Clinical usefulness and acceptability of small-bowel capsule endoscopy with panoramic imaging compared with axial imaging in Japanese patients.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the usefulness and acceptability of CapsoCam Plus (CapsoCam) in Japanese patients. Methods: This retrospective single-center study enrolled 930 patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding (SSBB) who underwent capsule endoscopy. Thirty-three patients using CapsoCam and PillCam SB3 (SB3) were matched using propensity score matching. The diagnostic yield and the acceptability of CapsoCam were evaluated. Results: There was no SSBB case where capsule endoscopy was performed within 48 h of bleeding. CapsoCam had a significantly higher observation rate of the entire small bowel (97% vs. 73%, p = 0.006) and Vater's papilla (82% vs. 15%, p < 0.001) than SB3. The reading time of CapsoCam was significantly longer than that of SB3 (30 vs. 25 min, p < 0.001), and CapsoCam's time from the capsule endoscopy swallowing to read completion was longer than that of SB3 (37 vs. 12 h, p < 0.001). The two groups showed no difference in the capsule endoscopy findings according to the P classification. Notably, 85% of the patients using CapsoCam reported examination distress as "not at all" or "almost not," and 94% reported swallowing difficulty as "very easy" or "easy." Conclusions: CapsoCam took time to read; however, it is a well-tolerated examination with a high observation rate of Vater's papilla and entire small-bowel mucosa. Detectability of bleeding sources was comparable in both modalities for cases of occult SSBB and overt SSBB more than 48 h after bleeding. CapsoCam is a useful modality for patients with SSBB.

Combining slow-release fertilizer and plastic film mulching reduced the carbon footprint and enhanced maize yield on the Loess Plateau.

Agricultural practices significantly contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, necessitating cleaner production technologies to reduce environmental pressure and achieve sustainable maize production. Plastic film mulching is commonly used in the Loess Plateau region. Incorporating slow-release fertilizers as a replacement for urea within this practice can reduce nitrogen losses and enhance crop productivity. Combining these techniques represents a novel agricultural approach in semi-arid areas. However, the impact of this integration on soil carbon storage (SOCS), carbon footprint (CF), and economic benefits has received limited research attention. Therefore, we conducted an eight-year study (2015-2022) in the semi-arid northwestern region to quantify the effects of four treatments [urea supplied without plastic film mulching (CK-U), slow-release fertilizer supplied without plastic film mulching (CK-S), urea supplied with plastic film mulching (PM-U), and slow-release fertilizer supplied with plastic film mulching (PM-S)] on soil fertility, economic and environmental benefits. The results revealed that nitrogen fertilizer was the primary contributor to total GHG emissions (≥71.97%). Compared to other treatments, PM-S increased average grain yield by 12.01%-37.89%, water use efficiency by 9.19%-23.33%, nitrogen accumulation by 27.07%-66.19%, and net return by 6.21%-29.57%. Furthermore, PM-S decreased CF by 12.87%-44.31% and CF per net return by 14.25%-41.16%. After eight years, PM-S increased SOCS (0-40 cm) by 2.46%, while PM-U decreased it by 7.09%. These findings highlight the positive effects of PM-S on surface soil fertility, economic gains, and environmental benefits in spring maize production on the Loess Plateau, underscoring its potential for widespread adoption and application.

Investigation of thermal alkaline pretreatment of primary and waste activated sludge on the energy efficiency of sludge digestion.

Because of the naturally limited anaerobic degradability and limited biogas yield of raw sludge (RS), this study aims to increase the biogas production of primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) by the integration of thermal alkaline process (TAP). PH 11 is confirmed to be the most suitable pH value for the TAP of both sludges. Moreover, with the pretreatment at pH 11 and 160 °C (6 bar) for 30 min, the investigated PSs and WASs achieved an increased biogas production of up to 81 % and 72 %, respectively. The improved net electricity production of WASs after TAP varied between 15-43 % compared to conventional WAS digestion. However, the TAP of PS at pH 11 enhanced the biogas production by 1-81 %, which did not constantly contribute to an improved net electricity production.

The effects of organic waste materials on Miscanthus × giganteus yield and Zn and Ni content.

