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The functions of sucrose transporters (SUTs) differ among family members. The physiological function of SUT1 has been studied intensively, while that of SUT4 in various plant species including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is less well-understood. In this study, we characterized the function of tomato SlSUT4 in the regulation of flowering using a combination of molecular and physiological analyses. SlSUT4 displayed transport activity for sucrose when expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and it localized at both the plasma membrane and tonoplast. SlSUT4 interacted with SlSUT1, causing partial internalization of the latter, the main phloem loader of sucrose in tomato. Silencing of SlSUT4 promoted SlSUT1 localization to the plasma membrane, contributing to increased sucrose export and thus increased sucrose level in the shoot apex, which promoted flowering. Both silencing of SlSUT4 and spraying with sucrose suppressed gibberellin biosynthesis through repression of ent-kaurene oxidase and gibberellin 20-oxidase-1 (2 genes encoding key enzymes in gibberellin biosynthesis) expression by SlMYB76, which directly bound to their promoters. Silencing of SlMYB76 promoted gibberellin biosynthesis. Our results suggest that SlSUT4 is a functional SUT in tomato; downregulation of SlSUT4 expression enhances sucrose transport to the shoot apex, which promotes flowering by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis.

Dramatically improved mechanical properties of human amniotic membrane modified by PDA/PAM hydrogel due to the strong interface bonding.

Noni (Morinda citrifolia) is a tropical plant native to South-East Asia, the fruit of which is usually fermented to extract the juice as a drink, and for medicinal purposes. Despite its widespread consumption and good natural medicinal properties, little is known about its postharvest handling and compositional changes during processing. Here, changes in the physiochemical characteristics (pH value, titratable acidity (TA) and total suspended solid (TSS)), bioactive compounds (total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, lignins), flavor volatiles, and antioxidant capacity were monitored in the broth of naturally fermented of noni fruit using conventional analytical methods. The pH value of the fermented noni fruit showed an overall declining trend (from 4.35 to 4.04) while TA increased slowly (from 2.91 g/kg) in the first 24 weeks, reaching 9.25 g/kg at week 36. Fermentation had little impact on TSS, and values remained largely unchanged (1.34 mg/mL). The total phenolic compounds revealed and overall decreasing trend (from 1.52 mg/L to 0.87 mg/mL) reaching a maximum value (1.79 mg/mL) during the first week. Within this group, the total flavonoids decreased rapidly in the first week of fermentation (from 0.531 mg/mL to 0.295 mg/mL) while lignins decreased slowly in the first few weeks before increasing to 0.314 mg/mL by week 4. Both species increased from week 36 to reach 0.732 mg/mL and 0.366 mg/mL at the end of fermentation. The DPPH scavenging capacity of the extract reached its highest value (100%) at week 4. A total of 112 volatile compounds were identified in the noni juice at week 1, and their compositions changed during fermentation over 1-24 weeks. Methyl caproate and caprylic acid were the dominant compounds, with the latter contributing to the distinctive odor of the fermenting juice. During the first week, a high concentration of total esters and increasing TA was the dominant characteristics; total flavonoids reached highest level in week 2; alcohols were the major class of compound in week 4, reaching maximum levels at 8. The changes in physicochemical characteristics, active and odor compounds at different stages of the fermentation may provide a foundation to understand and control key relationships during the commercial production of noni fruit.

