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In the present work, phytochemical contents (total phenolic content, total flavonoids, and condensed tannins), antioxidant potentials, and antimicrobial activities of three plants in the Mediterranean genus Erodium (Erodium glaucophyllum, Erodium hirtum, and Erodium guttatum) from the Tunisia region were analyzed. The results showed that E. glaucophyllum contained high levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. Therefore, E. glaucophyllum possesses high antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing antioxidant power scavenging activities), and high inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. All three plants exhibited high antimicrobial activities. This study highlights tree plants’ importance as dietary sources for natural antioxidants can be used in traditional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. Keywords: Erodium glaucophyllum, Erodium hirtum, Erodium guttatum, Biochemical composition, Antioxidant activity, Antimicrobial activity

Copyright of Algerian Journal of Environmental Science & Technology is the property of Algerian Journal of Environmental 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.)

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

In this paper, we describe a design methodology of a static converter with electromagnetic switches, dedicated to the electric traction. The design gait rests on the development of an analytic model providing the manufactureing datas of this converter. This gait of design take in account the adaptation of this converter, characterized by a low switching frequency to the global system, while inserting a reducer cracterised by a ratio calculated by a manner guaranteeing to the electric vehicle to reach the maximal speed (100 km/h), and to have a good dynamic characteristic. This design approach, takes in account of the interactions between the control strategy and the electric motor design procedure. Finally, the design gait is validated by the finite element method, and the functionality of the global system is verified by simulations of the power train global model bsed on the vectorial control, minimizing the energy consumption of the electric vehicle, while imposing a phase current of phase in phase with the back electromotive force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a design method of a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) in order to exploit it in the electric vehicle propulsion. We dimension our motor in a way to obtain the best dynamic performances and the reduced power consumption while taking in account the various constraints of the book specifications. Simulations of the designed prototype will be presented in order to validate the performance of the motor in interaction with the various constraints of the traction chain. The results obtained show the effectiveness of the designed motor and its good integration in the electric vehicle traction chain, as well as a good satisfaction of the constraints of the book specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a methodology of electric motor design parameters optimization with a view to maximize the autonomy. The autonomy is optimized dice the phase of the motor design. This last is modelled analytically. This modelling is supplemented and validated by the finite elements method The model of the motor is coupled with the various models of the traction chain (battery, converter, reducer and vehicle), with an aim of finding the best design parameters maximizing autonomy. In this context, a global and parameterized electric vehicle model integrating the different types of losses has been implanted under MATLAB /SIMULINK. This model is coupled to an optimization program based on the Genetic Algorithms method for the purpose of finding iteratively optimal parameters maximizing the autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

