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Salt stress, as one of the most severe environmental stresses, can cause a series of changes in plants. However, the explanation of plant salt stress alleviating mechanism of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) was hindered by the limited availability of transcriptomic information for salt stress‐treated plants grown in a microorganism‐controlled environment. Our previous reports have selected Bacillus atrophaeus WU‐9 as PGPR significantly alleviating pepper (Capsicum frutescens. L) salt stress. In this work, the RNA‐seq analysis of salt stress‐treated and untreated plants, grown with and without WU‐9 in a microorganism‐controlled environment, was used to reveal the plant salt stress alleviating mechanisms of WU‐9. Twelve sequencing libraries, prepared by treating with WU‐9 and salt (150 mM NaCl for 36 h), were constructed by RNA‐Seq technique. Non‐inoculated seedlings mainly respond to salt stress through regulation of signal transduction, such as ethylene‐activated signaling pathway, signaling and cell communication, etc. And ethylene signal participated in salt stress response in pepper through regulating defense responses, fruit ripening and senescence. WU‐9 inoculation under salt stress mainly improves salt tolerance and plant growth by regulating salt stress‐responding ethylene and auxin signal transduction, utilization of proline, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activities and cell enlargement. Furthermore, 86 differentially expressed genes and 20 transcription factors were identified as associated with salt stress response and tolerance. Thus, this innovative transcriptomic study identified the salt stress response and alleviation in C. frutescens. L with PGPR inoculation. This result provided novel insights into the salinity alleviation in pepper regulated by PGPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore how the Jesuit missionaries and their Chinese supporters negotiated the tension between mechanical knowledge, along with its embedded theological implications and the Chinese worldview by examining the Yuanxi qiqi tushuo luzui 遠西奇器圖說錄最 and the biography of a Chinese inventor Huang Lüzhuang 黃履莊 in the context of the polemical debates on Christianity in seventeenth century China. Centring on the concept of creation, I demonstrate how the understanding of machine or automata relates to broader questions regarding the natural world and human agency at the juncture of intellectual transformations in both Europe and China: While some European thinkers, inspired by machines, promoted the worldview of a passive nature analogous to machine, concepts of unity and spontaneity provided the Chinese with an opportunity to account for the autonomy of the machine as something operating in accordance with the self-generating natural world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has been widely used as a traditional remedy for insomnia, depression and anxiety in China and Western countries. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that rosemary has important applications in neurological disorders. However, the mechanism of action of rosemary hydrosol in the treatment of insomnia is not known. Insomnia is closely linked to anxiety and depression, and its pathogenesis is related to biology, psychology, and sociology. Rosemary is a natural plant that has been used to treat insomnia and depression and has good biological activity, but its material basis and mechanism for the treatment of insomnia are not clear. Here, we report on the role of aqueous extracts of rosemary in the treatment of insomnia. The study was based on network pharmacology, using a combination of RNA-sequencing, "quantity-effect" weighting coefficients, and pharmacodynamic experiments. DL-4-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) was intraperitoneally injected into SD rats to replicate the insomnia model with a blank, model, diazepam, and rosemary hydrosol low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were set up for the experiment. The key pathways in the treatment of insomnia with rosemary hydrosol were analyzed by molecular docking, open field assay, ELISA, western-Blot, Rt-PCR, and immunohistochemical assay. Rosemary hydrosol was analyzed by GC-MS to identify 19 components. 1579 differential genes were obtained by RNA-Seq analysis, 533 targets for rosemary hydrosol and 2705 targets for insomnia, and 29 key targets were obtained by intersection. The KEGG results were ranked by "quantity-effect" weighting coefficients, resulting in serotonergic synapse was the key pathway for the treatment of insomnia with rosemary hydrosol. Molecular docking results showed that 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1] heptan-2-one, 3-methyl-4-isopropylphenol, caryophyllene, and citronellol of rosemary hydrosol acted synergistically to achieve a therapeutic effect on insomnia. Caryophyllene acts on the HTR1A target by upregulating 5-HT1AR, leading to increased 5-HT release, and upregulation of ADCY5, cAMP, PKA and GABAA at serotonergic synapses; citronellol upregulated ADCY5 and 1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1] heptan-2-one, and 3-methyl-4-isopropylphenol up-regulated GABAA to improve insomnia symptoms. In open-field experiments, ELISA kits (5-HT, GABA, and DA), Western-blotting, Rt-PCR and immunohistochemical assay experiments, insomnia rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose groups of rosemary hydrosol showed different degrees of improvement compared with the model group. It was shown that rosemary hydrosol may exert its therapeutic effects on insomnia through serotonergic synapses by combining RNA-Seq, "quantity-effect" weighting coefficients network pharmacology and pharmacodynamic experiments. We have provided a preliminary theoretical study for the development of rosemary hydrosol additive into a beverage for the treatment of insomnia, but it needs to be studied in depth. This study was conducted in rats and the results have limitations and may not apply to humans. [Display omitted] • Combining network pharmacology, "quantity-effect" weighting coefficients and RNA-Seq. • It provides an initial exploration into the development of rosemary hydrosol as a functional beverage. • For the first time, we elucidated the mechanism of action of rosemary hydrosol in the treatment of insomnia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Structure-property relationships of MOFs were established with the capture of CWAs. • The number of hydrogen bond acceptors was a key factor governing the co-adsorption of CWAs by machine learning. • The similarities of top-performing MOFs were defined for the metals, organic links and topology. To effectively capture the low-concentration chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and their simulants which are extremely harmful to human health and environment, the properties of thousands of Computation-Ready, Experimental Metal-Organic Frameworks (CoRE-MOFs) for the adsorption and separation of four CWAs and simulants (dimethyl methyl phosphonate, soman, mustard gas, and 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide) from the air were calculated by high-throughput computational screening. To reasonably identify the top-performing MOFs, the trade-off between selectivity and adsorption capacity (TSN) was introduced to measure the properties of MOFs. Five machine learning algorithms were employed to quantitatively evaluate the structure-performance relationships of MOFs for the adsorption of CWAs and validate that Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithms had the best prediction accuracy. Furthermore, four MOF descriptors (henry coefficient, number of hydrogen bonds, porosity, and volumetric surface area) were found to have significant influence on the properties of MOFs. Finally, it was determined that the number of hydrogen bond acceptors was a key factor governing the co-adsorption of CWAs and their simulants, and the similarities of adsorbents with good adsorption performance included Zn for metal center, trimesic acid for organic linker, and srs for topology. The microscopic insights obtained from our bottom-up approach are very helpful for the development of MOFs and other nanoporous materials for the capture of CWAs from the air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel multilevel gravity model of migration to study the under-researched topic of urban to urban migration in China. Many previous studies have looked at rural to urban migration in the context of urbanisation and economic development, and at return migration. Very few have looked at what is becoming more important in increasingly urbanised countries, which is the movement from one urban location to another. In the study, we develop a new method that allows for the interconnections between migration flows: between those that share an origin, those that share a destination, and where there is a reciprocal flow between places. A conventional gravity model of migration ignores those connections, risking erroneous estimation of the regression parameters and of their statistical significance. It also ignores that those connections are of substantive interest—they reveal the interconnections between places regarding the numbers of migrants that they send and receive. We motivate and illustrate the advantages of our approach using 2010 interprovincial migration census data for China. The results obtained from the model confirm the effect of distance, of population size