Red cell distribution width to albumin ratio predicts treatment failure in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the potential correlation between baseline red cell distribution width (RDW) to albumin ratio (RAR) levels and treatment failure in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP) patients. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study was conducted on 286 PDAP patients. Logistic regression and generalized estimation equation (GEE) analyses were employed to assess the relationship between RAR and treatment failure. RESULTS: RAR emerged as a robust predictor of treatment failure in PDAP patients. Elevated RAR levels were associated with an increased risk of treatment failure, exhibiting a linear relationship. Even after adjusting for demographic and clinical variables, this association remained statistically significant. ROC analysis revealed that RAR outperformed RDW and albumin individually in predicting PDAP prognosis. CONCLUSION: This study highlights RAR as a superior prognostic marker for treatment failure in PDAP patients, offering new insights into risk assessment and management strategies for this challenging condition.

Association of Different Total Bilirubin Levels with Prognosis of Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Peritonitis.

Background and Objectives: Peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP) poses significant challenges in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient management and outcomes. Total bilirubin has gained attention due to its antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. However, its relationship with PDAP prognosis remains underexplored. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study involving 243 PDAP patients stratified into tertile-based groups according to total bilirubin levels. The association between total bilirubin levels and treatment failure risk was investigated through statistical analyses and restricted cubic spline curve analysis. Results: Our analysis revealed a non-linear correlation between total bilirubin levels and PDAP treatment failure risk. At total bilirubin levels below 8.24 µmol/L, a protective effect was observed, while levels exceeding this threshold heightened the risk of treatment failure. Conclusions: This study unveils a dual role of total bilirubin in PDAP prognosis. Below a certain threshold, it confers protection, while higher levels exacerbate the risk of treatment failure. These findings emphasize the need for further investigation in larger, multicenter prospective studies to validate and elucidate the mechanisms behind bilirubin's impact on PDAP, potentially guiding the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Preparation of N,P Co-doped Porous Carbon Derived from Daylily for Supercapacitor Applications.

Biomass-derived activated carbon is a widely used electrode material for supercapacitors. One of the keys to preparing high-performance activated carbon is the selection of appropriate precursors. Daylily is a common edible herb and is widely planted in Asia. It is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, so it can be used as a precursor of heteroatom-doped activated carbon. Herein, a daylily-derived porous carbon with a large specific surface area and high content of heteroatoms has been successfully prepared by a simple carbonization method. The as-prepared carbon materials showed a remarkable specific capacitance of 299.1 F/g at 0.5 A/g and excellent cycling stability of 99.6% after 4000 cycles at a current density of 1 A/g. Moreover, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor showed a high energy density of 21.6 Wh/kg at a power density of 598.2 W/kg in 6 M KOH electrolyte. These results demonstrate that the daylily-derived porous carbon is an excellent material for high-performance supercapacitors.

The Deterioration of Agronomical Traits of the Continuous Cropping of Stevia Is Associated With the Dynamics of Soil Bacterial Community.

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is grown worldwide as an important, natural sweetener resource plant. The yield of steviol glycosides (SVglys) is greatly influenced by continuous cropping. In this study, we collected the roots, rhizosphere soils, and bulk soils from 2 years of continuous cropping (Y2) and 8 years of continuous cropping (Y8). A high-throughput sequencing technology based on Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform was used to study the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in the roots and soils of stevia with different years of continuous cropping. The results demonstrated that although the content of a group of SVglys was significantly increased in stevia of long-term continuous cropping, it inhibited the growth of plants and lowered the leaf dry weight; as a result, the total amount of SVglys was significantly decreased. Meanwhile, continuous cropping changed the physicochemical properties and the bacterial composition communities of soil. The different sampling sources of the root, rhizosphere soil, and bulk soil had no impact on the richness of bacterial communities, while it exhibited obvious effects on the diversity of bacterial communities. Continuous cropping had a stronger effect on the bacterial community composition in rhizosphere soil than in root and bulk soil. Based on linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), in the rhizosphere soil of Y8, the relative abundance of some beneficial bacterial genera of Sphingomonas, Devosia, Streptomyces, and Flavobacterium decreased significantly, while the relative abundance of Polycyclovorans, Haliangium, and Nitrospira greatly increased. Moreover, the soil pH and nutrient content, especially the soil organic matter, were correlated with the relative abundance of predominant bacteria at the genus level. This study provides a theoretical basis for uncovering the mechanism of obstacles in continuous stevia cropping and provides guidance for the sustainable development of stevia.

