bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems Recover the Structural Quality of Ultisol Soil
Authors: Matos Aline Marchetti Silva , Bonini Carolina dos Santos Batista , Moreira Bruno Rafael de Almeida , Andreotti Marcelo , Heinrichs Reges , Silva Diogo Tiago da , Souza José Augusto Liberato de , Santos Melissa Alexandre , Andrighetto Cristiana , Pavan Gustavo Mateus , Barretto Vitor Corrêa de Mattos , Neto Alfredo Bonini
Published: November 2022

Integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry Systems (ICLFS) offer stakeholders sustainable options to produce goods and services. Those additionally manifest as enablers of environmental conservation of soil functioning. We, therefore, analyzed the quality of Ultisol for physical and chemical properties under restorative or regenerative models of long-term (nine years) ICLFS. The arrangements comprised integrated Crop–Livestock; integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry, integrated Crop–Livestock–Forestry with a single or triplicate rows of Eucalyptus; and Eucalyptus plantation, natural vegetation, and bare soil with resurgence of grasses (reference). We collected samples of soil at 0.05, 0.05–0.1, and 0.1–0.2 m depths throughout the areas to quantify standard properties, including water infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, degree of flocculation, mechanical resistance to penetration, stability of aggregates, physical fractioning of organic matter, and fertility. We applied principal component analysis to analytical data to calculate accurate discriminant variables to distinguish systems by structural quality. We obtained evidence for the crop–livestock framework improving physical and chemical properties; hence, this intervention outperformed others in developing environmental restoration. Additionally, as the reference consisted of comparable properties to those in integrative systems and native vegetation, it supported the ability of the soil to gradually recover itself over time. Therefore, our study provides knowledge to advance the field’s prominence in implementing ICLFS for the environmental reclamation of the condition or process degrading the soil and its functions for sustainable agricultural production.
Temporal Assessment of Biofumigation Using Mustard and Oilseed Rape Tissues on Verticillium dahliae, Soil Microbiome and Yield of Eggplant
Authors: Meng Lingbo , Zhang Yuhang , Yu Shaopeng , Ogundeji Abiola O. , Zhang Shu , Li Shumin
Published: November 2022

Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne pathogen that is difficult to eliminate, causes a severe reduction in the yield and quality of eggplant, and could be controlled through environmentally friendly biofumigation. However, the mechanisms of its effects on the dynamic changes of soil microbes is not clear. In this study, we examined the efficacy of two Brassica vegetables, mustard (Brassica napiformis, BFN) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus, BFC), as biofumigants to control Verticillium dahliae and observed their effects on the soil microbial community compared with chemical fumigants (CF) and a control (CN) in a greenhouse where eggplant was continuously cultivated for 12 years. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to analyse the soil microbiome. Real-time PCR was used to assay in order to estimate the soil abundance of Verticillium dahlia, and the glucosinolate concentration in biofumigants was determined using HPLC. Results showed that the BFN treatment had a significant biocidal effect on V. dahliae in the soil, decreasing its abundance by 64.74% compared to the control (CN). No significant difference was observed between BFC and CN treatments. Yield in the BFN treatment improved due to a lower disease incidence rate and disease index. Biofumigation had significant effects on the community structure and abundance of bacteria and fungi. The bacterial diversity of the BFN treatment was significantly lower than those of the other treatments, and beneficial bacterial community relative abundance, such as Flavobacteria, Pseudomonas and Bacillus, increased after the soil was biofumigated for 15 days. However, the temporal difference in bacterial and fungi structure among the different treatments was reduced with the development of the eggplant growth stage. The Mortierella, Altemaria and Chaetomium genera were significantly abundant across all treatments. Soil enzyme activities were also improved. In summary, biofumigation using mustard was efficient in controlling eggplant Verticillium wilt due to changes in the soil bacterial composition at the early eggplant growth stage; the initial conditions in the soil bacterial community are a key determinant of what is going to happen after Brassica biofumigation, which could be considered a practical addition to integrated pest management for the reduction of soil-borne pathogens.
Nursery Plant Production Models under Quarantine Pests’ Outbreak: Assessing the Environmental Implications and Economic Viability
Authors: Frem Michel , Fucilli Vincenzo , Petrontino Alessandro , Acciani Claudio , Bianchi Rossella , Bozzo Francesco
Published: November 2022

The Apulia (southern Italy) ornamental sector has been facing regulatory obligations and trade limitations due to a Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) outbreak since 2013. Alternative options to encounter these constraints include the implementation of novel and sustainable ornamental production (NSM) practices. In this context, the purpose of this study is to assess simultaneously the environmental implications and economic viability of these options versus the conventional production options (CMs) among eight ornamental species (Abelia grandiflora, Bougainvillea cv Don Mario, Lantana camara cv Bandana rosa, Jasminum officinalis, Photinia fraseri cv Red Robin, Loropetalum chinense cv Black Pearl, Trachelospermum jasminoides, Viburnum lucidum). Life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost–benefit analysis (CBA) were used for this purpose. LCA revealed that NSM induced relatively less environmental impacts at the nursery level towards agricultural land occupation, climate change, fossil depletion, and water depletion. CBA showed that NSM increases moderately nursery business profitability in an economic sustainable way. An overall annual average gross margin of about EUR 192/1000 plants can be generated using NSM over the CM model. In general, this research provides a useful decision-support, helping nursery growers under the pressure of the threat of quarantine pests such as Xf to adopt NSM practices, which could be useful to produce ornamental and landscape plants with high sanitary quality.
Extraction of Winter-Wheat Planting Areas Using a Combination of U-Net and CBAM
Authors: Zhao Jinling , Wang Juan , Qian Haiming , Zhan Yuanyuan , Lei Yu
Published: November 2022

