Effect of Biochar Type and Bradyrhizobium japonicum Seed Inoculation on Soybean Growth, Nodulation and Yield in a Tropical Ferric Acrisol

In tropical environments, most soybean growth studies have utilized rice husk biochar (RHB) in soil, even though it is low in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous. This may not give short-term agronomic performance relative to enriched biochar. Moreover, the impact of inoculating soybean seeds with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum on nodulation and grain yield has produced inconclusive findings in the literature. This research therefore aims to assess the effect of poultry manure (PM), poultry manure biochar (PMB) and RHB alone and in combinations on grain yield, dry shoot and root biomass of soybeans in the semi-deciduous agro-ecological zone. In addition, the effect of B. japonicum inoculated and non-inoculated soybean seeds on nodulation and grain yield was also investigated. The treatments followed a split plot design studying inoculation and non-inoculation, soil amendments (eight), and control subplot factors, respectively. The results show that the amendment of a ferric acrisol with 4 Mg∙ha−1 PM, 10 Mg∙ha−1 RHB + 2 Mg∙ha−1 PM, and 5 Mg∙ha−1 RHB + 4 Mg∙ha−1 PMB with B. japonicum inoculated seed produced significantly greater grain yield (p = 0.05). PM treatment had a significant (p B. japonicum-inoculated soybean seeds significantly (p = 0.014) increased soybean nodulation. This study suggests that RHB combined with PM or PMB provides a beneficial source of N, P, and K, resulting in improved soybean yield and nodulation in a tropical ferric acrisol.

Aluminum Toxicity:A Case Study on Tobacco(Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Aluminum is an abundant metal in the earth’s crust that turns out to be toxic in acidic environments.Many plants are affected by the presence of aluminum at the whole plant level,at the organ level,and at the cellular level.Tobacco as a cash crop(Nicotiana tabacum L.)is a widely cultivated plant worldwide and is also a good model organism for research.Although there are many articles on Al-phytotoxicity in the literature,reviews on a single species that are economically and scientifically important are limited.In this article,we not only provide the biology associated with tobacco Al-toxicity,but also some essential information regarding the effects of this metal on other plant species(even animals).This review provides information on aluminum localization and uptake process by different staining techniques,as well as the effects of its toxicity at different compartment levels and the physiological consequences derived from them.In addition,molecular studies in recent years have reported specific responses to Al toxicity,such as overexpression of various protective proteins.Besides,this review discusses data on various organelle-based responses,cell death,and other mechanisms,data on tobacco plants and other kingdoms relevant to these studies.

Hydrocephalic cerebrospinal fluid flowing rotationally with pulsatile boundaries:A mathematical simulation of the thermodynamical approach

To study the kinematics of flow rate and ventricular dilatation,an analytical perturbation approach of hydrocephalus has been devised.This research provides a comprehensive investigation of the characteristics of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)flow and pressure in a hydrocephalic patient.The influence of hydrocephalic CSF,flowing rotationally with realistic dynamical characteristics on pulsatile boundaries of subarachnoid space,was demonstrated using a nonlinear controlling system of CSF.An analytical perturbation method of hydrocephalus has been developed to investigate the biomechanics of fluid flow rate and the ventricular enlargement.In this paper presents a detailed analysis of CSF flow and pressure dynamics in a hydrocephalic patient.It was elaborated with a nonlinear governing model of CSF to show the influence of hydrocephalic CSF,flowing rotationally with realistic dynamical behaviors on pulsatile boundaries of subarachnoid space.In accordance with the suggested model,the elasticity factor changes depending on how much a porous layer,in this case the brain parenchyma,is stretched.It was improved to include the relaxation of internal mechanical stresses for various perturbation orders,modelling the potential plasticity of brain tissue.The initial geometry that was utilised to create the framework of CSF with pathological disease hydrocephalus and indeed the output of simulations using this model were compared to the actual progression of ventricular dimensions and shapes in patients.According to this observation,the non-linear and elastic mechanical phenomena incorporated into the current model are probably true.Further modelling of ventricular dilation at a normal pressure may benefit from the existence of a valid model whose parameters approximate genuine mechanical characteristics of the cerebral cortex.

