Biodiversity of wild alfalfa pollinators and their temporal foraging characters in Hexi Corridor, Northwest China

Seed production of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is important in determining the effective distribution of new cultivars to farmers. However, little is known about the biodiversity and their community function of native wild pollinators of alfalfa in agronomic systems. We investigated the biodiversity of insects which visited alfalfa flowers and their temporal foraging characters in Hexi Corridor, China. A high biodiversity of insect visitors was discovered, 20 insect taxa in all, including 13 species of Hymenoptera, 3 species of Coleoptera, 3 species of Lepidoptera and 1 species of Diptera. Three native bee species, Andrena squamata, Anthophora melanognatha and Megachile abluta,were validated as the principal pollinators. They showed significant variations in tripping mode and their diurnal distribution patterns. Our results indicated that the native wild bees are diverse and they complement each other. This means they have developed a more complex system for the pollination of alfalfa than has been previously found out

Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu capsule attenuates intracerebral hemorrhage induced redox imbalance by modulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway

Background: One of the severely debilitating and fatal subtypes of hemorrhagic stroke is intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which lacks an adequate cure at present. The Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu (ZLHXTY) capsule has been utilized effectively since last decade to treat ICH, in some provinces of China but the scientific basis for its mechanism is lacking. Purpose: To investigate the neuroprotective role of ZLHXTY capsules for ICH-induced oxidative injury through the regulation of redox imbalance with the Nrf2 signaling pathway.Methods: Autologous blood injection model of ICH in C57BL/6J mice was employed. Three treatment groups received ZLHXTY once daily through oral gavage at doses 0.35 g/kg, 0.7 g/kg, and 1.4 g/kg, started after 2 h and continued for 72 h of ICH induction. The neurological outcome was measured using a balance beam test. Serum was tested for inflammatory markers IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α through ELISA, oxidative stress through hydrogen peroxide content assay, and antioxidant status by total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) assay. Nuclear extract from brain tissue was assayed for Nrf2 transcriptional factor activity. RT-qPCR was performed for Nfe2l2, Sod1, Hmox1, Nqo1, and Mgst1; and Western blotting for determination of protein expression of Nrf2, p62, Pp62, Keap, HO1, and NQO1. Fluoro-jade C staining was also used to examine neuronal damage.Results: ZLHXTY capsule treatment following ICH demonstrated a protective effect against oxidative brain injury. Neurological scoring showed improvement in behavioral outcomes. ELISA-based identification demonstrated a significant decline in the expression of serum inflammatory markers. Hydrogen peroxide content in serum was found to be reduced. The total antioxidant capacity was also reduced in serum, but the ZLHXTY extract showed a concentration-dependent increase in T-AOC speculating at its intrinsic antioxidant potential. Nrf2 transcriptional factor activity, mRNA and protein expression analyses revealed normalization of Nrf2 and its downstream targets, which were previously elevated as a result of oxidative stress induced by ICH. Neuronal damage was also reduced markedly after ZLHXTY treatment as revealed by Fluoro-jade C staining. Conclusion: ZLHXTY capsules possess an intrinsic antioxidant potential that can modulate the ICH-induced redox imbalance in the brain as revealed by the normalization of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant targets

Synergistic adsorption of Cd(II) with sulfate/phosphate on ferrihydrite: An in situ ATR-FTIR/2D-COS study

Elucidation of the co-adsorption characteristics of heavy metal cations and oxyanions on (oxyhydr)oxides can help to better understand their distribution and transformation in many geological settings. In this work, batch adsorption experiments in combination with in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were applied to explore the interaction mechanisms of Cd(II) with sulfate or phosphate at the ferrihydrite (Fh)–water interface, and the two-dimensional correlation spectroscopic analysis (2D–COS) was used to enhance the resolution of ATR-FTIR bands and the accuracy of analysis. The batch adsorption experiments showed enhanced adsorption of both sulfate (S) and phosphate (P) on Fh when co-adsorbed with Cd(II); additionally, the desorbed percentages of Cd(II) were much lower in the P + Cd adsorption systems than those in the S + Cd adsorption systems. The spectroscopic results suggested that in the single adsorption systems, sulfate primarily adsorbed as outer-sphere complexes with a small amount of bidentate inner-sphere complexes, while the dominant adsorbed species of phosphate were largely the bidentate nonprotonated inner-sphere complexes, although there was significant pH-dependence. In the co-adsorption systems, the synergistic adsorption of Cd(II) and sulfate was dominantly attributed to the electrostatic interaction, as well as the formation of Fe–Cd–S (i.e., Cd-bridged) ternary complexes. In contrast, Fe–P–Cd (i.e., phosphate-bridged) ternary complexes were found in all of the co-adsorption systems of phosphate and Cd(II); furthermore, electrostatic interaction should also contribute to the co-adsorption process. Our results show that in situ ATR-FTIR in combination with 2D–COS can be an efficient tool in analyzing the co-adsorption mechanisms of anions and heavy metal cations on iron (oxyhydr)oxides in ternary adsorption systems. The co-existence of Cd(II) with sulfate or phosphate can be beneficial for their accumulations on Fh, and phosphate is more efficient than sulfate for the long-term immobilization of Cd(II)

Mouse Phenome Database: towards a more FAIR-compliant and TRUST-worthy data repository and tool suite for phenotypes and genotypes.

