Transcriptome analysis to explore the mechanism of downregulated TNIK influencing the effect of risperidone.

Background: Risperidone is one of the most reliable and effective antipsychotics for schizophrenia treatment. However, the mechanism of action of risperidone is not yet fully understood. Traf2 and Nck-interacting protein kinase (TNIK), a schizophrenia susceptibility gene, is associated with risperidone treatment response. Our previous in vitro experiments confirmed that downregulated TNIK affected the effect of risperidone on downstream targets. However, the effect of downregulated TNIK on risperidone-induced molecular expression remains to be further explored. Methods: Transcriptome analysis was performed on U251 cells subjected to risperidone, TNIK siRNA, and no treatment, respectively. Compared to the no-treatment group, two groups of DEGs were screened out and then intersected with the schizophrenia-related genes to screen the cross-talk genes. Those DEGs were analyzed using GO and KEGG. STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for the cross-talk gene. Results: The results showed that the parathyroid hormone synthesis, secretion, and action were significantly enriched after risperidone treatment. Downregulated TNIK could have an impact on the collagen-containing extracellular matrix, signaling receptor activator activity, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Interestingly, bone mineralization function and calcium signaling pathway were enriched in the cross-talk genes. Additionally, FGFR2, FGF1, and FGFR might be the potential targets for TNIK affecting the effects of risperidone. Conclusion: The study indicated that risperidone primarily influences functions and/or pathways associated with bone metabolism, potentially contributing to the adverse effect of osteoporosis. Our study may offer a novel perspective on investigating the mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of risperidone.

Physiological adaptation of Cyperus esculentus L. seedlings to varying concentrations of saline-alkaline stress: Insights from photosynthetic performance.

Soil salinization effects plant photosynthesis in a number of global ecosystems. In this study, photosynthetic and physiological parameters were used to elucidate the impacts of saline-alkaline stress on Cyperus esculentus L. (C. esculentus) seedling photosynthesis. The results demonstrate that salt stress, alkali stress and mixed salt and alkali stress treatments all have similar bell-shaped influences on photosynthesis. At low concentrations (0-100 mmol L-1), saline-alkaline stress promoted net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and water use efficiency in C. esculentus. However, as the treatments increased in intensity (100-200 mmol L-1), plant photosynthetic parameters began to decline. We interpreted this as the capacity of C. esculentus to improve osmoregulatory capacity in low saline-alkaline stress treatments by accumulating photosynthetic pigment, proline and malondialdehyde to counterbalance the induced stress - an adaptive mechanism that failed once concentrations reached a critical threshold (100 mmol L-1). Stomatal conductance, maximum photosynthetic rate and actual photosynthetic rate all decreased with increasing concentration of the stress treatments, and intercellular carbon dioxide showed a decreasing and then increasing trend. These results indicated that when the saline-alkaline stress concentrations were low, C. esculentus seedlings showed obvious adaptive ability, but when the concentration increased further, the physiological processes of C. esculentus seedlings were significantly affected, with an obvious decrease in photosynthetic efficiency. This study provides a new understanding of the photosynthetic adaptation strategies of C. esculentus seedlings to varying concentrations of saline-alkaline stress.

Application of GWAS summary data and drug-induced gene expression profiles of neural progenitor cells in psychiatric drug prioritization analysis.

Common psychiatric disorders constitute one of the most substantial healthcare burdens worldwide. However, drug development in psychiatry remains hampered partially due to the lack of approaches to estimating drugs that can simultaneously modulate the expression of a nontrivial fraction of disease susceptibility genes. We proposed a new drug prioritization strategy under the framework of our previously proposed phenotype-associated tissues estimation approach (DESE) by investigating the drugs' selective perturbation effect on disease susceptibility genes. Based on the genome-wide association study summary data and drug-induced gene expression profiles of neural progenitor cells, we applied this strategy to prioritize candidate drugs for schizophrenia, depression and bipolar I disorder and identified several known therapeutic drugs among the top-ranked drug candidates. Also, our results revealed that the disease susceptibility genes involved in the selective gene perturbation analysis were enriched with many biologically sensible function terms and interacted with known therapeutic drugs. Our results suggested that selective gene perturbation analysis could be a promising starting point to prioritize biologically sensible drug candidates under the "one drug, multiple targets" paradigm for the drug development of common psychiatric disorders.

