Improved Diagnostic Performance Using Dual-Energy CT-Derived Slope Parameter Images in Crohn's Disease.

The objective of the study is to explore the image quality and diagnosis performance of the dual-energy CT-derived slope parameter images (SPI) generated by the algorithm based on the slope function in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD). Seventy-six CD patients and 53 disease-free control group subjects who underwent dual-energy CT enterography were retrospectively collected. Portal venous phase 120kVp-like and virtual monoenergetic images at 40-100 keV (VMI) were reconstructed.

Polarisation of decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops.

Decayless kink oscillations of plasma loops in the solar corona may contain an answer to the enigmatic problem of solar and stellar coronal heating. The polarisation of the oscillations gives us a unique information about their excitation mechanisms and energy supply. However, unambiguous determination of the polarisation has remained elusive.

30-min decayless kink oscillations in a very long bundle of solar coronal plasma loops.

The energy balance in the corona of the Sun is the key to the long-standing coronal heating dilemma, which could be potentially revealed by observational studies of decayless kink oscillations of coronal plasma loops. A bundle of very long off-limb coronal loops with the length of [Formula: see text] Mm and a lifetime of about 2 days are found to exhibit decayless kink oscillations. The oscillations are observed for several hours.

Iron (III)-mediated degradation of α-asarone and characterization of its major degradation products by UPLC-MS/MS and NMR.

α-Asarone, the main bioactive phytochemicals of species, is widely used in the treatment of respiratory disorders. The solution stability study of α-asarone was investigated in the presence of various metal ions. α-Asarone was found to be unstable in the presence of the metal ions Fe, Cu and Al, in which the induction of Fe was highly prone to the degradation of α-asarone.

Altered Expression of OsNLA1 Modulates Pi Accumulation in Rice ( L.) Plants.

Current agricultural practices rely on heavy use of fertilizers for increased crop productivity. However, the problems associated with heavy fertilizer use, such as high cost and environmental pollution, require the development of crop species with increased nutrient use efficiency. In this study, by using transgenic approaches, we have revealed the critical role of OsNLA1 in phosphate (Pi) accumulation of rice plants.

Lotus japonicus NF-YA1 Plays an Essential Role During Nodule Differentiation and Targets Members of the SHI/STY Gene Family.

Legume plants engage in intimate relationships with rhizobial bacteria to form nitrogen-fixing nodules, root-derived organs that accommodate the microsymbiont. Members of the Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) gene family, which have undergone significant expansion and functional diversification during plant evolution, are essential for this symbiotic liaison. Acting in a partially redundant manner, NF-Y proteins were shown, previously, to regulate bacterial infection, including selection of a superior rhizobial strain, and to mediate nodule structure formation.

Warm temperatures induce transgenerational epigenetic release of RNA silencing by inhibiting siRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis.

Owing to their sessile nature, plants have evolved sophisticated genetic and epigenetic regulatory systems to respond quickly and reversibly to daily and seasonal temperature changes. However, our knowledge of how plants sense and respond to warming ambient temperatures is rather limited. Here we show that an increase in growth temperature from 22 °C to 30 °C effectively inhibited transgene-induced posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in Arabidopsis.

Characterization of temperature-sensitive mutants reveals a role for receptor-like kinase SCRAMBLED/STRUBBELIG in coordinating cell proliferation and differentiation during Arabidopsis leaf development.

The balance between cell proliferation and cell differentiation is essential for leaf patterning. However, identification of the factors coordinating leaf patterning and cell growth behavior is challenging. Here, we characterized a temperature-sensitive Arabidopsis mutant with leaf blade and venation defects.

Alteration of the bZIP60/IRE1 pathway affects plant response to ER stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is elicited under cellular and environmental stress conditions that disrupt protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Through the transcriptional induction of genes encoding ER resident chaperones and proteins involved in folding, the pathway contributes to alleviating ER stress by increasing the folding capacity in the ER. Similarly to other eukaryotic systems, one arm of the UPR in Arabidopsis is set off by a non-conventional splicing event mediated by ribonuclease kinase IRE1b.

Genome-wide identification of microRNAs in response to low nitrate availability in maize leaves and roots.

Background: Nitrate is the major source of nitrogen available for many crop plants and is often the limiting factor for plant growth and agricultural productivity especially for maize. Many studies have been done identifying the transcriptome changes under low nitrate conditions. However, the microRNAs (miRNAs) varied under nitrate limiting conditions in maize has not been reported.

Rice RING protein OsBBI1 with E3 ligase activity confers broad-spectrum resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae by modifying the cell wall defence.

Emerging evidence suggests that E3 ligases play critical roles in diverse biological processes, including innate immune responses in plants. However, the mechanism of the E3 ligase involvement in plant innate immunity is unclear. We report that a rice gene, OsBBI1, encoding a RING finger protein with E3 ligase activity, mediates broad-spectrum disease resistance.

Functional analysis of rice NPR1-like genes reveals that OsNPR1/NH1 is the rice orthologue conferring disease resistance with enhanced herbivore susceptibility.

The key regulator of salicylic acid (SA)-mediated resistance, NPR1, is functionally conserved in diverse plant species, including rice (Oryza sativa L.). Investigation in depth is needed to provide an understanding of NPR1-mediated resistance and a practical strategy for the improvement of disease resistance in the model crop rice.