Winter wheat is one of the most important food crops in China, and it is of great significance to ensure national food security. The accurate extraction of wheat-growing areas is a prerequisite for growth assessments, stress monitoring, and yield assessments. In this study, GF-6 (8 m resolution) and Sentinel-2 (10 m resolution) remote sensing images were used to create datasets for the accurate extraction of winter-wheat growing areas by improving the U-Net model. First, U-Net was used as the base network to extract features, and then the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) was embedded in the basic convolutional units in the coding and decoding layers of the network to enhance or suppress the features to improve the feature-expression capability of the model, and to finally complete the end-to-end winter-wheat planting-area extraction. SegNet, DeepLabV3+, and U-Net-CBAM were selected as the comparison models, and they were tested using the test set in the Sentinel-2 dataset. The precision of the U-Net-CBAM model trained on the GF-6 dataset was 84.92%, the MIoU was 77.1%, the recall was 88.28%, the overall precision (OA) was 91.64%, and the F1 was 86.45%. For training on Sentinel-2 dataset, those values were: 90.06% for precision, 83.18% for MIoU, 90.78% for recall, 93.93% for OA, and 90.52% for F1, which showed significantly better results than those of the comparison models, indicating that U-Net-CBAM improved the accuracy of winter-wheat area extraction. It also showed that the segmentation performance of the training and test sets from different datasets was much lower than the segmentation performance from the same dataset.
Starch Bio-Synthetic Pathway Genes Contribute to Resistant Starch Content Differentiation in Bread Wheat
Authors: Hou Jinna , Deng Hui , Wang Yingdong , Liu Congcong , Geng Shenghui , Li Wenxu , Qin Maomao , Dai Ziju , Shi Xia , Yang Pan , Tian Baoming , Yao Wen , Wu Zhengqing , Lei Zhensheng , Zhou Zhengfu
Published: November 2022

Resistant starch (RS) is a special group of starches which are slowly degraded and rarely digested in the gastrointestinal tract. It was recognized as a new type of dietary fiber that improved cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and intestinal health. Breeding high-RS-content wheat is one of the most efficient and convenient approaches for providing an adequate amount of RS for a healthy diet. However, studies which aim to genetically illustrate RS content in wheat are still rare. In the present study, a panel of 207 wheat varieties were collected world-wide and planted under three locations. The RS content of each variety was measured, and 14 additive genetic loci were found to stably exist under more than two environments. Meanwhile, four genes were recognized as the putative candidates with annotated functions of β-amylase, α-1,4 glucan phosphorylase, sucrose transporter, and NAC domain protein. A kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) marker was developed from the SNP AX-94546744, representing the genetic locus of β-amylase located. The AX-94546744-T allele can significantly increase the RS content compared to the AX-94546744-C allele. The genetic loci and KASP marker associated with RS content may be useful for wheat germplasm cultivation and variety breeding with a high RS content, further helping to improve the nutritional quality in wheat.
Optimizing N Application for Forage Sorghum to Maximize Yield, Quality, and N Use Efficiency While Reducing Environmental Costs
Authors: Gao Wei , Shou Na , Jiang Congze , Ma Renshi , Yang Xianlong
Published: November 2022

