Early detection of gray mold in grape using conventional and molecular methods

Botrytis cinerea affects grape quality and yield, and can be difficult to manage due in part to non-symptomatic, quiescent infection in berry development. The aim of this study was to develop a dual system for the detection, isolation and quantification of B. cinerea. After three days of samples replication on the modified selective medium (mKERS), the results showed a significant infection effect on the majority of inflorescence samples, especially on the small berries which demonstrated Botrytis infection in all tested plants and appeared to be highly susceptible to Botrytis infection prior to harvest. Moreover, infection variation was determined in almost all inflorescence samples taken from different plants. The real-time PCR assay was used to determine the DNA quantity of B. cinerea in each sample tested. A linear relationship was found in these two systems, conventional and molecular assays, to demonstrate the infection of different samples with B. cinerea. Although, the real-time PCR assay was highly expensive, it appeared to be more rapid and sensitive than the conventional selective medium assay, allowing both detection and quantification of B. cinerea within 3 h. However, conventional assay has an advantage of both detection and isolation of viable cells of B. cinerea, which resulted in making a wide collection of different isolates. Furthermore, this conventional assay is cheaper than molecular test, especially when we carry out a routine work. This dual method proved to be selective and sensitive assays and should be used to monitor Botrytis infection in the field.Key words: Botrytis cinerea, inflorescence infection, latent/quiescent infection, real time polymerase chain reaction/real-time quantitative PCR (PCR/qPCR)

Application of numerical modeling for optimization of selective hot water extraction of taxifolin from ‘milk thistle’ seeds

The term flavonoid is used for a class of plant chemicals known for their activity as highly potent antioxidants and accordingly their ability to protect the body against oxidative and free radical damage. Taxifolin has attracted our attention because it constitutes the flavonoid moiety in ‘milk thistle’ seeds. In this research, a novel optimization-extraction method of taxifolin from ‘milk thistle’ seeds has been developed. Total antioxidant content was measured to monitor the efficiency of the extraction under different experimental conditions (solid- liquid ratio, extraction time and extraction temperature /pressure). Response surface methodology based on numerical modeling was adopted for optimization of extraction procedures. High pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) analysis was applied to identify taxifolin and some other phenolics in the ‘milk thistle’ extract. Using this method allowed the development of an empirical polynomial model for the production of antioxidants compounds from ‘milk thistle’ seeds. Application of such models is of great importance for pharmaceutical industries.Key words: Milk thistle, extraction, numerical modeling, antioxidant, high pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC)

Ecotourism: A practical guide of Megapodius reinwardt for prospective teacher

Learning activities can be carried out in or outside the classroom. Learning outside the classroom, such as field observations, is an excellent learning activity. This paper discusses the development of a field observation practicum guide for bird bioecology Megapodius reinwardt. The goal is to develop and assess the feasibility of the developed practical guide, the process of scientific literacy, and the critical thinking skills of prospective biology teacher students through three stages: define, design, and develop. Data collection through observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and documentation. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive quantitative. An average of 77% obtained the results of the practical guide validation, which means worthy. The process of scientific literacy of prospective biology teacher students, on average, obtains a good predicate. User response is positive, so it is suitable for use as a bioecological Field Observation Guide Megapodius reinwardt for the literacy process scientific and thinks student critical biology teacher candidate

Influence of Tillage Systems on Diversity and Abundance of Insect and Nematode Pests of Maize in Malete, Kwara State, Nigeria

