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Injera , a fermented pancake, is a major food in Ethiopia but there is limited information on its phenolic and antioxidant potential. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fermentation on soluble and bound phenolic profiles and antioxidant potential of 0, 24, 72 and 120 h fermented injera from 4 tef varieties of brown and white color. The contribution of soluble phenolic extracts to the total phenolic content ranged from 14 to 17% and 17–32%, before and after fermentation, respectively. Gallic, protocatechuic, vanillic, syringic, p -coumaric, salicylic, ferulic acid, catechin and naringenin were identified and quantified both in the fermented and unfermented injeras from Quncho and Zezew tef varieties. After fermenting for 72 h, the majority of the phenolic compounds increased in the range of 42–1805% in soluble and decreased by 2–100% in bound extracts in both varieties. FRAP values of the soluble and bound phenolic extracts of injera increased by 54–138% and 30–40%, respectively. Total ABTS values, but not DPPH, improved with fermentation. Fermentation for 72 h showed the highest increase in total phenolic and antioxidant contents. Brown seed colored varieties (Zagurey and Zezew) showed superior total phenolic and antioxidant contents compared to the white varieties (Quncho and Tsedey). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a critical review of the developments in the proposals for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in the UK, focusing particularly on international students. The analysis points to the absence of views and discussions regarding the group of international learners, which warrants the claim that international students have been “TEF-ed out”. The article provides the answerwhy. The article draws on the coverage of the TEF in theTimes Higher Educationand relevant literature on international students. It is concluded that the TEF reveals signs of “othering” of international students, pointing to the fundamental problem with the TEF as a national tool that legitimises subordination of this group in recent moves and changes to higher education. The article also discusses Internationalisation at Home (IAH) as a possible metric that could create more equal conditions for cultural plurality in the TEF. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

About 15,000M2seeds of ethyl-methane-sulphonate (EMS)-mutagenized population were screened along with Al-tolerant and sensitive checks and theM0variety. Strongly acidic soil with an external application of a toxic Al-solution and exposure to moisture stress was used to maximize selection pressure. Twenty-oneM2plants with root lengths of greater than the mean of the tolerant check were selected and planted for seed production. CandidateM3plants were investigated for Al-tolerance and for morpho-agronomic traits under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. Highly significant differences were observed for Al-tolerance between the candidate mutant lines and theM0(P < .001), and between mutant lines and the sensitive check (P < .001). Similarly, significant differences were observed between the mutant lines for 16 of the 20 quantitative traits measured. This study is the first to report successful induction of enhanced Al-tolerance in tef by using EMS mutagenized population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is an abnormal flow between the esophagus and the trachea. Most patients with TEF experience severe symptoms. Asymptomatic TEF is rare. In this case report, a 47-year-old woman planned to undergo orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia. She had no symptoms related to TEF, and the preoperative chest computed tomography was also normal. However, there was significant airway resistance after induction. Using a fiber bronchoscope, a TEF was discovered. The TEF found after anesthesia due to high airway pressure is unusual, and the outcome and treatment of these patients need to be further discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

La tenacidad de fractura de aceros de alta resistencia (AHSS), es una propiedad interesante para optimizar el comportamiento a impacto, pero su caracterización experimental en chapas metálicas es compleja debido a su espesor. En este trabajo se plantea el método del Trabajo Esencial de Fractura (TEF), como alternativa al cálculo de la tenacidad. Este método ya ha sido utilizado con éxito en polímeros y aceros dúctiles, aunque la información sobre su aplicación en AHSS es escasa. Se ha evaluado la tenacidad en un acero de fase dual de 800 MPa de resistencia y se ha comparado con la de un acero de embutición. Los resultados muestran que se cumplen los requisitos del método y ponen en evidencia la influencia del radio de entalla en el valor obtenido de TEF, especialmente para AHSS. Con todo ello, el método TEF se puede usar para caracterizar la tenacidad de AHSS en formato chapa.

Injera is a fermented, sour bread consumed as a staple food in Eritrea and Ethiopia. The bread can be prepared from various cereals but tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], is the most preferred ingredient. This study assessed the acceptability of injera prepared using grains of an alternative, neglected and underutilised crop, Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees. The nutritive value of the grains was compared and the sensory attributes of injera made of tef (control) and E. curvula each combined with 0%, 5%, and 10% of sorghum flour were assessed using a panel. Nutrient analysis showed that E. curvula contains more than double the amount of crude protein in tef. E. curvula also contains higher fat, dietary fiber and mineral nutrients than tef. Injeras made of E. tef and E. curvula flours showed non-significant difference in taste, texture, appearance and overall acceptability. Our findings indicate that E. curvula has potential to serve as an alternative source of qualitative human nutrition; becoming a good addition to the gluten-free cereal portfolio. Agronomically, growing E. curvula could be more advantageous for smallholder farmers on marginal lands as the species produces harvests twice a year, unlike tef.

