Intermittent Supplementation with Far-Red Light Accelerates Leaf and Bud Development and Increases Yield in Lettuce.

Supplementation with far-red light in controlled environment agriculture production can enhance yield by triggering the shade avoidance syndrome. However, the effectiveness of this yield enhancement can be further improved through intermittent far-red light supplementation. In this study, the effects are explored of varying far-red light photon intensities and intermittent exposure durations-specifically at 5, 15, 30, and 45 min intervals-on the growth and development of lettuce () in plant factories, while maintaining a constant red light photon flux and daily light integral.

The Roles of MicroRNAs in the Regulation of Rice-Pathogen Interactions.

Rice is exposed to attacks by the three most destructive pathogens, (), pv. (), and (), which cause substantial yield losses and severely threaten food security. To cope with pathogenic infections, rice has evolved diverse molecular mechanisms to respond to a wide range of pathogens.

Seasonal Variation in Chemical Composition and Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil from Leaves.

has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine systems worldwide. The essential oil (EO) content and composition are influenced by various external and internal factors, such as climate and harvest season, making it vital to determine the optimal harvest period for high-quality EO production. This study is the first to evaluate the chemical profiles, as well as the antioxidant and antibacterial activities, of leaf oil across the four seasons.

Transcriptomic Insights into Higher Anthocyanin Accumulation in 'Summer Black' Table Grapes in Winter Crop Under Double-Cropping Viticulture System.

Anthocyanins are responsible for grape ( L.) skin color. To obtain a more detailed understanding of the anthocyanin regulatory networks across' the summer and winter seasons in grapes under a double-cropping viticulture system, the transcriptomes of 'Summer Black' grapes were analyzed using RNA sequencing.

Imaging Plant Lipids with Fluorescent Reporters.

In plants, lipids function as structural elements and signaling molecules. Understanding lipid composition and dynamics is essential for unraveling their biological functions and metabolism. Mapping the spatiotemporal distribution of lipids in plants holds great potential for elucidating lipid biosynthetic pathways and gaining insights to guide crop genetic engineering.

Recent Advances of Electrode Materials Applied in an Electrochromic Supercapacitor Device.

An electrochromic supercapacitor device (ESD) is an advanced energy storage device that combines the energy storage capability of a supercapacitor with the optical modulation properties of electrochromic materials. The electrode materials used to construct an ESD need to have both rich color variations and energy storage properties. Recent advances in ESDs have focused on the preparation of novel electrochromic supercapacitor electrode materials and improving their energy storage capacity, cycling stability, and electrochromic performance.

Scalable Fabrication of Light-Responsive Superhydrophobic Composite Phase Change Materials via Bionic-Engineered Wood for Solar-Thermal Energy Management.

The growing demand for sustainable energy storage solutions has underscored the importance of phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy management. However, traditional PCMs are always inherently constrained by issues such as leakage, poor thermal conductivity, and lack of solar energy conversion capacity. Herein, a multifunctional composite phase change material (CPCM) is developed using a balsa-derived morphology genetic scaffold, engineered via bionic catechol surface chemistry.

An Experimental and Quantum Chemical Calculation Study on the Performance of Different Types of Ester Collectors.

Ester collectors have rapidly developed into the main flotation collectors for copper sulfide minerals since they were developed. In this study, the collecting performance of four collectors, O-isopropyl-N-ethyl thionocarbamate ester (IPETC), 3-pentyl xanthate acrylate ester (PXA), O-isobutyl-N-allyl-thionocarbamate (IBALTC), and O-isobutyl-N-isobutoxycarbonyl-thionocarbamate (IBIBCTC), was investigated through microflotation tests, microcalorimetric measurements, and quantum chemical calculations. The results of the microflotation tests show that IBALTC and IPETC have stronger collecting abilities than IBIBCTC and PXA; the order of collecting ability is IBALTC > IPETC > IBIBCTC > PXA.

New Triterpenoids from the Leaves of and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Six new triterpenoids, heritieras C-H (-), along with thirteen known triterpenoids (-), were isolated from the leaves of . Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and by comparison with the literature. Anti-inflammatory activity of the isolates was evaluated using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.

Enhanced Light Response Performance of Ceria-Based Composites with Rich Oxygen Vacancy.

Increasing the concentration of oxygen vacancies in ceria-based materials to solve the bottleneck of their applications in various fields has always been a research hotspot. In this paper, ceria-based cerium-oxygen-sulfur (Ce-O-S) composites that were composed of CeO, CeOS, and Ce(SO) were synthesized by a precipitation method. The compositional, structural, morphological, and light response characteristics of prepared Ce-O-S composites were investigated by various characterization techniques.

Engineering of Metal-Organic Framework-Derived CoTiO Micro-Prisms for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived transition metal compounds and their composites have attracted great interest for applications in energy conversion and storage. In this work, hexagonal micro-prisms of Ni-doped CoTiO composited with amorphous carbon (NiCTO/C) were synthesized using Ti-Co-based MOFs as precursors. The experimental results indicate the substitutional doping of Ni for Co in CoTiO (CTO), leading to improved conductivity, as further confirmed by density functional theory calculations.

Generation of Rational Drug-like Molecular Structures Through a Multiple-Objective Reinforcement Learning Framework.

As an appealing approach for discovering novel leads, the key advantage of de novo drug design lies in its ability to explore a much broader dimension of chemical space, without being confined to the knowledge of existing compounds. So far, many generative models have been described in the literature, which have completely redefined the concept of de novo drug design. However, many of them lack practical value for real-world drug discovery.

