Objective:The incidence of Wilms’tumor(WT)among adult individuals accounts for less than 1%of kidney cancer cases,with a prognosis usually less favorable when compared to younger individuals and an overall survival r...Objective:The incidence of Wilms’tumor(WT)among adult individuals accounts for less than 1%of kidney cancer cases,with a prognosis usually less favorable when compared to younger individuals and an overall survival rate of 70%for the adult patients versus 90%for the pediatric cases.The diagnosis and treatment of WT are complex in the preoperative setting;neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)or robotic surgery has rarely been described.This study aimed to review the literature of robotic surgery in WT and report the first adult WT management using both NAC and robotic strategy.Methods:We reported a case of WT managed in a multidisciplinary setting.Furthermore,according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations,a systematic review of the literature until August 2020 of WT treated with a robotic approach was carried out.Results:A 33-year-old female had a diagnosis of WT.She was scheduled to NAC,and according to the clinical and radiological response to a robotic radical nephrectomy with aortic lymph nodes dissection,she was managed with no intraoperative rupture,a favorable surgical outcome,and a follow-up of 25 months,which did not show any recurrence.The systematic review identified a total number of 230 cases of minimally invasive surgery reported in the literature for WT.Of these,approximately 15 patients were carried out using robotic surgery in adolescents while none in adults.Moreover,NAC has not been administered before minimally invasive surgery in adults up until now.Conclusion:WT is a rare condition in adults with only a few cases treated with either NAC or minimally invasive approach so far.The advantage of NAC followed by the robotic approach could lead to favorable outcomes in this complex scenario.Notwithstanding,additional cases of adult WT need to be identified and investigated to improve the oncological outcome.展开更多
Objective:To assess various antioxidative activities of Satureja khozestanica essential oil(SKE)and its effect on oxidation of low density lipoprotein(LDL)induced by CuSO_4 in vitro by monitoring the formation of conj...Objective:To assess various antioxidative activities of Satureja khozestanica essential oil(SKE)and its effect on oxidation of low density lipoprotein(LDL)induced by CuSO_4 in vitro by monitoring the formation of conjugated dienes and malondialdehyde(MDA).Methods:The formation of conjugated dienes,lag time and MDA were measured.Inhibition of this Cu-induced oxidation was studied in the presence of several concentrations of SKE.Also total antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging of SKE were determinated.Results:It was demonstrated that SKE was able to inhibit LDL oxidation and decrease the resistance of LDL against oxidation.The inhibitory effects of SKE on LDL oxidation were dose-dependent at concentrations ranging from 50 to 200μg/mL.Total antioxidant capacity of SKE was(3.20±0.40)nmol of ascorbic acid equivalents/g SKE.The SKE showed remarkable scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl,IC_(50)(5.30±0.11)ng/mL.Conclusions:This study shows that SKE is a source of potent antioxidants and prevents the oxidation of LDL in vitro and it may be suitable for use in food and pharmaceutical applications.展开更多
The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin, which is released from the posterior pituitary gland, is involved in a number of physiological processes. Understanding of its effects is gradually increasing due to new research in ...The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin, which is released from the posterior pituitary gland, is involved in a number of physiological processes. Understanding of its effects is gradually increasing due to new research in this area. While mostly recognized as a reproductive system hormone, oxytocin also regulates other organ systems such as the brain and cardiovascular system. Recently, research has focused on unraveling its involvement in cancer, and emerging evidence suggests a potential role for oxytocin as a cancer biomarker. This review summarizes observations linking oxytocin and cancer, with a special emphasis on prostate cancer, where it may promote cell proliferation. Research suggests that oxytocin effects may depend on cell type, concentration of the hormone, its interactions with other hormones in the microenvironment, and the precise localization of its receptor on the cell membrane. Future research is needed to further elucidate the involvement of oxytocin in cancer, and whether it could be a clinical cancer biomarker or therapeutic target.展开更多
Objective To study the findings of serum antibodies against annexin V, prothrombin, ph-inositol, ph-acid, ph-ethanolamine, ph-serine, ph-glycerol, cardiolipin, and beta2-glycoprotein I and analyze the trophoblast anne...Objective To study the findings of serum antibodies against annexin V, prothrombin, ph-inositol, ph-acid, ph-ethanolamine, ph-serine, ph-glycerol, cardiolipin, and beta2-glycoprotein I and analyze the trophoblast annexin V receptors Methods Sera from 156patients aged 26-41 years with recurrent pregnancy loss （3-7 times） were investigated. Eighty-four fertile healthy women aged 24-38 years were included in a control group. ELISA methods were used for detecting a panel of sera anti-phospholipid antibodies. Immunolocalization of annexin V receptors in 143 trophoblast specimens of 156 patients was investigated by the immunofluorescence technique using Annexin V-FITC, Apoptosis and Annexin V-CY3 commercial kits. Results Positivity for anti-phospholipid antibodies mainly against ph-serine, ph- ethanolamine, and ph-inositol was found together in 80. 8%（126 out of 156 patients）, anti-prothrombin antibodies in 12% （18）, and anti-annexin V antibodies in 13. 5% （21） women. No significant levels of anti-phospholipid antibodies were found in 6 controls. Placenta immunohistopathology also exhibited some changes manifested by the presence of apoptotic and necrotic cells in trophoblast, and very few microthrombotization in some intervillous spaces. Conclusion Our detailed study demonstrated the prevalence of majority of antiphospholipid antibodies as a high risk factor for repeated reproductive failure. Very low microthrombosis in placentas could be explained by the changes of haemocoagulation properties out of uterus.展开更多
Background:Oxytocin(OXT)and its receptor(OXTR)is associated with cancer.The present study was to investigate the correlation between the genetic expression alterations of OXT and OXTR and the outcomes in patients with...Background:Oxytocin(OXT)and its receptor(OXTR)is associated with cancer.The present study was to investigate the correlation between the genetic expression alterations of OXT and OXTR and the outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer(PC).Methods:Information regarding OXT and OXTR genetic alterations and changes in gene expression were retrieved from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)databases and analyzed using the cBioPortal online tool.We assessed the correlation of overall survival and disease/progression-free months to either OXT or OXTR genetic alterations and changes in gene expression using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression anal-yses.Quantitative PCR(qPCR)was conducted to assess the mRNA expression levels of OXT and OXTR in human PC cell lines.Results:Five percent of PC cases showed mRNA upregulation in the OXT gene.These PC cases also showed genetic alterations and changes in gene expression of OXTR.The median months of survival and disease-free survival were lower for PC cases with genetic alterations and changes in gene expression in the OXT and OXTR genes as compared to those without such alterations.qPCR data showed that OXT and OXTR mRNA expression were 1-fold and 10-fold higher,respectively in PANC-1 cell lines as compared to L3.6pl cell lines in direct negative correlation with responsiveness to gemcitabine.Conclusions:These data suggest that OXT and OXTR may potentially be important in PC progression,chemoresistance,and patient survival,and potentially could have prognostic and therapeutic implications in a subset of PC patients.展开更多
