Endometrial cancer is one the most prevalent gynecological cancers and, unfortunately, has a poor prognosis due to low response rates to traditional treatments. However, the progress in molecular biology and understanding the genetic mechanisms involved in tumor processes offers valuable information that has led to the current classification that describes four molecular subtypes of endometrial cancer. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancers, such as genetic mutations, defects in the DNA mismatch repair pathway, epigenetic changes, or dysregulation in angiogenic or hormonal signaling pathways. The preclinical genomic and molecular investigations presented allowed for the identification of some molecules that could be used as biomarkers to diagnose, predict, and monitor the progression of endometrial cancer. Besides the therapies known in clinical practice, targeted therapy is described as a new cancer treatment that involves identifying specific molecular targets in tumor cells. By selectively inhibiting these targets, key signaling pathways involved in cancer progression can be disrupted while normal cells are protected. The connection between molecular biomarkers and targeted therapy is vital in the fight against cancer. Ongoing research and clinical trials are exploring the use of standard therapy agents in combination with other treatment strategies like immunotherapy and anti-angiogenesis therapy to improve outcomes and personalize treatment for patients with endometrial cancer. This approach has the potential to transform the management of cancer patients. In conclusion, enhancing molecular tools is essential for stratifying the risk and guiding surgery, adjuvant therapy, and cancer treatment for women with endometrial cancer. In addition, the information from this review may have an essential value in the personalized therapy approach for endometrial cancer to improve the patient’s life. Full article

Type V collagen is considered to be a crucial minor collagen in fish skin with unique physiological functions. In this research, the cDNAs of three procollagens (Tacol5a1, Tacol5a2, and Tacol5a3) in type V collagen were cloned from the skin of shortbill spearfish (Tetrapturus angustirostris). The open reading frames (ORFs) of Tacol5a1, Tacol5a2, and Tacol5a3 contained 5991, 4485, and 5607 bps, respectively, encoding 1997, 1495, and 1869 amino acid residues. Each of the deduced amino acid sequences of procollagens contained a signal peptide and a fibrillar collagen C-terminal domain (COLFI). A conserved thrombospondin-like N-terminal domain (TSPN) was found at the N-terminus of Tacol5a1 and 5a3 procollagens, whereas a von Willebrand factor (VWC) was found at the N-terminus of Tacol5a2 procollagen. Tacol5a1, Tacol5a2, and Tacol5a3 had their theoretical isoelectric points of 5.06, 6.75, and 5.76, respectively, and predicted molecular weights of 198,435.60, 145,058.48, and 189,171.18, respectively. The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that Tacol5a1 of shortbill spearfish clustered with that of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) instead of broadbill swordfish (Xiphias gladius). In addition, type V collagen was extracted from the shortbill spearfish skin. The in silico method demonstrated that shortbill spearfish type V collagen has a high potential for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition activity (79.50%), dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibition (74.91%) activity, and antithrombotic activity (46.83%). The structural clarification and possible functional investigation in this study provide the foundation for the applications of exogenous type V collagen derived from fish sources. Full article

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high mortality rates. There have been reports of hypersensitivity reactions with mild to severe symptoms. The COVID-19 vaccine provocation test is a vaccination protocol for individuals with a history of hypersensitivity. This study aims to determine the benefits of COVID-19 vaccine provocation tests in patients with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and its influencing factors. Objective: To determine the incidence, severity, outcome of hypersensitivity reactions, and success of the COVID-19 vaccine provocation test. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, using subjects taken from medical record data at the RSCM who had received COVID-19 vaccination with a history of hypersensitivity. Data was taken from the COVID-19 vaccination records at the RSCM, BPJS Health Primary Care application. Results: From a total of 29,036 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, 44 patients experienced hypersensitivity reactions. As many as 38.64% did not continue vaccination, 2.27% experienced mild hypersensitivity, and 59.44% were successfully vaccinated. Conclusions: People with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to COVID-19 vaccines can still receive subsequent COVID-19 vaccinations at healthcare facilities equipped with anaphylaxis kits and immunology allergists. Full article

