Optimizing irrigation and nitrogen addition to balance grassland biomass production with greenhouse gas emissions: A mesocosm study.

Achieving a balance between greenhouse gas mitigation and biomass production in grasslands necessitates optimizing irrigation frequency and nitrogen addition, which significantly influence grassland productivity and soil nitrous oxide emissions, and consequently impact the ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange. This study aimed to elucidate these influences using a controlled mesocosm experiment where bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) was cultivated under varied irrigation frequencies (daily and every 6 days) with (100 kg ha-1) or without nitrogen addition; measurements of net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange, ecosystem respiration, soil respiration, and nitrous oxide emissions across two cutting events were performed as well. The findings revealed a critical interaction between water-filled pore space, regulated by irrigation, and nitrogen availability, with the latter exerting a more substantial influence on aboveground biomass growth and ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange than water availability. Moreover, the total dry matter was significantly higher with nitrogen addition compared to without nitrogen addition, irrespective of the irrigation frequency. In contrast, soil nitrous oxide emissions were observed to be significantly higher with increased irrigation frequency and nitrogen addition. The effects of nitrogen addition on soil respiration components appeared to depend on water availability, with autotrophic respiration seeing a significant rise with nitrogen addition under limited irrigation (5.4 ± 0.6 µmol m-2 s-1). Interestingly, the lower irrigation frequency did not result in water stress, suggesting resilience in bermudagrass. These findings highlight the importance of considering interactions between irrigation and nitrogen addition to optimize water and nitrogen input in grasslands for a synergistic balance between grassland biomass production and greenhouse gas emission mitigation.

Effect analysis of multi-department cooperation in improving etiological submission rates before antibiotic treatment.

Increased bacterial drug resistance has become a serious global public health problem. The application of antibiotics involves various clinical departments, and the rational application of antibiotics is the key to improving their efficacy. To provide a basis for further improving the etiological submission rate and standardizing the rational use of antibiotics, this article discusses the intervention effect of multi-department cooperation in improving the etiological submission rate before antibiotic treatment. A total of 87 607 patients were divided into a control group (n = 45 890) and an intervention group (n = 41 717) according to whether multi-department cooperation management was implemented. The intervention group involved the patients hospitalized from August to December 2021, while the control group involved the patients hospitalized from August to December 2020. The submission rates of the two groups; the rates before antibiotic treatment at the unrestricted use level, the restricted use level, and the special use level in departments; and the timing of submission were compared and analysed. The overall differences in the etiological submission rates before antibiotic treatment at the unrestricted use level (20.70% vs 55.98%), the restricted use level (38.23% vs 66.58%), and the special use level (84.92% vs 93.14%) were statistically significant before and after intervention (P < .05). At a more specific level, the etiological submission rates of different departments before antibiotic treatment at the unrestricted use level, the restricted use level, and the special use level were improved, but the special activities of multi-department cooperation management did not improve the submission timing significantly. Multi-department cooperation can effectively improve the etiological submission rates before antimicrobial treatment, but it is necessary to improve measures for specific departments to improve long-term management and incentive and restraint mechanisms.

Divergent response of hay and grain yield of oat: effects of environmental factors and sowing rate.

BACKGROUND: Oat (Avena sativa L.) is recognized for its impressive productivity in marginal environments, and the sowing rate is an important crop management practice that potentially enhances oat productivity. Previous studies have reported the effect of sowing rate on oat yield; however, the results from such studies are inconsistent. Thus, based on 43 studies across eight countries, this study aimed to assess changes in hay and grain yields in response to sowing rate and, in combination with a boosted regression tree, to evaluate and rank the dominant factors (e.g. climate conditions, soil conditions, and sowing rate) affecting changes in hay and grain yields of oat. RESULTS: The results revealed that increasing the sowing rate significantly increased the response ratio of grain yields and hay yields by averages of 7.3% and 7.9% respectively. However, the response ratios of grain yields and hay yields in response to changes in sowing rate were affected by different factors. Climate condition and mean annual precipitation primarily affected the response ratios of hay yields, whereas the sowing rate dominated changes in the response ratios of grain yields, with the response ratios of grain yields peaking at a sowing rate of 85 kg ha-1 . CONCLUSION: Optimizing the sowing rate with site-specific environmental conditions could be a potential strategy for profitable oat production, given that oat can be produced under marginal environments (e.g. cool-wet climates and soil with low fertility). © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Organelle membrane-specific chemical labeling and dynamic imaging in living cells.

