Appropriate Stubble Height Can Effectively Improve the Rice Quality of Ratoon Rice.

Ratoon rice, the cultivation of a second crop from the stubble after the main harvest, is recognized as an eco-friendly and resource-saving method for rice production. Here, a field experiment was carried out in the Yangtze River region to investigate the impact of varying stubble heights on the grain quality of ratoon rice, as well as to compare the grain quality between the main and ratoon season. This study, which focused on 12 commonly cultivated rice varieties, conducted a comprehensive analysis assessing milling characteristics, appearance, and cooking quality. The results show that ratoon rice crops exhibited a higher milled rice rate and head rice rate compared to the main rice crops. Conversely, chalky rice percentage, chalkiness degree, and amylose content were lower in ratoon rice crops. Principal component analysis grouped eight relevant quality indicators of rice quality which were concentrated into three categories, with amylose content identified as the key indicator of rice quality for distinguishing between different stubble heights. Random forest results reveal a robust and significant correlation between appearance quality index and amylose content. Subordinate function analysis indicated that a stubble height of 30 cm resulted in optimal rice quality, with Lingliangyou 211 exhibiting the highest quality and Xiangzao Xian 32 the lowest. Overall, our study suggests that ratoon rice crops generally outperform main rice crops in terms of quality, with the optimal measurement at a stubble height of 30 cm. This study holds substantial importance for selecting appropriate stubble heights for ratoon rice crops and enhancing overall rice quality.

Anti-thrombotic Effects Mediated by a Novel Dual-Target Peptide Inhibiting Both Platelet Aggregation and Thrombin Activity without Causing Bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Classical anticoagulants and antiplatelets are associated with high frequencies of bleeding complications or treatment failure when used as single agents. Thrombin plays an important role in the blood coagulation system. GP IIb/IIIa is the central receptor of platelets, which can recognize the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence and activate platelets. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Molecular simulation and homology modeling were performed to design a novel dual-target anticoagulant short peptide (PTIP ). The activities of PTIP on coagulation and platelet in vitro were analyzed. The antithrombotic activity of PTIP was determined by pulmonary thromboembolism model, ferric chloride injury model and arteriovenous bypass thrombosis model. Bleeding effect and toxicity of PTIP were evaluated. RESULTS: We have constructed a novel dual-target peptide (PTIP) based on the direct thrombin inhibitor peptide (DTIP). PTIP was expressed at high levels in Pichia pastoris. PTIP interfered with thrombin-mediated coagulation and ADP-induced platelet aggregation in vitro. When injected intravenously or subcutaneously, PTIP showed potent and dose-dependent extension of aPTT and PT which were similar to DTIP; but only PTIP was capable of inhibiting platelet aggregation. PTIP (1.0 mg/kg) decelerated thrombosis formation in venous and arterial vessels induced by FeCl3 injury. PTIP (1.0 mg/kg) also prevented deep venous thrombosis and increased the survival rate associated with pulmonary thromboembolism. And PTIP effectively reduced thrombus length in arteriovenous bypass thrombosis model. Moreover, the antithrombotic dose of PTIP could not induce bleeding. CONCLUSION: These data establish that PTIP represents a novel antithrombotic agent whose effects involve both inhibition of platelet activation and reduction of fibrin generation. And PTIP not only can be used in venous thrombosis and arterial thrombosis, it can also replace the combined treatment of antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs in thrombotic diseases.

MET exon 14 skipping mutation drives cancer progression and recurrence via activation of SMAD2 signalling.

