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Epilepsy detection and focus location are urgent issues that need to be solved in epilepsy research. A cortex conformable and fine spatial accuracy electrocorticogram (ECoG) sensor array, especially for real-time detection of multicortical functional regions and delineating epileptic focus remains a challenge. Here, we fabricated a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-parylene hybrid, flexible micro-ECoG electrode array. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanocomposite-modified electrode interface significantly improved the sensing performance with low impedance (20.68 ± 6.65 kΩ), stable phase offset, and high sensitivity. The electrophysiological activities of multicortical brain regions (somatosensory cortex, parietal association cortex, and visual cortex) were simultaneously monitored during normal and epileptic statuses. The epileptic ECoG activities spread spatiotemporally from the starting point toward the adjacent cortex. Significant variations of the waveform, power, and frequency band were observed. The ECoG potential (123 ± 23 μV) at normal status was prominently up to 417 ± 87 μV at the spike wave stage. Besides, the power for epileptic activity (11.049 ± 4.513 μW) was 10 times higher than that (1.092 ± 0.369 μW) for normal activity. In addition, the theta frequency band was found to be a characteristic frequency band of epileptic signals. These joint analysis results of multicortical regions indicated that the active micron-scale region on the parietal association cortex was more likely to be the epileptogenic focus. Cortical mapping with high spatial detail provides the accurate delineation of lesions. The flexible micro-ECoG electrode array is a powerful tool for constructing a spatiotemporal map of the cortex. It provides a technical platform for epileptic focus location, biomedical diagnosis, and brain-computer interaction.

Desert regions are regarded as highly sensitive to climatic changes. In arid and semi-arid desert, photosynthetic organisms from biological soil crusts are poikilohydric and sensitive to fluctuations in precipitation. How do physiological properties such as concentration of biochemical constituents and enzymes respond to a precipitation gradient from semi-arid to arid desert regions? We sampled cyanobacteria and moss crusts from four desert regions with distinctly different amounts of annual rainfall. Subsequently, the contents of photosynthetic pigments, malondialdehyde (MDA), osmotic adjustment substances, and antioxidative enzyme activities were correlated with the means of annual precipitation, evaporation, and temperature at the various sites. Crust type, precipitation level, and their interaction had significant influences on many physiological properties (photosynthetic pigments, proline, soluble sugar, and superoxide dismutase). The contents of soluble protein, proline, and soluble sugar of cyanobacteria/moss crusts decreased with increasing precipitation level. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of cyanobacteria crusts decreased significantly with increasing annual precipitation. No significant variations in MDA were observed between different precipitation regions in the two crusts. Among the environmental variables tested, the annual amount of precipitation had the strongest effect on the physiological properties of moss/cyanobacteria crusts in different regions. Crust type combined with particular precipitation level influenced the physiological properties of crusts. Moreover, both moss and cyanobacteria crusts exhibited strong physiological adaptability to changes in precipitation. This result needs to be incorporated into future ecological models, which will help in understanding the function and vulnerability of biocrusts in the face of climate change.

Mutation in TMEM240 is suggested to cause SCA21, but the specific mechanism has not been clarified. The subcellular localization, specific biological function, and corresponding mechanism of action of TMEM240 have also not been delineated. In this study, the mRNA and protein expression of TMEM240 were assessed using qPCR and western blotting, respectively. Live cell imaging was used to establish the sub-cellular location of TMEM240, and electron microscopy was used to determine the morphology and distribution of TMEM240 in the cell. TMEM240 was specifically expressed in the neurons. Exogenous TMEM240 formed a multilayered cell structure, which we refer to as TMEM240-Body (T240-Body). T240-Body was separated and purified by centrifugation and filtration. An anchor protein His-tagged-GFP-BP on Ni-NTA agarose was used to pull down T240-GFP binding proteins. Both the N-terminal and the C-terminal of TMEM240 were confirmed to be inside the T240-Body. Co-localization experiments suggested that peroxisomes might contribute to T240-Body formation, and the two transmembrane regions of TMEM240 appear to be essential for formation of the T240-Body. Emerin protein contributed to formation of T240-Body when combined with TMEM240. Overall, this study provides new insights into TMEM240, which inform future research to further our understanding of its biological function.

Background This study aims to explore the effects of Corilagin on insulin resistance (IR) of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the underlying mechanisms. Methods The PCOS rat model was established by subcutaneously injected with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) of 6 mg/kg/day. Body weight and ovary weight were recorded. Serum glucose and insulin concentration were analyzed with commercial kits. The expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) was detected by Western blot. Results The results showed that DHEA could induce ovarian dysfunction of rats and Corilagin alleviated DHEA-induced ovarian dysfunction. Corilagin reduced DHEA-induced increase of serum glucose and insulin concentration. Corilagin increased the expression level of p-AMPK/AMPK and p-GSK3β/GSK3β of rat ovarian induced by DHEA. Conclusions The present research reported the protective effects of Corilagin on PCOS, and demonstrated the protection effect was related to decreasing IR through regulating AMPK/GSK3β pathway.

Purpose: To examine the effect of mangiferin on insulin resistance (IR) in a rat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) model.Methods: The rat PCOS model was established via subcutaneous injection of 6 mg/kg of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and mangiferin was orally administered. Body and ovarian weights were recorded. Serum levels of glucose, insulin, and related inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while the expression levels of key proteins were analyzed by western blotting.Results: DHEA significantly increased ovarian weight and the ratio of ovarian weight/body weight (p

Excessive fat accumulation can lead to obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, and other diseases. MicroRNAs are a class of microRNAs that regulate gene expression and are highly conserved in function among species. microRNAs have been shown to act as regulatory factors to inhibit fat accumulation in the body. We found that miR-370-3p was expressed at lower levels in the fat mass of mice on a high-fat diet than in mice on a normal control diet. Furthermore, our data showed that the overexpression of miR-370-3p significantly suppressed the mRNA expression levels of adipogenic markers. Thus, miR-370-3p overexpression reduced lipid accumulation. Conversely, the inhibition of miR-370-3p suppressed 3T3-L1 preadipocyte proliferation and promoted preadipocyte differentiation. In addition, Mknk1, a target gene of miR-370-3p, plays an opposing role in preadipocyte proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, consistent results from in vitro as well as in vivo experiments suggest that the inhibition of fat accumulation by miR-370-3p may result from the inhibition of saturated fatty acids that promote the accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In conclusion, these results suggest that miR-370-3p plays an important role in adipogenesis and fatty acid metabolism through the regulation of Mknk1.

Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) is a common complication of Parkinson’s disease that seriously affects patients’ health and quality of life. At present, the process and pathological mechanisms of PDD remain controversial, which hinders the development of treatments. An increasing number of clinical studies have shown that alpha-synuclein (α-syn), tau, beta-amyloid (Aβ), and iron are closely associated with PDD severity. Thus, we inferred the vicious cycle that causes oxidative stress (OS), due to the synergistic effects of α-syn, tau, Aβ, and, iron, and which plays a pivotal role in the mechanism underlying PDD. First, iron-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production can lead to neuronal protein accumulation (e.g., α-syn andAβ) and cytotoxicity. In addition, regulation of post-translational modification of α-syn by iron affects the aggregation or oligomer formation of α-syn. Iron promotes tau aggregation and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formation. High levels of iron, α-syn, Aβ, tau, and NFTs can cause severe OS and neuroinflammation, which lead to cell death. Then, the increasing formation of α-syn, Aβ, and NFTs further increase iron levels, which promotes the spread of α-syn and Aβ in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Finally, iron-induced neurotoxicity promotes the activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) related pathways in the synaptic terminals, which in turn play an important role in the pathological synergistic effects of α-syn, tau and Aβ. Thus, as the central factor regulating this vicious cycle, GSK3β is a potential target for the prevention and treatment of PDD; this is worthy of future study.

WRKYs play important roles in plant metabolism, but their regulation mechanism in Rehmannia glutinosa remains elusive. In this study, 37 putative WRKY transcription factors (TFs) with complete WRKY domain from R. glutinosa transcriptome sequence data were identified. Based on their conserved domains and zinc finger motif, the R. glutinosa WRKY TFs were divided into five groups. Structural feature analysis shows that the 37 RgWRKY proteins contain WRKYGQK/GKK domains and a C2H2/C2HC-type zinc finger structure. To identify the function of RgWRKY members involved in acteoside biosynthesis, transcriptional profiles of 37 RgWRKYs in hairy roots under salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatments were systematically established using RNA-seq analysis. Based on the correlationship between the expression levels of RgWRKY genes and acteoside content, RgWRKY7, RgWRKY23, RgWRKY34, RgWRKY35, and RgWRKY37 were suggested to be involved in acteoside biosynthesis in R. glutinosa, and RgWRKY37 was selected for gene functional research. Overexpression of RgWRKY37 increased the content of acteoside and total phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) in hairy roots and enhanced the transcript abundance of seven enzyme genes involved in the acteoside biosynthesis pathway. These results strongly suggest the involvement of the WRKY transcription factor in the regulation of acteoside biosynthesis.

Soil organic carbon (OC) and nitrogen (N) associated with particle size fractions can be used as sensitive indicators to evaluate impacts of land use change on soil total OC (TOC) and total N (TN) pools. Aeolian sandy‐soils were collected from seven sites in the Tengger Desert, representing a 56‐year chronosequence of plant restoration at decadal intervals in an arid desert region. Bulk soils were separated into silt + clay ( 100 μm) fractions. TOC and TN concentrations of bulk soil and their levels associated with particle size fractions were analyzed. Results showed that plant restoration promoted C and N sequestration in both topsoil and subsoil layers over time, as indicated by elevated levels of OC and N associated with silt + clay and sand fractions. TOC and TN concentrations of 56‐year restored topsoil respectively increased by 31‐ and 43‐fold than did the control (moving dunes); corresponding levels associated with silt + clay or coarse sand fraction respectively increased by more than 30‐ and 20‐fold, whereas less than 15‐fold increases were found in fine sand fraction. In the early stages of plant restoration, both C and N sequestration primarily resulted from finer particle size fractions. In the later stages, increased C sequestration was principally derived from coarse sand fraction, whereas N sequestration was mainly derived from silt + clay fraction. The results highlight that plant restoration stage and soil textural change are key factors leading to divergent soil C and N sequestration in the arid desert region.

Background：The Rhizoma Atractylodis has long been recommended for the treatment of different diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. The main component of Rhizoma Atractylodis is Atractylodes lancea volatile oils which possesses anti-microorganism, anti-tumor, cognitive protection and immunoregulation. The aim of the study was to elucidate the mechanism of Atractylodes lancea volatile oils promoting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) chondrogenic differentiation. Method：Atractylodes lancea volatile oils were extracted from Chinese medicine Cangzhu by volatile oil extractor. MSCs culture were treated with Atractylodes lancea volatile oils medium. Real-time reverse transcription PCR was conducted to verify the candidate microRNAs discovered by microarray analysis. Western-blot analyzed the expressions of mark genes. Sanger sequences identified the changes of the base pairs which would be edited by ADAR2 enzyme. Toluidine blue staining identified the changes of cells chondrogenic differentiation. Result：Treatment of Atractylodes lancea volatile oils increased the cells chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs. Atractylodes lancea volatile oils promoted the expression of ADAR2 enzyme which may edit the precursor of miR-181a-5p. A dual luciferase reporter system assay verified that transcription factors yingyang1(YY1) was targeted by miR-181a-5p which was downregulated in MSCs chondrogenic differentiation. Conclusion：This work demonstrates the mechanism of Atractylodes lancea volatile oils promoting MSCs to chondrogenic differentiation. It may provide an alternative strategy for treatment purposes and diagnosis in clinic.

Ferroptosis is associated with neural degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, how to control the level of ferroptosis in PD remains unclear. Clinically, moxibustion has been used to treat PD and has an apparent therapeutic effect on improving the motor symptoms of PD. In the present study, the PD rat model was constructed by two-point stereotactic 6-hydroxydopamine injection. Then, moxibustion was used to treat the PD rats. The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and Ferritin Heavy Chain 1 (FTH1), the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the morphology of mitochondrial were detected to evaluate the level of ferroptosis. The results showed that moxibustion treatment of Shi’s moxa sticks could reduce the behavioral score, alleviate the level of ferroptosis, decrease mitochondrial damage, and improve dopaminergic neuron survival. In conclusion, the present study results indicated that Shi’s moxa sticks could effectively suppress the level of ferroptosis, thereby improving the survival of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc of PD rats, which may provide a promising complementary and alternative therapy for PD patients.

As programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is considered a referenced therapeutic biomarker, a rapid and low-cost method to detect PD-L1 in body fluids is necessary. In this work, a paper-based microfluidic aptasensor for label-free electrochemical detection of PD-L1 in liquids was fabricated. The aptasensor integrates a reaction cell and a three-electrode system, and a differential pulse voltammetry electrochemical method was adopted. PD-L1 aptamer with a low equilibrium dissociation constant was used as a biorecognition molecule. To bind the aptamer and assist in the electrochemical measurement, nanocomposites were synthesized and used to modify the working electrode, which was composed of an amine-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube, new methylene blue and gold nanoparticles. The basic performance of the aptasensor was tested in phosphate-buffered saline: the linear range was between 10 pg mL−1 and 2.5 ng mL−1, and the detection limit was 10 pg mL−1 (signal/noise = 3). Moreover, the aptasensor was used for the detection of serum samples and compared with an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the aptasensor provides a new low-cost, portable and highly sensitive detection method for PD-L1, as an alternative to ELISA.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons associated with dysregulation of iron homeostasis in the brain. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death process that serves as a significant regulatory mechanism in PD. However, its underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. By performing RNA sequencing analysis, we found that the main iron storage protein ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) is differentially expressed in the rat 6-hydroyxdopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD compared with control rats. Our present work demonstrates that FTH1 is involved in iron accumulation and the ferroptosis pathway in this model. Knockdown of FTH1 in PC-12 cells significantly inhibited cell viability and caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, FTH1 was found to be involved in ferritinophagy, a selective form of autophagy involving the degradation of ferritin by ferroptosis. Overexpression of FTH1 in PC-12 cells impaired ferritinophagy and downregulated microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 and nuclear receptor coactivator 4 expression, ultimately suppressing cell death induced by ferroptosis. Consistent with these findings, the ferritinophagy inhibitors chloroquine and bafilomycin A1 inhibited ferritin degradation and ferroptosis in 6-OHDA-treated PC-12 cells. This entire process was mediated by the cyclic regulation of FTH1 and ferritinophagy. Taken together, these results suggest that FTH1 links ferritinophagy and ferroptosis in the 6-OHDA model of PD, and provide a new perspective and potential for a pharmacological target in this disease. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13311-020-00929-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This work presents the imprint-thorough mold via (i-TMV) concept applicable for compartmental level electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The i-TMV structure could be successfully fabricated by imprinting with the silicon master and filling with the conductive paste. We have fabricated a daisy-chained i-TMV test vehicle and it showed good connectivity. In order to study the EMI shielding properties, the electric field simulation was performed. Single and triple-array structures were modeled based on the fabricated test vehicle, and compared with the structure without via array. The result showed that the i-TMV could provide excellent EMI shielding.

