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Cities often exhibit higher temperatures, drier soils and greater habitat fragmentation than rural areas, and may thus represent constraining growing environments for plants. This variety of environmental conditions along urban-to-rural gradients might lead to plasticity in plant traits. Urban conditions could affect plant traits such as germination or flower number - key variables for organismal fitness. These proxies of fitness could then potentially experience strong selection in urban environments. Trait variations among individuals are not only due to genotype or the environmental conditions: they can also result from the conditions in which the mother individual developed, i.e. environmental maternal effects. Understanding the impact of city environments on phenotypes might be especially important for alien plant species, as these are often showing exceptionally high density and diversity in cities. However, studies of the sources of alien plant trait variations in urban environments are rare. We conducted a simulated reciprocal common garden experiment using seeds of populations of M. discoidea along urbanization gradients in Belgium. These seeds were sown in growth chambers to study how germination, growth, and flowering traits of the alien species Matricaria discoidea vary in response to temperature (rural or urban) and soil (rural or urban) treatments and the urbanity (percentage of impervious surfaces) of its source population. We found predominant effects of seed mass and germination delay which materialized important environmental maternal effects. We observed a higher germination success and delay for heavier seeds, and a greater number of capitula and dry biomass for plants that germinated earlier. Climate and soil treatments led to plasticity in the majority of the measured traits, with a faster germination and heavier plants in the urban temperature treatment but lighter plants in the urban soil treatment. Our results therefore support the existence of predominant environmental maternal effects and phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature and soil treatments, but no visible evidence of local adaptation.

Objective: Linezolid is a significant antibiotic used against severe infections initiated by multi-resistant bacterial pathogens. Method: The aim of this study is to develop and validate a simple, selective and accurate highperformance liquid chromatographic HPLC method for the analysis of linezolid LZD. Method: Linezolid extraction from plasma is obtained using methanol. Chromatographic separation is achieved isocratically on a C18 column [Zorbax C18, 5 μm particle size, 150 mm˟ 4.6 mm] making use of a mobile phase of acetonitrile / 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH = 4.5 (30: 70 v/v) at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min with photodiode array detector DAD, at a wavelength of 256 nm. Results : The retention time of linezolid was 2.5 min. The analytical method was linear (r2 > 0.998) over the calibration range of 0.30 to 50.0 μg/mL. The extraction recoveries of linezolid range from 71.03 to 91.93 %. The limit of quantification and the limit of detection were 0.112 μg and 0.037 μg, respectively. The RSDs for intraday and interday assays were < 7.77 and 4.32 %, respectively. The intraday and interday accuracies were in the range 80.6-112 % and 77.44- 104.85 %, respectively. Conclusion: The applied method is precise, accurate and appropriate for pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring of linezolid in routine clinical practice.

In this work, in order to explore a new Algerian medicinal plant used in traditional medicine, the essential oil of the leaves of Cachrys sicula L. (Apiaceae) collected from Algeria, obtained by hydrodistillation, was analyzed by GC/MS. Thirty-two compounds were identified accounting for 98.6% of the total oil, which is characterized by a high content of monoterpene hydrocarbons (74.8%). The main constituents of the essential oil were β-pinene (17.9%), sabinene (17.8%), myrcene (12%), and α-pinene (11.4%). In vitro antioxidant activity of the essential oil was assayed by three methods, namely ABTS•+, metal chelating, and DPPH• assays. The antioxidant activity of the oil was higher in the ABTS•+ method. Anticholinesterase activity was screened by the Ellman method against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) which are the chief enzymes of Alzheimer’s disease. The results showed mild acetylcholinesterase and good butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory effects.

New benzimidazolium salts were synthesized as N-heterocyclic carbene precursors. These NHC precursors were metallated with Cu2O and CuI in acetone and water under reflux to give novel copper(I) complexes. The structures of these benzimidazolium salts and copper(I) complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and LC–MS spectroscopic techniques. The (NHC)Cu(I) complexes 3–4 were tested against MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans microorganisms, Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes, Toxoplasma gondii parasites and against Vero cell line in vitro. The synthesized copper NHC carbene complex 4b (1,3-bis(2,3,4,5,6-pentamdthylbenzyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)copper(I) chloride) was the most active against MCF7 cancer cells (half growth Inhibition Concentrations (IC50) = 0.3 µg mL−1), as well as the most potent antimicrobial against E. coli (inhibition zone (IZ) = 23.3 mm), MRSA (IZ = 25.5 mm) and C. albicans (IZ = 28.5 mm) besides its antileishmanial activities against L. major promastigotes and amastigotes (IC50 < 0.04 µg mL−1). Compound 4c (1,3-bis(4-(tert-butyl)benzyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imida-zol-2-yl)copper(II) bromide) is the most potent anticancer against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells IC50 = 0.4 µg mL−1). Compound 4e (5,6-dimethyl-1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)copper(I) chloride) is the best suitable antitoxoplasmal drug candidate due to its SI of 16.5. These candidates need further study to identify mode of action and drug standardization.

