Search Results (39)

Hop latent viroid (HLVd), a 256-nucleotide RNA strand with complementary base-pairing and internal stem loop structures, forms circular or rod-shaped molecules within diseased plants. RT-PCR/RT-qPCR was used to assess HLVd transmission, spread and longevity. The viroid was detected in asymptomatic stock plants and in rooted vegetative cuttings, as well as in recirculated nutrient solution sampled from propagation tables and nozzles. Plant-to-plant spread through root infection in hydroponic cultivation was demonstrated. The viroid survived for 7 days and 4 weeks, respectively, in crushed leaf extracts (sap) or dried leaves/roots at room temperature. Following stem inoculation with infectious sap, HLVd was detected in root tissues within 2–3 weeks and in the foliage within 4–6 weeks. Plants grown under a 12:12 h photoperiod to induce inflorescence development showed more rapid spread of HLVd compared to 24 h lighting. The viroid was subsequently detected in inflorescence tissues, in trichome glands, in dried cannabis flowers and in crude resinous oil extracts. Anthers and pollen from infected male plants and seeds from infected female plants contained HLVd, giving rise to up to 100% infected seedlings. Artificially inoculated tomato and tobacco plants supported viroid replication in roots and leaves. Infected cannabis leaf and root tissues treated with UV-C for 3–5 min or temperatures of 70–90 °C for 30 min contained amplifiable HLVd-RNA. Infectious plant extract treated with 5–10% bleach (0.825% NaOCl) or 1000 ppm hypochlorous acid yielded no RT-PCR bands, suggesting the RNA was degraded. Meristem tip culture from HLVd-infected plants yielded a high frequency of pathogen-free plants, depending on the genotype. Full article

In order to improve the shelling efficiency of peanuts, the fracture mechanism of peanuts and the key components of the shelling test bench were studied. Firstly, the finite element method based on the cohesive element model was used to analyze the crack propagation of peanuts; the energy required for peanuts to crack was 0.06 J, and the maximum loading force was 30 N. Combined with the physical properties, mechanical properties, and shell-breaking energy of peanuts, the parameters of the two key components of the shell-breaking device and the adjustable grinding device were designed. The loading angle of the shell-breaking device was 30°, the mass of the rod was 1.5 kg, the mass of the hammer was 0.1 kg, the total length was 0.25 m, and the external contour of the grinding device was triangular. Through the field experiment, the single-factor test and the three-factor three-level regression test were designed, respectively, and the regression model of the removal rate and the damage rate was established. According to the response surface analysis of the regression model, when the feeding quantity is 12 pods/s, the speed of gear is 250 revolutions per minute, and the shelling clearance is 9.23 mm; the peanut removal rate reached 95.61%, and the kernel damage rate was 5.41%. However, the feeding amount was low and the damage rate was high, which could provide a reference for the future seed peanut sheller. Full article

In this study, we successfully isolated Bacillus strains with high protease activity from deep-sea mineral water in Korea and used them to obtain functional peptide fractions from chia seeds. The obtained Bacillus strains showed a high similarity of 99% with B. altitude with a long rod type (named B. altitudinis 5-DSW) and high protease activity at 40 °C, and 70% of the activity remained even at 70 °C. The defatted chia seed protein (15–50 kDa) was treated with crude protease from B. altitudinis 5-DSW and digested into small peptides below 20 kDa. The obtained chia seed peptides showed 3 times and 1.5 times higher antioxidant activity in DPPH and ABT radical scavenging assays, respectively. Moreover, chia seed peptides showed enhanced AChE inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ value of 14.48 ± 0.88 μg/mL and BChE inhibition activity with an IC₅₀ value of 10.90 ± 0.80 μg/mL. Our results indicate that the newly isolated B. altitudinis 5-DSW and chia seed protein hydrolysates have potential applications in biotechnology and functional food development, enhancing the nutritional quality and value-added utilization of chia byproducts. Full article

Semiconductor nanorods (NRs) have great potential in optoelectronic devices for their unique linearly polarized luminescence which can break the external quantum efficiency limit of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on spherical quantum dots. Significant progress has been made for developing red, green, and blue light-emitting NRs. However, the synthesis of NRs emitting in the deep red region, which can be used for accurate red LED displays and promoting plant growth, is currently less explored. Here, we report the synthesis of deep red CdSeTe/CdZnS/ZnS dot-in-rod core/shell NRs via a seeded growth method, where the doping of Te in the CdSe core can extend the NR emission to the deep red region. The rod-shaped CdZnS shell is grown over CdSeTe seeds. By growing a ZnS passivation shell, the CdSeTe/CdZnS/ZnS NRs exhibit a photoluminescence emission peak at 670 nm, a full width at a half maximum of 61 nm and a photoluminescence quantum yield of 45%. The development of deep red NRs can greatly extend the applications of anisotropic nanocrystals. Full article

