HgS2, a novel salt-responsive gene from the Halophyte Halogeton glomeratus, confers salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Halophyte Halogeton glomeratus mostly grows in saline desert areas in arid and semi-arid regions and is able to adapt to adverse conditions such as salinity and drought. Earlier transcriptomic studies revealed activation of the HgS2 gene in the leaf of H. glomeratus seedlings when exposed to saline conditions. To identify the properties of HgS2 in H. glomeratus, we used yeast transformation and overexpression in Arabidopsis. Yeast cells genetically transformed with HgS2 exhibited K+ uptake and Na+ efflux compared with control (empty vector). Stable overexpression of HgS2 in Arabidopsis improved its resistance to salt stress and led to a notable rise in seed germination in salinity conditions compared to the wild type (WT). Transgenic Arabidopsis regulated ion homeostasis in plant cells by increasing Na+ absorption and decreasing K+ efflux in leaves, while reducing Na+ absorption and K+ efflux in roots. In addition, overexpression of HgS2 altered transcription levels of stress response genes and regulated different metabolic pathways in roots and leaves of Arabidopsis. These results offer new insights into the role of HgS2 in plants' salt tolerance.

Green Method for the Preparation of Durable Superhydrophobic Antimicrobial Polyester Fabrics with Micro-Pleated Structures.

To produce functional protective textiles with minimal environmental footprints, we developed durable superhydrophobic antimicrobial textiles. These textiles are characterized by a micro-pleated structure on polyester fiber surfaces, achieved through a novel plasma impregnation crosslinking process. This process involved the use of water as the dispersion medium, water-soluble nanosilver monomers for antimicrobial efficacy, fluorine-free polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for hydrophobicity, and polyester (PET) fabric as the base material. The altered surface properties of these fabrics were extensively analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The antimicrobial performance of the strains was evaluated using Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. After treatment, the fabrics exhibited enhanced hydrophobic and antimicrobial properties, which was attributed to the presence of a micro-pleated structure and nanosilver. The modified textiles demonstrated a static WCA of approximately 154° and an impressive 99.99% inhibition rate against both test microbes. Notably, the WCA remained above 140° even after 500 washing cycles or 3000 friction cycles.

Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveal the Molecular Mechanism of Barley Genotypes Underlying the Response to Low Nitrogen and Resupply.

Nitrogen is one of the most important mineral elements for plant growth and development. Excessive nitrogen application not only pollutes the environment, but also reduces the quality of crops. However, are few studies on the mechanism of barley tolerance to low nitrogen at both the transcriptome and metabolomics levels. In this study, the nitrogen-efficient genotype (W26) and the nitrogen-sensitive genotype (W20) of barley were treated with low nitrogen (LN) for 3 days and 18 days, then treated with resupplied nitrogen (RN) from 18 to 21 days. Later, the biomass and the nitrogen content were measured, and RNA-seq and metabolites were analyzed. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of W26 and W20 treated with LN for 21 days was estimated by nitrogen content and dry weight, and the values were 87.54% and 61.74%, respectively. It turned out to have a significant difference in the two genotypes under the LN condition. According to the transcriptome analysis, 7926 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7537 DEGs were identified in the leaves of W26 and W20, respectively, and 6579 DEGs and 7128 DEGs were found in the roots of W26 and W20, respectively. After analysis of the metabolites, 458 differentially expressed metabolites (DAMs) and 425 DAMs were found in the leaves of W26 and W20, respectively, and 486 DAMs and 368 DAMs were found in the roots of W26 and W20, respectively. According to the KEGG joint analysis of DEGs and DAMs, it was discovered that glutathione (GSH) metabolism was the pathway of significant enrichment in the leaves of both W26 and W20. In this study, the metabolic pathways of nitrogen metabolism and GSH metabolism of barley under nitrogen were constructed based on the related DAMs and DEGs. In leaves, GSH, amino acids, and amides were the main identified DAMs, while in roots, GSH, amino acids, and phenylpropanes were mainly found DAMs. Finally, some nitrogen-efficient candidate genes and metabolites were selected based on the results of this study. The responses of W26 and W20 to low nitrogen stress were significantly different at the transcriptional and metabolic levels. The candidate genes that have been screened will be verified in future. These data not only provide new insights into how barley responds to LN, but also provide new directions for studying the molecular mechanisms of barley under abiotic stress.

