Search

Abstract Background Coral reefs experience frequent and severe disturbances that can overwhelm their natural resilience. In such cases, ecological restoration is essential for coral reef recovery. Sexual reproduction has been reported to present the simplest and most cost-effective means for coral reef restoration. However, larval settlement and post-settlement survival represent bottlenecks for coral recruitment in sexual reproduction. While bacteria play a significant role in triggering coral metamorphosis and settlement in many coral species, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we employed a transcriptome-level analysis to elucidate the intricate interactions between bacteria and coral larvae that are crucial for the settlement process. Results High Metabacillus indicus strain cB07 inoculation densities resulted in the successful induction of metamorphosis and settlement of coral Pocillopora damicoris larvae. Compared with controls, inoculated coral larvae exhibited a pronounced increase in the abundance of strain cB07 during metamorphosis and settlement, followed by a significant decrease in total lipid contents during the settled stage. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during metamorphosis were significantly enriched in amino acid, protein, fatty acid, and glucose related metabolic pathways. In settled coral larvae induced by strain cB07, there was a significant enrichment of DEGs with essential roles in the establishment of a symbiotic relationship between coral larvae and their symbiotic partners. The photosynthetic efficiency of strain cB07 induced primary polyp holobionts was improved compared to those of the negative controls. In addition, coral primary polyps induced by strain cB07 showed significant improvements in energy storage and survival. Conclusions Our findings revealed that strain cB07 can promote coral larval settlement and enhance post-settlement survival and fitness. Manipulating coral sexual reproduction with strain cB07 can overcome the current recruitment bottleneck. This innovative approach holds promise for future coral reef restoration efforts.

AIM: To analyze the current status, hotspots and trends of studies on the treatments of diabetic retinopathy.METHODS: Relevant literatures on diabetic retinopathy in Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)and Web of Science core collection database were retrieved from creation to June 15, 2023, and CiteSpace 6.2.R2 and VOSviewer were used to conduct visualized analysis with the country/issuing institution, research author and keywords.RESULTS: A total of 5 919 Chinese literatures and 11 475 English literatures were included. The top three countries with global publications are the United States, China and the United Kingdom, respectively. The top three institutions for issuing articles at abroad are Harvard Medical School, Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, while the top three institutions for issuing articles in China are the Eye Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, and Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University. The research results of high-frequency keywords in both Chinese and English show that the laser photocoagulation, vitrectomy, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, vascular endothelial growth factor and ranibizumab are research hotspots.CONCLUSIONS: In recent years, the research hotspots of diabetic retinopathy mainly focus on surgery, vascular protective agents, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor, etc., and the research trend mainly focuses on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs.

Soil labile organic carbon (LOC) is a crucial component in carbon cycling in coastal wetlands and serves as an important indicator of SOC. Despite this, little is known about the stabilization of SOC and its LOC during mangrove development. The objective of our study was to quantify SOC and LOC in the soil at depths ranging from 0 to 100 cm across four sites, including a mudflat and three mangrove sites of varying ages (15-, 45-, and 80-yr old) were selected in Yingluo Bay, China. The concentration of SOC, POC (particulate organic carbon), DOC (dissolved organic carbon), MBC (microbial biomass carbon), and KMnO4-C (potassium permanganate-oxidizable carbon) were measured. The CMI (soil carbon management index) was also calculated to precisely and directly reflect the dynamic changes of soil carbon pools. Mangrove natural expansion showed a significant positive effect on both SOC and LOC. The concentration of KMnO4-C in the top 50 cm of soil layer showed a significant increase in three different mangrove forest sites. The POC, DOC and MBC were also significantly increased in response to mangrove development. The 80-yr old mangrove site had the highest SOC concentrations, LOC concentrations, soil carbon lability Index (LI) and CMI among all sites. These findings suggested that the development of mangroves increases soil organic carbon fractions through vegetation production and enhances long-term carbon sequestration rates by expanding soil labile carbon pools. As a management option, promoting the natural expansion of mangroves can maximize the sequestration potential of soil organic carbon.

Acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs), members of a vital housekeeping protein family, are present in various animal and plant species. They are divided into four classes: small ACBPs (class I), ankyrin-repeat ACBPs (class II), large ACBPs (class III), and kelch-ACBPs (class IV). Plant ACBPs play a pivotal role in intracellular transport, protection, and pool formation of acyl-CoA esters, promoting plant development and stress response. Even though legume crops are important for vegetable oils, proteins, vegetables and green manure, legume ACBPs are not well investigated. To comprehensively explore the functions of ACBPs in nine legumes (Lotus japonicus, Medicago truncatula, Glycine max, Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, Phaseolus vulgaris, Arachis hypogaea, Arachis duranensis, and Arachis ipaensis), we conducted genome-wide identification of the ACBP gene family. Our evolutionary analyses included phylogenetics, gene structure, the conserved motif, chromosomal distribution and homology, subcellular localization, cis-elements, and interacting proteins. The results revealed that ACBP Orthologs of nine legumes had a high identity in gene structure and conserved motif. However, subcellular localization, cis-acting elements, and interaction protein analyses revealed potentially different functions from previously reported. The predicted results were also partially verified in Arachis hypogaea. We believe that our findings will help researchers understand the roles of ACBPs in legumes and encourage them to conduct additional research.

