Maintenance Of Quality Research Articles

Soil chemical quality indicators for agricultural life cycle assessment: a case of study in Brazil

AbstractModern agriculture has had to face complex environmental issues, many of which result from land use, which includes the degradation of its fertility properties. Soil quality is fundamental to the sustainability of the planet, as it also affects other natural resources. Therefore, it must be seen as a fundamental action for the sustainability of the planet and be evaluated using methodologies capable of holistically relating the environmental impacts of production systems, as does the Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. However, due to the lack of suitable models, LCA is still ineffective in assessing soil quality. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the use of chemical soil quality indicators in the context of LCA, contributing new information to the debate. To this end, a set of soil quality indicators from the APOIA-NovoRural method were applied in some agricultural production systems in southern Brazil. Thus, the LCA results confirmed soil quality maintenance activities as those that most contribute to impacts, particularly in the categories of climate change, (eco)toxicities and land use. However, the indicators efficiently contributed direct information about the agricultural environment, relating them to the impacts estimated by the LCA. Therefore, the use of indicators makes it possible to improve soil management by adjusting chemical parameters, accurately contextualizing activities, and use of inputs to the real conditions of the area assessed. Thus, we demonstrate that indicators can be useful in providing information for agricultural environmental management in interrelation with LCA, whose application alone is not yet capable of achieving such results.

Performance Assessment of Existing Asphalt Pavement in China’s Highway Reconstruction and Expansion Project Based on Coupling Weighting Method and Cloud Model Theory

In China, a substantial portion of highway asphalt pavements are no longer capable of accommodating increasing traffic volumes and necessitate renovation and expansion. Prior to commencing such activities, it is crucial to evaluate the performance of the existing asphalt pavements. This study developed a novel normal cloud framework integrating a comprehensive weighted indicator system for existing asphalt pavement. Five key performance indicators including riding quality index (RQI), rutting area ratio (Rr), cracking area ratio (Cr), patching area ratio (Pr), and pavement structural strength index (PSSI) were selected to holistically represent the pavement condition in highway renovation and expansion projects. Subsequently, a method was proposed to determine the weights of these indicators by integrating the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy. A normal cloud model was constructed to address data characteristics and representation of indicator fuzziness/randomness through digital cloud modeling. The model was applied to 12 sections of the Jingjintang Expressway (Tianjin section). The results revealed only one section where the normal cloud model differed from the pavement maintenance quality assessment (PQI) model. The 3D ground-penetrating radar detection results of this different section indicated that the normal cloud model more closely aligned with the road structure condition. Compared to absolute pass/fail criteria of the traditional PQI model, the cloud model offered enhanced sensitivity to define graded condition assessments essential for reconstruction planning and decision analysis. Therefore, the normal cloud model is more suitable for assessing the performance of existing asphalt pavements in highway reconstruction and extension projects compared to the PQI model.

Transfer learning-based drive-by monitoring of railway tracks

Track quality significantly impacts passenger comfort and safety. The maintenance of track quality involves routine monitoring of track geometry and track component defects. In a drive-by monitoring framework, vibration data are collected from operational trains providing an effective and low-cost track monitoring system. This framework enables each train to inspect multiple lines without the need to install and maintain sensors on each line. In conventional data-driven frameworks that utilize machine learning or statistical models, geometrical defects diagnosis model is often constructed using supervised learning. Supervised learning requires response data and corresponding damage states (i.e., labels) for each railway line to learn the line-specific damage diagnosis model. However, labelled data are frequently unavailable for many lines in practical situations, making it challenging to construct a damage diagnosis model. Furthermore, using data directly from source line to construct a damage diagnosis model for the target line can lead to inaccurate results. To this end, in this paper, a novel drive-by monitoring framework is proposed based on Transfer Learning (TL) concept. This approach transfers the geometrical defects diagnosis model learned from one line to a new line. Firstly, condition-sensitive time domain features are extracted from the raw data. Then, a deep learning model based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) network is trained on a dataset from one line (source domain) and fine-tuned for a new dataset using a small number of samples from another line (target domain). The effectiveness of this framework is compared through the classification performance using real-world monitoring datasets collected from two different lines of the France railways network. The results demonstrate up to a 22% increase in defect detection accuracy compared to the basic method.

