In this study, a database was developed to house reliable results from 43-plate load tests conducted on different types of compacted soil, including load-displacement responses and other information about soil and testing conditions. Using information from that database, resistance factors were developed for shallow foundations based on the prevalent first order second moment reliability approach. The resistance factors were calculated for common equations used to calculating the soil bearing capacity such as Terzaghi, Meyerhof, and Hansen. The calibration was based on comparing the calculated

This study aimed to identify the interactions between the sub-systems of the supply chain system of milled grain products, in South Africa, namely: (1) farming (agricultural); (2) transport (transportation); (3) manufacturing (milling); and (4) trade (retail). Furthermore, this paper investigated how these sub-systems are affected by economic and natural external factors namely: (1) the exchange rate between ZAR and USD; (2) the price of international crude oil; and (3) climate change and/or droughts. For this purpose, system dynamics (SD) model was developed and used, which enabled to

The econophysics “two-class” approach yields a novel theoretical and empirically robust relation: The per capita income (Formula presented.) of any bottom fraction (x) of the population equals a(x)∙(1−G) (Formula presented.), where a(x) is a coupling coefficient, G the Gini, and (Formula presented.) is national per capita income. For the bottom 70%, a(70) = 1, which yields the Sen inequality adjustment to the 1993 UNDP Human Development Index, without any reliance on social welfare functions. Alternately, a(80) = 1.1 yields the bottom 80% per capita income (Vast Majority Income). We propose

There are many water resources like rivers, seas, rains, and groundwater, which can be used in different sectors such as agricultural, domestic, and industrial uses. Therefore, different wastewater effluents with different properties are produced depending on their source. Industrial wastewater is one of the most harmful effluents due to the presence of toxic pollutants such as heavy metals, dyes, and other toxic substances. Usually, water is used in different industries for different internal processes, and then the resulting wastewater is discharged without treatment into the water resources

The SPL gene family (for Squamosa Promoter-binding like Proteins) represents specific transcription factors that have significant roles in abiotic stress tolerance, development and the growth processes of different plants, including initiation of the leaf, branching and development of shoot and fruits. The SPL gene family has been studied in different plant species; however, its role is not yet fully explored in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan). In the present study, 11 members of the CcSPL gene family were identified in C. cajan. The identified SPLs were classified into nine groups based on a

The MYB transcription factor (TF) are among the largest gene families of plants being responsible for several biological processes. The R2R3-MYB gene family are integral player regulating plant primary and secondary metabolism, growth and development, and responses to hormones and stresses. The phylogenetic analysis combined with gene structure analysis and motif determination resulted in division of R2R3-MYB gene family into 27 subgroups. Evidence generated from synteny analyses indicated that CqR2R3-MYBs gene family is featured by tandem and segmental duplication events. On the basis of RNA

Rice is a major cereal crop which ensure food security to more than half of the global population. Several biotic factors impact rice grain quality and its final production. White stripe disease, caused by pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is considered among the major limiting factor for reducing rice yields and quality. Present study was performed to understand the white stripe disease, which has been frequently misdiagnosed as bacterial leaf blight (BLB) due to similar symptoms. A survey was carried out based on accessibility and farmer participation to monitor incidence and sample

Myosins are essential components of organelle trafficking in all the eukaryotic cells. Myosin driven movement plays a vital role in the development of pollen tubes, root hairs and root tips of flowering plants. The present research characterized the myosin genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and Helianthus annuus by using different computational tools. We discovered a total of 50 myosin genes and their splice variants in both pant species. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that myosin genes were divided into four subclasses. Chromosomal location revealed that myosin genes were located on all five

Jojoba shrubs are wild plants cultivated in arid and semiarid lands and characterized by tolerance to drought, salinity, and high temperatures. Fungi associated with such plants may be attributed to the tolerance of host plants against biotic stress in addition to the promotion of plant growth. Previous studies showed the importance of jojoba as jojoba oil in the agricultural field; however, no prior study discussed the role of jojoba-associated fungi (JAF) in reflecting plant health and the possibility of using JAF in biocontrol. Here, the culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches

Introduction: Soil polluted with Nickel (Ni) adversely affects sunflower growth resulting in reduced yield. Counterbalancing Ni toxicity requires complex molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms at the cellular, tissue, and whole plant levels, which might improve crop productivity. One of the primary adaptations to tolerate Ni toxicity is the enhanced production of antioxidant enzymes and the elevated expression of Ni responsive genes. Methods: In this study, biochemical parameters, production of ROS, antioxidants regulation, and expression of NRAMP metal transporter genes were