The plant is neither dumb nor deaf; it talks and hears.

Animals and insects communicate using vibrations that are frequently too low or too high for human ears to detect. Plants and trees can communicate and sense sound. Khait et al. used a dependable recording system to capture airborne sounds produced by stressed plants. In addition to allowing plants to communicate their stress, sound aids in plant defense, development, and resilience. It also serves as a warning that danger is approaching. Demey et al. and others discussed the audit examinations that were conducted to investigate sound discernment in plants at the atomic and biological levels. The biological significance of sound in plants, the morphophysiological response of plants to sound, and the airborne noises that plants make and can hear from a few meters away were all discussed.

Diversity and spatial distribution of endophytic fungi in Cinnamomum longepaniculatum of Yibin, China.

Cinnamomum longepaniculatum (Gamble) N. Chao is an important woody incense plant that contains volatile terpenoids and has been extensively cultivated in Yibin, China. However, the relationship between endophytic fungal diversity and C. longepaniculatum species remains unclear. Here, fungal taxa in different tissue samples were analyzed using Illumina-based sequencing of ITS1 region of fungal rDNA genes. Results showed that 476 OTUs were identified in all tissues of C. longepaniculatum, with 78 OTUs common among all tissues. Similarity cluster analysis indicated that these OTUs belong to 5 phyla and at least 18 genera, with a large number of OTUs remaining unidentified at family and genus levels. The fungal community in seeds exhibited the greatest richness and diversity, followed by those in branches, leaves, and roots, respectively. Unclassified Chaetosphaeriales (91.66%), Passalora (57.17%), and unclassified Ascomycota (58.79%) OTUs dominated in root, branch, and leaf communities, respectively, and other common groups in the branch community included unclassified Ascomycota (12.13%), Houjia (10.38%), and Pseudoveronaea (5.43%), whereas other common groups in leaf community included Passalora (11.43%) and Uwebraunia (8.58%). Meanwhile, the seed community was dominated by unclassified Ascomycota (16.98%), unclassified Pleosporaceae (15.46%), and Talaromyces (12.50%) and also included high proportions of unclassified Nectriaceae (7.68%), Aspergillus (6.95%), Pestalotiopsis (6.02%), and Paraconiothyrium (5.11%) and several seed-specific taxa, including Peniophora, Cryptodiscus, and Penicillium. These findings suggest that Yibin-native C. longepaniculatum harbors rich and diverse endophytic communities that may represent an underexplored reservoir of biological resources.

The Antibacterial Mechanism of Terpinen-4-ol Against Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcus agalactiae, a highly contagious mastitis pathogen, caused huge economic losses; meanwhile, repeated use of antibiotics results in the emergence of serious antibiotic residues and drug resistance. Therefore, it is in great need to develop ecologically sustainable antimicrobial agents. In the study, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC), and action mechanism of terpinen-4-ol against S. agalactiae was investigated to evaluate antibacterial activity of terpinen-4-ol. Results showed the MIC and MBC of terpinen-4-ol were 98 and 196 µg/mL, respectively. Time-kill curves displayed that the antibacterial activity of terpinen-4-ol was in a concentration-dependent manner. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the cell membrane and wall of S. agalactiae were damaged, and plasmolysis and chromatins were inconspicuous. Release of Ca2+ and Mg2+ proved that terpinen-4-ol could increase cell membrane permeability. And the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) suggested that cell wall was destroyed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining results showed that terpinen-4-ol could affect the synthesis of protein and DNA. These results suggested that terpinen-4-ol might be used as candidate for treating S. agalactiae infection.

Hierarchical classification strategy for Phenotype extraction from epidermal growth factor receptor endocytosis screening.

