Understanding the structural characteristics of starch can help in determining its functional properties and choosing appropriate applications. This work aimed to comprehensively characterize and understand the morphological, crystalline, and molecular structure of the normal and waxy wheat A- and B- starch granules. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that both normal and waxy wheat A- and B- starch granules have a typical A-type crystalline structure. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses showed differences in shape, the thickness of semi-crystalline growth rings, and short-range molecular order of the normal and waxy A- and B- starch granules. The wheat A-starch granules contained lower proportions of A-chains (DP 6–12) and B1- chains (DP 13–24) than those of the wheat B- starch granules. Also, the results revealed that B1-chains (DP 13–24) play an important role in the formation of surface/mass fractal characteristics of starch granules. Furthermore, the atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the normal and waxy wheat A-starch granules are mass fractal, while the normal and waxy wheat B- starch granules are surface fractal.

The present study aimed to make white soft cheese (WSC) with different salt concentrations, using Bifidobacterium longum cultures (5%), microbial rennet (0.2%). Cheese samples were divided into 5 treatments; control contained 5% salt, T1 contained 6% salt, T2 contained 7% salt, T3 contained 8% salt and T4 contained 9% salt. Then, cheese treatments are stored at 5±1oC for 90 days. The chemical and microbiological analysis were carried when fresh and after 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 & 90 days of storage periods. Statistical analysis showed that there was a highly significant difference (p < 0.0001) in the acidity (%), moisture content, fat (%), salt (%), total protein (%) and soluble nitrogen (%) between cheese treatments. Also a highly significant difference (p < 0.0001) was found during the 90 days of pickled time. Microbiological analysis showed that there was a negative correlation between the salt level and the numbers of Bifidobacterium longum in  control samples, which made with lowest salt content (%). which maintained a high numbers of Bifidobacterium longum of5-7 log CFU / g.after 75 days.

 The objective of this study was to propose a simple method to assess the water quality and to map their spatial variation in terms of suitability for irrigation in Darb El-Arbaein area. 36 surveyed wells with GPS data were used to assess and map the water quality. Multivariate Factor Analysis/Principal Component Analysis was used in order to develop a water quality index (WQI). The results of analyses had been used to map and predict models for water quality. The ordinary Kriging (OK) method was applied to produce the spatial patterns of water quality. Based on these results, the distribution pattern of water quality parameters such as Cl and SAR were produced. The results showed that Circular semivariogram model was best fitted for chloride and Cd parameters where spherical model fitted best for Ni and Zn parameters. Stable semivariogrammodel was best fitted for Pb and SAR parameters while J-Bessel model fitted best for EC parameter. High salinity was due to high chloride concentration in the water. Three of the 36 water samples felt in the moderate WQI. Most of the samples (26) felt in the Doubtful WQI category. Seven samples felt in the higher WQI category. Water samples that felt in the low salinity hazard class and high WQI can be used for irrigation of most crops and the majority of soils. The WQI for the samples ranged from 47.9 to 88.6. The irrigation water quality index distribution maps delineated an area of 266.66ha were suitable for irrigation in villages 3-4 and area of 382.35 were moderate suitability in villages 1-2.

There is a considerable lack of essential information about Entisols derived from shale in the arid desert environment. This study was thus carried out to characterize and map the spatial variability of primary properties of Entisols in Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. Soil properties of twenty-seven profiles represented by Entisols were carefully examined. Geostatistical analysis was performed to map soil variability based on the ordinary kriging interpolation method. Results show that most of the studied soils (92.1%) were fine and medium in texture. The values of electrical conductivity of soil paste extract (ECe) ranged between 0.45 and 36.40 dS m⁻¹ (mean = 10.35 dS m⁻¹). Most of the studied soil samples (82.9%) were extremely low in organic matter (OM) (≤ 3.4 g kg⁻¹). The cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged between 9.37 and 50.84 cmol(+) kg⁻¹ with an average of 29.09 cmol(+) kg⁻¹. The coefficient of variation was high to very high for sand, ECe, and OM; moderate for silt, clay, saturation percentage, and CEC; and low for the soil pH. Significantly positive and negative correlations were observed among the Entisol properties (at P < 0.01 and/or P < 0.05), and most of these relationships are likely associated with the parent material. Precise maps created efficiently with geostatistics were crucial for a proper understanding of the current spatial variability in the study area. This study provides valuable information and new knowledge about the properties and the spatial variability of this type of Entisols.

