Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is a necessary requirement for high-emitting CO2 industries to significantly reduce volumes of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere and mitigate the climate change. Geological CO2 storage into depleted oil and gas fields is the fastest and most accessible option for CCS deployment allowing for re-purposing of existing infrastructure and utilizing the significant knowledge about the subsurface acquired during the field production operations. Location of such depleted fields in neighbourhood of high-emitting CO2 industries is additional advantage available for matured on-shore Europe fields. Considering these advantages, the oil and gas operators are now evaluating different possibilities for CO2 sequestration projects for the fields approaching end of production. This article describes an integrated approach to reservoir simulations focused on evaluating CO2 injection pilot at one of such matured fields operated by MND and located in the Czech Republic. The potential CO2 injection site in focus is a naturally fractured carbonate reservoir. This oil-bearing formation has a gas cap at the top and a limited aquifer at the bottom of the reservoir and was produced mainly by pressure depletion with quite limited pressure support from water injection. The article summarizes results of efforts taken by the multi-disciplinary team to develop and apply an integrated approach to reservoir simulation started from geological modelling of the naturally fractured reservoir and integrating results of laboratory studies and their interpretation (geomechanical and geochemistry laboratory experiments) and dynamic field data analysis (pressure transient analysis including time-lapse) into the history matching of the reservoir model and simulations of pilot CO2 injection. Attention is given to evaluating and modelling stress-sensitive fracture properties and safe injection envelope preventing induced fracturing as well as impact of potential salt precipitation in the near wellbore area. These effects are considered in the context of pilot CO2 injection and addressed in reservoir simulations of the injection scenarios. Single porosity and permeability reservoir simulations with dominating fracture flow and black-oil formulation with CO2 simulated as a solvent were used in this study and arguments for such choice of the simulation approach for the site in focus are shortly discussed. The reservoir simulations have indicated larger site injection capacity than required for the pilot injection and allowed to evaluate CO2 migration pathway within the reservoir. The application of the approach to the site in focus has also revealed large uncertainties, related to fracture description and geomechanical evaluations, resulted in an uncertain safe injection envelope. These uncertainties should be addressed in further studies in preparation to the pilot. The article concludes with an overview of the outcomes of the integrated approach and its application to the field in focus including discussion of issues and uncertainties revealed.

Urbanization-induced land use transition results in a decline in ecosystem services, which has implications for regional ecological security. In order to explore the relationship between ecosystem services and land use transition, this paper utilizes the InVEST model, geographically weighted regression model to examine the impact of land use transition on ecosystem services in the Dongting Lake area (DLA). The results showed that (1) During the period 2000-2020, the intensity and motivation of land-use transition showed obvious spatial and temporal heterogeneity with the variation of urbanization development. (2) Habitat quality and Carbon sequestrations showed a downward trend. In contrast, food supply followed an upward trend; soil conservation and water yield services initially increased and dropped later. The overall spatial changes in habitat quality and Carbon sequestration appear to be insignificant. Food supply shows significant differences in the plains compared to other areas; while soil conservation and water yield service shows significant changes in places other than the DLA. (3) From 2000 to 2020, land use transition dynamics, population density, GDP density, night lighting and transition intensity had mainly negative effects on ecosystem services. Only the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) showed a positive effect on ecosystem services. The results of the research will provide valuable references for the development and implementation of spatial ecological restoration planning and land use policies in the national territory.

World Health Organization recommends adjusting the salt intake as a part of the nine global targets to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable chronic diseases as priority and most cost-effective intervention. In 2006. the main aim of the Croatian Action on Salt and Health was to decrease salt intake for 16% because of its critical intake and consequences on human health. We have organized educative activities for increasing awareness on salt harmfulness, defined food categories of prime interest, collaborate with industries and determine salt intake (24h urine-sodium excretion). It was determined that the proportion of salt in ready-to-eat baked bread should not exceed 1.4%. In the period 2014 –2022, salt in the semi-white bread was reduced 14%, in bakery 22% and in largest meat industry in Croatia 25%. Awareness of the harmfulness of salt on health increased from 65.3% in 2008 to 96.9% in 2023 and salt intake was reduced 15.9%-1.8 grams/day (22.8% men, 11.7% women). In last 18 years a significant decrease in salt intake was achieved in Croatia, awareness of its harmfulness increased, collaboration with food industry established and regulatory documents launched. However, salt intake is still very high underlying the need for continuation of efforts and even stronger activities.

Soil secondary salinization has seriously affected the greenhouse vegetable production in China. To improve the secondary salinization greenhouse soil and enhance the soil physical-chemical properties in an eco-environmental way, different organic amendments (straw, straw biochar, Trichoderma bio-organic manure, commercial organic manure) were applied using pot experiment for 60 day to comprehensively screen the optimal remediation method. In this study, soil nutrient condition and salt movement were assessed, and predictive models using multi-linear regression (MLR) and Random Forest (RF) were developed to estimate soil salinization parameters. The findings indicated a significant decrease in soil salt content following the application of organic materials compared to the control treatment. Specifically, the addition of straw at a rate of 250g/kg resulted in a 59.38% reduction in soil salt levels after 60 days (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the main salt ions exhibited dynamic changes over the course of the experiment, with reductions observed in Na+, Ca2+, Cl-, and NO3- content under the 250 g/kg straw treatment by 83.63%, 74.67%, 63.26%, 59.07%, respectively, compared to CK (P < 0.05). In addition, the SO42- content under 125 g/kg commercial organic manure amendment reduced by 48.94%, respectively (P < 0.05). Contrary to expectations, the addition of organic materials significantly increased the levels of total nutrients (N/P/K) and available potassium (AK) and phosphorus (AP) in the soil. Specifically, the addition of straw at a rate of 250 g/kg resulted in increases of 18.02%-87.38% in total potassium (TK), 66.67%-200% in total phosphorus (TP), and 142.87%-367.8% in AK after a period of sixty days (P < 0.05). Ultimately, the treatment involving the addition of 250 g/kg of straw demonstrated the most pronounced impact on the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The random forest method shows promise in accurately predicting soil salt and soil sodium adsorption ratio (SAR)indicators, thereby providing a valuable tool for estimating soil properties.

Tomato is considered moderately sensitive to salinity, which detracts from the quality and yield of its fruit; therefore, wild populations have been used as a genetic resource. The aim of this research was to identify lines derived from wild tomato populations with tolerance to salinity during the germination and seedling stages. During germination, 52 wild lines and 2 commercial hybrids (Imperial®, Reserva®) were subjected to 150 mM and 0 mM NaCl and evaluated. The test was carried out for 20 days in a germination chamber with constant darkness, temperature of 25±2 °C and relative humidity of 80±4%. At the seedling stage, 22 wild tomato lines with the best performance in the germination test and 2 commercial hybrids (Imperial®, Topanga®) were evaluated for 12 days in a floating raft system. Concentrations of 175 mM and 0 mM NaCl were used. During germination, the saline condition decreased germination percentage (65.2%), speed of germination (88.2%), steam length (72.5%), root length (46.56%), normal plants number (59.5%), stem dry matter (68.78%), root dry matter (61.99%), and total dry matter (67.1%). At the seedling stage, this condition decreased (P<0.05) the aerial part dry matter (46.37%), leaf area (59.35%), root length (42.43%), final plant height (40.24%), and growth rate (71.42%). Seventeen tolerant genotypes were identified at one of both developmental stages, while one genotype showed tolerance at both stages. These results indicate that there are different response mechanisms in each developmental stage. Native tomatoes play an important role in the identification of tolerant genotypes since they can be used as genetic resources for obtaining commercial genotypes with salt tolerance.

Dye/salt separation has gained increasing attention in recent years, prompting the quest for cost-effective and environmentally-friendly raw materials for synthesis high performance nanofiltration (NF) membrane for effective dye/salt separation. Herein, a high-performance loose structured NF membrane was fabricated by via a simple vacuum filtration method using a green nanomaterial, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxide radical (TEMPO)-oxidized cellulose nanofiber (TOCNF), by sequentially filtrating larger-size and finer-size TOCNFs on a microporous substrate, followed by cross-linked with trimesoyl chloride. The resultant TCM membrane possesses a separating layer composed entirely of pure TOCNF, eliminating the need for other polymer or nanomaterials additives. TCM membranes exhibits high performance and effective dye/salt selectivity. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis shows that the TCM membrane with Fine-TOCNF layer has a tight layered structure. Further characterizations via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirm the presence of functional groups and chemical bonds of the crosslinked membrane. Notably, the optimized TCM-5 membrane exhibits a rejection rate of over 99% for various dyes (Congo red, orange yellow) and 14.2% for NaCl, showcasing a potential candidate for efficient dye wastewater treatment.

Salt stress is a major limiting factor for alfalfa yield due to its relatively low salt tolerance. High soil salinity adversely impacts alfalfa growth and development, leading to reduced yield. Melatonin (MT) is known to play a significant role in enhancing plant resistance to abiotic stresses. However, the mechanisms underlying melatonin-mediated abiotic stress responses, particularly salt stress, are not well understood. To address this gap, we conducted a study focusing on germinating alfalfa seeds under salt stress. Physiological indexes and transcriptomics analyses were carried out on the germinated seeds to investigate the effects of melatonin on alfalfa seedlings under salt stress conditions. Our results revealed that the application of melatonin led to an increase in shoot length and fresh weight of alfalfa seedlings under salt stress. Moreover, key physiological indexes such as peroxidase (POD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content were enhanced, while levels of malondialdehyde and superoxide anions decreased. Transcriptomic analysis identified a total of 2,131 differentially expressed genes in the salt-treated group, with 726 up-regulated and 1,405 down-regulated genes, while the MT-treated group showed 2896 differentially expressed genes, of which 1,097 were up-regulated and 1,799 were down-regulated. Further, KEGG enrichment analysis highlighted the enrichment of differentially expressed genes in pathways including flavonoid biosynthesis, ABC transporter, glutathione metabolism, and the MAPK signaling pathway, with these pathways more significantly enriched in the MT-treated group. These findings collectively suggest that melatonin plays a crucial role in alfalfa's response to salt stress and offer new insights into the genomic mechanisms underlying melatonin-mediated salt tolerance in alfalfa.

Plain lakes play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle of a watershed, but their interactions with adjacent rivers and downstream water bodies can create complex river-lake relationships, often leading to frequent flooding disasters. Taking Poyang Lake as an example, this paper delves into its interaction with the Yangtze River, revealing the spatiotemporal patterns of flood propagation within the lake and its impact on surrounding flood control measures. The aim is to provide insights for flood management in similar environments worldwide. This study employs a comprehensive approach combining hydrological statistical analysis and two-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling, based on extensive hydrological, topographic, and socio-economic data. The results indicate that the annual maximum outflow from Poyang Lake is primarily controlled by floods within the watershed, while the highest annual lake water level is predominantly influenced by floods from the Yangtze River. The peak discharge typically reaches the lake outlet within 48 hours, with the peak water level taking slightly longer at 54 hours. However, water storage in the lake can shorten the time for the peak discharge to arrive. When converging with floods from the Yangtze River, the peak water level may be delayed by up to 10 days due to the top-supporting interaction. Furthermore, floods from the "Five Rivers" propagate differently within the lake, affecting various lake regions to differing degrees. Notably, floods from the Fu River cause the most significant rise in lake water level under the same flow rate. The top-supporting effect from the Yangtze River also significantly impacts the water surface slope of Poyang Lake. When the Yangtze River flood discharge far exceeds that of the "Five Rivers" (i.e., when the top-supporting intensity f value exceeds 4), the lake surface becomes as flat as a reservoir. During major floods in the watershed, the water level difference in the lake can increase dramatically, potentially creating a "dynamic storage capacity" of up to 840 million cubic meters.

Non-impregnated small pore graphite (NSPG) with the compact microstructure for using in molten salt reactors (MSR) was prepared by the novel process, and the pore diameter of the obtained graphite was reduced to ~800 nm. The irradiation evaluation of the prepared graphite was carried out by 7 MeV Xe26+ ion irradiation and the microstructural changes of the graphite were investigated with IG-110 as a comparison. The graphitization degree of NSPG was higher than that of IG-110, though it was not subjected to an impregnation process. Under low-dose ion irradiation (

Revealing the spatial distribution mechanism of the coupling effect between soil water and salt is essential for managing saline-alkali farmland. This study utilized the multifractal method to analyze soil water and salt under varying water content levels in arid saline-alkali farmland. Soil samples were collected on the second (S1), fifth (S2), eighth (S3), eleventh (S4), and fourteenth (S5) days after a rainfall event. The findings showed that a significant decrease in soil water content, contrasting with an increase in soil salt content throughout the soil layers post-rainfall. As water content decreased, the spatial variability of soil water initially increased from S1-3 and then decreased, while the spatial variability of soil salt decreased. The spatial distribution between soil water and salt exhibited a high correlation at S3-4 (with relative water content of soil ranging from 0.52 to 0.75) due to their coupling effect. However, soil salt was unevenly leached by rainfall at high water content levels (S1-2) and precipitated at low water content levels (S5), resulting in low spatial variability correlations between soil water and salt. This study elucidated the coupling process of soil water and salt, identifying their spatiotemporal distribution mechanism in dryland agricultural areas.

Lake sediment records are of great importance for understanding the evolution of watershed environments. Various studies have been carried out to constrain the depositional ages of lake sediments and examine their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, aiming to construct historical vegetation, environment and climate patterns in Chinese lake watersheds. In this study, we obtained relevant literature on lake sediment records by searching the key word 'age-depth' from the databases – Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, the largest Chinese academic database). We analyzed the literature based on its type (published in a Chinese/English journal or as a Master’s/PhD thesis), period of publication, journal (if published in a journal), key authors, study area, dating scale, and main aims. The results suggest that the lakes in the plateau regions are the most popular research topic typically covering 100–200 years (short-term) and 500–30,000 years (long-term). The literature focuses on a wide range of topics, from past environmental evolution in the watershed to lake ecology, and provides a solid foundation for better understanding regional climate change and the preservation of lake environments and ecosystems. In the future, resulting data from environmental reconstruction with lake sediments will be needed to integrate with emerging information processing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and meta-analysis), to disentangle the complex interplay between Earth surface processes and global climate change; furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration will deepen our comprehension of man-land relationship and promote the sustainable management of lake ecosystems in the context of global climate change.

