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Pecan (Carya illinoinensis), a globally economically significant dried fruit and woody oil tree, faces significant challenges in production and nut quality due to the rampant outbreak of severe fungal diseases. From 2020 to 2021, an extensive occurrence of a disease resembling gray mold was observed on the leaves and fruits of pecan trees in Jiangsu Province, China. Upon isolation from symptomatic samples, Botrytis cinerea was identified through morphological analysis and phylogenetic studies of the G3PDH, HSP60, and RPB2 gene sequences. Furthermore, pathogenicity tests conclusively attributed the gray mold disease observed on pecan leaves and fruits to B. cinerea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that B. cinerea has been reported on pecans. These findings thus provide a basis for further research on the management of pecan gray mold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cortical bone loss is intricately associated with ageing and coincides with iron accumulation. The precise role of ferroptosis, characterized by iron overload and lipid peroxidation, in senescent osteocytes remains elusive. We found that ferroptosis was a crucial mode of osteocyte death in cortical bone during ageing. Using a single‐cell transcriptome analysis, we identified activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) as a critical driver of osteocyte ferroptosis. Elevated ATF3 expression in senescent osteocytes promotes iron uptake by upregulating transferrin receptor 1 while simultaneously inhibiting solute carrier family 7‐member 11‐mediated cystine import. This process leads to an iron overload and lipid peroxidation, culminating in ferroptosis. Importantly, ATF3 inhibition in aged mice effectively alleviated ferroptosis in the cortical bone and mitigated cortical bone mass loss. Taken together, our findings establish a pivotal role of ferroptosis in cortical bone loss in older adults, providing promising prevention and treatment strategies for osteoporosis and fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new negligible depletion extraction procedure was proposed for equilibrium sampling of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP) into a thin film of 1-octanol supported on a hollow fiber membrane. This thin liquid film extraction technique was directed at the determination of (1) freely dissolved concentrations, (2) distribution coefficients to 1-octanol ([D.sub.ow]), and (3) binding to dissolved organic matter ([D.sub.DOC]). The sampling device was prepared by dipping pieces of polypropylene microporous hollow fiber membrane (10-mm length, 30-[micro]m wall thickness, 240-[micro]m inner diameter) into 1-octanol for a few seconds to impregnate the pores of the hollow fiber wall. After stirring in 100 mL of sample solution for 24 h, the sampling device was harvested and desorbed with 30 [micro]L of methanol, of which 20 [micro]L was injected for HPLC analysis. With the measured [D.sub.ow] of a chemical and its equilibrium concentration in the 1-octanol sampling phase ([C.sub.octanol]), the freely dissolved concentration ([C.sub.free]) was calibrated based on [C.sub.free] = [C.sub.octanol]/[D.sub.ow]. Measured log [D.sub.ow] values of OP (4.32 [+ or -] 0.06) and NP (4.79 [+ or -] 0.02) were independent of the chemical concentration, only minimally affected by the environmentally relevant pH, buffering capacity, and salinity of samples, and agreed well with reported values. Log [D.sub.DOC] values of OP (4.89 [+ or -] 0.43) and NP (5.14 [+ or -] 0.37), determined in Aldrich humic acid solution, agreed with reported partition coefficients to organic carbon (log [K.sub.oc]) for particles in river water and effluent wastewater. Short equilibration times and high enrichment factors were obtained for both analytes due to the high surface to volume ratio of the new sampler. The technique was successfully applied to determine [C.sub.free] of OP and NP in real water samples and to study their association with humic acids and bovine albumin.

