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Feb 2026 DOI 10.14302/issn.2689-4602.jes-25-5926
Easttom ChuckCorresponding author
The impact of ionizing radiation on genetic change is well established, yet the extent to which naturally occurring radiation fields have influenced evolutionary trajectories remains incompletely understood. This study examined correlations between microbial evolution and the radiation and geochemical environments associated with natural fission reactors, with emphasis on the Oklo–Bangombé system in present-day Gabon, Africa. The current paper compares plausible doserate regimes adjacent to reactor zones with published observations of radiationinduced phenotypes, geneexpression changes, and repair strategies in model organisms and complex biotas. This study further considers indirect mechanisms (e.g., water radiolysis, redox restructuring, tracemetal mobilization) by which natural reactors could have modulated ecological selection pressures over long timescales. The synthesis supports the plausibility of three interacting pathways: (i) increased mutation supply under low, chronic dose rates; (ii) selection in oxidantrich, redoxstratified niches; and (iii) metabolic subsidies (e.g., H₂) from radiolysis that support chemotrophic guilds. Although temporal–spatial associations exist between reactor activity and biological innovations preserved in Paleoproterozoic strata of Gabon, current evidence remains correlational rather than demonstrably causal. The study further outlines testable predictions and experimental designs capable of discriminating among these mechanisms.
Dec 2025 DOI 10.14302/issn.2768-5209.ijen-25-5762
A. Abdellatif MahaCorresponding author
Sudan's ecological landscape is characterized by various zones, including deserts, semi-deserts, and savannas, which host a diverse array of forests, rangelands, and numerous plant and animal species. However, the sustainable management of these resources is becoming increasingly challenging due to human activities and the impacts of climate change. This article presents the results of a research project focused on monitoring and documenting biodiversity in Sudan's semi-arid regions, particularly emphasizing insect diversity. Insects are vital for maintaining ecosystem health through processes such as nutrient cycling, decomposition, pollination, and acting as natural predators to pests. Field surveys were conducted across three Sudanese states—North Kordofan, Gezira, and Khartoum—to assess the diversity of flora and fauna. Specifically, El Rawakeeb semi-arid land in Khartoum state was investigated, which comprised three sites with varying soil elevations: a hilly site at 420 meters above sea level, a flat site at 416 meters, and a valley site at 411 meters. Researchers utilized direct collection methods and butterfly nets to gather insect specimens, which were subsequently preserved and identified for further analysis. Diversity indices, including Simpson’s Diversity Index, Shannon-Wiener Index, and Margalef Richness Index, were computed to compare the biodiversity of these sites, along with metrics for evenness and species richness. Permanova analysis was carried out for insect variation between the study sites. A total of 1541 insect specimens were gathered from El Rawakeeb, encompassing 34 species distributed across 21 families and 9 orders. The order Lepidoptera exhibited the greatest number of species (35.29%), followed by Coleoptera (20.59%). The orders Neuroptera, Orthoptera and Thysanoptera recorded the fewest species (2.94% each). From the hilly site, 514 insect specimens were collected, representing 9 orders, among which Hymenoptera included 4 species, while Lepidoptera had 3 species, and Odonata, Orthoptera, and Thysanoptera each had 1 species. The highest individual counts were recorded for Copriniklobe (dung beetle), Dacus longistylus (fruit fly), Camponotussp. (carpenter ant), and Anax ephippiger (dragonfly). In a flat site, 484 insect specimens were collected, classified into 15 species, 12 families, and 7 orders. The highest individual counts were noted in four species: Onthophagusnuba (dung beetle), Dacus longistylus (fruit fly), Camponotussp. (carpenter ant), and Anax ephippiger (dragonfly). In a valley site, 543 insect specimens were collected, categorized into 17 species, 16 families, and 9 orders. Insect Diversity in three research sites. Simpson's Diversity Index revealed varying levels of insect diversity across the three sites. The valley site exhibited the highest diversity level with an index score of 0.857, followed by the flat site at 0.826, and the hilly site at 0.819. The Shannon diversity index of 2.22 indicated the highest diversity among the three sites, suggesting a relatively diverse insect community. The relative abundance of insects was greatest in the valley site at 35.24%, followed by the hilly site at 33.35%, and the flat site at 31.41%. The Margalef Richness Index indicated a moderate level of richness in the insects collected from the three locations. Certain insect species were found in some sites but were absent in others. The PERMANOVA revealed notable variations among the three study sites (F = 2.24, p-value = 0.035).
May 2025 DOI 10.14302/issn.2639-3166.jar-25-5495
Mekonnen Adare ZenebeCorresponding author
Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a vital food security crop cultivated in South and South-western parts of Ethiopia. However, enset production and the farming families have been threatened by Xanthomonas wilt and its spread in the farming system. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the soil fertility and plant management practices association on the incidence of Enset Xanthomonas wilt. Data on soils fertility and diseases from enset based farming clustered into inner, outer and outfield farm zone were sampled and surveyed. The result indicated that soil chemical properties significantly (p≤0.05) varied from inner to outfield farm zone. Significantly maximum nutrients store revealed in inner enset farm zones. Disease incidence reduced from inner to the outfield enset farm zone. Disease prevalence and disease incidence scored 28.5% and 11.6%, respectively depending on altitude and genotypes. Soil fertility levels in the enset inner and outfield plots were varied purposely to cultivate enset products as kocho, bulla or amicho (cooking type). The variations in soil fertility and Xanthomonas wilt incidence was associated with management practices applied for desired enset products. Therefore, management practices in enset based farming, soil fertility and location of enset planting zones found to be major indicators for disease incidence addressing to device control interventions.
