Grass Stem Research Articles

Thermal performance and Feasibility Study Using a Straw-Based Thermal Insulation in Geothermal systems

Straw is the part of the stem (or stubble) of certain grasses, known as "straw cereals", and is most often a by-product or waste product of cereal production. In northern Algeria, it is produced in all cereal growing regions. It is generally used for animal feed. In this study, straw waste is used as a bio-material for thermal insulation in bioclimatic constructions and especially in geothermal applications, and the thermal insulation needs in a geothermal system is discussed. Furthermore, thermal performance of wheat straw aggregates bio-based material is tested for several thicknesses until stable results are achieved, using conduction heat transfer tests or heating flat plate. This method is based on the temperature difference measuring across the sample (inlet and outlet) and finally, compared it with other commercial geothermal insulation materials. Obtained results give us an idea of the energy gains to be expected from the bio-based materials manufacture to be used in geothermal systems comparing to conventional materials. It is noted that, the optimum thickness of the insulation material based on straw is 2cm, giving a temperature gradient around 9°C versus 16°C for conventional materials. Straw organic waste material is a promising candidate as an alternative insulating material for low-carbon and green buildings targets. Which are in line with the objectives set by the Algerian government as part of the fight against climate change, in particular the development of renewable energies, the promotion of energy efficiency as well as clean technologies and waste recycling.

Mixed-sex clusters on grass blades: breeding strategy of the ornate dog tick, Dermacentor reticulatus

BackgroundThe ornate dog tick Dermacentor reticulatus is second only to the hard tick Ixodes ricinus in terms of importance as a vector of infectious organisms, especially of Babesia canis, the agent of canine babesiosis. Both the geographical range and local densities of D. reticulatus are steadily increasing in many regions of Europe. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that D. reticulatus possesses an efficient breeding strategy that allows for a rapid increase in tick numbers and densities through the formation of mixed-sex clusters/aggregations while questing in the environment.MethodsAn observational study was carried out in the spring of 2023, at three sites in two regions in Central and North-Eastern Poland, both characterised by high tick densities. At each site, a 400-m-long transect was inspected for questing ticks. All noted ticks were collected, and tick numbers and sexes per stem were recorded. Differences in tick distribution by site and sex were analysed statistically.ResultsA total of 371 D. reticulatus (219 females, 152 males) ticks were collected from 270 grass stems over a combined 1200 m of transect. The majority of grass stems (74.4%) were occupied by just a single individual, with two-tick clusters the second most common category. The maximum number of D. reticulatus individuals observed on a single grass stem was six.Mixed-sex clusters were significantly more common than single-sex clusters at all three sites. With study sites combined, mixed-sex clusters accounted for 17.4% (95% confidence limit [95% CL] 13.9–21.6%) of observations, while for multiple males and multiple females, the values were 2.6% (95% CL: 1.4–4.7%) and 5.6% (95% CL: 3.7–8.3%), respectively.ConclusionsMixed-sex clusters of D. reticulatus ticks were significantly more common than single-sex clusters, which we hypothesise reflects an efficient, likely pheromone-mediated breeding strategy of this expansive tick species.Graphical

Recombination in the wheat stem rust pathogen mediated by an indigenous barberry species in Spain.

The comeback of wheat stem rust in Europe, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, and the prevalence of the alternate (sexual) host in local areas have recently regained attention as a potential threat to European wheat production. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential epidemiological link between the aecia found on an indigenous barberry species and stem rust infections on nearby cereals and grasses. Aecial infections collected from Berberis vulgaris subsp. seroi were inoculated on a panel of susceptible genotypes of major cereal crop species. In total, 67 stem rust progeny isolates were recovered from wheat (51), barley (7), and rye (9), but none from oat, indicating the potential of barberry derived isolates to infect multiple cereals. Molecular genotyping of the progeny isolates and 20 cereal and grass stem rust samples collected at the same locations and year, revealed a clear genetic relatedness between the progeny isolated from barberry and the stem rust infections found on nearby cereal and grass hosts. Analysis of Molecular Variance indicated that variation between the stem rust populations accounted for only 1%. A Principal Components Analysis using the 62 detected multilocus genotypes also demonstrated a low degree of genetic variation among isolates belonging to the two stem rust populations. Lastly, pairwise comparisons based on fixation index (Fst), Nei's genetic distances and number of effective migrants (Nm) revealed low genetic differentiation and high genetic exchange between the two populations. Our results demonstrated a direct epidemiological link and functionality of an indigenous barberry species as the sexual host of P. graminis in Spain, a factor that should be considered when designing future strategies to prevent stem rust in Europe and beyond.

