Anti-Biofilm and Antivirulence Activities of 1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl-ß-á´ -glucose against Proteus penneri.

AIMS: The present study investigated the anti-virulence and anti-biofilm effects of 1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl-ß-ᴅ-glucose (TGG), isolated from Camellia nitidissima Chi flowers, on Proteus penneri ALK 1200. METHODS AND RESULTS: TGG was isolated from C. nitidissima Chi flowers using various chromatographic techniques. The milk plate assay, azocasein assay, and exopolysaccharides (EPS) inhibition assay revealed that TGG effectively inhibited the production of crucial virulence factors, including protease and EPS, in P. penneri ALK 1200. Furthermore, fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analysis indicated that TGG interfered with the composition of P. penneri ALK 1200's cellular component, potentially reducing the bacteria's pathogenicity. In addition, crystal violet assay, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analysis indicated a significant reduction in biofilm formation following TGG treatment. The swimming and swarming assays also showed that TGG reduced the motility of P. penneri ALK 1200. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR assay demonstrated that TGG down-regulated the expression of positive regulatory genes (hfq and flhD) responsible for motility and biofilm formation, while up-regulating the expression of the negative regulator of the quorum sensing system, bssS, in P. penneri ALK 1200. CONCLUSIONS: TGG displayed potent anti-QS and anti-biofilm activity towards P. penneri ALK 1200.

Methyl gallate from Camellia nitidissima Chi flowers reduces quorum sensing related virulence and biofilm formation against Aeromonas hydrophila.

Aeromonas hydrophila, a Gram-negative zoonotic bacterium, causes high mortality in fish farming and immunocompromised patients. This study aimed to extract methyl gallate (MG) from the flowers of Camellia nitidissima Chi and evaluate its potential as a quorum sensing inhibitor (QSI) against Aeromonas hydrophila SHAe 115. MG reduced QS-associated virulence factors, including hemolysis, protease, and lipase, while impairing swimming motility and biofilm formation. Additionally, MG down-regulated positive regulatory genes (ahyR, fleQ) and up-regulated negative regulators (litR, fleN). This highlights MG's promise as a potent QSI for A. hydrophila SHAe 115, advancing strategies against infections in aquaculture and human health.

Densely Connected Networks with Multiple Features for Classifying Sound Signals with Reverberation.

In indoor environments, reverberation can distort the signalseceived by active noise cancelation devices, posing a challenge to sound classification. Therefore, we combined three speech spectral features based on different frequency scales into a densely connected network (DenseNet) to accomplish sound classification with reverberation effects. We adopted the DenseNet structure to make the model lightweight A dataset was created based on experimental and simulation methods, andhe classification goal was to distinguish between music signals, song signals, and speech signals. Using this framework, effectivexperiments were conducted. It was shown that the classification accuracy of the approach based on DenseNet and fused features reached 95.90%, betterhan the results based on other convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The size of the optimized DenseNet model is only 3.09 MB, which is only 7.76% of the size before optimization. We migrated the model to the Android platform. The modified model can discriminate sound clips faster on Android thanhe network before the modification. This shows that the approach based on DenseNet and fused features can dealith sound classification tasks in different indoor scenes, and the lightweight model can be deployed on embedded devices.

Prioritization of cancer driver gene with prize-collecting steiner tree by introducing an edge weighted strategy in the personalized gene interaction network.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a heterogeneous disease in which tumor genes cooperate as well as adapt and evolve to the changing conditions for individual patients. It is a meaningful task to discover the personalized cancer driver genes that can provide diagnosis and target drug for individual patients. However, most of existing methods mainly ranks potential personalized cancer driver genes by considering the patient-specific nodes information on the gene/protein interaction network. These methods ignore the personalized edge weight information in gene interaction network, leading to false positive results. RESULTS: In this work, we presented a novel algorithm (called PDGPCS) to predict the Personalized cancer Driver Genes based on the Prize-Collecting Steiner tree model by considering the personalized edge weight information. PDGPCS first constructs the personalized weighted gene interaction network by integrating the personalized gene expression data and prior known gene/protein interaction network knowledge. Then the gene mutation data and pathway data are integrated to quantify the impact of each mutant gene on every dysregulated pathway with the prize-collecting Steiner tree model. Finally, according to the mutant gene's aggregated impact score on all dysregulated pathways, the mutant genes are ranked for prioritizing the personalized cancer driver genes. Experimental results on four TCGA cancer datasets show that PDGPCS has better performance than other personalized driver gene prediction methods. In addition, we verified that the personalized edge weight of gene interaction network can improve the prediction performance. CONCLUSIONS: PDGPCS can more accurately identify the personalized driver genes and takes a step further toward personalized medicine and treatment. The source code of PDGPCS can be freely downloaded from https://github.com/NWPU-903PR/PDGPCS .

