High Yield Values Research Articles

SALINE WATER AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON LEAF COMPOSITION AND YIELD OF CORN

ABSTRACT Absence of drainage associated with high evapotranspiration and irregular precipitations contributes to the accumulation of salts in the soil, reducing nutrient absorption and yield. Nutritional management is important for the crop to express its maximum production potential, and nitrogen is the macronutrient most required by the corn crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate yield and leaf contents in corn under different nitrogen fertilization recommendations and salt stress. The experiment was conducted from June to September 2019, at the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony in Redenção-CE, Brazil. The experimental design used was completely randomized, in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, with 6 replicates, with two levels of electrical conductivity (0.3 dS m-1 and 3.0 dS m-1) and three nitrogen fertilization recommendations (0, 50 and 100% of the recommendation). The variables analyzed were unhusked ear weight, husked ear weight, yield and leaf contents of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na. Irrigation with saline water (3.0 dS m-1) reduces the unhusked ear weight, husked ear weight and yield. Nitrogen fertilization recommendations of 50% and 100% promoted higher values of unhusked ear weight, husked ear weight and leaf N contents, but reduced leaf P contents. The 50% and 100% recommendations promote higher yield values for the two levels of electrical conductivity studied (0.3 and 3.0 dS m-1). The 50% and 100% recommendations associated with saline water irrigation increased the leaf contents of K, Na, Mg and Ca.

Phenol compound content and antibacterial activity of gaharu leaf extract products (Aquilaria malaccensis)

Gaharu leaf extract produces yield extraction, phenol compound, and antibacterial activity in diverse quantities. The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of the extraction method and type of solvent on the extractability of the polyphenol component and the antibacterial activity of gaharu leaves. Extraction was done through maceration and Soxhlet methods by using solvents of hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The extraction result showed that the highest yield value of 18.4% was found on the treatment of a combination of ethanol solvent and Soxhlet method. The total content of phenol and tannin of gaharu leaf extract was in the range of 11.2 to 18.62mg. mL-1 and 12.82 to 13.41%, respectively. Antibacterial activity of gaharu leaf extract on the Gram-positive test of Staphylococcus aureus was higher than that of the Gram-negative test of Escherichia coli having a value of zone of inhibition in the range of 5.33 to 6.33 mm and 4.00 to 5.00 mm, respectively.

Increasing the Efficiency of Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) Aril Oil Extraction by Commercial Pectinase Pretreatment and Microwave Dehydration

The objectives of this research were to determine the optimal conditions for using commercial pectinase (Pectinex® Ultra SP-L) and microwave dehydration to increase the efficiency of gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) aril oil extraction by using a screw press, to find mathematical models to predict the yields, extraction efficiencies, and β-carotene and lycopene contents in gac aril oil that varied with the enzyme concentrations, enzyme incubation temperatures, and microwave drying powers, and to validate the mathematical models. A Box-Behnken experimental design for three factors, including enzyme concentrations (0.01, 0.11, and 0.21% w/w), enzyme incubation temperatures (30, 45, and 60 °C), and microwave drying powers and times (450 W for 28 min, 600 W for 20 min, and 800 W for 14 min), was applied to determine the optimal conditions for increasing the efficiency of gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) aril oil extraction using commercial pectinase and microwave dehydration pretreatments before pressing with a screw press. It was found that the optimal conditions for extracting oil from gac aril based on the highest values of yield (12.14%), extraction efficiency (72.92%), and β-carotene and lycopene contents (104.64, and 27.90 mg/100 g oil, respectively) and the lowest of microwave energy consumption (720 kJ) were an enzyme concentration of 0.13% (w/w), enzyme incubation temperature of 45 °C and microwave drying power of 600 W for 20 min. To validate the mathematical models, the predicted yields, extraction efficiencies, and β-carotene and lycopene contents were compared to the experimental data and the deviants were less than 10%, which indicated that the model predictions were reliable.

Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp 3 )–H Arylation of Ketones with Aryl Ethers via Selective C Ar –O Cleavage to Construct All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters

Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp ³ )–H Arylation of Ketones with Aryl Ethers via Selective C _Ar –O Cleavage to Construct All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenters

Produksi Metil Ester Menggunakan Nanokatalis Heterogen

Fatty acid methyl ester, is one of the alternative fuels for biofuels obtained from animal and vegetable fats through esterification and transesterification processes. In this research, used palm oil as raw material was used using heterogeneous catalysts derived from chicken egg shells. The first used palm oil is filtered to remove impurities that are still present in the oil, then pre-treatment is carried out by testing the acid number, free fatty acid, density and viscosity measurements. Followed by the manufacture of nano catalysts from chicken egg shells by calcination. The results of calcination of the catalyst were carried out by XRD analysis to determine the crystal structure and crystallinity of the resulting product. The process of making methyl esters is carried out by esterification and transesterification processes using heterogeneous catalysts. The results obtained that the best calcination temperature for a 20-gram catalyst was 9000C with a pH value of 14. The longer the reaction temperature in the transesterification process, the yield value of the methyl ester produced increased, where the highest yield value was obtained at a temperature of 600C. The longer the reaction time, the yield value produced will increase, where the highest yield is obtained at a reaction time of 25 minutes, which is 87.98%. From testing the physical and chemical properties of methyl ester, the results of the analysis of methyl ester products are within the limits of SNI Biodiesel.

Promoted selective oxidation of ethylbenzene in liquid phase achieved by hollow CeVO4 microspheres

Herein, we developed a series of CeVO4 samples with hierarchical hollow microsphere-like structure obtained at different calcination temperatures for the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene (EB) to acetophenone (AcPO) in the presence of TBHP. The optimized catalyst (CVO-500) exhibits a very high yield value of 95.0% (initial reaction rate of 49.4 mmol gcat–1 h−1) under the optimal reaction conditions. Importantly, the representative CVO-500 catalyst presents high stability, with the reaction performance well maintained after five consecutive uses. It has been indicated that the redox V5+/V3+ sites serve as the main active centers, while the electronic interaction and redox transformation between Ce and V facilitates the hopping of V5+/V3+ and the generation of oxygen vacancies. The bimetallic synergy between V and Ce thus endows the CVO-500 catalyst an excellent performance in the EB oxidation reaction. This work paves the way for the exploit of high-performance and cost-effective catalyst for the EB oxidation and beyond.

Phenolic compounds recovered from ora-pro-nobis leaves by microwave assisted extraction

Ora-pro-nobis is an ornamental plant, often used as food in some regions of Brazil, and Pereskia grandifolia is one of the less explored specie of this nutritional plant. To understand the antioxidant potential and phenolic profile of ora-pro-nobis leaves, the micro-wave assisted extraction (MAE) was held using the green solvents ethanol and water. An optimization was made using Box-Behnken experimental design (3 2 ), with process time, temperature and solvent (% of water/ethanol) as variables. The evaluated responses were the process yield, combined with antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods) and total phenolic content (TPC) of the recovered extracts. Soxhlet method with ethanol was performed for comparison purpose. The phenolic profile of extract samples was assessed by LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. High yield values were provided by 50% ethanol as solvent at 150 °C. Best antioxidant potential from DPPH and FRAP methods were provided by ethanolic extracts at 110 °C, while water extracts at 150 °C provided best ABTS results. High TPC recovery was found in 50% ethanol samples at 70 °C. Overall, 24 phenolic compounds were identified, within caffeic acid, ellagic acid, p -anisic acid, p-coumaric acid kaempferol and quercetin as the main components. Ellagic acid and p-anisic acid were firstly reported associated to ora-pro-nobis leaves. The optimization of the results indicates that 150 °C, 12.5 min of MAE and ethanol as solvent provided the best combined responses. The use of MAE for ora-pro-nobis leaves is a novelty that must be followed to explore green methods to value natural products. • MAE was efficient to recover phenolic-rich extracts from ora-pro-nobis. • MAE water extracts provided phenolic-rich and flavonoid-rich fraction. • Ellagic acid and p -anisic acid were firstly identified from ora-pro-nobis leaves.