The imprint-Through Mold Via was proposed for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding of Antenna in Package (AiP) application. The 300 μm-height via array could be successfully imprinted by using the silicon master which has 743 pillars with the diameter of 100 μm, pitch of 200 μm and height of 370 μm, and the via array was well filled by vacuum printing method with newly developed conductive paste utilizing transient liquid phase sintering. In order to evaluate the electric characteristics of the via array, a daisy-chain test vehicle (TV) which could connect all the vias together was fabricated. In the result of the reliability test, no electrical failure was confirmed of this daisy-chain.

As a sensitive cold-shock protein, RNA binding protein motif 3 (RBM3) exhibits a neuroprotective function in the condition of brain injury. However, how RBM3 is involved in acute ischemic stroke by affecting stress granules (SGs) remains unclear. Here, we established an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model in rat primary cortical neurons and PC12 cells to explore the potential mechanism between RBM3 and SG formation in acute ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) condition. The immunofluorescence results showed that the SG formation significantly decreased in rat primary cortical neurons and PC12 cells during the reperfusion period after 6 h of OGD stimulation. The western blot results, flow cytometry analysis, and cell viability assessment showed that the RBM3 expression and ratio of cell viability significantly decreased, while the rate of apoptosis increased in PC12 cells during the reperfusion period after 6 h of OGD stimulation. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and immunofluorescence indicated that RBM3 and GTPase-activating protein-binding protein 1 (G3BP1) colocalized cytoplasm of PC12 cells after 6 h of OGD stimulation when the SGs formation reached the highest level. Besides, overexpression and knockdown of the RBM3 were achieved via plasmid transfection and CRISPR-Cas9 technology, respectively. The results of overexpression and knockdown of RBM3 gene illustrated the pivotal role of RBM3 in affecting SG formation and apoptosis level in OGD-treated PC12 cells. In conclusion, RBM3 could combine with G3BP1 resulted in increasing stress granules generation in rat primary cortical neurons and PC12 cells after 6 h of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) injury, which ultimately reduced the apoptosis in OGD-induced cells. Our study may enable a new promising target for alleviating ischemia-reperfusion injury in cells.

Beef cattle production systems are the largest contributors of greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia (NH3) emissions in the livestock industry. Here, we present the first meta-analysis and integrated assessment of gaseous emissions and mitigation potentials for a typical beef cattle feedlot system, including methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and NH3 losses from enteric fermentation and manure management based on data from 104 studies. A total of 14 integrated emission factors (EF) and the mitigation efficiencies (ME) of 17 available options were provided. The estimated GHG and NH3 emissions from the baseline feedlot system were 2786 ± 108 kg carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) per animal unit (AU) per year and 49.1 ± 1.5 kg NH3 AU-1 year-1, respectively. Enteric CH4 fermentation and manure on the feedlot contributed 67.5% and 80.8% of the total system GHG and NH3 emissions, respectively. The highest ME values were found for lipid additives for enteric CH4 fermentation and urease inhibitor additives (UI) for NH3 emissions from manure on the feedlot, being -14.9% ( p < 0.05) and -59.5% ( p < 0.001), respectively. The recommended mitigation combinations of a low-crude-protein (CP) diet and a UI additive for manure on the feedlot could reduce the GHG of the system by 4.9% and NH3 by 50.9%. The results of this study have important implications for developing sustainable beef cattle feedlot systems from the viewpoint of GHG and NH3 mitigation.

A new type of multifunctional magnetic chitosan microspheres based on phase change materials (M-PCM-CTS, M represents magnetic, PCM represents phase change materials and CTS represents chitosan) were designed and synthesized through multi-emulsification and cross-linking method. The chemical compositions and structures of M-PCM-CTS were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). M-PCM-CTS presented a regular spherical morphology with a uniform diameter of 500 μm. Thermal analysis indicated that the M-PCM-CTS not only revealed reliable phase change performance with a maximum thermal enthalpy of 80 J/g, but also exhibited various melting and crystallization temperature depending on the length of alkanes chain. The multifunctional microspheres developed in this work would open up a new synthesis route for a wide range of multifunction polymers and finds novel opportunities for use in the fields of thermal energy storage, adsorption and magnetic effectiveness.

Winter snowfall is an important water resource for organisms in desert ecosystems. Changing snow depth is expected to exert a potential influence on growth and ecological functions of biological soil crusts (BSCs), which are known as a dominant functional vegetation unit of desert ecosystems. However, limited attention has been paid to this potential effect on BSCs. A field simulation experiment was conducted to measure the water content, nutrient concentrations (organic carbon; total nitrogen; available nitrogen; available phosphorus; available potassium; ammonium nitrate; and nitrate nitrogen), and microbial biomass (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) in samples (cyanobacterial and lichen crusts and subcrust soil) under snow cover of different depths after a four year experiment (from October 2013 to April 2017) in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The results showed that water content increased with increasing snow depth (P

Climate change-driven increases in drought and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition frequency and severity across the world, and these changes have profound impacts on forest dynamics by affecting tree carbon balance. However, important knowledge gaps persist concerning the interactions between drought and N enrichment on carbon supply and reserve dynamics. We investigated gas exchange and carbohydrate reserve shifts and associated with leaf chemical composition across two temperate tree saplings coping with different levels of drought stress, N nutrition addition and their interactions. Our results showed that drought stress decreased net photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs), while A and gs were increased by N addition, combined with increased gs under the interactive effects of drought and N addition, indicating that N nutrient availability had suppressing effect on drought stress and improved the drought-induced negative conditions by altering carbon exchange traits. In addition, we found that N addition reduced the concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components in relation to foliar carbon and nitrogen changes and the fast growth of saplings. Under the interaction of drought and N nutrition addition, no variation in carbohydrate concentrations demonstrate that carbon reserves play a critical role in regulating carbon exchange and growth. Our observations provide evidence of N nutrient availability mitigated drought stress by improving carbon exchange and reserves, which is expected to contribute to the predictions of future vegetation dynamics.

