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Ethylene-responsive element binding factors (ERFs) are widely involved in the regulation of plant responses to different abiotic stresses. In petunia (Petunia Ã--hybrida), PhERF2 belonging to the subfamily â...? of ERF transcription factors participates in the response to waterlogging stress. In this study, we investigated waterlogging tolerance variation of WT and transgenic petunia plants with RNAi silencing and overexpression of PhERF2 through photosynthetic and physiological performance. Chlorophyll content and root vigor declined continuously in both WT and PhERF2 transgenic lines under waterlogging stress, but the extent of the fall in PhERF2-overexpressing lines was less than that in WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines. At the end of waterlogging treatment, soluble protein levels in PhERF2-overexpressing lines were significantly higher than those in WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines, while the latter showed a higher malondialdehyde content overall. Different degrees of reductions in Pn, Gs, and Tr levels occurred in both WT and PhERF2 transgenic lines upon exposure to waterlogging. The Ci levels of PhERF2-overexpressing lines decreased after 3 hours of waterlogging treatment, and the Ci levels of WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines gradually increased from 6 to 72 hours of waterlogging treatment. These data suggested that non-stomatal factors were the primary limiting factors for Pn in WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines under severe stress, while the stomatal opening was the main factor limiting Pn in PhERF2-overexpressing lines. Our results demonstrated that the contribution of PhERF2 to the waterlogging tolerance of petunia appears to depend on the regulation of physiological and photosynthetic responses. PhERF2 represents a hopeful candidate gene for enhancing waterlogging tolerance of ornamental plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat-pulse technique, which is based on the sensible heat balance, has been developed for measuring soil-water evaporation (E). The accuracy and precision of the technique has been previously tested with the Bowen ratio method and micro-lysimeters, which are themselves subject to considerable uncertainties. This study evaluated the accuracy and precision of the heatpulse technique using direct, continuous and nondestructive E measurements from a weighing lysimeter. Multi-needle heat-pulse probes were installed in a silt loam soil at four locations in a 22.5-m3 (3-m x 3-m x 2.5-m) weighing lysimeter to measure soil thermal conductivity, heat capacity and temperature gradients in the 0- to 5-cm layer. Daily E rates were estimated with sensible heat balance theory. Independent daily E rates obtained directly from a weighing lysimeter were used to evaluate the accuracy of heat-pulse E estimates during a 10-d drying period. Potential daily evaporation (E0) was also computed using the Penman-Monteith equation. The E/E0 ratio was >0.9 for the first 4 d but fell sharply thereafter and approached a stable value of 0.4. There was a linear relationship between heat-pulse values and weighing lysimeter values, with a slope of 0.95 and an offset of 0.09 mm d-1. The absolute error of the heat-pulse E ranged from -0.02 to 0.29 mm d-1 (or -1 to 8% of the true value) and the RMSE was 0.15 mm d-1. The SD of the heat-pulse E data ranged from 0.07 to 0.51 mm d-1 and the coefficients of variation ranged from 3 to 14%. We concluded that the heat-pulse technique can provide daily E measurements with good accuracy and precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of the "Coal-to-Electricity" project implemented on a large scale in North China was introduced, including the background, history, scale, etc. The main kinds of clean energy heater equipment used in the "Coal-to-Electricity" project were introduced, especially the structural type and working principle of air source water-loop heat pump were introduced and analyzed in detail. Data analysis of actual operation performance was also given. Finally, the methods used for project implementation and the problems encountered were summarized. • The status of the 'Coal to Electricity' project implemented in North China is introduced. • The structural type and working principle for air source heat pump heater were introduced and analyzed in detail. • The methods used for project implementation and the problems encountered were summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Tapiscia sinensis (Tapisciaceae) is a functional androdioecious species with both male and hermaphroditic individuals, and fruit ripening overlaps with flowering in the hermaphroditic individuals. Pollen vitality was lower in the hermaphrodites than in the males. Anther development requires nutrients, and carbohydrates are the basic nutrients; abnormal carbohydrate metabolism will result in pollen abortion. The aim of this research was to gain insight into the relationship between carbohydrate metabolism and the weakening of the male function of hermaphroditic flowers in T. sinensis. Methods Observation of morphology and microscopic and sub-microscopic structures was carried out. Sugar measurements and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were performed for the genes related to sugar metabolism and transport in the development of anthers in both males and hermaphrodites. The expression pattern of Cell wall invertase 2 (CWI2) and Sucrose transporter 2 (ST2) was explored by in situ hybridization. Key Results At the vacuolate microspore (VM) stage, polysaccharides accumulated in the connective tissue of the hermaphroditic anthers, and the levels of total soluble sugar, sucrose and starch in the