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The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a state-of-the-art facility for studying the strong force, is expected to begin commissioning its first experiments in 2028. This is an opportune time for artificial intelligence (AI) to be included from the start at this facility and in all phases that lead up to the experiments. The second annual workshop organized by the AI4EIC working group, which recently took place, centered on exploring all current and prospective application areas of AI for the EIC. This workshop is not only beneficial for the EIC, but also provides valuable insights for the newly established ePIC collaboration at EIC. This paper summarizes the different activities and R&D projects covered across the sessions of the workshop and provides an overview of the goals, approaches and strategies regarding AI/ML in the EIC community, as well as cutting-edge techniques currently studied in other experiments.

Abstract The distinctive characteristics of nanoparticles and their potential applications have been given considerable attention by scientists across different fields, particularly agriculture. However, there has been limited effort to assess the impact of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in modulating physiological and biochemical processes in response to salt-induced stress. This study aimed to synthesize CuNPs biologically using Solenostemma argel extract and determine their effects on morphophysiological parameters and antioxidant defense system of barley (Hordeum vulgare) under salt stress. The biosynthesized CuNPs were characterized by (UV–vis spectroscopy with Surface Plasmon Resonance at 320 nm, the crystalline nature of the formed NPs was verified via XRD, the FTIR recorded the presence of the functional groups, while TEM was confirmed the shape (spherical) and the sizes (9 to 18 nm) of biosynthesized CuNPs. Seeds of barley plants were grown in plastic pots and exposed to different levels of salt (0, 100 and 200 mM NaCl). Our findings revealed that the supplementation of CuNPs (0, 25 and 50 mg/L) to salinized barley significantly mitigate the negative impacts of salt stress and enhanced the plant growth-related parameters. High salinity level enhanced the oxidative damage by raising the concentrations of osmolytes (soluble protein, soluble sugar, and proline), malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In addition, increasing the activities of enzymatic antioxidants, total phenol, and flavonoids. Interestingly, exposing CuNPs on salt-stressed plants enhanced the plant-growth characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, and gas exchange parameters. Furthermore, CuNPs counteracted oxidative damage by lowering the accumulation of osmolytes, H2O2, MDA, total phenol, and flavonoids, while simultaneously enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, the application of biosynthesized CuNPs presents a promising approach and sustainable strategy to enhance plant resistance to salinity stress, surpassing conventional methods in terms of environmental balance.

Concrete dams are the strongest dams, designed for flood control, electricity generation, and water management. They can become unstable due to ground shaking and earthquake impacts, resulting in stability loss due to embankment and foundation materials or severe deformations like slumping, settlement, cracking, and slope collapse. Where consider an earthquake one of the factors that pose a major threat to dams, especially if the earthquake is strong and if the soil under the dam is sandy soil, so that geotechnical designers should consider more than any other disaster when developing construction in seismically active areas. Therefore, a laboratory study was conducted on a model of concrete dam with dimensions (width =15 cm, high = 20 cm, and thick = 5cm) on fine sand soil. In order to study the stability of the concrete dam subjected to earthquake vibration, the model of the dam was subjected to different types of earthquakes (Halabja and El Centro). The main goal of the study is understanding the behavior and performance of concrete dam subjected to seismic load. It can be concluded that the stability of the concrete dam subjected to earthquake depends on the intensity of the earthquake. Thickness and width of the dam. According to the results, the El-Centro earthquake effect on concrete dams is 60% greater than the Halabja earthquake.

