Genotoxicity and genomic instability in oral epithelial cells of agricultural workers exposed to pesticides using micronucleus and comet assay in Nineveh, Iraq

In agriculture, pesticides are used to preserve plants, but they might be dangerous for farmers and the environment. The present study aimed to use the comet assay and the micronucleus (MN) test to assess the genotoxic effects on lymphocytes and buccal exfoliation in pesticide-exposed male agricultural workers. The samples were collected from 102 workers having exposure to pesticides (Roundup SL, Weed waster, and paraquat 20% SL) and 100 control individuals (without pesticide exposure) from different Mosul, Iraq, neighbourhoods. With the help of the comet assay and the MN test, exfoliated buccal cells from the individuals were analyzed for DNA damage. Each individual's lymphocytes and epithelial baseline cells had their comet tail length assessed, along with any other nuclear abnormalities such as nuclear buds, karyolysis, karyorrhexis, and binucleate cells. The results showed that the frequency of MN considerably rose in the exposed group, and that group also revealed nuclear anomalies linked to cytotoxic or genotoxic effects. There were significant disparities in the amount of DNA damage between recently exposed employees and controls and recently exposed and followed-up cases. In comparison to controls, there was a considerable increase in the and frequency of cells that migrated in exposed workers. However, it was shown that confounding factors, such as age and the varying length of pesticide exposure, substantially impacted DNA damage. Educational programs for agricultural workers are critical to limit the use of chemicals in agriculture, given the evidence of a genetic risk associated with exposure brought on by the extensive use of pesticides

BIOLOGI REPRODUKSI DAN DINAMIKA POPULASI IKAN KEMBUNG LELAKI (Rastrelliger kanagurta, Cuvier 1817) DI PERAIRAN ARU

Peningkatan armada pukat ikan dan pukat udang serta kebijakan relokasi kapal diatas 30 GT dari WPP 712 ke WPP 718 diduga berdampak pada potensi sumberdaya perikanan di WPP 718 termasuk didalamnya wilayah perairan kepulauan Aru. Ikan kembung lelaki merupakan ikan yang mendominasi hasil tangkapan armada pukat cincin yang berbasis di Dobo. Untuk menghindari terjadinya penurunan sumberdaya ikan kembung lelaki (nama lokal: lema) diperlukan informasi dasar tentang biologi perikanannya. Tulisan ini bertujuan mengkaji aspek biologi reproduksi dan dinamika populasi ikan kembung lelaki di perairan kepulauan Aru. Hasil penelitian mennjukkan bahwa puncak pemijahan ikan kembung lelaki terjadi pada bulan Juni dan berlangsung hingga bulan November. Panjang pertama kali matang gonad jantan 20,19 cmFL dan betina 19,96 cmFL. Sebagian besar populasi didominasi oleh ikan dewasa dengan tingkat kematangan gonad (TKG) 3 dan 4. Populasi ikan kembung lelaki di kepulauan Aru terdapat satu kohor utama dan dua kohor minor. Tingkat pemanfaatan ikan kembung lelaki yang telah melebihi nilai optimumnya yakni 0,81 memerlukan kebijakan dalam pengelolaannya. Pembatasan upaya penangkapan baik pada armada utama pemanfaat ikan kembung lelaki maupun pada kapal-kapal di atas 30 GT dari Laut Jawa yang mengeksploitasi perikanan di WPP 718 menjadi salah satu saran pengelolaannya.Inclining of fish and shrimp trawler fleet and relocation policy of vessel higher than 30 GT from FMA 712 to FMA 718 was alleged impact the fishery resources in FMA 718, including Aru Island Sea. The Indian Mackarel Rastelinger kanagurta was dominant species caught by purse seine which based on Dobo. To prevent the declining of R. Kanagurta resources stock, it is needed to collect the basic information on fisheries biology. This study aimed to assess the reproductive biological aspects and population dynamics of R. kanagurta in the Aru Sea. The data were collected from purse seine landing based in Dobo from January to November 2016. The analysis result showed that the spawing season reach its peak from June to November. The length at maturity of males and females were 20,19 cmFL and 19,96 cmFL. The catch was dominated by adult fish which has been reaching the mature stage. The population structure of R kanagurta consisted of one major cohort and two minor cohorts. The exploitation level of this species was greater than its optimum levels (E = 0,81) which indicates that there is needed of management policy in this fishery such as the restriction of the fishing efforrt

The Moderating Effect of Audit Quality on the Links Between Stock Market Segmentations, Surplus Free Cash Flow, and Income-increasing Discretionary Accruals