Evidence has shown that parenting intervention programmes improve parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices, which helps in promoting child development. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of parenting intervention in improving child behaviours. This is a secondary analysis of data from a cluster-randomised controlled trial with depressed mothers aged 18–44 years with a child aged 0 to 36 months. This paper reports findings from the dataset of participants with a child aged between 24 and 36 months. Villages (n = 120) were randomised into either of two arms: learning through play plus (LTP Plus) or treatment as usual (TAU). LTP Plus is a 10-session, group parenting intervention integrated with cognitive behaviour therapy, delivered over 3 months. This secondary analysis reports findings on the Eyberg Child Behaviour Inventory (ECBI) and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME). Findings show a significant improvement in child behaviour (ECBI) scores (p < 0.011) and HOME scores (p < 0.001) in the intervention group compared to TAU at 3-month follow-up. In a low-resource setting, low-cost group parenting intervention delivered by community health workers has the potential to improve child behaviours and quality of the home environment. Parenting interventions aimed at improving child behavioural problems can have significant implications for the child, family, and broader societal outcomes. Addressing behavioural problems in early years, parenting interventions can potentially reduce long-term consequences and costs associated with untreated child behavioural issues. Full article

Recommendations for endurance exercise prescription are often based on percentages of heart rate (HR) or the volume of oxygen consumption ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂) maximum or reserve that is extrapolated to a power output (P) or velocity. Previous work has demonstrated dissociations of the expected responses to exercise anchored to the critical heart rate (CHR) compared with the P associated with CHR. However, it is unclear if similar dissociations due to reductions in P to maintain the designated intensity would be present during exercise anchored to the $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂ associated with CHR ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂CHR). The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns in physiological ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂, HR, P, respiration rate [RR], muscle oxygen saturation [%SmO₂]), neuromuscular (electromyographic and mechanomyographic amplitude [EMG AMP, MMG AMP], mean power frequency [EMG MPF, MMG MPF]), and perceptual (rating of perceived exertion [RPE]) responses during exercise at $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂CHR ($\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂-clamp). On separate days, ten participants (age: 25 ± 4 yr) performed a graded exercise test and four constant P trials at 85–100% of peak P (PP) to derive CHR and $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂CHR. Responses were recorded during a trial to exhaustion at $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂CHR (32.86 ± 7.12 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; T_Lim = 31.31 ± 21.37 min) and normalized in 10% intervals of T_Lim to their respective values at PP. The one-way repeated-measures ANOVA with post hoc, Bonferroni-corrected, pairwise comparisons indicated differences (p < 0.001) from baseline for HR (mean ± SD %change = 8 ± 3%), RR (43 ± 38%), P (−15 ± 5%), EMG MPF (10 ± 8%), and RPE (65 ± 38%), but no differences (p = 0.077–0.955) for %SmO₂ (−17 ± 53%), EMG AMP (−3 ± 16%), MMG AMP (40 ± 61%), and MMG MPF (1 ± 7%). The loss in performance observed during $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂-Clamp exercise may provide a quantification of the inefficiency associated with the $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂ slow component phenomenon. The neuromuscular responses suggested constant muscle excitation despite the reductions in P, but the metabolic and perceptual responses suggested a combination of feedforward and feedback mechanisms regulating T_Lim. Future studies should further examine responses to the $\dot{\mathrm{V}}$O₂-Clamp exercise at a uniform threshold. Full article

Secondary metabolites, polyphenols, are widespread in the entire kingdom of plants. They contain one or more hydroxyl groups that have a variety of biological functions in the natural environment. These uses include polyphenols in food, beauty products, dietary supplements, and medicinal products and have grown rapidly during the past 20 years. Antimicrobial polyphenols are described together with their sources, classes, and subclasses. Polyphenols are found in different sources, such as dark chocolate, olive oil, red wine, almonds, cashews, walnuts, berries, green tea, apples, artichokes, mushrooms, etc. Examples of benefits are antiallergic, antioxidant, anticancer agents, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antimicrobe properties. From these sources, different classes of polyphenols are helpful for the growth of internal functional systems of the human body, providing healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, improving brain health, and rebooting our cellular microbiome health by mitochondrial uncoupling. Among the various health benefits of polyphenols (curcumin, naringenin, quercetin, catechin, etc.) primarily different antimicrobial activities are discussed along with possible future applications. For polyphenols and antimicrobial agents to be proven safe, adverse health impacts must be substantiated by reliable scientific research as well as in vitro and in vivo clinical data. Future research may be influenced by this evaluation. Full article

