Search Results (2,182)

Peach bacterial shot hole is a major disease limiting the yield and quality in most peach-producing areas worldwide. To clarify its etiology and support the development of targeted management strategies, diseased samples were collected from Changli County peach orchards. The pathogen was isolated, purified and verified by Koch’s postulates. Based on morphological, biochemical and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses, the causal agent was identified as Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni (isolate TCK-5). Biological characterization revealed that TCK-5 grew optimally in KB and NB medium at 28 °C, pH 7.0–7.5 and 0.5–1.0% NaCl, efficiently utilized glycerol and organic nitrogen source (proteose peptone, beef extract and yeast extract), with light showing no significant effect on growth. The strain TCK-5 exhibited a lethal temperature of 51 °C, indicating that heat treatment above this threshold effectively disinfects pruning tools and contaminated plant debris. Among 18 bactericides tested in vitro, biological bactericide outperformed chemical ones, with 0.3% Tetramycin AS (EC₅₀ = 0.1051 mg/L) and 3% Zhongshengmycin SL (EC₅₀ = 2.9252 mg/L) exhibiting the strongest inhibitory activity. This study fills a regional knowledge gap in the epidemiological distribution of the pathogen in northern China and advances current understanding of X. arboricola pv. pruni occurrence, providing a scientific basis for subsequent epidemic monitoring and integrated control of peach bacterial shot hole. Full article

Saline water irrigation has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate agricultural water shortages; however, its improper use may induce secondary soil salinization. In this study, saline-alkali soil collected from Hami, Xinjiang, was used to conduct a series of indoor one-dimensional vertical soil column experiments. The aim was to systematically investigate the effects of sodium humate and desulfurization gypsum on soil infiltration behavior and the distribution patterns of key cations and anions under different levels of irrigation water salinity. The results showed that sodium humate application markedly improved soil infiltration capacity, while the duration of infiltration decreased with increasing salinity. Under salinity levels of 12 and 16 g/L, the 4 g/kg sodium humate treatment exhibited the most rapid advancement of the wetting front. In contrast, desulfurization gypsum reduced infiltration rates, with the lowest infiltration observed under the 12.5 g/kg treatment at 16 g/L salinity. Under different treatments, the adjusted coefficients of determination (adjusted R²) for the Philip, Kostiakov, and Horton models ranged from 0.8450 to 0.9841, 0.9901 to 0.9989, and 0.9748 to 0.9942, respectively, while the global performance indicator (GPI) ranged from 1.619 × 10⁻³ to 5.103 × 10⁻¹, 4.998 × 10⁻⁹ to 2.166 × 10⁻⁵, and 1.505 × 10⁻⁶ to 2.438 × 10⁻⁴, respectively. These results indicate that the Kostiakov model outperformed the other models in terms of fitting accuracy and overall performance for describing the soil infiltration process. In addition, sodium humate generally increased the sorptivity parameter S in the Philip model and the empirical coefficient K in the Kostiakov model, whereas desulfurization gypsum showed the opposite trend. In terms of salt regulation, sodium humate demonstrated optimal desalination performance at application rates of 6–8 g/kg under low salinity and 4–6 g/kg under high salinity conditions. Conversely, excessive gypsum application tended to exacerbate salt accumulation, although a moderate dosage (5 g/kg) effectively limited the downward migration and accumulation of Na⁺ and Cl⁻. These two ions were identified as the dominant contributors to soil salinization, showing strong positive correlations with soil salt content (SSC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). In contrast, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and HCO₃⁻ played beneficial roles in alleviating sodicity through ion exchange and buffering mechanisms. Overall, sodium humate enhanced infiltration and facilitated salt leaching in the upper soil layers under saline irrigation conditions. Although desulfurization gypsum reduced infiltration and increased overall salt content, it contributed to mitigating Na⁺ accumulation in deeper soil profiles. These findings highlight the critical importance of selecting appropriate soil amendments and optimizing their application rates to improve saline water use efficiency and promote sustainable management of saline-alkali soils. Full article

