Main Plant Research Articles

The Anti-microbial Activity of Polyherbal Extract using Escherichia Coli and Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

One of the biggest issues in contemporary life is antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, a remedy to this issue is required. Combinations of various antimicrobial medications ought to be more effective than single medications. The usual plants that grow in our area have antibacterial properties. One of the main plants with strong antibacterial action is Azadirachta indica. Eryngium foetidum and Mimosa pudica both have demonstrated antibacterial action and are readily available. The combination of these three herbal plants extracts ought to provide stronger antibacterial effects than any of the plants separate extracts. Raw plants are initially gathered from the area. The Azadirachta indica, Eryngium foetidum, and Mimosa pudica leaves and roots are employed. To get rid of dirt and undesired detritus, plants are thoroughly washed and dried in the shade. The plant leaves are then thoroughly pulverized individually. Then, using a Soxhlet device and ethanol the powdered plants are extracted separately. The extraction process is carried out until a clear solution is found. The ethanol is then removed from the obtained extracts by evaporation. DMF (dimethyl formamide) is used to dilute the extract so that 1000mcg, 2000mcg, and 3000mcg of each plant extract and plant extract mixture is also prepared in three different concentrations. The Disc Plate method, which employs Saccharomyces cerevisiae and E. coli, is used for antimicrobial assay. It is decided to use nutrient agar for bacteria and sabouraud dextrose agar for fungi. The prepared substance discs dipped in plant extracts and a combination are then added to the inoculation medium in an aseptic space with a laminar airflow system after it has been first inoculated with the organisms. The plates are then left to incubate for 24 hours. The outcomes were as anticipated; the plant extract combo displayed a greater zone of inhibition than the plant extracts taken separately. It measures the zone of inhibition.

Natural Antioxidants of the Underutilized and Neglected Plant Species of Asia and South America

Background: Plants have played an essential role in the search for new compounds for the most diverse therapeutic purposes. Recently, more attention has been paid to natural antioxidants because of the possible insecurity of synthetic antioxidants. Objective: The review is aimed at summarizing the most important and common natural antioxidants and their resources from medicinal plants. Methods: The research was performed using data bases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Taylor and Francis, etc. to search for all collected scientific publications. Results: The most important medicinal plants with antioxidant activities in Iran are Artemisia, berberry fruit, borage, calendula, coriander, cumin, green tea, hawthorn, jujube, pomegranate, rose, rosemary, black zira, tea, and thyme. Important traditional medicinal plants with antioxidant activities in China are Asparagus, bindii, blueberries, camellia, Chinese bayberry, Chinese bitter melon, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cherry, Chinese jujube, Chinese olive, pomegranate, Chinese rose tea, Chinese toon, Chinese watermelon, black tea, knotweed, Chinese quince, Chinese rhubarb, sumac, wolfberry, dendrobium, drumstick tree, Fiscus species, ginger, ginkgo, goji berry, grape, Jerusalem thorn, kiwifruit seed oil, and liquorice root. Anacardium occidentale L., Ananas comosus (L.) Merril, Baccharis trimera (Less) DC., Carapa guianensis Aubl., Casearia sylvestris Sw., Cordia verbenacea DC., Croton lechleri Müll. Arg., and Eugenia uniflora L. are the main medicinal plants with antioxidant activities in Brazil. Conclusion: Antioxidants are those molecules that are involved in the scavenging of these reactive species causing oxidative stress and are defined as those substances which could prevent the oxidation of the substrate at low concentrations. The main derived exogenous natural antioxidants are derived from medicinal plants, fruits, foods, flowers, and traditional herbal medicines in different parts of the world

Acidophilous grasslands in the Locarnese region (Southern Switzerland): description and classification of main plant communities

This paper presents a phytosociological study of dry and mesophilous meadows and pastures in the Locarnese region (Insubria - Southern Switzerland). Seventy-one vegetation relevés were analysed using both hierarchical classification and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination. Seven main clusters were identified and described as follows: (i) xerophytic grasslands on sandy soil dominated by Koeleria macrantha; (ii) mesophilous meadows with Arrhenatherum elatius and Centaurea transalpina; (iii) semi-dry meadows with Chrysopogon gryllus; (iv) semi-dry grasslands with Carex fritschii and Thalictrum minus; (v) nutrient-poor Phyteuma betonicifolium-Festuca nigrescens montane zone grasslands; Nardus stricta grasslands dominated by (vi) Festuca paniculata or (vii) Carex pilulifera. From a phytosociological point of view, a new association named Phyteumo betonicifolii-Festucetum nigrescentis, classified into the Nardo strictae-Agrostion tenuis alliance was proposed. In addition, we confirmed the presence of the Holco-Chrysopogonetum grylli association, within the Bromion erecti, which up to now was provisional only.

