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Dry eye disease (DED) is a growing public health concern affecting millions of people worldwide and causing ocular discomfort and visual disturbance. Developing its therapeutic drugs based on animal models suffer from interspecies differences and poor prediction of human trials. Here, we established long‐term 3D human corneal epithelial organoids, which recapitulated the cell lineages and gene expression signature of the human corneal epithelium. Organoids can be regulated to differentiate ex vivo, but the addition of FGF10 inhibits this process. In the hyperosmolar‐induced DED organoid model, the release of inflammatory factors increased, resulting in damage to the stemness of stem cells and a decrease in functional mucin 1 protein. Furthermore, we found that the organoids could mimic clinical drug treatment responses, suggesting that corneal epithelial organoids are promising candidates for establishing a drug testing platform ex vivo. In summary, we established a functional, long‐term 3D human epithelial organoid that may serve as an ex vivo model for studying the functional regulation and disease modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Erect leaves are one of the important phenotypes for plants to adapt to dense planting. This study obtained the erect leaf mutant mths29 through fast neutron irradiation and directional breeding. Dynamic observation of lamina joint development in the mutant and its genetic parent Heng S29 revealed an extreme phenotype during the booting stage, characterized by the complete absence of lamina joint on the inverted second leaves and flag leaves, resulting in a close adhesion of the leaf blade to the stem and the formation of an erect leaf phenotype. Through map-based cloning, the erect leaf QTL was localized within a physical interval of 1.03 Mb on chromosome 5A, and four potential candidate genes were predicted. Here, we demonstrate that mths29 represents a novel genetic resource for erect leaf traits in wheat. This study contributes to a better understanding of lamina joint development in graminaceous and aids in shaping plant architecture for denser planting. The erect leaf plays a crucial role in determining plant architecture, with its growth and development regulated by genetic factors. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive studies on the regulatory mechanisms governing wheat lamina joint development, thus failing to meet current breeding demands. In this study, a wheat erect leaf mutant, mths29, induced via fast neutron mutagenesis, was utilized for QTL fine mapping and investigation of lamina joint development. Genetic analysis of segregating populations derived from mths29 and Jimai22 revealed that the erect leaf trait was controlled by a dominant single gene. Using BSR sequencing and map-based cloning techniques, the QTL responsible for the erect leaf trait was mapped to a 1.03 Mb physical region on chromosome 5A. Transcriptome analysis highlighted differential expression of genes associated with cell division and proliferation, as well as several crucial transcription factors and kinases implicated in lamina joint development, particularly in the boundary cells of the preligule zone in mths29. These findings establish a solid foundation for understanding lamina joint development and hold promise for potential improvements in wheat plant architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Headache is a common occurrence after endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) for pituitary adenomas and significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of nasal irrigation in relieving postoperative headache after EES. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 101 patients (Cohort I) who underwent EES for pituitary adenomas to explore the risk factors associated with postoperative headache. Another cohort of 72 patients (Cohort II) who received adjuvant nasal irrigation following surgery was enrolled for further analysis. The Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) was used to score the severity of headache, and patients with a HIT score > 55 were classified as having headache. Results: In Cohort I, 21.78% of patients experienced headache one month after EES, which decreased to 5.94% at the three-month follow-up. Multivariate analysis revealed that postoperative nasal sinusitis (OR = 3.88, 95%CI 1.16–13.03, p = 0.028) and Hardy's grade C-D (OR = 10.53, 95%CI 1.02-109.19, p = 0.049) independently predicted the presence of postoperative headache at one month. At the three-month follow-up, patients with sinusitis had higher HIT-6 scores compared to those without sinusitis (44.43 ± 9.78 vs. 39.72 ± 5.25, p = 0.017). In Cohort II, the incidence of sinusitis at three months was significantly lower than that in Cohort I (p = 0.028). Importantly, both the incidence of headache and HIT-6 scores in Cohort II were significantly lower than those in Cohort I at the one- and three-month follow-ups. Conclusions: Postoperative sinusitis is an independent risk factor for the development of headache following EES for pituitary adenomas. Prophylactic nasal irrigation helps relieve postoperative headache, possibly by preventing the occurrence of sinusitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a kind of prebiotic. Previous studies concerning the effect of FOS on intestinal microbiota have focused on Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. However, the presence of other FOS‐utilizing bacteria makes it necessary to investigate the quantitative changes in these bacterial species in the intestine after FOS intake. In this study, the composition of cecal and fecal microbiota was analyzed using MiSeq sequencing, and the abundance of FOS‐utilizing bacteria was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction after the oral administration of FOS. RESULTS: Species‐specific primers for FOS‐utilizing bacteria were designed with superior amplification efficiency for quantification. After FOS intervention, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum in feces increased to 17.37% and the abundance reached 2.28 × 1010 CFU g−1. The abundance of Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium breve did not change significantly. Whereas the abundance of Ligilactobacillus murinus decreased, that of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus remained at approximately 104 CFU g−1. CONCLUSION: Species‐specific primers for FOS‐utilizing bacteria were successfully developed, and we confirmed that FOS significantly increased the relative abundance and the abundance of B. pseudolongum in mice, while decreasing the proportion of Lactobacillus. The detection of these species using 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed the same results. Further investigations are needed to reveal the response of the intestinal microbiota to different FOS compositions. These techniques will contribute to future studies about the composition and dynamics of the intestinal microflora. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) have been identified as important prebiotics. Previous studies have found that they can significantly promote the proliferation of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum in the mouse intestine. However, it is still unclear which other bacteria in the mouse intestine can utilize FOS, and the differences in the ability to utilize FOS. In this study, the bacteria capable of utilizing FOS were isolated from mice feces and their ability to utilize FOS was compared. Draft genome sequencing was also applied to explain the differences in FOS utilization at the gene levels. RESULTS: A total of 15 species were isolated from mouse feces and 13 species were able to utilize fructofuranosylnystose (GF2). Eleven species could utilize nistose (GF3), but not Enterococcus hirae and Lactobacillus reuteri. In contrast, 1‐kestose (GF4) was hardly utilized. The enzyme activity determination and draft genome sequencing‐based analyses revealed that all isolated species used the phosphotransferase system or permease system to transport FOS into the cells before hydrolysis by β‐fructofuranosidase. Although β‐fructofuranosidase exists in all strains, there are big differences in the corresponding coding genes between bifidobacteria and non‐bifidobacteria. CONCLUSION: Compared with the other isolates, Bifidobacterium species exhibited higher enzyme activity and shorter generation time, leading to a stronger ability to utilize FOS. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle surface morphology is an important factor influencing sand structure and mechanical properties. In this study, the effect of sand particle sphericity on sand direct shear performance is investigated by using the discrete element method (DEM). Two ways are adapted to simulate different approaching methods from round particles to irregular sand. The macroresponse shows that irregular sand has a higher shear strength at lower normal stress than round particles. The shape of the particle has less influence on shear strength at higher normal stress. The irregular shape of sand leads to an increase in the shear band proportion. However, the shear band proportion is not related to the sphericity. Under all conditions, particles within the shear band have a larger average rotation angle than those outside the shear band. When the particle shape approaches round (regardless of the round particle proportion and particle shape), the average rotation angle of particles within and without shear bands increase, while the coordinate number and contact anisotropy decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Lactulose was one of the earliest prebiotics to be identified. To assess the potential risk of large intakes of lactulose to the intestinal microbiota, mice were fed a diet containing lactulose (0%, 5% and 15%, w/w) for 2 weeks and the changes in the fecal microbiota were evaluated by 16S rRNA high‐throughput sequencing. RESULTS: Lactulose intervention decreased the α‐diversity of the fecal microbiota in both low‐dose and high‐dose groups. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria was significantly increased, while that of Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased after lactulose intervention. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium belonging to Actinobacteria was significantly increased, and that of Alistipes belonging to Bacteroidetes was decreased in both low‐dose and high‐dose groups. The relative abundance of Blautia was significantly increased from 0.2% to 7.9% in the high‐dose group and one strain of Blautia producta was isolated from the mice feces. However, the strain could not utilize lactulose. CONCLUSION: Overall, the microbial diversity was decreased after lactulose treatment, with significant increases in the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium. We also provide a strategy to increase the relative abundance of Blautia in the intestine by lactulose feeding at high doses, although the mechanism is not revealed. This will help us understand the prebiotic effect of lactulose on the host health. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the metal loading and downsizing the metal particle size are two effective ways to boost the electrochemical performance of catalysts. However, it is difficult to simultaneously increase the metal loading and reduce the particle size since isolated individual atoms are easy to aggregate into nanoparticles when increasing the metal loading. To tackle this contradiction, we report a bottom‐up ligand‐mediated strategy to facilely prepare ultrafine CoOx nanoclusters anchored on a Co‐N‐containing carbon matrix (CoOx@Co‐NC). The co‐exist of N and O atoms prevent Co atoms agglomerating into large particles and allowing the formation of ultrafine dispersed Co species with large Co loading (up to 20 wt.%). Since the relationship between ultrasmall size and large metal loading is well balanced, the CoOx nanoclusters have no inhibitory effect, but facilitate the catalytic performance of Co‐N4 sites during OER process. Consequently, due to the synergistic effect of ultrafine CoOx nanoclusters and Co‐N4 macrocycles, the as‐synthesized CoOx@Co‐NC exhibit promising OER activity (η10=370 mV, Tafel plot=40 mV/dec), bettering than that of benchmark RuO2 (η10=411 mV, Tafel plot=72 mV/dec). This ligand‐mediated strategy to synthesize carbonaceous materials containing dual active centers with large metal loading is promising for developing active and stable catalysts for electrocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Astaxanthin ester (Asta‐E) is used as functional nutraceuticals in many food products. Unfortunately, Asta‐E utilization is currently limited owing to its chemical instability and low bioavailability. The purpose of this study is to investigate the promotion effect of oil matrixes on the stability, antioxidant activity, bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Asta‐E. RESULTS: The results showed that the stability of Asta‐E in six oil matrixes was improved. Based on the 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity experiment, the antioxidant activity of Asta‐E was positively correlated with the degree of unsaturation of the oil matrixes, but not with the side chain length. The in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) simulation model and in vivo experiment using mice were also employed to investigate the digestion and absorption characteristics of Asta‐E in various oil matrixes. The results demonstrated that the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Asta‐E increased with the increase of fatty acid chain length of oil matrixes (triglyceride oleate > triglyceride caprylate > triglyceride butyrate), as well as with the decrease of unsaturation degree (olive oil > corn oil > fish oil). CONCLUSION: Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and long‐chain triglyceride (LCT) in an oil matrix were the factors that could efficiently improve the bioavailability of Asta‐E. Moreover, the size of the mixed micelles of Asta‐E during digestion was the main factor influencing the bioaccessibility of Asta‐E. This study provides references for the design of suitable oil matrixes for Asta‐E. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and stable photocatalytic materials are crucial for advancing photocatalytic technology. While bismuth sulfide has garnered significant attention in recent years, its poor electron-hole separation and rapid recombination have hindered its effectiveness. In this paper, a phosphorus (P)-doped bismuth sulfide is used to establish a ternary bismuth phosphosulfide (FGBS 1-X P X) photocatalyst. The successful incorporation of P into bismuth sulfide was verified through SEM-EDX, XRD, and XPS analyses. The P doping generates a built-in electric field on the catalyst surface, which can effectively extract carriers. Additionally, it was demonstrated by Mott-Schottky test, EPR and PL that P doping shortens the gap between the catalyst's impurity energy level and Fermi energy level, making the S vacancies level an effective electron capture center. This results in improved separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs and a delay in the lifetime of charge carriers. The optimal degradation rate for a 15 ppm BPA solution using 0.6 g/L of 1FGBS 1-X P X was 80% within 4 h, demonstrating significantly improved photocatalytic activity. This was due to the synergistic action of the built-in electric field and S vacancies induced by P doping. The idea of utilizing P doping and S vacancies synergism to enhance photocatalytic performance provides a new approach for designing photocatalysts with improved electron-hole separation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing constitutive models for unsaturated sand cannot capture the irreversible volumetric strain in the drying and wetting (DW) cycles. This study develops a novel hypoplastic model that aims to capture the behaviour of unsaturated soils, with a specific emphasis on the DW cycles experienced by unsaturated sand. The formulation integrates a hypoplastic model proposed by von Wolffersdorff for saturated sand with Bishop's effective stress. The simulation of soil water characteristic curve hysteresis is achieved through the implementation of the scanning rule for the main drying/wetting curve and scanning curve. The incorporation of a new tensorial term, H s , into the hypoplastic equations, captures the irreversible volumetric strain in the DW cycle. A novel pyknotropy factor, referred to as f us , is proposed to replicate the rate at which irreversible volumetric strain accumulates during the DW cycle. Furthermore, the influence of suction effects on the critical state line is taken into account to represent the shear behaviour of unsaturated sand. The evaluation of the model performance is conducted through existing element tests on unsaturated sand. The comparison illustrates that the proposed model has the capability to capture certain essential characteristics, such as irreversible volumetric strain in the DW cycles and critical state behaviour of unsaturated sand. Due to its simplicity, the proposed model lends itself to straightforward implementation and potential utilization in future engineering applications, particularly in the analysis of slope stability in the presence of rainfall-induced conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To develop healthy care textiles, Lycium ruthenicum Murray (abbreviated as LRM in the following) extracts were prepared in both different media and characterized, respectively for the functionalizing of wool fabric by an exhaustion dyeing process. The antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of both LRM dyed wool fabric were then investigated and compared. Enhanced effect of Fe ions as the post mordants on functionalities and durability of the dyed fabrics was also examined. The results indicated that LRM ethanol extract was found to contain more anthocyanins than LRM water extract. LRM dyed wool fabric showed antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Increasing color strength could enhance their functionalities. Treatment of Fe ions, especially Fe3+ led to the durable functionalities. Compared with the dyed wool fabric with Lycium barbarum L. extract, LRM dyed wool fabric exhibited strong functionalities. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Lycium ruthenicum Murray fruits were extracted by ethanol and water. • Their extracts were used for dyeing of wool fabric. • Dyed fabric exhibited antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. • Increasing color strength enhanced their functionalities. • Fe ions treating led to the durable functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract A facile thermal polymerization was applied to synthesize carbon and oxygen dual-doped graphitic carbon nitride (MACN) with controllable electronic band structure using malonic acid and urea as precursors. The C and O atoms substituted the sp2 N atom in graphitic carbon nitride (CN). The 1MACN (1 represented that the weight ratio of malonic acid to urea is 1% during the synthesis) with optimal band structure could decompose 15 ppm bisphenol A (BPA) within 150 min, and the mineralization rate reached to 52%. The superior photocatalytic performance of 1MACN was mainly ascribed to electronic band structure together with optical properties. On the one hand, the formation of delocalized big π bonds favored the electrons transfer after the introducing of carbon atoms. On the other hand, a positive charge density existed on the C atoms because of high electronegativity of contiguous O (3.44) that substituted N compared with C (2.55), which could attribute to high activity of MACN catalyst. The study will contribute to the further improvement of visible-light photocatalytic BPA degradation and mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Novel Z-scheme Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 was synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. • Co-N x favored formation of well-combined interface of Co 9 S 8 and g-C 3 N 4. • Co-N x served as intermediate medium in the Z-scheme Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 system. • Strong redox ability of Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 promoted reduction and oxidation simultaneously. • Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 has enhanced activity in synergistic removal of Cr(VI) and 2,4-D. Abstract An all-solid-state Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst, Co 9 S 8 /graphitic carbon nitride (Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4), was synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The photocatalyst was used in the simultaneous photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Co-N x bonds in Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 promoted the formation of a well-combined interface between Co 9 S 8 and g-C 3 N 4. The Co N x bonds served as an electron-transfer medium in Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 , leading to the formation of a Z-scheme photocatalytic system. Photocatalytic reactions were carried out under simulated solar irradiation and involved simultaneous Cr(VI) reduction and 2,4-D oxidation. Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 showed better photocatalytic activity than pristine g-C 3 N 4 and Co 9 S 8 owing to its effective separation of photo-generated charge-carriers and high redox potential. Compared with the single pollutant system, photocatalytic efficiencies over Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 were enhanced in the Cr(VI)/2,4-D composite pollutant system. This was because the simultaneous reduction and oxidation reactions promoted the separation of charge carriers. This study presents a simple, economic, and efficient method to synthesize an all-solid-state Z-scheme Co 9 S 8 /g-C 3 N 4 photocatalytic system. The system has good potential in the solar light photocatalytic removal of complex pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optimization model of airport shuttle bus routes is constructed by taking operational reliability maximization as a main goal in this paper. Also, a hybrid genetic algorithm is designed to solve this problem. Then the theoretical method is applied to the case of Nanjing Lukou International Airport. During the research, a travel time reliability estimation method is proposed based on back propagation (BP) neural network. Absolute error and regression fitting methods are used to test the measurement results. It is proved that this method has higher accuracy and is applicable to calculate airport bus routes reliability. In algorithm design, the hill-climbing algorithm with strong local search ability is integrated into genetic algorithm. Initial solution is determined by hill-climbing algorithm so as to avoid the search process falling into a local optimal solution, which makes the accuracy of calculation result improved. However, the calculation results show that the optimization process of hybrid genetic algorithm is greatly affected by both the crossover rate and mutation rate. A higher mutation rate or lower crossover rate will decrease the stability of the optimization process. Multiple trials are required to determine the optimal crossover rate and mutation rate. The proposed method provides a scientific basis for optimizing the airport bus routes and improving the efficiency of airport’s external transportation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver fibrosis is a chronic disease without effective treatment in the clinic. Gene editing systems such as the well-known CRISPR/Cas9 have shown great potential in the biomedical field. However, the delivery of the ribonucleoprotein is challenging due to the unstable RNA probe and the requirement for the entrance to the nucleus. Recently, a structure-guided endonuclease (SGN) has been reported as an effective gene-editing system composed of a nuclease and stable DNA probes, which can regulate the protein expression by targeting specific mRNA outside the nucleus. Here, we conjugated the SGN to a nanomicelle as the delivery system. In the resulting material, the chance of the collision between the endonuclease and the probe was raised due to the confinement of the two components within the 40-nm nanomicelle, thus the mRNA can be cleaved immediately after being captured by the probe, resulting in a space-induced nucleotide identification-cleavage acceleration effect. The delivery system was used to treat liver fibrosis via the co-delivery of SGN and a drug rosiglitazone to the hepatic stellate cells, which separately downregulated the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-1 and inactivated the hepatic stellate cells. The system successfully reversed the liver fibrosis in mice through the bidirectional regulatory that simultaneously promoted the degradation and inhibited the production of the collagen, demonstrating the great potency of the SGN system as gene medicine. [Display omitted] A safe and efficacious non-viral delivery system is prepared to co-deliver the ribonucleoprotein of the structure-guided endonuclease and the drug rosiglitazone to the activated hepatic stellate cells. The nanomedicine simultaneously improved the degradation and inhibited the production of collagen. The liver fibrosis in mice was successfully reversed through the bidirectional regulatory chemogene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper establishes a bilevel planning model with one master and multiple slaves to solve traffic evacuation problems. The minimum evacuation network saturation and shortest evacuation time are used as the objective functions for the upper- and lower-level models, respectively. The optimizing conditions of this model are also analyzed. An improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is proposed by introducing an electromagnetism-like mechanism to solve the bilevel model and enhance its convergence efficiency. A case study is carried out using the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center. The results indicate that, for large-scale activities, the average evacuation time of the classic model is shorter but the road saturation distribution is more uneven. Thus, the overall evacuation efficiency of the network is not high. For induced emergencies, the evacuation time of the bilevel planning model is shortened. When the audience arrival rate is increased from 50% to 100%, the evacuation time is shortened from 22% to 35%, indicating that the optimization effect of the bilevel planning model is more effective compared to the classic model. Therefore, the model and algorithm presented in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for the traffic-induced evacuation decision making of large-scale activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroplast development is an integral part of plant survival and growth, and occurs in parallel with chlorophyll biosynthesis. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying chloroplast development in hexaploid wheat. Here, we obtained a spaceflight-induced wheat albino mutant mta. Chloroplast ultra-structural observation showed that chloroplasts of mta exhibit abnormal morphology and distribution compared to wild type. Photosynthetic pigments content was also significantly decreased in mta. Transcriptome and chloroplast proteome profiling of mta and wild type were done to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and proteins (DEPs), respectively. In total 4,588 DEGs including 1,980 up- and 2,608 down-regulated, and 48 chloroplast DEPs including 15 up- and 33 down-regulated were identified in mta. Classification of DEGs revealed that most were involved in chloroplast development, chlorophyll biosynthesis, or photosynthesis. Besides, transcription factors such as PIF3, GLK and MYB which might participate in those pathways were also identified. The correlation analysis between DEGs and DEPs revealed that the transcript-to-protein in abundance was functioned into photosynthesis and chloroplast relevant groups. Real time qPCR analysis validated that the expression level of genes encoding photosynthetic proteins was significantly decreased in mta. Together, our results suggest that the molecular mechanism for albino leaf color formation in mta is a thoroughly regulated and complicated process. The combined analysis of transcriptome and proteome afford comprehensive information for further research on chloroplast development mechanism in wheat. And spaceflight provides a potential means for mutagenesis in crop breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the radiosensitivity of plants, an important factor in crop mutation breeding programs, requires a