Search Results (1,929)

Sarcasm detection is a crucial task in natural language processing (NLP), particularly in sentiment analysis and opinion mining, where sarcasm can distort sentiment interpretation. Accurately identifying sarcasm remains challenging due to its context-dependent nature and linguistic complexity across informal text sources like social media and conversational dialogues. This study utilizes three benchmark datasets, namely, News Headlines, Mustard, and Reddit (SARC), which contain diverse sarcastic expressions from headlines, scripted dialogues, and online conversations. The proposed methodology leverages transformer-based models (RoBERTa and DistilBERT), integrating context summarization, metadata extraction, and conversational structure preservation to enhance sarcasm detection. The novelty of this research lies in combining contextual summarization with metadata-enhanced embeddings to improve model interpretability and efficiency. Performance evaluation is based on accuracy, F1 score, and the Jaccard coefficient, ensuring a comprehensive assessment. Experimental results demonstrate that RoBERTa achieves 98.5% accuracy with metadata, while DistilBERT offers a 1.74x speedup, highlighting the trade-off between accuracy and computational efficiency for real-world sarcasm detection applications. Full article

Background: Adequate levels of leisure-time exercise (LTE) are associated with mental health benefits. Despite increased research in recent years through randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a systematic literature review aggregating these findings is lacking. Here, we examined publication trends, impact, and research gaps regarding LTE’s effects on mental health in the form of a bibliometric analysis. Methods: Five electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid Medline, and the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature) were searched from their inception until 20 November 2024. Citations were independently screened by two authors and included based on pre-determined eligibility criteria. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using SciVal and VOSviewer under five themes: (1) descriptive analysis, (2) network analysis, (3) thematic mapping, (4) co-citation and co-occurrence analysis, and (5) bibliometric coupling. Results: The systematic search identified 5792 citations, of which 78 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Only one study was conducted in a low- or middle-income country. Sixty-four percent of studies were published in quartile-one journals. Most studies were, conducted in the United States, followed by Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. National collaborations yielded the highest citation rates, reflecting the influence of cultural and social norms on exercise and mental health. Research gaps were identified with regards to the validity of mental health measures, the paucity of data from low- and middle-income countries, and emerging research sources. Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis highlights the existing evidence on LTE’s impact on mental health and identifies areas for future research and policy. Trials exploring valid mental health outcomes, biomarkers such as mood and oxidative stress, and collaborative research are needed, particularly in underrepresented regions of the world. Full article

Lichens are an important vegetative component of the Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem and present a wide diversity. Recent advances in omics technologies have allowed for the identification of lichen microbiomes and the complex symbiotic relationships that contribute to their survival mechanisms under extreme conditions. The preservation of biodiversity and genetic resources is fundamental for the balance of ecosystems and for human and animal health. In order to assess the current knowledge on Antarctic lichens, we carried out a systematic review of the international applied research published between January 2019 and February 2024, using the PRISMA model (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Articles that included the descriptors “lichen” and “Antarctic” were gathered from the web, and a total of 110 and 614 publications were retrieved from PubMed and ScienceDirect, respectively. From those, 109 publications were selected and grouped according to their main research characteristics, namely, (i) biodiversity, ecology and conservation; (ii) biomonitoring and environmental health; (iii) biotechnology and metabolism; (iv) climate change; (v) evolution and taxonomy; (vi) reviews; and (vii) symbiosis. Several topics were related to the discovery of secondary metabolites with potential for treating neurodegenerative, cancer and metabolic diseases, besides compounds with antimicrobial activity. Survival mechanisms under extreme environmental conditions were also addressed in many studies, as well as research that explored the lichen-associated microbiome, its biodiversity, and its use in biomonitoring and climate change, and reviews. The main findings of these studies are discussed, as well as common themes and perspectives. Full article

The interplay between soil rhizobial bacteria and leguminous plants, particularly in Africa, has a profound impact on photosynthetic efficiency and overall crop productivity. This review explores the critical role of rhizobia in enhancing photosynthesis through nitrogen fixation, a process crucial for sustainable agriculture. Rhizobial bacteria residing in root nodules provide legumes with symbiotic nitrogen that significantly boosts plant growth and photosynthetic capacity. Recent advances in molecular genomics have elucidated the genetic frameworks underlying this symbiosis, identifying key genes involved in root nodule formation and nitrogen fixation. Comparative genomics of Bradyrhizobium species have revealed seven distinct lineages, with diverse traits linked to nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and photosynthesis. Field studies across Africa demonstrate that rhizobial inoculation can markedly increase nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and grain yields, though outcomes vary depending on local soil conditions and legume species. Notable findings include enhanced nutrient uptake and photosynthetic rates in inoculated legumes compared with nitrate-fed plants. This review highlights the potential of utilizing indigenous rhizobia to improve photosynthesis and crop resilience. Future prospects involve leveraging genomic insights to optimize rhizobial inoculants and enhance legume productivity in water-limited environments. As climate change intensifies, integrating these advancements into agricultural practices could play a crucial role in improving food security and sustainable soil health in Africa. Full article

