大蒜加工废水处理研究进展

我国是世界上最大的大蒜生产国和出口国,蒜片是主要的出口品种之一。每生产1 t蒜片会产生20 t以上的大蒜加工废水。大蒜加工废水具有强烈的杀菌作用,给其生物法处理带来了困难。文章围绕大蒜加工废水的特点和组成、大蒜素抑菌机理、大蒜加工废水的生物法处理、膜分离、高级氧化等工艺展开综述,以期为改进现有大蒜加工废水处理工艺提供借鉴。

Giving Food a Fiber Boost: Adding High Beta-Glucan Ingredient from Barley to Everyday Foods

Lack of dietary fiber contributes to many health issues, particularly chronic vascular diseases. Mixed linkage β-1.3 - 1.4 beta-glucan (beta-glucan, in this paper) is a confirmed beneficial ingredient for the human diet through reduction of cholesterol and the glycemic index. Barley contains the highest beta-glucan content of all the grains, and in this study, a percentage of flour from two high beta glucan lines was, each, added to an array of wheat-based food products to measure how it impacted total dietary fiber. Results showed that beta-glucan content was higher in all the products containing the added high beta-glucan flour, along with increased total dietary fiber content. Protein content in the food products is also increased with the higher protein in the barley flours added. Beta-glucan content in the barley-added products increased to 1.2% - 4.0% versus 0.2% - 0.5% in the pure wheat products, while the dietary fibers increased to 3.5% - 24.4% versus 2.1% - 9.1% in pure wheat product controls. This research provided experimental evidence that using a high beta-glucan barley ingredient in food can increase dietary fiber to benefit health.

Erratum to “Plant Defense against Necrotrophic Pathogens” [American Journal of Plant Sciences 11(12) (2020) 2122-2138]

The original online version of this article (Ghozlan, M.H., EL-Argawy, E., Tokgöz, S., Lakshman, D.K. and Mitra, A. (2020) Plant Defense against Necrotrophic Pathogens. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 11, 2122-2138. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2020.1112149) was published mistakenly without another co-author, Nikita Gambhir. In this regard, we revise authors and “how to cite” sections by adding her name.

Yield and Nutritive Values of Semi- and Non-Fall Dormant Alfalfa Cultivars under Late-Cutting Schedule in California’s Central Valley

California is one of the major alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) forage-producing states in the U.S, but its production area has decreased significantly in the last couple of decades. Selection of cultivars with high yield and nutritive value under late-cutting schedule strategy may help identify cultivars that growers can use to maximize yield while maintaining area for sustainable alfalfa production, but there is little information on this strategy. A field study was conducted to determine cumulative dry matter (DM) and nutritive values of 20 semi- and non-fall dormant (FD) ratings (FD 7 and FD 8 - 10, respectively) cultivars under 35-day cut in California’s Central Valley in 2020-2022. Seasonal cumulative DM yields ranged from 6.8 in 2020 to 37.0 Mg·ha−1 in 2021. Four FD 8 - 9 cultivars were the highest yielding with 3-yrs avg. DM greater than the lowest yielding lines by 46%. FD 7 cultivar “715RR” produced the highest crude protein (CP: 240 g·Kg−1) while FD 8 cultivar “HVX840RR” resulted in the highest neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD: 484 g·Kg−1, 7% greater than the top yielding cultivars) but with DM yield intermediate. Yields and NDFD correlated positively but weakly indicating some semi- and non-FD cultivars performing similarly. These results suggest that selecting high yielding cultivars under 35-day cutting schedule strategy can be used as a tool to help growers to maximize yield while achieving good quality forages for sustainable alfalfa production in California’s Central Valley.

