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AtNPF4.5/AIT2, which was predicted to be a low-affinity transporter capable for nitrate uptake, was screened by ABA receptor complex in Arabidopsis ten years ago. However, the molecular and biochemical characterizations of AtNPF4.5 in plants remained largely unclear. In this study, the function of a plasma-membrane-localized and root-specifically-expressed gene MeNPF4.5 (Manihot-esculenta NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1 PTR FAMILY4.5), an ortholog of the Arabidopsis thaliana NPF4.5, was investigated in cassava roots as a nitrate efflux transporter on low nitrate medium and an influx transporter following exposure to high concentration of external nitrates. Moreover, RNA interference (RNAi) of MeNPF4.5 reduced the nitrate efflux capacity but the overexpressing cassava seedlings increased the ability of efflux from the elongation to the mature zone of root under low nitrate treatments. Besides, MeNPF4.5-RNAi expression reduced the nitrate influx capacity but enhanced nitrate absorption in parts of overexpressing plants from the meristem, elongation to mature zone of roots under high nitrate conditions. Furthermore, MeNPF4.5-RNAi seedlings survived owing to roots that could grow normally, but the MeNPF4.5-over-expressors showed adverse growth under 7% PEG6000 stress, suggesting that MeNPF4.5 negatively regulated the osmotic stress and was involved in nitrate flux through cassava seedlings.

In the current era of increasingly complex social life, as people’s demand quality is getting higher and higher, the solution of the problem often has multiple indicators to achieve the optimum. This forces the graph coloring problem (GCP) to become complicated, and it is difficult to directly obtain the optimal solution, which brings new challenges to the solution of the problem. In response to this problem, the GCP field is of great research significance. With the in-depth study of GCP, the research on multiobjective optimization (MOO) in graph coloring algorithm (GCA) is gradually carried out. Its performance advantage is of great significance for solving multicondition constraint problems. This paper aims to study the application of Genetic Algorithm (GA) in GCA. Through the analysis and research of GA, and the fusion of numerical analysis and scientific computing, it can be applied to the construction of the neighbor distinguishable uniform V-full coloring algorithm (AVDEVTCA) to solve the AVDEVTC problem. This paper describes the basic theory of MOO and graph coloring. It conducts an experimental analysis of the algorithm performance and uses the relevant theoretical formulas to explain it. The results show that the algorithm takes 5754.142 S seconds to test 21325415 images and can color a large number of results that cannot be done manually in less time. It has greatly improved in terms of time and manpower saving and greatly improved practicability and work efficiency.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been considered to be important regulators of gene expression in a range of biological processes in plants. A large number of lncRNAs have been identified in plants. However, most of their biological functions still remain to be determined. Here, we identified total 3004 lncRNAs in cassava under normal or cold-treated conditions from Iso-seq data. We further characterized an COLD-RESPONSIVE INTERGENIC lncRNA 1 (CRIR1), as a novel positive regulator of the plant response to cold stress. CRIR1 can be significantly induced by cold treatment. Ectopic expression of CRIR1 in cassava enhanced the cold tolerance of transgenic plants. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that CRIR1 regulated a range of cold stress-related genes in a CBF-independent pathway. We further found that CRIR1 RNA can interact with cassava COLD SHOCK PROTEIN 5 (MeCSP5), which acts as an RNA chaperone, indicating that CRIR1 may recruit MeCSP5 to improve the translation efficiency of mRNA. In summary, our study extends the repertoire of lncRNAs in plants as well as their role in cold stress responses. Moreover, it reveals a mechanism by which CRIR1 affected cold stress response by modulating the expression of stress-responsive genes and increasing their translational yield. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background: Extensive epidemiological studies have established the association between exposure to early-life adversity and health status and diseases in adults. Epigenetic regulation is considered as a key mediator for this phenomenon but analysis on humans is sparse. The Great Chinese Famine lasting from 1958 to 1961 is a natural string of disasters offering a precious opportunity for elucidating the underlying epigenetic mechanism of the long-term effect of early adversity. Methods: Using a high-throughput array platform for DNA methylome profiling, we conducted a case-control epigenome-wide association study on early-life exposure to Chinese famine in 79 adults born during 1959–1961 and compared to 105 unexposed subjects born 1963–1964. Results: The single CpG site analysis of whole epigenome revealed a predominant pattern of decreased DNA methylation levels associated with fetal exposure to famine. Four CpG sites were detected with p < 1e-06 (linked to EHMT1, CNR1, UBXN7 and ESM1 genes), 16 CpGs detected with 1e-06 < p < 1e-05 and 157 CpGs with 1e-05 < p < 1e-04, with a predominant pattern of hypomethylation. Functional annotation to genes and their enriched biological pathways mainly involved neurodevelopment, neuropsychological disorders and metabolism. Multiple sites analysis detected two top-rank differentially methylated regions harboring RNF39 on chromosome 6 and PTPRN2 on chromosome 7, both showing epigenetic association with stress-related conditions. Conclusion: Early-life exposure to famine could mediate DNA methylation regulations that persist into adulthood with broad impacts in the activities of genes and biological pathways. Results from this study provide new clues to the epigenetic embedding of early-life adversity and its impacts on adult health.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in the biological processes of plants under biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known about the function and regulation mechanism of the pathogen-related lncRNAs at a molecular level. A banana lncRNA, namely Malnc2310, is greatly induced by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense TR4 strain (VCG01213/16) in roots. In this study, we indicate the nuclear localization of Malnc2310 by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). We illustrate that Malnc2310 interacts with several proteins that are related to phenylpropanoid pathway, pathogen response and programmed cell death. Overexpression of Malnc2310 confers higher susceptibility to stresses, such as Fusarium crude extracts, salinity and cold in transgenic Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the Malnc2310 transgenic Arabidopsis accumulated more anthocyanin under Fusarium crude extracts and cold treatments. The Malnc2310 overexpression up-regulated the expression of several key genes that are related to the development of lateral roots and those involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Malnc2310 also enhanced the activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) in transgenic Arabidopsis. Based on our findings, we propose that Malnc2310 binds to PAL to participate in the flavonoid metabolism under stresses. This study provides new insights into the role of Malnc2310 in mediating plants to stress adaptation.

