BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plants from gypsum habitats are classified as gypsophiles and gypsovags. The former include both narrow endemics limited to small gypsum areas and regionally dominant gypsophiles growing in gypsum areas of large regions, whereas gypsovags are plants that can grow both in gypsum and non-gypsum soils. Factors controlling the distribution of gypsum plants are still not fully un...

AIM Several new irreversible hydrocolloid formulations have recently become available with claims of an improved dimensional stability by the manufacturers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of casts made from alginate impression materials poured immediately and after specific storage periods. METHODS AND MATERIALS Five alginates were tested: CA 37 (Cavex); Jeltrate (Dentsply...

The experiment was conducted on farmer’s field at District Lakki Marwat (NWFP) during Rabi (spring) 2007-08, in order to study the response of wheat to different soil treatments irrigated with poor quality irrigation water. The treatments including control, tillage, gypsum and sulphuric acid were applied before sowing of the wheat crop. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete bloc...

The dehydration of gypsum CaSO4.2H20 has been studied, at negligible water vapour pressure, by in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy and by thermogravimetry to determine whether intermediate phases (CaSO4.nH20) exist, other than the hemihydrate with n=0.5, and also to compare the mechanism of the dehydration process when measured by two techniques with very different correlation lengths. Thermogra...

Wheat straw based composting generates a selective substrate for mushroom production. The first phase of this process requires 5 days, and a reduction in time is wished. Here, we aim at understanding the effect of gypsum on the duration of the first phase and the mechanism behind it. Hereto, the regular process with gypsum addition and the same process without gypsum were studied during a 5-day...

Fe2O3 and ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by a fast microwave method. Nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction  and scanning electron microscopy. The goal of bio-fortification is to develop plants that have an increased content of bioavailable nutrients in their edible parts. The micronutrients magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu), boron (B) and calcium (Ca) are essen...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the dimensional stability of casts made from an alginate impression material poured immediately and stored after specific periods. MATERIALS AND METHODS The common alginate used in Iran (Super; Iralgin, Golchai Co., Tehran, Iran) was tested. A master model was mounted on a special device and used to obtain the impressions. These impressions were...

This research determines which of the phenomena that appear during cavitation are responsible for the erosion of some brittle water soluble materials, such as gypsum and alum, when exposed to a high intensity ultrasound field over the cavitation level. The observation that gypsum suffers no erosion under the effect of an ultrasound field when the material is irradiated in a saturated solution o...

Objectives were to identify and to evaluate controlled trials of interventions for term infants developing hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. Five randomized trials concerning prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy for neonatal HIE were identified. There were methodological problems with all of them, and meta-analysis of barbiturate prophylaxis showed no significant effect on death or disability. O...

The success of innovative fouling mitigation techniques such as ion implantation depends upon early stage of scale formation on heat transfer surface. This is because the first crystalline nuclei that appear on the surface during the initial period dictate how fouling would develop in latter stages. In this study, the initial period of deposition of calcium sulphate on heat transfer surfaces ha...