Search Results (9,527)

Induced pluripotent stem cells have revolutionized biomedical research—yet the vast majority of life on Earth remains beyond their reach. Non-model species lack the annotated genomes, validated reagents, and species-specific culture infrastructure that make iPSC technology routine in humans and mice, and this infrastructure deficit, compounded by genuine biological differences in pluripotency network architecture across taxa, is what has kept the field narrow. The deep conservation of the core pluripotency network across vertebrates suggests that reprogramming may, in principle, be achievable across a far broader range of species than currently demonstrated—though the extent to which this holds across more divergent taxa remains to be established. This review consolidates current progress and future potential of iPSC technology across five domains: technical reprogramming challenges and advances; conservation applications including genetic rescue, in vitro gametogenesis, and de-extinction; medical applications within a one medicine framework; agricultural applications spanning disease resistance, climate resilience, and cultured meat; and species-specific iPSC-derived systems in ecotoxicology. Throughout, we distinguish what has been demonstrated from what remains aspirational and identify the priorities that will determine whether the iPSC revolution can be extended—rigorously and at scale—beyond model organism research. Full article

Climate change is altering soil organic carbon stocks and the associated carbon fluxes of cropland ecosystems—including organic matter mineralization, microbial respiration rates, and CO₂ emissions—through shifts in temperature and moisture regimes. Ecosystem respiration, the main pathway linking terrestrial carbon pools to atmospheric CO₂, directly governs the carbon source–sink balance of croplands. As integral components of the agroecosystem, soil microorganisms directly participate in ecosystem respiration and organic carbon transformation: they contribute to heterotrophic respiration through the decomposition of organic matter, while also synthesizing new organic compounds, forming microbial biomass, and promoting organic carbon stabilization, with their community composition and metabolic activity adjusting to changing environmental conditions. To synthesize research progress and clarify how the field has evolved over the past three decades, we analyzed 290 publications (1991–2025) from the Web of Science Core Collection, combining bibliometric tools (CiteSpace 7.0, VOSviewer 1.6.20) with a structured evidence synthesis to map the research landscape, knowledge structure, hotspot evolution, and mechanistic understanding of the microbial processes underlying cropland ecosystem respiration. Publication output has grown steadily, led by China (161 publications; 55.5%) and the United States (47; 16.2%), which together account for 71.7% of the sample. The knowledge structure has coalesced around five core themes (ecosystem respiration, soil microbial communities, soil organic carbon, carbon cycling, and agricultural management), corresponding to 14 major thematic clusters (Q = 0.668, S = 0.778). Rather than strictly sequential stages, these thematic areas developed largely in parallel, with a gradual shift in research emphasis over time: early work centered on fundamental carbon-cycle processes, including soil respiration flux, organic matter decomposition, and CO₂ release, whereas later research increasingly emphasized microbial community structure, functional mechanisms, carbon use efficiency, soil organic carbon stabilization, carbon sequestration, fungal communities, and ecological stoichiometry. The responses of cropland respiration to climate change are context-dependent: under specific conditions their direction and magnitude may be dominated by a single limiting factor, whereas overall they emerge from the coordinated interplay of temperature, moisture, substrate supply, and agricultural management, within which microbial processes play a central but still incompletely resolved role. Future research should prioritize long-term in situ observations, multi-factor coupling experiments, and functional validation of microbial processes, and integrate microbial mechanisms into ecosystem models to strengthen predictions of cropland carbon cycling and support agricultural emission reduction, carbon sequestration, and sustainable management. Full article

Organic amendments (biochar, manure, and straw) are widely used as soil-applied functional materials in polluted soils; however, integrated comparative assessments within crop rotation systems remain limited. We established a rice (Oryza sativa L.: Hanyou 3015 and Yangtaiyou 128)–celery (Apium graveolens L.: Queen Celery) rotation system on farmland contaminated with heavy metals (HMs). Biochar (B), manure (M), and straw (S) were applied to assess HM dynamics, greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O), and overall system responses. B showed limited but generally stabilizing effects on crop performance and greenhouse gas emissions in the rice–celery rotation system; however, it significantly reduced Cd, Pb, and Zn uptake in celery during the later stages of the rotation. Although M enhanced soil N transformation and microbial biomass C, increased yield by 50%, and improved total system carbon sequestration, the associated risk of heavy metal accumulation during the initial rice phase should be considered in agricultural management. S increased rice and celery yields, reduced Pb and Zn accumulation in edible parts, and enhanced carbon sequestration in both crops and soil during the celery phase. These results highlight amendment-specific functions and associated trade-offs in the management of contaminated soils. Full article

