Metal matrix composite materials with SiC whiskers are considered as the reinforcement materials for the future electronic devices. However, today, these materials are mostly produced at high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) environments, these procedures are not only costly but may also alter the microstructure. In order to explore an economically more viable approach of fabrication of multilayer movable complicated microstructures, SiC whiskers-reinforced nickel matrix composites (Ni/SiCw) coatings were prepared by electrolytic co-deposition method. The surface morphology and mechanical properties of the electrodeposited coatings, fabricated in both absence and presence of SiC whisker, were studied. Morphology studies showed a homogenous presence of the whisker intercalated at the surface of the nickel matrix; this was further confirmed from the results of XPS and TEM, which also demonstrated that the insertion of the whisker went from the surface to inside. Moreover, it was found that the embedded whiskers significantly affect mechanical properties of the composite coatings: the ultimate tensile strength of Ni/SiCw composite was 2.6 times higher than that of pure Ni, and the elastic modulus improved by 42% with 0.8 g/L of SiC whiskers in the bath. These results reveal the promising potential of electrodeposited metal-SiC whiskers composite materials for micro-mechanical devices application.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt., a fruit crop known for its high Vitamin C content and other nutritional compounds, has not yet been studied for its auxin response factor (ARF) family members. ARFs are important proteins in auxin-mediated pathways, playing a vital role in plant physiological and biochemical processes such as plant development, and flower and fruit maturation. In the present study, we identified 14 ARF genes (designated as RrARFs) in R. roxburghii, which are distributed across seven chromosomes and grouped into four subfamilies. An analysis of cis-acting elements revealed that these genes might be involved in various biological processes, including plant development, flower development, light responses, cell cycle regulation, phytohormone responses, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. A gene expression analysis demonstrated differential expression of RrARF genes across different tissues and stages of fruit development, with four members showing higher expression during the fruit ripening stages. Furthermore, a coexpression analysis identified that RrARF5 was highly coexpressed with RrMDHAR1, a key enzyme involved in Vitamin C biosynthesis. Moreover, transactivation assays and transient overexpression experiments confirmed that RrARF5 activates the transcription of RrMDHAR1. The findings of this study suggest a potential role of the ARF gene family in Vitamin C accumulation in R. roxburghii and enhance our understanding of the diverse regulatory function of the ARF gene family in plants.

Our previous study suggested that mitochondrial haplogroup F (mtDNA F) was a longevity-associated biomarker, but the effect of mitochondrial haplogroup F on longevity individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) was not clear. Thus we explored the association between mtDNA F and MetS among longevity and control population in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt., a fruit crop known for its high vitamin C content and other nutritional compounds, has not yet been studied for its Auxin Responsive Factor (ARF) gene family, which plays a crucial role in plant growth and fruit development. In the present study, we identified 14 ARF genes (designated as RrARFs) in R. roxburghii, which are distributed across seven chromosomes and grouped into four subfamilies. Cis-acting elements analyses revealed that these genes might be involved in various biological processes, including plant development, light responses, cell cycle regulation, phytohormone responses, and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Gene expression analysis demonstrated differential expression of RrARF genes across different tissues and stages of fruit development, with four members showing higher expression during the fruit ripening stages. Furthermore, coexpression analysis identified that RrARF5 was highly coexpressed with RrMDHAR1, a key enzyme involved in vitamin C biosynthesis. Moreover, transactivation assays and transient overexpression experiments confirmed that RrARF5 activates the transcription of RrMDHAR1. The outcomes of this study enhance our understanding of the ARF gene family's role in vitamin C accumulation in R. roxburghii and its broader impact on fruit quality regulation.

Sugars are fundamental to plant growth and fruit quality, functioning both as metabolic substrates and signaling molecules. During fleshy fruit development and ripening, the coordinated regulation of sugar transport and metabolism determines sugar accumulation, thereby shaping fruit sweetness and overall quality. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent advances in soluble sugar transport and metabolism in fleshy fruits. We summarize major sugar types and their biosynthetic pathways, including sucrose, glucose, fructose and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol. We then discuss the roles of key transporter families, sucrose transporters (SUTs), monosaccharide transporters (MSTs), sugars will eventually be exported transporters (SWEETs), and tonoplast sugar transporters (TSTs), in source–sink allocation and intracellular partitioning. Furthermore, we integrate current knowledge on transcriptional, epigenetic, post-transcriptional, post-translational, hormonal and environmental regulation of sugar transport and metabolism. Finally, we highlight emerging biotechnological and management strategies for improving fruit quality through targeted manipulation of sugar-related pathways. This review provides an integrated framework for understanding sugar regulation in fruits and offers valuable insights for crop improvement and sustainable fruit production.

Karst ecosystems impose compound stresses of seasonal drought, calcium-rich substrates, and nutrient poverty, which severely constrain plant survival and ecological restoration. Betula luminifera , a native pioneer species of subtropical China, has emerged as a key candidate for restoring such degraded landscapes; however, research on its adaptation mechanisms remains fragmented, with individual physiological traits rarely integrated into a mechanistic framework. To address this gap, this review systematically synthesizes the existing evidence and proposes a carbon-driven synergistic adaptation framework, in which photosynthetic carbon serves as the universal currency, dynamically allocated among growth, resource acquisition, and defense to optimize fitness under compound stress. The framework integrates three interdependent systems: (1) an efficient photosynthetic-water system that manages the carbon-water trade-off and establishes a high-throughput carbon economy; (2) a rhizosphere nutrient-mobilization strategy for overcoming phosphorus limitation that is currently based on comparative rather than species-specific evidence and therefore requires exudate level validation, coupled with efficient internal nutrient cycling; and (3) a coordinated defense system combining antioxidant enzymes and osmotic adjustment to mitigate oxidative stress, with ion compartmentalization and calcium-management strategies (e.g., root sequestration, vacuolar storage) proposed as key components pending molecular validation. These systems are proposed to be coordinated through dynamic carbon allocation, although direct evidence for such allocation in B. luminifera is currently lacking. Under water limitation, a tentative priority hierarchy is proposed in which investment in photosynthetic tissues and hydraulic integrity outranks rhizosphere exudation and resource-intensive defense, with exudation activated mainly under phosphorus deficiency. The key contribution of this review is not the enumeration of individual adaptations but the construction of an integrative framework that explains how B. luminifera coordinates multiple strategies to overcome the karst stress triangle, explicitly separating direct evidence, comparative evidence, and proposed mechanisms. Because the rhizosphere phosphorus-mobilization pathway and calcium detoxification pathways currently rest on comparative rather than species-specific evidence, molecular validation of root exudation and Ca ²⁺ handling is a top priority. Future research should also prioritize long-term field trials, including direct comparisons of monoculture versus mixed-community restoration, to assess the predictive power of the framework for guiding precision restoration and developing stress-tolerant germplasm of B. luminifera .