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Abstract Ischemic diseases are major contributors to global morbidity and mortality, posing a substantial threat to human health. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an essential role in enhancing neovascularization in ischemic tissues, thereby facilitating tissue repair and regeneration. However, the utilization of EVs is hindered by their rapid uptake and clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), which markedly impedes their therapeutic efficacy and organ-specific accumulation. Notably, CD47, upon binding to signal regulatory protein alpha, initiates a “don’t eat me” signal, enabling immune evasion from the MPS. Our research has demonstrated that phagocytes predominantly engulf CD47low dendritic DC2.4 cell-derived EVs (DV), while engineered CD47high EVs (MV47) experience minimal ingestion. Leveraging these findings, we have developed a dual-faceted “Engage & Evasion” strategy. Initially, DVs were employed to saturate the MPS, serving as the “engage” component. Subsequently, MV47, fortified with CD47, was introduced for “evasion” purposes. This approach effectively minimized entrapment by the liver and spleen, boosted serum concentration, and enhanced final accumulation in non-MPS organs. In summary, our “Engage & Evasion” therapeutic strategy offers a promising avenue to enhance EV therapeutic potential against ischemic challenges through improved systemic distribution.

Abstract Studies on the piezoelectric materials capable of efficiently outputting high electrostrains at low electric fields are driven by the demand for precise actuation in a wide range of applications. Large electrostrains of piezoceramics in operation require high driving fields, which limits their practical application due to undesirable nonlinearities and high energy consumption. Herein, a strategy is developed to enhance the electrostrains of piezoceramics while maintaining low hysteresis by incorporating lead magnesium niobate relaxors into lead zirconate titanium at the morphotropic phase boundary. An ultrahigh inverse piezoelectric coefficient $${d}_{33}^{*}$$ d 33 * of 1380 pm/V with a reduced hysteresis of 11.5% is achieved under a low electric field of 1 kV/mm, outperforming the major lead-based piezoelectric materials. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and domain wall dynamics characterization with sub-microsecond temporal resolution reveal that the outstanding performances originate from facilitated domain wall movement, which in turn is due to reduced lattice distortion and miniaturized domain structures. These findings not only address the pending challenges of effective actuation under reduced driving conditions but also lay the foundation for a more systematic approach to exploring the origin of large electrostrains.

Summary: The reproductive phase of plants is highly sensitive to ambient temperature stresses. To investigate sensitivity of female reproductive organs in grass crops during the pollination phase, we exposed the elongated stigma (silk) of maize to ambient environment at the silking stage. Moderate heat stress causes cell death of silk hair cells but did not affect early pollen tube growth inside the silk. Late pollen tube growth arrest was observed, leading to sterility. Heat stress causes elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in silks, whose levels can be reduced by scavengers partly restoring pollen tube growth and fertility. A number of biological processes including hydrogen peroxide catabolic processes and bHLH transcription factor genes are downregulated by heat stress, while some NAC transcription factor genes are strongly upregulated. In conclusion, this study now provides a basis to select genes for engineering heat-stress-tolerant grass crops during the pollination phase.

Abstract Over the years, lead‐based piezoelectric ceramics found extensive use in vital fields such as sensors and actuators. Despite their exceptional electromechanical properties, lead‐containing materials pose severe environmental risks and foster a new era of lead‐free piezoelectric materials after decades of research. However, recent comparative assessments of potassium sodium niobate (KNN) versus lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric materials proposed that the environmental damage already presented before use due to raw material extraction and processing, invoking concerns on the true greenness of the lead‐free alternatives. Nevertheless, many other factors deserve further consideration, for example, reference geometry and life cycle stage. Herein, the comprehensive life cycle assessment is undertaken on PZT and KNN‐based ceramics with a unit volume of 0.001 m3 from cradle to gate. Results show that PZT exhibits higher negative impacts than KNN‐based counterparts, attributed to lead extraction, processing, and associated environmental emissions. Across primary quantitative impact indicators from toxicity, environmental, and resource aspects, KNN‐based ceramics impose fewer risks on the environment and human health, with the overall impact being only 28% of PZT ceramics. Still, more efficient methods are required for KNN‐based ceramics to reduce the high energy consumption and emission during extraction and purification of raw material Nb2O5. This work not only offers critical insights for material development but also serves as a multifaceted reference for advanced fabrication technologies.