Acquired tracheo-esophageal Fistula (TEF) is a rare but serious complication of prolonged endotracheal intubation. Patients of TEF are usually very critically ill and prone to repeated aspiration and pneumonia. The first stage of treatment involves the diversion of salivary and gastric contents away from the fistula site, improving the nutritional status and control of sepsis. A drainage gastrostomy and feeding jejunostomy is often required to divert the gastric contents away from the fistula and for nutrition.

The genus Eragrostis consists of 350 species, including tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter), the only cultivated species in this genus. Very little is known about the genetic potential of these species for tef improvement and genomics research. Here, we investigated a germplasm panel consisting of 40 Eragrostis species and 42 tef lines with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data generated using the genotyping by sequencing (GBS) protocol. Thousands of SNPs were identified genome-wide from the germplasm panel. High-quality SNPs were used to assess sequence similarity and/or divergence, genetic diversity, population structure, and phylogenetic relationships. Mapping individual reads to the tef reference genome revealed that of the 40 wild Eragrostis species included in this study, E. pilosa, E. aethiopica, E. obtusa, E. ferruginea, E. lugens, and E. lehmanniana had 92% of their sequences represented in the tef reference genome. In the maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis, these wild species clearly showed grouping in the clade consisting of the entire tef germplasm. Population structure analysis showed two major clusters consistent with the germplasm class information and the inferred phylogenetic relationships. The wild Eragrostis species were more diverse than the tef cultivars and could therefore potentially be used to enrich the tef gene pool. The SNP dataset and the results documented here are taxonomically the most inclusive to date and could be a useful informational tool for the design of genomics-informed tef breeding and research.

Amorphophallus muelleri, known as konjac, is widely used in the biomedicine and food processing due to its richness in glucomannan. Between the years of 2019 to 2022, severe outbreaks of southern blight on Am. muelleri were observed during August and September in the main planting region of Mile city. The average disease incidence was 20%, resulted in 15.3% of economic losses in approximately 10,000 m2. Infected plants showed wilting and rotting and were covered with white dense mats of mycelia and sclerotia on both petiole base and tubers. Am. muelleri petiole base covered with mycelial mats were collected for pathogen isolation. The infected tissues (n=20) were washed with sterile water and surface disinfected with 75% alcohol for 60 seconds, rinsed three times with sterile water, cultured on rose bengal agar (RBA) and incubated at 27 ℃ for two days (Adre et al. 2022). Individual hyphae were transferred to new RBA plates and incubated at 27 ℃ for 15 days to obtain purified cultures. Five representative isolates were subsequently obtained and exhibited identical morphological characteristics. All isolates produced dense, cotton-white aerial mycelia and had a daily growth rate of 1.6 ± 0.2 mm (n=5). After 10 days, all isolates formed sclerotia in spherical (diameter range 1.1 to 3.5 mm, aver. 2.0 ± 0.5 mm; n=30) and irregular shapes. The number of sclerotia per plate ranged from 58 to 113 (aver=82; n=5). These sclerotia were initially white and gradually turned brown as they matured. A representative isolate (17B-1) was selected for molecular identification and the translation elongation factor (TEF, 480 nt.), internal transcribed spacer (ITS, 629 nt.), large subunit (LSU, 922 nt.), and small subunit (SSU, 1016 nt.) regions were amplified with the primers EF595F/EF1160R (Wendland and Kothe 1997), ITS1/ITS4 (Utama et al. 2022), NS1/NS4, and LROR/LR5 (Moncalvo et al. 2000), respectively. The ITS (GenBank accession no. OP658949), LSU (OP658955), SSU (OP658952), and TEF (OP679794) sequences were 99.19%, 99.78%, 99.31%, and 99.58% similar to those of At. rolfsii isolates (MT634388, MT225781, MT103059, and MN106270, respectively). Thus, the fungus represented by isolate 17B-1 was identified as At. rolfsii, corroborating the identification of Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., the anamorph, based on cultural and morphological features. Pathogenicity tests were performed on six-month-old asymptomatic Am. muelleri plants (n=30) grown in pots with sterile soil in a greenhouse at 27 °C and 80% relative humidity. The petiole base was scratched with a sterile blade and 20 plants were inoculated by placing a 5 mm2 mycelial plug of five-day-old isolate 17B-1 on the wound. Sterile RBA plugs were used on 10 wounded control plants. After 12 days, all inoculated plants exhibited symptoms similar to those observed in the field, while the control plants showed no symptoms. The morphological and molecular identification of the fungus reisolated from inoculated petioles confirmed its identity as At. Rolfsii, fulfilling Koch's postulates. S. rolfsii was first reported on Am. campanulatus in India (Sarma et al. 2002). As At. rolfsii causes konjac diseases in all Amorphophallus growing areas (Pravi et al. 2014), the importance of At. rolfsii as an endemic pathogen of Am. muelleri in China needs to be recognized, and its prevalence should be determined as a first step to managing this disease.

