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In vitro tuberization in sweet potato is a potential means for germplasm exchange in sweet potatoes, though not exploited due to the lack of a reliable protocol. The initiation of in vitro cultures and in vitro tuberization in sweet potato is limited due to fungal contamination and poor response of cultures. In order to obtain aseptic cultures, the effect of season was studied in khariff, rabi and summer seasons, and effect of source of explants studied using explants from storage root sprouts vs. field grown plants. Two sterilants, sodium dichloroisocyanurate and mercuric chloride, were compared on explants from storage root sprouts. The effect of media concentration on plant growth parameters was studied using full and half-strength MS medium. Significant difference was obtained in the results. Summer season was found to be best for the collection of field explants, storage root sprouts were better to field explants and sodium dichloroisocyanurate was assessed as an effective sterilant in terms of low contamination and better survival percentage. A single-node culture gave rise to shoots with 23 nodes after 20 weeks on full-strength MS media, which could be used as source of aseptic explants for initiating in vitro tuberization without using sterilants, thus improving in vitro response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mung beans have been extensively studied for their health benefits, yet challenges persist in optimizing their use in functional foods and ensuring safety. This review highlights bioactive compounds in mung beans and their hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-anemic, antistress, anti-obesity, and anti-Alzheimer’s effects. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in January 2024 yielded 8,003 records, with 30 in vivo studies meeting inclusion criteria. Hepatoprotective and hypolipidemic effects were reported in 33% of studies, while antidiabetic effects were observed in 30%, and antihypertensive activity in 17%. The review also addresses food safety considerations, including anti-nutritional factors, processing methods like fermentation and hydrolysis, and risks such as allergenic responses or microbial contamination. However, current research faces limitations, including reliance on animal models, variability in preparation methods, and lack of standardization, hindering translation to human applications. To bridge these gaps, this review recommends future research on human clinical trials, standardized preparation protocols, and underexplored therapeutic areas like anti-Alzheimer and anti-anemic effects. By evaluating different parts of the mung bean (e.g. sprouts, extracts, proteins, and coats) and their preparation methods, this review aims to guide the development of safe, functional foods and nutraceuticals, linking preclinical findings to practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to study the nutritional, phytochemical and rheological properties of some composite flours based on wheat flour (WF) mixed with non-germinated (LF) and sprouted lentil flour (SLF), in order to fortify the wheat flour and to obtain functional bakery/pastry products. The composite flours based on wheat flour and bean lentil flour (BLWF) and sprouted lentil flour (SLWF) were analyzed from the point of view of proximate composition (proteins, lipids, total carbohydrates, and minerals), content of individual and total polyphenols (TPC), as well as the contents of macro and microelements. For use in baking/pastries, the composite flours were tested from the point of view of rheological behavior using the MIXOLAB system, and the profiles obtained were compared with those of bread and biscuit. The results indicated that fortifying wheat flour with lentil flour, both in non-germinated and sprouted forms, increased the protein by 0.6–35.2% and mineral content of the samples and decreased the lipids by 8.3–43.2% and the carbohydrates by 2.8–9.4%. The total polyphenol content (TPC) increased by fortifying the wheat flour with non-germinated and sprouted lentil flour, the increase being between 39.2–131.4%. Regarding individual polyphenols, nine polyphenols were determined, of which epicatechin (46.979 mg/kg) and quercetin (45.95 mg/kg) were identified in the highest concentration in the composite flours. The increase in micronutrient intake by fortifying wheat flour with black lentil flour in both germinated and ungerminated form is more significant compared to the increases recorded in the case of the main macronutrients (Ca, Na, Mg, and K). The micronutrients increased in the composite flours in the order: Cu < Zn < Fe < Mn. The MIXOLAB profile highlighted that black lentil flour, although having a higher absorption index than that recommended for biscuit production, would improve the stability of the dough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of sweet lupin (Lupinus luteus cv. Lord—LLL) and narrow-leaved bitter lupin (Lupinus angustifolius cv. Mirela—LAM) sprouts fermented by yeast, determined by deploying the updated analytical strategy based on three assays. The procedures covered electrochemical, spectrophotometric, and photochemiluminescence methods. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), the scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH⦁), and photochemiluminescence (PCL) assays against superoxide anion radicals were applied to hydrophilic (ACW) and lipophilic (ACL) fractions, and the data obtained were used to calculate the TAC after sequence extraction of the samples with 80% methanol followed by methanol/hexane (4:1; v/v). The total polyphenol content (TPC) in the hydrophilic fractions was measured using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. The fermentation of the LLL and LAM seeds had no impact on the antioxidant capacity of their H fractions, whereas it increased the content of their L fractions up to 56%. The germinated lupin seeds of both cultivars showed slightly increased TAC than the fermented ones. The TPC in the yeast-fermented sprouts was slightly higher compared to the LLL sprouts, about twofold higher than in the fermented LLL seeds, and finally almost fivefold higher compared to the LLL seeds. A beneficial effect of fermentation was found with respect to LAM materials. The TAC of the fermented LLL and LAM sprouts measured via CV and PCL assays was almost twofold higher and eight and six times higher, respectively, compared to the seeds. These findings clearly suggest that the seeds of yellow sweet lupin (Lupinus luteus cv. Lord) are the most suitable for producing fermented sprouts with a high content of electroactive polar compounds able to scavenge multiple free radicals of biological and non-biological origin. The updated analytical strategy for the determination of the total antioxidant capacity proved to be a viable tool for screening processed lupin seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazelnut is an important economic tree species. Too many sprout tillers seriously restrict the development of hazelnut industry. In this study, by spraying exogenous hormones or covering the soil, the effects of the treatments on the growth of hazelnut sprout tillers and the changes of sugar substances were explored. A flat-European hybrid hazelnut variety Kuixiang was used as the experimental material, and four treatments were set up in the experiment, namely spraying α -naphthylacetate sodium (N), covering soil+spraying clear water (M), covering soil+spraying sodium α -naphthylacetate (M+N), and spraying clear water as control (CK). Under the test period of 35 d, compared with CK treatment, N and M treatments effectively reduced the height and thickness of sprouting branches, the height decreased by 70.50% and 44.64%, and the thickness decreased by 48.71% and 2.58%, respectively. At the time of sprouting (10 th day after treatment), the contents of soluble sugar, fructose, and sucrose in sprouting branches treated with M+N decreased significantly, by 22.39%, 4.39% and 29.63% respectively. The activities of sucrose phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase, and neutral invertase in sprouting branches treated with M+N decreased significantly, by 12.16%, 24.26% and 58.24% respectively. The activity of acid invertase treated with M+N increased significantly, by 49.93%. In conclusion, by covering soil+spraying sodium α-naphthylacetate, the activities of sucrose phosphate synthase, sucrose synthase, and neutral invertase were reduced, the contents of soluble sugar, fructose, and sucrose were decreased, the process of sugar metabolism was effectively inhibited, and the growth of hazelnut sprout tillers was significantly inhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science 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.)