Pretreatment greatly facilitates ethyl levulinate production from catalytic alcoholysis of Napier grass stem

The inhibition effect of impurities in the raw lignocellulosic biomass greatly impedes its direct acid-catalyzed alcoholysis process to produce downstream chemicals. Previous literatures widely investigated the inhibition problems of lignin content and cellulose crystallite in the raw biomass for the production of alkyl levulinate (AL), while the effect of inorganic matters on this process only received cursory attention. In this contribution, the vital importance of ash removal in raw material for efficient catalytic alcoholysis of cellulose fraction been highlighted. Moreover, it has been found that the facile pretreatment of Napier grass stem greatly facilitates the acid-catalyzed alcoholysis of its cellulose fraction towards ethyl levulinate (EL), a versatile commodity chemical. EL yield as high as 72.1 % can be accomplished from the NaOH-pretreated Napier grass stem in ethanol/γ-valerolactone co-solvent medium over Al(OTf)3 at 170 ℃ for 150 min, which is almost ten times that from the pristine one in ethanol medium. It is also interesting to note that a facile and green water prewashing treatment can efficiently remove the inorganic component of the raw biomass, which thus largely promotes the conversion of Napier grass stem to EL. The activation energies of cellulose degradation and glucopyranoside alcoholysis after pretreatment decreased to 62.4 kJ/mol and 68.6 kJ/mol, respectively. This work presents a highly-reliable strategy for valorizing grass lignocellulosic feedstock to produce bio-based ester compounds.

Agronomic Characteristics of Red Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Red) under Different Level of Nitrogen Fertilization and Harvest Ages

This experiment aimed to find out the morphological characteristics and biomass DM production of Red Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Red) under different levels of nitrogen fertilization and harvest ages. The grass stem cuttings were planted on polybags. A Completely Randomized Factorial Design (CRFD) was employed comprising 2 treatment factors. The first factor was harvest age of K1: 50 days of age K2: 60 days of age and K3: 70 days of age and the second factor was level of N fertilization comprised P1: no fertilization, P2: 100 kg N /ha/year, P3: 200 kg N/ha/year, P4: 300 kg N/ha/year. The treatments were applied after the grasses were trimmed at 90 days after planting. The variables measured include plant height, number of tillers, leaves-to-stem ratio, and biomass production. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and least significant difference test. It was found that interaction of treatments significantly (P<0.01) affects plant height and biomass DM production. Treatments of age of harvest and level of N fertilization, respectively significantly (P<0.01) affect either number of tillers or leaves-to-stem ratio. It was concluded that K3 and P3 gave the highest value for all variables measured.

Possible impacts of vegetation cover increment on the relationship between winter snow cover anomalies over the Third Pole and summer precipitation in East Asia

Snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau (TP)–the Third Pole of the earth has been recognized as a reliable signal of summer floods or droughts in East Asia (EA). The distribution of snow cover can be influenced by vegetation, however, the impacts of changes in cover of non-growing season vegetation–withered grass stem over TP on the climatic effects of snow cover remains poorly understood. Here, we showed that the relationship between TP winter snow cover (TPWSC) and EA summer precipitation (EASP) strengthened starting in the early 1990s but weakened after the early 2000s. The weakening of the TPWSC–EASP relationship was linked to the effects of vegetation cover increment (VCI) on winter and spring snow cover over the TP. A possible mechanism behind this linkage is that VCI leads to a shortened persistence of TPWSC anomalies and weakened surface diabatic heating anomalies in spring. Consequently, the influences of TP thermal forcing on the downstream atmospheric circulation in summer were altered, resulting in a different pattern of EASP anomalies. These findings highlight the importance of snow—vegetation feedback and its potential to alter the effectiveness of snow cover in seasonal climate prediction.