Background and Objective: β-elemene is a plant-derived drug with broad-spectrum anticancer activity. Studies have found that β-elemene can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, induce tumor cell apoptosis, and resist tumor cell migration and invasion. Esophageal cancer is a common digestive tract malignant tumor. Progress has been made in the treatment of esophageal cancer, including the use of β-elemene, but the mechanism of anti-migration is unclear. PI3K/Akt/NF-κB/MMP9 signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, migration, extracellular matrix(ECM), and basement membrane(BM) degradation. This study aims to investigate the effect of β-elemene on the migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) and its related mechanisms by bioinformatics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking methods. Methods: In this study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ESCC were screened through GeneCards and BATMAN-TCM databases combined with the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE17351). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to identify the functions and related pathways of the genes. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of these DEGs was constructed with the STRING database. Five hub genes were screened by CytoHubba plug-in Cytoscape according to the principle of degree value and the expressions of which were validated by the UALCAN database from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The hub gene with the strongest binding energy was identified by molecular docking. A wound healing assay was subjected to assess the migration ability. RT-PCR was used to detect the content of migration-related mRNA. Western blotting was performed to examine the expression rates of Akt, NF-κB, and MMP9 in ESCC tissues by β-elemene and SC79. Results: 71 target genes were obtained which were mainly involved in biological processes such as epidermal development and extracellular matrix decomposition. In addition, critical pathways, including PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and focal adhesion, were verified to be subject to β-elemene regulation. It exhibited marked binding affinity between β-elemene and MMP9 with an excellent docking score of -6.56 kcal/mol. The expression levels of Akt, NF-κB, and MMP9 in ESCC tissues were significantly upregulated compared to normal tissues. Western blot detection demonstrated that β-elemene specifically reduced the phosphorylation level of Akt, and its downstream target molecule NF-κB, thus resulting in reduced levels of their target proteins, including MMP9 in ESCC. A wound healing assay showed β-elemene inhibited the migration of ESCC cells. RT-PCR results found that the mRNA expression of Akt, NF-κB, and MMP9 in the β-elemene group was significantly lower than that in the control group. However, the application of SC79 partially reversed the effect of β-elemene. Conclusion: In summary, our study suggests that the anti-tumor migration effect of β-elemene on ESCC is associated with the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB/MMP9 signalling pathway, and it provides a theoretical reference for further rational clinical application. other: No

During the development of urban underground space in Chengdu, China, it was found that glauberite rocks in the Guankou formation of the Cretaceous system had extensive dissolution and exerted a serious impact on the safety of the project. At present, research on the transport and mechanical properties of glauberite under hydrostatic conditions in this area is limited. In this paper, the effects of hydrostatic dissolution and seepage on the transport and mechanical properties of glauberite are studied. The results show that the concentration of aqueous solution increases step by step with the increase in the dissolution time of glauberite in still water, indicating that the forward movement of the dissolution front of glauberite rock is not a continuous process and has intermittent characteristics. The dissolution and infiltration of mirabilite seriously deteriorates the physical structure of mirabilite, resulting in a decrease in elastic modulus and an increase in axial deformation, and a decrease in mechanical properties. There are a dissolution layer, dissolution front and undissolved area in the karst infiltration of calcium and mirabilite in the hydrostatic solution, so the mechanism of the calcium and mirabilite karst dissolution process is determined. Because of the dissolution characteristics of mirabilite, underground space development should prevent the uneven settlement of mirabilite, ground collapse, pit and chamber water gushing, corrosive groundwater and other geological problems.

Aiming at the trajectory tracking problem with unknown uncertainties, a novel controller composed of proportional-integral-differential sliding mode surface (PIDSM) and variable gain hyperbolic reaching law is proposed. A PID-type sliding mode surface with an inverse hyperbolic integral terminal sliding mode term is proposed, which has the advantages of global convergence of integral sliding mode (ISM) and finite time convergence of terminal sliding mode (TSM), and the control effect is significantly improved. Then, a variable gain hyperbolic approach law is proposed to solve the sliding mode approaching velocity problem. The variable gain term can guarantee different approaching velocities at different distances from the sliding mode surface, and the chattering problem is eliminated by using a hyperbolic function instead of the switching function. The redesign of the sliding mode surface and the reaching law ensures the robustness and tracking accuracy of the uncertain system. Adaptive estimation can compensate for uncertain disturbance terms in nonlinear systems, and the combination with sliding mode control further improves the tracking accuracy and robustness of the system. Finally, the Lyapunov stability principle is used for stability analysis, and the simulation study verifies that the proposed control scheme has the advantages of fast response, strong robustness, and high tracking accuracy.

