Assessment of Water Quality Status for the Selangor River in Malaysia

Water quality degradation in the Selangor River will still be present in the years to come since pollutant loads from poultry farms, municipal wastewaters, and industrial wastewaters are not envisaged to be handled effectively. This will be facing the problems of water quality status to use for multiple purposes and to provide its aquatic environment continuously. The water quality evaluation system is used to assess the water quality condition in the river. This system distinguishes two categories of water condition i.e., the water quality index and water quality aptitude. The assessment of water quality for the Selangor River from nine stations along the main stream, which concludes that water has been highly polluted (index 5) immediately downstream of station 02 Selangor River before confluence with Kubu River due to high concentration of microorganisms and immediately downstream of station 06 Selangor River before confluence with Batang Kali River due to high concentrations of microorganisms and suspended particles, was verified. Mineral micropollutants were found to gradually pollute the stream water, ranging from the unpolluted water (index 1) in the upstream to the bad quality (index 4) in the downstream area.     

Tan-Spot Resistance Screening of Aegilops Species

Two hundred and twelve accessions of 8 diploid and 10 polyploid species of Aegilops were evaluated for resistance to tan-spot disease of wheat, caused by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs., under greenhouse conditions. One or more accessions of Ae. bicornis, Ae. biuncialis, Ae. Crassa, Ae. columnaris, Ae. cylindrica, Ae. speltoides, Ae. squarrosa. Ae. triaristata. Ae. triuncialis, and Ae. Ovata showed resistance following a 24-hour post-inoculation wet period. With a 36-hour wet period, diploids became only slightly or moderately susceptible and resistant polyploids became susceptible. A 48-hour wet period resulted in still greater susceptibility of both diploid and polyploid species.     

Structure-physicochemical function relationships of soybean beta-conglycinin heterotrimers

We purified four single molecular species of beta-conglycinin heterotrimers consisting of the alpha and beta subunits or the alpha' and beta subunits from mutant soybean cultivars lacking the alpha or alpha' subunit, respectively, and examined their structural features and physicochemical functions. The extent of the hydrophobicities of the heterotrimers was related to the number of the alpha or alpha' subunit. The thermal stabilities of the heterotrimers were mainly conferred by the subunit which had lower thermal stability. Solubilities at low ionic strength (mu = 0.08) of the heterotrimers containing the alpha or alpha' subunit were very similar to those of the alpha and alpha' homotrimers, respectively. Emulsifying abilities and heat-induced associations of the heterotrimers containing one beta subunit were similar to those of the alpha or alpha' homotrimer, whereas those of the heterotrimers containing two beta subunits were similar to those of the beta homotrimer.     

Optimizing phosphorus fertilization in an intensive vegetable-rice cropping system

A study was conducted in a sweet pepper-maize-rice cropping system in six farmers fields in Batac, Ilocos Norte, the Philippines, to determine the optimum P fertilizer rate for sweet pepper that will benefit the succeeding crops, maximize system-level productivity and profitability, and reduce the excessive accumulation of P in the soil. Single super phosphate was applied to sweet pepper at rates of 0, 28, 56, 84, 112, and 140 kg P ha^–1 and the succeeding crops were grown without P fertilization. Maize residue was incorporated into the soil at puddling of soil for rice. Phosphorus fertilization at 56 kg P ha^–1 and above had a residual effect on maize and rice. A reduction in the P applied to sweet pepper from 140 to 84 kg P ha^–1 reduced extractable P in the soil at rice harvest from 52 to 29 kg P ha^–1. Phosphorus applied at 111 kg P ha^–1 to sweet pepper was optimum for maximum productivity and economic returns of the sweet pepper-maize-rice cropping system. This rate of P also significantly reduced P accumulation in the soil, thereby reducing the chances of negative effects on soil nutrient balance/availability. The results suggested the need for a cropping systems approach to conserve and effectively use native and fertilizer P in the sweet pepper-rice cropping system.     

Underexpression of beta cell high Km glucose transporters in noninsulin-dependent diabetes

The role of defective glucose transport in the pathogenesis of noninsulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) was examined in Zucker diabetic fatty rats, a model of NIDDM. As in human NIDDM, insulin secretion was unresponsive to 20 mM glucose. Uptake of 3-O-methylglucose by islet cells was less than 19% of controls. The beta cell glucose transporter (GLUT-2) immunoreactivity and amount of GLUT-2 messenger RNA were profoundly reduced. Whenever fewer than 60% of beta cells were GLUT-2-positive, the response to glucose was absent and hyperglycemia exceeded 11 mM plasma glucose. We conclude that in NIDDM underexpression of GLUT-2 messenger RNA lowers high Km glucose transport in beta cells, and thereby impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and prevents correction of hyperglycemia.     

Optimization of Compatible Mixed Cultures for Liquid State Bioconversion of Municipal Wastewater Sludge

The filamentous fungal strains such as Penicillium corylophilum (P), Aspergillus niger (A), Trichoderma harzianum (T) and Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PC) isolated from its relevant sources (wastewater, sewage sludge and sludge cake) were selected for compatible/incompatible mixed cultures. Six combinations of P. corylophilum and A. niger (P/A); P. corylophilum and P. chrysosporium (P/PC); P. corylophilum and T. harzianum (P/T); A. niger and T. harzianum (A/T); A. niger and P. chrysosporium (A/PC); T. harzianum and P. chrysosporium (T/PC) were used to evaluate their potential performance as compatible/incompatible mixed culture for the treatment of municipal wastewater sludge in a bioconversion process. The results of the present study showed that the combinations of P/A, P/PC and A/PC showed compatible growth and the rest of the combinations (P/T, A/T and T/PC) were incompatible cultures. A maximum production of dry biomass and dry filter cake were recorded in the compatible mixed culture of P. corylophilum and A. niger (P/A). A maximum reduction of COD (90%) and a decreased filtration time of treated sludge was observed in the case of P/A microbial mixed culture. The pH value was also affected by the fungal cultures. Effective results were observed by using microbial mixed culture after four days of treatment compared to other treatments (2 and 6 days).