Flooding Tolerance of Rice: Regulatory Pathways and Adaptive Mechanisms.

Rice is a major food crop for more than half of the world's population, while its production is seriously threatened by flooding, a common environmental stress worldwide. Flooding leads to oxygen deficiency, which is a major problem for submerged plants. Over the past three decades, significant progress has been made in understanding rice adaptation and molecular regulatory mechanisms in response to flooding. At the seed germination and seedling establishment stages, the CIPK15-SnRK1A-MYBS1 signaling cascade plays a central role in determining rice submergence tolerance. However, from seedlings to mature plants for harvesting, SUB1A- and SK1/SK2-regulated pathways represent two principal and opposite regulatory mechanisms in rice. In addition, phytohormones, especially gibberellins, induce adaptive responses to flooding throughout the rice growth period. This review summarizes the significant adaptive traits observed in flooded rice varieties and updates the molecular genetics and mechanisms of submergence tolerance in rice.

Divergence in regulatory mechanisms of GR-RBP genes in different plants under abiotic stress.

The IVa subfamily of glycine-rich proteins (GRPs) comprises a group of glycine-rich RNA binding proteins referred to as GR-RBPa here. Previous studies have demonstrated functions of GR-RBPa proteins in regulating stress response in plants. However, the mechanisms responsible for the differential regulatory functions of GR-RBPa proteins in different plant species have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we identified and comprehensively studied a total of 34 GR-RBPa proteins from five plant species. Our analysis revealed that GR-RBPa proteins were further classified into two branches, with proteins in branch I being relatively more conserved than those in branch II. When subjected to identical stresses, these genes exhibited intensive and differential expression regulation in different plant species, corresponding to the enrichment of cis-acting regulatory elements involving in environmental and internal signaling in these genes. Unexpectedly, all GR-RBPa genes in branch I underwent intensive alternative splicing (AS) regulation, while almost all genes in branch II were only constitutively spliced, despite having more introns. This study highlights the complex and divergent regulations of a group of conserved RNA binding proteins in different plants when exposed to identical stress conditions. These species-specific regulations may have implications for stress responses and adaptations in different plant species.

Transcriptomic and Lipidomic Analysis Reveals Complex Regulation Mechanisms Underlying Rice Roots' Response to Salt Stress.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a crucial food crop that sustains over half the world's population, is often hindered by salt stress during various growth stages, ultimately causing a decrease in yield. However, the specific mechanism of rice roots' response to salt stress remains largely unknown. In this study, transcriptomics and lipidomics were used to analyze the changes in the lipid metabolism and gene expression profiles of rice roots in response to salt stress. The results showed that salt stress significantly inhibited rice roots' growth and increased the roots' MDA content. Furthermore, 1286 differentially expressed genes including 526 upregulated and 760 downregulated, were identified as responding to salt stress in rice roots. The lipidomic analysis revealed that the composition and unsaturation of membrane lipids were significantly altered. In total, 249 lipid molecules were differentially accumulated in rice roots as a response to salt stress. And most of the major phospholipids, such as phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylserine (PS), as well as major sphingolipids including ceramide (Cer), phytoceramide (CerP), monohexose ceramide (Hex1Cer), and sphingosine (SPH), were significantly increased, while the triglyceride (TG) molecules decreased. These results suggested that rice roots mitigate salt stress by altering the fluidity and integrity of cell membranes. This study enhances our comprehension of salt stress, offering valuable insights into changes in the lipids and adaptive lipid remodeling in rice's response to salt stress.

Phosphatidyl Ethanolamine Binding Protein FLOWERING LOCUS T-like 12 (OsFTL12) Regulates the Rice Heading Date under Different Day-Length Conditions.