Drought and salinity are major factors that hinder crop cultivation and significantly impair agricultural productivity, particularly in (semi)arid regions. These two abiotic constraints cause deterioration in soil structure and reduced fertility and hamper plant growth by limiting access to mineral elements and water, thereby threatening global food security. What’s more, the excessive, long-term use of chemical fertilizers to boost crop productivity can disrupt the balance of agricultural ecosystems, particularly soil health. Faced with these challenges, the sustainable exploitation of natural resources, in particular rhizospheric microorganisms, is an environmentally friendly solution. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi play an important role as biofertilizers due to their symbiotic relationship with the roots of nearly 80% of plants. They promote not only the growth of host plants but also their resistance to abiotic stresses. Among these fungi, the Glomus genus stands out for its predominance in plants’ rhizosphere thanks to its richness in high-performance species and ecological adaptability. This review highlights the importance of species within this genus in soils, particularly in terrestrial ecosystems subject to (semi-)arid climates. Molecular mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to drought and salt stress in symbiosis with species of the Glomus genus are also explored. Full article

The advancement of global warming and climate change requires strategic actions in understanding and seeking interactions between plant species and microorganisms that are more tolerant to water deficit. This research assessed the morpho-agronomic, physiological, and gene expression responses of two Passiflora cincinnata accessions (tolerant and sensitive) to water deficit, focusing on their relationship with mycorrhization. A randomized design with two accessions, two field capacities, and four AMF inoculation treatments was used to compare drought and control conditions. Differential gene expression was analyzed under drought stress, and the effect of mycorrhization on stress tolerance was evaluated. The results showed that inoculation with native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities, especially those from water-deficit conditions (AMF25), resulted in greater increases in height, number of leaves, stem diameter, number of tendrils, leaf area, and fresh biomass of root and shoot, with increases ranging from 50% to 300% compared to the control (non-inoculated) and monospecific inoculation (Entrophospora etunicata). Higher photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency were observed in the tolerant accession. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased the total chlorophyll content in both accessions, especially when inoculated with native AMF communities. Overall, P. cincinnata showed higher mycorrhizal responsiveness when inoculated with native AMF communities compared to monospecific inoculation with E. etunicata. The tolerant accession showed overexpression of the genes PcbZIP, PcSIP, and PcSTK, which are associated with signal transduction, water deficit tolerance, osmoregulation, and water transport. In contrast, the water deficit-sensitive accession showed repression of the PcSIP and PcSTK genes, indicating their potential use for distinguishing tolerant and sensitive accessions of the species. The tolerance of P. cincinnata to water deficit is directly related to physiological responses, increased photosynthetic rate, efficient water use, and regulation of gene expression. Full article

Rural tourism has become a crucial engine of economic growth in traditional villages, with numerous regions completing planning and development stages. However, along with the growth of tourism, challenges such as cultural conflicts, resource competition, and conflicting interests have emerged, threatening the long-term sustainability of tourism in these villages. Based on the unique characteristics of traditional villages, this study proposes a stakeholder-centered system design approach to address and improve these issues. This approach focuses on governing existing traditional village systems by constructing a stakeholder interest map through an analysis of the behavioral traits and interest demands of key stakeholders and identifying the main factors that hinder the flow of benefits. Furthermore, a large-scale symbiotic model is developed to explore the optimal path for the rebalancing of interests within traditional village systems. In terms of practical research, the study takes Gangtou Village in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, as a case study. Through interviews, expert consultations, and tracking experiments, the research comprehensively analyzes the interests and flows of stakeholders within the system. A symbiotic interest model is collaboratively established, and based on this model, a redesigned planning scheme for Gangtou Village is proposed. In the design validation phase, expert ratings and the Wilcoxon non-parametric test were employed to compare the sustainability of the new and old plans. The results indicate that the new plan outperforms the old one, thereby validating the feasibility of the proposed holistic system design approach. Full article

