Tolerant Strains Research Articles

Comparing the Cold, Warm, and Hot Deformation Flow Behavior of Selective Laser‐Melted and Electron‐Beam‐Melted Ti–6Al–2Sn–4Zr–2Mo Alloy

The cold, warm, and hot deformation flow behavior and mechanical properties of the Ti‐6242 alloy produced by selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM) are compared. Hot compression tests are conducted over a wide temperature range (100–1000 °C) at a constant strain rate of 0.001 s−1. The yield and overall strength levels of the SLMed specimens are higher than those of the EBMed specimens at all temperatures. A thermally stable region is observed for SLMed specimens in the temperature range of 100–700 °C, but the strength level drops significantly (approximately 300–500 MPa) at above 700 °C. The stability region shifts to the lower temperature range of 100–600°Cfor the EBMed specimens, and strength starts to decrease at 600 °C. Both specimens experience fracture in a cold‐temperature regime but exhibit a high strain tolerance of approximately 0.4. The SLMed samples display a completely brittle behavior at a warm temperature regime, whereas, the EBMed specimens demonstrate better formability, tolerating higher compressive strains. The softening fraction substantially increases at high temperatures, indicating safe domains for thermomechanical processing of additively manufactured Ti6242 alloy.

Isolation, identification, and molecular characterization of probiotic bacteria from locally selected Ethiopian free range chickens gastrointestinal tract

The poultry industry is facing continuous challenges with regard to increased feed costs and loss due to infectious disease. To overcome this challenge, several antibiotics have been used along with chicken feeds to promote growth. Nevertheless, the use of antibiotics as growth promoter has been banned in many countries, due to the concerns associated with potential risks of emerging and horizontal transfer of multidrug resistant genes to bacteria in animal tissues. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize potential probiotic bacteria strains from the gastrointestinal tract of free-range locally selected chickens. The bacterial isolates were screened, purified and characterized based on morphological, biochemical and molecular characteristics from 12 well adopted free-range healthy young chickens. Low pH and bile salt tolerance, antagonistic activity, antibiotic activity, hemolysis activity, adhesion to the chicken intestine and carbohydrate fermentation tests was conducted to identify potential probiotic bacteria. Twelve bacterial isolates were screened based on their ability for their tolerance to low pH and bile salt. The isolates were identified by using 16S rRNA gene partial sequencing method. All screened isolates showed great survival percentage at low pH, i.e. (89.2±0.75 to 97.1±0.64) survived at 3hrs and (83.6±0.75 to 95.2±0.63) at 6hrs challenge at pH2. Isolate GCM112 was the least tolerant strain in 6.0% salt concentration at 12 and 24hrs exposure time (82.1±1.28 and 79.9±1.96%) respectively. The result revealed no strain tests in this study exhibited α- and β-hemolytic activity when cultured in sheep blood agar. Most isolated strains showed best growth at 37°C temperature and up to 4% NaCl concentration. Based on the reported result from in vitro data, GCH212 and GCM412 isolates were recognized as best potential probiotic bacteria for chicken against pathogens but further studies are needed on in vivo assessment on the health benefits in the real life situation.

Docking assisted mechanistic elucidation of bio conversion of hexavalent chromium by Serratia marcescens AJRR-22 that is effective yet long term sustainable in bio-geosphere

Environmental accumulation of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in the food chain can induce detrimental effects on plants and animals, which calls for effective remediation strategies using biological entities. The bacterium isolated from an iron mine in Odisha, India, is identified asSerratia marcescensAJRR-22. This multi-metal tolerant strain is capable of bio-converting up to 350 mg/L Cr(VI) within 72 h of incubation. Observable electron dense precipitates in transmission electron microscopic images, data patterns in fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry clearly reveal the chromate reduction ability of the strain. The molecular study is depicted by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analyses. Furthermore, a simulation study to estimate the interactions of chromium bound flavin reductasewith predicted docked complexes suggests significant negative Gibbs free energy and a low inhibition constant (Ki), signifying strong spontaneous binding of Cr(VI) to the enzyme, which makes the strain an efficient candidate for chromium bioremediation.

