Screening and monitoring of watermelon source material by components of the vegetation period in the conditions of the forest-steppe of Ukraine

Relevant in the selection of each crop, including watermelon is a comprehensive study of the source material to identify sources of valuable traits and include them in the selection process in order to expand the genetic diversity of the culture. According to the results of research, to create a new source material for heterosis selection of watermelon, screening and monitoring of the vegetation period duration (number of days from germination to ripening) and its components 118 (101 varieties, 17 hybrids) genotypes of watermelon in the forest-steppe of Ukraine have been conducted. Research methods are generally accepted: field experiment, observation, accounting, analysis, statistical. According to the results of determining the duration of the components of the vegetation period, the samples were divided into five groups of ripeness: early (65–80 days) – 80 (68 %), medium-early (81–85 days) – 14 (12 %), medium (86–95 days) – 18 (15 %), medium-late (96–105 days) – 4 (3 %) and late (106 days) – 2 (2 %). Variety-samples, selected by morphological and economically valuable characteristics, belong mainly (80 %) to early and medium-early. Only 6 % of genotypes belong to the medium-late and late-ripening groups. 52 samples with the smallest separate interphase periods were isolated. According to the results of the research, 8 sources with the high early ripeness were identified, the vegetation period of which was 66–70 days: Yellow early 108105 (66 days), Karapuz 108109, Surprise 108121 (67 days), Gift of the sun 108109, Lezheboka honey 108116, Thailand №1 108153 ( 69 days), Sweet Diamond 107874, Northern Lights 108127 (70 days). Sources are involved in the selection proces

Electrooxidation of Se on nanodispersed films of titanium dioxide modified with ZnO and Au

Selenium electrooxidation process on TiO2 and TiO2/ZnO electrodes, modified by gold nanoparticles, was investigated in solutions of sulfuric, chloric and citric acids. It is shown that TiO2/ZnO/Au electrodes can be used as indicator electrodes at the determination of selenium by anodic stripping voltammetry method. Optimum conditions of selenium (IV) determination are: supporting solution 0,001М H2SO4, electroconcentrating potential -(1,3¸1,5) V; time of electrolysis 120 s, scanning speed of potential 20 mV/s

Pulsed Laser-Deposited TiO2-based Films: Synthesis, Electronic Structure and Photocatalytic Activity

Active under visible light, photocatalysts based on doped titania were obtained via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. To find out the crystalline structure, optical properties, and electronic structure, the following techniques such as X-ray diffraction, electronic spectroscopy, electrical conductivity measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used. Photocatalytic activity is monitored by applying the photoreduction of dichromate ions under UV and visible light. The influence of zirconium ions and its content and synthesis conditions on the efficiency of nitrogen incorporation into titania structure that, in turn, determines the electronic structure and photocatalytic ability of the semiconductive materials are discussed. A substitutional nitrogen (Ti–N) rather than an interstitial one (Ti–O–N) is mainly responsible for the observed photoactivity. It is pointed that substitutional nitrogen is responsible for bandgap narrowing or formation of intragap localized states within semiconductor bandgap. The bandgap energy values are sharply decreased, while the relative intensity of substitutional nitrogen XPS peaks is increased. Pulsed laser synthesis of TiO2 films in N2/CH4 atmosphere not only leads to nitrogen incorporation but also to the formation of defects including oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ states which are all contributing to light absorption. An appropriate ratio of gas mixture, optimum zirconia content, suitable pressure, and temperature during synthesis was found for the synthesis of highly active semiconductive films. The highest photocatalytic conversion yields are obtained for nitrogen-doped 10% ZrO2/TiO2 synthesized in N2:CH4 = 5:1 at 100 Pa and at 450°C under both UV and visible light

The Influence of Parents’ Mutual Support on the Socialization of Children with Special Needs in Rehabilitation Centres: Neuropsychological Aspects

The article presents theoretical and methodological aspects of social support for families with adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in rehabilitation centres. In particular, it describes the process and results from the implementation of the author’s work with mutual support groups of parents of adolescents with MSDs. The article aims to determine and quasi-experimentally verify the methods of rehabilitation of individuals with MSDs and prove their effectiveness in rehabilitation centres with the involvement of parents. During the implementation of the programme, social work with families in centres for social rehabilitation of children with MSDs consists of the following main areas: family therapy, family psychoprophylaxis, providing social assistance to families, mediation in resolving family conflicts, family counselling, social and pedagogical work with families.  The content and forms of social and pedagogical work with the family are determined by a group of the following factors: a family type, problems in the family; areas of professional training of the specialist providing services to the family. The quasi-experimental group (EG) consists of 40 leavers from the Vinnytsia Centre for Social Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs “Promin”, who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and six leavers with mild mental disorders. The control group (CG) consists of 40 individuals diagnosed with cerebral palsy and seven individuals with mild mental disorders. The age requirement for EG is 14-19 years old. The formative experiment also involves 27 parents of children with MSDs. The measures taken during the experiment have contributed to developing the skills of conscious psychological separation from constant parental care, taking responsibility for their lives, setting real-life goals and destroying the position of helplessness in individuals with MSDs. The article shows that a set of causes and factors affecting families’ well-being positively or negatively determines the interpersonal relationships and the traditions of family education. The international relevance of the article lies in the effective combination of social support for families with adolescents with MSDs in rehabilitation centres and parents’ involvement. The author’s methodology forms the basis for the new aspects of synergistic family and institutional rehabilitation and support.</p

