To improve crop yields,global food production needs sustainable agronomic tools like Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria(PGPR).Region-adapted PGPR strains are crucial to increasing peanut production.Argentina is the ...To improve crop yields,global food production needs sustainable agronomic tools like Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria(PGPR).Region-adapted PGPR strains are crucial to increasing peanut production.Argentina is the seventh-largest peanut producer,and Cordoba is the main region with 250,000 ha(75%of the total sowing area).This study aimed to isolate,identify,and characterize the biocontrol and growth promotion capacity of PGPR strains belonging to the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera.The strains were tested against Sclerotinia minor,Sclerotium rolfsii,Fusarium verticillioides,and Aspergillus flavus for biocontrol assays.For growth promotion,pot trials used two peanut cultivars,ASEM 400 INTA and Granoleico,under 40%and 60%field capacity under two water regimes.The isolated strains were Bacillus velezensis,B.subtilis,B.tequilensis,B.safensis,B.altitudinis,and Pseudomonas psychrophila.These strains demonstrated in-vitro phosphorus solubilization,nitrogen fixation,ammonification,nitrification,enzyme releasing,phytohormones production,and high biocontrol capacity of over 75%.SC6 and RI3(both B.velezensis)and P10(P.psychrophila)exhibited outstanding performance.They significantly promoted peanut root biomass by more than 50%and leaf area by 30%,with increased chlorophyll content index and leaf relative water content,particularly under water stress conditions(40%field capacity).According to the results,RI3,SC6,and P10 could be classified as PGPR,which supports the results obtained in other field studies with these same microorganisms.Future investigations should prioritize the development of industrial formulations to assess their effectiveness in alternative crops and to incorporate them into other agricultural practices.展开更多
Male fiddler crabs own an enlarged claw which is a weapon and an ornament.The enlargement of this claw begins from the juvenile stage and continues throughout life.Males may voluntarily lose(i.e.,autotomize)this claw....Male fiddler crabs own an enlarged claw which is a weapon and an ornament.The enlargement of this claw begins from the juvenile stage and continues throughout life.Males may voluntarily lose(i.e.,autotomize)this claw.After several molts males may regenerate a new claw,called leptochelous,which acquires a similar length but a lower muscle mass area than the original one,called brachychelous.In some species,regenerated claws develop permanently as leptochelous,the population having 2 discrete claw morphologies.Other species present morphological variations with leptochelous and brachychelous being 2 ends of a continuum.In the species Leptuca uruguayensis,we studied the morphological variation of this enlarged claw,whether it may be caused by its regeneration at different male sizes,and its consequences on mating success.We found that claws could not be discriminated as discrete morphs,suggesting a morphological continuum from brachychelous to leptochelous.Regenerated claws in the laboratory were initially small and proportional to body size,although a field experiment confirmed that claw size is recovered after several molts.Morphological variation may be caused by energetic limitations where males of different sizes must differently trade-off between restitution of claw length(ornament function)or claw muscle area(weapon function).Fiddler crabs use 2 mating tactics with different levels of female choice.However,regardless of the mating tactic,leptochelous males were at a disadvantage at high densities,although not at low densities,suggesting that the consequences of autotomy and regeneration on mating success may depend on the social context.展开更多
We extend a well-known mass-gap equation for pure gluodynamics in global colour models(formulated in equal-time quantization in Coulomb gauge)to one in which gluons are split into two sets,each exhibiting different ma...We extend a well-known mass-gap equation for pure gluodynamics in global colour models(formulated in equal-time quantization in Coulomb gauge)to one in which gluons are split into two sets,each exhibiting different masses.If the theory is SU(N)×SU(M)with gluons in both groups having identical couplings(as suggested by Grand Unification arguments at large scales)it is immediate to see that different masses are generated for each subgroup.This global symmetry is not broken,but the split masses erase accidental symmetries that might be present due to the two couplings being the same at a large scale,such as SU(N×M)or similar.We also numerically explore a couple of low-dimensional examples of simple Lie groups,but in spite of the system of equations having a form that would seem to allow spontaneous symmetry breaking,it is not triggered for these groups whose algebra has no ideal,and the dispersion relations for the various gluons converge to the same form.展开更多
