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The recent trend of global warming poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide. This global climate change has also impacted the pollution levels in aquatic ecosystems, subsequently affecting human health. To address these issues, an experiment was conducted to investigate the mitigating effects of iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) on arsenic and ammonia toxicity as well as high temperature stress (As+NH3+T). Fe-NPs were biologically synthesized using fish waste and incorporated into feed formulations at 10, 15, and 20 mg kg-1 diet. A total of 12 treatments were designed in triplicate following a completely randomized design involving 540 fish. Fe-NPs at 15 mg kg-1 diet notably reduced the cortisol levels in fish exposed to multiple stressors. The gene expressions of HSP 70, DNA damage-inducible protein (DDIP), and DNA damage were upregulated by stressors (As+NH3+T) and downregulated by Fe-NPs. Apoptotic genes (Cas 3a and 3b) and detoxifying genes (CYP 450), metallothionein (MT), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were downregulated by Fe-NPs at 15 mg kg-1 diet in fish subjected to As+NH3+T stress. Immune-related genes such as tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), immunoglobulin (Ig), and interleukin (IL) were upregulated by Fe-NPs, indicating enhanced immunity in fish under As+NH3+T stress. Conversely, Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression was notably downregulated by Fe-NPs at 15 mg kg-1 diet in fish under As+NH3+T stress. Immunological attributes such as nitro blue tetrazolium chloride, total protein, albumin, globulin, A:G ratio, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were improved by dietary Fe-NPs at 15 mg kg-1 diet in fish, regardless of stressors. The antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD, and GPx) were also strengthened by Fe-NPs in fish. Genes associated with growth performance, such as growth hormone regulator (GHR1 and GHRβ), growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF 1X and IGF 2X), were upregulated, enhancing fish growth under stress, while SMT and MYST were downregulated by Fe-NPs in the diet. Various growth performance indicators were improved by dietary Fe-NPs at 15 mg kg-1 diet. Notably, Fe-NPs also enhanced arsenic detoxification and reduced the cumulative mortality after a bacterial infection. In conclusion, this study highlights that dietary Fe-NPs can effectively mitigate arsenic and ammonia toxicity as well as high temperature stress by modulating gene expression in fish.

Intercropping offers greater scope to introduce new crops. Cultivation of crops with diverse root architecture and different durations enhances the productivity of scarce resources like land and water. This study aimed to determine the effect of intercrop competition and irrigation regimes on yield, competition, land usage, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), and fatty acids of chia. The field experiment was conducted in semi-arid India during 2020–2022 with full (I100) and deficit irrigation (I50) and six intercrops. Results demonstrated that chia + fenugreek intercropping in I50 improved the crops’ competitiveness, land equivalent ratio (LER) (1.77), land use efficiency (142.5%), and the IWUE of chia (23.2%). Notably, a chia + radish/spinach system in I50 reduced the seed yield (42.6–45.0%) of chia over I100 monocropping. A chia + fenugreek system in I50 resulted in a higher seed yield (196.2 kg ha−1) than chia monocropping in I100. Further, chia + fenugreek intercropping resulted in higher omega-3 content (56.68%) under I100. Therefore, a chia + fenugreek system under I100 may be suggested over monocropping for better yield and oil quality. However, during water scarcity situations, growers can adopt a chia + fenugreek system under I50 which can give a similar chia equivalent yield and a higher LER and IWUE compared to chia monocropping under I100.