Plant FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like (FTL) genes often redundantly duplicate on chromosomes and functionally diverge to modulate reproductive traits. Rice harbors thirteen FTL genes, the functions of which are still not clear, except for the Hd3a and RFT genes. Here, we identified the molecular detail of OsFTL12 in rice reproductive stage. OsFTL12 encoding protein contained PEBP domain and localized into the nucleus, which transcripts specifically expressed in the shoot and leaf blade with high abundance. Further GUS-staining results show the OsFTL12 promoter activity highly expressed in the leaf and stem. OsFTL12 knock-out concurrently exhibited early flowering phenotype under the short- and long-day conditions as compared with wild-type and over-expression plants, which independently regulates flowering without an involved Hd1/Hd3a and Ehd1/RFT pathway. Further, an AT-hook protein OsATH1 was identified to act as upstream regulator of OsFTL12, as the knock-out OsATH1 elevated the OsFTL12 expression by modifying Histone H3 acetylation abundance. According to the dissection of OsFTL12 molecular functions, our study expanded the roles intellectual function of OsFTL12 in the mediating of a rice heading date.

Effectiveness of health management team program to enhance prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in Ningxia, China.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission interruption (PMTCT) poses a formidable challenge in underdeveloped regions of China. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PMTCT and the health management team (HMT) model in Ningxia, China, as well as the risk factors for adverse outcomes. METHODS: The PMTCT + HMT model was established, and 360 pregnant women diagnosed with HBV infection in 2020-2022 were selected and divided into the control and the study groups based on different intervention modes. HBV serum markers and HBV DNA levels were assessed, the indicators of compliance behaviors and adverse outcomes were compared, and the factors influencing adverse outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of subjects were residents of the local city, married, with secondary school or higher education, and employees of public sectors. The proportion of ethnic minorities was 40.8% and 34.2% in the control group and study group. HBeAg positivity was 23.3% and 26.3%, and the proportion with HBV DNA levels ≥ 2 × 105 IU/mL was 9.2% and 7.1%. Compared with the control group (PMTCT alone), the PMTCT + HMT model led to improved maternal knowledge (17.5% vs. 57.1%), voluntary counseling (34.2% vs. 63.3%), and testing (37.5% vs. 70.4%). The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes ((including miscarriage, preterm birth) decreased significantly (17.5% vs. 6.2%), as did adverse neonatal outcomes (low birth weight and congenital HBV) (26.9% vs. 10.5%). Adverse outcomes were associated with low educational attainment, non-locals, unmarried status, and ethnic minority identity. Additionally, HBeAg positivity and HBV DNA levels ≥ 2 × 105 IU/mL were risk factors for adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The PMTCT + HMT model demonstrates significant effectiveness in preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B in Ningxia. The unique demographic structure of Ningxia region is closely linked to poor outcomes, emphasizing the importance of monitoring HBeAg status and HBV DNA viral load level.

The effects of Micro/Nano-plastics exposure on plants and their toxic mechanisms: A review from multi-omics perspectives.

In recent years, plastic pollution has become a global environmental problem, posing a potential threat to agricultural ecosystems and human health, and may further exacerbate global food security problems. Studies have revealed that exposure to micro/nano-plastics (MPs/NPs) might cause various aspects of physiological toxicities, including plant biomass reduction, intracellular oxidative stress burst, photosynthesis inhibition, water and nutrient absorption reduction, cellular and genotoxicity, seed germination retardation, and that the effects were closely related to MP/NP properties (type, particle size, functional groups), exposure concentration, exposure duration and plant characteristics (species, tissue, growth stage). Based on a brief review of the physiological toxicity of MPs/NPs to plant growth, this paper comprehensively reviews the potential molecular mechanism of MPs/NPs on plant growth from perspectives of multi-omics, including transcriptome, metabolome, proteome and microbiome, thus to reveal the role of MPs/NPs in plant transcriptional regulation, metabolic pathway reprogramming, protein translational and post-translational modification, as well as rhizosphere microbial remodeling at multiple levels. Meanwhile, this paper also provides prospects for future research, and clarifies the future research directions and the technologies adopted.

Diagnostic potential of soluble ST2 and D-dimer for Stanford Type B aortic dissection and intramural aortic hematoma.