Integrated Analysis of Metabolome and Transcriptome Reveals Insights for Low Phosphorus Tolerance in Wheat Seedling.

Low phosphorus (LP) stress leads to a significant reduction in wheat yield, primarily in the reduction of biomass, the number of tillers and spike grains, the delay in heading and flowering, and the inhibition of starch synthesis and grouting. However, the differences in regulatory pathway responses to low phosphorus stress among different wheat genotypes are still largely unknown. In this study, metabolome and transcriptome analyses of G28 (LP-tolerant) and L143 (LP-sensitive) wheat varieties after 72 h of normal phosphorus (CK) and LP stress were performed. A total of 181 and 163 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected for G28CK vs. G28LP and L143CK vs. L143LP, respectively. Notably, the expression of pilocarpine (C07474) in G28CK vs. G28LP was significantly downregulated 4.77-fold, while the expression of neochlorogenic acid (C17147) in L143CK vs. L143LP was significantly upregulated 2.34-fold. A total of 4023 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were acquired between G28 and L143, of which 1120 DEGs were considered as the core DEGs of LP tolerance of wheat after LP treatment. The integration of metabolomics and transcriptomic data further revealed that the LP tolerance of wheat was closely related to 15 metabolites and 18 key genes in the sugar and amino acid metabolism pathway. The oxidative phosphorylation pathway was enriched to four ATPases, two cytochrome c reductase genes, and fumaric acid under LP treatment. Moreover, PHT1;1, TFs (ARFA, WRKY40, MYB4, MYB85), and IAA20 genes were related to the Pi starvation stress of wheat roots. Therefore, the differences in LP tolerance of different wheat varieties were related to energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, phytohormones, and PHT proteins, and precisely regulated by the levels of various molecular pathways to adapt to Pi starvation stress. Taken together, this study may help to reveal the complex regulatory process of wheat adaptation to Pi starvation and provide new genetic clues for further study on improving plant Pi utilization efficiency.

Combined Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Response to Salt Stress during Seed Germination in Barley.

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress factor affecting crop production, and understanding of the response mechanisms of seed germination to salt stress can help to improve crop tolerance and yield. The differences in regulatory pathways during germination in different salt-tolerant barley seeds are not clear. Therefore, this study investigated the responses of different salt-tolerant barley seeds during germination to salt stress at the proteomic and metabolic levels. To do so, the proteomics and metabolomics of two barley seeds with different salt tolerances were comprehensively examined. Through comparative proteomic analysis, 778 differentially expressed proteins were identified, of which 335 were upregulated and 443 were downregulated. These proteins, were mainly involved in signal transduction, propanoate metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormones and cell wall stress. In addition, a total of 187 salt-regulated metabolites were identified in this research, which were mainly related to ABC transporters, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism; 72 were increased and 112 were decreased. Compared with salt-sensitive materials, salt-tolerant materials responded more positively to salt stress at the protein and metabolic levels. Taken together, these results suggest that salt-tolerant germplasm may enhance resilience by repairing intracellular structures, promoting lipid metabolism and increasing osmotic metabolites. These data not only provide new ideas for how seeds respond to salt stress but also provide new directions for studying the molecular mechanisms and the metabolic homeostasis of seeds in the early stages of germination under abiotic stresses.

