The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is an insect that is economically important for silk production, cosmetics, medical applications, food, and scientific research. The oviposition behavior of the female moth affects the number of eggs and the volume of silk production. This research aimed to investigate the relationship between the various treatment conditions of mulberry odor, the expression levels of Bombyx mori odorant receptor genes (BmOrs) in the antenna of female Bombyx mori moths, and the moths’ oviposition behavior. Four treatment conditions (fresh mulberry leaves, 2% mix, mulberry leaf juice, and 2% powder) showed a higher oviposition rate than that of the control. Our results revealed that the expression levels of BmOr44, BmOr54, BmOr56, and BmOr63 might play a major role in oviposition. The predicted three-dimensional structures of BmOr44, BmOr54, BmOr56, and BmOr63 proteins were found similar and some active compounds of mulberry leaf could virtually bind to these proteins. The expression patterns of BmOr19 and BmOr30, the specific female adult moth odorant receptor genes, were similar in almost every treatment.

Achieving sustainable cities and promoting responsible consumption require innovative approaches to chemical design and manufacturing. Precise prediction of chemical biodegradability is crucial for evaluating environmental concerns and facilitating the transition towards green chemistry. This study investigates the effectiveness of ten distinct groups of three-dimensional (3D) molecular descriptors for classifying compounds with rapid biodegradability. The Merck molecular force field (MMFF94s) was used to compute descriptors and generate 3D conformations for a dataset of chemical compounds. The dataset underwent rigorous preprocessing, including feature selection, outlier management, and scaling. Support Vector Machines (SVMs) were tested alongside three tree-based ensemble learning algorithms: Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Random Forest. Bayesian optimization was employed to optimize model hyperparameters and enhance cross-validated Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC). The GETAWAY descriptors, 3D autocorrelation descriptors, and 3D-MoRSE descriptors consistently demonstrated superior performance compared to other descriptors across all machine learning models. An SVM model trained on 3D autocorrelation descriptors achieved the highest prediction accuracy (0.88), sensitivity (0.83), specificity (0.91), F1-score (0.82), Cohen's Kappa statistic (0.74), and an AUC of 0.93 on an independent test set. Advanced analytical techniques, including Permutation Feature Importance (PFI), SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), and partial dependency plots (PDP) were utilized to identify the most influential 3D autocorrelation descriptors. The findings of this study demonstrate that 3D molecular descriptors, particularly 3D autocorrelations, play a critical role in developing accurate and interpretable models for predicting chemical biodegradability. These models contribute significantly to the advancement of green chemical design and the development of effective regulatory policies that support the objectives of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By fostering sustainable chemical manufacturing practices, we can create healthier and more resilient urban environments while minimizing the environmental impact of human activities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The mining soils in Kingdom Saudi Arabia have accumulated heavy metals, causing considerable contamination and grave environmental danger. This research highlights the amount of metal pollution in the central part of Saudi Arabia, especially in Al Shiqqah mining area at Qassim region. The study aims to evaluate the level of trace metal contamination in the Surface soil.  Also, the objective of this study to determine the degree of pollution and potential ecological harm posed by trace metals.

METHODS: Soil and salt samples were taken at random for four soil profiles at the surface (0–25 centimeter) and surface (25–50 centimeter).  Heavy metals like manganese, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper and lead were measured in Al-Shiqqah mining samples by using atomic absorption spectroscopy instrument and the results were statistically analyzed. The study determined the concentrations of manganese, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper and lead in the surface and surface soils, to evaluate the degree of pollution and possible ecological hazards by utilizing the geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, degree of contamination and statistical analysis.

FINDINGS: Overall, the metals' geo-accumulation index values in soil under investigation show: the subsequent downward tendency manganese> nickel> cadmium> cobalt> chromium> copper> lead. In the studied area, the geo-accumulation index associated with the seven investigated metals was high for manganese and was significantly too low for lead, cobalt, and copper. Cadmium and nickel give moderate pollution levels. Contamination levels of trace elements were calculated by contamination factor suggesting that soil was very highly contaminated with manganese and cadmium and extremely low in copper, chromium, and lead contamination, polluted with cadmium is moderately, and strongly with nickel. The degree of contamination, the readings for the soil samples showed that they were very low in lead, chromium, and copper, very high in degree of contamination with cobalt, moderately polluted with manganese and nickel, and highly contaminated with cadmium. According to the findings, the manganese concentrations in soil samples for the surface, salt, surface at depth 25 centimeter and surface at depth 50 centimeter were determined to be 5427.7998, 656.6250, 7037.7002, and 6853.7002 milligram per kilogram, respectively. These results were discovered to be greater than the WHO-permitted limits, which are 740 milligram per kilogram for soil.

