Ma YP^1,2,3#, ZJ Zhang^1,2#, TQ Su^1#, CA Busso⁴, ER Johnston⁵, XG Han^1,6, XM Zhang^2*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 286-291, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.286

Abstract Soil microbial communities are thought to be responsible for the rhizosphere priming effect (RPE). However, because soil microbial communities are comprised of diverse components, very little is known about which component plays the critical role. In this study, soybean and cottonwood were grown at two latitudinal locations with different temperature and light conditions in-situ. We quantified RPE using a natural δ¹³C method, and measured the abundance, richness and composition of bacteria and fungi communities with DNA-based molecular methods. Among all potential variables, including the three aforementioned indexes of bacteria and fungi communities and soil physicochemical and plant indexes, bacterial abundance… More >

Hui Qiao¹, Jingzhao Cui¹, Shuiping Ouyang¹, Jinjie Shi², Jia Ouyang^1,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.11, pp. 1197-1207, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.07735

Abstract As an important agricultural waste, corn cob is one of the most abundant lignocellulosic biomass. In this work, dilute acid pretreatment using seven different organic acids were compared for compositional analysis of corn cob. The first pKa of organic acids, influenced by the number and type of the side group and distance between two carboxylic groups, played a crucial role in the pretreatment effect. Citric acid was found to have better pretreatment performance than other tested dicarboxylic acids. Under the condition of 30 mM, 160°C and 60 min, the level of xylose reached 22.64 g/L in pretreatment liquid, and the… More >

Ibtissem Moussa^1,2, Ramzi Khiari^1,3,4,*, Ali Moussa², Gérard Mortha⁴, Mohamed Farouk Mhenni¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.4, pp. 345-354, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.04011

Abstract The most abundant phenolic biopolymer in the biosphere is the lignin. This phenolic biopolymer commonly exists in combination with polysaccharides and other cell wall components. In this study, the solvent system dioxane-water is used to extract lignin, which is considered as unaltered native lignin. The dioxane lignin extracted from fig stems was characterized regarding to its structural feature, quantification of its functional groups, molecular weight, and evaluation of its thermal properties. Purity and molecular weight distribution of the studied lignin indicated that isolated lignin contained a low amount of sugar (c.a. 19%) and had a high weight-average molecular weight (10… More >

Laura Ribba, Jonathan Cimadoro, Silvia Goyanes^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.7, No.4, pp. 355-363, 2019, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2019.04083

Abstract In this work, conductive polymer nanocomposites were developed based on a biodegradable and biobased polymer (poly (lactic acid)), with the incorporation of only 0.3 wt% of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to be used as volatile solvent sensors. The correct dispersion of the nanofiller was achieved thanks to a CNT non-covalent modification with an azo-dye (disperse orange 3) which allowed to reach the percolation for electric conduction in values as low as 0.3 wt%. The chemo-resistive properties of the developed sensors were investigated by exposure to organic vapors (ethanol, tetrahydrofuran and toluene) and water vapor, showing good selectivity. In addition, considering the… More >

Dalin Tang^1,2,*, Zhiyong Li¹

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.116, No.2, pp. 109-113, 2018, DOI:10.31614/cmes.2018.04201

Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

Kathleen Puskar¹, Leonard Apeltsin², Shlomo Ta’asan³, Russell Schwartz², Philip R. LeDuc⁴

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 123-132, 2004, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2004.001.123

Abstract Understanding the connection between mechanics and cell structure requires the exploration of the key molecular constituents responsible for cell shape and motility. One of these molecular bridges is the cytoskeleton, which is involved with intracellular organization and mechanotransduction. In order to examine the structure in cells, we have developed a computational technique that is able to probe the self-assembly of actin filaments through a lattice based Monte Carlo method. We have modeled the polymerization of these filaments based upon the interactions of globular actin through a probabilistic model encompassing both inert and active proteins. The results show similar response to… More >

Chengjie Shu¹, Mengli Zhang¹, Weiming Zhang¹, Shihong Ma¹, Guoqing Chen² and Baojun Shi^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.88, No.3, pp. 317-324, 2019, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2019.07766

Abstract Zanthoxylum schinifolium has been used as spices and traditional medicine in China for hundreds of years. A variety of active substances have been isolated from Zanthoxylum schinifolium using biological and chemical techniques. Among these substances, the effect of schinifoline has gradually attracted much attention. Candida albicans is one of the most common pathogens isolated from the gastrointestinal tract, vagina, and mouth in healthy individuals. In a healthy population, there are various mechanisms in host, such as the microbial flora, the epithelial barriers, and the innate immune system, that can control the presence of Candida albicans. However, when host immunity is… More >

Ruozhu Lin¹, Bei Cui^1,2 and Wenxia Zhao^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.88, No.3, pp. 285-293, 2019, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2019.07182

Abstract The flowers of the hemiparasitic family Loranthaceae are always subtended by a rimmed structure known as the calyculus. The origin and identity of the calyculus have been disputed for more than a century. Various hypotheses have been proposed, for example, an outgrowth of the axis, a reduced calyx, and a bracteolar (prophyllar) origin, but controversies remain. To obtain a plausible explanation of the origin of the calyculus, we investigated the flowers of Loranthus tanakae using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy to observe the entire developmental process of the floral parts. Our results show that bracts are not present in… More >

Ozturk M¹, S Gucel², V Altay³, MSA Ahmad⁴, MY Ashraf⁵, M Ashraf⁶

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.88, No.1, pp. 63-68, 2019, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2019.04574

Abstract This paper presents the work conducted on the chemical constituents of some common and widely distributed halophyte taxa from Cyprus with the aim that these studies will help in the evaluation of halophytes for different economical purposes. The plant species of Crithmum maritimum L., Limbarda crithmoides (L.) Dumort, Atriplex portulacoides L., Salsola kali L., Atriplex halimus L., Limonium oleifolium Mill., L. meyeri (Boiss.) Kuntze; and Tetraena alba (L.f.) Beier & Thulin were collected in the middle of July. The shoot tissue and leaf samples were collected from the natural habitats and left for drying under air circulation followed by placing… More >

Joaquin Cabrera^1,2, Paula Mariela González^1,2, Susana Puntarulo^1,2

BIOCELL, Vol.43, No.2, pp. 41-50, 2019, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2019.06163

Abstract Degraded water quality from nutrient pollution, physical, biological, and other chemical factors contributes to the development and persistence of many harmful algal blooms (HABs). The complex dynamics of the HABs is a challenge to marine ecosystems for the toxic effects reported. The consequences include fish, bird, and mammal mortality, respiratory or digestive tract problems, memory loss, seizures, lesions and skin irritation in many organisms. This review is intended to briefly summarize the recent reported information on harmful marine toxin deleterious effects over the primary organisms of the food web, namely algae, zooplankton and invertebrates. Special focus is made on oxidative… More >