Karakteristik Morfologi Jenis-Jenis Tanaman Obat Di Kelurahan Prabujaya Kecamatan Prabumulih Timur Kota Prabumulih

Research that examines the morphological characteristics of medicinal plants in Prabujaya Village, Prabumulih City has been carried out from April 2022 to May 2022. This study uses a survey method. Direct retrieval explores the area of ​​Prabujaya Village, East Prabumulih District, Prabumulih City. Sampling was done by direct observation, by looking at the list of Indonesian medicinal plants and the results of direct interviews with the community. The results of the study found that there were medicinal plants from the Spermatophyta divisio, consisting of 2 classes, 12 orders, 12 families, 18 genera and 18 species. The root morphology type (Radix) has taproot and fibrous root. The stem morphology (Caulis) is in the form of pseudo stem, woody stem, wet stem and grass stem. Leaf morphology (Folium) is lanceolate (lanceolatus), elongated (oblongus), ovoid (ovatus), ribbon (ligulatus) and oblong (ovalis). Flower morphology (FLOs) includes single interest, compound interest bunches, compound interest, grain compound interest, pseudo compound interest, umbrella compound interest, strand compound interest. Fruit morphology (Fructus) includes true fruit types of buni fruit, citrus fruit, kendaga fruit, compound stone fruit, dry single true fruit, compound true fruit, and pseudo true fruit. The parts of the organs used as medicine are leaves, rhizomes, roots, stems, flowers, and fruit.

Bioprospeksi Ekstrak Etanol Batang Serai Dapur Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf. sebagai Antibakteri Staphylococcus aureus ATCC : 25923

Bioprospection of medicinal plants does not only require empirical information, but also requires scientific evidence information. One of the potential medicinal plants that require scientific evidence regarding the ability of antibacterial activity is lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus). The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of lemongrass in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The design of this study was an experiment using ethanol extract samples of lemon grass stems and bacteria S. aureus ATCC : 25923. The research procedures included: determination, preparation, extraction, evaporation, and phytochemical screening of lemon grass stem powder taken from the Pasir Angin area, Bogor, West Java. Treatments in this study included: ethanol extract of lemon grass stems with concentrations of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 30µg chloramphenicol as positive control, and sterile distilled water as a negative control. All treatments were given 30µL on MHA media containing S. aureus culture. Data analysis in this study was carried out with a quantitative descriptive test. The results showed that the yield percentage of the viscous extract was 18.59% with positive phytochemical screening for alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and terpenoids. The antibacterial test results of the ethanol extract of lemon grass stem 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% against S. aureus were able to produce inhibition zone diameters of 1 mm, 1.25 mm, 2 mm, and 2.41 mm, and 3 mm with sensitivity response category resistant. The conclusion in this study was that the administration of ethanol extract of lemon grass stems with 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% was not effective in inhibiting the growth of S. aureus so that the lemon grass stems were taken from the Pasir Angin area, Bogor, West Java not recommended as a candidate raw material for pharmaceutical formulations.

Production characteristics of red napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. red) on different combination of soil and vermicompost as planting media

This study aimed at measuring production characteristics of Red Napier grass grown on planting media comprising different combinations of soil and vermicompost. The experiment was executed in greenhouse following completely randomized design with 5 treatments i.e. T0: 100% soil (control), T1: 75% soil + 25% vermicompost, T2: 50% soil + 50% vermicompost, T3: 25% soil + 75% vermicompost and T4: 100% vermicompost. Each treatment was replicated 5 times. The soil and vermicompost proportion were from 20 kg total planting media filled in polybags on which the grass stem cuttings were planted. Harvest was done 90 days after planting. Collected data were subjected to analysis of variance and least significant difference test. The results showed that treatments did not significantly affect (P>0.05) plant height, but significantly affect (P<0.05) leaf to stem ratio and very significantly affect (P<0.01) number of tillers, number of leaves, and nutrient production of stem, leaf and herbage. Highest production of dry matter was obtained at the treatment of T3.