Selection of highly adaptive source material of watermelon for selection for early ripening

In terms of watermelon selection, the issue of stability of obtaining high yields in the conditions of manifestation of abiotic stressors of the external environment is relevant. The purpose of this study was to select a highly adaptive source material of watermelon according to the duration of the growing season and its components for use in breeding for early ripening. 101 collection samples of watermelon from 9 countries of the world were analysed. The study was based on the following methods: general scientific, measurement and weight, calculation, statistical. The watermelon collection was divided into ripeness groups and the sample was ranked according to the “duration of the seedling-ripening period”. The study established the amplitude (Am) and range of variation (Lim) of the signs of the duration of the components of the growing season. Samples with the smallest individual interphase periods were selected for use in selection for early ripening. The study found Vi – general adaptive capacity (GAC), σ2 SACi – specific adaptive capacity (SAC), Sgi – genotype stability, bi – regression coefficient of genotype response to changing conditions (plasticity), SVGi – selection value of the watermelon collection genotype based on the “duration of the growing season period”. According to the general adaptive capacity, the samples with the shortest duration of the “seedling – ripening” period were selected – 19 samples (Vi =-11.72…-6.05). As the most stable genotypes according to the “duration of the growing season” characteristic, 32 collection samples with a low value of the specific adaptive capacity indicator were selected, 23 of which are early ripening. The high stability of the genotype (Sgi) according to the characteristic “duration of the seedling-ripening period” was determined in 31 collection samples, of which 24 were early ripening. Based on the results of determining the regression coefficient (ecological plasticity coefficient), according to the characteristic “duration of the growing season”, the collection samples of watermelon were divided into three groups – with low (bi =0.01-2.20), medium (bi =2.21-4.22), and high (bi =4.23-6.24) ecological plasticity. According to the selection value of the genotype according to the trait “duration of the seedling-ripening period”, 18 collection samples had high indicators (SVGi =110.22-119.92), which are valuable for use in selection work with watermelon as sources of the characteristic “early ripeness

Effect of Synthesis Conditions of Nitrogen and Platinum Co-Doped Titania Films on the Photocatalytic Performance under Simulated Solar Light

Platinum and nitrogen co-doped titania films of different surface morphologies obtained via a sol-gel process have been tested for tetracycline hydrochloride photocatalytic decomposition under simulated solar light. Titania crystallization to anatase is shown by XRD for all films. A shift of the bandgap edge toward the visible region in absorption spectra and, consequently, a narrowing of the bandgap is observed for some films doped with nitrogen and/or exposed to UV pretreatment. The surface peculiarities of the samples are presented by an SEM and TEM investigation. The surface saturation by Pt and N with a homogeneous distribution of Pt ions on the surface as well as bulk as established by XPS and EDS data can be achieved with a certain synthesis procedure. The influence of the platinum content and of the pretreatment procedure on the state and atomic surface concentration of incorporated nitrogen and platinum is studied by XPS analysis: substitutional and interstitial nitrogen, non-metal containing fragments, Pt0, Pt2+ and Pt4+ ions. The photocatalytic activity of the films is ruled by the presence of Pt2+ ions and N rather than Pt0. The formation of the polycrystalline titania structure and Pt0 nanoparticles (NPs) is confirmed by TEM and electron diffraction images. The mechanism of primary photocatalytic processes is proposed.Peer reviewe

Antioxidant properties of some plant extracts and effect of their addition on the oxidation stability of biodiesel

The extracts from the leaves of Deschampsia antarctica É. Desv., Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, and Camellia japonica L. plants, as well as from defatted Camelina sativa and Silybum marianum seedcakes were investigated as potential additives for improvement of biodiesel stability against oxidation. Composition of the extracts was studied by means of HPLC, and antioxidant properties were evaluated using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the DPPH test. The oxidation of biodiesel was monitored during the accelerated procedure at 43C, with the changes in the acid number of biodiesel samples being the criteria of this process. In spite of significant distinctions in the content of various phenolic compounds, all the extracts were found to possess high antioxidant activity and decelerate biodiesel oxidation by 9-26%. The data did not reveal a directly proportional relationship between the antioxidants content in the extract, on the one hand, and the enhancement in biodiesel stability, on the other hand; various extracts had different influence on the behaviour of biodiesel from rape and Camelina seed oils. The results obtained are consistent with the assumption that there is no universal stabilizer for different types of biodiesel and indicate the prospects on searching for novel antioxidants of natural origin to inhibit oxidative processes