Catalytic Strategies and Mechanism Analysis Orbiting the Center of Critical Intermediates in Lignin Depolymerization.

Lignin, as a precious resource given to mankind by nature with abundant functional aromatic structures, has drawn much attention in the recent decade from academia to industry worldwide, aiming at harvesting aromatic compounds from this abundant and renewable natural polymer resource. How to efficiently depolymerize lignin to easy-to-handle aromatic monomers is the precondition of lignin utilization. Many strategies/methods have been developed to effectively degrade lignin into monomers, such as the traditional methods of pyrolysis, gasification, liquid-phase reforming, solvolysis, chemical oxidation, hydrogenation, reduction, acidolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, alcoholysis, as well as the newly developed redox-neutral process, biocatalysis, and combinatorial strategies. Therefore, there is a strong demand to systemically summarize these developed strategies and methods and reveal the internal transformation principles of the lignin. Focusing on the topic of lignin depolymerization to aromatic chemicals, this review reorganizes and categorizes the strategies/methods according to their mechanisms, orbiting the center of critical intermediates during the lignin linkage transformation, which includes the critical anionic intermediates, cationic intermediates, organometallic intermediates, organic molecular intermediates, aryl cation radical intermediates, and neutral radical intermediates. The corresponding introduction involves the generation and the transformation chemistry of the critical intermediates via the corresponding C-H/O-H/C-C/C-O chemical bond transformations, leading to the cleavage of the C-C/C-O linkage bonds. Accompanying the brief introduction of lignin chemistry and the final concluding remarks and perspectives on lignin depolymerization, this review aims to provide a current research process of lignin depolymerization, which may provide useful suggestions for this vigorous research field.

Monolayer NbSe2 Favors Ultralow Friction and Super Wear Resistance.

The urgent demand for atomically thin, superlubricating, and super wear-resistant materials in micro/nanoelectromechanical systems has stimulated the research of friction-reducing and antiwear materials. However, the fabrication of subnanometer-thick films with superlubricating and super wear-resistant properties under ambient conditions remains a huge challenge. Herein, high-quality monolayer (ML) NbSe2 (∼0.8 nm) with ultralow friction and super wear resistance in an atmospheric environment was successfully grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for the first time. Moreover, compared with few-layered (FL) NbSe2, ML NbSe2 has a lower friction coefficient and better wear resistance. On the basis of density function theory (DFT) calculations, the adhesion and the degree of charge transfer between ML NbSe2 and the substrate is larger than that of the topmost layer to the underlying layers of NbSe2 with two or more layers, which can be used to explain that the ML NbSe2 favors ultralow friction and super wear resistance.

Engineered and Durable Antimicrobial Polymer via Controllable Immobilization of Ionic Liquids onto the Poly(lactic acid) Chains.

Nowadays, the development of effective modification methods for PLA has gained significant interest because of the wide application of antimicrobial PLA materials in the medical progress. Herein, the ionic liquid (IL) 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, has been grafted onto the PLA chains successfully in the PLA/IL blending films via electron beam (EB) radiation for the miscibility between PLA and IL. It was found that the existence of IL in the PLA matrix can significantly improve the chemical stability under EB radiation. The Mn of PLA-g-IL copolymer did not change obviously but was just decreased from 6.80 × 104 g/mol to 5.20 × 104 g/mol after radiation with 10 kGy. The obtained PLA-g-IL copolymers showed excellent filament forming property during electrospinning process. The spindle structure on the nanofibers can be completely eliminated after feeding only 0.5 wt % ILs for the improvement of ionic conductivity. Specially, the prepared PLA-g-IL nonwovens exhibited outstanding and durable antimicrobial activity for the enrichment of immobilized ILs on the nanofiber surface. This work provides a feasible strategy to realize the modification of functional ILs onto PLA chains with low EB radiation doses, which may have huge potential application in the medical and packaging industry.