Background:The allocation of resources between offspring size and number is a central question of life-history theory.Although several studies have tested the existence of this trade-off,few studies have investigated ...Background:The allocation of resources between offspring size and number is a central question of life-history theory.Although several studies have tested the existence of this trade-off,few studies have investigated how environmental variation influences the allocation of resources to offspring size and offspring number.Additionally,the relationship between population dynamics and the offspring size and number allocation is far less understood.Methods:We investigate whether resource allocation between egg size and clutch size is influenced by the ambient temperature and whether it may be related to apparent nest survival rate.We measured 1548 eggs from 541 nests of two closely related shorebird species,the Kentish Plover(Charadrius alexandrinus)and the White-faced Plover(C.dealbatus)in China,in four populations that exhibit contrasting ambient environments.We weighed females,monitored nest survival,and calculated the variance of ambient temperature.Results:Although we found that egg size and clutch size were all different between the four breeding populations,the reproductive investment(i.e.total clutch volume)was similar between populations.We also found that populations with a high survival rate had relatively larger eggs and a smaller clutch than populations with a low nest survival rate.The latter result is in line with a conservative/diversified bet-hedging strategy.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that plovers may increasing fitness by investing fewer,larger or many,small according local nest survival rate to make a similar investment in reproduction,and thereby may have an impact on population demography.展开更多
A bacterial strain designated in this study as POXN01 was found to be capable of degrading the synthetic organophosphorus pesticides paraoxon and methyl parathion. The strain was initially isolated through enrichment ...A bacterial strain designated in this study as POXN01 was found to be capable of degrading the synthetic organophosphorus pesticides paraoxon and methyl parathion. The strain was initially isolated through enrichment technique from rice field soil near Harlingen, Texas. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene alignments identified the POXN01 isolate as a new strain of Pseudomonas putida, which is closely related to the recently discovered nicotine-degrading strain Pseudomonas putida S16. While being unable to metabolize nicotine, the POXN01 isolate was observed to actively proliferate using monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular toluene, as nutrients. Search for the genetic determinants of paraoxon catabolism revealed the presence of organophosphorus-degrading gene, opd, identical to the one from Sphingobium fuliginis (former Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551). Assimilation of aromatic compounds likely relies on phc ARKLMNOPQ gene cluster for phenol, benzene and toluene catabolism, and on benRABCDKGEF cluster for benzoate catabolism. The observed versatility of POXN01 strain in degradation of xenobiotics makes it useful for the multi-purpose bioremediation of contaminated sites in both agricultural and industrial environmental settings.展开更多
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with a very poor prognosis. In the United States, there has been onl...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with a very poor prognosis. In the United States, there has been only minimal improvement in the prognosis for HCC patients over the past 15 years. Details of the molecular mechanisms and other mechanisms of HCC progression remain unclear. Consequently, there is an urgent need for better understanding of these mechanisms. HCC is often diagnosed at advanced stages, and most patients will therefore need systemic therapy, with sorafenib being the most common at the present time. However, sorafenib therapy only minimally enhances patient survival. This review provides a summary of some of the known mechanisms that either cause HCC or contribute to its progression. Included in this review are the roles of viral hepatitis, non-viral hepatitis, chronic alcohol intake, genetic predisposition and congenital abnormalities, toxic exposures, and autoimmune diseases of the liver. Well-established molecular mechanisms of HCC progression such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor-stromal interactions and the tumor microenvironment, cancer stem cells, and senescence bypass are also discussed. Additionally, we discuss the roles of circulating tumor cells,immunomodulation, and neural regulation as potential new mechanisms of HCC progression. A better understanding of these mechanisms could have implications for the development of novel and more effective therapeutic and prognostic strategies, which are critically needed.展开更多
As the increases of climatic aridity and grazing intensity, shrubs play an increasingly important role in grassland ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions, and its abundance also generally increases. However, the eff...As the increases of climatic aridity and grazing intensity, shrubs play an increasingly important role in grassland ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions, and its abundance also generally increases. However, the effects of climatic aridity and grazing intensity on sexual reproduction of shrubs in grassland remain largely unclear. In order to understand the effects of grazing intensity and climatic drought stress, and their interaction on seed production of shrub species, we examined the seed number, seed weight and seed yield of Caragana stenophylla under three grazing intensities （fenced, mild grazing and severe grazing） across a climatic aridity gradient （semi-arid, arid, very arid and intensively arid zones） in the Inner Mongolia Steppe, northern China during 2012-2013. The seed number, seed weight and seed yield gradually increased from the semi-arid to the very arid zones, but decreased from the very arid to the intensively arid zones in fenced plots. The seed number and seed yield decreased from the semi-arid to the intensively arid zones in mild and severe grazing treatment plots, therefore, grazing enhanced the suppression effect of climatic aridity on seed production of C. stenophylla. The seed number and seed yield gradually decreased as grazing intensity increased. The seed weight was highest in severe grazing plots, followed by the mild grazing plots and then the fenced plots. Precipitation varied interannually during the study period. We observed that the seed number seed weight and seed yield were lower in the low precipitation year （2013） than in the high precipitation year （2012）. As climatic drought stress increased, the negative effects of grazing on seed production of C. stenophylla also gradually increased. Our results indicated that climatic drought stress may contribute to the encroachment of C. stenophylla shrub in arid zones by promoting its seed production. However, grazing had negative effects on sexual reproduction of C. stenophylla, and the combined effects of drought stress and grazing seriously suppressed sexual reproduction of C. stenophylla in the intensively arid zone.展开更多