Abstract Background Anopheles pharoensis has a major role in transmitting several human diseases, especially malaria, in Egypt?. Controlling Anopheles is considered as an effective strategy to eliminate the spread of malaria worldwide. Galaxaura rugosa is a species of red algae found in tropical to subtropical marine environments. The presence of G. rugosa is indicative of the ecosystem's overall health. The current work aims to investigate UPLC/ESI/MS profile of G. rugosa methanol and petroleum ether extracts and its activity against An. pharoensis and non-target organisms, Danio rerio and Daphnia magna. Methods Galaxaura rugosa specimens have been identified using DNA barcoding for the COI gene and verified as G. rugosa. The UPLC/ESI/MS profiling of G. rugosa collected from Egypt was described. The larvicidal and repellent activities of G. rugosa methanol and petroleum ether extracts against An. pharoensis were evaluated, as well as the toxicity of tested extracts on non-target organisms, Dan. rerio and Dap. magna. Results The UPLC/ESI/MS analysis of methanol and petroleum ether extracts led to the tentative identification of 57 compounds belonging to different phytochemical classes, including flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, phenyl propanoids. Larval mortality was recorded at 93.33% and 90.67% at 80 and 35 ppm of methanol and petroleum ether extracts, respectively, while pupal mortality recorded 44.44 and 22.48% at 35 and 30 ppm, respectively. Larval duration was recorded at 5.31 and 5.64 days by methanol and petroleum ether extracts at 80 and 35 ppm, respectively. A decrease in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level and a promotion in Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) level of An. pharoensis 3rd instar larvae were recorded by tested extracts. The petroleum ether extract was more effective against An. pharoensis starved females than methanol extract. Also, tested extracts recorded LC50 of 1988.8, 1365.1, and 11.65, 14.36 µg/mL against Dan. rerio, and Dap. magna, respectively. Conclusions Using red algae derivatives in An. pharoensis control could reduce costs and environmental impact and be harmless to humans and other non-target organisms.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an orthopedic procedure performed on patients with severe knee pain and advanced knee conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, in order to restore joint function. Despite the procedure’s high success rates, persistent postoperative pain (PPP) remains a significant complication, affecting a substantial proportion of patients. Identifying predictors of PPP is crucial for improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Methods: A retrospective analytic study was conducted, reviewing the medical records of patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral TKA at King Abdulaziz Medical City. The data collection focused on demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentations, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes. Data were analyzed using JMP software. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: This study included 838 patients, predominantly female (71.5%), with an average age of 65.4 years. Osteoarthritis was the primary reason for surgery (98.3%). The mean preoperative pain score was 3.4, and the average pain duration prior to surgery was 6.2 years. We identified dyslipidemia as a significant predictor of PPP (OR 1.40, p = 0.042), while we found younger age to be a significant predictor (OR 0.979, 95% CI 0.967–0.991, p = 0.001). Other factors such as gender, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, anxiety disorder, mood disorder, tobacco use, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, and BMI were not significant predictors of PPP. Conclusion: This study identifies younger age and dyslipidemia as significant predictors of persistent postoperative pain and improved outcomes following total knee arthroplasty Further research is needed to validate these results in diverse populations and settings, with the objective should be to refine preoperative counseling and postoperative pain management protocols.

The study examined the occupational activities of female graduates in science and technology related fields with a view to assessing factors influencing their performance and make recommendations to enhance women work experiences in S&T occupations. The data for the study was collected through questionnaire and interview schedule from a sample of 2110 respondents comprising of employed female Science and Technology (S&T) graduates and heads of departments in tertiary institutions and S&T firms in Nigeria. The study reveal that most female S&T graduates (FSTGs) employed in tertiary institutions and research institutions were engaged in S&T based occupations. However, in corporate firms, most of the FSTGs work either in administration, finance or R&D departments. In addition, a large proportion takes less paying non S&T jobs for domestic reasons and lack of suitable vacancies. This suggests gross under-utilization of human resource. Some S&T organizations did not have any female working in S&T departments. Recommendations were made to enhance the recruitment, retention and performance of women in S&T employment in Nigeria.

