Search Results (644)

Urban sewer sediments represent an underexplored reservoir of recoverable organic resources, yet conventional disposal practices, landfilling and incineration perpetuate greenhouse gas emissions and irreversible carbon loss. This study establishes a pH-regulated pretreatment strategy (pH 4, 6, 10, and 12) for selective release of organic matter from sewer sediments under simulated hydraulic conditions (solid-to-liquid ratio of 10 g/L, 1154 rpm). Pronounced non-linear release response across the pH revealed a crucial window at pH 10, where COD release attained 1488.68 mg/L (42.6% enhancement over controls) with a 93.70% organic dissolution rate, while total phosphorus release was simultaneously suppressed by 22.4%. The resulting liquid-phase carbon-to-nitrogen and carbon-to-phosphorus ratios of 62.9 and 320.8, respectively, markedly surpassed control values of 46.0 and 174.5, highlighting the potential for high-quality external carbon source recovery. The mechanistic underpinning integrates mineral surface deprotonation, EPS disintegration, and calcium–phosphorus precipitation. Extrapolated to China’s national sewer network, this strategy could potentially mitigate methane emissions by approximately 1.73 × 10⁷ t/yr and save wastewater treatment plants USD 794.83 million/yr in carbon procurement, while inorganic residues retain potential for construction material reuse. This study offers a feasible pathway toward integrated pollution control and high-value waste valorization, aligning with circular economy objectives in urban water systems. Full article

Horse mackerel is nutritionally valuable but highly prone to quality loss during chilled storage because its PUFA-rich lipids readily oxidize in comminuted products. Therefore, clean-label strategies are required to delay oxidation and spoilage. This study evaluated the effect of adding sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum), either as a plant homogenate incorporated at 5% (P-5%), 10% (P-10%) and 20% (P-20%) or as a dried polyphenolic extract at 0.25% (E-0.25%), 0.5% (E-0.5%), and 1% (E-1%), on the shelf-life of horse mackerel meatballs stored at 4 °C. Lipid oxidation, including free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value, conjugated dienes, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidant activity (ABTS and FRAP analyses), color (CIELAB color space), pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), spoilage-associated microbial groups, and volatile profiles were monitored during storage. Sea fennel reduced secondary oxidation compared to the control, with P-20% showing the lowest TBARS, corresponding to an approximately five-fold decrease compared with the control, and E-1% showing the clearest suppression of oxidation-derived aldehydes in the volatile fraction. The incorporation of either the plant homogenate or the extract reduced microbial growth, particularly that of Pseudomonas spp., while lactic acid bacteria counts increased during storage. This contributed to extend the microbiological shelf life of P-20% and E-1% by approximately 3 days. P-20% and E-1% also showed lower pH and TVB-N values over time. Overall, sea fennel improved the oxidative stability and early microbial control of refrigerated horse mackerel meatballs. However, whole-plant incorporation requires further optimization to balance matrix effects, quality evolution, and potential sensory changes. Full article

Frozen storage is widely used to preserve shrimp products, but the multiscale mechanisms underlying quality deterioration in giant freshwater prawn remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated changes in water retention, oxidative stability, muscle structure, and protein conformation in Macrobrachium rosenbergii stored at −20 ± 2 °C for 0, 1, 3, and 5 months. Thawing and cooking losses, water-holding capacity, freshness and oxidation indices, texture, histology, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and intrinsic fluorescence were comprehensively evaluated. After 5 months, thawing loss increased from 8.21% to 12.51%, cooking loss increased by 55.0%, and water-holding capacity decreased from 85.45% to 68.46%. The total volatile basic nitrogen, protein carbonyl content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; 0.186 to 0.528 mg MDA/kg), and myofibril fragmentation index increased progressively, while free sulfhydryl and salt-soluble protein contents declined. Shear force, hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness also decreased, accompanied by muscle fiber separation and an increase in white void area from 0.04% to 3.46%. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance revealed decreases in the short-relaxation P₂b and P₂1 populations and an increase in the dominant P₂2 population, indicating relative water-population redistribution. Meanwhile, α-helix content decreased from 18.83% to 16.28%, β-sheet content increased from 25.05% to 28.22%, and maximum fluorescence intensity decreased by 31.9%. These coordinated changes suggest that prolonged frozen storage weakened the myofibrillar network through water redistribution, lipid and protein oxidation, protein fragmentation, conformational rearrangements, and tissue disruption. The findings provide a multiscale basis for developing water-retention and quality-control strategies for frozen giant freshwater prawn. Full article

