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Bacillus subtilis XF‐1 is a well‐investigated biocontrol agent against the biotrophic Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron., the causal agent of clubroot disease of cruciferous crops. The present study demonstrates that XF‐1 could efficiently control clubroot disease via leaf spraying and provides an understanding of the biocontrol mechanisms. High‐performance thin‐layer chromatography (HTPLC) analysis indicated the presence of fengycin‐type cyclopeptides in the supernatant. A ppsB deletion mutant of XF‐1 resulted in no fengycin production, significantly reduced the lysis rate of testing spores in vitro and the primary infection rate of root hair in vivo, and decreased the protection value against clubroot disease under the greenhouse conditions. Confocal laser scanning microscopy proved that fengycin was not required for leaf internalization and root colonization. Moreover, the expression level of the ppsB gene in XF‐1 was regulated by its cell density in root during interaction with P. brassicae. In addition, the ΔppsB mutant of XF‐1 could not efficiently control disease because it led to a lower activation level of the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling pathways in roots, which are necessary for the plant defense reaction upon pathogen invasion. Altogether, the present study provides a new understanding of specific cues in the interaction between B. subtilis and P. brassicae as well as insights into the application of B. subtilis in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tension system is one of the most critical systems in gravure printed electronic equipment. It possesses a complex structure that spans the entire feeding process, from unwinding through printing to rewinding. This article focuses on the research of multi-span tension control for printing systems. Firstly, the characteristics and requirements of the tension-control system in the printing section were analyzed, and a multi-span tension-control structure was devised. Then, based on the coupled mathematical model of the multi-span tension system, a static decoupling model was formulated, and a first-order active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) controller was designed utilizing active disturbance rejection control technology. Finally, to verify the control performance of the ADRC decoupling controller for the printing tension system, simulation and experimental studies were conducted using MATLAB/Simulink R2018a and a dedicated experimental platform, and the results were then compared with those obtained from a traditional PID controller. The research findings indicate that the designed multi-span tension-control system demonstrates outstanding decoupling performance and anti-interference capabilities, effectively enhancing the tension-control accuracy of gravure printed electronic equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The murine model is invaluable for studying intricate interactions among gut microbes; hosts; and diseases. However; the impact of genetic variations in the murine microbiome; especially in disease contexts such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) infection; still needs to be explored. Kp; an opportunistic global pathogen; is becoming increasingly prevalent in regions like Asia; especially China. This study explored the role of the gut microbiota during Kp infection using mouse model; including wild-type and rpoS mutants of Kp138; KpC4; and KpE4 from human; maize; and ditch water; respectively. Under stress conditions; RpoS reconfigures global gene expression in bacteria; shifting the cells from active growth to survival mode. Our study examined notable differences in microbiome composition; finding that Lactobacillus and Klebsiella (particularly in WKp138) were the most abundant genera in mice guts at the genus level in all wild-type treated mice. In contrast; Firmicutes were predominant in the healthy control mice. Furthermore; Clostridium was the dominant genus in all mutants; mainly in ∆KpC4; and was absent in wild-type treated mice. Differential abundance analysis identified that these candidate taxa potentially influence disease progression and pathogen virulence. Functional prediction analysis showed that most bacterial groups were functionally involved in biosynthesis; precursor metabolites; degradation; energy generation; and metabolic cluster formation. These findings challenge the conventional understanding and highlight the need for nuanced interpretations in murine studies. Additionally; this study sheds light on microbiome–immune interactions in K. pneumoniae infection and proposes new potential therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the performance of the tension control system in gravure printed electronic equipment, it is necessary to study the tension system model of gravure-printing electronic equipment. This paper focuses on the coupling characteristics of multi-span tension systems. Firstly, based on the single-span tension model, the mathematical model of the printing tension subsystem is established and simplified into a general multi-span tension coupling model. Then, using the relationship between the inputs and outputs of the system, the coupling model is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink and verified through experiments on the gravure printed electronic platform. Finally, the coupling relationship and influence laws among multi-physical