Elevated ozone decreases the multifunctionality of belowground ecosystems

Elevated tropospheric ozone (O₃) affects the allocation of biomass aboveground and belowground and influences terrestrial ecosystem functions. However, how belowground functions respond to elevated O₃ concentrations ([O₃]) remains unclear at the global scale. Here, we conducted a detailed synthesis of belowground functioning responses to elevated [O₃] by performing a meta-analysis of 2395 paired observations from 222 publications. We found that elevated [O₃] significantly reduced the primary productivity of roots by 19.8%, 16.3%, and 26.9% for crops, trees and grasses, respectively. Elevated [O₃] strongly decreased the root/shoot ratio by 11.3% for crops and by 4.9% for trees, which indicated that roots were highly sensitive to O₃. Elevated [O₃] impacted carbon and nitrogen cycling in croplands, as evidenced by decreased dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, total soil nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, microbial biomass nitrogen, and nitrification rates in association with increased nitrate nitrogen and denitrification rates. Elevated [O₃] significantly decreased fungal phospholipid fatty acids in croplands, which suggested that O₃ altered the microbial community and composition. The responses of belowground functions to elevated [O₃] were modified by experimental methods, root environments, and additional global change factors. Therefore, these factors should be considered to avoid the underestimation or overestimation of the impacts of elevated [O₃] on belowground functioning. The significant negative relationships between O₃-treated intensity and the multifunctionality index for croplands, forests, and grasslands implied that elevated [O₃] decreases belowground ecosystem multifunctionality.     

Upgrading the genome of an elite japonica rice variety Kongyu 131 for lodging resistance improvement

Developing a new rice variety requires tremendous efforts and years of input. To improve the defect traits of the excellent varieties becomes more cost and time efficient than breeding a completely new variety. Kongyu 131 is a high-performing japonica variety with early maturity, high yield, wide adaptability and cold resistance, but the poor-lodging resistance hinders the industrial production of Kongyu 131 in the Northeastern China. In this study, we attempted to improve the lodging resistance of Kongyu 131 from perspectives of both gene and trait. On the one hand, by QTL analysis and fine mapping we discovered the candidate gene loci. The following CRISPR/Cas9 and transgenic complementation study confirmed that Sd1 dominated the lodging resistance and favourable allele was mined for precise introduction and improvement. On the other hand, the Sd1 allelic variant was identified in Kongyu 131 by sequence alignment, then introduced another excellent allelic variation by backcrossing. Then, the two new resulting Kongyu 131 went through the field evaluation under different environments, planting densities and nitrogen fertilizer conditions. The results showed that the plant height of upgraded Kongyu 131 was 17%–26% lower than Kongyu 131 without penalty in yield. This study demonstrated a precise and targeted way to update the rice genome and upgrade the elite rice varieties by improving only a few gene defects from the perspective of breeding.     

渗透胁迫对高粱根中K~+累积的刺激作用

本工作中发现,2,4—二硝基酚(DNP)可有效地洗去高粱根中的K~+,从而提高了测定和比较K~+累积量的显示度和准确性,渗透胁迫下,高粱根中K~+的累积量比对照增加高达6.7倍;同时,组织的H~+分泌明显受到促进,动力学研究表明,经PEG胁迫的高粱根对K~+的亲和力显著增强。对照:K_m=9.25mmol/L,V_m=23.6μmolg~(-1)DW min~(-1);PEG处理者:K_m=27.25μmol/L,V_m=14.71μmolg~(-1)DW min~(-1).地上部的存在有利于 K~+的吸收。渗透胁迫所促进的K~+吸收可被亚胺环己酮(CHM)完全抑制,这一结果暗示渗透胁迫诱导的K~+吸收的增加依赖于蛋白质的诱导合成,本文讨论了K~+吸收增强的可能机理。     

Determination of Ki67 Growth Fraction and Oestrogen Receptors In Screen-Detected Breast Cancer Using Cytological Preparations

Oestrogen receptor (ER) status of 77 cases of screen-detected breast cancer has been determined using cytological preparations. In 48% ER status was positive, which was the same proportion as that formed in a control group of age-matched patients with symptomatic breast carcinoma. Since the screen-detected group contained more low grade tumours, the percentage of ER-positive cases would be expected to be higher. the reasons for the discrepancy are discussed. Ki67 score has been determined for 41 cases of screen-detected cancer. Ki67 score showed a positive correlation with histological tumour grade and a negative correlation with ER status. However, there was no correlation with tumour size or lymph node status. the Ki67 scores in the screen-detected cancers were essentially similar to those found in an age-matched symptomatic group, but the very low scores were only found in the screened group.     

Phytochemical Characterization of Cannabis sativa L. Roots from Northeastern Brazil

This article describes the phytochemical study of Cannabis sativa roots from northeastern Brazil. The dried plant material was pulverized and subjected to exhaustive maceration with ethanol at room temperature, obtaining the crude ethanolic extract (Cs-EEBR). The volatile compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which allowed to identify 22 compounds by comparing the linear retention index (LRI), the similarity index (SI) and the fragmentation pattern of the constituents with the literature. By this technique the major compounds identified were: friedelan-3-one and β-sitosterol. In addition, two fractions were obtained from Cs-EEBR by classical column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. These fractions were analyzed by NMR and IR and together with the mass spectrometry data allowed to identify the compounds: epifriedelanol, friedelan-3-one, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The study contributed to the phytochemical knowledge of Cannabis sativa, specifically the roots, as there are few reports on the chemical constituents of this part of the plant.     