The application of microalgae to soil has gained attention due to their ability to improve soil fertility and sequester C, but the effects of their application on rainfall-induced runoff, sediment, and associated nutrient losses remain unclear. This study investigated the impacts of Chlorella ZJ application on soil properties, C and N accumulation, and the loss characteristics of C and N via runoff and sediment under simulated rainfall at intensities of 50 and 100 mm h⁻¹. The results showed that applying microalgae significantly increased soil pH and the geometric mean diameter (GMD) of aggregates. It also promoted C and N accumulation, which increased by 11.28–23.79% and 13.42–24.62%, respectively, compared to the control. The contents of dissolved organic carbon, dissolved nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) in the crusted soil decreased significantly due to soil disturbance. Under simulated rainfall, intact microalgae crusts reduced sediment loss but did not increase runoff yield. However, they substantially elevated N loss via runoff, with total nitrogen (TN) concentrations (5.85 to 20.31 mg L⁻¹) exceeding surface water quality standards, indicating a high eutrophication risk. Overall, microalgae fertilizers have the potential to sequester C, enhance soil nutrients, and control soil erosion. However, reasonable management measures need to be implemented to prevent N pollution caused by runoff loss during their application. Full article

Agricultural karst watersheds are highly vulnerable to nutrient loss because strong surface water–groundwater (SW–GW) connectivity can rapidly transfer nitrogen and sulfur species from soils, agricultural activities, and human settlements into aquatic systems. However, the coupled behavior and contrasting controls of nitrate (NO₃⁻) and sulfate (SO₄²⁻) in such agroecosystems remain insufficiently understood, limiting effective nutrient and groundwater-quality management. In this study, a typical karst agricultural watershed in Southwest China was selected to investigate the sources, transformation processes, and transport pathways of NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ under strong SW–GW interactions. During the rainy season, 44 groundwater and 40 surface water samples were collected for major hydrochemical and nitrate–sulfate stable isotope analyses. An integrated framework combining hydrochemical analysis, self-organizing maps (SOM), positive matrix factorization (PMF), and MixSIAR were used to identify dominant sources, quantify source contributions, and clarify controlling processes. The results showed that groundwater was mainly characterized by carbonate-controlled Ca-HCO₃ facies, whereas surface water exhibited higher mineralization and a shift toward Ca-SO₄ facies, indicating stronger external inputs and rapid hydrological responses. Nitrate was primarily controlled by external nitrogen inputs, with manure and sewage and soil nitrogen contributing 39–62% and 16–33%, respectively. Nitrate was also regulated by nitrification under oxic conditions, while denitrification was negligible. In contrast, sulfate was predominantly governed by geogenic processes, with sulfide oxidation contributing 63–83%, while other sources were minor. These contrasting controls resulted in distinct spatial and process behaviors: nitrate showed source-driven variability associated with agricultural and domestic inputs, whereas sulfate displayed process-driven accumulation mainly controlled by water–rock interactions. Strong SW–GW connectivity enhanced the transfer of anthropogenic nutrient signals, while subsurface mixing and buffering regulated their expression in groundwater and surface water. These findings demonstrate a clear decoupling between nitrate and sulfate controls in agricultural karst systems and provide a scientific basis for nutrient pollution control, groundwater protection, and sustainable agricultural water management in vulnerable karst regions. Full article