The aim of the experiment was to determine the yield of Miscanthus × giganteus M 19 in the first three years of cultivation and its bioaccumulation of Zn and Ni in aboveground and underground parts in response to different doses of sewage sludge and substrate left after the production of white mushrooms. Miscanthus × giganteus is a grass species that adapts to different environmental conditions and can be grown in various climatic zones of Europe and North America. In April 2018 the experiment was established in a randomized block design and with four replications in central-eastern Poland. Waste organic materials (municipal sewage sludge and mushroom substrate) were applied to the soil in 2018 in the spring before the rhizomes of giant miscanthus were planted. Each year (from 2018 to 2020) biomass was harvested in December. The yield of fresh and dry matter and the total content of Zn and Ni, after wet mineralization of plant samples, were determined by optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). After the third year of cultivation, the content of Zn and Ni in rhizomes and in the soil was determined again. In relation to control, an increase in the yield of miscanthus biomass in response to organic waste materials was noted. Plants responded to mushroom substrate (SMS) with the highest average yield (16.89 Mgha-1DM), while on the control plot it was 13.86 Mg  ha-1DM. After the third year of cultivation, rhizomes of Miscanthus x giganteus contained higher amounts of Zn (63.3 mg kg-1) and Ni (7.54 mg kg-1) than aboveground parts (40.52 and 2.07 mg kg-1), which indicated that heavy metals were retained in underground parts.

A preliminary study on the feasibility of two different cow-calf contact systems in a pasture-based, seasonal calving dairy system: effects on cow production and health.

Internationally, consumer dissatisfaction with cow-calf separation at birth has led to increased interest in alternative calf-rearing methods, specifically cow-calf contact (CCC) systems. The objectives of this preliminary study were to estimate whether CCC could be incorporated into an Irish spring-calving, pasture-based system, and to investigate the effects on cow milk production and health. Three systems were compared: the conventional Irish system (CONV;18 cows), cow and calf were separated < 1 h postbirth, cows were pasture-based and milked twice-a-day; a full-time access system (FT;14 cows), cow and calf were allowed constant, unrestricted access, were pasture-based, and cows were milked twice-a-day; and a part-time access system (PT;18 cows), cow and calf had unrestricted access when indoors at night, cows grazed outdoors by day while calves remained indoors, and cows were milked once-a-day in the morning. Cows were blocked and balanced across the three systems by previous lactation machine milk yield (MMY), BW, and body condition score (BCS). Following an 8-week CCC period, all calves were weaned (FT and PT underwent a 7-d gradual weaning and separation process) and all cows were milked twice-a-day. Cow MMY was recorded daily and milk composition was recorded weekly; milk data were analysed from weeks 1 to 8 (CCC period), weeks 9 to 35 (post-CCC period), and weeks 1 to 35 (cumulative lactation). Cow BW and BCS were taken weekly for weeks 1-12, and at the end of the lactation. During the CCC period, all systems differed (P < 0.001) in MMY (mean ± SEM; 24.0, 13.6, and 10.3 ± 0.50 kg/d for CONV, FT, and PT cows, respectively). After the CCC period, CONV MMY (20.2 ± 0.48 kg/d) remained higher (P < 0.001) than the FT (16.6 kg/d) and PT cows (15.7 kg/d). The FT and PT cows yielded 24 and 31% less in cumulative lactation MMY and 26 and 35% less in cumulative lactation milk solids yield, respectively, compared to CONV (5 072 ± 97.0 kg and 450 ± 8.7 kg). During the CCC period, somatic cell score was higher (P = 0.030) in PT cows (5.15 ± 0.118) compared to FT cows (4.70 ± 0.118), while CONV (4.94 ± 0.118) were inconclusive to both. The PT cows (523 ± 4.9 and 520 ± 6.8 kg) were heavier than the CONV (474 ± 4.9 and 479 ± 6.8 kg) and FT (488 ± 4.9 and 487 ± 6.8 kg) cows at week 4 and week 8 (both P < 0.001). The PT cows had higher BCS than CONV and FT at all observed times. This preliminary research suggests that although CCC was incorporated without impacting cow health, the two CCC systems investigated negatively affected cow production.

Deep eutectic solvent pretreatment of cellulose and development of hydrophobic foaming material.

