Environmental Effects Research Articles

Dense SNP-based analyses complement forensic anthropology biogeographical ancestry assessments

Identification of unidentified human remains (UHRs) is crucial yet challenging, especially with traditional forensic techniques. Forensic anthropological examinations can yield ancestry estimations; however, the utility of these estimates is limited by the data points that can be collected from partial remains, complexities of admixture, and variation of phenotypic expression due to environmental effects. While it is generally known that anthropological estimates can be imprecise, the performance of these methods has not been studied at scale. Genome-wide SNP testing is an orthogonal approach for estimating ancestry and offers a unique opportunity to measure the magnitude of anthropological ancestry misattribution. Genomic ancestry inference leverages principal component analysis (PCA) and model-based clustering approaches. This study compares anthropologically determined ancestry with those estimated using genome-wide SNP markers. A dataset of 611 UHR samples with publicly available ancestry assessments from National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) was analyzed. The genetic ancestry approach, validated against reference population samples, offers robust ancestry calculations for major population groups. Inconsistency between anthropological and genomic ancestry assignments were observed, particularly for admixed populations. Although forensic anthropological examinations remain valuable, their limitations emphasize the need for refinement and enhancement through the augmentation of SNP-based analyses. Further validation studies are crucial to define the uncertainty associated with both anthropological and genome-based ancestry estimates to resolve cases and aid law enforcement investigations. Additionally, current policy and practices for reporting ancestry for UHRs should be revisited to reduce potential misinformation.

Big-data-driven approach and scalable analysis on environmental sustainability of shared micromobility from trip to city level analysis

Shared e-scooters (SES) have recently gained popularity, but their environmental sustainability remains debatable. This study develops a data-driven and scalable method based on big data and data fusion from multiple sources to comprehensively analyze substitutions and the environmental impacts of SES from trip to city level analysis. Field trip transaction data in three major Swedish cities (Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö) are leveraged for empirical analysis considering mode choice behavior. The results reveal that most SES trips (86.7% in Stockholm, 85.6% in Gothenburg, and 85.3% in Malmö) replace walking or public transport, while the proportion substituting private car and taxis is less than 12%. On average, each SES trip increases in CO2−eq emissions (34.58 g in Stockholm, 21.18 g in Gothenburg, and 24.07 g in Malmö). Only a limited percentage of SES trips (19.20% in Stockholm, 24.22% in Gothenburg, and 23.94% in Malmö) and a small percentage of urban areas with SES (8.3% in Stockholm, 7.48% in Gothenburg, and 2.02% in Malmö) demonstrate positive environmental effects from SES. The substitution and environment impacts of SES vary significantly across different trips spatially and temporally, emphasizing the importance of conducting trip-level analyses. The analysis provides quantitative insights into the sustainability of SES in Nordic contexts, offering potential support for sustainable management in a variety of urban contexts.

Intensity Prediction Equations Based on the Environmental Seismic Intensity (ESI-07) Scale: Application to Normal Fault Earthquakes

Earthquake environmental effects may significantly contribute to the damage caused by seismic events; similar to ground motion, the environmental effects are globally stronger in the vicinity and decrease moving away from the epicenter or seismogenic source. To date, a single intensity prediction equation (IPE) has been proposed in the Italian Apennines for intensity scale dealings with environmental effects: the Environmental Seismic Intensity (ESI-07). Here, we evaluate the sensitivity of the IPE with respect to input data and methodological choices and we propose IPEs with global validity for crustal normal faults. We show the strong influence of input data on the obtained attenuation investigating the 1980 Irpinia–Basilicata (Southern Italy) earthquake. We exploit a dataset of 26 earthquakes to build an IPE considering the epicentral distance. We also propose an IPE considering the distance from the fault rupture, which is derived from a dataset of 10 earthquakes. The proposed equations are valid for normal faults up to 40 km from the epicenter/fault and may flank other models predicting ground motion or damage to the built environment. Our work thus contributes to the use of the ESI-07 scale for hazard purposes.

