Search results for: reactive species

Authors: Feran Asur

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In cities, plants; with its visual and functional effects, it helps to provide balance between human and environmental system. It is possible to develop alternative solutions to eliminate visual pollution by evaluating the potential properties of plant materials with other inanimate materials such as color, texture, form, size, etc. characteristics and other inanimate materials such as highlighter, background forming, harmonizing and concealer. In cold climates, the number of ornamental plant species that grow in warmer climates is less. For this reason, especially in the landscaping works of urban spaces, it is difficult to create the desired visuality with aesthetically qualified plants that are suitable for the ecology of the area, without creating monotony, with color variety. In this study, the importance of plant and plant compositions in the solution of visual problems in urban environments in cold climatic conditions is emphasized. The potential of ornamental plants that can be used for this purpose in preventing visual pollution is given. It has been shown how to use prominent features of these ornamental plants such as size, form, texture, vegetation periods to improve visual landscape in urban spaces in a long time. In addition to the design group disciplines that have activity on planning or application basis in the city and its surroundings, landscape architecture discipline can provide visual improvement of the studies to be carried out in detail in terms of planting design.

Keywords: residential landscape, planting, urban space, visual improvement

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Authors: Ali Haratian, Soroosh Emami Meybodi

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Using viable microbial cultures within hydrocarbon reservoirs so as to the enhancement of oil recovery through metabolic activities is exactly what we recognize as microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). In similar to many other processes in industries, there are some cons and pros following with MEOR. The creation of sulfides such as hydrogen sulfide as a result of injecting the sulfate-containing seawater into hydrocarbon reservoirs in order to maintain the required reservoir pressure leads to production and growth of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) approximately near the injection wells, turning the reservoir into sour; however, SRB is not considered as the only microbial process stimulating the formation of sulfides. Along with SRB, thermochemical sulfate reduction or thermal redox reaction (TSR) is also known to be highly effective at resulting in having extremely concentrated zones of ?2S in the reservoir fluids eligible to cause corrosion. Owing to extent of the topic, more information on the formation of ?₂S is going to be put finger on. Besides, confronting the undesirable production of sulfide species in the reservoirs can lead to serious operational, environmental, and financial problems, in particular the transporting pipelines. Consequently, conjuring up reservoir souring control strategies on the way production of oil and gas is the only way to prevent possible damages in terms of environment, finance, and manpower which requires determining the compound’s reactivity, origin, and partitioning behavior. This article is going to provide a comprehensive review of progress made in this field and the possible advent of new strategies in this technologically advanced world of the petroleum industry.

Keywords: corrosion, hydrogen sulfide, NRB, reservoir souring, SRB

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Authors: Vatasta Koul, Vaibhav Sharma, Ayush Gupta, Rajesh Yadav

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Exploratory missions to Mars and Titan have increased recently with various endeavors to find an alternate home to humankind. The use of surface rovers has its limitations due to rugged and uneven surfaces of these planetary bodies. The use of aerial robots requires the complete aerodynamic characterization of these vehicles in the atmospheric conditions of these planetary bodies. The dynamic stall phenomenon is extremely important for rotary wings performance under low Reynolds number that can be encountered in Martian and Titan’s atmosphere. The current research focuses on the aerodynamic characterization and exploration of the dynamic stall phenomenon of two different airfoils viz. E387 and Selig-Donovan7003 in Martian and Titan’s atmosphere at low Reynolds numbers of 10000 and 50000. The two-dimensional numerical simulations are conducted using commercially available finite volume solver with multi-species non-reacting mixture of gases as the working fluid. The k-epsilon (k-ε) turbulence model is used to capture the unsteady flow separation and the effect of turbulence. The dynamic characteristics are studied at a fixed different constant rotational extreme of angles of attack. This study of airfoils at different low Reynolds number and atmospheric conditions on Mars and Titan will be resulting in defining the aerodynamic characteristics of these airfoils for unmanned aerial missions for outer space exploration.

Keywords: aerodynamics, dynamic stall, E387, SD7003

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Authors: Ramesh Subramani, Mathivanan Narayanasamy, William Aalbersberg

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It is well accepted by last 35 years of research and on-going programmes that marine environment harbours abundant and unique biodiversity, which is currently playing as an important source in bioprospecting. It has become apparent that marine microorganisms are lead in the biodiscovery. Among marine organisms, actinobacteria are a target phylum for discovering novel antibiotics against increasing the multi-drug resistant human pathogens because of these taxa representing for novel genera and species. Marine actinomycetes are a proven source of new antibiotic leads and novel enzymes with important industrial applications. A total of 183 streptomycete and 25 non-streptomycete strains were isolated from different marine samples collected from north-eastern part of the Indian Ocean. Among them, 111 isolates displayed antibacterial activity against human pathogens and 151 exhibited antifungal activity against phytopathogens. Importantly, most of them produced various extracellular enzymes and 58 of them produced exopolysaccharides. Totally eight small bioactive compounds and a thermostable alkaline protease have been purified from a selected strain, Streptomyces fungicidicus. Besides, our on-going studies on non-streptomycete strains (rare actinomycetes) are most likely promising resource for new and unique compounds against current emerging drug-resistant pathogens. We have just recognised the chemical diversity in marine microorganisms. Therefore it is worthwhile to continue the exploration of marine microorganisms for new drug leads, novel enzymes and other bioprospecting research.

