It is imperative to derive an appropriate cadmium （Cd） health risk toxicity threshold for paddy soils to ensure the Cd con- centration of rice grains meet the food safety standard. In this study, 20 ...rice cultivars from the main rice producing areas in China were selected, and a pot-experiment was conducted to investigate transformation of Cd in paddy soil-rice system with 0 （CK）, 0.3 mg kg-1 （T1） and 0.6 mg kg-1（T2） Cd treatments in greenhouse. The results showed that Cd concentrations of rice grains existed significant difference （P〈0.05） in 20 rice cultivars under the same Cd level in soil. The Cd concentrations of rice grains of the CK, T1 and T2 treatments were in the range of 0.143-0.202, 0.128-0.458 and 0.332-0.806 mg kg-1, respectively. Marked differences of the ratios of Cd concentration for soil to rice grain （BCFs） and transfer factors （TFs, root to grain and straw to grain） among the tested cultivars were observed in this study. The bioconcentration factors （BCFgrain） and TFs of the 20 rice cultivars were 0.300-1.112 and 0.342-0.817, respectively. The TFs of Cd from straw to grain ranged from 0.366 to 1.71, with significant differences among these 20 rice cultivars. The bioconcentration factors （BCFgrain） and TFs among the 20 rice cultivars ranged from 0.300-1.112 and 0.342-0.817, respectively. The species-sensitivity distribu- tion （SSD） of Cd sensitivity of the rice species could be fitted well with Burr-Ill （R2=0.987） based on the data of BCFs. The toxicity threshold of Cd derived from SSD for the paddy soil was 0.507 mg kg-1 in the present study.
The complex dynamics of a nonlinear discretized predator-prey model with the nonlinear Allee effect in prey and both populations are investigated. First, the rigorous results are derived from the ...existence and stability of the fixed points of the model. Second, we establish a model with the Allee effect in prey undergoing codimension-one bifurcations (flip bifurcation and Neimark–Sacker bifurcation) and codimension-two bifurcation associated with 1 : 2 strong resonance by using center manifold theorem and bifurcation theory, and the direction of bifurcations is also evaluated. In particular, chaos in the sense of Marotto is proved at some certain conditions. Third, numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results and other complex dynamical behaviors, such as the period-3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 30, and 43 orbits, attracting invariant cycles, coexisting chaotic sets, and so forth. Of most interest is the finding of coexisting attractors and multistability. Moreover, a moderate Allee effect in predators can stabilize the dynamical behavior. Finally, the hybrid feedback control strategy is implemented to stabilize chaotic orbits existing in the model.
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus play essential roles in the secretion of prolactin and the regulation of energy homeostasis. However, the gene regulatory ...network responsible for the development of the DA neurons remains poorly understood. Here we report that the transcription factor special AT-rich binding protein 2 (Satb2) is required for the development of ARC DA neurons. Satb2 is expressed in a large proportion of DA neurons without colocalization with proopiomelanocortin (POMC), orexigenic agouti-related peptide (AgRP), neuropeptide-Y (NPY), somatostatin (Sst), growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), or galanin in the ARC. Nestin-Cre;Satb2
(Satb2 CKO) mice show a reduced number of ARC DA neurons with unchanged numbers of the other types of ARC neurons, and exhibit an increase of serum prolactin level and an elevated metabolic rate. The reduction of ARC DA neurons in the CKO mice is observed at an embryonic stage and Dlx1 is identified as a potential downstream gene of Satb2 in regulating the development of ARC DA neurons. Together, our study demonstrates that Satb2 plays a critical role in the gene regulatory network directing the development of DA neurons in ARC.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal cancer types, and chronic infection with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is identified as the strongest risk factor for HCC. Transmembrane Protein 173 ...(TMEM173) is a pattern recognition receptor which functions as a major regulator of the innate immune response to viral and bacterial infections. However, the prognostic value of TMEM173 in HCC remains elusive. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the potential prognostic significance of TMEM173 expression in HCC patients following curative resection. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect TMEM173 expression in 96 HCC patients. We found that TMEM173 protein expression was remarkably decreased in tumor tissues compared to non-tumor tissues, and that TMEM173 staining intensity was inversely correlated with tumor size, tumor invasion TNM stage and overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. Multivariate analysis supported TMEM173 as an independent prognostic factor, and identified that combining TMEM173 expression with TNM stage showed better prognostic efficiency for OS in HCC patients. In summary, TMEM173 was discovered having an independent prognostic value and may serve as a potential immunotherapeutic target for HCC.
NFκB and Kidney Injury Song, Ning; Thaiss, Friedrich; Guo, Linlin
Frontiers in immunology,
04/2019, Letnik:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The global burden of chronic kidney disease will increase during the next century. As NFκB, first described more than 30 years ago, plays a major role in immune and non-immune-mediated diseases and ...in inflammatory and metabolic disorders, this review article summarizes current knowledge on the role of NFκB in
kidney injury and describes the new and so far not completely understood crosstalk between canonical and non-canonical NFκB pathways in T-lymphocyte activation in renal disease.
