Search Results (160)

To address the challenges in precision seeding of Cyperus esculentus L. seeds caused by their irregular shape and uneven surface, this study investigates the effect of soaking pretreatment on seed germination and adopts rubber-based seed suction holes to improve adsorption performance. Subsequently, calibration and experiments on discrete element simulation parameters were carried out. Initially, by setting four soaking time gradients (0, 24, 48, and 72 h), the optimal soaking duration was determined. Furthermore, through free-fall collision tests, static friction tests, and rolling friction tests, combined with the Plackett–Burman design, steepest ascent experiments, and Box–Behnken response surface methodology, the contact parameters between seeds and between seeds and rubber suction holes were calibrated and optimized. The results showed that the static friction coefficient (D) between seeds, the rolling friction coefficient (E) between seeds, and the rolling friction coefficient (H) between seeds and rubber have significant effects on the stacking angle. The optimal parameter combination obtained was D = 0.592, E = 0.325, H = 0.171. Validation tests on the dynamic stacking angle demonstrated that the relative error between the simulated and physical test values was only 1.89%, confirming the accuracy of the parameters. This study provides reliable parameter references for the design and simulation optimization of precision seed metering devices for C. esculentus after soaking pretreatment. Full article

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a crucial global food crop. The intensive crop farming, monoculture cultivation, and impact of climate change affect the susceptibility of wheat cultivars to biotic stresses, mainly caused by soil fungal pathogens, especially those belonging to the genus Fusarium. This situation threatens yield and grain quality through root and crown rot. While conventional chemical fungicides face resistance issues and environmental concerns, biological alternatives like seed priming with natural metabolites are gaining attention. Polyamines, including putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are attractive priming agents influencing plant development and abiotic stress responses. Spermine in particular shows potential for in vitro antifungal activity against Fusarium. Optimising spermine concentration for seed priming is crucial to maximising protection against Fusarium infection while ensuring robust plant growth. In this research, we explored the potential of the polyamine spermine as a seed treatment to enhance wheat resilience, aiming to identify a sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides. Our findings revealed that a six-hour seed soak in spermine solutions ranging from 0.5 to 5 mM did not delay germination or seedling growth. In fact, the 5 mM concentration significantly stimulated root weight and length. In complementary in vitro assays, we evaluated the antifungal activity of spermine (0.5–5 mM) against three Fusarium species. The results demonstrated complete inhibition of Fusarium culmorum growth at 5 mM spermine. A less significant effect on Fusarium graminearum and little to no impact on Fusarium oxysporum were found. The performed analysis revealed that the spermine had a fungistatic effect against the pathogen, retarding the mycelium growth of F. culmorum inoculated on the seed surface. A pot experiment with Bulgarian soft wheat cv. Sadovo-1 was carried out to estimate the effect of seed priming with spermine against infection with isolates of pathogenic fungus F. culmorum on plant growth and disease severity. Our results demonstrated that spermine resulted in a reduced distribution of F. culmorum and improved plant performance, as evidenced by the higher fresh weight and height of plants pre-treated with spermine. This research describes the efficacy of spermine seed priming as a novel strategy for managing Fusarium root and crown rot in wheat. Full article

Porosity and roughened surfaces of implant materials have been shown to lead to improved cellular attachment and enhanced osseointegration. These topography changes in the surface also aid in the mechanical interlocking of the material to the bone. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has emerged as a popular alternative to titanium-based implants due to its lack of stress-shielding effect, radiolucency, and high chemical resistance. However, PEEK is bioinert, thus requiring surface modifications to elicit appropriate cellular responses that lead to successful osteointegration of the material in vivo. Sulfonation is a process used to modify the surface of PEEK, which can be controlled by varying parameters such as soak time and soak temperature, thereby fabricating a porous surface on the material. This work aimed to ensure the repeatability of a previously optimized sulfonated and hydrothermally treated PEEK surface and subsequently observe the mechanical properties, bacterial attachment, and cellular response of pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells on the surface. This study found that while all PEEK surfaces had similar cell and Staphylococcus aureus attachment, the sulfonated and hydrothermally treated PEEK (peak mean load of 605 N, p ≤ 0.0001) and the sulfonated only PEEK (peak mean load of 495 N, p = 0.0240) had a higher level of performance in expulsion testing than smooth PEEK due to its mechanical interlocking ability. Imaging and contact angle analysis confirm that a surface with repeatable porosity can be achieved. Full article

