Search Results (4,553)

This study presents a highly efficient and sustainable biocatalytic platform for bisphenol A (BPA) bioremediation through the covalent immobilization of laccase onto hierarchically functionalized cotton fibers. The immobilization strategy involved selective periodate oxidation of cellulose, grafting a hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) spacer arm, and glutaraldehyde activation, ensuring stable covalent attachment. Characterization via FTIR, SEM, and BET confirmed successful surface modification and high enzyme loading, achieving an immobilization yield of 90.5%. The immobilized laccase (CT-DA-HMD-Lac) exhibited significantly enhanced performance compared to the free enzyme, with a two-fold increase in maximum reaction velocity (V_max) and a 75% improvement in catalytic efficiency of action (V_max/K_m). Furthermore, the biocatalyst demonstrated superior robustness, maintaining high activity across broader pH and temperature ranges, and retaining 75% of its initial activity after 15 consecutive reusability cycles. Storage stability was also markedly improved, with 83% activity retention after 60 days. Practical application in BPA degradation showed 85% removal efficiency within 300 min, a 2.4-fold increase in the degradation rate constant over the free enzyme. These results highlight functionalized cotton as a promising, cost-effective, and scalable support for advanced enzymatic wastewater treatment and the remediation of persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Full article

Background: Information on the autopolyploid of Gossypium herbaceum remains limited until now. Previously, the autotetraploid of G. herbaceum was successfully generated via colchicine-induced chromosome doubling from the diploid cultivar ‘Hongxing’ in our lab. Methods: To investigate the drought stress response mechanism of this tetraploid, the autotetraploid S4 was used as the experimental material. The plants were subjected to drought stress during the flowering stage, followed by measurements of physiological and biochemical indicators and transcriptomic sequencing analysis. Results: Under drought stress, MDA content increased, and cell membranes sustained oxidative damage. Photosynthetic parameters, such as net photosynthetic rate (Pn), were significantly suppressed, while the activity of osmotic regulators and key antioxidant enzymes increased significantly. After rehydration, all of the above physiological indicators showed varying degrees of recovery. Transcriptome analysis revealed that, when comparing the treatment group with the control group, a total of 5530 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, with 2714 up-regulated and 2816 down-regulated. Furthermore, this study investigated the drought resistance mechanism involving the interaction between the MAPK signaling pathway and other metabolic pathways in the autotetraploid. Nine drought-resistant genes, including MAPK3, bHLH47, GaRbohD, RIBA1, PIP1-3, RCA1, RbohD, CYP707A and HSP70, were selected and analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR; the results were generally consistent with the transcriptomic data. Conclusions: These findings substantially enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying drought responses in autotetraploids. This novel autotetraploid genotype expands the available cotton germplasm resources and is expected to hold significant value for research on polyploidy evolution. Full article

Histidine triad (HIT) family proteins contain a conserved histidine triad motif and play key roles in fungal metabolism and pathogenicity. This study focused on VD9136, a member of the HIT family in Verticillium dahliae, aiming to elucidate its biological function and mechanism underlying its role in cotton pathogenesis. A systematic investigation of the VD9136 gene in V. dahliae was conducted using bioinformatics analysis, gene knockout, genetic complementation, and pathogenicity assays. The results showed that VD9136 protein consists of 136 amino acids and is a stable, neutral, and weakly hydrophilic protein that lacks transmembrane domains and signal peptides; it is localized to the extracellular space via a non-classical secretion pathway. Its secondary structure is predominantly composed of α-helices and random coils. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that VD9136 is closely related to VliHIT, a homologous protein from V. longisporum, the pathogen responsible for Verticillium wilt in rapeseed. The promoter region of VD9136 contains multiple cis-acting elements, including light-responsive, hormone-responsive, and stress-responsive elements, indicating that its transcription may be regulated by multiple signaling pathways. VD9136 was significantly upregulated during the early stage of cotton infection (6–24 h post-inoculation). Pathogenicity assays demonstrated that V. dahliae knockout mutants lacking VD9136 exhibited a significant reduction in virulence, as evidenced by a lower disease index, decreased fungal biomass within plant tissues, and attenuated vascular browning in cotton plants. The pathogenic phenotype was successfully restored in genetic complementation strains. This study identified VD9136 as a key regulatory factor in the pathogenic process of V. dahliae, and its loss of function reduces the pathogenicity of V. dahliae. The findings provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathogenic mechanism of cotton Verticillium wilt and for developing corresponding prevention and control strategies. Full article

