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Electrical manipulation of lattice, charge, and spin is realized respectively by the piezoelectric effect, field-effect transistor, and electric field control of ferromagnetism, bringing about dramatic promotions both in fundamental research and industrial production. However, it is generally accepted that the orbital of materials are impossible to be altered once they have been made. Here, electric field is used to dynamically tune the electronic-phase transition in (La,Sr)MnO3 films with different Mn4+/(Mn3+ + Mn4+) ratios. The orbital occupancy and corresponding magnetic anisotropy of these thin films are manipulated by gate voltage in a reversible and quantitative manner. Positive gate voltage increases the proportion of occupancy of the orbital and magnetic anisotropy that were initially favored by strain (irrespective of tensile and compressive), while negative gate voltage reduces the concomitant preferential orbital occupancy and magnetic anisotropy. Besides its fundamental significance in orbital physics, these findings might advance the process towards practical oxide-electronics based on orbital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrite reduction is regulated by nitrite reductase encoded by nirK and nirS genes. This study aimed to investigate the abundance and composition of nirK- and nirS-containing denitrifiers in response to Spartina alterniflora invasion at the Jiulong River estuary, China. The sediment samples (depth: 0–5.0 and 5.1–20 cm) were collected from 3 vegetation zones, 1 dominated by the exotic plant S.alterniflora, 1 dominated by the native plant Kandelia candel, and 1 dominated by the native plant Cyperus malaccensis, and from an unvegetated flat zone. nirK- and nirS-containing denitrifier population sizes were lower in the invaded and nonvegetated zones than in those dominated by native K.candel and C.malaccensis, which were impacted by depth – vegetation species interaction. The ratios of nirS to nirK abundance ranged from 42.10 to 677.27, with the lowest ratio found for the upper layer in the invaded zone. The nirK-containing denitrifier compositions showed a 35% similarity between invaded zone and others. Most of the sequences of nirK genes recovered from the S.alterniflora zone were specific and distinct from those of nirK genes recovered from other vegetation types; nirS genes in the invaded zone were highly divergent. These results reveal that S.alterniflora invasion has a significant effect on the abundance and composition of both nirK- and nirS-containing denitrifiers, and nirS-containing denitrifiers were less responsive to invasion than nirK-containing denitrifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The 13C4-pyrene dissipation rates were significantly different at different composting stage. [•] Significant bacterial community shift was observed during the composting process. [•] Streptomyces was the dominant 13C4-pyrene degraders at 55°C in the composting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an iterative method to compute the symmetric solutions of the matrix inequalityAX≥Bin least-squares sense. The presented iteration method can be also used to compute the symmetric solutions of the matrix equationAX=Band the consistent matrix inequalityAX≥B. Numerical experiments are given to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The thermostable DNA ligase of Thermotoga maritima (Tma DNA ligase) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified by heat treatment followed by metal affinity chromatography. Purified Tma DNA ligase exhibited activity on DNA fragments with cohesive termini, and no activity was detected on blunt-end DNA. The ligase reaction required NAD+, and a divalent cation including Mg2+, Mn2+or Ca2+. The highest activity of Tma DNA ligase occurred at 60°C and pH 8.0 when Hind III digested plasmid was used as substrate. The purified enzyme had a half-life of over 30min at 95°C, and retained over 80% of its activity after holding a pH ranging from 7.2 to 8.8 for 1h at 80°C. When the enzyme was employed in PCR cycles, Tma DNA ligase promoted the amplification of long DNA fragments from the genomic DNA of T. maritima. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The trifunctional enzyme (XAR–XYN) associating the Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus xylosidase-arabinosidase (XAR) with the Thermomyces lanuginosus xylanase (XYN) was produced in E. coli to study the effect of the physical association of the fusion partners on the enzymatic efficiency. Recombinant XAR, XYN and XAR–XYN were purified to homogeneity and characterized. The optimal pH and temperature of the XAR–XYN were found to be similar to those of the XAR and XYN, except for less temperature optimum of α-arabinosidase activity. Its pH and xylanase activity exhibited more stable than those of the XAR and XYN. Finally, the XAR–XYN was tested for degradation of oat spelt xylan and wheat bran, the XAR–XYN was found to be more facile than the corresponding free enzyme degradation of wheat bran but provided little or no advantage on purified xylan. Furthermore cooperation within a trifunctional enzyme containing linker SAGSSAAGSGSG