Chemical modification is the frequently-adopted strategy to enhance the electromechanical properties of piezoelectric ceramics. However, chemically modified piezoelectric materials will inevitably produce point defects, such as dopant ions, oxygen vacancies, etc. In this study, we investigated the properties of defect-engineered Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (denoted by PSZT–Fe) polycrystals after aging, quenching, poling, and de-aging processes. At the same time, a general mechanism on the strength of defect dipole is also put forward to explain the corresponding changes. After aging, the spontaneous polarization of PSZT-Fe can be changed instantly upon application of external electric field, but the defect dipole and its defect symmetry can’t change simultaneously. Therefore, after the external electric field is removed, the defective dipole would drive the electric domain back to its original state, resulting in restorable strain effect and macroscopic pinch polarization. Bipolar electric field cycling can effectively redistribute oxygen vacancies to a random state, so that the aged PSZT-Fe can recover the electrical properties of typical ferroelectrics, similar to quenched samples. The spontaneous polarization and defect dipole in the poled PSZT-Fe ceramics are driven by an external electric field parallel to each other, which results in the emergence of internal bias field, accounting for the asymmetric hysteresis loop.

As a result of globalization, countries are collaborating more and sharing more information. People’s perspectives now encompass both domestic and international news. In English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, the appropriate use of rich and vibrant online English news resources gives second language learners (L2 learners) direct access to first-hand, authentic English knowledge through independent reading and digestion, as well as peer-assisted classroom activities. Through weekly peer-assisted sharing of online English news, the goal of this study is to improve L2 learners’ literacy, global competence, and appreciation of cultural diversity. This study examines the participants’ perceptions and feedback using both quantitative and qualitative methods to confirm the efficacy of this pedagogy. After the semester-long experiment, significant differences were found in the English proficiency test. Particularly, the experimental class’s reading and writing scores were significantly higher (p

Mn[Formula: see text]-modified [Formula: see text] ceramics were prepared via a solid-state reaction approach. Results of detailed characterizations revealed that the addition of Mn[Formula: see text] has influence on the grain size, and all samples exhibit a pure perovskite structure. As the content of manganese increases, the volume of tetragonal phase increases. The ceramics with 1.5 mol.% Mn[Formula: see text] show a high electro-strain of 0.151% at 2 kV/mm. Therefore, this study provides a new insight into the role of Mn[Formula: see text] addition in tailoring the electrical properties of the Sm-PMN-PT ceramics by acceptor doping.

Amorphous potassium sodium niobate (KNN) films were synthesized at 300 °C through the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method and subsequently crystallized by post-annealing at 700 °C in various alkali element atmospheres (Na and K). The as-deposited film is notably deficient in alkali metal elements, particularly K, whereas the loss of alkali elements in the films can be replenished through annealing in an alkali element atmosphere. By adjusting the molar ratio of Na and K in the annealing atmosphere, the ratio of Na/K in the resultant film varied, consequently suggesting the efficiency of this method on composition regulation of KNN films. Meanwhile, we also found that the physical characteristics of the films also underwent differences with the change of an annealing atmosphere. The films annealed in a high Na atmosphere exhibit large dielectric losses with limited piezoelectric vibration behavior, while annealing in a high K atmosphere reduces the dielectric losses and enhances the piezoelectric behavior. Furthermore, the results of vibration measurement demonstrated that the film annealed in a mixed powder of 25% Na2CO3 and 75% K2CO3 exhibits an optimal vibration displacement of ~400 pm under the sinusoidal excitation voltage of 8 V. This approach of altering the composition of KNN films through post-annealing may introduce the new concept of property design of KNN as well as other similar films.

IntroductionTo develop the Chinese version of the Social Anxiety Cognition Scale for College Students (SACS-CS) based on Hofmann’s model of social anxiety disorder and examine its reliability and validity.MethodsBased on literature analysis and structured interviews, a theoretical model was constructed and behavioral examples were collected. According to the results of participants’ and experts’ evaluations, the initial SACS-CS was developed. The study data were collected from a total of 500 valid participants, randomly divided into two samples. Sample 1 (n = 200) and sample 2 (n = 300) were considered for exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. Internal reliability and validity were examined using all 500 participants, and temporal reliability was established using sample 3 (n = 70), who completed the scale again after 4 weeks.ResultsThe SACS-CS consists of 21 items, grouped under four factors: self-perception, social skills, emotional control, and cost estimation. The four-factor model fits well. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale and the four factors ranged from 0.87 to 0.96, and the test–retest reliability ranged from 0.76 to 0.84. The scores of the scale and the four factors were significantly correlated with the score of the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (r = 0.54–0.64).DiscussionThe SACS-CS possesses good reliability and validity and can be applied in the cognitive assessment of college students’ social anxiety. The scale could help people with different social anxiety disorder conditions receive more personalized interventions.

