Search

Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An experimental platform for fine water mist inhibition of polyurethane fire was set up to study the inhibition of polyurethane fire by a new type of spray nozzle fine water mist containing additives. The combustible material chosen for the experiment was polyurethane insulation foam board, a cold storage insulation material. Firstly, a venturi was installed in front of the nozzle, secondly, a surface tension meter was used to test the surface tension of the additives, and the pyrolysis products of the composite additives were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis, and finally, the pressure was adjusted and a fine water mist with a concentration of 1% of the composite additives, and NaCl, CHSO4Na, KHCO3, and CO(NH2)2 were used to extinguish the polyurethane fire. The effectiveness of the fine water mist system in extinguishing fires at low concentrations of a single NaCl and green additive was investigated. The homemade additive package and the sodium chloride salt fine water mist system were compared. The experimental results showed that the synergistic effect of the physical and chemical additives significantly increased the suppression of polyurethane fires by fine water mist by about 16.7% relative to a single sodium chloride additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Enhancing wheat productivity by implementing a comprehensive approach that combines irrigation, nutrition, and organic amendments shows potential for collectively enhancing crop performance. This study examined the individual and combined effects of using irrigation systems (IS), foliar potassium bicarbonate (PBR) application, and compost application methods (CM) on nine traits related to the growth, physiology, and yield of the Giza-171 wheat cultivar. Analysis of variance revealed significant (P ≤ 0.05) main effects of IS, PBR, and CM on wheat growth, physiology, and yield traits over the two growing seasons of the study. Drip irrigation resulted in a 16% increase in plant height, leaf area index, crop growth rate, yield components, and grain yield compared to spray irrigation. Additionally, the application of foliar PBR at a concentration of 0.08 g/L boosted these parameters by up to 22% compared to the control. Furthermore, the application of compost using the role method resulted in enhanced wheat performance compared to the treatment including mix application. Importantly, the combined analysis revealed that the three-way interaction between the three factors had a significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on all the studied traits, with drip irrigation at 0.08 g PBR rate and role compost application method (referred as Drip_0.08g_Role) resulting in the best performance across all traits, while sprinkle irrigation without PBR and conventional mixed compost method (referred as sprinkle_CK_Mix) produced the poorest results. This highlights the potential to synergistically improve wheat performance through optimized agronomic inputs.

Enhancing wheat productivity by implementing a comprehensive approach that combines irrigation, nutrition, and organic amendments shows potential for collectively enhancing crop performance. This study examined the individual and combined effects of using irrigation systems (IS), foliar potassium bicarbonate (PBR) application, and compost application methods (CM) on nine traits related to the growth, physiology, and yield of the Giza-171 wheat cultivar. Analysis of variance revealed significant (P ≤ 0.05) main effects of IS, PBR, and CM on wheat growth, physiology, and yield traits over the two growing seasons of the study. Drip irrigation resulted in a 16% increase in plant height, leaf area index, crop growth rate, yield components, and grain yield compared to spray irrigation. Additionally, the application of foliar PBR at a concentration of 0.08 g/L boosted these parameters by up to 22% compared to the control. Furthermore, the application of compost using the role method resulted in enhanced wheat performance compared to the treatment including mix application. Importantly, the combined analysis revealed that the three-way interaction between the three factors had a significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on all the studied traits, with drip irrigation at 0.08 g PBR rate and role compost application method (referred as Drip_0.08g_Role) resulting in the best performance across all traits, while sprinkle irrigation without PBR and conventional mixed compost method (referred as sprinkle_CK_Mix) produced the poorest results. This highlights the potential to synergistically improve wheat performance through optimized agronomic inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroponic growing systems are advantageous for nutrient studies in which root data are important because they alleviate the laborious and time-consuming task of washing roots to remove soilless substrate particulates from them. However, the growing system should be optimized for the crop of interest. Our overall objective was to develop a protocol for hydroponic strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) production that provided growth equal to or better than soilless substrate. Plants were initially grown in perlite, sand, deep water culture (DWC), or a peat-based soilless substrate. Aboveground plant growth in DWC was similar to that of plants grown in the peat-based substrate and required minimal effort to harvest the entire root system. However, the pH of the DWC nutrient solution decreased to 4.0 ± 0.1 (mean ± SE) when plants were provided a modified strawberry (Yamazaki) nutrient solution with a ratio of nitrate (NO32) to ammonium (NH4 +) of 80:20. As a result, a subsequent trial was conducted to evaluate the buffering capacity of nutrient solutions with NO32 to NH4+ ratios of 0:100, 20:80, 50:50, 60:40, 80:20, or 100:0, with the addition of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3). Up to 2.6 mM KHCO3 did not provide adequate buffering in nutrient solutions containing NH4 + (0:100 to 80:20 treatments), and nutrient solution pH decreased by ~1.5 units every 2 to 3 days. The 100% NO3 2 nutrient solution, however, maintained a stable pH of 5.9 ± 0.1 when buffered with 0.8 mM KHCO3. Finally, 2(N-Morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) was evaluated as a potential buffering agent for DWC strawberry production. Plants were grown in a nutrient solution with a 60:40 ratio of NO3 2:NH4 +. The buffering capacity of the nutrient solution increased as the MES concentration supplied increased from 1 to 5 mM, and the 5 mM MES treatment maintained a pH of 5.6 ± 0.2. In summary, strawberry plants can successfully be grown hydroponically in DWC, provided that nutrient solution pH is adequately managed. The addition of MES buffer provided better pH stability than KHCO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remediation of dyes in wastewater using activated carbon produced from sewage sludge pyrolysis char (PYC) is an environmentally friendly and sustainable process. However, traditional activators can cause corrosion of the processing facility, thereby increasing the costs of waste disposal. Here, activated carbons were prepared from sewage sludge PYC, and the effects of activation conditions (different activators, temperature and time, and char:activator mass ratio) on their specific surface areas and adsorption of iodine and methylene blue (MB; model dye) were studied. The results showed that a value of 952 m2/g could be attained for the specific surface area and values of 882 and 162 mg/g for the adsorption of iodine and MB, respectively, by heating PYC with KHCO3 (PYC- KHCO3: 1:2 w/w) for 60 min at 800 ℃. Compared with activation by KOH, the adsorption of MB using PYC-KHCO3 was slightly lower but the yield was 13.7% higher. Optimization of the activation process using surface response modelling indicated that sensitivity of three key factors to the adsorption of iodine and MB followed the order: Mass ratio > temperature > time. Systematic investigation of the effects of time, pH and temperature on the removal of MB by the activated carbon revealed that adsorption conformed to the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The proposed mechanisms of MB adsorption involved ion exchange, functional group complexation and physical/π-π interactions. This study provides a basis for the efficient remediation of dyes in wastewater using activated carbon prepared from sustainable sewage sludge PYC and green chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes in storage loss, water distribution status, gel characteristics, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), total volatile basic nitrogen, and total plate count of cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter during cold storage at 4 °C were investigated. The storage loss, content of free water, pH, hardness, TBARSs, total volatile basic nitrogen value, and total plate count of all cooked silver carp surimi batters significantly increased (p < 0.05) with an increase in cold storage time. Meanwhile, the content of immobilized water, whiteness, springiness, and cohesiveness significantly decreased (p < 0.05). At the same cold storage time, the sample of cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter had lower water mobility, darker color, and better texture characteristics than the cooked silver carp surimi batter without potassium bicarbonate; however, the values of TBARSs, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total plate count were not significantly different (p > 0.05). This meant that there was no difference between potassium bicarbonate and sodium tripolyphosphate in antioxidant and antibacterial activity during the cold storage of silver carp surimi batter. To summarize, the use of potassium bicarbonate instead of sodium tripolyphosphate could produce cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter with better water-holding capacity and gel characteristics during cold storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the use of partial or total potassium bicarbonate (PBC) to replace sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) on reduced-phosphate silver carp batters, all the batters were composed of silver carp surimi, pork back fat, ice water, spices, sugar, and sodium chloride. Therein, the sample of T1 contained 4 g/kg STPP; T2 contained 1 g/kg PBC, 3 g/kg STPP; T3 contained 2 g/kg PBC, 2 g/kg STPP; T4 contained 3 g/kg PBC, 1 g/kg STPP; T5 contained 4 g/kg PBC, and they were all produced using a bowl chopper. The changes in pH, whiteness, water- and oil-holding capacity, gel and rheological properties, as well as protein conformation were investigated. The pH, cooking yield, water- and oil-holding capacity, texture properties, and the G′ values at 90 °C of the reduced-phosphate silver carp batters with PBC significantly increased (p < 0.05) compared to the sample without PBC. Due to the increasing pH and enhanced ion strength, more β-sheet and β-turns structures were formed. Furthermore, by increasing PBC, the pH significantly increased (p < 0.05) and the cooked silver carp batters became darkened. Meanwhile, more CO2 was generated, which destroyed the gel structure, leading the water- and oil-holding capacity, texture properties, and G′ values at 90 °C to be increased and then decreased. Overall, using PBC partial as a substitute of STPP enables reduced-phosphate silver carp batter to have better gel characteristics and water-holding capacity by increasing its pH and changing its rheology characteristic and protein conformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terphenyl phosphine TXPhos-Pd catalyst significantly broadened the existing scope of five-membered heteroaryl substrates, broke the barrier of bases, and decreased the loadings of palladium. A practical procedure for the preparation of secondary five-membered heteroaryl amines via the palladium-catalyzed C N cross-coupling reaction has been established using the weak bases KHCO 3 and KOAc. [Display omitted] • The existing scope of five-membered heteroaryl substrates has been significantly expended. • The barrier of bases has been broken and KHCO 3 is the general choice in conjunction with the catalyst. • A practical procedure for the preparation of secondary five-membered heteroaryl amines has been established. The scope limitation of substrates especially for five-member heteroaryl substrates often presenting in medical and bioactive molecules, along with high palladium loadings and sometimes needing strong bases, perplexes the application of the palladium-catalyzed C N cross-coupling reactions. The terphenyl phosphine TXPhos supporting palladium catalyst [(TXPhos)(allyl)PdCl] dramatically broadened the existing scope of five-membered heteroaryl substrates and made the weak bases KHCO 3 and KOAc become general and optimal choices. Therefore, the barrier of bases has been broken and an attractive protocol for the preparation of secondary five-membered heteroaryl amines via the palladium-catalyzed C N cross-coupling reaction has been established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diseased common bean pods, stems, and roots were recognized various fungal pathogens along two growing seasons (2019–2020) in El-Minya governorate, Egypt. Two genera of fungi, Fusarium spp. and Macrophomina phaseolina, were occurred with pods, stems and roots recording the most predominant that showed the highest frequency, in the case of Fusarium 45% and Macrophomina 25%. The most infective Fusarium isolate F1 and Macrophomina phaseolina isolate M1 were subjected for molecular identification which confirmed that F1 is Fusarium equiseti and M1 isolate is Macrophomina phaseolina. Soaking seeds in calcium silicate (CaSi) gave significant reduction in disease severity % (DS%) at 0.2g/l by 40.54%, and 33.3% under soil infestation with F. equiseti and M. phaseolina respectively. However, CaSi was more effective to protect common bean plants against either Fusarium equiseti or M. phaseolina infection, than potassium silicate (Psi). Potassium bicarbonate (PB) at 0.2g/l expressed the highest protection values 47.3% and 54.31% against F. equiseti and M. phaseolina infection, respectively. Application of (PAA) at 0.2g/l AA+2.0g/l H2O2 as seed soaking resulted in resistant bean plant against F. equiseti 20% protection and against M. phaseolina 47.0% protection. Salicylic acid (SA) caused significant bean DS reduction. Using 0.2g/l SA exhibited 35.22% and 32.74% protection against infection by F. equiseti and M. phaseolina, respectively.

