Early Stages Of Development Research Articles

Biocontrol potential of cell-free supernatant of Paenibacillus chitinolyticus against Plasmodiophora brassicae in two important Brassica species

Plasmodiophora brassicae is a serious threat to Brassica crops worldwide, resulting in substantial economic losses for growers. Biocontrol with chitinolytic bacteria producing chitinase is gaining attention as a natural alternative to chemicals. This approach is favored due to the essential role chitinases play in protecting against chitin-containing pathogens. Given that chitin is a major component in the resting spores of P. brassicae and plays a crucial role during pathogenesis, it is probable that Paenibacillus chitinolyticus, producing a high level of chitinase, could suppress P. brassicae by targeting chitin in a critical stage of this pathogen’s life cycle. Our research aimed to evaluate the effect of various applications of P. chitinolyticus on clubroot suppression in two economically important Brassica species: Chinese cabbage and rapeseed. The effectiveness of the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of an endemic strain of P. chitinolyticus from the Czech Republic at five different time points was studied in the greenhouse by measuring the disease severity index. Early application of P. chitinolyticus decreased the disease index significantly within both plant species resulting in increased shoot dry weight. In conclusion, the CFS of P.chitinolyticus has significant antagonistic activity against clubroot in Chinese cabbage and rapeseed in the early developmental stages of clubroot occurrence and holds the potential as a biofertilizer as well as bioprotectant agent in clubroot management of P. brassicae.

Performance Evaluation of Hybrid Machine Learning Algorithms for Online Lending Credit Risk Prediction

ABSTRACT Peer-to-Peer systems are still in the early stages of development when it comes to the processing of credit and the appraisal of the risk associated with it. In this study, we used a hybrid convolutional neural network with logistic regression, a gradient-boosting decision tree, and a k-nearest neighbor to predict the credit risk in a P2P lending club. The lending clubs publicly available P2P loan data was used to train the model. In order to address the issue of data imbalance within the dataset, specifically between the non-defaulter and defaulter classes, the synthetic minority oversampling technique sampling approach is utilized. We developed the architecture of our hybrid model by removing the fully connected layer with the soft-max, which is the final layer of the fully connected CNN model and replaced by LR, GBDT, and k-NN algorithms. The experimental results show that the hybrid CNN-kNN model outperforms the CNN-GBDT and CNN-LR models based on the performance metrics accuracy, recall, F1-score, and area under the curve for both all input and important features. This shows that hybrid machine learning models effectively identify and categorize credit risk in peer-to-peer lending clubs, hence assisting in financial loss prevention.

Hyperspectral Data for Early Identification and Classification of Potassium Deficiency in Soybean Plants (Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Identifying potassium (K+) deficiency in plants has traditionally been a difficult and expensive process. Traditional methods involve inspecting leaves for symptoms and conducting a laboratory analysis. These methods are not only time-consuming but also use toxic reagents. Additionally, the analysis is performed during the reproductive stage of growth, which does not allow enough time for corrective fertilization. Moreover, soybean growers do not have other tools to analyze the nutrition status during the earlier stages of development. Thus, this study proposes a quick approach for monitoring K+ in soybean crops using hyperspectral data through principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with a wavelength selection algorithm. The experiment was carried out at the Brazilian National Soybean Research Center in the 2017–2018, 2018–2019, and 2019–2020 soybean crop seasons, at the stages of development V4–V5, R1–R2, R3–R4, and R5.1–R5.3. Three treatments were evaluated that varied in K+ availability: severe potassium deficiency (SPD), moderate potassium deficiency (MPD), and an adequate supply of potassium (ASP). Spectral data were collected using an ASD Fieldspec 3 Jr. hyperspectral sensor. The results showed a variation in the leaf spectral signature based on the K+ availability, with SPD having higher reflectance in the visible region due to a lower concentration of pigments. PCA explained 100% of the variance across all stages and seasons, making it possible to distinguish SPD at an early development stage. LDA showed over 70% and 59% classification accuracies for discriminating a K+ deficiency in the simulation and validation stages. This study demonstrates the potential of the method as a rapid nondestructive and accurate tool for identifying K+ deficiency in soybean leaves.