Structural health monitoring technology can assess the status and integrity of structures in real time by advanced sensors, evaluate the remaining life of structure, and make the maintenance decisions on the structures. Piezoelectric materials, which can yield electrical output in response to mechanical strain/stress, are at the heart of structural health monitoring. Here, we present an overview of the recent progress in piezoelectric materials and sensors for structural health monitoring. The article commences with a brief introduction of the fundamental physical science of piezoelectric effect. Emphases are placed on the piezoelectric materials engineered by various strategies and the applications of piezoelectric sensors for structural health monitoring. Finally, challenges along with opportunities for future research and development of high-performance piezoelectric materials and sensors for structural health monitoring are highlighted.

With the increasingly serious environmental pollution and stricter emission standards, energy saving and emission reduction in construction machinery (CM) are imminent. Electrification of CM is an inevitable trend. Due to the complicated working conditions and the violent load fluctuations, the existing motor controller cannot adapt well to the operating characteristics of the electric CM. In this paper, the work requirements of the positive flow system are analyzed. Considering the robustness and resistance to load disturbance of the control system, a vector control strategy through online tuning of speed PI parameters based on fuzzy control is proposed. The characteristics of the control system are analyzed with the co-simulation of AMESim and MATLAB/Simulink. A test rig was set up to verify the feasibility of the control strategy. The results show that when the load is variable, the fluctuation of rotation speed is approximately 1.5% with fuzzy PI, and 2.5% with traditional PI. Furtherly, the vector control algorithm based on fuzzy PI is tested on a positive flow system. The test results show that when the load fluctuates drastically, the electric motor speed fluctuation is within 3.5%, and the steady-state error is only approximately 0.3%.

Electric construction machinery with zero emission and high efficiency is considered to be a main development trend. An electric motor (EM) in electric construction machinery often needs to work at low speed or even in stalling conditions with large torque value and high work efficiency. In this paper, based on vector control of the maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) of an internal permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM), a voltage and current composite observation algorithm was studied to improve IPMSM control performance at low speed. By establishing the observer model, the amplitude limited compensation for the voltage flux observation method was used to observe the EM stator flux. After being combined with the current observation method and the stator current obtained by coordinate transformation, the EM parameters in real-time can be identified for MTPA. Experimental research was carried out. The results show that the algorithm improved the speed control characteristic and output torque per unit current of the EM under low-speed working conditions.

Energy conservation and emission reduction have become a global development consensus. Traditional construction machinery driven by an engine has high energy consumption and poor emission. Electric construction machinery is considered to be one of the main trends in the future due to its zero emissions by canceling the engine and using the motor-driven hydraulic system. However, most of the existing electric construction machinery works through the motor to simulate the engine without considering the regulation characteristics of the motor. Therefore, although the existing electric construction machinery improves the emission and the energy efficiency of the power system to a certain extent, the control of the motor and hydraulic systems can still be further optimized. The energy efficiency of the whole machine can be maximized. Based on the LUDV system of construction machinery, a control strategy based on motor speed classification and variable constant power can automatically identify the actual working conditions of the electric excavator and adjust the starting pressure of the constant power valve, to change the constant power range of hydraulic pump and achieve the goal of adapting to the working conditions of power system, is proposed. Simulation and experiments are carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed control strategy. The results show that the speed classification and variable constant power control system can effectively realize the hierarchical regulation of motor speed and provide relatively stable speed input for the hydraulic system. Moreover, the current working condition can be identified through the pump outlet pressure. The adaption of the working conditions can be realized through the proportional reducing valve by adjusting the starting pressure of the variable constant power valve.