Ursolic Acid Enhances the Sensitivity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Cells to Epirubicin by Modulating the Autophagy Pathway.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in the world, and its morbidity and mortality are increasing year by year. Epirubicin (EPI) is a commonly used drug for the treatment of breast cancer but unfortunately can cause cardiac toxicity in patients because of dose accumulation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapies to enhance the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EPI. In this study, we found ursolic acid (UA) can significantly improve the drug sensitivity of human breast cancer MCF-7/MDA-MB-231 cells to EPI. Next, we observed that the co-treatment of UA and EPI can up-regulate the expression of autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1, LC3-II/LC3-I, Atg5, and Atg7, and decrease the expression levels of PI3K and AKT, which indicates that the potential mechanism should be carried out by the regulating class III PI3K(VPS34)/Beclin-1 pathway and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, we found the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) could significantly reverse the inhibitory effect of co-treatment of UA and EPI on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings indicate that UA can dramatically enhance the sensitivity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells to EPI by modulating the autophagy pathway. Our study may provide a new therapeutic strategy for combination therapy.

Rapid and Precise Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Clumped Isotopic Composition by Tunable Infrared Laser Differential Spectroscopy.

The high precision measurement of doubly substituted ("clumped") isotopologues in CO2 is a topic of significant interest in isotope geochemistry. Here we describe the performance of a new isotope ratio laser spectrometer using tunable infrared laser differential absorption spectroscopy (TILDAS). The TILDAS instrument has two continuous-wave lasers to simultaneously measure the four isotopologues involved in the 12C16O2 + 13C16O18O ⇆ 13C16O2 + 12C16O18O exchange reaction. CO2 samples are trapped in a low volume (∼250 mL) optical multipass cell with a path length of 36 m. Each sample is compared to a reference gas, and clumped isotopologue precision of 0.01‰ (SE) is achieved within 20 min for 15 µmol samples. Similar precision is also achieved for bulk isotopic composition. The degree of rare isotope clumping in excess of strictly random distribution (Δ16O13C18O) measured by this TILDAS instrument varies linearly with theoretically calculated values and shows a very weak dependence on bulk isotopic composition.

Co-expression network analysis uncovers key candidate genes related to the regulation of volatile esters accumulation in Woodland strawberry.

MAIN CONCLUSION: FveERF (FvH4_5g04470.1), FveAP2 (FvH4_1g16370.1) and FveWRKY (FvH4_6g42870.1) might be involved in fruit maturation of strawberry. Overexpression of FveERF could activate the expression of AAT gene and ester accumulation. Volatile esters play an important role in the aroma of strawberry fruits, whose flavor is the result of a complex mixture of various esters. The accumulation of these volatiles is closely tied to changes in metabolism during fruit ripening. Acyltransferase (AAT) is recognized as having a significant effect in ester formation. However, there is little knowledge about the regulation network of AAT. Here, we collected the data of RNA-seq and headspace GC-MS at five time points during fruit maturation of Hawaii4 and Ruegen strawberry varieties. A total of 106 volatile compounds were identified in the fruit of woodland strawberries, including 58 esters, which occupied 41.09% (Hawaii4) or 33.40% (Ruegen) of total volatile concentration. Transcriptome analysis revealed eight transcription factors highly associated with AAT genes. Through the changes in esters and the weight co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a detailed gene network was established. This demonstrated that ERF gene (FvH4_5g04470.1), AP2 gene (FvH4_1g16370.1) and one WRKY gene (FvH4_6g42870.1) might be involved in expression of AAT genes, especially ERF genes. Overexpression of FveERF (FvH4_5g04470.1) does activate expression of AAT genes and ester accumulation in fruits of strawberry. Our findings provide valuable clues to gain better insight into the ester formation process of numerous fruits.

ICG: a wiki-driven knowledgebase of internal control genes for RT-qPCR normalization.

Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) has become a widely used method for accurate expression profiling of targeted mRNA and ncRNA. Selection of appropriate internal control genes for RT-qPCR normalization is an elementary prerequisite for reliable expression measurement. Here, we present ICG (http://icg.big.ac.cn), a wiki-driven knowledgebase for community curation of experimentally validated internal control genes as well as their associated experimental conditions. Unlike extant related databases that focus on qPCR primers in model organisms (mainly human and mouse), ICG features harnessing collective intelligence in community integration of internal control genes for a variety of species. Specifically, it integrates a comprehensive collection of more than 750 internal control genes for 73 animals, 115 plants, 12 fungi and 9 bacteria, and incorporates detailed information on recommended application scenarios corresponding to specific experimental conditions, which, collectively, are of great help for researchers to adopt appropriate internal control genes for their own experiments. Taken together, ICG serves as a publicly editable and open-content encyclopaedia of internal control genes and accordingly bears broad utility for reliable RT-qPCR normalization and gene expression characterization in both model and non-model organisms.

Inhibition of Euchromatic Histone Lysine Methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2) Suppresses the Proliferation and Invasion of Cervical Cancer Cells.

EHMT2 (euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase 2), a histone methyltransferase, has been shown to be involved in multiple human cancers. In this study, we determined mRNA and protein expression of EHMT2 in cervical cancer cells and normal cervical epithelial cells. EHMT2 was inhibited with short hairpin RNA (shEHMT2) in cervical cancer cells. Cell viability, colony proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, and invasion assays and Western blot were performed to assess the function of EHMT2. As a result, EHMT2 was upregulated in human cervical cancer cells compared to normal cervical epithelial cells. Suppression of EHMT2 expression impairs cell proliferation and induces apoptosis. Furthermore, EHMT2 silencing inhibited cell adhesion and invasion. Finally, knockdown of EHMT2 resulted in a reduction of the expression of the tumorigenic proteins Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Survivin and in an increase in the expression of the anti-malignant protein E-cadherin. In conclusion, our data suggest that EHMT2 plays a key role in cell proliferation and metastatic capacity in cervical cancer cells and could serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm by hordenine: a combinatorial study with aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous pathogen that is the leading cause of chronic infections. Bacterial biofilm formation facilitates CF development and restricts the anti-bacterial potential of many current antibiotics. The capacity of P. aeruginosa to form biofilms and resist antibiotics is closely correlated with quorum sensing (QS). Disrupting QS by QS inhibitors is a promising strategy for treating chronic infections. Here, we evaluated the effect of hordenine, a recently characterized QS inhibitor, on the susceptibility of aminoglycoside antibiotics against P. aeruginosa biofilms. Hordenine significantly enhanced the susceptibility of aminoglycoside antibiotics tobramycin, gentamycin, and amikacin against P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm formation. Combinations of hordenine and aminoglycoside antibiotics showed potent efficiency in disrupting the preformed biofilms of P. aeruginosa. Microscopic observations showed flat, scattered, and unstructured biofilm architecture after treatment with hordenine. Mechanistic study further revealed that hordenine treatment led to the downregulation of genes involved in QS and biofilm formation. Thus, our results suggest that hordenine has the potential to function as an antibiotic accelerant in treating P. aeruginosa infections.

A Portable Real-Time Ringdown Breath Acetone Analyzer: Toward Potential Diabetic Screening and Management.

Breath analysis has been considered a suitable tool to evaluate diseases of the respiratory system and those that involve metabolic changes, such as diabetes. Breath acetone has long been known as a biomarker for diabetes. However, the results from published data by far have been inconclusive regarding whether breath acetone is a reliable index of diabetic screening. Large variations exist among the results of different studies because there has been no "best-practice method" for breath-acetone measurements as a result of technical problems of sampling and analysis. In this mini-review, we update the current status of our development of a laser-based breath acetone analyzer toward real-time, one-line diabetic screening and a point-of-care instrument for diabetic management. An integrated standalone breath acetone analyzer based on the cavity ringdown spectroscopy technique has been developed. The instrument was validated by using the certificated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The linear fittings suggest that the obtained acetone concentrations via both methods are consistent. Breath samples from each individual subject under various conditions in total, 1257 breath samples were taken from 22 Type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients, 312 Type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients, which is one of the largest numbers of T2D subjects ever used in a single study, and 52 non-diabetic healthy subjects. Simultaneous blood glucose (BG) levels were also tested using a standard diabetic management BG meter. The mean breath acetone concentrations were determined to be 4.9 ± 16 ppm (22 T1D), and 1.5 ± 1.3 ppm (312 T2D), which are about 4.5 and 1.4 times of the one in the 42 non-diabetic healthy subjects, 1.1 ± 0.5 ppm, respectively. A preliminary quantitative correlation (R = 0.56, p < 0.05) between the mean individual breath acetone concentration and the mean individual BG levels does exist in 20 T1D subjects with no ketoacidosis. No direct correlation is observed in T1D subjects, T2D subjects, and healthy subjects. The results from a relatively large number of subjects tested indicate that an elevated mean breath acetone concentration exists in diabetic patients in general. Although many physiological parameters affect breath acetone, under a specifically controlled condition fast (<1 min) and portable breath acetone measurement can be used for screening abnormal metabolic status including diabetes, for point-of-care monitoring status of ketone bodies which have the signature smell of breath acetone, and for breath acetone related clinical studies requiring a large number of tests.