Keywords: bioactive compounds, industrial enzymes, marine actinobacteria, microbial metabolites, marine natural products

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Authors: Wanwisa Deenin, Abdulhadee Yakoh, Chahya Kreangkaiwal, Orawon Chailapakul, Kanitha Patarakul, Sudkate Chaiyo

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LipL32 is an outer membrane protein present only on pathogenic Leptospira species, which are the causative agent of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis symptoms are often misdiagnosed with other febrile illnesses as the clinical manifestations are non-specific. Therefore, an accurate diagnostic tool for leptospirosis is indeed critical for proper and prompt treatment. Typical diagnosis via serological assays is generally performed to assess the antibodies produced against Leptospira. However, their delayed antibody response and complicated procedure are undoubtedly limited the practical utilization especially in primary care setting. Here, we demonstrate for the first time an early-stage detection of LipL32 by an integrated lateral-flow immunoassay with electrochemical readout (eLFIA). A ferrocene trace tag was monitored via differential pulse voltammetry operated on a smartphone-based device, thus allowing for on-field testing. Superior performance in terms of the lowest detectable limit of detection (LOD) of 8.53 pg/mL and broad linear dynamic range (5 orders of magnitude) among other sensors available thus far was established. Additionally, the developed test strip provided a straightforward yet sensitive approach for diagnosis of leptospirosis using the collected human sera from patients, in which the results were comparable to the real-time polymerase chain reaction technique.

Keywords: leptospirosis, electrochemical detection, lateral flow immunosensor, point-of-care testing, early-stage detection

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Authors: Sudha Shukla, Bablu Kumar, Gyan Prakash Gupta, U. C. Kulshrestha

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Air pollutants emitted from solid biofuels during cooking are the major contributors to poor air quality, respiratory problems, and radiative forcing, etc. in rural areas of most of developing countries. The present study reports the chemical characteristics and sources of ambient aerosols and traces gases during cooking and non-cooking hours emitted during biofuel combustion in a village in North-Central India. Fine aerosol samples along with gaseous species (Sox, NOx, and NH₃) were collected during September 2010-March 2011 at Khairatpur village (KPV) which is located in the Uttar Pradesh state in North-Central India. Results indicated that most of the major ions in aerosols and Sox, NOx, and NH₃ gases were found to be higher during cooking hours as compared to non-cooking hours suggesting that solid biofuel combustion is an important source of air pollution. Results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that combustion of solid biofuel, vehicular emissions, and brick kilns were the major sources of fine aerosols and trace gases in the village. A health survey was conducted to find out the relation between users of biofuels and their health effects and the results revealed that most of the women in the village were suffering from diseases associated with biofuel combustion during cooking.

Keywords: ambient aerosols, biofuel combustion, cooking, health survey, rural area

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Authors: Mustafa M. Donma, Orkide Donma

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Obesity is a clinical state associated with low-grade inflammation. It is also a major risk factor for insulin resistance (IR). In its advanced stages, metabolic syndrome (MetS), a much more complicated disease which may lead to life-threatening problems, may develop. Obesity-mediated IR seems to correlate with the inflammation. Human studies performed particularly on pediatric population are scarce. The aim of this study is to detect possible associations between inflammation and IR in terms of some related ratios. 549 children were grouped according to their age- and sex-based body mass index (BMI) percentile tables of WHO. MetS components were determined. Informed consent and approval from the Ethics Committee for Clinical Investigations were obtained. The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were followed. The exclusion criteria were infection, inflammation, chronic diseases and those under drug treatment. Anthropometric measurements were obtained. Complete blood cell, fasting blood glucose, insulin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) analyses were performed. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systemic immune inflammation (SII) index, tense index, alanine aminotransferase to aspartate aminotransferase ratio (ALT/AST), neutrophils to lymphocyte (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte, and lymphocyte to monocyte ratios were calculated. Data were evaluated by statistical analyses. The degree for statistical significance was 0.05. Statistically significant differences were found among the BMI values of the groups (p < 0.001). Strong correlations were detected between the BMI and waist circumference (WC) values in all groups. Tense index values were also correlated with both BMI and WC values in all groups except overweight (OW) children. SII index values of children with normal BMI were significantly different from the values obtained in OW, obese, morbid obese and MetS groups. Among all the other lymphocyte ratios, NLR exhibited a similar profile. Both HOMA-IR and ALT/AST values displayed an increasing profile from N towards MetS3 group. BMI and WC values were correlated with HOMA-IR and ALT/AST. Both in morbid obese and MetS groups, significant correlations between CRP versus SII index as well as HOMA-IR versus ALT/AST were found. ALT/AST and HOMA-IR values were correlated with NLR in morbid obese group and with SII index in MetS group, (p < 0.05), respectively. In conclusion, these findings showed that some parameters may exhibit informative differences between the early and late stages of obesity. Important associations among HOMA-IR, ALT/AST, NLR and SII index have come to light in the morbid obese and MetS groups. This study introduced the SII index and NLR as important inflammatory markers for the discrimination of normal and obese children. Interesting links were observed between inflammation and IR in morbid obese children and those with MetS, both being late stages of obesity.

Keywords: children, inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity

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Authors: Hanjie Xie, Raphael Semiat, Ziyi Zhong

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It is well known that many oxidation reactions in nature are closely related to the origin and life activities. One of the features of these natural reactions is that they can proceed under mild conditions employing the oxidant of molecular oxygen (O₂) in the air and enzymes as catalysts. Catalysis is also a necessary part of life for human beings, as many chemical and pharmaceutical industrial processes need to use catalysts. However, most heterogeneous catalytic reactions must be run at high operational reaction temperatures and pressures. It is not strange that, in recent years, research interest has been redirected to green catalysis, e.g., trying to run catalytic reactions under relatively mild conditions as much as possible, which needs to employ green solvents, green oxidants such O₂, particularly air, and novel catalysts. This work reports the efficient binary Fe-Mn metal oxide catalysts for low-temperature formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation, a toxic pollutant in the air, particularly in indoor environments. We prepared a series of nanosized FeMn oxide catalysts and found that when the molar ratio of Fe/Mn = 1:1, the catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity. At room temperature, we realized the complete oxidation of HCHO on this catalyst for 20 h with a high GHSV of 150 L g⁻¹ h⁻¹. After a systematic investigation of the catalyst structure and the reaction, we identified the reaction intermediates, including dioxymethylene, formate, carbonate, etc. It is found that the oxygen vacancies and the derived active oxygen species contributed to this high-low-temperature catalytic activity. These findings deepen the understanding of the catalysis of these binary Fe-Mn metal oxide catalysts.

