Comprehensive assessment of pollution status, health risks and source apportionment of heavy metals in surface wetland soils of Yellow River Delta using Monte Carlo simulation and positive matrix factorization.

Excessive heavy metals (HMs) exposure in surface soils may cause non-negligible health risks to human beings; however, the potential health risk assessment of HMs in Yellow River Delta wetland (YRDW) soils has rarely been evaluated. In this study, we sampled surface wetland soils from ten typical functional areas in YRDW, assessed the HMs pollution status, evaluated their potential health risks, stimulated their probabilistic distributions of health risks and analyzed their potential source apportionment using Positive matrix factorization and Monte Carlo simulation. Enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (I) indicated significant anthropogenic impacts, particularly in oil-contaminated sites, while Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) comparison results suggested potential ecological risks, especially for As and Ni, which were occasionally above threshold effect levels.

Efficient Control of Head Blight and Reduction of Deoxynivalenol Accumulation by a Novel Nanopartner-Based Strategy.

Chemical control of head blight (FHB) in wheat plants is often challenged by the resistance outbreak and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation. Developing green partners for fungicides is crucial for reducing fungal growth, mycotoxin contamination, and agricultural fungicides input. Herein, we investigated the mechanism of MgO nanoparticles (NPs) in controlling FHB.

Corrigendum: Vaccines for African swine fever: an update.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.

Extraction of American ginseng polysaccharide by ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents-based three-phase partitioning: Process optimization, structural characterization, and anti-ulcerative colitis study.

Three-phase partitioning (TPP) is promising for isolating bioactive polysaccharides, but t-butanol's environmental impact limits its application. Deep eutectic solvents can serve as a green and recyclable alternative to t-butanol. This study introduces an ultrasonic-assisted DES three-phase partitioning (UA-TPP-DES) system to extract and purify American ginseng polysaccharides (AGPs).

Enhanced antioxidant activity improves deep-sowing tolerance in maize.

Background: Deep sowing has emerged as a vital agricultural strategy, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, as it allows seeds to access water stored in deeper soil layers. This approach facilitates successful germination and establishment of crops, even in challenging environmental conditions. Previous studies have shown that the length of the maize mesocotyl is an important trait influencing deep-sowing tolerance.

Functionalized cellulose nanocrystals reinforced polysaccharide matrix for the preparation of active packaging for perishable fruits preservation.

Polysaccharide-based films have received increasing attention as promising candidates for petrochemical plastics. However, they are highly brittle, poorly hydrophobic and without antibacterial activity, while current films used to address these issues often struggle to manage the balance between these properties. To achieve a balance of several performance indices of the films, functionalized dialdehyde cellulose nanocrystals (DCNCs) were prepared to activate pectin-based films.

Evaluation of the toxoplasma Urm1 gene deletion mutant (PruΔUrm1) as a promising vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis in mice.

Toxoplasmosis is a significant zoonotic disease that poses a serious threat to both human and animal health. Despite ongoing research, developing an effective vaccine for toxoplasmosis remains a challenge. In this study, we evaluated the vaccine potential of the Toxoplasma Urm1 gene deletion mutant (PruΔUrm1) by assessing its pathogenicity and protective efficacy in mice.

A Linker Histone Acts as a Transcription Factor to Orchestrate Malic Acid Accumulation in Apple in Response to Sorbitol.

High carbohydrate availability promotes malic acid accumulation in fleshy fruits, but the underlying mechanism is not known. Here, we show that antisense repression of ALDOSE-6-PHOSPHATE REDUCTASE in apple (Malus domestica) decreases the concentrations of sorbitol and malate and the transcript levels of several genes involved in vacuolar malate transport, including the aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT) gene MdALMT9 (Ma1), the P-ATPase gene MdPH5, the MYB transcription factor gene MdMYB73, and the cold-induced basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor gene MdCIbHLH1, in fruit and leaves. We identified a linker histone H1 variant, MdH1.

Three new microfungi (Ascomycota) species from southern China.

, and have been reported as plant pathogens, endophytes or saprotrophes worldwide. Combining multiple molecular markers with morphological characteristics, this study proposes three new species, viz. , and from southern China.

Cuticular wax in wheat: biosynthesis, genetics, and the stress response.

All terrestrial plants possess a hydrophobic cuticle in the outermost layer of their aerial organs that is composed of cutin and wax. The cuticle serves as the first barrier between the plant and the surrounding environment and plays a key role in the resistance of plants to abiotic and biotic stressors. Additionally, they are closely associated with plant growth and development.

Construction of CdInS/MXene-TiO Z-Scheme Heterojunction for High-Gain Organic Photoelectrochemical Transistor to Achieve Maximized Transconductance at Zero Bias.

Interfacial charge-carrier complexation is a bottleneck problem governing the gating effect of organic photoelectrochemical transistor (OPECT) biosensors. Therefore, it has long been desired to enhance the OPECT gating effect and realize the maximum transconductance at zero bias. In this study, an in situ engineered heterojunction gating and nano-enzymatic catalytic integration of OPECT-colorimetric dual-mode sensing platform is developed for dibutyl phthalate detection.

Corrigendum: Orally administered recombinant expressing African swine fever virus antigens that induced immunity responses.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.

