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Spatio-temporal permittivity modulation can simultaneously impart wave vector and frequency shifts during an indirect photonic transition process where nonreciprocal responses are accomplished. Here, we combine the nonreciprocity with exceptional points (EPs) by employing line parameter trajectory to a spatio-temporally modulated waveguide. The instantaneous state evolutions on direction-dependent Riemann sheets are thus different in forward and backward directions. Light propagates through the structure is nonreciprocal. Forwardly, an arbitrary incident wave will convert to a combination of the two waveguide modes with same intensity. Backwardly, the waves almost entirely convert to one specific mode. The conversion efficiency is more than 80% and robust to the line design. The operating wavelength is in the telecommunications band, conducive to integration with other chips. Compared to the widely used loop path, the line path has the merit of easy preparation in experiments as only one parameter is changed. The research sheds light on the optical devices such as isolator and amplifier.

BackgroundProtein Energy Wasting (PEW) has high incidence in adult hemodialysis patients and refers to a state of decreased protein and energy substance. It has been demonstrated that PEW highly affects the quality of survival and increases the risk of death. Nevertheless, its diagnostic criteria are complex in clinic. To simplify the diagnosis method of PEW in adult hemodialysis patients, we previously established a novel clinical prediction model that was well-validated internally using bootstrapping. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we aimed to externally validate this nomogram in a new cohort of adult hemodialysis patients.MethodsThe novel prediction model was built by combining four independent variables with part of the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism (ISRNM) diagnostic criteria including albumin, total cholesterol, and body mass index (BMI). We evaluated the performance of the new model using discrimination (Concordance Index), calibration plots, and Clinical Impact Curve to assess its predictive utility.ResultsFrom September 1st, 2022 to August 31st, 2023, 1,158 patients were screened in five medical centers in Shanghai. 622 (53.7%) hemodialysis patients were included for analysis. The PEW predictive model was acceptable discrimination with the area under the curve of 0.777 (95% CI 0.741–0.814). Additionally, the model revealed well-fitted calibration curves. The McNemar test showed the novel model had similar diagnostic efficacy with the gold standard diagnostic method (p > 0.05).ConclusionOur results from this cross-sectional external validation study further demonstrate that the novel model is a valid tool to identify PEW in adult hemodialysis patients effectively.

To evaluate the efficacy of the 18F–AlF-NOTA-RGD2 positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) molecular probe for the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis in mini pigs, a potential alternative to invasive diagnostic methods was revealed. This study used 18F–AlF-NOTA-RGD2 PET/CT imaging of mini pigs to assess liver fibrosis. The methods included synthesis and quality control of the molecular probe, establishment of an animal model of liver fibrosis, blood serum enzymatic tests, histopathological examination, PET/CT imaging, collagen content and expression, and mitochondrial reserve function assessment. The 18F–AlF-NOTA-RGD2 PET/CT molecular probe effectively differentiated various stages of liver fibrosis in mini pigs. Blood serum enzymatic tests revealed distinct stages of liver fibrosis, revealing significant increases in AST, ALT, TBIL, and DBIL levels as fibrosis advanced. Notably, ALT levels increased markedly in severe fibrosis patients. A gradual increase in collagen deposition and increasing α-SMA RNA expression and protein levels effectively differentiated between mild and severe fibrosis stages. Pathological examinations and Sirius Red staining confirmed these findings, highlighting substantial increases in collagen accumulation. PET/CT imaging results aligned with histopathological findings, showing that increased radiotracer uptake correlated with fibrosis severity. Assessments of mitochondrial function revealed a decrease in total liver glutathione content and mitochondrial reserve capacity, especially in patients with severe fibrosis. The 18F–AlF-NOTA-RGD2 PET/CT molecular probe is a promising tool for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis, offering potential benefits over traditional diagnostic methods in hepatology.

Simulations of land use/land cover (LULC) and ecosystem services (ES), which integrate national land policies, reflect the development of land and ecological functions under different scenarios and are crucial for accurately predicting and optimizing urban ecosystem sustainable development. To effectively characterize the urban development trend that complies with urban land policies and spatial differences, we combined major function-oriented zoning (MFOZ) and simulated LULC and ES [including water yield (WY), soil retention (SR), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ)] within Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration under multiple scenarios. Based on the improved gray multi-objective optimization (IGMOP) model, the patch-generating land simulation (PLUS) model, and the integrated evaluation of ecosystem services and trade-offs (InVEST) model, three scenarios were designed: business as usual (BAU), economic development (ED), and ecological conservation (EC) scenarios. Results demonstrated higher accuracy with the LULC simulation coupling MFOZ. Under BAU, ED, and EC scenarios, the ecological land (EL) area was 924.99 × 104, 904.45 × 104, and 953.59 × 104 hm2, respectively. Compared to 2020, it increased by 0.77% and 1.95% under BAU and EC scenarios and decreased by 0.08% under ED scenario. The LULC changes under different scenarios influenced ES changes. Trade-offs occurred between WY&SR and CS&HQ under BAU and ED scenarios (WY&SR increased, CS&HQ decreased), while different ES types synergistically increased under EC scenario. Impervious surfaces and vegetation positively affected WY&SR, while forestland and impervious surfaces positively and negatively affected CS&HQ, respectively. The simulation coupling MFOZ may provide new insights for exploring more accurate ecological patterns, identifying potential sustainable spaces, and determining priority projects.

Cucurbitaceae family includes many common vegetables and fruits, and plays an important role in agricultural production. High quality genome is essential for gene mining of agronomically important traits, evaluation of germplasm resources and construction of molecular breeding system. With the rapid development of sequencing technology, Sanger, Roche 454, Illumina and PacBio sequencing platform had been established, which resulted in the continuous reduction of sequencing costs and many genomes of different species have been reported. Cucumber is a model crop for Cucurbitaceae crop research, and is the first vegetable crop to complete the genome sequencing. Subsequently, more and more Cucurbitaceae crops including watermelon, melon, pumpkin and winter gourd have completed the whole genome De Novo sequencing, which significantly improved research level of genomics, systematic evolution and molecular biology of Cucurbitaceae family. In this review, we summarized the progresses made on the De Novo sequencing of main Cucurbitaceae crops, and their application in understanding the origin and evolution of the family and mining genes controlling agronomically important traits. Moreover, we also prospected the construction of Telomerase-to-Telomere (T2T) genome and pan-genome of Cucurbitaceae family.

