Screening of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes for Salt Tolerance on the Basis of Physiochemical Characteristics and Bio-Physiological Parameters and Indices

Salt stress is a major threat for growth and development of wheat crop. Screening technique for salinity tolerance is an effective tool to identify tolerant cultivar and high yielding wheat genotypes. Present study was carried out to screen twenty wheat genotypes under laboratory terms utilizing various growth and physiological indices like plant fresh weight stress indices (PFSI), plant height stress tolerance index (PHSI), shoot length stress tolerance index (SLSI), germination stress tolerance index (GSI), plant dry weight stress indices (PDSI), root length stress tolerance index (RLSI), relative water content (RWC). Multivariate techniques like cluster analysis and correlation were used to analyze the variance between wheat genotypes. The correlations analysis indicated significant among different physiological indices like GSI, SLSI, RLSI, PFSI, PDSI and RWC. On the basis of cluster analysis 20 wheat genotypes were classified into three clusters: first cluster included (The genotype WL-711 was the premier scorer followed by Nifa Bathoor, ARRI-II and Millat-11) presents sufficient salt tolerating degree, on the other hand, cluster-2 is comprised of wheat genotypes (Inqilab-91, NIAB-09, Punjab-96, Sehar-2006, Tatara, AS-2002, SA-75, Lasani-09, FSD-08 and Galaxy-13) with medium level of salt tolerance and cluster-3 included genotypes (LU-26-S, Fakhar e Sarhad, Bakhtawar, Punjab-11, Barsat and Kohistan-97) did not perform upto the mark and have lower level of salt tolerance. Correlation analysis among different screening techniques indicated that physiological indices exhibited highly significant and positive correlations among GSI, PHSI, SLSI, PDSI, PFSI, and RWC while non-significant correlation existed among PDSI and RLSI. The correlation between PFSI and RWC was significant. Significant correlations between cluster analysis and different indices also proved that salt tolerant wheat genotypes screened.

Immobilization of K7PW11O39 on ZrO2 Nanofiber: Ultra-deep Desulfurization Based in Extraction Catalytic Oxidation Desulfurization System

In this work, K7PW11O39 (abbreviated as PW11) was immobilized on ZrO2 nanofibers and used as an efficient recyclable catalyst in extraction catalytic oxidation desulfurization system (ECODS).The 500 ppm DBT model oil(5mL) can desulphurize completely within 20 min with the catalytic conditions of 50��, 0.010 g 50 wt%- CTAB�C PW11�CZrO2 nanofibers and O/S molar ratio H2O2/DBT molar ratio�� was 2:1. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results indicated the PW11�CZrO2 nanofibers were synthesized successfully and the possible catalytic mechanism is also revealed.

A Facile Method Combined with Acetic Acid Modification and Electroless Plating to Fabricate Copper-plated Nylon 12 Powder for Antistatic Coating

Metal particle could deposited on Nylon 12 (PA12) surface using electroless plating with excellent interface and distribution, but the use of noble metal as catalytic site would increase the process cost and restrict its application. In this work, we employed a facile technology combined with acetic acid etching and electroless copper plating to prepare Cu/PA12 composite powder, and it used as conductive filler for antistatic coating was also studied. Results manifested defects (hole and amorphous structure) and amide group established on etched PA12 surface, which would facilitate the destruction of the [Cu-EDTA] structure, and then the reduction of REDOX barrier. As a result, Cu and Cu2O particles deposited on its surface. The downward trend of volume resistivity of antistatic coating appeared the rule of slow-fast-slow. The lowest volume resistivity was about 105 ohm�cm. This means that the dependable technology has great potential application in preparing metal/polymer composite material at a low cost.

Catalytic Performance of Phosphorus Incorporated HZSM-5 in Coupling Transformation of Methanol with 1-butene to Propylene

Directly incorporated phosphorus species into the framework of HZSM-5 zeolite (H[P, Al]-ZSM-5) was successfully synthesized by the facile hydrothermal method. It was characterized by employing XRD, ICP-OES, SEM, FT-IR, N2 adsorption-desorption, NH3-TPD, XPS and TG-DTA, respectively. The effects of the phosphorus species content, temperature, WHSV, and the molar ratio of methanol/1-butene in coupling transformation of methanol with 1-butene to propylene catalyzed by H[P, Al]-ZSM-5 in a fixed bed reactor were studied systematically. Tests have suggested the acid content and specific surface area of H[P, Al]-ZSM-5 are reduced. Under the condition of reaction temperature at 550�Z, molar ratio of methanol/1-butene to 1.0, reaction pressure at 0.1 MPa and WHSV= 3.53 h-1, the P-modified HZSM-5 zeolite (with the P2O5 molar composition of 0.4 )the selectivity and yield of propylene are 35.6% and 32.5%, respectively.

Potentiometric Titration of Vanadium (V) with Iron (II) in the Presence of NTA and DTPA Using Dry-Cell Graphite Electrode

A sensitive potentiometric titration for vanadium (V) based effect of ligands such as nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (DTPA) are reviewed. The potential iron system decreased the presence of NTA and DTPA. In this case, iron (III) increased with respect to the vanadium (IV) volume. The production of iron (III)-ligand complex has increased. This result suggested that the formation of V(V)-NTA and V(V)-DTPA complexes were less favoured than that of V(IV)-NTA and V(IV)-DTPA complexes. The calculated correlation coefficients (r) conveyed the effectiveness of the graphite electrode as the indicator electrode for the potentiometric titrations. On comparing the potential jump values, the extent of potential caused by DTPA was found to be more than that of NTA. The utilization of graphite electrode has facilitated the potentiometric titration by significantly causing larger potential jump. This method was precise and accurate as no interference of foreign ions was observed. Hence, the approach could be applied to the vanadium (V) of any samples.

