Search Results (13)

An in-depth understanding of Se uptake and metabolism in plants is necessary for developing Se biofortification strategies. Thus, hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate the associated processes and mechanisms of organic Se (selenomethionine (SeMet) and selenomethionine-oxide (SeOMet)) uptake, translocation, transformation and their interaction in wheat, in comparison to inorganic Se. The results showed that Se uptake by the roots and the root-to-shoot translocation factor under the SeMet treatment were higher than those under the selenite, selenate and SeOMet treatments. The uptake and translocation of SeMet were higher than those of SeOMet within 72 h, although the differences gradually narrowed with time. The uptake of SeMet and SeOMet was also sensitive to the aquaporin inhibitor: AgNO₃ addition resulted in 99.5% and 99.9% inhibitions of Se in the root in the SeMet and SeOMet treatments, respectively. Once absorbed by the root, they rapidly assimilated to other Se forms, and SeMet and Se-methyl-selenocysteine (MeSeCys) were the dominant species in SeMet- and SeOMet-treated plants, while notably, an unidentified Se form was also found in the root and xylem sap under the SeMet treatment. In addition, within 16 h, SeOMet inhibited the uptake and translocation of SeMet, while the inhibition was weakened with longer treatment time. Taken together, the present study provides new insights for the uptake and transformation processes of organic Se within plants. Full article

Organic Medium Enclosed Trough (OMET) system is a new non-drainable growing technique. The study set out to investigate the interactive effects of OMET and Amaranth species variation on some growth attributes, yield, bioactive compounds, and nutrients. Three Amaranth species, A. caudatus, A. cruentus, and A. tricolor, were grown in OMET and non-OMET growing conditions. Growth attributes, irrigation water, bioactive compounds, and nutrients were determined. Non-OMET growing conditions and A. cruentus showed the highest total phenolics and flavonols followed by A. caudatus and A. tricolor, whilst tannins were predominant in A. caudatus followed by A. cruentus and A. tricolor. The use of unsupervised PCA showed major metabolic variation based on Amaranth species and the use of supervised OPLS-DA showed clear metabolic variation based on OMET and non-OMET. OMET and A. cruentus showed the highest plant height, stem diameter, biomass, and some nutrients (%protein, Ca, P, Cu, Se, Zn), followed by A. caudatus based only on growth and biomass, and A. tricolor based only on some nutrients (Mg, K, Mn, and Fe). The use of the OMET system on A. cruentus and A. tricolor can be recommended to mitigate climate change effects on nutritional composition using relatively low levels of irrigation water. Full article

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an important vegetable that has been indigenized in African countries where it is consumed as a relish. There is still, however, a lack of documented cultivation techniques for better yields. An organic medium-enclosed trough (OMET) system is a growing technique that has been developed to reduce water and nutrient seepage during plant production. The study objectives evaluated the effect of OMET on the growth, yield, and nutritional attributes of okra. A complete randomized block design was established to accommodate the two treatments: OMET and non-OMET, in a micro-plot under field conditions. The stem diameter and plant height were recorded weekly during plant growth, and a clear increasing trend in OMET over non-OMET was observed from week 4 of transplantation. The OMET growing technique significantly increased the stem diameter and plant height by 37 and 48%, respectively. When evaluating the yield attributes, a similar trend was observed, where the OMET system significantly increased the yield attributes of okra as follows: biomass by 50%, the number of branches by 50%, the number of pods per plant by 49%, fresh pod weight by 53%, and pod length by 51%, while there was no significant difference in pod diameter width. Non-essential amino acids compounds, including arginine, serine, glycine, aspartate acid, glutamic acid, alanine, and proline and essential amino acids, including histidine, threonine, methionine, lysine, tyrosine, leucine, phenylalanine, asparagine and glutamine, were highly maintained in OMET compared to non-OMET. OMET enhanced the upregulation of proteins, Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Na, P and Zn elemental nutrients in the disposal of less irrigation water than non-OMET. This growing technique could be recommended for small-scale and commercial farming to improve the okra production of nutrition. Full article

