Search Results (51)

China is the largest strawberry producer in the world. Strawberry black root rot is a novel disease that occurs in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of Bacillus subtilis S-16 and its fermented form on strawberry black root rot caused by Fusarium asiaticum were tested. The inhibition rates were 56.31% and 65.95%, respectively. Furthermore, the metabolic substances were analysed using LC-MS/MS. A total of 68 substances were identified, including 18 amino acids, 7 of which have been reported to have pro-growth and antibacterial functions. Among these seven amino acids, N-acetyl-D-alloisoleucine (NAD) had the strongest inhibitory effect on F. asiaticum. In addition, NAD caused the mycelia of F. asiaticum to appear shrivelled and deformed under electron microscopy. Furthermore, the effect of NAD on F. asiaticum was tested. The results indicate that NAD had a better prevention effect when used with hymexazol. Finally, the fungal biomass of F. asiaticum in strawberry roots was measured at different times using two treatment methods: treating plant roots with NAD and a spore suspension of F. asiaticum concurrently and with F. asiaticum alone. The colonisation response of F. asiaticum in terms of the target gene EF-1α when treated with F. asiaticum alone at 72 hpi was significantly higher than that when treated with NAD and a spore suspension of F. asiaticum. The relative expression levels of defence-related genes in strawberry roots treated with NAD at 72 hpi were determined. The genes NPR1 and PDF1 were markedly upregulated compared with other genes, suggesting that the expression of genes related to disease resistance was activated by NAD, resulting in disease resistance in strawberries. Our results provide theoretical support for the biological control of strawberry black root rot. Full article

Grasshoppers can significantly disrupt agricultural and livestock management because they reproduce and develop quickly in friendly environments. Xilingol League is the region most severely affected by grasshopper infestations. The region’s extensive grasslands are considered valuable, a critical component of the local ecosystem, a vital resource for the region’s key economic activity of livestock farming, and crucial for supporting diverse flora and fauna, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation. Oedaleus decorus asiaticus (O. d. asiaticus) is highly harmful in Xilingol League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Therefore, early warning is crucial for projecting O. d. asiaticus’s regional spread and detecting the impacts of critical environmental elements. We systematically identified 26 major contributing elements by examining four categories of environmental factors—meteorology, vegetation, soil, and topography—encompassing the three growth phases of grasshoppers. Furthermore, the MaxEnt and frequency ratio (FR) approaches, coupled with multisource remote sensing data, were used to predict a potentially appropriate distribution (habitat suitability) of O. d. asiaticus in Xilingol League. The research found nine key habitat factors influencing O. d. asiaticus distribution: the mean specific humidity during the adult stage (ASH), vegetation type (VT), above-ground biomass during the nymph stage (NAB), soil sand content (SSAND), mean precipitation during the egg stage (EP), mean precipitation during the nymph stage (NP), soil bulk density (SBD), elevation, and soil type (ST). Additionally, our analysis revealed that the most suitable and moderately suitable habitats for O. d. asiaticus are predominantly located in the southern and eastern parts of Xilingol League, with significant concentrations in West Ujumqin, East Ujumqin, Xilinhot, Zhenglan, Zheng Xiangbai, Duolun, and Taipusi. Based on the suitable habitat results, policymakers may make judgments about future management actions to preserve the ecological security of grasslands and their sustainable growth. This study indicates that the Maxent approach exhibited superior accuracy (receiver operating characteristic) compared to the FR approach for assessing the habitat suitability for O. d. asiaticus in Xilingol League. Full article