The uppermost monoterpenes improving Cinnamomum camphora thermotolerance by serving signaling functions.

Terpenes serve important functions in enhancing plant thermotolerance. Cinnamomum camphora mainly has eucalyptol (EuL), camphor (CmR), linalool (LnL) and borneol (BeL) chemotypes basing on the uppermost monoterpenes. To reveal the thermotolerance mechanisms of these uppermost monoterpenes (eucalyptol, camphor, linalool, and borneol) in C. camphora, we surveyed the ROS metabolism and photosynthesis in the 4 chemotypes fumigated with the corresponding uppermost monoterpene after fosmidomycin (Fos) inhibiting monoterpene synthesis under high temperature at 38°C (Fos+38°C+monoterpene), and investigated the related gene expression in EuL and CmR. Meanwhile, the thermotolerance differences among the 4 uppermost monoterpenes were analyzed. In contrast to normal temperature (28°C), ROS levels and antioxidant enzyme activities in the 4 chemotypes increased under 38°C, and further increased in the treatment with Fos inhibiting monoterpene synthesis at 38°C (Fos+38°C), which may be caused by the alterations in expression of the genes related with non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant formation according to the analyses in EuL and CmR. Compared with Fos+38°C treatment, Fos+38°C+monoterpene treatments lowered ROS levels and antioxidant enzyme activities for the increased non-enzymatic antioxidant gene expression and decreased enzymatic antioxidant gene expression, respectively. High temperature at 38°C reduced the chlorophyll and carotenoid content as well as photosynthetic abilities, which may result from the declined expression of the genes associated with photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis, light reaction, and carbon fixation. Fos+38°C treatment aggravated the reduction. In contrast to Fos+38°C treatment, Fos+38°C+monoterpene treatments increased photosynthetic pigment content and improved photosynthetic abilities by up-regulating related gene expression. Among the 4 uppermost monoterpenes, camphor showed strong abilities in lowering ROS and maintaining photosynthesis, while eucalyptol showed weak abilities. This was consistent with the recovery effects of the gene expression in the treatments with camphor and eucalyptol fumigation. Therefore, the uppermost monoterpenes can enhance C. camphora thermotolerance as signaling molecules, and may have differences in the signaling functions.

Stretchable Transparent Electrode via Wettability Self-Assembly in Mechanically Induced Self-Cracking.

Stretchable and transparent electrodes (STEs) are indispensable components in numerous emerging applications such as optoelectrical devices and wearable devices used in health monitoring, human-machine interaction, and artificial intelligence. However, STEs have limitations in conductivity, robustness, and transmittance owing to the exposure of the substrate and fatigue deformation of nanomaterials under strain. In this study, an STE consisting of conductive materials embedded in in situ self-cracking strain-spread channels by wettability self-assembly is fabricated. Finite element analysis is used to simulate the crevice growth using the representative unit cell network and strain deformation using a random network. The embedded conductive materials are partly protected by the strain-opening crevice channel, and network dissociation is avoided under stretching, showing a maximum strain of 125%, a transmittance of approximately 89.66% (excluding the substrate) with a square resistance of 9.8 Ω sq-1, and high stability in an environment with high temperature and moisture. The wettability self-assembly coating process is verified and expanded to several kinds of hydrophilic inks and hydrophobic coating materials. The fabricated STE can be employed as a strain sensor in motion sensing, vital sign and posture feedback, and mimicking bioelectronic spiderweb with spatial gravity induction.

An updated census of the maize TIFY family.

The TIFY gene family is a plant-specific gene family encoding a group of proteins characterized by its namesake, the conservative TIFY domain and members can be organized into four subfamilies: ZML, TIFY, PPD and JAZ (Jasmonate ZIM-domain protein) by presence of additional conserved domains. The TIFY gene family is intensively explored in several model and agriculturally important crop species and here, yet the composition of the TIFY family of maize has remained unresolved. This study increases the number of maize TIFY family members known by 40%, bringing the total to 47 including 38 JAZ, 5 TIFY, and 4 ZML genes. The majority of the newly identified genes were belonging to the JAZ subfamily, six of which had aberrant TIFY domains, suggesting loss JAZ-JAZ or JAZ-NINJA interactions. Six JAZ genes were found to have truncated Jas domain or an altered degron motif, suggesting resistance to classical JAZ degradation. In addition, seven membranes were found to have an LxLxL-type EAR motif which allows them to recruit TPL/TPP co-repressors directly without association to NINJA. Expression analysis revealed that ZmJAZ14 was specifically expressed in the seeds and ZmJAZ19 and 22 in the anthers, while the majority of other ZmJAZs were generally highly expressed across diverse tissue types. Additionally, ZmJAZ genes were highly responsive to wounding and JA treatment. This study provides a comprehensive update of the maize TIFY/JAZ gene family paving the way for functional, physiological, and ecological analysis.

