Phytoremediation of copper-contaminated soils by rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and underlying molecular mechanisms for copper absorption and sequestration.

High levels of copper released in the soil, mainly from anthropogenic activity, can be hazardous to plants, animals, and humans. The present research aimed to estimate the suitability and effectiveness of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) as a possible soil remediation option and to uncover underlying adaptive mechanisms A pot experiment was conducted to explore the effect of copper stress on agronomic and yield traits for 32 rapeseed genotypes. The copper-tolerant genotype H2009 and copper-sensitive genotype ZYZ16 were selected for further physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses. The results exhibited a significant genotypic variation in copper stress tolerance in rapeseed. Specifically, the ratio of seed yield under copper stress to control ranged from 0.29 to 0.74. Furthermore, the proline content and antioxidant enzymatic activities in the roots were greater than those in the shoots. The accumulated copper in the roots accounted for about 50% of the total amount absorbed by plants; thus, the genotypes possessing high root volumes can be used for rhizofiltration to uptake and sequester copper. Additionally, the pectin and hemicellulose contents were significantly increased by 15.6% and 162%, respectively, under copper stress for the copper-tolerant genotype, allowing for greater sequestration of copper ions in the cell wall and lower oxidative stress. Comparative analysis of transcriptomes and metabolomes revealed that excessive copper enhanced the up-regulation of functional genes or metabolites related to cell wall binding, copper transportation, and chelation in the copper-tolerant genotype. Our results suggest that copper-tolerant rapeseed can thrive in heavily copper-polluted soils with a 5.85% remediation efficiency as well as produce seed and vegetable oil without exceeding food quality standards for the industry. This multi-omics comparison study provides insights into breeding copper-tolerant genotypes that can be used for the phytoremediation of heavy metal-polluted soils.

The roles of novel chitooligosaccharide-peanut oligopeptide carbon dots in improving the flavor quality of Chinese cabbage.

Carbon dots (CDs), a novel type of nanomaterial, play crucial roles in the agriculture field. However, it remains unclear their impacts on the flavor quality of vegetables. The present study synthesized a novel chitooligosaccharide-peanut oligopeptide-carbon dots (COS-POP-CDs) material through the chitooligosaccharide (COS) and peanut oligopeptide (POP) high temperature Maillard reactions and studied its effect on the flavor quality of Chinese cabbage (Choy sum). Results indicated that COS-POP-CDs emit blue visible light that readily absorbed by chloroplasts, while also demonstrating some degree of antibacterial and antioxidant activities. After transplanting of Choy sum, foliar spraying 0.12 mg/mL COS-POP-CDs twice can increase the content of soluble proteins, Vitamin C, and enhance the strawberry and spicy flavors of Choy Sum. After harvest of Choy Sum, foliar spraying 0.12 mg/mL COS-POP-CDs once can slow down the spoilage. These results suggest that COS-POP-CDs have significant potential to improve crop quality.

Biochar Coating as a Cost-Effective Delivery Approach to Promoting Seed Quality, Rice Germination, and Seedling Establishment.

The application of high-quality seeds ensures successful crop establishment, healthy growth, and improved production in both quantity and quality. Recently, biochar-based seed coating has been recognized as a new, effective, and environmentally friendly method to enhance seed quality, seedling uniformity, and nutrient availability. To study the impact of biochar coating on the surface mechanical properties of coated seeds, rice emergence and growth, and related physical and physiological metabolic events, laboratory experiments were performed on two water-saving and drought-resistance rice (WDR) varieties (Huhan1512 and Hanyou73) using biochar formulations with varying contents (20%-60%). The results showed that the appropriate concentration of biochar significantly improved emergence traits and seedling performance of the two rice varieties, compared to the uncoated treatment, and that the optimal percentage of biochar coating was 30% (BC30). On average, across both varieties, BC30 enhanced emergence rate (9.5%), emergence index (42.9%), shoot length (19.5%), root length (23.7%), shoot dry weight (25.1%), and root dry weight (49.8%). The improved germination characteristics and vigorous seedling growth induced by biochar coating were strongly associated with higher water uptake by seeds, increased α-amylase activity and respiration rate, and enhanced accumulation of soluble sugar and soluble protein. Moreover, the evaluation results of mechanical properties related to seed coating quality found that increasing the proportion of biochar in the coating blend decreased the integrity and compressive strength of the coated seeds and reduced the time required for coating disintegration. In conclusion, biochar coating is a cost-effective strategy for enhancing crop seed quality and seedling establishment.

