Digital Commons Network^™

Cadmium Adsorption On Hdtma Modified Montmorillionite, Mohd. Elmuntasir I. Ahmed

The Journal of Engineering Research

In this paper the possibility of cadmium removal from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto modified montmorillonite clay is investigated. Batch adsorption experiments performed revealed an enhanced removal of cadmium using HDTMA modified montmorillonite to 100% of its exchange capacity. Modified montmorillonite adsorption capacity increases at higher pHs suggesting adsorption occurs as a result of surface precipitation and HDTMA complex formation due to the fact that the original negatively charged montmorillonite is now covered by a cationic layer of HDTMA. Adsorption isotherms generated followed a Langmuir isotherm equation possibly indicating a monolayer coverage. Adsorption capacities of up to 49 mg/g and …

Biosorption Of Zinc On Immobilized Green Algae: Equilibrium And Dynamics Studies, D. Sheikha, I. Ashour, F.A. Abu Al-Rub

The Journal of Engineering Research

The efficacy of using blank alginate beads and immobilized dead algal cells for the removal of zinc ions from aqueous solutions was investigated. It was found that the sorption capacities were significantly affected by solution pH; with higher pH favoring higher zinc ion uptake. Dynamics and isotherm experiments were carried out at the optimal pH 5.0. Zinc uptake on either sorbent was found to be rapid where approximately 90% of the maximum zinc uptake occurred within the first 30 min in both cases of blank alginate and immobilized algal cells. The equilibrium data for the biosorption of zinc ions onto …

Ai-Powered Health & Nutrition Dashboard: Enhancing Personalized Wellness With Ai*, Jennisha Patel

Campus Research Month

This research presents an AI-powered dashboard designed to enhance personalized wellness through customized meal and exercise planning. Leveraging Dash Plotly for interactive visualization and Google Gemini AI for dynamic recommendation generation, the dashboard integrates user inputs for fitness goals, dietary preferences, and health conditions, alongside body metrics (gender, age, weight, height, activity level). Initially developed with rule-based filtering, the system evolved to incorporate AI for improved accuracy and scalability in managing large-scale food and exercise datasets. This project demonstrates the potential of AI to democratize access to personalized wellness insights. For educational purposes only; not verified by medical professionals.

Caffeine-Free Plant-Based Nootropics: The Evolving Science And Regulatory Journey Of Alpinia Galanga., Deshanie Rai

Oxford ICSB

Consumer interest in using botanicals as complementary medicine to help address a variety of health benefits is rooted in the traditional use of botanicals to support for example vision performance, joint health, and mental wellbeing. With increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are seeking ways to support their mental energy. While caffeine is a widely used nootropic, consumers are wary of consuming too much caffeine and/or it’s associated “caffeine-crash” effects, and therefore looking for plant-based nootropic alternates. Plant-derived nutraceutical research is now on the research agendas in academic and industry settings. At OmniActive Health Technologies, we are helping to address consumer health …

Immigration, Almendra Ramirez, Leslie Villagomez

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Immigration issues are a prominent topic in the United States. The United States is known for freedom and better living conditions. In the United States there are about 50.6 million immigrants, making up about 15% of the total population. However, an estimated 10.5 million individuals are paying the most in taxes and they help with agriculture, the immigration policy which brings fear and high risk of families being separated. The path to residency is long and difficult, especially for those seeking immediate improvements in their lives. Therefore this research seeks to bring awareness and educate the American public on this …

Prison Environment And Conditions Affect Recidivism Rates — Norway And South Africa, Hayes Breitbach, Abby Horstmann, Gus Beirman

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Harsh prison conditions and lack of rehabilitation and reintegration programs in South African prisons reflect the high recidivism rates in the country. South African prisoners are subject to inhumane conditions such as overcrowding and health concerns, violations of human rights, and are stripped of their dignity. Paired with social stigma against those who have been incarcerated, these inhumane conditions lead to poor reintegration and higher recidivism rates. This research project advocates for prison reform focusing on rehabilitation, reintegration, and improved facility conditions. There are multiple examples of competent and humane prisons in the world, such as Norway’s correctional institutions, which …

