Precise micro-perforated modified atmosphere packaging delayed winter jujube browning by regulation of reactive oxygen metabolism and energy metabolism

Precise regulation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations in plant growth chambers is critical for ensuring reproducible and physiologically relevant research outcomes. CO 2 assimilation varies significantly with plant genotype, growth conditions, crop density, and phenological stage. However, estimation and control approaches heavily dependent on mechanistic crop models are at odds with the objectives of plant characterization units (PCU), where model availability for specific crops may be lacking. Moreover, in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs), such methods may struggle with multiple crops, intercropping, staggered harvesting and unknown growth stages. We propose a real-time, crop-agnostic method to estimate photosynthetic and respiration rates from CO 2 concentration data, without relying on crop-specific mechanistic assumptions. This improves robustness against the time-varying conditions typical of BLSSs, and supports operation with crops lacking validated physiological models. The resulting rate estimates support diagnostic algorithms, supervisory logic and CO 2 concentration controllers, and provide the modeling foundation for our second contribution: a hybrid Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategy for CO 2 regulation. The controller employs a mixed-integer formulation to handle the disjoint operating ranges of injection valves and incorporates explicit compensation for CO 2 measurement delays, ensuring accurate mass balances under real operating conditions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach through in vivo experiments in a PCU realized under the ESA-MELiSSA framework. • Real-time observer for estimating photosynthesis and respiration rates. • Hybrid Model Predictive Control to ensure highly precise CO 2 regulation. • Robustness to intercropping, staggered harvesting and unknown growth stages. • Control formulation favoring integration in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems. • Validation through in vivo experiments in a Plant Characterization Unit.

Since current opioid overdose deaths occur mainly from potent synthetic opioids with high affinity for the opioid receptor, such as fentanyl and carfentanil, it is important to determine the efficacy of naloxone, particularly the intranasal formulation, in reversing opioid-induced respiratory depression. This study evaluated effectiveness of 4 mg intranasal naloxone (Narcan; Adapt Pharma Inc., USA) in reversing moderate respiratory depression induced by fentanyl and sufentanil in opioid-naive individuals and self-reported daily opioid users. Sufentanil was compared to fentanyl because of its higher affinity for the opioid receptor. In this prospective, crossover trial, 12 opioid-naive individuals and 18 daily opioid users (morphine milligram equivalent, 291; range, 60 to 2,250 mg/day) received continuous fentanyl or sufentanil infusions, titrated to achieve 30 to 40% reduction in minute ventilation ( ). Participants were administered Narcan during steady-state respiratory depression. Primary endpoints included time to reversal of diminished and elevated end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration (pCO 2 ). Narcan restored within 2 to 4 min across all participants but showed delayed reversal of end-tidal pCO 2 (11 to 17 min), with pCO 2 recovery during sufentanil exposure in just 8 opioid-naive individuals and 10 daily opioid users. Hysteresis analysis showed for reversal onset/offset times (blood-effect-site equilibration half-lifes) of 0 to 1 min and for end-tidal pCO 2 2 to 11 min. Because of withdrawal symptoms, 7 of 18 daily opioid users participated once in the study. Study limitations included continuous opioid infusions that do not occur in real-world overdose settings. A single Narcan dose reversed moderate fentanyl- and sufentanil-induced respiratory depression, although effectiveness varied by endpoint and opioid receptor affinity. Rapid recovery suggests clinical utility of intranasal naloxone, but delayed and sometimes incomplete recovery of end-tidal pCO 2 , particularly during exposure to the high-affinity opioid sufentanil, indicates reversal inefficacy and persistence of respiratory instability. Further studies are needed to address optimal naloxone doses and alternative formulations to address high-dose potent opioid threats.

