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Background. Ganglioneuroblastoma is a borderline tumor of sympathetic origin that is considered a childhood disease, with the majority of patients occurring in children less than five years old and few patients occurring in adults. There are no treatment guidelines for adult ganglioneuroblastoma. Here, we report a rare patient of adult gastric ganglioneuroblastoma that was completely resected by a laparoscopic approach. Case presentation. A 73-year-old man presented with dull pain in the upper abdomen along with abdominal distension for one month. Gastroscopy examination revealed chronic gastritis and submucosal tumors of the gastric antrum. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic mass in the gastric antrum arising from the muscularis propria. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed an irregular soft tissue mass in the gastric antrum with heterogeneous enhancement in the arterial phase. The mass was completely resected by laparoscopic surgery. Postoperative histopathology revealed that the mass contained differentiated neuroblasts, mature ganglion cells and ganglioneuroma components. The pathological diagnosis was ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed, and the patient was determined to be in stage I. The patient received no adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy. At his two-year follow-up, the patient was doing well and showed no signs of recurrence. Conclusion. Despite the rarity of gastric ganglioneuroblastoma as a primary site of origin, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of gastric masses in adults. Radical surgery is sufficient for the treatment of ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed, and long-term follow-up should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gain-of-function mutations in STING1 (also known as TMEM173) which result in constitutive activation of STING, have been reported to cause STING-associated vasculopathy with onset in infancy (SAVI). Although a wider spectrum of associated manifestations and perturbations in disease onset have been observed since its description, the genotype-phenotype correlations are not definite, and there is no established treatment protocol for SAVI. Case presentation: Herein, we report a kindred, heterozygous STING mutation (p.V155M) in which the 2-year-old proband suffered from severe interstitial lung disease (ILD) while her father was initially misdiagnosed with connective tissue disease associated with ILD at an adult age. Baricitinib was initiated after the diagnosis of SAVI in the proband combined with steroids, and during the 14-month follow-up, the respiratory symptoms were improved. However, as the improvement of laboratory indicators was limited, especially in autoimmune indices, and the lung CT images remained unaltered, it seems that JAK1/2 inhibition was unsatisfactory in completely controlling the inflammation of the disease in our study. Conclusions: Baricitinib was shown to elicit some effect on the ILD but failed to control the inflammation of the disease completely. Further exploration of JAK inhibitors or other therapeutic strategies are needed to more optimally treat this inflammatory disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening disease worldwide. Recently, fluoroquinolones have been reported to significantly increase the risk of AAD. This study aimed to investigate the potential functional mechanism and molecular targets of fluoroquinolones in relation to AAD by an integrated proteomic and network pharmacology strategy. A total of 1351 differentially expressed proteins were identified in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) after ciprofloxacin (CIP) stimulation. The functional analysis emphasized the important roles of metabolism, extracellular matrix homeostasis, mitochondrial damage, focal adhesion, and apoptosis in CIP-stimulated VSMCs. CIP targets were predicted with online databases and verified by molecular docking. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis and module construction of the 34 potential CIP targets and 37 selected hub molecules after CIP stimulation identified four critical target proteins in the module: PARP1, RAC1, IGF1R and MKI67. Functional analysis of the PPI module showed that the MAPK signalling pathway, focal adhesion, apoptosis, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and PI3K-Akt signalling pathway were significantly enriched. Our results will provide novel insights into the pathogenic mechanism of fluoroquinolones in aortic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect-attacked maize releases volatile compounds named green leaf volatiles. A new study shows that young maize leaves respond to a green leaf volatile compound with emission of indole and terpenes, while these responses are almost completely absent in mature leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially life-threatening disease that is common in the aging population. Currently, there are no approved diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic drugs for AAA. We aimed to identify novel plasma biomarkers or potential therapeutic targets for AAA using a high-throughput protein array-based method. Proteomics expression profiles were investigated in plasma from AAA patients and healthy controls (HC) using 440-cytokine protein array analysis. Several promising biomarkers were further validated in independent cohorts using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-nine differentially expressed plasma proteins were identified between AAA and HC. Legumain (LGMN) was significantly higher in AAA patients and was validated in another large cohort. Additionally, "AAA without diabetes" (AAN) patients and "AAA complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus" (AAM) patients had different cytokine expression patterns in their plasma, and nine plasma proteins were differentially expressed among the AAN, AAM, and HC subjects. Delta-like protein 1 (DLL1), receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-3 (ERBB3), and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPPIV) were significantly higher in AAM than in AAN. This study identified several promising plasma biomarkers of AAA. Their role as therapeutic targets for AAA warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are key enzymes in polyamine metabolism and are related to the tolerance of plants to abiotic stresses. In this study, overexpression of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) PAO2 (CsPAO2) in Arabidopsis resulted in increased activity of the antioxidant enzyme and accelerated conversion from Put to Spd and Spm, while malondialdehyde content (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL) was decreased when compared with wild type, leading to enhanced plant growth under salt stress. Photosystem Ⅰ assembly 3 in cucumber (CsPSA3) was revealed as an interacting protein of CsPAO2 by screening yeast two-hybrid library combined with in vitro and in vivo methods. Then, CsPAO2 and CsPSA3 were silenced in cucumber via virus-mediated gene silencing (VIGS) with pV190 as the empty vector. Under salt stress, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) of CsPAO2-silencing plants were lower than pV190-silencing plants, and EL in root was higher than pV190-silencing plants, indicating that CsPAO2-silencing plants suffered more serious salt stress damage. However, photosynthetic parameters of CsPSA3-silencing plants were all higher than those of CsPAO2 and pV190-silencing plants, thereby enhancing the photosynthesis process. Moreover, CsPSA3 silencing reduced the EL in both leaves and roots when compared with CsPAO2-silencing plants, but the EL only in leaves was significantly lower than the other two gene-silencing plants, and conversion from Put to Spd and Spm in leaf was also promoted, suggesting that CsPSA3 interacts with CsPAO2 in leaves to participate in the regulation of salt tolerance through photosynthesis and polyamine conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear forced vibration of bidirectional functionally graded porous material beams where the material components gradient change in both thickness and axial directions are studied in this study. Combining von Karman's geometric nonlinearity and first-order shear deformation theory, the governing equations describing the coupled deformations are formulated as a system of nonlinear partial differential equations. Utilizing the Galerkin method, the formulated continuous model is transformed to a coupled nonlinear ordinary differential dynamic system. By accomplishing bifurcation calculation for periodic response of the discrete system using pseudoarclength technique, the vibration response curves are obtained by extracting the max-min amplitude of periodic motions. To highlight the effect of nonlinearity, the linear and nonlinear dynamic responses of beam are demonstrated. It is found that the periodic motion of beam may undergo cyclic-fold bifurcation. Numerical results are presented to examine the effects of the system parameters, e.g., gradient indexes, porosity, damping coefficients, and aspect ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximum flexibility direction(MFD) is solved for establishing the deformation estimation criterion of the blade during machining process, and the larger the milling force in MFD, the bigger the deformation of the blade during machining process. A new milling force calculation algorithm based on edge-workpiece-engagement(EWE) is proposed by analyzing the contact process between the ball-end milling tool and the chip. The chip thickness of each tool element of each edge curve at any rotation angle is calculated, the milling force of MFD and SLDs under different inclination angles are calculated. The average absolute milling force in MFD reaches the minimum value of 0.65126N when the lead/tilt angle is 30°/-45°, and the maximum machining efficiency is reached when the lead/tilt angle is 45°/-45°.The optimized tool inclination angle, which is 30°/-45° for lead/tilt angle, is obtained by solving the multi-objective optimization problem of machining deformation represented by relative deformation and machining efficiency represented by relative stable machining area. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified by comparison of simulation and experiment for blade machining error under two kinds of tool orientations. • The direction of maximum machining deformation is obtained by considering the maximum flexibility direction(MFD), so that the tool inclination angle at minimum deformation can be found by solving the minimum milling force in the MFD. • A new milling force calculation algorithm based on edge-workpiece-engagement(EWE) is proposed by analyzing the contact process between the ball-end milling tool and the chip. After calculating the milling boundary and milling area, the chip thickness of each element on each edge curve at any rotation angle can be solved, thus the milling force and SLD under different tool angles can be acquired. • By solving the multi-objective optimization problem of relative deformation and relative efficiency, the high-quality and high-efficiency machining for thin-wall blade is realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urine is a promising biomarker source for clinical proteomics studies. Regional physiological differences are common in multi-center clinical studies. In this study, we investigate whether significant differences are present in the urinary proteomes of individuals from different regions in China. In this study, morning urine samples were collected from healthy urban residents in three regions of China (Haikou, Xi'an and Xining) and urinary proteins were preserved using a membrane-based method (Urimem). The urine proteomes of 27 normal samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS and compared among three regions. Functional annotation of the differential proteins among the three areas was analyzed using the DAVID online database, and pathway enrichment of the differential urinary proteins was analyzed using KEGG. We identified 1898 proteins from Urimem samples using label-free proteome quantification, of which 56 urine proteins were differentially expressed among the three regions (P < 0.05). Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that inter-regional differences caused less significant changes in the urine proteome than inter-sex differences. After gender stratification, 16 differential proteins were identified in male samples and 84 differential proteins were identified in female samples. Among these differential proteins, several proteins have been previously reported as urinary disease biomarkers. Urimem will facilitate urinary protein storage for large-scale urine sample collection. Regional differences are a confounding factor influencing the urine proteome and should be considered in future multi-center biomarker studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 virus not only has significant pathogenicity but also influences the progression of many diseases, altering patient prognosis. Cardiovascular diseases, particularly aortic aneurysms, are among the most life‐threatening conditions. Main Idea: COVID‐19 infection is reported to accelerate the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and increase the risk of rupture; however, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains elusive. This article primarily reviews the relevant foundational research, focusing on disruptions in the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS), immune system activation, and coagulation disorders. Furthermore, we summarize related clinical research, including the epidemiology of aortic aneurysms during the pandemic and specific case studies. Conclusion: COVID‐19 infection can influence the onset and progression of aortic aneurysms by affecting the RAAS, triggering inflammation and immune dysregulation in the arterial wall, and inducing a hypercoagulation state. It is crucial to comprehensively understand the impact of pandemic viral infections on aortic diseases at the foundational and clinical levels, thereby identifying potential preventative or therapeutic approaches and preparing for potential future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is a key signaling molecule that mediates a variety of physiological processes and defense responses against abiotic stress in higher plants. In this study, our aims are to clarify the role of H 2 O 2 accumulation induced by the exogenous application of spermidine (Spd) to cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ) seedlings in regulating the antioxidant capacity of roots under salt stress. The results showed that Spd caused a significant increase in endogenous polyamines and H 2 O 2 levels, and peaked at 2 h after salt stress. Spd-induced H 2 O 2 accumulation was blocked under salt stress by pretreatment with a H 2 O 2 scavenger and respective inhibitors of cell wall peroxidase (CWPOD; EC: 1.11.1.7), polyamine oxidase (PAO; EC: 1.5.3.11) and NADPH oxidase (NOX; EC: 1.6.3.1); among these three inhibitors, the largest decrease was found in response to the addition of the inhibitor of polyamine oxidase. In addition, we observed that exogenous Spd could increase the activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC: 1.15.1.1), peroxidase (POD; EC: 1.11.1.7) and catalase (CAT; EC: 1.11.1.6) as well as the expression of their genes in salt-stressed roots, and the effects were inhibited by H 2 O 2 scavengers and polyamine oxidase inhibitors. These results suggested that, by regulating endogenous PAs-mediated H 2 O 2 signaling in roots, Spd could enhance antioxidant enzyme activities and reduce oxidative damage; the main source of H 2 O 2 was polyamine oxidation, which was associated with improved tolerance and root growth recovery of cucumber under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urine is a better source than plasma for biomarker studies, as it can accumulate all changes in the body. Various candidate urinary biomarkers of physiological condition, kidney disease and even brain dysfunction, have been detected in urine; however, urine has rarely been used to reflect cardiac diseases. In this study, urine at day 0, 14, 21 and 28 were collected from the myosin-induced autoimmune myocarditis rat models. The candidate urinary biomarkers were then characterized using the isobaric tandem mass tag labeling approach coupled with offline two-dimensional reverse-phase liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Compared with controls, forty-six urinary proteins were significantly changed in the myocarditis rats; among them, ten had previously been associated with myocarditis, twelve corresponding gene products had annotated as mainly cardiovascular network genes by the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, four urinary proteins were validated by western blot, thirteen were reported in previous urine proteome studies of other diseases and twenty-six were reported the first time to be related to myocarditis. Significance This is the first study to use isobaric tandem mass tag labeling approach in the urine proteome analysis of experimental autoimmune myocarditis. These findings may provide clues for the pathogenesis of myocarditis. And the study showed that urine can be a good source of myocarditis biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in cancer treatments, early diagnosis of cancer is still the most promising way to improve outcomes. Without homeostatic control, urine reflects systemic changes in the body and can potentially be used for early detection of cancer. In this study, a tumor-bearing rat model was established by subcutaneous injection of Walker 256 cells. Urine samples from tumor-bearing rats were collected at five time points during cancer development. Dynamic urine proteomes were profiled using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Several