Catalytic self-transfer hydrogenolysis of lignin with endogenous hydrogen: road to the carbon-neutral future.

Due to the depletion of fossil sources, it is imperative to develop a sustainable and carbon-neutral biorefinery for supporting the fuel and chemical supply in modern society. Lignin, the only renewable aromatic source, is still an underutilized component in lignocellulose. Very recently, it has been found that hydrogenolysis is a promising technology for lignin valorization. However, high-pressure H2 is necessary during lignin hydrogenolysis, resulting in safety problems. Furthermore, H2 is mainly produced from steam reforming of fossil sources in industry, which makes the conversion of renewable lignin unsustainable and costly. Plentiful aliphatic hydroxyl and methoxy groups exist in native lignin and offer a renewable alternative to H2, and can be hydrogen sources for the depolymerization and upgradation of lignin via the intramolecular catalytic transfer hydrogenation. The hydrogen source in situ generated from lignin is a type of green hydrogen, decreasing the carbon footprint. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary and perspective of lignin valorization via self-transfer hydrogenolysis, mainly focusing on a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of catalytic self-transfer hydrogenolysis at the molecular level and developing highly effective catalytic systems. Moreover, some opportunities and challenges within this attractive field are given to discuss future research directions.

Circulating long noncoding RNAs as potential biomarkers for stomach cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent researches have suggested that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the tumorigenesis and development of stomach cancer (SC). This meta-analysis aimed to identify the diagnostic performance of circulating lncRNAs in SC. METHODS: All relevant studies were systematically searched through PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases. The diagnostic values of lncRNAs were mainly assessed by pooled sensitivity, specificity, and summary receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (SROC AUC). Meta-DiSc 1.4, Review Manager 5.3, and STATA 12.0 were used for statistical analysis. The protocol for this systematic review was registered on INPLASY (INPLASY202120079) and is available in full on the inplasy.com ( https://doi.org/10.37766/inplasy2021.2.0079 ). RESULTS: A total of 42 eligible studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and SROC AUC were 0.78 (95%CI 0.75-0.81), 0.75 (95%CI 0.71-0.78), and 0.83 (95%CI 0.80-0.86), respectively, suggesting that the lncRNAs test had a high accuracy for the diagnosis of SC. Obvious heterogeneity might come from the type of lncRNA through subgroup and meta-regression analysis. Fagan diagram shows the clinical value of lncRNAs test in SC. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal expression of circulating lncRNAs exhibits a high efficacy for diagnosing SC, which is promising in clinical application.

The effects of nitrogen application rate on the grain physicochemical properties of japonica rice under controlled and flooding irrigation.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the effects of water-nitrogen interaction on the grain quality of two varieties of japonica rice grown on the North China Plain, based on evaluations of grain biochemical components, starch X-ray diffraction properties, thermal and pasting characteristics, and particle size distribution. RESULTS: We found that, under controlled irrigation, increasing levels of nitrogen resulted in a reduction in grain starch content and an increase in protein content. Nitrogen fertilization, irrigation, and their interaction had significant effects on the particle size and size distribution of rice flour. Under both controlled and flooding irrigation, the lowest values of pasting parameters for cultivars Xindao22 and Xindao10 were observed in response to moderate and high nitrogen application, respectively. Under flooding irrigation, Xindao22 exhibited lower mean value of gelatinization onset, peak, and conclusion temperatures and enthalpy in response to control irrigation, whereas in Xindao10 these parameters were relatively stable with respect to nitrogen and irrigation treatments. However, we observed no significant effects of either nitrogen or irrigation on amylopectin chain length distribution or starch relative crystallinity. CONCLUSION: Nitrogen application rate and irrigation methods had distinct effects on the physicochemical properties of flour derived from treated rice plants. The findings will provide support for scientific irrigation and fertilization in order to improve rice grain quality. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Responses of leaf gas exchange attributes, photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant enzymes in NaCl-stressed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings to exogenous glycine betaine and salicylic acid.