Palm fruits are produced extensively in tropical and subtropical regions and consumed worldwide. However, over 20% of the total yield is discarded due to inferior quality, resulting in significant agricultural waste and economic loss. To mitigate this challenge and enable the safe valorization of discarded dates (DD) in animal feeding systems, this study employed solid-state fermentation (SSF) to upgrade the nutritional quality of DD and evaluated its potential as a functional feed ingredient for goats. Twenty-four male goats (6 months old; initial body weight 25.86 ± 0.25 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: a basal diet (control), a diet containing 10% raw DD (D1), and a diet containing 10% solid-state fermented DD (D2). Inclusion of DD in the diet significantly increased average daily gain (ADG), final body weight (BW), and feed efficiency, with the highest values recorded for D2 (p < 0.05). Feeding of DD altered (p < 0.001) all measured rumen fermentation parameters, except pH, with higher levels (p < 0.05) of total volatile fatty acids, propionate, microbial crude protein, and ammonia nitrogen recorded for D1 and D2, as compared to control. Similarly, blood biochemistry revealed elevated total protein, albumin, and globulin in both supplemented groups (p < 0.05), whereas higher glucose and cholesterol levels were recorded for the D1 group (p < 0.05). Notably, systemic antioxidant status improved with the inclusion of SSF fermented DD, as evidenced by increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities, alongside reduced malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.05). The inclusion of DD in the diet decreased cooking and drip losses, and decreased shear force (indicating enhanced tenderness) and water-holding capacity (p < 0.05), with better values recorded for D2. Carcass protein and fat contents increased with the inclusion of DD in the diet, with higher values recorded for D2 (p < 0.05). Fatty acid analysis revealed higher (p < 0.05) contents of rumenic acid and octadecenoic acid in D2, as compared to D1 and control. The concentrations of lysine, methionine, threonine, leucine, and valine in meat were also higher in D2-fed goats (p < 0.05). In conclusion, incorporating solid-state-fermented discarded dates into goat diets represents a promising and sustainable strategy to valorize agricultural waste while concurrently improving growth performance, antioxidant status, meat quality, and selected nutrient profiles of goat meat. These preliminary findings warrant validation in larger-scale production. Full article

Soil water availability, salinity dynamics, and nitrate transport are key factors controlling agricultural sustainability in arid environments characterized by limited water resources and high evaporative demand. This study evaluated the combined effects of soil texture, nitrate–nitrogen application, and sawdust mulching on soil water retention, evaporation losses, salinity redistribution, and nitrate movement in loamy sand and sandy clay loam soils under controlled greenhouse conditions. Results showed that soil texture was the dominant control on hydrochemical behavior, with sandy clay loam exhibiting higher water retention and lower drainage than loamy sand. Sawdust mulching significantly improved soil water conservation by reducing evaporation and stabilizing moisture distribution, while the 4 cm mulch treatment achieved the highest overall CSI performance. Evaporation strongly governed salinity accumulation in surface layers, whereas mulching reduced salt build-up and promoted a more uniform salinity profile. Nitrate transport closely followed water fluxes, resulting in higher leaching in loamy sand and greater retention in sandy clay loam. Increasing nitrogen application enhanced nitrate mobility and leaching in both soils. A Composite Sustainability Index (CSI) was developed to integrate soil water conservation, evaporation reduction, salinity control, and nitrate retention into a unified metric. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that treatment rankings were largely unaffected by alternative weighting schemes, confirming the robustness of the CSI framework. The CSI identified mulch application, particularly the 4 cm mulch treatment, as the most effective management option based on overall sustainability performance. The CSI framework provides an integrated decision-support tool for evaluating coupled water–salt–nitrate interactions and improving water use efficiency and salinity management in arid agricultural systems. This study offers a novel integrated CSI-based framework for simultaneously quantifying hydrological and hydrochemical soil responses under mulch management in arid environments. Full article

