BcB_c mesons in a Bethe-Salpeter model

We apply our Bethe-Salpeter model for mesons to the $B_c$ family with parameters fixed in our previous investigation. We evaluate the mass of the pseudo-scalar $B_c$ meson as 6.356 GeV/$c^2$ and 6.380 GeV/$c^2$ and the lifetime as 0.47 ps and 0.46 ps respectively in two reductions of the Bethe-Salpeter Equation, in good agreement with the recently reported mass of 6.40 $\pm$ 0.39 (stat.) $\pm$ 0.13 (syst.) GeV/$c^2$ and lifetime of $0.46^{+0.18}_{-0.16}$ (stat.) $\pm$ 0.03 (syst.) ps by the CDF Collaboration. We evaluate the decay constant of the $B_c$ meson and compare different contributions to its decay width.Comment: 9 page

Lewatit S100 in Drinking Water Treatment for Ammonia Removal

Ammonium nitrogen is the most important form of nitrogen that can cause excessive algal growth and stimulate eutrophication in surface water. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of removing ammonium from drinking water by means of an ion Exchange process. Polymeric Lewatit S100 material (particle-size 0.3–1.2 mm) was used. The breakthrough capacity was determined by dynamic laboratory investigations and the concentration of regenerant solution (5 and 10 % NaCl) was investigated. The concentration of ammonium ion inputs in the tap water that we used were 10, 5 and 2 mg NH4+ l_1 and down to levels below 0.5 mg NH4 + l_1. The experimental results show that the breakthrough capacity was very small at ammonium concentration 2 mg NH4 + l_1 compared to its breakthrough capacity at ammonium concentration 10 mg NH4 + l_1. There was no difference between regeneration by 10 and 5 % NaCl. We conclude that the use of Lewatit S100 is an attractive and promising method for ammonium concentration greater than 5 mg NH4 + l_1 and till 10 mg NH4 + l_1

Clinoptilolite in Drinking Water Treatment for Ammonia Removal

In most countries today the removal of ammonium ions from drinking water has become almost a necessity. The natural zeolite clinoptiloliteis mined commercially in many parts of the world. It is a selective exchanger for the ammonium cation, and this has prompted its use in water treatment, wastewater treatment, swimming pools and fish farming. The work described in this paper provides dynamic data on cation exchange processes in clinoptilolite involving the NH4 +, Ca+2 and Mg+2 cations. We used material of natural origin – clinoptilolite from Nižný Hrabovec in Slovakia (particle-size 3–5 mm). The breakthrough capacity was determined by dynamic laboratory investigations, and we investigated the influence of thermal pretreatment of clinoptilolite and the concentration of regenerant solution (2, 5, and 10% NaCl). The concentrations of ammonium ion inputs in the tap water that we used were 10, 5, and 2 mg NH4 + l_1 and down to levels below 0.5 mg NH4 + l_1. The experimental results show that repeated pretreatment sufficiently improves the zeolite’s properties, and the structure of clinoptilolite remains unchanged during the loading and regeneration cycles. Ammonium removal capacities were increased by approximately 40 % and 20 % for heat-treated zeolite samples. There was no difference between the regenerates for 10% and 5% NaCl. We conclude that the use of zeolite is an attractive and promising method for ammonium removal

Građa i optička svojstva tankih polikristaliničnih slojeva CuGaxIn1−xSe2

Structural and optical properties of CuGaxIn1−xSe2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75) polycrystalline thin films deposited by vacuum evaporation were studied as a function of composition. The optical absorption spectra of CuGaxIn1−xSe2 thin films (x /=0) show four energy gaps (Eg1 , Eg2 , Eg3 and Eg4 ) which are attributed to the fundamental edge, band splitting by crystal-field and spin-orbit splitting, and to transitions originating from copper 3d levels, respectively. The primary transition energies exhibit bowing behaviour expressed by the relationship Eg1 (x) = 1.011 + 0.448x + 0.186x 2 . The second and third transition energies are higher than the primary transition energies by 0.10–0.11 eV and 0.18–0.185 eV, respectively. The effect of thermal treatment on the values of energy gaps is discussed in terms of the structure of the films. The primary transition energies of annealed CuGaxIn1−xSe2 can be fitted by the parabolic form Eg1 (x) = 1.04 + 0.46x + 0.22x 2 .Proučavali smo strukturna i optička svojstva tankih polikristaliničnih slojeva CuGaxIn1−xSe2, isparenih u vakuumu, u ovisnosti o sastavu (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75). Optički apsorpcijski spektri tankih slojeva CuGaxIn1−xSe2, (x /=0), pokazuju četiri energijska procijepa (Eg1 , Eg2 , Eg3 i Eg4 ) koji se pridjeljuju osnovnom rubu, cijepanju vrpci kristalnim poljem i cijepanju spin-staza, odnosno prijelazima iz 3d stanja bakra. Prvotni prijelazi pokazuju kvadratnu ovisnost koju izražavamo relacijom Eg1 (x) = 1.011 + 0.448x + 0.186x 2 . Druga i treća prijelazna energija su (0.10 − 0.11 eV) odnosno (0.18 − 0.185 eV) više od primarne prijelazne energije. Pomoću građe slojeva objašnjavamo učinak toplinske obrade na vrijednosti energijskih procijepa. Prvotne prijelazne energije opuštenog CuGaxIn1−xSe2 mogu se predstaviti kvadratnim izrazom Eg1 (x) = 1.04 + 0.46x + 0.22x 2