The title compounds were prepared via a wet chemistry route and their crystal structures were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. Na2Mn(SO4)2·4H2O crystallizes with a monoclinic symmetry, space group P21/c, with a = 5.5415(2), b = 8.3447(3), c = 11.2281(3) Å, β = 100.172(1)°, V = 511.05(3) Å3 and Z = 2. Na2Ni(SO4)2·10H2O also crystallizes with a monoclinic symmetry, space group P21/c, with a = 12.5050(8), b = 6.4812(4), c = 10.0210(6) Å, β = 106.138(2)°, V = 780.17(8) Å3 and Z = 2. Na2Mn(SO4)2·4H2O is a new member of the blödite family of compounds, whereas Na2Ni(SO4)2·10H2O is isostructural with Na2Mg(SO4)2·10H2O. The structure of Na2Mn(SO4)2·4H2O is built up of [Mn(SO4)2(H2O)4]2− building blocks connected through moderate O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds with the sodium atoms occupying the large tunnels along the a axis and the manganese atom lying on an inversion center, whereas the structure of Na2Ni(SO4)2·10H2O is built up of [Ni(H2O)6]2+ and [Na2(SO4)2(H2O)4]2− layers. These layers which are parallel to the (100) plane are interconnected through moderate O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The thermal gravimetric- and the powder X-ray diffraction-analyzes showed that only the nickel phase was almost pure. At a temperature above 300 °C, all the water molecules evaporated and a structural phase transition from P21/c-Na2Ni(SO4)2·10H2O to C2/c-Na2Ni(SO4)2 was observed. C2/c-Na2Ni(SO4)2 is thermally more stable than Na2Fe(SO4)2 and therefore it would be suitable as the positive electrode for sodium ion batteries if a stable electrolyte at high voltage is developed. Other information Published in: RSC Advances License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0 See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d0ra00301h

A series of halogenated chalcones (3–8) was synthesized and confirmed by several spectral tools. The cytotoxic effect of this series was tested against a panel of different cancer cell lines (MCF7, A549, HCT116, and PC3). Our MTT assay results revealed that chalcone 8 had the potent cytotoxic activity against all tested cancer cell lines except A549 cells, which were more sensitive to chalcone 7 relative to the positive control treated with doxorubicin. Chalcone 8 showed the least cytotoxic activity against the normal epithelial cell line RPE-1 and the lowest IC50 at 10.96 µM relative to the IC50 of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin at 12.8 µM against the human breast cancer cell line MCF7. Molecular docking studies showed a good interaction of chalcone 8 with the active site of histone demethylase (PLU-1/ JARID1B) and Carboxy-terminal binding protein1 (CtBP1) proteins. Mechanistically, chalcone 8 induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis as assessed by flow cytometry, as well as DNA fragmentation in MCF7 cells. Chalcone 8 upregulated mRNA expression levels of the apoptotic genes BAX, p53, and Caspase-7, Caspase-8, and Caspase-9, whereas mRNA expression levels of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl2, metastasis-related gene matrix metalloproteinase 1, and the autophagic markers ATG5 and LC3B were downregulated as quantified by qPCR.

Hyperglycemia induces the prostaglandin transporter (PGT) gene overexpression, leading to poor vascularization and wound healing. Dicer substrate small interfering RNA (DsiRNA) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) co-loaded into PF127 gel was developed to overcome the disturbance and infections. The AuNPs were biosynthesized using cold and hot water extracts of Lignosus rhinocerotis (abbreviated CLRE and HLRE, respectively). The wound healing efficacy of a PF127 gel containing DsiRNA-AuNPs-CLRE and -HLRE (assigned as F2 and F3, respectively) was evaluated in a diabetes-induced Wistar rat model. The F2 (DC) and F3 (DH) treated groups revealed a faster wound closure (92.67 ± 3.4% and 85.1 ± 7.3%, respectively) than the positive control (commercial gel, DTI)(74.9 ± 13.3%). DH and DC groups presented an increased blood vessel density, along with decreased number of inflammatory cells. In comparison to positive control, higher prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) (495 ± 79 and 50 ± 121 pg/mL, for DC and DH group, respectively), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (49 ± 15 and 38 ± 3 pg/mL, for DC and DH group, respectively) and VEGF-A levels were detected in both groups (DC and DH), indicating the effectiveness of DsiRNA in enhancing PGE2 production and vascularization. On evaluating microbiomes adhered to the wound areas, Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium, as well as Gram-negative Pseudomonas, Rodentibacter, and Acinetobacter, were found to be sensitive to the gel. Collectively, the gel was confirmed as a promising dressing for diabetic wound therapy, warranting further studies for clinical use.

Auxetic materials have high potential due to their exceptional properties resulting from a negative Poisson’s ratio. Recently, several auxetic polymer-based materials have been developed. In fact, several applications are looking for a lightweight material (less material consumed in production and transport) while having high mechanical performances (impact absorption, rigidity, strength, resistance, etc.). So, a balance between density and toughness/strength is highly important, especially for military, sporting, and transport applications. So auxetic materials (especially foams) can provide high impact protection while limiting the material’s weight. This article presents a review of recent advances with a focus on auxetic polymers, with particular emphasis on the auxetic polymer foams in terms of their fabrication methods and processing conditions (depending on the nature of the cellular structure), the effect of the fabrication parameters on their final properties, as well as their models and potential applications.

