A highly efficient and sustainable photoabsorber in solar-driven seawater desalination and wastewater purification.

Producing freshwater from seawater and wastewater is of great importance through interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG). Herein, the three-dimensional (3D) carbonized pine cone, CPC1, was fabricated a one-step carbonization process as a low-cost, robust, efficient, and scalable photoabsorber for the ISSG of seawater as well as a sorbent/photocatalyst for use in wastewater purification. Taking advantage of the large solar-light-harvesting ability of CPC1 due to the presence of carbon black layers on the 3D structure, its inherent porosity, rapid water transportation, large water/air interface, and low thermal conductivity, a conversion efficiency of 99.

Experimental and modeling studies of the effects of nanoclay on the oil behaviors in a water-sand system.

When oil is released into the oceans, spilled oil may get to the shoreline driven by wind and wave. This study comprehensively explored the effects of bentonite nanoclay on the oil behaviors in a water-sand system from both experimental and modeling perspectives. Four factors including nanoclay concentration, temperature, salinity, and pH have been studied.

Evaluation of a Persian version of the Adelaide driving self-efficacy scale among Iranian older adults.

Objective: Our aim in the present study was to estimate the psychometric properties of the full-length Adelaide driving self-efficacy scale (ADSES) for use among community-based resident older adults in Tehran, Iran.

Methods: We recruited older adults (60+ years) from various sampling units nested in the Tehran district's general urban population (20 subjects/questionnaire-item). The questionnaire was translated and back-translated by using recommended pathways.

Insights into the Host Specificity of a New Oomycete Root Pathogen, P1: Whole Genome Sequencing and Comparative Analysis Reveals Contracted Regulation of Metabolism, Protein Families, and Distinct Pathogenicity Repertoire.

P1 Stanghellini, Mohammadi, Förster, and Adaskaveg is an oomycete root pathogen that has recently been characterized. It only attacks plant species belonging to family, causing root necrosis, stunting, and yield loss. Since P1 is limited in its host range, this prompted us to sequence its whole genome and compare it to those of broad host range spp.

Morphological and Rheological Properties of PLA, PBAT, and PLA/PBAT Blend Nanocomposites Containing CNCs.

Morphological and rheological properties of poly(lactic acid), PLA (semicrystalline and amorphous), and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), PBAT, and their blends (75 wt%/25 wt%; PLA/PBAT) were investigated in the presence of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) prepared from solution casting followed by melt mixing. For the solution casting step, the CNCs were either incorporated into the matrix, the dispersed phase, or both. The dispersion and distribution of the CNCs in the neat polymers and localization in their blends were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Self-Healing Potential and Phase Evolution Characterization of Ternary Cement Blends.

The autogenous self-healing of cementitious material micro-cracks might lead to the service-life extension of structures. However, most of its aspects are still unknown. This paper investigates the self-healing capacity of ternary cement blends including metakaolin (MK), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (BFS), limestone (LS), and siliceous filler (F).

Pythium brassicum sp. nov.: A Novel Plant Family-Specific Root Pathogen.

Roots of stunted broccoli plants (Brassica oleracea) from the Palo Verde Valley, CA, were observed at various stages of decay. A species of Pythium with large spiny oogonia was microscopically observed and consistently isolated from decayed roots. Isolates produced spherical, intercalary sporangia (average 34.

Siderophore-mediated iron acquisition influences motility and is required for full virulence of the xylem-dwelling bacterial phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii.

Iron is a key micronutrient for microbial growth but is often present in low concentrations or in biologically unavailable forms. Many microorganisms overcome this challenge by producing siderophores, which are ferric-iron chelating compounds that enable the solubilization and acquisition of iron in a bioactive form. Pantoea stewartii subsp.

The Draf III septal flap technique: a preliminary report.

Aim: The most prevalent complication of Draf III surgery is recurrence of frontal recess stenosis. The aim of this study is to introduce a method to prevent closure of the recess.

Type Of The Study And Setting: This is a retrospective study that was conducted in Ear, Nose and Throat Referral Center, Amir'Alam Hospital, Tehran.

Biological role of pigment production for the bacterial phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii.

Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, the causal agent of Stewart's wilt of sweet corn, produces a yellow carotenoid pigment. A nonpigmented mutant was selected from a bank of mutants generated by random transposon mutagenesis.

Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii produces an endoglucanase that is required for full virulence in sweet corn.

Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, a xylem-dwelling bacterium, is the causal agent of Stewart's wilt and blight of sweet corn. The goal of this study was to characterize the only gene in the P.

Hospital waste management status in Iran: a case study in the teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Hospital waste materials pose a wide variety of health and safety hazards for patients and healthcare workers. Many of hospitals in Iran have neither a satisfactory waste disposal system nor a waste management and disposal policy. The main objective of this research was to investigate the solid waste management in the eight teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences.

Autoinducer-2 of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora and other plant-associated bacteria.

Autoinducers are important for cellular communication of bacteria. The luxS gene has a central role in the synthesis of autoinducer-2 (AI-2). The gene was identified in a shotgun library of Erwinia amylovora and primers designed for PCR amplification from bacterial DNA.

The Bt gene cry2Aa2 driven by a tissue specific ST-LS1 promoter from potato effectively controls Heliothis virescens.

Expression of the Cry2Aa2 protein was targeted specifically to the green tissues of transgenic tobacco Nicotiana tabacum cv. Xanthi plants. This deployment was achieved by using the promoter region of the gene encoding the Solanum tuberosum leaf and stem specific (ST-LS1) protein.

Induced chitinase activity in resistant wheat leaves inoculated with an incompatible race of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the causal agent of yellow rust disease.

Chitinase specific activity was measured spectrophotometrically in wheat leaf tissues during the compatible and incompatible interactions with Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the causal agent of yellow rust disease.