Hydroponic method for ramie and removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from livestock wastewater

By using a hydroponic culture system, the terrestrial fiber crop ramie can growth optimally in aquatic environment and enhance exponentially quantities of high quality seedlings for subsequent field cultivation. In this study, the survival rate of ramie seedling was more than 97% when cultured using the novel hydroponic method. Further physiological analysis of the hydroponic ramie to different concentration of livestock wastewater demonstrated that all of these ramies can survival in livestock wastewater, but the 4 times diluted livestock wastewater (total N: 100.9 mg L^?1, total P: 2.69 mg L^?1) was more appropriate for ramie growth. The nutrients N and P in livestock wastewater were significantly decreased by the growth of ramie, and the removal efficiency of total N and total P in the 4 times diluted livestock wastewater achieved 78.1% and 43.1% respectively within 5 weeks. In conclusion, our studies highlight that the combination of ramie and the hydroponic technology resulted to be effective in the phytoremediation of livestock wastewater.     

The miRNAome of ramie (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Boehmeria nivea</Emphasis> L.): identification,expression, and potential roles of novel microRNAs in regulation of cadmium stress response

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate numerous crucial abiotic stress processes in plants. However, information is limited on their involvement in cadmium (Cd) stress response and tolerance mechanisms in plants, including ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.) that produces a number of economic valuable as an important natural fibre crop and an ideal crop for Cd pollution remediation.

Results

Four small RNA libraries of Cd-stressed and non-stressed leaves and roots of ramie were constructed. Using small RNA-sequencing, 73 novel miRNAs were identified. Genome-wide expression analysis revealed that a set of miRNAs was differentially regulated in response to Cd stress. In silico target prediction identified 426 potential miRNA targets that include several uptake or transport factors for heavy metal ions. The reliability of small RNA sequencing and the relationship between the expression levels of miRNAs and their target genes were confirmed by quantitative PCR (q-PCR). We showed that the expression patterns of miRNAs obtained by q-PCR were consistent with those obtained from small RNA sequencing. Moreover, we demonstrated that the expression of six randomly selected target genes was inversely related to that of their corresponding miRNAs, indicating that the miRNAs regulate Cd stress response in ramie.

Conclusions

This study enriches the number of Cd-responsive miRNAs and lays a foundation for the elucidation of the miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanism in ramie during Cd stress.

     

Engineering the Thermoelectric Transport in Half‐Heusler Materials through a Bottom‐Up Nanostructure Synthesis

Half‐Heusler (HH) alloys are among the best promising thermoelectric (TE) materials applicable for the middle‐to‐high temperature power generation. Despite of the large thermoelectric power factor and decent figure‐of‐merit ZT (≈1), their broad applications and enhancement on TE performance are limited by the high intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity (κ_L) due to insufficiencies of phonon scattering mechanisms, and the fewer powerful strategies associated with the microstructural engineering for HH materials. This study reports a bottom‐up nanostructure synthesis approach for these HH materials based on the displacement reaction between metal chlorides/bromides and magnesium (or lithium), followed by vacuum‐assisted spark plasma sintering process. The samples are featured with dense dislocation arrays at the grain boundaries, leading to a minimum κ_L of ≈1 W m^?1 K^?1 at 900 K and one of the highest ZT (≈1) and predicted η (≈11%) for n‐type Hf_0.25Zr_0.75NiSn_0.97Sb_0.03. Further manipulation on the dislocation defects at the grain boundaries of p‐type Nb_0.8Ti_0.2FeSb leads to enhanced maximum power factor of 47 × 10^?4 W m^?1 K^?2 and the predicted η of ≈7.5%. Moreover, vanadium substitution in FeNb_0.56V_0.24Ti_0.2Sb significantly promotes the η to ≈11%. This strategy can be extended to a broad range of advanced alloys and compounds for improved properties.     

RNA self-splicing by engineered hairpin ribozyme variants

Small RNAs capable of self-cleavage and ligation might have been the precursors for the much more complex self-splicing group I and II introns in an early RNA world. Here, we demonstrate the activity of engineered hairpin ribozyme variants, which as self-splicing introns are removed from their parent RNA. In the process, two cleavage reactions are supported at the two intron-exon junctions, followed by ligation of the two generated exon fragments. As a result, the hairpin ribozyme, here acting as the self-splicing intron, is cut out. Two self-splicing hairpin ribozyme variants were investigated, one designed by hand, the other by a computer-aided approach. Both variants perform self-splicing, generating a cut-out intron and ligated exons.     

Long non-coding RNA DANCR modulates osteogenic differentiation by regulating the miR-1301-3p/PROX1 axis

The balance of osteoblasts and marrow adipocytes from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) maintains bone health. Under aging or other pathological stimuli, BM-MSCs will preferentially differentiate into marrow adipocytes and reduce osteoblasts, leading to osteoporosis. Long non-coding RNA differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) participates in the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs, but the mechanism by which DANCR regulates the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs has not been fully explained. We observed that DANCR and prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) were downregulated during osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs, while miR-1301-3p had an opposite trend. DANCR overexpression decreased the levels of alkaline phosphatase, RUNX2, osteocalcin, Osterix in BM-MSCs after osteogenic induction, but DANCR silencing had the opposite result. Moreover, DANCR sponged miR-1301-3p to regulate PROX1 expression. miR-1301-3p overexpression reversed the suppressive role of DANCR elevation on the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs. Also, PROX1 elevation abolished the promoting role of miR-1301-3p overexpression on the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs. In conclusion, DANCR suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs through the miR-1301-3p/PROX1 axis, offering a novel mechanism by which DANCR is responsible for the osteogenic differentiation of human BM-MSCs.