Obesity is an established risk factor for hyperuricemia, but the mechanisms are only partially understood. We examined whether BMI-related DNA methylation (DNAm) variation would mediate the association of BMI with serum uric acid (SUA). We first conducted an epigenome-wide association analysis (EWAS) in 64 monozygotic twin pairs to detect BMI-related DNAm variation and then evaluated the mediated effect of DNAm using mediation analysis. Ontology enrichments analysis was performed for CpGs using GREAT tool. The genes where the candidate CpG mediators mapped were validated using gene expression data. BMI was positively associated with log

Gas production from an offshore hydrate-bearing sediment (HBS) by depressurization will reduce the strength of cementation and increase the effective stress of hydrate reservoirs, which can result ...

Seed mass (SM) is a core functional trait of plant species. Thus, information of the effect of grazing and nitrogen addition on the occurrence of species with different SMs can help us understand the influence of grazing and fertilization on survival of species and community assembly. In alpine meadows with different grazing and nitrogen addition treatments on the eastern Tibet Plateau, we measured SM and plant height (H) of the most common plants and conducted a series of quadrat surveys. Overall, grazing promoted survival of small-seeded species, while fertilization suppressed their survival. At the community level, moderate grazing reduced the average community weighted mean (CWM) of SM and increased the coefficient of variation (CV) of SM. However, there was no significant difference between the functional diversity (FDrao, calculated as Rao's index) of SM in grazed and nongrazed meadows. Nitrogen addition significantly increased the CWM of SM, had a marginally significant effect on FDrao of SM, but had no significant effect on CV of SM. The impact of gazing and fertilization on occurrence of species with different SMs can be explained by their effect on vegetation height. From the perspective of SM selection, our study helps clarify the mechanism of species diversity loss due to fertilization, and that of species diversity increase by moderate grazing.

In this paper, molecular simulation methods are used to construct nanopore models of organic matter, montmorillonite, and quartz. The occurrence state of CH4 molecules in shale nanopores was simulated, and the distribution characteristics of CH4 molecules at different temperatures, pressures, and pore widths were obtained. The thickness and density of the adsorption layer of CH4 molecules at different temperatures and pressures were studied. On the basis of these, a calculation model of shale gas reserves considering adsorption is proposed. The results show that CH4 molecules in shale nanopores present a nonuniform distribution. Two obvious wave peaks form in the space close to the surfaces of the shale nanopore, and the wave peaks increase with the increase of pressure. As the pressure increases, a second peak appears and gradually becomes larger. The adsorption layer formed on the surface of the medium has a certain thickness and density, which are affected by pressure and temperature. In the calculation example, the difference between the calculation results of the shale gas reserve calculation models considering and not considering the adsorption layer is about 26%. The higher the proportion of adsorbed gas, the greater the calculation error, which is related to pressure and adsorption capacity.

