Dynamic mechanical properties of activated carbon–filled epoxy nanocomposites.

Nano-activated carbons obtained from oil palm empty fiber bunch (AC-EFB), bamboo stem (AC-BS), and coconut shells (AC-CNS) were reinforced in epoxy matrix to fabricate epoxy nanocomposites. The dynamic mechanical analysis of epoxy nanocomposites was carried out, and 5% AC-CNS treated with KOH-filled epoxy composites displayed the highest storage modulus of all the activated carbon–filled epoxy composites. The incorporation of a small amount of AC-BS, AC-EFB, and AC-CNS to the epoxy matrix enhanced the damping characteristics of the epoxy nanocomposites. The 5% AC-EFB treated with H3PO4 filled epoxy composites showed the highest glass transition temperature (Tg) in all temperature ranges

Evolutionary and Experimental Assessment of Novel Markers for Detection of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria in Plant Samples

BACKGROUND: Bacterial spot-causing xanthomonads (BSX) are quarantine phytopathogenic bacteria responsible for heavy losses in tomato and pepper production. Despite the research on improved plant spraying methods and resistant cultivars, the use of healthy plant material is still considered as the most effective bacterial spot control measure. Therefore, rapid and efficient detection methods are crucial for an early detection of these phytopathogens. METHODOLOGY: In this work, we selected and validated novel DNA markers for reliable detection of the BSX Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xeu). Xeu-specific DNA regions were selected using two online applications, CUPID and Insignia. Furthermore, to facilitate the selection of putative DNA markers, a customized C program was designed to retrieve the regions outputted by both databases. The in silico validation was further extended in order to provide an insight on the origin of these Xeu-specific regions by assessing chromosomal location, GC content, codon usage and synteny analyses. Primer-pairs were designed for amplification of those regions and the PCR validation assays showed that most primers allowed for positive amplification with different Xeu strains. The obtained amplicons were labeled and used as probes in dot blot assays, which allowed testing the probes against a collection of 12 non-BSX Xanthomonas and 23 other phytopathogenic bacteria. These assays confirmed the specificity of the selected DNA markers. Finally, we designed and tested a duplex PCR assay and an inverted dot blot platform for culture-independent detection of Xeu in infected plants. SIGNIFICANCE: This study details a selection strategy able to provide a large number of Xeu-specific DNA markers. As demonstrated, the selected markers can detect Xeu in infected plants both by PCR and by hybridization-based assays coupled with automatic data analysis. Furthermore, this work is a contribution to implement more efficient DNA-based methods of bacterial diagnostics

Biochar successfully replaces activated charcoal for in vitro culture of two white poplar clones reducing ethylene concentration

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Preparation and use of maize tassels’ activated carbon for the adsorption of phenolic compounds in environmental waste water samples

The determination and remediation of three phenolic compounds bisphenol A (BPA), ortho-nitrophenol (o-NTP), parachlorophenol (PCP) in wastewater is reported. The analysis of these molecules in wastewater was done using gas chromatography (GC) × GC time-of-flight mass spectrometry while activated carbon derived from maize tassel was used as an adsorbent. During the experimental procedures, the effect of various parameters such as initial concentration, pH of sample solution, eluent volume, and sample volume on the removal efficiency with respect to the three phenolic compounds was studied. The results showed that maize tassel produced activated carbon (MTAC) cartridge packed solid-phase extraction (SPE) system was able to remove the phenolic compounds effectively (90.84–98.49 %, 80.75–97.11 %, and 78.27–97.08 % for BPA, o-NTP, and PCP, respectively) . The MTAC cartridge packed SPE sorbent performance was compared to commercially produced C18 SPE cartridges and found to be comparable. All the parameters investigated were found to have a notable influence on the adsorption efficiency of the phenolic compounds from wastewaters at different magnitudes

Irrigation rate and plant density effects on yield and water use efficiency of drip-irrigated corn

The efficient use of water by modern irrigation systems is becoming increasingly important in arid and semi-arid regions with limited water resources. This study was conducted for 2 years (2005 and 2006) to establish optimal irrigation rates and plant population densities for corn (Zea mays L.) in sandy soils using drip irrigation system. The study aimed at achieving high yield and efficient irrigation water use (IWUE) simultaneously. A field experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block split plot design with three drip irrigation rates (I1: 1.00, I2: 0.80, and I3: 0.60 of the estimated evapotranspiration), and three plant population densities (D1: 48,000, D2: 71,000 and D3: 95,000 plants ha-1) as the main plot and split plot, respectively. Irrigation water applied at I1, I2 and I3 were 5955, 4762 and 3572 m3 ha-1, respectively. A 3-day irrigation interval and three-way cross 310 hybrid corn were used. Results indicated that corn yield, yield components, and IWUE increased with increasing irrigation rates and decreasing plant population densities. Significant interaction effects between irrigation rate and plant population density were detected in both seasons for yield, selected yield components, and IWUE. The highest grain yield, yield components, and IWUE were found for I1D1, I1D2, or I2D1, while the lowest were found for I3D2 or I3D3. Thus, a high irrigation rate with low or medium plant population densities or a medium irrigation rate with a low plant population density are recommended for drip-irrigated corn in sandy soil. Crop production functions with respect to irrigation rates, determined for grain yield and different yield components, enable the results from this study to be extrapolated to similar agro-climatic conditions.

Response of Two Species of Black Cumin to Foliar Spray Treatments

Abstract: Field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of fertilizer foliar spray treatments on the growth, fixed oil and fatty acids contents of Nigella sativa and Nigella damascena plants. Foliar spray, black cumin species and their interactions had a significant effects on the growth characters, fixed oil and fatty acids contents of both Nigella sativa and Nigella damascena

Growth, yield productivity, and oil composition of two Amaranthus species grown under two different environmental conditions in Egypt

Amaranthus plants are very rich in nutritional benefits with significant traditional uses especially against inflammations. Herein, the growth productivity, oil quality, and compositions of the two promising novel food resources, Amaranthus caudatus and Amaranthus tricolor, were evaluated in two different locations in Egypt (El-Sharkia and El-Minia) which have different geographical regions. Analyses of geographic positions, climatic data, and soil characteristics of the two locations were evaluated. Plant heights, number of branches/plant, seed yield, and inflorescence length of the two plant species were studied in both locations. Additionally, the seed oil yields along with their gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) profiles were characterized. The findings revealed a significant difference between the two locations, with a strong correlation between the yields and the climate conditions. The two plant species cultivated in El-Minia showed significant records of overall growth indicators than El-Sharkia. A worthy variability in the oil yields and composition of El-Minia samples exhibited higher contents of dry matter in both plants (89.01 and 89.03 g/100 g dry tissues, respectively) than those of El-Sharkia. Amaranthus caudatus cultivated in El-Sharkia showed higher lipids components (7.02 g/100 g dry seeds) and saturated (19.13 g/100 g dry seeds) and unsaturated fatty acids (61.32 g/100 g) than those of El-Minia site. In addition, A. tricolor cultivated in El-Sharkia contained higher lipids contents (6.87 g/100 g) and unsaturated fatty acids (61.75 g/100 g dry seeds) than El-Minia with the supremacy of El-Minia samples in saturated fatty acids (19.03 g/100 g dry seeds). A strong correlation between the lipids and fatty acids of A. caudatus and A. tricolor was determined, and the cultivation locations and conditions were found based upon the GC-MS analysis as well as statistical significance