Peas possess significant nutritional properties due to their high protein levels, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins. Increased climate variability can lead to water stress in crops like peas. Therefore, priming plants through seed priming is a technique that has proven effective as a pre-conditioning method for plants to cope with more severe future stresses. Different doses and soaking times of ‘Santa Isabel’ pea seeds in NaCl and H₂O₂ were evaluated to enhance and promote germination. Two experiments were conducted under controlled conditions (average temperature 15.8 °C) through a completely randomized design with a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement, comprising 12 treatments in each trial. In the first trial, NaCl doses (0, 50, 100, or 150 mM) and the soaking time of the seeds in NaCl (12, 24, or 36 h) were examined. In the second trial, H₂O₂ doses (0, 20, 40, or 60 mM) were tested with the same imbibition times. The 50 mM NaCl dose at 24 h demonstrated the best values for germination rate index, mean germination time, germination rate (GR), and germination potential (GP). Seed imbibition for 24 h in NaCl, as well as in H₂O₂, is the ideal time to achieve the best GR and GP. The dry mass of leaf and stipule recorded the highest values with a 60 mM dose of H₂O₂ and 24 h of imbibition. An application of 150 mM NaCl resulted in the highest values of germinated seed dry mass, while causing lower dry mass in roots, stems, leaves, and stipules; however, it maintained similar total dry mass values. Full article

This study investigates the feasibility of pumice-based internal curing based on the 3D printability of engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) for water-scarce environments and arid regions. Natural river sand was partially replaced with the presoaked pumice lightweight aggregates (LWAs) at two different levels, 30% and 60% by volume, and 50% of the cement was replaced with slag to enhance sustainability. Furthermore, 2% polyethylene (PE) fibers were used to improve the mechanical characteristics and 1% methylcellulose (MC) was used to increase the rheological stability. Pumice aggregates, presoaked for 24 h, were used as an internal curing agent to assess their effect on the printability. Three ECC mixes, CT-PE2-6-10 (control), P30-PE2-6-10 (30% pumice), and P60-PE2-6-10 (60% pumice), were printed using a 3D gantry printing system. A flow table and rheometer were used to evaluate the flowability and rheological properties. Extrudability was measured in terms of dimensional consistency and the coefficient of variation (CV%) to evaluate printability, whereas buildability was determined in terms of the maximum number of layers stacked before failure. All of the mixes met the extrudability criterion (CV < 5%), with P30-PE2-6-10 demonstrating superior printing quality and buildability, having 16 layers, which was comparable with the control mix that had 18 layers. Full article

Acacia species are important trees in arid ecosystems due to their diverse ecological roles, such as providing vegetation cover, community structures, food resources for animals, soil stabilization, and erosion prevention. However, in the Arabian Peninsula, Acacia species are declining due to climate change, overgrazing, and fuelwood harvesting. This study evaluates the effectiveness of various pre-sowing treatments—sulfuric acid soaking and tap and hot water soaking—on breaking seed dormancy to enhance germination in nine Acacia species native to the Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia. The key germination indicators assessed were the mean germination time (MGT), germination percentage (GP), and germination index (GI). Sulfuric acid treatments for 10–15 min reduced the MGT and increased the GP for A. etbaica, A. hamoulosa, and A. tortilis, while A. origena responded best to 1 min of hot water soaking. Conversely, A. asak, A. ehrenbergiana, and A. johnwoodii showed little to no germination improvement with treatment and A. oerfota and A. gerrardii showed no germination improvement, indicating the need for alternative methods. These findings indicate that the seed germination requirements vary within Acacia spp. from the same geographic region and similar climatic conditions. Further work is required for five of the species tested to develop better seed germination techniques, given the potential utility of Acacia spp., in ecological restoration and sustainable land management in arid regions. Full article

Pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a necessary step to improve the degradability of these materials when used as substrates for biogas production, due to their resistance resulting from their complex composition and structural properties. The effect of using digestate for the pre-treatment of maize waste to enhance biogas production in an anaerobic digestion process was assessed through biogas potential tests and long-term operation of an anaerobic reactor model. The biogas potential tests confirmed the positive effect of soaking maize waste in digestate for pre-treatment compared to soaking it in water, as higher specific biogas production rates of 17%, 18%, and 29% were achieved after soaking it in digestate for 1 day, 2 days, and 5 days, respectively. The results from monitoring the long-term operation of the anaerobic reactor demonstrated the suitability of using digestate-soaked maize waste as a co-substrate to maize silage, which may significantly reduce the dependence on maize silage in practical applications. Stable operation of the reactor was also achieved during anaerobic treatment of the pre-treated maize waste itself, with an average specific biogas production of 403 mL/g VS. Full article

