Galactinol synthase 4 influences plant height by affecting phenylpropanoid metabolism and the balance of soluble carbohydrates in tomato.

Plant height is a key trait that significantly influences plant architecture, disease resistance, adaptability to mechanical cultivation, and overall economic yield. Galactinol synthase (GolS) is a crucial enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs). It plays a significant role in carbohydrate transport and storage, combating abiotic and biotic stresses, and regulating plant growth and development.

HPTLC-Bioautography-MS-Guided Strategy for the Detection of Phthalides With Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities From Ligusticum chuanxiong Essential Oil.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance and free radical-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation involved in many pathological processes have become treatment challenges. One strategy is to search for antimicrobial and antioxidant ingredients from natural aromatic plants. This study established a rapid and high-throughput effect-component analysis method to screen active ingredients from Ligusticum chuanxiong essential oil (CXEO).

Foliar Spraying of Nanoselenium Improves the Nutritional Quality of Alfalfa by Recruiting Beneficial Phyllosphere Bacteria and Regulating the Distribution and Translocation of Selenium.

Nanoselenium shows potential trends in improving plant health and food quality. In this study, different concentrations of nanoselenium were sprayed on the leaves of alfalfa. Compared to the control, nanoselenium (100 mg·L) significantly increased SeMet and SeMeCys contents in the roots, stems, and leaves of alfalfa.

Phycocyanin Additives Regulate Bacterial Community Structure and Antioxidant Activity of Alfalfa Silage.

Phycocyanin is a water-soluble pigment protein extracted from prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria and has strong antioxidant activity. As a silage additive, it is expected to enhance the antioxidant activity and fermentation quality of alfalfa silage. This study revealed the effects of different proportions of phycocyanin (1%, 3%, 5%) on the quality, bacterial community and antioxidant capacity of alfalfa silage.

Effect of Spirulina on the Rumen Microbiota and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Lambs.

Spirulina () is rich in a variety of fermentable fibers and prebiotics, which can promote the proliferation of beneficial flora in the intestinal tract of ruminants and optimize the balance of microorganisms in the rumen. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether dietary supplementation with Spirulina has a beneficial effect on the rumen microbial community and serum indices in lambs. For this purpose, 36 lambs with a mean weight of 21.

Metabolomics combined with physiology and transcriptomics reveal the regulation of key nitrogen metabolic pathways in alfalfa by foliar spraying with nano-selenium.

Selenium promotes plant growth and improves nutritional quality, and the role of nano-selenium in alfalfa in regulating nutritional quality is unknown. In this study, using the N labeling method, it was found that nano-selenium could promote plant nitrogen metabolism and photosynthesis by increasing the light energy capture capacity and the activities of key enzymes of the nitrogen metabolism process, leading to an increase in alfalfa nitrogen accumulation and dry matter content. The transcriptome and metabolome revealed that nano-selenium mainly affected the pathways of 'biosynthesis of amino acids', 'starch and sucrose metabolism', 'pentose and glucuronate interconversions', 'pentose phosphate pathway', and 'flavonoid biosynthesis'.

Unlocking ABA's role in rice cold tolerance: insights from Zhonghua 11 and Kasalath.

Unraveling key ABA pathways, including OsWRKY71-OsABA8ox1 and OsbZIP73-OsNCED5, provides valuable insights for improving cold tolerance in rice breeding for cold-prone regions. Cold stress limits rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in cooler climates.

Evidence for saddle point-driven charge density wave on the surface of heavily hole-doped iron arsenide superconductors.

Unconventional superconductivity is known for its intertwining with other correlated states, making exploration of the intertwined orders important for understanding its pairing mechanism. In particular, spin and nematic orders are widely observed in iron-based superconductors; however, the presence of charge order is uncommon. Using scanning tunnelling microscopy, and through expanding the phase diagram of iron-arsenide superconductor BaKFeAs to the hole-doping regime beyond KFeAs by surface doping, we demonstrate the formation of a charge density wave (CDW) on the arsenide surface of heavily hole-doped BaKFeAs.

Excitation-mode-selective emission through multiexcitonic states in a double perovskite single crystal.

Low-dimensional lead-free metal halide perovskites are highly attractive for cutting-edge optoelectronic applications. Herein, we report a class of scandium-based double perovskite crystals comprising antimony dopants that can generate multiexcitonic emissions in the ultraviolet, blue, and yellow spectral regions. Owing to the zero-dimensional nature of the crystal lattice that minimizes energy crosstalk, different excitonic states in the crystals can be selectively excited by ultraviolet light, X-ray irradiation, and mechanical action, enabling dynamic control of steady/transient-state spectral features by modulating the excitation modes.

Hydrothermal biochar enhances the photosynthetic efficiency and yield of alfalfa by optimizing soil chemical properties and stimulating the activity of microbial communities.

Hydrothermal biochar has demonstrated potential in enhancing crop growth by improving soil properties and microbial activity; however, its effectiveness varies with application rate, with excessive amounts potentially inhibiting plant growth. This study employed a pot experiment approach to compare varying application rates of hydrothermal biochar (ranging from 0 to 50 t/ha) and to analyze its effects on alfalfa biomass, photosynthetic efficiency, soil nutrient content, and microbial community composition. Biochar application increased alfalfa dry weight by 12.

Chinese expert consensus on sequential surgery following conversion therapy based on combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic targeted drugs for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (2024 edition).