Adding Value to Crop Production Systems by Integrating Forage Cover Crop Grazing

In addition to their value as cereal grains, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) are important cool-season annual forages and cover crops. Yearling steer (Bos taurus) performance was compared in the spring following autumn establishment as for age cover crops after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] grain harvest. Replicated pastures (0.4 ha) were no-till seeded in three consecutive years into soybean stubble in autumn, fertilized, and grazed the following spring near Ithaca, NE, USA. Each pasture (n = 3) was continuously stocked in spring with four yearling steers (380 ± 38 kg) for 17, 32, and 28 d in 2005, 2006, and 2007, respectively. In 2005, average daily gain (ADG) for steers grazing triticale exceeded the ADG for wheat by 0.31 kghd-1d-1. In 2006, wheat ADG exceeded that for triticale by 0.12 kghd-1d-1. In 2007, steers grazing wheat lost weight, while steers grazing triticale gained 0.20 kghd-1d-1. Based on the 3-year average animal gains valued at $1.32 kg-1, mean net return ($ ha-1 yr-1) was $62.15 for triticale and $22.55 for wheat. Since these grazed cover crops provide ecosystem services in addition to forage, grazing could be viewed as a mechanism for recovering costs and adds additional value to the system. Based on this 3-year grazing trial, triticale was superior to wheat and likely will provide the most stable beef yearling performance across years with variable weather for the western Cornbelt USA.

Evaluation of Moving Grid Adjustment (MGA) Method in Field Variation Control

Spatial variation is often encountered when large scale field trials are conducted which can result in biased estimation or prediction of treatment (i.e. genotype) values. An effective removal of spatial variation is needed to ensure unbiased estimation or prediction and thus increase the accuracy of field data evaluation. A moving grid adjustment (MGA) method, which was proposed by Technow, was evaluated through Monte Carlo simulation for its statistical properties regarding field spatial variation control. Our simulation results showed that the MGA method can effectively account for field spatial variation if it does exist;however, this method will not change phenotype results if field spatial variation does not exist. The MGA method was applied to a large-scale cotton field trial data set with two representative agronomic traits: lint yield (strong field spatial pattern) and lint percentage (no field spatial pattern). The results suggested that the MGA method was able to effectively separate the spatial variation including blocking effects from random error variation for lint yield while the adjusted data remained almost identical to the original phenotypic data. With application of the MGA method, the estimated variance for residuals was significantly reduced (62.2% decrease) for lint yield while more genetic variation (29.7% increase) was detected compared to the original data analysis subject to the conventional randomized complete block design analysis. On the other hand, the results were almost identical for lint percentage with and without the application of the MGA method. Therefore, the MGA method can be a useful addition to enhance data analysis when field spatial pattern exists.

Evaluation of a Wireless Solar Powered Personal Weather Station

We are evaluating dryland cotton production in Martin County, Texas, measuring cotton lint yield per unit of rainfall. Our goal is to collect rainfall data per 250 - 400 ha. Upon selection of a rainfall gauge, we realized that the cost of using, for example, a tipping bucket-type rain gauge would be too expensive and thus searched for an alternative method. We selected an all-in-one commercially available weather station;hereafter, referred to as a Personal Weather Station (PWS) that is both wireless and solar powered. Our objective was to evaluate average measurements of rainfall obtained with the PWS and to compare these to measurements obtained with an automatic weather station (AWS). For this purpose, we installed four PWS deployed within 20 m of the Plant Stress and Water Conservation Meteorological Tower that was used as our AWS, located at USDA-ARS Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Lubbock, TX. In addition, we measured and compared hourly average values of short-wave irradiance (Rg), air temperature (Tair) and relative humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS), and calculated values of dewpoint temperature (Tdew). This comparison was done over a 242-day period (1 October 2022-31 May 2023) and results indicated that there was no statistical difference in measurements of rainfall between the PWS and AWS. Hourly average values of Rg measured with the PWS and AWS agreed on clear days, but PWS measurements were higher on cloudy days. There was no statistical difference between PWS and AWS hourly average measurements of Tair, RH, and calculated Tdew. Hourly average measurements of Rg and WS were more variable. We concluded that the PWS we selected will provide adequate values of rainfall and other weather variables to meet our goal of evaluating dryland cotton lint yield per unit rainfall.

Genetics of biochemical attributes regulating morpho-physiology of upland cotton under high temperature conditions