APX proteins are H 2 O 2 -scavenging enzymes induced during oxidative stress. In the first part of this study, we provided an extensive knowledge on the APX family of Triticum durum, TdAPX and their related TdAPX-R, via the genome wide analysis. The outcomes showed that these proteins are clustered into four major subgroups. Furthermore, the exon-intron structure and the synteny analyses revealed that during evolution the genes TdAPX and TdAPX-R are relatively conserved. Besides, during their evolution, these genes underwent purifying selection pressure and were duplicated in segmental. In parallel, the analysis of the conserved motifs and the multiple sequence alignment demonstrated that the residues involved in the active sites, heme- and cations-binding are conserved only in TdAPX proteins. Following the RNA-seq data and the regulatory elements analyses, we focused in the second part of this study on the functional characterization of TdAPX7B-2. The qRT-PCR data showed the upregulation of TdAPX7B-2 essentially in leaves of durum wheat exposed to salt, cold, drought, metals and ABA treatments. The tolerance phenotype of the TdAPX7B-2-expressing Arabidopsis lines to salt, direct-induced oxidative stress and heavy metals was manifested by the development of root system, proline accumulation and induction of the antioxidant CAT, SOD and POD enzymes to maintain the non-toxic H 2 O 2 levels. Likewise, the response to salt stress and direct-oxidative stress of the transgenic lines was accompanied mainly by the induction of AtNCED3, AtRD29A/B and AtERD1., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval: The study does not require ethics approval as we have not used human or animal subject. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Increased soil salinization, tightly related to global warming and drought and exacerbated by intensified irrigation supply, implies highly detrimental effects on staple food crops such as wheat. The situation is particularly alarming for durum wheat (DW), better adapted to arid/semi-arid environments yet more sensitive to salt stress than bread wheat (BW). To enhance DW salinity tolerance, we resorted to chromosomally engineered materials with introgressions from allied halophytic Thinopyrum species. "Primary" recombinant lines (RLs), having portions of their 7AL arms distally replaced by 7el 1 L Th. ponticum segments, and "secondary" RLs, harboring Th. elongatum 7EL insertions "nested" into 7el 1 L segments, in addition to near-isogenic lines lacking any alien segment (CLs), cv. Om Rabia (OR) as salt tolerant control, and BW introgression lines with either most of 7el 1 or the complete 7E chromosome substitution as additional CLs, were subjected to moderate (100 mM) and intense (200 mM) salt (NaCl) stress at early growth stages. The applied stress altered cell cycle progression, determining a general increase of cells in G1 and a reduction in S phase. Assessment of morpho-physiological and biochemical traits overall showed that the presence of Thinopyrum spp. segments was associated with considerably increased salinity tolerance versus its absence. For relative water content, Na + accumulation and K + retention in roots and leaves, oxidative stress indicators (malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide) and antioxidant enzyme activities, the observed differences between stressed and unstressed RLs versus CLs was of similar magnitude in "primary" and "secondary" types, suggesting that tolerance factors might reside in defined 7el 1 L shared portion(s). Nonetheless, the incremental contribution of 7EL segments emerged in various instances, greatly mitigating the effects of salt stress on root and leaf growth and on the quantity of photosynthetic pigments, boosting accumulation of compatible solutes and minimizing the decrease of a powerful antioxidant like ascorbate. The seemingly synergistic effect of 7el 1 L + 7EL segments/genes made "secondary" RLs able to often exceed cv. OR and equal or better perform than BW lines. Thus, transfer of a suite of genes from halophytic germplasm by use of fine chromosome engineering strategies may well be the way forward to enhance salinity tolerance of glycophytes, even the sensitive DW., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Tounsi, Giorgi, Kuzmanović, Jrad, Farina, Capoccioni, Ben Ayed, Brini and Ceoloni.)

