Wet Mass Research Articles

Study of economically important traits to give an insight into the character association and their contribution in yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) genotypes

Sugar beet is a crop of huge national economic importance. The beetroot plant shows great sensitivity to the abiotic factors especially to fertility of the soil. The lack of nutrients in the soil where this plant is grown weakens its normal development and significantly reduces its yield. Therefore, the present research work was planned to assess the impact of planting schemes and mineral fertilizer norms on the quality production of sugar beet. Research works were carried out in 2021-2022 with Caucasian variety of sugar beet on irrigated gray-brown soils. The field experiments were laid out under different plnating schemes and fertilizer application rates. In case of 50x20 cm planting scheme without fertilizer (control); dry matter 21.4%, sugar 15.6%, protein 5.38%, fat 0.61%, cellulose 5.69%, ash 4, 46% and nitrate nitrogen 147.5 mg/kg in wet mass, respectively were recorded in background (P120K90) variant; 15.9%; 5.85%; 0.65%; 5.77%; 4.53% and 163.8 mg/kg.The quality indicators of sugar beet, as well as root and fruit crops, increased significantly compared to the control and background (P120K90) variants in the increased rates of nitrogen fertilizer along with the background. The highest quality indicators were observed in the background+N90 variant, respectively 24.9%; 17.9%; 6.21%; 0.76%; 6.05%; 4.71% and 183.0 mg/kg. In the 50x20 cm planting scheme, which has more food space, the quality indicators were higher in each of the studied options than in the 50x10 cm and 50x15 cm planting schemes, depending on the mineral fertilizer norms. 0.8-3.5% dry matter, 0.3-2.3% sugar, 0.47-0.83% protein, 0.04-0.15% fat, cellulose 0.08-0.36%, ash by 0.07-0.25% and nitrate nitrogen increased by 16.3-45.7 mg/kg in wet weight. The amount of nitrates in the root fruits of sugar beet was much less than the permissible limit (250 mg/kg in wet weight). It is concluded that the highest indicators were obtained in the background+N90 and 50x20 cm planting scheme.

The effect of planting scheme and fertilizer rates on the quality of sugar beet

Sugar beet is a crop of huge national economic importance. The beetroot plant shows great sensitivity to the abiotic factors especially to fertility of the soil. The lack of nutrients in the soil where this plant is grown weakens its normal development and significantly reduces its yield. Therefore, the present research work was planned to assess the impact of planting schemes and mineral fertilizer norms on the quality production of sugar beet. Research works were carried out in 2021-2022 with Caucasian variety of sugar beet on irrigated gray-brown soils. The field experiments were laid out under different plnating schemes and fertilizer application rates. In case of 50x20 cm planting scheme without fertilizer (control); dry matter 21.4%, sugar 15.6%, protein 5.38%, fat 0.61%, cellulose 5.69%, ash 4, 46% and nitrate nitrogen 147.5 mg/kg in wet mass, respectively were recorded in background (P120K90) variant; 15.9%; 5.85%; 0.65%; 5.77%; 4.53% and 163.8 mg/kg.The quality indicators of sugar beet, as well as root and fruit crops, increased significantly compared to the control and background (P120K90) variants in the increased rates of nitrogen fertilizer along with the background. The highest quality indicators were observed in the background+N90 variant, respectively 24.9%; 17.9%; 6.21%; 0.76%; 6.05%; 4.71% and 183.0 mg/kg. In the 50x20 cm planting scheme, which has more food space, the quality indicators were higher in each of the studied options than in the 50x10 cm and 50x15 cm planting schemes, depending on the mineral fertilizer norms. 0.8-3.5% dry matter, 0.3-2.3% sugar, 0.47-0.83% protein, 0.04-0.15% fat, cellulose 0.08-0.36%, ash by 0.07-0.25% and nitrate nitrogen increased by 16.3-45.7 mg/kg in wet weight. The amount of nitrates in the root fruits of sugar beet was much less than the permissible limit (250 mg/kg in wet weight). It is concluded that the highest indicators were obtained in the background+N90 and 50x20 cm planting scheme