An Evaluation of the Autonomic Nervous Activity and Psychomotor Vigilance Level for Smells in the Work Booth

In this study, we investigated the effects of the smell environment in the work booth on autonomic nervous activity (ANS) and psychomotor vigilance levels (PVLs) using linalool (LNL) and trans-2-nonenal (T2N). The subjects were six healthy males (31 ± 6 years old) and six healthy females (24 ± 5 years old). They sat in the work booth filled with the smells of LNL and T2N for 10 min, and their electrocardiograms (ECGs), skin conductance levels, pulse wave variabilities, skin temperatures, and seat pressure distributions were measured. In addition, the orthostatic load test (OLT) and psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) were performed before and after entering the work booth, and a subjective evaluation of the smell was also performed after the experiment. This paper focused on ECG and PVT data and analyzed changes in heart rate variability indices and PVT scores. Males felt slightly comfortable with the LNL smell and showed promoted sympathetic nerve activity in the OLT after the smell presentation. Females felt slightly uncomfortable with the T2N smell and showed promoted sympathetic nerve activity and a decrease in PVT scores in the OLT after the smell presentation. Gender differences were observed in ANS and PVLs, and it is possible that the comfort of LNL increased sympathetic nervous activity in males, while the uncomfortableness of T2N may have reduced work performance in females.

Intelligent Fuzzy Traffic Signal Control System for Complex Intersections Using Fuzzy Rule Base Reduction

In this study, the concept of symmetry is employed to implement an intelligent fuzzy traffic signal control system for complex intersections. This approach suggests that the implementation of reduced fuzzy rules through the reduction method, without compromising the performance of the original fuzzy rule base, constitutes a symmetrical approach. In recent decades, urban and city traffic congestion has become a significant issue because of the time lost as a result of heavy traffic, which negatively affects economic productivity and efficiency and leads to energy loss, and also because of the heavy environmental pollution effect. In addition, traffic congestion prevents an immediate response by the ambulance, police, and fire brigades to urgent events. To mitigate these problems, a three-stage intelligent and flexible fuzzy traffic control system for complex intersections, using a novel hybrid reduction approach was proposed. The three-stage fuzzy traffic control system performs four primary functions. The first stage prioritizes emergency car(s) and identifies the degree of urgency of the traffic conditions in the red-light phase. The second stage guarantees a fair distribution of green-light durations even for periods of extremely unbalanced traffic with long vehicle queues in certain directions and, especially, when heavy traffic is loaded for an extended period in one direction and the short vehicle queues in the conflicting directions require passing in a reasonable time. The third stage adjusts the green-light time to the traffic conditions, to the appearance of one or more emergency car(s), and to the overall waiting times of the other vehicles by using a fuzzy inference engine. The original complete fuzzy rule base set up by listing all possible input combinations was reduced using a novel hybrid reduction algorithm for fuzzy rule bases, which resulted in a significant reduction of the original base, namely, by 72.1%. The proposed novel approach, including the model and the hybrid reduction algorithm, were implemented and simulated using Python 3.9 and SUMO (version 1.14.1). Subsequently, the obtained fuzzy rule system was compared in terms of running time and efficiency with a traffic control system using the original fuzzy rules. The results showed that the reduced fuzzy rule base had better results in terms of the average waiting time, calculated fuel consumption, and CO2 emission. Furthermore, the fuzzy traffic control system with reduced fuzzy rules performed better as it required less execution time and thus lower computational costs. Summarizing the above results, it may be stated that this new approach to intersection traffic light control is a practical solution for managing complex traffic conditions at lower computational costs.

Pyrolytic conversion of glucose into hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural: Benchmark quantum-chemical calculations.