In this work, we report the draft genome sequence of Ensifer sp. P24N7, a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium isolated from nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris var. Negro Jamapa was planted in pots that contained mining tailings from Huautla, Morelos, México. The genomic DNA was sequenced by an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 using the 250 bp paired-end protocol obtaining 1,188,899 reads. An assembly generated with SPAdes v. 3.15.4 resulted in a genome length of 7,165,722 bp composed of 181 contigs with a N50 of 323,467 bp, a coverage of 76X, and a GC content of 61.96%. The genome was annotated with the NCBI Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline and contains 6631 protein-coding sequences, 3 complete rRNAs, 52 tRNAs, and 4 non-coding RNAs. The Ensifer sp. P24N7 genome has 59 genes related to heavy metal tolerance predicted by RAST server. These data may be useful to the scientific community because they can be used as a reference for other works related to heavy metals, including works in Huautla, Morelos. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi establish mutualistic symbiosis with most land plants, facilitating mineral nutrient uptake in exchange for photosynthates. As one of the most commercially used rootstocks in citrus, Poncirus trifoliata heavily depends on AM fungi for nutrient absorption. The GRAS gene family plays essential roles in plant growth and development, signaling transduction, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the identification and functional characterization of GRAS family genes in P. trifoliata remains largely unexplored. In this study, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of PtGRAS family genes was conducted, including their identification, physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved domains, chromosome localization, and collinear relationships. Additionally, the expression profiles and protein interaction of these genes under AM symbiosis were systematically investigated. As a result, 41 GRAS genes were identified in the P. trifoliata genome, and classified into nine distinct clades. Collinearity analysis revealed seven segmental duplications but no tandem duplications, suggesting that segmental duplication played a more important role in the expansion of the PtGRAS gene family compared to tandem duplication. Additionally, 18 PtGRAS genes were differentially expressed in response to AM symbiosis, including orthologs of RAD1, RAM1, and DELLA3 in P. trifoliata. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening further revealed that PtGRAS6 and PtGRAS20 interacted with both PtGRAS12 and PtGRAS18, respectively. The interactions were subsequently validated through bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. These findings underscored the crucial role of GRAS genes in AM symbiosis in P. trifoliata, and provided valuable candidate genes for improving nutrient uptake and stress resistance in citrus rootstocks through molecular breeding approaches. Full article

Background/Objectives:Maerua crassifolia, a threatened medicinal species endemic to drylands, exhibits a pronounced drought sensitivity. Despite the critical role of microorganisms, particularly bacteria and fungi, the microbial consortia in M. crassifolia’s rhizosphere remain underexplored. Methods: Metagenomic whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) was employed to elucidate the taxonomic composition of bacterial and fungal communities inhabiting the soil rhizosphere of M. crassifolia. Results: The data revealed a marked predominance of bacterial genomes relative to fungal communities, as evidenced by non-redundant gene analysis. Notably, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), specifically Rhizophagus clarus, Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis geosporum, are key rhizosphere colonizers. This study confirmed the presence of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), such as Sphingomonas spp., Cyanobacteria and Pseudomonadota, underscoring the critical role of these microorganisms in the phosphorus cycle. Additionally, the study uncovered the presence of previously uncharacterized species within the phylum Actinobacteria, as well as unidentified taxa from the Betaproteobacteria, Gemmatimonadota and Chloroflexota phyla, which may represent novel microbial taxa with potential plant growth-promoting properties. Conclusions: Findings suggest a complex, symbiotic network where AMF facilitate phosphorus uptake through plant–root interactions. In a tripartite symbiosis, PSB enhance inorganic phosphorus solubilization, increasing bioavailability, which AMF assimilate and deliver to plant roots, optimizing nutrition. This bacterial–fungal interplay is essential for plant resilience in arid environments. Future investigations should prioritize the isolation and characterization of underexplored microbial taxa residing in the rhizosphere of M. crassifolia, with particular emphasis on members of the Actinobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gemmatimonadota and Chloroflexota phyla to uncover their roles in nutrient acquisition and sustainability. Full article

Microbial symbioses deal with the symbiotic interactions between a given microorganism and another host. The most widely known and investigated microbial symbiosis is the association between leguminous plants and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. It is one of the best-studied plant–microbe interactions that occur in the soil rhizosphere and one of the oldest plant–microbe interactions extensively studied for the past several decades globally. Until recently, it used to be a common understanding among scientists in the field of rhizobia and microbial ecology that the root nodules of thousands of leguminous species only contain nitrogen-fixing symbiotic rhizobia. With the advancement of molecular microbiology and the coming into being of state-of-the-art biotechnology innovations, including next-generation sequencing, it has now been revealed that rhizobia living in the root nodules of legumes are not alone. Microbiome studies such as metagenomics of the root nodule microbial community showed that, in addition to symbiotic rhizobia, other bacteria referred to as non-rhizobial endophytes (NREs) exist in the nodules. This review provides an insight into the occurrence of non-rhizobial endophytes in the root nodules of several legume species and the beneficial roles of the tripartite interactions between the legumes, the rhizobia and the non-rhizobial endophytes (NREs). Full article

