Search

Organic carbon (C) is often applied to agricultural soils to increase soil organic matter, however, its mechanistic effects on soil P transformations and availability resulting from stimulation of microbial activities and changes in microbial communities remain uncertain. This study investigated the responses of soil P availability, P fractions and phoD harboring bacterial and fungal communities to two dose rates (5 and 10 mg C g−1 dry soil) of labile C (glucose) in bulk and rhizosphere soils planted with maize in a P-deficient soil (Oxisol). Both doses of glucose significantly increased available P concentrations (over a 47-day period) in soils without maize, and in the bulk and rhizosphere soils of maize, resulting in the promotion of maize growth. Glucose additions altered soil phoD harboring bacterial and fungal community composition and stimulated the growth of keystone P-solubilizing microorganisms, such as Bradyrhizobium and Eupenicillium, in soils with maize. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that glucose enhanced interactions between phoD harboring bacterial taxa relative to that of fungal taxa, whether in individual networks or in combined networks. Our results highlight the importance of labile C in facilitating changes in soil P-solubilizing bacterial and fungal communities of a P-deficient soil. These findings provide crucial information to guide P-cycling management strategies via microbial regulation in agro-ecosystems.

Photodetectors converting light into electrical signals are crucial in various applications. The pursuit of high-performance photodetectors with high sensitivity and broad spectral range simultaneously has always been challenging in conventional semiconductor materials. Graphene, with its zero bandgap and high electron mobility, is an attractive candidate, but its low light absorption coefficient restricts its practical application in light detection. Integrating graphene with light-absorbing materials like PbS quantum dots (QDs) can potentially enhance its photodetection capabilities. Here, this work presents a broadband photodetector with enhanced sensitivity based on a graphene–PbS QD heterostructure. The device leverages the high carrier mobility of graphene and the strong light absorption of PbS QDs, achieving a wide detection range from ultraviolet to near-infrared. Employing a simple spinning method, the heterostructure demonstrates ultrahigh responsivity up to the order of 107 A/W and a specific detectivity on the order of 1013 Jones, showcasing significant potential for photoelectric applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ameliorative effects of straw decomposition products on soil acidification have been extensively studied. However, the impact of chemically treated straw decomposition products on crop productivity and the underlying microbial mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two dosages of Ca(OH)2-treated straw decomposition products of peanuts on red soil acidity, fertility, and bacterial and fungal diversity through a pot experiment. The pot experiment included four treatments: chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilization alone (CK), NPK chemical fertilization combined with peanut straw decomposition products (PS), NPK chemical fertilization combined with 4% Ca(OH)2-treated peanut straw decomposition products (PS4Ca), and NPK chemical fertilization combined with 8% Ca(OH)2-treated straw decomposition products (PS8Ca). High-throughput sequencing was performed to investigate the effects of these treatments on soil microbial diversity. The treatments with PS, PS4Ca, and PS8Ca significantly increased soil pH, exchangeable base cations, and nutrient content, whereas they decreased the exchangeable acid, especially exchangeable aluminum. The peanut growth improved substantially with the application of straw decomposition products. Specifically, PS4Ca significantly increased the Shannon and Richness indices of fungi. The principal coordinate analysis showed that the soil microbial communities in the straw decomposition product treatments were significantly different from CK. Linear discriminant analysis effect size identified unique bacteria and fungi between treatments. The Mantel test indicated that exchangeable base cations and pH were significantly positively correlated with bacterial communities, whereas available potassium was positively correlated with fungal communities. The partial least squares path modeling revealed that the bacterial communities positively and directly affected all peanut agronomic traits. In contrast, the fungal communities had a negative and direct effect only on peanut 100-pod weight. Therefore, adding Ca(OH)2-treated straw decomposition products could effectively improve crop productivity by alleviating soil acidification, increasing soil nutrients, and subsequently changing microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodsResultsConclusionTo report a rare case of fungal keratitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, highlighting its unique morphological features using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).This was a retrospective case report. A 66-year-old man presented with foreign body sensation and blurred vision in his left eye for over 10 months.His best-corrected visual acuity was 20/20. Slit-lamp examination revealed a gray-white lesion approximately 4–5 mm in the superficial layer of the central cornea without epithelial defects. The IVCM images revealed numerous round or round-like pathogens, each with a central highly reflective body surrounded by a dark ring, ranging in size from 5 to 30 µm, and to a maximum of 85 µm, observed in the corneal epithelium and superficial stroma. No obvious inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in the lesions or endothelium. C. neoformans infection was confirmed. The round pathogens completely disappeared after 8 weeks of treatment with topical amphotericin B and voriconazole eye drops.Fungal keratitis caused by C. neoformans is rare and easily overlooked due to atypical clinical signs and symptoms. This case reports the unique morphological features of C. neoformans in the cornea using IVCM for the first time, facilitating rapid, noninvasive auxiliary diagnosis of C. neoformans keratitis and treatment follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A neutral zone is a section of a railway line without traction current during high-speed train operations and is very common in high-speed railway lines. However, previous studies on energy-efficient speed profile (ESP) optimization did not consider the electric neutral section constraints. Thus, a risk of being unable to drive out of the neutral section because of a low initial speed and a deviation in the energy consumption effect occur. This paper studies the characteristics of the neutral section to optimize the operating curves of high-speed trains. It can aid in trains passing through the neutral section smoothly. The proposed method is feasible and close to reality. By analyzing the actual coasting distance of a train in the neutral section and building its mathematical model, we provide special double-speed limits and stability constraints. Subsequently, by simulating vehicle performance, operating conditions, and the location of the neutral section, a train ESP optimization model is constructed. Moreover, an improved dynamic programming algorithm is proposed, which uses the vehicle maximum traction and braking force to simplify the computation of state transitions. Finally, the numerical results of simulations demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed model and solution methodology. Compared with the solution without neutral section constraints, an energy-efficient effect of 1.43% is achieved. Further, the proposed method performs better with a stability and high-quality solution than the genetic algorithm.