[Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Greenhouse Fluxes from Urban Lawn].

As an important component of urban green spaces, greenhouse gas uptake or emissions from urban lawns cannot be ignored. However, studies of greenhouse gas fluxes from subtropical urban lawns are relatively sparse. The static chamber-gas chromatography method was applied to monitor the ground-air exchange fluxes of various greenhouse gases(CO2, CH4, N2O, and CO) in typical urban lawns of Hangzhou City. Our results showed that the average fluxes had significant seasonal cycles but ambiguous diurnal variations. The grassland and the soil(naked soil without vegetation coverage) acted as sources of atmospheric N2O, with the average fluxes of (0.66±0.17) and (0.58±0.20) µg·(m2·min)-1 for N2O, respectively; however, they were also sinks of CH4 and CO, with the average fluxes of (-0.21±0.078) and (-0.26±0.10) µg·(m2·min)-1 for CH4 and (-6.36±1.28) and (-6.55±1.69) µg·(m2·min)-1 for CO, respectively. The average CO2emission fluxes of urban grassland and soil were(5.28±0.75) and (4.83±0.91) mg·(m2·min)-1, respectively. The correlation analysis indicated that the CO2 and N2O fluxes of grassland and soil were negatively correlated with precipitation, whereas the CH4 and CO fluxes were positively correlated with it. There was no significant correlation between grassland CH4 fluxes and soil temperature, and N2O fluxes had a significant negative correlation with soil temperature; the other greenhouse gas fluxes showed a significant positive correlation with soil temperature. In addition, the seasonal variation in CO2 (R2=0.371 and 0.314) and N2O(R2=0.371 and 0.284) fluxes from both grassland and soil was affected by precipitation, whereas CO fluxes (R2=0.290 and 0.234) were mainly driven by soil temperature compared with the other greenhouse gases.

Efficacy and Related Factors of Artificial Femoral Head Replacement for Femoral Intertrochanteric Fracture and Nonunion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: An intertrochanteric fracture can cause ischemic necrosis in the femoral head, leading to negative effects. There are many types of implants for this fracture procedure, including metal-on-metal, metal-on-polyethylene, ceramic-on-ceramic, and ceramic-on-polyethylene, that are currently in use. The current modification is a hybrid prosthetic implant with high functional capacity compared with predecessors. This study aims to determine the procedure's efficacy in recovery, function restoration, complications, and cost-effectiveness. Methods: Our study used a total of 200 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and 135 patients undergoing semi-hip arthroplasty to determine the effectiveness of total hip arthroplasty and femoral head arthroplasty From May 2022 to May 2023. Using the RAOSOFT sampling technique, 132 and 101 in the observation and control group, respectively, the sample is obtained with a confidence interval of 95%, an error margin of 1%, and response interval confidence of 50%. This is a descriptive type of research that relies on a meta-analysis of the available data from PubMed, scholarly articles, and the Chinese biomedical database to gather the fundamental data needed to conduct the research. Data obtained is analyzed using SSPS and STATA and presented in tables showing a summary of the objective measured value. Result: In this study, the Harris joint score of patients in the total hip arthroplasty group was significantly higher than that of the control group, indicating that total hip arthroplasty can restore femoral head function, but still lacks absolute strength like half hip arthroplasty. Conclusions: Femoral head replacement is a complex procedure, but the efficacy in restoring the function is better. In conclusion, despite slow healing and regeneration, the efficacy of complete artificial femoral head replacement is higher in restoring function for various fractures.

The challenge of engineering Rubisco for improving photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis uses the energy of sunlight to convert water and atmospheric CO2 into sugars, providing food and oxygen for life. The fixation of atmospheric CO2 in this crucial biological process is mediated by the enzyme Rubisco. The inefficiencies of Rubisco have inspired researchers for decades to explore ways to improve its function with the goal of increasing crop yields [1-4], and more recently to combat global warming [5]. In this graphical review we highlight the challenges involved in engineering plant Rubisco, with a focus on the extensive chaperone requirement for its biogenesis. We discuss strategies for engineering the catalytic properties of Rubisco and for sequestering the enzyme in membraneless compartments to increase CO2 fixation.

Lattice B-doping evolved ferromagnetic perovskite-like catalyst for enhancing persulfate-based degradation of norfloxacin.

