Safety outcomes of salbutamol: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Salbutamol has been used to alleviate bronchospasm in airway disease for decades, while its potential risks have not been systematically investigated yet. The risk of any potential adverse events (AEs) in patients treated with salbutamol was assessed through systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature was conducted, using EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane library, until 3 April 2023. Once the AE incidence was evaluated, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible for review. The endpoints included the incidence of total AEs, severe AEs, treatment discontinuation and specific AEs. The pooled AEs incidence was analysed via random-effects model in a single-arm meta-analysis. A subgroup study was carried out to examine whether the pooled incidence of AE differed by indications or formulations. RESULTS: Of the 8912 studies that were identified, 58 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and involved 12 961 participants. The analysis showed the pooled incidences of total AEs, severe AEs and treatment discontinuation in patients treated with salbutamol were 34%, 2% and 3%, respectively. Subgroup analysis indicated that premature labour users and intravenous salbutamol users were more likely associated with total AEs. The most frequently observed specific AEs were palpitations or tachycardia. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicated that salbutamol was associated with a very common risk of palpitations or tachycardia. Clinical vigilance and research efforts are needed to optimize the safe use of salbutamol.

Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Casein Gene Family in Camelus ferus.

Camel milk is known for its exceptional medical uses. It has been used since ancient times to treat infant diarrhea, hepatitis, insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM), lactose intolerance, alcohol-induced liver damage, allergies, and autism. It has the power to treat several diseases, with cancer being the most significant. This study investigated the evolutionary relationship, physiochemical characteristics, and comparative genomic analysis of the casein gene family (CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, and CSN3) in Camelus ferus. Molecular phylogenetics showing the camelid species clustered casein nucleotide sequences into four groups: CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, and CSN3. The casein proteins from camels were evaluated and found to be unstable, thermostable, and hydrophilic. CSN1S2, CSN2, and CSN3 were acidic, but CSN1S1 was basic. CSN1S1 showed positive selection for one amino acid (Q), CSN1S2 and CSN2 for three (T, K, Q), and CSN3 showed no positive selection. We also compared high-milk-output species such as cattle (Bos Tarus) and low-milk-yield species such as sheep (Ovies Aries) with camels (Camel ferus) and discovered that YY1 sites are more frequent in sheep than in camels and very low in cattle. We concluded that the ratio of YY1 sites in these species may affect milk production.

Molecular cytogenetic map visualizes the heterozygotic genome and identifies translocation chromosomes in Citrus sinensis.

Citrus sinensis is the most cultivated and economically valuable Citrus species in the world, whose genome has been assembled by three generation sequencings. However, chromosome recognition remains a problem due to the small size of chromosomes, and difficulty in differentiating between pseudo and real chromosomes because of a highly heterozygous genome. Here, we employ fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 9 chromosome painting probes, 30 oligo pools, and 8 repetitive sequences to visualize 18 chromosomes. Then, we develop an approach to identify each chromosome in one cell through single experiment of oligo-FISH and Chromoycin A3 (CMA) staining. By this approach, we construct a high-resolution molecular cytogenetic map containing the physical positions of CMA banding and 38 sequences of FISH including centromere regions, which enables us to visualize significant differences between homologous chromosomes. Based on the map, we locate several highly repetitive sequences on chromosomes and estimate sizes and copy numbers of each site. In particular, we discover the translocation regions of chromosomes 4 and 9 in C. sinensis "Valencia." The high-resolution molecular cytogenetic map will help improve understanding of sweet orange genome assembly and also provide a fundamental reference for investigating chromosome evolution and chromosome engineering for genetic improvement in Citrus.

Comparison of seven complete mitochondrial genomes from Lamprologus and Neolamprologus (Chordata, Teleostei, Perciformes) and the phylogenetic implications for Cichlidae.

In this study, mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of seven cichlid species (Lamprologuskungweensis, L.meleagris, L.ornatipinnis, Neolamprologusbrevis, N.caudopunctatus, N.leleupi, and N.similis) are characterized for the first time. The newly sequenced mitogenomes contained 37 typical genes [13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs)]. The mitogenomes were 16,562 ~ 16,587 bp in length with an A + T composition of 52.1~58.8%. The cichlid mitogenomes had a comparable nucleotide composition, A + T content was higher than the G + C content. The AT-skews of most mitogenomes were inconspicuously positive and the GC-skews were negative, indicating higher occurrences of C than G. Most PCGs started with the conventional start codon, ATN. There was no essential difference in the codon usage patterns of these seven species. Using Ka/Ks, we found the fastest-evolving gene were atp8. But the results of p-distance indicated that the fastest-evolving gene was nad6. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that L.meleagris did not cluster with Lamprologus species, but with species from the genus Neolamprologus. The novel information obtained about these mitogenomes will contribute to elucidating the complex relationships among cichlid species.