CHARACTERISATION OF Moringa Oleifera FOR PURIFICATION OF TREATED WATER SLUDGE

Proper disposal of treated water sludge is one of the main challenges water treatment Plants are facing globally. This entails disposing of sludge in such a way that it will not be harmful to the environment due to the chemicals used during the treatment of the water. The disposal of sludge conditioned by chemical polymers has an adverse effect on health and the environment. The use of natural polymers (such as wool polymer) has been explored to reduce adverse effects that come from chemical polymers (polyurethane). Elemental compositions of Moringa Oleifera were distinctive using ultimate analysis, proximate Analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray fluoresce. Characterization was done to examine the composition, functional characteristics, and physico-chemical properties of moringa oleifera . The proximate result showed that Moringa oleifera contains 36.34% of crude lipids, 3.78% of moisture,4.08% of Ash, 4.70% of crude fibre, 29.56% of crude protein, and 21.54% of carbohydrate. The ultimate result showed that carbon contains 45.86% and hydrogen has 1.96%. FTIR Spectrum of Moringa Oleifera showed C≡N(carbon-nitrogen) C=N and S-S (Sulphur-Sulphur) stretching bond. FT-IR spectra showed the presence of protein and lipids components. The FTIR Spectrum of the dry sludge showed many vibrations indicating some functional groups like N-H in Amides, alcohols and amines O-H, (Oxygen-hydrogen) C≡C bond C=N, C-H(Carbon -Hydrogen)O-CH3, P-N-C, C-H in aldehydes and acids C=O in Carboxylic acids, and S-S bond ED-XRF showed the elemental composition of Moringa Oleifera; 0.018% Fe, 0.001% Cu, 0.003% Al 9.00%, 0.038% Mg etc. and that of the dry sludge as 9.22%, Fe2O3, 0.572% CuO, 9.63% Aluminum oxide, 29.96% Silicon Oxide, 2.57% magnesium oxide. Turbidity of the treated sample was reduced to the level of Nigerian standard (5NTU). Moringa Oleifera was discovered to be a viable and affordable alternative for conditioning of water treatment sludge.

Modelling of the availability for the ship integrated control system sensors

Innovative control systems regulate and adjust a lot of operational conditions of the modern ship’s functions. A comprehensive Ship Integrated Control System (SICS), for the operation of the propulsion plant, the power management of the auxiliary engines, the operation of the auxiliary machinery, the loading and unloading of cargo, the navigation, the management of maintenance and the purchase of spare parts is implemented in the paper. A strategy where preventive maintenance is carried out and different repair actions can be considered is proposed. The SICS is subjected to various levels of degradation, and if so, a repair process will be undertaken to restore the system to its full working state. The aim of the paper is to optimize the best strategy for the different sensors of the SICS where only maintenance actions are performed or only repair actions need to be carried out. The model is developed and applied to the sensors of a ship and the objective is to determine the optimal asymptotic availability, and in particular in the main propulsion plant of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier. The model is illustrated by a numerical example based on empirical data.