Braced excavation is one of the important systems used to support soil from collapse during excavation. A braced excavation system may be exposed to seismic load and undergoes more forces through the significant vibration of the surrounding soil in addition to the static and lateral loads of soil and nearby structures. The investigation of the braced excavation under the effect of earthquake behavior is still limited or poorly described. Further, this paper presents a numerical study to evaluate the vertical settlement and horizontal displacement of sheet pile wall embedded in silty clay soil in Baqubah city under the influence of the acceleration time history of the 1940 El-Centro earthquake. The study utilized the software PLAXIS 3D. A three-dimensional analysis of the braced system with dimensions of 14m×6m and an excavation depth of 7m was achieved. Three levels of strut and wale layers were used, and five struts for each level. The penetration depth for the sheet pile wall was 9m. The study showed that the El-Centro earthquake laterally moved the braced excavation system as a block mass due to the existence of the excavation system in soft silty clay. The lateral displacement reached approximately 150mm. The differences in lateral earth pressure on sheet pile wall depth a few seconds before and after the earthquake were very small.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) forms the northeastern part of the Arabian Plate that is colliding with the Eurasian Plate. Due to the ongoing collision, the whole KRI territory is folded; accordingly, long anticlines are developed in NW – SE trend, they change west wards to almost E – W. The Cretaceous carbonate rocks form the bulk of the anticlines; in the central part of KRG. North and northwest wards, rocks of Paleozoic, Triassic and Jurassic ages are exposed in the core of some anticlines. Whereas southwards, tertiary rocks are exposed in the core of anticlines. From tectonic point of view, the KRI territory is located in four tectonic zones; each has its own characteristics. Majority of the developed anticlines at the KRI are thrusted and exhibit lateral growth. We have presented many examples of laterally growing anticlines with clear indications for their growth.

The Bradost and Chinara mountains are two well-known geomorphic features in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR), forming two anticlines, besides Shireen and Sare Musa anticlines, which are located north of the Bradost anticline, all four anticlines trend NW – SE. The four anticlines are dissected by the Greater Zab River that swings along its course within the anticlines due to tens of very old landslides and/or plunges. The four studied anticlines are dissected by different thrust faults, which extend for a few kilometers. The thrust faults trend NW – SE; however, locally they deflect from the main trend. The Lower Jurassic rocks are the oldest exposed rocks in the studied area, whereas the rocks of the Bekhme Formation form the carapace of the Bradost and Chinara anticlines. Different structural and geomorphological features were interpreted from satellite images and those which are accessible were checked in the field, all of them indicate the four anticlines exhibit lateral growth. We have measured different aspects to elucidate the type of folds. The four anticlines are Detachment folds, with shallow decollement, which ranges in depth between (100–250) m.

Probabilistic spin logic (PSL), based on networks of binary stochasticneurons (or p-bits), has been shown to provide a viable framework for manyfunctionalities including Ising computing, Bayesian inference, invertibleBoolean logic and image recognition. This paper presents a hardware buildingblock for the PSL architecture, consisting of an embedded MTJ and a capacitivevoltage adder of the type used in neuMOS. We use SPICE simulations to show howidentical copies of these building blocks (or weighted p-bits) can beinterconnected with wires to design and solve a small instance of theNP-complete Subset Sum Problem fully in hardware.

Abstract Immune cell chemotaxis to the sites of pathogen invasion is critical for fighting infection, but in life-threatening conditions such as sepsis and Covid-19, excess activation of the innate immune system is thought to cause a damaging invasion of immune cells into tissues and a consequent excessive release of cytokines, chemokines and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In these circumstances, tempering excessive activation of the innate immune system may, paradoxically, promote recovery. Here we identify the antimalarial compound artemisinin as a potent and selective inhibitor of neutrophil and macrophage chemotaxis induced by a range of chemotactic agents. Artemisinin released calcium from intracellular stores in a similar way to thapsigargin, a known inhibitor of the Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase pump (SERCA), but unlike thapsigargin, artemisinin blocks only the SERCA3 isoform. Inhibition of SERCA3 by artemisinin was irreversible and was inhibited by iron chelation, suggesting iron-catalysed alkylation of a specific cysteine residue in SERCA3 as the mechanism by which artemisinin inhibits neutrophil motility. In murine infection models, artemisinin potently suppressed neutrophil invasion into both peritoneum and lung in vivo and inhibited the release of cytokines/chemokines and NETs. This work suggests that artemisinin may have value as a therapy in conditions such as sepsis and Covid-19 in which over-activation of the innate immune system causes tissue injury that can lead to death.