This work aims to investigate the effects of deep eutectic solvents (DES) on the chemical and physical structure of cellulose. Choline chloride-oxalic acid and choline chloride-oxalic acid-glycerol were selected as solvents and cotton fibers was sued as raw materials to explore the difference between cotton fibers treated separately with two different DES. According to yield analysis, ternary solvents alleviated the degradation of cellulose when comparing to binary solvents, resulting in over 90 % of cellulose being obtained. Particularly, there is an esterification reaction of cellulose during treatment with the DES system, which also affects the performance of the subsequent products. Through the simple use of mechanical foaming with polyvinyl alcohol and the palm wax impregnation process, foams with a water contact angle greater than 140° and excellent mechanical properties can be obtained. The resultant foam material has 5 % linear elastic area, and prominent compressive strength providing potential use in the packaging industry in the replacement of plastic.

Heavy-Atom-Free Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion in Photo-cross-linked Polymer Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate.

Heavy-atom-free triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) upconversion sensitized by a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) molecule is investigated in a dried gel made of a photo-cross-linked polymer as the solid-state matrix. The upconversion fluorescence quantum yields, ΦUC, of the solid-gel TTA system at different penetration depths are measured accurately based on a developed internal-reference method. It is found that ΦUC is greatest at the surface and then decreases exponentially with increasing depth, influenced by the substrate absorption. The same process is also performed in a TTA solution at different depths, but a completely different result is obtained; there is little difference for ΦUC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the quantum yields at different transmission depths have been mentioned and calculated experimentally. These results illustrate the importance of accurately measuring the quantum yield of solid-phase TTA upconversion and provide a novel way to improve the solid-phase TTA quantum yield by reducing the thickness of the substrate.

Fertilizer application parameters for drip-irrigated peanut based on the fertilizer effect function established from a "3414" field trial.

Scientific fertilization is an important technical means of achieving high and stable peanut yields. Using soil testing and formula fertilization, the "3414" optimal regression design was used and included 14 nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilization treatments. Ternary quadratic functions of the fertilizer effect were established according to three-season field experiments and the regression analysis of fertilizer-yield function was performed to explore the optimal fertilizer application mode and ratio for peanuts under mulched drip irrigation (MDI), and a suitable fertilizer application system was established. The ternary quadratic equation relating peanut yield (y) and the fertilizer application rates of N (N), P (P2O5), and K (K2O) was obtained after fitting, i.e., y = 2912.528 + 21.432N + 16.324P + 6.181K - 0.051N2 - 0.109P2 - 0.061K2 + 0.017NP + 0.023NK + 0.086PK, and significance analysis and typicality assessment were performed. The model R 2 was 0.9709, both values are extremely significant (p < 0.01), which indicates that the obtained ternary quadratic fertilizer effect function is typical and could be used for statistical purposes and fertilization recommendations. Three quadratic fertilizer effect functions were obtained. Among them, the equation for K is extremely significant, and the equations of N and P are significant. According to the assumption that the marginal yield is zero and the marginal profit is zero, the fertilizer application rate with the maximum yield, the fertilizer application rate with the best economic benefits, and the corresponding yields were obtained. The optimal fertilizer application rate predicted by the ternary quadratic fertilizer effect function was relatively high, so the three quadratic fertilizer effect functions were used for prediction. Under the test conditions, the recommended fertilizer application rates for peanuts under MDI are 256.6 kg N per ha, 164.2 kg P2O5 per ha, and 213.2 kg K2O per ha, the recommended fertilization ratio is 1:0.64:0.83, and the recommended ratio under formula fertilization is 23:15:19. The study has developed a data-based decision support system for Xinjiang drip-irrigated peanut, which assists farmers and agricultural managers in making more scientific and precise fertilization decisions based on the specific growth requirements of the crops and soil conditions. This evidence-based methodology enhances the precision of agricultural management, which is conducive to increasing crop yields while reducing resource wastage and environmental impact. However, multipoint and multiyear experiments are still needed to ensure that the findings are adaptable to the diverse soil conditions and fluctuating climate patterns that may be encountered in practice.

[Effects of Long-term Fertilizations on the Organic Carbon Components of Soil Macroaggregates and the Yield of Wheat in Wheat Fields on the Loess Plateau].