Abstract The wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), the only species in the genus Benincasa, is an important crop native to Asia that has been widely planted for multi-purpose uses. The first wax gourd draft genome was published three years ago, but it was incomplete and highly-fragmented due to data and technical limitations. Herein, we report a new chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of B. hispida. We generated 974.87 Mb of unitigs with N50 size of 2.43 Mb via a hybrid assembly strategy by using PacBio long reads and Illumina short reads. We then joined them into scaffolds with Hi-C data, resulting 1862 scaffolds with a total length of 975.62 Mb, and 94.92% of the length (926.05 Mb) is contained in the 12 largest scaffolds corresponding to the 12 chromosomes of B. hispida. We predicted 37,092 protein-coding genes, and 85.05% of them were functionally annotated. This chromosome-level reference genome provides significant improvement to the earlier version of draft genome and would be valuable resource for research and molecular breeding of the wax gourd.

Abstract Background Wax gourd [Benincasa hispida (Thunb) Cogn. (2n = 2x = 24)] is an economically important vegetable crop of genus Benincasa in the Cucurbitaceae family. Fruit is the main consumption organ of wax gourd. The mature fruit cuticular wax (MFCW) is an important trait in breeding programs, which is also of evolutionary significance in wax gourd. However, the genetic architecture of this valuable trait remains unrevealed. Results In this study, genetic analysis revealed that the inheritance of MFCW was controlled by a single gene, with MFCW dominant over non-MFCW, and the gene was primarily named as BhWAX. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) highlighted a 1.1 Mb interval on chromosome 9 associated with MFCW in wax gourd germplasm resources. Traditional fine genetic mapping delimited BhWAX to a 0.5 Mb region containing 12 genes. Based on the gene annotation, expression analysis and co-segregation analysis, Bhi09G001428 that encodes a membrane bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) was proposed as the candidate gene for BhWAX. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the efficiency of a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) marker in the determination of MFCW in wax gourd reached 80%. Conclusions In closing, the study identified the candidate gene controlling MFCW and provided an efficient molecular marker for the trait in wax gourd for the first time, which will not only be beneficial for functional validation of the gene and marker-assisted breeding of wax gourd, but also lay a foundation for analysis of its evolutionary meaning among cucurbits.

Background: Pyroptosis is a critical form of cell death during the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Tripartite motif 6 (TRIM6) is an E3-ubiquitin ligase that participates in the progression renal fibrosis (RF). The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of TRIM6 and Glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) in oxidative stress-induced inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in Ang-II treated renal tubular epithelial cells. Methods: To study its role in RF, TRIM6 expression was either reduced or increased in human kidney-2 (HK2) cells using lentivirus, and Ang-II, NAC and BMS-986299 were served as reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer, ROS scavenger and NLRP3 agonist respectively. Pyroptosis and mitochondrial ROS were measured by flow cytometry. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined using commercial kits, while the levels of IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay was used to evaluate the interaction between TRIM6 and GPX3. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot were used to measure mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Results: Treatment with Angiotensin II (Ang II) increased the protein and mRNA levels of TRIM6 in HK2 cells. Ang II also increased mitochondrial ROS production and the malondialdehyde (MDA) level, but decreased the levels of GSH and SOD. In addition, Ang II enhanced HK2 cell pyroptosis, increased the levels of IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, and TNF-α, and promoted the expression of active IL-1β, NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD-N proteins. These effects were reversed by knockdown of TRIM6 and by treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger. BMS-986299, an NLRP3 agonist treatment, did not affect ROS production in HK2 cells exposed to Ang II combined with NAC, but cell pyroptosis and inflammation were aggravated. Moreover, the overexpression of TRIM6 in HK2 cells resulted in similar effects to Ang II. NAC and GPX3 overexpression in HK2 cells could reverse ROS production, inflammation, and pyroptosis induced by TRIM6 overexpression. TRIM6 overexpression decreased the GPX3 protein level by promoting its ubiquitination, without affecting the GPX3 mRNA level. Thus, TRIM6 facilitates GPX3 ubiquitination, contributing to increased ROS levels and pyroptosis in HK2 cells. Conclusions: TRIM6 increases oxidative stress and promotes the pyroptosis of HK2 cells by regulating GPX3 ubiquitination. These findings could contribute to the development of novel drugs for the treatment of RF.

Heat stress, as a negative factor, severely threatens the quality and production of bottle gourd, which prefers to grow in a warm environment. To understand which genes are involved in the resistance to heat stress in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.), we analyzed the characteristics of two genetic bottle gourd varieties, “Mei feng”-MF (heat resistant) and “Lv long”-LL (heat sensitive). Under heat stress, MF plants exhibited a higher survival rate, lower relative electrolytic leakage, and decreased stomatal aperture compared with LL. In addition, RNA-Seq was carried out on the two varieties under normal conditions and heat stress. The results revealed a total of 1485 up-regulated and 946 down-regulated genes under normal conditions, while 602 genes were up-regulated and 1212 genes were down-regulated under heat stress. Among these genes, several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway and members of bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) transcription factors showed significant up- or down-regulation after heat stress. Next, to validate these findings, we conducted quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, which confirmed the expression patterns of the genes detected through RNA-Seq. Collectively, the DEGs between the two contrasting cultivars identified in our study provide novel insight into excavating helpful candidate genes associated with heat tolerance in bottle gourd.