Keywords: oxygen vacancy, catalytic oxidation, binary transition oxide, formaldehyde

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Authors: Ceyda Dadali, Yeşim Elmaci

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Coffee was introduced as an economic crop during the fifteenth century; nowadays it is the most important food commodity ranking second after crude oil. Desirable sensory properties make coffee one of the most often consumed and most popular beverages in the world. The coffee preparation method has a significant effect on flavor and composition of coffee brews. Three different extraction methodologies namely decoction, infusion and pressure methods have been used for coffee brew preparation. Each of these methods is related to specific granulation (coffee grind) of coffee powder, water-coffee ratio temperature and brewing time. Coffee is a mixture of 1500 chemical compounds. Chemical composition of coffee highly depends on brewing methods, coffee bean species and roasting time-temperature. Coffee contains a wide number of very important bioactive compounds, such as diterpenes: cafestol and kahweol, alkaloids: caffeine, theobromine and trigonelline, melanoidins, phenolic compounds. The phenolic compounds of coffee include chlorogenic acids (quinyl esters of hidroxycinnamic acids), caffeic, ferulic, p-coumaric acid. In coffee caffeoylquinic acids, feruloylquinic acids and di-caffeoylquinic acids are three main groups of chlorogenic acids constitues 6% -10% of dry weight of coffee. The bioavailability of chlorogenic acids in coffee depends on the absorption and metabolization to biomarkers in individuals. Also, the interaction of coffee polyphenols with other compounds such as dietary proteins affects the biomarkers. Since bioactive composition of coffee depends on brewing methods effect of coffee brewing method on bioactive compounds of coffee will be discussed in this study.

Keywords: bioactive compounds of coffee, biomarkers, coffee brew, effect of brewing

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Authors: D. Zahraddeen, N. M. Lemu, P. P. Barje, I. S. R. Butswat

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This study was conducted to investigate some of the factors affecting the optimum reproductive capacity of the indigenous breeds of sheep in Nigeria. A total of 767 sheep of different breeds were investigated. The reproductive indices considered were birth/weaning weights, litter size, parity, mortality, reproductive problems/disorders, body condition score (BCS), as well as growth traits. The results showed that litter size, parity, and BCS had significant (p < 0.05) effects on birth/weaning weights, mortality rates and growth traits of the sheep breeds studied. Similarly, the rearing method/system significantly (p < 0.05) influenced other reproductive traits such as birth/weaning weights, mortality, growth performance of lambs. However, the major reproductive problems/disorders in the ewes were dystocia (30.94%), retained placenta (16.91%), mastitis (15.83), pregnancy toxaemia (11.51%), uterine prolapse (6.48%) and vaginal prolapse (3.24%). In the rams, the incidence of reproductive problems included cryptorchidism (1.08%), orchitis (2.87%) and scrotal dermatophilosis (1.79%), among others. This study concludes that the four breeds of sheep (Balami, Yankasa, Uda, and West African Dwarf sheep) and their crosses exhibited varied genetic make-up and potentials. However, the large number of sheep farmers practicing the extensive production system might be responsible for the low reproductive performance of this species in the country. It is, therefore, recommended that significant improvement could be achieved through enhanced management practices of these animals.

Keywords: sheep, breeds, reproduction, disorders

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Authors: Emma K. Sales

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Durian is the flagship fruit of Mindanao and there is an abundance of several cultivars with many confusing identities/ names. The project was conducted to develop procedure for reliable and rapid detection and sorting of durian planting materials. Moreover, it is also aimed to establish specific genetic or DNA markers for routine testing and authentication of durian cultivars in question. The project developed molecular procedures for routine testing. SSR primers were also screened and identified for their utility in discriminating durian cultivars collected. Results of the study showed the following accomplishments; 1. Twenty (29) SSR primers were selected and identified based on their ability to discriminate durian cultivars, 2. Optimized and established standard procedure for identification and authentication of Durian cultivars 3. Genetic profile of durian is now available at Biotech Unit. Our results demonstrate the relevance of using molecular techniques in evaluating and identifying durian clones. The most polymorphic primers tested in this study could be useful tools for detecting variation even at the early stage of the plant especially for commercial purposes. The process developed combines the efficiency of the microsatellites development process with the optimization of non-radioactive detection process resulting in a user-friendly protocol that can be performed in two (2) weeks and easily incorporated into laboratories about to start microsatellite development projects. This can be of great importance to extend microsatellite analyses to other crop species where minimal genetic information is currently available. With this, the University can now be a service laboratory for routine testing and authentication of durian clones.

Keywords: DNA, SSR analysis, genotype, genetic diversity, cultivars

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Authors: Pasquali Frederique, Manfreda Chiara, Crippa Cecilia, Indio Valentina, Ianieri Adriana, De Cesare Alessandra

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Microbiological hazards can be transmitted to humans through milk. In this study, we compared the microbiome composition and presence of foodborne pathogens in organic milk (n=6), organic hay milk (n=6), standard milk (n=6) and high-quality milk (n=6). The milk samples were collected during six samplings between December 2022 to January 2023 and between April and May 2024 to take into account seasonal variations. The 24 milk samples were submitted to DNA extraction and library preparation before shotgun sequencing on the Illumina HiScan™ SQ System platform. The total sequencing output was 600 GB. In all the milk samples, the phyla with the highest relative abundances were Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, Ascomycota, Actinomycetota and Apicomplexa, while the most represented genera were Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, Geotrichum, Acinetobacter and Babesia. The alpha and beta diversity indexes showed a clear separation between the microbiome of high-quality milk and those of the other milk types. Moreover, in the high-quality milk, the relative abundance of Staphylococcus (4.4%), Campylobacter (4.5%), Bacillus (2.5%), Enterococcus (2.4%), Klebsiella (1.3%) and Escherichia (0 .7%) was significantly higher in comparison to other types of milk. On the contrary, the relative abundance of Geotrichum (0.5%) was significantly lower. The microbiome results collected in this study showed significant differences in terms of the relative abundance of bacteria genera, including foodborne pathogen species. These results should be incorporated into risk assessment models tailored to different types of milk.