Residues mapping can provide essential information about soil chemical elements’ behaviors and contribute to possible interferences in coffee tree development. Thus, the research objective was to monitor plant residue burning effects by analyzing the chemical elements in ash, using soil analysis, and applying vegetative indices obtained by RPA images. The samples were submitted for conventional soil analysis and atomic emission spectrometry (pure ash). The RPA multispectral images were used to form thirty-one vegetative indices. Thus, at the soil and ash collection points, the index performance was evaluated for six months and divided into three collection times. Then, the data were statistically analyzed to evaluate which index best separated the plants in regions with ash and ash-free soil. The pure ash deposits revealed expressive presences of K, Ca, Mg, and Al in addition to pH elevation. In areas with ash, the high temperature at the burning time may have caused elemental chemical transformations in the Al composition, making this element unavailable in soil analysis. The vegetative indices showed a significant difference only in coffee four months after planting. Among the thirty-one evaluated indices, only twenty were satisfactory for ash analysis. The burning of plant residues promoted the neutralization of Al. In addition, ash deposits in the soil added some essential elements for plant development. Negatively, they raised the PH and made micronutrients unavailable. The best vegetative indices for ash monitoring were the Normalized Near Infrared Index (NNIRI) and Normalized Green Index (NGI). Prior ash mapping can contribute to localized application in macro, such as K and limestone, reusing the number of elements already deposited by burning vegetables. Full article

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained significant prominence as sensing materials owing to their unique properties. However, understanding the correlation between the morphology, properties, and sensing performance in these MOF-based sensors remains a challenge, limiting their applications and potential for improvement. In this study, Zr-MOF was chosen as an ideal model to explore the impact of the MOF morphology on the sensing performance, given its remarkable stability and structural variability. Three luminescent MOFs (namely rod-like Zr-LMOF, prismoid-like Zr-LMOF, and ellipsoid-like Zr-LMOF) were synthesized by adjusting the quantities of the benzoic acid and the reaction time. More importantly, the sensing performance of these Zr-LMOFs in response to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was thoroughly examined. Notably, the ellipsoid-like Zr-LMOF exhibited significantly higher sensitivity compared to other Zr-LMOFs, attributed to its large specific surface area and pore volume. Additionally, an in-depth investigation into the detection mechanism of AFB1 by Zr-LMOFs was conducted. Building upon these insights, a ratiometric fluorescence sensor was developed by coordinating Eu³⁺ with ellipsoid-like Zr-LMOF, achieving a remarkably lower detection limit of 2.82 nM for AFB1. This study contributes to an improved comprehension of the relationship between the MOF morphology and the sensing characteristics while presenting an effective approach for AFB1 detection. Full article

Preventing rebar corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures has been actively researched worldwide. One of the most powerful solutions is the use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars. However, there are limitations in the mechanical design and construction of FRP rebars because their tensile characteristics are extremely different from those of conventional rebars and they have a different modulus of elasticity. FRP rebars are relatively cost-efficient when fabricated with glass fibers, but they are still costly compared to conventional rebars. Therefore, hybrid rebars fabricated by covering conventional rebars with glass FRP (GFRP) materials were developed in this study. GFRP hybrid rebars have increased durability in marine environments while maintaining the same mechanical properties as conventional rebars. As the difference in rebar diameter of the bonded area decreased, the tensile strength of the concrete increased. As a result, pull-out failure or tensile failure caused by the yielding of the rebars occurred in small-diameter rebars. The experimental results showed that the maximum load for the D13 deformed steel bar was 52.2 kN at a bond length of 50 mm and 76.1 kN at 100 mm, while for the D19 deformed steel bar, it was 65.3 kN at 50 mm and 103.7 kN at 100 mm. The bond properties of hybrid GFRB rebars were found to be lower than those of deformed steel bars. These properties were improved greatly by increasing the thickness of the GFRP materials on the surface of the deformed steel bars, highlighting a path toward high-performance, corrosion-resistant concrete. Full article