Investigating the responses of forage crop yield, quality, and nitrogen (N) use efficiency to different N application rates is beneficial for guiding proper N fertilization regimes and for reducing reactive N environmental pollution. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different N application rates on above-ground dry matter yield, forage quality, crop N uptake, N use efficiency (NUE), and ecosystem economic benefits (EEBs) of forage sorghum cultivated on the Longdong Loess Plateau in 2019 and 2020. Five N application rates were tested, namely 0, 80, 160, 240, and 320 kg·ha−1 (referred to as N0, N80, N160, N240, and N320, respectively). The maximum above-ground dry matter yield (22.3 t·ha−1 in 2019 and 18.0 t·ha−1 in 2020) was obtained at an N application of 160 kg·ha−1. Forage sorghum crude protein (CP) content increased significantly with increasing N application rates (the CP content at N320 was 7.4% and 8.6% in 2019 and 2020, respectively). In contrast, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were only affected by high N application rates (NDF and ADF were significantly higher in N320 compared with N0 and N90). The relative feed value (RFV) was significantly higher in N0 compared with N320. Crop N uptake was significantly higher in N160 compared with N0 (25.7% increase to 249.4 kg·ha−1 in 2019 and 40.5% increase to 247.4 kg·ha−1 in 2020, respectively). NUE decreased linearly as N rates increased, but NO3−–N residue (0–200 cm), reactive N loss (Nr loss), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased. Private profitability and EEB were the largest at N160 (private profitability at N160 was 514.2 USD·ha−1, and EEB at N160 was 392.7 USD·ha−1). Above-ground yield and optimum forage quality must be maximized, while simultaneously safeguarding farmer income and reducing environmental pollution from N fertilizers. Therefore, the optimum N application rate for forage sorghum cultivation in the dry areas of the Loess Plateau is recommended at 160 kg·ha−1.
Mycorrhizal Effects on Active Components and Associated Gene Expressions in Leaves of Polygonum cuspidatum under P Stress
Authors: Deng Ci , Sun Rui-Ting , Ma Qiang , Yang Qing-He , Zhou Nong , Hashem Abeer , Al-Arjani Al-Bandari Fahad , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Wu Qiang-Sheng
Published: November 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) participate in the process of plant secondary metabolism and thus affect the production of secondary metabolites. However, it is not clear whether and how AMF affect the growth and secondary metabolites of Polygonum cuspidatum, a medicinal plant rich in resveratrol and polygonin, under different phosphorus (P) levels. This study was performed to analyze the effects of Glomus mosseae on the growth, leaf gas exchange, P concentration, active ingredient concentrations, and expressions of associated genes of P. cuspidatum under P-deficient (0 mol/L P) and P-sufficient (0.2 mol/L P) conditions. The root mycorrhizal colonization rate of inoculated plants was 62.53–73.18%. G. mosseae improved shoot and root biomass as well as leaf P levels to some extent, but the improvement was more prominent under P-sufficient than P-deficient conditions. The fungal colonization also significantly increased leaf photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration, which was more prominent under P-deficient rather than P-sufficient conditions. P addition promoted the concentration of active medicinal components in leaves, especially in uninoculated plants. G. mosseae distinctly raised leaf chrysophanol, emodin, polydatin, and resveratrol concentrations, which was more prominent under P-deficient conditions. However, physcion was raised by G. mosseae only under P-sufficient conditions. AMF and P addition up-regulated expressions of PcCRS1, along with the up-regulation of PcRS11 by P addition and PcRS11 and PcSTS by AMF under P-sufficient conditions. It is concluded that an adequate P fertilizer and AMF facilitate the production of active medicinal components in P. cuspidatum, associated with expressions of associated genes such as PcCRS1.
Nano-Thymol Emulsion Inhibits Botrytis cinerea to Control Postharvest Gray Mold on Tomato Fruit
Authors: Zhang Jiao , Hao Yini , Lu Haiyan , Li Pan , Chen Jian , Shi Zhiqi , Xie Yuhua , Mo Haizhen , Hu Liangbin
Published: November 2022

Thymol is a plant-derived natural compound with antimicrobial activity. However, we have little knowledge about the application of thymol in agriculture. One of the limitations is the high volatility and low aqueous solubility of thymol. Tomato gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the most devastating postharvest diseases. In this study, we prepared a nano-emulsion of thymol (named as Nano-Thy) to form a stable O/W (oil in water) microemulsion. In vitro experiments showed that Nano-Thy had antifungal activity against B. cinerea by inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination. Nano-Thy induced ROS accumulation in mycelia, further leading to lipid peroxidation, cell membrane damage, and subsequent cell death. Nano-Thy significantly prevented the infection of B. cinerea on fresh tomato fruits. Finally, we discussed the mechanisms and their significance in controlling postharvest disease of fruit crops.
Statistical Approach to Assess Chill and Heat Requirements of Olive Tree Based on Flowering Date and Temperatures Data: Towards Selection of Adapted Cultivars to Global Warming
Authors: Abou-Saaid Omar , El Yaacoubi Adnane , Moukhli Abdelmajid , El Bakkali Ahmed , Oulbi Sara , Delalande Magalie , Farrera Isabelle , Kelner Jean-Jacques , Lochon-Menseau Sylvia , El Modafar Cherkaoui , Zaher Hayat , Khadari Bouchaib
Published: November 2022

Delineating chilling and forcing periods is one of the challenging topics in understanding how temperatures drive the timing of budburst and bloom in fruit tree species. Here, we investigated this question on olive trees, using flowering data collected over six years on 331 cultivars in the worldwide collection of Marrakech, Morocco. Using a Partial Least Squares approach on a long-term phenology (29 years) of ‘Picholine Marocaine’ cultivar, we showed that the relevance of delineating the chilling and forcing periods depends more on the variability of inter-annual temperatures than on the long-term datasets. In fact, chilling and forcing periods are similar between those delineated by using datasets of 29 years and those of only 6 years (2014–2019). We demonstrated that the variability of inter-annual temperatures is the main factor explaining this pattern. We then used the datasets of six years to assess the chill and heat requirements of 285 cultivars. We classified Mediterranean olive cultivars into four groups according to their chill requirements. Our results, using the Kriging interpolation method, indicated that flowering dates of most of these cultivars (92%) were governed by both chilling and forcing temperatures. Our investigations provided first insights to select adapted cultivars to global warming.
Effects of Foliar Application of Uniconazole on the Storage Quality of Tuberous Roots in Sweetpotato
Authors: Xu Ximing , Pan Xueping , Zhang Heyao , Lv Zunfu , Xia Jiaping , Cheng Peng , George Melvin Sidikie , Chen Yu , Pang Linjiang , Lu Guoquan
Published: November 2022