Hydrogen is a clean energy and has many applications in petroleum refining, glass purification, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, aerospace applications and cooling generators. Therefore, it is very important to store it in various ways. One of the new and cheap methods to store hydrogen is storing in the brine groundwater. In this method, the hydrogen gas is injected into the brine, in which storing capacity has a direct relationship with the pressure, temperature and salt concentration of the saltwater. In the present study, an artificial neural network (ANN) was used to estimate and optimize the hydrogen solubility (HS) in the saltwater with conventional best algorithms such as the feedback propagation, genetic algorithm (GA) and radial basis function. The optimization is implemented based on available experimental data bank based on the variation of the pressure, working temperature and salt concentration. The results and assessments of different optimization ANN algorithm show that the GA has the most usable and accurate estimation and prediction for HS in the saltwater. Also, the amounts of the relevancy coefficient (${R}_c$) that correspond to the sensitivity of HS on the input parameters demonstrate that the salt concentration and pressure have the minimum and maximum ${R}_c$, respectively. That is, the least and most effect on the output values.

In this research work, raw poultry manure biochar (RPM-B) was post-modified by two metal salts and then evaluated for P recovery from aqueous solutions in batch mode. The modified biochar characterization showed that RPM-B impregnation with aluminum and manganese salts led to a significant improvement of their surface properties through the pH-zero charge reduction as well as the specific surface areas and the functional group contents increase. Phosphorus recovery tests indicated that the post-treated biochar with AlCl3 (RPM-B-Al) and with KMnO4 (RPM-B-Mn) exhibited relatively high recovery efficiencies with Langmuir’s adsorption capacities of 23.5 and 8.4 mg g−1, respectively. Kinetics and isothermal data modeling, as well as the in-depth analytical characterization of the post-modified biochars before and after adsorption, indicates that P recovery occurs homogeneously on monolayer surfaces through mainly anion exchange, precipitation, and electrostatic interactions. On the other hand, P desorption efficiency increases with the desorbing solution pH values. The best P desorption yields were observed for an initial pH of 9.0 to 78% and 80% for RPM-B-Al-P and RPM-B-Mn-P, respectively. All these results suggest that RPM-B-Al and RPM-B-Mn could be considered promising materials for phosphorus recovery from wastewaters with a possible reuse in agriculture as potential soil amendments.

Some of the physical properties were studied, which included the optical properties of the films of pure tin dioxide doped with nickel in proportions (1,5,7%) at a molar concentration of 0.1moL/L, which were prepared by thermal chemical deposition method on glass bases at a temperature of (400ºC). The study included the optical properties through the transmittance spectrum (T) of the films of pure tin dioxide doped with banned nickel in the range of wavelengths (300-900). It was noticed that the transmittance of pure tin dioxide films is high, ranging between (82-76) % approximately in the visible region, as we have noticed that by using doping, the permeability of oxide films decreases in succession, and the reflectivity increases with the increase in the percentage of doping gradually and that the refractive index increases with the increase in the energy of the photon. The rest of the optical constants were calculated as functions of the photon's energy that smells (refractive index).

To reconstruct the fractured skull, affected patients are advised to undergo cranioplasty, which is a surgical procedure to repair the cranial defect by implanting materials such as autologous bone grafts or synthetic alloplastic materials. The use of synthetic alloplastic materials such as hydroxyapatite (HA) has been widely accepted due to their biocompatibility and suitability for larger cranial defects. The zinc hydroxyapatite (ZnHA) material is favourable as HA mimics 60% of the actual human bone, whereas zinc helps to improve its biomechanical properties. The purpose of this study is to construct the ZnHA cranial implant with different pore sizes of 600, 900, and 1200 µm in pentagonal shapes and to study its mechanical performance. At the end of the research, it was found that the implant with a pore size of 900 µm is the most appropriate implant to be utilized without affecting its mechanical performance. Aspects such as the deformation and von Mises stress are discussed to assist on the development of the ZnHA cranial implant. Keywords — Biomechanical analysis, cranial implant, finite element analysis, pore size, zinc hydroxyapatite

Favism is most common in those who have G6PD deficiency from the Mediterranean region. As hemolytic anaemia is the most common complication of G6PD deficiency, and it can be life-threatening in certain people. Infection, hyperglycemia, certain meals, and certain drugs can all cause hemolysis therefore, the most prevalent enzymopathy is glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, which affects an estimated 400 million individuals, globally. Exposure to some medicines might cause hemolytic anaemia. The most important management technique is to avoid oxidative stresses by avoiding a hemolytic crisis. Also, avoidance of exposure to food and medicines that causes hemolytic anaemia episodes This review looks at etiology, epidemiology, pathopysiology, evaluation and management of the disease.

Extensive use of imidacloprid in pest control and its unfavourable removal efficiency has resulted contamination of aquatic environments. Herein, 4,4ʹ-methylenedianiline nano-polymer (MDANP) as org...

