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Background: Depression is a common mental disorder and is one of the main causes of disability. Berberine (BBR), the major constituent alkaloid originally from the famous Chinese herb Huanglian (Coptis chinensis), has been shown to exert antidepressant-like effects. This study was to investigate the hypothesis that BBR treats depressive-like behavior by shifting the balance of the kynurenine (KYN)/serotonin (5-HT) pathway toward the 5-HT pathway through downregulated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and upregulated dopamine decarboxylase (DDC) in hippocampus., Method: A chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice model of depression was established via 21 days unpredictable stimulation. Then the mice were randomly assigned into six groups, namely control, model, fluoxetine [FLU, (10 mg/kg)], BBRL (25 mg/kg), BBRM (50 mg/kg), and BBRH (100 mg/kg) groups. Behavioral assessments were conducted to evaluate the antidepressant effects of BBR. The levels of 5-HT, KYN, tryptophan (TRP), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in hippocampus were estimated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mRNA and protein levels of DDC, MAOA and IDO1 in hippocampus were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB), respectively., Result: The results showed that a successful CUMS mice model was established through 21 days of continuous unpredictable stimulation, as indicated by the significant decrease in locomotor activity and increase in immobility time, reduction in body weight and sucrose preference rate etc. Compared with the normal group, the concentrations of KYN/TRP had significantly increased (p ## <0.01) and 5-HT/5-HIAA had decreased (p # <0.05) at day 21 in the control group, but then improved after drug treatment with FLU and BBR. Compared with the normal group, the mRNA of IDO1 and MAOA were significantly upregulated (p # <0.05) in the control group, MAOA and IDO1 gene were downregulated by FLU and BBR treatment. Protein expressions of IDO1 and MAOA was significantly increased (p # <0.05) and DDC downregulated (p ## <0.01). BBR treatment downregulated IDO1 and MAOA, upregulated DDC., Conclusions: BBR reversed the abnormalities of the KYN/5-HT pathway in depressed mice and achieved an excellent antidepressant effect. Its direct impact may be observed as changes in biological indicators in mice hippocampus tissue., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In this study, we describe the genome sequence of a novel double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus, designated as "Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 15" (RsPV15), from the phytopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani. RsPV15 consists of two genomic double-stranded RNA segments, dsRNA-1 and dsRNA-2, which are 2433 bp and 2350 bp long, respectively. Each of the dsRNA segments contains a single open reading frame, encoding the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and coat protein, respectively. Homology searches and phylogenetic analysis suggested that RsPV15 is a new member of the genus Betapartitivirus within the family Partitiviridae.

The article "Kinetic Characterization of Tyrosinase-catalyzed Oxidation of Four Polyphenols", written by Wan-yu LIU, Congming ZOU, Jian-hua HU, Zi-jun XU, Lu-qin SI, Jun-jun LIU, Jian-geng HUANG, was originally published electronically on the publisher's internet portal on May 2020 without open access. With the author(s)' decision to opt for Open Choice, the copyright of the article is changed to © The Author(s) 2020 and the article is forthwith distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.The original article has been corrected.

Phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and caffeic acid are widely distributed in fruits, vegetables and traditional Chinese medicines with a wide range of biological activities. Tyrosinase plays a critical role in the food industry, but recent studies have proposed unexplored aspects of clinical application. Tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of four polyphenols as well as its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the current work, we investigated the kinetic properties of tyrosinase-catalyzed oxidation of the four polyphenols of interest. To measure the unstable o-quinone products, an analytical method using 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH) was established. The optimal incubation time, buffer pH, temperature and enzyme concentration for the enzyme activity in the presence of each polyphenol of interest were investigated. Under the final optimized conditions, the kinetics and substrate specificity of four polyphenols were examined. Kinetic data showed that tyrosinase had the greatest substrate affnity to chlorogenic acid compared with its isomers and caffeic acid. The catalytic effciency with chlorogenic acid was 8- to 15-fold higher than that with the other 3 polyphenols. Molecular docking study demonstrated that the tight binding of chlorogenic acid at the peripheral site should be the major reason for the specifcity to chlorogenic acid. In light of this, the rational design of high-affnity inhibitors against tyrosinase may focus on the binding of both the Cu site and peripheral site. This study will supply a basis for the selection of phenolic acids in food industry and health care.