between each partner was achieved, leading to a trifunctional enzyme with enhanced enzymatic efficiency on arabinoxylan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Ignavibacteria are ubiquitously abundant in paddy soils, but their functional role is poorly known. Here, we applied a targeted meta-genomic/transcriptomic approach to elucidate genetic potential and functional activity of the Ignavibacteria in straw-amended paddy soils from Italy. Eight high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were recovered, being the largest ones (∅ 4.8 Mbp) among all known Ignavibacteria genomes (∅ 3.7 Mbp). Functional annotation revealed that the Ignavibacteria in Italian paddy soil are facultative anaerobes, represent a novel lineage in the Ignavibacteriae phylum, and have the ability for aerobic-hybrid phenylacetate degradation. Their putative functional roles under anoxic and micro-oxic conditions were assessed by mapping environmental mRNA onto the MAGs. Transcript analysis showed that primary fermentation of sugars to acetate and hydrogen is a major energy-yielding pathway under anoxic conditions. Although the phenylacetate degradation pathway is widely distributed among taxonomically diverse paddy soil bacteria, Ignavibacteria almost exclusively expressed this pathway under micro-oxic conditions. In particular, the transcript level of the paaABCDE gene cluster increased significantly. It encodes a monooxygenase, which is the key enzyme of phenylacetate degradation. This was linked to a significant decrease in transcripts encoding fermentation pathways and oxygen-sensitive hydrogenases, but increase in transcripts encoding TCA cycle, respiratory chain, and proteins involved in oxygen stress response (SOD1, AhpC, Bfr). More than half of the carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) expressed under anoxic and micro-oxic conditions possessed signal peptides, thereby indicating that Ignavibacteria contribute to the decomposition of complex polymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and chitin. In summary, the Ignavibacteria in rice field soil are metabolically versatile and particularly adapted to the varying oxygen conditions in this ecosystem. • Multi-omics was used to characterize yet uncultured Ignavibacteria in rice field soil. • High-quality MAGs revealed greatest metabolic versatility among known Ignavibacteria. • Primary fermentation was the major activity under anoxic paddy soil conditions. • Phenylacetate degradation was specifically induced under micro-oxic conditions. • Contribution to polymer hydrolysis occurred regardless of oxygen conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Carbon storage, habitat quality, soil retention, and water yield in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China are in an increasing phase from 2000 to 2020. • Diverse ES bundles shift over time, revealing intricate spatiotemporal dynamics. • Socio-ecological drivers shape consistent yet scale-dependent ES patterns. • Propose ecological management strategies at different spatial scales based on ecosystem service bundles. To achieve regional ecological management and sustainable socio-economic development, it is essential to comprehend the intricate and interdependent relationships among various ecosystem services. The Agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable area. There is limited research on managing multiple ecosystem services to maximize supply based on understanding the complex relationships among ecosystem services. This study used the InVEST model to quantify habitat quality (HQ), soil conservation (SC), carbon sequestration (CS), and water yield (WY) in the Agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China in 2000, 2010, and 2020 at the 5 km grid and county scales. Their trade-off and synergistic effects were explored using Spearman correlation analysis and the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model. In addition, self-organizing mapping was employed to identify ecosystem service bundles at two scales, whereas the geodetector was employed to determine the primary social-ecological drivers of ES. Finally, management strategies are proposed based on the research results to promote regional ecological sustainability. The results indicate that: (1) The four ESs exhibited an increasing trend during the study period. Except for WY, the other three ES demonstrated a similar spatial distribution while remaining relatively stable over time; (2) there is a synergistic effect between CS, HQ, and SC, whereas WY-related ES show trade-off effects; (3) six ES bundles were identified at the 5 km grid scale, and four ES bundles were identified at the county scale; (4) precipitation is a major driving factor for WY and an important driving factor for CS, HQ, and SC. In summary, natural factors have a greater impact on ES than socio-economic factors. Based on the differences in ecosystem service bundles and drivers at different scales, and in conjunction with China's existing environmental policies, corresponding ecological management strategies were proposed, potentially providing a reference for sustainable development of the Agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A