Global climate change has intensified prolonged droughts, making the development of sustainable agricultural technologies essential. Although potassium humate (KH) and Bacillus aryabhattai (BA) are recognized individually as effective biostimulants, their joint application represents an innovative, unexplored complementary strategy to mitigate drought stress in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of these bio-inputs on mitigating water stress in the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) cultivar ‘BRS Verdejante’. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions using a completely randomized design in a 2 × 8 factorial arrangement, with two water regimes (100% and 50% crop evapotranspiration—ETc) and eight biostimulant combinations of KH and BA. While BA alone (T4) intensified osmotic adjustment via proline accumulation and APX activation, the combined treatment T5 (10 mg kg⁻¹ soil KH + 4 mL kg⁻¹ seed BA containing 1 × 10⁸ CFU mL⁻¹) achieved the best overall performance under drought (50% ETc). T5 effectively enhanced superoxide dismutase activity, preserved leaf relative water content, and reduced cell membrane electrolyte leakage by 42.6% compared to untreated stressed plants. These physiological adaptations protected reproductive organs, resulting in a 51.6% increase in pod number per plant under drought. The strategic co-application of low-dose potassium humate (10 mg kg⁻¹ soil) and B. aryabhattai (4 mL kg⁻¹ seed) effectively regulates osmotic and oxidative homeostasis, maintaining pod formation (+51.6%) and securing cowpea grain yield per plant under drought stress, thus serving as a promising strategy to mitigate drought stress in cowpea under controlled greenhouse conditions. Full article

The formulation of organomineral composts can be used to modulate nutrient dynamics and improve the quality of fertilizers produced from agro-industrial residues. This study evaluated the effects of compost formulation, phosphorus source, and inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on nutrient dynamics during the composting of sugarcane filter cake. Six formulations combining filter cake, poultry litter, and agricultural gypsum were evaluated: organic compost (T1); compost enriched with reactive phosphate rock (T2); reactive phosphate rock + phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (T3); triple superphosphate (T4); triple superphosphate with a modified filter cake-to-poultry litter ratio (T5); and compost without gypsum (T6). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five replicates, and composts were evaluated at 45, 65, and 115 days. Data were subjected to analysis of variance considering formulation, composting time, and their interaction. A significant interaction between compost formulation and composting time was observed for organic matter, organic carbon, P, K, Ca, Mg, and pH, whereas N and S were independently affected by these factors. Organic matter and organic carbon contents decreased by 18% and 19%, respectively, at 115 days compared with the earlier composting periods. P-enriched formulations had 52% higher P content than non-enriched composts, while T2 and T5 showed comparable P content. Inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria temporarily increased P content during the composting phase, whereas gypsum did not improve N conservation. These findings demonstrate that formulating composts with reactive phosphate rock is a technically feasible strategy for producing P-enriched organomineral fertilizers while promoting nutrient recycling and the valorization of agro-industrial residues. Full article

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a ubiquitous and renewable agricultural waste, have emerged as a promising biosorbent for environmental remediation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the application of SCG-derived materials in wastewater treatment and gas purification. We systematically summarize their physicochemical characteristics, adsorption performance towards diverse contaminants, and underlying mechanisms. Specifically, modification strategies of raw SCGs are discussed in detail, including chemical modifications (e.g., degreasing/alkali/acid/organic solvent/metal oxide treatment), thermochemical conversions (e.g., pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and activation), and the fabrication of composites with natural or synthetic materials such as chitosan, clay minerals, and agricultural/industrial wastes. These approaches effectively optimize pore structure, enrich surface functionalities, and enhance selectivity and adsorption capacity. Particular attention is devoted to SCG-derived activated carbon and composites for capturing gaseous pollutants (e.g., CO₂, H₂S, PH₃, and VOCs). Techno-economic analysis of SCG-derived materials production is discussed to evaluate their commercial viability and overall sustainability. Finally, critical research gaps are identified, and future perspectives are proposed, emphasizing the elucidation of adsorption mechanisms, rational material design, and rigorous techno-economic and life-cycle assessments. This review underscores the potential of SCG-based materials as low-cost, high-performance alternatives to conventional adsorbents, aligning with the principles of a circular economy and environmental sustainability. Full article

