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The Great Wall of China was a military facility that has been continuously built and used for over thousands of years, and is a world-renowned cultural heritage site today. The plants growing on top surface of the Great Wall caused the damage of the Great Wall, but the process of removing these plants may further damage the body of the Great Wall. In this paper, based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the expert Delphi method, we selected 13 specific indices from three Constraint Layer factors, and then estimated and identified 45 species/categories of plants on top surface of the Dazhuangke section of the Great Wall. The results showthe constitution and the evaluation gradeof the evaluation system. The factor of Disruptive Effects plays the main guidance role in the evaluation system of the Constraint Layer; The indices of Impact on the Near Side Wall is the core element of the evaluation model with the highest weight of the Standard Layer. And the "Preservation", "Partial Preservation"and "Removal" recommendations were given based on three evaluation grade (from Grade I to Grade III). This research provides scientific basis for the protective repair of the Great Wallheritage as well as "Garden on the Great Wall". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Slope aspect is an important topographic feature that can influence local environmental conditions. While strong effects of slope aspect on aboveground and belowground communities have been frequently elucidated, how slope aspect affects soil nitrogen (N) cycling microbes remains unclear. Here, we characterized the communities of soil N‐cycling microbes on south‐ and north‐facing slopes in an alpine ecosystem, by quantifying (qPCR) and high‐throughput sequencing six genes involved in N‐fixation (nifH), nitrification (archaeal and bacterial amoA) and denitrification (nirK, nirS and nosZ). We found that the abundance, diversity and community composition of major N‐cycling microbes differed dramatically between the two slope aspects, and these variances could be well explained by the aspect‐driven differences in environmental conditions, especially soil temperature and moisture. The response patterns of different N‐cycling groups to slope aspect were much inconsistent, especially for those with similar functions (i.e. ammonia‐oxidizing archaea vs. bacteria, nirK‐ vs. nirS‐reducers), indicating strong niche differentiation between these counterparts. We also observed strong preferences and distinct co‐occurrence patterns of N‐cycling microbial taxa for the two slope aspects. These findings highlight the importance of slope aspect in determining the abundance, species distribution and community structure of N‐cycling microbes, and consequently influencing N‐cycling processes and ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a lightweight network called multiscale convolutional neural network with attention (MCNA), which combines a multiscale deep convolutional network with a self-attention mechanism. MCNA identifies ambient gases through signals of semiconductor gas sensor arrays, despite poor selectivity and drift problems. Notably, MCNA extracts temporal features of each signal and relevance among different signals more effectively than deep convolutional networks. MCNA requires much fewer parameters and computation costs than previous deep learning networks, but it still achieves the same high gas identification accuracy; this is crucial for gas sensing embedded systems. When the operating conditions of the gas sensor array change, it also exhibits better generalization ability and identification accuracy. We also discuss the effects of different MCNA architecture parameters and compare MCNA and other baseline approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly sensitive and selective uranyl ion (UO22+) probes has attracted significant attention owing to the threat to human health caused by high toxicity, radioactivity, and long half‐life. Herein, the development of aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) active polymer dots (Pdots) is described for an accurate UO22+ monitoring using a portable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) system. An AIE‐active polymer containing tetraphenylethene and boron ketoiminate moieties is prepared into Pdots and modified with ssDNA to capture UO22+, which can amplify the ECL signal of the Pdots through a resonance energy transfer mechanism. This probe provides an ultralow detection limit of 10.6 pm/2.5 ppt, which is at least two orders of magnitude lower than the known UO22+ luminescent probes. Only UO22+ can provide an obvious ECL enhancement among the various metal ions, indicating the excellent selectivity of this probe. Furthermore, a portable ECL analyzer is designed to realize UO22+ measurements in the wild. The anodic ECL mechanism of UO22+ is discovered and ECL technology is first applied in monitoring radioactive substances. This study provides a novel strategy for the development of accurate UO22+ probes and a practical UO22+ monitoring method, indicating its potential application in the environmental and energy fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in ecological restoration has been appreciated increasingly, yet the successional patterns of AM fungal community and their relatedness with plants and ecosystem functions during the recovery of degraded lands remain poorly understood. Here, we examined synchronously the root-associated AM fungal and plant communities as well as the ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) in paired historically disturbed (topsoil was removed in the early 1980s) and undisturbed habitats of eight Tibetan grasslands. We found that, after three decades of natural recovery, AM fungal richness and community composition were similar in disturbed and undisturbed habitats, whereas vegetation coverage and plant species richness were still lower in disturbed habitat than that in undisturbed habitat. Higher abundance of AM plants was established in disturbed habitat, while the undisturbed habitat was dominated by less- or non-AM plant species. AM fungal species composition showed tight relationship with the species composition of all plants only in the disturbed habitat, while it was always correlated with the species composition of AM plants regardless of the historical disturbance. The EMF index was lower in disturbed habitat compared to that in undisturbed habitat, and it correlated positively with AM fungal richness in disturbed habitat. Our study shows that AM fungal community is more resilient to disturbance than plant community in Tibetan grasslands, and the findings suggest that rapid recovery of AM fungal community in degraded lands may potentially drive vegetation development and enhance ecosystem functions in the early stages of ecosystem recovery. Highlights • AM fungal community is more resilient to heavy disturbance than plant community. • Recoveries of vegetation and ecosystem functions are slow on the Tibetan Plateau. • Species compositions of AM fungi and plants interrelate only in the disturbed habitat. • Plant-AM fungal relationship depends on the relative abundance of AM plants. • Recovery of ecosystem functions is mostly dependent on the vegetation recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) monitoring is critical to reveal cellular fundamental mechanism and facilitate drugs discovery. Nevertheless, the facial and robust protein 53 (p53)-murine double minute2 (MDM2) interaction detection