The prediction of hydrological flows (rainfall-depth or rainfall-discharge) is becoming increasingly important in the management of hydrological risks such as floods. In this study, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network, a state-of-the-art algorithm dedicated to time series, is applied to predict the daily water level of lake Nokoue in Benin. This paper aims to provide an effective and reliable method enable of reproducing the future daily water level of Lake Nokoue, which is influenced by a combination of two phenomena: rainfall and river flow (runoff from the Ouémé River, the Sô River, the Porto-Novo lagoon, and the Atlantic Ocean). Performance analysis based on the forecasting horizon indicates that LSTM can predict the water level of Nokoué Lake up to a forecast horizon of t+10 days. Performance metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), coefficient of correlation (R²), Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) agree on a forecast horizon of up to t+3 days. The values of these metrics remain stable for forecast horizons of t+1 days, t+2 days, and t+3 days. The values of R² and NSE are greater than 0.97 during the training and testing phases in the Nokoué Lake basin. Based on the evaluation indices used to assess the model's performance for the appropriate forecast horizon of water level in the Nokoué lake basin, the forecast horizon of t+3 days is chosen for predicting future daily water levels.

To investigate the effect of prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) primed on seed germination and seedling growth of oilseed rape under salt stress, to alleviate the inhibition of soil salinization on the growth of oilseed rape, and to improve the sustainability of agricultural production. Using Huayouza 158R and Huayouza 62 as test materials, the regulation of seed germination and seedling growth under the stresses of 0, 100, and 150 mM NaCl (S0, S100, and S150) was investigated after the primed of Pro-Ca. We conducted six treatments, S0: non-primed + 0 mM NaCl, PCS0: Pro-Ca primed + 0 mM NaCl, S100: non-primed + 100 mM NaCl, PCS100: Pro-Ca primed + 100 mM NaCl, S150: non-primed + 150mM NaCl, Pro-Ca+S150: Pro-Ca primed + 150 mM NaCl. The results showed that salt stress inhibited seed germination and seedling growth, and Pro-Ca primed significantly increased the germination index and vigor index of oilseed rape seeds. The average germination time and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were significantly reduced, which resulted in the optimal initiation fiddling concentration of 8mg·L-1. The morphological parameters of oilseed rape decreased significantly under salt stress, with leaf area decreasing by 70.69% and 75.03% and total chlorophyll content decreasing by 18.55% and 18.68% at S150. With the rise of salt stress, the changes of each photosynthetic parameter were somewhat similar, and Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr continued to decline, indicating that the effects of salt stress on photosynthesis in oilseed rape might be mainly attributed to stomatal restriction and inhibition of photosynthetic pigment synthesis. While Na+ and MDA contents increased significantly, reaching a peak at S150, indicating that Na+ content increased significantly under salt stress, which resulted in the slow growth of oilseed rape and weak plants under the influence of Na+ salt damage. After Pro-Ca primed, leaf area and photosynthetic pigment synthesis increased, and the initiation treatment promoted the rise of Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr under salt stress. The Na+ content decreased by 7.29% and 6.96% in PCS100 compared with S100, decreased by 9.23% and 25.02% in PCS150 compared with S150, and increased in K+ and Mg2+ after Pro-Ca primed. At this time, the antioxidant enzyme activities increased, and the MDA content and relative conductivity decreased. It was concluded that Pro-Ca primed improved the photosynthetic capacity of oilseed rape by promoting leaf growth, stomatal opening, and photosynthetic pigment synthesis. At the same time, reducing Na+ content and promoting K+ and Mg2+ absorption and antioxidant enzyme activities together alleviate salt damage and improve salt tolerance of oilseed rape.

A very detailed water budget was conducted on Lake Trafford in southern Florida. The inflow was dominated by surface-water influx via five canals (61%) with groundwater influx constituting 12% and direct rainfall 27%. Lake discharge was dominated by sheet-flow (69%) and evapotranspiration (30.5%) with groundwater recharge of the hydraulically connected unconfined aquifer accounting for only 0.5%. Removal of 30 M tons (4.4 x 106 m3) of organic sediment impacted groundwater influx, causing enhanced groundwater flows into the deeper parts of the lake and mixed flows along the banks creating a rather unusual pattern. The large number of groundwater seepage meters used during the investigation led to a very reliable set of measurements with occasional failure of only a few meters. A distinctive relationship was found between the wet season lake stage, heavy rainfall events and pulses of exiting sheet-flow from the lake. Estimation of the evapotranspiration loss using data collected from a weather station on the lake allowed the use of three different models which, when averaged, produced results comparable to Lake Okeechobee (southern Florida). A limitation of the investigation was the inability to directly measure sheet-flow discharges, which had to be estimated as a residual within the calculated water budget.

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that lead to crop yield reduction worldwide. Melatonin (MT), an endogenous hormone synthesized in plants, plays an important role in responding to abiotic stimuli such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, etc. However, the molecular mechanisms of MT-mediated abiotic stresses remain to be better understood. In order to explore the key genes and pathways of melatonin in alleviating salt stress, physiological and biochemical indicators as well as transcriptomics profile were conducted in alfalfa seedlings. The results showed that the germination rate, bud length and fresh weight of alfalfa seedlings added with melatonin were higher than those treated with salt alone. In addition, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Superoxide anion (O2-) contents also displayed a decreasing trend. The activity and content of Superoxide dismutase (SOD)、peroxidase (POD) and Glutathione (GSH) increased to varying degrees. In order to further reveal the molecular mechanism of MT-mediated salt tolerance of alfalfa, transcriptome analysis was performed on alfalfa seedlings. 2,181 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained in the salt-treated group, including 780 upregulated genes and 1,401 down-regulated genes, while 4,422 DEGs were obtained in the MT group, among which 1,438 were upregulated and 2,984 were downregulated. By using GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment, we found that DEGs were mainly enriched in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, isoflavones, plant hormones, Glutathione (GSH), soluble sugars and other substances, as well as in the ABC transporter and MAPK signaling pathways. Among them, the DEGs in the MT group was more enriched in these pathways, suggesting that MT can combat salt stress by regulating the expression of genes related to phytohormone and antioxidant capacity, which has important reference value for the breeding of salt-tolerant alfalfa and other crops.

Garlic, as an important economic crop in China, still has room for improvement in terms of identification using remote sensing technology, Among them, high-precision classification of garlic has become an important subject. The Erhai Lake is an important freshwater lake in China. Under the influence of technology and policies, significant changes have occurred in the cultivation of garlic crops. this study constructed multidimensional features for crop classification suitable for Google Earth Engine, and Propose a method for identifying garlic crops using sample and feature datasets under limited conditions. The results indicate that: 1) In the land-use classification of the Erhai Lake Basin, the importance ranking of characteristic bands, from high to low, is as follows: spectral features, vegetation features, texture features, and terrain features. 2) The Random Forest method based on feature selection demonstrates high classification accuracy in land-use classification within the Erhai Lake Basin in Yunnan Province. The overall classification accuracy reaches 95.79%, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.9481. 3) The expansion direction of garlic cultivation in the Erhai Lake Basin initially strengthened and then weakened from 1999 to 2023. The vertical development of garlic cultivation reached saturation, showing a slow trend towards horizontal expansion between 2005 and 2018. The planting distribution in various townships in the Erhai Lake Basin gradually shifted from a relatively uniform distribution to an upstream development in the basin. This study utilizes the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform and machine learning algorithms to compensate for the lack of statistical data on garlic cultivation in the Erhai Lake Basin. Simultaneously, it accurately, rapidly, and efficiently extracts planting information, demonstrating significant potential for practical applications.

Nuclear waste is one of the most important environmental problems of nuclear power plants. A novel renewable distillation method has been proposed for an on-site recycling of the spent nuclear fuel and separation of its valuable components from the fissile isotopes, which is especially applicable for reactors using liquid fuels.

Salinity is one of the major factors responsible for the deterioration of soils, making them unsuitable for agriculture. The application of halotolerant and halophilic plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPR: Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) with biological control activities as an inoculant of cultivated plants offers a biological alternative to the use of agrochemicals, particularly when subjected to salt stress. In this perspective, 70 bacterial strains were isolated from saline soils (sebkha) in arid and semi-arid areas of eastern Algeria. Three isolates were selected based on their ability to produce bioactive molecules allowing them to promote plant growth, such as hydrolytic enzymes, indole acetic acid, HCN, NH3, etc. Two of these isolates belong to the genus Serratia and the third is a halophilic Halomonas bacteria. These bacteria were identified based on the 16S rDNA sequence. Antagonism tests against phytopathogenic fungi were carried out. The identification of the antifungal molecules produced by these bacteria was done by high performance liquid chromatography. These bacteria are capable of inhibiting mycelial development against phytopathogenic fungi with rates reaching 80.67% against Botrytis cinerea, 76.22% against Aspergillus niger and 66.67% against Fusarium culmorum for Serratia sp. The strain Halomonas sp. inhibited mycelial growth by production of volatile substances of Aspergillus niger at 71.29%, Aspergillus flavus at 75.49% and Penicillium glabrum at a rate of 72.22%. The identification by HPLC of the antifungal molecules produced by these three bacteria reveals that they are polyphenols, which makes these strains the first rhizobacteria capable of producing phenolic compounds. Finally, pot tests to determine the effectiveness of these strains in promoting wheat growth under salinity stress (125 mM, 150 mM and 200 mM) were carried out. The results revealed that a consortium of two isolates (Serratia sp. and Halomonas sp.) performed best at 125 mM. But, at higher concentrations it was the halophilic bacteria Halomonas sp which gave the best result. In all cases, there was a significant improvement in the growth of wheat seedlings inoculated with the bacteria, compared to non-inoculated controls.

Amylin, also known as islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), is a metabolic homeostasis-related hormone that is produced and released by the β cells of the pancreas, the same cells that produce insulin. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a protease enzyme that plays an essential role in the breakdown and degradation of various peptides, including insulin and amylin. Direct binding & interaction between amylin and IDE is inextricably linked to the degradation of amylin, and research and development effort in this area is crucial to understand the potential therapeutic implications of disrupting the IDE-amylin interaction in the context of conditions where metabolic homeostasis needs to be regulated, such as diabetes and obesity. Here, this article incorporates currently available experimental complex structure of amylin and IDE, and delves deep into the interstructural biophysics underlying the binding interface of the two interacting partners. With a set of comprehensive structural biophysical analysis, this article identified an intriguing region of high electrostatic potential indicative of strong binding sites between the first N-terminal lysine (Lys1, K1) residue of amylin and Glu341 (E341) of IDE. This unique electrostatic hotspot presented herein paves the way for the rational design of drug-like small molecules that can selectively disrupt this interaction, offering a targeted therapeutic strategy for improved metabolic homeostasis, particularly for patients with diabetes and obesity.

This study describes the seasonal course of denitrifying and nitrate reducing bacteria in a dimictic mesotrophic lake (Lake Scharmützelsee, Brandenburg, Germany) within a three-year period from 2011 to 2013. The bacterial cell numbers were quantified by fluorescence microscopy, most probable number (MPN) and PCR dependent quantification of the chromosomal 16S rDNA and of the nirS and nirK gene copy number. The highest seasonal differences (up to three orders of magnitudes) has been measured by MPN in the epilimnion. This variation was not reflected by PCR dependent approaches or direct microscopical enumeration. At adverse conditions (low temperature and/or low nitrate concentrations), the differences between MPN and gene copy numbers increased up to five orders of magnitudes and decreased to one magnitude at favorable environmental conditions. These results can be explained best by an increasing ratio of viable but not cultivable (VBNC) cells or dead cells at impairing conditions. In the hypolimnion, the courses of MPN and nir gene copy numbers were similar. This can be explained by higher feeding pressure and therefore smaller amounts of dormant cells. In the pelagial in general, the total cell numbers enumerated by either microscopical or molecular approaches were similar. In the sediment, more than 99 % of the DNA was obviously not related to viable bacteria but was rather “dead DNA” in dead cells or adsorbed to particle surfaces.

(1) Background: The aim of study was to investigate the salt consumption by children and adolescents from the Silesian Province (Poland), taking into account the region’s dietary traditions and number of years of school education. (2) Methods : 300 students aged 10–18 from different types of schools, were enrolled in the study and divided into groups in terms of: school, sex, the state of nutrition. The survey questionnaire about dietary habits, including the frequency and serving size with respect to 12 salty products was used. On the basis of the frequency and the amount of consumed products, as well as the data on salt content, the amount of total daily intake of salt was estimated.; (3) Results: The mean daily intake of salt by children and adolescents was 1.083 g ( 0.433 g of sodium); children aged 10–12 consumed the highest amount of salt (1.296 g/day) compared to pupils aged 13–15 (1.131 g of sodium) and adolescents aged 16–18 (0.863 g/day); (4) Conclusions: With age, as a result of various factors, the consumption of salt declines. The parents impact and the familial socio-environmental factors begin to wane, and other factors start to have influence, e.g. school education of healthy lifestyle, health behavior of peers.

Gut microbiota dysfunction is a key factor affecting chronic kidney disease (CKD) susceptibility. Puerariae Lobatae Radix (PLR), a traditional Chinese medicine and food homologous herb, is known to promote gut microbiota homeostasis, however, its role in renoprotection remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and potential mechanism of PLR to alleviate CKD. An 8-week 2% NaCl-feeding murine model was applied to induce CKD and evaluate the therapeutic effect of PLR supplementary. After gavage for 8 weeks, PLR significantly alleviated CKD-associated creatinine, urine protein increasement and nephritic histopathological injury. Moreover, PLR protected kidney from fibrosis by reducing inflammatory response and down-regulating the canonical Wnt / β-catenin pathway. Further, PLR rescued gut microbiota dysbiosis and protected high salt-induced gut barrier dysfunction. We found enrichment of Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium after PLR intervention, the relative abundance of which were in positive correlation with normal maintenance of renal histology and function. Next, fecal microbiota transplantation experiment verified that the positive effect of PLR on CKD was at least partially exerted through gut microbiota reestablishment and down-regulation of the Wnt / β-catenin pathway. Our study provides evidence for new function of PLR on kidney protection and put forward a potential therapeutic strategy target for CKD.