Peanut stem rot is a soil-borne disease caused by Agroathelia rolfsii. It occurs widely and seriously affects the peanut yield in most peanut-producing areas. The mycoviruses that induce the hypovirulence of some plant pathogenic fungi are potential resources for the biological control of fungal diseases in plants. Thus far, few mycoviruses have been found in A. rolfsii. In this study, two mitoviruses, namely, Agroathelia rolfsii mitovirus 1 (ArMV1) and Agroathelia rolfsii mitovirus 2 (ArMV2), were identified from the weakly virulent A. rolfsii strain GP3-1, and they were also found in other A. rolfsii isolates. High amounts of ArMV1 and ArMV2in the mycelium could reduce the virulence of A. rolfsii strains. This is the first report on the existence of mitoviruses in A. rolfsii. The results of this study may provide insights into the classification and evolution of mitoviruses in A. rolfsii and enable the exploration of the use of mycoviruses as biocontrol agents for the control of peanut stem rot. Full article

Pavement distress seriously affects the quality of pavement and reduces driving comfort and safety. The dropped objects from vehicles have increased the risks of traffic accidents. Therefore, automatic detection of urban pavement distress and dropped objects is an effective method to timely evaluate pavement condition. Firstly, this paper utilized a portable platform to collect pavement distress and dropped objects to establish a high-quality dataset. Six types of pavement distresses: transverse crack, longitudinal crack, alligator crack, oblique crack, potholes, and repair, and three types of dropped objects: plastic bottle, metal bottle, and tetra pak were included in this comprehensive dataset. Secondly, the real-time YOLO series detection models were used to classify and localize the pavement distresses and dropped objects. In addition, segmentation models W-segnet, U-Net, and SegNet were utilized to achieve pixel-level detection of pavement distress and dropped objects. The results show that YOLOv8 outperformed YOLOv5 and YOLOv7 with a MAP of 0.889. W-segnet showed an overall MIoU of 70.65% and 68.33% on the training set and test set, respectively, being superior to the comparison model and being able to achieve high-precision pixel-level segmentation. Finally, the trained models were performed on the holdout dataset for the generalization test. The proposed methods integrated the detection of urban pavement distress and dropped objects, which could significantly contribute to driving safety. Full article

Lipids in fish diets provide energy and play important roles in immunity and metabolism. Atlantic salmon, a species that migrates from freshwater to seawater, requires high energy, especially during smoltification. Juvenile teleosts have low lipid requirements, and a high dietary lipid content is known to have negative effects on their growth and digestion. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of two commercial rainbow trout feeds (low-lipid, 13.41% and 14.6%) on the growth and immune responses of early parr-stage Atlantic salmon compared to commercial salmon feed (high-lipid, 29.52%). Atlantic salmon parr (weight: 14.56 ± 2.1 g; length: 11.23 ± 0.44 cm) were randomly divided into three groups and fed either one of two commercial rainbow trout feeds (RTF1 and RTF2) or the commercial salmon feed (ASF) for 12 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, growth, haematology, histology and gene expression analyses were performed. There were no significant differences in weight gain rates or feed efficiency between the groups (p > 0.05). Superoxidate dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, lysozyme and immunoglobulin M activities were not different among the experimental groups (p > 0.05). A histological examination of the liver and intestinal tissues showed no pathological symptoms of inflammatory response or lipid accumulation in any of the groups. In an intestinal transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq, the expression levels of several genes linked to lipids, immune-related proteins, cytokines and chemokines did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). Commercial rainbow trout feed with low lipid content has no clear negative impact on the development of Atlantic salmon during the early parr stage (14.5 to 39.6 g). This study provides basic information for the development of economical feed for early parr-stage Atlantic salmon. Full article

The high incidence of cancer and the prevalence of chemoresistance are serious problems worldwide, underscoring the urgency of novel research focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms and finding new therapeutic targets. Recently, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has received increasing attention, and it has been studied in various models, including physiological and pathological conditions, using appropriate pharmacological and molecular biological strategies. Numerous studies indicate that GPER plays an important role in cancer progression and resistance. This review focuses on the structure of GPER, the diversity of its ligands and GPER-activated signaling pathways, the role of GPER in cancer progression, and mechanisms of chemoresistance, with special emphasis on different cancer types and the tumor microenvironment. GPER was evidenced to exhibit conformational plasticity and different ligand binding modes. Therefore, GPER-mediated effects can be triggered by estrogens or various estrogen mimetics, including synthesized compounds, licensed drugs, or exogenous environmental compounds. We found multiple reports evidencing that GPER is differentially expressed in healthy tissues and tumors and plays a protumor role in breast, ovarian, lung, thyroid, and endometrial cancers. Additionally, there are several studies that indicate that GPER expression in cells of the tumor microenvironment may also contribute to cancer progression. Among the major mechanisms of GPER-mediated chemoresistance are the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the overexpression of multidrug resistance pumps, and autophagy regulation. Full article

Polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale have garnered attention for their diverse and well-documented biological activities. In this study, we isolated three ethanol-fractionated polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale (EPDO) and investigated their digestive properties and effects on gut microbiota regulation in vitro. The results indicated that after simulating digestion in saliva, gastric, and small intestinal fluids, three EPDOs, EPDO-40, EPDO-60 and EPDO-80, with molecular weights (Mw) of 442.6, 268.3 and 50.8 kDa, respectively, could reach the large intestine with a retention rate exceeding 95%. During in vitro fermentation, the EPDOs were broken down in a “melting” manner, resulting in a decrease in their Mw. EPDO-60 degraded more rapidly than EPDO-40, likely due to its moderate Mw. After 24 h, the total production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) for EPDO-60 reached 51.2 ± 1.9 mmol/L, which was higher than that of EPDO-80. Additionally, there was an increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroides, which are capable of metabolizing polysaccharides. EPDO-60 also promoted the growth of specific microbiota, including Prevotella 9 and Parabacteroides, which could potentially benefit from these polysaccharides. Most notably, by comparing the gut microbiota produced by different fermentation carbon sources, we identified the eight most differential gut microbiota specialized in polysaccharide metabolism at the genus level. Functional prediction of these eight differential genera suggested roles in controlling replication and repair, regulating metabolism, and managing genetic information transmission. This provides a new reference for elucidating the specific mechanisms by which EPDOs influence the human body. These findings offer new evidence to explain how EPDOs differ in their digestive properties and contribute to the establishment of a healthy gut microbiota environment in the human body. Full article

Sound localization is a crucial aspect of human auditory perception. VR (virtual reality) technologies provide immersive audio platforms that allow human listeners to experience natural sounds based on their ability to localize sound. However, the simulations of sound generated by these platforms, which are based on the general head-related transfer function (HRTF), often lack accuracy in terms of individual sound perception and localization due to significant individual differences in this function. In this study, we aimed to investigate the disparities between the perceived locations of sound sources by users and the locations generated by the platform. Our goal was to determine if it is possible to train users to adapt to the platform-generated sound sources. We utilized the Microsoft HoloLens 2 virtual platform and collected data from 12 subjects based on six separate training sessions arranged in 2 weeks. We employed three modes of training to assess their effects on sound localization, in particular for studying the impacts of multimodal error, visual, and sound guidance in combination with kinesthetic/postural guidance, on the effectiveness of the training. We analyzed the collected data in terms of the training effect between pre- and post-sessions as well as the retention effect between two separate sessions based on subject-wise paired statistics. Our findings indicate that, as far as the training effect between pre- and post-sessions is concerned, the effect is proven to be statistically significant, in particular in the case wherein kinesthetic/postural guidance is mixed with visual and sound guidance. Conversely, visual error guidance alone was found to be largely ineffective. On the other hand, as far as the retention effect between two separate sessions is concerned, we could not find any meaningful statistical implication on the effect for all three error guidance modes out of the 2-week session of training. These findings can contribute to the improvement of VR technologies by ensuring they are designed to optimize human sound localization abilities. Full article

Insecticide exposure may affect childhood asthma/wheezing, but evidence is scarce in low- and middle-income countries. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in Sanya, China. Generalized linear models were adopted to assess the associations of insecticide exposure with childhood asthma/wheezing, reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A subgroup analysis was performed to explore the possible effects of sociodemographic and environmental factors on these associations. The median age of the 9754 children was 6.7 years, and 5345 (54.8%) were boys. The prevalences of ever asthma (EA), ever wheezing (EW), and current wheezing (CW) were 7.4%, 5.3%, and 2.9%, respectively. We found a greater prevalence of childhood EA with insecticide exposure (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.38). Outdoor insecticide exposure was associated with elevated ORs for EA (1.24, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.50), EW (1.27, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.57), and CW (1.38, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.81). The p for the trend in insecticide exposure frequency was significant for EA (p = 0.001) and CW (p = 0.034). These adverse impacts were pronounced in girls who were exposed to low temperatures. Our findings suggest adverse effects of insecticide use, especially outdoors, on childhood asthma/wheezing. Further studies are warranted to verify this association and develop tailored prevention measures. Full article

