The characteristics and influencing factors of farmland soil microplastic in Hetao Irrigation District, China.

Microplastic pollution, a major global concern, has garnered increasing attention in agricultural ecosystem research. China's Hetao Irrigation District, vital for grain production in the Yellow River Basin, lacks sufficient research on microplastic pollution of agricultural soils. This study, based on a detailed background investigation and testing of 47 samples, is the first to elucidate the characteristics and potential influencing factors of microplastics in the Hetao Irrigation District. The abundance of microplastics in the farmland soil ranged from 1810 to 86331 items/kg, with 90% measuring below 180 µm and mainly in film and fragment forms. Predominant polymers were polyethylene (PE, 43.0%) and polyamide (PA, 27.8%). Key pollution influencers were identified as agricultural inputs, with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) being the most extensively used plastic type. The carbonyl index and hydroxyl indices of the detected LDPE microplastics ranged from 0.041 to 0.96 and 0.092 to 1.20, respectively. The study highlights the significance of mulching management and agronomic practices in shaping microplastic characteristics. Potential pollution sources include agricultural inputs, irrigation equipment, domestic waste, and tire wear. Proposed effective strategies include responsible plastic use, robust waste management, and irrigation system upgrades, establishing a foundation for future ecological risk assessments and effective management approaches in the Hetao Irrigation District. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: The harmful substances studied in this paper are microplastics, which are widely distributed in the environment and have potential ecological risks. This study is the first to investigate the characteristics of microplastics in farmland soil within the Hetao Irrigation Area, a region that is of critical importance to agricultural production in the Yellow River Basin of China. The study provides comprehensive insights into the factors influencing the characteristics of microplastics and speculates on their sources. These findings offer a novel perspective on the assessment of microplastic contamination in the area and provide valuable recommendations for prevention and control measures.

Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and improved yield by plastic mulching in rice production.

Soil mulching technologies are effective practices which alleviate non-point source pollution and carbon emissions, while ensuring grain production security and increasing water productivity. However, the lack of comprehensive understanding of the impacts of mulching technologies on rice fields has hindered progress in global implementation due to the varying environments and application conditions under which they are implemented. This study conducted a meta-analysis based on 2412 groups of field experiment data from 313 studies to evaluate the effects of soil mulching methods on rice production, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water use efficiency. The results show that plastic mulching, straw mulching and no mulching (PM, SM and NM) have reduced CH4 emissions (68.8 %, 61.4 % and 57.2 %), increased N2O emissions (84.8 %, 89.1 % and 96.6 %), reduced global warming potentials (50.7 %, 47.5 % and 46.8 %) and improved water use efficiency (50.2 %, 40.9 % and 34.0 %) compared with continuous flooding irrigation. However, PM increased rice yield (1.6 %), while SM and NM decreased yield (4.3 % and 9.2 %). Furthermore, analysis using random forest models revealed that rice yield, GHG emissions and WUE response to soil mulching were related to climate, soil properties, fertilizer and rice varieties. Our findings can guide the implementation of plastic mulching technology in priority areas, contribute to agricultural carbon neutrality and support the development of practical guidelines for farmers.

Identification of biomarkers associated with the feed efficiency by metabolomics profiling: results from the broiler lines divergent for high or low abdominal fat content.

BACKGROUND: Improving feed efficiency (FE) is one of the main objectives in broiler breeding. It is difficult to directly measure FE traits, and breeders hence have been trying to identify biomarkers for the indirect selection and improvement of FE traits. Metabolome is the "bridge" between genome and phenome. The metabolites may potentially account for more of the phenotypic variation and can suitably serve as biomarkers for selecting FE traits. This study aimed to identify plasma metabolite markers for selecting high-FE broilers. A total of 441 birds from Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content were used to analyze plasma metabolome and estimate the genetic parameters of differentially expressed metabolites. RESULTS: The results identified 124 differentially expressed plasma metabolites (P < 0.05) between the lean line (high-FE birds) and the fat line (low-FE birds). Among these differentially expressed plasma metabolites, 44 were found to have higher positive or negative genetic correlations with FE traits (|rg| ≥ 0.30). Of these 44 metabolites, 14 were found to display moderate to high heritability estimates (h2 ≥ 0.20). However, among the 14 metabolites, 4 metabolites whose physiological functions have not been reported were excluded. Ultimately, 10 metabolites were suggested to serve as the potential biomarkers for breeding the high-FE broilers. Based on the physiological functions of these metabolites, reducing inflammatory and improving immunity were proposed to improve FE and increase production efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: According to the pipeline for the selection of the metabolite markers established in this study, it was suggested that 10 metabolites including 7-ketocholesterol, dimethyl sulfone, epsilon-(gamma-glutamyl)-lysine, gamma-glutamyltyrosine, 2-oxoadipic acid, L-homoarginine, testosterone, adenosine 5'-monophosphate, adrenic acid, and calcitriol could be used as the potential biomarkers for breeding the "food-saving broilers".