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 40-min nap opportunity (N40) on performance during, markers of muscle damage and inflammation, and the perception of fatigue and recovery, in response to a 5-m shuttle run test (5msrt). Fifteen male amateur athletes performed the 5msrt under two conditions: N40 and no-nap condition (NN). Blood biomarkers were collected at rest and after the 5msrt to measure muscle damage (i.e., creatinine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT)) and inflammation (i.e., C-reactive protein (CRP)). RPE was determined immediately after each repetition of the test and PRS and DOMS were determined 5 min, thereafter. Compared to NN, N40 improved the highest distance (p

In this study, Zinc Oxide/Polyaniline (ZnO/PANI) hybrid was successfully synthesized using the combination of in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization and simple hydrothermal route method which was sequentially exposed to gamma radiation. X-ray diffraction analysis of non-irradiated and irradiated samples indicates the crystallinity of the ZnO/PANI hybrid and shows no considerable changes after gamma irradiation. Atomic force microscopy analysis shows that the grain size and roughness of the hybrid increase as the irradiation dose increases. Moreover, with increasing radiation dose, the intensity and peak area of photoluminescence spectra increase. According to electrical measurements, the conductivity of the prepared films increases linearly with increasing gamma dose.

This study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of alcoholic and n-hexane extracts of crayfish Procambarus clarkii against CCl4 (4 mM) induced toxicity in the human hepatoma cell li...

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of heat stress on the physiology of dairy cows and to detect the relationship between rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and plasma concentrations of cortisol, thyroxine, and prolactin. During the experiment, 44 Holstein cows were allocated to two groups for each season. The average temperature-humidity index (THI) values were 55 ± 2.31 in winter and 78 ± 1.9 in summer. As the THI values increased from 55 to 78, RR rose by 35 inspirations per minute, HR by 3 beats per minute, and RT by 1.2 °C. In addition, the average concentration of cortisol increased from 19.30 to 21.04 nmol/L, and prolactin from 58.52 to 129.79 ngm/L, whereas free thyroxine decreased from 15.43 to 14.01 pmol/L. Plasma sodium and potassium concentrations were similar in the two seasons. These results confirmed that RT is an indicator of the response in dairy cows to hot environmental temperatures. However, they also showed signs of stress, which were reflected in higher levels of cortisol and in certain physiological responses.

To assess the effects of fabric take-up, yarn tension, feeder position, and yarn feeder material on the occurrence of snagging, fabrics produced with two different finishing processes, were subjected to longitudinal or transversal 100, 300, and 600 revolutions, and the degree of snagging was measured and compared afterwards with gray fabric. Our results showed that, during the knitting process, the use of ceramic yarn feeders resulted in significantly fewer snags compared with metal yarn feeders. The gray fabric, having no finishing, was fragile and easily snagged, whereas the fabric treated by a finishing process – either drying in relaxed condition (Treatment A) or under stress conditions (Treatment B) – was more resistant to snagging. Moreover, the snagging property of the gray fabric tended to increase with increasing longitudinal or transversal 100, 300, or 600 revolutions. Slight increases in snagging were also present in fabrics having Treatment A or Treatment B at the same revolutions, but the differences were not statistically important ( P > 0.05). Frequency of snags was higher when revolutions were transversal rather than on longitudinal direction. Yarn tension and feeder position had no effect on snagging degree, while fabric take-up had limited effect. For acquiring a fabric resistant to snagging, the gray fabric produced with ceramic yarn guiders during the knitting process should be subjected to drying under relaxed condition. We also suggest that quality control tests be carried out taking the results of our study into consideration.

The aim of this study was a detailed examination of the synthesis of 3-methyleneisoindolinones comprising various functional groups. Methylmagnesuim bromide and PTSA was employed for the synthesis ...

Potassium can enhance plant to tolerate drought. The availability of potassium in the soil can increase with various amendments. Application organic manure to the soils increased potassium release and decrease potassium fixation in soils. Application of phosphorous fertilizer increased root biomass, photosynthesis rate and leaf water content under water stress. In this study, organic fertilizer and various sources of phosphorus were applied to the soil under the different quantity of water irrigation to evaluate potassium availability during different stages of Maize growth. The result showed that the addition of organic fertilizer increased the availability of potassium in soil at all plant stage growth. The higher quantity of water irrigation had a significantly higher concentration of potassium availability during the growth and flowering stage of Maize. However, different water quantity had no significantly effected potassium availability during the mature stage. The application of organic fertilizer and/or phosphorus fertilizer had significantly increased potassium availability as compared to the control treatment during all stage Maize growth. The interactions between treatments had significantly increased concentration of potassium availability during all stages of Maize. Therefore, organic matter and phosphorous can increased plant tolerate to drought.

The use of antibiotics for breeding and for humans increased considerably in recent years, as a dietary supplement to enhance animal growth. This frequent use leads to the detection of residues in water and wastewater. Thus, the emergence of new strains of bacteria resistant to these antibiotics and, can lead to incurable diseases of livestock, and can lead to a possible transmission of these strains to humans. The purpose of this work is to develop new materials based on treated Maghnia clay, activated carbon, cement, and PVA polymer, named geomaterials. These materials were intended for the containment of hazardous wastes in landfills. The removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution was tested by adsorption onto synthesised geomaterials and their mineral constituents. Adsorption kinetics revealed that tetracycline was rapidly retained by GM and ATMa. This was confirmed by the relatively short equilibrium time of 30 min. The pseudo-second-order and intraparticle models well fitted the adsorption kinetic of the TC-adsorbent studied systems. It was noticed that the adsorption kinetic passes through several mechanisms, was demonstrated by the multi-linearity on the plot of qt against the square root of t. The adsorption capacity (Qa ) of TC onto GM is pH-dependent. Indeed, Qa reaches a maximum value (Qa = 12.58 mg ∙ g–1 at a very acidic pH of 2, then the adsorbed amount decreases to reach a minimum value at pH of 8, and for basic pHsQa increases up to 10 mg ∙ g–1.