Hot-press forming (HPF) steel is a promising lightweight material for automotive applications but suffers from oxidation and reduced corrosion due to high-temperature processing. Aluminized coatings, particularly Al-10Si, are widely used to mitigate this issue. However, HPF heat treatment can create brittle alloy layers with cracks, compromising retention and increasing corrosion risk. This study investigated the effects of Sr addition on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of Al-Si-coated HPF steel. Al-Si and Al-Si-Sr coatings were applied to steel substrates and subjected to heat treatment to produce heat-treated (HT) Al-Si and HT Al-Si-Sr samples. Sr addition refined and spheroidized eutectic Si particles, improved coating homogeneity, and mitigated vertical crack formation in the Al-Fe-Si intermetallic layer. The resulting dense, crack-free alloy layer effectively shielded the Fe substrate from corrosion. After heat treatment, Sr facilitated the formation of a fine lamellar microstructure and a dense, continuous oxide film, enhancing coating retention and sustaining barrier protection. These improvements significantly delayed corrosion propagation into the Fe substrate. Corrosion resistance was evaluated using salt-spray tests (ASTM B117), potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions. Microstructural analyses revealed that even minimal Sr content (0.05%) considerably enhanced the performance of Al-Si coatings, demonstrating industrial applicability. This study highlights the potential of Sr-added Al-Si coatings in addressing the demand for lightweight and corrosion-resistant materials in the automotive industry, offering a viable solution for high-performance and environmentally sustainable applications. Full article

Rambutan peel, an abundant agro-industrial by-product, is a rich source of ellagitannins (ETs) and represents a promising substrate for the sustainable production of ellagic acid (EA) through solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study aimed to optimize EA release from rambutan peel ETs by SSF using Saccharomyces cerevisiae 227 in column reactors. We applied a central composite design (CCD) to evaluate and optimize the effects of temperature, NaCl concentration, and peptone supplementation on EA production. We also used HPLC/ESI/MS to identify and quantify EA. Maximum EA yields were obtained under central experimental conditions (treatments 15 and 16: 35 °C, 0.53 g/L NaCl, and 8 g/L peptone), reaching 8.36 ± 1.58 and 8.23 ± 0.52 mg/g, respectively. The predictive model estimated a maximum EA production of 8.29 mg/g, experimentally validated, at 34.6 °C, 0.58 g/L NaCl, and 8.26 g/L peptone, yielding 8.27 ± 0.47 mg/g. HPLC/ESI/MS analysis further confirmed EA formation and the presence of biodegradation products derived from geraniin and corilagin, indicating effective ET biotransformation. These findings establish optimized conditions for EA production from rambutan peel ETs via SSF and demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a sustainable bioprocess for the valorization of this agro-industrial residue. Full article

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy, including cisplatin and carboplatin, is widely used to treat various cancers, including ovarian cancer. However, its clinical application is limited by dose-limiting toxicities and resistance, with a poor 5-year overall survival rate for ovarian cancer (35–40%). In this study, we used ionisable lipids and developed pH-responsive lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to address platinum-resistance in ovarian carcinoma. Methods: Cisplatin was loaded into three LNP systems containing monoolein (MO) and synthetic cationic ionisable lipids (OE-Mo, OA-Py, and OA-Pi) dispersed in Pluronic F-127 with 0.9% NaCl. Cisplatin-loaded LNPs (Cis-OE-Mo-NP, Cis-OA-Py-NP, and Cis-OA-Pi-NP) were characterised for size, zeta potential, and internal mesophase structure. Encapsulation efficiencies were determined via HPLC after removing free drug by ultrafiltration. In vivo efficacy was tested using cisplatin-resistant human patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Results: The LNPs were well dispersed with particle size of 219–250 nm and a drug loading of ~1.2 mg/mL. Encapsulation efficiencies were 62%, 59%, and 64%, for Cis-OE-Mo-NP, Cis-OA-Py-NP, and Cis-OA-Pi-NP, respectively. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results showed that the LNPs are pH responsive with structural transitions from a cubic to a hexagonal phase at an acidic pH. Among the tested formulations, Cis-OA-Py-NP resulted in the most significant reduction in tumour volume by ~60% compared to treatment with cisplatin alone. However, they also showed significant toxicity, including >10% weight loss and gross lung and kidney damage, as confirmed by histology. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of Cis-OA-Py-NP in reducing tumour volume but underscore the need for further optimisation to improve safety and therapeutic applicability. Full article