【Objective】Identification and cloning of BhiOXR genes from wax gourd and clarification of its expression characteristics under abiotic stresses would lay a foundation for further studying the function of BhiOXR genes in wax gourd.【Method】BhiOXR gene family members from wax gourd reference genome were identified, full-length CDS primers were designed to clone the BhiOXR genes of the wax gourd by RT-PCR. Seedlings of wax gourd inbred line B227 were treated with low temperature(4℃), high temperature(40℃), salt stress(150 mmol/L NaCl solution) and drought(10% PEG6000 solution).The expression characteristics of BhiOXR genes under the above mentioned abiotic stresses treatment time: 0, 4, 8, 12, 24 h were analyzed by using qRT-PCR.【Result】Six BhiOXR members were identified from wax gourd reference genome, and the fulllength genes were further cloned and bioinformatically analyzed. qRT-PCR analysis results showed that BhiOXR1 responded to low temperature, high temperature and drought stress, but did not respond to salt stress. BhiOXR2a, BhiOXR2b and BhiOXR4 responded to low temperature, salt and drought stresses but not to high temperature stress; BhiOXR3 and BhiOXR5 responded to low temperature, high temperature and salt stresses but not to drought stress.【Conclusion】It is clarified that BhiOXR genes are induced by abiotic stresses as low temperature, high temperature, salt and drought, and different BhiOXR genes have differences in response to abiotic stresses. Therefore, it is speculated that the six BhiOXR members may have different antioxidant effects in the process of resisting different abiotic stresses, which lays a foundation for further exploring the biological functions of BhiOXR genes in wax gourd.

Abstract Polyalkylene glycol (PAG) aqueous solutions have recently been demonstrated to exhibit an ultralow friction coefficient (COF, μ < 0.01). However, the prolonged running-in period and low bearing capacity have limited its widespread application. In this study, we determined that the running-in period can be decreased by more than 75% when the pH value of the lubricant is controlled at 3 by introducing various acid solutions. Additionally, less time was required to realize stable superlubricity with inorganic acid at lower pH values. This was mainly attributed to the acceleration effect of hydrogen ions around the contact region. In case of PAG aqueous solution with organic acid, the wear loss between sliding solid surfaces was reduced, and thus the bearing pressure during the superlubricity period was significantly improved from approximately 30 to 160 MPa. Furthermore, the organic acid molecules were considered to form strong hydrogen bonds with PAG macromolecules and solid surfaces. This in turn strengthened the structure of the adsorption layers. The unique effect of different acids in aqueous polymer lubrication can potentially significantly aid in advancing the study of polymer tribology and broadening industrial applications.

Gynoecy demonstrates an earlier production of hybrids and a higher yield and improves the efficiency of hybrid seed production. Therefore, the utilization of gynoecy is beneficial for the genetic breeding of chieh-qua. However, little knowledge of gynoecious-related genes in chieh-qua has been reported until now. Here, we used an F2 population from the cross between the gynoecious line ‘A36’ and the monoecious line ‘SX’ for genetic mapping and revealed that chieh-qua gynoecy was regulated by a single recessive gene. We fine-mapped it into a 530-kb region flanked by the markers Indel-3 and KASP145 on Chr.8, which harbors eight candidate genes. One of the candidate genes, Bhi08G000345, encoding networked protein 4 (CqNET4), contained a non-synonymous SNP resulting in the amino acid substitution of isoleucine (ATA; I) to methionine (ATG; M). CqNET4 was prominently expressed in the female flower, and only three genes related to ethylene synthesis were significantly expressed between ‘A36’ and ‘SX.’ The results presented here provide support for the CqNET4 as the most likely candidate gene for chieh-qua gynoecy, which differed from the reported gynoecious genes.

Cucumber is one of the most important vegetable crops, which is widely planted all over the world. Cucumber always suffers from high-temperature stress in South China in summer. In this study, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was used to study the differential metabolites of cucumber anther between high-temperature (HT) stress and normal condition (CK). After HT, the pollen fertility was significantly reduced, and abnormal anther structures were observed by the paraffin section. In addition, the metabolomics analysis results showed that a total of 125 differential metabolites were identified after HT, consisting of 99 significantly upregulated and 26 significantly downregulated metabolites. Among these differential metabolites, a total of 26 related metabolic pathways were found, and four pathways showed significant differences, namely, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism; plant hormone signal transduction; amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism; and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. In addition, pollen fertility was decreased by altering the metabolites of plant hormone signal transduction and amino acid and sugar metabolism pathway under HT. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic changes in cucumber anther under HT.

Zinc depletion is associated with alcohol-associated liver injury. We tested the hypothesis that increasing zinc availability along with alcohol consumption prevents alcohol-associated liver injury. Zinc-glutathione (ZnGSH) was synthesized and directly added to Chinese Baijiu. Mice were administered a single gastric dose of 6 g/kg ethanol in Chinese Baijiu with or without ZnGSH. ZnGSH in Chinese Baijiu did not change the likeness of the drinkers but significantly reduced the recovery time from drunkenness along with elimination of high-dose mortality. ZnGSH in Chinese Baijiu decreased serum AST and ALT, suppressed steatosis and necrosis, and increased zinc and GSH concentrations in the liver. It also increased alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the liver, stomach, and intestine and reduced acetaldehyde in the liver. Thus, ZnGSH in Chinese Baijiu prevents alcohol-associated liver injury by increasing alcohol metabolism timely with alcohol consumption, providing an alternative approach to the management of alcohol-associated drinking.

BackgroundThe role of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been studied in several systematic reviews (SRs), but no definitive conclusions have been drawn due to the wide variation in the quality and outcomes of the studies. And there are no studies to assess the quality of relevant published SRs. This overview aims to determine the effectiveness of PR in patients with IPF and to summarize and critically evaluate the risk of bias, methodological, and evidence quality of SRs on this related topic.MethodsWith no language restrictions, eight databases were searched from inception to March 10, 2023. The literature search, screening, and data extraction were carried out separately by two reviewers. We assessed the risk of bias using the ROBIS tool, the reporting quality using PRISMA statements, the methodological quality using AMSTAR-2, and the evidence quality using Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).ResultsSeven SRs from 2018-2023 (including 1836 participants) on PR for the treatment of IPF were selected, all of which included patients with a definitive diagnosis of IPF. After strict evaluation by the ROBIS tool and AMSTAR-2 tool, 42.86% of the SRs had a high risk of bias and 85.71% of the SRs had critically low methodological quality in this overview. PR might be effective for patients with IPF on exercise capacity, quality of life, and pulmonary function-related outcomes, but we did not find high quality evidence to confirm the effectiveness.ConclusionPR may appear to be an effective and safe treatment for patients with IPF, but the results of this overview should be interpreted dialectically and with caution. Further high-quality, rigorous studies are urgently needed to draw definitive conclusions and provide scientific evidence.