Insights into the cooling rate and preservative effect of slurry ice on large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) in terms of the fish/ice ratio, salinity, and the ice mass fraction

AbstractThe cooling effect of slurry ice as cooling medium on large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) was studied by considering different fish/ice ratio, salinity and initial ice mass fraction (40%, 60%, and 80%). Results obtained with optical microscope clarified that the ice particle size and cooling time of slurry ice were decreased at increasing salinity. Best precooling efficiency was obtained with specific values of fish/ice ratio 1:2, salinity 5.0%, and initial ice mass fraction 60%. Then, the effects of precooling time (0, 3, 12, and 24 h) in slurry ice on the quality of large yellow croaker stored at 4°C were investigated. The results showed that slurry ice precooling could significantly (p < 0.05) inhibit the microbial reproduction and retard the quality deterioration of large yellow croaker. Therefore, slurry ice can be a promising precooling method for the quality maintenance of marine fish.Practical applicationsLarge yellow croaker is extremely perishable due to its nutrient abundance. The spoilage process of fish is vitally influenced by the changes of internal environment and external environment after harvest. Timely precooling can prominently improve the shelf‐life of perishable foods. Slurry ice, a two‐phase system consisting of seawater (or artificial seawater) and spherical ice microcrystals, is regarded as an alternative precooling medium. Compared with conventional ice, slurry ice has faster cooling rate, little physical damage to soft tissue such as aquatic products and has better fluidity allows it to comprehensively cover the fish surface, thereby protecting fish from oxidation.

Efficient Model for Waste Load and RouteOptimization

Urbanization frequently gives rise to substantial environmental issues, namely in waste management and water quality maintenance. Gross Pollutant Traps (GPTs) are essential in urban stormwater management as they effectively capture substantial pollutants before they enterthe centralwater bodies. Nevertheless, the irregular buildup of trash caused by fluctuating rainfall intensity hinders the effective transfer of garbage from GPTs to their ultimate disposal locations. This research presents a holistic approach toenhancing the efficiency of waste transportation by improving route and load planning. The model utilizes machine learning techniques to forecast the quantity of waste collected by GPTs. We have created an optimization algorithm that usesthe forecast outcome from a prior research dataset. This algorithm is designed to efficiently plan the routes and loads for trucks responsible for transporting waste to its final disposal location. The optimization process consideredthe estimated amounts of garbage, the capacities of the vehicles, and the locations of the disposal sitesto reduce transportation expenses and save time. The system adaptively optimized routes using real-time data on the vehicle'sorigin and destination, ensuring effective allocation of resources and prompt garbage removal. Installingthis approach resulted in a substantial decrease in transportation expenses and enhanced compliance with waste pickup timetables. The integration of predictive modelingand route optimization is enhancing urban trash management. Accurate garbage quantity forecasts and optimized transportation logistics can enable municipalities to deploy resources more effectively, decrease operational costs, and improve environmental protection. We chose a subset of 7 days, equivalent to one week, from the projected dataset for our experiment.Subsequently, we conductednumerous trials involving various waste disposalfrequencies. The findings suggest that waste disposalevery four(4) days is the most advantageous approach. Still, itperforms similarlyto waste disposalevery three (3)days and has negligible environmental consequences. Hence, we select to execute the optimal solution for three(3) days, as it provides exceptional performancewhen consideringthe influence of natural pollution.

SlPGR5/SlPGRL1 pathway-dependent cyclic electron transport regulates photoprotection and chloroplast quality in tomato plants

The essential photoprotective role of proton gradient regulation 5 (PGR5)-dependent cyclic electron flow (CEF) has been reported in Arabidopsis, rice, and algae. However, its functional assessment has not been performed in tomato yet. In this study, we focused on elucidate the function of SlPGR5 and SlPGR5-like photosynthetic phenotype 1 (PGRL1) in tomato. We performed RNA interference and found that SlPGR5/SlPGRL1-suppressed transformants exhibited extremely low CO2 assimilation capacity, their photosystem I (PSI) and PSII were severely photoinhibited and chloroplasts were obviously damaged. The SlPGR5/SlPGRL1-suppressed plants almost completely inhibited CEF and Y(ND), and PSII photoinhibition may be directly related to the inability to produce sufficient proton motive force to induce NPQ. The transgenic plants overexpressing SlPGR5 and SlPGRL1 driven by 35S promoter capable alleviate photoinhibition of plants under low night temperature. The transcriptomic and proteomic analyses suggested that the nuclear gene transcription and turnover of chloroplast proteins, including the plastoglobule-related proteins, were closely related to SlPGR5/SlPGRL1 pathway dependent CEF. The bridge relationship between CEF and chloroplast quality maintenance was a novel report to our knowledge. In conclusion, these results revealed the regulatory mechanism of the SlPGR5/SlPGRL1 pathway in photoprotection and maintenance of chloroplast function in tomato, which is crucial for reduce yield loss, especially under adverse environmental conditions.