Over the past decades, pile foundations used to support buildings through a transfer of superstructure loads into more stable soil strata than surface soil layers. Buildings are exposed to seismic force, pile undergoes more stress through the significant vibration of the surrounding soil in addition to the static stresses of buildings. The investigation of the behavior of pile foundations under the influence of earthquakes is still limited or not well described. Further, this paper presents a theoretical study to evaluate the vertical settlement and horizontal displacement of piles embedded in clay and silty soil of Baqubah soil under the effect of the acceleration time history of the 1940 El-Centro earthquake. The study was carried out by using the commercial finite element software PLAXIS 3D. A three-dimensional analysis of the soil-pile foundation for four multi-story buildings is performed with different diameters (0.5, 0.7, and 1) m for the corner, exterior, and interior pile, respectively. The linear elastic model for pile foundation and the Mohr-Coulomb model for soil layers were used in this numerical analysis. The research showed that vertical settlement and horizontal displacement increase as the duration of the earthquake increases, and horizontal displacement with values smaller than vertical displacement. Also, the results showed the vertical settlement is similar for different diameters, in contrast to the horizontal displacement, which was of different values with a range between (3% to 22%) when the diameter increased from 0.5m, 0.7m, and 1m. Also, it can be observed that values increased with the direction of the earthquake from the right to the left side of the pile-soil system with a range of (12% to 32%).

