Precipitation Amount and Intensity Trends Across Southwest Saudi Arabia

This study examines precipitation accumulation and intensity trends across a region in southwest Saudi Arabia characterized by distinct seasonal weather patterns and mountainous terrain. The region is an example of an arid/semiarid area faced with maintaining sustainable water resources with a growing population. Annual and seasonal trends in precipitation amount were examined from 29 rain gages divided among four geographically unique regions from 1945/1946 to 2009. Two of the regions displayed significantly declining annual trends over the time series using a Mann‐Kendall test modified for autocorrelation (α < 0.05). Seasonal analysis revealed insignificant declining trends in at least two of the regions during each season. The largest and most consistent declining trends occurred during wintertime where all regions experienced negative trends. Several intensity metrics were examined in the study area from four additional stations containing daily data from 1985 to 2011. Intensity metrics included total precipitation, wet day count, simple intensity index, maximum daily annual rainfall, and upper/lower precipitation distribution changes. In general, no coherent trends were found among the daily stations suggesting precipitation is intensifying across the study area. The work represents the first of its size in the study area, and one of few in the region due to the lack of available long‐term data needed to properly examine precipitation changes.     

α-Amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitor effects and pancreatic response to diabetes mellitus on Wistar rats of Ephedra alata areal part decoction with immunohistochemical analyses

Ephedra alata, known as a medicinal plant in China, was used in this study as aqueous extract from aerial parts, for diabetes mellitus treatment. This study was carried out on two parts, in vitro, we tested the effect of the studied extract on the inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities, and in vivo on Wistar male rats receiving alloxan intraperitoneally at a rate of 125 mg/kg. Extract (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg of body weight) was administrated for 28 days by oral gavage. Blood glucose, amylase, lipase, and lipid profile level were determined. Oxidative stress was evaluated by enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and by estimation of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl (PC) level. Histopathological changes in pancreas were investigated under photonic microscopy using immunohistochemical procedure. Our findings showed that aqueous extract inhibited in vitro both α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities and its use in vivo at 300 mg/kg of body weight restored pancreas weight and weight gain, ameliorated significantly (p ? 0.05) biochemical parameters; it prevented the increase in lipid and protein oxidation and the decrease in enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense system. Histological study of treated animals showed a comparable healed regeneration of beta cells.

     

Potential of windrow food and green waste composting in Tunisia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Solid waste management and disposal is one of the most significant challenges facing urban communities around the world. There is a wide range of...     

Influence of sewage sludge,as a substrate,in the plasticity of functional characteristics of plants

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of sewage sludge application as fertilizer on the plasticity of functional characteristics of species commonly found in the Caatinga. The research was developed in the nursery of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará (IFCE), Quixadá campus, located in northeastern Brazil. Three treatments were applied: raw sludge, sanitized sludge, and no manipulation. In each treatment, five species were planted, each with five individuals, totaling 75 individuals, which were tagged, and 4 months after germination, they were destroyed to obtain dry matter content (TMSF) from leaf, stem (TMSC), fine root (TMSRF), and thick root (TMSRG); leaf area; height and diameter of the seedling; and length above and below the ground. The sanitized sludge was responsible for giving higher values for leaf area, height of the seedlings, and diameter and length of stem and root. However, the dry matter content of the fine roots was higher in the treatment without manipulation. At the community level, as TMSRG increased, TMSC also increased, the same occurred between TMSRG and TMSRF, TMSC and TMSRF, and stem length and leaf area. In the treatment without manipulation, there was a positive correlation between leaf area, height and plant diameter, and negative correlation between root length and plant diameter. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of sanitized sludge is a good tool to increase the availability of soil resources, conferring to individuals’ greater dry matter content, greater leaf area, and higher height and diameter above the ground.     

Global population divergence of the sea star Hippasteria phrygiana corresponds to the onset of the last glacial period of the Pleistocene

Genetic structure and connectivity of populations of the globally distributed and eurybathic sea star Hippasteria phrygiana (Parelius 1768) were studied in 165 individuals sampled from three oceanic regions: the North Pacific Ocean, the South Pacific Ocean (considered to include the adjacent regions of the Southern Ocean and the southern Indian Ocean) and the North Atlantic Ocean. A nuclear gene region (ATP synthase subunit α intron #5, ATPSα) and a mitochondrial gene region (cytochrome oxidase subunit I, COI) were amplified and sequenced. Significant heterogeneity was detected in an AMOVA analysis among the three sampled oceanic regions for COI, but not for ATPSα. Neither gene showed significant genetic heterogeneity within the North Atlantic, as assessed by ΦST values. Significant heterogeneity was detected for COI (but not ATPSα) in the North Pacific, but the converse was true in the South Pacific. Coalescent simulations suggested that the three regions have been diverging with little or no gene flow for the past 50–75,000 years, a time frame that corresponds to the onset of the last glacial period of the Pleistocene. A possible genetic signature of recent population expansion (or non-neutrality) was detected for each gene in the North Pacific, but not in the other two oceanic regions.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of the textile dye basic red 18 with irradiated titanium dioxide

One of the major problems of textile wastewater is the presence of dye materials, because colour is visible to the public even if the dye concentration is lower than other pollutants, and needs therefore to be removed from the wastewater before it is discharged. Techniques based on “advanced oxidative processes” such as photocatalysed oxidation seem to be very promising for industrial wastewater treatment, especially for decolourization of textile effluents. In this work, we describe the photocatalytic degradation of the textile dye Basic Red 18 (BR 18) in aqueous solution using two different types of TiO₂ as photocatalyst: Degussa P25 (80% anatase) and Framitalia (100% anatase). Photooxidation of BR 18 was followed by HPLC analysis, and kinetic parameters were evaluated in order to optimise the treatment procedure. The results obtained in this work showed that the colour became virtually zero and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) is strongly reduced at the end of the treatment. The obtained results are compared with the efficiency of decolourization using the H₂O₂/UV System. Finally, marine mussel test was used to evaluate the efficiency of photocatalytic oxidation with TiO₂ in terms of ecotoxicity. A significant reduction of cumulative mortality was observed for the treated effluent.     

Behavioral and histological characterization of the effects of cigarette smoke inhalation and withdrawal in rats

Abstract

The aims of the study are to assess some effects of smoking for 3?months and of withdrawal of male weaned rats on anxiety, locomotor activity, and depression using common behavioral tests such as the marble burying, open field, and forced swim tests. Somatic signs of abstinence and histological effects were also studied. The rats present changes of the aforementioned behaviors as well as histological alterations of the lungs.     

Organochlorine insecticide residues in Egyptian mothers’ milk

Two hundred ninety‐two mother's milk samples were collected during 1994 from ten Egyptian governorates representing rural, metropolitan, and newly reclaimed desert areas. The samples were analyzed for 14 organochlorine insecticides and metabolites using electron capture gas chromatography and confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The overall samples average showed that the most abundant organochlorine insecticide residues were p,p'‐DDE, α‐endosulfan, β‐HCH and, p,p’‐DDT. Residues in the range of not detectable to less than 14μg/l whole milk were recorded for α‐HCH, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin endrin aldehyde and p,p'‐DDD. The percentage of samples exceeding the acceptable daily intake for children (ADIs) set by the FAO/WHO ranged from 19% to 44% in all governorates included in the study except the governorate of Minia in which only 2.6% of the samples exceeded the ADI values. The insecticides exceeding ADI values are mostly heptachlor and heptaclor epoxide (ADI = 3.12 μg/1 whole milk).     

Clean electrochemical deposition of calcium carbonate to prevent scale formation in cooling water systems

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) deposited in water systems leads to scale formation, decreases flow rate, reduces heat transfer and favors microbial proliferation of toxic bacteria such as Legionella. This issue may be solved by electrochemical deposition, without adding toxic chemicals. Therefore, we studied here the deposition of CaCO₃ by electrochemical reduction of oxygen into hydroxide ions with stainless steel and titanium (Ti) working electrodes. Analysis was done using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, dynamic impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) coupled with X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results show that optimal formation of CaCO₃ is done at ?1.2 V with the stainless steel electrode and at ?1.4 V for the Ti electrode. More negative potentials induce the formation of calcite. Using the Ti electrode, we found that aragonite is the major form (82 %), with only one capacitive loop. Using the stainless steel electrode at 1.2 V, we found 47 % of aragonite and 38 % of calcite. Overall, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of the electrochemical deposition of CaCO₃ in cooling water systems, without the addition of any chemical.