Prediction of Apple Fruit Quality by Soil Nutrient Content and Artificial Neural Network

The effect of soil nutrient content on fruit yield and fruit quality is very important.To explore the effect of soil nutrients on apple quality we investigated 200 fruit samples from 40 orchards in Feng County,Jiangsu Province.Soil mineral elements and fruit quality were measured.The effect of soil nutrient content on fruit quality was analyzed by artificial neural network(ANN)model.The results showed that the prediction accuracy was highest(R2=0.851,0.847,0.885,0.678 and 0.746)in mass per fruit(MPF),hardness(HB),soluble solids concentrations(SSC),titratable acid concentration(TA)and solid-acid ratio(SSC/TA),respectively.The sensitivity analysis of the prediction model showed that soil available P,K,Ca and Mg contents had the greatest impact on the quality of apple fruit.Response surface method(RSM)was performed to determine the optimum range of the available P,K,Ca,and Mg contents in orchards In Feng County,which were 10∼20 mg⋅kg^(−1),170∼200 mg⋅kg^(−1),1000∼1500 mg⋅kg^(−1),and 80∼200 mg⋅kg^(−1),respectively.The research also concluded that improving the content of available P and available Ca in orchard soil was crucial to improve apple fruit quality in Feng County,Jiangsu Province.

Dimerization of 1-Phenyl-1<i>H</i>-Tetrazole-5-Thiol over Metalloporphyrin Catalysts

In an alkaline methanol solution, dimerization of 1-phenyl-1H-tetrazole-5-thiol (HL) was carried out over metalloporphyrin catalysts under mild conditions. The dimer product, 1,2-bis (1-phenyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl) disulfane (L-L), was characterized by determinations of infrared (IR), HPLC, NMR and elementary analysis respectively. In situ UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis and cyclic voltammetric (CV) determinations suggested that the active intermediate for L-L formation is an axially ligated complex, RS-MnⅢTHPP, which decomposes into a MnⅡTHPP molecule and a stable radical (SR) for coupling to form the disulfane. Meanwhile MnIITHPP molecule can be oxidized easily to form MnⅢTHPP species again by oxygen from the air for using in next catalytic circle.

Naturally Crosslinked Biocompatible Carbonaceous Liquid Metal Aqueous Ink Printing Wearable Electronics for Multi-Sensing and Energy Harvesting

Achieving flexible electronics with comfort and durability comparable to traditional textiles is one of the ultimate pursuits of smart wearables.Ink printing is desirable for e-textile development using a simple and inexpensive process.However,fabricating high-performance atop textiles with good dispersity,stability,biocompatibility,and wearability for high-resolution,large-scale manufacturing,and practical applications has remained challenging.Here,waterbased multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)-decorated liquid metal(LM)inks are proposed with carbonaceous gallium–indium micro-nanostructure.With the assistance of biopolymers,the sodium alginate-encapsulated LM droplets contain high carboxyl groups which non-covalently crosslink with silk sericin-mediated MWCNTs.E-textile can be prepared subsequently via printing technique and natural waterproof triboelectric coating,enabling good flexibility,hydrophilicity,breathability,wearability,biocompatibility,conductivity,stability,and excellent versatility,without any artificial chemicals.The obtained e-textile can be used in various applications with designable patterns and circuits.Multi-sensing applications of recognizing complex human motions,breathing,phonation,and pressure distribution are demonstrated with repeatable and reliable signals.Self-powered and energy-harvesting capabilities are also presented by driving electronic devices and lighting LEDs.As proof of concept,this work provides new opportunities in a scalable and sustainable way to develop novel wearable electronics and smart clothing for future commercial applications.

Bph30confers resistance to brown planthopperby fortifying sclerenchyma in rice leaf sheaths

Phloem-feeding insects cause massive losses in agriculture and horticulture.Host plant resistance to phloem-feeding insects is often mediated by changes in phloem composition,which deter insect settling and feeding and decrease viability.Here,we report that rice plant resistance to the phloem-feeding brown planthopper(BPH)is associated with fortification of the sclerenchyma tissue,which is located just beneath the epidermis and a cell layer or two away from the vascular bundle in the rice leaf sheath.We found that BPHs prefer to feed on the smooth and soft region on the surface of rice leaf sheaths called the long-cell block.We identified Bph30 as a rice BPH resistance gene that prevents BPH stylets from reaching the phloem due to the fortified sclerenchyma.Bph30 is strongly expressed in sclerenchyma cells and enhances cellulose and hemicellulose synthesis,making the cell walls stiffer and sclerenchyma thicker.The structurally fortified sclerenchyma is a formidable barrier preventing BPH stylets from penetrating the leaf sheath tissues and arriving at the phloem to feed.Bph30 belongs to a novel gene family,encoding a protein with two leucine-rich domains.Another member of the family,Bph40,also conferred resistance to BPH.Collectively,the fortified sclerenchyma-mediated resistance mechanism revealed in this study expands our understanding of plant-insect interactions and opens a new path for controlling planthoppers in rice.

Pomelo Peel-Inspired 3D-Printed Porous Structure for Efficient Absorption of Compressive Strain Energy

The porous structure in pomelo peel is believed to be responsible for the protection of its fruit from damage during the free falling from a tree.The quantitative understanding of the relationship between the deformation behavior and the porous structure could pave the way for the design of porous structures for efficient energy absorption.Here,a universal feature of pore distribution in pomelo peels along the radial direction is extracted from three varieties of pomelos,which shows strong correlation to the deformation behavior of the peels under compression.Guided by the porous design found in pomelo peels,porous polyether-ether-ketone(PEEK)cube is additively manufactured and possesses the highest ability to absorb energy during compression as compared to the non-pomelo-inspired geometries,which is further confirmed by the finite element simulation.The nature-optimized porous structure revealed here could guide the design of lightweight and high-energy-dissipating materials/devices.

3D printing of bioinspired compartmentalized capsular structure for controlled drug release

Drug delivery with customized combinations of drugs,controllable drug dosage,and on-demand release kinetics is critical for personalized medicine.In this study,inspired by successive opening of layered structures and compartmentalized structures in plants,we designed a multiple compartmentalized capsular structure for controlled drug delivery.The structure was designed as a series of compartments,defined by the gradient thickness of their external walls and internal divisions.Based on the careful choice and optimization of bioinks composed of gelatin,starch,and alginate,the capsular structures were successfully manufactured by fused deposition modeling three-dimensional(3 D)printing.The capsules showed fusion and firm contact between printed layers,forming complete structures without significant defects on the external walls and internal joints.Internal cavities with different volumes were achieved for different drug loading as designed.In vitro swelling demonstrated a successive dissolving and opening of external walls of different capsule compartments,allowing successive drug pulses from the capsules,resulting in the sustained release for about 410 min.The drug release was significantly prolonged compared to a single burst release from a traditional capsular design.The bioinspired design and manufacture of multiple compartmentalized capsules enable customized drug release in a controllable fashion with combinations of different drugs,drug doses,and release kinetics,and have potential for use in personalized medicine.