BACKGROUND: Endocytosis is regarded as a mechanism of attenuating the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and of receptor degradation. There is increasing evidence becoming available showing that breast cancer progression is associated with a defect in EGFR endocytosis. In order to find related Ribonucleic acid (RNA) regulators in this process, high-throughput imaging with fluorescent markers is used to visualize the complex EGFR endocytosis process. Subsequently a dedicated automatic image and data analysis system is developed and applied to extract the phenotype measurement and distinguish different developmental episodes from a huge amount of images acquired through high-throughput imaging. For the image analysis, a phenotype measurement quantifies the important image information into distinct features or measurements. Therefore, the manner in which prominent measurements are chosen to represent the dynamics of the EGFR process becomes a crucial step for the identification of the phenotype. In the subsequent data analysis, classification is used to categorize each observation by making use of all prominent measurements obtained from image analysis. Therefore, a better construction for a classification strategy will support to raise the performance level in our image and data analysis system. RESULTS: In this paper, we illustrate an integrated analysis method for EGFR signalling through image analysis of microscopy images. Sophisticated wavelet-based texture measurements are used to obtain a good description of the characteristic stages in the EGFR signalling. A hierarchical classification strategy is designed to improve the recognition of phenotypic episodes of EGFR during endocytosis. Different strategies for normalization, feature selection and classification are evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: The results of performance assessment clearly demonstrate that our hierarchical classification scheme combined with a selected set of features provides a notable improvement in the temporal analysis of EGFR endocytosis. Moreover, it is shown that the addition of the wavelet-based texture features contributes to this improvement. Our workflow can be applied to drug discovery to analyze defected EGFR endocytosis processes.

Identification of anti-tumour biologics using primary tumour models, 3-D phenotypic screening and image-based multi-parametric profiling.

BACKGROUND: Monolayer cultures of immortalised cell lines are a popular screening tool for novel anti-cancer therapeutics, but these methods can be a poor surrogate for disease states, and there is a need for drug screening platforms which are more predictive of clinical outcome. In this study, we describe a phenotypic antibody screen using three-dimensional cultures of primary cells, and image-based multi-parametric profiling in PC-3 cells, to identify anti-cancer biologics against new therapeutic targets. METHODS: ScFv Antibodies and designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) were isolated using phage display selections against primary non-small cell lung carcinoma cells. The selected molecules were screened for anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity against primary cells grown in three-dimensional culture, and in an ultra-high content screen on a 3-D cultured cell line using multi-parametric profiling to detect treatment-induced phenotypic changes. The targets of molecules of interest were identified using a cell-surface membrane protein array. An anti-CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1) antibody was tested for tumour growth inhibition in a patient-derived xenograft model, generated from a stage-IV non-small cell lung carcinoma, with and without cisplatin. RESULTS: Two primary non-small cell lung carcinoma cell models were established for antibody isolation and primary screening in anti-proliferative and apoptosis assays. These assays identified multiple antibodies demonstrating activity in specific culture formats. A subset of the DARPins was profiled in an ultra-high content multi-parametric screen, where 300 morphological features were measured per sample. Machine learning was used to select features to classify treatment responses, then antibodies were characterised based on the phenotypes that they induced. This method co-classified several DARPins that targeted CDCP1 into two sets with different phenotypes. Finally, an anti-CDCP1 antibody significantly enhanced the efficacy of cisplatin in a patient-derived NSCLC xenograft model. CONCLUSIONS: Phenotypic profiling using complex 3-D cell cultures steers hit selection towards more relevant in vivo phenotypes, and may shed light on subtle mechanistic variations in drug candidates, enabling data-driven decisions for oncology target validation. CDCP1 was identified as a potential target for cisplatin combination therapy.

[Is there a healthy obese subtype in cohort undergoing test for endothelial dysfunction?].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there existed a healthy obese subtype. METHODS: A total of 116 healthy subjects were recruited. They were divided into 3 groups according to BMI and metabolic disorders: 40 cases of normal weight and metabolic normality (NMN), 36 cases of obesity and metabolic normality (OMN) and 40 cases of obesity and metabolic abnormality (OMA). Anthropometic parameters as height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference and blood pressure was recorded. Blood glucose, lipids, insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was detected. Body fat distribution was detected by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Serum von Willebrand factor (vWF), a marker of endothelial dysfunction, were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Both serum vWF levels in OMN group [(733.6 ± 86.2)U/L] and OMA group[(809.2 ± 46.3)U/L] are higher than that in NMN group[(466.9 ± 65.3)U/L, P < 0.05] with serum vWF level in OMA group is higher than in OMN group (P < 0.05). Among android fat mass percentage (AFM%), BMI, waist height ratio, waist circumference, hs-CRP, weight, hip circumference and trunk fat mass, AFM%, BMI and hs-CRP are main influencing factors of vWF. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial dysfunction existed in obese adults regardless of their metabolic status. There is no healthy obese subtype. AFM%, BMI and hs-CRP are the main influencing factors of endothelial dysfunction.

The residence time of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin at focal adhesions in renal epithelial cells is determined by adhesion size, strength and life cycle status.

