Optimal Temperature Conditions Research Articles

Enhanced Biosynthesis of D-Arabitol by Metschnikowia reukaufii Through Optimizing Medium Composition and Fermentation Conditions.

D-Arabitol is an important functional sugar alcohol, which can be used in the preparation of foods, chemicals, and medicines. Despite biological production of D-arabitol from low-cost substrates has recently been the focus of research, low yield of this technology has limited its large-scale exploitation. Optimization of this bioprocess could be a promising option to improve the yield of D-arabitol. In this study, one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) strategy and Box-Behnken design (BBD) were used to increase D-arabitol production by Metschnikowia reukaufii CICC 31,858 through optimizing the fermentation conditions and medium composition. The OFAT optimization provided the optimal conditions for temperature, agitation speed, and fermentation time of 30℃, 220rpm, and 6days, respectively. Likewise, the optimum concentrations of peptone, ammonium sulfate, KH2PO4, MgSO4·7H2O, and fumaric acid in the fermentation medium were (g/L) 7.5, 1, 2, 0.5, and 7.5, respectively. Under these optimum conditions, 80.43g/L of D-arabitol was produced from 200g/L of glucose, with a productivity of 0.56g/L/h. The BBD optimization with three important components of fermentation medium (KH2PO4, MgSO4·7H2O, and fumaric acid) showed that the predicted titer of D-arabitol varied from 47.21 to 89.27g/L, and the actual titer of D-arabitol ranged from 47.36 to 89.83g/L. The optimum concentrations (g/L) of KH2PO4, MgSO4·7H2O, and fumaric acid in the fermentation medium were found to be 1.0, 0.5, and 4.7g/L, respectively. Under the optimum conditions, 92.45g/L of D-arabitol was finally produced with the yield and productivity of 0.46g/g and 0.64g/L/h, respectively.

Individual and Interactive Effects of Multiple Abiotic Stress Treatments on Early-Season Growth and Development of Two Brassica Species

Potential global climate change-related impacts on crop production have emerged as a major research priority and societal concern during the past decade. Future changes, natural and human-induced, projected in the climate have implications for regional and global crop production. The simultaneous occurrence of several abiotic stresses instead of stress conditions is most detrimental to crops, and this has been long known by farmers and breeders. The green leafy vegetables of the Brassicaceae family have especially gained attention due to their many health benefits. However, little information is available about abiotic stress’s effects on Brassica vegetables’ growth and development. An experiment was conducted on two Brassica species: B. oleracea L. var. acephala WINTERBOR F1 (hybrid kale) and B. juncea var. GREEN WAVE OG (mustard greens). Seven treatments were imposed on the two brassica species in soil–plant–atmosphere–research (SPAR) units under optimum moisture and nutrient conditions, including a control treatment (optimal temperature and UV-B conditions at ambient CO2 levels), and six treatments where stresses were elevated: CO2, UV-B, temperature (T), CO2+UV-B, CO2+T, and CO2+UV-B+T. Above- and below-ground growth parameters were assessed at 26 d after sowing. Several shoot and root morphological and developmental traits were evaluated under all the treatments. The measured growth and development traits declined significantly under individual stresses and under the interaction of these stresses in both the species, except under elevated CO2 treatment. All the traits showed maximum reductions under high IV-B levels in both species. Leaf area showed 78% and 72% reductions, and stem dry weight decreased by 73% and 81% in kale and mustard, respectively, under high UV-B levels. The increased CO2 concentrations alleviated some deleterious impacts of high temperature and UV-B stresses. The results of our current study will improve our understanding of the adverse effects of environmental stresses on the early-season growth and development of two Brassica species.

Root system growth and anatomy of cotton seedlings under suboptimal temperature

AbstractRoot morphology and anatomy are important plant traits that could potentially influence seedling vigour, resource acquisition and susceptibility to early‐season stress. Therefore, the objective of the current experiment was to evaluate the effects of cultivar and growth temperature on seedling root growth and anatomical characteristics in cotton. To address this objective, experiments were conducted with six modern cotton cultivars, expected to have differences in seedling vigour, grown under optimal (30/20°C) and suboptimal (20/15°C) day/night temperature regimes. Root morphology and taproot cross‐sectional anatomy were evaluated two weeks after planting. Cultivars with the most vigorously growing root systems produced 73% more secondary roots, 68% more total root length, 74% more surface area and 72% higher total root volume than the least vigorous cultivars. The cultivar with the greatest production of secondary roots also exhibited a somewhat uncommon hexarch arrangement of vascular bundles in taproot cross sections. Thus, we suggest that this difference in root anatomy may be a determinant of genotypic differences in lateral root development. In response to low temperature, taproot length, total root length, secondary root formation, root surface area and root volume declined substantially relative to optimal temperature conditions (35%–75% declines). This reinforces the need to ensure optimal temperature conditions at planting or to identify cultivars with improved performance under suboptimal early‐season conditions. Conversely, root diameter responded positively to low growth temperatures, and cold‐induced increases in root thickness were associated with increases in the number and cross‐sectional area of root cells.