hermaphroditic anthers were significantly lower than in the male anthers. Most of the hermaphroditic pollen grains were empty, with degradation of the cytoplasm, absence of an intine layer and defective exines. There was a significant differential expression between male and hermaphroditic flowers of several key genes that are involved in sugar metabolism, transport and intine development. CWI2 and ST2 were expressed in the tapetum and microspores. The expression of CWI2 was significantly lower in hermaphrodites than in the males. Conclusions Fruit ripening overlaps with flowering, leading to a severe reproductive burden on the hermaphroditic individuals. The hermaphroditic flowers regulating carbohydrate metabolism and transport to affect resources are biased towards the female function to ensure reproduction, causing a deficiency in resources for the development of pollen; thus, the pollen viability is lower. This makes it easier for males to invade the hermaphroditic population and form a functional androdioecious breeding system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A membrane absorber usually requires a large back cavity to achieve low-frequency sound absorption. This paper describes the design of a membrane acoustic metamaterial absorber in which magnetic negative stiffness is employed to reduce the size of the back cavity. As a baseline for the present research, analysis of a typical membrane sound absorber based on an equivalent circuit model is presented first. Then, a theoretical model is established by introducing negative stiffness into a standard absorber. It is demonstrated that a small cavity with negative stiffness can achieve the acoustic impedance of a large cavity and that the absorption peak is shifted to lower frequencies. Experimental results from an impedance tube test are also presented to validate this idea and show that negative stiffness can be employed to design compact low-frequency membrane absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in cell apoptosis. However, the role of miR-519 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has yet to be elucidated. The present study identified the effects of miR-519 on HL60 human acute myeloid leukemia cell growth and apoptosis. The expression levels of miR-519 were examined in AML cells, as well as AML tissue samples. Furthermore, cell viability and apoptosis were examined in HL60 cells transfected with miR-519 mimics, miR-519 inhibitors or a negative control. In addition, the effects of human antigen R (HuR) on cell apoptosis were investigated using specific small interfering RNA targeting HuR. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of miR-519 were significantly increased in the AML cells and the tissue samples, suggesting that miR-519 may contribute to abnormal HL60 cell proliferation. Upregulation of miR-519 expression decreased HL60 cell viability and induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of HuR reduced cell migration and enhanced cell apoptosis. The results of the present study indicate that miR-519 may contribute to HL60 cell apoptosis by regulating the expression of HuR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize a structure which can be conveniently tuned to multiple and wideband frequency ranges, a geometrical-stiffening membrane acoustic metamaterial (MAM) with individually tunable multiple frequencies is presented. The MAM is realized by a stacked arrangement of two membrane-magnet elements, each of which has a membrane with a small piece of steel attached in the centre. It can be tuned individually by adjusting the position of its compact magnet. The normal incidence sound transmission loss of the MAM is investigated in detail by measurements in an impedance tube. The test sample results demonstrate that this structure can easily achieve a transmission loss with two peaks which can be shifted individually in a wide low-frequency range. A theoretical consideration is analysed, the analysis shows that the magnetic effect related to this distance leads to a nonlinear attractive force and, consequently, nonlinear geometrical stiffening in each membrane-magnet element, which allows the peaks to be shifted. A reasonable design can make the structure have a good application prospect for low-frequency noise insulation where there is a need to adjust the transmission loss according to the spectrum of the noise source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleosome Assembly Protein 1 (NAP1) family proteins are evolutionarily conserved histone chaperones that play important roles in diverse biological processes. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of Arabidopsis NAP1-Related Protein 1 (NRP1) complexed with H2A-H2B and uncovered a previously unknown interaction mechanism in histone chaperoning. Both in vitro binding and in vivo plant rescue assays proved that interaction mediated by the N-terminal a-helix (aN) domain is essential for NRP1 function. In addition, the C-terminal acidic domain (CTAD) of NRP1 binds to H2A-H2B through a conserved mode similar to other histone chaperones. We further extended previous knowledge of the NAP1- conserved earmuff domain by mapping the amino acids of NRP1 involved in association with H2A-H2B. Finally, we showed that H2A-H2B interactions mediated by aN, earmuff, and CTAD domains are all required for the effective chaperone activity of NRP1. Collectively, our results reveal multiple interaction modes of a NAP1 family histone chaperone and shed light on how histone chaperones shield H2A-H2B from nonspecific interaction with DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: HER2 has been implicated in mammary tumorigenesis as well as aggressive tumor growth and metastasis. Its overexpression is related to a