Experimental and influencing factors of corn stalk pulling force

ABSTRACT The harvesting of straw by the flail knife type straw cutting device will cause loose contacts between straw roots and soil, affecting the straw feed's impurity content. In this study, a theoretical analysis of the straw cutting process was conducted to explore the factors influencing the root-soil disturbance. A pulling force test device was designed to test the pulling force of the corn stalk. The response surface method was used to study the effects of various factors on the straw pulling force under different conditions of draft angles (20°, 30°, 40°), soil moisture content (15.23%, 17.62%, 20.47%), and different straw root diameters. The test results showed that the straw pulling force was directly proportional to the straw root diameter and inversely proportional to the soil moisture content. The straw pulling force decreased first and then increased with the increase of the draft angle. According to the established second-order regression model, when the draft angle was 28.5°, the soil moisture content was 20.47%, the root diameter was 22 mm, the minimum pulling force of straw was 189.635N. The test results can provide a reference for the design of straw feed harvester.</div

DataSheet_1_IFN-γ enhances protective efficacy against Nocardia seriolae infection in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).docx

IntroductionNocardia seriolae adversely impacts a diverse range of fish species, exhibiting significant pathogenic characteristics that substantially impede the progress of aquaculture. N. seriolae infects in fish has a long incubation period, and clinical symptoms are not obvious in the early stages. There is presently no viable and eco-friendly approach to combat the spread of the disease. According to reports, N. seriolae primarily targets macrophages in tissues after infecting fish and can proliferate massively, leading to the death of fish. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a crucial molecule that regulates macrophage activation, but little is known about its role in the N. seriolae prevention.MethodsIFN-γ was first defined as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, MsIFN-γ), which has a highly conserved IFN-γ characteristic sequence through homology analysis. The recombinant proteins (rMsIFN-γ) were obtained in Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain BL21 (DE3). The inflammatory response-inducing ability of rMsIFN-γ was assessed in vitro using monocytes/macrophages. Meanwhile, the protective effect of MsIFN-γ in vivo was evaluated by N. seriolae infection largemouth bass model.ResultsIn the inflammatory response of the monocytes/macrophages activated by rMsIFN-γ, various cytokines were significantly increased. Interestingly, interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) increased by 183- and 12-fold, respectively, after rMsIFN-γ stimulation. rMsIFN-γ improved survival by 42.1% compared with the control. The bacterial load in the liver, spleen and head kidney significantly decreased. rMsIFN-γ was also shown to better induce increased expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, hepcidin-1(Hep-1), major histocompatibility complex I (MHCI), and MHC II in head kidney, spleen and liver. The histopathological examination demonstrated the transformation of granuloma status from an early necrotic foci to fibrosis in the infection period. Unexpectedly, the development of granulomas was successfully slowed in the rMsIFN-γ group.DiscussionThis work paves the way for further research into IFN-γ of largemouth bass and identifies a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of N. seriolae.</p

Table_1_IFN-γ enhances protective efficacy against Nocardia seriolae infection in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).docx

IntroductionNocardia seriolae adversely impacts a diverse range of fish species, exhibiting significant pathogenic characteristics that substantially impede the progress of aquaculture. N. seriolae infects in fish has a long incubation period, and clinical symptoms are not obvious in the early stages. There is presently no viable and eco-friendly approach to combat the spread of the disease. According to reports, N. seriolae primarily targets macrophages in tissues after infecting fish and can proliferate massively, leading to the death of fish. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a crucial molecule that regulates macrophage activation, but little is known about its role in the N. seriolae prevention.MethodsIFN-γ was first defined as largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, MsIFN-γ), which has a highly conserved IFN-γ characteristic sequence through homology analysis. The recombinant proteins (rMsIFN-γ) were obtained in Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain BL21 (DE3). The inflammatory response-inducing ability of rMsIFN-γ was assessed in vitro using monocytes/macrophages. Meanwhile, the protective effect of MsIFN-γ in vivo was evaluated by N. seriolae infection largemouth bass model.ResultsIn the inflammatory response of the monocytes/macrophages activated by rMsIFN-γ, various cytokines were significantly increased. Interestingly, interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) increased by 183- and 12-fold, respectively, after rMsIFN-γ stimulation. rMsIFN-γ improved survival by 42.1% compared with the control. The bacterial load in the liver, spleen and head kidney significantly decreased. rMsIFN-γ was also shown to better induce increased expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, hepcidin-1(Hep-1), major histocompatibility complex I (MHCI), and MHC II in head kidney, spleen and liver. The histopathological examination demonstrated the transformation of granuloma status from an early necrotic foci to fibrosis in the infection period. Unexpectedly, the development of granulomas was successfully slowed in the rMsIFN-γ group.DiscussionThis work paves the way for further research into IFN-γ of largemouth bass and identifies a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of N. seriolae.</p