华北地区冬小麦生产潜力数值模拟

利用自然正交分解(EOF)对由机理性作物生长模型模拟的华北地区冬小麦的光温和气候生产潜力结果进行了分析,揭示生产潜力在时空上的分异规律。首先在中国科学院禹城综合试验站进行了冬小麦田间试验,测定了冬小麦生理生态及干物质积累过程等试验数据。根据试验数据对WOFOST模型进行了改进,获取了相关模型参数并对模型进行了充分验证,验证结果表明模型可以较好地模拟冬小麦生长过程。随后利用验证后的WOFOST模型模拟了华北地区42个站点1961—2006年冬小麦的光温生产潜力和气候生产潜力,并对其进行EOF分析。结果表明华北地区光温生产潜力呈东北高西南低的变化趋势,气候生产潜力大致呈南高北低的趋势,该结果与以往研究结果较为一致。EOF分析则表明,影响光温生产潜力最重要的因子是辐射,其次是温度。影响气候生产潜力最重要的是降水,其次是该区域光温条件的综合效应。

华北平原夏玉米生产潜力数值模拟及其自然正交分析

为了明确华北平原夏玉米区域生产潜力的气象要素影响层次,在中国科学院禹城综合试验站进行了夏玉米田间试验,利用Licor-6400便携式光合仪等对夏玉米生长过程进行了较为全面的生理生态参数测定,在此基础上对WOFOST模型进行了相应改进和系统验证,并利用验证后的WOFOST模型对华北平原42个站点1961—2006年夏玉米光温生产潜力和气候生产潜力进行了数值模拟,进行了生产力自然正交分解(EOF)分析。结果表明:模型可以较好地模拟夏玉米生长发育及干物质积累过程。华北平原光温生产潜力变化在7360～11370 kg/hm2之间,平均值为9384 kg/hm2,呈东北高西南低的趋势。光温生产潜力的EOF第一模态方差贡献超过总方差的1/3,前3个模态累计方差贡献达到总方差的62.5%。第一模态在区域上均为正值,具有较好的一致性。气候生产潜力变化在6160～10420 kg/hm2之间,平均值为7906 kg/hm2,与光温生产潜力的区域分布趋势类似,气候生产潜力的EOF前2个模态较为突出,其累计方差贡献可达总方差的1/3。该研究首次将作物数值模拟与EOF方法相结合,进一步揭示了气象要素对夏玉米生产潜力的影响层次关系,可为区域农业布局及决策提供一定的理论支持及实践指导。

Seasonal and inter-annual variations in carbon fluxes and evapotranspiration over cotton field under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in an arid region of Northwest China

Xinjiang is the largest semi-arid and arid region in China, and drip irrigation under plastic mulch is widely used in this water-limited area. Quantifying carbon and water fluxes as well as investigating their environ- mental drivers over cotton fields is critical for understanding regional carbon and water budgets in Xinjiang, the largest cotton production basin of China. In this study, an eddy covariance （EC） technique was used to measure the carbon and water fluxes of cotton field under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in the growing seasons of 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 at Wulanwusu Agrometeorological Experiment Station, a representative oasis cropland in northern Xinjiang. The diurnal patterns of gross primary production （GPP）, net ecosystem exchange （NEE） and evapotran-spiration （ET） showed obviously sinusoidal variations from June to September, while the diurnal ecosystem respiration （Res） was stable between daytime and nighttime. The daytime hourly GPP and ET displayed asymptotic rela-tionships with net solar radiation （Rnet）, while showed concave patterns with raising vapor pressure deficit （VPD） and air temperature （Ta）. The increases in hourly GPP and ET towards the maximum occurred over half ranges of VPD and Ta. The seasonal variations of GPP, NEE and ET were close to the cotton phenology, which almost reached the peak value in July. The cumulative GPP averaged 816.2±55.0 g C/m^2 in the growing season （from April to October）, and more than half of GPP was partitioned into NEE （mean value of -478.6±41.4 g C/m^2）. The mean seasonal ET was 501.3±13.9 mm, and the mean water use efficiency （WUE） was 1.0＋0.1 （mg C/g H2O）/d. The agro-ecosystem behaved as a carbon sink from squaring to harvest period, while it acted as a carbon source before the squaring time as well as after the harvest time.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation,molecular docking and in vitro biological evaluation of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as potent antioxidants and STAT3 inhibitors