Storage temperature is a key factor in determining gas emissions from slurry storage. The reactive nitrogen-related gas (NH3, N2O, and NO) emission characteristics and resulting mechanisms from digested pig slurry stored under different temperatures of 5 (A5), 15 (B15), 25 (C25), and 35 °C (D35) were investigated in this study. Results showed that the temperature increase from 15 to 25 °C was crucial for the changes in the total chemical characteristics of slurry, the increase of gas emissions, and the nitrifiers and denitrifiers accumulation in the slurry. Chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen (TN), and total ammonia nitrogen content of the slurry decreased while pH increased significantly during storage under C25 and D35, while no obvious changes can be found under A5 and B15. NH3, N2O, and NO emissions increased by 284%, 451%, and 454%, respectively, when the storage temperature increased from 15 to 25 °C. The highest emissions of NH3, N2O, and NO were observed in D35, with the emission factor being 42.3% ± 9.0%, 2.26% ± 0.96%, and 0.11% ± 0.03% of initial TN, respectively; while the lowest emission factor was 4.2% ± 0.2%, 0.04% ± 0.01%, and 0.0003% ± 0.0001% for NH3, N2O, and NO in A5, respectively. The high temperature caused the increased abundance of Nitrosomonas, leading to the high N2O emission in D35. Vulcanibacillus and Thauera were the dominant denitrifiers in the microbial communities, and their increased abundance was another possible explanation for increased N2O emission on C25 and D35. Therefore, regulating slurry temperature to lower than 15 °C can effectively limit the NH3 and N2O emissions, and thus contributed to the air pollution reduction and global warming control. Meanwhile, compared with the cool temperature conditions, extra mitigation options were suggested to be applied to control the gases emissions when slurry was stored under hot conditions such as in summer.

A series of halloysite nanotube (HNT)-doped chitosan (CS)/oxidized dextran (ODEX) adhesive hydrogels were developed through a Schiff base reaction. The resultant CS/ODEX/HNT hydrogels could not only form in situ on wounds within only 1 s when injected, but could also adapt to wounds of different shapes and depths after injection. We established four rat and rabbit hemorrhage models and demonstrated that the hydrogels are better than the clinically used gelatin sponge for reducing hemostatic time and blood loss, particularly in arterial and deep noncompressible bleeding wounds. Moreover, the natural antibacterial features of CS and ODEX provided the hydrogels with strong bacteria-killing effects. Consequently, they significantly promoted methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -infected-wound repair compared to commercial gelatin sponge and silver-alginate antibacterial wound dressing. Hence, our multifunctional hydrogels with facile preparation process and utilization procedure could potentially be used as first-aid biomaterials for rapid hemostasis and infected-wound repair in emergency injury events.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has significant effects on ecosystems, environments, and human health, as well as atmospheric processes and climate change. Two ultraviolet radiation datasets are described in this paper. One contains hourly observations of UV radiation measured at 40 Chinese Ecosystem Research Network stations from 2005 to 2015. CUV3 broadband radiometers were used to observe the UV radiation, with an accuracy of 5%, which meets the World Meteorology Organization's measurement standards. The extremum method was used to control the quality of the measured datasets. The other dataset contains daily cumulative UV radiation estimates that were calculated using an all-sky estimation model combined with a hybrid model. The reconstructed daily UV radiation data span from 1961 to 2014. The mean absolute bias error and root-mean-square error are smaller than 30% at most stations, and most of the mean bias error values are negative, which indicates underestimation of the UV radiation intensity. These datasets can improve our basic knowledge of the spatial and temporal variations in UV radiation. Additionally, these datasets can be used in studies of potential ozone formation and atmospheric oxidation, as well as simulations of ecological processes.

In arid and semi-arid desert ecosystems, physical, chemical, and vegetative measures were used to prevent wind erosion. However, studies on the utilization of microbial resources for sand fixation are still limited. To fill this gap, a new strain of Bacillus tequilensis CGMCC 17603 with high productivity of exopolysaccharide (EPS) was isolated from biological soil crusts, and its high-density culture technology and sand-fixing ability were studied. The one-factor-at-a-time approach (OFAT) and Box&ndash, Behnken design of CGMCC 17603 showed that the optimum culture conditions were pH 8.5, temperature 31 &deg, C, agitation speed 230 rpm, and inoculation quantity 3%, and the optimum medium was 27.25 g/L glucose, 15.90 g/L yeast extract, and 5.61 g/L MgSO4&bull, 7H2O. High-density culture showed that the biomass and EPS yield of CGMCC 17603 increased from 9.62 &times, 107 to 2.33 &times, 109 CFU/mL, and from 8.01 to 15.61 g/L, respectively. The field experiments showed that CGMCC 17603 could effectively improve the ability of sand fixation and wind prevention. These results indicated that B. tequilensis, first isolated from cyanobacterial crusts, can be considered as an ideal soil-fixing agent to combat desertification in arid and semi-arid areas.

Animal slurry storage is an important source of NH3 emission which has raised a high attention regarding its influence on air quality and environment health. There is an urgent need to develop an efficient, green and safe technology for reducing NH3 emission. This study introduced a novel method of reducing NH3 emission from dairy slurry storage using H2SO4 modified expanded vermiculite cover (H2SO4-VM1). Results showed that NH3 mitigation of 87% was achieved in the treatment of H2SO4-VM1 during 77 days of slurry storage, which could be mainly caused by conversion of free NH3 to NH4+ in acidified slurry surface and vermiculite layer, the cover barrier for gases emissions, NH4+ adsorption by vermiculite cover, and direct adsorption of free NH3 in the vermiculite layer. The NH3 mitigation of H2SO4-VM1 was comparable to that (90%) of the traditional method of H2SO4 acidification for slurry storage (H2SO4-AC1). The N2O emission, H2S emission, and H2SO4 consumption in H2SO-VM1 were 28, 93 and 39% lower than those in H2SO4-AC1, respectively. Economic cost calculated based on material input in H2SO-VM1 method was 0.40 USD m-2 slurry. It's suggested that H2SO4-VM1 can be a possible alternative for reducing NH3 emissions from animal slurry storage.

Combined applications of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals were investigated to generate artificially induced biological soil crust (BSC). Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Tacki-Spray (TKS7) chemicals composed of bio-polysaccharides and tackifiers were examined under laboratory conditions. Following singular applications of chemicals, the mean weight diameter values of soil treated with TKS7 were 1.4–2.5 times higher than those of soil treated with PVA and thus TKS7 was selected for further tests for application with cyanobacteria (Nostoc Vaucher ex Bornet & Flahault, Phormidium Kutzing ex Gomont, and Scytonema arcangeli Bornet ex Flahault). Combined application of cyanobacteria and different concentrations of TKS7 enhanced soil aggregate stability, resulting in mean weight diameter values of 0.58–0.69 mm and was comparable to TKS7 singular application (0.18–0.40 mm). Surface hardness values were also highly improved by the combined application of cyanobacteria with TKS7 (4.5 MPa) compared to si...

