Aksum University (AKU) is a teaching university in Aksum in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It offers teaching programs and research projects which lead toward undergraduate and master's degrees. It was established in February 2007 with the objective of teaching about education, research and community service. During the Tigray War in late 2020 and early 2021, the university's facilities were "completely destroyed", according to Alula Habteab, head of the Bureau of Construction, Road and Transport in the Transitional Government of Tigray.
Nowadays, there is an increase in the demand for plant-extract-mediated nanoparticles, mainly due to low toxicity and biocompatibility, which owing to their enhanced bioavailability, exhibit significant antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, and antiviral activities. However, green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (SM-Au NPs) offers a sustainable targeted and effective way for drug delivery. This study first report to our knowledge demonstrated that gold nanoparticles (SM-Au NPs) synthesized from aqueous leaf extract of Solanum marginatum (SM), evaluated their in-vitro anti-inflammatory activity and their underlying mechanism in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced RAW 264.7 cells. The peak at UV-Vis 540 nm confirmed formation of SM-Au NPs. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) of SM-Au NPs revealed a hydrodynamic size of 1253.3 nm and zeta potential of − 21.1 mV. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that SM-Au NPs were crystalline and pure with an average crystal size of 22.3 nm. The cytotoxicity results confirmed that SM-Au NPs were found to be did not show cytotoxic effect within the concentration of 6.25–12.5 µg/mL against RAW 264.7 macrophages. SM-Au NPs inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose-dependent manner showing 45.31
In vitro propagation using shoot apical meristem culture provides a reliable method for producing uniform, disease-free sugarcane planting material. This study aimed to optimize hormone regimes for two French genotypes, FG03-418 and FG04-754, and highlighted their genotype-specific responses that improved shoot initiation, multiplication, rooting, and acclimatization efficiency. This study optimized in vitro propagation of two French sugarcane genotypes (FG03-418 and FG04-754) using shoot apical meristems under a randomized design, revealing genotype-specific responses to plant growth regulators. FG03-418 showed optimal initiation on MS medium with 0.75 mg/L 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), while FG04-754 responded best at 1.25 mg/L BAP. During multiplication, FG03-418 produced the highest shoot number (11.56 ± 0.68) at 1.5 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and achieved maximum shoot length and leaf number (5.47 ± 0.31) at 2.0 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA, whereas FG04-754 exhibited optimal shoot growth at 2.0 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA. Root induction was most effective on half-strength MS medium supplemented with NAA, at 5.0 mg/L for FG03-418 and 4.0 mg/L for FG04-754, producing mean root lengths of 7.05 ± 0.13 cm and 5.27 ± 0.14 cm, respectively. Acclimatization in a greenhouse substrate of sand, soil, and compost (1:2:1) resulted in survival rates above 95
This paper introduces a relaxed iterative method for approximating solutions to bilevel variational inequality problems (BVIP) in real Hilbert spaces framework. The mathematical structure addressed herein involves two variational inequalities: one constrained by the other, where the mapping in the lower level is pseudomonotone uniformly continuous. We propose an iterative algorithm that specifically addresses cases where the lower-level mapping is pseudomonotone and uniformly continuous. We then establish strong convergence of the generated sequence to a unique solution of the BVIP using an Armijo-line search procedure. We also provide numerical illustrations in infinite-dimensional Hilbert space settings, including a comparative analysis with previous methods, demonstrating that the proposed approach achieves faster convergence and requires less computational time. A significant contribution of this work is the removal of restrictive assumptions commonly found in existing literature, such as weak sequential continuity and other specific conditions for the lower-level mapping. Furthermore, the method improves computational efficiency by reducing the number of metric projections required to just one per iteration.
Purpose: Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), transmitted by whiteflies, is a highly destructive pathogen that threatens tomato production worldwide. Temperature plays a crucial role in determining how tomato plants respond to TYLCV infection, primarily because it influences the activity and population dynamics of insect vectors. This study is aimed at exploring how variations in temperature affect the transmission dynamics of TYLCV among tomato plants. Methods: We formulate and analyze a mathematical model for the spread of TYLCV that incorporates temperature-dependent variation in virus inoculation and acquisition rates. We compute and examine the basic reproduction numbers without temperature variation (R-01) and with temperature variation (R-02). In addition, numerical simulations are performed to investigate the impact of temperature on the disease dynamics. Results: We show that warmer climates or rising seasonal temperature exacerbate outbreak severity and persistence. Besides, we find that if R-02 < 1, then R-01 < 1 automatically holds, leading to a disease-free equilibrium at higher temperatures. This implies that controlling the disease is possible when R-02 is less than unity. However, R-01 < 1 does not necessarily guarantee that R-02 < 1, which means disease eradication may not occur under varying temperature conditions. Sensitivity analysis reveals the influence of critical parameters on TYLCV dynamics. Notably, a backward bifurcation can occur, where both the disease-free and endemic equilibria coexist, even when R-01 < 1 under increasing temperatures. Conclusion: The disease can persist in tomato and whitefly populations even when R-01 < 1. Thus, achieving R-01 < 1 is not sufficient for disease eradication. However, effective management is possible if temperature-dependent reproduction number R-02 is reduced below unity. These findings offer insights that may aid in developing more effective strategies for controlling TYLCV.MSC2010 Classification92B05, 92D25, 92D30
AIMS:This project aimed to investigate production of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from potential probiotic strains. We studied production in co-cultures and faecal fermentations and examined the effect of selected strains on the faecal microbiome composition and metabolome in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS:Strains of intestinally derived Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from fermented cereals were grown singly, in co-culture and in faecal fermentations designed to simulate colonic conditions. Isolates synthesized varying amounts of GABA in vitro; GABA production could be increased by co-culture, lactic acid, or reduced pH but was decreased in the presence of high buffering. In faecal fermentations, selected strains inoculated singly or in combination persisted over 24 h and increased the GABA concentration without causing major disruptions in the microbiome or metabolome. Bifidobacterium adolescentis supplementation increased short-chain fatty acids acetate and propionate, and L. plantarum was associated with increased succinate levels, while all treatments exhibited a reduction in Escherichia compared to the controls. CONCLUSIONS:GABA production from these lactic acid bacteria is strain-specific and the combination of these two species shows potential for future next-generation probiotic development.