Effect of inoculating addition on machinability of gray cast iron

Gray cast irons were inoculated with FeSi75＋RE and FeSi75＋Sr inoculants. The changes of apex angle of the drills before and after being used were used to evaluate machinability of gray cast irons. Effect of FeSi75＋RE and FeSi75＋Sr inoculants on mechanical properties, machinability and sensibility of gray cast iron used in cylinder block were investigated. Experimental results showed that gray cast iron treated with 60%FeSi75＋40% RE inoculants exhibited tensile strength consistently at about 295 MPa along with good hardness and improved metallurgical quality. While gray cast iron inoculated with 20%FeSi75＋80% Sr inoculants exhibited the best machinability, the lowest cross-section sensibility and the least microhardness difference. The tool flank wear of the drill increased correspondingly with the increase of the microhardness difference of the matrix, indicating the great effect of homogeneity of the matrix on the machinability of gray cast iron.

Fluorescence spectroscopy characteristics of humic acid by inoculating white-rot fungus during different phases of agricultural waste composting

The white-rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium), was inoculated during different phases of agricultural waste composting, and its effect on the fluorescence spectroscopy characteristics of humic acid (HA) was studied. The results show that the emission spectra have a sharp peak at 400 nm and a broad shoulder with the maximum centered at 460 nm. The excitation spectra have two peaks and exhibit red shift (shift to longer wavelengths) at 470 nm. The synchronous scan spectra present a number of peaks and shoulders, and the peaks at shorter wavelengths disappear gradually and form a shoulder. At the final stage of composting, the fluorescence spectra have similar shapes, but the fluorescence intensities decrease. P. chrysosporium increases the degree of aromatization and polymerization of HA when it is inoculated during the second fermentation phase, while it does not produce an obvious change on the humification degree of HA when it is inoculated during the first fermentation phase. Compared with the fluorescence spectroscopy characteristics of HA from soil, the structure of HA from compost is simpler and the activity is higher.

Improving Performance of Inoculating Alloy Wires by Coating a Boron Nitride Layer

The paper reports the deposition（by magnetron sputtering） and properties of polycrystalline boron nitride （BN） layers on commercial inoculating alloy wires. As is characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectroscopy, electron energy dispersive X-ray（EDX） spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, the thin BN layers consist of hexagonal and orthorhombic BN phases and are smooth without cracks. Organism transfer- ring-circles experiments reveal that the adhesion between the BN layer and alloy wire is very good after tens of cycles. It is demonstrated that the BN layers covered wires are biomaterial lubricious and self-cleaning. As a result, BN layer would effectively enhance the function and efficiency of inoculating alloy wires, which could be widely ap- plied to bio-experimentation and biomedicine apparatuses.

Nanoparticles and their crosstalk with stress mitigators:A novel approach towards abiotic stress tolerance in agricultural systems

Plants are exposed to adverse environmental conditions,including cold,drought,heat,salinity,and heavy metals,which negatively impact plant growth and productivity of edible crops worldwide.Although the previous literature summarized the nanoparticle's involvement in abiotic stress mitigation,the interaction of nanoparticles with other stress mitigators to overcome abiotic stress from plants remains unclear.Currently,nanotechnology is considered a growing new field in agriculture for understanding plants'adapted stress tolerance mechanisms.Recent research has shown that nanoparticles can effectively mitigate abiotic stress by interacting synergistically with plant growth regulators.To address this,we comprehensively demonstrated the combined positive potential of nanoparticles in combination with plant growth regulators(signaling molecules,phytohormones,nanoparticles-nanoparticles interaction,fungi,plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and other metal salts)to improve plant growth and mitigate abiotic stresses.Their co-applications augment the plant's growth,nutrient uptake,antioxidant defense system,water absorption,cell viability,water use efficiency,and photosynthetic and biochemical attributes by reducing oxidative stressors under various abiotic stresses in different plant species.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the combined applications of nanoparticles and plant growth regulators,a novel strategy to reduce the harmful effects of abiotic stress on plants.It identifies research gaps and recommends future studies to overcome their phytotoxicity worldwide.