In this study, we isolated and characterized seven dsRNA elements, designed as dsRNA-1 to 7, from a Rhizoctonia solani strain. Sequence analysis indicated that there were at least three novel mycoviruses co-infected in this fungal strain, termed Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 6 (RsPV6), Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 7 (RsPV7), and Rhizoctonia solani partitivirus 8 (RsPV8), respectively. RsPV6 contained three dsRNA segments, dsRNA-1, 6 and 7. DsRNA-1 encoded a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), whereas the proteins encoded by dsRNA-6 and 7 showed no detectable sequence similarity with any known viral proteins in the database. RsPV7 had the genome segments of dsRNA-2 and 5, encoding proteins of RdRp and capsid protein, respectively. RsPV8 containing the genomes of dsRNA-3 and 4 also encoded a RdRp and a protein with unknown function. RdRp-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the three viruses were phylogenetically related to members of the genus Betapartitivirus in the family Partitiviridae. In addition, the three viruses could be horizontal co-transmitted via hyphal contact between R. solani strains and cause no apparent phenotypic alteration to their fungal host. These findings provided new insights into the virus taxonomy of the family Partitiviridae and expanded our understanding of viral diversity in R. solani fungus., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Temperature remarkably affects the growth and metabolism of plants. Tobacco is an important cash crop, and the long-term effects of different growth temperatures (18.5, 23.5 and 28.5 °C, daily average) on growth, development and plastid pigments metabolism of tobacco plants were investigated in this study., Results: Compared with tobacco plants grown under 23.5 °C, treatments with 18.5 and 28.5 °C inhibited the expansion of leaves. The contents of superoxide anion (O 2 ·- ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in the leaves were significantly increased under 28.5 °C from 0 to 60 days, which in turn accelerated the flowering and senescence of tobacco plants. By contrast, the treatment with 18.5 °C remarkably decreased O 2 .- , H 2 O 2 and MDA, and delayed the flowering and senescence. Furthermore, treatment with 18.5 °C significantly up-regulated the expression of glutamyl-tRNA reductase (Glu-TR) and magnesium chelatase (MgCH), and down-regulated the ferri chelatase (FeCH), protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase, chlorophyllase (CHLase), phaeophorbide a monooxygenase (PaO) and phytoene synthase (PSY), which further promoted the accumulation of chlorophyll (Chls) and reduced the carotenoids (Cars) in leaves. On the contrary, exposing to 28.5 °C remarkably down-regulated the Glu-TR and MgCH, and up-regulated the FeCH, CHLase, PaO and PSY, which in turn decreased the Chls and increased the Cars in tobacco leaves., Conclusion: As compared with the plants grown under 23.5 °C, lower (18.5 °C) and higher (28.5 °C) growth temperature inhibited the growth of tobacco plants. In general, treatment with 28.5 °C accelerated the flowering and senescence of tobacco plants by enhancing the accumulation of O 2 .- and H 2 O 2 in leaves, while exposing to 18.5 °C had the opposite effects. Treatment with 18.5 °C increased the content of Chls and reduced the Cars in leaves. In contrast, Treatment with 28.5 °C decreased the Chls and increased the Cars. Moreover, both O 2 .- and H 2 O 2 took part in the breakdown of Chls in tobacco leaves to some extent. The results suggest that growth temperature could regulate growth, development, and plastid pigments metabolism, and 23.5 °C could be an optimal temperature for growth, development and metabolism of plastid pigments of tobacco plants under the experimental conditions.

In order to determine the adaptability of Adzuki beans as the interplanting crops in fruit yards, field and pot experimental treatments with full natural light and weak light (48% of full natural light) regimes were conducted to test the shade tolerance and physiological responses of three Adzuki bean varieties including Funan green Vigna angularis (FGVA), early-mature black V. angularis (EBVA) and late-mature black V. angularis (LBVA). The leaf photosynthetic characteristic parameters, photosynthetic pigment contents and the activity of RuBPCase were measured during the first bloom stage. The response of growth to weak light was likewise studied. The results showed that the photosynthetic characteristic parameters, i.e., the maximum net photosynthetic rate, light saturation point and light compensation point of the three Adzuki bean varieties under the weak light stress changed differently. The weak light stress induced the reduction of net photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency and RuBPCase activity of the three Adzuki bean varieties significantly. The contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in leaves of FGVA increased significantly, while Chl a/b and carotenoid content in the leaves decreased significantly after shading. But the other two varieties did not change obviously in photosynthetic pigments content after shading. The weak light changed the growth of the three Adzuki bean varieties, such as decreasing dry matter yield and dry matter accumulation efficiency, reducing root nodule and root-shoot ratio, debasing leaves quantity and leaf area index. The first bloom stage and maturing stage of FGVA advanced, while that of EBVA delayed under weak light. However, flowers were not strong enough to seed for LBVA under the weak light. In conclusion, according to the photosynthetic characteristics changes after shading, as well as the growth status, we concluded that the shade tolerance of the three Adzuki beans was ranked as FGVA>EBVA>LBVA.

Extraction of tobacco extracts from tobacco leaf scraps can promote the maximum utilization of tobacco waste and offer tobacco industries a formula to improve cigarette qualities and flavors. Tobacco extracts can be used as a reconstituted tobacco coating solution for reconstituted tobacco sheet (RTS)-based paper. Aroma components in the tobacco extracts can determine the fragrance style of the RTS. However, traditional extraction methods usually have many problems. Herein, the ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis was first applied to improve the aroma of tobacco extracts from tobacco leaf scraps. After ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis, the total aroma components content in tobacco extracts was increased by 5.0 times compared with that in aqueous extracts, and the total extraction yield was increased by 51.57%. Moreover, other compositions in tobacco extracts, including total sugar, nicotine, lignin, total phenols, formic acid, and acetic acid were also increased. This study provides a method to improve the aroma in the tobacco extracts and the quality of RTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass briquetting is gradually emerging as a means of sustainable energy production. The interest in briquetting has been occasioned by the continuous rise in the cost of energy coupled with the need to harness efficient and affordable alternatives. Briquettes are produced through various means, ranging from a simple low-pressured technique to a high-pressured technique. This, including the large-scale availability of biomass materials in many regions of the world, has made the process