Detection of Bisphenol A (BPA) in Plastic Bottles Using Vertical Cultivation at Various Temperatures

Polycarbonate plastics containing bisphenol A (BPA) used to manufacture drinking water bottles. Kurdistan region in northern Iraq is a developed area with increased pollution from plastic bottles. Trace amounts of BPA have been detected in bottled water samples. The absorption of BPA was measured with HPLC using a vertical cultivation system with Bulbs of the Allium Cepa plant planted in these plastic bottles with monitored growth. Vertical cultivation was found to have a low level of BPA in the plant cells, making it a safe cultivation method under specific climate conditions. The mean concentration of BPA in vertical cultivation is 0.19 ug/ml (3.8 ng for a 20 uL injection), and the Limit of Quantification (LOQ) is 0.63 ug/ml (12.7 ng for 20 uL injection). While Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) shows that the concentrations are relatively low in water samples stored at room temperature compared to those exposed to direct sunlight (40°C) and water bottle samples stored at (-4°C), The correlation coefficients were found to be good (0.9992). SEM is used for plastic bottle samples stored at different temperatures. The images identify compound decay and explore the morphology of BPA in manufactured plastic materials.

Effects of Slow-release Nitrogen Fertilizer on Yield and Nitrogen Accumulation of Summer Maize in Shajiang Black Soil Area

[Objectives] This study was conducted to verify the field application effect of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer on summer maize in Shajiang black soil area by simultaneous sowing and fertilization, and explore the application scope and nitrogen metabolism mechanism, so as to lay a foundation for fertilizer reduction and efficiency improvement. [Methods] With maize variety Beiqing 340 and sulfur-coated urea as experimental materials, five nitrogen application levels were set, namely, control (C0), slow-release nitrogen 70 kg/hm^(2) (C70), slow-release nitrogen 140 kg/hm^(2) (C140), slow-release nitrogen 210 kg/hm^(2) (C210) and slow-release nitrogen 280 kg/hm^(2) (C280). The phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were all in accordance with the unified standard. [Results] With the application rate of slow-release nitrogen increasing, the nitrogen accumulation in organs increased first and then decreased after tasseling stage of maize. In order to reduce the fertilizing amount and increase efficiency, 210 kg/hm^(2) of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer was the best fertilizing amount for summer maize in Shajiang black soil area. [Conclusions] This study provides reference for fertilizer reduction, efficiency improvement and sustainable development of summer maize in Shajiang black soil area.

The dynamic response of a high-density polyethylene slow-release structure under launching overload

Based on the 60 mm artillery grenade,a slow-release structure was designed to reduce the severity of ammunitions response to accidental thermal stimulation and improve the thermal stability of ammunitions.The slow-release structure was made of high-density polyethylene(HDPE) and connected the fuse and the projectile body through internal and external threads.To study the safety of the slowrelease structure under artillery launching overload,mechanical analysis of the slow-release structure was simulated via finite element analysis(FEA).The impacts of various factors(e.g.,fuse mass,number of threads,and nominal diameter of internal threads of the slow-release structure) on the connection strength of the slow-release structure were studied.A strength-prediction model based on the fuse mass and internal thread parameters was established by fitting the maximum effective stress of the slowrelease structure.This led to good prediction results.In conclusion,this study provides references and theoretical support for the design of thermal protection structures insensitive to ammunition.

Metric Basis of Four-Dimensional Klein Bottle

The Metric of a graph plays an essential role in the arrangement of different dimensional structures and finding their basis in various terms.The metric dimension of a graph is the selection of the minimum possible number of vertices so that each vertex of the graph is distinctively defined by its vector of distances to the set of selected vertices.This set of selected vertices is known as the metric basis of a graph.In applied mathematics or computer science,the topic of metric basis is considered as locating number or locating set,and it has applications in robot navigation and finding a beacon set of a computer network.Due to the vast applications of this concept in computer science,optimization problems,and also in chemistry enormous research has been conducted.To extend this research to a four-dimensional structure,we studied the metric basis of the Klein bottle and proved that the Klein bottle has a constant metric dimension for the variation of all its parameters.Although the metric basis is variying in 3 and 4 values when the values of its parameter change,it remains constant and unchanged concerning its order or number of vertices.The methodology of determining the metric basis or locating set is based on the distances of a graph.Therefore,we proved the main theorems in distance forms.

