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Summary Corn leaf aphids (Rhopalosiphum maidis) are highly destructive pests of maize (Zea mays) that threaten growth and seed yield, but resources for aphid resistance are scarce. Here, we identified an aphid‐resistant maize mutant, resistance to aphids 1 (rta1), which is allelic to LIGULELESS1 (LG1). We confirmed LG1's role in aphid resistance using the independent allele lg1‐2, allelism tests and LG1 overexpression lines. LG1 interacts with, and increases the stability of ZINC‐FINGER PROTEIN EXPRESSED IN INFLORESCENCE MERISTEM (ZIM1), a central component of the jasmonic acid (JA) signalling pathway, by disturbing its interaction with the F‐box protein CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1a (COI1a). Natural variation in the LG1 promoter was associated with aphid resistance among inbred lines. Moreover, a loss‐of‐function mutant in the LG1‐related gene SPL8 in the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana conferred aphid resistance. This study revealed the aphid resistance mechanism of lg1, providing a theoretical basis and germplasm for breeding aphid‐resistant crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have been conducted on the effect of nonamine groups on the nanopore environment and gas adsorption/separation ability of normal spherical hyper-crosslinked resins. Here, hyper-crosslinked resins (HCP@COOH and HCP@CO), modified with a COOH-containing structure (A) and a CO-containing structure (B), were synthesized by the Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction. According to static adsorption and dynamic separation tests, different oxygen-containing groups have different impacts on the nanopore diameter and small gas adsorption/separation behavior. Structure (A), benefiting from its suitable nanoscale size, was verified to be effective in narrowing the size of nanopores to 1–2 nm and increasing the adsorption capacity of CO2, CH4, and CO, while Structure (B) seems to have a positive influence only on CH4. The uptake of CO2 and the separation ratio of CO2/CO in HCP@COOH reach 32 cm3/g and 12.2, respectively, at 298 K and 1 bar. The IAST selectivity of CH4/CO in HCP@O-1 is up to 3.4, increasing from 1.9 for HCP-1. HCP@COOH can separate syngas efficiently at ambient temperature and can be regenerated by simple vacuum operation. The interaction mechanism was also analyzed by experiments and electrostatic potential simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering is the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth and is critical for plant adaptation and reproduction. FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) plays a central role in flowering time control, and dissecting its regulation mechanism provides essential information for crop improvement. Here, we report that DECAPPING5 (DCP5), a component of processing bodies (P-bodies), regulates FLC transcription and flowering time in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). DCP5 and its interacting partner SISTER OF FCA (SSF) undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) that is mediated by their prion-like domains (PrDs). Enhancing or attenuating the LLPS of both proteins using transgenic methods greatly affects their ability to regulate FLC and flowering time. DCP5 regulates FLC transcription by modulating RNA polymerase II enrichment at the FLC locus. DCP5 requires SSF for FLC regulation, and loss of SSF or its PrD disrupts DCP5 function. Our results reveal that DCP5 interacts with SSF, and the nuclear DCP5–SSF complex regulates FLC expression at the transcriptional level. The P-body component DCP5 regulates FLC transcription and is dependent on SSF in Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Plant secondary metabolites and their modified derivatives play an important role in the discovery and development of novel insecticides. The natural plant product (3E)‐4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nontriene (DMNT) has been proven to be able to effectively repel and kill the lepidopteran insect pest Plutella xylostella. RESULTS: In this study, four oxygenated derivatives of DMNT were synthesized by allylic hydroxylation and subsequent etherification or esterification. Bioassays on P. xylostella larvae showed that the compounds DMNT‐OCH3 (2), DMNT‐OCy (3) and DMNT‐OAc (4) were more toxic to the larvae than DMNT alone. The most pronounced effect was observed for compound 2, which showed a 22.23% increase in lethality at a concentration of 0.25 μm. Moreover, the peritrophic matrix (PM) barrier in the insect midgut was more severely damaged by compounds 2, 3 and 4 than by DMNT. The median lethal concentration (LC50, 48 h) of compounds 2, 3 and 4 on P. xylostella was determined to be 0.98, 1.13 and 1.11 mg mL−1, respectively, which is much lower than the commercial insecticides eucalyptol (2.89 mg mL−1) and thymol (2.45 mg mL−1). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that oxygenated DMNT derivatives offer a significantly improved killing effect over DMNT on P. xylostella. This work has provided a basis for further design, structural modification and development of DMNT as botanical insecticides. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corn leaf aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis) is a major maize pest that frequently causes substantial yield losses. Exploring the genetic basis of resistance to aphids is important for improving maize yield and quality. Here, we used a maize recombinant inbred line population derived from two parents with different susceptibility to aphids, B73 (susceptible) and Abe2 (resistant), and performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using aphid resistance scores as an indicator. We mapped a stable QTL, qRTA6 , to chromosome 6 using data from 2 years of field trials, which explained 40.12–55.17% of the phenotypic variation. To further investigate the mechanism of aphid resistance in Abe2, we constructed transcriptome and metabolome libraries from Abe2 and B73 leaves with or without aphid infestation at different time points. Integrating QTL mapping and transcriptome data revealed three aphid resistance candidate genes (Zm00001d035736, Zm00001d035751, and Zm00001d035767) associated with the hypersensitive response, the jasmonic acid pathway, and protein ubiquitination. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes and metabolites were enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis. These findings extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling aphid resistance in maize, and the QTL and candidate genes are valuable resources for increasing this resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine coronavirus that causes severe diarrhea to pigs of all ages, especially the suckling piglets under one-week-old. We previously isolated a highly pathogenic PDCoV strain, CZ2020, from a diarrheal piglet and have passaged it for over 100 passages. The adaptability of the CZ2020 increased gradually in vitro as the passage increased. Amino acid mutations were observed in pp1a, pp1ab, spike, envelop, and membrane proteins, and the spike protein accounts for 66.7% of all amino acid mutations. Then, the high passage strains, CZ2020-F80 and CZ2020-F100, were selected for evaluation of the pathogenicity in three-day-old piglets to examine whether these amino acid changes affected their virulence. At 2 days postchallenge (DPC), 2/5 piglets started to show typical diarrhea, and at 4 DPC, severe diarrhea was observed in the CZ2020-challenged piglets. Viral RNA could be detected at 1 DPC in rectal swabs and reached its highest at 4 DPC in the CZ2020-challenged group. CZ2020-F80- and CZ2020-F100-challenged groups have one piglet exhibiting mild diarrhea at 4 and 6 DPC, respectively. Compared with the CZ2020-challenged group, the piglets in CZ2020-F80- and F100-challenged groups had lower viral loads in rectal swabs, intestines, and other organs. No obvious histopathological lesions were observed in the intestines of CZ2020-F80- and F100-challenged piglets. Virulent PDCoV infection could also induce strong interferons and proinflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo. These data indicate that the strains, CZ2020-F80 and CZ2020-F100, were significantly attenuated via serial passaging in vitro and have the potential for developing attenuated vaccine candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lepidopteran crop pest Plutella xylostella causes severe constraints on Brassica cultivation. Here, we report a novel role for RPX1 (resistance to P. xylostella) in resistance to this pest in Arabidopsis thaliana. The rpx1‐1 mutant repels P. xylostella larvae, and feeding on the rpx1‐1 mutant severely damages the peritrophic matrix structure in the midgut of the larvae, thereby negatively affecting larval growth and pupation. This resistance results from the accumulation of defence compounds, including the homoterpene (3E)−4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nonatriene (DMNT), due to the upregulation of PENTACYCLIC TRITERPENE SYNTHASE 1 (PEN1), which encodes a key DMNT biosynthetic enzyme. P. xylostella infestation and wounding induce RPX1 protein degradation, which may confer a rapid response to insect infestation. RPX1 inactivation and PEN1 overexpression are not associated with negative trade‐offs for plant growth but have much higher seed production than the wild‐type in the presence of P. xylostella infestation. This study offers a new strategy for plant molecular breeding against P. xylostella. Summary statement: Plutella xylostella pests show severely negative influence on plant growth and reproduction, and the identification of resistant genes is essential. This study reveals that inactivation of RPX1 confers significant resistance to the pest by enhancing PEN1 expression and accumulating the homoterpene DMNT in Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four nonfluorinated and fluorinated nanoporous polymers [PAN-5H, PAN-5F, PAN-2F, and PAN-2-(CF3)] were synthesized from a triazine-based tetramine with benzaldehyde, pentafluorobenzaldehyde, 3,5-difluorobenzaldehyde, and 3,5-bis-(trifluoromethyl)-benzaldehyde, respectively. It is interestingly found that the porosity parameters and selective adsorptions of CO2 and light hydrocarbons strongly depend not only on the number and kind of fluorine atoms and fluorinated groups, but also on the substituted position on the phenyl rings in the fluorinated porous polymers. Relative to PAN-5H and PAN-5F, PAN-2F, and PAN-2-(CF3) with phenyls meta-substituted by two fluorinated groups exhibit considerably increased BET surface areas from 502 to 1269 m2/g. At 298 K and 1 bar, the uptakes of C3H8, C2H6, and C2H4 in PAN-2F reach 4.62, 3.64, and 3.20 mmol/g, respectively, whereas PAN-5F exhibits the highest adsorption selectivities of C3H8/CH4 (372.3), C3H8/CO2 (33.2), C2H6/CH4 (21.8), C3H8/C2H6 (9.4), and CO2/CH4 (7.1) among the four polymers. The dynamic breakthrough experiments demonstrate that the mixed gases of C2H6/C2H4, C3H8/CH4, C2H6/CH4, and CO2/CH4 can be separated by the fluorinated polymers under ambient condition. The achieved results are significant for understanding the effects of fluorine-functionalization on the separation of ethylene and CO2 from light hydrocarbons in nanoporous polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease is an emerging infection caused by a novel coronavirus that is moving rapidly. High resolution computed tomography (CT) allows objective evaluation of the lung lesions, thus enabling us to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease. With serial CT examinations, the occurrence, development, and prognosis of the disease can be better understood. The imaging can be sorted into four phases: early phase, progressive phase, severe phase, and dissipative phase. The CT appearance of each phase and temporal progression of the imaging findings are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: A series of hypercrosslinked resins were synthesized by controlling the reaction conditions of the Friedel–Crafts reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene‐co‐divinylbenzene (St‐DVB‐Cl), which realized reasonable adjustment of pore structure, surface area and other physical properties. Based on this, a new N,O modified hypercrosslinked resin (St‐DVB‐NB‐AC2O) was successfully prepared by the innovative nitration system, and the adsorption behavior of St‐DVB‐NB‐AC2O was studied under different conditions. The adsorption mechanism between adsorbent and adsorbate was explained by frontier orbital theory and density functional theory. RESULTS: The adsorption capacity of polyphenols on the optimal hypercrosslinked resin (St‐DVB‐NB‐5) was 16.67% higher than that of the optimal commercial resin NDA150. Compared with St‐DVB‐NB‐5, the adsorption increment of hydroxyphenol on St‐DVB‐NB‐AC2O was 31.42%, which was 1.51–8.36 times higher than commercial materials. The Freundlich model was the most suitable for fitting the equilibrium data. However, the pseudo‐first‐/second‐order rate equation was more appropriate for characterizing the kinetic data, suggesting that the adsorption process might be concerned with a physical reaction. CONCLUSION: The fundamental reason for the large adsorption capacity and fast adsorption rate of St‐DVB‐NB‐AC2O is its strong physical structure and chemical surface properties, which provided improved guidance for the harmless and resource‐based treatment of phenolic wastewaters. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel L-malic acid modified hyper-cross-linked resins were synthesized from macroporous chloromethylated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer by Fridel–Crafts reaction and esterification reaction. The adsorption behavior of the resin toward p-aminobenzoic acid was investigated from aqueous solution. KZ-3 displayed the most outstanding adsorption capacity due to its proper surface structure and higher functional group utilization rate. Subsequently, the adsorption kinetic of p-aminobenzoic acid onto precursor resin Z-3, modified resin KZ-3 and commercially available polymeric adsorbent H-103 was compared. The result demonstrated that KZ-3 had the optimal adsorption capacity because of its hydrogen bonding driving force and hydrophilicity enhancement which brought by oxygen-containing functional groups. Especially, KZ-3 is 3 times higher than the precursor resin in terms of adsorption rate. Kinetic curves could be characterized by pseudo-second-order rate equation and both the intra-particle diffusion and the film diffusion were the rate-limiting steps. The isotherms could be fitted by Langmuir model and the adsorption was an exothermic, spontaneous and more ordered arrangement process due to its negative thermodynamic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcone synthase (CHS) is the pivotal enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step of the phenylpropanoid pathway leading to flavonoids. Here, five CHS genes were determined in mulberry ( Morus atropurpurea Roxb.). Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis tended to group three MaCHSs in the stilbene synthase (STS) family and initially annotated these as MaSTSs. A co-expression system that harbored a 4-coumarate:CoA ligase gene and one of the candidate genes was established to determine the functions of this novel gene family. The fermentation result demonstrated that MaSTS in fact encoded a CHS enzyme, and was consequently retermed MaCHS . Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that MaCHS1 / MaCHS2 was highly abundant in fruit, and MaCHS4 had significant expression in root bark, stem bark and old leaves, while MaCHS3 and MaCHS5 were more expressed in old leaves. Subcellular localization experiments showed that MaCHS was localized to the cytoplasm. Transcription levels suggested MaCHS genes were involved in a series of defense responses. Over-expression of MaCHS in transgenic tobacco modified the metabolite profile, and resulted in elevated tolerance to a series of environmental stresses. This study comprehensively evaluated the function of MaCHS genes and laid the foundation for future research on MaCHS in mulberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although ethylene is well known as an essential regulator of fruit development, little work has examined the role ethylene plays in the development and maturation of mulberry (Morus L.) fruit. To study the mechanism of ethylene action during fruit development in this species, we measured the ethylene production, fruit firmness, and soluble solids content (SSC) during fruit development and harvest. By comparing the results with those from other climacteric fruit, we concluded that Morus fruit are probably climacteric. Genes associated with the ethylene signal transduction pathway of Morus were characterized from M. notabilis Genome Database, including four ethylene receptor genes, a EIN2-like gene, a CTR1-like gene, four EIN3-like genes, and a RTE1-like gene. The expression patterns of these genes were analyzed in the fruit of M. atropurpurea cv. Jialing No.40. During fruit development, transcript levels of MaETR2, MaERS, MaEIN4, MaRTE, and MaCTR1 were lower at the early stages and higher after 26 days after full bloom (DAF), while MaETR1, MaEIL1, MaEIL2, and MaEIL3 remained constant. In ripening fruit, the transcripts of MaACO1 and MaACS3 increased, while MaACS1 and MaACO2 decreased after harvest. The transcripts of MaACO1, MaACO2, and MaACS3 were inhibited by ethylene, and 1-MCP (1–methylcyclopropene) upregulated MaACS3. The transcripts of the MaETR-like genes, MaRTE, and MaCTR1 were inhibited by ethylene and 1-MCP, suggesting that ethylene may accelerate the decline of MaETRs transcripts. No significant changes in the expression of MaEIN2, MaEIL1, and MaEIL3 were observed during ripening or in response to ethylene, while the expressions of MaEIL2 and MaEIL4 increased rapidly after 24 h after harvest (HAH) and were upregulated by ethylene. The present study provides insights into ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction in Morus plants and lays a foundation for the further understanding of the mechanisms underlying Morus fruit development and ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT During their co‐evolution with herbivorous insects, plants have developed multiple defense strategies that resist pests, such as releasing a blend of herbivory‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that repel pests or recruit their natural enemies. However, the responses of insects to HIPVs in maize (Zea mays L.) are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that the Asian corn borer (ACB, Ostrinia furnacalis), a major insect pest of maize, shows a preference for maize pre‐infested with ACB larvae rather than being repelled by these plants. Through combined transcriptomic and metabolomics analysis of ACB‐infested maize seedlings, we identified two substances that explain this behavior: (E)‐4,8‐dimethylnona‐1,3,7‐triene (DMNT) and (3E,7E)‐4,8,12‐trimethyltrideca‐1,3,7,11‐tetraene (TMTT). DMNT and TMTT attracted ACB larvae, and knocking out the maize genes responsible for their biosynthesis via gene editing impaired this attraction. External supplementation with DMNT/TMTT hampered the larvae's ability to locate pre‐infested maize. These findings uncover a novel role