Pests are major biotic factors causing up to 45% yield reduction in maize production in sub-Saharan Africa. To develop improved methods for maize management, the species and abundance of insects and nematodes associated with ten quality protein maize varieties (QPMVs) were evaluated with two commonly used tillage practices, ‘plough only plots (POP)’ and ‘plough and harrow plots (PAHP)’. The experiment was carried out using QPMVs at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria, and arranged in a randomized complete block design with 11 treatments replicated 3 times, including local check “pambo”. A total of 833.1±4.0 and 799.3±3.4 arthropods specimens were collected from POP and PAHP, respectively, comprising 8 orders and 18 families. Ootheca mutabilis was the most abundant species with 5.47% (POP) and 5.68% (PAHP) and the least abundant was Rhopalosiphum maidis 1.82% (POP) and 1.80% (PAHP). As indicated by Shannon Wiener (3.46±0.023) and Simpson indices (0.97±0.0008) there are even distribution in the tillage practices. Three genera of plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) were identified, Meloidogyne spp. (POP (78.33±19.65), PAHP (1.33±0.33), Pratylenchus spp. (POP (41.67±9.26), PAHP (5.00±2.31), and Helicotylenchus spp. (POP (58.33±38.35), PAHP (23.33±14.50). The use of PAHP tillage practices is effective in reducing insects and nematodes associated with maize in Nigeria and therefore recommended for the management of both pests in maize production

Development of practicum guideline active compound isolation base on medical plant in Sasambo Society, Indonesia

The people of NTB have many distinctive cultures and cuisines. The use of plants is traditional medicine. This study aims to develop practical guidelines based on the medicinal plant sasambo, NTB. Development design is Research & Development with a 4D model (define, design, develop, and disseminate). The results of laboratory experiments are outlined in practicum guidelines for student activities. Chemistry lecturers in chemistry and natural product chemistry constructively validate the procedures. The analytical method uses Aiken's V formula and percentage agreement. The results of the expert validation show that the practicum guidelines meet very valid criteria with an Aiken value of 0.86. The guidelines also received positive responses from students and expert validators with an average practicality level of 88.6% with very practical criteria. Guidelines can be applied to learning with a percentage agreement of 100%. The cultural richness applied to learning can increase motivation learning and encourage students to be creative in developing products from the Sasambo milk medicinal plant

Development and validation of a critical thinking measurement instrument based on Megapodidae reinwardt bird ecotourism

Critical thinking skills are important in sharing aspects of life in the current and future era of globalization and information. An important aspect of critical thinking is literacy. Literacy abilities within the scope of Natural Sciences refer to scientific literacy. The critical thinking test results show that students' critical thinking components must still be developed. This paper discusses developing and validating a critical thinking measurement instrument for prospective science-biology teacher students based on Megapodidae bird ecotourism. The aim is to develop and assess the validity, reliability, and characteristics of critical thinking skills instruments so that they can be used to measure critical thinking skills in Science-Biology prospective teacher students. Product development in the form of critical thinking skills test instruments in Biology learning for prospective teacher students at FKIP Unram. Instrument development is carried out in four steps: identifying indicators, developing collection items, making validity checks, and improving item quality. Instrument validation is by a learning expert from FKIP Unram. Essay form questions consist of 21 items with difficulty levels at medium and high levels. The results of expert validation analysis using Aiken's V method for each aspect are classified as valid with a value of 0.79. The instrument developed can be used as a valid and reliable measure of critical thinking ability

Angiogenic output in viral hepatitis, C and B, and HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Introduction: Angiogenesis is known to play a pivotal role in most of malignancy, including HCC, and in chronic inflammation.Aim: To investigate the angiogenic output in HCV and HBV infection and its implication in the development of HCV associated HCC.Materials and methods: Blood samples were collected and grouped as; HS healthy subjects control group; HCC–HCV; chronic HCV infected patient group (HCV+ve) who are positive for serum anti-HCV antibodies and HCV–RNA; anti-HCV antibody positive and HCV–RNA negative patient group (HCVve); patients with positive HBsAg and HBV-DNA group (HBV+ve); and HBsAg positive and HBV-DNA negative patient group (HBVve). Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-2, endostatin and angiostatin were assessed in different studied groups.Results: The level of sVEGF was insignificantly elevated in both HCV+ve and HCVve groups when compared with controls, while Ang-2, sES and sAS were significantly elevated in both groups as compared with healthy controls. The studied parameters were significantly elevated in HBV-+ve patients when compared with the control. However, HBVve patients showed significantly elevated levels in sAng-2, sES and sAS when compared with the control while the level of sVEGF was equal to that of controls. In patients with HCC, the studied parameters showed a significant elevation when compared with healthy controls and patients either with HBV or HCV infection except for sAS in the case of HCV-+ve patients and VEGF for HBV-+ve patients who were also higher but not significant.Conclusion: The increased hepatic angiogenesis in chronic HCV and HBV could provide the molecular basis for liver carcinogenesis and contribute to the increased risk of HCC in patients with cirrhosis due to HCV and/or HBV.KEYWORDS Angiogenesis; HCC; HCV; HB