Optimization of slow-release fertilizer application improves lotus rhizome quality by affecting the physicochemical properties of starch

To achieve the dual goals of high yield and good quality with low environmental costs,slow-release fertilizer(SRF)has been widely used in lotus cultivation as new type of fertilizer instead of traditional nitrogen fertilizer.However,the optimal amount of SRF and how it would promote lotus rhizome quality remain unclear.This study was designed to investigate the photosynthetic characteristics and the synthesis,accumulation,and physicochemical properties of lotus rhizome starches under six SRF levels(CK,S1,S2,S3,S4,and S5).Compared with CK(0 kg ha^(–1)),the net photosynthetic rate(P_(n))and SPAD values of leaves remained at higher levels under SRF treatment.Further research showed that SRF increased the lotus rhizome yield,the contents of amylose,amylopectin,and total starch,and the number of starch granules.Among the six SRF levels,S3(1035 kg ha^(–1))showed the greatest difference from CK and produced the highest levels.With the increasing SRF levels,the peak,hot and final viscosities decreased at first and then increased,but the setback viscosity and pasting temperature increased.In order to interpret these changes at the molecular level,the activities of key enzymes and relative expression levels of starch accumulation related genes were analyzed.Each of these parameters also increased under SRF treatment,especially under the S3 treatment.The results of this study show that SRF,especially S3(1035 kg ha^(–1)),is a suitable fertilizer option for lotus planting which can improve lotus rhizome quality by affecting starch accumulations related enzymes and genes.These results will be useful for SRF application to high-quality lotus rhizome production with low environmental costs.

Bitter Bottle Gourd Toxicity

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), colloquially known as “lauki” or “doodhi” in India, is an edible plant in the Cucurbitaceae family. Consumption of raw bottle gourd juice is common practice in India. However, little known is the fact that ingestion of raw bottle gourd juice that is extremely bitter tasting is associated with cucurbitacin toxicity. Cucurbitacin is a pheromone produced by the plant as a defense mechanism against insects and herbivores. It is responsible for imparting the bitter taste, and the associated toxicity. The exact mechanism of cucurbitacin toxicity is not well understood, however it is suspected to result in gastric erosions and increased capillary permeability, resulting in rapid onset of vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, hypotension and shock. As serum and urine concentration measurements of cucurbitacin are not readily available, bottle gourd toxicity remains a clinical diagnosis based largely on the temporal association of ingestion of unusually bitter tasting vegetable or its juice with rapid onset of symptoms. Physician awareness is therefore of paramount importance in the diagnosis of this unusual entity. We present the case of a 78-year-old woman, with no comorbid conditions, who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with three episodes of vomiting and multiple episodes of watery loose stools soon after ingestion of extremely bitter tasting, fresh bottle gourd juice. A prompt diagnosis of cucurbitacin toxicity was made in the ED and fluid resuscitation was commenced expeditiously. However, it was noted that most physicians were unfamiliar with this entity, and therefore skeptical of the diagnosis. Our rationale in presenting this clinical case report is three-fold: 1) To create physician awareness regarding this unique clinical entity, especially among emergency physicians, as they are the first point of contact for a critically ill patient. 2) To highlight the rapid onset and progression of symptoms in cucurbitacin toxicity. 3) To emphasize aggressive fluid resuscitation and symptomatic management as the mainstay of clinical treatment.

