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During secondary growth, meristematic cells in the cambium can either proliferate to maintain the stem cell population or differentiate into xylem or phloem. The balance between these two developmental trajectories is tightly regulated by many environmental and endogenous cues. Strigolactones (SLs), a class of plant hormones, were previously reported to regulate secondary growth by promoting cambium activity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of SL action in plant secondary growth are not well understood. We performed histological, genetic, and biochemical analyses using genetic materials in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) with altered activity of the transcription factors BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR1 (BES1) or WUSCHEL-related HOMEOBOX4 (WOX4) or lacking MORE AXILLARY SHOOT2 (MAX2), a key positive component in the SL signaling pathway. We found that BES1, a downstream regulator in the SL signaling pathway that promotes shoot branching and xylem differentiation, also inhibits WOX4 expression, a key regulator of cambium cell division in the intercellular TRACHEARY ELEMENT DIFFERENTIATION INHIBITORY FACTOR (TDIF)–TDIF RECEPTOR (TDR) signaling pathway. The antagonistic roles of BES1 and WOX4 in the regulation of cambium activity may integrate intercellular TDIF signals to efficiently and bidirectionally modulate cambium cell proliferation and differentiation. As both BES1 and WOX4 are widely involved in various endogenous signals and responses to environmental stimuli, these findings may provide insight into the dynamic regulation of cambium development., Transcription factors BES1 and WOX4 play antagonistic roles downstream of strigolactone and intercellular TDIF signaling to regulate secondary growth in Arabidopsis.

Wantai Dang,1,&ast; Xiaohui Xu,2,&ast; Danling Luo,2 Hui Luo,2 Jin Hu,2 Jingguo Zhou,1 Jian Liu,2 Lanlan You2 1Department of Rheumatism and Immunity, Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610500, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ultrasound, Clinical Medical College and The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610500, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Lanlan You Email 17027279@qq.comObjective: To explore the effects of different blood uric acid levels in gout patients on the two-dimensional image of the kidney and the risk factors for gout-related kidney damage for providing clinical evidence to enable early prevention and treatment of gout-related kidney damage.Methods: We obtained information of 227 patients with primary gout and estimated the association between two-dimensional kidney images and clinical indicators using binary logistic regression.Results: Our study showed that different uric acid levels, age, disease course, cystatin C (CysC) level, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase level were correlated with echo of the renal medulla (P < 0.05). CysC level was correlated with the renal cortex thickness and kidney stones in different uric acid-level groups (P < 0.05). Disease course, aspartate transaminase (AST) level, creatinine (CREA) level, and tophi were risk factors for renal cortex thinning in gout patients (P = 0.045, 0.026, 0.004, 0.006, respectively). The disease course, platelet (PLT) count, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) level were risk factors for kidney stone formation in gout patients (P = 0.037, 0.022, 0.023, respectively), while CysC level and C-reactive protein (CRP) level were risk factors for increased renal medulla echo in these patients (P = 0.022, 0.028, respectively).Conclusion: Our study revealed disease course, AST level, CREA level, tophi, PLT count, HDL-C level, CysC level and CRP level may be important predictors of renal image changes.Keywords: gout, two-dimensional ultrasound, renal medulla, renal cortex, kidney stones

Hong-Wu Wang,1,* Yi-Jin Hu,1,* Guo-Lin Wang2 1Department of Anesthesiology, TEDA International Cardiovascular Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300052, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300074, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Guo-Lin WangDepartment of Anesthesiology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300074, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 15822855566Email wanggl698521@163.comBackground: Protamine is a polycationic, and a strong basic peptide isolated from Clupeidae or Salmonidae fishes’ sperm, which is rich in arginine and highly alkaline.Objective: To explore the effect of lidocaine pre-treatment on protamine-induced pulmonary vascular reaction during the repair of congenital heart disease.Methods: Eighty patients undergoing repair of congenital heart disease were randomly divided into four groups: A1 (non-pulmonary hypertension + lidocaine pre-treatment) group, A2 (non-pulmonary hypertension + normal saline) group, B1 (pulmonary hypertension + lidocaine pre-treatment) group, and B2 (pulmonary hypertension + normal saline) group. Hemodynamic parameters, pulmonary inflammation, and pulmonary function were assessed at six intraoperative time points, two intraoperative time points and three intraoperative time points, respectively. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: A2 group exhibited increased PAP, Paw, RI and A-aDO2. B2 group exhibited increased Paw, RI and A-aDO2 and decreased Cydn and OI after protamine administration. These changes were not observed in A1 and B1 group. Compared with A1 and B1 groups, plasma TXB2 level in A2 and B2 group was higher, but 6-keto-PGF1a in A2 and B2 groups was lower. Incidence of protamine adverse reactions in A1 and B1 group was lower than that in A2 and B2 group.Conclusion: Precondition of lidocaine before neutralization of heparin may be effective for protamine-induced pulmonary vascular reaction during CHD repair.Keywords: congenital heart disease, protamine, adverse reactions, extracorporeal circulation, pulmonary hypertension

Gastric cancer shows a strong male predominance, and sex steroid hormones have been hypothesized to explain this sex disparity. Previous studies examining the associations between sex hormones and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and risk of gastric cancer come primarily from western populations and additional studies in diverse populations will help us better understand the association. We performed a nested case–control study in Linxian Nutrition Intervention Trials cohorts to evaluate the associations among Chinese men, where we had sufficient cases to perform a well-powered study. Using radioimmunoassays and immunoassays, we quantitated androgens, estrogens, and SHBG in baseline serum from 328 men that developed noncardia gastric cancer and matched controls. We used multivariable unconditional logistic regression to calculate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and explored interactions with body mass index (BMI), age, alcohol drinking, smoking, and follow-up time. Subjects with SHBG in the highest quartile, as compared with those in the lowest quartile, had a significantly increased risk of gastric cancer (OR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.01–3.44). We found some evidence for associations of sex steroid hormones in men with lower BMI. Our study found a novel association suggesting that higher serum concentrations of SHBG may be associated with risk of gastric cancer in men. We found no overall associations with sex hormones themselves, but future studies should expand the scope of these studies to include women and further explore whether BMI modifies a potential association. Prevention Relevance: It was the first study to investigate the association of gastric cancer with prediagnostic sex steroid hormones and SHBG in an Asian male population. Although there were no overall associations for sex steroid hormone concentrations, higher concentrations of SHBG was associated with increased risk of noncardia gastric cancer.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are critical regulators of transcription and translation that are often dysregulated in cancer. Although RBPs are increasingly recognized as being important for normal hematopoiesis and for hematologic malignancies as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, RBPs that are essential for the maintenance and survival of leukemia remain elusive. Here we show that YBX1 is specifically required for maintaining myeloid leukemia cell survival in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner. We found that expression of YBX1 is significantly upregulated in myeloid leukemia cells, and deletion of YBX1 dramatically induces apoptosis and promotes differentiation coupled with reduced proliferation and impaired leukemic capacity of primary human and mouse acute myeloid leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo. Loss of YBX1 has no obvious effect on normal hematopoiesis. Mechanistically, YBX1 interacts with insulin-like growth factor 2 messenger RNA (mRNA)-binding proteins (IGF2BPs) and stabilizes m6A-tagged RNA. Moreover, YBX1 deficiency dysregulates the expression of apoptosis-related genes and promotes mRNA decay of MYC and BCL2 in an m6A-dependent manner, which contributes to the defective survival that results from deletion of YBX1. Thus, our findings have uncovered a selective and critical role of YBX1 in maintaining myeloid leukemia survival, which might provide a rationale for the therapeutic targeting of YBX1 in myeloid leukemia.