Increased crossing of thermal stress thresholds of vegetation under global warming.

Temperature extremes exert a significant influence on terrestrial ecosystems, but the precise levels at which these extremes trigger adverse shifts in vegetation productivity have remained elusive. In this study, we have derived two critical thresholds, using standard deviations (SDs) of growing-season temperature and satellite-based vegetation productivity as key indicators. Our findings reveal that, on average, vegetation productivity experiences rapid suppression when confronted with temperature anomalies exceeding 1.45 SD above the mean temperature during 2001-2018. Furthermore, at temperatures exceeding 2.98 SD above the mean, we observe the maximum level of suppression, particularly in response to the most extreme high-temperature events. When Earth System Models are driven by a future medium emission scenario, they project that mean temperatures will routinely surpass both of these critical thresholds by approximately the years 2050 and 2070, respectively. However, it is important to note that the timing of these threshold crossings exhibits spatial variation and will appear much earlier in tropical regions. Our finding highlights that restricting global warming to just 1.5°C can increase safe areas for vegetation growth by 13% compared to allowing warming to reach 2°C above preindustrial levels. This mitigation strategy helps avoid exposure to detrimental extreme temperatures that breach these thresholds. Our study underscores the pivotal role of climate mitigation policies in fostering the sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystems in a warming world.

Volatile metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses provide insights into the mechanism of volatile changes during fruit development of 'Ehime 38' (Citrus reticulata) and its bud mutant.

Volatile compounds are important determinants affecting fruit flavor. Previous study has identified a bud mutant of 'Ehime 38' (Citrus reticulata) with different volatile profile. However, the volatile changes between WT and MT during fruit development and underlying mechanism remain elusive. In this study, a total of 35 volatile compounds were identified in the pulps of WT and MT at five developmental stages. Both varieties accumulated similar and the highest levels of volatiles at stage S1, and showed a downward trend as the fruit develops. However, the total volatile contents in the pulps of MT were 1.4-2.5 folds higher than those in WT at stages S2-S5, which was mainly due to the increase in the content of d-limonene. Transcriptomic and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that most genes in MEP pathway were positively correlated with the volatile contents, of which DXS1 might mainly contribute to the elevated volatiles accumulation in MT by increasing the flux into the MEP pathway. Moreover, temporal expression analysis indicated that these MEP pathway genes functioned at different developmental stages. This study provided comprehensive volatile metabolomics and transcriptomics characterizations of a citrus mutant during fruit development, which is valuable for fruit flavor improvement in citrus.

Integrated Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis Revealed Abscisic Acid-Induced Regulation of Monoterpene Biosynthesis in Grape Berries.

Monoterpenes are a class of volatile organic compounds that play crucial roles in imparting floral and fruity aromas to Muscat-type grapes. However, our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underpinning monoterpene biosynthesis in grapes, particularly following abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, remains elusive. This study aimed to explore the impact of exogenous ABA on monoterpene biosynthesis in Ruiduhongyu grape berries by employing Headspace Solid-Phase Micro-Extraction Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) analysis and transcriptome sequencing. The results suggested significant differences in total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and total acid content. ABA treatment resulted in a remarkable increase in endogenous ABA levels, with concentrations declining from veraison to ripening stages. ABA treatment notably enhanced monoterpene concentrations, particularly at the E_L37 and E_L38 stages, elevating the overall floral aroma of grape berries. According to the variable gene expression patterns across four developmental stages in response to ABA treatment, the E_L37 stage had the largest number of differential expressed genes (DEGs), which was correlated with a considerable change in free monoterpenes. Furthermore, functional annotation indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in primary and secondary metabolic pathways, underlining the relationship between ABA, sugar accumulation, and monoterpene biosynthesis. ABA treatment upregulated key genes involved in the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, enhancing carbon allocation and subsequently impacting terpene synthesis. This study also identified transcription factors, including MYB and AP2/ERF families, potentially modulating monoterpene and aroma-related genes. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) linked ABA-induced gene expression to monoterpene accumulation, highlighting specific modules enriched with genes associated with monoterpene biosynthesis; one of these modules (darkgreen) contained genes highly correlated with most monoterpenes, emphasizing the role of ABA in enhancing grape quality during berry maturation. Together, these findings provide valuable insights into the multifaceted effects of exogenous ABA on monoterpene compounds and grape berry flavor development, offering potential applications in viticulture and enology.