High temperature oxidation of inoculated high Si/SiMo ductile cast irons in air and combustion atmospheres

The present work aims to investigate the effect of heating temperature(400,600 and 800°C)and inoculating elements(Ca,Ca-Ba,Ca-RE)on oxidation behavior of ductile irons containing 5.25%Si and 4.8%Si-2.3%Mo in dry air and combustion gas containing water vapour(natural gas burning).The oxidation is influenced by the gas atmosphere type,the iron alloying system,and the inoculating elements depending on the heating temperature.The weight gain increases from 0.001%-0.1%(400°C)to 0.05%-0.70%(600°C)and up to 0.10%-2.15%(800°C).No particular effects of the considered influencing factors are found when heating at 400°C,while at 600°C,mainly the oxidation gas atmosphere type shows a visible influence.At the highest heating temperature of 800°C,a limited increase of the weight gain is found for dry air atmosphere(up to 0.25%),but it drastically increases for combustion atmospheres(0.65%-2.15%).The water vapour presence in the combustion atmosphere is an important oxidising factor at 600-800°C.The alloying system appears to influence the oxidation behavior mainly at a heating temperature of 800°C in the combustion atmosphere,as evidenced by the lower weight gain in 5.25%silicon cast iron.Positive effects of inoculating elements increase with the heating temperature,with Ca and Ba-FeSi inoculation generally showing better performance.Irons inoculated with CaRE-FeSi exhibit a higher degree of oxidation.These results are in good relationship with the previous reported data:Ca-Ba-inoculation system appears to be better than simple Ca for improving the graphite parameters,while RE-bearing inoculant negatively affects the compactness degree of graphite particles in high-Si ductile irons.As the lower compactness degree is typical for graphite nodules in high-Si ductile irons,which negatively affects the oxidation resistance,it is necessary to employ specific metallurgical treatments to improve nodule quality.Inoculation,in particular,is a potential method to achieve this improvement.

Biological soil crusts and their potential applications in the sand land over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is now experiencing ecological degradation risks as a result of climate change and human activities.The alpine grassland ecology in permafrost zones is fragile and susceptible to deterioration due to its high altitude,low temperature,and limited oxygen,which complicates the repair of damaged land.Biological soil crusts(BSCs)are crucial for land restoration in plateau regions because they can thrive in harsh conditions and have environmentally beneficial traits.Inoculated biological soil crust(IBSC)has shown success in low-altitude desert regions,but may not be easily duplicated to the plateau environment.Therefore,it is essential to do a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of the basic theoretical comprehension and practical application of BSCs on the Tibetan Plateau.This review article aims to provide a brief summary of the ecological significance and the mechanisms related to the creation,growth,and progression of BSCs.It discusses the techniques used for cultivating BSCs in laboratories and using them in the field,focusing on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau circumstance.We thoroughly discussed the potential and the required paths for further studies.This study may be used as a basis for selecting suitable microbial strains and accompanying supplemental actions for implementing IBSCs in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Inoculation Effects of Dendrobium officinale Mycorrhizal Fungi on Their Plantlets

[Objective] This study aimed to explore the inoculation effects of Dendrobium officinale mycorrhizal fungi on their plantlets. [Method] Endophytic strains Tj1, Tj2 and Tj3 were obtained by isolation and purification from mycorrhiza of wild Dendrobium officinale and inoculated on the root system of Dendrobium officinale for inoculation test. [Result] Under tissue-culture conditions, at early stage, Tj1 strain hadn＇t shown promotion effect on Dendrobium officinale, Tj2 strain had shown relatively strong promotion effects, and Tj3 strain had promoted the growth of roots; at late stage, Tj1 strain had shown relatively strong promotion effects, Tj2 strain had shown the best inoculation effects and the strongest promotion effects, while Tj3 strain had caused root and seedling rot problems of the plantlets; under outdoor conditions, after inoculation with Tj2 strain, the number of leaves and lateral buds were increased, the growth of lateral root and the increase of plant height were significant, the leaves of Dendrobium officinale plantlets were large and dark green and an obvious root enlargement phenomenon was observed. [Conclusion] The two inoculation methods both indicate that Tj2 strain has relatively strong promotion effects on the growth of Dendrobium officinale roots and shoots, the increase of plant number and plant height, and the germination of new shoots and roots, which proved the effective establishment of symbiotic relationship between Tj2 strain and Dendrobium officinale. Therefore, T2 strain has practical application values on the successful cultivation of Dendrobium officinale plantlets.