Lipids play crucial roles as structural elements, signaling molecules and material transporters in cells. However, the functions and dynamics of lipids within cells remain unclear because of a lack of methods to selectively label lipids in specific organelles and trace their movement by live-cell imaging. We describe here a technology for the selective labeling and fluorescence imaging (microscopic or nanoscopic) of phosphatidylcholine in target organelles. This approach involves the metabolic incorporation of azido-choline, followed by a spatially limited bioorthogonal reaction that enables the visualization and quantitative analysis of interorganelle lipid transport in live cells. More importantly, with live-cell imaging, we obtained direct evidence that the autophagosomal membrane originates from the endoplasmic reticulum. This method is simple and robust and is thus powerful for real-time tracing of interorganelle lipid trafficking.

Drying and rewetting cycles increased soil carbon dioxide rather than nitrous oxide emissions: A meta-analysis.

The increased frequency of extreme weather variations worldwide has resulted in dramatic changes in the soil water content via pronounced drying and rewetting cycles (DWCs). A comprehensive exploration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in response to DWCs can help summarize the existing results and better estimate terrestrial greenhouse gas emissions under the intensified drought and precipitation variations. This meta-analysis based on soil emissions of CO2 (868 observations, 29 studies) and N2O (52 observations, 19 studies) at the global scale investigated the direction and intensity of the changes in soil CO2 and N2O emissions in response to DWCs as controlled by experimental variables including land use type, soil texture, soil nutrients, and frequency and duration of DWCs. The results showed that, compared to the constant soil water content, DWCs led to the increase in CO2 emissions by 35.7% (95% confidence intervals ranging from 0.300 to 0.415), whereas it had no significant effect on N2O emissions (-0.2638 to 1.4751). The random-effects model indicated that soil water-filled pore space during wetting, soil clay content, days of drying and wetting, and frequency of DWCs significantly affected CO2 and N2O emissions in response to DWCs. Furthermore, potential biotic and abiotic factors affecting soil CO2 and N2O emissions under DWCs are also summarized, and it was proposed that mobility and availability of carbon substrate as well as enhanced microbial activity and abundance are the main drivers facilitating soil CO2 and N2O emissions in response to DWCs. However, soil gas diffusion or oxygen availability also dominated soil N2O emissions under DWCs. Overall, this study improves our understanding of soil CO2 and N2O emissions in response to various DWC scenarios and facilitates the development of better greenhouse gas mitigation strategies against the background of a rapidly changing climate.

Race/ethnicity, built environment in neighborhood, and children's mental health in the US.

The prevention and treatment of mental health disorders in childhood and adolescence is one among the major public health challenges in the United States today. Prior research has suggested that neighborhood is very important for children and adolescents' mental health. The present study extends the research on neighborhood and mental health by examining the association between childhood mental health and the identified specific built environment attributes in neighborhood as well as its intersection with race/ethnicity in the United States. Statistical analyses results of data from the 2016 National Survey of Children Health (NSCH) indicate that children's mental health and the built environment in neighborhood vary across racial/ethnic groups, with minority groups being more likely to live in the disadvantaged neighborhoods and to experience more mental health disorders, particularly American Indian children. Further, the relationship between built environment neighborhood mental health among children varies across race/ethnicity in the United States.

Contrast analysis of the relationship between the HRCT sign and new pathologic classification in small ground glass nodule-like lung adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: To perform contrast analysis of the relationship between high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) signs and new pathologic classification of small GGNs-like lung adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HRCT data from 145 pathologically confirmed cases of small GGNs of lung adenocarcinoma were analysed retrospectively. The 145 cases of GGNs were divided into pre-invasive (PI) group (n = 46), micro-invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) group (n = 48), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) group (n = 51). HRCT imaging sign of GGNs in each group was assessed and compared. RESULTS: Significant differences in GGN size were found among the three groups (P < 0.05). The presence of a tumour-lung interface in the MIA and IAC groups was significantly higher than that in the PI group (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found between the MIA and IAC groups. The presence of a pleural indentation sign in the IAC group was significantly higher than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was noted between the latter two groups. Significant differences were found in the lobulated and spicule signs among the three groups (P < 0.05). The presence of a microvascular sign in the MIA and IAC groups was significantly higher than that in the PI group (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the GGN density, vacuole sign, air bronchus sign and notch sign among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The HRCT signs of GGNs could be used to differentiate among pre-invasive lesions, micro-invasive lesions and invasive lung adenocarcinoma.

