The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, is one of the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes, affecting chickpea and causing substantial yield losses worldwide. The damage potential and population dynamics of this nematode in chickpea in Ethiopia have yet to be investigated. In this study, six chickpea cultivars were tested using 12 ranges of initial population densities (Pi) of M. javanica second-stage juveniles (J2): 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 J2 (g dry soil)-1 in a controlled glasshouse pot experiment. The Seinhorst yield loss and population dynamics models were fitted to describe population development and the effect on different measured growth variables. The tolerance limit (TTFW) for total fresh weight ranged from 0.05 to 1.22 J2 (g dry soil)-1, with corresponding yield losses ranging from 31 to 64%. The minimum yield for seed weight (mSW) ranged from 0.29 to 0.61, with estimated yield losses of 71 and 39%. The 'Haberu' and 'Geletu' cultivars were considered good hosts, with maximum population densities (M) of 16.27 and 5.64 J2 (g dry soil)-1 and maximum multiplication rate (a) values of 6.25 and 9.23, respectively. All other cultivars are moderate hosts for M. javanica; therefore, it is crucial to initiate chickpea-breeding strategies to manage the tropical root-knot nematode M. javanica in Ethiopia.

The paper presents the strategic project of Tomsk State University devoted to studying the carbon cycle in the arctic land-shelf system. The obtained carbon cycle characteristics should be used for global climate model correction. The main objective of the consortium is to obtain new data on the variability of climatic and biological factors of various ecosystems, monitor them, and create archives of data on their dynamics. The area of the project includes the basins of the Great Siberian Rivers, and the shelf of the adjacent Arctic seas. A consortium of approximately twenty universities and research institutions was formed to study the carbon cycle in various environments, including seas, rivers, wetlands, and permafrost. In addition to studying the carbon cycle, the project also aims to develop methods for carbon sequestration and ecosystems remediation. One of such methods was developed for the assessment and cleanup of bottom sediments from oil and petroleum products as well as other hydrophobic contaminants and has been patented and tested in a series of field trials. Several special monitoring methods are described, such as novel sampling and sample laboratory processing techniques to assess microplastics in the environment; and holographic methods for underwater monitoring of the plankton behavior for early bioindication of hazards in the water area. This is particularly relevant for areas with dangerous objects, such as nuclear power plants, oil platforms, and gas pipelines. The methods of math modeling of the impact of climate change and anthropogenic factors on indigenous and local population lives were used.

The root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne javanica, causes severe damage to a wide variety of crops. These nematodes significantly reduce tomato yield globally, causing symptoms such as stunted growth, galls on roots, chlorosis, and wilting, ultimately leading to host death. Classical nematode control methods, such as the application of chemical nematicides, are very effective; however, their use is limited due to conflicts with sustainable agriculture. Therefore, biological methods, are gaining attention as more environmentally friendly options. In the present study, 47 strains of bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of RKN-infected plants. The effect of these strains was studied on egg hatching and second stage infective juveniles (J2s) mortality of M. javanica, in vitro. Then, three holes were made in the soil around the roots of non-inoculated and nematode inoculated tomato plants and a suspension of 15 mL of three isolates with the greatest negative effect on hatching and J2s mortality (107 CFU/ml), was poured into the holes. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia CPHE1, Peribacillus frigoritolerans Rhs-L31 and Bacillus cereus Pt0-RL12 improved the vegetative indices of inoculated plants compared to control plants. These strains significantly reduced nematode hatching and significantly increased mortality of nematode J2s; and in greenhouse pot experiments significantly reduced the number of nematode eggs and egg masses, root galls, and nematode reproduction factor. In each case, inoculation with the bacterial strains significantly increased peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity, and decreased catalase activity in tomato roots infected with M. javanica. The present study indicates the potential of these bacterial strains for biocontrol of M. javanica on tomato.

The European earwig F. auricularia L. is an omnivore that has only recently been identified as a direct, fruit-feeding pest of citrus. Here, we start to build the basic tools needed for integrated pest management for this species. We introduce a time-efficient sampling method based on small wooden boards placed on the ground, and we use them in a 2-yr survey of 93 commercial citrus blocks in California's San Joaquin Valley. Insecticides were not applied targeting F. auricularia in any of these citrus blocks. We find that F. auricularia populations are very low or undetectable in most blocks, with higher densities occurring only sporadically. To know when control measures should be implemented, we used video-monitoring of citrus tree trunks to characterize the timing of F. auricularia movement from their soil nests into the tree canopy. Movement of earwigs along the tree trunks was observed throughout our sampling period (22 March to 18 June), suggesting that control measures (sticky bands placed on trunks, or insecticides applied to trunks and surrounding soil surface) should be applied early, well before petal fall when fruit are susceptible to F. auricularia herbivory. Sticky barriers effectively reduced the vertical movement of 2 crawling arthropods, F. auricularia and the Fuller rose beetle Napactus godmanni, along citrus trunks. We failed to find any relationship between estimated F. auricularia densities and damage to maturing or harvested fruit. This highlights a set of important and still unresolved questions about the biology of this species, underscoring the need for additional research.