Salt stress is one of the most severe environmental stresses limiting the productivity of crops, including rice. However, there is a lack of information on how salt-stress sensitivity varies across different developmental stages in rice. In view of this, a comparative evaluation of contrasting rice varieties CSR36 (salt tolerant) and Jaya (salt sensitive) was conducted, wherein NaCl stress (50 mM) was independently given either at seedling (S-stage), tillering (T-stage), flowering (F-stage), seed-setting (SS-stage) or throughout the plant growth, from seedling till maturity. Except for S-stage, CSR36 exhibited improved NaCl stress tolerance than Jaya, at all other tested stages. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the improved NaCl stress tolerance in CSR36 coincided with enhanced activities/levels of enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidants (root ascorbate peroxidase for T- and S+T stages and root catalase for F-, S+T and S+T+F-stages) and higher accumulation of osmolytes (shoot proline for F-stage and S+T+F-stage), indicating better antioxidant capacitance and osmotic adjustment, respectively. In contrast, higher shoot accumulation of Na+ and consequent increase in Na+/K+, Na+/Ca+2 and Na+/Mg+2 ratio in root and shoot, were identified as major variables associated with NaCl stress induced growth reduction in Jaya. In addition, CSR36 exhibited higher levels of Fe3+, Mn2+ and Co3+ and lower Cl- and SO42-, suggesting its potential to discriminate essential and non-essential nutrients, which might contribute to NaCl stress tolerance. Taken together, the findings provided the frame-work for stage-specific salinity responses in rice, which will facilitate crop-improvement programs for specific ecological niches including the coastal regions. Rice, salt stress, stage-specific salinity, antioxidant defense, ionic homeostasis, salt tolerance

Stresses due to drought and high soil salt content are the most severe threats to global rice pro-duction, causing a significant decline in rice yield. Therefore, this study examined the effects of treatment with various plant extracts on the stresses on rice plants associated with drought and high salinity. Additionally, this study examined various physiological and biochemical parameters such as growth, photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll content, and lipid peroxidation in rice plants after treatment with selected plant extracts under drought and salt stress conditions. Out of the eleven extracts tested, four extracts, namely soybean leaf, soybean stem, Chinese chive, and onion extracts, were found to effectively reduce drought stress. A reduction of only 24-37% in shoot fresh weight was observed in rice plants under drought stress that were treated with these ex-tracts compared to the 78% reduction observed in control plants. In addition, rice plants under salt stress which were treated with soybean leaf, soybean stem, moringa (Moringa oleifera), and Undaria pinnatifida extracts were observed to have lower reductions in shoot fresh weight (3-23%) com-pared to the control plants (43%). The effectiveness varied with the concentrations of the plant ex-tracts. Water content was higher in the rice plants treated with extracts than in the control plants after 6 days of drought and salt stress, but not after 4 days of drought and salt stress. Although photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and electron transport rate (ETR), and the content of pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) varied based on the types and levels of stress and the extracts that the rice plants were treated with, generally photosynthetic efficiency and pigment contents were higher in the treated rice compared to control plants than in the control plants. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as the superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased as the duration of the period of stress increased. ROS and MDA levels were lower in the treated rice compared to control plants. Proline and soluble sugar accumulation also increased as the duration of the stressperiod increased. However, proline and soluble sugar ac-cumulation were lower in the treated rice compared to control plants. Generally, all the parame-ters investigated in this study were similar regardless of the plant extract used for treating the rice plants. Thus, extracts found to be effective in this study can be used to alleviate the adverse effects of stress on rice crops associated with drought and high salinity soil.

A thermal system in very deep Lake Tazawa (maximum depth, 423 m) was investigated by estimating the heat budget. In the heat budget estimate, the net heat input at lake surface and the heat input by river inflow and groundwater inflow were considered. Then, the heat loss by snowfall onto lake surface was taken into account. Meanwhile, lake water temperature was monitored at 0.2 m to the bottom by mooring temperature loggers for more than two years. The heat storage change of the lake from the loggers was calibrated by frequent vertical measurements of water temperature at every 0.1 m pitch by a profiler with high accuracy (± 0.01 °C). The heat storage change (W/m2) obtained by the temperature loggers reasonably accords to that from the heat budget estimate. In the heat budget, the net heat input at lake surface dominates the heat storage change, but the significant heat loss by river inflow sporadically occurred, which is caused by the relatively large discharge from a reservoir in the upper region. How deep the vertical water circulation in the lake occurs in winter was judged by the differences between water temperatures at 0.2 m depth and bottom and between vertical profiles of dissolved oxygen over winter. It is strongly suggested that the whole water circulation does not occur every winter, if any, very weak.

Under the dual erosion conditions of the dry-wet cycle, which is caused by the high chloride salt concentrations in mine water and fluctuations in mine water level, cemented paste backfill (CPB) suffers serious damage and deterioration. To discuss the mechanical properties and permeability characteristics of CPB under erosion, this study designs an immersion experiment for CPB under chloride salt and dry-wet cycle conditions. Through a uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test, the change law for the mechanical parameters of the CPB was explored, strength constitutive equation of the CPB was constructed, and the process of deterioration of the CPB was analyzed. Through the penetration test, the diffusion characteristics of packing under chloride salt and dry-wet cycle conditions were explored. The results demonstrated that the strength and elastic modulus of the CPB first increased and then decreased rapidly, with maximum decrease rates of 32.2% and 38.2%, respectively. The CPB structure presents an initial non-damage stage, initial damage stage, damage development stage, damage destruction, and residual damage stage. The chloride ion penetration depth gradually increased with an increase in the number of dry-wet cycles, with a maximum diffusion depth of 20.5 mm. The maximum apparent diffusion coefficient of chloride ion was 18.99×10-10m2/s, and the maximum concentration was 0.303 mol/L. Under the double erosion conditions due to chloride salt and dry-wet cycle, the CPB structure is seriously damaged.

Dredging is a common technique for managing eutrophication problems in waters, reducing the accumulation of pollutants by removing sediments from the bottom of water bodies. However, dredging can cause complex impacts on lake ecosystems, and it is crucial to understand benefits and mechanisms for environments. In this paper, the dredged and undredged areas in the Caohai portion of Dianchi Lake were studied to analyze the effects of dredging on nitrogen-phosphorus transport and conversion and changes in nitrogen-phosphorus morphology content and its mechanisms by comparing the nitrogen-phosphorus morphology content, percentage; nitro-gen-phosphorus ratio, and release contribution of the two areas. It was found that the ratio of sta-bilized nitrogen (SN) to stabilized phosphorus (SP) in the dredged area was lower than that in the non-dredged area; the BD-P and TOC contents had a large turnaround at the 16-20 cm position of the sediment in the dredged area; and the main conclusions were that the dredging would disrupt the internal equilibrium of the lake system for many years, and in particular, it would have the greatest effect on the balance of the BD-P in the phosphorus forms of the sediment, and that the column cores of the dredged area from 0 to 16 cm might be newly accumulated sediments after the dredging project. However, with time, the distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus forms in the newly accumulated sediments will gradually reach a new equilibrium. In addition, dredging will also cause significant changes in the retention efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment, and the stable nitrogen and phosphorus forms will be released and transformed into unstable ni-trogen and phosphorus forms.

East Lake in Wuhan, China, harbors a high number of freshwater fish species of great conservation value, concurrently serving as vital resources for local livelihoods. However, the ecosystem is threatened by an array of anthropogenic activities, thus requiring consistent monitoring of the local fish community to enable more efficacious conservation management. In place of conventional surveying methods, we undertook the first analysis of the fish distribution within East Lake via metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA). The accuracy and efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding relies heavily upon selecting an appropriate primer set for PCR amplification. Given the varying environmental conditions and taxonomic diversity across distinct study systems, it remains a challenge to propose an optimal genetic marker for universal use. Thus, it becomes necessary to select PCR primers suitable for the composition of fish in the East Lake. Here, we evaluated the performance of two primer sets, Mifish-U and Metafish, designed to amplify 12S rRNA barcoding genes in fishes. Our results detected a total of 116 taxonomic units and 51 fish species, with beta diversity analysis indicating significant differences in community structure diversity between the 6 sampling locations encompassing East Lake. While it was difficult to accurately compare the species-level discriminatory power and amplification bias of the two primers, Mifish outperformed Metafish in terms of taxonomic specificity for fish taxa and reproducibility. These findings will assist with primer selection for eDNA-based fish monitoring and biodiversity conservation in the East Lake and other freshwater ecosystems.

Soil salinity is seen as a major restriction for crop production, and with water scarcity this problem becomes more complicated. Mulching is crucial to salinity dynamics management by decreasing evaporation with improving the soil’s characteristics. Using chitosan as an eco-friendly biostimulant can enhance plant defense genes during different abiotic stresses. Recently, agricultural research has recognized nanoparticles as a pioneer material due to their distinctive physicochemical features. Therefore, a lysimeter experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of mulching (UNM: un-mulched, WPM: white plastic, RSM: rice straw and SDM: sawdust) and chitosan foliar application (Ch0: control, Ch1: 250 mg chitosan L-1, Ch2: 125 mg nano chitosan L-1, and Ch3: 62.5 mg nano chitosan L-1) on the biochemical soil characteristics and common beans productivity under salt affected soil conditions. Organic mulching (RSM and SDM) treatments significantly improved the soil's organic carbon, available nutrient content, and total count of bacteria. WPM treatment lowered soil EC to 6.63 dS m-1 and increased soil water content to 34.13%. The application of Ch3 caused considerable increases in the plant height, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, grain yield, and nutrient content in the seed. The total fungi count in the soil and Na% in the seed was significantly decreased due to chitosan foliar applications. Moreover, the interactive effect of different mulch materials plus foliar by chitosan applications gave a statistically similar seed yield in both seasons. Overall, this study revealed the potential of the mulching treatments and foliar application of nano chitosan in improved biochemical soil characteristics and common bean productivity under saline soil conditions.

A lignin modified salt resistance branched high-performance water reducer was prepared via free radical polymerization. The water reducing agent was identified through Fourier transform infrared analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The experiment conducted on cement paste demonstrates that the water-reducing efficiency can reach a maximum of 44%. Additionally, the significant spatial steric hindrance of the application enhances the dispersal capability of the water-reducing agent, resulting in effective water reduction and reduced viscosity. In addition, its compressive strength is the highest after 3-day curing and 3, 7, 28-day standard curing, and it has the best overall performance both in water and saline water prepared systems.The application in oil cement slurry shows that it exhibits good dispersibility in fresh water, saline water, and substitute ocean water. In the Halfaya and Missan Oilfields of Iraq, BHPWR was used in slurry with a density of 2.28g cm-3 for casing the 244.5 mm salt paste layer of five wells. Cementing results exceeded expectations with over 85% excellent and 100% qualified.

This study aims to investigate a friction stir welded joint between steel and aluminum alloy. Friction stir welding is nowadays one of the most interesting joining technique due to the possibility to connect materials and thicknesses that are difficult or impossible to weld with traditional techniques. The main advantage is that Materials are not affected by thermal cycle problems during solidification and cooling and the absence of fumes and pollution during the process favors the quality of the welded joint. The life of metal joints could be greatly reduced in a corrosive environment, since the less noble material will tend to increase its corrosion rate while the nobler one will reduce its electrochemical dissolution. Accelerated ageing tests (i.e. salt fog test) are used to estimate the lifetime of metal joints in highly aggressive environments. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the durability at long ageing time in salt spray test (according to ASTM B117) of carbon steel/aluminum alloy joints, obtained by FSW. In this first part, mechanical tests results are reported. A deep metallographic and chemical investigation are going to be reported in the part 2.

This study aimed to overcome the difficulty of conducting the horizontal-well cavity leaching test in the field and to investigate the long-term stability of the horizontal-well salt-cavity natural gas storage. The simulation test design is combined with the similarity theory to study the cavity expansion characteristics and the influence law of cavity leaching parameters. Through the design of a rubber hose connection, an integrated closed test system for multi-stage horizontal-well cavity leaching and brine drainage was built. The test system also realises the repeatable backward movement of the injection well during the test. A similarity simulation of the test design was carried out, and the test platform was constructed to carry out multi-stage horizontal-well leaching tests with a nitrogen cushion. In the horizontal-well leaching tests with a nitrogen cushion, the influence laws of the well spacing, flow rate and liquid level position on cavity expansion were investigated. Based on the morphological characteristics of the horizontal-well cavity, a numerical model of the horizontal-well salt cavity was developed, which reflects the real cavity morphology leached in the test. The long-term stability of the horizontal-well salt-cavity natural gas storage under different internal pressures was investigated through numerical simulation.

Salting influences microbial growth, enzymatic activity and biochemical reactions during ripening, thus contributing to the final quality of cheese. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different salting methods (dry salting at 12, 24 and 48 h; in brine; and curd salting) on the chemical (moisture and salt content), physico-chemical (pH, titratable acidity and water activity) and sensory (texture profile analysis, colour and sensory attributes) characteristics of an industrial blue vein cheese. Dry salted cheeses had lower moisture content and water activity, and higher salt/moisture content and acidity than those salted in brine and curd. Dry-salted cheeses were also characterised by higher values for hardness, fracturability and instrumental gumminess. Dry-salted cheeses showed differences only in the red/green colour component (a*), with the curd-salted cheeses being less greenish. All cheeses scored high (around 7) in the tasters' overall impression, with the dry-salted cheeses at 12 and 24 h showing optimal growth and even distribution of mould, as well as better flavour and texture.

High concentrations of sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl-), calcium (Ca2+), and sulphate (SO42-) are fre-quently found in saline soils. Crop plants cannot successfully develop and produce because salt stress impairs the uptake of calcium, potassium, and water into plant cells. Different intracellular and extracellular ionic concentration changes by salinity, including those of calcium, potassium, and protons. These cations serve as stress signaling molecules in addition to being essential for ionic homeostasis and nutrition. Maintaining an appropriate K+: Na+ ratio is one crucial plant mechanism for salt tolerance, which is a complicated trait. Another important mechanism is the ability for fast extrusion of Na+ from the cytosol. Calcium is established as a ubiquitous secondary messenger, which transmits various stress signals into metabolic alterations that cause adaptive responses. When plants are under stress, the cytosolic-free Ca2+ concentration can rise to 10 times or more from its resting level of 50-100 nanomolar. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are linked to the calcium alterations, and are produced by stress. Depending on the type, frequency and intensity of the stress, the cytosolic calcium signals oscillate, are transient, or persist for a longer period and exhibit specific "signatures". Both the input and efflux of Ca2+ from the cytosol affect the length and amplitude of the signal. According to several reports, under stress calcium alterations can occur not only in the cytoplasm of the cell but also in the cell walls, nucleus and other cell organelles and the calcium waves propagate through the whole plant. Here, we will focus on how wheat and other important crops absorb Na+, K+ and Cl- when plants are under salt stress, as well as how calcium, potassium, and pH cause intracellular signaling and homeostasis. Similar mechanisms in the model plant Arabidopsis will also be considered.

An effective approach to fabricate large-scale of conducting polyaniline (PANI) by an in situ anodic electrochemical polymerization on the nickel foam, which coated by a novel aryl diazonium salt (ADS)-functionalized graphene (ADS-G). In present work, ADS-G was used as a high surface area support material for electrochemical polymerization of PANI. Electrochemical performances of the ADS-G/PANI composites exhibited better suitability as supercapacitor electrode materials than that of the PANI. The ADS-G/PANI composites achieved the specific capacitance of 528 F g-1, which was higher than that of PANI (266 F g-1) due to the excellent electrode-electrolyte interaction and synergistic effect of electrical conductivity between ADS-G and PANI in the composites. These findings suggested that the ADS-G/PANI composites were a suitable composite for the potential supercapacitor applications.