The electroless copper plating of textiles, which have been previously printed with a catalyst, is a promising method to selectively metallise them to produce high-reliability e-textiles, sensors and wearable electronics with wide-ranging applications in high-value sectors such as healthcare, sport, and the military. In this study, polyester textiles were ink-jet printed using differing numbers of printing cycles and printing directions with a functionalised copper–silver nanoparticle catalyst, followed by electroless copper plating. The catalyst was characterised using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Ultraviolet/Visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy. The electroless copper coatings were characterised by copper mass gain, visual appearance and electrical resistance in addition to their morphology and the plating coverage of the fibres using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Stiffness, laundering durability and colour fastness of the textiles were also analysed using a stiffness tester and Launder Ometer, respectively. The results indicated that in order to provide a metallised pattern with the desired conductivity, stiffness and laundering durability for e-textiles, the printing design, printing direction and the number of printing cycles of the catalyst should be carefully optimised considering the textile’s structure. Achieving a highly conductive complete copper coating, together with an almost identical and sufficiently low stiffness on both sides of the textile can be considered as useful indicators to judge the suitability of the process. Full article

Late-season mandarins are normally cold-stored to prolong the commercial season. Thus, it is necessary to investigate poststorage consumer acceptance to predict the potential success of new late-season mandarin varieties on the market. The aim of the present work was to evaluate consumer response to three new late-season cultivars preselected in the IVIA breeding programme (Omet, Matiz and Tri-703) after different cold storage periods. The three new cultivars were compared to commercial cultivars Orri, Nadorcott and Ortanique, all of which are widely available in stores. A multidisciplinary approach was used to determine the main changes during storage at 1 °C for up to one month: (1) analysis of physico-chemical parameters; (2) description of the sensory profile by semitrained assessors by the Free Choice Profile technique; (3) evaluation of consumer acceptability and purchase intention. Our results showed that the sensory changes that fruit underwent during storage depended on the variety; these changes allowed us to understand why consumer preferences varied during storage. Of the three new cultivars, two (Omet and Tri-703) showed the greatest potential for success. However, while Tri-703 can be stored for one month, Omet should not be stored longer than 15 days due to its susceptibility to manifest skin damage during storage. Of the commercial cultivars, internal Orri quality was keenly appreciated by consumers, while Ortanique was considered the most attractive variety. The multidisciplinary approach followed in this study proved to be a potent tool for selecting varieties that should be implemented in selection processes of breeding programmes. Full article

This paper describes a measurement method for the quality control of cylinders for printing machines based on roll-to-roll presses. If the surface finishing of the cylinders is not adequate, the printing is unacceptable, and the defective cylinders must be reworked. The performed quality check of the cylinder surface roughness by means of contact methods was unable to identify the cylinder defects, and acceptance of the manufactured cylinders before integration was demanded to the visual inspection performed by trained operators. In this work a contactless measurement method based on the eddy current displacement sensor was proposed and validated as a tool for quality check as an alternative to optical roughness measurements. A test bench for the characterization of printer cylinders was designed and manufactured, allowing for the validation of the proposed method on different batches of cylinders and the identification of a threshold to guide the acceptance of tested cylinders prior to mounting on the roll-to-roll press. Full article

In the last few years, the interest in developing new mandarin cultivars of superior quality has grown as a response to the increasing consumer demand of this appreciated fruit. This study evaluated the sensory profiles of five new late-season mandarin cultivars (‘Alborea‘, ’Coral‘, ’Omet‘, ’Matiz‘ and ’Tri-703‘) and six commercial cultivars found contemporarily in stores (‘Clemenules‘, ’Nova‘, ’Tango‘, ’Nadorcott‘, ‘Orri’ and ‘Ortanique’). The sensory profiles of the cultivars were described by consumers through CATA questions. Consumers’ acceptability and the main physico-chemical properties were also evaluated. Twenty-two out of 23 CATA terms differed significantly for the sensory profiles of the studied cultivars. The new cultivars shared a similar profile, described mainly as “very intense taste”, “refreshing taste”, “very aromatic” and “juicy”, and these characteristics were quite different from those of the commercial cultivars. By combining acceptability and CATA questions, drivers of liking for segments of consumers with different preference patterns were identified. This is the first time that the sensory profiles of mandarin cultivars have been described by consumers. A significant number of consumers preferred the new mandarin cultivars to the commercial ones, which allows them a promising introduction on the market. Full article