CONCLUSION: The result illustrated that the contamination with heavy metals was high when in contrast to the soil's standard concentration of trace elements. Generally, it is possible to determine the natural or anthropogenic sources of heavy metals in soils by using multivariate analysis in conjunction with geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, degree of contamination value as helpful tools. The information gained can be used to better plan and implement remediation efforts and enhance the environmental conditions in areas affected by mining soil.

 

Manure effects on soil organic matter (SOM) and related physicochemical fertility indices wane rather fast in the tropics due mainly to the prevailing high temperatures. In texturally similar soils, SOM-mediated aggregation controls hydraulic properties including rainfall-to-field-capacity time (FC_time) and field capacity water content (FC_water) that relate to water/nutrients availability to crops. This study assessed the residual effects of poultry-droppings manure at 25, 50 and 75 t/ha on SOM and aggregation, P-fertility and hydraulic properties of sandy-loam Ultisols in southeastern Nigeria. Mulch-protected treatment plots were water-saturated weekly during the dry season. Sampling for immediate effects was done one month after treatment; that for residual effects in the subsequent rainy season, 7-8 months after treatment, when FC_time/FC_water was monitored at 3-24 h intervals after three rainfall events each ≥ 30 mm. A given monitoring time was designated FC_time if the corresponding FC_water was similar to that of the succeeding one. Immediate effects showed higher soil pH, SOM, aggregates’ mean-weight diameter and available P in 50 and 75 t/ha than unamended control, but similar sand-corrected water-stable aggregates and permeability indices among treatments. Residual effects toed similar trends except that aggregates’ mean-weight diameter was unaffected, while soil bulk density was lower and microporosity higher in 75 t/ha than the rest. Across the three sampling periods, FC_time averaged 42 and 26 h, respectively at ≤ 25 and ≥ 50 t/ha, while FC_water increased steadily (0.08-0.22 g/g) with manure rate. Beyond the season of application to droughty Ultisols, poultry-droppings manure at heavy rates (50-75 t/ha) can still be promoting their SOM and P-fertility but not macro-aggregation. Up to 75 t/ha of the manure may be required for similar residual effects on soil hydraulic properties (including FC_time and FC_water), with FC_time seemingly varying not just with SOM but also the associated rainfall’s characteristics.

CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) is one of the common and effective ways for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in China. The injection of CO2 into petroleum reservoirs may influence subsurface environments and further affect microorganisms in oil reservoirs. However, the current knowledge about the impact of CO2 flooding operation on microbial communities and their metabolic functions in oil reservoirs is still limited. In this study, the compositions and metabolic potential of microbial communities in production water from CO2- and water-flooded oil reservoirs in Jilin oilfield were investigated by using a metagenomic approach. Comparative analyses indicated that the microbial community compositions in CO2-flooded oil reservoir samples (GQ43 and GH46) were significantly different from those in water-flooded ones (WQ21 and WH71), with lower microbial diversity. The difference analysis (p<0.05) showed that Pseudomonas, Stutzerimonas, Marinobacterium, Pseudomonadaceae, Methanosarcina and Archaeoglobus were dominant in the former, while Azonexus, Sulfurospirillum, Candidatus Woesearchaeota, Candidatus Methanofastidiosa and Nanoarchaeota predominated in the latter. According to the high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) obtained, some members identified in the CO2-flooded oil reservoir samples might be involved in aerobic alkane biodegradation (Stutzerimonas and Hyphomonas), activated hydrocarbon utilization (Archaeoglobus and Magnetospirillum), fatty acid degradation (Stutzerimonas and Halomonas), fermentative metabolism (Stutzerimonas, Acidaminobacter, Fusibacter, Magnetospirillum, Shewanella, Halodesulfovibrio, Pseudodesulfovibrio and Halomonas), carbon fixation (Methanosarcina and Halodesulfovibrio) and syntrophic methanogenesis (Methanosarcina), simultaneously accompanied by dissimilatory sulfate reduction, thiosulfate reduction and denitrification. Whereas, a series of MAGs recovered from the water-flooded oil reservoir samples might be responsible for fumarate addition of aromatic hydrocarbons, activated hydrocarbon utilization, acetogenesis, reductive citrate cycle, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and sulfur metabolism (dissimilatory sulfate reduction, thiosulfate reduction and sulfur oxidation). These results contribute a broad and deep understanding of microbial communities and their roles in petroleum reservoirs especially affected by CO2 flooding operation, and provide the basic biological information for CCUS.