The effective removal of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) from the water environment is of great importance. Adsorption as a simple, stable, and cost-effective technology is regarded as an important method for removing OTC. Herein, a low-cost biochar with a developed mesoporous structure was synthesized via pyrolysis of poplar leaf with potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) as the activator. KHCO3 can endow biochar with abundant mesopores, but excessive KHCO3 cannot continuously promote the formation of mesoporous structures. In comparison with all of the prepared biochars, PKC-4 (biochar with a poplar leaf to KHCO3 mass ratio of 5:4) shows the highest adsorption performance for OTC as it has the largest surface area and richest mesoporous structure. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich equilibrium model are more consistent with the experimental data, which implies that the adsorption process is multi-mechanism and multi-layered. In addition, the maximum adsorption capacities of biochar are slightly affected by pH changes, different metal ions, and different water matrices. Moreover, the biochar can be regenerated by pyrolysis, and its adsorption capacity only decreases by approximately 6% after four cycles. The adsorption of biochar for OTC is mainly controlled by pore filling, though electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interaction are also involved. This study realizes biomass waste recycling and highlights the potential of poplar leaf-based biochar for the adsorption of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of worried consumer pressure, European supermarket chains (ESC) have developed very strict rules about the number and concentration of pesticide active substance residues (AS) accepted in fruits. So-called fruit quality toxicological burden indicators were developed. If fruit suppliers do not comply with ESC requirements, their fruit is often rejected. It is becoming increasingly difficult for apple producers to meet all the requirements of the ESC, so they need new residue reduction tools. One of the options to lower the concentrations of residue on apples is a preharvest application of low-risk preparations (LRP) based on potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) = PBC, coconut di-ethanol amide ((CH3(CH2)nC(=O)N(CH2CH2OH)2) = DEA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) = HP, and a mixture of microbes (EM) that have the ability to dissolve or disintegrate the AS residue. Trials were carried out to test the concept mentioned above. The application of LRP during the last four weeks of preharvest significantly reduced the residue concentration of pesticide AS in apples. Reduction rates among 25 active substances ranged from 0 to 100%, depending on the combination of LRP and AS. HP had the highest capacity to accelerate AS degradation, PB was the second most efficient, and DEA and EM displayed a low residue disintegration ability. The application of the tested LRP can enable apple growers to produce fruits with significantly lower residue concentrations and allows them to comply more successfully with strict ESC rules based on the calculations of toxicological burden indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean plants can grow by solely depending on fixed N2 through their root nodules, a symbiotic organ with rhizobia. In this study, when nodulated soybeans were cultivated using hydroponics and an N-free culture solution, the pH rapidly decreased to 4.0, which may be harmful for root growth and nutrient absorption. Therefore, we prepared a new N-free culture solution characterized by less pH fluctuation due to the addition of potassium bicarbonate. A total of 1–2 mM sodium bicarbonate optimized the pH between 6 and 7. However, the solution pH increased to 8–9 during soybean cultivation when 5–20 mM of sodium bicarbonate was applied. The addition of potassium bicarbonate did not affect the dry weight of each organ. The evapotranspiration rate of the plants with bicarbonate on the 37th day after planting was higher than that of the control without bicarbonate. When the K2SO4 was replaced by KHCO3, the pH just after preparation ranged between 6.3 and 6.5, while that after cultivation for two days ranged frp, about 6.1 to 6.5. It was found that more than half of the bicarbonate remained in the culture solution after 3 days of cultivation. The optimum P concentrations for the modified culture solution were found to be 50 and 100 μM, while the P concentrations over 150 μM reduced the plant growth and led to yellowing in the lower leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew disease, caused by Erysiphe betae, is one of the most threatening diseases on sugar beet plants worldwide. It causes a great loss in the root yield, sugar percentage, and quality of produced sugar. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the susceptibility of 25 sugar beet cultivars to infection with powdery mildew disease under Egyptian conditions. Moreover, we evaluated the impacts of three eco-friendly materials, including potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3; at 5 and 10 g L−1), Moringa oleifera seed extract (25 and 50 g L−1), and the biocontrol agent, Bacillus subtilis (108 cell suspension) against E. betae in two successive seasons 2020 and 2021. Our findings showed that there were significant differences between these 25 cultivars in their susceptibility to the disease under study. Using the detached leaves technique in vitro, B. subtilis showed strong antifungal activity against E. betae. Moreover, both concentrations of KHCO3 and moringa seed extract significantly reduced the disease severity. Under field conditions, tested treatments significantly reduced the severity of powdery mildew disease and prevented E. betae from producing its conidiophores and conidia. Scanning electron microscope examination of treated leaves demonstrated the presence of the decomposition of fungal hyphae, conidiophores, conidia, and the occurrence of plasmolysis to fungal cells and spores on the surface of the leaves. Furthermore, these treatments greatly improved the percent of sucrose and soluble solids content, as well as the enzymatic activity of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. It is noteworthy that treatment with moringa seed extract gave the best results, followed by potassium bicarbonate, then B. subtilis cell suspension. Generally, it is recommended to use the substances used in this research to combat powdery mildew to minimize or prevent the use of chemical fungicides harmful to public health and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes in storage loss, water distribution status, gel characteristics, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), total volatile basic nitrogen, and total plate count of cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter during cold storage at 4 °C were investigated. The storage loss, content of free water, pH, hardness, TBARSs, total volatile basic nitrogen value, and total plate count of all cooked silver carp surimi batters significantly increased (p < 0.05) with an increase in cold storage time. Meanwhile, the content of immobilized water, whiteness, springiness, and cohesiveness significantly decreased (p < 0.05). At the same cold storage time, the sample of cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter had lower water mobility, darker color, and better texture characteristics than the cooked silver carp surimi batter without potassium bicarbonate; however, the values of TBARSs, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total plate count were not significantly different (p > 0.05). This meant that there was no difference between potassium bicarbonate and sodium tripolyphosphate in antioxidant and antibacterial activity during the cold storage of silver carp surimi batter. To summarize, the use of potassium bicarbonate instead of sodium tripolyphosphate could produce cooked reduced-phosphate silver carp surimi batter with better water-holding capacity and gel characteristics during cold storage.