Wilt disease caused by Phytophthora melonis infection is one of the most serious threats to Benincasa hispida production. However, the mechanism of the response of B. hispida to a P. melonis infection remains largely unknown. In the present study, two B. hispida cultivars with different degrees of resistance to P. melonis were identified: B488 (a moderately resistant cultivar) and B214 (a moderately susceptible cultivar). RNA-seq was performed on P. melonis-infected B488 and B214 12 hours post infection (hpi). Compared with the control, 680 and 988 DEGs were respectively detected in B488 and B214. A KEGG pathway analysis combined with a cluster analysis revealed that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant-pathogen interaction, the MAPK signaling pathway-plant, and plant hormone signal transduction were the most relevant pathways during the response of both B488 and B214 to P. melonis infection, as well as the differentially expressed genes in the two cultivars. In addition, a cluster analysis of transcription factor genes in DEGs identified four genes upregulated in B488 but not in B214 at 6 hpi and 12 hpi, which was confirmed by qRT-PCR. These were candidate genes for elucidating the mechanism of the B. hispida response to P. melonis infection and laying the foundation for the improvement of B. hispida.

Photosynthesis, a fundamental process for plant growth and development, is dependent on chloroplast formation and chlorophyll synthesis. Severe disruption of chloroplast structure results in albinism of higher plants. In the present study, we report a cucumber albino alc mutant that presented white cotyledons under normal light conditions and was unable to produce first true leaf. Meanwhile, alc mutant could grow creamy green cotyledons under dim light conditions but died after exposure to normal light irradiation. No chlorophyll and carotenoid were detected in the alc mutant grown under normal light conditions. Using transmission electron microscopy, impaired chloroplasts were observed in this mutant. The genetic analysis indicated that the albino phenotype was recessively controlled by a single locus. Comparative transcriptomic analysis between the alc mutant and wild type revealed that genes involved in chlorophyll metabolism and the methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway were affected in the alc mutant. In addition, three genes involved in chloroplast development, including two FtsH genes and one PPR gene, were found to have negligible expression in this mutant. The quality of RNA sequencing results was further confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. We also examined 12 homologous genes from alc mutant in other plant species, but no genetic variation in the coding sequences of these genes was found between alc mutant and wild type. Taken together, we characterized a cucumber albino mutant with albinism phenotype caused by chloroplast development deficiency and this mutant can pave way for future studies on plastid development.

Wax gourd is an important vegetable crop of the Cucurbitaceae family. According to the shape and structure of the seed coat, the seeds of the wax gourd can be divided into bilateral and unilateral. Bilateral seeds usually germinate quickly and have a high germination rate than unilateral seeds. Thereby, wax gourd varieties with bilateral seeds are more welcomed by seed companies and growers. However, the genetic basis and molecular mechanism regulating seed shape remain unclear in the wax gourd. In this study, the genetic analysis demonstrated that the seed shape of wax gourd was controlled by a single gene, with bilateral dominant to unilateral. Combined with genetic mapping and genome-wide association study, Bhi04G000544 (BhYAB4), encoding a YABBY transcription factor, was identified as the candidate gene for seed shape determination in the wax gourd. A G/A single nucleotide polymorphism variation of BhYAB4 was detected among different germplasm resources, with BhYAB4G specifically enriched in bilateral seeds and BhYAB4A in unilateral seeds. The G to A mutation caused intron retention and premature stop codon of BhYAB4. Expression analysis showed that both BhYAB4G and BhYAB4A were highly expressed in seeds, while the nuclear localization of BhYAB4A protein was disturbed compared with that of BhYAB4G protein. Finally, a derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker that could efficiently distinguish between bilateral and unilateral seeds was developed, thereby facilitating the molecular marker-assisted breeding of wax gourd cultivars.

The application of movement-detection sensors is crucial for understanding surface movement and tectonic activities. The development of modern sensors has been instrumental in earthquake monitoring, prediction, early warning, emergency commanding and communication, search and rescue, and life detection. There are numerous sensors currently being utilized in earthquake engineering and science. It is essential to review their mechanisms and working principles thoroughly. Hence, we have attempted to review the development and application of these sensors by classifying them based on the timeline of earthquakes, the physical or chemical mechanisms of sensors, and the location of sensor platforms. In this study, we analyzed available sensor platforms that have been widely used in recent years, with satellites and UAVs being among the most used. The findings of our study will be useful for future earthquake response and relief efforts, as well as research aimed at reducing earthquake disaster risks.

The purpose of urban water management is to improve urban water utilization efficiency (UWUE), which in turn addresses water shortages in urban areas. The present study aimed to evaluate the UWUE of 284 cities at the prefecture level in China between 2003 and 2018 by the slacks-based measure of super-efficiency, explore its spatial differences through exploratory spatial data analysis, and analyze the influencing factors using the statistical tool Geodetector. The results showed that the average value of UWUE in China was generally low but tended to rise gradually. There were significant spatial differences in UWUE across China, with considerable global and local spatial autocorrelation, and local spatial autocorrelation was characterized primarily by high-high and low-low regions. Industrial structure and urban population were the main influencing factors for UWUE. Finally, based on these findings, we offered policy implications for improving UWUE and coordinated development between cities.

In order to overcome the obstacle surmounting ability of ordinary wheel structures on unstructured terrains and the disadvantage of moving speed of leg-type robots on structured terrains， an innovative tensegrity variable diameter walking wheel mechanism is proposed based on the advantages of adaptability， self-stability and flexible mechanism. The basic tensegrity walking unit of the variable diameter wheel is designed after the analysis of two-bar and three-cable plane tensegrity mechanism. The kinematics analysis of the tensegrity variable diameter unit is carried out by using the principle of minimum potential energy， and the parameters of the walking wheel are obtained by Matlab software. On this basis， the wheel hub structure and limited mechanism of the walking wheel are determined through the optimal principle of the stretch-reducing walking wheel and the mechanism model of the tensegrity wheel is established using Catia software. Then， the simulation model using Adams software is built and is applied to simulate the motions of the tensegrity wheel. Thus， the changed rule of the radius of the tensegrity wheel with time is obtained. The stable walking in different terrains can be realized and transformed between wheeled and walking mode by the designed tensegrity variable diameter walking wheel. The validity of the proposed method and the correctness of the theoretical model are verified.