and of regional income levels. They show that there is greater variation in the numbers of migrants received by provinces than there is in the numbers sent, and that reciprocal migration between pairs of provinces is an important feature of what is happening in China, especially between the neighbouring provinces of Sichuan and Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Amide group was introduced to prepare PBAHX for chalcopyrite and pyrite flotation. • The introduction of amide group significantly reduced the odor of xanthate. • PBAHX exhibited superior selectivity for chalcopyrite against pyrite than SIBX. • Horizontal adsorption model was established to account for flotation differences. Xanthate, due to its superior collecting ability, is widely used in the field of minerals flotation. However, its weak selectivity and foul odor make it difficult to separate chalcopyrite from pyrite and reduce pollution. This work provides an efficient and odorless collector to selectively separate chalcopyrite from pyrite. Amide group was introduced into xanthate and an efficient and odorless xanthate derivative was designed, potassium O-(6-(butylamino)-6-oxohexyl) xanthate (PBAHX), to selectively separate chalcopyrite and pyrite. The flotation results showed that PBAHX exhibited superior selectivity, the separation index of PBAHX for chalcopyrite and pyrite is 2.65 while that of the traditional sodium isobutyl xanthate (SIBX) is 1.29, and enabled the separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite. The electronic-nose detection demonstrated that the odor intensity of PBAHX was lower than SIBX. Subsequently, "horizontal" adsorption model was formed for the adsorption of PBAHX on pyrite to explain the differences in flotation results. Besides, hydrogen bonds may be produced between collector molecules to dampen odor. PBAHX shows potential as a green and effective alternative to sulfide mineral flotation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a highly fidelity computational simulator of pulmonary physiology to evaluate the impact of a soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) modulator on gas exchange in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) as a complication. Three virtual patients with COPD were configured in the simulator based on clinical data. In agreement with previous clinical studies, modeling systemic application of an sGC modulator results in reduced partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and increased partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in arterial blood, if a drug‐induced reduction of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) equal to that observed experimentally is assumed. In contrast, for administration via dry powder inhalation (DPI), our simulations suggest that the treatment results in no deterioration in oxygenation. For patients under exercise, DPI administration lowers PH, whereas oxygenation is improved with respect to baseline values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LINKED CONTENT: This article is linked to Panaccione et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16848 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast preconditioned policy iteration method is proposed for the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation involving tempered fractional order partial derivatives, governing the valuation of American options whose underlying asset follows exponential Lévy processes. An unconditionally stable upwind finite difference scheme with shifted Grünwald approximation is first developed to discretize the established HJB equation under the tempered fractional diffusion models. Next, the policy iteration method as an outer iterative method is utilized to solve the discretized HJB equation and proven to be convergent in finite steps to its numerical solution. Given the Toeplitz-like structure of the coefficient matrix in each policy iteration, the resulting linear system can be fast solved by the Krylov subspace method as an inner iterative method via fast Fourier transform (FFT). Furthermore, a novel preconditioner is proposed to speed up the convergence rate of the inner Krylov subspace iteration with theoretical analysis to ensure the linear system can be solved in O ( N log N ) operations under some mild conditions, where N is the number of spatial node points. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed fast preconditioned policy method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants are equipped with the capacity to respond to a large number of diverse signals, both internal ones and those emanating from the environment, that are critical to their survival and adaption as sessile organisms. These signals need to be integrated through highly structured intracellular networks to ensure coherent cellular responses, and in addition, spatiotemporal actions of hormones and peptides both orchestrate local cell differentiation and coordinate growth and physiology over long distances. Further, signal interactions and signaling outputs vary significantly with developmental context. This review discusses our current understanding of the integrated intracellular and intercellular signaling networks that control plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, considerable literature has proposed the more general class of exponential Lévy processes as the underlying model for prices of financial quantities, which thus better explain many important empirical facts of financial markets. Finite moment log stable, Carr–Geman–Madan–Yor and KoBoL models are chosen from those above-mentioned models as the dynamics of underlying equity prices in this paper. With such models pricing barrier options, one kind of financial derivatives is transformed to solve specific fractional partial differential equations (FPDEs). This study focuses on numerically solving these FPDEs via the fully implicit scheme, with the shifted Grünwald approximation. The circulant preconditioned generalized minimal residual method which converges very fast with theoretical proof is incorporated for solving resultant linear systems. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed preconditioner and show the accuracy of our method compared with that done by the Fourier cosine expansion method as a benchmark. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a disease caused by genetic and environmental factors, and the main clinical manifestation is hyperglycemia. Currently, insulin injections are still the first-line treatment for diabetes. However, repeated injections may cause insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, and other serious side effects. Thus, it is imperative to develop new diabetes treatments. Protein-based diabetes drugs, such as fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21), have a longer-lasting glycemic modulating effect with high biosafety. However, the instability of these protein drugs limits their applications. In this study, we extract protein hypoglycemic drugs with oral and injectable functions. The FGF-21 analog (NA-FGF) was loaded into the chitosan derivative-based nanomaterials, N-2-Hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan/carboxymethyl chitosan (N-2-HACC/CMCS), to prepare NA-FGF-loaded N-2-HACC/CMCS microspheres (NA-FGF-N-2-HACC/CMCS MPs). It was well demonstrated that NA-FGF-N-2-HACC/CMCS MPs have great biocompatibility, biostability, and durable drug-release ability. In addition to injectable drug delivery, our prepared microspheres were highly advantageous for oral administration. The in vitro and in vivo experimental results suggested that NA-FGF-N-2-HACC/CMCS MPs could be used as a promising candidate and universal nano-delivery system for both oral and injectable hypoglycemic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of blindness in elderly individuals. As a metabolic regulator, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) has been proven indicated to have an effect on wet AMD, but whether this cytokine has a therapeutic effect on dry AMD is unclear. The current study aimed to evaluate the preventive effects of FGF-21 against retinal degeneration in mice and provide mechanistic insights. FGF-21−/− mice were raised to 10 months of age. Then, the morphological changes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid of the mice were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and iTRAQ was used to detect the variations in the protein profile. Next, FGF-21−/− and wild-type mice of the same age were fed hydroquinone to generate a dry AMD mouse model to examine whether exogenous FGF-21 can interfere with the occurrence and development of dry AMD. In vivo studies revealed that following FGF-21 knockout, there was an increase in the expression of complement in the RPE/choroid concomitant with the occurrence of dry AMD-like pathological changes. Furthermore, exogenous FGF-21 administration effectively reversed this phenomenon. FGF-21 also demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory effects in the RPE/choroid by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that FGF-21 treatment presents a novel therapeutic approach for the prevention and development of dry AMD by reducing complement. • Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Deficiency Induces Dry AMD in Mice by Elevating Complement in the Eye. • FGF-21 has a novel therapeutic approach for the prevention of dry AMD development via reducing inflammatory process induced by NF-kB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many