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Background: Brucellosis is a global public health concern and occurs mainly in young adults and the elderly, with children having a lower incidence, thus often leading to delayed treatment. This study aimed to describe the epidemiologic features and clinical characteristics of brucellosis in children. Methods: In this retrospective study, the clinical data of five children diagnosed with brucellosis in Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital between January 1, 2021 and December 30, 2022 were analyzed. Results: All five cases were from non-pastoral areas, among which three have a history of livestock exposure and originated from the countryside. All patients had medium-high grade fever, mostly accompanied by night sweats and malaise, and three had joint pains. Laboratory tests showed that their white blood cell count was normal or mildly raised, with lymphocytes as the predominant cell population. Four patients had anemia, four had aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase abnormality, and two had elevated ferritin levels. All blood samples were positive for Brucella culture, one of which had positive bone marrow culture, and all had positive serology test results. All patients were treated with rifampicin, in combination with sulfamethoxazole or doxycycline for 6 weeks following diagnosis. Four children had a good prognosis, but one child had recurrent joint pain. Conclusions: The epidemiologic history of children from non-pastoral areas with brucellosis is often unclear; clinical manifestations and laboratory tests lack specificity; and they are easily delayed diagnosis. Clinicians should remain vigilant regarding the possibility of this disease in children with fever of unknown origin. The epidemiological history should be investigated in detail to improve the diagnostic ability of brucellosis. We recommend emphasizing serological testing. Children with brucellosis who receive timely diagnosis and standardized treatment can expect a favorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate assessment of the rise in nitrous oxide (N2O) under global changes in grasslands has been hindered because of inadequate annual observations. To measure the seasonal response of N2O emissions to increased water and nitrogen (N) deposition, one year round N2O emissions were investigated by chamber weekly in the growing season and every two weeks in the non-growing season in semi-arid temperate grasslands northern China. The results showed the temperate semi-arid grassland to be a source of N2O with greater variability and contribution during the non-growing season. The individual effects of water or N addition increased N2O emissions during the growing season, while the effects of water or N addition depended on the N application rates during the non-growing season. Soil properties, particularly soil temperature and water-filled pore space (WFPS), played key roles in regulating N2O emissions. Structural equation modeling revealed that these factors explained 71% and 35% of the variation in N2O fluxes during the growing and non-growing season, respectively. This study suggested that without observations during the non-growing season it is possible to misestimate the annual N2O emissions and the risk of N2O emissions increasing under global change. This would provide insights for future management strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO), a major atmospheric pollutant and a precursor to haze, can be removed using the denitration catalyst. Mn and Ni are commonly used as denitration catalyst additives owing to their adsorption abilities for NO and ammonia (NH3). In this study, we synthesized Mn- and Ni-loaded Pt-modified sulfated cerium oxide (PtSCe) catalysts using an impregnation method and explored the effects of these elements. The results revealed that the two elements had contrasting effects on the denitration activity of the catalysts. Mn improved the water vapor and sulfur resistance of the PtSCe sample by increasing the concentration of weak acid sites, enhancing the redox ability, and increasing the content of surface-adsorbed oxygen. The elevation in oxygen vacancies, stimulated by the presence of Ce3+ and Mn3+, swiftly replenished the reactive oxygen species, thereby sustaining the high denitration efficiency of the MnPt/SCe sample. Active sites on the catalyst surface included NH3 adsorbed on Lewis acid sites, NH4+, and –NH2, along with bridging, monodentate, and bidentate nitrate groups. Regarding the catalyst reaction mechanism, we determined that the selective catalyst reduction of NH3-SCR over MnPt/SCe followed both the Eley–Rideal and Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanisms. These findings offer crucial insights into the intricate relationship between metals, sulfates, and carrier molecules, thus providing implications for future catalyst design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple disease samples were collected from the southern Xinjiang and annotated to design a convolutional neural network model based on deep learning. The accuracy and robustness of the model was improved through training and optimization algorithms, and a complete apple disease identification system was developed with the model as the core, and evaluated for its performance in terms of accuracy, recall rate and speed. This study provides a reliable Al-based apple disease diagnosis solution for the apple planting industry in the southern Xinjiang, hoping to help farmers better manage and protect crop health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-speed railway operational monitoring network systems targeting railway infrastructure as its monitoring objective, there is a wide variety of sensor types with diverse operational requirements. These systems have varying demands on data transmission latency and network lifespan. Most of the previous research focuses only on prolonging network lifetime or reducing data transmission delays when designing or optimizing routing protocols, without co-designing the two. In addition, due to the harsh operating environment of high-speed railways, when the network changes dynamically, the traditional routing algorithm generates unnecessary redesigns and leads to high overhead. Based on the actual needs of high-speed railway operation environment monitoring, this paper proposes a novel Double Q-values adaptive model combined with the existing reinforcement learning method, which considers the energy balance of the network and real-time data transmission, and constructs energy saving and delay. The two-dimensional reward avoids the extra overhead of maintaining a global routing table while capturing network dynamics. In addition, the adaptive weight coefficient is used to ensure the adaptability of the model to each business of the high-speed railway operation environment monitoring system. Finally, simulations and performance evaluations are carried out and compared with previous studies. The results show that the proposed routing algorithm extends the network lifecycle by 33% compared to the comparison algorithm and achieves good real-time data performance. It also saves energy and has fewer delays than the other three routing protocols in different situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral ulcer is the most common and easily recurrent disease in stomatology, which influence the patients’ communication, normal dietary, and sleep. Evodia rutaecarpa(ER) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine recorded in ancient Chinese medical books, which has a medicinal history of more than 2,000 years. Clinically, the application of ERat plantar Yongquan point (KI1) is effective in the treatment of oral ulcer. The purpose of this study was to combine the modern transdermal drug delivery system with traditional Chinese medicine to develop the transdermal absorption patch of ER and apply it to the treatment of oral ulcer at Yongquan point of plantar. Methods: Firstly, the medicinal materials of ER were extracted and the extracted materials were prepared into dispersed ER patch. The formulation and preparation process were screened by orthogonal design method and single factor investigation method. The adhesive and transdermal properties of the patch were used as the evaluation index of the preparation. Secondly, Wistar rats were used as experimental animals to establish a rat model of mouth ulcers. Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group (A), model group (B), low dose group, medium dose group and high dose group. the efficacy of ER on rat’s oral ulcer model was evaluated through three aspect such as apparent index, pathological index and biochemical index. Results: The patch had suitable adhesion and good skin penetration, which was an effective treatment for oral ulcer. In vivo pharmacodynamic studies, compared with the normal group, the body mass and food intake of rats in each group after modeling decreased, the amount of drinking water increased, the tissue structure of oral mucosa was damaged, and the levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6) and malondialdehyde increased, the levels of anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10), cell growth factor (epidermal growth factor, TGF-β1) and superoxide dismutase decreased. Compared with the model group, the body weight and food intake of each dosing group increased, water consumption decreased, the oral mucosal tissue structure was more complete, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and malondialdehyde decreased, the levels of IL-10, epidermal growth factor, TGF-β1 and superoxide dismutase increased, and the changes of various indexes were dose-related. Conclusion: ER patch can inhibit inflammatory reaction, enhance the antioxidant defense ability of the body, and promote the repair of damaged oral mucosa, so as to play an effective role in the treatment of oral ulcer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a widespread pathogen of several human diseases. The emergence of multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae makes the treatment of these diseases a significant challenge. The application of bacteriophages is a potential approach for dealing with the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. This study isolates a novel bacteriophage vB_KleM_KB2 that infects the multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. The bacteriophage exhibits a short latent period of 10 min, and can effectively lyse the bacterium within 60 min. Notably, the bacteriophage can completely inhibit the growth of the host bacterium at the initial concentration of 107 CFU/mL with a low multiplicity of infection of 0.001, which proves its high lytic activity. Furthermore, the bacteriophage shows high environmental tolerances, which can facilitate the practical application of the bacteriophage. Analysis of the bacteriophage genome shows that the bacteriophage possesses a novel genome sequence and can represent a new bacteriophage genus. Considering the high lytic activity, short latent period, high stability, and novel genetic background, bacteriophage vB_KleM_KB2 enriches the bacteriophage library and provides a new alternative for controlling the diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogenic K. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of carbon supports for electrocatalysts plays a crucial role in dispersing active sites, establishing oxygen/ion transport channels, and thus determining the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. A facile and simple microstructure tuning strategy is adopted to synthesize hollow carbon nanoshells (CNSs) with tuneable microstructure in this study. The CNSs with expected macroporous (300–966 nm) and mesoporous (2–5 nm) structures were achieved by adjusting heating ramp rates during pyrolysis. The CNS prepared at 1 °C min−1 (CNS-1) possesses a well-developed mesoporous/macroporous structure, which is conducive to dispersing iron phthalocyanine during the synthesis and establishing triple-phase interfaces in the catalyst layer during the ORR. Therefore, the electrocatalyst (Fe–N/CNS-1), derived from the CNSs-1, exhibits a 44 mV higher half-wave potential (0.879 V vs. RHE) in a rotating disk electrode and a 14% higher maximum power density (16.1 mW cm−2) in a membrane-less direct formate fuel cell than that of Pt/C. This study delivers a promising microstructure tuning strategy for carbon supports to construct high-efficient ORR electrocatalysts. A microstructure tuning strategy for the carbon supports of the high-performance ORR catalysts to effectively establish triple-phase interfaces. [Display omitted] • A sample pyrolysis method was proposed to synthesize the macroporous CNSs. • The microstructure of the CNSs was tuned by adjusting the heating ramp rates. • Na 2 CO 3 templates played a vital role in the tuning process during pyrolysis. • The microstructure of CNS-1 was conducive to dispersing FePc and establishing TPIs. • Fe–N/CNS-1 exhibited an E 1/2 (0.879 V) in a RDE and a P max (16.1 mW cm−2) in a DFFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N doping promoted the conversion of guaiacol and enhanced the formation of cyclohexanol. • Acidity modulation of Co-supported N-doped carbon catalyst enhanced C–O bond cleavage. • Catalyst formation mechanism was identified by DFT calculations. • N dopants collaborating alumina can improve the activity and stability of hybrid catalysts. Bio-oil derived from biomass fast pyrolysis can be upgraded to gasoline and diesel alternatives by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). Here, the novel nitrogen-doped carbon–alumina hybrid supported cobalt (Co/NCA n , n = 1, 2.5, 5) catalyst is established by a coagulation bath technique. The optimized Co/NCA 2.5 catalyst presented 100 % conversion of guaiacol, high selectivity to cyclohexane (93.6 %), and extremely high deoxygenation degree (97.3 %), respectively. Therein, the formation of cyclohexanol was facilitated by stronger binding energy and greater charge transfer between Co and NC which was unraveled by density functional theory calculations. In addition, the appropriate amount of Lewis acid sites enhanced the cleavage of the C–O bond in cyclohexanol, finally resulting in a remarkable selectivity for cyclohexane. Finally, the Co/NCA 2.5 catalyst also exhibited excellent selectivity (93.1 %) for high heating value hydrocarbon fuel in crude bio-oil HDO. This work provides a theoretical basis on N dopants collaborating alumina hybrid catalysts for efficient HDO reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse-grown cucumbers were monitored over two successive growing seasons to investigate the effects of successive application of ZJ0712, a new quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide, on the development of resistance in cucumber powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii). Resistant P. xanthii isolates were detected after nine successive applications of ZJ0712, although the control efficacy of this fungicide against cucumber powdery mildew at that time was still higher than 80%. Seven ZJ0712-resistant P. xanthii isolates with resistance factor values greater than 180 were obtained, which exhibited a stable resistance to ZJ0712. These resistant P. xanthii isolates had similar pathogenicity to the wild-type isolate on cucumber plants. The ZJ0712 showed significant cross-resistance with azoxystrobin, enostrobilurin, or chlorothalonil, but not with the azole fungicide triadimefon. Furthermore, the most commonly reported G143A mutation in Cyt b associated with QoI resistance was found in five of the seven resistant isolates. These findings suggest that there is a high risk of resistance development associated with using ZJ0712 for controlling cucumber powdery mildew under greenhouse conditions, and the underlying resistance mechanisms in different P. xanthii isolates are not consistent and need to be further unraveled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar, with its dual roles of soil remediation and carbon sequestration, is gradually demonstrating great potential for sustainability in agricultural and ecological aspects. In this study, a porous biochar derived from walnut shell wastes was prepared via a facile pyrolysis coupling with in-situ alkali etching method. An incubation study was conducted to investigate its performance in stabilizing copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) co-contaminated soils under different utilization types. The biochar effectively decreased the bioavailable Cu (8.5–91.68%) and Pb (5.03–88.54%), while increasing the pH, CEC, and SOM contents in both soils. Additionally, the results of sequential extraction confirmed that biochar promoted the transformation of the labile fraction of Cu and Pb to stable fractions. The mechanisms of Cu and Pb stabilization were found to be greatly dependent on the soil types. For tea plantation yellow soil, the main approach for stabilization was the complexation of heavy metals with abundant organic functional groups and deprotonation structure. Surface electrostatic adsorption and cation exchange contributed to the immobilization of Cu and Pb in vegetable-cultivated purple soil. This research provides valuable information for the stabilization of Cu and Pb co-contaminated soils for different utilization types using environmentally-friendly biochar. • Biochar was prepared via a facile pyrolysis coupling with in-situ alkali etching method. • The biochar amendment effectively decreased the bioavailable Cu and Pb in soil. • Cu and Pb stabilization depended on soil properties especially influenced by land use. • SOM was the main influence factor of Cu and Pb immobilization for tea planted soil. • PH and CEC markedly contributed to the stability of Cu and Pb in vegetable cultivated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructure design for air-cathodes effectively promotes the catalyst intrinsic activity utilization. [Display omitted] • A transition layer structure is proposed to disperse active sites in electrodes. • The electrode structure is modified by tuning the ink composition. • The dispersed active sites benefit the sufficient expression of intrinsic activity. • The power-generation ability of DFFCs surpasses congeneric devices. Fe-N/C materials have shown intrinsic activities comparable to Pt/C catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction on rotating ring-disk electrodes (RRDE). However, due to the insufficient three-phase interfaces (TPIs) and high oxygen transport resistance (R T), the high intrinsic activity cannot be sufficiently utilized in electrodes, resulting in a gap between the intrinsic catalytic activity on RRDE and the performance in devices. To expand the TPIs and promote oxygen transport, a novel electrode with a transition layer structure is proposed to disperse the active sites. The dispersion degree of active sites is optimized by tuning the solid–liquid interfacial energy between the ink solvent and the substrate. A high electrochemical active area of 1264 cm2 and a low R T of 2.0 s cm−1 are achieved for the electrode prepared by an alcohol-rich ink. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the microstructure can benefit the extension of TPIs and facilitate oxygen transport in the air cathode, ultimately achieving efficient utilization of catalytic activities. A maximum power density of 35.4 mW cm−2 is achieved in a membrane-less direct formate fuel cell, surpassing most congeneric devices. Our approach clarifies the relationship between TPI construction, mass transport, and electrode microstructure, which successfully exploits the intrinsic activity on air cathodes and improves the power generation ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mango pit biochar as an alternative fuel was first reported for ironmaking. • Biochar closest to pulverized coal was identified by principal component analysis. • Life cycle assessment unraveled the maximum reduction of GWP was 220 kg CO 2 eq/tHM. Biochar, produced by the pyrolysis of carbon–neutral biomass, has great potential to replace pulverized coal (PC) injection in blast furnace (BF) ironmaking. Herein, this study aimed to develop a low-ash and low-alkali metal biochar from mango pit (MP) and evaluate its environmental impact as an alternative fuel for BF ironmaking. This paper first studied the feasibility of mango pit biochar (MPB) as an alternative fuel. Compared with other preparation conditions, MPB prepared at 600 °C for 60 min (MPB-600–60) had the most similar fuel performance to PC, which was confirmed by principal component analysis (PCA). Moreover, MPB-600–60 exhibited lower ash and alkali metal content compared to PC. The co-combustion experiment demonstrated that MPB-600–60 could promote the combustion of mixed fuel, and the optimal combustibility was achieved when the addition ratio of MPB-600–60 was 80%. Comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) revealed that the reduction of global warming potential (GWP) amounted to 220 kg CO 2 eq/tHM if MPB 100% replaced PC. These results indicated that MPB could significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental impact of BF ironmaking. This study provides a novel and promising approach for developing low-carbon and clean alternative fuels in BF ironmaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botrytis cinerea is one of the most destructive pathogens worldwide. It can damage over 200 crops, resulting in significant yield and quality losses. Cyclobutrifluram, a new generation of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors, exhibits excellent inhibitory activity against B. cinerea. However, the baseline sensitivity and resistance of B. cinerea to cyclobutrifluram remains poorly understood. This study was designed to monitor the sensitivity frequency distribution, assess the resistance risk, and clarify the resistance mechanism of B. cinerea to cyclobutrifluram. The baseline sensitivity of B. cinerea isolates to cyclobutrifluram was 0.89 μg/mL. Cyclobutrifluram-resistant B. cinerea populations are present in the field. Six resistant B. cinerea isolates investigated in this study possessed enhanced compound fitness index compared to the sensitive isolates according to mycelial growth, mycelial dry weight, conidiation, conidial germination rate, and pathogenicity. Cyclobutrifluram exhibited no cross-resistance with tebuconazole, fludioxonil, cyprodinil, or iprodione. Sequence alignment revealed that BcSDHB from cyclobutrifluram-resistant B. cinerea isolates had three single substitutions (P225F, N230I, or H272R). Molecular docking verified that these mutations in BcSDHB conferred cyclobutrifluram resistance in B. cinerea. In conclusion, the resistance risk of B. cinerea to cyclobutrifluram is high, and the point mutations in BcSDHB (P225F, N230I, or H272R) confer cyclobutrifluram resistance in B. cinerea. This study provided important insights into cyclobutrifluram resistance in B. cinerea and offered valuable information for monitoring and managing cyclobutrifluram resistance in the future. [Display omitted] • Baseline sensitivity of B. cinerea to cyclobutrifluram was established. • The resistance risk of cyclobutrifluram in B. cinerea was high. • Point mutations in BcSDHB were associated with the cyclobutrifluram resistance in B. cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Soil respiration (Rs) plays a crucial role in the terrestrial carbon cycle. We attempted to investigate how changes in water and nitrogen affect the Rs of grassland ecosystems through biotic and abiotic factors under the context of global change. Methods: We conducted a 4-year manipulative field experiment with a randomized complete block design in a 2 × 4 factorial consisting of two water addition levels and three nitrogen addition levels in a typical temperate grassland in China to explore the response of Rs to different water and nitrogen addition treatments in the growing season, and the potential factors controlling Rs were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Water addition significantly enhanced the cumulative Rs in all years. The precipitation during the months of vigorous plant growth (May to July) was an important factor in determining the average Rs during the growing season. Nitrogen addition alone had no significant impacts on Rs except for short-term positive effects caused by low nitrogen addition (25 kg N ha−1 yr−1) during the period after nitrogen application in the first year. Although soil microbes and plant roots contributed to Rs, the main factors controlling Rs were still temperature and soil moisture. Conclusion: These findings indicate that water addition could promote Rs in semiarid grassland ecosystems. Changes in environmental factors could control Rs by affecting soil microorganisms and plant roots activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposed steam roasting method for valuable metal recovery from spent NCM batteries. [Display omitted] • A steam roasting method was proposed for disposal and recovery of spent LIBs. • The carbon removal of spent LIBs was dramatically facilitated by steam. • The H 2 O only acted on the reaction process of the anode material of spent LIBs. • The magnetic recovery efficiencies of Co and Ni after steam roasting were 90% and 93%. Oxygen-free roasting could efficiently achieve the recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but the roasted products have the drawbacks of a high carbon (C) content and a complex separation process. Hence, in this study, a new method incorporating steam (H 2 O) into the reduction-roasting recovery process of spent LIBs (steam roasting) was proposed to realize carbon removal and valuable metal recovery simultaneously. The influence of steam on the reduction-roasting process of spent LiNi 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 O 2 batteries (NCM) was investigated through experimental methods and thermodynamic analysis. The results indicated that the addition of steam could dramatically facilitate the decomposition and reduction process of spent NCM, and the carbon removal efficiency could reach 84%. H 2 O only acted on the reaction process of the anode material, and the main component C could be efficiently gasified by steam to produce hydrogen (H 2) and carbon monoxide (CO), which could significantly accelerate the reduction process of CoO and NiO. The optimal conditions for valuable metal recovery and carbon removal were a H 2 O/C mole ratio of 5:1 and a reduction-roasting temperature of 1123 K. After steam roasting, the magnetic recovery efficiencies of Co and Ni were as high as 90% and 93%, respectively. The final recovery products were Co, Ni, and Li 2 CO 3 with high purities. Therefore, this study is expected to provide a novel approach to achieve efficient disposal and recovery of metals from spent LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of rapid solidification behaviour, e.g. the undercooling versus growth velocity relationship, is crucial for tailoring microstructures and properties in metal alloys. In most rapid solidification processes, such as additive manufacturing (AM), in situ investigation of rapid solidification behaviour is missing because of the lack of accurate measurement of the cooling rate and nucleation undercooling. In the present study, rapid solidification of single micro-sized Al-Si12 (mass%) particles of various diameters has been investigated via differential fast scanning calorimetry employing controllable cooling rates from 