Abstract Background Fruit skin color play important role in commercial value of cucumber, which is mainly determined by the content and composition of chlorophyll and anthocyanins. Therefore, understanding the related genes and metabolomics involved in composition of fruit skin color is essential for cucumber quality and commodity value. Results The results showed that chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid content in fruit skin were higher in Lv (dark green skin) than Bai (light green skin) on fruit skin. Cytological observation showed more chloroplast existed in fruit skin cells of Lv. A total of 162 significantly different metabolites were found between the fruit skin of the two genotypes by metabolome analysis, including 40 flavones, 9 flavanones, 8 flavonols, 6 anthocyanins, and other compounds. Crucial anthocyanins and flavonols for fruit skin color, were detected significantly decreased in fruit skin of Bai compared with Lv. By RNA-seq assay, 4516 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between two cultivars. Further analyses suggested that low expression level of chlorophyll biosynthetic genes, such as chlM, por and NOL caused less chlorophylls or chloroplast in fruit skin of Bai. Meanwhile, a predicted regulatory network of anthocyanin biosynthesis was established to illustrate involving many DEGs, especially 4CL, CHS and UFGT. Conclusions This study uncovered significant differences between two cucumber genotypes with different fruit color using metabolome and RNA-seq analysis. We lay a foundation to understand molecular regulation mechanism on formation of cucumber skin color, by exploring valuable genes, which is helpful for cucumber breeding and improvement on fruit skin color.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable crop, which is thermophilic not heat resistant. High-temperature stress always results in sterility at reproductive stage. In the present study, we evaluate the male flower developmental changes under normal (CK) and heat stress (HS) condition. After HS, the activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) were increased. In addition, the pollen fertility was significantly decreased; and abnormal tapetum and microspore were observed by paraffin section. Transcriptome analysis results presented that total of 5828 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after HS. Among these DEGs, 20 DEGs were found at four stages, including DNA binding transcription factor, glycosyltransferase, and wound-responsive family protein. The gene ontology term of carbohydrate metabolic process was significantly enriched in all anther stages, and many saccharides and starch synthase-related genes, such as invertase, sucrose synthase, and starch branching enzyme, were significantly different expressed in HS compared with CK. Furthermore, co-expression network analysis showed a module (midnightblue) strongly consistent with HS, and two hub genes (CsaV3_6G004180 and CsaV3_5G034860) were found with a high degree of connectivity to other genes. Our results provide comprehensive understandings on male flower development in cucumber under HS.

Sulfonylurea herbicides (SH) are widely used throughout the world. In this paper, the degradation of sulfonylurea herbicides (SH) in eight different agricultural soils was studied by exploring the synergism between microbial consortium (MC) and plants. In the experiment, chlorimuron with a concentration of 50 mg/L was used as the only carbon source to domesticate and prepare the MC. The degradation of six sulfonylurea herbicides was determined, among which bensulfuron (BN), due to its better degradation effects, was selected. The best degradation conditions of BN were determined as follows: pH 7, 20 °C, and BN concentration 20 mg/L, and after 20 days, the degradation rate of BN by MC reached 90.49%. The physical and chemical properties of eight different agricultural soils were compared, and the correlation between them and the degradation effect of BN was analyzed. When plants were combined with 3% MC to remediate BN-contaminated soil, it was beneficial to plant growth, and the degradation rate of BN was the highest (81%) after 25 days. In addition, the content of soil urease and soil catalase in the soil increased to 449 ug/g and 12.19 mmol/g after 25 days of combined remediation. The results showed an effective bioremediation strategy to restore agricultural soil contaminated by BN.

Cucurbits fruits have diverse shapes and sizes, but their genomes evolution and genetic basis of diversity are unclear. Here, the authors show that the wax gourd genome has the most ancestral karyotype among cucurbits and identify candidate genes which contribute to large fruit size by comparative and population genomics analyses.

Abstract Recently, by elaborately designing nonfullerene acceptors and selecting suitable polymer donors great progresses have been made towards binary organic solar cells (OSCs) with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) over 15%. Ternary organic photovoltaics by introducing a third component into the host binary system is recognized to be highly effective to elevate the performance through extending the light absorption, manipulating the recombination behavior of the carriers, and improving the morphology of the active layer. In this work, we synthesized a new electron-acceptor ZITI-4F matching it with the wide-bandgap polymer donor PBDB-T The PBDB-T:ZITI-4F-based OSC showed a high PCE of 12.33%. After introducing 40% of PC71BM as the third component, the ternary device achieved an improved PCE of 13.40% with simultaneously improved photovoltaic parameters. The higher performance of the ternary device can be attributed to the improved and more balanced charge mobility, reduced bimolecular recombination, and more favorable morphology. These results indicate that the cooperation of a fullerene-based acceptor and a nonfullerene acceptor to fabricate ternary OSCs is an effective approach to optimizing morphology and therefore to increase the performance of OSCs.

Summary: For state-of-the-art organic solar cells (OSCs) consisting of a large-bandgap polymer donor and a near-infrared (NIR) molecular acceptor, the control of the HOMO offset is the key to simultaneously achieve small energy loss (Eloss) and high photocurrent. However, the relationship between HOMO offsets and the efficiency for hole separation is quite elusive so far, which requires a comprehensive understanding on how small the driving force can effectively perform the charge separation while obtaining a high photovoltage to ensure high OSC performance. By designing a new family of ZITI-X NIR acceptors (X = S, C, N) with a high structural similarity and matching them with polymer donor J71 forming reduced HOMO offsets, we systematically investigated and established the relationship among the photovoltaic performance, energy loss, and hole-transfer kinetics. We achieved the highest PCEavgs of 14.05 ± 0.21% in a ternary system (J71:ZITI-C:ZITI-N) that best optimize the balance between driving force and energy loss. : Energy Storage; Materials Characterization; Solid State Physics Subject Areas: Energy Storage, Materials Characterization, Solid State Physics

