Dam inundation reduces ecosystem multifunctionality following riparian afforestation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region.

Afforestation is an acknowledged method for rehabilitating deteriorated riparian ecosystems, presenting multiple functions to alleviate the repercussions of river damming and climate change. However, how ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) responds to inundation in riparian afforestation ecosystems remains relatively unexplored. Thus, this article aimed to disclose how EMF alters with varying inundation intensities and to elucidate the key drivers of this variation based on riparian reforestation experiments in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region in China. Our EMF analysis encompassed wood production, carbon storage, nutrient cycling, decomposition, and water regulation under different inundation intensities. We examined their correlation with soil properties and microbial diversity. The results indicated a substantial reduction in EMF with heightened inundation intensity, which was primarily due to the decline in most individual functions. Notably, soil bacterial diversity (23.02%), soil properties such as oxidation-reduction potential (ORP, 11.75%), and temperature (5.85%) emerged as pivotal variables elucidating EMF changes under varying inundation intensities. Soil bacterial diversity and ORP declined as inundation intensified but were positively associated with EMF. In contrast, soil temperature rose with increased inundation intensity and exhibited a negative correlation with EMF. Further insights gleaned from structural equation modeling revealed that inundation reduced EMF directly and indirectly by reducing soil ORP and bacterial diversity and increasing soil temperature. This work underscores the adverse effects of dam inundation on riparian EMF and the crucial role soil characteristics and microbial diversity play in mediating EMF in response to inundation. These insights are pivotal for the conservation of biodiversity and functioning following afforestation in dam-induced riparian habitats.

Caproic acid production from food waste using indigenous microbiota: Performance and mechanisms.

Caproic acid (CA) production from food waste (FW) is a promising way for waste recycling, while the fermentation processes need further exploration. In this study, FW acidogenic fermentation under different pH (uncontrolled, 4, 5, 6) using indigenous microbiota was investigated. Result showed that substrate hydrolysis, carbohydrate degradation and acidogenesis increased with the increase of pH. Although various microbial communities were observed in FW, lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus and Limosilactobacillus) were enriched at pH lower than 6, resulting in lactic acid accumulation. CA (88.24 mM) was produced at pH 6 accounting for 31.23% of the total product carbon. The enriched lactic acid bacteria were directionally replaced by chain elongators (Caproicibacter, Clostridium_sensu_stricto, unclassified_Ruminococcaceae) at pH 6, and carbohydrates in FW were firstly transformed into lactic acid, then to butyrate and CA through lactate-based chain elongation processes. This work provided a novel CA fermentation pathway and further enriched the FW valorization.

Transcriptome profiling of Nephelium lappaceum: Sodium nitroprusside-induced delays of postharvest browning.

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), as a nitric oxide donor, is widely used in postharvest fruit physiology and metabolism. Our previous study has indicated that SNP plays a crucial role in postharvest browning control of rambutan, but the molecular mechanism underlying this process is still unclear. In this research, we investigated the gene expression and function of postharvest rambutan in response to SNP during browning. We found 7336 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), among which 2206 were upregulated and 5130 were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed, and the real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) data were consistent with transcriptome data. The DEGs relevant to rambutan pericarp browning were mainly involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, phenolic oxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and energy supply. It was shown that SNP regulated the synthesis and degradation of anthocyanins, accumulation of phenols, level of ROS and energy metabolism to suppress the postharvest browning of rambutan. Also, one WRKY transcription factor involved in ROS metabolism was observed to be differentially regulated. These findings add to our insights into the molecular mechanisms of the SNP-induced browning delays of rambutan, which has implications for subsequent studies on molecular mechanisms of fruit browning.

Distinguishing the mechanisms driving multifaceted plant diversity in subtropical reservoir riparian zones.