BACKGROUND: c-Met encoded by the proto-oncogene MET, also known as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor, plays a crucial role in cellular processes. MET exon 14 skipping alteration (METΔ14EX) is a newly discovered MET mutation. SMAD2 is an important downstream transcription factor in TGF-ß pathway. Unfortunately, the mechanisms by which METΔ14EX leads to oncogenic transformation are scarcely understood. The relationship between METΔ14EX and SMAD2 has not been studied yet. METHODS: We generate METΔ14EX models by CRISPR-Cas9. In vitro transwell, wound-healing, soft-agar assay, in vivo metastasis and subcutaneous recurrence assay were used to study the role of METΔ14EX in tumour progression. RNA-seq, Western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) and immunofluorescent were performed to explore the interaction between c-Met and SMAD2. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that METΔ14EX, independent of HGF, can prolong the constitutive activation of c-Met downstream signalling pathways by impeding c-Met degradation and facilitating tumour metastasis and recurrence. Meanwhile, METΔ14EX strengthens the interaction between c-Met and SMAD2, promoting SMAD2 phosphorylation. Therapeutically, MET inhibitor crizotinib impedes METΔ14EX-mediated tumour metastasis by decreasing SMAD2 phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS: These data elucidated the previously unrecognised role of METΔ14EX in cancer progression via activation of SMAD2 independent of TGF-ß, which helps to develop more effective therapies for such patients. METΔ14EX alteration significantly triggers tumour progression via activation of SMAD2 signalling that are involved in activating tumour invasion, metastasis and recurrence. On the left, in the MET wild-type (METWT), the juxtamembrane (JM) domain is involved in the regulation of tyrosine kinase activity, receptor degradation, and caspase cleavage. On the right, the METΔ14EX mutation leads to the loss of the juxtamembrane domain, resulting in an abnormal MET protein lacking a CBL-binding site. This causes the accumulation of truncated MET receptors followed by constitutive activation of the MET signalling pathway. Thus, the METΔ14EX-mutated protein has strong binding and phosphorylation to SMAD2, which results in the phosphorylation of a large number of SMAD2/3 proteins that combine with SMAD4 to form a complex in the nucleus, activating downstream signalling pathways, such as EMT and ECM remodelling, resulting in tumour progression and recurrence. TF transcription factor.

Sulfhydryl-Functionalized Amino Group Polymer Microcomposites toward Efficient Adsorption of Aqueous Cr(VI), As(III), Cd(II), and Pb(II).

The development of efficient adsorbents for heavy metal pollution, especially five toxic heavy metals, has attracted great research interest. Polymer-based adsorbents have aroused research value for their abundant functional groups and high porosity to the ability to capture metal ions. We designed a sulfhydryl-functionalized polymer microcomposite to take up Cr(VI), As(III), Cd(II), and Pb(II). The adsorption capacity achieved was 64.2 mg g-1 for Cr(VI), 44.9 mg g-1 for As(III), 35.5 mg g-1 for Cd(II), and 18.2 mg g-1 for Pb(II). Langmuir and Sips isotherm model is dominant for As(III), Cd(II), and Pb(II) adsorption. Pseudo-second-order kinetic models can better describe the adsorption behavior of Cr(VI), implying that chemisorption is accompanied by Cr(VI) adsorption. Cr(VI) simultaneous reduction to Cr(III) through the benzenoid amine oxidate pathway was the dominant mechanism, precipitation for Cd(II) adsorption was convinced, and chelation between As(III)/Pb(II) and─SH group and complexation between Pb(II) and C═O or benzene hydroxyl were a plausible mechanism for As(III) and Pb(II) adsorption.

Spinal cord injury immunosensor: Sensitive detection of S100ß on interdigitated electrode sensor.

A spinal cord injury is damage to the nerves and cells that receive and provide a signal from the brain to the rest of the body. Spinal injury causes changes in movement, sensation, and strength, affect the body functions near the injury site, and may lead to paralysis. S100ß was found as a suitable biomarker for identifying spinal cord injury and its causing problem. Herein, S100ß immunoassay was developed on interdigitated electrode sensor to diagnose spinal cord injury. For effective anti-S100ß antibody immobilization, the antibody was premixed with 3-Aminopropyl)triethoxsilane and then attached to the hydroxylated interdigitated electrode surface. This method of antibody immobilization enhanced the antibody attachment two-times than the method without premix. Antibody-attached surfaces increased current responses as S100 concentrations increased, and the limit of detection was seen to be 1 pg/mL on the linearity until 3000 pg/mL at an R2 value of 0.9907 [y = 7x - 6.4667]. Further, biofouling experiments with glial fibrillary acidic protein and γ-aminobutyric acid failed to enhance the current response, indicating the specific detection of S100ß. This immunoassay identifies S100ß at its lower level and helps to diagnose spinal cord injury and its related problem.

