Search Results (277)

Chrysanthemum has a long history of medicinal use with rich germplasm resources and extensive cultivation. Traditional chrysanthemum cultivation involves complex patterns and long flowering periods, with the ongoing expansion of planting areas complicating statistical surveys. Currently, reliable, timely, and universally applicable standardized monitoring methods for chrysanthemum cultivation areas remain underdeveloped. This research employed 16 m resolution satellite imagery spanning 2021 to 2023 alongside 2 m resolution data acquired in 2022 to quantify chrysanthemum cultivation extent across Sheyang County, Jiangsu Province, China. After evaluating multiple classifiers, Maximum Likelihood Classification was selected as the optimal method. Subsequently, time-series-based post-classification processing was implemented: initial cultivation information extraction was performed through feature comparison, supervised classification, and temporal analysis. Accuracy validation via Overall Accuracy, Kappa coefficient, Producer’s Accuracy, and User’s Accuracy identified critical issues, followed by targeted refinement of spectrally confused features to obtain precise area estimates. The chrysanthemum cultivation area in 2022 was quantified as 46,950,343 m² for 2 m resolution and 46,332,538 m² for 16 m resolution. Finally, the conversion ratio characteristics between resolutions were analyzed, yielding adjusted results of 38,466,192 m² for 2021 and 47,546,718 m² for 2023, respectively. These outcomes demonstrate strong alignment with local agricultural statistics, confirming method viability for chrysanthemum cultivation area computation. Full article

The role of rhizosphere bacteria in facilitating plant invasion is increasingly acknowledged, yet the influence of specific microbial functional traits remains insufficiently understood. This study addresses this gap by isolating two bacterial strains, Bacillus sp. ScRB44 and Pseudomonas sp. ScRB22, from the rhizosphere of the invasive weed Solidago canadensis. We assessed their nitrogen utilization capacity and indoleacetic acid (IAA) production capabilities to evaluate their ecological functions. Our three-stage experimental design encompassed strain promotion, nutrient stress, and competition phases. Bacillus sp. ScRB44 demonstrated robust IAA production and significantly improved the nitrogen utilization efficiency, significantly enhancing S. canadensis growth, especially under nutrient-poor conditions, and promoting a shift in biomass allocation toward the roots, thereby conferring a competitive advantage over native species. Conversely, Pseudomonas sp. ScRB22 exhibited limited functional activity and a negligible impact on plant performance. These findings underscore that the ecological impact of rhizosphere bacteria on invasive weeds is closely linked to their specific growth-promoting functions. By enhancing stress adaptation and optimizing resource allocation, certain microorganisms may facilitate the establishment of invasive weeds in adverse environments. This study highlights the significance of microbial functional traits in invasion ecology and suggests novel approaches for microbiome-based invasive weed management, with potential applications in agricultural soil health improvement and ecological restoration. Full article

Plant secondary metabolites regulate plant growth and serve as valuable pharmaceutical resources. Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.), a Poaceae species, shows potential as a functional food. In this study, we employed high-resolution mass spectrometry combined with a data-independent acquisition (DIA) strategy for the untargeted detection of anthocyanins, a group of secondary metabolites, in napier grass. Clear MS² fragmentation patterns were observed for anthocyanins, characterized by diagnostic aglycone signals and sequential losses of hexosyl (C₆H₁₀O₅), deoxyhexosyl (C₆H₁₀O₄), pentosyl (C₅H₈O₄), and p-coumaroyl groups (C₉H₈O₃). Based on matching with authentic standards and an in-house database, ten anthocyanins were identified, seven of which were newly reported in napier grass. In a single-laboratory validation analysis, both absolute and semi-quantitative results reliably reflected the specific distribution of metabolites across different cultivars and plant organs. The purple cultivar (TS5) exhibited the highest anthocyanin content, with the cyanidin 3-O-glucoside content reaching 5.0 ± 0.5 mg/g, whereas the green cultivar (TS2), despite its less pigmented appearance, contained substantial amounts of malvidin 3-O-arabinoside (0.7 ± <0.1 mg/g). Flavonoid profiling revealed that monoglycosylated anthocyanins were the dominant forms in floral tissues. These findings shed light on napier grass metabolism and support future Poaceae breeding and functional food development. Full article