Quantum chemical methods have been intensively applied to study the pyrolytic conversion of glucose into hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural (FF). Herein, we collect the most relevant mechanistic proposals from the recent literature and organize them into a single reaction network. All the transition structures (TSs) and intermediates are characterized using highly accurate ab initio methods and the possible reaction pathways are assessed in terms of the Gibbs energies of the TSs and intermediates with respect to β-glucopyranose, selecting a 2D ideal-gas standard state at 773 K to represent the pyrolysis conditions. Several pathways can lead to the formation of both HMF and FF passing through rate-determining TSs that have ΔG‡ values of ~49-50 kcal/mol. Both water-assisted mechanisms and nonspecific environmental effects have a minor impact on the Gibbs energy profiles. We find that the HMF → FF + CH2O fragmentation has a small ΔrxnG value and an accessible ΔG‡ barrier. Our computational results, which are in consonance with the kinetic parameters derived from lumped models, the results of isotopic labeling experiments and the reported HMF/FF molecular ratios, could be useful for modeling studies including on nonequilibrium kinetic effects that may render more information about product yields and the relevance of the various pathways.

Sustainable Concreting: Optimization Modelling of the Strength Properties of Bio-Self Compacting Concrete Incorporating Sporosarcina Pasteurii, Calcined Clay and Limestone Powder

Sustainable concreting is prerequisite for infrastructural development in developing countries so as to meet up with the sustainable development goal of adequate mass housing and other critical infrastructure. Thus, research is ever ongoing aimed at developing cheaper and more durable concrete via the incorporation of bio-based by-products in concrete to improve its properties, as well as optimizing the quantities of these secondary materials for maximum and optimal concrete production. One such revolutionary concrete that is yet to find full application in the developing world is self-compacting concrete, because of the cost and attendant environmental effects. There is thus a need to arrive at optimal materials quantities that can maximize concrete properties without recourse to many trial and error experimentations that are both time and resources consuming. The application of modelling tools in concrete technology aids in the optimization of concrete constituents for optimal self-compacting concrete performance. This research uses optimization techniques to optimize the bacteria dosage as well as model the Compressive and Tensile strength properties of a calcined clay and Limestone powder blended ternary self-compacting concrete using sporosarcina pasteurii as Microbial induced calcite precipitation agent and calcium lactate as nutrient source. The Bacteria was incorporated into the concrete at a bacterial content of 1.5x108cfu/ml, 1.2x10 cfu/ml and 2.4x109cfu/ml corresponding to the McFarland turbidity scale of 0.5, 4 and 8 while the nutrient (calcium lactate) content was 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% by weight of cement for each bacterial content. The Compressive strength and tensile strengths at 28 days were determined and the results used for both the model development, strength optimization and model validation, with the strengths as the dependent variable (y) and the bacterial content corresponding to a McFarland scale of and calcium lactate content as the independent variables, X1 and X2 respectively. The results show an improvement in the compressive strength from 32N/mm2 to 45.2N/mm2 at the optimal bacterial and nutrient content of 1.2x10 cfu/ml and 0.5% respectively, and tensile strength from 4.01N/mm2 to 5.0N/mm2. Also, the non-linear regression models proved adequate for optimizing the bacterial content for optimal self-compacting concrete performance. Journal of Engineering Science 15(1), 2024, 11-19

Squeezing below the ground state of motion of a continuously monitored levitating nanoparticle

Abstract Squeezing is a crucial resource for quantum information processing and quantum sensing. In levitated nanomechanics, squeezed states of motion can be generated via temporal control of the trapping frequency of a massive particle. However, the amount of achievable squeezing typically suffers from detrimental environmental effects. We propose a scheme for the generation of significant levels of mechanical squeezing in the motional state of a levitated nanoparticle by leveraging on the careful temporal control of the trapping potential. We analyse the performance of such a scheme by fully accounting for the most relevant sources of noise, including measurement backaction. The feasibility of our proposal, which is close to experimental state-of-the-art, makes it a valuable tool for quantum state engineering.