METTL14 regulates chromatin bivalent domains in mouse embryonic stem cells.

METTL14 (methyltransferase-like 14) is an RNA-binding protein that partners with METTL3 to mediate N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation. Recent studies identified a function for METTL3 in heterochromatin in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), but the molecular function of METTL14 on chromatin in mESCs remains unclear. Here, we show that METTL14 specifically binds and regulates bivalent domains, which are marked by trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) and lysine 4 (H3K4me3). Knockout of Mettl14 results in decreased H3K27me3 but increased H3K4me3 levels, leading to increased transcription. We find that bivalent domain regulation by METTL14 is independent of METTL3 or m6A modification. METTL14 enhances H3K27me3 and reduces H3K4me3 by interacting with and probably recruiting the H3K27 methyltransferase polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and H3K4 demethylase KDM5B to chromatin. Our findings identify an METTL3-independent role of METTL14 in maintaining the integrity of bivalent domains in mESCs, thus indicating a mechanism of bivalent domain regulation in mammals.

Symbiotic status alters fungal eco-evolutionary offspring trajectories.

Despite host-fungal symbiotic interactions being ubiquitous in all ecosystems, understanding how symbiosis has shaped the ecology and evolution of fungal spores that are involved in dispersal and colonization of their hosts has been ignored in life-history studies. We assembled a spore morphology database covering over 26,000 species of free-living to symbiotic fungi of plants, insects and humans and found more than eight orders of variation in spore size. Evolutionary transitions in symbiotic status correlated with shifts in spore size, but the strength of this effect varied widely among phyla. Symbiotic status explained more variation than climatic variables in the current distribution of spore sizes of plant-associated fungi at a global scale while the dispersal potential of their spores is more restricted compared to free-living fungi. Our work advances life-history theory by highlighting how the interaction between symbiosis and offspring morphology shapes the reproductive and dispersal strategies among living forms.

A novel recombinant human microplasminogen induced complete posterior vitreous detachment without morphological change of retina in juvenile rabbits.

Vitreomacular traction syndrome results from persistent vitreoretinal adhesions in the setting of partial posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Vitrectomy and reattachment of retina is an effective therapeutic approach. The adhesion between vitreous cortex and internal limiting membrane (ILM) of the retina is stronger in youth, which brings difficulties to induce PVD in vitrectomy. Several clinical investigations demonstrated that intravitreous injection of plasmin before vitrectomy could reduce the risk of detachment. In our study, a novel recombinant human microplasminogen (rhµPlg) was expressed by Pichia pastoris. Molecular docking showed that the binding of rhµPlg with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) was similar to plasminogen, suggesting rh µPlg could be activated by t-PA to generate microplasmin (µPlm). Moreover, rhµPlg had higher catalytic activity than plasminogen in amidolytic assays. Complete PVD was found at vitreous posterior pole of 125 µg rhµPlg-treated eyes without morphological change of retina in juvenile rabbits via intraocular injection. Our results demonstrate that rhµPlg has a potential value in the treatment of vitreoretinopathy.

Methionine-Mediated Regulation of Intestinal Lipid Transportation Induced by High-Fat Diet in Rice Field Eel (Monopterus Albus).

