Thinning-induced decrease in fine root biomass, but not other fine root traits in global forests.

In forest ecosystems, changes in the expression of tree absorptive root traits following management interventions are expected to influence post-thinning forest structure and function. Fine root traits are expected to be especially responsive to forest thinning-one of the most common forest management interventions and the focus of our research here-influencing tree-level responses to environmental change, and thereby contributing to post-thinning stand-level dynamics and ecosystem processes. However, there remains limited understanding surrounding whether or not forest thinning influences the expression of root morphological, chemical, and physiological traits associated with belowground resource acquisition. We conducted a global meta-analysis to evaluate the response of 13 fine root traits to forest thinning. Our study included analysis of 769 paired observations of root traits values pre- and post-thinning, derived from 89 peer-reviewed publications. Our meta-analysis found that forest thinning leads to a decrease in fine root biomass by 11.7% on average, while other root traits including fine root length, root C and N concentrations, root lifespan, and root respiration rates, are largely unresponsive to thinning treatments. Thinning tended to reduce fine root biomass at early stand recovery stages, with increases in fine root biomass being detected at later seral stages, especially in heavy thinning experiments. The effect of thinning on fine root biomass was most pronounced in deeper soil horizons. The influence of thinning on fine root trait expression was not affected by ecosystem or stand type, with the exception of biomass which decreased in temperate and coniferous forests. Our results demonstrate variations of fine root traits to forest management, as well as the importance of stand recovery time and thinning intensity in regulating fine root trait expression in retention trees. These patterns may have strong implications for governing soil carbon stocks in managed forests associated with decreased root inputs into deeper soils. Overall, our findings can enhance our comprehension of how forest management affects fine root trait expression, and relationship between managed forests and belowground ecosystem structure and function.

Effects of four kinds of improver on fermentation characteristics of gluten-free rice dough.

Rice is commonly utilized as a wheat bread substitute due to its low allergenicity. However, rice bread faces challenges in processing efficiency and the formation of a cohesive gel network structure, resulting in suboptimal taste Hence, this study compared four improvers-trypsin, whey protein (WPC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and molecularly distilled monoglycerides (GMSs). The impacts of the four improvers on the processing attributes of rice dough were comprehensively assessed across fermentation, moisture content analysis, rheology, heat stability, and pasting characteristics. The findings indicated that the incorporation of trypsin, HPMC, and WPC resulted in 107%, 61%, and 1% increases in gas production of fermented rice dough, respectively, while reducing the regrowth values to 564.00 ± 7.21, 176.67 ± 0.58, and 611.00 ± 3.61 cP. Notably, the air-holding capacity of HPMC-fermented rice dough exhibited a 7% enhancement. All four types of improvers raised the enthalpy of melting (ΔH) and the difference in melting point (ΔT) of fermented rice doughs, with trypsin enhancing ΔH by 44% and ΔT by 40%. GMS, HPMC, and WPC increased the degree of water incorporation in fermented doughs. This study could serve as a benchmark for enhancing the fermentation attributes of rice dough and establish a groundwork for the future advancement of gluten-free dietary options. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The thorough analysis conducted in this experiment provides a theoretical framework for rice dough preparation during the fermentation process, addressing the dietary needs of individuals with coeliac disease and those following a gluten-free diet. This study also paves the way for the development of improved gluten-free rice products in future research pursuits.

Integrated anatomical structure, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses to identify differential cold tolerance responses of Ziziphus jujuba mill. 'Yueguang' and its autotetraploid 'Hongguang'.

Cold stress is a limiting stress factor that limits plant distribution and development; however, polyploid plants have specific characteristics such as higher resistance to abiotic stress, especially cold stress, that allow them to overcome this challenge. The cultivated cultivar Ziziphus jujuba Mill. 'Yueguang' (YG) and its autotetraploid counterpart 'Hongguang' (HG) exhibit differential cold tolerance. However, the underlying molecular mechanism and methods to enhance their cold tolerance remain unknown. Anatomical structure and physiological analysis indicated YG had a higher wood bark ratio, and xylem ratio under cold treatment compared to HG. However, the half-lethal temperature (LT50), cortex ratio, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were significantly decreased in YG than HG, which indicated YG was cold tolerant than HG. Transcriptome analysis showed that 2084, 1725, 2888, and 2934 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in HC vs YC, H20 vs Y20, Y20 vs YC, and H20 vs HC treatment, respectively. Meanwhile, KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs showed that several metabolic pathways, primarily plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway, were involved in the differential regulation of cold tolerance between YG and HG. Furthermore, exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and brassinolide (BR) treatments could improve their cold tolerance through increased SOD and POD activities, decreased relative electrical conductivity, and MDA content. All of these findings suggested that plant hormone signal transduction, particularly ABA and BR, might have an important role in the regulation of differential cold tolerance between YG and HG, laying the foundation for further improving cold tolerance in jujube and examining the molecular mechanisms underlying differences in cold tolerance among different ploidy cultivars.