Background Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is the most common primary peritoneal neoplasm. The only universally recognised pathological prognostic factor is histopathological subtype. Prognostic markers based on patient features and clinical stages have been disappointing. Aims To assess the prognostic role of several clinicopathological features in a retrospective cohort of 60 patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. Methods Sixty patients were centrally collected and were immunohistochemically analysed for the expression of osteopontin (OPN), GLUT1 and Ki‐67. Labelling was assessed by two pathologists. Complete clinical information and follow‐up were obtained from patients' records. Results OPN expression was identified in 52 (86.6%) of 60 specimens, and GLUT1 in 39 (65%) of 60 specimens. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that a lower peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI), tumour‐directed treatment (chemotherapy or surgery alone or in any combination), lower Ki‐67, GLUT1 and lower OPN expression had a statistically significant positive effect on overall survival (OS). PCI (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.032 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.000–1.067); P = 0.054) and tumour‐directed treatment (HR = 0.211 (95% CI: 0.104–0.430); P

Daguangbao (DGB) Landslide (12 × 108 m3) is the largest landslide triggered by the 2008 Ms8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake, in which basal shear failure develops on an interlayer fault at 400 m deep under the ground. After the landslide, a 1.8 km long (in the sliding direction) oblique shear face is exposed. Different kinds of materials in the interlayer fault of DGB landslide are taken for direct shear test, medium scale shear test, in-situ shear test and ring shear test. The test results show that fault material cohesion ranges from 20 to 320 kPa and internal friction angle from 15° to 41°. Shearing strength of interlayer fault materials is related to fragmentation degree of structure. The lower fragmentation degree the more obvious strain softening characteristics of materials, the higher fragmentation degree the poorer shearing resistance of materials. Compared with argillaceous materials in the same fault, the mylonitic materials are of higher shear strength and internal friction angle. Both mylonitic materials and breccia materials are strong in liquefying. In saturated undrained cases, shear strength of fault materials could drop to 9.7°, with S3 down to 0. In saturated undrained dynamic shear conditions, fault internal friction angle could be reduced to 23.1° and 4.2°. It is concluded that low friction feature of fault materials caused by the influence of groundwater is the main reason for destabilization of DGB landslide.

As the proportion of wind power in the world’s electricity generation increases, improving wind power prediction accuracy is vital for making full use of wind energy and ensuring the safe and stable operation of the power grid. Given the uncertainty and volatility of wind power and the weak generalization ability of the current wind power prediction models, we propose a wind power prediction model that combines Adaboost algorithm with extreme learning machine optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO-ELM). First, particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the initial thresholds and input weights of the ELM to obtain the PSO-ELM basic prediction model. Then, combined with the Adaboost algorithm, a series of PSO-ELM weak predictors with input weights and thresholds optimized by PSO and containing different hidden layer nodes are composed. Finally, each weak predictor is weighted and fused into a strong prediction model of wind power, and the final prediction results are output. In this paper, the Adaboost-PSO-ELM model is verified by a wind turbine’s measured data in Turkey. The prediction indicators are compared with the current wind power prediction methods including optimized neural networks and ensemble learning models. The results show that the Adaboost-PSO-ELM wind power prediction model has higher accuracy and better generalization ability.

Silicon (Si) can increase plant stress tolerance. Mercury (Hg) is one of the major elements of heavy metal pollution. However, little attention has been paid to the possible effect of Si on Hg toxi...

