Background: Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that storage of cooked rice at 4 °C for 24 h and reheating to 65 °C significantly reduced starch digestibility and postprandial glycaemic responses. Moreover, the effect was greater for parboiled rice compared to other rice varieties commonly consumed in New Zealand. This study aimed to evaluate consumer preferences of related sensory attributes and consumer acceptability of several rice varieties freshly cooked or reheated. Method: Sixty-four consumers volunteered and recorded on Visual Analoge Scales their preference and acceptability of freshly prepared or cold-stored and reheated medium grain white, medium grain brown and parboiled rice. Results: All six rice samples were accepted by participants (average 54%). Reheated parboiled rice and reheated medium grain brown rice were both accepted by participants as a preferred staple meal compared to other rice samples. Among all rice samples, the sweetness and the flavour of freshly cooked warm medium-grain white rice were less preferred (scored 42.1% and 45.0% respectively) compared with other samples (P = 0.05). Participants who prepared and consumed brown rice at home regularly (more than 10 times per month), preferred the reheated brown rice (73.8% (67.4, 80.2)) and reheated parboiled rice (74.3% (67.9, 80.7)) (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It is suggested that reheated parboiled rice, with the lowest starch digestibility and glycaemic impact (both in vitro glucose release and in vivo glucose response) could be accepted as a healthier alternative for the daily staple meal.

Background: Globally, hot cooked refined rice is consumed in large quantities and is a major contributor to dietary glycaemic load. This study aimed to compare the glycaemic potency of hot and cold stored parboiled rice to widely available medium grain white rice. Method: Twenty-eight healthy volunteers participated in a three treatment experiment where postprandial blood glucose was measured over 120 minutes after consumption of 140g of rice. Three rice samples were freshly cooked medium-grain white rice, freshly cooked parboiled rice, and parboiled rice stored overnight at 4 ºC. All rice was served warm at 65 ºC. Chewing time was recorded. Results: The 24-hours cold-stored and reheated parboiled rice resulted in a 42% and 12% lower blood glucose concentration trajectory than freshly cooked medium-grain white rice and freshly cooked parboiled rice. Chewing time for 10g cold stored parboiled rice was 6 seconds (25%) longer and was considered more palatable, visually appealing and better tasting than freshly cooked medium grain (all P<0.05). Conclusions:. For regular consumers of rice reheating cooked rice after cold storage would lower the dietary glycaemic load and long term may reduce risk for type 2 and gestational diabetes. More trials are needed to identify the significance.

CONTEXT: The sustained White corn (Zea mays L.) yield relies on supply of Nitrogen (N), which is an important element in improving soil fertility. OBJECTIVE: The research aim to determine the effect of Nitrogen on white corn yield and grain mass. METHOD: The experimental design was a 4 × 4 factorial arranged in randomized complete block design with 2 replications each. The effect of nitrogen was determined in terms of the flow within the soil, initial component, addition, uptake, loss and use of nitrogen by the White corn plants. Nitrogen was applied as Granular Urea using zero broadcast method. The grain yield was determined hand-harvesting and shelling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There were no statistically significant differences between the mean samples from the two replicates (blocks 1 & 2) across the two seasons for corn sugar concentration, corn yield estimates and grain yields. In 2021, the mean yield estimate was 12,552 Kg ha-1, while that of 2022 averaged 12687 Kg ha-1. Similarly, the grain yield achieved in 2022 was 844.1kg more than the average grain yield in 2021. The white corn yield estimate and grain yield increased linearly with an increase in nitrogen application level, with the highest yields achieved when nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 150kg N/ha. This demonstrates that nitrogen has a positive influence on the yield quantity of white corn. SIGNIFICANCE: The White maize model may be used to improve the formulation of decisions and enhance the precision of estimates for yield and N fate within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Further, the findings of this study can significantly enhance agricultural productivity while keeping an eye on the environment.

Cadmium accumulation in rice grain poses a serious threat to people’s health. Understanding the genetic basis on grain cadmium accumulation facilitates efforts to reduce it. Here, we show that OsCd1 is involved in Cd uptake and contributes to grain accumulation in rice. Natural variation in OsCd1 with a missense mutation Val449Asp is responsible for the divergence of rice grain cadmium accumulation between japonica and indica. Notably, near-isogenic line tests confirmed that the indica variety carrying the OsCd1^V449 allele could reduce the grain cadmium accumulation. The favorable allele OsCd1^V449 may be an important genetic resource to reduce grain cadmium accumulation for indica.

Amylose content (AC) stands as a pivotal determinant of rice grain quality, primarily governed by the Waxy gene (Wx), with its allelic diversity significantly influencing AC variation. In the current culinary landscape, soft rice varieties, known for their low AC and superior palatability, are particularly sought after by consumers. Notably, many soft japonica rice varieties cultivated in southern China, including the Nangeng series, are characterized by the presence of the Wxmp allele, derived from the ancestral Wxmq allele. While both alleles are associated with reduced AC, there remains a paucity of detailed understanding regarding the interplay between specific functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within these alleles and the overarching rice grain quality. Employing site-directed mutagenesis, we engineered three distinct transgenic rice lines, each harboring either the Wxmp, Wxmq, or Wxb-5c alleles, against the background of the glutinous rice cultivar Nip(wx). This suite of transgenic rice showcased a gradation ingrain transparency inversely correlated to AC, delineating a sequence from Wxmq, signifying the lowest, through Wxmp, to Wxb-5c, indicating the highest. Consequently, this gradation in AC precipitated variations in other rice grain physicochemical attributes, such as the taste value of cooked rice, gel consistency (GC), and starch pasting properties. Furthermore, analyses of gene expression and enzyme activity revealed that the functional SNPs, Ex4-53G/A and Ex5-53T/C, lead to a decline in the GBSSI enzyme activity without affecting expression levels. These findings underscore the potential of harnessing these SNPs in breeding programs aimed at developing soft rice varieties endowed with enhanced culinary qualities.

Overexpression of a constitutively active truncated form of OsCDPK1 (OEtr) in rice produced smaller seeds, but a double-stranded RNA gene-silenced form of OsCDPK1 (Ri) yielded large seeds, suggesting that OsCDPK1 plays a functional role in rice seed development. In the study presented here, we propose a model in which OsCDPK1 plays key roles in negatively controlling the grain size, amylose content, and endosperm appearance, and also affects the physicochemical properties of the starch. The dehulled transgenic OEtr grains were smaller than the dehulled wild-type grains, and the OEtr endosperm was opaque and had a low amylose content and numerous small loosely packed polyhedral starch granules. However, the OEtr grain sizes and endosperm appearances were not affected by the temperature being either optimal (25 °C ) or low (22 °C) or high (31 °C) during the grain-filling phase. In contrast, the transgenic Ri grains were larger, had higher amylose contents, and had more transparent endosperms filled with tightly packed polyhedral starch granules. This demonstrates that OsCDPK1 plays a novel functional role in starch biosynthesis during seed development and affects the transparent appearance of the endosperm. These results improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which the grain filling process occurs in rice.

Grain shape and chalkiness are important appearance quality traits of rice, which also affect the yield and milling quality. In this study, 190 F2 families derived from the cross between Hua 5178S and Hua 611 were sequenced to construct a genetic linkage map. Combined with F2 and F2:3 generations grain shape and chalkiness phenotype, a total of 15 QTL were detected. There are 8 grain shape QTL distributed on chromosomes 2, 5, 6, 8, and 10; 7 chalkiness QTL distributed on chromosomes 2, 3, and 6. A QTL cluster affecting multiple chalkiness traits was found on chromosome 6, qWBR6.1, qWCR6 and qCR6 were selected for genetic effect verification. It was found that qWBR6.1, qWCR6 and qCR6 explained 13% and 24%, and 29% of the phenotypic variations respectively, and qWCR6 and qCR6 were co-mapped. This study laid a foundation for further cloning of rice appearance quality genes.

Global warming causes an alarming increase in temperature which negatively affects growth, physiology, and yield of rice. To gain some insights into the impacts of booting HT (at 42°C, 3 h for 7 days), we investigated its effect in three rice genotypes, namely, N22, KDML105 and IR64. Booting HT caused an extended phenology and lower photosynthesis and plant growth rate but an increase in chalkiness. Although, prolonged phenology from dough to physiological maturity led to longer duration of grain filling, the negative effects of its was significantly lower yield components, yield and harvest index in all rice. Among cultivars, N22 presented adapted ability to maintain leaf gas exchange and compensated vegetative part by an increase in tiller numbers resulting in less affected growth rate. It prolonged phenology that caused extended grain filling. Consequence, N22 was the lowest reduction in number of seed panicle^–1, number of filled seeds hill^–1, yield, HI as well as the lowest percentage chalkiness. KDML105 adapted to booting HT by maintaining leaf gas exchange, increasing specific leaf area and prolonging phenology. The longest extended phenology together with the maintenance of high photosynthesis during dough grain were associated with moderate yield reduction and chalkiness. However, IR64 showed dramatic reductions in photosynthesis, growth rate, and yield but highest percentage grain chalkiness. Therefore, in response to booting HT, N22, KDML105 and IR64 could be indicated as being heat tolerant, moderately heat sensitive, and heat sensitive, respectively. This can be applied for crop modelling and rice heat tolerance in breeding program.

Tanzania with 945 million hectares of land area and annual rainfall of 300 mm on 67% of its territorial land is considered as a semi-dry region in the world. Rice production in Tanzania needs to be increased to feed a growing population, whereas water for irrigation is getting scarce. One way to decrease water consumption in paddy fields is to change the irrigation regime for rice production and to replace continuous flooding with alternate wetting and drying. In order to investigate the effect of different regimes of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer on yield and water productivity of hybrid rice, two greenhouse pot experiments comprising soils from upland and lowland production ecologies were conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania during crop seasons of 2019. The experiment was arranged in split plots based on randomized completely block design with 3 replications. Water regimes were the main factor comparing continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) with nitrogen fertilizer levels as the sub-factor including absolute control , 0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg/ha. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) improved water productivity in both upland and lowland production ecologies compared to CF. AWD increased yield under lowland production by 13.3% while in upland there was 18.5% decrease in yield. The average water use varied from 31.5 to 84 L pot-1 under upland trials, while in lowland trials it was 36 to 82.3 L. Higher yield and lower water application led to an increase in WP varying from 1.2 to 1.8 kg cm-3 under upland trials, and 0.6 to 1.5 kg cm-3 under lowland trials. The variation in water productivity among treatments was mainly due to the differences in the yield, water and nitrogen levels used in the production process. Both sets of trials recorded water saving up to 34.3% and 17.3% under lowland and upland trials, respectively. Under upland trials, the yield varied from 39.9 to 124.1 g pot-1 and in lowland trials yield ranged from 20.6 to 118.2 g pot-1 representing paddy rice. The measurements showed that less water can be used to produce more crops under alternative rice growing practices. The results are important for water-scarce areas, providing useful information to policy makers, farmers, agricultural departments, and water management boards in devising future climate-smart adaptation and mitigation strategies.

The mechanical hill wet-seeded rice machine is benefits to establish uniform seedling, and ditches were established by using this machine. However, little knowledge is known on the effect of the establishment of ditches on growth, lodging and yield, and their relationship with root traits. In this study, two field experiments were conducted during 2012 and 2013 with using two super rice varieties (i.e. hybrid rice ‘Peizataifeng’ and inbred rice ‘Yuxiangyouzhan’) grown under three ditches establishment treatments (i.e. T1: both water ditches and seed ditches were established by the machine, T2: seed ditches were established by the machine, T3: neither water nor seed ditches were established by the machine). The lodging index and lodging resistance traits, the grain yield and above-ground dry weight and the root traits were measured. The results showed that the lodging index was significantly affected by the treatments with ditches. The strongest lodging resistance was detected in mechanical hill wet-seeded rice with ditches treatment in both 2012 and 2013. The lodging resistance was strongly related to the breaking resistance, the root volume and root superficial area at the heading stage and maturity stage and the total root length at the heading stage. No significant difference was investigated in grain yield or dry weight of mechanical hill wet-seeded rice. Yuxiangyouzhan showed higher grain yield, dry weight and better lodging resistance but unfavorable root growth attributes than Peizataifeng. Therefore, the mechanical hill wet-seeded rice with ditches treatment increased rice lodging resistance is related to root traits.