Agricultural microplastics threaten soil health, yet rhizosphere microecological responses to microplastic stress in intercropping systems remain unclear. We conducted a pot experiment using two cropping systems (maize monocropping and maize–soybean intercropping) and four polyethylene microplastic (PE-MP) levels (0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1.0%) to investigate rhizosphere physicochemical properties and enzyme activities. Results showed a significant interaction between PE-MPs and cropping systems (p < 0.05). In MM, 0.1% PE-MPs exacerbated soil acidification (pH −4.32%) and ionic fluctuations (electrical conductivity +11.12%). At ≥0.5%, PE-MPs significantly decreased total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus, induced abnormal available phosphorus accumulation (up to +98.4%), and dose-dependently inhibited β-glucosidase, urease, and catalase activities. Conversely, the IM system exhibited buffering capacity, maintaining pH, electrical conductivity, and TN stability, mitigating nutrient imbalances, and preserving key enzyme functions. PLS-SEM revealed enzyme-specific associations, suggesting that cropping systems and PE-MPs drive enzyme activities primarily by regulating TN and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Conclusively, maize–soybean intercropping can buffer microplastic-induced physicochemical degradations, indicating its potential as an agronomic measure to mitigate microplastic pollution, though field-scale validations remain necessary. Full article

Severe soil salinization and low fertility significantly constrain sustainable agricultural development in the Yellow River Delta, one of the three major estuarine deltas in China. Despite their ecological importance, the regional-scale spatial interactions between soil salinity and nutrients, particularly regarding their vertical variability, remain poorly understood. This study analyzed 228 soil samples from 76 sites distributed across a distinct salinity gradient, which was determined by constructing a spatial salinity distribution map after sampling. Samples were collected at three depths (0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm) to investigate the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and the C/N ratio, along with their underlying driving factors. SOC and TN exhibited similar spatial patterns, with higher values distributed along both banks of the Yellow River. Horizontally, SOC and TN in the 0–15 cm layer decreased gradually from west to east, whereas the 15–30 cm and 30–45 cm layers showed an opposite trend, increasing eastward. Vertically, SOC and TN contents declined significantly with soil depth (p < 0.05), although the magnitude of this decline varied regionally: the 0–15 cm layer in the western area contained markedly higher nutrient levels than deeper layers, while vertical variation was less pronounced in the eastern and estuarine regions. Both variables were positively associated with total phosphorus (TP), available potassium (AK), soil moisture content (MC), clay content, and pH, but negatively correlated with electrical conductivity (EC), particularly in the 0–15 cm layer. Our results highlight that soil texture, moisture, and salinity affect the spatial heterogeneity and vertical decline of SOC and TN in the Yellow River Delta. Future research should focus on the long-term temporal distribution of the coupling of multiple elements under changing hydrological and salinity regimes. Full article

Chemical pollution from industrial, agricultural, and urban activities represents a major threat to freshwater ecosystems and aquatic organisms. This study evaluated hepatic biomarker responses in Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) maintained under chronic environmental exposure to water from the Iguaçu River, one of the most polluted urban rivers in Brazil. Juvenile fish were kept in cages at three sites along the river, and hepatic biomarkers were assessed after 15 and 22 months of environmental exposure. Fish showed severe histopathological liver lesions, activation of antioxidant defenses, and oxidative stress responses accompanied by increased DNA damage. Immunological responses, particularly melanomacrophage proliferation and granuloma formation, were also observed across the monitored exposure scenarios. Alterations in plasma biochemical parameters, including AST, ALT, LDH, albumin, and globulin, were consistent with changes in hepatic function. Overall, the integrated biomarker responses revealed distinct patterns of biological alteration among the monitored exposure scenarios and were consistent with chronic exposure to complex environmental contaminant mixtures. These findings are consistent with alterations in liver integrity in fish maintained under long-term environmental exposure in the Iguaçu River. The study highlights the sensitivity of Nile tilapia as a bioindicator species for aquatic biomonitoring and provides valuable information to support environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and conservation strategies for the Iguaçu River Basin. Full article