Copyright of Agroindustrial Science is the property of Agroindustrial Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cercospora leaf spot caused by Cercospora beticola are among the most dangerous plant diseases on sugar beet plants. It causes heavy economic losses, whether on the yield of roots, the percentage of sugar in them, or the quality of sugar produced. In addition to the economic cost caused by chemical control, these chemical pesticides cause an imbalance in the ecosystem and harm the health of humans and animals. In an attempt to search for a safer method than pesticides and environmentally friendly, an evaluation of using biocontrol agents, Bacillus subtilis as cell suspension (108 cell/ml), was conducted in this study. Seeds extract of Moringa oleifera with two concentrations (25 and 50 g/L) and potassium bicarbonate at (5 and10 g/L (compared to fungicide Montoro 30% EC (Propiconazole 15% + Difenoconazole 15%). The evaluation results for twenty-five sugar beet varieties showed a significant discrepancy between these varieties in the extent of their susceptibility to infection with the disease under investigation. In-Vitro , B. subtilis induced an antagonist to C. beticola , and both M. oleifera seeds extract and potassium bicarbonate significantly reduced the linear growth of this pathogen. Under field conditions, the treatments used have given positive results in controlling Cercospora leaf spots. They significantly decreased the severity of disease and prevented C. beticola from creating conidiophores and conidiospores, along with examining their cell walls with the formation of plasmolysis of the fungus cells and reducing both the number and diameter of the spots on the surface leaves; this was demonstrated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is worth noting that the best results obtained were most often when treated with M. oleifera seeds extract, followed by potassium bicarbonate, then cell suspension of B. subtilis. In addition, the percentage of the content of beet roots from total soluble solids and sucrose has improved significantly due to spraying sugar beet plants with the substances mentioned earlier. These treatments also contributed to a significant improvement in the enzymes polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogens associated with onion seeds cause serious problems by decreasing the percentage of germinated seeds and impeding the growth of germinated seedlings leading to pre- and post-emergence damping-off. Two fungal isolates, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum, associated with commercial onion seeds were isolated, identified, and tested for their pathogenicity. Different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-based compounds [peroxyacetic acid (PAA), potassium bicarbonate (PB)] alone or combined with microwave treatment for eight seconds (M8) or ten seconds (M10) were also evaluated against pre- and post-emergence damping-off caused by A. niger and F. oxysporum, as well as their impact on morphological and physiological traits of onion seedlings. Our results revealed that H2O2-based compounds and/or microwave treatments significantly increased the germination percentage and vigor index of onion seeds and decreased the disease incidence of damping-off. The highest germination percentages were achieved when onion seeds without artificial fungal infection were soaked in PPA1 (95.5%), M8 + PPA2 (95%) and PB_2 (93%), compared with their control (85.5%). The three treatments also significantly increased the vigor index of the onion seedlings from 804 to 2311, 2157, and 1916, respectively. Treatment of M10 + PAA_2 significantly reduced disease incidences of pre-emergence damping-off in onion cultivar Giza_20 from 35 and 30 to 18.5 and 9.6 caused by A. niger and F. oxysporum, respectively. All tested treatments were able to induce onion resistance by increasing the concentrations of salicylic acid, phenolic compounds, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and polyphenol oxidase. The tested treatments seem to regulate H2O2 in infected onion seedlings by increasing the level of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean plants can grow by solely depending on fixed N2 through their root nodules, a symbiotic organ with rhizobia. In this study, when nodulated soybeans were cultivated using hydroponics and an N-free culture solution, the pH rapidly decreased to 4.0, which may be harmful for root growth and nutrient absorption. Therefore, we prepared a new N-free culture solution characterized by less pH fluctuation due to the addition of potassium bicarbonate. A total of 1–2 mM sodium bicarbonate optimized the pH between 6 and 7. However, the solution pH increased to 8–9 during soybean cultivation when 5–20 mM of sodium bicarbonate was applied. The addition of potassium bicarbonate did not affect the dry weight of each organ. The evapotranspiration rate of the plants with bicarbonate on the 37th day after planting was higher than that of the control without bicarbonate. When the K2SO4 was replaced by KHCO3, the pH just after preparation ranged between 6.3 and 6.5, while that after cultivation for two days ranged frp, about 6.1 to 6.5. It was found that more than half of the bicarbonate remained in the culture solution after 3 days of cultivation. The optimum P concentrations for the modified culture solution were found to be 50 and 100 μM, while the P concentrations over 150 μM reduced the plant growth and led to yellowing in the lower leaves.