The limited bioavailability of plant-derived natural products with anticancer activity poses major challenges to the pharmaceutical industry.An example of this is camptothecin,a monoterpene indole alkaloid with potent...The limited bioavailability of plant-derived natural products with anticancer activity poses major challenges to the pharmaceutical industry.An example of this is camptothecin,a monoterpene indole alkaloid with potent anticancer activity that is extracted at very low concentrations from woody plants.Recently,camptothecin biosynthesis has been shown to become biotechnologically amenable in hairy-root systems of the natural producer Ophiorrhiza pumila.Here,time-course expression and metabolite analyses were performed to identify novel transcriptional regulators of camptothecin biosynthesis in O.pumila.It is shown here that camptothecin production increased over cultivation time and that the expression pattern of the WRKY transcription factor encoding gene OpWRKY2 is closely correlated with camptothecin accumulation.Overexpression of OpWRKY2 led to a more than three-fold increase in camptothecin levels.Accordingly,silencing of OpWRKY2 correlated with decreased camptothecin levels in the plant.Further detailed molecular characterization by electrophoretic mobility shift,yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays showed that OpWRKY2 directly binds and activates the central camptothecin pathway gene OpTDC.Taken together,the results of this study demonstrate that OpWRKY2 acts as a direct positive regulator of camptothecin biosynthesis.As such,a feasible strategy for the over-accumulation of camptothecin in a biotechnologically amenable system is presented.展开更多
The liver X-receptors (LXRs) act as cholesterol sensors and participate in the regulation of lipid and cholesterol metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine the role of LXR during development using the ...The liver X-receptors (LXRs) act as cholesterol sensors and participate in the regulation of lipid and cholesterol metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine the role of LXR during development using the zebrafish model. By in situ hybridization we showed distinct expression of lxr in the brain and the retina in the developing and adult zebrafish. Lxr ligand activation affected the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in zebrafish adult brain and eye as well as in zebrafish embryos. Morpholino knock down of lxr resulted in an overall impaired lipid deposition as determined by oil red O staining particularly in the head and around the eyes, and to significantly elevated levels of both total and free cholesterol in the yolk of lxr morphant embryos. The expression of genes involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism was also changed in the lxr morphants. Furthermore, alcian blue staining revealed malformation of the pharyngeal skeleton in the lxr morphant. Our data show that lxr is an important component of the regulatory network governing the lipid homeostasis during zebrafish development, which in turn may support a role of lxr for normal development of the central nervous sytem, including the retina.展开更多
Emerging data indicate that the nervous system plays an important role in carcinogenesis. However, more studies are required to help further elucidate the mechanisms involved in the neural regulation of carcinogenesis...Emerging data indicate that the nervous system plays an important role in carcinogenesis. However, more studies are required to help further elucidate the mechanisms involved in the neural regulation of carcinogenesis. Some recent findings describing the neural regulatory mechanisms of action in prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma are discussed, with a focus on the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory neuronal elements of the nervous system. Norepinephrine, which is released by the sympathetic nervous system and binds to the beta-adrenergic receptor, regulates cellular responses in both normal and tumor cells. It has also been shown that the destruction of sensory neurons can prevent or at least slow pancreatic cancer. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, is also discussed and how it could potentially be involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development. The importance of studying other signaling molecules in the nervous system, such as oxytocin and its receptor, the oxytocin receptor, and how they might be involved in carcinogenesis when aberrantly expressed is highlighted. This is an area of study which clearly needs further investigation. A clearer understanding of the detailed mechanisms of how the nervous system is involved in carcinogenesis could potentially aid in the identification of novel biomarkers and development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies in various cancers.展开更多
Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the brain play critical roles in maintaining brain tissue homeostasis and in tissue repair after injury. Growth of cancer metastasis in the brain is a constant damaging process. T...Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the brain play critical roles in maintaining brain tissue homeostasis and in tissue repair after injury. Growth of cancer metastasis in the brain is a constant damaging process. The role of ERs of the host in the progression of cancer brain metastasis is unknown. To determine the role of ERβ of host in the progression of lung cancer brain metastasis, we used an isogenic murine lung cancer cell line, Lewis lung carcinoma cells (3LL), to produce orthotopic lung cancer brain metastases in wild type and ERβ knockout (ERβ-/-) mice. In the wild type mice, we found that ERα and ERβ appeared in the tumor associated reactive astrocytes at 24hr after injection of tumor cells, and ERβ remained thereafter while ERα disappeared after 1 week. The metastasis bearing ERβ-/- mice survived significantly longer than the wild type mice. To further test the role of ERβ of reactive astrocytes in the survival of cancer cells, we knocked down ERβ in cultured actrocytes using shRNA and performed 3D co-culture with 3LL cells in the presence/absence of chemotherapeutic agents, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil. We found that loss of ERβ in astrocytes significantly reduced the survivability of 3LL cells co-cultured with astrocytes. It is concluded that ERβ of host, especially ERβ in reactive astrocytes, promotes the progression of lung cancer brain metastasis and ERβ might be a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer brain metastasis.展开更多
Decision making in honeybees is based on information which is acquired and processed in order to make choices between two or more alternatives. These choices lead to the expression of optimal behaviour strategies such...Decision making in honeybees is based on information which is acquired and processed in order to make choices between two or more alternatives. These choices lead to the expression of optimal behaviour strategies such as floral constancy. Optimal foraging strategies such as floral constancy improve a colony’s chances of survival, however to our knowledge, there has been no research on decision making based on optimal storage strategies. Here we show, using diagnostic radioentomology, that decision making in storer bees is influenced by nectar sugar concentrations and that, within 48 hours of collection, honeybees workers store carbohydrates in groups of cells with similar sugar concentrations in a nonrandom way. This behaviour, as evidenced by patchy spatial cell distributions, would help to hasten the ripening process by reducing the distance between cells of similar sugar concentrations. Thus, colonies which exhibit optimal storage strategies such as these would have an evolutionary advantage and im- prove colony survival expectations over less efficient colonies and it should be plausible to select colonies that exhibit these preferred traits.展开更多