High-quality rice (Oryza sativa L.) is increasingly widely planted in China with the improvement of people's living standards and the achievement of rice breeding efforts in recent years. However, the agronomic and physiological performances of high-quality indica rice (HQIR) under different nitrogen(N) application conditions in southern China are little known. Two-year consecutive field experiments were conducted with two HQIR and two ordinary-quality indica rice (OQIR) varieties under moderate and high N application rates, with yield and yield components, biomass, N up-take, and their related traits investigated. We found that grain yields of HQIR were slightly de-creased, but grain yields of OQIR were significantly increased by 6.60%-8.88% under high N rate compared with moderate N rate in both years. Thereby, OQIR produced 8.34%-11.87% and 22.00%-22.50% higher grain yield than HQIR under moderate and high N rates, respectively. The different responses of grain yield to N application rates were mainly due to decreased grain set-ting rate in HQIR and increased spikelets m-2 in OQIR under high N rate. Furthermore, high N rate significantly reduced pre-anthesis AE and improved grain-leaf area ratio, while did not in-crease post-anthesis DM compared with moderate N rate in HQIR, which might result in carbon metabolic deterioration and imbalance of source-sink relationship and subsequently lower supply of carbohydrate to panicle. Our results suggest that a moderate N rate (165 kg N ha-1) is beneficial for HQIR varieties to balance the maximum grain yield and high quality in southern China

To develop green super rice varieties with high and stable yields under the rainfed conditions and improved nutrient use efficiency (NuUE), a modified backcross (BC) breeding approach was adopted using a high yielding and widely adaptable Xian variety, WTR1, as the recipient and a Geng variety, HAN, as the donor. Starting from the BC1F2 generation, the BC population had gone through one generation of selection under the IG, LI and RF conditions, followed by consecutive four generations of screening and selection for high GY under six different nutrient conditions, leading to the development of 230 BC1F6 introgression lines (ILs). The final evaluation of the 230 ILs under the six nutrient conditions identified many ILs with improved yields under various combinations of nutrient deficient conditions, including 12 promising lines that had significantly improved NuUE under two or more nutrient deficiency conditions. Our results demonstrated an efficient inter-subspecific BC breeding procedure with first round selection under the rainfed-drought condition followed by four generations of progeny testing for yield performances under six different nutrient conditions. The promising ILs were studied under replicated yield trials under 75N and -NPK conditions for developing high yield rice varieties with improved NuUE. Our results indicated that NuUE in rice was controlled by complex genetic and physiological mechanisms and the developed ILs provided useful materials for genetic and molecular dissection of NuUE in rice.

This study investigated novel quantitative traits loci (QTLs) associated with the control of grain shape and size as well as grain weight in rice. We employed a joint strategy multiple GAPIT (Genome Association and Prediction Integrated Tool) models [(Bayesian-information and Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK)), Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Uniform (FarmCPU), Settlement of MLM Under Progressive Exclusive Relationship (SUPER), and General Linear Model (GLM)]–High Density SNP Chip DNA Markers (60,461) to conduct a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). GWAS was performed using genotype and grain-related phenotypes of 143 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Data show that parental lines (Ilpum and Tung Tin Wan Hein 1, TTWH1, Oryza sativa L., ssp. japonica and indica, respectively) exhibited divergent phenotypes for all analyzed grain traits), which was reflected in their derived population. GWAS results revealed the association between seven SNP Chip makers and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for grain length, co-detected by all GAPIT models on (Chr) 1–3, 5, 7, and 11), were qGL1-1BFSG (AX-95918134, Chr1: 3820526 bp) explains 65.2%–72.5% of the phenotypic variance explained (PVE). In addition, qGW1-1BFSG (AX-273945773, Chr1: 5623288 bp) for grain width explains 15.5%–18.9% of PVE. Furthermore, BLINK or FarmCPU identified three QTLs for grain thickness independently, and explain 74.9% (qGT1Blink, AX-279261704, Chr1: 18023142 bp) and 54.9% (qGT2-1Farm, AX-154787777, Chr2: AX-154787777 bp) of the observed PVE. For t length-to-width ratio, the qLWR2BFSG (AX-274833045, Chr2: 10000097 bp) explains nearly 15.2%–32% of PVE for LWR. Likewise, the major QTL for thousand-grain weight (TGW) was detected on Chr6 (qTGW6BFSG, AX-115737727, 28484619 bp) and explains 32.8%–54% of PVE. The qTGW6BFSG QTL coincides with qGW6-1Blink for grain width and explained 32.8%–54% of PVE. Putative Candidate genes pooled from major QTLs for each grain traits have interesting annotated functions that require functional studies to elucidate their function in the control of grain size, shape, or weight in rice. Genome selection analysis proposed makers useful for downstream marker-assisted selection based on genetic merit of RILs.

Variable and sometimes contrasting effects of using artificial rhizobium inocula to increase grain legume performance have been reported. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were therefore to (i) estimate the overall effect of rhizobium inocula on grain yield and protein content and (ii) identify potential confounding factors that explain the observed variation. A web of Science database literature search was carried out in 2016. Data from all field experiments, greenhouse and pot experiments that compared grain yields and protein contents in Rhizobium/Bradyrhizobium-inoculated with non-inoculated control crops were extracted and analyzed using previously described unweighted and weighted meta-analysis protocols. GRADE assessments of the strength of evidence of results from the weighted meta-analyses were carried which included an assessment of the risk of publication bias. Results: For unweighted meta-analyses we identified eligible data in 236 and 36 studies for grain yield and protein content respectively. For weighted meta-analyses we identified eligible data in 92 and 8 studies for grain yield and protein content respectively. Rhizobium inoculation was found to (i) significantly increase grain yield in both the unweighted (mean percent difference: 41%, 95%CI 36,46, p&lt;0.0001) and weighted meta-analysis (Standardized mean difference: 1.56, 95%CI 1.26,1.87, p&lt;0.0001) and (ii) significantly increase protein content in the unweighted meta-analysis (mean percent difference: 11%, 95%CI 5,18, p&lt;0.0001), but not the weighed meta-analyses which only detected a trend (0.1&gt;p&gt;0.05) towards higher protein content in inoculated grain legume crops. Multi-level model-based weighted meta-analyses suggest that the (i) type of experiment, (ii) type of fertilizer used in experiments, (iii) grain legume type/species and (iv) the country in which experiments were carried out, were confounding factors. The main limitation of the evidence is that a large number of publications did not report measures of variation and could therefore not be included in the more scientifically sound weighted meta-analyses. However based on the large evidence-base available for grain yield it can be concluded that overall Bradyrhizobium/Rhizobium seed inoculation results can increase grain yield by ~40% compared with non-inoculated grain legume crops.

We present new results in positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), thermo-optical dilatometry and microscopy, which are indicating a strong correlation between grain-boundaries and mass transport during the sintering process of carbonyl iron powder. In this particular system we were able to show that the change in particle shape and size with increasing temperature yields an anisotropy in shrinkage, which manifests itself in a higher shrinkage perpendicular to the compaction axis. In the intermediate stage of sintering, where the major mass transport occurs, the average distance between two grain boundaries could be determined to (3,73 ± 0,18) μm at T = 744°C. This is in good agreement with previous calculations of positron pathways in defect free particles. Furthermore, due to sintering temperatures far above the annealing temperature of dislocations in iron, the existence of dislocations in the bulk of the particles is very unlikely. These claims are reflected by the collected positron data, which exhibit a clear grain boundary signal of ∼ 250ps while no vacancy or dislocation signal (typically ∼ 160 ps) is evident in the intermediate stage of sintering.

In an increasingly resource-constrained era, the utilization approach of waste and by-products from grain processing, is attractive widely, considering both nutritive value and economic aspects and move towards more sustainable food systems. Following the fundamentals of a circular economy, the need of the hour lies in its effective utilization as a grain waste and by-products conversion into value-added products in food industry. The aim of this study is twofold: 1. Understanding the progress of grain waste and by-products to valorization in human nutrition, using bibliometrics; different literature databases namely Google Scholar, Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus have been evaluated for their merits and values; 2. Exploration of knowledge-based strategies, by reviewing the literature concerning the possible use of grain waste and by-products for food processing industry, reducing burden on virgin raw materials. The review allowed to unlock the latest-advances of upcycling side streams and waste from grain processing industry.

Genetic enhancement of grain production and quality is a priority in wheat breeding projects. In this study, we assessed two key agronomic traits - grain protein content (GPC) and thousand kernel weight (TKW) - across 179 Bulgarian contemporary and historic varieties, and landraces in three growing seasons. Significant phenotypic variation existed for both traits among genotypes and seasons, and no discernible difference was evident between the old and modern accessions. To understand the genetic basis of the traits, we conducted a genome-wide association study with MLM using phenotypic data from the crop seasons, best linear unbiased estimators, genotypic data from the 25K Infinium iSelect array, and a Bonferroni-adjusted p-value. As a result, 776 significant quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) organized into quantitative trait loci were discovered, including 25 loci associated with GPC, and 35 loci linked to TKW. Additionally, 14 environmentally stable QTNs were identified for TKW. Certain loci on chromosomes 2A, 3A, and 6B favorably in-fluenced GPC, while the locus on chromosome 6D impacted TKW positively. These loci may reflect novel associations to the two traits. Annotations for proteins involved in the remobilization of carbon and nitrogen from vegetative tissues to developing grain during senescence, as well as in the following buildup of resources required for seed germination, have been found for selected pu-tative candidate genes. These include genes coding for 11S globulin seed storage protein, glutamine synthetase, metalloendopeptidase, components of the ubiquitin/proteasome system, sucrose transporter, alpha-amylase, NAC and bZIP transcription factors. Our findings highlight promising genomic regions for targeted breeding programs aimed at improving grain yield and protein content.

Temper embrittlement is a major challenge encountered during the heat treatment of high-performance steels for large forgings. This study investigates the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of Cr-Ni-Mo-V thick-walled steel, designed for new large forgings with a tensile strength of 1500 MPa, under different tempering cooling rates. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) were employed to analyze the microstructural features. The results demonstrate that the embrittlement occurring during air cooling after tempering is attributed to the concentration of impurities near Fe3C at the grain boundaries. The low-temperature impact toughness at -40°C after water quenching reaches 29 J due to the accelerated cooling rate during tempering, which slows down the diffusion of impurity elements towards the grain boundaries, resulting in reduced concentration and dislocation density, and increased stability of the grain boundaries, thereby enhancing toughness. the bainite content decreases and the interface between martensite and bainite undergoes changes after water quenching during tempering. These alterations influence the crack propagation direction within the two-phase microstructure, further modifying the toughness. These findings contribute to the understanding of temper embrittlement and provide valuable guidance for optimizing heat treatment processes to enhance the performance of high-performance steels in large forgings.

The leading role of Italy in the cultivation of durum wheat stimulated intense breeding activities in the country from the beginning of the 20th century, much earlier than any other country involved in durum wheat production. Older, genetically more heterogeneous landraces became replaced with new highly productive, superior quality varieties, and this led an inevitable reduction in overall genetic diversity among new cultivars, which makes the genetic variability of the old cultivars preserved particularly valuable and important. The aim of this paper was to assist future breeding programmes by providing a detailed description of the history of durum wheat breeding in Italy and of the changes in yield, quality and related traits that subsequently occurred, starting from the most diffuse landraces present between 1900 and 1920 up until the present day. The parallel evolution of breeding techniques, breeding goals and agricultural systems in this period is also described, and some future breeding goals suggested. In the current context of climate change and of rapidly mutating pathogen populations, preserving the yield level with the continuous introduction of new cultivars by exploiting the reservoir of largely unused genetic variation stored in old cultivars and landraces could be as important as increasing grain yield and quality.

: Our study aim to test the influence of RGB reflectance and chlorophyll content on grain fill and grain yield of 15 durum wheat cultivars sown under semi-arid conditions. the evolution of chlorophyll content during three stages showed a stability during the heading stage, the chlorophyll content begins at this degradation during grain filling. Boutaleb genotype which was the best yielding genotype was characterized by low values ​​of RGB reflectance and high values ​​of majority of grain filling parameters and thousand kernels weight. Grain filling follows a sigmoid curve. Chlorophyll content was positively correlated with reflectance under the green band and negatively with both Red and Blue bands. A positive correlation was recorded between thousand kernel weight and grain yield, maximum grain dry weight and grain filling duration. The duration of the grain filling was positively influenced by the maximum dry weight of the grain and negatively by the grain filling ratio, the grain filling ratio was positively affected by reflectance at blue band. The principal component analysis separated the cultivars considered into 3 principal components, the absorption/reflectance component, the profitability component and the component of grain filling rate to which the local landrace Boutaleb belongs in terms of grain yield.

At room temperature, the indentation morphologies of crystalline copper with different grain size including nanocrystalline (NC), ultrafine-grained (UFG) and coarse-grained (CG) copper were studied by nanoindentation at the strain rate of 0.04/s without holding time at indentation depth of 2000 nm. As the grain size increasing, the height of the pile-up around the residual indentation increases and then has a slightly decrease in the CG Cu, While the area of the pile-up increases constantly. Our analysis has revealed that the dislocation motion and GB activities in the NC Cu, some cross- and multiple-slips dislocation insides the larger grain in the UFG Cu, and forest dislocations from the intragranular Frank-Read sources in the CG Cu, would directly induce these distinct pile-up effect.

This review focuses on developments that quantify grain quality with a range of spectral sensors in an on-farm setting. If the application of sensor technologies were expanded and adopted on-farm, growers could identify the impact and manage the harvesting operation to meet a range of quality targets and provide an economic advantage to the farming enterprise.