The thioredoxins (Trxs) are ubiquitous and they play a crucial role in various biological processes like growth and stress response. Although the functions of Trxs proteins are described in several previous reports, the function of the isoform Trxh2 of durum wheat (Triticum durum L.), designated as TdTrxh2, in abiotic stress response still unknown. Thus, we aimed in this study the functional characterization of TdTrxh2 through its expression in yeast cells and Arabidopsis plants. Sequence analysis revealed that TdTrxh2 protein shared the conserved redox site with the other Trxh from other plant species. Under various abiotic stresses, TdTrxh2 was up-regulated in leaves and roots of durum wheat. Interestingly, we demonstrated that TdTrxh2 exhibit protective effect on LDH activity against various treatments. Besides, the expression of TdTrxh2 in yeast cells conferred their tolerance to multiple stresses. Moreover, transgenic Arabidopsis expressing TdTrxh2 showed tolerance phenotype to several abiotic stresses. This tolerance was illustrated by high rate of proline accumulation, root proliferation, low accumulation of reactive oxygen species like H 2 O 2 and O 2 ·- , and high antioxidant CAT and POD enzymes activities. All these findings suggested that TdTrxh2 promotes abiotic stress tolerance through the redox homoeostasis regulation and its protective role., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Fusarium maize ear and root rot disease caused by Fusarium verticillioides has become one of the most serious fungal diseases associated with maize production. Due to their abilities to promote plant development and manage diseases, bacterial endophytes provide a more promising approach for treating this vascular disease., Results: This work was undertaken for the selection and identification of promising isolates as plant growth promoters and biocontrol agents against F. verticillioides in maize agroecosystems. A screening procedure consisting of in vitro and in situ tests was applied to 27 endophytic strains originating from desert plants: Euphorbia antiquorum, Calotropis procera, and Alcasia albida. In vitro studies indicated that the bacteria exhibited variable results in biocontrol, endophytism, and plant growth-promoting traits. In addition, in situ plant growth promotion and biocontrol experiments allowed the identification of the most promising bacterial endophytes. In vitro and in situ comparative study results indicated a low correlation. Our data revealed that in situ screening must be used as the method of selection of biocontrol agents against Fusarium ear and root rot disease. Based on in situ results, seven potent strains were selected and identified as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus tequilensis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Klebsiella pneumoniae., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the selected strains seem to be promising candidates to be exploited as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents against Fusarium maize ear and root rot disease. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Objective: Fetal Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction (LUTO) is associated with oligohydramnios and significant fetal morbidity, resulting in poor lung development and perinatal death. However, oligohydramnios may develop at different gestational periods, and the impact of timing on fetal outcomes remains unknown. Our objective was to characterize the impact onset of oligohydramnios had on prenatal outcomes., Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study of all patients with a prenatal diagnosis of LUTO at our tertiary referral center from 2014 to 2023. All patients underwent detailed ultrasonography and interdisciplinary counseling and were subsequently delivered at our institution. Data were obtained from electronic medical records and complete extraction was required for final inclusion., Results: During the study time period, 93 patients met inclusion criteria of which 68 (73.1%) developed oligohydramnios during their pregnancy. 63 (93%) of these pregnancies resulted in livebirths with 28 (41.1%) perinatal deaths. Onset of oligohydramnios was earlier in pregnancies with perinatal death (23 vs. 28 weeks, p = 0.004) and associated with pulmonary hypoplasia., Conclusions: Our data show the impact of oligohydramnios timing in pregnancy on pulmonary hypoplasia and ultimately perinatal death. This allows for detailed patient counseling on the impact oligohydramnios may have on pregnancies by the gestational age of onset., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Bacillus velezensis M3-7 is a hyperactive mutant, 12-fold improved in its antifungal activity, obtained during a previous study from the wild strain BLB371 after a combination of random mutagenesis and medium component optimization. This study explores the use of this mutant in synthesizing silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) for the control of Fusarium crown rot disease (FCR) in wheat seedlings. LC-MS/MS analysis proved that both strains co-produced different families of lipopeptides and that mutagenesis caused the hyper-production of iturin A C14 and C15, the liberation of iturin A C10 and C12, and the inhibition of fengycin release. Our aim was a further improvement in the antifungal activity of the wild strain and the mutant M3-7 in order to control Fusarium crown rot disease (FCR) in wheat seedlings. Therefore, a nanotechnology approach was adopted, and different lipopeptide concentrations produced by the wild strain and the mutant M3-7 were used as capping agents to synthesize silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) with enhanced antifungal activity. Ag-NPs formed using 3 mg·mL -1 of the mutant lipopeptides were found to exhibit a good distribution, improved antifungal activity, a promising potential to be used as a biofortified agent for seed germination, and an effective compound to control FCR in wheat seedlings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests regarding the present study., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Catalases are crucial antioxidant enzymes that regulate plants responses to different biotic and abiotic stresses. It has been previously shown that the activities of durum wheat catalase proteins (TdCAT1) were stimulated in the presence of divalent cations Mn 2+ , Mg 2+ , Fe 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Ca 2+ . In addition, TdCAT1s can interact with calmodulins in calcium-independent manner, and this interaction stimulates its catalytic activity in a calcium-dependent manner. Moreover, this activity is further enhanced by Mn 2+ cations. The current study showed that wheat catalase presents different phosphorylation targets. Besides, we demonstrated that catalase is able to interact with Mitogen Activated Proteins kinases via a conserved domain. This interaction activates wheat catalase independently of its phosphorylation status but is more promoted by Mn 2+ , Fe 2+ and Ca 2+ divalent cations. Interestingly, we have demonstrated that durum wheat catalase activity is differentially regulated by Mitogen Activated Proteins kinases and Calmodulins in the presence of calcium. Moreover, the V0 of the reaction increase gradually following the increasing quantities of Mn 2+ divalent cations. Such results have never been described before and suggest i) complex regulatory mechanisms exerted on wheat catalase, ii) divalent cations (Mn 2+ ; Mg 2+ ; Ca 2+ and Fe 2+ ) act as key cofactors in these regulatory mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Abiotic and biotic stresses such as salt stress and fungal infections significantly affect plant growth and productivity, leading to reduced crop yield. Traditional methods of managing stress factors, such as developing resistant varieties, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, have shown limited success in the presence of combined biotic and abiotic stress factors. Halotolerant bacteria found in saline environments have potential as plant promoters under stressful conditions. These microorganisms produce bioactive molecules and plant growth regulators, making them a promising agent for enhancing soil fertility, improving plant resistance to adversities, and increasing crop production. This review highlights the capability of plant-growth-promoting halobacteria (PGPH) to stimulate plant growth in non-saline conditions, strengthen plant tolerance and resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, and sustain soil fertility. The major attempted points are: (i) the various abiotic and biotic challenges that limit agriculture sustainability and food safety, (ii) the mechanisms employed by PGPH to promote plant tolerance and resistance to both biotic and abiotic stressors, (iii) the important role played by PGPH in the recovery and remediation of agricultural affected soils, and (iv) the concerns and limitations of using PGHB as an innovative approach to boost crop production and food security.