The aim of this paper is to report the determination of Total potency equivalent concentration (TPEC) of Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs) in soil samples from Bodo area in Ogoniland using the Toxicity Equivalent Factor (TEF) model. Gas Chromatography GC HP 5870 with FID was used for analysis. Out of the seven cPAHs investigated only three were detected. They are Benzo (a) Pyrene (BaP), Dibenzo (a, h) anthracene and Indeno (1, 2, 3-cd) pyrene with soil concentrations of 19.06 mg/kg, 6.67 mg/kg and 29.26 mg/kg respectively. Their correspondingly individual potency equivalent concentrations in soil (mg/kg) are 19.06, 0.67 and 2.93 respectively. Benzo (k) Fluoranthene, Benzo (a) Anthracene, Benzo (b) Fluoranthene and Chrysene was not detected. The calculated TEQ or TPEC is 22.66mg/kg and this value by far exceeds the method B cleanup levels of BaP value of 0.137mg/kg, it suggests a massively contaminated soil. TPEC is 226.6 times higher than the method B and CAL-EPA risk-based cleanup value of 0.1mg/kg while Total cPAHs is 549.9 times higher than the risk-based cleanup value as indicated. This level of soil toxicity with respect to BaP indicates that the area should be declared a no-go area for humans and animals alike. We strongly recommend the application of Dispersion by Chemical Reaction Technology, should be deployed immediately in this area for total detoxification and decontamination of the area. Keywords: TEQ, TEF, PEF, cPAHs, BaP, Bodo, risk assessment

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is a cereal crop resilient to adverse climatic and soil conditions, and possessing desirable storage properties. Although tef provides high quality food and grows under marginal conditions unsuitable for other cereals, it is considered to be an orphan crop because it has benefited little from genetic improvement. Hence, unlike other cereals such as maize and wheat, the productivity of tef is extremely low. In spite of the low productivity, tef is widely cultivated by over six million small-scale farmers in Ethiopia where it is annually grown on more than three million hectares of land, accounting for over 30% of the total cereal acreage. Tef, a tetraploid with 40 chromosomes (2n=4x=40), belongs to the Family Poaceae and, together with finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn), to the Subfamily Chloridoideae. It was believed to have originated in Ethiopia. There are about 350 Eragrostis species of which E. tef is the only species cultivated for human consumption. At the present time, the gene bank in Ethiopia holds over five thousand tef accessions collected from geographical regions diverse in terms of climate and elevation. These germplasm accessions appear to have huge variability with regard to key agronomic and nutritional traits. In order to properly utilize the variability in developing new tef cultivars, various techniques have been implemented to catalog the extent and unravel the patterns of genetic diversity. In this review, we show some recent initiatives investigating the diversity of tef using genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics and discuss the prospect of these efforts in providing molecular resources that can aid modern tef breeding.

Introduction: Use of a Fogarty catheter for emergent occlusion of tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEFs) has been described for use in unstable neonates. Our purpose was to describe a case series of elective Fogarty catheter occlusion of the TEF.Materials and Methods: A formal operative laryngoscopy and rigid bronchoscopy were performed with Fogarty catheter placement into the fistula before surgical intervention. The balloon was inflated and gentle traction provided occlusion of the tract. An endotracheal tube was then placed in a midtracheal location irrespective of fistulous tract location. The Fogarty catheter was removed at the time of fistula ligation.Results: Six patients underwent Fogarty catheter occlusion of the TEF at the time of repair. The average gestational age was 38 ± 2 weeks and birth weight was 2499 ± 399 g. Associated anomalies or comorbidities were present in 2 of 6 patients (33%). Five patients (83%) had an esophageal atresia with distal TEF, all of whom underwent surgical intervention before day of life (DOL) 2. Of these patients, 3 were performed thoracoscopically, 1 was converted from thoracoscopic to open, and 1 was initiated as an open procedure. One patient had an H-type fistula, which was repaired through a cervical approach on DOL 48. Average time required for both bronchoscopy and Fogarty placement was 10 ± 2 minutes. There were no complications associated with Fogarty catheter placement and catheter dislodgement did not occur during any of the procedures.Conclusion: Elective Fogarty catheter occlusion of TEF can be performed safely and expeditiously, alleviating many perioperative challenges of TEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although quercetin is very well known for its anticancer activity, however it shows some drawbacks. Herein, we have evaluated the apoptotic effect TEF (5, 3′-dihydroxy-3, 7, 4′-triethoxyflavone), a newly synthesized quercetin derivative on HCT-116 colon cancer cells. After 24 h of treatment, the proliferation of colon cancer cells was inhibited by TEF. TEF induced apoptosis, as confirmed by the presence of fragmented nuclei, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevated cytoplasmic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. TEF treatment causes elevation of IRE1-α and activates calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) with concomitant increase in JNK levels. Elevated Ca 2+ ion translocates from ER to mitochondria which leads to ROS release and oxidative stress. TEF treatment further elevated levels of pro-apoptotic factors and down-regulated the level of Bcl2. TEF led to activation of mito-JNK (mitochondrial