Research on Composting and Substrate Utilization of Garden Waste

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate how to use garden waste resources.[Methods]With garden waste as a raw material for composting treatment,the effects of adding starters on the decomposing effects of garden waste were investigated,and the changes in temperature and microorganisms during the decomposing process were analyzed.On this basis,the compost products were used to partially replace peat to make pepper seedling substrates,so as to further confirm the possibility of the use of compost products as substrates.[Results]Adding organic material starter or biological bacterial fertilizer starter could help garden waste to decompose and accelerate the composting process;and making seedling substrates by using garden waste compost products to partially replace peat could significantly improve the emergence rate,strong seedling index and fresh weight of pepper.The compost products fermented with the two kinds of starters had better substitution effects and higher seedling quality indexes.[Conclusions]This study provides a scientific basis for the substrate utilization of garden waste.

Bi_(2)O_(2)CO_(3)/ZnIn_(2)S_(4)上活性氧物种和光活性电荷的协同作用实现5-羟甲基糠醛的选择性光氧化转化

光氧化转化可再生生物质衍生物为高附加值的化学品具有重要意义,但由于在控制氧化物种和理想的反应途径方面存在挑战,其选择性通常较低.本工作报道了利用CO_(2)气体介导的固固相变法制备Bi_(2)O_(2)CO_(3)/ZnIn_(2)S_(4)异质结构,用于光氧化转化生物质衍生的5-羟甲基糠醛(HMF)生成2,5-二甲酰基呋喃(DFF),其选择性高达98.1%,产率达882.6μmol g^(-1)h^(-1).金属碳酸盐/氧化物异质界面诱导了光活性电子和空穴的有效转移,优化了表面氧的活化,促进了·OOH和空穴的协同作用,进而可以选择性地将HMF转化为DFF.本工作表明异质界面上电子-空穴对和活性氧物种的调控有助于利用可再生原料实现可持续发展.

Engineered mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles for diabetic retinopathy therapy through HIF-1α/EZH2/PGC-1αpathway

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a leading cause of blindness worldwide with limited treatment options.Mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles(MSC-sEVs)hold promise as a cell-free therapy for retinal diseases.In this study,we present evidence that the intravitreal injection of MSC-sEVs improved retinal function and alleviated retinal apoptosis,inflammation,and angiogenesis in both db/db mice and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Mechanistically,hyperglycemia-induced activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)inhibited the tripartite motif 21(TRIM21)-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of enhancer of zeste homologue 2(EZH2),ultimately resulting in the downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γcoactivator-1α(PGC-1α)through EZH2-induced methylation modification.The presence of miR-5068 and miR-10228 in MSC-sEVs targeted the HIF-1α/EZH2/PGC-1αpathway.The blockade of miR-5068 and miR-10228 abolished the retinal therapeutic effects of MSC-sEVs.Additionally,we engineered MSC-sEVs with elevated levels of miR-5068 and miR-10228 to enhance retinal repair efficiency.Together,our findings provide novel insights into the mechanism underlying DR progress and highlight the potential of MSC-sEVs,especially engineered MSC-sEVs,as a therapeutic option for DR.

Adsorption of glycine at the anatase TiO_(2)/water interface: Effects of Ca^(2+) ions

Adsorption reactions of amino acids(AAs)on TiO_(2) nanoparticles(NPs)play an important role in the available nutrients in soils and sediments.The pH effects on glycine adsorption have been studied,but little is known about its coadsorption with Ca^(2+)at the molecular level.Combined attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared(ATR-FTIR)flow-cell measurements and density functional theory(DFT)calculationswere used to determine the surface complex and corresponding dynamic adsorption/desorption processes.The structures of glycine adsorbed onto TiO_(2) were closely associated with its dissolved species in the solution phase.The presence of Ca^(2+)exerted different influences on glycine adsorption within pH 4−11,thus affecting its migration rate in soils and sediments.The mononuclear bidentate complex at pH 4−7,involving the COO−moiety of zwitterionic glycine,remained unchanged in the absence and presence of Ca^(2+).At pH 11,the mononuclear bidentate complex with deprotonated NH2 can be removed from the TiO_(2) surface upon coadsorption with Ca^(2+).The bonding strength of glycine on TiO_(2) was much weaker than that of the Ca-bridged ternary surface complexation.Glycine adsorption was inhibited at pH 4 but was enhanced at pH 7 and 11.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors in Spodoptera litura upon pathogen infection

Basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH)transcription factors play an important role in a wide range of metabolic and developmental processes in eukaryotes,and bHLH proteins also participate in immune responses,especially in plants.However,their roles in insects upon entomopathogen infection are unknown.In this study,54 bHLH genes in 41 families were identified in a polyphagous pest,Spodoptera litura,including a new bHLH gene in group B,which is specifically present in Lepidoptera and was thus named Lep.The conserved amino acids in the bHLH domain,structural architecture,and chromosomal distribution of bHLH genes in S.litura were analyzed.The bHLH genes in Plutella xylostella and Apis mellifera were also updated,and genome-wide comparison and phylogenetic analysis of bHLH members in 5 holometabolous insects were performed.The expression profiles of S.litura bHLH(SlbHLH)genes in 3 tissues at different developmental stages and their responses to S.litura nucleopolyhedrovirus(SpltNPV),Nomuraea rileyi(Nr),and Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)infection were investigated.More SlbHLHs in group B were expressed and differentially expressed during pathogen infections,and SlbHLHs tended to be downregulated in the midgut of S.litura larvae after B.thuringiensis treatment.Our study provides an overview of bHLH family members in S.litura and their responses to different pathogens used for pest biocontrol.These findings on bHLH members may contribute to uncovering the mechanism of host-pathogen interaction.

Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of Cry toxin receptor families in 7 insect species with a focus on Spodoptera litura

Cadherin,aminopeptidase N(APN)and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)have been characterized as Cry receptors.In this study,comparative genomic analysis of the 3 receptor families was performed in 7 insects.ALPs and APNs are divided into three and eight clades in phylogenetic trees,respectively.ALPs in clade 3 and APNs in clade 1 contain multiple paralogs within each species and most paralogs are located closely in chromosomes.Drosophila melanogaster has expanded APNs in clade 5 and were lowly expressed in midgut.Cadherins are divided into 16 clades;they may diverge before holometabolous insect speciation except for BtR and Cad89D-like clades.Eight insects from different orders containing BtR orthologs are sensitive to Cryl A or Cry3A,while five species without BtR are insensitive to both toxins.Most APNs in clade 1,several ALPs in clade 3,BtR and Cad89D-like genes were highly or moderately expressed in larval midgut of Spodoptera litura and the other six species,and several members in these clades have been identi-•fied as Cry receptors.Expressions of putative 5.litura Cry receptors in the midgut after exposing to Bt toxins were also analyzed.