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Abstract Aberrant release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) in response to cellular stress is well known for promoting cancer progression. However, precise molecular mechanism by which mtROS contribute to epithelial cancer progression remains only partially understood. Here, using colorectal cancer (CRC) models, we show that upon sensing excessive mtROS, phosphatase PGAM5, which normally localizes to the mitochondria, undergoes aberrant cleavage by presenilin-associated rhomboid-like protein (PARL), becoming released into the cytoplasm. Cytosolic PGAM5 then directly binds to and dephosphorylates MST3 kinase. This, in turn, prevents STK25-mediated LATS1/2 phosphorylation, leading to YAP activation and CRC progression. Importantly, depletion of MST3 reciprocally promotes accumulation of cytosolic PGAM5 by inducing mitochondrial damage. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how mtROS promotes CRC progression by activating YAP via a post-transcriptional positive feedback loop between PGAM5 and MST3, both of which can serve as potential targets for developing next-generation anti-colon cancer therapeutics.

ABSTRACT Understanding the extracellular electron transfer mechanisms of electroactive bacteria could help determine their potential in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and their microbial syntrophy with redox-active minerals in natural environments. However, the mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer to electrodes by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) remain underexplored. Here, we utilized double-chamber MFCs with carbon cloth electrodes to investigate the extracellular electron transfer mechanisms of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH), a model SRB, under varying lactate and sulfate concentrations using different DvH mutants. Our MFC setup indicated that DvH can harvest electrons from lactate at the anode and transfer them to cathode, where DvH could further utilize these electrons. Patterns in current production compared with variations of electron donor/acceptor ratios in the anode and cathode suggested that attachment of DvH to the electrode and biofilm density were critical for effective electricity generation. Electron microscopy analysis of DvH biofilms indicated DvH utilized filaments that resemble pili to attach to electrodes and facilitate extracellular electron transfer from cell to cell and to the electrode. Proteomics profiling indicated that DvH adapted to electroactive respiration by presenting more pili- and flagellar-related proteins. The mutant with a deletion of the major pilus-producing gene yielded less voltage and far less attachment to both anodic and catholic electrodes, suggesting the importance of pili in extracellular electron transfer. The mutant with a deficiency in biofilm formation, however, did not eliminate current production indicating the existence of indirect extracellular electron transfer. Untargeted metabolomics profiling showed flavin-based metabolites, potential electron shuttles.IMPORTANCEWe explored the application of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and investigated its potential extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanism. We also conducted untargeted proteomics and metabolomics profiling, offering insights into how DvH adapts metabolically to different electron donors and acceptors. An understanding of the EET mechanism and metabolic flexibility of DvH holds promise for future uses including bioremediation or enhancing efficacy in MFCs for wastewater treatment applications.

Soil erosion is amplified by the increased precipitation and rainfall erosivity caused by the changing climate, particularly for global mid-high latitude areas. Yet soil erosion processes and proper tillage practices are not well understood at the crop seedling stage, when the annual precipitation is usually concentrated in these regions. Simulated rainfall experiments were conducted at the rainfall intensities of 50- and 100-mm h−1 to investigate the differences in soil erosion of a 5° hillslope during the maize seedling stage between conservation and conventional tillage measures, including cornstalk mulching (Cm), horizontal ridging (Hr), horizontal ridging + mulching (Hr+Cm), vertical ridging + mulching (Vr+Cm), vertical ridging (Vr) and flat-tillage (CK). The results demonstrated that crops, at the seedling stage, can reduce soil erosion by altering the distribution of raindrops and reduce its kinetic energy. Conservation tillage measures significantly reduced total runoff (11.7 %–100 %) and sediment yield (71.1 %–100 %), delayed runoff-yield start time (85 s–26.1 min), decreased runoff velocity (71.5 %–96.7 %), and reduced runoff and soil loss rates, compared to conventional tillage measures. Mulching showed better performance than Hr. It reduced sediment concentration (∼70.6 %–100 %) by reducing runoff velocity and soil particle filtration. The contour ridge ruptured earlier at 100 mm h−1 than at 50 mm h−1 and changed the characteristics of the soil erosion by providing a larger source of sediment for surface runoff. Runoff rate, rather than soil erodibility, was the key factor affecting soil erosion. Decreasing runoff velocity was more important than controlling the amount of runoff. The Hr + Cm treatment exhibited the lowest soil erosion and is recommended for adoption at the maize seedling stage in sloping farmland. Our findings provide an optimized tillage method to mitigate soil erosion in spring in Northeast China.