Previous studies have shown that feeding mice with food containing mantle tissue from Japanese scallops results in aggravated liver and kidney damage, ultimately resulting in mortality within weeks. The aim of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of scallop mantle in China’s coastal areas and explore the impact of scallop mantle toxins (SMT) on intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota in mice. The Illumina MiSeq sequencing of V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S ribosomal RNA was employed to study the alterations in gut microbiota in the feces of SMT mice. The results showed that intestinal flora abundance and diversity in the SMT group were decreased. Compared with the control group, significant increases were observed in serum indexes related to liver, intestine, inflammation, and kidney functions among SMT-exposed mice. Accompanied by varying degrees of tissue damage observed within these organs, the beneficial bacteria of Muribaculaceae and Marinifilaceae significantly reduced, while the harmful bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae and Helicobacter were significantly increased. Taken together, this article elucidates the inflammation and glucose metabolism disorder caused by scallop mantle toxin in mice from the angle of gut microbiota and metabolism. SMT can destroy the equilibrium of intestinal flora and damage the intestinal mucosal barrier, which leads to glucose metabolism disorder and intestinal dysfunction and may ultimately bring about systemic toxicity. Full article

Aquatic plants, just like terrestrial plants, are exposed to oxidative stress. However, their responses are still under-researched. In this study, we examined the physiological and antioxidative responses of an aquatic plant, duckweed (Lemna minor L.), to four indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-degrading and -producing Pseudomonas bacteria (Pseudomonas oryzihabitans D1-104/3, P. putida A3-104/5, P. gessardii C31-106/3 and P. yamanorum C44-104/1) and/or a supraphysiological level of IAA (10 mg L⁻¹). Growth characteristics, total photosynthetic pigment content, histochemical localization of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT and POX) were evaluated at two time points, after 3 and 7 days of co-cultivation. Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide were produced and accumulated mainly in the roots, daughter fronds and veins of duckweeds. Duckweeds’ responses depended on the strain of Pseudomonas, time and exogenous IAA. Co-cultivation of duckweed with bacteria has positive or neutral effects. Exogenous application of IAA had a negative or neutral effect on enzyme activity and other parameters. Co-cultivation with P. gessardii C31-106/3 showed plant-growth-promoting effects on duckweed: increased biomass production, modulation of duckweeds’ antioxidant enzymatic activity and reduction in hydrogen peroxide content. This study widens our knowledge of aquatic plants and their response to oxidative stress, supports the hypothesis that plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) induce tolerable levels of oxidative stress in plants and introduces a new PGPB strain, P. gessardii C31-106/3. Full article

Durian is one of the most valuable and expensive fruits in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Leaf nutritional disorders are considered to be causes of reductions in fruit yield and quality. However, studies on the nutritional balance in durian leaf are limited. In this study, we used the DRIS method for leaf limitation nutrient diagnosis at the stage 2 months before durian flowering. Our objectives were to (i) establish DRIS norms for the macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) in durian leaf and (ii) determine nutrient value ranges that are insufficient or excessive in durian production. A total of 180 leaf samples were collected and examined from 90 durian orchards cultivated on alluvial soils in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The results indicate that DRIS establishment for durian was highly reliable due to the significant positive correlation (r > 0.5) among nutrient indices. The limiting nutrients in durian leaf at the investigation stage were S, Mg, Ca, and P, where S and Mg were the most deficient. The optimal ranges of nutrients in durian leaf were determined and recommended in this study. Further studies are necessary to validate the efficiency of DRIS using nutrient omission trials under durian cultivation. Full article

An investigation was performed to develop a process to design and manufacture a 3-D smart skin with an embedded network of distributed sensors for non-developable (or doubly curved) surfaces. A smart skin is the sensing component of a smart structure, allowing such structures to gather data from their surrounding environments to make control and maintenance decisions. Such smart skins are desired across a wide variety of domains, particularly for those devices where their surfaces require high sensitivity to external loads or environmental changes such as human-assisting robots, medical devices, wearable health components, etc. However, the fabrication and deployment of a network of distributed sensors on non-developable surfaces faces steep challenges. These challenges include the conformal coverage of a target object without causing prohibitive stresses in the sensor interconnects and ensuring positional accuracy in the skin sensor deployment positions, as well as packaging challenges resulting from the thin, flexible form factor of the skin. In this study, novel and streamlined processes for making such 3-D smart skins were developed from the initial sensor network design to the final integrated skin assembly. Specifically, the process involved the design of the network itself (for which a physical simulation-based optimization was developed), the deployment of the network to a targeted 3D surface (for which a specialized tool was designed and implemented), and the assembly of the final skin (for which a novel process based on dip coating was developed and implemented.) Full article