Spraying phenolic acid-modifiedchitooligosaccharide derivatives improves anthocyanin accumulation in grape.

Herein, four chitooligosaccharide derivatives (COS-RA, COS-FA, COS-VA, COS-GA) were prepared by laccase-catalyzed chitooligosaccharide modification with rosmarinic acid (RA), ferulic acid (FA), gallic acid (GA), and vanillic acid (VA), and structures were characterized. RA and FA resulted in higher amino-substitution in the chitooligosaccharides than GA and VA. COS-RA and COS-FA had greater DPPH scavenging rates than COS-GA and COS-VA. Compared with COS treatment, spraying 250 mg L-1 COS-RA or COS-VA 6 times (once per 7 days) increased soluble sugar and anthocyanin content by 18.6%-23.2% and 41.7%-46.7%, respectively, from the fruit expansion to harvest stage. COS-RA and COS-VA also enhanced gene expression related to anthocyanin synthesis (PAL, F3H, F3'5'H, DFR, and UFGT) and monomeric anthocyanin accumulation (Mal-3-O-glu, Petu-3-O-ace-glu, Del-3-O-glu). Therefore, chitooligosaccharide derivatives may improve grape fruit anthocyanin accumulation by regulating antioxidant systems, improving the photosynthetic rate and inducing gene expression related to anthocyanin synthesis.

Exploring the impact of carbon emissions and co-macroeconomic determinants on China's sustainable apple export.

China is the foremost global consumer, producer, and exporter of fresh apples. In 2021, China produced roughly 44 million tons of apples and exported just over 1 million tons, a nearly 2% increase over the previous year. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on global trade and has led to a decrease in China's agricultural exports. The present study aims to contribute to the existing body of literature by analyzing plausible macroeconomic determinants that might impact China's apple exports. We used novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (DYARDL) simulations to model causal relationships among fundamental economic parameters. We made use of annual time series data from 1990 to 2020 from the World Bank and China's national statistical bureau. We found that increases in apple orchard area, apple production, and trade openness had a positive impact on apple exports over both the short and long term. Conversely, decreases in the prices of exported apples, agrochemicals, and carbon emissions in the agricultural sector had a positive impact on the long-term and short-term exportation of apples. Finally, we note that pictographic illustrations from the DYARDL simulations provide corroborative evidence for our findings. Based on the study results, this study proposes that the adoption of technological advancements in apple orchards could potentially enhance apple production while simultaneously upholding environmental sustainability.

Odour-mediated oviposition site selection in Aedes aegypti depends on aquatic stage and density.

BACKGROUND: Olfaction plays an important role in the selection and assessment of oviposition sites by mosquitoes. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with potential breeding sites affect the behaviour of gravid mosquitoes, with VOCs from aquatic stages of conspecific mosquitoes influencing and regulating oviposition. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic analysis of the behavioural response of gravid Aedes aegypti to conspecific aquatic stage-conditioned water, to identify the associated bioactive VOCs and to determine how blends of these VOCs regulate oviposition site selection and stimulate egg-laying. METHODS: Using a multi-choice olfactory oviposition assay, controlling for other sensory modalities, the responses of individual females to water conditioned with different densities of conspecific aquatic stages were assessed. The conditioned water samples from the most preferred density of each aquatic stage were subsequently compared to each other using the same oviposition assay and analysed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a Tukey post-hoc test. Using combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic detection or mass spectrometry, bioactive VOCs from the preferred density of each aquatic stage were identified. Synthetic blends were prepared based on the identified ratios of bioactive VOCs in the aquatic stages, and then tested to determine the oviposition choice of Ae. aegypti in a dose-dependent manner, against a solvent control, using a dual-choice assay. This dataset was analysed using nominal logistic regression followed by an odds ratio comparison. RESULTS: Gravid Ae. aegypti responded stage- and density-dependently to water conditioned with eggs, second- and fourth-instar larvae, and pupal exuviae, but not to water conditioned with pupae alone. Multi-choice assays demonstrated that gravid mosquitoes preferred to oviposit in water conditioned with fourth-instar larvae, over the other aquatic stage-conditioned water. Gravid Ae. aegypti were attracted, and generally stimulated, to oviposit in a dose-dependent manner to the individual identified synthetic odour blends for the different aquatic stages. CONCLUSIONS: Intraspecific VOCs regulate oviposition site selection in Ae. aegypti in a stage- and density-dependent manner. We discuss the need for further studies to evaluate the identified synthetic blends to modulate the odour-mediated oviposition of Ae. aegypti under field conditions.