Rapid and accurate identification of Vibrio species has been problematic because phenotypic characteristics are variable within species and biochemical identification requires two or more days to complete. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a powerful tool for rapidly distinguishing between related bacterial species. However, its accuracy depends on the number of strains in a database. In the current study, we extend and apply the Vibrio database based on MALDI-TOF MS. A total of 74 strains of Vibrio representing 28 species were identified and included in new database. A phylogenetic tree based on rpoB sequence and dendrograms were constructed. We analyzed 30 clinical Vibrio of three species to evaluate the new database and carried out PCA dendrogram analyses for differences of strains. We created a new database that offered fast and accurate Vibrio identification. MSP and PCA dendrogram analyses provided technical support to track sources and incidences of Vibrio infection. In addition, the discovery of characteristic and differential peaks is useful for the future identification of Vibrio. This represents a powerful tool for the rapid and accurate classification and identification of Vibrio and closely related species.

A new species, Petrocosmea nanchuanensis Z.Y. Liu, Z.Y. Li & Z.J. Qiu from Mt. Jinfo at Banhe valley of Nanchuan District in Chongqing Municipality (China) is described and illustrated for the first time. Even though this new species is similar to Petrocosmea barbata, it has several significant morphological differences, which includes smaller leaves, repand leaf margin, densely appressed longer pubescences on both surfaces of leaves, larger flower with length of its lower lips about three times longer than that of the upper lips, oblong lower lip lobes, shorter pistil, ovate anthers and styles that are shortly pubescent or approximately glabrous above the middle. The distinct features of P. nanchuanensis and four relative species namely, P. barbata, P. longipedicellata, P. cavaleriei and P. xanthomaculata were also represented in depth. However, P. nanchuanensis is most closely related to P. barbata, based on molecular studies.

Our study aimed to investigate the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of isolates collected from Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections in children in Beijing China during the year 2019. Emm typing, superantigens, and erythromycin resistance genotypes were determined by PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed as recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). A total of 271 GAS isolates were collected. Thirteen different emm types, including 31 subtypes, were identified. The most prevalent emm types were emm12 (52.77%), emm1 (36.9%), emm3.1 (2.95%), and emm75.0 (2.95%). Two variant subtypes, STC36.0 and STG840.2, were identified. There was no difference in the portion of emm12 and emm1 isolates in scarlet fever, impetigo, and psoriasis. The majority of superantigens detected were smeZ (94.46%), speC (91.14%), and ssa (74.91%), followed by speH (56.46%), speI (45.76%), speJ (36.9%), and speA (34.32%). More scarlet fever isolates harbored speA (35.6%) and speJ (38.4%), more psoriasis isolates harbored speI (57.9%), and more impetigo isolates harbored ssa (89.7%). Isolates were universally susceptible to penicillin and resistant to erythromycin (94.83%). Moreover, 89.67% erythromycin resistance isolates harbored the ermB gene. The erythromycin resistance rate of the isolates from the three diseases was different. Scarlet fever is the common streptococcal infectious disease in dermatology. Emm12 and emm1 were the most prevalent emm types. The most prevalent superantigens detected were smeZ, spec, and ssa. There is association between diversity of superantigens and disease manifestation. Hence, continuous surveillance of GAS molecular epidemiological characterizations in different diseases is needed.

The receptor-like kinase (RLK) FERONIA functions in immunity in Arabidopsis. Here, we systemically screened rice RLK genes encoding FERONIA-like receptor (FLRs) that may be involved in rice-Magnaporthe oryzae interaction. The expression of 16 FLR genes was examined in response to the infection of M. oryzae in different rice varieties. For each FLR gene, at least two independent mutants were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology in rice variety Zhonghua 11 (ZH11). Blast disease assay identified that the mutants of FLR1 and FLR13 showed increased susceptibility, whereas the mutants of FLR2 and FLR11 displayed enhanced resistance. Consistently, the mutant of FLR1 enhanced, but the mutant of FLR2 delayed the M. oryzae infection progress, which might be associated with the altered expression of defense-related genes. Together, these data indicate that at least 4 FLR genes are involved in rice-M. oryzae interaction and thus are potentially valuable in blast disease resistance.

Seeds of eight lots of four tobacco varieties differing in vigour were studied. The initial germination percentage (GPUT) was 81-100% and the controlled greenhouse emergence percentage (CEP) was 55-91%. All seeds were treated by controlled deterioration (CD) at 20% moisture content and 45°C for 24 hours, then some seeds were subjected to a standard germination test and the rest of the seeds were subjected to a conductivity test. The electrical conductivity (EC) of seed soak water was measured every six hours up to 54 hours. The results showed that relative conductivity after CD (RCCD) was highly significantly correlated with GPCD after 30 to 48 hours soaking (r = -0.9324 to -0.9409, P < 0.001). After 36 and 42 hours, RCCD was significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with CEP (correlation coefficients of -0.9120 and -0.9137, respectively). Therefore, it is suggested that measuring relative conductivity after CD could be used to rank tobacco seed lots for vigour. In addition, the best seed soaking time for EC measurement is 36 to 42 hours, with respect to both efficiency and accuracy.

Seed aging is a problem during long-term seed storage, affecting the commercial and germplasm value of seeds. In this study, a widely cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar, Huanghuazhan, was used to investigate the effects of exogenous spermidine (Spd) on accelerated aging (AA). The results showed that the speed of germination and the activities of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and β-amylase were reduced by AA, and more H2O2 accumulated in aged seeds than in normal seeds. As compared with aged seeds pretreated with water, seed vigor and the gibberellic acid (GA) content in aged seeds pretreated with Spd were increased by 47% and 17%, respectively. Furthermore, antioxidant enzyme activity and related gene expression were also higher in aged seeds pretreated with Spd. It is speculated that CAT and APX are the two primary enzymes involved in the effects of Spd to AA. These results suggest that the adverse effect of AA stress on seeds may be partially alleviated by the application of exogenous Spd, which may affect the scavenging of reactive oxygen species.

In this work, we use a within-host viral dynamic model to describe the SARS-CoV-2 kinetics in the host. Chest radiograph score data are used to estimate the parameters of that model. Our result shows that the basic reproductive number of SARS-CoV-2 in host growth is around 3.79. Using the same method we also estimate the basic reproductive number of MERS virus is 8.16 which is higher than SARS-CoV-2. The PRCC method is used to analyze the sensitivities of model parameters. Moreover, the drug effects on virus growth and immunity effect of patients are also implemented to analyze the model.

Based on the similarity between industrial cluster and biological population, this paper attempts to study the dynamics of niche between upstream and downstream enterprises with the predator–prey relationship from a new perspective of population ecological theory. A predator–prey model on upstream and downstream enterprises with the Holling II response function is established. Via limit cycle theory, stability theory, and system analysis methods, the interrelation of the inventory level in upstream and downstream enterprises is studied and some corresponding meanings of management are discussed. In addition, numerical examples are given to verify the correctness of the conclusions. Finally, according to the relevant conclusions, some policy suggestions are provided for the development of upstream and downstream enterprises in cluster supply chain.

Background: Autoimmune gastritis is understudied and possibly associated with gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Western populations when it presents as pernicious anemia. Methods: A nested case–control study within a Chinese cohort included 100 ESCC, 200 gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), and 200 GNCA cases diagnosed between 1986 and 2001 and 400 controls. Serostatus of antiparietal cell antibodies (APCA), Helicobacter pylori antibodies, and pepsinogens were measured using commercial kits and serum collected at baseline. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for associations between serologic biomarkers and cancer risk adjusted for numerous potential confounders. Results: There was an average interval of 8 years between baseline blood draw and cancer diagnosis. The baseline prevalence of APCA seropositivity was 10.0% and 14.5% in subjects who developed GCA and GNCA, respectively. APCA seropositivity was inversely associated with later development of GCA (OR = 0.42; 95% CI, 0.24–0.75), but not significantly associated with later development of GNCA (OR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.50–1.36) or ESCC (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.58–1.88). APCA seropositivity was significantly associated with low pepsinogen I/II ratios (OR = 3.69; 95% CI, 1.66–8.21), and individuals with low pepsinogen I/II ratios who were seronegative for APCA had the highest risk of both GCA and GNCA. Conclusions: APCA seropositivity measured years prior to diagnosis was associated with prevalent atrophic gastritis but inversely associated with incident GCA in this Chinese population. Impact: APCA may contribute to a growing list of serologic markers that can improve risk stratification for gastric cancer.