The bimodal grain-size distribution 0.9KNbO₃-0.1BaTiO₃ ceramics, with a typical perovskite structure in tetragonal phase at room temperature, were successfully prepared by an induced abnormal grain growth (IAGG) method at a relatively low sintering temperature. In this bimodal grain-sized distribution structure, the extra-large grains (about 10‒50 μm) were evolved from the micron-sized filler powders and the fine grains (about 0.05‒0.35 μm) were derived from the sol precursor matrix. The 0.9KNbO₃-0.1BaTiO₃ ceramics exhibit relaxor-like behavior with the diffused phase transition near room temperature, and confirmed by the existence of the polar nanodomain regions (PNRs) using the HRTEM images. The large room-temperature electrocaloric (EC) effect was found, characterized by an adiabatic temperature drop of 1.5 K, an isothermal entropy change of 2.48 J kg^-1 K^-1, and high EC strengths of ïDT/DEï = 1.50×10^-6 KmV^-1 and DS/DE = 2.48×10^-6 Jmkg^-1K^-1V^-1directly measured under E = 1.0 MV/m. These excellent ECEs demonstrate that this simple IAGG method is highly appreciated for synthesizing high-performance EC materials for efficient cooling devices.

The thorough description of the peculiarities of additively manufactured structures represents a current challenge for aspiring freeform fabrication methods, such as the selective laser melting (SLM). All of which have an immense advantage in the fast fabrication (no special tooling or moulds required), the geometrical flexibility in the design of components, and their efficiency when only low quantities are required. However, designs demand the precise knowledge of the material properties, which in case of additively manufactured structures are anisotropic and, under certain circumstances, in addition of an inhomogeneous nature. Furthermore, these characteristics are highly dependent on the fabrication settings. Within this study, the anisotropic tensile properties of selective laser melted stainless steel (1.4404, 316L) are investigated: The Young’s modulus ranged from 148 GPa to 227 GPa, the ultimate tensile strength from 512 MPa to 699 MPa and the breaking elongation ranged, respectively, from 12% to 43%. The results were compared to related studies, in order to classify the influence of the fabrication settings. Furthermore, the influence of the chosen raw material was addressed by comparing deviations on the directional dependencies reasoned by differing microstructural developments during manufacture. Stainless steel was found to possess its maximum strength at a 45° layer versus loading offset, which is precisely where AlSi10Mg was previously reported to be at its weakest.

Maxwell equation for the electric field has been solved for any medium by suggesting the wavenumber and angular frequency be complex quantities. This accounts for the field decay by interaction with the medium.This expression for the time and special decay of the electric field in a medium is used to construct a new wave function sensitive to the medium physical properties. This new wave function, unlike the conventional one, differentiates between a beam of particles in a vacuum and that enters a medium which is an attenuated due to the scattering effect.Another expression for time decaying electric field was obtained using Newton’s laws for frictional medium. This expression shows that the electric field diminishes due to friction.Fortunately, this time decaying part of the electric field is typical to that derived from Maxwell’s equations. Finally, a new Schrodinger equation sensitive to the medium properties was derived. This equation, fortunately, describes some scattering processes for Protein scattering, scattering of x-rays, opto-acoustic phonons, and Raman scattering for some materials successfully .

The quantitative and qualitative assessment of gold grains from samples of glacial till is a well-established method for exploring gold deposits hidden under glaciated cover. This method, widely used by the industry and which produced numerous successes in locating gold deposits in glaciated terrain, is still based on artisanal gravity separation techniques and visual identification. However, being artisanal, it is limited by inconsistent recoveries and the difficulty to visually identify the predominantly occurring small gold grains. These limitations hinder its capability to deceipher subtle or complex signal. To improve detection limits through recovery of small gold grains, a new approach has recently been introduced in the industry (commercially referred as “ARTGold” procedure) using an optimized miniature sluice box coupled with an automated scanning electron microscopy routine. The capabilities of this improved method are highlighted by comparing till surveys conducted around the Borden gold deposit (Ontario, Canada) using the conventional and improved methods at both local and regional scales. Relative to the conventional approach, the improved method recovered almost one order of magnitude more gold grains from samples (regional and down-ice mineralization), dominantly in small size fractions. Increasing the counts in low-abundance regional samples enables better discrimination between background signals and significant dispersions. The method offers an alternative to improve characterization of gold dispersal in glaciated terrain and the related gold deposit footprints.

The microstructure evolution and grain refinement kinetics of a solution treated Cu – 0.1Cr – 0.06Zr alloy during equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at a temperature of 673 K via route B_C were investigated. The microstructure change during plastic deformation was accompanied by the microband formation and an increase in the misorienations of strain-induced subboundaries. The refinement of initial coarse grains was considered as a result of continuous dynamic recrystallization. The dynamic recrystallization kinetics was discussed in terms of grain/subgrain boundary triple junction evolution. The strain dependence of the triple junctions of high-angle boundaries can be expressed by a modified Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov relationship with a strain exponent of about 1.49. Severe plastic deformation by ECAP led to substantial strengthening of the Cu-0.1Cr-0.06Zr alloy. The yield strength increased from 60 MPa in the initial state to 445 MPa after the total strain of 12.

A linear stability analysis of the parallel uniform flow in a horizontal channel with open upper boundary is carried out. The lower boundary is considered as an impermeable isothermal wall, while the open upper boundary is subject to a uniform heat flux and it is exposed to an external horizontal fluid stream driving the flow. An eigenvalue problem is obtained for the two-dimensional transverse modes of perturbation. The study of the analytical dispersion relation leads to the conditions for the onset of convective instability as well as to the determination of the parametric threshold for the transition to absolute instability. The results are generalised to the case of three-dimensional perturbations.

Abstract: The objective of these studies was to determine the dependence of the distribution of the microwave field into a grain layer and the efficiency of energy transfer from the magnetron into the grain layer, via a waveguide, on the moisture content. The subject of the research was a semicircular waveguide with slot radiators that supply a microwave field to the grain surrounding the waveguide. The change in the directional diagram of the microwave field in the longitudinal direction of the waveguide was studied using CST Microwave Studio 2019 software. It was found that the change in the moisture content of the processed grain leads to a significant change in both the radiation and total efficiency values of the waveguide. For instance, the radiation efficiency of the waveguide decreases by 15.1% (from 68.729 dB to 58.294 dB) when the moisture content of the processed grain increases from 14% to 26%. The total radiation efficiency also decreases (from 11.27 dB to 21.7 dB). In this case, not only the value of the radiation efficiency but also the shape of its dependence on the magnetron radiation frequency change. Data were obtained on the change in the Q-factor for resonators in which grain layers are processed, depending on the variation in grain moisture content.

This work describes and interprets the presence of heavy minerals in the western Portuguese continental margin using a set of 78 bottom samples collected from 3 distinct areas of this margin: Porto, Aveiro and Nazaré canyon head areas. The main transparent heavy mineral suite (minerals with frequencies >10%), is composed by amphiboles (hornblende), mica (biotite), andalusite, tourmaline and garnet. A secondary suite (minerals with frequencies between 1 and 10%), is composed by pyroxene (enstatite, diopside and augite), staurolite, zircon and apatite. With very low frequency representing less than 1% we found rutile, olivine, kyanite, monazite, epidote, sphene, anatase, sillimanite and brookite. The main primary sources (igneous and metamorphic rocks) explain the presence of these minerals. However, the application of the principal component analysis, with a previous application of the centered log ratio transformation of the heavy mineral data, also stresses for the importance of the grain sorting as a process in controlling the heavy mineral occurrence. The importance of this process is mostly sustained by the distribution pattern of mica and of the most flattened amphibole grains in a way that these particles tend to have a hydraulic affinity to finer grained sediments.

In a changing climate, extreme weather events such as heat waves will be more frequent and could affect grain weight and the quality of crops such as wheat, one of the most significant crops in terms of global food security. In this work, we characterized the response of Triticum turgidum spp. durum wheat to a short-term heat-stress (HS) treatment at transcriptomic and physiological levels during early grain filling in glasshouse experiments. We found a significant reduction in grain weight and size from HS treatment. Grain quality was also affected, showing a decrease in starch content in addition to increments in grain protein levels. Moreover, an RNA-seq analysis of durum wheat grains allowed us to identify 1590 differentially expressed genes related to photosynthesis, response to heat, and carbohydrate metabolic process. A gene regulatory network analysis of HS-responsive genes uncovered novel transcription factors (TFs) controlling the expression of genes involved in abiotic stress response and grain quality, such as a member of the DOF family predicted to regulate glycogen and starch biosynthetic processes in response to HS in grains. In summary, our results provide new insights into the extensive transcriptome reprogramming that occurs during short-term HS in durum wheat grains.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has the potential for sustainable development, enhancing business efficiency, reducing costs, and strengthening data security. Despite its potential, adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is low due to the need for significant changes in technology infrastructure and the challenge of interoperability. A cross-sectional survey was done with 226 Hong Kong SMEs. The PLS-SEM results highlighted favorable transformation conditions as the most critical factor for SMEs considering the adoption of BCT. These conditions address both internal and external readiness for adopting the disruptive strategy. Other contributing factors to BCT adoption include trust in BCT developers, perceived usefulness and ease of use, government support, and perceived security. The research results contributed to the literature on disruptive technology acceptance, adoption, transformation conditions, technology readiness, and SMEs’ technology adoption. Government-supported policies and initiatives can promote BCT adoption, including educational programs, case studies, and resources for readiness. Financial support and regulatory frameworks can further encourage adoption. BCT developers can demonstrate the value of their systems, effectively communicate potential ROI and cost savings, and provide user-friendly interfaces to increase SMEs’ intention to adopt BCT.

Natural astaxanthin is a precious substance obtained from some organisms such as microalgae. This plant has many benefits for humans, so research into its cost-effective and economical production has recently increased. For this purpose, some methods such as the use of different culture media, gene engineering, different stresses, nanoparticles, bio acids, and phytohormones are important. Accordingly, this review study was conducted to demonstrate the effect of the factors mentioned above for the high production of astaxanthin in microalgae, especially Haematococcus pluvialis (H.p).

The X-ray emission from a supernova remnant (SNR) is a powerful diagnostic of the state of the shocked plasma, and, given a model, can be used to determine the energy of the explosion, the age of the SNR and the density of the surrounding medium. Observed properties are shock radius, electron temperature (kTe) and emission measure (EM) of the shocked-gas. The standard and XSPEC definitions have an important difference. The XSPEC definition is superior for SNRs, which have components with low hydrogen abundance. SNR model calculations are based on hydrodynamic solutions for fluid variables of density, pressure and velocity. The relations between fluid variables and kTe or EM depend on composition, ionization state and electron-ion temperature ratio (Te/TI). Here the effects of composition, ionization and Te/TI on standard and on XSPEC versions of kTe and EM are investigated.

We explore the deflection angle in the framework of improved Schwarzschild Black hole utilizing the most advance geometrical path adopted by Gibbon-Werner. To investigate deflection angle of the photon ray by weak gravitational lensing for this black hole, we derive the optical curvature and perform the application of Gauss-Bonnet theorem on the optical metric. Moreover, we study the impacts of the plasma medium in context of the weak gravitational lensing in relate to this black hole. Further, we also study the graphical analysis of the deflection angle in both the plasma and non-plasma mediums. Also, we find the rigorous bound base upon the greybody factor for improved Schwarzschild black hole. A while later, we contrast our conclusions about deflection angle with the deflection angles of Schwarzschild black hole within plasma and non-plasma mediums.

Grain legumes are fair sources of protein, amino acids and energy, and can be used as a replacement for soybean meal in poultry feed formulations as the soybean meal becomes short in supply and costly. However, a concern associated with the use of grain legumes in poultry feeding is the presence of antinutritional factors. Effective processing and utilisation of these grain legumes in poultry feeding are well documented. The current review focuses on four selected grain legumes (lupins [Lupinus albus and Lupinus angustifolius], field peas [Phaseolus vulgaris], faba beans [Vicia faba] and chickpeas [Cicer arietinum]) and their nutrient content, the presence of antinutritional factors, processing methods and feeding value, including updated data based on recent research findings.

Portugal’s EPAC silo network, initially planned in the 1930s but constructed and utilized primarily in the 1970s, consisted of 31 silos with a total capacity of 841,100 t. The network’s usage declined, however, due to market liberalization and Portugal’s accession to the European Economic Community in 1985. This study focuses on adapting a methodology to inventory and analyse the 31 silos in the EPAC network considering their general features, construction, technological facilities, and socioeconomic aspects. The silos are situated in 30 cities and towns, predominantly in the country’s key grain-growing regions, particularly the Alentejo region. While there are variations in design and construction, most EPAC silos contain two or three rows of circular reinforced-concrete cells and use the spaces between cells for storage. Their capacities range from 6,000 to 35,000 t. Some are inland grain reception and storage silos, while others are larger-capacity port silos designed to unload grain rapidly onto ships using mechanical or pneumatic unloaders. These structures are a significant part of Portugal’s agro-industrial heritage and have in some cases been repurposed as museums or event venues. Compared to other agro-industrial buildings, silos pose unique conversion challenges due to their height and design complexities. Examples of successful reuse in countries like Spain and Italy may provide insights for potential silo projects in Portugal. However, analysis suggests that such proposals and similar initiatives may be viable only in the more highly populated towns.