Characterization of Glossy Spike Mutants and Identification of Candidate Genes Regulating Cuticular Wax Synthesis in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Cuticular waxes comprise the hydrophobic layer that protects crops against nonstomatal water loss and biotic and abiotic stresses. Expanding on our current knowledge of the genes that are involved in cuticular wax biosynthesis and regulation plays an important role in dissecting the processes of cuticular wax metabolism. In this study, we identified the Cer-GN1 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) mutant that is generated by ethyl methanesulfonate mutagenesis with a glossy spike phenotype that is controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. A physiological analysis showed that the total cuticular wax loads of Cer-GN1 were one-third that of the progenitor wild-type (WT), and its water loss rate was significantly accelerated (p < 0.05). In addition, Cer-GN1 was defective in the glume's cuticle according to the toluidine blue dye test, and it was deficient in the tubule-shaped crystals which were observed on the glume surfaces by scanning electron microscopy. Using metabolomics and transcriptomics, we investigated the impacts of cuticular wax composition and waxy regulatory genes on the loss of the glaucous wax in the spikes of Cer-GN1. Among the differential metabolites, we found that 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid, which is one of the predominant C16 and C18 fatty acid-derived cutin monomers, was significantly downregulated in Cer-GN1 when it was compared to that of WT. We identified two novel genes that are located on chromosome 4H and are downregulated in Cer-GN1 (HvMSTRG.29184 and HvMSTRG.29185) that encode long-chain fatty acid omega-monooxygenase CYP704B1, which regulates the conversion of C16 palmitic acid to 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid. A quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the expression levels of HvMSTRG.29184 and HvMSTRG.29185 were downregulated at 1, 4, 8, 12, and 16 days after the heading stage in Cer-GN1 when it was compared to those of WT. These results suggested that HvMSTRG.29184 and HvMSTRG.29185 have CYP704B1 activity, which could regulate the conversion of C16 palmitic acid to 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid in barley. Their downregulation in Cer-GN1 reduced the synthesis of the cuticular wax components and ultimately caused the loss of the glaucous wax in the spikes. It is necessary to verify whether HvMSTRG.29184 and HvMSTRG.29185 truly encode a CYP704B1 that regulates the conversion of C16 palmitic acid to 16-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid in barley.

Influences of Heavy Metals and Salt on Seed Germination and Seedling Characteristics of Halophyte Halogeton glomeratus.

Heavy metals pollution and salinization of soils are widely distributed in agricultural soils. This study investigated the effects of five heavy metals and five heavy metals-contaminated salt on seed germination and seedling growth of halophyte Halogeton glomeratus (H. glomeratus). The results showed that seed germination, fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), radicles relative viability and ion contents (Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+) of H. glomeratus were affected by different heavy metals and heavy metal-polluted 100 mM NaCl treatments. Ion contents in plumules increased with the increase of heavy metal concentrations with or without NaCl addition. Moreover, the accumulation levels of metals in the concentrations of Cu2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+ supplying 100 mM NaCl were higher than that without NaCl treatment. This can provide new insights into the value of H. glomeratus for phytoremediation of soil affected by heavy metals and also in combination with salinity.

Genome Resource for Barley Leaf Stripe Pathogen Pyrenophora graminea.

Pyrenophora graminea is the causative agent of barley leaf stripe disease. In this study, the strong pathogenic isolate QWC was used to generate DNA for Illumina sequencing. After assembly, its genome size was 42.5 Mb, consisting of 264 scaffolds, and a total of 10,376 genes was predicted. This is the first genome resource available for P. graminea. The genome sequences of P. graminea will accelerate the understanding interaction of P. graminea and barley.

Genome Sequence Resource for Pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana Shoemaker GN1 Causing Spot Blotch of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Spot blotch, caused by fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana Shoemaker, is one of the most frequent diseases affecting barley-growing regions worldwide. In this study, we reported the genome sequence of the highly virulent B. sorokiniana strain GN1 using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform. In total, 57 million 150-nucleotide paired-end clean reads were obtained and assembled into 96 scaffolds with an estimated genome size of 34.33 Mb. Furthermore, we identified genes that may be associated with strain-specific virulence and performed phylogenetic analysis of GN1 with five other Bipolaris spp. These results for GN1 will provide important information in understanding its molecular underpinning of pathogenicity and help identify novel sources of genetic resistance for improving disease resistance in barley.

