Search Results (605)

Plant-derived phytotoxins are widely investigated as sustainable alternatives to synthetic herbicides; however, a major limitation is the insufficient chemical characterization of active constituents in many promising candidate species, including Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib. In this study, the phytotoxicity of A. xylocarpa leaves and their phytotoxic compounds were investigated to evaluate their potential value as a bioherbicide. The results showed the A. xylocarpa leaf extracts suppressed the seedling growth of Lepidium sativum L., Lactuca sativa L., and Lolium multiflorum Lam. Six compounds were obtained from the A. xylocarpa leaf extracts using bio-guided fractionation and were identified as (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (1), (3R,6R,7E)-3-hydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-9-one (2), (+)-3-hydroxy-β-ionone (3), (S)-N-(1-hydroxy-3-phenylpropan-2-yl) benzamide (4), isololiolide (5), and (+)-lariciresinol (6). Compounds 1 to 6 significantly reduced seed germination, seedling growth, and dry biomass accumulation into different extents (p < 0.05). L. sativum roots were more susceptible to all the obtained compounds than other growth parameters, except for compound 4. Based on the doses of six compounds required for 50% growth inhibition (defined as EC₅₀ value), compound 3 (EC₅₀ values = 227.4 to 582.3 µM) and compound 5 (EC₅₀ values = 53.8 to 200.8 µM) were the most toxic against all the growth parameters of L. sativum and may be the principal active compounds of the A. xylocarpa leaf extracts. Such phytotoxic effects indicate that these six compounds could be candidates for bioherbicides. Full article

Graphs are widely used to model complex interactions among entities, yet they struggle to capture higher-order and multi-typed relationships. Hypergraphs overcome this limitation by allowing for edges to connect arbitrary sets of nodes, enabling richer modelling of higher-order semantics. Real-world systems, however, often exhibit heterogeneity in both entities and relations, motivating the need for heterogeneous hypergraphs as a more expressive structure. In this study, we address the problem of local clustering on heterogeneous hypergraphs, where the goal is to identify a semantically meaningful cluster around a given seed node while accounting for type diversity. Existing methods typically ignore node-type information, resulting in clusters with poor semantic coherence. To overcome this, we propose HHLC, a heuristic heterogeneous hyperedge-based local clustering algorithm, guided by a heterogeneity-aware conductance measure that integrates structural connectivity and node-type consistency. HHLC employs type-filtered expansion, cross-type penalties, and low-quality hyperedge pruning to produce interpretable and compact clusters. Comprehensive experiments on synthetic and real-world heterogeneous datasets demonstrate that HHLC consistently outperforms strong baselines across metrics such as conductance, semantic purity, and type diversity. These results highlight the importance of incorporating heterogeneity into hypergraph algorithms and position HHLC as a robust framework for semantically grounded local analysis in complex multi-relational networks. Full article

Small-diameter synthetic grafts often fail from thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and compliance mismatch, highlighting the need for alternatives that better support endothelialization and remodeling. Here, we evaluated multilayer plant-based vascular grafts fabricated from decellularized leatherleaf viburnum reinforced with cross-linked gelatin, seeded with vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells, and conditioned in a perfusion bioreactor to mimic physiological shear stress. Pre-implant assays confirmed effective decellularization, low residual detergent, and mechanical integrity suitable for surgical handling. In a rat abdominal aorta interposition model, plant-based grafts remained patent at 1, 4, and 24 weeks and showed higher survival than silicone controls. Ultrasound imaging demonstrated flow patterns and resistance indices similar to native vessels, and plant-based grafts maintained significantly higher endothelial cell coverage than silicone controls, reaching native-like density by 24 weeks. Histology and biochemical assays showed early collagen and elastin coverage comparable to native aorta and increased collagen by 24 weeks. Scanning electron microscopy showed smooth luminal surfaces with minimal thrombus formation, contrasting with the rougher, thrombus-prone surfaces of silicone grafts. These findings indicate that plant-based grafts support endothelialization, maintain long-term patency, and undergo favorable remodeling in vivo, supporting their potential as a biomimetic alternative for small-diameter arterial repair. Full article