Dynamic changes of microbiota and metabolite of traditional Hainan dregs vinegar during fermentation based on metagenomics and metabolomics.

Hainan dregs vinegar (HNDV) is a traditional fermented food in China that is renowned for its unique flavor. HNDV is one of the most popular vinegars in Southeast Asia. However, research on the microorganisms and characteristic metabolites specific to HNDV is lacking. This study investigated the changes in microbial succession, volatile flavor compounds and characteristic non-volatile flavor compounds during HNDV fermentation based on metagenomics and metabolomics. The predominant microbial genera were Lactococcus, Limosilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, and Saccharomyces. Unlike traditional vinegar, l-lactic acid was identified as the primary organic acid in HNDV. Noteworthy flavor compounds specific to HNDV included 3-methylthiopropanol and dl-phenylalanine. Significant associations were observed between six predominant microorganisms and six characteristic volatile flavor compounds, as well as seven characteristic non-volatile flavor compounds. The present results contribute to the development of starter cultures and the enhancement of HNDV quality.

Protective role of perivascular adipose tissue in the cardiovascular system.

This review provides an overview of the key role played by perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in the protection of cardiovascular health. PVAT is a specific type of adipose tissue that wraps around blood vessels and has recently emerged as a critical factor for maintenance of vascular health. Through a profound exploration of existing research, this review sheds light on the intricate structural composition and cellular origins of PVAT, with a particular emphasis on combining its regulatory functions for vascular tone, inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial function. The review then delves into the intricate mechanisms by which PVAT exerts its protective effects, including the secretion of diverse adipokines and manipulation of the renin-angiotensin complex. The review further examines the alterations in PVAT function and phenotype observed in several cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart failure. Recognizing the complex interactions of PVAT with the cardiovascular system is critical for pursuing breakthrough therapeutic strategies that can target cardiovascular disease. Therefore, this review aims to augment present understanding of the protective role of PVAT in cardiovascular health, with a special emphasis on elucidating potential mechanisms and paving the way for future research directions in this evolving field.

Effect of genetically determined BCAA levels on cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors: A Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Observational studies have demonstrated that serum branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with the risk of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and their risk factors. However, the causal effect is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of genetically determined BCAA levels on CVDs and their risk factors using Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed univariable and multivariable MR analyses using summary-level data from multiple GWASs and the FinnGen consortium to investigate the association between BCAA levels and the risk of CVDs (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage) and their risk factors (atrial fibrillation, hypertension, heart failure, and valvular heart disease). We used the random-effects IVW approach as the primary statistical method and incorporated MR estimates from different data sources using the fixed-effects model. We found genetically determined total and individual BCAA levels and a high risk of hypertension. However, there is no evidence of a causal relationship between BCAA levels and 3 cardiovascular diseases and other their risk factors. The odds of hypertension increased per 1-SD increase in BCAA levels (OR = 1.02 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04; P = 0.005), valine (OR = 1.02 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03; P<0.0001), leucine (OR = 1.02 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04; P＜0.01), and isoleucine (OR = 1.02 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03; P < 0.0001). This result was also significant in the multivariable MR. CONCLUSIONS: This MR study suggests that total and individual BCAA levels could be associated with a high risk of hypertension.