Astragaloside IV - mediated endothelial progenitor cell exosomes promote autophagy and inhibit apoptosis in hyperglycemic damaged endothelial cells via miR-21/PTEN axis.

INTRODUCTION: As one of the basic components of Astragalus, Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) has a protective effect on endothelial injury caused by diabetes. AS-IV stimulated endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to secrete exosomes loaded with miR-21. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AS-IV-mediated EPCs exosomal miR-21 (EPC-exos-miR-21) on high glucose (HG) damaged endothelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After the isolation of EPCs derived from fetal umbilical cord blood, exosomes of EPCs were obtained by differential centrifugation. The morphology of exosomes was observed by electron microscopy. The particle size distribution of exosomes was detected by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with 33 mM glucose to establish an HG injury model. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to characterize the surface markers of primary EPCs and the apoptosis of HUVECs. The gene and protein expression were detected by qPCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. A dual luciferase assay was used to verify the targeting relationship of miR-21 with PTEN. RESULTS: HG environment led to time- and dose-dependent inhibition and enhancement of autophagy and apoptosis in HUVECs. AS-IV stimulated EPCs to secrete exosomes loaded with miR-21. Exosomes secreted by EPCs pretreated with AS-IV [EPC-exo(ASIV)] promoted autophagy and inhibited apoptosis in HG-impaired HUVECs. PTEN is a target of miR-21. MiR-21 carried by EPC-exo(ASIV) repressed PTEN expression in HG-impaired HUVECs. In contrast, p-AKT, p-mTOR, p-PI3K, cleaved PARP and PARP levels were upregulated. Compared to the HG group, the expression of autophagy regulatory genes (ATG5, beclin1 and LC3) was enhanced in the EPC-exo(ASIV) group and EPC-exo(ASIV)-miR-21 mimic group. In contrast, apoptosis-positive regulatory genes (Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9) were attenuated. Further overexpression of PTEN reversed the expression of these genes. CONCLUSIONS: AS-IV-mediated EPC-exos-miR-21 could enhance autophagy and depress apoptosis in HG-damaged endothelial cells via the miR-21/PTEN axis.

Emerging Flexible Thermally Conductive Films: Mechanism, Fabrication, Application.

Effective thermal management is quite urgent for electronics owing to their ever-growing integration degree, operation frequency and power density, and the main strategy of thermal management is to remove excess energy from electronics to outside by thermal conductive materials. Compared to the conventional thermal management materials, flexible thermally conductive films with high in-plane thermal conductivity, as emerging candidates, have aroused greater interest in the last decade, which show great potential in thermal management applications of next-generation devices. However, a comprehensive review of flexible thermally conductive films is rarely reported. Thus, we review recent advances of both intrinsic polymer films and polymer-based composite films with ultrahigh in-plane thermal conductivity, with deep understandings of heat transfer mechanism, processing methods to enhance thermal conductivity, optimization strategies to reduce interface thermal resistance and their potential applications. Lastly, challenges and opportunities for the future development of flexible thermally conductive films are also discussed.

The Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Cognition in Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Cognitive impairment, defined as a decline in memory and executive function, is one of the most severe complications of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patients with TBI are often unable to return to work due to cognitive impairment and their overall quality of life is reduced. TBI can bring a serious economic burden to patient's families and to society. Reported findings on the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in improving cognitive impairment following TBI are inconsistent. The purpose of the proposed study is to investigate whether rTMS can improve memory and executive function in patients with TBI. Herein, we propose a prospective randomized placebo-controlled (rTMS, sham rTMS, cognitive training), parallel-group, single-center trial. 36 participants with a TBI occurring at least 6 months prior will be recruited from an inpatient rehabilitation center. Participants will be randomly assigned to the real rTMS, sham rTMS, or cognitive training groups with a ratio of 1:1:1. A 20-session transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol will be applied to the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) at frequencies of 10 Hz and 1 Hz, respectively. Neuropsychological assessments will be performed at four time points: baseline, after the 10th rTMS session, after the 20th rTMS session, and 30 days post-intervention. The primary outcome is change in executive function assessed using the Shape Trail Test (STT). The secondary outcome measures are measures from neuropsychological tests: the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test (BVMT), the Digit Span Test (DST). We report on positive preliminary results in terms of improving memory and executive function as well as beneficial changes in brain connectivity among TBI patients undergoing rTMS and hypothesize that we will obtain similar results in the proposed study.