Electrochemical α-C(sp)-H/N-H Cross-Coupling of Isochromans and Azoles.

Isochroman and azole moieties are both present in a wide variety of biologically active molecules. Their efficient combination under mild reaction conditions is beneficial for obtaining small-molecule drug candidates. In this paper, we describe electrochemical α-C(sp)-H/N-H cross-coupling reactions between isochromans and azoles, yielding products in moderate to excellent yields.

Viperin and Its Effect on SVCV Replication in Common Carp, .

is an interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) that plays an important role in the congenital antiviral immunity of vertebrates. In this study, the common carp () gene is characterized, and we determine whether it has the ability to inhibit spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) replication in EPC cells. The results showed that the full-length cDNA of the gene was 1044 bp and it encoded 348 amino acids.

Defecation Site Preferences and Spatial Ecological Segregation of Forest Musk Deer and Siberian Roe Deer in North China.

The forest musk deer () and Siberian roe deer () are browsers with a broad sympatric distribution in North and Southwest China. However, little is known about their spatial utilization of microhabitats and habitats. This study, conducted on Huanglong Mountain in China, analyzed the defecation site distribution, indicating preferences of forest musk deer and Siberian roe deer for their habitat demands.

RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq Reveal CYP26A1-Mediated Regulation of Retinoic Acid-Induced Meiosis in Chicken Primordial Germ Cells.

Retinoic acid (RA) plays a critical role in initiating meiosis in primordial germ cells (PGC), yet the specific mechanisms of its interaction with PGC remain unclear. In this study, we used an in vitro feeder-free culture system with chicken PGC as a model to explore the mechanisms by which RA induces the entry of PGC into meiosis. Results demonstrated that exogenous RA treatment altered the cell cycle distribution of PGC, significantly increasing the proportion of cells in the G1 phase and decreasing those in the G2 phase, suggesting that RA may promote the transition of PGC from proliferation to differentiation.

Preferences for and drivers of adult vaccination clinic site selection: A cross-sectional study in 30 provinces in China.

Focusing on vaccines available to adults and not in the immunization schedule, this study investigates the preferences and factors influencing adults in selecting vaccination clinic locations. It aims to provide strategic insights for boosting vaccination rates by analyzing adults' decision-making factors. This contributes to developing more efficient, patient-focused vaccination strategies that tackle vaccine hesitancy and improve access to vaccination sites.

First Report of Causing Fruit Rot on Hawthorn () in China.

Hawthorn () is an important economic fruit and Chinese medicinal plant, which is widely distributed in the northern China. In early July 2024, a fruit rot disease was observed on the young fruits of hawthorn in a park of Shouguang, Shandong Province, China (36°53'42.16″N, 118°47'22.

Biomechanical insights into anterolateral vertebral screw fixation in osteoporotic spines: a comparative study of fixation methods and positions using porcine vertebrae.

Objective: Combining oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) with posterior pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) has been proposed to reduce cage subsidence, especially in osteoporotic spines. Recently, anterolateral screw-rod fixation has gained interest as it allows direct pathology observation and avoids a posterior approach. However, controversies exist between anterolateral screw fixation systems and traditional PPSF due to variations in osteoporotic vertebral mineral density, screw fixation positions, and fixation methods (bicortical vs.

Transdifferentiation of rat keratinocyte progenitors to corneal epithelial cells by limbal niche via the STAT3/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Purpose: To develop a method for enriching keratinocyte progenitor cells (KPCs) and establish a limbal niche (LN)-mediated transdifferentiation protocol of KPCs into corneal epithelial cells.

Methods: Limbal niche cells (LNCs) were isolated from limbal tissues through enzymatic digestion and characterized. Conditioned medium from LNCs cultures was collected.

The hidden impact: social isolation and inflammation's role in pancreatic cancer risk among those with diabetes.

Background: Pancreatic cancer poses a significant challenge in individuals with diabetes, prompting a reevaluation of established risk factors beyond conventional glycemic control measures.

Objectives: To explore the complex interplay of metabolic and psychosocial determinants in pancreatic cancer risk among individuals with diabetes, challenging prevailing perspectives and advocating for a comprehensive approach.

Methods: A total of 21,945 UK Biobank participants with baseline diabetes diagnosis were analyzed.

A reactive oxygen species-responsive hydrogel loaded with Apelin-13 promotes the repair of spinal cord injury by regulating macrophage M1/M2 polarization and neuroinflammation.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a chronic condition whereby persistent aberrant macrophage activation hinders the repair process. During acute trauma, dominant M1 macrophages produce high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to increased apoptosis in neurons, glial cells, and oligodendrocytes. This study investigated the specific effects of a ROS-responsive hydrogel loaded with Apelin-13 (Apelin-13@ROS-hydrogel) on macrophage polarization and neuroinflammation, thereby exploring its role in boosting SCI repair.

Prediction of transcript isoforms and identification of tissue-specific genes in cucumber.

Background: Identification of global transcriptional events is crucial for genome annotation, as accurate annotation enhances the efficiency and comparability of genomic information across species. However, the annotation of transcripts in the cucumber genome remains to be improved, and many transcriptional events have not been well studied.

Results: We collected 1,904 high-quality public cucumber transcriptome samples from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to identify and annotate transcript isoforms in the cucumber genome.