Analysis of microbial communities in wheat, alfalfa, and oat crops after Tilletia laevis Kühn infection

Common bunt caused by Tilletia laevis Kühn is one of the most serious fungal diseases of wheat. The root–microbial associations play key roles in protecting plants against biotic and abiotic factors. Managing these associations offers a platform for improving the sustainability and efficiency of agriculture production. Here, by using high throughput sequencing, we aimed to identify the bacterial and fungal associations in wheat, alfalfa, and oat crops cultivated in different years in the Gansu province of China. Soil samples (0–6 cm below the surface) from infected wheat by T. laevis had significantly more bacterial and fungal richness than control samples as per the Chao1 analysis. We found some dominant fungi and bacterial phyla in infected wheat by T. laevis, such as Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierello mycota. We also analyzed the chemical and enzymatic properties of soil samples after T. laevis inoculation. The total nitrogen, total kalium (TK), ammonium nitrogen, available kalium, organic carbon, invertase, phosphatase, and catalase were more in T. laevis-infected samples as compared to the control samples, while pH, total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, and urease were more in control samples compared to T. laevis-infected samples. The results of this study will contribute to the control of wheat common bunt by candidate antagonistic microorganisms and adverse properties of soil

Using three-phase flow of immiscible liquids to prevent coalescence of droplets in microfluidic channels: Criteria to identify the third liquid and validation with protein crystallization

This manuscript describes the effect of interfacial tensions on three-phase liquid-liquid-liquid flow in microfluidic channels and the use of this flow to prevent microfluidic plugs from coalescing. One problem in using microfluidic plugs as microreactors is the coalescence of adjacent plugs caused by the relative motion of plugs during flow. Here, coalescence of reagent plugs was eliminated by using plugs of a third immiscible liquid as spacers to separate adjacent reagent plugs. This work tested the requirements of interfacial tensions for plugs of a third liquid to be effective spacers. Two candidates satisfying the requirements were identified, and one of these liquids was used in the crystallization of protein human Tdp1 to demonstrate its compatibility with protein crystallization in plugs. This method for identifying immiscible liquids for use as a spacer will also be useful for applications involving manipulation of large arrays of droplets in microfluidic channels

Prognostic value of lung immune prognostic index in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors: a meta-analysis

Background and PurposeUntil now, it has been difficult to accurately predict the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A novel indicator, the lung immune prognostic index (LIPI), has shown relatively high prognostic value in patients with solid cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to further identify the association between LIPI and the survival of patients with NSCLC who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).MethodsSeveral electronic databases were searched for available publications up to April 23, 2023. Immunotherapy outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analysis based on the study design and comparison of the LIPI was conducted.ResultsIn this meta-analysis, 21 studies with 9,010 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that elevated LIPI was significantly associated with poor OS (HR = 2.50, 95% CI:2.09–2.99, p < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 1.77, 95% CI:1.64–1.91, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses stratified by study design (retrospective vs. prospective) and comparison of LIPI (1 vs. 0, 2 vs. 0, 1–2 vs. 0, 2 vs. 1 vs. 0, 2 vs. 0–1 and 2 vs. 1) showed similar results.ConclusionLIPI could serve as a novel and reliable prognostic factor in NSCLC treated with ICIs, and elevated LIPI predicts worse prognosis

Reconciling results of 2019 and 2020 stellar occultations on Pluto's atmosphere. New constraints from both the 5 September 2019 event and consistency analysis