Nanopeening treatment was applied to the AISI 420 steel to decrease its sensitivity to the tribocorrosion damage. Microstructural investigation highlighted that the Nanopeening treatment led to a high plastic deformation and nanostructured surface layer with 110 µm depth. . In order to study the combined effect of corrosion and mechanical wear, tribocorrosion tests were performed on non–treated and nanopeened samples in boric acid and lithium hydroxide solution, considering both continuous and intermittent sliding. It was found that the AISI 420 steel is sensitive the synergism between mechanical friction and electrochemical corrosion with a domination of abrasive wear. Adhesive wear was also detected in the wear track. Indeed, the mechanical wear was pronounced under intermittent sliding because of hard wear debris generation from the repassivated layer during rotating time. The Nanopeening treatment led to enhance mechanical performance and corrosion properties. Such improvement could be explained by the high plastic deformation resulting in the nano-structuration of grains and increasing hardness of AISI 420 steel.

In rye, there is a considerable variety of grain color which is determined by the diversity of compounds localized in different parts of the grain (caryopsis) - pericarp, testa, and aleurone. The localization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was analyzed in 26 rye samples with identified anthocyanin genes, along with the analysis of CIE color coordinates. The Grain Scan program [1] was used to analyze images of individual grains. The localization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was studied on longitudinal and cross sections of grains using light microscopy and MALDI-imaging. The violet-grained samples contain anthocyanins in the pericarp, and the green-grained samples contain anthocyanins in the aleurone layer. The green, violet and yellow-grained rye, with the exception of two anthocyaninless mutants vi3 and vi6, shows the presence of proanthocyanidins in the brown-colored testa. Four main color groups of the rye grains (yellow, green, brown, violet) could be differentiated using the color coordinate h° (hue angle). Interspecies and intraspecies variability for the localization of colored flavonoids in cereal grains is discussed.

An initial-boundary value problem is considered for one-dimensional isothermal equations of the dynamics of viscous compressible multicomponent media, which are a generalization of the Navier--Stokes equations. We prove the stabilization of the solution to the initial-boundary value problem while the time tends to infinity, without simplifying assumptions for the structure of the viscosity matrix, except for the standard physical requirements of symmetry and positive definitenes.

In recent decades, particularly intense changes have occurred in Spanish urban areas. This is the result of demographic and urbanizing transformations that have led to a change in the city model. The predominance of compact forms has been replaced by the growing prominence of urban sprawl. Structures are now more extensive, characterized, in turn, by fragmentation and notable consumption of land in the peripheries. In medium-sized cities, the municipalities bordering the central cities have concentrated the processes of suburbanization and periurbanization. This paper addresses the process of change for 34 cities and their urban areas located in inland Spain. A proposal is made for the delimitation and characterization of urban areas, taking the municipality as the unit of analysis. At the methodological level, six variables are used, analyzed by means of multicriteria statistical techniques combined with the use of GIS tools. An Urban Transformation Index (ITU) has been developed that synthesizes urbanizing, demographic and socioeconomic dynamics. In the territorial area, the 20-minute isochrone is used as a reference. In the temporal domain, the period of analysis addresses the events of the first two decades of the twenty-first century.

The accumulation of process waste in the production line causes fluctuations, bottlenecks, and increased inventory in workstations disrupting process flow. In this paper, the aim is the use a simulated value stream mapping (SVSM) as a lean assessment tool for decision-making in the continuous improvement process to influence and provide consideration and consistency on productivity improvement in the production system. The proposed methodology applied discrete event simulation for production process operations improvement to eliminate non-value adding times and provides good quality products at the lowest cost and highest efficiency. The results are the analysis of the current state of the production system in a South African truck manufacturing industry small and medium enterprise (SMEs) as a potential solution for the production system future state. The identified non-value adding times in the 6 most critical workstations was eliminated by SVSM which resulted in a productivity improvement of 4%, most importantly bringing the productivity to 95% and total cycle time improvement to 451 for small units and 466 for large units. The results proposed combined VSM and Simulation techniques which enhance the LEAN application by DES to increase productivity and performance improvement to remain competitive in the global economy.

Malassezia species are fastidious and slow-growing yeasts whose isolation from polymicrobial samples is hampered by fast-growing microorganisms. Malassezia selective culture media are needed because Malassezia are resistant to cycloheximide, but some fungi, including the chief human commensal Candida albicans resist to this compound. This study aimed to test whether the macrolide rapamycin could be used in combination with cycloheximide to develop a Malassezia-selective culture medium. Rapamycin susceptibility testing was performed via microdilution assays in modified Dixon against M. furfur and five Candida spp. The MIC was the lowest concentration producing 90% growth inhibition. Rapamycin medium ± cycloheximide 500 mg/L was also added to FastFung solid and yeast suspensions were inoculated and incubated for 72h. Rapamycin MICs against Candida spp. ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/L, except for C. krusei whose MIC was &gt;32 mg/L. M. furfur stains were rapamycin resistant. Rapamycin and cycloheximide supplementation of the FastFung medium effectively inhibited the growth of non-Malassezia yeast, including the cycloheximide-resistant C. albicans and C. tropicalis. Based on our findings, we recommend using this “MalaSelect” medium for Malassezia isolation and culture from polymicrobial samples.

Medium-carbon steel is commonly used for the rail, wire ropes, tire cord, cold heading, forging steels, cold finished steel bars, machinable steel and so on. Its fatigue behavior analysis and fatigue life estimation play an important role in the machinery industry. In this paper, the estimation of fatigue life of medium-carbon steel with different surface roughness using established S-N and P-S-N curves is presented. To estimate the fatigue life, the effect of the average surface roughness on the fatigue life of medium-carbon steel has been investigated using 75 fatigue tests in three groups with average surface roughness (Ra): 0.4μm, 0.8μm, and 1.6μm respectively. S-N curves and P-S-N curves have been established based on the fatigue tests. The fatigue life of medium-carbon steel is then estimated based on Tanaka-Mura crack initiation life model, the crack propagation life model using Paris law, and material constants of the S-N curves. 6 more fatigue tests have been conducted to validate the presented fatigue life estimation formulation. The experimental results have shown that the presented model could estimate well the mean fatigue life of medium-carbon steel with different surface roughness

Thin Slab Casting and Directing Rolling (TSCDR) has become a major process for flat- rolled production. However, the elimination of slab reheating and limited number of thermomechanical deformation passes leave fewer opportunities for austenite grain refinement resulting in some large grains persist in the final microstructure. In order to achieve excellent Ductile to Brittle Transaction (DBTT) and Drop Weight Tear Test (DWTT) properties in thicker gauge high strength low alloy products, it is necessary to control austenite grain coarsening prior to the onset of thermomechanical processing. This contribution proposes a suite of methods to refine the austenite grain from both theoretical and practical perspective including: increasing cooling rate during casting, liquid core reduction, increasing austenite nucleation sites during the delta ferrite to austenite phase transformation, controlling holding furnace temperature and time to avoid austenite coarsening, and producing new alloy with two phase pinning to arrest grain coarsening. These methodologies can not only refine austenite grain size in the slab center, but also improve the slab homogeneity.

Propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves inside and on the surface of the human body is the subject of active research in area of biomedical applications. This research area is the basis for wireless monitoring of biological object parameters and characteristics. Much attention has been paid to radio-frequency identification systems, which are intended for biomedical applications. Solutions to the following problems are crucial to achieve the stated goals in the area of wireless monitoring: EM wave propagation inside regular and multilayer biological media, through the interface between different media, and on-body surface wave propagation. The biological object monitoring is based on a consideration of the followingprocesses: a) propagation of the EM wave in a biological medium considered as the dielectric with a high dielectric permittivity and substantial conductivity; b) penetration of the EM wave through the biological medium–air interface (wave reflection and refraction); c) propagation of the EM wave in a multi-layer biological medium; d) propagation of the EM wave along the plane or curved surface of biological objects.

The grain filling rate (GFR) plays a crucial role in determining grain yield. However, the regulatory and molecular mechanism of grain filling rate (GFR) in foxtail millet remains unclear. In this study, we found the GFR of 'Changnong No.47' (CN47) was significantly higher at 14 days after flowering (DAF) and 21 DAF in comparison to 'Changsheng 13' (CS13). Furthermore, CN47 also exhibited higher thousand grain weight and yield than CS13. Therefore, we conducted transcriptomics and metabolomics to analyze the biological processes and functional genes associated with GFR during two stages of grain filling in both cultivars. A total of 765 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 246 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified at the 14 DAF stage, while at the 21 DAF stage, a total of 908 DEGs and 268 DAMs were identified. The integrated analysis of co-mapped DAMs and DEGs revealed enriched pathways, including flavonoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, tyrosine metabolism, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, beta-alanine metabolism, as well as stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid and gingerol biosynthesis. In order to elucidate their potential functions in the context of GFR, we developed a gene-metabolite regulatory network for these metabolic pathways. Notably we found some genes associated with ABC transporters and plant hormone signal transduction pathway were implicated in auxin transport and signal transduction, highlighting the crucial role of auxin during grain filling. The results provide initial insights into the regulatory and molecular mechanisms underlying GFR in foxtail millet, as well as offer valuable genetic resources for further elucidation of GFR in future studies. The findings have established a theoretical basis for improving the efficiency of yield breeding in foxtail millet.

Conservation tillage and deep side-fertilization both hold the potential to reduce nitrogen leaching and improve grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in fragrant rice cultivation practices. However, the combined impact of different tillage practices with deep side-fertilization on nitrogen leaching remains uncertain. Therefore, this study conducted on-site experiments for four rice growing seasons in both early and late seasons in 2018 and 2019, using the fragrant rice varieties "Meixiangzhan 2"(MX) and "Xiangyaxiangzhan"(XY). The four experimental treatments included:conventional tillage with regular fertilization (T1), conventional tillage with simultaneous deep fertilization (T2), reduced tillage with simultaneous deep fertilization (T3) , and no-tillage with simultaneous deep fertilization (T4). Our results indicate that the T4 treatment exhibited higher nitrogen leaching rates and potential nitrogen losses throughout the entire rice growth cycle, with a 4.51% increase in total nitrogen leaching and a 1.86% increase in potential nitrogen leaching compared to T1. In contrast, the T2 treatment demonstrated the lowest nitrogen leaching rate, resulting in a 6.01% reduction in total nitrogen leaching and a 9.57% decrease in potential nitrogen leaching compared to T1, demonstrating the most optimal performance. For MX, the T1 treatment resulted in lower daily grain outputs compared to the other treatments, with disparities ranging from 5.35% to 9.94%. Similarly, for the XY, the T1 treatment yielded significantly lower daily grain outputs compared to the other treatments, with discrepancies ranging from 6.26% to 10.81% during the late season of 2019. Overall, this study shows that conventional tillage with deep fertilization effectively reduces nitrogen leaching and boosts fragrant rice yields. Minimizing nitrogen leaching enhances nitrogen utilization efficiency. These insights highlight the significance of strategic fertilization and cultivation for environmental conservation and agricultural sustainability.

Durum wheat is an economically and nutritionally important cereal. The increase in durum wheat yield is mostly associated with improving grain traits. The grain size and shape-related traits are directly related to wheat yield. In addition, grain size influences the seed germination rate and seedling vigour, which play key roles in stand establishment and yield. Thus, it is important to investigate grain traits both agro-morphologically and genetically. In this study, a panel of durum wheat, consisted of 146 genotypes, was evaluated for grain traits agro-morphologically, and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to dissect the genomic regions associated with these traits. As a result of GWAS, a total of 41 marker-trait associations (MTAs) were identified on different chromosomes of durum wheat. Of these MTAs, only 11 were stable across environments. A BLAST search for flanking sequences of every stable MTAs in the Svevo genome identified 18 putative candidate genes directly associated with seed traits of different plants, particularly wheat seeds. In conclusion, the annotation results and literature information provide strong evidence that identified stable MTAs and their candidate genes may have important functions in the formation of wheat grain traits. After the validation of these MTAs with different fine-mapping and functional characterization studies, these loci may provide valuable information for geneticists and breeders to improve wheat yield.

Solute decoration at grain boundaries (GB) leads to a number of phenomenon such as changes in interface structure, mobility, cohesion etc. Recent experimental investigations on interfacial segregation in steels are based on microstructural characterisation using two correlative methodologies, namely, Transmission Electron Microscopy-Atom Probe Tomography (APT) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction-APT. Considering the growing interest in this avenue, the present review is aimed at addressing the common adsorption isotherms used for quantifying interfacial segregation and providing an overview of the present state of experimental research in the area of GB segregation in steels. The areas where an understanding of GB segregation may be utilised have also been highlighted with a focus on the experimental challenges associated with understanding GB segregation in steels.

Abstract: Molybdenum (Mo) thin films were sputtered from two kinds of Mo targets with different microstructures under the same sputtering process, and the effect of microstructure of Mo target on morphology, deposition rate and resistance of sputtered film were studied and discussed. The results show that morphological differences between Mo thin films sputtered by Mo targets with different microstructures are very small. The more uniform and finer the grain structures of Mo target, the better the uniformity on thickness and resistance of Mo sputtered film. Moreover, during sputtering process, when Mo target’s grain size is finer and the surface area of grain boundary is higher, the thickness reduction of the target is more homogeneous and the sputtering film has faster deposition velocity. The difference in microstructure of the Mo target has not obvious influence on the grain orientation of sputtering film.