Keywords: raw milk, foodborne pathogens, microbiome, risk assessment

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Authors: Yongseok Hong, Kurt Louis Solis

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In the present study, a hybrid sorbent using the metal organic framework (MOF), UiO-66, and powdered activated carbon (pAC) is synthesized to remove cationic and anionic metals simultaneously. UiO-66 is an octahedron-shaped MOF with a Zr₆O₄(OH)₄ metal node and 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid (BDC) organic linker. Zr-based MOFs are attractive for trace element remediation in wastewaters, because Zr is relatively non-toxic as compared to other classes of MOF and, therefore, it will not cause secondary pollution. Most remediation studies with UiO-66 target anions such as fluoride, but trace element oxyanions such as arsenic, selenium, and antimony have also been investigated. There have also been studies involving mercury removal by UiO-66 derivatives, however these require post-synthetic modifications or have lower effective surface areas. Activated carbon is known for being a readily available, well-studied, effective adsorbent for metal contaminants. Solvothermal method was employed to prepare hybrid sorbent from UiO66 and activated carbon, which could be used to remove mercury and selenium simultaneously. The hybrid sorbent was characterized using FSEM-EDS, FT-IR, XRD, and TGA. The results showed that UiO66 and activated carbon are successfully composited. From BET studies, the hybrid sorbent has a SBET of 1051 m² g⁻¹. Adsorption studies were performed, where the hybrid showed maximum adsorption of 204.63 mg g⁻¹ and 168 mg g⁻¹ for Hg (II) and selenite, respectively, and follows the Langmuir model for both species. Kinetics studies have revealed that the Hg uptake of the hybrid is pseudo-2nd order and has rate constant of 5.6E-05 g mg⁻¹ min⁻¹ and the selenite uptake follows the simplified Elovich model with α = 2.99 mg g⁻¹ min⁻¹, β = 0.032 g mg⁻¹.

Keywords: adsorption, flue gas wastewater, mercury, selenite, metal organic framework

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Authors: Adria Rae Abigail R. Eda, Arvin C. Diesmos, Vance T. Vredenburg, Merab A. Chan

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Mitigating strategies using symbiotic cutaneous bacteria is one of the major concerns in the conservation of amphibian population. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is the causative agent of chytridiomycosis associated with mass mortality and amphibian extinctions worldwide. In the Philippines, there is a lack of study on the cutaneous bacteria of Philippine amphibians that may have beneficial effects to ward off the deadly fungal infection. In this study, cutaneous bacteria from frogs were isolated and examined for anti-B. dendrobatidis activity. Eight species of frogs were collected at Mt. Palay-palay Mataas na Gulod National Park in Cavite, a site positive for the presence of B. dendrobatidis. Bacteria were isolated from the skin of frogs by swabbing the surfaces of the body and inoculated in Reasoner´s 2A (R2A) agar. Isolated bacteria were tested for potential inhibitory properties against B. dendrobatidis through zoospore inhibition assay. Results showed that frog cutaneous bacteria significantly inhibited the growth of B. dendrobatidis in vitro. By means of 16S rRNA gene primers, the anti-B. dendrobatidis bacteria were identified to be Enterobacter sp., Alcaligenes faecalis and Pseudomonas sp. Cutaneous bacteria namely Enterobacter sp. (isolates PLd33 and PCv4) and Pseudomonas (isolate PLd31) remarkably cleared the growth of B. dendrobatidis zoospore in 1% tryptone agar. Therefore, frog cutaneous bacteria inhibited B. dendrobatidis in vitro and could possibly contribute to the immunity and defense of frogs against the lethal chytridiomycosis.

Keywords: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, cutaneous bacteria, frogs, zoospore inhibition assay

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Authors: Stephane Laussac, Jacques Piazzola, Gilles Tedeschi

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Estimation of the impact of atmospheric aerosols on the climate evolution is an important scientific challenge. One of a major source of particles is constituted by the oceans through the generation of sea-spray aerosols. In coastal areas, marine aerosols can affect air quality through their ability to interact chemically and physically with other aerosol species and gases. The integration of accurate sea-spray emission terms in modeling studies is then required. However, it was found that sea-spray concentrations are not represented with the necessary accuracy in some situations, more particularly at short fetch. In this study, the WRF-Chem model was implemented on a North-Western Mediterranean coastal region. WRF-Chem is the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model online-coupled with chemistry for investigation of regional-scale air quality which simulates the emission, transport, mixing, and chemical transformation of trace gases and aerosols simultaneously with the meteorology. One of the objectives was to test the ability of the WRF-Chem model to represent the fine details of the coastal geography to provide accurate predictions of sea spray evolution for different fetches and the anthropogenic aerosols. To assess the performance of the model, a comparison between the model predictions using a local emission inventory and the physicochemical analysis of aerosol concentrations measured for different wind direction on the island of Porquerolles located 10 km south of the French Riviera is proposed.

Keywords: sea-spray aerosols, coastal areas, sea-spray concentrations, short fetch, WRF-Chem model

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Authors: Lineda Rouissat-Dahane, Abdelkrim Cheriti, Abbderazak Marouf, Reddy Kandappa H., Govender Patrick

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Natural phytochemicals extracted from folk herbal have drawn much attention in complementary and alternative medicine, and the plant kingdom is considered for developing new molluscicide. The aqueous and acetone extract of the aerial parts of some Asteraceae (Anvillea radiata, Bubonium graveolens, Launaea arborescens, Launaea nudicaulis and Warionia saharae) were investigated for its molluscicidal activity against Lymnaea acuminata showed significant molluscicidal activity with a median lethal concentration (LC50) of aqueous extract (8,178mg/ml) and organic extract 0.002μg/mL, which was indicated higher potency than the positive control, (LC50=100mg /mL for aqueous extract ; LC50=11.6 μg/mL for organic extract). Among the extract and their fractions, those of aerial parts of Launaea nudicaulis and Warionia saharae were found to exhibit significant molluscicidal activities. Among different solvent fractions of the acetone extract of Warionia saharae, the dichloromethane (DCM) soluble fraction showed the most potent molluscicidal activity against Lymnaea acuminata. Plants in species Anvillea radiata, Bubonium graveolens, Launaea arborescens, Launaea nudicaulis, and Warionia saharae produce a great variety of Flavonoids, Glucoside flavonoids, and Saponins that confer natural resistance against several pests. Most extracts were found to exhibit significant molluscicidal activity.