hormonal and environmental signals regulate common cellular and developmental processes in plants. While the molecular pathways that transduce these signals have each been studied in detail, how these pathways are wired into regulatory networks to provide the coordinated responses has remained an outstanding question. Recent studies of the brassinosteroid signaling network have revealed extensive signal integration through direct interactions between components of different signaling pathways. In particular, a circuit of interacting transcription regulators integrates many signaling pathways to enable coordinated and coherent regulation of seedling morphogenesis by hormonal and environmental signals. The recent studies support an emerging theme that complex networks of highly integrated signaling pathways underlie the high levels of developmental plasticity and environmental adaptability of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike many wild grasses, domesticated rice cultivars have uniform culm height and panicle size among tillers and the main shoot, which is an important trait for grain yield. However, the genetic basis of this trait remains unknown. Here, we report that DWARF TILLER1 (DWT1) controls the developmental uniformity of the main shoot and tillers in rice (Oryza sativa). Most dwt1 mutant plants develop main shoots with normal height and larger panicles, but dwarf tillers bearing smaller panicles compared with those of the wild type. In addition, dwt1 tillers have shorter internodes with fewer and un-elongated cells compared with the wild type, indicating that DWT1 affects cell division and cell elongation. Map-based cloning revealed that DWT1 encodes a WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) transcription factor homologous to the Arabidopsis WOX8 and WOX9. The DWT1 gene is highly expressed in young panicles, but undetectable in the internodes, suggesting that DWT1 expression is spatially or temporally separated from its effect on the internode growth. Transcriptomic analysis revealed altered expression of genes involved in cell division and cell elongation, cytokinin/gibberellin homeostasis and signaling in dwt1 shorter internodes. Moreover, the non-elongating internodes of dwt1 are insensitive to exogenous gibberellin (GA) treatment, and some of the slender rice1 (slr1) dwt1 double mutant exhibits defective internodes similar to the dwt1 single mutant, suggesting that the DWT1 activity in the internode elongation is directly or indirectly associated with GA signaling. This study reveals a genetic pathway synchronizing the development of tillers and the main shoot, and a new function of WOX genes in balancing branch growth in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines the geographical variations of self-rated health of the elderly based on the 2008 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Multilevel logistic models are employed to estimate how individual, family, and institutional factors affect the health of the elderly at both individual and province levels. Results show that while individual characteristics help to explain self-rated health, the family remains an important determinant. Those with nobody to care for them, those in poverty and those who have to rely on medical insurance report the worst health. The role of the state is relatively limited in contributing to the health of the elderly. There are substantial between province differences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the last three decades, China has experienced rapid economic development and growing economic inequality, such that economic disparities between rural and urban areas, as well as coastal and interior areas have deepened. Since the late 1990s China has also experienced an ageing population which has attracted attention to the wellbeing of the rapidly growing number of elderly. This research aims to characterise province differences in health and to explore the effects of individual income and economic disparity in the form of income inequality on health outcomes of the elderly. The study is based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data collected in 2008 for 23 provinces. Multilevel logistic models are employed to investigate the relationship between income, income inequality and self-rated health for the elderly using both individual and province-level variables. Results are presented as relative odds ratios, and for province differentials as Median Odds Ratios. The analysis is deliberately exploratory so as to find evidence of income effects if they exist and particular attention is placed on how province-level inequality (contemporaneous and lagged) may moderate individual relationships. The results show that the health of the elderly is not only affected by individual income (the odds of poor health are 3 times greater for the elderly with the lowest income compared to those at the upper quartile) but also by a small main effect for province-level income inequality (odds ratio of 1.019). There are significant cross-level interactions such that where inequality is high there are greater differences between those with and without formal education, and between men and women with the latter experiencing poorer health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Exercise and stress are known to influence pain perception. However, little is known about how level of fitness influences pain perception and the experience of pain. In the present study, pain perception before and after exercise to exhaustion was examined in 6 rats systematically bred to have a high aerobic capacity (HCR animals) and 6 rats systematically bred to have a low aerobic capacity (LCR animals). HCR animals had significantly higher pain thresholds compared to LCR animals before and after exercise (7.66s compared to 6.01s, t =−3.07, p <0.05; and 6.89s versus 4.73s, t =−3.73, p <0.01, respectively). In addition, both groups of animals displayed evidence of hyperalgesia following exercise compared to baseline. However, the pain thresholds of HCR animals returned to baseline levels faster than LCR animals following exercise. The findings support the hypothesis that level of fitness plays a role in the perception of pain. In addition, a higher level of fitness may serve as buffer against the effects of stress and help to reduce or prevent the experience of clinical pain. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on a survey in seven provinces and drawing on previous evidence of in situ urbanization in the coastal areas, this paper examines the implications of return migration for in situ urbanization of migrants' sending areas in China. It shows that returnees can act as catalysts for in situ urbanization by bringing back entrepreneurship, accrued human, financial, social, cultural and technological capital to facilitate rural-urban socioeconomic transformation of their home areas. The results of logistic regressions further confirm that returnees' individual characteristics and migration occupations significantly increase their probability of engaging in non-agricultural occupations post return. However, they seem to have little impact on returnees' likelihood of working in local urban areas. The results suggest that even though return migrants have exhibited somewhat positive impacts on the development of their home areas, their role is rather limited in promoting in situ rural-urban transformation. A weak industrial base at the origin has been identified as a major barrier for rural-urban transformation, which suggests that strategic measures to strengthen industrial capacity in those migrant sending areas should take place in order to fully unleash return migrants' potential in stimulating in situ urbanization of their home areas. • Returnees can serve as catalysts for in situ urbanization of their home areas. • Returnees bring back human, financial, social, and cultural capital as well as entrepreneurship to rural areas. • Individual characteristics and migration occupation significantly affect returnees' uptake of non-farm occupations. • However, their effects on returnees' likelihood to work in local urban areas are not significant. • Weak industrial base is a major barrier to returnees' contribution to in situ urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Neuronal cell death in HD is believed to be largely a dominant cell-autonomous effect of the mutant huntingtin protein. We previously developed an inducible PC12 cell model which expresses an N-terminal huntingtin fragment with an expanded poly Q repeat (N63-148Q) under the control of the tet-off system. In order to evaluate the ability of compounds to protect against mutant huntingtin toxicity in our model, we measured LDH released by dead cells into the medium. We have now screened the library of 1040 compounds from the NINDS Custom Collection as part of a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collaborative project. Each positive compound was tested at 3–8 concentrations. Five compounds significantly attenuated mutant huntingtin (htt)-induced LDH release without affecting the expression level of huntingtin and independent of effect on aggregates. We also tested a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk and previously proposed candidate compounds. This cell model can provide a method to screen potential therapeutic compounds for treating Huntington''s disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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