OBJECTIVE: Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) and intramural aortic hematoma (IMH) are common manifestations of Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS), exhibiting overlapping clinical features. The timely and accurate diagnosis and differentiation between TBAD and IMH are critical for appropriate management. Tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) and D-dimer have been shown to elevate levels in both TBAD and IMH, making them valuable as "rule-out" markers. Hence, we aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of sST2 and D-dimer in distinguishing TBAD from IMH. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed serum levels of sST2 and D-dimer in 182 AAS patients, comprising 90 TBAD cases, 92 IMH cases, and 90 non-AAS cases. Serial measurements were taken at 1 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 72 h post-admission. Comparative analyses were conducted between TBAD and non-AAS cases, IMH and non-AAS cases, and TBAD and IMH cases. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sST2 and D-dimer in identifying TBAD or IMH cases. RESULTS: Both TBAD and IMH patients displayed elevated levels of sST2 and D-dimer compared to non-AAS cases. Notably, sST2 levels were significantly higher in TBAD patients than in IMH patients, whereas D-dimer levels exhibited moderate differences. TBAD patients tended to exhibit elevated levels of either sST2 or D-dimer, with a modest correlation between the two (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.3614). In contrast, IMH patients showed elevations in both markers, with a positive correlation between them (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.6814). The ROC analysis revealed that both sST2 (AUC, 0.657; 95 % CI, 0.552-0.753; cutoff value, 27.54 ng/ml) and D-dimer (AUC, 0.695; 95 % CI, 0.591-0.787, cutoff value, 1.215 ng/ml) demonstrated favorable diagnostic performance for TBAD. sST2 exhibited a sensitivity of 80.92 % and a specificity of 75.00 %, while D-dimer showed a sensitivity of 80.92 % and a specificity of 75.00 %. For the diagnosis of IMH, the combined assessment of sST2 and D-dimer (AUC, 0.674; 95 % CI, 0.599-0.768; sensitivity, 69.20 %; specificity, 80.00 %) proved effective. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that both sST2 and D-dimer show diagnostic potential for TBAD. Elevated levels of either serve as an indicator of TBAD onset. However, concurrent elevation of both markers seems to be indicative of IMH. The combination of increased sST2 and D-dimer levels demonstrates strong diagnostic performance in identifying IMH cases.

Wulfenioidins D-N, Structurally Diverse Diterpenoids with Anti-Zika Virus Activity Isolated from Orthosiphon wulfenioides.

Eleven diterpenoids, wulfenioidins D-N (1-11), classified into five distinct carbon skeletons with one unreported framework, and four modified abietane diterpenoids were isolated from the whole plant of Orthosiphon wulfenioides. The structures and absolute configurations were characterized by spectroscopic methods, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism analyses. Compounds 3 and 5 exhibited activity against Zika virus (ZIKV) with EC50 values of 8.07 and 8.50 µM, respectively, and showed no significant cytotoxicity toward Vero cells at 100 µM. Western blot and immunofluorescence experiments showed that compounds 3 and 5 interfered with the replication of the ZIKV by inhibiting the expression of the ZIKV envelope (E) protein.

First report of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA causing rice sheath blight of Oryza rufipogon in China.