Departamento de Reproducción Animal​ (INIA), Assisted reproductive technologies impact transcriptome and epigenome of embryos and can result in long-term phenotypic consequences. Whole-genome DNA methylation profiles from individual bovine blastocysts in vivo- and in vitro-derived (using three sources of protein: reproductive fluids, blood serum and bovine serum albumin) were generated. The impact of in vitro culture on DNA methylation was analyzed, and sex-specific methylation differences at blastocyst stage were uncovered. In vivo embryos showed the highest levels of methylation (29.5%), close to those produced in vitro with serum, whilst embryos produced in vitro with reproductive fluids or albumin showed less global methylation (25–25.4%). During repetitive element analysis, the serum group was the most affected. DNA methylation differences between in vivo and in vitro groups were more frequent in the first intron than in CpGi in promoters. Moreover, hierarchical cluster analysis showed that sex produced a stronger bias in the results than embryo origin. For each group, distance between male and female embryos varied, with in vivo blastocyst showing a lesser distance. Between the sexually dimorphic methylated tiles, which were biased to X-chromosome, critical factors for reproduction, developmental process, cell proliferation and DNA methylation machinery were included. These results support the idea that blastocysts show sexually-dimorphic DNA methylation patterns, and the known picture about the blastocyst methylome should be reconsidered, This research was funded by Fundación Seneca-Región de Murcia (Spain), grant number 20040/GERM/16, by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain), grant numbers AGL2015–66341-R, AGL-2015-70140-R, PID2019-111641RB-I00 and by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Medical Research Council., This article belongs to the Special Issue Mammalian Gametes: Molecular Traits Shaping Their Form and Fate

The processes involved in the exchange of water, energy and carbon in terrestrial ecosystems are strongly intertwined. To accurately represent the terrestrial biosphere in land surface models (LSMs), the intrinsic coupling between these processes is required. Soil moisture and leaf area index (LAI) are two key variables at the nexus of water, energy and vegetation. Here, we evaluated two prognostic LSMs (ISBA and ORCHIDEE) and a diagnostic model (based on the LSA SAF, Satellite Application Facility for Land Surface Analysis, algorithms) in their ability to simulate the latent heat flux (LE) and gross primary production (GPP) coherently and their interactions through LAI and soil moisture. The models were validated using in situ eddy covariance observations, soil moisture measurements and remote-sensing-based LAI. It was found that the diagnostic model performed consistently well, regardless of land cover, whereas important shortcomings of the prognostic models were revealed for herbaceous and dry sites. Despite their different architecture and parametrization, ISBA and ORCHIDEE shared some key weaknesses. In both models, LE and GPP were found to be oversensitive to drought stress. Though the simulated soil water dynamics could be improved, this was not the main cause of errors in the surface fluxes. Instead, these errors were strongly correlated to errors in LAI. The simulated phenological cycle in ISBA and ORCHIDEE was delayed compared to observations and failed to capture the observed seasonal variability. The feedback mechanism between GPP and LAI (i.e. the biomass allocation scheme) was identified as a key element to improve the intricate coupling between energy, water and vegetation in LSMs.

Copper-Zinc-Tin-Sulphide (CZTS)/n-Si and Copper-Indium-Gallium-Selenide (CIGS)/n-Si hetero-junction solar cells have been manufactured using Pulse Laser Deposition (PLD) technique. Properties of bo...

It is well established that secondary metabolites (phenols and flavonoids) found in legume plants can be considered as a defensive mechanism against insect pests. We focus our work on the correlations between infestations caused by Liriomyza cicerina among crops’ developmental stages and phenol contents. Study was conducted in Beja, North-West of Tunisia. In this research, the case of Liriomyza cicerina on chickpea, faba bean and lentil crops was described and discussed. For that, interactions between insect attacks, crops developmental stages and secondary metabolites contents were determined: (1) Infestation percentages (%), (2) total phenol contents and (3) antioxidant activity. Results showed that infestations were higher for chickpea during flowering/pod setting stage (74%) as compared to other developmental stages. The total flavonoids ranged between 7.64 and 41.69 mg RE.g−1 DW of leaves. The highest antioxidant activities using two methods of free radical scavenging capacities were obtained with leaves extracts ((326.35 μg/ml) for lentil followed by chickpea (276 μg/ml)). In addition, significant correlation at (P ≤ 0.01) was found between total phenol contents and infestation percentage (r = 0.97). This work highlighted the role of secondary metabolites in plant–insect interactions.

Pyridazine nuclei are essential elements of many natural and synthetic compounds with important biological activities. NMR and IR, as well as studies of mass spectrum, were emplyed to synthesize an...