Ethylene-responsive VviERF003 modulates glycosylated monoterpenoid synthesis by upregulating VviGT14 in grapes.

Terpenoids are important contributors to the aroma of grapes and wines. Grapes contain terpenoids in both volatile free form and non-volatile glycosidic form, with the latter being more abundant. Glycosylated terpenoids are deemed as latent aromatic potentials for their essential role in adding to the flowery and fruity bouquet of wines. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanism underlying glycosylated terpenoid biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Our prior study identified an AP2/ERF transcription factor, VviERF003, through DNA pull-down screening using the promoter of terpenoid glycosyltransferase VviGT14 gene. This study demonstrated that both genes were co-expressed and synchronized with the accumulation of glycosylated monoterpenoids during grape maturation. VviERF003 can bind to the VviGT14 promoter and promote its activity according to yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays. VviERF003 upregulated VviGT14 expression in vivo, leading to increased production of glycosylated monoterpenoids based on the evidence from overexpression or RNA interference in leaves, berry skins, and calli of grapes, as well as tomato fruits. Additionally, VviERF003 and VviGT14 expressions and glycosylated monoterpenoid levels were induced by ethylene in grapes. The findings suggest that VviERF003 is ethylene-responsive and stimulates glycosylated monoterpenoid biosynthesis through upregulating VviGT14 expression.

Cambium Reactivation Is Closely Related to the Cell-Cycle Gene Configuration in Larix kaempferi.

Dormancy release and reactivation in temperate trees are mainly controlled by temperature and are affected by age, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we explored the effects of low temperatures in winter and warm temperatures in spring on dormancy release and reactivation in Larix kaempferi. Further, we established the relationships between cell-cycle genes and cambium cell division. The results showed that chilling accelerated L. kaempferi bud break overall, and the longer the duration of chilling is, the shorter the bud break time is. After dormancy release, warm temperatures induced cell-cycle gene expression; when the configuration value of the cell-cycle genes reached 4.97, the cambium cells divided and L. kaempferi reactivated. This study helps to predict the impact of climate change on wood production and provides technical support for seedling cultivation in greenhouses.

Research on the Mechanical Properties of Concrete under Low Temperatures.

As construction projects in cold regions continue to increase, it has become necessary to understand the performance of concrete at low temperatures. Conducting uniaxial compressive tests on non-standard prismatic concrete specimens under low-temperature conditions and analyzing the test results allows for a comprehensive understanding of the strength variations of concrete with different strength grades at temperatures of 20 °C, 0 °C, -20 °C, -30 °C, and -40 °C. When the temperature decreases from 20 °C to 0 °C, the compressive strength of the specimens decreases, while the elastic modulus and peak strain increase. As the temperature continues to decrease, the compressive strength of the specimens increases, the elastic modulus continues to grow, and the peak strain decreases. The rising segments of the curves can be fitted using a cubic polynomial, and as the temperature decreases further, the parameters of the fitting curve gradually decrease. For concrete, being the most widely used material in the construction field, understanding its performance in low-temperature environments has become a significant research topic in the field of materials engineering and construction.

Soil microbial functional profiles of P-cycling reveal drought-induced constraints on P-transformation in a hyper-arid desert ecosystem.