Abstract Background Necrotizing fasciitis is a rapid and severe soft tissue infection that targets subcutaneous fat tissue, muscle, and fascia. This study compares the clinical outcomes of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) versus conventional dressing on necrotizing fasciitis. Methods We systematically searched Embase, Cochrane, and PubMed for clinical trials (published between January 1, 1995 and September 30, 2021), which compared VAC with conventional dressing for necrotizing fasciitis. The mortality rate of necrotizing fasciitis was the primary outcome of this study. The number of debridements, the total length of hospital stay, and the complication rate were secondary outcomes. A random effects model assessed all pooled data. Results A total of 230 identified studies and seven controlled clinical trials met the inclusion criteria and were included in this analysis (n = 249 participants). Compared to the conventional dressing, patients treated with VAC had a significantly lower mortality rate [OR = 0.27, 95% CI (0.09, 0.87)] (P = 0.03). Total length of hospital stays [MD = 8.46, 95% CI (− 0.53, 17.45)] (P = 0.07), number of debridements [MD = 0.86, 95% CI (− 0.58, 2.30)] (P = 0.24), and complication rate [OR = 0.64, 95% CI (0.07, 5.94)] (P = 0.69) were not significant. These results did not show significant differences between both groups treated with VAC or conventional treatment. Conclusion VAC could significantly decrease the death rate compared to conventional dressing. No significant impacts were found on the number of debridements, the total length of hospital stay, and the complication rate in this study. Level of evidence Level-III. Registration Research Registry (reviewregistry1246).

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a well-known environmental concern. Yet, limited knowledge exists on the fate and transport of ARGs in deep freshwater reservoirs experiencing seasonal hydrological changes, especially in the context of particle-attached (PA) and free-living (FL) lifestyles. Here, the ARG profiles were examined using high-throughput quantitative PCR in PA and FL lifestyles during four seasons representing two hydrological phenomena (vertical mixing and thermal stratification) in the Shuikou Reservoir (SR), Southern China. The results indicated that seasonal hydrological dynamics were critical for influencing the ARGs in PA and FL and the transition of ARGs between the two lifestyles. ARG profiles both in PA and FL were likely to be shaped by horizontal gene transfer. However, they exhibited distinct responses to the physicochemical (e.g., nutrients and dissolved oxygen) changes under seasonal hydrological dynamics. The particle-association niche (PAN) index revealed 94 non-conservative ARGs (i.e., no preferences for PA and FL) and 23 and 16 conservative ARGs preferring PA and FL lifestyles, respectively. A sharp decline in conservative ARGs under stratified hydrologic suggested seasonal influence on the ARGs transition between PA and FL lifestyles. Remarkably, the conservative ARGs (in PA or FL lifestyle) were more closely related to bacterial OTUs in their preferred lifestyle than their counterparts, indicating lifestyle-dependent ARG enrichment. Altogether, these findings enhanced our understanding of the ARG lifestyles and the role of seasonal hydrological changes in governing the ARG transition between the lifestyles in a typical deep freshwater ecosystem.

Antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant bacteria (ARB) are abundant in stormwater that could cause serious infections, posing a potential threat to public health. However, there is no inference about how stormwater contributes to ARG profiles as well as the dynamic interplay between ARGs and bacteria via vertical gene transfer (VGT) or horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in urban water ecosystems. In this study, the distribution of ARGs, their host communities, and the source and community assembly process of ARGs were investigated in Yundang Lagoon (China) via high-throughput quantitative PCR, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and application of SourceTracker before, after and recovering from an extreme precipitation event (132.1 mm). The abundance of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) was the highest one day after precipitation and then decreased 2 days after precipitation and so on. Based on SourceTracker and NMDS analysis, the ARG and bacterial communities in lagoon surface water from one day after precipitation were mainly contributed by the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent and effluent. However, the contribution of WWTP to ARG communities was minor 11 days after the precipitation, suggesting that the storm promoted the ARG levels by introducing the input of ARGs, MGEs, and ARB from point and non-point sources, such as sewer overflow and land-applied manure. Based on a novel microbial network analysis framework, the contribution of positive biological interactions between ARGs and MGEs or bacteria was the highest one day after precipitation, indicating a promoted VGT and HGT for ARG dissemination. The microbial networks deconstructed 11 days after precipitation, suggesting the stormwater practices (e.g., tide gate opening, diversion channels, and pumping) alleviated the spread of ARGs. These results advanced our understanding of the distribution and transport of ARGs associated with their source in urban stormwater runoff.