Identifying Bambusa Sp. at TNGGP Resort PTN Selabintana Sukabumi through Mini Research Activities using Project Based Learning

Bamboo is a clear-trunked plant with grass stem type (calamus), which is a stem that is not hard, has real segments, and often hollow. The nature of the surface of the stem is hairy (laevis). The direction of growth is perpendicular (erectus). Bamboo has no branching pattern because it is a monocot. It has books (nodes) and segments (internodes). The cross section of the stem is round (teres) hollow or empty as it is stated by (Yutam Soleh 2013). This study aims to identify Bambusa sp. at Resort PTN Selabintana - Section PTN Region III - Division PTN Region II Sukabumi Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park. The method used is a descriptive exploratory method that describes the identification of Bambusa sp., and a roaming method that is exploring the Resort PTN Selabintana - PTN Section Region III - PTN Division Region II Sukabumi Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park which contains Bambusa sp. The results showed that the species Bambusa sp. found at Resort PTN Selabintana - PTN Section Region III - PTN Division Region III Sukabumi Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park were as many as 5 species, namely Gigantochloa pseudoarundinacea; Dendrocalamus asper; Dinochloa scandes; Bambusa blumeana; Schizostachyum brachycladum.

Impacts of grass planting density and components on overland flow hydraulics and soil loss

AbstractAlthough abundant studies have confirmed the positive effect of vegetation on runoff and soil erosion reduction, few studies have clarified the effects of planting density and its components (aboveground parts and roots) on slope runoff and soil erosion mechanisms. A series of field experimental plots were constructed on two slopes (3°, 6°), including a bare land plot as the control, three grassed plots with three grass (Agropyron cristatum) planting densities of 20 cm × 20 cm, 15 cm × 15 cm, and 10 cm × 10 cm, and a plot without aboveground parts, to examine runoff and soil erosion process under simulated overland flow of 4, 8, 12, and 16 L min−1. The runoff regime was transformed from supercritical‐turbulent flow to subcritical‐laminar flow with increasing planting density. Grass significantly reduced the runoff rate (RR), velocity (V), shear stress (τ), stream power (ω), and soil loss rate (SLR), with average reductions of 38.6%, 56.6%, 76.5%, 87.6%, and 61.9%, respectively. The aboveground parts contributed 74.1% and 75.1% of the total reduction in RR and V, respectively, while the grass roots contributed to 84.9%, 89.7%, 84.9%, and 69.7% of the reductions in Reynolds number, τ, ω, and SLR, respectively. RR, V, τ, ω, and SLR were significantly affected by slope, inflow discharge, root density, and the ratio of grass stem area to plot area. The runoff–sediment relationship changed from positively exponential function to linear and power functions with the planting density increased. Grass significantly weakened the sensitivity of soil erosion by reducing soil erodibility and improving critical hydrodynamic triggering soil erosion. This study improved the understanding of grass controlling soil and water loss, and the plants with well‐developed roots and planting space of 10–15 cm are preferred to provide a scientific reference for revegetation strategy.

Mechanical analysis characteristics of bionic structure based on NiTi alloy additive manufacturing

In recent years, the demand for protective structures in aerospace, transportation and other fields has become increasingly intense. In this paper, multi-rotation structure(MRS) and single rotation structure (SRS) are designed based on the microstructure of grass stem cross-section. Selective laser melting (SLM) is used to fabricate the structural model. The mechanical properties of two structures are investigated by numerical simulations and experiments. Results show that the specific absorption energy (SEA) of MRS is 33% higher than SRS. In addition, MRS is tested with cyclic compression and shape recovery experiments, which show the deformation recovery rate of MRS is 96%. Based on the superiority of MRS in mechanical and recovery performance, this paper also analyzes the influence of cell thickness t and cell angleθ on the performance. It is found that the sample with t = 0.45 mm, θ = 60° has the best comprehensive performance. Compared to SRS and initial design structure of MRS, its SEA is improved by 129% and 72.2%, and mean crushing force (MCF) is increased by 330% and 74%. This provides a theoretical basis for the development of new bionic protective structures.