New metastable β titanium alloys are receiving increasing attention due to their excellent biomechanical properties and machinability is critical to their uptake. In this study machining chip microstructure have been investigated to gain an understanding of strain and temperature fields during cutting. For higher cutting speeds, ≥60 m/min, the chips have segmented morphologies characterised by a serrated appearance. High levels of strain in the primary shear zone promote formation of expanded shear band regions between segments which exhibit intensive refinement of the β phase down to grain sizes below 100 nm. The presence of both α and β phases across the expanded shear band suggests that temperatures during cutting are in the range of 400–600 °C. For the secondary shear zone, very large strains at the cutting interface result in heavily refined and approximately equiaxed nanocrystalline β grains with sizes around 20–50 nm, while further from the interface the β grains become highly elongated in the shear direction. An absence of the α phase in the region immediately adjacent to the cutting interface indicates recrystallization during cutting and temperatures in excess of the 720 °C β transus temperature.

The implementation of graphene-based electronics requires fabrication processes able to cover large device areas since exfoliation method is not compatible with industrial applications. Chemical vapor deposition of large-area graphene represents a suitable solution having the important drawback of producing polycrystalline graphene with formation of grain boundaries, which are responsible for limitation of the device performance. With these motivations, we formulate a theoretical model of graphene grain boundary by generalizing the graphene Dirac Hamiltonian model. The model only includes the long-wavelength regime of the particle transport, which provides the main contribution to the device conductance. Using symmetry-based arguments deduced from the current conservation law, we derive unconventional boundary conditions characterizing the grain boundary physics and analyze their implications on the transport properties of the system. Angle resolved quantities, such as the transmission probability, are studied within the scattering matrix approach. The conditions for the existence of preferential transmission directions are studied in relation with the grain boundary properties. The proposed theory provides a phenomenological model to study grain boundary physics within the scattering approach and represents per se an important enrichment of the scattering theory of graphene. Moreover, the outcomes of the theory can contribute in understanding and limiting detrimental effects of graphene grain boundaries also providing a benchmark for more elaborated techniques.

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is staple of Pakistani people. However, its yield at farmer field is low as compared with its genetic potential. Integration of various crop and soil management strategies might be an option to enhance wheat productivity at farmer field. This 2-year experiment was conducted to check the influence of combine application of natural plant water extracts and biochar on the productvity of wheat during the winter season of 2015-16. The experiment consisted of seven treatment viz. (1) control (2) application of biochar (0.18 kg pot-1) alone, (3) application of sorghum water extract (SWE) alone, (4) application of moringa water extract (MWE) alone, (5) application of biochar + SWE, (6) application of biochar + MWE, (7) application of biochar + SWE+MWE. The results revealed that application of both crop water extracts in combination with biochar improved the growth and grain yield of wheat. Use of MWE in combination with biochar enhanced the grain weight, grain number and grain yield of wheat by 44, 14, and 24%, respectively than the control treatment. In crux, use of MWE in combination with biochar might be a viable option to improve the productivity of bread wheat.

Sperm capacitation involves biochemical and physiological changes that enable sperm to fertilize the oocyte. It can be induced in vitro under controlled conditions that simulate the environment of the oviduct. While extensively studied in mammals, its approach in lizards remains absent. Understanding the mechanisms that facilitate reproduction is essential for advancing the implementation of assisted reproductive technologies in this group. Fifteen males of Sceloporus torquatus were collected during the early stage of the reproductive season. The sperm were isolated from the seminal plasma and then diluted up to a volume of 150 μl using BWW medium to incubate with 5% CO2 at 30 °C for a maximum duration of 3 hours. A fraction was retrieved hourly for ongoing sperm assessment. We found that total motility is maintained up to 2 hours post-incubation, after which it decreased. However, sperm viability remained constant. From that moment on, we observed a transition to a deeper and less symmetrical flagellar bending in many spermatozoa. The chlortetracycline assay indicated a reduction in the percentage of sperm showing the F pattern and an increase in those exhibiting the capacitated (B) and reactive (RA) patterns, accompanied by an elevation in the percentage of damaged acrosomes as revealed by the lectin binding assay. In mammals, these changes are often associated with sperm capacitation. These observations support the notion that this process may also occur in saurian.

The paper presents the results of modeling the problem of injecting liquid sulfur dioxide into a porous reservoir initially saturated with methane and ice. The model presented in the paper assumes the formation of three different regions, namely, the near one, saturated with liquid SO2 and its hydrate; the far one, containing methane and ice, and the intermediate one, saturated with methane and water. The effects of various parameters of the porous medium and injected SO2 on the nature of the course of the hydrate formation process have been studied. It is shown that with a decrease in reservoir permeability or injection pressure, the length of the intermediate region decreases, which in the limiting case means the formation of SO2 hydrate in the mode without the formation of an extended region saturated with methane and water. It is shown that such a regime is also typical for the case of high initial injection pressures, as well as low values of the initial reservoir temperature and injection temperature.

The study of a flexible body immersed in a flowing medium is one of best way to find its aerodynamic shape. This Letter revisited the problem first studied by Alben, Shelley and Zhang (Nature 420, 479-481, 2002). The aerodynamic shape of the fibre is found by simpler approach and universal drag scaling laws of the flexible fibre in flowing medium are proposed by using dimensional analysis. The Alben scaling laws is being generalized and confirmed to be universal. Our study show that the Alben number is a measurement of maximum curvature of the fibre forced by dynamic pressure. A complete Maple code is provided for finding aerodynamic shape of the fibre in the flowing medium.

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug resistant yeast causing nosocomial infections and associated with high mortality in immunocompromised patients. Rapid identification and characterisation is necessary for its diagnosis and containing spread. In this study, we present a selective culture medium for all C. auris clades. This medium is sensitive with a limit of detection of 102 CFU/ml. The 100% specificity of SCA (Specific C. auris) medium is confirmed on a set of 134 Candida strains, 50 bacterial species and 200 human stool samples. Thus, this medium specifically selects for C. auris isolation from clinical samples, and allows studying its phenotypic profile.

It is a theoretical exportation for mass transpiration and thermal transpiration of Casson nanofluid over an extending cylindrical surface. The Stagnation point flow through porous matrix is influenced by magnetic field of form strength. Appropriate similarity functions are availed to yield the transmuted system of leading differential equations. Existence for the solution of momentum equation is proved for various values of Casson parameter β, magnetic parameter M, porosity parameter Kp and Raynolds number Re in two situations of mass transpiration (suction/injuction). Moreover, uniqueness results are discussed and for skin friction factor are established to attain accuracy for large injection values. Thermal and concentration profiles are delineated numerically by applying Runge-Kutta method and shooting technique.

Metal foams are widely studied as possible tools for the enhancement of heat transfer from hot bodies. The basic idea is that a metal foam tends to increase significantly the heat exchange area between the hot solid body and the external cooling fluid. For this reason, this class of porous materials are considered as good candidates for an alternative to finned surfaces, with different pros and cons. Among the pros, we mention the generally wider area of contact between solid and fluid. Among the cons is the difficulty of producing different specimens with the same inner structure, with the consequence that their performance may be significantly variable. This paper will offer a survey of the literature with a focus on the main heat transfer characteristics of the metal foams. Then, a numerical simulation of the heat transfer at the pore scale level for an artificial foam with a spatially periodic structure will be discussed. Finally, these numerical results will be employed to assess the macroscopic modelling of the flow and heat transfer in a metal foam.

A Brewer Spent Grain (BSG), the most abundant by-product of the brewing process, is mainly used in animal feed and biogas production. The aim of the present work is BSG valorization by yeast fermentation to produce carotenoids. R. mucilaginosa CBS316 was cultured on BSG syrups, supplemented or not with YE and PEP (s-Fsa and Fsa). The biomass and carotenoid production were optimized in flasks and then scaled-up in bioreactor. In flask tests, the maximum biomass concentration was 5.3 and 6.2 g/L for Fsa and s-Fsa cultures, respectively. The maximum carotenoid production was 833 μg/L in Fsa and 1159 μg/L in s-FSA. Considering that the highest specific productivity value (P 7.16 μg/g*h) was obtained with Fsa syrup, this medium was selected for the process scale-up. In bioreactor tests, the maximum concentrations of biomass (4.29 g/L) and carotenoid (396 ug/L) was reached at 72 hours of fer-mentation, 24 h later than in flask. The total carotenoid produced was 524 and 150 ug in bioreactor and flask cultures, respectively. The carotenoids production by R. mucilaginosa was obtained both in Fsa and s-Fsa syrups. The results confirm the possibility to use the syrup as it is, Fsa, thus limiting the process costs.

The use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers can have detrimental effects on the environment due to nitrate leaching. This study aims to examine the impact of N fertilizer source and application timing on wheat yield and nitrate leaching in various soil textures. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was employed to conduct the experiment. The treatments consisted of two N fertilizer sources: ammonium nitrate (AN) and urea (NN), applied at three different times throughout the year, with a control treatment. The three application timings were total application before sowing (T₁), total application in spring (T₂), and half the amount before sowing and the other half in spring (T₃). The experiment was conducted in three different soil textures (sandy loam, silty clay loam, and silty clay), with three replications over three growing seasons: 2018-19 (Y₁), 2019-20 (Y₂), and 2020-21 (Y₃). The results indicated significant effects of different soil textures on grain yield. Specifically, the silty clay loam soil differed significantly from the sandy loam and silty clay soils in terms of grain yield. The interaction effects between the N fertilizer source and application timing were also found to be significant for all soil textures (p<0.01). In sandy loam and silty clay soils, the grain yield increased when using the T₃ application timing compared to the silty clay loam soil. Notably, the silty clay loam soil with the T₂ application timing exhibited the highest grain yield, with a yield of 6863.6 kg ha^-1. Furthermore, the study revealed that N fertilizers and their application timing significantly influenced the protein content in the silty clay and sandy loam soils. The protein percentages were 10.76 and 10.93 for the silty clay and sandy loam soils, respectively, following the T₂ treatment. Additionally, ammonium nitrate (AN) demonstrated a noticeable effect on the percentage of grain protein compared to urea (NN). In conclusion, the application timing of N fertilizers had an impact on grain yield and protein content in different soil textures. Moreover, nitrate concentration increased throughout the experiment, with the highest soil nitrate concentration observed in both fertilizer treatments, particularly in the sandy loam soil.

Threshing device is the core component of grain combine harvester, and its working performance determines the working quality and production efficiency of the harvester to a great extent. The straw guide plate plays an important role in the threshing device to dredge the threshing matter and control the threshing time of the combine harvester matter in the threshing chamber. In the past, the guiding structure of threshing device could not optimize the working performance of the machine by adjusting the spiral angle, that is, most cereal combine harvester may not be fed smoothly or even clogged when operating under different crop types, yield differences and operating environments, a kind of threshing device with adjustable guide straw board was studied. In this study, the movement model of the straw on the straw guide plate was analyzed, and it was found that the spiral angle “α”of the straw guide was 0<α<58°.Three-factor and three-level response surface method was used to carry out field experiment on drum speed, working speed and guide grass plate spiral angle, and the experimental data were analyzed by quadratic polynomial regression.The results show that the drum speed, working speed and the spiral angle of the guide grass plate have significant effects on the loss rate (PLR) , impurity content (PIR) and breakage rate (PBR) , the drum speed and working speed have an interactive effect on the impurity ratio (PIR) , and the working speed and the helical angle of the guide grass plate have an interactive effect on the loss ratio (PLR) and breakage ratio (PBR) , there is an interaction between the rotary speed of the roller and the helical angle of the guide grass plate on the crushing rate (PBR) .Further optimization analysis showed that the predicted value was PLR = 1.18% , PIR = 0.72% , PBR = 0.53% , the experimental verification value was PLR = 1.26% , PIR = 0.73% , PBR = 0.61% . The absolute error between the experimental value and the predicted value was very small, however, the optimized field test verified value decreased by 8.31% , 50.04% and 60.30% respectively, which indicated that the optimized harvester had better operation quality, in particular, PIR, PBR and other two indicators have a greater increase in the effect.

The research was undertaken to study the way deformation behaves in ultrafine-grained (UFG) conducting Al-Zr alloys doped with Sc, Hf, and Yb. All in all, 8 alloys were studied with zirconium partially replaced by Sc, Hf, and/or Yb. Doping elements (X = Zr, Sc, Hf, Yb) in the alloys total 0.4 wt.%. The choice of doping elements is conditioned by possible precipitation of Al3X particles with L12 structure while annealing these alloys. Such particles provide higher thermal stability of a nonequilibrium UFG microstructure. Initial coarse-grained samples were obtained by induction casting. The UFG microstructure in the alloys was formed by Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) at 225°C. Superplasticity tests were carried out at temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 °C and strain rates varying between 3.310-4 and 3.310-1 s-1. The highest values of elongation to failure are observed in Sc-doped alloys. A UFG Al-0.2%Zr-0.1%Sc-0.1%Hf alloy has maximum ductility: at 450 °C and a strain rate of 3.310-3 s-1, relative elongation to failure reaches 765%. At the onset of superplasticity, stress–strain curves are characterized by a stage of homogeneous strain and a long stage of localized plastic flow. The dependence of homogeneous strain (eq) on test temperature in UFG Sc-doped alloys is increasing uniformly, which is not the case for other UFG alloys with eq(T) dependence peaking at 350-400 оС. Strain rate sensitivity coefficient of flow stress m is small and does not exceed 0.26-0.3 at 400-500 °C. In UFG alloys containing no scandium, m coefficient is observed to go down to 0.12-0.18 at 500 оС. It has been suggested that lower m values are driven by intensive grain growth and pore formation in large Al3X particles, which develop specifically at the ingot crystallization stage.