Jan 2025 DOI 10.14302/issn.2644-1101.jhp-24-5355
Abuelaish IzzeldinCorresponding author
This paper examines the concept of conflict- and war-related hatred as a multifaceted construct. Drawing upon various theoretical frameworks, we hypothesized that hatred in the context of conflict and war would encompass five distinct dimensions: Groupthink (Contagious Hatred), Destructiveness, Exposure, Chronicity, and Extreme-Severe Affect. To empirically validate this conceptual framework, we conducted a second-order factor analysis using data from 709 questionnaire responses collected from citizens in the Gaza Strip. The findings revealed that the optimal model comprises three primary constructs: Contagious Hatred, Chronicity, and Extreme- Severe Affect. Based on these results, we argue that collective existential threats in contexts of protracted conflict and war amplify groupthink, foster a sense of chronicity, and evoke intense negative affect. These findings underscore the complexity of hatred as a psychological and social phenomenon in conflict zones.
Dec 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2690-6759.jpar-23-4764
Bekele DamtewCorresponding author
Helminth parasite infections in sheep are of major veterinary importance in many agro-ecological zones and are a primary factor in the productivity of sheep. The main objective of this study was to determine helminth parasites prevalence and their economic loss caused on sheep with its control approach at the study area. A cross-sectional study using a simple random sampling procedure was used to study helminth parasite identification at Gudaya Bila district during 2022 in two seasons of the year: winter (January - March) and summer (June - August). Out of 384 sheep chosen at random sampling from five Kebeles in the Gudaya Bila district (Welenelemu, Harogodisa, Chalejima, Hagelogidami, and Bila) that underwent flotation and sedimentation procedures, about 149 were infected by ay helminth parasites, with an overall prevalence 38.8%. Regarding the distribution of helimenth parasites at the class level, the prevalence was 13.9%, 11.7%, and 3.9% in trematoda, nematode, and cestoda, respectively. The helminth species that had highest prevalence were Fasciola species (19.5%), Haemonchus species (14.76%), Strongyloides species (10.74%), and Schistosoma species (9.4%), and those that had the least prevalence were Moniezia species (6.04%), Paramphistomum species (5.4%), Taenia species (4.02%), Nematodirus species (3.3%) and Trichostrongylus species (1.34 %). The summer season was favorable for helminths parasite transmission. The prevalence of helminths in the summer season was 98 (25.5%), and in the winter season it was 51 (13.3%). The study shows that the gastrointestinal helminth parasite was a major health problem and had an impact on the production of sheep in the study area. Therefore, a detailed study should be conducted to identify the parasite at the species level, and further investigation will be needed to study the association of the prevalence of helminth parasites within age, sex and the agroecology of sheep in the area. Then educating the people about the impacts of helminths is needed to control them.
Jun 2023
Rifkatu Kambel DogaraCorresponding author
The increasing demand for environmentally-friendly materials has led to a surge in research on the production of biodegradable polymers. In this study, we investigate the synthesis of a biodegradable polymer by graft copolymerization of gum Arabic (GA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). GA, a natural polysaccharide and PEG, a synthetic water-soluble polymer, were used as the backbone and graft monomer, respectively. The graft copolymerization was carried out using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator and performed under nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting polymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Xray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of the graft copolymer, and TGA analysis showed that the copolymer had higher thermal stability than GA. The DTA thermograms indicated two thermal events. The evaporation of water and organic polyethylene glycol components was measured, and the first mass loss was due to the loss of adsorbed and structural water in the gum Arabic, which occurred between 31.87 and 180°C, while the second, corresponding to the pyrolysis of polyethylene glycol functional groups and polysaccharide decomposition, resulted in a 70% mass loss. SEM morphological analysis of gum Arabic showed aggregates of high irregularity in particle shape. The cracks and holes obtained in the Gum Arabic micrograph disappeared from the new gum Arabic-graft-polyethylene glycol, leaving a smooth surface with scattered particles in the image, which was due to the grafting copolymer. From the XRD patterns, the percentages of the amorphous and crystalline phases were determined. The results show that gum Arabic has a 78% degree of crystallinity, whereas gum Arabic-graft-polyethylene glycol has the lowest value of 51%. Biodegradation activity was observed using the fungus Aspergillus flavus on different days on gum Arabic-g-polyethylene glycol. The results clearly showed inhibition zones with a change in the state of the copolymer from solid to liquid from days 8 to 14. These results indicate that the GA-PEG copolymer has potential as a biodegradable material for use in various applications, such as packaging, agriculture, and medical industries.
