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Stripe rust is one of the main diseases of wheat, which seriously threatens wheat production and food security all over the world. Xiangyang located in the Northwest of Hubei province in China is one of the main winter propagation and spring epidemic regions of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), which can provide urediniospores to the major wheat-growing regions in eastern and northeastern China. Understanding the dynamic of Pst urediniospore is important for giving prediction of wheat stripe rust epidemic for eastern and northeastern China and controlling the epidemic of wheat stripe rust. In this study, spore trapper and TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR (TaqMan-qPCR) detection system were employed to monitor Pst urediniospore from December 2018 to December 2022 in Xiangyang. Weather variables including air temperature, relative humidity, sunshine duration and rainfall were collected to clarify the relationship with urediniospore density in the air. In addition, the relationship between disease index of wheat stripe rust and urediniospore density in the air was analyzed. Results showed that Pst urediniospore could be captured in the air all year round. The order of the density of urediniospore from most to least was from April to June, October to December, January to March, and July to September except 2022. The urediniospore density reached the peak when the air temperature was 10–22 °C and the relative humidity was 70%∼85% from April to May in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The density of Pst urediniospores from February to April was linearly related to the total precipitation of 25 days prior to the final day of a 7-day trapping period. There was a significant positive correlation between the disease index of wheat stripe rust and the cumulative urediniospore density 2–4 weeks before the investigation date of wheat stripe rust from March to May (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the disease index and the cumulative urediniospore density from 1–4 weeks after the investigation date of stripe rust from March to May (P > 0.05). This study laid a foundation for the establishment of wheat stripe rust prediction model based on urediniospore density and meteorological factors. • The dynamic of Pst urediniospores of Xiangyang was clarified for the first time. • Pst urediniospore density model based on total precipitation was established. • Pst urediniospore density is an important factor affecting the epidemic of wheat stripe rust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model developed to predict equilibrium concentrations of species in Ca2+-(NH 4) 2 CO 3 -(NH 4) 2 WO 4 -NH 3 -H 2 O system. • Equilibrium WO 3 concentrations presented for the system at 298.15 K. • Measures clarified for adjusting CaWO 4 and CaCO 3 stable regions. • A theoretical guidance provided for preparing and purifying (NH 4) 2 WO 4 solutions. The Ca2+-(NH 4) 2 CO 3 -(NH 4) 2 WO 4 -NH 3 -H 2 O system is a typical system in tungsten extractive metallurgy used in the preparation and purification of ammonium tungstate solution. To determine an appropriate solution composition to optimize these processes, a thermodynamic model combined with the Pitzer activity equations was developed. This model allowed us to predict the dependence of the equilibrium WO 3 concentration on the compositions of the solution in the Ca2+-(NH 4) 2 CO 3 -(NH 4) 2 WO 4 -NH 3 -H 2 O system. Thermodynamic analyses clarified the stable regions of CaCO 3 and CaWO 4 in the Ca2+-(NH 4) 2 CO 3 -(NH 4) 2 WO 4 -NH 3 -H 2 O system and indicated that increasing both the total NH 3 and total CO 2 concentrations is beneficial for increasing the equilibrium WO 3 concentration. The experimental results confirm that the thermodynamic model offers a means of predicting the equilibrium concentrations of species in the system. Furthermore, the equilibrium WO 3 concentrations of the solution of the Ca2+-(NH 4) 2 CO 3 -(NH 4) 2 WO 4 -NH 3 -H 2 O system at 298.15 K have been predicted at different total CO 2 concentrations, as well as different total NH 3 to total CO 2 concentration ratios. Thus, the findings of this study will not only help determine the appropriate composition of the leaching system for preparing ammonium tungstate solutions, but also provide a reference for purifying ammonium tungstate solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge of a large amount of flotation reagents wastewater can cause significant environmental pollution. In this study, NiO/La–NaTaO 3 nano-photocatalyst was prepared and applied to degrade synthetic flotation reagent ammonium dibutyl dithiophosphate wastewater. Various characterization results confirmed the successful synthesis of NiO/La–NaTaO 3 , and UV–vis DRS analysis revealed a band gap of 3.96 eV for 4 wt% NiO/2.5% La–NaTaO 3. Under UV light, the degradation rate of 