Abstract Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses are an attractive means of improving the efficiency of soil phosphorus (P) that difficult to be used by plants and may provide a sustainable way of maintaining high yields while reducing P applications. However, quantifying the contribution of indigenous AM fungi on phosphorus uptake and yields of maize (Zea mays L.) under field conditions is not particularly clear. Mesh-barrier compartments were applied to monitor the distribution of hyphal P uptake throughout the experimental period under different planting densities and soil depths, over two consecutive years. AM symbioses enhanced plant P-acquisition efficiency, especially during the silking stage, and hyphae of AM fungi was assessed to contribution 19.4% at most to total available P content of soil. Moreover, the pattern of AM depletion of soil P generally matched shoot nutrient demand under the high planting density, which resulted in significantly increased yield in 2014. Although the hyphal length density was significantly decreased with soil depth, AM fungi still had high potential for P supply in deeper soil. It demonstrates the great potential of indigenous AM fungi to maize productivity in the high-yield area of China, and it would further provide the possibility of elimination P fertilizer applications to maintain high yields.

The use of organic materials has been increasing due to improving soil fertility by affecting phosphorus (P) adsorption and desorption behavior of soils. However, previous studies ignored the influences of increased P concentrations in equilibrium solutions caused by P released from applied organic materials in bath P adsorption experiments. To eliminate these influences, a modified Langmuir equation was applied to describe P adsorption properties in dairy manure composts and biosolids-incubated soils. The adsorption and desorption trends shifted around the initial P concentration of 70 mg/L. The fitted parameter of correlation coefficients showed that the modified Langmuir model fitted well for the adsorption data covering only the lower initial P concentrations (0–70 mg P/L) and covering the whole P concentrations applied in the present study (0–400 mg/L). For the fitted results covering the whole P concentrations, adding organic materials generally decreased both the Γmax (maximum adsorption capacity for P) and the MABC (maximum adsorption buffering capacity), except for the 20-g/kg biosolids incubation, indicating that the number of adsorption sites for P decreased as the organic materials applied, and the binding energy for the P adsorption to the soil also decreased to some extent with some fluctuation as reflected by K values which represent adsorption strength. Higher DOC content, lower molecular weight, and higher humic acid might result in the higher Γmax of 20-g/kg biosolids incubated soil. The linear equations are described well for P desorption. The constant a value of slope in a linear equation reflects the P desorption capacity of soils increased due to the application of organic materials, especially in high P concentrations with a value of 0.45 for the control soil increased to 1.02 for 10-g/kg biosolids treated soil. Thus, it would be important to control the P application amounts when the application of P fertilizers to the soils with organic materials applied, as the effects of organic materials on P adsorption and desorption characteristics were more efficient at high P concentrations.

Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic factors limiting crop productivity. A better understanding of the effects of drought on millet (Setaria italica L.) production, a model crop for studying drought tolerance, and the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for drought stress responses is vital to improvement of agricultural production. In this study, we exposed the drought resistant F1 hybrid, M79, and its parental lines E1 and H1 to drought stress. Subsequent physiological analysis demonstrated that M79 showed higher photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency and drought tolerance than its parents. A transcriptomic study using leaves collected six days after drought treatment, when the soil water content was about ∼20%, identified 3066, 1895, and 2148 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in M79, E1 and H1 compared to the respective untreated controls, respectively. Further analysis revealed 17 Gene Ontology (GO) enrichments and 14 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in M79, including photosystem II (PSII) oxygen-evolving complex, peroxidase (POD) activity, plant hormone signal transduction, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Co-regulation analysis suggested that these DEGs in M79 contributed to the formation of a regulatory network involving multiple biological processes and pathways including photosynthesis, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, redox regulation, hormonal signaling, and osmotic regulation. RNA-seq analysis also showed that some photosynthesis-related DEGs were highly expressed in M79 compared to its parental lines under drought stress. These results indicate that various molecular pathways, including photosynthesis, respond to drought stress in M79, and provide abundant molecular information for further analysis of the underlying mechanism responding to this stress.