Synthesis and Photophysical Characterization of 2,3-Dihydroquinolin-4-imines: New Fluorophores with Color-Tailored Emission.

In this study, a series of variously substituted 2,3-dihydroquinolin-4-imines (DQIs) were synthesized from N-substituted propargylanilines by copper(I)-catalyzed annulation. The approach adopted in this study under mild, effective conditions exhibited broad substrate tolerance, particularly for functional groups substituted on anilines. Most of the DQI derivatives synthesized under optimal conditions were obtained in good isolated yields of 63-88 %. 2,3-Dihydroquinolinimine thus obtained was easily converted to important structures like 2,3-dihydroquinolone and tetrahydrobenzodiazepin-5-one, confirming the importance of this strategy in constructing various heterocycles. Surprisingly, 2,3-dihydroquinolinimines thus obtained exhibited bright fluorescence with quantum yields up to 66 %. The density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations were performed for understanding the excited-state nature of DQI system. Accordingly, a tailored DQI derivative bearing methoxy group at C-6 position and acetoxy group at C-7 position was designed and synthesized to give emission at 559 nm with redshift compared to the 7-methoxy substituted DQI. A detailed study of DQI structures with their photophysical properties was performed with five control molecules and consequently demonstrated the uniqueness of the chemical structures of DQIs.

Burnout among direct-care workers in nursing homes: Influences of organisational, workplace, interpersonal and personal characteristics.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The many negative effects of burnout have prompted researchers to better understand the factors contributing to it. The purpose of this paper is to add to this body of knowledge through the study of burnout among direct-care workers in nursing homes. BACKGROUND: Perhaps the factor most often associated with employee burnout is the level of staffing-insufficient staffing results in work overload and eventually employee burnout. A closer look at research findings suggests that there are many other factors also contributing to burnout. These range from those at the organisational level, such as availability of training and resources to individual characteristics such as self-esteem and length of employment. METHODS: A self-administered survey instrument was completed by 410 direct-care workers working within 11 nursing homes in the north Texas region. Regression analyses were performed, adjusting for clustering by nursing home. Beta coefficients and structure coefficients are reported. Burnout was measured through three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment. RESULTS: Organisational, work design, interpersonal and individual characteristics were found to be associated with one or more dimensions of burnout. CONCLUSIONS: The analyses largely support previous research. Organisational variables of significance included the availability of resources to do the work, available training and fair pay. Work design variables of significance included adequate staffing. The individual characteristic, self-esteem, appeared to have the strongest impact on burnout. Commitment to the organisation also had a large impact. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: While the data do not allow for the testing of causal relationships, the data do suggest that providing adequate staffing, perceived fair pay, sufficient work resources (e.g., towels, gowns), management support and adequate training may result in less direct-care worker burnout on the job.

High-level phylogeny of the Coleoptera inferred with mitochondrial genome sequences.

The Coleoptera (beetles) exhibits tremendous morphological, ecological, and behavioral diversity. To better understand the phylogenetics and evolution of beetles, we sequenced three complete mitogenomes from two families (Cleridae and Meloidae), which share conserved mitogenomic features with other completely sequenced beetles. We assessed the influence of six datasets and three inference methods on topology and nodal support within the Coleoptera. We found that both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood with homogeneous-site models were greatly affected by nucleotide compositional heterogeneity, while the heterogeneous-site mixture model in PhyloBayes could provide better phylogenetic signals for the Coleoptera. The amino acid dataset generated more reliable tree topology at the higher taxonomic levels (i.e. suborders and series), where the inclusion of rRNA genes and the third positions of protein-coding genes improved phylogenetic inference at the superfamily level, especially under a heterogeneous-site model. We recovered the suborder relationships as (Archostemata+Adephaga)+(Myxophaga+Polyphaga). The series relationships within Polyphaga were recovered as (Scirtiformia+(Elateriformia+((Bostrichiformia+Scarabaeiformia+Staphyliniformia)+Cucujiformia))). All superfamilies within Cucujiformia were recovered as monophyletic. We obtained a cucujiform phylogeny of (Cleroidea+(Coccinelloidea+((Lymexyloidea+Tenebrionoidea)+(Cucujoidea+(Chrysomeloidea+Curculionoidea))))). This study showed that although tree topologies were sensitive to data types and inference methods, mitogenomic data could provide useful information for resolving the Coleoptera phylogeny at various taxonomic levels by using suitable datasets and heterogeneous-site models.