Abstract Background There are many physiological changes occur during pregnancy that affect oxygenation of the pregnant women. It was considered that aerobic and breathing exercises are safe for the mother and the fetus especially moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy. Objective This study was designed to investigate the blood oxygenation response to aerobic exercise combined with breathing exercises in pregnant women. Methodology Forty pregnant women were selected from obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic at Kasr El Einy Hospital, Egypt, confidentiality was assured. They were ranged from 25 to 30 years old, with body mass index (BMI) less than 30 kg/m2 and at the beginning of 3rd trimester, this study was conducted from September 2019 to April 2020. They were assigned into two groups: group A performed aerobic exercise in a form of walking for 20 min. On the treadmill at 60–75% of the maximum heart rate (MHR) of each woman, three times per week in addition to deep breathing exercises in form of diaphragmatic and lateral costal breathing; group B who performed deep breathing exercises only in form of diaphragmatic and lateral costal breathing. The program continued for three months, three times per week. The oxygen saturation (SaO2) was measured twice time, firstly, at the beginning of 3rd trimester of pregnancy then after three months of treatment program. Results The results of this study revealed a statistically significant difference in the oxygen saturation in group A than in group B. Conclusion It could be concluded that there was significant statistical effect of aerobic exercise combined with breathing exercises on blood oxygenation in pregnant women. It improved the oxygen saturation in pregnant women.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is an orthopedic procedure performed on patients with severe knee pain and advanced knee conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, in order to restore joint function. Despite the procedure's high success rates, persistent postoperative pain (PPP) remains a significant complication, affecting a substantial proportion of patients. Identifying predictors of PPP is crucial for improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Methods: A retrospective analytic study was conducted, reviewing the medical records of patients who underwent unilateral or bilateral TKA at King Abdulaziz Medical City. The data collection focused on demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentations, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes. Data were analyzed using JMP software. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: This study included 838 patients, predominantly female (71.5%), with an average age of 65.4 years. Osteoarthritis was the primary reason for surgery (98.3%). The mean preoperative pain score was 3.4, and the average pain duration prior to surgery was 6.2 years. We identified dyslipidemia as a significant predictor of PPP (OR 1.40, p = 0.042), while we found younger age to be a significant predictor (OR 0.979, 95% CI 0.967–0.991, p = 0.001). Other factors such as gender, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, anxiety disorder, mood disorder, tobacco use, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, and BMI were not significant predictors of PPP. Conclusion: This study identifies younger age and dyslipidemia as significant predictors of persistent postoperative pain and improved outcomes following total knee arthroplasty Further research is needed to validate these results in diverse populations and settings, with the objective should be to refine preoperative counseling and postoperative pain management protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioactive compounds of medicinal plants present as natural ingredients provide health benefits beyond the basic nutritional value of these products. However, the availability of bioactive compounds in the current natural sources is limited. Hence, the induction of bioactive compound production from medicinal plants through nanoparticles (NPs) might play a vital role in industrially important medicinal compounds. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biologically and to investigate their effect on phytochemical compound production from the callus of Juniperus procera. AgNPs were synthesized biologically using aqueous leaf extract of Phoenix dactylifera, which acted as a reducing and capping agent, and silver nitrate solution. The formation of AgNPs has been confirmed through different analytical techniques such as UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The impact of different concentrations (0.0, 5, 20, and 50 mg/L) of AgNPs on enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants of the callus of J. procera was investigated. The obtained results showed a significant effect of AgNPs on biomass accumulation and non-enzymatic antioxidants (phenol, tannin, and flavonoid content). Additionally, total protein content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were increased in response to AgNPs. Furthermore, bioactive compounds like gallic acid, tannic acid, coumarin, hesperidin, rutin, quercetin, and ferruginol were chromatographically separated and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with reference standards. These compounds were increased significantly in response to AgNPs treatments. We concluded that AgNPs could be a promising elicitor for improving the production of phytochemical compounds in medicinal plants. This work can serve asa good model for improving the production of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants in vitro. This molecular investigation should be done to understand better the metabolic mechanism leading to bioactive compound production scaling.

The implementation of nanotechnology in the field of plant tissue culture has demonstrated an interesting impact on in vitro plant growth and development. Furthermore, the plant tissue culture accompanying nanoparticles has been showed to be a reliable alternative for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Herein, the effectiveness of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the growth of Delonix elata calli, as well as their phytochemical profiles, were investigated. Delonix elata seeds were collected and germinated, and then the plant species was determined based on the PCR product sequence of ITS1 and ITS4 primers. Afterward, the calli derived from Delonix elata seedlings were subjected to 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/L of ZnONPs. The ZnONPs were biologically synthesized using the Ricinus communis aqueous leaf extract, which acts as a capping and reducing agent, and zinc nitrate solution. The nanostructures of the biogenic ZnONPs were confirmed using different techniques like UV–visible spectroscopy (UV), zeta potential measurement, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Adding 30 mg/L of ZnONPs to the MS media (containing 2.5 µM 2,4-D and 1 µM BAP) resulted in the highest callus fresh weight (5.65 g) compared to the control and other ZnONP treatments. Similarly, more phenolic accumulation (358.85 µg/g DW) and flavonoid (112.88 µg/g DW) contents were achieved at 30 mg/L. Furthermore, the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed significant increments in gallic acid, quercetin, hesperidin, and rutin in all treated ZnONP calli compared to the control. On the other hand, the gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis of the calli extracts revealed that nine phytochemical compounds were common among all extracts. Moreover, the most predominant compound found in calli treated with 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/L of ZnONPs was bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, with percentage areas of 27.33, 38.68, 22.66, and 17.98%, respectively. The predominant compounds in the control and in calli treated with 10 mg/L of ZnONPs were octadecanoic acid, 2-propenyl ester and heptanoic acid. In conclusion, in this study, green ZnONPs exerted beneficial effects on Delonix elata calli and improved their production of bioactive compounds, especially at a dose of 30 mg/L.

