Use of X-Ray Mutagenesis to Increase Genetic Diversity of Zantedeschia aethiopica for Early Flowering, Improved Tolerance to Bacterial Soft Rot and Higher Yield

The development of new cultivars is important for the profitability of the floriculture industry. There are a limited number of cultivars of Zantedeschia aethiopica, an iconic ornamental cut flower, garden plant, and potted plant, due to the incompatibility of interspecific crossings within the genus. Most present-day varieties are the result of spontaneous mutations or classical breeding within the species, followed by a long selection process. Breeders are very interested in the development of a time- and cost-effective method for producing new Z. aethiopica cultivars with novel characteristics. Here, Z. aethiopica mutants were generated by treating seeds with 100 Gy of X-ray radiation. The resulting putative mutants were selected based on particular flowering parameters and compared to non-irradiated, control plants. Over two growing seasons, characteristics such as early flowering, flower size and shape, yield and response to soft-rot disease were monitored and considerable variation was observed among the mutated lines. Out of 319 mutants, 20 lines were selected based on their phenotypes and then propagated and further analyzed. Within this group, only two phenotypes displayed at least five improved flowering properties under natural, Mediterranean conditions. The rest displayed two to four desired combinations of flowering traits, some with great commercial potential.

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Use of X-ray Mutagenesis to Increase Genetic Diversity of Zantedeschia aethiopica for Early Flowering, Improved Tolerance to Bacterial Soft Rot, and Higher Yield

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11122537 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2537

Author(s):

Noam Reznik ◽

Bijaya Sharma Subedi ◽

Shoshana Weizman ◽

Gavriel Friesem ◽

Nir Carmi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Selection Process ◽

Soft Rot ◽

Early Flowering ◽

Cut Flower ◽

X Ray ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Zantedeschia Aethiopica ◽

Rot Disease ◽

Garden Plant ◽

Mediterranean Conditions

The development of new cultivars is important for the profitability of the floriculture industry. There is a limited number of cultivars of Zantedeschia aethiopica, an iconic ornamental cut flower, garden plant, and potted plant, because of the incompatibility of interspecific crossings within the genus. Most present-day varieties are the result of spontaneous mutations or classical breeding within the species, followed by a long selection process. Here, Z. aethiopica mutants were generated by treating seeds with 100 Gy of X-ray radiation. The resulting putative mutants were selected based on particular flowering parameters and compared to nonirradiated, control plants. Over two growing seasons, characteristics such as early flowering, flower size and shape, yield, and response to soft-rot disease were monitored, and considerable variation was observed among the mutated lines. Out of 319 mutants, 20 lines were selected based on their phenotypes and then propagated and further analyzed. Within this group, only two phenotypes displayed at least five improved flowering properties under natural Mediterranean conditions. The rest displayed two to four desired combinations of flowering traits, some with great commercial potential.

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Genome-wide screen of Saccharomyces cerevisiae null allele strains identifies genes involved in selenomethionine resistance

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.0805642105 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 105 (46) ◽

pp. 17682-17687 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jessica Bockhorn ◽

Bharvi Balar ◽

Dongming He ◽

Eden Seitomer ◽

Paul R. Copeland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽

Null Allele ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Anomalous Dispersion ◽

Gene Encoding ◽

X Ray ◽

X Ray Crystallography ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Strain Collection

Selenomethionine (SeMet) is a potentially toxic amino acid, and yet it is a valuable tool in the preparation of labeled proteins for multiwavelength anomalous dispersion or single-wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing in X-ray crystallography. The mechanism by which high levels of SeMet exhibits its toxic effects in eukaryotic cells is not fully understood. Attempts to use Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the preparation of fully substituted SeMet proteins for X-ray crystallography have been limited. A screen of the viable S. cerevisiae haploid null allele strain collection for resistance to SeMet was performed. Deletion of the CYS3 gene encoding cystathionine gamma-lyase resulted in the highest resistance to SeMet. In addition, deletion of SSN2 resulted in both increased resistance to SeMet as well as reduced levels of Cys3p. A methionine auxotrophic strain lacking CYS3 was able to grow in media with SeMet as the only source of Met, achieving essentially 100% occupancy in total proteins. The CYS3 deletion strain provides advantages for an easy and cost-effective method to prepare SeMet-substituted protein in yeast and perhaps other eukaryotic systems.