Powdery mildew disease, caused by Erysiphe betae, is one of the most threatening diseases on sugar beet plants worldwide. It causes a great loss in the root yield, sugar percentage, and quality of produced sugar. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the susceptibility of 25 sugar beet cultivars to infection with powdery mildew disease under Egyptian conditions. Moreover, we evaluated the impacts of three eco-friendly materials, including potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3; at 5 and 10 g L−1), Moringa oleifera seed extract (25 and 50 g L−1), and the biocontrol agent, Bacillus subtilis (108 cell suspension) against E. betae in two successive seasons 2020 and 2021. Our findings showed that there were significant differences between these 25 cultivars in their susceptibility to the disease under study. Using the detached leaves technique in vitro, B. subtilis showed strong antifungal activity against E. betae. Moreover, both concentrations of KHCO3 and moringa seed extract significantly reduced the disease severity. Under field conditions, tested treatments significantly reduced the severity of powdery mildew disease and prevented E. betae from producing its conidiophores and conidia. Scanning electron microscope examination of treated leaves demonstrated the presence of the decomposition of fungal hyphae, conidiophores, conidia, and the occurrence of plasmolysis to fungal cells and spores on the surface of the leaves. Furthermore, these treatments greatly improved the percent of sucrose and soluble solids content, as well as the enzymatic activity of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. It is noteworthy that treatment with moringa seed extract gave the best results, followed by potassium bicarbonate, then B. subtilis cell suspension. Generally, it is recommended to use the substances used in this research to combat powdery mildew to minimize or prevent the use of chemical fungicides harmful to public health and the environment.

We for the first time describe a gas-free electrodialytic pH modifier deployed at the pump outlet side to manipulate carbonate eluent used for ion chromatography (IC). It is in sandwich configured, in which the central eluent channel is spatially isolated from two outer regenerant chambers by a stacked cation exchange membranes (sCEM) and a bipolar membrane (BPM) plus a stacked anion exchange membranes (sAEM) (BPM-sAEM), the cation exchange side of BPM is facing the central channel (the cathode direction). One electrode is put in each regenerant chamber and the sCEM side is cathode with respect to the anode of BPM-sAEM side. When a potassium carbonate eluent is pumped into the central channel and a DC current is applied, a controlled amount of potassium ions will be removed by migrating across sCEM into cathodic chamber. Meanwhile, hydronium ions generated from enhanced water splitting at the intermediate layer of BPM will electromigrate into central channel to form bicarbonate. By controlling the current, the potassium carbonate eluent can be manipulated to obtain a mixed eluent with different ratio of carbonate and bicarbonate. At least 10 mM K2CO3 eluent can be online changed modified into 10 mM KHCO3 with near-ideal Faradaic efficiency (∼92%). The device demonstrated good reproducibility, as indicated by retention time of relative standard deviation (RSD) < 0.43% and the peak area of RSD

To obtain a clear understanding of the mode of action of potassium bicarbonate (PB), sodium silicate (SSi) and calcium chelate (CCh) solutions (1%) in inducing resistance to gray mold disease in table grapes, enzymatic and nonenzymatic investigations were carried out. In particular, changes in the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POD), total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were studied. As indirect action, PB, SSi and CCh reduced the incidence of gray mold by 43%, 50% and 41%, respectively. The highest activity of SOD was detected at 48 h in SSi-treated tissue, PB-treated tissue and CCh-treated tissue, and it was 1.7-, 1.4- and 1.2-fold higher, respectively, compared to the control. The APX activity was significantly higher in SSi-treated tissue than in the control at 24, 48 and 72 h and showed an increase in activity 2-fold for all times. Additionally, PB, SSi and CCh increased the activity of POD by 1.4-, 1.2- and 2.7-fold at 48 h posttreatment, respectively. The results showed that CCh was the most pronounced salt to increase both total phenol and flavonoid contents by 1.3 and 2.1, respectively. Additionally, the three tested salts induced an increase in total phenols and total flavonoids at 48 h posttreatment. The obtained result is one more movement towards an overall understanding of the mechanism by which salt solutions act as antimicrobial agents against gray mold of table grapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Manas Journal of Agriculture Veterinary & Life Sciences is the property of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers a study that examine the effect of alkaline supplementation for bone-sparing. Topics discussed the supplementation with alkali salts that results as positively influence calcium and bone metabolism, mentions the treatment methods through 21-day bed rest and bed rest supplemented with 90 mmol potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) daily, and information on the advantages of alkali-induced urinary calcium that reduce the risk of renal stones.

The improved one-pot synthesis of dimethyl carbonate and propylene glycol from propylene oxide, supercritical carbon dioxide, and methanol with potassium bicarbonate as the catalyst has been reported in this paper. As far as we know, it is the first time to use potassium bicarbonate only as the catalyst in the production process which is simple and cheap. Satisfactory conversion rate of propylene oxide and yield of the products could be achieved at the optimized conditions with quite a small amount of by-products. Our new method offers an attractive choice for the production of dimethyl carbonate in large-scale industry efficiently and environmental friendly.