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is an incurable cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure and characterised by poor prognosis. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the prognostic and predictive value of CD146 and survivin expression in MPeM. Diagnostic biopsies from 60 patients with MPeM were collected and analysed for CD146, survivin and Ki-67 expression using immunohistochemistry. Complete clinical and follow-up information was obtained from patients' records. CD146 was expressed in 31/60 MPeM specimens and survivin in 34/60 specimens, with both expression levels being significantly associated with the Ki-67 labelling index (Ki-67LI). Kaplan-Meier and univariate Cox regression analyses revealed that a lower peritoneal cancer index (PCI), tumour-directed treatment, stage I, lower Ki-67LI and lower CD146 and survivin expression had a statistically positive effect on overall survival (OS). Cox regression analysis revealed that PCI [hazard ratio (HR)=1.99; 95% CI, 1.04–3.83; P=0.038], survivin (HR=1.47; 95% CI, 1.03–2.10; P=0.034) and treatment protocol including intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HR=0.28; 95% CI, 0.14–0.57; P=0.013) and systemic chemotherapy (HR=0.13; 95% CI, 0.04–0.42; P=0.013) retained independent prognostic significance for OS. All of these were included in the nomogram. Calibration curves showed good agreement between nomogram-predicted and observed survival. The C-index of the nomogram for predicting OS was 0.77. A lower PCI, intraperitoneal chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy and a lower level of survivin were powerful prognostic markers in patients with MPeM. The proposed nomogram provides individual survival prediction for patients with MPeM.

Porous geopolymers can be potentially applied in building thermal insulation. In this work, we investigated the durability of porous perlite geopolymer by long-term aging experiments under high temperature (50 ℃) and relative humidity (98%). Samples were characterized by digital photo analyses, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum (FT-IR), Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SS NMR), compressive strength measurements and thermal conductivity analyses. Results show that Na+ has great influence on the stability of porous perlite geopolymer. The hydrated Na+ in the pore reacts with CO2 to form Na2CO3·H2O, and part of Na+ enters and breaks geopolymer gel network, resulting in the deterioration of physical properties. When soaked in HCl or CaCl2 solution, the geopolymerization is improved; at the same time, Na+ in the pore reacts with Cl– to form NaCl, and Ca2+ reacts with Cl– and OH– to form CaClOH, which jointly prevents Na+ from entering and breaking gel network and results in the improvement of durability of porous perlite geopolymer. Aging process promotes further polymerization in porous perlite geopolymer, which might also contribute to physical property variations of porous perlite geopolymer. This paper not only clarifies the mechanism of performance variation of porous perlite geopolymer in hot and humid environment, but also offers guidelines for the design and durability research of other porous geopolymers.

Background Esophageal cancer is a digestive tract malignancy, ranking sixth among the world's deadliest tumor incidence. However, the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer is complex and the prognosis remains poor. Therefore, in-depth study of the pathogenesis and developing effective treatments are of great value for esophageal cancer. β-elemene is a natural monomeric compound derived from the Chinese herbal Curcuma wenyujin. β-elemene has been reported to have anti-tumor effects and used as an adjunct to clinical therapy for multiple cancers. This study aims to explore the effects of β-elemene on esophageal cancer and its related molecular mechanisms. Methods TE-1 and KYSE-150 cells were used to evaluate the activity of β-elemene on esophageal cancerin vitro and in vivo. Western blot was performed for protein expression assessment. CCK8 assay and cell cycle analysis were used for proliferation testing. Flow cytometry was performed for apoptosis detection. Wound healing assay was subjected to assess the migration ability. Transwell chamber assay was applied to assess the invasion ability. HE staining, TUNEL staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate the changes in tumor tissues. Results We found that β-elemene treatment suppressed proliferation, as well as induced apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells. In addition, β-elemene inhibited the migration and invasion ability of esophageal cancer cells. Furthermore, β-elemene exerted its effects against esophageal cancer by specifically regulating AKT signaling, thereby controlling the expression of PD-L1. Conclusion β-elemene inhibits proliferation and metastasis of esophageal cancer cells by regulating the phosphorylation of AKT.