Phytohormones play a very important role in the regulation of plant growth and development. In order to explore the effects of different exogenous hormones on the sprout growth of Pinus yunnanensis seedlings after stumping, different concentrations of exogenous hormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) were sprayed on one-year-old P. yunnanensis seedlings as the research object. The experiment used a 3 × 3 regression design with two factors and three levels. The results showed that both IAA and 6-BA could promote the sprout emergence of P. yunnanensis. The sprout number of single 6-BA was higher than that of single IAA, but the effect of mixed spraying was better than that of single spraying. The optimal combination of hormones was IAA (150 mg·L−1) and 6-BA (200 mg·L−1). After hormone spraying, the average length of the sprouts of P. yunnanensis seedlings showed a trend of first fast and then slow increase over time. Therefore, spraying exogenous hormones IAA and 6-BA will have a certain effect on P. yunnanensis sprouts, and finding the appropriate hormone spraying concentration (IAA 150 mg·L−1 and 6-BA 200 mg·L−1) can maximize the sprout ability of P. yunnanensis seedlings and be more conducive to seedling sprout growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractScientific inquiry is recognized for enhancing children’s scientific thinking, reasoning, and questioning skills at an early age, while also increasing their science capital. However, how scientific inquiry practices can be effectively implemented at this age remains a challenge. This study used an activity combining scientific inquiry and environmental education that can be used in early childhood classrooms. The details given in the study and how children were actively involved in the process were also clearly stated. In light of the questions asked by the children at the end of the activity, how scientific inquiry sprouted was discussed. This study will be a guiding light for teachers who want to employ scientific inquiry in their classrooms at an early stage and who want to use a structure integrated with the concept in the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This study investigates the therapeutic and nutritional potential of fenugreek sprouts from 30 diverse genotypes sourced from various regions. The aim was to characterize and compare their therapeutic attributes, including antioxidant capacity, antidiabetic, and anti‐cholinesterase activities, along with their nutritional compositions, particularly minerals, and protein content. Results revealed significant variations among the genotypes in terms of their therapeutic properties. China genotypes exhibited notable α‐amylase inhibition 64.57%, suggesting potential antidiabetic properties, while South Sudan genotypes demonstrated significant acetylcholinesterase (14.44%) and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitions, indicating possible cognitive health benefits. The Morocco and Konya/Türkiye genotypes exhibited noteworthy antioxidant effects, with showing DPPH• scavenging activities of 7.79% and 7.23%, and ABTS•+ activities of 27.87% and 27.31%, respectively. Mineral analysis revealed considerable differences across genotypes. Israel genotypes had the highest iron content (43.18 mg/100 g), Sivas/Türkiye genotype had the highest potassium levels (2259.87 mg/100 g), and Kayseri/Türkiye genotype had the highest sodium content (616.91 mg/100 g). Ukraine genotypes contained the most magnesium (266.61 mg/100 g), while Israel genotypes also had the highest zinc content (54.44 mg/100 g). The protein content of the fenugreek sprouts varied significantly, with Corum/Türkiye showing the highest protein content at 5.75/100 g. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted the relationships among the mineral nutrients and protein content, revealing distinct groupings of genotypes based on their mineral compositions. Correlation analysis further elucidated the associations between various minerals and protein content. In conclusion, this study underscores the potential therapeutic and nutritional significance of fenugreek sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. is a deciduous broad-leaved shrub distributed throughout northeast Asia, including Korea. The new shoots that sprout in early spring in Korea are consumed as a high-quality wild vegetable. As the trees are easy to cultivate and can be harvested from the second year after planting, they have become a popular forest product for short-term income. Conventional cultivars had large and numerous thorns on their stems and shoots, making pruning or collecting shoots difficult. However, some thornless cultivars exhibited poor cold resistance, which limited their cultivation areas. To solve this problem, excellent trees were selected across the country and tested to develop a novel cultivar with no or few thorns, strong cold resistance, and early harvesting times. Based on these results, the cultivar, ‘Yeongchun’, was bred. Although no significant difference in the size of ‘Yeongchun’ shoots was observed when compared to that of the control, its weight per piece was 34.6 g, which was 74% larger than the 19.9 g measured for the control. Moreover, the number and diameter of shoots originating from primordia in the roots of Yeongchun were 6.1 and 55.7 mm, respectively, which were about twice as large as the 2.6 and 29.7 mm measured for the control, resulting in a higher yield. In addition, the harvesting period was more than a week earlier than that of general individuals, showing the characteristics of early production (Grant number 323). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dormancy in barley has been thoroughly studied and shown to negatively impact malt quality, resulting in selection against dormancy. However, reduced dormancy coincides with increased preharvest sprout (PHS) risk, thus sparking a new interest in integrating dormancy back into American barley lines if the negative effects of dormancy on malt quality can be overcome. We evaluated the dormancy and hydration index (HYI) in a biparental mapping population to determine the genotypes that would protect against PHS but have good malt quality. We found 4 HYI QTLs and 4 dormancy QTLs, one of which was near the well‐described SD2 QTL. The HYI QTLs were pleiotropically related to seed size (1H), dormancy (5H) and malt quality (2H). Lines with dormancy (5H) and increased HYI (2H and 3H) had malt quality similar to nondormant lines while maintaining PHS resistance, suggesting improvements in HYI could be the key to overcoming the negative effects of dormancy in malting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern Food Science & Technology is the property of Editorial Office of Modern Food Science & Technology 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.)