Focal adhesions (FAs) are specialized membrane-associated multi-protein complexes that link the cell to the extracellular matrix and enable cell proliferation, survival and motility. Despite the extensive description of the molecular composition of FAs, the complex regulation of FA dynamics is unclear. We have used photobleaching assays of whole cells to determine the protein dynamics in every single focal adhesion. We identified that the focal adhesion proteins FAK and paxillin exist in two different states: a diffuse cytoplasmic pool and a transiently immobile FA-bound fraction with variable residence times. Interestingly, the average residence time of both proteins increased with focal adhesion size. Moreover, increasing integrin clustering by modulating surface collagen density increased residence time of FAK but not paxillin. Finally, this approach was applied to measure FAK and paxillin dynamics using nocodazole treatment followed by washout. This revealed an opposite residence time of FAK and paxillin in maturing and disassembling FAs, which depends on the ventral and peripheral cellular position of the FAs.

Subtractive screen of potential limb regeneration related genes from Pachytriton brevipes.

Regeneration capacity varies greatly among different animal species. In vertebrate, amphibian especially the Urodela, has been used as a powerful model system to study the mechanism of tissue regeneration because of the strong ability to regenerate their damaged or lost appendages. Pachytriton brevipes, a species of newt, which is widely distributed in south of China, can completely restore their damaged limbs within several months. In this study, we use modified suppression subtractive hybridization assay and dot-blot screening to identify candidate genes involved in tissue regeneration in P. brevipes. We successfully isolated 81 ESTs from a forward regeneration subtraction library. And we further verified the differential expression of four candidate genes, Rpl11, Cirbp, Ag2 and Trimx, between regenerating blastema and non-regeneration tissues by in situ hybridization. These genes were also be further characterized by phylogenetic and bioinformatic analysis. In general, we provided a comparative experimental approach to study the mechanisms of vertebrate regeneration.

Elucidating important factors and corresponding method optimization for sensitive detection of small peptide drugs in human urine by solid-phase extraction and UPLC-HRMS: The influence of MS scan modes, protein precipitants, and ammonium formate.

Small peptide hormones are widely used in sports as performance-enhancing substances, making it crucial to develop sensitive analytical methods for their detection in doping control analysis. Various factors significantly affect analytical sensitivity, such as the selection of ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) mobile phase, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) scanning modes, and extraction solvents for pretreatment. Herein, comparative study approach was utilized to investigate the sensitivity of each peptide analyte under both full scan and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) modes of HRMS and assess the effects of some protein precipitants as a part of extraction solvents on solid-phase extraction (SPE). The results showed that full scan should be selected as the primary scan mode of HRMS, and the combination with PRM mode could effectively compensate for the limitations of full scan, and the addition of protein precipitants would adversely affect the detection of certain small peptide analytes. Meanwhile, influences of ammonium formate in reverse UPLC mobile phase on the charge state distribution of small peptides were investigated and elucidated. Based on these findings, a sensitive and reliable UPLC-HRMS analytical method combining full scan and PRM mode was validated for screening and confirmation of 63 small peptide analytes after SPE, with limits of detection (LODs) ranging between 0.010 and 0.473 ng/ml and limits of identification (LOIs) ranging between 0.015 and 1.512 ng/ml. Additionally, suggestions were provided for the detection of [Arg8]-vasopressin, dermorphin, and its analogues.

Olgotrelvir as a Single-Agent Treatment of Nonhospitalized Patients with Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Olgotrelvir is an oral antiviral with dual mechanisms of action targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 main protease (i.e., Mpro) and human cathepsin L. It has potential to serve as a single-agent treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of olgotrelvir in 1212 nonhospitalized adult participants with mild to moderate Covid-19, irrespective of risk factors, who were randomly assigned to receive orally either 600 mg of olgotrelvir or placebo twice daily for 5 days. The primary and key secondary end points were time to sustained recovery of a panel of 11 Covid-19-related symptoms and the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) load. The safety end point was incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of 1212 participants were similar in the two groups. In the modified intention-to-treat population (567 patients in the placebo group and 558 in the olgotrelvir group), the median time to symptom recovery was 205 hours in the olgotrelvir group versus 264 hours in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 1.46; P<0.001). The least squares mean (95% CI) changes of viral RNA load from baseline were -2.20 (-2.59 to -1.81) log10 copies/ml in olgotrelvir-treated participants and -1.40 (-1.79 to -1.01) in participants receiving placebo at day 4. Skin rash (3.3%) and nausea (1.5%) were more frequent in the olgotrelvir group than in the placebo group; there were no treatment-related serious adverse events, and no deaths were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Olgotrelvir as a single-agent treatment significantly improved symptom recovery. Adverse effects were not dose limiting. (Funded by Sorrento Therapeutics, a parent company of ACEA Therapeutics; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05716425.).

