Search Results (130,630)

The potential of methanolic extracts from jara (Barkleyanthus salicifolius) and pomegranate carpel membranes (Punica granatum) as biological alternatives for the control of phytopathogenic fungi was evaluated against pathogens associated with commercially important crops in the Ciénega de Chapala region. Extracts were assessed in vitro against Botrytis cinerea and Rhizoctonia solani (strawberry), Curvularia sp., Pestalotiopsis sp., and Fusarium oxysporum (blackberry), Pythium sp. and Fusarium sp. (tomato), and Sclerotium rolfsii (onion). Antifungal bioassays demonstrated that the B. salicifolius extract inhibited the mycelial growth of R. solani, whereas the pomegranate extract inhibited seven of the eight species tested, with the exception of S. rolfsii. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavones, flavonols, chalcones, and quinones in pomegranate, and flavones, flavonols, alkaloids, and sterols in jara. Additionally, phytol and caryophyllene were identified in the latter via GC–MS. Full article

Developing eco-friendly metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with plant-based reducing and stabilizing agents offers a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical methods. Nonetheless, the detailed mechanisms by which phytochemicals influence NPs formation, antimicrobial properties, and cytocompatibility remain poorly understood, especially in systems mediated by Vaccinium. This study aimed to synthesize TiO₂ NPs and ZnO NPs using Vaccinium corymbosum (blueberry) extract, analyze their structural and surface characteristics, assess their antimicrobial effectiveness and cytotoxicity, and explore potential molecular mechanisms through computational docking. ZnO NPs were produced via alkaline precipitation (pH 12) from ZnCl₂, while food-grade TiO₂ was mixed with blueberry extract. A comprehensive characterization was carried out using techniques like X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM/SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for polyphenol profiling. The antimicrobial activity was tested against Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. Cytotoxicity was assessed using Gallus gallus domesticus leukocytes and Artemia salina bioassays, and molecular docking simulations were performed to examine polyphenol interactions with the bacterial DNA gyrase subunit B (GyrB). XRD analysis confirmed the presence of wurtzite ZnO (with a crystallite size of 18.2 nm) and anatase TiO₂ (12.8 nm after functionalization). HPLC identified key polyphenols, including quercetin, cyanidin, malvidin, and cyanidin-3-glucoside, with patterns indicating stronger adsorption onto TiO₂ NPs surfaces. ZnO NPs showed higher antimicrobial effectiveness (>90% inhibition at 2 mg/mL; MIC 0.5–1 mg/mL) compared to TiO₂ (72% inhibition at 16 mg/mL; MIC 8–16 mg/mL). Cytotoxicity results indicated concentration-dependent effects. Molecular docking simulations revealed favorable binding energies (−6.2 to −8.4 kcal/mol) for blueberry polyphenols with GyrB, suggesting potential synergistic antimicrobial effects and ROS production. The study highlights a successful green synthesis of bioactive TiO₂ NPs and ZnO NPs using Vaccinium corymbosum extract, where polyphenol surface functionalization enhances both colloidal stability and biological activity. This comparative research offers mechanistic insights into how polyphenol-coated NPs work and supports the development of eco-friendly antimicrobial oxide nanomaterials. Full article

The sustainable valorization of marine biowaste, particularly shrimp residues, has emerged as a promising strategy to develop eco-friendly agricultural inputs that enhance crop productivity and reduce environmental impacts. This study investigated the effects of a biotechnologically processed fermented shrimp-waste (Parapenaeus longirostris) formulation as a biostimulant on the growth, physiological performance, and development of a local mays variety (Zea mays L., DKC 744) under controlled pot conditions. The experiment evaluated root, foliar, and combined applications of the biostimulant at three concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%) over a 90-day vegetative cycle. Morphological parameters, including stem height, leaf number, leaf mass, and root biomass, were measured at regular intervals, while chlorophyll a and b contents were assessed to evaluate photosynthetic efficiency. The results indicated that all biostimulant treatments significantly enhanced mays growth. Root-applied biostimulants primarily stimulated root biomass by up to 764.0 ± 66.8 g at the 10% concentration, whereas foliar applications improved above-ground traits, including stem elongation and leaf formation, reaching maximum heights of 200.0 ± 1.9 cm and 17.0 ± 0.4 leaves under intermediate concentrations. Combined root and foliar applications produced the highest stem height (240.0 ± 5.6 cm), leaf number (19.0 ± 0.0), leaf mass (1034.0 ± 11.1 g), and chlorophyll content (2.44 ± 0.9 for chlorophyll a) at 10–15% concentrations. The results also revealed that moderate concentrations generally provided the most balanced stimulation, suggesting the presence of an optimal dose threshold. This study demonstrated the comparative effectiveness of root, foliar, and combined applications of a fermented shrimp-waste biostimulant and identified an optimal concentration. However, its limitations lie in the use of controlled pot conditions and a single crop variety, which restrict the extrapolation of results to field-scale applications and diverse agroecological environments. Therefore, more research is needed to explore the action mechanisms of the studied biostimulant and elicitors, mainly the interaction between biocompounds and the treated plant. Full article

