High value-added chemical production through anaerobic codigestion of corn straw with a microbial consortium, cow manure and cow digestion solution.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the codigestion of corn straw (CS) with cow manure (CM), cow digestion solution (CD), and a strain consortium (SC) for enhanced volatile fatty acid (VFA) production. The aims of this study were to develop a sustainable technique to increase VFA yields, examine how combining microbial reagents with CS affects VFA production by functional microorganisms, and assess the feasibility of improving microbial diversity through codigestion. METHODS: Batch experiments evaluated VFA production dynamics and microbial community changes with different combinations of CS substrates with CM, CD, and SC. Analytical methods included measuring VFAs by GC, ammonia and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by standard methods and microbial community analysis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Codigesting CS with the strain consortium yielded initial VFA concentrations ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 g/L, which were greater than those of the other combinations (0.05-0.3 g/L). Including CM, and CD further increased VFA production to 1.0-2.0 g/L, with the highest value of 2.0 g/L occurring when all four substrates were codigested. Significant ammonium reduction (194-241 mg/L to 29-37 mg/L) and COD reduction (3310-5250 mg/L to 730-1210 mg/L) were observed. Codigestion with CM and CD had greater Shannon diversity indices (3.19-3.24) than did codigestion with the other consortia (2.26). Bacillota dominated (96.5-99.6 %), with Clostridiales playing key roles in organic matter breakdown. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the feasibility of improving VFA yields and harnessing microbial diversity through anaerobic codigestion of lignocellulosic and animal waste streams. Codigestion substantially enhanced VFA production, which was dominated by butyrate, reduced ammonium and COD, and enriched fiber-degrading and fermentative bacteria. These findings can help optimize codigestion for sustainable waste management and high-value chemical production.

The enhancement of energy supply in syngas-fermenting microorganisms.

After the second industrial revolution, social productivity developed rapidly, and the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas increased greatly in industrial production. The burning of these fossil fuels releases large amounts of greenhouse gases such as CO2, which has caused greenhouse effects and global warming. This has endangered the planet's ecological balance and brought many species, including animals and plants, to the brink of extinction. Thus, it is crucial to address this problem urgently. One potential solution is the use of syngas fermentation with microbial cell factories. This process can produce chemicals beneficial to humans, such as ethanol as a fuel while consuming large quantities of harmful gases, CO and CO2. However, syngas-fermenting microorganisms often face a metabolic energy deficit, resulting in slow cell growth, metabolic disorders, and low product yields. This problem limits the large-scale industrial application of engineered microorganisms. Therefore, it is imperative to address the energy barriers of these microorganisms. This paper provides an overview of the current research progress in addressing energy barriers in bacteria, including the efficient capture of external energy and the regulation of internal energy metabolic flow. Capturing external energy involves summarizing studies on overexpressing natural photosystems and constructing semiartificial photosynthesis systems using photocatalysts. The regulation of internal energy metabolic flows involves two parts: regulating enzymes and metabolic pathways. Finally, the article discusses current challenges and future perspectives, with a focus on achieving both sustainability and profitability in an economical and energy-efficient manner. These advancements can provide a necessary force for the large-scale industrial application of syngas fermentation microbial cell factories.

Patriotism, nationalism, and evaluations of the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a global rise of nationalism, and many countries' responses to the pandemic have further intensified nationalist sentiments. The public is polarized over government policies toward the pandemic. Hence, this study examined the associations of patriotism and nationalism with the support for lockdown policies and evaluations of governmental performance. Methods: We recruited 180 participants from one Chinese university. Results: Patriotism and nationalism had a direct effect on evaluations of governmental performance. Patriotism also had indirect effects on favorable evaluations of governmental performance through the support of lockdown policies. In addition, this study examined the relationship of threat perception and evaluations of governmental performance in the pandemic. Discussion: This relationship was found to be insignificant; however, the interaction effects between threat perception and patriotism on evaluations of governmental performance were significant. The implications of the study results are discussed.

Embracing a low-carbon future by the production and marketing of C1 gas protein.

Food scarcity and environmental deterioration are two major problems that human populations currently face. Fortunately, the disruptive innovation of raw food materials has been stimulated by the rapid evolution of biomanufacturing. Therefore, it is expected that the new trends in technology will not only alter the natural resource-dependent food production systems and the traditional way of life but also reduce and assimilate the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. This review article summarizes the metabolic pathways associated with C1 gas conversion and the production of single-cell protein for animal feed. Moreover, the protein function, worldwide authorization, market access, and methods to overcome challenges in C1 gas assimilation microbial cell factory construction are also provided. With widespread attention and increasing policy support, the production of C1 gas protein will bring more opportunities and make tremendous contributions to our sustainable future.

Political Ideology, Ingroup Favoritism, and Conspiratorial Thinking: Patriotism, Nationalism, and COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories.

This article examined the relationship between ideology and conspiratorial thinking and the related mediating effect of ingroup favoritism in a non-Western society. We investigated patriotism and nationalism as two favorable orientations toward national ingroups. We also examined their relationship with the general conspiracy mentality and the specific conspiracy beliefs that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that conservative ideology was associated with conspiratorial beliefs in China regardless of the specific conspiracy theories related to ingroups or outgroups, which indicates such tendencies may exist universally across cultures. Patriotism was not associated with conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19, whereas nationalism was negatively associated with the conspiracy theories about China (an ingroup) and positively associated with conspiracy theories about the US (an outgroup). Moreover, nationalism mediated the relationship between ideology and specific conspiracy beliefs during the pandemic. The general conspiracy mentality did not predict conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19. The results indicate that believing conspiracy theories is not only the result of a stable conspiracy mentality but is also influenced by ideology and intergroup relations.

Outgroup threat, ideology, and favorable evaluations of the government's responses to COVID-19.

Based on social psychological theories of intergroup relations, perceptions of threat from outgroups contribute to ingroup favoritism. This research examined the effects of the perceived threat from outgroups (the US) on Chinese people's favorable evaluations of their government's responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study 1 conducted an experiment and found that the US' criticism of China's responses to the pandemic increased Chinese citizens' favorable evaluations of the government's performance. Study 2 was a correlational design and found that the relationship between perceptions of outgroup threats and evaluations of the government's performance was moderated by ideology and the approval of lockdown policies. These results show that outgroups are sophisticatedly employed by politicians to increase ingroup favoritism and suggest that ideological divide is an important moderator in the association between outgroup threat and the evaluation of ingroup.