The Effect of Sanitizing Treatments on Respirator Filtration Performance

The potential for alcoholic vapors emitted by common sanitizing treatments to deteriorate the (electrostatic) filtration performance of disposable respirator masks has been investigated. Reports in the literature and some standard test methods provide a confusing and ambiguous picture concerning the relevance of this effect. Four different types of exposure were investigated in this study to clarify the effect of alcoholic vapor emissions on respirator masks. These included exposure to saturated vapors, use of hand sanitizers, cleaning of table surfaces and sanitization of masks by spraying them with alcohol-containing solutions. Methods employed were designed to be as real-world oriented as possible while remaining reproducible. Filtration performance and deterioration effects on exposure to the different treatments were determined on three different types of certified commercial respirator masks—a P2 and two KN95 masks. This study provides substantial evidence that disposable respirator masks with an accepted performance rating are seriously compromised from an exposure to saturated alcoholic vapors, can tolerate a one-off spray treatment with an alcoholic solution and retain their attested protection under the influence of alcoholic vapors from the use of hand sanitizer or spray sanitizer. Considering the range of vastly different outcomes obtained from the four treatments investigated, it seems prudent to assess in each case the specific effects of alcoholic solution treatments and vapors on respirator masks before use.

Effect of Plant Spacing and Spraying With Zinc in The Growth and Yield of The Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)

A field experiment was carried out during the 2020-2021 winter season, in Al-Alam district, east of Tikrit, to determine the effect of plant spacing and spraying with zinc in the growth and yield of the fennel. The experiment study of the effect of different distances are (10,15 and 20 cm) and three concentrations are (0,15 and 20 g/l). The experiment carried out within the system of testing the factorial experiment has been used according to random complete block design (R.C.B.D) with three blocks. Considered statistically analyzed the data according to the design of and experience and compared to averages of transactions based on test least significant difference (L.S.D) 5% Level of moral study results showed. The planting distance of 10 cm gave the highest rate of plant height reached 71.41 cm, and the planting distance of 20 cm showed a significant increase in the two characteristics of the number of flowers in the main flower and the number of flowering inflorescences in the plant with the increase in planting distance reached 197.75/flower and the highest rate of the number of flowering reached 16.89 inflorescences/flower. The result showed the spray treatment with a concentration of 15 g/liter was superior in the characteristic of the number of flowers in the main inflorescence and the number of flowering inflorescences in the plant, respectively.

Effect of Acid Whey, Enzymatic Whey, Magnetized and Unmagnetized Whey on the Qualitative and Productive Traits of Date Palm

This study was conducted in one of the private orchards in the district of Abu Al-Khaseeb, Basrah province during the growing seasons 2017 - 2018 in order to examine the effect of spraying acidic whey, enzymatic whey and magnetized and non-magnetized whey on date palm cultivars Phoenix dactylifera L. agricultural (yellow Shwithi and Al-Khdrawi). A Concentration of 100% of the whey was applied to the fruits. The results of the study showed the superiority of the yellow Shwithi and Al-Khdrawi regarding the Qualitative and Productive characteristics. There was a significant difference between the date palm cultivars regarding the length, diameter, the weight of fruit, dry matter, total and reduced sugars and fruit content of invertase enzyme were recorded 33.45 mm, 20.89 mm, 9.302 g, 37.685%, 50.28%, 36.09% and 2347 units/kg/ CO2. The spray treatment was characterized by enzymatic whey in most of the study treatments of fruit length, fruit weight, total sugars and invertase enzyme. It reached 34.55 mm, 9.883 g, 56.15% and 2005.3 units/kg/CO2. The results also showed the importance of bilateral interaction between the variety and spray treatment.

Effect of Fermentation Extracts against Bemisia tabaci on Chilli Pepper (Capsicum annuum)

This experiment was aimed to determine the effects of application of fermentation extracts on the development of pepper yellow leaf curl and whitefly on chilli. Experiment arranged in a completely randomized block design with four treatments (water as control, fermentations extracts named TSNGlu, BP4, and BP4Glu). The results showed symptoms in the form of curling of young leaves. The color of the leaves was relatively green. Yellow symptoms commonly found when severe were not found in the experiment. The symptoms of severe disease are marked in yellow at the top of the leaf and remain green at the bottom. The laboratory used 350 lux (underexposed light) so the symptoms become slight. ack of light intensity made plants etiolated and could not carry out photosynthesis properly. Each experiment consisted of 4 fermentation extract treatments. Each treatment. Overall, all treatments without fermentation and also AUDPC of the disease did not significantly affect the treatment of fermented extract both the incidence and severity of the low pepper yellow leaf curl virus. The treatment by spraying did not significantly affect the population of whitefly, except at 7 days after infestation, inversely proportional to the spraying treatment by means of discharge significantly affected from 14 days after infestation. The increase in plant height spray treatment did not have a significant effect and for spraying treatment with extraction of fermentation did not significantly affect the canopy area of ​​the plant canopy.