Soil water conditions are known to influence soil nutrient availability, but the specific impact of different conditions on soil phosphorus (P) availability through the modulation of P-cycling functional microbial communities in hyper-arid desert ecosystems remains largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a 3-year pot experiment using a typical desert plant species (Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.) subjected to two water supply levels (25 %-35 % and 65 %-75 % of maximum field capacity, MFC) and four P-supply levels (0, 1, 3, and 5 g P m-2 y-1). Our investigation focused on the soil Hedley-P pool and the four major microbial groups involved in the critical phases of soil microbial P-cycling. The results revealed that the drought (25 %-35 % MFC) and no P-supply treatments reduced soil resin-P and NaHCO3-Pi concentrations by 87.03 % and 93.22 %, respectively, compared to the well-watered (65 %-75 % MFC) and high P-supply (5 g P m-2 y-1) treatments. However, the P-supply treatment resulted in a 12 %-22 % decrease in the soil NH4+-N concentration preferred by microbes compared to the no P-supply treatment. Moreover, the abundance of genes engaged in microbial P-cycling (e.g. gcd and phoD) increased under the drought and no P-supply treatments (p < 0.05), suggesting that increased NH4+-N accumulation under these conditions may stimulate P-solubilizing microbes, thereby promoting the microbial community's investment in resources to enhance the P-cycling potential. Furthermore, the communities of Steroidobacter cummioxidans, Mesorhizobium alhagi, Devosia geojensis, and Ensifer sojae, associated with the major P-cycling genes, were enriched in drought and no or low-P soils. Overall, the drought and no or low-P treatments stimulated microbial communities and gene abundances involved in P-cycling. However, this increase was insufficient to maintain soil P-bioavailability. These findings shed light on the responses and feedback of microbial-mediated P-cycling behaviors in desert ecosystems under three-year drought and soil P-deficiency.

Effect of intercropping with legumes at different rates on the yield and soil physicochemical properties of Cyperus esculentus L. in arid land.

Intercropping has the potential to enhance yields and nutrient availability in resource-limited agricultural systems. However, the effects on crop yield nutrients and soil properties can vary considerably depending on the specific plant combinations and intercropping ratios used. In this study, the advantages and impacts of intercropping C. esculentus with legumes were investigated by measuring their biomass, nutrient content, and soil properties. The experiment included five intercropping treatments: monoculture of C. esculentus (MC), intercropping of C. esculentus with Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) at row spacing ratios of 4:4 (4:4CM) and 8:4 (8:4CM), and intercropping of C. esculentus with Glycine max (L.) Merr. (soybean), also at row spacing ratios of 4:4 (4:4CG) and 8:4 (8:4CG). Our results demonstrated that all four intercropping treatments (4:4CM, 4:4CG, 8:4CM, and 8:4CG) significantly increased the biomass of C. esculentus by approximately 41.05%, 41.73%, 16.08%, and 18.43%, respectively, compared with monoculture cultivation alone, among which the 4:4CG treatment was optimum. However, no significant differences were observed in alfalfa or soybean biomass across different intercropping ratios. A notable increase was found in the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents in the leaves, roots, and tubers of C. esculentus under intercropping, along with increased soil organic carbon (SOC), alkaline-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and soil water content (SWC), and significantly reduced the soil pH. Among the intercropping treatments, the 4:4CG treatment also exhibited the most favorable soil properties. In particular, compared with MC, the 4:4CG treatment resulted in significant increases of 163.8%, 394.6%, and 716.8% in SOC, AN, and AP contents, respectively. The same treatment also led to significant increases of 48.34%, 46.40%, and 208.65% in MBC, MBN, and SWC, respectively. Overall, the findings suggest that the use of 4:4CG intercropping is an effective approach for sustainable farming management in Xinjiang.

Recent decline in tropical temperature sensitivity of atmospheric CO2 growth rate variability.

A two-fold enhancement in the sensitivity of atmospheric CO2 growth rate (CGR) to tropical temperature interannual variability ( Γ CGR T $$ {\varGamma}_{\mathrm{CGR}}^T $$ ) till early 2000s has been reported, which suggests a drought-induced shift in terrestrial carbon cycle responding temperature fluctuations, thereby accelerating global warming. However, using six decades long atmospheric CO2 observations, we show that Γ CGR T $$ {\varGamma}_{\mathrm{CGR}}^T $$ has significantly declined in the last two decades, to the level during the 1960s. The Γ CGR T $$ {\varGamma}_{\mathrm{CGR}}^T $$ decline begs the question of whether the sensitivity of ecosystem carbon cycle to temperature variations at local scale has largely decreased. With state-of-the-art dynamic global vegetation models, we further find that the recent Γ CGR T $$ {\varGamma}_{\mathrm{CGR}}^T $$ decline is barely attributed to ecosystem carbon cycle response to temperature fluctuations at local scale, which instead results from a decrease in spatial coherence in tropical temperature variability and land use change. Our results suggest that the recently reported loss of rainforest resilience has not shown marked influence on the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem carbon cycle. Nevertheless, the increasing extent of land use change as well as more frequent and intensive drought events are likely to modulate the responses of ecosystem carbon cycle to temperature variations in the future. Therefore, our study highlights the priority to continuously monitor the temperature sensitivity of CGR variability and improve Earth system model representation on land use change, in order to predict the carbon-climate feedback.

