Experimental Study on the Response of Cracked Sandstone to the Intermediate Principal Stress Coupled with Pore Pressure.

Underground fractured rock masses are susceptible to failure under the combined influence of true triaxial stresses and pore pressure, posing severe threats to personnel and production safety of underground engineering. To investigate the influence of intermediate principal stress (σ2) on the mechanical and water diffusion volume change (ΔV) characteristics during the failure process of cracked rocks under stable pore pressure, this study conducted true triaxial strength experiments on cracked sandstone with stable pore pressure. The results demonstrated that with the increase of σ2, crack initiation stress (σci), crack damage stress (σcd) and the peak stress (σ1,peak) of cracked sandstone initially increase and then decrease. Conversely, ΔV tends to decrease first and then increase with the increase of σ2. This inverse relationship indicates that under elevated σ2, the decreased strength of cracked rock could lead to an increase in ΔV, which may increase the probability of water inrush disasters. The findings of this study provide a theoretical reference for the stability of rock mass engineering and the prevention of water inrush disasters.

Circ_0104652 Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of ox-LDL-Stimulated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via Stabilizing ADAMTS7 and HMGB1.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis (AS) stands as the primary contributor to cardiovascular disease, a pervasive global health concern. Extensive research has underscored the pivotal role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cardiovascular disease development. However, the specific functions of numerous circRNAs in AS remain poorly understood. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed a significant upregulation of circ_0104652 in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Loss-of-function experiments were subsequently employed to assess the impact of circ_0104652 on ox-LDL-induced VSMCs. RESULTS: Silencing circ_0104652 was found to impede the proliferation and migration while promoting the apoptosis of ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. Mechanistic assays unveiled that circ_0104652 stabilized ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 7 (ADAMTS7) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) by recruiting eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3) protein. Rescue assays further confirmed that circ_0104652 exerted its influence on ox-LDL-induced VSMC proliferation through modulation of ADAMTS7 and HMGB1. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates the role of the circ_0104652/EIF4A3/ADAMTS7/HMGB1 axis in ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs, providing valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms involved.

Comprehensive characterization of small noncoding RNA profiles in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) rat tissues.

Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a fatal cardiovascular disease characterized by an elevation in pulmonary artery pressure, resulting in right ventricular dysfunction and eventual heart failure. Exploring the pathogenesis of HPH is crucial, and small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) are gaining recognition as potential regulators of cellular responses to hypoxia. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of sncRNA profiles in eight tissues of male HPH rats using high-throughput sequencing. Our study unveiled several sncRNAs, with the brain, kidney, and spleen exhibiting the highest abundance of microRNA (miRNA), tRNA-derived small RNA (tDR), and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), respectively. Moreover, we identified numerous tissue-specific and hypoxia-responsive sncRNAs, particularly miRNAs and tDRs. Interestingly, we observed arm switching in miRNAs under hypoxic conditions and a significant increase in the abundance of 5' tRNA-halves among the total tDRs during hypoxia. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive characterization of the sncRNA profiles in HPH rats.

Structural characterization of a glycoprotein from white jade snails (Achatina Fulica) and its wound healing activity.

Snail mucus is rich in proteins and polysaccharides, which has been proved to promote wound healing in mice in our previous research. The aim of this study was to investigate the effective component in snail mucus that can exert the wound healing potential and its structural characterization. Here, the glycoprotein from the snail mucus (SM1S) was obtained by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-300 columns. The structural characteristics of SM1S were investigated via chromatographic techniques, periodic acid oxidation, FT-IR spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that SM1S was a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 3.8 kDa (83.23 %), consists of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, fucose at a ratio of 13.180:4.875:1043.173:7.552:1:3.501:2.058. In addition, the periodic acid oxidation and NMR analysis showed that SM1S contained 1,6-glycosidic bonds, and might also contain 1 â†’ 4 and 1 â†’ 2 glycosidic or 1 â†’ 3 glycosidic bonds. Furthermore, the migration experiment of human skin fibroblasts in vitro suggested that SM1S had a good effect to accelerate the scratch healing of cells. This study suggested that SM1S may be a prospective candidate as a natural wound dressing for the development of snail mucus products.

Morpho-physiological, Genomic, and Transcriptional Diversities in Response to Potassium Deficiency in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) Genotypes.