The effects of cardiovascular rehabilitation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction - does gender really matter?

Abstract Background The prevalence of heart failure (HF) in the adult population appears to be 1-2%, and it rises with age. About ½ of HF patients have reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Although the positive effects of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with HFrEF are well known, women seem to participate in CR significantly less compared to men. Purpose To determine whether there is a difference in the effects of CR on the tolerance of physical strain and the quality of life (QOL) related to gender in examinees with HFrEF. Methods The study involved 225 pts with HFrEF, 190 men (84.4%) and 35 women (15.56%), who were referred to a three-week CR program. At baseline and the end of CR exercise stress test (EST) was taken. The QOL was assessed at the beginning and the end of CR by validated questionnaire Short-Form 36. Results Male pts showed better strain tolerance on the first and the second EST compared to female pts. However, both gender showed improvement in physical strain tolerance on the second EST by achieving higher strain level (men 2.17±0.85 vs. 2.56±0.88, p=0.000; women 1.74±0.7 vs. 2.14±0.77, p=0.001), and longer duration of EST (men 2.56±2.97 vs. 5.64±2.85, p=0.000; women 2.28±2.46 vs. 4.63±2.4, p=0.000). Also, significantly more male and female pts achieved submaximal heart rate on the second EST (p=0.000 for men, and p=0.046 for women). Furthermore, CR has led to an improvement in the QOL in both men and women. Namely, all parameters were better at the end of CR, both in men and women. However, statistically significant improvements in female pts were noted in physical functioning (40±16.96 vs. 70±6.12, p=0.034), and energy/fatigue (43±17.54 vs. 62±20.49, p=0.041). On the other hand, the statistical significance in male pts was reached in physical functioning (59.38±25.57 vs. 67.23±23.47, p=0.002), energy/fatigue (60.43±22.7 vs. 64.08±21.22, p=0.036), emotional well-being (71.31±20.97, vs. 74.29±21.18, p=0.011), body pain (63.64±26.95 vs. 71.93±23.58, p=0.000), and general health (48.94±14.7 vs. 55.27±18.1, p=0.000). Conclusion Women generally less participate in CR than men. Results indicated that CR improves exercise capacity and QOL in HFrEF patients, in both men and women. This is why CR needs improvement in the referral and participation of women.

Isolation of endophytic fungi from Cotoneaster multiflorus and screening of drought-tolerant fungi and evaluation of their growth-promoting effects.

In the context of climate change and human factors, the drought problem is a particularly serious one, and environmental pollution caused by the abuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is increasingly serious. Endophytic fungi can be used as a protection option, which is ecologically friendly, to alleviate abiotic stresses on plants, promote plant growth, and promote the sustainable development of agriculture and forestry. Therefore, it is of great significance to screen and isolate endophytic fungi that are beneficial to crops from plants in special habitats. In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from Cotoneaster multiflorus, and drought-tolerant endophytic fungi were screened by simulating drought stress with different concentrations of PEG-6000, and the growth-promoting effects of these drought-tolerant strains were evaluated. A total of 113 strains of endophytic fungi were isolated and purified from different tissues of C. multiflorus. After simulated drought stress, 25 endophytic fungi showed strong drought tolerance. After ITS sequence identification, they belonged to 7 genera and 12 species, including Aspergillus, Fusarium, Colletotrichum, Penicillium, Diaporthe, Geotrichum, and Metarhizium. According to the identification and drought stress results, 12 strains of endophytic fungi with better drought tolerance were selected to study their abilities of dissolving inorganic phosphorus and potassium feldspar powder and producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). It was found that the amount of dissolved phosphorus in 7 strains of endophytic fungi was significantly higher than that of CK, and the content of soluble phosphorus was 101.98-414.51 μg. ml-1; 6 endophytic fungi had significantly higher potassium solubilization than CK, and the content of water-soluble potassium ranged from 19.17 to 30.94 mg·l-1; 6 strains have the ability to produce IAA, and the yield of IAA ranged between 0.04 and 0.42 mg. ml-1. This study for the first time identified the existence of endophytic fungi with drought tolerance and growth-promoting function in C. multiflorus, which could provide new direction for plant drought tolerance and growth promotion fungi strain resources. It also provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent application of endophytic fungi of C. multiflorus in agricultural and forestry production to improve plant tolerance.

