Egg removal device for the management of three stored product pests

Investigations were carried out to assess the efficiency of pulse beetle egg removal device in the removal of eggs of Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica from infested sorghum, wheat, maize and paddy grains and the eggs of Lasioderma serricorne from infested coriander. The efficiency of the device or the impact of rotation was assessed based on the number of offspring adults emerged and percentage reduction in adult emergence compared to untreated controls. Rotation of the grains for three consecutive days for 15 min/day gave the highest reduction in the emergence of offspring adults. Reductions in emergence of T. castaneum and R. dominica were found to be 54 and 57% in sorghum; 69 and 69% in wheat; and 71 and 76% in maize, respectively. There was a 77% reduction in L. serricorne on coriander seed, and a similar level for R. dominica on paddy. Keywords: Pulse beetle egg removal device, Tribolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Lasioderma serricorn

人の集団に関する新たな評価方法の考察

九州大学応用力学研究所研究集会報告 No.20ME-S7 「非線形波動の数理と物理」RIAM Symposium No.20ME-S7 Mathematics and Physics in Nonlinear waves本研究では、金融工学の手法を用いて人の混雑を評価する理論の構築を試みた。我々は、人の混雑を表すダイナミクスは確率項を含むLogistic 方程式に従うと仮定し、この動きを正味現在価値やリアルオプション法によって評価した。また、金融工学では、割引率を用いることによってタイミングによる価値の違いが表現されるが今回のモデルでは、割引率を人の効用を割り引くために導入し、実データに基づく推定・考察もあわせて行った

LONG-TERM EFFICACY OF PROTEIN-ENRICHED PEA FLOUR AGAINST TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE) IN WHEAT FLOUR

Long-term efficacy of the protein-enriched flour of pea (Pisum sativum L. var. Bonneville) in its toxicity, progeny reduction and organoleptic properties was evaluated by combining it with wheat flour and testing the admixture against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). The toxicity and progeny-reducing effects of the wheat flour treated with protein-enriched pea flour were stable for a period of 5 months when stored at 28°C with 75% r.h. Heat treatment destroyed the biological activity of the protein-enriched pea flour containing the active ingredient due to the denaturation of proteins. The organoleptic properties of stored wheat flour were not affected by the treatment with protein-enriched pea flour

Disinfection of impression materials: A comprehensive review of disinfection methods

Impression making is one of the most common procedures that are performed by dentists in day-to-day practice. These impressions can act as vehicles of transmission and carry various types of microorganisms, which further cause diseases like Hepatitis B, C, HIV, Tuberculosis etc. This contamination and cross contamination of microorganisms can be prevented by disinfecting the impressions immediately after removing from the mouth and label them as disinfected. Usually the impressions are placed under running water to remove saliva and blood, but this will eliminate the disease-causing microorganisms, so a standard protocol to disinfect the impressions and casts should be known to dentists and dental personnel. Various methods of impression disinfection like chemical disinfection, Microwave, Autoclave, Ultraviolet radiation have been described in literature having their own advantages, disadvantages and effects on impression material and casts. Recently antimicrobials and nanoparticles have been incorporated into the impression material itself to make it self- disinfecting. This will not only disinfect the impression material from inside but also disinfect the impressions from the time it is inserted in patient’s mouth.  A broad search on the literature available was performed to provide knowledge about mechanism of action, concentration of usage along with commercial preparations available of different disinfectants. This review article will enhance the knowledge and improve the behavior of dental health care workers about impression disinfection

SELECTIVE CECAL BACTERIAL CHANGES MEDIATE THE ADVERSE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH PALMOLEIN OR HIGH STARCH DIETS: PROPHYLACTIC ROLE OF FLAX OIL