Soil macro-aggregates are the main location for soil organic carbon （SOC） sequestration, which is of great significance to improve soil fertility. This study aimed to understand the mechanisms of the organic carbon （OC） sequestration in macroaggregates and improve crop yield in wheat fields on the loess plateau. With the aggregate-density fractionation method, an eight-year experiment was conducted to investigate the following three factors： ① the effects of long-term fertilization on OC fractions within macroaggregates； ② the variation characteristics of OC fractions within macroaggregates, including coarse particulate organic carbon （cPOC）, fine particulate organic carbon （fPOC）, intra-microaggregate particulate organic carbon （iPOC）, free silt and clay particulate carbon （s+c_f）, and intra-microaggregate silt and clay particulate carbon （s+c_m）； ③ and the relationships between them and SOC input and yield formation. The treatments included no fertilization （CK）, farmer pattern （NP）, optimized fertilizers pattern （NPK）, optimized fertilizers + organic fertilizers pattern （NPKM）, and optimized fertilizers + biological organic fertilizers pattern （NPKB）. The results showed that the application of organic and chemical fertilizer （NPKM and NPKB） improved significantly the SOC content in macroaggregates compared with that in the single fertilizer treatment （NP and NPK）, which had a greater increase in SOC content in macroaggregates than that of the soil. All fertilization treatments had a tendency to increase the content of fractions iPOC, fPOC, and iPOC in macroaggregates, but silt and clay carbon （s+c_f and s+c_m） contents were decreased. The application of manure combined with chemicals markedly increased the allocations of fractions cPOC, fPOC, and iPOC reserves, but it greatly decreased （s+c_f） reserves allocation. However, the application of chemical fertilizers only significantly increased the proportion of cPOC reserves in macroaggregates. Correlation analysis showed that there were significant positive correlations among wheat grain yield and OC fractions （cPOC and fPOC） contents, SOC content, the OC content of >0.25 mm macroaggregates, and SOC input, and the correlation coefficient was 0.645-0.883. In conclusion, long-term fertilization, especially combined with organic fertilizer, could promote the free silt and clay carbon fraction （s+c_f） to transfer into other forms of OC components through the increase in soil carbon input in the wheat field of the loess plateau. Furthermore, the OC content of macroaggregates was increased overall, providing a good soil environment for crop yield.

[Effects of Replacing Chemical Nitrogen Fertilizer with Organic Fertilizer on Active Organic Carbon Fractions, Enzyme Activities, and Crop Yield in Yellow Soil].

Taking the typical yellow soil in Guizhou as the research object, four treatments were set up： no fertilization （CK）, single application of chemical fertilizer （NP）, 50% organic fertilizer instead of chemical nitrogen fertilizer [1/2（NPM）], and 100% organic fertilizer instead of chemical nitrogen fertilizer （M）. The effects of organic fertilizer instead of chemical nitrogen fertilizer on organic carbon and its active components, soil carbon pool management index, soil enzyme activity, and maize and soybean yield in yellow soil were studied in order to provide theoretical basis for scientific fertilization and soil quality improvement in this area. The results showed that the replacement of chemical nitrogen fertilizer by organic fertilizer significantly increased soil pH, organic carbon （SOC）, total nitrogen （TN） content, and C/N ratio. Compared with those in the CK and NP treatments, the content and distribution ratio of soil active organic carbon components and soil carbon pool management index （CPMI） were improved by replacing chemical nitrogen fertilizer with organic fertilizer, and the effect of replacing chemical nitrogen fertilizer with 50% organic fertilizer was the best. Compared with those in the NP treatment, the 1/2 （NPM） treatment significantly increased the contents of soil readily oxidizable organic carbon （ROC333, ROC167）, dissolved organic carbon （DOC）, and microbial biomass carbon （MBC） by 22.90%, 8.10%, 29.32%, and 23.22%, respectively. Compared with those under the CK and NP treatments, organic fertilizer instead of chemical nitrogen fertilizer increased soil enzyme activities. The activities of catalase, urease, sucrase, and phosphatase in the 1/2 （NPM） treatment were significantly increased by 21.89%, 8.24%, 34.91%, and 18.78%, respectively, compared with those in the NP treatment. Compared with that of the NP treatment, the maize yield of the 1/2 （NPM） and M treatments was significantly increased by 44.15% and 17.39%, respectively. There was no significant difference in soybean yield among different fertilization treatments. Correlation analysis showed that soil SOC was significantly positively correlated with ROC333, ROC167, ROC33, DOC, MBC, and soil active organic carbon components, and CPMI was significantly positively correlated with soil organic carbon and its active components （P<0.01）. Corn yield was significantly positively correlated with soil enzyme activity, CPMI, total organic carbon, and its active components （P<0.05）. Therefore, from the perspective of yield increase and soil fertility, 50% organic fertilizer instead of chemical nitrogen fertilizer was conducive to improving soil quality and soil fertility, which is the key fertilization technology to achieve a high yield of crops in the yellow soil area of Anshun, Guizhou.