This work presents the results of an experiment on the effect of electrical current density (53, 105, 158 and 210 mA/m2), the type of an external source of carbon (citric acid, potassium bicarbonate) and C/NNO3 ratio (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5) on the quantity and quality of formed sludge. The experiment was conducted in sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs), under anaerobic conditions, with and without the passage of electrical current, under controlled pH of 7.5-8.0. The study demonstrated that in the reactors with electrical current passage and external source of carbon, the volume of sludge increased along with the current density increase from 53 to 158 mA/m2. At its highest density (210 mA/m2), the concentration of sludge was insignificantly lower. For all densities of electrical current and C/NNO3 values, the concentrations of sludge formed in the reactors with potassium bicarbonate (1.00 to 1.26 g d. m./L) were lower than in the reactors with citric acid (1.26 to 1.30 g d. m./L). The concentration of organic matter was higher in the sludge from the reactors with electrical current passage and potassium bicarbonate, compared to the sludge from the reactors with citric acid. In the reactors with electrical current passage and external source of carbon, the total nitrogen content in the sludge decreased along with the C/NNO3 ratio increase for current densities of 53 and 105 mA/m2. For a higher electrical current density, the nitrogen content in the sludge was similar. Irrespectively of the current density, the nitrogen content in the sludge from the reactors with citric acid was higher than in the sludge from the reactors with potassium bicarbonate. For higher current densities (158 and 210 mA/m2) the increase in the C/NNO3 value caused an increase in the P content in the sludge. The electrical current density increase contributed to increasing the content of phosphorus in the sludge. The phosphorus content in the sludge from the reactors with citric acid was lower than in the sludge from the reactors with potassium bicarbonate. The CST values prove that the sludge formed during the wastewater treatment in electrobiological SBBR was characterized by very high dewaterability. The capillary suction time decreased along with increasing the electrical current density but was not significantly affected by the type of carbon source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the results of a study on the effect of electrical current density (53, 105, 158 and 210 mA/m²), type of the external source of carbon (citric acid, potassium bicarbonate), and C/NNO3 ratio (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5) on the effectiveness of nitrogen and phosphorus removal from synthetic wastewater with physicochemical parameters typical of municipal sewage subjected to bio-treatment in the highly efficient system for organic compounds removal ensuring efficient course of the nitrification process. The denitrification efficiency was found to depend on the type and dose of carbon and on the electrical current density. Higher values of this parameter were determined in the reactor with citric acid than in one with potassium bicarbonate used as carbon sources. Total phosphorus was removed in the processes of electrocoagulation and biomass growth. Higher efficiency of dephosphatation was achieved in the reactor with electrical current passage than in the reactor without it. The type of carbon source had little effect on the dephosphatation efficiency. The use of electrical current density of 210 mA/m² and citric acid as a carbon source with C/N=1.5 allowed achieving 87.61(±1.6)% efficiency of denitrification and 97.69(±2.1)% efficiency of dephosphatation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction in aqueous solutions is an attractive strategy for carbon capture and utilization. Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) is a promising catalyst for CO2 reduction as it can convert CO2 into valuable hydrocarbons and suppress the side hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, the nature of the active sites in Cu2O remains under debate because of the complex surface structure of Cu2O under reducing conditions, leading to limited guidance in designing improved Cu2O catalysts. This paper describes the functionality of surface‐bonded hydroxy groups on partially reduced Cu2O(111) for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) by combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental studies. We find that the surface hydroxy groups play a crucial role in the CO2RR and HER, and a moderate coverage of hydroxy groups is optimal for promotion of the CO2RR and suppression of the HER simultaneously. Electronic structure analysis indicates that the charge transfer from hydroxy groups to coordination‐unsaturated Cu (CuCUS) sites stabilizes surface‐adsorbed COOH*, which is a key intermediate during the CO2RR. Moreover, the CO2RR was evaluated over Cu2O octahedral catalysts with {111} facets and different surface coverages of hydroxy groups, which demonstrates that Cu2O octahedra with moderate coverage of hydroxy groups can indeed enhance the CO2RR and suppress the HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic plants may face resource constraints or anthropogenic pollution, and effects might be heightened under multiple stress conditions. We investigated if arsenate effects on Myriophyllum spicatum L. would be stronger under CO2 limitation and low phosphorus availability. In a factorial design, we exposed sediment-grown plants to either CO2 (high carbon or HC) or bicarbonate (low carbon or LC) and four levels of arsenate. We observed strong effects of arsenate exposure on growth, biomass allocation (leaf, stem and root mass fractions), pigments and phenolic compounds. CO2 availability strongly affected the content in phenolic compounds and a few other response variables, yet overall effects were less pronounced than expected. Strong interactive effects of CO2 availability and arsenic concentration were only observed for carotenoids, the carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio and phenolic compounds in leaves. Only the carbon content declined with increasing arsenic concentration, otherwise leaf elemental content and stoichiometry were not affected by arsenic or CO2 availability, suggesting that plants strived to maintain leaf functions. The observed effects on biomass allocation and plant quality, specifically dry matter content and phenolic compound content of M. spicatum not only show direct changes in plant performance but suggest also indirect effects on ecological interactions such as competition or herbivory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forward osmosis (FO) has recently drawn attention as a promising membrane based method for seawater and brackish water desalination. In this study, we focus on the use of calciun chloride (CaCl2) and potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) as inorganic salt draw solution candidates due to their appropriate performance in water flux and reverse salt diffusion as well as reasonable cost. The experiments were carried at 25 °C and cross-flow rate of 3 L min−1. At the same osmotic pressure, the water flux of CaCl2 draw solution tested against deionized feed water, showed 20% higher permeation than KHCO3, which it was attributed to the lower internal concentration polarization (ICP). The reverse diffusion of CaCl2 was found higher than KHCO3 solution which it would be related to the smaller ionic size and the higher permeation of this salt through the membrane. The water flux for both draw solutions against 0.33 M NaCl feed solution was about 2.8 times lower than deionized feed water because of ICP. Higher concentrations of draw solution is required for increasing the water permeation from saline water feed towards the draw side.