20 mg 4 wt% NiO/2.5% La–NaTaO 3 photocatalyst reached its optimum within 4.5 h at pH=3, exhibiting a 1.45 times improvement compared to pure NaTaO 3. Radical trapping experiments and EPR results showed that ·OH and·O 2 − showed major contribution to the degradation. Furthermore, photocatalytic mechanisms and toxicity evolution were investigated, demonstrating the potential application of photocatalytic methods for treating flotation reagent wastewater. [Display omitted] • NiO/La–NaTaO 3 photocatalytic materials were prepared by hydrothermal method. • Photocatalytic technology treats flotation agent wastewater. • The effect of different experimental conditions was investigated. • Degradation mechanism and toxicity evolution of ADD were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In (NH 4) 2 CO 3 solution, leaching Ca 3 WO 6 -bearing product converted from tungsten concentrate can directly obtain ammonium tungstate solution, and thus eliminates high-salinity wastewater discharge in ammonium paratungstate manufacture. Possible reactions of Ca 3 WO 6 leaching in aqueous ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution under atmospheric pressure were investigated thermodynamically and experimentally. The results show that tungsten in Ca 3 WO 6 can be efficiently leached out by forming CaCO 3 (s) and (NH 4) 2 WO 4 (aq) in aqueous ammoniacal ammonium carbonate solution, while raising ratio of total ammonia to total carbon in solution and forming calcite are beneficial to increase the WO 3 leaching ratio. Whereas the secondary reactions of Ca 3 WO 6 with H 2 O and/or Ca (OH) 2 /CaCO 3 with (NH 4) 2 WO 4 may occur and thus CaWO 4 forms in the leaching, decreasing WO 3 leaching ratio especially in concentrated (NH 4) 2 WO 4 solution and in case of forming vaterite. In addition, a three-layer cover was observed on the unreacted Ca 3 WO 6 and hinders the leaching process. Through simultaneous grinding and leaching, both high WO 3 leaching ratio and high WO 3 concentration leachate can be achieved by increasing ratio of total ammonia to total carbon in NH 3 -(NH 4) 2 WO 4 - (NH 4) 2 CO 3 -H 2 O system. These results are helpful to optimize the leaching process of the converted product with Ca 3 WO 6 by roasting tungsten-containing materials. Highlights • Mechanism of secondary reactions of forming CaWO 4 were determined in leaching Ca 3 WO 6. • Measures for alleviating/suppressing the secondary reactions were proposed. • A three-layer cover on the unreacted Ca 3 WO 6 hinders Ca 3 WO 6 leaching. • Both high WO 3 leaching ratio and high WO 3 concentration leachate can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling has often been reported in different cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC), and this signaling cascade is central to carcinogenesis. Approximately 80% of CRC cases harbor mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene, and half of the remaining cases feature mutations in the β-catenin gene that affect the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Unsurprisingly, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has potential value as a therapeutic target in the treatment of CRC. Several inhibitors of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway have been developed for CRC treatment, but so far no molecular therapeutic targeting this pathway has been incorporated into oncological practice. In this review, we discuss the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in CRC and its potential as a target of innovative therapeutic approaches for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fludioxonil (FL) and metalaxyl-M·fludioxonil·azoxystrobin (MFA) are conventional seed coating agents for controlling cotton seedling diseases. However, their effects on seed endophytic and rhizosphere microecology are still poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the effects of FL and MFA on cotton seed endophytes, rhizosphere soil enzymatic activities, microbiome and metabolites. Both seed coating agents significantly changed seed endophytic bacterial and fungal communities. Growing coated seeds in the soils originating from the Alar (AL) and Shihezi (SH) region inhibited soil catalase activity and decreased both bacterial and fungal biomass. Seed coating agents increased rhizosphere bacterial alpha diversity for the first 21 days but decreased fungal alpha diversity after day 21 in the AL soil. Seed coating reduced the abundance of a number of beneficial microorganisms but enriched some potential pollutant-degrading microorganisms. Seed coating agents may have affected the complexity of the co-occurrence network of the microbiome in the AL soil, reducing connectivity, opposite to what was observed in the SH soil. MFA had more pronounced effects on soil metabolic activities than FL. Furthermore, there were strong links between soil microbial communities, metabolites and enzymatic activities. These