橡胶树Ago蛋白基因家族分析

Ago蛋白基因家族成员与不同的小RNA结合,广泛参与细胞的生长发育及抵抗外源DNA的入侵。对Ago蛋白基因家族成员的研究有利于进一步了解各成员的功能,同时有助研究小RNA的功能。橡胶树的Ago蛋白基因家族及小RNA的研究均较少,为了弄清楚橡胶树Ago蛋白基因家族成员情况及其初步功能,本研究对橡胶树(Hevea brasiliensis)所有蛋白质序列进行了分析。用HMMER及BLAST等软件分析发现橡胶树有18个Ago蛋白,这些Ago蛋白进行分类及理化性质分析,发现其可分为3类,大多数Ago蛋白定位于细胞核,蛋白序列长度在577 aa至1 237 aa氨基酸之间,等电点在8.66至9.47间。通过qPCR技术研究橡胶树Ago蛋白的表达,发现18个Ago蛋白在不同叶龄间有差异,在白粉病菌对橡胶树进行感染处理后各Ago蛋白的表达也有差异,说明不同的Ago蛋白参与了不同的生理过程。这些结果为进一步研究各Ago蛋白在橡胶树的生长发育及抗病抗逆过程中的功能提供了理论依据。     

农业机械化生态服务功能的空间异质性分析

为了分析当前国内区域间农业机械化生态服务功能的空间异质性变化特征,研究运用2014年的省际面板数据基于"压力-状态-响应"视角构建了农业机械化生态服务功能评价指标体系。评价结果表明:基于"压力-状态-响应"视角来看,当前我国农业机械化生态服务功能存在一定程度的空间异质性,且与各区域所处的经济发展阶段和农业经济发展速度有紧密的联系;农业机械化生态服务功能较好的省(市、区)主要分布在华北、华东和东北地区,而服务功能差的省(市、区)遍布华北、华南、青藏、西北及西南地区,且经济发展速度有快有慢。     

Electroneutral cornstarch by quaternization and sulfosuccinylation to improve the adhesion of cold starch paste to raw cotton for low-temperature sizing

The objective of this research was to survey the effects of starch quaternization and sulfosuccinylation on the adhesion of cold starch paste to raw cotton fibers for cotton warp sizing at low temperature. Acid-thinned cornstarch (ATS) was quaternized and then sulfosuccinylated to introduce 3-(trimethylammonium chloride)-2-hydroxypropyl and sulfosuccinate substituents onto its backbones. The electroneutrality of starch samples prepared was achieved by maintaining a constant mole ratio (5.3:1) of the two substituents. A series of electroneutral cornstarch (ECS) samples with different levels of the substituents were derived by altering the feed ratio of the modifying reagents to starch for determining desirable level of starch modification. Adverse influences of cotton wax and starch retrogradation on the adhesion of cold starch paste to raw cotton fibers were evaluated to illustrate the effectiveness of starch quaternization and sulfosuccinylation. It was found that the modification was able to alleviate the adverse influence of starch retrogradation and ameliorate the adhesion to the fibers at low temperature. Higher level of the modification led to less retrogradation and resulted in strong adhesion. Furthermore, the adverse influence of cotton wax on the adhesion could be eliminated after a pre-wetting treatment of raw cotton warps with hot water. The adhesion of ECS paste to raw cotton at 60 °C was statically the same as that of ATS at 95 °C when total DS of ECS was 0.0443 or higher.     

Organic phosphorus mineralization characteristics in sediments from the coastal salt marshes of a Chinese delta under simulated tidal cycles

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Sediment organic phosphorus (OP) mineralization plays an important role in phosphorus cycling in coastal salt marshes. However, information on OP mineralization...     

Effect of carbon rate and type amended with ammonium or nitrate on nitrous oxide emissions in a strong ammonia oxidation soil

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The work aimed to (1) better understand how C rate and type affecting N2O emissions when combined application with different N forms in a strong ammonia oxidation...     

海上风机与养殖网箱融合系统中网箱系泊绳张力与导管架基础结构安全性研究

海洋牧场与海上风电融合发展是现代渔业和清洁能源产业融合发展的典型代表,能够构建“海上粮仓+清洁能源”的新产业模式。本文基于福建漳浦六鳌海上风电场风机导管架构建养殖网箱与海上风机融合系统,运用Aqua-FE?有限元工具探究极端波流条件下不同网箱布设深度、波流入射角、生物附着程度对网箱系泊绳张力的影响;采用海洋工程专用设计软件SACS,计算分析风机导管架结构在波流及网箱系泊绳张力作用下的应力分布,评估养殖网箱系泊绳张力对风机导管架基础结构安全性的影响。结果表明,网箱布设深度的增加能够减少网箱系泊绳最大张力,显著改善网箱风机整体结构受力状态;波流入射角的改变对于网箱风机整体结构安全性影响不大;网衣生物附着程度的增加会显著增加网箱系泊绳最大张力,从而造成风机导管架基础杆件大量失效。综上所述,养殖网箱可布设于适当水深以减少受力,同时应及时清理附着生物,适当增加网箱系泊点附近的导管架杆件和导管架底部桩土点杆件的壁厚,以确保养殖网箱与海上风机融合系统结构安全。该结果可为深入研究网箱与风机融合系统的受力,评估该系统的安全性,优化设计养殖网箱与风机融合系统提供数据支撑。     