A large number of plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are now documented in the miRBase, among which only 30 are for Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). Clearly, there is a far-reaching need to identify and profile the expression of ...A large number of plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are now documented in the miRBase, among which only 30 are for Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). Clearly, there is a far-reaching need to identify and profile the expression of miRNAs in this important crop under various physiological and pathological conditions. In this study, we used an in situ synthesized custom microarray of plant miRNAs to examine the expression and temporal presence of miRNAs in the leaves of tomato plants infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Following computational sequence homology search and hairpin structure prediction, we identified three novel tomato miRNA precursor genes. Our results also show that, in accordance with the phenotype of the developing leaves, the tomato miRNAs are differentially expressed at different stages of plant development and that CMV infection can induce or suppress the expression of miRNAs as well as up-regulate some star miRNAs (miRNA*s) which are normally present at much lower levels. The results indicate that developmental anomalies elicited by virus infection may be caused by more complex biological processes.展开更多
Chronic lung diseases have been recognized as one of the world's leading causes of death in recent decades. Lacking effective treatments brings the patients not only bad quality of life but also higher risk for lu...Chronic lung diseases have been recognized as one of the world's leading causes of death in recent decades. Lacking effective treatments brings the patients not only bad quality of life but also higher risk for lung cancer development. By increasing the understanding of deeper mechanism of how lung develops and regenerates, researchers now focus on studying lung regenerative medicine, aiming to apply different and more efficient therapies to treat chronic lung diseases. This review will provide a wide picture of both basic lung developmental, regeneration mechanism and different designed strategies for treating chronic lung diseases in the future decades.展开更多
Accurate individual identification is required to estimate survival rates in avian populations.For endangered species,non-invasive methods of obtaining individual identification,such as using molted feathers as a sour...Accurate individual identification is required to estimate survival rates in avian populations.For endangered species,non-invasive methods of obtaining individual identification,such as using molted feathers as a source of DNA for microsatellite markers,are preferred because of less disturbance,easy sample preparation and high efficiency.With the availability of many avian genomes,a few pipelines isolating genome-wide microsatellites have been published,but it is still a challenge to isolate microsatellites from the reference genome efficiently.Here,we have developed an integrated tool comprising a bioinformatic pipeline and experimental procedures for microsatellite isolation and validation based on the reference genome.We have identified over 95000 microsatellite loci and established a system comprising 10 highly polymorphic markers(PIC value:0.49–0.93,mean:0.79)for an endangered species,saker falcon(Falco cherrug).These markers(except 1)were successfully amplified in 126 molted feathers,exhibiting high amplification success rates(83.9–99.7%),high quality index(0.90–0.97)and low allelic dropout rates(1–9.5%).To further assess the efficiency of this marker system in a population study,we identified individual sakers using these molted feathers(adult)and 146 plucked feathers(offspring).The use of parent and offspring samples enabled us to infer the genotype of missing samples(N=28),and all adult genotypes were used to ascertain that breeding turnover is a useful proxy for survival estimation in sakers.Our study presents a cost-effective tool for microsatellite isolation based on publicly available reference genomes and demonstrates the power of this tool in estimating key parameters of avian population dynamics.展开更多
Background： Synthetic microbial consortia are conglomerations of genetically engineered microbes programmed to cooperatively bring about population-level phenotypes. By coordinating their activity, the constituent st...Background： Synthetic microbial consortia are conglomerations of genetically engineered microbes programmed to cooperatively bring about population-level phenotypes. By coordinating their activity, the constituent strains can display emergent behaviors that are difficult to engineer into isogenic populations. To do so, strains are engineered to communicate with one another through intercellular signaling pathways that depend on cell density. Methods： Here, we used computational modeling to examine how the behavior of synthetic microbial consortia results from the interplay between population dynamics governed by cell growth and internal transcriptional dynamics governed by cell-ceil signaling. Specifically, we examined a synthetic microbial consortium in which two strains each produce signals that down-regulate transcription in the other. Within a single strain this regulatory topology is called a ＂co-repressive toggle switch＂ and can lead to bistability. Results： We found that in co-repressive synthetic microbial consortia the existence and stability of different states depend on population-level dynamics. As the two strains passively compete for space within the colony, their relative fractions fluctuate and thus alter the strengths of intercellular signals. These fluctuations drive the consortium to alternative equilibria. Additionally, if the growth rates of the strains depend on their transcriptional states, an additional feedback loop is created that can generate oscillations. Conclusions： Our findings demonstrate that the dynamics of microbial consortia cannot be predicted from their regulatory topologies alone, but are also determined by interactions between the strains. Therefore, when designing synthetic microbial consortia that use intercellular signaling, one must account for growth variations caused by the production of protein.展开更多
Studies of competition in mangroves are mostly limited to seedlings and artificial settings like forestry projects.We conducted the first experimental study of intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natu...Studies of competition in mangroves are mostly limited to seedlings and artificial settings like forestry projects.We conducted the first experimental study of intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natural mangrove forest to examine how important competition is in determining tree size compared with abiotic conditions.We conducted a study near Port Aransas,TX,USA,which is near the geographical limit of mangroves and dominated by monospecific stands of‘scrub’form black mangroves,Avicennia germinans.We thinned 10 plots to create a gradient of mangrove cover,and quantified the effects of mangrove cover on the growth of tagged mangroves from 2013 to 2019,and the mangrove canopy height in 2019.The relative growth rate of tagged mangroves declined as mangrove cover increased,and plants in the plot with 100%mangrove cover did not grow,indicating that they had attained their maximum size.In plots with reduced mangrove cover,plant height increased sharply,with plants in the plot with 11%mangrove cover growing~52%taller over 6 years.Canopy height was~30%taller in the plot fringe than in the interior,and canopy height in both fringe and interior declined as mangrove cover increased.Measures of leaf chlorophyll concentration and light interception suggested that plants were primarily limited by nitrogen.Our results showed that scrub mangroves compete strongly despite being limited by abiotic conditions,and that the importance of competition was greater in magnitude than that of abiotic differences between the fringe and interior.展开更多