The seeds of Cyperus esculentus L. exhibit an uneven surface and irregular shape, which adversely affect precision seeding. Pre-sowing seed soaking treatment not only improves seeding performance, but also enhances the germination capability of C. esculentus seeds. However, the intrinsic parameters of the seeds undergo significant changes after soaking in terms of their physical properties, such as volume, weight, and density. These changes directly influence the fluidity and positioning accuracy of the seeds during the seeding process. Additionally, contact parameters, such as the coefficient of friction and the contact area between the seeds and the seeding apparatus, are altered by soaking. These parameters are crucial for designing efficient seeding devices. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the intrinsic parameters of soaked C. esculentus seeds and their contact parameters with the seeding apparatus to provide parameter support for the precision seeding analysis of pre-soaked C. esculentus. This study focuses on the calibration and experimental investigation of discrete element parameters for soaked C. esculentus seeds. Free-fall collision tests, static friction tests, and rolling friction tests were conducted to calibrate the contact parameters between soaked C. esculentus seeds and between the seeds and steel materials. Using Design-Expert, Plackett–Burman tests, steepest ascent tests, and Box–Behnken response surface tests were designed to obtain the optimal parameter combination for the C. esculentus contact model. The optimal parameters were validated through angle of repose simulation tests and physical experiments. The results indicate that the rolling friction coefficient (F) between seeds, the static friction coefficient (E) between seeds, and the rolling friction coefficient (J) between seeds and steel plates significantly affect the angle of repose. The optimal combination of discrete element parameters is as follows: the static friction coefficient (E) between seeds is 0.675, the rolling friction coefficient (F) between seeds is 0.421, and the rolling friction coefficient (J) between seeds and steel plates is 0.506. Using the calibrated parameters for simulation, the average angle of repose was 32.31°, with a relative error of 1.1% compared to the physical experiments. Full article

The principles of the circular economy and the effective utilization of construction and demolition waste are becoming increasingly important, as evidenced by a growing body of research in this field. However, studies focusing on the waterproofing properties and setting times of recycled concrete derived from various construction and demolition waste sources remain scarce. This research investigates the characteristics of recycled aggregates from different origins and explores how these characteristics influence the properties of concrete. The study examines the effects of pre-soaking aggregates to saturation, the incorporation of water absorption-reducing additives, and the ratio of recycled aggregates to natural aggregates on the properties of both fresh and hardened concrete. Laboratory tests were conducted on crushed recycled concrete aggregates (RCA), confirming that concrete produced with recycled aggregates can meet standard requirements for compressive strength and water resistance exposure classes despite the recycled aggregates themselves not meeting the required standards. The results were used to calculate an effective water–cement ratio and establish a correlation between this ratio and compressive strength. The findings indicated that the compressive strength of mixtures approached, and in most instances exceeded, that of the reference concrete utilizing natural aggregates. Specifically, the reference concrete (REF-1) achieved a compressive strength value of 51.4 MPa after 28 days, whereas the 30% recycled mixture (REC-10), made from pure concrete demolition waste, produced a compressive strength of 62.7 MPa. The maximum water penetration depth of the REC-10 mixture was measured at 11 mm, in comparison to 15 mm for the reference mixture (REF-1). Additionally, the initial setting time of the mixtures incorporating special additives reached the 80 min threshold. The practical aspects of this research examined potential industrial applications that do not necessitate special aggregate treatments, thus maintaining the water–cement ratio within acceptable limits. This study evaluates the feasibility of utilizing recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) from construction waste to produce concrete that satisfies the standard requirements for compressive strength and water resistance. It assesses the impact of RCA on performance, provides industrial insights, and suggests potential regulatory revisions. Full article