Study of Steel Electro-dissolution Behavior in Presence of Some Surfactants. Electrochemical Investigation and Surface Active Properties Determination

Steel electro-dissolution performance was investigated in orthophosphoric acid in the presence of N-oleyl 1.3 diaminopropane, Benzalkounuim chloride, Soduim lauryl sulphate and Di-Isononyl phthalate as a surfactant using potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The retardation performance of these surfactants was examined. The surfactant surface active parameters were estimated based on surface tension measurements. The parameters calculated comprise the critical micelle concentration (CMC), maximum surface excess (Гmax), minimum surface area (Amin) and effectiveness (πCMC). The micellization thermodynamic parameters (ΔGmic, ΔSmic) for the estimated surfactants were also computed. Results obtained from surface active properties are comparable with those gained from galvanostatic polarization measurements. Temperature influence on the steel dissolution performance was examined at 25 to 40oC range. Steel kinetic study in orthophosphoric acid- free solution and orthophosphoric acid containing surfactant was also examined. The dissolution kinetic and activated parameters were computed. Results based on microscopy measurement indicate that, addition of new four surfactants, resulting in the solution shows potential, a discrete progress in the metal texture was monitored. Improvement produced in electro-polishing bath by the investigated SAS that owing to the adsorption of such surface active agents on the anode surface.

Thermochemical, PASS, Molecular Docking, Drug-Likeness and In Silico ADMET Prediction of Cytidine Derivatives against HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

In recent, millions of people are living with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) is one of the main viral targets for HIV-1 inhibition. Pyrimidine nucleoside derivative, 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine (AZT) is a highly active nucleoside inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT). In this work, hydroxyl (-OH) groups of cytidine structure were modified with different aliphatic and aromatic groups to get 5´-O-acyl- and 2´,3´-di-O-acyl derivatives and then employed for molecular modeling, molecular docking, biological prediction, and pharmacological studies. Herein, we relate the optimization of cytidine and its acylated analogues applying density functional theory (DFT) with B3LYP/3-21G level theory to explore their thermochemical and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) properties. Prediction of activity spectra for substances (PASS) indicated promising antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, and antifungal functionality of these cytidine esters compared to the antibacterial activities. To support this observation, their cytotoxic prediction and molecular docking studies have been performed against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) (PDB: 3V4I). Most of the molecules studied out here could bind near the crucial catalytic binding site, Tyr181, Ile94, Ile382, Lys374, Val381, Val90, and Tyr34 of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), and the molecules were surrounded by other active site residues like Gln332, Trp406, Asn265, Gly93, His96, Pro95, and Thr165. Finally, these novel molecules were analyzed for their pharmacokinetic properties which expressed that the combination of in silico ADMET prediction, toxicity prediction, and drug-likeness had shown a promising result. The study discusses the performance of molecular docking to suggest the novel molecules active against resistance mutants of RT and/or recombinant strains of HIV-1.

Contribution to the Study of Biotechnological Control Techniques Applied Against Biocorrosion Oil Installations

The biological activity of oil extracted from green algae has long been known, but evaluation of bimolecular activities contained in this oil on an industrial scale, especially in the oil industry, was the objective of our research project. The first stapes of this study is to extract the essential oil from green algae marine Ulva Lactuca in our region, obtained by extraction/purification method based on hydro distillation and methanol extraction, the work performed at the laboratories of Sonatrach (SH/DTD/AUI/CEM). The second stapes is to evaluate the potential of these algae extracts on microbiologically influenced corrosion. After chemical-physic characterization of two bio naturals products A and B, we test their effectiveness as a bactericide on bacterial corrosion of carbon steel in water contained sulfate reducing bacteria by electrochemical analysis techniques (Open-circuit potential/OCP and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy/EIS).

Physiochemical Alterations and Air Pollution Tolerance Index in Ficus religiosa L. Planted Along Polluted Roadsides of Lahore City

Air pollution is among the nastiest form of pollutions causing vexation over the globe. The recent situation of eco-toxicity showed that whole planet is facing this misery explicitly or implicitly. The essence of this enigma is rapid urbanization and industrialization. Global developmental activities, deforestation, uncontrolled industrial emission and increase in vehicular load made this environment unfit for healthy life. This research work explored the effect of air pollution on Physiochemical attributes of Ficus religiosa L. planted along the polluted roadsides of Lahore city. Leaf area, ascorbic acid contents (AAC), total chlorophyll content (TCh), pH of leaf extract, relative water contents (RWC), and dust accumulation on leaves surface were measured using standard methods. Air Pollution Tolerance Index was computed, and the results were compared with the control plants from Changa Manga forest, 70 Km away from Lahore city in cleaner locality. Several Physiochemical alterations in F. religiosa growing in polluted arias were observed, including average leaf area (1367�14.25mm2), AAC (0.68� 0.021 mg/g), TCh (8.50� 0.017) pH of leaf extract (7.17�0.018), RWC (92.5�0.076 %), and dust accumulation on leaves surface (0.0716�0.00063 mg/cm2) compare to control. The recorded average APTI value (10.32�0.023) was higher in the plants grown along the polluted roads compared to controls (9.39�0.012). It is concluded from the results that air pollution tolerance level of F. religiosa was higher along the polluted roads of Lahore. It depicts that they are considerably affected the prevailing air pollution.