Understanding the multifaceted plant diversity and its maintenance mechanisms is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Dam-induced water level fluctuations dramatically alter various aspects of riparian diversity, such as taxonomic (TD), phylogenetic (PD), or functional (FD) diversity. However, few studies simultaneously evaluated plant TD, FD, and PD, especially in the subtropical reservoir riparian zone. Here we sampled plant diversity and environmental drivers along inundation gradients of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region in China. We integrated multifaceted plant diversity to assess how distinct ecological processes affect the plant community assembly and how they respond to inundation gradients, spatial variability, climate, and soils in dam-regulated riparian zones. We found that alpha TD, PD, and FD diversity exhibited decreasing trends with increasing inundation gradients and significant positive correlations with soil organic matter. The number of clustering plant communities increases along the inundation gradients. Beta TD and PD diversity were mainly dominated by species turnover with fewer contributions from nestedness, while beta FD diversity was mainly dominated by nestedness with fewer contributions from species turnover. The explainable rates of different dimensions of beta diversity, turnover, and nestedness ranged from 11% to 61%, with spatial factors explaining the highest beta diversity in different dimensions, followed by inundation gradients, soil properties, and climate variables. Our results suggest dispersal limitations are more important for species turnover in dam-regulated riparian zones at regional scales, while inundation gradients and soil fertility are more critical in shaping plant community assemblages at the local scale. This study emphasizes that environmental and spatial gradients are critical for understanding the assembly mechanisms driving multifaceted plant communities at local and regional scales and reinforces the importance of protecting seed sources and dispersal pathways and maintaining river connectivity when implementing restoration projects.

Plant community assembly is jointly shaped by environmental and dispersal filtering along elevation gradients in a semiarid area, China.

Environmental filtering (EF) and dispersal filtering (DF) are widely known to shape plant community assembly. Particularly in arid and semi-arid mountainous regions, however, it remains unclear whether EF or DF dominate in the community assembly of different life forms or how they interact along elevational gradients. This research aims to reveal how different ecological processes influence herbaceous and woody community assembly and how they respond to various environmental drivers and elevational gradients. Here we integrated taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and ecological drivers across an elevational gradient of 1,420 m in the Helan Mountain Nature Reserve, in typical arid and semi-arid areas of China. This study showed that the TD and PD of herbaceous communities significantly increase linearly with changing elevation gradients, while woody 'TD' showed a unimodal pattern, and there was little relationship between woody 'PD' and elevation. Herbaceous species exhibited significant phylogenetic clustering at low elevations, where they were influenced by climate, aspect, and tree cover. However, woody species exhibited random patterns across elevations. Herbaceous and woody species' taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity is governed primarily by spatial turnover rather than nestedness. Spatial turnover is caused primarily by EF and DF's combined influence, but their relative importance differs between herbaceous and woody communities. Therefore, we conclude that the responses of herbaceous and woody plants along elevation gradients in the Helan Mountains are decoupled due to their different adaptation strategies to climate factors in the drylands. These findings are important for understanding the assembly mechanisms driving plant communities in dryland under the context of dramatic increases in drought driven by climate warming.

Invasive Plants and Species Richness Impact Litter Decomposition in Riparian Zones.

Natural ecosystems generally include litter decomposition as part of the natural cycle since the material properties and the environment greatly influence the decomposition rate. The invasion of exotic plants alters the species diversity and growth characteristics of plant communities, but its impact on litter decomposition is unknown in the riparian zone. This study examines how invasive plants affect the early stages of litter decomposition and how species richness impacts them. This experiment involved a random litter mixture of exotic (Alternanthera philoxeroides and Bidens pilosa) and native species in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir in China. There were 43 species mixture types, with various species richness ranging from 1 to 6. Litterbags were placed in the hydro-fluctuation zone and terrestrial zone, where they decomposed over the course of 55 days. Invasive plants decompose rapidly compared to native plants (35.71% of the remaining mass of the invasive plant). The invasive plant A. philoxeroides has the potential to accelerate native plant decomposition (0.29 of non-added synergetic effect), but Bidens pilosa cannot. Nonetheless, species richness had little effect on the decomposition rate. These effects are dependent upon differences in chemical functional characteristics among the species. The initial traits of the plants, specifically C, N, and C/N, were significantly and linearly correlated with the loss of mixed litter mass and mixing effect strength (P < 0.01). In addition, submergence decomposition conditions reduce the disturbance of invasive plants and predict decomposition rates based on litter characteristics. Invasive plants can therefore impact the material cycle of an ecosystem. There is a need to examine decomposition time, which may also involve considering other factors.