This study investigated the impact of image capture distance on the performance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in classifying fabrics. Unlike previous works that rely solely on digital zoom and data augmentation to simulate multi-scale variations, this research explores the use of physically captured images at far, mid-range, and near focal lengths using a camera with an attached varifocal lens. Fabric samples from three categories of Cotton, Linen, and Silk were imaged under consistent lighting to create an image dataset with a total of 1350 images used to train CNN models via transfer learning, with MobileNetV2 and ResNet50 as the baseline architectures. Classification performance was evaluated separately on each focal subset and on their combined dataset to test the trained model generalization capability. Results showed an absolute accuracy gain of 20.57% with MobileNetV2 and 9.78% for ResNet50 while performing with an improved accuracy at 98.42% for MobileNetV2 and ResNet50 at 96.30% Full article

Rising temperatures and increasing evaporative demand accelerate soil moisture loss (SML) during the sowing-to-emergence phase of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), constraining crop establishment under water-limited Mediterranean conditions. Conventional tillage (CT) involves intensive tillage operations with higher fuel and energy requirements, whereas strip tillage (ST) limits tillage to the crop row while preserving inter-row residues. This study evaluated ST and CT across two consecutive growing seasons (2024 and 2025) under a wheat–cotton rotation system. A field experiment was conducted using a replicated design (n = 8), in which emergence parameters, SML (0–10 cm), yield, and fuel-derived energy use and CO₂ emissions were quantified. SML was significantly lower under ST than CT (43% in 2024 and 52% in 2025; p < 0.001), leading to earlier emergence (0.98–1.17 days) and higher emergence rate index (ERI) values. Cotton yield was slightly higher under CT (3–4%); however, this difference, although statistically significant (p = 0.001), remained limited and consistent across years. In contrast, ST resulted in a 66–69% reduction in operational fuel use, with proportional reductions in energy use and CO₂ emissions on an area basis. Yield-scaled indicators, defined as energy use (MJ kg⁻¹) and CO₂ emissions (kg CO₂ kg⁻¹) per unit yield, further revealed substantially greater resource-use efficiency under ST compared with CT. These findings demonstrate that strip tillage enhances hydrothermal conditions during crop establishment while markedly reducing energy demand and carbon intensity, providing a resource-efficient mechanization strategy for cotton production under increasing climatic stress. Full article

Phosphorus (P) availability is currently a limiting factor for agricultural production, especially in tropical soils, and its interaction with cationic micronutrients can significantly affect physiological efficiency and nutrient uptake by plants. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the uptake kinetic parameters described by the Michaelis–Menten model (Vmax, Km, and Cmin) for P as a function of the supply of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, as well as the kinetic parameters of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn as a function of P supply in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the experimental unit of CENA, in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, using individual pots. Phosphorus concentration and accumulation were reduced only under Fe and Zn deficiency, with reductions of up to 60% in the shoots and 85% in the roots. Zn deficiency caused a drastic reduction in P uptake capacity, with Vmax decreasing from 590 to 50.85 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ (approximately a 12-fold reduction), accompanied by an increase in Cmin (from 269 to 1508 µmol L⁻¹). In terms of micronutrient kinetics, P omission reduced plant growth and affected only Fe and Zn uptake. For Fe, Km increased from 12.82 to 27.31 µmol L⁻¹ and Cmin from 1.03 to 20.51 µmol L⁻¹. For Zn, and Vmax decreased from 0.16 to 0.02 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ (approximately 8-fold), while Cmin increased from 0.08 to 1.56 µmol L⁻¹. These results demonstrate a strong interaction between P, Fe, and Zn, highlighting their regulatory roles in nutrient uptake and providing mechanistic insights into plant nutritional efficiency. Full article

