Hasil untuk "Forestry"

Shaoying Gong, Tianju Yang, Ruoyu Wu et al.

Nonylphenol (NP) is known to damage the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB), although its mechanisms remain unclear. Arabinogalactan (AG) is a natural polysaccharide with intestinal protective properties. This study explored the mechanisms of NP-induced IEB damage and evaluated the protective potential of AG in a Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The results revealed that NP induces inflammation and oxidative stress through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting tight junction (TJ) gene and protein expression and ultimately leading to IEB damage. Conversely, AG enhanced TJ expression and suppressed inflammation and oxidative stress by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thus alleviating NP-induced IEB damage. This research provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of NP-induced IEB damage and highlights the potential of AG as a functional food ingredient for promoting intestinal health. Moreover, our study provides a theoretical basis for supporting policies aimed at restricting NP residues in food and offers a potential dietary reference for high-risk populations exposed to NP-contaminated environments.

I. Stura, S. Ollani, M. Argenziano et al.

Background: Food waste is a critical global challenge, largely driven by the short shelf life of fresh produce. Curcumin-based nanocarrier systems offer promising antibacterial preservation strategies, but their direct application in food is limited by cost and regulatory constraints. Objective: We developed the PhotoActivated Curcumin Treatment Simulator (PhACTS), a modular in silico tool integrating curcumin release kinetics, bacterial growth dynamics, and light-activated treatment efficacy. The model was calibrated and validated using in vitro and in vivo data from chitosan-shelled nanobubbles and nanocrystals. Methods: The model integrates submodules for curcumin release kinetics, bacterial growth dynamics, and treatment efficacy under varying conditions (nanocarrier type, dosage, temperature, and light exposure). Experimental data from in vitro and in vivo studies involving chitosan-shelled nanobubbles and nanocrystals were used for calibration and validation. Results: PhACTS accurately reproduced bacterial inhibition patterns across curcumin formulations and illumination conditions. Simulations showed that blue light activation enhances antibacterial activity during irradiation but efficacy declines rapidly afterward. Repeated irradiation every 12 h maximized inhibition, though industrial feasibility remains a challenge. Conclusion: PhACTS provides a decision-support platform to pre-screen and optimize curcumin-based preservation strategies, reducing experimental costs and time. Its modular structure allows future extension to other storage conditions and nanocarrier systems.

Zekai Sun, Pengfei Xia, Manman Lu et al.

Poplar is a high-biomass species and is widely used for the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with cadmium. It is often subjected to heterogeneous soil conditions and associated stresses that promote reaction wood formation during growth. However, there is limited understanding of the anatomical and chemical responses of its reaction wood to Cd stress. This study examined the structural and physicochemical properties of tension wood (TW) and opposite wood (OW) formed in inclined Cd-enriched poplars. Varying Cd concentrations (0–100 mg/kg) were applied, and vessel wall thickness, cellulose crystallinity, microfibril angle (MFA), functional group composition, and Cd leaching behavior were systematically assessed. The results revealed non-linear crystallinity and vessel wall thickness responses in TW and OW, with the lowest values occurring at moderate Cd levels (20 mg/kg). MFA increased monotonically in OW, while TW showed a biphasic pattern. FTIR analysis indicated distinct chemical signatures between TW and OW under Cd exposure. Sequential extraction revealed that Cd was predominantly retained in acid-extractable and reducible forms. Significant Cd leaching occurred only during aqueous immersion, whereas retention remained stable under 75 % relative humidity. This study reveals how cadmium stress differentially alters the structure and chemistry of tension and opposite wood in poplar, providing critical insights for the safe utilization of Cd-enriched biomass in phytoremediation.

Patricia Torres, Elizabeth F. Pienaar, Michelle A. Ritchie et al.