Abstract Background Juniperus procera Hoechst. ex Endl. is a medicinal tree in Saudi Arabia, primarily in the Enemas region, but it is locally threatened due to die-back disease and difficulties regarding seed reproduction (seed dormancy and underdeveloped embryonic anatomy, and germination rate

Among biological methods, green synthesis of the nanomaterials using plant extracts was shown to be an environmentally friendly, economical, and simple approach. In the current study, the biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was achieved using the leaf extract of Hibiscus tiliaceus, in order to prevent the contamination of the tissue culture media and induce callus growth. The nanostructures of the fabricated AgNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta size, and zeta potential techniques. Our results indicate that The UV–vis spectrum of AgNPs exhibited an absorption band at 415 nm. The FTIR analysis identified the functional groups which could involve in the reduction of silver ions to AgNPs, this was also confirmed by the (hkl) diffraction peaks in the XRD diffractogram. Moreover, the TEM analysis showed a spherical nanoparticle with a size ranging from 21 and 26 nm. Thereafter, the potential antibacterial and antifungal activity of the biogenic AgNPs was evaluated against Bacillus pumilus and Alternaria alternata which were isolated from the in vitro culture media and identified based on 16S rDNA and ITS rDNA sequences, respectively. The results showed that the AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of Alternaria alternata and Bacillus pumilus at all applied concentrations (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/L). Compared to the control more fungal radial growth reduction (42.59%,) and bacterial inhibition (98.12%) were registered in the plates containing high doses of AgNPs (40 mg/L). Using Rumex nervosus explants, the biosynthesized AgNPs were tested for their impact to promote callus growth. The obtained results showed a significant effect of AgNPs on callus fresh weight at all applied doses. Moreover, AgNPs treatments showed a polymorphism of 12.5% which was detected by RAPD markers. In summary, the results revealed that AgNPs (40 mg/L) can be effectively added to the in vitro culture media for reducing microbial contamination and improving callus growth while greatly maintaining its genetic stability.

Echinops macrochaetus is a medicinal plant that can be used to cure various diseases. In the present study, plant-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized using an aqueous leaf extract of the medicinal plant Heliotropium bacciferum and characterized using various techniques. E. macrochaetus was collected from the wild and identified using the internal transcribed spacer sequence of nrDNA (ITS-nrDNA), which showed the closeness to its related genus in a phylogenetic tree. The effect of synthesized biogenic ZnO-NPs was studied on E. macrochaetus in a growth chamber for growth, bioactive compound enhancement and antioxidant system response. The irrigation of plants at a low concentration of ZnO-NPs (T1 = 10 mg/L) induced more growth in terms of biomass, chlorophyll content (273.11 µg/g FW) and carotenoid content (135.61 µg/g FW) than the control and other treatments (T2-20 mg/L and T3-40 mg/L). However, the application of a high concentration of ZnO-NPs (20 and 40 mg/L) increased the level of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX and GR), total crude and soluble protein, proline and TBARS contents. The accumulations of the compounds quercetin-3-β-D-glucoside, luteolin 7-rutinoside and p-coumaric acid were greater in the leaf compared to the shoot and root. A minor variation was observed in genome size in treated plants as compared to the control group. Overall, this study revealed the stimulatory effect of phytomediated ZnO-NPs, which act as bio-stimulants/nano-fertilizers as revealed by more biomass and the higher production of phytochemical compounds in different parts of the E. macrochaetus.