Series of B-doped perovskite-like materials CeCu0.5Co0.5O3 (B-C3O) were fabricated with unique ferromagnetic property due to partial substitution of non-magnetic 2p-impurities boron in the lattice. Then, B-C3O was used for activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of norfloxacin (NOR), one kind of emerging pollutants with the concentration level up to mg/L in wastewaters. The results indicated that 5.0% B-C3O exhibited stable catalytic ability at pH 3.0-9.0 and high degradation efficiency in co-existing inorganic Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, H2PO4- and organic humic acid. Non-radical 1O2, radicals •OH and SO4•-, as well as ClO- were detected with synergy effect for NOR degradation. By quantifying free radicals, •OH with 0.52 µM and SO4•- with 10.91 µM were obtained at 180 min, verifying the leading role of SO4•-. The degradation process involved the defluorination and decarboxylation, as well as opening of quinolone and piperazinyl rings. Adopting alfalfa as the model plant, the toxicity effect before and after NOR degradation was finally evaluated with seed germination rate and chlorophyll content as the physiological indicators. In summary, non-metal B-doping not only provides a creative strategy for the development of ferromagnetic perovskite-like materials, but also affords excellent catalysts for aiding the advanced oxidation technology for removal of emerging pollutants in wastewaters.

Scaffolding protein CcmM directs multiprotein phase separation in ß-carboxysome biogenesis.

Carboxysomes in cyanobacteria enclose the enzymes Rubisco and carbonic anhydrase to optimize photosynthetic carbon fixation. Understanding carboxysome assembly has implications in agricultural biotechnology. Here we analyzed the role of the scaffolding protein CcmM of the ß-cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 in sequestrating the hexadecameric Rubisco and the tetrameric carbonic anhydrase, CcaA. We find that the trimeric CcmM, consisting of γCAL oligomerization domains and linked small subunit-like (SSUL) modules, plays a central role in mediation of pre-carboxysome condensate formation through multivalent, cooperative interactions. The γCAL domains interact with the C-terminal tails of the CcaA subunits and additionally mediate a head-to-head association of CcmM trimers. Interestingly, SSUL modules, besides their known function in recruiting Rubisco, also participate in intermolecular interactions with the γCAL domains, providing further valency for network formation. Our findings reveal the mechanism by which CcmM functions as a central organizer of the pre-carboxysome multiprotein matrix, concentrating the core components Rubisco and CcaA before ß-carboxysome shell formation.

Structural basis of staphylococcal Stl inhibition on a eukaryotic dUTPase.

dUTPases are key enzymes in all life kingdoms. A staphylococcal repressor protein (Stl) inhibited dUTPases from multiple species to various extents. Understanding the molecular basis underlying the inhibition differences is crucial to develop effective proteinaceous inhibitors of dUTPases. Herein, we report the complex structure of Stl N-terminal domain (StlN-ter) and Litopenaeus vannamei dUTPase domain (lvDUT65-210). Stl inhibited lvDUT65-210 through its N-terminal domain. The lvDUT65-210-StlN-ter complex structure revealed a heterohexamer encompassing three StlN-ter monomers bound to one lvDUT65-210 trimer, generating two types of Stl-dUTPase interfaces. Interface I is formed by Stl interaction with the lvDUT65-210 active-site region that is contributed by motifs I-IV from its two subunits; interface II results from Stl binding to the C-terminal motif V of the third lvDUT65-210 subunit. Structural comparison revealed both conserved features and obvious differences in Stl-dUTPase interaction patterns, giving clues about the inhibition differences of Stl on dUTPases. Noticeably, interface II is only observed in lvDUT65-210-StlN-ter. The Stl-interacting residues of lvDUT65-210 are conserved in other eukaryotic dUTPases, particularly human dUTPase. Altogether, our study presents the first structural model of Stl interaction with eukaryotic dUTPase, contributing to a more complete view of Stl inhibition and facilitating the development of proteinaceous inhibitor for eukaryotic dUTPases.

Near-Infrared Thienoisoindigos with Aggregation-Induced Emission: Molecular Design, Optical Performance, and Bioimaging Application.