Low P-containing wastewaters (LPWs) exhibit huge P recovery potential, considering their larger volume. P recovery via CaP crystallization using apatite as seed is documented as being potentially well suited for LPWs. However, its responsible mechanisms remain a subject for debate. Taking hydroxyapatite (HAP) as the seed of LPWs, this paper conducted HAP adsorption/dissolution experiments, titration experiments, and P recovery experiments to distinguish the primary responsible mechanism. Results showed that it was HAP dissolution, not P adsorption, that occurred when the initial P concentration was no higher than 5 mg/L, ruling out adsorption mechanism of P recovery from LPWs using HAP as the seed. Significant OH⁻ consumption and rapid P recovery occurred simultaneously within the first 60 s in titration experiments, suggesting CaP crystallization should be responsible for P recovery. Moreover, the continuous increase in P recovery efficiency with seed dosages observed in P recovery experiments seemed to follow well the mechanism of pre-nucleation ion clusters (PNCs) aggregation. During PNCs aggregation, P aggregates with Ca²⁺ quickly, generating CaP PNCs; then, CaP PNCs aggregate with seed particles, followed by CaP PNCs fusion, and ultimately transform into fines attached to the seed surface. PNCs’ aggregation mechanism was further supported by a comparison of seed SEM images before and after P recovery, since denser and smaller rod-shaped fines were observed on the seed surface after P recovery. This study suggests that PNCs’ aggregation is the dominant mechanism responsible for the recovery of P from LPWs via CaP crystallization using HAP as the seed. Full article

Metallic nanoparticles are very useful, effective, and usually synthesized by toxic and expensive chemicals. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), measuring less than 100 nm, have shown promising impact in several biomedical investigations. These can inhibit microbial growth and aid in medicine administration. Six substrates of Carica papaya were used to synthesize silver nanoparticles that can limit the growth of bacteria and fungi. In this article, we report the synthesis of AgNPs from the leaf, seed, callus, peel, fruit juice, and bark of Carica papaya. AgNPs synthesized from callus showed the most promising results when tested against the growth of bacteria like Xanthomonas campestris, Erwinia carotovera, Bacillus subtilis, and fungi (Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum) when compared with other extracts’ efficacy, and the callus was regenerated from petiole and midrib explants of Carica papaya in MS basal media supplemented with NAA and Kinetin (1 + 0.5 mg/L). A ratio of 1:20 of substrate extract to 1 mM AgNO₃ produced the most effective nanoparticles in terms of capping, quality, and stability when tested through surface plasmon resonance (SPR) within the 400–435 nm range. The nanoparticle sizes of all six types were measured using Image J software on micrographs of SEM at 200 nm resolution. The average diameters were analyzed through Origin software, and the finest AgNPs were observed to be synthesized from callus extract, i.e., 18.91 nm with rod-like morphology. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) at 2.6 keV revealed 43.38, 75.39, 70.611, 36.54, 58.57, and 45.94 percent elemental silver in AgNPs formed from the leaf, callus, juice, seed, bark, and peel extract, respectively. Silver nanoparticles synthesized from callus extract were smaller and exhibited the most effective antimicrobial potential, with the highest inhibitory zone of 19 mm against Xanthomonas campestris bacterium and up to 14 mm against Aspergillus niger fungus. Furthermore, the percentage of elemental Ag (measured through EDX) was found to be highest in the nanoparticles synthesized from callus compared to those synthesized from the leaf, seed, peel, fruit juice, and bark of Carica papaya. Hence, the callus extract is the most suitable substrate for the reduction of silver nitrate solution in 1:20 to form the finest silver nanoparticles in an effective biogenic way. Full article

The seed oil of Carapa guianensis, known as crabwood oil (CWO), is distinguished for its medicinal and cosmetics applications, attributed to its bioactive components and lipid profile. CWO and its dry and solvent fractionation were studied, with a focus on physicochemical functionality and the partitioning of known bioactive compounds, such as limonoids and sterols. Important bioactive components, including limonoids and sterols, were partitioned depending on the fractionation method; in particular, there is a direct dependence on solvent polarity. There was a very strong solid fraction yield–solvent polarity with a high linear slope of −121.3%. The partitioning of the lipids is significant enough to drive measurable and predictable changes in the physical properties. Palmitic (P: C16:0) and oleic (O: C18:1) fatty acids account for about 60% of the total fatty acid composition of the TAGs of CWO and its fractions. The most abundant limonoid is methyl angolensate (from 28 to 39%), followed by Trichilin A (from 13% to 22%). Gedunin and Andirobin were more abundant in the liquid fractions, whereas Carapanolides (less than 1.3%) were more present in the olein fractions. The crystallization and melting temperatures of the solid fractions were up to 26 °C, compared to 11°C for CWO, and were particularly strongly correlated to the polarity of the solvents. The SFC profile indicated semi-solid fats, with the solid fractions showing up to 19% at 18 °C, twice the SFC in CWO. The fractions demonstrated a wide range of distinguishable microstructures. The shapes include well-organized spherulites and needle-like and rod-like crystals with sizes varying from 5 to 250 µ, suggesting that they are likely to have different flow characteristics and feel to the skin and mouth. There is a potential to make unique compositions with significantly different properties, with antimicrobial and antifungal efficacy due to the bioactive components of CWO through fractionation, using polarity as a predictive tool. Full article

