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Earthworm casts have been recognized as contributing to long-term carbon protection, but few studies have focused on the mechanism by which this is achieved. Most of the literature documenting earthworm casts revolves around the difference between the earthworm cast and natural soil, whereas little attention has been given to deciphering the effects of different tillage systems on earthworm casts. Further, whether or not an earthworm cast, like soil, affects its own organic carbon content through physical structure stability is still somewhat vague, and very little is known. The objective for this study was to determine the effect of tillage on organic carbon and physical structure stability parameters in earthworm casts. Undisturbed soil columns were collected from a 17-year tillage experiment including no tillage (NT), ridge tillage (RT) and mouldboard ploughing (MP) in Northeast China. Each column was seeded with ten earthworms (Eisenia foetida), incubated at 18 °C for 120 days and casts were collected and analysed. Both NT and RT led to significantly greater organic carbon (20.5% and 14.4%), total pore volume (54.6% and 75.6%), total pore area (45.4% and 60.4%), permeability (21.8% and 66.4%), fluid conductivity (26.2% and 31.1%), tensile strength (34.1% and 51.2%) and water resistance index (16.7% and 22.3%) in the casts compared to MP (P

Adaptation of fine root plasticity to soil nutrients heterogeneity in natural forest ecosystems has not been well explored. The study aimed to determine seasonal variations of fine root traits in Pinus koraiensis natural forests and explore the relationship between fine root traits and soil properties. Root and soil samples were collected from the coniferous broad-leaved mixed forest (BP), monospecific P. koraiensis forest (MP), and coniferous mixed forest (CP). Soil available phosphorus (P) content for MP was 31.7% and 39.8% lower than for BP and CP. Soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) for MP was lower by 23.5% and 27.2% than for BP and CP, respectively. In July, specific root lengths and root surface areas for BP and CP (mixed forests) were significantly higher than for MP (monospecific forest). A structural equation model showed that CEC had a significant effect on fine root traits. Root diameter, root volume density, and root surface area density were negatively correlated with CEC. Fine root traits plasticity of P. koraiensis are closely related to soil available nutrient contents, CEC, and species composition at the ecosystem level.

Fertilization influences the soil microbiome. However, little is known about the effects of long-term fertilization on soil microbial metabolic pathways. In this study, we investigated the soil microbiome composition and function and microbial participation in the N cycle according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) functional annotation of different genes in a metagenomic analysis after long-term fertilization. Fertilizer application significantly changed the soil C/N ratio. Chemical fertilizer (NPK) treatment decreased soil pH, and chemical fertilizer combined with straw (NPK+S0.5) treatment increased ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) but decreased nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N). NPK, NPK+S0.5 and S0.5 applications did not change the soil microbiome composition or dominant phylum but changed the relative abundances of microbiome components. Moreover, fertilizer significantly influenced metabolic processes, cellular processes and single-organism processes. Compared with a no-fertilizer treatment (CK), the NPK treatment resulted in more differentially expressed gene (DEG) pathways than the NPK+S0.5 and S0.5 treatments, and these pathways significantly correlated with soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N), available phosphorus (AP) and the moisture content of soil (MC). KEGG analysis found that fertilizer application mainly affected the ribosome, photosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. S0.5 and NPK+S0.5 increased microbial nitrogen fixation, and NPK and NPK+S0.5 decreased amoA and amoB and accelerated denitrification. Thus, organic fertilizer increased N fixation and nitrification, and inorganic N fertilizer accelerated denitrification. We found that the function of the soil microbiome under different fertilizer applications could be important for the rational application of fertilizer and for environmental and sustainable development.

The study of aquatic organisms’ ectomorphology is important to understanding the mechanisms of efficient swimming and drag reduction in fish. The drag reduction mechanism in fish remains unknown yet is needed for optimising the efficiency of bionic fish. It is thus crucial to conduct drag tests and analyses. In this paper, an optimal dolphin morphological model is constructed taking the beakless porpoise as the research object. A numerical simulation of the dolphin body model is carried out for different combinations of pitch angle and speed adopting computational fluid dynamics, and the flow field noise of the dolphin body model is solved for different speeds using the FW-H equation. When the dolphin model is oriented horizontally, the differential pressure drag accounts for approximately 20–25% of the total drag as airspeed increases. As both the pitch angle and airspeed increase, the differential pressure drag and friction drag decrease with increasing airspeed. Moreover, the acoustic energy is mainly concentrated at low frequencies for both the dolphin and Bluefin-21 models. The dolphin body model has better noise performance than the Bluefin-21 model at the same speed. The optimisation of the external morphology of the bionic underwater submarine and the analysis of the shape drag are thus important for revealing the drag reduction mechanism, reducing noise in the flow field and provide guidance for research on bionic fish.