Laser weeding of common weed species

The massive use of herbicides since the 1950s has resulted in increasing problems with herbicideresistant weeds and pollution of the environment, including food, feed, and water. These side effects have resulted in political pressures to reduce herbicide application. The European Commission aims to reduce the use and risk of chemicals and more hazardous pesticides in the EU. Therefore, new weed control methods are in demand. Laser weeding might be an alternative to replace or supplement herbicides and other weed control methods in an Integrated Weed Management (IPM) strategy. This work aimed to investigate how increasing laser energy affected common weeds when the apical meristem was exposed to irradiation at the early stages of development. A 50 W thulium-doped fibre laser with a diameter of 2 mm and a wavelength of 2 µm was used. The highest efficacy of laser irradiation was achieved when the grass weed (Alopecurus myosuroides) had one leaf and the dicot species were at the cotyledon stage. There was a large difference between the species’ susceptibility to irradiation probably caused by differences in morphology and growth habit. At the 4-leaf stage, most of the species regrew after irradiation. Laser weeding may be a solution to replace or supplement other weed control methods in some crops, but in general the weeds must be irradiated when they are at the cotyledon to 2-leaf stage to avoid regrowth.

Single-nucleus RNA and ATAC sequencing analyses provide molecular insights into early pod development of peanut fruit

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important leguminous oil and economic crop that produces flowers aboveground and fruits belowground. Subterranean fruit-pod development, which significantly affects peanut production, involves complex molecular mechanisms that likely require the coordinated regulation of multiple genes in different tissues. To investigate the molecular mechanisms that underlie peanut fruit-pod development, we characterized the anatomical features of early fruit-pod development and integrated single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) and single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing (snATAC-seq) data at the single-cell level. We identified distinct cell types, such as meristem, embryo, vascular tissue, cuticular layer, and stele cells within the shell wall. These specific cell types were used to examine potential molecular changes unique to each cell type during pivotal stages of fruit-pod development. snRNA-seq analyses of differentially expressed genes revealed cell-type-specific insights that were not previously obtainable from transcriptome analyses of bulk RNA. For instance, we identified MADS-box genes that contributes to the formation of parenchyma cells and gravity-related genes that are present in the vascular cells, indicating an essential role for the vascular cells in peg gravitropism. Overall, our single-nucleus analysis provides comprehensive and novel information on specific cell types, gene expression, and chromatin accessibility during the early stages of fruit-pod development. This information will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie fruit-pod development in peanut and contribute to efforts aimed at improving peanut production.

P.144 Comparative analysis of spinal cord-derived and induced pluripotent-derived neural stem & progenitor cells for SCI therapy

Background: Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have revolutionized spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment by generating neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). However, understanding how iPSC-derived NSPCs compare to authentic spinal cord NSPCs remains unclear. This study thoroughly characterizes bona fide spinal cord NSPCs and their isogenic iPSC-derived counterparts, iPSC-SC and iPSC-Br. Methods: Human spinal cord and skin tissue were obtained with ethics approval to establish primary NSPC cultures. iPSCs were derived from these primary cells and differentiated into iPSC-SC and iPSC-Br NSPCs. Assessments encompassed differentiation, proliferation capabilities, immunostaining, and RNA sequencing for differential gene expression. Results: Functional and transcriptional differences were identified between bona fide NSPCs and iPSC-SC/iPSC-Br. Bona fide and iPSC-SC NSPCs exhibited spinal cord regionalization, while iPSC-Br displayed forebrain regionalization. iPSC-derived NSPCs shared features reminiscent of early developmental stages, including embryonic patterning genes and increased proliferation rates. Notably, differentiation profiles were most similar between bona fide and iPSC-Br, with substantial distinctions observed between bona fide and iPSC-SC. Conclusions: This study unveils unique regional, developmental, and functional characteristics distinguishing spinal cord NSPCs from iPSC-derived counterparts. Addressing these disparities holds promise for enhancing iPSC-derived NSPC therapies in spinal cord injuries, contributing to a deeper understanding of their potential applications in regenerative medicine.

Life cycle assessment as a driver for process optimisation of cellobiose lipids fermentation and purification