Two complete mitochondrial genomes in Scolopendra and a comparative analysis of tRNA rearrangements in centipedes.

BACKGROUND: Centipedes are one of the oldest terrestrial arthropods belonging to the sub phylum Myriapoda. With the expansion of our understanding of the application of the two centipedes Scolopendra morsitans and Scolopendra hainanum, belonging to the order Scolopendromorpha, an exhaustive classification was required. Although consensus has been reached on the phylogeny of Chilopoda based on morphological traits, recent analyses based on molecular data exhibited differences in results. METHODS AND RESULTS: The mitochondrial genome sequences of S. morsitans and S. hainanum were obtained by next-generation sequencing. S. morsitans contains 13 PCGs, two rRNAs, 11 tRNAs, and one CR. whereas S. hainanum contains 12 PCGs, of which ATP8 remains unpredicted, two rRNAs, 14 tRNAs, and one CR. An obvious tRNA rearrangement was found in the genus Scolopendra. S. morsitans exhibited a loss of trnW, trnC, trnI, trnK, trnD, trnA, trnN, trnQ, trnF, trnT, trnS, trnL, and trnV, and a repeat of trnR and trnL. S. hainanum exhibited a loss of trnQ, trnC, trnW, trnI, trnD, trnQ, trnP, and trnV. Phylogenetic analyses of centipedes based on 12 PCGs supported the sister relationship between the orders Geophilomorpha and Lithobiomorpha and a close relationship between Scolopendra dehaani and S. hainanum. CONCLUSIONS: The new mitogenomes determined in this study provide new genomic resources for gene rearrangements and contribute to the understanding of the evolution of gene rearrangement in Chilopoda.

Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis Identifies microRNA-200a-5p as a New Plasma Marker in Patients with Venous Thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major global health problem with high incidence and mortality. Vein endothelial cell (VEC) dysfunction is the primary cause of VTE. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) assist in the regulation of VEC functional pathways. Our objective was to identify potential miRNA target genes associated with VTE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To explore the association between mRNAs and miRNAs in VTE, we performed an mRNA or miRNA microarray analysis and experiments in vitro. In addition, five online bioinformatics tools identified the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs, and a miRNA-gene network was constructed. As a result, hub miRNA and mRNA were confirmed. Finally, wound healing assay and transwell migration assay were performed to elucidate the effect of hub miRNA in VEC. Luciferase reporter assay and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were performed to decide the role of miRNA in the expression of hub mRNA. RESULTS: Screening identified eight overlapping dysregulated genes in patients with VTE, three of which demonstrated a significantly decreased expression of miR-200a-5p. Low expression miR-200a-5p in VTE patients is confirmed by a receiver operating characteristic analysis (AUC = 0.800, P = 0.023) and binary logistic regression (OR = 0.359, 95% confidence interval: 0.605-0.995). RT-qPCR results showed that the miR-200a-5p level was decreased in hypoxia VEC (P = 0.038). MiR-200a-5p significantly promoted the migration ability of VEC. The result of Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that cytochrome coxidase Ⅶc (COX7C) directly inhibit the miR-200a-5p expression by binding 5'UTR of miR-200a-5p (P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: We anticipate that the miR-200a-5p-COX7C pair might be involved in the progression of VTE. Moreover, miR-200a-5p might be a therapeutic target for VTE.

PGF2α-FP Receptor Ameliorates Senescence of VSMCs in Vascular Remodeling by Src/PAI-1 Signal Pathway.

Senescence in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is involved in vascular remodeling of aged mice. ProstaglandinF2α- (PGF2α-) FP receptor plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), hypertension, and cardiac fibrosis. However, its role in senescence-induced arteriosclerosis is yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we found that FP receptor expression increased in aged mouse aortas and senescence VSMCs. FP receptor gene silencing can ameliorate vascular aging and inhibit oxidative stress, thereby reducing the expression of PAI-1, inhibiting the activation of MMPs, and ultimately improving the excessive deposition of ECM and delaying the process of vascular fibrosis. FP receptor could promote VSMC senescence by upregulated Src/PAI-1 signal pathway, and inhibited FP receptor/Src/PAI-1 pathway could ameliorate VSMCs aging in vitro, evidenced by the decrease of senescence-related proteins P16, P21, P53, and GLB1 expressions. These results suggested that FP receptor is a promoter of vascular aging, by inducing cellular aging, oxidative stress, and vascular remodeling via Src and PAI-1 upregulation.