Up to half of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, for which effective treatment options are lacking, resulting in a poor prognosis. Over the past few years, the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic targeted therapy has proven highly efficacious in treating advanced HCC, significantly extending patients' survival and providing a potential for sequential curative surgery. After sequential curative hepatectomy or liver transplantation following conversion therapy, patients can receive long-term survival benefits.

Status of macromolecular crystallography beamlines at SSRF.

Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) is a third-generation 3.5 GeV synchrotron facility located on the Chinese mainland, operational for user applications since 2009. With the completion of its Phase II project this year, SSRF now supports over 40 experimental stations across various research fields.

miRNA‑22‑3p inhibits cell viability and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting FOXP1.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor with a high incidence rate in certain regions. MicroRNA (miRNA/miR)-22-3p is implicated in the regulation of tumorigenesis and progression. However, the biological role of miRNA-22-3p in the progression of NPC remains unclear.

SlTCP29 and SlTCP24 participate in the morphological development of tomato compound leaves by integrating multiple pathways.

Leaves are the primary vegetative organs of plants, and their morphology is an important trait affecting plant architecture, light energy utilization, environmental adaptation, and fruit quality and yield. Leaf development is highly flexible; however, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of factors coordinating leaf morphogenesis and differentiation remains limited. In this study, we obtained a double mutant for SlTCP29 and SlTCP24 genes from the CRISPR/Cas9 mutant population, both belonging to the CINCINNATA-like TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED, CYCLOIDEA and PCF1/2) transcription factor subfamily.

PD-L1 antibody conjugated dihydrotanshinone I-loaded polymeric nanoparticle for targeted cancer immunotherapy combining PD-L1 blockade with immunogenic cell death.

Purpose: Combination immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) with chemotherapeutic agents has proven to be highly promising in cancer therapy. However, low response rate, immune-related adverse events, and lack of effectively targeted co-delivery strategy are still major hurdles to overcome for this combination therapeutic regimen. Herein, programmed death-L1 (PD-L1) antibody modified and dihydrotanshinone I (DHT) loaded nanoparticle was prepared for tumor targeting drug delivery, thus achieving immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and immunogenic cell death (ICD) synergistic anti-tumor effects.

Volatile metabolomics and metagenomics reveal the effects of lactic acid bacteria on alfalfa silage quality, microbial communities, and volatile organic compounds.

Lactic acid bacteria metabolism affects the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in alfalfa silage, which results in differences of odor and quality. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of commercial Lactobacillus plantarum (CL), screened Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), and screened Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP) on quality, microbial community, and VOCs of alfalfa silage based on volatile metabolomics and metagenomics. The results showed that the LP and PP groups had higher sensory and quality grades, and the dominant bacteria were Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus.

Effect of pectin with different esterification degree on the freeze-thaw stability of gluten protein: Structures, functional properties, and Cryoprotective mechanism.

The effect of degree of esterification (DE) on the cryoprotective function of pectin against the frozen deterioration of gluten protein is still unclear. Here, NMR, HPSEC-MALLS, HPGPC and optical microscrope were applied to determine the structure and ice recrystallization inhibition (IRI) activity of pectin with varying DE. The effect on structure, physicochemical properties and molecular interaction of gluten supplemented with pectin were investigated.

Synthesis and redox catalysis of Carbodiphosphorane ligated stannylene.

Heavier group 14 carbene analogues, exhibiting transition-metal-like behavior, display remarkable capability for small molecule activation and coordination chemistry. However, their application in redox catalysis remains elusive. In this paper, we report the synthesis and isolation of a stannylene with carbodiphosphorane ligand.

Study on the Differences in Fecal Metabolites and Microbial Diversity of Jiangshan Black-Bone Chickens with Different Earlobe Colors.

The differences in earlobe color of Jiangshan black-bone chickens have been reported to be caused by the combined effects of melanin and collagen. In this study, we conducted LC-MS untargeted metabolomics and 16S rDNA diversity sequencing on the cecal contents of two types of earlobes: peacock green (Blue and Green group) and dark reddish-purple (Black group). The metabolomic sequencing identified a total of 747 differential metabolites (DMs), in which the metabolites were primarily enriched in tyrosine and tryptophan metabolism pathways between peacock green and dark reddish-purple earlobes.

Effects of Different Additives and Ratios on Broom Sorghum Straw Silage Characteristics and Bacterial Communities.

As a large agricultural country, China produces a large number of agricultural and sideline products while harvesting agricultural products every year. Crop straw is one of them. Broom sorghum is a traditional crop in China, which produces a large amount of straw resources every year.

Opportunities and challenges of ultrasonic diagnostic techniques for plant-based food monitoring: principle, machine system, and application strategies.

Plant-based food consumption has increased substantially owing to its positive effects on human and global health. However, ensuring the quality and safety of plant-based foods remains a challenge. Diagnostic ultrasonic technology is widely used for rapid and nondestructive determination owing to its ability to penetrate optically opaque materials, strong directivity, rapid detection capabilities, low equipment costs, and ease of operation.

Influences of climatic variation and human activities on vegetation photosynthesis dynamics in Southwest China.

Photosynthesis is a direct route for carbon sequestration in vegetation, and is influenced by climatic variation (CV) and human activities (HA). Therefore, a quantitative assessment of their influence on vegetation photosynthesis dynamics is pivotal for formulating effective carbon neutrality strategies. Herein, based on the solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence index (SIF), which reflects the vegetation photosynthesis intensity, and TerraClimate meteorological data, we refined the residual trend approach by incorporating more climatic variables and their time effects on vegetation to assess the influences of CV and HA on SIF dynamics in Southwest China.