Transcription factor CncC regulates the expression of antennal CYP6MU1 gene responsible for trans-2-hexen-1-al and nonanal recognition in Locusta migratoria

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are a superfamily of multifunctional heme-containing proteins and could function as odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs) in insect olfactory systems. In our previous study, we identified a P450 gene from the antennal transcriptome of Locusta migratoria, LmCYP6MU1, which could be induced by a variety of volatiles. However, the regulatory mechanisms of this gene in response to volatiles remain unknown. In current study, we investigated the tissues and development stages expression patterns of LmCYP6MU1 and determined its olfactory function in the recognition of the main host plant volatiles which induced LmCYP6MU1 expression. The results showed that LmCYP6MU1 was antenna-rich and highly expressed throughout the antennal developmental stages of locusts. LmCYP6MU1 played important roles in the recognition of trans-2-hexen-1-al and nonanal. Insect CncC regulates the expression of P450 genes. We tested whether LmCncC regulates LmCYP6MU1 expression. It was found that LmCncC knockdown in the antennae resulted in the downregulation of LmCYP6MU1 and repressed the volatiles-mediated induction of LmCYP6MU1. LmCncC knockdown reduced the electroantennogram (EAG) and behavioral responses of locusts to volatiles. These results suggested that LmCncC could regulate the basal and volatiles-mediated inducible expression of LmCYP6MU1 responsible for the recognition of trans-2-hexen-1-al and nonanal. These findings provide an original basis for understanding the regulation mechanisms of LmCncC on LmCYP6MU1 expression and help us better understand the LmCncC-mediated olfactory plasticity.

Reevaluating Near-Infrared Reflectance as a Tool for the Study of Plant Water Status in Holm Oak (Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia)

Plant water status can be assessed through leaf spectral reflectance in the near-infrared (NIR), the “water bands”, considering indices that include the reflectance at a band absorbed by water over and another one as reference. We have assessed i/ the accuracy of reflectance at 1450, 1599 and 1940 nm without reference bands and ii/ the potential use of leaf water content index (LWCI) for the estimation of plant water status in holm oak, the main host plant for black truffle cultivation. We demonstrated that contact measurements of leaf reflectance in the “water bands” constitute an accurate and non-invasive estimator of relative water content (RWC) in holm oak, despite the absence of a reference wavelength, probably due to the low variation in leaf thickness under dehydration. The use of a reference wavelength, which is needed for remote sensing, diminished the accuracy of RWC estimation. Contrastingly, LWCI increased the accuracy of RWC estimation as well as a reference wavelength were used. However, LWCI required the reflectance value at full turgor, diminishing its potential for implementation at field level. In conclusion, this technique would allow the continuous monitoring of the physiological state of holm oak and intelligent water control in truffle cultivation.

Study Of Diversity And Distribution Of Wild Plant In Corn (Zea mays) And Sugar Sugar (Saccharum officinarum) Fields In Gondanglegi District, Malang Regency

The existence of wild plants causes competition between the main plants and wild plants. Wild plants that grow with cultivated plants can reduce yields, both in quality and quantity. This study aims to determine the species diversity and distribution of wild plants in maize (Zea mays) and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) fields in Gondanglegi District, Malang Regency. This research method is descriptive and exploratory. The data measured included the number of species, the number of individuals, the importance value index, and the diversity index of wild plant species. The results showed that there were 19 species of maize in all villages and the number of individuals was found (3395 individuals). In the sugar cane fields, 17 species were found in three villages in the Godanglegi Sub-District which found the number of individuals (2254 individuals). The distribution value of wild plants on corn fields in Sumberjaya, Ganjaran, and Putatlor villages is quite high with an average percentage of 65.3% higher than wild plants on sugar cane fields with an average percentage of 46.4%.Keywords: Corn, Sugarcane. Wild Plants

First report of Fusarium equiseti causing bulb rot on lily (Lilium 'White planet' ) in China.