Background Cotton is a strategically important fibre crop for global textile industry.It profoundly impacts several countries’industrial and agricultural sectors.Sustainable cotton production is continuously threatened by the unpre-dictable changes in climate,specifically high temperatures.Breeding heat-tolerant,high-yielding cotton cultivars with wide adaptability to be grown in the regions with rising temperatures is one of the primary objectives of modern cotton breeding programmes.Therefore,the main objective of the current study is to figure out the effective breed-ing approach to imparting heat tolerance as well as the judicious utilization of commercially significant and stress-tolerant attributes in cotton breeding.Initially,the two most notable heat-susceptible(FH-115 and NIAB Kiran)and tolerant(IUB-13 and GH-Mubarak)cotton cultivars were spotted to develop filial and backcross populations to accom-plish the preceding study objectives.The heat tolerant cultivars were screened on the basis of various morphological(seed cotton yield per plant,ginning turnout percentage),physiological(pollen viability,cell membrane thermostabil-ity)and biochemical(peroxidase activity,proline content,hydrogen peroxide content)parameters.Results The results clearly exhibited that heat stress consequently had a detrimental impact on every studied plant trait,as revealed by the ability of crossing and their backcross populations to tolerate high temperatures.However,when considering overall yield,biochemical,and physiological traits,the IUB-13×FH-115 cross went over particularly well at both normal and high temperature conditions.Moreover,overall seed cotton yield per plant exhibited a posi-tive correlation with both pollen viability and antioxidant levels(POD activity and proline content).Conclusions Selection from segregation population and criteria involving pollen viability and antioxidant levels concluded to be an effective strategy for the screening of heat-tolerant cotton germplasms.Therefore,understanding acquired from this study can assist breeders identifying traits that should be prioritized in order to develop climate resilient cotton cultivars.

Review and Analysis: Evaluation of the Impacts and Consequences of Using Agricultural Herbicides as Military Chemical Weapons in Second Indochina War

The legacy of the human misery caused by the application of the herbicides including Agent Purple and Agent Orange contaminated with unknown amounts of dioxin TCDD and Agent Blue, the arsenic-based herbicide, sprayed over the jungles, rice fields, and hamlets of Vietnam is still haunting us today. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it necessary United States military strategy? Was it an intentional decision to inflict this blight on the enemy soldiers and the Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian civilians, to poison their land and cause generations of harm? Alternatively, was it an unpreventable accident in the march of military history? What patterns in the U.S. government’s thought process could be identified as the cause, which led to the decision to use these herbicides as tactical chemical weapons? If the introduction of herbicide (chemical) weapons had not been made, would the outcome of the Vietnam War and the Secret Wars in Laos and Cambodia have been any different? The objective of this treatise is to outline the role of world events and backgrounds and the role of the leaders, U.S. military, CIA, USDA, U.S. State Department, the U.S. President appointed Ambassadors to Vietnam and Laos, chemical companies, and President Diệm’s Republic of Vietnam (RVN) government and military. Their collective advice led to the decision to use herbicides as military and environmental chemical weapons in the Second Indochina War. Were the National interests achieved by U.S. military strategy in the RVN using herbicide weapons worth the long-term environmental and human health consequences in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos? Did it impact the outcome of the Second Indochina War?

Why ecosystem characteristics predicted from remotely sensed data are unbiased and biased at the same time-and how this affects applications

Remotely sensed data are frequently used for predicting and mapping ecosystem characteristics,and spatially explicit wall-to-wall information is sometimes proposed as the best possible source of information for decisionmaking.However,wall-to-wall information typically relies on model-based prediction,and several features of model-based prediction should be understood before extensively relying on this type of information.One such feature is that model-based predictors can be considered both unbiased and biased at the same time,which has important implications in several areas of application.In this discussion paper,we first describe the conventional model-unbiasedness paradigm that underpins most prediction techniques using remotely sensed(or other)auxiliary data.From this point of view,model-based predictors are typically unbiased.Secondly,we show that for specific domains,identified based on their true values,the same model-based predictors can be considered biased,and sometimes severely so.We suggest distinguishing between conventional model-bias,defined in the statistical literature as the difference between the expected value of a predictor and the expected value of the quantity being predicted,and design-bias of model-based estimators,defined as the difference between the expected value of a model-based estimator and the true value of the quantity being predicted.We show that model-based estimators(or predictors)are typically design-biased,and that there is a trend in the design-bias from overestimating small true values to underestimating large true values.Further,we give examples of applications where this is important to acknowledge and to potentially make adjustments to correct for the design-bias trend.We argue that relying entirely on conventional model-unbiasedness may lead to mistakes in several areas of application that use predictions from remotely sensed data.

