Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important oil seed crop that is mostly cultivated in temperate climates. In addition to many commercial applications, flax is also used as a fibrous species or for livestock feed (animal fodder). For the last 40 years, flax has been used as a phytoremediation tool for the remediation of different heavy metals, particularly for phytoextraction when cultivated on metal contaminated soils. Among different fibrous crops (hemp, jute, ramie, and kenaf), flax represents the most economically important species and the majority of studies on metal contaminated soil for the phytoextraction of heavy metals have been conducted using flax. Therefore, a comprehensive review is needed for a better understanding of the phytoremediation potential of flax when grown in metal contaminated soil. This review describes the existing studies related to the phytoremediation potential of flax in different mediums such as soil and water. After phytoremediation, flax has the potential to be used for additional purposes such as linseed oil, fiber, and important livestock feed. This review also describes the phytoremediation potential of flax when grown in metal contaminated soil. Furthermore, techniques and methods to increase plant growth and biomass are also discussed in this work. However, future research is needed for a better understanding of the physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, and molecular biology of flax for increasing its pollutant removal efficiency.

To provide better management of Fournier's gangrene, mortality-associated comorbidities and common etiologies were identified. A systematic search was conducted using 12 databases, followed by meticulous screening to select relevant articles. Meta-analysis and meta-regression (for possible cofounders) were both done for all possible outcomes. Out of 1186 reports screened, 38 studies were finally included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. A higher risk of mortality was detected in patients with diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, and kidney disease, with risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of 0.72 (0.59-0.89), 0.39 (0.24-0.62), 0.41 (0.27-0.63), and 0.34 (95% CI 0.16-0.73), respectively. However, there was no association between mortality rates and comorbid hypertension, lung disease, liver disease, or malignant disease (p > 0.05). The highest mortality rates were due to sepsis (76%) and multiple organ failure (66%), followed by respiratory (19.4%), renal (18%), cardiovascular (15.7%), and hepatic (5%) mortality. Modifications to the Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI) are recommended, in order to include comorbidities as an important prognostic tool for FG mortality. Close monitoring of the patients, with special interest given to the main causes of mortality, is an essential element of the management process.

How the multiple facets of soil fungal diversity vary worldwide remains virtually unknown, hindering the management of this essential species-rich group. By sequencing high-resolution DNA markers in over 4000 topsoil samples from natural and human-altered ecosystems across all continents, we illustrate the distributions and drivers of different levels of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of fungi and their ecological groups. We show the impact of precipitation and temperature interactions on local fungal species richness (alpha diversity) across different climates. Our findings reveal how temperature drives fungal compositional turnover (beta diversity) and phylogenetic diversity, linking them with regional species richness (gamma diversity). We integrate fungi into the principles of global biodiversity distribution and present detailed maps for biodiversity conservation and modeling of global ecological processes.

Copper (Cu) is an important micronutrient for a plant’s normal growth and development. However, excess amount of Cu in the soil causes many severe problems in plants—which ultimately affect crop productivity and yield. Moreover, excess of Cu contents causes oxidative damage in the plant tissues by generating excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present experiment was designed to investigate the phytoextraction potential of Cu, morpho-physiological features and biochemical reaction of jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) seedlings using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) of 3 mM under different Cu levels (0 (control), 50 and 100 μM) in a hydroponic nutrient solution (Hoagland). Our results showed that elevated Cu rates (50 and 100 μM) in the nutrient solution significantly reduced plant height, fresh and dry biomass, total chlorophyll content and gaseous exchange attributes in C. capsularis seedlings. As the concentration of Cu in the medium increased (50 and 100 μM), the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and oxidative stress in C. capsularis seedlings also increased, which could have been controlled by antioxidant activity in particular plant cells. In addition, rising Cu concentration in the nutrient solution also increased Cu uptake and accumulation in roots and leaves. The addition of EDTA to the nutrient solution significantly alleviated Cu toxicity in C. capsularis seedlings, showing a significantly increase in plant growth and biomass. MDA contents was not significantly increased in EDTA-induced plants, suggesting that this treatment was helpful in capturing ROS and thereby reducing ROS in in C. capsularis seedlings. EDTA modification with Cu, although the bioaccumulation factor in roots and leaves and translocation factor for the leaves of C. capsularis seedlings has significantly increased. These results indicate that C. capsularis has considerable potential to cope with Cu stress and is capable of removing a large quantity of Cu from the Cu-contaminated soil while using EDTA is a useful strategy to increase plant growth and biomass with Cu absorption capabilities.