Stretchable photosynaptic transistor with an ultralow energy consumption conferred using conjugated block copolymers/perovskite quantum dots nanocomposites

Emulation of photonic synapses offers a promising avenue for developing low-energy consumption of soft electronics, neurologically inspired robotics, and neuromorphic network computation. In this paper, a fully stretchable photosynaptic device with ultralow energy consumption using intrinsically stretchable poly(δ-decanolactone) (PDL)-based conjugated block copolymers (BCPs) with perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) is first reported. The findings reveal that selectively choosing solvents for the PDL-based BCPs effectively regulates the assembly of P3HT and the accommodation of PeQDs, leading to improved self-aggregation of PeQDs, increased grain size, and optimized interfaces between P3HT and PeQDs The BCPs/PeQDs composite effectively emulates significant features of photonic synapses, such as paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), spike-dependent and short/long-term neuroplasticity, demonstrating excellent performance, including the fastest response time (1 ms), the highest current contrast (4.9 × 105), PPF (1.93) and ultra-low energy consumption (0.3 aJ) at an operating voltage of –0.1 mV. Furthermore, the BCP/PeQDs exhibit remarkable neuromuscular synapse characteristics, including high strain and bending tolerance and spike-dependent plasticity, enabling the devices to achieve high classification accuracy in artificial neural network simulations during tensile strain. The accommodation solvent selectivity of BCP/PeQDs suggests a promising strategy for advancing neurologically soft electronics, human-like pattern recognition, and neuromorphic computation.

BglG Regulates the Heterogeneity Driven by the Acid Tolerance Response in Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L9.

The acid tolerance of lactic acid bacteria is crucial for their fermentation and probiotic functions. Acid adaption significantly enhances the acid tolerance of strains, and the phenotypic heterogeneity driven by the acid tolerance response (ATR) contributes to this process by providing a selective advantage in harsh environments. The mechanism of heterogeneity under the ATR is not yet clear, but individual gene expression differences are recognized as the cause. In this study, we observed four heterogeneous subpopulations (viable, injured, dead, and unstained) of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L9 (L9) induced by acid adaption (pH 5.0, 40 min) using flow cytometry. The viable subpopulation represented a significantly superior acid tolerance to the injured subpopulation or total population. Different subpopulations were sorted and transcriptomic analysis was performed. Five genes were found to be upregulated in the viable subpopulation and downregulated in the injured subpopulation, and bglG (LPL9_RS14735) was identified as having a key role in this process. Using salicin (glucoside)-inducing gene expression and gene insertion mutagenesis, we verified that bglG regulated the heterogeneity of the acid stress response and that the relevant mechanisms might be related to activating hsp20. This study provides new evidence for the mechanism of the ATR and may contribute to the theoretical basis of improving the acid tolerance of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei L9.