practicable and affordable. The technology has gained acceptance across the scientific community as it is a means of attaining a circular and green economy especially as it helps to curtail deforestation. Briquetting has advanced and now incorporates the blending of biomass with animal and municipal wastes such as dung, microalgae, plastics, sludge, and food waste. This paper reviewed recent literature spanning over a decade on the technical aspects of biomass briquetting to establish the current state of research. It contains a brief on renewable energy with a focus on biomass energy, as well as the impact of solid fuels on households and the environment. It reviewed briquettes and briquetting technology by highlighting key processes and quality parameters. The paper also reports the economic aspects of various briquetting technology to assess their viability and also reports the combustion process to evaluate the extent of toxic gas emissions and their impact on coal-based power plants. To this end, an overview of recent studies was made followed by a highlight of recent advancements in briquetting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TC25G alloy was heat treated at 950 °C/3 h, AC + 580 °C/6 h, AC and the bimodal structure with primary α phase + β transition structure was obtained. The creep properties of the alloy were tested in 550–600 °C/150–250 MPa. The results show that the precipitations of silicide and α2 phase is accompanied by the creep process. α2 phase plays a dispersion strengthening role in both the primary and steady-state creep stages. However, in the accelerated creep stage, the mechanism of α2 phase and dislocation changes from cutting mechanism to bypassing mechanism, and the strengthening effect is weakened. Silicide inhibits grain boundary slip mainly in the primary creep stage, and inhibits dislocation slip in the steady-state and accelerated creep stages. At 550 °C, n = 1.6 and Q = 280–371 kJ/mol (150–250 MPa) indicate that the creep of the alloy is a self-diffusion process, and the creep deformation is mainly controlled by dislocation slip. At 570–600 °C, n = 3.2 indicates that the dislocation climb controls the creep deformation. Meanwhile, compared with Q = 274 kJ/mol at low stress (150 MPa), Q = 365 kJ/mol at the high stress (200–250 MPa) indicates that the second phase precipitation enhancement is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The ER5183 is used as filler metal, and the Al–Li alloy is welded by electron beam welding. The microstructure and mechanical property of welded joint are investigated. Results show that, under the proper welding procedure, the joint with good appearance of weld is obtained. The fusion zone is mainly composed of α-Al matrix phase and some strengthening phases involving θ′(Al2Cu), T2(Al6CuLi3), T1(Al2CuLi) and δ′(Al3Li). The grains in weldment are refined by the addition of electron beam scanning. Compared with that of the base metal (BM), the microhardness in weld zone is decreased to a certain extent. Under the welding condition of square wave electron beam scanning, the tensile strength of welded joint is 352.2 MPa, which is 70.2% of that of the BM. There exists obvious dimple morphology on the joint fracture surface, and it presents the characteristic of intergranular fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium and its alloys exhibit a favorable integration of characteristics, including notable strength and high resistance to corrosion. However, they are deficient in terms of wear resistance and thermal conductivity, among other properties. The aforementioned limitations impose constraints on the utilization of these alloys across diverse applications. Currently, various strategies involving the utilization of composite materials are being implemented in order to address and mitigate these previously mentioned limitations. The utilization of micro- or nano-sized reinforcements has been employed to improve the characteristics of the metal matrix. Diverse techniques are employed to uniformly distribute the reinforcement within the matrix, thereby generating titanium metal matrix composites (TMCs). The use of TMCs has become increasingly prevalent in diverse sectors, including defense, automotive, aerospace, and biomedical, owing to their remarkable characteristics, which encompass lower weight, higher specific strength, and compatibility with biological systems. The present study discusses various manufacturing techniques, including spark plasma sintering (SPS), additive manufacturing, and vacuum melting. This study further examines different reinforcements that are considered in the production of TMCs. The current study also investigates the effects of reinforcements on properties such as mechanical and tribological characteristics. The study demonstrated that the incorporation of reinforcements resulted in enhanced properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize production and productivity are affected by drought stress in tropical and subtropical ecologies, as the majority of the area under maize cultivation in these ecologies is rain-fed. The present investigation was conducted to study the physiological and biochemical effects of 24-Epibrassinolide (EBR) as a plant hormone on drought tolerance in maize. Two maize hybrids, Vivek hybrid 9 and Bio 9637, were grown under three different conditions: (i) irrigated, (ii) drought, and (iii) drought+EBR. A total of 2 weeks before the anthesis, irrigation was discontinued to produce a drought-like condition. In the drought+EBR treatment group, irrigation was also stopped, and in addition, EBR was applied as a foliar spray on the same day in the drought plots. It was observed that drought had a major influence on the photosynthesis rate, membrane stability index, leaf area index, relative water content, and leaf water potential; this effect was more pronounced in Bio 9637. Conversely, the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased in both hybrids under drought conditions. Specifically, Vivek hybrid 9 showed 74% higher CAT activity under drought conditions as compared to the control. Additionally, EBR application further enhanced the activity of this enzyme by 23% compared to plants under drought conditions. Both hybrids experienced a significant reduction in plant girth due to drought stress. However, it was found that exogenously applying EBR reduced the detrimental effects of drought stress on the plant, and this effect was more pronounced in Bio 9637. In fact, Bio 9637 treated with EBR showed an 86% increase in proline content and a 70% increase in glycine betaine content compared to untreated plants under drought conditions. Taken together, our results suggested EBR enhanced tolerance to drought in maize hybrids. Hence, pre-anthesis foliar application of EBR might partly overcome the adverse effects of flowering stage drought in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most serious ecological problems affecting drylands worldwide is sandification, due to exacerbation of the desertification process. As sandified land grows larger, the potential for agriculture decreases. Particularly in Pakistan, desertification is also a significant issue, with numerous natural and human-caused contributors. Desertification often occurs in Pakistan's south Punjab's dry lands, and regularly monitoring the area's sandification dynamics can assist in mitigating the problem. The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity to the sandification phenomenon in South Punjab drylands (Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, and Bahawalpur) Pakistan. ALOS PALSAR DEM of 12.5 m resolution and Level 2 Landsat 5, 7, and 8 data (1988, 2001, and 2018) were utilized to conduct this research. The sensitivity to sandification was determined using land use land cover (LULC), slope, and aspect as the determining variables. These variables were separately integrated into ArcGIS using the weighted sum approach for the years 1988, 2001, and 2018. The analysis of sensitivity to sandification found that insensitive land expanded by 47 percent between 1988 and 2018, whereas very low sensitive and low sensitive classifications declined by -5.95 percent and -9.23 percent, respectively. The moderately sensitive area to sandification saw the largest percentage change between 1988 and 2018, changing by 1095.52%. The desertified land saw the second-largest percentage change, changing by 521.58%. However, the highly sensitive to sandification class showed the greatest percentage decrease (-53.65%). The most significant factor found to have an impact on the local sandification dynamics was LULC. By continuously monitoring the dynamics of sandification, the region's desertification intensity can be reduced. A Decision Support System (DSS) can be developed for this purpose through further study. Policymakers can use the DSS findings to assist them in creating strategies for reducing desertification in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paclobutrazol is widely used in the agricultural field. This study investigated the effects of seed priming with different concentrations of paclobutrazol on seedling quality, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP, a key aroma component of fragrant rice) biosynthesis, and related physiological and biochemical indicators in fragrant rice seedlings. Results: The experiment is being conducted at the College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University. In the experiment, three concentrations of paclobutrazol (Pac 1: 20 mg·L−1; Pac 2: 40 mg·L−1; Pac 3: 80 mg·L−1) were used to initiate the treatment of fragrant rice seeds, while water treatment was used as a control (CK). The results showed that compared with CK, paclobutrazol treatment reduced plant height, increased stem diameter, and increased fresh and dry weight of aromatic rice seedlings. Moreover, paclobutrazol treatment also increased the seedlings' photosynthetic pigment content and net photosynthetic rate. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that paclobutrazol primarily increases the content of proline by reducing the content of glutamate and down-regulating the expression of P5CS2, thereby promoting the conversion of proline to the aromatic substance 2-AP. Under the appropriate concentration of paclobutrazol (40 mg·L−1~80 mg·L−1), the seedling quality, stress resistance, and aroma of fragrant rice can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate management of nitrogen fertilization, due to high costs, compromises the nutrition and productivity of winter forage plants, highlighting the need to adopt sustainable alternatives, such as using nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This research evaluated the growth promotion of black oat (Avena strigosa) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) plants inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense rhizobacteria. The experiments were carried out over two consecutive harvests in Santa Maria, Brazil. The sowing density was 300 viable seeds per square meter for black oats and 100 viable seeds per square meter for ryegrass. A dose of 5 ml per kg of seeds from the consortium was used as an inoculant. Following sowing, the seeds were incorporated into the soil through light harrowing. At the beginning of tillering, 50 kg of N ha-1 was applied to create treatments with and without nitrogen. Plant emergence, plant height, number of leaves and tillers were evaluated. In the first year, an inoculation response was observed for the number of black oat plants emerged m-2. In the second year (corn residue), an inoculation response was observed for the number of leaves and height of black oats. Under soybean straw for oat leaf number and ryegrass tiller number. The current research highlights the effectiveness of inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense in promoting significant improvements in the morphological components of forage crops. Following corn, an increase in the number of leaves and tillers was observed, as well as in the height of black oats. Similarly, following soybeans, there was an increase in the number of black oat tillers and the number of ryegrass leaves. The results emphasize the importance of inoculation as an effective practice to enhance crop development and performance in agricultural systems, improving sustainability and productivity under soybean and corn residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Artvin Coruh University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, the impact wear behaviour of Al-5Mg, used as a corrosion protective coating was investigated in seawater and air environments. Tests were conducted for up to 105 cycles on the plane surface of Al-5Mg coated AISI 316L samples. Wear at the frequency of 2.5 Hz kept the coating thickness at a reliable level. However, the wear that occurred under the frequency of 5Hz reached the substrate surface. In the experiments conducted in seawater, smoother wear scars were formed compared to those in the air environment tests. The coating particles separated by the wear effect were compressed by the impactor on the wear surface with repetitive impacts, causing delamination. Friction oxidation was formed on wear scars. The hydrodynamic effect of seawater reduced the delamination by removing the separated coating particles from the surface. Thus, in seawater, 70% more wear occurred compared to in the air environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium matrix composites (TMCs) have garnered substantial attention from researchers owing to their outstanding properties. Nonetheless, the strength and ductility of TMCs hardly co-exist and often show a trade-off between each other. In this study, we employ an ultra-thin graphite powder sheet as the carbon source and employ Ti/C composites with varying carbon contents, prepared via a layer-stacked laminated sintering method, to ensure a comprehensive in-situ reaction and uniform reinforcement distribution. With increasing carbon content, noticeable alterations occur in the size, concentration, and morphology of the titanium carbide (TiC) particles. The increase of TiC particle content is found to boost the ultimate tensile strength of the composite. However, this improvement comes at the expense of reduced elongation. Notably, as the carbon content reaches 1.81 wt%, the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of the composites soar to 354.4 MPa and 575.4 MPa, respectively. These values represent a remarkable increase of 75.4% and 65.0% compared to pure titanium, while maintaining an acceptable elongation of 6.45%. This study unveils a promising approach for significantly enhancing the mechanical properties of titanium alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the desertification vulnerability and the future trends of desertification expansion in the Bahawalpur division of