Salinity is one of the most limiting constraints of crop production. Nevertheless, highly-tolerant crop plants (e.g. ‘Guar’ Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) can thrive well under salinity conditions. RNA-Seq plays a central role in identifying genes involved in the response mechanisms to salt stress in plant species. High-quality RNA, free of genomic DNA is a critical determinant for success in subsequent downstream experiments to shed light on tolerance mechanisms. In this research, an inspection of two different total RNA isolation protocols was employed for preparing highly pure and intact RNAs with good yield from Guar tissue under both high salinity and control conditions. The extracted RNA appeared in all quality metrics to be of adequate quantity and quality for most downstream applications, including high-throughput transcriptome sequencing and expression analysis. However, the outcomes showed that the most widely used RNA quality measurement, the RNA Integrity Number (RIN), is a poor indicator with a weak correlation to the integrity of RNA from this plant. In contrast to human and animal cells, plants have various ribosomal RNA species. Consequently, whenever the RNA was separated on an agarose gel, several RNA bands did appear, which gives the false impression of being unable to analyze the results of the bioanalyzer integrity. Low RIN number RNA samples were further processed by RNA-sequencing RNA-seq experiments from guar. RNA-seq analysis via Illumina’s paired-end method was carried out to trace back and evaluate the extracted total RNA, resulting in high-quality data for subsequent stress tolerance research.

Ochradenus arabicus is a significant therapeutic plant which grows in desert zones of Saudi Arabia. It has antimicrobial, anticancer, cancer prevention, antidiabetic, allopathic and pabulum properties. The present study evaluated the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilizing the leaf concentrate of plant O. arabicus having novel ethnomedicinal potential. The incorporated AgNPs were visualized utilizing UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antimicrobial impact of AgNPs delivering O. arabicus was considered utilizing distinctive pathogenic microorganisms, for example, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus mutans. From the plate dispersion results, the incorporated silver nanoparticles demonstrated potent antibacterial properties and high antimicrobial action contrasted with the ionic silver. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2021.1961609 .

Gara and Mateen are 2 major anticlines in the northern part of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, located in the vicinity of the town Amadiyah. Both anticlines are oriented in an almost east–west (E–W) trend with a steep southern limb. The length and width of the Gara and Mateen anticlines are 87 km and 63 km, and 11 km and 9.5 km, respectively. The 2 anticlines are separated by a wide and shallow syncline filled by the Tertiary rocks of the Pliocene–Pleistocene age. The oldest exposed rocks in the Gara and Mateen anticlines are from the Triassic age. The carapace of both anticlines is built up by the Bekhme and Qamchuqa formations. The geomorphological and structural features were studied through satellite images and geological maps. Based on these studies, it was found that both anticlines show clear geomorphological and structural features that indicate their lateral growth. Among those features are water and wind gaps, different shapes of valleys that indicate lateral growth, abandoned alluvial fans, whale-back shapes, en-echelon plunges, and multiple dome anticlines. Furthermore, the rate of upward movements was calculated using neotectonic data. In addition, the rate of river and stream incisions was calculated on the basis of the height of the river terrace levels.

A stream survey was conducted in the Sidakan vicinity in the northeastern part of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, which covered the catchment area of the main stream. The covered area is about 450 km2. The exposed rocks in the study area are mainly igneous with subordinate sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The catchment area was divided into 14 sub-basins using Global Mapper software. The junction point of the valleys at the end of each sub-basin was sampled. From each junction point, 2 stream sediments were collected. The samples were sieved using the wet method into 2 mm fractions, before the fractions were subjected to x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The results obtained from both tests were used to calculate the concentrations of 9 elements (Cr, Ni, Co, Cu, U, Ag, V, Zn, and Cd). The element concentrations are presented in 9 concentration maps after normalizing the concentration values. Some anomalous results were found. The average concentrations of Ag and Cd were nearly 120 and 266 times higher than the background concentrations (6 mg/kg and 16 mg/ kg, respectively). The acquired data also showed interesting average concentrations for the elements Co, Cr, Ni, and U (280 mg/kg, 999 mg/kg, 375 mg/kg, and 12 mg/kg, respectively). All of these anomalous concentrations are discussed and possible reasons for their existence are given.