100 to 90,000 K s−1 relevant for AM. Based on nucleation undercooling and on microstructure analysis of rapidly solidified single powder particles under controlled cooling rates, two different heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms of the primary α-Al phase are proposed. Surface heterogeneous nucleation dominates for particles with diameter smaller than 23 μm. For particles with diameter larger than 23 μm, the nucleation of the primary α-Al phase changes from surface to bulk heterogeneous nucleation with increasing cooling rate. The results indicate that at large undercoolings (> 95 K) and high cooling rates (> 10,000 K s−1), rapid solidification of single particle can yield a microstructure similar to that formed in AM. The present work not only proposes new insight into rapid solidification processes, but also provides a theoretical foundation for further understanding of microstructures and properties in additively manufactured materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cooling rate impacts Al dendrites and eutectics in micro-sized AlSi10Mg particles. • Dendrite arm spacing and eutectic spacing decrease with increasing cooling rate. • Non-equilibrium solidification is analyzed by in-situ calorimetric methods. This study investigates the solidification process of individual micro-sized AlSi10Mg particles using continuous cooling and isothermal differential fast scanning calorimetry (DFSC) methods at a range of cooling rates (from 500 K/s to 50,000 K/s) and temperatures (from 562 °C to 502 °C). The solidification microstructure consists of fine α -Al dendrites and (α -Al + Si) eutectics. Both dendrite arm spacing and eutectic spacing decrease with increasing cooling rate, as well as decreasing solidification temperature. The continuous cooling treatment exhibits finer microstructures compared to those observed in the isothermal treatment in the similar solidification temperature range. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of the DFSC methods, along with microstructure characterization, in analyzing the solidification process of individual powder particles over a wide range of cooling rates and temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the existing trackers address the visual tracking problem by extracting an appearance template from the first frame, which is used to localize the target in the current frame. Unfortunately, they typically face the model degeneration challenge, which easily results in model drift and target loss. To address this issue, a novel Template Adjustment Siamese Network (TA-Siam) is proposed in this paper. The proposed framework TA-Siam consists of two simple subnetworks: The template adjustment subnetwork for feature extraction and the classification-regression subnetwork for bounding box prediction. The template adjustment module adaptively uses the feature of subsequent frames to adjust the current template. It makes the template adapt to the target appearance variation of long-term sequence and effectively overcomes model drift problem of Siamese networks. In order to reduce classification errors, the rhombus labels are proposed in our TA-Siam. For more efficient learning and faster convergence, our proposed tracker uses a more effective regression loss in the training process. Extensive experiments and comparisons with trackers are conducted on the challenging benchmarks including VOT2016, VOT2018, OTB50, OTB100, GOT-10K, and LaSOT. Our TA-Siam achieves state-of-the-art performance at the speed of 45 FPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article demonstrates that rice uses a leaf-to-caryopsis phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) transport–based mechanism to ensure normal seed development in response to variable temperatures. It mentions that leaf-derived ABA controls rice seed development in a temperature-dependent manner and regulated by defective grain-filling 1 (DG1), a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter that effluxes ABA at nodes and rachilla.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a pivotal strategy in gene functional analysis and pest management. However, the efficacy of RNAi varies significantly across different insect species, particularly exhibiting limited effectiveness in Lepidopteran insects. Therefore, it is imperative to develop innovative delivery strategies of dsRNA to enhance efficient gene silencing in these insects. In this study, we utilized the globally distributed polyphagous Lepidopteran insect pest Helicoverpa armigera as our research model due to its substantial implications for agriculture and limited success with RNAi-based approaches. Through the utilization of RNAi technique, HaLCP17 was identified as a larval cuticle protein gene with the highest lethality among 61 potential lethal target genes of H. armigera. Additionally, silencing HaLCP17 during the larval stage resulted in a maximum decrease of 2.66-fold in expression, accompanied by a mortality rate of 23.33% after 10 days. The larvae in the treatment group exhibited significant reductions in size and epidermal relaxation, leading to maximum decrease of 28.89% and 53.57% in feeding amount and larval weight respectively. Notably, the introduction of Imidazole-Modified Graphene Quantum Dots (IGQDs), a novel type of quantum dot nanoparticles, into the insect RNAi system demonstrated proficient delivery capability for dsRNA and potentiated gene silencing efficiency. Compared with naked dsRNA treatment, the injection of IGQDs-dsHaLCP17 complex reduced the expression of HaLCP17 by 1.66-fold, on the 10th day after treatment the mortality rate increased by 92.88%, and the eclosion rate decreased by 31.42%. These findings hold great potential for future control and analysis of gene function in Lepidopteran insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air quality issue such as particulate matter pollution (PM2.5 and PM10) has become one of the biggest environmental problem in China. As one of the most important industrial base and economic core regions of China, Northeast China is facing serious air pollution problems in recent years, which has a profound impact on the health of local residents and atmospheric environment in some part of East Asia. Therefore, it is urgent to understand temporal-spatial characteristics of particles and analyze the causality factors. The results demonstrated that variation trend of particles was almost similar, the annual, monthly and daily distribution had their own characteristics. Particles decreased gradually from south to north, from west to east. Correlation analysis showed that wind speed was the most important factor affecting particles, and temperature, air pressure and relative humidity were key factors in some seasons. Path analysis showed that there was complex unidirectional causal relationship between particles and individual or combined effects, and NO2 and CO were key factors affecting PM2.5. The hot and cold areas changed little with the seasons. All the above results suggests that planning the industrial layout, adjusting industrial structure, joint prevention and control were necessary measure to reduce particles concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful application of heterosis in hybrid rice has dramatically improved rice productivity, but the genetic mechanism for heterosis in the hybrid rice remains unclear. In this study, we generated two populations of rice F1 hybrids with present-day commercial hybrid parents, genotyped the parents with 50k SNP chip and genome resequencing, and recorded the phenotype of ∼2,000 hybrids at three field trials. By integrating these data with the collected genotypes of ∼4,200 rice landraces and improved varieties that were reported previously, we found that the male and female parents have different levels of genome introgressions from other rice subpopulations, including indica, aus, and japonica, therefore shaping heterotic loci in the hybrids. Among the introgressed exogenous genome, we found that heterotic loci, including Ghd8/DTH8, Gn1a, andIPA1 existed inwild rice, but were significantly divergently selected among the rice subpopulations, suggesting these loci were subject to environmental adaptation. During modern rice hybrid breeding, heterotic loci were further selected by removing loci with negative effect and fixing loci with positive effect and pyramid breeding. Our results provide insight into the genetic basis underlying the heterosis of elite hybrid rice varieties, which could facilitate a better understanding of heterosis and rice hybrid breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the full spread of various IT application systems, a large number of business data are stored in the business systems of enterprises. In this paper, the author analyzes the aviation industry management mode based on big data analysis. In this paper, the author analyses aviation industry management model and exchange rate index analysis based on error correction model and fuzzy mathematics. The BP algorithm uses the error of the output layer to estimate the error of the direct predecessor layer of the output layer, and then gradually estimates the error forward, and