Background: Ketoprofen is one of the most commonly prescribed NSAIDs; however, its pharmacogenetics remains poorly understood. The objective was to evaluate the influence of patients’ pharmacogenetic profiles on the effectiveness of ketoprofen for postoperative pain management after total hip arthroplasty, including postoperative analgesia (pain levels, opioid consumption) and the incidence of adverse reactions during hospitalization and up to 12 months post-surgery. Methods: The study included 53 patients (31 (58.49%) women, median age 66.0 [60.0–74.0] years) undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Genotyping was performed using real-time PCR to analyze 18 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the following genes: CYP2C9 (rs1799853, rs1057910), CYP2C8 (rs10509681, rs11572080), CYP3A4 (rs35599367), CYP3A5 (rs776746), UGT2B7 (rs73823859, rs7439366, rs7668282), ABCB1 (rs1045642, rs4148738, rs2032582, rs1128503), PTGS1 (rs10306135, rs12353214), PTGS2 (rs20417), C3orf20 (rs12496846), and ZNF493-ZNF429 (rs2562456). Results: We did not find significant associations between patients’ genotypes and pain levels or postoperative opioid analgesic consumption or adverse reactions when ketoprofen was used for pain management in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Conclusions: Routine pharmacogenetic testing for ketoprofen is not supported by our findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Microbial inoculants effectively alleviate inhibitory factors during plant cultivation; however, the effects and underlying mechanisms of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Chaetomium globosum on the growth, metabolism, and bioactive compound production of A. membranaceus are still poorly understood. Methods: In this experiment, different concentrations of C. globosum (10⁴, 10⁶, 10⁸ spores/mL) (Q1, Q2, Q3), AMF, and their combined treatments (AQ1, AQ2, AQ3) were applied to A. membranaceus seedlings via root irrigation, with an equal amount of sterile water as a control (CK). Results: The results showed that: (1) Under single inoculation with C. globosum, root colonization rate increased with higher inoculation concentrations, reaching its peak at Q3. Additionally, AQ3 significantly enhanced AMF colonization in A. membranaceus, and the presence of C. globosum promoted AMF root colonization and expansion. (2) AQ3 significantly enhanced the growth and photosynthesis of A. membranaceus, while also demonstrating excellent efficacy in alleviating lipid peroxidation-induced damage. (3) AQ3 treatment led to increased accumulation of major bioactive compounds in A. membranaceus, including calycosin-7-glucoside, cycloastragenol, and astragalosides I–III. (4) AQ3 treatment significantly upregulated multiple key structural genes involved in phenylalanine metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, including PAL, 4CL, FLS, and CYP75B1. Conclusions: This upregulation enhanced the metabolic flux allocation from L-phenylalanine toward downstream flavonoid metabolites, thereby promoting the accumulation of major flavonoid constituents of A. membranaceus, such as galangin and luteolin, in both roots and leaves. Full article

A spectrum analyzer is an essential instrument in telecommunications for observing and analyzing the power distribution of a signal across different frequencies. Traditionally, these devices are expensive and complex, limiting their accessibility. This paper presents an affordable spectrum analyzer prototype using a software-defined radio (SDR) module and a Raspberry Pi, coupled with a 10.1-inch touchscreen. Based on the HackRF One and Raspberry Pi 4B+, the system uses GNU Radio to capture, analyze, and display electromagnetic-signal spectra from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. The user-friendly interface and artificial intelligence-based voice module enable easy, accessible real-time selection of frequencies, bandwidth adjustment, and signal visualization, applicable to 5G and 6G~networks. Full article

