Genetically engineered (GE) maize has been thoroughly studied regarding its agro-environmental impact; however, its concerns for the soil environment remain. This work was aimed to decode rhizosphere ...microbe interactions and potential ecological hazards associated with GE maize. Rhizobacterial communities of field grown transgenic insect-resistant 2A5 maize carrying
mcry1Ab
and
mcry2Ab
genes were compared with control Z58 using PacBio sequencing platform. Also full-length 16S rDNA gene sequencing was used to verify the partial (V3–V4) sequencing results obtained in 2017. Measures of α-diversity displayed transgenic 2A5 to be significantly lower in species richness at the flowering stage; however, diversity remained undisturbed. β-diversity was least affected by genetic modifications where similar community profiles were shared by transgenic 2A5 and control Z58. In addition, root exudation patterns were found to drive variations in bacterial assemblages based on developmental stages. For example, genus
Massilia
successfully colonized the rhizosphere at jointing stage, while
Mucilaginobacter
showed higher relative abundance in flowering stages of both 2A5 and Z58. These members are known to possess attributes related to plant growth. The impact of dual-transgene insertion on
nif
H gene abundance was also analyzed where no apparent significant difference in
nif
H gene copy number was observed. Our results confirmed that full-length 16S rDNA sequencing was sufficient to provide higher taxonomic resolution. Also, results of our 2-year field trials confirmed that there is no significant impact of
mcry
gene integration on belowground biomasses. Therefore, GE insect-resistant 2A5 maize carrying
mcry1Ab
and
mcry2Ab
genes can continue to benefit human populations by increasing crop productivity. In future, further research needs to be catalyzed to analyze the impact of
Bt
-insertion on microbial community structure across the years for ecosystem sustainability.
Graphical abstract
The newly built back-streaming white neutron beam line (Back-n) at China spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) makes a breakthrough for China’s domestic nuclear data measurement, which is pushing nuclear ...data measurement in China towards higher precision and wider energy range. The neutron flux of the facility was measured at the first beginning since it is an extremely important characterization for the experiment proposal and data analysis. The neutron fluxes under big collimators in end station 1 (ES#1) and end station 2 (ES#2) had been characterized by a fission chamber. In this paper, the first measurement of the neutron flux of Back-n ES#1 with small collimators is reported. The neutron flux from 0.5 eV to 300 MeV was measured by three detectors: a silicon monitor based on a
6
LiF sample for the energy range below 200 keV, a fast multi-layer fission ionization chamber for the range from 10 keV to 300 MeV, and a proton recoil telescope for the high energy region from 10 to 70 MeV. The flux and its uncertainty with 50 bins per decade were finally evaluated by combining the data of the three detectors. The integrated flux in the full energy range at CSNS beam power of 100 kW is 1.642 × 10
6
n/cm
2
/s, which is consistent with the FLUKA simulation within a difference of about 4%.
The synthesis and capacitance performance of flexible Manganese dioxide (MnO2)/carbon nanotube (CNTs) composite films were systematically studied in this paper. Firstly, MnO2 nanosheets were ...successfully deposited onto the CNTs paper via a self-controlled redox process in KMnO4 solution. The nanostructured MnO2/CNTs composite films with hierarchical porous structure could be directly fabricated as supercapacitor electrodes without binder or conductive agents. The crystalline and morphology properties of composites were studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, Scanning electron microscope and Transmission electron microscope. By electrochemical measurement of the as-fabricated flexible supercapacitor electrode, it achieved the area specific capacitance of 1980 F/m2 with the good capacitance retention of 87% over 3000 cycles at a current density of 10 A/m2. The enhanced electrochemical properties could be ascribed to the porous architecture for fast ion diffusion, the conductive CNTs paper and the controlled morphology. Moreover, the symmetric supercapacitor delivered an energy density of 177 Wh/m2 at a power density of 250 W/m2 and maintained an energy density of 138 Wh/m2 at a power density of 5 kW/m2. The research in this paper suggested that this ultralight and flexible electrode could be the promising candidates for wearable energy storage devices.
Using Morris water maze test, the unbiased stereological methods and the electron microscopy technique, we found that 4 weeks of estrogen replacement had positive effects on the myelinated fibers in ...the hippocampal CA1 subfield of ovariectomized middle-aged rats. This might be a potential reason for the protection of estrogen replacement on the spatial learning capacity in middle-aged ovariectomized rats.
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•Four weeks of estrogen (E2)-replacement significantly enhances the spatial learning capacity of middle-aged OVX rats.•Four weeks of E2-replacement does not change the volumes of hippocampus and CA1 subfield.•E2-replacement exerts significant beneficial effects on the myelinated fibers in the CA1 subfield of middle-aged OVX rats.•The results provide an important basis for the E2-induced spatial learning capacity improvement of middle-aged OVX rats.