Desymmetric hydrolysis of prochiral imide for S-pregabalin synthesis by rationally designed d-hydantoinase

A one-step enzymatic desymmetrization process was developed to produce the direct chiral precursor for S-pregabalin synthesis with high yield and high eep value.

Synthesis of chitosan and N-vinylimidazole graft-copolymers and the properties of their aqueous solutions

The aim of this work is to synthesise chitosan and N-vinylimidazole graft-copolymers of various compositions and to study the properties of their aqueous solutions.Chitosan and N-vinylimidazole graft-copolymers were obtained by solution polymerisation in the presence of a ceric ammonium nitrate redox initiator. The synthesised graft copolymers were characterised by FTIR to determine their compositions and the grafted side chains of poly-N-vinylimidazole were characterised by gel permeation chromatography to determine their molecular wights and polydispersity indices. It was established that the obtained products are characterised by high values of yield and grafting efficiency and low values of the polydispersity index. It was found that when the content of the N-vinylimidazole links is above 57 wt%, the synthesised graft copolymers are water-soluble. Aqueous solutions of the obtained copolymers were characterised using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and laserDoppler microelectrophoresis. The study showed that macromolecules of graft copolymers in aqueous solutions have stimuli-sensitive properties with respect to the medium reaction and at a concentration above 10–2 wt% are characterised by a tendency to self-association forming core-crown aggregates, the geometry of which depends on the molecular masses of the grafted chains. Associates of macromolecules in solutions are characterised by positive values of the electrokinetic potential, the values of which also depend on the medium reaction. Thus, it was found that the ceric ammonium nitrate initiator allows obtaining chitosan and N-vinylimidazole graft-copolymers showing stimuli-sensitive properties in aqueous solutions and prone to self-association at concentrations above 10–2 wt%.

Tomato Crop Health, Yield, and Greenhouse Soil Conditions after 17 Years of Repeated Treatments of Biofumigation and Solarization

The combination of biofumigation and solarization is known as bio-solarization. An experiment was performed from 2003 to 2019 in a greenhouse at INTA San Pedro, Buenos Aires province, Argentina (33°44'12.7"S 59°47'58.2"W). Treatments (TRAT) were applied every two years. TRAT evaluated were: 1=Control; 2= Solarization, 3= Biorot, a succession of organic amendments (chicken manure, broccoli, chicken manure, broccoli, tomato, and pepper crop debris, mustard, tomato crop debris, broccoli, tomato crop debris), 4=Biobras based only on the use of brassicas (rapeseed, broccoli, mustard, and Brassica campestris). Treatments were carried out in spring or summer so that a late-season tomato crop could be grown after them. The tomato hybrid planted was Superman (Petoseed), except for the last season where the hybrid used was Rodeo (BHN). Fungal pathogens controlled were Pyrenochaeta lycopersici, Fusarium solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and nematodes like Nacobbus aberrans, Helicotylenchus and Criconemella. Fungi of Aspergillus genera were observed growing on death sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotium rolfsii in Biobras and Biorot. Tomato plants in control showed a higher percentage of dead plants, root rots, and lower root dry matter at the end of each crop. Solarization alone without adding organic matter reduced this parameter in the soil and showed more death plants and less yield than Biobras and Biorot. Tomato and pepper crop debris used as biofumigants produced high yield values and adequate pathogen control. Biofumigation in combination with solarization is an effective technique for managing soil-borne pathogens in greenhouses and is being adopted by horticultural growers in Argentina.