Research Progress of Nanomaterials in Chemotherapy of Osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone tumor that occurs mostly in children and adolescents. At present, surgery after chemotherapy or postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is the main treatment plan. However, the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs is limited by the occurrence of chemotherapeutic resistance, toxicity to normal cells, poor pharmacokinetic performance, and drug delivery failure. The delivery of chemotherapy drugs to the bone to treat OS may fail for a variety of reasons, such as a lack of selectivity for OS cells, initial sudden release, short-term release, and the presence of biological barriers (such as the blood-bone marrow barrier). Nanomaterials are new materials with at least one dimension on the nanometer scale (1-100 nm) in three-dimensional space. These materials have the ability to penetrate biological barriers and can accumulate preferentially in tumor cells. Studies have shown that the effective combination of nanomaterials and traditional chemotherapy can significantly improve the therapeutic effect. Therefore, this article reviews the latest research progress on the use of nanomaterials in OS chemotherapy.

Insights into the effects of extractable phenolic compounds and Maillard reaction products on the antioxidant activity of roasted wheat flours with different maturities.

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of roasting whole wheat flours at 80 °C, 100 °C and 120 °C for 30 min on four forms of phenolics, Maillard reaction products (MRPs), and the DPPH scavenging activity (DSA) at 15, 30 and 45 days after flowering (15-DAF, 30-DAF, and 45-DAF). Roasting increased the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the wheat flours, which were the dominant contributions to the formation of Maillard reaction products. The highest total phenolic content (TPC) and total phenolic DSA (TDSA) were determined in the DAF-15 flours at 120 °C/30 min. The DAF-15 flours exhibited the highest browning index and fluorescence of free intermediate compounds and advanced MRPs, suggesting that a substantial quantity of MRPs were formed. Four forms of phenolic compounds were detected with significantly different DSAs in the roasted wheat flours. The insoluble-bound phenolic compounds exhibited the highest DSA, followed by the glycosylated phenolic compounds.

Changes in nutrient consumption patterns of Lactobacillus fermentum mediated by sodium lactate.

BACKGROUND: During high-cell-density culture of Lactobacillus fermentum, the optimal pH is often maintained by adding NaOH. During cultivation at controlled pH, L. fermentum experiences osmotic stress due to the continuous accumulation of sodium lactate as a neutralizer product, affecting its survival in subsequent processing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutrient consumption patterns of L. fermentum ATCC 14931 under sodium lactate stress and to screen nutrients that help it resist osmotic stress. RESULTS: The consumption and consumption rates of amino acids, purines, pyrimidines, vitamins, and metal ions were analyzed in chemically defined media containing 0.13, 0.31, or 0.62 mm L-1 sodium lactate. The highest consumption rates were found for arginine, guanine, folic acid, and Mn2+ , and the most consumed nutrients were glutamate + glutamine, guanine, ascorbic acid, and Na+ . Arginine 2.58 mm L-1 , guanine 0.23 mm L-1 , and Mn2+ 0.25 mm L-1 were added to the medium at sodium lactate concentrations of 0.13 and 0.62 mm L-1 , and arginine 2.58 mm L-1 , guanine 0.26 mm L-1 , and Mn2+ 0.25 mm L-1 at a sodium lactate concentration of 0.31 mm L-1 . The viable cell counts of L. fermentum ATCC 14931 were approximately 1.02-fold (P < 0.05) of the counts observed in control medium at all three concentrations of sodium lactate. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that certain nutrients accelerate the growth of L. fermentum under sodium lactate stress and enhance its resistance to this adverse condition. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Scientific Evidence of Chinese Herbal Medicine (Gegen Qinlian Decoction) in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

Objectives: Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD), a Chinese herbal compound, has been widely used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) in China. However, evidence from systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) of GQD in UC remains highly controversial. To collate, evaluate, and synthesize the current evidence, we carried out this study. Methods: SRs/MAs of GQD for UC were obtained from eight databases. Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) was utilized to appraise the methodological quality, Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for reporting quality, and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) for evidence quality. Results: Four eligible SRs/MAs were obtained. According to AMSTAR 2, all SRs/MAs were graded as critically low quality. According to PRISMA checklist, all SRs/MAs failed to report the information of protocol and registration. With GRADE, no outcome measure with high-quality evidence was found, and the evidence quality for outcome measures was in the moderate to critically low levels. Conclusions: GQD with conventional medicine (CM) seems to be more effective in UC than CM alone. This finding provides a new alternative strategy for the treatment of UC. However, owing to the limitations of the evidence provided by the included SRs/MAs, this conclusion must be treated with caution.

Access-Selection Algorithm for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks Based on Uncertain Network Attribute Values.

