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Marine biological fouling is a widespread phenomenon encountered by various oceanic ships and naval vessels, resulting in enormous economic losses. Herein, novel 4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-isothiazolone@sodium alginate/chitosan microcapsules (DCOIT@ALG/CS) were prepared through composite gel method using DCOIT as core materials, ALG and CS as shells, and CaCl2 as the cross-linking agent. The formed microcapsules (MCs) with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were then filled in UV-curable polysiloxane (UV-PDMS), followed by UV irradiation to yield UV-PDMS/microcapsules/AgNPs (UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag) composite coatings. The constructed micro–nano dual-scale surface using the MCs and AgNPs improved the antifouling and antibacterial properties of UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag coatings. The as-obtained UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag coatings exhibited a static contact angle of about 160°, shear strength of 2.24 MPa, tensile strength of 3.32 MPa and elongation at break of 212%. The synergistic bacteriostatic effects of DCOIT and AgNPs in UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag coatings resulted in a bactericidal rate of 200 μg ml−1 towards Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with saturation at 100% within 10 min. In sum, the proposed composite coatings look promising for future marine transportation, pipeline networks and undersea facilities.

ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the effect of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy on neonatal adverse outcomes, such as preterm infants, low birth weight infants (LBWI), and small for gestational age (SGA) infants.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), and VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP). Following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, two researchers independently screened, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 14 software to synthesize the findings.ResultsThis study incorporated 13 cohort studies from 8 different countries and regions, encompassing a total of 55,162 pregnant women, among whom 28,155 were identified as having vitamin D deficiency. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score ranged from 7–9 points. Meta-analysis results indicated a higher incidence of LBWI (OR = 5.52, 95% CI = 1.31–23.22. P = 0.02) in the group of pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency compared to those with adequate levels. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of premature birth (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.78–1.99. P = 0.36) or SGA (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 0.81–2.68. P = 0.21) among newborns born to mothers with vitamin D deficiency vs. those with sufficient levels of vitamin D. Subgroup analysis based on the timing of maternal blood collection revealed that there was no statistically significant association between vitamin D levels during pregnancy and the incidence of preterm birth across all stages of pregnancy. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency throughout the entire pregnancy was associated with an increased incidence of neonatal LBWI, whereas vitamin D levels during the first, second, and third trimesters did not demonstrate statistically differences on LBWI. Neonates born to mothers with vitamin D deficiency throughout pregnancy were found to have a higher likelihood of developing SGA. However, there was no statistically significant association between vitamin D levels and the development of SGA during the first and second trimesters.ConclusionsAdequate levels of vitamin D during pregnancy may decrease the incidence of LBWI, although further research is needed to determine its impact on the occurrence of preterm birth and SGA.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024535950, Identifier: (CRD42024535950).

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer originates from old-growth forest environments, where the light intensity and spectrum reaching the forest bed are influenced by the canopy and humidity. In farmlands, suitable light intensity for cultivation is achieved by controlling the light transmission rate using shading nets, while light quality is regulated by a cover of yellow or blue transparent film. Such films have a light quality distinct from that produced by old-growth forests. Herein, a large composite film was developed by alternating small pieces of yellow and blue transparent film. An orthogonal array was used to evaluate the influence of the small transparent film area (STFA), yellow transparent film (YTF) number, and blue transparent film (BTF) number on the associated changes in ginseng in a range of fluorescence-, photosynthesis-, morphology-, and crop quality-related factors. Our results showed that light intensity was influenced primarily by STFA, which caused an overall decrease, while the light quality ratio was affected primarily by YTF number, which increased the proportion of red light and decreased that of blue light, with corresponding influence on different growth parameters. Based on these observations, an improved yellow and blue combination transparent film (YBCTF) with the following characteristics was established: STFA: 15 × 15 cm, YTF: two pieces, and BTF: three pieces. The improved YBCTF facilitated efficient light energy use by the plants, and led to an increase in leaf area, the per leaf photosynthetic rate, dry root weight, and the per root single ginsenoside yield. The findings present a relatively low-cost approach for optimising the light environment of ginseng cultivated in farmland and other crops in large-scale agricultural settings.