Punjab, Pakistan. This aim is achieved by analyzing Landsat data between the years 1990 and 2019. The biophysical index and socio-economic index were used to identify the Desertification Vulnerability Index (DVI) and its changes which have taken place over the study period between the years 1990 and 2019. The findings indicated that there was a decrease in the rate of desertification vulnerability from 1990 to 2019. In addition, the central and southern part of the Bahawalpur division is classified as a highly vulnerable zone in comparison to the other part of the region. The overall results show that the barren land and the desert area have been showing a decreasing trend, accompanied by substantial growth in vegetation from 1990 to 2019. The findings of the DVI analysis indicate that the Highly Vulnerable Area has decreased spatially from 61.12 in 1990 to 55.3% in 2019, while the Moderately Vulnerable Area and the Least Vulnerable Area have grown from 25.59% and 17.2% in 1990 to 28.56 and 19.53% in 2019, respectively. The decreasing trend demonstrates the effectiveness of efforts to combat desertification and the government could develop the best strategies for rehabilitation works and control the land degradation process in the most vulnerable areas in the Bahawalpur division of Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete nucleotide sequence of a novel mycovirus, designated as "Rhizoctonia fumigata bipartite virus 1" (RfBV1), from Rhizoctonia fumigata AG-Ba isolate C-314 Baishi was determined. The genome of RfBV1 is composed of two double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA). dsRNA-1 (2311 bp) contains one open reading frame (ORF), which codes for the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of the virus. dsRNA-2 (1690 bp) contains one ORF, which encodes a putative protein whose function is unknown. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the RdRp of RfBV1 clustered with several unassigned bipartite viruses belonging to the CThTV-like viruses group, but not the family Amalgaviridae or Partitiviridae. Our study suggests that RfBV1 is a novel mycovirus related to the CThTV-like viruses., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

As one of the most representative Paleoproterozoic orogenic belts in the North China Craton, the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt is of great significance to explore the Paleoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the North China Craton, as well as the convergence process of the Columbia Supercontinent. In this study, we present new geochronological and geochemical data of Paleoproterozoic meta-mafic rocks in the Southern Jilin Province, NE China. Our primary objective is to further constraint the formation and evolution of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt. The zircon U–Pb dating reveals that the meta-mafic rocks crystallized at 2.2–2.0 Ga, followed by a metamorphism occurring at ~ 1.9 Ga. Additionally, most of the mafic rocks display moderate fractionation in both light rare earth elements (LREEs) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), suggesting their association with an arc setting. Furthermore, the rocks also display an enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) such as Cs, Rb, Ba, and Pb, and depletion in high field strength elements (HSFEs) including Nb, Ta, Zr, and Ti. These geochemical characteristics suggest a back-arc setting, indicating that the meta-mafic rocks originated from asthenospheric mantle that was metasomatized by fluids or melts derived from the subducting slab. Notably, a shoshonitic metabasalt exhibits trace element and REEs patterns that resemble those of ocean–island basalts. This suggests that the shoshonitic metabasalt was formed in an oceanic island environment, likely generated from the asthenospheric mantle. Combining these findings with previous studies, we can conclude that the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt is associated with arc–continental collision, indicating the presence of a modern-type plate tectonic regime in the northeastern North China Craton during the Paleoproterozoic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaAl12O19–CaTiO3 (CA6–CT) materials are fabricated using a solid sintering method to investigate the effects of TiO2 content on the phase composition, properties, and microstructure of the materials. With increasing TiO2 content, the preferential replacement of Al3+ by Ti4+ in the CA6 crystal increases the concentration of vacancy defects, thereby promoting ion diffusion and mass transfer, which improves the sintering reaction activity. However, as more TiO2 is added, the CaTiO3 phase formed increases the thermal conductivity and mean expansion coefficient of the material at high temperatures, which degrades its thermal shock stability. The CA6–CT refractory showed good corrosion resistance to the Ti6Al4V melt. Except for a slight penetration of iron element, no obvious corrosion occurred at the reaction interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims : The problem of desertification is becoming increasingly serious in the Zoige Plateau. How to carry out vegetation restoration more efficiently in desertified area has been a hotspot. This study aims to improve the vegetation restoration capacity in the desertified area of Zoige Plateau. Methods: In this study, Elymus sibiricus, Elymus dahuricus Turcz and Avena sativa were used as restoration plants in desertified areas. The application concentrations of palygorskite fertilizers (PF), bacterial fertilizers (BF) and phyto-hormones were determined by orthogonal test. The restoration effects were determined based on the fractional vegetation cover (FVC), soil physicochemical properties and soil microbial community after restoration. Results: The results showed that FVC was improved in desertified lands through the addition of PF, BF and phyto-hormones, and the best performance of the combined application improved the FVC up to 67.9%. Meanwhile, the contents of available phosphorus and available nitrogen were also significantly increased compared with the control. Moreover, 16S sequencing analysis showed that Flavobacteria and Herbaspirillum were increased in the plots with high FVC compared to the ones in the control (p < 0.05). Functional prediction by using Tax4Fun revealed that the KEGG pathways of bacteria in the plots with high FVC were enriched for oxidation and amino associated enzymes. Conclusion: The addition of fertilizers and phytohormones improves FVC in desertified areas, and this improvement may be caused by increased soil nutrients and some functional soil microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsupervised anomaly detection techniques mainly model the population distribution of geochemical exploration data, but do not consider the mineral deposit information found in the study area. Supervised classification techniques can make full use of mineral deposit information to distinguish geochemical anomalies from the background. However, these classification techniques usually cannot properly address the data imbalance in distinguishing geochemical anomalies from the background. The data imbalance of geochemical exploration data means that there are only a few known mineralized data points in the study area and a large number of data points to be evaluated. Semi-supervised classification techniques are machine learning algorithms developed to solve the classification problem of a small amount of labeled data and a large amount of unlabeled data. These techniques are suitable for dealing with classification problems such as identifying anomalies from geochemical exploration data. Therefore, in this study, the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm, an effective machine learning technique for constructing anomaly detection models, semi-supervised classification models, and supervised classification models, was adopted to construct the anomaly detection model, semi-supervised classification model, and supervised classification model for detecting polymetallic anomalies in the case study in the Baishan area (China). The stream sediment survey data collected from the four 1:200,000 geological maps and the 30 polymetallic deposits found in the study area were used to train the KNN-based models for detecting polymetallic anomalies. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were adopted to compare the performance of the KNN-based models in detecting polymetallic anomalies. The results show that the KNN-based semi-supervised and supervised classification models have similar performance in detecting polymetallic anomalies, and are superior to the KNN-based anomaly detection model. Therefore, as long as the training dataset is defined according to the known deposits in the study area, the KNN-based semi-supervised classification model and supervised classification model are potentially effective methods for detecting mineralization-related geochemical anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has exacerbated the effects of abiotic stresses on plant growth and productivity. Drought is one of the most important abiotic stress factors that interfere with plant growth and development. Plant selection and breeding as well as genetic engineering methods used to improve crop drought tolerance are expensive and time consuming. Plants use a myriad of adaptative mechanisms to cope with the adverse effects of drought stress including the association with beneficial microorganisms such as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Inoculation of plant roots with different PGPR species has been shown to promote drought tolerance through a variety of interconnected physiological, biochemical, molecular, nutritional, metabolic, and cellular processes, which include enhanced plant growth, root elongation, phytohormone production or inhibition, and production of volatile organic compounds. Therefore, plant colonization by PGPR is an eco-friendly agricultural method to improve plant growth and productivity. Notably, the processes regulated and enhanced by PGPR can promote plant growth as well as enhance drought tolerance. This review addresses the current knowledge on how drought stress affects plant growth and development and describes how PGPR can trigger plant drought stress responses at the physiological, morphological, and molecular levels. Highlight: This review aims to highlight the recent advances in understanding the effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in enhancing plant growth and drought stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term, excessive application of synthetic N fertilizers will reduce soil aggregate stability and N supply capacity in corn–wheat (Zea mays L. – Triticum aestivum L.) rotation. This study aimed to determine the effects of soybean (Glycine max L.) on soil aggregation, soil organic N (SON) and net amount of N mineralization (NANM) in wheat season compared with corn. Three rotation systems, corn–wheat (C-W), soybean–wheat (S-W) and soybean inoculated with Rhizobium-wheat (SR-W) were established in 2017. In wet screening, compared with C-W rotation, the mass proportions of large macro-aggregates (LM%) + small macro-aggregates (SM%) at 0–20 cm was increased by 51.9% and 16.6% under S-W and SR-W rotations, respectively, and was increased by 50.6% and 59.8%, respectively, in the 20–40 cm. The proportions of LM + SM-associated N (LMN% + SMN%), ammonium N (AN) and amino acid N (AAN) were higher under the S-W and SR-W rotations. Furthermore, the NANM of S-W and SR-W rotations increased by 34.1% and 28.6% compared with C-W rotation, respectively, and the non-N benefits of soybean played an important role. In conclusion, the improvement degree of soil aggregation by soybean is an important factor affecting soil N mineralization in wheat season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time when communication network technology is developing rapidly, the security of the Internet has aroused widespread concern in the academic community. In particular, electronic payment, which has been booming in recent years, has great security risks and people are prone to information leakage and property loss in the process of payment. In order to solve these problems, this study adopts the AES to encrypt the information in the payment process, introduces the RSA Public Key System (RSA) and the SM4 packet cipher algorithm for comparison, and analyses their encryption (decryption) speed, decryption (decryption) speed and encryption speed respectively. (decryption) speed, as well as PR curve, Loss function and sensitivity. The results show that the AES algorithm has a faster encryption (decryption) speed compared to the other two algorithms. In the PR curve, the AES algorithm has an AP value of 0.9988, which is significantly higher than the other two algorithms, and has a better balance between accuracy and recall, and better performance. In the sensitivity analysis, the AES algorithm can have the highest sensitivity of 97.88%. This is significantly higher than the 93.47% and 96.59% of the other two algorithms. Moreover, as shown by the Loss function of the AES algorithm, it converges faster and the Liss value varies between 0.1 and 0.9. In summary, the AES algorithm has a faster encryption speed and is better in terms of accuracy, convergence speed and security factor in all aspects. This also demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of this algorithm for information security protection in electronic payment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Cloud computing has now become the most effective platform for providing elastic and on-demand provisioning of high performance heterogeneous and homogeneous computing services basis on pay-per-use in the field high performance computing world. Task scheduling in cloud computing devotes researchers' attention to provide the optimal solution to this NP-Complete problem. An optimized task scheduling algorithm optimizes the cloud system's performance and generates the maximum profit for the cloud service provider. To overcome this issue in cloud computing, Authors developed a hybrid multi-faceted task scheduling algorithm in this research work. The proposed algorithm exploited the features of standard particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) technique. The PSO technique provides the best global optimal solution, whereas ACO offers the best local solution. To validate the results of the developed algorithm, performed a comparison of the makespan, cost, and resource utilization rate parameters against the well-known exiting four algorithms for the computer-generated tasks set in the cloud environment through a simulation experiment. The comparison results showed that the proposed algorithm reduces the makespan time and computation cost as well as increases resource utilization rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens is a rare strain of actinomycete, in order to recognize and expand the ecological functions of rare actinomycetes. Methods: In this experiment, we studied the effect of Tsukamurella tyrosinosolvens P9 on the drought resistance of peanut by inoculating peanut seedlings in pots and measuring the growth and physiological indicators of peanut under drought stress and re-watering conditions. Results: The results showed that during drought stress, the relative water content of the soil and leaves, chlorophyll content, and stomatal length, width, and aperture were significantly decreased while the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2 and stomatal density were significantly increased. Peanut growth was also inhibited. However, inoculation with the P9 strain significantly promoted the growth of peanut under drought stress as plant height, fresh weight, root length and root weight were significantly higher compared with the uninoculated drought stress group. In addition, in P9-inoculated plants, the water and chlorophyll contents were significantly higher and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes CAT and SOD were significantly increased (except during the six days of drought treatment). While the stomatal length, width, and aperture were improved, the levels of MDA and H2O2 were significantly decreased. NBT staining showed that inoculation with P9 reduced O2− accumulation under stress. After re-watering, the physiological indexes of inoculated plants recovered more quickly and grew better. Conclusions: The results showed that T. tyrosinosolvens P9 enhanced drought resistance and improves peanut growth by increasing leaf water content, increasing photosynthesis, regulating stomatal closure, and improving antioxidant enzyme activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered nanosystems offer a promising strategy for macrophage-targeted therapies for various diseases, and their physicochemical parameters including surface-active ligands, size and shape are widely investigated for improving their therapeutic efficacy. However, little is known about the synergistic effect of elasticity and surface-active ligands. Here, two kinds of anti-inflammatory N-acetylcysteine (NAC)-loaded macrophage-targeting apoptotic-cell-inspired phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing nano-liposomes (PSLipos) were constructed, which had similar size and morphology but different Young's modulus (E) (H, ~ 100 kPa > Emacrophage vs. L, ~ 2 kPa < Emacrophage). Interestingly, these PSLipos-NAC showed similar drug loading and encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro slow-release behavior of NAC, but modulus-dependent interactions with macrophages. Softer PSLipos-L-NAC could resist macrophage capture, but remarkably prolong their targeting effect period on macrophages via durable binding to macrophage surface, and subsequently more effectively suppress inflammatory response in macrophages and then hasten inflammatory lung epithelial cell wound healing. Especially, pulmonary administration of PSLipos-L-NAC could significantly reduce the inflammatory response of M1-like macrophages in lung tissue and promote lung injury repair in a bleomycin-induced acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model, providing a potential therapeutic approach for ALI. The results strongly suggest that softness may enhance ligand-directed macrophage-mediated therapeutic efficacy of nanosystems, which will shed new light on the design of engineered nanotherapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is significant to investigate the coupling and coordination between agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE) and food security and to achieve peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality in agriculture as early as possible while ensuring national food security. The Super-SBM (slack-based model) and the comprehensive index method were used to measure the ACEE and food security level in Henan province from 2010 to 2020. The coupling coordination degree (CCD) and the relative state of ACEE and food security were analyzed using the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) and the relative development degree model (RDDM). In addition, the interaction between ACEE and food security and the spatial–temporal heterogeneity were analyzed by combining with the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model. The results showed that: Firstly, the overall level of ACEE was high, and the spatial heterogeneity of ACEE was significant. The spatial pattern of food security is relatively stable, with high levels in the south and low levels in the north. Secondly, The CCD between ACEE and food security in Henan province generally shows a decreasing trend. In the spatial dimension, the CCD between ACEE and food security in Henan province exhibits a spatial divergence characteristic of low in the center and high in the north and south, with significant regional variations. Finally, there is spatial and temporal heterogeneity between ACEE and food security. The regression coefficients differ significantly among different cities, the regression coefficients do not show a consistent positive or negative correlation, and the regression coefficients are distributed both positively and negatively. This study serves as a guide for achieving the goal of double carbon in agriculture and ensuring food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ 3-wt.% (Al3Zr/Al2O3 + ZrB2) particle-reinforced 6016Al-matrix composites were produced and squeezed at 650 °C. The effects of squeezing pressure (10–20 MPa) on the solidification microstructure and properties of the composites were investigated. Squeezed solidification of the 6016Al-matrix composites at 650 °C led to grain sizes of 65–70 µm. The synthesized (Al3Zr/Al2O3 + ZrB2) particles were segregated along the grain boundaries. Fine Mg-Si-rich Guinier–Preston zones or precipitates (~ 5 nm) were formed during solidification. Amorphous Al2O3 was observed adjacent to crystalline Al2O3 particles. The composites exhibited a lower yield strength (YS) of ~ 50 MPa because of the clustered porosity and agglomeration of reinforcement particles in hot spots (50–100 µm), formed during solidification. The composite squeezed under 20 MPa exhibited a superior ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 186 MPa as compared to 170 MPa of the composite squeezed under 10 MPa. Mechanical properties of both the composites were improved upon hot rolling. Upon 80% thickness reduction by hot rolling, the composite squeezed under 10 MPa exhibited increase of ~ 300% in YS, ~ 30% in UTS, and 100% in fracture strain, while the composite squeezed under 20 MPa exhibited increase of ~ 260% in YS, ~ 6% in UTS, and ~ 32% in fracture strain. The improvements in properties originated from improved strengthening efficiency of (Al3Zr/Al2O3 + ZrB2) particles and homogenization of the microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of how to use high concentrations of UV–Vis absorbable components in mobile phases for ion chromatographic separation of anions with indirect photometric detection (IPD) was developed. The UV–Vis absorption curves, the signal strengths at selected wavelengths, and the response ranges at different wavelengths of three organic salts, sodium benzoate, sodium 4-nitrobenzoate and sodium 3,5-dinitrobenzoate were detected