batch of Sn oxides was fabricated by pulse direct current reactive magnetron sputtering (pDC−RMS) using different Ar/O2 flow ratios at 0.3 Pa; the influence of stoichiometry on the physical and electrochemical properties of the films was evaluated by the characterization of scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflection (XRR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and more. The results were as follows. First, the film surface transitioned from a particle morphology (roughness of 50.0 nm) to a smooth state (roughness of 3.7 nm) when Ar/O2 flow ratios changed from 30/0 to 23/7; second, all SnOx films were in an amorphous state, some samples deposited with low O2 flow ratios (≤2 sccm) still included metallic Sn grains. Therefore, the stoichiometry of SnOx calculated by XPS spectra increased linearly from SnO0.0.08 to SnO1.71 as the O2 flow ratios increased, and the oxidation degree was further calibrated by the average valence method and SnO2 standard material. Finally, the electrochemical performance was confirmed to be improved with the increase in oxidation degree (x) in SnOx, and the SnO1.71 film deposited with Ar/O2 = 23/7 possessed the best cycle performance, reversible capacity of 396.1 mAh/g and a capacity retention ratio of 75.4% after 50 cycles at a constant current density of 44 μA/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly transparent indium-free multilayers of TiO2/Cu/TiO2 were obtained by means of annealing. The effects of Cu thickness and annealing temperature on the electrical and optical properties were investigated. The critical thickness of Cu mid-layer with optimal electrical and optical properties was 10 nm, with the figure of merit reaching as high as 5 × 10−3 Ω−1. Partial crystallization of the TiO2 layer enhanced the electrical and optical properties upon annealing. Electrothermal experiments showed that temperatures of more than 100 °C can be reached at a heating rate of 2 °C/s without any damage to the multilayers. The experimental results indicate that reliable transparent TiO2/Cu/TiO2 multilayers can be used for electrothermal application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecologically fragile agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is characterized by relatively poor arable land quality. Yunzhou District in Datong City, which is situated within this transitional zone, boasts over 600 years of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni cultivation. Exploring the effects of soil physicochemical properties on daylily yield and related agronomic traits is essential for enhancing the ecological and economic value of dominant crops in ecologically fragile areas. Therefore, in this study, we focused on the daylily, a characteristic cash crop that is grown in the agro-pastoral ecotone in Yunzhou District. Physicochemical property measurement and yield estimation were performed using soil samples collected from 37 sites, with Spearman's correlation analysis, one-way analysis of variance with multiple comparisons, path analysis, and stepwise regression analysis used to analyze the generated data. The results showed the following: (1) The pathway analysis of daylily yield with each agronomic trait showed that the BN and PH directly affected the yield of daylily with direct pathway coefficients of 0.844 and 0.7, respectively, whereas the SN indirectly affected the yield of daylily through the BD and PH, with indirect pathway coefficients of 0.827 and 0.566, respectively. (2) A total of four principal components were extracted for the soil factors, of which SMC, ST and BD had large loadings on PC1; OM, TN and pH had large loadings on PC2; AK had large loadings on PC3; and AP had large loadings on PC4. (3) From the principal component regression and stepwise regression, it can be seen that SMC is the most critical factor affecting the yield of daylily, as well as the related agronomic traits, and the results also show that yield prediction was affected by OM, ST, and AK, while BN was influenced by OM and ST, and SN and PH were influenced by AP. Comparing the goodness of fit and significance of the two models, it can be concluded that the stepwise regression model is the optimal model for this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants deploy different strategies to respond and adapt to various stresses. Given that stresses affect plant growth and activity, the responses and tolerance of crops to stresses must be improved through genetic engineering. Inducible promoters, which have vital roles in gene expression and function, are highly desired in biotechnology applications. Thus, novel inducible promoters must be isolated and identified for genetic engineering to improve crop stress responses and tolerance. OsRhoGAPs are involved in plant defense against diverse stresses. In this study, we identified OsRhoGAP2, which is preferentially expressed in rice inflorescences. We isolated the OsRhoGAP2 promoter and analyzed its functions in transgenic Arabidopsis. We fused the GUS reporter with six 5′ deletion fragments (gp1–gp6) of the OsRhoGAP2 promoter with different lengths. Through histochemical analysis, we detected GUS activity in the inflorescences of