Chitosan-microencapsulated rhEGF in promoting wound healing

Aims: Chitosan and epidermal growth factor (EGF) have been shown to improve wound healing. This study investigates the healing effects of a spray solution (NewEpi, JoyCom Bio-Chem Co. Ltd., Taiwan) containing recombinant human EGF (rhEGF) delivered via a newly patented technology—chitosan microencapsulated nanoparticles. Methods: On Wistar rats, two full-thickness wounds on the dorsum bilateral of the spine were created. The rats were randomised to the following treatment groups: hydrogel, wet dressing, foam, rhEGF spray and rhEGF spray+foam. Sterile dressings were applied and changed daily. A total of 2μg of rhEGF was administered in two sprays during each dressing change. All animals were euthanised on day 14. Tissue samples were taken from the wound bed, including an area of 2cm surrounding the wound margin for histological evaluations. Results: Wounds treated with the rhEGF spray achieved the greatest size reduction by day 14 compared with other types of conventional dressings. An overall significant difference in levels of collagen synthesis existed between groups (p<0.01). Pair-wise comparisons showed that the rhEGF spray treatment significantly promoted higher levels of mature Type I collagen than any other conventional dressings (p<0.01), whereas non-rhEGF treatments resulted in higher levels of Type III collagen. The regenerated tissue in rhEGF spray treatment groups was also in alignment with that of normal skin. Epidermis, dermis and hair follicles were easily observed in wounds treated with the rhEGF spray. Conclusion: The major challenge of topical application of rhEGF was overcome by using a new drug delivery technology: chitosan–rhEGF nanoparticles. The positive healing effects observed in this study suggest the therapeutic potentials of this novel rhEGF topical spray solution.

Growth, Flower Dropping, Pod Set and Yield Response of Soybean Varieties as Affected by Suplemental Fertilizer Spray at Flowering

A field experiment was conducted during the period from January to May 2014 to study the response of growth, flower dropping, pod setting and yield of two soybean varieties to foliar fertilization of urea at early stage of flowering. Soybean varieties, BARI Soybean-5 and BARI Soybean-6, were feeded with four supplemental foliar spray treatments of fertilizer, viz. M1: Control i.e., no additional nutrient spray; M2: 20% of recommended urea spray at flowering; M3: 20% dose of the recommended MoP; and M4: 20% dose of the recommended DAP at early flowering stage. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications. There was no significant effect of variety, fertilization spray or their interaction observed on growth parameters. However, flower and pod dropping was affected with higher flower dropping (55.2%) in BARI Soybean-5 and maximum pod dropping (16.44%) with DAP spray treatment. Higher yield attributes’ values such as seeds pod-1 (2.42), seed yield (1.18 t ha-1), stover yield (1.02 t ha-1), and biological yield (2.21 t ha-1) were obtained with foliar DAP spray treatment. The interaction of BARI Soybean-5 and foliar DAP spray showed the highest seed yield (1.48 t ha-1), stover yield (1.26 t ha-1) and biological yield (2.75 t ha-1). Bangladesh Agron. J. 2020, 23(2): 111-117

Impact of a Combination of UV-C Irradiation and Peracetic Acid Spray Treatment on Brochothrix thermosphacta and Yersinia enterocolitica Contaminated Pork

Efficient ways of decontamination are needed to minimize the risk of infections with Yersinia (Y.) enterocolitica, which causes gastrointestinal diseases in humans, and to reduce the numbers of Brochothrix (B.) thermosphacta to extend the shelf-life of meat. While many studies have focused on a single treatment of peracetic acid (PAA) or UV-C-irradiation, there are no studies about a combined treatment on meat. Therefore, in the present study, pork was inoculated with either Y. enterocolitica or B. thermosphacta, and was treated with a combination of 2040 mJ/cm2 UV-C irradiation followed by a 2000 ppm PAA spray treatment (30 s). Samples were packed under modified atmosphere and stored for 1, 7, or 14 days. The samples were examined for Y. enterocolitica and B. thermosphacta content, chemical and sensory effects, and meat quality parameters. For Y. enterocolitica, a significant reduction of up to 2.16 log10 cfu/cm2 meat and for B. thermosphacta, up to 2.37 log10 cfu/cm2 meat was seen on day 14 after UV-C/PAA treatment compared to the untreated controls.

Development of a Poisoned Bait Strategy against the Silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata (Escherich, 1905)

Pest management strives to be an efficient, yet healthy and environmentally safe control method, and the use of poisoned bait often fulfils these criteria. In the present study, we show that bait with indoxacarb as the active ingredient is highly efficient for controlling Ctenolepisma longicaudata (Escherich, 1905) and two of its relatives, Lepisma saccharina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Ctenolepisma calva (Ritter, 1910). Applying small bait droplets (size ~10 mg) along the walls of several types of buildings, at no more than 0.5 to 1.0 g bait per 100 m2, was a cost-efficient and safe strategy for the knockdown and eradication of C. longicaudata. During field experiments, the demography changed from an initial mixture of different stages to total dominance of early instars preceding the population collapse. Poisonous bait outcompeted mass-trapping with sticky-traps and conventional insect spray treatment for the efficient control of C. longicaudata in apartments. Different droplet densities (1 vs. 0.5/m2) and active ingredients (indoxacarb vs. clothianidin) did not have different effects in field experiments. These results show that poisoned bait is a highly relevant tool for managing C. longicaudata and potentially against other silverfish infestations.