Grain refinement of pure aluminum by direct current pulsed magnetic field and inoculation

The combined effects of direct current pulsed magnetic field （DC-PMF） and inoculation on pure aluminum were investigated, the grain refinement behavior of DC-PMF and inoculation was discussed. The experimental results indicate that the solidification micro structure of pure aluminum can be greatly refined under DC-PMF. Refinement of pure aluminum is attributed to electromagnetic undercooling and forced convection caused by DC-PMF. With single DC-PMF, the grain size in the equiaxed zone is uneven. However, under DC-PMF, by adding 0.05% （mass fraction） Al5Ti-B, the grain size of the sample is smaller, and the size distribution is more uniform than that of single DC-PMF. Furthermore, under the combination of DC-PMF and inoculation, with the increase of output current, the grain size is further reduced. When the output current increases to 100 A, the average grain size can decrease to 113 μn.

Transient Expression of BYDV-MP in Nicotiana benthamiana

[Objective]The aim of this study was to identify transient expression of movement protein （MP） gene in Nicotinana benthaminana rapidly and further investigate the function of this exogenous gene. [Method]The movement protein gene of barley yellow dwarf virus （BYDV） was cloned into potato virus X （PVX） viral vector of pGR107,and PVX-recombinant vector was obtained. After electroporation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens,PVX was inoculated into the lower leaves of tobacco by Agrobacterium infiltration assay to observe the infection of virus on tobacco. [Result]After infection for 7 days,upper non-inoculated leaves of tobacco infected by the PVX-recombinant vector showed the virus infection symptoms,while the control group had no viral infection phenomenon. Daily follow-up observations for two groups revealed that tobacco infected by PVX-recombinant vector had severe symptoms of virus infection and curling leaves,or even led to necrosis both in infiltrated and systemic leaves in late period. However,tobacco infected by PVX vector had only slight symptoms of virus infection and could recover from infection. RT-PCR of the infected tobacco indicated that exogenous gene BYDV-MP had a normal transcription and expression in tobacco. [Conclusion]As a determinant factor for viral disease,BYDV-MP promotes the systemic infection rate of PVX and its symptom. In addition,it is feasible to express exogenous MP gene in Nicotiana benthaminan via PVX expression vector.

Poisoning-free effect of calcium on grain refinement of Mg-3%Al alloy containing trace Fe by carbon inoculation

Mg-3%Al alloy was modified by combining Ca addition with carbon inoculation. The effects of Fe addition and addition sequence on the grain refinement were investigated. A higher grain refining efficiency could be obtained for the Mg-Al alloy modified by combining Ca addition with carbon inoculation. Fe addition and addition sequence had no obvious effect on the grain refinement. Ca addition could effectively avoid grain-coarsening resulting from Fe in the carbon-inoculated Mg-Al alloy. The Al-C-O particles, actually being Al4C3, should act as potent substrates for a-Mg grains in the sample treated by combining Ca addition with carbon inoculation. However, the duplex-phase particles of AI4C3 coated on Al-Fe or Al-C-Fe should be the potent substrates for a-Mg grains if Fe existed in the Mg-Al melt. Ca addition can contribute to the formation of the particles of Al4C3 coated on Al-Fe or Al-C-Fe, regardless of the Fe addition sequence. The poisoning effect of Fe was effectively inhibited in the carbon-inoculated of Mg-Al alloy due to Ca addition, namely, Ca has a poisoning-free effect.