Variations in the resistance to potassium (K) deficiency among rapeseed genotypes emphasize complicated regulatory mechanisms. In this study, a low-K-sensitivity accession (L49) responded to K deficiency with smaller biomasses, severe leaf chlorosis, weaker photosynthesis ability, and deformed stomata morphology compared to a low-K resistant accession (H280). H280 accumulated more K+ than L49 under low K. Whole-genome resequencing (WGS) revealed a total of 5,538,622 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 859,184 insertions/deletions (InDels) between H280 and L49. RNA-seq identified more differentially expressed K+ transporter genes with higher expression in H280 than in L49 under K deficiency. Based on the K+ profiles, differential expression profiling, weighted gene coexpression network analysis, and WGS data between H280 and L49, BnaC4.AKT1 was proposed to be mainly responsible for root K absorption-mediated low K resistance. BnaC4.AKT1 was expressed preferentially in the roots and localized on the plasma membrane. An SNP and an InDel found in the promoter region of BnaC4.AKT1 were proposed to be responsible for its differential expression between rapeseed genotypes. This study identified a gene resource for improving low-K resistance. It also facilitates an integrated knowledge of the differential physiological and transcriptional responses to K deficiency in rapeseed genotypes.

Isoflavones isolated from chickpea sprouts alleviate ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in rats by dual regulation of bone remodeling.

Osteoporosis is a common systemic skeletal disease and a predominant underlying factor in the increased occurrence of fractures. The structure of isoflavones resembles that of estrogen and can confer similar but weaker effects. This study investigated the potential inhibitory effects of isoflavones from chickpea sprouts (ICS) on ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in vitro and in vivo. Notably, we found that ICS treatment could attenuate bone loss and improve trabecular microarchitecture and biomechanical properties of the fourth lumbar vertebra in OVX-induced osteoporotic rats and could also inhibit the development of a hyperosteometabolic state in this model. The osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) was significantly enhanced by ICS intervention in vitro, and we confirmed that estrogen receptor α signaling was required for this increased osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, ICS has been shown to inhibit bone resorption via ERa modulation of the OPG/RANKL pathway. RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis was reduced under ICS treatment, supporting that NF-κB signaling was inhibited by ICS. Thus, ICS attenuates osteoporosis progression by promoting osteogenic differentiation and inhibiting osteoclastic resorption. These results support the further exploration and development of ICS as a pharmacological agent for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis.

Terminal modifications independent cell-free RNA sequencing enables sensitive early cancer detection and classification.

Cell-free RNAs (cfRNAs) offer an opportunity to detect diseases from a transcriptomic perspective, however, existing techniques have fallen short in generating a comprehensive cell-free transcriptome profile. We develop a sensitive library preparation method that is robust down to 100 µl input plasma to analyze cfRNAs independent of their 5'-end modifications. We show that it outperforms adapter ligation-based method in detecting a greater number of cfRNA species. We perform transcriptome-wide characterizations in 165 lung cancer, 30 breast cancer, 37 colorectal cancer, 55 gastric cancer, 15 liver cancer, and 133 cancer-free participants and demonstrate its ability to identify transcriptomic changes occurring in early-stage tumors. We also leverage machine learning analyses on the differentially expressed cfRNA signatures and reveal their robust performance in cancer detection and classification. Our work sets the stage for in-depth study of the cfRNA repertoire and highlights the value of cfRNAs as cancer biomarkers in clinical applications.

Genome-wide identification of the cation/proton antiporter (CPA) gene family and functional characterization of the key member BnaA05.NHX2 in allotetraploid rapeseed.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is susceptible to nutrient stresses during growth and development; however, the CPA (cation proton antiporter) family genes have not been identified in B. napus and their biological functions remain unclear. This study was aimed to identify the molecular characteristics of rapeseed CPAs and their transcriptional responses to multiple nutrient stresses. Through bioinformatics analysis, 117 BnaCPAs, consisting of three subfamilies: Na+/H+ antiporter (NHX), K+ efflux antiporter (KEA), and cation/H+ antiporter (CHX), were identified in the rapeseed genome. Transcriptomic profiling showed that BnaCPAs, particularly BnaNHXs, were transcriptionally responsive to diverse nutrient stresses, including Cd toxicity, K starvation, salt stress, NH4+ toxicity, and low Pi. We found that the salt tolerance of the transgenic rapeseed lines overexpressing BnaA05.NHX2 was significantly higher than that of wild type. Subcellular localization showed that BnaA05.NHX2 was localized on the tonoplast, and TEM combined with X-ray energy spectrum analysis revealed that the vacuolar Na+ concentrations of the BnaA05.NHX2-overexpressing rapeseed plants were significantly higher than those of wild type. The findings of this study will provide insights into the complexity of the BnaCPA family and a valuable resource to explore the in-depth functions of CPAs in B. napus.