Effect of different sources of organic manures on growth and yield of Broccoli

Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers is a common practice that is hazardous both for soil health and the environment. It has been more than three decades that global agriculture has been depicted towards organic agriculture owing to sustainability and reduced environmental effects. An experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications to study the effect of different sources of organic nutrients on growth and yield of broccoli. The experiment consisted of five different sources of manures; control (no manure), cowdung (25 t/ha), Trichoderma compost (10 t/ha), vermicompost (12 t/ha) and poultry litter (14 t/ha) along with two cultivars of broccoli; ‘Imperial’ and ‘Premium Crop’. Different sources of manures and cultivars had significant influence on plant height, height up to curd, number of leaves per plant, length of leaf, breadth of leaf, plant canopy, diameter of curd, diameter of stem, weight of primary curd, number of secondary curds, weight of secondary curd, yield per plant, yield per unit plot and yield per hectare. The maximum yield (17.32 t/ha) was obtained from vermicompost, followed by poultry litter in ‘Premium Crop’ (15.68 t/ha) cultivar. The minimum yield (6.62 t/ha) was recorded by no manure in ‘Imperial’. Control treatment showed the lowest values for all the parameters studied. Combination of vermicompost and ‘Premium Crop’ cultivar was found the best among all other treatment combinations, including in respect of net return (Tk. 234099/ha) and BCR (3.08). Res. Agric. Livest. Fish. Vol. 11, No. 2, August 2024: 197-204

The influence of urban environmental effects on the orchard soil microbial community structure and function: a case study in Zhejiang, China

The urban environmental effects can have multifaceted impacts on the orchard soil microbial community structure and function. To specifically study these effects, we investigated the soil bacterial and fungal community in the laxly managed citrus orchards using amplicon sequencing. Ascomycota demonstrated significant dominance within the citrus orchard soils. The increased presence of beneficial Trichoderma spp. (0.3%) could help suppress plant pathogens, while the elevated abundance of potential pathogenic fungi, such as Fusarium spp. (0.4%), might raise the likelihood of disorders like root rot, thereby hindering plant growth and resulting in reduced yield. Moreover, we observed significant differences in the alpha and beta diversity of bacterial communities between urban and rural soils (p < 0.001). Environmental surveys and functional prediction of bacterial communities suggested that urban transportation factors and rural waste pollution were likely contributing to these disparities. When comparing bacterial species in urban and rural soils, Bacillus spp. exhibited notable increases in urban areas. Bacillus spp. possess heavy metal tolerance attributed to the presence of chromium reductase and nitroreductase enzymes involved in the chromium (VI) reduction pathway. Our findings have shed light on the intricate interplay of urban environmental effects and root systems, both of which exert influence on the soil microbiota. Apart from the removal of specific pollutants, the application of Bacillus spp. to alleviate traffic pollution, and the use of Trichoderma spp. for plant pathogen suppression were considered viable solutions. The knowledge acquired from this study can be employed to optimize agricultural practices, augment citrus productivity, and foster sustainable agriculture.

Characterization of the molecular, cellular, and behavioral changes caused by exposure to a saline-alkali environment in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

In the context of global warming, the accelerated evaporation of seawater will lead to a continuous expansion of saline-alkali land area. As an important economic freshwater crustacean, investigation on the mechanism of damage to Eriocheir sinensis (E. sinensis) under saline-alkali environment will provide a valuable precedent for understanding the detrimental effect of climate change on crustaceans. In this study, histopathological analysis and integrative omics analysis were employed to explore the injury mechanism on the cerebral nervous system of E. sinensis exposure to saline-alkali stress. Our findings revealed that under this stress E. sinensis exhibited behavioral disorders and damage to cerebral neurosecretory cells and key organelles. Additionally, several pathways related to detoxification metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and antioxidant defense were significantly down-regulated. Collectively, these results show, for the first time, that saline-alkali stress can induce neurodegenerative disease-like symptoms in E. sinensis, and provide critical information for understanding the harmful effects of saline-alkali environments.