The removal of acetone and benzene series (BTEX) under individual and concurrent conditions is carried out in a coaxial nonthermal plasma (NTP) reactor. The results show that the benzene series has a significant negative impact on acetone conversion and CO2 selectivity under NTP treatment. Furthermore, it is found that p-xylene significantly promotes COx selectivity under co-treatment with acetone because of greater CO generation. Based on the results of transient FTIR, MS, and GC-MS, it is seen that quantities of formic acid, formaldehyde, and ring-opening byproducts from benzene series decomposition are reduced, while quantities of aromatic byproducts with carboxyl, phenolic, and aldehyde groups on the benzene ring increase under coexistence conditions. With the help of theoretical calculation and kinetic analysis, hydrogen abstraction from the methyl group and active hydroxyl radical consumption are proposed as critical factors in the BTEX inhibition effect on acetone degradation.

This paper investigates the analysis problem for stability of discrete-time neural networks (NNs) with discrete- and distribute-time delay. Stability theory and a linear matrix inequality (LMI) approach are developed to establish sufficient conditions for the NNs to be globally asymptotically stable and to design a state estimator for the discrete-time neural networks. Both the discrete delay and distribute delays employ decomposing the delay interval approach, and the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals (LKFs) are constructed on these intervals, such that a new stability criterion is proposed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and the applicability of the proposed method.