[Effects of Different Microbial Fertilizers on Soil Quality and Maize Yield in Coastal Saline Soil].

Microbial fertilizers have the characteristics of high efficiency and environmental protection in improving saline soils, and the application of functional microbial fertilizers is of great significance for the green abatement of saline barriers and the improvement of soil quality in coastal areas. The experiment was based on moderately saline soil in the coastal area of Hebei Province, with corn as the indicator crop, on the basis of conventional chemical fertilizer application. Different microbial fertilizer treatments, namely, T1 （conventional chemical fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2 + compound microbial agent 75 kg·hm-2）, T2 （conventional chemical fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2 + Bacillus megaterium 300 kg·hm-2）, T3 （conventional chemical fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2 + B. mucilaginosus 300 kg·hm-2）, T4 （conventional chemical fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2 + organic silicon fertilizer 600 kg·hm-2）, T5 （conventional chemical fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2 + bio-organic fertilizer 600 kg·hm-2）, T6 （conventional fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2 + active microalgae 15 kg·hm-2）, and CK （only fertilizer 750 kg·hm-2）, were used for these seven treatments, to study the effects of different microbial fertilizers on soil nutrients, salinity, bacterial community, and corn yield and economic efficiency during two critical periods （V12 stage and maturity stage） of corn. The results showed that compared with that in CK, T1 significantly increased soil total nitrogen （TN） and available phosphorus （AP） contents during the whole growth period. Over the whole reproductive period, soil organic matter （OM） at maturity increased by 10.35% over the V12 stage compared to that in CK, but there was no significant difference between treatments. Compared with that in CK, T5 and T6 significantly reduced soil total salinity and Ca2+ content during the whole growth period by an average of 14.51%-18.48% and 24.25%-25.51%. T1 significantly increased the bacterial diversity index over the whole growth period by 45.16% compared to that in CK. The dominant soil phyla were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi, and the dominant genera were Bacillus and Geminicoccaceae. The most abundant functions of the bacterial community in the study area were chemoheterotrophy and aerobic chemoheterotrophy, with average relative abundances of 28.89% and 27.11%, and T3 and T6 significantly improved soil N cycling function. The results of redundancy analysis （RDA） indicated that Na+, SO42-, pH, and EC were important factors driving the structure of the bacterial community, and correlation heatmaps showed that Na+, SO42-, pH, and EC were significantly and positively correlated mainly with the phylum Planctomycetota, whereas soil OM and TN were significantly and positively correlated with Cyanobacteria. Compared with that in CK, T6 increased the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria and optimized the bacterial community structure during the whole growth period. Using recommended dosages of bacterial fertilizers T1 and T6 increased maize yield by 7.31%-24.83% and economic efficiency by 9.05%-23.23%, respectively. The preliminary results of soil chemical properties and yield correlation analysis revealed that EC, AP, HCO3-, and Mg2+ were the obstacle factors limiting soil productivity in coastal areas. In conclusion, the use of the compound bacterial agent （T1） and active microalgae （T6） at the recommended dosage can significantly enhance soil nutrients, reduce salinity, and improve the structural diversity of soil bacterial communities, which not only ensures the increase in maize yield and efficiency but also realizes the efficient use of microbial fertilizers and the improvement of soil quality.

Dissecting the effect of heat stress on durum wheat under field conditions.