Buckwheat possesses significant nutritional content and contains different bioactive compounds, such as total flavonoids, which enhance its appeal to consumers. This study employed single-factor experiments and the response surface methodology to identify the optimal germination conditions for enhancing the total flavonoid content in buckwheat sprouts through ultraviolet-B treatment. The research showed that buckwheat sprouts germinated for 3 days at a temperature of 28.7 °C while being exposed to ultraviolet-B radiation at an intensity of 30.0 μmol·m−2·s−1 for 7.6 h per day during the germination period resulted in the highest total flavonoid content of 1872.84 μg/g fresh weight. Under these specified conditions, ultraviolet-B treatment significantly elevated the activity and gene expression levels of enzymes related to the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase, and chalcone isomerase. Ultraviolet-B treatment caused oxidative damage to buckwheat sprouts and inhibited their growth, but ultraviolet-B treatment also enhanced the activity of key enzymes in the antioxidant system, such as catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase. This research provided a technical reference and theoretical support for enhancing the isoflavone content in buckwheat sprouts through ultraviolet-B treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the influence of soaking and spraying with a sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) solution on selenium accumulation, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content, phenolic compositions, and the antioxidant activity of foxtail millet sprouts. The screening results showed that foxtail millet seeds soaked with 60 mg/L of Na2SeO3 solution and sprayed with 2 mg/L of Na2SeO3 solution were the appropriate concentrations for the germination process. Compared with the spraying method, a presoaking treatment presented far higher selenium content and significantly higher (p < 0.05) selenium enrichment rates in foxtail millet sprouts. The content of free and bound phenolics, as well as GABA, were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in foxtail millet sprouts through both soaking and spraying treatments. Correspondingly, most of the individual phenolic compounds were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, especially after germination for 3 days. Trans-ferulic acid and trans-p-coumaric acid were the predominate bound phenolic acids, feruloylquinic acid and 4-p-coumaroylquinic acid were the major free-form phenolic compounds, and N-feruloyl serotonin and N-(p-coumaroyl) serotonin were the new arising phenolic derivatives caused by germination. Both the soaking and spraying treatments induced the enrichment of these individual phenolic compositions, thus increasing the total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant activity of foxtail millet sprouts. It was indicated that selenium-enriched germination treatment should be an effective method to produce functional selenium-enriched foxtail millet sprouts with more abundant GABA and polyphenols, thus enhancing the health benefits and added value of foxtail millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a gluten-free underutilized pseudocereal with excellent therapeutic and nutraceutical potential. Sprouts and microgreens produced from this plant species can be consumed regularly owing to a rich nutritional profile that can be improved by regulating the abiotic factors during their growth. Therefore, this study explores the responses of common buckwheat sprouts and microgreens in terms of growth and phytochemicals accumulation under temperature (16, and 25 ºC) and photoperiodic (16/8 h and 20/4 h, light/dark intervals) variations. Some analyses were also performed at 4 and 8 ºC. The findings highlight the beneficial effects of mild stress induced by extended photoperiod and moderate temperature like enhanced yield and phytochemical content. Extending the photoperiodic duration from 16/8 h to 20/4 h significantly triggered the biosynthesis of pigments such as carotenoids and chlorophyll in 12-day-old microgreen leaves. Likewise, a moderate temperature i.e., 16 ºC was proved more effective in inducing the accumulation of secondary metabolites including phenolics and flavonoids. However, extreme cold conditions hindered the sprouting and growth rate underscoring common buckwheat sensitivity to low temperature. These findings are crucial for refining the production strategies, ensuring the nutritional values, and optimizing the potential of common buckwheat sprouts and microgreens as "superfoods". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023-2024 the adaptation of wheat at the in vitro stage to ex vitro was studied after transfer to soil and root treatment (50 ml) with the сulture filtrate (CF) of xylotrophic basidiomycetes: Phellinus igniarius PI1, Ganoderma lucidum GL, Ganoderma applanatum GA, Fomes fomentarius FF2 and Lentinula edodes LE. Treatment with CF (without dilution, diluted 10 and 100 times) was carried out when planting the plants in the soil and on the 25th day of their growth. The adaptive capacity of sterile plants to soil was assessed by the survival rate, growth indicators and the content of polyphenols in plant tissue. G. lucidum CL, regardless of 10-and 100-fold dilution, reduced the survival (by 40–60 %) and subsequent growth of wheat (tillering by 1.4–1.6 times, stem biomass by 1.2–7.3 times аnd root growth by 1.8–3.5 times relative to the control without treatment with CF). Against the background of various concentrations of F. fomentarius and L. edodes CF, tillering increased by 1.3–2,0 times, the mass of the aboveground part by 1.3–1.5 times, and roots by 2–6 times. The content of polyphenols in plants depended on the fact of treatment with CF and the type of fungi: in the aboveground part it varied from 16.8 to 25.4 mg/g, in the roots from 19.0 to 29.1 mg/g. In the total structure of polyphenols, the proportion of free forms in the aboveground biomass was 23.7–43.1 % and in the roots – 5.1–9.2 %. An increase in the level of free polyphenols was noted in wheat roots upon application of CF of all tested fungi (except G. lucidum GL). A conclusion was made about the effect of CF on the efficiency of adaptation of sterile plants to soil during the transition period in vitro/ex vitro – positive for F. fomentarius FF2 and L. edodes LE, negative for G. lucidum GL, no significant effect for P. igniarius PI1 and G. applanatum GA.