5-hydroxymethylcytosine sequencing in plasma cell-free DNA identifies unique epigenomic features in prostate cancer patients resistant to androgen deprivation therapy.

Background: Currently there are no biomarkers to identify resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with hormone-naive prostate cancer. 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (5hmC) in the gene body are associated with gene activation and are critical for epigenomic regulation of cancer progression. Objective: To evaluate whether 5hmC signature in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) predicts early ADT resistance. Design Setting and Participants: Serial plasma samples from 55 prostate cancer patients receiving ADT were collected at three timepoints including baseline (prior to initiating ADT, N=55), 3-month (after initiating ADT, N=55), and disease progression (N=15) within 24 months or 24-month if no progression was detected (N=14). 20 of the 55 patients showed disease progression during the 24-month follow-up. The remaining 35 patients showed no progression in the same follow-up period. Outcome Measurements and Statistical Analysis: cfDNA (5-10ng) was used for selective chemical labeling (hMe-Seal) sequencing to map 5hmC abundance across the genome. Read counts in gene bodies were normalized with DESeq2. Differential methylation and gene set enrichment analyses were performed to identify the 5hmC-enriched genes and biological processes that were associated with disease progression. Kaplan-Meir analysis was utilized to determine the association of 5hmC signatures with progression-free survival. Results and Limitations: 5hmC-sequencing generated an average of 18.6 (range 6.03 to 42.43) million reads per sample with 98% (95-99%) mappable rate. Baseline sample comparisons identified significant 5hmC difference in 1,642 of 23,433 genes between 20 patients with progression and 35 patients without progression (false discovery rate, FDR<0.1). Patients with progression showed significant enrichments in multiple hallmark gene sets with androgen responses as the top enriched gene set (FDR=1.19E-13). Interestingly, this enrichment was driven by a subgroup of patients with disease progression featuring a significant 5hmC hypermethylation of the gene sets involving AR, FOXA1 and GRHL2. To quantify overall activities of these gene sets, we developed a gene set activity score algorithm using a mean value of log2 ratios of gene read counts in an entire gene set. We found that the activity scores in these gene sets were significantly higher in this subgroup of patients with progression than in the remaining patients regardless of the progression status. Furthermore, the high activity scores in these gene sets were associated with poor progression-free survival (p <0.05). Longitudinal analysis showed that activity scores in this subgroup with progression were significantly reduced after 3-month ADT but returned to high levels when the disease was progressed. Conclusions: 5hmC-sequencing in cfDNA identified a subgroup of prostate cancer patients with preexisting activation (5hmC hypermethylation) of gene sets involving AR, FOXA1 and GRHL2 before initiating ADT. Activity scores in these gene sets may serve as sensitive biomarkers to determine treatment resistance, monitor disease progression and potentially identify patients who would benefit from upfront treatment intensification. More studies are needed to validate this initial finding. Patient summary: There are no clinical tests to identify prostate cancer patients who will develop early resistance to androgen deprivation therapy within 24 months. In this study, we evaluated cell-free DNA epigenomic modification in blood and identified significant enrichment of 5-hydroxymethylation in androgen response genes in a subgroup of patients with treatment resistance. High level 5-hydroxylmethylation in these genes may serve as a discriminative biomarker to diagnose patients who are likely to experience early failure during androgen deprivation therapy.

Secondary Metabolomic Analysis and In Vitro Bioactivity Evaluation of Stems Provide a Comprehensive Comparison between Dendrobium chrysotoxum and Dendrobium thyrsiflorum.

The stems of Dendrobium chrysotoxum (DC) are commonly used as health-promoting foods due to their excellent biological activities. However, the stems of D. thyrsiflorum (DT) are often used to meet the scarcity of DC in production because of their highly similar morphology. However, the related metabolomic and bioactive information on the stems of DC and DT are largely deficient. Here, secondary metabolites of DC and DT stems were identified using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, and their health-promoting functions were evaluated using several in vitro arrays. A total of 490 metabolites were identified in two stems, and 274 were significantly different. We screened out 10 key metabolites to discriminate the two species, and 36 metabolites were determined as health-promoting constituents. In summary, DT stems with higher extract yield, higher total phenolics and flavonoids, and stronger in vitro antioxidant activities demonstrated considerable potential in food and health fields.

Mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of isoflavones isolated from chickpea sprouts in treating osteoporosis based on network pharmacology.

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease that is caused by multiple factors that lead to an imbalance in bone metabolism. Isoflavones can prevent and treat osteoporosis by regulating bone metabolism through a variety of pathways. The germination of chickpeas can significantly increase their isoflavone contents. However, the use of isoflavones isolated from chickpea sprouts (ICS) to prevent and treat osteoporosis by regulating bone metabolism has not been widely studied. In vivo experimental studies in ovariectomized rats showed that ICS significantly improved femoral bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular structure, with effects similar to raloxifene. Furthermore, the chemical composition of ICS as well as the targets and signalling pathways its regulates in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis were predicted by network pharmacological studies. ICS with drug-like properties were identified by Lipinski's 5 principles, and intersecting targets of isoflavones with osteoporosis were identified. The overlapping targets were analysed by PPI, GO and KEGG analyses, and the possible key targets, signalling pathways and biological processes by which ICS treats osteoporosis were predicted; the prediction results were verified by molecular docking technology. The results showed that ICS could play an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis through "multicomponent, multitarget and multipathway" mechanisms, and the MAKP, NF-kB and ER-related signalling pathways may be important pathways by which ICS regulates osteoporosis; these findings provide a new theoretical basis for further experimental studies.

Genome-wide identification of Brassicaceae histone modification genes and their responses to abiotic stresses in allotetraploid rapeseed.

BACKGROUND: Histone modification is an important epigenetic regulatory mechanism and essential for stress adaptation in plants. However, systematic analysis of histone modification genes (HMs) in Brassicaceae species is lacking, and their roles in response to abiotic stress have not yet been identified. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 102 AtHMs, 280 BnaHMs, 251 BcHMs, 251 BjHMs, 144 BnHMs, 155 BoHMs, 137 BrHMs, 122 CrHMs, and 356 CsHMs in nine Brassicaceae species, respectively. Their chromosomal locations, protein/gene structures, phylogenetic trees, and syntenies were determined. Specific domains were identified in several Brassicaceae HMs, indicating an association with diverse functions. Syntenic analysis showed that the expansion of Brassicaceae HMs may be due to segmental and whole-genome duplications. Nine key BnaHMs in allotetraploid rapeseed may be responsible for ammonium, salt, boron, cadmium, nitrate, and potassium stress based on co-expression network analysis. According to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), 12 BnaHMs were associated with stress adaptation. Among the above genes, BnaPRMT11 simultaneously responded to four different stresses based on differential expression analysis, while BnaSDG46, BnaHDT10, and BnaHDA1 participated in five stresses. BnaSDG46 was also involved in four different stresses based on WGCNA, while BnaSDG10 and BnaJMJ58 were differentially expressed in response to six different stresses. In summary, six candidate genes for stress resistance (BnaPRMT11, BnaSDG46, BnaSDG10, BnaJMJ58, BnaHDT10, and BnaHDA1) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these findings help clarify the biological roles of Brassicaceae HMs. The identified candidate genes provide an important reference for the potential development of stress-tolerant oilseed plants.

Complete excision of giant clavicular hydatid cyst: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Echinococcosis, also known as hydatid disease, is a zoonotic parasitic disease prevalent in pastoral areas, mainly involving the liver and lungs, and less frequently the bones and surrounding soft tissues. Diagnosis and treatment of bone hydatid disease is a challenge, and because of the insidious course of the disease, the lesions are often widely disseminated by the time patients seek medical attention. CASE PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old woman presented with a painless mass that was gradually increasing in size in the cervical thorax. Imaging revealed an enlarged clavicle with multiple bone cortical defects and the existence of cysts in the soft tissues surrounding the clavicle, for which complete excision of the clavicle and the attached cysts was performed. There was no recurrence of the cyst within one year after the operation, and the patient felt well and had normal shoulder joint movement. CONCLUSIONS: Bone hydatid may appear in bones throughout the body, and cysts that leak from the bone into the surrounding soft tissues may spread at a relatively rapid rate. Prompt surgical removal of the affected bone and surrounding cysts is necessary for treatment.

Whether the Subacute MPTP-Treated Mouse is as Suitable as a Classic Model of Parkinsonism.

