Improving fuel combustion in engines and consequently reducing environmentallyunfavorable emissions is of prominent importance in addressing some of the main challenges of the current century, i.e., global warming and climate change. Fuel additives are considered as efficient way for improving fuel properties and to diminish engine emissions. In line with this, the present research was focused on the simultaneous application of water (3, 5, and 7 wt%) and cerium oxide nano particles (90 ppm) as metal-based additive into biodiesel/diesel fuel blend (B5) and their impacts on the performance and emission characteristics of a single cylinder four stroke diesel engine were investigated. The findings revealed that the aqueous nano-emulsion of cerium oxide improved the overall combustion quality. More specifically, the brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) of B5 containing 3% water and 90 ppm cerium oxide (B5W3m) was measured 5% and 16% lower than those of neat B5 and neat B5 containing 3% water (B5W3), respectively. Moreover, the B5W3m fuel blend increased brake thermal efficiency (bte) by over 23 and 11% compared with B5W3 and B5, respectively. B5W3m also considerably reduced CO, HC, and NOx emissions by 51, 45, and 27% compared with B5W3. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report exploring the impacts of low-level water containing cerium oxide in B5 on engine performance and emission characteristics.

Anthracnose disease of papaya, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz, can cause extensive postharvest losses. The goal of this research was to use pre-harvest calcium applications to reduce anthracnose disease. Six pre-harvest foliar calcium sprays were applied biweekly to papaya trees in experimental orchards at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Additional in vitro and in vivo tests were carried out to test the effect of calcium on fruit calcium content, spore germination, mycelial growth and disease severity. Calcium chloride at 1%, 1.5% and 2.0% concentrations significantly decreased spore germination. Calcium content of papaya fruit was significantly increased by calcium sprays at a concentration of 2.0% in 2012 and 2013. In vivo studies showed that increasing calcium content in fruit by calcium sprays at 1.5 and 2.0% concentrations significantly reduced anthracnose incidence of fruits during five weeks storage at 12 ± 2 °C, and delayed initiation of disease symptoms by four weeks.

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Due to the low titer or uneven distribution of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in field samples, detection of CTV by using conventional detection techniques may be difficult. Therefore, in the present work, the cadmium-telluride quantum dots (QDs) was conjugated with a specific antibody against coat protein (CP) of CTV, and the CP were immobilized on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to develop a specific and sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based nanobiosensor for detecting CTV. The maximum FRET efficiency for the developed nano-biosensor was observed at 60% in AuNPs-CP/QDs-Ab ratio of 1:8.5. The designed system showed higher sensitivity and specificity over enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a limit of detection of 0.13μgmL(-1) and 93% and 94% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. As designed sensor is rapid, sensitive, specific and efficient in detecting CTV, this could be envisioned for diagnostic applications, surveillance and plant certification program.

Biotechnology-based detection systems and sensors are in use for a wide range of applications in biomedicine, including the diagnostics of viral pathogens. In this review, emerging detection systems and their applicability for diagnostics of viruses, exemplified by the case of avian influenza virus, are discussed. In particular, nano-diagnostic assays presently under development or available as prototype and their potentials for sensitive and rapid virus detection are highlighted.

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