Exploring the link between ACEs and opioid use: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the current literature surrounding the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and opioid use disorder (OUD) to guide clinical identification of high-risk individuals and assess treatment implications. DESIGN: A PubMed search was conducted from the year 2000 to 2022 using a series of primary and secondary search terms. A total of 21,524 unique results were screened for relevancy to ACEs and OUDs. After excluding unrelated articles, a total of 48 articles were included in this systematic review. RESULTS: Increased frequency of ACEs was directly related to increased risk of OUD and lower onset age. ACEs were also associated with OUD severity. ACEs linked to OUD included childhood neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Additionally, dysfunctional childhood home environment, female gender, and psychiatric/behavioral comorbidities increased the risk of OUD, while resilience was found to be a protective factor. Multiple biochemical markers were associated with both ACEs and OUD. CONCLUSIONS: Children experiencing multiple ACEs should be the target of preventative intervention by medical professionals. Clinicians should include ACEs in their opioid misuse risk assessment. High incidence of co-occurring psychiatric/behavioral disorders provides multiple treatment avenues for patients with OUD. Resilience, along with being therapy target, should be fostered early in the life course. Incorporation of family members may improve opioid abuse treatment outcomes. Future research should focus on interventions interrupting the progression of ACEs to OUD along with proposed biochemical pathways.

Can environmentally friendly technology help China to achieve a carbon neutrality target by 2060? An asymmetrical based study in China.

Climate change-related environmental challenges are prompting an increasing number of countries to set carbon-neutral targets. Since 2007, China has pursued numerous initiatives to attain carbon neutrality by 2060, including increasing the percentage of non-fossil energy, developing zero-emission and low-emission technologies, and taking actions that reduce CO2 emissions or boost carbon sinks. As a result, utilizing quarterly data from 2008/Q1 to 2021/Q4, and applying the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approach, this study evaluates the effectiveness of the measures taken by China to improve the ecological situation. The results of the study show that the measures enacted to reduce CO2 emissions did not accomplish their ultimate purpose. Specifically: (i) high-speed railways and new energy vehicles do not improve the environment in the long run; (ii) investments and patents in the energy sector, as well as low-carbon sources, will degrade the environment; (iii) only investments in the treatment of environmental pollution will improve the ecological situation. Various policy implications are suggested based on the empirical results in order to attain environmental sustainability.

Clinical Characterization and Outcomes of Patients with Hypercreatinemia Affected by COVID-19.

The present study evaluated the clinical presentation and outcome of COVID-19 patients with underlying hypercreatinemia at the time of hospitalization. A retrospective observational study was conducted from the 23rd of March 2020 to the 15th of April 2021 in 1668 patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 in the Chest Disease Hospital in Srinagar, India. The results of the present study revealed that out of 1668 patients, 339 with hypercreatinemia had significantly higher rates of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), severe manifestations of the disease, need for mechanical ventilation, and all-cause mortality. Multivariable analysis revealed that age, elevated creatinine concentrations, IL-1, D-Dimer, and Hs-Crp were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality. After adjusted analysis, the association of creatinine levels remained strongly predictive of all-cause, in-hospital mortality (HR-5.34; CI-4.89-8.17; p ≤ 0.001). The amelioration of kidney function may be an effective method for achieving creatinemic targets and, henceforth, might be beneficial for improving outcomes in patients with COVID-19.

