Search

[Display omitted] • Herbaceous plants were the primary native vegetation in the landfill cover. • Rumex Acetosa increased non-rhizosphere soil CH 4 oxidation capacity nearly 20-fold. • Root exudates induced microbial migration and specific metabolic pathways. • Limonexic acid enhanced methanotrophic bacteria activity and CH 4 degradation. Vegetation root exudates have the ability to shape soil microbial community structures, thereby enhancing CH 4 bio-oxidation capacity in landfill cover systems. In this study, the CH 4 oxidation capacity of indigenous vegetation rhizosphere microorganisms within operational landfill covers in Chongqing, China, was investigated for the first time, with the objective of identifying suitable plant candidates for CH 4 mitigation initiatives within landfill cover systems. Furthermore, a multi-omics methodology was employed to explore microbial community structures and metabolic variances within the rhizospheric environment of diverse vegetation types. The primary aim was to elucidate the fundamental factors contributing to divergent CH 4 oxidation capacities observed in rhizosphere soils. The findings demonstrated that herbaceous vegetation predominated in landfill covers. Notably, Rumex acetosa exhibited the highest CH 4 oxidation capacity in the rhizosphere soil, approximately 20 times greater than that in non-rhizosphere soil. Root exudates played a crucial role in inducing the colonization of CH 4 -oxidizing functional microorganisms in the rhizosphere, subsequently prompting the development of specific metabolic pathways. This process, in turn, enhanced the functional activity of the microorganisms while concurrently bolstering their tolerance to microbial pollutants. Consequently, the addition of substances like Limonexic acid strengthened the CH 4 bio-oxidation process, thereby underscoring the suitability of Rumex acetosa and similar vegetation species as preferred choices for landfill cover vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Acupoint specificity, as a crucial issue in acupuncture neuroimaging studies, is still a controversial topic. Previous studies have generally adopted a block-based general linear model (GLM) approach, which predicts the temporal changes in the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal conforming to the “on–off” specifications. However, this method might become impractical since the precise timing and duration of acupuncture actions cannot be specified a priori. In the current study, we applied a data-driven multivariate classification approach, namely, support vector machine (SVM), to explore the neural specificity of acupuncture at gall bladder 40 (GB40) using kidney 3 (KI3) as a control condition (belonging to different meridians but the same nerve segment). In addition, to verify whether the typical GLM approach is sensitive enough in exploring the neural response patterns evoked by acupuncture, we also employed the GLM method to the same data sets. The SVM analysis detected distinct neural response patterns between GB40 and KI3 — positive predominantly for the GB40, while negative following the KI3. By contrast, group analysis from the GLM showed that acupuncture at these different acupoints can both evoke similar widespread signal decreases in multiple brain regions, and most of these regions were spatially overlapped, mainly distributing in the limbic and subcortical structures. Our findings may provide additional evidence to support the specificity of acupuncture, relevant to its clinical efficacy. Moreover, we also proved that GLM analysis is prone to be susceptible to errors and is not appropriate for detecting neural response patterns evoked by acupuncture stimulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we consider the higher-order Wong–Zakai approximations of the non-autonomous stochastic reaction–diffusion equation driven by additive/multiplicative white noises. The solutions between the approximation equation and stochastic reaction–diffusion equation are compared in higher-order spaces, in terms of the initial data. Based on these results and the known L 2 -upper semi-continuity, we prove that the random attractor of the approximation random system converges to that of the non-autonomous stochastic reaction–diffusion equation with additive/multiplicative white noises in L p (R N) ∩ H 1 (R N) when the size of the approximation shrinks to zero. • Approximation is obtained in L p ∩ H 1 for equations with additive noise. • Approximation is obtained in L p ∩ H 1 for equations with multiplicative noises. • Upper semi-continuity w.r.t. the size of approximations is derived in L p ∩ H 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigated the association of Nogo-A protein, a myelin-associated inhibitor of axon regeneration, with secondary damage of the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) in adult stroke-prone, renovascular hypertensive rats. Intracerebroventricular infusion of NEP1–40, a Nogo-66 receptor antagonist peptide, or vehicle was administered starting 24h after dMCAO and continued for 1, 2, or 4 weeks. The expression of Nogo-A in the ipsilateral SNr was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Neuron death and apoptosis were evaluated using Nissl and terminal uridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Glial activation was monitored by immunoreactivity of glial fibrillary acidic protein and the oligodendrocyte marker RIP. Axonal damage and regeneration were determined by Bielschowsky’s silver staining and immunoreactivity of growth associated protein 43 and microtubule associated protein 2. We found progressive damage in the center of the ipsilateral SNr through 4 weeks after dMCAO. The neuronal loss was topographically related to axonal degeneration that occurred indirectly from the infarcted cortex. Nogo-A protein in oligodendrocytes was persistently increased in the damaged SNr. Administration of NEP1–40 inhibited Nogo-A expression, the loss of neurons, apoptosis, and proliferation of oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. It also boosted the regenerative response of injured axons and encouraged compensatory neurite growth in the ipsilateral SNr. Our data suggest that secondary damage in the ipsilateral SNr may be due to trans-synaptic axonal degeneration that followed the cortical infarct. Further, we showed that Nogo-A is involved in axonal degeneration, and NEP1–40 reduces secondary nigral damage after focal cortical ischemia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The increased risk for the elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to progress to Alzheimer''s disease makes it an appropriate condition for investigation. While the use of acupuncture as a complementary therapeutic method for treating MCI is popular in certain parts of the world, the underlying mechanism is still elusive. We sought to investigate the acupuncture effects on the functional connectivity throughout the entire brain in MCI patients compared to healthy controls (HC). The functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment was performed with two different paradigms, namely, deep acupuncture (DA) and superficial acupuncture (SA), at acupoint KI3. We first identified regions showing abnormal functional connectivity in the MCI group compared to HC during the resting state and subsequently tested whether these regions could be modulated by acupuncture. Then, we made the comparison of MCI vs. HC to test whether there were any specific modulatory patterns in the poststimulus resting brain between the two groups. Finally, we made the comparisons of DA vs. SA in each group to test the effect of acupuncture with different needling depths. We found the temporal regions (hippocampus, thalamus, fusiform gyrus) showing abnormal functional connectivity during the resting state. These regions are implicated in memory encoding and retrieving. Furthermore, we found significant changes in functional connectivity related with the abnormal regions in MCI patients following acupuncture. Compared to HC, the correlations related with the temporal regions were enhanced in the poststimulus resting brain in MCI patients. Compared to SA, significantly increased correlations related with the temporal regions were found for the DA condition. The enhanced correlations in the memory-related brain regions following acupuncture may be related to the purported therapeutically beneficial effects of acupuncture for the treatment of MCI. The heterogeneous modulatory patterns between DA and SA may suggest that deep muscle insertion of acupuncture is necessary to achieve the appreciable clinical effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]