CRISPR/Cas: An Emerging Toolbox for Engineering Virus Resistance in Plants.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas have been recognized as powerful genome-editing tools in diverse eukaryotic species, including plants, and thus hold great promise for engineering virus resistance in plants. Nevertheless, further attention is required regarding various issues associated with applying new powerful technologies in the field. This mini-review focuses on the recent advances in using CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas13 systems to combat DNA and RNA viruses in plants.

Cytokine modulation in pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence: from molecular insights to therapeutic targets.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and urinary incontinence (UI) are common disorders that significantly impact women's quality of life. Studies have demonstrated that cytokines, including pro- and anti-inflammatory immune mediators, play a role in illness genesis and progression. Research on the inflammatory milieu of the pelvic floor has shown that POP patients have increased inflammation in vaginal tissues.

Gas Kinetic Scheme Coupled with High-Speed Modifications for Hypersonic Transition Flow Simulations.

The issue of hypersonic boundary layer transition prediction is a critical aerodynamic concern that must be addressed during the aerodynamic design process of high-speed vehicles. In this context, we propose an advanced mesoscopic method that couples the gas kinetic scheme (GKS) with the Langtry-Menter transition model, including its three high-speed modification methods, tailored for accurate predictions of high-speed transition flows. The new method incorporates the turbulent kinetic energy term into the Maxwellian velocity distribution function, and it couples the effects of high-speed modifications on turbulent kinetic energy within the computational framework of the GKS solver.

Remarkable Contamination of Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Free-Range Chicken Eggs from Rural Tibetan Plateau.

Rapid social-economic development introduces modern lifestyles into rural areas, not only bringing numerous modern products but also new pollutants, such as chlorinated paraffins (CPs). The rural Tibetan Plateau has limited industrial activities and is a unique place to investigate this issue. Herein we collected 90 free-range chicken egg pool samples across the rural Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the pollution status of CPs.

Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts.

Oceanic submesoscale processes are ubiquitous in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), where the biological carbon pump is generally ineffective. Due to difficulties in collecting continuous observations, however, it remains uncertain whether episodic submesoscale processes can drive significant changes in particulate organic carbon (POC) export into the mesopelagic ocean. Here we present observations from high-frequency Biogeochemical-Argo floats in the NPSG, which captured the enhanced POC export fluxes during the intensifying stages of a submesoscale front and a cyclonic eddy compared to their other life stages.

Rice Seedlings and Microorganisms Mediate Biotransformation of Se in CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots to Volatile Alkyl Selenides.

Quantum dots (QDs) are widely applied and inevitably released into the environment. The biotransformation of Se in typical CdSe/ZnS QDs coated with glutathione (CdSe/ZnS-GSH) to volatile alkyl selenides and the fate of alkyl selenides in the hydroponically grown rice system were investigated herein. After a 10-day exposure to CdSe/ZnS-GSH (100 nmol L), seven alkyl selenides, dimethyl selenide (DMSe), dimethyl diselenide (DMDSe), methyl selenol (MSeH), ethylmethyl selenide (EMSe), ethylmethyl diselenide (EMDSe), dimethyl selenenyl sulfide (DMSeS), and ethylmethyl selenenyl sulfide (EMSeS), were detected in the exposure system using the suspect screening strategy.

Uptake, accumulation and toxicity of short chain chlorinated paraffins to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are ubiquitous persistent organic pollutants. They have been widely detected in plant-based foods and might cause adverse impacts on humans. Nevertheless, uptake and accumulation mechanisms of SCCPs in plants remain unclear.

Preparation of biochar derived from waste cotton woven by low-dosage Fe(NO) activation: characterization, pore development, and adsorption.

Currently, researchers are looking for efficient and sustainable methods to synthesize biochar for the adsorption of pollutants. In this study, biochar with high specific surface area, tunable pore structure, and abundant functional groups were prepared from waste cotton woven (WCW) using low-dosage Fe(NO) activation at 400-900 °C. The biochar obtained at 800 °C possessed the excellent specific surface area of 1167.

Genetic Diversity Analysis and Core Germplasm Collection Construction of Radish Cultivars Based on Structure Variation Markers.

Radish is an economically important root vegetable worldwide. In this study, the 217 cultivated radish accessions were collected and genotyped. To detect the genotypes of these accessions, a total of 24 structure variation (SV) markers distributed on nine chromosomes were employed to analyze genetic diversity and construct a core germplasm collection of radish.

RAB11A Promotes Cell Malignant Progression and Tumor Formation of Prostate Cancer via Activating FAK/AKT Signaling Pathway.

Background: RAB11A, a member of the GTPase family, acts as a regulator in diverse cancers development. The dysregulation of the FAK/AKT signaling pathway is mainly related to tumorigenesis. This study aimed to investigate the possible effect of RAB11A in prostate cancer and further explore the potential mechanisms.

Accumulation, translocation, and transformation of two CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in rice and pumpkin plants.

As a widely applied semiconductor nanomaterial, quantum dots (QDs) have drawn considerable interest. In this study, pumpkin and rice seedlings were hydroponically exposed to two core/shell CdSe/ZnS QDs coated with cysteamine (CdSe/ZnS-CA) and polyethylene glycol-carboxy (CdSe/ZnS-PEG-COOH) for 10 days to analyze their time-varying uptake, translocation, and transformation behaviors in plants. Both QDs were mainly adsorbed/absorbed by the roots in the particulate state, and more CdSe/ZnS-CA accumulated than CdSe/ZnS-PEG-COOH.

Investigate the multipath erasure of nitrobenzene over nanoscale zero-valent-iron/N-doped biochar hybrid with extraordinary reduction performance.

In this study, the facile carbothermal reduction method was enforced using urea as dopant to modify the structure and chemical composition of nanoscale zero-valent-iron/biochar hybrid thereby boosting its reduction performance. Through fine-tuning the N-doped amount, the optimal nZVI/N-doped BC was obtained, which exhibited more active sites (nZVI, persistent free radicals (PFRs), pyrrolic-N) and superior electrochemical conductivity. With these blessings, the electrons originating from galvanic cell reaction could zip along the highway within the hybrid.

An Analysis of the Effects of the English Language and Literature on Students' Language Ability from a Multidimensional Environment.

One of the most crucial components of a student's language proficiency is basic language proficiency, which is also its fundamental component. The development of students' language skills is greatly aided by ELL (English Language and Literature). It can not only foster the growth of students' language thinking but also widen their perspectives and enhance their capacity for language comprehension.

Release of soluble ions and heavy metal during fly ash washing by deionized water and sodium carbonate solution.

Two municipal solid waste incineration fly ashes were selected for washing by deionized water and NaCO solution for comparison. Results showed that the benefits of washing were two folds: (1) Washing was able to reduce the contents of Cl and SO while increased the contents of CaO, SiO, AlO etc.; (2) Washing by NaCO solution showed increased stability of heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb) and fly ash was safe for later reuse.

Biotic and Abiotic Transformation Pathways of a Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffin Congener, 1,2,5,6,9,10-CHCl, in a Rice Seedling Hydroponic Exposure System.

In this work, a typical congener of short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) with six chlorine atoms (CP-4, 1,2,5,6,9,10-CHCl, 250 ng/mL) was selected to elaborate the comprehensive environmental transformation of SCCPs in rice seedling exposure system. CP-4 was quickly absorbed, translocated, and phytovolatilized by seedlings with a small quality of CP-4 (5.81-36.

Risk Assessment of Early Lung Cancer with LDCT and Health Examinations.

Early detection of lung cancer has a higher likelihood of curative treatment and thus improves survival rate. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening has been shown to be effective for high-risk individuals in several clinical trials, but has high false positive rates. To evaluate the risk of stage I lung cancer in the general population not limited to smokers, a retrospective study of 133 subjects was conducted in a medical center in Taiwan.

Simultaneous determination of tetra-, penta- and hexachlorobutadienes in shellfish by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

Polychloro-1,3-butadienes (polyCBDs) are attracting increasing concern due to their high toxicity. However, research on multiple polyCBDs in aquatic biota is still extremely limited. In this study, a sensitive method for simultaneous determination of nine polyCBD (Cl-Cl) congeners, including six tetrachlorobutadiene (TeCBD) isomers, two pentachlorobutadiene (PeCBD) isomers, and hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), in shellfish was developed based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), solid-phase extraction (SPE) clean-up and gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS).

Co-pyrolysis of waste printed circuit boards with iron compounds for Br-fixing and material recovery.

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) were co-pyrolyzed with iron oxides and iron salts. Solid, liquid, and gaseous products were collected and characterized. Co-pyrolysis with FeCl, FeCl, or FeSO was able to increase the yield of liquid product which was rich in phenol and its homologues.

Circular RNA circ-FAM158A promotes retinoblastoma progression by regulating miR-138-5p/SLC7A5 axis.

Background: Mounting evidence has shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have vital roles in human cancers, including retinoblastoma (RB). The purpose of this study was to investigate the exact roles and underlying mechanism of circRNA ER membrane protein complex subunit 9 (circ-FAM158A) in RB.

Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was carried out to determine the expression levels of circ-FAM158A, miR-138-5p and solute carrier family 7 member 5 (SLC7A5).

SlRCM1, which encodes tomato Lutescent1, is required for chlorophyll synthesis and chloroplast development in fruits.

In plants, chloroplasts are the sites at which photosynthesis occurs, and an increased abundance of chloroplasts increases the nutritional quality of plants and the resultant color of fruits. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying chlorophyll synthesis and chloroplast development in tomato fruits remain unknown. In this study, we isolated a chlorophyll-deficient mutant, reduced chlorophyll mutant 1 (rcm1), by ethylmethanesulfonate mutagenesis; this mutant produced yellowish fruits with altered chloroplast development.