Influence of the Partial Substitution of Bitumen by a Mixture of Sulphur and Tyre and Plastic Bottle Powders on the Behaviour of Bituminous Concrete

This article deals with the influence of the partial substitution of bitumen by a mixture of sulphur and tyre and plastic bottle powders on the characterization of asphalt concrete. The approach adopted was to subject a control asphalt concrete to level 2 formulation tests as well as those modified at 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% by substituting bitumen with a mixture of tyre powder, plastic bottle powder and sulphur at 40%, 28% and 32% respectively. The results of the PCG, Duriez and rutting tests carried out on the control and modified bituminous concretes (manufactured using the wet process) revealed three (03) major findings, in particular with regard to workability, resistance to simple compression and rutting. The experimental results show an increasing trend in the essential parameters. At 40% substitution, there was a 22.73% increase in compactness, reflecting a significant improvement in the material’s workability. With regard to simple compressive strength, the increase is 34.02% at 40% substitution, highlighting the limitation of crack formation and propagation under heavy precipitation. With regard to rutting, the 16% drop in susceptibility at 40% substitution reflects a significant improvement in the behaviour of the material under dynamic mechanical stresses in heavy precipitation. The improvement in these behaviours results from the insertion of the plastic bottle powder into the interstices of the granular skeleton, thus reducing its cellular structure, and also from the interactions between the sulphur with the tyre powder and the sulphur with the plastic bottle powder, i.e. cross-linking or vulcanisation.

The Adsorption of Pb(II)Using Silica Gel Synthesized from Chemical Bottle Waste:Optimization Using Box-Behnken Design

The adsorption of Pb(II)on silica gel synthesized from chemical glass bottle waste has been studied.The effect of independent variables(adsorbent dose,initial concentration of Pb(II),contact time,and pH)on the Pb(II)removal from water was evaluated and optimized using the Response Surface Methodology(RSM).Under optimized conditions(adsorbent dose:20 mg;contact time:30 min;initial Pb(II)concentration:120 mg.L^(−1);and pH:8),the removal of Pb(II)was 99.77%.The adsorption equilibrium data obtained from the batch experiment were investigated using different isotherm models.The Langmuir isotherm model fits the experimental data.This shows that the surface of the silica gel synthesized from chemical bottles waste was covered by a Pb(II)monolayer.XRF analysis showed that the synthesized silica gel had a SiO_(2) content of 75.63%.Amorphous silica was observed from XRD analysis.SEM-EDX characterization showed that Pb was adsorbed on the silica gel surface.SEM analysis showed that silica gel has irregular particles with a surface area of 297.08 m2.g^(−1) with a pore radius of 15.74 nm calculated from BET analysis.

Silica Gel from Chemical Glass Bottle Waste as Adsorbent for Methylene Blue:Optimization Using BBD

This research focuses on the effective removal of methylene blue dye using silica gel synthesized from chemical glass bottle waste as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective adsorbent.The adsorption process was optimized using Box-Behnken Design(BBD)and Response Surface Methodology(RSM)to investigate the influence of pH(6;8 and 10),contact time(15;30 and 45 min),adsorbent mass(30;50 and 70 mg),and initial concentration(20;50 and 80 mg/L)of the adsorbate on the adsorption efficiency.The BBD was conducted using Google Colaboratory software,which encompassed 27 experiments with randomly assigned combinations.The silica gel synthesized from chemical glass bottle was characterized by XRD,FTIR,SEM-EDX and TEM.The adsorption result was measured by spectrophotometer UV-Vis.The optimized conditions resulted in a remarkable methylene blue removal efficiency of 99.41%.Characterization of the silica gel demonstrated amorphous morphology and prominent absorption bands characteristic of silica.The Langmuir isotherm model best described the adsorption behavior,revealing chemisorption with a monolayer coverage of methylene blue on the adsorbent surface,and a maximum adsorption capacity of 82.02 mg/g.Additionally,the pseudo-second-order kinetics model indicated a chemisorption mechanism during the adsorption process.The findings highlight the potential of silica gel from chemical glass bottle waste as a promising adsorbent for wastewater treatment,offering economic and environmental benefits.Further investigations can explore its scalability,regenerability,and reusability for industrial-scale applications.

