Search Results (17,252)

The long-term accumulation of phosphogypsum (PG) stacks has caused combined pollution of total phosphorus (TP), fluoride (F⁻), metals and metalloids (MMs), posing a severe threat to regional ecological security. To clarify the migration characteristics of pollutants in PG stacks, water leaching experiments and environmental risk assessment were conducted in 21 typical PG stacks in Southwest China. The spatial differentiation and vertical migration characteristics of pollutants under various coverage measures (high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film covering, soil covering, a composite of film–soil covering, and open-air storage) at different pH conditions were systematically analyzed. Results indicated that under open-air stockpiling conditions, the surface accumulation of TP and F⁻ was the most significant among all covering measures, corresponding to the highest environmental risk. In contrast, the membrane–soil composite covering exhibited the optimal inhibitory effect on the surface diffusion of TP and F⁻, but was less effective for metal and metalloid enrichment. Under acidic conditions (pH < 6), the vertical migration capacity of TP, F⁻, and MMs (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn) increased, leading to enrichment in the deep layers of the stack. With the increase in pH, the calcium-mediated precipitation–adsorption effect created a “geochemical barrier”, facilitating the solid-phase fixation of pollutants. A significant positive correlation among pollutants indicates synergistic release and fixation behaviors. In addition, a pH-controlled P-F-MM source-to-sink conceptual model was established, outlining the dissolution, precipitation, adsorption, fixation and re-enrichment pathway from fresh stock to leachate. This work provides insights for optimizing cover designs and pollution control strategies. Full article

Aquaponics (AP) is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponic systems, developed based on waste to wealth theory. This study compared the plant growth and overall productivity of an aquaponic system (AP) with a controlled hydroponic system (HP) to assess the AP system’s performance and identification of the performance-limiting factors. This comparative study spanned over a 35-day period, supported by batch tests for the nutrient accumulation rate in plants and the NH₄⁺-N excretion rate by fish as a baseline for the system design. HP performed better in terms of plant growth, showing a mean plant fresh weight (g) of 165.6 ± 3.01 while AP showed 147.0 ± 4.6. Nutrient accumulation was better in HP for K and P; however, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe accumulation was higher in AP plants. The AP system supported a better fish growth of 31.95 ± 3.21% (FCR 1.29 ± 0.1, SGR 0.79 ± 0.06, and PER 2.24 ± 0.18) and a moderate plant biomass production. Further system design modifications and integrations are required to optimize the nutrient availability and sustainability of the AP systems. Full article

Piper aduncum L. (Piperaceae) is a neotropical species widely recognized for its bioactive essential oils (EOs), which exhibit antifungal, insecticidal, larvicidal, and antimicrobial properties. This study investigates the influence of circadian rhythms on the chemical composition and yield of P. aduncum EOs cultivated under agroecological conditions in the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Fresh leaves were collected every three hours over a 24 h cycle during both dry (July 2023) and rainy (February 2024) seasons. EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID. A total of 20 compounds were identified in the dry season, while 10 were detected in the rainy season. Dillapiole was the predominant constituent in both periods, ranging from 75.78% to 88.27% (dry) and 75.90% to 90.86% (rainy). The highest EO yield was observed at 3:00 p.m. (0.73%) in the dry season and at 12:00 p.m. (0.61%) in the rainy season. Despite seasonal variations in chemical diversity, dillapiole content remained stable, reinforcing its biotechnological potential. The results highlight the importance of optimized harvesting times to maximize EO yield and composition, contributing to the sustainable exploitation of P. aduncum for medicinal and agricultural applications. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable food production has intensified interest in controlled-environment agriculture and soilless cultivation systems. This study evaluated the performance of local chicory (Cichorium intybus L., cultivar “Otrantina”) grown for 45 days in soil, hydroponics, and decoupled aquaponics under two different environments: a fully controlled growth chamber and a naturally variable greenhouse. Morphological, anatomical, biochemical, and physiological traits were analyzed to assess the combined influence of growth environment and cultivation system on plant development and nutritional quality. Across all parameters, the growth environment emerged as the main driver of plant performance. Greenhouse-grown plants exhibited greater leaf expansion, enhanced mesophyll and vascular development, and higher fresh and dry biomass than those cultivated in the growth chamber. Within each environment, hydroponics consistently supported vigorous growth, whereas aquaponics produced smaller leaves and pronounced root elongation, likely reflecting nutrient and pH instability in the decoupled system. Biochemical analyses revealed system-specific adaptive responses. Soilless cultivation promoted higher lipid accumulation and, under growth chamber conditions, increased protein content. Aquaponically grown plants, particularly in the greenhouse, accumulated elevated levels of soluble sugars and phenolic antioxidants, consistent with stress-related metabolic activation. In contrast, soil-grown plants displayed the highest flavonoid concentrations, suggesting a prominent role of rhizosphere–microbiome interactions in modulating secondary metabolism. Overall, these results indicate that, under the tested conditions, environmental control exerts a stronger influence than cultivation systems on chicory growth and metabolism. Hydroponics proved to be the most efficient system for biomass production, whereas aquaponics requires improved nutrient management to ensure stable growth and quality. The distinct metabolic profiles associated with each cultivation system highlight opportunities to tailor chicory nutraceutical traits within sustainable controlled-environment agriculture. Full article

