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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]

This study aimed to identify feature genes and explore the molecular mechanisms of keratoconus (KC). We downloaded data files from NCBI GEO public database. The Limma package was used for differential expression analysis of gene profiles. Lasso regression was used to identify the feature genes. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to infer the proportion of immune‐infiltrating cells and analyse the correlation between gene expression levels and immune cells. Related transcription factors and miRNAs of key genes were predicted using the Cistrome DB and Mircode databases. Analysis of expression differences in disease genes was based on the GeneCards database. The CMap was used to analyse targeted therapeutic drugs. IHC was performed to verify the expression levels of ATOH7 and MYRF in corneas. Exactly 593 upregulated and 473 downregulated genes were identified. Lasso regression analysis identified ATOH7, DBNDD1, RNF217‐AS1, ARL11, MYRF and SNORA74B as feature genes for KC. All key genes were correlated with immune infiltration and the levels of activated memory CD4+ T cells and plasma cells were significantly increased. miRNA, IRF and STAT families were correlated to feature genes. The expression levels of key genes were significantly correlated to KC‐related genes. Entinostat, ochratoxin‐a, diphencyprone and GSK‐3‐inhibitor‐II were predicted as potential KC medications. The expression of MYRF was significantly higher in the KC samples, contrary to the expression of ATOH7. KC is related to both immune infiltration and genetic factors. MYRF and ATOH7 were newly identified and verified feature genes of KC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

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]

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]

P. santalinus waste powders were utilized to prepare the aqueous extracts for the dyeing of wool fabric. The extraction and dyeing processes of P. santalinus were optimized for obtaining the dyed fabric with high color strength and flavonoids content. The antibacterial, antioxidant and aqueous Cr(VI) removal capacity of the dyed fabric was then examined and compared with other two plant (P. tinctorius and Lycium ruthenicum Murray) material extract dyed wool fabrics. The results indicated that the addition of ethanol in aqueous solvent could increase the content of colorants and flavonoid compounds in P. santalinus extract when soxhlet apparatus was used. The highest extraction effectiveness of P. santalinus was achieved at ethanol concentration of 80%. High dyeing temperature or low pH level caused an almost linear increment in color strength and flavonoid content of the dyed fabric. Optimum dyeing of wool fabric could be conducted when 35 mL of P. santalinus extract was used to prepare 100 mL of dyeing bath. The dyed fabric not only showed unique color, but also presented better antibacterial, antioxidant and Cr(VI) removal capacity, which were higher than those of the other two dyed fabrics. Increasing color strength or flavonoid content could enhance their functionalities. Pterocarpus santalinus waste extract was used to prepare wool fabric for healthy and environmental care using a dyeing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]