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Shading of the fruit zone to reduce grape yield and quality losses caused by sunburn

OENO One ◽

10.20870/oeno-one.2014.48.3.1579 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 48 (3) ◽

pp. 179 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Manuel Oliveira ◽

José Teles ◽

Pedro Barbosa ◽

Francisco Olazabal ◽

Jorge Queiroz

Keyword(s):

Water Availability ◽

Yield Components ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Yield Losses ◽

Partial Shading ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Yield And Quality ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Grape Yield

Aim: To test the hypothesis that shading of the fruiting zone of the plants might reduce yield losses caused by excessive exposure to sun while avoiding the most damaging effects associated with reduced radiation.Methods and results: A number of grapevine rows were shaded with a double layered white plastic netting on their south-facing side, from the ground to about 20 cm above the cluster zone. Data on meteorological conditions, plant growth, plant water availability, yield components and must characteristics were recorded during three growing seasons. Shading significantly increased yield but did not alter significantly the must characteristics.Conclusion: Partial shading of the grapevine canopy reduced yield losses attributable to excessive radiation. The must obtained from shaded berries had a lower concentration of anthocyanins, and the wines made from these musts had a lighter colour which may be detrimental to their quality.Significance and impact of the study: The study highlights the effects of solar radiation on the composition of grape musts and suggests a potentially cost-effective method to control excessive radiation in vineyards.

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Mechanical and bioactivity assessment of wollastonite/PVA composite synthesized from bentonite clay

Cerâmica ◽

10.1590/0366-69132019653742584 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (374) ◽

pp. 246-251

Author(s):

L. A. Adams ◽

E. R. Essien ◽

E. E. Kaufmann

Keyword(s):

Compressive Strength ◽

Bone Regeneration ◽

Biomedical Applications ◽

Bentonite Clay ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Biological Properties ◽

X Ray ◽

Silica Source ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Matrix Configuration

Abstract Glass/polymer composites can mimic the natural structure of bone by possessing a fiber-matrix configuration which provides appropriate physical and biological properties. Wollastonite ceramics are known for their promising bioactivity and biocompatibility when applied in bone regeneration. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has various attractive properties including biocompatibility and degradability which may be exploited as a polymer matrix in composites for biomedical applications. Therefore, a cost-effective method of preparing wollastonite/PVA composites is desirable by starting from bentonite clay as a silica source for the glass, instead of traditional alkoxysilanes. The composite prepared was characterized by mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to evaluate its compressive strength, morphology, phase composition and bioactivity, respectively. Results obtained revealed for the composite a compressive strength of 0.3 MPa, the ability to induce apatite on its surface when immersed in a simulated body fluid for 7 days and desirable controlled degradation. Hence, this method can be up-scaled for preparation of wollastonite/PVA composite commercially for possible use in bone regeneration.

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A Simple, Efficient, and Eco-Friendly Method for the Preparation of 3-Substituted-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one Derivatives

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules24224052 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (22) ◽

pp. 4052 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zainab Almarhoon ◽

Kholood A. Dahlous ◽

Rakia Abd Alhameed ◽

Hazem A. Ghabbour ◽

Ayman El-Faham

Keyword(s):

Molecular Structure ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Environmentally Benign ◽

Conventional Heating ◽

Second Step ◽

The Novel ◽

Monoclinic Crystal ◽

X Ray ◽

X Ray Crystallography ◽

Cost Effective Method

A simple, cost-effective method under environmentally benign conditions is a very important concept for the preparation of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives. The present work describes an efficient and eco-friendly protocol for the synthesis of 2-amino-N-(2-substituted-ethyl)benzamide and 3-substituted-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives. The novel feature of this protocol is the use of 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) as an eco-friendly alternative solvent to tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the first step. In the second step, methanol in the presence of potassium carbonate as a catalyst was used under conventional heating or microwave irradiation, which provided an eco-friendly method to afford the target products in excellent yields and purities. NMR (1H and 13C), elemental analysis, and LC-MS confirmed the structures of all compounds. X-ray crystallography further confirmed the structure of the intermediate 2-amino-N-(2-substituted-ethyl)benzamide 3a. The molecular structure of 3a was monoclinic crystal, with P21/c, a = 13.6879 (11) Å, b = 10.2118 (9) Å, c = 9.7884 (9) Å, β = 105.068 (7)°, V = 1321.2 (2) Å3, and Z = 4.