Background The Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type R (PTPRR), which regulates the dephosphorylation of the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) steering cell proliferation, apoptosis and synaptic plasticity, may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. Methods Lentiviral vectors were utilized to express the PTPRR constitutively in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of mice before or after chronic mild stress. Behavior tests, MAPK levels, neuronal apoptosis and cell proliferation in the hippocampal DG were examined. Results Without chronic mild stress (CMS), the lenti-shPTPRR mice showed shorter immobility time in the tail suspension test than controls, while the lenti-PTPRR mice exhibited significantly less sucrose intake and increased immobility time in the forced swim tests than control mice, indicating increased prodepressant-like effects of PTPRR in lenti-PTPRR mice. Similarly, under CMS, the lenti-shPTPRR mice had more sucrose intake, shorter immobility time in the forced swim test and tail suspension test compared to controls, and lenti-PTPRR mice had less sucrose intake and longer immobility time in forced swim test and tail suspension test, exhibiting increased susceptibility to depressive-like behaviors and greater sensitivity to CMS. Besides, the Phospho-ERK1/2(p-ERK) had significant lower phosphorylation in lenti-PTPRR group and higher expression in lenti-shPTPRR group, both without CMS. The Lenti-PTPRR mice exposed to CMS had significant lower p-ERK, and the lenti-shPTPRR mice exposed to CMS had significant higher p-ERK and lower p-P38. Moreover, there were more cells underwent apoptosis in lenti-PTPRR group ,with and without CMS. In cell proliferation, less BrdU positive cells were observed in lenti-PTPRR mice than controls. Conclusion The site-specific lentiviral injections resulted in the PTPRR over-expression in the hippocampal DG and subsequent increased ERK dephosphorylation, which leads to more neuron apoptosis, less cell proliferation, depression onset and increased sensitivity to CMS. PTPRR/ERK pathway could be potential target for depression therapy.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder. There is still a lack of methods to accurately detect cortical activity and locate lesions. In this work, a flexible electrocorticography (ECoG) electrode array based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-parylene was fabricated to detect epileptiform activity under glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) modulation on primary somatosensory cortex of rats. The electrode with a thickness of 20 &mu, m has good flexibility to establish reliable contact with the cortex. Fourteen recording sites with a diameter of 60 &mu, m are modified by electroplating platinum black nanoparticles, which effectively improve the performance with lower impedance, obtaining a sensitive sensing interface. The electrode enables real-time capturing changes in neural activity under drug modulation. Under Glu modulation, neuronal populations showed abnormal excitability, manifested as hypsarrhythmia rhythm and continuous or periodic spike wave epileptiform activity, with power increasing significantly. Under GABA modulation, the excitement was inhibited, with amplitude and power reduced to normal. The flexible ECoG electrode array could monitor cortical activity, providing us with an effective tool for further studying epilepsy and locating lesions.

Pollutant gases and particulate matters (PM) from livestock facilities can affect the health of animals and farm workers and lead to great social environmental risks. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the characteristics of ammonia (NH3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and PM (including PM2.5 and PM10) in a 100,000-bird manure-belt layer house in suburb Beijing for three typical seasons of summer, autumn and winter. Indoor air was sampled at an exhaust fan of the mechanically ventilated commercial house. The monitored indoor concentrations of NH3, NOx, SO2, PM2.5 and PM10 were 3.7–5.0 mg m−3, 17–58 μg m−3, 0–11 μg m−3, 100–149 μg m−3 and 354–828 μg m−3, respectively. The indoor NH3 concentrations were largely influenced by the manure removal frequency. The NOx and SO2 were mainly sourced from the ambient air, and the NOx was also partly sourced from manure decomposition in summer. The indoor PM2.5 and PM10 were largely sourced from the ambient air and the indoor manure, respectively. The abundant indoor NH3 caused significantly higher NH4+ concentration in the indoor PM10 (7.98 ± 9.04 μg m−3) than that in the ambient PM10 (3.48 ± 3.52 μg m−3). Secondary inorganic ions (SO42−, NO3− and NH4+) totally contributed 5.7% and 14.6% to the indoor and ambient PM2.5, respectively; they contributed 2.8% and 8.9% to the indoor and ambient PM10, respectively. Organic carbon was the main component of the PM and accounted for 26.6% and 41.5% of the indoor PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Heavy metal elements (Zn, Cu and Cr) were likely transported from feed to manure and finally accumulated in the PM. Given the high emission potential, the air pollutants from animal production suggested potential risks for human health.

Rehmannia glutinosa L., a perennial plant of Scrophulariaceae, is one of the most commonly used herbs in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that have been widely cultivated in China. However, to date, the biosynthetic pathway of its two quality-control components, catalpol and acteoside, are only partially elucidated and the mechanism for their tissue-specific accumulation remains unknown. To facilitate the basic understanding of the key genes and transcriptional regulators involved in the biosynthesis of catalpol and acteoside, transcriptome sequencing of radial striation (RS) and non-radial striation (nRS) from four R. glutinosa cultivars was performed. A total of 715,158,202 (~107.27 Gb) high quality reads obtained using paired-end Illumina sequencing were de novo assembled into 150,405 transcripts. Functional annotation with multiple public databases identified 155 and 223 unigenes involved in catalpol and acteoside biosynthesis, together with 325 UGTs, and important transcription factor (TF) families. Comparative analysis of the transcriptomes identified 362 unigenes, found to be differentially expressed in all RS vs. nRS comparisons, with 143 upregulated unigenes, including those encoding enzymes of the catalpol and acteoside biosynthetic pathway, such as geranyl diphosphate synthase (RgGPPS), geraniol 8-hydroxylase (RgG10H), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (RgPAL). Other differentially expressed unigenes predicted to be related to catalpol and acteoside biosynthesis fall into UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs), as well as transcription factors. In addition, 16 differentially expressed genes were selectively confirmed by real-time PCR. In conclusion, a large unigene dataset of R. glutinosa generated in the current study will serve as a resource for the identification of potential candidate genes for investigation of the tuberous root development and biosynthesis of active components.