Comprehensive Comparison of Different Integrated Thermal Protection Systems with Ablative Materials for Load-Bearing Components of Reusable Launch Vehicles

Economic viability of small launch vehicles, i.e., microlaunchers, is impaired by several factors, one of which is a higher dry to wet mass ratio as compared to conventional size launchers. Although reusability may reduce launch cost, it can drive dry and/or wet mass to unfeasibly high levels. In particular, for load-bearing components that are exposed to convective heating during the aerothermodynamic phase of the re-entry, the mass increase due to the presence of a thermal protection system (TPS) must be considered. Examples of such components are aerodynamic drag devices (ADDs), which are extended during the re-entry. These should withstand high mechanical loading, be thermally protected to avoid failure, and be reusable. Ablative materials can offer lightweight thermal protection, but they represent an add-on mass for the structure and they are rarely reusable. Similarly, TPS based on ceramic matrix composite (CMC) tiles represent an additional mass. To tackle this issue, so-called integrated thermal protection systems (ITPS) composed of CMC sandwich structures were introduced in the literature. The aim is to obtain a load-bearing structure that is at the same time the thermally protective layer. However, a comprehensive description of the real lightweight potential of such solutions compared to ablative materials with the corresponding sub-structures is, to the authors’ knowledge, not yet presented. Thus, based on the design of an ADD, this work aims to holistically describe such load bearing components and to compare different TPS solutions. Both thermal and preliminary mechanical designs are discussed. Additionally, a novel concept is proposed, which is based on the use of phase change materials (PCMs) embedded within a metallic sandwich structure with an additively manufactured lattice core. Such a solution can be beneficial due to the combination of both the high specific stiffness of lattice structures and the high mass-specific thermal energy storage potential of PCMs. The study is conducted with reference to the first stage of the microlauncher analysed within the European Horizon-2020 project named Recovery and Return To Base (RRTB).

Marine Pollutant Tributyltin Affects DNA Methylation and Fitness of Banded Murex (Hexaplex trunculus) Populations

Banded murex, Hexaplex trunculus, is a marine gastropod whose reproductive fitness can be severely affected by very low concentrations of antifouling compound tributyltin (TBT). TBT has strong xenoandrogen impacts on snails, causing the development of imposex (e.g., the superimposition of male sexual characteristic in females), thereby affecting the fitness of entire populations. TBT is also known as a DNA-demethylating agent and an obesogenic factor. The aim of this study was to unravel the interactions between TBT bioaccumulation, phenotypic responses, and epigenetic and genetic endpoints in native populations of H. trunculus. Seven populations inhabiting environments along the pollution gradient were sampled in the coastal eastern Adriatic. These included sites of intense marine traffic and boat maintenance activity and sites with low anthropogenic impact. Populations inhabiting intermediately and highly polluted sites exhibited higher TBT burdens, higher incidences of imposex, and higher wet masses of snails than populations in lowly polluted sites. Other morphometric traits and cellular biomarker responses did not show clear differentiation among populations in relation to marine traffic/pollution intensity. An analysis of methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) revealed environmentally driven population differentiation and higher epigenetics than genetic within-population diversity. Moreover, decreases in genome-wide DNA methylation coincided with the imposex level and snail mass, suggesting an epigenetic background of the animal phenotypic response.

Spadefoot Pelobates vespertinus (Amphibia, Pelobatidae) as a transmitter of fatty acids from water to land in a forest-steppe floodplain