Introduction: Heat stress negatively affects wheat production in several ways, mainly by reducing growth rate, photosynthetic capacity and reducing spike fertility. Modeling stress response means analyzing simultaneous relationships among traits affecting the whole plant response and determinants of grain yield. The aim of this study was to dissect the diverse impacts of heat stress on key yield traits and to identify the most promising sources of alleles for heat tolerance. Methods: We evaluated a diverse durum wheat panel of 183 cultivars and breeding lines from worldwide, for their response to long-term heat stress under field conditions (HS) with respect to non stress conditions (NS), considering phenological traits, grain yield (GY) and its components as a function of the timing of heat stress and climatic covariates. We investigated the relationships among plant and environmental variables by means of a structural equation model (SEM) and Genetic SEM (GSEM). Results: Over two years of experiments at CENEB, CIMMYT, the effects of HS were particularly pronounced for the normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI (-51.3%), kernel weight per spike, KWS (-40.5%), grain filling period, GFP (-38.7%), and GY (-56.6%). Average temperatures around anthesis were negatively correlated with GY, thousand kernel weight TKW and test weight TWT, but also with spike density, a trait determined before heading/anthesis. Under HS, the correlation between the three major determinants of GY, i.e., fertile spike density, spike fertility and kernel size, were of noticeable magnitude. NDVI measured at medium milk-soft dough stage under HS was correlated with both spike fertility and grain weight while under NS it was less predictive of grain weight but still highly correlated with spike fertility. GSEM modeling suggested that the causal model of performance under HS directly involves genetic effects on GY, NDVI, KWS and HD. Discussion: We identified consistently suitable sources of genetic resistance to heat stress to be used in different durum wheat pre-breeding programs. Among those, Desert Durums and CIMMYT'80 germplasm showed the highest degree of adaptation and capacity to yield under high temperatures and can be considered as a valuable source of alleles for adaptation to breed new HS resilient cultivars.

Highly Efficient Multicolor-Emitting Tetraphenylethylene-Based Organic Salts with Commercialization Prospects.

Since the discovery of aggregation-induced emission from tetraphenylethylene derivatives, various methods have been explored to prepare highly efficient multicolored luminescent materials. Herein, we report a simple and efficient strategy for constructing luminescent organic salts of the tetracationic luminogen, tetrapyridinium-tetraphenylethylene (T4Py-TPE4+), combined with seven di- and tetra-anionic aromatic sulfonate ligands. When aqueous solutions of the cationic luminogen and the anionic ligands were mixed, they rapidly aggregated into organic salts within seconds to minutes, giving yields of up to >90%. This was accompanied by an increase in the emission efficiency from ∼58% to almost 100%, and the ability to tune the emission color between 511 and 586 nm. These improvements were mainly attributed to the strong electrostatic attractions between the cation and anions, which resulted in the formation of a rigid hydrophobic network of the T4Py-TPE4+ luminogen with various π-conjugation lengths. Because these compounds are commercially available, this method opens the possibility of fabricating novel light-emitting materials for device fabrication and research.

Genotypes, epidemiological variables and fungicides application associated with wheat leaf rust development and grain yield.

The present study was carried out at the Plant Pathology Hafizabad Research Station, the University of Layyah, during the crop seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to evaluate the response of various wheat genotypes against leaf rust severity (%), environmental conditions favourable for disease development and grain yield. Except for minimum temperature and minimum relative humidity, which had a negative association with disease development, there was a significant correlation between leaf rust severity (%) and all environmental conditions such as maximum temperature, maximum relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed. All epidemiological variables such as maximum temperature, minimum temperature, minimum relative humidity, rainfall and wind speed significantly affect the disease progression. The disease predictive model accounted for 48-69 % variability in leaf rust severity. The model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.69) and RMSE, both demonstrated acceptable predictive results for leaf rust severity (%) management. Leaf rust severity (%) increased with an increase in maximum temperature (17.8-30 °C), maximum relative humidity (76.3-85 %), rainfall (2.2-10.85 mm) and wind speed 1.1-2.7 km/h and decreased with the increase of minimum temperature (7.91-16.71 °C) minimum relative humidity (47.15-56.45 %) during both rating seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. The single and two applications of fungicides at the Zadok's scale 3, ZS 4.3, and ZS 5.4 stages led to a significant reduction in grain yield losses caused by leaf rust severity (%) in both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 crop seasons. Single and two sprays of prothioconazole, were found to be the first choice among all treatments to reduce the disease severity and increase grain production and maximum gross revenue (513.1-777.8$/ha), as compared to followed by single and two sprays of propiconazole (Progress), tebuconazole + trifloxystrobin, tebuconazole, bixafen + tebuconazole, and propiconazole (Tilt), respectively. These findings recommend the involvement of genotype resistance and weather predictors in wheat leaf rust development, along with fungicide application studies, to improve the predictability of host resistance to disease, future models, and the sustainability of disease control methods.

Impact of "3414" fertilization on the yield and quality of greenhouse tomatoes.