PRODUCCIÓN DE BIOGÁS Y CARACTERÍSTICAS FERMENTATIVAS in vitro DE CONSORCIOS BACTERIANOS CELULOLÍTICOS RUMINALES OBTENIDOS DE DIFERENTES FIBRAS

<p><strong>Background</strong>. Cellulolytic bacterial consortia (CBC) serve as additives to improve fiber degradation in ruminants, since they improve biogas production and <em>in vitro</em> fermentation characteristics. <strong>Objective</strong>. To evaluate the biogas production and fermentative characteristics <em>in vitro </em>of mulato grass inoculated with ruminal CBC obtained from ground sawdust, ground mulato grass or whole stem as substrates in the selective culture medium. <strong>Methodology</strong>. The CBC were obtained from ruminal fluid from a Suiz-Bu cow fitted with a ruminal cannula, which was transferred six times in a selective anaerobic medium. The test consisted of preparing sterile biodigesters with 0.5 g of mulatto grass with 63 d of regrowth, 45 mL of culture medium. The inoculation was with 5 mL of a type of CBC. The biodigesters were incubated 72 h at 39 °C. Biogas production was measured at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. In the culture media, ammonia nitrogen (N-NH<sub>3</sub>), total bacterial count, cellulase activity, pH, dry matter degradation (DMD) and neutral detergent fiber degradation (NDFD) were determined at 12, 24, 48 y 72 h. In the biogas production a completely random design was used; while in the rest of the variables a completely randomized design was carried out with a 3x4 factorial arrangement, with fiber source and incubation time as factors. <strong>Results</strong>. The biogas production of the CBC obtained from the ground grass showed higher (p<0.05) accumulated production in all the evaluated times. The CBC obtained from sawdust increased the biogas production by 175% from 24 to 48 h and by 313% from 48 to 72 h. There was an interaction effect (p <0.05) on DMD, NDFD, N-NH<sub>3</sub>, total bacterial count and cellulase enzymatic activity. The CBC obtained from ground mulatto grass at 72 h increased (p <0.05) the DMD and NDFD. The CBC obtained from sawdust increased DMD by 19.1% and NDFD by 33% from 48 to 72 h. The concentration of bacteria in the observed interactions is within the range of the ruminal ecosystem. The highest (p<0.05) content of N-NH<sub>3</sub> was determined when the CBC obtained from grass stem with 12, 24 and 72 h of incubation were used. <strong>Implications</strong>. Using the same fiber source to obtain the CBCs improves the degradation of said fiber. <strong>Conclusion</strong>. The size and source of fiber are decisive in the type of bacteria that make up the cellulolytic bacterial consortia of ruminal origin under the conditions of this <em>in vitro</em> test.</p>

Productivity and Quality of Pakchong-1 Hybrid Grass (Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum americanum) at Different Harvesting Ages and Fertilizer Levels.

&lt;b&gt;Background and Objectives:&lt;/b&gt; The main feed for ruminants is forage, therefore it is necessary to need forage with high productivity and high nutritional content. One type of forage with very high productivity and high nutritional content is Pakchong grass 1. This study aims to determine the productivity of Pakchong 1 grass at different harvesting ages and levels of fertilizer. &lt;b&gt;Materials and Methods:&lt;/b&gt; This study was carried out at the Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung. This research method was experimental with a completely randomized design with a 4×3 factorial pattern, with 3 replications. The first factor is harvesting age that consisting of 4 levels each: P&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; = 40 days, P&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; = 50 days, P&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; = 60 days and P&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; = 70 days. The second factor was the level of fertilizer use from the three treatments, each: J&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; = Low dose (consisting of 50 kg urea ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, 25 kg TSP ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and 25 kg KCl ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;), J&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; = Moderate dose (consisting of 100 kg urea ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, 50 kg TSP ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and 50 kg KCl ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;), J&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; = High dose (consisting of 200 kg urea ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, 100 kg TSP ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt; and 100 kg KCL ha&lt;sup&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;). Based on ANOVA, it showed that there was no significant interaction between the treatment on all parameters (p>0.05). &lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The treatment of harvesting age also significantly affected the grass stem leaf ratio (p<0.05). Crude protein content and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were also affected by the age of the cut (p<0.05). &lt;b&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/b&gt; It was observed that there was no interaction between a dose of fertilizer and harvesting age on all parameters. There was no significant also on dose fertilizer treatment. Meanwhile, significant results on harvesting age on the parameter of biomass production, leaf-stem ratio, crude protein content and NDF content.