The transfer of biomass and polyunsaturated fatty acids by the spadefoot P. vespertinus (previously subspecies of P. fuscus) from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems was studied for five years in small floodplain water bodies of a forest-steppe zone. Average emergence of metamorphs from unit of water area, wet mass was 6.7 g m−2 year−1. A ratio of the emergence to biomass was calculated and represented as E/B coefficient (an analog of P/B production/biomass coefficient). The average E/B was found to be 0.038 year−1. The introduced coefficient can be used for a coarse estimation of the emergence on the basis of tadpole biomass measurements. A considerable partitioning of tadpoles and metamorphs in the composition of fatty acids in their biomass was revealed. Tadpoles had significantly higher mean levels (percent of total fatty acids) of 16:0, 16:1n-9, 18:0, 20:5n-3 and 22:5n-3, while metamorphs had significantly higher levels of 14:0, 15:0, 17:0, 17:1n-8, 18:2n-6, 20:2n-6, 20:4n-6 and 22:5n-6, likely due to the shifting to terrestrial food. Metamorphs had significantly higher content of total fatty acids, mg g−1 of wet weight, and, in spite of lower level, they had significantly higher content of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) than tadpoles. Metamorphs also had significantly higher content of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) and sum of EPA + DHA than tadpoles. Average flux of EPA + DHA from unit of water area with metamorphs was 3.27 mg m−2 year−1. The metamorphs appeared to be qualitatively and quantitatively prominent prey for a number of terrestrial consumers.

The impact of elevated aestivation temperatures on the behaviour of bogong moths (Agrotis infusa)

Bogong moths are an iconic Australian insect. They migrate annually in spring from low elevation locations in southern Australia to the Australian Alps where they aestivate during summer. As summer ends they make their return journey to the breeding grounds where they mate, lay eggs, and die. Given the moth's extreme behaviour in seeking out cool alpine habitat and with the knowledge that average temperatures at their aestivation sites are rising because of climate change, we first asked whether increased temperatures affect bogong moth activity during aestivation. We found that moth behaviour patterns changed from showing peaks at dawn and dusk with supressed activity during the day at cooler temperatures to near-constant activity at all times of day at 15 °C. Second, we asked whether moth mass changes after aestivating at different temperatures for a week due to dehydration or consumption of body energy reserves. We found that moth wet mass loss increased with increasing temperature, but found no difference in dry mass among temperature treatments. Overall, our results suggest that bogong moth aestivation behaviour changes with temperature and that it may be lost at around 15 °C. The impact of warming on the likelihood of individuals to complete their aestivation in the field should be investigated as a matter of priority to better understand the impact of climate change on the Australian alpine ecosystem.

Determination of the average size of preliminary grinded wet feed particles in hammer grinders

In the conditions of farms, it becomes necessary to grind feed that has a different degree of moisture. Therefore, the choice of universal working bodies is the object of research, and the theoretical determination of the average size of pre-crushed feed particles is of great scientific and practical importance and is a problem that needs to be solved. Proceeding from this, a constructive-technological scheme of a grinder with a universal grinding working body is proposed. The grinding apparatus is equipped with a hammer working body which has cutting edges. In this case, hammers with cutting edges crush the wet mass, and also create an air flow and work as flow accelerators at high speed. As a result of theoretical studies, the steps for arranging these working bodies were determined. Analytical expressions are obtained for determining the average length of pre-crushed feed particles depending on the distance between the faces of replaceable knife working bodies, i.e. from the step of arranging them in rows. At the same time, the calculation results showed that with a distance between the faces of replaceable hammers of 20 mm, the value of the average length of the grinded particles was 38.38 mm. The average size of pre-crushed particles from feed raw materials intended for farm animals was 37.64 mm, i. e. the difference between theoretical and actual value is only 2.0 %. This proves the reliability of the obtained analytical expression, which provides the determination of the main parameter of the grinding working body, i. e. spacing of radial knives in rows. The proposed method of determining the average length of crushed particles allows theoretically finding and planning the required particle size

Can hyper/hypo-osmoregulating fiddler crabs from the Atlantic coast of South America mobilize intracellular free amino acids as osmotic effectors during salinity challenge?