Red rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) is a valuable source of important agronomic traits as well as genes for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In June 2020, rice sheath blight on O. rufipogon cv. Bin09 was observed in Zhanjiang (20.93N, 109.79E), China. Initial symptoms on sheaths were water-soaked and light green lesions. Then, the lesions gradually expanded into oval or cloud shaped lesions with a gray white center. The lesions coalesced, causing the entire sheath to become blighted. Disease incidence reached approximately 30% in the fields (10 ha) surveyed. Twenty sheaths with symptoms were collected and cut into pieces of 2 × 2 cm in size. They were surface-disinfected with 75% ethanol for 30 s and 2% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 60 s, rinsed three times with sterile water, blotted dry on sterile paper, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 28°C in the dark for 4 days. Thirty-six pure cultures were obtained by transferring hyphal tips to new PDA plates, and three isolates (ORRS-1, ORRS-2, and ORRS-3) with similar morphological characteristics on PDA were selected as the representative isolates for study. Colony of isolate ORRS-1 was white initially, then turned brown with brown sclerotia. Septate hyphae were hyaline, smooth, and branched at right angles with a septum near the point of branching. Based on these morphological characteristics, the fungus was identified as Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn (Sneh et al. 1991). The isolates were deposited in the fungus collection of the Aquatic Organisms Museum of Guangdong Ocean University. For molecular identification, genomic DNA from each of the three isolates was extracted, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified, and sequenced with the primer pair ITS5/ITS4 (White et al. 1990). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession nos. OP497977 to OP497979). The three isolates were 100% identical (716/716 bp; 716/716 bp; and 716/716 bp) with those of R. solani AG-1 IA (accession nos. KX674518, MK481078, and MK480532) through BLAST analysis. The phylogenetic tree grouped the three isolates within the R. solani AG-1 IA clade with high bootstrap support (99%) by the maximum likelihood method. A pathogenicity test was performed with these three isolates in a greenhouse at 24 to 30°C. Approximately 50 seedling of red rice cv. Bin09 were grown in each cup ( 250 ml in size with sterile soil 50 cm3). At the 3-leaf stage, plants in five cups were inoculated with each isolate by spraying a mycelial suspension (106 mycelial fragments/ml) until runoff. The mycelial suspension was prepared by adding sterile distilled water to the cultures and gently scraping the surface with a sterilized scalpel blade. Five plants sprayed with sterile water served as the controls. The test was conducted three times. Sheath blight was observed on the inoculated leaves after 15 days while no disease was observed in the control plants. Morphological characteristics and the ITS sequences of fungal isolates re-isolated from the diseased sheaths were identical to those of R. solani AG-1 IA. R. solani AG-1 IA is one of the most important plant pathogens worldwide, causing foliar diseases on maize, rice (O. sativa L.), and soybean (Joana et al. 2009). To our knowledge, this is the first report of R. solani AG-1 IA causing rice sheath blight of O. rufipogon in China (Farr and Rossman, 2022). With the spread of the pathogen on weedy populations of red rice, resistant races or pathotypes may evolve that could spread to cultivated rice.

First Report of Shoot Blight on Clausena lansium Caused By Fusarium proliferatum in China.