Abstract In this commentary, we briefly introduce the importance of metabolic reprogramming in non‐small celllung cancer (NSCLC) and the role of aberrant glycolysis processes intumorigenesis and metastasis. We further summarize the regulation of deubiquitylation modification on glycolysis‐related kinases in this system. Andwe discusse the major discovery the research by He Yuanming et al. published in Clinical and Translational Medicine.Their study demonstrates targeting the USP7‐c‐Abl‐HK2 axis represents a promising therapeutic strategt for NSCLC.

Visual selection plays a fundamental role in various aspects of animal behavior, such as colony formation, maintenance, defense, and courtship. This study investigated the effect of bionic robot fish color on carp behavior based on physiological characteristics that were observed during behavioral experiments. Through computer image processing and analysis of light attenuation, we observed changes in the number and positioning of carp with bionic robotic fish of different colors (white, red, blue, green, and yellow). The results indicated that (1) the attenuation coefficient of visible light in freshwater was red > yellow > green > blue; (2) the order of the average change in the number of carp responding to different colors of robotic fish was white > red > green > yellow > blue, and carp were more sensitive and responsive to white and red robotic fish; and (3) the order of the distances between different colors of robotic fish and carp was white < yellow < blue < green < red, and white and yellow robotic fish were more attractive to carp. Therefore, the use of white or yellow robotic fish for relevant operations can reduce disturbance to fish schools.

With the development of nanomedicine, more and more nanoparticles are used in the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia. This study aimed to identify author, country, institutional, and journal collaborations and their impacts, assess the knowledge base, identify existing trends, and uncover emerging topics related to leukemia research. 1825 Articles and reviews were obtained from the WoSCC and analyzed by Citespace and Vosviewer. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NANOMEDICINE is the journal with the highest output. The contribution of FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY is also noteworthy. The three main aspects of research in Nanoparticles-leukemia-related fields included nanoparticles for the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia, related to the type and treatment of leukemia, the specific molecular mechanism, and existing problems of the application of nanoparticles in leukemia. In the future, synthesize nano-drugs that have targeted therapy and chemotherapy resistance according to the mechanism, which may be the dawn of the solution to leukemia. This study offers a comprehensive overview of the Nanoparticles-leukemia-related field using bibliometrics and visual methods for the first time, providing a valuable reference for researchers interested in Nanoparticles-leukemia.

We consider the computing issues of the steady probabilities for block-structured discrete-time Markov chains that are of upper-Hessenberg or lower-Hessenberg transition kernels with a continuous phase set. An effective computational framework is proposed based on the wavelet transform, which extends and modifies the arguments in the literature for quasi-birth-death (QBD) processes. A numerical procedure is developed for computing the steady probabilities based on the fast discrete wavelet transform, and several examples are presented to illustrate its effectiveness.