transgenic Arabidopsis containing gp1, gp3, gp4, and gp5 constructs but not in transgenic Arabidopsis containing gp2 and gp6 constructs. The GUS activity in transgenic plants containing gp1–gp6 constructs changed under different stress treatments. Bioinformatics analysis and experimental results revealed that the core fragment involved in the inflorescence-preferential expression of OsRhoGAP2 and stress responses may be located in the − 706 bp to + 1 bp, or the translated start site, of OsRhoGAP2. Results indicate that OsRhoGAP2 has a conserved role in stress tolerance and exhibits tissue-specific expression patterns in several plant species. This work provides novel insights into the appropriate promoter resources for plant genetic transformation and useful references for biotechnologists to improve stress tolerance in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bathyarchaeia (formerly Bathyarchaeota) is a group of highly abundant archaeal communities that play important roles in global biogeochemical cycling. Bathyarchaeia is predominantly found in sediments and hot springs. However, their presence in arable soils is relatively limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the spatial distributions and diversity of Bathyarchaeia in paddy soils across eastern China, which is a major rice production region. The relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia among total archaea ranged from 3 to 68% in paddy soils, and Bathy-6 was the dominant subgroup among the Bathyarchaeia (70–80% of all sequences). Bathyarchaeia showed higher migration ability and wider niche width based on the neutral and null model simulations. Bathy-6 was primarily assembled by deterministic processes. Soil pH and C/N ratio were identified as key factors influencing the Bathyarchaeia composition, whereas C/N ratio and mean annual temperature influenced the relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia. Network analysis showed that specific Bathyarchaeia taxa occupied keystone positions in the archaeal community and co-occurred with some methanogenic archaea, including Methanosarcina and Methanobacteria, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea belonging to Nitrososphaeria. This study provides important insights into the biogeography and niche differentiation of Bathyarchaeia particularly in paddy soil ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane generation has a significant impact on climate change. Aquatic plants have been widely studied for their role in methane emissions. Most research has focused on the contribution of the plant itself whereas the potential involvement of the phyllosphere microbiota associated with aquatic plants in methanogenesis remains largely unexplored. This study investigated the phyllosphere microbiota on both the top and bottom sides of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), a commonly found aquatic plant in Asia, sampled from two urban ponds, using sequencing for both the 16S rRNA gene and the methanogenesis functional marker gene. Methanogenesis potential was assessed through laboratory-based 13C labeling experiments. Results show that methanogenic archaea were successfully detected on the floating lotus leaves but not on the standing leaves. Among the methanogens detected, Methanobacterium was identified as the predominant group, with significantly higher relative abundance on the bottom sides of floating leaves compared to the surrounding pond water. This study demonstrates the metabolic activity of the phyllosphere methanogens of floating lotus. The microbiota associated with the bottom sides of floating leaves exhibited the ability to produce methane and incorporate 13C carbon into methane during incubation. Overall, this study provides the first compelling genetic and functional evidence for the existence of epiphytic methanogens on the phyllosphere of aquatic plants. Hence, the phyllosphere of floating-leaved macrophytes represents a previously unrecognized habitat for methanogens and a potential microbial source of methane at the water–atmosphere interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published in the journal Nature used a data-driven machine-learning approach to examine the relationship between microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. The study concluded that CUE promotes global SOC storage based on a positive correlation between CUE and SOC content. However, the study has been criticized for excluding important data sets and lacking mechanistic consideration of the complexities of SOC formation. The critics argue that the stabilization process, rather than CUE, matters more for SOC formation. They also caution against inferring causality from large data sets and emphasize the need for more sophisticated empirical measurements before establishing a globally causal link between CUE and SOC. [Extracted from the article]