poor prognosis and chemoresistance in breast cancer patients. Although Grb2-associated binding protein 2 (Gab2) is important in the development and progression of human cancer, its effects and mechanisms in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer are unclear. Methods: Clone formation and MTT assays were used to examine cell proliferation. To detect the effect of Gab2 on the stemness of breast cancer cells, we used flow cytometry, a sphere formation assay, realtime PCR, and western blot. An animal model was created to validate the effect of Gab2 on tumor growth in vivo. Tissue slides were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results: Knockdown of Gab2 suppressed PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathway activity. Gab2 ablation also reduced the stemness of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. In vivo, knockdown of Gab2 inhibited tumor growth. Conclusion: This study unveils a potential function of Gab2 in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Gab2 might be a potential target in the clinical therapy of HER2-overexpressing breast carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin (Cur) has been widely used in medicine, due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor effects. However, its clinic application is limited by its instability and poor solubility. In the present wok, curcumin was loaded into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), in order to improve the therapeutic efficacy for breast cancer. The results measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that Cur-SLNs have a well-defined spherical shape; the size was about 40 nm with a negative surface charge. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency in SLNs reached 23.38% and 72.47%, respectively. The Cur-SLNs showed a stronger cytotoxicity against SKBR3 cells. In vitro cellular uptake study demonstrated a high uptake efficiency of the Cur-SLNs by SKBR3 cells. Moreover, Cur-SLNs induced higher apoptosis in SKBR3 cells, compared to cells treated by free drug. In addition, Western blot analysis revealed that Cur-SLNs could promote the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, but decreased the expression of cyclin D1 and CDK4. These results suggested that Cur-SLNs could be a potential useful chemotherapeutic formulation for breast cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, resveratrol-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Res-SLNs) were successfully designed to treat MDA-MB-231 cells. The Res-SLNs were prepared using emulsification and low-temperature solidification method. The Res-SLNs were spherical, with small size, negative charge, and narrow size distribution. Compared with free resveratrol, the Res-SLNs displayed a superior ability in inhibiting the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, Res-SLNs exhibited much stronger inhibitory effects on the invasion and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Western blot analysis revealed that Res-SLNs could promote the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 but decreased the expression of cyclinD1 and c-Myc. These results indicate that the Res-SLN may have great potential for breast cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic carcinoma (PC) is a deadly form of cancer with poor overall survival. Currently, chemotherapy such as gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are the most popular medications that can improve survival, but rapid drug-resistance makes the search for more effective drugs urgent. Upon looking for natural components to treat PC, it was found that arenobufagin, a cardiac glycosides-like compound, showed significant effects on the gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic carcinoma cell line Panc-1 and the gemcitabine-sensitive cell line ASPC-1 at nanomolar concentrations. The present study used MTT and clonogenic survival assays to examine survival and proliferation, and western blotting to assess changes in the associated mitogen activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathways and expression of apoptosis-related proteins. The current study also detected the cell cycle by flow cytometry. Arenobufagin inhibited cell survival and proliferation, decreased the phosphorylation of key downstream proteins of K-Ras, including protein kinase B and extracellular signal related kinase, induced cell cycle G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, and downregulated the level of phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor. Notably, the present data also showed that arenobufagin can enhance the sensitivity of PC cells to gemcitabine and 5-FU. In conclusion, arenobufagin could enhance the effect of gemcitabine and 5-FU on PC cells by targeting multiple key proteins. Therefore, arenobufagin has potential as anadjuvant therapy for the treatment of PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

-Effects of mechanical wounding on gene expression involved in artemisinin biosynthesis and artemisinin production in Artemisia annua leaves were investigated. HPLC-ELSD analysis indicated that there was a remarkable enhancement of the artemisinin content in 2 h after wounding treatment, and the content reached the maximum value at 4 h (nearly 50% higher than that in the control plants). The expression profile analysis showed that many important genes ( HMGR, ADS, CPR, and CYP71AV1) involved in the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway were induced in a short time after wounding treatment. This study indicates that the artemisinin biosynthesis is affected by mechanical wounding. The possible mechanism of the control of gene expression during wounding is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]