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The present study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Cleome arabica (CA) fruit extract against bisphenol A (BPA)-induced ovarian injury in female Wistar rats. The antioxidant activity was estimated by the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide radical (NBT) content. For the in vivo analyses, 24 animals were divided into the following 4 groups: the control group; the BPA group (50 mg/kg BW BPA for 30 days); the BPA  + CA group (50 mg/kg BW BPA and 50 mg/kg BW CA); and the CA group (50 mg/kg BW CA). The in vitro results demonstrated that CA exhibited strong antioxidant activity and scavenged O 2 •- radicals. . Pharmacokinetic properties were also explored, reflecting the physiological dynamics of the five active molecules (quercetin, catechin, kaempferol, rosmarinic acid, and naringenin). The in vivo findings revealed a significant increase in body weight associated with a significant increase in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α), and testosterone levels ( p  < 0.01). In addition, ovarian histological disruption was observed. However, co-administration of CA extract significantly improved ovarian histological integrity and attenuated inflammatory and androgenic disturbances. Moreover, in silico investigations showed that CA compounds interacted more strongly with the active sites of IL-1β, IL-6, or TNF-α. The best binding energy was observed between catechin (five H-bonds) and IL-1β and IL-6, at -6.0 and -6.1 kcal/mol, respectively, and between rosmarinic acid (four H-bonds) and TNF-α, at -6.4 kcal/mol. The present study supports the use of Cleome arabica in the treatment of infertility for female polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest.Informed consentWe, the undersigned, declare that this manuscript is original, has not been published before and is not currently being considered for publication, elsewhere. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors (Table signatures below), and they, also, declared no conflict of interest. This study was approved by the local Ethical Committee for Animal Experimental Use at the Faculty of Science of Sfax/ Gafsa, Tunisia, and all animals were treated in accordance with its guidelines., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

This paper examined the impact of climate change on economic growth using panel data from 20 European countries during the period 1990-2020 and the estimation techniques of cointegration and the ARDL model. The empirical results reveal that precipitation; labour force and CO 2 emissions have a positive effect on long-term economic growth in sample countries. However, temperature, foreign direct investment, and urbanization have a negative effect on growth over the same period. Therefore, our study highlights the complex links between climate, demographic, and economic developments in European countries over the past three decades. Urbanizations, as a driver of urban development, and FDI, indicators of economic attractiveness, influence not only economic dynamics but also environmental impacts, exacerbating the challenges of CO₂ emissions and climate change., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: Not applicable approval and consent to participate. Consent to participate: The authors agree. Consent for publication: All authors have read and approved the manuscript to publish with this journal. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

To evaluate the effects of salinity on the fate of pesticides in a Mediterranean irrigated system, experiments were carried out under laboratory conditions to determine the adsorption, desorption, and mineralization of chlorpyrifos (CPF) and metalaxyl-M (MET) in a soil sample from an irrigated field in northern Tunisia. Adsorption/desorption isotherms and mineralization kinetics data were obtained over a realistic range of salinities via batch equilibrium and incubation techniques. On the basis of the experimental results, MET has a lower sorption capacity than CPF does, and the adsorption data for both compounds were better fitted by the Freundlich equation, with K f values of 0.477, 0.486, 0.426, 0.444 and 0.474 L kg -1 for MET and 38.994, 39.084, 40.644, 44.055 and 45.185 L kg -1 for CPF at salinities of 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 g L -1 , respectively. According to the mineralization experiments, increasing salinity increased the half-lives of both pesticides. For MET, the DT50 values in unsterilized soil were 206.68, 220.74, 222.16, and 238.73 days, and those in sterilized soil were 2772.58, 4077.33, 6301.33, and 8664.33 days at salinities of 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 g L⁻ 1 , respectively. For CPF, the DT50 values were 115.52, 138.62, 157.53, and 177.73 days in unsterilized soil and 346.57, 533.19, 693.14, and 990.21 days in sterilized soil. In terms of leaching behavior, the calculated groundwater ubiquity score (GUS) values for the MET and CPF indicate that the MET is classified as a leacher and that the CPF is classified as a nonleacher., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: There are no ethical issues involved in this study. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent to publish: Not applicable. Competing interests: There are no ethical issues involved in this study., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

New anodes consisting of zirconium-doped PbO 2 coating, growth on titanium dioxide interlayer, were deposited on titanium substrates using spin coating method and have been tested for the removal of ampicillin, a β-lactam antibiotic, from water. Morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties of the prepared coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical impendence spectroscopy (EIS). Results showed that the incorporation of zirconium dopant had a noticeable modification in the morphology of anodes. An increase in the surface roughness and the specific active area were observed with Ti/TiO 2 /PbO 2 - 10% Zr electrode compared to other anodes. The electrochemical measurements indicated that the anode doped with 10% Zr showed a more protective coating performance than the undoped and 20% Zr-doped PbO 2 electrodes. The experiments on ampicillin degradation revealed that doped lead dioxide anodes have excellent electrocatalytic activity. The major byproduct generated during anodic oxidation treatment has been identified as ampicilloic acid by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) analysis. Results demonstrated that Ti/TiO 2 /PbO 2 - 10% Zr anode presents the best removal rate of ampicillin with a minimum intermediate amount, which leads to conclude that 10% is the optimum percentage of zirconium dopant for antibiotic wastewater treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Salt-induced stress poses a significant barrier to agricultural productivity by impeding crop growth. Presently, environmentalists are dedicated to safeguarding food security by enhancing agricultural yields in challenging environments. Biostimulants play a crucial role in mitigating abiotic stresses in crop production, and among these, plant essential oils (EOs) stand out as organic substances with diverse biological effects on living organisms. Among the natural promoters of plant growth, Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil (RoEO) has gained considerable attention. Although the manifold effects of essential oils (EOs) on plant growth have been extensively demonstrated, their impact on salt stress tolerance in durum wheat seedlings remains unexplored. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the biostimulatory capabilities of RoEO on the durum wheat cultivar "Mahmoudi." The effects of three RoEO concentrations (1, 2.5, and 5 ppm) on seed germination, growth establishment, and the induction of salt resistance under salinity conditions (150 mM NaCl) were tested. At 5 ppm, RoEO enhanced seedlings' tolerance to salinity by improving growth and reducing membrane deterioration and oxidative stress-induced damage. The expression profile analyses of seven stress-related genes (TdNHX1, TdSOS1, TdSOD, TdCAT, TdGA20-ox1, TdNRT2.1, and TdGS) using RT-qPCR showed enhancement of several important genes in durum wheat seedlings treated with 5 ppm RoEO, even under control conditions, which may be related to salt stress tolerance. The results indicate that the application of RoEO suggests a possible alternative strategy to increase salt tolerance in durum wheat seedlings towards better growth quality, thus increasing ROS scavenging and activation of antioxidant defense., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Agricultural soil contaminated by phosphogypsum pile stocked in plan air remains a major problem in M'Dhilla city southwestern of Tunisia. The present effort aimed to enhance the knowledge of trace elements and radioactivity abundance and to assess the corresponding environment. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was used to evaluate the trace elements, radioactive elements, and major element concentrations. Our finding revealed that the mean values of U and Th in all the soil profiles ranged from 0.283 to 2.875 mg.kg -1 and from 0.797 to 1.491 mg.kg -1 respectively. The statistical analyses indicated that uranium abundance has non-significant correlation with the most of trace metals; it shows a moderate correlated with Sr and inverse correlation with P 2 O 5 . Contamination factors indicate that the studied soil ranged from uncontaminated to significantly contaminated. Thus, the pollution load index values classify the sites from background values to high pollution sites. The findings of this study will help improve the environmental conditions of M'Dhilla city by addressing contamination issues through targeted interventions. The study's findings highlight the importance of a periodic environmental monitoring such as soil remediation in the study area. This research fills a critical gap in the current understanding of contamination management in this region., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Plastic pollution and microplastic (MP) debris are some of the most significant solid waste pollutants, threatening the marine environment and causing sediment accumulation. Coastal seagrass areas are usually important habitats that support multiple living species and provide several ecosystem services. This study aimed to determine the abundance, characteristics, and composition of microplastics on the southern side of the Tunisian Mediterranean Sea by using Posidonia oceanica (P. oceanica) as a crucial trap for microplastics. Samples of Posidonia leaves were collected from the Tunisian coastal area of Gabes-City. The characterization of microplastic detritus was carried out by stereomicroscopy, and acid digestion of Posidonia tissue leaves was performed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of MPs using NMR spectroscopy. The study revealed pellets, threads, and fragments of polymers as the frequent forms found in MPs. Polyethylene, polystyrene, and bis(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalates were the most abundant materials detected. P. oceanica leaves contributed notably to microplastic subsidence, seafloor horizontal migration, and sediment burial. Thus, marine flora appeared to be a good tool to detect and monitor plasticizers, and further studies of the P. oceanica seagrass areas will help in developing a more comprehensive knowledge of chemicals spreading over a geographical zone. The results obtained will be used for developing baseline data on plasticizer contamination on the wide-ranging marine coast., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters, including heritability and repeatability, for milk yield and prolificacy in sheep. It included 3682 records from 1837 ewes across various breeds: Awassi, Assaf, and Awassi x Assaf crosses, two Awassi lines: Improved Awassi, AFEC Awassi. The study measured total milk yield (TMY), yield up to 120 days (TMY120), and yield up to 150 days (TMY150), alongside reproductive traits: litter size (LS), number of lambs born alive (NLBA), and lambing interval (LI). The analysis utilized a mixed model and the REML procedure to estimate genetic parameters. Results indicated that litter size (LS) had no significant impact on milk traits, whereas breed, location, ewe parity, and lambing season showed significant effects. Lactation length also significantly influenced TMY. For reproductive traits, treatment was significant for NLBA, with location associated with breed, parity, and season affecting all traits. Heritability estimates for TMY ranged from 0.00 in Awassi x Assaf crosses to 0.11 in Awassi, and for TMY120 and TMY150, from 0.00 in Awassi x Assaf crosses to 0.16 in Awassi. Estimates for LS and NLBA varied similarly. The heritability for LI was 0.03 in Awassi and zero in other breeds and crosses. The findings suggest that in the northern West Bank regions of Nablus and Jenin, Assaf or Awassi x Assaf breeds are preferable. The study underscores the importance of comprehensive performance and pedigree recording for effective sheep farm management., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Chemical and isotopic indicators were used to recognize the origin of hydrothermal groundwater, to assess the mineralization processes and groundwater quality, to identify the source of solutes and the likely mixing with cold, and elucidate the fluid geothermometry in the Jérid field of Southern Tunisia. The results show that the geothermal groundwater is neutral to slightly alkaline. They are characterized by SO 4 -Cl-Na-Ca water type. The dissolution of evaporates and pyrite-bearing rocks is the dominant mineralization process. The groundwater quality index indicates that the majority of samples are very hard and belong to poor to unsuitable for drinking classes. Applications and calculations of hydrogeochemical parameters, including SAR, %Na, PI, Kr, and MAR, showed that the majority of samples are unsuitable for agricultural practices. The human health risk was assessed based on hazard quotient and total hazard index through ingestion and dermal contact with iron-rich groundwater. The consumption of CI groundwaters does not present non-carcinogenic risk to adults and children. The δ 18 O and δ 2 H signatures indicate that the geothermal groundwater was recharged by ocean precipitation during cold and wet paleoclimatic periods. The slight enrichment of oxygen-18 and deuterium contents suggests a limited mixing effect between geothermal water and cold groundwater within the same aquifer. This mixing effect is confirmed by the Na-K-Mg and the chloride-enthalpy diagrams. The K-Mg and SiO 2 geothermometers provided fairly reliable reservoir temperature values, ranging between 69.6 and 99 °C. Calculated geothermal potential values, varying between 469 and 16987 kWth, which allow several applications such as domestic and agricultural heating., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Chitinases are enzymes that can break down chitin, a major component of the exoskeleton of insects and fungi. This feature makes them potential biopesticides in agriculture since they are considered a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. In this work, we performed a comparative study between two different bacterial expression strains to produce a recombinant chitinase with improved stability. Escherichia coli strains Origami B and BL21 (DE3) were selected for their distinct cytosolic environment to express BhChitA chitinase of Bacillus halodurans C-125 and to investigate the role of disulfide bond formation and proper folding on its stability and activity. Expression of the recombinant BhChitA in bacterial strain containing oxidative cytosol (Origami B) improved its activity and stability. Although both expression systems have comparable biochemical properties (temperature range 20-80 °C and pH spectrum 3-10), BhChitA expressed in Origami strain seems more stable than expressed in BL21. Furthermore, the optimal expression conditions of the recombinant BhChitA has been carried out at 30 °C during 6 h for the Origami strain, against 20 °C during 2 h for BL21. On the other hand, no significant differences were detected between the two enzymes when the effect of metal ions was tested. These findings correlate with the analysis of the overall structure of BhChitA. The model structure permitted to localize disulfide bond, which form a stable connection between the substrate-binding residues and the hydrophobic core. This link is required for efficient binding of the chitin insertion domain to the substrate. BhChitA exhibited in vitro antifungal effect against phytopathogenic fungi and suppressed necrosis of Botrytis cinerea on detached tomato leaves. In vitro assays showed the influence of BhChitA on growth suppression of Botrytis cinerea (53%) Aspergillus niger (65%), Fusarium graminearum (25%), and Fusarium oxysporum (34%). Our results highlight the importance of the bacterial expression system with oxidative cytosol in producing promising biopesticides that can be applied for post-harvest processing and crop protection., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

This work presents a new process, based on the green nanoparticles Fe 3 O 4 and magnetization coupling for the treatment of saline well water. In this context, iron nanoparticles were synthesized using Eucalyptus globulus leaves. The nanomaterials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and infrared for identification. Batch experiments were conducted to illustrate the optimal parameters related to contact times and the mass of nanoparticles. The latter marked an optimal contact time of 100 min and a mass of 56 mg/L accompanied by a magnetic treatment for a contact time of 48 min. The results showed a significant (R 2  = 0.93) water salinity reduction (67%) and a potential for improvement in the germination of tomato seeds (81%) through the investigation of the evolution of the length of the roots, the stems, and the number of germinated seeds., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