文摘Objective:The incidence of Wilms’tumor(WT)among adult individuals accounts for less than 1%of kidney cancer cases,with a prognosis usually less favorable when compared to younger individuals and an overall survival rate of 70%for the adult patients versus 90%for the pediatric cases.The diagnosis and treatment of WT are complex in the preoperative setting;neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)or robotic surgery has rarely been described.This study aimed to review the literature of robotic surgery in WT and report the first adult WT management using both NAC and robotic strategy.Methods:We reported a case of WT managed in a multidisciplinary setting.Furthermore,according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations,a systematic review of the literature until August 2020 of WT treated with a robotic approach was carried out.Results:A 33-year-old female had a diagnosis of WT.She was scheduled to NAC,and according to the clinical and radiological response to a robotic radical nephrectomy with aortic lymph nodes dissection,she was managed with no intraoperative rupture,a favorable surgical outcome,and a follow-up of 25 months,which did not show any recurrence.The systematic review identified a total number of 230 cases of minimally invasive surgery reported in the literature for WT.Of these,approximately 15 patients were carried out using robotic surgery in adolescents while none in adults.Moreover,NAC has not been administered before minimally invasive surgery in adults up until now.Conclusion:WT is a rare condition in adults with only a few cases treated with either NAC or minimally invasive approach so far.The advantage of NAC followed by the robotic approach could lead to favorable outcomes in this complex scenario.Notwithstanding,additional cases of adult WT need to be identified and investigated to improve the oncological outcome.
文摘Objective:To assess various antioxidative activities of Satureja khozestanica essential oil(SKE)and its effect on oxidation of low density lipoprotein(LDL)induced by CuSO_4 in vitro by monitoring the formation of conjugated dienes and malondialdehyde(MDA).Methods:The formation of conjugated dienes,lag time and MDA were measured.Inhibition of this Cu-induced oxidation was studied in the presence of several concentrations of SKE.Also total antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging of SKE were determinated.Results:It was demonstrated that SKE was able to inhibit LDL oxidation and decrease the resistance of LDL against oxidation.The inhibitory effects of SKE on LDL oxidation were dose-dependent at concentrations ranging from 50 to 200μg/mL.Total antioxidant capacity of SKE was(3.20±0.40)nmol of ascorbic acid equivalents/g SKE.The SKE showed remarkable scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl,IC_(50)(5.30±0.11)ng/mL.Conclusions:This study shows that SKE is a source of potent antioxidants and prevents the oxidation of LDL in vitro and it may be suitable for use in food and pharmaceutical applications.
文摘The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin, which is released from the posterior pituitary gland, is involved in a number of physiological processes. Understanding of its effects is gradually increasing due to new research in this area. While mostly recognized as a reproductive system hormone, oxytocin also regulates other organ systems such as the brain and cardiovascular system. Recently, research has focused on unraveling its involvement in cancer, and emerging evidence suggests a potential role for oxytocin as a cancer biomarker. This review summarizes observations linking oxytocin and cancer, with a special emphasis on prostate cancer, where it may promote cell proliferation. Research suggests that oxytocin effects may depend on cell type, concentration of the hormone, its interactions with other hormones in the microenvironment, and the precise localization of its receptor on the cell membrane. Future research is needed to further elucidate the involvement of oxytocin in cancer, and whether it could be a clinical cancer biomarker or therapeutic target.
基金This study was supported by grants of Czech Ministry of Health (VU 96/69).
文摘Objective To study the findings of serum antibodies against annexin V, prothrombin, ph-inositol, ph-acid, ph-ethanolamine, ph-serine, ph-glycerol, cardiolipin, and beta2-glycoprotein I and analyze the trophoblast annexin V receptors Methods Sera from 156patients aged 26-41 years with recurrent pregnancy loss （3-7 times） were investigated. Eighty-four fertile healthy women aged 24-38 years were included in a control group. ELISA methods were used for detecting a panel of sera anti-phospholipid antibodies. Immunolocalization of annexin V receptors in 143 trophoblast specimens of 156 patients was investigated by the immunofluorescence technique using Annexin V-FITC, Apoptosis and Annexin V-CY3 commercial kits. Results Positivity for anti-phospholipid antibodies mainly against ph-serine, ph- ethanolamine, and ph-inositol was found together in 80. 8%（126 out of 156 patients）, anti-prothrombin antibodies in 12% （18）, and anti-annexin V antibodies in 13. 5% （21） women. No significant levels of anti-phospholipid antibodies were found in 6 controls. Placenta immunohistopathology also exhibited some changes manifested by the presence of apoptotic and necrotic cells in trophoblast, and very few microthrombotization in some intervillous spaces. Conclusion Our detailed study demonstrated the prevalence of majority of antiphospholipid antibodies as a high risk factor for repeated reproductive failure. Very low microthrombosis in placentas could be explained by the changes of haemocoagulation properties out of uterus.
基金supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute(No.U54CA221704).
文摘Background:Oxytocin(OXT)and its receptor(OXTR)is associated with cancer.The present study was to investigate the correlation between the genetic expression alterations of OXT and OXTR and the outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer(PC).Methods:Information regarding OXT and OXTR genetic alterations and changes in gene expression were retrieved from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)databases and analyzed using the cBioPortal online tool.We assessed the correlation of overall survival and disease/progression-free months to either OXT or OXTR genetic alterations and changes in gene expression using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression anal-yses.Quantitative PCR(qPCR)was conducted to assess the mRNA expression levels of OXT and OXTR in human PC cell lines.Results:Five percent of PC cases showed mRNA upregulation in the OXT gene.These PC cases also showed genetic alterations and changes in gene expression of OXTR.The median months of survival and disease-free survival were lower for PC cases with genetic alterations and changes in gene expression in the OXT and OXTR genes as compared to those without such alterations.qPCR data showed that OXT and OXTR mRNA expression were 1-fold and 10-fold higher,respectively in PANC-1 cell lines as compared to L3.6pl cell lines in direct negative correlation with responsiveness to gemcitabine.Conclusions:These data suggest that OXT and OXTR may potentially be important in PC progression,chemoresistance,and patient survival,and potentially could have prognostic and therapeutic implications in a subset of PC patients.