To investigate the risk factors and predictive model of diarrhea among patients with severe stroke. The study analyzed the retrospective clinical data of patients with new-onset stroke who had been admitted to the intensive care unit at the Department of Neurology of X Hospital, between September 2017 and April 2018. All data were analyzed with a binary logistic regression, and a logistic regression equation was used to build a predictive model of diarrhea among patients with severe stroke. A total of 153 patients with severe stroke were included in this study, including 45 patients (29.41%) with diarrhea. The binary logistic multivariate analysis showed that the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission (odds ratio [OR], 1.123; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.016–1.242), the Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission (OR, 1.563; 95% CI, 1.048–2.330), antibiotic use (OR, 2.168; 95% CI, 1.041–4.514), gavage feeding time (OR, 1.260; 95% CI, 1.098–1.445), and hospital stay before the occurrence of diarrhea (OR, 0.652; 95% CI, 0.552–0.770). The receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.862 (95% CI, 0.799–0.925), the specificity was 0.778, and the sensitivity was 0.843. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, the Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission, antibiotic use, gavage feeding time, and hospital stay before the occurrence of diarrhea independently predict diarrhea among patients with severe stroke. This model can be used to predict the risk of diarrhea among patients with severe stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Intestinal mucositis is the major side effect during abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy, but the underlying immunogen remains to be further characterised and few radioprotective agents are available. This study investigated the role of dsDNA‐triggered inflammasomes in intestinal mucositis during radiotherapy. Methods: Pro‐inflammatory cytokines were detected by ELISA. Radiation‐induced intestinal injury in mice was analyzed by means of survival curves, body weight, HE staining of intestines, and intestinal barrier integrity. Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, co‐immunoprecipitation assay and flow cytometry were used to investigate the regulatory role of dsDNA on inflammasomes. Results: Here, we show that a high level of IL‐1β and IL‐18 is associated with diarrhoea in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients during radiotherapy, which accounts for intestinal radiotoxicity. Subsequently, we found that the dose‐dependently released dsDNA from the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) serves as the potential immunogenic molecule for radiation‐induced intestinal mucositis. Our results further indicate that the released dsDNA transfers into the macrophages in an HMGB1/RAGE‐dependent manner and then triggers absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activation and the IL‐1β and IL‐18 secretion. Finally, we show that the FDA‐approved disulfiram (DSF), a newly identified inflammasome inhibitor, could mitigate intestinal radiotoxicity by controlling inflammasome. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the extracellular self‐dsDNA released from the irradiated IECs is a potential immunogen to stimulate immune cells and trigger the subsequent intestinal mucositis, while blunting the dsDNA‐triggered inflammasome in macrophages may represent an exciting therapeutic strategy for side effects control during abdominal radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of different heat inputs of 1.45 kJ/mm, 1.78 kJ/mm and 2.31 kJ/mm on the microstructure and mechanical properties of deposited metals of the self-developed AWS A5.28 E120C-K4 high strength steel flux-cored wire was studied by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and mechanical property test. With the increase in heat input, the results showed that the microstructure of deposited metals became coarse. Acicular ferrite increased at first and then decreased, granular bainite increased and degenerated upper bainite and martensite decreased slightly. Under the low heat input of 1.45 kJ/mm, the cooling rate was fast and the element diffusion was uneven, which caused composition segregation and easy to form large size inclusions SiO2-TiC-CeAlO3 with weak binding to the matrix. Under the middle heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, the composite rare earth inclusions in dimples were mainly TiC-CeAlO3. The dimples were small and uniformly distributed, and the dimple fracture mainly depended on the wall-breaking connection between medium-sized dimples rather than an intermediate media. Under the high heat input of 2.31 kJ/mm, SiO2 was easy to adhere to high melting point Al2O3 oxides to form irregular composite inclusions. Such irregular inclusions do not need to absorb too much energy to form necking. Finally, the integrated effects of microstructure and inclusions resulted in the optimum mechanical properties of deposited metals with a heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, which was a tensile strength of 793 MPa and an average impact toughness at −40 °C of 56 J. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel method for cloudy-sky albedo estimation involving passive microwave and climatological data. • Higher accuracy of 1 km cloudy-sky albedo compared to other methods (especially in snow) • Significantly improved performance for capturing ephemeral snow events under clouds. Land surface albedo (LSA) is an essential component of the surface radiation budget, and has been retrieved extensively as a basic remote sensing product; however, daily LSA products suffer from extensive data gaps primarily caused by cloud cover. Accordingly, several gap-filling methods were developed (e.g., spatiotemporal interpolation and data fusion with albedo climatology), although the traditional methods are limited by cloud scale and surface heterogeneity. Further, as the largest varying surface landscape feature, seasonal snow cover substantially influences LSA and represents a major uncertainty factor of gap recovery because previous studies failed to employ actual surface signals to capture such ephemeral but intense albedo changes under cloud cover. To address this issue, a three-step framework was proposed for estimating 1 km cloudy-sky LSA using passive microwave (PMW) data, albedo climatology, and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) clear-sky albedo: (1) All-sky snow albedo was estimated from PMW brightness temperatures using a statistical model, (2) Continuous albedo dynamics were generated by combining the all-sky snow albedo with snow-free climatological albedo, and (3) The 1 km cloudy-sky LSA was predicted after filtering 1 km VIIRS clear-sky LSA by the albedo dynamic series. PMW-derived snow albedo was assessed over the Contiguous US (CONUS), and the final 1 km cloudy-sky LSA was validated across 10 sites from SURFRAD and Core AmeriFlux in 2013. Based on the comparison with high-quality MODIS pixels, the estimated snow albedo yielded an overall RMSE of 0.064 over CONUS, with a bias of −0.010 (R2 = 0.845). The recovered 1 km cloudy-sky LSA produced RMSEs of 0.074 (0.137) for all (snow) samples, a significant improvement over the Global Land Surface Satellite (GLASS) gap-free albedo products especially on snow cases (p-value = 0.027). Corresponding RMSE in calculating surface net radiation was also decreased by 38.91 W·m−2; and anomalous snow samples were corrected as well. The temporal analysis and all-sky LSA mapping suggest that the recovered LSA has satisfactory spatiotemporal continuity, and successfully captured details of spatiotemporal variability, especially for ephemeral snow events. This study provides an innovative solution to recover gaps in LSA data, and considerably improves the LSA accuracy under cloud cover, which can inform snow melting modeling, hazard forecasting, and irrigation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron oxide @ biochar (FeO/C) promotes bacterial growth and facilitates electron transfer, thereby effectively promoting malathion degradation by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (S. oneidensis MR-1). This study elucidated the underlying mechanism of FeO/C-enhanced malathion degradation by S. oneidensis MR-1 through a combination of metabolomics and proteomics analysis. The kinetic fitting results from the degradation experiment indicated that 0.1 g/L FeO/C exerted the most significant enhancement effect on malathion degradation by S. oneidensis MR-1. Observations from Scanning Electron Microscopy and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, along with physiological and biochemical analysis, showed that FeO/C enhanced the growth and oxidative response of S. oneidensis MR-1 under malathion stress. In addition, metabolomics and proteomics analysis revealed an increase in certain electron transfer related metabolites, such as coenzymes, and the upregulation of proteins, including coenzyme A, sdhD, and petC. Overall, spectroscopic analysis suggested that Fe2+, which was reduced from Fe3+ by S. oneidensis MR-1 in FeO/C, promoted electron transfer in S. oneidensis MR-1 to enhance the degradation of malathion. This study offers enhanced strategies for efficient removal of malathion contaminants. [Display omitted] • The presence of FeO/C augmented the efficiency of S. oneidensis MR-1 in eliminating malathion by a significant 27 %. • FeO/C enhanced the growth of S. oneidensis MR-1 and mitigated its oxidative damage during exposure to malathion stress. • The role of Fe2+ was pivotal in the strengthening process. • The process by which FeO/C enhanced the ability of S. oneidensis MR-1 to eliminate malathion has been elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) has been operationally produced for a decade since the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) launched in October 2011. A comprehensive evaluation of its accuracy and precision will be helpful for product users in climate studies and atmospheric models. In this study, the VIIRS LST is validated with ground observations from multiple high-quality radiation networks, including six stations from the Surface Radiation budget (SURFRAD) network, two stations from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN), and 13 stations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) network, to evaluate its performance over various land-cover types. The VNP21A1 LST was validated against the same ground observations as a reference. The results yield a close agreement between the SNPP VIIRS LST and ground LSTs with a bias of −0.4 K and a RMSE of 1.96 K over six