This study aimed to explore the neural activity associated with the Working Memory (WM) Stroop effect. Stroop facilitation and interference effects in WM were also investigated by adding a neutral condition to the WM Stroop paradigm. In each trial, participants were first asked to remember a word in WM, then respond to the color of the subsequent rectangle. The word meaning and rectangular color were congruent, incongruent, or irrelevant (neutral). Finally, a probe word appeared and participants judged whether it was the same as the first presented word. For the color decision task, behavioral results showed that 1) RTs were longer for the incongruent than congruent condition, indicating a WM Stroop effect; 2) RTs were shorter for the congruent than neutral condition, indicating a WM Stroop facilitation effect; and 3) RTs were shorter for the incongruent than neutral condition, indicating no Stroop interference effect in WM. ERPs locked to the rectangle revealed that 1) greater N2 and P3 activity was evoked for the incongruent than congruent condition, indicating more intensive conflict detection and conflict resolution processes for the incongruent condition; and 2) enhanced N2 but decreased P3 components were evoked for the neutral than the congruent and incongruent conditions, indicating a more intensive conflict monitoring process but decreased conflict resolution process for the neutral condition. These results demonstrate that when WM content is congruent with the attention task, it can facilitate attention, but WM content may not interfere with attention when they are incongruent. • A neutral condition was added in the WM Stroop effect paradigm. • No WM Stroop interference effect was found at long SOA. • Enhanced N2 component was evoked for incongruent than congruent condition. • Congruent WM content with attention task facilitates individuals' response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D flower-like architecture (P, W)-MoO 2 /NF is employed as an efficient bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting in 1.0 M KOH. • Flower-like architecture (P, W)-MoO 2 /NF is assembled on 3D nickel foam substrate. • Unique flower-like architecture is responsible for enhanced activity. • Synergistic electron interactions is beneficial to electrocatalytic properties. Due to the rapid consumption of fossil fuels and serious environmental pollution from nonrenewable energy, developing highly efficient, stable and earth-abundant bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is thereby an urgent need but remains a significant challenge. Heteroatom doping is regarded as an effective tactic to facilitate electron interactions, and thereby enhance the electrocatalytic activity. In this work, (P, W)-codoped MoO 2 nanoflowers were successfully assembled on a nickel foam (NF) substrate (marked as (P, W)-MoO 2 /NF) by hydrothermal and phosphorization processes. The as-prepared catalyst (P, W)-MoO 2 /NF exhibits excellent catalytic activities with lower overpotentials of 308 mV and 89 mV to deliver 40 mA cm−2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 10 mA cm−2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. More significantly, when directly assembled in the electrolyzer as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting, it only requires a cell voltage of 1.65 V to deliver a current density of 30 mA cm−2. The as-prepared catalyst (P, W)-MoO 2 /NF also displays splendid long-term stability over 20 h without a visible decrease in an alkaline solution. The blooming flower-like architecture can afford abundant active sites, and the doping of heteroatoms can tune the electronic transfer, which are both responsible for the enhancement in the electrocatalytic properties. This work provides a unique direction to the rational design and synthesis of highly efficient and stable non-noble metal molybdenum-based bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IL17A polymorphism (rs8193036) is associated with susceptibility to TB. • rs8193036 is a functional SNP that could regulate IL17A gene expression. • Treatments targeting to the IL17A pathway could be a new therapy strategy to TB. Th17 cells play a key role in immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, our previous research showed that reduced Th17 responses were associated with the severe outcome of Mtb infection. The associations between IL17A polymorphisms and susceptibility of TB has been reported, but the results are inconsistent and the underlying mechanisms is unknown. In this study, we identified a genetic variation (rs8193036) in the promoter region of IL17A is associated with susceptibility to TB. The minor allele T frequency of rs8193036 was significantly different between patients with active TB (29.7%) and healthy controls (32.3%) (OR = 0.81; 95%CI, 0.71–0.93; P = 0.0026). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals carrying rs8193036CC genotypes produced significantly lower amount of IL17A upon CD3/28 stimulation compared to the individuals carrying rs8193036TT genotypes. Functional assay by reporter luciferase activity and EMSA demonstrated that rs8193036C exhibited significantly lower promotor transcription activities. In conclusion, our study confirmed that IL17A (rs8193036) is a functional SNP that could regulate gene expression though influencing transcription factor binding activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) cluster coordination, communication obstruction may cause situational misjudgement and increase the risk of decision‐making errors. Therefore, based on evolutionary game theory, this research aimed to study the behaviour decision‐making selection problem in the process of UAV swarm missions in limited communication networks. First, the evolution process of the UAV swarm confrontation game is analyzed and the decision‐making risks associated with the communication network of the UAV swarm during coordination, which are caused by the complex confrontation environment are identified. Second, the decision‐making risks and mechanisms of UAV swarm communication is discussed and an evolutionary game mathematical model for the cooperative strategy of a UAV swarm under communication constraints is established. Finally, the influence of various key parameters is simulated and analyzed, such as the initial strategy probability of both parties, amount of platform information data, information analysis and utilization ability, and information interaction coefficient, on the evolution of the UAV swarm strategy. This research provides a theoretical basis and feasible reference for the improvement of UAV mission decision response mechanisms and system model construction, which have important theoretical value and practical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The urgent need for new treatments for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and pre-extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (pre-XDR-TB) is evident. However, the classic randomized controlled trial (RCT) approach faces ethical and practical constraints, making alternative research designs and treatment strategies necessary, such as single-arm trials and host-directed therapies (HDTs). Methods: Our study adopts a randomized withdrawal trial design for MDR-TB to maximize resource allocation and better mimic real-world conditions. Patients' treatment regimens are initially based on drug resistance profiles and patient's preference, and later, treatment-responsive cases are randomized to different treatment durations. Alongside, a single-arm trial is being conducted to evaluate the potential of sulfasalazine (SASP) as an HDT for pre-XDR-TB, as well as another short-course regimen without HDT for pre-XDR-TB. Both approaches account for the limitations in second-line anti-TB drug resistance testing in various regions. Discussion: Although our study designs may lack the internal validity commonly associated with RCTs, they offer advantages in external validity, feasibility, and ethical appropriateness. These designs align with real-world clinical settings and also open doors for exploring alternative treatments like SASP for tackling drug-resistant TB forms. Ultimately, our research aims to strike a balance between scientific rigor and practical utility, offering valuable insights into treating MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB in a challenging global health landscape. In summary, our study employs innovative trial designs and treatment strategies to address the complexities of treating drug-resistant TB, fulfilling a critical gap between ideal clinical trials and the reality of constrained resources and ethical considerations. Trail registration: Chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2100045930. Registered on April 29, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical fertilizers were applied on perennial tree vines to obtain high yields, which have resulted in considerable deterioration of soil quality, and it is likely to have negative impacts on the development of the grape industry. In this study, P. putida Rs-198 liquid biofertilizer (Rs198LBF) was inoculated into grape rhizosphere soils to assess its influence on grape growth and microbial community. Field experiment results showed that grape growth and quality increased depending on the concentrations of Rs198LBF applications. The berry weight, length, and width in addition with 60 ml Rs198LBF (1.44 × 10 13 cfu m l − 1 Rs-198) per grapevine treatment (BFP3) were 17.2%, 6.2%, and 4.4% higher than those of CK (control, non-inoculation) treatment, respectively. The