Reaction synthesis of SrTiO3 mineral-like ceramics for strontium-90 immobilization via additional in-situ synchrotron studies

The paper presents spark plasma sintering-reaction synthesis (SPS-RS) of SrTiO3-based mineral-like ceramics with a perovskite structure, which is promising for immobilization of Sr-90 radionuclides. Detailed time-resolved study of phase transformations taking place in the reactive mixture (SrCO3 and TiO2) within 20–1000 °C temperature range was conducted using both in situ heating synchrotron XRD and TGA. Structure and composition dependence on consolidation temperature was revealed by the means of SEM and EDX. We determined optimal temperature conditions for rapid formation of SrTiO3 ceramics with density – 4.49 g cm−3, Vickers hardness – up to 6.2 GPa, compressive strength – 279 MPa, and strontium leaching rate of 10−5–10−6 g cm−2·day. These results clearly show strong applied potential of the presented material for radioactive waste management and isotope production fields.

Kinetic Analysis of Nitrite Reduction Reactions by Nitrite Reductase Derived from Spinach in the Presence of One-Electron Reduced Riboflavin

The development of methods for converting nitrogen oxides in water into valuable resources such as ammonia and hydrazine has been given some attention. By utilizing the nitrite-reducing catalytic activity of nitrite reductase (NiR), nitrite in water can be converted into ammonium. However, there are few reports in the research that synthesized ammonium from nitrite using nitrite reductase. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of temperature on the nitrite-reducing catalytic activity of NiR from spinach in the presence of one-electron reduced riboflavin by kinetic analysis to find the optimum temperature conditions. The results of this study showed that the reaction temperature does not need to be higher than 296.15 K in order to improve the efficiency of ammonium production from nitrite using NiR.

Production and partial characterization of proteases produced by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from cow rumen ingesta

Background: In recent decades, proteases have gained a lot of recognition because of their applications in various industries, such industries as food, leather, pharmaceutical industries etc. The use of cheap substrates such as agro-industrial wastes could help in meeting industrial demand. Method: In this study, we evaluated the ability of groundnut shell and Bean chaff compared to that of glucose as carbon sources to support proteases production by Bacillus licheniformis isolated from cow rumen ingesta. Results: The optimum pH of the proteases produced with all carbon sources was observed at pH 6, while the optimum temperature of proteases produced with Bean chaff, groundnut shell and glucose were 50, 40 and 30 °C, respectively. However, the activities of proteases produced with agro-industrial wastes were significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of glucose under optimum pH and temperature conditions, though protease produced with mango seeds had higher activity. The Km of the proteases produced with groundnut shell, Bean chaff and glucose were 9.78, 3.52 and 1.24 mg/mL while their Vmax were 555.56, 434.78 and 222.22 U/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The lower Km of proteases produced with the agro-industrial wastes suggests that both the carbon sources could be used in place of glucose, though glucose was preferred by the isolate. The presence of Bacillus licheniformis with proteolytic activity in the cow rumen ingesta could mean that the site could be a potential source of proteolytic isolates.

Gas-liquid sulfonation in T-shaped microchannel for DBSA synthesis and process optimization with response surface method

This study investigates gas-liquid sulfonation for dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) synthesis in the T-shaped microchannel under different operating conditions of temperature, sulfur trioxide (SO3) concentration, the molar ratio of SO3 to dodecylbenzene, and total gas flow. Four factors with three-level Box-Behnken response surface design (BBD) are used to investigate and optimize the effect of process variables on DBSA production. The response surface method (RSM) model shows that the correlation coefficient is 0.971. The result is significant under the optimum conditions of temperature (56 °C), molar ratio of SO3 to dodecylbenzene (1.3), SO3 concentration (7.6 vt%), and total gas flow rate (310 mL min−1). The actual yield of the product is 99.78 mol%, basically consistent with the predicted yield of 99.45 mol%.