Open-pit mining often exposes weak rock layers, the strength of which significantly affects the stability of slopes. If these rock layers are also prone to disintegration and expansion, cyclic rainfall can exacerbate instability. Rainfall-induced changes in the seepage field also indirectly threaten the stability of slopes. Therefore, investigating the characteristics of mudstone limestone and the impact of the seepage field on slope instability under different wet–dry cycles is of great significance for the safe mining of open-pit mines. This paper takes the mudstone limestone slope of a certain open-pit mine in the southwest as the starting point and conducts experiments on saturated density, water absorption rate, permeability coefficient, compressive strength, and variable angle shear strength. Combined with scanning electron microscopy and phase analysis of X-ray diffraction analysis, the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the samples are comprehensively analyzed. FLAC3D software is used to explore the changes in the seepage field and the mechanism of instability. Our research found that for the preparation of mudstone limestone samples, a particle size of less than 1 mm and a drying temperature of 50 °C are optimal, with specific values for initial natural and saturated density, and natural water content. As the number of wet–dry cycles increases, the saturated density of mudstone limestone increases; the water absorption rate first rises sharply and then rises slowly; the permeability coefficient first rises sharply and then stabilizes, finally dropping sharply; the compressive and shear strength decreases slowly, and the internal friction angle changes little; frequent cycles also lead to mudification and seepage filtration. At the microscopic level, pores become larger and more regular, and the distribution is more concentrated; changes in mineral content weaken the strength. Combined with numerical simulation, the changes in the seepage field at the bottom of the slope exceed those at the slope surface and top, the transient saturated area expands, and the overall and local slope stability coefficients gradually decrease. During the third cycle, the local stability is lower than the overall stability, and the landslide trend shifts. In conclusion, wet–dry cycles change the pores and mineral content, affecting the physical and mechanical properties, leading to the deterioration of the transient saturated area, a decrease in matrix suction, and an increase in surface gravity, eventually causing slope instability. Full article

The beet webworm, Loxostege sticticalis, is a typical migratory pest. Although miRNAs participate in many physiological functions, little is known about the functions of miRNAs in olfactory regulation. In this study, 1120 (869 known and 251 novel) miRNAs were identified in the antennae of L. sticticalis by using high-throughput sequencing technology. Among the known miRNAs, 189 from 49 families were insect-specific, indicating that these miRNAs might play unique roles in insects. Furthermore, based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses, we found that 3647 and 1393 miRNAs were associated with localization and the regulation of localization, respectively, and 80 miRNAs were enriched in the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction pathway. These miRNAs might be involved in the olfactory system of L. sticticalis. Notably, qRT-PCR showed that most of the tested miRNAs presented similar expression patterns compared with the RNA-seq data and that miR-87-3, novel-miR-78, and novel-miR-142 were significantly differentially expressed in the antennae of males and females. In addition, 21 miRNAs were predicted to target 23 olfactory genes, including 10 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 3 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 4 odorant receptors (ORs), 1 ionotropic receptor (IR), and 5 gustatory receptors (GRs). The olfactory-related miRNAs exhibited low-abundance transcripts, except undef-miR-55 and undef-miR-523, and gender-biased expression was not observed for olfactory-related miRNAs. Our findings provide an overview of the potential miRNAs involved in olfactory regulation, which may provide important information on the function of miRNAs in the insect olfactory system. Full article

Biodiversity conservation is a critical environmental challenge, with accurate assessment being essential for conservation efforts. This study addresses the limitations of current plant diversity assessment methods, particularly in recognizing mixed and stunted grass species, by developing an enhanced species recognition approach using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral data and deep learning models in the steppe region of Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia. We compared five models—support vector machine (SVM), two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2D-CNN), three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN), hybrid spectral CNN (HybridSN), and the improved HybridSN+—for grass species identification. The results show that SVM and 2D-CNN models have relatively poor recognition effects on mixed distribution and stunted individuals, while HybridSN and HybridSN+ models can effectively identify important grass species in the region, and the recognition accuracy of the HybridSN+ model can reach 96.45 (p < 0.05). Notably, the 3D-CNN model’s recognition performance was inferior to the HybridSN model, especially for densely populated and smaller grass species. The HybridSN+ model, optimized from the HybridSN model, demonstrated improved recognition performance for smaller grass species individuals under equivalent conditions, leading to a discernible enhancement in overall accuracy (OA). Diversity indices (Shannon–Wiener diversity, Simpson diversity, and Pielou evenness) were calculated using the identification results from the HybridSN+ model, and spatial distribution maps were generated for each index. A comparative analysis with diversity indices derived from ground survey data revealed a strong correlation and consistency, with minimal differences between the two methods. This study provides a feasible technical approach for efficient and meticulous biodiversity assessment, offering crucial scientific references for regional biodiversity conservation, management, and restoration. Full article