Comparative mitogenomic analysis of the superfamily Pentatomoidea (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) and phylogenetic implications.

BACKGROUND: Insect mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are the most extensively used genetic marker for evolutionary and population genetics studies of insects. The Pentatomoidea superfamily is economically important and the largest superfamily within Pentatomomorpha with over 7,000 species. To better understand the diversity and evolution of pentatomoid species, we sequenced and annotated the mitogenomes of Eurydema gebleri and Rubiconia intermedia, and present the first comparative analysis of the 11 pentatomoid mitogenomes that have been sequenced to date. RESULTS: We obtained the complete mitogenome of Eurydema gebleri (16,005 bp) and a nearly complete mitogenome of Rubiconia intermedia (14,967 bp). Our results show that gene content, gene arrangement, base composition, codon usage, and mitochondrial transcription termination factor sequences are highly conserved in pentatomoid species, especially for species in the same family. Evolutionary rate analyses of protein-coding genes reveal that the highest and lowest rates are found in atp8 and cox1 and distinctive evolutionary patterns are significantly correlated with the G + C content of genes. We inferred the secondary structures for two rRNA genes for eleven pentatomoid species, and identify some conserved motifs of RNA structures in Pentatomidea. All tRNA genes in pentatomoid mitogenomes have a canonical cloverleaf secondary structure, except for two tRNAs (trnS1 and trnV) which appear to lack the dihydrouridine arm. Regions that are A + T-rich have several distinct characteristics (e.g. size variation and abundant tandem repeats), and have potential as species or population level molecular markers. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitogenomic data strongly support the monophyly of Pentatomoidea, and the estimated phylogenetic relationships are: (Urostylididae + (Plataspidae + (Pentatomidae + (Cydnidae + (Dinidoridae + Tessaratomidae))))). CONCLUSIONS: This comparative mitogenomic analysis sheds light on the architecture and evolution of mitogenomes in the superfamily Pentatomoidea. Mitogenomes can be effectively used to resolve phylogenetic relationships of pentatomomorphan insects at various taxonomic levels. Sequencing more mitogenomes at various taxonomic levels, particularly from closely related species, will improve the annotation accuracy of mitochondrial genes, as well as greatly enhance our understanding of mitogenomic evolution and phylogenetic relationships in pentatomoids.

Determination of the water-use patterns for two xerophyte shrubs by hydrogen isotope offset correction.

The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope technique is typically used to explore plant water uptake; however, the accuracy of the technique has been challenged by hydrogen isotope offsets between plant xylem water and its potential source water. In this study, the soil hydrogen and oxygen isotope waterline was used to correct the hydrogen isotope offsets for Salix psammophila and Caragana korshinskii, two typical shrub species on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Five different types of isotopic data [(i) δ18O, (ii) δ2H, (iii) combination δ18O with δ2H, (iv) corrected δ2H and (v) combination δ18O with corrected δ2H] were separately used to determine the water-use patterns of the two shrubs. The δ2H offset values of S. psammophila and C. korshinskii did not show significant temporal variation among the sampling months (May, July and September) but showed notable differences between the two shrubs (-0.4 ± 0.5‰ in S. psammophila vs -4.3 ± 0.9‰ in C. korshinskii). The obtained water absorption proportion (WAP) of S. psammophila in the different soil layers (0-20, 20-60 and 60-200 cm) did not differ significantly among the five different input data types. However, compared with the input data types (iii) and (v), the data types (i), (ii) and (iv) overestimated the WAP of C. korshinskii in the 0-20 cm soil layer and underestimated that in the 60-200 cm layer. The data type (iii) overestimated the WAP of C. korshinskii in 0-20 cm soil layer (25.9 ± 0.8%) in July in comparison with the WAP calculated based on data type (v) (19.1 ± 1.1%). The combination of δ18O and corrected δ2H, i.e., data type (v), was identified as the best data type to determine the water use patterns of C. korshinskii due to the strong correlation between the calculated WAP and soil water content and soil sand content. In general, S. psammophila mainly used (57.9-62.1%) shallow soil water (0-60 cm), whereas C. korshinskii mainly absorbed (52.7-63.5%) deep soil water (60-200 cm). We confirm that the hydrogen isotope offsets can cause significant errors in determining plant water uptake of C. korshinskii, and provide valuable insights for accurately quantifying plant water uptake in the presence of hydrogen isotope offsets between xylem and source water. This study is significant for facilitating the application of the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope technique worldwide, and for revealing the response mechanism of shrub key ecohydrological and physiological processes to the drought environment in similar climate regions.