Salt is essential for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and transmission of nerve impulses. However, excessive salt intake (especially NaCl) causes hypertension and neoplasms and is associated with neoplasms, including esophageal and gastric cancer. High concentrations of NaCl enhances intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, especially that of superoxide anions (O₂⁻), and induces injury to rat gastric mucosal cells (RGM1). In contrast, cells overexpressing manganese superoxide dismutase exhibit attenuated NaCl-induced cytotoxicity. Therefore, antioxidants can reduce the risk of salt-induced gastric mucosal injury. NaCl also affects the remodeling of the cytoskeleton and lamellipodia, and potentially modulates the cellular elastic modulus. In this study, we aimed to determine the possibility of cellular physiological changes by NaCl treatment and the effect of antioxidant laminaran in attenuating NaCl-derived cytotoxicity. Our in vitro assay revealed that laminaran attenuated NaCl-induced cytotoxicity and reduced intracellular ROS production caused by NaCl exposure. Laminaran upregulated antioxidant enzyme expression, suggesting that the observed reduction in ROS was mediated, at least in part, by the activation of these enzymes. Moreover, apoptosis derived from NaCl was inhibited by laminaran. NaCl also induced changes in lamellipodia formation; however, laminaran suppressed this formation. Full article

High internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized with biopolymer-based particles have sparked widespread interest due to their excellent stability and potential as fat replacements in food systems. In this study, soy protein isolate (SPI) and sodium alginate (SA) were mixed to create composite colloidal particles capable of stabilizing HIPEs with an oil phase percentage of 80%. SA significantly regulated the particle size and surface hydrophobicity of the composite particles. The optimal formulation with 1.0% SA presented a uniform particle size and desirable interfacial properties. The contact angle increased from 62.3° for pure SPI to 80.8°, which effectively improved the wettability at the oil–water interface. The interfacial protein adsorption reached a maximum of 83.7%, enabling adequate coverage of oil droplets. Low-field NMR demonstrated an increase in bound water (T₂₂) from 21.893 to 30.031 (a.u.), while CLSM images confirmed the formation of compact interfacial layers. The HIPEs possessed excellent stability against heat treatment (100 °C), freeze–thaw cycling (3 cycles), high ionic strength (up to 0.6 M NaCl), and ambient storage for 30 days. These findings demonstrate that SPI-SA complexes are excellent natural stabilizers for fabricating robust, environmentally friendly HIPEs with broad prospects for functional food applications. Full article

This study addresses the corrosion problem of refractory materials during high-temperature molten treatment of pharmaceutical waste salt, and systematically investigates the interface behavior and corrosion mechanism of MgO-based refractory materials in simulated pharmaceutical waste salt (65 wt% NaCl-30 wt% Na₂SO₄-5 wt% CaCO₃). Through sessile drop wetting infiltration experiments, static corrosion tests (950 °C and 1150 °C/48 h), combined with SEM-EDS, XRD characterization, and FactSage thermodynamic calculations, the corrosion resistance of high-purity MgO phase (HM-97) refractory materials and magnesium–aluminum spinel composite phase (MA-85) refractory materials was compared and analyzed. The results show that due to the fine periclase grains and rich grain boundaries, the molten salt infiltration rate of HM-97 material in the 644–800 °C range is significantly higher than that of MA-85. After corrosion at 950 °C, HM-97 and MA-85 formed 47 μm and 53 μm transition layers respectively, and the HM-97 surface generated Ca₃Mg(SiO₄)₂ phase leading to uneven corrosion morphology. At 1150 °C, HM-97 produced long cracks and the transition layer thickness remained almost unchanged due to dissolution, while MA-85 formed an approximately 72 μm transition layer and a dense metamorphic layer. Phase analysis and thermodynamic calculations suggest that the MgAl₂O₄ phase in MA-85 is likely stable at high temperatures, which appears to effectively prevent molten salt infiltration and contribute to forming a protective metamorphic layer, thereby potentially enhancing the material’s corrosion resistance. The MgAl₂O₄ phase is proposed to improve the service performance of MgO-based refractory materials in the molten pharmaceutical waste salt environment. Full article