PurposeCellobiose lipids (CL) are biosurfactants produced by various Ustilaginaceae species in aerobic fermentations. They show high potential for application as alternatives to conventional oleochemical- or petrochemical surfactants. To ensure their environmentally friendly performance, we aimed to assess CL production from a life cycle perspective at an early developmental stage to identify process steps that have the highest impact on the environment. With this information, optimisation approaches can be derived.Materials and methodsFollowing a cradle-to-gate approach, we modelled the CL fermentation and purification process based on experimental data from the lab scale and process simulation data at a 10 m3 scale. For LCA, the impact categories (IC) abiotic depletion potential (ADP), eutrophication potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, global warming potential, acidification potential, and the primary energy demand were calculated for all process steps. Based on the obtained results, process bottlenecks were identified, and alternative process scenarios varying the related process parameters were simulated. These were used to assess the environmental impact reduction potential (EIRP) of an optimised process and draw recommendations for experimental process optimisation.Results and discussionThe obtained results showed that the fermentation caused ~ 73% of ADP and more than 85% of all other ICs. The major contributor was the electricity consumption for continuous fermenter aeration. Thus, reducing the fermentation duration from the initial 14 to 5 days would result in a decrease in all investigated ICs of up to ~ 27–52%. An increase in CL concentration results in a decrease in all ICs of a similar magnitude due to the higher yield per batch at comparable energy and material consumption. Although the share of purification process steps to all ICs is overall relatively small, implementing foam fractionation for in situ product recovery showed an additional EIRP of 18–27% in all purification IC shares.ConclusionsThe conducted LCA showed that overall, more EIRP can be achieved by optimising fermentation process parameters compared to purification process steps. This is mainly due to the long fermentation duration and large energy consumption for fermenter aeration. This highlights the importance of using LCA as a driver for process optimisation to identify process steps with high EIRP. While some of the results are specific to CL, other obtained results can be transferred to other fermentations.

#2137 Systemic inflammation as a main factor in CKD-MBD development

Abstract Background and Aims Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disorder that affects more than 10% of the general population worldwide. Despite great achievements in the field of treatment of CKD, patient mortality remains at a high level. Research into the pathophysiology and correction of this condition in the early stages of development is ongoing. The aim of the study was to establish relationship between systemic inflammation and mineral disorders in any stage of CKD. Method We investigated 5 groups of patients with different stages (I to V) of CKD 19-22 persons in each (total amount 106 patients), aged 49,6 years and 19 healthy individuals aged 41,9 years as control group. We examined the blood level of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), C-reactive protein (CRP) and c-terminal fragment of fibroblast factor 23 (FGF-23) in all patients and control group. Results The course of CKD is accompanied by systemic inflammation, which is characterized by an increase in IL-1β in the I stage of chronic kidney disease ((13,41 ± 3,36) pg/ml) (p < 0.01), IL-6 in the III stage of chronic kidney disease (29,31 ± 5,49) pg/ml (p < 0.01), IL-8 in the II stage of chronic kidney disease ((11,56 ± 2,72) pg/ml) (p < 0.05) and CRP in the IV stage of chronic kidney disease ((7,22 (1,81; 10,8)) mg/ml (p < 0.01), compared to the control group ((5,93 ± 3,65), (6,01 ± 1,67), (7,99 ± 1,17) pg/ml and (0,66 (0,41; 0,85)) mg/ml accordingly), and progresses with a decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Growing already at the initial stage of chronic kidney disease, the level of FGF-23 reached a statistical difference from the control group at the 2nd stage of CKD. A strong statistically significant relationship was found between FGF-23 and IL-6 (R = 0.84; p < 0.01), IL-1β at GFR > 15 ml/(min•1.73 m2) (R = 0.45; p < 0.01) and IL-8 at GFR > 15 ml/(min•1.73 m2) (R = 0.57; p < 0.01). Conclusion Systemic inflammation appears in the initial stages of CKD, being a trigger for further kidney dysfunction and the development of mineral and bone disorders. Systemic inflammation treatment in patients with CKD is staying a magnetic but still unattainable goal that needs further efforts to invest.

Improved breeding and seed production of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) in controlled tanks and cage systems

The climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) is a valuable fish species with significant potential for aquaculture. However, a low survival rate was observed at its early development stages, requiring an optimized protocol for sustainable aquaculture production. This paper presents an improved breeding and seed production technology for climbing perch. Mature climbing perch were induced to spawn using salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (sGnRHa) at a dose of 30 µg/kg-1 body weight of the breeder. The female broodfish spawn 9–10 hours after hormone injection. Developmental stages were defined based on the morphological features of the embryos from the first cleavage to the hatching stage. The first cleavage began at approximately 18–20 minutes after fertilization. Newly hatched larvae were observed within 18–20 h at 30°C, having an average larval size of 0.389±0.042 mm (total length). Successful breeding entails a selection of suitable algal species, an optimal aquaculture environment, regular feeding rates, consistent monitoring of larval development, and effective management of water quality. Survival rates from the larval stage to fry were achieved at 84.69% and 77.60%, respectively, while the survival rate to the fingerlings stage was 72.51%. Therefore, by implementing an optimized protocol, aquaculture practitioners can maximize the production potential of climbing perch while ensuring sustainable cultivation practices. The findings from this research contribute to the advancement of climbing perch aquaculture by providing valuable insights for the successful cultivation and increased economic profitability of A. testudineus species in hatchery productions.

CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.

A small number of drugs have been the sole stay of conventional treatment for autoimmune illnesses for the past 10 years. These medications have a number of side effects that restrict their usage and necessitate continuous administration to keep a patient in a state of remission. While many new treatments are being researched to address this problem, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy currently shows the greatest potential. Current medical guidelines do not currently advocate the use of this medicine because it is still in its early stages of development due to continuing clinical research. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to determine what new findings have been reported in recent studies about the safety and efficacy of CAR T-cells. From the nine studies collected in total, it was found that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was the most often researched autoimmune disease. The CAR T-cell therapy had noticeable results after one to two months on average. The most frequent adverse effect was cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which was treated cautiously and infrequently necessitated extensive intervention. All serological tests showed improvement, and clinical remission was always achieved. This review concludes that, due to the one-time infusion and low adverse reaction rate, the therapy not only outperforms conventional drugs but is also more practical. There is even more cause to look forward to the full deployment of this innovative therapeutic alternative, as variations of the therapy are currently being explored.

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria: A Promising Strategy To Optimize The Development Of Schizolobium Parahyba

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in enhancing the early development stages of Schizolobium parahyba, a critical species for the timber industry, aiming to optimize reforestation and agroforestry practices for sustainable forestry. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in the exploration of symbiotic relationships between PGPR strains and plant species, focusing on their potential to improve seed germination, plant growth, and biomass production. The study examines how these interactions can be leveraged to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability, with a specific emphasis on the benefits of employing PGPR in forestry. Method: The study utilized an experimental approach, assessing the impact of four PGPR strains (Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas protegens, Enterobacter absuriae, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus) on S. parahyba seedlings. These were cultivated in three different substrates, with variables such as germination rate, above-ground and root growth, and biomass production meticulously measured to evaluate the effects of bacterial inoculation. Results and Conclusions: The application of PGPR notably improved all measured growth parameters in S. parahyba seedlings, with A. calcoaceticus and P. protegens specifically enhancing stem and root development, respectively. A synergistic effect was observed in substrates containing peat, underscoring the significant potential of PGPR in boosting the productivity and sustainability of early-stage forestry cultivation. The findings advocate for further field studies to fine-tune these interactions, aiming to establish more resilient and ecologically sustainable agricultural practices. Originality/Value: This research contributes novel insights into the utilization of PGPR in forestry, highlighting its substantial promise in enhancing the early growth stages of Schizolobium parahyba. By demonstrating the specific benefits of PGPR strains and their interactions with different substrates, the study offers a promising strategy for improving the sustainability and productivity of reforestation and agroforestry efforts.

Research Review of Exploratory Development of Smart Logistics Ecosystem in China

As a new cross field, the intelligent logistics ecosystem in the early stage of development has become an exploratory research hotspot of scholars in recent years. This paper takes the theory and development of smart logistics as the starting point, makes a descriptive summary of the concept and characteristics of smart logistics ecosystem, and summarizes the research perspectives of smart logistics ecosystem from horizontal and vertical aspects.

Proline priming: An efficient strategy to mitigate salinity impact at early developmental stages of the oilseed halophyte Cakile maritima

Seed germination is a vital process, yet extremely sensitive to salinity. This is particularly true for coastal halophytes like the annual oilseed species Cakile maritima, which faces the simultaneous impact of wind, salt-spray and seawater inundations in its natural biotopes. At the early developmental stages, this may jeopardize seed germination, plant establishment capacity and hence its development and persistence. Osmopriming is a pre-sowing approach aiming to improve seedling emergence and establishment in adverse environments. Here, we investigate the effect of proline (at 0, 1, 5, and 20 mM) pre-treatment on salt tolerance of C. maritima at the juvenile stage under salinity (0, 100, and 200 mM NaCl). Proline seed priming enhanced the germination rate (28% to 92%) and promoted seedling establishment of C. maritima by stimulating α-amylase activity even at the highest salinity (+55 %). Besides, after transfer of non-germinated seeds on distilled water, salt impact was fully reversible. At the seedling stage, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed that this osmoticum increased the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and the quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion [Y(II)]. In contrast, the quantum yield of nonregulated nonphotochemical energy dissipation [Y(NO)] and the quantum yield of regulated nonphotochemical energy dissipation [Y(NPQ)], which might be correlated to the mitigation of the salt deleterious effects on PSII. Proline and carbohydrate concentrations also increased following priming. Overall, our data provide strong arguments for using proline at low doses (1 and 5 mM) as a successful priming agent to alleviate salinity-induced adverse effect on plants.