Although Nanoalumina is widely used in many biomedical applications, its potential toxic effect on pregnant women and developing embryos/fetuses has not been reported. In this investigation, the maternal and developmental toxicity caused by Nanoalumina during gestation and the potential preventive role of the pumpkin seed oil (PSO) were evaluated. Four groups of pregnant rats were orally administered during days 5–19 of gestation as follows: control group, Nanoalumina group (70 mg/kg b.w), PSO- group (4 ml/kg b.w.), and Nanoalumina plus PSO- group. Nanoalumina induced detrimental impacts in pregnancy outcomes, fetal growth retardation, morphological anomalies, hepatic and neural DNA damage, and histopathological changes in hepatic and neural tissues of both mother and fetus, respectively. Furthermore, the level of MDA is significantly increased and activities of GSH and CAT are significantly reduced in both tissues of nanoalumina‐administered rats. PSO co administration improved pregnancy outcomes, fetal growth parameters, DNA damage, antioxidant defenses the histopathological changes of nanoalumina‐gavaged rats and significantly diminished MDA level. Finally, PSO has a preventive role against the detrimental impacts of nanoalumina in dams and fetuses probably via its potential to prevent reactive oxygen species.

Haplophyllum tuberculatum is a plant commonly used in folk medicine to treat several diseases including vomiting, nausea, infections, rheumatism, and gastric pains. In the current study, H. tuberculatum essential oils, hydrosols, the pure compounds R-(+)-limonene, S-(−)-limonene, and 1-octanol, as well as their combinations R-(+)-limonene/1-octanol and S-(−)-limonene/1-octanol, were screened for their cytotoxicity on HEp-2 cells after 24, 48, and 72 h, and then tested for their activity against Coxsackievirus B3 and B4 (CV-B3 and CV-B4) at 3 different moments: addition of the plant compounds before, after, or together with virus inoculation. Results showed that the samples were more cytotoxic after 72 h than after 24 h or 48 h cell contact. However, the combinations R-(+)-limonene/1-octanol and S-(−)-limonene/1-octanol showed less effect on HEp-2 cells than pure R-(+)-limonene and S-(−)-limonene after 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. 1-octanol exhibited the highest concentration causing 50% cytotoxicity (CC50) on HEp-2 cells after 24 h (CC50 = 93 µg/mL) and 48 h (CC50 = 83 µg/mL). The antiviral assays showed that the tested samples exhibited potent inhibition of CV-B. IC50 values ranged from 0.66 µg/mL to 28.4 µg/mL. In addition, CV-B3 was more sensitive than CV-B4. Both CV-B strains are more inhibited when cells were pretreated with the plant compounds. The hydrosols have no effect, neither on HEp-2 cells nor on the virus. 1-octanol, S-(−), and R-(+)-limonene/1-octanol had important selectivity indexes over time. Although essential oils had potent antiviral activity, they can be considered for application in the pretreatment of cells. However, 1-octanol and the combinations are within the safety limits, and thus, they can be used as an active natural antiviral agent for CV-B3 and CV-B4 inhibition.

Biodiesels will become the most popular alternative energy resource to fossil diesels; they can be used alone or blended with an oxygenated additive in any proportion. The properties of biodiesels strongly depend on the type of the fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) that compose them. The main objective of the present work is to investigate the influence of 2-butanol addition on the waste cooking oil biodiesel (WCOB), for this fact, the new experimental density data (952 points) of WCOB + 2-butanol binary mixtures over a wide range of composition [seven compositions; 0 ≤ (WCOB) mole fraction x ≤ 1] between 0.1 and 140 MPa and 298.15 and 393.15 K are presented. The experimental data were correlated using Tait and perturbed chain-statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) equations of state (EoS), to our knowledge, this is the first time that density measurements for the WCOB + 2-butanol mixture are correlated using the famous PC-SAFT EoS. The Tait equation predicts successfully the density with a global absolute average deviation (AAD) of 0.089%, while the PC-SAFT model correlates well the density with a very small global AAD of 0.223% in each composition. Furthermore, contrary to the Tait equation, the PC-SAFT model can explain some interactions between fluid molecules. From the experimental data, the excess volumes VE have been calculated and fitted using the Redlich-Kister equation with a very small global standard deviation of 7.49 × 10-5 cm3 mol-1, and VE show a positive and symmetric parabolic shape in all composition ranges. Finally, the isobaric thermal expansivity, αp, and the isothermal compressibility, κT, have been derived from the Tait equation and their observed trend was as expected.