Traditional pervious concrete poses significant challenges in optimizing both mechanical properties and permeability. To address this issue, a novel type of self-compacting recycled pervious concrete (SCRPC) featuring vertical and penetrating channels has been developed. The vertical channels were created by pulling out the reinforcement in the pre-drilled holes that were artificially created in the mold, after the concrete had been poured. However, whether this concrete has superior durability and can be employed in different sulfate drying–wetting situations remains to be investigated. This study explored the sulfate resistance and permeability of SCRPC under five drying–wetting exposure regimes: full soaking in Na₂SO₄ solution with drying–wetting ratios of 3:18, 9:12, and 18:3; semi-soaking in Na₂SO₄ solution; and full soaking in MgSO₄ solution. The results showed that the SCRPC soaked in MgSO₄ solution suffered the largest compressive strength loss (13.4%) after 150 drying–wetting cycles. Furthermore, as the drying–wetting ratio increased, the sulfate degradation of the SCRPC increased. Despite the comparable relative dynamic modulus of elasticity of SCRPC after full soaking (95.54%) and semi-soaking (92.89%), ettringite and gypsum were identified as the predominant sulfate deterioration products of SCRPC, respectively. In contrast to the two stages for traditional pervious concrete, the effective porosity of SCRPC was divided into three stages during sulfate attack: an initial rapid decline stage, a subsequent increase stage, and a final slow decline stage. The permeability coefficient of SCRPC varied from 6.00 to 6.82 mm/s under different sulfate drying–wetting exposures. In summary, SCRPC has superior sulfate resistance and permeability, and it could be more applicable in environments containing Na₂SO₄ compared to MgSO₄. This study provides basic data for the enhancement and application of pervious concrete with artificial vertical and penetrating channels. Full article

Background: Postoperative infection following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a rare yet severe complication that can compromise patient outcomes, leading to prolonged recovery, graft failure, and knee dysfunction. Although infection rates are reported to be less than 2%, it remains essential to implement strategies to reduce infection risk and improve surgical outcomes. Methods: This review explores current evidence on the prevention of infections in ACLR, emphasizing the importance of timely antibiotic prophylaxis and vancomycin presoaking of grafts, which has been associated with a substantial reduction in infection rates. Results: Empirical antibiotic therapy should be started immediately after joint aspiration when infection is suspected. Treatment must prioritize culture-specific antibiotic regimens to optimize patient outcomes. Surgical intervention with arthroscopic debridement and irrigation needs to occur as soon as the diagnosis of infection is made. Often, this is performed with a focus on retaining the graft in order to preserve knee stability, if possible. Careful intraoperative management, along with the aid of infectious disease specialists, is paramount to help optimize outcomes following infection after ACLR. Conclusions: This review emphasizes the need for treatment protocols and highlights areas for future research to establish clear guidelines on infection after ACLR, especially with decisions of graft retention versus removal. Full article

This study was conducted to evaluate the laboratory tolerance of the durum wheat cultivar (Douma 3) when treated with two levels of ascorbic acid (5 ppm and 10 ppm, in addition to a control treatment soaked in water) under two levels of salt stress (50 mM and 100 mM NaCl, in addition to a control). The experiment took place at the Field Crops Department labs, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, University of Damascus, during the 2022–2023 agricultural season. The aim was to study the effect of ascorbic acid on seed reserve utilization efficiency, peroxidase enzyme activity, and its role in salt stress tolerance. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) using factorial ANOVA with two replicates. The results showed significant differences between the treatments, with the priming of seeds soaked in a 5 ppm ascorbic acid solution (A1) significantly outperforming in terms of seedling dry weight (22.67 mg/seedling), remaining seed dry weight (7.5 mg/seed), seed reserve utilization efficiency (0.47 mg/mg), and salt tolerance index (89.80%). Simple correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between seedling dry weight (SDW), seed reserve utilization efficiency (SRUE) (0.881), and salt tolerance index (STI) (0.746 *). However, a negative and non-significant relationship was observed between the remaining seed dry weight (RSDW) and other traits. Moreover, SRUE had a significant positive correlation with STI (0.814). Both total soluble protein concentrations and peroxidase enzyme activity increased under salt stress conditions following pre-treatment with ascorbic acid compared to the control. The highest protein concentration and peroxidase enzyme activity were observed with the 5 ppm ascorbic acid treatment (A1). Full article

Non-sintered lightweight aggregate (NSLA) produced by pelletizing and autoclaved curing has received widespread attention due to its environmental protection. However, the effect law of its characteristics, such as particle gradation and water absorption, on the performance of concrete still lacks clear understanding. In this study, seven different gradation types of concrete were designed to investigate the influence of the particle gradation (particularly particle size) of NSLA on the mechanical properties, especially the axial compressive performance, of alkali-activated slag non-sintered lightweight aggregate concrete (AN-LAC). Meanwhile, the different pre-treatment methods for NSLA were also studied to reduce the drying shrinkage of AN-LAC caused by the high water absorption of NSLA. The results showed that the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength of AN-LAC at 3 d, 7 d, and 28 d showed an increasing trend when the average particle size decreased. The compressive strength of AN-LAC containing 3~5 and 6~10 mm NSLA at 28 days reached the maximum value of 56.7 MPa. AN-LAC containing NSLA with a small particle size exhibited improved elastic modulus. And the modified elastic modulus prediction model of AN-LAC was established considering the effect of particle size of NSLA. The NSLA, which was modified by using a silicone hydrophobic agent and pre-wetted by soaking in water, respectively, could enhance the strength of AN-LAC at 28 days. Combined with the analysis of the microscopic morphology of the ITZ, the shrinkage rate of the concrete with pre-wetted NSLA and modified NSLA at 90 days decreased by 17.7% and 10.3%, respectively. Full article

