Conceptualising Green Awareness as Moderator in Technology Acceptance Model for Green IS/IT

Green Information System/Technology adoption is one of the key solutions sought by organisations, policy makers and governments to promote sustainability and deal with environmental issues. Surprisingly, in the research discipline of management information systems measuring the intention of decision maker to adopt Green IS/IT is ignored while only a few studies address the issue of Green IS/IT adoption. But these studies are mostly done in organisational manner and consistently lack to conceptualise the role of Green Awareness or environmental literacy of the end user that may play the role of the facilitator to such adoption models and can significantly moderate the relationship of users' cognitive and behavioural intention factors in decision making process of adopting Green IS/IT. To fill this gap in the Green IS/IT literature, this paper conceptualise the role of Green Awareness as a facilitator by incorporating a subjective green awareness rating scale as a moderator in Technology Acceptance Model. This paper contributes to the existing knowledge in the science of information systems, mapping users' intention to adopt Green IS/IT and sustainability by conceptualising green awareness rating scale for users and a theoretical framework of incorporating the scale in Technology Acceptances model to map its role as a moderator

Heterogeneous Relational Databases for a Grid-enabled Analysis Environment

Grid based systems require a database access mechanism that can provide seamless homogeneous access to the requested data through a virtual data access system, i.e. a system which can take care of tracking the data that is stored in geographically distributed heterogeneous databases. This system should provide an integrated view of the data that is stored in the different repositories by using a virtual data access mechanism, i.e. a mechanism which can hide the heterogeneity of the backend databases from the client applications. This paper focuses on accessing data stored in disparate relational databases through a web service interface, and exploits the features of a Data Warehouse and Data Marts. We present a middleware that enables applications to access data stored in geographically distributed relational databases without being aware of their physical locations and underlying schema. A web service interface is provided to enable applications to access this middleware in a language and platform independent way. A prototype implementation was created based on Clarens [4], Unity [7] and POOL [8]. This ability to access the data stored in the distributed relational databases transparently is likely to be a very powerful one for Grid users, especially the scientific community wishing to collate and analyze data distributed over the Grid

Screening of fungicides and comparison of selective media for isolation of fusarium graminearum from soil and plant material

The culture media recommended for the isolation and enumeration of the Fusarium spp. lack selectivity for Fusarium graminearum. Five fungicides—Amistar® (250 g·L−1 azoxystrobin), Filan® (500 g·kg−1 boscalid), Comet® 200 (200 g·L−1 pyraclostrobin), Imtrex® (62.5 g·L−1 fluxapyroxad), Poraz® (450 g·L−1 prochloraz)—were investigated for their potential as selective inhibitors in culture media for the isolation of F. graminearum from soil and plant material. Based on the screening, fluxapyroxad was further tested for selective inhibition for the isolation of F. graminearum from soil. Additionally, selective media were compared for the isolation of F. graminearum from plant material. The fungicides tested did not prove to be effective inhibitors for the development of selective media. For the detection of F. graminearum in plant material, Czapek Dox propiconazole dichloran agar was found to be a better medium than Komada’s media, as the former resulted in colonies with darker pigmentation over a shorter incubation time and appeared to have a less inhibitory effect on F. graminearum growth

Biofumigation for the management of Fusarium graminearum in a wheat-maize rotation

Fusarium graminearum is the most important causal agent of head blight in wheat, and stalk and ear rot in maize. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of incorporation of Brassicaceae cover crops on Fusarium graminearum in a wheat-maize rotation. Five species belonging to Brassicaceae (Brassica juncea, Eruca sativa, Raphanus sativus, B. carinata, B. oleracea var. caulorapa L.) were used in the field experiment to investigate their potential to suppress F. graminearum inoculum in soil, disease incidence in maize and to reduce subsequent mycotoxin contamination in maize. Brassica juncea was found to contain the highest glucosinolate concentration in shoots (31 µmol g−1). Severity of ear rot and stalk rot in maize was not significantly reduced in the amended plots. Incorporation of R. sativus ‘Terranova’ significantly decreased the amount of F. graminearum DNA by 58% compared with the cultivated fallow treatment, however the DNA concentration was not significantly different to fallow uncultivated. Fusarium graminearum DNA and deoxynivalenol in maize was 50% lower after incorporation of B. oleracea var. caulorapa L. compared to after fallow treatment but the difference was not significant. The brassica crops used in the present field experiment were not effective in suppressing F. graminearum, therefore further studies to optimise the current approach are recommended

The Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Avena fatua Extract: Antifungal Activity against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici

Using plant extracts as eco-friendly reducing and stabilizing agents for the synthesis of nanoparticles has gained significant attention in recent years. The current study explores the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the Avena fatua extract and evaluates their antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol), a fungal plant pathogen. A green and sustainable approach was adopted to synthesize silver nanoparticles before these nanoparticles were employed for anti-fungal activity. The primary indication that AgNPs had formed was performed using UV-vis spectroscopy, where a strong peak at 425 nm indicated the effective formation of these nanoparticles. The indication of important functional groups acting as reducing and stabilizing agents was conducted using the FTIR study. Additionally, morphological studies were executed via SEM and AFM, which assisted with more effectively analyzing AgNPs. Crystalline behavior and size were estimated using powder XRD, and it was found that AgNPs were highly crystalline, and their size ranged from 5 to 25 nm. Synthesized AgNPs exhibited significant antifungal activity against Fol at a concentration of 40 ppm. Furthermore, the inhibitory index confirmed a positive correlation between increasing AgNPs concentration and exposure duration. This study suggests that the combined phytochemical mycotoxic effect of the plant extract and the smaller size of synthesized AgNPs were responsible for the highest penetrating power to inhibit Fol growth. Moreover, this study highlights the potential of using plant extracts as reducing and capping agents for the green synthesis of AgNPs with antifungal properties. The study concludes that A. fatua extract can synthesize antifungal AgNPs as a sustainable approach with robust antifungal efficacy against Fol, underscoring their promising potential for integration into plant protection strategies