Precise dating of prehistoric volcanic eruptions is essential for reconstructing eruption sequences and assessing volcanic hazards. The timing of the onset and termination of volcanic activity in the Xilinhot volcanic field (XVF) has been a topic of debate for years. Volcanic eruptions in this area began during the Pliocene, with the K-Ar (Ar-Ar) method providing reliable ages for early formed volcanic rocks; however, this method is less effective for dating younger volcanic events that occurred since the Late Pleistocene. For younger volcanoes, sediments baked by volcanic materials, organic sediments, and silty mudstones entrapped in lava serve as excellent geological carriers for dating. In this study, suitable samples collected from the XVF were dated using ¹⁴C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) methods. The ¹⁴C ages obtained for the Gezishan volcano are ~6.8 cal. ka BP, while its OSL age is ~7.8 ka. The ages dated by these two methods, combined with volcano–sedimentary stratigraphic relationships and volcanic topography, confirm the Holocene eruptions of the Gezishan volcano, categorizing it as a broadly active volcano. The upper boundary age of the sandy loam layer beneath the Gezishan lava flow is ~15.5 ka, indicating that the south lava of the Gezishan effusion occurred later than the late stage of the Late Pleistocene. Additionally, the OSL ages of baked sediments at the bottom of the base surge deposits from a Maar-type volcano and aeolian sand interlayers within a Strombolian-type scoria cone in the study area are ~50 ka and ~60 ka, respectively, representing eruptions in the middle Late Pleistocene. These findings demonstrate that volcanic activity in the XVF remained vigorous during the Late Pleistocene to Holocene. This study provides significant insights for reconstructing the evolutionary history of Xilinhot volcanic activity and assessing regional volcanic hazards. Full article

Xilinhot City is a significant pastoral city in China where groundwater serves as the primary water source for the cold and arid pastoral regions. The formation and evolution of material components in groundwater, as well as groundwater quality, are directly linked to the health of pastoral residents. This study is based on the physical and chemical test results of 22 groundwater samples collected from the Xilinhot River Basin in Inner Mongolia. Various statistical analyses, including Piper and Chadha diagrams, as well as hydrogeochemical simulation methods, were employed to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics and material composition sources of groundwater, evaluate groundwater quality and non-carcinogenic risks, and comprehensively discuss the impact of macro- and microelements on human health. The findings indicate that igneous rocks containing minerals such as potassium feldspar, plagioclase, and pyroxene contribute Na⁺, Cl⁻, and K⁺ to the groundwater, while sedimentary rocks containing minerals like dolomite and calcite supply ions such as Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and HCO₃⁻. The groundwater quality is primarily classified as Class II–V, with F⁻ and NO₃⁻ exhibiting varying hazard quotients for children and adults in the study area, though they do not pose a non-carcinogenic risk. Additionally, the enrichment of hardness, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, SO₄²⁻, and other indicators in localized areas exceeds the recommended values for drinking water, potentially impacting the digestive and urinary systems of the human body. There is a risk of excessive fluoride in areas where F levels exceed 1 mg/L. Furthermore, the content of beneficial micronutrients such as selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and germanium (Ge) is relatively low. Based on the elemental abundance characteristics and a comparative analysis of the chemical properties of groundwater across five regions of China, this comparison facilitates a discussion on the definition of healthy groundwater, particularly in relation to safe consumption in cold and arid regions. This study aims to highlight the health issues associated with drinking groundwater in the cold and arid regions of Mongolia. The findings serve as a valuable reference for efforts aimed at reducing the incidence of endemic diseases and enhancing human lifespan. Full article