Background: Effective root canal disinfection is essential for successful nonsurgical root canal treatment (RCT). Although sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) remains the standard irrigant, it carries a risk of chemical tissue injury if extruded beyond the root canal system and may have limited penetration into anatomically complex regions. Underwater discharge plasma (UDP) generates reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) through high-frequency, high-voltage electrical discharge in aqueous media, and preclinical and in vitro studies have reported broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. This study evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcomes of nonsurgical RCT performed using physiological saline-based UDP irrigation without NaOCl in a heterogeneous real-world clinical cohort. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 186 teeth from 134 patients treated with the PLAZEN RCT^® UDP device and physiological saline irrigation, without NaOCl. The median follow-up period was 16 months. Radiographic outcomes were assessed using the Periapical Index (PAI) system, and treatment success was evaluated according to prespecified Strict and Loose criteria incorporating both radiographic and clinical findings. Stratified analysis was performed according to preoperative PAI score: Group A (PAI 1–2) and Group B (PAI 3–5). UDP-related adverse events, defined as thermal tissue injury caused by discharge heat, were ascertained through retrospective review of clinical records, operative notes, and serial periapical radiographs. Results: Among the 186 treated teeth, radiographic outcomes were classified as Healed (85.5%), Healing (3.8%), and Unhealed (10.8%). Overall Strict and Loose success rates were 79.6% and 82.3%, respectively. Initial treatment showed numerically higher success rates than retreatment. In the stratified analysis, Group A showed an 84.1% success rate with 100% tooth survival, whereas Group B demonstrated Strict and Loose success rates of 68.5% and 83.3%, respectively. Exploratory multivariable analysis showed that periodontal pocket depth > 3 mm was the most consistent factor associated with lower odds of treatment success, whereas associations involving canal obliteration and higher preoperative PAI score were less stable across sensitivity analyses and should be interpreted with caution. No UDP-related adverse events were recorded during follow-up. Attrition sensitivity analyses were performed, and the outcome estimates should be interpreted with caution, given the retrospective design and substantial loss to follow-up. Conclusions: In this preliminary observational cohort, physiological saline-based UDP irrigation without NaOCl was associated with favorable observed periapical healing outcomes and no recorded UDP-related adverse events over a median follow-up of 16 months. However, loss to follow-up was substantial; when all 116 teeth lost to follow-up were classified as treatment failures, the worst-case Strict success rate decreased to 49.0%. Therefore, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary descriptive evidence of clinical feasibility rather than as evidence of comparative efficacy or definitive clinical safety. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials with concurrent NaOCl control arms and long-term follow-up are warranted to evaluate the comparative effectiveness, safety, and reproducibility of physiological saline-based UDP irrigation protocols. Full article

Koji production is a critical process that determines the flavor and quality of the final soy sauce product. However, the complex mechanisms underlying microbial metabolism and the evolution of the physicochemical environment still require further analysis. This study focuses on three parallel koji rooms in an industrialized koji fermentation process. This work tracked the dynamics of physicochemical indices, volatile flavor compounds, and microbial communities over a full 40 h cycle. Data integration and correlation analysis elucidated the close linkage between the microbial community, the fermentation environment, and flavor formation. Koji moisture declined gradually, with faster losses at later fermentation stages. This physiological dehydration arose from microbial metabolic heat, forced aeration and structural loosening of koji, not simple physical evaporation. System pH displayed a typical U-shaped trend across fermentation. Values dropped early, most likely driven by accumulating organic acids, before rising from mid to late fermentation. This pH rebound was tentatively attributed to ammonia release from proteolytic breakdown, which may neutralize acidic compounds. These observations cast doubt on the conventional assumption that organic acid levels may be reliably estimated solely from pH measurements. Physicochemical analysis showed continuous accumulation of amino acid nitrogen (0.6–0.9 g/100 g) and total acidity throughout fermentation. By contrast, reducing sugar concentrations differed across individual koji rooms, presumably owing to divergent microbial adaptation in early fermentation. A total of 77 common compounds were identified, among which 13 key odor-active compounds with OAV ≥ 1, such as 4-vinylguaiacol and 3-methylbutyraldehyde, constitute the characteristic flavor profile of soy sauce starter culture. High-throughput sequencing uncovered a distinct ecological pattern: eukaryotic communities, dominated by Aspergillus oryzae, converged under controlled regulation. While prokaryotic communities differentiated dynamically, driven by spatial heterogeneity in the semi-open fermentation environment. Spearman correlation analysis further indicated potential functional partitioning: high-abundance taxa (e.g., Aspergillus oryzae, Weissella) were predominantly associated with macromolecular substrate degradation, whereas rare low-abundance taxa (e.g., Alternaria) displayed significant correlations with the biosynthesis of key characteristic flavor compounds. This study clarifies the synergistic regulatory mechanisms linking physicochemical conditions, microbial metabolism, and flavor precursor formation during industrial koji production. The findings establish a scientific foundation for optimizing process parameters and achieving standardized quality control in soy sauce manufacturing. Full article

Tomato is susceptible to various fungal pathogens, including Alternaria alternata and Curvularia spicifera, which can cause extensive post-harvest losses. Chemical fungicides have limited effectiveness in controlling post-harvest fungal pathogens and pose risk to human health and the environment. Therefore, this study assessed indigenous isolates of three species of Trichoderma (Tr1: T. longibrachiatum; Tr2: T. harzianum; and Tr3: T. asperellum) as biocontrol agents against two fungal pathogens in vitro and in vivo and determined their physicochemical analysis and plant-growth-promoting traits. The three species of Trichoderma exhibited catalase production in vitro, while T. longibrachiatum and T. asperellum showed the highest potential for plant-growth promotion by producing indole-3-acetic acid and phosphate solubilization but not nitrogen-fixing capability. T. harzianum showed lower potential in these traits. Mycelial growth was found to be maximum (5.77–12.27 cm) at 30 °C and a pH of 7–9, but inhibition (2.60–5.13 cm) was recorded at the highest temperature (45 °C) and pH (11). In vivo, studies on tomato fruits indicated that T. longibrachiatum and T. asperellum significantly (p < 0.05) reduced lesion diameters of A. alternata by 53.60% and 48.71%, respectively, and C. spicifera by 55.58% and 56.19%, respectively, relative to the infected control. Besides their antifungal efficacy, the three species of Trichoderma enhanced tomato seedling growth, particularly at 1/10 filtrate dilution, and improved fruit quality parameters by increasing firmness and nitrate content, while reducing oxidative stress. Physicochemical analysis indicated that Trichoderma-treated fruits had better firmness, pH, and nitrate value coupled with a reduction in oxidative stress (reduced malondialdehyde content) compared to pathogen-infected controls. The indigenous isolates of the three species of Trichoderma provided high efficacy as biocontrol agents of the two fungal pathogens that cause post-harvest losses of tomato, suggesting that biological control can replace synthetic chemicals in preserving tomato under storage conditions and contribute to agricultural sustainability. Full article

