Search Results (26)

Soil erosion affects agricultural and environmental sustainability and needs to be addressed. The Cagayan de Oro River Basin (CDORB), one of the major river basins in the Philippines, provides economic, social, and environmental services to the city and municipalities inside the basin. More than 70% of the area of the river basin is devoted to various forms of agricultural production. Land cover critically influences erosion dynamics as vegetation reduces rainfall impact, enhances infiltration, and limits sediment transport. This study employs the Hydrologic Engineering Center–Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) integrated with the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) to evaluate soil erosion under different rainfall return periods (5, 10, 25, 50, 100 years) and four land cover scenarios: No Reforestation Intervention (NI), Maximum Forest Cover (MF), Slope-Based Land Use (SB), and Reforestation on Public Domain (PD). Model results showed that soil loss increased with rainfall intensity, with NI yielding the highest average erosion of 1443 t ha⁻¹. Conservation scenarios reduced erosion by up to 53% compared to NI. Among the conservation scenarios, MF, SB, and PD yielded average erosion of 21, 716, and 1304 t ha⁻¹, respectively. While the MF scenario had the least soil loss, no space was assigned for economic production. On the other hand, the SB approach offered the best balance, halving erosion across all rainfall return periods, but at the same time has sufficient space available for economic production. These findings demonstrate the scientific value of integrating HEC-HMS and MUSLE for event-based erosion modeling and highlight how comparing multiple land-cover scenarios can inform data-driven land use planning and policy formulation for sustainable watershed management. Full article

Drought is a major environmental factor limiting plant growth and development. Hemerocallis middendorffii is a perennial herbaceous plant with high drought resistance, and high ornamental and application values. Understanding the mechanism of drought stress resistance in H. middendorffii is helpful for better utilization of plant resources and selection of excellent germplasms. In this study, the phenological and physiological traits of H. middendorffii were comprehensively analyzed under natural drought stress (ND) and PEG-simulated drought stress (PD), and the resistance of H. middendorffii to different levels of drought stress was evaluated. ND was treated using a natural water loss method. PD was treated under drought stress by using PEG-6000. H. middendorffii were able to grow within 15 d of ND and 4 d of 20% PD. Beyond this drought time, H. middendorffii will wilt and lose their ornamental value. Further study showed that H. middendorffii protect themselves from damage and enhance drought resistance mainly by increasing the content of osmoregulatory substances, enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and inhibiting photosynthesis. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content accumulated rapidly at 15 d of ND and 7 d of PD. Antioxidant enzyme activities peaked at 15 d of ND and 4 d of PD. Photosynthetic parameters decreased at 15 d of ND and 4 d of 20% PD, respectively. Moreover, we identified that the HmWRKY9 gene was up-regulated for expression in the leaves after ND and PD. HmWRKY9 may be involved in regulating the response of H. middendorffii to drought stress. Full article

DNA methylation and demethylation are key epigenetic events that regulate gene expression and cell fate. DNA demethylation via oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is typically mediated by TET (ten-eleven translocation) enzymes. The 5hmC modification is considered an intermediate state of DNA demethylation; it is particularly prevalent in the brain and is believed to play a role in the development of many cell types in the brain. Our previous studies have identified that vitamin C (Vc) and MEK inhibitor PD0325901 could significantly promote OPC (oligodendrocyte progenitor cell)-to-OL (oligodendrocyte) differentiation. Here we discovered that Vc and PD0325901 may promote OPC-to-OL differentiation by inducing DNA demethylation via hydroxymethylation. Blocking 5hmC formation almost totally blocked Vc- and PD0325901-stimulated OPC-to-OL differentiation. In addition, TET1 is not involved in Vc,- and PD0325901-promoted OL generation. We also found a synergistic effect between the two compounds in inducing OL generation, suggesting the possibility of a combination therapy for demyelination diseases in the future. Full article