Kyoho grape, a leading table grape variety in China, is prone to rapid postharvest deterioration due to its soft texture and high respiration rate. Despite the use of low-temperature storage and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), systematic studies defining the optimal combination of subzero temperature and gas composition for Kyoho grapes remain lacking. This study aimed to fill this gap by evaluating the synergistic effects of subzero temperature and MAP on quality preservation. Results demonstrated that storage at −1 °C most effectively maintained fruit firmness, stem freshness, and key biochemical components. Based on this temperature, a gas composition of 3% O₂, 15% CO₂, and 82% N₂ was identified as the most effective, extending postharvest shelf life to 54 days. Additionally, a kinetic shelf-life prediction model based on firmness changes was developed with relative errors below 10%, demonstrating high accuracy. This study establishes an integrated preservation strategy combining subzero temperature (−1 °C) and optimized MAP (3% O₂, 15% CO₂, 82% N₂) that significantly extends the shelf life of Kyoho grapes, providing a practical solution for enhancing postharvest quality. Full article

Rates of foodborne infectious disease are increasing globally. The One Health zoonoses report shows increasing cases of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and listeriosis in the last 5 years. The ESKAPE pathogens are the top priority due to their alarming rate of resistance to broad-spectrum beta-lactams, carbapenems, glycopeptides, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides and biocide solutions. Research assessing alternative biocontrol options highlight the advantages of bacteriophages in the control of resistant bacterial species. Phage formulations including ListShield^TM and SalmoFresh^TM have gained FDA approval for food production. As biocontrol agents, however, phages are limited by their specificity in a multispecies environment, the presence of environmental variables and bacterial resistance mechanisms. Genetic modification and the use of phage cocktails aim to overcome such limitations. Future research is warranted in a harmonised approach supported by a defined legal framework to establish best formulation and exposure protocols. This review discusses phages as biocontrol agents in the control of high-risk pathobionts associated with foodborne illness. Pathobionts associated with bovine livestock are discussed due to the morbidity and incidence of disease associated with such pathogens. Full article