Pluripotent stem cells localized in proliferating growth centers, the meristems, are the origin of life-long organ formation and growth in higher plants. In the shoot apical meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana, the closely related ARGONAUTE proteins AGO1 and ZLL/AGO10 bind miR165/166 species to regulate mRNAs of HD-ZIP III transcription factors that are essential to maintaining stem cells. Several genetic studies showed that AGO1 and ZLL/AGO10 act redundantly to maintain stem cells. By contrast, the reported biochemical data suggested antagonistic functions: AGO1 utilizes miR165/166 to slice HD-ZIP III mRNAs, whereas ZLL/AGO10 promotes degradation of miR165/166 and thus stabilizes HD-ZIP III mRNAs. How these different functions are balanced in stem cell regulation has remained enigmatic. Here, we show that autorepression of AGO1 through miR168-mediated slicing of its own RNA is required to maintain the ability of AGO1 to suppress HD-ZIP III mRNAs. Increased AGO1 expression, either in the miR168a-2 mutant or by transgenic expression, inhibits this ability despite the presence of high levels of miR165/166, effectively uncoupling HD-ZIP III and miR165/166 expression. AGO1 activity can be restored, however, by increasing the levels of chaperones SQN and HSP90, which promote assembly of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). This suggests that cellular abundance of SQN and HSP chaperones limits AGO1-mediated RNA interference in shoot meristem stem cell regulation. Localized misexpression of AGO1 indicates that the cells surrounding the shoot meristem primordium play a crucial role in stem cell development. Taken together, our study provides a framework that reconciles biochemical and genetic data, showing that restriction of AGO1 levels by miR168-mediated autorepression is key to RISC homeostasis and the function of AGO1 in stem cell regulation.

Previous studies have revealed that several micro-organisms, especially DNA viruses, have been associated with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). However, there are no studies on the relationship between the presence of viral infections in AOSD patients with disease occurrence and reactivation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the presence of antibodies against virus, virus DNA load and nucleic acid sensors in AOSD patients. Anti-viral antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in plasma samples from 100 AOSD patients and 70 healthy controls (HCs). The copy number of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in 100 AOSD patients was detected by PCR. The expression levels of nucleic acid sensors interferon gamma-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and skin from AOSD patients and HCs were analyzed by PCR and immunohistochemistry. The levels of antibodies against CMV were significantly higher in AOSD patients compared to HCs. Moreover, the level of anti-CMV IgM antibody was significantly increased in patients with fever, sore throat, arthralgia and rash. CMV DNA was found in plasma of AOSD patients with disease new-onset and relapse. Furthermore, the copy number of CMV DNA significantly increased in patients with fever, sore throat, arthralgia and rash. And the significant associations of the CMV DNA level with the levels of leukocytes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were observed. Moreover, we found an upregulation of cytoplasmic DNA-sensing receptor IFI16 and AIM2 in PBMC and skin from AOSD patients. In conclusion, our results showed that CMV infection may play a role in the initiation or amplification of inflammatory responses in AOSD.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by cytokine storm. However, a diagnostic test for AOSD in clinical use is yet to be validated. The aim of our study was to identify non-invasive biomarkers with high specificity and sensitivity to diagnosis of AOSD. MicroRNA (miRNA) profiles in PBMC from new-onset AOSD patients without any treatment and healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed by miRNA deep sequencing. Plasma samples from 100 AOSD patients and 60 HCs were used to validated the expression levels of miRNA by qRT-PCR. The correlations between expression levels of miRNAs and clinical manifestations were analyzed using advanced statistical models. We found that plasma samples from AOSD patients showed a distinct miRNA expression profile. Five miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-101-3p, miR-29a-3p, miR-29c-3p, and miR-141-3p) were significantly upregulated in plasma of AOSD patients compared with HCs both in training and validation sets. We discovered a panel including 3 miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-101-3p, and miR-29a-3p) that can predict the probability of AOSD with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.8250 in training and validation sets. Moreover, the expression levels of 5 miRNAs were significantly higher in active AOSD patients compared with those in inactive patients. In addition, elevated level of miR-101-3p was found in AOSD patients with fever, sore throat and arthralgia symptoms; the miR-101-3p was also positively correlated with the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum. Furthermore, five miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-101-3p, miR-29c-3p, miR-29a-3p, and miR-141-3p) expressed in plasma were significantly higher in AOSD patients than in sepsis patients (P < 0.05). The AUC value of 4-miRNA panel (miR-142-5p, miR-101-3p, miR-29c-3p, and miR-141-3p) for AOSD diagnosis from sepsis was 0.8448, revealing the potentially diagnostic value to distinguish AOSD patients from sepsis patients. Our results have identified a specific plasma miRNA signature that may serve as a potential non-invasive biomarker for diagnosis of AOSD and monitoring disease activity.