Due to the numerous pharmacological impacts of Spirulina platensis (SP), the effects of SP on the oxidative status of Nile tilapia farmed under chlorpyrifos (CPF) ambient toxicity were considered in this study. Fish (60 ± 6.1 g) was randomly stocked in five groups where the SP free diet was fed to the control group while the second one was fed 1% SP without CPF exposure. Additionally, CPF (15 μg/L) was added in water and fish were fed with SP at 0, 0.5, and 1% (third, fourth, and fifth groups, respectively). Samples of blood and gills, kidneys, and liver tissues were assayed for biochemical measurements. Fish exposed to CPF exhibited significant (p ≤ 0.05) increments of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cholesterol, urea, creatinine, and malondialdehyde (MDA), while significantly decreased total protein, albumin, and antioxidative enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were observed in tilapia exposed to CPF (p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, SP feeding resulted in decreased levels of ALT, AST, ALP, cholesterol, urea, and creatinine as well as increased total protein, albumin, SOD, and CAT activities. Based on the obtained results, it can be suggested that SP is efficient in protecting Nile tilapia from CPF toxicity by increasing the antioxidative response.

Molecular analyses of soil and water commonly reveal large proportions of fungal taxa that cannot be assigned to any taxonomic or functional groups. Some of these so-called dark taxa have been encoded alphanumerically, while others have remained completely overlooked. Using long-read sequencing that covers much of the ribosomal RNA operon, we shed light on the phylogenetic and ecological distribution of fungal dark taxa and formally describe 30 of the most prominent phylum- to order-level lineages based on their characteristic DNA features. This increases the known large-scale fungal phylogenetic diversity by roughly one-third. Formal names will enhance taxonomic reproducibility, facilitate communication among researchers, and enable the estimation of conservation and quarantine needs for uncultivable species and higher-ranking taxa. The new species in the respective highest-level novel taxonomic groups include Pantelleria saittana (Pantelleriomycetes), Paraspizellomyces parrentiae (Paraspizellomycetales), Aquieurochytrium lacustre (Aquieurochytriomycetes), Edaphochytrium valuojaense (Edaphochytriomycetes), Tibetochytrium taylorii (Tibetochytriomycetes), Tropicochytrium toronegroense (Tropicochytriomycetes), Algovorax scenedesmi (comb. nov.) and Solivorax pantropicus (Algovoracomycetes), Aquamastix sanduskyensis (Aquamastigomycetes), Cantoromastix holarctica (Cantoromastigomycetes), Dobrisimastix vlkii (Dobrisimastigomycetes), Palomastix lacustris (Palomastigomycetes), Sedimentomastix tueriensis (Sedimentomastigomycetes), Terrincola waldropii (Terrincolales), Curlevskia holarctica (Curlevskiomycota), Mycosocceria estonica (Mycosocceriales), Maerjamyces jumpponenii (Maerjamycetes), Ruderalia cosmopolita (Ruderaliomycetes), Bryolpidium mundanum (Bryolpidiomycetes), Chthonolpidium enigmatum (Chthonolpidiomycetes), Savannolpidium raadiense (Savannolpidiomycetes), Gelotisporidium boreale (Gelotisporidiomycetes), Sumavosporidium sylvestre (Sumavosporidiomycetes), Parakickxella borikenica (Parakickxellomycetes), Aldinomyces tarquinii (Aldinomycota), Borikenia urbinae (Borikeniomycota), Mirabilomyces abrukanus (Mirabilomycota), Nematovomyces vermicola (comb. nov.) and N. soinasteënsis (Nematovomycota), Viljandia globalis (Viljandiomycota), Waitukubulimyces cliftonii (Waitukubulimycota), and Tartumyces setoi (Tartumyceta).