Plant hormones play a critical role in the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of plants, with functions such as regulating the metabolic pathways of secondary metabolite production and alleviating external stresses. In this study, the synthesis of flavonoids in black soybean sprouts was induced by slight acid combined with the plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and melatonin (MT). The results indicated that the contents of daidzin, genistin, daidzein, and genistein in black soybean sprouts treated with slight acid were increased by 10 μM ABA and 75 μM MT, and the total flavonoid content was significantly enhanced. Compared with the slight acid treatment, the H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in black soybean sprouts were increased after ABA treatment, and the black soybean sprouts were further stressed. However, the H2O2 and MDA contents in black soybean sprouts were significantly decreased after MT treatment, indicating that the stress of black soybean sprouts can be alleviated by MT. Under slight acid stress, the genes related to flavonoid synthesis in black soybean sprouts were induced by exogenous ABA, promoting the accumulation of flavonoids; under exogenous MT treatment, the activity of phenylpropanoid metabolism enzymes was significantly increased, the genes related to flavonoid synthesis were upregulated, and flavonoid synthesis was induced. These results suggest that the combination of slight acid and plant hormone treatments promotes the accumulation of flavonoid substances during the germination of black soybeans. This research lays the foundation for improving the growth conditions of black soybeans and promoting the enrichment of flavonoid substances in black soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION It is imperative to enhance the quality of sprouts since they are a rich source of various primary and secondary metabolites. The objective of this work was to examine how multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) priming at various concentrations affected the nutritional qualities of four horticultural plants (T. foenum‐graecum, L. grandiflorum, L. sativum and A. graveolens) and their sprouting processes.Among the four applied concentrations (10–60 mgL−1), MWCNTs at 10 and 40 mg L⁻¹ induced the highest biomass accumulation in L. grandiflorum and T. foenum‐graecum, respectively, while 60 mg L⁻¹ was most effective for L. sativum and A. graveolent. MWCNTs induced growth by enhancing photosynthesis, as shown by increased chlorophyll content and rubisco activity, which rose by 27%, 17%, 23% and 12% in T. foenum‐graecum, L. grandiflorum, L. sativum, and A. graveolens, respectively. Enhanced photosynthesis by MWCNTs improved sugar metabolism as indicated by increased activity of sugar metabolic enzymes such as amylase, starch synthase and invertase. This also supplied the carbon necessary for the production of primary (amino acids, fatty acids and organic acids) and secondary (flavonoids and polyphenols) metabolites. There was consistently higher activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase). Interestingly, species‐specific reactions to MWCNT priming were observed, where L. sativum sprouts showed the highest antioxidant activity, followed by A. graveolens.MWCNT priming improves sprout growth and nutritional quality by boosting metabolic processes and antioxidant activity, presenting a promising approach for sustainable agriculture. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the use of gaseous ozone (O3) to promote the germination of edible seeds. While its ability to improve seedling vigor and stimulate germination is acknowledged, there has been limited research on the impact of gaseous O3 on the biochemical profile, including phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activity, of cereals, seeds, and their sprouts. The lack of information has led to the initiation of this study, which aims to assess the impact of ozone treatment duration at a concentration of 50 ppm 1 L min−1, ranging from 1 to 5 h, on the biochemical attributes of broccoli (Brassica oleracea), radish (Raphanus sativus), alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seeds, and sprouts, as well as wheat (Triticum aestivum) grains and sprouts. By optimizing O3 exposure parameters, including duration, this approach has the potential to serve as a valuable tool for enhancing the microbiological and nutritional quality of seeds and cereals. The findings revealed that O3 treatment generally had an adverse impact on TPC in seeds, cereals, and sprouts, resulting in a significant reduction in TPC post O3 treatment. Wheat grains, in particular, displayed the lowest TPC following ozone exposure, with an average decrease of 39.4% compared to the untreated sample. However, it is noteworthy that alfalfa seeds exhibited a positive response to 4 and 5 h O3 treatment, manifesting an average increase in TPC of 13.0% and 27.7%, respectively. In turn, broccoli, radish, and wheat sprouts displayed the lowest TPC, with values of 47.7%, 20.2%, and 18.0% lower than the control samples, respectively. This study revealed that plant responses to O3 exposure varied, and the effects of O3 treatment on TPC levels depended on O3 exposure time. Furthermore, the effect of O3 on the sugar content of the seeds, cereals, and sprouts varied among different plant types, with some showing an increase in content and others showing no substantial changes. This suggests that, depending on the type of seed, O3 may have both positive and neutral effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented and aged mountain‐cultivated ginseng sprouts (FAMCGS) exhibit superior antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties compared to mountain‐cultivated ginseng sprouts (MCGS). However, the mechanisms behind these properties of FAMCGSE remain unclear. This study explores the anti‐inflammatory effects of FAMCGS extract (FAMCGSE) on LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and the underlying mechanisms. The MTT assay confirmed that FAMCGSE (0 to 0.1%) maintained cell viability without inducing morphological changes. Pretreatment with FAMCGSE significantly mitigated LPS‐induced morphological alterations dose‐dependently. RT‐PCR and Western blot analyses showed that FAMCGSE significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory mediators such as TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, iNOS, and COX‐2. Additionally, FAMCGSE decreased the production of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, nitric oxide, and PGE2 in LPS‐activated RAW264.7 cells. Mechanistically, FAMCGSE inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs; ERK, p38, and JNK) and prevented the LPS‐induced nuclear translocation of NF‐κB, with effects comparable to compound K (CK) or dexamethasone. Notably, FAMCGSE was particularly effective in inhibiting ERK and JNK activation, with less impact on p38, suggesting a specific inhibitory action on certain MAPK pathways. These findings highlight FAMCGSE's potential as an inhibitor of MAPK and NF‐κB pathways, indicating that FAMCGSE, including its main component CK, may be a promising therapeutic agent for inflammation‐related conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Codominant stems are a common condition of concern on landscape trees. Understanding the impact of varying degrees of stem reduction can assist practitioners in making informed pruning decisions. Methods: To determine this, a single reduction or removal cut was made on each pair of codominant stems on medium-aged Acer rubrum 'October Glory' at approximately 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the diameter relative to the basal diameter at the shared union or left as nonpruned controls. Changes in stem diameter ratio, trunk diameter growth, sprout production, wound closure, and aesthetics were documented for 4 years starting in 2020. Results: Stem diameter ratio was significantly reduced in codominant stems pruned to a relative diameter of 50% or 75% after a single growing season. The 75% treatment reduced growth for 2 growing seasons. There were no significant differences in change of stem diameter ratio with any treatment after 3 growing seasons. Larger pruning cuts resulted in the growth of more sprouts and more exposed wood after 3 years. Aesthetics of trees following pruning were acceptable for nonpruned, 25%, and 50% treatments in all years but were rated as not acceptable or moderately acceptable for 75% and 100% treatments after 2 growing seasons. Trees with the 75% treatment became aesthetically acceptable after 3 growing seasons. Conclusions: Pruning codominant stems of A. rubrum 'October Glory' with a cut that is 50% or 75% the diameter of the basal diameter at the shared union is appropriate at reducing stem diameter ratio, minimizing