Metal tolerance and biosorption capacities of bacterial strains isolated from an urban watershed.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to widespread metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems. This study explores the metal tolerance and biosorption characteristics of four bacterial strains (Serratia sp. L2, Raoultella sp. L30, Klebsiella sp. R3, and Klebsiella sp. R19) isolated from Saint Clair River sediments. These strains effectively removed various metal cations (As3+, Pb2+, Cu2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Cr6+, and Ni2+) in single and multi-metal solutions. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays revealed strain-specific variations in metal tolerance, with L2 and L30 exhibiting higher tolerance. Surprisingly, R3 and R19, despite lower tolerance, demonstrated superior metal removal efficiency, challenging the notion that tolerance dictates removal efficacy. In single-metal solutions, R3 and R19 excelled at extracting various metal ions, while competitive binding in multi-metal solutions hindered removal. However, R3 and R19 retained higher removal efficiencies, possibly due to enhanced flocculation activities facilitating metal-ion contact. Comprehensive Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis highlighted the strains' metal-binding capabilities, with novel peaks emerging after metal exposure, indicative of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed metal accumulation on bacterial surfaces and within cytoplasmic regions and revealed morphological changes and metal adsorption patterns, emphasizing the strains' ability to adapt to metal stress. Scanning transmission microscopy (STEM) and EDX analysis uncovered metal accumulation within bacterial cells, underscoring the complexity of microbial-metal interactions. This study also confirms that the simultaneous presence of an aqueous solution may cause a mutual inhibition in the adsorption of each metal to the EPS resulting in reduced metal uptake, which emphasizes the need to select specific bacterial strains for a given metal-containing effluent. The differences in metal distribution patterns between Klebsiella sp. R19 and Raoultella sp. L30 suggest species-specific metal accumulation strategies driven by environmental conditions and metal availability. The heavy metal-removing capabilities and the ability to grow over a wide range of metal concentrations of the strains used in this study may offer an advantage to employ these organisms for metal remediation in bioreactors or in situ.

An optimized approach towards bio-capture and carbon dioxide sequestration with microalgae Phormidium valderianum using response surface methodology

As carbon dioxide emissions rise, there's need for alternative strategies, including microorganisms, to capture and mitigate them. The present study investigated on the capability and tolerance of microalgal strain, Phormidium valderianum to capture gaseous CO2 at varying levels (5–30 %). A biomass productivity of 0.0216 ± 0.027 gL-1day−1 and rate of CO2 fixation of 0.035 gL-1day−1 was obtained for 25 % CO2 concentration. From this study, it is evident that higher CO2 levels led to elevated carbohydrate concentration. In addition, protein concentration doubled with the introduction of 25 % CO2. In optimization studies, pH 10, 25 % CO2, and 200 mg/L of Ca(OH)2 concentration was found to be optimal for biomass growth. A higher rate of CO2 fixation of 0.315 gL-1day−1 was achieved at these optimum conditions using response surface methodology. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that microalgae, Phormidium valderianum has the potential to serve as a promising alternative for capturing CO2 emissions.

TMT-based proteomic and transcriptomic analysis reveal new insights into heat stress responsive mechanism in edible mushroom Grifola frondosa

High temperature can lead to severe retardation in the growth and development of mushrooms, which influence the quality of fruiting bodies. Grifola frondosa is a popular and wide-cultivated mushroom in Asia; however, little information about the heat response mechanism in this commercially cultivated mushroom has been reported. The growth test was performed to determine the heat tolerance of different strains. Then, the TMT-based proteome and transcriptome analysis of major G. frondosa cultivar Qinghui-151 under different temperatures were performed. High temperature seriously affected the growth and recovery growth of mycelia. Thirty-four heat shock proteins (HSPs) were identified in the multiomics data and the expressions of most HSPs were induced by high temperature. The accumulation of HSPs under the control of HSFs is assumed to play a central role in the heat stress response (HSR) in G. frondosa. mTOR and Ca2+ signaling pathways were found to be activated under high temperature and might involved in heat stress signaling transduction. Polyamines synthesis enzymes were also up-regulated, suggesting the accumulation of stress protector polyamines under heat stress. In addition, expression of an L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (GfPAL) gene was significantly up-regulated under high temperature, which might be related to secondary metabolites synthesis. Taken together, these findings improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to heat stress in G. frondosa, which could promote the breeding of new heat-tolerant G. frondosa cultivars.