Effects of increasing physical activity on foot structure and ankle muscle strength in adults with obesity.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of increasing physical activity on foot structure and ankle muscle strength in adults with obesity and to verify whether the rate of change in foot structure is related to that in ankle muscle strength. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-seven adults with obesity completed a 12-week program in which the intensity of physical activity performed was gradually increased. Physical activity was monitored using a three-axis accelerometer. Foot structure was assessed using a three-dimensional foot scanner, while ankle muscle strength was measured using a dynamometry. [Results] With the increasing physical activity, the participants' feet became thinner (the rearfoot width, instep height, and girth decreased) and the arch became higher (the arch height index increased) and stiffer (the arch stiffness index increased); the ankle muscle strength also increased after the intervention. Additionally, the changes in the arch height index and arch stiffness index were not associated with changes in ankle muscle strength. [Conclusion] Increasing physical activity may be one possible approach to improve foot structure and function in individuals with obesity.

[Raman Signal Enhancement for Gas Detection Using a Near Concentric Cavity].

The detection of dissolved gases in seawater plays an important role in ocean observation and exploration. Raman spectroscopy has a great advantage in simultaneous multiple species detection and is thus regarded as a favorable choice for ocean application. However, its sensitivity remains insufficient, and a demand in enhancements is called! for before putting Raman spectroscopy to actual use in marine studies In this work, we developed a near-concentric cavity, in which laser beam could be trapped and reflected back and forth, for the purpose of intensifying Raman signals. The factors that would influence Raman signals were taken into account. The result show that the smaller angle between collection direction and optical axis of reflection mirror, the stronger the signal and signal to noise ratio (SNR) is. With a collection angle of 30 degrees, our Near-concentric Cavity System managed to raise the SNR to a figure about 16 times larger than that of common methods applying 90 degrees. Moreover, the alignment pattern in our system made it possible to excel concentric cavity with a 3 times larger SNR. Compared with the single-pass Raman signal, the signal intensity of our near-concentric cavity was up to 70 times enhanced. According to the obtained results of CO2 measurement, it can be seen that the new system provides a limit of detection(LOD) for CO2 about 0.19 mg x L(-1) using 3-σ criterion standard, and the LOD of 11.5 µg x L(-1) for CH4 was evaluated with the theoretical cross section values of CO2 and CH4.

1H-Pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, a quorum sensing inhibitor from one endophytic fungus in Areca catechu L., acts as antibiotic accelerant against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has already been stipulated as a "critical" pathogen, emphasizing the urgent need for researching and developing novel antibacterial agents due to multidrug resistance. Bacterial biofilm formation facilitates cystic fibrosis development and restricts the antibacterial potential of many current antibiotics. The capacity of P. aeruginosa to form biofilms and resist antibiotics is closely correlated with quorum sensing (QS). Bacterial QS is being contemplated as a promising target for developing novel antibacterial agents. QS inhibitors are a promising strategy for treating chronic infections. This study reported that the active compound PT22 (1H-pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) isolated from Perenniporia tephropora FF2, one endophytic fungus from Areca catechu L., presents QS inhibitory activity against P. aeruginosa. Combined with gentamycin or piperacillin, PT22 functions as a novel antibiotic accelerant against P. aeruginosa. PT22 (0.50 mg/mL, 0.75 mg/mL, and 1.00 mg/mL) reduces the production of QS-related virulence factors, such as pyocyanin and rhamnolipid, and inhibits biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa PAO1 instead of affecting its growth. The architectural disruption of the biofilms was confirmed by visualization through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) indicated that PT22 significantly attenuated the expression of QS-related genes followed by docking analysis of molecules against QS activator proteins. PT22 dramatically increased the survival rate of Galleria mellonella. PT22 combined with gentamycin or piperacillin presents significant inhibition of biofilm formation and eradication of mature biofilm compared to monotherapy, which was also confirmed by visualization through SEM and CLSM. After being treated with PT22 combined with gentamycin or piperacillin, the survival rates of G. mellonella were significantly increased compared to those of monotherapy. PT22 significantly enhanced the susceptibility of gentamycin and piperacillin against P. aeruginosa PAO1. Our results suggest that PT22 from P. tephropora FF2 as a potent QS inhibitor is a candidate antibiotic accelerant to combat the antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa.