Hydrangea macrophylla, renowned for its large inflorescences and a diverse range of colors, highlights a significant limitation in current gene function research, which is the lack of effective molecular genetic tools. This study utilized a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system to investigate gene function through posttranscriptional gene silencing in H. macrophylla for the first time. The ortholog of phytoene desaturase (PDS) in H. macrophylla, termed HmPDS, was identified. Infection of tissue-cultured seedlings with TRV-HmPDS led to photobleaching of the leaves. Additionally, infection with TRV containing the HmCHS1 fragment in the flowers resulted in decreased anthocyanin production in sepals and a lightening of sepal coloration in the infected flowers. The phenomena and RT-qPCR results proved that the PDS and CHS genes of hydrangea were successfully silenced via the vacuum infiltration method. Furthermore, the introduction of TRV-HmF3′5′H revealed a decrease in delphinidin-3-glucoside content in sepals and caused a color change in the sepals from blue to pink. This study demonstrated that the TRV-VIGS system was successfully established in H. macrophylla and effectively applied to the function analysis of HmF3′5′H. Full article

We previously reported that proinflammatory cytokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, promoted tumor migration, invasion, and proliferation, thus worsening the prognosis of glioblastoma (GBM). Urolithins, the potent metabolites produced by the gut from pomegranate polyphenols, have anticancer properties. To develop an effective therapy for GBM, this study aimed to study the effects of urolithins against GBM. Urolithin A and B significantly reduced GBM migration, reduced epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and inhibited tumor growth. Moreover, urolithin A and B inhibited TNF-α-induced vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, thereby reducing human monocyte (HM) binding to GBM cells. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) level had higher expression in patients with glioma than in healthy individuals. Urolithins are considered pharmacological antagonists of AhR. We demonstrated that the inhibition of AhR reduced TNF-α-stimulated VCAM-1 and PD-L1 expression. Furthermore, human macrophage condition medium enhanced expression of PD-L1 in human GBM cells. Administration of the AhR antagonist attenuated the enhancement of PD-L1, indicating the AhR modulation in GBM progression. The modulatory effects of urolithins in GBM involve inhibiting the Akt and epidermal growth factor receptor pathways. The present study suggests that urolithins can inhibit GBM progression and provide valuable information for anti-GBM strategy. Full article

Cardiac sympathetic denervation, as documented on 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy, is relatively sensitive and specific for distinguishing Parkinson’s disease (PD) from other neurodegenerative causes of parkinsonism. The present study aims to comprehensively review the literature regarding the use of cardiac MIBG in PD. MIBG is an analog to norepinephrine. They share the same uptake, storage, and release mechanisms. An abnormal result in the cardiac MIBG uptake in individuals with parkinsonism can be an additional criterion for diagnosing PD. However, a normal result of cardiac MIBG in individuals with suspicious parkinsonian syndrome does not exclude the diagnosis of PD. The findings of cardiac MIBG studies contributed to elucidating the pathophysiology of PD. We investigated the sensitivity and specificity of cardiac MIBG scintigraphy in PD. A total of 54 studies with 3114 individuals diagnosed with PD were included. The data were described as means with a Hoehn and Yahr stage of 2.5 and early and delayed registration H/M ratios of 1.70 and 1.51, respectively. The mean cutoff for the early and delayed phases were 1.89 and 1.86. The sensitivity for the early and delayed phases was 0.81 and 0.83, respectively. The specificity for the early and delayed phases were 0.86 and 0.80, respectively. Full article