Reports of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are increasing worldwide, particularly in North America where a diversity of endemic and exotic tick species and pathogens occur. Native American populations have unique outdoor cultural and occupational practices that may impact their exposure to ticks, yet this risk remains understudied in the context of TBD. To address this gap, we examined knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding ticks and TBDs among Native American communities in Humboldt County, California. We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants, who represented various tribes, at a cultural gathering. Cultural practices intertwined closely with outdoor activities (e.g., ceremonies, dances), potentially influencing local tick exposure patterns. Most research participants had been bitten by ticks and reported tick exposure by children and pets. Research participants demonstrated low knowledge about ticks and TBDs, as well as low levels of risk perceptions pertaining to TBDs. Research participants most commonly conducted tick checks after outdoor activity, wore long-sleeved clothing outdoors, and used homeopathic remedies or essential oils to prevent exposure to ticks and TBDs. Culturally appropriate outreach and education initiatives are needed to address TBD risk among Native American communities. Our study lays the groundwork for future research on the intersection of cultural practices and tick exposure, with implications for public health interventions that are tailored to the needs of indigenous populations.

Hongye Zhang, Cheng Yang, Lei Zong et al.

The pathogens on the leaves of the Camellia sasanqua seriously affected the ornamental value. Illuminating the underlying molecular mechanisms is of extraordinary importance in C. sasanqua to improve resistance variety. We isolated the pathogens of Fusarium sambucinum, Alternaria alternata, Phyllosticta capitalensis, and Diaporthe amygdali from the diseased leaves of C. sasanqua. These four pathogens might cause the leaf spot of C. sasanqua by working together. The transcriptomic analysis detected differences between healthy and diseased leaf samples of C. sasanqua, and 8139 DEGs were identified, including 4544 up-regulated genes and 3595 down-regulated genes. KEGG enrichment analysis of the canonical defensive pathways and the genes with high expression levels indicated that the response of C. sasanqua to pathogens was a complex signal network, including signal recognition and transmission, plant hormones including SA and ABA, activation of transcription factors of MYB, AP2/ERF, WRKY, and secondary metabolic accumulation. The genes of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were expressed significantly in the response processes. We further cloned the genes of CAD (Cinnamic alcohol dehydrogenase) and COMT (Caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase), respectively, in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, and then characterized their functions in tobacco. The results showed that overexpressing CsCAD5 and CsCOMT1 could influence the accumulation of lignins. We speculated that the increased lignin content in plants might be achieved by thickening and lignifying the cell wall. In summary, our findings discussed the complexities and interactions of C. sasanqua responses to leaf spot, identifying potential resistance genes and molecular mechanisms for preventing and controlling plant diseases.

Israr Fatima

In this study, healthy volunteers in Pakistan were asked to compare the single-dose pharmacokinetics of 16 mg of the angiotensin receptor blocker candesartan cilexetil following oral administration. Blood samples were taken over a 72-hour period while the medication was administered orally to 16 healthy individuals. Following a freeze-thaw cycle, the samples were subjected to reversed-phase HPLC analysis at a wavelength of 258 nm using an isocratic mobile phase consisting of potassium dihydrogen phosphate and methanol (25:75 v/v). Pharmacokinetic parameters such as Cmax, Tmax, t1/2, Ka, Vd, and AUC were computed.

Miroslav Němec, Luboš Prokůpek, Jaromír Hradecký et al.

Lignin is a natural polymer with a phenolic structure, which makes it suitable as a substitute in phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins. In this study, unmodified kraft lignin was used as a substitute in a commercial phenol-formaldehyde resin, with the substitution rate being 10 %. This resin was further used to produce a singlelayer particleboard using hot pressing in a laboratory press. Results of physical and mechanical tests showed that the addition of lignin to the PF resin negatively affected these properties, while particleboards bonded with lignin-modified PF resin met the requirements of the standard for lower-class particleboards. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed cohesive failures in ruptured particleboards bonded with both the reference resin and the lignin-modified PF resin. For the lignin-modified PF resin, particles of undissolved lignin were found in the resin. Further testing showed no difference in the emission of volatile organic compounds between the variants.

Chenglong Dao, Jun Qi

Urban blue–green spaces (UBGSs) are a significant avenue for addressing the worldwide mental health crisis. To effectively optimise landscape design and management for the promotion of health benefits from UBGS, it is crucial to objectively understand public preferences. This paper proposes a method to evaluate public landscape preference from the perspective of seeing and thinking, takes the examples of seven parks around the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, China, and analyses the social media data by using natural language processing technology and image semantic segmentation technology. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The public exhibits significantly high positive sentiments towards various UBGSs, with over 93% of comments expressed positive sentiments. (2) Differences exist in the frequency and perception of landscape features between image and text modalities. Landscape elements related to stability are perceived more in images than in text, while dynamic and experiential elements are perceived more in text than in images. (3) In both modalities, the distinctive landscape features of parks are more frequently perceived and preferred by the public. In the end, the intrinsic links between landscape elements and public sentiment and preferences are discussed, and suggestions for design and management improvements are made to consolidate their health benefits to the public.