Weakly osmoregulating crustaceans use intracellular free amino acids (FAA) to attenuate cell volume changes consequent to alterations in hemolymph osmolality. Whether semiterrestrial, strong hyper/hypo-osmoregulators exhibit this ability is unknown. We investigate FAA mobilization in muscle tissue of 10 fiddler crabs from the genera Minuca, Leptuca, and Uca distributed along the Atlantic coast of South America. Crabs were subjected to severe hypo- or hyper-osmotic challenge at their lower or upper critical salinity limits for 5 days; reference crabs were held in isosmotic media. Hemolymph osmolality was measured, chela muscle FAA were identified and quantified, and percent contribution to intracellular osmolality (%FAA) was calculated. At isosmoticity, total FAA were nominally twofold higher in Minuca species (≈116 mmol/kg wet mass) compared to Uca (≈60 mmol/kg wet mass). Glycine, alanine, arginine, and taurine constituted >80% of the total FAA pool. On hyperosmotic challenge, hemolymph osmolalities ranged from 843 to 1282 mOsm/kg H2 O. FAA increased, although %FAA remained unaltered. Hypo-osmoregulating crabs thus can mobilize FAA, likely owing to a lesser ability to secrete salt near their upper critical limits. On hypo-osmotic challenge, osmolalities were regulated more tightly, between 475 and 736 mOsm/kg H2 O. Total FAA and %FAA showed little change, probably due to the crabs' strong hyper-osmotic extracellular regulatory ability, FAA consequently playing a diminished role in isosmotic intracellular regulation (IIR). Total FAA responses to hyper/hypo-osmotic challenge are thus asymmetrical. The lack of phylogenetic signal in FAA mobilization suggests that closely related fiddler crabs do not share similar strategies of IIR.

Multiple Sessions of Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation Using Implantable Thin-Film Wireless Nerve Stimulators Improve Functional Recovery after Sciatic Nerve Isograft Repair.

Although therapeutic electrical stimulation (TES) of injured peripheral nerve promotes axon regeneration and functional recovery, clinical applications of this therapy are limited to the intraoperative timeframe. Implantable, thin-film wireless nerve stimulators offer a potential solution to this problem by enabling delivery of electrical stimuli to an injured nerve over a period of several days post-surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal time course of stimulation for maximizing functional recovery in a rat sciatic nerve isograft repair model. Adult male Lewis rats underwent thin-film wireless nerve stimulator implantation following sciatic nerve transection and 40 mm nerve isograft repair. Immediately after surgery, animals began a daily regimen of TES for up to 12 consecutive days. Functional recovery was assessed by compound muscle action potential (CMAP), evoked muscle force, wet muscle mass, and axon counting. Serial CMAP measurements increased in amplitude over the course of the study, yet no significant difference between cohorts for serial or terminal CMAPs was observed. Axon counts and wet muscle mass measurements were greatest in the 6-day stimulation group, which correlated with a significant increase in evoked muscle force for the 6-day stimulation group at the terminal time point. 6 daily sessions of TES were found to be most effective for augmenting functional recovery compared to other time courses of stimulation. Future studies should incorporate additional subjects and track axonal sprouting or measure neurotrophin levels during the therapeutic window to further elucidate the mechanisms behind, and ideal amount of, TES. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Исследования техногенного воздействия взрывного разрушения горных пород при освоении месторождений полезных ископаемых открытым способом

The topicality of this research is defined by the increasing volume of mining operations near settlements and production infrastructure, as well as by the increasing unit capacity of mining and haulage equipment and, consequently, by the growing volume of rock mass simultaneously blasted and prepared for excavation. Changes in the mining conditions at the operations of UK Kuzbassrazrezugol JSC have been analyzed. A brief analysis of research results on various factors affecting the degree of man-made impact of the blasting operations is presented. One of the ways to safely increase the volume of simultaneously blasted rock mass is the introduction of energy-saving environmentally friendly technologies in production and use of plastic explosives, which would ensure higher completeness of chemical transformations and the efficiency of the blast through the use of special fuel mixtures containing surfactants instead of diesel fuel in the compositions of granular industrial explosives. This will increase the contact surface area of the fuel and the oxidizer by several orders of magnitude as well as the stability and the energy-output ratio of the blasting charges with the zero oxygen-combustible balance. Reducing the consumption of explosives, energy intensity of mining, the man-made impact of blasting operations on the environment, the seismic action of the blast, the radius of the hazardous zone - all of this can be achieved by using charges placed in hoses of variable diameter when blasting wet and dry rock masses. The article shows the dependence of changes in the load on the atmosphere with increasing distance from the blast epicenter and with increasing weight of simultaneously detonated explosives in surface mining operations, as well as the dependence between the yield of fines and the size of the gap between the charge and the charging chamber.