Antifungal effect of brassica tissues on the mycotoxigenic cereal pathogen fusarium graminearum

Fusarium graminearum is a globally important cereal pathogen, causing head blight in wheat, resulting in yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. Currently, triazole fungicides are used to suppress Fusarium graminearum, however, the declining effectiveness of triazoles and concerns over the safety of pesticides have led to the pursuit of safe alternative crop protection strategies such as biofumigation. In the present study, species belonging to Brassicaceae (Brassica juncea, Raphanus sativus, Eruca sativa) were assessed for their biofumigation potential against F. graminearum and the glucosinolate profile of the brassicas was determined. In Petri dishes, mycelial plugs of Fusarium graminearum were exposed to frozen/defrosted leaf discs of brassicas collected at early-leaf, stem-extension, and early-bud stages. Additionally, F. graminearum inoculum was incubated in soil amended with chopped tissues of brassicas in a closed jar experiment. Glucosinolate analysis of the leaf tissue of brassicas revealed that the total glucosinolate concentration of B. juncea ‘Brons’ increased with advancing growth stage (24.5–51.9 µmol g−1). Brassica juncea leaf discs were effective against mycelial growth, while the sinigrin content in the leaf tissue corresponded to the level of suppression. At the stem-extension and early-bud stages, B. juncea ‘Brons’ showed 87–90% suppression with four leaf discs, and 100% suppression with eight leaf discs. Brassica juncea ‘Caliente Rojo’ leaf discs collected at the stem-extension stage showed 94% inhibition with eight discs. In the closed jar experiment, each brassica species significantly suppressed F. graminearum inoculum by 41–55%. The findings suggest that the brassica species investigated in the present study could be effective in reducing the inoculum of F. graminearum in soil prior to cereal production

In vitro activity of isothiocyanates against Fusarium graminearum

Isothiocyanates are biotoxic degradation products formed as a result of enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates present in Brassica species. The application of biofumigant Brassica crops, as an alternative crop protection method for soil-borne pathogens and pests is increasingly gaining interest. However, little is known of the potential of biofumigation to reduce the inoculum of Fusarium species affecting cereals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of five isothiocyanates, namely allyl, benzyl, ethyl, 2-phenylethyl and methyl isothiocyanates, against germination and growth of Fusarium graminearum under in vitro conditions. Aromatic isothiocyanates were more inhibitory than the aliphatic isothiocyanates against mycelial growth whereas the reverse was observed for conidial germination. Among the tested isothiocyanates, allyl and methyl isothiocyanates were overall more efficient, showing lower ED50 values (35-150 mg l-1) for conidial germination and mycelial radial growth. The findings suggest that Brassica plants containing allyl and methyl glucosinolates could have a suppressive effect on reducing the inoculum of Fusarium graminearum in soil prior to cereal production

A novel route for catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate by oxygen vacancies improved bismuth-doped titania for the removal of recalcitrant organic contaminant

In this work, bismuth-doped titania (BixTiO2) with improved oxygen vacancies was synthesized by sol-gel protocol as a novel peroxymonosulfate (PMS, HSO5−) activator. HSO5− and adsorbed oxygen molecules could efficiently be transformed into their respective radicals through defect ionization to attain charge balance after their trapping on oxygen vacancies of the catalyst. XRD study of BixTiO2 with 5 wt% Bi (5BiT) revealed anatase, crystalline nature, and successful doping of Bi into TiO2 crystal lattice. The particle size obtained from BET data and SEM observations was in good agreement. PL spectra showed the formation rates of •OH by 3BiT, 7BiT, 5BiTC, and 5BiT as 0.720, 1.200, 1.489, and 2.153 μmol/h, respectively. 5BiT catalyst with high surface area (216.87 m2 g−1) and high porosity (29.81%) was observed the excellent HSO5− activator. The catalytic performance of 0BiT, 3BiT, 5BiT, and 7BiT when coupled with 2 mM HSO5− for recalcitrant flumequine (FLU) removal under dark was 10, 27, 55, and 37%, respectively. Only 5.4% decrease in catalytic efficiency was observed at the end of seventh cyclic run. Radical scavenging studies indicate that SO4•− is the dominant species that caused 62.0% degradation. Moreover, strong interaction between Bi and TiO2 through Bi-O-Ti bonds prevents Bi leaching (0.081 mg L−1) as shown by AAS. The kinetics, degradation pathways, ecotoxicity, and catalytic mechanism for recalcitrant FLU were also elucidated. Cost-efficient, environment-friendly, and high mineralization recommends this design strategy; BixTiO2/HSO5− system is a promising advanced oxidation process for the aquatic environment remediation