In the Global North, there is an increasing interest in pulses both for their beneficial effects in cropping systems and for human health. However, despite these advantages, the acreage dedi-cated to pulses has been declining and their diversity reduced, particularly in European temperate regions, due to several social and economic factors. This decline has stimulated a political debate in the EU on the development of plant proteins. By contrast, in the Global South, a large panel of minor pulses is still cropped in regional patterns of production and consumption. The aim of this paper is to investigate the for cultivation of potential minor pulses in European temperate regions as a complement to common pulses. Our assumption is that some of these crops could adapt to different pedo-climatic conditions, given their physiological adaptation capacity, and that these pulses might be of interest for the development of innovative local food chains in an EU policy context targeting protein autonomy. The research is based on a systematic review of 269 papers retrieved in the Scopus database (1974–2019), which allowed us to identify 41 pulses as candidate species with a protein content higher than 20% that are already consumed as food. For each spe-cies, the main agronomic (e.g. temperature or water requirements) and nutritional characteristics (e.g. proteins or antinutritional contents) were identified in their growing regions. Following their agronomic characteristics, the candidate crops were confronted with variability in the annual growing conditions for spring crops in European temperate areas to determine the earliest poten-tial sowing and latest harvest dates. Subsequently, the potential sum of temperatures was calcu-lated with the Agri4cast database to establish the potential climatic suitability. For the first time, 21 minor pulses were selected to be grown in these temperate areas and appear worthy of inves-tigation in terms of yield potential, nutritional characteristics or best management practices.

Plant height is significantly correlated with grain traits, which is a component of wheat yield. The purpose of this study is to investigate the main QTLs that control plant height and grain-related traits in multiple environments. In this study, we constructed a high-density genetic linkage map using the Wheat50K SNP Array to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits in 198 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The two ends of the chromosome were identified as re-combination-rich areas in all chromosomes except chromosome 1B. The middle area of the chro-mosomes was identified as the recombination-barren area. Both the genetic map and the physical map showed a significant correlation when p=0.001, with a correlation coefficient between 0.63 and 0.99. However, there was almost no recombination between 1RS and 1BS. In terms of plant height, 1RS contributed to the reduction of plant height by 3.43cm. In terms of grain length, 1RS contributed to the elongation of grain by 0.11mm. A total of 43 QTLs were identified, including 8 QTLs for Plant height(PH), 11 QTLs thousand grain weight(TGW), 15 QTLs for grain length(GL),and 9 QTLs for grain width(GW), which explained 1.36%–33.08% of the phenotypic variation. Seven were environment-stable QTLs, including two loci Qph.nwafu-4B and Qph.nwafu-4D that determined plant height. The explanation rates of phenotypic variation were 7.39%-12.26% and 20.11%-27.08%, respectively. One QTL, Qtgw.nwafu-4B, which influenced TGW, showed an explanation rate of 3.43%-6.85% for phenotypic variation, two co-segregating KASP markers were developed, the physical locations corresponding to KASP_AX-109316968 and KASP_AX-109519968 were 25.888344 MB and 25.847691 MB. Another QTL, Qgw.nwafu-4D, which determined grain width, had an explanation rate of 3.43%-6.85%. Three loci that affected the grain length were Qgl.nwafu-5A, Qgl.nwafu-5D.2 and Qgl.nwafu-6B, illustrating the explana-tion rates of phenotypic variation as 6.72%-9.59%, 5.62%-7.75%, and 6.68%-10.73%, respectively. Two QTL clusters were identified on chromosomes 4B and 4D.

The study was carried out to determine the influence of organic and inorganic fertilizers on maize yield and soil fertility; to determine economically optimum organic and inorganic fertilizer combinations for maize production. The study was performed in a randomized complete block design consisting of 10 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments were: Control, 100% of R-NP (138 N and 92 P), 100% of vermicompost,100% of conventional compost, 25% R-NP +75% of vermicompost, 50% of R-NP + 50% of vermicompost, 75% of R-NP+25% of from vermicompost, 25% of R-NP +75% of conventional compost, 50% of R-NP+50% of conventional-compost, 75% of R-NP +25% of conventional-compost. All rates of vermicompost and conventional compost were applied based on N equivalence. Results indicate that applications of inorganic fertilizers with a combination of organic source fertilizers were increases maize yield and yield components and improves the nutrient status of the soil. The highest maize grain yield (7494.3 kg ha-1) and above-ground biomass yield (18718.0 kg ha-1) were obtained from the applications of 50% recommended NP fertilizer plus 50% vermicompost which is based on the recommended N equivalent respectively. Similarly, we found that a combination of both inorganic and organic fertilizers application also is the best strategy to improve major soil nutrients, maintain soil fertility. The economic analysis revealed that the highest net benefit of (108,872.0 ETB ha-1) was obtained from the application of 50% recommended NP fertilizer plus 50% vermicompost based on the recommended N equivalence. Yet, the lowest yield and net benefit value were attained from the control or unfertilized plot. Therefore, this study suggests that an appropriate proportion of organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer not only for higher yield maize production with an assurance of potential economic returns to the small hold farmers but also improve and maintain the soil fertility and should be adopted with similar soil type and agro-ecologies.

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops for food security. Of all the stresses that curtail wheat productivity, drought has the most detrimental effects. Especially terminal drought stress i.e. at the time of flowering imposes a big challenge to sustain grain production. In the current study, 339 pre-breeding lines derived from three-way crosses of exotics x elite lines were evaluated in the irrigated and drought stress environments at Obregon, Mexico for the year 2016 and 2018. Drought significantly reduced yield (Y), spike length (SL), number of grains per spikes (NGS) and thousand kernel weight (TKW) by 46.4, 19.2, 23.5 and 25.9%, respectively in comparison to irrigated conditions. Kernel abortion (KA), highly correlated with Y, increased significantly (11.6%) under drought stress environment. Population structure analysis in this panel revealed three sub-populations and a genome wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay was at 2.5 cM. Single marker and haplotypes-based genome wide association study (GWAS) revealed significant associations on three chromosomes; 4A (HB10.7), 2D (HB6.10) and 3B (HB8.12) with Y, SL and TKW, respectively. Likewise, associations on chromosomes 6B (HB17.1) and 3A (HB7.11) were identified for NGS and on 3A (HB7.12) for KA. Five traits i.e. normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), canopy temperature depression (CTD) days to heading (DTH), NGS, KA were associated at chromosome 3A both under irrigated and drought conditions however, different haplotypes were estimated. Twenty-six SNPs were part of 10 haplotype blocks associated with Y, SL, TKW, NGS and KA. In silico analysis of the associated SNPs/haplotypes showed hits with candidate genes known to confer abiotic stress resistance in model species and crops. Potential candidate genes include those coding for sulfite exporter TauE/SafE family in Arabidopsis thaliana, TBC domain containing protein in Oryza sativa subsp. Japonica and heat shock proteins in Aegilops tauschii subsp. tauschii were revealed. The SNPs linked to the promising genes identified in the study can be used for marker-assisted selection.

Hot rolling tests of a low-alloy steel were conducted at a rolling temperature of 850 ℃ under different lubrication conditions, including benchmarks (dry condition and water) and water-based nanolubricants containing different concentrations of nano-TiO₂ from 1.0 to 8.0 wt%. The effects of nanolubricants on rolling force, surface roughness, thickness of oxide scale and microstructure were systematically investigated through varying nano-TiO₂ concentrations. The results show that the application of nanolubricants can decrease the rolling force, surface roughness and oxide scale thickness of rolled steels, and refine ferrite grains. In particular, the nanolubricant containing an optimal concentration (4.0 wt%) of nano-TiO₂ demonstrates the best lubrication performance, owing to the synergistic effect of lubricating film, rolling, polishing and mending generated by nano-TiO₂.

Sunn pest is one of the most crucial noxious species in agriculture. As the sunn pest penetrates and makes damage to the grains, they can no longer be utilized to make bakery goods like bread, pasta, and other baked foods since they become unusable. Therefore, analysis and detection of damaged wheat grains are necessary for production to continue. We recommend that the dataset could be used for analysis and segmentation of the wheat grains, detection of the sunn pest damage condition, and classification of the 6 species of which the dataset consists. As mentioned, in our dataset, there are 6 different species of wheat, including Bezostaja, Müfitbey, Nacibey, Sönmez-2001, Tosunbey, and Ekiz, which are the species that were made in Türkiye. Our dataset differs from the others due to its various species and the condition, whether it is healthy or sunn pest damaged or broken wheat grain, and because the dataset is a multiclass one, it can be used for the classification of the varieties. On the other hand, when the sunn pest damage condition is taken into account, the dataset is suitable for the detection of the sunn pest damage. In addition to that, the dataset includes grains that touch each other which makes it more applicable to problems that arise in real-life. The dataset consists of 83 sunn pest damaged and 87 healthy wheat images. In addition, there are 170 images that contain 3565 wheat grains. As can be observed, the dataset contains a variety of wheat species with sunn pest affected which displays that the promised dataset is suitable for numerous machine learning problems such as classification, segmentation, and detection.

In a globalised economy, metropolises seem to have an ‘extra gear’ compared to other urban centres: they attract the most skilled businesses, drive innovation in many fields and can count on material and immaterial assets that foster greater resilience to adverse events of various kinds. Against this backdrop, what lies ahead for medium-sized cities (MSCs)? This paper focuses on the case of Northern Italy and explores employment trends between 2012 and 2020 in 189 MSCs with a population of between 20,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. Using a descriptive approach, we investigate the evolutionary trajectories of these cities and their varying specialisations, over a period marked by a moderate recovery of the Italian economy following the Great Recession and by a further setback caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, in terms of employment performance, the 189 cities in question were less dynamic than the metropolises, but it is nevertheless necessary to look at their individual circumstances in detail. Furthermore, the work shows significant differences between the MSCSs of the North-West and North-East in evolutionary trajectories and specialisation profiles. The most problematic situations also relate to cities with hub status in the wider context and are not focused only where there is a production structure linked to industry.

Medium-deep Borehole Heat exchanger (MBHE) has been widely paid attention for building heating. In order to avoid the thermal interference of adjacent MBHEs, temperature distribution characteristics of medium-deep rock-soil was investigated in this work. The evolution on maximum rock-soil thermal affected radius (MTAR) in full life cycle was further analyzed. The results showed that the rock-soil thermal affected area (RTAA) continuously expands in both radial and vertical directions during a heating season. Several factors of thermal extraction load, fluid velocity, geothermal gradient and pipe length have main impacts on the RTAA in vertical direction. Rock-soil thermal conductivity affects the RTAA in both radial and vertical directions. In non-heating season, temperature difference of rock-soil in radial direction dominates the temperature recovery in the first year while geothermal flow nearly dominates temperature recovery after 20 years. The thermal affected radius (TAR) in the 30 th year could be determined as an effective MTAR in full life cycle. In order to decrease installed distance of adjacent MBHEs, a new well layout form by deflecting borehole was proposed. The recommended deflection angle is equal to or larger than 4 times TAR angle. This work provides scientific reference for promoting application of multiple MBHE arrays.

: This work introduces the instrument design of the medium energy proton detector (MEPD, detection range: 30keV-5MeV) mounted on the Chinese Fengyun-4B (FY-4B) satellite. Compared with the similar detector on the Fengyun-3E (FY-3E) satellite, the instrument has undergone significant changes due to the different orbital radiation environment and solar lighting conditions. Based on the calculation of radiation model AP8, the geometry factor is reduced to 0.002 cm2sr, while the MEPD on FY-3E satellite is 0.005 cm2sr. Another difference is that sensors in some directions is exposed to direct sunlight for 80 minutes every day on this orbit, depending on the attitude angle of the satellite, which is much worse than that on FY-3E satellite. According to the calculation results of permeability of photons through different materials, a 100 nm thickness nickel film is added in front of sensors in order to eliminate light pollution completely. The experiment on the solar simulator shows that the measure is effective and the detector has no error counts when the solar irradiance coefficient is 1.0. In addition, Geant4 software is applied to simulate particle transportation process under complete machine condition so that to check the contamination of electrons on sensors among all directions after magnetic deflection. Data obtained in orbit shows that the instrument works properly, and the data is in good agreement with the AP8 model. The observations of the MEPD on board the FY-4B satellite can provide important support for the safety of the spacecraft and the theoretical research related to space weather.