Enhancing the component intra- and interrelationship of Elymus nutans mono- and mixed sowing communities via adjusting sowing patterns in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau.

Spatial arrangement is a key factor in maintaining community yield and stability via regulating component intra-/interspecific competition in an alpine climate environment. A 2-yr field trial was conducted on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, including cross row (S_C), double row (S_D), single row (S_R), broadcast (M_B), dependent row (M_D) and independent row (M_I). Our results showed that S_C could avoid intraspecific competition by reasonable spatial arrangement, which favored the dominant component growth (1st year: leaf; 2nd year: stem and reproductive organ). For mixed communities, RII (relative interaction intensity) implied that interspecific competition also embodied on dominant component, and higher Elymus nutans component advantages seriously limited Onobrychis viciifolia's components growth in the 2nd year. More details displayed that E. nutans in M_B or M_D produced the maximum system yield via increasing leaf investment at the initial stages and stem investment after July 2019. Besides, M_I possessed lower component numbers than M_B and M_D in the unit area. PCA analysis revealed that component numbers or biomasses changed synchronously, besides the E. nutans of S_C, M_B, and M_D presented significant discrepancies compared to other treatments in September 2019, which verified the effect of sowing patterns on component growth (P < 0.05), but O. viciifolia in different sowing patterns was similar in the 2nd year. Considering the adaptability and production for the environment of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, S_C is recommended for the promoted effect on component biomasses. M_B and M_D, with the merit of spacing utilization as well as higher resistance to variation in seasonal growth conditions via optimizing interspecific relationships for mixed communities, are adapted for increasing yield via component harvesting. Our results unveiled the potential of optimizing spatial usage efficiency via controlling component growth characteristics and stressed the importance of dynamic change of dominant components to enhance forage system production in alpine regions.

Modulation of choline and lactate metabolism by basic fibroblast growth factor mitigates neuroinflammation in type 2 diabetes: Insights from 1H-NMR metabolomics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a chronic metabolic disease, occurs brain dysfunction accompanied with neuroinflammation and metabolic disorders. The neuroprotective effects of the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) have been well studied. However, the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of bFGF remains elusive. METHODS: In this study, db/db mice were employed as an in vivo model, while high glucose (HG)-induced SY5Y cells and LPS-induced BV2 cells were used as in vitro models. Liposomal transfection of MyD88 DNA plasmid was used for MyD88-NF-κB pathway studies. And western blotting, flow cytometry and qPCR were employed. 1H-NMR metabolomics was used to find out metabolic changes. RESULTS: bFGF mitigated neuroinflammatory and metabolic disorders by inhibiting cortical inflammatory factor secretion and microglia hyperactivation in the cortex of db/db mice. Also, bFGF was observed to inhibit the MyD88-NF-κB pathway in high glucose (HG)-induced SY5Y cells and LPS-induced BV2 cells in in vitro experiments. Moreover, the 1H-NMR metabolomics results showed that discernible disparities between the cortical metabolic profiles of bFGF-treated db/db mice and their untreated counterparts. Notably, excessive lactate and choline deficiency attenuated the anti-inflammatory protective effect of bFGF in SY5Y cells. CONCLUSION: bFGF ameliorates neuroinflammation in db/db mice by inhibiting the MyD88-NF-kB pathway. This finding expands the potential application of bFGF in the treatment of neuroinflammation-related cognitive dysfunction.

Bacillus velezensis HN-2: a potent antiviral agent against pepper veinal mottle virus.

