Scientifica最新文献

Assessment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and soil quality for informed forest management is hindered by inadequate data across different forest stand types and management regimes. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess SOC stock and soil quality in two forest stand types, i.e., Shorea robusta (Sal) forest and Terai mixed hardwood (TMH) forest, and selected forest management regimes (leasehold forest, community forest, government-managed forest, and forest area under protected area) in Terai region of Nepal. Stratified random sampling method was adopted for soil sample collection across terai region following Forest Resource Assessment, Nepal. Altogether, 62 composite soil samples from 30 cm depth were taken from the entire Terai region which included these two forest stand types and four management regimes. Different physical (soil texture and bulk density) and chemical (pH, SOC (%), total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) properties were analyzed to calculate SOC stock and soil quality. Our result found no significant differences in SOC stock among two forest stand types (p > 0.05). Unexpectedly, leasehold forest had significantly (p < 0.05) higher SOC stock than other forest management regimes. In terms of soil quality, among two forest stand types, Sal forest (0.50) was found to be superior compared with TMH forest (0.46). Similarly, community forest had superior soil quality (0.50) than government-managed forest (0.47), protected area (0.47), and leasehold forest (0.45). A longitudinal study approach is recommended to observe changes in soil properties over time due to climate change and human activities, offering valuable insights into their dynamics.

The axolotl, known for its remarkable regenerative abilities, is an excellent model for studying regenerative therapies. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms governing its regenerative potential remain uncertain. In this study, we collected samples from axolotls of different ages, including 8-year-old individuals and 8-month-old juveniles, obtaining their blastemas 10 days after amputation. Subsequently, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis comparing our samples to a set of previously published experiments. Our analysis unveiled a distinctive transcriptional response in the blastema, characterized by differential gene expression associated with processes such as bone and tissue remodeling, transcriptional regulation, angiogenesis, and intercellular communication. To gain deeper insights, we compared these findings with those from aged axolotls that showed no signs of regeneration 10 days after amputation. We identified four genes-FSTL1, ADAMTS17, GPX7, and CTHRC1-that showed higher expression in regenerating tissue compared to aged axolotls. Further scrutiny, including structural and homology analysis, revealed that these genes are conserved across vertebrate species. Our discoveries point to a group of proteins relevant to tissue regeneration, with their conservation in vertebrates suggesting critical roles in development. These findings also propose a novel gene set involved in axolotl regeneration, laying a promising foundation for future investigations across vertebrates.

Bisphenol F (BPF) is an emerging contaminant extensively used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries, exerting deleterious effects on human and wildlife health. Therefore, the current study was conducted to assess the toxicity induced by BPF in rohu Labeo rohita using multiple biomarkers such as oxidative stress, activity of antioxidant enzymes, biochemical parameters, histology, and genotoxicity. Fish were separated into four groups (T1-T4). Group T1 served as a control (0 μg/L), while Groups T2, T3, and T4 were exposed to BPF concentrations of 600 μg/L, 1200 μg/L, and 1800 μg/L, respectively, for 21 days. Results showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in oxidative biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS] and reactive oxygen species [ROS]), while the concentration of antioxidant biomarkers (peroxidase [POD], superoxide dismutase [SOD], reduced glutathione [GSH], and catalase) was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased with the rising concentration of BPF in the liver, gills, and kidney of fish. Significant reduction (p < 0.05) in biochemical parameters was measured from collected whole blood, including red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular HGB (MCH), MC volume (MCV), hematocrit (HCT), MC HGB concentration (MCHC), platelets, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total proteins, very LDL (VLDL), albumin and globulin, while white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood glucose, and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were increased significantly (p < 0.05). Comet assay showed the DNA damage potential of BPF in erythrocytes. Histological examination showed that exposure to BPF causes several degenerative effects in the soft tissues (gills, liver, and kidney) of treated fish. It is concluded that BPF induces deleterious effects via disruptions in histological, genotoxic, and biochemical alterations in several organs of exposed fish.