Relationship between Damages and other Postharvest Stress Factors Affecting Quality of Fruit and Vegetables

Stress is the main concern hindering the maintenance of postharvest quality of fruit and vegetables. From production to consumption, fruit and vegetables are subjected to various handling activities in which some of these activities result in damaging commodity which make them susceptible to stress through entire post-harvest period. Stresses mostly come from biological and environmental factors such as harvest conditions, temperature, relative humidity, and gas composition of storage environment, as well as metabolic activities and microbial infections which all correlate with damages for one way or another and bring about quality loss and shortening of commodity’s shelf life.

Bearing-DETR: A Lightweight Deep Learning Model for Bearing Defect Detection Based on RT-DETR.

Detecting bearing defects accurately and efficiently is critical for industrial safety and efficiency. This paper introduces Bearing-DETR, a deep learning model optimised using the Real-Time Detection Transformer (RT-DETR) architecture. Enhanced with Dysample Dynamic Upsampling, Efficient Model Optimization (EMO) with Meta-Mobile Blocks (MMB), and Deformable Large Kernel Attention (D-LKA), Bearing-DETR offers significant improvements in defect detection while maintaining a lightweight framework suitable for low-resource devices. Validated on a dataset from a chemical plant, Bearing-DETR outperformed the standard RT-DETR, achieving a mean average precision (mAP) of 94.3% at IoU = 0.5 and 57.5% at IoU = 0.5-0.95. It also reduced floating-point operations (FLOPs) to 8.2 G and parameters to 3.2 M, underscoring its enhanced efficiency and reduced computational demands. These results demonstrate the potential of Bearing-DETR to transform maintenance strategies and quality control across manufacturing environments, emphasising adaptability and impact on sustainability and operational costs.

Existing Green Port Sustainable Practices under Fuzzy AHP Model: A Case Study of Karachi Port

Maritime transport drives globalization and international trade. Ports worldwide handle 80% of seaborne trade by volume and 70% by value. Sustainable development is more important due to unexpected worldwide environmental changes. Ports are vital to economic progress. Port construction and operation polluted the environment, prompting the green concept. The present study used the "Fuzzy AHP Model"to assess Karachi Port's sustainable green port practices based on previous research. The study identified five key characteristics of a green port: little hazardous waste handling, a weak air and water pollution control system, poor port greenery, and habitat quality maintenance below international standards at Karachi port. Future research should create and apply solutions to improve this study's prioritized features. Innovative technology, policies, and collaborations can sustain green ports. Port and regional studies uncover green port best practices and contextual differences. Monitor and evaluate strategies to adapt to changing environmental standards and maritime transport issues.

Optimizing yard space for independent food security in Kebonbatur Village

Amidst economic hardships and rising staple food prices, the majority of residents in RT 01 RW III of Kebonbatur Village, Mranggen District, Demak Regency, who work as laborers and farmers, struggle to meet their daily food needs. This community service program aimed to optimize limited yard space by introducing urban farming using the BUDIKDAMBER system (fish and vegetable cultivation in buckets). The training covered equipment preparation, fish distribution techniques, feeding, water quality maintenance, fish harvesting, and vegetable planting using aquaponics methods. Intensive mentoring was provided to ensure practical implementation of the acquired knowledge. The residents' enthusiasm was remarkable, as they immediately applied the learnings in their respective yards. This activity successfully raised awareness and skills among residents in utilizing limited space for self-reliant food security, as evidenced by active participation, satisfaction with harvest results, and the opening of economic opportunities.

Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics to reveal the mechanism of allyl isothiocyanate delaying postharvest quality deterioration of Coprinus comatus