The nuclear factor κB family member RelB facilitates apoptosis of renal epithelial cells caused by cisplatin/tumor necrosis factor α synergy by suppressing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition-like phenotypic switch.

Cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin)-induced renal proximal tubular apoptosis is known to be preceded by actin cytoskeleton reorganization, in conjunction with disruption of cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion. In the present study, we show that the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) aggravated these cisplatin-induced F-actin and cell adhesion changes, which was associated with enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis of immortalized proximal tubular epithelial cells. TNF-α-induced RelB expression and lentiviral small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of RelB, but not other nuclear factor κB members, abrogated the synergistic apoptosis observed with cisplatin/TNF-α treatment to the level of cisplatin-induced apoptosis. This protective effect was associated with increased stress fiber formation, cell-matrix, and cell-cell adhesion in the shRNARelB (shRelB) cells during cisplatin/TNF-α treatment, mimicking an epithelial-to-mesenchymal phenotypic switch. Indeed, gene array analysis revealed that knockdown of RelB was associated with upregulation of several actin regulatory genes, including Snai2 and the Rho GTPase proteins Rhophilin and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 3 (ARHGEF3). Pharmacological inhibition of Rho kinase signaling re-established the synergistic apoptosis induced by combined cisplatin/TNF-α treatment of shRelB cells. In conclusion, our study shows for the first time that RelB is required for the cisplatin/TNF-α-induced cytoskeletal reorganization and apoptosis in renal cells by controlling a Rho kinase-dependent signaling network.

[Relationship between body fat distribution and insulin resistance, islet ß cell function and metabolic disorders in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between body fat distribution, insulin resistance, islet ß cell function and metabolic disorders in adult population. METHODS: From February to November 2012, a total of 174 subjects aged 20-68 years were recruited. Their anthropometric parameters, blood biochemical indices and the results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin releasing test (IRT) were collected. Body fat distribution was measured with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). RESULTS: The values of trunk/total fat mass (T/B) and android/gynoid fat mass ratio (A/G) were positively correlated with blood pressure, blood lipid, plasma glucose, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Compared with the group of normal metabolism, the group of metabolic disorders had higher T/B and A/G (P < 0.05). After multiple stepwise regression analysis, the main influencing factors of lnHOMA-IR and lnHOMA-ß were T/B and Grespectively.Logistic regression showed that A (OR = 3.01, 95%CI 1.86-8.17) was a risk factor for diabetes and A/G (OR = 2.71, 95%CI 1.75-6.56) a risk factor for dyslipidemia. CONCLUSIONS: Trunk and android fat deposition aggravates insulin resistance, metabolic disorders. And the main influencing factors of insulin resistance and islet ß cell function are trunk and gynoid fat respectively. Android fat mass is a major risk factor for glycolipid metabolism.

SynAI: an AI-driven cancer drugs synergism prediction platform.

Summary: The SynAI solution is a flexible AI-driven drug synergism prediction solution aiming to discover potential therapeutic value of compounds in early stage. Rather than providing a finite choice of drug combination or cell lines, SynAI is capable of predicting potential drug synergism/antagonism using in silico compound SMILE (Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry System) sequences. The AI core of SynAI platform has been trained against cell lines and compound pairs listed by NCI (National Cancer Institute)-Almanac and DurgCombDB datasets. In total, the training data consists of over 1 200 000 in vitro synergism tests on 150 cancer cell lines of different organ origins. Each cell line is tested against over 6000 pairs of FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved compound combinations. Given one or both candidate compound in SMILE sequence, SynAI is able to predict the potential Bliss score of the combined compound test with the designated cell line without the needs of compound synthetization or structural analysis; thus can significantly reduce the candidate screening costs during the compound development. SynAI platform demonstrates a comparable performance to existing methods but offers more flexibilities for data input. Availability and implementation: The evaluation version of SynAI is freely accessible online at https://synai.crownbio.com.

