Low nitrogen supply decreases water‐use efficiency of oriental tobacco

Most studies indicating positive effects of nitrogen (N) supply on biomass water‐use efficiency (WUE) used two contrasting levels of N supply and monitored some of the relevant traits being associated with WUE. In order to investigate N effects on WUE over a wider range of N‐supply levels, oriental tobacco was cultivated in pots under six (Exp. 1) and four (Exp. 2) N levels until flowering stage. Water‐use efficiency, intrinsic water‐use efficiency (A/g), carbon isotope discrimination (CID), average daily canopy transpiration rate (E_C; from 12 to 7 d before harvest), and biomass‐partitioning parameters were determined. Water‐use efficiency increased from the lowest to the highest N level and was positively correlated with biomass. Intrinsic water‐use efficiency was positively correlated with leaf N and chlorophyll concentration. Whole‐plant CID was significantly less negative under high compared to low N supply. Biomass‐partitioning parameters were only slightly affected by N supply except for leaf‐area ratio, which significantly increased with N supply. The low planting density of Exp. 2 resulted in an increase of WUE and substantially less negative whole‐plant CID compared to Exp. 1. In both experiments, E_C was lower under high compared to low N supply and was negatively correlated with WUE. It is concluded that plants under high N supply realized a higher WUE via increases of A/g and a reduction of E_C.     

Dantrolene may prevent organophosphate-induced oxidative stress and muscle injury

The effects of dantrolene against fenthion-induced oxidative stress and muscle injury were investigated in rats. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) ascorbic acid, retinol and β-carotene levels in blood were measured. Histopathological alterations and apoptosis in diaphragm were examined. Fenthion increased the level of MDA and decreased the levels of GSH in blood. Dantrolene administration prevented the rise in MDA levels and increased the GSH levels. There was no significant difference between β-carotene levels of experimental groups. However, fenthion toxicity led to decrease in ascorbic acid and retinol levels, dantrolene administration significantly prevented this decrease. Dantrolene significantly decreased the inflammation, edema and muscle necrosis or apoptosis in diaphragm muscle. Results of present study showed that toxicity of organophosphate compound fenthion increases the lipid peroxidation and depresses endogenous antioxidative systems, and leads to muscle injury in organism. Again, dantrolene administration prevents lipid peroxidation, augments antioxidant activity, and decreases muscle injury and apoptosis.     

Vegetative compatibility groups ofVerticillium dahliae from cotton in the southeastern anatolia region of Turkey

Eighty isolates ofVerticillium dahliae from the southeastern Anatolia region and 20 isolates from the east Mediterranean region from wilted cotton plants were used for vegetative compatibility analysis employing nitrate non-utilizing mutants and reference tester strains of vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) 1A, 2A, 2B, 3, 4A and 4B. Of the 100V. dahliae isolates, 49 were assigned to VCG1A, 39 to VCG2B, nine to VCG2A and three to VCG4B. Pathogenicity assays were conducted on susceptible cotton cv. Çukurova 1518 in the greenhouse. All VCG1A isolates induced defoliation and all VCG2B isolates caused partial defoliation symptoms. Isolates of VCG2A and VCG4B caused typical symptoms of leaf chlorosis without defoliation. This is the first report on VCGs ofV. dahliae in the southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey, which demonstrates that VCG1A of the cotton-defoliating type and VCG2B of the partially defoliating type are prevalent in this region.     

Antioxidant activity of Erica arborea

The antioxidant properties of the methanol extract of leaves and flowers of Erica arborea and the ethyl acetate, butanol and water soluble fractions were investigated. The ethyl acetate extract was found to be the richest for phenolic and flavonoid content which showed the highest antioxidant activity.     

Effect of the atmospheric plasma treatment parameters on surface and mechanical properties of jute fabric

Plasma treatment is a kind of environmentally friendly surface modification technology, which has been widely used to modify various materials in many industries. Plasma treatment improves the fiber-matrix adhesion largely by roughening the surface of fibers to increase mechanical interlocking between the fiber and the matrix. For this aim, the effect of atmospheric air plasma treatment on jute fabrics has been discussed in this study. The plasma treatment has been employed at different powers and time intervals. The effects of plasma treatment on fiber properties were revealed by wickability, surface roughness, fiber tensile test and pull-out tests. The effect of plasma treatment on functional groups of jute fibers was observed by attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed the etching effect of plasma treatment on the surface. It can be concluded that plasma treatment is an effective method to improve the surface and mechanical properties of jute fabrics to be used for composite materials.     