The analysis and prediction of the coastal erosion status are of great significance for maintaining the marine ecological environment, planning urban construction, and coping with climate change. Fangchenggang is located in the southwesternmost part of mainland China. It has the largest harbor in the western region, which provides access to the most convenient channel between southwest China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. With the rapid development of China's economy, coastal erosion has occurred in Fangchenggang, and ecological and environmental problems have become increasingly prominent. In this study, we mainly focus on the status analysis and prediction of Fangchenggang coastal erosion based on multisource remote sensing data. A systematic analysis and prediction methods for the coastal erosion state are studied. First, shoreline type changes are analyzed. The index of coastline type diversity is used instead of solely using length changes to analyze shoreline diversity, and the length change intensity is applied to quantify the degree of shoreline change over time for different types of shorelines. Next, the composite index of coastline utilization degree is introduced to further explore the impact of human activities on shorelines. Then, to study the effect of coastal erosion on different types of shorelines in Fangchenggang, the end point rate is used to obtain the coastal erosion rate. Finally, the shoreline trend prediction model for Fangchenggang is established through the spatial distribution of the coastal erosion rate, and we verified that the accuracy of the model is 82%. The model can provide technical support for the integrated prevention and control of coastal erosion hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore cheap, easily available and high adsorption performance bioadsorbent is still an important task for azo dye pollution control. In this study, the Methyl orange (MO) adsorption capacity by a novel bioadsorbent obtained from lychee and longan pericarps via simple modification was investigated. Prepared pericarps were modified by PEI at 30°C and 65°C, which improved the adsorption performance confirmed by batch adsorption experiments. The characteration of modified pericarps by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and zeta potential indicated that the enhanced adsorption performance may be due to the abundant amines and imines and stronger electropositivity. The maximum adsorption capacity (349.37 mg/g) was observed for LC@PEI-65 at 45°C and pH 4. Freundlich isotherm model fitted pretty well with the isotherm experiment data, and the isotherm experimental data were preferably described by pseudo-second order model indicating the chemical adsorption process, and the intra-particle diffusion also involved in the adsorption process. Characterization and adsorption tests suggested electrostatic interaction played a key role in MO removal, accompanied by intermolecular hydrogen bond, p-p dispersion interaction and pore filling collectively. The present study show that the cost-effective PEI modified pericarps could possess a hopeful application for azo dye removal from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic factors limiting crop productivity. A better understanding of the effects of drought on millet (Setaria italica L.) production, a model crop for studying drought tolerance, and the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for drought stress responses is vital to improvement of agricultural production. In this study, we exposed the drought resistant F1 hybrid, M79, and its parental lines E1 and H1 to drought stress. Subsequent physiological analysis demonstrated that M79 showed higher photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency and drought tolerance than its parents. A transcriptomic study using leaves collected six days after drought treatment, when the soil water content was about ∼20%, identified 3066, 1895, and 2148 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in M79, E1 and H1 compared to the respective untreated controls, respectively. Further analysis revealed 17 Gene Ontology (GO) enrichments and 14 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in M79, including photosystem II (PSII) oxygen-evolving complex, peroxidase (POD) activity, plant hormone signal transduction, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Co-regulation analysis suggested that these DEGs in M79 contributed to the formation of a regulatory network involving multiple biological processes and pathways including photosynthesis, signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, redox regulation, hormonal signaling, and osmotic regulation. RNA-seq analysis also showed that some photosynthesis-related DEGs were highly expressed in M79 compared to its parental lines under drought stress. These results indicate that various molecular pathways, including photosynthesis, respond to drought stress in M79, and provide abundant molecular information for further analysis of the underlying mechanism responding to this stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prokaryotes represent the largest biodiversity pool and drive the biogeochemical cycles in fluvial environments. However, the mechanisms underlying the assembly of prokaryotic communities are largely unexplored at taxonomic and functional levels, simultaneously. Here, we investigated the spatio-seasonal distribution of prokaryoplankton communities in a salinity-influenced watershed, China using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The OTUs were divided into core and satellite, based on a statistical approach. Our results indicated that the core taxa accounted for 87.4% of all the communities, predominantly including Betaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Thaumarchaeota. Whereas 10 of 22 metabolic phenotypes annotated using METAGENassist had significantly higher relative abundances in the core than satellite communities. Temporal variations in the composition of ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotes could be attributed to the seasonal nutrient concentrations. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that environmental filtering rather than dispersal limitation is the primary mechanism driving the assembly of the whole, core and satellite communities at both taxonomic and functional levels. Network analysis revealed that the mutualistic interactions might also have certain roles in the assembly of the core taxonomic community. However, taxonomic community fluctuations can only partially reflect the functional community variations. Collectively, this study significantly advanced our understanding of the biogeographic pattern of the fluvial prokaryotic communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is one of the major food crops in the world. Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is an economically important disease that affects wheat worldwide. The discovery of novel resistance genes and the deployment of effectively resistant cultivars are important for the ongoing control of wheat stripe rust and the maintenance of the agricultural productivity of wheat. CH7086, a new stripe rust-resistant wheat introgression line, was selected by crossing susceptible cultivars with the resistant Thinopyrum ponticum-derived partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 7430. The resistance of CH7086 is effective against all current Chinese P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races. CH7086 was crossed with the stripe rust-susceptible cultivars to develop F1, F2, F3, and BC1 populations for genetic analysis. Segregation in the F2 and BC1 populations and F2:3 lines were tested for resistance against the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici race CYR32. This test showed that CH7086 carries a single dominant gene for stripe rust resistance, which was temporarily designated YrCH86. The closest of the eight simple sequence repeat (SSR) and expressed sequence tag-SSR markers flanking the locus were X2AS33, which is 1.9 cM distal, and Xmag3807, which is 3.1 cM proximal. The resistance gene and its polymorphic markers were placed in deletion bin 2AS-0.78-1.00 using the 'Chinese Spring' nullisomic-tetrasomic, ditelosomic, and deletion lines. The tests of both allelism and resistance specificity suggested that the resistance gene found in CH7086 was not Yrl7, which was the only current formally named Yr gene on chromosome 2AS. Thus, YrCH86 appeared to be a new locus and was permanently designated Yr69. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a globally serious disease adversely affecting wheat production. The Bgt-resistant wheat breeding line CH09W89 was derived after backcrossing a Bgt resistant wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium partial amphiploid TAI7045 with susceptible wheat cultivars. At the seedling stage, CH09W89 exhibited immunity or high resistance to Bgt pathotypes E09, E20, E21, E23, E26, Bg1, and Bg2, similar to its donor line TAI7045 and Th. intermedium. No Th. intermedium chromatin was detected based on genomic in situ hybridization of mitotic chromosomes. To determine the mode of inheritance of the Bgt resistance and the chromosomal location of the resistance gene, CH09W89 was crossed with two susceptible wheat cultivars. The results of the genetic analysis showed that the adult resistance to Bgt E09 in CH09W89 was controlled by a single recessive gene, which was tentatively designated as pmCH89. Two polymorphic SSR markers, Xwmc310 and Xwmc125, were linked to the resistance gene with genetic distances 3.1 and 2.7 cM, respectively. Using the Chinese Spring aneuploid and deletion lines, the resistance gene and its linked markers were assigned to chromosome arm 4BL in the bin 0.68-0.78. Due to its unique position on chromosome 4BL, pmCH89 appears to be a new locus for resistance to powdery mildew. These results will be of benefit for improving powdery mildew resistance in wheat breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper purposes the design of a fault detection filter for stochastic systems with mixed time-delays and parameter uncertainties. The main idea is to construct some new Lyapunov functional for the fault detection dynamics. A new robustly asymptotically stable criterion for the systems is derived through linear matrix inequality (LMI) by introducing a comprehensive different Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional. Then, the fault detection filter is designed in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) which can be easily checked in practice. At the same time, the error between the residual signal and the fault signal is made as small as possible. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]