High concentrations of phthalates affect the early development of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

The toxicity of three phthalates (PAEs) - butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) - was tested on the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Fertilized eggs were exposed to environmental and high PAE concentrations for 72 h. The potential toxic effects on larval development and any morphological anomalies were then assessed to estimate PAEs impact. Environmental concentrations never affected development, while high concentrations induced toxic effects in larvae exposed to BBP (EC50: 2.9 ×103 µg/L) and DEHP (EC50: 3.72 ×103 µg/L). High concentrations caused skeletal anomalies, with a slight to moderate impact for DEP/DEHP and BBP, respectively. PAE toxicity was: BBP>DEHP>DEP. In conclusion, the three PAEs at environmental concentrations do not pose a risk to sea urchins. However, PAE concentrations should be further monitored in order not to constitute a concern to marine species, especially at their early developmental stages.

Differential diagnosis and issues of nosology of disorders with affective and psychotic symptoms: clinical observation

Based on the results of large-scale genomic studies, the psychotic continuum hypothesis suggests considering disorders characterized by primary psychotic symptoms as part of a single spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders and implies the existence of a gradient of severity between affective disorders and schizophrenia, with increasing severity of psychotic epsodes and deficits. The continuum hypothesis explains the existence of the previously controversial diagnosis of schizoaffectivedisorder (SAD), which combines clinical manifestations of both schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder: according to this hypothesis, schizoaffective disorder is assigned an intermediate position in the continuum. The common leading clinical criteria and genetic commonality on the one hand, and the absence of objective disease markers on the other significantly complicate the diagnostic search between the disorders with affective and psychotic symptoms, raising questions not only about their nosological relationships but also about the problem of finding methods of differentiation at early stages of disorder development. Promising tools for differential diagnosis include multifactorial analysis of parameters (genetic, clinical, and socio-demographic parameters, level of social functioning, response to prescribed psychopharmacotherapy), molecular phenotyping of profiles, and the search for laboratory, neuroimaging, and neurobiological markers of diseases. As of today, the main reliable approach in the differential diagnosis of these disorders remains the follow-up approach. The article presents a clinical case describing a 19‑year follow-up of a patient with clinically heterogeneous episodes of affective-delusional symptomatology combined with alcoholism and demonstrating the difficulty of diagnosing disorders with affective and psychotic manifestations, as well as the need for further research in this area.

Exploring the role non-coding RNAs during myocardial cell fate.

Myocardial cell fate specification takes place during the early stages of heart development as the precardiac mesoderm is configured into two symmetrical sets of bilateral precursor cells. Molecular cues of the surrounding tissues specify and subsequently determine the early cardiomyocytes, that finally matured as the heart is completed at early postnatal stages. Over the last decade, we have greatly enhanced our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of cardiac development and thus of myocardial cell fate. The recent discovery of a novel layer of gene regulation by non-coding RNAs has flourished their implication in epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of cardiac development. In this review, we revised the current state-of-the-art knowledge on the functional role of non-coding RNAs during myocardial cell fate.

Repeated diagnostic ultrasound exposure modifies the structural properties of CA1 dendrites and alters the hippocampal transcriptome