1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole derivatives(4 a–5 f) were previously synthesized to investigate their anticancer properties.However, studies relating to their antioxidant potential and signal transducer and activator of transcription(STAT) inhibition have not been performed. We investigated previously synthesized 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole derivatives(4 a–5 f) for various radical scavenging properties using several in vitro antioxidant assays and also for direct inhibition of STAT3 through molecular docking. The data obtained from various antioxidant assays such as 2, 2,-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical(DPPH), nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide anion radical revealed that among all the derivatives, compound 5 e displayed high antioxidant activities than the standard antioxidant L-ascorbic acid. Additionally, the total reduction assay and antioxidant capacity assay further confirmed the antioxidant potential of compound 5 e. Furthermore, the molecular docking studies performed for all derivatives along with the standard inhibitor STX-0119 showed that binding energy released in direct binding with the SH2 domain of STAT3 was the highest for compound 5 e(-9.91 kcal/mol).Through virtual screening, compound 5 e was found to exhibit optimum competency in inhibiting STAT3 activity. Compound 5 e decreased the activation of STAT3 as observed with Western blot. In brief, compound5 e was identified as a potent antioxidant agent and STAT3 inhibitor and effective agent for cancer treatment.

Incorporation of a nanotechnology-based additive in cementitious products for clay stabilisation

The mechanical performances and water retention characteristics of clays,stabilised by partial substitution of cement with by-products and inclusion of a nanotechnology-based additive called RoadCem(RC),are studied in this research.The unconfined compression tests and one-dimensional oedometer swelling were performed after 7 d of curing to understand the influence of addition of 1%of RC material in the stabilised soils with the cement partially replaced by 49%,59%and 69%of ground granulated blast furnace slag(GBBS)or pulverised fuel ash(PFA).The moisture retention capacity of the stabilised clays was also explored using the soil-water retention curve(SWRC)from the measured suctions.Results confirmed an obvious effect of the use of RC with the obtained strength and swell properties of the stabilised clays suitable for road application at 50%replacement of cement.This outcome is associated with the in-depth and penetrating hydration of the cementitious materials by the RC and water which results in the production of needle-like matrix with interlocking filaments e a phenomenon referred to as the‘wrapping’effect.On the other hand,the SWRC used to describe the water holding capacity and corresponding swell mechanism of clays stabilised by a proportion of RC showed a satisfactory response.The moisture retention of the RC-modified clays was initially higher but reduced subsequently as the saturation level increased with decreasing suction.This phenomenon confirmed that clays stabilised by including the RC are water-proof in nature,thus ensuring reduced porosity and suction even at reduced water content.Overall,the stabilised clays with the combination of cement,GGBS and RC showed a better performance compared to those with the PFA included.

Sustained neuronal viability by paracrine factors: new opportunities for endothelial progenitor cell secretome

Despite the big progresses in the field of regenerative medicine, the loss of neurons remains essentially an unresolved challenge.Among the different approaches under investigation, there are great expectations on stem and progenitor cells-based strategies.

A comparison of lower limb stiffness and mechanical muscle function in ACL-reconstructed,elite,and adolescent alpine ski racers/ski cross athletes