Preharvest losses, which are often neglected, limit the availability of fresh tomato fruit to varying degrees in tomato-based cropping systems in Cameroon. Increasing tomato yields requires identifying, understanding, and controlling the factors responsible for preharvest losses in the identified cropping systems. Field surveys were conducted in three production areas of western Cameroon (Foumbot, Bansoa, and Dschang) to characterize cropping systems and growers, quantify production losses, and identify causal factors associated with losses and proffer solutions. One hundred and ninety-six growers were interviewed in 13 villages, using purposive sampling to select zones and simple random sampling to select growers. Factor analysis for mixed data (FAMD) and canonical discriminant analysis, combined with multinomial logistic regression, were used to analyze the collected data. The FAMD results indicated that 72% of the farm variability was expressed through technical route, preharvest losses, and technical mastery. The tomato-based cropping systems were classified into three types: (1) a pure cultivation system that consumes excessive synthetic fertilizers and results in significant losses; (2) a pure cultivation system that consumes high amounts of synthetic fertilizers and moderate amounts of organic fertilizers with moderate losses; and (3) a cultivation system that involves moderate synthetic fertilizer consumption, extremely low organic amendment, and low losses. Preharvest losses can be significantly affected by the unregulated use of synthetic fertilizers. The study's implications are many, affecting agricultural practices, policy, economic stability, and food security in Cameroon. A more sustainable and productive tomato industry can be achieved by addressing preharvest losses through informed strategies. To address this issue, it is crucial to establish fertilization protocols that consider the soil's fertility status and the tomato's essential macro- and micronutrient requirements.

Intercropping is an important practice for controlling crop pests in Ethiopia. However, there is a limited studies on the maize-faba bean intercropping benefits for controlling stemborer (Busseola fusca) pests. This study was carried out at Wukro Agricultural College, Tigray, Ethiopia, to investigate the effects of maize intercrops with two faba bean varieties (Gora and Moti) at three different population levels (25%, 50%, and 75%) of the recommended sole faba bean (250,000 plants ha^-1) on infestation, density, and damage of stemborer on maize. The intercrops significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the stemborer infestation, density, and damage on maize over to the sole maize. Maize intercrops with the Gora faba bean variety at a density of 50% lowered the pest damage on maize cobs by 35% relative to the sole maize. The intercrop also reduced the grain yield and economic losses due to the pest by 48% and 53%, respectively, compared to the sole maize. The results recommended that maize intercropped with the Gora faba bean variety at a density of 50% could be used as an alternative farming against stemborer pest in the semiarid farming systems of northern Ethiopia.

Biofilms are major virulence factors formed by pathogenic bacteria to invade their host and maintain their colony. While biofilms usually develop on diverse solid surfaces, floating biofilms, also called pellicles, are formed at the air-liquid interface. To address the problem of biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens, honey has been extensively studied. However, information on the effect of honey on biofilm formation by plant pathogens is scarce. This study aimed to determine the effects of manuka honey on biofilm and pellicle formation by Pectobacterium brasiliense and analyze the expression of genes encoding proteins needed to form biofilm by using semiquantitative PCR and RT-qPCR. Treatment with 5% (w/v) of manuka honey significantly decreased biofilm and pellicle formation by P. brasiliense. RT-qPCR results showed that the expression of bcsA, fis, hrpL, and expI decreased 7.07-fold, 5.71-fold, 13.11-fold, and 6.26-fold, respectively, after exposure to 5% (w/v) manuka honey. Our findings reveal that manuka honey may effectively inhibit biofilm and pellicle formation.

A medicinal plant from the Beni-Snassen Forest in the eastern region of Morocco has been studied. This scientific research was carried out to measure the content of essential phytochemical constituents and their antioxidant capacities from the hydromethanolic extract of leaves of Pistacia lentiscus L. located on sites at varying levels of altitudes. Our results have shown that at the lowest altitude, there was a height significant (p ≤ 0.05) in the content of flavonoids and polyphenols. On the other hand, the ascorbic acid, chlorophylls, and tannins had a higher content concentration on sites with high altitudes. Analysis correlation shows a hight correlation between the DPPH and the polyphenols content. A correlation between the total antioxidant activity and flavonoid content was found to have many similarities. The results indicated that P. lentiscus L. leaves have significant sources of chemical compounds that might be employed for various purposes.