Variable-Structure Proportional-Integral-Derivative Laser Solder Joint Temperature Intelligent Control Method with Adjustable Power Upper Limit.

Laser soldering is a crucial soldering technique in the realm of electronic assembly. The temperature of the solder joint is intimately connected with the quality of the solder. This paper introduces an adjustable power upper limit variable-structure Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) intelligent control method for regulating the temperature of the solder joint during laser soldering. Distinct laser power limits are employed for workpieces with varying heat capacities. The solder joint temperature is monitored through an infrared thermometer, which enables closed-loop temperature control via a variable-structure PID algorithm. Residual neural network (ResNet) models are utilized to predict key soldering process parameters. This method has been executed and validated on a practical testing platform. Compared to other laser soldering control techniques, the proposed method demonstrates a low overshoot, rapid dynamic response, and swift adjustment capabilities, effectively enhancing the soldering quality and production efficiency.

A comprehensive and high-throughput screening method for multiple prohibited substances by UPLC-QE Plus-HRMS and HPLC-QQQ-MS in human urine for doping control.

Since the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List is updated on an annual basis, screening methods must be continually adapted to align with these changes. In accordance with Technical Document-MRPL 2022, a newly combined, comprehensive, rapid and high-throughput doping control screening method has been developed for the analysis of 350 substances with different polarities in human urine using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q Exactive Plus Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UPLC-QE Plus-HRMS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UPLC-QQQ-MS). The limits of detection were in the range of 0.12-50 ng mL-1 for beta-2 agonists, hormone and metabolic modulators, narcotics, cannabinoids and glucocorticoids, 0.1-14 ng mL-1 for the manipulation of blood and blood components, beta blockers, anabolic agents and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activating agents, and 2.5-100 000 ng mL-1 for substances of Appendix A, diuretics & masking agents and stimulants. The sample preparation consisted of two parts: one is the dilute & shoot part analyzed in UPLC-QQQ-MS, another is a mixture of the dilute & shoot part and a liquid-liquid extraction part of hydrolyzed human urine analyzed in UPLC-QE Plus-HRMS in full scan mode with polarity switching and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode. The method has been fully validated for doping control purposes. All the substances were compliant with WADA's required 1/2 minimum requirement performance level (MRPL) or minimum reporting level (MRL), and this method was successfully used in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games for anti-doping purpose.

Interplay of silymarin and clove fruit extract effectively enhances cadmium stress tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Introduction: Osmoprotectant supplementation can be used as a useful approach to enhance plant stress tolerance. However, the effect of silymarin and clove fruit extract (CFE) on wheat plants grown under cadmium (Cd) stress has not been studied. Methods: Wheat seeds were planted in plastic pots filled with ions-free sand. A ½-strength Hoagland's nutrient solution was used for irrigation. Pots were treated with eight treatments thirteen days after sowing: 1) Control, 2) 0.5 mM silymarin foliar application [silymarin], 3) 2% CFE foliar application [CFE], 4) CFE enriched with silymarin (0.24 g silymarin L-1 of CFE) [CFE-silymarin], 5) Watering wheat seedlings with a nutritious solution of 2 mM Cd [Cd]. 6) Cadmium + silymarin, 7) Cadmium + CFE, and 8) Cadmium + CFE-silymarin. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with nine replicates. Results and discussion: The Cd stress decreased grain yield, shoot dry weight, leaf area, carotenoids, chlorophylls, stomatal conductance, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, membrane stability index, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content by 66.9, 60.6, 56.7, 23.8, 33.5, 48.1, 41.2, 48.7, 42.5, 24.1, 39.9, and 24.1%, respectively. On the other hand, Cd has an Application of CFE, silymarin, or CEF-silymarin for wheat plants grown under Cd stress, significantly improved all investigated biochemical, morphological, and physiological variables and enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities. Applying CFE and/or silymarin enhanced plant tolerance to Cd stress more efficiently. Our findings suggest using CFE-silymarin as a meaningful biostimulator for wheat plants to increase wheat plants' tolerance to Cd stress via enhancing various metabolic and physiological processes.

Comparative analysis of endophytic fungal communities in bamboo species Phyllostachys edulis, Bambusa rigida, and Pleioblastus amarus.