Chemical Profile and Biological Activities of Fungal Strains Isolated from Piper nigrum Roots: Experimental and Computational Approaches

The current report describes the chemical investigation and biological activity of extracts produced by three fungal strains Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium simplicissimum, and Fusarium proliferatum isolated from the roots of Piper nigrum L. growing in Vietnam. These fungi were namely determined by morphological and DNA analyses. GC/MS identification revealed that the EtOAc extracts of these fungi were associated with the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. These EtOAc extracts showed cytotoxicity towards cancer cell lines HepG2, inhibited various microbacterial organisms, especially fungus Aspergillus niger and yeast Candida albicans (the MIC values of 50–100 μg/mL). In α-glucosidase inhibitory assay, they induced the IC₅₀ values of 1.00-2.53 μg/mL were better than positive control acarbose (169.80 μg/mL). The EtOAc extract of F. oxysporum also showed strong anti-inflammatory activity against NO production and PGE-2 level. Four major compounds linoleic acid (37.346 %), oleic acid (27.520 %), palmitic acid (25.547 %), and stearic acid (7.030 %) from the EtOAc extract of F. oxysporum were selective in molecular docking study, by which linoleic and oleic acids showed higher binding affinity towards α-glucosidase than palmitic and stearic acids. In subsequent docking assay with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid could be moderate inhibitors.     

腰背肌康复训练联合脊柱微调手法对腰椎间盘突出症患者功能康复、血液流变学和生活质量的影响

摘要 目的：探讨腰背肌康复训练联合脊柱微调手法对腰椎间盘突出症（LDH）患者功能康复、血液流变学和生活质量的影响。方法：采用随机数字表法,将我院2020年3月~2022年3月期间收治的120例LDH患者分为对照组（60例,腰背肌康复训练）和观察组（60例,腰背肌康复训练联合脊柱微调手法）。观察两组患者临床疗效、功能康复效果、血液流变学和生活质量。结果：观察组的临床总有效率高于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组干预4周后日本骨科协会腰椎功能（JOA）评分高于对照组,Oswestry功能障碍指数（ODI）、视觉模拟评分法（VAS）评分低于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组干预4周后腰部屈曲腰部活动范围（ROM）、伸展ROM、测屈ROM和屈肌肌力、伸肌肌力高于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组干预4周后全血高切黏度、全血低切黏度、红细胞聚集指数低于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组干预4周后躯体功能、精神健康、活力、躯体疼痛、社会功能、总体健康、情感职能、生理机能维度评分高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：腰背肌康复训练联合脊柱微调手法用于LDH患者干预中,可改善血液流变学,促进功能康复,有利于患者生活质量的提高。     

Growth kinetics, polyamine pattern and biosynthesis in hairy root lines of Nicotiana tabacum

The possibility of a relation between the expression of root inducing (Ri) T-DNA genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and changes in polyamine metabolism has been explored in fast-growing tobacco hairy roots. Transformed root cultures have been established on hormone-fee medium; they came from transgenic plants of Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi with different altered phenotypes, designated transformed (T) and supertransformed (T'). T and especially T' roots developed more rapidly both by elongation and lateral branching, and showed a higher growth rate than the untransformed control. After 3 weeks in culture, normal roots showed a very reduced meristematic zone, and flow cytometric analysis indicated that 2C nuclei were predominant in the apical parts in contrast to T and T' roots, in which endopolyploidisation also appeared. Putrescine, spermidine and traces of spermine were present in all the samples, both in free and in conjugated forms. Putrescine was the major polyamine detected in controls and in transformed roots. At the time of excision, the polyamine levels were similar in normal, T and T' roots. Significant differences were found during the progression of growth, particularly in the TCA-insoluble fraction in which polyamines varied differently according to the type of roots, increasing considerably in T roots on day 8, then decreasing. The lower polyamine contents found in growing transformed roots were concomitant to low arginine (EC 4.1.1.19) and ornithine (EC 4.1.1.17) decarboxylase activities. It is suggested that polyamine levels and related enzyme activities are linked to growth kinetics rather than being a consequence of foreign gene expression.     

Influence of nicotianamine and iron supply on formation and elongation of adventitious roots in hypocotyl cuttings of the tomato mutant 'chloronerva' (Lycopersicon esculentum)

The influence of nicotianamine (NA) on formation and elongation of adventitious roots in hypocotyls of de-rooted NA-less mutant seedlings of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, was examined in relation to the iron supply [ferric N-N'-ethylenediaminedi-(2-hydroxyphenylacetate) (FEDDHA), ferric ethylenediaminetetracetate (FeEDTA), ferric N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediaminetriacetate (FeHEDTA, Fe-citrate and FeCl₃] in the nutrient solution. The initiation of root primordia in hypocotyl cuttings was independent of NA and occurred with about the same frequency in both, mutant and wild-type. In the mutant the development of primordia to adventitious roots was blocked at all iron sources used, except FeEDTA. Addition of NA (5x 10⁻⁶ to 2 × 10⁻⁵ M ) to the rooting medium resulted in a fast growth of adventitious roots in mutant cuttings with all iron sources tested. Rooting of wild-type cuttings was independent from NA application and iron sources. We suppose that NA is involved in the intracellular transport of iron. Its function is possibly linked with chelation of ferrous iron in the cell.     

Inadequate rates are lower when FNAC samples are taken by cytopathologists

Inadequate rates (IR) in FNAC from different sources were compared. The rates were lowest when FNAC was performed by a cytopathologist (12%) and highest when done by a non-cytopathologist (32%). These differences were mirrored in high IRs in breast cancer cases. IR was not significantly improved when non-cytopathologist FNAC was attended by a cytotechnician.