基金This work was supported by Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering,Ministry of Education to Yang Liu,the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2019M663221)the British Ornithologists’Union’s Career Development Bursary in 2019 to Zitan Song,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31600297)to Pinjia Queby the Hungarian Scientific Funding Agency,NKFIH(éLVONAL KKP-126949,K-116310)to Tamás Székely.
文摘Background:The allocation of resources between offspring size and number is a central question of life-history theory.Although several studies have tested the existence of this trade-off,few studies have investigated how environmental variation influences the allocation of resources to offspring size and offspring number.Additionally,the relationship between population dynamics and the offspring size and number allocation is far less understood.Methods:We investigate whether resource allocation between egg size and clutch size is influenced by the ambient temperature and whether it may be related to apparent nest survival rate.We measured 1548 eggs from 541 nests of two closely related shorebird species,the Kentish Plover(Charadrius alexandrinus)and the White-faced Plover(C.dealbatus)in China,in four populations that exhibit contrasting ambient environments.We weighed females,monitored nest survival,and calculated the variance of ambient temperature.Results:Although we found that egg size and clutch size were all different between the four breeding populations,the reproductive investment(i.e.total clutch volume)was similar between populations.We also found that populations with a high survival rate had relatively larger eggs and a smaller clutch than populations with a low nest survival rate.The latter result is in line with a conservative/diversified bet-hedging strategy.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that plovers may increasing fitness by investing fewer,larger or many,small according local nest survival rate to make a similar investment in reproduction,and thereby may have an impact on population demography.
文摘A bacterial strain designated in this study as POXN01 was found to be capable of degrading the synthetic organophosphorus pesticides paraoxon and methyl parathion. The strain was initially isolated through enrichment technique from rice field soil near Harlingen, Texas. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene alignments identified the POXN01 isolate as a new strain of Pseudomonas putida, which is closely related to the recently discovered nicotine-degrading strain Pseudomonas putida S16. While being unable to metabolize nicotine, the POXN01 isolate was observed to actively proliferate using monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular toluene, as nutrients. Search for the genetic determinants of paraoxon catabolism revealed the presence of organophosphorus-degrading gene, opd, identical to the one from Sphingobium fuliginis (former Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551). Assimilation of aromatic compounds likely relies on phc ARKLMNOPQ gene cluster for phenol, benzene and toluene catabolism, and on benRABCDKGEF cluster for benzoate catabolism. The observed versatility of POXN01 strain in degradation of xenobiotics makes it useful for the multi-purpose bioremediation of contaminated sites in both agricultural and industrial environmental settings.
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with a very poor prognosis. In the United States, there has been only minimal improvement in the prognosis for HCC patients over the past 15 years. Details of the molecular mechanisms and other mechanisms of HCC progression remain unclear. Consequently, there is an urgent need for better understanding of these mechanisms. HCC is often diagnosed at advanced stages, and most patients will therefore need systemic therapy, with sorafenib being the most common at the present time. However, sorafenib therapy only minimally enhances patient survival. This review provides a summary of some of the known mechanisms that either cause HCC or contribute to its progression. Included in this review are the roles of viral hepatitis, non-viral hepatitis, chronic alcohol intake, genetic predisposition and congenital abnormalities, toxic exposures, and autoimmune diseases of the liver. Well-established molecular mechanisms of HCC progression such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor-stromal interactions and the tumor microenvironment, cancer stem cells, and senescence bypass are also discussed. Additionally, we discuss the roles of circulating tumor cells,immunomodulation, and neural regulation as potential new mechanisms of HCC progression. A better understanding of these mechanisms could have implications for the development of novel and more effective therapeutic and prognostic strategies, which are critically needed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31570453,31170381,31270502,31300386)the PhD Candidate Research Innovation Fund of Nankai Universitythe Doctoral Fund of Tianjin Normal University(52XB1208)
文摘As the increases of climatic aridity and grazing intensity, shrubs play an increasingly important role in grassland ecosystem in arid and semi-arid regions, and its abundance also generally increases. However, the effects of climatic aridity and grazing intensity on sexual reproduction of shrubs in grassland remain largely unclear. In order to understand the effects of grazing intensity and climatic drought stress, and their interaction on seed production of shrub species, we examined the seed number, seed weight and seed yield of Caragana stenophylla under three grazing intensities （fenced, mild grazing and severe grazing） across a climatic aridity gradient （semi-arid, arid, very arid and intensively arid zones） in the Inner Mongolia Steppe, northern China during 2012-2013. The seed number, seed weight and seed yield gradually increased from the semi-arid to the very arid zones, but decreased from the very arid to the intensively arid zones in fenced plots. The seed number and seed yield decreased from the semi-arid to the intensively arid zones in mild and severe grazing treatment plots, therefore, grazing enhanced the suppression effect of climatic aridity on seed production of C. stenophylla. The seed number and seed yield gradually decreased as grazing intensity increased. The seed weight was highest in severe grazing plots, followed by the mild grazing plots and then the fenced plots. Precipitation varied interannually during the study period. We observed that the seed number seed weight and seed yield were lower in the low precipitation year （2013） than in the high precipitation year （2012）. As climatic drought stress increased, the negative effects of grazing on seed production of C. stenophylla also gradually increased. Our results indicated that climatic drought stress may contribute to the encroachment of C. stenophylla shrub in arid zones by promoting its seed production. However, grazing had negative effects on sexual reproduction of C. stenophylla, and the combined effects of drought stress and grazing seriously suppressed sexual reproduction of C. stenophylla in the intensively arid zone.