1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mice model is one of the most common animal models for Parkinson's disease (PD). It is classified into three types: acute, subacute, and chronic intoxication models. The subacute model has attracted much attention for its short period and similarity to PD. However, whether subacute MPTP intoxication in mouse mimics the movement and cognitive disorders of PD still remains highly controversial. Therefore, the present study reassessed the behavioral performances of subacute MPTP intoxication in mice using open field, rotarod, Y maze,  and gait analysis at different time points (1, 7, 14, and 21 days) after modeling. Results of the current study showed that although MPTP-treated mice using subacute regimen showed severe dopaminergic neuronal loss and evident astrogliosis, they failed to display significant motor and cognitive deficits. Besides, expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL), a marker of necroptosis, was also significantly increased in the ventral midbrain and striatum of MPTP-intoxicated mice. This evidently implies that necroptosis may play an important role in MPTP-induced neurodegeneration. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that subacute MPTP-intoxicated mice may not be a suitable model for studying parkinsonism. However, it can help in revealing the early pathophysiology of PD and studying the compensatory mechanisms which occur in early PD that prevent the emergence of behavioral deficits.

SmCIP7, a COP1 interactive protein, positively regulates anthocyanin accumulation and fruit size in eggplant.

In higher plants, COP1 (Constitutively Photomorphogenic 1) acts as a central regulator of light-signaling networks and globally conditions the target proteins via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. However, the function of COP1-interacting proteins in light-regulated fruit coloration and development remains unknown in Solanaceous plants. Here, a COP1-interacting protein-encoding gene, SmCIP7, expressed specifically in the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruit, was isolated. Gene-specific silencing of SmCIP7 using RNA interference (RNAi) significantly altered fruit coloration, fruit size, flesh browning, and seed yield. SmCIP7-RNAi fruits showed evident repression of the accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophyll, indicating functional similarities between SmCIP7 and AtCIP7. However, the reduced fruit size and seed yield indicated SmCIP7 had evolved a distinctly new function. With the comprehensive application of HPLC-MS, RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, Y2H, BiFC, LCI, and dual-luciferase reporter system (DLR™), it was found that SmCIP7, a COP1 interactive protein in light signaling promoted anthocyanin accumulation, probably by regulating the transcription of SmTT8. Additionally, the drastic up-regulation of SmYABBY1, a homologous gene of SlFAS, might account for the strongly retarded fruit growth in SmCIP7-RNAi eggplant. Altogether, this study proved that SmCIP7 is an essential regulatory gene to modulate fruit coloration and development, serving as a key gene locus in eggplant molecular breeding.

Plasma cell-free DNA methylome profiling in pre- and post-surgery oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a highly heterogeneous disease that involves multiple anatomic sites, is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Although the utility of noninvasive biomarkers based on circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation profiling has been widely recognized, limited studies have been reported so far regarding the dynamics of cfDNA methylome in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC). It is hypothesized in this study that comparison of methylation profiles in pre- and postsurgery plasma samples will reveal OCSCC-specific prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers. As a strategy to further prioritize tumor-specific targets, top differential methylated regions (DMRs) were called by reanalyzing methylation data from paired tumor and normal tissue collected in the the cancer genome atlas head-neck squamous cell carcinoma (TCGA) head and neck cancer cohort. Matched plasma samples from eight patients with OCSCC were collected at Moffitt Cancer Center before and after surgical resection. Plasma-derived cfDNA was analyzed by cfMBD-seq, which is a high-sensitive methylation profiling assay. Differential methylation analysis was then performed based on the matched samples profiled. In the top 200 HNSCC-specific DMRs detected based on the TCGA data set, a total of 23 regions reached significance in the plasma-based DMR test. The top five validated DMR regions (ranked by the significance in the plasma study) are located in the promoter regions of genes PENK, NXPH1, ZIK1, TBXT, and CDO1, respectively. The genome-wide cfDNA DMR analysis further highlighted candidate biomarkers located in genes SFRP4, SOX1, IRF4, and PCDH17. The prognostic relevance of candidate genes was confirmed by survival analysis using the TCGA data. This study supports the utility of cfDNA-based methylome profiling as a promising noninvasive biomarker source for OCSCC and HNSCC.

Low iron ameliorates the salinity-induced growth cessation of seminal roots in wheat seedlings.