Abstract Airborne infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, TB, MERS, and SARS, constitute a profound threat to public health and quality of life. These pathogens are transmitted primarily via atmospheric particles, especially within clinical environments, where they often circulate. Effective ventilation controls to mitigate pathogens and air pollution are thus essential for reducing hospital-based transmission of airborne infections. The purpose of this research is to assess the risk of airborne infectious diseases within a hospital in Thailand using a mathematical model. Specifically, the finite difference technique is employed to estimate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration as a proxy for indoor air quality to indicate and assess the risk of airborne infectious diseases. The hospital layout is categorized into waiting areas and circulation areas with disparate occupant densities. Three simulation scenarios are conducted, accounting for variations in ventilation rates and architectural structure of hospitals. The results of this research demonstrate that CO 2 concentration can be effectively quantified as a proxy for indoor air quality within hospital environments. These calculated CO 2 levels are subsequently used to model the risk of airborne infection at a hospital, providing a robust framework for assessing this risk. Crucially, by integrating ventilation dynamics that reflect the physical constraints and structure of the hospital, this research enables precise evaluation of infection risks. The findings indicate that ventilation control can reduce the incidence of airborne infection, with significant practical utility in real-world clinical settings.

ABSTRACT Carex siderosticta Hance is an advantageous understory and lawn greening resource due to its strong environmental adaptability and ornamental value, but extreme climates render soil moisture a key growth-limiting factor. Thus, this study explored the response strategies of C. siderosticta to drought and flooding via pot water control and double-pot flooding simulations. Results showed that all the water stresses significantly inhibited the growth of C. siderosticta with increasing stress intensity; leaf and root biomass, water content and root activity decreased gradually, and root architecture parameters such as root length and root surface area decreased concomitantly. At the photosynthetic level, the photosynthetic pigment contents decreased, net photosynthetic rate (A n ), stomatal conductance (g s ), and transpiration rate (T r ) declined in a stress-dependent manner, while intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (C i ) increased correspondingly. In terms of physiological metabolism, osmoregulatory substances, including soluble sugar (SS), soluble protein (SP) and proline (Pro) accumulated continuously, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content increases, which in turn activates the antioxidant system, leading to elevated activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) as well as increased contents of ascorbic acid (ASA) and glutathione (GSH). Anatomically, differential adaptive strategies were developed: under drought stress, the thickness of the leaf blade and epidermal cells decreased, and leaf bulliform cells shrank to reduce water loss; the root xylem vessel diameter was optimized to improve water transport, and the cortex thickness increased to enhance water conduction and absorption capacity. Under flooding stress, aerenchyma developed to alleviate hypoxia stress. This synergistic response involving morphology, physiology and anatomy is the key mechanism enabling C. siderosticta to tolerate both water deficit and water excess simultaneously. Relying on the synergistic strategy of morphological plasticity adaptation, physiological metabolism regulation and anatomical structure specialization to cope with water stress, this species not only exhibits excellent drought and waterlogging tolerance but also serves as a high-quality groundcover resource for water-saving greening in arid and semi-arid regions. It is also suitable for landscape construction and ecological restoration in areas with highly variable precipitation and frequent drought‒flood alternations, thus providing crucial support for water-saving and stress‒resilient greening efforts under the context of climate change.

The escalating atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and depletion of fossil fuels have spurred intensive research into sustainable CO2 conversion technologies. The photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) in gas-solid phase systems offers distinct advantages over liquid-phase counterparts, including enhanced mass transfer, simplified product separation and reduced side reactions. Notably, near-infrared (NIR) light constitutes approximately 50% of the solar spectrum; however, traditional photocatalysts rarely utilize this low-energy region, thereby limiting overall solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency. This review systematically summarizes the rationale, design strategies and catalytic performance of NIR-responsive photocatalysts for gas-solid phase CO2RR. Key approaches include the engineering of metallic/narrow-bandgap conductors, the introduction of defects/intermediate bands, the construction of plasmonic heterojunctions, atomic-level doping, the integration of single-atom active sites and the development of metal-free photothermal systems. These strategies address core challenges such as extending spectral response, enhancing charge separation and optimizing CO2 activation. Representative catalysts exhibit efficient NIR-driven CO2 reduction to value-added products (e.g., carbon monoxide, methane, methanol) with high selectivity and stability. This review provides critical insights into unlocking full-spectrum solar energy utilization and advancing practical CO2RR technologies for carbon neutrality.