exposed wood, and maintaining overall aesthetic appearance after 2 to 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levodopa (LD) is the first discovered and the most promising and effective medication for Parkinson's disease (PD). As the first identified natural source of LD, Vicia faba L. (broad beans), especially its sprouts, has been confirmed to contain many other potential bioactive compounds that could also be therapeutic for PD. In this study, the bioactive components obtained from broad bean sprout extraction (BSE) that could be beneficial for PD treatment were screened, and the related mechanisms were explored. Solvent extraction combined with column chromatography was used to isolate bioactive fractions and monomer compounds, while UPLC-ESI-MS/MS, HRESI-MS and (1H, 13C) NMR were employed for compound identification. Network pharmacology techniques were applied to screen for potential mechanisms. A total of 52 compounds were identified in a 50% MeOH extract of broad bean sprouts. Moreover, twelve compounds were isolated and identified from ethyl acetate and n-butanol portions, including caffeic acid (1), trans-3-indoleacrylic acid (2), p-coumaric acid (3), protocatechualdehyde (4), isovitexin (5), isoquercetin (6), grosvenorine (7), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (8), isoschaftoside (9), narcissin (10), kaempferitrin (11) and trigonelline HCl (12). Compounds 2, 4, 7, 8 and 12 were isolated from Vicia faba L. for the first time. The potential mechanisms were determined by analyzing 557 drug targets, 2334 disease targets and 199 intersections between them using a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Further in vitro experiments confirmed that caffeic acid (compound 1) and p-coumaric acid (compound 3) have neuroprotective effects in 6-hydroxydopamine-treated SH-SY5Y cells and lipopolysaccharide-treated PC-12 cells through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. In conclusion, this study explored effective components in broad bean sprouts and performed in vitro evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the anti-pruritic and immunomodulatory effects of Coix sprouts extract, focusing on histamine release and IL-31 cytokine production in HMC-1 cells. The extract significantly inhibited both factors, indicating its potential for pruritus relief. In a pruritus induction mouse model, Coix sprouts extract outperformed prednisolone in anti-pruritus effectiveness, also improving skin lesions and inhibiting mast cell infiltration. The extract suppressed tryptase expression, reduced release, inhibited mast cell proliferation, and lowered nitric oxide production, suggesting anti-inflammatory properties. Coix sprouts extract shows promise in suppressing inflammation and pruritus, making it a valuable candidate for clinical use. Additionally, the analysis of coixol content in Coix sprouts revealed variations in growth time, indicating their potential as functional materials with anti-pruritus and immune-enhancing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage is rich in vitamins, fibre, and nutrients and is one of the primary vegetables consumed in autumn and winter in South Asia. 'Purple pak choi' sprouts are particularly rich in anthocyanins and are favoured by consumers. However, reports on the regulation of anthocyanin synthesis in purple pak choi sprouts do not exist. In this study, we examined the phenotypic development of purple pak choi sprouts after germination. The total anthocyanin content increased from 0.02 to 0.52 mg/g FW from days 0 to 6. RNA-seq data analysis revealed an increase in differentially expressed genes corresponding to the development of purple pak choi sprouts. Expression pattern analysis of genes associated with the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway revealed a significant upregulation of structural genes during the purple phase, suggesting that the transcription factors PAP2 and MYBL2 may play crucial regulatory roles. BraPAP2.A03, BraTT8.A09, and BraMYBL2.A07 exhibited strong interactions with key genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, specifically BraDFR.A09. Furthermore, the expression of BraPAP2.A03 aligned with the expression patterns of most anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes, whereas those of BraTT8.A09 and BraMYBL2.A07 corresponded with the expression pattern of BraDFR.A09. These results provide valuable insights into regulatory mechanisms underlying anthocyanin synthesis in purple pak choi sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The present study focuses on the use of natural substances like vitamin C, folic acid, and lactoferrin to stimulate the phenylpropanoid pathway in germinating fenugreek sprouts. • Among the different genotypes studied, germinated fenugreek sprouts of the IM6 genotype pre-treated with 500 µM vitamin C (T1) demonstrated the highest increase in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity on the 4th day of germination. • The T1-treated IM3 fenugreek sprouts also exhibited the most significant anti-hyperglycemic activity. They were able to inhibit the activities of key enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion, including α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and invertase under in vitro conditions. • The treatments did not significantly affect the levels of diosgenin and trigonelline in germinating sprouts. These compounds are known for their health benefits and remained relatively stable during germination. • Notably, the quercetin content in T1-treated germinating sprouts continued to increase, even beyond the fourth day of germination. Quercetin is a type of flavonoid with antioxidant properties. • The study established a positive correlation between the increase in total phenol content, especially quercetin, and the antioxidant potential as well as anti-diabetic activity observed in the 4th day germinated sprouts. • These findings suggest that using T1-treated fenugreek sprouts may be a promising dietary approach for managing diabetes-related hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. The present study investigated the use of natural elicitors (vitamin C, folic acid, and lactoferrin) to stimulate the phenylpropanoid pathway in germinating fenugreek sprouts, with the aim of increasing their total phenolic phytochemical compounds responsible for imparting antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic properties. Observations revealed that germinating fenugreek sprouts of the IM3 genotype, pre-treated with 500 µM vitamin C (T1) on the 4th day, exhibited maximal elicitation of total phenolic content (3680 mg/100 g DW) and antioxidant activity (2607.5 µM/100 g DW) compared to other genotypes. Moreover, T1-treated IM3 fenugreek sprouts demonstrated the highest anti-hyperglycemic activity by inhibiting α-amylase (48.96%), α-glucosidase (92.60%), and invertase (45.65%) enzyme activities under in vitro conditions. Interestingly, the selected treatments did not affect the diosgenin and trigonelline content of germinating sprouts, which decreased in a time-dependent manner during germination. However, the quercetin content (0.01365%) of T1-treated germinating sprouts continued to increase appreciably, even after the 4th day of germination. A direct positive correlation was established between the increase in total phenols, especially quercetin, and the antioxidant potential as well as the anti-hyperglycemic activity in germinated fenugreek sprouts on the 4th day. Thus, T1-treated sprouts hold promise for managing diabetes-related hyperglycemia and oxidative stress, emphasizing the efficacy of vitamin C in enhancing their bioactive properties. This research pioneers the use of natural elicitors to enhance