Građa i optička svojstva tankih polikristaliničnih slojeva CuGaxIn1−xSe2

Structural and optical properties of CuGaxIn1−xSe2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75) polycrystalline thin films deposited by vacuum evaporation were studied as a function of composition. The optical absorption spectra of CuGaxIn1−xSe2 thin films (x /=0) show four energy gaps (Eg1 , Eg2 , Eg3 and Eg4 ) which are attributed to the fundamental edge, band splitting by crystal-field and spin-orbit splitting, and to transitions originating from copper 3d levels, respectively. The primary transition energies exhibit bowing behaviour expressed by the relationship Eg1 (x) = 1.011 + 0.448x + 0.186x 2 . The second and third transition energies are higher than the primary transition energies by 0.10–0.11 eV and 0.18–0.185 eV, respectively. The effect of thermal treatment on the values of energy gaps is discussed in terms of the structure of the films. The primary transition energies of annealed CuGaxIn1−xSe2 can be fitted by the parabolic form Eg1 (x) = 1.04 + 0.46x + 0.22x 2 .Proučavali smo strukturna i optička svojstva tankih polikristaliničnih slojeva CuGaxIn1−xSe2, isparenih u vakuumu, u ovisnosti o sastavu (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75). Optički apsorpcijski spektri tankih slojeva CuGaxIn1−xSe2, (x /=0), pokazuju četiri energijska procijepa (Eg1 , Eg2 , Eg3 i Eg4 ) koji se pridjeljuju osnovnom rubu, cijepanju vrpci kristalnim poljem i cijepanju spin-staza, odnosno prijelazima iz 3d stanja bakra. Prvotni prijelazi pokazuju kvadratnu ovisnost koju izražavamo relacijom Eg1 (x) = 1.011 + 0.448x + 0.186x 2 . Druga i treća prijelazna energija su (0.10 − 0.11 eV) odnosno (0.18 − 0.185 eV) više od primarne prijelazne energije. Pomoću građe slojeva objašnjavamo učinak toplinske obrade na vrijednosti energijskih procijepa. Prvotne prijelazne energije opuštenog CuGaxIn1−xSe2 mogu se predstaviti kvadratnim izrazom Eg1 (x) = 1.04 + 0.46x + 0.22x 2

Bioactive Metabolites from Propolis Inhibit Superoxide Anion Radical, Acetylcholinesterase and Phosphodiesterase (PDE4)

Cycloartane-triterpenes (cycloartenol, 3α-cycloartenol-26-oic acid and 3β-cycloartenol-26-oic acid) together with α-amyrin acetate and flavonoids (pinostrobin, tectochrysin and chrysin) were isolated from Egyptian propolis for the first time. Their antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH and superoxide anion radical (O2.-). All compounds possessed both (O2.-) scavenging as well as XOD inhibitory activity in the range of 50 – 75 %. With DPPH, only the flavonoids showed scavenging activity (48 – 83 %). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitors are currently considered as intracellular targets for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 3β-cycloartenol-26-oic acid moderately inhibited AChE and PDE4 activities in vitro with IC50 values of 0.8±0.2 and 1.9±0.4 μM, respectively, while 3-cycloartenol-26-oic acid inhibited AChE activity with an IC50 value of 2.1±0.1 μM. The flavonoids pinostrobin and chrysin reduced PDE4 activity by 43 and 40 %, respectively (10 μM) as well as moderately inhibited the growth of the HepG2 cell line, whereas chrysin reduced proliferation of NIH-3T3 cells at 50 μM. Therefore, our results with 3β- and 3-cycloartenol-26-oic acids can contribute to further research on alternative drugs for the treatment of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as asthma and COPD

Some Functional, Chemical, and Sensory Characteristics of Cactus Pear Rice-Based Extrudates

ABSTRACT Both orange-yellow and red cactus pear pulps were concentrated (to 40ºBrix), and then added to rice grits to produce a delectable product of rice-based extrudates. Both concentrated pulps were added to rice grits in five levels 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%. The effects of added concentrated pulps on some physical (expansion ratio (ER), bulk density (BD), water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), breaking strength (BS), and color attributes (L*, a* and b*); chemical (moisture, total carbohydrate, crude protein, crude fat and ash); and sensory (taste, crispness, chewiness, odor, color, pore distribution, surface characteristics, and overall acceptability) characteristics of extruded products were evaluated. The expansion ratio (ER), water absorption index (WAI), and water soluble index (WSI) of all products decreased by increasing the added concentrated-pulp ratio, while breaking strength (BS) decreased up to 10% of the added ratio, then increased. Bulk density, ash content and color attributes (a* and b*) increased for all extruded products. Adding both concentrated cactus pear pulps to rice flour extremely enhanced the sensory characteristics of final extruded products, and the obtained results showed the possibility of producing a new value-added snack-type extrudate based on cactus pear pulp concentrates