findings provide valuable information for future research and development on application of seed coatings for disease management. [Display omitted] • Seed coating agents changed seed endophytic microbial communities. • Seed coating inhibited rhizosphere soil catalase activity and reduced total microbial biomass. • Seed coating agents reduced the abundance of specific microorganisms beneficial to plants. • Seed coating agents significantly altered soil metabolic compositions. • The changes of soil metabolites are closely related to microbial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of unleachable scheelite (CaWO 4 ) to readily soluble Ca 3 WO 6 in aqueous ammonium carbonate solution by roasting is crucial to the development of a green manufacturing technique for ammonium paratungstate. To better understand the influences of gangue minerals on the conversion of CaWO 4 to Ca 3 WO 6 , the reaction behaviors of gangue minerals in the scheelite concentrate such as quartz (SiO 2 ), apatite (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 F), cassiterite (SnO 2 ), pyrite (FeS 2 ), molybdenite (MoS 2 ), and arsenopyrite (FeAsS) in the roasting process were investigated systematically in this work. Thermodynamic analyses and experimental results show that the gangue minerals except Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 F can react with CaCO 3 or Ca 3 WO 6 to form corresponding calcium-containing compounds in roasting. There are Ca 3 Fe 2 WO 9 , CaMoO 4 , CaSO 4 , and Ca 3 (AsO 4 ) 2 , etc. observed in the products when roasting in an oxidizing atmosphere, and Ca 2 FeWO 6 , CaS in a neutral or weakly reducing atmosphere, while the formations of Ca 2 SiO 4 , Ca 4 Si 2 O 7 F 2 , Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 F, CaSnO 3 , and Ca 2 SnO 4 , etc. are independent of roasting atmosphere. The results suggest that these gangue minerals consume calcium and thus affect the conversion of CaWO 4 to Ca 3 WO 6 in the roasting process, which can help determine the appropriate composition dosage for the complete conversion of CaWO 4 to Ca 3 WO 6 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of tungsten-containing materials to a readily soluble substance in ammoniacal solution is significant in the development of a cleaning process for manufacturing ammonium paratungstate. In this work, Ca 3 − x (Fe, Mn) x WO 6 (0 < x ≤ 1) was prepared by roasting a mixture of tungsten-containing materials and calcium carbonate. The leachability of the roasted products in aqueous ammonium carbonate solution was then tested. Thermodynamic analyses and experimental results showed that Ca 2 FeWO 6 and Ca 2 MnWO 6 can be obtained by roasting the mixture with appropriate ingredients in neutral or weakly reducing atmosphere, and Fe(II) in Ca 2 FeWO 6 can be substituted by Ca to form Ca 3 − x Fe x WO 6 (0 < x < 1) with an excess of calcium carbonate. With increased roasting temperature and carbon addition, Fe 3 W 3 C and Mn 3 W 3 C can be generated. Additionally, leaching results showed that Ca 3 − x (Fe, Mn) x WO 6 had excellent leachability in aqueous ammonium carbonate solution with 99% WO 3 recovery. The results presented can be used to exploit a novel technique with recycling solutions for ammonium paratungstate production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute Oak Decline (AOD) is a newly defined condition in the UK that forms a distinct component within the wider oak decline complex. It can be identified by distinctive stem symptoms, dark liquid seeping out between the bark plates from areas of necrosis in the cambial tissue, which are found in conjunction with signs of the two spotted oak buprestid Agrilus biguttatus . Novel bacterial species have been isolated from the inner bark necrosis, but little is known regarding the spatial and temporal patterns of AOD symptoms expression. This study presents the results from eight plots across southern and central England monitored for three to four years between 2009 and 2012. These data give a first description of the epidemiology of AOD. Findings suggest affected trees occur in localised clusters rather than at random through the plots, pointing to biotic rather than wider scale environmental effects such as drought. In addition, contagion (spread of symptoms between neighbouring trees) was demonstrated. Previously, mortality was described as occurring soon after infection; current data suggests this is longer than two years. 