A heterogeneous wireless network (HWN) environment contains many kinds of wireless networks, such as UMTS, LTE, and WLAN, where users move around within their coverage area. How to ensure mobile users select the most suitable network is a hot research topic for HWNs. Owing to the mobility of users, the interference of wireless signals, and the fluctuation of network status, the network attribute values obtained by mobile users are often uncertain. However, the traditional access-selection algorithms assume that mobile users can obtain accurate network attribute values, which makes users unable to access the most appropriate network. To solve this problem, this paper designs an access-selection algorithm for HWNs in the context of inaccurate network attribute values. First, the algorithm calculates the network attribute values based on the hesitant fuzzy theory, then calculates the weights of network attributes using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), and finally sorts the candidate networks using the hesitant fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm enables users to select the most suitable network to access under the inaccurate network attribute environment and obtain higher gains.

A User-Oriented Intelligent Access Selection Algorithm in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks.

A heterogeneous wireless network (HWN) contains many kinds of wireless networks with overlapping areas of signal coverage. One of the research topics on HWNs is how to make users choose the most suitable network. This paper designs a user-oriented intelligent access selection algorithm in HWNs with five modules (input, user preference calculation, candidate network score calculation, output, and learning). Essentially, the input module uses a utility function to calculate the utility value of the judgment parameter; the user preference calculation module calculates the weight of the judgment parameter using the fuzzy analysis hierarchy process (FAHP) approach; the candidate network score calculation module calculates the network score through a fuzzy neural network; the output module calculates the error between the actual output value and the expected output value; and the learning module corrects the parameter of the membership function in the fuzzy neural network structure according to the error. Simulation results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper can enable users to select the most suitable network according to service characteristics and can enable users to obtain higher gains.

Discovery and characteristics of B cell-like T cells: A potential novel tumor immune marker?

BACKGROUND: CD3 and CD19 are the characteristic surface markers of mature T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes of human respectively. A special subset of immune cells that characteristically expressed the surface markers CD19+ of B lymphocytes and CD3+ of T lymphocytes simultaneously (CD19+CD3+ cells, hereinafter referred to as B-T cells) was found in the peripheral blood of human, yet it has not been reported in cancer research before. Our aims were to characterize the expression and possible value of B-T cells in cancer patients. METHODS: Flow cytometry was applied to analyse the CD19+CD3+ cells, and laser scanning confocal microscope was utilized to prove co-expressing CD19+ of B lymphocytes and CD3+ of T lymphocytes simultaneously on the surface of the cells. Then a total of 523 patients with malignant tumor were enrolled in this study, and 177 healthy donors were recruited as the control group. The levels of CD19+CD3+ cells in peripheral blood were measured by flow cytometry, and the differences between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The healthy donors and cancer patients all had B-T cells in their peripheral blood, but the percentage of B-T cells was 0.16 % ± 0.11 % and 0.58 % ± 0.38 % respectively, showing statistically significant (P < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between the percentage of B-T cells and lymphocyte subsets (P > 0.05). The percentages of B-T cells in different tumor species were different. The proportion of B-T cells was high in esophageal cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lung cancer, but it was low in pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer and kidney cancer. Meanwhile, there was significant difference between esophageal cancer and kidney cancer (P < 0.001). The distribution of B-T cells in pancreatic cancer and kidney cancer was more concentrated, yet more dispersed in other cancers. Although there was a trend of increase in clinical stage Ⅲ+Ⅳ and a trend of decrease in age above 60 years for breast cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancer, there was no significant difference in the percentage of B-T cells in age, gender, different clinical stages, tumor metastasis, lymph node metastasis, and splenomegaly (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The percentage of B-T cells in cancer patients was significantly higher than that of healthy donors. B-T cells maybe play a very complicated role in tumor, whether it could be a potential tumor immune marker or not and what are the specific phenotypes and functions of it to need be further verified.

Electrodeposition of sulfur-engineered amorphous nickel hydroxides on MIL-53(Fe) nanosheets to accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction.