thorough investigation of the factors that contribute to this trait. In this study, we used the highly radiosensitive wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety HY1 and J411, a γ-irradiation-insensitive control, which were screened from a natural population, to examine the factors affecting radiosensitivity, including free radical content and total antioxidant capacity, as well as the expression of TaKu70 and TaKu80 (DNA repair-related genes) as measured by real-time PCR. We also investigated the alternative splicing of this gene in the wild-type wheat ecotype by sequence analysis. Free radical contents and total antioxidant capacity significantly increased upon exposure of HY1 wheat to γ-irradiation in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, in J411, the free radical contents exhibited a similar trend, but the total antioxidant capacity exhibited a downward trend upon increasing γ-irradiation. Additionally, we detected dose-dependent increases in TaKu70 and TaKu80 expression levels in γ-irradiated HY1, while in J411, TaKu70 expression levels increased, followed by a decline. We also detected alternative splicing of TaKu70 mRNA, namely, intron retention, in HY1 but not in J411. Our findings indicate that γ-irradiation induces oxidative stress and DNA damage in hexaploid wheat, resulting in growth retardation of seedlings, and they suggest that TaKu70 may play a causal role in radiosensitivity in HY1. Further studies are required to exploit these factors to improve radiosensitivity in other wheat varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tributyrin, a good butyric acid donor, has the potential to prevent colon cancer. The cyclodextrin-tributyrin inclusion complexes synthesized by enzymatic methods have the advantages of low costs and simple technology. However, the structure as well as compositions of the inclusion complexes and release behaviors of inclusion guest molecules have not been elucidated. We evaluated the properties and structure of the enzymatic cyclodextrin synthesis-tributyrin inclusion complex (ECT). In vitro release behaviors of inclusion complexes were investigated and kinetic simulation performed. The ECT exhibited a double-layer encapsulation structure while the carrier was mainly composed of three kinds of cyclodextrins and macrodextrins, among which the levels of β-CD were higher. The storage experiment revealed that the encapsulation complex had a good stability. Kinetic simulation showed that ECT release in vitro conforms to the Hixson-Crowell model. These findings imply that ECT could effectively pass through the stomach and tributyrin release mainly occurred in the large intestines. Therefore, ECT can effectively improve tributyrin bioavailability, which provides a basis for in vivo ECT applications. • The inclusion complex has good structural stability and storage stability. • The wall material is mainly composed of CDs and macrodextrins. • The drug release mechanism was the synergistic effect of skeleton dissolution and diffusion drug release. • The inclusion complex can efficiently deliver tributyrin to the colon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An NIR-II nanoprobe was designed to monitor the ONOO¯ in the liver of living mice. • The paracetamol-induced liver injury can be monitored in situ by the nanoprobe. • The probe enabled early diagnosis of liver injury prior to physiological disorder. • The probe successfully screened the hepatotoxic components from natural medicines. Herbal medicines and dietary supplements are widely used worldwide. However, reports have revealed that a large number of herbal medicines are implicated in the hepatic damage, which is referred to as Herbal medicines-induced liver injury (HILI). Traditional diagnostic methods for HILI include histological and serological assessments, which fail to offer real-time and unambiguous visualization of hepatotoxicity in vivo. Herein, we constructed a second near-infrared (NIR-II) luminescent nanoprobes to achieve accurate, high-efficiency, and non-invasive detection of HILI by the assembly of lanthanide-based NIR-II luminescence nanoparticles with a chromophore with absorption band in the NIR-II region. Specifically, the NIR-II luminescence of the lanthanide nanoparticles can be effectively quenched by the chromophores on the surface of nanoparticles via an absorption competition-induced quenching effect, and subsequently recovered by the pathophysiological biomarker peroxynitrite (ONOO−) generated in early HILI. It is demonstrated that the nanoprobes are capable for the screening of liver toxins in a noninvasive pattern, which is more convenient than the conventional diagnostic approaches. Finally, our luminescence detection approach offers an immediate testing technique for the identification of hepatotoxic components of herbal medicine such as colchicine, monocrotaline and stibene glucoside, providing a high-throughput screening strategy for herbal medicine-induced hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single chamber EFS. [Display omitted] • EF enhanced ethanol-H 2 coproduction by optimizing electrode potential. • The substrate utilization and cell growth of E. harbinense were enhanced in EFS. • Transcriptomics revealed metabolic regulation of E. harbinense via EF. • Activating NADH-dependent catabolic pathways resulted in higher ethanol production. • EFS regulated electron transfer and substrate transmembrane transport. Electro-fermentation systems (EFSs) are an emerging technology capable of regulating microbial fermentation pathways by tuning oxidation-reduction potentials and electron flow. However, there is limited understanding of the bioenergy conversion and metabolic regulation of fermentative bacteria in EFSs. In this study, we investigated how electrode potentials in EFSs affect the metabolic products and global transcriptome expression of Ethanoligenens harbinense. The E. harbinense -inoculated anodic EFS (AEFS) with a poised potential of 0 V or the cathodic EFS (CEFS) with a poised potential of 0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode) obtained the maximum H 2 production of 1888–1986 mL/L-medium, which increased by 23–26% compared with open-circuit fermentation (OC-EFSs). The highest H 2 yield of 1.190 ± 0.009–1.197 ± 0.001 mol-H 2 /mol-glucose was obtained by the AEFS 0 and the OC-EFS. Ethanol production of AEFS -0.4 increased by 30.7 ± 13.3% compared with OC-EFSs. In addition, glucose uptake and cell growth in the EFS were enhanced with an increase in cellular energy supply. Transcriptome analysis revealed that overexpression of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase, ferredoxin, and rubredoxin genes in the AEFS with a poised potential of 0 V promoted the H 2 production rate. Genes involved in electron transfer and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) regeneration were upregulated in the AEFS, leading to more ethanol production. In addition, substrate transmembrane transport was suppressed by underexpression of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporter system-related genes at lower or higher potentials. These results confirm that an EFS effectively regulates the metabolite spectrum of H 2 -producing bacteria by coordinating electron transfer, NADH regeneration, and substrate transmembrane transport to provide a flexible approach for improving bioenergy production by fermentative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a new Feature Local Binary Patterns (FLBP) method that encodes the information of both local texture and features. The features are broadly defined by, for example, the edges, the Gabor wavelet features, the color features, etc. Specifically, a binary image is first derived by extracting feature pixels from a given image, and then a distance vector field is obtained by computing the distance vector between each pixel and its nearest feature pixel defined in the binary image. Based on the distance vector field and the FLBP parameters, the FLBP representation of the given image can be formed. In contrast to the original LBP that only compares a pixel with the pixels in its own neighborhood; the FLBP can compare a pixel with the pixels in its own neighborhood as well as in other neighborhoods. The experimental results on eye detection using the BioID and FERET databases show the feasibility of our FLBP method. In particular, first, the FLBP method significantly improves upon the LBP method in terms of both eye detection rate and eye center localization accuracy. Second, we present a new feature pixel extraction method—the LBP with Relative Bias Thresholding (LRBT) method. The new LRBT method helps improve the FLBP eye detection performance when compared with other feature pixel extraction methods. Third, the FLBP method displays superior representational power and flexibility to the LBP method due to the introduction of the feature pixels as well as the FLBP parameters. Finally, in comparison with some state-of-the-art methods, our FLBP method achieves the highest accuracy of eye center localization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) is a biomass-based tetrahydrofuran derivative that is considerably difficult to polymerise. This contribution reports Sc(OTf)3-catalysed cationic ring-opening copolymerization of 2-MeTHF with β-butyrolactone (BBL), another renewable monomer. The possibility of copolymerization is verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The obtained copolymer poly(2-MeTHF-co-BBL) has a number-average molecular weight (Mn) of 5.2 kg mol−1, in which the 2-MeTHF content is 48.8 mol% in accordance with the initial feed