BACKGROUND: Application of exogenous glycine betaine (GB) and exogenous salicylic acid (SA) mitigates the adverse effects of salinity. Foliar spraying with exogenous GB or SA alleviates salt stress in plants by increasing leaf gas exchange and stimulating antioxidant enzyme activity. The effects of foliar application of exogenous GB and SA on the physiology and biochemistry of cotton seedlings subjected to salt stress remain unclear. RESULTS: Results showed that salt stress of 150 mM NaCl significantly reduced leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence and decreased photosynthetic pigment quantities and leaf relative water content. Foliar spray concentrations of 5.0 mM exogenous GB and 1.0 mM exogenous SA promoted gas exchange and fluorescence in cotton seedlings, increased quantities of chlorophyll pigments, and stimulated the antioxidant enzyme activity. The foliar spray also increased leaf relative water content and endogenous GB and SA content in comparison with the salt-stressed only control. Despite the salt-induced increase in antioxidant enzyme content, exogenous GB and SA in experimental concentrations significantly increased the activity of glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase, and decreased malondialdehyde content under salt stress. Across all experimental foliar spray GB and SA concentrations, the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (FV/FM) reached a peak at a concentration of 5.0 mM GB. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and FV/FM were positively correlated with chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content in response to foliar spraying of exogenous GB and SA under salt stress. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded, from our results, that concentrations of 5.0 mM GB or 1.0 mM SA are optimal choices for mitigating NaCl-induced damage in cotton seedlings because they promote leaf photosynthesis, increase quantities of photosynthetic pigments, and stimulate antioxidant enzyme activity. Among, 5.0 mM GB and 1.0 mM SA, the best performance in enhancing endogenous GB and SA concentrations was obtained with the foliar application of 1.0 mM SA under salt stress.

Roles of eIF3m in the tumorigenesis of triple negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Without targets, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the worst prognosis in all subtypes of breast cancer (BC). Recently, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 m (eIF3m) has been declared to be involved in the malignant progression of various neoplasms. The aim of this study is to explore biological functions of eIF3m in TNBC. METHODS: Multiple databases, including Oncomine, KM-plotter and so on, were performed to analyze prognosis and function of eIF3m in TNBC. After transfection of eIF3m-shRNA lentivirus, CCK-8, colony formation assay, cell cycle analysis, wound healing assay, transwell assays, mitochondrial membrane potential assay and cell apoptosis analysis were performed to explore the roles of eIF3m in TNBC cell bio-behaviors. In addition, western blotting was conducted to analyze the potential molecular mechanisms of eIF3m. RESULTS: In multiple databases, up-regulated eIF3m had lower overall survival, relapse-free survival and post progression survival in BC. EIF3m expression in TNBC was obviously higher than in non-TNBC or normal breast tissues. Its expression in TNBC was positively related to differentiation, lymph node invasion and distant metastasis. After knockdown of eIF3m, cell proliferation, migration, invasion and levels of mitochondrial membrane potential of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436 were all significantly suppressed, while apoptosis rates of them were obviously increased. In addition, eIF3m could regulate cell-cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and apoptosis-related proteins. Combined with public databases and RT-qPCR, 14 genes were identified to be modulated by eIF3m in the development of TNBC. CONCLUSIONS: eIF3m is an unfavorable indicator of TNBC, and plays a vital role in the process of TNBC tumorigenesis.

A study on BOLD fMRI of the brain basic activities of MDD and the first-degree relatives.