As the world’s strongest zonal surface winds, changes in the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies (SHW) can profoundly affect atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentrations, ocean-cryosphere domains and precipitation patterns in the Southern Hemisphere mid- to high-latitudes. The strengthening and poleward migration of the SHW in the last few decades points to an increase in Southern Ocean ventilation and CO 2 outgassing with significant implications for future global temperatures and Southern Hemisphere mid-latitude precipitation variability. A more in-depth and longer-term understanding of past SHW behaviour is required to improve projections of future SHW variability. Macquarie Island (54°S), located within the modern core belt of the SHW, is an ideal location because the influx of westerly wind-blown sea spray creates a strong conductivity gradient in lakes from west to east across the island. We used the known positive correlation between increasing wind-blown sea spray driven water conductivity and halophilic and halophobic diatoms preserved in lake sediments to reconstruct past changes in SHW influence on Macquarie Island over the last 2500 years. Low values in the accumulation rate of the dominant low-conductivity Aulacoseira principissa and Psammothidum taxa at ~2500–2300 cal. yr BP and after ~800 cal. yr BP suggest relatively stronger SHW over Macquarie Island at those times. Contrastingly, an increase in Psammothidum taxa at ~2300–800 cal. yr BP signals weaker SHW as a consequence of lower sea spray input. This is supported by the coeval, anti-phased changes observed in the relative abundance of high-conductivity species such as Platessa oblongella , Planothidium renei , Pinnularia sp. and Fragilaria capucina . This study provides a detailed and valuable record of SHW variability for the last few millennia in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean.

The rising atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is assumed to be a key factor in global climate change, requiring robust and sustainable carbon conversion technologies. While carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a highly efficient enzyme for CO2 sequestration, its industrial application is limited by stability, cost, and scalability challenges. To address these limitations, we developed a CA-mimetic metal-amino acid (Phe-Zn(II)) bionanozyme featuring amyloid-like supramolecular cross-β-sheet architecture that provides high structural stability and recyclability. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis of a continuous flow bubble reactor charged with Phe-Zn(II) bionanozyme exhibits a CO2 conversion efficiency of approximately 18% in an aqueous medium (pH 7.0, 25 °C, ambient pressure), while maintaining remarkable structural integrity as confirmed by postcatalysis PXRD analysis. The amyloid-like supramolecular cross-β-sheet architecture, stabilized by π-π stacking and intermolecular hydrogen bonding, generates a confined catalytic microenvironment that enhances Zn(II) Lewis's acidity and promotes efficient CO2 hydration, which is crucial compared to previous reports. Next, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a three-step catalytic pathway involving hydroxide ion generation, nucleophilic attack, and carbonic acid formation, with a rate-determining barrier of 12.3 kcal/mol, making the reaction feasible at room temperature. We also investigated the impact of different amino acids coordinated with Zn, finding that Phe-Zn(II) shows higher catalytic activity. This is due to the stronger electron-withdrawing effect of the phenyl group, which enhances the Lewis acidity of Zn2+, activates the Zn2+-OH2 bond, and lowers the rate-determining barrier. Taken together, the combination of experimental catalysis, structural robustness, and mechanistic validation highlights Phe-Zn(II) as a promising, cost-effective, and minimalistic catalyst yet efficient carbonic anhydrase mimic for CO2 conversion, paving the way for scalable and sustainable carbon sequestration strategies critical for mitigating climate change.