Rheological measurement of untreated sewage by straight tube

Sewage contains abundant low-grade heat energy, and recycling it using a heat pump system is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. The particles in sewage will cause untreated sewage to exhibit non-Newtonian characteristics, and accurate rheological measurement is important for sewage transmission and distribution system design. The traditional rotary rheometer deforms, agglomerates, or breaks the solid particles in sewage, which affects the measurement results. Therefore, in this study, a horizontal tube rheological test bench was built for urban sewage. Constitutive equations and viscosity expressions of untreated and prepared urban sewage at different temperatures and particle concentrations were tested. The results show that untreated and prepared sewage conforms to the shear-thinning model of power-law fluids in non-Newtonian fluids even at particle wet mass concentration as low as 0.103%. The flow characteristic index n of sewage is unrelated to temperature, and its influence is mainly reflected in the consistency coefficient k. However, the sewage flow characteristic index n increases with a decrease in particle concentration. In the laminar flow range of 0.02–0.2 m/s, the flow resistance obtained by treating untreated sewage as a Newtonian fluid was approximately 1.36–1.99 times that of the non-Newtonian fluid model, which will result in a larger power system design and higher energy consumption. Under turbulent flow conditions, the drag coefficient of the Newtonian model was approximately 1.13 times that of the non-Newtonian model. This shows that when designing a sewage source heat pump system, the power-law fluid shear-thinning characteristics of untreated sewage must be fully considered, which helps reduce the calculated energy consumption of transportation.

Supplemental calcium increases hatch rate but not hatchling mass of chick embryos in shell-less culture.

A method is described for culturing 64-70 h-old chicken embryos and egg contents outside of the eggshell through to hatching. Cultured egg contents were suspended in polymethylpentene kitchen wrap (F.O.R. wrap; Riken Fabro) supported in polyvinyl chloridetripods. Tripods were incubated in Plexiglas environmental chambers which were rocked automatically through an angle of ±20°. The concentration of CO2 was maintained at 2% throughout incubation, while that of O2 was increased from ambient to 50%, and relative humidity was decreased from 90%-92% to 83%-84% at incubation Day 9. Cultured embryos not supplemented with calcium did not hatch. The Hatch rate increased when supplemental calcium L-lactatehydrate was increased between 250 and 350 mg. A maximal hatch rate of 54.8% was achieved when cultures were supplemented with 350 mg of calcium L-lactatehydrate and 3.5 ml of sterile water. Adding 400 or 450 mg of calcium L-lactatehydrate did not increase the hatch rate further. The mass of cultured hatchlings (including the retracted yolk) and yolk-free carcass wet and dry mass and length of the right third toe were significantly less than the corresponding parameters observed in hatchlings in ovo. No statistically significant differences in hatchling mass, yolk-free carcass wet or dry mass, or length of the right third toe were noted among cultured hatchlings supplemented with 250-450 mg of calcium L-lactatehydrate. Failure to completely absorb albumen was the most common abnormality observed in cultures which failed to hatch. The present technique allows a unique approach to study the physiology of the developing chicken embryo.

Combined effects of climate change stressors and predators with contrasting feeding-digestion strategies on a mussel species

We investigated the combined effects of Ocean Warming (OW), Acidification (OA) and predator cues (Non-Consumptive Effects; NCEs) of two predators with contrasting feeding-digestion strategies on the mussel Perumytilus purpuratus. We considered starfish-NCEs (partially external digestion) and snail-NCEs (internal digestion). Mussels were exposed for 13 weeks to cross-factored OA (~500 and ~1400 μatm, pCO2) and OW (~15 and ~20 °C) conditions, in the presence/absence of NCEs from one or both predators. Mussels exposed to both NCEs exhibited smaller length and buoyant weight growth than those under control or snail-NCEs conditions. Mussels exposed to starfish-NCEs exhibited smaller wet mass than control mussels. OW and starfish-NCEs in isolation or combined with snail-NCEs increased mussel oxygen consumption. Byssal biogenesis was affected by the three-factors interaction. Clearance rates were affected by the OW × OA interaction. We suggest that mainly starfish-NCEs, in isolation or interacting with OA or/and OW, can threat mussel traits and the associated community.