Intercropping is an effective cultivation strategy for promoting soil health, changing microbial community, reducing fertiliser application and enhancing the quality of medicinal plants. Nevertheless, the interaction effect of intercropping between Arisaema amurense and Acanthopanax senticosus remains unknown. Herein, we investigated the difference in soil properties, soil enzyme activities, microbial community diversity and active ingredients of A. senticosus in monoculturing versus intercropping of A. senticosus/A. amurense in a field experiment. High-throughput sequencing and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry were employed to explore the growth promotion effect in the intercropping mode. Results revealed that intercropping benefitted the accumulation of ammonium nitrogen and total nitrogen in soil; total nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen increased by 33% (rhizosphere) and 65% (inter-row) and by 123% (rhizosphere) and 124% (inter-row) at 0–20 cm soil depths, respectively. Furthermore, intercropping increased the soil carbon/nitrogen ratio at the soil from 20 to 40 cm and promoted the growth of the root system of the deep-rooted plant A. senticosus. However, it exerted a certain inhibitory effect on the activities of urease, sucrase and neutral phosphatase on the soil surface. Intercropping increased bacterial diversity and inhibited fungal diversity in soil, potentially preventing the soil microflora changed from bacterial type to fungal type. In terms of community composition, intercropping exhibited a greater effect on bacteria than on fungi. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of microorganisms associated with nutrient cycling and increased ecosystem resistance increased in intercropped soils, such as those of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota and Bacteroidota. At the genus level, the bacterial genera that showed significantly increased relative abundance in intercropping soil included unclassified_Acidobacteriales, Sphingomonas, Gemmatimonas and Candidatus_Solibacter. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Cladosporium, a potential plant pathogen in intercropped rhizosphere soil, was 42% lower than that in monocultured rhizosphere soil. Additionally, intercropping can promote the accumulation of eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E, quercetin, protocatechuic acid and polysaccharide, which increased by 551%, 53%, 10%, 28% and 26%, respectively, compared with that after monoculturing. According to the Pearson correlation heat map, rapidly available phosphorus, rapidly available potassium, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen and urease exhibited the greatest impact on the soil microbial community and on the active ingredients of A. senticosus. In conclusion, intercropping altered the composition of the soil microbial community and increased the content of the active ingredients of A. senticosus, consequently begetting economic and ecological benefits.

IntroductionGinseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) has multiple effects on human health; however, soil degradation seriously affects its yield. Trichoderma spp. play an important role in improving plant biomass by influencing the soil environment. Therefore, it is necessary to screen efficient Trichoderma strains that can increase ginseng biomass and determine their mechanisms.MethodsHerein, we selected six Trichoderma species (T. brevicompactum, T. velutinum, T. viridescens, T. atroviride, T. koningiopsis, and T. saturnisporum) isolated from ginseng rhizosphere soil, and evaluated their growth promoting effects on ginseng and their influence on the microbiome and chemical attributes of the ginseng rhizosphere soil.ResultsExcept for T. saturnisporum (F), compared with the control, the other five species increased ginseng biomass. In terms of chemical properties, the pH value, available potassium content, and available phosphorus content in the ginseng rhizosphere soil increased by 1.16–5.85%, 0.16–14.03%, and 3.92–38.64%, respectively, after root irrigation with spores of Trichoderma species. For the soil microbiome, fungal Chao1 and Ace richness indices decreased. Application of Trichoderma enhanced the relative level of Proteobacteria, but reduced the relative level of Ascomycota. At the genus level, application of Trichoderma enhanced the relative levels of Sphingomonas, Blastomonas, and Trichoderma, but reduced the relative level of Fusarium. Available K and available P were the most important elements that affected the structure of the bacterial community, while total K was the most influential element for the structure of the fungal community structure.ConclusionThe results indicated that the application of Trichoderma spp. could increase soil nutrients and regulate the structure and composition of the soil microbial community, thereby enhancing the biomass of ginseng. The results will provide guidance for soil improvement in ginseng cultivation.