Stimulating the Hematopoietic Effect of Simulated Digestive Product of Fucoidan from Sargassum fusiforme on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Hematopoietic Damage in Mice and Its Protective Mechanisms Based on Serum Lipidomics

Hematopoietic damage is a serious side effect of cytotoxic drugs, and agents promoting hematopoiesis are quite important for decreasing the death rate in cancer patients. In our previous work, we prepared the simulated digestive product of fucoidan from Sargassum fusiforme, DSFF, and found that DSFF could activate macrophages. However, more investigations are needed to further evaluate whether DSFF could promote hematopoiesis in the chemotherapy process. In this study, the protective effect of DSFF (1.8–7.2 mg/kg, i.p.) on cyclophosphamide-induced hematopoietic damage in mice and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. Our results show that DSFF could restore the numbers of white blood cells, neutrophils, and platelets in the peripheral blood, and could also retard bone marrow cell decrease in mice with cyclophosphamide-induced hematopoietic damage. UPLC/Q-Extraction Orbitrap/MS/MS-based lipidomics results reveal 16 potential lipid biomarkers in a serum that responded to hematopoietic damage in mice. Among them, PC (20:1/14:0) and SM (18:0/22:0) were the key lipid molecules through which DSFF exerted protective actions. In a validation experiment, DSFF (6.25–100 μg/mL) could also promote K562 cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro. The current findings indicated that DSFF could affect the blood cells and bone marrow cells in vivo and thus showed good potential and application value in alleviating the hematopoietic damage caused by cyclophosphamide.     

LPS-TLR4/MD-2–TNF-α signaling mediates alcohol-induced liver fibrosis in rats

Liver fibrosis results from liver inflammation and progresses to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. It is known that nonalcoholic liver disease is mediated by the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor-2 (MD-2)–tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) signaling pathway. This study aimed to investigate whether alcoholic liver disease is also mediated by this pathway. To this end, we first established rat models of liver fibrosis by administering alcohol. Next, the rats were injected with anti-TLR4 and anti-MD-2 antibodies. Real Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the activation of the TLR4/MD-2–TNF-α signaling pathway and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Moreover, the expression of molecules related to liver fibrosis was estimated. The morphology of rat liver tissue was observed through hematoxylin–eosin staining and Masson staining. For in vitro studies, Kupffer cells (KCs) isolated from the liver were transfected with si-TLR4 and si-MD-2 and co-cultured with HSCs to determine the activity of HSCs. It was found that alcohol treatment activated the TLR4/MD-2–TNF-α signaling pathway and upregulated the molecules associated with liver fibrosis. However, inhibition of TLR4 and MD-2 partially reversed this trend. Notably, in vitro studies indicated that knockdown of TLR4 and MD-2 in KCs partially inhibited LPS-induced activation of KCs and HSCs. Overall, this study showed that alcohol induces liver fibrosis via the LPS-TLR4/MD-2–TNF-α signaling pathway.     

Tissue-specific expression of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 in BALB/c mice

Activation of the innate immune system requires recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, such as NOD-like receptors. The NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is involved in induction of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-1β, and subsequent inflammatory responses. NLRP3 inflammasome plays important roles in the inflammatory and innate immune responses associated with autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome. However, analysis of the tissue distribution and expression profiles in BALB/c mice is still incomplete. In this study, we investigated the tissue distribution and expression pattern of NLRP3 in BALB/c mice to further elucidate its function in innate immunity in this commonly used laboratory animal model. NLRP3 mRNA expression levels and tissue distribution of the protein were investigated by real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical analyses, respectively. NLRP3 mRNA expression was higher in the kidney and inguinal lymph nodes than in other tissues. Cytoplasmic expression of NLRP3 was detected in the epithelial reticular cells of the spleen and thymus, lymphocytes in the inguinal lymph nodes, cardiac muscle cells, cerebral cortex neurons, alveolar macrophages, renal tubule cells and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. The results of this study will assist investigators in interpreting site-specific functions and roles of NLRP3 in inflammatory responses.