In the field of smart agriculture, soil property data at the field scale drives the precision decision-making of agricultural inputs such as seeds and chemical fertilizers. However, soil texture has significant spatial variability at the field scale, and traditional remote sensing monitoring methods have certain data intermittency, which limits small-scale prediction research. In this study, based on the Google Earth Engine platform, soil synthetic images were generated according to different time intervals using mean compositing and median compositing modes, image bands were extracted, and spectral indices were introduced; combined with the random forest algorithm, the effects of different compositing time windows, compositing modes, and compositing data types on prediction accuracy were evaluated; and three partitioning strategies based on crop growth, soil synthetic image brightness, and soil type were adopted to conduct local partitioning regression of soil texture. The results show that: (1) The use of mean compositing of multi-year May images from 2021 to 2024 can improve prediction accuracy. When this method is combined with the “band reflectance + spectral indices” dataset, compared with other compositing methods, the R² of clay particles, silt particles, and sand particles can be increased by 8.89%, 9.50%, and 2.48% on average. (2) Compared with using only image band data, the introduction of spectral indices can significantly improve the prediction accuracy of soil texture at the field scale, and the R² of clay particles, silt particles, and sand particles is increased by 4.58%, 3.43%, and 4.59% on average, respectively. (3) Global regression is superior to local partitioning regression; however, the local partitioning regression strategy based on soil type has good accuracy performance. Under the optimal compositing method, the average R² of soil particles of each size fraction is only 1.08% lower than that of global regression, which has great application potential. This study innovatively constructs a comprehensive strategy of “moisture spectral indices + specific compositing time window + specific compositing mode + soil type partitioning”, providing a new paradigm for soil texture prediction at the field scale in Northeastern China, and lays the foundation for data-driven water and fertilizer decision-making. Full article

Weed control is mainly carried out using synthetic herbicides, which represent 62.6% of the total pesticides sold. However, some plants produce allelochemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants, and these substances can be isolated and used as natural herbicides. This study aimed to evaluate the allelopathic, cytotoxic, genotoxic, and antigenotoxic potential of the ethanol extract (EE), hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA) and hydroethanol (HE) fractions obtained from Tecoma stans flowers. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to characterize the compounds present in the samples. The allelopathic activity was tested using Allium cepa and Lactuca sativa seeds, and the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity were evaluated using A. cepa seeds. The saturated and unsaturated fatty acids ω-3 and ω-6, terpenes, flavonoids, and phenolic acids with coumaroyl or glycosyl derivatives were characterized in the samples. The HEX and DCM fractions significantly inhibited germination and root growth, effects associated with fatty acids and phenolic compounds. The EA fraction exhibits genotoxic potential at higher concentrations tested. The extract and fractions reduced the genotoxicity induced by glyphosate and atrazine, reversing chromosomal abnormalities. These results demonstrate the possible use of the extract and fractions as natural sources of allelochemicals, but safe dosage validation is required. Full article

Postharvest losses caused by potato tuber moths severely impact storage in the Andean highlands, where reliance on synthetic insecticides poses sustainability and safety concerns. This study evaluated eco-friendly alternatives for protecting stored seed tubers of the widely adopted cultivar INIA 302 Amarilis in Cajamarca, Peru. In two storage facilities, a completely randomized block design compared four treatments: Bacillus thuringiensis plus talc (Bt-talc), talc, agricultural lime, and wood ash against an untreated control. Powders were applied at 50 g per 10 kg of tubers, and incidence, severity of damage, and live larvae were assessed over 150 days. Bt–talc consistently achieved the lowest damage. Incidence in Cochapampa was 16.8% ± 6.2 with Bt-talc, compared with 58.1% ± 3.9 in the control; in Sulluscocha, incidence was 25.5% ± 4.8 and 64.2% ± 3.0 for Bt-talc and the control, respectively. A similar pattern was observed for moth-damage severity in both localities. Live larvae per unit were also markedly lower with 1.3 ± 0.3 (Cochapampa) and 1.6 ± 0.6 (Sulluscocha) under Bt–talc. A single dusting with Bt–talc, or alternatively agricultural lime, offers effective, accessible, and sustainable control of potato tuber moths in high-Andean storage. Full article