Modeling future changes in potential habitats of five alpine vegetation types on the Tibetan Plateau by incorporating snow depth and snow phenology.

Although snow cover is a major factor affecting vegetation in alpine regions, it is rarely introduced into ecological niche models in alpine regions. Snow phenology over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) was estimated using a daily passive microwave snow depth dataset, and future datasets of snow depth and snow phenology were projected based on their sensitivity to temperature and precipitation. Furthermore, the potential habitats of five alpine vegetation types on the TP were predicted under two future climate scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) by using a model with incorporated snow variables, and the driving factors of habitat change were analyzed. The results showed that the inclusion of snow variables improved the prediction accuracy of MaxEnt model, particularly in alpine meadow habitats. By the end of the 21st century, the potential habitats of steppes, meadows, shrubs, deserts, and coniferous forests on the TP will migrate to higher latitudes and altitudes, in which the potential habitats of alpine desert will recede (replaced by alpine steppe), and the potential habitats of other four vegetation types will expand. The random forest importance analysis showed that the recession of potential habitat was mainly driven by the increase in average annual temperature, and the expansion of potential habitat was mainly driven by the increase in precipitation. With the gradual increase in temperature and precipitation in the future, the snow depth and snow cover duration days will decrease, which may further lead to the transition of vegetation types from cold-adapted to warm-adapted on the TP. Our study highlights both that the prediction accuracy of alpine vegetation was improved by incorporating snow variables into the species distribution model, and that a changing climate will likely have a powerful influence on the distribution of alpine vegetation across the TP.

Drought thresholds that impact vegetation reveal the divergent responses of vegetation growth to drought across China.

Identifying droughts and accurately evaluating drought impacts on vegetation growth are crucial to understanding the terrestrial carbon balance across China. However, few studies have identified the critical drought thresholds that impact China's vegetation growth, leading to large uncertainty in assessing the ecological consequences of droughts. In this study, we utilize gridded surface soil moisture data and satellite-observed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to assess vegetation response to droughts in China during 2001-2018. Based on the nonlinear relationship between changing drought stress and the coincident anomalies of NDVI during the growing season, we derive the spatial patterns of satellite-based drought thresholds (T SM ) that impact vegetation growth in China via a framework for detecting drought thresholds combining the methods of feature extraction, coincidence analysis, and piecewise linear regression. The T SM values represent percentile-based drought threshold levels, with smaller T SM values corresponding to more negative anomalies of soil moisture. On average, T SM is at the 8.7th percentile and detectable in 64.4% of China's vegetated lands, with lower values in North China and Jianghan Plain and higher values in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. Furthermore, T SM for forests is commonly lower than that for grasslands. We also find that agricultural irrigation modifies the drought thresholds for croplands in the Sichuan Basin. For future projections, Earth System Models predict that more regions in China will face an increasing risk for ecological drought, and the Hexi Corridor-Hetao Plain and Shandong Peninsula will become hotspots of ecological drought. This study has important implications for accurately evaluating the impacts of drought on vegetation growth in China and provides a scientific reference for the effective ecomanagement of China's terrestrial ecosystems.

Changes of putative pathogenic species within the water bacterial community in large-scale drinking water treatment and distribution systems.

Although the management of microbes in drinking water is of paramount importance for public health, there remain challenges in comprehensively examining pathogenic bacteria in the water supply system at the species level. In this study, high-throughput sequencing of nearly full-length 16S rRNA genes was performed to investigate the changes of the water bacterial community in three large-scale drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and their corresponding distribution systems during winter and summer. Our findings revealed significant differences in the bacterial community structure between winter and summer water samples for each DWTP and its distribution management area (DMA). In the groundwater-fed DWTP, selective enrichment of mycobacterial species was observed in both seasons, and the subsequent DMA also exhibited strong selection for specific mycobacterial species. In one of the surface water-fed DWTPs, certain Legionella species present in the source water in winter were selectively enriched in the bacterial community after pre-oxidation, although they were susceptible to the subsequent purification steps. A variety of putative pathogenic species (n = 83) were identified based on our pathogen identification pipeline, with the dominant species representing opportunistic pathogens commonly found in water supply systems. While pathogen removal primarily occurred during the purification processes of DWTPs, especially for surface water-fed plants, the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria in the DMA water flora was lower than that in the DWTP effluent flora, indicating a diminished competitiveness of pathogens within the DMA ecosystem.