ratio of 50 mol%. The copolymers have been characterized by NMR, SEC, MALDI-TOF MS and DSC measurements. The cationic ring-opening polymerisation mechanism is confirmed by kinetic studies and DFT calculations. Poly(2-MeTHF-co-BBL) is able to degrade completely within 24 h under alkaline conditions, and has potential as an environmentally friendly material from biomass sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GCN occurs depolymerization to form functional groups (–COOH, -N-(C) 3 , -C-N–H). • FGBS/GCN p-n heterojunctions with interfacial function groups were synthesized. • The reinforced internal electric field in FGBS/GCN accelerated carrier separation. • The influences of function groups on the photocatalytic activity were elucidated. The p-n heterojunction with internal electric field (IEF) is flourishingly developed in photocatalysis. Enlarging the space charge region width can effectively improve the migration/separation of charge carriers. Here, adequate functional groups (–COOH, -N-(C) 3 , -C-N–H) were generated from graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) decomposition, worked as the dispersant and electric charge contributor in the heterojunction. Bi ions were adsorbed on –COOH to achieve localized nucleation, formed Bi 2 S 3 can be uniformly dispersed on GCN surface to form FGBS/GCN. Additionally, the incorporation of functional groups not only ameliorated the 3D cavity structure and optimized the band structure of functional groups modified Bi 2 S 3 (FGBS) but also widened the space charge region of IEF in FGBS/GCN and resulted in efficient carriers separation. Benefit from functional groups, the initial rate of bisphenol A (BPA) degradation over 2FGBS/GCN was 0.0280 mmol⋅g cat -1⋅h−1. This work provides new insight into the regulation of the space charge region in the p-n heterojunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress granules are conserved cytosolic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) compartments that undergo dynamic assembly and disassembly by phase separation in response to stressful conditions. Gene mutations may lead to aberrant phase separation of stress granules eliciting irreversible protein aggregations. A selective autophagy pathway called aggrephagy may partially alleviate the cytotoxicity mediated by these protein aggregates. Cells must perceive when and where the stress granules are transformed into toxic protein aggregates to initiate autophagosomal engulfment for subsequent autolysosomal degradation, therefore, maintaining cellular homeostasis. Indeed, defective aggrephagy has been causally linked to various neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this review, we discuss stress granules at the intersection of autophagy and ALS pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a leading cause of corneal endothelial degeneration resulting in impaired visual acuity. Excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (guttae) on Descemet's membrane (DM) is the hallmark of FECD. We sought to detect the guttae area rapidly using aniline blue (AB) staining in FECD mouse model. FECD mouse model was established via ultraviolet A (UVA) exposure. Masson's trichrome staining was utilized to stain the corneal sections. AB staining was utilized to stain both whole cornea tissues and stripped Descemet's membrane‐endothelium complex (DMEC) flat mounts, while immunofluorescence staining of collagen I was employed to stain guttae areas. In Masson's trichrome staining, corneal collagen fibrils were stained blue with AB. The DMEC flat mounts were stained into relative dark blue areas and relative light blue areas using 2% AB staining. The areas of dark blue could almost overlap with collagen I‐positive areas, and have an acellular centre and a moderately distinct boundary line with the surrounding corneal endothelial cells. In conclusion, AB staining is a rapid and effective method for the evaluation of the guttae areas in the FECD mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Vernalization and photoperiod pathways converging at FT1 control the transition to flowering in wheat. Here, we identified a gain‐of‐function mutation in FT‐D1 that results in earlier heading date (HD), and shorter plant height and spike length in the gamma ray‐induced eh1 wheat mutant. Knockout of the wild‐type and overexpression of the mutated FT‐D1 indicate that both alleles are functional to affect HD and plant height. Protein interaction assays demonstrated that the frameshift mutation in FT‐D1eh1 exon 3 led to gain‐of‐function interactions with 14‐3‐3A and FDL6, thereby enabling the formation of florigen activation complex (FAC) and consequently activating a flowering‐related transcriptomic programme. This mutation did not affect FT‐D1eh1 interactions with TaNaKR5 or TaFTIP7, both of which could modulate HD, potentially via mediating FT‐D1 translocation to the shoot apical meristem. Furthermore, the ‘Segment B’ external loop is essential for FT‐D1 interaction with FDL6, while residue Y85 is required for interactions with TaNaKR5 and TaFTIP7. Finally, the flowering regulatory hub gene, ELF5, was identified as the FT‐D1 regulatory target. This study illustrates FT‐D1 function in determining wheat HD with a suite of interaction partners and provides genetic resources for tuning HD in elite wheat lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N 2 photo-reduction to ammonia on RP and rGORP was firstly reported. • Ammonia synthesis rate of 7.74 mg/(L.h) was got without any sacrificial. • Negative CB potential of 0.02rGORP introduces more reductive electrons. • Multi-electron reduction reduces thermodynamic barrier, improves reflection effect. As a green and sustainable approach, nitrogen photofixation makes a strong contribution in suppressing the energy crisis. Boosting ammonia photosynthesis efficiency without additional sacrificial agents remains a significant challenge. In this study, an electron-rich reduced graphite oxide-modified red phosphorus (rGORP) was synthesized for ammonia visible-light photo-production. The rGORP composite retained the lattice structure of RP, activating N N through the acceptance and donation of electrons during nitrogen photofixation. Moreover, the incorporation of rGO increased the number of lone pairs of electrons and optimized the band structure of rGORP as well. Benefiting from appropriate conduction band, sufficient electrons, and effective electron transfer in 0.02rGORP (0.02 is the mass ratio of rGO to RP), activated N 2 could be reduced into ammonia by a simultaneous three-electron reduction process, with a high ammonia synthesis rate of 7.74 mg/(L⋅h) without any organic scavengers. The system restricted the intermediate products formation and elevated the photocatalytic efficiency, thereby extending the application of non-metal materials in nitrogen photofixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol-type fermentation (ETF) is one of three fermentation types during the acidogenesis of the anaerobic biological treatment. Ethanoligenens , a representative genus of ETF, displays acidophilic, autoaggregative, and ethanol-H 2 co-producing characteristics and facilitates subsequent methanogenesis. Here, the latest advances in the molecular mechanisms of the metabolic regulation of ethanol-H 2 co-producing bacteria based on multi-omics studies were comprehensively reviewed. Comparative genomics demonstrated a low genetic similarity between Ethanoligenens and other hydrogen-producing genera. FeFe‑hydrogenases (FeFe-H 2 ases) and pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) played critical roles in the ethanol-H 2 co-metabolic pathway of Ethanoligenens. Global transcriptome analysis revealed that highly expressed [FeFe]-H 2 ases and ferredoxins drove hydrogen production by Ethanoligenens at low pH conditions (4.0–4.5). Quantitative proteomic analysis also proved that this genus resists acetic acid-induced intracellular acidification through the up-regulated expression of pyrimidine metabolism related proteins. The autoaggregation of Ethanoligenen facilitated its granulation with acetate-oxidizing bacteria in co-culture systems and mitigated a fast pH drop, providing a new approach for solving a pH imbalance and improving hydrogen production. In-depth studies of the regulatory mechanism underlying ethanol-H 2 co-production metabolism and the syntrophic interactions of ethanol-H 2 co-producing Ethanoligenens with other microorganisms will provide insights into the improvement of bioenergy recovery in anaerobic biotechnology. The coupling of ETF with other biotechnologies, which based on the regulation of electron flow direction, syntrophic interaction, and metabolic flux, can be potential strategies to enhance the cascade recovery of energy and resources. Unlabelled Image • The ethanol-H 2 metabolism of ETF catalyzed by FeFe-H 2 ases and PFOR was elucidated. • Multi-omics reveals the metabolic regulation of ethanol-H 2 co-producing bacteria. • Ethanol-H 2 co-producing pathway was compared with other H 2 producing metabolisms. • The regulation of electron flow to enhance bioenergy recovery is proposed. • The ETF coupling system ETF can enhance the cascade recovery of energy and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal mining generally induces stress concentration around the goaf range, and the hard roof undergoes fracture and instability when the stress exceeds the tensile strength. It is crucial to investigate the mechanical behavior of the hard roof and determine the corresponding influencing factors of fracture. However, the roof load is treated as the normal distribution