This study aims to describe socio-economic aspects, farming practices and production limitations of goats by surveying 53 farms holding 5507 head in the regions of Tataouine-Tunisia. It was revealed that goats represented a major source of income for most of the producers (66.1%). Approximately 35.8% of the farmers had not received formal education, with the majority (56.6%) having been engaged in goat breeding for over 10 years. Additionally, 50.9% of stockholders relied on technical knowledge for animal breeding. The investigated herds were mostly (97.4%) comprised of local goat breeds. The most common management system was semi-intensive (49.1%) based on grazing in communal rangelands and supplementation with agricultural by-products and concentrates. The fertility, fecundity and prolificacy rates were 91.3 ± 8.3, 109.8 ± 19.5 and 127.0 ± 15.4%, respectively. The main reasons for keeping goats were their major contribution to the income by the sale of male kids and the provision of milk for home consumption. Sale of male kids at an age of 7.7 months was practiced mostly via intermediaries (94.3%) and rarely directly to butchers and markets (5.7%). The total amount of milk produced on each farm was on average 15.1 l/day, and more than half of farmers (54.7%) consumed goat milk as part of their daily diet. The majority (71.7%) of respondents locally processed milk into Leben, Rayeb and cheese because the goat milk market faced constraints in the Tataouine regions, mainly in terms insufficient milk production and low consumer acceptability. Goats contribute to the income source in rural zones of southern Tunisia, where their breeding is mainly for the purpose of meat sale and the provision of milk for home consumption. The development of goat milk market can represent an added value to this sector., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This study investigated the impacts of a drying process under low temperature and reduced pressure (non-thermal drying) on the final dehydrated products characteristics. This process is based on the retention of water on molecular sieves with a good selectivity against these molecules. In this study, drying experiments of 7mm thick apple slices (AS) were performed and compared to apple slices pretreated by freezing. It was concluded that the dehydrated apple slices were depleted of the maximum amount of water after 12 hours of drying, with a final water content equal to 12 ± 1.75%, whereas after freezing pretreatment, a decrease in drying time to 7 hours was observed, as well as a decrease in water content to 10 ± 0.5%. This explains the effect of freezing pretreatment on accelerating water transfer. In addition, a convective drying was performed on the apple slices at 60°C, which allows comparison with the slices dried by our non-thermal drying process. In order to characterize the obtained fruits, characteristic analyses such as water activity (Aw), color, texture (hardness), and dimensions (diameter and thickness) were performed before and after each drying experiment. Thus, continuous measurements of temperature, humidity, and pressure, within the enclosure, were determined during the experiments using a wireless sensor system controlled by a programming Arduino. Finally, mathematical modeling by various models (Newton, Page, Midilli, etc.) was performed to determine the most suitable model describing the non-thermal and convective drying of apple slices., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Amidst global environmental reforms, the role of energy systems is under scrutiny to promote ecological welfare through low-carbon alternatives. Amongst the solutions, the role of renewable energy as a clean source has become popular to mitigate climate change. However, the impact of debt on renewable energy consumption remains limited in the economic literature. The debt initiatives provide funding for environmental initiatives primarily, while it is also credited as a barrier to limiting the growth of clean energy programs. Within such discussion, the current study extended the dialogue by examining how external debt impacts energy transition in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) economies in the presence of institutional quality, education expenditures, and banking development. Using the novel CS-ARDL, AMG, and CCEMG tests, the study results showed that external debt decreases renewable energy consumption, while institutional quality, educational expenditures, banking developments, and economic growth are essential elements of green energy developments. Based on these conclusions, this study provides novel policy guidelines to align BRICS energy and economic agendas., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Thirty-six microalgae belonging to five taxonomic groups (Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyceae, Diatomophyceae, Euglenophyceae, and Eustigmatophyceae) were identified from six freshwater ecosystems in Morocco, two treatment stations in Etueffont landfill in France and three hot spring waters in Tunisia. Investigations on species growth kinetics and growth rates showed that the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya gelatinosa exhibited both the highest biomass and growth rate with 4 g DW L -1 and 0.282 day -1 , respectively. A significant protein production (more than 40% DW) was observed across the studied species. Cyanobacteria and chlorophytes stood out for their increased protein production with a maximum (66.63 ± 3.84% DW) attained by the cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. Chlorophytes produced substantial amounts of carbohydrates (more than 20% DW). Euglenophytes including Phacus orbicularis and Euglena ehrenbergii along with the chlorophyte Graesiella sp. accumulated significant amounts of lipids (up to 31.12% DW)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study investigates the influence of economic policy uncertainty on climate change in selected African countries within asymmetric settings. Although previous research has examined the impact of various economic factors on climate change, the asymmetric effects of economic policy uncertainty have not been thoroughly explored, particularly in African countries. We analyze annual data spanning from 1980 to 2017 by utilizing three models: Panel Pooled Mean Group-Autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL-PMG), Panel Pooled Mean Group-non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL-PMG), and Dumitrescu-Hurlin asymmetric causality tests. According to the results of ARDL-PMG estimation, economic policy uncertainty has a detrimental impact on climate change in the long run. However, the NARDL-PMG estimation suggests that a positive shock in economic policy uncertainty negatively affects long-term climate change mitigation. However, a negative shock has a beneficial effect on climate change in the long term. In African nations, positive and negative changes in economic policy uncertainty failed to generate any significant climate change effects in the short run. The results also reveal that both positive and negative shocks in economic policy may cause climate change in a one-way direction. Based on the findings of our study, we recommend that African policymakers implement programs aimed at reducing economic policy uncertainties to help mitigate the effects of climate change., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This theoretical investigation delves into the analysis of Reactive red 2 (RR-2) adsorption isotherms on metal hydroxide employing a sophisticated double-layer model characterized by dual-energy levels within the realm of physical adsorption phenomena. An examination of five distinct statistical physics frameworks was undertaken to elucidate the modeling and interpretation of equilibrium data. Expression for the physico-chemical parameters involved in the adsorption phenomena was derived based on statistical physics treatment. Fitting experimental adsorption isotherms (308-333 K) to a DAMTBS has revealed the number of anchored molecules per site, occupied receptor site density, and the number of adsorbed layers. The steric parameter n varies between 0.92 and 1.05. More importantly, it is evidenced that the adhesion mechanism of (RR-2) onto metal hydroxide as determined by the estimated adsorption energies (< 40 kJ/mol) supports a spontaneous and exothermic physisorption process. Thermodynamic potential functions such as entropy, Gibbs free energy, and internal energy have been computed based on the most suitable model. This research advances our physical understanding of how metal hydroxide captures dye molecules RR-2 through adsorption reaction for water depollution treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Currently, clinical biomarkers are urgently needed to improve patient management to guide personal therapy for cancer. In this study, we investigate the deregulation of Zeb-1 in prostate cancer (PC) Tunisian patients. Expression patterns of the Zeb-1 were investigated in prostate adenocarcinoma and benign prostate biopsies using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and 2-ΔΔCt method. Statistical analysis was used to identify differences