基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFC1706203)National Natural Science Foundation of China(31571735,82073963,81522049,82003889)+3 种基金Zhejiang Provincial Ten Thousands Program for Leading Talents of Science and Technology Innovation(2018R52050)Zhejiang Provincial Program for the Cultivation of High-level Innovative Health Talents,Shanghai Science and Technology Committee Project(17JC1404300)Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(LY20H280008,LQ21H280004)Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Research Foundation(2020ZR15).
文摘The limited bioavailability of plant-derived natural products with anticancer activity poses major challenges to the pharmaceutical industry.An example of this is camptothecin,a monoterpene indole alkaloid with potent anticancer activity that is extracted at very low concentrations from woody plants.Recently,camptothecin biosynthesis has been shown to become biotechnologically amenable in hairy-root systems of the natural producer Ophiorrhiza pumila.Here,time-course expression and metabolite analyses were performed to identify novel transcriptional regulators of camptothecin biosynthesis in O.pumila.It is shown here that camptothecin production increased over cultivation time and that the expression pattern of the WRKY transcription factor encoding gene OpWRKY2 is closely correlated with camptothecin accumulation.Overexpression of OpWRKY2 led to a more than three-fold increase in camptothecin levels.Accordingly,silencing of OpWRKY2 correlated with decreased camptothecin levels in the plant.Further detailed molecular characterization by electrophoretic mobility shift,yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays showed that OpWRKY2 directly binds and activates the central camptothecin pathway gene OpTDC.Taken together,the results of this study demonstrate that OpWRKY2 acts as a direct positive regulator of camptothecin biosynthesis.As such,a feasible strategy for the over-accumulation of camptothecin in a biotechnologically amenable system is presented.
基金the Swedish Research Council (1213-45762)Karolinska Institutet
文摘The liver X-receptors (LXRs) act as cholesterol sensors and participate in the regulation of lipid and cholesterol metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine the role of LXR during development using the zebrafish model. By in situ hybridization we showed distinct expression of lxr in the brain and the retina in the developing and adult zebrafish. Lxr ligand activation affected the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism in zebrafish adult brain and eye as well as in zebrafish embryos. Morpholino knock down of lxr resulted in an overall impaired lipid deposition as determined by oil red O staining particularly in the head and around the eyes, and to significantly elevated levels of both total and free cholesterol in the yolk of lxr morphant embryos. The expression of genes involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism was also changed in the lxr morphants. Furthermore, alcian blue staining revealed malformation of the pharyngeal skeleton in the lxr morphant. Our data show that lxr is an important component of the regulatory network governing the lipid homeostasis during zebrafish development, which in turn may support a role of lxr for normal development of the central nervous sytem, including the retina.
基金Supported by the National Cancer Institute of United States,No.U54CA221704
文摘Emerging data indicate that the nervous system plays an important role in carcinogenesis. However, more studies are required to help further elucidate the mechanisms involved in the neural regulation of carcinogenesis. Some recent findings describing the neural regulatory mechanisms of action in prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma are discussed, with a focus on the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory neuronal elements of the nervous system. Norepinephrine, which is released by the sympathetic nervous system and binds to the beta-adrenergic receptor, regulates cellular responses in both normal and tumor cells. It has also been shown that the destruction of sensory neurons can prevent or at least slow pancreatic cancer. Cortisol, the main stress hormone, is also discussed and how it could potentially be involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development. The importance of studying other signaling molecules in the nervous system, such as oxytocin and its receptor, the oxytocin receptor, and how they might be involved in carcinogenesis when aberrantly expressed is highlighted. This is an area of study which clearly needs further investigation. A clearer understanding of the detailed mechanisms of how the nervous system is involved in carcinogenesis could potentially aid in the identification of novel biomarkers and development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies in various cancers.
文摘Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) in the brain play critical roles in maintaining brain tissue homeostasis and in tissue repair after injury. Growth of cancer metastasis in the brain is a constant damaging process. The role of ERs of the host in the progression of cancer brain metastasis is unknown. To determine the role of ERβ of host in the progression of lung cancer brain metastasis, we used an isogenic murine lung cancer cell line, Lewis lung carcinoma cells (3LL), to produce orthotopic lung cancer brain metastases in wild type and ERβ knockout (ERβ-/-) mice. In the wild type mice, we found that ERα and ERβ appeared in the tumor associated reactive astrocytes at 24hr after injection of tumor cells, and ERβ remained thereafter while ERα disappeared after 1 week. The metastasis bearing ERβ-/- mice survived significantly longer than the wild type mice. To further test the role of ERβ of reactive astrocytes in the survival of cancer cells, we knocked down ERβ in cultured actrocytes using shRNA and performed 3D co-culture with 3LL cells in the presence/absence of chemotherapeutic agents, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil. We found that loss of ERβ in astrocytes significantly reduced the survivability of 3LL cells co-cultured with astrocytes. It is concluded that ERβ of host, especially ERβ in reactive astrocytes, promotes the progression of lung cancer brain metastasis and ERβ might be a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer brain metastasis.
文摘Decision making in honeybees is based on information which is acquired and processed in order to make choices between two or more alternatives. These choices lead to the expression of optimal behaviour strategies such as floral constancy. Optimal foraging strategies such as floral constancy improve a colony’s chances of survival, however to our knowledge, there has been no research on decision making based on optimal storage strategies. Here we show, using diagnostic radioentomology, that decision making in storer bees is influenced by nectar sugar concentrations and that, within 48 hours of collection, honeybees workers store carbohydrates in groups of cells with similar sugar concentrations in a nonrandom way. This behaviour, as evidenced by patchy spatial cell distributions, would help to hasten the ripening process by reducing the distance between cells of similar sugar concentrations. Thus, colonies which exhibit optimal storage strategies such as these would have an evolutionary advantage and im- prove colony survival expectations over less efficient colonies and it should be plausible to select colonies that exhibit these preferred traits.