Uniconazole (UCZ), as a plant growth regulator, has been extensively applied in sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) to increase tuberous root yield and quality. It is usually used in the production of sweetpotato by foliar spray. The post-harvest storage stage is crucial for forming the quality of the sweetpotato’s tuberous root. Few studies have focused on the foliar spraying UCZ-affected storage quality of sweetpotato during pro-harvest storage. To examine the effects of foliar application of UCZ on the storage quality of tuberous root, this study mainly analyzed the influence of storage quality, with (K2 and K4) and without (K1 and K3) 100 mg·L−1 foliar spraying of UCZ, at a storage period of normal fertilizing treatments (K1 and K2) and rich fertilizing treatments (K3 and K4), on the storage quality of three representative sweetpotato varieties (Z13, Z33 and J26). Compared to the no-use UCZ treatments, the decay rate of K2 was the lowest for any storage time. The decay rate of all the varieties was 0.0% before 45 DAS. Only the decay rate of Z33 increased to 4.4% at 60 DAS (p < 0.05). The dry matter rate of K2 and K4 was still higher than that of K1 during 15–60 DAS in Z13 and J26 (p < 0.05). UCZ foliar spraying was higher than without treatment at 30–60 DAS. In Z33, the springiness of UCZ spraying was higher than no spraying treatments at 45–60 DAS. These results indicate that foliar spraying of UCZ had no effect on the storage quality of tuberous root decreasing sharply, and it sometimes kept the quality stable.
Wheat and Faba Bean Intercropping Together with Nitrogen Modulation Is a Good Option for Balancing the Trade-Off Relationship between Grain Yield and Quality in the Southwest of China
Authors: Zhu Ying-an , He Jianyang , Yu Zhongying , Zhou Dong , Li Haiye , Wu Xinyu , Dong Yan , Tang Li , Zheng Yi , Xiao Jingxiu
Published: November 2022

Cereal and legume intercropping could improve cereal yield, but the role of intercropping in grain quality still lacks a full understanding. A two-year bi-factorial trial was conducted to investigate the role of two planting patterns (mono-cropped wheat (MW) and intercropped wheat+faba bean (IW)) and four nitrogen (N) fertilization levels (N0, no N fertilizer applied to both wheat and faba bean; N1, 90 and 45 kg N ha–1 applied to wheat and faba bean; N2, 180 and 90 kg N ha–1 applied to wheat and faba bean; N3, 270 and 135 kg N ha–1 applied to wheat and faba bean), as well as their interaction on the productivity of wheat grain yield (GY) and quality. The results showed that intercropping increased both the yields of wheat grain protein and amino acids (AAs) relative to MW in both years. No difference in Aas content between IW and MW was found but the 9% grain protein content (GPC) of IW was higher than that of MW in 2020. By contrast, wheat gliadin content was increased by 8–14% when wheat was intercropped with faba bean in both years, and some AAs fractions including essential and non-essential AAs were increased under N0 and N1 levels but declined at the N3 level. This means that intercropping increased the grain quality either for protein and AAs content or for fractions. There was no negative relationship between GPC and GY in the present study, and intercropping tended to increase GPC with increasing GY. In conclusion, wheat and faba bean mainly affected GPC and fractions rather than AAs, and intercropping presented a potential to improve both wheat quality and yield concurrently. Modulated N rates benefitted the stimulation of intercropping advantages in terms of grain yield and quality in the southwest of China and similar regions.
Effects of Freezing–Thawing Processes on Net Nitrogen Mineralization in Salinized Farmland Soil
Authors: Zhao Qiang , Wu Jingwei , Guo Chenyao , Zhang Jifeng , Wang Xin , Liu Yawen , Zhao Hang , Zhang Rui
Published: November 2022

Nitrogen is an indispensable and limiting element for plant and microbial growth. To investigate the combined effects of salinity and freezing–thawing (FT) processes on soil inorganic nitrogen (SIN) transformation in seasonally freezing salinized farmland, laboratory incubation experiments were conducted under five soil salt content (SSC) treatments (0.08%, 0.25%, 0.35%, 0.50%, and 0.70%), four FT temperature treatments (C (5 °C), FT (−5 + 5 °C), FT (−10 + 5 °C), and FT (−15 + 5 °C)), and two soil water content (SWC) treatments (40% and 80% of maximum water holding capacity (WHC)). Ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3−-N) nitrogen were monitored at the first, second, fifth, and eighth incubation days. The FT processes increased relative NH4+-N content by 13%, 39%, and 77% with the decreasing of freezing temperature from −5 °C to −15 °C compared with C (5 °C) treatments, respectively. FT (−5 + 5 °C) and FT (−15 + 5 °C) treatments decreased the relative NO3--N contents by 4% and 6% compared with C (5 °C) treatments, respectively. Under FT treatments, the increment of relative NH4+-N content was higher in low-SSC treatments and lower in high-SSC treatments. The relationship between relative NO3–-N content and SSC gradually changed from a decrease in C (5 °C) to an increase in FT (−15+5 °C) treatments. SWC decreased NH4+-N content in high-SSC and low-freezing temperature treatments (SSC × freezing temperature < −2.5%· °C), while NH4+-N increased in low-SSC and unfrozen treatments. The variations of SIN/Rmin (nitrogen mineralization rate) were mostly affected by NO3–-N/Rnit (net nitrification rate) and NH4+-N/Ra (net ammonification rate) in C (5 °C) and FT treatments, respectively. Overall, the results suggested that enhanced salinity inhibited the effects of freezing temperature on NH4+-N and NO3−-N formation, respectively. The increase in SWC weakened the NH4+-N formation induced by the decrease in freezing temperature, and this function increased with the increase in salinity.
Utilization of Biochar for Eliminating Residual Pharmaceuticals from Wastewater Used in Agricultural Irrigation: Application to Ryegrass
Authors: Akintoroye Mayowa , Newton Robert Ato , Kříženecká Sylvie , Hejda Stanislav , Krystyník Pavel , Ahnert Markus , Trögl Josef , Krebs Peter , Al Souki Karim Suhail
Published: November 2022

