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Psoriasis is a recrudescent chronic immune-mediated inflammatory dermatosis; the production and release of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines such as TNF-a has been regarded as critical issues during psoriasis pathogenesis. Based on online microarray profiles, the expression of the transcription factor GATA3 was downregulated in psoriasis lesion tissues. In the present study, we searched for miRNAs that might be related to TNF-a and GATA3 to investigate an in-depth understanding of psoriasis pathogenesis. Herein, higher TNF-a and GATA3 protein levels were observed in psoriasis lesion tissues and that GATA3 overexpression significantly reverses TNF-a-induced increases within the production of IL-6 and CXCL8 in keratinocytes. TNF-a stimulation increases miR-155 expression dose-independently, and the miR-155 inhibitor significantly reverses TNF-a-induced suppression of GATA3 protein levels and increases IL-6 and CXCL8 production. miR-155 could suppress the expression of GATA3 by targeting its 3'UTR, while GATA3 could activate the transcription of IL37 by targeting its promoter region. miR-155 overexpression reduces IL37 protein and increases CXCL8 production; GATA3 overexpression might significantly attenuate the effects of miR-155 overexpression. In contrast to GATA3, miR-155 expression is significantly upregulated in psoriasis lesion tissue and is negatively correlated with GATA3 and IL37. In summary, the miR-155/GATA3/IL37 axis modulates the production of IL-6 and CXCL8 upon TNF-a stimulation to affect psoriasis development. Thus, miR-155/GATA3/IL37 may be potent targets for psoriasis treatment, which needs further in vivo and clinical investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil degradation has become a major problem in agricultural systems worldwide. It is thus critical to develop new, effective soil amendments to improve soil properties. In this study, soil incubation experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of biochar on soil chemical and biochemical properties combined with the statistical techniques of principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Biochars derived from four types of feedstocks were added to Psammaquent, Plinthudult, and Paleudalf soils at rates of 1 and 3% for incubation. After 180 d, biochars increased the soil total C, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable base cations, and pH and decreased the exchangeable Al, while the changes in exchangeable inorganic n and the soil microbial biomass were complicated in different soils and biochars. The effect of biochars on soil properties were: swine manure biochar > pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] peel biochar = rape (Brassica campestris L.) straw biochar > reed [Phragmites australis (cav.) Trin. ex Steud.] straw biochar. The most susceptible parameters influenced by biochar addition in the Psammaquent soil were acidity-related properties, whereas it was both n species and acidity-related properties for the Plinthudult and Paleudalf soils. The higher incorporation rate caused large changes in soil properties and the overall properties of the Psammaquent soil were more easily influenced by biochars than the Plinthudult and Paleudalf soils. In conclusion, biochar appeared more appropriate to correct the acidity in the Psammaquent soil, whereas it also affected n species changes in the Plinthudult and Paleudalf soils. The swine manure biochar had the greatest amelioration effect on the properties of the three soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that examines the contribution of common soil organic and inorganic components to butachlor sorption. It states that butachlor has been widely used in Asia and South America for the control of annual grasses, and it also applied in China as herbicides, however, its widespread use has led to a high content in soils and water, causing serious environmental problem. The study observes six kinds of pure minerals such as montmorillonite, kaolinite, and amorphous hydrated iron oxides to evaluate their contributions to butachlor sorption. The study finds out the potential association of clay minerals, and soil organic and inorganic components to butacholor sorption.

The herbicide butachlor [N-(butoxymethyl)-2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)acetamide] is a pre-emergence herbicide belonging to the chloroacetanilide group used widely to control grasses in Asian countries. Butachlor has toxicity to aquatic organisms and earthworms and can induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. This study used a batch equilibration method to investigate butachlor sorption by different size organomineral fractious of a black soil. About 60 to 70% of butachlor was adsorbed on the clay size fraction, 30 to 40% on the silt fraction, and <0.3% by the fine sand fraction. For the clay fraction, the nonlinearity of adsorption was significant in the low equilibrium concentration range. For the silt and fine sand fractions, the isotherms were near linear across the concentration range studied. Butachlor adsorption on a clay fraction treated with H2O2 showed that the degree of nonlinearity became smaller, and the value of the normalized sorption coefficient for organic C (Koc) was much higher than that of the untreated clay fraction. Mineral colloids might have a dual function in the butachlor adsorption process. For an adsorbent with a very low soil organic matter (SOM) content, mineral colloids could enhance butachlor adsorption because of their high exposed mineral surface, which would result in higher Koc values. Foe an adsorbent with a high SOM content, mineral colloids might weaken the SOM partition function because of their strong association with and coating of SOM, which would result in lower Koc values. These results are useful to better understand the adsorption mechanism of anthropogenic organics in different components and size fractions of soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which investigates the dynamics of extractable residues (ERs) and non-extractable residues (NERs) of metsulfuron-methyl in twelve Chinese paddy soils using radiolabeled material to understand their relationships to soil properties. The metsulfuron-methyl has a chemical purity greater than 98.0%. Twelve paddy soils were taken from Zhejiang Province and that fresh soil samples were taken to the laboratory immediately after sampling. The study shows that ERs decreased gradually after application, whereas NERs hiked rapidly during the initial 28 days, and gradually lessened thereafter. The study also shows that ERs and NERs were respectively 10.1-67.9% and 5.6-28.7% of applied radioactivity in soils at 224 days after application.