Algal polysaccharides-Selenium nanoparticles regulate the uptake and distribution of selenium in rice plants.

Introduction: Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element required for proper human and animal health. Methods: In this paper, we investigated the uptake and distribution characteristics of a new Se fertilizer, which comprises algal polysaccharides-selenium nanoparticles (APS-SeNPs), in rice plants in both hydroponic and pot experiments. Results: The results from the hydroponic experiments revealed that the rice root uptake of APS-SeNPs fitted the Michaelis-Menten equation, with a V max of 13.54 µg g-1 root dry weight (DW) per hour, which was 7.69 and 2.23 times those of selenite and selenate treatments, respectively. The root uptake of APS-SeNPs was inhibited by AgNO3 (64.81%-79.09%) and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP; 19.83%-29.03%), indicating that the uptake of APS-SeNPs by rice roots is mainly via aquaporins and is also affected by metabolic activity. Moreover, sulfur deficiency caused rice roots to absorb more APS-SeNPs, but treatment with APS-SeNPs increased the expression of the sulfate transporter OsSULTR1;2 in the roots, suggesting that OsSULTR1;2 is probably involved in the uptake of APS-SeNPs. The application of APS-SeNPs significantly increased the Se content in rice plants and the apparent Se uptake efficiency compared with selenate and selenite treatments. Most of the Se in the roots of rice plants was distributed in the cell wall, while it was primarily located in the cytosol in the shoots when treated with APS-SeNPs. The results from the pot experiments indicated that the application of Se enhanced the Se content of each rice tissue. It is worth noting that the Se content in brown rice under APS-SeNP treatment was higher than that under selenite or selenate treatment and was mainly concentrated in the embryo end, with the Se in organic form. Discussion: Our findings provide important insights into the uptake mechanism and the distribution of APS-SeNPs in rice plants.

Odor-mediated response of gravid Aedes aegypti to mosquito-associated symbiotic bacteria.

Complex oviposition decisions allow gravid Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to select suitable sites for egg-laying to increase the probability that their progeny will thrive. The bacterial communities present in larval niches influence mosquito oviposition behavior, and gravid mosquitoes transmit key microbial associates to breeding sites during oviposition. Our study evaluated whether symbiotic Klebsiella sp., which are strongly associated with mosquitoes, emit volatiles that affect mosquito oviposition decisions. Dual-choice behavioral assays demonstrated that volatile organic compounds emitted by Klebsiella sp. induce a preference in oviposition decisions by Ae. aegypti. Bacterial headspace volatiles were sampled by solid-phase microextraction, and subsequent combined gas chromatography and electroantennogram detection analysis, revealed that the antennae of gravid females detect two compounds present in the Klebsiella sp. headspace. These compounds were identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry as 2-ethyl hexanol and 2,4-di­tert-butylphenol. The binary blend of these compounds elicited a dose-dependent egg-laying preference by gravid mosquitoes. We propose that bacterial symbionts, which are associated with gravid mosquitoes and may be transferred to aquatic habitats during egg-laying, together with their volatiles act as oviposition cues indicating the suitability of active breeding sites to conspecific females.

Seed nanopriming: How do nanomaterials improve seed tolerance to salinity and drought?

Salt and drought stress are major environmental issues world-widely. These stresses can result in failures of seed germination, limiting agricultural production. New approaches are needed to increase crop production, ensuring food safety, quality, and agriculture sustainability. Nanopriming (priming seeds with nanomaterials) is an emerging seed technology improving crop production under the drastic climate change associated with stress factors. The present review not only provided an overview of nanopriming achieved salt and drought tolerance but also tried to discuss the behind mechanisms. We argued that the physico-chemical properties of the nanomaterials are key factors affecting their negative or positive effects on seed germination in terms of seed nanopriming. Furthermore, we highlighted the possible critical role of seed coat anatomy in effective nanopriming, in terms of saving costs and reducing biosafety issues. This review aims to help researchers to better understand and follow this fast-developing, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly research area.