Background: Pepper veinal mottle virus (PVMV) belongs to the genus Potyvirus within the family Potyviridae and is a major threat to pepper production, causing reduction in yield and fruit quality; however, efficient pesticides and chemical treatments for plant protection against viral infections are lacking. Hence, there is a critical need to discover highly active and environment-friendly antiviral agents derived from natural sources. Bacillus spp. are widely utilized as biocontrol agents to manage fungal, bacterial, and viral plant diseases. Particularly, Bacillus velezensis HN-2 exhibits a strong antibiotic activity against plant pathogens and can also induce plant resistance. Methods: The experimental subjects employed in this study were Bacillus velezensis HN-2, benzothiadiazole, and dufulin, aiming to evaluate their impact on antioxidant activity, levels of reactive oxygen species, activity of defense enzymes, and expression of defense-related genes in Nicotiana benthamiana. Furthermore, the colonization ability of Bacillus velezensis HN-2 in Capsicum chinense was investigated. Results: The results of bioassays revealed the robust colonization capability of Bacillus velezensis HN-2, particularly in intercellular spaces, leading to delayed infection and enhanced protection against PVMV through multiple plant defense mechanisms, thereby promoting plant growth. Furthermore, Bacillus velezensis HN-2 increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, thereby mitigating the PVMV-induced ROS production in Nicotiana benthamiana. Moreover, the application of Bacillus velezensis HN-2 at 5 dpi significantly increased the expression of JA-responsive genes, whereas the expression of salicylic acid-responsive genes remained unchanged, implying the activation of the JA signaling pathway as a crucial mechanism underlying Bacillus velezensis HN-2-induced anti-PVMV activity. Immunoblot analysis revealed that HN-2 treatment delayed PVMV infection at 15 dpi, further highlighting its role in inducing plant resistance and promoting growth and development. Conclusions: These findings underscore the potential of Bacillus velezensis HN-2 for field application in managing viral plant diseases effectively.

Enhancing lucerne (Medicago sativa) yield and nutritional quality: a meta-analysis of fertilization types and environmental factors in China.

Introduction: Lucerne (Medicago sativa), is a cornerstone of China's livestock industry, however, due to the backward agronomic strategies and technology, lucerne in China faces cultivation challenges that result in lower productivity and quality than global standards. Therefore, we undertook a meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of five distinct fertilization types on lucerne yield and nutritional quality in various locations in China. The fertilizer practices included manure application, combined mineral fertilizer and manure application (FM), biological fertilizer application, unbalanced application of two or more mineral fertilizer types, and balanced mineral fertilizer application. Furthermore, we investigate influential factors of yield and quality of lucerne under fertilization, including climatic variables (mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature), initial soil properties (soil organic carbon; total nitrogen, pH), and agronomic factors (seeding rate, harvest frequency, and lucerne stand age). Methods: Our study analyzed 53 published papers to discern the most beneficial fertilizer for enhancing lucerne yield and nutritional quality. Results and discussion: The results showed that the fertilizer practices, on average, significantly improved yield by 31.72% and crude protein content by 11.29%, with FM emerging as the most effective, this is because mineral fertilizers provide available nutrients for lucerne, manure provides essential organic matter for microorganisms and improve soil properties. In addition, the fertilizer practices significantly reduced neutral and acid detergent fiber contents by 6.28% and 8.50%, respectively, while increasing ash content and relative feeding value. Furthermore, climatic variables, soil properties, and planting system factors such as sowing date and harvest frequency significantly affected yield and nutritional quality. The practical implications of our results emphasize the need for balanced and strategic fertilizer application to optimize lucerne production and highlight the potential to adjust cultivation practices according to environmental conditions. Balanced and strategic fertilizer application can simultaneously improve soil properties, enhance soil carbon sequestration, and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from the soil, which is a vital measure for realizing sustainable agricultural development.

WITHDRAWN: Conjugation of Ruthenium Drugs to Nanocellulose using Boronic Ester

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Coassisted carbonization with HCOOK/(HCOO)2Ca for the fabrication of bamboo-derived oxygen-doped porous carbons exhibiting high-performance sorption of diethyl phthalate from aqueous solutions.

Porous carbons are excellent sorbents for removing organic pollutants. Green conversion of biowaste into advanced porous carbons is crucial for industrialized production and practical applications, which, however, have rarely been investigated. This study develops a coassisted carbonization method for the preparation of porous carbons with the environmentally friendly agents HCOOK and (HCOO)2Ca for the first time. The bamboo waste-derived hydrochar was transformed into oxygen-doped porous carbons, which displayed a large surface area and pore volume, abundant oxygen content, graphene structure and many surface functional groups. These properties contributed to the extremely high sorption of large quantities of diethyl phthalate, which reached 761 mg g-1. Surface adsorption, including pore filling, hydrogen bonding, and π-π stacking, rather than partitioning, was the main sorption process. Therefore, this study provides a sustainable and promising route for the preparation of porous carbons that can be applied in the efficient removal of organic pollutants.