JNK), which plays a crucial role in activation of oxidative stress and caspase mediated apoptotic cell death. Moreover, JNK inhibition shown to suppress TEF induced apoptosis in HCT-116 colon cancer cells. Therefore, this study reveals the apoptotic role of TEF against HCT-116 cell line via IRE1-α and mito-JNK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotope analysis has become an analytical tool of central importance in trophic ecology. The actual degree of isotopic fractionation, however, remains a black-box in most studies. Hence, mean values for trophic enrichment from other taxa are commonly used to delimitate trophic levels. On the other hand, resource composition as well as consumer physiology both influence fractionation patterns. Especially in soil food webs, high variability of isotopic fractionation has been found for both 15 N and 13 C. Here, we investigate effects of diet on trophic enrichment in a no-choice feeding experiment with the oribatid mite model species Archegozetes longisetosus and a set of fungal, animal, algal and plant resources (seeds and vegetative tissues). We found consistent trophic enrichment for nitrogen irrespective of diet (Δ 15 N = 3.9‰), but no reliable fractionation for carbon being negative for fungi (Δ 13 C = −1.8‰), neutral for algae, and positive for the remaining plant and animal resources (Δ 13 C = 2.3‰). The results suggest that δ 15 N is a reliable marker for delimiting the trophic level of oribatid mites and presumably other soil detritivores, while understanding δ 13 C signals needs a priori knowledge about isotopic fractionation with respect to consumed resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) consist of a spectrum of rare congenital abnormalities. Although EA surgical treatment is well established, the outcome of EA with proximal fistula (type B and D EA) or isolated H-type fistula (type E EA) is poorly explored. These forms of EA shared a common surgical step: the need of a cervical approach to close the fistula. Therefore, the aim of present study is to evaluate postoperative outcomes of patients treated for Gross type B–D and E EA, on regards of their cervical surgery. Materials and methods A retrospective case series analysis of all patients affected by type B–D and E EA, and admitted to our tertiary care center between January 2003 and December 2014 was performed. All patients underwent preoperative flexible laryngo-tracheobronchoscopy (LTBS) as part of our standardized preoperative diagnostic assessment to define the diagnosis, evaluate preoperative vocal cord motility and to cannulate the fistula when required. Fistula closure was always performed through a right cervical access. Analysis of all cases and comparison between type B–D and E EA were performed. Mann–Whitney test, Chi-squared test and unpaired t test were used as appropriate; p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results During the study period, 180 EA newborns were treated. Proximal or isolated TEF was found in 18 patients (10%): 7 type B, 11 type E EA. Patients affected by type B and E EA/TEF frequently present associated major malformations (27%), and major cardiac abnormalities (44%). Major postoperative complications were: vocal cord paralysis (5 patients), bilateral in 2 infants requiring tracheostomy, cerebral ischemia (1 patient), and cardiac failure (1 patient). Conclusion Patients affected by type B and E EA have a high rate of associated abnormalities, and risk of possible sequelae. Postoperative complications are common, with possible transient vocal cord dismotility, but in some cases persistent paralysis may require tracheostomy. Therefore, both preoperative and postoperative LTBS is highly recommended to evaluate the presence of a proximal fistula, and vocal cord motility, even in asymptomatic patients, to rule out any possible intraoperative “surprise” and any vocal cord abnormality and to possibly define its pathogenesis (congenital vs. iatrogenic). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injera is a fermented, sour bread consumed as a staple food in Eritrea and Ethiopia. The bread can be prepared from various cereals but tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is the most preferred ingredient. This study assessed the acceptability of injera prepared using grains of a closely related but underutilized grass, Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees. The nutritive value of the grains was compared and the sensory attributes of injera made from flours of tef (control) and E. curvula, each combined with 0, 5, and 10% of sorghum flour, were assessed using a tasting panel. Nutrient analysis showed that E. curvula contains more than double the amount of crude protein found in tef. E. curvula also contains higher fat, dietary fiber and mineral nutrients than tef. Injera made of E. tef and E. curvula flours showed non-significant differences in taste, texture, appearance and overall acceptability. This suggest that E. curvula has the potential to serve as a novel source of gluten-free flour for human consumption. Agronomically viewed, growing E. curvula could be more advantageous for smallholder farmers on marginal lands because the species is a perennial that can produce a seed harvest twice a year, unlike tef, which is annual crop. It also tolerates acidic soils better than tef. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the genetic relationships of plant genetic resources is fundamental for effective selection and conservation. Tef [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is a gluten-free small cereal crop that exhibits considerable genetic variation. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relationships among 60 diverse tef genotypes to select unique and genetically unrelated lines by using 10 selected diagnostic and polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) DNA markers. The results indicated that the number of alleles per locus varied from 10 to 23 with a mean of 16. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.64 for marker CNLTS11 to 0.94 (CNLTS136A/B) with a mean of 0.84 suggesting sufficient discrimination power of the markers to discriminate the tested genotypes. The analysis of molecular variance showed that 63% and 35% of the total variability could be attributed to differences within and among tef genotypes, respectively. The high level of genetic dissimilarity within the tested tef genotypes provides an opportunity for systematic selection and conservation. Overall, the SSR analysis identified distinct genotypes such ‘ DZ-Cr-385 ’, ‘ 222076 ’, and ‘ 213237 ’, which are known for their early maturity and good yields under moisture stress. The analysis also identified the genotypes ‘ DZ-Cr-387 ’, ‘ 205896 ’, ‘ 205917 ’, and ‘ Dschanger ’, which are consistent to their unique agronomic attributes such as late maturity, high grain yields, relatively good plant heights, and long panicles under optimum rainfall conditions. The identified and agronomically complementary tef genotypes are valuable genetic resources for further breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the accumulation and toxicity of mixtures of metals to aquatic organisms is a key challenge in ecotoxicological studies. In this study, the accumulation and toxicity of mixed essential (Cu) and nonessential (Cd and Pb) metals in zebrafish larvae exposed to a binary mixture of these elements at environmentally relevant concentrations were predicted using a refined toxicokinetic (TK)–toxicodynamic (TD) model aided with biotic ligand model (BLM) and toxic equivalent factor (TEF) approach. Competitive inhibition and non-competitive interaction/inhibition were observed in bio-uptake. Both Pb and Cd behaved as competitive inhibitors of Cu uptake at high Cu concentrations (>0.1 μM). By contrast, Cu uptake was independent of Cd or Pb when the Cu concentrations were below 10 −7 M. Furthermore, low concentrations of Cu had an adiaphorous effect on Cd or Pb uptake. Cd uptake was inhibited by Pb, and the Pb uptake rates consistently decreased in the presence of Cd. The accumulation processes of Cd–Pb, Cu–Cd, and Cu–Pb were accurately predicted by the BLM-aided TK models. The traditional TD model could successfully predict the toxicity of Cd–Pb mixtures, but not those of Cu–Cd or Cu–Pb mixtures. The revised TD model, which considered the possible different killing rates ( K k ) above or below the threshold, offered better prediction for the toxicity of Cu–Cd or Cu–Pb mixtures. The overall findings may be of key significance in understanding and predicting metal uptake, accumulation, and toxicity in binary or multiple metal exposure scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC)-μECD analysis was used to determine 2,3,7,8-substituted dibenzo- p -dioxin (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF) distribution in the Jukskei and Klip/Vaal catchment areas from ten sites previously identified as persistent organic pollutant hotspots in major rivers in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Five sediment samples from the Jukskei River catchment area and five sediment samples from the Kilp/Vaal River catchment area were collected for analysis. The extracts were screened for dioxin-like activity using the DR-Luc bioassay prior to GCxGC-μECD analysis. All sediment samples tested positive for dioxin-like activity with total activity ranging from 16 to 37 pg toxic equivalents (TEQ) g −1 dry weight (dw) for the Jukskei River catchment and 1.5–22 pg TEQ g −1 dw for the Klip/Vaal River catchment, indicating that the Jukskei River catchment area had higher concentrations of total dioxin-like compounds. Confirmatory tests for the presence of the most potent seven PCDDs and ten PCDFs conducted using GCxGC-μECD revealed presence of 11 PCDD/Fs and 6 PCDD/Fs in the Jukskei and Klip/Vaal River catchments respectively. Total organic carbon (TOC) and particle size distribution analysis were conducted to understand the distribution of PCDD/Fs within the Jukskei and Klip/Vaal catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orphan crop, Eragrostis tef, was subjected to controlled drought conditions to observe the physiological parameters and proteins changing in response to dehydration stress. Physiological measurements involving electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll fluorescence and ultra-structural analysis showed tef plants tolerated water loss to 50% relative water content (RWC) before adverse effects in leaf tissues were observed. Proteomic analysis using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) mass spectrometry and appropriate database searching enabled the detection of 5727 proteins, of which 211 proteins, including a number of spliced variants, were found to be differentially regulated with the imposed stress conditions. Validation of the iTRAQ dataset was done with selected stress-related proteins, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) and the protective antioxidant proteins, monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and peroxidase (POX). Western blot analyses confirmed protein presence and showed increased protein abundance levels during water deficit while enzymatic activity for FBA, MDHAR and POX increased at selected RWC points. Gene ontology (GO)-term enrichment and analysis revealed terms involved in biotic and abiotic stress response, signaling, transport, cellular homeostasis and pentose metabolic processes, to be enriched in tef upregulated proteins, while terms linked to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing processes under water-deficit, such as photosynthesis and associated light harvesting reactions, manganese transport and homeostasis, the synthesis of sugars and cell wall catabolism and modification, to be enriched in tef downregulated proteins.