Exploring Earth-abundant electrocatalysts that are highly efficient, low cost, and stable for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are critical to energy storage and water splitting. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been regarded as superior electrocatalysts due to their atomically dispersed metal ions. Currently, MOFs have been widely studied as templates to fabricate electrocatalysts through thermal annealing. Here, we report a novel synthetic approach to fabricate a Ni-S/MIL-53(Fe) electrode by electrodepositing sulfur-engineered amorphous nickel hydroxides on MIL-53(Fe) nanosheets. The obtained binder-free, self-supported Ni-S/MIL-53(Fe) shows high OER activity with overpotentials of 256 and 298 mV to achieve 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively. Moreover, it also exhibits excellent electrochemical stability with no obvious degradation at 100 mA cm-2 for at least 40 h. The new findings may pave a new avenue for designing and fabricating low-cost catalysts with high efficiency for electrochemical applications.

Activating hierarchically hortensia-like CoAl layered double hydroxides by alkaline etching and anion modulation strategies for the efficient oxygen evolution reaction.

It is highly desirable to design and develop low-cost and Earth-abundant non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for the efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under alkaline conditions. Herein, hierarchically porous hortensia-like CoAl hydroxysulfide is converted from CoAl layered double hydroxides via alkaline etching and sulfuration strategies as an efficient electrocatalyst for the OER. In 1 M KOH, this electrode requires a low overpotential of 270 mV to drive the current density of 10 mA cm-2, with a small Tafel slope of 63 mV dec-1. Furthermore, it also possesses remarkably high stability with its activity being maintained at a stable overpotential of 10 mA cm-2 after testing for 26 h. Our work provides a promising cost-effective OER catalyst for large-scale electrochemical applications.

Chromosomal structural changes and microsatellite variations in newly synthesized hexaploid wheat mediated by unreduced gametes.

Allohexaploid wheat was derived from interspecific hybridization, followed by spontaneous chromosome doubling. Newly synthesized hexaploid wheat by crossing Triticum turgidum and Aegilops tauschii provides a classical model to understand the mechanisms of allohexaploidization in wheat. However, immediate chromosome level variation and microsatellite level variation of newly synthesized hexaploid wheat have been rarely reported. Here, unreduced gametes were applied to develop synthesized hexaploid wheat, NA0928, population by crossing T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum MY3478 and Ae. tauschii SY41, and further S0-S3 generations of NA0928 were assayed by sequential cytological and microsatellite techniques. We demonstrated that plentiful chromosomal structural changes and microsatellite variations emerged in the early generations of newly synthesized hexaploid wheat population NA0928, including aneuploidy with whole-chromosome loss or gain, aneuploidy with telosome formation, chromosome-specific repeated sequence elimination (indicated by fluorescence in situ hybridization) and microsatellite sequence elimination (indicated by sequencing), and many kinds of variations have not been previously reported. Additionally, we reported a new germplasm, T. turgidum accession MY3478 with excellent unreduced gametes trait, and then succeeded to transfer powdery mildew resistance from Ae. tauschii SY41 to synthesized allohexaploid wheat population NA0928, which would be valuable resistance resources for wheat improvement.

Spontaneous and divergent hexaploid triticales derived from common wheat × rye by complete elimination of D-genome chromosomes.

BACKGROUND: Hexaploid triticale could be either synthesized by crossing tetraploid wheat with rye, or developed by crossing hexaploid wheat with a hexaploid triticale or an octoploid triticale. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here two hexaploid triticales with great morphologic divergence derived from common wheat cultivar M8003 (Triticum aestivum L.) × Austrian rye (Secale cereale L.) were reported, exhibiting high resistance for powdery mildew and stripe rust and potential for wheat improvement. Sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) karyotyping revealed that D-genome chromosomes were completely eliminated and the whole A-genome, B-genome and R-genome chromosomes were retained in both lines. Furthermore, plentiful alterations of wheat chromosomes including 5A and 7B were detected in both triticales and additionally altered 5B, 7A chromosome and restructured chromosome 2A was assayed in N9116H and N9116M, respectively, even after selfing for several decades. Besides, meiotic asynchrony was displayed and a variety of storage protein variations were assayed, especially in the HMW/LMW-GS region and secalins region in both triticales. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that whole D-genome chromosomes could be preferentially eliminated in the hybrid of common wheat × rye, "genome shock" was accompanying the allopolyploidization of nascent triticales, and great morphologic divergence might result from the genetic variations. Moreover, new hexaploid triticale lines contributing potential resistance resources for wheat improvement were produced.