Iron-rich bauxite residue (red mud) is a hazardous alkaline solid waste produced during the production of alumina from high-iron bauxite, which poses severe environmental challenges due to its massive stockpiling and limited utilization. In this study, metallic iron was recovered from high-iron red mud using the smelting reduction process. Thermodynamic analysis results show that an increase in temperature and sodium oxide content, along with an appropriate mass ratio of Al₂O₃ to SiO₂ (A/S) and mass ratio of CaO to SiO₂ (C/S), contribute to the enhancement of the liquid phase mass fraction of the slag. During the smelting reduction process of high-iron red mud, iron recoveries for low-alkali high-iron red mud and high-alkali high-iron red mud under optimal conditions were 98.14% and 98.36%, respectively. The metal obtained through reduction meets the industrial standard for steel-making pig iron, which is also confirmed in the pilot-scale experiment. The smelting reduction process of high-iron red mud can be divided into two stages, where the reaction is predominantly governed by interfacial chemical reaction and diffusion control, respectively. The apparent activation energy of high-alkali high-iron red mud is lower than that observed for low-alkali high-iron red mud. The reduced slag can be used as a roadside stone material or cement clinker. This proposed method represents a sustainable process for the comprehensive utilization of high-iron red mud, which also promotes the minimization of red mud. Full article

Background: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is often performed under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) using a combination of propofol and remifentanil. However, the effects of different remifentanil effect-site concentrations (Ce) combined with propofol on perioperative outcomes in this procedure have not been reported. Methods: In this prospective, randomized controlled study, 80 patients scheduled for single-level PVP under MAC were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to receive propofol (Ce: 2.0 mcg/mL) combined with either a low (1.0 ng/mL; Group 1) or high (2.0 ng/mL; Group 2) remifentanil Ce. The primary outcome was the incidence of intraoperative patient movement; secondary outcomes included hemodynamic stability, perioperative adverse events, anesthetic consumption, frequency of dose adjustments, postoperative recovery, and anesthesia satisfaction. Results: Group 2 exhibited significantly fewer episodes of patient movement during the procedure and better intraoperative hemodynamic stability. Additionally, fewer upward adjustments in remifentanil infusion were observed in Group 2. Although the total propofol consumption was similar between the groups, Group 2 required a significantly lower propofol Ce to achieve adequate sedation. Surgeon satisfaction with anesthesia was also significantly higher in Group 2. Conclusions: Using a higher remifentanil Ce (2.0 ng/mL) in combination with propofol during PVP under MAC reduces patient movement and improves intraoperative hemodynamic stability without increasing adverse events. This regimen may thereby enhance procedural efficiency and surgeon satisfaction during vertebral interventions. Full article

Significant research has been carried out on the applications of imaging and spectroscopy technologies for a variety of foods and agricultural products, and the technical fundamentals and their feasibilities have also been widely demonstrated in the past decade. Imaging technologies, including computer vision, Raman, X-ray, magnetic resonance (MR), fluorescence imaging, spectroscopy technology, as well as spectral imaging technologies, including hyperspectral or multi-spectral imaging, have found their applications in non-destructive tea quality assessment. Tea quality can be assessed by considering their external qualities (color, texture, shape, and defect), internal qualities (contents of polyphenols, amino acids, caffeine, theaflavin, etc.), and safety. In recent years, numerous studies have been published to advance non-destructive methods for assessing tea quality using imaging and spectroscopy technologies. This review aims to give a thorough overview of imaging and spectroscopy technologies, data processing and analyzing methods, as well as their applications in tea quality non-destructive assessment. The challenges and directions of tea quality inspection by using imaging and spectroscopy technologies for future research and development will also be reported and formulated in this review. Full article

Background: Newborns are referred primary carnitine deficiency (PCD) when a low free carnitine (C0) concentration (<10 μmol/L) is detected, leading to high false-positive referrals. To improve the follow-up protocol for PCD, various acylcarnitines and the summations were comprehensively evaluated in the present study. Methods: A retrospective study was performed using samples due to low C0 concentration. Data were available for 72 patients with genetically confirmed PCD, whereafter C0 with the selected sum of (butyrylcarnitine (C4) + isovalerylcarnitine (C5)) was validated in an additional cohort study including about 80,000 samples. Results: In the discovery study, C4, acetylcarnitine (C2) and C5 exhibited significant discriminant power in distinguishing PCDs from NoPCDs. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 99.792% (C4), 98.715% (C2) and 98.620% (C5). The excellent performances in sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy indexes suggested that C4, C2 and C5 would be ideal auxiliary indicators in improving the diagnostic performance of C0 for PCD. Multivariate ROC curve-based exploratory analysis showed that C5, C4 and C2 were the most top-ranked features in differentiating PCDs from NoPCDs. AUC for C4 + C5 was the highest with a cutoff required for 100% sensitivity at 0.181 μmol/L. In the validation cohort, adding C4 + C5 in the NBS program could elevate PPV from 0.75% to 1.54%. Conclusions: Our work revealed that C4 + C5 summation should be used as the auxiliary quantization indicator to reduce false-positive results for PCD. Full article