It has important meaning for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interpretation to estimate parameters from measured SAR data and visualize the SAR imagery. For the linearity of IFFT, single scattering center can be individually imaged adaptively to form an overall image. Thus, the side effects of side lobes and windowing can be decreased and the quality of the SAR imagery can be improved. The efficiency of the method is confirmed by the test based on the simulated data.

In this paper, we present the methods of parametrically reconstructing the position of a 3D scattering center model of the targets from SAR images for a target recognition application. First, a framework for reconstructing the 3D position of the targets from the SAR images is proposed. Then, a method that uses the parameters obtained from the scattering center of the targets from the SAR images is used for reconstructing the 3D scattering center model. Finally, the proposed methods are confirmed using the simulated data.

Plants can be adapted to the changing environments through tropic responses, such as light and gravity. One of them is root negative phototropism, which is needed for root growth and nutrient absorption. Here, we show that the auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED (PIN) 1 is involved in asymmetric auxin distribution and root negative phototropism. In darkness, PIN1 is internalized and localized to intracellular compartments; upon blue light illumination, PIN1 relocalize to basal plasma membrane in root stele cells. The shift of PIN1 localization induced by blue light is involved in asymmetric auxin distribution and root negative phototropic response. Both blue-light-induced PIN1 redistribution and root negative phototropism is mediated by a BFA-sensitive trafficking pathway and the activity of PID/PP2A. Our results demonstrate that blue-light-induced PIN1 redistribution participate in asymmetric auxin distribution and root negative phototropism.

Understanding the dynamics of muscle transcriptome during development and between breeds differing in muscle growth is necessary to uncover the complex mechanism underlying muscle development. Herein, we present the first transcriptome-wide longissimus dorsi muscle development research concerning Lantang (LT, obese) and Landrace (LR, lean) pig breeds during 10 time-points from 35 days-post-coitus (dpc) to 180 days-post-natum (dpn) using Solexa/Illumina's Genome Analyzer. The data demonstrated that myogenesis was almost completed before 77 dpc, but the muscle phenotypes were still changed from 77 dpc to 28 dpn. Comparative analysis of the two breeds suggested that myogenesis started earlier but progressed more slowly in LT than in LR, the stages ranging from 49 dpc to 77 dpc are critical for formation of different muscle phenotypes. 595 differentially expressed myogenesis genes were identified, and their roles in myogenesis were discussed. Furthermore, GSK3B, IKBKB, ACVR1, ITGA and STMN1 might contribute to later myogenesis and more muscle fibers in LR than LT. Some myogenesis inhibitors (ID1, ID2, CABIN1, MSTN, SMAD4, CTNNA1, NOTCH2, GPC3 and HMOX1) were higher expressed in LT than in LR, which might contribute to more slow muscle differentiation in LT than in LR. We also identified several genes which might contribute to intramuscular adipose differentiation. Most important, we further proposed a novel model in which MyoD and MEF2A controls the balance between intramuscular adipogenesis and myogenesis by regulating CEBP family; Myf5 and MEF2C are essential during the whole myogenesis process while MEF2D affects muscle growth and maturation. The MRFs and MEF2 families are also critical for the phenotypic differences between the two pig breeds. Overall, this study contributes to elucidating the mechanism underlying muscle development, which could provide valuable information for pig meat quality improvement. The raw data have been submitted to Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under series GSE25406.

BACKGROUND: N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mutagenesis is a powerful tool for the study of gene function and the generation of human disease models. A large number of mouse mutants obtained by ENU-induced mutagenesis with a variety of phenotypes have been recovered. However, after genetic confirmation testing, only approximately 50% of the abnormal phenotypes were found to be heritable. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A mouse mutant, Dp1, with a dilated pupil phenotype was induced with an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis strategy. Sequence analysis for Nrg1 reveals a G>A base substitution that flanks exon E59, encoding for an EGFβ domain, in the 5' splice donor site. The mutation affects but does not abolish the splicing of EGFβ-type Nrg1 mRNA in Dp1 mice and produces several different transcripts by activating other, cryptic splice sites. These types of protein isoforms are expected, and the result shows that, in the mutant, the effect is a decrease in but not an elimination of the high affinity EGFβ-type Nrg1 isoforms. This is partially compensated for by an increase in expression of the low affinity alpha forms or inactive proteins, suggesting that the mutation results in a hypomorphic allele. Interestingly, genetic model testing shows that Dp1 is a mutation that results in a dilated pupil phenotype that is inherited with very low penetrance when heterozygous and with complete penetrance when homozygous. Pharmacological and immunohistochemical tests show a reduction of muscarinic (M) receptors in the sphincter pupillae of Dp1 mice, which is a major cause of dilated pupils. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study is the first report of an Nrg1 mutation being associated with a dilated pupil phenotype and the reduction of M receptors. This report may help in establishing more mutant mouse lines and models of human genetic disease and can be applied to other organisms. Dp1 mice are a valuable resource for the further clarification of Nrg1 biological function.