Catha edulis (Vahl) Endl., known as Catha edulis or Khat is a traditional and regional plant for chewing, smoking and drinking, that has posed a worldwide public health problem due to its recent emerging abused consumption. In the face of the massive use of Catha edulis, we reviewed related publications to analyze the progress and research trends through bibliometric methods. After screening, a total of 514 scientific publications published from 1997 to 2020 were included by systematic retrieval from the Web of Science (WoS) database. According to further scientometric analysis, the annual number of publications output kept rising in most of the years. Ethiopia and the United States of America (USA) have been devoting significant contributions to the field. Though the research emphasis had been the chemical composition and pharmacological and toxicological effects for several years, the hot spots were transferred; the mechanism investigations of Catha edulis have been the focus in recent years, which might be continued in the future. Furthermore, co-operations of multi-disciplinary researchers are needed to minimize abuse harms and maximize the medicinal benefits of Catha edulis to human beings.

Heat stress during seed maturation significantly reduced seed size and quality. Polyamines, especially spermidine (Spd), were reported to be closely related to seed development and plant heat tolerance. Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) also played a critical role in plant heat resistance, but the relationship between Spd and SAPs in improving rice tolerance to heat stress during grain filling has not been reported. Our results showed that the external spraying Spd (1.5 mM) significantly increased seed germination rate, germination index, vigor index and 1000-grain weight, significantly increased endogenous Spd, spermine (Spm) content and peroxidase activity, significantly reduced MDA content, and greatly alleviated the impact of heat stress on rice seed quality during grain filling stage as compared with high temperature control. OsSAP5 was the most upregulated expression induced by Spd, and may be mainly involved in the Spd-mediated enhancement of high-temperature resistance during rice seed development. Overexpression of OsSAP5 in Arabidopsis enhanced 1000-grain weight and seed heat resistance. Exogenous Spd alleviated the survival rate and seedling length, reduced MDA content, and upregulated the expression levels of SPDS and SPMS in Atsap4 mutant under high temperature during seed germination. In all, exogenous Spd alleviated the heat damage on seed quality during the grain filling stage and seed germination stage by improving endogenous Spd and Spm. OsSAP5, a key gene induced by Spd, might be involved in the rice heat resistance and seed quality in coordination with Spd and Spm.

Background Salinity is a big threat to agriculture by limiting crop production. Nanopriming (seed priming with nanomaterials) is an emerged approach to improve plant stress tolerance; however, our knowledge about the underlying mechanisms is limited. Results Herein, we used cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) to prime rapeseeds and investigated the possible mechanisms behind nanoceria improved rapeseed salt tolerance. We synthesized and characterized polyacrylic acid coated nanoceria (PNC, 8.5 ± 0.2 nm, −43.3 ± 6.3 mV) and monitored its distribution in different tissues of the seed during the imbibition period (1, 3, 8 h priming). Our results showed that compared with the no nanoparticle control, PNC nanopriming improved germination rate (12%) and biomass (41%) in rapeseeds (Brassica napus) under salt stress (200 mM NaCl). During the priming hours, PNC were located mostly in the seed coat, nevertheless the intensity of PNC in cotyledon and radicle was increased alongside with the increase of priming hours. During the priming hours, the amount of the absorbed water (52%, 14%, 12% increase at 1, 3, 8 h priming, respectively) and the activities of α-amylase were significantly higher (175%, 309%, 295% increase at 1, 3, 8 h priming, respectively) in PNC treatment than the control. PNC primed rapeseeds showed significantly lower content of MDA, H2O2, and •O2− in both shoot and root than the control under salt stress. Also, under salt stress, PNC nanopriming enabled significantly higher K+ retention (29%) and significantly lower Na+ accumulation (18.5%) and Na+/K+ ratio (37%) than the control. Conclusions Our results suggested that besides the more absorbed water and higher α-amylase activities, PNC nanopriming improves salt tolerance in rapeseeds through alleviating oxidative damage and maintaining Na+/K+ ratio. It adds more knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying nanopriming improved plant salt tolerance. Graphical abstract

Tumor-targeted delivery and controlled release of antitumor drugs are promising strategies for increasing chemotherapeutic efficacy and reducing adverse effects. Although mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been known as a potential delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX), they have restricted applications due to their uncontrolled leakage and burst release from their large open pores. Herein, we engineered a smart drug-delivery system (smart MSN-drug) based on MSN-drug loading, cell membrane mimetic coating, on-demand pore blocking/opening, and tumor cell targeting strategies. The pore size of DOX-loaded MSNs was narrowed by polydopamine coating, and the pores/channels were blocked with tumor-targeting ligands anchored by tumor environment-rupturable -SS- chains. Furthermore, a cell membrane mimetic surface was constructed to enhance biocompatibility of the smart MSN-drug. Confocal microscopy results demonstrate highly selective uptake (12-fold in comparison with L929 cell) of the smart MSN-drug by HeLa cells and delivery into the HeLa cellular nuclei. Further in vitro IC50 studies showed that the toxicity of the smart MSN-drug to HeLa cells was 4000-fold higher than to the normal fibroblast cells. These exciting results demonstrate the utility of the smart MSN-drug capable of selectively killing tumor cells and saving the normal cells.

Ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation plays an important role in many plant developmental processes. We previously identified a class of SINA RING-type E3 ligases of Arabidopsis thaliana (SINATs), whose protein levels decrease in the dark and increase in red and blue light, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we created transgenic lines carrying point mutations in SINAT genes and photoreceptors-NLS or -NES transgenic plants to investigate the regulatory mechanism of SINAT protein stability. We demonstrated that the degradation of SINATs is self-regulated, and SINATs interact with photoreceptors phytochrome B (phyB) and cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) in the cytoplasm, which leads to the degradation of SINATs in the dark. Furthermore, we observed that the red light-induced subcellular localization change of phyB and blue light-induced the dissociation of CRY1 from SINATs and was the major determinant for the light-promoted SINATs accumulation. Our findings provide a novel mechanism of how the stability and degradation of the E3 ligase SINATs are regulated by an association and dissociation mechanism through the red light-induced subcellular movement of phyB and the blue light-induced dissociation of CRY1 from SINATs.

Introduction:With a high incidence rate and low diagnosis rate, vestibular migraine (VM) can seriously affect the quality of life of patients, but it remains difficult to manage by current treatment options. Acupuncture may be a potential treatment option for VM prophylaxis, but the currently available evidence is still uncertain. Therefore, this trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for VM prophylaxis.Methods:This is a 28-week parallel, randomized, controlled clinical trial including 4 weeks of baseline, 8 weeks of treatment, and 16 weeks of follow-up. A total of 72 participants will be randomly assigned to two groups. The participants will receive acupuncture in the experimental group, while the participants in the control group will be treated with venlafaxine. The primary outcome measures are change in vertigo/migraine days and vertigo/migraine attacks, vertigo severity, and migraine intensity per 4 weeks from baseline. The secondary outcome measures are change in doses of rescue medication, anxiety level, depression level, and quality of life per 4 weeks from baseline. Adverse events will be recorded for safety evaluation.Discussion:This study will investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for VM prophylaxis. The results will contribute to determining whether acupuncture can serve as an optional treatment strategy for treating VM.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT0464088.

