Search Results (158)

In China, agriculture is currently highly dependent on chemical nitrogen. This leads to low nitrogen use efficiency and high nitrogen losses. Considering the issues caused by excessive chemical fertilizer, integrated nutrient management using organic and chemical fertilizer sources is important. To clarify how partial substitution of chemical fertilizer by organic fertilizer affects rice yield, physiological traits, and nitrogen use efficiency, we conducted a two-year field trial in 2021 and 2022, and used two rice cultivars, Shendao47 (SD47) and Shendao505 (SD505), which were grown in the field with five fertilization treatments: (1) CK (zero N application); (2) CF (100% chemical fertilizer); (3) OR10 (10% organic fertilizer + 90% chemical fertilizer); (4) OR20 (20% organic fertilizer + 80% chemical fertilizer); and (5) OR30 (30% organic fertilizer + 70% chemical fertilizer). The results show that the partial organic substitution (OR) treatments improved the yield by 1–10% for two cultivars by increasing effective panicles and grain filling. The increase in grain filling was related to the photosynthetic parameters, including LAI, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate during the grain-filling stage. The photosynthetic parameters of OR treatments were higher than those of CF treatment. Additionally, with the increase in organic fertilizer application rates, the grain yield, agronomic N use efficiency, partial factor productivity of applied N, and physiological N use efficiency increased at first and then decreased, peaking in OR20 treatment. Conclusively, the 20% organic fertilizer with 80% chemical fertilizer is a promising option for higher yield and improved N utilization for both cultivars. This study provides a sustainable nutrient management strategy to improve crop yield with high nutrient use efficiency. Full article

Visual navigation technology holds significant potential for applications involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, the inherent spectral limitations of optical-dependent navigation systems prove particularly inadequate for high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV operations, as they are fundamentally constrained in maintaining reliable environment perception under conditions of fluctuating illumination and persistent cloud cover. To address this challenge, this paper introduces microwave vision to assist optical vision for environmental measurement and proposes a novel microwave vision-enhanced environmental perception method. In particular, the richness of perceived environmental information can be enhanced by SAR and optical image fusion processing in the case of sufficient light and clear weather. In order to simultaneously mitigate inherent SAR speckle noise and address existing fusion algorithms’ inadequate consideration of UAV navigation-specific environmental perception requirements, this paper designs a SAR Target-Augmented Fusion (STAF) algorithm based on the target detection of SAR images. On the basis of image preprocessing, this algorithm utilizes constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection along with morphological operations to extract critical target information from SAR images. Subsequently, the intensity–hue–saturation (IHS) transform is employed to integrate this extracted information into the optical image. The experimental results show that the proposed microwave vision-enhanced environmental perception method effectively utilizes microwave vision to shape target information perception in the electromagnetic spectrum and enhance the information content of environmental measurement results. The unique information extracted by the STAF algorithm from SAR images can effectively enhance the optical images while retaining their main attributes. This method can effectively enhance the environmental measurement robustness and information acquisition ability of the visual navigation system. Full article

The development of eco-friendly surfactants is pivotal for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this study, a novel lignin-derived zwitterionic surfactant (DMS) was synthesized through a two-step chemical process involving esterification and free radical polymerization, utilizing renewable alkali lignin, maleic anhydride, dimethylamino propyl methacrylamide (DMAPMA), and sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) as precursors. Comprehensive characterization via ¹H NMR, FTIR, and XPS validated the successful integration of amphiphilic functionalities. Hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) analysis showed a strong tendency to form stable oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The experimental results showed a remarkable 91.6% viscosity reduction in Xinjiang heavy crude oil emulsions at an optimum dosage of 1000 mg/L. Notably, DMS retained an 84.8% viscosity reduction efficiency under hypersaline conditions (total dissolved solids, TDS = 200,460 mg/L), demonstrating exceptional salt tolerance. Mechanistic insights derived from zeta potential measurements and molecular dynamics simulations revealed dual functionalities: interfacial modification by DMS-induced O/W phase inversion and electrostatic repulsion (zeta potential: −30.89 mV) stabilized the emulsion while disrupting π–π interactions between asphaltenes and resins, thereby mitigating macromolecular aggregation in the oil phase. As a green, bio-based viscosity suppressor, DMS exhibits significant potential for heavy oil recovery in high-salinity reservoirs, addressing the persistent challenge of salinity-induced inefficacy in conventional chemical solutions and offering a sustainable pathway for enhanced oil recovery. Full article

Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) represent significant age-related muscular disorders. Their specific biomarkers and pathophysiological mechanisms remain insufficiently elucidated. This study aims to identify differential and shared biomarkers between these conditions to reveal distinct pathophysiological processes, providing a foundation for precision diagnostics and targeted interventions. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining biomarkers related to sarcopenia and SO in adults aged 45 and older. Electronic and manual searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase up to December 2024. The quality of each study was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool. Meta-analysis was performed when at least three studies investigated the same biomarkers in frailty and sarcopenia, calculating the pooled effect size based on the standard mean difference using a random effects model. In total, 80 studies (64 on sarcopenia and 16 on SO) were included, encompassing 36,680 older adults (aged 45 and above) from 16 countries with varying levels of development. Participants were categorized based on their setting, age, and gender distribution. Sarcopenia is characterized by lower serum triglycerides and stable HDL/LDL ratios, while SO presents with higher triglycerides and disrupted cholesterol correlation, indicating distinct metabolic interactions. Analysis of inflammatory profiles revealed significantly elevated CRP levels in SO, with WBC as a specific marker, while TNF-α was associated with sarcopenia, suggesting a subtype-specific role of chronic inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in both conditions and may represent a potential therapeutic target. Subgroup analyses indicated an increased risk of muscle function decline in high-risk communities in developing regions, underscoring the urgent need for early intervention. A set of shared metabolic, hematologic, and inflammatory biomarkers was identified in sarcopenia and SO. These findings address a knowledge gap in biomarker research and highlight the distinct mechanisms involved in the development of both conditions. Developing biomarker-based diagnostic algorithms is essential for optimizing personalized treatment. Subgroup analyses have also identified high-risk populations, underscoring the need for early intervention. Full article

The rumen microbiome represents a cornerstone of ruminant digestive physiology, orchestrating the anaerobic fermentation of plant biomass into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—critical metabolites underpinning host energy metabolism, immune function, and environmental sustainability. This comprehensive review evaluates the transformative role of pan-genomics in deciphering the genetic and metabolic networks governing SCFA production in the rumen ecosystem. By integrating multi-omics datasets, pan-genomic approaches unveil unprecedented layers of microbial diversity, enabling precise identification of core functional genes and their dynamic contributions to carbohydrate degradation and SCFA biosynthesis. Notable advancements include the following: mechanistic insights into microbial community assembly and metabolic pathway regulation, highlighting strain-specific adaptations to dietary shifts; precision interventions for optimizing feed efficiency, such as rationally designing microbial consortia and screening novel feed additives through pan-genome association studies; and sustainability breakthroughs, demonstrating how targeted modulation of rumen fermentation can simultaneously enhance production efficiency and mitigate methane emissions. This synthesis underscores the potential of pan-genomics to revolutionize ruminant nutrition, offering a blueprint for developing next-generation strategies that reconcile agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship. The translational applications discussed herein position pan-genomics as a critical tool for advancing animal science and fostering a resilient livestock industry. Full article

This study demonstrates that Bacillus subtilis GDAAS-A32-derived postbiotics (BSP) enhance yogurt production by optimizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) viability and functionality. BSP enhanced the growth kinetics and biomass accumulation of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in both an anaerobic and aerobic pure system. The addition of BSP significantly increased the viable cell counts of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus, milk-clotting activity, sensory properties, and extracellular polysaccharide content and improved the rheological properties. Moreover, BSP elevated viable counts of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus to 6.18 × 10⁸ CFU/g and 1.03 × 10⁸ CFU/g, respectively, by day 7—representing 11.3-fold and 9.3-fold increases versus controls at 20% supplementation. Metabolomic signatures confirmed peptidoglycan reinforcement and flavor enhancement. Mechanistically, BSP supplementation might reduce urate and H₂O₂ toxicity through NH₃-mediated proton neutralization and oxygen scavenging, while establishing a pyrimidine salvage network and redirecting one-carbon metabolism, resulting in enhanced stress tolerance and significant improvements in bacterial viability. Full article

Deep neural networks have achieved remarkable performance in remote sensing image (RSI) classification tasks. However, they remain vulnerable to adversarial attack. In practical applications, classification models are typically unknown black-box models, requiring substitute models to generate adversarial examples. Feature-based attacks, which aim to exploit the importance of intermediate features in a substitute model, are a commonly used strategy to enhance adversarial transferability. Existing feature-based attacks typically rely on a single surrogate model, making the generated adversarial examples less transferable across different architectures, such as transformer, Mamba, and CNNs. In this paper, we propose a high-transferability feature-based attack method, DMFAA (Distillation-based Model with Feature-based Adversarial Attack), specifically designed for an RSI classification task. The DMFAA framework enables the surrogate model to learn knowledge from Mamba, achieving enhanced black-box attack performance across different model architectures. The method consists of two stages: the distillation-based surrogate model training stage and the feature-based adversarial attack stage. In the training stage, DMFAA distills features from Mamba to train surrogate model, ensuring that it retains its own structure while incorporating features from other models. In the attack stage, we calculate the aggregate gradient of shallow feature through frequency-domain transformation and white-box attack, while using input transformation tailored for RSI. Experiments on the AID, UC, and NWPU datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of DMFAA, which significantly outperforms existing adversarial attack methods. The average success rate of the DMFAA attack exceeds that of state-of-the-art black-box attacks by more than 3%, 7%, and 13% on the AID, UC, and NWPU datasets, respectively, while maintaining a high success rate in white-box attacks. Full article