Integrative Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses of Molecular Mechanism Responding to Salt Stress during Seed Germination in Hulless Barley.

Hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum) is one of the most important crops in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Soil salinity seriously affects its cultivation. To investigate the mechanism of salt stress response during seed germination, two contrasting hulless barley genotypes were selected to first investigate the molecular mechanism of seed salinity response during the germination stage using RNA-sequencing and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation technologies. Compared to the salt-sensitive landrace lk621, the salt-tolerant one lk573 germinated normally under salt stress. The changes in hormone contents also differed between lk621 and lk573. In lk573, 1597 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 171 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were specifically detected at 4 h after salt stress, and correspondingly, 2748 and 328 specifically detected at 16 h. Most specific DEGs in lk573 were involved in response to oxidative stress, biosynthetic process, protein localization, and vesicle-mediated transport, and most specific DEPs were assigned to an oxidation-reduction process, carbohydrate metabolic process, and protein phosphorylation. There were 96 genes specifically differentially expressed at both transcriptomic and proteomic levels in lk573. These results revealed the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance and provided candidate genes for further study and salt-tolerant improvement in hulless barley.

Exogenous Melatonin Enhances the Low Phosphorus Tolerance of Barley Roots of Different Genotypes.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) plays an important role in plant growth and development, and in the response to various abiotic stresses. However, its role in the responses of barley to low phosphorus (LP) stress remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the root phenotypes and metabolic patterns of LP-tolerant (GN121) and LP-sensitive (GN42) barley genotypes under normal P, LP, and LP with exogenous melatonin (30 µM) conditions. We found that melatonin improved barley tolerance to LP mainly by increasing root length. Untargeted metabolomic analysis showed that metabolites such as carboxylic acids and derivatives, fatty acyls, organooxygen compounds, benzene and substituted derivatives were involved in the LP stress response of barley roots, while melatonin mainly regulated indoles and derivatives, organooxygen compounds, and glycerophospholipids to alleviate LP stress. Interestingly, exogenous melatonin showed different metabolic patterns in different genotypes of barley in response to LP stress. In GN42, exogenous melatonin mainly promotes hormone-mediated root growth and increases antioxidant capacity to cope with LP damage, while in GN121, it mainly promotes the P remobilization to supplement phosphate in roots. Our study revealed the protective mechanisms of exogenous MT in alleviating LP stress of different genotypes of barley, which can be used in the production of phosphorus-deficient crops.

Chitosan and TiO2 functionalized polypropylene nonwoven fabrics with visible light induced photocatalytic antibacterial performances.

Chitosan/TiO2 functionalized polypropylene (CS/TiO2/PP) nonwoven fabrics were fabricated through crosslinking of chitosan with glutaraldehyde followed by loading of TiO2 nanoparticles. The functionalized CS/TiO2/PP has super hydrophilicity and excellent visible light induced photocatalytic antibacterial properties owing to the synergistic effects of CS and TiO2. The photocatalytic degradation performance was determined by assessing the degradation of methyl blue under simulated visible light irradiation and its recyclability was also evaluated. In addition, SEM images demonstrated that TiO2 nanoparticles were distributed evenly on the surface of the 2 g/L CS/TiO2/PP. Meanwhile, the polypropylene surface showed a significant increase in hydrophilicity after being treated with chitosan and TiO2. The photocatalytic degradation results revealed that CS/TiO2/PP had higher photocatalytic properties than those of pure PP under visible light, and the degradation rate of methylene blue reached 96.4 % after 90 min of light exposure. Compared to pure PP, the antibacterial properties of CS/TiO2/PP significantly increased, and the bacterial reduction percentages were increased to 98.7 % and 96.3 %, against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The functionalized CS/TiO2/PP composites exhibited promising potential in environmentally friendly antibacterial materials.