Mountains are important reservoirs of biodiversity and endemism on a global scale, but little is known about the altitudinal configuration of this diversity and its driving factors in arid mountains. We explored varia...Mountains are important reservoirs of biodiversity and endemism on a global scale, but little is known about the altitudinal configuration of this diversity and its driving factors in arid mountains. We explored variations in composition, diversity, cover,and life forms of vascular plants along a complete altitudinal gradient(1300-4000 m a.s.l) in Sierra de Velasco, an arid mountain in northwestern Argentina.We evaluated the influence of environmental variables on plant diversity and cover. Field sampling was conducted in the northern sector of the Sa. de Velasco,on the western slope in eight 50 m wide altitudinal bands at 400 m elevation intervals. We used rectangular plots(20 × 4 m;n:10/altitudinal band) to register the vascular plants of all the growth forms, and linear transects(20 m long.;n:30/altitudinal band) to quantify the vegetation cover using the point intercept method. Diversity was calculated using hill numbers.Data analysis included non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS), indicator species analysis,generalized linear models(GLMs), and variance partitioning analysis. A total of 232 species from 51families and 158 genera were registered. Species composition showed greater similarity at intermediate elevations. Plant diversity and cover exhibited a unimodal distribution, peaking at intermediate elevations(2100-2500 m). In contrast, life forms' distribution showed divergent patterns. Therophytes and succulents predominated at low altitudes,phanerophytes and hemicryptophytes at medium altitudes, and chamaephytes and geophytes at high altitudes. The altitudinal patterns of plant diversity and cover were primarily driven by climatic factors.Conservation efforts in the Sierra de Velasco should focus on the middle and upper zones due to their high biodiversity and vulnerability to climate change.展开更多
Soil organic amendments(OAs)are used to replenish carbon(C)and nutrients in the soil to prevent its degradation and increase its fertility.While soil can be an important C sink,it can also release significant amounts ...Soil organic amendments(OAs)are used to replenish carbon(C)and nutrients in the soil to prevent its degradation and increase its fertility.While soil can be an important C sink,it can also release significant amounts of greenhouse gases(GHGs).Different OA pretreatment technologies indirectly affect soil aggregate formation and C stabilization even when the same initial substrate is used.However,little is known about the long-term effect of OA pretreatment on the soil C and nitrogen(N)associated with macroaggregates,which are known to disintegrate faster than microaggregates.In this study,we studied the effect of OA pretreatment on soil C and N in relation to aggregate formation and GHG emissions using five differently pretreated OAs from the same original OA,i.e.,composted,digested,and fermented OA,a 1:1 mix of the composted and fermented OAs,and the unpretreated original OA.We monitored the changes in a soil column experiment after 6 and 12 months of incubation.Our results indicated that OA pretreatment indirectly affected GHG emissions from soil.The composted and mixed OAs released less GHGs(i.e.,carbon dioxide,nitrous oxide,and methane)but had no positive impact on macroaggregates,while the digested OA induced long-lasting macroaggregation and occluded particulate organic matter formation,emitting intermediate levels of GHGs.The unpretreated OA exhibited the highest GHG emissions,similar to the fermented OA,albeit without benefiting macroaggregation.These demonstrated that OA pretreatment had a long-lasting indirect effect on soil C and N,influencing total GHG emissions,nitrous oxide formation mechanisms,and soil macroaggregate formation.展开更多
