Development of Thyme-Infused Polydimethylsiloxane Composites for Enhanced Antibacterial Wound Dressings.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used in biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility and flexibility but faces challenges due to its hydrophobicity and limited mechanical strength. This study explores the incorporation of thyme ( L.) into PDMS to enhance its properties for wound dressing applications.

Microplastic and Nanoplastic in Crops: Possible Adverse Effects to Crop Production and Contaminant Transfer in the Food Chain.

With the increasing amounts of microplastic (MP) deposited in soil from various agricultural activities, crop plants can become an important source of MP in food products. The last three years of studies gave enough evidence showing that plastic in the form of nanoparticles (<100 nm) can be taken up by the root system and transferred to aboveground plant parts. Furthermore, the presence of microplastic in soil affects plant growth disturbing metabolic processes in plants, thus reducing yields and crop quality.

Advances in Plant Auxin Biology: Synthesis, Metabolism, Signaling, Interaction with Other Hormones, and Roles under Abiotic Stress.

Auxin is a key hormone that regulates plant growth and development, including plant shape and sensitivity to environmental changes. Auxin is biosynthesized and metabolized via many parallel pathways, and it is sensed and transduced by both normal and atypical pathways. The production, catabolism, and signal transduction pathways of auxin primarily govern its role in plant growth and development, and in the response to stress.

Spatial distribution, source apportionment, and risk assessment of perfluoroalkyl substances in urban soils of a typical densely urbanized and industrialized city, Northeast China.

As an important capital city of intensive urbanization and industrialization in Northeast China, Changchun has experienced extremely rapid development, with diverse sectors such as automobile manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, optoelectronics, and pharmaceutical decoration. However, data on the levels and profiles of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in urban soils of Changchun is limited. This study investigated 17 PFASs across various functional zones within the main urban area of Changchun.

Effects of MCPA and difenoconazole on glyphosate degradation and soil microorganisms.

Modern agriculture relies heavily on pesticide use to meet the demands of food quality and quantity. Therefore, pesticides are often applied in mixtures, leading to a diverse cocktail of chemicals and their metabolites in soils, which can affect non-target organisms such as soil microorganisms. Pesticides are tested for their single effects, but studies on their interactive effects are scarce.

Comparative phytochemical, antioxidant, and hemostatic studies of fractions from raw and roasted sea buckthorn seeds in vitro.

Various seeds, including sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seeds, are sources of different bioactive compounds. They can show anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, antibacterial, antioxidant, or other biological properties in in vitro and in vivo models.

Biofilm enhanced the mitigations of antibiotics and resistome in sulfadiazine and trimethoprim co-contaminated soils.

Reducing antibiotic levels in soil ecosystems is vital to curb the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mitigate global health threats. However, gaps persist in understanding how antibiotic resistome can be suppressed during antibiotic degradation. Herein, we investigate the efficacy of a biochar biofilm incorporating antibiotics-degrading bacterial strain (Arthrobacter sp.

Microplastics from polyvinyl chloride agricultural plastic films do not change nitrogenous gas emission but enhance denitrification potential.

The effects of microplastics (MPs) from agricultural plastic films on soil nitrogen transformation, especially denitrification, are still obscure. Here, using a robotized flow-through system, we incubated vegetable upland soil cores for 66 days with MPs from PE mulching film (F-PE) and PVC greenhouse film (F-PVC) and directly quantified the emissions of nitrogenous gases from denitrification under oxic conditions, as well as the denitrification potential under anoxic conditions. The impact of MPs on soil nitrogen transformation was largely determined by the concentration of the additive phthalate esters (PAEs) containing in the MPs.

Groundwater nitrate contamination in China: Spatial distribution, temporal trend, and driver analysis.

China's groundwater is facing a significant threat from nitrate pollution. Here we analyzed 2348 regional surveys of groundwater nitrate levels in China from 1990 to 2020, examining distribution, trends, and drivers. This study uncovers a concerning rise in nitrate pollution, with estimated median nitrate levels climbing from 3.

Detecting rare earth elements using EnMAP hyperspectral satellite data: a case study from Mountain Pass, California.

Rare earth elements (REEs) exhibit diagnostic absorption features in the visible-near infrared region, enabling their detection and identification via spectroscopic methods. Satellite-based remote sensing mapping of REEs, however, has not been attainable so far due to the necessity for high-quality hyperspectral data to resolve their narrow absorption features. This research leverages EnMAP hyperspectral satellite data to map REEs in Mountain Pass, California-a mining area known to host bastnaesite-Ce ore in sövite and beforsite carbonatites.

Coping with spectral interferences when measuring water stable isotopes of vegetables.

Rationale: Laser-based analyzers are widely used in ecohydrology to analyze plant water isotopic compositions (δO and δH). The suitability of three different water extraction and isotope equilibration techniques was compared. We examined whether co-extracted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) affect laser-based isotope measurements and used the instrument's spectral parameters to post-correct for interfering VOCs.

Biochar mitigates the stimulatory effects of straw incorporation on NO emission and NO/(NO + N) ratio in upland soil.