Mar 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2692-5915.jafs-22-4347
Pregonas ElijahCorresponding author
Over the years, different entomological genera have been found for forensic analysis. Their biological cycles and how they interact with decomposing bodies have become known. But it is when it comes to identifying a species that problems arise. Firstly, to analyses a corpse, there is a minimum of ethical laws, without which the study would be impossible. On the other hand, these species vary according to geographical and climatic zones. Therefore, what is studied in one place will not be the same as what is studied in another, which has different characteristics. In this study we want to present one of the recently found species and how it was found.
Oct 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2576-6694.jbbs-22-4179
Rammohan Chitra SubbiahCorresponding author
Head of Physics Department, P.K.N Arts and Science College, Tirumangalam in Madurai District, Tamilnadu, India
In this research work Mg0.45Mn0.55-xNixFe2O4 ferrite particles of varying compositions (x=0.05, x=0.15, x=0.25, x=0.45 and x=0.55) were synthesized using cost effectual co-precipitation route. The synthesized ferrite particles were characterized by collection of techniques. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure of the ferrite particles. SEM and AFM analyses illustrated the morphology and size distribution of obtained ferrite particles. FT-IR study exposed that the absence of any additional peak related to second phase. VSM results indicated magnetic analyses such as saturation magnetization (MS), Coercivity (HC) and Remanence (Mr) of ferrite particles. The major objective of the present investigation is to synthesize MgMnNiFe2O4 ferrite particles on cotton fabrics in order to obtain finished fabrics; it is very significant in biological applications. The antibacterial activities of the ferrite particles coated cotton fabrics were tested against selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria which showed tremendous results via formation of inhibition zones. The fabricated ferrite particles on cotton fabrics showed great durability evidenced by their antibacterial activities even after 20 washing cycles. Hence, the functionalized cotton fabrics could be used as potential antibacterial agent.
Jun 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2639-3166.jar-19-2590
Gupta RajCorresponding author
Centre for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture, National Agriculture Science Centre Complex, Todapur Road, New Delhi, 110012, India
Over last few decades, acreage of total fallow lands (Kharif and Rabi seasons) in India has remained almost unchanged around 25Mha. The acreage of Kharif (summer) and Rabi (winter) Fallows in Madhya Pradesh (MP) are 1.98Mha and 5.51Mha, respectively. In the semi-arid agroclimatic zones of the states, Fallow-Wheat/Gram/Indian-Mustard cropping systems are practiced. After harvest of Kharif rice, kodo-kutki, maize or sorghum, farmers generally practice post-rainy season Rabi fallows in the sub-humid regions, south of Narmada River. Kharif fallowing is largely the result of the inability of the farmers to make planting dates independent of monsoon forecasts, and make efficient use of rain water. It appears that factors responsible for Kharif and Rabi fallows are distinctly different and a general consequence of distinctly different soil moisture regimes prevailing in the two crop seasons. Kharif and Rabi fallows have two distinct resource management domains. Whereas, Kharif fallows can be tackled with “PMP-dry seeding” agronomy, production constraints of Rabi fallows can be substantively tackled by shifting from tilled to zero-till agriculture with residue management to make efficient use of the conserved rain water. Some irrigation support will prove useful to tackle mid-season droughts in both situations. Conservation agricultural practices can significantly improve and stabilize crop yields in black soils and other associated soils of in the semi-arid tropics region of the Central India.
Dec 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2575-1212.jvhc-18-2487
Fernando Díaz-OteroCorresponding author
Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Disciplinarias en Microbiología Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias. Carretera México-Toluca, Km. 15.5, C.P. 05110, México D.F.
Parasitic infection by the Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) promotes susceptibility towards other infections, such as Mycobacterium bovis. As consequence, could affect diagnostic tests for this disease. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of F. hepatica coinfection on the most commonly used immunodiagnostic bovine tuberculosis (bTB) tests in field conditions in an enzootic area for both diseases. Thus, from a dairy herd located in Hidalgo State, México, displaying a 59.2% and 28% prevalence of fascioliasis and bTB, respectively. Sixty-one cows were analyzed based on their response towards bTB immunodiagnostic tests, such as Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin Test (SICTT), gamma-interferon test (BOVIGAM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), along with the assessment of the F. hepatica parasite load and serodiagnosis by ELISA. Three study groups were formed according to test results. Group 1: coinfected (n=22). Group 2: non-parasitized cows, and positive for bTB tests (n=13) and Group 3: parasitized cows without tuberculosis (n=26). In addition, a group of cows kept in fascioliasis - and tuberculosis-free zones were included (Group 4, n=10). A non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and a Dunn test were applied to analyze the results. In Group 1, significant differences were observed regarding IFN-γ production, but not for antibody levels to M. bovis or reactivity towards bovine PPD in relation Group 2. While, Groups 1 and 3 did not display difference in antibody levels against F. hepatica. Differences were observed regarding tuberculosis and Fasciola diagnostic tests when both coinfected and infected groups were compared to controls. It is concluded that F. hepatica coinfection in tuberculous animals studied, depressed the production of IFN-γ towards bovine PPD under in vitro conditions, but its reactivity to the SICTT not show to be altered.