Wampee (Clausena lansium [Lour.] Skeels) is a tropical fruit. In July 2022, shoot rot symptom was observed in wampee (cv. JIXIN) in a field ((21°25'N, 110°10'E, about 100 ha ), Guangdong Province, China. The most obvious symptom of the disease was the rotting and withering of the tops. Disease incidence was approximately 90% (n = 500). Twenty diseased samples were randomly collected from the field and cut into 2 mm × 2 mm pieces next to the margins of diseased tissues. These pieces were then sterilized with 75% alcohol for 30 s and 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min and subsequently washed with sterile water three times. Tissue pieces were placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25℃ for 3 days. Pure cultures were obtained by transferring hyphal tips to new PDA plates. Sixty isolates of Fusarium ssp. (60/80 = 75%) were obtained. Three representative single-spore isolates (CLFP-1, CLFP-2, and CLFP-3) were used for further study. Colonies were white to pink on PDA. Conidiogenous cells were monophialidic or polyphialidic. Macroconidia were slightly curved, tapering apically with 3 to 5 septa, and measured from 31.7 to 55.5 µm × 2.5 to 5.0 µm in size (n=50). The morphological features of these fungi were analogous to F. proliferatum (Leslie and Summerell 2006). For molecular identification, a colony PCR method (Lu et al. 2012) was used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and portions of elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α), RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes using primers ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, RPB1-R8/RPB1-F5, and RPB2-7CF/fRPB2-11aR, respectively (O'Donnell et al. 1998; 2010). The sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers OP740961 to OP740963 (ITS), and OP800846 to OP800854 (RPB1, RPB2, EF1-α). The BLAST comparison of the sequences showed the three isolates were 100% similar to F. proliferatum (ITS: MT378328; TEF1: MH582344; RPB1: MN193921; RPB2: MN892349). The sequences of the three isolates were 100% identical (ITS, 537/537 bp; RPB1, 1606/1606 bp; RPB2, 770/770 bp and EF1-α, 683/683 bp) with those of F. proliferatum (accession nos. MT378328, MN193921, MH582196, and MH582344) through BLAST analysis. Analysis of the concatenated sequences revealed a 99.87 to 100% identity with the isolates of the F. proliferatum (F. fujikuroi species complex, Asian clade) by polyphasic identification using the FUSARIUM-ID database (Yilmaz et al. 2021). The sequences were also concatenated for phylogenetic analysis by the maximum likelihood method. The isolates clustered with F. proliferatum. Pathogenicity was tested through in vivo experiments. The inoculated and control plants (n = 5, 3 months old, cv. JIXIN) were sprayed with a spore suspension (1 × 105 per mL) of the three isolates and sterile distilled water, respectively, until run-off (Feng and Li. 2019). The test was performed three times. The plants were grown in pots in a greenhouse at 25℃ to 28℃, with relative humidity of approximately 80%. Symptoms were observed on the inoculated plants with disease incidence 100% after 2 weeks, while the control plants remained healthy. The pathogen re-isolated from all the inoculated plants was identical to the inoculated isolates in morphology and ITS sequences. No pathogen were isolated from the control plants. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report F. proliferatum causing shoot blight symptom in wampee (cv. JIXIN). This disease has caused severe losses and will provide the foundation for management strategies.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the regulatory mechanism underlying the indirubin-mediated amelioration of dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

CONTEXT: Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists are potential therapeutic agents for ulcerative colitis (UC). Indirubin (IDR), which is a natural AhR ligand approved for leukemia treatment, ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of IDR are unknown, limiting its application. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the therapeutic mechanisms of IDR in DSS-induced colitis using transcriptomic analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male BALB/c mice were categorized to six groups: normal, DSS model (2% DSS), IDR treatment (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg), and sulfasalazine (520 mg/kg) groups. The drugs were intragastrically administered for 7 consecutive days. The disease activity index (DAI) was recorded. After euthanasia, the colon length was measured, and histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry staining using F4/80, and colonic transcriptomic analysis were conducted. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting (WB) were conducted to verify our findings. RESULTS: Compared with DSS, IDR treatment decreased the DAI score by 64.9% and increased colon length by 26.2%. Moreover, it alleviated mucosal injury and reduced macrophage infiltration. Transcriptomic analysis identified several downregulated genes (Igkvs and Nlrp3), as well as Nlrp3/Il1ß and hemoglobin gene networks, after IDR treatment. The abundances of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, IL-1ß, and HBA decreased by 69.1, 59.4, 81.1, and 83.0% respectively, after IDR treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Apart from the well-documented NF-κB signalling pathway, IL-17A, and NLRP3-IL-1ß, the suppression of haemoglobin-induced lipid peroxidation could be a previously unknown mechanism of IDR. Our study can help improve its application for UC treatment.

Euphopias G - J, macrocyclic diterpenes with anti-zika virus activity from Euphorbia helioscopia L.

Four new diterpenoids (1-4) and sixteen known diterpenoids (5-20) were purified from the whole plant of Euphorbia helioscopia L. Compounds 1 and 2 were rhamofolane diterpenoids with a 5/7/6 tricyclic systems, compound 3 was a lathyranes diterpenoid, and compound 4 was a jathophanes diterpenoid. The isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity and anti-Zika virus properties, and compounds 9 and 15 showed low cytotoxicity and strong anti-Zika virus properties with EC50 2.63 and 5.94 µM, respectively. Further, the inhibitory effects of compounds on protein levels were determined using Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays.