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Soil fertility has been declining in many parts of Ethiopia, moreover limits agricultural production, sustainability and food security. Nutrient balance is used to evaluate the state of soil fertility, rate of nutrient depletion, sustainability of land productivity, as well as to take the appropriate management decisions. This study was conducted to quantify soil nutrient balance and stocks on smallholder farms at Agew Mariam watershed, in northern Ethiopia in the 2020/21 season. The inflows-outflows of NPK into, and out of barley, tef, and wheat farms were determined through, field measurement, laboratory analysis and interviews. The nutrient balance in each crop was quantified by subtracting nutrient outputs from the inputs. The N partial balance of barley, tef and wheat was -66, -9.8, and -50.7 kg ha -1 yr -1 fields, respectively. The P balance was also -5.9, 0.9, and -2.6 kg ha -1 yr -1 for barley, tef, and wheat fields, respectively. The K balance was -12.3, -3.2, and -5.4 kg ha -1 yr -1 in barley, tef, and wheat fields, respectively. The analysis revealed that N, P, and K had negative values except for P in tef. The stock of N was 1295, 1510, and 1240 in barley, tef, and wheat kg ha -1 fields, respectively. The P stock was 63, 18.7, and 27.5 kg ha -1 in barley, tef, and wheat farms, respectively. Similarly, K stock was 1092.7, 1059.4, and 1090.6 kg ha -1 in barley, tef, and wheat cropping systems, respectively. Reversing the imbalance between inflows and outflows via adding organic and inorganic fertilizer is essential for barley, tef, and wheat cropping systems in the study area., Competing Interests: The authors do not disclose any conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Although many studies have focused on the socio-economic and nutritional status of Ethiopians, few have incorporated anthropometric measurements and structured questionnaires to explore the links between agriculture, development, and nutrition. Additionally, the research design included interviews with development agents, university faculty and staff, and community leaders from the Ethiopian highlands. A survey of 120 households in three districts of Ethiopia’s famine belt revealed that a majority of households suffer from severe malnutrition. Anthropometric measures demonstrated that wasting and stunting rates are high. Furthermore, water usage, particularly irrigation and access to farmland, plays a significant role in crop diversity, food security, and household nutritional status. Interviews with farmers suggest there is a critical need for agricultural extension, with an emphasis on addressing gender-related issues, and research as it relates to crop and water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) originate from a variety of natural and industrial processes. In this paper, concentrations of nine PAHs in PM particle fraction were measured concurrently at four different sites (rural, urban residential, urban traffic, and residential-industrial) in continental Croatia. Measurements at all of the four sites showed much higher average concentrations for all of the PAHs in the winter period. The highest winter average values were measured at the industrial site and the lowest at the rural and the urban residential site. In the summer, the highest average values were also measured in the industrial area, except for benzo(ghi)perylene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, which showed the highest average values in the rural area. Factor analysis has been applied to PAH concentrations to identify their potential sources. Extracted factors have been interpreted on basis of previous studies and weather conditions. The diagnostic ratios calculated in this study indicated mixed sources at all of the sites. The contribution of gasoline and diesel from traffic was significant at all of the sites except for the urban industrial. In the winter, potential PAH sources also arose from wood combustion. The industrial site differed from the other sites with the highest influence of diesel sources and refinery during the summer months. The contribution of BaP in total carcinogenic activity exceeded 50 % in both seasons at all of the measured sites, which suggests that BaP could be suitable as a marker of the carcinogenic potential of a PAH mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In June 2015, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) proposed a lighter touch quality assessment regime that would place greater reliance on institutions' own governance arrangements. In July 2015 the Minister for Higher Education announced a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) parts of which appear inconsistent with HEFCE's proposals. In August the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) responded to HEFCE's proposals envisaging some developments to its present quality assessment arrangements. This article analyses the key issues and principles that will supposedly govern the design of a new quality assessment regime from 2017. It proposes points of reference against which to evaluate the proposals for that new regime; these are whether the approach to review that is adopted: a) differentiates between institutions on the basis of their capacities to manage their responsibilities; b) shows the regulator's willingness to trust institutions to discharge their responsibilities (with verification) and willingness by institutions to accept their responsibilities; c) adopts an approach to risk and its management that is forward-looking and enables pre-emptive actions to forestall negative outcomes; and d) makes greater use of metrics that are interpreted by experts qualified to make judgements on academic matters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Currently, consumers' preference toward baked goods with additional (functional and nutritional) value is increasing, leading food industries to look at natural nutrient-dense alternatives like tef grain. Impact of tef grain flour incorporation (three Ethiopian varieties: DZ-01-99, DZ-Cr-37 and DZ-Cr-387 at 10, 20, 30 and 40 % levels) on dough viscoelastic profiles and stickiness of wheat-based dough matrices were investigated. Oscillatory and creep-recovery tests together with dough stickiness were performed. Incorporation of tef flours affected the structure of the dough matrices visibly by reducing viscoelastic moduli, and the maximum stress doughs can tolerate before its structure is broken and increased dough instantaneous and retarded elastic compliances. Effect of dose was not always significant in the parameters measured. Tef grain flour incorporation up to 30 % level led to breads with higher loaf volume than the control associated with optimal consistency and higher deformability of doughs. Higher tef doses