The regulatory mechanism underlying allyl isothiocyanate (AITC)-mediated quality maintenance in postharvest Coprinus comatus fruiting bodies remains unclear. Herein, transcriptomics and metabolomics were applied to investigate the potential protective mechanism of AITC. Metabolomics analysis revealed that 189 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified and AITC significantly regulated the metabolic pathways (ko01100). Transcriptomics data demonstrated that a total of 2484, 2990 and 437 differentially expressed gens (DEGs) were determined in CON12 vs CON0, AITC12 vs CON0 and AITC12 vs CON12, respectively. The expression of 66 DEGs was markedly reversed by AITC. KEGG analysis indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in galactose metabolism (ko00052) and sphingolipid metabolism (ko00600), which was also highlighted by the omics integrated analysis. In detail, AITC enhanced the biosynthesis of cell wall polysaccharides via up-regulation of aldose 1-epimerase and UTP-glucose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, as well as suppressed the degradation of glucan via down-regulation of alpha-galactosidase. Meanwhile, AITC evidently hindered the excessive accumulation of cytotoxic intermediates in sphingolipid metabolism and reduced the generation of ROS mainly through down-regulating the key rate-limiting enzyme, serine palmitoyltransferase. Overall, AITC effectively maintained cell wall integrity and mitigated oxidative damage on mushroom cells. In addition, the expression of 24 transcription factors was significantly regulated by AITC, and they were mainly from GATA, GRAS, NAC and C2H2 families. These findings indicated that AITC is a promising preservative for alleviating quality deterioration of postharvest edible mushrooms.

The role of declining ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) function in oocyte aging

Despite the advances in the understanding of reproductive physiology, the mechanisms underlying ovarian aging are still not deciphered. Recent research found an association between impaired ATM-mediated DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms and oocyte aging. However, direct evidence connecting ATM-mediated pathway function decline and impaired oocyte quality is lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the role of ATM-mediated DNA DSB repair in the maintenance of oocyte quality in a mouse oocyte knockdown model. Gene interference, in vitro culture, parthenogenesis coupled with genotoxicity assay approaches, as well as molecular cytogenetic analyses based upon next-generation sequencing, were used to test the hypothesis that intact ATM function is critical in the maintenance of oocyte quality. We found that ATM knockdown impaired oocyte quality, resulting in poor embryo development. ATM knockdown significantly lowered or blocked the progression of meiosis in vitro, as well as retarding and reducing embryo cleavage after parthenogenesis. After ATM knockdown, all embryos were of poor quality, and none reached the blastocyst stage. ATM knockdown was also associated with an increased aneuploidy rate compared to controls. Finally, ATM knockdown increased the sensitivity of the oocytes to a genotoxic active metabolite of cyclophosphamide, with increased formation of DNA DSBs, reduced survival, and earlier apoptotic death compared to controls. These findings suggest a key role for ATM in maintaining oocyte quality and resistance to genotoxic stress, and that the previously observed age-induced decline in oocyte ATM function may be a prime factor contributing to oocyte aging.

Temporal analysis of cryopreservation effects on human sperm phospholipase C zeta expression profile: Laboratory preliminary findings

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to compare the sperm parameters and sperm phospholipase C zeta (PLC ζ) expression profile before and after vitrification. Materials and Methods: Pre-vitrification and post-vitrification analysis of semen samples of 14 infertile men was carried out for sperm parameters such as motility, vitality, and morphology by standard semen analysis procedures, whereas the proportion of sperms exhibiting PLC ζ and its localization pattern was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. The temporal analysis was done thrice: over 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months of cryostorage. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism version 8.0.1 (San Diego, California, USA). Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Parametric or non-parametric tests were employed for comparisons according to the normality of data distribution and the available data set. P value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Vitrification was found to be associated with a decrease in the percentage of sperm motility (P ≤ 0.0001), vitality (P ≤ 0.0001), spermatozoa exhibiting normal morphology (P > 0.05), and PLC ζ protein (P > 0.05), however, the latter two, only, insignificantly. There was increased dominance in the post-acrosomal localization of PLC ζ after vitrification (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: The post-acrosomal localization of PLC ζ has been reported to have the highest positive correlation with oocyte fertilization and the present study showed the predominant pattern of the same. The implications for quality maintenance for long storage periods can be suggested as better sperm quality was observed at 3 months of storage during this study. This raises the hypothesis that the vitrification method of sperm cryopreservation may be the method of choice for routine clinical use in the assisted reproductive technology settings.