Habitat complexity and complex signal function – exploring the role of ornamentation

AbstractAnimals often communicate in complex, heterogeneous environments, leading to hypothesized selection for increased detectability or discriminability in signaling traits. The extent to which secondary sexual ornaments have evolved to overcome the challenges of signaling in complex environments, however, remains understudied, especially in comparison to their role as indicator traits. This study tested the hypothesis that the condition-dependent secondary sexual ornamentation in the wolf spider Rabidosa rabida functions to increase detectability/discriminability in visually complex environments. We predicted that male ornamentation would interact with the complexity of the signaling environment to affect male mating success. In particular, we expected ornaments to confer a greater mating advantage when males courted in visually complex environments. To test this, we artificially manipulated male foreleg ornamentation (present/absent) and ran repeated-measures mating trials across laboratory microcosms that represented simple versus complex visual signaling environments. Microcosm visual complexity differed in their background pattern, grass stem color, and grass stem placement. We found that ornamented males mated more often and more quickly than unornamented males across both environments, but we found no support for an ornament-by-environment interaction. Male courtship rate, however, did interact with the signaling environment. Despite achieving the same level of mating success across signaling environments, ornamented males courted less rapidly in complex versus simple environments, although environmental complexity had no influence on unornamented male courtship rates. Our results suggest that the visual complexity of the signaling environment influences the interactive influence of ornamentation and dynamic visual courtship on female mate choice.

Reinforcement of surface-modified cellulose nanofibrils extracted from Napier grass stem in natural rubber composites

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were prepared from Napier grass stems via alkalization, bleaching and sulfuric acid hydrolysis treatments and subsequently characterized by various techniques. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that CNFs with average diameter of 15 nm were successfully obtained in the diluted suspension. However, after freeze drying, CNFs aggregated and formed large fibrillar bundles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that CNFs exhibited Cellulose I structure with crystallinity index of 74 %. Results from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed the complete removal of noncellulosic compounds after the alkali and bleaching treatments. Surface treatment of CNFs by Bis-(triethoxysilyl-propyl) tetrasulfide (TESPT) was also carried out. Both untreated and TESPT-treated CNFs were added into natural rubber (NR) at various loadings (0–10 phr) to investigate their reinforcements. Regardless of the filler type, modulus and hardness of the NR composites increased continuously with increasing filler loading. Tensile strength increased with increasing filler loading up to 5 phr before leveling off. At any given filler loading, TESPT-treated CNFs exhibited greater reinforcement than untreated CNFs due to the improved rubber-filler interaction and the enhanced crosslink density. The results show the potential use of the TESPT-treated CNFs in rubber reinforcement.