With the rapid development of e-commerce, the logistics industry faces multiple challenges, including high delivery costs, long delivery times, and a shortage of delivery personnel. Truck–drone collaborative delivery combines the high load capacity of trucks with the flexibility and speed of drones, offering an innovative and practical solution. This paper proposes the Truck–Drone Collaborative Delivery Routing Problem (TDCRPTW) and develops a multi-objective optimization model that minimizes delivery costs and maximizes time reliability under capacity and time window constraints in multi-truck, multi-drone scenarios. To solve the model, an innovative two-stage solution strategy that combines the adaptive k-means++ clustering algorithm with temperature-controlled memory simulated annealing (TCMSA) is proposed. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model reduces delivery costs by 10% to 50% and reduces delivery time by 15% to 40%, showcasing the superiority of the truck–drone collaborative delivery model. Moreover, the proposed algorithm demonstrates outstanding performance and reliability across multiple dimensions. Therefore, the proposed approach provides an efficient solution to the truck–drone collaborative delivery problem and offers valuable insights for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of e-commerce logistics systems. Full article

Reliable identification of river hydrograph separation is crucial for prioritizing water source areas to be protected from pollution. A field study was carried out in a hilly catchment with diverse land uses, located in Southwest China. A novel water-tracing method, combining the ratio of two conservative fluorescent components of dissolved organic matter, two ion ratios, and oxygen-18, was proposed for river hydrograph separation with MixSIAR. During a rain event with the longest preceding no-rain period, a set of four tracers were found to be applicable to drainage areas with diverse land uses. Notably, a drier antecedent soil moisture condition could favor the occurrence of more tracers qualified for distinguishing multiple water sources of river flow. Full article

A steel–concrete composite beam with a straddle monorail is a lightweight and easily installable structure. The mechanical performance of group stud connectors and their arrangement are key design parameters that govern the beam’s overall performance. This study investigates the behavior of group stud connectors by conducting push-out tests on four specimens, comprising three full-scale models and one 1:3 scaled model. Variables such as the number of connectors, arrangement, and specimen size were explored. The results indicated that all the specimens exhibited ductile failure due to stud shearing. The strain distribution analysis revealed higher strain at the edges and lower in the middle, persisting as the load increased. The group stud effect resulted in a 23.4% to 27.2% reduction in shear capacity for the full-scale specimens and 16.5% for the scaled specimen. The reduction was proportional to the density of the studs, but the size effects were less significant. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanical behavior of group stud connectors and offers design recommendations for practical applications. Full article

Species of Ganoderma (Ganodermataceae, Polyporales) have been extensively utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for over two millennia, owing to their remarkable medicinal properties and diverse chemical constituents. Hainan Island, located in tropical China, harbors a rich diversity of Ganoderma species. Among these, certain varieties referred to as “Lingzhi Wang” or “Zhu Lingzhi” by indigenous communities are distinguished by their diminutive pilei and slender stipes. Despite their traditional recognition, these species have been subject to morphological confusion. In this study, specimens labeled as “Lingzhi Wang” or “Zhu Lingzhi” were subjected to comprehensive morphological examinations and molecular phylogenetic analyses. The findings reveal that the Ganoderma species characterized by small pilei and gracile stipes encompass at least five distinct species. Among these, two are new to science: G. baisuzhenii and G. shennongii. The remaining three species, G. bambusicola, G. flexipes, and G. subflexipes, have been previously described. Taxonomically, G. bambusicola was reported for the first time on the Chinese mainland. This study provides a clearer taxonomic framework for these medicinally significant fungi. Full article