Food Insecurity In The Philippines, Hannah Dennis, Kassidy Lake, Esther Van Horn

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

Overconsumption and food waste in the United States have a major impact on food insecurity globally, including in the Philippines, due to the dependency of food production from these countries. The Philippines is a country currently devastated by food insecurity, leading to malnutrition and poverty because individuals are unable to meet their basic nutritional and economic needs. Currently, 44.7% of the population in the Philippines faces moderate to severe food insecurity, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the …

Publicly Available Online Data From National Adverse Event Reporting Schemes: Observations On Cases Involving ‘Ashwagandha’, Jo Barnes

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Ashwagandha – Is It Safe? A Toxicologist’S Perspective, Mukesh Summan

Oxford ICSB

Withania somnifera (WS) also known as ashwagandha is a herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine with recorded use dating back centuries. Different plant parts including roots, leaves, fruits, seeds and stems are purported to have various biological actions such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-stress, anti-anxiety when used alone or in combination with other plants. Despite this long history of use as a traditional herb in Indian medicine and world-wide as a food supplement, regulatory health authorities have begun to question the safety of WS due clinical cases of herb-induced liver injury from products labelled as containing ashwagandha and concerns for WS …

Utah's Farm To Fork Landscape: Stakeholders' Perspectives On Root Causes And Potential Solutions, Utsav Bhandari

Student Research Symposium

• Farm to Fork encourages direct connection between producers and consumers reducing the intermediaries (i.e., schools, pre-schools, daycare centers, etc.)
• Empowers local producers, boosts the local economy, enhances physical and mental well-being, and promotes self-sufficiency
• Utah's Farm to Fork Task Force was formed in 2015

Sustainable Development In Oman Fisheries Industry: Status And Potential Of Fishing Companies, Ashraf Mishrif

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Our study examines the condition of sustainable development in Omani fisheries industry, with specific focus on the extent to which the fishing companies practice sustainable fishing that meets the objective of food security. We also detect, characterize, and analyze the compliance of the fishing companies with the principles of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Using 55 completed questionnaires of 70 surveyed operating fishing companies, a multivariate general linear model was used to determine the impact of economic and environmental factors on achieving sustainability, and domestic demand of fisheries sector in Oman. Our results revealed that more than 63% of companies …

Assessing Food Safety Practices In The Era Of Covid-19: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Restaurant, Retail, And Hotel Sectors In Muscat Governorate, Oman, Mohammed Al-Khusaibi

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

This study evaluated the adherence of food retailers, restaurants and hotels in Muscat Governorate to the precautionary measures to control the spread of COVID-19. This study found that only 18% of hotels implemented a Food System Management System (FSMS) while no restaurant or retailer implemented any FSMS. The majority of food retailers (89%) and restaurants (96%) did not conduct COVID-19 measures assessment while the assessment was conducted by 53% of caterers. All caterers assessed visitors/suppliers on COVID-19 symptoms and 94% of them kept details in a record book, followed by 96 and 76 %, respectively in retailers and restaurants. Safety …

Screening Of Probiotics From Indigenous Omani Natural Products For Potential Use In The Aquaculture Industry, Gilha Yoon

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Probiotics can enhance the growth performance and disease resistance of aquatic animals. Probiotics can influence digestive physiology through the secretion of exogenous digestive enzymes, facilitating the utilization of nutrients, and resulting in improvements in growth performance. The objectives of the present study were to reduce fish diseases, minimize the usage of antibiotics, and promote national policy on aquatic health management in Oman through enhancing immune stimulation mechanisms with probiotics from indigenous Omani products and finally to promote Oman’s aquaculture industry. Thirty-five kinds of edible products were screened. After the primary screening process, only 3 products contained appropriate amounts of probiotics, …

Antibacterial Activity Of Moroccan Saffron By-Product Extracts Against Clavibacter Michiganensis Subsp. Michiganensis: The Causal Agent Of Tomato’S Bacterial Canker, Mamouni Rachid, Zineb Khadfy, Jadouali Si Mohamed, Atifi Hajar, Tahiri Abdelghani, Karra Youssef, Qessaoui Redouan, Chartier Agnes, Nehme Reine