Rudraksh Kapil, Guillermo Castilla, Seyed Mojtaba Marvasti-Zadeh et al.

Operational forest monitoring often requires fine-detail information in the form of an orthomosaic, created by stitching overlapping nadir images captured by aerial platforms such as drones. RGB drone sensors are commonly used for low-cost, high-resolution imaging that is conducive to effective orthomosaicking, but only capture visible light. Thermal sensors, on the other hand, capture long-wave infrared radiation, which is useful for early pest detection among other applications. However, these lower-resolution images suffer from reduced contrast and lack of descriptive features for successful orthomosaicking, leading to gaps or swirling artifacts in the orthomosaic. To tackle this, we propose a thermal orthomosaicking workflow that leverages simultaneously acquired RGB images. The latter are used for producing a surface mesh via structure from motion, while thermal images are only used to texture this mesh and yield a thermal orthomosaic. Prior to texturing, RGB-thermal image pairs are co-registered using an affine transformation derived from a machine learning technique. On average, the individual RGB and thermal images achieve a mutual information of 0.2787 after co-registration using our technique, compared to 0.0591 before co-registration, and 0.1934 using manual co-registration. We show that the thermal orthomosaic generated from our workflow (1) is of better quality than other existing methods, (2) is geometrically aligned with the RGB orthomosaic, (3) preserves radiometric information (i.e., surface temperatures) from the original thermal imagery, and (4) enables easy transfer of downstream tasks—such as tree crown detection from the RGB to the thermal orthomosaic. We also provide an open-source tool that implements our workflow to facilitate usage and further development.

Stanisław Kowalczyk

A. Grzelak, Dochody a aktywa w gospodarstwach rolnych w Polsce na tle krajów Unii Europejskiej, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Poznaniu, Poznań 2022, ss. 252. https://doi.org/10.18559/978-83-8211-087-6.

Xuyao Liu, Yaowen Hu, Guoxiong Zhou et al.

Affected by various environmental factors, citrus will frequently suffer from diseases during the growth process, which has brought huge obstacles to the development of agriculture. This paper proposes a new method for identifying and classifying citrus diseases. Firstly, this paper designs an image enhancement method based on the MSRCR algorithm and homomorphic filtering algorithm optimized by Laplacian (HFLF-MS) to highlight the disease characteristics of citrus. Secondly, we designed a new neural network DS-MENet based on the DenseNet-121 backbone structure. In DS-MENet, the regular convolution in Dense Block is replaced with depthwise separable convolution, which reduces the network parameters. The ReMish activation function is used to alleviate the neuron death problem caused by the ReLU function and improve the robustness of the model. To further enhance the attention to citrus disease information and the ability to extract feature information, a multi-channel fusion backbone enhancement method (MCF) was designed in this work to process Dense Block. We use the 10-fold cross-validation method to conduct experiments. The average classification accuracy of DS-MENet on the dataset after adding noise can reach 95.02%. This shows that the method has good performance and has certain feasibility for the classification of citrus diseases in real life.

Anton Brenko, Enrico Vidale, Daniel Oliach et al.

Aim of study: Wild mushrooms are among the most widespread non-wood forest products in the Mediterranean region contributing to the rural economies. However, the wild mushroom sector still faces problems along its supply chain that can compromise its future in a scenario of increasing demand. The aim of this study was to analyse the current epigeous wild mushroom sector. Area of study: Representative countries of the Mediterranean region: Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece. Materials and methods: The analysis was carried out through a structured Delphi survey conducted in two rounds, with a questionnaire divided into four groups: 1) supply chain description, 2) sectorial SWOT analysis, 3) future challenges and 4) sectorial resilience increase. The Delphi survey started with the selection of an expert panel that included 14 representatives of the wild mushroom supply chain such as forest owners, mushroom pickers, processing industry and consumers. Main results: The results obtained from the expert panel confirmed the complexity of the wild mushroom supply chain with the following sectorial challenges: i) Traceability and sustainability is fundamental for the final consumer, ii) Sectorial administration should be more coordinated, iii) Mushroom picking should be regulated, as the grey market will decrease. Research highlights: The study identified the most important actions that will strengthen the links among sectorial actors and interconnect gastronomy with mushrooms sector. The creation of a common EU list of commercial mushroom species and the development of a taxation system together with the product traceability were also addressed.

