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BackgroundMoso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is a well-known bamboo species of high economic value in the textile industry due to its rapid growth. Phytohormones, which are master regulators of growth and development, serve as important endogenous signals. However, the mechanisms through which phytohormones regulate growth in moso bamboo remain unknown to date.ResultsHere, we reported that exogenous gibberellins (GA) applications resulted in a significantly increased internode length and lignin condensation. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that photosynthesis-related genes were enriched in the GA-repressed gene class, which was consistent with the decrease in leaf chlorophyll concentrations and the lower rate of photosynthesis following GA treatment. Exogenous GA applications on seedlings are relatively easy to perform, thus we used 4-week-old whole seedlings of bamboo for GA- treatment followed by high throughput sequencing. In this study, we identified 932 cis-nature antisense transcripts (cis-NATs), and 22,196 alternative splicing (AS) events in total. Among them, 42 cis-nature antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) and 442 AS events were differentially expressed upon exposure to exogenous GA3, suggesting that post-transcriptional regulation might be also involved in the GA3 response. Targets of differential expression of cis-NATs included genes involved in hormone receptor, photosynthesis and cell wall biogenesis. For example, LAC4 and its corresponding cis-NATs were GA3-induced, and may be involved in the accumulation of lignin, thus affecting cell wall composition.ConclusionsThis study provides novel insights illustrating how GA alters post-transcriptional regulation and will shed light on the underlying mechanism of growth modulated by GA in moso bamboo.

In order to understand the enhancement mechanism of the interaction between functionalised carbon nanotubes and polymer matrix, and to investigate the effects of different functionalised carbon nanotubes on the properties of composites at the microscopic level, the models of pure polyurethane (PUR), carbon nanotubes/polyurethane (CNTs/PUR), hydroxyl-functionalised carbon nanotubes/polyurethane (CNTOH/PUR), and carboxyl-functionalised carbon nanotubes/polyurethane (CNTCOOH/PUR) systems were constructed, and molecular dynamics methods were used to simulate the effects of different functionalised carbon nanotubes on the mechanical properties of polyurethane composite systems. The effects of different functionalised carbon nanotubes on the properties of PUR composite systems were compared by analysing the properties of PUR and its composite systems in terms of free volume fraction (FFV), radial distribution function (RDF), binding energy, and density distribution of PUR around different functionalised carbon nanotubes. The effects of intermolecular interactions on the properties of the composite systems were elucidated at the microscopic level. The final simulation results show that the CNTCOOH/PUR composite system with added carboxylated CNTs has the highest tensile yield strength, compressive properties and modulus; the smallest free volume fraction; the strongest bonding energy between CNTCOOH and PUR matrix, the largest density distribution of PUR matrix around CNTCOOH, and the best interfacial interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyra umbilicalis (laver) belongs to an ancient group of red algae (Bangiophyceae), is harvested for human food, and thrives in the harsh conditions of the upper intertidal zone. Here we present the 87.7-Mbp haploid Porphyra genome (65.8% G + C content, 13,125 gene loci) and elucidate traits that inform our understanding of the biology of red algae as one of the few multicellular eukaryotic lineages. Novel features of the Porphyra genome shared by other red algae relate to the cytoskeleton, calcium signaling, the cell cycle, and stress-tolerance mechanisms including photoprotection. Cytoskeletal motor proteins in Porphyra are restricted to a small set of kinesins that appear to be the only universal cytoskeletal motors within the red algae. Dynein motors are absent, and most red algae, including Porphyra, lack myosin. This surprisingly minimal cytoskeleton offers a potential explanation for why red algal cells and multicellular structures are more limited in size than in most multicellular lineages. Additional discoveries further relating to the stress tolerance of bangiophytes include ancestral enzymes for sulfation of the hydrophilic galactan-rich cell wall, evidence for mannan synthesis that originated before the divergence of green and red algae, and a high capacity for nutrient uptake. Our analyses provide a comprehensive understanding of the red algae, which are both commercially important and have played a major role in the evolution of other algal groups through secondary endosymbioses.

Genetic studies have shown essential functions of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification in plants. However, the proteins and sites subject to this posttranslational modification are largely unknown. Here, we report a large-scale proteomic identification of O-GlcNAc-modified proteins and sites in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana Using lectin weak affinity chromatography to enrich modified peptides, followed by mass spectrometry, we identified 971 O-GlcNAc-modified peptides belonging to 262 proteins. The modified proteins are involved in cellular regulatory processes, including transcription, translation, epigenetic gene regulation, and signal transduction. Many proteins have functions in developmental and physiological processes specific to plants, such as hormone responses and flower development. Mass spectrometric analysis of phosphopeptides from the same samples showed that a large number of peptides could be modified by either O-GlcNAcylation or phosphorylation, but cooccurrence of the two modifications in the same peptide molecule was rare. Our study generates a snapshot of the O-GlcNAc modification landscape in plants, indicating functions in many cellular regulation pathways and providing a powerful resource for further dissecting these functions at the molecular level.