This research investigates the environmental characteristics of the saline lake in the Jiangling depression, southwestern Jianghan Basin from Paleocene to Eocene using bulk-rock geochemistry. The ratios of FeO/MnO, Al2O3/MgO and C-value indicate a semi-humid to semi-arid climate in the early-middle Paleocene. There was a rapid shift to a humid climate during the late Paleocene to early Eocene, following a short-time intense dryness. The Eocene climate was arid, but experienced intermittent humidity. The variation trend of CIA, CIW and PIA is similar to that of FeO/MnO, Al2O3/MgO and C-value, so the chemical weathering was influenced by climate changes. The redox conditions of lake in the Jiangling depression during Paleocene to Eocene were reconstructed using the ratios of U/Th, Ni/Co, and V/Cr. In the humidity and alternations of aridity and humidity, the lake water received external water input, resulting in weak stratification, so the sediments were in oxidation condition. In the aridity, lakes become a still water environments, leading to sediments formed in reduced condition. The salinity of the lake in Jiangling depression from Paleocene to Eocene was determined through the analysis of sedimentary sequences and the change of Sr/Ba ratio. In the early-middle Paleocene, the salinity of lake varied greatly. From the late Paleocene to the early Eocene, the salinity of lake decreased. In the Eocene, the salinity of the lake increased, and the halite precipitated, and finally the salinity of the lake decreased due to humid climate.

The (benzylthio)acetic acid (HBTA) and some aminopyrimidines, namely 2-aminopyrimidine (2-AP), 5-aminopyrimidine (5-AP), 2-amino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine (2-A-4,6-DMP) and 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (2,4,6-TAP), were successfully embodied as structural units into the construction of a total of four novel supramolecular organic frameworks. The received crystalline solids were inspected by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC XRD) in order to obtain insight into the structural and supramolecular facets. The SOFs deriving from 2-AP, 5-AP as well as 2-A-4,6-DMP crystallize in the form of true co-crystals (1-3), while the one originating from 2,4,6-TAP crystallizes as salt solvate (4). The SC XRD results indicated the different contents of structural residues present in the asymmetric units of the crystals 1-4 despite the using the same molar ratio of molecular co-formers in each case. The molecular structures of co-crystals 1-3 consist of either one neutral residue of each starting components (1 and 3) or a half nonionized residue of aminopyrimidine ingredient and one neutral residue of acidic specie (2). The asymmetric unit of salt solvate 4 is composed of two ionized residues of each co-former (two 2,4,6-TAP+ cations and two BTA- anions) and one MeOH solvent molecule. The most extensive H-bonding network is observed in the crystal structure of salt solvate 4. The relevant molecular ingredients in co-crystals 1-3 are mainly hold together by the neutral Ocarboxylic–H···Npyrimidine and Namine–H···Ocarboxylic H-bonds. In the case of aggregate 4, the corresponding ionic residues are predominantly sustained by the charged-assisted Npyrimidinium–H···Ocarboxylate and Namine–H···Ocarboxylate hydrogen interactions. The MeOH solvent incorporated into the crystal lattice of adduct 4 is also involved in H-bonding by simultaneously serving as the single donor in OMeOH–H···S and the single acceptor in Namine–H···OMeOH H-bonds afforded the structural diversity within the 2,4,6-TAP+ cations and BTA- anions. Other weaker sets of additional non-covalent contacts existing in the crystal structures of analyzed conglomerates are involved in the self-assembly, stabilization and expansion of total supramolecular organic frameworks. The fact of the formation of non-covalent bonded supramolecular organic frameworks in question is also reflected in corresponding results obtained through elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT−IR) and thermal analysis (TG/DSC).

A rapid synthesis of chiral sulfoxide-functionalized meta-terphenyl derivatives by a 2,5-[C4+C2] ring transformation reaction of pyrylium salts with in-situ generated enantio-merically pure .alpha.-sulfinylacetaldehydes is described. This synthetic method demonstrates for the first time the use of .alpha.-sulfinylacetaldehydes in a reaction sequence initiated by nu-cleophilic attack of pyrylium salts by .alpha.-sulfinylcarbanions to generate chiral aromatic systems. The method presented shows broad applicability starting with various methyl sulfoxides and a number of functionalized pyrylium salts, furnishing meta-terphenyls with complex substitution patterns from readily accessible starting compounds.

Cut flowers of Gerbera jamesonii, renowned globally for their vibrant colors and extended shelf life, play a pivotal role in the flourishing floriculture industry. However, repeated fertigation in nethouses/polyhouses poses a significant challenge leading to production losses. In response to this challenge, we hypothesized that the application of Ascorbic acid (AsA), an antioxidant, in optimal concentrations could alleviate the detrimental effects of salt toxicity and enhance Gerbera production. Our objective was to investigate the impact of exogenous AsA (1.0 mM, 2.0 mM, and 4.0 mM) as a foliar spray, followed by NaCl (200 mM) treatment, across two cultivars of Gerbera: white-flowered (salt sensitive) and yellow flowered (salt tolerant) cultivars. The research employed a comprehensive approach, applying AsA and NaCl treatment to evaluate their effects on chlorophyll, proline, and total soluble protein content, MDA, H2O2, and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, APX, GR, and POD). Following exposure to 2.0 mM AsA, treated plants displayed a notable increase in chlorophyll, Proline, and soluble protein content. Concurrently, MDA and H2O2 levels, indicator of intracellular damage, exhibited a decrement, suggesting AsA's protective role against salt stress. Moreover, enhanced antioxidant Enzyme activities were observed. The application of AsA (2.0 mM) not only induced salt tolerance in Gerbera but also showed potential benefits for its overall growth and development. This study underscores the promising role of AsA in mitigating salt-induced challenges in Gerbera cultivation.

It was of great practical significance to repair the toxicity of salt stress environment to soybean seedlings and maintain the balance between agricultural production and ecological environment in the Yellow River valley of China. ‘Xudou 20’ was used as the experimental material, a large-scale planting variety in the old Yellow River basin. Endophytes 131 and 137 isolated from soybean root nodule were taken as the research objects, and the soybean plants were cultivated by pot culture in intelligent artificial incubator. Salt stress group, bacteria suspension group and control group were set up to study the effects of inoculation treatments on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) of soybean seedlings under different NaCl stress. The results showed that when inoculated with endophyte 131 bacterial suspension and cultured for 14 days, the SOD activity was the highest (14.89 U•g−1•FW) at the salt concentration 50 mmol•L-1. When inoculated with 131 bacterial suspension (2:1) and cultured for 28 days, the SOD activity reached the highest (0.94 ug-1FW) at the salt concentration of 50 mmol•L-1, and the CAT activity amounted to the highest (1910 U•g−1•min−1). The 16S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that the most similar strain of strain 137 was Bacillus cereus, and the most similar strain of strain 131 was Enterobacter ludwigii. Therefore, the activities of SOD and CAT in soybean seedlings inoculated with endophytes 131 and 137 increased at different degrees under salt stress, which could effectively alleviate the damage of salt stress environment to plants, and thus improve the stress resistance of plants.

Flood records of the Kunmalik River in Chinese Tien Shan mountains have showed that glacier- dammed lake outburst floods (GLOF) had occurred almost every year since 1956 from the glaci-er-dammed Lake Merzbacher. However, GLOF in cold season is seldomly studied. The defense and management of the flood need further observation and study. The maximum peak discharge of 825 m3/s occurred on 5th December 1996 with the maximum flood volume of 2.875×108 m3, which was 18 times larger than that of the mean daily discharge in winter over the past six decades. The drainage of the Merzbacher lake is not a mechanical breaking up of the glacier dam, but the release of pressurized water along a subglacial tunnel triggered by quickly surge of the Northern Glacier, the subglacial tunnels are enlarged by both ice melting and frictional heat in the flooding water and heat under the glaciated dam and the lake in winter. There is no correlation between the GLOF size and air temperature of cold season. The floods in cold season have become bigger since 1996 than that before, and the flood duration has been extended from winter to spring. Once the cold GLOF starts, its discharge can be forecasted day by day to extrapolate the monitoring hydrograph as a linear curve.

Understanding the evolving hydrological characteristics of landslide-induced barrier lakes is crucial for flood control, forecasting, early warning, and safety measures in the reservoir area. This study examines the changes in hydrological characteristics of the Attabad landslide-dammed lake over the past decade after the occurrence of the landslide, focusing on lake area dynamics and sediment concentration. High-resolution satellite images from QuickBird, Pleiades, and WorldView2 over seven periods were analyzed. The findings indicate that the lake area has gradually decreased, with the center of mass shifting towards the lake dam, indicating a trend towards stability. The suspended sediment in the barrier lake is distributed in a strip running from north to south, then northeast to southwest, with sediment concentration decreasing from the lake entrance to the dam and from the lake bank to the center. Over time, the average sediment concentration has decreased from 2010 to 2020, with higher concentrations in summer than in winter. Notably, during the 2017-2020 period, the lower-middle parts of the lake experienced higher sediment concentration, while the dam area witnessed lower concentrations, thereby reducing the sediment impact on the dam.

Saudi Arabia consists mainly of desert land. However, it has big and small natural wetlands and artificial wetlands. Most of these wetlands are seen along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf coastal regions. Al-Asfar Lake, located in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, is one of the historical landmarks of Al-Ahsa province. The primary lake water source is agricultural drainage water, which some refer to as an artificial lake. This paper mainly aims to reflect shade on the wetlands in Saudi Arabia in general and to show in detail the environmental impacts of Al-Asfar Lake on the ecosystem and biodiversity of the study area. The analytical review of the previous studies conducted in Al-Asfar Lake was adopted in this article. Hence, the impact of the lake on the land-use system, water quality and biodiversity was illustrated as the main outputs of the review analysis. However, the sustainable management of Al-Asfar Lake requires the stakeholders to adopt the wetland ecosystem health concept, which might lead to improving the lake's environmental conditions.

Dissolved calcium (Ca2+) concentrations in freshwater ecosystems are of growing concern as increasing levels have been implicated in altering the environmental conditions and biodiversity. Elevated Ca2+ levels and sporadic re-emergence and disappearance of invasive zebra mussels in Kentucky Lake in recent years served as a motivation for this study. The objective of this study was to determine Ca2+ spatial and temporal patterns in Kentucky Lake, selected tributary streams, and the Ohio River during and following a zebra mussel invasion. Over 1000 water samples were collected and analysed for dissolved calcium during 2018-2022. Approved analytical methods were followed for sampling and measuring dissolved calcium levels. Results revealed significant spatial and temporal patterns. Kentucky Lake Ca2+ levels varied between 15-25 mg/L depending on the sampling location and month/year. Kentucky Lake channel sites exhibited comparably higher concentrations of Ca 2+ than did most embayment and/or stream sites, indicating that tributary streams did not serve as primary sources of calcium to the lake. Dissolved calcium levels at main lake sites exceeded the threshold for zebra mussel growth and reproduction in 2018 during the time when zebra mussels were present. Calcium in lake water samples collected from 2019 through 2022 was at or just below the threshold. Temporal trend data showed a gradual increase in Ca2+ in Kentucky Lake throughout the study period but remaining at or below the threshold level considered critical for the zebra mussels’ reproduction and development. Calcium levels in the Ohio River site at Paducah were similar to Kentucky Lake reflecting the predominance of Tennessee River water, while levels at the Brookport site were consistent with values known to support zebra mussel populations. The elevated calcium levels in Kentucky Lake waters during the late winter and early spring months may be due to natural sources (mineral weathering) as well as human activities in the Tennessee River basin. This study emphasizes the need for continued calcium monitoring in the watershed to determine the potential for future zebra mussel outbreaks and potential influences on the lake ecosystem and its functions.

Iris laevigata Fisch. is a perennial aquatic plant with strong cold resistance and showy flowers. However, the flowering period of a single flower is only two days, greatly limiting its potential use in landscaping and the cutting-flower industry. In addition, I. laevigata is often challenged with various abiotic stresses including high salinity and drought in its native habitat. Thus, breeding novel cultivars with prolonged flowering time and higher resistance to abiotic stress is of high importance. In this study, we first performed genome-wide identification of WRKYs, key transcription factors in modulating flowering time and abiotic stress responses. We overexpressed IlWRKY22 in Arabidopsis thaliana and found the flowering time was delayed in the transgenic plants. Molecular characterization further revealed that IlWRKY22 promotes the expression of CO and GA20OX genes in the photoperiod and gibberellin pathways, respectively, and inhibits the expression of SPL3 in the aging pathway. We also created transgenic Nicotiana tabacum overexpressing IlWRKY22, which showed significantly improved resistance to both salt and drought compared to control plants. Specifically, the photosynthetic rate, maximum potential quantum efficiency of Photosystem II (Fv/Fm), and chlorophyll content were higher in the transgenic plants, which was accompanied with higher antioxidant enzyme activity and lower levels of reactive oxygen species. Thus, our study revealed a unique dual function of IlWRKY22, an excellent candidate gene for breeding novel I. laevigata cultivars of desirable traits.

Crossostephium chinense is a wild species with strong salt tolerance, which has great potential to improve the salt tolerance of cultivated chrysanthemums. Conversely, the unique salt-tolerant molecular mechanisms of Cr. chinense are still unclear. This study performed a comparative physiological and transcriptome analysis of Cr. chinense, Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium and their hybrids. The physiological results showed that Cr. chinense maintained a higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, to alleviate the oxidative damage to membrane. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the plant hormone signaling transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway were mostly enriched in Cr. chinense and hybrids under salt stress. Further weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of DEGs suggested that the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling transduction may play a significant role in the salt-tolerant mechanisms of Cr. chinense and hybrids. The tissue-specific expression patterns of the candidate genes related to ABA signaling transduction and MAPK signaling pathway indicated that genes related to ABA signaling transduction performed significant expression levels under salt stress. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research into the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in chrysanthemums under salt stress.

In the rapidly evolving field of data management, numerous terminologies, such as data warehouse, data lake, data lakehouse, and data mesh , have emerged, each representing a unique analytical data architecture. However, the distinctions and similarities among these paradigms often remain unclear. The present paper aimed to navigate the data architecture landscape by conducting a comparative analysis of these paradigms. The analysis a identified and elucidated the differences and similari- ties in features, capabilities, and limitations of these architectural constructs. The study outcome serves as a comprehensive guide, assisting practitioners in selecting the most suitable analytical data architecture for their specific applications.