Changes of Non-Specific Immune Parameters in Rainbow Trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss,After Exposure to Antimicrobial Agents Used in Aquaculture

Changes of plasma lysozyme and serum bactericidal activity, ceruloplasmin, total plasma protein, serum glucose, hematocrit and leucocrit levels in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were studied after exposure to formalin and chloramine-T, which are used in aquaculture as anti-ectoparasitic and antibacterial agents. Fish were exposed to formalin at a concentration of 250 ppm for 60 min and exposed to chloramine-T for 5 ppm for 3 h. The parameters were analyzed for rainbow trout exposed to formalin and chloramine-T soon after treatments and rainbow trout exposed to freshwater after 24 h (return) following the treatments. Plasma lysozyme activity decreased after exposure to formalin; however, it was not affected by chloramine-T exposure. Serum bactericidal activity reduced after both formalin and chloramine-T exposure and did not change after returning to freshwater. Ceruloplasmin and total plasma protein were not affected by both treatments. Serum glucose levels of exposed fish elevated and remained at higher levels during recovery period when compared to control values. Hematocrit values of fish exposed to formalin increased; however, no significant change was observed in fish exposed to chloramine-T. Leucocrit levels of fish treated with both formalin and chloramine-T were higher than that of controls.     

The effect of dietary n‐3 series fatty acids on the number of pleopadal egg and stage 1 juvenile in freshwater crayfish,Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz

The effect of dietary n‐3 series fatty acids on the number of pleopadal egg and stage 1 juvenile in freshwater crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus was investigated. Crayfish were fed with n‐3 series fatty acids supplemented diets and a control diet for 251 days. Control diet did not comprise additional n‐3 series fatty acids. However, D2, D3 and D4 groups were supplemented with n‐3 series fatty acids at 1%, 2% and 3% level respectively. Results showed the beneficial effects of dietary n‐3 series fatty acids on the production of pleopodal egg and stage 1 juvenile number. At the end of the experiment, pleopodal egg (from 177 to 234) and stage 1 juvenile number (from 167 to 225) increased significantly with increased dietary n‐3 series fatty acid level. In addition, an increase in dietary n‐3 series fatty acids led to an increase in number of pleopodal egg and stage 1 juvenile produced per gram of female crayfish weight. It can be concluded that the reproductive efficiency of A. leptodactylus (i.e., pleopodal egg and stage 1 juvenile number) can be improved in controlled hatchery conditions by adding n‐3 series fatty acid into the diet of this species.     

Mechanical anisotropy in unidirectional glass fabric reinforced oligomeric siloxane modified polyester composites

In this study, the effect of incorporation of oligomeric siloxane into unsaturated polyester on mechanical behavior of unidirectional glass fiber/polyester composites has been investigated by means of tensile, flexural and short beam shear tests. The amount of oligomeric siloxane added into unsaturated polyester was in the range 1?C3 % by weight of the glass fabrics. Mechanical tests were conducted at different angles (0 °, 45 °, and 90 °) with respect to fiber direction. The higher siloxane content exhibited a tendency to have greater tensile, flexural and interlaminar shear strength values in machine direction, bias direction and cross direction. From Scanning electron microscopy images, the presence of polyester particles on the unidirectional glass fiber surface confirmed better adhesion.     

Improving the dyeability of poly(lactic acid) fiber using N-Phenylaminopropyl POSS nanoparticle during melt spinning

The dyeability of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fiber strongly depends on disperse dye structure due to the low dyeing temperature and the short dyeing time. Thus, the dye uptake value of PLA fiber is low for some disperse dyes and is needed to be improved. In the current study, the dyeability of PLA fiber is improved with the addition of N-Phenylaminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (AP-POSS) during melt spinning process. The effects of dyeing conditions including dyeing temperature and time, disperse dye type and AP-POSS concentrations are investigated on the dyeability properties of PLA fiber samples. The tensile, thermal and morphological properties of fiber samples are also characterized by tensile testing, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As the added amount of AP-POSS increases, the percent crystallinity increases and the tensile strength reduces. According to the dyeing results, AP-POSS is very effective for increasing the dyeability of PLA fiber especially for disperse dyes with low dye uptake values.