Temporary sensory separation of lamb groups from ewes affects behaviors and serum levels of stress-related indicators of small-tailed Han lambs.

Under the current meat sheep breeding system, newborn lambs usually live with their mothers until weaning, and in daily management, they often need to be separated from their ewes for a short period due to dehorning, disease treatment, etc. Such short-term separation was considered to be a high-intensity stress for the lambs. This study aimed to explore the effects of 1 h sensory separations on behaviors and the concentration of stress-related indicators of small-tailed Han lambs. Lambs were assigned to four groups: auditory, visual, and tactile separation (AVT) group; visual and tactile separation (VT) group; tactile separation (T) group; and control (C) group. Then they were separated from their mothers for one hour on postnatal days 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. Results showed the separated lambs (AVT, VT, and T groups) spent less time lying down relaxing and more time looking around, exploring, vocalizing, and attempting to escape (P < 0.05). Lambs separated by lack of tactile contact only exhibited the most escaping and moving behavior. Twin-born lambs showed less moving, escaping, and vocalizing than single-born lambs (P < 0.05). The separation also led to a rise in serum globulin levels and a decrease in tetraiodothyronine. In conclusion, this study showed that temporary 1 h ewe-lamb separations could affect behaviors and the serum levels of stress indicators of lambs. The behavioral responses were more obvious when lambs were separated by lack of tactile contact only, and in single-born lambs. It can conclude that indicated that when lambs need to be temporarily separated from ewes in daily management production, it would be better to let them stay together with their littermates, and make them avoid hearing or seeing the ewes, such management may partially reduce the separation stress, thereby improving the welfare and breeding efficiency of sheep.

Flavonoids and other phenolics from Camellia nitidissima chi flowers.

From Camellia nitidissima Chi flowers four undescribed flavonoids, nitidissimol A, nitidissimol B, sexangularetin 3-O-(6''-trans-p-coumarolyglucopyranoside) and sexangularetin 3-O-(2''-trans-p-coumarolyglucopyranoside) (1-4), and two previously unreported phenolics, nitidissimol C, D (9, 10), were isolated first time along with ten known compounds, kaempferol 3-O-(6''-O-trans-p-coumaroyl)-ß-D- glucopyranoside (5), kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside (6), Quercetin-3'-O-ß-D-glucoside (7), kaempferol-7-O-ß-D-glucoside (8), erythro-guaiacylglycerol-O-4'-coniferyl ether (11), threo-guaiacylglycerol-O-4'-coniferyl ether (12), protocatechuic acid (13), 1,2-Diethoxybenzene (14), ethyl shikimate (15), 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid 4-O-allopyranoside (16). The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis of 1 D- and 2 D-NMR and MS data. Moreover, all isolated compounds (1-16) were tested for the antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and their quorum sensing inhibitory activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. However, no one showed signifcant inhibition of X. oryzae pv. oryzae (MIC90 > 0.1 mg/mL), nor did they significantly inhibit the pyocyanin synthesis, which is controlled by quorum sensing in PAO1.

Evolution and phylogenetic diversity of the aquaporin gene family in arachnids.