3D printed PLGA implants: APF DDM vs. FDM.

3D Printing offers a considerable potential for personalized medicines. This is especially true for customized biodegradable implants, matching the specific needs of each patient. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is frequently used as matrix former in biodegradable implants. However, yet relatively little is known on the technologies, which can be used for the 3D printing of PLGA implants. The aim of this study was to compare: (i) Arburg Plastic Freeforming Droplet Deposition Modeling (APF DDM), and (ii) Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) to print mesh-shaped, ibuprofen-loaded PLGA implants. During APF DDM, individual drug-polymer droplets are deposited, fusing together to form filaments, which build up the implants. During FDM, continuous drug-polymer filaments are deposited to form the meshes. The implants were thoroughly characterized before and after exposure to phosphate buffer pH7.4 using optical and scanning electron microscopy, GPC, DSC, drug release measurements and monitoring dynamic changes in the systems' dry & wet mass and pH of the bulk fluid. Interestingly, the mesh structures were significantly different, although the device design (composition & theoretical geometry) were the same. This could be explained by the fact that the deposition of individual droplets during APF DDM led to curved and rather thick filaments, resulting in a much lower mesh porosity. In contrast, FDM printing generated straight and thinner filaments: The open spaces between them were much larger and allowed convective mass transport during drug release. Consequently, most of the drug was already released after 4 d, when substantial PLGA set on. In the case of APF DDM printed implants, most of the drug was still entrapped at that time point and substantial polymer swelling transformed the meshes into more or less continuous PLGA gels. Hence, the diffusion pathways became much longer and ibuprofen release was controlled over 2weeks.

Peculiarities of mercury content in the muscle tissue of fish of the Vologda Region

Mercury is one of the most dangerous toxicants for all living organisms, having a high degree of biomagnification. The determination of mercury concentration in different species of fish is important for evaluation of the state of aquatic ecosystems. The aim of research is study of peculiarities of mercury content in fish of the Sheksna Reservoir, the Sukhona River, Kubenskoye, Borovskoye and Svyatoye lakes. Mercury concentration in fish muscles of the Vologda Region varies from 0.0397 mg/kg to 1.167 mg/kg of wet mass. The highest average of mercury content is established in the muscle tissue of river bass (0.477±0.202), and the lowest average is in the muscle tissue of eastern bream (0.133±0.082). Mercury level does not exceed maximum permissible concentration of heavy metal and weekly norm, harmless for a person weighing 70 kg in most of examined specimens. Сomparison of mercury content in muscles of fish from surveyed water bodies showed a significant difference between river bass and most non-piscivorous species, as well as between individuals of river bass from Svyatoye and Borovskoye lakes. We also revealed a reliable correlation dependence of mercury content in the muscle tissue on mass and length of body for samples of river bass, northern pike and silver bream. Values of mercury concentration in the muscle tissue of river bass from Lake Kubenskoye and the Sheksna Reservoir vary in process of time.

Extreme Value Analysis and Modelling of Wet Snow Accretion on Overhead Lines in Hungary

Wet snow events in Hungary can occasionally cause damage to overhead power lines and serious power supply failures. Return period calculation of such high snow mass events was determined upon a 50-year long data series available at 12 meteorological stations. Wet snow masses were estimated with a model of cylindrical accretion around wire of 3.1 cm diameter. Trends in the return periods and ice classes (according to the ISO 12494 standard) were assessed from division of the dataset into two periods (1965–1990 and 1991–2016). Ice classes in the range of R2 to R5 (mass of 0.7–6.1 kg m−1) were identified. The wet snow risk decreased in southern or central Hungary, while an increase was found in the western part of Hungary. Ice classes R6–R8 (up to 40 kg m−1) could occur in mountain areas of Hungary as indicated by numerical simulations in case studies. However, their return period is unknown due to the lack of long observation series.

