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BACKGROUND/AIM Patients suffering from globus often report decreased enjoyment when eating as well as a psychological abnormality. Some patients exhibit taste and smell changes (TSCs) when compared with the period before the diagnosis. The main aim of this study was to explore if TSCs and psychological abnormality are present in patients with globus, whether they are associated with the severity of throat symptoms, and the potential risk factors for globus. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 116 included patients who met the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for globus had been performed 24-hour pH monitoring, and the results shown no evidence of pathologic acid reflux. Meanwhile, 125 healthy controls were enrolled in this prospective study. All subjects completed several questionnaires including the Taste and Smell Survey, the Glasgow Edinburgh Throat Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Multiple logistic regression was performed to explore the potential risk factors for globus. The study protocol was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR-2100044972). RESULTS First, globus patients without evidence of pathologic acid reflux exhibited a 58.62% and 31.03% change in taste and smell, respectively, while their levels of anxiety and depression were 51.72% and 44.83%, respectively. Second, there was a significant difference in the taste score (Z=-4.954, P

Microwave is widely used in present navigation system. It works well, yet it faces precision limit and other challenges. Quantum entanglement has been applied in various fields and resulted in quite remarkable improvements, especially in precision performance. Hence, we attempt to apply quantum entanglement to enhance merits of navigation system performed in microwave regime. This paper introduces principles of microwave-optical entanglement prepared by electro-opto-mechanical converters in detail. Meanwhile, a navigation ranging scheme exploiting this type of entanglement is proposed. The performance of the scheme is analyzed, and factors influencing entanglement feature and ranging feature are discussed. It shows that the ranging scheme has achieved quite precise results with help of microwave-optical entanglement, and it may be regarded as a promising candidate of new navigation ranging scheme.

We study tunable double-channel microwave-optical (M-O) entanglement and coherent conversion by controlling the quantum interference effect. This is realized in a two-mechanical-mode electro-opto-mechanical (EOM) system, in which two mechanical resonators (MRs) are coupled with each other by phase-dependent phonon-phonon interaction, and link the interaction between the microwave and optical cavity. It’s demonstrated that the mechanical coupling between two MRs leads to the interference of two pathways of electro-opto-mechanical interaction, which can generate the tunable double-channel phenomena in comparison with a typical three-mode EOM system. In particular, by tuning of phonon-phonon interaction and couplings between cavities with MRs, we can not only steer the switch from the M-O interaction with a single channel to that of the double-channel, but also modulate the entanglement and conversion characteristics in each channel. Moreover, our scheme can be extended to an N-mechanical-mode EOM system, in which N discrete channels will be observed and controlled. This study opens up prospects for quantum information transduction and storage with a wide bandwidth and multichannel quantum interface.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes devastating diseases in many agriculturally important crops, including oilseed rape and sunflower. However, the mechanisms of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenesis remain poorly understood. In this study, we characterized a YML079-like cupin protein (SsYCP1) from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. We showed that SsYCP1 is strongly expressed and secreted during Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection was promoted by SsYCP1 overexpression and inhibited by silencing this gene with synthetic double-stranded RNA. These results collectively indicate SsYCP1 as a putative effector protein that contributes to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenicity. These findings extend our understanding of effector-mediated Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenesis and suggest a novel role for YML079-like cupin proteins in plant–pathogen interactions.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is one of the most devastating pathogens in Brassica napus and causes huge economic loss worldwide. Though around one hundred putative effectors have been predicted in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum genome, their functions are largely unknown. In this study, we cloned and characterized a novel effector, SsERP1 (ethylene pathway repressor protein 1), in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. SsERP1 is a secretory protein highly expressed at the early stages of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection. Ectopic overexpression of SsERP1 in plant leaves promoted Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection, and the knockout mutants of SsERP1 showed reduced pathogenicity but retained normal mycelial growth and sclerotium formation, suggesting that SsERP1 specifically contributes to the pathogenesis of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Transcriptome analysis indicated that SsERP1 promotes Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection by inhibiting plant ethylene signaling pathway. Moreover, we showed that knocking down SsERP1 by in vitro synthesized double-strand RNAs was able to effectively inhibit Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection, which verifies the function of SsERP1 in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenesis and further suggests a potential strategy for Sclerotinia disease control.

Seed production is critical for watermelon production, which mostly involves first-generation hybrid varieties. However, watermelon hybrid seed production currently requires complex procedures, including artificial isolation and pollination. Therefore, the development and use of a male-sterile system to generate watermelon hybrids can simplify the process. The scarcity of male-sterile watermelon germplasm resources necessitates the use of molecular breeding methods. Unfortunately, the genes responsible for male sterility in watermelon have not been cloned. Thus, the genetic basis of the male sterility remains unknown. In this study, two DNA pools derived from male-sterile and normal plants in the F2 population were used for whole-genome resequencing. The Illumina high-throughput sequencing resulted in 62.99 Gbp clean reads, with a Q30 of 80% after filtering. On the basis of the SNP index association algorithm, eight candidate regions (0.32 Mb) related to specific traits were detected on chromosome 6. Expression pattern analyses and watermelon transformation studies generated preliminary evidence that Cla006625 encodes a pollen-specific leucine-rich repeat protein (ClaPEX1) influencing the male sterility of watermelon. The identification and use of genic male sterility genes will promote watermelon male sterility research and lay the foundation for the efficient application of seed production technology.

Herbivorous insects represent one of the major threats to sessile plants. To cope with herbivore challenges, plants have evolved sophisticated defense systems, in which the lipid-derived phytohormone jasmonate plays a crucial role. Perception of insect attack locally and systemically elicits rapid synthesis of jasmonate, which is perceived by the F-box protein COI1 to further recruit JAZ repressors for ubiquitination and degradation, thereby releasing transcription factors that subsequently activate plant defense against insect attack. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the molecular basis of jasmonate action in plant defense against insects.

Background: The anti-thrombotic strategy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common and difficult challenge. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of “one-stop” left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) combined with PCI as an alternative stroke prophylaxis strategy. Methods: From March 2017 to October 2019, AF patients with elevated bleeding risk and significant stable CAD requiring PCI were recruited to undergo LAAC as alternative stroke prophylaxis in Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China. LAAC was performed either in the same setting with PCI (i.e. “one-stop” LAAC/PCI), or as staged procedure after PCI. Dual antiplatelet therapy was given for all patients after LAAC. Peri-procedural and intermediate-term clinical outcomes were assessed through hospital clinical records review and standardized telephone interviews. Results: A total of 24 patients were recruited including 13 (54.2%) underwent stage procedure and 11 (45.8%) underwent “one-stop” procedure respectively. The mean CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were 4.5±1.4 and 3 (IQR 3,4) respectively. Six patients (46.1%) in the staged procedure cohort were treated with triple anti-thrombotic following PCI, with 2 developed minor bleeding before LAAC. One patient (“one-stop” cohort) had gastrointestinal bleeding 1 day after procedure. Otherwise, there was no device related complication or peri-procedural stroke/myocardial infarction. After a mean 19±5.4 months follow-up, there was no death, myocardial infarction, stroke and systemic embolization detected. Conclusions: In this pilot study, “one-stop” LAAC with PCI was shown to be efficacious with no stroke, MI, VARC-2 major bleeding or CV death reported over a mean follow-up of 19 months, and safe with no major peri-procedural bleeding or device related complications.

Developing dwarf watermelon is a major objective among breeders. The dsh dwarf watermelon germplasm developed in our laboratory is genetically stable. We previously produced preliminary evidence that Cla010726, which encodes a gibberellin 20-oxidase-like protein, is the primary gene controlling dwarfism in watermelon. However, the underlying genetic mechanism was unknown. In this study, we characterized the spontaneous recessive mutant dsh, which is a gibberellin (GA)-deficient mutant. Many of the phenotypic traits of dsh plants are similar to those of known GA-deficient mutants. The dsh plants were sensitive to exogenous bioactive GAs, which increased seedling height. Moreover, a quantitative analysis of endogenous GA3 proved that the bioactive GA3 content was substantially lower than normal in dsh. Additionally, the T5ClaGA20ox RNAi plants generally exhibited dwarfism, with short stems and internodes as well as small leaves and fruit. An examination of the transgenic plants carrying the ClaGA20ox1 promoter-GUS and mutant ClaGA20ox2 promoter-GUS constructs confirmed that two promoter sites are involved in the regulation of ClaGA20ox expression. Hence, mutations in the promoter of the GA20ox gene, which encodes a key enzyme involved in gibberellin biosynthesis, lead to the dwarfism of watermelon plants. The dsh mutant is a potentially useful germplasm resource for developing new watermelon varieties exhibiting dwarfism.

Seed production is critical for watermelon production, which mostly involves first-generation hybrid varieties. However, watermelon hybrid seed production currently requires complex procedures, including artificial isolation and pollination. Therefore, the development and use of a male-sterile system to generate watermelon hybrids can simplify the process. The scarcity of male-sterile watermelon germplasm resources necessitates the use of molecular breeding methods. Unfortunately, the genes responsible for male sterility in watermelon have not been cloned. Thus, the genetic basis of the male sterility remains unknown. In this study, two DNA pools derived from male-sterile and normal plants in the F2 population were used for whole-genome resequencing. The Illumina high-throughput sequencing resulted in 62.99 Gbp clean reads, with a Q30 of 80% after filtering. On the basis of the SNP index association algorithm, eight candidate regions (0.32 Mb) related to specific traits were detected on chromosome 6. Expression pattern analyses and watermelon transformation studies generated preliminary evidence that Cla006625 encodes a pollen-specific leucine-rich repeat protein (ClaPEX1) influencing the male sterility of watermelon. The identification and use of genic male sterility genes will promote watermelon male sterility research and lay the foundation for the efficient application of seed production technology.

As the core sensors of inertial navigation, the accuracy of gyroscope and accelerometer directly determines the performance of inertial navigation system. With the appearance of cold atom interference technology, it has a wide application prospect in the field of inertial measurement, and cold atom gravimeter and cold atom gyroscope have appeared in succession. This paper mainly introduces the basic principle of cold atom interference technology, and briefly describes the development status of cold atom gyroscope and accelerometer. The existing problems in the current research is summarized, and its future application in navigation are prospected.

Entangled microwave signal is a new quantum information resource generated in recent years. We present that entangled microwave signals can be used as the medium to realize quantum information transmission. Focusing on the divergent problem of propagation, a partial detection model based on beam splitter is established to investigate the detection efficiency and influence factors of entangled microwave signals. We analyze the relation between the entanglement degree of partial detection and detection ratio and discuss the reason that causes the reduction of entanglement degree. We give ameliorative designs of microwave signal generator and transmitter to increase the operating distance and pave the way for the application of entangled microwave signals. Keywords: Entangled microwave signals, Partial detection, Beam splitter, Entanglement degree

Focusing on the problem of vulnerable anti-deception and weak anti-jamming ability in classical pseudorandom code correlation ranging, we present a navigation ranging scheme with true random entangled microwave signals. One path of the entangled microwave signals uses for transmitting signal and another path of the signals preserves at locality. Firstly, the target that possesses the function of quantum repeater receives transmitting signal and forwards it to the locality. Then, correlation detection is implemented between the forwarded signal and the local delayed signal. Finally, the target distance can be calculated by delay measurement. We analyze the ranging precision and anti-deception ability. Results indicate that the scheme not only is superior to classical code correlation ranging precision, but also has very strong anti-multipath ability and anti-multipath interference ability, which will enhance the security of the navigation ranging system. Our investigation has significant application prospects.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes devastating diseases in many agriculturally important crops, including oilseed rape and sunflower. However, the mechanisms of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenesis remain poorly understood. In this study, we characterized a YML079-like cupin protein (SsYCP1) from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. We showed that SsYCP1 is strongly expressed and secreted during Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection was promoted by SsYCP1 overexpression and inhibited by silencing this gene with synthetic double-stranded RNA. These results collectively indicate SsYCP1 as a putative effector protein that contributes to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenicity. These findings extend our understanding of effector-mediated Sclerotinia sclerotiorum pathogenesis and suggest a novel role for YML079-like cupin proteins in plant–pathogen interactions.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptor endothelin A receptor (ET[Formula: see text] have been shown to be upregulated in a high glucose environment, which increase the incidence of diabetes-related heart failure. Our previous study demonstrated that oleanolic acid (OA), a natural compound found in Chinese herbs had ET-1 antagonistic effects. We aimed to verify whether OA could ameliorate diabetes mellitus (DM)-induced injury in cardiomyocytes by reducing the antagonistic effects of the ET-1 pathway. For the induction of high glucose-related injury in cardiomyocytes, neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs) were subjected to culture medium containing 25[Formula: see text]mM of glucose. Natriuretic peptide B (BNP), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cell surface area were measured to evaluate the severity of NRVMs injury. mRNA expression of ET-1 and ETA was determined using quantitative PCR. Moreover, a Ca[Formula: see text] influx assay was used to evaluate potential ETA antagonistic effects. Molecular docking of OA and ETA was performed using the Sulflex-Dock program. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS-C)-derived cardiomyocytes and real time cell analysis system (RTCA) were used to verify the effect of OA on the ET-1 pathway. High glucose levels increased the expression of BNP at both mRNA and protein levels in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, cell surface area and MMP were also elevated in a high glucose environment. High glucose-induced injury in NRVMs was not reversible by hypoglycemic therapy. In addition, ETA was upregulated by high glucose treatment and levels could not be reduced by hypoglycemic treatment. The Ca[Formula: see text] influx assay on ETA/HEK293 cells showed that OA had a partial ETA antagonistic effect. Molecular docking approaches showed that OA was docked into the active site of ETA. Furthermore, functionality tests based on iPS-C and RTCA demonstrated that treatment with OA could reverse ET-1-induced alternation of beating rates and amplitude. Thus, OA could reverse high glucose-induced BNP upregulation, and increased both the cell area and MMP in NRVMs. High glucose-induced irreversible ETA upregulation is a major reason of continuous diabetes-related injury in cardiomyocytes. Treatment with OA had a protective effect on high glucose-induced injury in cardiomyocytes through a partial ETA antagonistic role.