BACKGROUND Conductive materials have become the focus of recent studies to accelerate and stabilize the conversion of organic wastes to methane in anaerobic digestion processes. In this study, the effect of the addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on biogas/biomethane production from municipal organic solid wastes in anaerobic batch reactors was investigated. In this context, the effect of loading ratios (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 gVS inoculum (gVS nutrient)(-1)) and rGO addition at different concentrations (0, 10, 20 and 30 mg L-1) was examined during a 45-day study period. RESULTS The highest biogas production reached a level of 816 +/- 14 mL (gVS)(-1) when substrate/inoculum ratio was 1 and 20 mg L-1 rGO was added (50% more than the group without rGO added). Addition of 30 mg L-1 rGO resulted in 667 +/- 12 mL (gVS)(-1) corresponding to 23% higher biogas production compared to the control reactor without rGO. The highest cumulative biomethane production was observed to be 525 +/- 20 mL (gVS)(-1) in the reactor with 20 mg L-1 rGO added in which substrate/inoculum ratio was 1. In the reactors with 10 and 30 mg L-1 and without rGO addition biomethane productions were 448 +/- 21, 401 +/- 13 and 323 +/- 23 mL (gVS)(-1), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Results revealed that the addition of rGO increased biomethane production from municipal organic solid wastes. It is concluded that rGO addition has the potential to be applied for real-scale facilities within the scope of renewable energy production and circular economy. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry

Vermiculite clay was modified with calcium oxide in order to remove Dibenzothiophene (DBT) and Benzothiophene (BT) from Model Fuels (1:1 volume mixture of decane and hexadecane). Composite was prep...

The effect of solid boronizing at 950°C for 2 and 4 h on the phase composition, microstructure, hardness and abrasive wear of steel AISI 304L is studied under the impact of a flow of hard particles. The boronized steel is shown to consist of three layers (metal boride, porous layer and matrix) from the external surface to the center. The hardness of the boride is much higher than that of the matrix phase. The wear resistance of the steel is the highest after the 2-h boronizing, and the wear depends on the angle of impact of the hard particles on its surface. With growth of the duration of the boronizing the wear behavior of the steel changes from ductile one to brittle one.

The current work aimed to prepare emulsion gels based on European eel skin gelatin (ESG). The results revealed that the ESG exhibited interesting antioxidant and functional properties in a dose-dependent manner. The ESG has a gel strength of 354.86 g and high gelling and melting temperatures of about 33 and 43 °C, respectively. Hence, based on its interesting gelling ability, the ESG-based gel was employed to stabilize European eel oil (EO) emulsions. In this context, two emulsions were prepared by homogenization or homogenization followed by sonication at EO:ESG weight ratios of 1:2 and 1:4. The physicochemical, textural, structural and thermal properties of emulsion gelatin-based gels (EGGs) were evaluated. The EGGs had a rigid and a cohesive gel network, according to the textural and microstructural analysis. Structural and thermogravimetric analyses showed the effective entrapment of EO in the ESG gel network.

Background: Acefylline (Acef) is a derivative of theophylline that has bronchodilator effects. Two binary mixtures were marketed for Acef: Acefylline piperazine/ Phenobarbitone (Acef-P/Phen) and Acefylline heptaminol/ Cinnarizine (Acef-H/ Cinn). To our knowledge none of the reported methods had the capacity to determine Acef in its binary mixture in presence of its degradation products and potential impurity theophylline (Theo). Methods: Two validated RP-LC methods were established for the determination of Acef-P/Phen and Acef-H/ Cinn in presence of Acef degradation products and its potential impurity Theo. A complete study of the forced acidic, alkaline and oxidative degradation of Acef was presented. The methods were based on LC separation on RP C18 columns using isocratic and gradient elution for Acef-P /Phen and Acef-H /Cinn mixtures, respectively. Different chromatographic conditions were examined and optimized. Results: Linear responses were attained over concentration ranges of 75-500/15-1000 μg/mL and 100-1000 /50- 500 μg/mL with mean percentage recoveries of (100.72±1.23)%/ (99.29±1.12)% and (100.44±1.27)%/ (99.01±0.97)% for Acef-P/Phen and Acef-H /Cinn, respectively. ICH guidelines were used for methods validation and all parameters were found to be acceptable. Conclusion: The methods showed to be accurate, precise and specific for the analysis of Acef-P/Phen and AcefH /Cinn in drug substance, drug product and in laboratory prepared mixtures in presence of Theo and up to 50% of degradation products. The structures of the main degradation products and the expected degradation pathway were suggested using the MS data.

The aims of this work were to point out the seasonal variation in chemical composition and evaluate the insecticidal activities of Mentha spicata and Thymus vulgaris essential oils against larvae of three moths Ectomyelois ceratoniae, Ephestia kuehniella and Plodia interpunctella. GC–MS analyses indicated that major components of M. spicata essential oil were carvone, 1, 8-cineole and limonene. However, linalool, camphor and γ-terpinene were the main compounds for T. vulgaris. Results showed that chemical composition varied with plant species, as well as seasons. On the other hand, results indicated that mortality percentages were highest during the summer season at the concentration 16 µl/l air. Thus, fumigant toxicity depends on insect species, plants, seasons and concentrations. Besides, E. kuehniella was more sensitive to both oils as compared to E. ceratoniae and P. interpunctella. The LC50 values were 0.29, 4.40 and 2.51 µl/l air, respectively, for M. spicata. Concerning T. vulgaris, the respective LC50 values were 0.062, 4.61 and 3.23 µl/l air for E. kuehniella, E. ceratoniae and P. interpunctella. Furthermore, for the most toxic season, LT50 values of M. spicata were 0.7, 5.2 and 3.2 days, respectively, for E. kuehniella, E. ceratoniae and P. interpunctella. Regarding T. vulgaris, LT50 values were 0.35, 6.5 and 4.58 days, respectively, for E. kuehniella, E. ceratoniae and P. interpunctella. Therefore, essential oils collected during summer season could be considered as an effective tool of control against moths of stored products.