Lily (Lilium spp.) is one of the main ornamental plants grown in the world. In addition, bulbs of lily have been extensively used as edible and medicinal herbs in northern and eastern Asia, especially in China (Yu et al. 2015; China Pharmacopoeia Committee 2020; Tang et al. 2021). In August of 2021, a disease of stem and leaf rot was observed on lily cultivar 'White planet' with approximately 25% disease incidence in the greenhouse and fields at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Beijing, China). The bulbs of symptomatic plants were brown and rotten, with sunken lesions. Symptomatic plants showed short, discolored leaves, and eventually lead to stem wilt and death of the whole plants. Infected bulbs were surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 s, then in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 5 min, and rinsed three times with sterile distilled water. A 0.5×0.5 cm2 tissue piece was then placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated at 25±1℃. After 5 days, the isolate was purified by single spore isolation technique. The singled-spored fungal colony was characterized by fluffy white aerial mycelia, and produced orange pigments with age. After seven days on Spezieller Nahrstoffarmer agar (SNA), conidia produced from simple lateral phialides. Macroconidia have pronounced dorsiventral curvature typical, significantly enlarged in the middle, a tapered whip-liked pointed apical cell and characteristic foot-shaped basal cell, 3 to 6 septate, measuring 18.71 to 43.01×2.89 to 5.56 μm with an average size of 26.98×3.90 μm (n=30). Microconidia were not observed. Typical verrucose thick chlamydospore with rough walls were profuse in chains or clumps, ellipsoidal to subglobose. These morphological characteristics were consistent with Fusarium spp. (Leslie et al. 2006). For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor subunit 1-alpha (TEF1-α) and RNA polymeraseⅡsubunit 2 (RPB2) genes were amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4, EF1/EF2 and 5F2/7cR respectively and sequenced (White et al. 1990; Jiang et al. 2018; O'Donnell et al. 2007). Sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers OM078499 (ITS), Accession OM638086 (TEF1-α) and OM638085 (RPB2). BLAST analysis showed that ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequences shared 100%, 99.8%, 99.2% identity to F. equiseti (OM956073, KY081599, MW364892) in GenBank, respectively. In addition, ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequences shared 100%, 99.53%, 100% identity with Fusarium lacertarum (LC7927, Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex) in the Fusarium-ID database. Based on the morphological characteristics and molecular sequences, the isolates were identified as Fusarium equiseti. A pathogenicity test was performed on potted lily ('White planet') under greenhouse conditions (25±1℃ with a 16 h light and 8 h dark cycle). Three healthy lily bulbs were selected and one bulb was planted in each pot filled with sterilized soil. Each pot was inoculated with 5 mL of conidia suspension (1×107 conidia/mL) in te soil around bulbs with a stem length of 3 cm, with an equal amount of sterilized water as a control. This test had three replicates. After 15 days of inoculation, typical symptoms of bulb rotten, like those observed in the greenhouse and fields, developed on the inoculated plants but not on the controls. The same fungus was consistently reisolated from the diseased plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report that F. equiseti caused bulb rot on Lilium in China. Our result should help with future monitoring and control of lily wilt disease.

Dynamics of honey productivity of <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> L. standsof the steppe Don region

The lands of the forest fund on the territory of the steppe Don region are distinguished by a significant spread over the area of the main melliferous plant Robinia pseudoacacia (R. Pseudoacaci L.), which has a high bioresource potential for the honey collection of the Rostov region. The objectives of the research included identifying the features of the honey productivity of R. pseudoacacia plantations, depending on the dynamics of taxation indicators and forest conditions in the steppe Don region. In order to study changes in the honey productivity of Robinia plantations, accounting work was carried out in pure and mixed stands in each age group. The relationship of the studied indicator of Robinia forest stand with taxation characteristics and growing conditions was revealed. The highest honey productivity (347.5 kg/ha) is observed in pure Robinia forest stands in the forest growing conditions of fresh glague - sedge oak groves, where at the age of 50 there is an intensive flowering of trees (80.060 thousand pieces) and active release of sugar in nectar (2.48 mg). According to the observations, the density of the forest stand decreases with age, and the number of flowers on the trees increases. The results of the research showed that at the age of 40 years, the honey productivity of a hectare of Robin plantations reaches its maximum (586.3 kg/ha). The equations for the dependence of honey productivity on the taxation characteristics of R. pseudoacacia plantations and the obtained high correlation coefficients indicate a close relationship between the studied indicators. The data obtained will make it possible in the future to calculate the honey productivity of Robinia forest stands more accurately, taking into account the dynamics of their taxation indicators.

Preliminary Estimation of Nutritional Quality of the Meat, Liver, and Fat of the Indigenous Yakutian Cattle Based on Their Fatty Acid Profiles.