Data-driven approaches are increasingly required to optimize biofertilization strategies in forage systems. Machine learning (ML) provides an efficient tool for identifying functional drivers in complex plant–soil–microbe systems, offering important perspectives for precision data-driven agriculture. However, despite its potential, ML remains data-driven in studies involving diazotrophic inoculation using biochar as a pelletizing material, particularly in forage grasses. This study applied ML to predict the key drivers controlling Brachiaria brizantha performance and soil quality under biochar-pelletized diazotrophic bacteria (DB). Five isolates were inoculated with or without biochar, and plant traits and soil attributes, including pH, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and urease activity were evaluated. These data were integrated into multivariate analyses and ML algorithms, including Linear Discriminant Analysis, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine, to identify the functional drivers that best discriminate treatment performance and uncover mechanistic functional drivers. All isolates increased soil potassium content, with the highest values in the biochar amended treatments, and a 39% increase. Soil pH and urease activity were significantly modulated by isolate identity, while biomass allocation patterns differed among treatments. Overall, the results highlight that biochar pelletization can enhance the effectiveness of DB inoculants. ML revealed that dry foliar biomass, soil pH, and fresh root weight were the most predictive variables, highlighting consistent signatures explaining plant–soil responses to biochar-pelletized DB. These findings demonstrate that interpretable ML can disentangle complex plant–soil–microbe interactions, support precision biofertilization design, and serve as an efficient decision-support tool for sustainable pasture management. Beyond the present system, this study establishes a transferable and scalable analytical framework for precision biofertilization strategies in forage systems and other biochar-mediated agroecosystems, advancing predictive and data-driven approaches in sustainable agricultural engineering. Full article

Dynamic changes in gene and transcript expression represent a key factor in regulating the cyclical development of hair follicles. In this study, based on Nanopore sequencing (ONT-seq) data of skin tissue from three developmental stages (anagen (An), catagen (Cn), and telogen (Tn)) of Jiangnan cashmere goat hair follicles, this study presents a profile of candidate DETs implicated in cycle regulation by delineating their stage-specific expression patterns and dynamic expression trends from anagen to telogen. A large proportion of the candidate DETs were significantly enriched in functions related to fat synthesis, storage, or metabolism, with significance levels of p < 0.05 or p < 0.01. These significantly enriched DETs, which were generally upregulated from An to Cn or downregulated from Cn to Tn, support a model where accelerated intradermal fat deposition promotes the progression from An to Cn, while its subsequent decrease facilitates the transition from Cn to Tn. Concurrently, our results also suggest a potential role for dynamic changes in AS patterns in regulating the hair follicle cycle. This regulatory role of AS patterns is potentially mediated through affecting genes related to lipid synthesis/metabolism or cell structure/interaction. Notably, a broader range of fat synthesis, storage, or metabolism-related transcripts showed significant differential expression (p < 0.05) in the An vs. Cn group. Ultimately, by establishing this candidate DET profile, we aim to provide fresh perspectives for deciphering the complex molecular regulation of the hair follicle cycle and to identify new targets for genetically enhancing or molecularly breeding cashmere traits in cashmere goats. Full article

With its excellent physical and mechanical properties, granite is often the first choice for the foundation material for dams in water conservancy engineering. However, alteration can profoundly change the mineral composition, structure, and mechanical behavior of deep granite, posing critical challenges to project safety. The Quwu Mountain area in Baiyin, Gansu Province, a proposed pumped storage reservoir, exposes extensive Silurian granite. Engineering investigation shows that different levels of clay and hydrothermal alteration have taken place in the granite rock mass, and the level of alteration exhibits a distinct vertical zonation as revealed by borehole core logging. In this study, we quantitatively characterize the porosity, compressive strength, wave velocity, and shear parameters of altered granite of different degrees through mineralogical analysis, laboratory tests, and in situ testing. In order to guide the construction in this area, we establish a classification system that distinguishes weak, moderate, and strong alteration degree, based on macroscopic features, RQD, and clay mineral content. Results of this paper show that alteration is dominated by potassium feldspathization and kaolinitization, leading to increased porosity (4–10%) and structural loosening. Strongly altered granite exhibits severe mechanical degradation, moderately altered granite retains medium strength, and weakly altered granite approaches the properties of fresh rock. This research can provide technical support for engineering safety design and risk prevention in the Quwushan reservoir area, but its applicability to other regions requires further validation. Full article