Consumer perceptions of the OTC Coach: A clinical decision support system aimed at improving the safe use of over-the-counter medications.

BACKGROUND: There are more than 300,000 over-the-counter (OTC) medications on the market making it challenging for consumers to select safe and effective products to treat their minor ailments. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify consumer perceptions about the use of a clinical decision support system, OTC Coach, to help them make informed decisions about OTC medications. METHODS: We developed a prototype of the OTC Coach that focused on treating fever in adults. We recruited community members who were 18 years and older via our institutional research website. Participants completed a 30- to 45-minute video interview in which they initially discussed their perceptions and experiences of using OTC medications. We subsequently shared the OTC Coach prototype and sought feedback related to the content and format of the tool. We asked participants to rate their likelihood of using the tool to treat a new symptom (10-point Likert scale, 1 = not at all to 10 = extremely likely) and conducted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of these findings. RESULTS: Among 20 participants, 11 (55%) were female, 10 (50%) were white, and the mean age was 47.9 years (range 18-81 years). Participants reported that the tool was easy to understand. The questions reported as being extremely important by most participants were allergies (n = 17, 85%), increased risk of bleeding (n = 15, 75%), temperature (n = 12, 60%), and duration of symptoms (n = 12, 60%). Three-fourths of participants (n = 15) selected a score of 7 or higher when asked about their likelihood of using this tool for a new symptom. Concerns that were raised included ensuring that the tool accounted for their personal health history, data storage, and accessibility. CONCLUSION: Consumers were interested in using an electronic tool to determine if their symptoms can be self-treated and, if so, which medications are appropriate.

The potential for biochar application in "Shatangju" (Citrus reticulate cv.) orchard on acid red soil: Biochar prepared from its organic waste in an orchard.

Carbonization of agricultural and forestry wastes is the main use of biochar application in agriculture. In this study, the effects of biochar on the physical and chemical properties of soil and diversity in rhizosphere microorganisms, leaf nutrients and fruit quality of acid red soil in "Shatangju" (Citrus reticulate cv.) orchard were studied using organic wastes and small-scale carbonization furnaces from orchards were used to produce biochar. The results showed that the finished rate of biochar produced from the organic wastes in the orchard was approximately 37%, and the carbon content of the finished product was as high as 80%. The results suggested that the biochar produced in the orchard could meet the annual consumption of the orchard. Applying biochar can improve the physical and chemical properties of acid soil in the "Shatangju" orchard by enhancing the availability of various mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and boron. The species and quantity of root and rhizosphere microbial communities (fungi, bacteria and archaea) increased, and the dominant bacterial group changed, manifested in the increase in microbial diversity. Biochar directly affected the soil pH value and increased the soil organic carbon content, which may be the main reason for the change in microbial diversity in the soil and rhizosphere of "Shatangju" in the orchard and pot tests. The fruit quality of each treatment group with biochar was also better than that of the control group and improved fruit coloring. In the pure soil test, whether or not chemical fertilizer was applied, 3% biochar amendments can provide a suitable pH value for "Shatangju" growth and are relatively stable. Regardless of whether or not fertilizer was applied, 1.5%-3% biochar improved the soil in the pot test. In the field, the biochar at a rate of 2.4 kg/plant to 3.6 kg/plant, respectively, was the best in improving soil physical and chemical properties, foliar nutrition and fruit quality. Therefore, the amount of biochar added in the open environment (if the garden) can be slightly adjusted according to the results of the closed environment test (pure soil test and pot test). In this experiment, we explored the self-recycling of organic carbon, mainly through the preparation of a simple small-scale biochar furnace suitable for the use by orchards, and selected the appropriate amount of biochar to improve the physical and chemical conditions of "Shatangju" orchard soil and increase fruit quality.

Biochar Coating Is a Sustainable and Economical Approach to Promote Seed Coating Technology, Seed Germination, Plant Performance, and Soil Health.