across groups depending on gene expression level. Furthermore, we exploited a follow-up over 15 years to correlate Zeb-1 deregulation and clinical outcomes in PC patients. Based on ROC curve analyses, the AUC was found in discriminating PC patients from controls (AUC = 0.757; p  < 0.001). In addition, the higher expression level was significantly associated with PSA, Digital Rectal Examination, Gleason score, tumor stage, and distant lymph node metastases. Moreover, Zeb-1 overexpression was correlated with shorter overall survival (OS) ( p  = 0.042), poor progression-free survival (PFS) ( p  = 0.007), and with resistance to taxanes ( p  = 0.012). Our data provide the aberrant expression of Zeb-1 in PC patients suggesting its potential diagnostic, prognostic, and theranostic role. Further functional studies are mandatory to strengthen these results and to uncover the molecular mechanism of this neoplasm., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-03941-8., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Given the adverse impacts of heavy metals on plant development and physiological processes, the present research investigated the protective role of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) against cadmium (Cd)-induced injury in chickpea seedlings. Therefore, seeds germinated for 6 days in a medium containing 200 μM Cd alone or combined with 10 μM GA3 or 10 μM IAA. Both GA3 and IAA mitigated Cd-imposed growth delays in roots and shoots (80% and 50% increase in root and shoot length, respectively). This beneficial effect was accompanied by a significant reduction in Cd 2+ accumulation in both roots (74% for IAA and 38% for GA3) and shoots (68% and 35%, respectively). Furthermore, these phytohormones restored the cellular redox state by reducing the activity of NADPH oxidase and downregulating the transcription level of RbohF and RbohD genes. Likewise, hydrogen peroxide contents were reduced by GA3 and IAA supply. Additionally, GA3 and IAA countered the Cd-induced reduction in total phenols, flavonoids, and reducing sugars in both roots and shoots. The exogenous effectors enhanced the activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and thioredoxin, as well as the corresponding gene expressions. Interestingly, adding GA3 and IAA to the Cd-contaminated germination media corrected the level of calcium (Ca 2+ ) ion within seedling tissues. This effect coincided with the upregulation of key genes associated with stress sensing and signal transduction, including auxin-binding protein (ABP19a), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK2), calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK1), and calmodulin (CaM). Overall, the current results suggest that GA3 and IAA sustain the Ca 2+ signaling pathway, resulting in metal phytotoxicity relief. Amendment of agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals with GA3 or IAA could represent an effective practice to improve crop yield., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The study investigates the seasonal variations of physiological responses, milk yield, milk composition, and milk fatty acid profile of local crossbred cows (Friesian × Brown Atlas) in northwestern Tunisia. A total of 80 multiparous cows from smallholder farmers were sampled between 2018 and 2019. The cows were feed the same diet ad libitum and exposed to the same Mediterranean climatic conditions. Weekly rectal temperature (RT; °C), respiratory rate (RR; rpm), and heart rate (HR; bpm) were measured per cow in each season. Individual milk yield and samples were recorded bi-weekly and collected in duplicate for chemical analyses. Milk fatty acids (FAs) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed an increase (P < 0.05) in RT (+ 1.3%), RR (+ 12.1%), and HR (+ 9.9%) when the temperature-humidity index (THI) increased from winter (53.6) to summer (74.4) in response to heat stress. Milk yield did not vary significantly between seasons (8.3 L/day on average). Summer milk contained more fat (+ 7.8%) and log SCC (+ 13.7%). The proportion of the monounsaturated (31.2 vs. 27.2%) and polyunsaturated (4.29 vs. 3.86%) FAs decreased (P < 0.05) between winter and summer. Saturated FAs (64.5 vs. 67.7%) were higher (P < 0.05) in summer than in winter. Winter milk fat contained higher levels of C18:2cis-9 trans-11 (CLA) (0.73 vs. 0.56%) and ω-3 FA (0.83 vs. 0.63%), but a lower ω-6/ω-3 ratio (4.07 vs. 6.17%) compared to summer. As the cows were fed the same diet throughout the two seasons, the performances obtained were mainly due to the resistance of the local crossbred cow to the hot conditions. It is concluded that the local crossbred cow maintains its productivity and tolerate the hot Mediterranean climate., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This research aimed to study the effect of extruded linseed level on digestibility, growth, carcass, and non-carcass components of two genotypes' lambs. For this, 36 lambs, with an average body weight (BW) of 21.3 ± 3.4 for Queue Fine de l'Ouest (QF) and 17.8 ± 2.9 kg for the cross QF × D'man (QF × D), were randomly divided into three groups of 12 lambs each (six per genotype) in a 12-week experiment. Sheep in each group received individually oat hay ad libitum and one of three concentrates containing 0% (control), 15% (L15), and 30% (L30) of extruded linseed on a dry matter basis. All concentrates were isocaloric and iso-nitrogenic. In the last 2 weeks, digestibility was measured, and then all lambs were slaughtered. The increasing level of extruded linseed did not affect hay and total dry matter (DM) intake as well as nutrient digestibility, except the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility which was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by the diet treatment (66.4, 57.8, and 53.0% for C, L15, and L30, respectively). In addition, the different linseed levels resulted in similar average daily gain, final BW, carcass traits, and non-carcass components except the rumen and liver weights which were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by the increasing linseed level. However, the addition of extruded linseed improved (P < 0.05) the weight of the heart. The carcass tissular composition was not affected by the dietary treatment guarding a similar proportion of muscle, bone, and fat. However, the growth performance and carcass traits were higher for cross QF × D than QF lambs. In addition, the carcasses were leaner (less fat and more muscle) for the cross genotype (P < 0.05) than the pure QF breed. It was concluded that extruded linseed can be used in lamb diet without adverse effects on growth performance and carcass components. Furthermore, the cross could be planned given it resulted in higher growth and better carcass composition., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

In this study, bacterial strains isolated from olive oil mill wastewater assigned to Bacillus ( n  = 4) and Klebsiella ( n  = 1) genera, were evaluated for their ability to accumulate intracellular PHA granules using Sudan Black staining. A maximum PHA production of 0.14 g/L (i.e., 30.2% wt./wt. in dry biomass) was observed in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 after 72 h of incubation in the presence of 2% glucose (synthetic medium). To reduce bioplastic production costs and recover a polluting product, olive mill wastewater was tested as a carbon source. In this context, the maximum growth (1.45 g/L) was observed in the presence of 50% olive mill wastewater. After extracting the biopolymers with chloroform, quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR showed an absorption band at 1730 cm -1 assigned to the elongation of the PHB carbonyl groups. This approach offers a dual benefit of reducing pollution and bioplastic production costs. The Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain OM81 showed promising results for PHAs production, making it a potential candidate for further investigation., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03808-4., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in the publication., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