To elucidate the mechanisms by which the rhizosphere microbial community influences cold tolerance in maize, this study employed the metagenomic technology to systematically analyze the community composition, functional characteristics, and their association with host cold tolerance in the rhizosphere of maize genotypes with different cold tolerance (cold-tolerant material B144 and cold-sensitive material Q319, among others) (n = 3 biological replicates per genotype). The results revealed that the rhizosphere microbial community of the cold-tolerant genotype B144 exhibited higher species diversity and more complex genomic features. LEfSe analysis indicated that the rhizosphere soil microbiota of B144 was significantly enriched in two major phyla, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, as well as microbial taxa with stress tolerance potential, such as the Bacillus and Streptomyces. Further functional analysis revealed that the microbial community was specifically enriched in metabolic pathways related to glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, as well as coenzyme and vitamin metabolism. We hypothesize that the physiological stability of maize under low temperatures can be enhanced through mechanisms such as the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides to reduce the freezing point and the provision of vitamins and antioxidant substances. In contrast, the rhizosphere microorganisms of the cold-sensitive material Q319 were more enriched in basic metabolic functions. The present study elucidates the pivotal mechanisms by which rhizosphere microorganisms facilitate maize resistance to low-temperature stress from a functional perspective. This provides theoretical support and new strategies for enhancing crop stress resistance by regulating the rhizosphere microbiome. Full article

China hosts a large number of closed coal mines containing abundant residual resources. Driven by resource recycling, mine safety, environmental protection, and the dual-carbon goals, research on gas resources in closed coal mines has expanded rapidly. In some closed mines, substantial unmined coal resources remain with high gas content, making in situ gas resources a key focus of investigation. Given the Xinzhuangzi closed coal mine as a case study, this study analyzed the distribution of coal resources based on the monitoring results of coal extraction and remaining reserves, and the distribution of gas content based on regression equation. Furthermore, it applied a volumetric calculation method to estimate the gas resources of any a certain unit, all units, and summarize the gas resources across different coal seams, structural divisions, mining levels and the entire coal mine, thereby characterizing the in situ gas resources. The results indicated that the area below –412 m in the closed Xinzhuangzi coal mine was favorable for in situ gas resource development, containing 20,061.1 × 10⁴ t of coal resource and 2250.32 × 10⁶ m³ of gas resources, with a gas resource abundance of 1.96 × 10⁸ m³/km². C13, B11b, B4, B7a, B6, and B8 were favorable targets for in situ gas resources, each containing over 100 × 10⁶ m³ of gas resources, and these seams were thick and stable. Levels 6 and 7 were favorable zones for in situ gas resources, each containing abundant coal resources with high gas content, holding 644.94 × 10⁶ and 1407.77 × 10⁶ m³ of gas resources, respectively. These findings provided not only a scientific basis for the future evaluation and development of gas resources in this coal mine, but also important references for the study of in situ gas resources in other abandoned mines. And, several suggestions were given about the development prospects of gas resources. Full article

Bax, a key member of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein family, is essential for inducing mitochondrial apoptosis. In this study, we employed yeast two-hybrid screening to identify ubiquitin-specific protease 49 (USP49) as a binding partner of Bax. Subsequent immunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays confirmed their direct interaction. Functional assays showed that USP49 reduces Bax polyubiquitination at multiple lysine residues within ubiquitin, with the strongest effects observed on K11, K29, K33, and K63 linkages. In contrast, its effect on K48-linked ubiquitination was weak and insufficient to influence Bax protein stability, indicating that USP49 does not regulate Bax abundance through proteasomal degradation. Instead, RT-qPCR analysis revealed that USP49 overexpression significantly increased Bax mRNA levels, and this effect was maintained under apoptosis stimuli (UV, H₂O₂, and STS), indicating transcriptional regulation largely independent of stress-induced damage, whereas its effect was modest and not statistically significant under starurosporine treatment. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that USP49 regulates Bax primarily through K29/K33/K63-linked ubiquitination and transcriptional upregulation, highlighting its role as a stress-responsive modulator of apoptosis and a potential therapeutic target in cancer. Moreover, under DNA damage condition (UV), USP49 overexpression marked enhanced apoptosis. Full article