available phosphorus contents in addition with 40 ml Rs198LBF per grapevine (BFP2) and BFP3 treatments were 12.6% and 55.3% higher than those of CK treatment (P < 0.05). The activities of invertase and alkaline phosphatase were improved in BFP2 and BFP3 treatment compared with those in CK. The relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria significantly increased compared with that in CK treatment (P < 0.05). The clusters of orthologous groups (COG) annotation illustrated that the application of 60 ml Rs198LBF increased the relative abundance of metabolic genes in rhizosphere soil. The results of this study show that biofertilizer is very effective in enhancing plant growth and affects soil community diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Insufficient data exist for peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum (PPG), which primarily affects patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aims: To evaluate the risk factors and treatment response of PPG in IBD patients in a real‐life cohort. Methods: Cases of PPG were identified retrospectively using ICD‐9/10 codes in patients with IBD who had an ostomy at a tertiary care centre. Disease‐specific characteristics were compared between groups with and without PPG, and response to therapy was evaluated in patients with PPG. Results: The cohort included 41 IBD patients with PPG and 123 IBD controls with an ostomy who never developed PPG. Patients with PPG were more likely to be female (76% vs 51%, P = 0.006), had higher BMIs (29.78 ± 0.89 vs 23.53 ± 0.51, P < 0.0001) and had increased usage of pouch belts (97% vs 71%, P = 0.0008) compared to controls. There were no differences in age at surgery (41.76 ± 2.60 vs 43.49 ± 1.50, P = 0.57) or IBD diagnosis (63% vs 54% Crohn's disease, P = 0.28) between PPG and controls. 85% of PPG patients achieved complete resolution with different treatments, including surgery. Complete resolution with topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors alone were low (14% and 13% respectively). Higher rates of complete resolution were reported with anti‐tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents (63%) and surgical interventions (80%). Conclusions: Female gender, higher BMI and pouch belts were associated with increased risk of developing PPG. Most PPG cases resolved after treatment with the highest rates of complete resolution seen with anti‐TNF agents and surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) poses a serious threat to the health of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, and effective treatment options are currently lacking. With increasing survival rates of ICU patients worldwide, there is a rising interest in developing methods to alleviate PICS symptoms. This study aimed to explore the potential of using Hyaluronan (HA) with different molecular weights as potential drugs for treating PICS in mice. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) were used to establish a PICS mice model, and high molecular weight HA (HMW-HA) or oligo-HA were used as therapeutic agents. Pathological and physiological changes of PICS mice in each group were monitored. 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to dissect gut microbiota discrepancies. The results showed that both molecular weights of HA could increase the survival rate of PICS mice at the experimental endpoint. Specifically, 1600 kDa-HA can alleviate PICS in a short time. In contrast, 3 kDa-HA treatment decreased PICS model survivability in the early stages of the experiment. Further, via 16S rRNA sequence analysis, we observed the changes in the gut microbiota in PICS mice, thereby impairing intestinal structure and increasing inflammation. Additionally, both types of HA can reverse this change. Moreover, compared to 1600 kDa-HA, 3 kDa-HA can significantly elevate the proportion of probiotics and reduce the abundance of pathogenic bacteria (Desulfovibrionaceae and Enterobacteriaceae). In conclusion, HA holds the advantage of being a potential therapeutic drug for PICS, but different molecular weights can lead to varying effects. Moreover, 1600 kDa-HA showed promise as a protective agent in PICS mice, and caution should be taken to its timing when considering using 3 kDa-HA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH)/HLH transcription factors are involved in various aspects of the growth and development of plants. Here, we identified four HLH genes, PePRE1-4, in moso bamboo plants that are homologous to Arabidopsis PRE genes. In bamboo seedlings, PePRE1/3 were found to be highly expressed in the internode and lamina joint by using quantitative RT-PCR analysis. In the elongating internode of bamboo shoots, PePRE genes are expressed at higher levels in the basal segment than in the mature top segment. Overexpression of PePREs (PePREs-OX) in Arabidopsis showed longer petioles and hypocotyls, as well as earlier flowering. PePRE1 overexpression restored the phenotype due to the deficiency of AtPRE genes caused by artificial micro-RNA. PePRE1-OX plants showed hypersensitivity to propiconazole treatment compared with the wild type. In addition, PePRE1/3 but not PePRE2/4 proteins accumulated as punctate structures in the cytosol, which was disrupted by the vesicle recycling inhibitor brefeldin A (BFA). PePRE genes have a positive function in the internode elongation of moso bamboo shoots, and overexpression of PePREs genes promotes flowering and growth in Arabidopsis. Our findings provided new insights about the fast-growing mechanism of bamboo shoots and the application of PRE genes from bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) provides sufficient nitrogen (N) to meet most legume nutrition demands. In return, host plants feed symbionts carbohydrates produced in shoots. However, the molecular dialogue between shoots and symbionts remains largely mysterious. Here, we report the map-based cloning and characterization of a natural variation in GmNN1, the ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT2a) that simultaneously triggers nodulation in soybean and modulates leaf N nutrition. A 43-bp insertion in the promoter region of GmNN1/FT2a significantly decreased its transcription level and yielded N deficiency phenotypes. Manipulating GmNN1/GmFT2a significantly enhanced soybean nodulation, plant growth, and N nutrition. The near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying low mRNA abundance alleles of GmNN1/FT2a, along with stable transgenic soybeans with CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts of GmNN1/FT2a, had yellower leaves, lower N concentrations, and fewer nodules than wild-type control plants. Grafting together with split-root experiments demonstrated that only shoot GmNN1/FT2a was responsible for regulating nodulation and thereby N nutrition through shoot-to-root translocation, and this process depends on rhizobial infection. After translocating into roots, shoot-derived GmNN1/FT2a was found to interact with GmNFYA-C (nuclear factor-Y subunit A-C) to activate symbiotic signaling through the previously reported GmNFYA-C-ENOD40 module. In short, the description of the critical soybean nodulation regulatory pathway outlined herein sheds novel insights into the shoot-to-root signaling required for communications between host plants and root nodulating symbionts. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation provides a vital nitrogen source in agroecosystems but nodulation is tightly controlled by a long-distance signaling system. This study uses map-based cloning to reveal GmNN1/FT2a as a new shoot-to-root mobile protein that significantly regulates nodule formation and thus nitrogen nutrition in soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, we explored whether treatment with FGF-21 could prevent diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice.Methods& Results: Hepatoma was induced by injection of DEN every three days for 18 weeks. For the prophylactic experiment, mice were firstly injected with FGF-21 for 2 weeks, then FGF-21 was administered to the mice once daily in association with DEN injection till the end of the experiment. The hepatoma incidence of mice treated with FGF-21 was 13.3%, while the incidence of mice treated with saline was 61.5%. To understand the mechanisms, we compared the expression of βklotho (KLB) and oxidative stress level in the livers between the mice treated with FGF-21 and saline. We found that FGF-21 could suppress DEN-induced oxidative stress and up-regulate the expression of KLB in the livers. To confirm these results, we compared the expression of KLB in L02 cells stimulated with or without FGF-21. Besides, we established DEN-induced oxidative stress cell model to affirm the relationship between FGF-21 and DEN-induced oxidative stress in vitro. Results showed that FGF-21 increased the expression of KLB and diminished the DEN-induced oxidative stress in vitro in a dose dependent manner.Conclusion: Systemic administration of FGF-21 can prevent DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis via suppressing oxidative stress and increasing the expression of KLB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral absorption of ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) is often hindered by the gastrointestinal tract. Carboxymethyl chitosan deoxycholic acid loaded with ginsenoside Rb1 nanoparticles (CMDA@Rb1-NPs), were prepared as a delivery system using a self-assembly technique with amphipathic deoxycholic acid grafted carboxymethyl chitosan as the carrier, which improved the stability and embedding rate of Rb1. In addition, the CMDA@Rb1-NPs was encapsulated with sodium alginate by ion crosslinking method with additional layer (CMDAlg@Rb1-NPs). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the nanoparticles were spherical, evenly distributed, smooth and without obvious adhesion. By evaluating drug loading, entrapment efficiency, the encapsulation efficiency of Rb1 increased from 60.07 % to 72.14 % after grafting deoxycholic acid improvement and optimization. In vitro release results showed that the cumulative release of Rb1 by CMDAlg-NPs showed a pH dependent effect, which was <10 % in simulated gastric juice with pH 1.2, completely released with pH 7.4 for about 48 h. In addition, Rb1 and CMDAlg@Rb1-NPs had inhibitory effects on A549 cells, and the inhibitory effect of CMDAlg@Rb1-NPs was better. Therefore, all results indicated that CMDA/Alg@Rb1 nanoparticles might be a novel drug delivery system to improve the stability and embedding rate of Rb1, and has the potential to be applied in oral pharmaceutical preparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A bamboo fiber/graphene oxide (M−CBF−rGO) aerogel with a sponge-like porous structure was fabricated. • The M−CBF−rGO shows excellent superelasticity and mechanical durability (7,000 cycles). • The derived sensor exhibits superior operating range (0–300 kPa) and strain sensitivity (892.9). • The sensor can be capable of detecting human physiological signals and monitoring human activity. Superelastic, breathable, and flexible piezoresistive sensors with excellent sensing performance are drawing tremendous attention in wearable electronics and sleeping furnishings. However, simultaneous realization of their high performance is still a huge challenge. In this study, inspired by the pore structure of natural sponges, a high-performance sponge-like bamboo fiber/graphene oxide aerogel piezoresistive sensor (M−CBF−rGO) was prepared utilizing bamboo fibers (BFs) and graphene oxide (GO) as raw materials through freeze casting and carbonization. Benefiting from the unique porous structure with effective absorbing/releasing energy, the M−CBF−rGO aerogel sensor exhibits excellent superelasticity (not being destroyed under 90 % deformation), mechanical durability (7,000 cycles), and good breathability. Moreover, the M−CBF−rGO sensor demonstrates ultra-high strain sensitivity (892.9), a wide detection range (0–300 kPa), and a fast recovery time (20 ms). Taking advantage of these benefits, the M−CBF−rGO sensor can not only be applied to detect human signals ranging from finger motion to swallowing recognition, but also integrated into the cushioning materials of upholstered furniture to generate a sensing array for monitoring and recogniting human activity including sitting postures and sleeping positions in real-time. This sensor demonstrates the potential application prospects in the fields of human health diagnosis, smart wearable products, and intelligent upholstered furniture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a hormone secreted predominantly in the liver, pancreas and adipose tissue. Recently, it has been reported that FGF21-Transgenic mice can extend their lifespan compared with wild type counterparts. Thus, we hypothesize that FGF21 may play some roles in aging of organisms. In this study d -galactose ( d -gal)-induced aging mice were used to study the mechanism that FGF21 protects mice from aging. The three-month-old Kunming mice were subcutaneously injected with d -gal (180 mg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ) for 8 weeks and administered simultaneously with FGF21 (1, 2 or 5 mg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ). Our results showed that administration of FGF21 significantly improved behavioral performance of d -gal-treated mice in water maze task and step-down test, reduced brain cell damage in the hippocampus, and attenuated the d -gal-induced production of MDA, ROS and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). At the same time, FGF21 also markedly renewed the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total anti-oxidation capability (T-AOC), and decreased the enhanced total cholinesterase (TChE) activity in the brain of d -gal-treated mice. The expression of aldose reductase (AR), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and member-anchored receptor for AGEs (RAGE) declined significantly after FGF21 treatment. Furthermore, FGF21 suppressed inflamm-aging by inhibiting IκBα degradation and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. The expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, decreased significantly. In conclusion, these results suggest that FGF21 protects the aging mice brain from d -gal-induced injury by attenuating oxidative stress damage and decreasing AGE formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study undertakes a survival analysis of elderly persons in China using Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2002–2008. Employing discrete-time multilevel models, we explored the effect of social support on the survival of elderly people in China. This study focuses on objective (living arrangements and received support) and subjective activities (perceived support) of social support, finding that the effect of different activities of social support on the survival of elderly people varies according to the availability of different support resources. Specifically, living with a spouse, financial independence, perceiving care support from any resource is associated with higher survival rates for elderly people. Separate analysis focusing on urban elderly and rural elderly revealed broadly similar results. There is a larger difference between those perceiving care support from family or social service and not perceiving care support in urban areas comparing to those in rural areas. Those who cannot pay medical expenses are the least likely to survive. The higher level of economic development in province has no significant effect on the survival of elderly people for the whole sample model and the elderly people in urban areas; however, there is a negative influence on the survival of the rural elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: YY1 regulates various cancer-related genes and activates key oncoproteins. In this study, we discovered that the oncoprotein binding (OPB) domain of YY1 is both necessary and stimulatory to its oligomerization. The hydrophobic residues, especially F219, in the OPB are essential to YY1 intermolecular interaction. Strikingly, the mutations of the hydrophobic residues showed better ability than wild-type YY1 in promote breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. Our further study revealed that YY1 proteins with mutated hydrophobic residues in the OPB domain showed improved binding affinity to EZH2. Overall, our data support the model of a mutually exclusive process between oligomerization of YY1 and its regulation of the oncoproteins EZH2, AKT and MDM2. Yin Yang 1 (YY1) plays an oncogenic role through regulating the expression of various cancer-related genes and activating key oncoproteins. Previous research reported that YY1 protein formed dimers or oligomers without definite biological implications. In this study, we first demonstrated the oncoprotein binding (OPB) and zinc finger (ZF) domains of YY1 as the regions involved in its intermolecular interactions. ZFs are well-known for protein dimerization, so we focused on the OPB domain. After mutating three hydrophobic residues in the OPB to alanines, we discovered that YY1(F219A) and YY1(3A), three residues simultaneously replaced by alanines, were defective of intermolecular interaction. Meanwhile, the OPB peptide could robustly facilitate YY1 protein oligomerization. When expressed in breast cancer cells with concurrent endogenous YY1 knockdown, YY1(F219A) and (3A) mutants showed better capacity than wt in promoting cell proliferation and migration, while their interactions with EZH2, AKT and MDM2 showed differential alterations, especially with improved EZH2 binding affinity. Our study revealed a crucial role of the OPB domain in facilitating YY1 oligomerization and suggested a mutually exclusive regulation between YY1-mediated enhancer formation and its activities in promoting oncoproteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies demonstrated that transforming growth factor (TGT) β1 plays an immunosuppressive role in clinical tuberculosis. However, the contribution of TGF-β1 gene polymorphisms to human tuberculosis susceptibility remains undetermined. In this study, we showed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TGF-β1 gene were associated with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis in the discovery cohort (1533 case patients and 1445 controls) and the validation cohort (832 case patients and 1084 controls), and 2 SNPs located in the promoter region (rs2317130 and rs4803457) are in strong linkage disequilibrium. The SNP rs2317130 was associated with the severity of tuberculosis. Further investigation demonstrated that rs2317130 CC genotype is associated with higher TGF-β1 and interleukin 17A production. The mechanistic study showed that rs2317130 C allele affected TGF-β1 promoter activity by regulating binding activity to nuclear extracts. These findings provide insights into the pathogenic role of TGF-β1 in human tuberculosis and reveal a function for the TGF-β1 promoter SNPs in regulating immune responses during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, lotus