An eight-week feeding trial explored the mechanism that supplemented methionine (0 g/kg, 4 g/kg, 8 g/kg, and 12 g/kg) in a high-fat diet (120 g/kg fat) on intestinal lipid transportation and gut microbiota of M. Albus (initial weight 25.03 ± 0.13 g) based on the diet (60 g/kg fat), named as Con, HFD+M0, HFD+M4, HFD+M8, and HFD+M12, respectively. Compared with Con, gastric amylase, lipase, trypsin (P < 0.05), and intestinal lipase, amylase, trypsin, Na+/K+ -Adenosinetriphosphatase, depth of gastric fovea, and the number of intestinal villus goblet cells of HFD+M0 were markedly declined (P < 0.05), while intestinal high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein of HFD+M0 were markedly enhanced (P < 0.05); compared with HFD+M0, gastric lipase, amylase, trypsin, and intestinal lipase, trypsin, Na+/K+ -Adenosinetriphosphatase, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein -A, the height of intestinal villus and the number of intestinal villus goblet cells of HFD+M8 were remarkably enhanced (P < 0.05). Compared with Con, intestinal occ, cl12, cl15, zo-1, zo-2 of HFD + M0 were markedly down-regulated (P <0.05), while intestinal vldlr, npc1l1, cd36, fatp1, fatp2, fatp6, fatp7, apo, apoa, apob, apof, apoo, mct1, mct2, mct4, mct7, mct12, lpl, mttp, moat2, dgat2 of HFD M0 were remarkably upregulated (P < 0.05); compared with HFD+M0, intestinal gcn2 and eif2α of HFD+M8 were remarkably downregulated (P < 0.05), intestinal occ, cl12, cl15, zo-1, zo-2, hdlbp, ldlrap, vldlr, cd36, fatp1, fatp2, fatp6, apo, apoa, apob, apof, apoo, mct1, mct2, mct8, mct12, lpl, mttp, moat2, and dgat2 were remarkably upregulated (P < 0.05). Compared with Con, the diversity of gut microbiota of HFD+M0 was significantly declined (P < 0.05), while the diversity of gut microbiota in HFD+M8 was significantly higher than that in HFD+M0 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a high-fat methionine deficiency diet destroyed the intestinal barrier, reduced the capacity of intestinal digestion and absorption, and disrupted the balance of gut microbiota; supplemented methionine promoted the digestion and absorption of lipids, and also improved the balance of gut microbiota.

Immunometabolism in the tumor microenvironment and its related research progress.

The tumor immune microenvironment has been a research hot spot in recent years. The cytokines and metabolites in the microenvironment can promote the occurrence and development of tumor in various ways and help tumor cells get rid of the surveillance of the immune system and complete immune escape. Many studies have shown that the existence of tumor microenvironment is an important reason for the failure of immunotherapy. The impact of the tumor microenvironment on tumor is a systematic study. The current research on this aspect may be only the tip of the iceberg, and a relative lack of integrity, may be related to the heterogeneity of tumor. This review mainly discusses the current status of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in the tumor microenvironment, including the phenotype of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in the microenvironment; the effects of these metabolic methods and their metabolites on three important immune cells Impact: regulatory T cells (Tregs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), natural killer cells (NK cells); and the impact of metabolism in the targeted microenvironment on immunotherapy. At the end of this article,the potential relationship between Ferroptosis and the tumor microenvironment in recent years is also briefly described.

[Effects of Organic Materials on Phosphorus Fractions and phoD-harboring Bacterial Community in Karst Soil].

Efficient utilization of organic materials based on the rich resources in the karst region can promote soil fertility. Microorganisms have a crucial influence on soil phosphorus availability. phoD is considered to be the encoding phosphatase gene that can reflect the hydrolysis of organophosphorus compounds for the soil bacterial community. Molecular analysis of the phoD-harboring bacterial gene provides insight into promoting soil phosphorus availability under different fertilization managements. However, the effects of organic materials on soil phosphorus fractions associated with phoD-harboring bacterial communities are poorly understood. This study comprehensively investigated the effects of organic materials on soil phosphorus availability and explored environmental drivers of phoD-harboring bacteria in the Karst region. Here, six treatments were designed in the field as follows:non-fertilized control (CK), inorganic fertilization (NPK), inorganic fertilization combined with straw (NPKS), inorganic fertilization combined with manure (NPKM), inorganic fertilization combined with sludge (NPKL), and inorganic fertilization combined with sugarcane ash (NPKA). The phoD-harboring bacterial community in Karst region soil was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the content of total P (TP), Olsen-P, and Ca2-P increased with the years after organic material application, whereas the content of CaCl2-P first decreased and then increased. Compared to that under the CK treatment, organic material application, especially NPKL treatment, significantly increased soil total nitrogen (TN), TP, Olsen-P, CaCl2-P, and Ca2-P contents, followed by those in the NPKA and NPKM treatments. Correlation analysis showed that the contents of CaCl2-P, Ca2-P, and Olsen-P were significantly positively correlated with soil exchangeable calcium (Ca-ex) content. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that TN, Ca-ex, soil organic carbon (SOC), and total potassium (TK) contents were the key factors affecting soil P fractions. Using high-throughput sequencing, we found that only NPKS increased the richness of phoD-harboring bacteria compared to that under the control treatment. No significant difference was observed in the phoD-harboring bacterial community among all treatments. The RDA model selected the Ca-ex, TK, Olsen-P, pH, and SOC as the key environmental predictors for the phoD-harboring bacterial community. In summary, soil phosphorus availability can be improved through the input of organic materials and inorganic fertilizer combined with manure, sludge, and ash. These additions were suitable for nutrient management and sustainable development in farmland soil in the Karst region of Guangxi.