The vertical migration of soil nitrogen (N) losses in sloped farmlands under natural rainfall conditions remains inadequately understood. This study conducted a two-year (March 2023–February 2025) in situ runoff field monitoring experiment on purple loam slopes in Chongqing, China, systematically investigating the effects of different rainfall patterns (TR, HR, MR, LR) and planting stages (CPS, SFS, MPS, WFS) on the vertical migration of nitrogen at four depths (0, 20, 40, and 60 cm) under natural rainfall conditions. The results demonstrate that rainfall is the key driver of vertical nitrogen migration. The migration loads of total nitrogen (TN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) all increased significantly with increasing rainfall intensity (p < 0.01), showing the strongest correlation with rainfall amount in the shallow soil layer (L₁). Nitrogen migration loads exhibited a clear decreasing trend with increasing soil depth, declining progressively from the surface (L₁) to deeper layers (L₃). However, higher loads of nitrate nitrogen were maintained in deeper layers, given its strong mobility. The study found that although extreme rainfall events (TR and HR) accounted for only 6.05% of total rainfall events, they contributed to more than 60% of the total nitrogen migration load, highlighting extreme rainfall as the primary driver of nutrient loss. Over 70% of nitrogen loss occurred during the corn planting stage (CPS) with high fertilizer demand, highlighting that this period is critical for nitrogen loss and represents a key window for risk management. The increased soil depth functions as a “sink”, exhibiting certain nitrogen retention and filtration effects. The total nitrogen content in deeper soil layers (L₂, L₃) shows cumulative accumulation, confirming the nitrogen migration pattern from sources (surface layers) to sinks (deep layers) within the soil profile. This study elucidates the core driving mechanisms and critical risk periods for vertical nitrogen migration in purple soil on sloped farmland, providing crucial scientific evidence for precise regional nitrogen fertilizer management and non-point source pollution control. Full article

Rational fertilization directly affects the fruit quality of the Korla fragrant pear. However, the variation patterns of fruit appearance and texture indicators under different N-P₂O₅-K₂O ratios are complex, and redundancy among high-dimensional indicators restricts the practical application of quality discrimination and fertilization traceability. In this study, Korla fragrant pear fruits harvested under eight fertilization treatments (including the control) were selected as research materials. Significant differences existed in nutrient composition and application rate among treatments: no N-P₂O₅-K₂O was applied in the CK treatment; for treatments H1–H7, nitrogen (N) application rate ranged from 396.36 to 524.2 g·plant⁻¹, phosphorus (P₂O₅) from 326.08 to 652.17 g·plant⁻¹, and potassium (K₂O) from 450.67 to 1200.08 g·plant⁻¹, with the most prominent differences observed in P-K ratios and application rates. On this basis, 12 appearance and flesh texture indicators were determined, including single-fruit weight, longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter, fruit shape index, pericarp thickness, sclereid content, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness. Three machine-learning algorithms, namely Random Forest (RF), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), were used to construct fruit quality discriminant models. The results showed that the RF model achieved the optimal discriminative performance, with accuracy values of 0.876 and 0.865 for the training and validation sets, respectively. Seven core quality indicators, including sclereid content and longitudinal diameter, were screened via feature-importance intersection analysis. The reconstructed RF model based on this indicator set exhibited nearly no loss in discriminative accuracy despite a ~42% reduction in indicator quantity, providing theoretical and technical support for quality grading, fertilization traceability and precision fertilization of Korla fragrant pear. Full article

Livestock manure management remains a significant environmental challenge due to nutrient losses that may contribute to soil and water contamination. This study investigated nitrogen and phosphorus transformations, as well as organic matter stabilisation, in poultry manure subjected to microbial inoculation under controlled laboratory conditions (EI) and long-term field storage (EII). In the laboratory experiment, chicken and turkey manure were treated with denitrifying bacteria, conditioning bacteria, or their combination. The results indicate treatment-dependent differences in ammonium accumulation and nitrate formation in leachates, with the combined microbial inoculum suggesting reduced nutrient mobility compared with the untreated controls. In the field experiment, temporal changes in nitrogen fractions revealed an initial phase of intensive mineralisation, followed by gradual stabilisation of nitrogen forms. Phosphorus concentrations (total phosphorus—P_tot and orthophosphate—PO₄³⁻) decreased over time, suggesting reduced potential for leaching, although the underlying mechanisms likely include immobilisation and redistribution within the manure matrix. Differences in nutrient dynamics between chicken and turkey manure were observed. A humification stabilisation index (HSI) was applied to describe changes in organic matter quality during manure storage, indicating progressive transformation towards more stable forms. However, due to the limited replication and the lack of continuous monitoring of key process parameters, the results should be interpreted as indicative rather than conclusive. Overall, the study suggests that microbial inoculation may influence nutrient transformations and support manure stabilisation processes, highlighting its potential as a complementary strategy in environmentally oriented manure management strategies. Full article