Electrophotocatalytic C-H Functionalization of N-Heteroarenes with Unactivated Alkanes under External Oxidant-Free Conditions.

The Minisci alkylation of N-heteroarenes with unactivated alkanes under external oxidant-free conditions provides an economically attractive route to access alkylated N-heteroarenes but remains underdeveloped. Herein, a new electrophotocatalytic strategy to access alkyl radicals from strong C(sp3 )-H bonds was reported for the following Minisci alkylation reactions in the absence of chemical oxidants. This strategy realized the first example of cerium-catalyzed Minisci alkylation reaction directly from abundant unactivated alkanes with excellent atom economy. It is anticipated that the general design principle would enrich catalytic strategies to explore the functionalizations of strong C(sp3 )-H bonds under external oxidant-free conditions with H2 evolution.

Hsa_circ_0015278 Regulates FLT3-ITD AML Progression via Ferroptosis-Related Genes.

AML with the FLT3-ITD mutation seriously threatens human health. The mechanism by which circRNAs regulate the pathogenesis of FLT3-ITD mutant-type AML through ferroptosis-related genes (FerRGs) remains unclear. Differentially expressed circRNAs and mRNAs were identified from multiple integrated data sources. The target miRNAs and mRNAs of the circRNAs were predicted using various databases. The PPI network, ceRNA regulatory network, GO, and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed. The "survival" and the "pROC" R packages were used for K-M and ROC analysis, respectively. GSEA, immune infiltration analysis, and clinical subgroup analysis were performed. Finally, circRNAs were validated by Sanger sequencing and qRT-PCR. In our study, 77 DECircs-1 and 690 DECircs-2 were identified. Subsequently, 11 co-up-regulated DECircs were obtained by intersecting DECircs-1 and DECircs-2. The target miRNAs of the circRNAs were screened by CircInteractome, circbank, and circAtlas. Utilizing TargetScan, ENCORI, and miRWalk, the target mRNAs of the miRNAs were uncovered. Ultimately, 73 FerRGs were obtained, and the ceRNA regulatory network was constructed. Furthermore, MAPK3 and CD44 were significantly associated with prognosis. qRT-PCR results confirmed that has_circ_0015278 was significantly overexpressed in FLT3-ITD mutant-type AML. In summary, we constructed the hsa_circ_0015278/miRNAs/FerRGs signaling axis, which provides new insight into the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of AML with FLT3-ITD mutation.

An Amorphous-Crystalline Nanosheet Arrays Structure for Ultrahigh Electrochemical Performance Supercapattery.

Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), also called supercapattery, which can substitute for low power density batteries have attracted extensive interest. However, when HSCs comes to commercial applications, there is still space for improvement in energy density. It seems that designing of electrode with high capacity is an effective measure. Herein, amorphous-crystalline MoO3 -Ni3 S2 /NF-0.5 nanosheet arrays are developed as battery-type electrodes. Specifically, the sheet-like structure of crystalline Ni3 S2 can achieve rich structural nanocrystallization, improving the redox reaction efficiency. Meanwhile, the disordered structure and irregular surface of the amorphous MoO3 are conducive to maximize the contact between the electrode and electrolyte, slowing down the volume change caused by the continuous charge-discharge process. As a result, it displays an ultrahigh areal specific capacity of 8.52 C cm-2 at 5 mA cm-2 , and superior lifespan up to 7500 cycles with 90.0% retention. Further, when assembled into HSCs, the specific capacity reaches 1.47 C cm-2 , corresponding to an energy density of 4.18 mWh cm-2 at a power density of 0.34 mW cm-2 . Totally, the design of the unique structure displays a valuable measure for rational development of high energy density hybrid energy storage devices that are not limited to supercapacitors.