Panax notoginseng is a perennial plant well known for its versatile medicinal properties, including hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, estrogen-like, and antidepressant characteristics. It has been reported that plant age affects the quality of P. notoginseng. This study aimed to explore the differential metabolome and transcriptome of 2-year (PN2) and 3-year-old (PN3) P. notoginseng plant root samples. Principal component analysis of metabolome and transcriptome data revealed major differences between the two groups (PN2 vs. PN3). A total of 1813 metabolites and 28,587 genes were detected in this study, of which 255 metabolites and 3141 genes were found to be differential (p < 0.05) between PN2 vs. PN3, respectively. Among differential metabolites and genes, 155 metabolites and 1217 genes were up-regulated, while 100 metabolites and 1924 genes were down-regulated. The KEGG pathway analysis revealed differentially enriched metabolites belonging to class lipids (“13S-hydroperoxy-9Z, 11E-octadecadionic acid”, “9S-hydroxy-10E, 12Z-octadecadionic acid”, “9S-oxo-10E, 12Z-octadecadionic acid”, and “9,10,13-trihydroxy-11-octadecadionic acid”), nucleotides and derivatives (guanine and cytidine), and phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid) were found to be enriched (p < 0.05) in PN3 compared to PN2. Further, these differentially enriched metabolites were found to be significantly (p < 0.05) regulated via linoleic acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and arachidonic acid metabolism pathways. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis showed the up-regulation of key genes MAT, DMAS, SDH, gallate 1-beta-glucosyltransferase, and beta-D-glucosidase in various plants’ secondary metabolic pathways and SAUR, GID1, PP2C, ETR, CTR1, EBF1/2, and ERF1/2 genes observed in phytohormone signal transduction pathway that is involved in plant growth and development, and protection against the various stressors. This study concluded that the roots of a 3-year-old P. notoginseng plant have better metabolome and transcriptome profiles compared to a 2-year-old plant with importantly enriched metabolites and genes in pathways related to metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and various biological processes. These findings provide insights into the plant’s dynamic biochemical and molecular changes during its growth that have several implications regarding its therapeutic use.

The low availability of phosphorus has become a common problem worldwide. Phosphorus is essential for phenotypic morphology and ginsenoside synthesis. However, the effects of Pi stress on ginseng phenotype and ginsenoside synthesis remain unclear. Phenotypic analyses and transcriptomics revealed the phenotypic construction and regulation of differential genes involved in the physiological metabolism of ginseng under low-Pi stress. Root length and stem length were found to be significantly inhibited by phosphate-deficiency stress in the half-phosphate (HP) and no-phosphate (NP) treatment groups; however, the number of fibrous roots, which are regulated by phytohormones, was found to increase. In ginseng leaves, the indexes of physiological stress, superoxide anion (221.19 nmol/g) and malonaldehyde (MDA) (0.05 μmol/min/g), reached the maximum level. Moreover, chlorophyll fluorescence images and chlorophyll content further confirmed the inhibition of ginseng photosynthesis under low-Pi stress. A total of 579 and 210 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were shared between NP and total phosphate (TP) and HP and TP, respectively, and only 64 common DEGs were found based on the two comparisons. These DEGs were mainly related to the synthesis of phosphate transporters (PHTs), phytohormones, and ginsenosides. According to KEGG analyses, four DEGs (Pg_s 0368.2, Pg_s3418.1, Pg_s5392.5 and Pg_s3342.1) affected acetyl-CoA production by regulating glycometabolism and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA). In addition, related genes, including those encoding 13 PHTs, 15 phytohormones, and 20 ginsenoside synthetases, were screened in ginseng roots under Pi-deficiency stress. These results indicate that changes in the ginseng phenotype and transcriptional regulation of DEGs are involved in the Pi-deficiency stress environment of ginseng, thereby providing new information regarding the development of ginseng for low-Pi tolerance.