Human disturbances can have severe environmental impacts on freshwater ecosystems. The main aim of this study was to detect the influences of physiochemical variables, land-cover characteristics, and river connectivity on fish assemblages in Lake Chaohu Basin, China. A cluster analysis of the river connectivity variables identified four groups of sites that characterized by significantly different connectivity gradients in local scale. These four groups of sites showed increasing connectivity from the upper reaches to the lower reaches. At the same time, among the four groups, the values of the environmental variables generally increased from the upper reaches with less human activity towards the lower reaches with more human activities. For instance, some main physiochemical variables (e.g., river width, water depth, nitrate, phosphate) significantly increased among the four groups. In contrast, fish taxa richness and diversity indices were not significantly different among the four connectivity groups. However, fish assemblages showed significant variation among the connectivity groups (p=0.026). In addition, the study determined that upper riparian land uses (e.g., woodland and grassland), flow velocity, and elevation were environmental variables regulating the variance in the fish communities, and for the connectivity variables, only river order and number of branches along a path to the left of the main stem affected the variance in the fish communities. Therefore, new practices aimed at maintaining and even increasing the riparian canopy coverage and the flow velocity of rivers should be integrated into local conservation planning for freshwater ecosystems, especially in the upper reaches of the basin.

Keywords: Knowledge; Attitudes; Practices; Salt intake.

Abstract: This study observes the characteristics and influencing factors of carbon fluxes of the Momoge salt marsh ecosystem over four years, which behaves as a CO2 sink. The daily, seasonal, and interannual variations of CO2 fluxes in the Momoge salt marshes were observed using the eddy covariance method and compared with various environmental factors. An overall daily “U” shaped distribution was observed, with uptake during the day (negative values) and release at night (positive values). Annually, the carbon fluxes in the study area roughly exhibit a “V” shape. Carbon fluxes during the non-growing season predominantly showed positive values, indicating the release of CO2 into the atmosphere. Photosynthetically active radiation was the primary influencing factor affecting hourly and daytime variations in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) during the growing season, while temperature was the main factor influencing nighttime NEE dynamics. Air temperature, soil temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, precipitation, and water level all had significant impacts on daily net CO2 exchange. At the monthly scale, larger values of soil temperature, air temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and aboveground biomass correspond to a stronger carbon absorption capacity of the ecosystem. Overall, temperature remains the primary factor for carbon fluxes in the Momoge wetlands.

Chenopodium quinoa Willd (quinoa), a member of the Amaranthaceae family, is an allotetraploid annual plant, endemic to South America. The plant of C. quinoa presents significant ecological plasticity with exceptional adaptability to several environmental stresses, including salinity. The resilience of quinoa to several abiotic stresses, as well as its nutritional attributes have led to significant shifts in quinoa cultivation worldwide over the past century. This work first defines germination sensu stricto in quinoa where the breakage of the pericarp and the testa is followed by endosperm rupture (ER). Transcriptomic changes in early seed germination stages lead to unstable expression levels in commonly used reference genes that are typically stable in vegetative tissues. Noteworthy, no suitable reference genes have been previously identified specifically for quinoa seed germination under salt stress conditions. This work aims to identify these genes as a prerequisite step for normalizing qPCR data. To this end, germinating seeds from UDEC2 and UDEC4 accessions, with different tolerance to salt, have been analyzed under conditions of absence (0 mM NaCl) and in the presence (250 mM NaCl) of sodium chloride. Based on relevant literature, six candidate reference genes: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Monensin sensitivity1 (MON1), Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTBP), Actin-7 (ACT7), Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBC), and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S), were selected and assessed for stability using the RefFinder Tool encompassing the statistical algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCt in the evaluation. The data presented supports the suitability of CqACT7 and CqUBC as reference genes for normalizing gene expression during seed germination under salinity stress. These recommended reference genes can be valuable tools for consistent qPCR studies in quinoa seeds.

Morphological study of lakes defines the sensitivity of their watershed. Moreover, it plays important role in safeguarding the lake’s ecosystem services through proper planning and utilization of the lakes’ resources. In the last few decades, the morphology of lakes in Ethiopian and Kenyan Rift (EKR) valley are experiencing contradicting morphological changes. Being in the same system, some are shrinking and others are expanding beyond their natural boundaries. The objective of this review is to shed light on the trends in spatio-temporal water level fluctuation and their contributing factors for lakes to the academia and decision makers. Peer reviewed article journals, conference proceedings, thesis, and book chapters collected from online sources and supplied by authors on request formed a database of 346 documents where 226 are critically assessed. The review indicated that lakes in Ethiopian rift are shrinking and expanding, while Kenyan lakes are expanding. The en-dorheic lakes suffered the most fluctuations due to anthropogenic factors at the expense of loss of forest and woodlands in their watershed. While the lakes’ water quality related to the morphological changes are given less attention, the predicted 12 m drop of Lake Turkana due to projects in the Omo catchment did not materialize.

Freshwater lakes represent a potential source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. However, the CH4 emission contribution to the total emission in the littoral zones of lakes, especially emergent macrophytes (e.g., lotus), are poorly known. Lotus, has been cultivated in almost all provinces in China, is not only an aquatic plant but also a kind of vegetables. Two sampling zones (lotus plant and open water) were established in the lake of the middle reaches of Yangtze River. The CH4 emission was measured using a floating opaque chamber and gas chromatography between April to December of the years 2021 and 2022. The results indicated that the flux of CH4 emissions ranged from 0.10 to 59.75 mg m-2 h-1, with an average value of 5.61 mg m-2 h-1 in the open water, while ranged from 0.19 to 57.32 mg m-2 h-1, with an average value of 17.14 mg m-2 h-1 in the lotus plant zone. The maximal CH4 emissions occurred in July and August for the open water, which was highly related to the air and water temperature; whereas it happened in September for the lotus plant zone, due to the fresh organic matter inputting to sediments, CH4 transportation by lotus plant, high soil organic carbon content, and the lower dissolved oxygen concentration. Considering the carbon emissions (both CH4 and CO2) and plant productivity, although the greater CH4 emission occurring in lotus plant zone, it could still represent a potential carbon sink (213 g m-2 yr-1), compared to the open water.

Upper mesophilic temperature acclimation of halophilic, hydrogen-producing bacteria from salt fields was investigated in this study, along with the changes in microbial abundance during an-aerobic digestion (AD) process. Genomic approaches such as PCR-denaturing gradient gel elec-trophoresis (DGGE) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) were performed to profile the mi-crobial communities. During AD, there was a significant abundance of Halanaerobacter lacunarum at 48°C followed by the increase in hydrogen yield, signifying potential contribution from the halophile in the hydrogen production. A decrease in the dominance of H. lacunarum and Halan-aerobium fermentans at 42°C, likely due to an increase in other bacterial species, was noted but their dominance significantly increased at temperatures of 45°C and 48°C. This investigation provides valuable insights in highlighting the potential of Halanaerobium sp. and the other halo-philic bacteria to adapt under upper mesophilic temperature conditions and synthesizing hy-drogen. The findings in the present study also underscore the importance of optimizing temper-ature and pH conditions to maximize hydrogen yield during high-salt anaerobic digestion.

The creation of mitochondria-targeted vector systems is a new tool for the treatment of socially significant diseases. Phosphonium groups provide targeted delivery of drugs through biological barriers to organelles. For this purpose, a new class of alkyl(diethylamino)(phenyl) phosphonium iodides (bromides) 1 containing one, two, or three diethylamino groups were obtained by the reaction of alkyl iodides (bromides) with (diethylamino)(phenyl)phosphines under mild conditions and high yields. The structure of compounds 1 was established by NMR and XRD. In vitro a high cytotoxicity against the lines M-Hela, HuTu 80, PC3, DU-145, PANC-1 and MCF-7 was found. Selectivity index are in the range of 0.06-4.0 M (SI 17-277) for the most active compounds. ROS production, mitochondrial localization and the process of cellular apoptosis were investigated. Decorated by 1 of lipid systems (liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles) improve the cytotoxicity and a decrease in toxicity against normal cell lines. Compounds 1 induce apoptosis proceeding along the mitochondrial pathway. Aminophosphonium salts 1 also exhibit a high selective activity against the Gram-positive bacteria strains S. aureus 209P, B. segeus 8035, including methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus (MRSA-1, MRSA-2), comparable to the activity of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic norfloxacin. A moderate in vivo toxicity in CD-1 mice was established for the lead compounds.

Remote sensing methods have the potential to improve lake water quality monitoring and deci-sion-making in water management. This reviews introduces novel findings in the field of opti-cally active water quality parameters using remote sensing. It summarizes existing retrieval methods (analytical, semi-analytical, empirical, semi-empirical, and artificial intelli-gence/machine learning (AI/ML)), examines measurement methods used to determine concen-tration of specific water quality parameters, summarizes satellite systems that enable temporal data for understanding the state of the lake with focus on water quality parameters, and pro-poses enhancements for future research of lake water quality using remote sensing. As part of this review, eight optically active biological and physical water quality parameters were ana-lyzed, including chlorophyll-α (chl-α), transparency (Secchi disk depth (SDD)), colored dis-solved organic matters (CDOM), turbidity (TUR), electrical conductivity (EC), surface salinity (SS), total suspended matter (TSM), and water temperature (WT). The research proposes a shift from point-based data representation to a more reliable raster representation and encourages optimizing grid selection for in situ measurements by combining hydrodynamic model with re-mote sensing methods. This review presents a comprehensive summary of the bands, band combinations, and band equations per sensor for eight optically active water quality parameters as listed in Tables A1-A8. The review’s findings indicate that use of remotely sensed data is an effective method for estimating water quality parameters in lakes, with a significant increase in global utilization. The review highlights potential solutions and limitations to the challenges of remote sensing water quality determination in lakes.

According to WHO, reducing salt intake to less than 5 g/day means less death, disability, and suffering from heart disease and stroke, with around 1.89 million lives saved every year. In this scoping review, we have reviewed the salt consumption pattern of South Asia. For this purpose, we searched online databases and websites and consulted key informants to address relevant unpublished reports. The inclusion criteria are English-language publications between January 2011 and October 2021, as well as research that evaluated salt intake in the South Asian region and reported salt/sodium 24-hr urine or spot urine samples involving at least 100 participants. A total of 2043 studies were screened, out of which 12 studies fulfilled all the criteria. Our review revealed that reported salt intake in the South Asian region ranges from 6.7-13.3 g/day, which was higher than the WHO-recommended maximum level of 5 g/day in all countries. Men consumed more salt than women. This review demonstrates the critical importance of implementing a salt reduction program in South Asian countries.

The nine plateau lake watersheds in Yunnan are important ecological security barriers for southwest China, and the prevention and control of landslides are important considerations in the management of these watersheds. Taking Dianchi Lake watershed as a typical study area, this paper puts forward an improved comprehensive process of landslide susceptibility evalua-tion, and discusses the model’s sensitivity regarding susceptibility to landslides. The compre-hensive process is based on the weight of evidence method (WoE) and integrates many analyti-cal techniques, such as cross-validation, multi-quantile cumulative Student’s comprehensive weight analysis, independence tests, step-by-step modeling, ROC analysis and ROC-based sus-ceptibility zoning. This paper established fourteen models, with high accuracy and validity AUC, reaching 0.83-0.87 and 0.85-0.88, respectively. Moreover, according to the susceptibility zoning map compiled using the optimal model, 80% of landslides can be predicted in the very high and high susceptibility zones, which only account for 19.58% of the study area. Finally, the strategies for geological disaster prevention and ecological restoration deployment were put forward, providing great guiding significance for deeply understanding the landslide susceptibility of lake watersheds (Dianchi Lake) in Yunnan Plateau and guiding the planning and deployment of landslide prevention and mitigation activities and ecological restoration in the watershed.

We found out main regularities of surface waters pollution by diesters of о-phthalic acid (PAEs) at the background level of concentrations. Lake Baikal was selected as a model for our studies. The composition of PAEs in Baicalins waters is represented by dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Their concentrations are assessed in statistically valuable average values and ranges: 0.02 (0.01 – 0.02), 0.07 (0.06 – 0.09), 0.55 (0.47 – 0.66), 0.30 (0.26 – 0.34), µg/L, respectively. Main factors determining PAEs concentration are found out: year and season of sampling. The distribution of PAEs in the water body meets their hydrophobicity and is characterized by: i) even distribution of minor hydrophilic congeners DMP and DEP in the whole water area; ii) maximal concentrations of hydrophobic congeners DnBP and DEHP in the upper and near-bottom layers of the water column; iii) decrease of concentration of hydrophobic congeners in the near-shore zone. The contribution of near-shore sources of PAEs into the pelagic site is minimal, the main pollutants source is atmospheric transfer. A valuable contribution of DEHP from biogenic sources into the background level of PAEs is shown. Within RQ coefficients, we assessed the environmental risk for Baicalins biota.

How to improve plant tolerance and yield under salt stress is critical for ensuring sufficient food supply since plant survival and agricultural productivity are both affected by salinity. Some evidence has showed that beneficial microorganisms have a high ability to improve plant salt tolerance and increase crop yield. But few studies were involved in effects of halotolerant yeasts on plants under salt stress. In this present research, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, a halotolerant yeast, was inoculated with tomato plants followed by salt treatment of four different NaCl concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300 mM). Our results showed that inoculation of M. guilliermondii increased the chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthetic machinery effectiveness under salt stress, contributing to biomass accumulation. Under salt treatment of 300 mM NaCl, the yeast inoculation significantly increased ascorbate concentrations in leaves, yet showed no effects on levels of glutathione and proline. Antioxidant enzymes were affected differently by the yeast inoculation. It was found that the yeast inoculation increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) activities under 300, 100, and 200 mM NaCl, respectively. Total soluble sugar levels increased in inoculated tomato plant leaves; however, there were no significant differences between different NaCl concentrations. Under 300 mM NaCl, the yeast inoculation significantly decreased H2O2 levels and reduced malondialdehyde levels. All together, our results showed that halotolerant yeast M. guilliermondii inoculation might be a strong candidate for regulating tomato growth under salt stress by increasing ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species and chlorophyll intactness, and by strengthening photosynthetic machinery.

Several lime mortars for the repair of painted plasters of the rock cut church of Ss. Pietro and Paolo in Matera were studied. They were designed taking into account both aesthetic criteria that need to be fulfilled in the field of paintings restoration, and physical-mechanical compatibility with the original materials on site, i.e. the pre-existing plasters and the supporting rock. Mixes with calcareous and silica aggregates, based on different grain size proportions, were prepared for filling missing portions of the original painted plaster. The effects of the mineralogical nature and size of the aggregates on the characteristics and properties of the mixes were investigated in relation to the microstructure, physical-mechanical features and resistance to salt ageing. At the end of the experimental campaign, the overall performances were evaluated.