Heterotrophic cultivation of Chlorella has achieved commercial success, but the application of Chlorella biomass is still limited due to the high cost of biomass production. In this study, an effective and industrially scalable heterotrphic cultivation technology has been developed for a production strain Chlorella sorokiniana GT-1. Under the optimized culturing conditions, the ultrahigh biomass concentration of 271 and 247 g L-1 was achieved in 7.5 L bench-scale and 1000 L pilot-scale fermenters, respectively. Technoeconomic (TE) analysis indicated that the production cost of C. sorokiniana GT-1 could be reduced to $1601.27 per ton of biomass if the biomass concentration reached 200 g L-1 , which is 24.2% lower than that of the reported highest Chlorella biomass production through fermentation with the same TE model. Under the same growth conditions, the maximum biomass concentration of a low-starch mutant SLM2 was reduced to 93 g L-1 , which was 54% lower than that of the wild type, indicating the capabilities of C. sorokiniana GT-1 cells in accumulating large amounts of starch are essential for achieving the ultrahigh-cell-density under the heterotrophic conditions. In addition, the ultrahigh-cell-density growth potential of C. sorokiniana GT-1 cells was inferred to be related to the intrinsic biological characteristics including the tolerance to low dissolved oxygen and a moderate doubling time under the heterotrophic conditions as well. The breakthrough in cultivation technology is promising for Chlorella industry and would expand its applications in food and feed.

Although production of biodiesels from microalgae is proved to be technically feasible, a commercially viable system has yet to emerge. High‐cell‐density fermentation of microalgae can be coupled with photoautotrophic cultivation to produce oils. In this study, by optimizing culturing conditions and employing a sophisticated substrate feed control strategy, ultrahigh‐cell‐density of 286 and 283.5 g/L was achieved for the unicellular alga Scenedesmus acuminatus grown in 7.5‐L bench‐scale and 1,000‐L pilot‐scale fermenters, respectively. The outdoor scale‐up experiments indicated that heterotrophically grown S. acuminatus cells are more productive in terms of both biomass and lipid accumulation when they are inoculated in photobioreactors for lipid production as compared to the cells originally grown under photoautotrophic conditions. Technoeconomic analysis based on the pilot‐scale data indicated that the cost of heterotrophic cultivation of microalgae for biomass production is comparable with that of the open‐pond system and much lower than that of tubular PBR, if the biomass yield was higher than 200 g/L. This study demonstrated the economic viability of heterotrophic cultivation on large‐scale microalgal inocula production, but ultrahigh‐productivity fermentation is a prerequisite. Moreover, the advantages of the combined heterotrophic and photoautotrophic cultivation of microalgae for biofuels production were also verified in the pilot‐scale., Jin and coworkers optimized heterotrophic culturing conditions for the unicellular alga Scenedesmus acuminatus, and developed the sophisticated substrate feed control strategy enabling the maximum biomass concentration of 286 and 283.5 g L−1 in 7.5‐L bench‐scale and 1,000‐L pilot‐scale fermenters, respectively. The authors observed that the heterotrophically grown algal cells produced more lipids than the photoautotrophic counterpart in the pilot‐scale photobioreactors. This study demonstrated the economic viability of heterotrophic cultivation on large‐scale microalgal inocula production, but ultra‐high‐productivity fermentation is prerequisite.

Chilling stress is an important limiting factor for rice growth and development. To examine the effect of spermidine (Spd) and trehalose (TH) priming in response to chilling stress of rice seed, we investigated the effects of seed priming with Spd, TH, and a mixture of Spd + TH on response and resilience of rice plants to chilling stress. Priming with Spd, TH and Spd + TH resulted in better seed vigor and seedling growth than hydro-priming and non-priming under low temperature (15 °C). In addition, Spd-, TH-, and Spd + TH-priming notably decreased malondialdehyde content but increased the proline and soluble sugar contents and antioxidant enzymes activities. Interestingly, spermine content and the expression of spermine-synthase (SPMS) gene were improved by Spd-priming. However, lower spermine content and SPMS expression was observed in the TH-primed plants. Moreover, expressions of trehalose-6-phosphate–phosphatase (TPP) genes was upregulated by TH-priming but downregulated by Spd-priming. It could be concluded from our results that (1) both Spd- and TH-priming could increase the contents of proline and soluble sugar, which were involved in osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant enzymes activities; (2) Spd-priming promoted the accumulation of endogenous spermine by upregulating SPMS1 and SPMS2, but inhibiting the expressions of TPP1 and TPP2; and (3) TH-priming increased the expressions of TPP1 and TPP2 but downregulated the expressions of SPMS1 and SPMS2. These findings suggested that seed priming with Spd and TH might enhance the chilling tolerance of rice seedling via different mechanisms.

To better understand the role of polyamines (PAs) and their metabolism in responses to chilling stress in tobacco plants, this study investigated changes of endogenous PA contents, PA synthetase and oxidase activities, seedling growth and membrane permeability in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cvs. MSk326 (MK, chilling-sensitive variety) and Honghuadajinyuan (HD, chilling-tolerant variety) under chilling stress. Chilling stress significantly reduced the shoot and root dry weights but improved PA contents, especially of putrescine, in the two tobacco cultivars, with higher contents in the tolerant variety. Moreover, stepwise regression analysis indicated that the relative growth rate of tobacco seedlings under chilling stress was positively correlated with endogenous PA contents, putrescine and spermidine, particularly. The above results suggested that the resistance of tobacco seedlings to chilling stress was promoted mainly by putrescine and spermidine. And further study specified that the higher PA contents in the chilling-tolerant tobacco variety were related to higher PA synthetase activities [arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC)] and lower oxidase activities (diamine oxidase and polyamine oxidase) under chilling stress. Again, the study demonstrated that PA biosynthesis in tobacco seedlings was mainly dependent on the ODC pathway under chilling stress, through ADC and ODC inhibitor application and recovery treatments. Compared with the ADC inhibitor (d-arginine), the ODC inhibitor (2-fluoromethyl ornithine) more significantly inhibited PA contents and increased membrane permeability in tobacco seedlings under chilling stress. In summary, the research findings suggested PAs play an important role in regulating the chilling tolerance of tobacco seedlings.

Background and AimsThe inverse correlation between atmospheric CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) and stomatal frequency in many plants has been widely used to estimate palaeo-CO2 levels. However, apparent discrepancies exist among the obtained estimates. This study attempts to find a potential proxy for palaeo-CO2 concentrations by analysing the stomatal frequency of Quercus glauca (section Cyclobalanopsis, Fagaceae), a dominant species in East Asian sub-tropical forests with abundant fossil relatives.MethodsStomatal frequencies of Q. glauca from three material sources were analysed: seedlings grown in four climatic chambers with elevated CO2 ranging from 400 to 1300 ppm; extant samples collected from 14 field sites at altitudes ranging from 142 to 1555 m; and 18 herbarium specimens collected between 1930 and 2011. Stomatal frequency–pCO2 correlations were determined using samples from these three sources.Key ResultsAn inverse correlation between stomatal frequency and pCO2 was found for Q. glauca through cross-validation of the three material sources. The combined calibration curves integrating data of extant altitudinal samples and historical herbarium specimens improved the reliability and accuracy of the curves. However, materials in the climatic chambers exhibited a weak response and relatively high stomatal frequency possibly due to insufficient treatment time.ConclusionsA new inverse stomatal frequency–pCO2 correlation for Q. glauca was determined using samples from three sources. These three material types show the same response, indicating that Q. glauca is sensitive to atmospheric pCO2 and is an ideal proxy for palaeo-CO2 levels. Quercus glauca is a nearest living relative (NLR) of section Cyclobalanopsis fossils, which are widely distributed in the strata of East Asia ranging from the Eocene to Pliocene, thereby providing excellent materials to reconstruct the atmospheric CO2 concentration history of the Cenozoic. Quercus glauca will add to the variety of proxies that can be widely used in addition to Ginkgo and Metasequoia.

