicides, industrial effluent and wastewater irrigation, present a major concern for sustainable agrifood production especially in developing countries. The world’s major food requirement is fulfilled through agricultural food crops. The Cu-induced losses in growth and yield of food crops probably exceeds from all other causes of food safety and security threats. Here, we review the adverse effects of Cu excess on growth and yield of essential food crops. Numerous studies reported the Cu-induced growth inhibition, oxidative damage and antioxidant response in agricultural food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sunflower and cucumber. This article also describes the toxic levels of Cu in crops that decreased plant growth and yield due to alterations in mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, enzyme activities and decrease in chlorophyll biosynthesis. The response of various crops to elevated Cu concentrations varies depending upon nature of crop and cultivars used. This review could be helpful to understand the Cu toxicity and the mechanism of its tolerance in food crops. We recommend that Cu-tolerant crops should be grown on Cu-contaminated soils in order to ameliorate the toxic effects for sustainable farming systems and to meet the food demands of the intensively increasing population.

Cadmium stress in rice: toxic effects, tolerance mechanisms, and management: a critical review.

Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is one of the main pollutants in paddy fields, and its accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and subsequent transfer to food chain is a global environmental issue. This paper reviews the toxic effects, tolerance mechanisms, and management of Cd in a rice paddy. Cadmium toxicity decreases seed germination, growth, mineral nutrients, photosynthesis, and grain yield. It also causes oxidative stress and genotoxicity in rice. Plant response to Cd toxicity varies with cultivars, growth condition, and duration of Cd exposure. Under Cd stress, stimulation of antioxidant defense system, osmoregulation, ion homeostasis, and over production of signaling molecules are important tolerance mechanisms in rice. Several strategies have been proposed for the management of Cd-contaminated paddy soils. One such approach is the exogenous application of hormones, osmolytes, and signaling molecules. Moreover, Cd uptake and toxicity in rice can be decreased by proper application of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, zinc, iron, and selenium in Cd-contaminated soils. In addition, several inorganic (liming and silicon) and organic (compost and biochar) amendments have been applied in the soils to reduce Cd stress in rice. Selection of low Cd-accumulating rice cultivars, crop rotation, water management, and exogenous application of microbes could be a reasonable approach to alleviate Cd toxicity in rice. To draw a sound conclusion, long-term field trials are still required, including risks and benefit analysis for various management strategies.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Immunological and Inflammatory Functions of the Interleukin-1 Family

Abstract: More than any other cytokine family, the interleukin (IL)-1 family is closely linked to the innate immune response. This linkage became evident upon the discovery that the cytoplasmic domain of the IL-1 receptor type I is highly homologous to the cytoplasmic domains of all Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Thus, fundamental inflammatory responses such as the induction of cyclooxygenase type 2, increased expression of adhesion molecules, or synthesis of nitric oxide are indistinguishable responses of both IL-1 and TLR ligands. Both families nonspecifically affect antigen recognition and lymphocyte function. IL-1β is the most studied member of the IL-1 family because of its role in mediating autoinflammatory diseases. Although the TLR and IL-1 families evolved to assist in host defense against infection, unlike the TLR family, the IL-1 family also includes members that suppress inflammation, both specifically within the IL-1 family but also nonspecifically for TLR ligands and the innate immune response.

Informal learning in the workplace

Abstract: This paper focuses mainly on theoretical frameworks for understanding and investigating informal learning in the workplace, which have been developed through a series of large‐ and small‐scale projects. The main conclusions are included but readers are referred to other publications for more detailed accounts of individual projects. Two types of framework are discussed. The first group seeks to deconstruct the ‘key concepts’ of informal learning, learning from experience, tacit knowledge, transfer of learning and> intuitive practice to disclose the range of different phenomena that are embraced by these popular terms. The second group comprises frameworks for addressing the three central questions that pervaded the research programme: what is being learned, how is it being learned and what are the factors that influence the level and directions of the learning effort?