The Yakutian cattle is an indigenous Siberian cattle breed living in an extremely cold climate in some parts of Yakutia. There are only a few thousand animals of this breed, and the conservation of the Yakutian cattle is embedded in the international agenda. We studied the fatty acid profiles in the meat, liver, and fat of the Yakutian cattle (five individuals) of different ages and their main food resource-pasture plants. The fatty acid profile of the tissues of the Yakutian cattle differed from that of pasture plants: 16:0, 18:2n-6, and 18:3n-3 dominated in the pasture plants; 16:0, 18:0, 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, and 22:5n-3 dominated in the meat and liver; and 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1n-9 dominated in the fat. The fatty acid composition of food products is related to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). The meat and liver of the Yakutian cattle are health food products that contribute to decreasing the risk of developing CVD because of their rather high content of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic fatty acids, optimal n-6/n-3 and polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratios, low values of indexes of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity, and high values of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic and health-promoting indexes. The results of the present study support the importance of preserving this valuable cattle breed. Actions should be taken to increase their population while retaining their contemporary housing and feeding conditions.

How do barley plants with impaired photosynthetic light acclimation survive under high-light stress?

Main ConclusionWHIRLY1 deficient barley plants surviving growth at high irradiance displayed increased non-radiative energy dissipation, enhanced contents of zeaxanthin and the flavonoid lutonarin, but no changes in α-tocopherol nor glutathione.Plants are able to acclimate to environmental conditions to optimize their functions. With the exception of obligate shade plants, they can adjust their photosynthetic apparatus and the morphology and anatomy of their leaves to irradiance. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Golden Promise) plants with reduced abundance of the protein WHIRLY1 were recently shown to be unable to acclimatise important components of the photosynthetic apparatus to high light. Nevertheless, these plants did not show symptoms of photoinhibition. High-light (HL) grown WHIRLY1 knockdown plants showed clear signs of exposure to excessive irradiance such as a low epoxidation state of the violaxanthin cycle pigments and an early light saturation of electron transport. These responses were underlined by a very large xanthophyll cycle pool size and by an increased number of plastoglobules. Whereas zeaxanthin increased with HL stress, α-tocopherol, which is another lipophilic antioxidant, showed no response to excessive light. Also the content of the hydrophilic antioxidant glutathione showed no increase in W1 plants as compared to the wild type, whereas the flavone lutonarin was induced in W1 plants. HPLC analysis of removed epidermal tissue indicated that the largest part of lutonarin was presumably located in the mesophyll. Since lutonarin is a better antioxidant than saponarin, the major flavone present in barley leaves, it is concluded that lutonarin accumulated as a response to oxidative stress. It is also concluded that zeaxanthin and lutonarin may have served as antioxidants in the WHIRLY1 knockdown plants, contributing to their survival in HL despite their restricted HL acclimation.

Electrochemistry-mass spectrometry bridging the gap between suspect and target screening of valsartan transformation products in wastewater treatment plant effluent

Degradation of xenobiotics in wastewater treatment plants may lead to the formation of transformation products with higher persistence or increased (eco-)toxic potential compared to the parent compounds. Accordingly, the identification of transformation products from wastewater treatment plant effluents has gained increasing attention. Here, we show the potential of electrochemistry hyphenated to liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry for the prediction of oxidative degradation in wastewater treatment plants using the antihypertensive drug valsartan as a model compound. This approach identifies seven electrochemical transformation products of valsartan, which are used to conduct a suspect screening in effluent of the main wastewater treatment plant in the city of Münster in Germany. Apart from the parent compound valsartan, an electrochemically predicted transformation product, the N-dealkylated ETP336, is detected in wastewater treatment plant effluent. Subsequently, a targeted liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry method for the detection of valsartan and its electrochemical transformation products is set up. Here, electrochemical oxidation is used to generate reference materials of the transformation products in situ by hyphenating electrochemistry online to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Using this setup, multiple reaction monitoring transitions are set up without the need for laborious and costly synthesis and isolation of reference materials for the transformation products. The targeted method is then applied to extracts from wastewater treatment plant effluent and the presence of ETP336 and valsartan in the samples is verified. The presented workflow can be used to set up targeted analysis methods for previously unknown transformation products even without the need for expensive high-resolution mass spectrometers.

First Report of Pestalotiopsis clavispora causing Leaf Spot on Pandanus amaryllifolius in China.