Six new thiodiketopiperazine-class alkaloids lecanicilliums A–F were isolated from the mangrove sediment-derived fungus Lecanicillium kalimantanense SCSIO41702, together with thirteen known analogues. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations were determined by quantum chemical calculations. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra and the structure of Lecanicillium C were further confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Lecanicillium A contained an unprecedented 6/5/6/5/7/6 cyclic system with a spirocyclic center at C-2′. Biologically, lecanicillium E, emethacin B, and versicolor A displayed significant cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line H1975, with IC50 values of 7.2~16.9 μM, and lecanicillium E also showed antibacterial activity against four pathogens with MIC values of 10~40 μg/mL. Their structure–activity relationship is also discussed.

Mangrove restoration by exotic mangrove species Sonneratia apetala has been practiced as a strategy to reconstruct mangrove wetlands. Diazotrophs in mangrove sediment are nitrogen suppliers for mangrove ecosystems. However, the response of sediment diazotrophs, especially their nitrogen fixation rates, to the introduction of exotic S. apetala remains unclear. In the present study, we compared the variations in sediment physicochemical properties, N2 fixation rate, and the composition of total bacterial and diazotrophic communities in mangrove sediments between exotic species (S. apetala) and three native species (i.e., Aegiceras corniculatum, Lumnitzera racemosa, and Rhizophora apiculata). Our results indicated that the introduction of exotic S. apetala significantly (P

Abstract Background The coral microbiome plays a key role in host health by being involved in energy metabolism, nutrient cycling, and immune system formation. Inoculating coral with beneficial bacterial consortia may enhance the ability of this host to cope with complex and changing marine environments. In this study, the coral Pocillopora damicornis was inoculated with a beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMC) consortium to investigate how the coral host and its associated microbial community would respond. Results High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed no significant differences in bacterial community α-diversity. However, the bacterial community structure differed significantly between the BMC and placebo groups at the end of the experiment. Addition of the BMC consortium significantly increased the relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria, including the genera Mameliella and Endozoicomonas. Energy reserves and calcification rates of the coral host were also improved by the addition of the BMC consortium. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that inoculation of coral with the exogenous BMC consortium improved the physiological status of the host by shifting the coral-associated microbial community structure. Conclusions Manipulating the coral-associated microbial community may enhance the physiology of coral in normal aquarium conditions (no stress applied), which may hypothetically contribute to resilience and resistance in this host.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to present a method based on the application of method engineering, in order to eliminate downtime and improve the manufacturing cell. Design/methodology/approach: The research strategy employed was a case study applied to a manufacturing company to explore the causes of excessive dead time and low productivity. The methodology used was divided in five steps. The first corresponds to the analysis of the lathe and grinding process; the second is the elaboration of the man-machine diagram to identify dead times; the third is the application of the improvement proposal; the fourth is the redistribution of the cell to optimize the process; the fifth is to conclude from the results obtained. Findings: With the proposed method, the downtime was reduced by 41% and only 50% of the available labor is required, therefore, it is concluded that the method can be used to redesign manufacturing cells. Research limitations/implications: This research was limited to analyzing and improving human-machine interaction, since work is not just the machine, or the individual alone, or the individual manipulating the machine, therefore, no other tools were used to improve the time of machines operation. Practical implications: Designing a manufacturing cell that allows the operator to do his job with less fatigue and not adapt the operator to the job, as commonly happens. Social implications: Companies must show a greater interest in occupational health by including human capital in their optimization plans to avoid future harm to workers. Originality/value: The key contribution of this paper focused on developing a novel and practical methodology to design or re-design manufacturing cells to improve productivity considering the human factor, inspired by the main concepts of method engineering.

BackgroundNursing is a high-stress occupation that can have an impact on mental health, particularly for neonatal nurses. Job-related stress factors and work-related behaviors have played a critical role in nurses' mental health. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of mood disorders and the impact of social factors, lifestyle on mood disorders among neonatal nurses.MethodsA total of 260 participants comprising neonatal nurses and nurses who work in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) were recruited. Data were collected using a validated generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire, patient health questionnaire-9, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and social factors and lifestyle assessments.ResultsIn total, 49.23% of neonatal nurses exhibited mood disorders, particularly a combination of depression and anxiety. Female, poor interpersonal relationships and unhappy marital status, preference for smoking, alcohol, irregular diet, and poor sleep were common in neonatology nurses who exhibited mood disorders; preference for coffee and tea were lower in neonatology nurses without mood disorders (all P < 0.05). Interpersonal relationships, marital status, irregular diet, and poor sleep were independent factors associated with mood disorders among neonatal nurses (all P < 0.05). Mood disorders presented as functional dyspepsia (FD) among 50.78% of the participants (P < 0.05). Poor sleep and preference for smoking were common among neonatal nurses who had FD with mood disorders (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the preference for sugary beverages was lower in participants with FD and mood disorders (P < 0.05). Poor sleep was independently associated with FD with mood disorders in neonatology nurses (P < 0.05).ConclusionPrevalence of anxiety and depression was higher among neonatal nurses. Furthermore, most cases of mood disorders presented as FD. Thus, social factors and lifestyle have an impact on mood disorders which can manifest through somatic symptoms.