Optimizing carbonation reaction parameters of calcium carbide slag in acidic/alkaline environment enhancing CO2 mineralization efficiency

Carbide slag (CS) is a typical alkaline solid waste with Ca(OH)2 as its main component, exhibiting a high capacity for CO2 mineralization. Currently, the methods for CS mineralization of CO2 include direct and indirect mineralization which the initial pH of the reaction system plays a crucial role in the mineralization process. In this study, we explored the effects of alkaline and acidic environments on the carbonation reaction between CS and CO2 and optimized the related reaction parameters. The alkaline system involved dissolving CS followed by introducing CO2, while the acidic system involved introducing CO2 first, followed by either one-time or intermittent addition of CS. We studied the dissolution behavior and reaction processes of CO2 and CS in both systems. The results showed that the carbonation reaction could be completed in the alkaline system. However, in the acidic system, the carbonation reaction is uncompleted with one-time addition of small amount of CS (solid–liquid ratio of 1:100) especially intermittent addition of CS. On the contrary, one-time addition of sufficient CS into acidic solution forming high solid-to-liquid ratio suspension (solid–liquid ratio of 5:100 and 10:100) resulted in thoroughly completion of the carbonation. More importantly, the CO2 fixation capacity, reaction rate, Ca2+ extraction, size distribution and phase structure of obtained calcite was superior to that of the alkaline system. This study demonstrates that although the acidic environment is unfavorable for the dissolution of CS and the leaching of Ca2+, the reaction can still proceed to completion at a faster rate under optimized conditions. This finding might promote the practical utilization of industrial solid waste for CO2 sequestration and enhance its scale-up application.

Sustainable Paddy Farming in Edirne: Evaluating the Impacts of Excessive Fertilizer and Pesticide Use

This study examines the environmental and economic impacts of chemical fertilizer and pesticide use in paddy fields in Edirne Province, Türkiye. Chemical fertilizers, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, are crucial for boosting paddy yield and ensuring food security. However, recent trends indicate significant potassium deficiency and excessive pesticide use, leading to environmental degradation and higher production costs. Incorrect fertilization techniques and pesticide usage can lower product quality and yield, adversely affecting farmers’ incomes and the national economy. Surveying 139 paddy farmers, the research found that farmers apply the herbicidal active ingredients Tefuryltrione, Clomazone, Tembotrione, and Quinclorac at rates of 129.35%, 34.27%, 18.06%, and 155.29% above the recommended levels, respectively. The excessive use of pesticides costs each farmer an additional USD 925.67, totaling USD 5.32 million for Edirne. The majority of farmers (69.2%) do not conduct soil analysis, indicating a potential gap in adopting the best practices for soil management and fertilization. Farmers use 84% less potassium than recommended while applying nitrogen and phosphorus 13% and 14% above the recommended levels, respectively. The extra cost of fertilizer use in Edirne is calculated as USD 833,135.49. This situation harms the economy and may have adverse effects on the environment and potential health effects on consumers.

Stock Market Development and Environmental Sustainability in Saudi Arabia: Asymmetry Analysis

Stock Market Development (SMD) can have positive or negative environmental effects by providing the capital to clean or dirty production processes, respectively. The present study investigates the effect of SMD on CO2 emissions in Saudi Arabia from 1985 to 2022 by conducting symmetrical and asymmetrical analyses. The results validate the environmental Kuznets curve in both symmetrical and asymmetrical analyses. The turning point of the curve is found at 61500 SR and 49944 of income per capita in symmetrical and asymmetrical analyses, respectively, in the long run. The turning points are found at 65895 SR and 54979 SR in the symmetrical and asymmetrical models, respectively, in the short run. All points are within the range of sample period’s income. Thus, Saudi economic growth has no environmental problems. Moreover, SMD and increasing SMD help reduce CO2 emissions in the long run with elasticity parameters 0.8548 and 0.9854 in symmetrical and asymmetrical models, respectively. Thus, SMD should further be focused to have pleasant environmental effects in Saudi Arabia.