Enzymatic Degumming of Banana Fibers by Enterobacter cloacae PMC04 for Fineness Improvisation: An Eco-friendly Approach

ABSTRACT Banana fibers could gruntle the thirst for natural fibers in textile industries. Banana fibers are prominent for eco-friendliness, durability, and biodegradability. Our study demonstrates that Enterobacter cloacae PMC04, isolated from banana waste decomposed soil, could produce pectinolytic enzymes using dried banana pseudostem as solid substrate by fermentation and their application in banana fiber degumming for textile processing. Enterobacter cloacae PMC04 exhibited elevated pectinase activity (177.1901 U/ml) and pectin lyase activity (34.21818 U/ml) with citrus pectin and yeast extract under optimal pH (pH 10.0) and temperature (45°C) conditions. In reconciliation with the obtained results, it is found that pectinase enzyme is suitable for the degumming of banana fibers. The optimized degumming condition of banana fiber was identified to be 55°C, 4 hours and 30% enzymatic dosage. The maximum galacturonide released from the fiber degumming system was recognized to be 0.8121 mmol/ml. The surface morphology, functional group, thermal analysis, and tensile analysis of the enzymatic degummed banana fiber were significant compared to the chemically treated fiber. Based on the studies, it is inferred that enzymatic degumming of banana fiber could be regarded as an alternative approach for feasible application in textile industries

Improving the performance of graphite anode in a Microbial Fuel Cell via PANI encapsulated α-MnO2 composite modification for efficient power generation and methyl red removal

In this work, the biosynthesized α-MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated with a polyaniline (PANI) conducting matrix to form α-MnO2/PANI hybrid composite were fabricated by the in situ polymerization method. The prepared material was characterized through UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, TGA-DTA, DSC, SEM-EDX, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy. A double chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) cell set up with the pencil graphite electrode (PGE) anode modified by α-MnO2/PANI nanocomposite was employed for simultaneous methyl red (MR) decolorization and bioelectricity generation. The influence of MR concentration and its co-substrate glucose under optimum temperature conditions (28 ± 2 °C) was studied. The high decolorization efficiency (DE) of 95.57 ± 2.26%, maximum power density of 820.02 ± 7.86 mW m−2, current density of 1990.34 mA m−2 with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 74.59 ± 1.57% were achieved using α-MnO2/PANI modified PGE. This was increased by 12.47 times compared to unmodified PGE due to the better surface structure modification of PGE by binary composites. So, the nanocomposite modified anode is capable of maximizing MR decolorization in MFC. As a result, this study provided a future path for renewable energy production and azo dye decolorization from wastewater effluents.

Using Box–Behnken Design Coupled with Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing Rapeseed Oil Expression Parameters under Heating and Freezing Conditions

The effect of heating and freezing pretreatments on rapeseed oil yield and the volume of oil energy under uniaxial compression loading was investigated. Four separate experiments were carried out to achieve the study objective. The first and second experiments were performed to determine the compression parameters (deformation, mass of oil, oil yield, oil expression efficiency, energy, volume of oil and volume of oil energy). The third and fourth experiments identified the optimal factors (heating temperatures: 40, 60 and 80 °C, freezing temperatures: −2, −22 and −36 °C, heating times: 15, 30 and 45 min and speeds: 5, 10 and 15 mm/min) using the Box–Behnken design via the response surface methodology where the oil yield and volume of oil energy were the main responses. The optimal operating factors for obtaining a volume of oil energy of 0.0443 kJ/mL were a heating temperature of 40 °C, heating time of 45 min and speed of 15 mm/min. The volume of oil energy of 0.169 kJ/mL was reached at the optimal conditions of a freezing temperature of −36 °C, freezing time of 37.5 min and speed of 15 mm/min. The regression model established was adequate for predicting the volume of oil energy only under heating conditions.

Effect of Temperature on Reduction Behaviors and Microstructural Changes of Magnetite with H2 Under Fluidized Bed Conditions

Here in this paper, the effect of temperature on reduction behaviors and microstructural changes of magnetite by hydrogen is studied in a laboratory micro‐fluidized bed reactor. The phase compositions and microstructures of reduced samples are investigated by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. The results show that a metallization degree of 90.85% is obtained under the optimal conditions of reduction temperature of 570 °C, H2 concentration of 80%, and reduction time of 40 min. The metallization degree gradually increases with the temperature, and the magnetite (Fe3O4) is directly reduced to porous metallic iron (Fe) in the temperature range of 470–570 °C. While, the magnetite is first reduced to wüstite (FeO) and then further reduced to metallic iron with a dense structure in the temperature range of 570–670 °C. The dense metallic iron layer forms on the raw magnetite particle surface, which prevents the contact and reaction of the reducing gas with the iron oxide, resulting in a sharp decrease in the metallization degree.