Membrane desalination is an economical and energy-efficient method to meet the current worldwide water scarcity.However,state-of-the-art reverse osmosis membranes are gradually being replaced by novel membrane materia...Membrane desalination is an economical and energy-efficient method to meet the current worldwide water scarcity.However,state-of-the-art reverse osmosis membranes are gradually being replaced by novel membrane materials as a result of ongoing technological advancements.These novel materials possess intrinsic pore structures or can be assembled to form lamellar membrane channels for selective transport of water or solutes(e.g.,NaCl).Still,in real applications,the results fall below the theoretical predictions,and a few properties,including large-scale fabrication,mechanical strength,and chemical stability,also have an impact on the overall effectiveness of those materials.In view of this,we develop a new evaluation framework in the form of radar charts with five dimensions(i.e.,water permeance,water/NaCl selectivity,membrane cost,scale of development,and stability)to assess the advantages,disadvantages,and potential of state-of-the-art and newly developed desalination membranes.In this framework,the reported thin film nanocomposite membranes and membranes developed from novel materials were compared with the state-of-the-art thin film composite membranes.This review will demonstrate the current advancements in novel membrane materials and bridge the gap between different desalination membranes.In this review,we also point out the prospects and challenges of next-generation membranes for desalination applications.We believe that this comprehensive framework may be used as a future reference for designing next-generation desalination membranes and will encourage further research and development in the field of membrane technology,leading to new insights and advancements.展开更多
The El Pintado 1 Silurian section in Seville Province,Spain,described by Loydell et al.(2015),has been ratified by the IUGS as the replacement GSSP for the base of the Telychian Stage,to replace the Cefn Cerig quarry ...The El Pintado 1 Silurian section in Seville Province,Spain,described by Loydell et al.(2015),has been ratified by the IUGS as the replacement GSSP for the base of the Telychian Stage,to replace the Cefn Cerig quarry section in the Llandovery area of Wales,which was found to be within a sedimentary mélange and therefore not a continuous section.No section other than El Pintado 1 has been found to be continuously fossiliferous across the Aeronian/Telychian boundary.展开更多
During the non-breeding season(September-April),Black-tailed Godwits(Limosa limosa)are commonly seen in coastal and inland wetlands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta in Bangladesh.We hypothesize that the Ganges-B...During the non-breeding season(September-April),Black-tailed Godwits(Limosa limosa)are commonly seen in coastal and inland wetlands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta in Bangladesh.We hypothesize that the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta,at the overlap between the Central Asian and East Asian-Australasian flyways,may host three subspecies that breed in disjunct areas of temperate and northern Asia:L.l.limosa,L.l.melanuroides,and L.l.bohaii.We used mitochondrial DNA(mt DNA)haplotype network and biometric analysis to determine subspecies in captured individuals,and deployed GPS-GSM transmitters to verify breeding areas of individuals with subspecies assignments.To test for differential habitat preferences,we sampled birds at two ecologically distinct habitats known to host the largest concentrations of non-breeding Black-tailed Godwits in Bangladesh:Nijhum Dweep National Park,a tidal coastal habitat with brackish water on the south-central coast,and Tanguar Haor(‘backmarsh'),a seasonal freshwater floodplain in the north.During the non-breeding seasons of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023,we sampled and measured 93 Black-tailed Godwits,54 of which were equipped with GPS-GSM transmitters.Our mt DNA haplotype network analysis confirmed the presence of limosa,melanuroides,and bohaii subspecies at the study sites.Thus,indeed,Black-tailed Godwits subspecies,despite having distinct breeding ranges,exhibit(partially)overlapping non-breeding ranges in Asia.The subspecies composition differed significantly between sites,with limosa and bohaii dominating in Tanguar Haor and melanuroides in Nijhum Dweep.Of the 21 individuals that were tracked to their breeding grounds,18 migrated to the expected breeding range of their respective subspecies.However,one bird with a limosa haplotype migrated to a known breeding area of bohaii,whereas two birds with melanuroides haplotypes migrated to the supposed breeding range of limosa.Therefore,while ecological factors at both ends of the flyways may shape the morphological and behavioural differences between Black-tailed Godwit subspecies,their delineations and possible gene flow require further studies.展开更多
基金the Universidad Nacional de Co rdoba,Argentina,and the Secretaría de Cienciay Tecnología (UNC,SECyT) for the financial support of the CONSOLIDAR 2018–2022 project‘EFECTO DE LOS MICROORGANISMOS PROMOTORES DEL CRECIMIENTO SOBRE LA ECOFISIOLOGíA Y EL CONTROL DE ENFERMEDADES EN EL CULTIVO DE MANí.'the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(CONICET) for the doctoral fellowshipthe University of Córdoba (Spain) for the support provided through the “Plan Propio de Investigación” 2020–2024。