To clarify the effects of planting density (PD) and potassium (K) application on the lignin synthesis of oil flax stalks and their relationship with lodging resistance, a two-year field experiment was conducted in the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons. The planting densities were 600 grains·m⁻² (D1), 750 grains·m⁻² (D2), and 900 grains·m⁻² (D3); the potassium application levels were 0 kg K·hm⁻² (K0), 60 kg K·hm⁻² (K1,) and 90 kg K·hm⁻² (K2). Then, the effects of PD and K on the stalk agronomic traits, lignin synthesis, lodging resistance, and grain yield (GY) of oil flax were studied. The results show that D3 increased the oil flax plant height and stem fresh weight, and K1 raised the height of the center of gravity. The enzyme activities of phenylalanine aminolyase (PAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), and peroxidase (POD) increased with an increase in planting density, whereby K1 promoted and K2 inhibited the lignin metabolic enzymes, respectively. The lignin and cellulose were significantly positively correlated with PAL. The combination of K with the D2 treatment increased the lignin and cellulose content in stems of oil flax at the kernel and maturity stages, and the effect of K1 on lignin metabolism and lodging resistance was better than that of K2. The increased GY was significantly correlated with the number of effective oil flax capsules per plant and the lodging resistance index, which were directly affected by K application. In conclusion, under the same ecological conditions as the experiment, the field management strategy of medium PD (750 grains·m⁻²) and low K (60 kg K·hm⁻²) was the best for improving the lodging resistance and GY formation of oil flax. Full article

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with typical motor symptoms. Recent studies have suggested that excessive GABA from reactive astrocytes tonically inhibits dopaminergic neurons and reduces the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the key dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). However, the expression of DOPA decarboxylase (DDC), another dopamine-synthesizing enzyme, is relatively spared, raising a possibility that the live but non-functional TH-negative/DDC-positive neurons could be the therapeutic target for rescuing PD motor symptoms. However, due to the absence of a validated DDC-specific promoter, manipulating DDC-positive neuronal activity has not been tested as a therapeutic strategy for PD. Here, we developed an AAV vector expressing mCherry under rat DDC promoter (AAV-rDDC-mCherry) and validated the specificity in the rat SNpc. Modifying this vector, we expressed hM3Dq (Gq-DREADD) under DDC promoter in the SNpc and ex vivo electrophysiologically validated the functionality. In the A53T-mutated alpha-synuclein overexpression model of PD, the chemogenetic activation of DDC-positive neurons in the SNpc significantly alleviated the parkinsonian motor symptoms and rescued the nigrostriatal TH expression. Altogether, our DDC-promoter will allow dopaminergic neuron-specific gene delivery in rodents. Furthermore, we propose that the activation of dormant dopaminergic neurons could be a potential therapeutic strategy for PD. Full article

DNA cytosine methylation is a principal epigenetic mechanism underlying transcription during development and aging. Growing evidence suggests that DNA methylation plays a critical role in brain function, including neurogenesis, neuronal differentiation, synaptogenesis, learning, and memory. However, the mechanisms underlying aberrant DNA methylation in neurodegenerative diseases remain unclear. In this review, we provide an overview of the contribution of 5-methycytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxylcytosine (5hmC) to brain development and aging, with a focus on the roles of dynamic 5mC and 5hmC changes in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). Identification of aberrant DNA methylation sites could provide potential candidates for epigenetic-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. Full article

Determination of heavy metal (HM) contamination, ecological risks, and sources in river sediments are important to preventing and controlling environmental pollution. This study investigated the spatial distribution, potential ecological risks, and biological toxicity of five heavy metals in river sediments of Huanghua City in the water diversion area from the Yellow River, China. GIS, redundancy analysis (RDA), and the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model were used to accurately quantify the pollution sources and the spatial distribution of pollution sources. The results revealed that Cu had the highest degree of natural pollution, and the source mainly comes from traffic. Residential land (RL), population density (PD), GDP, and industrial construction (IC) make high contributions to traffic pollution; the highest level of potential ecological risk was Hg, and the source mainly comes from industrial wastewater discharges. IC makes a high contribution to industrial wastewater discharges pollution; the highest effect of bio-toxic risk was As, and the source mainly comes from farmland drainage water. Agricultural production potential (APP) and water area (WA) make high contributions to farmland drainage water pollution; Zn might be of natural origin, and woodlands (WLs) make high contribution to natural origin. This result provided a new idea for the system control of sediment heavy metal pollution in Huanghua City. Full article