Flexible textile membranes were prepared by impregnating woven cotton fabrics with silicone oil (SO)-based suspensions containing carbonyl iron (CI) microparticles and iron oxide microfibers ($\mu$Fe). The microfibers were obtained by a microwave-assisted microplasma process and then co-dispersed with CI in SO. In the final membranes, the CI content was kept constant at ${\mathrm{\Phi }}_{\mathrm{CI}}=10$ vol.%, whereas the microfiber fraction was 0, 10 and 20 vol.%. The resulting membranes were used as dielectric layers in planar capacitors and examined at 1 kHz under a static magnetic field of up to 150 mT and compressive pressure up to 10 kPa. In every composition, the capacitance rose with increasing magnetic flux density, but both the zero-field capacitance and the field-induced capacitance change became smaller as the microfiber content increased. A monotonic, nearly linear increase in capacitance was also observed under compression over the tested pressure range. Within a simplified parallel-plate and magnetic-stress analysis, the capacitance data were further used to estimate the apparent relative permittivity, together with capacitance-derived indicators of deformation and stiffness. These estimates suggest field-induced stiffening of the membranes and a higher apparent low-field stiffness at higher microfiber loading. The obtained hybrid CI/$\mu$Fe-based textile membranes can serve as composition-tunable dielectric layers whose electrical response is influenced by both magnetic field and compressive loading, making them relevant for flexible capacitor-based elements. Full article

In this study, we prepare N–doped biochar loaded with β-CD, using cotton stalks as a carbon source, and evaluate its removal efficiency for tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. This composite uniquely integrates molten salt activation, nitrogen doping, and β-CD grafting, resulting in an exceptionally high specific surface area of 1943 m²/g and abundant active sites. The findings reveal that β-CD-NKBC-1.5 (5 g of N–doped biochar loaded with 1.5 g of β-CD) demonstrates remarkable capabilities for both TC and MB removal across an extensive pH spectrum, reaching peak adsorption levels of 1269.8 and 969.4 mg/g at 308.15 K, respectively—outperforming most previously reported biochar-based adsorbents. The adsorption process is well described by the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, indicating that monolayer chemisorption is the dominant mechanism. β-CD-NKBC-1.5 exhibits preferential adsorption for TC and MB and maintains high adsorption efficiency even with coexisting ions (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and SO₄²⁻) at concentrations up to 500 mg/L. The adsorption mechanism involves Lewis acid–base interactions, hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and pore filling. Full article

Background: It is essential to recover as much DNA as possible from evidence samples to ensure optimal DNA analysis in forensic casework. However, both DNA collection and purification procedures cause a substantial loss of genetic material. Thus, a large loss of DNA through the pre-PCR procedures, including swabbing and extraction, may significantly affect downstream analysis results. In this study, different cotton swabs and extraction kits used for forensic samples were compared separately. Methods: The recovery of cell-free DNA (control DNA) and cell-bound DNA (blood and saliva) was evaluated using five different extraction kits: Chelex^® 100 Resin, Wizard^® Genomic DNA Purification Kit, QIAamp^® DNA Micro Kit, QIAamp^® DNA Investigator Kit and DNeasy^® Blood & Tissue Kit. The DNA recovery efficiency of the different extraction kits was assessed using real-time quantitative PCR targeting nuclear and mitochondrial DNA targets. In addition, nine cotton swabs from four manufacturers (Selefa^®, Puritan^®, Texwipe^®, and Heinz Herenz) with different production lots were evaluated for DNA quantity and quality using real-time PCR and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. Results: Overall, large differences in DNA recovery were observed between the different extraction kits. The QIAInvestigator kit demonstrated the highest recovery at low DNA amounts, which is particularly beneficial for minute forensic samples. The swab comparison revealed variations not only in DNA recovery between swab manufacturers but also between lots of the same swab brand, and the DNA quantity was not clearly correlated with downstream DNA profile quality. Conclusions: Our findings emphasise the importance of considering the choice of extraction kit, swab brand and batch-to-batch variation in forensic laboratory procedures, as they may influence DNA recoveries and affect the success rate in forensic casework. Full article