Abstract Climate models exhibit an approximately invariant surface warming pattern in typical end-of-century projections. This feature has been used extensively in climate impact assessments for fast calculations of local temperature anomalies, with a linear procedure known as pattern scaling . At the same time, emerging research has also shown that time-varying warming patterns are necessary to explain the time evolution of effective climate sensitivity in coupled models, a mechanism that is known as the pattern effect and that seemingly challenges the pattern scaling understanding. Here, we present a simple theory based on local energy balance arguments to reconcile this apparent contradiction. Specifically, we show that the pattern invariance arises from the combination of exponential forcing, linear feedbacks, a constant forcing pattern, and linear changes in heat transport. These conditions are approximately met in typical Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), except in the Arctic where nonlinear feedbacks are important and in regions where different aerosol projections alter the forcing pattern. In idealized experiments where concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) are abruptly increased, such as those used to study the pattern effect, the warming pattern evolves considerably over time because of spatially inhomogeneous ocean heat uptake, even in the absence of nonlinear feedbacks. Our results illustrate why typical future projections are amenable to pattern scaling and provide a plausible explanation of why more complicated approaches, such as nonlinear emulators, have only shown marginal improvements in accuracy over simple linear calculations. Significance Statement In typical end-of-century climate projections from comprehensive models, the ratio between local and global surface temperature anomalies is approximately time and scenario invariant. This feature has enabled fast calculations of local temperature changes by scaling the global average with a constant pattern. At the same time, idealized quadrupling of CO 2 (4xCO 2 ) experiments show a different behavior and a considerable time evolution of the warming pattern. We present a simple theory based on local energy balance to reconcile this apparent contradiction. Specifically, we show that the pattern invariance arises under a set of conditions that are approximately satisfied typical end-of-century scenarios. Our findings clarify why scaling the global average to calculate local temperature anomalies is effective for most future projections.

Exploring methane phenotypes and their relationship with productive traits in the Spanish Holstein Population.

Nitrogen (N)-fixation is a crucial source of reactive N in terrestrial environments. The nitrogenase enzyme (Nase), responsible for this conversion, has three isoforms: molybdenum (Mo)-, vanadium (V)-, and iron (Fe)-Nases. The Mo-Nase is found in all N-fixers, but the distribution pattern and drivers of V- and Fe-Nases remain poorly understood. Carbon and micronutrients (Mo and V) might be key contributors to N-fixation by affecting the metabolic demand for N and participating in Nase synthesis, respectively. Here, we investigated the presence of V-Nase genes in a tropical cyanolichen and explored the impact of micronutrient supply and elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations on N-fixation. The experiment revealed a significant influence of V and CO2 concentrations on heterocyst investment. V-Nase genes were also detected in tropical lichen specimens, suggesting that tropical species might have both Mo- and V-Nases. Our study suggests that V-Nase is prevalent beyond cold environments, by reporting its presence in the warm tropics and demonstrating a significant response of N-fixing cells to V addition. We emphasize the importance of further research on N-fixation in the tropics, particularly on the role of different Nase isoforms.

Synergistic effect of dual active sites in Cu–Ni bimetallic catalysts for high-efficiency CO2 hydrogenation with 98.5% methanol selectivity

Mechanistic study of CO2 hydrogenation on FeCu-K/Al2O3 and FeCu-K/CeO2 catalysts

PurposeLaboratory rodents are commonly euthanized by exposure to gradually increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 exposure induces respiratory acidosis, reduces dopamine levels, and causes hypoxia in central nervous system tissues, potentially affecting their physiology. These effects may be critical for brain and retinal tissues, yet the impact of CO2 euthanasia remains largely unclear.MethodsUsing dark-adapted transretinal electroretinography (tERG), we tested the hypothesis that terminal CO2 overdose alters mouse retinal physiology. Two CO2 displacement rates were used, 30% and 60% of the chamber volume/min, with cervical dislocation as a reference method.ResultsNeither slow nor fast CO2 overdose euthanasia affects rod photoreceptor and ON-bipolar cell flash responses. Activation and deactivation of rod phototransduction were not affected by CO2 overdose. However, both flow rates of CO2 exposure led to decreased cone photoreceptor response amplitudes and increased power spectral density integrals of oscillatory potentials (OPs). Moreover, Müller glia flash response amplitudes were reduced, and OPs were faster and more synchronized with the slower CO2 displacement rate compared to the two other euthanasia methods. In the mammalian retina, carbonic anhydrase is expressed in Müller glia, retinal pigment epithelium, most cone photoreceptors and a subset of amacrine cells.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that CO2 euthanasia can generally be considered a safe termination method for retinal research, but caution should be taken when studying the physiology of carbonic anhydrase-expressing cells.