Cycloidea-like (CYC-like) genes are the key regulatory factors in the development of flower symmetry. Duplication and/or reduction of CYC-like genes have occurred several times in various angiosperm groups and are hypothesized to be correlated with the evolution of flower symmetry, which in turn has contributed to the evolutionary success of these groups. However, less is known about the evolutionary scenario of CYC-like genes in the whole Fabales, which contains four families with either symmetric or actinomorphic flowers. Here we investigated the evolution of CYC-like genes in all the four families of Fabales and recovered one to nine CYC-like genes (CYC1, CYC2, and CYC3) depending on which lineages, but the CYC3 genes were most likely lost in the ancestor of Leguminosae. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the CYC-like genes could have undergone multiple duplications and losses in different plant lineages and formed distinct paralogous/orthologous clades. The ancestor of the Papilionoideae and Caesalpinioideae may possess two paralogs of CYC1 genes but one of them was subsequently lost in Papilionoideae and was retained only in several species of Caesalpinioideae. CYC2 genes were more frequently duplicated in Papilionoideae than in other legumes. We propose that the diversification patterns of both CYC1 and CYC2 genes are not related to the floral symmetry in non-papilionoid Fabales groups, however, gene duplication and functional divergence of CYC2 are essential for the floral zygomorphy of Papilionoideae. This is the first systematic analysis of the CYC-like genes in Fabales and could form the basis for further study of molecular mechanisms controlling floral symmetry in non-model plants of Fabales.

Significance The propagation of most flowering plant species is determined by the success of seed germination, which is of both economic and ecologic importance. Mitochondria are the energy resource and crucial organelles for plant seed germination. Studying the underlying mechanism is important for us to understand the basic principles of plant development and improve crop yields. Here we identify HSP24.7 as a central activator for temperature-dependent seed germination. HSP24.7 modulates cytochrome C/C1 production in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and induces the generation of reactive oxygen species, which accelerates seed germination. Our work provides a comprehensive framework of how mitochondria regulate seed germination in response to the dynamics of environmental temperature., Seed germination is an energy demanding process that requires functional mitochondria upon imbibition. However, how mitochondria fine tune seed germination, especially in response to the dynamics of environmental temperature, remains largely unknown at the molecular level. Here, we report a mitochondrial matrix-localized heat shock protein GhHSP24.7, that regulates seed germination in a temperature-dependent manner. Suppression of GhHSP24.7 renders the seed insensitive to temperature changes and delays germination. We show that GhHSP24.7 competes with GhCCMH to bind to the maturation subunit protein GhCcmFc to form cytochrome C/C1 (CytC/C1) in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. GhHSP24.7 modulates CytC/C1 production to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which consequently accelerates endosperm rupture and promotes seed germination. Overexpression of GhHSP24.7’s homologous genes can accelerate seed germination in Arabidopsis and tomato, indicating its conserved function across plant species. Therefore, HSP24.7 is a critical factor that positively controls seed germination via temperature-dependent ROS generation.

The innate immunity plays an essential role in defending infection of Influenza A virus (IAV). The regulatory effect of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a cytoprotective enzyme, on innate immunity has been revealed. In this study, we aim to confirm the antiviral effect of CoPP (Cobaltic Protoporphyrin IX Chloride), a potent HO-1 inducer on IAV infection and elucidate the possible mechanism of HO-1-mediated host innate immune responses. Our results show that CoPP exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activities against IAV. Furthermore, CoPP attenuates IAV replication through inducing type I IFNs response, not depending on HO-1 enzymatic activity. We also provide direct evidence that HO-1-mediated type I IFN response activation is largely due to its interaction with IRF3, which then promotes IRF3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. These results suggest that HO-1 agonist CoPP suppresses IAV replication through IRF3-mediated generation of IFN-α/β. Thus, therapeutic induction of HO-1 might be a promising strategy to combat IAV epidemics.

Maize annexin genes ZmANN33 and ZmANN35 encode proteins that contribute to cell membrane recovery during maize seed germination., Plasma membrane (PM) recovery from the impaired dry state is essential for seed germination, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that ZmANN33 and ZmANN35, two annexin genes in maize, encode proteins that participate in PM recovery during seed germination. The expression of both genes was up-regulated during seed germination and strongly repressed by chilling (either 15 or 5 °C) as compared with the normal temperature (25 °C). In addition, the increased membrane damage caused by chilling imbibition was correlated with suppressed expression of ZmANN33 and ZmANN35, while rapid recovery of their expression levels accompanied the rescue of the damaged membrane. Arabidopsis seedlings ectopically expressing ZmANN33 or ZmANN35 had longer seedling length than wild-type (WT) plants during the recovery period after 3 d of chilling stress, indicating the positive roles of these two gene products in the plant’s recovery from chilling injury. Moreover, these transgenic seedlings had lower lipid peroxidation and higher peroxidase activities than WT during the recovery period. Consistently, root cells of these transgenic seedlings had more intact PM after chilling stress, supporting the proposition that ZmANN33 and ZmANN35 contribute to the maintenance of PM integrity. The enhanced PM integrity is likely due to the accelerated exocytotic process after chilling stress. We also showed that both ZmANN33 and ZmANN35 localized in the cytosol near the plasma membrane. Thus, we conclude that ZmANN33 and ZmANN35 play essential roles in membrane recovery during maize seed germination.

The Hengduan Mountains region (HMR) on southeastern Tibetan Plateau, supports a high diversity of herbs, particularly in its subalpine to alpine ecosystems due to high altitude and cool temperate climate. Current understandings on the formation of such herbaceous richness is based chiefly on molecular phylogenies, while direct geological evidence is lacking because herbs are rarely preserved as macroscopic fossils. In this study, we present abundant fossil fruits and seeds of herbs from the late Pliocene Heqing Basin in the southern HMR. Our systematic analysis shows the presence of at least 18 species belonging to 11 genera, i.e., Ranunculus, Corydalis, Rumex, Polygonum, Chenopodium, Stellaria, Fragaria, Astragalus, Aster, Carex and Schoenoplectus, of which Polygonum is most abundant followed by Astragalus. This finding throws the first light from fossil evidence on the rise of herbaceous diversity in the region. We interpret the local assembly of these herbs as resulting from rapid pre-Pliocene species diversifications of many herbaceous groups in HMR. As nowadays most of these herbs grow primarily in meadows and a few occur as subaquatic plants, we suggest an open meadow hosting some scattered shrubs in the vicinity of a vegetated wetland in the Heqing Basin during the late Pliocene. This provides the first direct evidence of past treeless open vegetation within the HMR and thus improves our knowledge of vegetation evolution in the region. We suggest that the uplift-induced climate cooling and monsoon-associated precipitation seasonality are potentially the key driving forces for the opening of meadow vegetation in the HMR.

Background and Aim: Serum immunoglobulins were reported to be associated with clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease. However, whether a difference exists in the serum immunoglobulins levels in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) with different disease location and behavior phenotypes remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the associations of serum immunoglobulins levels with specific CD phenotypes.Methods: Patients with CD having recorded serum immunoglobulins levels were recruited through multicenter collaborative efforts. The associations between serum immunoglobulins levels and distinct phenotypes of CD were evaluated using multiple logistic regression models.Results: A total of 608 patients with CD were included in the study. Elevated (above the upper limit of normal) serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, IgM, and IgG4 were identified in 24.5, 17.4, 2.1, and 8.2% of patients, respectively. Elevated serum IgG4 levels negatively correlated with complicated disease behavior [odds ratio (OR) 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26–0.92]. Elevated serum IgG was linked to isolated ileal disease with an OR of 0.37 (95% CI 0.23–0.61). The ORs of isolated ileal disease progressively reduced across increasing quartiles of IgG (P for trend < 0.001). The adjusted ORs of isolated ileal disease for increasing quartiles of IgM were 1.82 (1.07–3.1), 1.92 (1.14–3.24), 1.17 (0.69–1.98), and 1 (P for trend = 0.008). Besides, serum IgA and IgG levels significantly correlated with several disease activity indices.Conclusions: These results suggested that certain serum immunoglobulins were associated with specific disease phenotypes of CD. Further investigations to account for the associations are warranted.