Catalytic Hydrogenation of Alkali Lignin to Bio-oil Using Fullerene-like Vanadium Sulfide

The catalytic conversion of alkali lignin to chemicals has been the subject of intense research efforts during the past few decades. In this study, VS₂ catalysts, with different morphologies of sheets and nanoflowers, were prepared through hydrothermal methods and applied to the hydrogenation of alkali lignin. The conversion of alkali lignin and yield of bio-oil are 77.02 and 58.75%, respectively, at 250 °C under 2 MPa H₂ for 1.5 h with a VS₂ sheets catalyst, which is higher than that of a flower-like VS₂ catalyst. It was found that mainly the components of bio-oil were phenols, important and useful chemicals in transportation fuels and chemical industries. Our results indicated that the prepared VS₂ catalyst can be used as an effective material for degrading biomass to obtain valuable chemicals

DataSheet_1_Oral administration of hepcidin and chitosan benefits growth, immunity, and gut microbiota in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).docx

Intensive high-density culture patterns are causing an increasing number of bacterial diseases in fish. Hepcidin links iron metabolism with innate immunity in the process of resisting bacterial infection. In this study, the antibacterial effect of the combination of hepcidin (Cihep) and chitosan (CS) against Flavobacterium columnare was investigated. The dosing regimen was also optimized by adopting a feeding schedule of every three days and every seven days. After 56 days of feeding experiment, grass carp growth, immunity, and gut microbiota were tested. In vitro experiments, Cihep and CS can regulate iron metabolism and antibacterial activity, and that the combination of Cihep and CS had the best protective effect. In vivo experiments, Cihep and CS can improve the growth index of grass carp. After challenge with Flavobacterium columnare, the highest survival rate was observed in the Cihep+CS-3d group. By serum biochemical indicators assay and Prussian blue staining, Cihep and CS can increase iron accumulation and decrease serum iron levels. The contents of lysozyme and superoxide dismutase in Cihep+CS-3d group increased significantly. Meanwhile, Cihep and CS can significantly reduce the pathological damage of gill tissue. The 16S rRNA sequencing results showed that Cihep and CS can significantly increase the abundance and diversity of grass carp gut microbiota. These results indicated that the protective effect of consecutive 3-day feeding followed by a 3-day interval was better than that of consecutive 7-day feeding followed by a 7-day interval, and that the protective effect of Cihep in combination with chitosan was better than that of Cihep alone. Our findings optimize the feeding pattern for better oral administration of Cihep in aquaculture.</p

Integration of MIL-101-NH₂ into Cellulosic Foams for Efficient Cr(VI) Reduction under Visible Light

In this Article, a hybrid foam was fabricated through the integration of amine-functionalized Fe-MOF (MIL-101-NH2) into cellulosic matrix. The existence of enormous group linkages and ionic bonding interactions among the composite foam network leads to a uniform dispersion of MIL-101-NH2 and high affinity between the MOF and cellulose skeleton. As-prepared hybrid foams were utilized as photocatalysts to reduce toxic hexavalent chromium ions (Cr­(VI)) under visible light. Optimal performance was observed over CM-1 (with a MIL-101-NH2 and nanocellulose mass ratio of 1:1). When compared to pure MOF nanoparticle counterparts, the CM-1 foam presented preferable and more efficient Cr­(VI) removal performance. The reasons could be attributed to the hierarchal pore structure and uniform MOF loading. Moreover, the flexible foams could be easily separated from the solution and preserved more than 80% removal efficiency of Cr­(VI) after 10 runs. This work would shed light on how to construct high-efficiency photocatalysts for environmental governance from sustainable materials

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance toward CO₂ Hydrogenation over Nanosized TiO₂‑Loaded Pd under UV Irradiation