To address the limitations of conventional mobile robot path planning results in terms of geometric continuity, kinematic executability, and adaptability to dynamic environments, this study proposes a reference trajectory generation method oriented toward trajectory tracking. First, the A* algorithm is employed to search for an initial collision-free path, and key-point sparsification is applied to remove redundant nodes. Then, a geometrically continuous reference path is constructed using cubic B-splines. On this basis, by considering the kinematic constraints of the differential-drive mobile robot together with the local curvature characteristics of the path, a local trackability index is introduced, and the reference velocity is adaptively corrected under the maximum angular velocity constraint to improve trajectory executability and tracking smoothness. To address local path invalidation caused by dynamic obstacles, a collision-risk-triggered local replanning and trajectory stitching mechanism is further developed to achieve smooth transition between the original and updated trajectories. Simulation and real-world experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively reduce path redundancy, improve trajectory smoothness and executability, and achieve rapid local path updating and stable trajectory stitching in dynamic environments. Full article

Recently, there has been growing interest in the synthesis of thin films made from metal diboride. Boron forms binary compounds with a wide variety of metals. These diborides are refractory, ultra-hard solids characterized by high melting points, exceptional thermal stability, and pronounced chemical inertness. This work describes the preparation of metal diboride coatings made of binary ZrHfB₂, HfTiB₂ and ZrTiB₂ as well as ternary HfZrTiB₂. In the low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process used, MeCl₄ (Me = Zr, Hf, Ti), BCl₃, H₂, and Ar were employed at deposition temperatures of 850 °C. The coatings were characterized with respect to phase composition, crystal structure, hardness, residual stress and wear behavior. A hardness of 38 GPa was achieved with a modulus of elasticity of around 700 GPa and a moderate tensile residual stress of approx. 400 MPa was obtained for the ternary alloys as well as 44 to 633 MPa for the binary alloys, respectively. The phase composition and structure of the deposited layers were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The investigations revealed dense, crack-free, well defined crystalline single-phase diboride layers with grain sizes of 0.1–1.5 µm. A TiN interlayer applied prior to diboride deposition significantly enhanced adhesion between the diboride coating and hard-metal inserts. Scratch test measurements revealed critical loads of approximately 90 N. In the wear test milling against TiAl6V4, the HfZrTiB₂ coating (with ZrCl₄:HfCl₄:TiCl₄ = 1:2:1) demonstrated the best tool life with ~15% improvement over the state-of-the-art CVD TiB₂ reference coating using a single cutting condition. The tool life for the ZrTiB₂ coating was 20% below the tool life of the reference coating. Full article

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a devastating wheat disease leading to significant yield loss and mycotoxin contamination. This study elucidated the biocontrol mechanism of Bacillus velezensis 20507 fermentation broth against FHB during wheat infection. The broth exhibited strong, time-dependent antifungal activity in vitro, with optimal growth suppression (inhibition rates up to 75%) achieved using broth fermented for 3–7 days. In planta experiments confirmed its efficacy in alleviating disease symptoms. Employing a dual RNA-seq strategy, we analyzed the tripartite interaction between the biocontrol agent, pathogen, and wheat host. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the broth directly suppressed the pathogen, causing 1510 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, predominantly down-regulated) and disrupting pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall integrity. In wheat, the fermentation broth of B. velezensis 20507 counteracted F. graminearum infection by reprogramming the host transcriptome. KEGG analysis during co-inoculation showed that the broth up-regulated defense-related pathways involved in energy, hormone signaling, and cellular maintenance, while down-regulating primary metabolic pathways, indicating a resource reallocation strategy. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed that the broth alone primed the wheat defense system, and this primed state significantly enhanced the defense response upon pathogen challenge. Untargeted metabolomics identified key antimicrobial compounds, including lipopeptides and the macrolide Macrolactin A. Bioassay-guided fractionation isolated two active fractions (Fr A and Fr B) with potent antifungal activity. This integrated multi-omics study demonstrates that B. velezensis 20507 combats FHB through a coordinated dual mechanism: direct inhibition of the fungus via specific metabolites like Macrolactin A, and simultaneous reprogramming of the host defense and metabolic landscape. These findings provide a scientific foundation for developing this strain as an effective biocontrol agent. Full article