A new cyclic depsipeptide (1) has been isolated from culture broth of Staphylococcus sp. (No. P-100826-4-6) derived from Corallina officinalis L., together with the known compounds indol-3-carboxylic acid (2), 1,5-dideoxy-3-C-methyl arabinitol (3), thymine (4), uracil (5), cyclo (L-pro-L-omet) (6) and macrolactin B (7). The structure of (1) was established to be cyclo (2α, 3-diaminopropoinc acid-L-Asn-3-β-hydroxy-5-methyl-tetradecanoic acid-L-Leu¹-L-Asp-L-Val-L-Leu²-L-Leu³) by extensive spectroscopic techniques including ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H‒¹H COSY, HMBC, HSQC, NOESY, and HRFABMS. The antimicrobial activities of compounds 1–7 were evaluated. Compounds 1–5, and 7 showed moderate antimicrobial activity while compound 6 exhibited a potent antimicrobial and antifungal activities. Full article

With huge varieties of fabrics, the first challenge for any performance evaluation is to categorize the vast types of the products into fewer, more homogeneous and akin groups. Classification or sorting is arguably the first step of any scientific investigation, and comparison of product quality is meaningful only when conducted within a group of comparable products. A new criterion termed fabric linear density λ is first proposed in this paper so that fabrics can in general be divided into four groups. The derivation and validation of this parameter are provided. The importance of fabric drape is almost self-evident, but there are still no effective ways to easily measure this fabric attribute. A few existing instruments, notably the Cusick Drapemeter, suffer from low repeatability and low sensitivity and are hence not widely or frequently used. It is demonstrated in this study that, by using the PhabrOmeter, along with the fabric linear density λ, a much more efficient alternative for fabric drape test can be achieved. By actually testing 40 various fabrics, the principle, procedure and results of this method is presented in this paper. Full article

This paper compares the impact of laser treatment on cotton and cotton/polyester blended fabric hand properties, using the PhabrOmeter system. Five fabric hand properties, namely, stiffness, smoothness, softness, wrinkle recovery rate, and drapability, were obtained, and it was proven that laser treatment could be successfully used to change the fabric hand. In the case of pure cotton woven fabrics, the fabrics were found to have better drapability and wrinkle recovery after laser treatment. In cotton/polyester blended fabrics, stiffness was found to be relatively higher after laser irradiation. Full article

Actinobacteria are well known for their potential in biotechnology and their production of metabolites of interest. Lichens are a promising source of new bacterial strains, especially Actinobacteria, which afford a broad chemical diversity. In this context, the culture medium of the actinobacterium Nocardia ignorata, isolated from the terrestrial lichen Collema auriforme, was studied. The strain was cultivated in a BioFlo 115 bioreactor, and the culture medium was extracted using an XAD7HP resin. Five known diketopiperazines: cyclo (l-Pro-l-OMet) (1), cyclo (l-Pro-l-Tyr) (2), cyclo (d-Pro-l-Tyr) (3), cyclo (l-Pro-l-Val) (4), cyclo (l-Pro-l-Leu) (5), and one auxin derivative: indole-carboxaldehyde (8) were isolated, along with two new brominated diketopiperazines: cyclo (d-Pro-l-Br-Tyr) (6) and cyclo (l-Pro-l-Br-Tyr) (7). Structure elucidation was performed using HRMS and 1D and 2D NMR analysis, and the synthesis of compounds 6 and 7 was carried out in order to confirm their structure. Full article