Seagrass meadows, as typical “blue carbon” ecosystems, play critical ecological roles in the marine ecosystem and decline every year. The application of biochar in soil has been proposed as a potential soil amendment to improve soil quality and mitigate global climate change. The effects of biochar on soil bacterial activities are integrally linked to the potential of biochar in achieving these benefits. However, biochar has been rarely applied in marine ecosystems. Whether the application of biochar could work on the seagrass ecosystem remained unknown. In this study, we investigated the responses of sediment and rhizosphere bacterial communities of seagrass Thalassia hemprichii to the biochar addition derived from maize at ratios of 5% by dry weight in the soil during a one-month incubation. Results indicated that the biochar addition significantly changed the sedimental environment with increasing pH, total phosphorus, and total kalium while total nitrogen decreased. Biochar addition significantly altered both the rhizosphere and sediment bacterial community compositions. The significant changes in rhizosphere bacterial community composition occurred after 30days of incubation, while the significant variations in sediment bacterial community composition distinctly delayed than in sediment occurred on the 14th day. Biochar application improved nitrification and denitrification, which may accelerate nitrogen cycling. As a stabilizer to communities, biochar addition decreased the importance of deterministic selection in sediment and changed the bacterial co-occurrence pattern. The biochar addition may promote seagrass photosynthesis and growth by altering the bacterial community compositions and improving nutrient circulation in the seagrass ecosystem, contributing to the seagrass health improvement. This study provided a theoretical basis for applying biochar to the seagrass ecosystem and shed light on the feasible application of biochar in the marine ecosystem.Graphical Abstract

With the exponential growth of the number of vehicles, a series of traffic system problems continue to emerge. Vehicle detection plays an important role in the traffic system. Researchers have invested a lot of energy on it, and have made many achievements. However, there are still some deficiencies in the accuracy and robustness. The development of satellite remote sensing technology and VR panoramic technology provides technical support for this study. In order to detect vehicles more accurately, provide accurate and effective data information to relevant departments, and improve traffic conditions, this study uses deep learning algorithm to detect vehicles in high-resolution satellite remote sensing images. Firstly, the images in the images are classified by using the Alexnet network model, and then the vehicle target detection ability of the Faster R-CNN model algorithm is tested, and the algorithm is optimized by the method of model pruning and quantization, so that the average accuracy rate reaches 70.34%, and has strong robustness. Then the algorithm model is applied to the practical application of vehicle detection at an intersection. The traffic flow and the number of speeding vehicles are detected, and the false detection rate and missing detection rate are calculated. The results showed that the rate of missed detection and false detection was 0% on December 19, and the highest rate was 4.5% and 2.7% respectively. This shows that the vehicle detection based on deep learning algorithm in high resolution satellite remote sensing images has high accuracy, can effectively detect speeding vehicles, and can play a normal role in practical applications.

Abstract Background Holobionts comprising nitrogen-fixing diazotrophs and phytoplankton or zooplankton are ubiquitous in the pelagic sea. However, neither the community structure of plankton-associated diazotrophs (PADs) nor their nitrogenase transcriptional activity are well-understood. In this study, we used nifH gene Illumina sequencing and quantitative PCR to characterize the community composition and nifH expression profile of PADs with > 100 μm size fraction in the euphotic zone of the northern South China Sea. Results The results of DNA- and RNA-derived nifH gene revealed a higher alpha-diversity in the active than in the total community. Moreover, the compositional resemblance among different sites was less for active than for total communities of PADs. We characterized the 20 most abundant OTUs by ranking the sum of sequence reads across 9 sampling stations for individual OTUs in both nifH DNA and RNA libraries, and then assessed their phylogenetic relatedness. Eight of the 20 abundant OTUs were phylogenetically affiliated with Trichodesmium and occurred in approximately equal proportion in both the DNA and RNA libraries. The analysis of nifH gene expression level showed uneven attribute of the abundance and nitrogenase activities by the remaining 12 OTUs. Taxa belonging to cluster III and Betaproteobacteria were present at moderate abundance but exhibited negligible nitrogenase transcription activity. Whereas, the abundances of Richelia, Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were low but the contribution of these groups to nitrogenase transcription was disproportionately high. Conclusions The substantial variation in community structure among active dizatrophic fractions compared to the total communities suggests that the former are better indicators of biological response to environmental changes. Altogether, our study highlights the importance of rare PADs groups in nitrogen fixation in plankton holobionts, evidenced by their high level of nitrogenase transcription.

IntroductionA modified and recombinant human endostatin (Rh-endostatin) is often used in the control of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) through intrapleural infusion.ObjectivesTo demonstrate the clinical response, survival, and safety of Rh-endostatin plus chemical irritants, their optimal combinations, treatment threshold, and optimal usage, we performed a new systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodologyAll randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collected from Chinese and English electronic databases (from inception until August 2020). We pooled the data using a series of meta-analyses and summarized the evidence quality following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.ResultsWe included 75 RCTs recruiting 4,678 patients, which reported six combinations for Rh-endostatin plus chemical irritants. Among the six combinations, only Rh-endostatin plus cisplatin (DDP) with enough trials might improve the complete response [2.29 (1.93, 2.71)] and quality of life [3.01 (2.49, 3.63)] and reduce treatment failure [0.29 (0.25, 0.33)] and progressive disease [0.27 (0.22, 0.34)]. It might not increase the risk of adverse drug reactions. For patients with lung cancer, moderate to massive effusion, initial treatment, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score ≥60, or anticipated survival time ≥3 months, Rh-endostatin (30–45 mg each time, once or twice a week 3–4 times) plus DDP (30–60 mg/m2) obtained a significant improvement in clinical response and a reduction of failure and progressive disease. Most results had good robustness and moderate quality.ConclusionsCurrent evidence suggests that Rh-endostatin with DDP may be an optimal combination, which may improve clinical response and reduce failure and progressive disease with good safety. Rh-endostatin (30–40 mg each time, once or twice a week 3–4 times) with DDP (30–40 mg/m2) may be an optimal usage for achieving an ideal response.