Impacts and Demonstration Effects of Applying Long-acting Slow-release Fertilizer on Economic Yield of Peanut

[Objectives]To study the impacts and demonstration effects of long-acting slow-release fertilizer application on economic yield of peanut.[Methods]The 25,30,35,40,45,50 kg of long-acting slow-release fertilizers were applied to 667 m 2 of peanuts,and different amounts of urea were applied together.[Results]Applying 40 kg of long-acting slow-release fertilizer and 10.45 kg of urea had the best effect.Compared with the application of ordinary compound fertilizers,the plants did not age prematurely,the leaf diseases were mild,the stems and leaves remained dark green when harvested,and the stems and leaves had a longer functional period.Bearing shoots increased by 1.7,single-plant full pods increased by 2.4,double-seed peanuts increased by 3.2,empty pods decreased by 0.5,and single-seed peanuts decreased by 0.7.The experimental demonstration results show that the spring-sowed peanuts had an average yield increase of 29.0-67.2 kg/667 m 2,and the yield increase rate was 7.35%-16.89%,and the difference was extremely significant.[Conclusions]In the high-yield cultivation of peanuts,the application of long-acting slow-release fertilizer can be promoted to improve peanut production.

单模-多模光纤产生系列Bottle beam

提出一种利用多模光纤的多模干涉效应在自由空间中获得多个局域空心光(Bottle beam)的新方法。单模-多模光纤结构是一段多模光纤无偏心地连接到一段单模光纤上,光由单模光纤传输到多模光纤激发产生一系列的LP0,n模,由于多模干涉效应在多模光纤中相互叠加,当入射到自由空间后形成了多个Bottle beam。文中对光束传输过程进行理论分析并利用Matlab进行仿真实验,结果表明在自由空间中可以获得系列Bottle beam。当多模光纤纤芯直径分别为45μm,60μm和90μm时所选择的光场段内的Bottle beam的尺寸大小基本相同(约400μm×20μm),而第一个空间暗域沿轴向两侧相对光强差值分别为0.62,0.41和0.11,可见当多模光纤的纤芯直径越大时所得到的Bottle beam暗域的轴向两侧光强越相近,因此也越有利于囚禁微粒。

论我国股东代表诉讼制度的当下问题与路径建构——兼评Foss v.Har-bottle规则的适用性

作为市场经济法之重器,公司法引领着社会微观主体的有序发展。其中的股东代表诉讼制度在处理公司股东与公司董事等利益相关者冲突中发挥着重要作用。从法的缘起角度看,股东代表诉讼制度发轫于英国Foss v.Har-bottle规则,该规则奠定了英国股东代表诉讼制度的基本框架,而后深受包括我国在内的世界各国公司法的推崇与鉴借。2005年我国公司法作第二次修订时,股东代表诉讼制度在我国才有了制定法上的确定说明,但其制度问题日益凸显,2014年公司法作第三次修改,有关股东代表诉讼制度的相关法律条款并未作出相应修订或增设。这就要求我们在股东代表诉讼制度的理论研究上还需继续跟进,在司法实践领域还得不断拓新。

Effect of commercial slow-release urea product on in vitro rumen fermentation and ruminal microbial community using RUSITEC technique

