Community assembly of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in pure and mixed Pinus massoniana forests.

Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi play an important role in nutrient cycling and community ecological dynamics and are widely acknowledged as important components of forest ecosystems. However, little information is available regarding EcM fungal community structure or the possible relationship between EcM fungi, soil properties, and forestry activities in Pinus massoniana forests. In this study, we evaluated soil properties, extracellular enzyme activities, and fungal diversity and community composition in root and soil samples from pure Pinus massoniana natural forests, pure P. massoniana plantations, and P. massoniana and Liquidambar gracilipes mixed forests. The mixed forest showed the highest EcM fungal diversity in both root and bulk soil samples. Community composition and co-occurrence network structures differed significantly between forest types. Variation in the EcM fungal community was significantly correlated with the activities of ß-glucuronidase and ß-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase, whereas non-EcM fungal community characteristics were significantly correlated with ß-1,4-glucosidase and ß-glucuronidase activities. Furthermore, stochastic processes predominantly drove the assembly of both EcM and non-EcM fungal communities, while deterministic processes exerted greater influence on soil fungal communities in mixed forests compared to pure forests. Our findings may inform a deeper understanding of how the assembly processes and environmental roles of subterranean fungal communities differ between mixed and pure plantations and may provide insights for how to promote forest sustainability in subtropical areas.

Research progress on residual characteristics, ecological risk, and abatement of fomesafen in farmland soil.

Fomesafen, a long residual diphenyl ether herbicide, is widely used for control of annual and perennial broadleaf weeds in peanut and soybean fields. With the development of agricultural production mechanization in China, the application of fomesafen has been rising. Long-term and large-scale application leads to obvious residues in the soil. As a consequence, the resulting ecological and environmental problems need urgent attention from the agricultural and environmental protection departments. We systematically reviewed the research progress about the residual characteristics, ecotoxicological effects and abatement process of fomesafen in farmland soil, and proposed some prospects from the residual formation mechanisms, safe application limit standard, abatement mechanism and technology, aiming to provide some new insights and ideas for solving the problem of residual injury of fomesafen.

Hand-Fabricated CNT/AgNPs Electrodes using Wax-on-Plastic Platforms for Electro-Immunosensing Application.

Fabrication of inexpensive and flexible electronic and electrochemical sensors is in high demand for a wide range of biochemical and biomedical applications. We explore hand fabrication of CNT modified AgNPs electrodes using wax-on-plastic platforms and their application in electrochemical immunosensing. Wax patterns were printed on polyethylene terephthalate-based substrates to laydown templates for the electrodes. Hand painting was employed to fabricate a silver conductive layer using AgNPs ink applied in the hydrophilic regions of the substrate surrounded by wax. CNT was drop cast on top of the working electrodes to improve their electrochemical signal. The device layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical performance of the hand fabricated AgNPs and CNT/AgNPs electrodes was tested using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and amperometry. The electrochemical response of CNT/AgNPs electrodes was relatively faster, higher, and more selective than unmodified AgNPs sensing electrodes. Finally, the hand-painted CNT/AgNPs electrodes were applied to detect carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by measuring the end-product of immunoassay performed on magnetic particles. The detection limit for CEA was found to be 0.46 ng/mL.