Seed germination and stand establishment are the first steps of crop growth and development. However, low seed vigor, improper seedbed preparation, unfavorable climate, and the occurrence of pests and diseases reduces the germination rate and seedling quality, resulting in insufficient crop populations and undesirable plant growth. Seed coating is an effective method that is being developed and applied in modern agriculture. It has many functions, such as improving seed vigor, promoting seedling growth, and reducing the occurrence of pests and diseases. Yet, during seed coating procedures, several factors, such as difficulty in biodegradation of coating materials and hindrance in the application of chemical ingredients to seeds, force us to explore reliable and efficient coating formulations. Biochar, as a novel material, may be expected to enhance seed germination and seedling establishment, simultaneously ensuring agricultural sustainability, environment, and food safety. Recently, biochar-based seed coating has gained much interest due to biochar possessing high porosity and water holding capacity, as well as wealthy nutrients, and has been proven to be a beneficial agent in seed coating formulations. This review presents an extensive overview on the history, methods, and coating agents of seed coating. Additionally, biochar, as a promising seed coating agent, is also synthesized on its physico-chemical properties. Combining seed coating with biochar, we discussed in detail the agricultural applications of biochar-based seed coating, such as the promotion of seed germination and stand establishment, the improvement of plant growth and nutrition, suitable carriers for microbial inoculants, and increase in herbicide selectivity. Therefore, this paper could be a good source of information on the current advance and future perspectives of biochar-based seed coating for modern agriculture.

Mucormycosis an added burden to Covid-19 Patients: An in-depth systematic review.

As of 25th July, 2022, global Disease burden of 575,430,244 confirmed cases and over 6,403,511 deaths have been attributed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Co-infections/secondary infections continue to plague patients around the world as result of the co-morbidities like diabetes mellitus, biochemical changes caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) especially significant elevation in free iron levels, immune suppression caused by SARS-CoV-2, and indiscriminate use of systemic corticosteroids for the treatment of severe COVID-19 disease. In such circumstances, opportunistic fungal infections pose significant challenge for COVID-19 disease therapy in patients with other co-morbidities. Although COVID-19-associated Mucormycosis (CAM) has been widely recognized, currently extensive research is being conducted on mucormycosis. It has been widely agreed that patients undergoing corticosteroid therapy are highly susceptible for CAM, henceforth high index of screening and intensive care and management is need of an hour in order to have favorable outcomes in these patients. Diagnosis in such cases is often delayed and eventually the disease progresses quickly which poses added burden to clinician and increases patient load in critical care units of hospitals. A vast perusal of literature indicated that patients with diabetes mellitus and those with other co-morbidities might be highly vulnerable to develop mucormycosis. In the present work, the case series of three patients presented at Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir infected with CAM has been described with their epidemiological data in supplementary section. All these cases were found to be affected with co-morbidity of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and were under corticosteroid therapy. Furthermore, given the significant death rate linked with mucormycosis and the growing understanding of the diseases significance, systematic review of the literature on CAM has been discussed and we have attempted to discuss emerging CAM and related aspects of the disease.

The toxicity of heavy metals and plant signaling facilitated by biochar application: Implications for stress mitigation and crop production.

Heavy metals (HMs) accumulation in soil poses a severe threat worldwide for soil, plants, and humans. The accumulation of HMs in soil and uptake by plants leads to disrupt physiological and biochemical metabolisms. As a potential and sustainable soil amendment, biochar has attained huge attention to reduce HMs toxicity in soil and improve plant growth influenced by HMs stress. Despite an array of research studies, there is a lack of knowledge on how biochar interacts with HMs, moderate plant defence system, induce HMs stress signals pathways and promote plant growth. At first, the review highlights the possible effects of HMs on soil and plant and their consequences on plant signaling network. Secondly, the biochar's impact on soil physiochemical properties and the sorption of HMs on biochar surface through direct and indirect mechanisms are reviewed. Finally, the review shows the key roles of biochar in soil improvement to enhance plant growth and signaling response to HMs by enhancing the activities of antioxidants and reducing chlorophyll injury, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and cell membrane degradation under HMs stress. However, future studies are needed to evaluate the role of biochar in diverse climatic conditions as well as the long-term effects of biochar on HMs persistency in soil and crop productivity. This review will provide new avenues for future studies to address and quantify the advancement in biochar's role in alleviating plant's HMs stress on a sustainable basis.