The central serotonin (5-HT) system is the main target of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the first-line antidepressants widely used in current general practice. One of the prominent ...features of chronic SSRI treatment in rodents is the enhanced adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which has been proposed to contribute to antidepressant effects. Therefore, tremendous effort has been made to decipher how central 5-HT regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis. In this paper, we review how changes in the central serotonergic system alter adult hippocampal neurogenesis. We focus on data obtained from three categories of genetically engineered mouse models: (1) mice with altered central 5-HT levels from embryonic stages, (2) mice with deletion of 5-HT receptors from embryonic stages, and (3) mice with altered central 5-HT system exclusively in adulthood. These recent findings provide unique insights to interpret the multifaceted roles of central 5-HT on adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its associated effects on depression.
Encoding specificity theory predicts most effective recall by the original conditions at encoding, while generalization endows recall flexibly under circumstances which deviate from the originals. ...The CA1 regions have been implicated in memory and generalization but whether and which locally separated mechanisms are involved is not clear. We report here that fear memory is quickly formed, but generalization develops gradually over 24 h. Generalization but not fear memory is impaired by inhibiting ipsilateral (ips) or contralateral (con) CA1, and by optogenetic silencing of the ipsCA1 projections onto conCA1. By contrast, in vivo fEPSP recordings reveal that ipsCA1-conCA1 synaptic efficacy is increased with delay over 24 h when generalization is formed but it is unchanged if generalization is disrupted. Direct excitation of ipsCA1-conCA1 synapses using chemogenetic hM3Dq facilitates generalization formation. Thus, rapid generalization is an active process dependent on bilateral CA1 regions, and encoded by gradual synaptic learning in ipsCA1-conCA1 circuit.
Biomass-derived hard carbon materials are considered as the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their abundant sources, environmental friendliness, and excellent ...electrochemical performance. Although much research exists on the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the microstructure of hard carbon materials, there are few reports that focus on the development of pore structure during the pyrolysis process. In this study, corncob is used as the raw material to synthesize hard carbon at a pyrolysis temperature of 1000~1600 °C, and their interrelationationship between pyrolysis temperature, microstructure and sodium storage properties are systematically studied. With the pyrolysis temperature increasing from 1000 °C to 1400 °C, the number of graphite microcrystal layers increases, the long-range order degree rises, and the pore structure shows a larger size and wide distribution. The specific capacity, the initial coulomb efficiency, and the rate performance of hard carbon materials improve simultaneously. However, as the pyrolysis temperature rises further to 1600 °C, the graphite-like layer begins to curl, and the number of graphite microcrystal layers reduces. In return, the electrochemical performance of the hard carbon material decreases. This model of pyrolysis temperatures-microstructure-sodium storage properties will provide a theoretical basis for the research and application of biomass hard carbon materials in SIBs.
SnS/N-doped graphene (SnS/NG) composites are promising anode materials for sodium ion batteries. Generally, SnS is synthesized from SnCl
·2H
O. However, SnCl
·2H
O is not suitable for large-scale ...production due to its high price. Compared with SnCl
·2H
O, SnCl
·5H
O has a lower price, more stable chemical properties and better water solubility. Until now, there have been no related reports on the synthesis of SnS from SnCl
·5H
O. In this work, the fabrication of SnS/NG in a facile, two-step process, which combines a hot water bath and thermal annealing and uses SnCl
·5H
O as a precursor, is described. The mechanism of phase transformation in the direct synthesis of SnS from Sn
is also discussed in detail. Applying our methodology, SnS nanoparticles were grown in-situ on graphene sheets and wrapped by N-doped graphene sheets to form a 3D SnS/NG composite. With 35.35% content of graphene in the SnS/NG composite, the reversible specific capacity remained at 417.8 mAh/g at 1000 mA/g after 100 cycles, exhibiting a high specific capacity and good cycling stability. In addition, the composite also had an excellent rate performance, with a specific capacity of 366.9 mAh/g obtained even at 5000 mA/g. Meanwhile, the fast sodium storage kinetics of SnS/NG were also analyzed, providing some theoretical support for further study.
The retrosplenial cortex (Rsp) is a transitional cortex located between the neocortex and archicortex, but the molecular mechanism specifying Rsp from the archicortex remains elusive. We here report ...that the transcription factor Satb2 is required for specifying Rsp identity during its morphogenesis. In Satb2 CKO mice, the boundary between the Rsp and archicortex i.e., subiculum (SubC) disappears as early as E17.5, and Rsp efferent projection is aberrant. Rsp-specific genes are lost, whereas SubC-specific genes are ectopically expressed in Rsp of Satb2 CKO mice. Furthermore, cell-autonomous role of Satb2 in maintaining Rsp neuron identity is revealed by inactivation of Satb2 in Rsp neurons. Finally, Satb2 represses the transcription of Nr4a2. The misexpression of Nr4a2 together with Ctip2 induces expression of SubC-specific genes in wild-type Rsp, and simultaneous knockdown of these two genes in Rsp Satb2-mutant cells prevents their fate transition to SubC identity. Thus, Satb2 serves as a determinant gene in the Rsp regionalization by repressing Nr4a2 and Ctip2 during cortical development.
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