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Identification and Pathogenicity of Phytopathogenic Bacteria Associated with Soft Rot Disease of Girasole Tuber

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb417269 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 75-81

Author(s):

Mamdoh Ewis ISMAIL ◽

Montaser Fawzy ABDEL-MONAIM ◽

Yasser Mahmoud MOSTAFA

Keyword(s):

Erwinia Carotovora ◽

Soft Rot ◽

Bacterial Isolates ◽

Potato Tubers ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Pathogenicity Tests ◽

Rot Disease ◽

Reducing Substances ◽

Specific Symptoms ◽

Deep Cavities

During 2010-2011 growing seasons six bacterial isolates were separated from naturally infected girasole plants tubers (Helianthus tuberosus L.) cv. ‘Balady’, showing soft rot, collected from experimental Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, in El-Minia University, Egypt. Pathogenicity tests showed various virulence for the bacteria isolated from girasole tubers, found pathogenic. These organisms were characterized as rod-shaped, Gram negative, α-methyl-d-glucoside medium, reducing substances from sucrose, phos, phatase activity and deep cavities on pectate medium. Otherwise, diagnostic tests suggested that the pathogen was Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora. The isolated bacteria caused soft rot of wounded tubers when inoculated into tissues. The bacterial isolates were compared for their degree of pathogenicity as well as for differences in specific symptoms, induced in different hosts. The tested isolates could infect several host ranges, such as fruits of apricot, apple, olive, lemon, squash, eggplant and potato tubers, bulbs and garlic and onion cloves, roots radish, carrot, sweet potato and rape. On the other hand, no symptoms were exhibited on pods of bean and cowpea, faba bean, fruits of pepper and tomato. The extracts of experimentally diseased girasole tubers were active in pectinase and also in caboxymethyl cellulose at pH 6 compared to enzyme activities in healthy tissues. Also, the isolated bacteria increased the total and reducing sugars in infected tissues.

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Copper β-trinitrocorrolates

Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines ◽

10.1142/s1088424613500120 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 17 (06n07) ◽

pp. 440-446 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Manuela Stefanelli ◽

Sara Nardis ◽

Frank R. Fronczek ◽

Kevin M. Smith ◽

Roberto Paolesse

Keyword(s):

Main Product ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Crystallographic Analysis ◽

Free Base ◽

Substitution Reactions ◽

Huge Number ◽

X Ray ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Fold Excess

The β-nitration reaction carried out on the corrole macrocycle has been shown to be extremely regioselective, although the reduced symmetry of the macrocycle could potentially lead to a huge number of possible regioisomers. We recently reported that the careful use of AgNO 2/ NaNO 2 as a nitrating system enabled the achievement in good yields of mono- and dinitro-derivatives on both corrole free base and its copper complex, proving to be an efficient and cost-effective method. In this work, we present a detailed study of the scope of this method using TtBuCorrH 3 as a model corrole. A further increase of the oxidant pushes the nitration up to the functionalization of three β-pyrrolic positions, although concomitant decomposition of the macrocycle is also observed. The application of the proven nitration method with a five-fold excess of both silver and sodium nitrites with respect to corrole, afforded the 2,3,17-( NO 2)3- TtBuPCorrCu as the main product, in 25% yield, together with traces of another compound identified by X-ray crystallographic analysis as the 3,8,17-( NO 2)3- TtBuPCorrCu isomer. In light of these recent results, we also reinvestigated the characterization of the nitration products obtained from bis-substitution reactions, allowing among others the identification of the copper 3,8-( NO 2)2 corrolate.