Biochar is known to be a promising material for the treatment of contaminants in wastewater and soil. In this research, wastewater samples collected at the tertiary stage from a WWTP located in the North Bohemia region of Czechia and containing 20 pharmaceutical contaminants were treated with the same biochar (wood and maize cob feedstocks, pyrolysis temperature of 470 °C), but of different doses (0.1 g L−1, 0.25 g L−1, 0.5 g L−1). In this case study, we aimed to verify the impacts of biochar application and/or concentration on the sorption of pharmaceuticals in water. The treated water was later used for irrigating planted (ryegrass taken as the plant model) and unplanted agricultural soils in a pot experiment. Soils and ryegrass samples were examined again for potential pharmaceutical existence, and the soil microbial activities were determined through fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activities (FDHA). Results showed that most pharmaceuticals concentrations were significantly, but not totally, reduced from the wastewater upon biochar addition. Contaminants such as 3-hydroxycarbamazepine and metoprolol were entirely removed from the wastewater after 0.25 g L−1, whilst bezafibrate did not decline even at 0.5 g L−1. Moreover, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in ryegrass biomass and soils were dominantly below detection limits or at very low doses. Finally, there were no significant differences in the microbial activities of the soils. This implicates that biochar could be approached as a good substrate for eliminating pharmaceuticals from wastewaters used for agricultural irrigation; however, more similar studies need to be carried out.
Research on Control Strategy of Light and CO2 in Blueberry Greenhouse Based on Coordinated Optimization Model
Authors: Wen Xinyu , Xu Lihong , Wei Ruihua
Published: November 2022

As essential environmental parameters in the greenhouse, appropriate light and CO2 will improve agricultural productivity and quality. Although many related studies have been carried out on the intelligent regulation of these environmental factors, the regulation of light and CO2 is usually controlled separately, and energy consumption is rarely considered. This paper proposed a coordinated control strategy for greenhouse light and CO2 based on the multi-objective optimization model. Firstly, the experiments on the net photosynthetic rate of blueberry under different temperatures, photon flux density, and CO2 concentration nesting were carried out to establish a blueberry net photosynthetic rate prediction model based on Support Vector Regression (SVR). Secondly, a model for calculating the energy cost of both light and CO2 was constructed. Thirdly, taking the maximum net photosynthetic rate and the minimum energy cost as the objective functions, the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) was leveraged to obtain the Pareto optimal solutions of the target regulation values of light and CO2 concentration in different temperature ranges. Then, the optimal values were selected based on two different strategies. Finally, the multi-objective optimal control strategy proposed in this paper was compared with both the classical threshold control strategy and the Gaussian curvature maximization control strategy. The results indicated that the strategy which prioritized energy saving could reduce the energy cost by about 22.33% and 19.08%, respectively, under the premise that the net photosynthetic rate was consistent. Meanwhile, the strategy that prioritized production efficiency could increase the net photosynthetic rate by about 8.40% and 4.42%, respectively, with the same energy cost. In conclusion, the proposed multi-objective optimization control can improve the greenhouse climate control performance and reduce cost compared with other mentioned strategies.
Plant and Microorganism Combined Degradation of Bensulfuron Herbicide in Eight Different Agricultural Soils
Authors: Zhang Yanan , Wang Xin , Liu Wenrui , Ge Ling
Published: November 2022

Sulfonylurea herbicides (SH) are widely used throughout the world. In this paper, the degradation of sulfonylurea herbicides (SH) in eight different agricultural soils was studied by exploring the synergism between microbial consortium (MC) and plants. In the experiment, chlorimuron with a concentration of 50 mg/L was used as the only carbon source to domesticate and prepare the MC. The degradation of six sulfonylurea herbicides was determined, among which bensulfuron (BN), due to its better degradation effects, was selected. The best degradation conditions of BN were determined as follows: pH 7, 20 °C, and BN concentration 20 mg/L, and after 20 days, the degradation rate of BN by MC reached 90.49%. The physical and chemical properties of eight different agricultural soils were compared, and the correlation between them and the degradation effect of BN was analyzed. When plants were combined with 3% MC to remediate BN-contaminated soil, it was beneficial to plant growth, and the degradation rate of BN was the highest (81%) after 25 days. In addition, the content of soil urease and soil catalase in the soil increased to 449 ug/g and 12.19 mmol/g after 25 days of combined remediation. The results showed an effective bioremediation strategy to restore agricultural soil contaminated by BN.
Quantitation of Multipartite Banana Bunchy Top Virus Genomic Components and Their Transcripts in Infected Tissues of Banana (Musa acuminata)
Authors: Bashir Sana , Farrakh Sumaira , Yasmin Tayyaba , Muhammad Aish , Bashir Tasmia , Manghwar Hakim , Mora-Poblete Freddy , Iqbal Shehzad , Baazeem Alaa , Hyder Muhammad Zeeshan
Published: November 2022

Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD), caused by a Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV), is the most devastating viral disease of bananas. The genome of multipartite BBTV is about 1 Kb in size and comprises six circular single-stranded (ss) DNA components, namely DNA-R, C, S, M, U3, and N. Gene expression in multipartite DNA viruses is highly flexible due to variations in the copy number and transcript levels of individual genomic components. This enables them to adapt to changing conditions and maintain optimal fitness. In the current study, the copy number of each genetic component of BBTV and its transcript level were determined in the leaf, midrib, and root tissue of the infected banana plant. The results of the study showed that DNA copies (copies/ng) were higher in midrib (11,105 ± 10,704.42), followed by leaf (6902.91 ± 1651.14), and were lowest in root (23.49 ± 9.21) tissues. In contrast, the transcript level was highest in the root (312.45 ± 106.69) and lowest in the midrib (0.72 ± 0.16). This suggests that BBTV independently regulates the transcriptional level of each DNA component. The distribution of BBTV in different tissues assists the identification of significantly higher viral load tissues for early and sensitive disease diagnosis, which will be beneficial for better disease management.
Molecular Dietary Analysis of Three Sympatric Mustelidae in Northeast China
Authors: Zhao Dong , Liu Zhihui , Tan Mengyu , Wang Yue , Dai Wenqian , Ge Jianping , Feng Limin
Published: November 2022

Diet analysis is essential to fully understand the biology of a species and its function within the ecosystem, as well as being key in identifying food web interactions and the population dynamics of predators and prey. The understanding of the diet of small to mid-sized carnivores remains generally lacking or uninformative due to the inability for taxonomic resolution based on morphology. The yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula), Eurasian river otter (Lutra lutra), and Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) are three important Mustelidae species in ecosystems of northeast China. Based on fecal DNA and a next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach, we analyzed the vertebrate prey of these three sympatric Mustelidae. Prey included 7 mammalian taxa, 10 fishes, 2 birds, and 2 amphibians, with 85% of the taxa assigned to the species level. In total, twenty-one vertebrate prey taxa were identified from seven yellow-throated martens, eight Eurasian river otters, and two Siberian weasels. Concerning identified dietary species, 10 taxa were consumed by yellow-throated martens, 14 by Eurasian river otters, and 4 by Siberian weasels. Some prey species were identified in more than one species. Amphibians and fishes were the most dominant Eurasian river otter prey categories, whereas Eurasian badger (Meles leucurus), birds, and rodents were the main yellow-throated marten prey; amphibians and rodents were largely contained in Siberian weasel prey. Among prey items, Dybowski’s frog (Rana dybowskii) and Korean field mouse (Apodemus peninsulae) were identified in all three Mustelidae species but our analyses suggest potential diet preferences among Mustelidae species. Future studies should focus on understanding the trophic relationships of these three Mustelidae species, providing valuable information for their conservation planning.
Courtship and Reproduction of the Whitetip Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) in an Ex Situ Environment, with a Description of the Late Embryonic Developmental Stage
Authors: Santos Sérgio Ricardo , Takatsuka Veronica , Bonatelli Shayra P. , Amaral Nicole L. L. , Goés Matheus F. , Valle Rafael F.
Published: November 2022

Elasmobranchs represent a group of species under considerable anthropic pressure because of the scale of industrial and artisanal fisheries and the loss of essential areas for nursery and feeding, which are causing substantial population losses around the world. Reproduction in an ex situ environment enables a healthy population to be built and maintained in networks of public aquariums, increasing our knowledge of elasmobranch reproductive biology and offering the opportunity for reintroductions in areas where native populations have been removed. The study reports two successful pregnancies of the whitetip reef shark Triaenodon obesus, considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Copulation and gestation data are provided, including ultrasound recordings of the late stage of embryo development. Ultrasonography was performed with the GE Logiq and convex transducer and revealed a fetus with defined fins and organogenesis, with definition of eyes, gills, liver, a heart with individualized chambers, partially defined kidneys, and a well-defined spiral intestine. A cartilaginous skeleton forming a posterior acoustic shadow was detailed, as well as a moving fetus with a biparietal diameter of 6.47 cm and a heart rate of 62 Beats Per Minute on spectral Doppler. This is the first successful reproduction of T. obesus in an aquarium in Brazil.
Ovarian Follicular Dynamics and Its Functional Significance in Relation with Follicle Deviation, Vaginal Cytology, and Hormone Profiles in Llamas (Lama glama)
Authors: Perez-Guerra Uri H. , Quispe Yesenia M. , Gonzáles Henry I. , Luque Natalio , Ruelas Domingo A. , Carretero María I. , Gutiérrez-Reinoso Miguel A. , Pérez-Durand Manuel G. , García-Herreros Manuel
Published: November 2022