The coordination effect of organic ligands in Ce-MOF brings about atomically dispersed Fe in CeO for TAC detection in commercial samples.

Reducing the size of active species is a powerful means to improve the utilization rate of active metals and enhance the properties of bimetallic nanozymes. In this work, Fe was introduced into Ce-MOF through the coordination of Fe and organic ligands, and the coordination effect resulted in atomically dispersed Fe in the derived Fe/CeO nanozyme. Due to the atomically dispersed Fe embedded in the lattice of CeO, a large number of defect sites were generated, endowing the nanozyme with excellent peroxidase (POD)-like activity.

Pheromone-Binding Protein 1 Performs a Dual Function for Intra- and Intersexual Signaling in a Moth.

Moths use pheromones to ensure intraspecific communication. Nevertheless, few studies are focused on both intra- and intersexual communication based on pheromone recognition. Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are generally believed pivotal for male moths in recognizing female pheromones.

Evaluation of Salt Resistance of Six Apple Rootstocks.

Apples ( are important fruits in China; however, salt stress is severe in northern regions, and the key to plant resistance to salt stress lies in the rootstock. Therefore, it is necessary to explore rootstocks with strong salt resistance for the development of the apple industry. This study used tissue culture seedlings of six apple rootstocks, namely, '71-3-150', '54-118', 'M9T337', 'GM256', 'ML176', and 'ML2', as experimental materials.

Calcium chloride connects potato greening and enzymatic browning through salicylic acid.

Greening and enzymatic browning are important factors causing post-harvest losses in potatoes. Although they are two different biological processes, there are some common inhibitors between them. Whether there is a correlation between the two has yet to be studies.

Novel organophosphate esters and their transformation products in offshore sediment from Eastern China: Occurrence, temporal trend, and risk assessment.

Offshore sediment serves as an important sink for traditional organophosphate esters (TOPEs) originating from terrestrial sources. However, the contamination characteristics of novel OPEs (NOPEs) and their hydrolyzed and hydroxylated transformation products (Di- and OH-OPEs) in marine sediment are still unknown. In this study, 34 OPE-associated contaminants were measured in six offshore sediment cores (71 samples) collected from Eastern China.

Expression characteristics of miR-222b-5p/MAPK10 in major immune organs of SPF chickens infected with avian reticuloendotheliosis virus strain SNV (REV-SNV).

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is a retrovirus in poultry that can atrophy immune organs and cause immunosuppression and tumor diseases. Our previous results revealed that, in the spleen of SPF chickens infected with REV-SNV, gga-miR-222b-5p expression was upregulated at 7, 14 and 21 dpi, and MAPK10 expression was downregulated, both of which were negatively correlated, with a targeted relationship between the two at 28, 35 and 42 dpi. To understand and analyze the expression patterns of MAPK10 and gga-miR-222b-5p in infected chickens at different times and in different immune organs, qRT-PCR was used to analyze the spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus samples of SPF chickens at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 dpi.

GhRAP2.4 enhances drought tolerance by positively regulating the strigolactone receptor GhD14 expression in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Drought poses significant challenges to crop productivity, necessitating a deeper understanding of plant adaptive mechanisms. Strigolactones (SLs), a class of phytohormones, have been recognized as crucial regulators in plant responses to drought, yet the specific role of SL receptor in drought tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) remains underexplored.

SlAN2 overexpression improves cold resistance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) by regulating glycolysis and ascorbic acid metabolism.

Chilling stress seriously affects the growth and yield of tomato. Anthocyanin is a typical chilling-induced metabolite with strong antioxidant activity and photoprotective capacity. Here, we found that anthocyanin was also involved in ascorbic acid biosynthesis and glycolysis under chilling stress.

Immunomodulatory effects of inulin-type fructans from Arctium lappa L. by targeting gut microbiota and their metabolites.

This study aimed to examine the in vitro digestion properties and immunomodulatory effects of inulin-type fructans (ALP-1) from Arctium lappa L. on immunosuppressive mice and to explore the underlying mechanisms. The simulated gastrointestinal digestion showed that ALP-1 underwent slight degradation during gastric and intestinal fluid digestion, with most of it reaching the gut as long-chain structures.

Protocol for establishing CRISPR-Cas12a for efficient genome editing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages.

We developed an efficient type V CRISPR-Cas12a system tailored specifically for Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages, showcasing its remarkable cleavage activity and the ability to precisely introduce genetic modifications, including point mutations, deletions, and insertions, into phage genomes. Here, we present a protocol for establishing CRISPR-Cas12a for genome editing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages. We describe steps for the construction of pCRISPR-12a plasmid and guide RNA and the utilization of the type V CRISPR-Cas12a system for precise genetic editing of phages.

The rice microRNA159-SPOROCYTELESS EAR2 module regulates starch biosynthesis during pollen development and maintains male fertility.

Starch is an indispensable energy reserve for pollen and failure of starch biosynthesis in pollen leads to male sterility in flowering crops. Nonetheless, the regulatory mechanisms underlying starch biosynthesis in rice (Oryza sativa) pollen remain unclear. Here, we identified a target of the microRNA OsmiR159, SPOROCYTELESS ETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR-ASSOCIATED AMPHIPHILIC-REPRESSION 2 (OsSPEAR2).