Aims: This study aimed to improve the screening strategy for the selection of biocontrol agents with high biocontrol efficacy against fire blight disease., Methods and Results: A two-step screening procedure consisting of in-vitro laboratory tests and an ex-vivo test system using detached pear leaves was applied to 43 Bacillus strains originated from the rhizosphere and the aerial parts of apple and pear plants. The grouping of the studied strains and the tested traits based on the principal component analysis and the two-way hierarchical cluster analysis showed that siderophore production and biofilm formation are the most desirable traits in a Bacillus biocontrol agent to control fire blight disease and that rhizospheric originating strains are the most effective., Conclusions: In contrast to the previous screening strategies that are often insufficient to select the most suitable microorganisms, this study reported an improved strategy based on the microbial competition traits to select potential Bacillus biocontrol agents with high biocontrol efficacy against fire blight disease., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International.)

The SOD family has been extensively analyzed at genome wide level in several crops. However, little is known about this family in durum wheat. In this study, a total of 14 TdSOD genes were identified in whole durum wheat genome including 8 TdCu-ZnSODs, 2 TdMnSODs, and 4 TdFeSODs. In silico analysis evinced that TdSOD family members displayed a closer evolutionary relationship, similar gene structure and protein features with their homologs from other plant species. Furthermore, the analysis of their promoter regions revealed the presence of a great number of cis-regulatory elements related to plant development, abiotic and biotic stresses, phytohormones, and several potential binding sites for transcription factors. Interestingly, 3D structure analysis revealed that TdCu-ZnSOD2A-2 and TdCu-ZnSOD2B-2, belonging to the Cu-Zn group, were modeled as copper chaperone for SOD like their homologs from rice and Arabidopsis. The expression profile of eight TdSOD candidate genes was investigated under salt, drought, cold, and ABA treatments. Notably, TdCu-ZnSOD2A-1, TdFeSOD4A-1, and TdFeSOD7A-1 were significantly up-regulated under all stress treatments. On the other hand, TdCu-ZnSOD7B and TdMnSOD2B were strongly expressed in roots and leaves under cold stress and TdCu-ZnSOD2B-2 was particularly up-regulated in leaves under ABA treatment. Ultimately, these findings provide valuable information for the identification of attractive candidate genes to improve wheat resilience., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

During a two-month period (2017-2018), 336 urine samples positive for Escherichia coli were collected from Tunisian patients. Of the 336 samples, 266 were collected from community patients and 70 from hospital settings. In all, 15 ESBL producers were identified (8 and 7, respectively) and assigned to 13 pulsotypes, including four ESBL-producing E. coli (ESBL-E) with E1 and E2 profiles (2 isolates each) from community patients. The two strains E1 were identified as B2-ST131 subclade C2 and the two isolates E2, A-ST617. The four strains carrying both CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-27, exhibited the multireplicon IncFII/F1A/F1B with the same formula F31:A4:B1. Two isolates with patterns E3 and E4 (Dice coefficient, 78.7%) isolated from community and hospital settings of two geographic areas were assigned to the emerging ST131 C1-M27 subclade and contained the replicon F1:A-:B20. The remaining ESBL-E divided into different sequence types/associated CTX-M: 2 ST131-C2/CTX-M-15 and ST744/CTX-M-55, ST617/CTM-15, ST2973/CTX-M-55, ST6448/CTX-M-15, ST224/CTX-M-15, ST1431/CTX-M-15, and ST38/CTX-M-27, one isolate each. Our study reports for the first time the presence in the Tunisian community of two clones of E. coli , including the virulent clone ST131-C2 harboring both CTX-M-15 and CTX-M-27, and confirms the spread of the emergent clone ST131-C1-M-27, notably in community urinary tract infections.