Optimization of biodiesel produced from waste sunflower cooking oil over bi-functional catalyst

In the current global climate emergency and with the interesting environmental advantages of biodiesel, a look into the commercialisation of such greener fuel is essential. While raw materials account for the most in the production cost, time and energy can be economised using statistical models. The optimisation of free methyl esters (FAME) synthesised from waste sunflower oil over a novel CaO/Al2O3, and methanol was carried out at the alcohol and oil ratio of 12:1. The aim was to investigate the effect of operation parameters on the yield of the produced sunflower biodiesel, with the use of low cost and time efficient central composite response surface methodology. The chosen variables were catalyst loading, temperature, and time while the response was the yield. The catalyst loading was the most consequential parameter on yield. The linear regression model was obtained to predict responses given by these variables, with 95% confidence. The predicted and experimental yield was comparable with 92.773% and 95.665% respectively. A significant yield of 98.23% was obtained at optimal operating conditions of catalyst loading (2.5 wt%), time (5 h) and temperature (60 °C). The properties of optimised FAME were within international standard limits set for biodiesel except for the high concentrations of Ca and Mg.

High PCO2does not alter the thermal plasticity of developing Pacific herring embryos during a marine heatwave.

ABSTRACTForage fish tend to respond strongly to environmental variability and therefore may be particularly sensitive to marine climate stressors. We used controlled laboratory experiments to assess the vulnerability of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) embryos to the combined effects of high partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2) and a simulated marine heatwave. The two PCO2 treatments reflected current conditions (∼550 µatm) and a future extreme level (∼2300 µatm). The dynamics of the heatwave (i.e. rate of onset: ∼0.85°C day−1; maximum intensity: +4.4°C) were modeled from the most extreme events detected by a long-term regional temperature dataset. Simultaneous exposure to these potential stressors did not affect embryo survival. However, the heatwave did elicit significant metabolic effects that included higher rates of routine metabolism (Q10=1.15–1.72), growth (Q10=1.87), rate of development to hatch (Q10=3.01) and yolk consumption (Q10=3.21), as well as a significant reduction in production efficiency (−10.8%) and a three-fold increase in the rate of developmental anomalies. By contrast, high PCO2 conditions produced comparatively small effects on vital rates, including a significant increase in time to hatch (+0.88 days) and a reduction in routine metabolic rate (−6.3%) under the ambient temperature regime only. We found no evidence that high PCO2 increased routine metabolic rate at either temperature. These results indicate that Pacific herring embryos possess sufficient physiological plasticity to cope with extreme seawater acidification under optimal and heatwave temperature conditions, although lingering metabolic inefficiencies induced by the heatwave may lead to important carryover effects in later life stages.

A review on the potential effects of temperature on fungicide effectiveness

AbstractFungicides are one possible way to manage fungal and oomycete plant pathogens in order to safeguard yield and quality of crops and to improve shelf‐life of produce in agriculture and horticulture. However, global warming and the resulting temperature increase may affect the effectiveness of some important fungicides, including efficacy and duration of plant disease control. Nevertheless, according to our literature survey, there is little specific information available on whether and how temperature influences the effectiveness of fungicides. The very few publications that show specific data are summarized herein. Specific data are mainly gained under controlled conditions, both based on in vitro and in planta experiments. Field data are more or less missing. Most researchers assume that indirect effects of temperature on fungicide efficacy are particularly important. For example, temperature effects on pathogen spore germination and hyphal growth (optimal versus sub‐ and supra‐optimal), whereby optimal temperature conditions can improve pathogen fitness, thereby increasing the tolerance of pathogens to fungicides. Presumably, these indirect effects are often more important than the direct effects of temperature on fungicide performance. However, the data needed to prove this assumption are lacking. Therefore, it would be beneficial to conduct more in‐depth laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments in order to investigate the potential direct and indirect influence of temperature on the effectiveness of important fungicides. This would enable the establishment of appropriate recommendations for fungicide use in an increasingly warmer world and would assist the development of future fungicide solutions, based on improved knowledge.