stem (LS), a natural, abundant, and underutilized aquatic agricultural waste, was used to prepare biochar (BC) as a potential adsorbent for sewage treatment. A two-step process for the production of LS based nitrogen-doped BC (NLBC) has been developed, involving low-temperature pyrolysis of LS and urea mixture, followed by high-temperature pyrolysis of the pre-carbonized BC via NaOH immersion technique. The two-step activation treatment not only can effectively maintain the structural integrity of LS, but contribute to exposing more active sites for effective adsorption of methylene blue (MB). The obtained NLBC possesses a large pore volume (0.997 cm3 g−1) and great specific surface area of 1478.93 m2 g−1, contributing to its maximum adsorption capacity of 2320.81 mg g−1 for MB. The behavior of MB adsorbed onto NLBC conforms to pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir–Freundlich models. The adsorption capacity remains stable across a range of pH, varying salt concentrations, and cyclic repetitions. The adsorption mechanism was ascribed to the synergetic effects of pore filling, H-bonding, and electrostatic interaction through comparative analysis before and after adsorption. The results indicate that NLBC is an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and efficient for dye-containing wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] • Lotus stem derived nitrogen-doped hierarchical biochar (NLBC) was prepared by two-step pyrolysis of urea/NaOH. • NLBC with surface areas of 1478.93 m2·g−1 exhibited high adsorption capacity of 2320.81 mg·g⁻¹ for MB. • NLBC showed excellent adsorption recyclability and stability. • The MB adsorption process of NLBC conformed to Langmuir–Freundlich model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jacalin-related lectins (JALs) are a unique group of plant lectins derived from the jacalin protein family, which play important roles in plant defense responses. JAL30/PBP1 (PYK10 binding protein 1) interacts with inactive PYK10, exerting negative regulatory control over the size of the PYK10 complex, which is formed and activated upon insect or pathogen invasion. However, the precise interplay between JAL30 and other components remains elusive. In this study, we found JAL30 as a nucleocytoplasmic protein, but no obvious phenotype was observed in jal30–1 single mutant. Through immunoprecipitation (IP) enrichment combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), dozens of new JAL30 interacting proteins were found in addition to several reported ones. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these interacting proteins were highly related to the wounding and bacterial stimuli, suggesting their potential involvement in the jasmonate (JA) response. Importantly, the expression of JAL30 was induced by MeJA treatment, further highlighting its relevance in plant defense mechanisms. A novel JAL30 interacting protein, ESM1, was identified and its interaction with JAL30 was confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation. Moreover, ESM1 was found as an O-GlcNAcylated protein, suggesting that JAL30 may possess glycosylated protein binding ability, particularly in O-GlcNAcylated protein and peptide recognition. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the interacting protein network and biological function of JAL30, demonstrates the interaction between JAL30 and ESM1, and uncovers the potential significance of JAL30 in plant defense system, potentially through its association with PYK10 complex or JA response. The biological functions of lectin proteins, including defense responses, immunity responses, signal transduction, have been well studied. Lectin proteins were also utilized to enrich glycosylated proteins for their specific carbohydrates binding capability. Jacalin-related lectins (JALs) were found to involve in plant defense mechanism. However, it is not yet clear whether JALs could use for enrichment of glycosylated proteins. In this study, we used label-free quantification method to identify interacting proteins of JAL30. A novel interacting protein, ESM1, as an O-GlcNAcylated protein was found. ESM1 has been reported to take part in defense against insect herbivory. Therefore, our findings provided experimental evidence to confirm that JALs have potential to be developed as the bio-tools to enrich glycosylated proteins. Finally, our data not only illustrated the vital biological role of JALs in plants, but also verified unique function of JAL30 in recognizing O-GlcNAcylated proteins. [Display omitted] • The interacting proteins were identified by label free quantification method. • 44 interacting proteins of JAL30 were identified including reported ones. • One of JAL30-interacting proteins, ESM1, is an O-GlcNAc modified protein. • JA induced the expression of JAL30 while repressed ESM1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The timing and extent of cell division are crucial for the correct patterning of multicellular organism. In Arabidopsis, root ground tissue maturation involves the periclinal cell division of the endodermis to generate two cell layers: endodermis and middle cortex. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this pattern formation remains unclear.Here, we report that phytohormone brassinosteroid (BR) and redox signal hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) interdependently promote periclinal division during root ground tissue maturation by regulating the activity of SHORT‐ROOT (SHR), a master regulator of root growth and development.BR‐activated transcription factor BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (BZR1) directly binds to the promoter of SHR to induce its expression, and physically interacts with SHR to increase the transcripts of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGs (RBOHs) and elevate the levels of H2O2, which feedback enhances the interaction between BZR1 and SHR. Additionally, genetic analysis shows that SHR is required for BZR1‐promoted periclinal division, and BZR1 enhances the promoting effects of SHR on periclinal division.Together, our finding reveals that the transcriptional module of BZR1‐SHR fine‐tunes periclinal division during root ground tissue maturation in response to hormone and redox signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Genetic variation influences susceptibility or resistance to tuberculosis. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) contributes to protection against tuberculosis in mice. However, its role in regulating susceptibility or resistance to tuberculosis in humans is unclear. Methods Genotyping of polymorphisms in IL-6 and IL-6R (CD126) genes was performed in 2 independent cohorts, an experimental population (495 cases and 358 controls) and a validation population (1383 cases and 1149 controls). The associations of the variants with tuberculosis were tested using 2 case-control association studies. In addition, the regulatory effects of single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1800796 (-572C > G) on IL-6 production in plasma and CD14+ monocyte cultures stimulated with a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) product were assessed. Results The rs1800796 polymorphism is associated with increased resistance to tuberculosis (odds ratio [OR], 0.771; 95% confidential interval, .684–.870). The rs1800796GG genotype is strongly associated with reduced risk to tuberculosis (OR, 0.621; 95% CI, .460–.838). Interestingly, CD14+ monocytes isolated from individuals with rs1800796GG genotype produced significantly less IL-6 in response to M. tuberculosis 19-kDa lipoprotein than those with CC or CG genotype. Conclusions We identified a genetic polymorphism in the IL-6 promoter that regulates cytokine production and host resistance to pulmonary tuberculosis in Chinese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, fractional partial differential equations have been widely applied in option pricing problems, which better explains many important empirical facts of financial markets, but rare paper considers the multi-state options pricing problem based on fractional diffusion models. Thus, multi-state European option pricing problem under regime-switching tempered fractional partial differential equation is considered in this paper. Due to the expensive computational cost caused by the implicit finite difference scheme, a novel implicit-explicit finite difference scheme has been developed with consistency, stability, and convergence guarantee. Since the resulting coefficient matrix equals to the direct sum of several Toeplitz matrices, a preconditioned direct method has been proposed with O (S ̄ N log N + S ̄ 2 N) operation cost on each time level with adaptability analysis, where S ̄ is the number of states and N is the number of grid points. Related numerical experiments including an empirical example have been presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed numerical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the previous two reports in this series, we discussed the history and current status of quantitative geography. In this final report, we focus on the future. We argue that quantitative geographers are most helpful when we can simplify difficult problems using our distinct domain expertise. To do this, we must clarify the theory underpinning core conceptual problems in quantitative geography. Then, we examine the social forces that are shaping the future of quantitative geography. We conclude with criteria for how quantitative