Understanding the key roles of nutrient elements in soil–plant systems are essential for herbal medicine production and sustainable development. However, the ecological relationships between soil quality and nutrient elements, yield, saponins, or other active compounds in American ginseng remain unclear. In this study, 20 soil indicators, 10 root nutrient indicators, 9 quality indicators, and yields were investigated. The minimum dataset was constructed by principal component analysis, key factors were screened by correlation analysis and PLS-PM analysis, and the prediction model was constructed using linear fitting and tested by a validation test. The minimum dataset, constructed based on principal component analysis, comprised five indicators: SOM, TP, AK, AMg, and ACa. Correlation analysis, PLS-PM analysis, and linear fitting showed that K and Mg were the key factors relating soil quality to the yield and quality of American ginseng and that when AMg was 0.21 g/kg and AK was 0.30 g/kg, soil organic matter was 27%, total phosphorus was 1.19 g/kg in soil, K content in roots was 15.63 g/kg, Mg content was 1.91 g/kg, and the K/Mg of 8.85 could balance American ginseng yield and quality. In predicting and validating the model, predicting the DW, total ginsenoside, Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd of American ginseng using K/Mg were reliable. This study provides a scientific basis for nutrient regulation, selecting planting sites, assessing soil quality, and predicting and evaluating American ginseng quality.

GATA transcription factors are widespread in plants, exerting crucial functions in multiple processes such as flower development, photoperiod regulation, and light signal transduction. The GATA gene family has a key role in the regulation of medicinal plant adaptation to environmental stress. However, since the publication of the Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) genome-wide data, there has never been an analysis of the whole GATA gene family. To understand the function of the GATA gene family more broadly, the GATA gene family members in P. ginseng were predicted using an in silico bioinformatics approach. A comprehensive and systematic analysis encompassing chromosome scaffold, expression pattern, gene structure, and phylogeny was conducted. The results showed that a total of 52 GATA gene family members were recognized in P. ginseng, distributed across 51 scaffolds. Each member encoded a diverse number of amino acid residues, extending from 138 to 1064. Moreover, the expression levels of PgGATA genes were significantly altered by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stresses. The expression levels of PgGATA6, PgGATA11, PgGATA27, PgGATA32, PgGATA37, PgGATA39, PgGATA40, and PgGATA50 exhibited significant elevation under N deficiency, whereas PgGATA15, PgGATA18, PgGATA34, PgGATA38, PgGATA41, and PgGATA44 genes showed substantial upregulation under P deficiency. In addition, PgGATA3, PgGATA4, PgGATA14, PgGATA19, and PgGATA28 were substantially upregulated under both N and P deficiency. This research establishes a theoretical foundation for the thorough examination of the functions of the PgGATA gene family and its regulation by N and P fertilization during P. ginseng cultivation.

Abstract Background Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soil poses a serious safety risk for the development of medicine and food with ginseng as the raw material. Microorganisms are key players in the functioning and service of soil ecosystems, but the effects of Cd-contaminated ginseng growth on these microorganisms is still poorly understood. To study this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of microorganisms and Cd (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg kg-1 of Cd) exposure on the soil microbial community using Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing. Results Our results indicated that Cd-contaminated soil affected the soil microbial diversity and composition, and bacterial diversity was affected more than fungal diversity in Cd-contaminated soil, especially according to Shannon indices. The abundance of the soil microbial community decreased and the composition changed according to the relative abundances at the phylum level, including those of Saccharibacteria and Gemmatimonadetes in bacteria and Mortierellomycota in fungi. The LEfSe algorithm was used to identify active biomarkers, and 45 differentially abundant bacterial taxonomic clades and 16 differentially abundant fungal taxonomic clades were identified with LDA scores higher than 4.0. Finally, a heatmap of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) indicated that some key biomarkers, Arenimonas, Xanthomonadales, Nitrosomonadaceae, Methylophilales, Caulobacterales, Aeromicrobium, Chitinophagaceae, Acidimicrobiales, Nocardioidaceae, Propionibacteriales, Frankiales, and Gemmatimonadaceae, were positively correlated with the total and available Cd (p