Catalase is a crucial enzyme in the antioxidant defense system protecting organisms from oxidative stress. Proteins of this kind play important roles in controlling plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses by catalyzing the decomposition of H 2 O 2 . The durum wheat catalase 1, TdCAT1, has been previously isolated and characterized. Here, using bio-informatic analysis, we showed that durum wheat catalase 1 TdCAT1 harbors different novel conserved domains. In addition, TdCAT1 contains various phosphorylation residues and S-Nitrosylation residues located at different positions along the protein sequence. TdCAT1 activity decreased after treatment with λ-phosphatase. On the other hand, we showed that durum wheat catalase 1 (TdCAT1) exhibits a low CAT activity in vitro, whereas a deleted form of TdCAT1 has better activity compared to the full-length protein (TdCAT460), suggesting that TdCAT1 could present a putative autoinhibitory domain in its C-terminal portion. Moreover, we showed that TdCAT1 positively regulates E. coli cells in response to salt, ionic and osmotic stresses as well as heavy metal stress in solid and liquid mediums. Such effects had not been reported and lead us to suggest that the durum wheat catalase 1 TdCAT1 protein could play a positive role in response to a wide array of abiotic stress conditions.

This work focuses on the selection and the optimization of an efficient green-extraction method, used to recover a thymol-enriched extract from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L), as well as the evaluation of the inhibitory effect of this latter on the human platelet aggregation. Different innovative extraction techniques, namely bead milling extraction, ultrasound and microwave assisted extraction, were tested for their ability to recover a high added value extract from thyme. Among all tested eco-extraction techniques, microwave extraction (MAE) was the best method in term of its extraction yield (20.84% ± 0.51), thymol concentration (731.71 mg/g) and total phenolic (23.53 ± 1.83 mg (GAE)/g of extract) and flavonoid (6.22 ± 0.35 mg of QE/g of extract) contents. Moreover, thyme extract obtained by microwave assisted extraction (TMAE) showed the most active antioxidant effect comparing to the other tested extracts. Based on these results, TMAE was chosen to be evaluated for its antiplatelet effect. Thereby, arachidonic acid, collagen and ADP were used to induce the platelet aggregation on human platelet rich plasma taken from healthy controls and results revealed that TMAE strongly inhibited the induced platelet aggregation. Indeed, TMAE exhibited potent antiaggregant activity by inhibiting platelet activation, secretion and aggregation. Additionally, cytotoxicity assay on normal HEK-293 cells showed that TMAE has no cytotoxic effect even at high concentration (8 mg/ml) and can further be taken up to various biomedical applications mainly in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Plant catalases (CAT) are involved in the cellular scavenging of the reactive oxygen species during developmental processes and in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, little is known about the regulation of the CAT activity to ensure efficient antioxidant function. Using bioinformatic analyses, we showed that durum wheat catalase 1 (TdCAT1) harbors highly conserved cation-binding and calmodulin binding (CaMBD) domains which are localized at different positions of the protein. As a result, the catalytic activity of TdCAT1 is enhanced in vitro by the divalent cations Mn 2+ and Fe 2+ and to a lesser extent by Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Mg 2+ . Moreover, the GST-pull down assays performed here revealed that TdCAT1 bind to the wheat CaM (TdCaM1.3) in a Ca 2+ -independent manner. Furthermore, the TdCaM1.3/Ca 2+ complex is stimulated in a CaM-dose-dependent manner by the catalytic activity of TdCAT1, which is further increased in the presence of Mn 2+ cations. The catalase activity of TdCAT1 is enhanced by various divalent cations and TdCaM1.3 in a Ca-dependent manner. Such effects are not reported so far and raise a possible role of CaM and cations in the function of CATs during cellular response to oxidative stress.