ANN-derived equation and ITS application in the prediction of dielectric properties of pure and impure CO₂

High-performing equation has been step-wisely extracted from artificial neural network (ANN) simulation and subsequently applied for the prediction of the dielectric properties of pure and impure CO2. Data of relative permittivity (εr) for pure and impure CO2 were used in the ANN to train different ANN structures so that the network can recognise and predict CO2 property under different conditions. Analyses of the results from the training showed that single-layer ANN model [3-6-1] outperformed others. From this best-performing ANN structure, a single mathematical equation was extracted that can be employed in predicting εr for pure CO2 and CO2-ethanol mixture, even without access to ANN software. Using this ANN-based mathematical model, predictions of the relative permittivity (εr) for pure CO2 and CO2-ethanol mixture were performed, under different temperatures and pressures and at different ethanol concentrations. Under similar conditions, the output of the model provides good match with the original experimental εr. With increment in ethanol concentration, the model correctly predicted the rise in εr for the mixture. Also, it was shown that the εr rises with an increase in pressure but decreases with a rise in temperature. The work showed the reliability and applicability of the ANN in characterizing and predicting the dielectric property of pure CO2 as well as its mixture or impurities. The model developed and the techniques demonstrated in this work offers immense benefits and guides for researchers, who may want to explore the behaviours of a pure compound and its mixtures/impurities using ANN, as well as those interested in derived mathematical model from statistical computation tool like ANN

Ecotourism: A practical guide of Megapodius reinwardt for prospective teacher

Learning activities can be carried out in or outside the classroom. Learning outside the classroom, such as field observations, is an excellent learning activity. This paper discusses the development of a field observation practicum guide for bird bioecology Megapodius reinwardt. The goal is to develop and assess the feasibility of the developed practical guide, the process of scientific literacy, and the critical thinking skills of prospective biology teacher students through three stages: define, design, and develop. Data collection through observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, and documentation. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive quantitative. An average of 77% obtained the results of the practical guide validation, which means worthy. The process of scientific literacy of prospective biology teacher students, on average, obtains a good predicate. User response is positive, so it is suitable for use as a bioecological Field Observation Guide Megapodius reinwardt for the literacy process scientific and thinks student critical biology teacher candidate

Development and validation of a critical thinking measurement instrument based on Megapodidae reinwardt bird ecotourism

Critical thinking skills are important in sharing aspects of life in the current and future era of globalization and information. An important aspect of critical thinking is literacy. Literacy abilities within the scope of Natural Sciences refer to scientific literacy. The critical thinking test results show that students' critical thinking components must still be developed. This paper discusses developing and validating a critical thinking measurement instrument for prospective science-biology teacher students based on Megapodidae bird ecotourism. The aim is to develop and assess the validity, reliability, and characteristics of critical thinking skills instruments so that they can be used to measure critical thinking skills in Science-Biology prospective teacher students. Product development in the form of critical thinking skills test instruments in Biology learning for prospective teacher students at FKIP Unram. Instrument development is carried out in four steps: identifying indicators, developing collection items, making validity checks, and improving item quality. Instrument validation is by a learning expert from FKIP Unram. Essay form questions consist of 21 items with difficulty levels at medium and high levels. The results of expert validation analysis using Aiken's V method for each aspect are classified as valid with a value of 0.79. The instrument developed can be used as a valid and reliable measure of critical thinking ability