Effects of Exogenous Organic Acids on Cd Tolerance Mechanism of Salix variegata Franch. Under Cd Stress.

Chelate induction of organic acids has been recognized to enhance metal uptake and translocation in plants, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, seedlings of Salix variegata were hydroponically exposed to the combinations of Cd (0 and 50 µM) and three exogenous organic acids (100 µM of citric, tartaric, or malic acid). Plant biomass, antioxidant enzymes, non-protein thiol compounds (NPT) content, and the expression of candidate genes associated with Cd accumulation and tolerance were determined. Results showed that Cd significantly inhibited plant biomass but stimulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the roots and leaves, while the lipid peroxidation increased as well. Respective addition of three organic acids greatly enhanced plant resistance to oxidative stress and reduced the lipid peroxidation induced by Cd, with the effect of malic acid showing greatest. The addition of organic acids also significantly increased the content of glutathione in the root, further improving the antioxidant capacity and potential of phytochelatin biosynthesis. Moreover, Cd induced the expression level of candidate genes in roots of S. variegata. The addition of three organic acids not only promoted the expression of candidate genes but also drastically increased Cd accumulation in S. variegata. In summary, application of citric, tartaric, or malic acid alleviated Cd-imposed toxicity through the boost of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and candidate gene expression, while their effects on Cd tolerance and accumulation of S. variegata differed.

Novel Skutterudite CoP3 -Based Asymmetric Supercapacitor with Super High Energy Density.

Skutterudite CoP3 holds a unique structural formation that exhibits much better electronic properties for obtaining high energy density supercapacitors. Herein, novel skutterudite Ni-CoP3 nanosheets are constructed by etching and coprecipitating at room temperature and subsequent low-temperature phosphorization reaction. Benefiting from the enhanced electrical conductivity and more electroactive sites brought about by adjusting the electronic structure with Ni incorporating the Ni-CoP3 electrode with a battery-type demonstrates an ultrahigh specific capacity of 0.7 mA h cm-2 and exceptional cycling stability. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device fabricated by employing Ni-CoP3 and activated carbon (AC) as positive and negative electrodes, resepectively, exhibits a remarkable high energy density of 89.6 Wh kg-1 at 796 W kg-1 and excellent stability of 93% after 10 000 cycles, due to the skutterudite structure. The skutterudite Ni-CoP3 shows a great potential to be an excellent next-generation electrode candidate for supercapacitors and other energy storage devices.

CO2 enrichment enhanced drought resistance by regulating growth, hydraulic conductivity and phytohormone contents in the root of cucumber seedlings.

The coordinated effects of CO2 enrichment and drought stress on cucumber leaves have attracted increasing research attention, but few studies have investigated the effects of CO2 enrichment on the root system under drought stress. So we analyzed the morphological parameters, hydraulic conductivity, aquaporin-related gene expression, and endogenous phytohormone contents in roots of cucumber seedlings cultured under different CO2 concentrations (approximately 400 and 800 ± 40 µmol mol-1) and drought stresses simulated by polyethylene glycol 6000 (0%, 5%, and 10%). The results showed that under drought stress, regardless of the CO2 concentration, the root biomass and hydraulic conductivity decreased, the contents of auxin (IAA), zeatin nucleoside (ZR), and gibberellin (GA) decreased, the abscisic acid (ABA) content and the transcript levels of the aquaporin-related genes CsPIP2-4 increased, and the transcript levels of the aquaporin-related genes CsPIP2-5 and CsPIP2-7 decreased compared with no drought stress. Under moderate drought stress, CO2 enrichment decreased ABA content and the transcript level of CsPIP2-4, increased root biomass and GA content and the transcript level of CsPIP2-7, improved contribution rate of cell-to-cell water transport (mediated by aquaporins) and roots hydraulic conductivity. In summary, drought stress changed the water transport capacity of the roots and inhibited the growth of cucumber seedlings. CO2 enrichment regulated phytohormone contents and aquaporin-related gene expression, maintained the normal contribution rate of cell-to-cell water transport, and improved the root biomass and hydraulic conductivity, thereby alleviated the negative effects of drought stress on cucumber seedlings.