A stellar occultation by Pluto on 5 September 2019 yielded positive detections at two separate stations. Using an approach consistent with comparable studies, we derived a surface pressure of $11.478 \pm 0.55~\mathrm{\mu bar}$ for Pluto's atmosphere from the observations of this event. In addition, to avoid potential method inconsistancies highlighted by Sicardy et al. when comparing with historical pressure measurements, we reanalyzed the data by 15 August 2018 and 17 July 2019 events, respectively. All the new measurements provide a bridge between the two different perspectives on the pressure variation since 2015: a rapid pressure drop from previous studies of the 15 August 2018 and 17 July 2019 events and a plateau phase from that of the 6 June 2020 event. The pressure measurement from the 5 September 2019 event aligns with those from 2016, 2018, and 2020, supporting the latter perspective. While the measurements from the 4 June 2011 and 17 July 2019 events suggest probable V-shaped pressure variations unaccounted for by the volatile transport model (VTM) from Meza et al., the VTM remains applicable on average. And, the validity of the V-shaped variations is debatable due to the stellar faintness of the 4 June 2011 event and the grazing single-chord geometry of the 17 July 2019 event. To reveal and understand all significant pressure variations of Pluto's atmosphere, it is essential to provide constraints on both short-term and long-term evolutions of the interacting atmosphere and surface by continuous pressure monitoring through occultation observations, whenever possible, complemented by frequent spectroscopy and photometry of the surface.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 10 pages, 6 figure

Short-term versus long-term benefits: balanced sustainability framework and research propositions

Sustainability research has been expanding rapidly during recent decades. Such research takes various forms with the identification of mixed results. Even though there are several review articles on sustainability with valuable insights, the time dimension aspect of sustainability is totally missing in addition to lack of well-developed framework. This paper systematically reviews previous sustainability studies published in the refereed scientific journals for the past two decades to understand the evolution of sustainability issues in the business context and solutions proposed until now. The study categorizes the popular sustainability practices into short- and long-term practices based on the time effect, and link them with different forms of organizational capabilities and sustainability performance. The paper further proposes a two-dimensional sustainability framework that incorporates practices, capabilities and performance, and the balancing issues between short- and long-term sustainability. At the end, it suggests potential research directions for future research as well

Refleksivnostni defekt prostorov linearnih operatorjev

For a finite-dimensional linear subspace ▫{mathscr{S}} subseteq {mathscr{L}} (V,W)▫ and a positive integer ▫$k$▫, the ▫$k$▫-reflexivity defect of ▫$mathscr{S}$▫ is defined by ▫${mathrm{rd}}_k ({mathscr{S}}) = dim({mathrm{Ref}}_k (mathscr{S})/mathscr{S})$▫ where ▫${mathrm{Ref}}_k$▫ is the ▫$k$▫-reflexive closure of ▫$mathscr{S}$▫. We study this quantity for two-dimensional spaces of operators and for single generated algebras and their commutants.Za končnodimenzionalen linearen prostor ▫${mathscr{S}} subseteq {mathscr{L}} (V,W)$▫ in naravno število ▫$k$▫ je ▫$k$▫-refleksivnostni defekt prostora ▫${mathscr{S}}$▫ definiran kot ▫${mathrm{rd}}_k ({mathscr{S}}) = dim({mathrm{Ref}}_k (mathscr{S})/mathscr{S})$▫, pri čemer je ▫${mathrm{Ref}}_k$▫ ▫$k$▫-refleksivnostno zaprtje za ▫$mathscr{S}$▫. V članku izračunamo refleksivnostni defekt za dvodimenzionalne prostore operatorjev, za algebre generirane z enim operatorjem in za njihove komutante

A facile method for the fast and accurate selection of a UF membrane for membrane bioreactors

Membrane fouling is the bottleneck restricting membrane bioreactors (MBRs) from being widely used for water reclamation. How to select the best membrane with anti-fouling properties for MBRs is always a complicated challenge due to the lack of evaluation methods. This paper introduced a facile method using traditional cake filtration and pore blocking theory for easy and fast selection of commercially available ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for MBRs. Three commercial UF membranes were selected for evaluating the filtration performance in MBRs using this method. The testing result reveals that the NS membrane has the best anti-fouling performance with less pore blocking, and its cake fouling was easier to remove, which was consistent with the long-term MBR operation result. FE-SEM, AFM and EDX were adopted to characterize the surface topography of the three UF membranes, which explained that the anti-fouling performance of the NS membrane was likely due to its less rough surface and Ti content