Biocrusts play an important role in carbon (C) assimilation in arid and semiarid regions. In order to assess C gain in the crusted Hallamish dune field, net photosynthesis (Pn) and respiration (R) were measured at five crust types (A–E) which show a gradual increase in their chlorophyll content (with A < B < C < D < E). Pn and R were calculated per chlorophyll a and b (hereafter a/b) content. Total C input was calculated based on a large database that includes data on the temporal change in the chlorophyll content during the winter growing season, annual daylight and nighttime wetness duration and the cover of each crust type. The data show high similarity of Pn and R per chlorophyll content for all crusts (0.9–1.1 and 0.5–0.6 gC (Chla/b)− 1 h− 1, respectively). Both Pn and R showed a gradual increase with chlorophyll content with A ≈ B < C < D < E, with Pn ranging between 0.0311 (for crust A) and 0.1784 (for crust E) gC m− 1 h− 1. Total calculated C gain for crusts A–E assuming total crust cover ranged between 2.1–8.6 gC m− 2 a− 1 for crusts A–D and 50.90 gC m− 2 a− 1 for crust E, with total annual input into the crusted areas of the ecosystem and the entire ecosystem being 3.7 and 2.3 gC m− 2 a− 1, respectively. In comparison to net ecosystem C exchange (NEE) from arid regions, our findings highlight the important role played by biocrusts in CO2 sequestration and as C provider for an extreme arid ecosystem. Yet, although a conservative approach was adopted, the data should be regarded as rough estimation only. In-situ field measurements are still required in order to substantiate the crust role in the annual C gain.

Field studies were conducted to investigate the influence of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on the moss Bryum argenteum and cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus isolated from biological soil crusts (BSC) from the southeastern fringe of the Tengger Desert, China. UV-B supplementation with 0.33, 0.50, and 0.66 W m−2 was achieved using fluorescence tube systems for 40 days. We investigated Chl fluorescence parameters as well as photosynthetic pigment contents. We also measured lipid peroxidative production, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) which quench free radicals and prevent oxidative stress. We found that higher UV-B radiation significantly decreased (p

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a major concern in personal and public health, which negatively affects emotions and behavior, leading to cognitive deficits, memory decline, poor school performance, anxiety, and depression. Several cellular and molecular mediators are released in the inflammatory process of AR and activate common neuroimmune mechanisms, involving emotionally relevant circuits and the induction of anxiety. Responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to allergic processes have been reported, which may also include responsiveness of the hippocampus, cortex, and other brain regions. Here, we have used an optimized rat model of AR to explore whether the disease has a relationship with inflammatory responses in the hippocampus. AR was established in adult rats by ovalbumin sensitization, and the expression of various inflammatory substances in the hippocampus was measured by specific assays. Comparison between experimental and various control groups of animals revealed an association of AR with significant upregulation of substance P, microglia surface antigen (CD11b), glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the hippocampus. Thus, we hypothesize that the AR challenge may activate these inflammatory mediators in the hippocampus, which in turn contribute to the abnormal behavior and neurological deficits associated with AR.

Soil respiration induced by biological soil crusts (BSCs) is an important process in the carbon (C) cycle in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, where vascular plants are restricted by the harsh environment, particularly the limited soil moisture. However, the interaction between temperature and soil respiration remains uncertain because of the number of factors that control soil respiration, including temperature and soil moisture, especially in BSC-dominated areas. In this study, the soil respiration in moss-dominated crusts and lichen-dominated crusts was continuously measured using an automated soil respiration system over a one-year period from November 2015 to October 2016 in the Shapotou region of the Tengger Desert, northern China. The results indicated that over daily cycles, the half-hourly soil respiration rates in both types of BSC-covered areas were commonly related to the soil temperature. The observed diel hysteresis between the half-hourly soil respiration rates and soil temperature in the BSC-covered areas was limited by nonlinearity loops with semielliptical shapes, and soil temperature often peaked later than the half-hourly soil respiration rates in the BSC-covered areas. The average lag times between the half-hourly soil respiration rates and soil temperature for both types of BSC-covered areas were two hours over the diel cycles, and they were negatively and linearly related to the volumetric soil water content. Our results highlight the diel hysteresis phenomenon that occurs between soil respiration rates and soil temperatures in BSC-covered areas and the negative response of this phenomenon to soil moisture, which may influence total C budget evaluations. Therefore, the interactive effects of soil temperature and moisture on soil respiration in BSC-covered areas should be considered in global carbon cycle models of desert ecosystems.

17β-estradiol (17β-E2) plays a critical role in regulating reproduction in human, there is therefore an urgent need to detect it sensitively and precisely in a cost-effective and easy method. In this paper, a label-free integrated microfluidic paper-based analytical device was developed for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of 17β-E2. The microfluidic channel of the paper-based sensor was fabricated with wax printing and the three electrodes, including working, counter and reference electrode were screen-printed. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/ thionine (THI)/ gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) Nano composites were synthesized and coated on screen-printed working electrode (SPWE) for the immobilization of anti-E2. In this electro-chemical system of paper-based immunoassay, THI molecules serving as an electrochemical mediator while MWCNTs and AuNPs, due to their excellent electrical conductivities, could accelerate electron transfer for the signal amplification. Experimental results revealed that the immunoassay is able to detect 17β-E2 as low as 10 pg mL−1, with a linear range from 0.01 to 100 ng mL−1. This microfluidic paper-based immunosensor would provide a new platform for low cost, sensitive, specific, and point-of-care diagnosis of 17β-E2.

How soil cover types and rainfall patterns influence carbon (C) release in temperate desert ecosystems has largely been unexplored. We removed intact crusts down to 10 cm from the Shapotou region, China, and measured them in PVC mesocosms, immediately after rainfall. C release rates were measured in soils with four cover types (moss-crusted soil, algae-crusted soil, mixed (composed of moss, algae, and lichen)-crusted soil, and mobile dune sand). We investigated seven different rainfall magnitudes (0–1, 1–2, 2–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, and >20 mm) under natural conditions. C release from all four BSCs increased with increasing rainfall amount. With a rainfall increase from 0 to 45 mm, carbon release amounts increased from 0.13 ± 0.09 to 15.2 ± 1.35 gC m−2 in moss-crusted soil, 0.08 ± 0.06 to 6.43 ± 1.23 gC m−2 in algae-crusted soil, 0.11 ± 0.08 to 8.01 ± 0.51 gC m−2 in mixed-crusted soil, and 0.06 ± 0.04 to 8.47 ± 0.51 gC m−2 in mobile dune sand, respectively. Immediately following heavy rainfall events (44.9 mm), moss-crusted soils showed significantly higher carbon release rates than algae- and mixed-crusted soils and mobile dune sands, which were 0.95 ± 0.02, 0.30 ± 0.03, 0.13 ± 0.04, and 0.51 ± 0.02 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1, respectively. Changes in rainfall patterns, especially large rain pulses (>10 mm) affect the contributions of different soil cover types to carbon release amounts; moss-crusted soils sustain higher respiration rates than other biological crusts after short-term extreme rainfall events.

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are an important type of land cover in arid desert landscapes and play an important role in the carbon source-sink exchange within a desert system. In this study, two typical BSCs, moss crusts and algae crusts, were selected from a revegetated sandy area of the Tengger Desert in northern China, and the experiment was carried out over a 3 year period from January 2010 to November 2012. We obtained the effective active wetting time to maintain the physiological activity of BSCs based on the continuous field measurements and previous laboratory studies on BSCs photosynthesis and respiration rates. And then we developed a BSCs carbon fixation model that is driven by soil moisture. The results indicated that moss crusts and algae crusts had significant effects on soil moisture and temperature dynamics by decreasing rainfall infiltration. The mean carbon fixation rates of moss and algae crusts were 0.21 and 0.13 g C/(m2·d), respectively. The annual carbon fixations of moss crusts and algae crusts were 64.9 and 38.6 g C/(m2·a), respectively, and the carbon fixation of non-rainfall water reached 11.6 g C/(m2·a) (30.2% of the total) and 8.8 g C/(m2·a) (43.6% of the total), respectively. Finally, the model was tested and verified with continuous field observations. The data of the modeled and measured CO2 fluxes matched notably well. In desert regions, the carbon fixation is higher with high-frequency rainfall even the total amount of seasonal rainfall was the same.