This study presented a comprehensive analysis of the microbial ecology in water diversion rivers (WDRs) in the source area of the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (ER-SNWDP) in China across various water periods. Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteriota, and Bacteroidota were identified as the dominant microbial phyla in river sediment. During the wet period, microbial communities exhibited the highest richness, biodiversity, and the most intense antagonistic relationships compared to those in the dry and normal water periods. Generally, the microbial network predominantly existed in symbiotic models characterized by mutual benefit and symbiosis throughout all periods. During the dry period, the microbial co-occurrence network was found to be the most complex, with microbial OTUs showing the closest interconnections. The dominant mechanisms governing community diversity, succession, and biogeography were spatial turnover of species and stochastic processes. A more pronounced impact of stochastic processes on microbial community assemblages was observed during normal or wet periods than the dry period. Functional prediction of metabolic pathways indicated that the main ecological functions of microbial communities encompassed carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, etc. This study could provide essential scientific data for ecological regulation, ecological protection, and water resources management in WDRs. Full article

This study evaluates the potential of gasification-based energy-from-waste (EfW) as a sustainable alternative to the current incineration facility in an industrial zone of a major UK city. The city generates approximately 475,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually, with around 285,000 tonnes suitable for gasification-based energy recovery. Using a Monte Carlo type approach, we assess energy outputs across three scenarios: electricity-focused; balanced; hydrogen-focused. Results show that the industrial zone’s annual demand for heat and electricity are covered by all three scenarios, although the analysis does not seek to balance supply and demand over sub-annual timeframes. This suggests that energy-from-waste can support local energy demand and enable industrial symbiosis. At the city scale, however, only 7% of annual electricity demand is covered by the electricity-focused scenario with the balanced scenario only covering 4%. The hydrogen-focused scenario yields enough hydrogen annually to power up to 3400 buses, well beyond the current fleet of 144 and the target fleet of 480 by 2035, positioning the area as a potential hydrogen hub. The balanced scenario offers adaptable energy outputs, supporting diverse energy needs and reducing dependency on conventional incineration. Full article

Underground cold storage gives rise to special challenges that require innovative solutions to ensure maximum energy efficiency. Conventional energy systems tend to be based on high energy use, so sustainable solutions are crucial. This study explores the novel idea of biomimetics and how it might be used in the planning and building of underground cold storage facilities as well as other infrastructure projects. Biomimetic strategies, inspired by termite mounds, gentoo penguin feathers, and beehive structures, are applied to minimize reliance on energy-intensive cooling systems. These natural models offer efficient thermal regulation, airflow optimization, and passive cooling mechanisms such as geothermal energy harvesting. The integration of naturally driven convection and ventilation ensures stable internal temperatures under varying conditions. Biomimicry was employed in Revit Architecture, coupled with structural optimization, to eliminate urban space’s limitations and further increase energy efficiency. The analytical work for this paper utilized a set of formulas that represent heat flow, thermal resistance, R-value, thermal transmittance, U-value, solar absorption, and G-value. The results pointed to very good insulation, with exterior walls having an R-value of 10.2 m²K/W and U-value of 0.98 W/m²K. Among the chosen 3-layer ETFE cushion with a U-value of 1.96 W/m²K, with a G-value of 0.50, showed good heat regulation and daylight management. Furthermore, bagasse-cement composites with a very low thermal conductivity of 0.10–0.30 W/m·K provided good insulation. This research proposes a scalable and sustainable approach in the design of underground cold storage by merging modelling based on Revit with thermal simulations. Biomimicry has been demonstrated to have the potential for changing subterranean infrastructure, conserving energy consumption, and creating eco-friendly construction practices. Full article

Glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) proteins can hydrolyze the β-1,4-glycosidic bonds of chitin, which is a common structure component of insect exoskeletons and fungal cell walls. In this study, 36 GH18 genes were identified and subjected to bioinformatic analysis based on the genomic data of Glycine max. They were distributed in 16 out of 20 tested soybean chromosomes. According to the amino acid sequences, they can be further divided into five subclades. Class III chitinases (22 members) and class V chitinases (6 members) are the major two subclades. The amino acid size of soybean GH18 proteins ranges from 173 amino acids (aa) to 820 aa and the molecular weight ranges from 19.46 kDa to 91.01 kDa. From an evolutionary perspective, soybean GH18 genes are closely related to Medicago (17 collinear loci with soybean) and Lotus (23 collinear loci with soybean). Promoter analysis revealed that GH18 genes could be induced by environmental stress, hormones, and embryo development. GmGH18-15, GmGH18-24, and GmGH18-33 were screened out due to their nodulation specific expression and further verified by RT-qPCR. These results provide an elaborate reference for the further characterization of specific GH18 genes, especially during nodule formation in soybean. Full article