Objective: Studies on the dynamics of gut bacteria in relation to metabolic adverse effects induced by high palmolein or high starch diets and in relation to health benefits of uncommon foods are lacking. Our aim was to assess under controlled conditions, the impact of vegetable based palmitic acid rich, high fat diet or a high starch diet on various metabolic parameters in relation to selective gut bacterial alterations in rats and also to see the effect of flaxseed oil supplementation on these parameters.Methods: Wistar Rats were fed for 4 mo either a control diet(CT) or a 30% high fat diet (HF) or HF diet with flax oil supplemented at two different doses (HFF1 and HFF2) or a 78% high starch diet (HC) after which they were sacrificed and analyzed for selective cecal bacteria, hematology, immune function and body composition.Results: High palmolein diet fed rats showed a decrease in colony forming units of lactobacillus, enterococci, streptococci bacteria and an increase in enterobacteriaceae in the cecum unlike HC fed rats. While high palmolein diet was found to impair immunity and increase inflammation, high starch diet affected body composition and lipid profile. Supplementing the flax seed oil ameliorated most of the adverse effects of high palmolein diet.Conclusions: Independent of energy intakes both high palmolein and high starch intakes have differential adverse effects. It can be envisaged that the adverse effects of feeding palmolein are mediated through immune impairment and inflammatory response, which in turn are associated with altered gut bacteria profile; and flax oil was found to have a prophylactic role in controlling these adverse effects. This study emphasizes the need to evaluate immunological as well as bacterial profile while assessing the safety of dietary fats in addition to traditional methods.Â

Valorization of peanut shells through biochar production using slow and fast pyrolysis and its detailed physicochemical characterization

Valorization of peanut shells has recently gained prominence in the context of thermally converting agricultural waste into biochar, a carbon-rich byproduct with significant potential as a soil amendment. The present study delves into understanding the influence of slow (450°C and 500°C) and fast (550°C and 600°C) pyrolysis temperatures with a resident time of 60 and 30 minutes, respectively, on the physico-chemical properties of peanut shell biochar produced in a low-cost kiln. Results of the Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis revealed that increased pyrolysis temperature increased porosity and surface roughness with crystalline deposits. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that increased temperatures contributed to enhanced thermal stability but reduced biochar yield. Pyrolysis temperatures of 450, 500, 550, and 600°C exhibited 32.19, 29.13, 21.8, and 19.43 percent conversion efficiency with organic carbon content of 11.57, 6.48, 8.64, and 7.76 percent, respectively. The intensities of functional groups (C-H and C-O) declined, whereas the intensity of C=C and stable carbon content increased with the rise in temperatures. The concentrations of heavy metals in all biochar samples were below permissible limits outlined by international biochar initiatives. The study concluded that slow pyrolysis at 450°C for 60 minutes resident time is an ideal pyrolytic condition for producing peanut shell biochar in terms of qualitative and quantitative characteristics

Economics and loss of by-products of coconut due to eriophyid mite, Aceria guerreronis (Keifer) damage

Coconut fiber is obtained from the fibrous husk (mesocarp) of the coconut (Cocos nucifera) and the coir industry depends on this versatile natural fiber. Efforts were  made in this study to evaluate the effect of eriophyid mite,  Aceria guerreronis (Keifer) damage on the out-turn and quality of coconut fiber. An out-turn of 100.5, 89.7, 81.0, 68.6 and 60.1 kg of white fiber was obtained from 1,000 nuts infested by eriophyid mite belonging to grade 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. A reduction in the out-turn of fiber could be a consequence of nut malformation or cracks formed on the husk surface due to desapping by  A. guerreronis  at the young button stage of the nuts. A significant negative correlation was observed between the quantity of rope made out of the extracted fibers and the nut damage grade. A quantity of 90.8 and 49.7 kg of rope were obtained by using white fibers extracted from 1,000 nuts of grade 1 and 5, respectively. Fibers extracted from nuts belonging to grade 1 and 5 had a tensile strength of 52.1 and 15.7 kg, respectively. A fiber length of 10.8 cm and a fiber diameter of 0.4 mm were noticed in the fibers extracted from severely infested nuts (grade 5). Key words: Coconut, Eriophyid mite,  Aceria guerreronis,  fiber out-turn, tensile strengt