The impact of the Qinghai-Tibet highway on plant community and diversity

Roads are an increasingly prevalent form of human activity that drives the decrease in plant community functions and threatens global biodiversity. However, few studies have focused on the changes in the function and diversity of alpine meadows caused by road infrastructure in the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, the changes in species diversity, functional diversity, and community stability were examined at different distances from the Qinghai-Tibet highway. The results showed that the road intensified the degradation of vegetation, which significantly altered species diversity and community structure. This effect gradually decreased from near to far from the highway. Plant community cover and species diversity were highest at intermediate distances (50–100 m) from the roadway; species diversity and stability were lowest in the grassland most disturbed by the road (0 m), and species diversity and functional diversity tended to stabilize farther away from the road (250 m). Our findings indicate that changes in species diversity are synchronized with changes in functional diversity, which largely determines the outcome of degraded grassland community diversity and stability. Our results provide a reference point for restoring degraded alpine areas and mitigating the ecological impacts of roads

Gene SH3BGRL3 regulates acute myeloid leukemia progression through circRNA_0010984 based on competitive endogenous RNA mechanism

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant proliferative disease affecting the bone marrow hematopoietic system and has a poor long-term outcome. Exploring genes that affect the malignant proliferation of AML cells can facilitate the accurate diagnosis and treatment of AML. Studies have confirmed that circular RNA (circRNA) is positively correlated with its linear gene expression. Therefore, by exploring the effect of SH3BGRL3 on the malignant proliferation of leukemia, we further studied the role of circRNA produced by its exon cyclization in the occurrence and development of tumors.Methods: Genes with protein-coding function obtained from the TCGA database. we detected the expression of SH3BGRL3 and circRNA_0010984 by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We synthesized plasmid vectors and carried out cell experiments, including cell proliferation, cell cycle and cell differentiation by cell transfection. We also studied the transfection plasmid vector (PLVX-SHRNA2-PURO) combined with a drug (daunorubicin) to observe the therapeutic effect. The miR-375 binding site of circRNA_0010984 was queried using the circinteractome databases, and the relationship was validated by RNA immunoprecipitation and Dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, a protein‐protein interaction network was constructed with a STRING database. GO and KEGG functional enrichment identified mRNA-related functions and signaling pathways regulated by miR-375.Results: We identified the related gene SH3BGRL3 in AML and explored the circRNA_0010984 produced by its cyclization. It has a certain effect on the disease progression. In addition, we verified the function of circRNA_0010984. We found that circSH3BGRL3 knockdown specifically inhibited the proliferation of AML cell lines and blocked the cell cycle. We then discussed the related molecular biological mechanisms. CircSH3BGRL3 acts as an endogenous sponge for miR-375 to isolate miR-375 and inhibits its activity, increases the expression of its target YAP1, and ultimately activates the Hippo signaling pathway involved in malignant tumor proliferation.Discussion: We found that SH3BGRL3 and circRNA_0010984 are important to AML. circRNA_0010984 was significantly up-regulated in AML and promoted cell proliferation by regulating miR-375 through molecular sponge action

A New Mining Scheme for Hanging-Wall Ore-Body during the Transition from Open Pit to Underground Mining: A Numerical Study

A new mining scheme by employing the induced caving mining method to exploit hanging-wall ore-body during the transition from open pit to underground mining is proposed. The basic idea is to use the mined-out area generated by the planned mining of the hanging-wall ore-body to absorb the collapsed slope body, so as to avoid the influence of the inner-slope mining to the normal open-pit mining and guarantee mining efficiency during the transition stage. Numerical simulation study on the process of induced caving mining of hanging-wall ore-body is carried out based on the practical engineering setting of the Hainan iron mine, China, by employing the numerical method of discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). The impact of rock mass structure on the mechanism of slope instability development and the mining hazard assessment in the new mining scheme is investigated. The influence of mining sequence on slope instability development and mining safety is also analyzed by taking the hanging-wall ore-body mining under the southern anti-dip slope at the Hainan iron mine as an example, and eventually a reliable mining scheme via induced caving is obtained. The numerical study proves the feasibility of the proposed new mining scheme for hanging-wall ore-body and provides theoretical and technical support for its application in practical mining activities