Modeling of methyl ester yield from Terminalia catappa L. kernel oil by artificial neural network and response surface methodology for possible industrial application

This study is on the modeling of methyl ester yield; obtained by the transesterification of Terminalia catappa L. kernel oil (TCKO), using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). TCKO was obtained from the seeds/kernels of Terminalia catappa L tree, which is a member of the combretaceae family. The oils were extracted from the kernels using solvent extraction method. The physicochemical properties of TCKO and Terminalia catappa L. kernel oil methyl ester (MTCKO t ) were determined using standard methods. Fatty acid composition andprevalent methyl esters in MTCKO t sample were determined using, Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. At optimum conditions of temperature (65 °C), mole ratio (7:1), catalyst concentration (2.5 wt%), stirring speed (600 revolutions per minute) and time (150 min), the RSM predicted and validated methyl ester yields were 90.94%, and 90.84%, respectively; while ANN predicted and validated yields were 90.41% and 90.50%, respectively. The physicochemical characterization results of TCKO and MTCKO t samples, show that their respective viscosity, dielectric strength (DS), pour and flash points values were (20.29 and 10.29 mm 2 s -1 ), (30.61 and48.55 KV), (3 and −5 °C), and (260 and 275 °C). These results indicated the MTCKO t sample's potential use as a transformer fluid. GC result indicated that MTCKO t was unsaturated; while that of GC-MS showed that Hexane,2,2-dimethyl, Pentane,2,2,3-trimethyl, and Hexane,2,2,5-trimethyl were the predominate methyl esters. Finally, on the basis of the gotten model results, ANN was adjudged as better predictive model when compared to RSM.

Influence of Gold Nanoparticles on the Tolerance of Wheat to Low Temperature.

It was shown for the first time that the treatment of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds with gold nanoparticles (average diameter 15.3 nm; solution concentration 20 μg/mL) increases plant tolerance to low temperature. It was found that an increase in tolerance under the influence of nanoparticles is accompanied by a number of changes depending on temperature conditions. In optimal temperature conditions, gold nanoparticles stimulated plant growth and the activity of the photosynthetic apparatus, whereas in conditions of low-temperature hardening (2°C, 7 days) they inhibited growth but maintained photosynthetic activity, contributing to the accumulation of soluble sugars (cryoprotectants) in the leaves. It is concluded that gold nanoparticles can be considered as adaptogens that increase plant tolerance to low temperatures; however, their effectiveness in this role and the subtle mechanisms of action require further study.

Optimization of the factors affecting BT-2 black tea fermentation by observing their combined effects on the quality parameters of made tea using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

This research work aimed to optimize the fermentation time, temperature, and relative humidity of the black tea produced from Bangladesh Tea 2 (BT-2) variety by observing their quality parameters. Total theaflavin (TF), thearubigin (TR), the ratio of TF: TR, total liquor color (TLC), high polymeric substances (HPS), and total phenolic content (TPC) were evaluated for quality measurements of BT-2 black tea. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to optimize fermentation time, temperature, and relative humidity as well as evaluate the effects of optimized conditions on the quality of made tea. The results obtained from the response surface optimization affirmed that under the optimum conditions of time (80.14 min), temperature (28.76 °C), and relative humidity (92.30%), the model showed the value of TF (0.69%), TR (5.57%), HPS (8.61%), TLC (3.05%), and TPC (7.95 GAE g/100g tea). Moreover, the optimized model found that the TF:TR value was 1:9.13, which is close to black tea's optimum quality. The values observed in experiments were highly congruent with the predicted value by the regression model. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test revealed that the model was significant for TF, TR, HPS, TLC, TPC, and TF:TR values of prepared BT-2 black tea at different levels (p < 0.001 to p < 0.01). The composite desirability of the model was 0.93, which suggests that the developed model could be utilized effectively to maintain the quality parameters of BT-2 black tea during fermentation.