Valorisation of organic carbons and organo-solvents by mixotrophic cultivation of methylotrophic Tetraselmis indica for enhanced biomolecules production

Microalgal biomass is a sustainable bioresource for producing a wide range of biomolecules such as lipids and chlorophylls, astaxanthin, and β-carotene. The mixotrophic cultivation using organic carbon (OCs) and traditional organo-solvents (OSs), especially methanol (MeOH), has been shown to improve biomass productivity and biomolecule yield. However, limited studies have explored the utilization of OSs as an external carbon source to produce microalgal biomass and for subsequent biorefinery. Thus, the present study evaluates the effects on the cultivation of industrial important microalgal Tetraselmis indica BDUG001 (T. indica BDUG001) through supplementation of various OCs and OSs at different day-night cycles under sterile mixotrophic conditions. Among all the OCs and OSs, MeOH showed the best growth, biomass, and biomolecule production. Interestingly, MeOH at a varying concentration (0–10 g/L) was an ideal carbon source for enhancing T. indica BDUG001 growth, biomass, and biomolecules productivity. At the 7.5 g/L concentration of MeOH, T. indica BDUG001 showed maximized biomass production (2.45 ± 0.07 g/L), lipid content (42.85 ± 1.20%), total lipid yield (1.05 ± 0.03 g/L), photosynthetic pigments [chl-a (3.27 mg/L), chl-b (2.25 mg/L) and TCs (1.27 mg/L]. While the maximum astaxanthin (0.77 μg/gm) and β-carotene (5.21 μg/mg) were observed at 10 and 5.0 g/L, respectively. The present investigation will aid in the microalgal research pipeline for the selection of novel OSs tolerant microalgae strains and utilization of waste OSs for mass-scale sterile mixotrophic cultivation. Moreover, the proposed cultivation system will help to develop low-cost algal biorefinery systems to attain high-quality industrial important biomolecules.

Enhancing remediation potential of heavy metal contaminated soils through synergistic application of microbial inoculants and legumes.

Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in remediating contaminated soils in modern ecosystems. However, the potential of combining microorganisms with legumes to enhance the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils remains unexplored. To investigate this, we isolated and purified a highly efficient cadmium and lead-tolerant strain. Through soil-cultivated pot experiments with two leguminous plants (Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Sophora xanthantha), we studied the effects of applying this microbial agent on plant nutrient uptake of soil nutrients, heavy metal accumulation, and the dynamics of heavy metal content. Additionally, we examined the response characteristics of inter-root microbial and bacterial communities. The results demonstrated that microorganisms screened from heavy metal-contaminated soil environments exhibited strong survival and adaptability in heavy metal solutions. The use of the Serratia marcescens WZ14 strain-phytoremediation significantly increased the soil's ammonium nitrogen (AN) and organic carbon (OC) contents compared to monoculture. In addition, the lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contents of the soil significantly decreased after combined remediation than those of the soil before potting. However, the remediation effects on Pb- and Cd-contaminated soils differed between the two legumes following the Serratia marcescens WZ14 inoculation. The combined restoration altered the composition of the plant inter-rhizosphere bacterial community, with the increase in the relative abundance of both Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Overall, the combined remediation using the tolerant strain WZ14 with legumes proved advantageous. It effectively reduced the heavy metal content of the soil, minimized the risk of heavy metal migration, and enhanced heavy metal uptake, accumulation, and translocation in the legumes of S. xanthantha and R. pseudoacacia. Additionally, it improved the adaptability and resistance of both legumes, leading to an overall improvement in the soil's environmental quality. These studies can offer primary data and technical support for remediating and treating Cd and Pb in soils, as well as rehabilitating mining sites.

Laboratory evaluation of the effect of microfibers on the low-temperature cracking performance of grouted macadam mixtures

