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• Chronic exposure to Cd induces significant alterations of miRNAs in rat kidneys. • Cd up-regulates miR-122-5p and miR-326-3p in common bio-samples from rats and humans. • MiR-122-5p and miR-326-3p may serve as novel biomarkers for Cd exposure. Cadmium is a common environmental and occupational pollutant and can produce toxic effects in a range of organs, especially in kidneys, after long-term exposure. MicroRNAs are ideal candidate biomarkers for various types of disorders, including renal diseases. In this study, we profiled the global miRNA expressions in rat kidneys using miRNA microarrays and found a collection of differentially expressed miRNAs induced by cadmium exposure. Among all of the candidate miRNAs, we identified miR-122-5p and miR-326-3p as early biomarkers for cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity. The two-miRNA signature was validated by quantitative real-time PCR in HK-2 and NRK-52E cells, rat kidney, serum and urine samples, and serum of an occupational population. Our results indicate that miR-122-5p and miR-326-3p may be potential biomarkers for cadmium exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerning the cumulative damage of building structures caused by the long-term effects from high-speed railway train loads and various environmental impacts, and to ensure the service safety of building structures around viaducts, this paper establishes a vibration safety assessment method for the entire life cycle of building structures with less workload and good applicability, while ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of the prediction of vibration response of building structures. Firstly, the vibration source function is formed based on the mechanical model of the mobile vibration source of high-speed railway trains, and the vibration wave of high-speed railway trains is numerically simulated. Then the time and frequency characteristics of the simulated high-speed railway train vibration waves are verified through on-site monitoring tests. In addition, the peak particle vibration velocity attenuation formula for the foundation site of the viaduct is derived by the dimension analysis method, and it is used to correct the attenuation characteristics of the simulated high-speed railway train vibration waves. Finally, based on the response spectrum method to realize the prediction and assessment of the overall vibration response of the building structures, and using the cumulative damage coefficient to reflect the cumulative degree of the service damage of the building structure, a vibration safety assessment method for the whole lifecycle of the building structure is proposed. The method overcomes the shortcoming that vibration velocity does not reflect the impact of service damage on the vibration safety of building structures, and avoids neglecting localized vibration damage, and is therefore useful for the rapid, overall vibration safety assessment of any long-term service building structure in a viaduct site. • Derived vibration source function of high-speed railway train vibration wave field in a viaduct site. • Corrected the attenuation characteristics of the high-speed railway train vibration waves. • The cumulative damage coefficient is utilized to reflect the cumulative degree of service damage of building structures. • Proposed a method to assess the vibration safety of building structures throughout their whole lifecycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Polycomb group (PcG) complexes such as PRC1 mediate transcriptional repression. Here, we show that the plant-specific EMBRYONIC FLOWER1 (EMF1), LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1, and a histone H3 lysine-4 demethylase form a distinct PcG complex, termed EMF1c, that plays PRC1-like roles and is crucial for regulation of the florigen gene FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) in Arabidopsis. Long-day photoperiods promote FT expression activation in leaf veins specifically at dusk through the photoperiod pathway to induce Arabidopsis flowering. We found that before dusk and at night, a vascular EMF1c directly represses FT expression to prevent photoperiod-independent flowering, whereas at dusk EMF1 binding to FT chromatin is disrupted by the photoperiod pathway, leading to proper FT activation. Furthermore, a MADS-domain transcription factor and potent floral repressor binds EMF1 to repress FT expression. Our study reveals that the vascular EMF1c integrates inputs from several flowering-regulatory pathways to synchronize flowering time to environmental cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canopy size has an important and direct influence on water consumption by raising maize (Zea mays L.) transpiration through increased stomata number on leaves and reducing soil evaporation through blocking solar radiation. Evapotranspiration of maize was determined between 2012 and 2013 by weighing lysimeters at National experimental station for precise agriculture in Beijing. The results showed that total water consumption was 386.3 mm and 366.2 mm for maize strain with large (L) and small canopy (S), respectively. From DAS 50 to DAS 80, the difference of water consumption between two maize strains enlarged at a higher rate than other periods, which was about 4.2 mm at intervals of 10 days. Both the highest periodical water consumption and daily water consumption occurred at the Mid-stage, which was 151.8 mm for L and 139.1 mm for S, 5.06 mm/day for L and 4.64 mm/day for S, respectively. The crop coefficient was 1.11 and 1.04 and seasonal crop coefficients at Initial stage, Mid-stage and Late stage were 0.46, 1.53, 1.22 and 0.44, 1.40, 1.09 for L and S, respectively. The duration when daily Kc was bigger than 1(Kc > 1) was 56 days for L and was 5 days more than that of S, respectively. Although bigger canopy consumed more water, a higher water use efficiency of L is not only for its higher averaged yield, but also for its more positive response of yield to ET increment than that of S between two years. The stable yield performance is helpful for a long-term high water use efficiency. The characteristics of water consumption for maize of different canopy size may help to optimize water utilization in semiarid region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]