methods remain challenging. Herein, we developed a PPIs detection platform based on CRISPR-Cas12a sensing system for the first time for p53-MDM2 interaction monitoring and inhibitors potency evaluation, designated Cas-PPIor (Cas12a-mediated PPIs detector). Inspired by the conformational-dependent consensus DNA binding ability of p53, a double stranded DNA (dsDNA) probe was designed elaborately through incorporating Cas12a activation DNA sequence into the specific p53 DNA-binding sequence. Thus, the PPI event can then be transduced into the collateral cleavage activity of Cas12a. As both the Cas12a/CRISPR RNA (crRNA) complex and p53 can bind to the same dsDNA probe in a competitive manner, the activated Cas12a mediated fluorescent readout scaled negatively with the p53 binding. Accordingly, we monitored the p53-MDM2 interaction process as well as its inhibition by a small-molecule antagonist. Based on the sequence specific binding of wild p53, our designed Cas-PPIor achieved high accuracy for differentiation of wild-type p53 cells from p53 mutation or deletion cells. Through discriminating p53 levels from cellular matrix treated with enantiomers of Nutlin-3, the assay also demonstrated reliable capability to evaluate drugs antiproliferative potency. By integrating the DNA binding ability of proteins with intrinsic flexible programmability and outstanding sensitivity of Cas12a, the proposed Cas-PPIor methodology hold great potential to enable accurate and facial PPIs monitoring and inhibitors potency evaluations. • PPIs detection platform based on CRISPR-Cas12a was developed for the first time. • The protein binding event can be detected with cleavage activity of Cas12a. • The p53-MDM2 interaction and its inhibition by antagonist was monitored. • The designed Cas-PPIor achieved high accuracy for cells in different p53 states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrazine and nitrite are well known as carcinogenic substances, which however, are commonly used in chemical industry and food processing. Monitoring of such two species in water and food is necessary. Here, we report a convenient electroanalytical method for detection of hydrazine and nitrite by facile preparation of graphene–cobalt hexacyanoferrate nanocomposite through a two-step electrode surface functionalization. The morphology and constituent of the prepared nanocomposite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry was used to profile the electrochemical behaviors of hydrazine and nitrite, revealing the synergetic electrocatalytic function of reduced graphene oxide and cobalt hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles. This was confirmed by the decreased oxidation overpotentials and increased current response of the target analytes, and thus offered a premise for electroanalysis. The quantitative measurements were carried out by amperometry and differential pulse voltammetry, respectively. Moreover, the analytical utility was demonstrated by determination of water samples and pickled food; the average recovery was found to be from 92.2% to 108%, with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 7.8%. The present method opens an avenue for detection of potential carcinogens in relation to environment and food territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A beveled working electrode (WE) with a sandglass shape electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection cell based on tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (TBR) for microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE) was described in this paper. The beveled WE was readily fabricated from a platinum (Pt) wire (0.3mm diameter). The microchip comprised of three layers: top polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer, middle glass plate, and bottom glass coverslip. The middle layer was a glass wafer on which the injection and separation channels were etched; meanwhile, an inverted funnel hole was made by a coniform drill, and a snot which was used to hold a guide tube aligning to the separation channel outlet was fabricated by a clubbed drill. The top layer was PDMS block containing four holes that connected injection channels and separation channel terminals, respectively. The two layers were bonded after their surfaces were processed by a plasma cleaner. The bottom layer was a coverslip (0.17mm thick) which covered the inverted funnel hole in the middle layer with epoxy resin. The beveled WE was inserted into the guide tube and immobilized using melt adhesive. A Pt wire acted as a counter electrode (CE) was penetrated through the PDMS layer perpendicularly to the WE, with a 1.5-mm long portion left inside the detection cell. Proline was used to evaluate the developed MCE–ECL microdevice with the limit of detection down to 0.2μM (S/N=3). The detection sensitivity was found to be improved remarkably, compared to the conventional disk electrode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To gain a better understanding of the protective function of the trichome in Arabidopsis against UV-B radiation, we performed a study using several Arabidopsis trichome mutants (gl1, gis, gis2, zfp8, try82, and gl3), overexpressing trichome positive regulator lines (35S:GIS and 35S:GIS2), and wild-types (WT) under simulated enhanced UV-B radiation conditions. The flowering time, height, diameter of rosette, leaf size, trichome density, and expression levels of GL3 gene were measured. Significant decreases in height, diameter of rosette, leaf size, and a notable delay in flowering time were observed in all mutants and wild-types after exposure to UV-B. Moreover, the trichome density showed a significant increase, suggesting a clear induction of trichome formation by UV-B. Comparing the mutants and WT, we found that the mutants that had more trichomes showed a lower sensitivity to UV-B than the WT, whereas the mutants that had fewer trichomes were more sensitive to UV-B. These results indicated that the trichome plays a key shielding role against UV-B radiation. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that UV-B radiation induced expression of GL3 and an increase in GL3 transcript level correlated with the increase in trichome density and, suggesting a possible role of GL3 by integrating the environmental signal to control trichome initiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report on a simple amperometric detector for use in microchip capillary electrophoresis. A disposable syringe serves as the electrode holder that is fixed at the outlet of the separation channel. A carbon paste electrode is used to detect dopamine (DA) and catechol (CA) after electrophoretic separation. The two model analytes were well separated within 60 s. The response is linear in the concentration range from 4 to 500 μM, and the detection limit is 1.2 μM for DA (S/N = 3:1). The relative standard deviations of the inter-run and inter-electrode peak currents, respectively, are 2.8% and 5.7% for DA, and 3.9% and 6.5% for CA. Favorable column efficiency (expressed by the theoretical plate number which is 5.3 × 104 m for DA) is achieved. The method was successfully applied to the separation and detection of 3-aminophenol (3-AP) in an injection powder containing sodium 4-aminosalicylate. The detection limit of 3-AP is as low as 1.7 μM, which meets the demand of the impurity test. The facile assembly allows convenient replacement of working electrodes and improves the longevity of the microanalytical system. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosensors based on nucleic acid-structured electrochemiluminescence are rapidly developing for medical diagnostics. Here, we build an automated DNA molecular machine on Ti3C2/polyethyleneimine-Ru(dcbpy)32+@Au composite, which alters the situation that a DNA molecular machine requires laying down motion tracks. We use this DNA molecular machine to transduce the target concentration information to enhance the electrochemiluminescence signal based on DNA hybridization calculations. Complex bioanalytical processes are centralized in a single nucleic acid probe unit, thus eliminating the tedious steps of laying down motion tracks required by the traditional molecular machine. We found a detection limit of 0.68 pM and a range of 1 pM to 1 nM for the analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) specific DNA target. Recoveries range between 96.4 and 104.8% for the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in human saliva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: It is well understood that agricultural management influences arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, but there is controversy about whether farmers should manage for AM symbiosis.We assessed AM fungal communities colonizing wheat roots for three consecutive years in a long‐term (> 14 yr) tillage and fertilization experiment. Relationships among mycorrhizas, crop performance, and soil ecosystem functions were quantified.Tillage, fertilizers and continuous monoculture all reduced AM fungal richness and shifted community composition toward dominance of a few ruderal taxa. Rhizophagus and Dominikia were depressed by tillage and/or fertilization, and their abundances as well as AM fungal richness correlated positively with soil aggregate stability and nutrient cycling functions across all or no‐tilled samples. In the field, wheat yield was unrelated to AM fungal abundance and correlated negatively with AM fungal richness. In a complementary glasshouse study, wheat biomass was enhanced by soil inoculum from unfertilized, no‐till plots while neutral to depressed growth was observed in wheat inoculated with soils from fertilized and conventionally tilled plots.This study demonstrates contrasting impacts of low‐input and conventional agricultural practices on AM symbiosis and highlights the importance of considering both crop yield and soil ecosystem functions when managing mycorrhizas for more sustainable agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stone-Wales defects can upgrade the SO 2 -sensing performance of arsenene. • It is highly appreciated because point defects especially Stone-Wales defect generate much easier on arsenene than other common 2D material. • Most of gas sensor based on 2D material have a slow recovery. • The external electric field can greatly adjust the SO 2 -sensing performance on arsenene with Stone-Wales defects. • This makes it possible to substantially accelerate the recovery of the arsenene with Stone-Wales defects. • Both biaxial strain and external electric field can further enhance the SO 2 -sensing performance of arsenene with Stone-Wales defects. Reported here is a first-principle study of the adsorption of four SF 6 decomposition products on pristine arsenene and arsenene with Stone-Wales defects (SW). The results revealed that pristine arsenene exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity to SO 2 , and Stone-Wales defects enhanced the SO 2 -sensing performance. The presence of ambient O 2 , H 2 O, and SF 6 only slightly affected the adsorption on both pristine and SW arsenene. We also investigated the effect of biaxial strain and an external electric field on the SO 2 detection of SW arsenene. The SO 2 adsorption strength on SW arsenene was drastically enhanced or weakened, depending on the direction of the electric field, which is desirable for realizing the ultra-sensitive adsorption and desorption of SO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a mutualistic association with plant roots by improving phosphorus (P) uptake of the host plant. Previous studies demonstrated that AMF exert various influences on soil enzyme activity; however, quantification of these effects has not been published to date. This study explored the effect of AMF on soil enzyme activity by meta‐analysis of a current dataset. The AMF inoculation increased the activities of most soil enzymes, with the exception of polyphenol oxidase. Across all observations, AMF enhanced soil enzyme activity optimally at smaller soil available P and neutral soil pH conditions. This effect was positively correlated with the increasing ratios of soil available P and plant biomass. The results of this study indicate that AMF can enhance the release of soil nutrients required for plant growth in response to increased soil enzyme activity. The results obtained emphasize that the effect of AMF on soil enzyme activity is strongly abiotic context‐dependent and coupled with beneficial effects for plant growth. This has relevant implications for AMF application for sustainable agriculture. Highlights: Meta‐analysis of 56 studies shows that AMF usually increase soil enzyme activity.Neutral pH and low available phosphorus lead to optimal AMF influence on soil enzyme activity.Plant growth promotion by AMF can lead to an increase of soil enzyme activity.AMF inoculation offers positive implications for agricultural application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemical sensor is described for the simultaneous determination of Cd2+, Cu2+, Hg2+ and Pb2+ using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with N,N-dimethyl-N-2-propenyl-2-propen-1-aminium chloride homopolymer ionic liquid doped into magnesium(II)-aluminium(III) layered double hydroxides. The morphology investigations suggest that the material possesses typical interconnected laminated micropores and a mesoporous architecture dispersed on the surface of the GCE. This accelerates mass diffusion and facilitates the deposition-stripping process of metal ions. Key operational parameters including pH, deposition potential, deposition time and the quantity of nanomaterial on the GCE were optimized. The following figures of merit for the ions Cd2+, Cu2+, Hg2+ and Pb2+ are obtained under optimum conditions: (a) detection limits of 250, 25, 250 and 16 ng L−1; (b) linear ranges from 0.5 to 20, 0.05 to 20, 0.5 to 20 and 0.05 to 20 μg L−1, and (c) peak potentials of −768, +42, +302 and − 541 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl). The modified GCE was successfully applied to the determination of these ions in spiked black tea extract and in dried tangerine peel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new electrochemical sensor was fabricated for the sensitive and selective detection of metanephrine (MN), based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) acidified by sulphuric acid and using an electrodeposition method to form poly caffeic acid (PCA) films. Adding the electrochemical pretreatment to acidify the GCE was conducive to an increase of surface concentrations of C–O functional groups and generation of a rough surface on the modified electrode. Furthermore, the PCA films developed on the GCE surface were advantageous to the significant increase in the electrode surface and more active sites, thus improving the electrocatalytic activity. The proposed electrochemical sensor exhibited high sensitivity, stability and selectivity towards MN. The surface morphology of the acidified poly(caffeic acid) modified GCE (A-PCA/GCE) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing that the surface