Keywords: acetone extract, aqueous extract, Asteraceae, molluscicidal activity, Lymnaea acuminata

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Authors: V.Barbakadze, L.Gogilashvili, L.Amiranashvili, M.Merlani, K.Mulkijanyan

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The high-molecular fractions from the several species of two genera (Symphytum and Anchusa) of Boraginaceae family Symphytum asperum, S. caucasicum, S. officinale, and Anchusa italica were isolated. According to IR, 13C and 1H NMR, 2D heteronuclear 1H/13C HSQC spectral data and 1D NOE experiment, the main structural element of these preparations was found to be a regularly substituted polyoxyethylene, namely poly[3-(3,4-dihydroxyenyl)glyceric acid] (PDPGA) or poly[oxy-1-carboxy-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethylene]. Such caffeic acid-derived biopolymer to our knowledge has not been known and has been identified for the first time. This compound represents a new class of natural polyethers with a residue of 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid as the repeating unit. Most of the carboxylic groups of PDPGA from A. italica unlike the polymer of S. asperum, S. caucasicum, and S. officinale are methylated. The 2D DOSY experiment gave the similar diffusion coefficient for the methylated and non-methylated signals of A. italica PDPGA. Both sets of signals fell in the same horizontal. This would imply a similar molecular weight for methylated and non-methylated polymers. This was further evidenced by graphic representations of the intensity decay of the 1H signals of aromatic H-2″ and H-1 at δ 7.16 and 5.24 and that of the methoxy group at δ 3.85. These three signals essentially showed the same curve shape. According to results of in vitro and in vivo experiments PDPGA of S.asperum and S.caucasicum could be considered as potential anti-inflammatory, wound healing and anti-cancer therapeutic agent.

Keywords: caffeic acid-derived polyether, poly[3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid], poly[oxy-1-carboxy-2-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethylene], symphytum, anchusa

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Authors: Abu Salim Mustafa

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Water plays a major role in maintaining life on earth, but it can also serve as a matrix for pathogenic organisms, posing substantial health threats to humans. Although, outbreaks of diseases attributable to drinking water may not be common in industrialized countries, they still occur and can lead to serious acute, chronic, or sometimes fatal health consequences. The analysis of drinking water samples from different regions of Kuwait was performed in this study for bacterial and viral contaminations. Drinking tap water samples were collected from 15 different locations of the six Kuwait governorates. All samples were analyzed by confocal microscopy for the presence of bacteria. The samples were cultured in vitro to detect cultivable organisms. DNA was isolated from the cultured organisms and the identity of the bacteria was determined by sequencing the bacterial 16S rRNA genes, followed by BLAST analysis in the database of NCBI, USA. RNA was extracted from water samples and analyzed by real-time PCR for the detection of viruses with potential health risks, i.e. Astrovirus, Enterovirus, Norovirus, Rotavirus, and Hepatitis A. Confocal microscopy showed the presence of bacteria in some water samples. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of culture grown organisms, followed by BLAST analysis, identified the presence of several non-pathogenic bacterial species. However, one sample had Acinetobacter baumannii, which often causes opportunistic infections in immunocompromised people, but none of the studied viruses could be detected in the drinking water samples analyzed. The results indicate that drinking water samples analyzed from various locations in Kuwait are relatively safe for drinking and do not contain many harmful pathogens.

Keywords: drinking water, microbial contaminant, 16S rDNA, Kuwait

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Authors: M. A. Motin, M. A. Aziz, M. Hafiz Mia, M. A. Hasem

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The redox behavior of catechol in the presence of nicotinamide as nucleophiles has been studied in aqueous solution with various pH values and different concentration of nicotinamide using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry of catechol in buffer solution (3.00 < pH < 9.00) shows one anodic and corresponding cathodic peak which relates to the transformation of catechol to corresponding o-benzoquinone and vice versa within a quasi reversible two electron transfer process. Cyclic voltammogram of catechol in the presence of nicotinamide in buffer solution of pH 7, show one anodic peak in the first cycle of potential and on the reverse scan the corresponding cathodic peak slowly decreases and new peak is observed at less positive potential. In the second cycle of potential a new anodic peak is observed at less positive potential. This indicates that nicotinamide attached with catechol and formed adduct after first cycle of oxidation. The effect of pH of catechol in presence of nicotinamide was studied by varying pH from 3 to 11. The substitution reaction of catechol with nicotimamide is facilitated at pH 7. In buffer solution of higher pH (>9), the CV shows different pattern. The effect of concentration of nicotinamide was studied by 2mM to 100 mM. The maximum substitution reaction has been found for 50 mM of nicotinamide and of pH 7. The proportionality of the first scan anodic and cathodic peak currents with square root of scan rate suggests that the peak current of the species at each redox reaction is controlled by diffusion process. The current functions (1/v-1/2) of the anodic peak decreased with the increasing of scan rate demonstrated that the behavior of the substitution reaction is of ECE type.