Soybean is a major crop in the world and an essential source for minerals, including iron (Fe) and zin (Zn). Deficiency of Fe and Zn in soil and soybean plants result in yield loss and poor seed nutritional qualities. Information on genomic regions and candidate genes controlling seed Fe and Zn accumulation in soybean seed is limited. Therefore, The objective of this research was to identify genetic regions, known as quantitative trait loci (QTL), and candidate genes that control the accumulation of Fe and Zn in soybean mature seeds. A ‘Forrest’ by ‘Williams 82’ (F × W82) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population (n = 306) was used and genotyped using a total of 5405 single nucleotides polymorphism (SNP) markers using Infinium SNP6K BeadChips. A two-year experiment was conducted across two environments: North Carolina in 2018 (NC) and Illinois in 2020 (IL). Only QTL with LOD scores ≥ 2.5, as identified by the composite interval mapping (CIM) method, are reported here. In total, 6 QTL were identified for seed Fe; specifically, 3 QTL (qFe-01-[NC-2018], qFe-02-[NC-2018], and qFe-03-[NC-2018]) were located on chromosomes 1, 2, and 6, respectively, in the NC environment, and 3 QTL (qFe-01-[IL-2020], qFe-02-[IL-2020], and qFe-03-[IL-2020]) were positioned on chromosomes 1, 2, and 12, respectively, in the IL environment. A total of 6 QTL associated with seed Zn were also identified; 4 QTL (qZn-01-[NC-2018]; qZn-02-[NC-2018]; qZn-03-[NC-2018]; and qZn-04-[NC-2018]), respectively on Chr 2, 3, 7, and 19 in NC; and 2 QTL (qZn-01-[IL-2020] and qZn-02-[IL-2020]), respectively, on Chr 5 and 8 in IL. Several functional genes encode Fe- and Zn-proteins, transcription factors, proteins-zinc finger motifs (involved in DNA binding and transcriptional regulation; crosstalk between the regulatory pathways of Zn and Fe transporters) were identified and located within the QTL interval. To our knowledge, and based on the literature available, the QTL identified here on Chr 2 and Chr 6 are novel and were not previously identified. This current research provides a new knowledge of the genetic basis of seed Fe and Zn and the markers associated with QTL. The QTL identified here will contribute to efficient marker assisted selection for higher Fe and Zn content in soybean seeds. The candidate genes and metal-responsive transcription factors may coordinate the expression of both Zn and Fe transporters in response to changes in metal availability, providing new knowledge on minerals uptake and transport mechanisms, allowing for possible genetic engineering application. Full article

Over one billion rubber tires are disposed of worldwide annually as a major component of the solid waste stream, posing a significant environmental risk. Therefore, recycling and taking advantage of the rubber component in End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) presents an advantageous opportunity to produce environmentally friendly and cost-effective products. This work studied multiple properties of oil extracted from ELTs using thermal pyrolysis (i.e., pyro-oil) as a potential candidate for industrial lubrication applications. First, pyro-oil was characterized by studying its morphological and chemical properties. Then, rheological studies were conducted to explore the oil properties at different temperatures and shear rates. A tribometer was also used to assess pyro-oil’s tribological performance at different temperatures and speeds. Finally, wettability and thermal analyses were performed to understand the wetting and thermal stability properties. The results revealed that pyro-oil has chemical properties similar to conventional engine oil with slightly higher sulfur content. Furthermore, the pyro-oil exhibited lower viscosity and lubrication performance than conventional engine oil, but this difference was smaller at higher temperatures. Thermal stability and wetting properties of pyro-oil were found to be significantly lower than those of conventional engine oil. Based on the properties found and compared with engine oil, pyro-oil presents itself as a suitable liquid lubricant for low-speed, low-load applications operating in temperatures below 61 °C. This work presents a comprehensive study of pyro-oil properties extracted from end-of-life waste tires, offering a feasible route to obtain sustainable and low-cost products. Full article