Pandanus amaryllifolius, also known as pandan, is a perennial herb, growing in Indonesia, China and the Maluku Islands (Wakte et al. 2009). It is the only plant with aromatic leaves in the Pandanaceae. It is widely used in food, medicine, cosmetics and other industries, and is also known as "Oriental Vanilla." Pandan is planted in Hainan province over 1,300 ha and is the main plant intercropped among the forest trees. From 2020, the leaf spot was surveyed for three years. Diseased leaves occurred on 30 to 80% of the surveyed plants, with an incidence of 70% and yield losses of 40%. The disease occured from mid-November to April and was most severe at low temperatures and humidity. Initial symptoms were pale green spots, that formed dark brown, nearly circular lesions. As the lesions expanded, their centers became greyish white, with yellow halos at the junction of the diseased and healthy tissue. When the humidity was high, there were small black spots scattered in the center of the lesion. Symptomatic leaf samples were collected from four different sites. The leaf surface was disinfested with 75% ethyl alcohol for 30 s and washed with sterile distilled water three times. Samples from the junction of diseased and healthy tissue (0.5 × 0.5 cm) were removed and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium containing 100 µg/mL of cefotaxime sodium and cultivated in a dark incubator at 28°C. After two days, hyphal tips from the edges of growing colonies were transferred to fresh PDA plates for further purification. Following Koch's postulates, colonies from strains were used as inoculum in pathogenicity tests. Colonies with 5 mm diameter were inoculated upside onto fresh and healthy pandan leaves via wounding method (pinpricked by sterilized needles) and non-wounding method. Sterilized PDA was used as control. All plants were setted three replicates and were incubated at 28℃ for 3 to 5 days. When symptoms on leaves similar to those in the field appeared, the fungus were reisolated The colonies formed on PDA were also consistent with the original isolate (Scandiani et al, 2003). After seven days, the colony covered the whole petri dish with white, petal-shaped growth with a slight concentric, annular bulge in the center, irregular edges, with black acervuli emerging at a later stage of colony growth. Conidia were fusiform, 18.1±1.6 × 6.4±0.3 μm, showing four septations and five cells, the middle three cells were brownish black to olivaceous, and the apical cell colorless with two to three filaments, 21.8±3.5 μm long. The caudate cell was colorless with one stalk 5.9±1.8 μm long (Zhang et al. 2021; Shu et al. 2020). According to the colony and conidia characteristics, the pathogen was initially identified as Pestalotiopsis spp. (Benjamin et al. 1961). To confirm the pathogen identity, we used the universal primers ITS1/ITS4, targeting primers EF1-728F/EF1-986R and Bt2a/Bt2b sequences (Tian et al. 2018). The sequences of the PCR products were deposited in NCBI GenBank with accession numbers OQ165166 (ITS), OQ352149 (TEF1-α) and OQ352150 (TUB2). BLAST results showed that the sequences of the ITS, TEF1-α and TUB2 genes shared 100% homology with the sequences of Pestalotiopsis clavispora. The maximum likelihood method was used in the phylogenetic analysis. The result showed that LSS112 was clustered with Pestalotiopsis clavispora with a support rate of 99%. Based on morphological and molecular characteristics, the pathogen was confirmed as Pestalotiopsis clavispora. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot of pandan caused by Pestalotiopsis clavispora in China. This research will be immediately helpful for the diagnosis and control the disease on pandan.

Effect of Sea Current to Composites Cold Water Pipeline of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion in Indonesia