quantities of the system are analyzed. The research results show that changes in the input web tension of the multi-span system will affect the steady-state tension values of all subsequent spans. Moreover, the speed change in a roller in the multi-span system will not only affect the steady-state tension value of its own span, but also cause transient tension fluctuations in all subsequent spans. The findings of this paper provide an important theoretical basis for the research of the tension system in gravure printed electronic equipment, contributing to the enhancement of printed electronic product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dodder (Cuscuta spp.) is a dangerous parasitic plant that causes serious damage to crop production and is challenging to eliminate. Herbicide application is a common strategy to control dodder in the field, but it is costly, ineffective, and further results in hazardous outcomes. Therefore, our study aims to identify the potential pathogens in naturally occurring dodder infections which may provide efficient biocontrol options. In this regard, the pathogens were isolated from the infected plants, their pathogenicity was validated through inoculation, and the optimal culture conditions for their growth were identified by determining the pathogenicity difference. The pathogenicity range was determined in vitro using the leaves of common horticultural plants and crops. Furthermore, a small range of horticultural plants parasitized by Cuscuta reflexa in the field were inoculated with the pathogen to determine their biosafety and biocontrol potential, and the pathogens were identified by morphological and molecular characterization. We found 7 strains that were isolated after pathogen enrichment culture. Among them, Cbp6 and Cbp7 showed the highest pathogenicity against C. reflexa. After testing the inoculation of more than 50 species of plants, only 9 species showed varying degrees of lesions on leaves, which proved the high biosafety for common plants. Field spraying of these pathogens showed a good control effect on C. reflexa after 21 days; the disease severityreached 66.0%, while its host plant did not display obvious symptoms. In conclusion, the pathogens Cbp6 and Cbp7 were identified as Alternaria alternata, and the results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the biological control of dodder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly all plants and their organs are inhabited by endophytic microbes which play a crucial role in plant fitness and stress resilience. Harnessing endophytic services can provide effective solutions for a sustainable increase in agriculture productivity and can be used as a complement or alternative to agrochemicals. Shifting agriculture practices toward the use of nature-based solutions can contribute directly to the global challenges of food security and environmental sustainability. However, microbial inoculants have been used in agriculture for several decades with inconsistent efficacy. Key reasons of this inconsistent efficacy are linked to competition with indigenous soil microflora and inability to colonize plants. Endophytic microbes provide solutions to both of these issues which potentially make them better candidates for microbial inoculants. This article outlines the current advancements in endophytic research with special focus on endophytic bacilli. A better understanding of diverse mechanisms of disease control by bacilli is essential to achieve maximum biocontrol efficacy against multiple phytopathogens. Furthermore, we argue that integration of emerging technologies with strong theoretical frameworks have the potential to revolutionize biocontrol approaches based on endophytic microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Insect pests negatively affect crop quality and yield. The excessive use of chemical pesticides has serious impacts on the environment and food safety. Therefore, development of effective management strategies in the form of bio‐agents have important agricultural applications. Tenebrio molitor, a storage pest, causes losses of grains, medicinal materials, and various agricultural and related products in the warehouse. Bacillus subtilis YZ‐1 isolated from naturally deceased Pieris rapae has been found to exhibit significant toxicity against T. molitor. RESULTS: Treatment with B. subtilis YZ‐1 fermentation broth resulted in a 90–95% mortality rate of T. molitor within 36 h post‐treatment, indicating some active substances may have insecticidal activity in the bacterial supernatant. A bioactivity‐guided fractionation method was used to isolate the insecticidal compounds from YZ‐1, which led to the identification of surfactins. Additionally, a surfactin deletion mutant YZ‐1△srfAA was constructed and the surfactin production by the mutant YZ‐1△srfAA was verified through liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). Further, YZ‐1△srfAA exhibited loss of insecticidal activity against T. molitor, Plutella xylostella and Achelura yunnanensis. The insecticidal activity and surfactins contents of several strains of Bacillus sp. were also tested and correlation was found between varying surfactins yield and insecticidal activity exhibited by different strains. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, our results suggest that B. subtilis YZ‐1 may provide a novel approach for plant protection against agricultural pests. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]