In this study, a self-designed apparatus was used to provide a quantitative evaluation of the wax prevention effect of tungsten alloy-coated tubing compared with ordinary tubing in oil production. The paraffin deposition of both pipes at different temperatures and different flow rates was studied. The efficiency of paraffin deposition prevention of the tungsten alloy coating pipe was analyzed. The results show that using this apparatus can efficiently and accurately calculate the wax prevention rate and can accurately obtain the wax deposit and wax thickness of the inner wall. The paraffin deposition of both pipes reaches the highest point at 290.15 K, and it reduces with the increase of flow rate. The use of the tungsten alloy coating pipe results in about 30% reduction in paraffin deposition. It provides a promising method for the paraffin inhibition to extend the wax removal cycle.

A series of experiments were performed to study the influence of initial pressures and pressure drop rates on the amount of lost gas during the coring process. The change laws of cumulative gas pro...

The sulfur resistance and regeneration ability of Ni- or Co-impregnated La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3-δ (LSCrM) composite anodes are investigated in this study. The sulfur resistance of the composite anodes are assessed after a 5 h sulfur poisoning process. Interestingly, the composite anodes exhibit weak sulfur resistance due to the excellent catalytic activity of catalyst to fuel oxidation. Both chemical and electrochemical oxidative methods are attempted to realize the regeneration of the composite solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) after the sulfur poisoning process. Notably, opposite results are exhibited by the two regeneration methods for the composite SOFCs. The chemical oxidative method can restore the electrochemical properties of the composite SOFCs, but the electrochemical oxidative method cannot. The regeneration and failure mechanisms of the Ni- or Co-impregnated LSCrM anodes are evaluated in detail.

In order to evaluate the total shale gas-in-place (GIP) resources in deep formations, it is important to study the sorption of supercritical methane in shales. At present, the Dubinin–Astakhov model is used to describe sorption isotherms. However, it still has some shortcomings. The main objective of this study is to establish an optimized model for supercritical methane sorption in shales. A series of high-pressure methane sorption isotherms were measured at different temperatures (from 293 to 333 K) for shale samples collected in the Cengong block, Guizhou, China. The characteristics and causes of shale gas sorption capacity changes were analyzed. By comparing the fitting results of several conventional sorption models, the characteristics and applicable scope of these models are obtained. A four-parameter (V0, D, m, and ρa) modified supercritical D–A model was developed to accurately estimate the sorption of supercritical methane on shales based on Polanyi sorption potential theory. The results show that the sorption characteristic curve of methane on the shale surface under high pressure is obviously different from that under low pressure. The density of the sorption phase and the virtual saturated vapor pressure have a great influence on the fitting results of the sorption models. The density of the adsorption phase directly determines the ultimate sorption capacity of the shale sample. Also, the modified D–A model can improve the accuracy of the prediction of supercritical methane sorption on shales, and it can accurately describe the isothermal sorption law of gas in the supercritical state.