Sudden water pollution accident is a tough environmental challenge to solve due to its uncertainty, unpredictability and destructiveness. Therein, the dangerous goods transportation accidents on the cross-tributary bridges are increasing worldwide with the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, posing threats to the water ecological environment and human health. To prevent and control the risk, this study evaluated the risk of sudden water pollution accidents associated with dangerous goods transportation on the cross-tributary bridges by using the expert judgment fuzzy language method and Bayesian network model. Baiyangdian lake as the largest freshwater shallow lake in North China was chosen as a study case. Different accident scenarios were simulated to put forward risk prevention and control measures. The results showed that the primary risk factors were divided into five categories: personnel factors, vehicle factors, tank factors, weather factors, and road environment factors. The probability of dangerous goods transportation accidents was a possible event (P=0.115), with a high risk level. Furthermore, the Baiyangdian lake would suffer from serious environmental pollution and water quality degradation without prevention and control measures by simulating the oil leakage accident. Therefore, emergency prevention and control measures are expected to be formulated and implemented before and after the occurrence of the sudden water pollution accidents. This study provides useful insights into risk prevention and control strategies for sudden water pollution accidents, and the framework can be made applicable to other rivers facing similar risk challenges worldwide.

The demand for improving the nuclear waste management has since long been identified as one of the major hurdles for widespread use of nuclear energy. Nuclear waste management, through partitioning and transmutation (P&T) has been researched since the 1990ies with partitioning being a pre-requisite for the process. Recently, an innovative approach of reactors directly operating on spent nuclear fuel, iMAGINE, has been proposed which could deliver on the aims of P&T as a side effect to more efficient nuclear energy production in the future. The results shown here confirm that it is possible to achieve the aims of P&T without prior partitioning, but it is certainly less efficient since the high concentration of MAs, required for efficient burning, are impossible to obtain in a short operational time. The proposed nuclear waste management approach will be a long-term effort when it is accomplished without partitioning/separation technologies. However, none of the analyses contradicts this effort – the key points are a) when the technology for treating the waste is possible and reliable, the time horizon will not be a major concern b) the waste management is now intrinsically linked with energy production instead of requiring dedicated costly facilities, delivering a promising economic basis c) the waste management is now associated with long-term energy production and massively improved resource utilization. In summary, the objectives of P&T are achievable without prior partitioning – this is a ground-breaking result. However, the approach will require continued nuclear energy production for a very long time. In case of a nuclear phase-out decision, a much more efficient transmutation scenario would have to be envisaged as already discussed several years ago for Germany.

Novel tetragonal matrix Ba0.5Gd0.5-xNaxF2.5-x, where x = 0.05, doped by Yb3+, Ho3+, Er3+, was synthesized by molten salt synthesis (MSS) from nitrate flux. XRD data show that tetragonal phase with a = 4.122(1) Å, c = 17.672(1) Å is stable in argon atmosphere up to 960 °C. Luminescence spectra recorded in 500-900 nm and 1050-1700 nm upon 974 nm pumping demonstrated the characteristic luminescence at 1550 nm (4I13/2 → 4I15/2) for Er3+ and 1150 nm (5I6 → 5I8) for Ho3+. The relative thermal sensitivity (Sr) at 296-316 K were 0.3 %*K-1 and 5.5%*К-1 in shortwave infrared (SWIR) and visible range, respectively. Synthesized luminophores can be used as dual-range optical temperature sensors, which simultaneously operating in visible and SWIR ranges.

Despite a growing concern over sustainability in tourism, research on this domain regarding, specifically, lake destinations, is still scarce. Although perceptions on lake destinations have been studied, no study is known that analyses the impact of visitors’ perceptions on satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Thus, this paper aims to develop and test a model to analyse the effect of lake visitors’ perceptions of destination’s sustainability on both satisfaction and loyalty towards lake destinations. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the Shchuchinsk-Burabay resort area, an important lake destination in northern Kazakhstan. The results support the proposed lake destination loyalty model, tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Sustainability proved to be decisively influential, with water quality being the dimension with the highest impact on satisfaction with the lakes, along with a positive key impact of the absence of congestion. In addition, both water quality and lack of congestion had a significant indirect impact on satisfaction with the lake destination, and on loyalty. Based on the research findings, theoretical conclusions and practical implications are drawn.

Coastal areas are influenced by natural coastal hazards such as hurricanes, storm surges and tsunamis. For centuries coastal structures such as seawalls, detached breakwaters, groins, and revetments have been constructed to protect coastal properties. However, their effectiveness diminishes with time, and they are not adaptable to changing coastal conditions. Ecosystem-based approaches offer protection against erosion and the creation or restoration of coastal habitats. However, the protection properties and the sustainability provided by these systems are not well understood. Salt marshes have been known as one of the ecosystem-based protection systems. They protect coasts and lands by dissipating energy, stabilizing sediments and producing organic matter through blow ground production. Stems of plants dissipate waves propagating over salt marsh and plant roots stabilize soils and sediments. The dissipation rate varies with wave frequency; the low-frequency swell wave is dissipated less on the edge of the marsh than wind-sea waves. Salt and wetlands can also be used for reducing coastal flooding and storm surges, but a wetland is required to successfully attenuate storm surges. A salt marsh can be resilient to sea-level rise in certain conditions. Large sediment supply and gentle upland slope increase salt marsh resiliency to relative sea-level rise. Connecticut marshes, like other marshes in the world, are vulnerable to anthropogenic and climate change effects. However, an assessment of current sea level rise and average marsh accretion rates in Connecticut demonstrates sea level rise is not the main vulnerable factor for salt marshes loss. The study on the feasibility of developing an ecosystem based on two coastlines in Connecticut, Guilford and Stratford, shows that both coastlines, like other coastlines in Connecticut, have limited wave energy, which is a positive factor for marsh growth. The available data assessment represents that sediment supply is the most important parameter to guarantee the resilience and sustainability of a newly developed salt marsh system in Connecticut. In Stratford, conditions for establishing a new ecosystem seem to be better, as the fetch length is pretty small, and there is some sediment supply for the ecosystem. In Guilford, wave energy is limited, but it is more than in Stratford case. In addition, sediment availability is low and the coastline experienced a large erosion during Hurricane Sandy and has not recovered yet.

A newly synthesized upper rim azocalix[4]arene, namely, 5,11,17,23-tetra[(4-ethylacetoxyphenyl) (azo)]calix[4]arene, CA-AZ was fully characterized and its chromogenic and selective properties for anions are reported. The receptor is selective for the fluoride anion and its mode of interaction in solution is discussed. The kinetics of the complexation process was found to be very fast as reflected in the immediate color change observed with a naked eye resulting from the receptor-anion interaction. Emphasis is made about the relevance in selecting a solvent in which the formulation of the process is representative of the events taking place in the solution. The composition of the fluoride complex investigated by UV/VIS spectrophotometry, conductance measurements and titration calorimetry was 1:1 and the thermodynamics of complexation was determined. The fluoride complex salt was isolated, and a detailed investigation was carried out to assess its ability to remove CO₂ from the air. Recycling of the complex was easily achieved. Final conclusions are given.

High salinity in soil affects the normal growth and development of crop. MicroRNA171 (miR171) plays a momentous role in plant resistance to adversity stress. The functions of Sly-miR171d and Sly-miR171e on growth of tomato and fruit nutritional quality under salt stress were studied. The results showed that the seed germination and seedling growth of tomato that silencing of Sly-miR171d/e by short tandem target mimic (STTM) were better than those of wild-type (WT). Silencing of Sly-miR171d/e seeds maintained a high germination rate, while WT tomato seeds barely germinated under 50 mM NaCl stress. Under 100 mM NaCl stress, silencing of Sly-miR171d/e increased the expression of their target gene SlGRAS24 with increasing duration of salt stress, while they enhanced the antioxidant activity, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and enhanced the salt tolerance of tomato plant by regulating gibberellin (GA) level. Moreover, the preharvest and postharvest fruit nutritional quality under salt stress was also studied, and the results showed that silencing of Sly-miR171d/e increased soluble solids, lycopene, total carotenoids, Vitamin C, organic acids and phenolic substances in tomato fruit. The present study demonstrated that silencing of Sly-miR171d/e enhanced plant salt tolerance through the GA pathway, and improved fruit nutritional quality under salt stress.

Microalgae have gained attention as alternative food sources due to their nutritional value and biological effects. This study investigated the effect of salt stress on the antioxidant activity, phenolic profile, bioa-vailability of bioactive compounds, and microbial counts in the blue-green algae Spirulina platensis and di-atom species Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Culturing these microalgae in different salt concentrations (15 35‰), we observed the highest antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds in the control groups. S. platensis (20‰) exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to P. tricornutum (30‰), which decreased with in-creasing salt stress. Using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, we identified and quantified 20 phenolic compounds in P. tricornutum and 24 in S. platensis. The bioavailability of these compounds was assessed through in vitro di-gestion, with the highest amounts observed in the intestinal phase. Salt stress negatively affected the syn-thesis of bioactive substances. Microbial counts ranged from 300 to 2.78x104 cfu/g for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and from 10 to 1.35x104cfu/g for yeast/mold in P. tricornutum samples, while S. platensis samples ranged from 300 to 1.9x104cfu/g and 10 to 104 cfu/g, respectively. This study suggests that adding salt at different ratios to the nutrient media during the production of P. tricornutum and S. platensis can impact phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, microbial load evaluation, and in vitro bioaccessibility of the studied microalgae.

Tilapia tilapinevirus, or tilapia lake virus (TiLV), is a virus that has caused disease outbreaks in many countries worldwide since 2009. We recently developed two simple but effective TiLV vaccines based on heat-killed virus (HKV) and formalin-killed virus (FKV). In the present study, we evaluated the immunological response and efficacy of MontanideTM ISA 763A VG oil-based vaccines (O-HKV and O-FKV) in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and compared these responses in fish vaccinated with water-based formulations (W-HKV and W-FKV). Juvenile Nile tilapia were given primary and booster vaccinations with the vaccine formulations. The relative fold change in expression of five immunoglobulin genes (IgM, IgT, IgD, CD4 and CD8) was assessed before and after booster vaccination, and a challenge with TiLV was performed to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccines. The results showed that the water-based vaccines induced higher levels of Ig transcripts and conferred significantly higher levels of protection compared to the oil-based formulations, with relative percent survival (RPS) values ranging from 54.6% to 59.7% for W-HKV and W-FKV vaccinated fish, and 32% and 0% for the O-HKV and O-FKV vaccinated fish, respectively. These findings suggest that water-based vaccines are more effective at protecting tilapia against TiLV infection, and MontanideTM ISA 763A VG may not be a suitable adjuvant for formulating whole-inactivated TiLV vaccines.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate patterns and mechanisms driving seasonal and inter-annual variations of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the zooplankton crustacean commu-nity of Lake Maggiore (Italy), during the period 2009-2020. Different zooplankton taxa and groups revealed different ranges of d13C signatures, giving an insight into food sources and niche partition. In particular, cyclopoids had a restricted range with most negative d13C‰ values and increase in d13C fractionation with the establishment of water thermal vertical stratification, high-lighting the importance of vertical distribution as key factor for taxa coexistence in a vertically heterogenous environment. d13C of the zooplankton community and of Daphnia were positively related to water temperature (R2=0.58 p <0.0001 and R2=0.68 p <0.0001, respectively) and d13C Daphnia signature to chlorophyll-a (R2=0.32, p < 0.0001). Decomposition of time series data for zooplankton carbon and nitrogen signatures and environmental parameters identified increasing trends in water temperature, chlorophyll-a and water conductivity and decrease in nitrate, that matched changes in carbon isotopic signature trend in some zooplankton taxa (Bosmina, Daphnia and diaptomids). Overall, the observed patterns in zooplankton isotopic signatures were interpreted as integrations of climate warming effects in Lake Maggiore, affecting both food sources availability and environmental conditions.

Bhutan located in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region consists of several glaciers and glacial lakes at higher elevations.  With the rapid change in global temperature, glaciers are found to melt at an accelerated rate. This rapid melt of glaciers gets accumulated in weak moraine walls forming a glacial lake, posing a major threat to the downstream communities. As per the Bhutan Glacial Lake Inventory 2021, Bhutan has 567 glacial lakes. Furthermore, the Phochhu basin has the maximum glacial lakes (0.05%) and of which 9 are PDGL. Hence a need for a time monitoring system is imminent. With the availability of free High-resolution Satellite Imageries and Advanced Remote Sensing tools, it has been a sine qua no for monitoring glacial lakes in high areas. Therefore, using the Google Earth Engine and Qgis Platform a semi-automated technique was used to generate glacial lake inventories for Phochhu Sub-basin for the year 2021.  We found out that there are 166 glacial lakes covering an area of 24.051 km2.

This paper presents a new method of preparing a coating on the Ti65 titanium alloy by a two-step procedure comprising hot-dipped aluminum and solid carburization. The effects of the carburization in the presence of NaCl deposit at 810oC have been systematically studied. In this article, the microstructure, morphology, phase composition of the coating, and the corrosion products were investigated by SEM, EDS, and X-ray diffraction. Results indicated that the corrosion resistance of hot dip aluminum/carburizing composite coating was not significantly enhanced by hot dip aluminum coating. This can be attributed to the formation of TiC and Ti3AlC after carburization, which promoted the formation of loose and unprotected TiO2 in the coating during molten salt corrosion. In addition, the oxidation of the carbon atom into CO2 /CO leaded to a high concentration of vacancy in the coating, creating channels for NaCl to penetrate the coating and accelerated the corrosion rate.

Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) analysis between the anomalies of Lake Titicaca water levels (WLs) and the Pacific Interdecadal Oscillation (IPO) reveals a correlation coefficient of 0.71 between the WLs and the principal component (PC1). These findings demonstrate the high accuracy of the IPO in representing the positive and negative phases of the water levels. By utilizing wavelet functions, we identified multi-decadal variability with periods ranging between 20 and 30 years. The statistical techniques employed indicate a relationship between IPO and ENSO; however, they operate on different timescales of climate variability. The IPO exhibits longer-term variability, typically spanning 20-30 years, while ENSO events occur on average every 2-7 years. Nevertheless, the IPO has the ability to modulate the strength and frequency of El Niño and La Niña events, and vice versa. During the positive phase of the IPO, there is a tendency for more frequent and intense El Niño events, accompanied by fewer La Niña events. This can be attributed to warmer sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, which create favorable conditions for El Niño development. Conversely, during the negative phase of the IPO, there is a tendency for more frequent and intense La Niña events, with fewer occurrences of El Niño events, due to cooler sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific.

Low-sodium salt substitute (LSSS) has the potential in regulating sodium and potassium intake and has been available in China market for years. However, its real-world use and impact to sodium\potassium intake is unclear. Baseline data of 4000 adult participants who participated in three similar-designed randomized controlled trails were pooled together for this study. Self-reported awareness and use of LSSS were collected using the uniform questionnaire, and the 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion was used to estimate their dietary intake. Mixed-effects models were developed to assess the relationship between LSSS and 24-h urinary sodium and potassium excretion. 32.0% of the participants reported awareness of LSSS and 11.7% reported its current use. After adjusting location, sex, age, and education, compared with the group of participants unaware of LSSS, participants who were aware but not using LSSS and those who were using LSSS had a lower 24-h urinary sodium excretion by –356.1(95% CI: –503.9, –205.9) mg/d and –490.6(95% CI: –679.2, –293.7), respectively (p&lt;0.001). No significant difference was found for 24-h urinary potassium excretion and sodium-to-potassium ratio among the three groups (p&gt;0.05). In conclusion, although associated with lower sodium intake, the awareness and real-world use of LSSS are still very low in China.