A Semantic Knowledge Graph of European Mountain Value Chains

The United Nations forecast a significant shift in global population distribution by 2050, with rural populations projected to decline. This decline will particularly challenge mountain areas’ cultural heritage, well-being, and economic sustainability. Understanding the economic, environmental, and societal effects of rural population decline is particularly important in Europe, where mountainous regions are vital for supplying goods. The present paper describes a geospatially explicit semantic knowledge graph containing information on 454 European mountain value chains. It is the first large-size, structured collection of information on mountain value chains. Our graph, structured through ontology-based semantic modelling, offers representations of the value chains in the form of narratives. The graph was constructed semi-automatically from unstructured data provided by mountain-area expert scholars. It is accessible through a public repository and explorable through interactive Story Maps and a semantic Web service. Through semantic queries, we demonstrate that the graph allows for exploring territorial complexities and discovering new knowledge on mountain areas’ environmental, societal, territory, and economic aspects that could help stem depopulation.

Statistical analysis of fuel combustion and emissions considering the adverse effects of investment economic environment: Exploring alternatives amid oil prices Swings, digital economy, and local market inflation

The depletion of natural gas reserves, combined with rising oil prices, local market inflation, and concerns about pollution, has accelerated the search for alternative energy sources. As a result, research on turbines and internal combustion engines for electricity generation is increasingly focusing on using vaporized ethanol as a fuel substitute. However, the high cost of analyzing the chemical composition of these fuels often leads to an oversight of their impact on combustion characteristics, such as flame behavior, emission profiles, and temperature distribution.This study employs a statistical approach to assess the combustion and emission characteristics of biofuels, aiming to find suitable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. By integrating considerations of oil price fluctuations and the digital economy's impact, the research proposes a cost-effective method for evaluating the chemical makeup of vaporized fuels and their effects on post-combustion pollution.Experimental data reveal that alternative fuels can offer stable ignition performance and lower pollution levels, contingent on their specific properties. Fuels with high aromatic content and viscosity tend to produce significant CO emissions, while reducing these characteristics may increase CO2 production. The study also highlights the challenge of simultaneously reducing both CO and NOx emissions. Additionally, the findings show that petroleum gasoline, due to its lower volatility, has favorable fire safety properties and generates fewer pollutants.In the context of economic pressures from rising oil prices and inflation, this research underscores the importance of exploring biofuels as viable, sustainable alternatives for the future energy landscape.

High temperature flexible 2D metasurface based on optimal design for thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave absorption skin

The development of radar stealth skin with long term stable service and flexible deformability is the premise and foundation of improving the battlefield survivability of deformable aircraft. Aiming at the bottleneck problem of mismatch between the flexible configuration and the electromagnetic configuration of the existing stealth composite materials, a new type of SiO2 fiber paper (SFP) with flame retardant, thermal insulation, low dielectric constant and super-hydrophobic was prepared by combining the papermaking process with surface modification. The effects of solid content and high temperature environment on the mechanical properties, thermal insulation properties, dielectric properties and hydrophobic properties of SFP materials were studied in detail. Based on this, the optimal design and construction method of radar stealth metasurface suitable for flexible deformation are proposed, and the high temperature resistant flexible stealth skin metasurface is obtained. The metasurface has been demonstrated to achieve an effective wave absorption of −8 dB in the 10.9–16.4 GHz range at 400 μm thickness, making it an ideal candidate for flame retardant, flexible, thermal insulation and radar stealth skin under extreme conditions. It provides theoretical basis and technical support for the innovative development of high-speed deformable stealth aircraft.

Unraveling genotypic interactions in sugar beet for enhanced yield stability and trait associations