Fuzzy inference systems for predicting the mass yield in extractions of chia cake extract

<h2>Abstract</h2> <i>Chia seeds</i> (<i>Salvia hispanica</i> L.) have several health-promoting properties like omega-3 fatty, antioxidants, and vitamins that can be obtained through an extraction process. This process generates a residue called <i>chia cake</i> that can be used in another extraction process since it still has nutraceutical compounds. The mass yield is a typical measure employed to evaluate the efficiency of an extraction. Hence, there is an interest in gathering high mass yield values. However, the prediction of this measure is a challenging task due to the physicochemical characteristics and intrinsic fuzziness of the extraction process. This article presents an implementation of fuzzy inference systems to predict the mass yield of an extraction process of chia extract from chia cake. These fuzzy systems are modeled by considering a dataset containing real extractions performed under different solvents, temperatures, and extraction times. Our implementation consists of four different fuzzy systems, where two of them are based on the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS), that are evaluated by using the repeated holdout validation. As a result, our implementation provides tables containing accuracy measures that allow us to identify the most promising fuzzy system for the problem. Further, our implementation is fully reproducible and its methodology of development can be extensible to deal with similar problems, such as the prediction of the mass yield or other measures in other organic matrices.

Mechanical Properties of Hot Rolled Ribbed and Plain Steel Rods

This study focuses on microstructure and mechanical behaviour of 3PS (Semi-killed mild steel) hot rolled ribbed and plain carbon steel. 3PS billet steel samples and hot rolled ribbed and plain steel rods of different heat numbers and profiles were characterized for its chemical composition, microstructure, and tensile behaviour. The composition analysis of 5 (five) 3PS billet samples shows that there was no appreciable variation in chemical composition of the hot-rolled plain and ribbed steel rods. The microstructures of as-received steel billet (3PS) examination revealed large grains of ferrite and pearlite while those of hot-rolled 3 PS mild steel samples of different heat numbers contain smaller grains of ferrite and some amount of pearlite. The results also indicated that yield and ultimate tensile strength reach maximum values (492 and 361 N/mm2) at 0.31% elongation for heat number 43 while maximum values for heat number 56 (478 and 362 N/mm2) at 0.33 % respectively. The ribbed steel rod of the same diameter as plain steel exhibit slightly better mechanical properties with higher values of yield and ultimate tensile strength. There is consistency in the chemical composition of the as-received billet and the hot rolled products.

Comprehensive Investigation of the Photophysical Properties of Alkynylcoumarin Gold(I) Complexes.

Six gold(I) complexes (R3P-Au-Coum) containing three different alkynylcoumarin chromophores (Coum) with different electron-donating and electron-withdrawing characteristics and two different water-soluble phosphanes (PR3 = PTA (a) and DAPTA (b)) have been synthesized (1a,b, unsubstituted coumarin; 2a,b, 4-methyl substituted coumarin; 3a,b, 3-chloro and 4-methyl substituted coumarin). A comprehensive study of the photophysical properties of the R3P-Au-Coum, together with their propynyloxycoumarin precursors 1-3, was performed in solution at room and low temperatures. Spectral and photophysical characteristics of the R3P-Au-Coum essentially depend on the electronic characteristics of the propynyloxycoumarin ligand. The presence of the Au(I) atom was found to be responsible for an increase of the intersystem crossing, with triplet state quantum yield values, ϕT, ranging from ∼0.05 to 0.35 and high coumarin phosphorescence quantum yield values for derivatives 1 and 2; fluorescence dominates the deactivation in derivatives 3. Efficient singlet oxygen photosensitization was observed for the new compounds 3a,b. From TDDFT calculations, the relevant HOMO and LUMO of the compounds, i.e., those involved in the transitions, are dominated by the frontier orbitals associated with the coumarin core. The Au(I)-phosphane structure introduces a new transition assigned to an intraligand transition involving the phosphane ligand, and π(C≡C) system, to the p orbitals of phosphorus and gold atoms.

Impacts of Effective Microorganisms, Compost Tea, Fulvic Acid, Yeast Extract, and Foliar Spray with Seaweed Extract on Sweet Pepper Plants under Greenhouse Conditions.