The response of belowground biological processes to soil N availability in Larix gmelinii (larch) and Fraxinus mandshurica (ash) plantations was studied. Soil and root respiration were measured with Li-Cor 6400 and gas-phase O2 electrodes, respectively. Compared with the control, N fertilization induced the decreases of fine root biomass by 52% and 25%, and soil respiration by 30% and 24% in larch and ash plantations, respectively. The average soil microbial biomass C and N were decreased by 29% and 42% under larch stand and 39% and 47% under ash stand, respectively. While the fine root tissue N concentration under fertilized plots was higher 26% and 12% than that under control plots, respectively, the average fine root respiration rates were increased by 10% and 13% in larch and ash stands under fertilized plot, respectively. Soil respiration rates showed significantly positive exponential relationships with soil temperature, and a seasonal dynamic. These findings suggest that N fertilization can suppress fine root biomass at five branch orders (<2 mm in diameter), soil respiration, and soil microbial biomass C and N, and alter soil microbial communities in L. gmelinii and F. mandshurica plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) is a key transporter of iron uptake and delivering in human and animals. However, post-transcriptional regulation of DMT1 is poorly understood. In this study, bioinformatic algorithms (TargetScan, PITA, miRanda, and miRDB) were applied to predict, screen, analyze, and obtain microRNA-16 family members (miR-16, miR-195, miR-497, and miR-15b) targeting DMT1, seed sequence and their binding sites within DMT1 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) region. As demonstrated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, luciferase activity of DMT1 3′ UTR reporter was impaired/enhanced when microRNA-16 family member over-expression plasmid/its inhibitor was transfected to HCT116 cells. Corroboratively, co-transfection of microRNA-16 family member over-expression plasmid and DMT1 3′ UTR mutant reporter repressed the luciferase activity in HCT116 cells. In addition, over-expression microRNA-16 family member augmented its expression and diminished DMT1 protein expression in HCT116 cells. Interestingly, tail vein injection of miR-16 assay revealed reduced plasma iron levels, higher miR-16 expression, and lower DMT1 protein expression in the duodenum of mice. Taken together, we provide evidence that microRNA-16 family (miR-16, miR-195, miR-497, and miR-15b) is confirmed to repress intestinal DMT1 expression in vitro and in vivo, which will give valuable insight into post-transcriptional regulation of DMT1.

It is well-known that hepatic iron dysregulation, which is harmful to health, can be caused by stress. The aim of the study was to evaluate chronic variable stress (CVS) on liver damage, hepatic ferrous iron deposition and its molecular regulatory mechanism in rats. Sprague Dawley rats at seven weeks of age were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (Con) and a CVS group. CVS reduces body weight, but increases the liver-to-body weight ratio. The exposure of rats to CVS increased plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, but decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, resulting in liver damage. CVS lowered the total amount of hepatic iron content, but induced hepatic Fe(II) accumulation. CVS up-regulated the expression of transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) and ZRT/IRT-like protein 14 (ZIP14), but down-regulated ferritin and miR-181 family members. In addition, miR-181 family expression was found to regulate ZIP14 expression in HEK-293T cells by the dual-luciferase reporter system. These results indicate that CVS results in liver damage and induces hepatic Fe(II) accumulation, which is closely associated with the up-regulation of ZIP14 expression via the miR-181 family pathway.

Background Cultivating the wine-cap mushroom (Stropharia rugosoannulata) on forestland has become popular in China. However, the effects of wine-cap Stropharia cultivation on soil nutrients and bacterial communities are poorly understood. Methods We employed chemical analyses and high-throughput sequencing to determine the impact of cultivating the wine-cap Stropharia on soil nutrients and bacterial communities of forestland. Results Cultivation regimes of Stropharia on forestland resulted in consistent increases of soil organic matter (OM) and available phosphorus (AP) content. Among the cultivation regimes, the greatest soil nutrient contents were found in the one-year interval cultivation regime, and the lowest total N and alkaline hydrolysable N contents were observed in the current-year cultivation regime. No significant differences were observed in alpha diversity among all cultivation regimes. Specific soil bacterial groups, such as Acidobacteria, increased in abundance after cultivation of Stropharia rugosoannulata. Discussion Given the numerous positive effects exerted by OM on soil physical and chemical properties, and the consistent increase in OM content for all cultivation regimes, we suggest that mushroom cultivation is beneficial to forest soil nutrient conditions through increasing OM content. Based on the fact that the one-year interval cultivation regime had the highest soil nutrient content as compared with other cultivation regimes, we recommend this regime for application in farming practice. The spent mushroom compost appeared to be more influential than the hyphae of S. rugosoannulata on the soil nutrients and bacterial communities; however, this requires further study. This research provides insight into understanding the effects of mushroom cultivation on the forest soil ecosystem and suggests a relevant cultivation strategy that reduces its negative impacts.