Background:The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of commercial slow-release urea(SRU)on in vitro fermentation characteristics,nutrient digestibility,gas production,microbial protein synthesis and bacterial community using a rumen simulation technique(RUSITEC).The experiment was a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replications of each treatment.Treatments were:control diet(no SRU addition),control diet plus 0.28%SRU(U28),or plus 0.56%SRU(U56),and control diet that was modified substituting a part of soybean meal equivalent to 0.35%SRU(MU35;dry matter[DM]basis).The experiment consisted of 8 d of adaptation and 7 d of data and sample collection.Rumen inoculum was obtained from three ruminally fistulated Angus cows fed the same diet to the substrate incubated.Results:Digestibility of DM,organic matter(OM),crude protein(CP),fibre and starch was not affected,but daily production of gas(P<0.07)and methane(P<0.05)was quadratically increased with increasing SRU supplementation.The increase of SRU addition did not affect fermentation pH and total volatile fatty acid(VFA)production,whereas linearly(P<0.01)decreased proportion of propionate,and linearly(P<0.01)increased acetate to propionate ratio and ammonia nitrogen(N)concentration.The microbial N efficiency was also linearly(P<0.03)improved with increasing supplementation of SRU.In comparison with control diet,the dietary substitution of SRU for part of soybean meal increased(P<0.05)the digestibility of DM,OM and CP and decreased(P<0.02)the total gas production.The total VFA production and acetate to propionate ratio did not differ between control and MU35,whereas the proportion of butyrate was lower(P<0.05)and that of branched-chain VFA was greater(P<0.05)with MU35 than control diet.Total and liquid-associated microbial N production as well as ammonia N concentration were greater(P<0.03)with MU35 than control diet.Observed operational taxonomic units(OTUs),Shannon diversity index,and beta diversity of the microbial community did not differ among treatments.Taxonomic analysis revealed no effect of adding SRU on the relative abundance of bacteria at the phylum level,while at the genus level,the beneficial impact of SRU on relative abundance of Rikenellaceae and Prevotellaceae in feed particleassociated bacteria,and the abundance of Roseburia in liquid associate bacteria was greater(P<0.05)with MU35.Conclusions:Supplementation of a dairy cow diet with SRU showed potential of increase in ammonia N concentration and microbial protein production,and change fermentation pattern to more acetate production.Adding SRU in dairy cow diet also showed beneficial effect on improving digestibility of OM and fibre.The results suggest that SRU can partially substitute soybean meal in dairy cow diet to increase microbial protein production without impairing rumen fermentation.

Hybrid rice yield response to potted-seedling machine transplanting and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer application combined with urea topdressing

Machine transplanting and the application of slow-release nitrogen(N) fertilizer(SRNF) have played vital roles in the modernization of rice production. We aimed to determine the effects of potted-seedling transplanting—a new machine-transplanting method—and SRNF on hybrid rice yields. A 2-year splitplot experiment(2016–2017) was conducted in Meishan, Sichuan province, China, using two machinetransplanting methods(potted-seedling and blanket-seedling) and three N treatments. Total green leaf area, high-effective leaf area and its rate at heading, net photosynthetic rate of flag leaves 7 days after heading, glutamate synthase(GOGAT) and glutamine synthase(GS) activity after heading, dry matter production, and N accumulation at heading and maturity increased under the potted-seedling method or 70% SRNF as a base + 30% urea application at the panicle initiation stage(SBUP). Stem diameter and number of small and of all vascular bundles at the neck–panicle node in potted-seedling plants increased as a result of increasing numbers of effective panicles, secondary branches, and spikelets. In pottedseedling plants, treatment with SBUP increased the number of large and total vascular bundles at the panicle–neck internode and the number of differentiated and surviving secondary branches and spikelets and decreased the number of ineffective tillers and degenerated secondary branches and spikelets. We conclude that the potted-seedling machine transplanting method and SRNF combined with urea topdressing can strengthen the source–sink relationship in rice, resulting in higher yields.

基于Bottle的Python网络应用开发

Python语言在网络应用开发中占有重要的位置。Bottle是一个Python网络应用开发微框架。本文以一个简单日志系统为例,介绍了运用Bottle开发网络应用基本方法。

Effects of Slow-release Fertilizers and Sugarcane-specific Fertilizers on Yield and Quality of Sugarcane

The effects of slow-release fertilizers and sugarcane-specific fertilizers on the growth and quality of sugarcane were studied to provide a theoretical basis for cultivation of sugarcane with lower costs but higher efficiency. Field experiments were carried out in two major sugarcane areas in Guangxi and three fertilization treatments were studied: single application of compound fertilizers( treatment I),compound fertilizers + slow-release fertilizers( treatment II) and sugarcane-specific base fertilizers + sugarcane-specific topdressing( treatment III). Effects of equal fertilization conditions of treatment I,II and III on growth,yield and sugar of sugarcane were studied. The three fertilization treatments had little effects on emergence,tillering,and effective stems of sugarcane,but compared with the treatment of compound fertilizer( treatment I) with a ratio of N,P,and K of 1∶1∶1,treatment II using slow-release fertilizers as topdressing had better growth,higher plant height and stem diameter,so the yield was higher. Treatment III designed sugarcane-specific fertilizers with proper ratio according to fertilizer demands of sugarcane. Besides,the treatment III sugarcane-specific base fertilizers,containing certain amount of organic matters,could promote the sugar accumulation of sugarcane. Therefore,the sugarcane yield of treatment III was higher than that of treatment II. In conclusion,slow-release fertilizers and sugarcane-specific fertilizers can significantly increase sugarcane yield,especially sugarcane-specific fertilizers. Sugarcane-specific fertilizers have reasonable ratio and contain certain amount of organic matters,and can increase sugar content,obtain significant economic benefits,so it is worth popularization in large areas.