The Mouse Phenome Database (MPD; https://phenome.jax.org; RRID:SCR_003212), supported by the US National Institutes of Health, is a Biomedical Data Repository listed in the Trans-NIH Biomedical Informatics Coordinating Committee registry. As an increasingly FAIR-compliant and TRUST-worthy data repository, MPD accepts phenotype and genotype data from mouse experiments and curates, organizes, integrates, archives, and distributes those data using community standards. Data are accompanied by rich metadata, including widely used ontologies and detailed protocols. Data are from all over the world and represent genetic, behavioral, morphological, and physiological disease-related characteristics in mice at baseline or those exposed to drugs or other treatments. MPD houses data from over 6000 strains and populations, representing many reproducible strain types and heterogenous populations such as the Diversity Outbred where each mouse is unique but can be genotyped throughout the genome. A suite of analysis tools is available to aggregate, visualize, and analyze these data within and across studies and populations in an increasingly traceable and reproducible manner. We have refined existing resources and developed new tools to continue to provide users with access to consistent, high-quality data that has translational relevance in a modernized infrastructure that enables interaction with a suite of bioinformatics analytic and data services

The genome of <i>Prasinoderma coloniale</i> unveils the existence of a third phylum within green plants

Genome analysis of the pico-eukaryotic marine green algaPrasinoderma colonialeCCMP 1413 unveils the existence of a novel phylum within green plants (Viridiplantae), the Prasinodermophyta, which diverged before the split of Chlorophyta and Streptophyta. Structural features of the genome and gene family comparisons revealed an intermediate position of theP. colonialegenome (25.3 Mb) between the extremely compact, small genomes of picoplanktonic Mamiellophyceae (Chlorophyta) and the larger, more complex genomes of early-diverging streptophyte algae. Reconstruction of the minimal core genome of Viridiplantae allowed identification of an ancestral toolkit of transcription factors and flagellar proteins. Adaptations ofP. colonialeto its deep-water, oligotrophic environment involved expansion of light-harvesting proteins, reduction of early light-induced proteins, evolution of a distinct type of C(4)photosynthesis and carbon-concentrating mechanism, synthesis of the metal-complexing metabolite picolinic acid, and vitamin B-1, B(7)and B(12)auxotrophy. TheP. colonialegenome provides first insights into the dawn of green plant evolution. Genome analysis of the pico-eukaryotic marine green algaPrasinoderma colonialeCCMP 1413 unveils the existence of a novel phylum within green plants (Viridiplantae), the Prasinodermophyta, which diverged before the split of Chlorophyta and Streptophyta

Mouse phenome database: curated data repository with interactive multi-population and multi-trait analyses.

The Mouse Phenome Database continues to serve as a curated repository and analysis suite for measured attributes of members of diverse mouse populations. The repository includes annotation to community standard ontologies and guidelines, a database of allelic states for 657 mouse strains, a collection of protocols, and analysis tools for flexible, interactive, user directed analyses that increasingly integrates data across traits and populations. The database has grown from its initial focus on a standard set of inbred strains to include heterogeneous mouse populations such as the Diversity Outbred and mapping crosses and well as Collaborative Cross, Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel, and recombinant inbred strains. Most recently the system has expanded to include data from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium. Collectively these data are accessible by API and provided with an interactive tool suite that enables users\u27 persistent selection, storage, and operation on collections of measures. The tool suite allows basic analyses, advanced functions with dynamic visualization including multi-population meta-analysis, multivariate outlier detection, trait pattern matching, correlation analyses and other functions. The data resources and analysis suite provide users a flexible environment in which to explore the basis of phenotypic variation in health and disease across the lifespan

The draft genome of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and resequencing of 20 diverse accessions

Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, is an important cucurbit crop grown throughout the world. Here we report a high-quality draft genome sequence of the east Asia watermelon cultivar 97103 (2n = 2 7 = 22) containing 23,440 predicted protein-coding genes. Comparative genomics analysis provided an evolutionary scenario for the origin of the 11 watermelon chromosomes derived from a 7-chromosome paleohexaploid eudicot ancestor. Resequencing of 20 watermelon accessions representing three different C. lanatus subspecies produced numerous haplotypes and identified the extent of genetic diversity and population structure of watermelon germplasm. Genomic regions that were preferentially selected during domestication were identified. Many disease-resistance genes were also found to be lost during domestication. In addition, integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses yielded important insights into aspects of phloem-based vascular signaling in common between watermelon and cucumber and identified genes crucial to valuable fruit-quality traits, including sugar accumulation and citrulline metabolism

FORECAST RESEARCH OF DROPLET SIZE BASED ON GREY THEORY

Abstract: The droplet size can influence the application of a spray system. We apply grey theory in establishing a model of forecasting droplet size. The example used in this study shows that this method is precise in forecasting the droplet size, and is helpful to choose the other parameters of a spray system within a certain droplet size