This study investigates the potential of biochar derived from various biomass sources: apricot kernel (AK), pine sawdust (PS), rice husk (RH), wheat straw (WS), and reed stem (RS) to enhance the yield, nutritional quality, and environmental sustainability of parsley crops. Comprehensive characterization through SEM, EDAX, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and FTIR analyses identified AK biochar as the most suitable for further enrichment due to its superior specific surface area (512.3 m²/g) and iodine number (51.23 mg/g). EDAX analysis revealed that AK biochar exhibited the highest carbon content (92.1%), while RH biochar contained the highest silicon content (46%), indicating different potential applications. FTIR analysis identified key functional groups, such as carbonyl (1740 cm⁻¹) and hydroxyl (3430 cm⁻¹) groups, which contribute to the biochar's reactivity and potential effectiveness in various applications. The effects of selenium (Na₂SeO₄), iodine (KI), their combination (Na₂SeO₄ + KI), and BISF (biochar-enriched iodine and selenium fertilizer) on parsley growth, antioxidant properties, and nutrient accumulation were evaluated. The results demonstrated that joint applications of iodide and selenate led to a 3.1-fold increase in iodine content (up to 16.8 mg/kg d.w.) and a 1.2-fold increase in selenium accumulation (up to 2482.1 μg/kg d.w.) in parsley compared to separate treatments. Additionally, BISF treatment significantly improved key biometric parameters, with leaf weight increasing by 1.6 times (up to 326.5 g) compared to the control, and antioxidant content-ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity-showing increases of 1.56, 1.27, and 1.50 times, respectively. This study underscores the effectiveness of selenium- and iodine-enriched biochar in enhancing parsley crop yield and nutritional quality while also demonstrating the multifunctional role of biochar in environmental remediation.

Vermicelli production generates wastewater that is rich in organic and nutrient pollutants, which poses significant environmental challenges. Conventional biological treatments, either alone or in combination with other methods, often fail to achieve high efficiency and operational stability. This study explored the potential of the Fenton process, followed by aerobic activated sludge treatment, to enhance the biodegradability and mineralization of organic substances in vermicelli wastewater. Orientation experiments were performed to examine the effects of operating variables such as pH, reaction time, settling time, and ratio H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ on COD removal in order to select the optimal conditions for operating the model in a batch of 20 L, that is, pH = 3, reaction time of 90 min, settling time of 90 min, and ratio of H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ used 3 : 1 (4.5 : 1.5 g/L). The removal efficiencies of COD, BOD₅, TN, TP, and SS reached 75.83%, 67.26%, 28.24%, 26.63%, and 91.9%, respectively. The BOD₅/COD increased from 0.52 to 0.63, facilitating aerobic activated sludge, which had batch conditions of 15 L with pH of 6.5-8.5, DO ≥3 mg/L, additional nutrients with a dose of 12 mg/L, retention time of 14 h, and settling time of 2 h. As a result, the removal rate of those parameters climbed quite notably, except in SS (95.6%, 96.0%, 84.6%, 84.1%, and 83.6%), and their concentration parameters remained within the allowance levels of the National Technical Regulation in Vietnam before being discharged into the environment. However, the efficiency of treatment in the aerobic activated sludge stage for removing COD and BOD₅ was not as high as anticipated (83% and 87.33%, respectively) owing to the influence of the high TDS concentration. Thus, additional research is required to address this challenge. The integrated treatment system combining the Fenton process with aerobic activated sludge demonstrated significant potential for the effective reduction of organic and nutrient pollutants in vermicelli wastewater, thereby achieving compliance with regulatory standards. However, the observed limitations in COD and BOD₅ removal efficiency, likely due to elevated TDS levels, indicate the need for further investigation and optimization to enhance the overall treatment performance.

Mycoplasma is a kind of pathogenic microorganism, and its survival and replication need to be parasitic inside the host cell. Therefore, studies on the metabolic pathway, protein composition, and biological characteristics of Mycoplasma require the use of protein expression techniques. In this paper, the application of protein expression in Mycoplasma research was reviewed, including commonly used protein expression systems, optimization strategy of protein expression, protein omics analysis, and protein function research, and the future development direction has been prospected.