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Logistics distribution in disaster-affected areas includes the delivery of relief goods (food, medicine, and clothing) using three types of vehicles with different carrying capacities for each vehicle. In distributing relief goods, unfulfilled requests can occur in disaster-affected areas. This problem can be modeled in the form of integer linear programming because there is a variable that must be an integer value to minimize unfulfilled demand for all types of relief goods at each point of demand. The branch and bound method can solve this problem's integer linear programming model. The next model is simulated using the LINGO 11.0 programming language. The simulation results show that the system can be considered feasible to use. Thus, the vehicle allocation is also obtained in each period with distribution costs from the point of supply to the point of demand. This distribution process lasts for four periods by showing a change in the number of unfulfilled requests. In the last period, there was no more unfulfilled demand for aid to obtain optimal results.

Objective Iodide transport across thyrocytes constitutes a critical step for thyroid hormone biosynthesis, mediated mainly by the basolateral sodium-iodide-symporter (NIS (SLC5A5)) and the apical anion exchanger pendrin (PDS (SLC26A4)). Both transmembrane proteins have been described as autoantigens in thyroid disease, yet the reports on autoantibody (aAb) prevalence and diagnostic usefulness are conflicting. Reasons for the inconclusive findings may be small study groups and principle differences in the technologies used. Design We decided to re-evaluate this important issue by establishing novel non-radioactive tests using full-length antigens and comparable protocols, and analyzing a large cohort of thyroid patients (n = 323) and control samples (n = 400). Methods NIS and PDS were recombinantly expressed as fusion protein with firefly luciferase (Luc). Stably transfected HEK293 cells were used as reproducible source of the autoantigens. Results Recombinant NIS-Luc showed iodide transport activity, indicating successful expression and correct processing. Commercial antibodies yielded dose-dependent responses in the newly established assays. Reproducibility of assay signals from patient sera was verified with respect to linearity, stability and absence of matrix effects. Prevalence of PDS-aAb was similar in thyroid patients and controls (7.7% vs 5.0%). NIS-aAb were more prevalent in patients than controls (7.7% vs 1.8%), especially in Graves’ Disease (12.3%). Neither NIS-aAb nor PDS-aAb concentrations were related to TPO-aAb or TSH-receptor-aAb concentrations, or to serum zinc or selenium status. Conclusions Our data highlight a potential relevance of autoimmunity against NIS for thyroid disease, whereas an assessment of PDS-aAb in thyroid patients seems not to be of diagnostic value (yet).

A rubber agroforest system is a form of land use that considers ecological and economic aspects that are still maintained by the people of Tumbang Mantuhe Village. This study aims to identify and analyze the diversity of vegetation in the agroforest system in Tumbang Mantuhe Village, Gunung Mas Regency, Central Kalimantan. This research uses purposive sampling and the vegetation analysis method. The results showed that the species of vegetation in the rubber agroforest system amounted to 29 species in 23 families. At the seedling level, it is dominated by Macaranga sp. and Xylopia ferruginea; the sapling level is dominated by H. brasiliensis and Syzygium tawahense; the pole level is dominated by Deplanchea bancana and Xylopia ferruginea; at the tree, the level is dominated by H. brasiliensis and Lithocarpus sp. At the seedling, sapling, pole, and tree levels, the diversity values were moderate and the species richness values were moderate to high, and the species distribution was even (stable). The H. brasiliensis agroforest system with various trees in it is a characteristic of local wisdom that the people of Tumbang Mantuhe Village have applied from generation to generation, which provides a balance between ecology and economy.

This study was conducted at Al-Rasheedia Research Station 5 Km North of Mosul city in plastic pot and placed under natural conditions and watered for the two consecutive growing seasons 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 to study the effect of five sowing dates (1st November. 15th November. 1st December. 15th December. 1st January) on two species of Atriplex; Atriplex halimus and Atriplex lentiformis. The data was analyzed as a factorial experiment in a completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six replicates. Results showed significantly superiority of the first date of sowing 1st November on other dates. Height of plant. root depth and root diameter for the two growing seasons 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. Also on the dry weight of leaves. stems. roots and plant for the two growing seasons. High values were recorded under the first date of sowing 1st November but the low values were recorded under the last date of sowing 1st January for all characters. Also. the results showed significantly superiority of Atriplex halimus on Atriplex lentiformis for all characters under study. There was a significant interaction between the two growing seasons in height of plant. root depth. root diameter and plant dry weight

The development of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) has attracted significant attention over the past few decades owing to its unique and superior properties. To date, acid hydrolysis process is still the most frequently used method to treat cellulosic material for the production of CNC. The main reason being that acid hydrolysis method is highly effective in removing the amorphous regions within the cellulose microfibrils while retaining the crystalline domains, thereby yielding CNC. CNC exhibits various outstanding characteristics such as large specific surface area, high aspect ratio, good thermal and mechanical properties, lightweight, high stiffness and high tensile strength. Owing to this, CNC has been subjected into a wide array of research, including implementation as reinforcing agent in nanocomposites and sustainable bio-materials to be utilized in various potential areas of industrial application. Overall, this review summarizes the current knowledge on the isolation, physicochemical properties and applications of CNC.

