Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background The GRAS gene family is a class of plant-specific transcription factors with important roles in many biological processes, such as signal transduction, disease resistance and stress tolerance, plant growth and development. So far, no information available describes the functions of the GRAS genes in Eucalyptus grandis . Results A total of 82 GRAS genes were identified with amino acid lengths ranging from 267 to 817 aa, and most EgrGRAS genes had one exon. Members of the GRAS gene family of Eucalyptus grandis are divided into 9 subfamilies with different protein structures, while members of the same subfamily have similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Moreover, these EgrGRAS genes expanded primarily due to segmental duplication. In addition, cis -acting element analysis showed that this family of genes was involved involved in the signal transduction of various plant hormones, growth and development, and stress response. The qRT-PCR data indicated that 18 EgrGRAS genes significantly responded to hormonal and abiotic stresses. Among them, the expression of EgrGRAS13 , EgrGRAS68 and EgrGRAS55 genes was significantly up-regulated during the treatment period, and it was hypothesised that members of the EgrGRAS family play an important role in stress tolerance. Conclusions In this study, the phylogenetic relationship, conserved domains, cis -elements and expression patterns of GRAS gene family of Eucalyptus grandis were analyzed, which filled the gap in the identification of GRAS gene family of Eucalyptus grandis and laid the foundation for analyzing the function of EgrGRAS gene in hormone and stress response.

Reconstruction of the acoustic relaxation absorption curve is a powerful approach to ultrasonic gas sensing, but it requires knowledge of a series of ultrasonic absorptions at various frequencies around the effective relaxation frequency. An ultrasonic transducer is the most widely deployed sensor for ultrasonic wave propagation measurement and works only at a fixed frequency or in a specific environment like water, so a large number of ultrasonic transducers operating at various frequencies are required to recover an acoustic absorption curve with a relative large bandwidth, which cannot suit large-scale practical applications. This paper proposes a wideband ultrasonic sensor using a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) fiber laser for gas concentration detection through acoustic relaxation absorption curve reconstruction. With a relative wide and flat frequency response, the DBR fiber laser sensor measures and restores a full acoustic relaxation absorption spectrum of CO2 using a decompression gas chamber between 0.1 and 1 atm to accommodate the main molecular relaxation processes, and interrogates with a non-equilibrium Mach-Zehnder interferometer (NE-MZI) to gain a sound pressure sensitivity of −45.4 dB. The measurement error of the acoustic relaxation absorption spectrum is less than 1.32%.

In this paper, a variety of 2D materials on the surface plasmon resonance sensor based on Al–Ni bimetallic layer are compared. Simulation results indicate that lateral position shift, which is calculated according to the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of material, can be used as an effective parameter to optimize the sensitivity. By using the parameters for optimizing the SPR structures, the results show that the multiple layer models of Al(40 nm)–Ni(22 nm)–black phosphorus (BP)(1 L) and Al(40 nm)–Ni(22 nm)–blue phosphorus (BlueP)/WS2(1 L) exhibit average angular sensitivities of 507.0 °/RIU and 466 °/RIU in the refractive index range of 1.330–1.335, and maximum sensitivity of 542 °/RIU and 489 °/RIU at the refractive index of 1.333, respectively. We expect more applications can be explored based on the highly sensitive SPR sensor in different fields of optical sensing.