Fragipan Horizon Changes Using Annual Ryegrass and Other Admendments

A greenhouse experiment was conducted involving intact fragipan soil cores of 50 cm thickness after removing the topsoil horizons. The cores were maintained in moist condition throughout the experiment and received several treatments with various amendments for different periods ranging from 9 to 17 months. The amendments included annual ryegrass or Festulolium residues, powder limestone and various humate compounds alone or in combination with the grass residues. The results suggested a significant effect of ryegrass and Festulolium in reducing penetration resistance into the top 10 cm of the fragipan within 9 - 17 months, particularly when used in combination with certain humate materials such as Leonardite. Apparently, this is the result of the release of certain soluble organic compounds from the plant residues or the humate amendments that increase the solubility of Si and Al associated with the fragipan brittleness, thus decreasing the density of the compacted fragipan material.

Effects of improved amino acid balance diet on lysine mammary utilization, whole body protein turnover and muscle protein breakdown on lactating sows

Background The study objective was to test the hypothesis that low crude protein(CP)diet with crystalline amino acids(CAA)supplementation improves Lys utilization efficiency for milk production and reduces protein turnover and muscle protein breakdown.Eighteen lactating multiparous Yorkshire sows were allotted to 1 of 2 isocaloric diets(10.80 MJ/kg net energy):control(CON;19.24%CP)and reduced CP with“optimal”AA profile(OPT;14.00%CP).Sow body weight and backfat were recorded on d 1 and 21 of lactation and piglets were weighed on d 1,14,18,and 21 of lactation.Between d 14 and 18,a subset of 9 sows(CON=4,OPT=5)was infused with a mixed solution of 3-[methyl-2H3]histidine(bolus injection)and[13C]bicarbonate(priming dose)first,then a constant 2-h[13C]bicarbonate infusion followed by a 6-h primed constant[1-13C]lysine infusion.Serial blood and milk sampling were performed to determine plasma and milk Lys enrichment,Lys oxidation rate,whole body protein turnover,and muscle protein breakdown.Results Over the 21-d lactation period,compared to CON,sows fed OPT had greater litter growth rate(P<0.05).Compared to CON,sows fed OPT had greater efficiency of Lys(P<0.05),Lys mammary flux(P<0.01)and whole-body protein turnover efficiency(P<0.05).Compared to CON,sows fed OPT tended to have lower whole body protein breakdown rate(P=0.069).Muscle protein breakdown rate did not differ between OPT and CON(P=0.197).Conclusion Feeding an improved AA balance diet increased efficiency of Lys and reduced whole-body protein turnover and protein breakdown.These results imply that the lower maternal N retention observed in lactating sows fed improved AA balance diets in previous studies may be a result of greater partitioning of AA towards milk rather than greater body protein breakdown.

Circulating microRNA expression and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescents with severe obesity

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is one of the most common chronic liver diseases in children and adolescents.NAFLD ranges in severity from isolated hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH),wherein hepatocellular inflammation and/or fibrosis coexist with steatosis.Circulating microRNA(miRNA)levels have been suggested to be altered in NAFLD,but the extent to which miRNA are related to NAFLD features remains unknown.This analysis tested the hypothesis that plasma miRNAs are significantly associated with histological features of NAFLD in adolescents.AIM To investigate the relationship between plasma miRNA expression and NAFLD features among adolescents with NAFLD.METHODS This study included 81 adolescents diagnosed with NAFLD and 54 adolescents without NAFLD from the Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery study.Intra-operative core liver biopsies were collected from participants and used to characterize histological features of NAFLD.Plasma samples were collected during surgery for miRNA profiling.A total of 843 plasma miRNAs were profiled using the HTG EdgeSeq platform.We examined associations of plasma miRNAs and NAFLD features using logistic regression after adjusting for age,sex,race,and other key covariates.Ingenuity Pathways Analysis was used to identify biological functions of miRNAs that were associated with multiple histological features of NAFLD.RESULTS We identified 16 upregulated plasma miRNAs,including miR-193a-5p and miR-193b-5p,and 22 downregulated plasma miRNAs,including miR-1282 and miR-6734-5p,in adolescents with NAFLD.Moreover,52,16,15,and 9 plasma miRNAs were associated with NASH,fibrosis,ballooning degeneration,and lobular inflammation,respectively.Collectively,16 miRNAs were associated with two or more histological features of NAFLD.Among those miRNAs,miR-411-5p was downregulated in NASH,ballooning,and fibrosis,while miR-122-5p,miR-1343-5p,miR-193a-5p,miR-193b-5p,and miR-7845-5p were consistently and positively associated with all histological features of NAFLD.Pathway analysis revealed that most common pathways of miRNAs associated with multiple NAFLD features have been associated with tumor progression,while we also identified linkages between miR-122-5p and hepatitis C virus and between miR-199b-5p and chronic hepatitis B.CONCLUSION Plasma miRNAs were associated with NAFLD features in adolescent with severe obesity.Larger studies with more heterogeneous NAFLD phenotypes are needed to evaluate miRNAs as potential biomarkers of NAFLD.

