Leaves production and its flavonoids content of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) from fulvic acid treatment

Moringa is drought tolerant and its leaf is traditionally used as a vegetable. Recently, the leaf is used commercially in traditional medicine and functional foods. Fulvic acid is a kind of plant growth regulator derived from humic acid and is considered a fertilizer in sustainable agriculture. The objective of the research was to determine the effect of fulvic acid concentration on the growth, biomass, phosphorus and flavonoids contents of moringa seedlings. The experiment was conducted from July 2020 to January 2021 at Leuwikopo Experimental Station, Bogor. The treatment was arranged in a randomized block design consisting of two factors, i.e., fulvic acid level (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 mL L-1) and moringa accessions (East Nusa Tenggara-ENT and Leuwikopo-LWK). Observation focused on growth and biomass, total flavonoids, and phosphorus contents of leaves. The results showed that fulvic acid enhanced leaf growth, and plant height. On the other hand, the fulvic acid application had no significant effect on biomass production, total flavonoids, and phosphorus contents of moringa leaves. Accessions expressed different responses to fulvic acid levels, i.e.e, the fulvic acid of 1 mL L-1 seemed favorable for ENT accession while 2 mL L-1 was favorable for LWK accession as indicated by the level of flavonoid content. Therefore, fulvic acid is beneficial in moringa cultivation, particularly for ENT accession. It is interesting to evaluate the fulvic acid application on moringa trees grown in ENT where soil moisture is considered low. Keywords: accession; phosphorus; seedling; humic acid; East Nusa Tenggara; vegetabl

Selection of an efficient in vitro micropropagation and regeneration system for potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cultivar Desirée

Sprouts of about 40 to 80 mm length were excised, surface sterilized with 70% CloroxR and cultured on solid full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Shoot nodal segments (1.0 cm) from in vitro plantlets (2 to 4 weeks old) were multiplied through periodic subculturing on full-strength MS medium with 30 g/L sucrose, 100 ml/L myo-inositol and 0.5 ml/L silver thiosulfate. The shoots were rooted on the same medium. Microtubers were stimulated on MS medium supplemented with 80 g/L sucrose, 100 ml/L myo-inositol and 5 ml/L benzyl adenine. They generally originate on aerial etiolated shoots producing . 1.0 } 0.5 microtuber/explant with diameter approx. 3 to 10 mm. Shoot regeneration was performed from  tuber discs, internodes and leaf explants using 6 different media. Different regeneration capacities were  observed by the explants along 60 days. The average number of shoots was highest from tuber discs (6.2)  than from leaf explants (2.6) which exceeds about three times; no shoot from internode explants cultured on the various media. Regenerated plantlets produced from both tuber discs and leaf explants exhibited random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using five selected primers to detect  somaclonal variation. All the morphological variants were excluded. One of the regenerated plantlet  derived from leaf-explants was true-to-type to the main in vitro plantlet, so it will be used as a source of explants for transformation experiments. The other regenerated plantlets derived from leaf explants and tuber discs show the presence and/or absence of polymorphic bands. Results also showed that  microtubers were initiated on the etiolated shoots of the regenerants at the first 10 days. The etiolated shoots induced about 2.6 } 0.6 and 2.2 } 0.5 microtuber/explants.Key words: Solanum tuberosum L., seed tuber, sprouting, micropropagation, microtubers, explants, regeneration, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)

The development of conservation management for a pre-industrial North African city: the case of the medina of Tunis

The thesis deals with the development of policies and planning instruments for the conservation of the built fabric of the Medina (Old City) of Tunis, North Africa. Part I looks at the type of city which the Medina represents, namely a pre-industrial urban fabric influenced by Islam; the discussion rejects the notion of Islamic city' per se, but examines the extent of/Islamic influence on the built form of the city. Part II traces the history and development of the Medina, and hence how the city survived the upheavals of the XIXth century to remain as an example of a pre-industrial city worthy of conservation. Part III traces the development of concepts of heritage conservation in Tunisia with particular reference to the medinas. It then outlines the development of the legal and institutional framework for the protection of the Medina, before moving on to discuss the management of the Medina as heritage in the 1980s. The conclusion suggests that the Medina may be surviving despite conservation management. The difficulties in implementing heritage policy may be related to the nature of the Tunisian state and and its use of urban policies as a state legitimating device and this would seem to be a promising direction for future research

Etude de l'impact de l'intelligence économique sur le comportement stratégique des entreprises du grand Agadir : Quel rôle modérateur des technologies d'information et de communication ?