A good assessment of soil water and salt content is required for sustainable irrigation with brackish/saline water. The use of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been initiated for the tomato crop (Savera variety) as part of the PRIMA MEDITOMATO project. An experiment was carried out between February and June 2022 at a farmer's site. For continuous soil water and salt content assessment, TEROS (11/12) probes were implemented at depths of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 cm. The data logging process was performed by a ZL6 device and delivered by the ZENTRA Cloud web application (METER GROUPE Company). For the accuracy of the introduced sensors, calibration tests were first processed. Results of the calibration of the probes in the laboratory and in situ showed linear relationships between the humidity values measured by ZL6 (θ ZL6 ) and those determined by the gravimetric method, with high correlation coefficients (R 2 ) of 0.86 and 0.96, respectively. There were also strong linear relationships between the EC bulk(ZL6) and the ECe measured on saturated paste extract with high correlation coefficients (R 2 ) of 0.96 and 0.95. Corrected data, according to the determined linear regression equations, present the real-time assessment of soil water and salt content over the entire growth stage of tomatoes. The results of this monitoring showed that soil water content remained close to its status at field capacity (32%) at the beginning of the assessment and increased with the intensification of irrigation, reaching 46 and 54% at 20 and 30 cm, respectively, around mid-April. The salinity level was greater with depth. Indeed, it was low in topsoil with the increase in irrigation frequency and higher at 30 and 60 cm toward the end of the tomato cycle. According to this study, real-time data given by ZENTRA Cloud allows us to adjust irrigation management on time., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Due to the lack of water resources and the harmful effects of wastewater on environment and human health, treatment of wastewater becomes necessary. The present study explored the effect of musical sounds on the biological treatment of seafood canning wastewater by using Yarrowia lipolytica. Our results showed that low frequency (21 Hz to 1356 Hz) and high frequency (21 Hz to 16,214 Hz) musical sounds stimulated the growth of Y. lipolytica and increased the polluant removal efficiency. Such treatment decreased significantly the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and salinity as well as the color of this wastewater. Our study revealed that low frequency musical sounds are more effective in COD (87.5%) and salinity (44%) reduction as well as the decolorization (86.46%) of this effluent. Additionally, after 7 days of incubation significant yeast cell dry biomass (3.46 ± 0.22 g/L) and single cell proteins (46.45 ± 0.7 mg/g) were obtained under low frequency waves. Musico-bioremediation represents an innovative ecotechnological approach to wastewater treatment with low operating costs and significant environmental benefits., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

A field experiment was conducted investigating the possibility of using treated wastewater (TWW) on sites affected by water scarcity in summer, waterlogging during the wet season, and salinity. A corresponding pot experiment was conducted comparable to the field experiment in Kalaât Landelous. The same plant species (Atriplex nummularia Lindl., Eucalyptus gomphocephala DC., Acacia cyanophylla Lindl., Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng., Cupressus sempervirens L., and Pinus halepensis Mill.) were grown with the same treatments. While, in the field the plants, elemental composition cannot be linked to inputs by TWW, this was studied under controlled conditions. Additionally, a control was established lower in salinity receiving tap water. The effect of TWW irrigation on macro- and microelement uptake by the six plant species was studied. The treatments were high soil salinity under drained saline (DS) conditions, high salinity under waterlogged saline (WS), and a drained non-saline control (DNS: EC = 3.0 dS/m, pH = 8.4). TWW application under DS treatment increased Na, Cl, Ca, Mg, N, P, and K in most plant tissues compared to the control. TWW application in WS treatment resulted in an increase in heavy metals. Cu and Zn showed the highest bioaccumulation factor (BAF). The BAF in different plant tissues followed the order: Cu > Zn > Mn > Cd > Ni > Co > Pb. The plants accumulated significant amounts of metals in their roots., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This review investigates the impact of salinity on the fate of the active compounds of pesticides in a cultivated environment. Due to the over-exploitation of water resources and intensification of agriculture, salinity outbreaks are being observed more often in cultivated fields under pesticide treatments. Nevertheless, there is a poor understanding of the incidence of varying water salt loads on the behavior of pesticides' active ingredients in soil and water bodies. The present review established that water salinity can affect the diffusion of pesticides' active ingredients through numerous processes. Firstly, by increasing the vapor pressure and decreasing the solubility of the compounds, which is known as the salting-out effect, salinity can change the colligative properties of water towards molecules and the modification of exchange capacity and sorption onto the chemicals. It has also been established that the osmotic stress induced by salinity could inhibit the biodegradation process by reducing the activity of sensitive microorganisms. Moreover, soil properties like dissolved organic matter, organic carbon, clay content, and soil texture control the fate and availability of chemicals in different processes of persistence in water and soil matrix. In the same line, salinity promotes the formation of different complexes, such as between humic acid and the studied active compounds. Furthermore, salinity can modify the water flux due to soil clogging because of the coagulation and dispersion of clay particle cycles, especially when the change in salinity ranges is severe., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The environmental challenges are currently placed at the forefront in order to achieve sustainable development. Although existing studies have largely examined the underlying factors of the environmental sustainability, the institutional quality and the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) still insufficiently investigated. The aim of this paper is to clarify the role played by institutional quality and ICTs to mitigate environmental degradation at different scales of the ecological gap. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine whether the quality of institutions and ICTs consolidate the contribution of renewable energy to reduce the ecological gap and thereby, promote environmental sustainability. The results of panel quantile regression applied to fourteen selected Middle East (ME) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries from 1984 to 2017 showed that the rule of law, control of corruption, Internet use, and mobile use exert no beneficial effects on environmental sustainability. The ICTs and the institutional development through the presence of an appropriate regulatory framework and the control of corruption have rather advantageous moderating effects on the environmental quality. Indeed, our findings revealed that the effects of renewable energy consumption on the environmental sustainability are positively moderated by the control of corruption, Internet use, and mobile use for countries with medium and high ecological gaps. The beneficial ecological effects of renewable energy are also moderated by the presence of a solid regulatory framework, but only for countries with high ecological gaps. In addition, our results showed that financial development promotes environmental sustainability in countries with low ecological gaps. Urbanization has perverse effects on the environment across all quantiles. The results found lead to important practical implications for preserving the environment as it suggests designing ICTs and improving the quality of institutions oriented to renewable energy sector in order to reduce the ecological gap. In addition, the findings from this paper can serve decision-makers in terms of environmental sustainability given the globalizing and conditional approach followed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Several phytoremediation strategies have been undertaken to alleviate cadmium (Cd)-mediated injury to crop yield resulting from agricultural land pollution. In the present study, the potentially beneficial effect of melatonin (Me) was appraised. Therefore, chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds were imbibed for 12 H in distilled water or Me (10 µM) solution. Then, the seeds germinated in the presence or the absence of 200 µM CdCl 2 for 6 days. Seedlings obtained from Me-pretreated seeds exhibited enhanced growth traits, reflected by fresh biomass and length increase. This beneficial effect was associated with a decreased Cd accumulation in seedling tissues (by 46 and 89% in roots and shoots, respectively). Besides, Me efficiently protected the cell membrane integrity of Cd-subjected seedlings. This protective effect was manifested by the decreased lipoxygenase activity and the subsequently reduced accumulation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. Melatonin counteracted the Cd-mediated stimulation of the pro-oxidant NADPH-oxidase (90 and 45% decrease compared to non-pretreated Cd-stressed roots and shoots, respectively) and NADH-oxidase activities (almost 40% decrease compared to non-pretreated roots and shoots), preventing, thus, hydrogen peroxide overaccumulation (50 and 35% lesser than non-pretreated roots and shoots, respectively). Furthermore, Me enhanced the cellular content of pyridine nicotinamide reduced forms [NAD(P)H] and their redox state. This effect was associated with the Me-mediated stimulation of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and malate dehydrogenase activities, concomitantly with the inhibition of NAD(P)H-consuming activities. These effects were accompanied by the up-regulation of G6PDH gene expression (45% increase in roots) and the down-regulation of the respiratory burst oxidase homolog protein F (RBOHF) gene expression (53% decrease in roots and shoots). Likewise, Me induced an increased activity and gene transcription of the Asada-Halliwell cycle, namely ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase, concomitantly with a reduction of the glutathione peroxidase activity. This modulating effect led to the restoration of the redox homeostasis of the ascorbate and the glutathione pools. Overall, current results attest that seed pretreatment with Me is effective in Cd stress relief and can be a beneficial crop-protective approach., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