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare mechanical muscle function in the eccentric/concentric phases of vertical bilateral jumping in anterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed(ACLR), elite(ELITE), and adolescent(ADOL) alpine ski racers and ski cross athletes.Methods: Alpine ski racers/ski crossers(ACLR: n = 12, age = 26.7 § 3.8 years; ELITE: n = 12, age = 23.9 § 3.0 years; ADOL: n = 12, age = 17.8§ 0.7 years; females: n = 6 per group, males: n = 6 per group) performed 5 maximal countermovement jumps(CMJs) and 5 squat jumps. The ground reaction forces for each limb were analyzed using dual force plate recording to obtain body center of mass(BCM) velocity, displacement,and power. The eccentric deceleration(ECC) and concentric phases were determined from BCM velocity. CMJ net concentric and ECC impulses were calculated(body mass normalized) along with the peak and mean BCM power and maximal vertical jump height. CMJ lower limb stiffness(LLS) was determined by the slope of the ground reaction forces vs. the BCM displacement curve over the ECC phase. Concentric and ECC asymmetry indices were calculated for each leg, and the left vs. right LLS was compared. Outcome measures(reported as mean § SD) calculated as a 5-jump mean were normalized to body mass and compared using an analysis of variance.Results: No between-group differences were found for peak and mean power or jump heights. There were no group differences for LLS or net concentric phase impulse, but the net ECC impulse was lower in the ADOL group compared with ELITE skiers(ADOL: 1.33 § 0.32 Ns/kg;ELITE: 1.59 § 0.16 Ns/kg; p < 0.05). Although no group differences were found for ECC asymmetry indices, a group ￡ limb interaction was found for LLS(p < 0.01), which was systematically higher in the right vs. the left limb of ADOL skiers(right: 54.1 § 17.9 N/m/kg; left: 48.7 §15.7 N/m/kg; p < 0.01).Conclusion: ADOL skiers demonstrated decreased ECC impulse and systematic right limb dominance in LLS compared with ACLR and ELITE skiers. The implication of these findings for injury and performance are unknown, but further investigation into these potential relationships is warranted.

Atomically dispersed catalysts for small molecule electrooxidation in direct liquid fuel cells

Direct liquid fuel cells(DLFCs) have received increasing attention because of their high energy densities,instant recharging abilities, simple cell structure, and facile storage and transport. The main challenge for the commercialization of DLFCs is the high loading requirement of platinum group metals(PGMs) as catalysts. Atomically dispersed catalysts(ADCs) have been brought into recent focus for DLFCs due to their well-defined active sites, high selectivity, maximal atom-utilization, and anti-poisoning property. In this review, we summarized the structure–property relationship for unveiling the underlying mechanisms of ADCs for DLFCs. More specifically, different types of fuels used in DLFCs such as methanol, formic acid,and ethanol were discussed. At last, we highlighted current challenges, research directions, and future outlooks towards the practical application of DLFCs.

Taxonomic and metabolic shifts in the Coorong bacterial metagenome driven by salinity and external inputs

The Coorong estuary lies at the terminus of Australia's largest river system, the Murray-Darling; both are strongly influenced by human activities; including farming and extensive flow modification. Metagenomic approaches were used to determine the planktonic bacterial community composition and potential metabolic function at two extremes in the Coorong, the river mouth which exhibits marine-like salinity, and the hypersaline upper-reaches of the estuary. Significant shifts in taxa and metabolic function were seen between the two sites. The river mouth exhibited an increase in abundance of R hodobacteriaceae and Alteromonadaceae; families readily able to adapt to change in nutrient conditions; and the potentially pathogenic families B rucellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae. Metabolisms over-represented include motility and chemotaxis, RNA metabolism and membrane transport, all of which are involved in actively searching for and obtaining nutrients. Also over-represented were metabolisms involved in population succession and stress response. An over-representation of taxa and metabolisms indicative of environmental change is reflective of anthropogenically af fected riverine input. In the hypersaline upper reaches of the estuary, the halophilic family Ectothiorhodospiraceae was over-represented, as were the families Flavobacteriaceae, Cytophagaceae and Nocardioidaceae, members of which are able to survive over a wide salinity range. Metabolisms over-represented here were reflective of increased bacterial growth, characteristic of hypersaline environments, and included DNA metabolism, nucleotide and nucleoside synthesis and cell cycle. Coorong metagenomes clustered taxonomically and metabolically with other planktonic metagenomes, but remained an outlier of this group with only 71% and 84% similarity, respectively. This indicates that the Coorong exhibits a unique planktonic bacterial community that is influenced by riverine input at the river mouth and salinity in the upper-reaches.