Effects of Split Application of Urea on Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Emissions From a Rainfed Maize Field in Northeast China

Split application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers during different crop growth stages to fulfill the crop N requirements reduces soil mineral N concentrations and improves the efficiency of crop N fertilizer use, and can decrease nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from the soil. However, inconsistent results regarding N2O emissions have been reported in rainfed areas. Furthermore, few long-term studies have explained the effects of split N application on soil methane (CH4) flux, thus limiting complete assessment of the effects of split N application on total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, long-term monitoring is urgently required to understand the impacts of split N application on GHG emissions in rainfed areas. In this study, a 6-year field experiment was conducted in a rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) field in Northeast China. The experiment included three treatments: no N application representing control (CK), single application at the sowing stage of maize (SU), and split N at the sowing and jointing stages at a ratio of 1: 2 (SF). Between the sowing and jointing stages, N2O emissions were significantly higher in SU than in SF. However, high N2O emissions were observed in SF for 1 month after N application at the jointing stage possibly because the time of N application coincided with optimum precipitation and soil temperature conditions, which stimulated N2O emissions. Overall, the total N2O emissions showed no significant difference between SU and SF. During the study period, split application of N fertilizer did not significantly affect the cumulative CH4 flux. Compared to CK, the yield-scaled GWP in SF treatment increased by 18.7% (p &amp;lt; 0.05). Ammonia (NH3) volatilization in SF was 272% higher than that in SU. The findings indicated that split N application exhibited an environmental risk by increasing the yield-scaled GWP and NH3 emissions in the field. Thus, this study suggested that single N application applied in the sowing stage should be employed in rainfed fields to mitigate the yield-scaled GWP and NH3 emissions, and maintain efficient maize yields.

QTL Mapping Low-Temperature Germination Ability in the Maize IBM Syn10 DH Population.

Chilling injury poses a serious threat to seed emergence of spring-sowing maize in China, which has become one of the main climatic limiting factors affecting maize production in China. It is of great significance to mine the key genes controlling low-temperature tolerance during seed germination and study their functions for breeding new maize varieties with strong low-temperature tolerance during germination. In this study, 176 lines of the intermated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) Syn10 doubled haploid (DH) population, which comprised 6618 bin markers, were used for QTL analysis of low-temperature germination ability. The results showed significant differences in germination related traits under optimum-temperature condition (25 °C) and low-temperature condition (10 °C) between two parental lines. In total, 13 QTLs were detected on all chromosomes, except for chromosome 5, 7, 10. Among them, seven QTLs formed five QTL clusters on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 under the low-temperature condition, which suggested that there may be some genes regulating multiple germination traits at the same time. A total of 39 candidate genes were extracted from five QTL clusters based on the maize GDB under the low-temperature condition. To further screen candidate genes controlling low-temperature germination, RNA-Seq, in which RNA was extracted from the germination seeds of B73 and Mo17 at 10 °C, was conducted, and three B73 upregulated genes and five Mo17 upregulated genes were found by combined analysis of RNA-Seq and QTL located genes. Additionally, the variations of Zm00001d027976 (GLABRA2), Zm00001d007311 (bHLH transcription factor), and Zm00001d053703 (bZIP transcription factor) were found by comparison of amino sequence between B73 and Mo17. This study will provide a theoretical basis for marker-assisted breeding and lay a foundation for further revealing molecular mechanism of low-temperature germination tolerance in maize.

Advanced wastewater treatment process using algal photo-bioreactor associated with dissolved-air flotation system: A pilot-scale demonstration

This research explores the feasibility of using an algal photo-bioreactor as an integrated algal-bacterial treatment system combined with a dissolved air flotation (DAF) system for the deduction of COD, BOD5, TSS, TN and TP from primary treated wastewater (PTW). Isolated algae species of Anomoeoneis, Scenedesmus, Anabaena and Spirulina at fixed hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 16 h were used to conduct batch experiments to determine optimum conditions of pH, temperature, light intensity and mixing rate on the removal rates of contaminants. The optimum removal rates were studied at neutral pH, 25 °C, light intensity of 90 μmol m−2S−1 and 100 rpm mixing rate. A scaled-up pilot plant treatment system was designed, constructed and operated to evaluate the system performance to treat (0.1 L/min) of primary treated wastewater disposed of ZENIN WWTP-Giza, Egypt. The design criteria of the algal photo-bioreactor were acquired from the batch investigations. The plant was operated for 10 continuous days and the analytical analysis was performed twice a day at a fixed time. The DAF system was used to isolate the infiltrated algae from the system for cultivation and reuse purposes. The achieved results revealed the superior COD, BOD5, TSS, TN and TP removal percent reached in average 56.4%, 61%, 59.2%, 48.3% and 51.7% at 12 pm and 49.7%, 54.9%, 52.4%, 39% and 40.57% at 12 am, respectively. All data gained from experimental studies demonstrated the efficiency of using algal photo-bioreactor combined with DAF system as an effective wastewater treatment technique.