基金supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program (863) of China (No. 2008AA10Z129)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30800716)
文摘A large number of plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are now documented in the miRBase, among which only 30 are for Solanum lycopersicum (tomato). Clearly, there is a far-reaching need to identify and profile the expression of miRNAs in this important crop under various physiological and pathological conditions. In this study, we used an in situ synthesized custom microarray of plant miRNAs to examine the expression and temporal presence of miRNAs in the leaves of tomato plants infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Following computational sequence homology search and hairpin structure prediction, we identified three novel tomato miRNA precursor genes. Our results also show that, in accordance with the phenotype of the developing leaves, the tomato miRNAs are differentially expressed at different stages of plant development and that CMV infection can induce or suppress the expression of miRNAs as well as up-regulate some star miRNAs (miRNA*s) which are normally present at much lower levels. The results indicate that developmental anomalies elicited by virus infection may be caused by more complex biological processes.
文摘Chronic lung diseases have been recognized as one of the world's leading causes of death in recent decades. Lacking effective treatments brings the patients not only bad quality of life but also higher risk for lung cancer development. By increasing the understanding of deeper mechanism of how lung develops and regenerates, researchers now focus on studying lung regenerative medicine, aiming to apply different and more efficient therapies to treat chronic lung diseases. This review will provide a wide picture of both basic lung developmental, regeneration mechanism and different designed strategies for treating chronic lung diseases in the future decades.
基金Stipend and research expenses of Xian Hou were provided by the National Key Program of Research and Development,Ministry of Science and Technology,China(2016YFC0503200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31522052 and 31471993)+1 种基金This project was funded by the Environment Agency of Abu DhabiThe fieldwork was partially supported by the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative of Chinese Academy of Sciences(KFJ_STSZDTP-013-1).
文摘Accurate individual identification is required to estimate survival rates in avian populations.For endangered species,non-invasive methods of obtaining individual identification,such as using molted feathers as a source of DNA for microsatellite markers,are preferred because of less disturbance,easy sample preparation and high efficiency.With the availability of many avian genomes,a few pipelines isolating genome-wide microsatellites have been published,but it is still a challenge to isolate microsatellites from the reference genome efficiently.Here,we have developed an integrated tool comprising a bioinformatic pipeline and experimental procedures for microsatellite isolation and validation based on the reference genome.We have identified over 95000 microsatellite loci and established a system comprising 10 highly polymorphic markers(PIC value:0.49–0.93,mean:0.79)for an endangered species,saker falcon(Falco cherrug).These markers(except 1)were successfully amplified in 126 molted feathers,exhibiting high amplification success rates(83.9–99.7%),high quality index(0.90–0.97)and low allelic dropout rates(1–9.5%).To further assess the efficiency of this marker system in a population study,we identified individual sakers using these molted feathers(adult)and 146 plucked feathers(offspring).The use of parent and offspring samples enabled us to infer the genotype of missing samples(N=28),and all adult genotypes were used to ascertain that breeding turnover is a useful proxy for survival estimation in sakers.Our study presents a cost-effective tool for microsatellite isolation based on publicly available reference genomes and demonstrates the power of this tool in estimating key parameters of avian population dynamics.
基金This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health, through the joint NSF/NIGMS grant R01GM104974 （MRB, KJ）, the National Science Foundation grant DMS-1122094 （KJ）, the Robert A. Welch Foundation grant C-1729 （MRB）, and the National Science Foundation grant 1300319 （60）,
文摘Background： Synthetic microbial consortia are conglomerations of genetically engineered microbes programmed to cooperatively bring about population-level phenotypes. By coordinating their activity, the constituent strains can display emergent behaviors that are difficult to engineer into isogenic populations. To do so, strains are engineered to communicate with one another through intercellular signaling pathways that depend on cell density. Methods： Here, we used computational modeling to examine how the behavior of synthetic microbial consortia results from the interplay between population dynamics governed by cell growth and internal transcriptional dynamics governed by cell-ceil signaling. Specifically, we examined a synthetic microbial consortium in which two strains each produce signals that down-regulate transcription in the other. Within a single strain this regulatory topology is called a ＂co-repressive toggle switch＂ and can lead to bistability. Results： We found that in co-repressive synthetic microbial consortia the existence and stability of different states depend on population-level dynamics. As the two strains passively compete for space within the colony, their relative fractions fluctuate and thus alter the strengths of intercellular signals. These fluctuations drive the consortium to alternative equilibria. Additionally, if the growth rates of the strains depend on their transcriptional states, an additional feedback loop is created that can generate oscillations. Conclusions： Our findings demonstrate that the dynamics of microbial consortia cannot be predicted from their regulatory topologies alone, but are also determined by interactions between the strains. Therefore, when designing synthetic microbial consortia that use intercellular signaling, one must account for growth variations caused by the production of protein.
基金supported by Institutional Grants(NA10OAR4170099,NA14OAR4170102,NA18OAR4170088)from the Texas Sea Grant College Program from the National Sea Grant Office,National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,U.S.Department of Commerce.
文摘Studies of competition in mangroves are mostly limited to seedlings and artificial settings like forestry projects.We conducted the first experimental study of intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natural mangrove forest to examine how important competition is in determining tree size compared with abiotic conditions.We conducted a study near Port Aransas,TX,USA,which is near the geographical limit of mangroves and dominated by monospecific stands of‘scrub’form black mangroves,Avicennia germinans.We thinned 10 plots to create a gradient of mangrove cover,and quantified the effects of mangrove cover on the growth of tagged mangroves from 2013 to 2019,and the mangrove canopy height in 2019.The relative growth rate of tagged mangroves declined as mangrove cover increased,and plants in the plot with 100%mangrove cover did not grow,indicating that they had attained their maximum size.In plots with reduced mangrove cover,plant height increased sharply,with plants in the plot with 11%mangrove cover growing~52%taller over 6 years.Canopy height was~30%taller in the plot fringe than in the interior,and canopy height in both fringe and interior declined as mangrove cover increased.Measures of leaf chlorophyll concentration and light interception suggested that plants were primarily limited by nitrogen.Our results showed that scrub mangroves compete strongly despite being limited by abiotic conditions,and that the importance of competition was greater in magnitude than that of abiotic differences between the fringe and interior.