The effects of exogenous organic acids on the growth, photosynthesis and cellular ultrastructure of Salix variegata Franch. Under Cd stress.

We studied the effects of three organic acids (citric acid, tartaric acid and malic acid) on the biomass, photosynthetic pigment content and photosynthetic parameters of Salix variegata under Cd stress and observed the ultrastructure of mesophyll cells in each treatment. Cd stress significantly reduced photosynthesis by reducing the content of pigments and disrupting chloroplast structure, which consequently decreased the biomass. However, respective addition of three organic acids greatly increased the biomass of S. variegata under Cd stress. Among them, the effect of malic acid or tartaric acid on shoot and total biomass accumulation was greater than that of citric acid. The alleviation of biomass probably related with the photosynthetic process. Results revealed that treatment with each organic acid enhanced the net photosynthesis rate under Cd stress. Malic acid promoted plant growth and biomass by increasing the chlorophyll content and mitigating damage to the photosynthetic apparatus resulting from Cd stress. Tartaric acid had little impact on the photosynthetic pigment content, but it was important in mitigating the ultrastructural damage of plants caused by Cd. Addition of citric acid significantly increased the carotenoid as well as the number and volume of chloroplasts in mesophyll cells, while the mitigation of structural damage in the photosynthetic apparatus was weaker than that in tartaric acid or malic acid treatment. It is concluded that application of tartaric acid or malic acid is effective in increasing the growth potential of S. variegata under Cd stress and thus can be a promising approach for the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Sulfur-Doped TiO2 Anchored on a Large-Area Carbon Sheet as a High-Performance Anode for Sodium-Ion Battery.

Well-tailored sulfur-doped anatase titanium dioxide nanoparticles anchored on a large-area carbon sheet are designed, where the in situ sulfur-doped titanium dioxide directly comes from titanium oxysulfate and the large-area carbon sheet is derived from glucose. When applied as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries, it exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance including a high capacity [256.4 mA h g-1 at 2 C (1 C = 335 mA h g-1) after 500 cycles] and a remarkable rate of cycling stability (100.5 mA h g-1 at 30 C after 500 cycles). These outstanding sodium storage behaviors are ascribed to the nanosized particles (about 8-12 nm), good electronic conductivity promoted by the incorporation of carbon sheet and sulfur, as well as the unique chemical bond based on the electrostatic interaction.

Physiological and iTRAQ based proteomics analyses reveal the mechanism of elevated CO2 concentration alleviating drought stress in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings.

Carbon dioxide is one of the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases. We previously confirmed that elevated [CO2] alleviated the negative consequences of drought stress to cucumber seedlings, but the physiological mechanism remains unknown. We investigated the morphological and physiological characteristics as well as iTRAQ-based proteomics analyses in this study under different combinations [CO2] (400 and (800 ±â€¯20) µmol·mol-1) and water conditions (no, moderate and severe drought stress simulated by polyethylene glycol 6000). The results showed: (1) elevated [CO2] significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and relative water content (RWC) under drought stress; (2) drought stress significantly increased J and K peaks of the chlorophyll a fluorescence transient, indicating the damage of photosynthetic electron transport chain, while elevated [CO2] decreased them especially under moderate drought condition; (3) iTRAQ-based proteomics analyses indicated that elevated [CO2] increased the abundance of psbJ and the PSI reaction center subunit VI-2 in seedlings exposed to moderate drought stress; (4) the abundance of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase 2 and tetrapyrrole-binding protein decreased in response to elevated [CO2] under severe drought condition; (5) elevated [CO2] regulated the expression of chloroplast proteins such as those related to stress and defense response, redox homeostasis, metabolic pathways. In conclusion, elevated [CO2] enhanced the efficiency of photosynthetic electron transport, limited the absorption of excess light energy, enhanced the ability of antioxidant and osmotic adjustment, and alleviated the accumulation of toxic substances under drought stress. These findings provide new clues for understanding the molecular basis of elevated [CO2] alleviated plant drought stress.