Peanut shells are agricultural waste products that require utilization. The freeze-dried ethanolic peanut shell extract (PSE) contained 10.01 ± 0.55 mg/g of luteolin (LUT) with a total polyphenol content of 18.11 ± 0.88 mg GAE/g. Thus, LUT is one of the major polyphenolic components in PSE. Although PSE displays antibacterial and neurotrophic activities, minimal research is available addressing its potential role in lipid metabolism. This study investigated the role of PSE in terms of inhibiting adipogenesis, accelerating lipolysis, and promoting lipid browning using the 3T3-L1 cell line. Without affecting cell viability, high concentrations of PSE and LUT prevented adipogenesis by reducing the mRNA levels of C/EBPα, PPARγ, and SREBP1-c, and increasing the protein levels of pACC and pAMPK. Moreover, PSE and LUT induced lipolysis by activating lipolytic proteins, and enhanced the protein expressions of the brown adipocyte-specific markers, UCP1, PGC-1α, and SIRT1 in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Increased mitochondrial biosynthesis provided additional evidence in favor of these findings. Due to their anti-obesity properties, it is proposed that PSE and LUT could be used as potential dietary supplements.

(1) Background: Wax gourd is an economically important vegetable crop in many tropical and sub-tropical countries in Asia. Fruit color is an important fruit quality trait, but the genetic, biochemical basis and regulatory network of fruit color variation in wax gourd are rarely studied. (2) Methods: In this study, two wax gourd inbred lines with different pericarp colors were used as materials to conduct joint metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses on mature fruit pericarp: B214 with yellow and B227 with dark green color. (3) Results: It was found that the chlorophyll content in the pericarp of B214 was significantly lower than that of B227, consistent with the down-regulation of several genes involved in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, including hemA, hemB, hemC, hemF, chlH, chlI, chlM, POR, and CAO. The 229 metabolites showed differential accumulation levels between B214 and B227, and 4 anthocyanins, 5 flavanones, 25 flavones, 25 flavone C-glycosides, 12 flavonols, and 3 isoflavones were identified. In particular, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, an anthocyanin contributing to the coloration of dark color, showed higher accumulation in B227 than in B214, probably due to the higher expression of genes of F3′H and glucosyl transferases (GTs) in B227. Transcription factors such as MYBs and bHLHs showed differential expressions between the two lines including bHLH14, a homolog of Arabidopsis AtbHLH14 that had significantly higher expression in B227 than in B214. bHLH14 was located in a region where the pericarp color (pc) locus was mapped, suggesting it may be a candidate gene for the pc locus. (4) Conclusions: This work supports the association of chlorophyll and flavonoid synthesis in wax gourd fruit color variation and also provides a good foundation for understanding the regulatory network for wax gourd coloration.

Grona styracifolia (Osbeck) Merr. (GS), a popular folk medicine, is clinically applied to treat nephrolithiasis. In this study, a urinary metabolic analysis was performed in a mouse model of renal calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystal deposition to identify the differentially altered metabolites in mice with oxalate-induced renal injury and explore the therapeutic mechanisms of GS against nephrolithiasis. Twenty-four mice were randomly divided into the control, oxalate and GS-treated groups. A metabolomics approach based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to analyze the metabolic profiles of the urine samples. In addition, network pharmacology analysis was performed with different databases. As a result, the protective effects of GS were verified by measuring biochemical parameters and detecting crystal deposition. Fifteen metabolites were identified as the differentially altered metabolites in mice with crystal-induced renal injury. Most were involved in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism. Thirteen of these metabolites showed a reversal trend following GS treatment. A component-target-metabolite network was further constructed and nine overlapping target proteins of GS and the differentially altered metabolites were discovered. Among these proteins, the expression of estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) in renal tissues was significantly down-regulated while androgen receptor (AR) expression was obviously increased in the oxalate group compared with the control group. These changes were reversed by the GS treatment. In conclusion, GS exerts its therapeutic effect by regulating multiple metabolic pathways and the expression of ESR and AR in mice with oxalate-induced renal injury.

Renal fibrosis is considered as the final pathway of all types of kidney diseases, which can lead to the progressive loss of kidney functions and eventually renal failure. The mechanisms behind are diversified, in which the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is one of the most important regulatory pathways that accounts for the disease. Several processes that are regulated by the mTOR pathway, such as autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, are tightly associated with renal fibrosis. In this study, we have reported that the expression of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) protein 6, a member of TRIM family protein, was highly expressed in renal fibrosis patients and positively correlated with the severity of renal fibrosis. In our established in vitro and in vivo renal fibrosis models, its expression was upregulated by the Angiotensin II-induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p50 and p65. In HK2 cells, the expression of TRIM6 promoted the ubiquitination of tuberous sclerosis proteins (TSC) 1 and 2, two negative regulators of the mTORC1 pathway. Moreover, the knockdown of TRIM6 was found efficient for alleviating renal fibrosis and inhibiting the downstream processes of EMT and ER in both HK2 cells and 5/6-nephrectomized rats. Clinically, the level of TRIM6, TSC1/2, and NF-κB p50 was found closely related to renal fibrosis. As a result, we have presented the first study on the role of TRIM6 in the mTORC1 pathway in renal fibrosis models and our findings suggested that TRIM6 may be a potential target for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

Glomerular hypertrophy is an early morphological alteration in diabetic nephropathy. Cyclin-Dependent Kinases have been shown to be required for high glucose (HG)-induced hypertrophy; however, the upstream regulators of CDKN1B in glomerular hypertrophy remain unclear. Herein we describe a novel pathway in which Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1 regulates the progression of mesangial cell hypertrophy via a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. Real-time PCR was performed to detect the relative NEAT1 and miR-222-3p expressions and further confirmed the relationship between NEAT1 and miR-222-3p. Cell cycle was evaluated by flow cytometry. The related mechanisms were explored by Western blot, RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. We show that NEAT1 forms double stranded RNA (dsRNA) with miR-222-3p, thus limiting miR-222-3p’s binding with CDKN1B. This release of CDKN1B mRNA leads to elevated CDKN1B protein expression, resulting in hypertrophy. In addition, we demonstrated that STAT3 which is activated by HG induces the transcription of NEAT1 by binding to its promoter. Our findings underscore an unexpected role of lncRNAs on gene regulation and introduce a new mode of proliferation regulation in mesangial cells.