Grouted Macadam (GM) mixtures are a composite of bituminous and cementitious phases used as pavement semi-flexible overlays because of their high static bearing capacity and rutting resistance, good durability, and proper resistance to chemical attacks and fossil fuels. However, these mixtures do not have good performance at low temperatures. Reinforcement by fibers is a popular method to improve the performance of asphalt and concrete mixtures and has the potential to be used to reinforce GM mixtures. This study aims to reinforce both bituminous and cementitious phases of GM mixtures using glass based (Microcorta) and polypropylene based (PP) fibers, respectively. The bituminous phase of the first group of the GM mixtures was reinforced with 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 vol% of glass microfibers (MC). In addition, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 vol% of PP fibers were used to produce the cement grout of the second group of GM mixtures. In the next step, the performance of each group was compared with that of the fiber-free samples using a three-point bending test (TPB) and low-temperature indirect tensile test (IDT). Based on the obtained results, GM mixtures’ best low-temperature performance in both IDT and TPB tests was obtained for mixtures containing the highest percentage of fibers (0.6% of MC and 0.4% of P.P fibers). Also, it was observed that the reinforcement of the bituminous phase increased the fracture strain tolerance (FST) in the TPB and IDT tests by 66.19% and 25.01%, respectively, compared to fiber-free samples. Moreover, using fiber-reinforced cement grout has been able to enhance the FST index in the TPB and IDT tests by 91.87% and 30.9%, respectively, compared to fiber-free samples. Overall, the results demonstrate that the reinforcement of both bituminous and cementitious phases of GM mixtures by microfibers can help improve their ability to resist low-temperature cracks.

Salmonella mutant strains resistant to herbicides - Acetohydroxyacid synthase inhibitors and their use at the Ames test

Cytotoxicity of some pesticides is a disadvantage for the Salmonella/microsome assay with regard to the equivalence assessment of pesticide technical grade active ingredients to the original products and detection of low-level impurities. The technical grade active ingredients (TGAIs) of pesticides from certain chemical classes were found to be toxic for Salmonella typhimurium strains. Among the highly cytotoxic compounds were sulfonylureas, which include 20 active ingredients. In addition, this class includes active pharmaceutical ingredients used for the manufacture of antidiabetics drugs.A traditional selection methodology was applied using the cultivation of S. typhimurium TA100 in the presence of high concentrations of thifensulfuronmethyl (TFSM) to obtain a resistant test strain insusceptible to sulfonylurea toxic effect. Two strains resistant not only to sulfonylureas (SFU) but also triazolepyrimidines were received. The first mutant strain (deposited as S. typhimurium VKPM B-14099 in the Russian National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms) demonstrated the TA100 phenotypic characteristics: hisG46, rfa, ΔuvrB-bio, pKM101. The second strain (deposited as S. typhimurium VKPM B-14359) showed the TA1535 phenotypic characteristics and probably lost the R-factor due to the selection using the poor Gm-media with TFSM. Positive controls caused pronounced mutagenic effects (±S9) in both strains, consequently the mutants did not lose the ability to respond to induction of the reverse gene mutations. The maximum non-cytotoxic concentrations of SFUs and triazole-pyrimidines for the Ames test strains did not exceed 0.05–0.125 mg/plate, while no evidence of cytotoxicity was observed for the mutants up to 5.0 mg/plate. Electron microscopy of the ultrathin sections of Salmonella cells grown with and without TFSM showed an obvious difference in the structure of the cell wall and cytoplasm in mutant and parental cultures. The concurrent resistance both to SFU and triazolepyrimidines was assumed to be mediated by the same mechanism of action of the pesticides from these classes – inhibition of acetohydroxyacid synthase. To confirm this hypothesis, the tests in the presence of branched-chain amino acids were carried out. The enrichment of agar with isoleucine prevented the toxic effects of SFU and triazolepyrimidines for all Ames test strains used in the study, while strong cytotoxicity was observed in the presence of valine and leucine.Considering the tolerance of strains both to SFU and triazolpyrimidines and the results with branched-chain amino acids, the modification of target acetohydroxyacid synthase was supposed the key to the acquired resistance. The new strains resistant to sulfonylureas and triazole-pyrimidines expands the possibilities to reveal mutagenic impurities that may occur in TGAIs in small amounts.