Introduction: The present study aims to explore the characteristics and differences of the ReHo, ALFF and fALFF of brain in the resting state of depression and first-degree relatives, in order to identify candidate central prodromal biomarkers of depression.Method: Three groups of medication-free patients (39-59 years old) was involved in this study, including the patients with major depression disorder (MDD group, n = 15), healthy volunteers with first-degree relatives with MDD (first-degree relatives group, n = 15), healthy volunteers with no personal or family history of MDD (the control group [HC], n = 15). Participants underwent functional MRI while staying in a resting state after a conventional MRI scanning on a clinical 3 T system(Siemens Skyra, Germany).Results: The ReHo, ALFF and fALFF values are different in brain of MDD, first-degree relatives, and HC (p<.05). MDD patients exhibited abnormal spontaneous activity in multiple brain regions which are closely related to emotion regulation and perception. The present findings provide further insight into the pathological mechanisms underlying MDD.Conclusion: With the widespread abnormal values of brain in MDD and first-degree relatives measured, we can get a hypothesis that these abnormalities may be associated with cognitive network disorders and emotional distress in MDD.Key pointsThe fMRI could increase the early validity of MDD as a new diagnostic and disease-monitoring tool.Monitoring ReHo, ALFF, fALFF values using fMRI can provide insight into the presence and evolution of MDD disease and permit objective evaluation of brain abnormalities.It appears that ReHo, ALFF, fALFF could be used as markers for monitoring disease progression and treatment effects in MDD patients in the future.

MicroRNA-31 triggers G2/M cell cycle arrest, enhances the chemosensitivity and inhibits migration and invasion of human gastric cancer cells by downregulating the expression of zeste homolog 2 (ZH2).

Gastric cancer is the second most leading cause of cancer related mortality across the world over. Although the incidence of GC has declined to some extent but it is still the fourth highly diagnosed cancer across the world. GC generally remains undiagnosed till advanced stages due to unavailability of biomarkers and when diagnosed it becomes difficult to manage due to the lack of therapeutic targets and efficient chemotherapy. There are concrete evidences suggesting that miRNAs may prove important therapeutic targets for the treatment of devastating diseases such as cancer. The study was designed to investigate the tumor suppressive role of miR-31 via regulation of zeste homolog 2 (ZH2). It was found that miR-31 is significantly downregulated in GC cell lines. Overexpression of miR-31 causes significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the viability and colony formation via initiation of G2/M cell cycle arrest of the AGS cancer cells. Moreover, miR-31 overexpression also enhanced the chemosensitivity of miR-31 to the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil. In silico analysis together with dual luciferase reporter assay indicated zeste homolog 2 (ZH2) to be the potential target of miR-31 in AGS cells. Investigation of ZH2 expression in GC cell lines showed it to be significantly (P < 0.05) upregulated. Nonetheless, overexpression of miR-31 in AGS cells resulted in the suppression of ZH2 expression. Additionally, silencing of ZH2 in the AGS cells also caused inhibition of AGS cell proliferation and colony formation via G2/M arrest. Moreover, overexpression of ZH2 could at least partially reverse the tumor suppressive effects of miR-31 indicating direct involvement of ZH2 in the miR-31 mediated inhibitory effects on AGS cell proliferation. Finally, miR-31 overexpression caused significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of the migration and invasion of the AGS gastric cancer cells. The overexpression of miR-31 also caused downregulation of mesenchymal markers (Vimentin and N-cadherin) and upregulation of epithelial marker (E-cadherin) protein expression was in AGS cells. It is therefore concluded that miR-31 acts as a tumor suppressor and may prove essential in the treatment of GC.

Small bowel metastasis from pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma causing intussusception: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), especially primary pulmonary RMS, is an extremely rare type of soft tissue sarcoma in adults. Small bowel is an uncommon site for metastases. CASE PRESENTATION: This report described an unusual case of jejunum metastasis from primary pulmonary RMS causing intussusception in a 75-year-old man. The patient consulted for 2 weeks of continuous dyspnea. Chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a large mass involving the left lower lobe. Transthoracic biopsy confirmed the existence of pleomorphic RMS. Immunohistochemical studies showed positive findings about desmin and MyoD1. The results of gastroscopy, colonoscopy and abdominal CT were all negative. Positron emission tomography/CT demonstrated a fluorodeoxyglucose-reactive large lesion in the left lower lobe without metastatic lesions. The patient received synchronous chemoradiotherapy. After 9 months, the patient presented with intermittent upper abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting. CT showed small bowel dilatation secondary to intussusception. The patient subsequently received laparotomy, and the intussuscepted small bowel segment was resected. Histological examination revealed pleomorphic RMS involving the mucosa, submucosa, and muscular tissues. CONCLUSIONS: RMS is highly aggressive and metastatic. The metastatic disease can rapidly progress to cause subsequent complications. The possibility of small bowel metastasis should be considered, although it is extremely rare.