次降雨时空分布对流域产流产沙的影响

降雨时空变异性对流域产流产沙过程具有重要影响。选取数据完整性较好、分辨率较高的美国俄克拉荷马州柯尔堡(Fort Cobb)流域为研究对象,基于高时空分辨率次降雨空间分布及移动特征的量化分析,探究降雨雨型、降雨强度、时空变异等对流域产流产沙过程的影响。结果表明:依据降雨特征(降雨量、降雨历时,30 min最大降雨强度)可将Fort Cobb流域的雨型划分为4类(A型、B型、C型和D型),其中,降雨量和30 min最大降雨强度较小的A型、B型降雨最为常见;C型降雨的30 min最大降雨强度最大,是造成该流域水土流失的主要类型。对于4种雨型,流域产流量与降雨量,产沙量与次降雨侵蚀力皆呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05);单位降雨量导致的流域产流量表现为C型>A型>D型>B型;相同次降雨侵蚀力条件下,不同雨型导致的流域产沙量则表现为D型>B型>A型>C型。流域降雨量空间分布呈现由东南向西北减少的趋势,集中分布在流域东部的降雨量占总降雨量38.96%。降雨移动特征分析表明,流域内向下游移动和顺时针移动的降雨场次最多,发生频次为51.16%,2类降雨量占总量的57.94%,其导致的流域产流量占总量的81.61%,产沙量占总量的84.84%。降雨过程相似时,次降雨移动特征对流域产流产沙作用存在明显差异。降雨由上游至下游移动,流域水文响应速度慢,流量、含沙量峰值高;而降雨由下游至上游移动,流域水文响应速度快,且流量、含沙量峰值较低。

Pan-genome and transcriptome analyses provide insights into genomic variation and differential gene expression profiles related to disease resistance and fatty acid biosynthesis in eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra)

Walnut(Juglans)species are used as nut crops worldwide.Eastern black walnut(EBW,Juglans nigra),a diploid,horticultural important woody species is native to much of eastern North America.Although it is highly valued for its wood and nut,there are few resources for understanding EBW genetics.Here,we present a high-quality genome assembly of J.nigra based on Illumina,Pacbio,and HiC technologies.The genome size was 540.8 Mb,with a scaffold N50 size of 35.1 Mb,and 99.0%of the assembly was anchored to 16 chromosomes.Using this genome as a reference,the resequencing of 74 accessions revealed the effective population size of J.nigra declined during the glacial maximum.A single whole-genome duplication event was identified in the J.nigra genome.Large syntenic blocks among J.nigra,Juglans regia,and Juglans microcarpa predominated,but inversions of more than 600 kb were identified.By comparing the EBW genome with those of J.regia and J.microcarpa,we detected InDel sizes of 34.9 Mb in J.regia and 18.3 Mb in J.microcarpa,respectively.Transcriptomic analysis of differentially expressed genes identified five presumed NBS-LRR(NUCLEOTIDE BINDING SITELEUCINE-RICH REPEAT)genes were upregulated during the development of walnut husks and shells compared to developing embryos.We also identified candidate genes with essential roles in seed oil synthesis,including FAD(FATTY ACID DESATURASE)and OLE(OLEOSIN).Our work advances the understanding of fatty acid bioaccumulation and disease resistance in nut crops,and also provides an essential resource for conducting genomics-enabled breeding in walnut.

Does regional species diversity resist biotic invasions?

The role of regional species diversity in large-scale species invasions has been largely controversial.On the one hand,it has been proposed that diversity may facilitate invasion(“diversity begets diversity”)because regions with higher diversity may indicate favorable conditions for many more species.On the other hand,high diversity may indicate high levels of niche occupation,thus making it more difficult for new species to invade.In the past,invasion biologists have evaluated how regional native and exotic richness are related.Here,we test whether the range size of exotic species may be constrained by regional native richness using plant data from three continental regions in the Northern Hemisphere,i.e.,Europe,Eastern Asia,and North America.We found that regional native plant diversity is inversely related to the range size of exotic species.This result may be due to stronger species interactions such as competition in species-rich habitats that limit the establishment and spread of exotic species.

Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle

Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle,and its quality can be influenced by both epi-genetic modification and epigenetic inheritance.The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming,while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring’s development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline.Therefore,the selec-tion of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers.We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.

Discovery and genome-guided mapping of REN12 from Vitis amurensis, conferring strong, rapid resistance to grapevine powdery mildew

Powdery mildew resistance genes restrict infection attempts at different stages of pathogenesis.Here,a strong and rapid powdery mildew resistance phenotype was discovered from Vitis amurensis‘PI 588631’that rapidly stopped over 97%of Erysiphe necator conidia,before or immediately after emergence of a secondary hypha from appressoria.This resistance was effective across multiple years of vineyard evaluation on leaves,stems,rachises,and fruit and against a diverse array of E.necator laboratory isolates.Using core genome rhAmpSeq markers,resistance mapped to a single dominant locus(here named REN12)on chromosome 13 near 22.8–27.0 Mb,irrespective of tissue type,explaining up to 86.9%of the phenotypic variation observed on leaves.Shotgun sequencing of recombinant vines using skim-seq technology enabled the locus to be further resolved to a 780 kb region,from 25.15 to 25.93 Mb.RNASeq analysis indicated the allele-specific expression of four resistance genes(NLRs)from the resistant parent.REN12 is one of the strongest powdery mildew resistance loci in grapevine yet documented,and the rhAmpSeq sequences presented here can be directly used for marker-assisted selection or converted to other genotyping platforms.While no virulent isolates were identified among the genetically diverse isolates and wild populations of E.necator tested here,NLR loci like REN12 are often race-specific.Thus,stacking of multiple resistance genes and minimal use of fungicides should enhance the durability of resistance and could enable a 90%reduction in fungicides in low-rainfall climates where few other pathogens attack the foliage or fruit.

Tree ecophysiology in the context of climate change

Forest structure and function strongly depend on and concurrently influence environmental conditions.Tree performance is generally governed by its genetics and environment;thus,recent hotspots in this field include tree genotype×environment,phenotype×environment,and functional trait×environment interactions.The editorial,review,and 22 original research articles in this Special Issue,"Tree ecophysiology in the context of climate change",highlight ecophysiological phenomena(e.g.,climate hormesis,seed germination,tree mortality),processes(e.g.,tree metabolism,photosynthate allocation,nutrient uptake and transport),indicators(e.g.,carbon sequestration,pollutants),measurements(e.g.,thermal time methods,soil quality indices,vegetation spectral index,and near-infrared leaf reflectance),and modeling(e.g.,climate correlations with tree growth,photo synthetic phenology,hydraulic strategies,OliveCan model)in the context of global climate change.Understanding forest-environment interactions from an ecophysiological perspective as climate changes provides insights into species fitness in suboptimal environments,species competition for limited resources,and phylogenetic divergence or convergence of species,and predicting species distributions.

Novel Gluten-Free Amaranth and Oat Flour Cookies Fortified with Soybean Hulls

Soybean hulls, an abundant byproduct of soybean processing, contain rich phytochemicals, fibers, proteins, and minerals. Currently soybean hulls are primarily used as animal feeds. For value-added soybean hull utilization, 25% soybean hulls were substituted for amaranth or whole oat flour (WOF) in novel gluten-free cookies. Composition, nutritional values, water-holding capacities, correlation between properties, and pasting and rheological properties of soybean hulls, amaranth, and WOF were appraised in comparison to wheat flour. Water loss, cookie texture, and geometrical properties of the cookies were examined. The results disclosed that soybean hulls, amaranth and WOF contain higher protein content, minerals, fiber, special amino acids, and critical vitamins (C and K) than wheat flour. Considerably higher total amino acid content was found in soybean hulls (18.33%) than wheat flour (12.77%). Water-holding capacities increased by replacing amaranth and WOF with soybean hulls. Soybean hulls exhibited higher rheological elastic properties than amaranth, WOF and wheat flours. The soybean hulls utilized in amaranth or WOF cookies greatly improved their nutritional value, the water retention and moisture content along with acceptable physical properties when compared to wheat flour cookies. This study explored the feasibility and potential of utilizing soybean hulls with amaranth and WOF in gluten-free bakery products and other food applications.