The interaction between genotype and environment (GEI) significantly influences plant performance, crucial for breeding programs and ultimately boosting crop productivity. Alongside GEI, breeders encounter another hurdle in their quest for yield improvement, notably adverse and negative correlations among pivotal traits. This study delved into the stability of white sugar yield (WSY), root yield (RY), sugar content (SC), extraction coefficient of sugar (ECS), and the interplay among essential traits including RY, SC, alpha amino nitrogen (N), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+) across 15 sugar beet hybrids and three control varieties. The investigation spanned two locations over two consecutive years (2022–2023), employing a randomized complete block design with four replications to comprehensively analyze these factors. The analysis of variance highlighted the significant effects of environment, genotype, and GEI at the 1% probability level. Notably, the AMMI analysis of GEI revealed the significance of the first component for WSY, RY, and SC, with the first two components proving significant for ECS. Within the linear mixed model (LMM), WSY, RY, SC, and ECS demonstrated significant effects from both genotype and GEI. In the WAASB biplot, genotypes 10, 8, 17, 6, 13, 14, 15, 7, 12, and 16 exhibited stability in WSY, while genotypes 9, 10, 6, 14, 7, 8, 13, 12, 18, and 15 displayed stability in RY. Additionally, genotypes 10, 15, 12, 13, 16, 17, 6, and 14 were stable for SC, and genotypes 8, 10, 7, 6, 13, 12, 16, 17, 15, 14, and 18 showcased stability in ECS, boasting above-average yield values. In the genotype by yield × trait (GYT) biplot, genotypes 15, 18, and 16 emerged as top performers when combining RY with SC, Na+, N, and K+, suggesting their potential for inclusion in breeding programs.

Molecular-level insight into the effect of fertilization regimes on the chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in tropical cropland

Fertilization is a critical agronomic measure for croplands in tropical regions, owing to their low fertility. However, the effects of fertilization on the quantity and chemodiversity of latosolic dissolved organic matter (DOM) in tropical regions remain largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, the variations in latosol DOM concentrations and chemodiversity induced by inorganic fertilization and the co-application of inorganic fertilization with straw return, sheep manure, biochar, and vermicompost fertilizers at a molecular level were systematically investigated using multispectral techniques and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry. In line with our expectations, the results showed that combined inorganic-organic fertilization improved soil quality by increasing soil organic carbon content compared to that under inorganic fertilization. However, as the most active and bioavailable organic carbon pool, dissolved organic carbonconcentrations between the fertilization treatments were not significantly different (p = 0.07). However, the dissolved organic carbon concentrations under combined inorganic-organic fertilization treatment (NPK plus straw return, 263.45 ± 37.51 mg/kg) were lower than those under inorganic fertilization treatment (282.10 ± 18.57 mg/kg). Spectral analysis showed that the DOM in the combined inorganic-organic fertilization treatments had a higher degree of humification and lower autogenetic contributions. Furthermore, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry analysis indicated that the combined inorganic-organic fertilization increased the chemodiversity of latosolic DOM and promoted the production of large, oxidized, and stable molecules, including lignin, aromatic, and tannin compounds, which potentially benefits soil carbon sequestration in tropical regions. This study could provide a theoretical basis for elucidating on the potentially relevant ecological functions and environmental effects of DOM under fertilization regimes.

Semi-Arid Environmental Conditions and Agronomic Traits Impact on the Grain Quality of Diverse Maize Genotypes.

We assessed the impact of environmental conditions and agronomic traits on maize grain quality parameters. The study was conducted using genotypes with distinct genetic constitutions developed specifically for late sowing in semi-arid environments. We evaluated the agronomic, physical, and chemical characteristics of eight maize open-pollinated varieties, six inbred lines, and three commercial hybrids. The yield of the open-pollinated varieties showed a positive correlation with protein content (r = 0.33), while it exhibited a negative correlation with the carbohydrate percentage (r = -0.36 and -0.42) in conjunction with the inbred lines. The flotation index of the hybrids was influenced primarily by the environmental effect (50.15%), whereas in the inbred lines it was nearly evenly divided between the genotype effect (45.51%) and the environmental effect (43.15%). In the open-pollinated varieties, the genotype effect accounted for 35.09% and the environmental effect for 42.35%. The characteristics of plant structure were associated with grain quality attributes relevant for milling, including hardness and test weight. Inbred lines exhibited significant genotype contributions to grain hardness, protein, and carbohydrate content, distinguishing them from the other two germplasm types. These associations are crucial for specific genotypes and for advancing research and development of cultivars for the food industry.