Polysaccharide immunization and colorectal cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Polysaccharides have a variety of biological activities, and in the anti-tumor field, they produce tumor suppressive effects by regulating the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In immunotherapy, it has significant activities in modulating cytokines and antibody production. We reviewed them and selected CD24, an immune target, for meta-analysis with colorectal cancer (CRC) to investigate the correlation between CD24 expression and CRC. Correlation of CD24 positive expression with clinical-pathological features: age, sex, Duke's stage, diameter, depth of invasion, degree of differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. It showed that: CD24 expression in CRC was significantly correlated with advanced nuclear grade of CRC, lymph node metastasis, Duke's stage of CRC and age of CRC patients, while there was no significant correlation with gender, tumor diameter and invasion depth. The aim is to clarify the specific mechanism of polysaccharide immune anti-tumor, combined with targeted site-specific anti-solid tumor.

Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiota and Lipidomics of Content Induced by Dietary Methionine Restriction in Rice Field Eel (Monopterus albus).

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted using the rice field eel (Monopterus albus) with six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic experimental diets of basic feed supplemented with different levels of methionine (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 g/kg). This study built upon previous research findings that showed dietary methionine restriction (M0, 0 g/kg) inhibited hepatic fatty acid metabolism and intestinal fatty acid transportation, but both are improved by dietary supplementation with a suitable level of methionine (M8, 8 g/kg). Hence, M0 and M8 were selected to investigate how methionine regulates the gut microbiota and lipidomics of M. albus. Compared with M0, values for gut bacterial Sobs, Shannon, ACE, and Chao1 indices of M8 were remarkably increased (p < 0.05), with Fusobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria the dominant phyla and Cetobacterium, Plesiomonas, and Bacillus the main genera in the community under the M0 vs. M8 treatments. However, compared with M0, the proportion of phyla consisting of Fusobacteria decreased in M8, as did the Cetobacterium and Lactococcus at the genus level; conversely, the proportions corresponding to Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Chioroflexi phyla increased in M8, as did the Clostridium and Streptococcus genera. Many edges appeared in the circus and networks, demonstrating the interspecies interactions among different operational taxonomic units (OTUs). In addition, various OTUs within the same phylum were clustered within one module. Cooperative interactions were predominant in the two networks, while competitive interactions were prevalent in their submodules. Gut microbiota mainly played roles in nutrition (lipid, amino acid, and carbohydrate) transport and metabolism under the M0 vs. M8 treatments. The PLS-DA scores indicated a significant difference in the main lipidomic components between the M0 and M8 treatment groups. Namely, the TG(26:0/16:0/17:0), TG(28:0/16:0/16:0), TG(26:0/16:0/16:0), and TG(30:0/16:0/16:0)-among others-comprising the gut content were reduced under the M8 treatment (p < 0.001). The genus Clostridium was positively correlated with TG(18:1/18:1/22:5), TG(16:0/17:0/18:1), TG(18:0/18:1/20:3), and other compounds, yet negatively correlated with TG(18:0/17:0/20:0), TG(16:0/17:0/24:0), and TG(16:0/16:0/24:0), among others as well. According to the lipidomics analysis, the predicted KEGG pathways mainly included lipid and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and digestive, sensory, and immune systems. In conclusion, methionine restriction disturbed the microbial community balance and induced microbial dysfunctions, whereas methionine supplementation improved the homeostasis of gut microbiota and lipid metabolism of the rice eel.