Biotic and abiotic stresses, especially heavy metal toxicity, are becoming a big problem in agriculture, which pose serious threats to crop production. Plant hormones have recently been used to develop stress tolerance in a variety of plants. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are the sixth class of plant steroid hormones, with pleiotropic effects on plants. Exogenous application of BRs to boost plant tolerance mechanisms to various stresses has been a major research focus. Numerous studies have revealed the role of these steroidal hormones in the up-regulation of stress-related resistance genes, as well as their interactions with other metabolic pathways. BRs interact with other phytohormones such as auxin, cytokinin, ethylene, gibberellin, jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, and polyamines to regulate a variety of physiological and developmental processes in plants. BRs regulate expressions of many BR-inducible genes by activating the brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1)/BRI1-EMS suppressor 1 (BES1) complex. Moreover, to improve plant development under a variety of stresses, BRs regulate antioxidant enzyme activity, chlorophyll concentration, photosynthetic capability, and glucose metabolism. This review will provide insights into the mechanistic role and actions of brassinosteroids in plants in response to various stresses.

The combination use of TGF-β, M-CSF, and IL-6 represents a promising therapy to repair traumatic brain injury., Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to high mortality rate. We aimed to identify the key cytokines favoring TBI repair and found that patients with TBI with a better outcome robustly increased concentrations of macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-6, and transforming growth factor–β (termed M6T) in cerebrospinal fluid or plasma. Using TBI mice, we identified that M2-like macrophage, microglia, and endothelial cell were major sources to produce M6T. Together with the in vivo tracking of mCherry+ macrophages in zebrafish models, we confirmed that M6T treatment accelerated blood-borne macrophage infiltration and polarization toward a subset of tissue repair macrophages that expressed similar genes as microglia for neuroprotection, angiogenesis and cell migration. M6T therapy in TBI mice and zebrafish improved neurological function while blocking M6T-exacerbated brain injury. Considering low concentrations of M6T in some patients with poor prognostic, M6T treatment might repair TBI via generating a previously unidentified subset of tissue repair macrophages.

GLUT4 is involved in rapid glucose uptake among various kinds of cells to contribute to glucose homeostasis. Prior data have reported that aberrant glucose metabolism by GLUT4 dysfunction in the uterus could be responsible for infertility and increased miscarriage. However, the expression and precise functions of GLUT4 in the endometrium under physiological conditions remain unknown or controversial. In this study, we observed that GLUT4 exhibits a spatiotemporal expression in mouse uterus on pregnant days 1–4; its expression especially increased on pregnant day 4 during the window of implantation. We also determined that estrogen, in conjunction with progesterone, promotes the expression of GLUT4 in the endometrial epithelium in vivo or in vitro. GLUT4 is an important transporter that mediates glucose transport in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) in vitro or in vivo. In vitro, glucose uptake decreased in mouse EECs when the cells were treated with GLUT4 small interfering RNA (siRNA). In vivo, the injection of GLUT4-siRNA into one side of the mouse uterine horns resulted in an increased glucose concentration in the uterine fluid on pregnant day 4, although it was still lower than in blood, and impaired endometrial receptivity by inhibiting pinopode formation and the expressions of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and integrin ανβ3, finally affecting embryonic development and implantation. Overall, the obtained results indicate that GLUT4 in the endometrial epithelium affects embryo development by altering glucose concentration in the uterine fluid. It can also affect implantation by impairing endometrial receptivity due to dysfunction of GLUT4.

Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinases (CCaMKs) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) are two types of kinases that regulate salt stress response in plants. It remains unclear, however, how they cooperatively affect lateral root growth under salt stress. Here, two conserved phosphorylation sites (S102 and T118) of OsCaM1 were identified, and found to affect the ability to bind to Ca2+in vitro and the kinase activity of OsCCaMK in vivo. OsCCaMK specifically interacted with OsMKK1/6 in a Ca2+/CaM-dependent manner. In vitro kinase and in vivo dual-luciferase assays revealed that OsCCaMK phosphorylated OsMKK6 while OsMKK1 phosphorylated OsCCaMK. Overexpression and antisense-RNA repression expression of OsCaM1-1, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing mutations of OsMKK1, OsMKK6, and OsMKK1/6 proved that OsCaM1-1, OsMKK1, and OsMKK6 enhanced the auxin content in roots and lateral root growth under salt stress. Consistently, OsCaM1-1, OsMKK1, and OsMKK6 regulated the transcript levels of the genes of this cascade, and salt stress-related and lateral root growth-related auxin signaling under salt stress in rice roots. These findings demonstrate that the OsCaM1-associated OsCCaMK–OsMKK1/6 cascade plays a critical role in recruiting auxin signaling in rice roots. These results also provide new insight into the regulatory mechanism of the CaM-mediated phosphorylation relay cascade to auxin signaling in lateral root growth under salt stress in plants.

The effects of seed priming with Fe-Zn-NA chelate (FeSO4&plus;ZnSO4&plus;niacinamide) and the longevity of the beneficial priming effects were investigated for aged seeds of hybrid rice cv. Lingyouhuazhan (LYHZ) and cv. Longxiangyou 130 (LXY130). As compared with untreated and hydroprimed seeds, Fe-Zn-NA chelate priming significantly enhanced germination energy (GE), germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), vigour index (VI) and normal seedling rate (NSR), and increased seedling shoot height (SH) and seedling dry weight (DW) in both cultivars. After priming with Fe-Zn-NA chelates, the GP of LYHZ was 96.0&percnt;, which was 12.7 and 12.0&percnt; higher than hydroprimed and non-primed seeds, respectively. Similarly, the GP of LXY130 was 89.5&percnt;, significantly higher than the hydroprimed and non-primed seeds (by 11.5 and 10.0&percnt;, respectively). When stored at 25°C, the benefits of Fe-Zn-NA chelate priming on seed vigour and viability was maintained for three months; while after six months storage, the GP of LYHZ and LXY130 was only 48.0 and 34.0&percnt;, respectively, which was significantly lower than the non-primed seeds (84.0 and 71.1&percnt;). When stored at 15 or 5°C for six months, the germination potential of Fe-Zn-NA chelate-primed seeds was still high. The GP of LYHZ and LXY130 seeds was 94.4&percnt; and 77.8%, respectively, after storage at 15°C, and 97.8&percnt; and 85.6&percnt; after storage at 5°C. In conclusion, the Fe-Zn-NA chelate priming was an effective method to improve the vigour and viability of hybrid rice aged seeds; however, the duration of beneficial priming effects needs to be determined according to the storage temperature.

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses that negatively impacts crop yields. Almost 20% of the total arable area is affected by salinity. Ca2+ signaling plays an important role in plant cell under stress, e.g., salinity. Calcium channels and transporters are important components involved in stress-induced Ca2+ signaling. Here, the types, subcellular locations, and roles of calcium channels and transporters in plant cell under salinity are reviewed and discussed. The aim of this mini review is to give a quick guide to the researchers outside from the field of calcium transport in plants under salinity.