of the electrode possesses a rod like structure. Under optimal conditions, the sensor showed a liner proportional response to MN in a wide determination range from 0.5 to 40.0 μM with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.17 μM. Finally, the fabricated sensor was also successfully applied to detect MN in human serum samples, and satisfactory recoveries were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drift problems of gas sensors caused by aging ingredients and unexpected environmental impacts, which can severely decrease the performance and service life of electronic noses, have been widely discussed. Many scholars believe that the essential reason for sensor drift can be attributed to the different data distributions in the latent feature space. However, traditional drift compensation methods like OSC, GasNet, SniffMultinose, and SniffConv are costly and complex. This paper has introduced an algorithm called contrastive domain generalization convolution neural network (CDCNN) to resolve this problem. For the first time, domain generalization and contrastive learning were used as the drift compensation methods for the gas sensor. A novel data augmentation was proposed to enrich the datasets. Feature generation module is used to simulate the drift of gas sensors. Contrastive learning adapts to the unseen areas in the latent feature space. The artificially generated features and the original features are drawn closer in the feature space to improve the algorithm's generalization ability. Experiments on long-term drift data show that CDCNN achieves high accuracy (0.7230). The experimental results show that the CDCNN algorithm is more suitable for practical applications due to less resource consumption and looser constraints. [Display omitted] • Developing a domain generalization method to compensate for drift in gas sensors. • Designing a novel data manipulation method with effective generalization ability. • CDCNN is more practical due to less resource consumption and looser constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Differential pulsed amperometry on microchip is reported for the first time. [•] The nature of the novel pulse electrochemical technique is discussed. [•] Comparable detection sensitivity to triple pulsed amperometry is demonstrated. [•] The present detection strategy broadens electroanalytical community. [•] This electrochemical protocol has potential for other fluid analysis methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Seeking potential toxic and side effects for clinically available drugs is considerably beneficial in pharmaceutical safety evaluation. In this article, the authors developed an integrated microfluidic array system for phenotype-based evaluation of toxic and teratogenic potentials of clinical drugs by using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos as organism models. The microfluidic chip consists of a concentration gradient generator from upstream and an array of open embryonic culture structures by offering continuous stimulation in gradients and providing guiding, cultivation and exposure to the embryos, respectively. The open culture reservoirs are amenable to long-term embryonic culturing. Gradient test substances were delivered in a continuous or a developmental stage-specific manner, to induce embryos to generate dynamic developmental toxicity and teratogenicity. Developmental toxicity of doxorubicin on zebrafish eggs were quantitatively assessed via heart rate, and teratological effects were characterized by pericardial impairment, tail fin, notochord, and SV-BA distance /body length. By scoring the teratogenic severity, we precisely evaluated the time- and dose-dependent damage on the chemical-exposed embryos. The simple and easily operated method presented herein demonstrates that zebrafish embryo-based pharmaceutic assessment could be performed using microfluidic systems and holds a great potential in high-throughput screening for new compounds at single animal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, freshness monitoring model on small larimichthys polyactis based on multiple sensor array system (MSAS) combined with total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) examination was studied. Larimichthys polyactis was obtained and prepared as detecting samples. MSAS was developed based on volatile gas content of the fish samples. Meanwhile, TVB-N was examined to provide quality reference for MSAS measurement. MSAS responding data were processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and non-linear signal analysis model. Larimichthys polyactis freshness deciding model was developed by non-linear fitting between signal processing features and TVB-N parameters. Results indicated that the method studied in this work presented good freshness deciding accuracy for larimichthys polyactis. This method also presented some advantages including rapid analysis, easy operation, and low cost. It is promising in aquatic products quality raped determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A DNA framework assembled split G4 nanodevice was fabricated to realize microRNA imaging in living HeLa cells. After hybridization with the target, the separated G4 segments underwent structural transformations, which could initiate fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) processes. Our design may pave a novel way to facilitate applications of the G4 motif. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Janus MoSSe shows a high sensitivity and selectivity to SO 2 and its Se-layer shows higher response to SO 2 than its S-layer. • The work function based sensor is more gear to Janus MoSSe due to intense work function change induced by SO 2 adsorption. • Our work reveals the intrinsic mechanism for modulation of applied strain on the SO 2 -sensing performance of Janus MoSSe. • The SO 2 -sensing performance on Se-layer of MoSSe exhibits much higher sensitivity to biaxial strain than S-layer. Four main SF 6 decompositions (H 2 S, SO 2 , SOF 2 and SO 2 F 2) adsorption on S-layer and Se-layer of the Janus MoSSe monolayer was investigated by first principles calculation in this work. Our calculations implied that both the S-layer and Se-layer of Janus MoSSe are more sensitive and selective to SO 2 than other three SF 6 decompositions and the Se-layer is more sensitive than the S-layer. Furthermore, it is found that the applied strain can more effectively modulate the sensing performance of Janus MoSSe than that of normal transition metal chalcogenides (TMDs). Our further investigation indicated that the unique interior electric field of Janus MoSSe played an important role in enhancing the modulation effect. In sum, we concluded that the Janus MoSSe monolayer is a highly strain-sensitive gas sensing material to detect SF 6 decompositions. Our work can help avoid harm from hazardous SF 6 decompositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slope aspect not only modifies microclimate and soil-forming processes, but also significantly influences biogeographical patterns of species and multiple ecosystem functions across terrestrial landscapes. However, the effect of slope aspect on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, a group of functionally important root-associated microorganisms, remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated AM fungal communities in an alpine ecosystem on a northwest-facing slope (NS) and a southeast-facing slope (SS) along a steep environmental gradient. Ecological processes structuring the fungal