The growing emphasis on environmental sustainability and the need for advanced manufacturing methods have accelerated progress in material processing. Aluminum powder metallurgy (APM) is particularly promising due to aluminum’s low density, high strength-to-weight ratio, and the inherent benefits of the powder metallurgy (PM) process. However, the corrosion resistance of sintered aluminum components remains a significant concern. In this study, shot peening (SP) was employed as a surface modification technique to improve the corrosion behavior of Alumix 321 PM alloy. Samples of the as-sintered and shot-peened Alumix 321 PM alloy, together with the wrought alloy counterpart AA6061, were characterized using non-contact optical profilometry, optical microscopy (OM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion performance was evaluated in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution using Tafel extrapolation (TE), cyclic polarization (CP), stair step polarization (SSP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results revealed that shot peening increased surface roughness and significantly reduced the corrosion rate from 0.079 mmpy to 0.004 mmpy for the unpeened and peened samples, respectively. While pitting was the dominant corrosion mechanism in the wrought alloy, the PM alloy exhibited a combination of pitting, crevice, and intergranular corrosion. These findings highlight the potential of SP in enhancing the durability of aluminum-based PM components, offering valuable insights for industrial applications. Full article

Soil salinization, intensified by climate change, reduces soil quality and crop yields, posing a severe threat to food security. The present study focuses on the effects of two doses of a biostimulant, based on plant protein hydrolysates, on improving the root system and the quality of NaCl-affected soil. For this purpose, several experiments were conducted on Solanum lycopersicum plants that were grown for 60 days under four salinity conditions, obtained by combining two salinity levels and two irrigation water types (a total of 36 treatments). Several physical and chemical soil properties and root characteristics were evaluated, and it was shown that the application of the biostimulant (BALOX^®) significantly increased root length and total root area, even under high salinity conditions. An increase of up to 70% over the control was achieved, mostly in roots smaller than 2 mm in diameter, which are primarily responsible for nutrient absorption. It was also revealed that BALOX^®’s interaction with the root system favorably influenced soil properties, particularly Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). Likewise, the Aggregate stability (AS) increased up to 36%, and the percentage of organic matter (OM) up to 6.4%. The CEC increased by 66–72% with the biostimulant application, and there were reductions in soil salinity and Na⁺ and Cl⁻ concentrations (20%, 19%, and 24%, respectively). In addition, BALOX increased the area and length of fine roots, thereby expanding the rhizosphere and enhancing its interaction with the soil. The use of the biostimulant may help prevent soil degradation and contribute to tomato plants’ tolerance mechanisms under salt stress. Full article