Background: Classical acupuncture is being used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To explore the biological response to acupuncture, a network-based analysis was performed on gene expression data collected from an animal model of RA treated with acupuncture.Methods: Gene expression data were obtained from published microarray studies on blood samples from rats with collagen induced arthritis (CIA) and non-CIA rats, both treated with manual acupuncture. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify gene clusters expressed in association with acupuncture treatment time and RA status. Gene ontology and pathway analyses were applied for functional annotation and network visualization.Results: A cluster of 347 genes were identified that differentially downregulated expression in association with acupuncture treatment over time; specifically in rats with CIA with module-RA correlation at 1 hour after acupuncture (-0.27; p < 0.001) and at 34 days after acupuncture (-0.33; p < 0.001). Functional annotation showed highly significant enrichment of porphyrin-containing compound biosynthetic processes (p < 0.001). The network-based analysis also identified a module of 140 genes differentially expressed between CIA and non-CIA in rats (p < 0.001). This cluster of genes was enriched for antigen processing and presentation of exogenous peptide antigen (p < 0.001). Other functional gene clusters previously reported in earlier studies were also observed.Conclusion: The identified gene expression networks and their hub-genes could help with the understanding of mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of RA, as well understanding the effects of acupuncture treatment of RA.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recognized as essential transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulators, and play versatile roles in plants growth, development and stress responses. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a major root crop widely grown worldwide. Cold stress seriously affects cassava plants growth, development and yield. MiRNAs and their targets have been extensively studied in model plants, but a genome-wide identification of miRNAs’ targets is still lacking in cassava. In this study, two degradome libraries were constructed using cold-treated and control cassava seedlings to identify the roles of miRNAs and their targets in response to cold stress. Following high-throughput sequencing and comparing with miRNA database, degradome data allowed us to identify a total of 151 non-redundant miRNA-target pairs. We revealed that ~ 42% of miRNA targets are conserved across plant species. However, 83 novel miRNA targets were identified in the two libraries. Gene ontology analyses showed that many target genes involved in cellular and metabolic process. In addition, 12 miRNAs and 31 corresponding targets of them were further found to be involved in cold stress response. Particularly, miR159, 164 and 396 participated in cold stress response by up-regulating certain transcription factors that were involved in the regulation of downstream gene expression. The work helps identifing cold-responsive miRNA targets in cassava and increases the number of novel targets involved in cold stress response. Furthermore, the findings of this study might provide valuable reference and new insights for understanding the functions of miRNA in stress response in plants.

Background Large numbers of autosomal sites are found differentially methylated in the aging genome. Due to analytical difficulties in dealing with sex differences in X-chromosome content and X-inactivation (XCI) in females, this has not been explored for the X chromosome. Methods Using data from middle age to elderly individuals (age 55+ years) from two Danish cohorts of monozygotic twins and the Scottish Lothian Birth Cohort 1921, we conducted an X-chromosome-wide analysis of age-associated DNA methylation patterns with consideration of stably inferred XCI status. Results Through analysing and comparing sex-specific X-linked DNA methylation changes over age late in life, we identified 123, 293 and 55 CpG sites significant (FDR Conclusions The X-chromosome of whole blood leukocytes displays age- and sex-dependent DNA methylation patterns in relation to XCI across cohorts.

Ultrafine grained NiTi shape memory alloy was consolidated from Ni/Ti laminates via accumulative roll bonding (ARB) followed by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Due to the extensive plastic deformation arising from ARB and the attainment of ultra-thin layers of both Ti and Ni laminates, the subsequent HIP processing time was significantly reduced. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis confirms that the shape memory effect was obtained in the consolidated NiTi alloy.

Key Message Natural variation of the MeMYB108 exon was associated with reactive oxygen scavengers led to alleviate leaf abscission under drought in cassava. Abstract The reactive oxygen scavengers play important roles in regulating the cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaf abscission induced by stresses. To date, the relationship between natural variations of MYB genes and reactive oxygen scavengers under drought in cassava genotypes remains unclear. Here, we reported the transcription factor MeMYB108 played an important role in regulating leaf abscission exposed to drought in cassava. The expression levels of MeMYB108 in abscission zones of cassava leaf pulvinus were higher in cassava genotype SC124, which were less easy to shed leaves under stress than cassava genotype SC8 when the leaf abscission induced by the same drought condition. Compared with wild type and interference expression plants, overexpression of MeMYB108 significantly reduced the drought-induced leaf abscission rate under drought. The consecutively 2-year analysis of reactive oxygen scavengers showed significant differences among different cassava genotypes under drought-induced leaf abscission, indicating the relevance between reactive oxygen scavengers and leaf abscission. Correlation analysis revealed the natural variation of the MeMYB108 exon was associated with reactive oxygen scavengers during drought-induced leaf abscission. Association analysis between pairwise LD of DNA polymorphism indicated the MeMYB108 allele enhanced the tolerance of cassava to drought-induced leaf abscission. Complementation transgenic lines containing the elite allele of MeMYB108SC124 decreased the leaf abscission rate induced by drought conditions, demonstrating natural variation in MeMYB108 contributed to leaf abscission tolerance induced by drought in cassava. Further studies showed MeMYB108 played an active role in the tolerance of cassava to drought-induced leaf abscission by inducing scavenging of reactive oxygen species.