Developing countries are facing challenges due to rapid urbanization and insufficient sanitation facilities. However, valorizing treated fecal sludge as a fuel source presents an opportunity to recover energy and mitigate environmental impacts. This experimental study aimed to produce low-cost biofuel from dried fecal sludge and enhance its energy efficiency by incorporating locally available organic matters. Various organic materials like rice husk, cow dung, sawdust, and coal were carbonized and mixed with the sludge to enhance calorific value. Eight sludge and organic matter mixtures were formed into briquettes. The blend of 50% sludge and 50% coal yielded the highest calorific value of 14618 KJ/kg and a boiling time of 14 minutes. The second-highest result was for 50% sludge and 50% cow dung, with a calorific value of 14427 KJ/kg and a boiling time of 23 minutes. The study found that blending sludge with organic materials enhances energy output. Briquettes with 50% sludge and 50% coal cost 19.87 BDT/kg, while those with 50% sludge and 50% cow dung cost 14.37 BDT/kg, proving more economical. The latter blend emerged as the most efficient and cost-effective biofuel, offering a sustainable eco-friendly solution for Bangladesh's rural energy market.

With the aquaculture industry's growth comes an increased demand for fishmeal, leading to overfishing and rising prices. Spirulina, a microalga rich in protein and essential nutrients, is proposed as an alternative protein source research in the diet of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, a major aquaculture species. This study investigates the effect of replacing fishmeal with spirulina at a higher percentage than in previous studies. The formulated diets containing 0%, 30%, and 50% spirulina were tested over a 58-day period to determine the effect on growth, survival, and proximate composition on Nile tilapia. Results showed that replacing fishmeal with spirulina at both 30% and 50% levels did not negatively affect growth or survival rates. Water quality parameters remained within optimal ranges throughout the experiment, indicating that spirulina inclusion did not adversely affect water quality. Proximate analysis of the fish muscle revealed no significant differences in crude protein content but fish fed 30% spirulina had higher crude fat content. Overall, the study concludes that spirulina can replace fishmeal up to 50% without negative effect on the growth, survival and proximate composition of Nile tilapia.

Pesticides have considerably increased agricultural output, but their overuse presents serious threats to human health, food safety, and the environment. Alarmingly, only around 1% of pesticides used reach their intended pests, with the remainder polluting soil, water, and air. This causes broad environmental contamination and negative consequences on non-target animals, including people. Top pesticide-consuming countries, including China, the United States, and Brazil, confront considerable issues due to residual pesticide buildup. Recent biotechnology developments provide intriguing pesticide mitigation strategies. Engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains have developed as very efficient bioremediation agents. These genetically engineered microbes are intended to convert hazardous chemicals into harmless metabolites. E. coli strains are tailored for increased expression of pesticide-degrading genes using modern genetic and metabolic engineering, dramatically enhancing their ability to break down hazardous chemicals. Studies have shown that modified E. coli may degrade persistent pesticides such as Paraoxon and p-nitrophenol (PNP), turning them to harmless molecules. These bacteria may reach great densities, making them ideal for large-scale detoxifying operations. Furthermore, recombinant DNA technology enables the development of E. coli strains with several copies of degradation genes, which improves their bioremediation capacities. Despite these advances, obstacles persist, including biosafety issues and the need for regulatory supervision. Ongoing research is critical for addressing these concerns and developing safer, more sustainable agriculture techniques. Engineered E. coli strains represent a substantial advancement in pesticide mitigation, providing a feasible approach for reducing environmental pollution and protecting human health.

Biosurfactants produced by native microorganisms have excellent surface activity and ideal environmental compatibility, and the mining of the biosurfactant-producing strains has become a key focus in the field of applied and environmental biotechnology. In this paper, we report a new lipopeptide-producing strain isolated from the production water of Daqing oilfield in China and identified as Bacillus Subtilis R1-2 based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. A combination of ESI-MS and FT-IR analyses revealed that the strain R1-2 produced the surfactin family containing four members of the C₁₂-surfactin, C₁₃-surfactin, C₁₄-surfactin and C₁₅-surfactin, which is a representative family of the lipopeptide biosurfactants. The lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by the strain R1-2 exhibits excellent surface activity and good thermal stability over a temperature range between 20 °C and 100 °C and pH range between 3 and 14, and has a strong salt tolerance to NaCl concentration up to 140 g/L. In addition, the lipopeptide biosurfactant demonstrates significant properties in changing the contact angles of oil reservoir core slices from 86.2° to 39.0° and the wettability from strong oil-wet to strong water-wet, and therefore, resulted in a good oil removing ability with an efficiency of 64.84%, suggesting that the lipopeptide-producing strain R1-2 is promising in applications in environmental bioremediation and enhanced oil recovery.

Review article is a unique and an important category of publication serving the scientific community, but the recent trend of a rapid increase of such articles published in different journals is alarming because majority of them fail to contribute to the science and its development to a significant extent by providing new elements. Requirements of authors contributing to any review articles include prior direct working experience and understanding of the subject matter to significant level. The article contents shall be a collection of published papers first, and then more on evaluation and synthesis of the available literature. In addition, both problems and opportunities together with future directions of the research subject shall be offered to foster the future development. Unfortunately, many of the recent published ones have some level of coverage superficially, but clearly fail to provide insightful information for science in a significant and important way to make a substantial contribution to the research advancement.