the health benefits of fenugreek sprouts, notably by identifying an optimal treatment and elucidating quercetin dynamics during germination. Such findings are pivotal for advancing our understanding of sprouting processes and provide valuable insights into the development of therapeutic functional foods. However, further research is necessary to validate their efficacy before considering them as futuristic functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2O3 is an excellent visible light photocatalyst. However, the structural instability limits its activity and engineering application. To enhance the activity and stability, the composite of CQDs and Bi2O3 was constructed by solvothermal method, and the physical–chemical properties of prepared composite were characterized using XRD, TEM, XPS, FTIR and TPC. As the target pollutant, bisphenol A (BPA) was used to investigate the photocatalytic activity and the stability of CQDs@Bi2O3 by photodegradation experiment under the irradiation of simulated visible light, and butyl xanthate was used to prove the applicability by mung bean sprouts. As the results, the existence of CODs obviously promoted the photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3:10% CQDs@Bi2O3 could remove 93.7% of BPA in 120 min, and the reaction constant rate was almost 1.5 time of pure Bi2O3. Moreover, 10%CQDs@Bi2O3 could effectively remove butyl xanthate and greatly reduce the growth toxicity on mung bean sprouts. After doping with CQDs, the electron transfer path on the surface of the catalyst could effectively inhibit the electron–hole composite and improve the stability of the composite to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractUnderstanding the nutritional dynamics before pruning is essential to elucidate how nutrient reserves affect the mango tree’s ability to regenerate tissues. A research project was carried out to determine the adequate range of supply for mango sprout phase (pre-pruning) in two different mango leaves (from the first and second vegetative flushes), and evaluate effect of biochemical activity on mango sprouting and correlate it with fruit yield. Two experiments with ‘Ataulfo’ and ‘Kent’ mangoes were carried out from 2021 to 2023. The experiments were arranged in randomized blocks with treatments distributed in subdivided plots referring to two N sources (NO3-, NH4+) in the plots and N doses (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200% of the recommended dose) in the subplots. The leaf nutrient concentrations, sodium, and α-amylase were evaluated in leaves of the 1st and 2nd vegetative flush, the number of shoots per pruned branch, and fruit yield. The number of shoots per pruned branch, influenced by the nutritional status prior to production pruning, varies with nutrient, and the 2nd vegetative flush after the previous pruning has a greater impact on shoot development in the current cycle. The shoot growth of the ‘Ataulfo’ after production pruning depends on leaf concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, cooper, manganese, zinc and molybdenum, in addition to sodium, while ‘Kent’ depends only on phosphorus, cooper, iron, manganese, and zinc. The highest fruit yield indices are recorded under the average number of sprouts per pruned branch of 2.72 for ‘Ataulfo’ and 2.63 for ‘Kent’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouts are popular due to their high nutritional content, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes. However, the conditions favorable for sprouting, such as warm and humid environments, are also ideal for the growth of bacteria, including food‐borne pathogens. Here, we analyzed the growth and developed predictive models of locally isolated and commercial strains of Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes in alfalfa sprouts under various constant temperatures, ranging from 5°C to 25°C. Our findings indicated that these pathogens could grow at 5°C in sprouts, albeit with a low growth rate. A rapid increase in concentration occurred at temperatures of 10°C and above. The fitted models demonstrated high performance, with R2 values ranging from 0.964 to 0.997 and RMSE values ranging from 0.15 to 0.51, respectively. Based on the fitted values, bias factor (Af) values varied between 1.01 and 1.06, with all accuracy factor (Bf) values at 1.00. Acceptable prediction zone (APZ) values ranged from 81.8% to 100%. Validation of the models under dynamic temperature conditions for specific strains showed acceptable performance. This study enhances our understanding of S. enterica and L. monocytogenes growth in alfalfa sprouts. The findings of this study could be used to improve the risk assessment of these pathogens in alfalfa sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legume pod borer Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) is a key insect pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata Walp. The present study was designed to optimize the efficiency of mass rearing two of its biological control agents, the larval parasitoid Liragathis javana (Bhat and Gupta) and ovo-larval parasitoid Phanerotoma syleptae (Zettel), by comparing their performance on M. vitrata hosts reared on sprouting grains of 10 different varieties of cowpea as feeding substrate. Fecundity of M. vitrata and the two parasitoids were assessed per variety. Significant differences were observed between varieties for the development of unparasitzed larvae of M. vitrata and L. javana or P. syleptae-parasitized larvae. The cumulative daily fecundity shows different patterns: higher in IT 84D-449 for M. vitrata and L. javana but higher in Kpodji for P. sylepatae. Mortality of parasitized (by L. javana and P. syleptae) larvae and unparasitized (M. vitrata larvae) was lower in Kpodji variety. No significant differences were observed between male and female proportions (sex-ratio), regardless of insect species and cowpea variety except the varieties Tawa and Vitoco in L. javana. The mass rearing of M. vitrata and its two parasitoids' species could be optimized using some cowpea varieties such as Kpodji and IT 84D-449 for biological control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The improvement of the genetic and agronomic properties of cultivated plants can be carried out by various plant breeding methods, including mutation breeding. Mutations in nature are very few and rare. Ethyl Methane Sulfonate (EMS) is a chemical mutagen that can cause random mutations resulting in changes in genetic material. This study aims to determine the effect of EMS on the germination of soybean (cv. Gepak Kuning) seeds. Methods: The research was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture Laboratory, Universitas Malikussaleh, Indonesia, in January 2023. The concentrations of EMS used were 0%, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% with a soaking time of 4 hours. EMS concentration of 0% was used as a control treatment. The observed variables were made as percentage of germination (%) and seedling height at 7th day and 14th day after planting. Result: The results showed that an increase in EMS concentration affected the percentage of germination of soybean (cv. Gepak Kuning) sprouts. A decrease in the percentage of germination was found at an EMS concentration of 0.5%, while a decrease in seedling height had begun to be seen at an EMS concentration of 0.25%. The results of the analysis with CurveExpert 1.4 software showed that the LD50 value of the seeds of soybean (cv. Gepak Kuning) treated with EMS mutagen was at a concentration of 0.63%, the LD20 dan LD30 value was at a concentration of 0.25% and 0.41%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urdbean leaf crinkle is one of the serious diseases of urdbean [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] which is caused by an ungrouped virus called Urdbean leaf crinkle virus (ULCV). The disease is highly seed transmissible under natural conditions and in experimental conditions it is mechanically transmitted through sap inoculation. Methods: The aim of this study was to standardize the protocol for sap inoculation by sprout seed abrasive method by comparing the effects of different inoculation methods, such as pin prick and without pin prick, with 0.05M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) supplemented with additives and abrasives and to further validate the standardized protocol upon different urdbean genotypes. Result: This is the first effort on the optimization of protocol in which, pin pricking as inoculation method with potassium phosphate buffer (0.05M, pH 7.0) supplemented with 0.15% sodium sulfite+0.01M 2-Mercaptoethanol and 1% celite+2% carborundum showed 100% transmissibility foremost at 2nd trifoliate stage and further validation with various urdbean genotype resulted in percent transmission ranging from 92 to 100% which evinces the efficacy and repeatability of the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouts are well known for having a remarkable nutritional profile. Enhancing plant chemical composition and quality of sprouts is essential since these metabolites offer numerous health advantages. To this end, this study aimed to investigate the effects of priming with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the growth and nitrogen (N) metabolism of four horticultural plants, namely, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Linium grandiflorum, Lepidium sativum, and Anethum gravelones. The properties of our synthesized MWCNTs included three characteristic peaks 3434, 1539, and 1068 cm−1 attributable to the stretching vibration of O–H, bending vibration, and C − O, respectively. MWCNT priming increased the sprouting process by inducing biomass and protein accumulation. MWCNT priming improved N metabolism, including amino acid and polyamine metabolism. At the amino acid level, there was an increase in amino acid levels (e.g., glycine, lysine, asparagine, and glutamic acid) as well as their metabolic enzyme activities, including glutamine synthetase (GS), threonine synthetase (TS), and glutamate synthetase (GOGAT). Increased polyamine levels like spermine, putrescine, and spermidine were also associated with boosting their related biosynthetic enzyme activities, i.e., arginine decarboxylase (ADC), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), spermidine synthase, and spermine synthase (SpmS). This improvement of nitrogen metabolic pathways highlights the potential of MWCNT to boost the chemical composition of horticultural plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate a parabolic–parabolic–elliptic system that describes the initial stage of tumor-related angiogenesis, given by u t = Δ u - ∇ · (u ∇ v) + ξ ∇ · (u m ∇ w) + μ u (1 - u α) , v t = Δ v + χ ∇ · (v ∇ w) - v + u , 0 = Δ w - w + u. We demonstrate that the model possesses a global classical solutions for all suitably regular initial data and associated homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions. Additionally, when m=1, the asymptotic behavior can be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouts, as an edible vegetable with rich nutrients and health care efficacy, have been increasingly favored by people in recent years. Plant hormones are intrinsic mediators of plant growth and development. The impacts of plant hormone treatment on the growth and quality of sprouts were summarized, and the potential mechanisms were briefly discussed. Moreover, this review explored prospective applications and investigations to promote the sprouts industry. Proper plant hormone treatment could promote the seed germination rate, hypocotyl growth, and fresh weight of sprouts. Meantime, appropriate plant hormone treatment could enhance the bioactive compound contents (such as total phenolic, pigments, and vitamins), antioxidant capacity, and anti-adipogenic and anti-diabetic activities of sprouts. Furthermore, hormones could delay the discoloration progress and promote the antioxidant capacity in sprouts, thus maintaining the postharvest quality. Although the impact of hormones on sprout quality is mainly dependent on the kind, dose, and treatment method of the hormone, the sprout species and cultivars, the growth phase, environmental factors, and others, plant hormone treatment is still a practical and prospective strategy in sprout industry to produce sprouts with enhanced growth and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The rat's model evaluated the function of sprouted beans enriched with probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v in alleviating dyslipidaemia, inflammation and disturbed redox homeostasis caused by a high‐lard diet. Sprouted beans improved the total antioxidant capacity of serum and liver, regardless of whether the feeds had a higher content of low‐molecular antioxidants or were additionally enriched with probiotics. The reduction of inflammation (lowered level of C‐reactive protein) and restoration of triglycerides and total cholesterol to the levels recorded in the control group (AIN‐93M) were especially observed in the group supplemented with the control adzuki bean. Introducing sprouted legumes (both the control and probiotic‐rich) improved microbiota activity affected by a high‐lard diet. The highest, desirable reduction of urease (by 80%) and tryptophanase (by 78%) activity was found in the groups fed with probiotic‐rich adzuki and mung bean sprouts respectively. Sprouted beans improve the metabolism of individuals subjected to a diet with an increased fat‐to‐carbohydrate energy ratio, especially concerning oxidative stress injury and microbiota activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzed the impact of exposing mung bean sprouts to ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation for different periods (2, 5, and 10 min). Treated sprouts were preserved at 5°C and 85-95% relative humidity for 6 days. Irradiation for 10 min effectively reduced fresh weight loss, electrolyte leakage, and microbial count and maintained the firmness of sprouts. It also positively influenced the bioactive components, including antioxidants, total phenols, and protein, potentially providing health benefits to consumers. In addition, prolonged UV-C exposure for 10 min leads to oxidative stress, marked by a rise in malondialdehyde, proline, and hydrogen peroxide content. These compounds assist in stress reduction and preserve secondary metabolites. This research implies that postharvest 10 min UV-C irradiation offers a potential approach to uphold quality while maximizing the nutritional value of mung bean sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orthogonal array design method was used to optimize ultrasonic-assisted extraction of resveratrol from peanut sprouts. The results showed that the highest extraction yield of resveratrol using ultrasonic-assisted extraction could be up to 1.1%. The optimal extraction conditions were liquid to solid ratio of 30:1 (mL/g) and ethanol concentration of 80% (v/v) as solvent for 40 min at the temperature of 70 °C. AB-8 macroporous adsorption resin was used to purify the crude extract and the resveratrol content increased to 47.5% after one treatment run. The optimal adsorption parameters were initial concentrations in the sample solution of 2 mg/mL, a pH of 5.0, a flow rate of 2 mL/min, and a temperature of 25 °C. The optimal desorption parameters were 60% ethanol and a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The chemical composition of the peanut sprout's resveratrol