Background: The terminology and diagnostic criteria presently used by pathologists to report placenta accreta spectrum is inconsistent and does not reflect current knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease., Objective: In 2020, the perinatal subcommittee of the Society for Pediatric Pathology Placenta Accreta Task Force proposed a new pathologic grading system for placenta accreta spectrum. We sought to correlate the clinical outcomes with the classification into each group in the new placenta accreta spectrum grading system., Study Design: The pathology reports of patients with histopathologic confirmation of placenta accreta spectrum were reviewed in 2 academic referral centers by placental pathologists. Pathologic grading was assigned based on the new grading system according to which placenta accreta spectrum is categorized into 5 groups depending on the depth of invasion, from grade p1 with no invasion into the uterine wall to grade p3E with invasion beyond the uterine wall to the adjacent organs. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared among these groups. A univariate analysis was performed, and a multivariate linear or binomial regression was employed when needed., Results: A total of 683 patients with placenta accreta spectrum were identified. Of those, 407 were included for histology review. There were 92 patients (23%) categorized into the grade p1 group, 74 (18%) in the grade p2 group, 84 (20%) in the grade p3A group, 121 (30%) in the grade p3D group, and 36 (9%) in the grade p3E group. There was a significant association between the pathology grading and the number of red blood cells transfused (β=1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-1.79) and the postoperative complications including the rate of readmission (risk ratio, 1.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.94) and bladder injury (risk ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-2.68) after adjustment for antenatal diagnosis and other variables. The pathology grading was not associated with the estimated blood loss (P=.072)., Conclusion: The new pathology grading system accurately reflects maternal outcomes and complications of placenta accreta spectrum. We encourage the utilization of this new pathologic grading system because it is designed to omit discrepancies in placenta accreta spectrum reporting and to standardize communication., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BLB369 is an important plant growth-promoting bacterium, which produces antifungal compounds. A statistics-based experimental design was used to optimize a liquid culture medium using inexpensive substrates for increasing its antifungal activity. A Plackett-Burman design was first applied to elucidate medium components having significant effects on antifungal production. Then the steepest ascent method was employed to approach the experimental design space, followed by an application of central composite design. Three factors were retained (candy waste, peptone, and sodium chloride), and polynomial and original trigonometric models fitted the antifungal activity. The trigonometric model ensured a better fit. The contour and surface plots showed concentric increasing levels pointing out an optimized activity. Hence, the polynomial and trigonometric models showed a maximal antifungal activity of 251.9 (AU/mL) and 255.5 (AU/mL) for (19.17, 19.88, 3.75) (g/L) and (19.61, 20, 3.7) (g/L) of candy waste, peptone, and NaCl, respectively. This study provides a potential strategy for improving the fermentation of B. amyloliquefaciens BLB369 in low-cost media for large-scale industrial production.

