Status of Root-Knot Nematode (<i>Meloidogyne</i>Species) and Fusarium Wilt (<i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>) Disease Complex on Tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>L.) in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia

Development of diseases in cultivated crops depends on the complex interrelationship among host, pathogen and prevailing environmental conditions. In nature, plants are rarely, if ever, subject to the influence of only one potential pathogen and this is especially true of soil-borne pathogens like fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum). In the present study, the co-occurrence of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne species) and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici was surveyed in the main tomato growing areas of the central rift valley of Ethiopia. Mineral and organic samples were collected from 59 farmlands representing five districts and two commercial farms during the main cropping season of 2017. Cultural, morphological and virulence analysis of these pathogens revealed their co-existence. Out of 59 samples, 39% were found infected with the disease complex [Meloilodogyne species.* Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopesici (FOL)]. Off which, 16.9% and 6.8% resulted from concomitant infection of Meloidogyne incognita* FOL and Meloidogyne javanica* FOL, respectively. The percent prevalence of the disease complex ranged between 27.3% and 60%. The co-occurrence of these pathogens within a single host plant within the same ecological niche will indicate the probability of any type of interaction between each other. Therefore, subsequent research studies on their nature of interaction should be done in the future.

Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma heamatobium Infection and Nutritional Status of Children in the Hydro-Agricultural Complex Zone of Sourou,Burkina Faso

In developing countries, efforts to face food insecurity were revealed by construction of dams and hydro-agricultural managements. This study aimed to establish sanitary consequences in a hydro- agricultural zone. Methods: Data from 1847 children were analysed. Kato-Katz and concentration in MIF were used for intestinal parasites;research of microscopic haematury was used for urinary schistosomiasis. Nutritional status was estimated by WHZ and HAZ indexes. Association between malnutrition and independents variables was measured in univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Among children, 80.1% were infested by at least one parasite, 30.8% by S. mansoni and 49.6% by S. haematobium. Prevalence of emaciation and prevalence of stunting were respectively, 32.6% and 25.5%. In the multivariate analysis: Age: (1 - 3 y age group, OR = 2.92, 4 - 6 y age group OR = 1.85, p p = 0.008), were associated with emaciation. Age: (4 - 6 y age group, OR = 1.78, 7 - 11 y age group OR = 2.55, p p = 0.005), were associated with emaciation. Conclusion: Development of bilharziasis (urinary and intestinal) with increased morbidity and malnutrition, attenuate benefits expected from hydro-agricultural managements. It is important to invest in the control of water-related diseases, which are amplified by hydro-agricultural managements.

Research on the Development Status and Strategy of Productive Rooftop Gardens on Commercial Complexes

The introduction of productive gardens on public building roofs is an active way to use urban idle space. It has ecological, economic, and social values and helps alleviate many urban problems caused by the rapid advancement of land urbanization. This paper takes the productive rooftop garden of an urban commercial complex as an example, and assesses its development status based on methods including ArcGIS, field research, and questionnaire interviews, combined with the overall aspects of the country and key case analysis. The results indicate several key aspects of the current status of such gardens in China.(1) As affected by natural and social factors, the current spatial distribution of productive rooftop gardens of commercial complexes in Chinese mainland is uneven, with 84.21% located in the southeast coast and the Sichuan region.(2) The operation and development of this type of productive landscape is in good shape. The number of rooftop gardens has continued to increase since 2013, and the scale is generally greater. Currently, the business model which combines nature education and parent-child amusement experience activities is the most stable.(3) Cases in good operating condition tend to have relatively related characteristics in layouts, traffic functions, landscape elements, and space design.(4) Questionnaire interviews show that citizens are highly willing to participate in rooftop productive landscapes, while operators still experience challenges in policies, funds, and planting knowledge in practice. This paper analyses the existing problems in the development status and strategy of the rooftop productive landscape. It proposes complementary optimization strategies to serve as a reference for the rooftop design of commercial complexes and the utilization of a significant amount of idle space on the roofs.

Food supply and the obesity scourge: Is there a relationship?

This paper reviews literature on the relationship between food supply and obesity. The focus is on the supply, cost, and variety of food through various types of food outlets and the impact of these factors on obesity in developed countries. The article reveals complex relationships between food supply factors and obesity. A numer of factors related to lifestyles including the mobility of populations and the use of motor vehicles greatly reduce the impact of the local environment on family and individual eating patterns. However, obesity is also affected by factors such as the type and density of food outlets, the cost of food, the travel distance and means of transport to the food outlet. While the relationship between food supply and obesity in the literature reveals complex and mixed findings, this paper concludes obesity is complex and food supply is only part of this phenomenon’s predictors. Because the relationship between food supply and obesity is mediated by such multiple and complex factors including population behaviours, beliefs, lifestyles, knowledge and both food and physical environments;multiple strategies including policy development and other strategies aimed at manipulating food environments, physical environments, populations’ beliefs, behaviours and practices must be considered in searching for evidence to effectively combat obesity.

Formation process and mechanism of humic acid-kaolin complex determined by carbamazepine sorption experiments and various characterization methods

To explore the formation process and mechanism of organic matter and organic-mineral complex under humification and mineralization conditions, a series of samples including humic acid, kaolin, and humic acid-kaolin complex were prepared using a subcritical water treatment method（SWT） under specific temperature, pressure and reaction time conditions. HA was used as a surrogate for natural organic matter because it has a similar abundant pore structure,variety of carbon types, and chemical components. These samples were used in carbamazepine（CBZ） sorption experiments and characterized by a variety of techniques. The polymerization of humic acid under the conditions of increased temperature and pressure resulted in an increase in specific surface area and molecular quantity. In addition, the degree of aromaticity rose from59.52% to 70.90%. These changes were consistent with the transformation from ‘soft carbon＇ to‘hard carbon＇ that occurs in nature. The results of sorption experiments confirmed the interaction between humic acid and kaolin from the difference between the predicted and actual Qevalues. The conceptual model of humic acid-kaolin complex could be deduced and described as follows. Firstly, the aromatic components of humic acid preferentially combine with kaolin through the intercalation effect, which protects them from the treatment effects.Next, the free carboxyl groups and small aliphatic components of humic acid interact on the surface of kaolin, and these soft species transform into dense carbon through cyclization and polymerization. As a result, humic acid-kaolin complex with a mineral core and dense outer carbonaceous patches were formed.