Calcium (Ca) is necessary for plant growth and stress resistance, which are essential for the successful cultivation of Panax quinquefolium L. (American ginseng). However, information about the physiology of Ca nutrition in this species is limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of Ca on the growth and physiological performance of American ginseng. Two-year-old American ginseng plants were supplemented with the following Ca concentrations [Ca2+] in a hydroponic system: 0, 160.17, 320.34, 640.68, and 961.02 mg⋅L−1. Measurements included growth biomass accumulation, chlorophyll (Chl) content and fluorescence, photosynthetic parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, root activity, and malondialdehyde content. Biomass, stem height, leaf area, maximum photochemical efficiency, and superoxide dismutase activity peaked at [Ca2+] of 640.68 mg⋅L−1. Actual photochemical efficiency, minimum saturating irradiance, photosynthetic rate, catalase and peroxidase activities, and root activity reached their maximum at [Ca2+] of 320.34 mg⋅L−1. Stem diameter and regulated thermal energy dissipation increased with [Ca2+]. The sum of nonregulated heat dissipation and fluorescence emission and malondialdehyde content decreased to a minimum at [Ca2+] of 320.34 mg⋅L−1. The Chl content reached a maximum at [Ca2+] of 160.17 mg⋅L−1, but the Chl a/b ratio increased with [Ca2+]; the actual photochemical efficiency and photosynthetic rate reached their maximum level at Chl a/b ratios of 2.04 and [Ca2+] of 320.34 mg⋅L−1. Therefore, the optimal [Ca2+] for American ginseng growth was 320.34 mg⋅L−1. Furthermore, an appropriate increase [Ca2+] in the growth medium may improve biomass accumulation, light energy utilization efficiency, and stress resistance in American ginseng.

Changes in the microbial community are considered important factors affecting the yield and quality of ginseng cultivated in farmland, while the characteristics of the change in the microbial community of the soil before and after cultivation of ginseng in farmland are not well understood. Here, we aimed to fill this research gap by comparing the differences in soil nutrients and microbial communities between continuously cultivated ginseng soils for 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year-old ginseng soils and corresponding uncultivated ginseng soils. The soil properties (pH, total soil organic carbon (TOC) content and total nitrogen (TN) content) of aged ginseng soil (3- and 5-year-old) were significantly reduced compared with those of the control soil after ginseng was cultivated in farmland. With the exception of 2-year-old ginseng, soil bacterial richness and diversity were higher in different ages of cultivated ginseng soils than in the control soil, while fungal diversity decreased in aged ginseng soil and increased in young ginseng soil (1- and 2-year-old). Ascomycota and Basidiomycota showed a consistent increasing/decreasing trend in cultivated ginseng soils of all ages compared to the control. In addition, ginseng cultivation resulted in a substantial decrease in the complexity of soil bacterial networks but a slight decrease in the complexity of fungal networks. The results from the linear discriminant size effect (LEfSe) analysis showed that beneficial microorganisms were biomarkers of the young ginseng soil, including Nitrosospira, Cephalotrichum and Humicola, while harmful microorganisms were biomarkers of aged ginseng, such as Plectosphaerella, Cladosporium and Alternaria. PICRUSt2 analysis revealed that the increase in the incidence of ginseng disease with continuous cultivation time may be related to the decreases in amino acid synthesis and physiological metabolism and the increase in fungal saprophytes. Soil pH was the most common and best predictor of bacterial and fungal community structure, followed by TOC and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) contents. Meanwhile, the decreased of soil pH, TOC and AK may be the driving factors for the growth of ginseng soil pathogens. Overall, this study revealed the changing ginseng rhizosphere soil microbial community at different continuous cultivation times, provided a theoretical basis for ginseng cultivation, and promoted the development of medicinal plants such as ginseng.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of oropharyngeal administration of colostrum (OAC) in preterm infants.MethodsWe searched Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the website of the clinical trials, search time was from the establishment of the databases or websites up to 1 February 2022. Preterm infants with gestational age (GA) ≤ 32 weeks or birth weight (BW) ≤ 1500 g were taken as the participants, collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of comparing OAC and placebo or no intervention in preterm infants. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the quality of the literature, and we adopted Review Manager 5.3 software for meta-analysis.ResultsIn total, 11 RCTs (n = 1,173) were included in the review. A meta-analysis showed significant difference in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC; p = 0.009, relative ratio (RR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.31–0.84], late-onset sepsis (LOS; p = 0.02, RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.59–0.95), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP; p = 0.03, RR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.24–0.95), the time to reach full enteral feeds (p < 0.00001, mean difference (MD) = −3.40, 95% CI = −3.87 to −2.92), duration of hospital stay (p < 0.00001, MD = −10.00, 95% CI = −11.36 to −8.64), and the rate of weight gain (kg.d; p < 0.00001, MD = 2.63, 95% CI = 2.10–3.16) between the colostrum group and control group. Meanwhile, researchers found no significant difference between the colostrum group and control group in the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; p = 0.17, RR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.64–1.08), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH; grade ≥3; p = 0.05, RR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.19–1.01), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL; p = 0.67, RR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.14–3.49), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP; p = 0.29, RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.82–1.89), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; p = 0.17, RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.92–1.62).ConclusionOropharyngeal administration of colostrum can reduce the incidence of NEC, LOS, and VAP in preterm infants, shortening the time to reach full enteral feeds, and duration of hospital stay, and increasing the rate of weight gain (kg.d). Therefore, OAC can be used as part of routine care for preterm infants.