Soil acidification threatens agroecosystems, yet the coupled, soil-specific proton-buffering mechanisms in permanent-charge soils (PCSs) and variable-charge soils (VCSs) remain insufficiently quantified. This study systematically investigated surface cation exchange, vacant site H⁺ sorption, and mineral dissolution, using batch and kinetic incubation experiments. Results showed that H⁺ buffering in PCSs was dominated by rapid, stoichiometric surface ion exchange, whereas approximately 42% of the total exchangeable acidity increment in VCSs originated from specific H⁺ sorption on vacant, high-affinity surface sites. VCSs exhibited ~10-fold-higher Langmuir proton sorption affinity and Temkin acid-buffering capacity than PCSs, driven by their more homogeneous, pH-dependent surface properties favoring inner-sphere coordination. Base cation release followed Ca²⁺ ≫ Mg²⁺ ≫ Na⁺ ≈ K⁺ across all soils; VCSs showed a twofold-higher Mg²⁺ pseudo-second-order rate constant and a strong Mg²⁺-Mn²⁺ positive correlation (R² > 0.804, p < 0.0001), exposing them to dual risks of Mn phytotoxicity and Mg deficiency during acidification. The well-fitted parabolic diffusion model for Al³⁺ and Mn²⁺ release further indicated prolonged, diffusion-limited metal toxicity risk in VCSs. A critical soil organic carbon (SOC) threshold of 8.1 g kg⁻¹ was identified, exceeding this value effectively retarded acidification via enhanced cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base retention. These findings provided a mechanistic framework for developing soil-specific strategies to manage and mitigate agricultural soil acidification. Full article

River sediments act not only as important sinks for heavy metal pollution in watersheds, but also as potential secondary sources under changing environmental conditions. Heavy metals can enter river systems through industrial wastewater discharge, agricultural non-point runoff, urban stormwater and sewage inputs, mining and smelting activities, and atmospheric deposition. During adsorption onto suspended particles, sedimentation, and resuspension, metals such as Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, As, and Hg progressively accumulate in sediments. Because heavy metals are persistent, non-degradable, and bioaccumulative, contaminated sediments can record historical watershed pollution while also releasing metals back into overlying water under hydrodynamic disturbance, pH and redox fluctuations, organic matter mineralization, benthic bioturbation, and dredging activities, thereby threatening aquatic ecosystem stability and human health. Using a global methodological framework with particular emphasis on Chinese river basins, this review systematically summarizes key issues in the study of heavy metal pollution in river sediments, including spatial–temporal distribution and operationally defined fractionation, pollution levels and ecological risk assessment, source apportionment, and remediation and management technologies. Current evidence indicates that heavy metal contamination in river sediments exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity and watershed-specific characteristics. Its distribution is jointly controlled by geological background, land use patterns, source input intensity, hydrodynamic conditions, sediment particle size composition, and organic matter content. Methodologically, the field has evolved from single total concentration monitoring and exceedance-based evaluation toward integrated assessment systems that combine total concentrations, operationally defined fractionation, bioavailability, ecological risk, health risk, and source contribution. The joint use of BCR sequential extraction, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), the pollution load index (PLI), the potential ecological risk index (RI), the risk assessment code (RAC), sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), receptor models, isotope tracing, and machine learning has substantially improved pollution identification, risk zoning, and source apportionment. Overall, research on heavy metal pollution in river sediments has shifted from descriptive judgments of whether contamination exists toward mechanistic and management-oriented questions concerning pollution sources, risk evolution, and remediation strategies. However, important gaps remain in compound pollution transformation mechanisms, regional background values and evaluation benchmarks, uncertainty in model parameters, long-term dynamic monitoring, and engineering-scale verification of remediation technologies. Future studies should strengthen multi-media, multi-scale, and long-term monitoring and further integrate fractionation analysis, toxicological effects, source apportionment models, and remediation technologies to provide a scientific basis for watershed ecological security and precision management of contaminated sediments. Full article

Reliable cropland, forestland, and grassland maps support resource assessment and ecological management in arid and semi-arid Central Asia. Existing land-cover products often delineate these classes differently, vary in reliability across classes and locations, and may share the same errors even when they agree. This study formulates multi-product fusion as a pixel- and class-specific reliability decision problem. To address this problem, we propose a reliability-adaptive fusion framework, the Discrepancy-Aware Reliability-Adaptive Fusion Network (DRAFNet), using 2020 maps from three global 30 m land-cover products—FROM-GLC Plus, GLC-FCS30D, and GlobeLand30—and variables representing aridity, temperature, precipitation, elevation, and slope. Unlike fixed-weight fusion methods and segmentation models that use the source products only as input channels, DRAFNet retains the categorical source decisions and adjusts each contribution according to its estimated reliability for the assigned class and location. Weight removed from an unreliable source is transferred to a residual expert, which provides an alternative prediction when the source products are unreliable or share the same error. Voting entropy and geo-environmental variables provide contextual information for this decision. On independent test samples from the five Central Asian countries, DRAFNet achieved an overall accuracy (OA) of 0.8275, a Kappa coefficient of 0.7698, a mean intersection over union (mIoU) of 0.7046, and a macro-averaged F1 score (Macro F1) of 0.8241. These values were 0.95–1.38 percentage points higher than those of U-Net++, the strongest benchmark. Local comparisons indicated more coherent spatial patterns and clearer boundaries in areas of pronounced disagreement. The mean and median absolute log-ratio deviations from area statistics reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were 0.618 and 0.450, respectively, both lower than those of the source products. These results support land-resource assessment and ecological management in Central Asia. Full article