In recent years, with the accelerated development of technology towards automation and intelligence, autonomous decision-making capabilities in unmanned systems are poised to play a crucial role in contemporary aerial two-player zero-sum games (TZSGs). Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) methods enable agents to make autonomous manoeuvring decisions. This paper focuses on current mainstream DRL algorithms based on fundamental tactical manoeuvres, selecting a typical aerial TZSG scenario—within visual range (WVR) combat. We model the key elements influencing the game using a Markov decision process (MDP) and demonstrate the mathematical foundation for implementing DRL. Leveraging high-fidelity simulation software (Warsim v1.0), we design a prototypical close-range aerial combat scenario. Utilizing this environment, we train mainstream DRL algorithms and analyse the training outcomes. The effectiveness of these algorithms in enabling agents to manoeuvre in aerial TZSG autonomously is summarised, providing a foundational basis for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of the economy, people are increasingly reliant on energy sources. However, in recent years, the energy crisis has gradually intensified. As a clean energy source, methane has garnered widespread attention for its development and utilization. This study employed both large-scale computational screening and machine learning to investigate the adsorption and diffusion properties of thousands of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in six gas binary mixtures of CH4 (H2/CH4, N2/CH4, O2/CH4, CO2/CH4, H2S/CH4, He/CH4) for methane purification. Firstly, a univariate analysis was conducted to discuss the relationships between the performance indicators of adsorbents and their characteristic descriptors. Subsequently, four machine learning methods were utilized to predict the diffusivity/selectivity of gas, with the light gradient boosting machine (LGBM) algorithm emerging as the optimal one, yielding R2 values of 0.954 for the diffusivity and 0.931 for the selectivity. Furthermore, the LGBM algorithm was combined with the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) technique to quantitatively analyze the relative importance of each MOF descriptor, revealing that the pore limiting diameter (PLD) was the most critical structural descriptor affecting molecular diffusivity. Finally, for each system of CH4 mixture, three high-performance MOFs were identified, and the commonalities among high-performance MOFs were analyzed, leading to the proposals of three design principles involving changes only to the metal centers, organic linkers, or topological structures. Thus, this work reveals microscopic insights into the separation mechanisms of CH4 from different binary mixtures in MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate dysregulated metabolic pathways and identify diagnostic and therapeutic targets in patients with tuberculosis-diabetes (TB-DM). Methods: In our prospective cohort study, plasma samples were collected from healthy individuals, diabetic (DM) patients, untreated TB-only (TB-0)/TB-DM patients (TB-DM-0), and cured TB (TB-6)/TB-DM patients (TB-DM-6) to measure the levels of amino acids, fatty acids, and other metabolites in plasma using high-throughput targeted quantification methods. Results: Significantly different biological processes and biomarkers were identified in DM, TB-DM-0, and TB-DM-6 patients. Moreover, quinolinic acid (QA) showed excellent predictive accuracy for distinguishing between DM patients and TB-DM-0 patients, with an AUC of 1 (95% CI 1– 1). When differentiating between TB-DM-0 patients and TB-DM-6 patients, the AUC was 0.9297 (95% CI 0.8460– 1). Compared to those in DM patients, the QA levels were significantly elevated in TB-DM-0 patients and decreased significantly after antituberculosis treatment. We simultaneously compared healthy controls and untreated tuberculosis patients and detected an increase in the level of QA in the plasma of tuberculosis patients, which decreased following treatment. Conclusion: These findings improve the current understanding of tuberculosis treatment in patients with diabetes. QA may serve as an ideal diagnostic biomarker for TB-DM patients and contribute to the development of more effective treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolic syndrome (PICS) are the main causes of poor outcomes in patients transferred out of ICU. Hyaluronic acid has a potential function to alleviate PICS, and, as a widely accepted food additive, HA can be consumed through food products such as dairy products, greatly increasing patient medical compliance. This study evaluated the remission effect of PICS model mice after oral administration of HA with different molecular weights. The results showed a nonlinear relationship between HA molecular weight and its effect of intervention with symptoms in PICS mice and the high molecular weight HA (HMW-HA) was more effective in relieving symptoms in PICS model mice. Therefore, we believe that HMW-HA can be used to prepare functional foods for the purpose of intervening with PICS disease. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a new functional food additive which has the potential to ameliorate persistent inflammation, immunosuppression and catabolism syndrome (PICS), but the biological effects of HA with various molecular weights differ dramatically. To systematically investigate the efficacy of HA in altering PICS symptoms, medium-molecular-weight (MMW) HA was specifically selected to test its intervention effect on a PICS mouse model induced by CLP through oral administration, with high-molecular-weight (HMW) and low-molecular-weight (LMW) HA also participating in the experimental validation process. The results of pathological observations and gut flora showed that MMW HA rapidly alleviated lung lesions and intestinal structural changes in PICS mice in the short term. However, although long-term MMW HA administration significantly reduced the proportions of harmful bacteria in gut flora, inflammatory responses in the intestines and lungs of PICS mice were significantly higher in the MMW HA group than in the HMW HA and LMW HA groups. The use of HMW HA not only rapidly reduced the mortality rate of PICS mice but also improved their grip strength and the recovery of spleen and thymus indices. Furthermore, it consistently promoted the recovery of lung and intestinal tissues in PICS mice, and it also assisted in the sustained restoration of their gut microbiota. These effects were superior to those of LMW HA and MMW HA. The experimental results indicate that HMW weight HA has the greatest potential to be an adjunct in alleviating PICS as a food additive, while the safety of other HAs requires further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]