Performance studies of a membrane-based water and heat exchanger using serpentine flow channels for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell application

This study proposes a serpentine flow field to enhance the performance of a membrane-based water and heat exchanger (MWHE) to employ in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Two MWHEs (serpentine and parallel-flow channels) are numerically simulated and compared in terms of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), water recovery ratio (WRR), temperature and dew point at the outlet of the dry side, and the dew point approach temperature (DPAT). For all mass flow rates at the dry and wet inlets, the outlet temperature of the dry side and the dew point at the dry side outlet of the MWHE with serpentine channels are higher compared to the one with parallel channels. Using serpentine channels, compared to simple parallel channels, the WRR is enhanced by 8.5 % to 20 % and the DPAT is diminished by 4 % to 13.6 % for a range of mass flow rates on the wet side. At higher wet-side flow rates, the use of serpentine arrangement has a more significant influence on WRR and DPAT. In both MWHEs, an increase in the dry side mass flow rate leads to a reduction in heat and water transfer rates and an increment in the wet side mass flow rate, resulting in a reduction in the DPAT and WRR. Enhancing the operating pressure has a negative impact on the performance of the MWHE. By changing the operating pressure from 100 to 150 kPa, WRR is reduced by 18.1 % and DPAT is enhanced by 10.2 %.

First Report of Neopestalotiopsis piceana Causing Gray Blight in Camellia sinensis L. in China.

Tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.) are an important cash crop and are cultivated worldwide for their commercial value (Palanisamy et al. 2014). Tea gray blight is an important tea plant disease as it can cause a decline in tea quality and reduce yields by 20-30% (Sanjay et al. 2008). In August 2018, a disease survey was conducted on 400 ha of organic tea plantations in the Pu'er area of Yunnan Province (22.48° N, 100.58° E). The survey found that widespread disease was causing damage to 40% of the tea plantations and that the most seriously affected tea variety was Yunkang No. 10, which had an average disease incidence of 30-35%. The affected leaves grew small yellow-green spots on their tips or margins in the early stage that expanded into round or irregular brown spots with distinct concentric whorls and black conidial disks arranged in whorls when the humidity was high (Fig. 1A-B), which is consistent with tea gray blight disease (Zheng et al. 2021). Twenty-four diseased leaf samples were collected from four different tea plantations and transported to the Pu-Erh Tea Research Laboratory. Leaves with disease spots were cut into 4 mm ×4 mm square pieces, surface-sterilized with 75% alcohol for 1 min, disinfected with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and washed thrice with sterile water. The tissue pieces were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates containing 100 µg ml-1 of chloramphenicol (Wang et al. 2021). After 3 d of culturing in the dark at 28 C, twenty pure cultures with similar morphology were obtained, and two representative isolates were selected and transferred into new PDA media. After 7 d, circular fungal colonies with dense aerial mycelium produced black, wet spore masses that grew on the PDA media (Fig. 1C-D). The conidia were spindle-shaped with four septa, measuring 25.0 (21.0-26.0) × 6.0 (4.5-7.0) µm (n=15). The conidia had three median cells, two of which were dark brown in color with unclear separations, with a single basal hyaline appendage 3.8 (3.5-4.5) µm (n=30) in length and 2-3 apical hyaline appendages 31 (27-35) µm in length (n=30) (Fig. 1E), similar to the conidial characteristics of Neopestalotiopsis piceana (Maharachchikumbura et al. 2014). Two isolates were selected for DNA extraction. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) gene, and partial β-tubulin (tub2) gene were amplified using the ITS1F-ITS4 primer set (White et al 1990), the EF-1α-F and EF-1α-R primer sets (Li et al. 2018), and the tub1 and tub2 primers, respectively (Chauhan et al. 2007). The ITS (OP535632 to OP535632), tef1-α (OP589285,OP589287), and tub2 (OP589286,OP589288) sequences were submitted to NCBI GenBank. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis demonstrated that these sequences were 100% similar to those of N. piceana isolates available in GenBank. The sequences were compared using the Mafft software package, and sequences with the same ID were concatenated using scripts. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed using the MEGA (ver. 5.1) software package based on the concatenated sequences (ITS, tef1-α, and tub2). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C-5 and B-3 showed 95% bootstrap support with N. piceana isolates in references (Fig. 2). According to the morphology and molecular characterization, C-5 and B-3 were identified as N. piceana. Pathogenicity tests on these two isolates were conducted using 36 healthy tea plants. The leaves were scratched slightly with sterile toothpick tips, after which pathogen cakes (6 mm diameter) were placed on the wounds with the mycelial side facing down and covered with sterile absorbent cotton to maintain a moist environment. Control leaves were wounded and covered with sterile PDA plugs (three replicates per treatment, three plants per replicate). Seven days later, the inoculated leaves exhibited similar symptoms observed under natural conditions, whereas the control leaves exhibited no symptoms. The same isolates as the introduced strains were isolated from the diseased tea leaves, completing Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. piceana causing gray blight on tea leaves in China. These results provide valuable information for the prevention and management of gray blight on tea leaves.