thus, the error of all layers is obtained. The weights and thresholds of the layers are adjusted according to the error so that the modified network output can approach the expected value. The aviation industry data include both the financial and internal data of airlines, and the external data such as flight information and user data. From the ETL process, building an enterprise data warehouse is an important strategy for the development of the aviation industry. It has a positive effect on the application of automatic data mining and business intelligence in the aviation industry. On this basis, we put forward relevant suggestions for aviation industry management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cucumber target spot, caused by Corynespora cassiicola , is a major cucumber disease in China. Mefentrifluconazole, a new triazole fungicide, exhibits remarkable efficacy in controlling cucumber target spot. However, the resistance risk and mechanism remain unclear. In this study, the inhibitory activity of mefentrifluconazole against 101 C. cassiicola isolates was determined, and the results indicated that the EC 50 values ranged between 0.15 and 12.85 μg/mL, with a mean of 4.76 μg/mL. Fourteen mefentrifluconazole-resistant mutants of C. cassiicola were generated from six parental isolates in the laboratory through fungicide adaptation or UV irradiation. The resistance was relatively stable after ten consecutive transfers on a fungicide-free medium. No cross-resistance was observed between mefentrifluconazole and pyraclostrobin, fluopyram, prochloraz, mancozeb, or difenoconazole. Investigations into the biological characteristics of the resistant mutants revealed that six resistant mutants exhibited an enhanced compound fitness index (CFI) compared to the parental isolates, while others displayed a reduced or comparable CFI. The overexpression of CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B was detected in the resistant mutants, regardless of the presence or absence of mefentrifluconazole. Additionally, a two-way mixture of mefentrifluconazole and prochloraz at a concentration of 7:3 demonstrated superior control efficacy against the cucumber target spot, achieving a protection rate of 80%. In conclusion, this study suggests that the risk of C. cassiicola developing resistance to mefentrifluconazole is medium, and the overexpression of CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B might be associated with mefentrifluconazole resistance in C. cassiicola. The mefentrifluconazole and prochloraz two-way mixture presented promising control efficacy against the cucumber target spot. [Display omitted] • The resistance risk of C. cassiicola to mefentrifluconazole is medium. • CcCYP51A and CcCYP51B were overexpressed in mefentrifluconazole-resistant C. cassiicola mutants. • Mefentrifluconazole and prochloraz two-way mixture presented promising control efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring microstructures and properties in metal alloys, e.g., in additive manufacturing, requires a deep understanding of its rapid solidification behavior. However, in many rapid solidification processes, in-situ investigations are difficult due to the lack of accurate measurements of cooling rates and nucleation undercooling. This study used differential fast scanning calorimetry (DFSC) to investigate the rapid solidification of micro-sized Al-Si alloy particles, with compositions including Al-Si1, Al-Si10, Al-Si12, and Al-Si20 (mass%), by employing controllable cooling rates ranging from 100 K/s to 95,000 K/s. Based on the analysis of nucleation undercooling and microstructure, the solidification sequence and different mechanisms of the α -Al phase formation were proposed. A modified model using classical nucleation theory (CNT), including surface heterogeneous nucleation, and interface/bulk heterogeneous nucleation for α -Al is employed. This study presents a practical approach to examining the rapid solidification behavior of metal particles, allowing the distinction between surface and interface/bulk nucleation. • Microstructure evolution for Al-Si alloys under rapid solidification conditions was examined using fast calorimetry. • Solidification sequences of rapidly solidified single particles of Al-Si alloys were proposed. • Modified nucleation model applied to distinguish surface and interface/bulk nucleation of α-Al dendrites. • Recalescence during nucleation contributes to globular microstructure and Si nanoprecipitates at 500 K/s in Al-Si1 alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity has increased rapidly in China. The aims of this study were to estimate the dynamic prevalence of overweight, general obesity, and abdominal obesity and the distribution of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) among Chinese adults.Methods: Data were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). According to the suggestions of the WHO for Chinese populations, overweight was defined as a 23 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 27.5 kg/m2 and general obesity as a BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2. Abdominal obesity was defined as a WC ≥ 90 cm for males and ≥ 80 cm for females. Grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 obesity were defined as 27.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 32.5 kg/m2, 32.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 37.5 kg/m2, and BMI ≥ 37.5 kg/m2, respectively. Generalized estimation equations were used to estimate the prevalence and trends of overweight, general and abdominal obesity.Results: This study included 12,543 participant. From 1989 to 2011, the median BMI of males and females increased by 2.65 kg/m2 and 1.90 kg/m2, respectively; and WC increased by 8.50 cm and 7.00 cm, respectively. In 2011, the age-adjusted prevalence of overweight, general obesity, and abdominal obesity were 38.80% (95% CI: 37.95-39.65%), 13.99% (95% CI: 13.38-14.59%), and 43.15% (95% CI: 42.28-44.01%), respectively, and significantly increased across all cycles of the survey among all subgroups (all P < 0.0001). The age-adjusted prevalence of grade 1-3 obesity significantly increased in total sample and sex subgroups (all P < 0.0001). For all indicators, there were significant increases in annual ORs among all subgroups (all P < 0.0001), with the exception of grade 2 obesity. Significant differences were observed in ORs across the three age groups in males. And ORs significantly decreased with age.Conclusions: The age-adjusted prevalence of overweight, general obesity, and abdominal obesity significantly increased among Chinese adults from 1989 to 2011. The obesity population is trending toward an increased proportion of males and younger individuals in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Ageing is an important factor for controlling selenium bioavailability and toxicity in soil.Methods: The ageing processes of selenite and selenate in two soils were systematically investigated by adopting diffusive gradients in thin film technique (DGT) and sequential extraction.Results: Soluble Se was the main fraction (29.3%-61.7%) for selenate-treated soils, and which decreased significantly (52.5% for chestnut soil and 44.2% for black soil) and transformed to less labile fractions with ageing. By contrast, exchangeable Se fraction was the main fraction in selenite-treated soils, which decreased by 38%-71.8% with ageing. The DGT measurement (CDGT) of selenate treatment was 1.8-96.7 times higher than that of selenite treatment. Dynamic analysis showed that shorter response time Tc (44 s) and higher desorption rate constant k−1 (≥ 1.5E-3 s−1) were observed in selenite-treated chestnut soil than black soil, which coincided with the higher Se contents in pak choi planted in chestnut soil than black soil. The opposite result was found for selenate, demonstrating that Se bioavailability was affected by soil properties and Se species.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that DGT can describe the changes of Se bioavailability caused by ageing and predict Se uptake by pak choi roots in selenite- or selenate-aged soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrite growth is a complex liquid-solid phase transition process involving multiple physical factors. A phase-field lattice-Boltzmann method was developed to simulate the two- and three-dimension dendrite growth of Al-Cu alloy. The effect of fully coupled thermal-solute-convection interaction on the dendrite growth was investigated by incorporating a parallel-adaptive mesh refinement algorithm into the numerical model. By accurately reproducing the latent heat release, solute diffusion and convective transport behaviors at the liquid-solid interface, the interaction mechanism among thermal-solute-convection transport as well as their coupling effects on the dendrite growth dynamics were discussed. The simulation results show that the release of latent heat slows down the dendrite growth rate, and both natural and forced convection disrupt the symmetrical growth of dendrites. Their combination makes the growth of dendrites more complex, capturing important physical aspects such as recalescence, dendrite tip splitting, dendrite tilting, dendrite remelting, and solute plume in the simulation case. Based on the robustness and powerful ability of the numerical model, the formation mechanisms of these physical aspects were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus cereus is widely distributed food-borne pathogenic bacterium. Due to the harmness to human hearth and the generation of multidrug-resistant B. cereus, it is urgent to develop novel antimicrobial agents. Phage and phage endolysin were taken as novel antimicrobial substance for their specific lytic activity against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, a Myoviridae family phage, designated as vB_BceM-HSE3, infecting the pathogenic multidrug-resistant B. cereus strain was isolated and characterized along with its endolysin. Phage vB_BceM-HSE3 can specially infect the B. cereus group strains, including B. cereus, B. anthracis, and B. thuringiensis, and exhibits high temperature and pH tolerance, which endow it with high potential for been used in controlling pathogenic B. cereus group strains. Genomic analysis reveals that vB_BceM-HSE3 is a novel phage and only shows extremely low genome similarity with available phage genome. Functional analysis of endolysin PlyHSE3 encoding by vB_BceM-HSE3 shows that PlyHSE3 exhibits broader lytic spectrum than the phage and can lyse all the tested B. cereus group strains as well as the tested pathogenic strain of P. aeruginosa. PlyHSE3 also shows broad temperature and pH tolerance, and can efficiently lyse B. cereus strain at temperature at 4 °C and higher than 45 °C, which indicating that PlyHSE3 might can be used in controlling food-borne B. cereus during both the cold storage of food and the stage after the heat treatment of food. The findings of this study enrich our understanding of phage diversity as well as providing resources for developing phage therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arteannoide A (1), an unusual cadinane dimer featuring a rare fused 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.l]octan-7-one ring system, arteannoides B and C (2 and 3), two novel heterodimers incorporating a rearranged cadinene sesquiterpenoid and a phenylpropanoid, together with two new rearranged cadinene sesquiterpenoids 4 and 5, were isolated from Artemisia annua L. Their structures were determined by a combination of NMR spectroscopy, electronic circular dichroism calculations, and X-ray diffraction analyses. Compounds 2 and 3 showed inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell lines with IC50 values of 4.5 and 2.9 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilization of uranium resource in seawater are highly possible to meet the growth demands for the sustainable development of nuclear energy industry. Bio-adsorbents exhibit high performance in terms of adsorption selectivity, equilibrium speed, and environmental friendliness, while the high fabrication cost hinders their practical application. In this study, a low-cost soy protein isolate (SPI) is used to fabricate adsorbent named SPI hydrogel for uranium extraction. This is the first report on applying bio-adsorbents derived from low-cost natural proteins for uranium extraction. The SPI hydrogel showed high uranium adsorption capacity of 53.94 mg g−1 in simulated nuclear wastewater and 5.29 mg g−1 is achieved in natural seawater, which is higher than all currently available adsorbents based on non-modified natural biomolecules. The amino and oxygen-containing groups are identified as the functional groups for uranyl binding by providing four oxygen and two nitrogen atoms to form equatorial coordination with uranyl, which guarantees the high binding selectivity and affinity to uranyl ions. The low cost for accessing the raw material together with the environmental friendliness, high salt tolerance, high uranium adsorption ability, and high selectivity to uranium, make SPI hydrogel a promising adsorbent for uranium extraction from seawater and nuclear wastewater. [Display omitted] • Low-cost natural protein is used for uranium extraction from seawater. • High uranium extraction capacity of 5.29 mg g−1 is achieved in natural seawater. • Carboxyl and amino groups are functional groups for uranyl coordination. • The protein hydrogel shows high binding selectivity and affinity to uranyl ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil respiration (R s) under grazing was always lower than that under fencing. • The dependence of R s on soil hydrothermal factors varied with seasons. • Grazing changed the dependence of R s on hydrothermal factors. • Ambient climate determined the direction of interannual variation of R s. • Grazing changed the effect size of ambient climate on R s. Assessment of the effects of enclosure and grazing on soil respiration based on long-term continuous field observations is scarce, and seasonal dynamics of the dependence of soil respiration on hydrothermal factors (soil moisture and temperature) and the regulation of soil respiration by ambient climate (precipitation and air temperature) under long-term fencing and grazing have been inconclusive so far. A 14-year continuous field observation experiment was conducted in a temperate grassland in China. Our results showed that grazing decreased the average soil respiration over the whole year and growing season by 19.52% and 21.90%, respectively. Furthermore, grazing increased the dependence of soil respiration on soil moisture on an annual timescale but decreased the dependence of soil respiration on temperature during the growing season. Ambient climate determined the direction of interannual variation of soil respiration, while grassland management measures changed the effect size of ambient climate on soil respiration. This highlights that ambient climate plays a decisive role in regulating the response of soil respiration to change in grassland management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean warming profoundly impacts microbes in marine environments; yet, how lifestyle (e.g., free living versus biofilm associated) affects the bacterial response to rising temperature is not clear. Here, we compared transcriptional, enzymatic, and physiological responses of free-living and biofilm-associated Leisingera aquaemixtae M597, a member of the Roseobacteraceae family isolated from marine biofilms, to the increase in temperature from 25°C to 31°C. Complete genome sequencing and metagenomics revealed the prevalence of M597 in global ocean biofilms. Transcriptomics suggested a significant effect on the expression of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, nitrogen and sulfur metabolism, and phosphorus utilization of free-living M597 cells due to temperature increase, but such drastic alterations were not observed in its biofilms. In the free-living state, the transcription of the key enzyme participating in the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway was significantly increased due to the increase in temperature, accompanied by a substantial decrease in the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, but transcripts of these glycolytic enzymes in biofilm-forming strains were independent of the temperature variation. The correlation between the growth condition and the shift in glycolytic pathways under temperature change was confirmed by enzymatic activity assays. Furthermore, the rising temperature affected the growth rate and the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species when M597 cells were free living rather than in biofilms. Thus, biofilm formation stabilizes metabolism in M597 when grown under high temperature and this homeostasis is probably related to the glycolytic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online teacher professional development is widely regarded as a promising way to improve the quality of teachers and the effect of teaching. Micro-learning, which has the potential to fit the learner's personalized learning needs through a variety of small educational resources and flexible learning opportunities, could be an efficient way for the online teacher professional development. However, the scattered knowledge points and fragmented learning time in micro-learning may limit the learner's comprehension and the construction of knowledge. In this study, a knowledge map-based online micro-learning system was developed to solve this problem. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed system, a quasi-experiment was conducted during a three-week online course for teachers' professional development. A total of 42 in-service Mandarin teachers participated in the course, and were divided into two equal groups. An experimental group learned by using a knowledge map tool while a control group learned the same contents in the form of the conventional list type. The results indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of learning engagement, and showed a clearer and more complete knowledge structure. Furthermore, micro-learning coupled with knowledge maps was found to improve the teachers' learning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daclatasvir, a HCV NS5A inhibitor, is a new direct-acting antiviral drug for chronic hepatitis C (CHC). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of daclatasvir combined with peginterferon-α (pegIFN-α) and ribavirin (RBV) for the treatment of CHC. The databases of PUBMED, EMBASE, COCHRANE, WANFANG, and CNKI were retrieved to identify eligible studies. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated using random or fixed models. A total of six RCTs including 1100 adult patients with CHC met the inclusion criteria and the patients were infected with HCV genotype 1-4, with the genotype 1 infection accounting for 73.1 %. Meta-analysis showed daclatasvir-based combination therapy yielded a significantly higher probability of achieving the overall RVR (46.43 vs. 18.97 %) with pooled RR of 3.77 (95 % CI 1.95-7.28, p < 0.0001) and a slightly higher probability of achieving the overall SVR (65.08 vs. 47.77 %) with pooled RR of 1.41 (95 % CI 1.18-1.68, p < 0.0001), and did not show increased adverse events compared with the pegIFN-α/RBV regimen (control group). Subgroup analysis showed the rate of RVR and SVR in high-dose daclatasvir (60 mg/day) group were slightly higher than the overall results; the rate of RVR in low-dose daclatasvir (10 mg/day) group was also higher than the control group, but its SVR rate was similar between the two groups. Daclatasvir combined with pegIFN-α/RBV is effective and safe in treating adult patients with CHC, especially HCV genotype 1 infection, and daclatasvir (60 mg/day) is a better choice as compared with daclatasvir (10 mg/day). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The study was aimed to provide better understanding on how plant cultivation affects Se distribution, transformation, and bioavailabilty in soil treated with exogenous selenite or selenate. Methods: Pak choi ( Brassica chinensis L.) was planted in loess soil (Eum-Orthic Anthrosol) spiked with different concentrations of exogenous selenite or selenate. Soil samples were collected from all pots before planting and after harvest to determine Se fraction and speciation. Se concentrations in pak choi were measured after harvest. Results: The influence of pak choi on Se distribution differed among various soil fractions in selenite- or selenate-treated soil. Se distribution and speciation remained constant between selenite-treated soil after harvest and before planting, and Se mainly existed as exchangeable Se(IV) (59.8 %-61.6 %). By contrast, a considerable transformation of soluble Se(VI) to exchangeable Se(IV) was observed in selenate-treated soil. In addition, I values increased, which quantitatively described the relative binding intensity of Se with soil, and MF values (mobility factor) decreased under selenate treatment. Changes in these two parameters indicated the reduced bioavailability of Se in soil after plant cultivation. Moreover, soluble Se(VI) content, organic Se content in soil, and Se concentrations in pak choi shoots and roots exhibited significant correlation in selenate-treated soil. Furthermore, the contents of soluble and exchangeable Se(IV) in selenite-treated soil were significantly correlated with Se concentration in pak choi roots, whereas soluble Se(VI) content was correlated with Se concentration in the shoots. Conclusions: Plant cultivation decreased Se bioavailability in selenate-treated soil but only minimally influenced the bioavailability of this element in selenite-treated soil. Moreover, soluble Se(VI) content was considered a suitable indicator for assessment of soil Se bioavailability. Organic matter-bound Se also can be a source of available Se in selenate-treated soil, but only exchangeable Se(IV) content can be used to assess Se availability in selenite-treated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging refers to the processes by which the mobility and bioavailability of metals in soil decline with time. Although long-term aging is a key process that needs to be considered in risk assessment of metals, few investigations has been attempted to determine whether and how residence time influences the selenium (Se) fractions and bioavailability in soil. In this study, the fractions of Se in soils was evaluated, and bioavailability were assessed by measuring Se concentration in pak choi ( Brassica chinensis L.). Results showed that the change of soil available Se in all tested soils divided into two phases: rapid decrease at the initial time (42 d) and slow decline thereafter. The second-order equation could describe the decrease processes of available Se in tested soils during the entire incubation time (R 2 > 0.99), while parabolic diffusion equation had less goodness of fit. Those results indicated that Se aging was controlled not only by diffusion process but also by other processes such as nucleation/precipitation, adsorption/desorption with soil component, occlusion by organic matter and reduction reaction. Soil available Se fractions tended to transform to more stable fractions during aging. The changes of Se concentration in pak choi were consistent with the variation in soil available Se content. In addition, 21 d could be reference for the time of Se aging reaching stabilization in krasnozems and fluvo-aquic soil, and 30 d for black soil. Results could provide theoretical basis to formulate environmental quality criterion and choose the equilibrium time before implementing a pot experiment in Se-spiked soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jute fibres-reinforced sandwich regenerated composite panels were fabricated using industrial waste thermosetting styrene- co-acrylonitrile (SAN) foam scraps via compression moulding for the purpose of recycling waste SAN foam and obtaining high physical performance. The jute fibres were, respectively, treated by heat, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution (5.0 wt%), and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) in order to improve the mechanical properties of the composites. The structures and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. The SAN matrix got compact and some crystalline region formed in SAN matrix via compression moulding. The composite reinforced by DMAc-treated jute fibres performed optimum mechanical properties among the regenerated panels whose impact strength, flexural strength, and compressive strength were 19.9 kJ m, 41.7 MPa, and 61.0 MPa, respectively. Good interfacial bonding between DMAc-treated fibres and SAN matrix was verified by peel test and exhibited in SEM photographs. Besides, the water absorption of DMAc-treated fibres composite was lower than other SAN/jute fibre-reinforced sandwich composite panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous TiAl alloys with different nominal powder compositions were fabricated through a cost-effective powder metallurgy (PM) approach by sintering TiH 2 and Al mixed powders. It is found that the pore properties vary with the TiH 2 and Al contents, i.e., the nature of the pores can be improved by using different compositions. Furthermore, by detailed structural characterizations, four crystalline phases, i.e., α 2 -Ti 3 Al, γ -TiAl, TiAl 3, and Ti 2 Al 5 , were observed in the fabricated porous TiAl alloys with different compositions. An optimal composition of TiH 2 -50wt% Al is preferred since its maximum open porosity is about 70% and its viscous permeability coefficient for nitrogen is 1.11 μm 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the sources of chemical components in roof runoff can help to prevent water quality problems in rooftop rainwater harvesting. To identify the contribution of wet deposition to the mass of components in roof runoff, the samples from air, rainwater, dust buildup and roof runoff were collected from an urban site in Shenzhen of China in 2011-2012. The results indicate that: (1) wet deposition has a dominant contribution to the mass of total organic carbon (TOC), NH4+, NO3-, Cl- and organic acids in the roof runoff, while the mass of NH4+, acetic acid and formic acid in the roof runoff may be greatly reduced by the neutralization between the components with alkaline dust buildup on the rooftop; and (2) wet deposition partially contributes to the mass of Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, F- and SO42- in the roof runoff, while other factors like dust buildup on the rooftop and chemical reactions also have a non-negligible impact. Furthermore, TOC, NH4 NO3- and organic acids in the wet deposition are mainly influenced by the atmospheric pollution due to fast increase in fossil fuel consumption (e.g. vehicle emissions). Therefore, the effects of wet deposition should be carefully considered for rooftop rainwater harvesting in urbanized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice bakanae disease, caused by Fusarium fujikuroi , is a destructive seed-borne disease throughout the world. Prochloraz, a DMI (C-14α-demethylase inhibitor) fungicide, has been registered in China for >20 years. Prochloraz resistance in F. fujikuroi was severe in China with resistance frequencies of 34.56%, 45.33%, and 48.45% from 2019 to 2021. The fitness of prochloraz-resistant population was lower than that of sensitive population, with an average CFI of 2.86 × 106 and 4.56 × 106, respectively. No