Candlenut shell was used as the precursor for activated carbon-based electrodes which prepared through two stages, namely carbonization and activation. The surface of the activated carbon was modified with HNO3. Characterization of carbons and activated carbon was performed by SEM, BET, FT-IR test and capacitance analysis using Cyclic Voltammetry. The result of SEM analysis shows that carbon pore formation has occurred after activation with H3PO4. The surface area of carbon and activated carbon determined by the BET method is 125,828 m2/g and 142,435 m2/g, respectively. The results of FTIR and Boehm titration analysis showed an increase in oxygen-containing functional groups after modification with HNO3. Based on the results of the analysis using Cyclic Voltammetry obtained the highest specific capacitance of unmodified activated carbon is 145.49 mF/g in H2SO4 0.5M electrolyte. In addition, the highest specific capacitance of activated carbon modified with HNO3 is 155.92 mF/g obtained in HCl 0.1 M electrolyte. In the same condition, the contribution of salt electrolyte (Na2SO4 0.5 M and 0.1 M) in the specific capacitance of candlenut shell based supercapacitor electrodes is a little bit lower compared to the acid electrolytes.

This research aimed to determine suitable bulb size and proper concentration of benzylamino purine (BAP) to produce vigor plantlets. The research was arranged as factorial completely randomized design with two factors. The first factor was bulb diameter with three levels (0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 ± 0.05 cm). The second factor wasBAP concentration with three levels (2, 4 and 6 mg/L). All treatments were replicated 4 times, thus there were 36 experimental units. Each unit consisted of 3 explants, so there were 108 samples. The results showed that largest bulb of 1.2 cm ± 0.05 in diameter and addition of BAP 4 mg/L to Murashige Skoog basal medium were excellent for producing vigour planlets. There were interactions between the two treatments on number of leaves and root paremeters.

Modification of mesoporous silica, MCM-48, by using 3- mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane has been successfully conducted. MCM-48 and SH-MCM-48 were characterized using XRD and FTIR. SH-MCM-48 was used as an adsorbent of Pb2+ ions from solution. A number of Pb2+ ions adsorbed were studied as the function of time, pH, and concentration. The concentration of the ions after adsorption was determined by an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The removal of the adsorbed ions from the SH-MCM-48 was also studied using several desorbing agents. The result showed that the optimum time was 20 minutes and optimum pH was 4. The adsorption of Pb(II) ion followed the pseudo-second-order with the rate constant of 0,2632 g•mg−1•min−1. Adsorption of Pb(II) ion fitted the Langmuir isotherm with the adsorption capacity of 0,1088 mmol/g. The best desorbing agent to remove the adsorbed ion from SH-MCM-48 was 0.3 M HCl solution with the desorption percentage of 58.6%.

The rotation of insecticides used by the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa is reviewed and the motives for this rotation are shown to be not only management of temephos resistance in the Simulium vectors but also constraints on what compounds are usable at particular seasons. A computer model indicates that without these seasonal constraints there is unlikely to be an advantage in a pre-planned rotation of insecticides, as compared with the prompt switching of compounds as dictated by detection of build up of resistance and switching back to the original compound if the regression of resistance is found to give the opportunity to do so. The latter sequence of events can hardly be called a 'strategy' for resistance management, but is what any well-managed pest control programme would be expected to do. The use of an insecticide mixture is different in principle from the use of rotation and depends on the idea that if the mixture is used from the outset, when resistance to both components of the mixture is likely to be rare, the double resistance combination would be so rare as to be dwarfed in numbers by those insects which avoid exposure altogether. The prospects for successful use of a mixture depend on each component killing a very high percentage of the exposed insects which are genetically susceptible to it. Whether this condition is met could be tested, for example, in the case of exposure of mosquitoes to insecticide-treated bednets.

In this paper, a food web model consisting of two-predator one-prey with the defensive switching of predation avoidance is proposed and analyzed. It is assumed that the prey growth logistically in the absence of predators and defends itself from relatively abundant predator species by switching to another habitat with relatively rare predator species. Sufficient conditions for the stability of the non-trivial equilibrium point are obtained. The Lyapunov function is constructed to establish the global asymptotic stability of the non-trivial equilibrium point when the intensity of defensive switching equal one. Numerical simulations for different sets of parameter values and for different sets of initial conditions are carried out. It has been shown that the system has a globally asymptotically stable non-trivial point when the two predators have the same mortality rates.

A microtitre-plate assay which distinguishes propoxur-resistant from susceptibles Anopheles albimanus Weidemann was used to test for linkage between the genes for propoxur- and dieldrin-resistance. The adult progeny of a backcross between a doubly-resistant colony and a fully susceptible colony were exposed in conventional test kits to the standard discriminating dose of dieldrin, and kept in the insectary overnight. Both live and dead insects were then assayed individually for propoxur-resistance. The results showed that heterozygotes for propoxur-resistance could be reliably distinguished from susceptibles whether or not they had been killed up to 24 h previously by dieldrin treatment. In this way all the backcross progeny could be scored at both resistance loci, and all four genotypic classes identified. Resistant and susceptible alleles at the two loci were inherited independently, demonstrating the absence of linkage. The usual method of testing for linkage between resistance genes is inefficient and open to bias, because insects have to be exposed to each insecticide in turn, and only half of them can be scored at both loci. The method shown here avoids these drawbacks.

Research into weed control in Iraq is largely the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture. The recommendations which the Department of Weed Control have made on the basis of this research are...

Cultivated plants of Iraq and their importance , Cultivated plants of Iraq and their importance , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی