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Energy management strategy (EMS), as a core technology in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), profoundly influences the lifespan of fuel cells and the economy of the vehicle. Aiming at the problem of the EMS of FCVs based on a global optimization algorithm not being applicable in real-time, a rule extraction-based EMS is proposed for fuel cell commercial vehicles. Based on the results of the dynamic programming (DP) algorithm in the CLTC-C cycle, the deep learning approach is employed to extract output power rules for fuel cell, leading to the establishment of a rule library. Using this library, a real-time applicable rule-based EMS is designed. The simulated driving platform is built in a CARLA, SUMO, and MATLAB/Simulink joint simulation environment. Simulation results indicate that the proposed strategy yields savings ranging from 3.64% to 8.96% in total costs when compared to the state machine-based strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), a key regulator of the abscisic acid (ABA) signalling pathway, plays a fundamental role in seed germination and post-germinative development. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the repression function of ABI5 remains to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that the conserved eukaryotic WD40 repeat protein Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) is a novel negative regulator of ABI5 in Arabidopsis. The RACK1 loss-of-function mutant is hypersensitive to ABA, while this phenotype is rescued by a mutation in ABI5. Moreover, overexpression of RACK1 suppresses ABI5 transcriptional activation activity for ABI5-targeted genes. RACK1 may also physically interact with ABI5 and facilitate its degradation. Furthermore, we found that RACK1 and the two substrate receptors CUL4-based E3 ligases (DWA1 and DWA2) function together to mediate the turnover of ABI5, thereby efficiently reducing ABA signalling in seed germination and post-germinative growth. In addition, molecular analyses demonstrated that ABI5 may bind to the promoter of RACK1 to repress its expression. Collectively, our findings suggest that RACK1 and ABI5 might form a feedback loop to regulate the homeostasis of ABA signalling in acute seed germination and early plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants deploy versatile scaffold proteins to intricately modulate complex cell signaling. Among these, RACK1A (Receptors for Activated C Kinase 1A) stands out as a multifaceted scaffold protein functioning as a central integrative hub for diverse signaling pathways. However, the precise mechanisms by which RACK1A orchestrates signal transduction to optimize seedling development remain largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that RACK1A facilitates hypocotyl elongation by functioning as a flexible platform that connects multiple key components of light signaling pathways. RACK1A interacts with PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF)3, enhances PIF3 binding to the promoter of BBX11 and down‐regulates its transcription. Furthermore, RACK1A associates with ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) to repress HY5 biochemical activity toward target genes, ultimately contributing to hypocotyl elongation. In darkness, RACK1A is targeted by CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC (COP)1 upon phosphorylation and subjected to COP1‐mediated degradation via the 26 S proteasome system. Our findings provide new insights into how plants utilize scaffold proteins to regulate hypocotyl elongation, ensuring proper skoto‐ and photo‐morphogenic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ras GTPase-activating protein SH3 domain-binding protein (G3BP) belongs to the highly conserved family of RNA-binding proteins, which has been well-investigated in humans and animals. However, limited study of plant G3BP has been reported, and the precise biological function of the G3BP family has not been elucidated yet. In this study, the Arabidopsis G3BP family, comprising seven members, was comparatively analyzed. Transcriptome analysis showed that most G3BP genes are ubiquitously expressed in various tissues/organs. Transient expression analysis revealed that all G3BPs were presented in the cytoplasm, among which G3BP6 was additionally found in the nucleus. Further study revealed a conserved NLS motif required for the nuclear localization of G3BP6. Additionally, phenotypic analysis revealed that loss-of-function g3bp6 presented late-flowering phenotypes. RNA-sequencing analysis and qRT-PCR assays demonstrated that the expressions of abundant floral genes were significantly altered in g3bp6 plants. We also discovered that overexpression of G3BP6 in the nucleus, rather than in the cytoplasm, propelled bolting. Furthermore, we revealed that the scaffold protein Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) interacted with and modulated the nuclear localization of G3BP6. Altogether, this study sheds new light on G3BP6 and its specific role in regulating the flowering transition in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of plant‐specific steroid hormones, which induces the rapid nuclear localization of the positive transcriptional factors BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1/2 (BZR1/2). However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of BZR1 remain to be fully elucidated.In this study, we show that the scaffold protein Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) from Arabidopsis is involved in BR signaling cascades through mediating the nuclear localization of BZR1, which is tightly retained in the cytosol by the conserved scaffold protein 14‐3‐3s.RACK1 can interact with BZR1 and competitively decrease the 14‐3‐3 interaction with BZR1 in cytosol, which efficiently enhances the nuclear localization of BZR1. 14‐3‐3 also retains RACK1 in cytosol through their interaction. Conversely, BR treatment enhances the nuclear localization of BZR1 by disrupting the 14‐3‐3 interaction with RACK1 and BZR1.Our study uncovers a new mechanism that integrates two kinds of conserved scaffold proteins (RACK1 and 14‐3‐3) coordinating BR signaling event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have adopted versatile scaffold proteins to facilitate the crosstalk between multiple signaling pathways. Leaf senescence is a well‐programmed developmental stage that is coordinated by various external and internal signals. However, the functions of plant scaffold proteins in response to senescence signals are not well understood. Here, we report that the scaffold protein RACK1A (RECEPTOR FOR ACTIVATED C KINASE 1A) participates in leaf senescence mediated by ethylene signaling via the coordination of the EIN3‐miR164‐ORE1 transcriptional regulatory cascade. RACK1A is a novel positive regulator of ethylene‐mediated leaf senescence. The rack1a mutant exhibits delayed leaf senescence, while transgenic lines overexpressing RACK1A display early leaf senescence. Moreover, RACK1A promotes EIN3 (ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3) protein accumulation, and directly interacts with EIN3 to enhance its DNA‐binding activity. Together, they then associate with the miR164 promoter to inhibit its transcription, leading to the release of the inhibition on downstream ORE1 (ORESARA 1) transcription and the promotion of leaf senescence. This study reveals a mechanistic framework by which RACK1A promotes leaf senescence via the EIN3‐miR164‐ORE1 transcriptional cascade, and provides a paradigm for how scaffold proteins finely tune phytohormone signaling to control plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The powertrain of a fuel cell vehicle typically consists of two energy sources: a proton electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack and a battery package. In this paper, multi-dimensional dynamic programming (MDDP) is used to solve the energy management strategy (EMS) of fuel cell hybrid powertrain. This study built a fuel cell hybrid powertrain model, in which the battery model is built based on the Thevenin equivalent circuit. In order to improve the calculating efficiency and maintain the accuracy of the algorithm, the state variables in each stage are divided into primary and secondary. In the reverse solution process, the corresponding relationship between the multi state variables grid and the optimal cumulative function has been changed from three-dimensional to two-dimensional. The EMS based on MDDP is applied to component sizing of a commercial vehicle. Simulations were conducted using MATLAB under the C-WTVC working condition. By analyzing the fuel economy and system durability, the optimal component combination of comprehensive performance is obtained. Compared with the EMS based on dynamic programming (DP), the proposed method effectively improves the calculation accuracy: the hydrogen consumption can be reduced by 3.10%, and the durability of the fuel cell and battery can be improved by 1.08% and 0.13%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a critical phytohormone involved in multifaceted processes in plant metabolism and growth under both stressed and nonstressed conditions. Its accumulation in various tissues and cells has long been established as a biomarker for plant stress responses. To date, a comprehensive understanding of ABA distribution and dynamics at subcellular resolution in response to environmental cues is still lacking. Here, we modified the previously developed ABA sensor ABAleon2.1_Tao3 (Tao3) and targeted it to different organelles including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), chloroplast/plastid, and nucleus through the addition of corresponding signal peptides. Together with the cytosolic Tao3, we show distinct ABA distribution patterns in different tobacco cells with the chloroplast showing a lower level of ABA in both cell types. In a tobacco mesophyll cell, organellar ABA displayed specific alterations depending on osmotic stimulus, with ABA levels being generally enhanced under a lower and higher concentration of salt and mannitol treatment, respectively. In Arabidopsis roots, cells from both the meristem and elongation zone accumulated ABA considerably in the cytoplasm upon mannitol treatment, while the plastid and nuclear ABA was generally reduced dependent upon specific cell types. In Arabidopsis leaf tissue, subcellular ABA seemed to be less responsive when stressed, with notable increases of ER ABA in epidermal cells and a reduction of nuclear ABA in guard cells. Together, our results present a detailed characterization of stimulus-dependent cell type-specific organellar ABA responses in tobacco and Arabidopsis plants, supporting a highly coordinated regulatory network for mediating subcellular ABA homeostasis during plant adaptation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes severe yield and economic losses for many crop and vegetable species, especially Brassica napus. To date, no immune B. napus germplasm has been identified, giving rise to a major challenge in the breeding of Sclerotinia resistance. In the present study, we found that, compared with a Sclerotinia -susceptible line (J902), a Sclerotinia -resistant line (J964) exhibited better xylem development and a higher lignin content in the stems, which may limit the invasion and spread of S. sclerotiorum during the early infection period. In addition, genes involved in lignin biosynthesis were induced under S. sclerotiorum infection in both lines, indicating that lignin was deposited proactively in infected tissues. We then overexpressed BnaC.CCR2.b , which encodes the first rate-limiting enzyme (cinnamoyl-CoA reductase) that catalyzes the reaction of lignin-specific pathways, and found that overexpression of BnaC.CCR2.b increased the lignin content in the stems of B. napus by 2.28–2.76% under normal growth conditions. We further evaluated the Sclerotinia resistance of BnaC.CCR2.b overexpression lines at the flower-termination stage and found that the disease lesions on the stems of plants in the T2 and T3 generations decreased by 12.2–33.7% and 32.5–37.3% compared to non-transgenic control plants, respectively, at 7days post-inoculation (dpi). The above results indicate that overexpression of BnaC.CCR2.b leads to an increase in lignin content in the stems, which subsequently leads to increased resistance to S. sclerotiorum. Our findings demonstrate that increasing the lignin content in the stems of B. napus is an important strategy for controlling Sclerotinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous case-control studies have investigated the association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and CHD risk, but the results from published studies were inconclusive. The present meta-analysis was performed to derive a more precise estimation. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science database searches were conducted to retrieve relevant articles. Results: Ultimately, 5,451 CHD cases and 5,561 controls from 15 studies were included. Pooled analysis did not yield any statistically significant association between GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and CHD risk for the overall population (Val vs. Ile: OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.18; Val/Val vs. Ile/Ile: OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.42; Val/Ile vs. Ile/Ile: OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.28; Val/Val vs. Val/Ile+Ile/Ile: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.30; Val/Val+Val/Ile vs. Ile/Ile: OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.33). Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses indicated that GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism was still not associated with an increased risk of CHD. After excluding studies detected by Galbraith plots as major sources of heterogeneity, these relationships were still not significant. Conclusions: The overall results did not reveal a major role of the GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism in modulating CHD risk. Well-designed studies with large sample sizes are needed to validate our findings and explore the possible gene-gene or gene-environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay combined with a nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (LAMP-LFB) was established for the rapid and accurate detection of the mobilized colistin resistance gene (mcr-1), which causes the loss of colistin antibacterial efficacy in clinical treatments. The amplification stage of the assay was completed in 60 min at 63°C, and the reaction products could be visually detected by employing the LFB, which provided a fast (within 2 min) and objective method to evaluate the amplification results. The LAMP assay amplified the target sequences of mcr-1 with high specificity. In pure strains, the detection limit of the LAMP-LFB assay was 360 fg plasmid DNA/reaction, and in spiked feces samples the value was approximately 6.3×103 CFU/mL (~6.3 CFU/reaction), which was tenfold more sensitive than the PCR assay. The results show that the developed LAMP-LFB assay will be a worthy tool for the simple, rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of mcr-1 gene in clinical settings and resource-limited areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RGB1, a subunit of heterotrimeric G protein, plays important roles in regulating grain size and weight of rice. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying controlling grain filling process by G protein are still largely unclear. In the present study, we show that RGB1 controls not only the grain size but also the grain filling process. Knock-down of RGB1 significantly delayed grain development and reduced starch accumulation and grain weight, which was closely related to the delayed and the lower expression of genes encoding sucrose metabolism and starch biosynthesis related enzymes during grain filling stage. Suppression of RGB1 expression also resulted in the lower auxin content in grains, which was correlated with the lower expression of OsNF-YB1 and OsYUC11 during grain filling stage. Further biochemical evidence showed that OsYUC11 expression was under control of OsNF-YB1 by its interaction with promoter of OsYUC11. Taken together, we propose that RGB1 controls rice grain development and grain filling process by changing auxin homeostasis in endosperm cells. OsNF-YB1, which acts as a key downstream effector of RGB1, interacts directly with the promoter of OsYUC11 and stimulates the OsYUC11 expression, thereby regulating auxin biosynthesis and starch accumulation and grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Creating National Sanitary City (CNSC) promotes appearance, environment sanitation and public health including vector management of cities in China. However, vector management especially mosquito management and the related administrative productivity of Patriotic Health Campaign System (PHCS) of National Sanitary Cities (NSCs) were questioned by many pest control professionals and citizens. In this study, we studied mosquito management of NSCs taking Wuhan as an example. The study aimed to (1) determine the distribution and abundance of immature mosquito habitats in built-up areas of Wuhan and (2) better understand the related administration procedure in CNSC. Methods: Immature mosquito habitat surveillance was carried out in randomly selected premises of driving schools (DSs), schools or kindergartens (SKs), property management residential areas (PMRAs), construction sites (CSs), wide roads with storm drains (WRSDs) and urban creeks (UCs) in built-up areas of Wuhan from July to October 2015 followed by questionnaire interviews with one each of premise occupants and district departments responsible for mosquito management in these premises. Results: Total of 64.1 km of route were inspected in 36 DSs, 36 SKs, 36 PMRAs, 36 CSs and 36 segments of WRSD and 2,158 potential mosquito habitats with 749 (35%) mosquito-positive habitats were found. The route index (RI) was 11.7, which was 14.6 times higher than the grade C criteria for vector density control (RI = 0.8 positive habitats/km) in CNSC. Occupants of 36 DSs, 36 SKs, 36 PMRAs, 34 CSs were interviewed and 77% of them reported no difference in mosquito infestation in their premises since 2013 and 80% of them knew about the responsibility and arrangements of PHCS of mosquito management in their premises. Only 15% had the awareness of larval source reduction strategy and 14% had implemented it. Receipt the electronic/paper edition of CNSC vector management specifications from the PHCS was very low (13%) and an official notification or bulletin for rectification mosquito-positive habitats was also very low (5%). Of the 75 responsible district departments interviewed, about half (55%) reported that they had held training courses/meetings related to CNSC vector management, the majority (96%) reported that they had not carried out independent on-site supervision of premises under their jurisdiction. No differences in larval indices were found between premises which were administrative intervened and with no administrative intervention. Conclusions: The administrative intervention of PHCS had not evidently improved mosquito management of the premises in built-up areas in Wuhan. It is a violation of the original intention of the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee in organizing CNSC programs. To combat mosquito borne diseases, and to improve the quality of life of residents, we recommend that PHCS honestly reveals defects in urban mosquito management and seriously takes those exposed defects. The PHCS should strengthen Patriotic Health Campaign activities by strict adherence to NSC standards. Further research on sustained promotion of urban mosquito management of NSCs, which focus on effective administration, as well as on improvement of related sectors of NSC standards should be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ATP bioluminescence method has been increasingly employed as a rapid, on-site detection method in nosocomial infections control. In this study, we used a paired design of monitoring methods, the colony counting method (C) and the ATP bioluminescence method, to evaluate environmental surfaces after disinfection. The ATP bioluminescence method included three detector types (B, P, and N). Every surface after disinfection was performed by combining two types of monitoring methods or detectors. There was no statistically significant difference in theATP content per surface siteamong samples from intensive care units (ICUs)and internal medicine wards using B (p = 0.435) and P (p = 0.260). According to the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, with the exception of the correlation between the ATP content values detected by B and P, the correlation between the values generated by the remaining methods/detectors was weak or lacking, whereasthe differences between the detectors were statistically significant. Therefore, there are differences between the ATP bioluminescence method and the colony counting method, also between different detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast dissemination of the mobilized colistin resistance (mcr) gene mcr-1 in Enterobacteriaceae causes a huge threat to the treatment of severe infection. In the current report, a multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) coupled with the detection of amplified products by gold nanoparticles-based lateral flow biosensor (LFB) assay (MCDA-LFB) was established to identify the mcr-1 gene with simpleness, rapidity, specificity, and sensitivity. The MCDA-LFB assay was performed at a isothermal temperature (63°C) for only 30 min during the amplification stage, and the reaction products were directly identified by using LFB which obtained the result within 2 min. The entire process of experiments, from templates extraction to result judging, was accomplished in <60 min. For the analytical specificity of this method, all of the 16 mcr-1 -producing strains were positive, and all of the non- mcr-1 isolates produced the negative results. The sensitivity of mcr-1 -MCDA-LFB assay was as little as 600 fg of plasmid DNA per reaction in pure culture, and approximately 4.5 × 103 CFU/mL (~4.5 CFU/reaction) in spiked fecal samples. Therefore, this technique established in the present study is suitable for the surveillance of mcr-1 gene in clinic and livestock industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical disinfectants effectively kill pathogenic microorganisms, eliminating routes of transmission for infectious diseases. Accurate quantification of the active ingredients can help make a more effective use of disinfectants. In this study, the active ingredients in six different types of chemical disinfectants were systematically quantified with great precision and accuracy using potentiometric titration. The coefficient of variations fell in the range of 0.04%-0.46%. The recovery rates of samples were all above 95% and the extended uncertainty was 0.32g/L. This method can be broadly applied to the analysis of disinfectants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]