文摘To improve crop yields,global food production needs sustainable agronomic tools like Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria(PGPR).Region-adapted PGPR strains are crucial to increasing peanut production.Argentina is the seventh-largest peanut producer,and Cordoba is the main region with 250,000 ha(75%of the total sowing area).This study aimed to isolate,identify,and characterize the biocontrol and growth promotion capacity of PGPR strains belonging to the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera.The strains were tested against Sclerotinia minor,Sclerotium rolfsii,Fusarium verticillioides,and Aspergillus flavus for biocontrol assays.For growth promotion,pot trials used two peanut cultivars,ASEM 400 INTA and Granoleico,under 40%and 60%field capacity under two water regimes.The isolated strains were Bacillus velezensis,B.subtilis,B.tequilensis,B.safensis,B.altitudinis,and Pseudomonas psychrophila.These strains demonstrated in-vitro phosphorus solubilization,nitrogen fixation,ammonification,nitrification,enzyme releasing,phytohormones production,and high biocontrol capacity of over 75%.SC6 and RI3(both B.velezensis)and P10(P.psychrophila)exhibited outstanding performance.They significantly promoted peanut root biomass by more than 50%and leaf area by 30%,with increased chlorophyll content index and leaf relative water content,particularly under water stress conditions(40%field capacity).According to the results,RI3,SC6,and P10 could be classified as PGPR,which supports the results obtained in other field studies with these same microorganisms.Future investigations should prioritize the development of industrial formulations to assess their effectiveness in alternative crops and to incorporate them into other agricultural practices.
基金funded by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica(PICT-2019-2385)Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas(PIP-11220200102466CO)Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata(EXA953/20).
文摘Male fiddler crabs own an enlarged claw which is a weapon and an ornament.The enlargement of this claw begins from the juvenile stage and continues throughout life.Males may voluntarily lose(i.e.,autotomize)this claw.After several molts males may regenerate a new claw,called leptochelous,which acquires a similar length but a lower muscle mass area than the original one,called brachychelous.In some species,regenerated claws develop permanently as leptochelous,the population having 2 discrete claw morphologies.Other species present morphological variations with leptochelous and brachychelous being 2 ends of a continuum.In the species Leptuca uruguayensis,we studied the morphological variation of this enlarged claw,whether it may be caused by its regeneration at different male sizes,and its consequences on mating success.We found that claws could not be discriminated as discrete morphs,suggesting a morphological continuum from brachychelous to leptochelous.Regenerated claws in the laboratory were initially small and proportional to body size,although a field experiment confirmed that claw size is recovered after several molts.Morphological variation may be caused by energetic limitations where males of different sizes must differently trade-off between restitution of claw length(ornament function)or claw muscle area(weapon function).Fiddler crabs use 2 mating tactics with different levels of female choice.However,regardless of the mating tactic,leptochelous males were at a disadvantage at high densities,although not at low densities,suggesting that the consequences of autotomy and regeneration on mating success may depend on the social context.
基金supported by the EU under grant 824093(STRONG2020)spanish MICINN under PID2019-108655GBI00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033,PID2019-106080GB-C21 and PRX23/00225(estancias en el extranjero)Univ.Complutense de Madrid under research group 910309 and the IPARCOS institute。
文摘We extend a well-known mass-gap equation for pure gluodynamics in global colour models(formulated in equal-time quantization in Coulomb gauge)to one in which gluons are split into two sets,each exhibiting different masses.If the theory is SU(N)×SU(M)with gluons in both groups having identical couplings(as suggested by Grand Unification arguments at large scales)it is immediate to see that different masses are generated for each subgroup.This global symmetry is not broken,but the split masses erase accidental symmetries that might be present due to the two couplings being the same at a large scale,such as SU(N×M)or similar.We also numerically explore a couple of low-dimensional examples of simple Lie groups,but in spite of the system of equations having a form that would seem to allow spontaneous symmetry breaking,it is not triggered for these groups whose algebra has no ideal,and the dispersion relations for the various gluons converge to the same form.