In order to solve the problem of unbalanced workload of employees in parallel flow shop scheduling, a method of job standard balance is proposed to describe the work balance of employees. The minimum delay time of completion and the imbalance of employee work are taken as the two goals of the model. A bi-objective nonlinear integer programming model is proposed. NSGA-II-EDSP, NSGA-II-KES, and NSGA-II-QKES heuristic rule algorithms are designed to solve the problem. A number of computational experiments of different sizes are conducted, and compared with solutions generated by NSGA-II. The experimental results show the advantages of the proposed model and method, which error is reduced 14.56%, 15.16% and 15.67%.

Structural optimization based on natural products is an important and effective way to discover new green pesticides. Here, two series of amide derivatives based on sinapic acid and mycophenolic acid were designed in combination with the fungicidal natural product piperlongumine and synthesized by preparing the carboxylic acid into acyl chloride and then reacting with the corresponding aromatic amines, respectively. The resulting structures were successively characterized by 1H NMR, 13 C NMR, and HRMS. The crystal structures of molecules I-4 and II-5 were analyzed for structure validation. The in vitro inhibitory activity indicated that most of the target products exhibited fungicidal activity equivalent to or even better than fluopyram against Physalospora piricola. The in vivo fungicidal activity demonstrated that the compounds I-5 and II-4 displayed almost the same preventative activity as carbendazim and fluopyram at 200 μg mL−1. The TEM observation revealed that the fungicidal activity of the target molecules against Physalospora piricola may be due to the influence on the mitochondria in the cell structure. These results will provide valuable theoretical guidance for developing the new green fungicides.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous single-stranded non-coding small RNAs of 20–24 nucleotides and play important roles in many plant biological and metabolic processes. Wax gourd is an important vegetable of Cucurbitacea family, with great economic and medicinal value. Although miRNAs have been extensively studied in model plant species, less is known in wax gourd (Benincasa hispida). In this study, in order to identify miRNAs in wax groud, five independent small RNA libraries were constructed using leaf, root, stem, flower, and fruit of B227. Based on high-throughput Illumina deep sequencing. In total, 422 known and 409 novel miRNAs were identified from five libraries. Comparative analysis revealed that many miRNAs were differentially expressed among different tissues, indicating tissue-specific expression of some miRNAs. qRT-PCR verified the reliability of small RNA sequencing results. Furthermore, miRNAs with similar expression patterns among five tissues were clustered into the same profile, among which many miRNAs were found with relatively high expression in the fruit of wax gourd. MiR164-x had the highest expression in fruit than in other tissues and many NAC transcription factors were predicted as its target genes. We propose that miR164 might regulate fruit development by forming miR164-NAC module in wax gourd. Taken together, this study provides the first global miRNAs profiling of wax gourd, and lays the foundation for understanding the regulatory roles of miRNAs in the growth and development processes of wax gourd.

Titanium alloys have been widely used in aerospace engineering due to their excellent mechanical properties, especially their strength-to-weight ratio. In addition, Ti6Al4V (TC4) alloy is the most widely used among α+β alloys. The main three elements of TC4 alloy are titanium (Ti), aluminum (Al) and vanadium (V). Since the boiling point of aluminum is much lower than the melting point of the other two elements, the consistency of TC4 alloy during smelting, additive manufacturing and surface treatment is difficult to control. Therefore, in order to study the difficult problem of composition control in TC4 alloy production, we measured the vacuum evaporation of Al, Ti and V in Ti-Al, V-Al and TC4 alloys, and tracked the changes of molten pool temperature, heating time and weight. According to the results, the Al started to evaporate near 1300 ± 10 °C in vacuum and totally evaporated after 225 s heating to 1484 °C at 10−2 Pa. However, V and Ti barely evaporated below 2000 °C. The Al in Ti-Al alloy started to evaporate at 1753 ± 10 °C and lost 20.6 wt.% aluminum during 500 s at 1750~1957 °C. The Al in V-Al alloy started to evaporate at 1913 ± 10 °C and lost 26.4 wt.% aluminum during 543s at 1893~2050 °C. The Al in TC4 alloy started to evaporate at 1879 ± 10 °C and lost 79.6 wt. % aluminum after 113 s at 1879~1989 °C. The results indicate that smelting TC4 alloy with Ti-Al and V-Al alloys by EBM below 1900 °C improves the consistency and performance. Additionally, the lowest loss of Al occurred in the additive manufacturing of TC4 alloy below 1900 °C.

In the wireless power transfer system, the front stage power supply is used to efficiently transfer power to the post-stage circuit. As a bridge connecting the front stage power supply and the rear stage circuit of the wireless power transmission system, power converter network is generally placed behind the inverter so as to achieve output filtering of inverter and stability of output voltage and current. This paper analyses the LCC (inductance-capacitance-capacitance) and LCL (inductance-capacitance-inductance) transform network circuit model, and transmission characteristics of LCC and LCL conversion networks are analysed and compared based on two different circuit topologies. By means of parameter calculation, simulation analysis, and parameter optimisation design, it is concluded that both LCC and LCL networks have different characteristics. The results show that for both LCC and LCL network topologies, when the parameters of network components satisfy certain conditions, they can relatively achieve stable voltage or current output within a certain load range to meet the specific power transmission requirements.

Fusarium wilt results in undesirable effects on the quality and production of chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How). Fusaric acid (FA), a secondary metabolite of biotin produced by pathogens of genus Fusarium, induced resistant responses in chieh-qua; however, the physiological and molecular mechanism(s) of FA resistance remains largely unknown. In our study, ‘A39’ (FA-resistant cultivar) exhibited decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity when exposed to FA compared with ‘H5’ (FA-susceptible cultivar). More apoptosis cells existed in ‘H5’ than ‘A39’ after 2 days of FA treatment. RNA-seq results revealed that a total of 2968 and 3931 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected under normal conditions (1562 up-regulated and 1406 down-regulated) and FA treatment (2243 up-regulated and 1688 down-regulated), respectively. Interestingly, DEGs associated with pathogen-related protein and ethylene (ET) biosynthesis and signal pathways were most significantly changed during FA stress. Notably, several crucial genes encoding pathogenesis-related protein (CL4451.Contig2, CL2175.Contig4), peroxidase (Unigene49615 and CL11695.Contig2), and ET-responsive transcription factors (TFs) (CL9320.Contig1, CL9849.Contig3, CL6826.Contig2, CL919. Contig6, and CL518.Contig7) were specifically induced after FA treatment. Collectively, the study provides molecular data for isolating candidate genes involved in FA resistance, especially ET related genes in chieh-qua.