Screening of compound-formulated Bacillus and its effect on plant growth promotion.

Bacillus bacteria can produce abundant secondary metabolites that are useful for biocontrol, especially in maintaining plant root microecology, and for plant protection. In this study, we determine the indicators of six Bacillus strains for colonization, promotion of plant growth, antimicrobial activity, and other aspects, with the aim of obtaining a compound bacteriological agent to construct a beneficial Bacillus microbial community in plant roots. We found that there was no significant difference in the growth curves of the six Bacillus strains over 12 h. However, strain HN-2 was found to have the strongest swimming ability and the highest bacteriostatic effect of n-butanol extract on the blight-causing bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola. The hemolytic circle produced by the n-butanol extract of strain FZB42 was the largest (8.67 ± 0.13 mm) and had the greatest bacteriostatic effect on the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, with a bacteriostatic circle diameter of 21.74 ± 0.40 mm. Strains HN-2 and FZB42 can rapidly form biofilms. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry and hemolytic plate tests showed that strains HN-2 and FZB42 may have significantly different activities because of their ability to produce large quantities of lipopeptides (i.e., surfactin, iturin, and fengycin). Different growth-promoting experiments revealed that the strains FZB42, HN-2, HAB-2, and HAB-5 had better growth-promoting potential than the control, and therefore these four strains were compounded in an equal ratio and used to treat pepper seedlings through root irrigation. We found an increase in the stem thickness (13%), leaf dry weight (14%), leaf number (26%), and chlorophyll content (41%) of pepper seedlings treated with the composite-formulated bacterial solution compared to the optimal single-bacterial solution treatment. Furthermore, several of these indicators increased by an average of 30% in the composite solution-treated pepper seedlings compared with the control water treatment group. In conclusion, the composite solution obtained by compounding strains FZB42 (OD600 = 1.2), HN-2 (OD600 = 0.9), HAB-2 (OD600 = 0.9), and HAB-5 (OD600 = 1.2) in equal parts highlights the advantages of a single bacterial solution, which includes achieving good growth promotion and antagonistic effects against pathogenic bacteria. The promotion of this compound-formulated Bacillus can reduce the application of chemical pesticides and fertilizers; promote plant growth and development; avoid the imbalances of soil microbial communities and thus reduce the risk of plant disease; and provide an experimental basis for the production and application of various types of biological control preparations in the future.

Effect of Precipitation Variation on Soil Respiration in Rain-Fed Winter Wheat Systems on the Loess Plateau, China.

Global climate change has aggravated the hydrological cycle by changing both the amount and distribution of precipitation, and this is especially notable in the semiarid Loess Plateau. How these precipitation variations have affected soil carbon (C) emission by the agroecosystems is still unclear. Here, to evaluate the effects of precipitation variation on soil respiration (Rs), a field experiment (from 2019 to 2020) was conducted with 3 levels of manipulation, including ambient precipitation (CK), 30% decreased precipitation (P−30), and 30% increased precipitation (P+30) in rain-fed winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) agroecosystems on the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that the average Rs in P−30 treatment was significantly higher than those in the CK and P+30 treatments (p < 0.05), and the cumulative CO2 emissions were 406.37, 372.58 and 383.59 g C m−2, respectively. Seasonal responses of Rs to the soil volumetric moisture content (VWC) were affected by the different precipitation treatments. Rs was quadratically correlated with the VWC in the CK and P+30 treatments, and the threshold of the optimal VWC for Rs was approximately 16.06−17.07%. However, Rs was a piecewise linear function of the VWC in the P−30 treatment. The synergism of soil temperature (Ts) and VWC can better explain the variation in soil respiration in the CK and P−30 treatments. However, an increase in precipitation led to the decoupling of the Rs responses to Ts. The temperature sensitivity of respiration (Q10) varied with precipitation variation. Q10 was positive correlated with seasonal Ts in the CK and P+30 treatments, but exhibited a negative polynomial correlation with seasonal Ts in the P−30 treatment. Rs also exhibited diurnal clockwise hysteresis loops with Ts in the three precipitation treatments, and the seasonal dynamics of the diurnal lag time were significantly negatively correlated with the VWC. Our study highlighted that understanding the synergistic and decoupled responses of Rs and Q10 to Ts and VWC and the threshold of the change in response to the VWC under precipitation variation scenarios can benefit the prediction of future C balances in agroecosystems in semiarid regions under climate change.