Influence of Honey on the Suppression of Human Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Peroxidation (In vitro)

The antioxidant activity of four honey samples from different floral sources (Acacia, Coriander, Sider and Palm) were evaluated with three different assays; DPPH free radical scavenging assay, superoxide anion generated in xanthine–xanthine oxidase (XOD) system and low density lipoprotein (LDL) peroxidation assay. The dark Palm and Sider honeys had the highest antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay. But all the honey samples exhibited more or less the same highly significant antioxidant activity within the concentration of 1mg honey/1 ml in XOD system and LDL peroxidation assays. The chemical composition of these samples was investigated by GC/MS and HPLC analysis, 11 compounds being new to honey. The GC/MS revealed the presence of 90 compounds, mainly aliphatic acids (37 compounds), which represent 54.73, 8.72, 22.87 and 64.10% and phenolic acids (15 compound) 2.3, 1.02, 2.07 and 11.68% for Acacia, Coriander, Sider and Palm honeys. In HPLC analysis, 19 flavonoids were identified. Coriander and Sider honeys were characterized by the presence of large amounts of flavonoids

Effect of Horizontal DNA Transfer in Azospirillum and Azotobacter Strains on Biological and Biochemical Traits of Non-legume Plants

Abstract: Auxin production by Azospirillum and Azotobacter is believed to play a major role on promoting plant growth. Non legume plants inoculated with different genetically modified strains is significantly stimulated due to the contribution of Auxin biosynthesis by Azospirillum transconjugants affecting on root fresh weight of sugar beet above the plants fertilized with 50% of recommended dose. This study focuses the association between 2,4-D and Azospirillum which revealed significant increase in leaf area of top variety at the presence of 2,4-D above the plants fertilized with nitrogen recommended dose. At the absence of 2,4-D some of transconjugants significantly stimulate the leaf area of top variety above the plants fertilized with 50% of nitrogen recommended dose. The importance of horizontal gene transfer is an adaptive mechanism for bacteria, which may result in increased genetic variation by bringing together DNA from different genetic backgrounds. Furthermore, Azospirillum transconjugants (extra copy of DNA) were evaluated in field trail. Together, these results confirm the important role of IAA produced by transconjugants on stimulating root weight and illustrate the power of combining genetic tools and bioassays to elucidate the mechanism of a beneficial Azospirillum -plant interaction. The effects of biofertilizing by Azospirillum transconjugants on the technological parameters of sugar beet were studied. The better results were gained at variety Top (sugar %, potassium, sodium, quality) at the absence of 2,4-D under the effect of biofertilization, but variety dispery obtained better results of alphaamino-nitrogen under the effect of nitrogen recommended dose. When plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (Azotobacter strains) were used as inoculants for biofertilization and phytostimulation of canola, some of the inoculants improving growth and yield parametres; leaf area, plant height, root dry weight and grain yield/plant above the plants fertilized with 50% of nitrogen recommended dose. In addition, chlorophyll b and grain yield/plant in Serw 6 variety was significantly affected by the addition of 2,4-D. Corn plants biofertilized with Azospirillum strains and their transconjugants appeared significant effect on ear length, plant height, grain content of carotene and leave content of cholorophyll pigments. This work describes the beneficial effect of genetic variations in rhizobacterium strains, which contains an active biological containment system affecting on their effectiveness of nitrogen fixation and auxin production. This leading to recommend to inoculate non -legume plants with selected rhizobacterial isolates to exhibit stimulatory effect on grain yield and root fresh weight (sugar beet). However, plantresponse was varied, due to plant varieties and genetic constitution of rhizobacterial strains as shown in this study. Field experiments conducted in this study on two varieties of sugar beet, canola and corn demonstrated an increase in root fresh and/or dry weight, shoot dry weight and grain yield of inoculated seedlings, above that in the plants fertilized with 50% of nitrogen recommended dose. Colonization of the non-legume plants by rhizobacteria have indirect and direct effects on plant growth and their developments. Direct effects include enhanced provision of nutrients and the production of phytohormones. Indirect effects involve aspects of biological control: the production of antibiotics and the induction of plant resistance mechanisms. It was concluded that the highest auxins-producing strains also caused a maximum increase of growth and yield of non-legume plants

Site adaptations of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) tilapiae: Observations through light and scanning electron microscopy

Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) tilapiae parasites were collected from the intestines of 300 fish belonging to three tilapia species sourced at the River Nile, Giza, Egypt. The proboscis of the parasite was characterized by three rows of hooks that curved towards the posterior of the body. The first row is supported by unmodified hooks. The parasite tegument has a series of alternative folds and a large number of pores. Sensory ganglia are located on the surface of the proboscis and body. Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) tilapiae provokes an aggressive host response indicated by hyperplasia of the intestinal goblet cells and focal eosinophil infiltrations. This acanthocephalan parasite shows a highly modified adaptation to its site of host infection