Heilongjiang Institute of Wood Science

Abstract This study aims to develop curcumin-loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/zein-based degradable nanofibrous films for food packaging via centrifugal spinning. Five types of PVP/zein nanofibrous films with different curcumin loadings were prepared by centrifugal spinning, and characterized in terms of morphology, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, antioxidant activity, microbiological properties, and colorimetric indication. The results showed that the film with 160 mg curcumin exhibited the best overall antibacterial rate and antioxidant effect, with a water contact angle of 85.32° and a tensile strength of 5.71 MPa. The film also exhibits excellent reversible indicator functionality for volatile ammonia. Finally, the nanofibrous film was applied to fresh shrimp, and compared with the control group, the shelf life of shrimp was extended by three days, providing new insights and technological advancements for the development of next-generation intelligent food packaging materials.

ABSTRACT Bio‐degradable plastics have gained significant attention due to their biodegradability and environmental friendliness. However, how to improve the degradation rate of PBAT/PLA composites in aqueous environments is still a challenge. In this study, a green processing technology was proposed to achieve the rapid degradation of PBAT/PLA. By using lignin as an intermediate medium and adopting a continuous batch feeding strategy, the compatibility and biodegradability of PBAT/PLA composite materials are simultaneously improved in the absence of compatibilizers. The resulting PBAT/PLA/lignin films demonstrate excellent mechanical, water barrier, and degradation properties. The elastic modulus ( E ), tensile strength ( σ b ) and elongation at break ( ε b ) of PBAT/PLA/2%lignin are 124.2 MPa, 45.5 MPa, and 737%, respectively. The weight loss rate of the PBAT/PLA/10%lignin film after hydrolysis for 60 h was 30.0 wt%, which was 316% higher than that of the PBAT/PLA film. This sustainable and green processing strategy promotes the application of lignin in the field of composite materials, while solving the problems of poor mechanical properties and slow hydrolysis rate of PBAT/PLA composite materials.

The gut microbiota is crucial for maintaining health, enhancing digestive efficiency, and promoting the development of the immune system of the host. However, for the endangered waterfowl, the scaly-sided merganser (Mergus squamatus), the physiological role of the composition and structure of its gut microbiota during its growth and development remains unclear. Herein, we conducted fecal metagenomic analyses on adult and subadult populations to assess differences in the gut microbiota composition and function within the same habitat. The results revealed that this species harbors a diverse gut microbiota assemblage, with Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes being the dominant phyla in adults and subadults. Notably, the abundance of the Firmicutes phylum is higher in adult, while the Actinobacteria phylum is more abundant in subadult individuals. There are significant differences in the diversity of the gut microbiota between the two age groups of the scaly-sided merganser. The alpha diversity index shows that the species richness and evenness of gut microbiota in adult scaly-sided merganser are higher than those in subadult individuals. Functional gene enrichment analysis further indicated that the adult gut microbiota had a higher ability to synthesize acetyl-CoA and pyruvate, along with enhanced conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetate. These findings suggest that the gut microbiota of the scaly-sided merganser can play a crucial role in concert with the host during the energy metabolism process in the growth and development stage. This study provides foundational data on the gut microbiota structure and function of this species and enhances our understanding of microbial dynamics during waterfowl development.

Abstract. Place names are important basic geographic information resources for surveying and mapping. They play a significant role in maintaining national security, national defense construction, economic development, and other aspects. The construction and development of global geographic information resources require the continuous, efficient acquisition, and integration and updating of place names data. This paper takes the boundaries of the lowest administrative units in the task area as the matching scope and employs a string edit distance algorithm based on the substitution rules of common name synonyms for the similarity calculation and integration and updating of place names. It also uses a multilingual translation method based on a transliteration rule library for foreign language translation, with the addition of collaborative processing verification. This ultimately improves the matching efficiency of multi-source place names elements and ensures the accuracy of foreign place names translation. The research findings have been tested in some national regions and can provide a reference for the production and updating of place names data worldwide.

Termites present a significant hazard to wooden structures, agriculture and urban environments. Termiticides are now required to meet more stringent environmental standards. Microbial metabolites with antitermitic properties are considered practical alternatives for termite control. Here, we report an antitermitic compound-producing endophytic bacterium HDZK-BYB36 isolated from the termite-resistant tree, Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). The morphological, physio-biochemical, and 16S rDNA characteristics of the bacterium were investigated, as well as its antimicrobial and antitermitic activities. The antitermitic compounds from the strain HDZK-BYB36 were analyzed by GC-MS. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that HDZK-BYB36 was a subspecies of Paenibacillus aliginolyticus, sharing 98.72% identity with P. alginolyticus DSM 5050T. The HDZK-BYB36 demonstrated robust antimicrobial and termiticidal activities. It produced at least 4 antitermitic compounds, namely nootkatone, τ-muurolol, torreyol and α-cadinol, as determined by GC-MS analysis. The isolation of HDZK-BYB36 presents an effective and innovative resource for generating antitermitic compounds, providing a sustainable approach towards the prevention and control of termites.