Interactions between intestinal morphology, digestion, inflammatory responses, and gut microbiota of juvenile channel catfish elicited by dietary enzymatic rice protein.

The reduction of fishmeal in aquafeeds has been the concern of researchers. Replacing fishmeal with plant proteins affects intestinal function and inflammation, but the interaction between the intestinal responses and gut microbiota remains unclear. In this study, juvenile channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) was fed with four diets in which enzymatic rice protein (RP) replaced fishmeal at levels of 0 (FM), 2.5% (RP2.5), 5.0% (RP5.0), and 7.5% (RP7.5) for 8 weeks to solve the problem mentioned above. Quantification of intestinal morphology showed that 2.5% or 5.0% RP significantly increased villus length and goblet cell number, accompanied by higher activities of intestinal trypsin, alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) in RP2.5 group (P < 0.05). In contrast, 7.5% RP slightly damaged the intestinal mucosa and significantly reduced the activities of amylase, AKP, and NKA, as well as decreased serum complement 4 (C4) and immunoglobulin M (IgM). Noteworthy, RT-qPCR showed that 2.5% RP significantly down-regulated intestinal mRNA expression level of il8, while up-regulated mif, tlr4, tlr7, tgfß3, and cldn2. In contrast, 7.5% RP up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of il1ß, il8, and mif, while down-regulated cldn3d. Analysis of gut microbiota showed that 2.5% RP increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and significantly activated potential functions of gut microbiota involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The 7.5% RP increased the diversity of the gut microbiota, accompanied by a significant increase in the relative abundance of conditionally pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio, Serratia, and Aeromonas (classified as Proteobacteria). Notably, Vibrio was the biomarker species with the greatest difference between the FM and RP7.5 groups (genus level). Correlation analysis indicated that Vibrio may affect immunity through the C4 pathway and further lead to gut inflammation and digestive impairment. Taken above, these results indicated that RP could affect intestinal morphology, digestion, and inflammation, and interact with the composition and potential function of gut microbiota. The low RP supplement (2.5%) improved intestinal morphology and digestion, while high supplement (7.5%) disrupted gut microbiota homeostasis, resulting in damage to intestinal mucosa and inflammatory response.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Drug Trichosanthin Addition to BeWo Cell Line.

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat some gynecological diseases. Its effective component has diverse biological functions, including antineoplastic activity. The human trophoblast cell line BeWo was chosen as an experimental model for in vitro testing of a drug screen for anticancer properties of TCS. The MTT method was used in this study to get a primary screen result. The result showed that 100 mM had the best IC50 value. Proteomics analysis was then performed for further investigation of the drug effect of TCS on the BeWo cell line. In this differential proteomic expression analysis, the total proteins extracted from the BeWo cell line and their protein expression level after the drug treatment were compared by 2DE. Then, 24 unique three-fold differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Label-free proteomics was run as a complemental method for the same experimental procedure. There are two proteins that were identified in both the 2DE and label-free methods. Among those identified proteins, bioinformatics analysis showed the importance of pathway and signal transduction and gives us the potential possibility for the disease treatment hypothesis.

No association between myeloperoxidase gene rs2333227 G>A polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease risk: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

Evidence suggests that there is a close association between myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene rs2333227 G>A polymorphism with Alzheimer's disease (AD) susceptibility. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore the precise association between MPO rs2333227 G>A polymorphism and AD susceptibility. Online databases were searched and the relevant information was collected. Crudeodds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Trial sequential analysis (TSA), heterogeneity analyses, accumulative analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication biasestests were performed. Overall, nine publications (ten independent case-controls) were included in this meta-analysis, involving 3260 participants. Pooled results revealed no significant association between MPO rs2333227 G>A polymorphism and AD susceptibility was observed. TSA showed that the present meta-analysis remained inconclusive due to insufficient evidence. In summary, the current meta-analysis indicated that the MPO rs2333227 G>A polymorphism may not be acausalfactor in the development of AD.

[Characteristics of Microbial Utilization for Crop Residue-Derived C in Paddy and Upland Soils].