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКАЯ МОДЕЛЬ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ ТЕХНИЧЕСКОГО СЕРВИСА

A wide range of agricultural machinery in need of high-quality maintenance throughout the entire operational period to ensure uninterrupted and efficient operation is one of the most important links in the agro-industrial complex. (Research purpose) The research purpose is developing a mathematical model showing the relationship between the conduct of maintenance activities and the unit of equipment of the agricultural fleet; within the framework of the obtained mathematical model, deriving a criterion assessment of the quantitative conduct of maintenance. (Materials and methods) Indicated that such estimates can be obtained by applying mathematical modeling. A mathematical model was constructed using a visual diagram reflecting the relationship between the machines of the agricultural park, types of maintenance, elements of set theory and mathematical analysis. We used the theory of sets, which allowed us to move from the units of equipment of the fleet of agricultural machines to an analytical representation of realities and derive a constant that gives an assessment of maintenance depending on the number of activities carried out during the time interval under consideration. (Results and discussion) It was noted that it is necessary to improve the quality of maintenance by improving the control of its implementation in real conditions. The novelty of this work consists in the originality of the obtained scheme linking the types of maintenance and the machines of the agricultural fleet, without being tied to the number of units of equipment; in the development of a mathematical model that allows, using theoretical calculations, contributing to improving the control of maintenance activities by obtaining a universal constant that quantifies for any type of equipment and maintenance. The theoretical results were tested using the Kirovets-739 tractor as an example. (Conclusions) We obtained a schematic representation of the relationship between the components of the machine and tractor fleet and a numerical estimate reflecting the number of completed scheduled maintenance steps during the time period under study when using mathematical methods in the organization and conduct of maintenance.

Strategi Pemasaran Oleh Rumah Sakit Melalui Penyelenggaraan Medical Tourism

Emerging global competition in the industry of health is possible for patients from the country more proceed On do journey to a country to develop by getting maintenance quality medical _ tall And with affordable prices. _ Medical Tourism as part of Strategy Marketing House Sick in the Tourism Area. Writing This explains Medical Tourism and strategy marketing hospital in Indonesia. Study This aim is to analyze the readiness of House Sick, government, and travel agency tours in service tour medical. House Sick as a business private use various strategy For interesting more Lots patient or customers, like creating room therapy in a hybrid hotel (home-designed pain _ For comfort patient international ). House Sick Also compile strategy marketing For direct patient And customer as well as identify three strategies the is with connect to patient potential through a visit to the country origin, employ intermediary journey medical And compile 'medical check-up' package for person healthy.

Synergistic effect of red-white LED and modified atmosphere packaging on okra quality maintenance and its mechanism in simulated cold chain logistics

Okra is rich in nutritional value, but transportation vibration, cold chain breakage and improper storage can quickly accelerate quality deterioration. In this study, we simulated the cold chain transportation process to find the synergistic effect of red-white LED illumination combined with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on okra quality maintenance and its mechanism of action. After 16 d of storage, LED+MAP can better avoid water loss and wilting in okra. The fracturability was 35 %, 33 %, and 40 % of fresh okra for LED, MAP, and LED+MAP, respectively, compared to 17 % for CK. CK produced unpleasant odors, but the odor of LED+MAP was close to the fresh. LED+MAP maintained the stability of the nutrient content of okra. The chlorophyll content of LED+MAP was reduced to 64 % of the original compared to 35 % of that for CK. The total phenol content of LED+MAP was reduced to 55 % of the original compared to 26 % of that for CK. The total flavonoid content of LED+MAP was reduced to 72 % of the original compared to 56 % of that for CK. LED+MAP regulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the antioxidant capacity was significantly higher than that of the other groups. The ascorbic acid content of LED+MAP was reduced to 52 % of the original compared to 38 % of that for CK. The MDA content of LED+MAP was 3.83 times of the original compared to 8.52 times of that for CK. The electrolyte leakage of LED+MAP was 2.12 times of the original compared to 2.86 times of that for CK. With the increase of storage time, O2 concentration in MAP showed a decreasing trend and CO2 showed an increasing trend. O2 in LED+MAP showed a growing trend followed by a decreasing trend and CO2 showed a decreasing trend followed by a rising trend. LED+MAP complemented the shortcomings of the single technology and was more effective in delaying the quality deterioration of okra.

Enzyme Activity Stoichiometry Suggests That Fertilization, Especially Nitrogen Fertilization, Alleviates Nutrient Limitation of Soil Microorganisms in Moso Bamboo Forests