Long-chain non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are expressed in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tissues and have played a regulatory role in DLBCL with a cancer-promoting effect. In this study, the role of LncRNA SNHG8 in the regulation of DLBCL cells is investigated, and its underlying mechanism is explored. The database of the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was searched, and the expression of SNHG8 in DLBCL and normal tissues was examined. The expression of SNHG8 was evaluated in several DLBCL cell lines and a normal lymphocyte cell line. It was found that SNHG8 was overexpressed in DLBCL tissues and cells in comparison with their normal counterparts. The short hairpin RNA (shRNA) plasmids of SNHG8 were transfected into DLBCL cells to knockdown the expression of SNHG8, followed by assays of proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, and related protein expression. The results showed that the knockdown of SNHG8 significantly inhibited DLBCL cell proliferation and colony formation while promoting cell apoptosis. Moreover, the knockdown of SNHG8 reduced the expression of Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and Bcl-2 and enhanced the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase 3/9. MiR-335-5p was predicted to be a potential target of SNHG8 by using the bioinformatics analysis, and the interaction between the two was validated by using the dual luciferase assay. In addition, the knockdown of SNHG8 increased the level of miR-335-5p, whereas miR-335-5p mimic decreased the expression of SNHG8. Finally, U2932 cells were co-transfected with or without sh-SNHG8 and miR-335-5p inhibitors, whose proliferation, colony formation, and apoptosis were determined subsequently. It was demonstrated that the presence of an miR-335-5p inhibitor partially canceled the inhibitory effects of the knockdown of SNHG8 on DLBCL cell proliferation and colony formation and the stimulating effects of the knockdown of SNHG8 on cell apoptosis. Taken together, our study suggests that lncRNA SNHG8 exerts a cancer-promoting effect on DLBCL via targeting miR-335-5p.

A method is proposed to improve work performance through an adequate design of the manufacturing cell along with optimal environmental conditions to contribute to the well-being of the worker. The methodology used was divided into four stages: the first corresponds to the analysis of operations; the second is the analysis of the effect of the design of the manufacturing cell; the third is the evaluation of environmental conditions such as lighting, noise, and temperature to compare them with the official standard and determine if they meet the permitted levels; and the fourth is to conclude and recommend improvements to the manufacturing cell. The method was applied in a company in the automotive industry, where a change was made from a linear cell distribution to an L-shaped distribution, with a 50% reduction in workforce and an increase in the productive time of the worker of 49%. Also, the environmental conditions of the cell comply with the requirements of official standards.

Seagrasses are an important part of the coral reef ecosystem, and their rhizosphere microbes are of great ecological importance. However, variations in diversity, composition, and potential functions of bacterial communities in the seagrass rhizosphere of coral reef ecosystems remain unclear. This study employed the high-throughput sequencing based on 16S rDNA gene sequences and functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa (FAPROTAX) analysis to investigate these variations based on seagrass species and sampling locations, respectively. Results demonstrated that the seagrass rhizosphere microbial community was mainly dominated by phylum Proteobacteria (33.47%), Bacteroidetes (23.33%), and Planctomycetes (12.47%), while functional groups were mainly composed of sulfate respiration (14.09%), respiration of sulfur compounds (14.24%), aerobic chemoheterotrophy (20.87%), and chemoheterotrophy (26.85%). Significant differences were evident in alpha diversity, taxonomical composition and putative functional groups based on seagrass species and sampling locations. Moreover, the core microbial community of all investigated samples was identified, accounting for 63.22% of all obtained sequences. Network analysis indicated that most microbes had a positive correlation (82.41%), and two module hubs (phylum Proteobacteria) were investigated. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between the OTUs numbers obtained and the functional groups assigned for seagrass rhizosphere microbial communities (p < 0.01). Our result would facilitate future investigation of the function of seagrass rhizosphere microbes.

The Haima cold seep, which is one of the two active cold seeps in the South China Sea, is known for its great ecological importance. The seep bivalves are assumed to depend mainly on their bacterial symbiosis for survival and growth. However, information on the bacterial diversity, composition, and putative function of gill-associated of dominant dwelling animals in Haima cold seep remain elusive. Herein, we adopted a high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, and function prediction methods (Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa (FAPROTAX) and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICURUSTs)) to purposely illustrate the taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, composition, and putative functions of the symbionts in bathymodiolin mussel Gigantidas haimaensis (Bivalvia: Mytilidae: Gigantidas) and vesicomyid clam Archivesica marissinica (Bivalvia: Glossoidea: Vesicomyidae). The predominant microbes of both species were Proteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria on the phylum and class level, respectively. The taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of gill microbial communities in G. haimaensis were significantly different from those in A. marissinica (p < 0.05). Nine functional groups, including seven carbon-related biogeochemical groups, were identified through the FAPROTAX analysis. However, the most dominant groups for G. haimaensis and A. marissinica were both chemoheterotrophic. G. haimaensis and A. marissinica shared many pathways, however, 16 obtained Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) orthologous groups (42.11%) significantly differed between the two species (p < 0.05). These findings would provide insight into the functions of microbes in the element cycling and energy flow as well as the host-symbiont relationship of bivalves in the Haima cold seep environment.