Hybrid identification for Glycine max and Glycine soja with SSR markers and analysis of salt tolerance.

Glycine max cultivars Lee68, Nannong 1138-2, and Nannong 8831 were used as the female parents, and hybrid lines (F5) 4,111, 4,076 (N23674 × BB52), 3,060 (Lee68 × N23227), and 185 (Jackson × BB52) that selected for salt tolerance generation by generation from the cross combination of G. max and G. soja were used as the male parents, 11 (A-K) backcrosses or three-way crosses were designed and 213 single hybrids were harvested. The optimized soybean simple sequence repeat (SSR)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system was used to analyze the SSR polymorphism of above parental lines and get the parental co-dominant SSR markers for hybrid identification, and in which 30 true hybrids were gained. The true hybrids (G1, G3, G9, G12, G13, G16) of G cross combination were chosen as the representative for the salt tolerance test, and the results showed that, as exposed to salt stress, the seedlings of G9 line displayed higher salt tolerant coefficient, relative growth rate, and dry matter accumulation, when compared with their female parent Nannong 1138-2, and even performed equally strong salt tolerance as the male parent 3,060. It provides a feasible method of the combination of molecular SSR markers and simple physiological parameters to identify the true hybrids of G. max and G. soja, and to innovate the salt-tolerant soybean germplasms.

[Effect of exogenous Ca2+ on protective infection of Pinellia ternata and accumulation of major components under high temperature stress].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of exogenous Ca2+ on protective infection of Pinellia ternata and accumulation of major components under high temperature stress. METHOD: The soilless cultivation experiment was applied, stress resistance index of P. ternata leaves, statistics the rate of lodge P. ternata,the content of oxalate in different places in the plant, the content of total alkaloids, total organic acids and glucosine in P. ternata tubers were measured based on different concentrations of exogenous Ca2+. RESULT: The test results showed that, at lower concentrations of Ca2+ treatments, the rate of lodge P. ternata was higher than that of the others. With Ca2+ concentration increasing, activities of SOD and POD initially increased and then decreased, however, proline level tended to be down then up. Soluble oxalic acid content was lower than the content of unhandled treatment in P. ternata leaves and tubers; with Ca2+ concentration increasing, soluble oxalic acidl content and yield showed a tendency of decrease after increase in the leaves and tubers. Compared with other treatments, spraying 400 mg x L(-1) Ca2+ significantly enhanced the accumulation of total alkaloid and guanosine in P. ternata tubers. At Lower concentrations of Ca2+, the content of total free organic acid was higher in the tuber. CONCLUSION: With the treatment of Ca2+ the capacity of heat resistance was improved in P. ternata plants, the rate of lodge P. ternata was postponed, growing period was extended and corresponding production has increased by spraying exogenous Ca2+.

Identification of regulatory protein genes involved in alkaloid biosynthesis using a transient RNAi system.

RNAi (RNA interference, RNA silencing) is a powerful tool in functional genomics. We report here the use of transient RNAi to isolate regulatory factor genes involved in isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Coptis japonica protoplasts. Double-stranded (ds) RNAs prepared against candidate regulatory factors, which were predicted from an EST library, were introduced into C. japonica protoplasts by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transformation, and their effects were monitored by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The potential of this transient RNAi system to characterize the functions of regulatory factor genes in alkaloid research is discussed.

[Effects of NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio in applied supplementary fertilizer on nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis and growth of Isatis indigotica].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratios in the applied supplementary fertilizer on the growth, nitrogen metabolis related enzymes activity and photosynthetic characteristics of Isatis indigotica. METHOD: The sand culture experiment was conducted, and seedling of I. indigotica was fertilized with the mixed nutrition that containing the Hoagland's macro elements and the Aron's micro elements, the additional 63 mmol N was supplementary with the NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100. RESULT: The biomass of I. indigotica increased at first when the supplementary N of NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio changed from 100:0 to 50:50 and decreased afterwards. The maximum value was at 50:50 and the minimum at 100: 0. With increasing the ratio of NO3(-)-N, the activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase increased and then decreased and the relationship between the activity and the ratio could be described with an approximate parabola curve. The net photosynthetic rate of I. indigotica was the highest at the NH4(+)-N/NO3(-)-N ratio of 75:25 and the lowest at 100:0. CONCLUSION: Increasing the NO3(-)-N ratio properly was beneficial to promote the growth and improve the activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase and net photosynthetic rate of I. indigotica.