Rational application of N fertilizer is essential for maintaining the long-term productivity of Moso bamboo forests. Microbial activity is a crucial indicator of soil quality. Changes in soil nutrient resources due to N addition can lead to microbial nutrient limitations, thereby impeding the maintenance of soil quality. Currently, there is limited research on the effects of N application on microbial nutrient limitations in Moso bamboo forest soils. To examine the changes in extracellular enzyme activity and microbial nutrient limitations in Moso bamboo forest soils following N application, we conducted an N application experiment in northern Guizhou. The findings revealed that the N3 treatment (726 kg·N·hm−2·yr−1) significantly reduced β-glucosidase (BG) activity by 27.61% compared to the control group (no fertilization). The N1 (242 kg·N·hm−2·yr−1), N2 (484 kg·N·hm−2·yr−1), and N3 treatments notably increased the activities of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase (NAG) by 11.45% to 15.79%. Acid phosphatase (ACP) activity remained unaffected by fertilization. N application treatments significantly decreased the C:Ne and C:Pe ratios, while the N:Pe ratio was less influenced by N fertilizer application. Scatter plots and vector characteristics of enzyme activity stoichiometry suggested that microorganisms in the study area were limited by C and N, and N fertilizer application reduced the vector length and increased the vector angle, indicating that N application alleviated the C and N limitation of microorganisms in Moso bamboo forests. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) demonstrated that microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) was the most critical factor affecting extracellular enzyme activity and stoichiometry. Furthermore, Random Forest Regression analysis identified MBP and the N:Pm ratio as the most significant factors influencing microbial C and N limitation, respectively. The study demonstrated that N application modulates the microbial nutrient acquisition strategy by altering soil nutrient resources in Moso bamboo forests. Formulating fertilizer application strategies based on microbial nutrient requirements is more beneficial for maintaining soil quality and sustainably managing Moso bamboo forests. Additionally, our study offers a theoretical reference for understanding carbon cycling in bamboo forest ecosystems in the context of substantial N inputs.

Whether Wheat–Maize Rotation Influenced Soil Organic Carbon Content in Sushui River Basin

Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) content in farmland is crucial for soil quality maintenance and food security. However, the relationship between crop rotation and SOC sequestration remains unclear. We used sample data on SOC, collected in September of every year, from cultivated land for quality monitoring from 2017 to 2021, combined with spatially extracted planting system information, and focused on the effects of wheat–maize crop rotation on SOC in the Sushui River Basin. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the SOC content was only significantly different between wheat monoculture and maize monoculture. Among the three cropping systems, wheat–maize rotation did not show absolute superiority. The Geodetector analysis showed that the planting system dominated the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (p = 0.05), but its explanatory factor was only 5%, and the explanatory power was significantly improved after interaction with other factors. Geographically weighted regression showed that wheat–maize rotation had a trade-off effect with elevation and synergistic effects with rainfall and pH. It displayed a synergistic effect with temperature in the southwest and a trade-off effect in the northeast. The degrees of trade-offs and synergy varied spatially among all interacting factors. We focused on the spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon in a small watershed, and the results had scientific significance for the layout of planting systems according to local conditions and the improvement in soil organic carbon levels.

Effects of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma treatment on quality maintenance, energy and γ-aminobutyric acid accumulation of fresh-cut carrots

The effects of a novel method non-thermal cold plasma (CP) treatment on microbial control, quality maintenance, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation of shred carrots were investigated. Results revealed CP treatment suppressed microbial growth and inhibited the increase in L* value and whiteness index, while stimulated the generation of reactive oxygen species. Meanwhile, it also enhanced activities and transcriptions of glutamate decarboxylase and GABA transaminase in GABA shunt, and strengthened the polyamine degradation pathway via enhancing activities of diamine oxidase (DAO), polyamine oxidase (PAO), aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase (AMADH), and the expression of DcPAO, thus in turn promoting GABA accumulation through facilitating the conversion from glutamate and polyamines into GABA. Moreover, CP treatment improved the energy status and reducing power by upregulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Therefore, these findings indicated that CP treatment was effective for microbial reduction, quality preservation, and GABA accumulation in fresh-cut carrots, thereby providing potential strategies for the preservation and processing of fresh-cut produce.

Tert-Butylhydroquinone retards longan fruit deterioration by regulating membrane lipid and energy metabolisms

Longan fruit deteriorates rapidly after harvest, which limits its storability. This study aimed to investigate the effect of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) on quality maintenance, membrane lipid metabolism, and energy status of longan fruit during 25 °C storage. Compared with control fruit, TBHQ treatment maintained better marketable fruit rate and suppressed activities of phospholipase D (PLD), lipase, and lipoxygenase (LOX), and downregulated expressions of DlPLD, DlLOX, and Dllipase. TBHQ also increased the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (U/S) and the index of unsaturated fatty acids (IUFA). In addition, higher levels of ATP, ADP, energy charge, NADP+/ NADPH as well as higher activities of H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and NADK were also observed in TBHQ-treated fruit. These results suggested that TBHQ may maintain postharvest quality of longan fruit by regulating membrane lipid and energy metabolisms.