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Quantification of Kaolinite and Halloysite Using Machine Learning from FTIR, XRF, and Brightness Data

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min11121350 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 1350

Author(s):

Pieter I. Du Plessis ◽

Michael F. Gazley ◽

Stephanie L. Tay ◽

Eliza F. Trunfull ◽

Manuel Knorsch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cost Effective ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Yilgarn Craton ◽

Weathering Profile ◽

X Ray ◽

Clay Deposits ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Cost Effective Alternative ◽

Quantified Analysis

Quantification of halloysite and kaolinite in clay deposits from X-ray diffraction (XRD) commonly requires extensive sample preparation to differentiate the two phyllosilicates. When assessing hundreds of samples for mineral resource estimations, XRD analyses may become unfeasible due to time and expense. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis is a fast and cost-effective method to discriminate between kaolinite and halloysite; however, few efforts have been made to use this technique for quantified analysis of these minerals. In this study, we trained machine- and deep-learning models on XRD data to predict the abundance of kaolinite and halloysite from FTIR, chemical composition, and brightness data. The case study is from the Cloud Nine kaolinite–halloysite deposit, Noombenberry Project, Western Australia. The residual clay deposit is hosted in the saprolitic and transition zone of the weathering profile above the basement granite on the southwestern portion of the Archean Yilgarn Craton. Compared with XRD quantification, the predicted models have an R2 of 0.97 for kaolinite and 0.96 for halloysite, demonstrating an excellent fit. Based on these results, we demonstrate that our methodology provides a cost-effective alternative to XRD to quantify kaolinite and halloysite abundances.

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Natural Waste to Electricity: Engineering Pomegranate Peels and Ag-Doped ZnO for Photovoltaic Applications

10.21203/rs.3.rs-626898/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vincent Joseph Kanniyambatti Lourdusamy ◽

Mary Rosana Nalzala Thomas ◽

Vijai Anand Kabali ◽

Dhilip Kumar Rajaiah

Keyword(s):

Solar Cells ◽

Conversion Efficiency ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Cost Effective ◽

X Ray ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Photovoltaic Conversion ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Doped Zno ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract Utilization of natural waste for energy conversion offers the method for clean energy production with sustainable development. The pomegranate peels are the natural waste generated every day and we describe the conversion of this waste into electricity by a simple and cost-effective method. Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) offer simple and cost-effective method for the preparation of solar cells. The advantages include easy to fabrication, lower cost of the materials and electricity generation under low illumination indoor conditions. DSSCs involve two Transparent Conducting Oxide (TCO) photoelectrodes acting as photoanode and photocathode. In one photoelectrode, Semiconducting oxide (TiO2/ZnO) and dye (Natural/Organometallic) are coated that acts as photo-absorbing materials. The role of dyes and semiconducting material play an important role in determining the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of fabricated solar cells. In this work, hydrothermal method has been adopted for the preparation of pure and silver doped ZnO nanoparticles using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as capping agent via wet chemical route. The structural and optical properties of the prepared samples were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) and UV-Visible absorption spectra. A Natural dye from the peels of pomegranate was extracted and dye sensitized solar cells were fabricated with pure and Ag-doped nanoparticles. Both the materials showed the photovoltaic conversion capabilities and showed photoconversion efficiencies. The solar cell fabricated with Ag-doped ZnO semiconducting nanoparticle showed higher short circuit current density as compared to the pure ZnO-nanoparticle synthesized in this study. The photoconversion efficiency of the DSSC based on Ag-doped ZnO showed 30% more conversion efficiency than the cell without silver doping.

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Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Metanil Yellow Dyes Using Green Synthesized Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanocrystals

Crystals ◽

10.3390/cryst12010022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 22

Author(s):

S. Shwetha Priyadharshini ◽

Jayachamarajapura Pranesh Shubha ◽

Jaydev Shivalingappa ◽

Syed Farooq Adil ◽

Mufsir Kuniyil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Methylene Blue ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Sem Analysis ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

X Ray ◽

Zno Nanocrystals ◽

Cost Effective Method ◽

Photocatalytic Activities ◽

Ft Ir ◽

Metanil Yellow

In this work, ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) have been effectively synthesized by a simple, efficient and cost-effective method using coconut husk extract as a novel fuel. The synthesized NCs are characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, Raman and PL studies. The obtained ZnO were found to be UV-active with a bandgap of 2.93 eV. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the crystallinity of the ZnO with hexagonally structured ZnO with a crystallite size of 48 nm, while the SEM analysis reveals the hexagonal bipyramid morphology. Photocatalytic activities of the synthesized ZnO NCs are used to degrade methylene blue and metanil yellow dyes.

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