Corn silage is the main feed in the diet of dairy cows and other ruminant livestock. Silage corn feed is very susceptible to spoilage and corruption due to the influence of aerobic secondary fermentation during the silage process. At present, silage quality testing of corn feed mainly relies on the combination of sensory evaluation and laboratory measurement. The sensory review method is difficult to achieve precision and objectivity, while the laboratory determination method has problems such as cumbersome testing procedures, time-consuming, high cost, and damage to samples. In this study, the external sensory quality grading model for different qualities of silage corn feed was established using hyperspectral data. To explore the feasibility of using hyperspectral data for external sensory quality grading of corn silage, a hyperspectral system was used to collect spectral data of 200 corn silage samples in the 380–1004 nm band, and the samples were classified into four grades: excellent, fair, medium, and spoiled according to the German Agricultural Association (DLG) standard for sensory evaluation of silage samples. Three algorithms were used to preprocess the fodder hyperspectral data, including multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variate (SNV), and S–G convolutional smoothing. To reduce the redundancy of the spectral data, variable combination population analysis (VCPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were used for feature wavelength selection, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) algorithm was used for data dimensionality reduction, constructing random forest classification (RFC), convolutional neural networks (CNN) and support vector machines (SVM) models. The best classification model was derived based on the comparison of the model results. The results show that SNV-LDA-SVM is the optimal algorithm combination, where the accuracy of the calibration set is 99.375% and the accuracy of the prediction set is 100%. In summary, combined with hyperspectral technology, the constructed model can realize the accurate discrimination of the external sensory quality of silage corn feed, which provides a reliable and effective new non-destructive testing method for silage corn feed quality detection. Full article

Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are known to be useful tools for food biopreservation and fermentation control. Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides 406 and 213M0 isolated from different samples of Mongolian traditional fermented milk, airag, had been reported to produce listericidal bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances with similar but slightly different properties. In this study, the antibacterial properties and the related gene sequences of both strains were compared, and then their bacteriocins were purified and identified. Strain 406 was superior to strain 213M0 in cell growth and antibacterial activity against many strains. However, the activity of 213M0 was stronger than that of 406 against a few strains. DNA sequencing revealed two and three plasmids in 406 and 213M0, respectively, and each one of them harbored an almost identical mesentericin Y105–B105 gene cluster. Removal of these plasmids resulted in a complete loss of activity, indicating that the antibacterial activity of both strains was generated by bacteriocins encoded on the plasmids. Mesentericins Y105 and B105 were purified from both cultures, and another novel bacteriocin, named mesentericin M, was identified from the 213M0 culture only. Its structural gene was coded on a 213M0 plasmid and, surprisingly, its C-terminal three amino acid residues were post-translationally cleaved. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a C-terminal truncated bacteriocin. In conclusion, the novel bacteriocin should be mainly responsible for the difference in antibacterial properties between the two strains. Full article

The Uhelchulu quartz diorite-granodiorite intrusions in Xiwuqi, Inner Mongolia, are exposed along the northwestern margin of the Xilinhot microcontinental block, located within the central and eastern parts of the southeastern Hegenshan suture zone. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating yielded crystallization ages of (396 ± 8) Ma for the quartz diorite and (385 ± 5) Ma for the granodiorite, indicating an Early-Middle Devonian magmatic event. The quartz diorite exhibits I-type granite features, characterized by elevated Al₂O₃ (14.33–15.43 wt%), MgO (3.73–5.62 wt%), and Na (Na₂O/K₂O = 1.04–1.44), coupled with low P₂O₅ (0.15–0.20 wt%) and TiO₂ (0.73–0.99 wt%). Trace element patterns show relative enrichments in Rb, Th, U, and Pb, while Nb, Ta, Sr and Ti are relatively depleted. Total REE contents are relatively low (123–178 ppm), with significant LREE enrichment (ΣLREE/ΣHREE = 4.75–5.20), and a non-obvious Eu anomaly (δEu = 0.75–0.84). In contrast, the granodiorite displays S-type granite characteristics, with high SiO₂ (70.48–73.01 wt%), K (K₂O/Na₂O = 1.35–1.83), Al₂O₃ (A/CNK = 1.16–1.31), and a high differentiation index (DI = 76–82). Notably, MgO (1.44–2.24 wt%) contents are low, and significant depletions of Ba, Sr, Ti, and Eu are observed, while Rb, Pb, Th, U, Zr, and Hf are significantly enriched. Total REE contents are relatively low (178–314 ppm), exhibiting significant LREE enrichment (LREE/HREE = 6.17–8.36) and a pronounced negative Eu anomaly (δEu = 0.34–0.49). The overall characteristics point towards an active continental margin arc background for the Uhelchulu intrusions. Previous studies have suggested that the Hegenshan ocean continuously subducted northward from the Early Carboniferous to the Late Permian, but there is a lack of evidence for its geological evolution during the pre-Early Carboniferous. Therefore, this paper provides a certain basis for studying the geological evolution during the pre-Early Carboniferous in the Hegenshan ocean. We preliminarily believed that the Hegenshan ocean underwent a southward subduction towards the Xilinhot microcontinental block in the Xiwuqi area, at least from the Early Devonian to the Middle Devonian and the Hegenshan ocean may might have undergone a shift in subduction mechanism during the Late Devonian or Early Carboniferous. Full article