Efficient Adsorption Capacity of MgFe-Layered Double Hydroxide Loaded on Pomelo Peel Biochar for Cd (II) from Aqueous Solutions: Adsorption Behaviour and Mechanism.

A novel pomelo peel biochar/MgFe-layered double hydroxide composite (PPBC/MgFe-LDH) was synthesised using a facile coprecipitation approach and applied to remove cadmium ions (Cd (II)). The adsorption isotherm demonstrated that the Cd (II) adsorption by the PPBC/MgFe-LDH composite fit the Langmuir model well, and the adsorption behaviour was a monolayer chemisorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cd (II) was determined to be 448.961 (±12.3) mg·g-1 from the Langmuir model, which was close to the actual experimental adsorption capacity 448.302 (±1.41) mg·g-1. The results also demonstrated that the chemical adsorption controlled the rate of reaction in the Cd (II) adsorption process of PPBC/MgFe-LDH. Piecewise fitting of the intra-particle diffusion model revealed multi-linearity during the adsorption process. Through associative characterization analysis, the adsorption mechanism of Cd (II) of PPBC/MgFe-LDH involved (i) hydroxide formation or carbonate precipitation; (ii) an isomorphic substitution of Fe (III) by Cd (II); (iii) surface complexation of Cd (II) by functional groups (-OH); and (iv) electrostatic attraction. The PPBC/MgFe-LDH composite demonstrated great potential for removing Cd (II) from wastewater, with the advantages of facile synthesis and excellent adsorption capacity.

Effective adsorption of Pb(ii) from wastewater using MnO2 loaded MgFe-LD(H)O composites: adsorption behavior and mechanism.

Pb(ii) adsorption by MnO2/MgFe-layered double hydroxide (MnO2/MgFe-LDH) and MnO2/MgFe-layered metal oxide (MnO2/MgFe-LDO) materials was experimentally studied in lab-scale batches for remediation property and mechanism analysis. Based on our results, the optimum adsorption capacity for Pb(ii) was achieved at the calcination temperature of 400 °C for MnO2/MgFe-LDH. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models, pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics, Elovich model, and thermodynamic studies were used for exploring the Pb(ii) adsorption mechanism of the two composites. In contrast to MnO2/MgFe-LDH, MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C has a stronger adsorption capacity and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model (R2 > 0.948), the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.998), and the Elovich model (R2 > 0.950) provide great fits to the experimental data, indicating that the adsorption occurs predominantly via chemisorption. The thermodynamic model suggests that MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C is spontaneously heat-absorbing during the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C for Pb(ii) was 531.86 mg g-1 at a dosage of 1.0 g L-1, pH of 5.0, and temperature of 25 °C. Through characterization analysis, the main mechanisms involved in the adsorption process were precipitation action, complexation with functional groups, electrostatic attraction, cation exchange and isomorphic replacement, and memory effect. Besides, MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C has excellent regeneration ability in five adsorption/desorption experiments. The above results highlight the powerful adsorption capacity of MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C and may inspire the development of new types of nanostructured adsorbents for wastewater remediation.

Strophioblachins A-K, Structurally Intriguing Diterpenoids from Strophioblachia fimbricalyx with Potential Anticardiac Hypertrophic Inhibitory Activity.

Three new rearranged diterpenoids, strophioblachins A-C (1-3), eight new diterpenoids, strophioblachins D-K (4-11), and seven previously described diterpenoids (12-18) were purified from the aerial parts of Strophioblachia fimbricalyx. Compounds 1 and 2 contain a rare 6/6/5/6 ring system, while 3 has an uncommon tricyclo[4.4.0.08,9]tridecane-bridged unit, and their diterpenoid skeletons are being reported for the first time. Utilizing spectroscopic and HRESIMS data analysis, the structures of the new compounds (1-11) were established, and ECD and 13C NMR calculations were used to confirm the relative and absolute configurations of 11 and 9. The absolute configurations of compounds 1, 3, and 10 were established using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results of testing for anticardiac hypertrophic activity demonstrated that compounds 10 and 15 dose-dependently lowered the mRNA expression of Nppa and Nppb. Protein levels were confirmed by Western blotting, which also demonstrated that compounds 10 and 15 lowered the expression of the hypertrophic marker ANP. The cytotoxic activity against neonatal rat cardiomyocytes was assayed in vitro by the CCK-8 and ELISA methods, and the results showed that compounds 10 and 15 were only very weakly active in the range.