Background: Circadian clock plays a critical role in synchronizing the inner molecular, metabolic and physiological processes to the environmental cues with a period of 24 h. Misalignment in the circadian rhythms leads to decreased adaptation and performance and increased risk of associated disorders. The non-24-h schedules and shift schedules are commonly used in maritime operations, both of which could result in disturbance of circadian rhythms.Methods: In this study, we recruited volunteers and conducted two experiments: in one experiment 15 subjects followed an 8-h on and 4-h off schedule (non-24-h schedule), and in the second experiment 12 subjects followed a 3-d rotary schedule with consecutive shift in sleep time (phase-changing schedule). The serum/blood biochemical variables were measured and the serum miRNAs of the volunteers in the second experiment were subjected to transcriptomic miRNA sequencing.Results: The results show both of the schedules caused comprehensive changes in the blood/serum biochemical variables. Notably, significant elevation in serum phosphate was observed in both experiments: 1.210 ± 0.141 in control and 1.330 ± 0.117 in recovery (P = 0.014) in the first experiment and 1.193 ± 0.152 in control and 1.343 ± 0.099 in recovery (P = 0.007) in the second experiment. In addition, a subset of serum miRNAs targeting genes involved in circadian rhythms, sleep homeostasis, phosphate metabolism and multiple critical physiological processes or pathways were identified in the second experiments.Conclusions: This study reveals that non-24-h and shift schedules lead to changes in a large spectrum of blood/serum biochemical variables due to circadian misalignment. Schedules with frequent shift may cause remarkable changes in serum miRNAs which are involved in multiple physiological pathways. These findings would help understand the deleterious effects of shift schedules and develop optimized strategy to enhance welfare and performance of the shift workers.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) is reactivated in a majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and associated with poor patient outcomes. Although increasing evidence has shown that AFP can regulate HCC cell growth, the precise functions of AFP in hepatocarcinogenesis and the associated underlying mechanism remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demostrated that depleting AFP significantly suppressed diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver tumor progression in an AFP gene-deficient mouse model. Similarly, knocking down AFP expression inhibited human HCC cell proliferation and tumor growth by inducing apoptosis. AFP expression level was inversely associated with the apoptotic rate in mouse and human HCC specimens. Investigation of potential cross-talk between AFP and apoptotic signaling revealed that AFP exerted its growth-promoting effect by suppressing the Fas/FADD-mediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Mechanistically, AFP bound to the RNA-binding protein HuR, increasing the accumulation of HuR in the cytoplasm and subsequent inhibition of Fas mRNA translation. In addition, we found that inhibiting AFP enhanced the cytotoxicity of therapeutics to AFP-positive HCC cells by activating HuR-mediated Fas/FADD apoptotic signaling. Conclusion: Our study defined the pro-oncogenic role of AFP in HCC progression and uncovered a novel antiapoptotic mechanism connecting AFP to HuR-mediated Fas translation. Our findings suggest that AFP is involved in the pathogenesis and chemosensitivity of HCC and that blockade of AFP may be a promising strategy to treat advanced HCC.

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to investigate the inhibition role of two polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors, i.e., D-arginine (D-Arg) and DL-α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), in polyamine biosynthesis under chilling stress in different tissues of two maize inbred lines – Huang C (chilling-tolerance) and Mo17 (chilling-sensitive). RESULTS: The results showed that exposure to the lower concentration of polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors improved seedlings growth, such as the root length, root and shoot fresh weight, chlorophyll a (chl a). The effectiveness of 10 µM D-Arg treatments was more prominent than those of 10 µM DFMO. However, the higher concentration of inhibitors suppressed seedlings growth, and the exposure to 100 µM DFMO caused stronger decreases in the photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll a (chl a), chlorophyll b (chl b), total chlorophyll and carotenoids, than the other treatments. Meanwhile, the inhibitor treatments caused the lower content of putrescine (Put) in roots, mesocotyls and coleoptiles in both maize inbred lines as compared with untreated plants. However, the lower concentration (10 µM) of polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors improved the Spd content, except 10 µM D-Arg in root of Huang C, and 10 µM DFMO in coleoptiles of both Mo17 and Huang C. The correlation analysis found that Spd was positively significantly correlated with root length and shoot fresh weight of seedling. CONCLUSION: It was showed that the Spd played an important role in seedling growth improvement. At the same concentration of polyamine biosynthetic inhibitors, the Put contents in different tissues of the seedlings treated with DFMO were generally lower than those treated with D-Arg, except for Put contents in root of Mo17 with 10 µM treatment. Moreover, the treatments of 100 µM were more prominent than those of 10 µM treatments. Exposure to 100 µM D-Arg and 100 µM DFMO could each decrease the activities of Arginine decarboxylase (ADC), Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) in all maize tissues. However, the decrease of the ADC activity was more prominent in 100 µM D-Arg-treated seedlings, while the decrease of SAMDC and ODC activities was prominent in 100 µM DFMO-treated seedlings. Genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis, such as ADC, ODC, SAMDC, and PAO, showed different expression patterns in response to chilling stress and polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors. This study suggested that Put was synthesized via both the ADC and ODC pathways after chilling stress, with the ODC pathway being the major one.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-based therapeutics are a breakthrough in cancer treatment; however, they are hampered by constitutive activation, which leads to worrisome side effects. Engineering CAR-T cells to be as tightly controllable as possible remains a topic of ongoing investigation. Here, we report a photoswitchable approach that uses a mediator for the at-will regulation of CAR-T cells. This mediator carries dual folate and fluorescein isothiocyanate moieties tethered by an ortho-nitrobenzyl ester photocleavable linker. CAR-T cells were shown to be highly cytotoxic to targeted cells only in the presence of the mediator and acted in a dose-dependent manner. The toxicity of CAR-T cells can be rapidly terminated by cleavage of the mediator, and the effects of CAR-T cells can be activated again by resupplementation with the mediator without compromising tumor therapy. The approach described here provides a direction for enhancing the controllability of CAR-T cells and can likely be applied in other immunotherapies.

Nine new species of caddisflies are described from southeastern and central China, including 7 species of Leptoceridae: Ceraclea (Ceraclea) megalophyllon Yang & Morse sp. n., C. (Athripsodina) aerumnula Yang & Morse sp. n., C. (Ath.) lamellata Yang & Hu sp. n., Oecetis (Oecetis) discedens Yang & Morse sp. n., Oe. (Pleurograpta) spinellosa Yang & Hu sp. n., Setodes charax Yang & Morse sp. n., and S. scutatus Yang & Morse sp. n. Two species of Odontoceridae also are included: Phraepsyche acuminata Yang & Morse sp. n. and Psilotreta longicornis Yang & Morse sp. n. The male genitalia of all species and female genitalia of C. megalophylla, C. lamellata, Oecetis discedens, and Oe. spinellosa are figured.

Background Group A streptococcus (GAS) is an important human pathogen responsible for a broad range of infections. Epidemiological surveillance has been crucial to detect changes in the geographical and temporal variation of the disease pattern. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of GAS isolates from patients in Children’s Hospital in Beijing. Methods From 2016 to 2017, pharyngeal swab samples were collected from the outpatients in Children’s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, who were diagnosed with scarlet fever. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to the distribution of conventional antibiotics and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. The distribution of the macrolide-resistance genes (ermB, ermA, mefA), emm (M protein-coding gene) typing, and superantigens (SAg) gene profiling were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results A total of 297 GAS isolates were collected. The susceptibility of the isolates to penicillin, ceftriaxone, and levofloxacin was 100%. The resistance rate to erythromycin and clindamycin was 98.3 and 96.6%, respectively. The dominant emm types were emm12 (65.32%), emm1 (27.61%), emm75 (2.69%), and emm89 (1.35%). Of the 297 isolates, 290 (97.64%) carried the ermB gene, and 5 (1.68%) carried the mefA gene, while none carried the ermA gene. The most common superantigen genes identified from GAS isolates were smeZ (96.97%), speC (92.59%), speG (91.58%), ssa (85.52%), speI (54.55%), speH (52.19%), and speA (34.34%). Isolates with the genotype emm1 possessed speA, speC, speG, speJ, speM, ssa, and smeZ, while emm12 possessed speC, speG, speH, speI, speM, ssa, and smeZ superantigens. Conclusions The prevalent strain of GAS isolates in Beijing has a high resistance rate to macrolides; however, penicillin can still be the preferred antibiotic for treatment. Erythromycin resistance was predominantly mediated by ermB. The common emm types were emm12 and emm1. There was a correlation between emm and the superantigen gene. Thus, long-term monitoring and investigation of the emm types and superantigen genes of GAS prevalence are imperative.