BackgroundIn winter, tea plants are highly susceptible to low-temperature freezing damage. The rapid recovery of tea plant vigor in spring is crucial for tea yield and quality. Some studies have reported that Bacillus mucilaginosus could improve the stress resistance of plants. However, there were no reports on the effect of B. mucilaginosus on the recovery of tea plant vigor after low-temperature stress. This study firstly used different concentrations of B. mucilaginosus to spray tea leaves and used 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology to study the impact of different treatments on tea leaf endophytic populations. Meanwhile, physiological indexes such as Soil and plant analyzer development values (SPAD), maximum photochemical quantum yield of PS II (Fv/Fm), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured and analyzed in tea plant leaves of different treatments, and the correlation between them and the bacterial community was studied.ResultsMicrobial results showed that the diversity of leaf endophytic populations treated with different concentrations of Bacillus mucilaginosus (T1, T2, T3) was higher than that in control group (CK) leaves, and T2 treatment had the highest diversity. The dominant bacterial phyla of all samples were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota in leaves treated with B. mucilaginosus was significantly higher than that in the control. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Paenibacillus, Nocardioides, and Marmoricola in leaves treated with B. mucilaginosus was significantly higher than that in the control. Different concentrations of B. mucilaginosus affected the distribution of leaf endophytic populations. At the level of bacterial function, abundant metabolic functional features were observed, including amino acid transport and metabolism, as well as energy production and conversion, indicating that bacterial metabolism in tea plant leaf samples tends to be vigorous. The treatment with B. mucilaginosus significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes and osmolyte content, promoted the recovery of Fv/Fm in tea plants after low-temperature stress, and improved the resistance of tea leaves to low-temperature stress, thereby promoting recovery.ConclusionsThis study showed that B. mucilaginosus could significantly change the community structure of leaf endophytic populations, and increase antioxidant enzyme activity and osmolyte content in tea plants after low-temperature stress, promoting the rapid recovery of photosynthesis, and thereby benefiting the recovery of tea plant leaves. This study provided a theoretical basis for the application of B. mucilaginosus in practical production and also provided new ideas for the recovery of tea plants exposed to low-temperature stress.

Open caissons are increasingly utilized for underground construction due to the increasing demand for aboveground structures, which employ the principle of submersion using the self-weight of the edge cutting face and the applied bearing pressure to mitigate the vertical soil reaction. This paper examines the bearing capacity factor of the edge cutting face in anisotropic clays, approximated using the finite element limit analysis (FELA) method and considering the average results between the upper and lower bounds. The influence of the adhesion factor at the interface of the cutting edge (alpha), the ratio between the depth of the internal embedment and the embedded width (H/B), the ratio between the radius and the embedded width (R/B), the anisotropic shear strength (re), and the cutting face angle ((1) is investigated. The results indicate a significant influence of the anisotropic shear strength on the adhesion factor at the interface of the cutting edge. An increase in re denotes a decrease in the undrained shear strength obtained from the triaxial compression test, resulting in an increase in the value of N. An increase in alpha influences (1, such that when (1 <90 degrees, the value of N remains constant when (1 = 90 degrees. In addition, a highly efficient hybrid model called DNN-PBT was established utilizing a deep neural network (DNN) and a population based training (PBT) approach, specifically for the purpose of accurately predicting the bearing capacity factor of circular open caissons positioned in undrained clay. Both computational and comparative outcomes demonstrate that the proposed DNN-PBT can precisely forecast the bearing capacity, achieving an R2 value higher than 0.999 and a mean squared error (MSE) <0.007. These findings highlight the accuracy and efficiency of the suggested approach. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis results demonstrated that the anisotropic shear strength (re) is the most important input variable for estimating the bearing capacity factor of the edge cutting face.

Storage of nematode-infected soil, roots and nematode suspensions is important in nematological research. The available storage methods are based on potato cyst nematodes, where cysts with viable eggs can be stored for long periods at 4 degrees C. When dealing with other nematode species, understanding the effect of storage temperature is crucial. This study was designed to investigate the decline rate and survival of four root-knot and a lesion nematode of both temperate and tropical origin, when stored at 4 degrees C in three substrates: water, soil and roots. The starting density (P-i ) for each substrate was determined at t = 0 and survival of all nematode species was estimated at 10-day intervals for 100 days. During storage, population densities of all species declined in all substrates exponentially. A slower decline rate (r(d) = 0.988-0.999) was observed for juveniles of Meloidogyne fallax in water, soil and roots compared to juveniles of M. hapla and Pratylenchus penetrans. Meloidogyne incognita was seriously affected by cold storage with the highest decline rate (r(d) = 0.919-0.977) observed in all substrates. Only data on the root substrate were obtained for M. javanica with a decline rate of (r(d) = 0.977) predicting zero survival at t > 100 days. Notable is the higher fraction of surviving P. penetrans (P-i = 0.238-0.545) in all substrates during the storage period, compared with all other species. Based on the results, it is recommended to process nematode samples in the three substrates as quickly as possible, as underestimation of the actual population densities is likely. Consequences of cold storage in handling and processing of samples from different substrates are discussed.