This study aimed to explore the effects of different nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratios on the yield and nutritional quality of greenhouse tomatoes under a water and fertilizer integration model. Greenhouse tomatoes were used as the research object, and the "3414" fertilizer trial design was employed to assess tomato growth, yield, quality, and soil indicators across various treatment combinations. The goal was to determine the optimal fertilization scheme and recommend appropriate fertilizer quantities for tomato cultivation and production. The results revealed that different fertilizer ratios significantly affected both the quality and yield of tomatoes. Overall, the tomato yield tended to increase with higher fertilization amounts, with potassium exhibiting the most pronounced effect on yield increase, followed by phosphorus and nitrogen. The comprehensive analysis of principal components indicated that the N2P2K1 treatment yielded the highest nutritional quality and yield. Therefore, the best fertilization combination identified in this study consisted of nitrogen fertilizer at 197.28 kg hm-2, phosphorus fertilizer at 88.75 kg hm-2, and potassium fertilizer at 229.80 kg hm-2. These findings provided the scientific basis for optimizing fertilization practices in greenhouse tomato cultivation and production in the Jilin Province.

Molecular selection of soybean towards adaptation to Central European agroclimatic conditions.

Europe is highly dependent on soybean meal imports and anticipates an increase of domestic plant protein production. Ongoing climate change resulted in northward shift of plant hardiness zones, enabling spring-sowing of freezing-sensitive crops, including soybean. However, it requires efficient reselection of germplasm adapted to relatively short growing season and long-day photoperiod. In the present study, a PCR array has been implemented, targeting early maturity (E1-E4, E7, E9, and E10), pod shattering (qPHD1), and growth determination (Dt1) genes. This array was optimized for routine screening of soybean diversity panel (204 accessions), subjected to the 2018-2020 survey of phenology, morphology, and yield-related traits in a potential cultivation region in Poland. High broad-sense heritability (0.84-0.88) was observed for plant height, thousand grain weight, maturity date, and the first pod height. Significant positive correlations were identified between the number of seeds and pods per plant, between these two traits and seed yield per plant as well as between flowering, maturity, plant height, and first pod height. PCR array genotyping revealed high genetic diversity, yielding 98 allelic combinations. The most remarkable correlations were identified between flowering and E7 or E1, between maturity and E4 or E7 and between plant height and Dt1 or E4. The study demonstrated high applicability of this PCR array for molecular selection of soybean towards adaptation to Central Europe, designating recessive qPHD1 and dominant Dt1, E3, and E4 alleles as major targets to align soybean growth season requirements with the length of the frost-free period, improve plant performance, and increase yield.

Growing cocoa in semi-arid climate and the rhythmicity of stem growth and leaf flushing determined by dendrometers.

This study investigated the performance of cocoa trees within an irrigated cocoa plantation situated in the semi-arid region of Bahia, Brazil. Two treatments were compared: "full sun," where cocoa trees were not shaded, and "shade," where trees were covered with a shading net absorbing 30 % of the radiation. The number of leaves and the leaf area index (LAI) were assessed using destructive method on 8 trees. In addition, new flushing of leaves, categorized into four flushing stages, were assessed visually on a weekly basis during two years. The variation of the stem diameter was measured using dendrometer sensors (n = 12 trees). Yield parameters like dry bean yield and number of fruits (healthy and aborted) were assessed on 40 trees per treatment. Both treatments, performed well in the semi-arid region. Generative parameters, such as dry bean yield (±2,000 kg/ha), fruit healthy and abortion rate per plot, were unaffected by full sun and shade treatments. The treatments showed high fruit abortion rates of (±60 %), showing that there's still much room for yield optimization. Additionally, stem diameter of the trees showed a significant reduction of the stem growth (daily increase of stem diameter) and maximum daily shrinkage (daily variation of stem diameter) during the flushing of new leaves. This implies that the emergence of new leaves significantly influences stem growth, consequently affecting the fruits which are growing on the stem. This assumption was corroborated by the significantly increased fruit abortion rate during the flushing of new leaves (stages 1 & 2). These findings highlight the potential of dendrometers to quantify this effect what can be used in future to optimize management practices. By doing so, more effective strategies can be developed to enhance cocoa yield and overall productivity in semi-arid regions.

Modified human skin cell isolation protocol and its influence on keratinocyte and melanocyte culture.