A Donnan Dialysis based process utilizing cation exchange membranes to separate and recover lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese during hydrometallurgical recycling of lithium ion battery cathodes is proposed. Compared to conventional processes, the process has the potential to achieve higher lithium recoveries and to recycle lixiviant. The present work introduces the process, develops mathematical equations to describe it, presents experimentally found cation mass transfer coefficients through cation exchange membranes, and uses the experimental data and equations to predict theoretical kinetics and recoveries achievable by the process. The simulation predicts that in two days, utilizing 5000 dm 2 of CMS C-1805 Neosepta monovalent CEM and 2000 dm 2 of CMX C-1586 Neosepta polyvalent CEM, the proposed process is capable of processing 1000 L of leachate containing 285 mol of lithium, 95 mol each of cobalt, nickel, and manganese. 94.1% of the lithium can be recovered as high purity lithium carbonate and 99.4% of the transition metals as mixed sulphates ready for solvent extraction. At a minimum 422.6 mol of pure sulphuric acid and 268 mol of potassium bicarbonate are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystallization kinetics of potassium bicarbonate in the potassium carbonate (K2CO3)-potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3)-water (H2O) ternary solvent system were estimated using focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) in unseeded batch cooling experiments. Two groups of experiments including apparent K2CO3 concentrations of 35 and 40 wt%, both with 0.4 loading, at different constant cooling rates were conducted. KHCO3 was the only precipitate in the ternary system. The concentration of KHCO3 measured by autotitration and chord length distribution collected from FBRM were used to estimate the parameters required for the primary nucleation, secondary nucleation, and growth rate models through mass balance, population balance using the method of moments, and least-squares minimization in MATLAB. The solubility of the ternary solvent system was successfully predicted using the regressed electrolyte nonrandom two-liquids (ENRTL) activity model in Aspen Plus. The crystallization of KHCO3 was impacted by KHCO3 supersaturation and K2CO3 concentration. Primary nucleation was found to dominate the system including both homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, whereas secondary nucleation was inhibited to a great extent. The model developed was able to predict the average particle size within 20%, the results obtained from the model were consistent with the conclusion that primary nucleation dominates the K2CO3-KHCO3-H2O solvent system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We examined whether escalating doses of potassium bicarbonate (KHCO) supplements alter urinary nitrogen excretion expressed as a ratio to same day nitrogen intake (measure of muscle-protein breakdown). The ratio declined significantly from placebo to low to high dose of KHCO supplementation in older adults over 3 months, suggesting muscle-sparing. Introduction: Neutralization of dietary acid load with alkali supplementation (i.e., KHCO) has been hypothesized to have muscle protein-sparing effects. In controlled feeding studies with fixed nitrogen (N) intake/day, 24-h urinary N excretion is a good marker of muscle breakdown. However, in studies with self-selected diets, changes in 24-h urinary N excretion can be influenced by shifts in N intake. Methods: We evaluated changes in 24-h total urinary N excretion as a ratio of N excretion to concurrent N intake in 233 older men and women who participated in an 84-day KHCO supplementation randomized placebo-controlled trial. Results: After adjustment for relevant cofactors, escalating doses of KHCO (1 mmol/kg/day [low] or 1.5 mmol/kg/day [high]) resulted in a progressive decline in urinary N excretion/N intake compared to placebo (overall P for trend = 0.042). The 84-day change in urinary N excretion/N intake in the high-dose KHCO group was statistically significantly lower compared to placebo ( P = 0.012) but not compared to the low-dose KHCO group ( P = 0.276). The 84-day change in urinary N excretion/N intake in the low-dose KHCO group did not differ significantly from placebo ( P = 0.145). Conclusions: Urinary N excretion expressed as ratio to same day N intake declined steadily with increasing doses of KHCO supplementation from low 1 mmol/kg/day to high 1.5 mmol/kg/day, suggesting a nitrogen-sparing effect. Compared to urinary N excretion alone, this ratio could be a more reasonable measure of muscle protein metabolism in large-scale long-term human studies. Trial registration: NCT1475214 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kinetic model of inhibition by the potassium-containing compound potassium bicarbonate is suggested. The model is based on the previous work concerning kinetic studies of suppression of secondary flashes, inhibition by alkali metals, and the emission of sulfates and chlorides during biomass combustion. The kinetic model includes reactions with the following gas-phase potassium-containing species: K, KO, KO2, KO3, KH, KOH, K2O, K2O2, (KOH)2, K2CO3, KHCO3, and KCO3. Flame equilibrium calculations demonstrate that the main potassium-containing species in the combustion products are K and KOH. The main inhibition reactions, which comprise the radical termination inhibition cycle are KOH + H=K + H2O and K + OH + M=KOH + M with the overall termination effect: H + OH=H2O. Numerically predicted burning velocities for stoichiometric methane/air flames with added KHCO3demonstrate reasonable agreement with available experimental data. A strong saturation effect is observed for potassium compounds: approximately 0.1% volume fraction of KHCO3is required to decrease burning velocity by a factor of 2; however, an additional 0.6% volume fraction is required to reach a burning velocity of 5 cm/s. Analysis of the calculation results indicates that addition of the potassium compound quickly reduces the radical super-equilibrium down to equilibrium levels, so that further addition of the potassium compound has little effect on the flame radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ability to reuse amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents is a critical component in reducing the overall cost of the technology to extract uranium from seawater. This report describes an evaluation of adsorbent reusability in multiple reuse (adsorption/stripping) cycles in real seawater exposures with potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) elution using several amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents. The KHCO3 elution technique achieved ~100% recovery of uranium adsorption capacity in the first reuse. Subsequent reuses showed significant drops in adsorption capacity. After the fourth reuse with the ORNL AI8 adsorbent, the 56-day adsorption capacity dropped to 28% of its original capacity. FTIR spectra revealed that there was a conversion of