Selective Utilization of the Methoxy Group in Lignin to Produce Acetic Acid.

Selective transformation of lignin into a valuable chemical is of great importance and challenge owing to its complex structure. Herein, we propose a strategy for the transformation of methoxy group (-OCH3 ) which is abundant in lignin into pure highly valuable chemicals. As an example to apply this strategy, a route to produce acetic acid with high selectivity by conversion of methoxy group of lignin was developed. It was demonstrated that the methoxy group in lignin could react with CO and water to generate acetic acid over RhCl3 in the presence of a promoter. The conversions of methoxy group in the kraft lignin and organosolv lignin reached 87.5 % and 80.4 %, respectively, and no by-product was generated. This work opens the way to produce pure chemicals using lignin as the feedstock.

Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic of gastric cancer in young patients.

OBJECTIVES: Gastric cancer (GC) in young patients is thought to exhibit a worse prognosis due to specific clinicopathologic characteristics and delayed diagnosis; however, the data are controversial. This study aimed to analyse the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of GC in young patients and to determine whether GC is a different clinical entity in younger vs. older patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical data of 3930 gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy were retrospectively analysed and divided into two age groups. The younger group consisted of 342 cases of patients aged 40 years or younger at the time of surgery, and the older group included 3588 cases of patients older than 40 years. Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared using Pearson's χ(2) or Fisher's exact tests, and survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Clinicopathologic characteristics of the younger group exhibited a predominance of females (p < 0.001), diffuse stomach lesions (p = 0.014), signet-ring cell type (p < 0.001), poorly differentiated histological tumours (p < 0.001), Borrmann type IV (p < 0.001), mixed Lauren's classification types (p = 0.004), and recurrence rate in the gastric remnant (p < 0.001). The overall 5-year survival rates in the younger group and older group were 60.8% and 53.7%, respectively (p = 0.017). When stratified by TNM stage, the younger group exhibited enhanced 5-year survival at stage IV compared with the older group (26.9% VS. 10.3%, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Although younger patients with GC exhibit more aggressive cancer patterns and higher recurrence rate in the gastric remnant, the overall 5-year survival rate may be better than older patients.

Different normalization strategies might cause inconsistent variation in circulating microRNAs in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Circulating microRNA (miRNA) are promising biomarkers for diagnosing and prognosticating numerous diseases. Reports have demonstrated controversial or even contradictory conclusions in studies on circulating microRNA. This study aimed to evaluate the potential bias of using different reference genes for analyzing circulating microRNAs in the same malignant digestive diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We measured plasma concentrations of U6-snRNA, let-7a, miRNA-21, miRNA-106a, miRNA-155, miRNA-219, miRNA-221, and miRNA-16 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gastric carcinoma (GC), hepatic cirrhosis, hepatitis B, and healthy volunteers using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The GeNorm, Normfinder, BestKeeper, and Comparative ΔCq algorithms integrated in RefFinder were used to screen the most suitable reference genes from the candidates. The 4 commonly used statistical evaluation software packages provided different results regarding the stability of the candidate reference genes. RESULTS: RefFinder revealed miRNA-106a and miRNA-21 as the most stably expressed reference genes, with comprehensive stability values of 1.189 and 1.861, respectively. U6-snRNA was the most unstable nucleic acid in our data. When 5 normalization strategies were compared using U6-snRNA, serum volume, miRNA-106a, miRNA-21, or the mean value of miRNA-106a and miRNA-21, obvious expression bias was detected in almost all target microRNAs. Intriguingly, all these normalization strategies indicated that circulating miRNA-155 is greatly upregulated in patients with HCC and GC, but downregulated in benign hepatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Single reference genes used without justification in plasma microRNAs produce significant analysis bias or even erroneous results. Circulating miRNA-155 may be a promising non-invasive biomarker for discriminating malignant digestive tumors from the corresponding benign diseases.

