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Nanophotocatalyst MnTiO3 powders were synthesized by sol-gel technique and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), as well as their thermal behavior has been studied by differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses (DTA/TGA). Powders morphology was analyzed by means of Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Effect of various process parameters like amount of photocatalyst, dye concentration, solution pH and irradiation time on the extent of removal of dye were studied in detail. The photo-degradation was relatively higher using lower amount (0.005 g) of semiconductor, reached rate of 75% and 70% after 240 min for mixed MnTiO3/TiO2 and pure MnTiO3 nanocatalysts. The kinetic model of photocatalytic degradation of MB follows pseudo-first-order kinetic with a high correlation coefficient values (R2 > 0.95). These results underline the use of effective, low-cost and easily available MnTiO3 photocatalyst for the decomposition of pollutants to water under natural sunlight. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.Successful treatment of Toxoplasma gondii infection is difficult to attain. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP), as the reference drug, nitazoxanide (NTZ), spiramycin (SP) and SP-metronidazole against the virulent RH T. gondii strain in acute experimental toxoplasmosis. One hundred Swiss albino mice were divided into control and experimental groups. Each mouse was infected with 2500 tachyzoites. Twenty infected untreated mice were used as control. The experimental group was subdivided into four subgroups (20 mice each); IIa SMZ-TMP, IIb NTZ, IIc SP and IId SP-metronidazole. All drugs were in tablet form, and were administered orally in suspension, for a period of seven days. Assessment of each drug efficacy was achieved through the study of mice survival time, mortality rate, parasite load, viability and morphological studies of tachyzoites by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The obtained results showed that SMZ-TMP, SP and SP-metronidazole were effective against acute murine toxoplasmosis and caused deformities in the tachyzoites ultrastructure. SP-metronidazole gave the best results on both mice survival rate and parasite load in the brain and liver. SMZ-TMP induced formation of prominent filaments extending from the deformed tachyzoites. NTZ showed little effect. In conclusion, all used drugs succeeded to prolong the survival time of the mice. SP-metronidazole gave the foremost effect on both mice survival rate and parasite load in the liver, spleen and brain. As this combination is nontoxic to human, it is promising for the treatment of human toxoplasmosis. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.This research paper investigates the syntax of idiomatic expressions consisting of the verb and the object/accompanying adjunct (VP idiomatic expressions, henceforth) in two Arabic varieties Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Jordanian Arabic (JA). It shows that in order for VP idiomatic expressions to obtain their idiomatic reading, the predominate pattern of the word order in each variety (i.e., the VSO word order in MSA, but the SVO word order in JA) should be used; otherwise idiomaticity is not possible (with few exceptional cases discussed in the paper). We offer evidence that this restriction on the idiomaticity of VP idiomatic expressions in Arabic varieties follows from a proposed condition that the subject (even if it is not part of the idiomatic expression) and the verb (in addition to the object) should maintain a structurally local relation with each other in the narrow syntax, i.e. they should be included in the vP phase before the spell-out point. The paper shows that the movement of the verb to T0 in MSA and JA or lack thereof does not break idiomaticity, nor does the movement of the subject to Spec,TP in JA. These facts are taken as an indication that a distinction between narrow-syntax and post-spellout movements should be made. This provides evidence for proposals that distinguish between pre- and post-spellout movements (cf. Chomsky 2001, among others). © 2020 The Author(s).The environmental influence of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) on the Changjiang River has been widely studied since the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) began operation in 2003. However, the changes in water chemistry in the reservoir in response to damming effect variations are poorly documented in the area of this large reservoir. The results suggest that in comparison to the water chemistry before the TGR operation, the inflow concentrations of Mg2+, K+, Na+ and Cl- increased in the TGR, and the abundance of Ca2+ and HCO3 - decreased in the inflow in the period after the TGR filling as a result of climate change and human activities in the Changjiang River basin. The ionic composition in the TGR is primarily controlled by contributions from the upstream region of the Changjiang River but was modified by the interaction between water and rocks within the TGR. The concentrations of most major ions as well as the equivalent ratios of the major ions increased in the TGR after the operation of TGD. This change yielded a 6% increase in the major ion loading downstream of the TGD. The Three Gorges area strongly contributes to the increase in ion loading in the TGR due to enhanced water and rock interactions in comparison with the period before TGD operation. © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.Objective Previous human and animal studies have shown that excessive maternal intake of folic acid (FA) predisposes to impaired glucose tolerance in the offspring. read more However, the underlying mechanism is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether excessive supplementation with FA during pregnancy affects the glucose tolerance of mouse offspring. Research methods & procedures Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were fed AIN93G diet containing either 2 mg [control group (CN)] or 40 mg [high FA group (HFA)] FA/kg diet throughout their pregnancies. On postnatal days (PD)22 and 50, fasting blood glucose was measured in the offspring of both groups, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on PD50. On PD53, tissues were collected, and the tissue masses, area of insulin expression in the pancreas, liver triglyceride content, and gene expression were determined. Results The blood glucose concentrations at 60 and 120 min of the OGTT were higher in female HFA than CN offspring. The serum fasting and non-fasting insulin concentrations and the area of insulin expression in the pancreas were lower in HFA than CN offspring.