Application of Natural and Calcined Oyster Shell Powders to Improve Latosol and Manage Nitrogen Leaching.

Excessive N fertilizer application has aggravated soil acidification and loss of N. Although oyster shell powder (OSP) can improve acidic soil, few studies have investigated its ability to retain soil N. Here, the physicochemical properties of latosol after adding OSP and calcined OSP (COSP) and the dynamic leaching patterns of ammonium N (NH4+-N), nitrate N (NO3--N), and Ca in seepage, were examined through indoor culture and intermittent soil column simulation experiments. Various types of N fertilizer were optimized through the application of 200 mg/kg of N, urea (N 200 mg/kg) was the control treatment (CK), and OSP and COSPs prepared at four calcination temperatures-500, 600, 700, and 800 °C-were added to the latosol for cultivation and leaching experiments. Under various N application conditions, the total leached N from the soil followed ammonium nitrate > ammonium chloride > urea. The OSP and COSPs had a urea adsorption rate of 81.09-91.29%, and the maximum reduction in cumulative soil inorganic N leached was 18.17%. The ability of COSPs to inhibit and control N leaching improved with increasing calcination temperature. Applying OSP and COSPs increased soil pH, soil organic matter, total N, NO3--N, exchangeable Ca content, and cation exchange capacity. Although all soil enzyme activities related to N transformation decreased, the soil NH4+-N content remained unchanged. The strong adsorption capacities for NH4+-N by OSP and COSPs reduced the inorganic N leaching, mitigating the risk of groundwater contamination.

Variety-Specific Transcriptional and Alternative Splicing Regulations Modulate Salt Tolerance in Rice from Early Stage of Stress.

Salt stress poses physiological drought, ionic toxicity and oxidative stress to plants, which causes premature senescence and death of the leaves if the stress sustained. Salt tolerance varied between different rice varieties, but how different rice varieties respond at the early stage of salt stress has been seldom studied comprehensively. By employing third generation sequencing technology, we compared gene expressional changes in leaves of three rice varieties that varied in their level of tolerance after salt stress treatment for 6 h. Commonly up-regulated genes in all rice varieties were related to water shortage response and carbon and amino acids metabolism at the early stage of salt stress, while reactive oxygen species cleavage genes were induced more in salt-tolerant rice. Unexpectedly, genes involved in chloroplast development and photosynthesis were more significantly down-regulated in the two salt tolerant rice varieties 'C34' and 'Nona Bokra'. At the same time, genes coding ribosomal protein were suppressed to a more severe extent in the salt-sensitive rice variety 'IR29'. Interestingly, not only variety-specific gene transcriptional regulation, but also variety-specific mRNA alternative splicing, on both coding and long-noncoding genes, were found at the early stage of salt stress. In summary, differential regulation in gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, determine and fine-tune the observed response in level of damage in leaves of specific rice genotypes at early stage of salt stress.

Enhancing mechanism of arsenic(iii) adsorption by MnO2-loaded calcined MgFe layered double hydroxide.