This research focuses on exploring gravitational lensing of the wormhole in Einstein-bumblebee gravity with an antisymmetric tensor. The Gibbons and Werner technique based on the Gauss-Bonnet theorem is utilized to calculate the bending angle of light. The effects of non-plasma and plasma medium on the bending angles are investigated. Furthermore, we examine the deflection angle $\Tilde{\alpha}$ in relation to the impact parameter $\sigma$ and minimal radius $r_{0}$ in both non-plasma and plasma mediums. Our findings indicate that the deflection angle is positively correlated with $r_{0}$, meaning that larger values of $r_{0}$ result in larger deflection angles and smaller values of $r_{0}$ result in smaller deflection angles. On the other hand, the deflection angle $\Tilde{\alpha}$ is inversely related to the impact parameter $\sigma$.

The onset of the thermal instability is investigated in a porous channel with plane parallel boundaries saturated by a non–Newtonian shear–thinning fluid and subject to a horizontal throughflow. The Ellis model is adopted to describe the fluid rheology. Both horizontal boundaries are assumed to be impermeable. A uniform heat flux is supplied through the lower boundary, while the upper boundary is kept at a uniform temperature. Such an asymmetric setup of the thermal boundary conditions is analysed via a numerical solution of the linear stability eigenvalue problem. The linear stability analysis is developed for three–dimensional normal modes of perturbation showing that the transverse modes are the most unstable. The destabilising effect of the non-Newtonian shear–thinning character of the fluid is also demonstrated as compared to the behaviour displayed, for the same flow configuration, by a Newtonian fluid.

The article is devoted to issues related to the propagation and transformation of vortexes in the optical range of frequency. Within the framework of the traditional and modified model of slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA), the process of converting vortex beams of the optical domain into vortex beams of the terahertz radio range based on nonlinear generation of a difference frequency in a medium with a second-order susceptibility is considered. The modified SVEA splits a slowly varying amplitude into two factors, which makes it possible to more accurately describe the three-wave mixing process. The theoretical substantiation of the rule of vortex beams topological charges conversion is given – the topological charge of the output radio-vortex beam is equal to the difference between the topological charges of the input optical vortex beams. A numerical simulation model of the processes under consideration has been implemented and analyzed.

This studies the plasmonic properties of the bimetallic quantum dot Ag@Au core-shell nanostructures embedded in the non-absorbent host medium. Local field enhancement factor and coefficient of absorption of Ag-core and Au-shell are primarily studied based on quasi-static approximation of classical electrodynamics for 6-10 nm composite radius. In this quantum dot geometry, two set of plasmonic resonances in visible spectral region are observed: the first resonance associated with inner interface of gold (Ag@Au) and the second resonance associated with outer interface of gold (Au@medium). The two plasmonic resonances are close each other and enhanced when the size of composite decreased for a fixed core size while shifted to in opposite direction and the amplitude of peak decreased when the core size is increased for a fixed composite size. For the optimized size of core/composite or shell thickness and other parameters to the desired values, such type of composites are recommended for various applications like; photocatalysis, biomedical, nano-optoelectronics.

The technique of superposition of motions in the space of Lagrange variables is described, which allows us to obtain the equations of combined motion by replacing the Lagrange variables of superimposed (external) motion with Euler variables of nested (internal) motion. The components of velocity and acceleration in the combined motion obtained as a result of differentiating the equations of motion in time coincide with the results of vector addition of the velocities and accelerations of the particles involved in the superimposed motions at each moment of time. Examples of motion and superposition descriptions for absolutely solid and deformable bodies with equations for the main kinematic characteristics of motion, including for robot manipulators with three independent drives, pressing with torsion, bending with tension, and cross– helical rolling, are given. For example, given the fragment of calculation of forces in the kinematic pairs shown the advantages of the description of motion in Lagrangian form for the dynamic analysis of lever mechanisms, allows to determine the required external exposure when performing the energy conservation law at any time in any part of the mechanism.

Teaching through English Medium Instruction (EMI) has been a strategic move in some European and Asian countries as part of their educational internationalisation. A large number of studies on EMI teaching have appeared in the last decade. The majority of these report on issues and concerns at macro-level including: the lack of structured policy guidance, EMI lecturers and students’ low level of English proficiency, and a shortfall of research informed training programs for EMI lecturers. Up to date, there is little research into EMI in-class teaching and learning. Lived experience in EMI in-class practice has been largely ignored. To fill this gap, this research explored a group of academics’ in-class EMI practice in a Chinese university. Their teaching process through EMI was observed and recorded, with data analysed through a multiple theoretical lens. Data reveal that EMI teaching is a complicated issue and can be neither standardised nor prescribed. It needs to be addressed as a pedagogy responding to and influenced by local context, driven by language, culture and education systems. This research is expected to provide insight for the development of localised institutional guidelines for EMI teaching and lecturers’ professional development in EMI teaching.

A scientific consensus is emerging on the benefits of dc distribution in medium voltage power systems of ships and cities. At least 50% space savings and increased power transfer capacity are estimated with enhanced voltage dc operation of electric cables. The goal of this research is to contribute to developing the empirical knowledge on the insulation performance in order to validate the feasibility of such anticipated gains of dc versus ac, and to determine the comparative impact of different operational conditions from a component engineering point of view. The partial discharge (PD) activity in cables is measured under ac and dc conditions as an indicator of insulation performance. Specifically, PDs in defects at the semicon-insulation interface are studied in terms of inception voltage, repetition rate and discharge magnitude. Empirical understanding is drawn for operating voltage and frequency dependence of the discharge behavior in such voids in the range of 10 to 20\,kV and 0 to 0.1\,Hz, respectively. The change in PD activity with void evolution is explored.

In this paper, the methods and their analysis for estimating the location of three dimension (3-D) single source buried in lossy medium are presented with uniform circular array (UCA). The mathematical model of the signal in the lossy medium is proposed. Using location information in the covariance matrix obtained by sensors’ output, the equations of the source location (azimuth angle, elevation angle and range) are obtained. The phase and amplitude of the covariance matrix function are used to process these equations respectively. Then, the phase and amplitude of the covariance matrix function are used to process the source localization in the conductive medium together. By analyzing the characteristics of the proposed methods and MUSIC method, the computational complexity and the valid range of these methods are given. From the results, whether the loss is known, we can choose the appropriate method to process the issues (localization in lossless medium or lossy medium).

This research program investigated the effects of layer thickness (50 and 100 microns) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of electron beam powder bed fusion (EBPBF) additive manufacturing of Inconel 625 alloy. The as-built 50 and 100 micron layer thickness components were also heat treated at temperatures above 1100 oC, which produced a recrystallized grain structure containing annealing twins in the 50 micron layer thickness components, and a duplex grain structure consisting of islands of very small equiaxed grains dispersed in a recrystallized, large-grain structure containing annealing twins. The heat treated component microstructures and mechanical properties were compared with the as-built components in both the build direction (vertical) and perpendicular (horizontal) to the build direction. Vickers microindentation hardness (HV) values for the vertical and horizontal geometries averaged 227 and 220 for the as-built 50 and 100 micron layer components, and 185 and 282 for the corresponding heat treated components. The yield stress values were 387 MPa and 365 MPa for the as-built layer horizontal and vertical 50 micron layer geometries, and 330 MPa and 340 MPa for the as-built 100 micron layer components. For the heat treated 50 micron components, the yield stress values were 340 and 321 MPa for the horizontal and vertical geometries, and 581 and 489 MPa for the 100 micron layer components, respectively. The elongation for the 100 micron layer as-built horizontal components was 28% in contrast to 65% for the corresponding 100 micron heat treated layer components, an increase of 132% for the duplex grain structure. However, the coarse grains containing annealing twins and the equiaxed small grain islands in the duplex structure for the heat treated components contained continuous carbides in the grain boundaries, and this may indicate sensitization and a reduction in corrosion resistance. These findings point to the potential mechanical property advantage for heat treatment of Inconel 625 alloy 100 micron layer thickness components fabricated by EBPBF.

: The crystallization conditions from the solution play an important role in determining the mor-phology, phase composition, and photovoltaic properties of perovskite films. Post-processing of the obtained films can have a crucial role in increasing the grain size of perovskite and enhancing its crystallinity. It has been shown that the formation of crystal nuclei can be utilized to accelerate crystallization. In this case, crystallization occurs through the growth of seed crystals created in the solution, enabling the formation of relatively large crystals. For the deposition of CH3NH3PbI3 hybrid halide perovskite films from a solution of the perovskite in dimethylformamide the spin coating technique was employed. Pre-crystallization was achieved by annealing the films at a temperature of 100 or 110 °C. The dissolution process involved adding a drop of dimethylformamide onto the substrate surface and allowing it to partially dissolve the perovskite film. Subsequently, residual solvent was removed through spin coating. The mor-phological analysis of the perovskite film surface after recrystallization at temperatures ranging from 80 to 130 °C was performed. The infrared transmission spectra of the obtained perovskite films were investigated, and their light absorption characteristics were studied through transmission spectra. The perovskite structure in the obtained films was confirmed by the peaks observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns.

Abstract: The search for alternative protein sources to soy-bean meal (SBM) in animal feeding is a strategic objective to reduce production costs and contribute to a sustainable animal produc-tion. Spirulina, due to the high protein content, has emerged as a potential cost-effective, sus-tainable, viable and high nutritional value food resource for many animal species. Insect larvae (Tenebrio molitor and Hermetia illucens) are also considered potential alternatives to SBM, given their high edible percentage of almost 100%, as well as a protein value higher than that of vegetable proteins. Rapeseed meal and grain legumes, such as faba beans, peas, lupins and chickpea can also be used as locally producible protein ingredients. This study reviews the nutritional value of these potential alternatives to SBM in pig diets, effects on animal perfor-mance, digestion, immune system, physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of meat, in-cluding processed meat products of pork. Limits on their use in pig feeding are also reviewed to indicate gaps to be filled in future research on the supplementation level of these potential al-ternative protein sources into pig diets.

ABSTRACT: Waterlogging is a common abiotic stress in global maize production. Maize flowering stage (from tasseling to silking) is more fragile to environmental stresses among different growth stages. The effects of waterlogging at flowering stage on the grain yield and starch quality of waxy maize were studied using Suyunuo5 (SYN5) and Yunuo7 (YN7). The grain yield and starch concentration of both hybrids were reduced by waterlogging. The size of starch granules and proportion of small-molecule amylopectin increased in SYN5 and decreased in YN7 when plants suffered waterlogging at flowering, in contrast to the change trend of relative crystallinity. The pasting viscosities and gelatinization temperatures were reduced, whereas the gelatinization enthalpy was unaffected by waterlogging in both hybrids. Our study indicated that waterlogging at flowering reduced the grain yield, restricted starch deposition, and deteriorated the pasting property of waxy maize. Between the two hybrids, YN7 and high pasting viscosities and low retrogradation percentage than SYN5, indicated its advantages on produce starch for viscous and less retrograde food. Results provide information for utilization of waxy maize grain in food production.

The crystallization conditions from the solution play an important role in determining the mor-phology, phase composition, and photovoltaic properties of perovskite films. Post-processing of the obtained films can have a crucial role in increasing the grain size of perovskite and enhancing its crystallinity. It has been shown that the formation of crystal nuclei can be utilized to accelerate crystallization. In this case, crystallization occurs through the growth of seed crystals created in the solution, enabling the formation of relatively large crystals. For the deposition of CH3NH3PbI3 hybrid halide perovskite films from a solution of the perovskite in dimethylformamide the spin coating echnique was employed. Pre-crystallization was achieved by heating films at a temperature of 100 or 110 °C. The dissolution process involved adding a drop of dimethylformamide onto the substrate surface and allowing it to partially dis-solve the perovskite for 30-40 seconds. Subsequently, residual solvent was removed through spin coating. The recrystallization process was carried out by heating films at the temperature range of 80 to 130 °C. The morphological analysis of the perovskite film surfaces after recrystallization at tem-peratures ranging from 80 to 130 °C was performed. The infrared transmission spectra of the obtained perovskite films were investigated, and their light absorption characteristics were studied through transmission spectra. The perovskite structure in the obtained films was con-firmed by the peaks observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns.

Grain yield prediction affects policy making in various aspects such as agricultural production planning, food security assurance, and adjustment of foreign trade. Accurately predicting grain yield is of great significance in ensuring global food security. This paper is based on the MODIS remote sensing image data products from 2010 to 2020, and adds band information such as vegetation index and temperature to form composite remote sensing data as a data set. Aiming at the lack of models for large-scale forecasting and the need for human intervention in traditional models, this paper proposes a grain production estimation model based on deep learning. First, image cropping and yield mapping techniques are used to process the data to generate training samples. Then the channel and spatial attention mechanism (Convolutional Block Attention Module, CBAM) is added for extracting spatial information in different remote sensing bands to improve the efficiency of the model. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks is also added to obtain feature information in the time dimension. Finally, a national-scale grain yield prediction model is constructed. The proposed model was tested on data from 2018 to 2020 showing an average R2 of 0.940 and an average RMSE of 80,020 tons, indicating that it can predict Chinese grain yield better. The model proposed in this paper extracts grain yield information directly from the composite remote sensing data, and solves the problem of small-scale research and imprecise yield prediction in an end-to-end manner.