Facile Approach for the Potential Large-Scale Production of Polylactide Nanofiber Membranes with Enhanced Hydrophilic Properties.

Polylactide (PLA) nanofiber membranes with enhanced hydrophilic properties were prepared through electrospinning. As a result of their poor hydrophilic properties, common PLA nanofibers have poor hygroscopicity and separation efficiency when used as oil-water separation materials. In this research, cellulose diacetate (CDA) was used to improve the hydrophilic properties of PLA. The PLA/CDA blends were successfully electrospun to obtain nanofiber membranes with excellent hydrophilic properties and biodegradability. The effects of the additional amount of CDA on the surface morphology, crystalline structure, and hydrophilic properties of the PLA nanofiber membranes were investigated. The water flux of the PLA nanofiber membranes modified with different CDA amounts was also analyzed. The addition of CDA improved the hygroscopicity of the blended PLA membranes; the water contact angle of the PLA/CDA (6/4) fiber membrane was 97.8°, whereas that of the pure PLA fiber membrane was 134.9°. The addition of CDA enhanced hydrophilicity because it tended to decrease the diameter of PLA fibers and thus increased the specific surface area of the membranes. Blending PLA with CDA had no significant effect on the crystalline structure of the PLA fiber membranes. However, the tensile properties of the PLA/CDA nanofiber membranes worsened due to the poor compatibility between PLA and CDA. Interestingly, CDA endowed the nanofiber membranes with improved water flux. The water flux of the PLA/CDA (8/2) nanofiber membrane was 28,540.81 L/m2·h, which was considerably higher than that of the pure PLA fiber membrane (387.47 L/m2·h). The PLA/CDA nanofiber membranes can be feasibly applied as an environmentally friendly oil-water separation material because of their improved hydrophilic properties and excellent biodegradability.

[Effect of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus seed extracts on seed germination and seedling growth of different Codonopsis pilosula caltiver].

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the allelopathy effect of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus seeds and provide information for the intercrop production. METHOD: The A. membranaceus. var. mongholicus seeds were soaked in distilled water for different time (12, 24, 36, 48, 60 h) , and then the seed extracts were used to study their effects on the seed germination, seedling growth and development of two Codonopsis pilosula. RESULT: The A. membranaceus var. mongholicus seeds contained some allelopathy compounds. Their soaked liquid had significantly influence on the seed germination and seedling growth of C. pilosula. The seed germination rate, germination power, germination index and vigor index of two C. pilosula calrivar were improved and then inhabited with soaking time elongation. The extract soaking for 24 h significantly improved the germination traits but the extract for 60 h appeared different degrees of inhibiting vigor. The seed extracts soaking ranging between 12 and 60 h all significantly improved the above plant growth of C. pilosula but significant inhibited their radicle growth in length. And with the soaking time elongation the facilitation effect weakened and the inhibiting effect enhanced, especially more significant in the C. pilosula caltivar (Baitiaodangshen). CONCLUSION: The A. membranaceus var. mongholicus seeds have allelopathic compounds and the endogenous inhibitor can be extracted when soaked for more than 24 h in water with intact seeds, resulting in improvement of seed germination rate. The C. pilosula could be intercropped in A. membranaceus var. mongholicus field, however, when intercroped it should notice that the intercrop proportion should vary with the caltivar.

Waterproof and Moisture-Permeable Polyurethane Nanofiber Membrane with High Strength, Launderability, and Durable Antimicrobial Properties.