To investigate molecular regulation involved in lactation during pregnancy, this study focused on the transcriptomic profiles of mammary tissue from lactating and non-lactating Mongolian mares at the second month of gestation. A total of 4197 differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing mammary tissues from pregnant mares at two different states, including 1974 differentially expressed genes such as the milk protein-related genes a-s1-casein (CSN1S1), k-casein (CSN3), lactalbumin (LALBA), and lactoferrin (LTF), which were highly expressed in the lactating mares group, and overall, these differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with biological processes such as endoplasmic reticulum protein processing, the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, steroid biosynthesis, cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, and amino sugar and nucleotide glycolysis. These findings serve as a foundation for investigating the molecular underpinnings of lactation in pregnant equids. Full article

In the past, during development processes, major ecological and environmental problems have occurred in the agro-pastoral ecotone of China, which have had a strong impact on regional sustainable development. As such, analyzing the evolution of the regional ecosystem service value (ESV) and predicting the futural spatio-temporal evolution under different development scenarios will provide a scientific basis for further sustainable development. This research analyzed the regional land use and land cover change (LUCC) from 2000 to 2020, adopted the Mark-PLUS model to construct different scenarios (prioritizing grassland development, PDG; prioritizing cropland development, PCD; business as usual, BAU), and simulated the future LUCC. The driving factors influencing each land use type were revealed using the PLUS model. Based on the LUCC data, the spatio-temporal distribution of the regional ESV was calculated via the ESV equivalent factor method, including four primary services (supply service, adjustment service, support service, and cultural service) and eleven secondary services (water resource supply, maintaining nutrient circulation, raw material production, aesthetic landscape, food production, environmental purification, soil conservation, maintaining biodiversity, gas regulation, climate regulation, and hydrologic regulation). The results showed that the total ESV increased first and then declined from 2000 to 2020, reaching the highest value of CNY 8207.99 million in 2005. In the different future scenarios, the ESV shows a trend of PGD (CNY 8338.79 million) > BAU (CNY 8194.82 million) > PCD (CNY 8131.10 million). The global Moran index also follows this distribution. Additionally, precipitation (18%), NDVI (16%), and DEM (16%) are the most important factors in the regional LUCC. The spatial agglomeration characteristics of ESV were revealed using the global Moran’s index and local indicators of spatial auto-correlation, which show a high coordination degree between the high–high cluster areas and water areas. These results point out the key points in the next step of ecological restoration projects and help with achieving the sustainable development goals more effectively. Full article

To evaluate the detection performance of ozone lidars, the first comprehensive vertical ozone observation experiment in China was conducted at the Xilinhot National Climate Observatory in Inner Mongolia from August to December 2023. The ozone profiles and concentrations of four ozone lidars were systematically compared and assessed with ozone radiosonde measurements and ozone analyzer observations both at ground-based stations and on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The results show that the relative deviations of four ozone lidars are less than 20% compared with ozone radiosonde measurements at a height between 150 and 400 m. Ozone lidars have better behavior between 400 m and 2000 m than the lower altitude, with the deviation within 10% and the correlation coefficient around 0.8. However, relative deviations of lidars increased with altitude above 2000 m. The surface ozone concentrations observed using ozone lidars agreed well with the ground-based ozone analyzer, especially during periods with ozone concentrations higher than 40 µg·m⁻³. The correlation coefficients for most models of ozone lidar are higher than 0.53. A further investigation of the influence of precipitation events on ozone lidar measurement has been conducted, which revealed that thick cloud layers, low cloud base, and an intensive precipitation event with large raindrop particles can result in high anomalies and reduce the inversion accuracy of the ozone lidar. During the experiment, four ozone lidars were assessed quantitatively according to the comprehensive performance, which could help to improve inversion algorithms and the system design of this promising technique. Full article