In recent years, the aging of the rural population worldwide has become a major concern, necessitating the development of agricultural automation. Pneumatic energy has emerged as a reliable and environmentally friendly option, aiding in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions. The purpose of this study is to reduce the amount of labor required for plug tray seeding by developing an automated seeder that employs a precision pneumatic servo system via the rod-less actuator with real-time trajectory tracking capabilities. The proposed seeder has a simple structure, is easy to maintain, and saves energy. It mainly consists of a rod-less pneumatic cylinder, a needle seeding mechanism, a soil drilling mechanism and a PC-based real-time controller. Mathematical models of the developed precision pneumatic plug tray seeder are analyzed and established, and an adaptive sliding mode controller is proposed. A PC-based real-time control system is developed using MATLAB/SIMULINK via an optical encoder with a sampling frequency of 1 kHz to enable the development of precise pneumatic plug tray seeder. An optical encoder is used to measure the displacement of the rod-less cylinder which represents real-time positions of the plug tray loading platform. Experiments are conducted using Brassicaceae seeds, and the rates of single seeding, multiple seeding, missed seeding and germination are carried out through manual measurement. The results indicate that the seeder exhibits satisfactory performance, with a root mean square error of less than 0.5 mm and a single-seeding rate of more than 97%. Overall, our findings provide new insights for nurseries and could contribute to the reduction in agricultural carbon emissions. Full article

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials have gained much attention in recent years due to their remarkable features. Among nanoparticles, photocatalytic material, such as zinc oxide, have shown tremendous applications in each and every field of science. In the present research, investigators have synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using Scallion’s peel extract. ZnONPs were both spherical and rod-shaped, where the size for spherical particles was 40–100 nm and rod-shaped, particles size was more than 200 nm as confirmed by microscopic techniques. The typical trademark bands of ZnONPs at 400–800 cm⁻¹ were revealed by infrared spectroscopy, which also showed bands of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups. The hydrodynamic size by particle size analyzer (PSA) shows a size near about 200 nm in diameter. Furthermore, the synthesized ZnONPs were used to assess their potential as a micronutrient for the plant and nano adsorbent for the removal of antibiotics (ampicillin) and methylene blue dye from the simulated wastewater. The antibiotic and dye removal were observed under UV light and visible light against contact time. In comparison to control seeds, seeds grown with ZnONPs have shown better germination and seedling. It could be concluded that ZnONPs acted as an important nanosized source of nutrition for agricultural applications. Thus, the effect of ZnONPs has been proven as a nano-based nutrient source for agricultural purposes. The remediation study found that remediation of both ampicillin and methylene blue dye was efficient under UV light under similar experimental parameters from the simulated wastewater by the ZnONPs. Full article

Von Economo neurons (VENs) are rod, stick, or corkscrew cells mostly located in layer V of the frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortices. VENs are projection neurons related to human-like social cognitive abilities. Post-mortem histological studies found VEN alterations in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia (SZ). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the role of VEN-containing areas in shaping patterns of resting-state brain activation in patients with SZ (n = 20) compared to healthy controls (HCs; n = 20). We performed a functional connectivity analysis seeded in the cortical areas with the highest density of VENs followed by fuzzy clustering. The alterations found in the SZ group were correlated with psychopathological, cognitive, and functioning variables. We found a frontotemporal network that was shared by four clusters overlapping with the salience, superior-frontal, orbitofrontal, and central executive networks. Differences between the HC and SZ groups emerged only in the salience network. The functional connectivity of the right anterior insula and ventral tegmental area within this network were negatively correlated with experiential negative symptoms and positively correlated with functioning. This study provides some evidence to show that in vivo, VEN-enriched cortical areas are associated with an altered resting-state brain activity in people with SZ. Full article