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a new source of future energy that is clean and environmentally friendly with zero emissions. It is very potential to be developed in Indonesia, which is located at the equator. to meet the electricity needs of the outermost and remote islands that are not currently covered by the main power plants in Indonesia. Indonesia has deep seas around the islands with temperatures of 5°C and surface temperatures above 25-28°C, so a temperature difference of 20°C can be obtained easily for OTEC power plants. Cold water supplied to the OTEC plant with a capacity of 2 MW at sea level requires a pipe with a diameter of 4 m and a length of 500 m. The pipeline must be insulating, not floating, corrosion-resistant, and resistant to current loads. Current is a very serious concern with the potential to cause pipe failure. The pipe material being investigated is a short fiberglass High-density polyethylene composite. In this study, a simulation of the effect of current on the composite pipe was carried out to obtain an overview of the stress that occurs and the proper pipe dimensions used. The highest current speed in Indonesian water is found in the Makassar Strait from July to September at 0.8 m/s at a depth of 100 m. Based on the OTEC Pro Simulation software for a capacity of 2 MW, resulted in the pipe size is 4 m and the pipe length is 500 m which refers to the temperature profile. In the simulation, the calculation of the dynamically moving current becomes the drag force on the pipe, and with the Autodesk inventor, it is known that the deflection in the pipe, and the yield stress cause failure in the pipe. Subsequently, from the deflection and yield stress data, a pipe thickness of 20-30 cm is obtained for the short fiberglass-HDPE composite material which is safe to use as an OTEC cold water pipe with a capacity of 2 MW. Pipes with a thickness smaller than 15 cm are too thin for a diameter of 4 m because the pipe wall has already experienced a deflection in a horizontal position and pipes with a thickness of > 30 cm are known from the simulation that the pipes cannot be connected rigidly and the pipes also experience stress due to current and pipe weight. so that the stress becomes greater in the pipe.

The Main Medicinal Plants in Arid Regions of Uzbekistan and Their Traditional Use in Folk Medicine.

Seventy percent of the territory of Uzbekistan consists of arid regions. This situation is considered very favorable for plants adapted to a desert climate. Medicinal plants distributed in the arid regions of Uzbekistan have not been studied much. Medicinal plants are considered inexpensive, yet are vital for the lives of local residents. They play a very important role in the traditional healing of ailments. To determine the current state of medicinal plants and enhance their subsequent protection and sustainable use, it is necessary to obtain annual information on the state of their distribution, their population size, and the impact of negative factors on their populations. Based on our field studies, which were conducted during the period from 2012 to 2022 in the arid regions of Uzbekistan, we updated the checklists of the main medicinal plants used in these regions. A total of 529 medicinal species belonging to 70 families and 269 genera were identified in the study region. Several species, including Peganum harmala L., Capparis spinosa L., Ferula foetida (Bunge) Regel, Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Alhagi pseudalhagi (M. Bieb.) Desv. ex Wangerin, Lagochilus inebrians Bunge, Xanthium strumarium L., Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., Onopordum acanthium L., Ziziphora tenuior L., and Cichorium intybus L., are spread over large areas and have been used regularly by the locals since ancient times. These species are common in saline and degraded soils in arid regions of Uzbekistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with tabibs (traditional doctors), elders, herders, and residents with experience in traditional healing using medicinal plants. The medicinal value of most plants was based on the interviews with representatives of the local population, which were useful for understanding traditional healing skills and customer service skills.

Can fall armyworm damage decrease depending on the season, the maize hybrid, and the pesticide sprayed?

Maize is the third most important grass produced in the world after wheat and rice. Among the limitations of its production, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is considered the most relevant pest in which corn is the main host plant. During the dry and rainy seasons of 2021-2022, lots of 1200 m2 were planted including three commercial hybrids, ADV-9139, Trueno NB-7443, and INIAP-551 in which the treatments were evaluated: T1: Sequence of insecticides (CLE) based on chlorantraniliprole, lufenuron, and emamectin benzoate. T2: Biological insecticide based on Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). T3: Methomyl-based treatment (MET). T4: Untreated plot (UP). Plant and cob damage, plant height and cob insertion, and grain yield were evaluated, and an economic analysis was performed. The least damage to plants and cobs was detected in the ADV-9139 hybrid. Regarding pesticides, CLE showed the best damage control in plants and the cobs were less damaged when CLE and BT were applied. Plant height and cob insertion height were lower in the ADV-9139 hybrid in which the highest grain yields were estimated. Plots treated with BT showed the highest increase in grain yield. The results show that the management of this voracious insect can be achieved combining the partial resistance of a maize genotype with pesticide applications with the lowest social, economic and ecological costs.