To assess potential impacts of industrial activities on the pollution status of Gulf of Gabes, twenty sediment and water samples along with phytoplankton enumeration were achieved at different stations with specific features. Comparing trace element concentrations in sediment to applicable SQG standards, we were intrigued by an accumulation of Zn, Cr, Ni, and especially Cd, which exhibited relatively high content compared to these standards. Moreover, trace metal bioavailability was high in front of industrial discharge areas. The chemical speciation pointed out a high affinity of Pb, Zn, Cr, Mn, Ni, Co, and Fe for the residual fraction of the sediment. Bioavailability of trace elements was confirmed in surface sediment by the presence of a potential toxic fraction especially in front of industrial discharge areas. Toxicity assessment performed for the first time in the Gulf of Gabes through SEM and AVS models pointed to a high potential risk near both Ghannouch and Gabes Ports. Finally, the correlations between phytoplankton species and the labile fraction inferred potential phytoplankton bioaccumulation of Zn, Cu, and Cd both in the seawater and in the labile fraction., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The current study aimed at investigating the effects of partial or total substitution of soybean meal with faba bean on reproductive parameters of Queue Fine de l'Ouest rams. Eighteen adult rams (49.8 ± 3.7 kg and 2.4 ± 1.5 years old) were divided into three homogenous groups. Rams received oat hay ad libitum and 3 types of concentrate (33 g/BW 0.75 ) where soybean meal was the main protein source (SBM diet, n = 6), partially (50%, SBMFB diet, n = 6) or totally (100% FB diet, n = 6) substituted in nitrogen basis by local faba bean. The volume of ejaculate, sperm concentration and sperm mortality rate were measured weekly by collecting semen using an artificial vagina. Serial blood samples were collected 30 days and 120 days after the beginning of the experiment in order to assess plasma testosterone concentrations. The results showed that hay intake was affected (P < 0.05) by the nature of the nitrogen source incorporated (1032.3 ± 12.2; 1026.8 ± 56.6 and 972.8 ± 39.05 g DM/d for SBM, FB and SBMFB respectively. The average live weight of the rams increased from 49.8 ± 0.4 (week 1) to 57.3 ± 0.9 kg (week 17) without effect of the diet. A positive effect of faba bean incorporation in the concentrate was observed on ejaculate volume, concentration and spermatozoa production. All these parameters were significantly higher in SBMFB and FB groups than in SBM group (P < 0.05). The protein source did not affect the percentage of dead spermatozoa and the total abnormalities which were similar for the three diets (38.7; 35.8 and 38.1% for SBM; SBMFB and FB, respectively). The mean testosterone concentration was higher (P < 0.05) in rams fed with faba bean (1.7 ± 0.7 to 1.9 ± 0.7 ng/ml for the SBMFB and the FB groups respectively) than in rams fed SBM diet (1.06 ± 0.5 ng/ml). It was concluded that the substitution of soybean meal by faba bean improved the reproductive performance and did not affect sperm quality in Queue Fine de l'Ouest rams., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Nylon waste fibers similar to new nylon fibers possess high tensile strength and toughness; hence, they can be used as an eco-friendly discrete reinforcement in high-strength concrete. This study aimed to analyze the mechanical and permeability characteristics and life cycle impact of high-strength concrete with varying amounts of nylon waste fiber and micro-silica. The results proved that nylon waste fiber was highly beneficial to the tensile and flexural strength of concrete. The incorporation of a 1% volume of nylon waste fiber caused net improvements of 50% in the flexural strength of concrete. At the combined addition of 0.5% volume fraction of nylon fiber and 7.5% micro-silica, splitting tensile and flexural strength of high-strength concrete experienced net improvements of 49% and 55%, respectively. Nylon fiber-reinforced concrete exhibited a ductile response and high flexural toughness and residual strength compared to plain concrete. A low volume fraction of waste fibers was beneficial to the permeability resistance of high-strength concrete against water absorption and chloride permeability, while a high volume (1% by volume fraction) of fiber was harmful to the permeability-resistance of concrete. For the best mechanical performance of high-strength concrete, 0.5% nylon waste fiber can be used with 7.5% micro-silica. The use of micro-silica minimized the negative effect of the high volume of fibers on the permeability resistance of high-strength concrete. The addition of nylon waste fibers (at 0.25% and 0.5% volume) and micro-silica also reduced carbon emissions per unit strength of concrete., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In spite of the fact that bromophenols (BPs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) are widely used as flame retardants, no data was available until now on the levels of these two chemicals in North Africa biota. Seafood products might represent one of the main sources of dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants such as non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (ndl-PCBs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, the concentrations of the ndl-PCBs, PAH 4 , and BFRs were determined in seafood products from a North African lagoon (Bizerte lagoon). Almost all the compounds were detected (15 out of 18) in the analyzed marine organisms. The accumulation of the contaminants followed the order BFRs > ndl-PCB > PAH 4 . Mean contaminants concentrations ranged from 0.35 to 28.7 ng g -1 ww for ∑ndl-PCBs; from below limit of quantification to 476 ng g -1 ww for ∑BFRs and from below limit of quantification to 5.30 ng g -1 ww for ∑PAH 4 . PCB 138, 153, and 180 were the most frequently detected ndl-PCB congeners due to their high resistance to metabolic degradation. 2,4-dibromophenol (2,4-DBP) was the predominant BFR. Chrysene (Chr) was found to be the main contributor to the total PAH 4 concentration. Contaminant profiles varied significantly among seafood which may be due to the difference in lipid content, trophic level, feeding behavior, and metabolism. To assess the human health risks, the average daily dose exposure of ndl-PCBs, the dietary daily intake of PAHs and the estimated dietary intake of 3,3-,5,5-tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and HBCD from seafood were estimated. Findings indicated no adverse effects for human health from any of the analyzed contaminants, except for ndl-PCBs in eel., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

We determined organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in raw bovine milk taken directly from the milking equipment for different animals and various farms in Béja region, which is one of the largest milk producing areas in Tunisia. All milk samples were contaminated with one or more pesticides and exhibited measurable concentrations of some PCB congeners. The residue levels are generally marked by the predominance of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) (median: 17.60 ng g -1 fat), followed by hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (median: 14.31 ng g -1 fat), PCBs (median: 4.71 ng g -1 fat), and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) (median: 0.77 ng g -1 fat). DDT/DDE ratios across the samples vary between 0.09 to 32.24 and exhibit the hypothesis of sustaining illegal use of the banned pesticide. The historical or recent use of OCPs and possible emission sources of PCBs identified near studied farms may lead to increased levels of these contaminants in produced milk. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values were several orders of magnitude below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) fixed by FAO/WHO, though recorded concentration in some samples exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) fixed by the EU, especially for OCPs. According to health risk assessments, consumption of raw milk did not pose an obvious cancer risk or other health problems for local inhabitants., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Fecundity gene introgression has become an economical method to improve sheep prolificacy in developing countries. The FecX Bar and FecGH mutations are variants of the BMP15 and GDF9 sheep genes, respectively, identified in Tunisian Barbarine sheep prolific line "W-INRAT," created through a prolificacy-based selection program. The first mutation caused increased prolificacy in heterozygous state and sterility in homozygous ewes. The aim of this work was to increase the number of effective carriers by the introgression of fecundity mutation into non-carrier conventional flocks based on a marker-assisted breeding program. The genotyping was carried out to follow up on the segregation of prolificacy mutation. The conventional ewes, raised in state farms of Tunisia and inseminated by "W-INRAT" rams, yielded 100% carriers females at heterozygous state. These females were selected to be inseminated with conventional rams and produced carriers' lambs with 66.7% males and 33.3% females. The prolific males will be kept in breeding centers to disseminate the fecundity mutation in commercial flocks. This approach facilitates the dissemination of fecundity genes and contributes to livelihood improvement in communities raising Barbarine sheep., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

This study investigates the Granger causal interplays between renewable energy consumption, WTI crude oil prices, and CO 2 emissions in the USA using monthly data between January 1986 and May 2022. The study applies quantile-based techniques, namely, the quantile unit root test developed by Galvao (2009), the quantile cointegration test proposed by Xiao (2009), and the novel Granger causality-in-quantiles test suggested by Troster (2018). The results suggest that the series display a unit root across different quantiles and that the cointegration relationships exhibit heterogeneous behavior across quantiles. Regarding the causal linkages, the findings show: (i) a unidirectional causality from renewable energy consumption to oil prices, mainly at the lowest or highest quantiles of the distribution, (ii) a bidirectional causality between oil prices and CO 2 emissions mainly in the middle and extreme quantiles, but there is evidence of causality from oil prices to CO 2 emissions across the quantiles than in the reverse direction, and (iii) a unidirectional causality from renewable energy consumption to CO 2 emissions at the lowest to medium and the highest quantiles. These findings have important implications for policy-makers., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The onset of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a major crisis that has severely impacted numerous economic, environmental, and social aspects of human life. During the pandemic, the potential of the circular economy (CE) has gained increasing attention as a prospective remedy for numerous sustainability problems. This systematic literature review charts CE research in the COVID-19 era. To this end, 160 journal articles were selected from the Scopus database. The performance indicators of the literature were determined and described through a bibliometric analysis. Moreover, the conceptual structure of CE research was identified via a keyword co-occurrence network. Based on bibliographic coupling, the focus of CE research in the COVID-19 era revolves mainly around five thematic areas, including: (1) waste management; (2) digitalization and sustainable supply chain management; (3) the impact of COVID-19 on food systems; (4) sustainable development goals, smart cities, and bioeconomy; and (5) closed-loop supply chains. Overall, this review contributes to enriching the literature by determining the main thematic areas and future research directions that can help to advance the transition to the CE and reduce the impact of COVID-19 and similar disasters in the future., Competing Interests: Competing InterestsThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© The Author(s) 2023, corrected publication 2023.)

In this study, we examined the toxicity potential of the epiplastic microalgal community that developed on low-density polyethylene (LD-PE) plastic debris found in two distinct regions of the Monastir Bay (Tunisia): the coast exposed to anthropogenic discharges and the open sea in front of the Kuriat Islands. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) accumulated in sediments and plastisphere were compared in order to determine their toxicity potential to biological life. The collected plastispheres were predominantly composed of cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, and diatoms. Diatoms display a relatively high diversity (25 species). At all stations, potentially harmful microalgae (PHM) were more abundant in the plastisphere than in seawater and the coastal zone seems to harbour increased number of potentially harmful cyanobacteria within the plastisphere. At the offshore station S1, the PHM community was dominated by the potentially harmful diatoms belonging to the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Phormidium sp. was the main potentially harmful cyanobacterium identified in the plastisphere of S1. PTEs concentration in the plastisphere was higher than in sediment and ranking with very high contamination factors at all sites according to the sequence Pb > Cu > Cd > Ni > Zn. The highest accumulation of PTEs in the plastisphere was recorded near harbors and industrial zones with important human interference. This work shows that plastisphere can be a threat to vulnerable species not only because it can contain PHM but also because it can accumulate PTEs., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Various empirical studies have examined the nexus between financial markets, but this study focused on the comovement among prominent markets. Our study examines the interrelationship among main financial markets, i.e., stock, oil, and commodity during the recent pandemic. The interconnections among the selected markets are investigated using a battery of wavelet coherence tools and the Granger causality test. From the wavelet coherence analysis, our findings indicate strong co-movements among the VIX, oil volatility, and commodity prices during pandemic and localized in all scales and over the sample period. The dependency strength among the considered economies is noted to increase in pandemic, which implies increased short- and long-term benefits for the investors. Moreover, Our result exhibits a feedback causality between OVIX and crude oil, VIX and S&P 500, and gasoline and VIX. Interestingly, a unidirectional causality exists between VIX and crude oil, S&P 500 and crude oil, Brent and crude oil, gasoline, crude oil, and VIX and OVIX. We advocate that the findings will be helpful for portfolio managers, investors, and officials around the world., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Urban sewage sludge (USS) is increasingly being used as an alternative organic amendment in agriculture. Because USS originates mostly from human excreta, partially metabolized pharmaceuticals have also been considered in risk assessment studies after reuse. In this regard, we investigated the cumulative effect of five annual USS applications on the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and their subsequent resistance to toxic metals in two unvegetated soils. Eventually, USS contained bacterial strains resistant to all addressed antibiotics with indices of resistance varying between 0.25 for gentamicin to 38% for ampicillin and azithromycin. Sludge-amended soils showed also the emergence of resistome for all tested antibiotics compared to non-treated controls. In this regard, the increase of sludge dose generally correlated with ARB counts, while soil texture had no influence. On the other hand, the multi-antibiotic resistance (MAR) of 52 isolates selected from USS and different soil treatments was investigated for 10 most prescribed antibiotics. Nine isolates showed significant MAR index (≥ 0.3) and co-resistance to Cd, As and Be as well. However, events including an extreme flash flood and the termination of USS applications significantly disrupted ARB communities in all soil treatments. In any case, this study highlighted the risks of ARB spread in sludge-amended soils and a greater concern with the recent exacerbation of antibiotic overuse following COVID-19 outbreak., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This study uses two empirical approaches to explore the asymmetric effects of oil and coal prices on renewable energy consumption (REC) in China from 1970 to 2019. As a conventional approach, we used the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lags (NARDL) model, while machine learning was used as a non-conventional approach. The empirical findings of the NARDL indicate that oil and coal price fluctuations have a significant effect on REC for both the short and long term. The results of the non-conventional approaches based on machine learning indicated that the SVM model was more efficient than the KNN model in terms of accuracy, performance, and convergence. Referring to the SVM model findings, the results show that an increase in the coal price has a higher ability to predict REC than the oil price. As a robustness check, we also find that an increase in Brent prices significantly decreases REC. The findings of this study support the view that there is a substitution effect from oil to coal before initiating the use of renewable energy in China., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