Genome-Wide Association Study and Selective Sweep Analysis Reveal the Genetic Architecture of Body Weights in a Chicken F2 Resource Population.

Rapid growth is one of the most important economic traits in broiler breeding programs. Identifying markers and genes for growth traits may not only benefit marker-assisted selection (MAS)/genomic selection (GS) but also provide important information for understanding the genetic architecture of growth traits in broilers. In the present study, an F2 resource population derived from a cross between the broiler and Baier yellow chicken (a Chinese local breed) was used and body weights from 1 to 12 weeks of age [body weight (BW) 1-BW12)] were measured. A total of 519 F2 birds were genome re-sequenced, and a combination of genome-wide association study (GWAS) and selective sweep analysis was carried out to characterize the genetic architecture affecting chicken body weight comprehensively. As a result, 1,539 SNPs with significant effects on body weights at different weeks of age were identified using a genome-wide efficient mixed-model association (GEMMA) package. These SNPs were distributed on chromosomes 1 and 4. Besides, windows under selection identified for BW1-BW12 varied from 1,581 to 2,265. A total of 42 genes were also identified with significant effects on BW1-BW12 based on both GWAS and selective sweep analysis. Among these genes, diacylglycerol kinase eta (DGKH), deleted in lymphocytic leukemia (DLEU7), forkhead box O17 (FOXO1), karyopherin subunit alpha 3 (KPNA3), calcium binding protein 39 like (CAB39L), potassium voltage-gated channel interacting protein 4 (KCNIP4), and slit guidance ligand 2 (SLIT2) were considered as important genes for broiler growth based on their basic functions. The results of this study may supply important information for understanding the genetic architecture of growth traits in broilers.

Genetic parameters estimation and genome-wide association studies for internal organ traits in an F2 chicken population.

Chicken internal organs are indispensable parts of the body, but their genetic architectures have not been commonly understood. Herein, we estimated the genetic parameters for heart weight (HW), liver weight (LW), spleen weight (SpW), testis weight (TW), glandular stomach weight (GSW), muscular stomach weight (MSW) and identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and potential candidate genes associated with internal organ weights in an F2 population constructed by crossing broiler cocks derived from Arbor Acres with high abdominal fat content and Baier layer dams (a Chinese native breed). The restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method was applied for genetic parameters estimation of internal organ weights using GCTA software. The results showed that heritabilities of internal organ traits ranged from 0.336 to 0.673 and most of the genetic and phenotypic correlations amongst internal organs weights were positive. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed based on a mixed linear model (MLM) in GEMMA software. Genotypic data were produced from the whole genome re-sequenced (26 F0 individuals were re-sequenced at 10 × coverage; 519 F2 individuals were re-sequenced at 3 × coverage). A total of 7,890,258 SNPs remained to be analysed after quality control and genotype imputation. The GWAS results indicated that significant SNPs responsible for internal organ traits were scattered on the different chicken chromosomes 1-5, 8, 11, 14, 16, 18, 19 and 27. Amongst the annotated genes, fibronectin type III domain containing 3A (FNDC3A), LOC101748122, membrane palmitoylated protein 6 (MPP6), LOC107049584 and KAT8 regulatory NSL complex subunit 1 (KANSL1) were the most promising candidates for internal organ traits. The findings will provide instrumental information for understanding the genetic basis of internal organ development.

Associations of Transcription Factor 21 Gene Polymorphisms with the Growth and Body Composition Traits in Broilers.

This study aims to identify molecular marker loci that could be applied in broiler breeding programs. In this study, we used public databases to locate the Transcription factor 21 (TCF21) gene that affected the economically important traits in broilers. Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in the TCF21 gene by monoclonal sequencing. The polymorphisms of these 10 SNPs in the TCF21 gene were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with multiple growth and body composition traits. Furthermore, the TT genotype of g.-911T>G was identified to significantly increase the heart weight trait without affecting the negative traits, such as abdominal fat and reproduction by multiple methods. Thus, it was speculated that the g.-911T>G identified in the TCF21 gene might be used in marker-assisted selection in the broiler breeding program.

Polymorphisms of KLF3 gene coding region and identification of their functionality for abdominal fat in chickens.