Crop rotation and fertilization are two of the most important agrotechnical measures that influence the chemical properties of the soil and its capacity to support stable agricultural production, especially in areas affected by erosion and climate change. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of crop rotation and fertilization on the main soil properties (pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium, humus content) in moderately eroded cambic chernozems of the Bârlad Plateau, as well as the effect of experimental factors on wheat yield. The research was carried out in the period 2021–2025 in a stationary experiment located on a slope with a slope of 12–13% at “Mircea Moțoc” Soil Erosion Research and Development Station (M.M.S.E.R.D.S.) Perieni. Two wheat cropping systems were analyzed, namely, monoculture and five-year rotation, in combination with five fertilization variants (N₀P₀, N₃₂P₃₂, N₉₆P₉₆, N₁₂₈P₁₂₈ kg ha⁻¹ and 50 t ha⁻¹ manure). The determinations targeted pH, total nitrogen, mobile phosphorus, mobile potassium, humus content in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers and yield. The results highlight the depletion in available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium reserves, alteration of soil reaction in monoculture, and significant improvement in N (from 0.1% to 0.19%), P (from 95.5 to 485.5 mg ha⁻¹) and K (from 188.4 to 227.5 mg ha⁻¹) soil content at the time of final sample collection in the five-year rotation. The application of manure as well as the inclusion of legumes and perennial crops in the rotation contributed to the accumulation of organic matter, to the improvement in soil reaction and to the optimization of nutrient cycling. The highest yields, significant at p ≤ 0.001, were obtained with the application of N₉₆P₉₆ 2858 kg ha⁻¹ in monoculture and 3689 kg ha⁻¹ in the five-year rotation. The study confirms that long rotations associated with organic fertilization represent an effective strategy for the conservation of agricultural soil fertility in areas vulnerable to erosion and drought. Full article

The digital divide in developing economies persists as a multidimensional challenge encompassing infrastructure access, digital skills, usage patterns, and social inequality. This paper presents a structured literature review of 63 peer-reviewed articles (2018–2025) examining how intelligent connectivity, the convergence of fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), can contribute to bridging this divide. The findings reveal that intelligent connectivity offers transformative potential across agriculture, healthcare, education, and financial services. However, its impact is contingent upon enabling governance, institutional capacity, and digital skills. Three contributions emerge: (1) a conceptual framework specifying directional pathways from enabling conditions to intelligent connectivity deployment and inclusive outcomes; (2) a comparative regional analysis (Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America) identifying context-specific barriers and opportunities; and (3) a socio-technical model positioning intelligent connectivity as an integrated system rather than a purely technological solution. A key limitation is acknowledged: only 16% of the reviewed corpus addresses developing economies, necessitating triangulation with institutional reports from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). The paper concludes with open research challenges and policy recommendations for inclusive digital transformation. Full article

Life cycle inventory (LCI) data constitute Phase 2 of life cycle assessment (LCA) and serve as the basis for calculating environmental impacts. In agricultural LCA studies, LCI data are often reported using different scopes, stages, units, and calculation methods, making it difficult to reproduce results and compare studies. The objective of this study is to compile and standardize Phase 2 LCI data reported in agricultural LCA studies into a structured dataset. The dataset is based on 184 peer-reviewed agricultural LCA studies published between 1999 and 2025. Data were collected through a systematic review using Google Scholar, and studies were included if they applied LCA to crop production systems and reported inventory data such as inputs, outputs, emission factors, or calculation equations. Inventory data were manually extracted from each study, including inputs and outputs, emission factors, equations, and data sources. The dataset is provided as an Excel workbook containing linked sheets for study identifiers, inputs, outputs, emission factors, equations, and data sources. Rather than providing newly harmonized inventory values, the dataset organizes extracted and categorized information reported in the reviewed studies using standardized identifiers and categories. The dataset includes more than 2000 inputs, around 1000 outputs, about 200 emission factors, and over 600 data sources. It is intended for researchers, practitioners, and tool developers to support LCI development, cross-study comparison, and integration into databases, knowledge bases, and decision-support tools. Full article