Amyloidosis of the human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) is closely related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and serves as both a diagnostic hallmark and a key therapeutic target for T2D. In this study, we discovered that oritavancin (Ori), a glycopeptide antibiotic primarily prescribed for Gram-positive bacterial infections, can dose-dependently inhibit recombinant hIAPP (rhIAPP) amyloid formation. Ori specifically inhibited rhIAPP amyloid formation at the initial nucleation stage but didn't affect mature rhIAPP fibrils. As a result, Ori reduced amyloidosis of rhIAPP induced pancreatic NIT-1 cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) release. Based on the results from studies involving antibiotic homologues of Ori and its acid hydrolysates, we demonstrated that both the N-(4-chlorobiphenyl) methyl group (CBP) and glycopeptide backbone were necessary for inhibiting rhIAPP amyloid formation. The mechanism behind Ori on rhIAPP amyloid formation lies in the direct interaction of the two molecules identified by ESI-MS and molecular docking assays. Consequently, this research not only lays the groundwork for developing novel therapeutic approaches for T2D but also presents the opportunity to repurpose Ori as a treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many plants, the asymmetric division of the zygote sets up the apical-basal body axis. In the cress Arabidopsis, the zygote coexpresses regulators of the apical and basal embryo lineages, the transcription factors WOX2 and WRKY2/WOX8, respectively. WRKY2/WOX8 activity promotes nuclear migration, cellular polarity, and mitotic asymmetry of the zygote, which are hallmarks of axis formation in many plant species. However, the role of WOX2 and how the antagonistic WOX2 and WRKY2/WOX8 functions are integrated in the zygote have remained a long-standing question. Here, we report that WOX2 loss-of-function completely suppresses the reduced zygote asymmetry of wrky2 mutants and that WOX2 overexpression mimics the wrky2 phenotype. At the molecular level, WRKY2 downregulates WOX2 transcription in the zygote and the basal embryo lineage, in addition to promoting WOX8 expression. WOX2 antagonizes WRKY2 function by repressing WOX8 transcription. As a physiological readout, the WRKY2/WOX8-WOX2 balance regulates the integrity of F-actin cables in the zygote, providing a mechanistic framework for the role of WRKY2/WOX8-WOX2-mediated zygote asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats, notable as the only flying mammals, serve as natural reservoir hosts for various highly pathogenic viruses in humans (e.g., SARS-CoV and Ebola virus). Furthermore, bats exhibit an unparalleled longevity among mammals relative to their size, particularly the Myotis bats, which can live up to 40 years. However, the mechanisms underlying these distinctive traits remain incompletely understood. In our prior research, we demonstrated that bats exhibit dampened STING-interferon activation, potentially conferring upon them the capacity to mitigate virus- or aging-induced inflammation. To substantiate this hypothesis, we established the first in vivo bat-mouse model for aging studies by integrating Myotis davidii bat STING (MdSTING) into the mouse genome. We monitored the genotypes of these mice and performed a longitudinal comparative transcriptomic analysis on MdSTING and wild-type mice over a 3-year aging process. Blood transcriptomic analysis indicated a reduction in agingrelated inflammation in female MdSTING mice, as evidenced by significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, immunopathology, and neutrophil recruitment in aged female MdSTING mice compared to aged wild-type mice in vivo. These results indicated that MdSTING knock-in attenuates the agingrelated inflammatory response and may also improve the healthspan in mice in a sex-dependent manner. Although the underlying mechanism awaits further study, this research has critical implications for bat longevity research, potentially contributing to our comprehension of healthy aging in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]