Accurate and swift evaluation of the temperature distribution in boiler furnaces is essential for maximizing energy efficiency and ensuring operational safety. Traditional temperature field reconstruction algorithms, while effective, often suffer from accumulated errors, difficulty in solving ill-posed problems, low accuracy, and poor generalization. To overcome these limitations, a Temperature Field Reconstruction Network based on an acoustic information encoder (AIE) and a temperature field reconstruction decoder (TFRD) is proposed (ATTRN). This method directly utilizes acoustic measurement data for temperature field prediction, effectively balancing global semantic capture and local detail preservation. The proposed approach avoids complex traditional mathematical processing and empirical parameter selection, enhancing both accuracy and generalization. Simulation studies and engineering validations demonstrate the performance and industrial applicability of the proposed method. Full article

In this study, we present a novel concept termed open-vocabulary domain generalization (OVDG), which we investigate within the context of semantic segmentation. OVDG presents greater difficulty compared to conventional domain generalization, yet it offers greater practicality. It jointly considers (1) recognizing both base and novel classes and (2) generalizing to unseen domains. In OVDG, only the labels of base classes and the images from source domains are available to learn a robust model. Then, the model could be generalized to images from novel classes and target domains directly. In this paper, we propose a dual-branch FreeMix module to implement the OVDG task effectively in a universal framework: the base segmentation branch (BSB) and the entity segmentation branch (ESB). First, the entity mask is introduced as a novel concept for segmentation generalization. Additionally, semantic logits are learned for both the base mask and the entity mask, enhancing the diversity and completeness of masks for both base classes and novel classes. Second, the FreeMix utilizes pretrained self-supervised learning on large-scale remote-sensing data (RS_SSL) to extract domain-agnostic visual features for decoding masks and semantic logits. Third, a training tactic called dataset-aware sampling (DAS) is introduced for multi-source domain learning, aimed at improving the overall performance. In summary, RS_SSL, ESB, and DAS can significantly improve the generalization ability of the model on both a class level and a domain level. Experiments demonstrate that our method produces state-of-the-art results on several remote-sensing semantic-segmentation datasets, including Potsdam, GID5, DeepGlobe, and URUR, for OVDG. Full article

On 5 November 2020, a poisoning event involving four people by the consumption of moray eel occurred in Khanh Hoa Province, Viet Nam, with signs indicative of ciguatera. The remaining moray portion was confiscated for identification of causative species and responsible toxins. The phylogenetic study based on COX1 identified the moray as Gymnothorax javanicus Bleeker (1859). Out of 17 marine lipophilic toxins (MLPs) that were analyzed using LC-MS/MS, only Pacific ciguatoxin-1 (P-CTX-1) was detected in the moray’s flesh at 1.30 ± 0.004 ng/g ww, while no toxin was found in the skin. The N2a assay’s ciguatoxicities in the skin and flesh were 0.69 ± 0.075 and 2.49 ± 0.216 ng P-CTX-1/g ww equivalent, respectively. In the N2a assay, the P-CTX-1 amount in the moray flesh was 1.9 times greater than that determined by LC-MS/MS, indicating the presence of additional sodium channel activators or a matrix effect. The P-CTX-1 amount in the moray flesh was at a level that generates major ciguatera poisoning (CP) symptoms in humans (1.0 ng/g P-CTX-1), makes sense given that four consumers experienced the onset of poisoning symptoms. This study is significant for the management of seafood safety since it is the first scientific report on the species and toxin in a moray causing ciguatera in Viet Nam. Full article

Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is the primary factor contributing to postharvest losses in table grape fruit. In this study, we have identified amphotericin B (AMB), a natural compound originating from Streptomyces nodosus, as a promising agent in managing postharvest gray mold in table grapes. In vitro experiments demonstrated that 0.2 mg/L AMB achieved an inhibition rate of over 90% against B. cinerea in PDA medium, and in vivo assays on grape berries showed that 200 mg/L AMB treatment could completely suppress the occurrence of gray mold disease. A mechanism analysis found that AMB treatment disrupted the plasma membrane structure, which consequently triggered cellular leakage and induced cell death. Furthermore, AMB application effectively modulated the transcriptional profile of genes related to redox homeostasis, transmembrane transport, and peroxidase functions in B. cinerea, thereby reducing the virulence of the fungus. In addition, AMB treatment had the potential to activate defense mechanisms in table grapes by enhancing the activities of ROS-scavenging enzymes and defense-associated enzymes. Collectively, AMB can be regarded as a natural antifungal agent that effectively combats B. cinerea, thereby extending the postharvest shelf life of table grape fruit. Full article

This study investigates the (2+1)-dimensional asymmetric Nizhnik–Novikov–Veselov (ANNV) equation, a significant model in nonlinear science, using the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) hierarchy reduction method. Despite the extensive research on the ANNV equation, a comprehensive exploration of its solutions using the KP hierarchy reduction method is lacking. This gap is addressed by identifying constraint conditions that transform a specific KP hierarchy equation into the ANNV equation, thereby enabling the derivation of its Gram determinant solutions. By selecting appropriate $\tau$ functions, we obtain breather solutions and analyze their dynamic behavior during wave oscillations. Additionally, lump solutions are derived through long-wave limit analysis, revealing their unique characteristics. This study further explores hybrid solutions that combine breathers and lumps, providing new insights to the interaction between these localized wave phenomena. Our findings enhance the understanding of the ANNV equation’s dynamics and contribute to the broader field of nonlinear wave theory. Full article

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the colorectum, posing a significant global health burden. Recent studies highlight the critical role of gut microbiota and its metabolites, particularly bile acids (BAs), in UC’s pathogenesis. The relationship between BAs and gut microbiota is bidirectional: microbiota influence BA composition, while BAs regulate microbiota diversity and activity through receptors like Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5). Targeting bile-acid metabolism to reshape gut microbiota presents a promising therapeutic strategy for UC. This review examines the classification and synthesis of BAs, their interactions with gut microbiota, and the potential of nutritional and microbial interventions. By focusing on these therapies, we aim to offer innovative approaches for effective UC management. Full article

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of high-solid mono-chicken manure (CM) holds great promise for resource utilization. However, the effects of substrate overload (high-solid mixture inside the reactor) on AD performance at various temperatures are still unclear, moreover, the metabolic processes with and without inoculation are also seldom reported. In this study, three key impact factors of different temperatures (4 °C, 35 °C, 55 °C and 75 °C), total solids (TS) inside, and inoculation were conducted to comprehensively explore the process variation. EEM-FRI results revealed that high temps boost coenzyme F_420, while TS predominately driver the microbial production. High TS and temperature synthetically result in high free ammonia (FA) (>600 mg/L) associated with free volatile fatty acid (FVFA) (>450 mg/L), reducing CH₄ production but increasing VFAs accumulation (12 g/L at 55 °C). Notably, intestinal microbiota alone without inoculation even achieved 11 g/L of VFA. The cross-feeding symbiosis between fermentative bacteria (Caldicoprobacter, Bacteroidetes, Tepidimicrobium) and hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium enhanced CH₄ production (68 mL/gVS at 35 °C). Moreover, high temperatures reduced microbial diversity but made heat-resistant hydrolytic bacteria dominant. This study precisely analyzes the effects of temperature and inoculation factors on the acidification efficiency of high-solid CM digestion, providing a crucial scientific basis for optimizing the resource utilization of CM waste. Full article

Bacterial sepsis caused by Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) and infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus disease (ISKNVD) caused by infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) frequently result in significant mortality among Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi). Co-infection of mandarin fish with A. hydrophila and ISKNV occurs from time to time. In this study, a visual detection method for ISKNV and A. hydrophila was developed, using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and pre-addition of hydroxynaphthol blue. Primers for amplifying LAMP in the same system were designed based on the conserved regions of the MCP gene of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus, as well as the hlyA gene of A. hydrophila. The results showed that this method amplified bright trapezoidal bands in the presence of only A. hydrophila or ISKNV and both, with sky blue for positive amplification and violet for negative amplification. There was no cross-reactivity with other pathogens, and fragments of 182 bp, 171 bp and 163 bp appeared after digestion of the A. hydrophila LAMP product and 136 bp, 117 bp and 96 bp appeared after digestion of the ISKNV LAMP product. This holds true even when both positive products are present simultaneously. The minimum detection limit of this method was 100 fg for A. hydrophila and 100 fg for ISKNV, and the minimum detection limit for the mixed template was 1 pg. Overall, this method has high sensitivity and specificity to rapidly detect and distinguish between the two pathogens. Full article