The aim of this study was to develop a Korean medicine (KM) core outcome set (COS) for primary dysmenorrhea to evaluate the effectiveness of herbal medicine (HM) in treating primary dysmenorrhea in patients visiting KM primary clinics. Previously reported outcomes were identified through a literature review to define outcomes and effect modifiers (EMs) for the questionnaire. Experts were invited to conduct modified Delphi consensus exercises, and primary care clinicians were invited to conduct Delphi consensus exercises to evaluate suitability and feasibility. Finally, an additional round of a modified Delphi exercise was conducted with experts to obtain a final agreement on the COS. Seventeen outcomes and 15 EMs were included from a literature review, and one effect modifier was suggested by the experts (Phase 1). In Phase 2, after the modified Delphi consensus exercises by experts, 10 outcomes and 11 EMs were included in the COS. The clinicians all agreed on the feasibility of COS (Phase 3). Finally, 10 outcomes and 6 EMs were included in the COS-PD-KM after the final modified Delphi consensus exercise (Phase 4). The effectiveness of HM used in primary clinics could be evaluated with this COS in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Further studies that involve more relevant stakeholder groups, such as patient representatives and gynecological experts, are needed. Full article

Studying the temporal and spatial evolution pattern and transformation rule of urban–rural construction land in karst mountainous areas has important guiding significance for urban development boundary planning, red lines for ecological protection, and cultivated land protection. The present study took 46 townships (streets) in Qixingguan District of Guizhou Province, southwest China, as the research area; collected the current status of four-phase land use data in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2020; and used GIS spatial analysis models and geographical detectors to analyze the temporal and spatial evolution pattern characteristics and influencing factors of urban–rural construction. The results showed the following: (1) Since 2009, the total area of urban–rural construction land has continued to increase; the largest area is rural residential land, followed by urban land and transportation land, with relatively little urban industrial and mining land, scenic spots, and special land. The growth rate of land used for transport increased rapidly, and urban land grew faster than rural residential land. (2) More than 57.72% of the newly increased urban–rural construction land came from cultivated land, but the transformation of cultivated land for construction gradually slowed down; 57.48% of urban–rural construction land was transferred for reclamation as cultivated land. During the study period, the transformation of cultivated land to construction land was more intense (the transfer out of cultivated land was greater than the transfer in by 9541.94 hm²). (3) There are strong spatial differences in the density of urban–rural construction land, showing scattered agglomeration distribution, and the degree of aggregation in medium-high- and high- density areas is further strengthened, expanding to the east and southwest. (4) The growth of urban–rural construction land has been controlled by a variety of complex factors, the most influential of which are the completion of fixed asset investment in society as a whole and the total fiscal revenue, with explanatory power (PD) values of 0.819 and 0.607, respectively. Interactions between detection factors have a greater impact on the spatial differentiation of urban–rural construction land than single factors. The results of this study can provide basic research data and support the control and high-quality development of urban–rural construction land in Qixingguan District and karst mountain areas. Full article

Gestational choriocarcinoma (CC) is an aggressive cancer that develops upon the occurrence of abnormal pregnancies such as Hydatidiform moles (HMs) or upon non-molar pregnancies. CC cells often metastasize in multiple organs and can cause maternal death. Recent studies have established an association between recurrent HMs and mutations in the Nlrp7 gene. NLRP7 is a member of a new family of proteins that contributes to innate immune processes. Depending on its level of expression, NLRP7 can function in an inflammasome-dependent or independent pathway. To date, the role of NLRP7 in normal and in malignant human placentation remains to be elucidated. We have recently demonstrated that NLRP7 is overexpressed in CC trophoblast cells and may contribute to their acquisition of immune tolerance via the regulation of key immune tolerance-associated factors, namely HLA family, βCG and PD-L1. We have also demonstrated that NLRP7 increases trophoblast proliferation and decreases their differentiation, both in normal and tumor conditions. Actual findings suggest that NLRP7 expression may ensure a strong tolerance of the trophoblast by the maternal immune system during normal pregnancy and may directly affect the behavior and aggressiveness of malignant trophoblast cells. The proposed review summarizes recent advances in the understanding of the significance of NLRP7 overexpression in CC and discusses its multifaceted roles, including its function in an inflammasome-dependent or independent pathways. Full article