An algorithm for the treatment of images affected by both blurring and salt&pepper noise is proposed with a cost only proportional to the number of pixels. The methodology uses a discretization scheme for the Laplace operator multiplied by a suitable nonlinear term depending on the gradient. Even if this approach resembles a diffusion type algorithm, only one step of the procedure is applied, leading to significant time savings. The procedure is successfully tested on some standard black&white natural images.

The TGACG motif-binding factor1 (TGA1) transcription factor, a significant protein in the bZIP transcription factor family, exhibits a myriad of functions, contributes to numerous biological events, and holds substantial application potential. In this study, our analysis revealed a diverse range of photoregulatory and hormone regulatory elements within the MtTGA1 promoter region. The expression profile of MtTGA1 indicated its highest expression in the root, with its regulation influenced by SA, ABA, BR, and GA. Under salt stress conditions, transgenic plants demonstrated significantly longer root lengths and heightened activities of antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbic acid catalase (APX), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in their roots and leaves compared to control plants. Simultaneously, the levels of endogenous hormones ABA and BR escalated in transgenic plants, with a marked change in the morphology of their leaf cells. Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 193 differentially expressed genes, implicating a wide array of biological processes. Furthermore, we found that MtTGA1 is able to interact with Medicago truncatula SPX domain containing protein 1 (SPX1). In conclusion, the MtTGA1 transcription factor plays a crucial role in enhancing salt tolerance, which provides new insights for improving plant survival under salt stress conditions.

Higher salt (sodium) intake has been associated with a higher blood pressure (BP). The association degree may be influenced by factors such as age, origin and dietary components. This study aimed to evaluate the 24-hours urinary sodium (Na) and potassium (K) excretion in normotensive and hypertensive Dominicans adults and estimate their salt intake. 163 volunteers (18-45, 46-80 years) participated in a cross-sectional study. 24-hours Na and K urinary excretion were measured using an ion selective electrode technique. Na and K urinary excretion (99.4±46.5 and 35.0±17.5 mmol/24h) did not correlated with BP, except in the normotensive group in which K correlated with SBP (0.249, p=0.019). Na and K excretion were similar for normo- and hypertensive subjects. Na-to-K molar ratio (3.1±1.3) was higher in younger subjects (p=0.040). Na-to-K ratio was associated with DBP in the total group (r=0.153, p=0.052), in the hypertensive group (r=0.395, p<0.001) and in the older group with SBP (0.350, p=0.002) and DBP (0.373, p<0.001). In the older group, Na-to-K ratio and DBP correlated after controlling for subjects with hypertension controlled by treatment (r=0.236, p=0.041). The Na-to-K ratio correlated, when salt intake was over 5g/d (52.2%), with SBP (rho=0.219, p=0.044) and DBP (rho=0.259, p=0.017). Determinants of BP were age-dependent and in younger subjects were: sex (SBP, beta: 14.02±2.87, p<0.001) and body mass index (BMI) (beta:-12.07±3.72, p=0.001, beta:9.44±2.87, p=0.001, for SBP and DBP, respectively) and, in the olders, the Na-to-K ratio, for SBP (beta:6.7±2.4, p=0.005) and DBP (beta:3.8±1.1, p<0.001). The mean Na and salt intakes (2.3 and 5.8 g/d) were slightly higher and K intake lower (1.4 g/d) than WHO recommendations.

The widely conserved RACK1 protein is a WD-40 type scaffold protein that regulates diverse environmental stress signal transduction pathways. Arabidopsis RACK1A has been reported to interact with various proteins in salt stress and Light-Harvesting Complex (LHC) pathways. However, the mechanism of how RACK1 contributes to the photosystem and chlorophyll metabolism in stress conditions remains elusive. Using T-DNA-mediated activation tagging transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines, we show that leaves from rice RACK1B gene (OsRACK1B) gain-of-function (RACK1B-OX) plants exhibit the stay-green phenotype under salinity stress. In contrast, leaves from down-regulated OsRACK1B (RACK1B-UX) plants display an accelerated yellowing. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that several genes encoding chlorophyll catabolic enzymes (CCEs) are differentially expressed in both RACK1B-OX and RACK1B-UX rice plants. In addition to CCEs, STAY-GREEN (SGR) is a key component that forms the SGR-CCE complex in senescing chloroplasts, which causes LHCII complex instability. Transcript and protein profiling revealed a significant upregulation of OsSGR in RACK1B-UX plants than that in RACK1B-OX rice plants during salt treatment. The results imply that senescence-associated transcription factors (TFs) are altered in accordance with altered OsRACK1B expression, indicating a transcriptional reprogramming by OsRACK1B and a novel regulatory mechanism involving the OsRACK1B-OsSGR-TFs complex. Our findings suggest that ectopic expression of OsRACK1B negatively regulates chlorophyll degradation, leads to the steady level of LHC-II isoform Lhcb1, an essential prerequisite for the state transition of photosynthesis for adaptation, and delays salinity-induced senescence. Taken together, these results provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of salinity-induced senescence, which can be useful in circumventing the effect of salt on photosynthesis and in reducing the yield penalty of important cereal crops, like rice, in global climate change conditions.

Hydrological connectivity plays a major role in solving water resource and eco-environmental problems. However, this phenomenon has not been afforded the attention it deserves. Detailed analysis of connectivity in river systems could provide considerable insight into structural and functional attributes of riverine landscapes. The current study used graph theory approach and associated connectivity indicators to explore the characteristics and evolution of river systems and hydrological connectivity in a large catchment (Poyang Lake, China). The results revealed that the structure of the river system tended to be complex during 1990-2020, characterized by a dynamic evolution of tributaries in certain northern areas. Both river density and complexity exhibited an increasing trend by up to 15%, with the change rate after 2000 approximately twice as high as that of the preceding period. Overall, human activities across the catchment are more likely to play a key role in leading to significant changes in the quantity, morphometric, and structure characteristics of the river system. Additionally, the functional connectivity analysis indicated that the index of connectivity (IC) in the downstream catchment is stronger than that of the upstream vegetation areas, suggesting a strong contribution to the runoff-sediment transport (r=0.6-0.7). This study highlights the spatial and temporal evolution of both the structural and functional connectivity in the large Poyang Lake catchment. The findings of this work will bene-fit future water resource management and applications by providing a strategy for protecting the surface hydrology and mass transport of large river basins under climate and land-use changes.

Achieving high-yield potential is always the ultimate objective of any breeding program. However, various abiotic stresses like salinity, drought, cold, flood, and heat hampered rice productivity tremendously. Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses that adversely affect rice grain yield. The present investigation was undertaken to dissect new genetic loci, which are responsible for salt tolerance at the early seedling stage in rice. A bi-parental mapping population (F2:3) was developed from the cross between BRRI dhan28/Akundi, where BRRI dhan28 (BR28) is a salt-sensitive irrigated (boro) rice mega variety and Akundi is a highly salinity tolerant Bangladeshi origin indica rice landrace that is utilized as a donor parent. We report stable QTLs for salt tolerance from a common donor (Akundi) irrespective of two different genetic backgrounds (BRRI dhan49/Akundi and BRRI dhan28/Akundi). A robust 1k-Rice Custom Amplicon (1k-RiCA) SNP marker genotyping platform was used to genotype this bi-parental population. After eliminating markers with high segregation distortion, 886 polymorphic SNPs built a genetic linkage map covering 1526.5 cM of whole rice genome with an average SNP density of 1.72 cM for the 12 genetic linkage groups. A total of 12 QTLs for nine different salt tolerance-related traits were identified using QGene and inclusive composite interval mapping of additive and dominant QTL (ICIM-ADD) under salt stress on seven different chromosomes. All of these 12 new QTLs found unique, as no other map from the previous study has reported these QTLs in the similar chromosomal location and found them different from extensively studied Saltol, SKC1, OsSalT and salT locus. Twenty-eight significant digenic/epistatic interactions identified between chromosomal regions linked to or unlinked to QTLs. Akundi acts like a new alternate donor source of salt tolerance except for other usually known donors like Nona Bokra, Pokkali, Capsule, and Hasawi used in salt tolerance genetic analysis and breeding programs worldwide, including Bangladesh. Integration of the seven novel and stable QTLs (qSES1, qSL1, qRL1, qSUR1, qSL8, qK8, qK1) reported in this investigation will expedite the cultivar development that is highly tolerant to salt stress.

There is little doubt that final victories over pandemics, such as COVID-19, are attributed to herd immunity, either through post-disease convalescence or active immunization of a high percentage of the world's population with vaccines, demonstrating protection from infection and transmission, being available in large quantities and at reasonable prices. However, it is assumable that humans with immune defects or immune suppression, e.g., as a consequence of allograft transplantation, cannot be immunized actively nor produce sufficient immune responses to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections. These subjects desperately need other strategies, such as sophisticated protection measures and active immunization. Hypertonic salt solutions attack vulnerable core areas of viruses, i.e., salt denatures surface proteins and thus prohibits virus penetration of somatic cells. It has to be ensured that somatic proteins are not affected by denaturation regarding this unspecific virus protection. Impregnating filtering facepieces with hypertonic salt solutions is a straightforward way to inactivate viruses and other potential pathogens. As a result of the contact of salt crystals on the filtering facepiece, these pathogens become denatured and inactivated almost quantitatively. Such a strategy could be easily applied to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and other ones that may occur in the future. Another possible tool to fight the COVID-19 pandemic is passive immunization with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, preferably from human origin. Such antibodies can be harvested from patients´ human sera, which have successfully survived their SARS-CoV-2 infection. The disadvantage of a rapid decrease of the immunoglobulin titer after infection ends can be overcome by immortalizing antibody-producing B-cells via fusion with, e.g., mouse myeloma cells. The resulting monoclonal antibodies are then of human origin and available in, at least theoretically, unlimited amounts. Finally, dry blood spots are a valuable tool for surveilling the population´s immunity.

Proposed fundamental laws of biology and a model of health and disease underscore the importance of the lymphatic system. The lymphatics are responsible for two of the laws of biology and the fulcrum of health and disease balancing proliferation with regeneration through the immune system. It is responsible for protection from the environment and repair of senile and damaged tissue. Life is constantly bombarded by forces that increase entropy. Lymphatics provide negative entropy to maintain health. Lymphatics help maintain cellular homeostasis removing products of metabolism. Using these principles, the role of lymphatics is investigated in salt sensitivity hypertension, cardiorenal system, the new pillar of heart failure and kidney disease - Sodium-Glucose Transport Protein 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors, and brain diseases. The realization of organ lymphatics in maintenance of health and disease opens the avenue to new therapeutics. This is the unrealized potential of lymphatic study.

Soil salinity is one of the most serious problems for achieving better crop growth and yield. The study was conducted to isolate, characterize and screen salt tolerant microbes from spinach grown in saline soils. The efficient salt tolerant microbes were characterized for beneficial traits such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, indoleacetic acid (IAA), biofilm production, catalase and antagonistic activities, salt tolerance and optimization of bacterial fermentation. Molecular identification of potential microbes was done by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The collected soil samples were moderately to strongly saline, alkaline in nature, low in N and P while adequate in K and Ca concentration. A total of 17 salt tolerant bacteria differing in colony and cell morphology were characterized. All isolated rhizobacterial microbes had capability to biosynthesize phytohormone IAA, 14 were able to fix atmospheric N2, 11 microbes solubilized inorganic P, 10 produced biofilm and 15 were positive in catalase activity. The isolated rhizobacteria showed salt tolerance up to 10 % induced salinity, only six microbes tolerated salt concentration of 12.5% however, none of any rhizobacteria remained viable at 15% NaCl amended media plates. The two potential salt tolerant microbes (NIA SP-6 & NIA SP-11) were screened and found for optimum growth curve and fermentation at pH 7.0 after 48 hrs of incubation period. Both potential microbes were identified as Enterobacter cloacae (NIA SP-06) and Bacillus safensis (NIA SP-11). Hence, it can be concluded that isolated salt tolerant rhizobacterial microbes have potential for beneficial traits and have ability for salt tolerance under saline conditions.

There is little information about moisture changes in different altitudinal belts in mountainous regions of the Southern Russian Far East. We present ecological-taxonomic composition of the diatom flora, the botanical composition of peat of small mountain lake/mire complexes located in the Central Sikhote-Alin within large landslides on the paleovolcano slopes are identified. Frequent changes in diatom assemblages and peat-forming plants indicate unstable hydroclimatic conditions with varying degrees of watering and dry condition up to complete overgrowth of the lakes. Frequent change of sphagnum mosses with different trophic preferences was established. The chronology is based on 11 radiocarbon dates. Accumulation rates reached up to 1.9 mm/year, the temporal resolution for the reconstructions is up to 30–40 years. The tendencies of lake evolution depended on different-scale hydroclimatic changes for the last 4400 yr. The most detailed data for the last 2600 yr were obtained from the Nizhnee Lake sequence, more sensitive to climatic changes. The main reason for the change in the hydrological regime of the lakes was variations in precipitation during short-term climatic changes. The sediment record moisture fluctuations are relatively well correlated with regional patterns reflecting summer monsoon intensity and cyclogenesis activity.

Pyrolyzed waste biomass, or biochar, has been suggested as a means to increase plant growth and to mitigate soil salinization, which is a widespread agricultural issue and can reach extreme levels in urban soils impacted by de-icing salts. Soil mixing is enhanced by reduced biochar particle size; however, biochar properties vary with particle size and recent studies suggest that plant growth responses may be maximized at intermediate particle sizes. We examined the responses of two plant species (cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)) to biochar amendments that spanned a wide range of particle sizes obtained by sieving, with and without de-icing salt additions. The smallest size fractions of biochar reduced plant growth relative to unamended controls. Plant biomass production was generally maximized at intermediate biochar particle size treatments, with particles sizes of 0.5-2.0 mm showing the best response. Mitigation of salt effects was also improved at intermediate biochar particle sizes in this particles size range. Our results emphasize the importance of optimizing biochar particle size to best enhance plant responses to biochar, with particular reference to saline soils.