function or simple piecewise linear function in the existing research, which makes the model applicable only to specific load forms. For this purpose, the eight-segment linear function is used in this study to subdivide the supercharged load acting on the roof based on different foundation conditions, which can help one to avoid complex calculations of mechanical behavior and ensure proximity to the actual load. The coal seam in front of the coal wall is regarded as an elastic foundation, and the deflection curve equation is established by analyzing the force on the roof. The internal force and deformation of the hard roof are obtained before the initial and periodic fractures. The accuracy of this model is verified by comparing it with other models in the literature. The results of parameter sensitivity analysis indicate that with the increase of foundation stiffness, roof thickness, and support resistance, the deflection and bending moment significantly decrease. The deflection, bending moment, and shear force are generally positively correlated with goaf length. When the roof is thin and the coal seam is soft, the initial fracture position occurs at the midspan, while the periodic fracture always occurs inside the coal wall. The fracture position gradually moves toward the coal wall with the increase of coal seam stiffness for both the initial and the periodic fractures. The research results are helpful to understand the internal force and deformation mechanism of the hard roof and provide a valuable theoretical basis for predicting the fracture mode of the roof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] 2D/2D heterojunction photocatalysts with excellent photocatalytic activity highlight considerable potential in water disinfection. Here, an oxidized Sb/g-C 3 N 4 2D/2D nanosheets heterojunction (Sb-SbO x /CNS) was constructed based on a facile one-step liquid-phase exfoliation method using concentrated sulfuric acid. By doing so, bulk Sb and g-C 3 N 4 were exfoliated simultaneously and then, intercalated each other. Compared with CNS and Sb-SbO x , the obtained Sb-SbO x /CNS demonstrated better photocatalytic disinfection activity towards Escherichia coli K-12 (E. coli K-12) under visible light irradiation. The 5% oxidized Sb/g-C 3 N 4 2D/2D nanosheets heterojunction (5.0% Sb-SbO x /CNS) exhibited the best photocatalytic performance and admirable cycling stability, which was ascribed to the unique structure where the interfacial charge separation was strengthened by the strong coupling effect between Sb-SbO x and CNS. Meanwhile, the fundamental mechanism of photocatalytic disinfection was also proposed. The photogenerated ROS (reactive oxygen species) violently attacked the E. coli K-12 membrane, creating massive and irreparable holes on the cell membrane. The leakage of cations (K+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+), adenosine triphosphate, total soluble sugar and protein accelerated the destruction of E. coli K-12. Trapping experiments suggested that the photocatalytic disinfection process against E. coli K-12 was dominated by h+ generated on 5.0% Sb-SbO x /CNS. This work offers a new promising way to modify the 2D/2D heterojunction featuring efficient photocatalytic disinfection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prolactinoma is the major cause of hyperprolactinemia, and dopamine agonists (DAs) are generally the first-line treatment for them. Several studies have reviewed the recurrent rate of hyperprolactinemia after DAs withdrawal. However, few of them have concerned the recurrence risk of prolactinoma following the withdrawal of DAs. Methods: Three medical databases, PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library, were retrieved up to February, 14, 2021 to identify studies related to recurrence of prolactinoma and withdrawal of DAs. Statistical analyses including meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, funnel plot and Egger test were performed through software R. Results: A total of 3225 studies were retrieved from the three data bases, and 13 studies consisted of 616 patients and 19 arms were finally included in this systematic analysis. There was no significant heterogeneity among the included studies, and fixed effect model was thus used. The pooled recurrence proportion of prolactinoma after withdrawal of DA was 2% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1–3%. Conclusion: Our study showed a very low recurrent rate of prolactinomas after DAs withdrawal. Much more prospective studies with larger cases and longer follow-up period are encouraged to confirm our finding. Trial registration: Registration numberCRD42021245888 (PROSPERO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prolactinoma is the major cause of hyperprolactinemia, and dopamine agonists (DAs) are generally the first-line treatment for them. Several studies have reviewed the recurrent rate of hyperprolactinemia after DAs withdrawal. However, few of them have concerned the recurrence risk of prolactinoma following the withdrawal of DAs. Methods: Three medical databases, PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library, were retrieved up to February, 14, 2021 to identify studies related to recurrence of prolactinoma and withdrawal of DAs. Statistical analyses including meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, funnel plot and Egger test were performed through software R. Results: A total of 3225 studies were retrieved from the three data bases, and 13 studies consisted of 616 patients and 19 arms were finally included in this systematic analysis. There was no significant heterogeneity among the included studies, and fixed effect model was thus used. The pooled recurrence proportion of prolactinoma after withdrawal of DA was 2% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1–3%. Conclusion: Our study showed a very low recurrent rate of prolactinomas after DAs withdrawal. Much more prospective studies with larger cases and longer follow-up period are encouraged to confirm our finding. Trial registration: Registration numberCRD42021245888 (PROSPERO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract:In order to study the nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance of salt-containing food industry wastewater, the different doses of salinity were introduced into the food industry wastewater treatment system and the mode of operation was selected as anaerobic/ anoxic/ aerobic (A/ A/ O). The variation of different indicators including chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+ -N, NO2- -N, NO3- -N, PO43--P were analyzed, and the influence mechanism about different concentrations of salinity on the nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance for the food industry wastewater was revealed combining with sludge properties and functional microorganisms. The results showed that the introduced salinity not only improved the COD degradation with the value increasing from 84.08% to 90.33%, but also improved phosphorus release of phosphorus removing bacteria and nitrification. The efficiency of NH4+-N increased from 95. 79% to 98. 85%. However, it restrained the absorption phosphorus of phosphorus removing bacteria in aerobic phase. The denitrification performance was enhanced under low salinity (0.5 g/ L) condition, but was decreased when the salinity increased to 3.0 g/ L. The extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) increased with salinity and the EPS was 38.81 mg/ g volatile suspended solid (VSS) under the 3.0 g/ L salinity condition. The introduced salinity increased the relative abundance of microbial community and changed its structure, which enhanced denitrifying bacteria enrichment including Chloroflexi, Actinobacteriota and Planctomycetota. It was also found that salinity increased the abundance of Caldilineaceae, Ferruginibacter and Kouleothrix but restrained the abundance of Candidatus Competibacter. All of them guaranteed the stable nitrogen and phosphorus removal of treatment system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tiller number greatly contributes to grain yield in wheat. Using ethylmethanesulfonate mutagenesis, we previously discovered the oligo-tillering mutant ot1. The tiller number was significantly lower in ot1 than in the corresponding wild type from the early tillering stage until the heading stage. Compared to the wild type, the thousand-grain weight and grain length were increased by 15.41% and 31.44%, respectively, whereas the plant height and spike length were decreased by 26.13% and 37.25%, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis was conducted at the regreening and jointing stages to identify differential expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analysis with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases showed differential expression of genes associated with ADP binding, transmembrane transport, and transcriptional regulation during tiller development. Differences in tiller number in ot1 led to the upregulation of genes in the strigolactone (SL) and abscisic acid (ABA) pathways. Specifically, the SL biosynthesis genes DWARF (D27), D17, D10, and MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 1 (MAX1) were upregulated by 3.37- to 8.23-fold; the SL signal transduction genes D14 and D53 were upregulated by 1.81- and 1.32-fold, respectively; the ABA biosynthesis genes 9-CIS-EPOXICAROTENOID DIOXIGENASE 3 (NCED3) and NCED5 were upregulated by 1.66- and 3.4-fold, respectively; and SNF1-REGULATED PROTEIN KINASE2 (SnRK2) and PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 2C (PP2C) genes were