The use of MnO2/MgFe-layered double hydroxide (MnO2/MgFe-LDH) and MnO2/MgFe-layered double oxide (MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C) for arsenic immobilization from the aqueous medium is the subject of this research. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterise MnO2/MgFe-LDH and MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C. Based on our developed method, MnO2 was spread on the clay composites' surfaces in the form of a chemical bond. The clay composite exhibited a good adsorption effect on arsenic. The experimental findings fit the pseudo-second-order model well, indicating that the chemisorption mechanism played a significant role in the adsorption process. Furthermore, the Freundlich model suited the adsorption isotherm data of all adsorbents well. The recycling experiment showed that MnO2/MgFe-LDH and MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C exhibited good stability and reusability. In summary, MnO2/MgFe-LDH and MnO2/MgFe-LDO400 °C are promising for developing processes for efficient control of the pollutant arsenic.

Spatial distribution of soil nutrients and evaluation of cultivated land in Xuwen county.

It is of great significance to promote the quantitative research of soil science and the implementation of precision agriculture. On this basis, taking Xuwen County as the research object, this paper comprehensively analyzed the soil characteristics of cultivated land in Xuwen County and clarify the soil nutrient content and spatial distribution characteristics of cultivated land in Xuwen County, this paper comprehensively applied the methods of geostatistics, geographic information system (GIS) and fuzzy mathematics, and referred to the cultivated land quality grade standard (GB/T 33469-2016), to analyze the soil characteristics and evaluate the soil fertility of this region. The results show that the optimal interpolation model of soil pH and available phosphorus (AP) is a Gaussian model, and the optimal interpolation model of soil organic matter (SOM), available nitrogen (AN) and available potassium (AK) is a J-Bessel model. In addition, the spatial correlation of AK is weak, whereas pH, SOM, AN and AP show moderate spatial correlation. The proportion of excellent, good, average, medium and poor comprehensive fertility index are 26.00%, 32.67%, 19.33%, 19.00% and 3.00%, respectively. The overall level of soil fertility in Xuwen County is above the average, and the fertility quality presents an obvious trend of high in the South and low in the North. Areas that above average fertility are mainly distributed in Maichen Town, Qujie Town, Nanshan Town and Chengbei Town. The results can provide theoretical basis for improving the utilization rate of chemical fertilizer, fine management of cultivated land and ecological environment in this region, which can help in decision-making of precision fertilization.

Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Intramedullary Nail and Locking Compression Plate in the Treatment of Humeral Shaft Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: The surgical treatment scheme of humeral shaft fracture is still controversial with no consensus reached. This meta-analysis was aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety of intramedullary nail (IMN) and locking compression plate (LCP) in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures. Methods: PubMed, Medline, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science, Clinical Trials, and Chinese databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure Project, Wanfang database, and China biomedical abstracts database, were used to search the literature. Review Manager software was employed for statistical analysis and establishing forest and funnel maps. Categorical variables were measured by relative risk (RR), and standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to measure continuous variables. 95% confidence intervals were used for each variable. The modified Jadad scale, Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and Cochrane's bias risk tools were used to evaluate the bias and risk of eligible studies. Results: A total of 14 studies were included in the analysis with a total of 903 patients with humeral shaft fracture. Significant differences with regard to operation time (Std = -1.18, 95% CI: -2.14, -0.22, Z = 2.41, P = 0.02), blood loss (Std = -2.97, 95% CI: -4.32, -1.63, Z = 4.34, P < 0.001), and postoperative infection rate (RR = 0.32, 95% CI: -0.15, 0.68, Z = 2.98, P = 0.003) were noted between the IMN group and LCP group. In addition, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score (Std = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.44, 0.01, Z = 2.08, P = 0.04) and the rate of shoulder and elbow function limitation (RR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.06, 3.33, Z = 2.17, P = 0.03) between the 2 groups were also statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the rate of radial nerve injury, nonunion, delayed healing, and secondary operation between the two groups. Conclusion: IMN is superior than the LCP in terms of the operation time, intraoperative bleeding, and postoperative infection, suggesting its superiority in the humeral shaft fracture fixation. However, IMN is inferior to LCP in ASES score and shoulder elbow function limitation rate, indicating poor early postoperative functional recovery. More studies are required to evaluate and analyze the clinical efficacy between IMN and LCP regarding long-term function after artificial graft removal.