Application of biochar to soil is considered a sustainable strategy to mitigate pesticide contamination due to its high sorption capacity. This ability depends on several physicochemical properties, including particle size. Thus, this study evaluated the influence of two particle size ranges (0.063–1 mm and 1–2 mm) on the sorption of the herbicide fluometuron (FM) by a commercial biochar (BC) and how this sorption was affected by biochar aging in soil for 12 and 30 months. In a soil with low FM sorption capacity, the addition of fresh BC (2% and 4%) increased the herbicide sorption similarly for both particle sizes. However, this sorption decreased with BC aging, with a greater reduction observed in the soil amended with the smaller BC particles (90% reduction) compared with the larger ones (48% reduction) at the 4% BC rate. The FM sorption on unamended soil was highly reversible, whereas desorption was strongly reduced in soil with fresh BC. In soil amended with smaller-sized BC, the desorption increased with aging, while no FM desorption occurred in soil amended with fresh or aged larger-sized BC. This different sorption–desorption behavior of FM in BC-amended soil depending on particle size and aging emphasizes the importance of considering these parameters, as the effectiveness of BC applied to soil may be compromised. Full article

Microbial inoculation represents an environmentally friendly biocontrol strategy that can enhance soil quality, improve crop growth efficiency, and promote sustainable agriculture. However, the long-term effects and ecological safety of non-native microbial inoculants in soil remain uncertain. Here, we explore and evaluate a safer and potentially more effective inoculation strategy—the reintroduction of native microbiota—to maintain agricultural ecosystem health. Native microbiota were extracted from black soil in northeastern China and reintroduced into the indigenous soil. Two treatments were established: original soil (control) and original soil with a mixture of native microbiota, each with nine replicates. Soil samples were collected at 0, 21, and 90 days post-inoculation. Using high-throughput sequencing and agronomic chemical analyses, we dynamically monitored soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, as well as microbial community composition. Crops were harvested at day 90 to measure dry weight, fresh weight, and SPAD values. The results revealed that the number of colonizing species was lower than the number of inoculated species, yet crop agronomic traits and chemical composition were significantly improved, particularly SPAD values and total phosphorus content. Soil abiotic factors exhibited limited resistance but retained partial recovery capacity, showing a notable increase in readily available potassium at days 0 and 21. Native microbiota inoculation promoted positive synergistic interactions within the microbial community. Furthermore, this study underscores the practical significance of cultivable microorganisms in agricultural applications. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of native microbiota reintroduction, highlighting its potential to optimize soil microbial communities, enhance soil properties, and improve crop performance, thereby providing a scientific basis for soil remediation and sustainable agriculture. Full article

To explore the variation in leaf phenotypic traits and environmental adaptation strategies of Pinus densata in southeastern Xizang, 15 plots were established across five regions—Gongbujiangda County (GB), Bomi County (BM), Bayi District (BY), Milin City (ML), and Lang County (LX)—and 11 leaf traits were measured, including leaf length (LL), width (LD), area (LA), volume (LV), fresh weight (LFW), dry weight (LDW), tissue density (LTD), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf greenness index (SPAD). Results showed that all traits except LL varied significantly among regions, with moderate variation overall; SPAD exhibited the highest coefficient of variation, while leaf water content was the most stable. Extensive correlations were detected among traits: leaf size and weight traits were positively intercorrelated and all negatively correlated with LTD, and SLA correlated negatively with LTD but positively with SPAD. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering further revealed that phenotypic variation aligned with the leaf economic spectrum and grouped the populations into three strategy types. Specifically, GB populations approached the “slow investment–return” end of the spectrum, BY and BM populations the “fast investment–return” end, while ML and LX occupied intermediate positions (transitional strategies), with ML leaning toward the slow end. These findings demonstrate that P. densata in southeastern Xizang has evolved diverse resource use and adaptation strategies through synergistic and trade-off relationships among leaf traits, enabling its persistence in complex high-altitude environments. Full article