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Moroccan saffron (Crocus sativus) floral by-products on the causal agent of bacterial canker of tomato caused by Clavibacter Michiganesis subsp Michiganesis (CMM). This work intends to replace chemical treatment methods with ecological, safe, and less expensive methods using extracts of saffron by-products. The phytochemical screening and the antioxidant activity of saffron by-products were studied. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of saffron by-products was determined using the agar well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the saffron by-product extracts were determined by the dilution method using 96-well microplates. The …

Histological Examination Of Various Organs Of Asian Seabass, Lates Calcarifer After An Oral Inactivated Vaccine Against Vibrio Harveyi, Gilha Yoon

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Disease outbreaks and consequential losses are a challenge to the aquaculture industry. Diseases in aquaculture are caused by pathogenic agencies, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The use of vaccines is one approach for the control of infections in fish and in building immunity against them. The goal of the present study was to create an effective oral vaccination against V. harveyi in order to ensure the long-term viability of aquaculture operations in the Sultanate of Oman. At a commercial farm, the target bacterium was isolated from infected fish and identified from a pure strain. Bacteria were killed with formalin …

Enhancing Soil Properties And Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus L.) Growth Through Biochar And Ash Derived From Indigenous Plants Maerua Crassifolia And Saccharum Kajkaiense, M. Mumtaz Khan, Ishaq Al-Kindi, Rhonda Janke, Waleed Al-Busaidi, Abdul Rehman Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Tahir Ikram

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Locally produced soil amendments can play a vital role in sustainable agriculture, enhancing soil quality and crop plant growth. This study investigated the impact of locally sourced biochar (BC) and ash, obtained from Maerua crassifolia Forssk. (wood), and Saccharum kajkaiense, Melderis (grass) on soil properties and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) biomass. We assessed different application rates (10% and 20%), either separately or combined with the potting soil/peat (Biomix). Biomix application reduced soil pH (7.9),and increased soil organic mater (OM) (51.9%), NO3-1 (17.5%) levels, water holding capacity (WHC) (22.9%), and dry biomass (37.7%) of okra compared no Biomix application. Among BC and …

Fruit Flies Fauna, Bio-Ecology, Economic Importance And Management With An Overview Of The Current State Of Knowledge In The Sultanate Of Oman And The Arabian Peninsula, Ali K. Alwahaibi, Sara M. Alansari

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Fruit fly species are important pests of fruit trees and vegetables.They cause significant economic losses due to the damage they cause to fruit and quarantine regulations preventing fruit export. This review was divided into two sections: a general world summary of the currently available literature on fruit flies and a more focused summary of fruit flies in Oman and neighboring countries of the Arabian Peninsula. The world summary covered the latest available information about fruit flies in terms of their general taxonomy, feeding patterns, life cycle, host plants, natural enemies, economic importance, and management tactics. Information was presented about the …

Profitability Of Feeding Sun-Dried Poultry Dropping Based Diets As Supplement To Goat, Abdulwaheed Adeyemi Bello, B. G. Desai, J. S. Dhekale, M. Bello

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

The profitability of feeding dried poultry droppings-based diet as a supplement in goat production enterprise was analyzed in this present study. The data generated in the study was analyzed using gross margin analysis and profitability ratio. The result of the budgetary analysis showed that the highest total cost of Rs 855.9/goat was incurred, the highest total revenue of Rs 1254.3/goat, highest gross margin of Rs 773.24/goat and highest net farm income of Rs 713.24/goat were observed for the supplemented treatment groups (T2-T5). The profitability ratio gave the best benefit-cost ratio of 4.62, a rate of return of 3.62, a gross …

A Use Of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) In Poultry Nutrition: A Review, Rafea Khulel

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a plant used in herbal medicine that has been used to treat many health problems in poultry, as antibacterial, and antifungal, promoting growth and improving the intestinal environment and immunity. The aim of this article was to review the research focused on using turmeric (Curcuma Longa) in rations of broilers and layers on performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, egg production, and egg quality characteristics. Most research indicated that turmeric addition to broiler rations improved productive traits (i.e. body weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion), increased livability and had insignificant effects on carcass traits (i.e. …