Heterosis, Combining Ability and Gene Action for Yield in Bottle Gourd

The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of Olericulture Division, Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh during the winter season of 2018-2019 to study the genetic architecture of yield in a seven parent half diallel cross of bottle gourd. The values of mean square for GCA (general combining ability) and SCA (specific combining ability) were highly significant which suggested the presence of both additive and non-additive genetic variance in the population. But the higher magnitude of GCA compared to SCA indicated predominance of additive genetic variance. In most of the cases, the cross between poor and poor parents showed positive SCA effect for fruit yield, which indicated the higher yield. The estimates of significant positive better parent heterosis ranged from 6.27 to 49.72 percent. Analysis of genetic components of variation suggested that additive components were more important in the inheritance of fruit yield. This character was observed being controlled by two to three pairs of genes or groups of genes. Narrow sense heritability was 23 percent indicating probability of selection in generations. The graphical analysis also indicated wide genetic diversity among the parents.

Water and Energy Footprint Assessment of Bottled Water Industries in India

Assessment of water and energy footprint for eight bottled water industries was carried out. The investigation showed that one litre of bottled water has a water footprint of 17.41 litres and energy footprint of 7.08 MJ. Water consumption by the industry comprises 61% during material production, 17% in processes, 16% in energy and only 6% in the actual product. Hence, maximum consumption of water is in material production, while the processes required a smaller fraction of the total water and energy consumed. Therefore, water footprint can be reduced through optimization of water consumption in material production.

Effect of slow-release iron fertilizer on iron-deficiency chlorosis, yield and quality of Lilium davidii var.unicolor in a two-year field experiment

Iron deficiency chlorosis of Lilium davidii var. unicolor is often the case in practice in alkaline soils of northwest region of China. It is difficult to control iron chlorosis because of high cost and short effective work time of conventional iron fertilizers. In this study, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two slow-release fertilizers on the suppression of iron deficiency chlorosis, soil chemical properties, and the yield and quality of L. davidii var. unicolor. Results show that both coated slow-release iron fertilizers and embedded slow-release iron fertilizer effectively controlled iron-deficiency chlorosis. The application of slow-release iron fertilizers significantly increased plant height and chlorophyll content of L. davidii var. unicolor at different growth stages. Furthermore, coated iron fertilizer application significantly increased starch, protein, soluble sugar and vitamin C content of L. davidii var. unicolor, and it also significantly improved total amino acid content, with increases in essential amino acids(Trp, Leu, Lys, Phe, Val, and Thr contents) and in nonessential amino acids(Asp, Glu, Cit, Ihs, Acc, Ala, Pro, and Cys contents). It was concluded that application of coated slow-release iron fertilizer could be a promising option for suppression of iron deficiency chlorosis and deserves further study.

News about Tap and Bottled Water: Can This Influence People’s Choices?

The pursuit of alternative safe water has increased dramatically the world trade in bottled water. Events happened in Canada which changed the population’s perception about the quality of tap water, despite all government efforts. Media has an important role to pass on information because there is value judgment in its reports. As a result, this study aims to present recent data from two Canadian newspapers of national circulation, which refer to tap water and bottled water. It used quantitative and qualitative data for this analysis. The study concludes that the media, taken into consideration, provides its readers with important information, but the information can also be ambiguous. Nevertheless, it arouses interest in further research about this subject matter and about protecting water resources.