for DMNT and TMTT in driving the behavior of ACB. Genetic modification of maize to make it less detectable by ACB might be an effective strategy for developing maize germplasm resistant to ACB and for managing this pest effectively in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cellulase gene ( KJ700939 , CsCelA ) from Ciboria shiraiana that is highly expressed during the infection of mulberry fruit was screened by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Using cDNA isolated from infected mulberry fruits as template, the full-length 1170-bp sequence of CsCelA was obtained, which encodes a 390-amino acid protein with a putative signal peptide of 24 amino acids. The 998-bp fragment encoding the mature peptide of CsCelA was cloned into the multiple cloning site of the pPIC9K vector and overexpressed as an active protein of 55.3 kDa in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris . The specific activity of induced supernatants of the recombinant cellulase (CsCelA) was 17.44 U/ml and 135 U/g for freeze-dried powder. The K max and V max of CsCelA for sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) were 4.6 mg/ml and 107.2 U/mg, respectively. The supernatant and freeze-dried powder of the recombinant cellulase exhibited stable activity from pH 4.0 to 9.0, and at temperatures ranging from 30 °C to 55 °C. Finally, the activity of the recombinant cellulase was assessed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the cell walls of mulberry leaves. CsCelA showed an endo-cellulase mode of cleavage, as assessed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pressure drops are measured on different nozzles of various pipe sizes in dense phase pulverized coal pneumatic conveying. From the experimental results, we conclude that the effect of the gas phase nozzle pressure drop is negligible when comparing with the solid phase pressure drop in the experimental range. The main influence factors contributing to the nozzle pressure drop are gas and solid mass flow rate, solids loading ratio, and the diameters of the nozzle inlet and outlet. A new model was developed to predict the nozzle pressure drop in dense phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal based on the Barth''s pneumatic conveying theory. The pressure drop predictions from the model are in good agreement with the experimental values. The model quantified the important influence factors of the nozzle pressure drop. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of computed tomography (CT) and real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) for COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with COVID-19 pneumonia suspicion, who were examined by both CT and rRT-PCR at initial presentation. The sensitivities of both tests were then compared. For patients with a final confirmed diagnosis, clinical and laboratory data, in addition to CT imaging findings were evaluated.Results: A total of 36 patients were finally diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. Thirty-five patients had abnormal CT findings at presentation, whereas one patient had a normal CT. Using rRT-PCR, 30 patients were tested positive, with 6 cases initially missed. Amongst these 6 patients, 3 became positive in the second rRT-PCR assay(after 2 days, 2 days and 3 days respectively), and the other 3 became positive only in the third round of rRT-PCR tests(after 5 days, 6 days and 8 days respectively). At presentation, CT sensitivity was therefore 97.2%, whereas the sensitivity of initial rRT-PCR was only 83.3%.Conclusion: rRT-PCR may produce initial false negative results. We suggest that patients with typical CT findings but negative rRT-PCR results should be isolated, and rRT-PCR should be repeated to avoid misdiagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerization confined to the pore was first adapted for the nanoscale structure adjustment of adsorption resin. The self-cross-linked polymer (P-1) formed in the pore of hyper-cross-linked resin (HR) by the Friedel-Crafts reaction of p-dichloroxylene (p-DCX), occupying the macropore of the HR resin and bringing about an external micropore. Compared with the raw HR resin, the volume of the micropore of HR@P-1 in 0.4 < D < 1 nm increased but the volume of the macropore has obviously decreased. After the loading of P-1 in the nanopore of HR, HR@P-1 has better gas adsorption performance. At 298 and 100 KPa, the adsorption capacity of CO 2 is almost 30% higher than that of HR, reaching 35.7 cm 3 /g, due to the increase in the smaller micropore volume. Moreover, HR@P-1 has also been found to be the first C 2 H 6 -selective adsorption resin. The uptake of C 2 H 6 is up to 56 cm 3 /g, and the IAST selectivity of C 2 H 6 /CH 4 reaches 15.3. HR@P-1 can also separate syngas efficiently at ambient temperature and be regenerated by simple vacuum operation.