Flood is among the most disastrous natural disasters since they are responsible for massive damage to infrastructure, severe fatalities and injuries, innumerable economic losses, and social disruptions worldwide. These damages caused by floods have been worsening in recent years worldwide because of environmental degradation, climatic change, and high-speed urbanization. A rising precipitation rate increases the chances of floods in flood-vulnerable areas. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying regions caused by remarkably high rainfall in a short duration. On September 23rd, 2023 a flooding event in the Nagpur, Maharashtra, it is directly impact on the human death and economic loss entire city. In the present study, the change in the dynamics of Nagpur city was analysed by employing remote sensing and GIS techniques to assess the change in the land use and land cover patterns. Landsat imagery of year 2000, 2010, 2020, and 2023 was used for land use and land cover classification. This analysis reveals that there is an increase in built-up area from 72.85 sq. km in year 2000 to 185.4 sq. km in year 2023. The built up land is increased this changes where directly affects the infiltration rate of rainwater into the soil. The total area covered by water bodies is reduced to 2.29 sq. km in 2023 which were 12.2 sq. km in year 2000. It is indicates the encroachment of built-up land on the water bodies. On the day of flash flood occurrence, it was observed that Nagpur city received 145 mm rainfall which is highest in the month of September, 2023. The Shannon entropy model was used to estimate the population dynamics and growth patterns of Nagpur city. Higher entropy values were obtained during the analysis which indicates the rapid transformation of city in all directions. Population dynamics of Nagpur city also indicate the inflation in population from 4,067,637 in 2000 to 4,653,570 in 2010. The SAR water index was calculated using Google Earth Engine to detect the water surges in residential areas during the flood. Precautionary measures should be taken by governing authorities to avoid such disasters. Proper city planning and improvements in drainage systems are recommended within the city. It is needed for an hour to develop a river monitoring system and early warning system, as well as preventive measures that should be implemented, like the construction of retaining walls to control the flood water.

This paper introduces DEEM (Differential Evolution with Elitism and Multi-populations), a novel heuristic optimisation algorithm of the Differential Evolution family. DEEM integrates elitism and multi-population strategies to improve convergence speed and accuracy. Additionally, a diversity-based restart strategy is employed to significantly reduce the algorithm's susceptibility to being trapped in local minima. The influence of algorithm parameter choices on optimisation success is demonstrated through a sensitivity study. The algorithm's effectiveness is validated against benchmark functions from CEC 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2022, showing superior performance compared to state-of-the-art DE algorithms. Additionally, DEEM's application is showcased through a complex optimisation problem in the field of geotechnical engineering: the calibration of advanced constitutive models for predicting the stress-strain behaviour of soils under monotonic and cyclic loading. This calibration process is notably time-consuming. DEEM not only achieves better objective values but also does so in fewer iterations, thus significantly reducing computational time.

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica is a significant pathogen that causes substantial yield losses in tomato plants. Moroccan farmers generally lack knowledge regarding the density of this pathogen, which can trigger visible and localised symptoms. Additionally, regional studies that establish damage thresholds for this issue are scarce. This study investigated the damage threshold of M. javanica on tomato plants using nine initial population densities (Pi) of second-stage juveniles (J2s): 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 J2s (g dry soil)-1. Aboveground growth (plant height and fresh and dry shoot weight) and belowground growth (root length and diameter) were assessed after 90 days. The plant growth parameters were significantly reduced at higher inoculum densities. The Seinhorst model fitting revealed the highest minimum relative yield (m) for shoot fresh weight (m = 0.761 +/- 0.012) and the lowest for root diameter (m = 0.509 +/- 0.026). The tolerance limit (T) varied, with the highest shoot dry weight (T = 1.657 +/- 0.329 J2s (g soil)-1) and lowest root diameter (T = 0.095 +/- 0.019 J2s (g soil)-1). The production of eggs by M. javanica increased significantly with increasing initial population density, rising from 211 +/- 64 eggs (g roots)-1 at 0.5 J2s (g soil)-1 to 3735 +/- 380 eggs (g roots)-1 at 64 J2s (g soil)-1, representing a 17.7-fold increase. Tomato plants exhibited the maximum galling index at lower nematode densities. Symptoms began at densities as low as 0.095 J2 (g soil)-1, with severity increasing with nematode density. Given the severe damage caused at low densities, Moroccan farmers must adopt early detection and effective management strategies.