Le lien entre l’intelligence économique et la stratégie était toujours au cœur des débats et des travaux portant sur le management stratégique des entreprises. En revanche, notre article vise à analyser l’impact de l’intelligence économique sur le comportement stratégique de l’entreprise. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous présentons un cadre conceptuel sur la base duquel notre modèle de recherche est fondé. Pour mener à bien ce travail de recherche et tester bien évidemment notre modèle, une posture positiviste a été adoptée inscrite dans une logique hypothético-déductive. La collecte des données a été faite, via un questionnaire, auprès d’un échantillon de quarante entreprises opérant dans plusieurs secteurs d’activités au grand Agadir. Les résultats obtenus montrent des impacts positifs et statistiquement significatifs des variables veille stratégique et protection de l'information sur le comportement stratégique. Alors que la variable lobbying n'a pas un effet significatif sur le comportement stratégique. En outre, les résultats dégagés ont montré seulement que la relation entre la veille stratégique et le comportement stratégique est modérée par les technologies de l'information et de la communication.   &nbsp

Berbers and Arabs. Tracing the genetic diversity and history of Southern Tunisia through genome wide analysis

Objectives: Tunisia has been a crossroads for people from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East since prehistoric times. At present, it is inhabited by two main ethnic groups, Arabs and Berbers, and several minorities. This study aims to advance knowledge regarding their genetic structure using new population samplings and a genome-wide approach. Materials and Methods: We investigated genomic variation, estimated ancestry components and dated admixture events in three Berber and two Arab populations from Southern Tunisia, mining a dataset including Middle Eastern, sub-Saharan, and European populations. Results: Differences in the proportion of North African, Arabian, and European ancestries and the varying impact of admixture and isolation determined significant heterogeneity in the genetic structure of Southern Tunisian populations. Admixture time estimates show a multilayer pattern of admixture events, involving both ethnolinguistic groups, which started around the mid XI century and lasted for nearly five centuries. Discussion: Our study provides evidence that the relationships between genetic and cultural diversity of old and new inhabitants of North Africa in southern Tunisia follow different patterns. The Berbers seem to have preserved a significant part of their common genomic heritage despite Islamization, Arab cultural influence, and linguistic diversity. Compared to Morocco and Algeria, southern Tunisian Arabs have retained a higher level of Arabian ancestry. This is more evident in the semi-nomad R'Baya, who have kept their original Bedouin lifestyle, than in the population from Douz, who have undergone multiple events of stratification and admixture

Identification and frequency of consumption of wild edible plants over a year in central Tunisia: a mixed-methods approach

Objective: To identify wild plants used as food and assess their frequency of consumption over a year in a region of Tunisia where agriculture is undergoing a major transformation from smallholder farming to an intensive high-input agricultural system. Design: Qualitative ethnobotanical study followed by a survey of women's frequency of consumption of wild plants conducted using FFQ at quarterly intervals. Setting: Sidi Bouzid governorate of central Tunisia. Participants: Mixed-gender group of key informants (n 14) and focus group participants (n 43). Survey sample of women aged 20-49 years, representative at governorate level (n 584). Results: Ethnobotanical study: thirty folk species of wild edible plants corresponding to thirty-five taxa were identified by key informants, while twenty folk species (twenty-five taxa) were described by focus groups as commonly eaten. Population-based survey: 98 % of women had consumed a wild plant over the year, with a median frequency of 2 d/month. Wild and semi-domesticated fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Anethum graveolens) was the most frequently consumed folk species. Women in the upper tertile of wild plant consumption frequency were more likely to be in their 30s, to live in an urban area, to have non-monetary access to foods from their extended family and to belong to wealthier households. Conclusions: In this population, wild edible plants, predominantly leafy vegetables, are appreciated but consumed infrequently. Their favourable perception, however, offers an opportunity for promoting their consumption which could play a role in providing healthy diets and mitigating the obesity epidemic that is affecting the Tunisian population

17α-Methyltestosterone enhances growth and reproductive performance of immature male Asian catfish (Clarias macrocephalus)

This study aimed to assess the effects of 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) on the growth and reproductive performance of male Asian catfish (Clarias macrocephalus). A total of 36 immature male Asian catfish (ABW = 125.97 g) were randomly distributed into 12 circular tanks, and fed with either the control diet (with no MT) or diets containing MT at 60 mg·kg-1, 90 mg·kg-1, or 120 mg·kg-1 for 45 days. Results showed that weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed intake (FI) were significantly higher in the male catfish fed with diets containing 60 and 90 mg·kg-1 MT than in those fed with the control diet. Also, the diet attractability test revealed that the 60 and 90 mg·kg-1 MT groups significantly attracted more catfish than did the control diet; however, increasing MT to 120 mg·kg-1 reduced its attractability to the immature male catfish. MT-treated male catfish exhibited significantly heavier and significantly longer testes than male catfish fed the control diet at the termination of the feeding trial. These male catfish also exhibited significantly higher gonadosomatic indices (GSI) than catfish in the control group. Following induced spawning of nontreated female catfish and artificial fertilization of its eggs using testis preparation from the experimental male catfish at the termination of the feeding trial, results showed that testis preparations from all MT-treated males resulted in significantly higher fertilization (FR) and hatching rates (HR) of the eggs. In conclusion, incorporating MT to the diet improved both the growth and reproductive performance of the male Clarias macrocephalus. Precisely, dosages of optimal dietary MT using a quadratic model for maximal SGR, GSI, FR, and HR values were estimated to be 58.3, 75.0, 90.6, and 78.2 mg·kg-1, respectively