The proliferation of algorithmically generated malicious URLs has overwhelmed traditional threat intelligence systems, necessitating a paradigm shift from reactive, single-instance analysis to proactive, automated campaign discovery. Existing systems excel at finding semantically similar URLs given a known malicious seed but fail to provide a real-time, macroscopic view of emerging and evolving attack campaigns from high-velocity data streams. This paper introduces PhishCluster, a novel framework designed to bridge this critical gap. PhishCluster implements a two-phase, online–offline architecture that synergistically combines large-scale Approximate Nearest Neighbor (ANN) search with advanced density-based clustering. The online phase employs an ANN-accelerated maintenance algorithm to process a stream of URL embeddings at unprecedented throughput, summarizing the data into compact, evolving Campaign Micro-Clusters (CMCs). The offline, on-demand phase then applies a hierarchical density-based algorithm to these CMCs, enabling the discovery of arbitrarily shaped, varying-density campaigns without prior knowledge of their number. Our comprehensive experimental evaluation on a synthetic billion-point dataset, designed to mimic real-world campaign dynamics, demonstrates that PhishCluster’s architecture resolves the fundamental trade-off between speed and quality in streaming data analysis. The results validate that PhishCluster achieves an order-of-magnitude improvement in processing throughput over state-of-the-art streaming clustering baselines while simultaneously attaining a superior clustering quality and campaign detection fidelity. Full article

Overuse of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers has increased concerns regarding environmental and human health. Indian natural farming practices, which are mainly based on different bioformulations, provide sustainable alternatives to conventional farming. Among other bioformulations, Beejamrit is a cow-based biostimulant that is used for seed treatment to promote seed germination, seed vigor, and tolerance to pathogens. In this study, 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomics and untargeted metabolomics (GC-MS and LC-MS) approaches were employed to evaluate microbial and metabolic profiles of Beejamrit samples, respectively. Metagenomic analysis indicated that Beejamrit consisted of different plant-growth-promoting bacteria, such as Advenella, Comamonas, Lysinibacillus, Acinetobacter, and Arcobacter. GC-MS analysis discovered organoheterocyclics (23%) to be the most prevalent metabolite group in Beejamrit, followed by organic acids (18%) and benzenoids (15%). In LC-MS analysis, lipids (26%) were most abundant, followed by organoheterocyclics (18%) and organic acids (18%). Furthermore, GC-MS and LC-MS analyses identified a wide range of metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, phenolics, and fatty acids. These findings confirm that Beejamrit contains a wide array of beneficial bacteria and bioactive compounds, thereby elucidating the potential mechanisms behind its efficacy as an effective seed treatment agent. The study offers an initial framework for further standardization and wider application in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Packaging is essential for protecting, distributing, and trading fresh fruit. Antimicrobial packaging, which incorporates natural or synthetic bioactive compounds, can inhibit microbial growth, extend shelf life, and reduce reliance on synthetic fungicides. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), released from black mustard seeds, on the quality and fungal development of ‘Burlat’ sweet cherries during postharvest storage under modified atmosphere. The in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity of AITC, released from different amounts of mustard seeds in an ‘Inbox’ system, was compared with fludioxonil, a synthetic fungicide authorised for postharvest use on stone fruits in the European Union. The impact of these treatments on weight loss, headspace gas composition, fruit decay, physicochemical and microbiological quality was also analysed. Results showed that AITC inhibited the in vitro growth of Cladosporium cladosporioides, Monilinia laxa and Penicilium expansum, and significantly reduced Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Geotrichum candidum after 96 h at 25 °C and 99% RH. Treatment with 100 mg of mustard seeds achieved rot control comparable to fludioxonil, while maintaining higher firmness and delaying skin darkening after 28 days. Overall, natural AITC from mustard seeds appears to be a promising alternative for preserving sweet cherry quality. Full article