Hub biomarkers in ultrasound-guided bladder cancer and osteosarcoma: Myosin light chain kinase and caldesmon.

Bladder cancer and osteosarcoma are 2 types of cancers that originate from epithelial tissues inside the bladder and bone or muscle tissues. Ultrasound-guided biopsies provide crucial support for the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer and osteosarcoma. However, the relationship between myosin light chain kinase (MYLK) and caldesmon (CALD1) and bladder cancer and osteosarcoma remains unclear. The bladder cancer datasets GSE65635 and GSE100926, the osteosarcoma dataset GSE39058, were obtained from gene expression omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed. The construction and analysis of protein-protein interaction network, functional enrichment analysis, gene set enrichment analysis. Gene expression heat map was drawn and immune infiltration analysis was performed. The comparative toxicogenomics database analysis were performed to find disease most related to core gene. Western blotting experiments were performed. TargetScan screened miRNAs that regulated central DEGs. We obtained 54 DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment in terms of cellular differentiation, cartilage development, skeletal development, muscle actin cytoskeleton, actin filament, Rho GTPase binding, DNA binding, fibroblast binding, MAPK signaling pathway, apoptosis, and cancer pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that DEGs were primarily enriched in terms of skeletal development, cartilage development, muscle actin cytoskeleton, MAPK signaling pathway, and apoptosis. The immune infiltration analysis showed that when T cells regulatory were highly expressed, Eosinophils exhibited a similar high expression, suggesting a strong positive correlation between T cells regulatory and Eosinophils, which might influence the disease progression in osteosarcoma. We identified 6 core genes (SRF, CTSK, MYLK, VCAN, MEF2C, CALD1). MYLK and CALD1 were significantly correlated with survival rate and exhibited lower expression in bladder cancer and osteosarcoma samples compared to normal samples. Comparative toxicogenomics database analysis results indicated associations of core genes with osteosarcoma, bladder tumors, bladder diseases, tumors, inflammation, and necrosis. The results of Western blotting showed that the expression levels of MYLK and CALD1 in bladder cancer and osteosarcoma were lower than those in normal tissues. MYLK and CALD1 likely play a role in regulating muscle contraction and smooth muscle function in bladder cancer and osteosarcoma. The lower expression of MYLK and CALD1 is associated with poorer prognosis.

Fine-root traits are devoted to the allocation of foliar phosphorus fractions of desert species under water and phosphorus-poor environments.

Traits of leaves and fine roots are expected to predict the responses and adaptation of plants to their environments. Whether and how fine-root traits (FRTs) are associated with the allocation of foliar phosphorus (P) fractions of desert species in water- and P-poor environments, however, remains unclear. We exposed seedlings of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (hereafter Alhagi) treated with two water and four P-supply levels for three years in open-air pot experiments and measured the concentrations of foliar P fractions, foliar traits, and FRTs. The allocation proportion of foliar nucleic acid-P and acid phosphatase (APase) activity of fine roots were significantly higher by 45.94 and 53.3% in drought and no-P treatments relative to well-watered and high-P treatments, whereas foliar metabolic-P and structural-P were significantly lower by 3.70 and 5.26%. Allocation proportions of foliar structural-P and residual-P were positively correlated with fine-root P (FRP) concentration, but nucleic acid-P concentration was negatively correlated with FRP concentration. A tradeoff was found between the allocation proportion to all foliar P fractions relative to the FRP concentration, fine-root APase activity, and amounts of carboxylates, followed by fine-root morphological traits. The requirement for a link between the aboveground and underground tissues of Alhagi was generally higher in the drought than the well-watered treatment. Altering FRTs and the allocation of P to foliar nucleic acid-P were two coupled strategies of Alhagi under conditions of drought and/or low-P. These results advance our understanding of the strategies for allocating foliar P by mediating FRTs in drought and P-poor environments.

Potential role of root-associated bacterial communities in adjustments of desert plant physiology to osmotic stress.