Spiradiclisliboensis (Rubiaceae), a new species from limestone mountain areas in Guizhou, China.

Spiradiclisliboensis L. Wu & W. J. Liu, a new species in tribe Ophiorrhizeae of Rubiaceae from limestone mountain areas of Guizhou, south-western China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to S.guangdongensis and S.jingxiensis, but differs from the latter two by the following traits: stipule triangular, inflorescence sessile or with peduncle up to 0.5 mm long, pedicel 0.8-2.2 mm long, corolla white, salverform, corolla tube 1.6-2.2 cm long, corolla tube of long-styled morph inside with a villous ring and stigmas positioned at the throat of the corolla tube. The conservation status is assessed as "Vulnerable" (VU) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Humic Acids Inhibit Platelet Activation to Reduce Venous Thromboembolism in Mice.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effects of the natural product humic acids (HA) on platelet activation and development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in mice and further explore the relevant mechanism. Methods: Eight-week C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to three groups: sham operation group (n = 7), VTE group (n = 8), and VTE + HA group (n = 10). Thrombi were harvested to hematoxylin-eosin staining to evaluate the thrombolysis and recanalization of the thrombus. In addition, flow cytometry was performed to detect the expression levels of protein disulfide isomerase on endothelial-derived exosomes and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa on the surface of the activated platelets surface in plasma. Furthermore, the protein expression level of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa in thrombus was determined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results: The length of thrombosis in the VTE + HA group was significantly shorter than that in the VTE group (P = 0.040). No significant differences were observed in thrombolysis and recanalization between the VTE + HA group and the VTE group (P > 0.05). The content of protein disulfide isomerase carried by endothelial-derived exosomes was significantly increased in the VTE group (P = 0.008) but significantly reduced by native humic acids (P = 0.012). Compared with the VTE group, the expression of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa on activated platelet surface in the VTE + HA group was significantly decreased (P = 0.002). The concentration of plasmatic P-selectin in the VTE group was significantly higher than that in the VTE + HA group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: We demonstrate that HA possess a pharmacological property that decreases venous thrombus formation in mice. The underlying mechanism is that HA could inhibit the expression of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa on the activated platelets surface by suppressing endothelial-derived exosomes carrying on protein disulfide isomerase, thereby blocking platelet activation.

The Effect of Posaconazole and Isavuconazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Erdafitinib in Beagle Dogs by UPLC-MS/MS.

Objective: A robust, quick, and reliable ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of erdafitinib in beagle dog plasma was developed and validated to evaluate the changes of posaconazole and isavuconazole on the pharmacokinetics of erdafitinib in beagle dogs, respectively. Methods: This experiment adopted a three-period self-control experimental design. In the first period (group A), erdafitinib was orally administered to six beagle dogs at a dose of 4 mg/kg. In the second period (group B), the same six beagle dogs were orally given posaconazole at a dose of 7 mg/kg, and after 30 min, erdafitinib was orally given. In the third period (group C), isavuconazole at a dose of 7 mg/kg was given orally, and then, erdafitinib was orally given. At the different time points after erdafitinib was given in the three periods, the blood samples were collected. The concentration of erdafitinib was detected by the developed UPLC-MS/MS method. DAS 2.0 was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters of erdafitinib. Results: Erdafitinib had a good linear relationship in the range of 1-500 ng/ml, and the lower limit of quantification was 1 ng/ml. The precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability meet the requirements of the guiding principles. After erdafitinib was combined with posaconazole, the Cmax and AUC0→t of erdafitinib increased by 27.19% and 47.62%, respectively, and the t1/2 was prolonged to 6.33 h. After erdafitinib was combined with isavuconazole, the Cmax and AUC0→t of erdafitinib increased by 23.13% and 54.46%, respectively, and the t1/2 was prolonged to 6.31 h. Conclusion: A robust and reliable UPLC-MS/MS method was fully optimized and developed to detect the plasma concentration of erdafitinib in beagle dogs. Posaconazole and isaconazole could inhibit the metabolism of erdafitinib in beagle dogs and increase the plasma exposure of erdafitinib.