A novel Ag3VO4/CoWO4 (AgCoO) p–n heterostructure was designed and prepared by an in situ growth method. The physicochemical properties of the as-prepared materials were characterized by multiple techniques, and the photocatalytic performances in Cr(VI) reduction and TC degradation were also evaluated under visible-light irradiation. The optimal AgCoO0.20 exhibited excellent Cr(VI) reduction activity (98.5% removal rate) and TC degradation activity (71.4% removal rate). The enhanced Cr(VI) reduction and TC degradation performances were attributed to fast transportation and efficient separation of the charge carriers due to the synergistic effect of the sufficient interfacial contact and the interaction between CoWO4 and Ag3VO4 induced by the formation of the p–n heterostructure. Ultimately, the possible enhanced photocatalytic mechanism over the Ag3VO4/CoWO4 p–n heterostructure composite was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P. aegyptiaca is one of the most destructive root parasitic plants worldwide, causing serious damage to many crop species. Under natural conditions P. aegyptiaca seeds must be conditioned and then stimulated by host root exudates before germinating. However, preliminary experiments indicated that TIS108 (a triazole-type inhibitor of strigolactone) and fluridone (FL, an inhibitor of carotenoid-biosynthesis) both stimulated the germination of P. aegyptiaca seeds without a water preconditioning step (i.e. unconditioned seeds). The objective of this study was to use deep RNA sequencing to learn more about the mechanisms by which TIS108 and FL stimulate the germination of unconditioned P. aegyptiaca seeds. Deep RNA sequencing was performed to compare the mechanisms of germination in the following treatments: (i) unconditioned P. aegyptiaca seeds with no other treatment, (ii) unconditioned seeds treated with 100 mg/L TIS108, (iii) unconditioned seeds treated with 100 mg/L FL + 100 mg/L GA3, (iv) conditioned seeds treated with sterile water, and (v) conditioned seeds treated with 0.03 mg/L GR24. The de novo assembled transcriptome was used to analyze transcriptional dynamics during seed germination. The key gene categories involved in germination were also identified. The results showed that only 119 differentially expressed genes were identified in the conditioned treatment vs TIS108 treatment. This indicated that the vast majority of conditions for germination were met during the conditioning stage. Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) played important roles during P. aegyptiaca germination. The common pathway of TIS108, FL+GA3, and GR24 in stimulating P. aegyptiaca germination was the simultaneous reduction in ABA concentrations and increase GA concentrations. These results could potentially aid the identification of more compounds that are capable of stimulating P. aegyptiaca germination. Some potential target sites of TIS108 were also identified in our transcriptome data. The results of this experiment suggest that TIS108 and FL+GA3 could be used to control P. aegyptiaca through suicidal germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new procedure, based on hollow fiber supported liquid membrane preconcentration coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) detection, was developed for the determination of trace Cd in seawater samples. With 1-octanol that contained a mixture of dithizone (carrier) and oleic acid immobilized in the pores of the polypropylene hollow fiber as a liquid membrane, Cd was selectively extracted from water samples into 0.05 M HNO3 that filled the lumen of the hollow fiber as a stripping solution. The main extraction related parameters were optimized, and the effects of salinity and some coexisting interferants were also evaluated. Under the optimum extraction conditions, an enrichment factor of 387 was obtained for a 100-mL sample solution. In combination with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, a very low detection limit (0.8 ng L−1) and a relative standard deviation (2.5% at 50 ng L−1 level) were achieved. Five seawater samples were analyzed by the proposed method without dilution, with detected Cd concentration in the range of 56.4–264.8 ng L−1 and the relative spiked recoveries over 89%. For comparison, these samples were also analyzed by the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method after a 10-fold dilution for matrix effect elimination. Statistical analysis with a one-way ANOVA shows no significant differences (at 0.05 level) between the results obtained by the proposed and ICP-MS methods. Additionally, analysis of certified reference materials (GBW (E) 080040) shows good agreement with the certified value. These results indicate that this present method is very sensitive and reliable, and can effectively eliminate complex matrix interferences in seawater samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A rapid, simple and generic analytical method which was able to simultaneously determine 220 undesirable chemical residues in infant formula had been developed. The method comprised of extraction with acetonitrile, clean-up by low temperature and water precipitation, and analysis by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI–MS–MS) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Most fat materials in acetonitrile extract were eliminated by low temperature clean-up. The water precipitation, providing a necessary andsupplementary cleanup, could avoid losses of hydrophobic analytes (avermectins, ionophores). Average recoveries for spiked infant formula were in the range from 57% to 147% with associated RSD values between 1% and 28%. For over 80% of the analytes, the recoveries were between 70% and 120% with RSD values in the range of 1–15%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were from 0.01 to 5μg/kg, which were usually sufficient to verify the compliance of products with legal tolerances. Application of this method in routine monitoring programs would imply a drastic reduction of both effort and time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]