Plants possess the ability to adapt to osmotic stress by adjusting their physiology and morphology and by cooperating with their root-associated (rhizosphere and endosphere) microbial communities. However, the coordination of host self-regulation with root-associated microorganisms at the community level, especially for desert plants, remains unclear. This study investigated the morphophysiological responses of seedlings from the desert plant Alhagi sparsifolia Shap to osmotic stress, as well as the relationships between these adaptations and their root-associated bacterial communities. The results indicated that osmotic stress contributed to a reduction in height and increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). In response, A. sparsifolia exhibited a series of morphophysiological adjustments, including increased ratio of root to shoot biomass (R/S) and the number of root tip, enhanced vitality, high levels of peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione (GSH), as well as osmolytes (proline, soluble protein, and soluble sugar) and modification in phytohormones (abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA)). Additionally, osmotic stress resulted in alterations in the compositions and co-occurrence patterns of root-associated bacterial communities, but not α-diversity (Chao1). Specifically, the rhizosphere Actinobacteria phylum was significantly increased by osmotic stress. These shifts in root-associated bacterial communities were significantly correlated with the host's adaptation to osmotic stress. Overall, the findings revealed that osmotic stress, in addition to its impacts on plant physiology, resulted in a restructuring of root-associated microbial communities and suggested that the concomitant adjustment in plant microbiota may potentially contribute to the survival of desert plants under extreme environmental stress.

Exploring the Underlying Mechanism of Alpinia officinarum Hance Ameliorating Diabetic Gastroparesis through Combining Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and in Vivo Experimental Verification.

BACKGROUND: Alpinia officinarum Hance (AOH) has a long history in China as a Chinese medicine and exerts the pharmacological effects of antidiabetic and gastrointestinal protection. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, AOH is often combined with other Chinese medicines for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis (DGP). However, the molecular mechanisms, potential targets, and bioactive ingredients of AOH that act against DGP are yet to be elucidated. In this study, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental study were used to predict the therapeutic effects and the potential molecular mechanism of AOH in DGP. METHODS: Network pharmacology analysis was performed to acquire information on the active chemical ingredients, DGP-related target proteins in AOH, and potential signaling pathway. In addition, molecular docking approach was used to simulate the binding of drugs and targets. Finally, DGP-mice model was used for experimental verification in vivo. Results: Through the network pharmacological research, AKT1 was found to be the core protein in AOH for the treatment of DGP and was mainly involved in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Additionally, the interactions between bioactive compounds and target proteins (PIK3CA and AKT1) were analyzed using molecular docking, which verified the results of network pharmacology. Further in vivo studies indicated that AOH could reduce fasting blood glucose levels, improve gastric emptying rate, and ameliorate biochemical indicators in DGP mice. Moreover, AOH could increase the expressions and phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT in the stomach to regulate oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: The study has shown that AOH may play a protective role on DGP through mediation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway to regulate oxidative stress.

Application of real time shear wave elastography to the differential diagnosis of secondary parathyroid hyperplasia and adenoma.

We aimed to explore the value of ultrasonic elastic imaging in the diagnosis of parathyroid hyperplasia and adenoma in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism and provide more evidence for clinical treatment. Forty patients who were on dialysis and underwent parathyroid surgery were selected All patients underwent routine ultrasound, ultrasound elasticity examination and blood biochemical examination before surgery, including calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), etc. According to postoperative results, adenoma group and hyperplasia group were divided into 2 groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy and combined diagnostic efficacy of each index. The PTH levels significantly differed between the adenoma and hyperplasia groups (P < .001). The volume and blood flow grades significantly differed between the adenoma and hyperplasia groups (P < .001) The minimum of the adenoma group was 14.62 ±â€…6.79 kPa, mean was 19.42 ±â€…6.29 kPa, and maximum was 24.25 ±â€…6.35 kPa which were significantly different from those in the hyperplasia group (P < .05). The combinations of more than 6 indicators in the diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma resulted in an area under the curve of 0.892 (P < .001), and the sensitivity and specificity were 78.9% and 97.4%, respectively. Shear wave elastography can be used as an effective tool to distinguish secondary parathyroid hyperplasia from adenoma. When combined with PTH, conventional ultrasound blood flow grading and volume measurement, it has higher diagnostic efficacy.