23.5% of oak with both stem bleeds and exit holes in 2009 died during the monitoring period. Exit holes were observed on hosts for the first time in the final years before death linking them to the later stages of decline. Finally, a large proportion of lightly infected individuals have been shown to form callus over the previous year’s stem symptoms and enter remission. This finding suggests host resistance may provide some scope for management of AOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium dahliae is the causal agent of strawberry wilt. A microencapsulated terpene product containing cineole, camphor and borneol, digestate from anaerobic digestion, and BioFence™ derived from a mustard-based defatted seedmeal were tested for their suppressive activity against V. dahliae . First, naturally infested soil was amended with microencapsulated terpene, lavender waste pellet and BioFence™ (pellet) in a laboratory test to assess the efficacy against V. dahliae . Next, mini-field-plot experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of individual and combined use of terpene, BioFence™ (liquid) and digestate against V. dahliae ; sterile distilled water treatment and untreated control were also included. In the laboratory test, all treatments significantly reduced V. dahliae densities, with the control efficacy ranging from 27% (BioFence™) to 69% (lavender waste pellet). Although the lowest (1×) rate of terpene treatment resulted in a much lower control efficacy (35%) than the other two higher rates (3× – 55%; 9× – 53%), these differences were not statistically significant. In the field mini-plot trials, all treatments led to significant reductions in the V. dahliae density, with the efficacy ranging from 50% (digestate) to 78% (combined three-product treatment), irrespective of the initial wilt level. There were no significant differences in all comparisons of pairwise treatments except between digestate and combined three-product treatment. For the combined two or three-product treatments, the observed efficacy was significantly less than the expected efficacy on the assumption of Bliss independence. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the observed efficacy of combined treatments and the best single component product efficacy. Although the observed efficacy for the combined three-product treatment was consistently higher than the best single component across replicate plots, such a difference was not statistically significant. The results indicate the value of these alternative treatments in practice but these are not likely to reduce V. dahliae inoculum sufficiently to eliminate the risk of strawberry wilt and question the value of combined treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsphere, micro-net-sphere, hexagon plate and sandwich-like cobalt particle were successfully synthesized via a facile, environmentally friendly and one-step solvothermal method. Subtle control over the reaction conditions could easily achieve these different morphologies with certain crystal structures. Solvothermal method utilized here is pollution free, without surface-active agent and facile to perform. The effects of alkali and Co 2+ content as well as the reaction temperature on the size, morphology and microstructure were investigated individually. Moreover, the catalytic properties concerning the catalytic thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and magnetic properties of these selected samples were evaluated. It finds that the alteration trend of related properties correspond well with the variation of these samples’ microstructure and morphology. In addition, comparing with the other morphology, Co particles with the morphology of hexagon sheet exhibits outstanding catalytic performance, implying significant practical application in the development of energy-efficient rocket solid propellant recipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to develop a novel technique to alleviate the environmental stresses caused by waste-water in the prevalent ammonium paratungstate manufacture process, preparation process of tricalcium tungstate (Ca 3 WO 6 ) from tungsten-containing materials by roasting was studied systematically in this paper. Thermodynamic analyses and experimental results show that Ca 3 WO 6 could be formed by reactions of CaWO 4 /Fe(Mn)WO 4 with CaO, Ca(OH) 2 or CaCO 3 in air. Increasing roasting temperature not only accelerates the conversion of CaWO 4 to Ca 3 WO 6 but also eliminates the dependence of the conversion on calcium compound types. Moreover, additive CaF 2 can greatly reduce roasting temperature for complete conversion of tungsten-containing minerals in mixed concentrate of scheelite and wolframite to Ca 3 WO 6 . Additionally, Ca 3 WO 6 clinker prepared by mixed concentrate has good leachability in aqueous ammonium carbonate solution with WO 3 recovery of 98.4%. The work presented is favorable for developing a promising technique with recycling both auxiliary materials and solutions for cleaner production of ammonium paratungstate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the leakage current of power LDMOS (laterally diffused metal–oxide–semiconductor) transistors with deep poly sinker, and the leakage shows a certain wafer map distribution with most of the failed dies located at the center area. It is found that the leakage current is mainly caused by the stress-induced dislocations