We analyzed the desert moss Bryum argenteum Hedw., a dominant moss in biological soil crusts in northwestern China, during dehydration and rehydration. There was almost no change in chlorophyll content between hydrated and almost completely desiccated B. argenteum samples. The amounts of thylakoid protein complexes, including the PSI monomer, PSII supercomplex, the PSII monomer, and LHCII, gradually decreased as the dehydration time of B. argenteum was extended. Analysis by two-dimensional sodium dodecylsulfate-urea- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the amount of the PSII core subunits CP47 and CP43 and the PSI core subunits PsaA/B decreased during dehydration. The amount of thylakoid protein complexes increased rapidly during rehydration under light conditions, but increased slowly, and to lower levels, during rehydration in the dark. Rehydration of B. argenteum in chloramphenicol solution under light conditions resulted in a decrease in FV/FM within 10 min. An analysis of chloroplast ultrastructure showed that the number of grana decreased during dehydration. Taken together, our results suggest that the thylakoid protein complexes of B. argenteum degrade during dehydration and then reassemble during rehydration, and that this affects the full recovery of photosynthesis in this species.

Predicting the effects of increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation due to stratospheric ozone depletion on temperate desert ecosystems requires better knowledge of the ecophysiological response of common moss species. The aim of the current work was to determine whether elevated UV-B radiation affected photosynthetic performance and chloroplast ultrastructure of two moss crusts and whether response differences were observed between the crusts. In laboratory experiments, Bryum argenteum and Didymodon vinealis, which show microdistributions and are dominant in soil crusts at the Tengger Desert, Northern China, were subjected to four levels of UV-B radiation of 2.75 (control), 3.08, 3.25, and 3.41 W m−2 for 10 days, simulating 0, 6, 9, and 12% of stratospheric ozone at the latitude of Shapotou, respectively. The results showed that chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters (i.e., the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, and photochemical quenching coefficient), pigment contents, soluble protein contents, and the ultrastructure were negatively influenced by elevated UV-B radiation and the degree of detrimental effects significantly increased with the intensity of UV-B radiation. Moreover, results indicated that B. argenteum was probably more sensitive to supplementary UV-B radiation than D. vinealis. Therefore, we propose the use of B. argenteum crusts as a bioindicator of responses to elevated UV-B radiation.

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of gaseous emission (methane&mdash, CH4, carbon dioxide&mdash, CO2, nitrous oxide&mdash, N2O, nitric oxide&mdash, NO, hydrogen sulfide&mdash, H2S and sulfur dioxide&mdash, SO2) and the conservation of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) during cattle manure composting under different aeration strategies. Three aeration strategies were set as C60, C100, and I60, representing the different combinations of aeration method (continuous&mdash, C or intermittent&mdash, I) and aeration rate (60 or 100 L&middot, min&minus, 1&middot, m&minus, 3). Results showed that C, N, S mass was reduced by 48.8&ndash, 53.1%, 29.8&ndash, 35.9% and 19.6&ndash, 21.9%, respectively, after the composing process. Among the three strategies, the intermittent aeration treatment I60 obtained the highest N2O emissions, resulting in the highest N loss and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when the GHG emissions from power consumption were not considered. Within two continuous aeration treatments, lower aeration rates in C60 caused lower CO2, N2O, NO, and SO2 emissions but higher CH4 emissions than those from C100. Meanwhile, C and N losses were also lowest in the C60 treatment. H2S emission was not detected because of the more alkaline pH of the compost material. Thus, C60 can be recommended for cattle manure composting because of its nutrient conservation and mitigation of major gas and GHG emissions.

Flavonoid are known to have various functions in growth, development, reproduction, and also involved in diverse stress responses in plants. However, little is known about the roles of the key enzymes in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in response to environmental stress, such as UV-B radiation and drought. To understand this problem, we investigated the participation of flavanone 3-hydroxylase gene (F3H), a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthetic pathway under UV-B radiation and drought stress in the desert plant Reaumuria soongorica. A novel cDNA sequence, named as RsF3H, was isolated from R. soongorica. The deduced amino acids showed high identities to other F3Hs. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that RsF3H appeared to be most homologous to F3H from Malus domestica (MdF3H). RsF3H protein structure contained all five conserved motifs for 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODDs) and an Arg-X-Ser motif, all of which were also found in other F3Hs. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that there was a rapid increase in gene expression of RsF3H under stress. Both UV-B radiation and drought stress induced an increase in RsF3H enzyme activity and the accumulation of the products in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway (total flavonoid and anthocyanin). The antioxidant ability (inhibition of lipid oxidation) of total flavonoid was enhanced during this study. The results suggested that one explanation of the stress tolerance of R. soongorica may be a combination of an increase in RsF3H gene expression, RsF3H enzyme activity and the anti-oxidative ability of the metabolic end products in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in response to UV-B radiation and drought.

Soil water repellency (WR) is an important physical characteristic of soil surface. It is capable of largely influencing the hydrological and geomorphological processes of soil, as well as affecting the ecological processes of plants, such as growth and seed germination, and has thus been a hot topic in recent research around the world. In this paper, the capillary rise method was used to study the soil WR characteristics of Nitraria tangutorun nebkhas. Soil water repellencies at different succession stages of Nitraria tangutorun were investigated, and the relationships between soil WR and soil organic matter, total N, and total P, soil texture, pH, and concentrations of CO3 2- , HCO3 - , Cl - , SO4 2- , Na + , K + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ were discussed. Soil WR may be demonstrated at the following nebkhas dune evolvement stages: extremely degraded>degraded>stabilized>well developed>newly developed>quick sand. Apart from some soil at the bottom, the WR of other soils (crest and slope of dune) was found to be largest at the topsoil, and decreased as the soil depth increased. The results showed that multiple factors affected soil WR characteristics, e.g. WR increased significantly as the contents of soil organic matter and total N increased, but did not change as the total P content increased. Soil texture was a key factor affecting soil WR; soil WR increased significantly as clay content increased, and decreased significantly as sand content increased. Low pH was shown to be more suitable for the occurrence of soil WR. Four cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+