Seagrasses in coral reef ecosystems play important ecological roles by enhancing coral reef resilience under ocean acidification. However, seagrass primary productivity is typically constrained by limited nitrogen availability. Ammonia oxidation is an important process conducted by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), yet little information is available concerning the community structure and potential activity of seagrass AOA and AOB. Therefore, this study investigated the variations in the abundance, diversity and transcriptional activity of AOA and AOB at the DNA and transcript level from four sample types: the leaf, root, rhizosphere sediment and bulk sediment of seagrass Thalassia hemprichii in three coral reef ecosystems. DNA and complementary DNA (cDNA) were used to prepare clone libraries and DNA and cDNA quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays, targeting the ammonia monooxygenase-subunit (amoA) genes as biomarkers. Our results indicated that the closest relatives of the obtained archaeal and bacterial amoA gene sequences recovered from DNA and cDNA libraries mainly originated from the marine environment. Moreover, all the obtained AOB sequences belong to the Nitrosomonadales cluster. Nearly all the AOA communities exhibited higher diversity than the AOB communities at the DNA level, but the qPCR data demonstrated that the abundances of AOB communities were higher than that of AOA communities based on both DNA and RNA transcripts. Collectively, most of the samples shared greater community composition similarity with samples from the same location rather than sample type. Furthermore, the abundance of archaeal amoA gene in rhizosphere sediments showed significant relationships with the ammonium concentration of sediments and the nitrogen content of plant tissue (leaf and root) at the DNA level (P < 0.05). Conversely, no such relationships were found for the AOB communities. This work provides new insight into the nitrogen cycle, particularly nitrification of seagrass meadows in coral reef ecosystems.

Diazotrophic communities make an essential contribution to the productivity through providing new nitrogen. However, knowledge of the roles that both mangrove tree species and geochemical parameters play in shaping mangove rhizosphere diazotrophic communities is still elusive. Here, a comprehensive examination of the diversity and structure of microbial communities in the rhizospheres of three mangrove species, Rhizophora apiculata, Avicennia marina, and Ceriops tagal, was undertaken using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA and nifH genes. Our results revealed a great diversity of both the total microbial composition and the diazotrophic composition specifically in the mangrove rhizosphere. Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were both ubiquitous and dominant, comprising an average of 45.87 and 86.66% of total microbial and diazotrophic communities, respectively. Sulfate-reducing bacteria belonging to the Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfovibrionaceae were the dominant diazotrophs. Community statistical analyses suggested that both mangrove tree species and additional environmental variables played important roles in shaping total microbial and potential diazotroph communities in mangrove rhizospheres. In contrast to the total microbial community investigated by analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, most of the dominant diazotrophic groups identified by nifH gene sequences were significantly different among mangrove species. The dominant diazotrophs of the family Desulfobacteraceae were positively correlated with total phosphorus, but negatively correlated with the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio. The Pseudomonadaceae were positively correlated with the concentration of available potassium, suggesting that diazotrophs potentially play an important role in biogeochemical cycles, such as those of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and potassium, in the mangrove ecosystem.

The effects of pre-deformation and artificial aging on fatigue life of 2198 Al-Li alloy were explored to further reveal its fatigue behavior and improve the damage tolerance. Fatigue life was investigated on 2198-T3 alloy after pre-deformation and aging treatments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the fracture morphology, precipitation behavior, fatigue crack initiation and propagation. Results indicated that T _1 (Al _2 CuLi) phase dominated the strengthening of 2198-T3 alloy after the further aging. Pre-deformation increased the number of dislocations in the matrix, which provided favorable position for nucleation of T _1 . The precipitation of θ ′ (Al _2 Cu) and δ ′ (Al _3 Li) were inhibited. Also, the formation and coarsening of precipitate-free zone (PFZ) were effectively avoided in this condition. Dislocation density in the 2198 Al-Li alloy matrix increased with the amount of pre-deformation, leading to an increase in micro-crack defects on the surface and inside alloy. As a result, decreased fatigue life and an increased crack growth rate of the alloy were observed. Overall, 2198 Al-Li alloy had the best fatigue life and damage tolerance enhancement after it underwent 3% pre-deformation and was aged at 155 °C for 15 h.