The reproductive physiology in camelid species has its particularities. The present study aimed to characterize the ovarian follicular dynamics and its functional significance in relation to follicular deviation, vaginal cytological characteristics, and sexual hormone profiles in llamas as the first report in South American camelids. Non-pregnant, multiparous llamas (Lama glama; n = 10; age: 48–72 mo.; BCS: 2.5–3.0) were enrolled in the study. The ultrasonographic assessment was carried out transvaginally and follicular ablation was performed (day 0) when follicles were larger than 7 mm. The follicle number and diameter were scored daily throughout the process for a proper evaluation of the deviated follicles and to monitor the presence of new follicle pools (1.5 to 2.5 mm diameter). Vaginal cytological evaluation (parabasal, intermediate, and superficial cells) was performed every other day until day 6. Endocrine profiles (17β estradiol, anti-Mullerian hormone, testosterone, and progesterone) during pre- and post-follicular deviation were determined by using the ELISA assay. Differential follicular dynamics both in the presence of a single dominant follicle (DF) and in codominance during the follicular deviation process were detected in llamas (p < 0.05). The percentage of superficial cells was the most related to the follicular wave phase. However, the percentage of parabasal, intermediate, and superficial cells was not related to the phases of follicular growth, dominance, and regression (p > 0.05). Differential patterns among the different hormone concentration levels regarding the 17β estradiol, anti-Mullerian hormone, progesterone, and testosterone during follicular deviation were observed, with the latter being significantly different along the deviation process (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of vaginal cytology assessment would not be sufficient to determine the follicular phases in llamas. Therefore, complementary analyses, such as ultrasonography and endocrine assessment, are strongly recommended to determine follicular dynamics during the follicular deviation.
A Novel Combined Model for Predicting Humidity in Sheep Housing Facilities
Authors: Feng Dachun , Zhou Bing , Han Qianyu , Xu Longqin , Guo Jianjun , Cao Liang , Zhuang Lvhan , Liu Shuangyin , Liu Tonglai
Published: November 2022

Accurately predicting humidity changes in sheep barns is important to ensure the healthy growth of the animals and to improve the economic returns of sheep farming. In this study, to address the limitations of conventional methods in establishing accurate mathematical models of dynamic changes in humidity in sheep barns, we propose a method to predict humidity in sheep barns based on a machine learning model combining a light gradient boosting machine with gray wolf optimization and support-vector regression (LightGBM–CGWO–SVR). Influencing factors with a high contribution to humidity were extracted using LightGBM to reduce the complexity of the model. To avoid the local extremum problem, the CGWO algorithm was used to optimize the required hyperparameters in SVR and determine the optimal hyperparameter combination. The combined algorithm was applied to predict the humidity of an intensive sheep-breeding facility in Manas, Xinjiang, China, in real time for the next 10 min. The experimental results indicated that the proposed LightGBM–CGWO–SVR model outperformed eight existing models used for comparison on all evaluation metrics. It achieved minimum values of 0.0662, 0.2284, 0.0521, and 0.0083 in terms of mean absolute error, root mean square error, mean squared error, and normalized root mean square error, respectively, and a maximum value of 0.9973 in terms of the R2 index.
Different Traits, Different Evolutionary Pathways: Insights from Salamandrina (Amphibia, Caudata)
Authors: Angelini Claudio , Antonucci Francesca , Aguzzi Jacopo , Costa Corrado
Published: November 2022

Species delimitation is often based on a single or very few genetic or phenetic traits, something which leads to misinterpretations and often does not provide information about evolutionary processes. Here, we investigated the diversity pattern of multiple phenetic traits of the two extant species of Salamandrina, a genus split only after molecular traits had been studied but the two species of which are phenetically very similar. The phenetic traits we studied are size, external body shape and head colour pattern, in a model comparison framework using non-linear mixed models and unsupervised and supervised clustering. Overall, we found high levels of intra-specific variability for body size and shape, depending on population belonging and habitat, while differences between species were generally lower. The habitat the salamanders dwell in also seems important for colour pattern. Basing on our findings, from the methodological point of view, we suggest (i) to take into account the variability at population level when testing for higher level variability, and (ii) a semi-supervised learning approach to high dimensional data. We also showed that different phenotypic traits of the same organism could result from different evolutionary routes. Local adaptation is likely responsible for body size and shape variability, with selective pressures more similar across species than within them. Head colour pattern also depends on habitat, differently from ventral colour pattern (not studied in this paper) which likely evolved under genetic drift.
Daniellia oliveri (Rolfe) Hutch and Dalziel: Antimicrobial Activities, Cytotoxicity Evaluation, and Phytochemical Identification by GC-MS
Authors: Tittikpina Nassifatou Koko , Kirsch Gilbert , Duval Raphaël Emmanuel , Chaimbault Patrick , Jacob Claus
Published: November 2022