Afforestation is critical for enhancing soil quality and optimizing land use in coastal saline–alkali regions. However, the dynamics of soil quality and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) during afforestation, as well as their coupling relationships, remain poorly understood. In this study, the effects of four stand ages (6, 12, 22, and 36 years) of a leguminous tree species (Robinia pseudoacacia) on the soil quality index (SQI), enzymatic stoichiometry, and soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) were investigated in coastal saline–alkaline lands of the Yellow River Delta, China. Results showed that compared to non-afforestation, afforestation increased the SQI by 81%, 74%, 146%, and 184% in the 6-, 12-, 22-, and 36-year-old stands, respectively. Concurrently, afforestation increased the activities of the carbon acquisition (Cacq), nitrogen acquisition (Nacq), and phosphorus acquisition (Pacq) enzymes and alleviated microbial N limitation. Afforestation increased the soil EMF by 182%, 243%, 263%, and 295% in the 6-, 12-, 22-, and 36-year-old stands, respectively. The SQI was significantly positively correlated with soil EMF, regardless of afforestation age. Soil salinity, SOC, TN, and TP were the best predictors of soil EMF. The afforestation of Robinia pseudoacacia improved the soil quality and stimulated enzyme activity, thereby increasing the soil EMF. Our findings provide a theoretical foundation for the sustainable management of stands in coastal saline–alkali lands.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented stress and challenges upon medical staff, potentially resulting in posttraumatic growth (PTG). This scoping review aims to synthesize the existing knowledge on PTG among medical staff during the pandemic by identifying its current status and potential influencing factors. The findings may provide a foundation for future research and interventions to enhance the medical staff’s psychological resilience and well-being. Methods Literature was systematically searched on PTG among medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic from 01 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), and Wanfang Data. Eligibility criteria included: (1) medical staff as research subjects; (2) a focus on “posttraumatic growth” or “alternative posttraumatic growth” related to the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic; (3) discussion of the situation and influencing factors of PTG; and (4) study types, such as qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Two researchers independently selected and extracted study characteristics (study design, study population, region, measurement instruments, and primary outcomes) from the included literature. The data were synthesized qualitatively and descriptively. Results Thirty-six papers from 12 countries met the inclusion criteria. Moderate PTG levels were observed among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with emphasis on “interpersonal relationships,” “changes in life philosophy,” and “growth in personal competence.” Influencing factors included trauma exposure, sociodemographics, psychological characteristics (resilience and positive qualities), coping, and social support. Conclusions This review discovered moderate PTG levels among medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, with critical areas in interpersonal relationships, life philosophy, and personal competence. The identified influencing factors can inform future research and interventions to enhance healthcare workers’ psychological resilience and well-being.

Background As a dicotyledonous plant within the Styracaceae family, Sinojackia microcarpa ( S. microcarpa ) is notable for its library-shaped fruit and sparse distribution, serving as a model system for studying the entire tree family. However, the scarcity of genomic data, particularly concerning the mitochondrial and nuclear sequences of S. microcarpa , has substantially impeded our understanding of its evolutionary traits and fundamental biological mechanisms. Results This study presents the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence of S. microcarpa and conducts a comparative analysis of its protein-encoding genes across eight plant species. Our analysis revealed that the mitochondrial genome of S. microcarpa spans 687,378 base pairs and contains a total of 59 genes, which include 37 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 20 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Sixteen plastid-derived fragments strongly linked with mitochondrial genes, including one intact plastid-related gene ( rps7 ), were identified. Additionally, Ka/Ks ratio analysis revealed that most mitochondrial genes are under purifying selection, with a few genes, such as nad9 and ccmB , showing signs of relaxed or adaptive evolution. An analysis of twenty-nine protein-coding genes from twenty-four plant species reveals that S. microcarpa exhibits a closer evolutionary relationship with species belonging to the genus Camellia. The findings of this study provide new genomic data that enhance our understanding of S. microcarpa , and reveal its mitochondrial genome’s evolutionary proximity to other dicotyledonous species. Conclusions Overall, this research enhances our understanding of the evolutionary and comparative genomics of S. microcarpa and other plants in the Styracaceae family and lays the foundation for future genetic studies and evolutionary analyses in the Styracaceae family.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have made significant progress in the basic theoretical field since their invention in the 1970s. However, performance instability during continuous processing, such as thermal history, residual stress accumulation, and columnar grain epitaxial growth, consistently hinders their broad application in standardized industrial production. To overcome these challenges, performance-control-oriented hybrid AM (HAM) technologies have been introduced. These technologies, by leveraging external auxiliary processes, aim to regulate microstructural evolution and mechanical properties during metal AM. This paper provides a systematic and detailed review of performance-control-oriented HAM technology, which is categorized into two main groups: energy field-assisted AM (EFed AM, e.g. ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and heat) technologies and interlayer plastic deformation-assisted AM (IPDed AM, e.g. laser shock peening, rolling, ultrasonic peening, and friction stir process) technologies. This review covers the influence of external energy fields on the melting, flow, and solidification behavior of materials, and the regulatory effects of interlayer plastic deformation on grain refinement, nucleation, and recrystallization. Furthermore, the role of performance-control-oriented HAM technologies in managing residual stress conversion, metallurgical defect closure, mechanical property improvement, and anisotropy regulation is thoroughly reviewed and discussed. The review concludes with an analysis of future development trends in EFed AM and IPDed AM technologies. Performance-control-oriented hybrid additive manufacturing was defined as the review scope. Multifarious technologies were classified, summarized and synthesized based on applied objects. Microstructural evolution, mechanical property, and defect elimination were depicted and compared. The synergetic enhancement of strength and ductility was statistically measured and analyzed. Future development trends were predicted on account of the historical outline and research status.