Comparison Study on Clinical and Neuropathological Characteristics of Hamsters Inoculated With Scrapie Strain 263K in Different Challenging Pathways

Objective To understand the infectious characteristics of a hamster-adapted scrapie strain 263K with five different routes of infection including intracerebral (i.e.), intraperitoneal (i.p.), intragastrical (i.g.), intracardiac and intramuscular (i.m.) approaches. Methods Hamsters were infected with crude- or fine-prepared brain extracts. The neuropathological changes, PrPSc deposits, and patterns of PK-resistant PrP were analyzed by HE stain, immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay and Western blot. Reactive gliosis and neuron loss were evaluated by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) specific IHC. Results The animals inoculated in i.m. and Lp. ways with crude PrPSc extracts showed clinical signs at the average incubation of 69.212.8 and 65.5±3.9 days. Inoculation in i.c. and intracardiac ways with fine PrPSc extracts (0.00035 g) caused similar, but relative long incubation of around 90 days. Only one out of eight hamsters challenged in i.g way with low dosage (0.01 g) became ill after a much longer incubation (185 d), while all animals (4/4) with high dosage (0.04 g) developed clinical signs 105 days postinfection. The most remarkable spongiform degeneration and PrPSc deposits were found in brain stem among the five challenge groups generally. The number of GFAP-positive astrocytes increased distinctly in brain stems in all infection groups, while the number of NSE-positive cells decreased significantly in cerebrum, except i.c. group. The patterns of PK-resistant PrP in brains were basically identical among the five infection routes. Conclusion Typical TSE could be induced in hamsters by inoculating strain 263K in the five infection ways. The incubation periods in bioassays depend on infective dosage, administrating pathway and preparation of PrPSc. The neuropathological changes and PrPSc deposits seem to be related with regions and inoculating pathways.

Fluorescence characteristic changes of dissolved organic matter during municipal solid waste composting

Dissolved organic matter（DOM） of municipal solid waste（MSW） consists of minerals, water, ash and humic substances, and is known to enhance plant growth. In this study, inoculating microbes（Z J, MS） were used in municipal solid wastes composting, and composting implemented a industrialized technology. During composting, dissolved organic matter was extracted from the compost and purified. The spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter was determined by fluorescence emission, excitation, and synchronous spectroscopy. Fluorescence emission, excitation, and synchronous spectra characterized by different relative fluorescent intensities and peaks over time. Fluorescence spectra were similar to that of fulvic acid in sewage sludge, indicating the presence of dissolved organic matter with aromatic structures and a high degree of molecular polymerization. Compared with the controls with no microbial inoculation, the microbe-inoculated treatments exhibited the increase of aromatic polycondensation, in the following order： MS ＋ ZJ 〉 ZJ 〉 MS 〉 CK.

Research of Synthetic Rules with Mechanical Properties vs Inoculation Degree on Gray Cast Iron

To fit the special needs of gray cast iron as a new engineering material,i.e.,higher σ b and lower HB,or lower σ b and higher HB,using the method of heat analyzing and polyparameters analytic figures,the synthetic rules of carbon saturation degree,inoculation degree and mechanical properties can be exposed.The result shows that,according to the needs of the part′s mechanical properties,referring to the synthetic rules of gray cast iron,the corresponding technological measure and composition proportion can be defined,by which we will get the exact mechanical properties that could achieve the result expected completely.Thus,the casting for gray cast iron might be 'designed'from'selected'.

骨诱导天然煅烧骨无菌检查方法学验证

目的:建立骨诱导天然煅烧骨无菌检查方法,保证检验结果的准确性和可靠性。方法:按《中国药典》2010年版三部(附录ⅦA)无菌检查法中的直接接种法进行。结果:样品管无菌生长,六株阳性对照菌生长良好。结论:方法学验证采用直接接种法进行的无菌检查,可行。