Keywords: redox interaction, catechol, nicotinamide, substituion reaction, pH effect

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Authors: Ryan Chalk, G. M. Shafiullah

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Climate change is a pertinent issue facing governments and societies around the world. The industrial revolution has resulted in a steady increase in the average global temperature. The mining and energy production industries have been significant contributors to this change prompting government to intervene by promoting low emission technology within these sectors. This paper initially reviews the energy problem in Australia and the mining sector with a focus on the energy requirements and production methods utilised in Western Australia (WA). Renewable energy in the form of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) provides a solution to these problems by providing emission-free energy which can be used to supplement the existing natural gas turbines in operation at the proposed site. This research presents a custom renewable solution for the mining site considering the specific township network, local weather conditions, and seasonal load profiles. A summary of the required PV output is presented to supply slightly over 50% of the towns power requirements during the peak (summer) period, resulting in close to full coverage in the trench (winter) period. Dig Silent Power Factory Software has been used to simulate the characteristics of the existing infrastructure and produces results of integrating PV. Large scale PV penetration in the network introduce technical challenges, that includes; voltage deviation, increased harmonic distortion, increased available fault current and power factor. Results also show that cloud cover has a dramatic and unpredictable effect on the output of a PV system. The preliminary analyses conclude that mitigation strategies are needed to overcome voltage deviations, unacceptable levels of harmonics, excessive fault current and low power factor. Mitigation strategies are proposed to control these issues predominantly through the use of high quality, made for purpose inverters. Results show that use of inverters with harmonic filtering reduces the level of harmonic injections to an acceptable level according to Australian standards. Furthermore, the configuration of inverters to supply active and reactive power assist in mitigating low power factor problems. Use of FACTS devices; SVC and STATCOM also reduces the harmonics and improve the power factor of the network, and finally, energy storage helps to smooth the power supply.

Keywords: climate change, mitigation strategies, photovoltaic (PV), power quality

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Authors: Masoumeh Tabatabaee, Zahra Shahryarzadeh, Masoud R. Shishebor

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Advanced oxidation process (AOPs) is alternative method for the complete degradation many organic pollutants. When a photocatalyst absorbs radiation whose energy hν > Eg an ē from its filled valance band (VB) is promoted to its conduction band (CB) and valance band holes h+ are formed. Electron would reduce any available species, including O2, water and hydroxide ion to form hydroxyl radicals. ZnO and TiO2 are important photocatalysts with high catalytic activity that have attracted much research attention. TiO2 can only absorb a small portion of solar spectrum in the UV region and many methods such as dye sensitization, doping of other metals and using TiO2 with another semiconductor have been used to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 under solar irradiation. Studies have shown that the use of metal oxides or sulfide such as WO3, MoO3, SiO2, MgO, ZnO, and CdS with TiO2 can significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Due to similarity of photodegradation mechanism of ZnO with TiO2, it is a suitable semiconductor using with TiO2 and recently nanosized bicomponent TiO2-ZnO photocatalysts were prepared and used for degradation of some pollutants. In this study, Nano-sized ZnO/TiO2 composite was synthesized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterize the structure and morphology of it. The effect of photocatalytic activity of prepared ZnO/TiO2 on the degradation of cyanide ion under UV was investigated. The effect of various parameters such as ZnO/TiO2 concentration, amount of photocatalyst, amount of H2O2, initial dye or cyanide ion concentration, pH and irradiation time on were investigated. Results show that more than 95% of 4 mgL-1 cyanide ion degraded after 60-min reaction time and under UV irradiation.

Keywords: photodegradation, ZnO/TiO2, nanoparticle, cyanide ion

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Authors: Abid Hussain, Muhammad Rizwan-ul-Haq, Hassan Al-Ayedh, Ahmed M. Al-Jabr

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Oligonychus afrasiaticus, is an important pest that devastates date palms (Phoenix dactylifera). They caused serious damage to date palm fruits. They start feeding on dates at Kimri stage (greenish color dates with high sugar and moisture level) resulting severe fruit losses and rendering them unfit for human consumption. Currently, acaricides are the only tool available to Saudi growers to prevent O. afrasiaticus damage. Many acaricides are available in the Saudi markets in order to control the mites on date palm trees but their efficacy against O. afrasiaticus is questionable. The intensive use of acaricides has led to resistance in many mite species around the globe and their control becomes exceedingly challenging. The current investigation explored for the first time the acaricidal potential of Elettaria cardamomum essential oil for the environmentally safe management of date mites in the laboratory. E. cardamomum exhibited acaricidal activities in a dose dependent manner. GC-MS fractionation of E. cardamomum detected numerous compounds. Among the identified compounds, Guaniol caused 100% mortality compared to other identified compounds including (+)-α-Pinene, Camphene, (-)-B-Pinene, 3-Carene, (R)-(+)-Limonene, and Citral. Our laboratory results showed that E. cardamomum and its constituents especially Guaniol are promising for the eco-friendly management of date mites, O. afrasiaticus, although their field efficacy remains to be evaluated.

Keywords: cardamom, old world date mite, natural acaricide, toxicity

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Authors: Ching-Yi Yiu, Hui-Chen Hsu

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Objectives: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a big global health problem in the world. Despite the development of diagnosis and treatment, the overall survival of HNC is still low. The well recognition of the interaction of the host immune system and cancer cells has led to realizing the processes of tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. Many systemic inflammatory responses have been shown to play a crucial role in cancer progression. The pre and post-treatment nutritional and immunological status of HNC patients is a reliable prognostic indicator of tumor outcomes and survivors. Methods: Between July 2020 to June 2022, We have enrolled 60 HNC patients, including 59 males and 1 female, in Chi Mei Medical Center, Liouying, Taiwan. The age distribution was from 37 to 81 years old (y/o), with a mean age of 57.6 y/o. We evaluated the pre-and post-treatment nutritional and immunological status of these HNC patients with body weight, body weight loss, body mass index (BMI), whole blood count including hemoglobin (Hb), lymphocyte, neutrophil and platelet counts, biochemistry including prealbumin, albumin, c-reactive protein (CRP), with the time period of before treatment, post-treatment 3 and 6 months. We calculated the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) to assess how these biomarkers influence the outcomes of HNC patients. Results: We have carcinoma of the hypopharynx in 21 cases with 35％, carcinoma of the larynx in 9 cases, carcinoma of the tonsil and tongue every 6 cases, carcinoma soft palate and tongue base every 5 cases, carcinoma of buccal mucosa, retromolar trigone and mouth floor every 2 cases, carcinoma of the hard palate and low lip each 1 case. There were stage I 15 cases, stage II 13 cases, stage III 6 cases, stage IVA 10 cases, and stage IVB 16 cases. All patients have received surgery, chemoradiation therapy or combined therapy. We have wound infection in 6 cases, 2 cases of pharyngocutaneous fistula, flap necrosis in 2 cases, and mortality in 6 cases. In the wound infection group, the average BMI is 20.4 kg/m2; the average Hb is 12.9 g/dL, the average albumin is 3.5 g/dL, the average NLR is 6.78, and the average PLR is 243.5. In the PC fistula and flap necrosis group, the average BMI is 21.65 kg/m2; the average Hb is 11.7 g/dL, the average albumin is 3.15 g/dL, average NLR is 13.28, average PLR is 418.84. In the mortality group, the average BMI is 22.3 kg/m2; the average Hb is 13.58 g/dL, the average albumin is 3.77 g/dL, the average NLR is 6.06, and the average PLR is 275.5. Conclusion: HNC is a big challenging public health problem worldwide, especially in the high prevalence of betel nut consumption area Taiwan. Besides the definite risk factors of smoking, drinking and betel nut related, the other biomarkers may play significant prognosticators in the HNC outcomes. We concluded that the average BMI is less than 22 kg/m2, the average Hb is low than 12.0 g/dL, the average albumin is low than 3.3 g/dL, the average NLR is low than 3, and the average PLR is more than 170, the surgical complications and mortality will be increased, and the prognosis is poor in HNC patients.