Cooling effect of fungal stromata in the Dactylis-Epichloë-Botanophila symbiosis

ABSTRACT The stromata of Epichloë fungi are structures covering part of the stem of grasses. Under the fungal layer, still green tissues of the plant survive, although the development of the new leaves is inhibited. Stromata are the places where conidia and ascospores develop. Also, here Botanophila flies dine on mycelium, lay the eggs, defecate, and the larvae develop. The interaction of the three symbionts was analyzed concerning the organisms’ adaptation to understand the differences in physiology and ecology of this microenvironment that support stable symbiosis spreading presently in Europe since the beginning of the XXI century. For analysis of the infrared radiation emitted by stromata, a high-resolution infrared camera FLIR E50 was used. The visualization of stromata temperature profiles was shown in the form of pseudo-colored (false) infrared images. The 13C discrimination was used to characterize photosynthesis of the plant tissue enclosed within the stromata. The stromata had a substantially lower temperature than the green plant tissues. The difference reached ~5.6°C during midday hours, whereas it was smaller in the evening, reaching only ~3.6°C. The mycelium of Epichloë cultivated on agar showed about 2°C lower temperature in comparison to the surrounding. The plant tissues enclosed within the stroma were photosynthetically active, although this activity was of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) type and less involved in heat dissipation during the day. The stromata, built by fungal hyphae, on which fungal reproductive structures develop, form a cool shelter. This shelter provides a place for the larvae of Botanophila flies.

Textual research on medicinal blue herbs

In this paper, through the collection and collation of ancient herbs, medical books and prescriptions, combined with modern literature, the historical changes of the name, origin, position, medicinal parts, collection, processing and processing of bluegrass were systematically combed and verified.It can be seen from the research that bluegrass was first used as medicine by the fruit, namely blueberry, which was originally Polygonum tinctorium. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, blueberry was rarely used, and it has been no longer used medicinally. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the medicinal parts extended to the stems and leaves, and most of them used juice as medicine.Since the Tang Dynasty, origin has been extended to Isatis indigotica, Baphicacanthus cusia, Indigofera tinctoria, Compositae plant Wulan, etc. In the Song Dynasty, the medicinal parts extended to the roots, and the &quot;Banlangen&quot; began to appear, and gradually became the main medicinal parts of blue medicinal materials, the main base of which was B. cusia. Since the Qing Dynasty, I. indigotica, a Cruciferae, has gradually become a genuine indigo root, while B. cusia has become a southern indigo root. It was the first mineral dye imported from abroad for thrush, and then used as medicine, also known as clam powder. Because it was found that it had the same effect with the extract of bluegrass, it was also named indigo naturalis in China, which has lasted till now. The main stream of Isatidis Folium in the past dynasties is the dry stem and leaf of Clerodendrum cyrtophylum. Since the Qing Dynasty, the stem and leaf of Isatis indigotica, P. tinctorium and other blue grasses have been gradually mixed as substitutes and gradually become the mainstream.

Mild O2-aided alkaline pretreatment effectively improves fractionated efficiency and enzymatic digestibility of Napier grass stem towards a sustainable biorefinery

Napier grass is a promising energy source on account of its strong adaptability and high productivity. Herein, an O2-aided alkaline pretreatment with mild operating conditions was developed to modify Napier grass stem structure for improving its fractionated efficiency and enzymatic digestibility. Compared with the conventional alkaline pretreatment, it could be proceeded at lower temperature (80 °C) and dilute NaOH solution (1%) to remove over 80% lignin and retain 92% cellulose. The recovered lignin possessed typical structures of native lignin and well-preserved molecular weight, anticipating feasible potential in preparation of biomaterials or aromatic chemicals. Coupled with the enzymatic hydrolysis managements of solid remain and hydrolysate after the pretreatment, the recovery yields of glucose and xylose based on the raw material feeds reached 89.7% and 90.2%, respectively. This contribution demonstrates a highly-reliable strategy to fractionate Napier grass stem for maximizing fermentation sugar production and valorizing lignin toward sustainable biorefinery processes.

Isolation endophytic bacteria from elephant grass (pennisetum purpureum schumach) and their potential application

In this study, 25 endophytic bacteria were isolated and purified from rhizome, stem and leaf of the elephant grass, which were tested for their biological control properties. The number of living and dead brown plant hoppers were recorded and the mortality rate was analyzed by using Abbott’s formula. The results indicated that three endophytic bacteria including VBL1, VBT1 and VBT5 showed the highest biological control of Nilaparvata lugens at the mortality rate 46.95%, 55.02% and 55.02%, respectively after 8 days of screening and significant difference compared to other isolates (P