Thienoisoindigo as a popular conjugated skeleton has been constantly applied in the construction of organic optoelectronic materials. Exploring its new applications in fluorescent sensors and bioimaging is helpful to extend its potential. In this work, a thienoisoindigo fluorophore was first selected as a building block to be applied in the construction of the near-infrared fluorescent materials with an aggregation-induced emission manner through introducing triarylamine, thiophene-bridged triarylamine, and N,N-dimethyl styrene, respectively. These fluorescent agents showed the near-infrared emission and possessed typical aggregation-induced emission behavior. Although they had low band gaps and near-infrared emission, they presented remarkable photostability. Especially, thiophene-bridged triarylamine and N,N-dimethyl styrene-coated thienoisoindigos exhibited strong lysosomal targeting capability, and they could also serve for fluorescence imaging in vivo.

After enjoying curry: urine metabolism analysis of curcuminoids by microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography with laser-induced native fluorescence detection.

Considering pH-dependent fluorescence of curcuminoids, a microemulsion electrokinetic chromatographic (MEEKC) method was developed under acidic conditions for their separation and detection using laser-induced native fluorescence (LINF), so as to solve the analysis of urine metabolism for curcuminoids. The microemulsion composition was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), and the effects of buffer pH and organic modifiers were systematically investigated. The optimal buffer for the separation of curcuminoids was chosen as follows: 2.8% (v/v) ethyl acetate, 80 mM SDS and 2.8% (v/v) n-butanol to form microemulsion, 28% (v/v) ethanol as organic modifier, and 20 mM phosphoric acid as electrolyte at pH 3.0. Under these conditions, four curcuminoids including curcumin, demethoxy curcumin (DMC), bisdemethoxy curcumin (BDMC) and demethyl curcumin (DEC) could be well separated within 18 min, and the detection limits (LOD, based on S/N=3) were calculated to be 71, 60, 22, and 147 pg mL-1, respectively. Combined with solid-phase extraction (SPE), the developed MEEKC-LINF method has been successfully applied to continuously monitor the curcuminoids and related metabolites in human urine collected from a healthy volunteer after oral administration of curry, testifying that this method has potential for evaluating the pharmacological activity of curcuminoids.

A biotin-guided hydrogen sulfide fluorescent probe and its application in living cell imaging.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a well-known signaling molecule, exerts significant regulatory effects on the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Therefore, monitoring the metabolism of H2S offers a potential mechanism to detect various diseases. In addition, biotin is significantly used as a targeting group to detect cancer cells exclusively. In this work, a biotin-guided benzoxadizole-based fluorescent probe, NP-biotin, was developed for H2S detection and evaluated in normal liver cell (LO2) and liver cancer cell (HepG2) lines. Results reveal that NP-biotin can detect cellular H2S with high sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, NP-biotin has been confirmed to possess the ability to target cancer cells under the guidance of the biotin group.

RNA-Seq-Based Gene Expression Pattern and Morphological Alterations in Chick Thymus during Postnatal Development.

The thymus is a lobulated unique lymphoid immune organ that plays a critical role in the selection, development, proliferation, and differentiation of T cells. The thymus of developing chickens undergoes continued morphological alterations; however, the biomolecular and transcriptional dynamics of the postnatal thymus in avian species is not clear yet. Therefore, the thymuses from chickens at different stages of development (at weeks 0, 1, 5, 9, 18, and 27) were used in the present study. The RNA-seq method was used to study the gene expression patterns. On average, 24120819 clean reads were mapped, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified on the basis of log values (fold change), including 744 upregulated and 425 downregulated genes. The expression pattern revealed by RNA-seq was validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis of four important genes, which are PCNA, CCNA2, CCNB2, and CDK1. Thus, the current study revealed that during postnatal development, the thymus undergoes severe atrophy. Thymus structure was damaged and gene expression changed dramatically, especially at the 27th week of age. Moreover, we found significant changes of several signaling pathways such as the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and cell cycle signaling pathways. Hence, it may be inferred that those signaling pathways might be closely related to the postnatal chicken thymus development.

Structural basis for specific calcium binding by the polycystic-kidney-disease domain of Vibrio anguillarum protease Epp.