Yuanlin Jiang, Xiangyu Han, Mengqi Li et al.

Ex situ conservation is an important technique for protecting rare and endangered wildlife, and maintaining stable individual health is crucial to its success. Gut microbiota composition is a critical indicator of animal health and should therefore be closely monitored during ex situ conservation to track impacts on animal health. Forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) were historically distributed in Hebei Province, China, however, they are now extinct in the region. Thus, ex situ conservation efforts were conducted in 2016 whereby approximately 50 individuals were artificially migrated from Weinan, Shaanxi to Huailai, Hebei. To monitor gut health of these migrated individuals, we used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to examine the microbiota differences between Huailai juvenile and Weinan juvenile groups, and between Huailai adult and Weinan adult groups. Alpha diversity analysis indicated that the richness of microbiota significantly decreased after migration to the Huailai area, and the beta diversity results also showed significant dissimilarity in gut microbial communities, demonstrating the distinct microbial structure differences in the forest musk deer population from the two areas, for both juvenile and adult groups, respectively. In addition, PICRUSt functional profile prediction indicated that the functions of gut digestion and absorption, and degradation of toxic substances were significantly weakened after ex situ conservation. Differences in diet composition between the individuals of the two sites were also observed and the impact of food on gut microbiota compositions within forest musk deer during ex situ conservation was investigated. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing ex situ conservation measures, especially for the protection of forest musk deer.

A. A. Paramonov, S. V. Tret’yakov, S. V. Koptev

In the European North of Russia, the need for scientifically based normative and reference materials for stands’ survey, including nonprincipal tree species, such as treelike willow, represented in the region mainly by sallow Salix carpea L., northern willow Salix borealis Fries, almond-leaved willow Salix triandra L., and their hybrids, was and remains relevant. Without maintaining a unified system of forest survey standards, it is impossible to conduct intensive forestry. Forest survey standards for a treelike willow were developed, taking into account the specifics of forest growing conditions of forest areas. The absence of forest survey standards for a treelike willow makes it difficult to improve the accuracy of accounting forest resources in the European North of Russia, to fulfill functions of protecting, safeguarding and restoring forest resources, and to increase the ecological functions of forests. The article presents new tables of volumes of willow tree stems in diameter and height in the north-taiga region. When developing the tables, the data of 42 sample plots were used, which were established in the Verkhnetoemsky and Arkhangelsk forestry districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast, on which 105 sample trees were measured. Tables of stem volumes by diameter and height of a treelike willow are used to determine the stock of stand, as well as to determine the volume of individual tree stems in the sample plots during the studies. The shape of willow stems were studied using sample trees using the old form factor. The height range with the appropriate diameter was taken from the sample plot data and the measured sample trees. Forest survey standards for a treelike willow in the north-taiga region of the European part of the Russian Federation previously have not been developed.

Jing-sheng XU, Yu-qing DENG, Guang-yuan CHENG et al.

Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV; genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae) is a causal pathogen of sugarcane mosaic disease, and it is widespread in regions where sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) is grown. It is difficult to investigate the molecular mechanism of pathogen infection in sugarcane because of limited genomic information. Here, we demonstrated that SCMV strain FZ1 can systemically infect Brachypodium distachyon inbred line Bd21 and Nicotiana benthamiana through inoculation, double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent, transmission electron microscopy, and reverse transcription PCR assays. The leaves of Bd21 developed mosaic symptoms, while the leaves of N. benthamiana showed no obvious symptoms under the challenge of SCMV-FZ1. We concluded that B. distachyon inbred line Bd21 is a promising experimental model plant compared with N. benthamiana for study on the infectivity of SCMV. This is the first report on the SCMV infection of model plants B. distachyon inbred line Bd21 and N. benthamiana, which will shed light on the mechanism of SCMV infection of sugarcane and benefit sugarcane breeding against sugarcane mosaic disease.

Shan Ye, Shu He, Chen Su et al.