Biclustering is crucial for gene expression data analysis, but evolutionary algorithm-based methods often suffer from high computational costs. To address this, we propose a novel subspace evolution-based biclustering method that significantly reduces runtime by constraining the search space and enhancing population diversity. Our approach first partitions the original expression matrix into submatrices, within which bicluster seeds are efficiently identified using a newly designed selection strategy. These seeds are then expanded and merged to form final biclusters. Experimental evaluation on both synthetic and real-world gene expression datasets demonstrates that our method outperforms existing typical biclustering algorithms in bicluster quality, achieving an average improvement of 57.31% in mean recovery. Moreover, it reduces runtime by approximately 63.42% compared to state-of-the-art evolutionary biclustering methods. Full article

The use of biostimulants has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing seed vigor, germination, and seedling growth. This is due to the composition of beneficial substances considered as biostimulants that modulate plant physiology and metabolism. In this context, the interest in biostimulants is growing and the use of microalgal extracts is becoming more widespread. This study aims to assess the effect of Chlorococcum sp. aqueous extracts on the germination indices and the biometric and biochemical parameters of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Chlorococcum sp. culture exhibited favorable growth characteristics, including high productivity, specific growth rate, and short generation time. Furthermore, analysis of the extract demonstrated that it contains a high concentration of biomolecules, which suggests significant biostimulant potential. Importantly, the results also showed a significant improvement in germination indices as well as in biochemical parameters and photosynthetic pigments in seeds treated with the highest extract concentration (2 g/L). Furthermore, improvement in biometric parameters, including radicle length as well as fresh and dry weight, was observed at low extract concentration (0.1 and 0.5 g/L). Additionally, no phytoinhibitory effects were detected. Overall, the application of microalgal aqueous extract highlights a strong potential as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional synthetic chemical fertilizers, thereby promoting the development of an environmentally friendly agricultural practice of sesame cultivation. Full article

CuO/TiO₂ is a highly active visible-light-driven photocatalyst. The precise structural regulation of TiO₂ and the quantum dot-scale loading strategy of CuO have long been researching hotspots and challenges. This work presents an ingenious synthetic strategy, leveraging the photoinduced superhydrophilicity and dark-induced reversible hydrophobicity of TiO₂, coupled with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as “seeds” to induce the in situ synthesis of CuO quantum dots (CuO QDs). Specifically, CuO QDs with an average diameter of 5–10 nm were successfully anchored onto TiO₂ nanowire arrays (TNWAs) with a diameter of 10–15 nm. By adjusting the dosage of “seeds” (CQDs), the loading amount of CuO QDs can be effectively controlled. Corresponding characterizations were performed, including ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy) for optical absorption properties, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy for photoluminescent behavior, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy for free radical generation capability, and bisphenol A (BPA) degradation assays for photocatalytic performance. Loading 4.78 wt% CuO QDs can effectively inhibit the recombination of electron–hole pairs in TNWAs. Simultaneously, it prolongs the lifetime of charge carriers (photoelectrons) and enhances the yields of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide radicals (•O₂⁻). The BPA degradation efficiency of the CuO QDs/TNWA composite is 2.4 times higher than that of TNWAs. Furthermore, we found that the loading of CuO QDs significantly modulates the depletion layer width of the P–N heterojunction, and the underlying mechanism has been discussed in detail. Full article