Background: Root rot caused by Fusarium solani is a devastating disease in Angelica sinensis (danggui), leading to severe yield and quality losses. Sustainable control strategies are urgently needed. According to the plant “cry for help” theory, plants under pathogen attack may recruit beneficial microbes via root exudates. However, whether A. sinensis employs this strategy against F. solani remains unknown. This study aimed to identify potential “cry for help” metabolites and evaluate their biocontrol potential. Methods: LC-MS analysis revealed that F. solani infection significantly altered the metabolic profiles of both A. sinensis roots and rhizosphere soil. Results: Comparative analysis identified seven metabolites specifically upregulated in infected plants but not detected in the pathogen, including taurine, oxoadipic acid, quinolinic acid, 6-phosphogluconic acid, methyl cinnamate, 2-phenylethanol, and (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid. Exogenous application of these seven metabolites revealed that taurine and methyl cinnamate significantly alleviated disease symptoms, improved plant growth (root length, biomass), and enhanced the activities of key defense enzymes (peroxidase, POD, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, PAL, lipoxygenase, LOX, polyphenol oxidase, PPO). Furthermore, taurine and methyl cinnamate reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome. The incidence of root rot was reduced by 51.3% and 50.8%, respectively. Taurine enriched actinobacteria (e.g., Paeniglutamicibacter) and reduced the relative abundance of pathogenic Ascomycota fungi, while methyl cinnamate markedly enriched the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter and the saprophytic fungus Schizothecium. Crucially, both treatments significantly suppressed the proliferation of F. solani in the rhizosphere. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that A. sinensis activates a “cry for help” response upon attack by F. solani, with taurine and methyl cinnamate preliminarily identified as key signaling metabolites that can directly or indirectly inhibit the development of A. sinensis root rot. These compounds enhance plant resistance and recruit beneficial microorganisms, offering a novel and promising ecological strategy for the green control of A. sinensis root rot. Full article

This study investigates the ternary co-pyrolysis of Soma lignite (SL), a low-rank Turkish coal with high ash content, with two agricultural residues: pectin-rich sugar beet pulp (SBP) and lignin-rich peanut shell (PS). The primary objective is to clarify how biomass structure and blend composition control synergistic interactions, and how co-pyrolysis can upgrade the fuel properties of a low-quality coal while valorizing agro-industrial waste. Four SL:SBP:PS blends (80:10:10, 60:20:20, 40:30:30, and 20:40:40 wt.%) were tested by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis at 10 °C min⁻¹ under nitrogen. Differential thermogravimetric curves were deconvolved into four pseudo-components representing pectin/hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin/early coal, and main coal/mineral fractions. Mass-based deviation indices ($\mathrm{\Delta }W$) and rate-based deviations ($\mathrm{\Psi }$) from the additive prediction were calculated in three temperature regions to detect synergy and antagonism. The results demonstrate that interactions are strongly composition-dependent. The 40:30:30 blend exhibits the most pronounced synergistic enhancement, with average $\mathrm{\Delta }W$ values of approximately −0.94 wt.% and −1.05 wt.% in the 350–500 °C and 500–650 °C ranges, respectively, while the 60:20:20 blend shows antagonistic behavior across all regions. For the 40:30:30 blend, the calculated higher heating value increases from 11.21 to 14.74 MJkg⁻¹, reflecting a gradual upgrading of the feed-mixture composition by biomass loading. Overall, the findings indicate that combining a pectin-rich, fast-devolatilising biomass with a lignin-rich, slower-decomposing biomass at an intermediate coal loading can shift mass loss to lower temperatures. This combination also produces measurable non-additive behaviour within the experimental noise level. In addition, it improves several feed-mixture indicators that are relevant to sustainable energy recovery from lignite-dominated regions. Full article