communities were inferred according to phylogenetic patterns and species abundance distributions. Thirty-two distinct AM fungal virtual taxa (VTs) were identified, predominantly belonging to the genus Glomus. The change of slope aspect from SS to NS recorded a significant decline in AM fungal richness, resulting in a marked loss of Glomus VTs and the dominance of Rhizophagus. Moreover, both taxonomic and phylogenetic composition of AM fungal communities significantly varied between the two slope aspects, this being largely driven by niche partitioning based on microclimate, soil pH and plant species composition. The influence of geographical distance was negligible. AM fungal communities were phylogenetically clustered on SS and random on NS, suggesting that the central process structuring communities shifted from a niche-dominated filter to the combination of competitive exclusion and a niche filter. Similarly, AM fungal species abundance distribution showed the best fit with the Lognormal model on SS and the Zipf-Mandelbrot model on NS, indicating that community dynamics on both slopes were also in accordance with niche-based mechanisms. Highlights • Lower AM fungal abundance and diversity were detected on the northwest-facing slope. • AM fungal communities were phylogenetically random on the northwest-facing slope. • AM fungal communities were phylogenetically clustered on the southeast-facing slope. • Compositional shifts of AM fungi between slopes were related to niche partitioning. • Slope aspect affected AM fungi via changing microclimate, soil pH and vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been demonstrated to influence many ecological processes in their natural ecosystems. However, little is known about how AMF communities respond to gradient warming and grazing, especially winter grazing. In the present study, we conducted an experiment to examine the interaction between warming and winter grazing, simulated by clipping before the growing season, to measure changes in the AMF community across a warming gradient with and without winter clipping in an alpine meadow ecosystem. A total of 63 phylotypes of AMF were identified using 454 pyrosequencing. Both warming and clipping reduced AMF species richness, but had no additive negative effects. The clipping alone and the interaction between warming and clipping changed the AMF species composition, but not its phylogenetic composition. The phylogenetic structure of AMF communities were dramatically changed from phylogenetically random to convergent across our warming gradient under the unclipped treatments and were phylogenetically random in all treatments with clipping. Our findings suggest that the primary ecological processes determining AMF communities shift from stochastic processes to habitat filtering across our warming gradient under the unclipped treatments, whilst there was no such shift under the clipped treatments. This study highlights that the removal of standing dead biomass through winter grazing serves a key role in regulating soil microbial diversity in the much warmer world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NO 2 is the representative pollutant in air quality monitoring and power industry. Although numerous gas sensors have been employed for the accurate detection of NO 2 , a universal method sieving for the optimum sensor is still lacked. Herein, a strategy to acquire the optimal NO 2 -sensitive material has been proposed, and a series of tests verified its effectiveness. First, the serious noise would exist in the gas sensors with the high resistivity, so an appropriate baseline resistance is the basis for the practical application. Furthermore, the performances of SnCl 2 -In 2 O 3 doped with six metal oxides (CuO, NiO, TiO 2 , SnO 2 , WO 3 , ZnO) on NO 2 were investigated. The quantitative evaluation method that integrated the variation coefficient method (VCM), the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and the grey correlation analysis (GRA) has been proposed to solve the imbalance of sensors' indices. Due to the highest comprehensive score, 10 wt% WO 3 -doped SnCl 2 -In 2 O 3 with high response value (5962.20%) was regarded as the optimum for NO 2 detection. Ultimately, an additional comparative test among the as-prepared sensors, previous investigations and commercial devices has demonstrated the great potential of the method in practice. • Verifying the gas-sensitive material needs proper resistance for practical use. • Providing a comprehensive evaluation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturable absorbers (SAs) are essential devices for laser generation through passive Q-switch or mode-locking methods. Quantum-confined nanocrystals as excellent SAs have been attracted much attention. Self-assembled CsPbBr 3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) were prepared at room temperature, which indicated nonlinear optical transmission with the modulation depth and the saturable intensity of 13.88% and 1.75 MW cm−2, respectively. The maximum repetition rate of CsPbBr 3 NPLs is 1466 kHz, while corresponding pulse width is 69 ns. The nonlinear optical performance of CsPbBr 3 NPLs indicate its potential applications in optical communication, laser pulses and nonlinear optics. [Display omitted] • Quantum-confined nanocrystals as excellent saturable absorbers (SAs) have been attracted much attention. • 2D self-assembled CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets were prepared at room temperature. • The nonlinear optical performance of CsPbBr 3 nanoplatelets as SA has been studied for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • It was demonstrated that the MOF (ZIF-8) could facilitate the gas-sensitive performances of WO 3 nanofibers on the repeatability and recovery capability. • Toward SF 6 decomposition products, the temperature-dependent and time-dependent in-situ DRIFT spectra of the nanofibers were firstly employed to reveal the sensitive mechanism. • The results of in-situ DRIFT experiments were consistent with those of gas-sensitive tests, and it has verified the catalytic effect of ZIF-8. • The method used in this work can be extended to other target gases, providing the guidance for the synthesis of the novel gas-sensitive materials. SF 6 decomposition products are of significance to the diagnosis of gas insulated switchgear (GIS) equipment. Amounts of previous literature have employed a series of advanced materials to detect these characteristic products (H 2 S, SO 2 , SO 2 F 2 and SOF 2). However, the development of the gas-sensitive mechanism is seriously lagging behind the gas-sensitive materials. This work has synthesized the MOF-modification WO 3 nanofibers (NFs) via electrospinning, and further investigated its sensitivity toward four gas analytes. With the assistance of in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectra, the sulfites and sulfates sourced from the SO 2 adsorption was regarded as the essence of the material poisoning. At the particular bands, the in-situ experiments have indicated the composites performed larger absorbance intensity and better recovery capability than the pristine WO 3 , which were consistent with the results of gas-sensing experiments. This work provides the guidance for improving the performance of nanomaterials toward SF 6 decomposition products by MOF doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical safety testing requires a cheap, fast and highly efficient platform for real-time evaluation of drug toxicity and secondary effects. In this study, we have