Keywords: nutritional, immunological, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, paltelet-to-lymphocyte ratio.

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Authors: Thi Thao Ninh, Yuri Trusov, José Ramón Botella

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Heterotrimeric G proteins, comprised of three subunits, α, β and γ, are involved in signal transduction pathways that mediate a vast number of processes across the eukaryotic kingdom. 23 Gα subunits are present in humans whereas most plant genomes encode for only one canonical Gα. The disparity observed between Arabidopsis, rice, and maize Gα-deficient mutant phenotypes suggest that Gα functions have diversified between eudicots and monocots during evolution. Alternatively, since the only Gα mutations available in dicots have been produced in Arabidopsis, the possibility exists that this species might be an exception to the rule. In order to test this hypothesis, we studied the G protein α subunit (TGA1) in tomato. Four tga1 knockout lines were generated in tomato cultivar Moneymaker using CRISPR/Cas9. The tga1 mutants exhibit a number of auxin-related phenotypes including changes in leaf shape, reduced plant height, fruit size and number of seeds per fruit. In addition, tga1 mutants have increased sensitivity to abscisic acid during seed germination, reduced sensitivity to exogenous auxin during adventitious root formation from cotyledons and excised hypocotyl explants. Our results suggest that Gα mutant phenotypes in tomato are very similar to those observed in monocots, i.e. rice and maize, and cast doubts about the validity of using Arabidopsis as a model system for plant G protein studies.

Keywords: auxin-related phenotypes, CRISPR/Cas9, G protein α subunit, heterotrimeric G proteins, tomato

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Authors: Özgür Emi̇nağaoğlu, Hayal Akyildirim Beğen, Şevval Sali̇oğlu

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In this study, the plant used for purification and aromatic purposes by the public in Adagül, Akpınar, Alaca, Ambarlı, Arkaköy, Avcılar, Balcı, Civan, Demirciler, Düzköy, İbrikli, Kale, Kaynarca and Taraklı villages in Borcka (Artvin) district between 2020-2022. The purpose of the study, determining the surgical common and local names, regions, botanical features, used parts of plants, purpose of use, local usage intensive, and giving literature data. The research area is located on the A8 square according to Davis's grid system; its phytogeographic extensions are in the Holarctic regions, and the Euro-Siberian flora settlement is in the Colchic subsection of the Euxine region. In the research area, 71 personal questionnaires were applied. As a result of the surveys, it was determined that 93 plant species belonging to 44 families were used by the local people for purification and aromatic purposes. The families that contain the most taxa in the research area are, respectively, Rosaceae (15 taxa), Astericaeae (9 taxa), Lamiaceae (7 taxa), Crassulaceae (4 taxa). As a result of the survey studies, Plantago major L. is known by almost all participants. The most used plants were Allium scorodoprasum, Helichrysum arenarium, Alnus glutinosa subsp. barbata, Juglans regia, Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica, Picea orientalis, Urtica dioica. These plants are used in the treatment of many diseases. Some of these plants that grow in Borçka are used in different countries for the treatment of the same diseases.

Keywords: artvin, borçka, medicinal, aromatic, plant

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Authors: Tiah Rachmatiah, Subaryanti

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Plants of Lauraceae family are known to contain many chemical compounds which have potential bioactivity such as alkaloids, flavonoids, lactones, terpenes, etc. Actinodaphne macrophylla and Nectandra angustifolia are two species from Lauraceae. A previous study on the crude alkaloidal extract from the bark of Act. macrophylla and n-hexane extract from the bark of N. angustifolia showed antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum. The study was continued to find antiplasmodial active compounds from the two extracts. The materials were obtained from Bogor Botanical Garden, West Java, Indonesia. Crude alkaloidal extract of Act. macrophylla was prepared by maceration in dichloromethane after moistened with NH4OH 25% and n-hexane extract of N. angustifolia was prepared by maceration in n-hexane. A major compound was isolated by column chromatography using silica gel and a mixture of CH2Cl2 and methanol as a gradient solvent system for the alkaloidal extract and mixture of n-hexane and ethyl acetate for n-hexane extract. Fine white needle crystals were obtained from the alkaloidal extract and rod crystals from n-hexane extract. Molecular structure of the compounds was determined by analysis of spectra of NMR, IR, MS and compared by references. In vitro bioactivity test of the compound was performed against Plasmodium falciparum. The results showed that the bark of Act. macrophylla contained an aporphine alkaloid, actinodaphnine, that had activity against P. falciparum with IC50 value of 0.095 µg/mL and the bark of N. angustifolia contained a lignan compound, sesamine, with IC50 of 0.122 µg/mL.