The first-ever dual-frequency multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R) polarimetric measurements over boreal forests and lakes from the stratosphere are presented. Data were collected during the European Space Agency (ESA) sponsored Balloon Experiments for University Students (BEXUS) 19 stratospheric balloon experiment using the P(Y) and C/A Reflect Ometer (PYCARO) instrument operated in closed-loop mode. Maps of the polarimetric ratio for L1 and L2 Global Positioning System (GPS) and GLObal Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and for E1 Galileo signals are derived from the float phase at 27,000 m height, and the specular points are geolocalized on the Earth’s surface. Polarimetric ratio ( ) maps over boreal forests are shown to be in the range 2–16 dB for the different GNSS codes. This result suggests that the scattering is taking place not only over the soil, but over the different forests elements as well. Additionally to the interpretation of the experimental results a theoretical investigation of the different contributions to the total reflectivity over boreal forests is performed using a bistatic scattering model. The simulated cross- (reflected Left Hand Circular Polarization LHCP) and co-polar (reflected Right Hand Circular Polarization RHCP) reflectivities are evaluated for the soil, the canopy, and the canopy–soil interactions for three different biomass densities: 725 trees/ha, 150 trees/ha and 72 trees/ha. For elevation angles larger than the Brewster angle, it is found that the cross-polar signal is dominant when just single reflections over the forests are evaluated, while in the case of multiple reflections the co-polar signal becomes the largest one. The first-ever dual-frequency multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R) polarimetric measurements over boreal forests and lakes from the stratosphere are presented. Data were collected during the European Space Agency (ESA) sponsored Balloon Experiments for University Students (BEXUS) 19 stratospheric balloon experiment using the P(Y) and C/A Reflect Ometer (PYCARO) instrument operated in closed-loop mode. Maps of the polarimetric ratio for L1 and L2 Global Positioning System (GPS) and GLObal Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and for E1 Galileo signals are derived from the float phase at 27,000 m height, and the specular points are geolocalized on the Earth’s surface. Polarimetric ratio ( ) maps over boreal forests are shown to be in the range 2–16 dB for the different GNSS codes. This result suggests that the scattering is taking place not only over the soil, but over the different forests elements as well. Additionally to the interpretation of the experimental results a theoretical investigation of the different contributions to the total reflectivity over boreal forests is performed using a bistatic scattering model. The simulated cross- (reflected Left Hand Circular Polarization LHCP) and co-polar (reflected Right Hand Circular Polarization RHCP) reflectivities are evaluated for the soil, the canopy, and the canopy–soil interactions for three different biomass densities: 725 trees/ha, 150 trees/ha and 72 trees/ha. For elevation angles larger than the Brewster angle, it is found that the cross-polar signal is dominant when just single reflections over the forests are evaluated, while in the case of multiple reflections the co-polar signal becomes the largest one. Full article

The scattering of GNSS signals over a water surface is studied when the receiver is at a low height, as in GNSS-R coastal altimetry. The precise determination of the local sea level and wave state from the coast will provide useful altimetry and wave information as “dry” tide and wave gauges. An experiment has been conducted at the Canal d'Investigació i Experimentació Marítima (CIEM) wave channel for two simulated “sea” states. The GNSS-reflectometer used is the P(Y) and C/A ReflectOmeter (PYCARO) instrument, a closed-loop receiver with delay and Doppler tracking loops that uses the conventional GNSS-R technique for the GPS C/A code. After retracking of the scattered GPS signals, the coherent and incoherent components have been studied. To reproduce the transmitted GPS signals indoors, a Rohde and Schwarz signal generator is used. It is found that, despite the ratio of the coherent and incoherent components being ~1, the coherent component is strong enough that it can be tracked. The coherent component comes from clusters of points on the surface that approximately satisfy the specular reflection conditions (“roughed facet”). The Pearson’s linear correlation coefficients of the derived “sea” surface height with the wave gauge data are: 0.78, 0.85 and 0.81 for a SWH = 36 cm and 0.34, 0.74, and 0.72 for a SWH = 64 cm, respectively, for transmitter elevation angles of = 60°, 75° and 86°, respectively. Finally, the rms phase of the received signal before the retracking processing is used to estimate the effective rms surface height of the ‘facets’, where the waves get scattered. It is found to be between 2.5- and 4.1-times smaller than the theoretical values corresponding to the half of the coherent reflectivity decaying factor. Full article