increased dough stickiness. This will affect dough handling and shaping/flattening to get continuous strands or thin sheets. On average, the DZ-Cr-37-supplemented doughs exhibited higher elastic and viscous moduli, lower compliances and higher steady-state viscosity and led to significantly lower loaf bread volumes. Hence, based on dough viscoelastic and stickiness properties, incorporation of DZ-01-99 and DZ-Cr-387 into wheat flour-based formulations could be more preferable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to report the determination of Total potency equivalent concentration (TPEC) of Carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs) in soil samples from Bodo area in Ogoniland using the Toxicity Equivalent Factor (TEF) model. Gas Chromatography GC HP 5870 with FID was used for analysis. Out of the seven cPAHs investigated only three were detected. They are Benzo (a) Pyrene (BaP), Dibenzo (a, h) anthracene and Indeno (1, 2, 3-cd) pyrene with soil concentrations of 19.06 mg/kg, 6.67 mg/kg and 29.26 mg/kg respectively. Their correspondingly individual potency equivalent concentrations in soil (mg/kg) are 19.06, 0.67 and 2.93 respectively. Benzo (k) Fluoranthene, Benzo (a) Anthracene, Benzo (b) Fluoranthene and Chrysene was not detected. The calculated TEQ or TPEC is 22.66mg/kg and this value by far exceeds the method B cleanup levels of BaP value of 0.137mg/kg, it suggests a massively contaminated soil. TPEC is 226.6 times higher than the method B and CAL-EPA risk-based cleanup value of 0.1mg/kg while Total cPAHs is 549.9 times higher than the risk-based cleanup value as indicated. This level of soil toxicity with respect to BaP indicates that the area should be declared a no-go area for humans and animals alike. We strongly recommend the application of Dispersion by Chemical Reaction Technology, should be deployed immediately in this area for total detoxification and decontamination of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoderma species are widely used as production hosts for industrial enzymes. Identification of Trichoderma species requires a complex molecular biology based identification involving amplification and sequencing of multiple genes. Industrial laboratories are required to run identification tests repeatedly in cell banking procedures and also to prove absence of production host in the product. Such demands can be fulfilled by a brief method which enables confirmation of strain identity. This communication describes one step identification method for two common Trichoderma species; T. citrinoviride and T. reesei, based on identification of polymorphic region in the nucleotide sequence of translation elongation factor 1 alpha. A unique forward primer and common reverse primer resulted in 153 and 139 bp amplicon for T. citrinoviride and T. reesei, respectively. Simplification was further introduced by using mycelium as template for PCR amplification. Method described in this communication allows rapid, one step identification of two Trichoderma species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments conducted under rainfed agriculture for three consecutive years (2008–2010) revealed that water stress at the late season is the most limiting factor for the productivity of tef ( Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) in Tigray, Ethiopia. Early sowing and one irrigation application late in the growing season, were evaluated with the AquaCrop model as management strategies to improve productivity. Simulations were run for three dominant soil types, under different soil fertility levels, and for four different locations in the region each with 19 years of historical climatic data. Advancing the sowing date, two to three weeks earlier than the commonly practiced by the farmers, resulted in stable yields and reduced the risks on yield failure by 72 to 100%. Moderate to high yields could only be achieved when the recommended fertilizer dose was applied. The yields became moderate but remained stable, by applying only 50% of the recommended dose, which is an affordable soil fertility management practice for the farmers. Considering the limited capacity of most farmers for irrigation, a very limited irrigation with only rainwater harvested during the growing cycle, was assessed as a strategy to further boost the productivity of tef in the region. Depending on the soil fertility level, one irrigation application of only 45 mm around flowering, increased the yield by 50–168% for late sowing and 16–75% for early sowing. In conclusions, this study revealed that optimal timing for sowing and one-time irrigation applied only during water sensitive growth stage are good strategies to improve the productivity of rainfed crops in a drought-prone areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended particles with aerodynamic diameters not greater than 1 µm (PM1) were sampled at the urban background; regional background; and urban traffic points in southern Poland. In total, 120 samples were collected between 2 August 2009 and 27 December 2010. Sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in each sample. The samples were collected with a high volume sampler (Digitel). Afterwards, they were chemically analyzed with a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (Perkin Elmer Clarus 500). The mean concentration values of the PAH sum (ΕPAH) and particular PAHs; the percentages of carcinogenic PAHs in total PAHs (ΕPAHcarc/ΕPAH); carcinogenic equivalent (CEQ); mutagenic equivalent (MEQ); and TCDD-toxic equivalent (TEQ) were much higher in the winter (heating) season than in the summer (non-heating) one. For both periods, the resulting average values obtained were significantly higher (a few; and sometimes a several dozen times higher) in the researched Polish region than the values observed in other areas of the world. Such results indicate the importance of health hazards resulting from PM1 and PM1-bound PAHs in this Polish area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is a cereal crop resilient to adverse climatic and soil conditions, and possessing desirable storage properties. Although tef provides high quality food and grows under marginal conditions unsuitable for other cereals, it is considered to be an orphan crop because it has benefited little from genetic improvement. Hence, unlike other cereals such as maize and wheat, the productivity of tef is extremely low. In spite of the low productivity, tef is widely cultivated by over six million small-scale farmers in Ethiopia where it is annually grown on more than three million hectares of land, accounting for over 30% of the total cereal acreage. Tef, a tetraploid with 40 chromosomes (2n = 4x = 40), belongs to the family Poaceae and, together with finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaerth.), to the