close to the deep poly sinker. The relationship between the stress-induced dislocation (SID) and the wafer warpage is studied. Experimental results show the dislocation and the resulting leakage current can be effectively eliminated, by either modifying the device layout or optimizing the fabrication process of the poly sinker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera aphanis, is an important disease of strawberries under protection. Botrytis fruit rot is an important cause of losses in strawberries particularly under open-field conditions. Current control of both these diseases in the UK is dependent on conventional fungicides. Recently, research in the UK demonstrated that integrating biopesticides and biostimulants with a decision-based management programme could achieve reductions in conventional fungicide use without loss in yield or fruit quality. Further field studies were conducted to extend the decision-based management programme to include control of Botrytis fruit rot on everbearer crops. In 2018, three management programmes were compared to a routine fungicide-based programme and an untreated control. In two management programmes, treatments for Botrytis and powdery mildew were either applied routinely or managed. In the third programme, treatments for both diseases were managed. Disease risks were estimated with a simple lookup table based on past and forecast weather. The results showed that the integrated management for both diseases resulted in a nearly 45% reduction in conventional fungicide use and a cost saving of £699/ha compared to a routine programme with no penalties in yield, fruit quality or disease control. There were no significant effects of treatments on Botrytis rot incidence compared to the untreated control, suggesting that the fungicides applied for controlling Botrytis gave no benefit. In 2019, two treatments based on the decision-based management system for powdery mildew and Botrytis , one of which excluded specific fungicide treatment for Botrytis , were compared to an untreated control and a routine fungicide programme. Cool chain management of the fruit post-harvest was also included to extend post-harvest fruit shelf life. The results showed that the simple decision-based system for determining treatments for mildew and Botrytis based on biopesticides and omitting Botrytis -specific fungicides resulted in a 93% reduction in fungicide use and a cost saving of £924/ha compared to a routine programme with no penalties in yield, fruit quality or disease control. Cool chain management delayed the development of both Botrytis and soft rots. In both years, detectable fungicide residues were considerably reduced in the fruit from the managed programmes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The timing and pattern of mussel scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi (L.)) crawler emergence was monitored in relation to air and bark-surface temperatures using sticky band traps around branches in apple orchards in Kent, UK in three successive years, 2007–2009. The emergence and migration of the crawlers lasted for over 4 weeks at a high level, much longer than had been previously reported. In all three years, there were clearly two peaks of emergence of the crawlers, possibly because there is a diapausing and non-diapausing form of the insect. A temperature sum model developed in the 1990s in The Netherlands using air temperatures predicted the peak emergence of crawlers to within 5–16 days; however, the model was less accurate when tree bark temperatures for the north or south of the tree were used. We have developed two models to predict the emergence of the crawlers by revising the original Dutch model. The observed emergence period (5–95%) was longer than the predicted in all three years but the two revised models performed better than the original Dutch model. In two experiments, in 2007 and 2008, the efficacy of a wide range of insecticide products at different timings during crawler emergence was evaluated. Of the 7 products compared as single or two sprays (spray volume 500 l ha−1) at different emergence timings, or with the addition of adjuvants or as winter treatments, thiacloprid 480 g/l SC (375 ml ha−1) and acetamiprid 20% w/w SP (375 g ha−1) gave the best and similar control, reducing the percentage of fruits infested by 94%. Two sprays of fenoxycarb 25% w/w WG (600 g ha−1) gave the poorest control (28%). Two sprays of spirodiclofen 240 g/l SC (600 g ha−1), chlorpyrifos 75% w/w WG (960 g ha−1) or flonicamid 50% w/w WG (140 g ha−1) gave intermediate results, reducing the percentage infestation by 72% on average. Adjuvants gave no additional value to the treatments when applied in admixture and winter applications of mineral oil (spray volume 1000 l ha−1), alone or in admixture with chlorpyrifos or thiacloprid were not effective at controlling mussel scale the following growing season. Overall, acetamiprid and thiacloprid were the most efficacious insecticides and this study indicates that sprays are best applied in the latter part of the migration (after 50% emergence) with an interval between sprays of at least two weeks to span the long emergence period of the pest. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We developed a stochastic simulation model incorporating most processes likely to be important in the spread of Phytophthora ramorum and similar diseases across the British landscape (covering Rhododendron ponticum in woodland and nurseries, and Vaccinium myrtillus in heathland). The simulation allows for movements of diseased plants within a realistically modelled trade network and long-distance natural dispersal. A series of simulation experiments were run with the model, representing an experiment varying the epidemic pressure and linkage between natural vegetation and horticultural trade, with or without disease spread in commercial trade, and with or without inspections-with-eradication, to give a 2×2×2×2 factorial started at 10 arbitrary locations spread across England. Fifty replicate simulations were made at each set of parameter values. Individual epidemics varied dramatically in size due to stochastic effects throughout the model. Across a range of epidemic pressures, the size of the epidemic was 5–13 times larger when commercial movement of plants was included. A key unknown factor in the system is the area of susceptible habitat outside the nursery system. Inspections, with a probability of detection and efficiency of infected-plant removal of 80% and made at 90-day intervals, reduced the size of epidemics by about 60% across the three sectors with a density of 1% susceptible plants in broadleaf woodland and heathland. Reducing this density to 0.1% largely isolated the trade network, so that inspections reduced the final epidemic size by over 90%, and most epidemics ended without escape into nature. Even in this case, however, major wild epidemics developed in a few percent of cases. Provided the number of new introductions remains low, the current inspection policy will control most epidemics. However, as the rate of introduction increases, it can overwhelm any reasonable inspection regime, largely due to spread prior to detection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Experiments were conducted to investigate infection of blackcurrant flowers and fruits in relation to environmental conditions and fruit age on cvs. Baldwin and Ben Hope. The two cultivars did not differ significantly in the susceptibility of flowers to Botrytis infection. Nearly 75% of flowers were infected or abscised 1 week after inoculation and nearly all remaining flowers failed to develop into mature fruit. Fruits were inoculated at different growth stages and then incubated under different initial conditions: 10, 15, 20 and 25°C each with four wet periods (4, 8, 12 and 24h). Infection of fruit was not significantly affected by the temperature and duration of wetness. The two cultivars differed significantly in their responses to Botrytis infection depending on the fruiting stage at the time of inoculation. Inoculation of young fruitlets resulted in nearly 50% of fruits aborted on cv. Baldwin, compared to ca. 10% on cv. Ben Hope. Inoculation of fruit near harvest resulted in significantly fewer fruit aborted. The incidence of latent infection decreased with increasing fruit age at the time of inoculation. Sampling of blackcurrant fruit and spraying timing trials in planting of these two cultivars in open-field and under-protected conditions supported the main conclusions drawn from the controlled inoculation studies. Thus irrespective of weather conditions, strategies must be adopted to reduce inoculum and the extent of flower infections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera aphanis, is an important disease of strawberries and currently its control in the UK is very dependent on conventional fungicides. A series of experiments were carried out to integrate conventional fungicides with biopesticides and biostimulants for mildew control. In 2015–2016, the biopesticides Sonata (Bacillus pumilis) and AQ10 (Ampelomyces quisqualis) achieved at least as good as or better mildew control where they were applied alone rather than alternated with or tanked mixed with conventional fungicides. Three mildew management programmes were evaluated in 2017 on an ever-bearer cultivar. In the B. pumilis based programme, the need for treatment and the choice of products were partially determined by predicted mildew risks. The incidence of mildew on leaves was very low in untreated plots with virtually no mildew observed in the other treated plots. By contrast, mildew on the fruit rose rapidly from 2 % in late July to >90 % in late August in untreated plots. In treated plots, the percentage of fruit with mildew did not rise above 3 % with the three managed programmes based on B. pumilis. There were no significant differences in total yield and marketable yield between the managed programmes and the routine fungicide programme, but all were significantly greater than the untreated control. Most of the unmarketable fruit in the untreated control was due to infection with powdery mildew. The results suggested that strawberry powdery mildew can be effectively managed by the integrated use of biopesticides, biostimulants and conventional fungicides. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Published research on the effects of fungal interaction on disease development and subsequent mycotoxin accumulation was reviewed, focusing on pathogens related to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). Almost all published studies showed that competitive interactions are the rule when fungal/disease development is considered. The fungi with the competitive advantage did not usually colonise significantly more than when inoculated alone, i.e. there was no advantage gained by the dominant pathogen from the presence of other weaker competing fungi. However, the effects of fungal interactions on mycotoxin accumulation were generally more complicated. Total mycotoxin production in mixed inoculation may decrease, increase or remain at a similar level compared with single-isolate inoculation, depending on the fungal species concerned and environmental conditions. However, the lack of accurate quantification of each competing fungal component in mixed inoculations in many studies prevented an accurate estimation of mycotoxin productivity per unit fungal biomass. A few recent studies, where each individual fungal component was quantified using molecular methods, suggested that mycotoxin productivity in mixed inoculations generally increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a novel flexible solar tracking system based on a photothermal-thermomechanical (PT-TM) actuator comprised of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) bilayer. The actuation function of the proposed device originates from photothermal and surface plasmon-assisted effects in MXenes, coupled with thermomechanical deformation of in-plane aligned PVDF polymer. Two types of solar tracking modes are evaluated based on the experimental deformation behavior of the PT-TM actuator. We find that the uniaxial East-West solar tracking option increases the overall energy intensity reaching the solar module by over 30%, in comparison with the optimized tilting-controlled mode. We also demonstrate the thermally driven self-oscillation of the MXene-PVDF device, which may have promising potential for optically and thermally driven soft robotics. The PT-TM actuator devices display robust mechanical strength and durability, with no noticeable degradation in their performance after more than 1000 cycles. A novel flexible photothermal-thermomechanical (PT-TM) actuator comprised of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) bilayer is developed. The actuation function of the proposed device originates from photothermal and surface plasmon-assisted absorption in MXenes, coupled with thermomechanical deformation of in-plane aligned PVDF polymer. The actuator can greatly enhance solar energy harvesting compared to a tilt-controlled solar tracking system. Image 1 • The actuation mechanism is shown to originate from thermomechanical deformation of the in-plane aligned PVDF polymer chains coupled with optical absorption effects in MXene. • We demonstrate that our autonomous actuator can be used in a solar tracking application and can increase the overall energy intensity reaching the solar module by over 30% compared to the optimized tilting-controlled mode. • We also demonstrate thermally driven self-oscillation of MXene-PVDF device, which may have potential in optically and thermally driven soft robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of soil fumigation products to manage soilborne pathogens raises the question of whether it has undesirable effects on the soil ecosystem. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of alternative fumigation products on soil microbial population structure. We characterised soil bacterial and fungal communities in response to the soil treatment with microencapsulated terpene, Brassica seedmeal (BioFence™) and chloropicrin in a field trial. The effect of soil treatments on the overall microbial population structure and relative abundance of individual microbial OTUs (operational taxonomic units) was assessed using an amplicon-based metabarcoding approach at three time points. Classifying representative OTU sequences into taxonomic groups was more uncertain for bacteria than for fungi. Chloropicrin dramatically altered both bacterial and fungal populations within four weeks of application. The effect on bacterial population structure is short-lived and became non-significant 16 weeks after treatment; however, fungal population