Sweet pepperincludes several vitamins and is regarded as a great source of bioactive nutrients, such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds, for human growth and activities. This work aimed to investigate the effects of the soil addition of growth stimulants, namely, effective microorganisms (EM), compost tea, fulvic acid, and yeast extract, and foliar applications of seaweed extract, on the vegetative growth, enzyme activity, phytohormones content, chemical constituents of plant foliage, fruit yield, and fruit quality of sweet pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Zidenka) growing under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that the tallest plant, largest leaf area/plant, and heaviest plant fresh and dry weights were recorded after combining a soil addition of yeast extract and foliar spray with seaweed extracts at 3 g/L in two growing seasons. The highest number of fruit/plant, fruit yield/m2, fruit values of vitamin C (VC), total sugars, total soluble solids (TSS), and carotenoids, along with the highest leaf of cytokines, P, K, Fe, and total carbohydrates values, were obtained using a soil addition of fulvic acid and spray with seaweed extract at 3 g/L in the two seasons of study. These treatments also provided the lowest abscisic acid, peroxidase, and super oxidase dismutase values in the same conditions. Sweet pepper plants supplemented with compost tea and seaweed extract foliar spray at 3 g/L were the most promising for inducing the highest values of fruit fresh and dry weights, fruit length and diameter, and the leavesrichest in N, Zn, and Mn; inversely, it induced the lowest catalase levels in both seasons. The applications of EM, yeast extract, and seaweed extract could be applied for high growth, mineral levels, enzymatic activity, fruit yield, and nutritional value of sweet pepper fruit and minimizing environmental pollution.

Preparation of Fe3O4@C‐dots as a recyclable magnetic nanocatalyst using Elaeagnus angustifolia and its application for the green synthesis of formamidines

This work describes a novel and simple procedure for successfully synthesizing formamidines by using Fe3O4@C‐dots in the role of an effective and reusable catalyst throughout a solvent‐free set‐up. The formamidine derivatives were easily prepared through aromatic amines with triethyl orthoformate in the company of Fe3O4@C‐dots. According to the experimental outcomes, the obtained formamidines in the presence of Fe3O4@C‐dots exhibited good to high yield values. In the following, we distinguished the prepared catalyst by applying field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. Furthermore, the evaluation of catalytic activity was done in the course of synthesizing formamidine derivatives. Among the advantages of this method, one can highlight the facts of solvent‐free conditions, the simplicity of operation, high yields, nonacidic catalyst, and the reusability of nanocatalyst for at least five cycles.

Holocellulose nanofibrils assisted exfoliation to prepare MXene-based composite film with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding performance

A high-yield and straightforward method is proposed to obtain an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding film based on multilayered Ti3C2Tx (m-Ti3C2Tx). Holocellulose nanofibrils modified by sulfamic acid (SHCNF) with unique “core-shell” structure can act as a dispersant and a binder to assist in exfoliating m-Ti3C2Tx into delaminated-Ti3C2Tx (d-Ti3C2Tx) and fabricate flexible Ti3C2Tx/SHCNF composite films with a high-yield value. The “brick-and-mortar” composite films exhibit a superior electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of 45.02 dB with an ultrathin thickness of 40 μm at the 12.4 GHz. Moreover, these flexible and strong integrated Ti3C2Tx/SHCNF composite films also display excellent specific EMI SE of SSE/t (4437 dB cm2 g−1) and high EMI shielding efficiency (99.996%). Therefore, the SHCNF-assisted method provides a cost-effective approach to fabricate a strong and flexible MXene-based nanocomposite films toward EMI shielding application.

Synthesis of narrow blue emission gradient ZnSeS quantum dots and their quantum dot light-emitting diode device performance

The performance of blue quantum dot light-emitting diode (QD-LED) device as one of the three primary color sources still lag behind that of red and green QD-LEDs. In this study, to obtain highly brightness, excellent color purity, and environmentally friendly blue-light-emitting materials for next generation display applications, we designed and synthesized ZnSeS quantum dots (GCS-QDs) from core Se–S composition-gradient to shell, in which the majority of Se resides close to the core domain and S dominantly locates outmost of the shells. The final GCS-QDs had a high quantum yield value of 78%, significantly narrow spectrum width of 12 nm, and reached an emission peak at 445 nm. Moreover, the blue-emitting QD-LED were fabricated by employing the GCS-QDs as light emitter, and the resulting device exhibited maximum brightness of 3,359 cd/m2, maximum current efficiency of 1.2 cd/A, maximum external efficiency of 3.5%, and full width at half maximum of only 16 nm at 448 nm).