The objective of this paper is to examine the impacts of stock market segmentations (SMS) and surplus free cash flow (SFCF) on income-increasing discretionary accruals. The study also provides the initial evidence regarding the influence of audit quality (AQ) as a moderating variable on those relationships. A sample of non-financial firms was taken from the list of Amman Stock Exchange over the period 2013-2019. Using Huber-White’s sandwich estimator for pooled OLS regression, the current research presents empirical evidence harmonious with the prediction in all hypotheses. Further, the findings document that a Big 4 auditor weakens the SMS-DAC and SFCF-DAC associations, which suggests that the role of Big 4 audit firms is effective in mitigating management’s opportunistic behaviour. However, the reported results provide beneficial information to investors, regulators, external auditors, policymakers, shareholders, and other countries with similar institutional environment

Demonstration of Elemental Partitioning During Austenite Formation in Low-Carbon Aluminium alloyed steel

This work investigates the influence of aluminium, in solid solution, on austenite formation in a lowcarbon aluminium alloyed (0.48 wt. %) steel during continuous heating. A thin section across an untransformed ferrite and austenite interface was prepared for transmission electron microscopy by focused ion beam milling. Microstructural characterization using imaging and elemental analysis demonstrates that aluminium partitions from austenite to ferrite during very slow heating conditions, stabilizing this latter phase and shifting the final transformation temperature for austenite formation (Ac3)Peer reviewe

Demonstration of Elemental Partitioning During Austenite Formation in Low-Carbon Aluminium alloyed steel

This work investigates the influence of aluminium, in solid solution, on austenite formation in a lowcarbon aluminium alloyed (0.48 wt. %) steel during continuous heating. A thin section across an untransformed ferrite and austenite interface was prepared for transmission electron microscopy by focused ion beam milling. Microstructural characterization using imaging and elemental analysis demonstrates that aluminium partitions from austenite to ferrite during very slow heating conditions, stabilizing this latter phase and shifting the final transformation temperature for austenite formation (Ac3)Peer reviewe

Produktivitas Tiga Genotipe Kedelai dengan Air Berbeda dan Kedalaman Muka Air pada Berbagai Kondisi Tanah di Pasang Surut

Soybean extensification on mineral and peaty mineral soils of tidal land are limited by Al and Fe toxicity. Modification of growing environment and the use of tolerant variety are the possible alternatives to overcome the limitation. The research was aimed to study soybean productivity in various soil types with different depth of water level and different water compositions. The experiment was held under mineral, peaty mineral soils with interaction types B and C of tidal swamp in Banyuasin, South Sumatera from May to August 2014. At each location, there was a three factor experiment was arranged in a split-split plot design. The first factor was two water depth (10 and 20 cm), the second factor was three varieties (Tanggamus, Cikuray, Ceneng) and third factor was three different water compositions (river water, peat water, high-tide water). The results showed productivity on mineral soil types C, peaty mineral soil types B, and mineral soil types B were 4:50, 3.65, 0:32 ton ha-1 respectively. In peaty mineral soil types B, Ceneng with a depth of 20 cm water level resulted in highest productivity. In the mineral soil overflow type B, Cikuray with peat water composition had highest productivity

Karakteristik potensial badan-3: Sistem Zn(II)-air-amoniak

Telah dilakukan penelitian tentang karakteristik potensial badan-3 untuk system Zn(II)- H2O-NH3. Dengan mengetahui karakteristik potensial badan-3 dapat diprediksi sumbangan energi ini dalam penentuan struktur solvasi sistem tersebut. Karakteristik potensial badan-3 dipelajari melalui perhitungan ab initio sejumlah energi titik sistem Zn(II)-H2O-NH3 pada tingkat RHF dengan menggunakan basis set LANL2 DZ ECP yang dikembangkan oleh Hay dan Wadt untuk Zn2+, SBKJC DZP ECP untuk O dan H, dan SBKJC VDZ ECP augmented untuk N. Perhitungan dilakukan pada beberapa konfigurasi geometri, yaitu: jarak 1.6 Å ≤ r Zn2+-NH3≤ 6 Å dan sudut 0o<<180o, 0o<≤60o, untuk tiap-tiap r Zn-2+-H2O = 2.06 Å, 2.01 Å, 3.26 Å, 5.06 Å. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa potensial badan-3 bersifat sedikit tarik-menarik pada jarak pendek (≤ r Zn2+-NH3, r Zn-2+-H2O ≤1,8 Å) dan bersifat tolak-menolak pada jarak menengah antara 1.8 Å sampai 3.2 Å, kemudian menurun mendekati nol sampai pada jarak 6 Å. Potensial badan-3 mencapai 20 kkal/mol pada r Zn-2+-H2O =2 Å, r Zn-2+-HN3 =1.95 Å atau 2 Å untuk sekitar 90o