This study investigated the influence of soaking and spraying with a sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) solution on selenium accumulation, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content, phenolic compositions, and the antioxidant activity of foxtail millet sprouts. The screening results showed that foxtail millet seeds soaked with 60 mg/L of Na₂SeO₃ solution and sprayed with 2 mg/L of Na₂SeO₃ solution were the appropriate concentrations for the germination process. Compared with the spraying method, a presoaking treatment presented far higher selenium content and significantly higher (p < 0.05) selenium enrichment rates in foxtail millet sprouts. The content of free and bound phenolics, as well as GABA, were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in foxtail millet sprouts through both soaking and spraying treatments. Correspondingly, most of the individual phenolic compounds were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, especially after germination for 3 days. Trans-ferulic acid and trans-p-coumaric acid were the predominate bound phenolic acids, feruloylquinic acid and 4-p-coumaroylquinic acid were the major free-form phenolic compounds, and N-feruloyl serotonin and N-(p-coumaroyl) serotonin were the new arising phenolic derivatives caused by germination. Both the soaking and spraying treatments induced the enrichment of these individual phenolic compositions, thus increasing the total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant activity of foxtail millet sprouts. It was indicated that selenium-enriched germination treatment should be an effective method to produce functional selenium-enriched foxtail millet sprouts with more abundant GABA and polyphenols, thus enhancing the health benefits and added value of foxtail millet. Full article

Sustainable development is one of the main directions of modern agriculture. First of all, sustainability in the agricultural sector can be achieved through the possible abandonment of traditional mineral fertilizers. Many decades of using these fertilizers have led to the degradation of arable soils and to soil and environmental pollution. As a result, this causes reductions in yields and the environmental quality of agricultural products and affects the health of the population. An alternative to traditional mineral fertilizers may be the use of innovative organomineral fertilizers obtained from local resources. These include manure, humus, compost, sediments, etc. In recent years, fertilizers obtained from the sapropels of the bottom sediments of lakes have become widespread. Their distinctive feature is the environmental friendliness and completeness of the content of chemical elements and substances necessary for the development and growth of plants. In addition, the methods of obtaining and applying these fertilizers allow us to talk about their effectiveness in use. The range of applications of these fertilizers is diverse, from use in the form of a dry extract applied directly to the soil to the use of liquid suspensions used at various stages of processing and from pre-sowing seed treatment to watering and spraying plants at different periods of vegetation. Moreover, an important aspect is the research work on the variational use of sapropel fertilizers on different crops, with different methods of production and concentrations and at different stages of processing. This publication contains the results of a study of the effect of the obtained innovative sapropel fertilizer on productivity, wheat grain quality, and economic efficiency (Triticum aestivum L.). To identify the optimal concentration of sapropel extract, laboratory studies were carried out to determine the germination energy and germination of wheat seeds of different varieties when they were soaked in various concentrations: 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 g/L. The best indicators of germination energy and germination of wheat seeds during treatment with the extract were obtained at a concentration of 1.2 g/L. The research was conducted at an accredited variety testing laboratory. A field experiment was conducted in the fields of the agrobiological station of North Kazakhstan University named after Manash Kozybayev. The treatment of the seeds was carried out by soaking them in sapropel extract to evenly distribute the substance. The scheme of the field experiment included the option of using foliar treatment with a solution of sapropel extract at the tillering stage. As a result of the application of the obtained extract in the field, environmental and socio-economic efficiency was noted. The conducted field studies note its positive effect and effectiveness on the morphological, qualitative, and quantitative indicators of the wheat harvest. In the areas where wheat seeds were pretreated, as well as where foliar treatment with the resulting sapropel suspension was carried out, the best yield indicators were revealed. In these variants of the experiment with pre-sowing and pre-sowing and foliar treatment with the sapropel extract solution, the yield was 3.63 and 3.81 tons per hectare, respectively. The introduction of sapropel extract at the stage of seed treatment before sowing, as well as foliar processing of wheat at the tillering stage, will increase the efficiency and profitability of the agricultural industry and obtain a synergistic effect in the form of socio-economic efficiency and environmental safety of production. In our opinion, this will contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture and the production of environmental products. Full article