Background and Motivation: Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is often based on medical attention and clinical signs. It is subjective and does not have a good prognosis. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has played a promising role in the diagnosis of PD. However, it introduces bias due to lack of sample size, poor validation, clinical evaluation, and lack of big data configuration. The purpose of this study is to compute the risk of bias (RoB) automatically. Method: The PRISMA search strategy was adopted to select the best 39 AI studies out of 85 PD studies closely associated with early diagnosis PD. The studies were used to compute 30 AI attributes (based on 6 AI clusters), using AP(ai)Bias 1.0 (AtheroPoint^TM, Roseville, CA, USA), and the mean aggregate score was computed. The studies were ranked and two cutoffs (Moderate-Low (ML) and High-Moderate (MH)) were determined to segregate the studies into three bins: low-, moderate-, and high-bias. Result: The ML and HM cutoffs were 3.50 and 2.33, respectively, which constituted 7, 13, and 6 for low-, moderate-, and high-bias studies. The best and worst architectures were “deep learning with sketches as outcomes” and “machine learning with Electroencephalography,” respectively. We recommend (i) the usage of power analysis in big data framework, (ii) that it must undergo scientific validation using unseen AI models, and (iii) that it should be taken towards clinical evaluation for reliability and stability tests. Conclusion: The AI is a vital component for the diagnosis of early PD and the recommendations must be followed to lower the RoB. Full article

In order to explore the optimal cultivar × sowing date × plant density for summer maize (Zea mays L.) in the Northern Huang–Huai–Hai (HHH) Plain of China, field experiments were conducted over two consecutive years (2018–2019) on a loam soil in the Northern HHH Plain. A split–split plot design was employed in this study, and the main plots included three cultivars (HM1: early-maturing cultivar; ZD958: medium-maturing cultivar; DH605: late-maturing cultivar); subplots consisted of three sowing dates (SD1: June 10; SD2: June 17; SD3: June 24); sub-sub plots include two plant densities (PD1: 6.75 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹; PD2: 8.25 × 10⁴ plants ha⁻¹). The results showed that the effects of cultivar and plant density on grain yield of summer maize were not significant, and the sowing date was the major factor affecting the grain yield. Delayed sowing significantly decreased the grain yield of summer maize, this was due mainly to the reduced kernel weight, which is associated with the lower post-anthesis dry matter accumulation. Moreover, radiation use efficiency (RUE), temperature use efficiency (TUE), and water use efficiency (WUE) were significantly affected by cultivar, sowing date, and plant density. Selecting early- and medium-maturing cultivars was beneficial to the improvements in RUE and TUE, and plants grown at earlier sowing with higher plant density increased the RUE and TUE. The interactive analysis of cultivar × sowing date × plant density showed that the optimum grain yields of all tested cultivars were observed at SD1-PD2, and the optimum RUE and TUE for HM1, ZD958, and DH605 were observed at SD1-PD2, SD2-PD2, and SD2-PD2, respectively. The differences in the optimum grain yield, RUE, and TUE among the tested cultivars were not significant. These results suggested that plants grown at earlier sowing with reasonable dense planting had benefits of grain yield and resource use efficiency. In order to adapt to mechanized grain harvesting, early-maturing cultivar with lower grain moisture at harvest would be the better choice. Therefore, adopting early-maturing cultivars grown with earlier sowing with reasonably higher plant density would be the optimal planting pattern for summer maize production in the Northern HHH Plain of China in future. Full article