Screening of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities for Safflower Water Extracts to Increase Immunity During a Pandemic

Abstract: Viral infection is the multiplication of viruses in the body. Viruses can reproduce with the help of a host. Viruses infect a host by inserting their genetic material into cells to duplicate their particles. Coronavirus is a type of virus. The coronavirus identified in 2019, SARS-CoV-2, has caused a pandemic of the respiratory disease called COVID-19. Screening of the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of safflower aqueous extract has to be carried out to seal immunity against the virus. The purpose of this study was to determine the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of Kasumba turate water extract. The method used in this study was an experiment consisting of the preparation of Staphylococcus aureus suspensions, the preparation of safflower aqueous extract, phytochemical screening of safflower aqueous extract, a study of the functional group of safflower aqueous extract using FTIR, and the determination of antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The results obtained show that the extract has physical characteristics of a brownish yellow color and the characteristic odor of Kasumba turate. A phytochemical study verified that the aqueous extract of safflower contains alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins. Analyze FTIR for the expected presence of functional groups including -OH, =CO, and -NH. The best antibacterial activity under three conditions was shown at a 5% extract concentration with a solvent heating temperature of 90 ºC for 15 minutes which gave abroad an inhibition zone. Safflower aqueous extract indicated DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 965.33 mg mL-1. Furthermore, safflower aqueous extract has the potential for antioxidant activity, but it has low antibacterial activity. However, this study supports making Safflower a natural colorant in food and recommends using Safflower as a tea or herbal drink that provides natural antioxidant effects during the pandemic.Abstrak: Skrining aktivitas antibakteri dan antioksidan ekstrak air kasumba turate dilakukan. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode eksperimen yang terdiri dari preparasi suspensi Staphylococcus aureus as test bacteria, preparasi ekstrak air kasumba turate, skrining fitokimia ekstrak air kasumba turate, studi gugus fungsi ekstrak air kasumba turate menggunakan FTIR, penentuan aktivitas antibakteri, dan penentuan aktivitas antioksidan. Hasil yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahwa ekstrak memiliki ciri fisik warna kuning kecoklatan dan bau yang khas. Studi fitrokimia membuktikan bahwa ekstrak air kasumba turate mengandung alkaloid, flavonoid, dan tanin. Analisis FTIR diharapkan adanya gugus fungsi yang meliputi -OH, =CO, dan -NH. Aktivitas antibakteri terbaik pada ketiga kondisi ditunjukkan pada konsentrasi ekstrak 5% dengan suhu pemanasan pelarut 90 ºC selama 15 menit yang memberikan zona hambat luas. Ekstrak air safflower menunjukkan aktivitas penangkapan radikal DPPH dengan nilai IC50 1250 mg mL-1. Selain itu, penelitian ini mendukung untuk menjadikan kasumba turate sebagai pewarna alami pada makanan dan merekomendasikan penggunaan kasumba turate sebagai teh atau minuman herbal yang memberikan efek antioksidan alami selama masa pandemi

Land quality, sustainable development and environmental degradation in agricultural districts: A computational approach based on entropy indexes

Land Degradation (LD) in socio-environmental systems negatively impacts sustainable development paths. This study proposes a framework to LD evaluation based on indicators of diversification in the spatial distribution of sensitive land. We hypothesize that conditions for spatial heterogeneity in a composite index of land sensitivity are more frequently associated to areas prone to LD than spatial homogeneity. Spatial heterogeneity is supposed to be associated with degraded areas that may act as hotspots for future degradation processes. A diachronic analysis (1960-2010) was carried out at the agricultural district scale in Italy to identify environmental factors associated to spatial heterogeneity in the level of land sensitivity to degradation based on the Environmentally Sensitive Area Index (ESAI). In 1960, diversification in the level of land sensitivity measured through two common indexes of entropy (Shannon's diversity and Pielou's evenness) increased significantly with the ESAI, indicating a high level of land sensitivity to degradation. In 2010, surface area classified as 'critical' to LD was the highest in districts with evident diversification in the spatial distribution of ESAI values, confirming the hypothesis formulated above. Entropy indexes, based on observed alignment with the concept of LD, constitute a valuable base to inform mitigation strategies against desertification