Gender Analysis Of Practitioners Of Broiler Production Management Practices In Delta State, Nigeria, Theophilus Miebi Gbigbi, Pearl Chinagorom E-Okoronkwo

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Despite women’s substantial participation and productive inputs, their role in broiler production has often being underestimated or ignored by the society. This study was conducted to provide information on the gap that existed on the management technologies observed by the male and female disparity. This study examined gender analysis of broiler production management practices, profitability and constraints. A sample size of 104 respondents was used by the multistage sampling procedure. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The major findings were, the mean age for the males and females were 45 years and 43 years with majority of the …

Potential Use Of Zataria Multiflora Essential Oil To Control Postharvest Aspergillus Flavus Fruit Rot Of Strawberry, Rethinasamy Velazhahan

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Postharvest fruit rot is a major problem in strawberry production chain worldwide. Aspergillus sp. is one of the major fungi associated with fruit rot of strawberry. In this study, an Aspergillus flavus was isolated from a rotten strawberry fruit. Based on the nucleotide sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA, the fungus was confirmed as A. flavus. Pathogenicity of the isolated fungus was confirmed by artificially inoculating strawberry fruits under laboratory conditions. This strain was capable of producing aflatoxin B1 in vitro as determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Postharvest dip treatment of mature strawberry fruits with …

An Assessment Of Al Batinah Fishery With Respect To Ecologically Sustainable Development Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach, Huda Al-Siyabi, Hussain Al Masroori

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Globally, sustainable development is considered as a vital need to fisheries sector that integrated both human and environmental well-beings. This issue was recognised by the Omani government therefore, it started to promote the fishery management system by establishing new fisheries development plans and management policies to achieve the sustainable development goals. This study aimed at assessing the progress of Al Batinah fishery towards sustainable development using Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) framework and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach (MCDA) from 2008 to 2017. A consultation review was conducted to identify all possible components (criteria) of the ESD framework. Progress of each component …

Antagonistic Bacterial Strains Isolated From Cabbage Rhizosphere Release Antimicrobial Volatile Organic Compounds Against Pythium Aphanidermatum, Rethinasamy Velazhahan

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

In a previous study, we isolated four antagonistic bacterial strains viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa B1-SQU, Pseudomonas indica B2-SQU, Serratia marcescens B3-SQU and Pseudomonas brenneri B4-SQU from the rhizosphere of cabbage which suppressed damping-off in cabbage caused by Pythium aphanidermatum. In this study, potential of these bacterial isolates to produce antimicrobial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) against P. aphanidermatum was tested. The results of the two-sealed-base-plates assay revealed that all four bacterial strains produced VOCs against P. aphanidermatum with the maximum inhibition with P. brenneri B4-SQU followed by S. marcescens B3-SQU, P. aeruginosa B1-SQU and P. indica B2-SQU. Solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas …

Abstracts Of The First International Conference On Plant Protection (Icpp), Agrscied Jams

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Abstracts of the First International Conferenceon Plant Protection (ICPP)

Assessment Of Aflatoxin B1 Content And Aflatoxigenic Molds In Imported Food Commodities In Muscat, Oman, Alaa Khamis Sulaiman Al-Alawi, Ahad Ahmed Said Al-Mandhari, Issa Hashil Al-Mahmooli, Majida Mohammad Ali Al-Harrasi, Ismail Mohamed Al-Bulushi, Abdullah Mohammed Al-Sadi, Rethinasamy Velazhahan

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Aflatoxins, mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are considered as serious food safety and human health issues due to their hepatotoxic effects. In the present study, the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), the most potent human liver carcinogen, and prevalence of toxigenic isolates of Aspergillus spp. were assessed in 140 food commodities in Muscat markets, Oman, and the 95 quarantined imported food commodities. These samples consisted of rice, corn, peanut, red chilli powder, soybean, dried dates and tree nuts. AFB1 was analyzed using competitive ELISA/LC-MS and the aflatoxigenic fungi were detected using plating technique followed by molecular identification. …

Effect Of Intermittent Frying On The Stability Of Vitamins A And D In Commercially Fortified Oils, Mohamed Al-Khusaibi, Seham Al-Amri, Nasser Al-Habsi, Md. Shafiur Rahman

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids are very sensitive to high temperature and oxidation. In this study, stability of vitamins A and D, and physiochemical changes were investigated in two types of oils, palm olein (PO) and a blend of PO and sunflower oil (OB). The intermittent frying was performed at two different temperatures 160 and 190 °C. Batches of French fries (500 g) were fried in a deep-fat fryer for 5 cycles, a cycle per day. In each cycle, food was fried every 15 min with a total frying time of 5 h per day. Oil samples were taken at …

Evaluation Of Several Chromatographic Resins On The Separation Of Dates Sugar And Their Impact On Other Compounds In Dates, Ahmed Al-Alawi, Siham Al-Shaibi, Wesonga Ronald

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Dates are one of the most important food commodities in the Middle East countries, including the Sultanate of Oman. The fruit is regarded as a highly nutritious and healthy food. However, there are two million tons per year of dates that are abandoned waste worldwide. The objective was to establish an optimized method to separate sugars from dates using chromatographic resins and know the effect of those resins on the other ingredients. Fard date and three strong-cation gel-type resins (DOW-Ca, PCR-Ca and PCR-Na) were used in this study. The free-sugar extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MS method to quantify sugars and …

Evaluation Of The Intestinal Bacterial Community Of Local Omani And Cobb 500 Broiler Chickens Raised In An Open-Sided House Using 16s Rdna-Based Analysis, Waleed Al-Marzooqi, Mai A S. Al-Balushi, Yasmin El Tahir, Muhammad N. Asi, Hani M. El-Zaiat, Mohammed A. Al-Abri, Kaadhia Al-Kharousi

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Little is known about how the intestinal bacterial microbiota differs among different strains of chickens raised in an open sided house, predominantly those with lower growth rates, such as Indigenous chickens. Ninety-one-day-old chicks of each strain of chickens were raised in an open-sided house system and fed a conventional corn-soybean meal diet from Day 0-35 days of age. The objective of this study was to assess the relative abundance of bacteria microbiota identified in the intestinal tract of local Omani and Cobb 500 broiler chickens raised in an open-sided house system using 16S rDNA-based analysis. The results obtained showed the …

Storage Study On Tomato, Pumpkin, And Ginger Composite Vegetable Squash, Seyida Afreen Seyid Mohamed Moulana, R. G. Lakmal, S. M. A. C. U. Senarathna, K. Premakumar

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

Sri Lanka has a vast variety of vegetables. Although the nutritional and medicinal properties of pumpkin and tomato are acknowledged, their consumption as beverage is limited due to their lack of taste. Blending these vegetables with spice extracts is considered a more nutritious alternative when added to beverages. An effort was completed to determine the storage stability of vegetable squash made using different proportion of tomato, pumpkin and ginger. Considering the findings of several preliminary studies, five formulations in various mixes of tomato and pumpkin, were chosen. The highest scores for all the sensory parameters and chemical characters were obtained …

Can The Irrigation Of Soils With Amoxicillin-Enriched Water Cause The Proliferation Of Bacteria Resistant To Antibiotics Among Culturable Heterotrophic Aerobic Soil Bacteria?, Adhari Al-Kalbani, Daniel Blackburn, Buthaina Al-Siyabi, Mohamed Al-Kasbi, Ahmed Al-Busaidi

Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences

This study investigated the short-term impact of irrigation with Amoxicillin solutions on the presence of the amoxicillin-resistance trait among culturable soil heterotrophic aerobic bacteria. The microcosm experimental design consisted of 15 days of incubation of 10 g soil samples irrigated daily with distilled water containing increasing doses of amoxicillin (0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, 1000 µg g-1 of soil day-1). The hypothesis was that continuous daily addition of antibiotics would increase the proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soils. After the incubation period, the total and antibiotic resistance heterotrophic aerobic bacteria communities were assessed through serial dilution of soil suspensions, followed …