Leaf hydraulics coordinated with leaf economics and leaf size in mangrove species along a salinity gradient

Independence among leaf economics,leaf hydraulics and leaf size confers plants great capability in adapting to heterogeneous environments.However,it remains unclear whether the independence of the leaf traits revealed across species still holds within species,especially under stressed conditions.Here,a suite of traits in these dimensions were measured in leaves and roots of a typical mangrove species,Ceriops tagal,which grows in habitats with a similar sunny and hot environment but different soil salinity in southern China.Compared with C.tagal under low soil salinity,C.tagal under high soil salinity had lower photosynthetic capacity,as indicated directly by a lower leaf nitrogen concentration and higher water use efficiency,and indirectly by a higher investment in defense function and thinner palisade tissue;had lower water transport capacity,as evidenced by thinner leaf minor veins and thinner root vessels;and also had much smaller single leaf area.Leaf economics,hydraulics and leaf size of the mangrove species appear to be coordinated as one trait dimension,which likely stemmed from covariation of soil water and nutrient availability along the salinity gradient.The intraspecific leaf trait relationship under a stressful environment is insightful for our understanding of plant adaption to the multifarious environments.

The worldwide allometric relationship in anatomical structures for plant roots

The cortex(i.e.,absorptive tissue)and stele(transportive vascular tissue)are fundamental to the function of plant roots.Unraveling how these anatomical structures are assembled in absorptive roots is essential for our understanding of plant ecology,physiology,and plant responses to global environmental changes.In this review,we first compile a large data set on anatomical traits in absorptive roots,including cortex thickness and stele radius,across 698 observations and 512 species.Using this data set,we reveal a common root allometry in absorptive root structures,i.e.,cortex thickness increases much faster than stele radius with increasing root diameter(hereafter,root allometry).Root allometry is further validated within and across plant growth forms(woody,grass,and liana species),mycorrhiza types(arbuscular mycorrhiza,ectomycorrhiza,and orchid mycorrhizas),phylogenetic gradients(from ferns to Orchidaceae),and environmental change scenarios(e.g.,elevation of atmospheric CO_(2)concentration and nitrogen fertilization).These findings indicate that root allometry is common in plants.Importantly,root allometry varies greatly across species.We then summarize recent research on the mechanisms of root allometry and potential issues regarding these mechanisms.We further discuss ecological and evolutionary implications of root allometry.Finally,we propose several important research directions that should be pursued regarding root allometry.

Effect of Chaishao Chengqi Decoction on inflammation and prognosis of moderate and severe acute pancreatitis of heat stagnation and Fu-organ excess type

Objective:To explore the curative effect of Chaishao Chengqi Decoction on moderate to severe acute pancreatitis of heat stagnation and Fu-organ excess type and its effect on inflammatory reaction,and to provide new ideas for clinical treatment and prognosis evaluation.Methods:60 patients with moderate to severe acute pancreatitis of heat stagnation and Fu-organ excess type from June 2017 to June 2019 were randomly divided into control group treated with conventional therapy and treatment group treated with Chaishao Chengqi Decoction for 2 weeks.The differences of clinical efficacy and TCM syndromes between the two groups were compared.Ranson score,Balthazar CTSI score,SIRS score and modified Marshall score were recorded before and after treatment.The levels of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress-related molecules were compared before and after treatment.Result:After treatment,the total effective rates of the control group and the treatment group were 80.0%and 93.3%,respectively,with statistical difference(χ2=8.845,P=0.027);after treatment,the total effective rates of TCM syndromes evaluation of the control group and the treatment group were 76.7%and 93.3%,respectively,with statistical difference(χ2=10.024,P=0.012);after treatment,the Ranson score,Balthazar CTSI score,SIRS score and improved Marshall score were all significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the decrease was more significant in the treatment group(P<0.05);after treatment,the serum levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and MDA were significantly decreased in both groups,and superoxide dismutase(SOD)was significantly increased(P<0.05),and the treatment group improved more(P<0.05).Conclusion:Chaishao Chengqi Decoction has a good curative effect on moderate to severe acute pancreatitis of heat stagnation and Fu-organ excess type,and can effectively improve inflammatory response and oxidative stress,which has a high clinical significance.

Biological sources, paleoenvironment, and organic matter enrichment in source rocks of the Ordovician Majiagou Formation, Ordos Basin, China:Evidence from biomarkers,microfossils, and inorganic geochemical analyses