Simulasi monte carlo sistem Zn2+ dalam campuran amoniak air Monte carlo simulation of Zn2+ in water ammonia mix system

Monte Carlo Simulation of Zn2+ in 41.43 mol% water-ammonia mixed system was carried out using pair potential including three-body potential in order to study preferential solvation system. Interaction potential of H20-H20, NH3-NH3, H2O-NH3, Zn2+-H20, Zn2+-NH3, Zn2+-H2O-H20, Zn2+-NH3-NH3 were adopted from literature while three-body potential of Zn2+- H2O-NH3 was constructed in this study. Potential function of Zn2+-H2O-NH3 was constructed by collecting 2212 interaction energy points between ammonia and water molecules around Zn2+ ion. The energy of the system was calculated by ab initio method at RHF level of theory using LANL2DZ ECP basis set for Zn2+, SBKJC DZP ECP for 0 and H atoms, and SBKJC VDZ ECP augmented for N atom. Fitting function result of three-body potential by Simplex-quasi Newton method was written as: V3b = A 1[– + – cp exp[–A3 (r12 + r22)] exp (–A4 / r3-2 )I[(a2 –r12)(a2–r22)] where V3b in kJ/ mol, rl, r2 and r3 were distance (A) of Zn2+-0, Zn2+-N, and N-0 respectively, cp is H20-Zn2+-NH3 angle in radian, n=3.14, a is cut-off limit set as 6 A, A1=0.647566 kJ/mol, A2=0.564364, A3=0.155746 A-2, A4=0.203131A-2. Simulation system consisted of 1 ion Zn2+, 123 H2O molecules, and 87 NH3 molecules. Temperature of the system was set at 263.15 K resulted simulation box lenght of 19.2012663 A. The result showed that first solvation shell of Zn2+ consist of average 1 H2O molecule and 5 ammonia molecules withp first potential only eometr led to of trigonal antipyramida. Appl g y structure ying pair solvation shell of average 3 H20 molecules and 5 NH 3 Ligand exchange reaction was particularly easy to occur molecul between es. first and second solvation sphere of Zn2+. i are energy enerand Thmum of Zn2+-H2O potential otential affects to shift pair interaction energy max Zn2+-NH3 about 25.10-29.29 kr/mol. Three-body ptential of Zn2+-H2O-NH3 with eve age contribution of o 21.80 favourably affects three-body potential of Zn2+- kJ/mol kli H2O-H20 comp with Zn2+-NH3-NH3. There was an excess amount of NI-I first solvation shell about 41.57% compare with the bulk. 3 in th

Modification of the contact surfaces for improving the puncture resistance of laminar structures

Uncovering energy absorption and surface effects of various penetrating velocities on laminar structures is essential for designing protective structures. In this study, both quasi-static and dynamic penetration tests were systematical conducted on the front surfaces of metal sheets coated with a graphene oxide (GO) solution and other media. The addition of a GO fluid film to the front impact surface aided in increasing the penetration strength, improving the failure extension and dissipating additional energy under a wide-range of indentation velocity, from 3.33 × 10-5 m/s to 4.42 m/s. The coated -surfaces improved the specific energy dissipation by approximately 15~40% relative to the dry-contact configuration for both single-layer and double-layer configurations, and specific energy dissipations of double-layer configurations were 20~30% higher than those of the single-layer configurations. This treatment provides a facile strategy in changing the contact state for improving the failure load and dissipate additional energy

Excitatory versus inhibitory feedback in Bayesian formulations of scene construction

The selective attention for identification model (SAIM) is an established model of selective visual attention. SAIM implements translation-invariant object recognition, in scenes with multiple objects, using the parallel distributed processing (PDP) paradigm. Here, we show that SAIM can be formulated as Bayesian inference. Crucially, SAIM uses excitatory feedback to combine top-down information (i.e. object knowledge) with bottom-up sensory information. By contrast, predictive coding implementations of Bayesian inference use inhibitory feedback. By formulating SAIM as a predictive coding scheme, we created a new version of SAIM that uses inhibitory feedback. Simulation studies showed that both types of architectures can reproduce the response time costs induced by multiple objects—as found in visual search experiments. However, due to the different nature of the feedback, the two SAIM schemes make distinct predictions about the motifs of microcircuits mediating the effects of top-down afferents. We discuss empirical (neuroimaging) methods to test the predictions of the two inference architectures