Endothelial microparticle-associated protein disulfide isomerase increases platelet activation in diabetic coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) carrying the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) might play a key role in promoting platelet activation in diabetes. This study aimed to examine the activation of platelets, the amounts of MPs, PMPs, and EMPs, and the concentration and activity of PDI in patients with diabetic coronary heart disease (CHD) and non-diabetic CHD. METHODS: Patients with CHD (n=223) were divided as non-diabetic CHD (n=121) and diabetic CHD (n=102). Platelet activation biomarkers, circulating microparticles (MPs), the concentration of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), and MP-PDI activity were determined. The effect of EMPs on platelet activation was investigated in vitro. Allosteric GIIb/IIIa receptors that bind to PDI were detected by a proximity ligation assay (PLA). RESULTS: Platelet activation, platelet-leukocyte aggregates, circulating MPs, EMPs, PDI, and MP-PDI activity in the diabetic CHD group were significantly higher than in the non-diabetic CHD group (P<0.05). Diabetes (P=0.006) and heart rate <60 bpm (P=0.047) were associated with elevated EMPs. EMPs from diabetes increased CD62p on the surface of the platelets compared with the controls (P<0.01), which could be inhibited by the PDI inhibitor RL90 (P<0.05). PLA detected the allosteric GIIb/IIIa receptors caused by EMP-PDI, which was also inhibited by RL90. CONCLUSIONS: In diabetic patients with CHD, platelet activation was significantly high. Diabetes and heart rate <60 bpm were associated with elevated EMPs and simultaneously increased PDI activity on EMP, activating platelets through the allosteric GPIIb/IIIa receptors.

The karyotype, genome survey, and assembly of Mud artemisia (Artemisia selengensis).

BACKGROUND: Artemisia selengensis is traditional Chinese medicine and phytochemical analysis indicated that A. selengensis contains essential oils, fatty acids and phenolic acids. The lack of reference genomic information may lead to tardiness in molecular biology research of A. selengensis. METHOD AND RESULTS: Karyotype analysis, genome survey, and genome assembly was employed to acquire information on the genome structure of A. selengensis. The chromosome number is 2n = 2x = 36, karyotype formula is 28 m + 8Sm, karyotype asymmetry coefficient is 58.8%, and karyotypes were symmetric to Stebbins' type 2A. Besides, the flow cytometry findings reported that the mean peak value of fluorescent intensity is 1,170,677, 2C DNA content is 12 pg and the genome size was estimated to be approximately 5.87 Gb. Furthermore, the genome survey generates 341,478,078 clean reads, unfortunately, after K-mer analysis, no significant peak can be observed, the heterozygosity, repetitive rate and genome size was unable to estimated. It is speculated that this phenomenon might be due to the complexity of genome structure. 37,266 contigs are preliminary assembled with Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing, totaling 804 Mb and GC content was 34.08%. The total length is 804,475,881 bp, N50 is 29,624 bp, and the largest contig length is 239,792 bp. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the preliminary information of genome size of A. selengensis. These findings may provide supportive information for sequencing and assembly of whole-genome sequencing and encourage the progress of functional gene discovery, genetic improvement, evolutionary study, and structural studies of A. selengensis.

Universal Scaling in the Temperature-Dependent Viscous Dynamics of Metallic Glasses.

The essential query about glass formation is how to understand the sheer temperature dependence of viscous dynamics of glass-forming liquids near the liquid-to-glass-transition temperature Tg. In this work, we report a universal scaling in the temperature-dependent viscous dynamics of metallic glasses (MGs) in the form of the Williams-Landel-Ferry equation on the basis of compiled data on the temperature-dependent viscosity and structural relaxation times of 89 MGs ever-reported in the past decades. Implications of this universal scaling are illustrated in the framework of the Adam-Gibbs relation, suggesting a universal vitrification mechanism in MGs mediated by configurational entropy wherein configurational entropy vanishes universally for all supercooled metallic liquids after a further decrease in temperature of ∼170.7 K (whereas with a relatively large error of ±150 K) below Tg. This result corroborates the thermodynamic origin of glass formation and suggests that MGs are an ideal research subject for understanding in depth the nature of glass transition for their relatively simple molecular structures.

In vitro human intestinal microbiota biotransformation of nobiletin using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and background subtraction strategy.

In this study, the in vitro biotransformation of nobiletin by human intestinal microbiota, which is a bioactive polymethoxyflavone widely presented in Citrus plants, has been investigated via utilizing an anaerobic incubation protocol. The incubation samples were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A background subtraction strategy incorporated in Microsoft Office was employed to eliminate the interferences in medium and feces. The parent and three metabolites sinensetin, 5-hydroxy-6,7,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone, and 5-demethylnobiletin were detected and identified based on the characteristics of their protonated molecules. The proposed metabolic pathway revealed that nobiletin went through phase I metabolism including demethylation and demethoxylation in human intestinal microbiota. The characterization of nobiletin metabolic profile transformed by human intestinal bacteria would be helpful for understanding its efficacy and action mechanism.