structure was more persistently affected by chloropicrin. Neither terpene nor BioFence™ significantly affected soil microbiota. This study highlights the need for reliable algorithms in classifying sequences into taxonomic units and also the importance of identifying microbes into finer taxonomic groups for understanding soil microbiota and their effects on crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation focuses on fabrication of hydrothermal carbon (HTC) using the co-hydrothermal carbonization (Co-HTC) method from the raw materials of sewage sludge (SS) and lignocellulose. The as-prepared hydrochar (HC) was characterized and analyzed by using ultimate analysis, proximate analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to investigate its fuel properties, surface morphology, and molecular structure. Particularly, the HC obtained from the Co-HTC process with pine sawdust as raw material exhibited several advantages in terms of carbon content (40.40 %), fixed carbon (FC) content (41.82 %), and high heating value (HHV, 14.87 MJ/kg). Synergistic effects were achieved from the components in the Co-HTC system, leading to increased carbon content, retention of organics, energy yield, HHV, and HC yield. Notably, the Co-HTC treatment of pine sawdust and SS demonstrated the most notable synergistic effect. Thermogravimetric analysis and combustion characteristic index (CCI) values showed that softwood lignin, represented by pine sawdust, exhibited better performance during combustion, with a CCI value of 21.78 (10−7 min−2 °C−3). In short, Co-HTC of hydrochar from lignocellulose and SS can represent a promising approach to resource utilization for obtaining solid fuel. • Lignocellulose materials with a gradient distribution of lignin content were used. • The influence of lignin content on hydrochar combustion was visualized in TG and DTG. • The highest synergistic coefficient, reaching 12 %, was observed for PS and SS Co-HTC. • 12 types of reactions occurring during Co-HTC were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterising spatial microbial community structure is important to understand and explain the consequences of continuous plantation of one crop species on the performance of subsequent crops, especially where this leads to reduced growth vigour and crop yield. We investigated the spatial structure, specifically distance-decay of similarity, of soil bacterial and fungal communities in two long-established orchards with contrasting agronomic characteristics. A spatially explicit sampling strategy was used to collect soil from under recently grubbed rows of apple trees and under the grassed aisles. Amplicon-based metabarcoding technology was used to characterise the soil microbial communities. The results suggested that (1) most of the differences in soil microbial community structure were due to large-scale differences (i.e. between orchards), (2) within-orchard, small-scale (1–5 m) spatial variability was also present, but spatial relationships in microbial community structure differed between orchards and were not predictable, and (3) vegetation type (i.e. trees or grass and their associated management) can significantly alter the structure of soil microbial communities, affecting a large proportion of microbial groups. The discontinuous nature of soil microbial community structure in the tree stations and neighbouring grass aisles within an orchard illustrate the importance of vegetation type and allied weed and nutrient management on soil microbial community structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the design, simulation, fabrication and measurement of a double differential torsional micro-accelerometer based on V-shape beam. The structure of conventional torsional micro-accelerometers is typically composed of two unbalanced proof masses and a torsional beam. This work develops a torsional micro-accelerometer with an optimized structure, which is composed of four proof masses splitting into two pairs. The two pairs of unbalanced masses have the opposite sensitivity to acceleration but the same sensitivity to off-acceleration input, and by using double differential arithmetic the sensitivity, environment robustness and bias stability can be improved. The accelerometer prototype is fabricated with the pre-buried mask wet-etching method and tested. The resonant frequency and quality factor are about 1485 Hz and 28.02 respectively. The sensitivity and nonlinearity of the measuring range ±15 g is 0.14 mV/g and 0.22% respectively. The x-axis and y-axis cross-axis errors are 0.04% and 0.69% respectively. The 1 g bias stability of the accelerometer is 0.11 mg for 1 h and the Allan deviation is 8.7 μg. In the full temperature range of −40 °C to +60 °C,the temperature sensitivity of the scale factor is 49.9 ppm/°C while the offset temperature coefficient is 0.22 mg/°C after temperature compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]