geography might succeed in addressing these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar, light, and hormones are major signals regulating plant growth and development, however, the interactions among these signals are not fully understood at the molecular level. Recent studies showed that sugar promotes hypocotyl elongation by activating the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway after shifting Arabidopsis seedlings from light to extended darkness. Here, we show that sugar inhibits BR signaling in Arabidopsis seedlings grown under light. BR induction of hypocotyl elongation in seedlings grown under light is inhibited by increasing concentration of sucrose. The sugar inhibition of BR response is correlated with decreased effect of BR on the dephosphorylation of BZR1, the master transcription factor of the BR signaling pathway. This sugar effect is independent of the sugar sensors Hexokinase 1 (HXK1) and Target of Rapamycin (TOR), but requires the GSK3-like kinase Brassinosteroid-Insensitive 2 (BIN2), which is stabilized by sugar. Our study uncovers an inhibitory effect of sugar on BR signaling in plants grown under light, in contrast to its promotive effect in the dark. Such light-dependent sugar-BR crosstalk apparently contributes to optimal growth responses to photosynthate availability according to light-dark conditions. Author summary: Genetic studies of the brassinosteroid (BR) deficient mutants revealed its essential role in seedling development in the dark, but subsequent studies showed no significant difference in BR level between seedlings grown under light and darkness. We recently observed that light does affect BR levels in Arabidopsis, but in a sugar dependent manner. In the dark, sugar increases BR level as well as BR sensitivity by stabilizing the steroid response factor BZR1 through the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway. However, the BR level is decreased by sugar under light and by darkness on sugar-free medium. These observations raised the question of how the combinations of light and sugar modulate BR signaling. We addressed this question using genetic physiological analyses and found interestingly that sugar inhibits brassinosteroid response in light-grown plants by stabilizing the glycogen synthase kinase 3 homolog BIN2 and attenuating the dephosphorylation of BZR1, but independently of TOR. Our results indicate that sugar acts through distinct pathways to promote and inhibit BR signaling in dark and light conditions. Our work illustrates an intricate three-way crosstalk whereby the combination of light and sugar signals modulate the brassinosteroid signaling pathway to optimize growth according to both environmental and metabolic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frankincense has been shown in studies to have healing benefits for people with ulcerative colitis (UC). However, its underlying mechanisms have not been fully investigated. The objective of this study was to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of Frankincense essential oil (FREO) in improving dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC from multiple perspectives. The FREO components were analyzed by GC–MS, and the interactions between the key active components and the mechanism of FREO were determined based on RNA-seq, "quantity-effect" weighting coefficient network pharmacology, WGCNA and pharmacodynamic experiments. The protection of FREO against DSS-induced UC mice was assessed by behavioral and pathological changes through mice. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of MAPK and NF-κB-related proteins by the Western Blotting and immunohistochemistry method. Treatment with FREO significantly improved the symptoms of weight loss, diarrhea, stool blood, and colon shortening in UC mice. Reduced intestinal mucosal damage and the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration in the colon. Decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in mice's serum and inhibited phosphorylation of ERK, p65 in MAPK and NF-κB signaling. FREO may decrease the inflammatory response to reduce the symptoms of UC by modulating the MAPK/ NF-κB pathway. This may be due to the synergistic interaction of the effective ingredient Hepten-2-yl tiglate, 6-methyl-5-, Isoneocembrene A and P-Cymene. This study provides a promising drug candidate and a new concept for the treatment of UC. [Display omitted] • RNA-seq, "quantitative efficiency" weighting factors and WGCNA, providing new ideas for pharmacological research. • FREO may decrease the inflammatory response to reduce the symptoms of UC by modulating the MAPK/ NF-κB pathway. • Provides a promising drug candidate and new concept for the treatment of UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism through which rosemary essential oil treats atopic dermatitis. A dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis mouse model was established and treated with low (1%), medium (2%), and high (4%) doses of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil (EORO). Serum levels of interleukin (IL)−6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in each group were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Skin tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and toluidine blue. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques to verify the biological activity of essential proteins and their corresponding compounds in the pathway. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for metabolomics analysis and multivariate statistical analysis of mouse serum to screen differential metabolites and metabolic pathway analysis. Protein expression of p-JAK1, CD4+ cells, and IL-4 in the skin tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry analysis. Protein levels of STAT3, p-STAT3, P65, and p-P65 in damaged skin tissues were detected using western blotting. The skin of mice in the model group showed different degrees of erythema, dryness, scratches, epidermal erosion and shedding, and crusting. After treatment, the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in EORO group were significantly decreased, and the expression of p-JAK1,CD4 + cells, IL-4, p-P65 / P65 and p-STAT3 / STAT3 proteins in skin tissues were decreased. EORO can effectively improve DNCB-induced AD-like skin lesions in mice by regulating the JAK/STAT/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing the production of downstream arachidonic acid metabolites, inhibiting skin inflammation, and restoring epidermal barrier function. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influenza B virus (IBV) causes seasonal influenza and has accounted for an increasing proportion of influenza outbreaks. IBV mainly causes human infections and has not been found to spread in poultry. The replication mechanism and the determinants of interspecies transmission of IBV are largely unknown. In this study, we found that the host ANP32 proteins are required for the function of the IBV polymerase. Human ANP32A/B strongly supports IBV replication, while ANP32E has a limited role. Unlike human ANP32A/B, chicken ANP32A has low support activity to IBV polymerase because of a unique 33-amino-acid insert, which, in contrast, exhibits species specific support to avian influenza A virus (IAV) replication. Chicken ANP32B and ANP32E have even lower activity compared with human ANP32B/E due to specific amino acid substitutions at sites 129–130. We further revealed that the sites 129–130 affect the binding ability of ANP32B/E to IBV polymerase, while the 33-amino-acid insert of chicken ANP32A reduces its binding stability and affinity. Taken together, the features of avian ANP32 proteins limited their abilities to support IBV polymerase, which could prevent efficient replication of IBV in chicken cells. Our results illustrate roles of ANP32 proteins in supporting IBV replication and may help to understand the ineffective replication of IBV in birds. Author summary: Influenza B viruses infect humans and few other mammals, but fairly rare in birds. Here we found that IBV requires the involvement of host ANP32 proteins in the replication process, in which ANP32A and ANP32B play major roles and can fully support polymerase activity independently, while ANP32E gives only limited support to IBV polymerase because of certain substitutions compared with ANP32A/B. Chicken ANP32A has a 33-amino-acid insert not present in mammals and provides better support to avian IAV polymerase, but this insert impairs its support for IBV polymerase activity. Chicken ANP32B and ANP32E have even lower support to IBV polymerase due to specific inactive mutations at sites 129/130. Our findings reveal an important role for ANP32 proteins in IBV polymerase activity and suggest the possible molecular basis of adaptation and restriction of IBV infection in different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first of these three reports reprised human geography's theoretical and quantitative revolutions' origins, covering the philosophy, focus and methods that dominated their early years. Over the subsequent decades the nature of work categorised as quantitative human geography changed very considerably – in philosophy, focus and methods. This second report summarises those changes, highlighting the main features of the extensive volume of work published over the last five decades, as a prelude to the final report that will focus on the contemporary nature of quantitative human geography and its likely futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]