A series of Pd/TiO₂ photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple glucose reduction method, and their photocatalysis properties were evaluated in an array of CO₂ hydrogenations. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, EDX mapping, UV–vis DRS, Raman spectroscopy, PL spectroscopy, XPS, and N₂ adsorption. In terms of product yields (in micromoles per gram of catalyst), a 1.0 wt % Pd/TiO₂ catalyst (CH₄, 355.62; CO, 46.35; C₂H₆, 39.69) was found to be superior to pristine TiO₂ (CH₄, 42.65; CO, 4.73; C₂H₆, 2.7) and other composites under UV irradiation for 3 h, possibly because of a synergistic effect between the palladium nanoparticles and the TiO₂ support. The palladium nanoparticles on the surface of TiO₂ substantially accelerated electron transfer and acted as active sites for the adsorption and activation of CO₂ molecules, to promote CO₂ hydrogenation. During the photocatalytic CO₂ hydrogenation, dissociated hydrogen reacts with CO₂^– activated on the Pd/TiO₂ photocatalyst to form a new PdC surface species that is stable during the reaction and further transforms to generate methane. A detailed mechanism of photocatalytic CO₂ hydrogenation is discussed to account for the performance of the Pd/TiO₂ photocatalyst in the reaction

Supplemental Tables, Figures and Legends from Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Table S1. Primers for quantitative RT-PCR. Table S2. The list of primers for ChIP detection; CD44 promoter region. Figure S1. Loss of DAB2IP increased clonogenicity and stemness in normal prostate epithelial cells. Figure S2. Loss of DAB2IP increased in vitro invasion and motility in normal prostate epithelial cells. Figure S3. DAB2IP inhibits CD44 expression in human prostate epithelial cell lines. Figure S4. Wnt pathway correlates with CRPC progression. Figure S5. AR inhibitor doesn't affect the expression of CD44. Figure S6. All CD44 variants respond to Wnt inhibitor. Figure S7. Wnt signal regulates CD44 expression and stem cell properties. Figure S8. Wnt signal pathway mediates the expression of CD44. Figure S9. Wnt inhibitors diminish the chemo-resistance of KD cells. Figure S10. Overexpression of CD44 rescues the growth inhibition by LGK974. Figure S11. Synergistic effect of Wnt inhibitors combined with docetaxel on Du145 cells.</p

Synthesis of Amino-Functionalized Ti-MOF Derived Yolk–Shell and Hollow Heterostructures for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production under Visible Light

A series of visible-light-active NH2-MIL-125/TiO2/CdS yolk–shell and hollow H-TiO2/CdS hybrid heterostructures were successfully synthesized via the hydrolysis of NH2-MIL-125 metal–organic framework (MOF) using thioacetamide (CH3CSNH2) and cadmium acetate (Cd (CH3COO)2·2H2O) by the post solvothermal method, after which the obtained heterostructures were applied to H2 photocatalytic production. Among the yolk–shell and hollow heterostructures, NH2-MIL-125/TiO2/CdS (30) and H-TiO2/CdS (30) exhibited the highest H2 production activity of 2997.482 and 1970. 813 μmol g–1 h–1, with the apparent quantum efficiency of 4.81% and 2.41% at 420 nm, respectively. These superior photocatalytic performances of the heterostructures could be due to the strong interaction of the component based on intimate contact, large surface area, and porous structures that assisted the mass transfer, thereby forming abundant reactive sites. Moreover, the introduction of CdS nanoparticles into the MOF derivatives enhanced the visible light absorption and improved the separation of electron–hole pairs via heterojunction with well-matched energy band gap. Furthermore, the H2 production rate of the yolk–shell and hollow heterostructures were 18 and 12 times greater than the bare CdS. A probable mechanism was also proposed for the heterostructures. This work could open up new directions for the development of MOF-derived photocatalysts

Photothermal Coupling Effect Boosts the Conversion of CO₂ to Solar Fuel Over Pt/ZnO Photocatalyst in a Concentrated Solar Reactor

The low photocatalytic reaction rate and energy conversion efficiency are the key factors restricting the direct solar-driven CO2 production of solar fuels. Here, the photothermal coupling system based on the concentrated irradiation of Fresnel lenses was designed for the light-driven CO2 conversion process. Under the condition of concentrated irradiation, the solar energy to chemical energy conversion efficiency increased from 0.012 to 0.264%, while the CO yield increased 120 times (from 0.96 to 115.32 μmol g–1 h–1) over the Pt/ZnO photocatalyst, with significant performance resulting from the increase of carrier concentration and Fermi level and the decrease of apparent activation energy. Pt nanoparticles improved the light absorption performance and surface temperature of the photocatalyst under concentrated light irradiation. Photoelectrochemical measurements, evaluation of the photocatalytic performance at different wavelengths, and apparent activation energy calculations revealed that concentrated light irradiation can be an effective way to reduce apparent activation energy (from 48.19 to 37.23 kJ/mol). This provided a potentially feasible method for efficient and green utilization of CO2 driven by solar energy