We develop a number of techniques for the cryptanalysis of the SHA-3 candidate Luffa, and apply them to various Luffa components. These techniques include a new variant of the rebound approach taking into account the specifics of Luffa. The main improvements include the construction of good truncated differential paths, the search for differences using multiple inbound phases and a fast final s...

The strain rate effect of luffa sponge material is an indispensable property for it to be used for acoustic, vibration, and impact energy absorption. Compressive tests at different strain rates on cylindrical column specimens of luffa sponge material were conducted over a wide density ranging from 24 to 64 kg/m. A photographic technique was applied to measure the section area of the specimen wi...

Methanol extracts were prepared from 19 medicinal plants of Togo and, by means of standard laboratory tests, were analysed for antiviral and antibiotic activities. Ten of the 19 showed significant antiviral activity and all but two displayed antibiotic activity. Extracts of three species, Adansonia digitata (the most potent), Conyza aegyptiaca and Palisota hirsuta , were active against all thre...

P. aegyptiaca is one of the most destructive root parasitic plants worldwide, causing serious damage to many crop species. Under natural conditions P. aegyptiaca seeds must be conditioned and then stimulated by host root exudates before germinating. However, preliminary experiments indicated that TIS108 (a triazole-type inhibitor of strigolactone) and fluridone (FL, an inhibitor of carotenoid-b...

Balancing stomata-dependent CO2 assimilation and transpiration is a key challenge for increasing crop productivity and water use efficiency under drought stress for sustainable crop production worldwide. Here, we show that cucumber and luffa plants with luffa as rootstock have intrinsically increased water use efficiency, decreased transpiration rate and less affected CO2 assimilation capacity ...

In this study, we investigated few dietary cucurbits for anticancer activity by monitoring cytotoxic (MTT and LDH assays), apoptotic (caspase-3 and annexin-V assays), and also their anti-inflammatory effects by IL-8 cytokine assay. Aqua-alcoholic (50:50) whole extracts of cucurbits [Lagenaria siceraria (Ls), Luffa cylindrica (Lc) and Cucurbita pepo (Cp)] were evaluated in colon cancer cells (HT...

The range grazing and distance walked for diet selection and nutritive value were studied in close and open range systems at the flowering and seed setting stages during the September and November 2009 respectively in El-khuwei locality (El Rosa). A completely randomized design was used (CRD). Sampling was done by two stage flowering and seed sating stage under protected and open range systems ...

It is currently held that glyphosate efficiently controls the obligate holoparasite Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Egyptian broomrape) by inhibiting its endogenous shikimate pathway, thereby causing a deficiency in aromatic amino acids (AAA). While there is no argument regarding the shikimate pathway being the primary site of the herbicide's action, the fact that the parasite receives a constant suppl...

Egyptian broomrape (Phelipanche aegyptiaca) is one of the main threats to tomato production in Israel. The seed bank of P. aegyptiaca rapidly develops and spreads in the field. Knowledge about the spatio-temporal distribution of such weeds is required in advance of emergence, as they emerge late in their life cycle when they have already caused major crop damage. The aim of this study is to rev...