文摘Mountains are important reservoirs of biodiversity and endemism on a global scale, but little is known about the altitudinal configuration of this diversity and its driving factors in arid mountains. We explored variations in composition, diversity, cover,and life forms of vascular plants along a complete altitudinal gradient(1300-4000 m a.s.l) in Sierra de Velasco, an arid mountain in northwestern Argentina.We evaluated the influence of environmental variables on plant diversity and cover. Field sampling was conducted in the northern sector of the Sa. de Velasco,on the western slope in eight 50 m wide altitudinal bands at 400 m elevation intervals. We used rectangular plots(20 × 4 m;n:10/altitudinal band) to register the vascular plants of all the growth forms, and linear transects(20 m long.;n:30/altitudinal band) to quantify the vegetation cover using the point intercept method. Diversity was calculated using hill numbers.Data analysis included non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS), indicator species analysis,generalized linear models(GLMs), and variance partitioning analysis. A total of 232 species from 51families and 158 genera were registered. Species composition showed greater similarity at intermediate elevations. Plant diversity and cover exhibited a unimodal distribution, peaking at intermediate elevations(2100-2500 m). In contrast, life forms' distribution showed divergent patterns. Therophytes and succulents predominated at low altitudes,phanerophytes and hemicryptophytes at medium altitudes, and chamaephytes and geophytes at high altitudes. The altitudinal patterns of plant diversity and cover were primarily driven by climatic factors.Conservation efforts in the Sierra de Velasco should focus on the middle and upper zones due to their high biodiversity and vulnerability to climate change.
基金funded by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy,the European Union Regional Development Fund,the City of Leeuwarden,the Province of Fryslân,the Northern Netherlands Provinces and The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.Wetsus also coordinates the WaterSEED project,which received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement(No.665874)。
文摘Soil organic amendments(OAs)are used to replenish carbon(C)and nutrients in the soil to prevent its degradation and increase its fertility.While soil can be an important C sink,it can also release significant amounts of greenhouse gases(GHGs).Different OA pretreatment technologies indirectly affect soil aggregate formation and C stabilization even when the same initial substrate is used.However,little is known about the long-term effect of OA pretreatment on the soil C and nitrogen(N)associated with macroaggregates,which are known to disintegrate faster than microaggregates.In this study,we studied the effect of OA pretreatment on soil C and N in relation to aggregate formation and GHG emissions using five differently pretreated OAs from the same original OA,i.e.,composted,digested,and fermented OA,a 1:1 mix of the composted and fermented OAs,and the unpretreated original OA.We monitored the changes in a soil column experiment after 6 and 12 months of incubation.Our results indicated that OA pretreatment indirectly affected GHG emissions from soil.The composted and mixed OAs released less GHGs(i.e.,carbon dioxide,nitrous oxide,and methane)but had no positive impact on macroaggregates,while the digested OA induced long-lasting macroaggregation and occluded particulate organic matter formation,emitting intermediate levels of GHGs.The unpretreated OA exhibited the highest GHG emissions,similar to the fermented OA,albeit without benefiting macroaggregation.These demonstrated that OA pretreatment had a long-lasting indirect effect on soil C and N,influencing total GHG emissions,nitrous oxide formation mechanisms,and soil macroaggregate formation.
基金supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region,China(SRFS2021-7S04)Partial support was also received from the Seed Funding for Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Scheme(102010174)+1 种基金Seed Fund for Basic Research(202111159075)of The University of Hong KongIn addition,part of this work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement INTELWAT(No 958454).