Extracellular proteases are often produced as pre-pro-enzyme and then undergo multiple processing steps to mature into the active form. The protease Epp, a virulent factor of Vibrio anguillarum, belongs to this family. Its maturation might be regulated by Ca2+ via its polycystic kidney disease (PKD) domain, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. Herein, we report the crystal structure of the first PKD domain from V. anguillarum Epp (Epp-PKD1) and its specific Ca2+-binding capacity. Epp-PKD1 exists as a monomer, consisting of seven ß-strands which form two ß-sheets stacking with each other. One Ca2+ is bound by the residues Asn3, Gln4, Asp27, Asp29, Asp68 and a water molecule with a pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. Incubating the apo Epp-PKD1 with Ca2+ but not Mg2+, Mn2+, or Zn2+, enhances the thermal and chemical stability of Epp-PKD1, indicating its specific binding to Ca2+. Epp-PKD1 shares high similarity in both sequence and overall structure with that of Vibrio cholerae PrtV, a homologous protease of Epp, however, they differ in the oligomeric state and local structure at the Ca2+-binding site, suggesting maturation of PrtV and Epp might be differently regulated by Ca2+. Likely, proteases may take advantage of the structural diversity in PKD domains to tune their Ca2+-regulated maturation process.

The putative siderophore-interacting protein from Vibrio anguillarum: protein production, analysis, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic studies.

Siderophore-interacting proteins (SIPs) play an important role in iron acquisition in many bacteria. SIPs release iron from the internalized ferric siderophore complex by reducing ferric iron to ferrous iron, but how the iron is reduced is not well understood. Here, a sip gene was identified in the genome of Vibrio anguillarum 775. To further understand the catalytic mechanism of the protein, the SIP was overexpressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) cells, purified and crystallized for X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal diffracted to 1.113 Šresolution and belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 64.63, b = 58.47, c = 70.65 Å, ß = 114.19°.

The dUTPase of white spot syndrome virus assembles its active sites in a noncanonical manner.

dUTPases are essential enzymes for maintaining genome integrity and have recently been shown to play moonlighting roles when containing extra sequences. Interestingly, the trimeric dUTPase of white spot syndrome virus (wDUT) harbors a sequence insert at the position preceding the C-terminal catalytic motif V (pre-V insert), rarely seen in other dUTPases. However, whether this extra sequence endows wDUT with additional properties is unknown. Herein, we present the crystal structures of wDUT in both ligand-free and ligand-bound forms. We observed that the pre-V insert in wDUT forms an unusual ß-hairpin structure in the domain-swapping region and thereby facilitates a unique orientation of the adjacent C-terminal segment, positioning the catalytic motif V onto the active site of its own subunit instead of a third subunit. Consequently, wDUT employs two-subunit active sites, unlike the widely accepted paradigm that the active site of trimeric dUTPase is contributed by all three subunits. According to results from local structural comparisons, the active-site configuration of wDUT is similar to that of known dUTPases. However, we also found that residues in the second-shell region of the active site are reconfigured in wDUT as an adaption to its unique C-terminal orientation. We also show that deletion of the pre-V insert significantly reduces wDUT's enzymatic activity and thermal stability. We hypothesize that this rare structural arrangement confers additional functionality to wDUT. In conclusion, our study expands the structural diversity in the conserved dUTPase family and illustrates how sequence insertion and amino acid substitution drive protein evolution cooperatively.

Evidences for involvement of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor in ovarian development of starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus).