Purpose: As a Chinese medicinal herb, Desmodium styracifolium (Osb.) Merr (DS) has been applied clinically to alleviate crystal-induced kidney injuries, but its effective components and their specific mechanisms still need further exploration. This research first combined the methods of network pharmacology and proteomics to explore the therapeutic protein targets of DS on oxalate crystal-induced kidney injuries to provide a reference for relevant clinical use.Methods: Oxalate-induced kidney injury mouse, rat, and HK-2 cell models were established. Proteins differentially expressed between the oxalate and control groups were respectively screened using iTRAQ combined with MALDI-TOF-MS. The common differential proteins of the three models were further analyzed by molecular docking with DS compounds to acquire differential targets. The inverse docking targets of DS were predicted through the platform of PharmMapper. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) relationship between the inverse docking targets and the differential proteins was established by STRING. Potential targets were further validated by western blot based on a mouse model with DS treatment. The effects of constituent compounds, including luteolin, apigenin, and genistein, were investigated based on an oxalate-stimulated HK-2 cell model.Results: Thirty-six common differentially expressed proteins were identified by proteomic analysis. According to previous research, the 3D structures of 15 major constituents of DS were acquired. Nineteen differential targets, including cathepsin D (CTSD), were found using molecular docking, and the component-differential target network was established. Inverse-docking targets including p38 MAPK and CDK-2 were found, and the network of component-reverse docking target was established. Through PPI analysis, 17 inverse-docking targets were linked to differential proteins. The combined network of component-inverse docking target-differential proteins was then constructed. The expressions of CTSD, p-p38 MAPK, and p-CDK-2 were shown to be increased in the oxalate group and decreased in kidney tissue by the DS treatment. Luteolin, apigenin, and genistein could protect oxalate-stimulated tubular cells as active components of DS.Conclusion: The potential targets including the CTSD, p38 MAPK, and CDK2 of DS in oxalate-induced kidney injuries and the active components (luteolin, apigenin, and genistein) of DS were successfully identified in this study by combining proteomics analysis, network pharmacology prediction, and experimental validation.

In recent years, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted the development of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. For the commercialization of CSP technology, economically competitive costs of electricity generation is one of the major obstacles. However, studies of electricity generation cost analysis for CSP systems in China, particularly for the tower systems, are quite limited. This paper conducts an economic analysis by applying a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model for 100 MW tower CSP plants in five locations in China with four different molten-salts for thermal energy storage (TES). The results show that it is inappropriate to build a tower CSP plant nearby Shenzhen and Shanghai. The solar salt (NaNO3-KNO3, 60-40 wt.%) has lower LCOE than the other three new molten-salts. In order to calculate the time when the grid parity would be reached, four scenarios for CSP development roadmap proposed by International Energy Agency (IEA) were considered in this study. It was found that the LCOE of tower CSP would reach the grid parity in the years of 2038–2041 in the case of no future penalties for the CO2 emissions. This study can provide support information for the Chinese government to formulate incentive policies for the CSP industry.

Summary Interactions between the endoderm and mesoderm that mediate myocardial induction are difficult to study in vivo because of the small size of mammalian embryos at relevant stages. However, we and others have demonstrated that signals from endodermal cell lines can influence myocardial differentiation from both mouse and human embryoid bodies (EBs), and because of this, assays that utilize embryonic stem (ES) cells and endodermal cell lines provide excellent in vitro models to study early cardiac differentiation. Extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) stem cells have a particular advantage over other heart-inducing cell lines in that they can easily be derived from both wild type and mutant mouse blastocysts. Here we describe the first isolation of a Nodal mutant XEN stem cell line. Nodal−/− XEN cell lines were not isolated at expected Mendelian ratios, and those that were successfully established, showed an increase in markers for the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE). Since AVE represents the heart-inducing endoderm in the mouse, cardiac differentiation was compared in EBs treated with conditioned medium (CM) collected from wild type or Nodal−/− XEN cells. EBs treated with CM from Nodal−/− cells began beating earlier and showed early activation of myocardial genes, but this early cardiac differentiation did not cause an overall increase in cardiomyocyte yield. By comparison, CM from wild type XEN cells both delayed cardiac differentiation and caused a concomitant increase in overall cardiomyocyte formation. Detailed marker analysis suggested that early activation of cardiac differentiation by Nodal−/− XEN CM caused premature differentiation and subsequent depletion of cardiac progenitors.

BACKGROUND: Wax gourd is a widely used vegetable of Cucuribtaceae, and also has important medicinal and health values. However, the genomic resources of wax gourd were scarcity, and only a few nucleotide sequences could be obtained in public databases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we examined transcriptome in wax gourd. More than 44 million of high quality reads were generated from five different tissues of wax gourd using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. Approximately 4 Gbp data were generated, and de novo assembled into 65,059 unigenes, with an N50 of 1,132 bp. Based on sequence similarity search with known protein database, 36,070 (55.4%) showed significant similarity to known proteins in Nr database, and 24,969 (38.4%) had BLAST hits in Swiss-Prot database. Among the annotated unigenes, 14,994 of wax gourd unigenes were assigned to GO term annotation, and 23,977 were found to have COG classifications. In addition, a total of 18,713 unigenes were assigned to 281 KEGG pathways. Furthermore, 6,242 microsatellites (simple sequence repeats) were detected as potential molecular markers in wax gourd. Two hundred primer pairs for SSRs were designed for validation of the amplification and polymorphism. The result showed that 170 of the 200 primer pairs were successfully amplified and 49 (28.8%) of them exhibited polymorphisms. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study enriches the genomic resources of wax gourd and provides powerful information for future studies. The availability of this ample amount of information about the transcriptome and SSRs in wax gourd could serve as valuable basis for studies on the physiology, biochemistry, molecular genetics and molecular breeding of this important vegetable crop.