During their growth, bacteria respond to complex environmental changes through equally com-plex and orderly regulatory mechanisms. sRNA has an important role as a post-transcriptional regulator in the environmental adaptation of Bacillus. In this study, we identified an sRNA Bvs091 located in the intergenic region of the Bacillus velezensis, which is widely present in the genus Bacillus and whose expression is upregulated by salt treatment. The deletion of bvs091 in B. ve-lezensis PEBA20 led to a reduced growth rate and a change in the phenotypes, with simple colony structures and low and easily degradable biofilm. Salt tolerance tests indicated that the deletion of bvs091 results in a reduced salt tolerance. galT2 mRNA is supposed to be a direct target of Bvs091 according to results obtained by using the bioinformatic method and performing qRT-PCR analysis. The microscale thermophoresis (MST) analysis showed that Bvs091 could directly bind 28‒51 bases in front of the promoter of galT2. Subsequently, the deletion of galT2 in B. velezensis resulted in increased salt tolerance. Based on the techniques of double plasmids and a half-life period, sRNA Bvs091 is confirmed as a trans-encoded sRNA that negatively regulates the mRNA expression of galT2. In brief, the trans-encoded sRNA Bvs091 acts by pairing the incomplete complementary bases of galT2 mRNA, reducing galT2 mRNA’s stability and affecting the trans-lation efficiency.

Cotton cationization with low molecular-weight/polymeric cationic modifiers allows the effective dyeing of fabrics with reactive dyes under salt-free and more environmentally-friendly conditions. The current work focuses on the spectroscopic study of the intermolecular interactions, which dictate the physicochemical process associated with dyeing. Water-soluble copolymers of vinyl benzyl chloride and vinyl benzyl triethylammonium chloride (VBCTEAM) have been used as cellulose cationic modifiers. Dye uptake was assessed using Remazol Brilliant Blue and Novacron Ruby dyes. The study involves ATR-FTIR, UV-Vis, fluorescence and XPS spectroscopy. The results of binary polymer-rich dye-polymer aqueous solutions or dye-polymer precipitates at stoichiometric charge-ratio revealed that the sulfonate/sulfate anions of the dyes interact with the cationic VBCTEAM units of the polymer via electrostatic interactions. Moreover, the comparative study of unmodified/modified dyed cotton indicates that the dye reactive sites remain unaffected for cationized cotton, suggesting that electrostatic interactions are the main driving force for the high dyeing performance observed.

The Rb/Sr ratio of lake sediments has been widely adopted as an indicator of weathering intensity in studies of past climate change, but the geochemical significance of this ratio varies with timescale. Here we present Rb/Sr data for the last 300 years for sediments collected from Chaonaqiu Lake in the Liupan Mountains of the western Chinese Loess Plateau as a decadal-scale record of weathering intensity. To validate the application of this weathering proxy, we correlated the record with those of other major elements, rock-forming minerals, and paleoclimatic proxies. We found that Rb/Sr ratios are influenced mainly by Sr activity within the lake catchment (where Sr is likely sourced from albite). In addition, higher (lower) Rb/Sr ratios of bulk sediments from Chaonaqiu Lake are correlated with lower (higher) fractions of terrigenous detritus (SiO2, Ti, K2O, Al2O3, and Na2O). Lake bulk sediment Rb/Sr ratios are dominated by the input of terrigenous detritus over decadal timescales. Our data show that physical and chemical weathering in Chaonaqiu Lake catchment have opposing influences on bulk sediment Rb/Sr ratios, competing to dominate these ratios of lake sediments over different timescales, with ratios reflecting the relative importance of the two types of weathering. We infer that the Rb/Sr ratios of Chaonaqiu Lake sediments reflect climatic signals of precipitation and temperature over long timescales and of precipitation over short timescales.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a primary energy food for Asian population. One of the most constraints in rice production is soil salinity because of the rice is very susceptible to salt. Meanwhile, many agricultural land in Asia are in the saline area. It is important to identify and develop salt-tolerant rice varieties that can adapt in Asian climate. By combining morphological, physiological, and biochemical assessments for screening the salt tolerant of 116 Asian rice cultivars was able to classify into tolerant, moderate, and sensitive rice cultivars under salinity stress condition, and also for understanding the salt tolerance mechanisms. The rice cultivars which belong to salt-tolerant including Pokkali from India, TCCP 266 from Philippines, IR 45427 also from Philippines, and Namyang 7 from Korea. Whereas, salt-sensitive rice varieties like IR29 from Philippines, IR58 also from Philippines, Daegudo from Korea, and Guweoldo also from Korea. The salt-tolerant varieties showed signs of tolerance, including lower percent reduction of percentage germination, root length, root fresh weight, shoot length, plant biomass, and chlorophyll content. In order to maintain the cellular osmotic balance under saline condition, the salt-tolerant ones exhibited less membrane damage, lower Na/K ratio, high proline and sugar accumulation, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Pokkali from India, TCCP 266 from Philippines, IR 45427 also from Philippines, and Namyang 7 from Korea are recommended as valuable germplasm resource for Asian rice breeding program in saline agricultural area.

This paper presents an analysis of future precipitation patterns over the Lake Victoria Basin using bias-corrected CMIP6 model projections. A mean increase of about 5% in mean annual (ANN) and seasonal [March-May (MAM), June-August (JJA), and October-December (OND)] precipitation climatology is expected over the domain by mid-century (2040-2069). The changes intensify towards the end of the century (2070-2099) with an increase in mean precipitation of about 16% (ANN), 10% (MAM), and 18% (OND) expected, relative to the 1985-2014 baseline period. Additionally, the mean daily precipitation intensity (SDII), the maximum 5-day precipitation values (RX5Day), and the heavy precipitation events, represented by the width of the right tail distribution of precipitation (99p-90p) show an increase of 16%, 29%, and 47%, respectively, by the end of the century. The projected changes have a substantial implication for the region - which is already experiencing conflicts over water and water-related resources.

The paper portrays predictive models for dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in an urban lake using common water quality parameters like Temperature, pH, Conductivity and ORP at a time. Data were sampled using three real-time, industry-standard sensors, OPTOD, CTZN, and PHEHT, and then interpolated using the ArcGIS kriging technique. Correlation studies were analyzed through the ML algorithm, the correlation study signified a highly positive correlation between DO and other water parameters and the model was corroborated by R-score in order to create the linear regression model. In addition, an artificial neural network- a machine learning method using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was developed to build a model to predict the do as well. Then, the performance of the models was validated and also the R² accuracy was checked of the predicted data against the actual data. Thus, the appropriateness of the ANN model for the forecasting of investigated attributes is indicated by the fact that the discrepancy between the forecasted and real ANN model is significantly lesser than that of the regression model. However, the model can be used to reveal DO data from unknown urban lake water.

Plants have acquired sets of highly regulated and complex signaling pathways to respond to unfavorable environmental conditions during evolution. Calcium signaling, as a vital mechanism, enables plants to respond to external stimuli, including abiotic and biotic stresses, and coordinate the basic processes of the growth and development. In the present study, the calcium sensor families, including CBL and CIPK, were investigated in the halophyte plant, Aeluropus littoralis, with a comprehensive analysis. Here, six AlCBL genes, and twenty AlCIPK genes were presented. The analysis of the gene structure and conserved motifs, as well as physicochemical properties, showed that these genes are highly conserved during evolution. The expression levels of AlCBL genes and AlCIPK genes were evaluated under salt stress in leaf and root tissue. Based on the real-time RT-PCR results, AlCIPK gene family had a higher variation in mRNA abundance compared to the AlCBL gene family. The AlCIPKs were found to have a higher abundance in leaves than in roots. The results suggest that the interaction pattern of AlCBL genes with AlCIPK is tissue-specific, and different interactions can be expected in leaves and roots. Based on these patterns AlCIPK3.1 - AlCBL4.1 and AlCIPK1.2 - AlCBL4.4 can interact in root tissue, while the AlCBL10 has the potential to interact with the AlCIPK5, AlCIPK26 and AlCIPK12.3 in the leaf tissue. These findings provide valuable information on the structure and function of calcium sensor families in Aeluropus littoralis a halophyte plant, for future research on the biological function of CBLs and CIPKs on salt stress resistance.

We consider a class of density-driven flow problems. We are particularly interested in the problem of the salinization of coastal aquifers. We consider the Henry saltwater intrusion problem with uncertain porosity, permeability, and recharge parameters as a test case. The reason for the presence of uncertainties is the lack of knowledge, inaccurate measurements, and inability to measure parameters at each spatial or time location. This problem is nonlinear and time-dependent. The solution is the salt mass fraction, which is uncertain and changes in time. Uncertainties in porosity, permeability, recharge, and mass fraction are modeled using random fields. This work investigates the applicability of the well-known multilevel Monte Carlo (MLMC) method for such problems. The MLMC method can reduce the total computational and storage costs. Moreover, the MLMC method runs multiple scenarios on different spatial and time meshes and then estimates the mean value of the mass fraction. The parallelization is performed in both the physical space and stochastic space. To solve every deterministic scenario, we run the parallel multigrid solver ug4 in a black-box fashion. We use the solution obtained from the quasi-Monte Carlo method as a reference solution.

A diffusion welding of coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained (UFG) specimens of titanium near-α alloy Ti-5Al-2V used in nuclear power engineering was made by Spark Plasma Sintering. The failure of the welded specimens in the conditions of hot salt corrosion and of electrochemical corrosion were shown to have preferentially intercrystalline character. In the case of presence of macrodefects, crevice corrosion of the welded joints was observed. The resistance of the alloys against the intercrystalline corrosion was found to be determined by the concentration of vanadium at the titanium grain boundaries, by the size and volume fraction of the β-phase particles and by the presence of micro- and macropores in the welded joints. The specimens of the welded joints of the UFG alloy have higher hardness, hot salt corrosion resistance and the electrochemical corrosion.

In the Yucatán Peninsula, anthropogenic activities such as urbanization and final dispose of solid and wastewaters critically impact aquatic systems. Here, we evaluated the anthropogenic-related environmental alteration of Lake La Sabana, located in the northern limit of one of the main cities of the Mexican Caribbean. We evaluate lake water quality using physical, chemical, and microbiological indicators, and heavy metals in surficial sediments and fish tissue to evaluate the potential environmental risk. Multivariate analyses reveal that environmental conditions in La Sabana are spatial and temporal heterogeneous. Medium to bad water quality was determined within basins by the NSFWQI, related with the degree of anthropogenic influence. The center-south zones display critical microbiological values largely exceeding national standards. Heavy metals in sediments (Zn&gt;Hg) and fish tissue (Hg) were relatively low, but Hg concentration threat the ecological environment. Incipient wastewater treatment and final dispose in La Sabana is the main responsible of changes in the trophic status and nutrients availability, which in turn may have promoted changes in the biological structure and aquatic plant invasions. Lake La Sabana can be considered a model of the potential sequential effects of the anthropogenic alterations in oligotrophic karts tropical aquatic systems in Yucatán Peninsula.

Lake Rawapening, Semarang Regency, Indonesia, has incorporated a holistic plan in its management practices. However, despite successful target achievements, some limitations remain that a review of its management plan is needed. This paper identifies and analyzes existing lake management strategies as a standard specifically in Lake Rawapening by exploring various literature, both legal frameworks and scholarly articles indexed in Google Scholar and published in Water by MDPI about lake management in many countries. There are two major types of lake management, namely pillar-based and object-based. While the former is the foundation of a conceptual paradigm that does not comprehensively consider the roles of finance and technology in the lake management, the latter indicates the objects to manage so as to create standards or benchmarks for the implementation of various programs. Overall, Lake Rawapening management should include more programs on erosion-sedimentation control and monitoring of operational performance using information systems.

Nuclear technologies have a strong potential and a unique role to play in delivering reliable low carbon energy for a future net-zero society. However, to assure the sustainability required for the long-term success, nuclear will need to deliver innovative solutions as proposed in iMAGINE. One of the most attractive features, but also a key challenge for the envisaged highly integrated nuclear energy system is the need for a demand driven salt clean-up system. The work described provides an insight into the interplay between a potential salt clean-up system and the reactor operation in a plutonium started core in a dynamic approach. The results presented will help to optimize the parameters for the salt clean-up process as well as to understand the differences which appear between a core started with enriched Uranium and Plutonium as the fissile material. The integrated model is used to investigate the effects of the initial fissile material on core size, achievable burnup, and long term operation. Different approaches are tested to achieve a higher burnup in the significantly smaller Pu driven core. The effects of different clean-up system throughputs on the concentration of fission products in the reactor salt and its consequences are discussed for general molten salt reactor design. Finally, an investigation of how a plutonium loaded core could be used to provide fuel for future reactors through fuel salt splitting is presented with the outcome that one Pu started reactor of the same size as a uranium started core could deliver fuel for 1.5 new cores due to enhanced breeding. The results provide an essential understanding for the progress of iMAGINE as well as the basis for inter-disciplinary work required for optimizing iMAGINE.

Salinity is abiotic stress, which causes adverse environmental conditions for rice cultivation. In particular, local aromatic rice cultivation is heavily influenced by soil salinity stress, which has an impact on global food security. This study aimed to screen local aromatic rice genotypes in a hydroponics experiment using Yoshida solutions to evaluate the effect of increasing NaCl concentrations on the early growth stages of rice seedlings. Genetic diversity along with phylogenetic relationship was assessed using the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Out of 20 RAPD markers, 17 markers produced reproducible polymorphic bands. Individuals of all genotypes shared 88 (89.80%) of the 98 total RAPD elements amplified. The genetic distance-focused similarity index ranged from 0.05 to 0.94. The highest genetic distance (0.94) was discovered between genotypes Nayanmoni and Kalijira Barisal, and the lowest was between Badshabhog and Kataribhog (0.05). In addition, the OPS 3(510bp) and OPA 14(1100bp) markers could be used to identify salt-tolerant genotypes. According to genetic distance, the salt stress tolerant check genotype, Pokkali was genetically related to Chinigura as well as Kalijira Barisal. This study established a simple and consistent method for evaluating variability across various aromatic rice genotypes, which will benefit in genotype selection for breeding salinity stress tolerant aromatic rice varieties in Bangladesh.

Hot spring is a hot water that is naturally occurring on the surface from the underground and typically heated by subterranean volcanic activity and local underground geothermal gradient. There are four main hot springs in Rwanda such as: Kalisimbi, Bugarama, Kinigi and Nyamyumba former name Gisenyi hot springs. It is often believed that soaking in hot springs is a great way which naturally detox human skin. This research focused on the geochemical analysis of Nyamyumba hot springs located near the fresh water of Lake Kivu for the purpose of understanding its healing capacity and safety. Nyamyumba hot springs are located in the western branch of the East African Rift System and they are located near Virunga volcanic complex, explaining the rising and heating mechanism of water. The concentrations of Sulfate, Iron, Ammonia, Alkalinity, Silica, Phosphate, Salinity, Alkalinity, and Conductivity using standard procedures were measured. The results showed that hot spring water has higher concentrations of chemicals compared to Lake Kivu water and the geochemistry of these hot springs maybe associated with rock dissolution by hot water. The measured parameters were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) standards for recreational waters and it has been identified that Nyamyumba hot springs are safe to use in swimming and therapeutic activities.