Rapamycin Inhibits the Growth and Collagen Production of Fibroblasts Derived from Human Urethral Scar Tissue

Rapamycin can inhibit fibroblast proliferation, collagen accumulation, and urethral stricture in rabbits. Transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-β1) signaling, with downstream recruitment of Smad2, is known to promote fibrosis. This in vitro study examined the effects of rapamycin on fibroblasts derived from human urethral scar tissue (FHUS) and investigated the possible mechanism with respect to regulation of TGF-β1 signaling. FHUS were cultured from urethral scar tissues collected from four patients with urethral stricture. The cells were exposed to different concentrations of rapamycin (0, 10, 20, 40, 80, or 160 ng/ml) for 24 or 48 hours. Cell growth was assessed by the MTT assay. Collagen content was measured based on hydroxyproline levels. The mRNA expressions of Smad2, eIF-4E, and alpha-1 chains of collagen types I and III (Col1α1 and Col3α1) were determined by semiquantitative reverse-transcription PCR. The protein expressions of Smad2, phospho-Smad2, and eIF-4E were evaluated by western blot. Rapamycin caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of FHUS growth at 24 and 48 hours (P<0.01). Rapamycin decreased total collagen content (P<0.01), collagen content per 105 cells (P<0.05), and mRNA expressions of Col1α1 and Col3α1 (P<0.05) in a concentration-dependent manner. Rapamycin elicited concentration-dependent reductions in the mRNA (P<0.05) and protein (P<0.01) expressions of Smad2 and eIF-4E. The two highest concentrations of rapamycin also enhanced phospho-Smad2 levels (P<0.01). In conclusion, the present study confirmed that rapamycin may reduce the growth and collagen production of FHUS, possibly through inhibition of TGF-β1 signaling

Effects of various TiO2 nanostructures and graphene oxide on photocatalytic activity of TiO2

The nanostructures of TiO2 significantly affect its photocatalytic activity. In this work, various TiO2 nanostructures have been successfully synthesized, including one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanotube, 1D TiO2 nanowire, three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 sphere assembled by nanoparticles (TiO2 sphere-P) and 3D TiO2 sphere assembled by nanosheets (TiO2 sphere-S). The results of photodegradation activity towards acid orange 7 (AO7) indicate that the photodegradation efficiency of TiO2 sphere-S is the highest among the investigated TiO2 nanostructures, even though the specific surface area of TiO2 sphere-S is lower than that of TiO2 nanotube. The best photodegradation activity of TiO2 sphere-S can be attributed to the highest light harvesting capacity resulted from multiple reflections of light, and hierarchical mesoporous structure. In addition, the combination of TiO2 sphere-S with graphene oxide (GO) sheets can further enhance the photodegradation efficiency of AO7 and disinfection activity of Escherichia coli (E. coli) under solar light, which is more energy efficient. The promising photocatalytic activity of GO-TiO2 composites is originated from the enhanced light absorption and efficient charge separation. Hence, this study paves a way for improving the performance of other photocatalysts.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)Accepted versio

A photo-responsive micro/nanomembrane for smart separation and self-cleaning

Inspired by the micro/nanostructures of a leaf surface, a smart photo-responsive zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod-modified polysulfone (PSF) nano-fibrous membrane was successfully fabricated using a combination of electrospinning and hydrothermal reactions in this research. Via a hydrothermal reaction, ZnO nanorods can be grown easily on the electrospun PSF nanofibers to form a hierarchical micro-/nano-structure with a large specific surface area. Importantly, due to the photo-sensitivity of ZnO nanorods, the membrane became hydrophilic and performed efficient oil–water separation under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Moreover, this membrane demonstrated self-cleaning properties which promoted the degradation of foulants and contaminants under UV irradiation. This novel membrane is a good candidate for smart separation applications.Nanyang Technological UniversityDr Jia-Cheng E. Yang would like to appreciate the support from the China Scholarship Council (CSC No. 202004910092). In addition, the scholarship provided by NTU is also appreciated