A novel extracellular lignin peroxidase (LiP) has been produced (65 U/mL) in potato dextrose broth (PDB)-optimized media by a white-rot Agaricomycetes fungus strain KB-DZ15 newly isolated from dead...

Land continuously planted with corn will decrease land quality. Good land quality is needed to support soil function as a growing medium and keep a sustainable environment. This research was aimed to identify the soil quality index at land unit planted with corn in Mungka, ,Lima Puluh Kota Regency. This research used an explorative descriptive method through land survey and soil analyses in the laboratory. The samples were taken based on purposive random sampling at each land unit under the same slope (8%). There were three land units being sampled, and those were corn-corn, corn-eggplant, and corn-cassava cropping pattern. Corn-corn ropping pattern had the best soil quality index (0.89), followed by corn-cassava (0.86), and corn-eggplant (0.85) on the top 20 cm soil depth. On the 20-40 cm soil depth, the soil quality indices 0.82, 0.82, 0.83, for corn-eggplant, corn-corn, and corn-cassava cropping pattern, respectively. The quality index of the land under the corn cropping pattern was considered good either on the top 0-20 cm or 20-40 cm soil depth. This was due to the addition of organic matter from poultry manure to the land regularly. Based on this research, it is recommended to apply OM regularly to corn cropping pattern to keep a good soil quality index.

Isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide, INH) is an effective frontline antituberculosis drug. INH targets several Mycobacterium tuberculosis processes, including mycolic acid biosynthesis, DNA synthesis, and redox potential. M. tuberculosis responds to INH stress by altering the expression level of crucial genes involved in various pathways. In this study, we summarize the induced gene expression pattern of active M. tuberculosis upon INH exposure. Most genes triggered by INH are involved in processes such as mycolic acid biosynthesis, a compensatory response, stress response, and drug efflux. These patterns are absent in dormant M. tuberculosis. The differential INH response pattern can inform future novel measures against M. tuberculosis.

Respiratory infection is one of the infections that can be transmitted in closed places due to the ease of transmission of pathogens from infected people to healthy people through droplets from coughing and sneezing, among these bacterial causes, Haemophilus influenza. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of this type of bacteria among pilgrims coming from different geographical locations in the world and determine the antibiotic-resistant strains. Around 1226 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 613 pilgrims from several different nationalities before and after completing the Hajj. These specimens were cultivated on chocolate agar medium and the pathogens were identified according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocol and confirmed by an automated system machine (VITEK2). There is no H. influenzae was detected among pilgrims before performing Hajj and the rate of transmission of H. influenzae was 1% after performing Hajj. The most effective antibiotics against to H. influenza isolates from pilgrims was Rifampicin while all the isolates were resistant to ampicillin. The continuous monitorization of the rate of potentially pathogenic bacterial during the Hajj season is required in order to develop advanced strategies to confront any outbreak of any infectious disease among the pilgrims. Key words: Hajj season, nasopharyngeal swabs, ethnic group, Makkah.

Multi-fractured horizontal wells have enabled commercial production from low-permeability (‘tight’) hydrocarbon reservoirs but recoveries remain exceedingly small (2 and (simplified) lean gas HNP cycles, the integrated experimental and simulation approach proposed herein achieves the ultimate recovery factors in a significantly shorter time frame (25–50%) compared to previous studies. The integrated experimental and computational approach proposed herein is valuable for core-based evaluation of cyclic solvent (CO2, CH4) injection in tight hydrocarbon reservoirs for (1) hydrocarbon recovery and (2) subsurface greenhouse (CO2, CH4) gas disposal/storage applications.

We have established a controllable two–step strategy involving the ultrasound dispersion of the bulk solution to synthesize low–dimensional Eu3+–doped SrTiO3 (1–5 mol%) nanostructures. The crystal structure was carefully inspected by XRD which showed good agreement with a pure cubic phase, also indicating that the dopant's incorporation did not affect the crystalline structure. Photoluminescence emission spectra consists of characteristic red emissions owing to 5D0→7Fj (j= 0,1,2,3,4) transitions of Eu3+ ions. Morphological–behavior indicates that the grains were less agglomerated with a small average particle size of 45 nm. Finally, optimized nanoparticles were further utilized for the visualization of latent fingerprints on smooth surfaces. Visualized latent fingerprint exhibits high sensitivity, high contrast, and can obtain the complete ridge details. The results reveal that well–defined ridge characteristics were visualized under daylight and UV–light, demonstrating the material's efficacy in advanced–forensic investigations and the biometric–process of finger scanning.

In this study, conformer analysis of isomer structures of para-, meta- and ortho 4-methoxyphenyl piperazine molecules was performed using the Spartan 08 package program. The optimized geometrical parameters, energies for the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, chemical reactivity descriptors, nonlinear optical properties, Mulliken population analysis, molecular electrostatic potential map, thermodynamic properties and UV–Vis spectral analysis of isomers of the N-(4-methoxyphenyl) piperazine molecule were predicted using the density functional theory (DFT) and TD-DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) methods. The theoretical results obtained were compared with experimental results available in the literature so far, and these results were discussed for each isomer.