Development of a vivo rabbit ligated intestinal Loop Model for HCMV infection

Background： Human Cytomegalovirus（HCMV） infections can be found throughout the body, especially in epithelial tissue. Animal model was established by inoculation of HCMV（strain AD-169） or coinoculation with Hepatitis E virus（HEV） into the ligated sacculus rotundus and vermiform appendix in living rabbits. The specimens were collected from animals sacrificed 1 and a half hours after infection.Results： The virus was found to be capable of reproducing in these specimens through RT-PCR and Western-blot.Severe inflammation damage was found in HCMV-infected tissue. The viral protein could be detected in high amounts in the mucosal epithelium and lamina propria by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescense.Moreover, there are strong positive signals in lymphocytes, macrophages, and lymphoid follicles. Quantitative statistics indicate that lymphocytes among epithlium cells increased significantly in viral infection groups.Conclusions： The results showed that HCMV or HEV ＋ HCMV can efficiently infect in rabbits by vivo ligated intestine loop inoculation. The present study successfully developed an infective model in vivo rabbit ligated intestinal Loop for HCMV pathogenesis study. This rabbit model can be helpful for understanding modulation of the gut immune system with HCMV infection.

Fungal inoculation induces agarwood in young Aquilaria malaccensis trees in the nursery

Fungi are often used to induce agarwood inAquilariatrees. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of several fungi on agarwood formation over time in youngAquilaria malaccensis （Lam.） trees. Typical changes in the length and light intensity of the resulting discoloration were observed after three and six month periods following inoculation. Wood samples were observed microscopically and classified into several light intensity groups. The discoloration length was meas-ured longitudinally. The duration after inoculation affected the mean of discoloration length： the 6-month old sample （1.70 cm） had a wider discoloration zone when compared to the 3-month old sample （1.17 cm）. When measuring the discoloration intensity, a positive relationship with time was perceived. Digital images, captured using a camera-equipped microscope, revealed that wood samples collected after six months appeared to be 1.8-times darker than after three months. We concluded that time, not the species of any of the tested fungi, had significant effect on discoloration length and intensity. Gas chromatography/mass spec-trometry （GCMS） analysis of the 6-month old sample yielded some important agarwood compounds such as benzylacetone, anisylacetone, guaiene and palustrol. This demonstrates that the tested fungi have the ability to induce agarwood formation in nurseryA. malaccensis trees.

Effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis on fermentation, dynamics of bacterial community and their functional shifts of whole-plant corn silage

Background:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens(BA)and Bacillus subtilis(BS)are usually used as feed supplements directly or bacterial inoculants in biological feeds for animals.However,few research have reported the effects of BA and BS on fermentation characteristics and bacterial community successions of whole-plant corn silage during ensiling.If the BA and BS inoculants have positive effects on silages,then they could not only improve fermentation characteristics,but also deliver BA or BS viable cells to ruminants,which would play its probiotic effect.Therefore,the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of BA and BS on the fermentation,chemical characteristics,bacterial community and their metabolic pathway of whole-plant corn silage.Results:Freshly chopped whole-plant corn was inoculated without or with BA and BS,respectively,and ensiled for1,3,7,14 and 60 d.Results showed that BA and BS inoculations increased lactic acid concentrations of whole-plant corn silages compared with control,and BA inoculation decreased acetic acid concentrations,whereas BS inoculation decreased fiber contents and increased crude protein(CP)content.Higher water-soluble carbohydrate contents and lower starch contents were observed in BA-and BS-inoculated silages compared with that in control.The decreased CP content and increased non-protein nitrogen content were observed in BA-inoculated silage,which was consistent with the higher amino acid metabolism abundances observed in BA-inoculated silage.In addition,it was noteworthy that BA and BS inoculations increased the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins,and decreased the relative abundances of drug resistance:antimicrobial pathways.We also found that the bacterial metabolism pathways were clearly separated into three clusters based on the ensiling times of whole-plant corn silage in the present study.There were no significant differences in bacterial community compositions among the three groups during ensiling.However,BA and BS inoculations decreased the relative abundances of undesirable bacteria such as Acetobacter and Acinetobacter.Conclusion:Our findings suggested that the BS strain was more suitable as silage inoculants than the BA strain in whole-plant corn silage in this study.