using a photodiode array detector. Mobile phases containing these three organic salts at concentrations as high as 20 mM were used for ion chromatographic separations of inorganic anions, such as F−, Cl−, NO2−, Br−, NO3−, and SO42−. Separation characteristics detected at different wavelengths such as, the baseline stability, signal to noise levels shown as detection limits, linearity, etc., were investigated. It is found that the best wavelength used for IPD may not be the maximum or near the maximum absorption wavelength, but definitely not the non-absorptive wavelength of the eluent. Therefore, the best wavelength should be optimized. With the optimized wavelength at 385 nm, anions of sub-nanomoles were able to be quantitatively detected, and a good linear relationship with a correlation coefficients, (r > 0.9998), within the sample ranges from 0.5 to 200 ng was available. By using the optimized wavelength, the threshold of the detector will no longer be a strict restriction factor of using high concentrations of UV–Vis absorbable components. Consequently, columns with different ion exchange capacities can be used for separations with IPD. Furthermore, because the separation system can be fast re-equilibrated after sample injection using high concentrations of monovalent ion eluent, the separation efficiency can be highly improved. This method is promising for developing mobile phases for other chromatographic separations with IPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold rolling the CC AA 5754 aluminum alloy to different reductions was followed by an hour of annealing at 537 °C under varied pressures. The changes in microstructure and texture were studied. According to the findings, high-pressure heat treatment restricts recrystallization, and the restriction effect is stronger as pressure rises. The refining impact of high-pressure heat treatment can refine recrystallized grains, and it becomes stronger as the rolling reduction gets higher. The variation of recrystallization texture is significantly affected by high-pressure heat treatment. The sheet with a 19.6% reduction is found to have a weak cube texture at atmospheric pressure and 2 GPa, but the sheet that has been annealed at 4 GPa and 6 GPa has a strong cube texture and a weak β fiber rolling texture. High-pressure heat treatment improves the intensities of the cube and R textures in the fully recrystallized sheets with the same reduction. The strengthening impact of R texture from high-pressure heat treatment improves with increasing rolling reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the finite-time synchronisation transmission of quantum signals between Jaynes-Cummings models is researched based on coupling technology. We first analyse the quantum properties of a Jaynes-Cummings model. Based on these, we achieve the finite-time synchronisation transmission of quantum signals between Jaynes-Cummings models and design the adaptive law of coupling coefficient. Finally, numerical simulations are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the analytical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities such as mining, fossil fuel combustion, fertilisers and pesticides utilisation in agriculture, metallurgic processes and disposal of industrial wastes have contributed an exponential rise in arsenic content in environment. The present paper deals with arsenate (AsV) incited stress in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants and its alleviation through the application of nitric oxide (NO) and spermidine (SPD). The exposure of C. arietinum to AsV reduced seedling length, biomass, relative water content and biochemical constituents. All the above-mentioned parameters were escalated when sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or SPD were utilised alone or in combination with AsV. The electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content were increased in chickpea treated with AsV, but reduced in combine treatment (As + SNP + SPD). In chickpea seedlings, 89.4, 248.4 and 333.3% stimulation were recorded in sugar, proline and glycine betaine contents, respectively, with As + SNP + SPD treatment in comparison to control. SNP and SPD modulated function of glyoxalase enzymes by which methylglyoxal (MG) was significantly detoxified in C. arietinum. Maximum reduction 45.2% was observed in MG content in SNP + SPD treatment over AsV stress. Hence, synergistic application of NO and SPD protected chickpea plants against AsV-generated stress by strengthening the antioxidant defence and glyoxalase system, which helped in regulation of biochemical pathways. Anthropogenic activities have contributed an exponential rise in arsenic content in environment. The present paper deals with arsenic (AsV) incited stress in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants and its alleviation through the application of nitric oxide and spermidine (SPD). We hypothesise that synergistic impact of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and SPD may improve physiological and biochemical processes of chickpea to enhance its tolerance against arsenic toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil acidification has become a major global issue, and it is important to study the causes and mechanisms of soil pH changes. This study detected soil pH changes in data collected from 1162 papers published during 1996–2000 and 2016–2020 in China, and it discussed the influencing factors on soil pH changes using Geodetector. The results showed that 58.4% of the collected data pairs were significantly acidified. Alfisols, desert soils, primarosols, semi-aqueous soils and aqueous soils were significantly acidified, while other types of soil did not change significantly. Soil pH on construction land decreased in units of 0.39 and on cultivated land decreased by 0.12, but soil pH changes in forest land and grassland were not significant. Nitrogen deposition, the amount of precipitation, sulphur deposition, temperature and vegetation planted in the soil had a great effect on soil acidification. This study provided a scientific reference for clarifying soil pH changes and made suggestions for subsequent soil remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a novel sliding mode control technique for finite-time synchronization transmission of signal in erbium-doped laser network. First, we introduce the structure of erbium-doped laser network. Then the unique sliding surface and network controller are designed to complete the finite-time synchronization transmission of signal in erbium-doped laser network. Finally, the effectiveness of the finite-time synchronization transmission technique is numerically illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the octonion short‐time linear canonical transform (OCSTLCT) in this paper. First, we propose the new definition of the OCSTLCT, and then several important properties of newly defined OCSTLCT, such as bounded, shift, modulation, time‐frequency shift, inversion formula, and orthogonality relation, are derived based on the spectral representation of the octonion linear canonical transform (OCLCT). Second, by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for the OCLCT and the orthogonality relation property for the OCSTLCT, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle for the OCSTLCT is established. Finally, we give an example of the OCSTLCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]