Membrane separation techniques are used to separate certain components (protein, fat, water, etc.) in liquid products such as milk and to obtain these components in pure form, and also to remove microorganisms in these liquid products. In addition, these techniques are used to concentrate milk in the dairy industry. In membrane separation, components pass through pores of a certain size and are separated according to molecular weights. The basic principle in separation techniques is based on the fact that the liquid is passed through the pores of the membrane under certain pressure, the desired components (retantat) are kept in the pores and other components (permeate) pass through the membrane. The techniques used are grouped into four main categories: Microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and hyperfiltration (reverse osmosis). Among the advantages of the membrane separation technique are the low electricity consumption, the possibility of use in various areas, and the fact that it does not cause undesired changes in the product characteristics. There are disadvantages such as the cost of initial installation, fouling of the membrane pores, and the membrane cleaning takes a long time.

This study has emerged within the scope of the sectoral studies requested by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of Turkish Republic from the Development Agencies, and aims to select the optimal plant location among the organized industrial zones in the TR72 Region consisting of Kayseri, Sivas and Yozgat provinces in order to produce processed fibre from the raw fibre obtained as a by-product of hemp cultivation. The criteria such as parcel unit price, electricity unit price, service water unit price, waste water unit price, natural gas unit price, insurance premium employer's share support period, investment contribution rate for insurance premium employer’s share support, tax reduction rate, investment contribution rate for tax reduction, interest or profit share support, access to raw material sources, access to market and access to qualified labour supply that form the basis for the selection of plant location were determined and weighted according to the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method The most available plant location among the emerging alternatives was determined by using Multi-Criteria Decision Making Methods consisting of Combined Comprimise Solution (COCOSO), Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) and Multi-Attributive Ideal-Real Comparative Analysis (MAIRCA). Consequently, it was concluded that Kaleseramik Private Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) located in Yozgat province is the most available plant location among the other seven alternatives.

The genus Achillea (Yarrow)is one of the most important medicinal plants. Nowadays, different medicinal functions of yarrow such as spasmolytic, choleretic, treatment of wounds and anti-inflammatory activities, make it as an important medicinal plant. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity of aqueous (AAE) and methanol (AME) extracts from the plant Achillea santolinoides L. (A. santolinoides L.) aerial parts in vitro. Quantitative evaluation of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and Bate Smith methods, respectively. Antioxidant activity was carried out using ABTS radical scavenging, alkaline DMSO superoxide radical scavenging and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). The obtained results showed that the highest content in total phenolic, flavonoids and tannins was found in the AME with values of 210.78±0.001 µg GAE/mg Dw, 21.18±0.025 µg QE/mg DW and198.73±0.014µg TAE/mg DW, respectively. For the in vitro antioxidant activity, AME had the strongest ABTS and DMSO alkaline radical scavenging activity (IC50= 6.74±0.16 µg/mL and 15.13±0.92 µg/mL, respectively) and the CUPRAC reducing with A0.50 of 76.56±2.35 µg/mL. The results of the present study confirm the use of the genus Achillea in the treatment of various diseases as a powerful antioxidant.

Poor germination and suboptimal seedling growth constitute as prime factors in lowering the achene yield and seed oil content of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), while chemo-priming with micronutrients might serve as a biological viable strategy provided source and dose optimization are performed. A trial was executed to appraise the comparative impact of seed priming with different doses of micronutrients like boron (B) and zinc (Zn) on sunflower germination and seedling growth traits of sunflower. The experiment was comprised of six treatments of B (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.20 ppm) and Zn (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 mM) each, while seed germination, root and seedling growth related traits were taken as experimental variables. The results revealed that all treatments remained ineffective regarding seed germination and seed vigour of sunflower, while B and Zn doses of 0.2 ppm and 12 mM respectively, enhanced seedling emergence rate and vigour. The Zn (8 mM) significantly improved root length along with their fresh and dry weights, while all doses of B imparted antagonistic effects on root attributes. Likewise, Zn (8 mM) remained superior for shoot length, fresh and dry weights, while higher doses of B remained contra-productive for shoot growth of sunflower.

Mechanical properties provide information to design and develop suitable machines (equipment) for processing, transporting, and conveying chestnuts. Four chestnut cultivars that have not been studied before were investigated in the study carried out for this purpose. Some engineering properties of Macit 55, Akyüz, Ali Nihat, and Bouche de Betizac chestnut cultivars were determined and compared. The mechanical properties were determined by rupture force, rupture energy, deformation, and firmness values. The friction coefficients of chestnut varieties on a galvanized sheet, stainless steel, and rubber surfaces were investigated. Mechanical properties were determined using a Universal Testing Machine. The values obtained from the samples were obtained by compression between the parallel plate along the X, Y, and Z axes. For the static friction coefficient, while the galvanized sheet surface had the lowest value (0.145), the rubber surface had the highest value (0.212). For rupture forces, the force required to break the chestnut at the Z loading axis position (714.09 N) was higher than the required force at the Y loading axis position (396.35 N) of the fruit.