Protocol for the preparation and application of CeO2-CuO catalysts in the decarboxylative oxidation reaction of benzoic acids to phenols.

Phenolic chemicals are important building blocks in chemical and material industries. In this protocol, we describe the preparation of CeO2-CuO catalysts and the application in the decarboxylative oxidation reaction of benzoic acids to phenols. Furthermore, we describe how to modify the basic sites of CeO2-CuO catalysts by CO2 treatment to increase the selectivity of phenol and the regeneration process of used catalyst. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Du et al. (2023).1.

Isoquercitrin alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal mucosal barrier damage in mice by regulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and intestinal flora.

Intestinal mucosal barrier damage is closely associated with the development of several intestinal inflammatory diseases. Isoquercitrin (IQ) is a natural flavonoid compound derived from plants, which exhibits high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity with minimal side effects in humans. Therefore, it shows great potential for preventing and treating intestinal mucosal barrier damage. This study aims to investigate the ameliorative effect and mechanism of IQ on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal mucosal barrier damage in mice. The mice were treated with IQ for 7 days and then injected with LPS to induce intestinal mucosal barrier damage. The results revealed that IQ treatment alleviated LPS-induced intestinal mucosal barrier damage in mice, which can be evidenced by the improvements in intestinal morphology and the promotion of expression in intestinal tight junctions (ZO-1, Claudin-1, and Occludin), as well as MUC2 mucin. IQ also attenuated intestinal inflammatory responses by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing the expression and plasma levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. Furthermore, IQ significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Dubosiella, Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibaculum rodentium, while suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria such as Mucispirillum schaedleri in the intestinal flora of mice. Consequently, IQ can alleviate the LPS-induced intestinal mucosal barrier damage in mice by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and modulating the intestinal flora.

Widely targeted metabolomics combined with E-tongue and E-nose reveal dynamic changes of tender coconut water in responses to the infection of Ceratocystis paradoxa.

Ceratocystis paradoxa is a major cause of postharvest disease in tender coconuts worldwide. We conducted a comprehensive study using widely targeted metabolomics, electronic tongue (E-tongue), and electronic nose (E-nose) analyses to investigate the impacts of C. paradoxa invasion on the quality of tender coconut water (TCW) from fresh control (FC), uninoculated (UN), skin-inoculated (SI), and deep-inoculated (DI) nuts. DI exhibited significantly higher taste indicators associated with bitterness, saltiness, astringency aftertaste, and bitter aftertaste, as well as odor sensor values related to various compounds such as long-chain alkanes, hydrides, methane, organic sulfides, etc. Invasion of C. paradoxa into the endosperm altered the flavor characteristics of TCW mainly through the modulation of carbohydrate and secondary metabolite pathways. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between the differentially expressed flavorful metabolites and the sensor indicators of the E-nose and E-tongue. These findings offer valuable insights into understanding the impact of C. paradoxa infection on coconuts.

