Spatiotemporal Evolution of the Global Species Diversity of Rhododendron.

Evolutionary radiation is a widely recognized mode of species diversification, but its underlying mechanisms have not been unambiguously resolved for species-rich cosmopolitan plant genera. In particular, it remains largely unknown how biological and environmental factors have jointly driven its occurrence in specific regions. Here, we use Rhododendron, the largest genus of woody plants in the Northern Hemisphere, to investigate how geographic and climatic factors, as well as functional traits, worked together to trigger plant evolutionary radiations and shape the global patterns of species richness based on a solid species phylogeny. Using 3,437 orthologous nuclear genes, we reconstructed the first highly supported and dated backbone phylogeny of Rhododendron comprising 200 species that represent all subgenera, sections, and nearly all multispecies subsections, and found that most extant species originated by evolutionary radiations when the genus migrated southward from circumboreal areas to tropical/subtropical mountains, showing rapid increases of both net diversification rate and evolutionary rate of environmental factors in the Miocene. We also found that the geographically uneven diversification of Rhododendron led to a much higher diversity in Asia than in other continents, which was mainly driven by two environmental variables, that is, elevation range and annual precipitation, and were further strengthened by the adaptation of leaf functional traits. Our study provides a good example of integrating phylogenomic and ecological analyses in deciphering the mechanisms of plant evolutionary radiations, and sheds new light on how the intensification of the Asian monsoon has driven evolutionary radiations in large plant genera of the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains.

[Study on Error Analysis of Nonlinear Function Coefficient of FAIMS].

The solution of ion mobility's nonlinear function coefficients α2 and α4 is the basis for achieving substance identification of High Field Asymmetric waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS). Currently, nonlinear function coefficients α2 and α4 lack priors, meanwhile, existed solving results about α2 and α4 are deficient in error evaluation standard. In this article, acetone, isopropanol and 1, 2-dichlorobenzene were detected under different dispersion voltage by homemade FAIMS. In general, the spectrum peak of same sample at different dispersion voltage value is unique. Different dispersion voltage and corresponding compensation voltage value determines the value of α2 and α4. According to sample spectra at different dispersion voltage value, groups of spectral characteristics were obtained. Affirmatory number of data which were selected from multiple sets of compensation voltage value and dispersion voltage value, so that they were utilized to solved out lots of α2 and α4. Lots of factor have an effect on the accuracy of the solving results of α2 and α4, for instance, value of compensation voltage and dispersion voltage, style of fetching points of dispersion voltage, and so on. Comparing to other factors, style and amount of dispersion voltage is likely to control. By data analyzing huge amounts of α2 and α4 data, this paper explored their characteristic of distribution and correlation about them, research influence of number and method to fetch dispersion voltage detected points for error of solving results. After fitting frequency of α2 and α4, it was found that they conform to normal distribution, goodness of fitting exceed 0. 96, thus standard deviation of their distribution are able to evaluate error of solving results. In addition, a strong correlation exists between them, relevance of sample is -0. 977, -0. 968, -0. 992 respectively. With increasing of computing selected points, the corresponding error of solving results decrease. By comparing the standard deviation of method to fetch dispersion voltage detected points, found that detecting frequency in case of detecting maximum and the 70% of maximum of dispersion voltage value is lower at approximately same standard deviation, solving effect was optimized in unique fetching points style. Based on the premise of ensuring the accuracy of solving results of α2 and α4, it is obvious that reducing the frequency of detections for FAIMS effectively. It created favorable conditions for rapid field detection and precise spectral analysis.

Therapeutic effects of 5,2'-dibromo-2,4',5'-trihydroxydiphenylmethanone (LM49) in an experimental rat model of acute pyelonephritis by immunomodulation and anti-inflammation.

Antibiotics are still the primary therapy for acute pyelonephritis (APN); rarely, natural polyphenols are also used. LM49 is a novel marine bromophenol derivative displaying strong anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the therapeutic efficacy of LM49 in an experimental rat model of APN. The model was established by injecting 0.5 mL Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922, 108 CFU/mL) into the urinary bladders of Sprague Dawley rats. This model showed increased kidney viscera indices and renal bacterial growth scores, as well as pathological changes in kidneys. We also performed a broth microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility test of the E. coli strain. Both norfloxacin and LM49 treatment reduced kidney viscera indices and decreased microbial counts in urine cultures and kidney homogenates in APN rats. However, in vitro experiments showed that LM49 did not directly inhibit bacteria. Rather, LM49 treatment inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration or abscess and improved tissue lesions in the renal medullary junction, renal pelvis, and calyx, and high-dose LM49 treatment inhibited the production of inflammatory interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum. CD4+ T cells were higher in the LM49 groups treated with high, medium, and low doses than in the model group, whereas only high-dose LM49 treatment increased the number of CD8+ T cells, as compared with that in the model group. However, LM49 treatment did not influence hematological parameters. Our results show that LM49 therapeutic effects in an APN animal model may be achieved by regulating immune responses and inhibiting inflammatory mediators, suggesting it as a candidate APN treatment.

Electrochemical effect on denitrification in different microenvironments around anodes and cathodes.

A bio-anode reactor and a bio-cathode reactor were developed to investigate the microenvironments around anodes and cathodes and their effects on denitrification. With an applied current of 40 mA, the oxidation-reduction potentials (ORPs) in the bio-cathode and bio-anode reactors were 100-200 mV lower and 50 mV higher, respectively, than that in the control reactor (a normal bio-reactor). The cathode reaction enhanced denitrification and the anode reaction inhibited denitrification. At 40 mA, the denitrification rate in the bio-cathode reactor was 55.1% higher than that in the control reactor. At 75 mA, the denitrification rate in the bio-anode reactor was just 33.5% of that in control reactor. Electric current of less than 20 mA had no effect on the most probable number (MPN) of denitrifiers, but at 75 mA, the MPN of denitrifiers decreased by 90% in the bio-anode reactor. In the bio-cathode reactor, the MPN of denitrifiers increased more than 100% for the lower ORP environment produced by a cathode reaction at 75 mA.