Effect of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the degradation of DEHP in soil

The effect of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi( Acaulospora lavis ) on the degradation of di(2 ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP) in soil was studies. Cowpea plants (Pigna sinensis) were used as host plants and grown in a specially designed rhizobox. The experimental results indicated that, both in sterile and non sterile soil, mycorrhizal colonization rates were much higher in the mycorrhizal plants than in the non mycorrhizal plants. Addition of 4 mg/kg DEHP slightly affected mycorrhizal colonization, but the addition of 100 mg/kg DEHP significantly decreased mycorrhizal colonization. DEHP degradation in the mycorrhizosphere(Ms) and hyphosphere(Hs), especially in the Hs, increased after inoculation with Acaulospora lavis . It is concluded that mycorrhizal hyphae play an important role in the plant uptake, degradation and translocation of DEHP. The mechanism might be attributed to increased numbers of bacteria and actinomycetes and activity of dehydrogenase, urease and acid phosphatase in the Ms and Hs by mycorrhizal fungi.

Grain refinement of Mg-Al alloys inoculated by MgAl_(2)O_(4)powder

As a potent nucleating substrate forα-Mg grain,MgAl_(2)O_(4) powder was used to inoculate the Mg-Al melt in this study.The effects of MgAl_(2)O_(4)amount,holding time and Al content on the grain size and grain refining ratio of the inoculated Mg-Al alloys are systematically investigated.The results show that the minimum grain size of Mg-3Al alloy is achieved by adding 2wt.%MgAl_(2)O_(4)powder and this alloy exhibits higher grain refining ratio than Mg-5Al and Mg-8Al alloys.The crystallographic misfit calculation indicates the wellmatching and possible orientation relationships(ORs)betweenα-Mg and MgAl_(2)O_(4).Among these predicted ORs,[10–10]α−Mg//[110]MgAl2O4 in(0002)α−Mg//(1–13)MgAl2O4 possesses the smallest misfit,i.e.,2.34%(fr).Both results of the experiment and crystallographic calculation demonstrate that the grain refinement of Mg-Al alloys is attributed to the MgAl_(2)O_(4)particles acting as the heterogeneous nucleation substrates forα-Mg grains.

Use of two fungal species to induce agarwood resin formation in Gyrinops walla

Gyrinops walla Gaertn. is the only species growing in Sri Lanka that belongs to the agarwood family,Thymelaeaceae. Although agarwood resin induction and extraction from Aquilaria species of the same family have been practised for many decades in Southeast Asian region,the ability of producing agarwood resins in G. walla was discovered recently. Since previous studies were on agarwood resins formed due to natural causes, the present study was conducted to identify the potential fungal species that are capable of artificially inducing agarwood resin formation in G. walla. Since this is the first ever study conducted on artificial inducement of agarwood resin formation in G.walla, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani were selected owing to their high abundance in the naturally formed agarwood resinous tissues collected from 25 G. walla trees.Both fungal species were separately grown in yeast extract glucose agar and used to inoculate healthy G. walla trees under aseptic conditions. Three holes were made for each tree and 2 g of fungal culture including the medium were placed in each hole. Tissue discoloration, characteristic aroma, resin content and resin constituents were checked at10 cm intervals above and below the inoculation points for a period of 1 year. Results revealed that tissue discoloration and resin content were higher in the trees inoculated with A. niger. Other than at 10 cm above and below the inoculation points, samples collected at all locations had significantly higher resin contents when inoculated with A. niger compared to F. solani. Sixteen agarwood resin constituents, which were also recorded in Aquilaria species, were identified from the discolored tissues using GC–MS analysis. Jinkohol, agarospirol and 2(2-phenyl)chromone derivatives were found in all discolored tissues collected at 10-cm intervals of the trees inoculated with both fungi. b-Seline, c-eudesmol and valerenal were found in nine of 10 sample points on the stem. c-Elemene was recorded only in one sample. The characteristic aroma during burning was stronger for dark-colored tissues than the light-colored ones. The present study confirmed the potential use of certain fungal species to induce agarwood resin in G. walla and that A. niger is more effective than F.solani.