A reliable isolation of the dentate gyrus (DG) is a critical pre-analytical step for region-specific neurobiological assays, yet DG microdissection practices vary widely and are rarely compared quantitatively under standardized conditions. In addition, long-term paraformaldehyde-fixed archival brain tissue is commonly regarded as unsuitable for microdissection because of reduced pliability and poor anatomical contrast, limiting its use for training and protocol development. Here, we quantitatively compare two commonly used DG microdissection strategies, a medial (intact-block) approach and a coronal (slice-guided) approach across fresh, fixed, and softened-fixed rat brain hemispheres under matched conditions. To enable the use of archival material, fixed hemispheres were subjected to a simple 15-day slow-running tap water softening protocol to improve tissue handling and landmark visibility. Dissection duration and anatomical specificity were evaluated, the latter quantified by measuring residual cornu ammonis (CA)1–3 area on hematoxylin–eosin-stained coronal sections following DG removal. In fresh tissue, the medial approach enabled significantly faster DG isolation than the coronal approach, while both strategies achieved comparable anatomical specificity. In softened-fixed tissue, dissection times increased for both approaches, but the same relative performance ranking was preserved. Softening markedly improved tissue pliability and boundary visualization, particularly benefiting the coronal, stepwise dissection strategy. Residual CA1–3 areas did not differ significantly between approaches or tissue states. This study provides a validated, training-oriented DG microdissection workflow that supports methodological standardization, reproducibility, and 3R-aligned use of archival tissue, strengthening the pre-analytical foundation for downstream region-specific neuroscience assays. Full article

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management faces increasing pressure due to rapid urbanization and the need for low-emission energy systems. This study investigates the thermogravimetric gasification behavior of Chinese MSW under CO₂, mixed air-CO₂, and SrMnO₃ (SMO) oxygen-carrier atmospheres to identify pathways for producing clean and higher-quality syngas. Using TGA-QMS, the gasification stages were monitored qualitatively and quantitatively over the temperature range of 750–1000 °C, while complementary FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDS, and ICP-OES analyses were employed to characterize the fresh waste and ash samples. Results show that CO₂ gasification is strongly dependent on temperature and concentration, producing CO via Boudouard reaction, resulting in a gas composition of 73% CO and 27% CO₂. An air-CO₂ mixture as a gasification agent shifted conversion toward combustion, producing high CO during oxidation but suppressing gasification, yielding syngas dominated by 90% CO and 10% CO₂. Introducing SMO significantly altered the reaction pathway via lattice-oxygen transfer: 7–56.75 mg SMO produced up to 97% CO and 3% CO₂, without external oxidants, demonstrating superior per-unit oxidizing capacity compared to CO₂. A mild synergistic effect was observed in the mixed CO₂-SMO investigation, where CO formation exceeded that obtained with CO₂ alone but remained lower than that in SMO-only gasification. In general, SMO-enabled oxygen donation provides a promising low-dilution, high-selectivity route for MSW gasification within thermogravimetric regimes. Full article

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important source of food and feed and contributes to soil improvement through its association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By enabling higher yields and selection of tolerant genotypes, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) could meet increasing nutritional needs despite adverse conditions. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of drought stress on the development of vegetable pea genotypes under controlled vertical farming conditions. Plants were grown in CEA and exposed to drought stress at different developmental stages, after flowering and after pod formation. Drought significantly reduced pod and seed numbers, showing a stronger effect than genotype. For example, genotype Favorit produced 7.67 and 9.00 seeds per plant under control conditions, compared with only 2.00 and 2.67 seeds per plant under drought treatments. Pod length, seed number, and seed weight were also lower under stress, highlighting the importance of water availability during seed setting and filling. Fresh and dry biomass were mainly influenced by genotype, indicating differences in stress adaptability. The results also demonstrate that CEA can be used for reproducible abiotic stress experiments relevant to plant breeding and crop production. Full article