Fungal endophytes in plant leaf mesophyll form mutually beneficial associations through carbon assimilation, synthesis of biologically active chemicals, and enhancement of aesthetic and nutritional value. Here, we compared community structure, diversity, and richness of endophytic fungi in the leaves of three bamboo species, including Phyllostachys edulis (MZ), Bambusa rigida (KZ), and Pleioblastus amarus (YT) via high-throughput Illumina sequencing. In total, 1070 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were retrieved and classified into 7 phylum, 27 classes, 82 orders, 185 families, 310 genus, and 448 species. Dominant genera were Cladosporium, Trichomerium, Hannaella, Ascomycota, Sporobolomyces, Camptophora and Strelitziana. The highest fungal diversity was observed in Pleioblastus amarus, followed by Bambusa rigida, and Phyllostachys edulis. Comparatively, monopodial species Ph. edulis and sympodial B. rigida, mixed P. amarus revealed the highest richness of endophytic fungi. We retrieved a few biocontrol agents, Sarocladium and Paraconiothyrium, and unique Sporobolomyces, Camptophora, and Strelitziana genera. FUNGuild analysis revealed the surrounding environment (The annual average temperature is between 15 and 25 °C, and the relative humidity of the air is above 83% all year round) as a source of fungal accumulation in bamboo leaves and their pathogenic nature. Our results provide precise knowledge for better managing bamboo forests and pave the way for isolating secondary metabolites and potential bioactive compounds.

Integrative application of silicon and/or proline improves Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) production and antioxidant defense system under salt stress condition.

Silicon (Si) and/or proline (Pro) are natural supplements that are considered to induce plants' stress tolerance against various abiotic stresses. Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) production is severely afflicted by salinity stress. Therefore, two field tests were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of Si and/or Pro (6mM) used as seed soaking (SS) and/or foliar spray (FS) on Sweet corn plant growth and yield, physio-biochemical attributes, and antioxidant defense systems grown in a saline (EC = 7.14dS m-1) soil. The Si and/or Pro significantly increased growth and yield, photosynthetic pigments, free proline, total soluble sugars (TSS), K+/Na+ratios, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), α-Tocopherol (α-TOC), Ascorbate (AsA), glutathione (GSH), enzymatic antioxidants activities and other anatomical features as compared to controls. In contrast, electrolytes, such as SS and/or FS under salt stress compared to controls (SS and FS using tap water) were significantly decreased. The best results were obtained when SS was combined with FS via Si or Pro. These alterations are brought about by the exogenous application of Si and/or Pro rendering these elements potentially useful in aiding sweet corn plants to acclimate successfully to saline soil.

Quantification of Ephedrine Substances in Human Urine by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

An accurate quantitative method for four prohibited ephedrine substances in human urine has been established, based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The quantitative bias caused by pretreatment operations and matrix effects was reduced by the dilute and shoot pretreatment method. The good separation of isomers was achieved with the advantages of the UPLC instrument and Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C8 UPLC column. Stable quantitative ions were selected during the analysis with MS/MS. The result of the method validation experiment showed an excellent linearity between 50% and 200% threshold concentration with a correlation coefficient (r2) greater than 0.999. The coefficient of variation at the limit of quantification and threshold was <20% and 10%, respectively. The uncertainty was below the maximum uncertainty specified in the technical document of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The analytical result using this method has passed the WADA-external quality assessment scheme. The anti-doping laboratory has applied the method in routine tests and reported adverse analytical finding.

Knowledge domain and emerging trends of climate-smart agriculture: a bibliometric study.

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a new agricultural development pattern to address future food crises. Since CSA was proposed in 2010, it has attracted the attention of scholars from all over the world. It is of great significance to scientifically summarize the overview and emerging trends of CSA research, providing ideas for scholars concerned about CSA to engage in research in this field. Based on bibliometrics and CSA-related literature data in the WOS database, this paper used CiteSpace software to draw knowledge maps to scientifically analyze publications in the field of CSA. Our study found that (1) CSA research is showing a rapid upward trend, focusing on the environmental sciences and agricultural economic management; (2) international organizations such as the FAO, World Bank, and the international agricultural research institute have made significant contributions to CSA research; (3) among the nine clusters in the CSA literature, CSA practice, conservation agriculture, smallholder farmers, and sub-Saharan Africa have been consistently given high attention; (4) CSA research can be divided into three phases, and the research hotspots have transferred from essential elements of CSA to household and carbon emissions. We believe that in future research, more attention should be paid to the trade-off and synergy of the three pillars of CSA, as well as the investment, finance, and evaluation criteria of CSA. Such strengthening is of great significance to the sustainable promotion of CSA.