Cellulose has been widely used in the biomedical field. In this study, novel cellulose aerogels were firstly prepared in a NaOH-based solvent system by a facile casting method. Then amoxicillin was successfully loaded into cellulose aerogels with different loadings. The morphology and structure of the cellulose aerogels were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The drug release and antibacterial activities were also evaluated. The drug release results showed that cellulose aerogels have controlled amoxicillin release performance. In vitro antibacterial assay demonstrated that the cellulose aerogels exhibited excellent antibacterial activity with the amoxicillin dose-dependent activity. Therefore, the developed cellulose aerogels display controlled release behavior and efficient antibacterial performance, thus confirming their potential for biomedical applications.

Della Rocca G, Madrigal J, Marchi E et al.

One of the major factors influencing forest fuel combustion are terpenoids, a fraction of flammable Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) produced and stored by most Mediterranean species. The qualitative and quantitative effect of terpenoids on flammability has been only partially explained. In this study several major terpenoid-storing Mediterranean species (common cypress and three pines) were considered and compared to Holm oak as a reference non-storing species. The terpenoids were quantified via gas chromatography (GC-MS) analysis from both live fine fuel (LFF) and litter samples, and the relations between flammability and the terpenoids content were investigated by categories (Monoterpenoids, oxygenated Monoterpenoids, Sesquiterpenoids). The effect of fuel moisture content and species on ignition probability of LFF was also explored. A very different ignition probability was observed at the same fuel moisture content for the different species (Pinus spp. > C. sempervirens > Q. ilex). The stored terpenoids explained 19% to 50% of the whole flammability of both LFF and litter. Fuel moisture content (FMC) did not substantially change the relative effect of terpenoids on flammability, except in C. sempervirens. Monoterpenoids do not seem to significantly affect flammability, while sesquiterpenoids greatly influenced most flammability components, though their relative effect varied among species. A relation between storing structure of terpenoids and flammability was suggested. The results of this study indicate that isoprenoids should be included in physical models of the prediction and propagation of wildfire in Mediterranean vegetation as significant factors in driving flammability.

K. Melemez, M. Tunay, Tuna Emir

Onur Tolga Okan, Ilhan Deniz, Sebahattin Tiryaki

The purpose of this study was to develop artificial neural network (ANN) models for predicting the effects of wood species, sodium perborate tetrahydrate (SPBTH) ratio, time, and beating degree on tensile index and brightness in bleaching pulp. Unbleached kraft-AQ bamboo and poplar pulps were exposed to first stage oxygen delignification for bleaching under 0,5 MPa, 3% NaOH and 12% consistency conditions. SPBTH bleaching was then carried out as the final stage. SPBTH bleached pulp was next beaten using two different degrees (55 SR° and 65 SR°). Tensile index and brightness data for training, validation and testing of the models were elicited from these experimental investigations. The models were established using the resulting data. The lowest R2 value was 0,98 among training, testing and validation data sets in the prediction of both tensile index and brightness. The networks therefore explain at least 98% of the experimental data for all data sets. The results indicate that ANN is a useful and effective tool for predicting tensile index and brightness. This study thus describes a novel and alternative approach to predicting tensile index and brightness in bleaching pulp compared to the literature.

J. Ribot, A. Larson

In spite of reforms since the end of the colonial period and more-recent discourses of participation and democracy, the forestry policy environment rarely supports the needs or aspirations of rural communities. Even when policies appear fair, the rural poor face severe biases in implementation. In addition, the poor must compete on an uneven playing field of class, ethnic and other social inequities and economic hurdles. With the development of the global forest (carbon) conservation strategy such as Reduced Emissions from Degradation and Deforestation (REDD), which is ushering in accelerated forest commodification, poor people living in forests risk further marginalisation, exclusion and rights abuses. This article examines how forestry policy and implementation maintain double standards on this uneven playing field in a manner that continues to exclude the rural poor from the natural wealth around them. Poverty is not just about being left out of economic growth. It is produced by the very policies that enable some to profit – today from timber, firewood and charcoal, tomorrow from carbon. For REDD interventions to support poverty alleviation, forestry policies must be radically reworked to counterbalance widespread regressive policies and structural asymmetries. To make forestry policy emancipatory, strong social protections or safeguards are still needed that require REDD and other interventions to support and work through local democratic institutions. Otherwise these policies will continue their regressive trends.