urine proteins that changed at multiple time points were selected as candidate cancer biomarkers and were further validated by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis. It was found that the urinary protein patterns changed significantly with cancer development in a tumor-bearing rat model. A total of 10 urinary proteins (HPT, APOA4, CO4, B2MG, A1AG, CATC, VCAM1, CALB1, CSPG4, and VTDB) changed significantly even before a tumor mass was palpable, and these early changes in urine could also be identified with differential abundance at late stages of cancer. Our results indicate that urine proteins could enable early detection of cancer at an early onset of tumor growth and monitoring of cancer progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urine, reflecting many changes in the body, is a better source than blood for biomarker discovery. However, even under physiological conditions, the urine proteome often varies. Understanding how various regulating factors affect urine proteome helps link changes to urine proteome with urinary biomarkers of physiological conditions as well as corresponding diseases. To evaluate the possible impact of α1-adrenergic receptor on urine proteome, this study investigated effects of the specific inhibitor prazosin on the urine proteome in a rat model by using . A total of 775 proteins were identified, approximately half of which were influenced by prazosin treatment, indicating that the sympathetic nervous system exerts a significant impact on urine proteome. Eight significantly changed proteins were previously annotated as urinary candidate biomarkers. Angiotensinogen, haptoglobin, and beta-2 microglobulin, which were reported to be associated with blood pressure, were validated via Western blot. Prazosin is widely used in clinical practice; thus, these protein changes should be considered when studying corresponding diseases such as hypertension, post-traumatic stress disorder and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The related physiological activities of α1-receptors, controlling blood pressure and fear response might significantly affect the urine proteome and warrant further biomarker studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome are two major forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) characterized by resistance to apoptosis. A central pathway for T-cell apoptosis is activation-induced cell death, which is triggered through the T-cell receptor (TCR). This results in upregulation of FAS ligand (FASL) and subsequent apoptosis through the FAS death receptor pathway. It has been known for more than a decade that TCR signaling is defective in CTCL; however, the underlying mechanism has not been apparent. In this report, we show that the E3 ubiquitin ligase, c-CBL, is overexpressed in CTCL and that its knockdown overcomes defective TCR signaling, resulting in phosphorylation of PLC-g1, calcium influx, ROS generation, upregulation of FASL, and extrinsic pathway apoptosis in CTCL cells expressing adequate FAS. In CTCL cells with suboptimal FAS expression, FAS can be upregulated epigenetically by derepression of the FAS promoter using methotrexate, which we showed previously has activity as a DNA methylation inhibitor. Using these combined strategies, FAS-low as well as FAS-high CTCL cells can be killed effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial growth of ZnTe on Si occurred via matching of eight ZnTe (111) planes with nine Si (111) planes. However, the stacking faults existed in the ZnTe/Si system due to the release of strain energy in initial growth. To further improve ZnTe epilayer quality, different architectures containing ZnTe nucleation layer, or ZnSe buffer layer were grown on Si substrates. The fewer defects can be found across the interfaces for ZnTe/ZnSe with 12/13 or 13/14 matching and ZnSe/Si with 21/22 or 21/23 matching of major planes. Only {111}-oriented domain formed in the ZnTe epilayer for the large-lattice-mismatched samples. The improved ZnTe (111) epitaxial thin films with single domain exhibit the narrowest FWHM of ∼180 arc sec with a dislocation density of 5.14 × 107 cm −2. Extra half-planar arrays formed at the interfaces of ZnTe/ZnSe, ZnSe/Si were clearly visible through inverse fast Fourier transformation images. Moreover, the fully relaxed ZnTe epilayer with the most balanced residual stress was obtained in the X and Y directions. • High-quality ZnTe epilayer was grown on Si substrates in a domain matching epitaxy framework. • The epitaxial growth process or the architectural configuration can effectively inhibit the multi-domain formation. • Single-domain ZnTe epilayers have the narrowest FWHM, and the lowest dislocation density for high-performance devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma, a highly aggressive form of cancer, is notoriously resistant to available therapies. Methotrexate (MTX), an antifolate, competitively inhibits DNA synthesis and is effective for several types of cancer. In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), MTX increases Fas death receptor by decreasing Fas promoter methylation by blocking the synthesis of SAM, the principal methyl donor for DNMTs, resulting in enhanced Fas-mediated apoptosis. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of MTX in human melanoma. MTX variably inhibited the survival of melanoma cells and induced apoptosis as evident by annexin V positivity and senescence associated β-galactosidase activity induction. Furthermore, MTX caused increased transcript and protein levels of extrinsic apoptotic pathway factors Fas and Fas-ligand, albeit at different levels in different cell lines. Our pyrosequencing studies showed that this increased expression of Fas was associated with Fas promoter demethylation. Overall, the ability of MTX to up-regulate Fas/FasL and enhance melanoma apoptosis through extrinsic as well as intrinsic pathways might make it a useful component of novel combination therapies designed to affect multiple melanoma targets simultaneously. In support of this concept, combination therapy with MTX and interferon-alpha (IFNα) induced significantly greater apoptosis in the aggressive A375 cell line than either agent alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression by DNA methylation is a central mechanism governing the silencing of tumor suppressor genes in many forms of cancer. Current methods have not proven optimal for the quantitative analysis of DNA methylation and corresponding in situ protein expression within cells in small specimens like skin biopsies. We have overcome this limitation by combining and modifying several techniques: target cell enrichment, DNA micro-isolation, one-step denaturation/bisulphite conversion/in-column desulphonation, specially designed PCR amplification, pyrosequencing and multispectral image analysis. Using this approach optimized for small samples, we can quantify minor alterations in gene methylation and protein expression using minimal amounts of tissue. Comparative studies of fresh and processed cells showed that our method is valid for DNA in both fresh and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens. We can measure the effects of DNA methylation inhibitors, administered in vitro or in vivo, on the promoter methylation and protein expression of selected genes in specific cells. This novel approach should prove useful for a wide variety of investigative and clinical applications in dermatology and other specialties where the collection of small, routinely processed biopsy specimens is common. We refer to this method as Q- GAME (quantitative gene analysis of methylation and expression). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: FAS (TNF receptor superfamily member 6, also known as CD95) plays a major role in T-cell apoptosis and is often dysregulated in CTCL. We searched for structural alterations of the FAS gene with the potential to affect its function. Although several heterozygous FAS promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, the only homozygous one was the −671 GG SNP present in 24/80 CTCL cases (30%). This SNP maps to an interferon response element activated by STAT-1. EMSA and supershift EMSA showed decreased CTCL nuclear protein/STAT-1 binding to oligonucleotides bearing this SNP. Luciferase reporters showed significantly less interferon-alfa responsive expression by FAS promoter constructs containing this SNP in multiple CTCL lines. Finally, FAS was upregulated by interferon-alfa in wildtype CTCL cells but not those bearing the −671 GG SNP. These findings indicate that many CTCL patients harbor the homozygous FAS promoter −671 GG SNP capable of blunting its response to interferon. This may have implications for CTCL pathogenesis, racial incidence and the response of patients to interferon-alfa therapy. In contrast, functionally significant mutations in FAS coding sequences were detected uncommonly. Among CTCL lines with the potential to serve as models of FAS regulation, FAS-high MyLa had both FAS alleles, FAS-low HH was FAS-hemizygous and FAS-negative SeAx was FAS-null. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plants have evolved sophisticated systems to cope with herbivore challenges. When plants perceive herbivore-derived physical and chemical cues, such as elicitors in insects' oral secretions and compounds in oviposition fluids, plants dramatically reshape their transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes. All these herbivory-induced changes are mediated by elaborate signaling networks, which include receptors/ sensors, Ca2+ influxes, kinase cascades, reactive oxygen species, and phytohormone signaling pathways. Furthermore, herbivory induces defense responses not only in the wounded regions but also in undamaged regions in the attacked leaves and in distal intact (systemic) leaves. Here, we review recent progress in understanding plant perception of herbivory and oviposition, and the herbivory-induced early signaling events and their biological functions. We consider the intraspecific phenotypic diversity of plant responses to herbivory and discuss the underlying genetic variation. We also discuss new tools and technical challenges in studying plant-herbivore interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FAS expression was generally low in 30 of 31 cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cases (mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome, SS) as well as in 5 of 6 large plaque parapsoriasis cases (a CTCL precursor). To investigate this phenomenon, we explored FAS transcript levels, cell-surface FAS protein expression and susceptibility to FAS-mediated apoptosis in four CTCL lines (MyLa, HH, SZ4, and SeAx), freshly isolated leukemic cells from a patient with SS, an acute lymphoblastic leukemia T-cell line (Jurkat), and JFL (a FAS-low variant of Jurkat). Results confirmed low FAS expression by the leukemic SS cells, HH, SZ4, SeAx, and JFL relative to normal peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes and the other cell lines. There was a direct correlation among FAS transcript level, FAS protein level, and FAS-mediated apoptotic sensitivity in the CTCL samples. When the FAS-deficient cell lines were transfected with a wild-type FAS construct, FAS expression and sensitivity to FAS-mediated apoptosis were restored. In aggregate, these findings provide evidence that like normal T cells, CTCL cells exhibit a mechanistic connection between transcriptional regulation of FAS and sensitivity to FAS-mediated apoptosis, point to the development of FAS deficiency as one molecular mechanism responsible for acquired resistance to apoptosis in CTCL, and indicate that upregulation of FAS expression can restore sensitivity to apoptosis.Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2009) 129, 1165–1173; doi:10.1038/jid.2008.309; published online 16 October 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzymes that catalyze oxidation of polyamines (PAs), and play an important roles in growth and development and stress tolerance of plant. In this study, we identified four PAO genes (CsPAO1 - CsPAO4) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L), and classified them into three clades (Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ). CsPAO1 and CsPAO3 were located in cell membrane or nucleus while CsPAO2 and CsPAO4 were likely localized in peroxisome. CsPAO1 - 2 and CsPAO4 consisted of ten exons and nine introns, but no intron was observed in CsPAO3. The CsPAOs showed higher expression level in root, with the exception of CsPAO1, which was mainly expressed in flower, and they had various responses to hormone and stress treatments. Stress treatments induced more obvious change of gene expression, and CsPAO2–4 responded to NaCl stress earlier both in root and leaf. Overexpression of CsPAO3 in Arabidopsis improved seed germination and root growth on medium containing NaCl. Furthermore, under salt stress, electrolyte leakage (EL), malonaldehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) content were decreased, but peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities were increased in transgenic Arabidopsis lines as compared with wild type (WT), contributing to alleviating the salt stress-induced growth suppression. The OE15 line, on the other hand, had the highest expression level of CsPAO3 , exhibited identical phenotype to WT, suggesting that excess H 2 O 2 produced by polyamine oxidation might be harmful to plants. Taken together, our results indicated that CsPAO family members are involved in plant development and stress responses, and a proper level of CsPAO3 overexpression enhances salt tolerance of plants. • There are four PAO family members in cucumber genome. • CsPAO3 was a candidate gene enhancing plants' tolerance to salt. • Higher overexpression level of CsPAO3 couldn't lead to stronger salt resistance of plants, and excess H 2 O 2 produced by polyamine oxidation may be harmful to plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Salicylic acid-induced protein kinase (SIPK) and wound-induced protein kinase (WIPK) are activated by Manduca sexta attack and elicitors to mediate defense signaling in Nicotiana attenuata. Here, the ecological consequences of SIPK and WIPK silencing for N. attenuata's resistance to M. sexta and its other native herbivores were analyzed. • Stably transformed plants with reduced expression of Na SIPK (irNa SIPK) and Na WIPK(irNa WIPK) were generated and characterized in field and glasshouse experiments. • Both irNa SIPK and irNa WIPK plants had reduced direct and indirect defenses but were not particularly susceptible in nature. In the glasshouse, M. sexta larvae consumed less and gained the same mass on irNa SIPK and irNa WIPK as on wild-type (WT) plants. Green leaf volatile (GLV) emission was highly attenuated in irNa SIPK and irNa WIPK plants, and complementation with synthetic GLVs increased M. sexta performance. To test the hypothesis that reduced GLV emissions account for the lack of herbivory phenotype, GLV emissions were attenuated by silencing Na HPL in jasmonate-deficient plants (asNa LOX3), which are highly susceptible to herbivores. Reducing GLV emissions in asNa LOX3 plants ‘rescued’ these plants from being heavily damaged by M. sexta. • GLV emissions in irNa SIPK and irNa WIPK plants may compensate for the impaired defenses of Na SIPK- and Na WIPK-silenced plants in nature by reducing their apparency to herbivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (Nf1) mutation predisposes to benign peripheral nerve (glial) tumors called neurofibromas. The point(s) in development when Nf1 loss promotes neurofibroma formation are unknown. We show that inactivation of Nf1 in the glial lineage in vitro at embryonic day 12.5 + 1, but not earlier (neural crest) or later (mature Schwann cell), results in colony-forming cells capable of multilineage differentiation. In vivo, inactivation of Nf1 using a DhhCre driver beginning at E12.5 elicits plexiform neurofibromas, dermal neurofibromas, and pigmentation. Tumor Schwann cells uniquely show biallelic Nf1 inactivation. Peripheral nerve and tumors contain transiently proliferating Schwann cells that lose axonal contact, providing insight into early neurofibroma formation. We suggest that timing of Nf1 mutation is critical for neurofibroma formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Benign neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are serious complications of neurofibromatosis type 1. The epidermal growth factor receptor is not expressed by normal Schwann cells, yet is overexpressed in subpopulations of Nf1 mutant Schwann cells. We evaluated the role of EGFR in Schwann cell tumorigenesis. Expression of EGFR in transgenic mouse Schwann cells elicited features of neurofibromas: Schwann cell hyperplasia, excess collagen, mast cell accumulation, and progressive dissociation of non-myelin-forming Schwann cells from axons. Mating EGFR transgenic mice to Nf1 hemizygotes did not enhance this phenotype. Genetic reduction of EGFR in Nf1+/−;p53+/− mice that develop sarcomas significantly improved survival. Thus, gain- and loss-of-function experiments support the relevance of EGFR to peripheral nerve tumor formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common extracranial tumors in children. The chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (Dox) remains a mainstay for treatment. However, the emergence of drug resistance seriously limits treatment efficacy. Numerous Dox analogues have been designed to more potently kill drug naïve as well as drug-resistant NB. We have shown that the Dox analogue WP744 has enhanced the killing activity of NB compared to Dox, but the mechanism(s) of action is unclear. Materials and methods: MTT assays were used to characterize the relative potencies of Dox and WP744 against SH-SY5Y NB cells. Western blotting was used to assess activation of