The coral holobiont often resides in oligotrophic waters; both coral cells and their symbiotic dinoflagellates possess ammonium assimilation enzymes and potentially benefit from the nitrogen fixation of coral-associated diazotrophs. However, the seasonal dynamics of coral-associated diazotrophs are not well characterized. Here, the seasonal variations of diazotrophic communities associated with three corals, Galaxea astreata, Pavona decussata and Porites lutea, were studied using nifH gene amplicon pyrosequencing techniques. Our results revealed a great diversity of coral-associated diazotrophs. nifH sequences related to Alphaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were ubiquitous and dominant in all corals in two seasons. In contrast with the coral P. decussata, both G. astreata and P. lutea showed significant seasonal changes in the diazotrophic communities and nifH gene abundance. Variable diazotroph groups accounted for a range from 11% to 49% within individual coral samples. Most of the variable diazotrophic groups from P. decussata were species-specific, however, the majority of overlapping variable groups in G. astreata and P. lutea showed the same seasonal variation characteristics. Rhodopseudomonas palustris- and Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus-affiliated sequences were relatively abundant in the summer, whereas a nifH sequence related to Halorhodospira halophila was relatively abundant in spring G. astreata and P. lutea. The seasonal variations of all diazotrophic communities were significantly correlated with the seasonal shifts of ammonium and nitrate, suggesting that diazotrophs play an important role in the nitrogen cycle of the coral holobiont.

Phytoplankton quantification was conducted in Sanya Bay from January 2005 to February 2006. A submersible in situ spectrofluorometer, which permits the differentiation of four algal groups (green algae, diatoms and dinoflagellates, cryptophytes and cyanobacteria) was used. Seasonal variation of total chlorophyll a concentration showed that high value appeared in summer and low concentration occurred in spring. Diatoms and dinoflagellates group was the predominant phytoplankton all year in the Bay. The stable stratification of phytoplankton vertical distribution came into being in July. During the stratification event, the total chlorophyll a concentration of deep layer was much higher than the surface; cyanobacteria and cryptophyta groups decreased and almost disappeared, however, the concentration of green algae and diatoms and dinoflagellates groups increased. In deep layer, the concentration of diatoms and dinoflagellates group increased sharply, which was about eight times more than that in the surface layer. The vertical profiles character of phytoplankton showed that from inshore stations to outer bay the stratification of phytoplankton vertical distribution gradually strengthened. Dissolved inorganic nutrient especially phosphate and inorganic nitrogen and cold-water upwelling were the main regulating factor for phytoplankton distribution.

Bacterial community structure and the relationship between environmental variables and microbial communities in the surface sediments of tropical mangrove ecosystems were investigated in Sanya, Hainan Island, China. Profiles of bacterial communities were generated using culture-independent PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and the results were interpreted with multivariate statistical analysis. Findings suggested that microbial communities varied with sample collection sites and seasons. The samples collected from the same sample sites at the same time had more similar microbial communities except samples SH3 and AB5, which also had unique sediment quality. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that the organic carbon concentration of the sediments accounted for a significant amount of the variability in the bacterial community composition. Phylogenetic analysis was used to identify the major groups of the predominant bacterial phylotypes. 16S rRNA gene-V3 fragments from 17 individual DGGE bands were sequenced and the corresponding bacteria were found in mangrove sediments for the first time based on BLAST results. Predominant bacterial phylotypes clustered with various taxonomic groups, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes.