Study on the Process and Mechanism of Slope Failure Induced by Mining under Open Pit Slope: A Case Study from Yanqianshan Iron Mine, China

Mining under an open pit slope results in the collapse and slide of the slope. In this paper, a combination of methods including Google Earth and field investigations is applied to investigate the process of eastern slope failure induced by underground mining in the Yanqianshan Iron Mine over five years. According to the observed ground deformation features, the geomorphic zone of the eastern slope can be divided into four regions (caved rock zone, cracking zone, toppling zone, and sliding zone). Break angles and fracture initiation angles at different times are counted separately. Based on the above work, the process of initiation and development of slope failure is studied. The analysis results show that the process of slope failure could be chronologically divided into three stages. First, a collapse pit, caused by the falling of the overlying strata above the goaf, appeared on the eastern slope. Then, the rock mass around the collapse pit slid into the pit to form a small landslide. Finally, because of mining disturbances and rock creep, a large landslide occurred on the northeastern phyllite slope. The control mechanisms of each failure stage are discussed separately. Finally, the RFPA3D code is employed to simulate the slope failure process under the influence of underground mining. The results are consistent with the field observations, which provided information on deformation failure and the mechanics of the slope that could not be directly observed in the field and deepened the mechanism analysis

Effect of Warming on Personality of Mosquitofish (<i>Gambusia affinis</i>) and Medaka Fish (<i>Oryzias latipes</i>)

Global warming may accelerate the process of biological invasions, and invasive species that can quickly adapt to new environments will have a negative impact on native species. Animal personalities have significant implications for ecology and evolution. However, few studies have simultaneously examined the combined effects of climate warming and biological invasions on native species. In this study, we hypothesized that temperature was positively correlated with personality, and invasive species had stronger personalities than native species. Accordingly, we established control (20 °C) and warming groups (20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C) to rear mosquitofish and medaka fish, individuals acclimatized to rearing temperatures for 7 days, then measured their personalities (sociability, exploration, novelty, and boldness). The results showed that individuals exhibited repeatable variation along the four behavioral axes across all temperature conditions, providing evidence for the presence of personalities. Significant positive correlations were found between each pair of behaviors, indicating the presence of behavioral syndrome. Sociability and exploration were most affected by temperature, showing increasing trends in sociability, exploration, and novelty in both invasive and native species with rising temperatures. Compared to medaka fish, mosquitofish exhibited higher exploration and lower sociability at elevated temperatures, while showing little change in boldness. Our results provide evidence that increased temperatures may promote biological invasions and pose a potential threat to the survival of native species. These findings are significant for understanding the complex impacts of climate change on ecosystems and for formulating effective biodiversity preservation strategies

Seasonal Expression of Gonadotropin Genes in the Pituitary and Testes of Male Plateau Zokor (Eospalax baileyi)

The gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), are glycoprotein hormones in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and regulate mammalian reproduction. The expression of these genes in the plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi) is poorly understood. We characterized the immunolocalization of the luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) and follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in the testes and evaluated the positive immunohistochemical results and the relative mRNA expression of gonadotropin genes. During the non-breeding season (September), the relative testes weight and the seminiferous tubule diameter were significantly reduced. All germ cell types were observed during the breeding season (May), whereas only spermatogonia were observed during the non-breeding season. LHR was present in the Leydig cells whereas FSHR was present in the Sertoli cells. The mean optical density was higher during the breeding season. The mRNA expression of LH&beta; and FSH&beta; was lower in the pituitary but LHR and FSHR genes expression were higher in the testes during the breeding season. These data elucidate the expression of gonadotropin genes in the HPG axis of the male plateau zokor and suggest that gonadotropins play a vital role in the regulation of seasonal breeding