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is a global devastating threat to forest ecosystems. Therefore, a feasible and effective approach to precisely monitor PWD infection is indispensable, especially at the early stages. However, a precise definition of “early stage” and a rapid and high-efficiency method to detect PWD infection have not been well established. In this study, we systematically divided the PWD infection into green, early, middle, and late stages based on the needle color, the resin secretion, and whether the pine wood nematode (PWN) was carried. Simultaneously, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with multispectral cameras was used to obtain images. Two target detection algorithms (Faster R-CNN and YOLOv4) and two traditional machine learning algorithms based on feature extraction (random forest and support vector machine) were employed to realize the recognition of infected pine trees. Moreover, we took into consideration of the influence of green broad-leaved trees on the identification of pine trees at the early stage of PWD infection. We obtained the following results: (1) the accuracy of Faster R-CNN (60.98–66.7%) was higher than that of YOLOv4 (57.07–63.55%), but YOLOv4 outperformed in terms of model size, processing speed, training time, and testing time; (2) although the traditional machine learning models had higher accuracy (73.28–79.64%), they were not able to directly identify the object from the images; (3) the accuracy of early detection of PWD infection showed an increase of 3.72–4.29%, from 42.36–44.59% to 46.08–48.88%, when broad-leaved trees were considered. In this study, the combination of UAV-based multispectral images and target detection algorithms allowed us to monitor the occurrence of PWD and obtain the distribution of infected trees at an early stage, which can provide technical support for the prevention and control of PWD.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Primers Used for Vector Construction

Microwave is widely used in present navigation system. It works well, yet it faces precision limit and other challenges. Quantum entanglement has been applied in various fields and resulted in quite remarkable improvement, especially in precision performance, as it can break quantum noise limit. Hence, we attempt to apply quantum entanglement to enhance merits of navigation system performed in microwave regime. This paper introduces principles of quantum microwave entanglement prepared by electro-opto-mechanical converters in detail, which is also adopted by quantum illumination. Meanwhile, a navigation scheme enhanced by quantum microwave entanglement is proposed. The working principles of the scheme, especially those of location, range finding and direction finding, are analyzed in detail. Besides, we compare navigation scheme of quantum microwave entanglement with present navigation scheme. It shows that navigation merits have been enhanced by quantum microwave entanglement, and it may be regarded as a candidate of new navigation method.

How to realize high-fidelity non-classical quantum state transformation in cavity electro-opto-mechanical system is a hot issue in the field of quantum information research. Adjusting the range of the optical detuning amount can indirectly realize the non-classical conversion of the microwave and the optical field. This paper analyzes the effect of driving light detuning on microwave and light conversion. This research work has theoretical and practical significance for the application of quantum state conversion technology of cavity electro-opto-mechanical system in precision quantum measurement and quantum information processing.

Background Gibberellin (GA) and jasmonate (JA) are two essential phytohormones for filament elongation in Arabidopsis. GA and JA trigger degradation of DELLAs and JASMONATE ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins through SCFSLY1 and SCFCOI1 separately to activate filament elongation. In JA pathway, JAZs interact with MYB21 and MYB24 to control filament elongation. However, little is known how DELLAs regulate filament elongation. Results Here we showed that DELLAs interact with MYB21 and MYB24, and that R2R3 domains of MYB21 and MYB24 are responsible for interaction with DELLAs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that DELLA and JAZ proteins coordinately repress the transcriptional function of MYB21 and MYB24 to inhibit filament elongation. Conclusion We discovered that DELLAs interact with MYB21 and MYB24, and that DELLAs and JAZs attenuate the transcriptional function of MYB21 and MYB24 to control filament elongation. This study reveals a novel cross-talk mechanism of GA and JA in the regulation of filament elongation in Arabidopsis.

Grid cell is a kind of important neuron cell related to spatial cognition and navigation in animal brain. It has a hexagonal firing field extending to the whole space. Grid cells exist in the form of modules, whose number is finite, and the grid cells between adjacent modules have discrete firing- field spacing with constant ratio. The existing models can simulate the constant ratio discrete of firing-field spacing between modules, but the finite characteristic of firing-field spacing cannot be simulated. We propose a recurrent attractor network model of grid cell, which can generate grid cells with finite firing-field spacing by analyzing the connections between grid cells in a single network. Then, the grid cells in different modules could possess discrete firing-field spacing with constant ratio through the competition among the recurrent networks. The recurrent attractor network model can provide reference for the construction of brain-inspired navigation system of unmanned platform.

Abstract Background To evaluate the anorectal motility characteristics, the quality of life and psychological health of accident-related neurogenic fecal incontinence(ArNFI) patients. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 26 patients with ArNFI visiting the gastrointestinal motility center of affiliated provincial hospital of Anhui medical university were collected as research objects from January 2016 to August 2019. The anorectal motility characteristics of these patients were recorded and analysed by high resolution manometry (HRM), 10 healthy subjects for the same period were recruited as the control group. The psychological characteristics of these patients and healthy subjects were compared by HAMA and HAMD scores,and their quality of life was investigated by SF36. Results Anal sphincter resting pressure in the ArNFI group was more lowwer than that of the control group (21.18± 4.68vs34.83± 14.13, P

Some plant and animal pathogens can manipulate their hosts to cause them to release odors that are attractive to the pathogens' arthropod vectors. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process is largely unexplored, and the specific effectors the pathogens employ as well as the pathways within the hosts they target are currently unknown. Here we reveal that the aphid-borne cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) employs its 2b protein, a well-characterized viral suppressor of host RNA interference (VSR), to target the host's jasmonate (JA) hormone pathway, thus acting as a viral inducer of host attractiveness to insect vectors (VIA). 2b inhibits JA signaling by directly interacting with and repressing JA-induced degradation of host jasmonate ZIM-domain proteins, instead of using its VSR activity. Our findings identify a previously defined VSR protein as a VIA and uncover a molecular mechanism CMV uses to manipulate host's attractiveness to insect vectors by targeting host hormone signaling.

The first-principle is an effective method for the material property calculation. One inversion design idea of dielectric material based on the first-principle was put forward. In this kind of material design thought, the specific demanded dielectric property of material is the starting point of the whole design course. The atomic structure characteristic of the material is solved using the inversion model based on the first-principle. And the key issues needing researching were discussed, these problems were quantized structure of electromagnetic and optic field, the quantized polarization theory of dielectric material, the uniform calculation method of dielectric property and the dielectric material inversion model.

Animal and imaging study evidence favors early reperfusion for acute myocardial infarction. However, in clinical trials, the effect of symptom-onset-to-balloon (S2B) time on clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) has been inconsistent. Moreover, there are few data regarding the ischemic time in China. A total of 3,877 consecutive patients with STEMI with available S2B time undergoing pPCI from January 2013 to September 2014 at 108 hospitals that participated in the China Acute Myocardial Infarction registry were included and stratified into 3 S2B groups:6 hours, 6 to 12 hours,12 hours S2B time was tested in multivariate logistic regression analyses as an independent risk factor of mortality (primary outcome), major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), and impaired myocardial perfusion (secondary outcomes). The median S2B time was 5.5 (3.75 to 8.50) hours. Longer S2B time was associated with higher in-hospital mortality (6 hours: 2.7%; 6 to 12 hours: 3.4%;12 hours: 4.9%; p = 0.047) and ST-segment resolution50% (6 hours: 16.7%; 6 to 12 hours: 19.2%;12 hours: 24.3%; p = 0.002) but not MACCE. In multivariate-adjusted analysis, S2B12 hours remained associated with ST-segment resolution50% (odds ratio 1.53, 95% confidence interval 1.16 to 2.01, p = 0.002) but not with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.673, 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 2.94, p = 0.073). In conclusion, median S2B time in patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI was longer than that in registry studies from other countries. Longer S2B time was associated with impaired myocardial perfusion but not with in-hospital mortality or MACCE.

In this paper, we successfully constructed a ternary metal/non-metal nanomaterial which can synergize Z-scheme heterojunction and plasmonic metal/semiconductor for enhancing visible light photoreduction of aqueous Cr(VI). The as-formed ternary metal/non-metal nanomaterial was composed of g-C

Targeted genome editing is a desirable means of basic science and crop improvement. The clustered, regularly interspaced, palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated 9) system is currently the simplest and most commonly used system in targeted genomic editing in plants. Single and multiplex genome editing in plants can be achieved under this system. In Arabidopsis, AtWRKY11 and AtWRKY70 genes were involved in JA- and SA-induced resistance to pathogens, in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), BnWRKY11 and BnWRKY70 genes were found to be differently expressed after inoculated with the pathogenic fungus, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary. In this study, two Cas9/sgRNA constructs targeting two copies of BnWRKY11 and four copies of BnWRKY70 were designed to generate BnWRKY11 and BnWRKY70 mutants respectively. As a result, twenty-two BnWRKY11 and eight BnWRKY70 independent transformants (T0) were obtained, with the mutation ratios of 54.5% (12/22) and 50% (4/8) in BnWRKY11 and BnWRKY70 transformants respectively. Eight and two plants with two copies of mutated BnWRKY11 and BnWRKY70 were obtained respectively. In T1 generation of each plant examined, new mutations on target genes were detected with high efficiency. The vast majority of BnWRKY70 mutants showed editing in three copies of BnWRKY70 in examined T1 plants. BnWRKY70 mutants exhibited enhanced resistance to Sclerotinia, while BnWRKY11 mutants showed no significant difference in Sclerotinia resistance when compared to non-transgenic plants. In addition, plants that overexpressed BnWRKY70 showed increased sensitivity when compared to non-transgenic plants. Altogether, our results demonstrated that BnWRKY70 may function as a regulating factor to negatively control the Sclerotinia resistance and CRISPR/Cas9 system could be used to generate germplasm in B. napus with high resistance against Sclerotinia.

JAK2/STAT3 is a cardio-protective, pro-inflammation pathway, the function of which in cardiomyopathy caused by diabetic (DCM) is currently unknown. Here we explore the role of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in DCM employing different time courses and a type 2 DM (T2DM) rat model. We examined the interactions of metformin and sitagliptin treatment with the JAK2/STAT3 pathway and cardiac remodeling. A T2DM rat model was induced by high fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) and treated with metformin, sitagliptin (10 mg/d or 20 mg/d) or a placebo. Cell inflammation markers, cardiac remodeling and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were evaluated. We observed an activated inflammation reaction as well as activation of the JAK2/STAT3 thought-out the experiment in the simple HFD group only in the early stage of the disease (until week 9). JAK2/STAT3 activity showed a phasic peculiarity as increased inflammation was observed in prolongation of the DCM accompanied with an accelerated cardiac dysfunction but reduced phosphorylation of myocardial STAT3. Moreover, in the metformin but not the sitagliptin treated group, JAK2/STAT3 activation was associated with having better improved cardiac remolding and reduced myocardial apoptosis. In vitro studies further validated that metformin could activate JAK2/STAT3 pathway and alleviate apoptosis of NRCMs under hyperglycemia incubation. The phasic feature of JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation may participate in the pathophysiological development of DCM. The superior cardio-protective effect of metformin over sitagliptin treatment may partly account for the differences we observed in JAK2/STAT3 activation, indicating that measuring JAK2/STAT3 pathway coupled with metformin treatment may give insight into a more promising DM treatment.