Doped effect of Yb on enhancing resistance to calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate corrosion of Sm2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)2O7

Four kinds of (Sm1−xYbx)2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)2O7 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) ceramics with different contents of Yb were prepared by the solid-phase reaction. Their thermochemical reaction behaviors with calcium-magnesium-alumina-silicate (CMAS) at 1300 °C were investigated. Among them, (Sm0.7Yb0.3)2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)2O7 has the best corrosion resistance to CMAS. The increase of Yb content can accelerate the formation rate of apatite, preventing the ceramic layer from erosion of CMAS and improving the strain tolerance of the ceramic. In addition, the CMAS wetting, corrosion process and failure mechanisms were discussed by high-temperature field wetting and transmission electron microscopy.

Accelerated Degradation of four Organophosphorus Insecticides by Malathion Tolerant Aspergillus niger MRU01 a Soil Fungus

Insecticides are widely used in agriculture, horticulture, medicine, and industry, as well as domestically. Increased insecticide application has been attributed to higher agricultural productivity and lower infield and postharvest crop loss in the twentieth century. Malathion is a very commonly used organophosphorus (OP) insecticide applied in over 100 food crops in agriculture and post-harvest storage. Different species of Aspergillus have shown their efficiency to degrade OP chemicals. A malathion tolerant Aspergillus niger MRU01, developed by prolonged malathion exposure, was tested for its efficiency to remove malathion as well as three other commonly used OP insecticides, viz., parathion, chlorpyrifos and dimethoate. The tolerant strain showed growth efficiency as well as enhanced production of phosphatases and esterase enzyme as compared to untreated and treated wild type (A. niger ATCC16404). The removal of malathion was 29% and 68%, in the wild type and the tolerant strain, respectively during five days. The tolerant strain was also able to remove dimethoate (63%) and chlorpyrifos (54%) with high efficiency while a low rate of removal of parathion (33%) was observed. The strain can be tested in the microcosms more specifically for bioremediation of other OP insecticides before its application in the field.

3R Batteries: Resilient, Repairable, and Recyclable Based on Liquid Gallium Electrode

AbstractBillions of disposable thin‐film electronics will be produced annually in the near future, for applications in smart packaging, IoT, and wearable biomonitoring patches. For these cases, traditional rigid batteries are not optimal neither in terms of form and ergonomics nor ecological aspects. There is an urgent need for a new class of energy storage devices that are thin, stretchable, resilient, and recyclable. Herein, a novel architecture of materials and fabrication techniques is presented that permit a fully 3D printed soft‐matter thin‐film battery that is Resilient to mechanical strain, Repairable if cut, Rechargeable, and Recyclable at the end of its life. By taking advantage of a digitally printable ultra‐stretchable liquid metal‐based current collector and a novel Gallium‐Carbon anode electrode, the Ag2O‐Gallium battery is rapidly printed and customized per application. By optimizing the properties of the Gallium‐Carbon composite, a record‐breaking areal capacity of 26.37 mAh cm−2 is obtained, which improves after 10 cycles at 100% strain to 30.32 mAh cm−2, and an unprecedented maximum strain tolerance of ≈200%. Partially damaged batteries heal themselves. Severely damaged batteries are healed through innovative cold‐vapor stimulation. An example of a digitally printed, taylor‐made battery‐on‐the‐board health‐monitoring patch with printed sensors for monitoring the heart, and respiration is demonstrated.

Whole-Genome Sequence and Fermentation Characteristics of Enterobacter hormaechei UW0SKVC1: A Promising Candidate for Detoxification of Lignocellulosic Biomass Hydrolysates and Production of Value-Added Chemicals.

Enterobacter hormaechei is part of the Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC), which is widespread in nature. It is a facultative Gram-negative bacterium of medical and industrial importance. We assessed the metabolic and genetic repertoires of a new Enterobacter isolate. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of a furfural- and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF)-tolerant strain of E. hormaechei (UW0SKVC1), which uses glucose, glycerol, xylose, lactose and arabinose as sole carbon sources. This strain exhibits high tolerance to furfural (IC50 = 34.2 mM; ~3.3 g/L) relative to Escherichia coli DH5α (IC50 = 26.0 mM; ~2.5 g/L). Furfural and HMF are predominantly converted to their less-toxic alcohols. E. hormaechei UW0SKVC1 produces 2,3-butanediol, acetoin, and acetol, among other compounds of industrial importance. E. hormaechei UW0SKVC1 produces as high as ~42 g/L 2,3-butanediol on 60 g/L glucose or lactose. The assembled genome consists of a 4,833,490-bp chromosome, with a GC content of 55.35%. Annotation of the assembled genome revealed 4586 coding sequences and 4516 protein-coding genes (average length 937-bp) involved in central metabolism, energy generation, biodegradation of xenobiotic compounds, production of assorted organic compounds, and drug resistance. E. hormaechei UW0SKVC1 shows considerable promise as a biocatalyst and a genetic repository of genes whose protein products may be harnessed for the efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass, abundant glycerol and lactose-replete whey permeate to value-added chemicals.