BackgroundIn recent years, vitamin D in the occurrence of lung diseases has gradually become a hot topic. Although the role of vitamin D in normal lung development has been confirmed, the correlation between vitamin D level and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) is not clear.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between vitamin D level and NRDS.MethodsWe performed a comprehensive search of the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Literature screening and quality assessment were performed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological components of each study, and Stata 15.1 software to perform the Meta-analysis.ResultsA total of nine case-control studies were included, with 653 infants with NRDS and 501 infants without NRDS. The Meta-analysis showed no heterogeneity across all studies(I2=0.0%, P=0.583). The fixed-effect model showed that 25 hydroxy vitamin D level of children in the NRDS group was significantly lower than that of the non-NRDS group(SMD = −0.51, 95%CI: −0.63 to −0.39, p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis study suggests that vitamin D deficiency is very likely to be a high-risk factor of NRDS, and reasonable vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and after birth is of great significance.

Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius can survive for long periods of time in iron toxicity-stressed environments, which cause rusty roots and reduced productivity. To reveal the proteomic changes in these two Panax species in response to iron toxicity stress, plants of these two species were divided into a control group and an iron toxicity-stress group. An isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomics approach was used to explore the changes in protein accumulation and the potential mechanisms underlying the response to iron toxicity stress in the two Panax species. Proteomic analyses revealed approximately 725 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the iron toxicity-stress and control groups, including 233 and 492 proteins whose expression was upregulated and downregulated, respectively. The expression of DEPs related to photosynthesis was significantly downregulated, and DEPs whose expression was significantly upregulated were associated with redox reactions. Many upregulated DEPs were also involved in pathways such as those involving phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, isoflavone and ginsenoside synthesis. The abundance of some ginsenoside monomers (Rg1 and Rb3) also significantly increased in P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius. Moreover, P. quinquefolius contained 455 DEPs whose expression was higher than that in P. ginseng, including many proteins related to the regulation of ion homeostasis, indicating that P. quinquefolius is more resistant to iron toxicity stress than P. ginseng is.

Abstract Background This study analyzed the effect of silicon (Si) application on the occurrence of ginseng black spot caused by Alternaria panax. We explored the differences in soil physical and chemical factors and microbial community structure following Si application as well as the key factors that affected the occurrence of ginseng black spot in soil. Potted Panax ginseng plants were used to assess the effect of Si treatment on ginseng black spot. Soil physical and chemical properties were comprehensively analyzed. Bacterial communities were analyzed using Illumina HiSeq sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Results After inoculation with A. panax, the morbidity (and morbidity index) of ginseng with and without Si was 52% (46) and 83% (77), respectively. Soil physical and chemical analysis showed that under the ginseng black spot inoculation, bacterial communities were mainly affected by pH and available potassium, followed by ammonium nitrogen and available Si. NMDS and PLS-DA analyses and the heat maps of relative abundance revealed that Si application elevated the resistance of ginseng black spot as regulated by the abundance and diversity of bacterial flora in rhizosphere soils. Heatmap analysis at the genus level revealed that A. panax + Si inoculations significantly increased the soil community abundance of Sandaracinus, Polycyclovorans, Hirschia, Haliangium, Nitrospira, Saccharothrix, Aeromicrobium, Luteimonas, and Rubellimicrobium and led to a bacterial community structure with relative abundances that were significantly similar to that of untreated soil. Conclusions Short-term Si application also significantly regulated the structural impact on soil microorganisms caused by ginseng black spot. Our findings indicated that Si applications may possibly be used in the prevention and treatment of ginseng black spot.