Background Low temperature is a major abiotic stress affecting the production of rapeseed in China by impeding plant growth and development. A comprehensive knowledge of small-RNA expression pattern in Brassica rapa under cold stress could improve our knowledge of microRNA-mediated stress responses. Results A total of 353 cold-responsive miRNAs, 84 putative novel and 269 conserved miRNAs, were identified from the leaves and roots of two winter turnip rape varieties ‘Longyou 7’ (cold-tolerant) and ‘Tianyou 4’ (cold-sensitive), which were stressed under − 4 °C for 8 h. Eight conserved (miR166h-3p-1, miR398b-3p, miR398b-3p-1, miR408d, miR156a-5p, miR396h, miR845a-1, miR166u) and two novel miRNAs (Bra-novel-miR3153-5p and Bra-novel-miR3172-5p) were differentially expressed in leaves of ‘Longyou 7’ under cold stress. Bra-novel-miR3936-5p was up-regulated in roots of ‘Longyou 7’ under cold stress. Four and five conserved miRNAs were differentially expressed in leaves and roots of ‘Tianyou 4’ after cold stress. Besides, we found two conserved miRNAs (miR319e and miR166m-2) were down-regulated in non-stressed roots of ‘Longyou 7’ compared with ‘Tianyou 4’. After cold stress, we found two and eight miRNAs were differentially expressed in leaves and roots of ‘Longyou 7’ compared with ‘Tianyou 4’. The differentially expressed miRNAs between two cultivars under cold stress include novel miRNAs and the members of the miR166 and miR319 families. A total of 211 target genes for 15 known miRNAs and two novel miRNAs were predicted by bioinformatic analysis, mainly involved in metabolic processes and stress responses. Five differentially expressed miRNAs and predicted target genes were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and the expressional changes of target genes were negatively correlated to differentially expressed miRNAs. Our data indicated that some candidate miRNAs (e.g., miR166e, miR319, and Bra-novel-miR3936-5p) may play important roles in plant response to cold stress. Conclusions Our work indicates that miRNA and putative target genes mediated metabolic processes and stress responses are significant to cold tolerance in B. rapa. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12870-018-1242-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dwarfism is one of the most valuable traits in watermelon breeding mainly because of its contribution to yield as well as the decreased labor required to cultivate and harvest smaller plants. However, the underlying genetic mechanism is unknown. In this study, a candidate dwarfism gene was identified by applying next-generation sequencing technology to analyze watermelon plants. We completed a whole-genome re-sequencing of two DNA bulks (dwarf pool and vine pool) generated from plants in an F2 population. A genome-wide analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms resulted in the detection of a genomic region harboring the candidate dwarfism gene Cla010726. The encoded protein was predicted to be a gibberellin 20-oxidase-like protein, which is a well-known “green revolution” protein in other crops. A quantitative real-time PCR investigation revealed that the Cla010726 expression level was significantly lower in the dwarf plants than in the normal-sized plants. The SNP analysis resulted in two SNP locating in the Cla010726 gene promoter of dsh F2 individuals. The results presented herein provide preliminary evidence that Cla010726 is a possible dwarfism gene.

Background: Peri-strut low-intensity area (PLIA) is a typical image pattern of neointima detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) after stent implantation. However, few studies evaluated the predictors and prognosis of the PLIA; therefore, we aimed to explore the genesis and prognosis of PLIA detected by OCT in this study. Methods: Patients presenting neointimal hyperplasia documented by OCT reexamination after percutaneous coronary intervention were prospectively included from 2009 to 2011. Peri-strut intensity was analyzed and classified into two patterns: Low-intensity and high-intensity. Clinical characteristics were analyzed to assess their contribution to peri-strut intensity patterns. Follow-up were performed in patients who did not receive revascularization during OCT reexamination, and the prognosis of the patients was evaluated. Results: There were 128 patients underwent OCT reexamination after stent implantation included in the study. PLIA was detected in 22 (17.2%) patients. The incidence of PLIA was positively correlated with serum triglyceride (odds ratio [OR]: 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–3.90, P = 0.017), low-density lipoprotein (OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.22–5.66, P = 0.015), history of cerebrovascular disease (OR: 101.11, 95% CI: 6.54–1562.13, P < 0.001), and initial clinical presentation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS, OR: 18.77, 95% CI: 2.73–128.83, P = 0.003) while negatively correlated with stent implantation time (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.33–0.98, P = 0.043). The median follow-up was longer than 3.8 years. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) occurred in 7 (7.3%) patients while showed no correlation with PLIA. A total of 17 (17.7%) patients experienced unstable angina (UA) and showed significant correlation with PLIA (hazard ratio: 6.16, 95% CI: 1.25–30.33, P = 0.025). Conclusions: PLIA detected by OCT was positively correlated with higher serum lipid level, history of cerebrovascular disease and initial presentation of ACS, and negatively correlated with stent implantation time. Patients with PLIA were more likely to have UA than those with high-intensity while no significant difference was found in MACEs.

Background: Permanent polymer drug eluting stents (PP-DES) may induce inflammation of the vessel wall due to the existence of the polymer, which may delay intimal healing. Polymer-free DES (PF-DES) that eliminate the polymeric carrier may potentially lead to safer DES. However, the safety and efficacy of PF-DES remains controversial. Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing PF-DES with PP-DES were searched in online database including MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE) and Cochrane Library. Studies reporting late lumen loss (LLL), all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), target lesion revascularization (TLR) and late stent thrombosis (LST) were enrolled and quantitatively analyzed. Results: Ten studies enrolling 6575 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The PF-DES showed a benefit in reducing all-cause death (ORÂ =Â 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.98, PÂ =Â 0.03) and long-term LLL (weighted mean difference (WMD) â0.16Â mm, 95% CI: â0.22 to â0.11Â mm, PÂ

This paper presents a computational model for landmarks acquisition in vehicle's positioning. Considering the machine vision, visual attention mechanism of biology, feature-integration theory and the demand of navigation, the computational model is divided into two part: pre-attention state and attention state, and the detailed process includes extraction of feature points, generation of local saliency value, generation of integration saliency value and selection of attention points. At the end of the paper, the proposed computational model is realized through the simulation. What's more, the robustness of the attention points and the vehicle's positioning performance when the attention points are used as landmarks are analyzed. Simulation validates that the computational model is availability. Besides, in terms of the performance of the self-attribute and providing positioning reference, the attention points behave well.