Importance: Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) caused by PED virus (PEDV) remains a big threat to the swine industry worldwide. Vaccination with live attenuated vaccine is a promising method to prevent and control PED, because it can elicit a more protective immunity than the killed vaccine, subunit vaccine, and so on. In this study, we found two obvious deletions in the genome of a high passage of AH2012/12. We further confirmed the second deletion which contains seven amino acids at the carboxy-terminus of the S2 gene and the start codon of ORF3 can reduce its pathogenicity in vivo . Animal experiments indicated that the recombinant PEDV with deleted carboxy-terminus of S gene showed higher IgG, IgA, neutralization antibodies, and protection effects against virus challenge than the killed vaccine. These data reveal that the engineering of the carboxy-terminus of the S2 gene may be a promising method to develop live attenuated vaccine candidates of PEDV., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is vital in regulating root elongation, seed germination, and abiotic stress responses in plants. Conversely, the mechanisms of ABA in mulberry root growth, seed germination, and abiotic stress responses are poorly understood. Here, we reported that exogenous ABA and drought treatment inhibited the growth of mulberry seedlings but significantly increased the ratio of root/stem. Inhibition of ABA synthesis by fluridone and sodium tungstate resulted in the decrease of root/stem ratio. We also showed that the expression of MaNCED1 in the root was strongly induced by drought and salt stress. Increasing the expression of MaNCED1 in tobacco using overexpression leads to increased root elongation and reduced seed germination. Compared with the wild type, the accumulation of H 2 O 2 and MDA was reduced, while the POD activity and proline content was increased in the transgenic plants after drought and salt treatment. Further studies revealed increased resistance to drought and salt stress in MaNCED1 overexpressed tobaccos. Meanwhile, the auxin and ethylene signal pathway-related gene expression levels increased in MaNCED1 overexpressed tobaccos. This study demonstrated the roles of mulberry MaNCED1 in regulating plant development and abiotic stress responses. It gave further insights into the coordinated regulation of ABA, auxin, and ethylene in seed growth and germination., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhu, Li, Fan, Xia, Li, Wang and Zhao.)

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious intestinal infectious disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Large-scale outbreaks of PEDV have caused huge economic losses to the pig industry since 2010. Neutralizing antibodies play a pivotal role in protecting piglets from enteric infections. However, there has been no systematic report on the correlations between neutralizing antibody titers (NTs) and absorbance values of IgG or IgA to all PEDV individual structural proteins in clinical serum, fecal, and colostrum samples. In this study, the spike protein S1 domain (S1), membrane protein (M), envelope protein (E), and nucleocapsid protein (N) of the variant PEDV strain AH2012/12 were expressed and purified by using the human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293F expression system. A total of 92 clinical serum samples, 46 fecal samples, and 33 colostrum samples were collected, and the correlations between IgG or IgA absorbance values and NTs were analyzed. R 2 values revealed that anti-S1 IgA absorbance values show the highest agreement with NTs in all serum, fecal, and colostrum samples, followed by the N protein. The correlations between anti-E or M IgA and NTs were very low. However, in the colostrum samples, both IgG and IgA to S1 showed high correlations with NTs. In addition, compared with E and M, the highest correlations of IgA absorbance values were with N and S1 in serum and fecal samples. Overall, this study revealed the highest correlation between NTs and IgA to PEDV S1 protein. Therefore, the diagnostic method with anti-S1 IgA can be used as a powerful tool for assessing the immune status of pigs. IMPORTANCE The humoral immune response plays an important role in virus neutralization. Against PEDV, both IgG and the mucosal immune component IgA play roles in virus neutralization. However, which plays a more prominent role and whether there are differences in different tissue samples are not clearly reported. Additionally, the relationship between IgG and IgA against individual structural proteins and viral neutralization remains unclear. In this study, we systematically determined the relationship between IgG and IgA against all PEDV structural proteins and viral neutralization in different clinical samples and found the highest correlation between neutralization activity and IgA to PEDV S1 protein. Our data have important guiding implications in the evaluation of immune protection., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

We describe a method to test the preference of insects in response to (3E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT). We use a device that includes a horizontal glass tube, two grooves (with activated carbon), air flow, rubber stoppers/tubes, transparent glass containers (optional), and a holder for the glass tube (optional). Equal amounts of activated carbon in the groove (removable) are placed at both ends to avoid air contamination. The air flow is generated by an air pump. In the closed device, different samples are placed at each end of the glass tube. The air pump at the top of the glass tube forms an air flow that converges to the middle site of the glass tube. In each test, insect larvae are located in the middle of the glass test tube. If the test samples release DMNT that can be sensed by insects, the insects will selectively move to one specific end of the glass tube. The number of insects that move to each end will be recorded for further studies. This method can also be used to test the preference of insects in response to other volatile compounds., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © The Authors; exclusive licensee Bio-protocol LLC.)