upregulated by 1.30- to 4.79-fold. This suggested that the tiller number reduction in ot1 was due to alterations in plant hormone pathways. Genes known to promote tillering growth were upregulated, whereas those known to inhibit tillering growth were downregulated. For example, PIN-FORMED 9 (PIN9), which promotes tiller development, was upregulated by 8.23-fold in ot1; Ideal Plant Architecture 1 (IPA1), which inhibits tiller development, was downregulated by 1.74-fold. There were no significant differences in the expression levels of TILLER NUMBER 1 (TN1) or TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), indicating that the tiller reduction in ot1 was not controlled by known genes. Our findings provide valuable data for subsequent research into the genetic bases and regulatory mechanisms of wheat tillering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lactobacillus plantarum is an important probiotic with a variety of physiologic functions. Studies have focused on the effects of L. plantarum on host physiology and microbiota, but studies of the fate of strains after they enter the intestine are lacking. In this study, L. plantarum ST‐III was genetically engineered to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). Mice were administered ST‐III‐GFP, and fluorescence imaging was used to study the distribution, location and quantity of strains within 8 h after entry into the intestine. Results: The results indicated that genetic modification did not affect the growth of ST‐III, tolerance to simulated gastric juice and intestinal fluid or tolerance to antibiotics (with the exception of chloramphenicol). Fluorescence imaging and colony counting indicated that ST‐III‐GFP can be detected in the small intestine 5 min after oral gavage. After 30 min, nearly all ST‐III‐GFP was located in the small intestine. After 1.5 h, ST‐III‐GFP was detected in both the cecum and large intestine. After 4 and 8 h, ST‐III‐GFP was mainly concentrated in the cecum and large intestine. Compared to the initial amount ingested, the survival rate of ST‐III‐GFP within the intestine of mice was 10% after 8 h. In addition, a strong linear relationship was found between the fluorescence intensity and the viable count of ST‐III‐GFP. Conclusions: The obtained data indicate that the amount of ST‐III‐GFP can be estimated by measuring the fluorescence intensity of this novel strain within the intestinal tract. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an efficient visible light responsive MIL-125(Ti)/ZnIn2S4 hybrid structure (MIL-1.2/ZIS) was synthesized through two-step method with improved photocatalytic H2-evolution performance. The MIL-1.2/ZIS nanocomposites could retained the characteristic features including the highly surface area of metal organic frameworks and the hierarchical sheet-like structure of ZnIn2S4. The optimal sample could exhibit the H2 generation rate of 873.4 μmol g−1·h−1, and the improved photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to the well-matched band structure and the formation of hybrid interfaces, which could lead to the effective charge transfer and separation of photo-excited electron–hole pairs. We hope this paper could broad the potential utilization of MOF-based nanocomposites in photocatalytic energy conversion fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demonstrates that the rga5 is a functional gene encoding gibberellin 20-oxidase in rice. Increase in the endogenous GA[sub 1] level and plant height of rice by over-expressing rga5; Effect of overexpression and antisense-expression on the biological characters of rice.

Summary: Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum), a major staple crop, has a remarkably large genome of ~14.4 Gb (containing 106 913 high‐confidence [HC] and 159 840 low‐confidence [LC] genes in the Chinese Spring v2.1 reference genome), which poses a major challenge for functional genomics studies. To overcome this hurdle, we performed whole‐exome sequencing to generate a nearly saturated wheat mutant database containing 18 025 209 mutations induced by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), carbon (C)‐ion beams, or γ‐ray mutagenesis. This database contains an average of 47.1 mutations per kb in each gene‐coding sequence: the potential functional mutations were predicted to cover 96.7% of HC genes and 70.5% of LC genes. Comparative analysis of mutations induced by EMS, γ‐rays, or C‐ion beam irradiation revealed that γ‐ray and C‐ion beam mutagenesis induced a more diverse array of variations than EMS, including large‐fragment deletions, small insertions/deletions, and various non‐synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms. As a test case, we combined mutation analysis with phenotypic screening and rapidly mapped the candidate gene responsible for the phenotype of a yellow‐green leaf mutant to a 2.8‐Mb chromosomal region. Furthermore, a proof‐of‐concept reverse genetics study revealed that mutations in gibberellic acid biosynthesis and signalling genes could be associated with negative impacts on plant height. Finally, we built a publically available database of these mutations with the corresponding germplasm (seed stock) repository to facilitate advanced functional genomics studies in wheat for the broad plant research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Error-prone repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) results in DNA mutation that is essential for mutation breeding. Non-homologous end joining might be the principal DSB repair mechanism in eukaryotes, which is mediated and activated by Ku protein, a heterodimer of 70 and 80 kDa subunits. In this study, on the basis of complementary DNA (cDNA), the genomic sequences of TaKu70 and TaKu80 genes in all the three genomes of wheat were characterized. Only single-nucleotide substitutions and no insertions or deletions were detected in the exons of TaKu70 and TaKu80 genes. The size of the introns exhibited a slight variation between the sequences. Yeast two-hybrid analysis demonstrated that TaKu70 and TaKu80 formed a heterodimer, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that this heterodimer bound to double-stranded DNA, but not to single-stranded DNA. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression of TaKu70 and TaKu80 genes was up-regulated under γ-ray irradiation in a dose-dependent manner in the seedlings of wheat. These results suggest that TaKu70 and TaKu80 form a functional heterodimer and are associated with the repair of the induced DSBs in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plant height (PH) and spike compactness (SC) are important agronomic traits that affect yield improvement in wheat crops. The identification of the loci or genes responsible for these traits is thus of great importance for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. Results: In this study, we used a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population with 139 lines derived from a cross between the mutant Rht8-2 and the local wheat variety NongDa5181 (ND5181) to construct a high-density genetic linkage map by applying the Wheat 40 K Panel. We identified seven stable QTLs for PH (three) and SC (four) in two environments using the RIL population, and found that Rht8-B1 is the causal gene of qPH2B.1 by further genetic mapping, gene cloning and gene editing analyses. Our results also showed that two natural variants from GC to TT in the coding region of Rht8-B1 resulted in an amino acid change from G (ND5181) to V (Rht8-2) at the 175th position, reducing PH by 3.6%~6.2% in the RIL population. Moreover, gene editing analysis suggested that the height of T2 generation in Rht8-B1 edited plants was reduced by 5.6%, and that the impact of Rht8-B1 on PH was significantly lower than Rht8-D1. Additionally, analysis of the distribution of Rht8-B1 in various wheat resources suggested that the Rht8-B1b allele has not been widely utilized in modern wheat breeding. Conclusions: The combination of Rht8-B1b with other favorable Rht genes might be an alternative approach for developing lodging-resistant crops. Our study provides important information for marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A minor-effect QTL, Qhd.2AS, that affects heading date in wheat was mapped to a genomic interval of 1.70-Mb on 2AS, and gene analysis indicated thatthe C2H2-type zinc finger proteingene TraesCS2A02G181200is the best candidate for Qhd.2AS. Heading date (HD) is a complex quantitative trait that determines the regional adaptability of cereal crops, and identifying the underlying genetic elements with minor effects on HD is important for improving wheat production in diverse environments. In this study, a minor QTL for HD that we named Qhd.2AS was detected on the short arm of chromosome 2A by Bulked Segregant Analysis and validated in a recombinant inbred population. Using a segregating population of 4894 individuals, Qhd.2AS was further delimited to an interval of 0.41 cM, corresponding to a genomic region spanning 1.70 Mb (from 138.87 to 140.57 Mb) that contains 16 high-confidence genes based on IWGSC RefSeq v1.0. Analyses of sequence variations and gene transcription indicated that TraesCS2A02G181200, which encodes a C2H2-type zinc finger protein, is the best candidate gene for Qhd.2AS that influences HD. Screening a TILLING mutant library identified two mutants with premature stop codons in TraesCS2A02G181200, both of which exhibited a delay in HD of 2–4 days. Additionally, variations in its putative regulatory sites were widely present in natural accession, and we also identified the allele which was positively