Natural chemicals for healthy living: plant secondary metabolic compounds

Free radicals are produced by a variety of normal biological processes including aerobic metabolism and pathogenic defense mechanisms. They can also be a result of external exposures such as radiation, pollutants, and cigarette smoke. Reactive oxygen species, or ROS, are a subset of free radicals that contain oxygen. A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many diseases (including heart disease and certain cancers). Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body cells and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. The protective effect of antioxidants continues to be studied around the world. During aerobic metabolism, oxidants, or reactive oxygen species, are created in our bodies, which can cause a number of illnesses, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions. The substances that balance these oxidants called antioxidants. Natural antioxidants are recommended over synthetic antioxidants, which have been discovered to have adverse effects. Natural antioxidants are the secondary metabolites of phytochemicals. The impact of oxidants on human health and how natural antioxidants counteract them have both been reviewed. The main plant sources of natural antioxidants, several methods for recovering antioxidants from plant matrices, and the superiority of indirect supercritical fluid extraction over other methods are all discussed.

Sparse Bayesian Relevance Vector Machine Identification Modeling and Its Application to Ship Maneuvering Motion Prediction

In order to establish a sparse and accurate ship motion prediction model, a novel Bayesian probability prediction model based on relevance vector machine (RVM) was proposed for nonparametric modeling. The sparsity, effectiveness, and generalization of RVM were verified from two aspects: (1) the processed Sinc function dataset, and (2) the tank test dataset of the KRISO container ship (KCS) model. The KCS was taken as the main research plant, and the motion prediction models of KCS were obtained. The ε-support vector regression and υ-support vector regression were taken as the compared algorithms. The sparsity, effectiveness, and generalization of the three algorithms were analyzed. According to the trained prediction models of the three algorithms, the number of relevance vectors was compared with the number of support vectors. From the prediction results of the Sinc function and tank test datasets, the highest percentage of relevance vectors in the trained sample was below 17%. The final prediction results indicated that the proposed nonparametric models had good prediction performance. They could ensure good sparsity while ensuring high prediction accuracy. Compared with the SVR, the prediction accuracy can be improved by more than 14.04%, and the time consumption was also relatively lower. A training model with good sparsity can reduce prediction time. This is essential for the online prediction of ship motion.

Functional vegetation community responses to soil and topographic factors in the Loess Plateau of China

AbstractGiven the developmental program outlined in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land) and the to effectively address the challenge of biodiversity decline while mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, particularly drought, on terrestrial forest ecosystems, a fundamental reorientation of global forest restoration paradigms is warranted. It is imperative to move beyond a narrow emphasis on expanding forest area and instead prioritize the enhancement of biodiversity and functional attributes within these ecosystems. However, the differential response mechanisms of forest ecosystem functional communities and main plant functional types (PFTs) to environmental factors, especially soil and topography, remains unclear, especially at plant level. Here, we divided the functional communities of 93 sites in the study area into seven groups through Two‐way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), and studied the different functional communities, namely dynamic succession, species richness, and PFT compositional differences. We also analyzed the various PFTs and functional community response mechanisms to soil and topographic factors using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The main results were as follows: (1) With the successional stages of PFTs, vegetation diversity across multiple functional communities inceased, tree and shrub proportions and importance increased, while herbs decreased. (2) From the arid and barren areas (i.e., G2), to the humid and fertile areas (i.e., G6 and G7), various compositional PFT differences, and their responses to soil and topographic factors, were found, namely, xerophytic, annual and biennial species gradually changed to mesophytic, hygrophytic, and perennial species (richness increased 6.94 ~ 27.33%, important value (IV) increased 8.73 ~ 29.45%) for shrubs and herbs. (3) Functional communities in various successional stages display distinct sensitivities to soil and topographic factors, as evidenced by a notable increase in the richness and IV of deciduous broad‐leaved tree species, rendering their communities more responsive to SOC and AS, whereas evergreen coniferous trees (e.g., Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) were sensitive to altitude (AL) and exhibited a tendency to transition from plantations to natural secondary forests predominantly at higher altitudes (above 1200 m). Our findings suggest that site conditions influence scenarios, and that different PFT responses and adjustments to soil and topography factors affect whole functional community dynamic succession processes, which can profoundly impact forest ecosystem function predictions based on PFT changes in the Loess Plateau of China.