developed a microfluidic system for phenotype-based evaluation of toxic and teratogenic effects of drugs using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and larvae as the model organism. The microfluidic chip is composed of two independent functional units, enabling the assessment of zebrafish embryos and larvae. Each unit consists of a fluidic concentration gradient generator and a row of seven culture chambers to accommodate zebrafish. To test the accuracy of this new chip platform, we examined the toxicity and teratogenicity of an anti-asthmatic agent-aminophylline (Apl) on 210 embryos and 210 larvae (10 individuals per chamber). The effect of Apl on zebrafish embryonic development was quantitatively assessed by recording a series of physiological indicators such as heart rate, survival rate, body length and hatch rate. Most importantly, a new index called clonic convulsion rate, combined with mortality was used to evaluate the toxicities of Apl on zebrafish larvae. We found that Apl can induce deformity and cardiovascular toxicity in both zebrafish embryos and larvae. This microdevice is a multiplexed testing apparatus that allows for the examination of indexes beyond toxicity and teratogenicity at the sub-organ and cellular levels and provides a potentially cost-effective and rapid pharmaceutical safety assessment tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, a facile electrochemical sensor based on poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized graphene (PDDA-G) and graphite was fabricated. The composite electrode exhibited excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards uric acid (UA), owing to the electrocatalytic effect of graphene nanosheets and the electrostatic attractions between PDDA-G and UA. The anodic peak current of UA obtained by cyclic voltammetry (CV) increased over 10-fold compared with bare carbon paste electrode (CPE). And the reversibility of the oxidation process was improved significantly. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to determine UA in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA). It was found that all of oxidation peaks of three species could be well resolved, and the peak current of UA was much stronger than the other two components. More importantly, considerable-amount of AA and DA showed negligible interference to UA assay. The calibration curve for UA ranged from 0.5 to 20μmolL−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9934. The constructed sensor has been employed to quantitatively determine UA in urine samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widespread root-associated microorganisms that participate in many ecosystem processes. However, the response of AMF communities to global warming still remains poorly understood, especially in high-altitude regions. This study investigated the responses of AMF communities to 17-year experimental warming with open top chambers in two habitat types (i.e., shrubland and meadow) of the alpine meadow ecosystem of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. For this, 454-pyrosequencing was used and the main ecological processes that structure AMF communities were inferred based on distributions of species abundance and phylogenetic patterns. A total of 110 different AMF phylotypes (shrubland habitat: 102; meadow habitat: 91) were identified in both habitats, predominantly belonging to Glomeraceae. Eighty AMF phylotypes were found in both habitats, and phylotypes affiliated with Acaulosporaceae and Archaeosporaceae were only found in the shrubland habitat. Warming did not affect AMF diversity or community composition in the shrubland habitat; however, in the meadow habitat, warming caused a decline of AMF species richness by 45.6%. Moreover, the taxon composition of AMF communities was changed via the negative influence of root biomass in the meadow habitat. Mandelbrot, based on the niche process, was the best-fitting model for all fungal data sets in both habitats, indicating that fungal community dynamics under warming treatments matched niche-based processes in both habitats. Moreover, the phylogenetic structure of AMF communities was always phylogenetically clustered regardless of warming in the shrubland habitat. However, the phylogenetic structure changed from phylogenetic clustering of the control treatment to random of warming treatment in the meadow habitat. This suggests that in the shrubland habitat, warming does not change the central ecological process that structures AMF communities, but rather, leads to the transformation of the central process from environmental filtration to the neutralization of habitat filtration and competition exclusion in the meadow habitat. In summary, these results indicate that the effect of long-term warming on the assemblage of AMF communities depends on the habitat type. This illustrates that maintaining a high habitat type complexity is conducive for the response of alpine meadow ecosystems to climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine ( L- DOPA) is a well-recognized therapeutic compound to Parkinson's disease. Tyrosine is a precursor for the biosynthesis of L- DOPA, both of which are widely found in traditional medicinal material, Mucuna pruriens. In this paper, we described a validated novel analytical method based on microchip capillary electrophoresis with pulsed electrochemical detection for the simultaneous measurement of L- DOPA and tyrosine in M. pruriens. This protocol adopted end-channel amperometric detection using platinum disk electrode on a homemade glass/polydimethylsiloxane electrophoresis microchip. The background buffer consisted of 10 mM borate (pH 9.5) and 0.02 mM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, which can produce an effective resolution for the two analytes. In the optimal condition, sufficient electrophoretic separation and sensitive detection for the target analytes can be realized within 60 s. Both tyrosine and L- DOPA yielded linear response in the concentration range of 5.0-400 μM ( R2 > 0.99), and the LOD were 0.79 and 1.1 μM, respectively. The accuracy and precision of the established method were favorable. The present method shows several merits such as facile apparatus, high speed, low cost and minimal pollution, and provides a means for the pharmacologically active ingredients assay in M. pruriens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is predicted to have large impacts on the phenology and reproduction of alpine plants, which will have important implications for plant demography and community interactions, trophic dynamics, ecosystem energy balance, and human livelihoods. In this article we report results of a 3-year, fully factorial experimental study exploring how warming, snow addition, and their combination affect reproductive phenology, effort, and success of four alpine plant species belonging to three different life forms in a semiarid, alpine meadow ecosystem on the central Tibetan Plateau. Our results indicate that warming and snow addition change reproductive phenology and success, but responses are not uniform across species. Moreover, traits associated with resource acquisition, such as rooting depth and life history (early vs. late flowering), mediate plant phenology, and reproductive responses to changing climatic conditions. Specifically, we found that warming delayed the reproductive phenology and decreased number of inflorescences of Kobresia pygmaea C. B. Clarke, a shallow-rooted, early-flowering plant, which may be mainly constrained by upper-soil moisture