Wheat plants are ubiquitously simultaneously exposed to salinity and limited iron availability caused by soil saline-alkalisation. Through this study, we found that both low Fe and NaCl severely inhibited the growth of seminal roots in wheat seedlings; however, sufficient Fe caused greater growth cessation of seminal roots than low Fe under salt stress. Low Fe improved the root meristematic division activity, not altering the mature cell sizes compared with sufficient Fe under salt stress. Foliar Fe spray and split-root experiments showed that low Fe-alleviating the salinity-induced growth cessation of seminal roots was dependent on local low Fe signals in the roots. Ionomics combined with TEM/X-ray few differences in the root Na+ uptake and vacuolar Na+ sequestration between two Fe levels under salt stress. Phytohormone profiling and metabolomics revealed salinity-induced overaccumulation of ACC/ethylene and tryptophan/auxin in the roots under sufficient Fe than under low Fe. Differential gene expression, pharmacological inhibitor addition and the root growth performance of transgenic wheat plants revealed that the rootward auxin efflux and was responsible for the low Fe-mediated amelioration of the salinity-induced growth cessation of seminal roots. Our findings will provide novel insights into the modulation of crop root growth under salt stress.

Genome-Scale Investigation of GARP Family Genes Reveals Their Pivotal Roles in Nutrient Stress Resistance in Allotetraploid Rapeseed.

The GARP genes are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs) and play key roles in regulating plant development and abiotic stress resistance. However, few systematic analyses of GARPs have been reported in allotetraploid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) yet. In the present study, a total of 146 BnaGARP members were identified from the rapeseed genome based on the sequence signature. The BnaGARP TFs were divided into five subfamilies: ARR, GLK, NIGT1/HRS1/HHO, KAN, and PHL subfamilies, and the members within the same subfamilies shared similar exon-intron structures and conserved motif configuration. Analyses of the Ka/Ks ratios indicated that the GARP family principally underwent purifying selection. Several cis-acting regulatory elements, essential for plant growth and diverse biotic and abiotic stresses, were identified in the promoter regions of BnaGARPs. Further, 29 putative miRNAs were identified to be targeting BnaGARPs. Differential expression of BnaGARPs under low nitrate, ammonium toxicity, limited phosphate, deficient boron, salt stress, and cadmium toxicity conditions indicated their potential involvement in diverse nutrient stress responses. Notably, BnaA9.HHO1 and BnaA1.HHO5 were simultaneously transcriptionally responsive to these nutrient stresses in both hoots and roots, which indicated that BnaA9.HHO1 and BnaA1.HHO5 might play a core role in regulating rapeseed resistance to nutrient stresses. Therefore, this study would enrich our understanding of molecular characteristics of the rapeseed GARPs and will provide valuable candidate genes for further in-depth study of the GARP-mediated nutrient stress resistance in rapeseed.

Inorganic versus organic fertilizers: How do they lead to methylmercury accumulation in rice grains.

Both inorganic and organic fertilizers are widely used to increase rice yield. However, these fertilizers are also found to aggravate mercury methylation and methylmercury (MeHg) accumulation in paddy fields. The aim of this study was to reveal the mechanisms of inorganic and organic fertilizers on MeHg accumulation in rice grains, which are not yet well understood. Potting cultures were conducted in which different fertilizers were applied to a paddy soil. The results showed that both inorganic and organic fertilizers increased MeHg concentrations rather than biological accumulation factors (BAFs) of MeHg in mature rice grains. Inorganic fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizer, enhanced the bioavailability of mercury and the relative amount Hg-methylating microbes and therefore intensified mercury methylation in paddy soil and MeHg accumulation in rice grains. Unlike inorganic fertilizers, organic matter (OM) in organic fertilizers was the main reason for the increase of MeHg concentrations in rice grains, and it also could immobilize Hg in soil when it was deeply degraded. The enhancement of MeHg concentrations in rice grains induced by inorganic fertilizers (5.18-41.69%) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that induced by organic fertilizers (80.49-106.86%). Inorganic fertilizers led to a larger increase (50.39-99.28%) in thousand-kernel weight than MeHg concentrations (5.18-41.69%), resulting in a dilution of MeHg concentrations in mature rice grains. Given the improvement of soil properties by organic fertilizer, increasing the proportion of inorganic fertilizer application may be a better option to alleviate MeHg accumulation in rice grains and guarantee the rice yield in the agricultural production.

Plasma Copy Number Alteration-Based Prognostic and Predictive Multi-Gene Risk Score in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) accounted for more than 34,000 deaths in US males [...].