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) improves hippocampus-dependent cognition. This study investigated the impact of estrogen on hippocampal volume, CA1 subfield volume and myelinated fibers in the CA1 subfield of middle-aged ovariectomized rats. Ten-month-old bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were randomly divided into OVX + E2 and OVX + Veh groups. After four weeks of subcutaneous injection with 17β-estradiol or a placebo, the OVX + E2 rats exhibited significantly short mean escape latency in a spatial learning task than that in the OVX + Veh rats. Using stereological methods, we did not observe significant differences in the volumes of the hippocampus and CA1 subfields between the two groups. However, using stereological methods and electron microscopy techniques, the total length of myelinated fibers and the total volumes of myelinated fibers, myelin sheaths and myelinated axons in the CA1 subfields of OVX + E2 rats were significantly 38.1%, 34.2%, 36.1% and 32.5%, respectively, higher than those in the OVX + Veh rats. After the parameters were calculated according to different diameter ranges, the estrogen replacement-induced remodeling of myelinated fibers in CA1 was mainly manifested in the myelinated fibers with a diameter of <1.0 μm. Therefore, four weeks of continuous E2 replacement improved the spatial learning capabilities of middle-aged ovariectomized rats. The E2 replacement-induced protection of spatial learning abilities might be associated with the beneficial effects of estrogen on myelinated fibers, particularly those with the diameters less than 1.0 μm, in the hippocampal CA1 region of middle-aged ovariectomized rats.
Objective. The purpose of the study was to form a questionnaire of expert consensus about phlegm turbidity syndrome of coronary heart disease (CHD) using literature method and Delphi method, which ...could provide the objective evidences for the clinical diagnosis and treatment for CHD. Method. The CBM, CNKI, VIP, and PubMed were searched. The articles about phlegm turbidity syndrome for CHD with the definite related four diagnostic data were included. Based on the results of the literature method, two rounds of Delphi method were conducted. The TCM experts about CHD were enrolled. Concentration and coordination index of the experts were used to select the items. Results. Literature method: A total of 118 articles were included. Greasy fur, slippery pulse, chest fullness or chest pain, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, vertigo, excessive phlegm, abdominal fullness, head heaviness, obesity, stringy pulse, physical heaviness, soft pulse, somnolence, fatigue, and pale tongue (16 items) had the relatively high proportion, and they were eligible for Delphi process. Delphi method: A total of 93 experts (22 for the first round, 71 for the second round) were included. The reliability of the items was 0.885 for all the experts. The 16 items were not significantly different between the two rounds (P>0.05). According to the results of mean, frequency, sum of ranks and coefficient of variation, the item of nausea and vomiting, somnolence, pale tongue, and soft pulse were deleted. Conclusions. The questionnaire of phlegm turbidity syndrome of CHD was established, with good reliability. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire are still necessary to further validate for clinical or scientific use.
To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of
acupoint thread embedding therapy on perimenopausal obesity (PMO).
Ninety-six patients of PMO were randomly divided into an observation group (48 cases) ...and a control group (48 cases). The control group received health education and lifestyle intervention. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, the observation group was treated with acupoint thread embedding at the main acupoints of Shangwan (CV 13), Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Fenglong (ST 40), etc. as well as the supplementary acupoints in accordance with the syndrome differentiation, once every 2 weeks for 8 weeks (4 times in total). The indexes of obesity (body mass index BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and body mass), modified Kupperman score, insomnia severity index (ISI) score, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score, and self-rating depression scale (SDS) score of the two groups were observed before and after treatment, and the safety was evaluated.
Af
Tagetes erecta is an important ornamental and medicinal plant indigenous to Mexico and Guatemala. The complete chloroplast genome of T. erecta was newly sequenced in this study. The total chloropalst ...genome size of T. erecta was 152,055 bp. In total, 123 genes were indetified, including 79 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. Twelve genes are containing introns (ycf3 and clpP contained two introns). The overall GC content of this genome was 37.4%. A further phylogenomic analysis of Asteraceae, including 23 taxa, was conducted for the placement of genus Tagetes. The complete plastome of T. erecta will provide a valuable resource for further genetic conservation, evolution, and molecular breading studies in Asteraceae.
The measurement of the relative differential cross sections of the neutron-deuteron (
n
-
d
)
elastic scattering, i.e., the
2
H(
n
,
el
)
2
H reaction, for 12 neutron energies from 13.56 MeV to 52.48 ...MeV has been carried out at the Back-n White Neutron Source of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). By detection of the recoil deuterons using the light charged particle detector array (LPDA) system, the relative differential cross sections of the neutrons in the center-of-mass frame were obtained and then compared with previous measurements, the theoretical calculations performed using the Nijmegen I nucleon-nucleon potential in the Faddeev formalism, and the evaluated from libraries including the ENDF-B/VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-4.0, CENDL-3.2, and FENDL-3.2. The present work was the first measurement relative differential cross sections of the
n
-
d
scattering for the 30 MeV
<
E
n
≤
60 MeV neutron energy range using a white neutron source.
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