availability. Because K. pygmaea is the dominant species in the alpine meadow ecosystem, these results may have important implications for ecosystem dynamics and for pastoralists and wildlife in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) electrophoresis microchip with a thickness-controllable insulating layer for capacitatively coupled contactless conductivity detection is presented. A PDMS film is spin-coated on a glass slide with Pt microelectrodes to be the insulating layer, and then permanently bonded with a PDMS channel plate to make the whole microchip. The thickness of PDMS films can be precisely controlled down to submicrometers. With a microchip with a 0.6μm-thick PDMS insulating layer, a superior limit of detection (LOD) of 0.07μM for Na+ was obtained. For comparison, another two microchips with the same design but different insulating layer thicknesses (15μm and 50μm) were tested, and LODs were 1μM and 3μM respectively, which are almost two orders of magnitude higher. Moreover, the microchip detector also exhibited excellent linearity, reproducibilities and separation efficiencies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensor has received significant interest. In this work, cobalt hexacyanoferrate modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes/graphite composite electrode was electrochemically prepared and exploited as an amperometric detector for microchip electrophoresis. The prepared sensor displayed rapid and sensitive response towards hydrazine and isoniazid oxidation, which was attributed to synergetic electrocatalytic effect of cobalt hexacyanoferrate and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The sensitivity enhancement with nearly two orders of magnitude was gained, compared with the bare carbon paste electrode, with the detection limit of 0.91μM (S/N =3) for hydrazine. Acceptable repeatability of the microanalysis system was verified by consecutive eleven injections of hydrazine without chip and electrode treatments, the RSDs for peak current and migration time were 3.4% and 2.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, well-shaped electrophoretic peaks were observed, mainly due to fast electron transfer of electroactive species on the modified electrode. The developed microchip-electrochemistry setup was successfully applied to the determination of hydrazine and isoniazid in river water and pharmaceutical preparation, respectively. Several merits of the novel electrochemical sensor coupled with microfluidic platform, such as comparative stability, easy fabrication and high sensitivity, hold great potential for hydrazine compounds assay in the lab-on-a-chip system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A microfluidic chip manufactured from glass substrate and indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass use for contactless conductivity detection was developed. The detecting electrodes were fabricated by screen-printing and chemical etching methods using an ITO-coated glass wafer. Then, the glass substrate containing separation channels was bonded with the bare side of the processed ITO-coated glass, thus producing an electrophoresis chip integrated with contactless conductivity detector. The prepared microchip displayed considerable stability and reproducibility. Sensitive response was obtained at optimal conditions (including the gap between electrodes, excitation frequency, and excitation voltage). The feasibility of this microfluidic device was examined by detection of inorganic ions, and further demonstrated by the quantification of aminopyrine and caffeine in a compound pharmaceutical. The two ingredients can be completely separated within 1min. The detection limits were 8μgmL−1 and 3μgmL−1, respectively; with the correlation coefficient of 0.996–0.998 in the linear range from 10μgmL−1 to 800μgmL−1. The results have showed that the present method is sensitive, reliable and fast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin (Ig)-like lectins (Siglecs) is a type I transmembrane receptor on the cell surface. Siglec-5, as one of the Siglecs family, play an important role as an inhibitory receptor for leukocytes in the human body. The development of novel siglec-5 assays can help to study the pathogenesis of related diseases as well as to develop novel therapeutic drugs. We use catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) amplification strategy combined with CRISPR-Cas12a′s side-cutting feature to build a 2D ultra-thin Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene) based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for the detection of Siglec-5. By using this ECL biosensor, the cleavage of CRISPR-Cas12a is reasonably combined with CHA-mediated isothermal amplification, thereby realizing the sensitive amplification assay Siglec-5 with 20.22 fM sensitivity. By introducing pairs of sites that are not in the same double-stranded DNA into the DNA duplex, the hybridization sequence of CRISPR-Cas12a complements the targeting mechanism to enhance indirect Siglec-5 amplification assay. Also, the double-strand DNA (dsDNA) design based on CRISPR-Cas12a amplification allows the same CRISPR RNA (crRNA, also known as guide RNA (gRNA)) to detect the output of DNA duplexes from different intermediate DNAs, which provides a common way for biomarker detection based on the conversion of protein analytes to intermediate DNA strategy. This work extends the application scope of CRISPR-Cas12a to the construction of ECL biosensors, evaluates the role of lectins, which can be used for the biochemical research and clinical diagnosis of protein markers. This is the first investigative work exploring the Trans-Cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas12a for Mxene-based ECL biosensor establishment to the best of our knowledge. • Analysis Siglec provides new ideas for studying coronavirus. • We built a MXene based ECL biosensor for the detection of Siglec-5. • The biosensor employed CHA amplification strategy combined with CRISPR-Cas12a side-cutting feature. • The biosensor realizing the sensitive amplification assay Siglec-5 with 29.36 fM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High selectivity and sensitivity of GeP monolayer to nitrogen oxides. • The variation of work function change can be used to distinguish NO 2 and NO. • Compressive strain improve sensitivity of GeP to NO 2 without raising recovery time. • Applied negative electric field can greatly enhance response of GeP monolayer to NO 2. The sensing properties of GeP monolayer to small gas molecule (CO, CO 2 , O 2 , H 2 O, NH 3 , NO and NO 2) have been investigated by performing first-principle calculations. Based on calculated adsorption distance, adsorption energy and charge transfer, we find that GeP monolayer is the most sensitive to NO 2 and NO molecules, and all gas molecules act as acceptors to gain electrons from GeP monolayer. The adsorption energy of NO 2 is smaller than that of NO molecule, which implies that NO 2 is more easily desorbed from GeP. And different work function changes also indicate the possibility to identify NO 2 and NO in an oxygen-free environment. Moreover, we apply uniaxial and biaxial strains to GeP monolayer and find that a small biaxial compressive strain can effectively enhance the sensitivity of work function type sensor based GeP to NO 2 molecule without increasing recovery time. We also discuss the effect of external vertical electric field on the adsorption performance of NO 2 molecule. The negative electric field can significantly increase the adsorption