Influence of biosynthesized magnesium oxide nanoparticles on growth and physiological aspects of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) plant, cowpea beetle, and cytotoxicity.

Recently, agricultural management innovation has incorporated engineered nanoparticles. The current investigation was carried out to produce magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) for the first time applying S. cerevisiae extract. FTIR, XRD, HRTEM, and zeta potential analysis were used to characterize the MgONPs. The FTIR data show that the bioactive substances reduce and cap the synthesized MgONPs. The crystalline metallic MgONPs had four significant peaks in the XRD pattern. The size and form of MgONPs were validated by TEM, which exhibited spherical structures with an average size of 27 nm. The effect of various dosages of MgONPs administered to the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) plant on all in vitro parameters was shown to be significant in the study. The concentration 200 ppm was the most significant treatment which increased shoot length, shoot dry-weight and root dry-weight by 27.35%, 45.09%, and 31.91% when compared with the untreated cowpea plants. MgONPs significantly increased photosynthetic pigments, with 150 ppm treatment significantly increasing soluble proteins and carbohydrates. MgONPs effectively treated cowpea C. maculatus, with dose and time-dependent insecticidal activity. MgONPs death rates varied by 82.66% and 100% on fifth day. Biochemical and histopathological studies of rats were investigated. Rats treated with MgONPs showed higher GOT, GPT, Urea levels, but lower creatinine, indicating significant differences. MgONPs-treated rats' liver showed mild to moderate histopathologic changes, including portal blood vessel congestion, lymphocytic cholangitis, and degenerative changes. MgONPs has the potential to improve cowpea development outcomes and suppress grain insects (C. maculatus).

Radiological Hazards and Natural Radionuclide Distribution in Granitic Rocks of Homrit Waggat Area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt.

Natural radioactivity, radiological hazard, and petrological studies of Homrit Waggat granitic rocks, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt were performed in order to assess their suitability as ornamental stone. On the basis of mineralogical and geochemical compositions, Homrit Waggat granitic rocks can be subdivided into two subclasses. The first class comprises granodiorite and tonalite (I-type) and is ascribed to volcanic arc, whereas the second one includes alkali-feldspar granite, syenogranite, and albitized granite with high-K calc alkaline character, which is related to post-orogenic granites. 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K activities of natural radionuclides occurring in the examined rocks were measured radiometrically using sodium iodide detector. Furthermore, assessment of the hazard indices-such as: annual effective dose (AED) with mean values (0.11, 0.09, 0.07, 0.05, and 0.03, standard value = 0.07); gamma radiation index (Iγ) with mean values (0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.14, standard value = 0.5); internal (Hin) with mean values (0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.2, standard value = 1.0); external (Hex) index (0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.24, and 0.12, standard value = 1.0); absorbed gamma dose rate (D) with mean values (86.4, 75.9, 53.5, 43.6, and 20.8, standard value = 57); and radium equivalent activity (Raeq) with mean values (180, 154, 106.6, 90.1, and 42.7, standard value = 370)-were evaluated with the knowledge of the natural radionuclides. The result of these indices falls within the acceptable worldwide limits. Therefore, we suggest that these rocks are safe to be used in industrial applications.

Efficacy Assessment of Biosynthesized Copper Oxide Nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on Stored Grain Insects and Their Impacts on Morphological and Physiological Traits of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Plant.

Herein, CuO-NPs were fabricated by harnessing metabolites of Aspergillus niger strain (G3-1) and characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and XPS. Spherical, crystallographic CuO-NPs were synthesized in sizes ranging from 14.0 to 47.4 nm, as indicated by TEM and XRD. EDX and XPS confirmed the presence of Cu and O with weight percentages of 62.96% and 22.93%, respectively, at varied bending energies. FT-IR spectra identified functional groups of metabolites that could act as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents to the CuO-NPs. The insecticidal activity of CuO-NPs against wheat grain insects Sitophilus granarius and Rhyzopertha dominica was dose- and time-dependent. The mortality percentages due to NP treatment were 55-94.4% (S. granarius) and 70-90% (R. dominica). A botanical experiment was done in a randomized block design. Low CuO-NP concentration (50 ppm) caused significant increases in growth characteristics (shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, and leaves number), photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), and antioxidant enzymes of wheat plants. There was no significant change in carbohydrate or protein content. The use of CuO-NPs is a promising tool to control grain insects and enhance wheat growth performance.

Effect of mineral constituents in the bioleaching of uranium from uraniferous sedimentary rock samples, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt.

Bioleaching, like Biotechnology uses microorganisms to extract metals from their ore materials, whereas microbial activity has an appreciable effect on the dissolution of toxic metals and radionuclides. Bioleaching of uranium was carried out with isolated fungi from uraniferous sedimentary rocks from Southwestern Sinai, Egypt. Eight fungal species were isolated from different grades of uraniferous samples. The bio-dissolution experiments showed that Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus terreus exhibited the highest leaching efficiencies of uranium from the studied samples. Through monitoring the bio-dissolution process, the uranium grade and mineralogic constituents of the ore material proved to play an important role in the bioleaching process. The tested samples asserted that the optimum conditions of uranium leaching are: 7 days incubation time, 3% pulp density, 30 °C incubation temperature and pH 3. Both fungi produced the organic acids, namely; oxalic, acetic, citric, formic, malonic, galic and ascorbic in the culture filtrate, indicating an important role in the bioleaching processes.

Characterization of [(3)H]Quisqualate binding to recombinant rat metabotropic glutamate 1a and 5a receptors and to rat and human brain sections.

We have investigated the binding properties of [(3)H]quisqualate to rat metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) 1a and 5a receptors and to rat and human brain sections. Saturation isotherms gave K:(D) values of 27 +/- 4 and 81 +/- 22 nM: for mGlu1a and mGlu5a receptors, respectively. Several compounds inhibited the binding to mGlu1a and mGlu5a receptors concentration-dependently. (S:)-4-Carboxyphenylglycine, (S:)-4-carboxy-3-hydroxyphenylglycine, and (R,S)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid, which completely inhibited [(3)H]quisqualate binding to the mGlu5a receptor, were inactive in a functional assay using this receptor. The distribution and abundance of binding sites in rat and human brain sections were studied by quantitative receptor radioautography and image analysis. Using 10 nM: [(3)H]quisqualate, a high density of binding was detected in various brain regions with the following rank order of increasing levels: medulla, thalamus, olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, spinal cord dorsal horn, olfactory tubercle, dentate gyrus molecular layer, CA1-3 oriens layer of hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellar molecular layer. The ionotropic component of this binding could be inhibited by 30 microM: kainate, revealing the distribution of mGlu1+5 receptors. The latter were almost completely inhibited by the group I agonist (S:)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine. The binding profile correlated well with the cellular sites of synthesis and regional expression of the respective group I receptor proteins revealed by in situ hybridization histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, respectively.