Transplantation is a cultivation mode widely applied in perennial plant growing. This method might be an effective way to alleviate problems associated with continuous cultivation (4–6 years) in ginseng production, but the alleviating mechanism and effects on soil microbial community is unclear. To study this issue, non-transplanted 2-year-old, and 5-year-old (transplantation mode: 2 + 3) and 9-year-old (transplantation mode: 3 + 3 + 3) ginseng rhizosphere soils were analyzed via MiSeq sequencing. The results showed that 9-year-old ginseng rhizosphere soil had lower available nitrogen and the lowest pH, available phosphorus, observed species and community diversity and richness (Chao1, and ACE) among all samples (p < 0.05). The abundances of some bacterial classes (Thermoleophilia, Bacilli, and Nitrospira) and fungal genera (Mortierella, Epicoccum, and Penicillium spp.) and functional richness associated with nutrient element cycles and antifungal activity decreased, while abundances of some fungal genera (Ilyonectria, Tetracladium, and Leptodontidium spp.) increased with increasing age of ginseng plants (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). However, there was greater similarity between soil samples of 2-year-old and transplanted 5-year-old ginseng plants and the increase in cultivation time from 2 to 5 years did not significantly influence the microbial community, suggesting that transplantation is a viable strategy for suppressing soil-borne diseases in Panax ginseng plants over long growth periods.

Aim: To study the relationship between rs1059057 polymorphism of pulmonary surfactant protein A1 (SP-A1) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in Mongolian very premature infants.Methods: Applying the strategy of case-control study, 120 Mongolian RDS very premature infants (58 males and 62 females) in the western part of Inner Mongolia were selected as the case group, and 120 subjects of non-RDS very premature infants (56 males and 64 females) with the same nationality, same sex and similar gestational age were used as the control group. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site rs1059057 of SP-A1 was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP).Results: Two genotypes, A/G and A/A, were detected at the SP-A1 rs1059057 locus in the western part of Inner Mongolia. In the case group, the frequencies of two genotypes were 53 and 47%, and the frequencies of A allele and G allele were 73 and 27%, respectively. In the control group, the frequencies of the two genotypes were 42 and 58%, and the frequencies of A allele and G allele were 79 and 21%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the genotype frequency of SP-A1 (rs1059057) locus between the case group and the control group (X2 = 3.275, P > 0.05), and no significant difference in allele frequency between the case group and the control group (X2 = 2.255, P > 0.05).Conclusion: The genotypes and allele frequencies of SP-A1 (rs1059057) locus were not associated with the incidence of RDS in Mongolian very premature infants in western Inner Mongolia.

Despite adopting diverse strategies and fabrication methods to prevent biofilm formation, the existing sophisticated fabrication methods for sole wettable or smart surfaces and their unsatisfactory antiadhesive durability need to be improved for their practical applications. In this study, a new anti-biofilm strategy via spraying bacterially-anti-adhesive modified polystyrene (MPS)/Ag microspheres was proposed to construct two kinds of bacterially-anti-adhesive surfaces with tunable wettability to meet different requirements in various fields. These surfaces could be constructed on arbitrary surfaces of materials and devices by this facile spray-coating method. A hydrophilic-type surface was demonstrated to possess superior antibacterial and bacterially-anti-adhesive capabilities. More importantly, its bacterially-anti-adhesive mechanism was first illustrated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the resisting effect of the hydrated layer. These surfaces could be easily converted to hydrophobic-type surfaces with significantly enhanced bacterially-anti-adhesive properties. It is worth noting that underwater oleophobicity was first deemed to be a vital factor for bacterial anti-adhesion due to the lotus-like repelling effect, in addition to the outstanding self-cleaning properties and repellency of surfaces for various bacterial media. The contact/release-killing synergistic antibacterial model and resisting and repelling bacterially-anti-adhesive model were, thus, substantially elucidated. Importantly, these surfaces demonstrated an outstanding durable and robust resistance to mechanical damage and chemical attack. This fabrication method is expected to be flexibly applied to arbitrary substrates in practical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]