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Background: Medicinal plants possess considerable potential for discovering new phytochemicals that could be considered as a solution to fight against multidrug-resistant pathogens. Calendula officinalis (C. officinalis) is used worldwide due to its antimicrobial properties. This pilot study assessed the antibacterial activity of herbal extract and homeopathic preparation of C. officinalis flowers against South African ESKAPE pathogens.
Materials & Methods: Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method (with a 6.0 mm disk diameter) was employed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of herbal extract and homeopathic preparation against South African ESKAPE pathogens. Various ethanol concentrations of herbal extract (50, 60, and 90%) and 62% ethanol concentration of homeopathic preparation were tested.
Findings: The inhibitory effect of C. officinalis did not surpass that of antibiotics. However, the ethanol herbal extract of C. officinalis showed some antibacterial activity against ESKAPE pathogens compared to its homeopathic preparation. Moreover, 50% ethanol extract of C. officinalis (20 µL) showed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus species compared to its homeopathic preparation.
Conclusion: The rapid spread of antibiotic resistance necessitates the search for plant-based antibacterials. Due to their wealth in phytochemicals, medicinal plants provide a rich resource for producing novel antibacterial drugs. The current study attempted to demonstrate the inhibitory activities of ethanol herbal extract (HEs) and homeopathic mother tincture (MT) of C. officinalis flowers against ESKAPE pathogens and Escherichia coli species.

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This study was carried out to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antifungal efficacy of essential oil and extracts derived from the flower and leaves of Magnolia liliflora, respectively, against plant pathogenic fungi. The oil (750 μg disc-1) and various leaf extracts such as hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol (1,500 μg disc-1) revealed promising antifungal effects against Botrytis cinerea KACC 40573, Colletotrichum capsici KACC 40978, Fusarium oxysporum KACC 41083, Fusarium solani KACC 41092, Phytophthora capsici KACC 40157, Rhizoctonia solani KACC 40111 and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum KACC 41065 as radial growth inhibition percentages of 38 to 65.6% and 7.6 to 57.3%, respectively along with their respective MIC and MFC values ranging from (125 to 500 and 125 to 100 μg mL-1) and (500 to 4,000 and 500 to 8,000 μg mL-1). The oil had a strong detrimental effect on spore germination of all tested plant pathogens as well as concentration and time-dependent kinetic inhibition of P. capsici KACC40157. Also the oil displayed potent in vivo antifungal effect against one of the selected plant pathogens P. capsici KACC 40157 on greenhouse-grown pepper plants. The results of this study indicate that the flower oil and leaf extracts of M. liliflora could be used as natural alternatives to synthetic fungicides to control the in vitro and in vivo growth of certain important plant pathogenic fungi.

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Degraded soils in Northwest China are mostly nonproductive due to imbalanced nutrient and inadequate water supply. The effects of manure application at three different rates (7.5, 15.0, and 22.5 t ha^–1) combined with chemical fertilizers on soil water and Water-Use Efficiency in maize [compared with chemical fertilizers (control)], under semi-arid conditions in dark Loessial soil and over a period of four years were studied to provide scientific support for water management. High manure application significantly reduced soil water evaporation throughout the fallow period as compared with control. It significantly increased soil water storage capacity at the big trumpet growth stage of the crop, and with the fertilization application years continued (P< 0.05). Manure application improved soil water holding capacity at the tasseling and grain filling stages. It decreased evapotranspiration at the jointing–big trumpet and tasseling–grain filling stages. It as well improved Water-Use Efficiency by 16.67 to 295.42% at the jointing–big trumpet stage vs. 9.38-68.96% at the tasseling-grain filling stage and 8.51 to 36.58% for the whole growth period of the crop maize. With a continuation of the fertilizer application years, water-use efficiency at the tasseling-grain filling stage was significantly improved with increasing manure application rates (P< 0.05). Medium and High Manure application rates significantly increased water-use efficiency at the big trumpet–tasseling and grain filling-maturity stages as compared with control (P< 0.05). With manure application years continued, soil nutrient was no longer the major factor limiting the crop’s water-use efficiency. The most promising manure application rate adopted to improve water-use efficiency was recorded as 15.0 t ha^–1.

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      Abstract Nanotechnology policy making in different countries is performed using various programs. Each country according to its own characteristics and uses of various actors is endeavored critical to the development of this critical field of application. In Iran a special committee of nanotechnology as the key responsible to policy making in this area was formed in 2003 and two years later, Nanotechnology Development Plan has been formulated. This research using Network Analysis Approach is aimed to focus on Nanotechnology Strategic Plan in order to find that to which extent decision making in this area is based on optimal and efficient networking between involved programs and actors in the field. Research findings are showed that there is a relatively significant distribution and balance of power among actors and programs and also an network of communications and co-operations have been formed. Finally, in some of sections, there are centers of power in the network that these arose from the circumstances and needs of the country and have been formed based on purposeful policy making.  

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The present study examines the fuzzy sets model for computing rainfall over the Upper Chi-Mun basins in the Northeastern region of Thailand based on historical weather data from five stations’ rain gauges under the radar umbrella, temperature, relative humidity, and radar reflectivity. Data were collected during June 2009 to August 2009 of the rainfall reflectivity record from the Royal Rainmaking Research Centre at Pimai, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, and for the surface rainfall, automatic rain gauges were used. The results showed that the Fuzzy-GAs model could be used effectively to estimate rainfall given only three parameters: temperature, relative humidity and radar reflectivity. Furthermore, the results show that the genetic algorithm calibration provided the optimal conditions of the membership function. The simulation results indicated that the results of the Fuzzy-GA model were close to the observed rainfall data more than the results of a multiple linear regression model for both calibration and validation processes. Consequently, we are confident that a Fuzzy-GA model is a useful tool for estimating rainfall.

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The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of chronic gamma irradiation on growth and biochemical characteristics of wheat. Wheat plants were exposed to a ⁶⁰Co gamma rays at doses ranging from 10 to 150 Gy for 3 weeks. Our results indicate that irradiation at 10–15 Gy enhanced plant growth as compared to non-irradiated wheat, while at high doses (>20 Gy) a significant decrease in wheat height was recorded. APX and CAT transcript levels were higher in plant irradiated at 12.5 Gy than in the controls. Also, the enzyme activities of APX and CAT and POD were increased by 12.5 Gy gamma irradiation. Chronic irradiation caused an increase in the total anthocyanin content. To assess whether anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes were involved in the response to chronic gamma irradiation in wheat plants, we examined their expression under different doses of gamma rays. Levels of F3H, DFR, ANS transcripts increased due to chronic gamma irradiation, whereas CHS and CHI expression decreased. Total anthocyanin contents significantly increased after chronic irradiation. Furthermore, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) revealed that cyanidin 3-glucoside, one of the anthocyanin compounds, rapidly increased in wheat plants after chronic gamma irradiation. This study demonstrated that the growth of wheat plants and markers of biochemical activity were negatively influenced by chronic gamma irradiation in a dose-dependent manner, although low-dose radiation showed stimulatory effects. Results from this study are very useful for future chronic gamma irradiation studies for the improvement of wheat varieties.

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