caspases-3, -9, anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, p53, p21, AIF, IκBα, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and cyclin D1. Nuclear factor (NF-κB) activation was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Results: After WP744 treatment, enhanced apoptosis and cell death were seen, associated with cleavage of caspases-3, -9, and anti-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, an increase in p53 protein levels, and the induction of p21. WP744 also induced translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria to nuclei. Most remarkably, WP744 was 50-fold more potent than Dox in activating NF-κB. WP744 treatment also resulted in the down-regulation of expression of downstream targets of NF-κB. Conclusions: WP744 is a novel Dox analogue that triggers apoptosis and cell killing by activation of proapoptotic mediators in NB cells. Enhanced cytotoxicity of this novel drug compared with Dox may be related to more effective activation of NF-κB and apoptosis-inducing factor in tumor cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptors (FSHR) are critically involved in mediating the response of granulose cells and Sertoli cells to FSH. The dynamic changes in cell surface FSH receptors (FSHR) in response to FSH remain unclear in part because of the heavy reliance on ligand-binding methodologies. This study was designed to determine the molecular and cellular properties of recombinant porcine FSHR using a novel, high-affinity purified polyclonal antibody to the ectodomain of the pFSHR. A full-length porcine FSHR cDNA was cloned and sequenced and recombinant pFSHR protein was stably expressed in a clonal cell line of Chinese hamster ovary cells (pFSHR-CHO). Recombinant receptor was stably expressed in an ovarian cell line with a density similar to that of porcine ovarian cells. A specific polyclonal antibody was generated in chickens to a 100-amino acid fragment of the pFSHR ectodomain. Immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, indirect immunofluorescence cytochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy were performed using affinity-purified antibody to identify recombinant pFSHR in pFSHR-CHO cells. Immunoblotting of solubilized pFSHR-CHO proteins and immunoprecipitation of pFSHR-ChO protein metabolically labeled with 35S identified a single 74-kDa band in pFSHR-CHO cells; no bands were visualized in mock-transfected CHO cells. Indirect immunofluorescent labeling revealed the presence of pFSHR in pFSHR-CHO cells but not in mock-transfected CHO cells. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed the highest density of pFSHR associated with the plasma membrane and no pFSHR in mock-transfected CHO cells. The chicken anti- pFSHR antibody is a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring of FSHR using a variety of methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harary (Discrete Math. 124(1–3) (1994) 99) introduced the intergral sum graphs, and proved that the path Pn and matching mK2 are integer sum graphs, and offered some conjectures. In this paper we enlarge the types of integral sum graphs. We prove that some caterpillars and mPn are integral sum graphs and some conjectures of Harary are wrong. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An axial relativistic electron beam passing through a slow wave structure is unstable to an electromagnetic perturbation whose phase velocity equals the velocity of the beam. This phenomenon of Cherenkov emission is the basis of all traveling wave tubes. In this paper, through the use of self-consistent linear field theory, the electron three-dimensional perturbation affected by the perturbed electromagnetic fields is discussed. Cherenkov radiations excited by a thin annular relativistic electron beam and a solid relativistic electron beam in a plasma-filled slow-wave structure are analysed in detail. The dispersion equations of the beam-wave interaction are derived. It is clearly shown that the beam-wave interaction results from the coupling of the TM mode in the plasma-filled slowwave structure to the beam mode via the electron beam. Finally, the growth rates of the wave are obtained, and the effects of the background plasma density and the electron beam radius on the growth rate of the wave are calculated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term applications of different fertilizers (chicken manure, swine manure, and organic fertilizer) on the microorganisms of a corn field were investigated. The microbial communities during four periods (seedling, three-leaf, filling and mature periods) were comprehensively studied with molecular biology technology. Results showed that most nutrient contents (organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and levels of several heavy metals (As, Pb, and Cr) in the chicken and swine manures were higher than those in the organic fertilizer. The alpha diversity varied during the long-term fertilization, and the chicken manure was the best fertilizer to maintain the abundance of microorganisms. The microbial community of soil changes over time, regardless of the addition of different fertilizers. The correlations between environmental factors and microbial communities revealed that nutrient substances (available nitrogen, available potassium, and NO3-N) were the most significant characteristics with the chicken and swine manures, while organic matter and nitrogen exhibited similar effects on the microbial structure with the organic fertilizer. The Pearson correlations of environmental factors on genus were significantly different in the organic fertilizer tests compared with the others, and Pseudomonas, Methyloligellaceae, Flavobacterium, and Bacillus showed significant correlations with the organic matter. This study will provide a theoretical basis for improving land productivity and sustainable development in corn fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of Mn concentration and annealing temperature on CMT properties were studied. • Selective carrier transport in the CdTe solar cells with CMT was investigated. • The increase in carrier lifetime and the reduction in interfacial recombination were explored. • The Voc of a CdTe solar cell with CMT was 120 mV higher than that of an Au-only device. • SCAPS simulation was used to verify experimental results. Cd 1-x Mn x Te (CMT) ternary compounds, prepared by co-evaporation using CdTe and Mn as raw materials, possess the same zinc blende structure as CdTe. The bandgap of CMT films rises as the Mn concentration increases, with the correlation between bandgap and Mn concentration being E g = 1.5 + 1.7 x - 1.3 x 2. The work function of CMT films increases slightly compared to that of CdTe. When employed as a buffer layer in CdTe solar cells, CMT can reflect electrons due to its good lattice matching with CdTe and a higher conduction band, reducing the carrier recombination. This results in an enhanced open-circuit voltage (V OC) and, consequently, an increase in conversion efficiency. The maximum V OC achieved is 875 mV, which is 120 mV higher than that of an Au-only cell. Incorporating CMT in CdTe solar cells improves heterojunction quality and facilitates selective carrier transport. The cell with CMT has a transfer resistance of around 2.84 Ω•cm2 and a recombination resistance of approximately 3.1 × 105 Ω•cm2. The carrier lifetime related to the interfacial recombination is obviously increased. Therefore, CMT is a suitable buffer that holds the potential for producing highly efficient CdTe solar cells with a high V OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea surface temperature (SST) is a key parameter in ocean hydrology. Currently, existing SST prediction methods fail to fully utilize the potential spatial correlation between variables. To address this challenge, we propose a spatiotenporal UNet (ST-UNet) model based on the UNet model. In particular, in the encoding phase of ST-UNet, we use parallel convolution with different kernel sizes to efficiently extract spatial features, and use ConvLSTM to capture temporal features based on the utilization of spatial features. Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) module is placed at the bottleneck of the network to further incorporate the multi-scale features, allowing the spatial features to be fully utilized. The final prediction is then generated in the decoding stage using parallel convolution with different kernel sizes similar to the encoding stage. We conducted a series of experiments on the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea SST data set, as well as the South China Sea SST data set, using SST data from the past 35 days to predict SST data for 1, 3, and 7 days in the future. The model was trained using data spanning from 2010 to 2021, with data from 2022 being utilized to assess the model's predictive performance. The experimental results show that the model proposed in this research paper achieves excellent results at different prediction scales in both sea areas, and the model consistently outperforms other methods. Specifically, in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea sea areas, when the prediction scales are 1, 3, and 7 days, the MAE of ST-UNet outperforms the best results of the other three compared models by 17%, 12%, and 2%, and the MSE by 16%, 18%, and 9%, respectively. In the South China Sea, when the prediction ranges are 1, 3, and 7 days, the MAE of ST-UNet is 27%, 18%, and 3% higher than the best of the other three compared models, and the MSE is 46%, 39%, and 16% higher, respectively. Our results highlight the effectiveness of the ST-UNet model in capturing spatial correlations and accurately predicting SST. The proposed model is expected to improve marine hydrographic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch induces marked morphological changes in plants, including reduced rosette diameters and delayed flowering, a process called thigmomorphogenesis. Previous studies have revealed that thigmomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) results from touch-induced accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA) and GIBBERELLIN 2-OXIDASE7 (GA2ox7) transcripts, which encode a gibberellin (GA) catabolism enzyme, leading to reduced levels of active GAs. However, the mechanisms underlying thigmomorphogenesis remain uncharacterized. Here, we showed that touch induces ethylene (ET) production in Arabidopsis. After touch treatment, ET biosynthesis and signaling mutants exhibited even greater thigmomorphogenic changes and more decreased GA4 contents than did wild-type (WT) plants. Biochemical analysis indicated that the transcription factor ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) of the ET pathway binds to the promoter of GA2ox8 (encoding another GA 2-oxidase performing the same GA modification as GA2ox7) and represses GA2ox8 transcription. Moreover, MYC2, the master regulator of JA signaling, directly promoted GA2ox7 expression by binding the G-box motif on GA2ox7 promoter. Further genetic analysis suggested that the ET and JA pathways independently control the expression of GA2ox8 and GA2ox7, respectively. This study reveals that the ET pathway is a novel repressor of touch-induced thigmomorphogenesis and highlights that the ET and JA pathways converge on GA catabolism but play opposite roles to fine-tune GA4 content during thigmomorphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Neurofibromatosis type 1, NF1 gene mutations in Schwann cells (SC) drive benign plexiform neurofibroma (PNF), and no additional SC changes explain patient-to-patient variability in tumor number. Evidence from twin studies suggests that variable expressivity might be caused by unidentified modifier genes. Whole exome sequencing of SC and fibroblast DNA from the same resected PNFs confirmed biallelic SC NF1 mutations; non-NF1 somatic SC variants were variable and present at low read number. We identified frequent germline variants as possible neurofibroma modifier genes. Genes harboring variants were validated in two additional cohorts of NF1 patients and by variant burden test. Genes including CUBN, CELSR2, COL14A1, ATR and ATM also showed decreased gene expression in some neurofibromas. ATM-relevant DNA repair defects were also present in a subset of neurofibromas with ATM variants, and in some neurofibroma SC. Heterozygous ATM G2023R or homozygous S707P variants reduced ATM protein expression in heterologous cells. In mice, genetic Atm heterozygosity promoted Schwann cell precursor self-renewal and increased tumor formation in vivo, suggesting that ATM variants contribute to neurofibroma initiation. We identify germline variants, rare in the general population, overrepresented in NF1 patients with neurofibromas. ATM and other identified genes are candidate modifiers of PNF pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To screen out the differential expression circRNA in peripheral blood of patients with aortic regurgitation and left ventricular enlargement. Methods Four patients with aortic regurgitation complicated with left ventricular enlargement (observation group) and four patients with aortic valve regurgitation without left ventricular enlargement (control group) were selected. Their fasting venous blood was taken to detect the circRNAs by high throughput circRNA chip technique, and differentially expressed circRNAs between the two groups were screened out. Target Scan ant miRanda software were used to predict the circRNAs which were associated with miRNA-233 related to myocardial remodeling. Results Compared with the control group of fluorescence signal intensity, 158 circRNAs were differentially expressed, with fold change values> 2 ( P < 0. 05) including 21 circRNAs' fold change values > 5, meanwhile, 105 were down-regulated and 53 were up-regulated. There were binding sites between hsa-circRNA-102898, hsa-circRNA-101661, hsa-circRNA-103740 and miRNA-233 of 158 differentially expressed circRNAs. Conclusions Compared with patients with aortic regurgitation without left ventricular enlargement, there are 158 differentially expressed circRNAs in peripheral blood of patients with aortic regurgitation and left ventricular enlargement. Twenty-one circRNAs, such as hsa-circRNA-103245, hsa-circRNA-104014, hs-circRNA-102617, and hsa-circRNA-103421 are significantly different. Totally 158 differential expressed circRNAs may be associated with the occurrence and development of left ventricular enlargement with aortic regurgitation. The hsa-circRNA-102898, hsa-circRNA-101661, and hsa-circRNA-103740 may regulate left ventricular enlargement by binding to miRNA-233 site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Accelerator Front end (CAFe) is a demo superconducting proton linac for an accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS). It includes an electron-cyclotron resonance ion source, a low-energy transport line, a radio-frequency quadrupole, a medium-energy transport line, a superconducting section, a high-energy transport line, and a beam dump. The design energy and current are 20 MeV and 10 mA, with a beam power of 200 kW. The goal of the CAFe is to demonstrate the 10-mA ability of a full superconducting linac, especially in the low-energy region. In previous beam commissioning, the maximum beam power achieved was 34 kW, which was limited by the capacity of the beam dump. Thus, for the high-power beam commissioning of CAFe, a new 200-kW beam dump has been designed and developed. Based on the thermal analysis, a maximum power density of 200 W/cm2 is adopted for the dump. To avoid a high-level residual dose, the material of the dump is aluminum alloy (Al6063). The dump is a conical structure, with water flow in the interlayer. During beam commissioning, the dump withstood 200-kW proton beam power and collected a total charge of 2049 mAh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A dodder (Cuscuta) often simultaneously parasitizes two or more adjacent hosts. Phosphate (Pi) deficiency is a common stress for plants, and plants often interact with soil microbes, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), to cope with Pi stress. Little is known about whether dodder transmits Pi deficiency‐induced systemic signals between different hosts. In this study, dodder‐connected plant clusters, each composed of two tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants connected by a dodder, were established, and in each cluster, one of the two tobacco plants was treated with Pi starvation. AMF colonization efficiency, rhizosphere bacterial community, and transcriptome were analyzed in the other dodder‐connected Pi‐replete tobacco plant to study the functions of interplant Pi signals. We found that dodder transfers Pi starvation‐induced systemic signals between host plants, resulting in enhanced AMF colonization, changes of rhizosphere bacterial communities, and alteration of transcriptomes in the roots of Pi‐replete plants. Importantly, genetic analyses indicated that microRNA399s (miR399s) and strigolactones suppress the systemic Pi signals and negatively affect AMF colonization in the Pi‐replete plants. These findings provide new insight into the ecological role of dodder in mediating host–host and host–microbe interactions and highlight the importance of strigolactone and miR399 pathways in systemic Pi signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper, 'Microwave generation by excitation of a plasma-filled slow-wave structure' written by Wu et al. in 1996, analysed the configuration as shown in figure 1. In this paper, equation (26) is the boundary condition of boundary 1 shown in figure 1, and equation (35) is the boundary condition of boundary 2 shown in figure 1. The above two equations are all derived from [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The homeostasis regulating mechanism of endophyte enhancing cadmium (Cd) extraction by hyperaccumulator is poorly understood. Here, an endophyte strain E3 that belonged to Pseudomonas was screened from Cd hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L., which significantly improved the Cd phytoextraction efficiency of S. nigrum by 40.26%. The content and translocation factor of nutrient elements indicated that endophyte might regulate Cd accumulation by affecting the uptake and transport of magnesium and iron in S. nigrum. Gene transcriptional expression profile further revealed that SnMGT , SnIRT1 , and SnIRT2 , etc., were the key genes involved in the regulation of S. nigrum elements uptake by endophyte. However, changes in elemental homeostasis did not negatively affect plant growth. Endophyte inoculation promoted plant growth by fortifying photosynthesis as well as recruiting specific bacteria in S. nigrum endosphere, e.g., Pseudonocardiaceae , Halomonas. Notably, PICRUSt2 analysis and biochemical characterization jointly suggested that endophyte regulated starch degradation in S. nigrum leaves to maintain photosynthetic balance. Our results demonstrated that microecological characteristics of hyperaccumulator could be reshaped by endophyte, also the homeostasis regulation in endophyte enhanced hyperaccumulator Cd phytoextraction was significant. [Display omitted] • Endophyte Pseudomonas sp. E3 significantly increased S. nigrum Cd accumulation. • Strain E3 enhanced S. nigrum leaf amylase activity to maintain photosynthesis system balance. • Strain E3 affected Cd enrichment by S. nigrum through regulation of Fe and Mg uptake and transport. • Strain E3 had limited effect on S. nigrum endosphere bacterial community diversity and structure. • Strain E3 recruit specific bacteria in S. nigrum , e.g., Pseudonocardiaceae , Halomonas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microspore embryogenesis is an extraordinarily complicated process, comprehensively regulated by a composite network of physiological and molecular factors, among which hormone is one of the most crucial factors. Auxin is required for stress-induced microspore reprogramming, however, the mechanism of its regulation of microspore embryogenesis is still unclear. Results: In this study, we found exogenously spraying 100 mg·L− 1 IAA on the buds of Wucai significantly increased the rate of microspore embryogenesis, and moreover accelerated the process of embryogenesis. Physiological and biochemical tests showed that the contents of amino acids, soluble total sugar, soluble protein, and starch were significantly increased after IAA treatment. Furthermore, exogenously spraying 100 mg·L− 1 IAA significantly enhanced IAA, GA4, and GA9 content, increased catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and reduced abscisic acid (ABA), MDA and soluble protopectin content, H2O2 and O2·− production rate in the bud with the largest population of late-uninucleate-stage microspores. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on buds respectively treated with 100 mg·L− 1 IAA and fresh water. A total of 2004 DEGs were identified, of which 79 were involved in micropores development, embryonic development and cell wall formation and modification, most of which were upregulated. KEGG and GO analysis revealed that 9.52% of DEGs were enriched in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction pathways, pentose and glucuronic acid exchange pathways, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Conclusions: These findings indicated that exogenous IAA altered the contents of endogenous hormone content, total soluble sugar, amino acid, starch, soluble protein, MDA and protopectin, the activities of CAT and peroxidase (POD), and the production rate of H2O2 and O2·−. Combined with transcriptome analysis, it was found that most genes related to gibberellin (GA) and Auxin (IAA) synthesis and signal transduction, pectin methylase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PGs) genes and genes related to ATP synthesis and electron transport chain were upregulated, and genes related to ABA synthesis and signal transduction were downregulated. These results indicated that exogenous IAA treatment could change the balance of endogenous hormones, accelerate cell wall degradation, promote ATP synthesis and nutrient accumulation, inhibit ROS accumulation, which ultimately promote microspore embryogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is hallmarked by irreversible dilation of the infrarenal aorta. Lipid deposition in the aortic wall and the potential importance of a lipid disorder in AAA etiology highlight the need to explore lipid variation during AAA development. This study aimed to systematically characterize the lipidomics associated with AAA size and progression. Plasma lipids from 106 subjects (36 non-AAA controls and 70 AAA patients) were comprehensively analyzed using untargeted lipidomics. An AAA animal model was established by embedding angiotensin-II pump in ApoE-/- mice for four weeks and blood was collected at 0, 2 and 4 weeks for lipidomic analysis. Using a false-discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, a group of lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPCs) were specifically decreased in AAA patients and mice. LysoPCs were principally lower in the AAA patients with larger diameter (diameter > 50 mm) than those with a smaller size (30 mm < diameter < 50 mm), and levels of lysoPCs were also found to be decreased with modelling time and aneurysm formation in AAA mice. Correlation matrices between lipids and clinical characteristics identified that the positive correlation between lysoPCs and HDL-c was reduced and negative correlations between lysoPCs and CAD rate, lysoPCs and hsCRP were converted to positive correlations in AAA compared to control. Weakened positive correlations between plasma lysoPCs and circulating HDL-c in AAA suggested that HDL-lysoPCs may elicit instinctive physiological effects in AAA. This study provides evidence that reduced lysoPCs essentially underlie the pathogenesis of AAA and that lysoPCs are promising biomarkers for AAA development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both herbivory and jasmonic acid (JA) activate the biosynthesis of defensive metabolites in maize, but the mechanism underlying this remains unclear. We generated maize mutants in which ZmMYC2a and ZmMYC2b, two transcription factor genes important in JA signaling, were individually or both knocked out. Genetic and biochemical analyses were used to elucidate the functions of ZmMYC2 proteins in the maize response to simulated herbivory and JA. Compared with the wild‐type (WT) maize, the double mutant myc2ab was highly susceptible to insects, and the levels of benzoxazinoids and volatile terpenes, and the levels of their biosynthesis gene transcripts, were much lower in the mutants than in the WT maize after simulated insect feeding or JA treatment. Moreover, ZmMYC2a and ZmMYC2b played a redundant role in maize resistance to insects and JA signaling. Transcriptome and Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation‐Sequencing (CUT&Tag‐Seq) analysis indicated that ZmMYC2s physically targeted 60% of the JA‐responsive genes, even though only 33% of these genes were transcriptionally ZmMYC2‐dependent. Importantly, CUT&Tag‐Seq and dual luciferase assays revealed that ZmMYC2s transactivate the benzoxazinoid and volatile terpene biosynthesis genes IGPS1/3, BX10/11/12/14, and TPS10/2/3/4/5/8 by directly binding to their promoters. Furthermore, several transcription factors physically targeted by ZmMYC2s were identified, and these are likely to function in the regulation of benzoxazinoid biosynthesis. This work reveals the transcriptional regulatory landscapes of both JA signaling and ZmMYC2s in maize and provides comprehensive mechanistic insight into how JA signaling modulates defenses in maize responses to herbivory through ZmMYC2s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wucai (Brassica campestris L.) is a leafy vegetable that originated in China, its soluble sugars accumulate significantly to improve taste quality during maturation, and it is widely accepted by consumers. In this study, we investigated the soluble sugar content at different developmental stages. Two periods including 34 days after planting (DAP) and 46 DAP, which represent the period prior to and after sugar accumulation, respectively, were selected for metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling. Differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were mainly enriched in the pentose phosphate pathway, galactose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fructose and mannose metabolism. By orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant s-plot (OPLS-DA S-plot) and MetaboAnalyst analyses, D-galactose and β-D-glucose were identified as the major components of sugar accumulation in wucai. Combined with the transcriptome, the pathway of sugar accumulation and the interact network between 26 DEGs and the two sugars were mapped. CWINV4, CEL1, BGLU16, and BraA03g023380.3C had positive correlations with the accumulation of sugar accumulation in wucai. The lower expression of BraA06g003260.3C, BraA08g002960.3C, BraA05g019040.3C, and BraA05g027230.3C promoted sugar accumulation during the ripening of wucai. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying sugar accumulation during commodity maturity, providing a basis for the breeding of sugar-rich wucai cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are important developmental proteins in the response of plants to abiotic stress. In our previous study, BcLEA73 was differentially expressed under low-temperature stress. Herein, we combined bioinformatics analysis, subcellular localization, expression assays, and stress experiments (including salt, drought, and osmotic stress) to identify and analyze the BcLEA gene family. Gene cloning and functional analysis of BcLEA73 were performed in tobacco and Arabidopsis. Based on the sequence homology and the available conservative motif, 82 BrLEA gene family members were identified and were divided into eight subfamilies in the genome-wide database of Chinese cabbage. The analysis showed that the BrLEA73 gene was located on chromosome A09 and belonged to the LEA_6 subfamily. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that the BcLEA genes were differentially expressed to varying degrees in the roots, stems, leaves, and petioles of Wucai. The overexpressed BcLEA73 transgenic plants exhibited no significant differences in root length and seed germination rates compared to the wild-type (WT) plants under control conditions. Under salt and osmotic stress treatment, the root length and seed germination rates of the BcLEA73-OE strain were significantly greater than those of WT plants. Under salt stress, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of the BcLEA73-OE lines increased significantly, and the relative conductivity, (REL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and superoxide anion (O2−) production rate decreased significantly. Under drought treatment, the survival rate of the BcLEA73-OE lines was significantly higher than that of WT plants. These results showed that the BcLEA73 gene of Wucai functions in enhancing the tolerance of plants to salt, drought, and osmotic stress. This study provides a theoretical basis to explore the relevant functions of the BcLEA gene family members of Wucai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In this study, 27 Lhcb gene family members were identified in B. rapa. • Through transcriptome data analysis and RT-qPCR, we identified a crucial gene, BcLhcb2.1 , localized in chloroplasts, that is highly expressed in leaves. • Overexpression of BcLhcb2.1 was associated with enhanced tolerance to cold, salt, and drought stresses in Arabidopsis. Light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding (Lhcb) proteins play key roles in light energy capture and transfer, leaf development, plant growth, and various stress responses. However, their role in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.) has not yet been studied. In this study, 27 Lhcb genes were identified in Brassica rapa. Chromosomal location analysis revealed that these 27 genes are distributed on nine chromosomes. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that many BrLhcb proteins were present in the chloroplast. The number of exons and introns in BrLhcb family genes was in the range of 1–7 and 0–6, respectively. Cis-acting element analysis of the BrLhcb promoters demonstrated that light-responsive elements were the most common along with elements related to stress and stress-related hormonal signals. In addition, an evolutionary analysis indicated a closer relationship between Lhcb genes of B. rapa and A. thaliana compared with the other three Brassica species. Through transcriptome data analysis and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), we identified a crucial gene, BcLhcb2.1 , which is localized in chloroplasts and is highly expressed in leaves. Overexpression of BcLhcb2.1 enhanced cold, salt, and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. This study provides a theoretical basis for exploring the functions of the BrLhcb gene family and for identifying and screening stress-resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the Cerenkov radiation for a configuration in which a thin annular relativistic electron beam (TAREB) propagates through an annualar-plasma filled dielectric lining enclosed within a perfect conducting wall. Applications for high-power microwave (HPM) sources; Perturbed current and charge densities; Dispersion equations.

Parasitic plants use a special organ, the haustorium, to attach to and penetrate host tissues, forming phloem and/or xylem fusion with the host vascular systems. Across this haustorium–host interface, not only water and nutrients are extracted from the host by the parasitic plant, but also secondary metabolites, messenger RNAs, noncoding RNAs, proteins, and systemic signals are transported between the parasite and host and even among different hosts connected by a parasite. Furthermore, mycorrhizal fungi can form common mycelial networks (CMNs) that simultaneously interconnect multiple plants. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that CMNs can function as conduits, transferring stress-related systemic signals between plants. Between-plant signaling mediated by haustoria and CMNs likely has a profound impact on plant interactions with other organisms and adaptation to environmental factors. Here, we summarize the findings regarding between-plant transfer of biomolecules and systemic signals and the current understanding of the physiological and ecological implications of between-plant signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivory activates responses in local and systemic leaves, and the glutamate receptor-like genes GLR3.3 and GLR3.6 are critical in leaf-to-leaf systemic signalling. However, whether and how these genes mediate plant systemic resistance to insects remain largely unexplored. We show that a piercing-sucking insect Myzus persicae (green peach aphid, GPA) or chewing insect Spodoptera litura (cotton leafworm, CLW) feeding-induced systemic defences were attenuated in the glr3.3 glr3.6 mutants. In response to herbivory from either insect, glr3.3 glr3.6 mutants exhibited reduced accumulation of the hormone jasmonic acid (JA) and defensive metabolites glucosinolates (GSs) in systemic (but not local) leaves. Transcriptome analysis indicated that GLR3.3 and GLR3.6 play an important role in regulating the transcriptional responses to GPA and simulated CLW feeding in both local and systemic leaves, including JA- and GS-related genes. Metabolome analysis also revealed that in response to GPA or simulated CLW feeding, GLR3.3 and GLR3.6 are involved in the regulation of various metabolites locally and systemically, including amino acids, carbohydrates, and organic acids. Taken together, this study provides new insights into the function of GLR3.3 and GLR3.6 in mediating transcripts and metabolites in local and systemic leaves under insect attack, and highlights their role in regulating insect resistance in systemic leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important non-invasive examination in the early diagnosis of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of radiomics to establish a quantitative analysis of MRI images. Radiomics and machine learning were used to retrospectively analyze MRI T2 fat suppression sequences and relevant clinical data. The model associated with radiomics features was established using a cohort of patients who underwent thigh MRI at the children's hospital from June 2014 to September 2021. In total, 75 patients with JDM and 75 control children were included in the training cohort (n = 102) and validation cohort (n = 48). The independent factors including lower muscle strength (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59–0.90), higher creatine kinase (CK) level (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.20–2.38), and higher radiomics score (OR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.63–3.62) were associated with a clinical diagnosis of JDM. The combined model achieved good discrimination performance compared the radiomics score model under linear discriminant analyses in the training cohort (AUC, 0.949; 95% CI, 0.912–0.986 vs. AUC, 0.912; 95% CI, 0.858–0.967; p = 0.02) and in the validation cohort (AUC, 0.945; 95% CI, 0.878–1 vs. AUC, 0.905; 95% CI, 0.812–0.998; p = 0.03). The combined model showed the diagnostic value was not weaker than the biopsy (AUC, 0.950; 95% CI, 0.919–0.981, n = 150 vs. AUC, 0.952; 95% CI, 0.889–1, n = 72; p = 0.95) and electromyogram (EMG) (AUC, 0.950; 95% CI, 0.919–0.981 vs. AUC, 0.900; 95% CI, 0.852–0.948; p = 0.10) among all the patients. The combination of radiomics features extracted from the MRI and non-invasive clinical characteristics obtained a pronounced discriminative performance to assist in discriminating JDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]