In this study, we report the successful growth of single crystals of a magnetic Weyl semimetal candidate NdAlGe with the space group I4₁md. The crystals were grown using a floating-zone technique, which used five laser diodes, with a total power of 2 kW, as the heat source. To ensure that the molten zone was stably formed during the growth, we employed a bell-shaped distribution profile of the vertical irradiation intensity. After the nominal powder, crushed from an arc-melted ingot, was shaped under hydrostatic pressure, we sintered the feed and seed rods in an Ar atmosphere under ultra-low oxygen partial pressure (<10⁻²⁶ atm) generated by an oxygen pump made of yttria-stabilized zirconia heated at 873 K. Single crystals of NdAlGe were successfully grown to a length of 50 mm. The grown crystals showed magnetic order in bulk at 13.5 K. The fundamental physical properties were characterized by magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat, thermal expansion, and electrical resistivity measurements. This study demonstrates that the magnetic order induces anisotropic magnetoelasticity, magneto-entropy, and charge transport in NdAlGe. Full article

In order to solve problems such as poor applicability of headers, weak separation ability of threshing mechanisms and poor impurity-removal ability of cleaning devices in the existing seed harvest methods of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.), a combined Chinese milk vetch seed harvester was designed in this paper. The parameters of the key components, such as the flexible anti pod-dropping seedling-lifting header, the longitudinal rod-teeth-type threshing device and the air-sieve-type layered impurity-controlled cleaning device, were designed and optimized. Aiming at reducing seed loss rate, breakage rate and impurity rate of Chinese milk vetch during the mechanical harvesting process, through multi-parameter optimization, the best combination of working parameters was obtained: machine forward speed was 3 km·h⁻¹, rotation speed of the threshing drum was 550 r·min⁻¹, rotation speed of the cleaning fan was 990 r·min⁻¹ and the scale sieve’s opening was 35 mm. Field tests were performed under these parameters, and the results showed that the seed loss rate of Chinese milk vetch was 2.35%, the breakage rate was 0.22% and the impurity rate was 0.51%, which were better than the technical requirements of loss rate and breakage rate less than 5% and impurity rate less than 3% specified in relevant standards. The research results can solve the shortage problem of efficient seed harvest equipment in large-scale planting areas of Chinese milk vetch, and will further help to carry out seed harvest experiments on different varieties of Chinese milk vetch and other green manure varieties in paddy fields. Full article

Animal-like thermogenic (TM) activities in flowers have been reported in several families of seed plants. While an association of mitochondria with floral thermogenesis has been described, how mitochondrial dynamics are involved in the regulation of floral thermogenesis is unclear. In this study, the morphological and functional dynamics of mitochondria in vivo were assessed in Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. flowers during floral thermogenesis. The results showed that mitochondrial biogenesis increased considerably in N. nucifera flowers during thermogenesis, accompanied by notable morphological changes in the mitochondria, including long elliptical, rod-shaped, and dumbbell-shaped morphologies, as well as increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in TM cells. An increase in the expression of alternative oxidase (AOX) during the thermogenesis of N. nucifera flowers was also observed. These observations suggested the rapid change in mitochondrial morphology and increased density during thermogenesis implied activation of mitochondrial fission, which combined with elevated levels of mitochondrial ROS trigger a substantial increase in AOX within the respiratory pathway of TM N. nucifera. Full article

Solar-to-hydrogen generation is a promising approach to generate clean and renewable fuel. Nanohybrid structures such as CdSe@CdS-Pt nanorods were found favorable for this task (attaining 100% photon-to-hydrogen production efficiency); yet the rods cannot support overall water splitting. The key limitation seems to be the rate of hole extraction from the semiconductor, jeopardizing both activity and stability. It is suggested that hole extraction might be improved via tuning the rod’s dimensions, specifically the width of the CdS shell around the CdSe seed in which the holes reside. In this contribution, we successfully attain atomic-scale control over the width of CdSe@CdS nanorods, which enables us to verify this hypothesis and explore the intricate influence of shell diameter over hole quenching and photocatalytic activity towards H₂ production. A non-monotonic effect of the rod’s diameter is revealed, and the underlying mechanism for this observation is discussed, alongside implications towards the future design of nanoscale photocatalysts. Full article

In this work, a simple, facile growth approach for a vertically aligned ZnO thin film is fabricated and its application towards methane gas sensors is demonstrated. ZnO thin film was prepared by a combination of hydrothermal and sputtering methods. First, a ZnO seed layer was prepared on the substrate through a sputtering technique, then a ZnO nanorod was fabricated using a hydrothermal method. The surface morphology of the ZnO film was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A ZnO nanorod coated on the dense seed layer is clearly visible in the SEM image. The average size of the hexagonal-shaped ZnO rod was around 50 nm in diameter, with a thickness of about 1 mm. X-ray absorption near-edge structures (XANES) were recorded to characterize the structural properties of the prepared film. The obtained normalized Zn K-edge XANES of the film showed the characteristic features of ZnO, which agreed well with the standard ZnO sample. The measurement of Zn K-edge XANES was performed simultaneously with the sensing response. The results showed a good correlation between sensor response and ZnO structure under optimal conditions. Full article