strength, charge transfer and work function change of NO 2 -GeP system. Our results indicate that GeP monolayer is a potential candidate for NO 2 gas sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to take insight into the gas sensing performance of single ultrathin WO 3 nanowire, we performed first principles calculation to investigate the gas adsorption properties and used non-equilibrium Green function (NEGF) to investigate the electron transport properties of WO 3 nanowires with gas adsorption. Our investigation indicated that the WO 3 nanowires with/without oxygen vacancies are both sensitive to H 2 S due to the large adsorption energies and distinct charge transfer. Besides, we found that the WO 3 nanowire with O a type oxygen vacancies is highly selective to SO 2. We supposed that the high chemical activity and the small molecular volume of H 2 S and SO 2 are the main reasons of the selectivity. Finally, the negative differential resistance (NDR) effect of single ultrathin WO 3 nanowire and the gate voltage were proposed to benefit the application of WO 3 nanowires gas sensors. We also supposed two ways to take advantage of the NDR effect of single ultrathin WO 3 nanowire in gas sensing applications. It should be noted that this is the first theoretical investigation of WO 3 nanowires gas sensors considering the electron transport properties. Our work highlighted the possibility to use the single ultrathin WO 3 nanowire as superior gas sensors for SO 2 and H 2 S. Image 1 • The single ultrathin WO 3 nanowire without oxygen vacancies was sensitive to H 2 S. • The single ultrathin WO 3 nanowire with oxygen vacancies was sensitive to SO 2. • High chemical activity and small molecular volume are main reasons of selectivity. • Negative differential resistance effect will benefit gas sensing application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple and sensitive electrochemical sensor was established for the determination of NMN based on p-m-ABSA film modified glassy carbon electrode. • The fabricated sensor was irreversible and adsorption controlled in the process of detecting NMN. • Common interfering substances hardly affected the modified electrode performance. • The modified electrode shows a considerable sensitivity, stability and reproducibility to NMN. In the present study, a novel and facile poly-m-amino-benzenesulfonic acid (p-m-ABSA) film on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed using pulse potentiostatic method (PPM), which is employed with the oxidative polymerization of m-ABSA at anode potential. Meanwhile, a simple and sensitive sensor was fabricated to detect normetanephrine (NMN), which is one of the significant diagnostic markers for diseases. Compared with bare GCE, the p-m-ABSA film prepared on GCE surface has the advantage of increasing electrode surface area and active sites distinctly, thus obviously improving the electrocatalytic activity. The results demonstrated that the developed electrochemical sensor exhibited high sensitivity, stability, selectivity and excellent electrocatalytic activity towards NMN. The surface morphology of p-m-ABSA/GCE was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicating that the electrode surface had a layered structure. The preparation conditions and analysis methods of sensors were studied in detail. Under optimum conditions, peak current and concentrations of NMN were linearly related well from 0.5 to 30.0 µM with a limit of detection (S/N = =3) of 0.17 µM. Moreover, this modified sensor has also been successfully used for the detection of NMN in human serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiotic interaction with 80% of known land plants. It has a pronounced impact on plant growth, water absorption, mineral nutrition, and protection from abiotic stresses. Plants are very dynamic systems having great adaptability under continuously changing drying conditions. In this regard, the function of AMF as a biological tool for improving plant drought stress tolerance and phenotypic plasticity, in terms of establishing mutualistic associations, seems an innovative approach towards sustainable agriculture. However, a better understanding of these complex interconnected signaling pathways and AMF-mediated mechanisms that regulate the drought tolerance in plants will enhance its potential application as an innovative approach in environmentally friendly agriculture. This paper reviews the underlying mechanisms that are confidently linked with plant–AMF interaction in alleviating drought stress, constructing emphasis on phytohormones and signaling molecules and their interaction with biochemical, and physiological processes to maintain the homeostasis of nutrient and water cycling and plant growth performance. Likewise, the paper will analyze how the AMF symbiosis helps the plant to overcome the deleterious effects of stress is also evaluated. Finally, we review how interactions between various signaling mechanisms governed by AMF symbiosis modulate different physiological responses to improve drought tolerance. Understanding the AMF-mediated mechanisms that are important for regulating the establishment of the mycorrhizal association and the plant protective responses towards unfavorable conditions will open new approaches to exploit AMF as a bioprotective tool against drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant symbionts, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), serve as an effective substitute for root surface. As mycorrhizal benefits are related to plant nutrient uptake and are therefore likely to influence plant competition. In this study, the competitive interactions between mycorrhizal (+AMF) and non-mycorrhizal (–AMF) individuals of legume Vicia faba L. and grass Hordeum vulgare L. were studied by conducting a glasshouse experiment. Two fertilization treatments (N0 and N15) were used to simulate nutritional differences over the competitive interactions. Plant biomass, nutrient acquisition and competitive strength of legume and grass were assessed in the different AMF inoculation and N fertilization treatments. The results showed that AMF altered the competitive interactions between the investigated plant species. The growth performance of V. faba , increased when grown with H. vulgare in the presence of +AMF treatment than –AMF. Both plant species showed differential responses to competition in the presence of AMF. Although the V. faba and H. vulgare both benefitted from AMF inoculation when grown solitary, but in competition AMF favored the V. faba. Negative performance was observed in H. vulgare when grew in competition with V. faba under N fertilization, corresponded to more biomass and N uptake in V. faba. These findings help support the idea, that presence of AMF can influence plant competition interaction between co-occurring plant species thus representing the key role of mycorrhizal symbionts to be taken into account for sustainable crop management strategies. • Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) had considerable effect on plant nutrient uptake and therefore influenced the plant competition. • Two plant species V. faba , a legume and H. vulgare , a cereal were studied and AMF favored the legume as compared to cereal in competitive interactions. • Nitrogen fertilization application increased the plant shoot and root biomass in solitary plants of both plant species. • AMF inoculation in combination with plant competing patterns amplified the plant biomass production and N uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]