Although gonadotrophins are major regulators of ovarian function in teleosts and other vertebrates, accumulating evidence indicates that the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis also plays an important role in fish reproduction. As a first step to understand the physiological role of the GH-IGF system in the ovarian development of starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus), the expression profiles of GH and IGF messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and plasma GH, IGF-I, estradiol-17ß (E2), and testosterone (T) levels during the ovarian development were investigated. The developmental stages of ovaries were divided into five stages (II, III, IV, V, and VI) by histological analysis. The hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) values increased and peaked at stage IV and stage V, respectively, and then declined at stage VI. Pituitary GH mRNA levels decreased sharply at stage III and raised to top level at stage VI. The hepatic IGF-I mRNA levels ascended to maximum value at stage V and then declined significantly at stage VI. However, the hepatic IGF-II mRNA levels remained stable and increased significantly at stage VI. In contrast, the ovarian IGF-I mRNA levels increased gradually and peaked at stage VI. The ovarian IGF-II mRNA levels were initially stable and increased significantly at stage V until the top level at stage VI. Consistent with the pituitary GH mRNA levels, plasma GH levels reduced sharply at stage III and remained depressed until stage V and then raised remarkably at stage VI. Plasma IGF-I level peaked at stage V and then declined to initial level. Plasma E2 level peaked at stage IV and then dramatically descended to the basal level. Plasma T level peaked at stage V and then declined significantly back to the basal level. Based on statistical analysis, significant positive correlations between hepatic IGF-I mRNA and GSI, ovarian IGF-II mRNA and hepatic IGF-II mRNA, ovarian IGF-I mRNA and ovarian IGF-II mRNA, and plasma IGF-I and plasma T were observed, respectively. These results suggest that the GH-IGF system may be involved in the ovarian development of starry flounder; GH and IGFs appear to play distinct roles in the regulation of the ovarian development in paracrine/autocrine manners. These findings extend our knowledge of the roles of the GH-IGF axis on reproduction regulation in fish.

Radiation promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and invasion of pancreatic cancer cell by activating carcinoma-associated fibroblasts.

The tumor microenvironment is of crucial importance affecting treatment and prognosis. High degree of carcinoma-associated fibroblast (CAF) infiltration occurs in pancreatic cancer, though its effect on radiotherapy remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that radiation enhanced the migration- and invasion-promoting capacity of CAFs both in vitro and in vivo in a lung metastasis model. Radiation exposure increased the expression of CXCL12 by CAFs. CAF-derived CXCL12 promoted tumor cell EMT and invasion directly, acting through CXCR4 on pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, we showed that CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling promoted pancreatic cancer cell EMT and invasion by activating the P38 pathway. Therefore, our study concluded that radiation promoted pancreatic cancer cell invasion and EMT by activating CAFs, while inhibiting the CXCL12/CXCR4 interaction between pancreatic cancer cells and CAFs could potentially attenuate tumor cell invasion induced by radiation, which provides an opportunity for the development of novel therapeutic targets to improve the prognosis for human pancreatic cancer treated with radiation therapy.

Bufalin suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma invasion and metastasis by targeting HIF-1α via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

It has been reported that there are multiple mechanisms by which bufalin could exert its antimetastatic effect. HIF-1α has been reported to be involved in tumor migration and invasion by regulating EMT. However, it is not known whether bufalin could exert the antimetastatic effect by modulating HIF-1α expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the antimetastatic potential of bufalin in vivo and in vitro. Our results demonstrated that the liver/lung metastases were significantly reduced in bufalin-treated mice, as tested in the orthotopic transplanted and tail vein injection tumor models. Furthermore, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was inhibited in bufalin-treated tumors, as reflected the upregulation of E-cadherin, and downregulation of N-cadherin, vimentin, Snail. Similar results were observed in SMMC7721 cells treated with bufalin. Moreover, the transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1)-induced EMT was also abrogated by bufalin. Mechanistically, our study demonstrated that hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) played an important role in the antimetastatic effect of bufalin in hepatocellular carcinoma. Importantly, HIF-1α expression may be regulated through the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that bufalin suppresses hepatic tumor invasion and metastasis and that this process may be related to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/ HIF-1α axis.

Molecular and transcriptional characterization of GTHs and mPRα during ovarian maturation in rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus.

The membrane progestin receptor α (mPRα) plays an important role in the regulation of oocyte meiotic maturation in fish. However, the endocrine regulation of multiple spawning in fish with asynchronous ovarian development remains to be determined. We identified four genes (FSHß, LHß, CGα and mPRα) that are widely expressed in both the reproductive and non-reproductive tissues of rock bream Oplegnathus fasciatus and examined their expression during ovarian maturation. The level of FSHß transcripts in the pituitary remained high during vitellogenic stages, when the plasma levels of estradiol-17ß reached maximum levels and oocyte development was stimulated. LHß expression in the pituitary and ovary reached maximum levels during oocyte maturation when the plasma levels of testosterone also reached a maximum. A significant correlation between mPRα transcript levels and the gonadosomatic index was observed during vitellogenesis and final maturation. Brain gonadotropin (FSHß and LHß) and mPRα were continuously expressed at different stages of ovarian development. The dynamic and diverse nature of gonadotropins and mPRα gene expression patterns suggests that these genes might jointly regulate ovarian development and maturation through the brain-pituitary-ovary axis in the rock bream endocrine system.

