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This study presents the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution using a new silver nanoparticles-loaded tea activated carbon (AgNPs-TAC) material. In order to reduce costs, the tea activated carbon was produced from tea residue. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of impregnation ratio of AgNPs and TAC, pH solution, contact time, initial phosphate concentration and dose of AgNPs-AC on removing phosphate from aqueous solution. Results show that the best conditions for phosphate adsorption occurred at the impregnation ratio AgNPs/TAC of 3% w/w, pH 3, and contact time lasting 150 min. The maximum adsorption capacity of phosphate on AgNPs-TAC determined by the Langmuir model was 13.62 mg/g at an initial phosphate concentration of 30 mg/L. The adsorption isotherm of phosphate on AgNPs-TAC fits well with both the Langmuir and Sips models. The adsorption kinetics data were also described well by the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models with high correlation coefficients of 0.978 and 0.966, respectively. The adsorption process was controlled by chemisorption through complexes and ligand exchange mechanisms. This study suggests that AgNPs-TAC is a promising, low cost adsorbent for phosphate removal from aqueous solution.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals and a non-essential element to all organisms, including plants; however, the genes involved in Cd resistance in plants remain poorly characterised. To identify Cd resistance genes in rice, we screened a rice cDNA expression library treated with CdCl 2 using a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutant ycf1 strain (DTY167) and isolated two rice phytochelatin synthases (OsPCS5 and OsPCS15). The genes were strongly induced by Cd treatment and conferred increased resistance to Cd when expressed in the ycf1 mutant strain. In addition, the Cd concentration was twofold higher in yeast expressing OsPCS5 and OsPCS15 than in vector-transformed yeast, and OsPCS5 and OsPCS15 localised in the cytoplasm. Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing OsPCS5/-15 paradoxically exhibited increased sensitivity to Cd, suggesting that overexpression of OsPCS5/-15 resulted in toxicity due to excess phytochelatin production in A. thaliana. These data indicate that OsPCS5 and OsPCS15 are involved in Cd tolerance, which may be related to the relative abundances of phytochelatins synthesised by these phytochelatin synthases., (© 2019 The Authors. Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of German Society for Plant Sciences, Royal Dutch Botanical Society.)

It was the aim of this work to assess and track the workload, working conditions and professional recognition of radiation oncology medical physicists (ROMPs) in the Asia Pacific region over time. In this third survey since 2008, a structured questionnaire was mailed in 2014 to 22 senior medical physicists representing 23 countries. As in previous surveys the questionnaire covered seven themes: 1 education, training and professional certification, 2 staffing, 3 typical tasks, 4 professional organisations, 5 resources, 6 research and teaching, and 7 job satisfaction. The response rate of 100% is a result of performing a survey through a network, which allows easy follow-up. The replies cover 4841 ROMPs in 23 countries. Compared to 2008, the number of medical physicists in many countries has doubled. However, the number of experienced ROMPs compared to the overall workforce is still small, especially in low and middle income countries. The increase in staff is matched by a similar increase in the number of treatment units over the years. Furthermore, the number of countries using complex techniques (IMRT, IGRT) or installing high end equipment (tomotherapy, robotic linear accelerators) is increasing. Overall, ROMPs still feel generally overworked and the professional recognition, while varying widely, appears to be improving only slightly. Radiation oncology medical physics practice has not changed significantly over the last 6 years in the Asia Pacific Region even if the number of physicists and the number and complexity of treatment techniques and technologies have increased dramatically.