Aroma, an important quality characteristic of plant fruits, is produced by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mainly terpenes, aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, and other secondary metabolites, in plant cells. There are significant differences in the VOC profile of various fruits. The main pathways involved in the synthesis of VOCs are the terpenoid, phenylalanine, and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, which involve several key enzyme-encoding genes, transcription factors (TFs), and epigenetic factors. This paper reviews the main synthetic pathways of the main volatile components in fruit, summarizes studies on the regulation of aroma formation by key genes and TFs, summarizes the factors affecting the fruit aroma formation, describes relevant studies on the improvement of fruit flavor quality, and finally proposes potential challenges and prospects for future research directions. This study provides a theoretical basis for the further precise control of fruit aroma quality and variety improvement.

Harsh working environments and excessive usage frequency cause wear, fatigue, and corrosion failure in metallic components in high-end agricultural machinery and equipment. Overall replacements of valuable metallic components could result in high overhaul costs and material waste. Therefore, remanufacturing these local areas is an effective way to put damaged components back into service, thus maximizing the value of the remaining materials. Laser cladding (LC) technology utilizes high-energy, high-density laser beams to create cladding layers with specialized properties such as wear and corrosion resistance on the surfaces of damaged metallic components. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of pre-processing, processing, and post-processing in relation to laser cladding remanufacturing (LCR) of metallic components. The review examines the LC process, including material systems (Fe-, Ni-, and Co-based alloys and composites), process optimization, and path planning. The relationship between material composition, process parameters, microstructure evolution, and resultant properties (wear, corrosion, and fatigue) is emphasized. Finally, challenges and future trends faced in this process are introduced in detail. The discussed topics provide some important insights on high-quality and efficient remanufacturing of metallic components in high-end agricultural machinery and equipment.

Photodetectors (PDs) suffer from dark current due to defects in the perovskite photosensitive layer. Contact between the photosensitive layer and carbon electrodes could result in recombination of carriers at the interface. In this work, CsPbI3 quantum dots (QDs) were added between the photosensitive layer and the carbon electrode as the interfacial layer to passivate the surface defects of perovskite layer and improve the energy level matching at the interface. The effect of QDs concentrations on the passivation of the perovskite layer was investigated. It was found that the photoluminescence intensity of perovskite films was the strongest and the decay lifetime was the longest when the QDs concentration was 3 mg/mL. Owing to QDs passivation, the dark current of perovskite PD decreased by 94% from 2.04×10-9 to 1.17×10-10 A. The responsivity (R) at 605 nm improved by 27% from 0.29 to 0.37 A/W at 0 V bias voltage. The specific detectivity (D*) increased by 420% from 8.9×1011 to 4.7×1012 Jones.