cross-resistance was detected between prochloraz and tebuconazole or hexaconazole, and the prochloraz-resistant isolates were still sensitive to fludioxonil, phenamacril, and pydiflumetofen. S312T mutation in Ffcyp51b or overexpression of Ffcyp51a and Ffcyp51b was detected in the highly resistant isolates. AS-PCR primers were designed to detect the prochloraz-resistant isolates with S312T mutation in the field. Resistant isolates carrying S312T mutation were the dominant group in prochloraz-resistant population with frequencies of 43.26%, 23.59%, and 71.20% from 2019 to 2021, which indicated that more attention should be paid to this genotype when monitoring and managing the prochloraz resistance in F. fujikuroi. [Display omitted] • Prochloraz resistance in F. fujikuroi was monitored in three consecutive years. • Mutation or overexpression of Ffcyp51 genes conferred prochloraz resistance in F. fujikuroi. • AS-PCR primers based on the S312T mutation in Ffcyp51b were designed. • Isolates with S312T mutation were the dominant group in prochloraz-resistant population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of resources is uneven over space and time, which always leads to heterogeneous patches. Clonal plants usually occupy wider habitats because of powerful clonal growth and the physical connection between ramets promotes the adaptation to heterogeneous habitats. Clonal ramets can improve resource capture capacity in nutrient-rich patches by the functional specializing of resource acquisition organs, then share these resources with the ramets in low nutrient patches through clonal integration, this pattern is called ‘division of labor’. Our study selected Alternanthera philoxeroides, an invasive clonal weed, as the objective and studied on the morphological plasticity of roots in the heterogeneous patches of resources. Ramets were planted in the patches with heterogeneous distribution of light and soil nutrient and there were four treatments, e.g. ①two ramets experienced high light and low nutrient treatment(HL-HL); ②two ramets experienced low light intensity and high nutrient treatment(LH-LH); ③proximal ramets experienced high light and low nutrient treatment, distal ramets experienced low light and high nutrient treatment(HL-LH); ④proximal ramets experienced low light and high nutrient treatment, distal ramets experienced high light low nutrient treatment(LH-HL). Parameters of roots were analyzed with WinRHIZO Pro software and the effect of treatment on these parameters of proximal ramets, distal ramets and whole ramet pairs was tested with one-way ANOVA(SPSS 18.0). Our results were as follows: Ramets in high light and low nutrient patch allocated more biomass to aboveground parts, while ramets experienced low light and high nutrient allocated more biomass to the underground parts. A. philoxeroides ramets showed the division of labor by changing the root-shoot ratio of biomass. In heterogeneous environments, the root of A. philoxeroides ramets in the eutrophic patches had higher root biomass, root length, root surface area, root volume and branch coefficient, etc. A. philoxeroides increased nutrient uptake capacity through the form of root morphological plasticity in heterogeneity habitats. Thus, A. philoxeroides improved resource absorption capacity by specializing resource acquisition organs, which may play an important role in its successful invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new coumarins, talacoumarins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the wetland soil-derived fungus Talaromyces flavus BYD07-13. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data (NMR, MS) analyses. The absolute configuration of C-12 in 1 was assigned using the modified Mosher's method, whereas that of C-12 in 2 was deduced via the circular dichroism data of its corresponding [Rh2(OCOCF3)4] complex. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for their anti-Aβ42 aggregation, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial activities. The results showed that the two compounds had moderate anti-Aβ42 aggregation activity, and this is the first report on the Aβ42 inhibitory aggregation activity of coumarins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low band gap quinolizino acridine based molecule was designed and synthesized as new hole transporting material for organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite solar cells. The functionalized quinolizino acridine compound showed an effective hole mobility in the same range of the state-of-the-art spiro-MeOTAD and an appropriate oxidation potential of 5.23 eV vs the vacuum level. The device based on this new hole transporting material achieved high power conversion efficiency of 12.8% under the illumination of 98.8 mW cm-2, which was better than the well-known spiro- MeOTAD under the same conditions. Moreover, this molecule could work alone without any additives, thus making it to be a promising candidate for solid-state photovoltaic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Two disulfide bonds in insect PPO increase thermostability. [•] Loss of disulfide bonds decreases PO activities. [•] The formation of two disulfide bond(s) in insect PPO enhances antibacterial activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High ionic conductivity for solid electrolyte and stable electrode/electrolyte interface have always been the main requirements for solid-state lithium batteries. Herein, a high ionic conductive composite solid electrolyte (CSE) film was prepared by combining 1.3-dioxolanes (DOL) capable of in-situ polymerization with high ionic conductive Li 1.5 Al 0.5 Ge 1.5 (PO 4) 3 (LAGP)ceramic fillers. The CSE film also shows high interface compatibility and stability with lithium metal. The optimized poly-DOL (PDOL)-30% LAGP CSE exhibits a desirable dense and uniform structure, which endows the CSE with a high ion conductivity of 4.63 × 10−4 S cm−1, a high ion migration number up to 0.73 and a wide electrochemical stability window of 5.1 V. The assembled high-voltage NCM622/PDOL-30%LAGP CSE/Li solid-state cell exhibits good rate and cycle performances with a capacity of 125 mAh/g at 2 C and a capacity retention of 76% at 0.5C after 400 cycles with an average Coulomb efficiency of 99.7%. The PDOL-30%LAGP CSE also possesses a high inhibition ability of lithium dendrites owing to the dense and uniform structure and the stable electrolyte/lithium electrode interface including Li–Ge, LiF and CF 3 components. The Li/CSE/Li cell maintains a relatively stable voltage up to 650 h at a current density of 0.1 mA/cm2. This high ionic conductive composite solid electrolyte film shows a good application prospect in high-voltage solid-state lithium batteries. [Display omitted] • High ionic conductive PDOL/LAGP composite solid electrolyte film was achieved. • This composite solid electrolyte provides high ion transport capacity and high electrochmical window. • 3.The electrode/electrolyte interface stability was greatly improved by forming stable SEI composite film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly prevalent Microcystis blooms and the propagation of the associated resistance genes represent global environmental problems. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a cost-effective technology used for wastewater treatment. In this study, the herb Alisma orientale and three industrial byproducts, namely, blast furnace slag, biochar, and sawdust, were selected to construct mini-CW units. Their potential to remediate toxic Microcystis and their influences on the behaviors of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs, sul1 , sul2 , and intl1) were analyzed. Approximately 98.46% of Microcystis cells were removed by the sawdust-based CW in just 2 d, wherein <0.37 μg/L residual microcystin (MC)-LR was detected, with a removal efficiency of >96.47%, which is potentially caused by the higher relative abundance of MC-degrading gene mlr A on the substrate. Lower target ARG accumulations in the sawdust-based CW may be attributed to the lower intl1 relative abundance and microbial function mobile element content, which could influence horizontal gene transfer. In three sequential batches for the treatment of eutrophic lake water, six sawdust-based CW units were assembled into CW microcosms. The efficiency of removal of Microcystis and MC-LR by planted CW microcosms ranged between 92.00% and 95.88% and between 86.48% and 94.82%, respectively; this was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that by unplanted ones. Less accumulation of target ARGs was also observed in planted CWs. Planting considerably improved nitrogen removal, possibly owing to the enrichment of genes involved in the KEGG nitrogen metabolism pathway in the substrate through metagenomic analysis. [Display omitted] • A. orientale and a sawdust substrate had an optimal toxic Microcystis removal efficiency. • The accumulation of mlrA gene is possibly beneficial to the removal of Microcystis and MC-LR. • Planting remarkably improved nitrogen removal and N-cycling genes accumulation. • The presence of herb A. orientale also mitigated resistance genes transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]