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. phenazini S1Bt23 extracts detected phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) and 2-hydroxyphenazine (2-OH-PHZ) as the main phenazine derivatives. We investigated their relative contributions to the antagonistic activity of strain S1Bt23 against Pythium arrhenomanes, a root rot pathogen of corn. CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts were carried out on the phzF gene, required for PCA synthesis, and the phzO gene, which is involved in converting PCA to 2-OH-PHZ. Deletion of the phzF gene abrogated the production of PCA and 2-OH-PHZ, and the ΔphzF mutant lost the antagonism against Pythium arrhenomanes. In contrast, deletion of the phzO gene created a 2-OH-PHZ-negative mutant with intact antagonistic ability. Concordantly, S1Bt23 wild type and the ΔphzO mutant, but not the ΔphzF mutant, significantly bioprotected corn seeds of a susceptible inbred variety, CO441, from P. arrhenomanes. At equimolar amounts of 75 nM, synthetic PCA inhibited Pythium growth, whereas 2-OH-PHZ did not. This highlights the critical contribution of PCA to the biocontrol activity of strain S1Bt23 against P. arrhenomanes. Unexpectedly, deletion of phzO did not result in additional PCA accumulation. This suggests that the conversion of PCA to 2-OH-PHZ by S1Bt23 is a potential protective mechanism against the overproduction of lethal cellular doses. This study paves the way for bioengineering strain S1Bt23 into a more effective biopesticide. Full article

Climate change and the impacts related to nonbiodegradable synthetic materials highlight the need for sustainable alternatives. Biopolymers from renewable sources show great potential for producing hydrogels, which are three-dimensionally crosslinked materials with high water absorption. In this work, super-absorbent biodegradable hydrogels were produced via single-step reactive extrusion using mixtures of starch, gelatin, cellulose, and xanthan gum, with glycerol as a plasticizer, and citric acid as a crosslinking agent. Pelleted hydrogels were obtained with water absorption between 290% and 363%. Reactive extrusion promoted the formation of new ester and amide bonds, confirmed by FT-IR. Citric acid was effective as a crosslinker, and higher citric acid content (3%) produced samples with greater swelling, supported by the porous internal structure observed. Preliminary agricultural tests showed that the formulation with the highest citric acid content, when added to soil at 5%, significantly increased water-holding capacity and resulted in the highest germination rate of maize seeds. Overall, the extrusion process proved efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly for producing biodegradable hydrogels for agricultural applications. Full article

Mild steel readily corrodes in acidic environments, and most industrial corrosion inhibitors are synthetic, often toxic, and environmentally harmful. In this study, electrocatalytically active Cd–Cs mixed oxide nanocomposites were synthesized via a green route using an aqueous extract of Trachyspermum ammi (ajwain) seeds as a natural reducing, stabilizing, and capping agent. This eco-friendly method eliminates harsh chemicals while producing nanomaterials with active surfaces capable of facilitating electron transfer and scavenging free radicals. Incorporation of cesium introduces basic, electron-rich sites on the Cd–Cs oxide surface, serving as inhibition promoters that enhance charge transfer at the metal/electrolyte interface and assist in the formation of an adsorbed protective film on steel. The nanocomposites were optimized by adjusting precursor ratios, pH, temperature, and reaction time, and were characterized by UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM–EDS, HR-TEM EDS, BET, DLS, XPS, and zeta potential analyses. Strong antioxidant activity in ABTS and DPPH assays confirmed efficient catalytic quenching of reactive radicals. Corrosion inhibition potential, evaluated by using potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and gravimetric analysis in 0.5 M HCl, shows an inhibition efficiency of 90–91%. This performance is associated with an electrocatalytically active, adsorbed barrier layer that suppresses both anodic dissolution and cathodic hydrogen evolution, which depicts mixed-type inhibition. Overall, the biosynthesized Cd–Cs mixed oxide nanocomposites function as promising green synthesized nanomaterial with dual antioxidant and corrosion-inhibiting functions, underscoring their potential for advanced surface engineering and corrosion protection. Full article