Two typical subtropical agricultural soils, a flooded paddy soil and its adjacent upland, were collected and then incubated with or without 13C-labeled crop residue (maize straw) for 40 days. During the incubation, the mineralization rate of the crop residue was monitored, and the 13C incorporated into fungal and bacterial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) was quantified. At the early stage (0.25-1 days), the mineralization rate of crop residue was faster in paddy soil than that in upland soil, whereas the opposite trend was observed from 2 to 20 days. At the late stage (21-40 days), the mineralization rate was similar in both soils. At the end of incubation, 11% of the total crop residue was mineralized in paddy soil, which was about half of that in upland soil (20%). Although paddy soil had a higher amount of microbial biomass (indicated by total PLFA), the total amounts of 13C-PLFA were comparable in both soils, and the enrichment ratio (proportion of 13C to total C in PLFA) was lower in paddy soil than that in upland soil. This indicated that the microbial community in paddy soil was less active in the uptake of crop residue C than that in upland soil. During the incubation, the residue-derived 13C was mainly distributed in bacterial PLFA (up to 86% of total 13C-PLFA, including 59% in gram-positive and 27% in gram-negative bacteria) in paddy soil, and up to 75% of total 13C-PLFA distributed in fungal PLFAs was in upland soil. Thus, bacteria dominated the utilization of crop residue in paddy soil versus fungi in upland soil. Compared with that in upland soil, the microbial activity was suppressed in the anaerobic condition caused by flooding in paddy soil, with a stronger inhibition of fungi than bacteria. Considering the discrepancies of life strategies and necromass turnover between bacteria and fungi, the different dominant microbial groups in the utilization of crop residue in water-logged and well-drained conditions could lead to the distinct accumulation and stabilization of microbial-derived organic matter in paddy and upland soils.

Soil Microbial Resource Limitations and Community Assembly Along a Camellia oleifera Plantation Chronosequence.

Understanding soil microbial element limitation and its relation with the microbial community can help in elucidating the soil fertility status and improving nutrient management of planted forest ecosystems. The stand age of a planted forest determines the aboveground forest biomass and structure and underground microbial function and diversity. In this study, we investigated 30 plantations of Camellia oleifera distributed across the subtropical region of China that we classified into four stand ages (planted <9 years, 9-20 years, 21-60 years, and >60 years age). Enzymatic stoichiometry analysis showed that microbial metabolism in the forests was mainly limited by C and P. P limitation significantly decreased and C limitation slightly increased along the stand age gradient. The alpha diversity of the soil microbiota remained steady along stand age, while microbial communities gradually converged from scattered to clustered, which was accompanied by a decrease in network complexity. The soil bacterial community assembly shifted from stochastic to deterministic processes, which probably contributed to a decrease in soil pH along stand age. Our findings emphasize that the stand age regulated the soil microbial metabolism limitation and community assembly, which provides new insight into the improvement of C and P management in subtropical planted forest.

Effect of electro-acupuncture on ovarian function of women with diminished ovarian reserve: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is the precursor state of ovarian failure and can cause the decline of women's reproductive function. DOR also leads to poor outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) by affecting the oocytes, high qualified embryo rate, pregnancy rate, etc. Some studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can improve ovarian function. But to date, there is limited evidence indicating that acupuncture or electro-acupuncture is efficient to DOR. This trial aims to evaluate the efficiency and safety of electro-acupuncture for the ovarian function and the following outcome of IVF-ET in DOR patients. METHODS: This will be a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of more than 338 women with DOR will be randomly allocated to treatment and control groups in 1:1 ratio receiving acupuncture before undergoing IVF-ET. The primary outcome will be the clinical pregnancy rate per cycle of IVF-ET after acupuncture. The secondary outcomes will be ovarian reserve function, outcomes of IVT-ET, blood biochemical index, Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (MASS), scores from the self-rating anxiety and depression scale, quality of life, and pregnancy outcomes. The safety of acupuncture will also be assessed. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial may provide high-quality evidence regarding the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture in the treatment of DOR and following outcomes of IVF-ET. This will also help patients with DOR and their physicians by offering a new treatment option. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900024626 . Registered on 19 July 2019.