Roads are a widespread and increasing feature of most landscapes. We reviewed the scientific liter- ature on the ecological effects of roads and found support for the general conclusion that they are associated with negative effects on biotic integrity in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Roads of all kinds have seven general effects: mortality from road construction, mortality from collision with vehicles, modification of animal behavior, alteration of the physical environment, alteration of the chemical environment, spread of exotics, and increased use of areas by humans. Road construction kills sessile and slow-moving organisms, injures organisms adjacent to a road, and alters physical conditions beneath a road. Vehicle collisions affect the demography of many species, both vertebrates and invertebrates; mitigation measures to reduce roadkill have been only partly successful. Roads alter animal behavior by causing changes in home ranges, move- ment, reproductive success, escape response, and physiological state. Roads change soil density, temperature, soil water content, light levels, dust, surface waters, patterns of runoff, and sedimentation, as well as adding heavy metals (especially lead), salts, organic molecules, ozone, and nutrients to roadside environments. Roads promote the dispersal of exotic species by altering habitats, stressing native species, and providing movement corridors. Roads also promote increased hunting, fishing, passive harassment of animals, and landscape modifications. Not all species and ecosystems are equally affected by roads, but overall the pres- ence of roads is highly correlated with changes in species composition, population sizes, and hydrologic and geomorphic processes that shape aquatic and riparian systems. More experimental research is needed to com- plement post-hoc correlative studies. Our review underscores the importance to conservation of avoiding con- struction of new roads in roadless or sparsely roaded areas and of removal or restoration of existing roads to benefit both terrestrial and aquatic biota.

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Review of ecological effects of roads on terrestrial and aquatic communities.

Mycotoxin problems are one of great concern to health scientists. Toxic fungal metabolites such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone and others are contaminated in our environments and induce various diseases. In this manuscript, the author will summarize the recent advances on toxicology of mycotoxins in special references to toxicological characters, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity (mutagenicity and carcinogenicity), metabolism, and biochemical mode of action. Interaction of mycotoxins with cellular components will be reviewed in order to clarify the toxicological characteristics of mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, toxic peptides, and anthraquinoid mycotoxins.

The Toxicology of Mycotoxins

Summary The importance, characteristics, positive and negative impacts, and future role of weeds as an integral part of the natural and agroecosystems are evaluated and discussed. Interference between plants in nature and the importance of differentiating between competition and allelopathy are interpreted. Allelopathy as one component of weed/crop interference, allelochemicals from weed species and their possible mechanism of action are listed and discussed. Weed species with inhibitory action against cultivated crops, other weed species, and plant pathogens, as well as self-inhibitory (autopathic) species are reviewed. Stimulatory or inhibitory allelopathic effects of different crop plants, trapping and catching species, and the potential of allelopathic weeds in inhibiting or stimulating certain parasitic weed species are discussed and evaluated. Allelopathy as a mechanism and future strategy for agricultural pest control and farm management and the potential use and development of some allelochemicals...

Weed allelopathy, its ecological impacts and future prospects: a review

Background: In this study, phospholipid metabolism of cell membranes, high-energy phosphate metabolism, and intracellular free magnesium concentration in the prefrontal cortex of first-episode drug-naive schizophrenic patients and medicated schizophrenic patients at different stages of illness were compared with those of controls. Methods: Localized in vivo phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectra of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 11 drug-naive, eight newly diagnosed medicated, and 10 chronic medicated patients with schizophrenia were compared with controls of similar gender, education, parental education, and handedness. Results: Significantly decreased levels of phosphomonoesters in drug-naive, newly diagnosed medicated, and chronic medicated patients and significantly increased levels of phosphodiesters in drug-naive patients were observed when compared with controls. There were no significant differences in the levels of high-energy phosphate metabolites between the groups except for a significant decrease in the inorganic orthophosphate levels of newly diagnosed medicated patients. A significant increase in the intracellular free magnesium concentration was observed in drug-naive, newly diagnosed medicated, and chronic medicated patients compared with controls. There were no correlations between the patients' negative and positive symptoms and the observed phosphorus-containing metabolites. Conclusions: A reduction in precursors of membrane phospholipid are observed during the early and chronic stages of the schizophrenia illness, and breakdown products of membrane phospholipids are increased at the early stage of illness before medication treatment.

An in vivo study of the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic patients at different stages of illness via phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Peroxy natural products

Platelet and erythrocyte membrane lipid and phospholipid patterns in different types of mental patients

An investigation of Mg 2+ and (Na + +K + )-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activities in the platelet and erythrocyte membrane of 44 depressive and 44 manic-depressive patients was carried out before and during (for 3 weeks to less than 1 year) drug treatment. When compared with normal controls ( n =43), the patients showed significantly elevated enzyme activities during both the drug-free and drug treatment periods. No remarkable changes in enzyme activities were observed between the drug-free and drug treatment (even long-term drug treatment) periods. Results suggest an alteration of cell-membrane activity, which may reflect changes in (1) ATP level, (2) cationic balance, (3) membrane phospholipid, or some combination thereof.

Platelet and erythrocyte-membrane adenosine triphosphatase activity in depressive and manic-depressive illness.

Effect of citreoviridin, a mycotoxin from Penicillium citreoviride, on kinetic constants of acetylcholinesterase and ATPase in synaptosomes and microsomes from rat brain

The activity of washed leaf and inflorescence material of Chenopodium ambrosioides and C. murale , decaying leaves and inflorescences, and field soils collected beneath Chenopodium plants were examined in terms of the inhibition of seed germination and seedling growth of five weeds, viz. Abutilon indicum, Cassia sophera var. purpurea, C. tora, Evolvulus numularius and Tephrosia hamiltonii . The allelopathic pattern varied in each of the two test species and this depended on the type of test matter. However, the germination as well as the root and hypocotyl growth of A. indicum and E. nummularius were more hampered by phytotoxins or inhibitors from Chenopodium than were the other weeds. Since the leaf and inflorescence of Chenopodium formed the source of inhibitors, the respective plant-parts from the two species were chemically analysed and the presence of three terpenes (p-cymene, ascaridole and aritazone) from C. ambrosioides and an organic acid (oxalic acid) from C. murale were implicated in the allelopathic effect.

/pdf/allelopathy-in-two-species-of-chenopodium-inhibition-of-5787cgs22e.pdf

Subhash C. Datta

Papers

Platelet and erythrocyte membrane lipid and phospholipid patterns in different types of mental patients

Platelet and erythrocyte-membrane adenosine triphosphatase activity in depressive and manic-depressive illness.

Effect of citreoviridin, a mycotoxin from Penicillium citreoviride, on kinetic constants of acetylcholinesterase and ATPase in synaptosomes and microsomes from rat brain

Allelopathy in two species of Chenopodium - inhibition of germination and seedling growth of certain weeds.

Effect of citreoviridin, a toxin from Penicillium citreoviride NRRL 2579, on glycogen metabolism of rat brain.