the amidoxime ligands to carboxylate groups during extended seawater exposure, becoming more significant with longer exposure times. Ca and Mg adsorption capacities also increased with each reuse cycle supporting the hypothesis that long-term exposure resulted in converting amidoxime to carboxylate, enhancing the adsorption of Ca and Mg. Shorter seawater exposure (adsorption/stripping) cycles (28 vs 42 days) had higher adsorption capacities after reuse, but the shorter exposure cycle time did not produce an overall better performance in terms of cumulative exposure time. Recovery of uranium capacity in reuses may also vary across different adsorbent formulations. Through multiple reuses, the AI8 adsorbent can harvest 10 g uranium/kg adsorbent in ~140 days, using a 28-day adsorption/stripping cycle, a performance much better than would be achieved with a single use of the adsorbent through a very long-term exposure (saturation capacity of 7.4 g U/kg adsorbent). A time dependent seawater exposure model to evaluate the cost associated with reusing amidoxime-based adsorbents in real seawater exposures was developed. The predicted cost to extract uranium from seawater ranged from $610/kg U to $830/kg U. Model simulation suggests that a short seawater exposure cycle (<15 days) is the optimal deployment period for lower uranium production cost in seawater uranium mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine whether addition of hydrocolloids, buffer ingredients, salt, and sodium phosphate improve the color, texture, and pH of normal and pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat. Specific solutions include potassium bicarbonate (KHCO), ammonium bicarbonate (NHHCO), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and konjac flour (KF). Three studies were carried out. First, the stability and viscoelastic properties of the different solutions was determined. Second, fresh normal (pH 5.6-5.9) and PSE (pHu < 5.4) Longissimus dorsi muscles were ground and assigned a treatment solution: control (fresh normal), water, NaCl/SP, KHCO, NHHCO, KF, HPMC, KHCO/KF, KHCO/KF/NaCl/SP (sodium phosphate), NHHCO/HPMC, and NHHCO/HPMC/NaCl/SP. Third, treatment solutions with suitable viscoelastic properties and stability, were added, homogenized, stuffed into tubes, and cooked to an internal temperature of 75C to form gels, and torsion and texture profile analysis performed. The PSE treated samples containing bicarbonate/hydrocolloid treatments had similar hardness-first bite, hardness-second bite, and gumminess values to the normal-control samples while the NHHCO treated samples had air pockets in the cooked gel. Third, consumers ( n = 92) evaluated control and PSE beef/pork frankfurters produced with the following treatments: KHCO, KHCO/HPMC, and KHCO/KF. Treatment had no effect ( p > .05) on overall like/dislike of flavor, but PSE frankfurters were preferred ( p < .05) to the controls. The use of KHCO with hydrocolloids, salt and SP improved the color, pH and texture properties of PSE ground pork; further research to examine the effectiveness in whole PSE pork muscle systems is needed. Practical applications Meat processors could use KHCO with HPMC or KF as ingredients to improve color, texture, and pH of PSE meat. The reduction of variation between PSE and normal pork muscle would improve pork quality and add value to PSE meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium carbonate is considered a promising solvent for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture as it is cost-effective and environmentally benign when compared to traditional amine-based solvents. In order to increase absorption capacity, the use of concentrated potassium carbonate solvent has been proposed in which CO2 absorption results in precipitation of bicarbonate. Understanding the formation of the solids in that system is important if this is to be used for CO2 capture. In this work, the precipitation behavior in the ternary system of potassium carbonate-potassium bicarbonate-water was studied in a batch cooling crystallizer equipped with Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM) and an Optimax workstation. The solubility data were validated using a regressed Electrolyte Non-Random Two Liquid (ENRTL) activity model developed in Aspen Plus. The precipitate was determined as kalicinite with hexagonal prism shape by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The nucleation kinetics were evaluated using the metastable zone width method and induction time method. Results indicated that in the studied ternary system there were two separate regions corresponding to different nucleation mechanisms, which were defined by the cooling rate. The supersaturation of potassium bicarbonate and the concentration of potassium carbonate determined the nucleation kinetics. On the basis of the calculated nucleation kinetics, the continuous growth mechanism of the crystals was further examined using the surface entropy value and SEM images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • K 2 CO 3 and KHCO 3 accelerated the hydration of fluorogypsum and increase the compressive strength. • K 2 CO 3 accelerated hydration process of fluorogypsum by forming 'syngenite' • KHCO 3 accelerated hydration process of fluorogypsum by forming a 'catalytic effect' • The two increased solubility of fluorogypsum and supersaturation of dihydrate gypsum. In view of the poor hydration activity and difficult utilization of industrial by-product fluorogypsum, the effects of potassium carbonate (K 2 CO 3) and potassium bicarbonate (KHCO 3) on the hydration mechanisms of fluorogypsum (pH-adjusted to 7.3) were investigated and compared through hydration rate, hydration heat, solubility and microscopic tests. The results show that both K 2 CO 3 and KHCO 3 could significantly increase the hydration rate, hydration heat release rate, and accelerate the hydration process of fluorogypsum. The optimum contents of K 2 CO 3 and KHCO 3 were found to be 1% and 0.5%, respectively, and the compressive strength of the fluorogypsum increased from 3.5 MPa (control group) to 20.3 MPa (increase by 480%) and 18.5 MPa (increase by 429%) after curing for 3 days. Both of the two increased the solubility of fluorogypsum, supersaturation of dihydrate gypsum, the nucleation and growth rate of dihydrate gypsum, and inhibited the dissolution of dihydrate gypsum. The compactness of the hardened fluorogypsum was improved and the porosity was reduced. K 2 CO 3 was found to be more effective than KHCO 3 , resulting in a higher early strength. The acceleration mechanisms of the two were also found to be different: K 2 CO 3 increased the hydration of fluorogypsum by forming an unstable double salt syngenite; while KHCO 3 mainly promoted the formation of dihydrate gypsum through a 'catalysis effect' by unstable potassium bisulfate. With the addition of any of these two modifiers, the crystal morphology of dihydrate gypsum was changed from plate to column or needle, which was beneficial for the strength development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]