Response of water balance and nitrogen assimilation in cucumber seedlings to CO2 enrichment and salt stress.

The effects of CO2 enrichment on water balance and nitrogen (N) assimilation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Jinyou No.35) seedlings under salt stress were investigated. Two-way randomized block design was used: the main treatment consisted of two [CO2] levels, ambient and enriched (400 and 800 ±â€¯40 µmol mol-1, respectively), and the minor treatment consisted on two salinity treatment levels, 0 and 80 mmol L-1 NaCl. The results showed that, under the experimental conditions, enriched [CO2] and salt stress significantly inhibited the N assimilation process in cucumber leaves; however, enriched [CO2] had no effect on the nitrate (NO3-) reduction or ammonium (NH4+) assimilation of leaves under salt stress, inhibiting only the transamination. Moreover, enriched [CO2] increased the plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity, vacuolar membrane H+-ATPase activity and root hydraulic conductivity under salt stress, thereby increasing the ion selective absorption and water absorption capacity. To a certain extent, enriched [CO2] promoted the accumulation of K+ in plants, which significantly reduced the Na+/K+ ratio; moreover, the enrichment ultimately improved the water state conditions and helped to maintain the ion balance in plants under stress, ensuring normal enzymatic activity.

A facile method to synthesize CoV2O6 as a high-performance supercapacitor cathode.

Transition metal oxides can easily lose electrons and thus possess multiple accessible valences. Especially, if two different transition metals are combined, better capacity and cycling stability are achieved. In this study, a binary transition metal oxide, CoV2O6, was synthesized via a facile co-precipitation process for use as a supercapacitor cathode; the as-synthesized CoV2O6 exhibited high-capacity (306.6 F g-1, 1 A g-1 and 219.2 F g-1, 20 A g-1) and stable cycling stability, retaining 83.3% of its initial specific capacitance after 20 000 cycles. We believe that this facile synthesis process presents an effective method and a new opportunity for promoting the application of electrode materials based on binary transition metal oxides in supercapacitors.

Facile Synthesis of Different Morphologies of Cu2SnS3 for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Cu2SnS3 is considered as an emerging potential candidate for electrode materials due to considerable interlayer spaces and tunnels in its crystal structures and excellent conducting ability. Ternary Cu2SnS3 as anode in lithium ion batteries has already been reported, but it is rarely mentioned to be applied in supercapacitors which is considered to be a complementary energy storage device for lithium ion batteries. It is an effective method to improve the electrochemical performance of materials by adjusting the morphology and microstructure of materials. In present study, ternary nanosheet-assembled Cu2SnS3 microspheres (M-CTS) and nanoparticles-like Cu2SnS3 (N-CTS) are synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. The results suggest that Cu2SnS3 microspheres (M-CTS) exhibit better capacitive performance compared with Cu2SnS3 (N-CTS) nanoparticles, which means that morphology does have a significant effect on the electrochemical reaction. M-CTS presents excellent supercapacitor performances with the high specific capacity of about 406 C g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and achieves a high energy density of 85.6 W h kg-1 and power density of 720 W kg-1. The remarkable electrochemical performance of Cu2SnS3 can be attributed to the large specific surface area, smaller average pore size, and improved electrical conductivity. Our research indicates that it is very suitable for large-scale production and has enormous potential in the practical application of high-performance supercapacitors.