New Methods for the Quantification of Ingested Nano- and Ultrafine Plastics in Seabirds.

Plastic ingestion has been documented in a plethora of taxa. However, there is a significant gap in the detection of nano- and ultrafine particles due to size limitations of commonly used techniques. Using two Australian seabird species as case studies, the flesh-footed shearwater (FFSH) Ardenna carneipes and short-tailed shearwater (STSH) A. tenuirostris, we tested a novel approach of flow cytometry to quantify ingested particles <70 μm in the fecal precursor (guano; colon and cloacal contents) of both species. This method provided the first baseline data set for these species for plastics in the 200 nm-70 μm particle size ranges and detected a mean of 553.50 ± 91.21 and 350.70 ± 52.08 plastics (count/mg fecal precursor, wet mass) in STSH and FFSH, respectively, whereas Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) provided accurate measurements of polymer compositions and quantities in the size range above 5.5 × 5.5 μm2. The abundance of nano- and ultrafine particles in the guano (count/mg) was not significantly different between species (p-value = 0.051), suggesting that foraging distribution or prey items, but not species, may contribute to the consumption of small plastics. In addition, there was no correlation between macroplastics in the stomach compared to the fecal precursor, indicating that small particles are likely bioaccumulating (e.g., through shedding and digestive fragmentation) and/or being directly ingested. Combining flow cytometry with FT-IR provides a powerful quantitative and qualitative analysis tool for detecting particles orders of magnitude smaller than that are currently explored with wider applications across taxa and marine environments.

Response of a temperate coral to temperature stress: A comparison of populations across sites

The negative effects of warming temperatures on coral physiology are well-documented. However, research increasingly suggests that these effects are variable and that the degree to which corals are impacted by higher temperatures are dependent on a range of environmental and physiological variables. In tropical corals, which live near their upper thermal limits, these disparities have led to significant differences in bleaching and other negative health effects even over relatively small spatial scales. However, the response of temperate corals across small spatial scales is less well understood despite their occurrence in areas with larger temperature ranges than their tropical counterpart. To determine whether responses to thermal stress (27.4 versus 29 °C) differed in a common temperate coral species across a small geographic area, as has been documented in tropical corals, we evaluated coral growth and photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) of the coral Oculina arbuscula over the course of eight weeks when grown at differing temperatures. When measured as buoyant mass (calcification), growth of O. arbuscula did not differ as a function of temperature or site of collection. In contrast, when measured as change in tissue mass or total wet mass, elevated temperature suppressed growth. Change in total wet mass also varied significantly by collection site, corals from some sites experiencing little if any growth and those from other sites experiencing negative growth. Photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) was significantly lower at 29 °C than at 27.4 °C. Analyses of symbionts showed that sequence variants related to the genus Breviolum made up ∼98% of all Symbiondiniaceae across all sites and temperature treatments with one variant (100% sequence identity to Breviolum psygmophilum) being 91% of the total community. Only one Symbiodiniaceae, with a 99.28% sequence identity to Breviolum psygmophilum, differed significantly as a function of temperature. It also comprised only 1–3% of the community. Bacterial microbiome variance increased during our experiment, but there were no significant effects of temperature or collection site. For O. arbuscula from these collection sites, location did not impact the coral's ability to withstand the effects of temperature stress.