Among abiotic stress, the toxicity of metals impacts negatively on plants' growth and productivity. This toxicity promotes various perturbations in plants at different levels. To withstand stress, plants involve efficient mechanisms through the implication of various signaling pathways. These pathways enhance the expression of many target genes among them gene coding for metal transporters. Various metal transporters which are localized at the plasma membrane and/or at the tonoplast are crucial in metal stress response. Furthermore, metal detoxification is provided by metal-binding proteins like phytochelatins and metallothioneins. The understanding of the molecular basis of metal toxicities signaling pathways and tolerance mechanisms is crucial for genetic engineering to produce transgenic plants that enhance phytoremediation. This review presents an overview of the recent advances in our understanding of metal stress response. Firstly, we described the effect of metal stress on plants. Then, we highlight the mechanisms involved in metal detoxification and the importance of the regulation in the response to heavy metal stress. Finally, we mentioned the importance of genetic engineering for enhancing the phytoremediation technique. In the end, the response to heavy metal stress is complex and implicates various components. Thus, further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in response to this abiotic stress., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Salinity stress has significant deleterious effects on agricultural lands and plant yields. Plants undergo a series of physiological and molecular changes to reduce salt-induced damage. However, these mechanisms remain insufficient. The inoculation of plant growth promoting bacteria to improve plant health under stress conditions offers promise. Bacillus velezensis FMH2 has been shown to protect tomato fruits against black mold disease and to improve seed tolerance to abiotic stresses. During this study, the major physiological and metabolic changes connected with FMH2 mitigation of abiotic stress tolerance in tomato plants were explored. In presence of different salt levels, FMH2 showed a high potentiality to colonize internal plant tissues and to produce several plant growth promoting metabolites such as siderophores, indole acetic acid, and hydrolytic enzymes. FMH2-treatment promoted plant growth (root structure, plant elongation, leaf emission, fresh and dry weights, water content, etc.) in absence as well as in presence of salt stress. FMH2 treatment decreased endogenous Na + accumulation and increased K + and Ca 2+ uptake. Furthermore, B. velezensis FMH2-treatment improved chlorophyll contents, membrane integrity and phenol peroxidase concentrations, and reduced malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels under saline conditions with a significant salinity × strain interaction. The present study suggests the endophytic strain FMH2 involved different mechanisms and regulatory functions to enhance plant oxidative systems and regulate ion uptake mechanisms supporting both growth and stress management., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Key Message: Bacillus spizizenii is for the first time described as a plant growth salt-tolerant bacterium able to alleviate salt stress in crop plants by improving physiological parameters and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Agricultural soil salinization is a serious issue worldwide affecting agricultural yield. Plant growth promoting bacteria can enhance salt tolerance and plant yield. Bacillus spizizenii FMH45 has been shown to inhibit fungal attacks in tomato fruits and to augment tomato seed germination in presence of abiotic stresses. During this study, we reported for the first time B. spizizenii as a salt-tolerant bacterium able to alleviate salt stress in tomato plants. B. spizizenii FMH45 was examined in vitro for its potential to produce several plant growth promoting characters (siderophores, IAA, and phosphate solubilization) and hydrolytic enzymes (cellulase, glucanase and protease) in the presence of saline conditions. FMH45 was also investigated in vivo in pot experiments to evaluate its ability to promote tomato plant growth under salt stress condition. FMH45 inoculation, enhanced tomato seedling length, vigor index, and plant fresh and dry weights when compared to the non-inoculated controls exposed and not exposed to a regular irrigation with salt solutions containing: 0; 3.5; 7; and 10 g L -1 of NaCl. FMH45-treated plants also presented improved chlorophyll content, membrane integrity (MI), and phenol peroxidase (POX) concentrations, as well as reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) levels under saline conditions with a significant salinity × strain interaction. Furthermore, FMH45 inoculation significantly decreased endogenous Na + accumulation, increased K + and Ca 2+ uptake, and thereby improved K + /Na + and Ca 2+ /Na + ratios. This study proves that bio-inoculation of FMH45 efficiently increases salt tolerance in tomato plants. This sustainable approach can be applied to other stressed plant species in affected soils.

Two novel Algerian field-collected isolates were selected for their antifungal activity against Zymoseptoria tritici (teleomorph Mycosphaerella graminicola ). The novel strains, termed Alg.24B1 and Alg.24B2, were identified as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus simplex since their respective nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA gene were 100% and 99.93% identical to those of B. subtilis and B. simplex , respectively. The antifungal activities of Alg.24B1 and Alg.24B2 were evaluated by the well diffusion method and compared to those of other Bacillus species. The maximum activity was obtained after two days of confrontation of the bacterial strain supernatants with the fungus for Alg.24B1 and three days for Alg.24B2. Furthermore, the metabolites responsible for the antifungal activity of both strains were detected by the investigation of either gene presence (PCR) or molecule production (activity detection of lytic enzymes and HPLC detection of lipopeptides). Overall, this study showed that in addition to their ability to produce lytic enzymes (protease and β -glucanase), both strains coproduce three types of lipopeptides viz. surfactin, iturin, and fengycin. Thus, the biofungicide activity of both strains may be a result of a combination of different mechanisms. Therefore, they had a great potential to be used as biocontrol agents to effectively manage septoria tritici blotch of wheat (STB)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Nora Allioui et al.)

Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure The authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest.