A whole genome scan reveals distinct features of selection in Zhaotong cattle of Yunnan province.

Over the years, indigenous cattle have not only played an essential role in securing primary food sources but have also been utilized for labor by humans, making them invaluable genetic resources. The Zhaotong cattle, a native Chinese breed from the Yunnan province, possess excellent meat quality and resistance to heat and humidity. Here we used whole genome sequencing data of 104 animals to delve into the population structure, genomic diversity and potential positive selection signals in Zhaotong cattle. The findings of this study demonstrate that the genetic composition of Zhaotong cattle was primarily derived from Chinese indicine cattle and East Asian cattle. The nucleotide diversity of Zhaotong cattle was only lower than that of Chinese indicine cattle, which was much higher than that of other taurine cattle. Genome-wide selection scans detected a series of positive candidate regions containing multiple key genes related to bone development and metabolism (CA10, GABRG3, GLDN and NOTUM), meat quality traits (ALG8, LINGO2, MYO5B, PRKG1 and GABRB1), immune response (ADA2, BMF, LEF1 and PAK6) and heat resistance (EIF2AK4 and LEF1). In summary, this study supplies essential genetic insights into the genome diversity within Zhaotong cattle and provides a foundational framework for comprehending the genetic basis of indigenous cattle breeds.

Insight into the mechanism of nano-TiO2-doped biochar in mitigating cadmium mobility in soil-pak choi system.

Soil cadmium (Cd) pollution poses severe threats to food security and human health. Previous studies have reported that both nanoparticles (NPs) and biochar have potential for soil Cd remediation. In this study, a composite material (BN) was synthesized using low-dose TiO2 NPs and silkworm excrement-based biochar, and the mechanism of its effect on the Cd-contaminated soil-pak choi system was investigated. The application of 0.5 % BN to the soil effectively reduced 24.8 % of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) Cd in the soil and promoted the conversion of Cd from leaching and HOAc-extractive to reducible forms. BN could improve the adsorption capacity of soil for Cd by promoting the formation of humic acid (HA) and increasing the cation exchange capacity (CEC), as well as activating the oxygen-containing functional groups such as CO and CO. BN also increased soil urease and catalase activities and improved the synergistic network among soil bacterial communities to promote soil microbial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, thus enhancing Cd passivation. Moreover, BN increased soil biological activity-associated metabolites like T-2 Triol and altered lipid metabolism-related fatty acids, especially hexadecanoic acid and dodecanoic acid, crucial for bacterial Cd tolerance. In addition, BN inhibited Cd uptake and root-to-shoot translocation in pak choi, which ultimately decreased Cd accumulation in shoots by 51.0 %. BN significantly increased the phosphorus (P) uptake in shoots by 59.4 % by improving the soil microbial P cycling. This may serve as a beneficial strategy for pak choi to counteract Cd toxicity. These findings provide new insights into nanomaterial-doped biochar for remediation of heavy metal contamination in soil-plant systems.

Effect of Foliar Spraying of Gibberellins and Brassinolide on Cadmium Accumulation in Rice.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the heavy metals that contaminate rice cultivation, and reducing Cd contamination in rice through agronomic measures is a hot research topic. In this study, foliar sprays of gibberellins (GA) and brassinolide (BR) were applied to rice under Cd stress in hydroponic and pot experiments. After foliar spraying of GR and BR, the biomass of rice plants grown in either hydroponics or soil culture was significantly higher or even exceeded that in the absence of Cd stress. In addition, photosynthetic parameters (maximum fluorescence values), root length and root surface area, and CAT, SOD and POD activities were significantly improved. The MDA content decreased in the shoots, suggesting that the application of GR and BA may have enhanced photosynthesis and antioxidant function to alleviate Cd stress. Furthermore, the BR and GA treatments decreased the Cd content of rice roots, shoots and grains as well as the Cd transfer coefficient. Cd chemical morphology analysis of rice roots and shoots showed that the proportion of soluble Cd (Ethanol-Cd and Water-Cd) decreased, whereas the proportion of NaCl-Cd increased. Analysis of the subcellular distribution of Cd in rice roots and above ground showed that the proportion of Cd in the cell wall increased after foliar spraying of GA and BR. The results indicate that after foliar application of GA and BR, more of the Cd in rice was transformed into immobile forms and was fixed in the cell wall, thus reducing the amount in the seeds. In summary, foliar sprays of GA and BR can reduce the toxic effects of Cd on rice plants and reduce the Cd content in rice grains, with GA being more effective.

Systematic Evaluation of Levodopa Effect on Visual Improvement in Amblyopia: A Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of levodopa as a therapeutic drug in the treatment of children and adults with amblyopia. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis with randomized controlled trials of levodopa and placebo in the treatment of amblyopia. All data were identified and extracted from the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane libraries, and the Chinese knowledge resource integration database. RESULTS: After screening the literature and evaluating the quality, 11 studies met the criteria from 308 studies. The mean difference of LogMAR visual acuity between levodopa and the placebo group was -0.1031 (95% confidence interval, -0.11 to -0.09; P < 0.0001). The improvement of visual acuities of the subgroup of younger patients with amblyopia was significantly higher than that of the placebo group (P < 0.0001). Increasing the dosage of levodopa and prolonging the treatment can significantly improve the curative effect. CONCLUSIONS: Levodopa is effective in the treatment of amblyopia by prolonging the treatment, especially for young patients.

High activity of NiCo2O4 promoted Pt on three-dimensional graphene-like carbon for glycerol electrooxidation in an alkaline medium.

Spinel oxide NiCo2O4 supported on a three-dimensional hierarchically porous graphene-like carbon (3D HPG) material has been firstly used to enhance the activity of Pt for glycerol electrooxidation. The addition of NiCo2O4 into the Pt/HPG catalyst can significantly improve the catalytic performance for glycerol oxidation. When NiCo2O4 is added to the Pt/HPG catalyst, the onset potential is 25 mV more negative than that on the Pt/HPG catalyst without NiCo2O4. The current density at -0.3 V on the Pt-NiCo2O4 (wt 10 : 1)/HPG electrode is 1.3 times higher than that on the Pt (30 wt%)/HPG electrode. The Pt-NiCo2O4 electrode presented in this work shows great potential as an electrocatalyst for glycerol electrooxidation in an alkaline medium.