Keywords: actinodaphne macrophylla, alkaloid, antiplasmodial, lauraceae, lignan, nectandra angustifolia

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Authors: Lakshmi, Yakshita Awasthi, Deepika, Lovleen Jha, Archna Kumar

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From the back of centuries, plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) have been recognized as a major threat to agriculturalists globally. It causes 21.3% global food loss annually. The utilization of harmful chemical pesticides to minimize the nematode population may cause acute and delayed health hazards and harmful impacts on human health. In recent years, a variety of plants have been evaluated for their nematicidal properties and efficacy in the management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Several Phyto-nematicides are available, but most of them are incapable of sustainable management of PPN, especially Meloidogyne spp. Thus, there is a great need for a new eco-friendly, highly efficient, sustainable control measure for this nematode species. Keeping all these facts and after reviewing the literature, aqueous extract of Cymbopogon citratus, Tagetes erecta, and Azadirachta indica were prepared by adding distilled water (1 g sample mixed with 10ml of water). In vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacious nature of targeted botanicals against PPN Meloidogyne spp. The mortality status of PPN was recorded by counting the live and dead individuals after applying 100μl of selected extract. The impact was observed at different time durations, i.e., 24h and 48h. The result showed that the highest 100% mortality was at 48h in all three extracts. Thus, these extracts, with the addition of a suitable shelf-life enhancer, may be exploited in different nematode control programs as an economical, sustainable measure.

Keywords: Meloidogyne, Cymbopogon citratus, Tagetes erecta, Azadirachta indica, nematicidal

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Authors: Begüm Terzi, Özlem Ateş Sönmezoğlu, Ahmet Yildirim

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Drought is the most important factor that limiting the production and productivity of wheat in the world. The yield of wheat, which is one of the most important crop in the world, reduced depend on drought. Researches to minimize effects of drought are one of the most important about breeding of drought resistant varieties. In recent years, benefiting from the drought resistance wild species and rapid advances in molecular biology studies, researches about drought have been accelerated and number of studies were made on molecular plant breeding which included the molecular mechanisms related to drought resistance. The aim of the present study was characterization of some bread wheat lines for drought tolerance which commonly cultivated in different location of Turkey. In this study, registered 9 bread wheat varieties which on the physiological tests about drought tolerance and 10 bread wheat line has been developed by Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute were used. SSR, STS, RAPD and SNP markers that associated with drought tolerance were used. The polymorphisms of the markers were determined by screening of two control varieties. For these purpose 40 molecular markers were used and 12 markers of them were polymorphic among the drought tolerance and the drought sensitive varieties. Control varieties were screened using polymorphic markers. All the DNAs on the genotypes will be searched for the presence of QTLs mapped to different chromosomes. Result of the research, the studied genotypes will be grouped according to drought tolerance and will be detected drought tolerance varieties by molecular markers. In addition, the results will be compared also with physiological tests. The drought tolerant wheat genotypes may be used in breeding studies related to drought stress.

Keywords: bread wheat, drought, molecular marker, Triticum aestivum

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Authors: Arash Dara, Mahsa Mokhtari, Nafiseh Zamindar

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The aim of this study was to determine the effect of thermal resistance, temperature, voltage, and pH changes in an ohmic heating system on reducing the logarithmic number of Byssochlamys fulva species (PTCC 5062) in tomato juice water and to investigate the quantitative properties of tomato juice in the ohmic heating pasteurization system. The percentage of thermal degradation by ohmic heating was determined in tomato juice for the kinetics of Byssochlamys fulva in ohmic chamber at the temperatures of 88, 93, and 98°C, with two voltages of 30 and 40 volts and two pH levels of 3.5 and 4.5; this was done using Weibull frequency distribution model. Three different parameters (pH = 3.5, two voltages of 30 and 40, at three temperatures 88, 93, and 98) and (pH = 4.5, two voltages 30 and 40, at three temperatures 88, 93, and 98) in three replications were considered in the ohmic system. Heating time for the temperature of 88°C was 20 minutes once every 2 minutes, while for the temperature of 93°C, it was 10 minutes once every 1 minute. At the temperature of 98°C, the first time was 0.5 minutes, and for other times, sampling was done every 1 minute. In each condition, the qualitative characteristics, including acidity, Brix, and pH, were measured before and after the ohmic process in the tomato juice. This study demonstrates that the differences in pH and voltage due to different temperatures in the ohmic process can greatly affect the inactivation of Byssochlamys fulva fungus and the qualitative characteristics of the tomato juice. This is the first study using the Weibull frequency method to model the inactivation of Byssochlamys fulva in tomato juice. Variation in parameters such as temperature, voltage, and pH can prevent the presence of Byssochlamys fulva in the pasteurized juices.

Keywords: pasteurization, ohmic heating process, Byssochlamys fulva, tomato juice, heat resistance, voltage, pH

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Authors: Enock E. Goler, Emmanuel H. Kwon-Ndung, Gbenga F. Akomolafe, Terna T. Paul, Markus Musa, Joshua I. Waya, James H. Okogbaa

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An ethno-medicinal survey of plants used in treating various diseases and ailments was carried out in the study area of Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria to obtain information on their uses and potentials. The ethno-medicinal survey was administered through structured questionnaires among local inhabitants from areas with high plant density and diversity within the various Local Government Areas of the State. A total of 84 (Eighty four) plant species belonging to 45 (Forty five) families were found to be useful in treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, measles, fever, asthma, jaundice, pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), aches, diarrhea, cough, arthritis, yellow fever, typhoid, erectile dysfunction and excessive bleeding. Different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and stems are used in preparing herbal remedies which could be from dry or freshly collected plants. The main methods of preparation are decoction or infusion, while in some cases the plant parts used are consumed directly. Residents in the study areas find the herbal remedy cheaper and more accessible and claimed that there are no side effects compared to orthodox medicine. This study has confirmed the need towards the conscious conservation of plant genetic resources in order to ensure sustained access to these ethno-medicinal plant materials.

Keywords: ethno-medicinal, Nasarawa, plants, survey

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