The circular economy (CE) field has recently attracted significant interest from academics and practitioners. CE represents a departure from the linear economy, which is characterised by unsustainable resource production and consumption. The growing number of publications necessitates a comprehensive analysis of this field. This is the first systematic examination of the knowledge base and knowledge diffusion pathways in the CE domain. We analyse a Web of Science dataset containing 5431 articles published between 1970 and 2020. To create a comprehensive review of the CE domain, we conducted a keyword co-occurrence network analysis. We examined four distinct types of main paths using the main path analysis (MPA) technique: forward, backward, global, and key-route. According to the analyses, CE research focuses on six primary research themes: CE and sustainability, bioeconomy, CE practices, lifecycle assessment and industrial symbiosis, construction activities, and waste management. In addition, the MPA demonstrates that the CE literature has recently focused on Industry 4.0 technologies and their contribution to CE. This is the first attempt to depict the genealogy of CE research so that scholars can comprehend the domain's evolutionary structure, identify hot topics, and capture the history, development status, and potential future directions of CE research., Competing Interests: Competing InterestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Restaurant research has received significant attention globally. This article aims to examine the evolution and the knowledge structure of restaurant research over the past decades. We also investigate the restaurant research hotspots and knowledge diffusion paths based on 1489 articles extracted from the Web of Science database. Furthermore, we conduct a keyword co-occurrence network analysis and four different types of main path analyses to scrutinize the historical formation of the restaurant research. Results revealed that restaurant research mainly focused on five research themes: consumer behavior, consumer satisfaction, social media, green restaurants, and authenticity. While consumer behavior has been the mainstream topic, the focus of this line of research has recently shifted from traditional to luxury and ethnic restaurants. Furthermore, our analysis has detected several recent changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining the knowledge structure of restaurant research, we reveal its knowledge diffusion paths and provide avenues for future research in this vast and interdisciplinary research field., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have no conflict of interest to declare. All co-authors have seen and agree with the contents of the manuscript and there is no financial interest to report. We certify that the submission is original work and is not under review at any other publication., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022.)

To ensure the success of phytoremediation, it is important to consider the appropriate combination of plants and microorganisms. This study was conducted to get a better insight into the underlying molecular and biochemical mechanism of grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) induced by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), when exposed for 3, 6, 9, and 14 days to 1 mM Pb in a hydroponic system. The significant positive effect of bacterial inoculation was reproduced in various parameters. Results indicated that inoculation of PGPR significantly increased the accumulation of Pb by 20%, 66%, 43%, and 36% in roots and by 46%, 55%, 37%, and 46% in shoots, respectively after 3, 6, 9, and 14 days of metal exposure compared to the uninoculated plants. The metal accumulation in grass pea plants triggered a significant elevation in the synthesis of non-protein thiols (NPT), particularly in inoculated plant leaves where it was about 3 and 2-fold higher than the uninoculated set on the 6 th and the 9 th day. Nevertheless, Pb treatment significantly increased oxidative stress and membrane damage in leaves with the highest hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration recorded in uninoculated plants. Furthermore, the PGPR inoculation alleviated the oxidative stress, improved significantly plant tolerance, and modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, APX, GR, DHAR, and MDHAR). Similarly, the expression patterns of LsPCS, LsGCN, LsCNGC, LsGR, and LsGST through qRT-PCR demonstrated that bacterial inoculation significantly induced gene expression levels in leaves 6 days after Pb treatment, indicating that PGPR act as regulators of stress-responsive genes. The findings suggest the key role of PGPR (R. leguminosarum (M5) + Pseudomonas fluorescens (K23) + Luteibacter sp. + Variovorax sp.) in enhancing Pb accumulation, reducing metal toxicity, strengthening of the antioxidant system, and conferring higher Pb tolerance to grass pea plants. Hence, the association Lathyrus sativus-PGPR is an effective tool to achieve the goal of remediation of Pb contaminated sites., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The response surface methodology (RSM) was used in order to select the extraction conditions of extract from Kentichi date powder; a by-product of the date-processing process. Powder/solvent ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time all had an impact on sugar yield, and these model factors have quadratic effects influencing sugar yield. Optimal extraction was obtained with 300 g/L powder/solvent ratio, 32.7 °C extraction temperature, and 2.1 h extraction time. Under these conditions, Kentichi date powder's (KDP) sugar yield was 77.1%, which was close to the predicted value of the model (80.50%). The results of Kentichi date powder extract (KDPE) showed that the total sugar content is 160.09 g/L. However, the protein content is 10.31 g/L with a majority of the essential amino acids (essentially glutamic acid (28.39 mg/L) and aspartic acid (9.65 mg/L)). The determination of antioxidant activity of KDPE showed a high activity (DPPH IC 50  = 4.8 mg/mL, ABTS IC 50  = 3 mg/mL, FRAP = 4.70 μmol AAE/mL and, TAA = 18.04 μmol Fe(II)/mL). The results show also that the freeze-drying technique has a lot of potential for producing powder from KDPE with many desirable properties. The findings indicate that KDPE with a high nutritional value could be used as a component for the formulation of functional foods., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12355-022-01223-2., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Sugar Research & Promotion 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Minimum energy structures of the ground and lowest excited states of aniline (PhNH 2 ) solvated by pyridine (Py) show that the clusters formed are stabilized by hydrogen bonds in which only one or both hydrogen atoms of the NH 2 group take part. Two different N-H bonds photodissociation in PhNH 2 -(Py) n (n = 1,2) complexes, free and hydrogen bonded have been studied by analyzing excited state potential energy surfaces. In the first one, only N-H bonds engaged in hydrogen bonding in these complexes are considered. RICC2 calculations of potential energy (PE) profiles indicate that all photochemical reaction paths along N-H stretching occur mainly via the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism. The repulsive charge transfer 1 ππ*(CT) state dominates the PE profiles, leading to low-lying 1 ππ*(CT)/S 0 conical intersections and thus provide channels for ultrafast radiationless deactivation of the electronic excitation or stabilization to biradical complexes. The second photoreaction consists of a direct dissociation along the free N-H bond of the NH 2 group. It has been shown that this process is played by excited singlet states of 1 πσ* character having repulsive potential energy profiles with respect to the stretching of N-H bond, which dissociates over an exit barrier about 0.5 eV giving rise to the formation of a 1 πσ*/S 0 conical intersection. This may cause an internal conversion to the ground state or may lead to H-atom elimination. This photophysical process is the same in both planar and T-shaped conformers of the PhNH 2 -Py monomer complex. Our findings reveal that there is no single dominating path in the photodissociation of N-H bonds in PhNH 2 -(Py) n complexes, but rather a variety of paths involving H-atom elimination and several quenching mechanisms., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Photochemistry Association, European Society for Photobiology.)