Soil erosion modeling is becoming more significant in the development and implementation of soil management and conservation policies. For a better understanding of the geographical distribution of soil erosion, spatial-based models of soil erosion are required. The current study proposed a spatial-based model that integrated geographic information systems (GIS) techniques with both the universal soil loss equation (USLE) model and the Index of Land Susceptibility to Wind Erosion (ILSWE). The proposed Spatial Soil Loss Model (SSLM) was designed to generate the potential soil erosion maps based on water erosion and wind erosion by integrating factors of the USLE and ILSWE models into the GIS environment. Hence, the main objective of this study is to predict, quantify, and assess the soil erosion hazards using the SSLM in the Dakhla Oasis as a case study. The water soil loss values were computed by overlaying the values of five factors: the rainfall factor (R-Factor), soil erodibility (K-Factor), topography (LS-Factor), crop types (C-Factor), and conservation practice (P-Factor). The severity of wind-driven soil loss was calculated by overlaying the values of five factors: climatic erosivity (CE-Factor), soil erodibility (E-Factor), soil crust (SC-Factor), vegetation cover (VC-Factor), and surface roughness (SR-Factor). The proposed model was statistically validated by comparing its outputs to the results of USLE and ILSWE models. Soil loss values based on USLE and SSLM varied from 0.26 to 3.51 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ with an average of 1.30 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and from 0.26 to 3.09 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ with a mean of 1.33 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively. As a result, and according to the assessment of both the USLE and the SSLM, one soil erosion class, the very low class (<6.7 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), has been reported to be the prevalent erosion class in the study area. These findings indicate that the Dakhla Oasis is slightly eroded and more tolerable against water erosion factors under current management conditions. Furthermore, the study area was classified into four classes of wind erosion severity: very slight, slight, moderate, and high, representing 1.0%, 25.2%, 41.5%, and 32.3% of the total study area, respectively, based on the ILSWE model and 0.9%, 25.4%, 43.9%, and 29.9%, respectively, according to the SSLM. Consequently, the Dakhla Oasis is qualified as a promising area for sustainable agriculture when appropriate management is applied. The USLE and ILSWE model rates had a strong positive correlation (r = 0.97 and 0.98, respectively), with the SSLM rates, as well as a strong relationship based on the average linear regression (R² = 0.94 and 0.97, respectively). The present study is an attempt to adopt a spatial-based model to compute and map the potential soil erosion. It also pointed out that designing soil erosion spatial models using available data sources and the integration of USLE and ILSWE with GIS techniques is a viable option for calculating soil loss rates. Therefore, the proposed soil erosion spatial model is fit for calculating and assessing soil loss rates under this study and is valid for use in other studies under arid regions with the same conditions.

A precise evaluation of soil quality (SQ) is important for sustainable land use planning. This study was conducted to assess soil quality using multivariate approaches. An assessment of SQ was carried out in an area of Dakhla Oasis using two methods of indicator selection, i.e., total data set (TDS) and minimum data set (MDS), and three soil quality indices (SQIs), i.e., additive quality index (AQI), weighted quality index (WQI), and Nemoro quality index (NQI). Fifty-five soil profiles were dug and samples were collected and analyzed. A total of 16 soil physicochemical parameters were selected for their sensitivity in SQ appraising to represent the TDS. The principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to establish the MDS. Statistical analyses were performed to test the accuracy and validation of each model, as well as to understand the relationship between the used methods and indices. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that soil depth, gravel content, sand fraction, and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were included in the MDS. High positive correlations (r ≥ 0.9) occurred between SQIs calculated using TDS and/or MDS under the three models. Moreover, the findings showed highly significant differences (p < 0.001) among SQIs within and between TDS and MDS. Approximately 80 to 85% of the total study area based on TDS, as well as 70 to 75%, according to MDS, were identified as suitable soils with slight limitations on soil quality grade (Q3, Q2, and Q1), while the remaining 20 to 30% had high to severe limitations (Q4 and Q5). The highest sensitivity (SI = 2.9) occurred by applying WQI using MDS and indicator weights based on the variance of PCA. Furthermore, the highest linear regression value (R² = 0.88) between TDS and MDS was recorded using the same model. Because of its high sensitivity, such a model could be used for monitoring SQ changes caused by agricultural practices and environmental factors. The findings of this study have significant guiding implications and practical value in assessing the soil quality using TDS and MDS in arid areas critically and accurately.

In order, to assess the effects of foliar spry time by different micronutrients
nanoparticles on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivar, Sakha-53, a field experiment
was organized in a randomized complete block design using strip plot
arrangement with three replications during 2019 and 2020 seasons at Agronomy
Department Farm, Agriculture Faculty, Assiut University, Egypt. Three different
foliar spraying times of different micronutrients nanoparticles were allocated
horizontally while eight treatments of spraying with different Micronutrient
nanoparticles (2 gm/L) were arranged vertically. The results showed that foliar
spraying twice after 30 and 50 days from sowing was significantly increased
plant height, stem diameter and head diameter in both seasons. In addition, the
highest mean values of seed yield (t fed.-1) and oil yield (kg fed.-1) were recorded
when foliar spraying was done threes after 30,50 and 70 days from sowing.
Foliar application of Iron, Manganese, and Zinc nanoparticles was superior all
other treatments in this respect and registered the highest mean values of all studied
yield attributes, seed yield, and oil yield in both seasons. The interaction between
spraying time numbers and micronutrients nanoparticles significantly affected
all sunflower yield attributes in both growing seasons. The highest mean
values of seed yield (3.47 and 3.55 t fed-1) and oil yield (1765.88 and 1770.67 kg
fed-1) were obtained from the interaction between T3 × S7 (foliar spraying three
times after 30, 50 and 70 days from sowing date × spraying with Iron, Manganese
and Zinc). It was concluded that foliar spray threes time at 30, 50 and 70
days from sowing using Iron, Manganese and Zinc nanoparticles could be used
as a suitable method for improving seed yield and its attributes of sunflower cultivar,
Sakha-53.