Histone lysine crotonylation (KCR), a novel epigenetic modification, is important in regulating a broad spectrum of biological processes and various diseases. However, whether KCR is involved in neuropathic pain remains to be elucidated. We found KCR occurs in macrophages, sensory neurons, and satellite glial cells of trigeminal ganglia (TG), neurons, astrocytes, and microglia of the medulla oblongata. KCR in TG was detected mainly in small and medium sensory neurons, to a lesser extent in large neurons. Peripheral nerve injury elevated KCR levels in macrophages in the trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia and microglia in the medulla oblongata but reduced KCR levels in sensory neurons. Inhibition of histone crotonyltransferases (p300) by intra-TG or intrathecal administration of C646 significantly alleviated partial infraorbital nerve transection (pIONT)- or spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Intra-TG or intrathecal administration of Crotonyl coenzyme A trilithium salt to upregulate KCR dose-dependently induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in mice. Mechanismly, inhibition of p300 alleviated pIONT-induced macrophage activation and reduced the expression of pain-related inflammatory cytokines Tnfα, Il1β and chemokines Ccl2 and Cxcl10. Correspondingly, exogenous crotonyl-CoA induced macrophage activation and the expression of Tnfα, Il1β, Il6, Ccl2 and Ccl7 in TG, which C646 can repress. These findings suggest that histone crotonylation might be functionally involved in neuropathic pain and neuroinflammation regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoa is a resilient high-yielding pseudo-crop that produces grains with a balanced amino acid composition and a higher protein content than the major cereals. To explore a suitable local cultivation model in the northern part of Shanxi Province, the influence of different densities and row spacing were analyzed on the above-ground agronomic and yield characteristics. The quinoa variety 'Q1' was sown at different seeding density (6.0x 104, 7.5x104, 9.0x104, 10.5x104, and 12x104 plants h-1) and row spacings (40, 50, 60, 80+40, and 90+30 cm). The results showed that the quinoa had the longest growth period and lowest lodging rate under the density of 9.0x104 plants h-1. The post-flowering chlorophyll content, stalk strength, the number of branches, and 1000-grains weight were increased first and then decreased with increasing the planting density, highest at 9x4 plants h-1 which were 24%, 30%, 39%, 27%, and 44% higher respectively than other density. Wide-narrow row arrangement of 80+40 cm was more appropriate for lower density while uniform row spacing of 60 cm significantly increased yield and improved canopy at optimum and higher density. It can be seen that the optimum planting density (9x104 plants h-1) and row spacings (60 cm) can increase the yield of quinoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GIS remote sensing technology provides a new generation of observation methods, description languages and thinking tools for scientific research, government management and social production. Therefore, we need to increase research and development of GIS. This paper proposes relevant methods, key points and problems to be solved through the combination of GIS remote sensing automation integration and integrated application. The remote sensing monitoring is the main data source and data updating method of GIS. The research further supports the comprehensive development and utilization of remote sensing information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partridge tea is one of the famous local herbal teas of Hainan Island, China. In the present study, headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were combined to determine and analyze the volatile components in the red and green leaves of partridge tea. Seventeen volatile components were identified in the red young leaves. The olefins, alkanes, and alcohols accounted for 71.24%, 1.1%, and 0.54%, among which the main components were caryophyllene (22.50%), humulene (18.73%), and a-guaiene (8.78%), respectively. Twenty volatile components were identified from red mature leaves, including 34.74% olefins, 6.14% esters, and 3.11% acids. Eighteen volatile components were identified from green young leaves, among which olefins (70.52%), alkanes (4.32%), and alcohol (0.89%) were the major components. Nineteen volatile components were identified from green mature leaves, among which the olefins, esters, and acids were the major components with the contents of 46.04%, 6.38%, and 1.37%, respectively. Results showed that the major volatile components of partridge tea were olefins, in which caryophyllene was the most abundant. The contents of volatile components between red leaves and green leaves had notable differences, which might be useful for germplasm identification of partridge tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the positive impact of a teaching practice on student learning outcomes in an online MBA program. An instructional project guideline was developed to help online students enhance their achieving required learning objectives corresponding to five categories of Bloom's Taxonomy. The course learning objectives are based on primary course standards well-received by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) for online MBA programs, and student learning outcomes were assessed with a pre-designed assessment rubric. All data were collected from student projects in an online MBA operations management course over the last four-year period. The results of this research indicated the efficacy of the instructional project guideline in: using information technology to enhance personal and organizational effectiveness; helping online students achieve the required learning objective to evaluate a resource allocation and a marketing, production management decision using appropriate quantitative or qualitative tools; assess individual and group competencies in a virtual team as well as producing plans to improve personal and team effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows represent one of the highest productive marine ecosystems and are of great ecological and economic values. Recently, they have been confronted with worldwide decline. Fungi play important roles in sustaining the ecosystem health as degraders of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but fewer studies have been conducted in seagrass ecosystems. Hence, we investigated the dynamic variations of the fungal community succession under PAH stress in rhizosphere sediment of seagrasses Enhalus acoroides in this study. Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and a clone library have been employed to analyze the fungal community's shifts. Sequencing results of DGGE and the clone library showed that the predominant species belong to phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. The abundance of three groups decreased sharply over the incubation period, whereas they demonstrated different fungal diversity patterns. Both the exposure time and the PAH concentrations affected the microbial diversity as assessed by PCR-DGGE analysis. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that significant factors driving community shifts were ammonium and pH (p < 0.05). Significant amounts of the variations (31.1%) were explained by pH and ammonium, illustrating that those two parameters were the most likely ones to influence or be influenced by the fungal communities' changes. Investigation results also indicated that fungal communities in seagrass meadow were very sensitive to PAH-induced stress and may be used as potential indicators for the PAH contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertical variations of bacterial community composition in the South China Sea was investigated on 18 September 2009 by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and analyzed by multivariate analysis. Twenty-seven sequences retrieved from DGGE bands fell into five groups based on BLAST analysis. The dominant bacteria were Cyanobacteria (35.7%) and Proteobacteria (39.2%). The DGGE profile showed Proteobacteria mostly obtained from samples from the deeper layers while sequences related to Cyanobacteria only existed in the euphotic layer. Other phylogenetic groups have been identi?ed as Firmicutes (10.7%), Actinobacteria (7.1%), and Deinococcus-Thermus (3.6%). The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean has been employed to cluster the samples, and results indicated that all samples tended to group together on the basis of depth and could be further subclassified into two subgroups: Group I (including samples from 0 m, 50 m, 75 m, 100 m, and 150 m) and Group II (including samples from 200 m, 400 m, 500 m, 600 m, 700 m, and 900 m). Canonical correspondence analysis revealed the temperature was the most significant factor in determining the vertical distribution of the bacterial community (P=0.018, P<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study on identifying key successful factors in knowledge transfer resulting from business mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in those (so-called) traditional industries (e.g., textile and steel & iron) with the data collected in the steel and iron industry in Southwestern China. Specifically, this research investigates the relationship between prior-gained knowledge of merging companies, preparation and implementation processes, and actual performance after knowledge transfer. The result reveals that such prior-gained knowledge of merging companies will have a significant positive impact on the motivation for proposed M&A, while it, in contrast, may only have a limited impact on other factors such as the levels of transferred knowledge, its investments, implementation process, and the final performance. In fact, the prior-gained knowledge about the transferred knowledge among involved firms in the M&A is often mutually complementary. This research suggests that intensive motivation for M&A will have a positive impact on the desire levels of knowledge transfer, which will in turn have a positive impact on the success of knowledge transfer implementation process, and a successful implementation process then certainly will make a positive contribution to the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study on identifying key successful factors in knowledge transfer resulting from business mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in those (so-called) traditional industries (e.g., textile and steel & iron) with the data collected in the steel and iron industry in Southwestern China. Specifically, this research investigates the relationship between prior-gained knowledge of merging companies, preparation and implementation processes, and actual performance after knowledge transfer. The result reveals that such prior-gained knowledge of merging companies will have a significant positive impact on the motivation for proposed M&A, while it, in contrast, may only have a limited impact on other factors such as the levels of transferred knowledge, its investments, implementation process, and the final performance. In fact, the prior-gained knowledge about the transferred knowledge among involved firms in the M&A is often mutually complementary. This research suggests that intensive motivation for M&A will have a positive impact on the desire levels of knowledge transfer, which will in turn have a positive impact on the success of knowledge transfer implementation process, and a successful implementation process then certainly will make a positive contribution to the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The saccharification process of swine manure by conventional and microwave-assisted acid pretreated were investigated using cellulose enzymes, respectively. The optima for microwave-assisted acid pretreated swine manure is achieved when swine manure of 50 g l−1 of substrate concentration and water amount 40 ml was pretreated by 4% H2SO4 concentration with 445 W microwave powers for 30 min at pretreatment period, and temperature 50 °C, enzyme loading 2 mg g−1 substrate, substrate concentration 5 g l−1 and initial medium pH 4.8 at enzymes hydrolysis period by microwave-assisted acid pretreated, respectively. The optimal conditions by conventional acid pretreated is obtained when 50 g l−1 swine manure was submerged in 40 ml, 4% H2SO4 maintained at 130 °C for 3 h at pretreatment period, and temperature 45 °C, enzyme loading 2 mg g−1 substrate, substrate concentration 15 g l−1 and initial medium pH 5.2 at enzymes hydrolysis period, respectively. Under the optimum conditions microwave-assisted acid pretreatment could achieve higher yield of reducing sugar, short reaction time, and lower energy consumption than from the conventional acid pretreatment, which indicates that microwave-assisted acid pretreatment is more suitable for swine manure pretreatment than by acid alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mallotus peltatus is a tropical plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, which could be used as a beverage and medicine in Hainan, China. Here, we report and characterize the complete plastome of M. peltatus. The complete plastome is 163,304 bp in length and contains a typical structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,112 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 89,886 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,840 bp. The plastome contains 131 genes, consisting of 78 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA gene, four unique rRNA genes (5S rRNA, 4.5S rRNA, 23S rRNA and 16S rRNA), and eight pseudogenes. The overall A/T content in the plastome of M. peltatus is 64.02%. The complete plastome sequence of M. peltatus will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for phylogenetic studies in Euphorbiaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plant cell culture technology is a potential way to produce polyphenols, however, this way is still trapped in the dilemma of low content and yield. Elicitation is regarded as one of the most effective ways to improve the output of the secondary metabolites, and therefore has attracted extensive attention.Methods: Five elicitors including 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and Rhizopus Oryzae Elicitor (ROE) were used to improve the content and yield of polyphenols in the cultured Cyclocarya paliurus (C. paliurus) cells, and a co-induction technology of 5-ALA and SA was developed as a result. Meanwhile, the integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome was adopted to interpret the stimulation mechanism of co-induction with 5-ALA and SA.Results: Under the co-induction of 50 μM 5-ALA and SA, the content and yield of total polyphenols of the cultured cells reached 8.0 mg/g and 147.12 mg/L, respectively. The yields of cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, procyanidin B1 and catechin reached 28.83, 4.33 and 2.88 times that of the control group, respectively. It was found that expressions of TFs such as CpERF105, CpMYB10 and CpWRKY28 increased significantly, while CpMYB44 and CpTGA2 decreased. These great changes might further make the expression of CpF3′H (flavonoid 3′-monooxygenase), CpFLS (flavonol synthase), CpLAR (leucoanthocyanidin reductase), CpANS (anthocyanidin synthase) and Cp4CL (4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase) increase while CpANR (anthocyanidin reductase) and CpF3′5′H (flavonoid 3′, 5′-hydroxylase) reduce, ultimately enhancing the polyphenols accumulationConclusion: The co-induction of 5-ALA and SA can significantly promote polyphenol biosynthesis in the cultured C. paliurus cells by regulating the expression of key transcription factors and structural genes associated with polyphenol synthesis, and thus has a promising application.

The author team attended a group which visited University of Nebraska Medical Center and experienced their medical education system in 2016, sponsored by China Scholarship Council. Some education reformations and trials were carried out in the authors’ affiliations after the program finished. In this work, an analysis of the differences in medical education of the USA and of China was made, combining the published perspectives and our own experiences. The critical comments raised in this work may contribute to the remodeling of our medical education system and teaching mode.

Mallotus peltatus is a tropical plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, which could be used as a beverage and medicine in Hainan, China. Here, we report and characterize the complete plastome of M. peltatus. The complete plastome is 163,304 bp in length and contains a typical structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,112 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 89,886 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,840 bp. The plastome contains 131 genes, consisting of 78 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA gene, four unique rRNA genes (5S rRNA, 4.5S rRNA, 23S rRNA and 16S rRNA), and eight pseudogenes. The overall A/T content in the plastome of M. peltatus is 64.02%. The complete plastome sequence of M. peltatus will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for phylogenetic studies in Euphorbiaceae.