Nanofiber membrane has high biological protection function because of its good waterproof and moisture permeability properties. However, this membrane usually lacks active antimicrobial properties, limiting the application in reusable bioprotective textiles. Herein, waterborne polyurethane-capped Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by reducing silver nitrate in water by sodium borohydride in the presence of polyurethane. AgNP-embedded thermoplastic urethane (TPU) nanofiber membrane was prepared by electrospinning a mixed solution of AgNPs and TPU. As-prepared membranes with Ag content of 50-300 mg·kg-1 have an average diameter of 0.75, 0.64, and 0.63 µm and good fiber uniformity. The doping of AgNP-embedded nanomembrane showed increased breaking force probably because of the induced crystallization effect. Test results showed that as-prepared TPU nanofiber membrane with silver content as low as 100 mg·kg-1 showed good washing resistance. The antibacterial rates of E. coli and S. aureus remained 99.99% with 50 times of soaping or chlorine washing. The corresponding waterproof and moisture permeability properties of nanofiber membrane with a thickness of 0.1 mm remained nearly unchanged, i.e., moisture permeability of around 2600 g·m-2 per 24 h and the hydrostatic pressure resistance of around 400 Pa after 50 times of soaping or chlorine washing.

Universal Preparation Strategy for Ultradurable Antibacterial Fabrics through Coating an Adhesive Nanosilver Glue.

Microbiological protection textile materials played an important role in the battle against the epidemic. However, the traditional active antimicrobial treatment of textiles suffers from narrow textile applicability, low chemical stability, and poor washability. Here, a high-strength adhesive nanosilver glue was synthesized by introducing nontoxic water-soluble polyurethane glue as a protectant. The as-prepared nanosilver glue could adhere firmly to the fiber surfaces by forming a flexible polymer film and could encapsulate nanosilver inside the glue. The as-prepared nanosilver had a torispherical structure with diameter of ~22 nm, zeta potential of -42.7 mV, and good dispersibility in water, and it could be stored for one year. Further studies indicated that the nanosilver glue had wide applicability to the main fabric species, such as cotton and polyester fabric, surgical mask, latex paint, and wood paint. The antimicrobial cotton and polyester fabrics were prepared by a simple impregnation-padding-baking process. The corresponding antimicrobial activity was positively correlated with nanosilver content. The treated fabrics (500 mg/kg) exhibited ultrahigh washing resistance (maintained over 99% antibacterial rates for 100 times of standard washing) and wear resistance (99% antibacterial rates for 8000 times of standard wearing), equivalent breathability to untreated fabric, improved mechanical properties, and good flexibility, demonstrating a potential in cleanable and reusable microbiological protection textiles.

Prevalence and associated factors of frailty among Southern Chinese Han patients on haemodialysis: a multicentre, observational cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Frailty has been extensively studied in the general population. However, there is little information on frailty among patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) in China. This study analysed the prevalence and associated factors of frailty among Southern Chinese Han patients on HD. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: Three HD centres in Southern China. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred patients who underwent regular HD between June 2019 and October 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Frailty was assessed using the Tilburg indicator of frailty (TFI) questionnaire, and the psychological status of the respondents was evaluated by the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent of participants were in the frailty group, and the TFI score of HD patients was 6.89±2.87, with 8.15±2.06 in the frailty group and 2.87±1.31 in the non-frailty group. Frailty patients had higher SDS and SAS scores, and were more likely to suffer depression and anxiety than non-frailty patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis excluding depression and anxiety showed that age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (excluding end-stage renal disease), a nuclear family (compared with living alone), and albumin were independently associated with frailty (all p<0.05). In the model including depression and anxiety, age, diabetes mellitus, living as a couple (compared with living alone), a nuclear family (compared with living alone), an extended family (compared with living alone), low phosphorus, depression and anxiety were associated with frailty by multivariate logistic regression analysis (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately three-quarters of patients with HD in Southern China are frail, often accompanied with depression and anxiety. Age, diabetes mellitus, family structure, phosphorus, depression and anxiety were associated with frailty.

Construction of Durable Self-Cleaning PDMS Film on Polyester Fabric Surface.