Spatial-temporal evolution of vegetation evapotranspiration in Hebei Province,China

Evapotranspiration （ET） is the sum of soil or water body evaporation and plant transpiration from the earth surface and ocean to the atmosphere, and thus plays a significant role in regulating carbon and water resource cycles. The time-series data set from the remote sensing MOLDS product （MOD16） was used to study the spatial-temporal evolution of vegetation evapotranspiration in salinized areas during 2000-2014 by analyzing the variability, spatial patterns and Mann-Kendall （MK） nonparametric trends for the time series. The results indicate that inter-annual and intra-annual variations of ET across various vegetated areas show seasonal changes, with the abnormal months identified. The Cultivated land displays a greater degree of spatial heterogeneity and the spatial pattern of ET in the area covered by broadleaved deciduous forests corresponds to a higher ET rate and increased water consumption. Awidespread decline of ET is observed only in cultivated areas. However, agricultural cultivation doesn＇t worsen water shortage and soil salinization problems in the region, and water shortage problems are worsening for other vegetated areas. This research provides a basis of reference for the reasonable allocation of water resources and restructuring of vegetation patterns in salinized areas.

Paracrine factors for neurodegenerative disorders:special emphasis on Parkinson's disease

The progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral mesencephalon is the main pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease（PD）.Drugs currently available only alleviate the principal symptomatic motor-related disturbances and their benefit is counteracted by side effects in the long time.

Gamma Irradiation Enhanced Leaf Bioactive Components and Bioassay Parameters in M₅Mulberry (<i>Morus</i>Sp.) Mutant

Gamma radiation is an effective tool for inducing genetic variation in plant characters. In the present experiment, M5 mulberry variety juvenile twigs were subjected to source Co60 gamma irradiation (1 kR - 10 kR) and mutants grown in triplicates in randomized block design to raise M1 and M2 generation. In M2 generation plants were subjected to phytochemical and bioassay tests. Silkworm rearing parameters and commercial characters of cocoons were recorded by feeding cross breed silkworms. Results show that M5 mutant leaves revealed significant variations in phytochemical constituents and moisture content. Bioassay tests recorded significant differences compared to control in M2 generation. Commercial characters like cocoon weight (1.41 g), shell weight (0.24 g), shell percentage (16.29 %), filament length (821.00 mts), renditta (8.2), denier (2.24) and effective rate of rearing (92.14 %) were increased. It is concluded that, gamma rays treatment enhances the mulberry plants leaf bioactive components, silkworm rearing and cocoon parameters and shows beneficial variants in M2 generation.

Organophosphine ligand derived sandwich-structural electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

The synchronous construction of metal phosphate and phosphorus-doped carbon structures is of great significance to innovate the design,synthesis,and application of catalysts,as these phosphoruscontaining composite materials have shown a remarkable contribution to electrocatalysts.However,their preparation procedure generally involves using large amounts of excess phosphorus sources for phosphorization,which inevitably release poisonous PH_(3) or dangerous phosphorus vapor.Here,a strategy for in-situ formation of FePO_(4) embedded in P-doped carbon 2D nano film(FePO_(4)/PdC)is developed using a highly integrated precursor,which is a small molecular organophosphine ligand,1,1’bis(diphenylphosphine)ferrocene(DPPF).The multi-source precursor DPPF that contains Fe,P,and C is molecular-vapor-deposited on the nickel foam(NF)supported ZIF-67 nanosheets to obtain the composite catalyst,namely DPPF-500/ZIF-67/NF.FePO_(4)/PdC encapsulated the ZIF-67 derived Co/N-doped carbon matrix(Co NC)to form a sandwich structure FePO_(4)/PdC@CoNC.The constructed catalyst shows good performance for OER,requiring an overpotential of only 297 m V to deliver 600 m A/cm^(2) with a Tafel slope of 42.7 m V dec^(-1).DFT calculations demonstrate that the synergistic effects between the metal active center and P-doped carbon film reduce the energy barriers and improve electron transport.This method of constructing P-containing catalysts overcomes the demand for additional P sources to realize eco-friendly fabrication and yields a unique structure with good catalytic activity.

