Epigenetic and epitranscriptomic role of lncRNA in carcinogenesis (Review).

Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key players in the regulation of gene expression by mediating epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modification. Dysregulation of lncRNAs is implicated in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. lncRNAs modulate chromatin structure and gene transcription by recruiting epigenetic regulators, including DNA‑ or histone‑modifying enzymes.

Beneficial microorganisms: Regulating growth and defense for plant welfare.

Beneficial microorganisms (BMs) promote plant growth and enhance stress resistance. This review summarizes how BMs induce growth promotion by improving nutrient uptake, producing growth-promoting hormones and stimulating root development. How BMs enhance disease resistance and help protect plants from abiotic stresses has also been explored.

Type IV Pili Are a Critical Virulence Factor in Clinical Isolates of Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus.

Hydrocephalus, the leading indication for childhood neurosurgery worldwide, is particularly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Hydrocephalus preceded by an infection, or postinfectious hydrocephalus, accounts for up to 60% of hydrocephalus in these areas. Since many children with hydrocephalus suffer poor long-term outcomes despite surgical intervention, prevention of hydrocephalus remains paramount.

Microbial adaptive evolution.

Bacterial species can adapt to significant changes in their environment by mutation followed by selection, a phenomenon known as "adaptive evolution." With the development of bioinformatics and genetic engineering, research on adaptive evolution has progressed rapidly, as have applications of the process. In this review, we summarize various mechanisms of bacterial adaptive evolution, the technologies used for studying it, and successful applications of the method in research and industry.

Role of Interface Design: A Comparison of Different Online Learning System Designs.

Mobile devices are becoming an indispensable part of the daily lives and learning habits of older adults with the easy access of the Internet. It enhances the connection between old users and online education, which supplies an approach to cultivate them with innovative concepts and entrepreneurship of education. However, the complicated navigation of information systems (IS) confuses older adults, and gets them disoriented in searches of information, in addition, to influencing online activities for older adults.

Effects of Design Aesthetics on the Perceived Value of a Product.

Design aesthetics play a crucial role in product design. Stakeholders expect to develop highly valuable premium products by improving the design aesthetics of products. Nevertheless, the question of how to evaluate the value of design aesthetics has not been fully addressed.

Accumulation of microplastics in typical commercial aquatic species: A case study at a productive aquaculture site in China.

The widespread occurrence of microplastics in the marine environment has drawn global attention because microplastics may impact the populations of marine organisms. As such, aquaculture industry may suffer from microplastic pollution, especially when plastic products are widely used for aquaculture. Here, we assessed the abundance and characteristics (type, size and composition) of microplastics in sediment and typical commercial species (fish, bivalves and shrimps) in an aquaculture site at Xiangshan Bay, which has been operated intensively for decades.

Chromosomal mutations in Escherichia coli that improve tolerance to nonvolatile side-products from dilute acid treatment of sugarcane bagasse.

Lignocellulosic biomass provides attractive nonfood carbohydrates for the production of ethanol, and dilute acid pretreatment is a biomass-independent process for access to these carbohydrates. However, this pretreatment also releases volatile and nonvolatile inhibitors of fermenting microorganisms. To identify unique gene products contributing to sensitivity/tolerance to nonvolatile inhibitors, ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain LY180 was adapted for growth in vacuum-treated sugarcane bagasse acid hydrolysate (VBHz) lacking furfural and other volatile inhibitors.

On Optimal Imaging Angles in Multi-Angle Ocean Sun Glitter Remote-Sensing Platforms to Observe Sea Surface Roughness.

Sea surface roughness (SSR) is a key physical parameter in studies of air-sea interactions and the ocean dynamics process. The SSR quantitative inversion model based on multi-angle sun glitter (SG) images has been proposed recently, which will significantly promote SSR observations through multi-angle remote-sensing platforms. However, due to the sensitivity of the sensor view angle (SVA) to SG, it is necessary to determine the optimal imaging angle and their combinations.

Plasmidic Expression of nemA and yafC* Increased Resistance of Ethanologenic Escherichia coli LY180 to Nonvolatile Side Products from Dilute Acid Treatment of Sugarcane Bagasse and Artificial Hydrolysate.

Hydrolysate-resistant Escherichia coli SL100 was previously isolated from ethanologenic LY180 after sequential transfers in AM1 medium containing a dilute acid hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse and was used as a source of resistance genes. Many genes that affect tolerance to furfural, the most abundant inhibitor, have been described previously. To identify genes associated with inhibitors other than furfural, plasmid clones were selected in an artificial hydrolysate that had been treated with a vacuum to remove furfural.

Biochemical characteristics of an alkaline pectate lyase PelA from Volvariella volvacea: roles of the highly conserved N-glycosylation site in its secretion and activity.

Alkaline pectate lyases have great application potential in the bioscouring of textiles. They are isolated predominantly from bacteria and a few fungi. Here, we report the biochemical characteristics of a novel alkaline pectate lyase PelA from the basidiomycete Volvariella volvacea.

Activating transhydrogenase and NAD kinase in combination for improving isobutanol production.

Isobutanol is an excellent alternative biofuel. Fermentative production of isobutanol had been realized in several microorganisms by combining branched-chain amino acids synthetic pathway and Ehrlich pathway. In contrast to using plasmid overexpression and inducible promoters, genetically stable Escherichia coli strains for isobutanol production were constructed in this work by integrating essential genes into chromosome.

Branched-chain higher alcohols.

China's energy requirements and environmental concerns have stimulated efforts toward developing alternative liquid fuels. Compared with fuel ethanol, branched-chain higher alcohols (BCHAs), including isopropanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, exhibit significant advantages, such as higher energy density, lower hygroscopicity, lower vapor pressure, and compatibility with existing transportation infrastructures. However, BCHAs have not been synthesized economically using native organisms, and thus their microbial production based on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology offers an alternative approach, which presents great potential for improving production efficiency.