Currently, the evidence of the ingestion of microplastics (MPs) by organisms or the accumulation in different environmental compartments has been achieved using several methodological procedures. However, its uses have not been standardized across studies. In this study, we aim to assess and validate a protocol that can be useful for optimizing the identification and quantification procedures of polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs) in biological samples. Initially, considering that numerous studies filter samples previously digested in cellulosic membranes for isolation and analysis of MPs, we evaluated whether washing these membranes with different reagents could contribute to the complete detachment of particles, as well as to their dispersion in the obtained solutions. However, none of the tested reagents (dimethyl sulfoxide, acetone, ethyl alcohol and chloroform), including purified water, was able to completely remove the MPs adhered to the membranes or facilitate their dispersion in the solutions. On the other hand, we observed that the digestion of the membranes by acetonitrile constituted a procedure that prevents the loss of particles due to adherence, in addition to promoting good dispersion of MPs. Subsequently, we evaluated the use of Neubauer chambers for the quantification of MPs, having observed a good recovery rate (>92%) and results with insignificant variation, in PE MPs solutions with different concentrations (0.15; 0.075 and 0.0375 mg/mL). Ultimately, the validation of the proposed procedures took place from the evaluation of the accumulation of PE MPs in Astyanax spp. juveniles, having demonstrated the efficiency and sensitivity of the method proposed for this purpose. Subsequently, our study provides a methodological alternative that can optimize MPs quantifications in biological samples and reduce the generation of biased or unreliable results.

Despite plastic ingestion has already been reported in several bird species, its physiological impacts have been little inspected, especially in representatives of the Cathartidae family. Thus, in this study, we aimed to identify, characterize, and evaluate the effects arising from the ingestion of plastic materials by Coragyps atratus adults, that captured in landfill areas. Herein, a total of 51 individuals were captured, the frequency of plastic intake being higher than 40%. The plastic materials consisted mainly of low-density polyethylene and film-type polystyrene, as well as presenting irregular shapes and diameters between 10 and 30 mm. Biochemically, we observed in animals that contained plastics in the stomach ("plastic" group) high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) - especially in the intestine, muscle and brain - whose activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was not sufficient to counteract the oxidative stress. Moreover, in the liver of these same animals, we observed high production of nitrite and nitrate, suggesting a hepatic nitrosative stress. Plus, we observed a cholinesterase effect in animals from the “plastic” group, marked by increased activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) (in the brain) and muscle and cerebral acetylcholinesterase (AChE). On the other hand, the biochemical changes perceived were not significantly correlated with the identified plastic material concentrations (2.808 ± 0.598 items/g of stomach content and 0.276 ± 0.070 items/g of stomach – fresh weight), body condition of the animals, size, and shape of the identified plastic materials. Hence, our study sheds the light on the toxicity of plastics deposited in landfills and their ingestion by C. atratus, which reinforces the hypothesis that these materials are harming the health of these birds and, consequently, the dynamics of their populations.

Pollution with heavy metals is a common problem worldwide that affects the growth of important crops and human health due to the consumption of contaminated crops. In the recent study, a set of 103 diverse spring wheat genotypes were evaluated for their tolerance to two important metals (lead and tin). The effect of these metals on kernel traits was measured to select tolerant and high-yielding genotypes. A great reduction in kernel length, kernel diameter, kernel width, and thousand kernel weight were found due to the effect of both metals. However, a highly significant correlation between the studied kernel traits was found suggesting their efficiency to indirectly select high yielding genotypes under heavy metals stress. In addition, the effect of the studied heavy metals on the physiological process was investigated and different responses to each metal were found suggesting that there are two different tolerant systems that the plant used to resist lead and tin. The selection of superior genotypes was done based on eight indices calculated for each studied kernel trait. Superior genotypes are those that were found to be tolerant based on all kernel traits. Based on this, one genotype, Gimmiza_11, was found to be highly tolerant to Sn and could be used as a parent in breeding for Sn tolerance. However, one genotype, BeniSweif_7, was found to be moderately tolerant to Pb based on only three kernel traits. Hence, searching for other sources of Pb tolerance in spring wheat is urgently needed. No genotype was found to be tolerant to both metals.