Multiclass stand-alone and ensemble machine learning algorithms utilised to classify soils based on their physico-chemical characteristics

This study has provided an approach to classify soil using machine learning.Multiclass elements of stand-alone machine learning algorithms(i.e.logistic regression(LR)and artificial neural network(ANN)),decision tree ensembles(i.e.decision forest(DF)and decision jungle(DJ)),and meta-ensemble models(i.e.stacking ensemble(SE)and voting ensemble(VE))were used to classify soils based on their intrinsic physico-chemical properties.Also,the multiclass prediction was carried out across multiple cross-validation(CV)methods,i.e.train validation split(TVS),k-fold cross-validation(KFCV),and Monte Carlo cross-validation(MCCV).Results indicated that the soils’clay fraction(CF)had the most influence on the multiclass prediction of natural soils’plasticity while specific surface and carbonate content(CC)possessed the least within the nature of the dataset used in this study.Stand-alone machine learning models(LR and ANN)produced relatively less accurate predictive performance(accuracy of 0.45,average precision of 0.5,and average recall of 0.44)compared to tree-based models(accuracy of 0.68,average precision of 0.71,and recall rate of 0.68),while the meta-ensembles(SE and VE)outperformed(accuracy of 0.75,average precision of 0.74,and average recall rate of 0.72)all the models utilised for multiclass classification.Sensitivity analysis of the meta-ensembles proved their capacities to discriminate between soil classes across the methods of CV considered.Machine learning training and validation using MCCV and KFCV methods enabled better prediction while also ensuring that the dataset was not overfitted by the machine learning models.Further confirmation of this phenomenon was depicted by the continuous rise of the cumulative lift curve(LC)of the best performing models when using the MCCV technique.Overall,this study demonstrated that soil’s physico-chemical properties do have a direct influence on plastic behaviour and,therefore,can be relied upon to classify soils.

Signature-Based Intrusion Detection System in Wireless 6G IoT Networks

An“Intrusion Detection System”(IDS)is a security measure designed to perceive and be aware of unauthorized access or malicious activity on a computer system or network.Signature-based IDSs employ an attack signature database to identify intrusions.This indicates that the system can only identify known attacks and cannot identify brand-new or unidentified assaults.In Wireless 6G IoT networks,signature-based IDSs can be useful to detect a wide range of known attacks such as viruses,worms,and Trojans.However,these networks have specific requirements and constraints,such as the need for real-time detection and low-power operation.To meet these requirements,the IDS algorithm should be designed to be efficient in terms of resource usage and should include a mechanism for updating the attack signatures to keep up with evolving threats.This paper provides a solution for a signature-based intrusion detection system in wireless 6G IoT Networks,in which three different algorithms were used and implemented by using python and JavaScript programming languages and an accuracy of 98.9%is achieved.

Beyond catalytic materials:Controlling local gas/liquid environment in the catalyst layer for CO_(2)electrolysis

Electrochemical reduction of CO_(2)to value-added chemicals using renewable electricity provides a promising strategy to achieve sustainable fuel production and carbon neutrality.Along with the development of electrocatalysts,fow cells with gas-diffusion electrodes(GDEs)have been used to reach commercially viable current densities for CO_(2)electrolysis,while the local environment and CO_(2)mass transport in the electrodes remain to be elucidated.In this review article,we highlight some insights into the microenvironment in the catalyst layer for CO_(2)electrolysis,including typical mass transport models for CO_(2)reduction in H-type cells and GDE fow cells,the effect of a hydrophobic microenvironment on CO_(2)mass transport and catalytic performance,and the formation of a gas/liquid balance and solid–liquid–gas interfaces for CO_(2)electrolysis.The insights and discussions in this article can provide important guidelines on the design of catalysts,electrodes,and electrolyzers for CO_(2)electrolysis,as well as other gas-involving electrocatalytic reactions.

Nogo-A and its functions beyond axonal inhibition: the controversial role of Nogo-A in Parkinson's disease

Nogo-A belongs to the reticulon family（RTN4）and is generally assumed to be one of the most potent myelin associated neurite outgrowth inhibitors in the central nervous system（CNS）.Together with other inhibitors such as the myelin associated glycoprotein（MAG）,oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein（OMgp）,