Proper scheduling gave water to the crop at the right time in the right quantity to optimize production and minimize adverse environmental impact. Therefore, the objective of this study is to quantify the effects of irrigation regimes on yield and yield components of Maize in the Lake Tana basin during 2016-2018. CROPWAT 8.0 model was used to determine the crop water requirement. Almost all parameters were adopted the default value of CROPWAT 8.0. Field data including; field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point (PWP), initial soil moisture depletion (%), available water holding capacity (mm/meter), infiltration rates (mm/day), and local climate data were determined in the study area. The treatments were arranged in factorial combinations with five irrigation depths (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of ETc) and two irrigation intervals (14 and 21 days) laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The result was analyzed using SAS 9 software and significant treatment means separated using least significant difference at 5%. The result showed that the interaction of irrigation depth and irrigation frequency has no significant effect on the average grain yield and water use efficiency of maize. At koga, the highest grain yield (7.3 t ha-1) and water use efficiency (0.9 kg m-3) obtained from 100% ETc. while, at Ribb the highest grain yield (10.97 t ha-1) and water use efficiency (1.9 kg m-3) obtained from 21 days irrigation interval. Therefore, for Koga and similar agro ecologies maize can irrigated with 562 mm net irrigation depth and 21-day irrigation interval and at Rib and similar agro ecologies maize can irrigated with 446.8 mm net irrigation depth and 21- days irrigation interval.

Yogurt is a natural source of gut-friendly bacteria. It has a considerable body of evidence that supports the significant positive effects of yogurt as probiotics on quail production performance and health. Yogurt containing bacteria can improve quail economic indexes and resistance to pathogens. With this objective, 240 growing Japanese quails were randomly distributed into three groups A1 (control), A2 (Yogurt), and A3 (Protexin) (4 replicates/treatment of 20 birds) to investigate the effect of yogurt as a probiotic source. Birds were allowed to be fed ad libitum with a commercial quail ration. Yogurt and Protexin were mixed at the rate of 5 ml/L (5ml into 1 lt. water) and 1g/L (1gm into 1 lt. water) in A2 and A3, respectively. Six (6) weeks of investigation showed a significantly higher result in yogurt than in the other two groups. Body weight had a significant difference between the control and protexin groups. Body weight gain (g) was significantly heavier in A2 at the finisher phase. No significant effect was observed in feed intake, but FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio) was significantly lower in A2, but no significant effect was noticed between A1 and A3. The mortality percentage was higher in the control group (2.66%) and lowest in yogurt (1.03%). Carcass characteristics were significantly heavier in A2 than A1 and A3. Non-carcass characteristics illustrated significant differences among the three groups, but a non-significant difference was observed in head weight. The gross return per bird was higher in A2 (12.05 BDT), whereas it was 6.55 BDT and 7.08 BDT for A1 and A3. With those observations, it can be concluded that yogurt successfully enhanced overall broiler performance and gross return of Japanese quail.

During cheese ripening many biochemical reactions occur, including hydrolysis of fat, lactose metabolism, and protein breakdown. The aim of this study is to compare the direct measurement method from cheese with simple extraction methods in determining the hydrolysis of fats by FTIR spectroscopy. For this purpose, white cheese samples were produced, ripened for 60 days and analysed at 20-day intervals. The content of fatty acids was determined by gas chromatography, while its estimation was performed using Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR). As a result, the PLSR performance obtained from fat extract samples by FTIR spectroscopy was shown higher values than the performance obtained from the direct measurement from cheese. It has been shown that simple extraction methods provide higher performance in FTIR spectroscopic measurements made from cheese.

Background: Matricaria chamomilla L. (M. chamomilla) is a famous medicinal plant distributed worldwide. It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat all kinds of diseases, including infections, neuropsychiatric, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and liver disorders. It is also used as a sedative, antispasmodic, antiseptic, and antiemetic. Our aims in this study was thus to quantify the phenolic, flavonoids contents in the flower of this plant, and also to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential and the in vivo analgesic activity. Methods: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the plant aqueous extract (MCAqE) were estimated using the Folin–Ciocalteu and AlCl3 colorimetric methods, respectively. However, DPPH method was used to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity. Analgesic activity was tested by acetic acid induced writhing model in mice. Results: Quantitative determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids revealed that this extract contained 158.41±1.6 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry extract and 37.06±0.56 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the plant extract was important (IC50=3.08±0.25 mg/mL). MCAqE extract, at 400 mg/kg, showed analgesic activity (39.60±8.70%) against acetic acid induced pain in mice while the standard reference drug Diclofenac sodium exhibited 90.44±2.80% activity at 10 mg/kg dose.

Heavy metals are one of the factors that pollute the environment and significantly affect soil fertility, plant physiology, development, and productivity. The tolerance of plants to toxicity depends on the species and tissue, element type, and duration of exposure to stress. Some special signal molecules such as nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), beneficial ions, hyperaccumulating plants, stress hormones, nanoparticles, organic compounds, and microbial applications can be recommended to alleviate the stress effects caused by toxic heavy metals in plants. Induction of other promising techniques like seed priming, active involvement of plant growth regulator, use of osmoprotectants, successful plant microbes’ crosstalk and recent utilization of nanoparticles are worth using strategies in mitigation of heavy metal stress in plants. These practices effectively regulate the activities of antioxidant enzymes for the alleviation of stress in plants, creditably improving the plant tolerance via preserving cell homeostasis and amending the adversative effects of heavy metal stress in plants. These inventive strategies offer an enriched understanding of how to boost crop productivity under heavy metal stress in order to decrease the risk to global food security.