Introduction: With the increasing emphasis on the use of nonanimal ingredients in clinical care, studies have proposed the use of TrypLE™ as an alternative to trypsin. However, previous research has reported insufficient cell yield and viability when using TrypLE to isolate skin cells compared to the dispase/trypsin-EDTA method. This study aimed to propose an improved method for increasing the yield and viability of cells isolated by TrypLE and to evaluate isolated keratinocytes and melanocytes. Methods: Foreskin tissues were isolated to keratinocytes and melanocytes using the trypsin-EDTA protocol and our modified TrypLE protocol. The yield and viability of freshly isolated cells were compared, the epidermal residue after cell suspension filtration was analyzed histologically, and the expression of cytokeratin 14 (CK14) and Melan-A was detected by flow cytometry. After cultivation, keratinocytes and melanocytes were further examined for marker expression and proliferation. A coculture model of melanocytes and HaCaT cells was used to evaluate melanin transfer. Results: The yield, viability of total cells and expression of the keratinocyte marker CK14 were similar for freshly isolated cells from both protocols. No differences were observed in the histologic analysis of epidermal residues. Moreover, no differences in keratinocyte marker expression or melanocyte melanin transfer function were observed after culture. However, melanocytes generated using the TrypLE protocol exhibited increased Melan-A expression and proliferation in culture. Conclusion: Our TrypLE protocol not only solved the problems of insufficient cell yield and viability in previous studies but also preserved normal cell morphology and function, which enables the clinical treatment of depigmentation diseases.

Influence of leaf inclination angle and tillering on population transpiration, soil evaporation, and yield in winter wheat near-isogenic lines.

Leaf inclination angle (LIA) and tillering impact the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) population canopy structure. Understanding their effects on water use (WU) parameters and yield can guide water-saving strategies through population control. In this study, six near-isogenic lines (NILs) and their parents were selected as materials. These special materials were characterized by varying tillering at the current sowing density, a similar genetic background, and, particularly, a gradient in mean flag leaf LIA. The investigation focused on the jointing to early grain-filling stage, the peak water requirement period of wheat crops. Population-scale transpiration (PT) and evaporation from the soil surface (E) were partitioned from total evapotranspiration (ET) by the means of micro-lysimeters. The results showed decreased PT, E, and ET with increased population density (PD) within a narrow density range derived from varying tillering across genotypes. Significant correlations existed between PD and ET, E, and PT, especially in the wettest 2017-2018 growing season. Within such narrow PD range, all the correlations between WU parameters and PD were negative, although some correlations were not statistically significant, thereby suggesting the population structure's predominant impact. No significant correlation existed between LIA and both ET and PT within the LIA range of 35°-65°. However, significant correlations occurred between LIA and E in two growing seasons. Genotypes with similar LIA but different PD produced varied ET; while with similar PD, the four pairs of genotypes with different LIA each consumed similar ET, thus highlighting PD's more crucial role in regulating ET. The yield increased with higher LIA, and showed a significant correlation, emphasizing the LIA's significant effect on yield. However, no correlation was observed with PD, indicating the minor effect of tillering at the current sowing density. Therefore these results might offer valuable insights for breeding water-saving cultivars and optimizing population structures for effective field water conservation.

Synergy of gut microbiota and host genome in driving heterosis expression of chickens.

Heterosis has been widely utilized in agricultural production. Despite over a century of extensive research, the underlying mechanisms of heterosis remain elusive. Most hypotheses and research have focused on the genetic basis of heterosis. However, the potential role of gut microbiota in heterosis has been largely ignored. Here, we carefully design a crossbreeding experiment with two distinct broiler breeds and conduct 16S rRNA amplicon and transcriptome sequencing to investigate the synergistic role of gut microbiota and host genes in driving heterosis. We find that the breast muscle weight of the hybrids exhibits a high heterosis, 6.28% higher than mid-parent value. A notable difference is observed in the composition and potential function of cecal microbiota between hybrids and their parents. Over 90% of the differentially colonized microbiota and differentially expressed genes exhibit nonadditive patterns. Integrative analyses uncover associations between nonadditive genes and nonadditive microbiota, including a connection between the expression of cellular signaling pathway and metabolism-related genes and the abundance of Odoribacter, Oscillibacter, and Alistipes in hybrids. Moreover, higher abundances of these microbiota are related to better meat yield. In summary, these findings highlight the importance of gut microbiota in heterosis, serving as crucial factors that modulate heterosis expression in chickens.