Landslides are serious geological hazards that become a disaster worldwide, causing a large number of casualties and economic losses every year. There are many factors affecting landslide susceptibility, such as rainfall, soil and slope. Each of them has an important role in the process of slope losing stability. In this paper, the effects of rainfall intensity, rainfall pattern, slope gradient and soil type on landslide susceptibility are studied. In the process of rainfall-induced landslide, the relevant physical quantities of soil changes continuously. Their values and processes are closely related to the time of landslide occurrence. Hence, the variation of soil volumetric water content, matrix suction, pore water pressure and total stress throughout the rainfall are measured. As the results, soil type, slope gradient and rainfall intensity have a large influence on landslide susceptibility. The occurrence of landslides has a prerequisite that the slope is greater than or equal to 15°. The rainfall intensity needs to be not less than 80 mm/h. The difference of rainfall pattern also affects the landslide susceptibility. The rainfall pattern with rainfall intensity peak at the later stage is more likely to induce landslide. Coarser soils with gravels are prone to landslides when other conditions are the same. Steeper slopes, stronger rainfall, and coarser soils can all increase the amount of sediment yield.

The grain-to-grain stress vertically in sediments is given by the overburden less the pore fluid pressure, σ, divided by the fraction of the horizontal area which is the supporting matrix , (1 − φ), where φ is the porosity. It is proposed that the fractional reduction of this ratio, Λ, with time is given by the product of φ 4m/3 , (1 − φ) 4n/3 , and one or more Arrhenius functions A exp(−E/RT ) with m and n close to 1. This proposal is tested for shale sections in six wells from around the world for which porosity-depth data are available. Good agreement is obtained above 30-40 C and porosities less than 0.5. Single activation energies for each well are obtained in the range 15-33 kJ/mole, close to pressure solution of quartz, 24 kJ/mol. Values of m and n are in the range 1 to 0.8, indicating nearly fractal pore-matrix spaces and water-wet interfaces. Results are independent of over- or under-pressure of pore water. This model explains shale compaction quantitatively. Given porosity-depth data and accurate activation energy, E, one can infer paleo-geothermal-gradient and from that organic maturity, thus avoiding unnecessary drilling.

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of All Cosmos Industries (ACI) bio-organic and bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer (N-Bio Booster) on the paddy yields based on the field trial plots at Langkat, Medan, Indonesia. This application of ACI bio-organic fertilizer (NPK 5/5/5) and ACI bio-chemical (NPK 15/15/15) fertilizer and ACI N-Fixer tests were conducted at the paddy farm at Langkat from May-October 2018. This study employed a factorial randomized complete block design which consisted of two factors, namely: Factor I with four types of fertilizers while Factor II consisted of two paddy varieties (Inpari 30 and Inpari 32). Overall, the filled grains in the ACI treatments are significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those in the control treatments that used Normal Chemical Compound NPK. Overall, total weight per meter² (368-617g) in ACI treatments are also significantly (P< 0.05) higher than those (319-371g) in the control treatments. At harvesting time at 105 days after transplanting, significantly higher (P< 0.05) colony counts (13-15 x 10⁶ CFU/mL) (for ACI treatments), than those (8 x 10⁶ CFU/mL) in the controls positively indicated higher total yields of paddy grains per hectare. It was found that the application of ACI bio-organic and bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer can improve paddy yields of the two rice varieties, between 16.4-38.2% (up to 5.75 MT/ha), in the field trial plots at Langkat. These commercial fertilizers play an imperative role in refining the soil fertility and thereby can increase the yield of rice production. Therefore, it is highly recommended that ACI bio-organic and ACI bio-chemical fertilizers and ACI N-Fixer (N-Bio Booster) can be employed to increase the paddy yield in this region.

This paper presents the results of investigations of the effects of hot deformation parameters in compression investigation on the austenite grain size in HSLA steel (0.16% C, 0.037% Nb, 0.004% Ti, 0.0098% N). The axisymmetric compression investigations were performed on cylindrical investigation specimens of d=1.2 using the Gleeble 3800 simulator. The strain rate=1s^-1÷15.9s^-1 and strain degree ε=1.2. Before deformation, the research specimens were austenitized at TA = 1100 ÷ 1250 °C. Metallographic observations of the primary austenite grains were conducted with an optical microscope, while the structure of dynamically recrystallized austenite, inherited by martensite, was examined by EBSD technique using a scanning electron microscope. Based on the analysis of investigation results, it was found that the size of dynamically recrystallized austenite grains in HSLA steel were clearly affected by hot compression parameters. In contrast, no significant impact of austenitising temperature on their size was found.

Conservation agriculture (CA) could be very effective for agricultural sustainability under Mediterranean environments, where farmers rely on short rotation based on durum wheat. In this work we investigated the effect of different combination of tillage treatments and crop sequence (conventional tillage and wheat monocropping, CT-WW; conventional tillage, and wheat following faba-bean, CT-WF; zero tillage and wheat monocropping, ZT-WW; zero tillage and wheat following faba-bean, ZT-WF) on yield, grain quality traits as well as on diseases incidence and severity in durum wheat (var. Saragolla). The results of a two-years of data of a long-term experiment (7-year experiment; split-plot design) are discussed. The CA approach (ZT+WF), which induced always the highest grain yields (6.1 t ha-1 and 3.3 t ha-1 in 2016 and 2017) thanks to an increased number of spikes m-2 (296 vs 269 and 303 vs 287 spikes m-2 in 2016 and 2017, respectively) as well as to a more pronounced ear length, demonstrated significant positive influences in terms of grain quality. It promoted grain protein accumulation (12.1% for ZT+WF versus 11.4% for ZT+WW and 12.4% for ZT+WF versus 10.6% for ZT+WW in 2016 and 2017), improved gluten quality (in terms of SDS sedimentation test) and colour of the grain. The abundance of crop residues determined a higher incidence and severity of Zymoseptoria tritici leaf symptoms under CA system; nevertheless the late appearance of infection was the main reason of not affecting yield and quality traits. The presence of faba-bean (WF) in the rotation significantly reduced leaf symptoms of Z. tritici.

In order to improve the yield of the therapeutic agent N-methylsansalvamide (SA), optimization of stationary liquid fermentation conditions was carried out on an endophytic strain, Fusarium sp. R1, at flask level. Using a One-Factor-At-a-Time approach, the fermentation conditions for SA production were determined as follows: fermentation time of 13 d, 24 oC, initial pH of 6.5, seed age of 24 h, inoculum size of 5.0% (v/v), loading volume of 50% (v/v), 20.0 g/L salinity, and sucrose, tryptone, and yeast extract were found to be the best sources of carbon and nitrogen. Using response surface methodology, the optimal medium compositions consist of 22.5 g/L sucrose, 16.5 g/L tryptone, and 0.024 g/L yeast extract. Verification tests suggested that the SA yield under these optimal conditions reached up to 536.77 ± 2.67 mg/L, which was increased by almost ten times the initial yield (54.05 ± 3.45 mg/L). The findings indicate that a high SA production yield can be achieved by static culture of strain R1 under the proper fermentation conditions using a low-cost medium. This study paves the way towards industrial-scale SA production by strain R1 for new drug development.

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), strongly sustained by the European Community as a viable way to fasten low carbon transition, slowly develop in Italy for regulatory . This study delves into the framework of RECs and explores the perspective of the specifically small and medium industries in the Lombardy region of Italy through a survey. Our findings reveal that while SMEs exhibit interest in RECs, there is a notable gap in knowledge and engagement. We argue that the active involvement of Public Administration Bodies (PABs) is crucial in disseminating information about RECs and highlighting their benefits. The survey results, elaborated through a non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney U test) indicate that PABs play a pivotal role in influencing SMEs' perceptions and willingness to participate in RECs. The data suggest that more direct and effective communication strategies by PABs could significantly enhance SMEs' understanding and involvement in RECs. This research underscores the need for targeted and strategic efforts by PABs to foster a more informed and proactive approach among SMEs towards renewable energy initiatives. Such endeavors could be instrumental in accelerating the adoption of RECs, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

The study focuses on the impact of new methods for inhibiting malolactic fermentation in white wines on their analytical and sensory properties. Enological preparations with different mecha-nisms of effect were tested: fumaric acid, chitosan, Estaan (a preparation based on tannin inhibi-tion), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), sulphur dioxide and a control variant where malolactic fermentation (MLF) was performed. The samples underwent analysis through HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) to determine concentrations of malic and lactic acid, as well as biogenic amines. GC (gas chromatography) analysis was used to monitor volatile sub-stances, alongside sensory evaluation. The study demonstrated a significant influence of indi-vidual enological preparations on the aromatic profile of the examined wines. The SO2 and MCFA variants exhibited the highest concentrations of volatile substances within the esters group, spe-cifically isoamyl acetate, 1-hexyl acetate and phenylethyl acetate. Conversely, the fumaric acid and Estaan variants displayed the lowest concentrations of these esters. The most notable disparities were observed in acetoin concentration, with the MCFA variant exhibiting the lowest values. Additionally, the chitosan variant showed higher concentrations of putrescine and spermidine compared to the MCFA and fumaric acid variants, which presented the lowest levels.

Castanea sativa Mill., an indigenous species of the mountainous Gabala region of Azerbaijan, where its local variety is now facing the danger of extinction. The preservation of this variety of European chestnut requires the development of effective strategies for reliable in vitro regeneration systems as an alternative to traditional methods, which has become the main objective of this study. In solving this problem, the generally accepted technique of micro-multiplication of axillary shoots was mainly used. First, a phased sterilization of was carried out using liquid soap, Previkur fungicide and mercury (II) chloride. DKW (Driver and Kuniyuki Walnut) nutrient medium was used for germination of explants, into which growth stimulants BAP (Benzilamunapurine), IBA (Indole - 3 butyric acid), IAA (Indole Acetic acid), NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid) and GA3 (Gibberelic acid) were introduced in various combinations and quantities. The test of the above-mentioned sterilization model revealed significant shortcomings in terms of the acceptability of the results obtained (16-77%). It was also found that the germination of explants takes 14 days and it is better to conduct it in a DKW environment containing hormones BAP (0.6 mg), IBA (0.1 mg) and GA3 (0.1 mg) / 1 L DKW. A mixture of BAP (0.1mg) + IBA (0.35 mg) is more suitable for the reproduction of grown explants + GA3 (0.2 mg) / 1 l DKW (the result is 3 new micro-plants for each explant), and for good root formation (it takes 30 days) – a mixture of IBA 1.0 mg + NAA 0.5 mg + IAA 0.5 mg / l L DKW. After the shoots have acquired a certain length (at least 1.5 cm), it is required to transfer them for 22 days to a DKW medium containing IBA (1 mg), IAA (0.5 mg) and NAA(0.5 mg) / l L DKW so that the root splitting process begins and ends.

The possibility of increasing the resource of steel fingers working in tandem with bronze bushings by plasma-electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel is shown. The phase composition, microhardness, morphology and surface roughness were studied. Tribological tests were carried out under dry friction conditions according to the shaft-pad scheme. It has been established that plasma-electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel at a temperature of 700 °C for 5 minutes leads to a decrease in a friction coefficient by 2.3 times, weight wear of steel by 24.9 times, and bronze counterbody by 5.9 times. At the same time, the contact stiffness increases 2.6 times. The type of wear is fatigue with dry friction and plastic contact. Changes in tribological characteristics are associated with the high hardness of the hardened steel surface together with the influence of dispersed nitrides and iron carbonitrides distributed in it.

Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes the gravitational field around massive objects ( like Earth) as a curvature in the spacetime. But it leaves the following question unanswered; why is the spacetime curved by a mass? Through a theory that has been introduced recently, regarding a medium for a light propagation, a simple answer is introduced. It depends on redefining the rest energy for a massive object ( like a planet) as new form of kinetic energy. For a static and spherically symmetric object, with a specific radius(

The narrow process window during intercritical annealing and discontinuous yielding have limited the commercialisation of medium Mn steels. In this study, a double annealing process based on the commercial continuous annealing line is proposed. The cold-rolled medium Mn steels were first fully austenitized and quenched during the first annealing, followed by the intercritical annealing for reverted austenite transformation. The microstructure of duplex lath-shaped austenite and ferrite is produced and the steel exhibit a desirable continuous yielding during tensile deformation. Al is added into the medium Mn steel to enlarge the process window and to improve partitioning efficiency of Mn. The produced steel is more robust with temperature fluctuation during the industrial process due to the enlarged intercritical region. Mn partitioning is more efficient owing to elevated annealing temperature, which results in the improvement of ductility in the Al-added steel with increased austenite stability.

This study investigated the roles of transactions cost in MSMEs access to finance. This was done by investigating the impact of transactions cost on access to credit from both MSMEs and financial institutions (commercial banks and microfinance banks). From the MSMEs’ side, borrowing experience, decision lag, firm size and borrowers’ distance to the loan office were investigated. On the financial institution’s side, the costs of information gathering, loan administration, monitoring and loan enforcement were investigated. We used the questionnaire survey method, in-depth interviews and case studies, as well as the annual financial statements of the banks. We identified interest rate and collateral value as constraints to access to finance for MSMEs. We also found financial institutions’ attitude to MSMEs access to credit was not friendly. Financial institutions need to do more to bring down transaction cost of lending. This hopefully can be achieved by investing more in agent banking which would lower operating costs, as well as spreading risk, and ultimately increase credit intermediation to small businesses.