Molecular genetic analysis of five spike-related traits in wheat using RIL and immortalized F2 populations.

Kernel number per spike is one of the most important yield components of wheat. To map QTLs related to kernel number including spike length (SPL), spikelet number per spike (SPN), fertile spikelet number (FSPN), sterile spikelet number (SSPN) and compactness, and to characterize the inheritance modes of the QTLs and two-locus interactions, 136 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from 'Nanda2419' x 'Wangshuibai' and an immortalized F(2 )population (IF(2)) generated by randomly permutated intermating of these RILs were investigated. QTL mapping made use of the previously constructed over 3300 cM linkage map of the RIL population. Three, five, two, two and six chromosome regions were identified, respectively, for their association with SPL, SPN, FSPN, SSPN, and compactness in at least two of the three environments examined. All compactness QTLs but one shared the respective intervals of QSpn.nau-5A and the SPL QTLs. Xcfd46-Xwmc702 interval on chromosome 7D was related to all traits but SSPN and had consistently the largest effects. The fact that not all the compactness QTL intervals were related to both SPL and SPN indicates that compactness is regulated by different mechanisms. Interval coincidence between QTLs of SPL and SPN and between QTLs of FSPN and SSPN was minimal. For all the traits, favorable alleles exist in both parents. Inheritance modes from additiveness to overdominance of the QTLs were revealed and two-locus interactions were detected, implying that the traits studied are under complex genetic control. The results could contribute to wheat yield improvement and better use of Wangshuibai and Nanda2419 the two special germplasms in wheat breeding program.

Differential sensitivity to chloride and sodium ions in seedlings of Glycine max and G. soja under NaCl stress.

High Na+ and Cl- concentrations in soil cause hyperionic and hyperosmotic stress effects, the consequence of which can be plant demise. Ion-specific stress effects of Na+ and Cl- on seedlings of cultivated (Glycine max (L.) Merr) and wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. Et Zucc.) were evaluated and compared in isoosmotic solutions of Cl-, Na+ and NaCl. Results showed that under NaCl stress, Cl- was more toxic than Na+ to seedlings of G. max. Injury of six G. max cultivars, including 'Jackson' (salt sensitive) and 'Lee 68' (salt tolerant), was positively correlated with the content of Cl- in the leaves, and negatively with that in the roots. In subsequent research, seedlings of two G. max cultivars (salt-tolerant Nannong 1138-2, and salt-sensitive Zhongzihuangdou-yi) and two G. soja populations (BB52 and N23232) were subjected to isoosmotic solutions of 150mM Na+, Cl- and NaCl, respectively. G. max cv. Nannong 1138-2 and Zhongzihuangdou-yi were damaged much more heavily in the solution of Cl- than in that of Na+. Their Leaves were found to be more sensitive to Cl- than to Na+, and salt tolerance of these two G. max cultivars was mainly due to successful withholding of Cl- in the roots and stems to decrease its content in the leaves. The reverse response to isoosmotic stress of 150 mM Na+ and Cl- was shown in G. soja populations of BB52 and N23232; their leaves were not as susceptible to toxicity of Cl- as that of Na+. Salt tolerance of BB52 and N23232 was mainly due to successful withholding of Na+ in the roots and stems to decrease its content in the leaves. These results indicate that G. soja have advantages over G. max in those traits associated with the mechanism of Cl-tolerance, such as its withholding in roots and vacuoles of leaves. It is possible to use G. soja to improve the salt tolerance of G. max.

[Salt-tolerance evaluation of seedlings of medicinal Chrysanthemum morifolium cultivar].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate salt tolerance of seedlings of 4 medicinal C. morifolium cultivars to be transplanted, and to expand the planting area. METHOD: Seedlings were cultivated in hoagland nutrient solution containing various concentrations of NaCl for 30 days. The height, dry weight and chlorophyll content were investigated. Identification index mainly in relative growth rate, the evaluation of NaCl effects on the growth, K+, Na+ and Cl- distribution in seedlings were surveyed. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The salt tolerance was difference among four cultivars of C. morifolium. The salt tolerance of "Dabaiju" and "Changbanju" was weak, while "Hongxinju" and "Xiaobaiju" was strong. "Hongxinju" and "Xiaobaiju" may be planted in salinte soil area.