Biological basis of sorghum cultivation in the North-West of the Non-Chernozem zone

The need to restore the dairy cattle population and the feed base in the North-West region of the Russian Federation requires new sources of feed with high yield and nutritional values. The purpose of the research is to study the possibility of sugar sorghum introduction into the region for forage use. The research was conducted in 2017-2020 in the conditions of the Novgorod region. On plots with an area of 10 m2 in the third decade of May sugar sorghum was sown: a hybrid of the first generation Silosnoe 88, the Galia variety, the Laretz line. The predecessors were potato (2017, 2018, 2020) and vetch and oat mix (2019). The ability of sugar sorghum to stop developing and hibernate in unfavorable weather conditions, resuming vegetation when the weather improves, has been established. Intensive plant growth was observed at the end of July-August with the average daily growth of 1.9-5.0 cm. By the end of August, the plant height reached 245-280 cm, the yield of green mass was 110 t/ha (hybrid Silosnoe 88), 139.2 t/ha (variety Galia), 136 t/ha (Laretz line). In the extreme conditions of 2017, the yield of sorghum green mass was 21 t/ha. The yield of dry matter (DM) from 1 ha reached 6.8-13.4 t/ha. The protein content in the DM was 8.4-11.5 %, the yield of feed units was 0.76-0.82 kg/kg, the output of exchange energy was 9.7-10.1 MJ/kg. Sugar sorghum has an ability to grow back after mowing; in the conditions of the Novgorod region, the yield of green mass from two mowing (end of July, August-September) was lower (23.3-46.7 t/ha) than from the one at the end of August-September (44.3-139.2 t/ha). The Laretz line vegetation phases began 5-27 days later than those of the Silosnoe 88 hybrid and Galiya variety. The growing season of sugar sorghum ended in the phase of “heading of panicles - flowering”. Thus, a high plasticity and adaptability of sorghum varieties to unfavorable climatic conditions of the zone and their prospects for use in forage production have been established.

Efficient Asymmetric Simmons-Smith Cyclopropanation and Diethylzinc Addition to Aldehydes Promoted by Enantiomeric Aziridine-Phosphines

During an implementation of current research, a set of optically pure chiral aziridines and aziridine imines bearing a phosphine moiety was prepared with high values of chemical yield. The above chiral heteroorganic derivatives were tested for catalytic utility as chiral ligands in asymmetric Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation and asymmetric diethylzinc addition to various aldehydes. Most of the desired products were formed in high chemical yields, with satisfactory values of enantiomeric excess (sometimes more than 90%) and diastereomeric ratios (in case of cyclopropanation reaction).

The Plasma Membrane at the Cornerstone Between Flexibility and Adaptability: Implications for Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Cell Factory.

In the last decade, microbial-based biotechnological processes are paving the way toward sustainability as they implemented the use of renewable feedstocks. Nonetheless, the viability and competitiveness of these processes are often limited due to harsh conditions such as: the presence of feedstock-derived inhibitors including weak acids, non-uniform nature of the substrates, osmotic pressure, high temperature, extreme pH. These factors are detrimental for microbial cell factories as a whole, but more specifically the impact on the cell’s membrane is often overlooked. The plasma membrane is a complex system involved in major biological processes, including establishing and maintaining transmembrane gradients, controlling uptake and secretion, intercellular and intracellular communication, cell to cell recognition and cell’s physical protection. Therefore, when designing strategies for the development of versatile, robust and efficient cell factories ready to tackle the harshness of industrial processes while delivering high values of yield, titer and productivity, the plasma membrane has to be considered. Plasma membrane composition comprises diverse macromolecules and it is not constant, as cells adapt it according to the surrounding environment. Remarkably, membrane-specific traits are emerging properties of the system and therefore it is not trivial to predict which membrane composition is advantageous under certain conditions. This review includes an overview of membrane engineering strategies applied to Saccharomyces cerevisiae to enhance its fitness under industrially relevant conditions as well as strategies to increase microbial production of the metabolites of interest.