sample was investigated via HPLC, and the predominant constituents were found to be protocatechuic acid, catechins, caffeic acid, epicatechuic acid, resveratrol, and rutin. The antioxidant activities of the resveratrol were measured via the following different analytical methods: reducing power, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical-scavenger activity, superoxide radical-scavenger activity, the β-carotene bleaching test, and the scavenging nitrite test. The results indicated that the resveratrol in peanut sprouts have significant antioxidant activities and can be used as a source of potential antioxidant. And peanut sprout's resveratrol has the potential and valuable application to be used as a new type of resveratrol resource. The finding of this study can provide some theoretical reference for the comprehensive utilization of peanut resources in the development of antioxidant health foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: In recent years, with the rapid expansion of ratoon rice production in Hunan, a unique ratoon rice-based production system, forage-grain ratoon rice (FG-RR), has been newly developed. Ratooning rice is a season of rice harvested by utilizing the dormant buds on the rice stubble left after harvesting the first season of rice to sprout and grow. Therefore, the characteristics of stalks themselves are crucial for the production of ratoon rice. The cutting period and higher stubble height directly affect the characteristics of ratoon rice stubbles. Based on this, we conducted the following research. Methods: In 2021 and 2022, field experiments were conducted in central China to study the effects of different cutting periods and stubble height on the regeneration rate and nutrient content of ratoon crops. The treatments included two cutting periods (10 days after heading in the first season and 30 days after heading in the first season, respectively referred to as T10 and T30) and two stubble heights (10 cm and 30 cm, respectively referred to as H10 and H30). Results: Compared with the T30H30 treatment, T10H10 and T10H30 increased grain yield by 48.1%, 41.7%, 73.1%, and 65.2% in the two-year ratoon seasons, while T30H10 reduced grain yield by 30.9% and 19.5% in the two years, respectively. Early cutting increased the panicles, spikelets per panicle, and filled grain rate to varying increase, while higher stubble height increased panicles but decreased spikelet panicle. On the one hand, early cutting and higher stubble height increased the dry and fresh weight, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), organic carbon (C), and nitrogen content of rice stalks, thereby improving the regeneration rate of ratoon rice. On the other hand, early cutting and higher stubble height retention increased the accumulation of nitrogen in rice stubble throughout the entire growth period and facilitated the transport of nitrogen to the mature panicles. Discussion: Therefore, appropriate early cutting and higher stubble height retention are the keys to improving the grain yield and stability of ratoon rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the fast kurtogram, many previous studies have focused on frequency band selection (FBS) affected by interference due to impulsive noise and varying speed conditions. Recently, machine learning algorithms have been considered effective for bearing diagnosis. However, most of these methods are supervised learning and thus suffer from data imbalance in the practical applications. This study proposes a semi-supervised learning indicator called outlier rate diagram (ORgram) based on the signal changes before and after bearing damage. ORgram is suitable for impulsive noise and varying speed conditions. First, the healthy bearing data is segmented by rotational speed and modeled with one-class support vector machine (SVM) for each frequency band. As bearing defects sprout, the defect response will produce the highest outlier rate in the informative frequency band (IFB). After selecting the IFB, techniques such as envelope analysis and order tracking are used to identify damaged bearing components for an alarm to reduce the losses caused by unplanned downtime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The images of crop roots collected by the minirhizotron method have a complex soil background, and roots occupy a relatively small proportion. Common semantic segmentation models used for root extraction may misclassify pixels at the edge of roots as soil when the receptive field is small or multi-scale feature fusion is inadequate. Moreover, the long image acquisition cycle and initial difficulty in collecting a large number of valid samples with the minirhizotron method hindered the rapid deployment of root extraction models. To improve the accuracy of root phenotyping measurements and optimize extraction model deployment strategies, this study devised an in-situ automatic root imaging system to acquire minirhizotron images of crops in real time. A full-scale skip feature fusion mechanism is constructed for the U²-Net model with rich receptive fields for the effective classification of root pixels in minirhizotron images. Integrating data augmentation and fine-tuning method of transfer learning methods to achieve rapid deployment of root extraction models for target species. The full-scale skip feature fusion mechanism involved fusing the output features of the upper encoder and lower decoder of the U²-Net model across all scales, thereby serving as input features for a certain decoder layer and effectively retaining more feature information to enhance the decoder's information restoration capability. In terms of model deployment, this study compared fine tuning method of transfer learning with mixed training to address the issue of model training with limited samples. Experimental materials included self-developed in-situ automatic root imaging systems for collecting garlic sprout root system images and the publicly available minirhizotron dataset PRMI(plant root minirhizotron imagery). The experimental design included performance metric comparisons on the PRMI(plant root minirhizotron imagery)dataset, followed by analysis and validation on garlic sprout data. The control group comprised pre-improvement and post-improvement versions of the U²-Net, U-Net, SegNet, and DeeplabV3+_Resnet50 models. Finally, the predictive effects of fine-tuning and mixed training methods on the garlic sprout test set were compared to identify effective strategies for rapid model deployment. The experimental results demonstrate that on the garlic sprout dataset, the improved U²-Net model achieves average F1 and IoU scores of 86.54% and 76.28%, respectively. Compared to the pre-improvement version, U-Net, SegNet, and DeeplabV3+_Resnet50 models, the average F1 increases by 0.66、5.51、8.67 and 2.84 percentage points, respectively, while the average IoU increases by 1.02、8.18、12.52 and 4.31 percentage points, respectively. Practical segmentation shows enhanced recognition capability for root system edges, significantly reducing over-segmentation and under-segmentation phenomena. In the garlic sprout dataset with limited samples, fine-tuning of transfer learning outperformed mixed data and training, with model performance metrics F1 and IoU improving by 2.89 and 4.45 percentage points, respectively. For root length, area, and average diameter, the determination coefficient R² values between the result of the model's predicted images and manually labeled images reached 0.965, 0.966, and 0.830, respectively. This study offers a reference for enhancing the accuracy of root phenotype measurement in minirhizotron images and the rapid deployment of root extraction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]