Rice cultivation faces major environmental challenges due to climate change, particularly soil salinity, which limits plant growth and productivity. Salt tolerance in rice is typically evaluated using physiological and biochemical traits, whereas leaf anatomical traits combined with advanced statistical analyses remain underexplored. This study investigated leaf anatomical characteristics of the rice cultivar Tubtim Chumphae at the seedling stage under different salinity levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mM NaCl). Seedlings were cultivated in a soil-based pot system for 42 days prior to treatment, and salinity stress was applied for 4 weeks. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test and multivariate approaches, including Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA). The results revealed that several anatomical traits significantly varied with salinity, including vertical epidermal cell size of long cells (Epi-VL-LC), major vascular bundle size in the lamina (MVB-la-HL), major vascular bundle size in the midrib (MVB-mid-HL and MVB-mid-VL), as well as stomatal size (St-HL and St-VL) and stomatal density (StD) (p < 0.01). DAPC effectively distinguished salinity levels based on leaf anatomical traits, and the PLS-DA results further supported the robustness of the classification. Epidermal cell size, cell wall and cuticle thickness, stomatal traits, and vascular bundle dimensions were identified as key candidate anatomical biomarkers of salt tolerance. S75 (75 mM NaCl treatment) was suitable as a screening level and S100 (100 mM NaCl treatment) as a confirmation level. The findings provide a useful reference for evaluating salt tolerance in this rice cultivar and may be integrated with morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits to support future rice breeding programs. These findings provide a reference for evaluating salt tolerance in this cultivar and may complement morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits in future rice breeding programs. Full article

Currently, the escalating global problem of soil salinization severely limits the yield and quality of processing tomatoes. However, the differential responses and salt-tolerance strategies among processing tomato genotypes with different salt tolerances under salt stress remain largely elusive. Therefore, this study used salt-tolerant genotype ‘S39’ and salt-sensitive genotype ‘S37’ as materials. Seeds were sown in plug trays, and seedlings at the two-leaf-one-heart stage were transplanted into hydroponic containers filled with Hoagland nutrient solution. When seedlings reached the four-leaf-one-heart stage, they were exposed to NaCl treatments of 0 mM (control), 120 mM (Na120), and 180 mM (Na180). Plant samples were collected at 3, 6, and 9 days after treatment to determine growth parameters, physiological indices, and gene expression levels, aiming to reveal the dynamic differential responses to salt stress between the two processing tomato genotypes. The results demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of NaCl on the growth of processing tomatoes was aggravated with increasing NaCl concentration and treatment duration. The most significant difference in salt tolerance between the two genotypes was observed at 9 days under 180 mM NaCl treatment. At this sampling point, the relative salt-stress indices of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, soluble sugar content, proline content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll (a + b) in ‘S39’ were significantly higher than those in ‘S37’ by 31.55%, 53.40%, 66.70%, 65.07%, 20.80%, 15.74%, and 19.44%, respectively. In addition, Na contents in roots and stems, as well as K contents in stems and leaves, were significantly higher in ‘S39’ than in ‘S37’ by 43.40%, 8.67%, 22.08%, and 21.99%, respectively. In contrast, relative electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in ‘S37’ were 15.54% and 12.44% higher than those in ‘S39’. In addition, photosynthetic parameters, including net photosynthetic rate (A_net), stomatal conductance (g_s), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i), transpiration rate (E), and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, were more stable in ‘S39’ than in ‘S37’. In conclusion, ‘S39’ possesses stronger salt tolerance via a multi-level regulatory strategy involving an enhanced antioxidant enzyme system, elevated accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, improved mineral ion balance, and increased stability of the photosynthetic apparatus. This study provides a comprehensive multi-level analysis of the differential salt tolerance mechanisms in processing tomato genotypes with contrasting salt tolerances and lays a theoretical basis for the screening and identification of salt-tolerant germplasm in processing tomatoes. Full article