This article examines hazardous ground irregularities that remain undetectable by the white cane used by visually impaired individuals. Additionally, the development of a multi-beam laser ranging system is described. Integrated into the cane handle, this system is designed to provide comprehensive ground awareness and sufficient anticipation at a walking speed of 1 m/s. The system employs a near-infrared multi-beam laser sensor with a holographic grating generating four diamond-shaped beams, in conjunction with a high-resolution CMOS sensor. Through optical triangulation and real-time processing, the device estimates the height of obstacles or drop-offs relative to the walking surface. Vibrotactile feedback informs the user of detected hazards, with distinct vibration patterns differentiating between elevation changes and drop-offs. Preliminary trials with blind participants in controlled environments demonstrate that the system is feasible, responsive, energy-efficient, and fully compatible with conventional white cane use. Full article

The development of bio-based inks represents a promising strategy to reduce the environmental impact of digital printing technologies. This study investigates the formulation and performance of water-based inks incorporating two renewable pigments: a fermentation-derived indigo pigment and a plant-extracted yellow pigment. Special attention was given to dispersion optimization of the poorly water-soluble indigo pigment. Extended mechanical dispersion (115 h in a ball mill) proved critical to achieve colloidal stability, enabling the preparation of inks that met standard rheological and physicochemical criteria for inkjet printing with piezoelectric printheads. Both inks were applied on a variety of substrates, including cotton, polyester, leather, and kraft paper, pre-treated, in the case of the textiles, with either a cationic biopolymer or a synthetic polyurethane-based binder. Colorimetric evaluation confirmed effective deposition and uniformity, with the indigo ink producing deep blue hues and superior overall fastness than the yellow ink, particularly in washing and rubbing tests. The yellow pigment ink showed good stability but once applied to the fabric, the resulting print exhibited poor fastness, particularly against light exposure, indicating limited durability of the coloration on the textile. Shelf-life analysis of the indigo ink revealed a decline in viscosity and surface tension over time, though the colour and particle size remained stable, particularly under room temperature conditions. These findings confirm the potential of fermentation-derived indigo as a robust bio-based alternative to synthetic dyes and its superior performance in relation to other nature extracted pigments, which, although facilitating ink preparation due to their higher water solubility, result in lower-fastness prints. Full article

Construction industry remains a major driver of global resource use and waste generation, therefore, identifying sustainable material alternatives is increasingly important. Recycled-textile-based insulation presents a promising pathway to support circular economy principles by diverting post-consumer waste from landfills and reducing reliance on virgin petrochemical materials. This study conducts a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) using SimaPro to compare polyurethane (PU) foam and recycled denim (cotton fiber) insulation. The system boundary includes raw material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing. A functional unit of 1 m² of installed insulation with a thermal resistance of RSI = 1 m²·K/W at the factory gate ensures comparability, with mass-based results reported as secondary metrics. The results indicate that recycled denim exhibits higher embodied carbon per unit mass, despite lower production energy and lower cradle-to-gate impacts per installed area, reinforcing the need for a declared-unit-based comparison tied to thermal performance. Air leakage is evaluated separately as a complementary performance indicator influencing in-service energy behavior showing significantly lower air leakage for PU; but is not included in the cradle-to-gate normalization. However, it could be argued that materials with improved airtightness may enable the use of reduced insulation thickness while still achieving equivalent performance, thereby potentially lowering overall material demand. Nevertheless, recycled denim offers environmental advantages by reducing landfill waste and promoting resource conservation through material reuse. A transient coupled heat–moisture model in COMSOL Multiphysics, using climate data from Arizona and Florida, further reveals that denim absorbs more moisture than polyurethane. This leads to larger heat flux fluctuations, highlighting a trade-off between denim’s sustainability advantages and its reduced hygrothermal durability. Overall, these findings demonstrate the limitations of single-metric comparisons and emphasize the need for performance-based, multi-criteria assessments that integrate functional efficiency with circularity. Future research should incorporate occupant health and comfort to enable a more comprehensive evaluation of insulation sustainability. Full article