Aquaporin isoforms have distinct functions, and show differential responses to stress conditions among different plant species. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the functions of individual aquaporin isoforms under environmental stresses remain largely unknown. As a step toward understanding their functions under stress conditions, the expression response of plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) to salt stress was investigated. Tomato seedlings were subjected to 150 mM NaCl for 1 h and 24 h, and water uptake and SlPIP expressions were investigated. The results showed that the root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) was decreased under salt stress. Salt stress for 1 h had no effect or increased the expressions of most of the highly expressed SlPIPs in roots and leaves. Salt stress inhibited cell-to-cell water transport. Protein phosphatase and endocytosis inhibitors partially inhibited the Lpr decrease under salt stress. After a 24-h salt stress, the expressions of most SlPIPs were decreased in both roots and leaves, and a recovery treatment in control nutrient solution demonstrated a partial or full expression restoration of most previously downregulated SlPIPs. The expressions of SlPIP isoforms highly varied in both roots and leaves, and across different stress durations. SlPIP1;1, SlPIP1;3, SlPIP1;7, SlPIP2;10 and SlPIP2;12 demonstrated consistent expression responses to salt stress and recovery treatment in both roots and leaves, implying their important roles in regulating water transport. Our results suggest that SlPIPs are involved in mediating water transport in tomato, and their regulations are associated with stress duration and tissue type. At early stage of salt stress, the inhibition of Lpr in tomato might be due to the decrease of SlPIP activity; while at later stress period, the Lpr reduction might be mainly attributed to the decrease of SlPIP expression.

Salinity decreases the yield and quality of crops. Silicon (Si) has been widely reported to have beneficial effects on plant growth and development under salt stress. However, the mechanism is still poorly understood. In an attempt to identify genes or gene networks that may be orchestrated to improve salt tolerance of cucumber plants, we sequenced the transcriptomes of both control and salt-stressed cucumber leaves in the presence or absence of added Si. Seedlings of cucumber ‘JinYou 1’ were subjected to salt stress (75 mM NaCl) without or with addition of 0.3 mM Si. Plant growth, photosynthetic gas exchange and transcriptomic dynamics were investigated. The results showed that Si addition improved the growth and photosynthetic performance of cucumber seedlings under salt stress. The comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that Si played an important role in shaping the transcriptome of cucumber: the expressions of 1469 genes were altered in response to Si treatment in the control conditions, and these genes were mainly involved in ion transport, hormone and signal transduction, biosynthetic and metabolic processes, and stress and defense responses. Under salt stress alone, 1482 genes with putative functions associated with metabolic processes and responses to environmental stimuli have changed their expression levels. Si treatment shifted the transcriptome of salt-stressed cucumber back to that of the control, as evidenced that among the 708 and 774 genes that were up- or down-regulated under salt stress, a large majority of them (609 and 595, respectively) were reverted to the normal expression levels. These results suggest that Si may act as an elicitor to precondition cucumber plants and induce salt tolerance. The study may help us understand the mechanism for silicon-mediated salt tolerance and provide a theoretical basis for silicon application in crop production in saline soils.

It is essential to remove 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP) from solution. In this paper, wheat straw (WS) was modified by a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), to improve adsorption capacity for the removal of DCP from aqueous solutions in batch mode. Several experimental factors like initial pH, common salts concentration, contact time, solution temperature were evaluated. Solution pH within 4-9 was in favor of adsorption and common salts had slight effect on adsorption quantity. The adsorption capacity was up to 45.5 mg g–1 and the process was exothermic. Henry equation was better to fit the adsorption equilibrium data. DCP-loaded MWS can be regenerated by 0.1 mol L–1 NaOH. It was concluded that MWS may be good adsorbent to remove DCP from solution.

The course of Compiling Principles has always been difficult for students to understand, for the related algorithms are quite complex, and not all students possess the ability to comprehend those algorithms easily. In order to facilitate the learning of compiling techniques, we have designed a special compiler which displays the whole process of compiling for observing, and it's suitable to assist teaching work. Based on the subset of C grammar, this compiler can show the executing process of compiling algorithms with abundant graphs and messages. As an assistant tool for teaching, not only does it contribute to the quick, efficient understanding of compiling principles, but it also add some fun to the course.