Irrigation and Fertilization Scheduling for Peanut Cultivation under Mulched Drip Irrigation in a Desert-Oasis Area.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of water and nitrogen regulation on the characteristics of water and fertilizer demands and the yield, quality, and efficiencies of the water and nitrogen utilization of peanuts cultivated under mulched drip irrigation in a desert-oasis region. The experiment, conducted in Urumqi, Xinjiang, centered on elucidating the response mechanisms governing peanut growth, yield, quality, water consumption patterns, and fertilizer characteristics during the reproductive period under the influence of water and nitrogen regulation. In the field experiments, three irrigation levels were implemented, denoted as W1 (irrigation water quota of 22.5 mm), W2 (irrigation water quota of 30 mm), and W3 (irrigation water quota of 37.5 mm). Additionally, two nitrogen application levels, labeled N1 (nitrogen application rate of 77.5 kg·ha-1) and N2 (a nitrogen application rate of 110 kg·ha-1), were applied, resulting in seven treatments. A control treatment (CK), which involved no nitrogen application, was also included in the experimental design. The results indicate a direct correlation between the increment in the irrigation quota and increases in farmland water-related parameters, including water consumption, daily water consumption intensity, and water consumption percentage. The nitrogen harvest index (NHI) demonstrated a higher value in the absence of nitrogen application compared to the treatment with elevated nitrogen levels. The application of nitrogen resulted in an elevation in both nitrogen accumulation and nitrogen absorption efficiency within pods and plants. When subjected to identical nitrogen application conditions, irrigation proved to be advantageous in enhancing water-use efficiency (WUE), nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP), and the yield of peanut pods. The contribution rate of water to pod yield and WUE exceeded that of nitrogen, while the contribution rate of nitrogen to nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) was higher. The total water consumption for achieving a high yield and enhanced water- and nitrogen-use efficiencies in peanuts cultivated under drip irrigation with film mulching was approximately 402.57 mm. Taking into account yield, quality, and water- and nitrogen-used efficiencies, the use of an irrigation quota of 37.5 mm, an irrigation cycle of 10-15 days, and a nitrogen application rate of 110 kg·ha-1 can be regarded as an appropriate water and nitrogen management approach for peanut cultivation under mulched drip irrigation in Xinjiang.

Enhancing bioretention efficiency for pollutant mitigation in stormwater runoff: Exploring ecosystem cycling dynamics amidst temporal variability.

In this study, three distinct bioretention setups incorporating fillers, plants, and earthworms were established to evaluate the operational efficiency under an ecosystem concept across varying time scales. The results revealed that under short-term operating conditions, extending the drying period led to a notable increase in the removal of NO3--N, total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 5 %-7%, 4 %-12 %, and 5 %-10 %, respectively. Conversely, under long-time operating conditions, the introduction of plants resulted in a significant boost in COD removal by 10 %-20 %, while the inclusion of earthworms improved NH4+-N and NO3--N removal, especially TP removal by 9 %-16 %. Microbial community analysis further indicated the favorable impact of the bioretention system on biological nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, particularly with the incorporation of plants and earthworms. This study provides a reference for the operational performance of bioretention systems on different time scales.

Enhanced Plastic Stability: Achieving High Performance in a Al6xxx Alloy Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) facilitates the creation of materials with unique microstructural features and distinctive phenomena as compared to conventional manufacturing methods. Among the various well-fabricated AM alloys, aluminum alloys garner substantial attention due to their extensive applications in the automotive and aerospace industries. In this work, an Al6xxx alloy is successfully fabricated with outstanding performance. A nucleation agent is introduced to diminish the susceptibility to cracking during the AM process, thereby inducing a heterogeneous microstructure in this alloy. However, the introduction of ultrafine grains induces plastic instability, evidenced by the presence of Lüders band. This work investigates the evolution of the Lüders band and the strategy to reduce their undesirable effect. The heterogeneity destabilizes the band propagation and thus deteriorates the ductility. Through a T6 heat treatment, the local Lüders strain decreases from 10.0% to 6.2%, leading to a substantial enhancement in plastic stability. With the increase in grain growth and the enlargement of coarse grain regions, the mismatch between the local and macroscopic Lüders strain disappears. Importantly, the strength and the thermal conductivity are concurrently increased. The findings demonstrate the significance of ensuring plastic stability to achieve improved strength-ductility trade-off in AM alloys with heterogeneous microstructures.