Background Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) has been linked to prodepressant-like effects in rodents. However, the roles of GSK-3β and the hippocampal dentate gyrus in regulating these behavioral effects remain unclear. Methods A lentiviral vector was utilized to site-specifically express GSK-3β constitutively in the hippocampal DG in a mouse model of CMS. We examine the forced swim, tail suspension and the sucrose intake test. Acute and chronic administrations were conducted by dissolving fluoxetine hydrochloride (10 ml/kg). We examine behavior tests as before, cellular apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation in the hippocampus. Results GSK-3β expression levels persistently and significantly increased in the hippocampus following lenti-GSK-3β injections. In mice previously exposed to CMS, pre-injection of lentivirus-expressing GSK-3β into the hippocampal dentate gyrus significantly decreased sucrose preferences in the sucrose intake test and increased immobility times in both forced swim and tail suspension tests. In addition, fluoxetine resulted in similar antidepressant-like effects following chronic, but not acute, administrations under the same experimental conditions. Cellular apoptosis was observed in the hippocampal DG using TUNEL, revealing many TUNEL-positive cells in the lenti-GSK-3β mice. There were no significant changes in proliferation and differentiation. Limitations We did not measure more biomarkers which were regulated by GSK-3β. Conclusions Results from this study demonstrated that site-specific injection of a lentivirus induced continuous GSK-3β expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of mice, resulting in prodepressant-like effects and increased sensitivity to chronic mild stress. Furthermore, chronic fluoxetine administration reversed these prodepressant-like effects and decreased neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal DG in GSK-3β-overexpressing mice.

Desertification is currently a major concern, and vast regions have already been devastated in the arid zones of many countries. Combined application of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals is a novel method of restoring desertified areas. Three cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp. Vaucher ex Bornet & Flahault, Phormidium sp. Kützing ex Gomont and Scytonema arcangeli Bornet ex Flahault were isolated and tested in this study. Tacki-SprayTM (TKS7), which consists of bio-polysaccharides and tackifiers, was used as a soil fixing agent. In addition, superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was applied to the soil as a water-holding material and nutrient supplement. Application of cyanobacteria with superabsorbent polymer and TKS7 (CST) remarkably improved macro-aggregate stability against water and erodibility against wind after 12 months of inoculation when compared to the control soil. The mean weight diameter and threshold friction velocity of the CST treated soil were found to be 75% and 88% of those of the approximately 20-year-old natural cyanobacterial crust (N-BSC), respectively, while these values were 68% and 73% of those of the N-BSC soil after a single treatment of cyanobacteria alone (CY). Interestingly, biological activities of CST were similar to those of CY. Total carbohydrate contents, cyanobacterial biomass, microbial biomass, soil respiration, carbon fixation and effective quantum yield of CST treated soil were enhanced by 50–100% of the N-BSC, while those of control soil were negligible. Our results suggest that combined application of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals can rapidly develop cyanobacterial crust formation in the field within 12 months. The physical properties and biological activities of the inoculated cyanobacterial crust were stable during the study period. The novel method presented herein serves as another approach for combating desertification in arid regions.

In plant cells the plasma membrane is a highly elaborated structure that functions as the point of exchange with adjoining cells, cell walls and the external environment. In this study, we investigated the structure and function characteristic of wheat root plasma membrane (PM) as affected by H2O2 and Fe by using fluorescence spectroscopic and attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) techniques. The results showed that these oxidant damaged induced an obviously reduced membrane fluidity were observed in the roots PM treated with the 200 μM H2O2, FeSO4, and FeCl3. Computer-aided software analyses of the FTIR spectrum indicated that the content of the α-helices decreased and β-sheet increased in the secondary structures of proteins after exposure to the oxidants of 200 μM H2O2, FeSO4, and FeCl3. The number of P=O and C=C bonds area declined rapidly in the lipids of the membrane under the oxidants stress. These structural alterations might explain the reason of the roots PM instability under most of the abiotic stress.

Our understanding of plant responses to enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation has improved over recent decades. However, research on cryptogams is scarce and it remains controversial whether UV-B radiation causes changes in physiology related to photosynthesis. To investigate the effects of supplementary UV-B radiation on photosynthesis and chloroplast ultrastructure in Bryum argenteum Hedw., specimens were cultured for 10 days under four UV-B treatments (2.75, 3.08, 3.25 and 3.41 W m(-2) ), simulating depletion of 0% (control), 6%, 9% and 12% of stratospheric ozone at the latitude of Shapotou, a temperate desert area of northwest China. Analyses showed malondialdehyde content significantly increased, whereas chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters and Chl contents decreased with increased UV-B intensity. These results corresponded with changes in thylakoid protein complexes and chloroplast ultrastructure. Overall, enhanced UV-B radiation leads to significant decreases in photosynthetic function and serious destruction of the chloroplast ultrastructure of B. argenteum. The degree of negative influences increased with the intensity of UV-B radiation. These results may not only provide a potential mechanism for supplemental UV-B effects on photosynthesis of moss crust, but also establish a theoretical basis for further studies of adaptation and response mechanisms of desert ecosystems under future ozone depletion.

Desert characterized by alkaline soil with low organic matter and nutrients has a high soil oxidative potential. We hypothesized that oxidase activities would recover faster than hydrolases during the succession of sand-fixing community. Sand dunes stabilized in different years, including a moving sand dune and a steppe at the southeastern fringe of the Tengger Desert, were selected to investigate restoration of extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) in a 50-year chronosequence. Oxidases showed significantly higher activities than hydrolases at all ten studied sites and EEAs exibited a decreasing trend from catalase, phenol oxidase, sucrase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, α-Amylase to cellulase. After 50 years of revegetation, most EEAs in topsoil recovered to 50–83% of that of the steppe except for urease. Oxidase activities recovered earlier and faster than hydrolases, while hydrolases activities attained the fastest recovery at 19–25 years in the 50-year chronosequence. Recovery of EEAs was modulated by the succession of the sand-fixed community: oxidases activities exhibited peak recovery rates at the stage when shrubs dominated the community, while recovery of hydrolases activities appeared to be mainly regulated by biological soil crusts and annual plants.

The jasmonate signaling pathway is known to be involved in various stress responses in plants, but little is known specifically on the role of the octadecanoid pathway in the regulation of ω-3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD) genes in response to low temperature. To uncover this problem, the expression level of three ω-3 FAD genes (AtFAD3, AtFAD7, and AtFAD8) and the content of linolenic acid (C18:3) in both wild type (WT) and mutant (or WT suppressed) plants disrupted in the octadecanoid pathway were analyzed under normal conditions and the chilling treatment (4 °C), respectively. As compared with WT plants, chilling-induced organ-specific expressions of ω-3 FAD genes significantly changed when the octadecanoid pathway was blocked or suppressed, and presented either the “suppressed increase” or the “enhanced decrease” tendency. Meanwhile, chilling-induced increases in the content of C18:3 found in WT plants, obviously reduced in both leaves and roots, and even turned to a decrease in stems when the octadecanoid pathway was disrupted. Overall, the transcription of ω-3 FAD genes and the proportion of C18:3 in the whole plant both of aos mutants and salicylic acid (SA)-treated plants under chilling stress were evidently lower than those of WT plants, except the expression of AtFAD3 gene in leaves. All these findings indicate that the octadecanoid pathway does participate in the chilling-induced transcription of ω-3 FAD genes in Arabidopsis.