SUMMARY: Brassica carinata (BBCC) commonly referred to as Ethiopian mustard is a natural allotetraploid containing the genomes of Brassica nigra (BB) and Brassica oleracea (CC). It is an oilseed crop endemic to the northeastern regions of Africa. Although it is under limited cultivation, B. carinata is valuable as it is resistant/highly tolerant to most of the pathogens affecting widely cultivated Brassica species of the U's triangle. We report a chromosome‐scale genome assembly of B. carinata accession HC20 using long‐read Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Bionano optical maps. The assembly has a scaffold N50 of ~39.8 Mb and covers ~1.11 Gb of the genome. We compared the long‐read genome assemblies of the U's triangle species and found extensive gene collinearity between the diploids and allopolyploids with no evidence of major gene losses. Therefore, B. juncea (AABB), B. napus (AACC), and B. carinata can be regarded as strict allopolyploids. We cataloged the nucleotide‐binding and leucine‐rich repeat immune receptor (NLR) repertoire of B. carinata and, identified 465 NLRs, and compared these with the NLRs in the other Brassica species. We investigated the extent and nature of early‐generation genomic interactions between the constituent genomes of B. carinata and B. juncea in interspecific crosses between the two species. Besides the expected recombination between the constituent B genomes, extensive homoeologous exchanges were observed between the A and C genomes. Interspecific crosses, therefore, can be used for transferring disease resistance from B. carinata to B. juncea and broadening the genetic base of the two allotetraploid species. Significance Statement: We report a highly contiguous genome assembly of allotetraploid mustard Brassica carinata HC20 (BBCC) which contains resistance to many diseases affecting the other extensively cultivated Brassica species of the U's triangle. Comparative analyses of the long‐read assemblies of the six Brassica species revealed high gene collinearity between the three diploid and their allotetraploid species. We tracked the early‐generation genomic interactions between the subgenomes of B. carinata (BBCC) and B. juncea (AABB) in their interspecific crosses using molecular karyotyping and proposed strategies to utilize this information for genomic introgressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength and durability properties of the recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) have been affected by the cracks and the weak interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of the recycled coarse aggregates (RCA). However, the mechanical and physical features of RCA can be improved by microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP). Therefore, immobilization techniques were used to protect and maintain the high efficiency of Bacillus bacteria for the formation and precipitation of calcium carbonates in self‐healing concrete over a period of time. The objective of the present study was to show the viability of the immobilized bacterial consortium‐enhanced RCA to form self‐healing cracks. Further, the self‐healing capability of enhanced RCA was investigated along with two other immobilization methods, that is, RCA and hydrated lime and brick powder (HBr)‐immobilized bacteria. The experimental results show that the increase in the bio‐deposition time improved the physical and mechanical properties of the RCA. Further, subsequently 56 days of the healing incubation period, the immobilized consortium‐enhanced RCA concrete specimens completely healed the cracks of width 0.58 mm. However, the equivalent cracks of width 0.56 mm were also recovered by the HBr immobilized bacterial cultures. Furthermore, the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the existence of precipitation at the crack surface was calcium carbonate with a regular cubic‐shaped and lamellar layer morphology. The outcomes of the current study show that consortium‐enhanced RCA has promising potential to develop self‐healing concrete with self‐repaired and improved durability properties in the concrete construction field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractA sustainable and reliable methodology to strengthen the mortar adhered to recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is crucial for optimizing its utilization in construction. This research proposes a mortar strengthening method by soaking RCA in different dosages (weight percentages) of pozzolanic slurries, i.e., fly ash and silica powder (F-S), fly ash and cement (F-C), cement and silica powder (C-S) for various durations. The influence of each slurry dosage and soaking duration on RCA's physical and mechanical properties and surface morphology were examined. Further, a modified two-stage mixing approach (M-TSMA) was employed to produce recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) incorporating 100% untreated and surface-treated RCA. The impact of M-TSMA and treated RCA on concrete was demonstrated regarding its mechanical and durability properties, such as compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, rebound hammer, sorptivity, and resistance to chloride ions. Results show that soaking RCA in 30% C-S slurry for 6 h enhances RCA's overall properties by increasing the calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) content. Moreover, employing M-TSMA and incorporating treated RCA improves the mechanical and durability properties of RAC by reducing microcracks and densifying the microstructure. Overall, the proposed surface treatment and M-TSMA can potentially enhance RAC performance with complete RCA utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rapid intelligent transportation systems (ITS) innovations need a reliable MAC protocol to enable massive nonsafety message delivery and high‐priority safety broadcasts. The significant rise in spectrum need is regulated by collaboration in cognitive vehicular networks (CVNs). For QoS improvement, a reliable cooperative MAC for CVNs (CCVN‐MAC) is presented in this study. CCVN allows vehicles to collaborate and share channel status information, allowing for proactive channel switching in case of a legacy user (LU) appearance. To enable transmission mode selection, additional control signals are included. Using the suggested cooperative makeup technique, the helper nodes resend failed transmission. A Markov chain represents the protocol, and NS‐2 is used to evaluate it for several performance characteristics. Compared with conventional MAC techniques, the proposed protocol depicts improved performance, including depreciation of 70% in average latency and an increment of 42.4% in throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of avian influenza viruses is commonly found to increase dramatically as birds are transported from farms to live bird markets. Viral transmission dynamics along marketing chains are, however, poorly understood. To address this gap, we implemented a controlled field experiment altering chicken supply to a live bird market in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Broilers and backyard chickens traded along altered (intervention) and conventional (control) marketing chains were tested for avian influenza viruses at different time points. Upon arrival at the live bird market, the odds of detecting avian influenza viruses did not differ between control and intervention groups. However, 12 h later, intervention group odds were lower, particularly for broilers, indicating that viral shedding in live bird markets resulted partly from infections occurring during transport and trade. Curtailing avian influenza virus prevalence in live bird markets requires mitigating risk in marketing chain nodes preceding chickens' delivery at live bird markets., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)