The impact of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption on carbon emission intensity in China: Fresh evidence from novel dynamic ARDL simulations.

Given the dire state of global warming, it is critical to investigate the elements that influence carbon emissions intensity and to precisely monitor progress in carbon emissions intensity growth in order to meet the aim of lowering CO2 emissions. This research explores the association among renewable energy and non-renewable energy consumption, the urban population, research and development expenditure, technological innovation, and carbon emissions intensity in China using annual time series data over the period 1990 to 2019. The Dynamic ARDL simulation technique was utilized to investigate the long-run and short-run correlations between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and CEI. The results suggest that there is strong evidence of a long-run correlation between the variables. The findings indicate that in the long-run, renewable energy and non-renewable energy consumption, and research and development expenditure have a positive influence on CEI by 0.27%, 0.75%, and 0.21%, whereas the urban population has a negative influence by 2.31%, respectively. However, the urban population and technological innovation have positively affected the short-run CEI by 12.17% and 0.23%, respectively. Policies should focus on continuous investment in renewable energy sources, clean energy innovation, improving energy efficiency, forest restoration, and carbon neutrality initiatives to lessen the environmental extreme pressure associated with CO2 emissions.

CeO2 Nanoparticles Seed Priming Increases Salicylic Acid Level and ROS Scavenging Ability to Improve Rapeseed Salt Tolerance.

Soil salinity is a major issue limiting efficient crop production. Seed priming with nanomaterials (nanopriming) is a cost-effective technology to improve seed germination under salinity; however, the underlying mechanisms still need to be explored. Here, polyacrylic acid coated nanoceria (cerium oxide nanoparticles) (PNC, 9.2 nm, -38.7 mV) are synthesized and characterized. The results show that under salinity, PNC priming significantly increases rapeseed shoot length (41.5%), root length (93%), and seedling dry weight (78%) compared to the no-nanoparticle (NNP) priming group. Confocal imaging results show that compared with NNP group, PNC priming significantly reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in leaf (94.3% of H2O2, 56.4% of •O2 -) and root (38.4% of H2O2, 41.3% of •O2 -) of salt stressed rapeseed seedlings. Further, the results show that compared with the NNP group, PNC priming not only increases salicylic acid (SA) content in shoot (51.3%) and root (78.4%), but also upregulates the expression of SA biosynthesis related genes in salt stressed rapeseed. Overall, PNC nanopriming improved rapeseed salt tolerance is associated with both the increase of ROS scavenging ability and the increase of salicylic acid. The results add more information to understand the complexity of mechanisms behind nanoceria priming improved plant salt tolerance.

Impact of age, gender and comorbidities affecting the severity of COVID-19 infection in Kashmir.

Aim: To study the impact of age, gender and comorbidities/risk factors affecting the severity of CoronaVirus Disease 2019/Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19/SARS-COV-2) infection in the Kashmiri community. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Chest Disease Hospital. The study included 957 subjects who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: In the age group <40 years, the severity of illness was found to be 30.42% and the occurrence of death was 11.54%, in the 40-60 years, the severity of the illness was found to be 32.51% and the occurrence of death was 12.84%, in the older age >60 years, the severity of illness was found to be 35.74% and the occurrence of death was 10.49%. In males, the severity of the illness was found to be 32.39% and the occurrence of death was 11.27%. In females, the severity of the illness was found to be 33.96% and the occurrence of death was 12.58%. In patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), cancer, hypertension, chronic liver disease (CLD), cerebrovascular disease, thyroid disease, steroid use, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and smokers, the severity of the illness was 29.27, 41.67, 37.73, 20, 23.53, 11.11, 36.30, 40, 20, 36.37, 50, 54.54 and 36% and the occurrence of death was 14.63, 0, 10.69, 10, 11.76, 5.55, 10.67, 0, 0, 20.78, 0, 0 and 16%, respectively. Conclusion: The age, gender and comorbidity disparities seen in the COVID-19 vulnerability emphasise the need to understand the impact of these factors on the incidence and case fatality of the disease.