Ratioanle: Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (IDCS) is a rare sarcoma that originates from interdigitating dendritic cells in lymphoid tissue, the imaging characteristics of which are poorly defined. Pathological examination can identify the tumor, but reports on the imaging characteristics of IDCS are limited., Patient Concerns: Here, we report a case of IDCS in a 48-year-old female involving the retroperitoneal area. The patient had a lumbar mass on her right lower back for 4 years, and which started increasing in size 1 year before., Diagnoses: An irregular soft tissue mass (10.1cm × 8.5 cm in size) in the right lower back of retroperitoneum was detected by CT examination with unclear borders, uneven density, and necrosis. The solid components of the mass were significantly enhanced on postcontrast imaging. The soft tissue was irregular and uneven. Cystic solid masses were observed on MRI examination in the right retroperitoneum, lateral abdominal wall, waist, and back. Necrosis, hemorrhage, and cystic transformation were observed inside the lesion. The cyst wall, separation, and wall nodules were significantly enhanced on the postcontrast image. No distant metastasis was observed. Postoperative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of IDCS., Interventions: The patient underwent surgical resection. The resected margin was positive, and the patient received adjuvant radiotherapy 2 months after the surgery., Outcomes: Twelve months after radiotherapy, the patient's chest CT showed multiple metastases in both lungs. The patient was started on combination chemotherapy of doxorubicin and ifosfamide, and the follow-up is still ongoing., Lessons: Imaging provides a unique advantage to determine the extent of the IDCS, the invasion of adjacent tissues, and the presence or absence of distant metastases., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Insect pests negatively affect crop quality and yield; identifying new methods to protect crops against insects therefore has important agricultural applications. Our analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants showed that overexpression of pentacyclic triterpene synthase 1 , encoding the key biosynthetic enzyme for the natural plant product (3E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT), led to a significant resistance against a major insect pest, Plutella xylostella . DMNT treatment severely damaged the peritrophic matrix (PM), a physical barrier isolating food and pathogens from the midgut wall cells. DMNT repressed the expression of PxMucin in midgut cells, and knocking down PxMucin resulted in PM rupture and P. xylostella death. A 16S RNA survey revealed that DMNT significantly disrupted midgut microbiota populations and that midgut microbes were essential for DMNT-induced killing. Therefore, we propose that the midgut microbiota assists DMNT in killing P. xylostella . These findings may provide a novel approach for plant protection against P. xylostella ., Competing Interests: CC, HC, SH, TJ, CW, ZT, CH, QT, PL No competing interests declared, (© 2021, Chen et al.)