DNA methylation regulates bromodomain-containing protein 2 expression during adipocyte differentiation.

Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of white adipose tissue. Bromodomain-containing protein 2 (Brd2), which belongs to the bromodomain and extraterminal domain family of proteins, suppresses adipocyte differentiation. DNA methylation is critical for several differentiation processes and possibly in adipocyte differentiation. However, whether DNA methylation regulates the expression of Brd2 is not clear. In our study, we demonstrated that DNA methylation contributes to the regulation of Brd2 expression during pre-adipocyte differentiation. Brd2 mRNA levels were low in pre-adipocytes, increased in early adipocytes, and declined in mature adipocytes. To test whether and how Brd2 expression is regulated by DNA methylation during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes to adipocytes, cells were cultured in the presence of the methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza). Pre-adipocytes and adipocytes exposed to 5-Aza exhibited a dose-dependent increase in Brd2 transcription levels, while only mature adipocytes exhibited increased expression of Brd2 protein. Subsequently, we tested the DNA methylation status of the Brd2 promoter region. Bisulfite-sequencing analysis revealed that six CpG sites in two predicted promoters of Brd2 were demethylated in early adipocytes and highly methylated in mature adipocytes. Digestion of bisulfite-converted PCR products of the Brd2 promoter region from 3T3-L1 cells with BstU1 (CGGC) revealed that the demethylation rate of the Brd2 promoter was consistent with Brd2 mRNA expression in differentiating 3T3-L1 cells. In conclusion, DNA demethylation of the Brd2 promoter region induced Brd2 expression during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes.

Insulin-like growth factors I and II in starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus): molecular cloning and differential expression during embryonic development.

In order to elucidate the possible roles of insulin-like growth factors I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) in the embryonic development of Platichthys stellatus, their cDNAs were isolated and their spatial expression pattern in adult organs and temporal expression pattern throughout embryonic development were examined by quantitative real-time PCR assay. The IGF-I cDNA sequence was 1,268 bp in length and contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 558 bp, which encoded 185 amino acid residues. With respect to IGF-II, the full-length cDNA was 899 bp in length and contained a 648-bp ORF, which encoded 215 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequences of IGF-I and IGF-II exhibited high identities with their fish counterparts. The highest IGF-I mRNA level was found in the liver for both sexes, whereas the IGF-II gene was most abundantly expressed in female liver and male liver, gill, and brain. The sex-specific and spatial expression patterns of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs are thought to be related to the sexually dimorphic growth and development of starry flounder. Both IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs were detected in unfertilized eggs, which indicated that IGF-I and IGF-II were parentally transmitted. Nineteen embryonic development stages were tested. IGF-I mRNA level remained high from unfertilized eggs to low blastula followed by a significant decrease at early gastrula and then maintained a lower level. In contrast, IGF-II mRNA level was low from unfertilized eggs to high blastula and peaked at low blastula followed by a gradual decrease. Moreover, higher levels of IGF-I mRNA than that of IGF-II were found from unfertilized eggs to high blastula, vice versa from low blastula to newly hatched larva, and the different expression pattern verified the differential roles of IGF-I and IGF-II in starry flounder embryonic development. These results could help in understanding the endocrine mechanism involved in the early development and growth of starry flounder.

Enhanced methane emissions from oil and gas exploration areas to the atmosphere--the central Bohai Sea.

The distributions of dissolved methane in the central Bohai Sea were investigated in November 2011, May 2012, July 2012, and August 2012. Methane concentration in surface seawater, determined using an underway measurement system combined with wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectroscopy, showed marked spatiotemporal variations with saturation ratio from 107% to 1193%. The central Bohai Sea was thus a source of atmospheric methane during the survey periods. Several episodic oil and gas spill events increased surface methane concentration by up to 4.7 times and raised the local methane outgassing rate by up to 14.6 times. This study demonstrated a method to detect seafloor CH4 leakages at the sea surface, which may have applicability in many shallow sea areas with oil and gas exploration activities around the world.