KLF3 is a member of the Kruppel-like factor (KLF) family of transcription factors, and plays an important role in several biological processes, including adipogenesis, erythropoiesis and B-cell development. The purposes of this study are to search for polymorphisms of KLF3 coding region and to provide functional evidence for abdominal fat in chickens. A total of 168 SNPs in KLF3 coding region were detected in a unique chicken population, the Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content (NEAUHLF). Of which three single nucleotide polymorphisms (g.3452T > C, g.8663A > G and g.10751G > A) were significantly correlated with abdominal fat weight (AFW) and abdominal fat percentage (AFP) of 329 birds from the 19th generation of NEAUHLF (FDR < 0.05). The reporter gene assay was performed to verify functionality of these three SNPs in both ICP-1 and DF1 cells. Results showed that the luciferase activity of G allele was significantly higher than that of A allele in g.10751G > A (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between different alleles of others two SNPs in luciferase activity. Overall, KLF3 is an important candidate gene that affects chicken abdominal fat content, and the g.10751G > A is a functional variant that potential would be applied to marker-assisted selection (MAS) for selective breeding programme.

Effects of plastic mulching and plastic residue on agricultural production: A meta-analysis.

China is a large agricultural country, and food security is significantly limited by the shortage of water resources. Plastic mulching technology can effectively modify the crop growth environment and crop production due to differences in climatic conditions, spatial distribution characteristics, and cropping systems and methods. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively analyze the effects of plastic film mulching and residual plastic on yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of maize, wheat, potato, and cotton in China based on 266 peer-reviewed publications. The results showed that plastic mulching significantly increased crop yield (24.32%) and WUE (27.63%). Plastic mulching had the greatest effect of potato on yield (30.62%) and WUE (30.34%) in China. At a regional scale, plastic mulching performed best in Northwest China, and crop yield and WUE were influenced by film color, mulching method, and crop type. Black film and ridge row mulching were more favorable to crop growth and increased crop yield and WUE in arid areas of China. There was no significant effect on crop yield of residual plastic between 0 and 240 kg/ha, but the yield decreased significantly with increased time and residual plastic film >240 kg/ha. In conclusion, although plastic mulching can significantly increase crop yield and WUE, especially in dryland agriculture, we should also improve the technology for recovering residual plastic film to protect the environment.

Elevated DKK1 expression is an independent unfavorable prognostic indicator of survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: DKK1 is an antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway that has various roles in human physiology. Notably, aberrant DKK1 expression is observed in several cancers. In this retrospective study, we assessed the association between DKK1 expression levels and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its prognostic value. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using RNA-seq data from HNSCC tumors (N=520) and adjacent normal tissue (N=44) in The Cancer Genome Atlas, we evaluated DKK1 expression levels. Additionally, we evaluated the association of DKK1 expression levels and pathophysiological features of patients with HNSCC and the value of DKK1 expression for prediction of overall survival (OS). We also explored the correlation between DKK1 expression and methylation of its promoter in HNSCC. RESULTS: DKK1 expression was significantly upregulated in HNSCC compared with normal tissues. Moreover, DKK1 expression was significantly associated with smoking, alcohol abuse, sex, human papillomavirus status, tumor site, tumor invasion, and pathologic stage in HNSCC patients. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that high DKK1 expression was correlated with inferior OS. In addition, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that elevated DKK1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for poor OS (HR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.31-2.62, P<0.001). Regression analysis identified a strong negative correlation between DKK1 expression and methylation of its promoter. CONCLUSION: These findings support the hypothesis that elevated DKK1 expression is modulated via methylation of its promoter and indicate that DKK1 expression is a highly informative prognostic biomarker for patients with HNSCC.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of hypopharyngeal carcinosarcoma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of hypopharyngeal carcinosarcoma. METHOD: Clinical data of one case with hypopharyngeal carcinosarcoma proved by pathology were analyzed retrospectively. The related literatures were reviewed. RESULT: The masses were surgically removed,and the postoperative diagnosis was confirmed to be carcinosarcoma by histopathological examination. After radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patient recovered well postoperatively without recurrence during 18-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Carcinosarcoma of the hypopharynx is an extremely rare malignant tumor with distinctive histological, clinical and immunohistochemical features. The final diagnosis depends on histopathology. This tumor should be differentiated from other tumors such as sarcomatoid carcinoma and the reaction of radiotherapy of carcinoma. Surgery is the proper treatment strategy for carcinosarcoma of the hypopharynx. The patients with locally advanced, postoperative residual tumor or tumor without clear safe surgical margin should undergo radiotherapy, and the postoperative follow up should be in time.