Lettuce is widely cultivated as a model crop in controlled-environment agriculture and has consequently been the subject of extensive research worldwide. Recent studies have predominantly focused on the effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), particularly light quality, intensity, photoperiod, and direction. In response to the development of artificial lighting technologies and the growing body of related research, this review synthesizes and evaluates studies published between 2012 and 2025 on the application of LED lighting in lettuce cultivation. In addition, research published between 2017 and 2025 addressing the effects of other key environmental factors, including temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and air velocity, on lettuce growth, yield, and quality is critically reviewed. By integrating findings across these environmental variables, this review provides practical insights and reference ranges for optimizing lettuce production under controlled conditions and serves as a valuable resource for researchers and producers seeking to advance controlled-environment lettuce cultivation.

Deciphering the genetic basis of above and below ground organs communication is essential for plant adaptation. In grafted perennial crops, such as grapevine, identifying genes from the roots system controlling the expression of shoot traits is essential to improve plant adaptation to environmental conditions through rootstock breeding. However, the grapevine rootstocks genetic control on conferred scion traits has rarely been explored and even less considering genetic diversity at the intra-species level through GWAS. In this study we used a Vitis berlandieri natural population comprising 211 genotypes, grafted with a single scion genotype, to identify genetic regions associated with water use efficiency and shoot biomass conferred to the scion using GWAS in field conditions. Water use efficiency was evaluated by δ13C over three years and the shoot biomass produced every year during the first two years of growth after plantation. δ13C and shoot biomass were not correlated. δ13C indicated a moderate broad sense heritability from 0.34 to 0.46 in the absence or under moderate water deficit. Heritability falls to zero under strong water deficit indicating a major contribution of environmental conditions. The shoot biomass heritability was moderate to strong from 0.34 to 0.70. One QTL for δ13C explained 54% of the genetic variance. The QTL was associated with a gene homolog to AT4G22790, coding for a mate family protein involved in stomatal aperture regulation in response to carbon dioxide concentration. Four QTL for shoot biomass were linked with genes homologous to AT5G19350, AT4G37130, AT1G22020, and AT1G15780 known to be involved in vegetative growth and root development, hormonal signalling, photorespiration, and response to light, respectively. This study represents the first GWAS carried out for scion traits conferred by a natural Vitis berlandieri rootstock population in a field experiment. It contributes to the understanding of the genetic basis of shoot plant performance regulated by roots. Ultimately, these outcomes provide valuable targets for breeding programs suggesting that rootstocks selection based on genetic information and morphological traits could improve crop adaptation to future environments, contributing to sustainable agriculture.

Leucaena leucocephala, commonly known as lamtoro, is an invasive species that proliferates in tropical regions, including Sumbawa Island, and poses a threat to local biodiversity. Nevertheless, the abundant biomass of this plant presents an opportunity for its utilization as a renewable energy source in the form of wood pellets. This study aims to analyze the emission characteristics of lamtoro-based wood pellets substituted with plastic waste and sodium carbonate, as a strategy to enhance energy efficiency while reducing the environmental impact of solid waste. Three pellet formulations were tested: (1) 100% lamtoro as the control, (2) lamtoro mixed with 10% plastic waste, and (3) lamtoro mixed with 10% sodium carbonate. Combustion tests were conducted using a flue gas analyzer to measure the concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter. The results indicate that the addition of plastic waste significantly increased the calorific value of the pellets but also led to higher emissions of CO and NOx. In contrast, the addition of sodium carbonate demonstrated a positive effect by reducing CO emissions by 35% and NOx by 28% compared to the control, as well as improving combustion efficiency through a catalytic mechanism in the decomposition of carbon compounds. These findings suggest that lamtoro wood pellets combined with sodium carbonate are a promising alternative bioenergy source that is environmentally friendly, supports the management of invasive species, and contributes to the diversification of renewable energy sources in rural and conservation areas.

The increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere has resulted in adverse and irreversible effects in terms of climate change and global warming. To limit the temperature rise to less than 2 °C by the end of this century, it is urgent to reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Direct air capture (DAC) is considered a carbon-negative emission technology which could efficiently remove CO2 from air. Membrane gas separation is a promising technology for CO2 capture, owing to its higher energy efficiency, greater scale-up ability, and smaller carbon footprints compared with conventional sorption processes. The application of membranes in the DAC process (m-DAC) is still in its infancy, owing to the low CO2 concentration (400 ppm) in air. However, simulations and laboratory studies have demonstrated the feasibility of m-DAC. With the development of high-performance membrane materials and the design of multistage membrane processes, the implementation of m-DAC will be a promising strategy for the efficient reduction of CO2 concentration in air. This review presents current studies on the m-DAC process and recently developed membranes for CO2/N2 separation which could be potentially used in that process, as well as highlighting research gaps that currently represent obstacles to the wider use of membranes for m-DAC. In conclusion, challenges and future prospects are presented, along with a roadmap for the future development of m-DAC, to provide a deeper insight into m-DAC processes.

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and temperature are key components of ongoing climate change and are expected to exert significant influences on mulberry-based sericulture systems. Mulberry (Morus alba L.), a C₃ plant and the sole food source for the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), responds strongly to elevated CO₂ through enhanced photosynthesis, increased leaf area development, and higher leaf biomass production. However, these quantitative gains are often accompanied by qualitative changes in leaf biochemistry, particularly under combined elevated CO₂ and temperature conditions. Open Top Chamber (OTC) studies conducted under tropical environments, including the Raichur experiment, demonstrate that elevated CO₂ and CO₂ + temperature treatments increase leaf sugars, total carbohydrates, phenols, and tannins, while reducing leaf nitrogen and protein content and increasing the C:N ratio. These biochemical shifts indicate a dilution of nutritional quality despite increased leaf yield. Such changes have important consequences for silkworm nutrition and physiology, as silk protein synthesis depends critically on dietary nitrogen and balanced amino acid supply. Reduced leaf protein and increased secondary metabolites are biologically expected to lower nutritional efficiency, constrain silk gland protein deposition, and induce digestive or oxidative stress, even when larval growth appears unaffected. Warming further intensifies these effects by imposing direct physiological stress on silkworms and indirectly degrading leaf functional quality. Overall, the combined effects of elevated CO₂ and temperature reveal a growing decoupling between mulberry leaf quantity and quality, highlighting the need for integrated evaluation of mulberry–silkworm interactions and adaptive management strategies to sustain sericulture productivity under future climate scenarios.

Boreal forests provide considerable global land carbon storage and uptake, but they are being rapidly transformed to managed secondary forests, with poorly quantified implications for ecosystem carbon storage. Here we present data from extensive mapping and field inventories of carbon storage in primary forests in Sweden and use multiple methods to show that primary forests store ~72% (70 to 74% across methods) more carbon than managed secondary forests in vegetation, deadwood, soils, and harvested wood products combined. Soils constitute both the largest carbon store and the largest difference between these forest types. The total carbon storage difference between primary and managed secondary forests is 2.7 to 8.0 times larger than previous estimates. Our results challenge estimated past and future contributions of boreal forest management to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.