Fruit branch length in cotton is a key trait influencing plant architecture and suitability for mechanisation; elucidating its molecular regulatory mechanisms is crucial for breeding varieties with desirable plant architecture. In this study, an F₂ segregating population was established using the long-fruit-branch upland cotton line L16 and the short-fruit-branch line S14 as parents. By integrating morphological, cytological, and omics approaches, we systematically analysed the underlying mechanisms of variation in fruit branch length. Phenotypic analysis indicated that the inter-node elongation rate of the first fruit branch in L16 was significantly higher than that in S14. Tissue section observations revealed that the length of cortical parenchyma cells in L16 was significantly greater than that in S14, suggesting that the difference in fruit branch length primarily stems from variations in the extent of cortical parenchyma cell elongation. BSA-Seq analysis identified five QTL regions significantly associated with fruit branch length, encompassing 82 coding genes. Further RNA-Seq analysis of the fruit branch initiation stage (T0) and rapid elongation stage (T1) identified 3106 differentially expressed genes common to both stages. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that these genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to plant hormone signalling, the cytoskeleton, and microtubule organisation. By integrating BSA-Seq and RNA-Seq data, three candidate genes were screened that simultaneously harboured non-synonymous mutations and were significantly highly expressed in the short fruit branch line S14. Combined with bioinformatics analysis, GH_D02G0744 was predicted to be the most likely key candidate gene regulating cotton fruit branch length. This study provides important genetic resources to elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanisms of cotton fruit branch length and lays a theoretical foundation for molecular breeding to improve cotton plant architecture. Full article

Laccase plays an important role in the detection and degradation of phenolic compounds, but it is limited by its cost and stability. In this study, the laccase-like property of copper peptide (GHK-Cu) has been revealed. In terms of enzymatic reaction kinetics, GHK-Cu has a V_max of 1.735 × 10⁻⁴ mM·s⁻¹ and a K_m of 0.061 mM, demonstrating good substrate affinity and excellent catalytic efficiency. Then, a colorimetry was developed for rapid detection of epinephrine (EP) and 2-aminophenol (2-AP). The linear response range of EP is 20–240 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.5 μM. The linear response ranges of 2-AP are 14–100 μM (in ultrapure water) and 2–120 μM (in seawater), with LODs of 2.56 μM and 1.65 μM. In addition, combined with a smartphone platform, a cotton-based sensor has been developed for the detection of 2-AP in seawater. The linear response ranges are 0–0.2 mM and 0.2–1 mM, with LOD of 0.033 mM. The structure of GHK-Cu provides a reference for the development of novel laccase mimetic enzymes. The constructed colorimetry offers an option for the rapid detection of phenolic compounds, and the developed cotton-based sensor enabled rapid and portable detection of 2-AP. Full article

Cotton Verticillium wilt seriously threatens global cotton production, necessitating the development of resistant cultivars through molecular breeding. Members of the ethylene response factor (ERF) family function as pivotal transcriptional regulators of the ethylene signaling pathway, orchestrating plant defensive responses against pathogen invasion. Here, through comprehensive phenotypic and transcriptional analyses of lignin biosynthesis genes in AtERF49-overexpressing lines, loss-of-function mutants, dominant repressor plants, and GhERF49-silenced cotton plants (TRV-VIGS), we demonstrate that AtERF49 functions as a negative regulator of Verticillium wilt resistance. Overexpression of AtERF49 significantly compromised defense responses in Arabidopsis thaliana, whereas GhERF49 silencing enhanced cotton resistance to Verticillium wilt. Transcription analysis showed that ERF49-mediated susceptibility correlates with suppression of lignin biosynthesis-related genes following pathogen challenge, suggesting that ERF49 interferes with inducible cell wall fortification. These findings elucidate a previously unrecognized negative regulatory node linking ethylene signaling to lignin-mediated disease resistance, providing promising biotechnological targets for engineering durable Verticillium wilt resistance in cotton and related crops. Full article