During a previous study that identified plants used in traditional medicine in Togo to treat infectious diseases, Daniellia oliveri was specifically reported to treat intertrigo and candidiasis. Consequently, to explore the anti-infective potential of this plant, we investigated the antibacterial and the antifungal activity of the plant’s parts, as well as the cytotoxic activities of raw extracts and subsequent fractions, and the chemical composition of the most active fractions. In order to evaluate the antimicrobial activity, MICs were determined using the broth dilution method. Then, the most active fractions were evaluated for cytotoxicity by using normal human cells (MRC-5 cells) via the MTT assay. Finally, the most active and not toxic fractions were phytochemically investigated by GC-MS. Interestingly, all the raw extracts and fractions were active against the bacteria tested, with MICs ranging from 16 µg/mL to 256 µg/mL, while no antifungal activity was observed at 256 µg/mL, the highest tested concentration. Moreover, no toxicity was observed with most of the active fractions. The subsequent chemical investigation of the most interesting fractions led to identifying terpenes, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, and fatty acids as the main compounds. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that D. oliveri possesses valuable antibacterial activities in accordance with traditional use.
Diagnosis and Antifungal Prophylaxis for COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Authors: Hawes Armani M. , Permpalung Nitipong
Published: November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has redemonstrated the importance of the fungal-after-viral phenomenon, and the question of whether prophylaxis should be used to prevent COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA). A distinct pathophysiology from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), CAPA has an incidence that ranges from 5% to 30%, with significant mortality. The aim of this work was to describe the current diagnostic landscape of CAPA and review the existing literature on antifungal prophylaxis. A variety of definitions for CAPA have been described in the literature and the performance of the diagnostic tests for CAPA is limited, making diagnosis a challenge. There are only six studies that have investigated antifungal prophylaxis for CAPA. The two studied drugs have been posaconazole, either a liquid formulation via an oral gastric tube or an intravenous formulation, and inhaled amphotericin. While some studies have revealed promising results, they are limited by small sample sizes and bias inherent to retrospective studies. Additionally, as the COVID-19 pandemic changes and we see fewer intubated and critically ill patients, it will be more important to recognize these fungal-after-viral complications among non-critically ill, immunocompromised patients. Randomized controlled trials are needed to better understand the role of antifungal prophylaxis.
Anti-Biofilm Effect of Bacteriophages and Antibiotics against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Mukane Laima , Racenis Karlis , Rezevska Dace , Petersons Aivars , Kroica Juta
Published: November 2022

Escherichia coli is a common cause of biofilm-associated urinary tract infections. Bacteria inside the biofilm are more resistant to antibiotics. Six E. coli strains isolated from patients with urinary tract infections were screened for biofilm-forming capability and antimicrobial susceptibility. Two of the most significant biofilm-producing strains were selected for minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal biofilm eradication concentration in vitro testing using amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, and three commercial bacteriophage cocktails (Pyobacteriophag, Ses, and Intesti). In case of a low phage effect, an adaptation procedure was performed. Although the biofilms formed by strain 021UR were resistant to amoxicillin–clavulanic acid and ciprofloxacin, the three phage cocktails were able to reduce biofilm formation. In contrast, phages did not affect the 01206UR strain against planktonic and biofilm-forming cells. After Pyobacteriophag adaptation, the effect improved, and, regardless of the concentration, the adapted phage cocktail could destroy both planktonic cells and the biofilm of strain 01206UR. Bacteriophages capable of killing bacteria in biofilms can be used as an alternative to antibiotics. However, each case should be considered individually due to the lack of clinical trials for phage therapy. Antimicrobial and phage susceptibility should be determined in biofilm models before treatment to achieve the desired anti-biofilm effect.
ABP-Finder: A Tool to Identify Antibacterial Peptides and the Gram-Staining Type of Targeted Bacteria
Authors: Ruiz-Blanco Yasser B. , Agüero-Chapin Guillermin , Romero-Molina Sandra , Antunes Agostinho , Olari Lia-Raluca , Spellerberg Barbara , Münch Jan , Sanchez-Garcia Elsa
Published: November 2022

Multi-drug resistance in bacteria is a major health problem worldwide. To overcome this issue, new approaches allowing for the identification and development of antibacterial agents are urgently needed. Peptides, due to their binding specificity and low expected side effects, are promising candidates for a new generation of antibiotics. For over two decades, a large diversity of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been discovered and annotated in public databases. The AMP family encompasses nearly 20 biological functions, thus representing a potentially valuable resource for data mining analyses. Nonetheless, despite the availability of machine learning-based approaches focused on AMPs, these tools lack evidence of successful application for AMPs’ discovery, and many are not designed to predict a specific function for putative AMPs, such as antibacterial activity. Consequently, among the apparent variety of data mining methods to screen peptide sequences for antibacterial activity, only few tools can deal with such task consistently, although with limited precision and generally no information about the possible targets. Here, we addressed this gap by introducing a tool specifically designed to identify antibacterial peptides (ABPs) with an estimation of which type of bacteria is susceptible to the action of these peptides, according to their response to the Gram-staining assay. Our tool is freely available via a web server named ABP-Finder. This new method ranks within the top state-of-the-art ABP predictors, particularly in terms of precision. Importantly, we showed the successful application of ABP-Finder for the screening of a large peptide library from the human urine peptidome and the identification of an antibacterial peptide.
Next-Generation Polymyxin Class of Antibiotics: A Ray of Hope Illuminating a Dark Road
Authors: Aslan Abdullah Tarık , Akova Murat , Paterson David L.
Published: November 2022

Although new-generation antimicrobials, in particular β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors, have largely replaced polymyxins in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, polymyxins are still needed for carbapanem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections and in settings where novel agents are not readily available. Despite their potent in vitro activity, the clinical utility of polymyxins is significantly limited by their pharmacokinetic properties and nephrotoxicity risk. There is significant interest, therefore, in developing next-generation polymyxins with activity against colistin-resistant strains and lower toxicity than existing polymyxins. In this review, we aim to present the antibacterial activity mechanisms, in vitro and in vivo efficacy data, and toxicity profiles of new-generation polymyxins, including SPR206, MRX-8, and QPX9003, as well as the general characteristics of old polymyxins. Considering the emergence of colistin-resistant strains particularly in endemic regions, the restoration of the antimicrobial activity of polymyxins via PBT2 is also described in this review.