The development of neurons is regulated by several spatiotemporally changing factors, which are crucial to give the ability of neurons to form functional networks. While external physical stimuli may impact the early developmental stages of neurons, the medium and long-term consequences of these influences have yet to be thoroughly examined. Using an animal model, this study focuses on the morphological and transcriptome changes of the hippocampus that may occur as a consequence of fetal ultrasound examination. We selectively labeled CA1 neurons of the hippocampus with in-utero electroporation to analyze their morphological features. Furthermore, certain samples also went through RNA sequencing after repetitive ultrasound exposure. US exposure significantly changed several morphological properties of the basal dendritic tree. A notable increase was also observed in the density of spines on the basal dendrites, accompanied by various alterations in individual spine morphology. Transcriptome analysis revealed several up or downregulated genes, which may explain the molecular background of these alterations. Our results suggest that US-derived changes in the dendritic trees of CA1 pyramidal cells might be connected to modification of the transcriptome of the hippocampus and may lead to an increased dendritic input.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals lineage- and environment-specific adaptations in cacti from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Natural selection influenced adaptive divergence between Cereus fernambucensis and Cereus insularis, revealing key genes governing abiotic stress responses and supporting neoteny in C. insularis. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms driving adaptive divergence in traits related to habitat adaptation remains a central challenge. In this study, we focused on the cactus clade, which includes Cereus sericifer F.Ritter, Cereus fernambucensis Lem., and Cereus insularis Hemsley. These allopatric species inhabit distinct relatively drier regions within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, each facing unique abiotic conditions. We leveraged whole transcriptome data and abiotic variables datasets to explore lineage-specific and environment-specific adaptations in these species. Employing comparative phylogenetic methods, we identified genes under positive selection (PSG) and examined their association with non-synonymous genetic variants and abiotic attributes through a PhyloGWAS approach. Our analysis unveiled signatures of selection in all studied lineages, with C. fernambucensis northern populations and C. insularis showing the most PSGs. These PSGs predominantly govern abiotic stress regulation, encompassing heat tolerance, UV stress response, and soil salinity adaptation. Our exclusive observation of gene expression tied to early developmental stages in C. insularis supports the hypothesis of neoteny in this species. We also identified genes associated with abiotic variables in independent lineages, suggesting their role as environmental filters on genetic diversity. Overall, our findings suggest that natural selection played a pivotal role in the geographic range of these species in response to environmental and biogeographic transitions.

The mediating effects of self-efficacy and study engagement on the relationship between specialty identity and career maturity of Chinese nursing students: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundCareer maturity is a crucial indicator of career preparedness and unpreparedness can cause the turnover of new nurses. Considerable empirical work demonstrates the potential associations between specialty identity, self-efficacy, study engagement, and career maturity. This study aimed to explore the mediation role of self-efficacy and study engagement on the relationships between specialty identity and career maturity among Chinese nursing students.MethodsFour hundred twenty-six Chinese nursing students were recruited between September 11 and October 30, 2022. The online survey was conducted following the CHERRIES checklist. Electronic questionnaires assessed their perceived specialty identity, self-efficacy, study engagement, and career maturity. The descriptive analysis, Harman single-factor analysis, Pearson correlation tests, structural equation modeling, and the bootstrap method were employed in data analysis.ResultsBivariate correlation analysis identified a positive correlation between specialty identity, self-efficacy, study engagement, and career maturity (r = 0.276–0.440, P < 0.001). Self-efficacy and study engagement partially mediated the relationship between specialty identity and career maturity. Self-efficacy and study engagement played a chain mediating role between specialty identity and career maturity.ConclusionsThe underlying mechanism can explain the relationships between specialty identity and career maturity: a direct predictor and an indirect effect through self-efficacy and study engagement. Policymakers and educators should emphasize the importance of specialty identity and provide tailored strategies for improving care maturity depending on nursing students’ specialty identity, self-efficacy, study engagement in the early stages of career development.

Mechanistic insights into the plant biostimulant activity of a novel formulation based on rice husk nanobiosilica embedded in a seed coating alginate film.

Seed coating ensures the targeted delivery of various compounds from the early stages of development to increase crop quality and yield. Silicon and alginate are known to have plant biostimulant effects. Rice husk (RH) is a significant source of biosilica. In this study, we coated mung bean seeds with an alginate-glycerol-sorbitol (AGS) film with embedded biogenic nanosilica (SiNPs) from RH, with significant plant biostimulant activity. After dilute acid hydrolysis of ground RH in a temperature-controlled hermetic reactor, the resulting RH substrate was neutralized and calcined at 650°C. The structural and compositional characteristics of the native RH, the intermediate substrate, and SiNPs, as well as the release of soluble Si from SiNPs, were investigated. The film for seed coating was optimized using a mixture design with three factors. The physiological properties were assessed in the absence and the presence of 50 mM salt added from the beginning. The main parameters investigated were the growth, development, metabolic activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, and the Si content of seedlings. The results evidenced a homogeneous AGS film formation embedding 50-nm amorphous SiNPs having Si-O-Si and Si-OH bonds, 0.347 cm3/g CPV (cumulative pore volume), and 240 m2/g SSA (specific surface area). The coating film has remarkable properties of enhancing the metabolic, proton pump activities and ROS scavenging of mung seedlings under salt stress. The study shows that the RH biogenic SiNPs can be efficiently applied, together with the optimized, beneficial alginate-based film, as plant biostimulants that alleviate saline stress from the first stages of plant development.