Straw incorporation, a common agricultural strategy designed to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC), often leads to increased nitrous oxide (NO) emission, potentially offsetting benefits of SOC sequestration. However, the mechanism and mitigation options for the enhanced NO emission following straw incorporation remain unclear. Here, N and NO emission rate, as well as NO/(NO + N) ratio under four different fertilization treatments [i.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of different types of (aged) microplastics for napropamide in soils.

The role of microplastics (MPs) as pollutant carriers and their influence on the fate of organic pollutants has received considerable attention. However, the impacts of MPs on the adsorption of amide herbicides in soil, have not been investigated. In this study, non-biodegradable (polyethylene, PEM) and biodegradable (polybutylene adipate terephthalate, PBATM) MPs were aged by exposure to one month of ultraviolet irradiation.

Bacterial community composition of wheat aboveground compartments correlates with yield during the reproductive phase.

Unlabelled: Plant-associated microbial communities play important roles in agricultural productivity, and their composition has been shown to vary across plant compartments and developmental stages. However, the response of microbial communities within different plant compartments and at different developmental stages to diverse long-term fertilization treatments, as well as their linkages with crop yields, remains underexplored. This study analyzed wheat-associated bacterial communities within various soil and plant compartments under three fertilization treatments throughout the vegetative and reproductive phases.

Unlocking the roles of wheat root exudates in regulating laccase-catalyzed estrogen humification.

While laccase humification has an efficient capacity to convert estrogenic pollutants, the roles of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) root exudates (W-REs) in the enzymatic humification remain poorly understood. Herein, we presented the research into the effects of W-REs on 17β-estradiol (E2) and bisphenol A (BPA) conversion in vitro laccase humification.

Selectivity Screening and Structure-Cytotoxic Activity Observations of Selected Oleanolic Acid (OA)-Type Saponins from the Amaranthaceae Family on a Wiade Panel of Human Cancer Cell Lines.

Plants from the Amaranthaceae family are a source of oleanolic acid (OA)-type saponins with cytotoxic activity. Two known OA-type saponins, calenduloside E and chikusetsusaponin IVa, were isolated from the roots of Roth. Their structures were confirmed using MS and NMR techniques.

The influence of soil salinization, induced by the backwater effect of the Yellow River, on microbial community dynamics and ecosystem functioning in arid regions.

Irrigation practices and groundwater levels are critical factors contributing to soil salinization in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the impact of soil salinization resulting from Yellow River water irrigation and recharge on microbial communities and their functions in the Huinong District has not been thoroughly documented. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to analyze the diversity, composition, and structure of bacterial and fungal communities across a gradient of salinized soils.

Transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from soil to rice in paddy field.

The global spread and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has received much attention whereas knowledge about the transmission of ARGs from one matrix to another is still insufficient. In this study, the paddy fields fertilized with chemical fertilizer, swine compost, and no fertilizer were investigated to assess the transfer of ARGs from soil to rice. Soil and plant samples were collected at day 0, 7, 30 and 79 representing various stages of paddy growth.

Co-application of biochars and improved the quality of coastal saline soil and promoted the growth of forage.

Soil quality is defined as the ability of soil to maintain the soil environment and the biosphere. Due to the limitation of salt and alkali stress, soil quality can be reduced, which in turn affects agricultural production. Biochar is widely used in saline-alkali land improvement because of its special pore structure and strong ion exchange ability, while is widely used in saline-alkali land improvement because it can symbiose with plants and improve plant stress resistance.

MGDA-assisted plant washing agent for improving the removal of Cd and Cu from farmland soils.

Utilizing plant extracts for soil washing is a promising and cost-efficient strategy to permanently remove toxic metals from farmland soils. However, the efficiency of current plant extracts in heavy metals removal is constrained by the need of excessively high liquid-solid ratios (>10:1), which limits their practical application in the farmland soils. To address this challenge, we developed a novel binary washing agent consisting of Fructus mume residue extract (RPM) and methylglycinediacetate acid (MGDA).

Inductive cum targeted yield model-based integrated fertilizer prescription for sweet corn (Zea mays L. Saccharata) on Alfisols of Southern India.

Striking the right nutrient balance is essential for sustainable farming and ecosystem health. In this regard, field experiments were conducted in three phases viz., fertility gradient experiment, main experiment and validation experiment through a soil test crop response approach to develop and validate fertilizer prescription equations for sweet corn in comparison with general recommended dose and soil fertility rating approach.

Composted maize straw under fungi inoculation reduces soil NO emissions and mitigates the microbial N limitation in a wheat upland.

Enhancement of microbial assimilation of inorganic nitrogen (N) by straw addition is believed to be an effective pathway to improve farmland N cycling. However, the effectiveness of differently pretreated straws on soil NO emissions and soil N-acquiring enzyme activities remains unclear. In this study, a pot experiment with four treatments (I, no addition, CK; II, respective addition of maize straw, S; III, composted maize straw under no fungi inoculation, SC; and IV, composted maize straw under fungi inoculation, SCPA) at the same quantity of carbon (C) input was conducted under the same amount of inorganic N fertilization.