subfamily Chloridoideae. It was originated and domesticated in Ethiopia. There are about 350 Eragrostis species of which E. tef is the only species cultivated for human consumption. At the present time, the gene bank in Ethiopia holds over five thousand tef accessions collected from geographical regions diverse in terms of climate and elevation. These germplasm accessions appear to have huge variability with regard to key agronomic and nutritional traits. In order to properly utilize the variability in developing new tef cultivars, various techniques have been implemented to catalog the extent and unravel the patterns of genetic diversity. In this review, we show some recent initiatives investigating the diversity of tef using genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics and discuss the prospect of these efforts in providing molecular resources that can aid modern tef breeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new quantitative assessment of transient stability for power systems integrated with doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind farms is proposed by evaluating the transient energy margin (TEM) through the formulation of the transient energy function (TEF) for multimachine systems. To achieve an accurate TEM, the TEF is modified to account for the separation of the critical machines from the system and an unstable equilibrium point is calculated on the basis of post‐fault trajectory reaching the potential energy boundary surface. Simulation results show that such power systems integrated with DFIG wind farms are more sensitive to transient events of higher voltage sag, longer fault clearing time, lower load operation and higher wind power penetration level. It is also observed that machines located far from the fault are also exposed to inferior transient stability because of fault with geographical dispersion of wind farms. As a result, advanced switchgear, faster isolators, more efficient power reserve systems and advanced reactive power compensating devices must be equipped to ensure reliable operation of power systems integrated with the DFIG wind farms during transient events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semi-dwarf and lodging-tolerant kegne mutant linked to defects in microtubule orientation has the potential to enhance the productivity of an African orphan crop tef (Eragrostis tef).Genetic improvement of native crops is a new and promising strategy to combat hunger in the developing world. Tef is the major staple food crop for approximately 50 million people in Ethiopia. As an indigenous cereal, it is well adapted to diverse climatic and soil conditions; however, its productivity is extremely low mainly due to susceptibility to lodging. Tef has a tall and weak stem, liable to lodge (or fall over), which is aggravated by wind, rain, or application of nitrogen fertilizer. To circumvent this problem, the first semi-dwarf lodging-tolerant tef line, called kegne, was developed from an ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS)-mutagenized population. The response of kegne to microtubule-depolymerizing and -stabilizing drugs, as well as subsequent gene sequencing and segregation analysis, suggests that a defect in the α-Tubulin gene is functionally and genetically tightly linked to the kegne phenotype. In diploid species such as rice, homozygous mutations in α-Tubulin genes result in extreme dwarfism and weak stems. In the allotetraploid tef, only one homeologue is mutated, and the presence of the second intact α-Tubulin gene copy confers the agriculturally beneficial semi-dwarf and lodging-tolerant phenotype. Introgression of kegne into locally adapted and popular tef cultivars in Ethiopia will increase the lodging tolerance in the tef germplasm and, as a result, will improve the productivity of this valuable crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenicity of 28 Polish isolates of F. sambucinum to potato tubers, their sensitivity to control agents, diversity among isolates and molecular methods of species identification were examined. All isolates were pathogenic to potato tubers and differences in pathogenicity were found. Isolates on the PDA were classified into three different color groups of mycelium (B - bright-beige, P - salmon pink, R - rose) that varied in pathogenicity and mycelium growth rate on PDA. P colonies showed the greatest tuber damage, but they grew the slowest on the PDA. Isolates showed varied reaction to different concentrations of 4 control agents (M - mancozeb, C- captan, CO - copper oxychloride and GE - grapefruit extract). The highest mycelium growth inhibition (MGI) was caused by M and the lowest by CO. Strong MGI by GE was observed especially for P isolates. Individual isolates showed different susceptibility to the control agents. Identification of isolates was determined in PCR assay with species specific FSF1/FSR1 primers, by sequencing of DNA fragments derived from ITS regions and the translation elongation factor-1 alpha gene (TEF). Sequence of the ITS regions were identical for all isolates. Analysis of the TEF DNA fragments showed one SNP (transition C↔T) in the sequences of isolates from the three different color groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tef grain is becoming very attractive in the Western countries since it is a gluten-free grain with appreciated nutritional advantages. However there is little information of its functional properties and starch digestibility and how they are affected by variety type and particle size distribution. This work evaluates the effect of the grain variety and the mill used on tef flour physico-chemical and functional properties, mainly derived from starch behavior. In vitro starch digestibility of the flours by Englyst method was assessed. Two types of mills were used to obtain whole flours of different granulation. Rice and wheat flours were analyzed as references. Protein molecular weight distribution and flour structure by SEM were also analyzed to justify some of the differences found among the cereals studied. Tef cultivar and mill type exhibited important effect on granulation, bulking density and starch damage, affecting the processing performance of the flours and determining the hydration and pasting properties. The color was darker although one of the white varieties had a lightness near the reference flours. Different granulation of tef flour induced different in vitro starch digestibility. The disc attrition mill led to higher starch digestibility rate index and rapidly available glucose, probably as consequence of a higher damaged starch content. The results confirm the adequacy of tef flour as ingredient in the formulation of new cereal based foods and the importance of the variety and the mill on its functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]