selected during wheat breeding. Epistatic analyses indicated that Qhd.2AS-mediated HD variation is independent of VRN-B1 and environmental factors. Phenotypic investigation of homozygous recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and F2:3 families showed that Qhd.2AS has no negative effect on yield-related traits. These results provide important cues for refining HD and therefore improving yield in wheat breeding programs and will deepen our understanding of the genetic regulation of HD in cereal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inelastic neutron scattering facility consisting of a DT neutron generator and a HPGe detector was used for metallic material analysis. The facility model was optimized based on Monte Carlo simulations. Performance of modified facility was tested through various metallic elements measurements. The results showed that the mass detection limits (MDL) of different elements were improved after optimization. Quantitative analyses of Fe and Cr in stainless steel sample were then conducted to evaluate the performance of alloy measurement. Calibration curves were obtained through measuring the reference samples. The contents of Fe and Cr in an unknown sample were determined by the calibration curves and the results were in good agreement with those obtained by X-ray fluorescence method. • An inelastic neutron scattering facility was optimized to improve detection performance. • Prompt gamma spectra simulations for different detector shielding were conducted. • The inelastic neutron scattering facility was applied for metallic objects determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heading date (HD) is an important trait for wide adaptability and yield stability in wheat. The Vernalization 1 (VRN1) gene is a key regulatory factor controlling HD in wheat. The identification of allelic variations in VRN1 is crucial for wheat improvement as climate change becomes more of a threat to agriculture. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced late-heading wheat mutant je0155 and crossed it with wide-type (WT) Jing411 to construct an F2 population of 344 individuals. Through Bulk Segregant Analysis (BSA) of early and late-heading plants, we identified a Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) for HD on chromosome 5A. Further genetic linkage analysis limited the QTL to a physical region of 0.8 Mb. Cloning and sequencing revealed three copies of VRN-A1 in the WT and mutant lines; one copy contained a missense mutation of C changed to T in exon 4 and another copy contained a mutation in intron 5. Genotype and phenotype analysis of the segregation population validated that the mutations in VRN-A1 contributed to the late HD phenotype in the mutant. Expression analysis of C- or T-type alleles in exon 4 of the WT and mutant lines indicated that this mutation led to lower expression of VRN-A1, which resulted in the late-heading of je0155. This study provides valuable information for the genetic regulation of HD and many important resources for HD refinement in wheat breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant height is a key agronomic trait that is closely to the plant morphology and lodging resistance in wheat. However, at present, the few dwarf genes widely used in wheat breeding have narrowed wheat genetic diversity. In this study, we selected a semi-dwarf wheat mutant dwarf33 that exhibits decreased plant height with little serious negative impact on other agronomic traits. Genetic analysis and mutant gene mapping indicated that dwarf33 contains a new recessive semi-dwarf gene Rht-SN33d, which was mapped into ~1.3 Mb interval on the 3DL chromosome. The gibberellin metabolism-related gene TraesCS3D02G542800, which encodes gibberellin 2-beta-dioxygenase, is considered a potential candidate gene of Rht-SN33d. Rht-SN33d reduced plant height by approximately 22.4% in mutant dwarf33. Further study revealed that shorter stem cell length may be the main factor causing plant height decrease. In addition, the coleoptile length of dwarf33 was just 9.3% shorter than that of wild-type Shaannong33. These results will help to expand our understanding of new mechanisms of wheat height regulation, and obtain new germplasm for wheat improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several health benefits are obtained from resistant starch, also known as healthy starch. Enhancing resistant starch with genetic modification has huge commercial importance. The variation of resistant starch content is narrow in wheat, in relation to which limited improvement has been attained. Hence, there is a need to produce a wheat population that has a wide range of variations in resistant starch content. In the present study, stable mutants were screened that showed significant variation in the resistant starch content. A megazyme kit was used for measuring the resistant starch content, digestible starch, and total starch. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference in the mutant population for resistant starch. Furthermore, four diverse mutant lines for resistant starch content were used to study the quantitative expression patterns of 21 starch metabolic pathway genes; and to evaluate the candidate genes for resistant starch biosynthesis. The expression pattern of 21 starch metabolic pathway genes in two diverse mutant lines showed a higher expression of key genes regulating resistant starch biosynthesis (GBSSI and their isoforms) in the high resistant starch mutant lines, in comparison to the parent variety (J411). The expression of SBEs genes was higher in the low resistant starch mutants. The other three candidate genes showed overexpression (BMY, Pho1, Pho2) and four had reduced (SSIII, SBEI, SBEIII, ISA3) expression in high resistant starch mutants. The overexpression of AMY and ISA1 in the high resistant starch mutant line JE0146 may be due to missense mutations in these genes. Similarly, there was a stop_gained mutation for PHO2; it also showed overexpression. In addition, the gene expression analysis of 21 starch metabolizing genes in four different mutants (low and high resistant starch mutants) shows that in addition to the important genes, several other genes (phosphorylase, isoamylases) may be involved and contribute to the biosynthesis of resistant starch. There is a need to do further study about these new genes, which are responsible for the fluctuation of resistant starch in the mutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilizing of traditional chemical stabilizers could improve soil engineering properties but also results in brittle behavior and causes environmental problems. This study investigates the feasibility of the combined utilization of an ecofriendly biopolymer and fiber inclusions as an alternative to traditional cement for reinforcing soft soil. A series of unconfined compression tests were conducted to examine the combined effect of the biopolymer and fibers on the stress–strain characteristics, strength improvement, failure pattern, and reinforcement mechanism of soft soil. The results show that the biopolymer associated with fibers has an unconfined compressive strength similar to that of fiber-reinforced soil. However, it then increases with different curing times and conditions, which can be up to 1.5 MPa–2.5 MPa. The combined effect of fibers and the biopolymer is not simply equivalent to the sum of the effects of each individual material. The fiber shows its role instantly after being mixed into soil, whereas the effect of biopolymer gradually appears with sample curing time. The biopolymer plays a dominant role in increasing the peak unconfined compressive strength and brittleness of soil, while the amount of fiber is crucial for reducing soil brittleness and increasing ductility. It is shown that the biopolymer not only contributes to the particle bonding force but also facilitates the reinforcement efficiency of fibers in the soil. The fibers in return assist in reducing the soil brittleness arising from biopolymer cementation and provide residual resistance after post-peak failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Development of a New SPR-Based Immunoassay for Rapid D-dimer Quantification in Human Plasma. • Achieved LOD of 8.3 ng/mL and Detection Range between 31.25 and 4000 ng/mL. • Method's Consistency with Latex-Enhanced Immunoassay Confirmed. D-dimer is a protein fragment generated during the fibrin breakdown by plasmin, and it serves as a mature biomarker for diagnosing thrombotic disorders. A novel immunoassay method based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been developed, validated, and successfully applied for the quantification of D-dimer in human plasma with high sensitivity and rapidity. In this methodological study, we investigated the activity and stability of the SPR biosensor, sample pre-processing, washing conditions, intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy and detection parameters, including a limit of detection of 8.3 ng/mL, a detection range spanning from 31.25 to 4000 ng/mL, and a detection time of 20 min. We compared D-dimer plasma concentration determination results using SPR with a classical latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric immunoassay in 29 healthy individuals and thrombotic patients, and both methods exhibited consistency. Furthermore, we propose a hypothesis about the relationship between the concentration of D-dimer and its molecular weight. With an increase in the D-dimer concentration in plasma, the D-dimer approaches its simplest form (190 kDa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]