The superhydrophobic surface can be prepared by two methods; one is by reducing the surface energy, and the other is by constructing a micro-nano rough structure. To achieve high superhydrophobic performance in terms of durability, the firm combination of hydrophobic coating and substrate is particularly important. Here, we use polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a low surface energy monomer, water-borne polyurethane (WPU) as a dispersing aid, and use high-power ultrasound to disperse PDMS in water to make emulsion. The polyester matrix is etched by atmospheric plasma, dipped in PDMS emulsion, dried, and finally baked to induce PDMS on the surface of polyester fiber to cross-link into film. A series of tests on the self-cleaning polyester fabric prepared by this method show that when the concentration of PDMS is 8 g/L and the mass ratio of PDMS to WPU is 20:1, the water contact angle (WCA) reaches the maximum value of 148.2°, which decreases to 141.5° after 200 times of washing and 138.6° after 5000 times of rubbing. Before and after PDMS coating, the tensile strength of polyester fabric increases from 489.4 N to 536.4 N, and the water vapor transmission decreases from 13,535.7 g/(m2·d) to 12,224.3 g/(m2·d). This research is helpful to the large-scale production of self-cleaning polyester fabric. In the future, on the basis of this research, we will add functional powder to endow self-cleaning polyester fabric with higher hydrophobicity and other properties.

Synergistic effect of yeast integrated with alkyl polyglucose for short-chain fatty acids production from sludge anaerobic fermentation.

An efficient strategy for short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production from sludge anaerobic fermentation was proposed with the combination of yeast and alkyl polyglucose (APG). It revealed that the synergetic effect of yeast and APG could boost the SCFA concentration to the maximum value of 2800.34 mg COD/L within 9 days at 0.20 g/g suspended solids (SS) yeast and 0.20 g/g SS APG, which was significantly higher than that of its counterparts. Interestingly, the sludge solubilization, the biodegradability of fermentation substrate, as well as the acidification of hydrolyzed products, was evidently improved in the coexistence of APG and yeast. The activities of hydrolytic enzymes and acetate kinase were also stimulated, whereas the coenzyme F420 was inhibited. The synergetic effect of yeast and APG used in this work enriches the study of carbon resource recovery from sludge anaerobic fermentation.

Proteomic analysis reveals molecular mechanism of Cd2+ tolerance in the leaves of halophyte Halogeton glomeratus.

Halogeton glomeratus (H. glomeratus) is categorized as a halophyte, it can potentially endure not only salt but also heavy metals. The aim of this work was to study the molecular mechanisms underlying the Cd2+ tolerance of halophyte H. glomeratus seedlings. For that we used a combination of physiological characteristics and data-independent acquisition-based proteomic approaches. The results revealed that the significant changes of physiological characteristics of H. glomeratus occurred under approximately 0.4 mM Cd2+ condition and that Cd2+ accumulated in Cd2+-treated seedling roots, stems and leaves. At the early stage of Cd2+ stress, numerous differentially abundant proteins related to "phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase", "transmembrane transporters", and "vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein" took important roles in the response of H. glomeratus to Cd2+ stress. At the later stage of Cd2+ stress, some differentially abundant proteins involved in "alcohol-forming fatty acyl-CoA reductase", "glutathione transferase", and "abscisic acid receptor" were considered to regulate the adaptation of H. glomeratus exposed to Cd2+ stress. Finally, we found various detoxification-related differentially abundant proteins related to Cd2+ stress. These biological processes and regulators synergistically regulated the Cd2+ tolerance of H. glomeratus. SIGNIFICANCE: The halophyte, H.glomeratus, has a strong tolerance to salinity, also survives in the heavy metal stress. At present, there are few reports on the comprehensive characterization and identification of Cd2+ response and adaption related regulators in H.glomeratus. This research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of H. glomeratus tolerance to Cd2+ stress at proteome levels to uncover the novel insight of the Cd2+-related biological processes and potential candidates involved in the response and adaption mechanism. The results will help elucidate the genetic basis of this species' tolerance to Cd2+ stress and develop application prospect of wild genetic resources to heavy metal phytoremediation.