A Cys2/His2 Zinc Finger Protein Acts as a Repressor of the Green Revolution Gene SD1/OsGA20ox2 in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Gibberellins (GAs) play important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. The green revolution gene SD1 encoding gibberellin 20-oxidase 2 (GA20ox2) has been widely used in modern rice breeding. However, the molecular mechanism of how SD1/OsGA20ox2 expression is regulated remains unclear. Here, we report a Cys2/His2 zinc finger protein ZFP207 acting as a transcriptional repressor of OsGA20ox2. ZFP207 was mainly accumulated in young tissues and more specifically in culm nodes. ZFP207-overexpression (ZFP207OE) plants displayed semidwarfism phenotype and small grains by modulating cell length. RNA interference of ZFP207 caused increased plant height and grain length. The application of exogenous GA3 could rescue the semidwarf phenotype of ZFP207OE rice seedlings. Moreover, ZFP207 repressed the expression of OsGA20ox2 via binding to its promoter region. Taken together, ZFP207 acts as a transcriptional repressor of SD1/OsGA20ox2 and it may play a critical role in plant growth and development in rice through the fine-tuning of GA biosynthesis .

Parabens in personal care products and indoor dust from Hanoi, Vietnam: Temporal trends, emission sources, and non-dietary exposure through dust ingestion.

The occurrence of seven typical parabens was investigated in several types of personal care products (PCPs) sold at supermarkets and in indoor dust samples collected from houses, laboratories, and medical stores in Hanoi, Vietnam. Parabens were frequently detected in PCPs regardless of the paraben indication in their ingredient labels. However, concentrations of parabens in labeled products (median 3280; range 1370-5610 µg/g) were much higher than those found in non-labeled products (69.4; not detected - 356 µg/g). Parabens were also measured in indoor dust samples of this study at elevated concentrations, ranging from not detected to 1650 (median 286 ng/g). Levels of parabens in the indoor dust samples collected in 2019 decreased in the order: house > medical store > laboratory dust, however, the difference was not statistically significant. Interestingly, levels of parabens in Vietnamese house dust exhibited an increasing trend over time, for example, mean/median concentrations of parabens in house dust samples collected in 2014, 2017, and 2019 were 245/205, 310/264, and 505/379 ng/g, respectively. Methylparaben was found at the highest frequency and concentrations in both PCPs and indoor dust samples. Mean exposure doses of total parabens through dust ingestion were estimated to be 2.02, 1.61, 0.968, 0.504, and 0.192 ng/kg-bw/d for infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, and adults, respectively. Further studies on the distribution, emission behavior, potential sources, and negative impacts of parabens in different environmental media in Vietnam are needed.

Development and Application of a Vehicle-Mounted Soil Texture Detector.

It is of great significance to obtain soil texture information quickly for the realization of farmland management. Soil with good particle condition can well regulate the needs of plants for water, nutrients, air, and temperature during crop growth, thereby promoting high crop yields. The existing methods of measuring soil texture cannot meet the requirements of time and spatial resolution. For this reason, a vehicle-mounted soil texture detector was designed and developed based on machine vision and soil electrical conductivity devices. The detector does not require pretreatment such as air-drying and screening of the soil, and completely uses the original information of the farmland. The whole process can obtain the soil texture information in real time, omitting the complicated chemical process, and saving manpower and material resources. The vehicle-mounted detector is divided into a mechanical part, a control part, and a display part. The mechanical part provides measurement support for the acquisition of soil texture information; the control part collects and processes signals and images; the measurement results can be intuitively observed and recorded on the display, and can be operated through the mobile phone. The vehicle-mounted detector obtains soil conductivity through 4 disc electrodes, while the vehicle-mounted industrial camera captures the soil surface image, and extracts texture parameters through image processing, takes EC and texture parameters as input, and the embedded SVM model of the instrument was used to perform soil texture prediction. In order to verify the measurement accuracy of the detector, farmland verification experiments were carried out on farmland loam in Tongzhou District and Haidian District of Beijing. The R2 of the correlation between the measured value of soil EC and the actual value was 0.75, and the accuracy of soil texture prediction was 84.86%. It shows that the developed vehicle-mounted soil texture detector can meet the requirements for rapid acquisition of farmland texture information.