Flos Chrysanthemi Indici (FCI) is a Chinese herbal medicine used in China for over 2000 years. In this study, its ethanol extract (EFCL) was found to protect against hydroxyl radical (·−OH) induced oxidative damages to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and DNA. To explore the mechanism, EFCL was further determined by chemical and antioxidant assays. Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric assay suggested that content of total phenolics was 93.85 ± 3.56 mg catechin/g and HPLC analysis indicated a content of 10.05 ± 1.44 mg/g as chlorogenic acid in EFCI. Antioxidant assays revealed that EFCI could also scavenge ·−O2− radical (IC50 58.74 ± 1.30 μg/mL), DPPH·− radical (IC50 46.46 ± 1.35 μg/mL) and ABTS+·− radical (IC50 20.59 ± 0.52 μg/mL), bind Fe2+ (IC50 364.27 ± 19.57 μg/mL) and Cu2+ (IC50 734.77 ± 34.69 μg/mL), reduce Fe3+ (IC50 147.11 ± 11.09 μg/mL) and Cu2+ (IC50 35.69 ± 3.14 μg/mL). On the basis of mechanistic analysis, we concluded that FCI can effectively protect against hydroxyl-induced damages to DNA and MSCs, therefore FCI shows promise as a possible therapeutic reagent for many diseases. The effect may be mainly attributed to phenolics especially chlorogenic acid, which exerts the antioxidant action possibly through metal-chelating, and radical-scavenging which is via hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) and/or sequential electron proton transfer (SEPT) mechanisms.

Ferroportin (FPN) is the only known cellular iron exporter in mammalian. However, post-transcriptional regulation of intestinal FPN has not yet been completely understood. In this study, bioinformatics algorithms (TargetScan, PicTar, PITA, and miRanda) were applied to predict, screen and obtain microRNA-17 family members (miR-17, miR-20a, miR-20b, and miR-106a) targeting FPN, ‘seed sequence’ and responding binding sites on the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) region of FPN. Dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed miRNA-17 family members’ mimics decreased the luciferase activity, whereas their inhibitors increased the luciferase activity. Compared with the FPN 3′UTR wild type reporter, co-transfection of a miRNA-17 family members’ over-expression plasmids and FPN 3′UTR mutant reporters enhanced the luciferase activity in HCT116 cells. Transfection with miR-20b overexpression plasmid significantly enhanced its expression, and it inhibited endogenous FPN protein expression in Caco-2 cells. Additionally, tail-vein injection of miR-20b resulted in increasing duodenal miR-20b expression, decreasing duodenal FPN protein expression, which was closely related to lower plasma iron level in mice. Taken together, these data suggest that the miR-20b is identified to regulate intestinal FPN expression in vitro and in vivo, which will provide a potential target for intestinal iron exportation.

Este ensayo critica la definición común de corrupción como el abuso del sector público para beneficio privado. Los dos elementos de esta definición están errados: la corrupción también se da en el sector privado y en algunos casos no es para beneficio privado. Otro de los problemas con el tratamiento actual de la corrupción es su dependencia con el utilitarismo, lo que reduce la moralidad a asuntos de utilidad individual. Este trabajo le da una dimensión no utilitarista y moral, y considera a la corrupción organizacional como una tolerancia a violar las normas establecidas. Además, se establece que la corrupción organizacional involucra costos sociales que no pueden ser internalizados en su totalidad en el modelo de Coase, porque la corrupción por si misma perjudica la estructura de los derechos de propiedad.

OBJECTIVE:Sustained hemodynamic stress mediated by high blood flow promotes arteriogenesis, the outward remodeling of existing arteries. Here, we examined whether Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) regulates arteriogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS:Ligation of the left common carotid led to an increase in vessel diameter and perimeter of internal and external elastic lamina in the contralateral, right common carotid. Deletion of CaMKIIδ (CaMKIIδ-/-) abolished this outward remodeling. Carotid ligation increased CaMKII expression and was associated with oxidative activation of CaMKII in the adventitia and endothelium. Remodeling was abrogated in a knock-in model in which oxidative activation of CaMKII is abolished. Early after ligation, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was robustly expressed in the adventitia of right carotid arteries of WT but not CaMKIIδ-/- mice. MMP9 mainly colocalized with adventitial macrophages. In contrast, we did not observe an effect of CaMKIIδ deficiency on other proposed mediators of arteriogenesis such as expression of adhesion molecules or smooth muscle proliferation. Transplantation of WT bone marrow into CaMKIIδ-/- mice normalized flow-mediated remodeling. CONCLUSION:CaMKIIδ is activated by oxidation under high blood flow conditions and is required for flow-mediated remodeling through a mechanism that includes increased MMP9 expression in bone marrow-derived cells invading the arterial wall.