The improper stacking of chromium (Cr) slag poses a great threat to the environment and human health. The toxicity of Cr in soil is not only related to its total amount, but also to its fractions. A simulated experiment was conducted in laboratory to assess the environmental risk of Cr fractions migration and distribution in red soil. The results showed the content of acid-soluble and reducible Cr significantly decreased (P &lt, 0.05) in top layer but increased in middle and substratum layers over time. This indicated that acid-soluble and reducible Cr migrated downward with time and the relative mobility of acid-soluble Cr (0.038 mg/kg&middot, d&middot, m) was higher than that of reducible Cr (0.028 mg/kg&middot, m). Furthermore, correlation analysis between microbial community and chromium fraction showed the relative abundance of Lysobacter, Flavihumibacter, Flavisolbacter, and Altererythrobacter was significantly (P &lt, 0.05) correlated with acid-soluble and reducible fractions. Thus, these microorganisms might be evaluators to assess the migration of acid-soluble and reducible fractions in red soil. In summary, this study provided a new comprehension on remediation of Cr-contaminated soil by monitoring the migration of acid-soluble and reducible fractions and the changes of related microbial groups.

Violet passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is an important tropical and subtropical perennial evergreen vine with large-scale cultivation in Guangxi, China. Between May and September 2020, anthracnose symptoms occurred on passion fruit (cultivar Tainong No. 1) in Xingye county (22°77'13″N, 110°07'80″E) in Guangxi province, China. The disease incidence varied from 25 to 60% in different orchards. Initial symptoms on young fruits appeared as multiple tiny water-soaked, oval to irregular pale greenish spots. As the disease progressed, the lesions became medium brown, with sunken cavities. Under humid conditions, acervuli containing masses of conidia and dark setae were found on the lesions. The affected fruits became shriveled. Tissue pieces (5 × 5 mm) were cut out from infected fruits, surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 15 s and 0.1% HgCl2 for 2 min, washed three times with sterile water, placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 28 °C for three days. Of the 29 Colletotrichum isolates obtained , the isolate B13 was selected for morphological characterization. B13 was purified by single spore isolation and incubated on PDA at 25°C under continuous fluorescent light irradiation, producing white to pale yellow colonies with dense aerial mycelia. The reverse side of the colony was pale yellowish to olive. Conidia were hyaline, unicellular, straight, cylindrical, with both ends slightly round or one end round and the other slightly pointed, measuring 10.5 to 18.8 (average 16.4) × 5.4 to 7.2 (average 6.3) µm (n = 50). Appressoria were light brown to dark black, smooth-walled, lobed, often with a roundish outline, sometimes also triangular, 7.2 to 10.9 (average 9.1) × 6.8 to 9.2 (average 8.2) µm (n = 50). Morphological characteristics of the isolate matched those of Colletotrichum brasiliense (Damm et al. 2012). The internal transcribed spacers (ITS), actin (ACT), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and beta-tubulin (TUB2) genes of strain B13 were sequenced using the method and primers of Damm et al. (2012). Sequences of the amplified DNA regions were submitted to GenBank (ITS: MW198820; ACT: MW266083; GAPDH: MW266084; and TUB2: MW266085). A concatenated maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was built using MEGA 7.0.21 in which B13 clustered with C. brasiliense and clearly separated from other Colletotrichum spp. Pathogenicity of B13 was assayed using one-year-old plants of violet passion fruit cultivar 'Tainong No. 1'. Conidial suspensions were prepared from 7-day-old cultures grown on PDA at 28°C Sterile distilled water was used to dislodge conidia from the culture dish and the conidial concentration was adjusted to 1 × 106 spores mL-1 using a haemocytometer. Fruits were rinsed with sterilized water and wounded with a sterile needle at three locations. Three fruits were inoculated by spraying with 20 mL of the conidial suspension. Control fruits were sprayed with distilled water. Fruits were then covered with plastic bags to maintain high relative humidity . After 9 days, all inoculated fruits developed brown spots with sunken cavities, resembling symptoms observed in the field, and controls remained symptomless. Fungal cultures with phenotypic features similar to C. brasiliense were re-isolated from the symptomatic fruits, verifying C. brasiliense as the causal agent of the disease based on Koch's postulates. C. boninense, C. gloeosporioides, C.queenslandicum, C. brevisporum, and C. karstii were reported as causal agents of anthracnose on passion fruit (Junior et al.2010; Power et al. 2010; James et al.2014; Du et al.2017; Ran et al.2020). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. brasiliense causing anthracnose on passion fruit in China.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) on mRNA plays critical roles in various cellular processes. However, the landscape and dynamics of m6A modification in hematopoietic system remain unknown. Here, we delineate a comprehensive m6A landscape across hematopoietic hierarchy and uncover that IGF2BP2 is required for preserving the function of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Our data reveal a cell-type-specific m6A landscape in hematopoiesis. m6A modifications arise mostly in the early stage of hematopoiesis and prefer to play distinct roles for determining mRNA fates in HSCs and committed progenitors. Mechanistically, increased m6A-IGF2BP2 expression controls transcriptional state and maintenance of HSCs. IGF2BP2 deficiency induces quiescence loss and impairs HSC function. Moreover, IGF2BP2 loss increases mitochondrial activity of HSCs by accelerating Bmi1 mRNA decay, leading to de-repression of mitochondria-related genes. Collectively, our results present a fascinating portrait of m6A modification of hematopoietic hierarchy and reveal a key role of IGF2BP2 in maintaining HSC function by restraining mitochondrial activity.

Seedling quality greatly affects the subsequent survival, quality and yield of tomatoes. To explore the response of tomato seedlings on vertical light, we investigated the continuous trends of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in six vertical light intensities and Pearson's correlation analysis of them. The results showed that the dark fluorescence parameters of Fm, Fv/Fm highly correlated with the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) while NPQ, Y(NPQ), Y(NO) were highly correlated with the day of light processing (DLP). With increasing PPFD, the Fv/Fm decreased, the residual sum of curves increased and the scaling factor (S) was decreased. The photoinhibition phenomenon was relieved to different degrees on DLP 4. L4 (243.17 ± 4.37 μmol m-2 s-1) was the fastest light adaptation, L5 (295.34 ± 5.42 μmol m-2 s-1) was the second. ΦPSII accumulation was greatest in L4 and second in L5. Both L4 and L5 seedling health index and dry weight were significantly higher than L1 (53.20 ± 1.55 μmol m-2 s-1). L4 had the highest Chl a/b and total soluble sugar. It can be concluded that L4 was the best vertical PPFD with the highest light-adaption. The larger the PPFD, the greater the curve deviation, the greater the degree of data discretization, and the higher the photoinhibition. The more appropriate the light intensity is, the faster the seedlings light-adapted are. Therefore, the rapid and proper adjustment of light intensity is the key to obtain high quality tomato seedlings.

During the past 20 years kiwifruit has expanded dramatically in planting area and location, in total production, and also in diversity with different types of fruit. For example, variations in flesh colour have resulted in the commercialisation of green-fleshed, yellow-fleshed and red-fleshed kiwifruit. This diversity is from two large-fruited Actinidia species, A. chinensis and A. deliciosa, now widely grown throughout many parts of the world. Other fruit types may become available through use of other Actinidia species. The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) has an active kiwifruit breeding programme to produce new kiwifruit cultivars that meet market requirements. An efficient in vitro biotechnology platform had been established to preserve and create new genotypes for rapid kiwifruit breeding through in vitro culture and propagation of various Actinidia species. Petiole and nodal shoot segments are produced from cuttings collected from dormant canes of adult plants in our germplasm repositories and breeding programme. This paper reviews the establishment of in vitro culture systems to allow chromosome doubling, micro-propagation, the testing of tolerance to bacterial canker of kiwifruit, and the development of new kiwifruit cultivars.