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a causative reagent that frequently causes progressive liver diseases, leading to the development of acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite several antiviral drugs, including interferon-α and nucleotide derivatives, being approved for clinical treatment of HBV, critical issues remain unresolved, e.g., their low-to-moderate efficacy and adverse side effects, as well as resistant strains. In this study, twenty-three matrine derivatives were synthesized, and their antiviral effects against HBV were evaluated. Of these, eleven compounds inhibited HBeAg secretion significantly more than the positive control, lamivudine (3TC). Among the compounds synthesized in this study, compounds 4a and 4d had the most potent inhibitory activity, with IC₅₀ value of 41.78 and 33.68 μM, respectively. Compounds 1h, 4a, and 4d were also subjected to molecular docking studies. These compounds inhibited viral gene expression and viral propagation in a cell culture model. Thus, we believe our compounds could serve as resource for antiviral drug development. Full article

The core-division-multiplexed (CDM) transmission technique utilizing uncoupled multi-core fiber (MCF) is considered a promising candidate for next-generation long-haul optical transport networks (OTNs) due to its high-capacity potential. For the field implementation of MCF, it is of great significance to explore its long-haul transmission capability using high-speed OTN transceivers over deployed MCF cable. In this paper, we investigate the real-time long-haul transmission capability of a deployed seven-core MCF cable using commercial 138-Gbaud 400 Gb/s backbone OTN transceivers with a dual-polarization quadrature phase shift keying (DP-QPSK) modulation format. Thanks to the highly noise-tolerant DP-QPSK modulation format enabled by the high baud rate, a real-time 256 Tb/s transmission over a 990.64 km (14 × 70.76 km) deployed seven-core fiber cable with more than 600 fusion splices is field demonstrated for the first time, which achieves a real-time capacity–distance product of 221.9 Pb/s∙km. Specifically, the long-haul CDM transmission is simulated by cascading the fiber cores of two segments of 70.76 km seven-core fibers. And dynamic gain equalizers (DGEs) are utilized to mitigate the impacts of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and the uneven gain spectra of amplifiers in broadband transmissions by equalizing the power of signals with different wavelengths. This field trial demonstrates the feasibility of applying uncoupled MCF in long-haul OTN transmission systems and will contribute to its field implementation in terrestrial fiber cable systems. Full article

Layered sodium trititanate (Na₂Ti₃O₇) is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its suitable charge/discharge plateaus, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendliness. However, its slow Na⁺ diffusion kinetics, poor electron conductivity, and instability during cycling pose significant challenges for practical applications. To address these issues, we developed a template-free method to synthesize Na₂Ti₃O₇-C hollow microspheres. The synthesis began with polymerization-induced colloid aggregation to form a TiO₂–urea–formaldehyde (TiO₂-UF) precursor, which was then subjected to heat treatment to induce inward crystallization, creating hollow cavities within the microspheres. The hollow structure, combined with a conductive carbon matrix, significantly enhanced the cycling performance and rate capability of the material. When used as an anode, the Na₂Ti₃O₇-C hollow microspheres exhibited a high reversible capacity of 188 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2C and retained 169 mAh g⁻¹ after 500 cycles. Additionally, the material demonstrated excellent rate performance with capacities of 157, 133, 105, 77, 62, and 45 mAh g⁻¹ at current densities of 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20C, respectively. This innovative approach provides a new strategy for developing high-performance sodium-ion battery anodes and has the potential to significantly advance the field of energy storage. Full article

Largely motivated by the industrial practice in which a platform giant will encroach online retailing by introducing private label (PL) products, this paper aims to investigate the optimal introduction decision for a platform and identify the best sales format, between the reselling format and the agency format, for a manufacturer in an e-commerce platform supply chain. In response to these two sales formats, this paper characterizes and proposes three different PL product introduction strategies, including No Introduction, Partial Introduction, and Full Introduction. By developing a game-theoretic framework and applying the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker optimality, this paper examines the optimal PL product introduction decision and the best sales format. With analytical studies and numerical experiments, several significant implications are derived in this paper. For example, it is first found that the consumer preference for the platform and the quality of the PL products are two key factors influencing the platform’s PL product introduction, with associated effects differing notably. Secondly, improving the PL products’ quality does not necessarily lead to an increased profit for the platform. It will also not lead to a loss in profit for the manufacturer. Lastly, the best sales formats for the manufacturer are significantly influenced by the PL products’ introduction strategy chosen by the platform. Full article