     

鄱阳湖苦草及马来眼子菜PSⅡ荧光参数对水深变化的光响应

以典型沉水植物苦草和马来眼子菜为材料,利用水下饱和脉冲调制叶绿素荧光仪研究不同水深(0.5、1.0、1.5、2.0、2.5 m)对两种植物叶片最小荧光(Fo)、最大荧光(Fm)、PSⅡ最大光化光效率(Fv/Fm)、有效量子产量[Y(Ⅱ)]、光化学淬灭系数(qP)、非光化学淬灭系数(qN)、非调节性能量耗散的量子产量[Y(NO)]等荧光参数的影响。结果表明:水深1.5～2.0 m处苦草生物量最大,而1.0～1.5 m处马来眼子菜的最大;两种植物的Fo均先降低后升高,而荧光参数[(Fm、Fv/Fm、Fv/Fo、Y(Ⅱ)、qP]均先升高后降低; 2.0m处苦草的Fv/Fm、Fv/Fo最大,1.5 m处马来眼子菜的最大;相同水深下,马来眼子菜的qN比苦草低,与qP变化趋势相反;苦草的Y(Ⅱ)最大值出现在水深1.5～2.0 m内,马来眼子菜的Y(Ⅱ)最大值出现在1.5 m处;两者的Y(NO)随水深变化均表现出显著差异,过高或过低水深均抑制植物生长;相对光合电子传递速率(ETR)在不同水深处理间均差异显著,苦草的最大ETR比马来眼子菜小,说明其有较强的耐弱光能力。综上所述,在水深1.5～2.0 m苦草光合能力最强,最适宜生长;水深1.0～1.5 m最适宜马来眼子菜生长。     

生物阻抗技术概述

简要叙述了人体组织阻抗特性、生物阻抗技术的基本原理和测量方法,全面介绍了生物阻抗技术在细胞测量、体积测量、人体组织结构分析、组织监测、人体成分分析、生物阻抗成像等各方面的应用。     

Canine cystinuria: polymorphism in the canine<Emphasis Type="Italic"> SLC3A1</Emphasis> gene and identification of a nonsense mutation in cystinuric Newfoundland dogs

Cystinuria is an inherited renal and intestinal disease characterized by defective amino acid reabsorption and cystine urolithiasis. Different forms of the disease, designated type I and non-type I in cystinuric humans, can be distinguished clinically and biochemically, and have been associated with mutations in the SLC3A1 (rBAT) and SLC7A9 genes, respectively. Type I cystinuria is the most common form and is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait in humans. Cystinuria has been recognized in more than 60 breeds of dogs and a severe form, resembling type I cystinuria, has been characterized in the Newfoundland breed. Here we report the cloning and sequencing of the canine SLC3A1 cDNA and gene, and the identification of a nonsense mutation in exon 2 of the gene in cystinuric Newfoundland dogs. A mutation-specific test was developed for the diagnosis and control of cystinuria in Newfoundland dogs. In cystinuric dogs of six other breeds, either heterozygosity at the SLC3A1 locus or lack of mutations in the coding region of the SLC3A1 gene were observed, indicating that cystinuria is genetically heterogeneous in dogs, as it is in humans. The canine homologue of human type I cystinuria provides the opportunity to use a large animal model to investigate molecular approaches for the treatment of cystinuria and other renal tubular diseases.     

蚬壳花椒种子萌发时期内参基因的筛选与验证

为了解蚬壳花椒种子萌发的分子机制,需要筛选蚬壳花椒种子萌发时期表达稳定的内参基因。该研究通过赤霉素处理种子促进萌发,以不同萌发阶段的蚬壳花椒种子为材料,采用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析了6个候选内参基因GAPDH、ACT、18SrRNA、UBQ5、TUA和CYP在蚬壳花椒种子萌发时期的表达稳定性。结果表明:(1)α-淀粉酶基因、DELLA基因和异柠檬酸裂解酶基因分别反应了种子萌发阶段糖、激素和脂肪的代谢活动,因此选择蚬壳花椒异柠檬酸裂解酶基因(Unigene0032088)、α-淀粉酶基因(Unigene0033597)和DELLA基因(Unigene0058868)作为验证基因进行相对表达量验证。(2)综合geNorm、NormFinder和BestKeeper的分析结果显示在蚬壳花椒种子萌发过程中ACT表达稳定性最好,UBQ5次之。(3)以ACT、UBQ5基因为内参基因的结果显示验证基因的表达量与种子萌发生理状态一致,初步揭示了GA处理的种子易于萌发而清水处理的种子在萌发第3天容易腐败这一现象出现的可能原因。综上所述,ACT是蚬壳花椒种子萌发时期最合适的内参基因,其次是UBQ5。