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a promising near-zero-emission propulsion source for Northern Sea Route (NSR) vessels, but their yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and Ni-cermet anode are susceptible to thermomechanical degradation under repetitive start–stop thermal cycling. We develop a hierarchical Bayesian competing-risk framework built on a dual degradation model that decomposes area-specific resistance (ASR) growth into cycle-induced fatigue and time-dependent electrochemical aging and apply it across six NSR duty-cycle scenarios spanning f = 1–27 cycles/month. Posterior inference via the No-U-Turn Sampler (NUTS) yields 17 estimated parameters meeting standard convergence criteria (R̂ ≤ 1.01, ESS_bulk ≥ 479, zero divergent transitions). The analysis identifies a failure-mode transition at f ≈ 3–6 cycles/month: high-frequency routes are crack-dominated (S1a: 10/15 cells fail by crack within the 600-cycle window with 5/15 right-censored), whereas low-frequency routes are ASR-dominated (S3b: 100% ASR). Global sensitivity analysis indicates the time-dependent rate coefficient k_time as the primary remaining-useful-life driver (S_T = 0.37–0.46). Cycle-based maintenance thresholds span 160 cycles (S3b) to ≥600 cycles (S2b), bracketed by S1a (270 cycles, 10.0 months, crack-dominant) and S3a (480 cycles, 160 months, transition regime); qualitative consistency with published experimental data supports physical plausibility. Full article

Unlike natural images, remote sensing images have unique characteristics such as high spatial resolution, complex textures, and strong directional features. Their content often contains many man-made targets with clear directional structures, such as buildings, roads, and bridges. It also contains complex ground object boundaries. However, most existing image compression methods are designed for natural images. They typically use square convolution kernels and local receptive fields. As a result, they struggle to effectively capture the rich directional structures in remote sensing images and model global context information. This limits compression efficiency and the fidelity of key information. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a novel remote sensing image compression algorithm. The algorithm uses a multi-scale asymmetric convolution block that combines sampling convolution, parallel one-dimensional horizontal and vertical convolutions, and two-dimensional square convolution. This helps the model better capture directional objects and multi-scale features. In addition, we also propose a multi-scale non-local attention module. It models global dependencies with a linear computational complexity. This helps improve the ability to retain key information. The experimental results demonstrate that compared with the baseline model, the proposed algorithm achieves a 0.40 dB improvement in BD-PSNR and a 10.27% reduction in BD-Rate, while also delivering superior subjective visual quality. These results confirm the effectiveness of our approach for remote sensing image compression. Full article

Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient for upland rice (Oryza sativa L.), and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been investigated as a sustainable strategy to improve plant nutrition and crop performance. This study evaluated the effects of N topdressing and PGPR inoculation on leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), leaf nutrient concentrations, and yield components in upland rice. A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design (4 × 6 factorial) with four N rates (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha⁻¹) and five PGPR strains (Azospirillum brasilense, Nitrospirillum amazonense, Bacillus subtilis, Priestia aryabhattai, and Methylobacterium symbioticum), plus a non-inoculated control. No significant interaction between N rates and PGPR inoculation was observed. Nitrogen increased leaf phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) concentrations and panicle number; however, it also increased unfilled grains, reduced grain weight, and did not affect grain yield. Azospirillum brasilense increased LCI by 25.7%. Bacillus subtilis and A. brasilense increased leaf N, K, Mg, copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) concentrations. Azospirillum brasilense, B. subtilis, N. amazonense, and P. aryabhattai reduced unfilled grains, increased grain weight and grain yield by up to 10.7%, whereas M. symbioticum did not differ from the control in grain yield. Under the conditions of this study, nitrogen was not limiting for grain yield, and all strains, except M. symbioticum, were associated with increases in grain yield and changes in plant nutritional status. Full article