SURFRAD sites; a bias of −0.2 K and a RMSE of 1.93 K over two BSRN sites; and a bias of −0.1 K and a RMSE of 1.7 K over the 13 ARM sites. The time series of the LST errors over individual sites indicate seasonal cycles. The data anomaly over the BSRN site in Cabauw and the SURFRAD site in Desert Rock is revealed and discussed in this study. In addition, a method using Landsat-8 data is applied to quantify the heterogeneity level of each ground station and the results provide promising insights. The validation results demonstrate the maturity of the JPSS VIIRS LST products and their readiness for various application studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the effects of retained austenite (RA) stability on electrochemical activity and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of ultrafine bainitic (UFB) steel in marine environment. Under pre-strained condition, RA underwent transformation and strain-induced martensite formed, which increased the number of crystal defects in steels. Moreover, the micro-galvanic effect and the high dislocation density in the multiphase complex structure increased the electrochemical activity, which further promoted the SCC susceptibility and crack initiation of the pre-strained steels. However, high pre-strain promoted the transformation of highly stable film-like retained austenite and formed plastic lath martensite, which relatively delayed the crack propagation. [Display omitted] • The transformation of retained austenite led to strain-induced martensite in steels. • Micro-galvanic effect between multi-phases increased anodic dissolution. • High dislocation density at martensite/BF laths interfaces promoted crack initiation. • The SCC behavior of UFB steel was affected by local electrochemical activity. • The SCC susceptibility first increased and then decreased with increasing pre-strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have reported the correlations between bacterial communities and coral bleaching, but the knowledge of fungal roles in coral bleaching is still limited. In this study, the taxonomic and functional diversities of fungi in unbleached, partly bleached and bleached stony coral Acropora intermedia were investigated through the ITS-rRNA gene next-generation sequencing. An unexpected diversity of successfully classified fungi (a total of 167 fungal genera) was revealed in this study, and the partly bleached coral samples gained the highest fungal diversity, followed by bleached and unbleached coral samples. Among these fungi, 122 genera (nearly 73.2%) were rarely found in corals in previous studies, such as Calostoma and Morchella , which gave us a more comprehensive understanding of coral-associated fungi. Positively correlated fungal genera (Calostoma , Corticium , Derxomyces , Fusicolla , Penicillium and Vishniacozyma) and negative correlated fungal genera (Blastobotrys , Exophiala and Dacryopinax) with the coral bleaching were both detected. It was found that a series of fungal genera, dominant by Apiotrichum , a source of opportunistic infections, was significantly enriched; while another fungal group majoring in Fusicolla , a probiotic fungus, was distinctly depressed in the bleached coral. It was also noteworthy that the abundance of pathogenic fungi, including Fusarium , Didymella and Trichosporon showed a rising trend; while the saprotrophic fungi, including Tricladium , Botryotrichum and Scleropezicula demostrated a declining trend as the bleaching deteriorating. The rising of pathogenic fungi and the declining of saprotrophic fungi revealed the basic rules of fungal community transitions in the coral bleaching, but the mechanism of coral-associated fungal interactions still lacks further investigation. Overall, this is an investigation focused on the differences of fungal communities at taxonomic and functional levels in stony coral A. intermedia under different bleaching statuses, which provides a better comprehension of the correlations between fungal communities and the coral bleaching. • An unexpected diversity of successfully classified fungi in corals was revealed. • Positive and negative correlations of fungi with the coral bleaching were revealed. • Firstly investigated the fungal community differences in A. intermedia under different bleaching statuses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Harnessing soil microbiomes is a major demand for development of sustainable and productive agriculture. Here we aimed to assess the impact of two different types of organic material amendments in combination with chemical fertilizer on the plant-soil microbiota in maize farming and its link to soil fertility and crop productivity. Methods: Soils and roots were collected from a long-term wheat-maize rotation system involving three experimental treatments: chemical fertilizer (CF); chemical fertilizer plus seasonal application of manure (OM); and chemical fertilizer plus one-time application of peat and vermiculite (PV). Crop residues were returned in all three treatments each season. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS sequencing were conducted to elucidate the treatment-specific response of the microbiota in bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and root compartment. Results: Relative to CF and OM treatments, PV amendment led to significant increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) content, aboveground plant biomass, and grain yield over the five-year field study. The PV-induced changes in microbial composition involved the greatest treatment-specific "effect size" on indicator ASVs (amplicon sequence variants) in bulk and rhizosphere soils. The number of interactions was more than doubled in the PV co-occurrence network relative to those in the CF and OM co-occurrence networks. Potential beneficial microbes, such as Glomeromycota (arbuscular mycorrhiza), Basidiomycota, and various members of the Actinobacteria and Burkholderiales, were most enriched in the root compartment of the PV treatment. Conclusions: Peat-vermiculite enhanced microbiota-driven soil fertility and crop productivity, thereby providing new insights into plant-soil-microbiota interactions that can be harnessed for smart farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovering more novel antimicrobial compounds has become a keen research problem. In this study, YA215 genome was sequenced by the Illumina HiSeq + PacBio sequencing platform. Genome assembly was performed by Unicycler software and the gene clusters responsible for secondary metabolite biosynthesis were predicted by antiSMASH. The genome comprised 3976514 bp and had a 46.56% G + C content. 3809 coding DNA sequences, 27 rRNAs, 86 tRNAs genes, and 79 sRNA were predicted. Strain YA215 was re-identified as Bacillus velezensis based on ANI and OrthoANI analysis. In the COG database, 23 functional groups from 3090 annotations were predicted. In the GO database, 2654 annotations were predicted. 2486 KEGG annotations linked 41 metabolic pathways. Glycosyl transferases, polysaccharide lyases, auxiliary activities, glycoside hydrolases, carbohydrate esterases, and carbohydrate-binding modules were predicted among the 127 annotations in the CAZy database. AntiSMASH analysis predicted that B. velezensis YA215 boasted 13 gene clusters involved in synthesis of antimicrobial secondary metabolites including surfactin, fengycin, macrolactin H, bacillaene, difficidin, bacillibactin, bacilysin, and plantazolicin. Three of the gene clusters (gene cluster 5, gene cluster 9, and gene cluster 10) have the potential to synthesize unknown compounds. The research underscore the considerable potential of secondary metabolites, identified in the genomic composition of B. velezensis YA215, as versatile antibacterial agents with a broad spectrum of activity against pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-supercapacitors provide high peak power, long cycle life, and high charge/discharge rates for practical applications in microsystems. However, current micro-supercapacitors generally suffer from low energy density and complicated fabrication process. Here, we report carbon nanosheet (CN) selectively grown on carbon nanotube (CNT) patterns as three-dimensional hybrid electrodes for high-performance micro-supercapacitor applications. The growth mechanism is revealed that CNs prefers to grow on CNT surface rather than on SiO 2 substrate due to the high binding energy of carbon atom absorbed on CNT surface. The symmetric all-carbon CN/CNT micro-supercapacitors exhibit ultrahigh areal capacitance of approximately 110 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.3 mA cm−2, outstanding long-term cyclic stability (≈7% loss of initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, flexible microsupercapacitors are achieved by peeling off microelectrodes using H 3 PO 4 /PVA electrolyte and showing high functional flexibility (capacitance loss less than 9% after 100-cyclic bending tests). The outstanding electrochemical performance and functional flexibility of present micro-supercapacitors show great potential applications in smart and miniaturized electronic devices. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate and improve the quality of coarse-pixel land surface albedo products, validation with ground measurements of albedo is crucial over the spatially and temporally heterogeneous land surface. The performance of albedo validation depends on the quality of ground-based albedo measurements at a corresponding coarse-pixel scale, which can be conceptualized as the “truth” value of albedo at coarse-pixel scale. In this paper, a sampling strategy based on multiple nodes using wireless sensor network (WSN) technology, WSN-based albedo observation, is proposed. The WSN nodes are distributed in an optimal layout determined by a sequential selection method based on the representativeness of each sensor. The WSN dataset in this study includes 6 nodes. A method of weighting is used to upscale WSN node albedo to a coarse-pixel scale. The weights for each node are calculated with the ordinary least squares (OLS) linear regression method. Compared with the multiple scale validation strategy, the dataset of WSN albedo “truth” at the coarse-pixel scale reveals a good quality both in stability and continuity. Application of this strategy is exemplified by validation of the MODIS 1 km albedo product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]