Ethylene regulates plant abiotic stress responses and tolerances, and ethylene-insensitive3 (EIN3)/EIN3-like (EIL) proteins are the key components of ethylene signal transduction. Although the functions of EIN3/EIL proteins in response to abiotic stresses have been investigated in model plants, little is known in non-model plants, including mulberry ( Morus L.), which is an economically important perennial woody plant. We functionally characterized a gene encoding an EIN3-like protein from mulberry, designated as MnEIL3 . A quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression of MnEIL3 could be induced in roots and shoot by salt and drought stresses. Arabidopsis overexpressing MnEIL3 exhibited an enhanced tolerance to salt and drought stresses. MnEIL3 overexpression in Arabidopsis significantly upregulated the transcript abundances of ethylene biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, MnEIL3 enhanced the activities of the MnACO1 and MnACS1 promoters, which respond to salt and drought stresses. Thus, MnEIL3 may play important roles in tolerance to abiotic stresses and the expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

In the present study, a series of hypercrosslinked resins (CH series) was prepared in systematically designed conditions for the adsorption of nitroaromatics from aqueous solution. The newly synthesized CH-10 possesses a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area up to 1,329.3 m 2 /g which is larger than that of the widely used hypercrosslinked resin H-103 and it exhibits great advantage over H-103 when subjected to nitrobenzene at low concentrations. The adsorption capacity of CH-10 for nitrobenzene is 1.4 times as much as that of H-103 at the concentration of 100 mg/L. Kinetic study by film diffusion model and intra-particle diffusion model revealed that its distinctive mesoporous structure within pore diameters between 2 and 6 nm played significant role in the mass transfer at low concentrations, and these unique mesopores also resulted in better adsorption capacity, which was confirmed by adsorption thermodynamics study. Moreover, the CH series displayed a good affinity to a wide scope of nitroaromatics and exhibited excellent dynamic adsorption and desorption properties in fixed bed.

Objective: We studied the biological and the epidemiological characteristics of the pathogen of hypertrophy sorosis scleroteniosis, which is a devastating fungal disease of mulberry., Methods: We studied the asexual and sexual reproductive phase stages of C. shiraiana, including the infection ability of hyphal, dormancy of sclerotia, the structures, release, number and germination of ascospores from apothecia, as well as the phenology of sclerotial germination., Results: In C. shiraiana, hyphae had no infection ability toward the female flowers of mulberry. Sclerotia of C. shiraiana must undergo cold treatment above 6 weeks, then the dormancy-breaking sclerotia could germinate to apothecia. One to fifteen apothecia were germinated from one sclerotium, and the number of ascospores in a 1.5 cm diameter apothecia could contain up to (5.6-6.3)×107. Ascospore C. shiraiana had significantly higher germination rates in acid than in neutral and alkaline environments. From late January to middle April, sclerotia germinated to apothecia, and got the highest value in the middle of March., Conclusion: C. shiraiana is a formidable pathogen to cause epidemic disease and damage in mulberry.

Endometrial endometrioid carcinomas (EECs) account for >80% of endometrial carcinomas (ECs). Continuous stimulation of the endometrium by estrogen is a risk factor for the tumorigenesis of estrogen receptor (ER) α-positive EEC. MicroRNA-22 (miR-22) has been reported to be implicated in the regulation of various types of cancer and directly targets ERα. However, an exact regulatory mechanism between miR-22 and ERα in EEC has yet to be investigated. To the best of our knowledge, the present study demonstrated for the first time that the expression of miR-22 was significantly downregulated in ERα-positive EEC tissues and cell lines, RL95-2 and Ishikawa, when compared with that in normal endometrium and ERα-negative EEC samples. This indicated that miR-22 may be important in ERα-positive EEC, possibly through an estrogen-dependent mechanism. miR-22 mimics were then transfected into RL95-2 and Ishikawa cells, respectively, and revealed that the introduction of miR-22 markedly downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of ERα. Further investigation demonstrated that miR-22 was able to effectively reverse 17β-estradiol (E2)‑induced cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and invasion of ERα-positive RL95-2 and Ishikawa cells, at least partially through inhibiting the expression of Cyclin D1 as well as the secretion of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. In conclusion, the present study, to the best of our knowledge, was the first to reveal an inhibitory role of miR-22 in ERα-positive EEC tissues and cells, indicating that miR-22 may be a novel candidate for the endocrine therapy of ERα-positive EEC.