A microbial community study using a culture-dependent method was conducted on dehydrated sludge collected from a steel factory’s wastewater treatment plant. One isolate, designated QWL-01^T, was a strictly anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming bacterium with coccoid cells measuring 0.6–0.9 μm in diameter. The growth of strain QWL-01^T was observed at 4–40 °C (optimum at 28–35 °C), pH 5.5–8.0 (optimum at pH 7.1), and a range of 0–3% NaCl (optimum at 0.5%). An analysis of the Biolog AN plate revealed positive carbon source utilization only for palatinose, α-ketovaleric acid, and pyruvic acid. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C_13:0 (17.0%), C_16:0 dimethyl acetal (12.0%), and anteiso-C_13:0 (9.2%). A 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis through BLASTN demonstrated that the nearest phylogenetic neighbors of the novel strain were Youngiibacter multivorans DSM 6139^T (93.82%) and Proteiniclasticum ruminis JCM 14817^T (93.75%). The genome size of strain QWL-01^T was 3.69 Mbp, with a G+C content of 50.8 mol%. Comparing strain QWL-01^T with closely related species of genera Proteiniclasticum and Youngiibacter, the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), average nucleotide identity (ANI), and average amino acid identity (AAI) values ranged from 26.60% to 36.80%, 65.89% to 68.30%, and 49.27% to 51.58%, respectively. Based on phenotypic, physiological, phylogenetic, and genomic relatedness evidence, strain QWL-01^T represents a novel genus in the family Clostridiaceae, for which the name Anaerococcoides asporogena gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed. Strain QWL-01^T (=BCRC 81396^T = CICC 25258^T = NBRC 117088^T) is the type strain of the proposed novel species. Full article

C-terminally encoded peptides (CEPs), a class of post-translationally modified peptides, have been discovered to be potential mediators of abiotic stress responses in several plants. In this study, to explore the possible roles of CEPs in blueberry salt and osmotic stress responses, a genome-wide identification of CEP genes was first conducted. In total, we identified 12 VcCEPs that can be further categorized into three subfamilies in blueberry. Collinearity analysis identified 14 segmental duplicated gene pairs involving four Subfamily I members and five Subfamily III members among VcCEPs, indicating that the expansion of the blueberry CEP gene family was promoted by the segmental duplication events of Subfamily I and Subfamily III members. Promoter analysis revealed that all the VcCEPs’ promoters contain drought-inducible and defence and stress-related elements, suggesting that they might contribute to the stress responses of blueberry. Gene expression analysis showed that, of the 12 VcCEPs, VcCEP1, VcCEP4, VcCEP5 and VcCEP6 expressed in blueberry root and/or leaf, with varied expression levels under salt and drought treatments, while others showed no expression or very low expression. We further identified CEP mature peptide (CEPm) sequences in VcCEPs, and found that nine VcCEPs contain one mature peptide, while VcCEP7, VcCEP2 and VcCEP10 contain 3, 2, and 2 mature peptide sequences, respectively. The CEPms of Subfamily III members (VcCEP7~11) share more than 60% similarity with reported stress-related CEP mature peptides from other plant species, indicating that they might function in blueberry stress responses. Additionally, exogenous application of different synthesized CEP mature peptides alleviated blueberry leaf yellowing/browning under 150 mM NaCl/500 mM mannitol treatments, with CEP7a*2 and CEP7a*2 + 7c showing the best effects. These findings indicate that their functions are concentration-dependent to some extent. Collectively, our study characterized the CEP genes in blueberry and can provide a basis for the future applications of CEPs in enhancing blueberry stress tolerance. Full article

Wastewater monitoring has been recognized as a valid tool for monitoring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diffusion. In this paper we analyse a dataset composed by the measurements of SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in 605 raw wastewater samples collected from nine wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Campania region from October 2021 to May 2025. We analyse the correlation structure of the dataset using multivariate statistical techniques with the aim of identifying the most representative sentinel WWTPs and thus optimizing the number of samples. Results of spatial analysis showed that there are two isolated elements, SA3 and NA1, with the highest and lowest SARS-CoV-2 load values, respectively, and other two clusters (Cl1 and Cl2) from the other WWTPs. Temporal analysis showed that NA3 WWTP had a statistically significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 load from 2022 to 2023. Our method suggests limiting samplings to three sites, as follows: SA3 (which can act as a sentinel site because it is the first site that records variation in viral load) and two with the higher variation coefficients (CV%) belonging to the two clusters, as follows: CE1 for Cl1 and NA4 for Cl2. This data analysis procedure could allow to focus only on certain WWTPs for SARS-CoV-2 monitoring, to promptly identify outbreaks. Full article