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This study aims to find the interaction between ionome and metabolome profiles of Pteris vittata L., an arsenic hyperaccumulator plant, to reveal its metal tolerance mechanism. Therefore, at the Pb-Zn mining sites located in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam, where these species dominate, soil and plant samples were collected. Their multi-element compositions were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and thus referred to as the "ionomics" approach. In parallel, the widely targeted metabolomics profiles of these plant samples were performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS). Nineteen elements, including both metals and nonmetals, were detected and quantified in both tissues of thirty-five plant individuals. A comparison of these elements' levels in two tissues showed that above-ground parts accumulated more As and inorganic P, whereas Zn, Pb, and Sb were raised mostly in the under-ground samples. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) model predicting the level of each element by the whole metabolome indicated that the enhancement of flavonoids content plays an essential contribution in adaptation with the higher levels of Pb, Ag, and Ni accumulated in the aerial part, and Mn, Pb in subterranean part. Moreover, the models also highlighted the effect of Mn and Pb on the metabolic induction of adenosine derivatives in subterranean parts. At the same time, the model presented the most contribution of As to the metabolisms of the amino acids of this tissue. On those accounts, the developed integration approach linking the ionomics and metabolomics data of P. vittata improved the understanding of the molecular mechanism of hyperaccumulation characteristics and provided markers that could be targeted in future investigations.

The present study aims to investigate perceptions of pre-service teachers of English on the quality of a training course on English Language Teacher Education. Thirty-nine pre-service teachers who had just completed their training program at a university participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The results show that the pre-service teachers on the whole showed a high level of satisfaction with the quality of the training course. However, the results indicate certain variances in the way the pre-service teachers responded to the issue of quality. The study also indicates suggestions proposed by pre-service teachers regarding how to help the university improve the quality of education and training as well as the services it offers. Accordingly, this study brings significant insights for related stakeholders in achieving a better quality for education.

ProSAAS is a neuroendocrine protein that is cleaved by neuropeptide-processing enzymes into more than a dozen products including the bigLEN and PEN peptides, which bind and activate the receptors GPR171 and GPR83, respectively. Previous studies have suggested that proSAAS-derived peptides are involved in physiological functions that include body weight regulation, circadian rhythms and anxiety-like behavior. In the present study, we find that proSAAS knockout mice display robust anxiety-like behaviors in the open field, light-dark emergence and elevated zero maze tests. These mutant mice also show a reduction in cued fear and an impairment in fear-potentiated startle, indicating an important role for proSAAS-derived peptides in emotional behaviors. ProSAAS knockout mice exhibit reduced water consumption and urine production relative to wild-type controls. No differences in food consumption and overall energy expenditure were observed between the genotypes. However, the respiratory exchange ratio was elevated in the mutants during the light portion of the light-dark cycle, indicating decreased fat metabolism during this period. While proSAAS knockout mice show normal circadian patterns of activity, even upon long-term exposure to constant darkness, they were unable to shift their circadian clock upon exposure to a light pulse. Taken together, these results show that proSAAS-derived peptides modulate a wide range of behaviors including emotion, metabolism and the regulation of the circadian clock.

International audience; The objective of this work was the development of a detailed, extensive and reliable database of the metabolomes of P. vittata. Using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry system (UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) and based on the knowledge of retention time and mass spectral characteristics of an in-house collection of authentic standards, we screened for the presence of a large collection of natural compounds. The database represents 359 authenticated metabolites, comprising 220 primary and 139 secondary metabolites (70 flavonoids, 16 phenylpropanoic acid derivatives, five coumarins, two stilbenoids, 14 benzoic acids, nine phenols, 20 alkaloids and three terpenoids). Comparison of the accumulation of these compounds in two tissues showed that the aerial parts were enriched in flavonols, whereas the subterranean parts were enriched in anthocyanins. The comprehensive database developed here will be beneficial in improving the understanding of the chemical basis of plant therapeutic profile using multivariate analysis, with a particular example of antioxidant activity.

In this study, the relationship between heavy metals (HMs) concentrations in soils and several weeds including Cyclosorus parasiticus, Dicranopteris linearis, Pityrogramma calomelanos, and Pteris vittata in three mining sites (Cam Gia (Thai Nguyen city), Tan Long (Dong Hy district), and Ha Thuong (Dai Tu district)) in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam, have been investigated. The levels of HMs varied among soil origins and showed the contaminations of As, Cu, and Pb in soil samples collected in Dong Hy and Dai Tu districts. In addition, the HM distribution and cocontamination phenomena in different soils significantly affected the HM residues and transportation abilities into different species as well as tissues. Moreover, based on the analysis of bioaccumulation factor (BF) and translocation factor (TF), C. parasiticus and D. linearis were found potentially for phytoextraction by roots, while P. calomelanos and P. vittata were suitable for hyperaccumulation in shoots and leaves. Consequently, the strongest antioxidant property by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide anion (SRSA) radical scavenging assays were demonstrated in the methanol root extracts of C. parasiticus and P. vittata, respectively. In conclusion, the correlation among HM in soils and tissues with antioxidant property allows us to hypothesize that the presence of these elements can enhance the antioxidant activity of plant extracts, suggesting to apply the weeds in phytoremediation as well as in phytomedicine.