Effect of phospho-compost and phosphate laundered sludge combined or not with endomycorrhizal inoculum on the growth and yield of tomato plants under greenhouse conditions

The study aims to evaluate the effect of endomycorrhizal inoculum (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi), phospho-compost and phosphate sludge in single (M, PC, PS) or dual combinations (PC+M, PS+M, PS+PC) compared to agricultural and Mamora soils (A and S) on the growth, flowering, and yield of tomato plants. Among the studied treatments, the substrates containing 5% of phospho-compost combined with endomycorrhizal inoculum (PC+M) gave the most positive effect followed by phospho-compost (PC) and endomycorrhizal inoculum (M). In response to PC+M substrate, tomato plant height, the number of leaves and flowers attained 90 cm, 30, and 25, respectively. In substrates PC and M, tomato plants showed a height of 85 and 75 cm, leaves number of 30 and 19 leave/plant and number of flowers of 21, and 19 flower/plant. An optimal yield with (12 fruits/plant) was recorded in tomato plants grown on the substrate amended with bio-inoculant (AMF) and phospho-compost at a rate of 5%. In terms of qualitative parameters, the highest fresh and dry weight of aerial plant parts and root system were recorded in tomato plants grown in culture substrate incorporating 10 g of endomycorrhizal inoculum and 5% of phospho-compost reaching respectively103.4 g, 34 g 90.1 g, 28.9 g as compared to 87, 51, 23 and 24.1 g noted by tomato plants on the substrate with phospho-compost (5%) (PC). The highest mycorrhization parameters (frequency (F), intensity of mycorrhization (M), average arbuscular content (A), average vesicular content (V), average intraradicular spore content (S)) were found in the roots of tomato plants growing on substrates amended with 5% phospho-compost plus 10 g of endomycorrhizal inoculum, with percentages of 100% F, 61% M, 40.67% A, 18.36% V, and 56.9% S.

Finite Groups Having Exactly 34 Elements of Maximal Order

Let G be a finite group, M(G) denotes the number of elements of maximal order of G. In this note a finite group G with M(G) = 34 is determined.

Functional Group Manipulations

CBr4–Ph3P is very straightforward and widely used. Workup and purification can be messy at times because of the by-product, Ph3PO. To a mixture of the alcohol (0.800 g, 3.36 mmol) and carbon tetrabromide (1.337 g, 4.03 mmol) in CH2Cl2 at 0 ºC was added a solution of PPh3 (1.319 g, 5.03 mmol) in CH2Cl2 (3 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 h, concentrated under reduced pressure, and purified by column chromatography to afford the bromide (0.941 g, 93% yield). Reference: Hu, T.-S.; Yu, Q.; Wu, Y.-L.; Wu, Y. J. Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 853–861. A two-step sequence consisting of mesylate formation followed by treatment with LiBr can also be used. This procedure involves two steps, but workup and purification are very straightforward. The bromide can be carried out to the next step without further purification in many cases. To a solution of 5-hydroxymethyl-1-methylcyclopentene (3.8 g, 34 mmol) in CH2 Cl2 (50 mL) at 0 ºC was added triethylamine (5.2 mL, 37 mmol) followed by methanesulfonyl chloride (2.9 mL, 37 mmol). The mixture was stirred at 0 ºC for 5 h and then water was added. The organic layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with ether. The combined organic extracts were dried over MgSO4 and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure to give 6.4 g (98%) of (2-methylcyclopent-2- enyl)methyl methanesulfonate, which was used in the next step without further purification. A solution containing the mesylate (6.4 g, 34 mmol) in acetone (70 mL) was treated with lithium bromide (8.89 g, 102 mmol). The mixture was heated at reflux for 6 h, cooled to room temperature, diluted with water, extracted with ether, and the combined ethereal extracts were dried over MgSO4. Removal of the solvent under reduced pressure gave 4.6 g (78%) of 5-bromomethyl-1-methylcyclopentene, which was used in the next step without further purification.

Comparison of the effects of sucrose and fructose on insulin action and glucose tolerance

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether fructose is the nutrient mediator of sucrose-induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Toward this end, male rats were fed a purified starch diet (68% of total calories) for a 2-wk baseline period. After this, rats either remained on the starch (ST) diet or were switched to a sucrose (SU, 68% of total calories), fructose/glucose (F/G, 34/34% of total calories), or fructose/starch (F/ST, 34/34% of total calories) diet for 5 wk. Rats then underwent either an intravenous glucose tolerance test ( n = 10/diet) or a euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp ( n = 8 or 9/diet). Incremental glucose and insulin areas under the curve in SU, F/G, and F/ST were on average 61 and 29% greater than ST, respectively, but not significantly different from one another. During clamps, glucose infusion rates (mg · kg−1 · min−1) required to maintain euglycemia were significantly lower ( P< 0.05) in SU, F/G, and F/ST (13.4 ± 0.9, 9.5 ± 1.7, 11.3 ± 1.3, respectively) compared with ST (22.8 ± 1.1). Insulin suppression of glucose appearance (mg · kg−1 · min−1) was significantly lower ( P < 0.05) in SU, F/G, and F/ST (5.6 ± 0.5, 2.2 ± 1.2, and 6.6 ± 0.7, respectively) compared with ST (9.6 ± 0.4). Insulin-stimulated glucose disappearance (mg · kg−1 · min−1) was significantly lower ( P < 0.05) in SU, F/G, and F/ST (17.9 ± 0.6, 16.2 ± 1.3, 15.3 ± 1.8, respectively) compared with ST (24.7 ± 1.2). These data suggest that fructose is the primary nutrient mediator of sucrose-induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.

Meal-synchronized CEA in rats: effects of meal size, intragastric feeding, and subdiaphragmatic vagotomy

Within a feeding schedule of intermittent food access, large meals have the ability to induce activity at the same time the next day [circadian ensuing activity (CEA)]. In these experiments, we evaluated the minimum meal size necessary to induce CEA and whether oral-pharyngeal factors and afferent vagal activity played necessary roles in the induction of the underlying process. In experiment 1, every 33 h rats were given two meals separated by a 2-h interval. The size of the first meal was varied, while total intake every feeding cycle was held constant. When the initial meal was <10 g (34 kcal) CEA occurred later, indicating that such a meal size was subthreshold for inducing CEA. In experiment 2, rats were given intragastric (IG) meals every 33 h, before and after complete subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. IG nutrient meals induced CEA, indicating that extensive oral-pharyngeal experience was not necessary for CEA induction. CEA occurred in vagotomized rats but, compared with intact rats, appeared to occur later relative to nutrient infusion, indicating that afferent vagal activity may be sufficient but not necessary to induce CEA.