文摘Membrane desalination is an economical and energy-efficient method to meet the current worldwide water scarcity.However,state-of-the-art reverse osmosis membranes are gradually being replaced by novel membrane materials as a result of ongoing technological advancements.These novel materials possess intrinsic pore structures or can be assembled to form lamellar membrane channels for selective transport of water or solutes(e.g.,NaCl).Still,in real applications,the results fall below the theoretical predictions,and a few properties,including large-scale fabrication,mechanical strength,and chemical stability,also have an impact on the overall effectiveness of those materials.In view of this,we develop a new evaluation framework in the form of radar charts with five dimensions(i.e.,water permeance,water/NaCl selectivity,membrane cost,scale of development,and stability)to assess the advantages,disadvantages,and potential of state-of-the-art and newly developed desalination membranes.In this framework,the reported thin film nanocomposite membranes and membranes developed from novel materials were compared with the state-of-the-art thin film composite membranes.This review will demonstrate the current advancements in novel membrane materials and bridge the gap between different desalination membranes.In this review,we also point out the prospects and challenges of next-generation membranes for desalination applications.We believe that this comprehensive framework may be used as a future reference for designing next-generation desalination membranes and will encourage further research and development in the field of membrane technology,leading to new insights and advancements.
基金funded by project PDI2021-125585NB-I00 of the Spanish Ministry of Science,Innovation and Universities‒Agencia Estatal de Investigacion.JF thanks the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic for support of his study(GA23-06198S).
文摘The El Pintado 1 Silurian section in Seville Province,Spain,described by Loydell et al.(2015),has been ratified by the IUGS as the replacement GSSP for the base of the Telychian Stage,to replace the Cefn Cerig quarry section in the Llandovery area of Wales,which was found to be within a sedimentary mélange and therefore not a continuous section.No section other than El Pintado 1 has been found to be continuously fossiliferous across the Aeronian/Telychian boundary.
基金supported by The Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka,The Embassy of France in Dhaka,and Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship Trust,MoST,Bangladesh。
文摘During the non-breeding season(September-April),Black-tailed Godwits(Limosa limosa)are commonly seen in coastal and inland wetlands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta in Bangladesh.We hypothesize that the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta,at the overlap between the Central Asian and East Asian-Australasian flyways,may host three subspecies that breed in disjunct areas of temperate and northern Asia:L.l.limosa,L.l.melanuroides,and L.l.bohaii.We used mitochondrial DNA(mt DNA)haplotype network and biometric analysis to determine subspecies in captured individuals,and deployed GPS-GSM transmitters to verify breeding areas of individuals with subspecies assignments.To test for differential habitat preferences,we sampled birds at two ecologically distinct habitats known to host the largest concentrations of non-breeding Black-tailed Godwits in Bangladesh:Nijhum Dweep National Park,a tidal coastal habitat with brackish water on the south-central coast,and Tanguar Haor(‘backmarsh'),a seasonal freshwater floodplain in the north.During the non-breeding seasons of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023,we sampled and measured 93 Black-tailed Godwits,54 of which were equipped with GPS-GSM transmitters.Our mt DNA haplotype network analysis confirmed the presence of limosa,melanuroides,and bohaii subspecies at the study sites.Thus,indeed,Black-tailed Godwits subspecies,despite having distinct breeding ranges,exhibit(partially)overlapping non-breeding ranges in Asia.The subspecies composition differed significantly between sites,with limosa and bohaii dominating in Tanguar Haor and melanuroides in Nijhum Dweep.Of the 21 individuals that were tracked to their breeding grounds,18 migrated to the expected breeding range of their respective subspecies.However,one bird with a limosa haplotype migrated to a known breeding area of bohaii,whereas two birds with melanuroides haplotypes migrated to the supposed breeding range of limosa.Therefore,while ecological factors at both ends of the flyways may shape the morphological and behavioural differences between Black-tailed Godwit subspecies,their delineations and possible gene flow require further studies.