Water flux across cells predominantly occurs through the pore formed by the aquaporin channels. Since water balance is one of the most important challenges to terrestrial animals, aquaporin evolution and diversity is known to play roles in animal terrestrialisation. Arachnids (Arthropoda: Chelicerata: Arachnida) are the second most diverse group and represent the pioneer land colonists in animals; however, there remains no thorough investigation on aquaporin evolution and diversity in this evolutionarily important lineage. Here we reported a phylogenetic study of aquaporin evolution and diversity using genomic data from 116 arachnid species covering almost all (15/16) extant orders. A previously unrecognised subfamily related to aquaporin-4 (i.e. Aqp4-like subfamily) via phylogenetic analysis was identified, suggesting certain underestimate of the arachnid aquaporin diversity in earlier studies probably due to limited taxonomic sampling. Further analysis indicates that this subfamily emerged deep within the life tree of arthropods. Gene tree of another Aqp4-like subfamily (PripL) shows an unexpected basal split between acariform mites (Acariformes) and other arachnids. A closer inspection demonstrated that the PripL evolved quickly and has been under differential selection pressure in acariform mites. Evidence is provided that the evolutionarily ancient Glp subfamily (i.e. aquaglyceroporin) is significantly expanded in terrestrial arachnids compared with their marine relatives. Finally, in spite of the phylogenetic diversity, there exists conservation of some exons in size, functional domain, and intron-insertion phase: an 81-bp and a 218-bp exon, respectively, in apq4-like and glp genes across Eumetazoa lineages including arachnids and human beings. Both exons encode the carboxyl-terminal NPA motif, implying the coding and splicing pressure during hundreds of million years of animal evolution. Hypotheses were tested to explore the possible link between these findings and arachnid terrestrialisation.

Formation of oil-particle aggregates in the presence of marine algae.

After an oil spill, the formation of oil-particle aggregates (OPAs) is associated with the interaction between dispersed oil and marine particulate matter such as phytoplankton, bacteria and mineral particles. Until recently, the combined effect of minerals and marine algae in influencing oil dispersion and OPA formation has rarely been investigated in detail. In this paper, the impacts of a species of flagellate algae Heterosigma akashiwo on oil dispersion and aggregation with montmorillonite were investigated. This study has found that oil coalescence is inhibited due to the adhesion of algal cells on the droplet surface, causing fewer large droplets to be dispersed into the water column and small OPAs to form. Due to the role of biosurfactants in the algae and the inhibition of algae on the swelling of mineral particles, both the oil dispersion efficiency and oil sinking efficiency were improved, which reached 77.6% and 23.5%, respectively at an algal cell concentration (Ca) of 1.0 × 106 cells per mL and a mineral concentration of 300 mg L-1. The volumetric mean diameter of the OPAs decreased from 38.4 µm to 31.5 µm when Ca increased from 0 to 1.0 × 106 cells per mL. At higher turbulent energy, more oil tended to form larger OPAs. The findings may add knowledge about the fate and transport of spilled oil and provide fundamental data for oil spill migration modelling.

Effects of histone methylation modification on low temperature seed germination and growth of maize.

Low temperature is a limiting factor of seed germination and plant growth. Although there is a lot information on the response of maize to low temperatures, there is still poorly description of how histone methylation affects maize germination and growth development at low temperatures. In this study, the germination rate and physiological indexes of wild-type maize inbred lines B73 (WT), SDG102 silencing lines (AS), SDG102 overexpressed lines (OE) at germination stage and seedling stage were measured under low temperature stress (4 â„ƒ), and transcriptome sequencing was applied to analyze the differences of gene expression in panicle leaves among different materials. The results showed that the germination rate of WT and OE maize seeds at 4 â„ƒ was significantly lower than 25 â„ƒ. The content of MDA, SOD and POD of 4 â„ƒ seeding leaves higher than contrast. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that there were 409 different expression genes (DEGs) between WT and AS, and the DEGs were mainly up-regulated expression in starch and sucrose metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. There were 887 DEGs between WT and OE, which were mainly up-regulated in the pathways of plant hormone signal transduction, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. This result could provide a theoretical basis for analyzing the growth and development of maize from the perspective of histone methylation modification.

Effects of "audience effects"on animal mate choice: A review.

The information tranfered among individual animals can be shared by a network, which is consisted of the sender, the receiver, and the extra bystander of the communication signals. The bystanders can read and use the signal that is not sent directly to them and make use of it to interfere with the sender and the receiver, which is known as "audience effects" in the research area of animal behaviors. The processes of mate choice and mating of animals occur mainly in the network that is composed of the particular species. Increasing evidence show that the audience effects play an important role in regulating mating preference and mating strategy, resulting in changes in species evolution. Here, we review the role of audience effects on animal mate choice and evolution by clarifying the definition and functional explanations of audience effects, the factors contributing to audience effects, as well as the different impacts of audience effects on males and females. It would provide novel ideas to study the impacts of audience effects on mate choice and species evolution in the future.