Carbonate deposits in the Ordovivian Majiagou Formation are significant source rocks for natural gas generation in the Ordos Basin, northwestern China. Previous studies mainly focused on the organic matter enrichment mechanism of shales rather than carbonate rocks. The biological sources and paleoenvironment of carbonate source rocks, and the main controlling factors of organic matter enrichment in the carbonate source rocks were studied in this paper in combination with evidence from biomarkers, microfossils and inorganic geochemistry analysis. The results show that four types of microfacies were identified in the Majiagou Formation, respectively as: mud flat microfacies, mud-dolomite flat microfacies, dolomite flat microfacies, and open marine microfacies. The biological sources of organic matter are chiefly planktonic algae, followed by bacteria. The mud flat and mud-dolomite flat contain a high abundance of terrigenous detrital inputs, as indicated by the high content of Al_(2)O_(3), TiO_(2), Th, and Zr. The low Sr/Cu and high Rb/Sr values reveal warm and humid paleoclimate conditions in the mud flat and mud-dolomite flat, whereas the dolomite flat and open marine were likely formed in hot and arid paleoclimate conditions. The mud flat and mud-dolomite flat deposits were characterized by high paleoproductivity of the Majiagou Formation. Low Sr/Ba values were found in the mud flat samples, indicating fresh to brackish water condition, whereas samples of other facies have a relatively high degree of salinity. Based on U_(auth), Mo_(auth), Cr_(auth), Co_(auth), δCe, and δEu values, the mud flat microfacies was formed in a suboxic and anoxic environment, whereas the mud-dolomite flat, dolomite flat and open marine microfacies were within dysoxic to oxic conditions. A model of organic matter enrichment in the Majiagou Formation is thus established. The level of terrigenous detrital inputs is the principal factor of organic matter enrichment in the Majiagou Formation, secondly are redox condition and then paleoproductivity. The mud flat and mud-dolomite flat microfacies show abundant terrestrial detrital inputs and nutrient elements, indicative of warm and humid climate that facilitated biotic productivity, including an abundance of planktonic algae(microfossils). The suboxic and anoxic environments promoted the preservation of organic matter, as evidenced by the relatively high TOC content. The mud flat as well as the mud-dolomite flat of the Majiagou Formation is prospecting for forming source rocks.

低黏附性正电纳米胶囊用于耐药性细菌生物被膜感染治疗

为了增强抗生素在生物被膜内部的渗透性能,并使其在生物被膜底部富集,设计了一种新颖的具有强渗透性和酸响应快速释放药物能力的纳米胶囊.这种纳米载药体系由酸响应内核和强渗透性外壳两部分组成.其中,纳米药物载体的内核由席夫碱键桥联的聚己内酯(bi-PCL)共沉淀形成,外壳则通过原位聚合的方法在其表面形成一层富含2-甲基丙烯酰氧乙基磷酸胆碱(MPC)和N-(2-氨基丙基)甲基丙烯酰胺(APM)的无规交联网状聚合物.由于纳米胶囊表面由正电性的pAPM和低黏附性的pMPC共聚构成,在两者协同作用下,纳米胶囊可迅速渗透至生物被膜底部,同时由bi-PCL构成的内核在生物被膜内部酸性环境刺激下快速断键释放负载的药物.基于这一结构,该纳米胶囊可在给药后短时间内实现药物富集于生物被膜底部,从而快速有效地杀伤生物被膜内部的细菌,显著提高对生物被膜相关细菌感染的治疗效果.

Extraction and verification of miRNA from ginseng decoction

Objective: To verify the existence of microRNAs(miRNAs) extracted from fresh ginseng decoction.Methods: Fresh ginseng was prepared into decoction according to the conventional method. The miRNA were extracted from the condensed ginseng decoction by plant microRNA extraction kit. Then miRNA were treated by DNase I and subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis and Agilent 2100 bioanalysis. Mi R-159 and mi R-6135, which were highly expressed in ginseng, were selected and verified by real-time quantitative PCR to detect the expression in the decoction.Results: Ginseng miRNA were successfully extracted from fresh decoction. Mi R-159 and mi R-6135 were expressed in fresh decoction with lower levels than those of fresh ginseng.Conclusion: miRNAs stably existed after processing, and retained some stability after high-temperature treatment. The findings provide a valuables basis for the further studies on ginseng miRNAs.

One inorganic–organic hybrid derived from reduced molybdophosphate and trinuclear cadmium(II) fragment

One new polyoxometalate （POM）-based inorganic-organic hybrid [Cdn3~HPO4）（Hbpp）（H20）2]{CdII[P4_ Mo6028H3.s（OH）312}.（H4tpb）.7H20 （1） （bpp = 1,3-bis-（4-pyridyl）propane, tpb = 1,2,4,5-tetra（4-pyridyl）- benzene） constructed from reduced molybdophosphate [P4Mo6028H3.5（OH）3]s＇5- （P4Mo6）, trinuclear Cdn-phosphate-Hbpp fragment and protonated tpb has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by IR, elemental analyses and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group P21]c and cell parameters of a=15.672（12）A, b=23.839（19）A, c=27.654（2）,~, fl=115.850（10）~, V=9297.9（12） ~3, Z=4, R1 ~0.0534 and wR2 ~0.1135. In complex 1, the P4Mo6 units are bridged by CdII ions to form the classic sandwich-type [Cd（P4Mo6）2] dimers, which are further connected into a two dimensional network via the trinuclear Cdn subunits. The tpb is synthesized in situ from the bpp ligands and connects the adjacent 2D layers into a 3D supramolecular framework through hydrogen bonding interactions. The electrochemical and fluorescent properties of complex 1 have been investigated.