Table S7. Differentially expressed miRNAs between two varieties (DOC 41Â kb)

Table S1. Primers for qRT-PCR analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs (DOCX 14Â kb)

Supplemental material, Supplemental_Table_1 for bHLH13 Regulates Jasmonate-Mediated Defense Responses and Growth by Huang Huang, Hua Gao, Bei Liu, Meng Fan, Jiaojiao Wang, Cuili Wang, Haixia Tian, Lanxiang Wang, Chengyuan Xie, Dewei Wu, Liangyu Liu, Jianbin Yan, Tiancong Qi and Susheng Song in Evolutionary Bioinformatics

Table S2. Primers for qRT-PCR analysis of target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs (DOC 32Â kb)

Table S6. Differentially expressed miRNAs between cold-stressed and non-stressed samples of two winter turnip rape varieties (DOC 53Â kb)

Viruses can infect host plants to cause severe diseases and substantial agricultural loss, while plants have evolved RNA interference (RNAi) strategy to defend against viral infection. Despite enormous efforts, only a few host proteins in RNAi pathway were shown to mediate antiviral defense, including RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1 (RDR1), RDR6, DICER-LIKE 2 (DCL2) and DCL4. In this study, we carried out a genetic screen for antiviral factors of RNAi pathway in Arabidopsis rdr6 background via inoculation with a 2b-deficient Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV-Δ2b). We identified a mutant susceptible to CMV-Δ2b, referred to as en hancer o f r dr6 (enor) 3-1 rdr6, and found that ENOR3 encodes a functionally unknown protein with high homology to the mammalian Non Imprinted in Prader-Willi/Angelman (NIPA) magnesium transporters. ENOR3 inhibits accumulation of CMV-Δ2b and acts additively with RDR1, RDR6, DCL2 and DCL4 in antiviral defense. These results uncover that ENOR3 is a key component in antiviral RNAi pathway, and provide new insights into antiviral immunity.

We discuss the relationship between the photon frequency used to produce a continuous variable entangled microwave signal and the signal frequency used for its measurement. We analyze the bandwidth of the continuous variable entangled microwave signal and characterize quantum fluctuations using a quantum sideband representation. The quantum fluctuations of entangled microwave signal follow a true random distribution that is similar to noise. And entangled information is reflected by quantum fluctuations. We conclude that the frequency of generated photons corresponds to the center frequency obtained after performing a Fourier transform on the measured signal, whereas the bandwidth of entangled microwave signal is infinite. Due to the high precision of the measurement from its ultra-wideband behavior, as well as the security afforded by the true randomness and non-localized quantum correlation, these entangled microwaves show significant advantages and potential application value in various fields. Keywords: Entangled microwave signal, Photon frequency, Signal frequency, Signal bandwidth

The Arabidopsis thaliana F-box protein CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1) perceives jasmonate (JA) signals and subsequently targets the Jasmonate-ZIM domain proteins (JAZs) for degradation by the SCFCOI1-26S proteasome pathway to mediate various jasmonate-regulated processes, including fertility, root growth, anthocyanin accumulation, senescence, and defense. In this study, we screened JAZ-interacting proteins from an Arabidopsis cDNA library in the yeast two-hybrid system. MYB21 and MYB24, two R2R3-MYB transcription factors, were found to interact with JAZ1, JAZ8, and JAZ11 in yeast and in planta. Genetic and physiological experiments showed that the myb21 myb24 double mutant exhibited defects specifically in pollen maturation, anther dehiscence, and filament elongation leading to male sterility. Transgenic expression of MYB21 in the coi1-1 mutant was able to rescue male fertility partially but unable to recover JA-regulated root growth inhibition, anthocyanin accumulation, and plant defense. These results demonstrate that the R2R3-MYB transcription factors MYB21 and MYB24 function as direct targets of JAZs to regulate male fertility specifically. We speculate that JAZs interact with MYB21 and MYB24 to attenuate their transcriptional function; upon perception of JA signal, COI1 recruits JAZs to the SCFCOI1 complex for ubiquitination and degradation through the 26S proteasome; MYB21 and MYB24 are then released to activate expression of various genes essential for JA-regulated anther development and filament elongation.