Heavy-metal tolerant bacterial strains isolated from industrial sites and scrap yards in Kashmir, India.

Heavy metal pollution has posed a severe danger to environmental stability due to its high toxicity and lack of biodegradability. The present study deals with the appraisement of tolerance shown by various bacteria in varied copper and iron concentrations. Among the 20 isolates, four isolates, GN2, SC5, SC8, and SC10, exhibiting more significant iron and copper tolerance, were selected and identified by 16 S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequence analysis as Pantoea agglomerans strain GN2, Pantoea sp. strain SC5, Bacillus sp. strain SC8 and Priestia aryabhattaistrain SC10. The minimum inhibitory concentration of molecularly identified strains revealed that P. agglomerans strain GN2 showed tolerance to iron sulfate and copper sulfate upto 600 and 400 µg/mL, whereas Bacillus sp. SC8 (OQ202165) showed tolerance of 700 and 250 µg/mL were tolerant to iron sulfate and copper sulfate up to 700 and 150 µg/mL, respectively. Pantoea sp. strain SC5 showed significant tolerance to both heavy metals. The isolates were further studied for their ability to grow at varying temperatures and pH ranges. Most of the isolates showed optimal growth at 37°C and pH 7. However, Pantoea sp. SC5 was competent to have prominent growth at 45°C and pH 8.0. Microbial remediation, which is eco-friendly, has proven the most effective method for bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated environments. Using heavy metal-resistant bacteria for microbial remediation of iron and copper-contaminated environments could be a viable and valuable strategy. These isolates could also be used to decontaminate heavy metal-polluted agricultural soils.

Exploring through the use of physiological and isotopic techniques the potential of a PGPR-based biofertilizer to improve nitrogen fertilization practices efficiency in strawberry cultivation.

The use of microorganisms as a biofertilizer in strawberry has focused mainly on pathogen biocontrol, which has led to the underestimation of the potential of microorganisms for the improvement of nutritional efficiency in this crop. A study was established to investigate the impact of a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) based biofertilizer integrated by self-compatible stress tolerant strains with multiple PGP properties, including atmospheric nitrogen fixation, on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Rociera) tolerance to N deficiency in terms of growth and physiological performance. After 40 days of nitrogen fertilization shortage, inoculated plants were able to maintain root development and fertility structures (i.e. fruits and flowers) at a level similar to plants properly fertilized. In addition, inoculation lessened the negative impact of nitrogen deficiency on leaves' dry weight and relative water content. This effect was mediated by a higher root/shoot ratio, which would have allowed them to explore larger volumes of soil for the acquisition of water. Moreover, inoculation was able to buffer up to 50% of the reduction in carbon assimilation capacity, due to its positive effect on the diffusion efficiency of CO2 and the biochemical capacity of photosynthesis, as well as on the activity of photosystem II light harvesting. Furthermore, the higher leaf C/N ratio and the maintained δ15N values close to control plants were related to positive bacterial effects at the level of the plant nutritional balance. Despite these positive effects, the application of the bacterial inoculum was unable to completely counteract the restriction of fertilization, being necessary to apply a certain amount of synthetic fertilizer for the strawberry nutrition. However, according to our results, the complementary effect of this PGPR-based biofertilizer could provide a higher efficiency in environmental and economic yields on this crop.