Maize ZmBES1/BZR1-1 transcription factor negatively regulates drought tolerance.

Drought stress is a common abiotic factor and restricts plant growth and development. Exploring maize stress-related genes and their regulatory mechanisms is crucial for ensuring agricultural productivity and food security. The BRI1-EMS1 suppressor (BES1)/brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1) transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress response.

The prodomain of Arabidopsis metacaspase 2 positively regulates immune signaling mediated by pattern-recognition receptors.

Metacaspases (MCs) are structural homologs of mammalian caspases found in plants, fungi, and protozoa. Type-I MCs carry an N-terminal prodomain, the function of which is unclear. Through genetic analysis of Arabidopsis mc2-1, a T-DNA insertion mutant of MC2, we demonstrated that the prodomain of metacaspase 2 (MC2) promotes immune signaling mediated by pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs).

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for giant gallbladder: A case report.

Rationale: An overdistended gallbladder is usually observed in cases of distal bile obstruction due to malignancy. The gallbladder may also become enlarged and distended during cystic duct or gallbladder neck obstruction due to gallstones. However, a grossly distended gallbladder ( > 14 cm in length) without any pathology is rare.

Comprehensive Identification of the Gene Family and Its Involvement in Kernel Development in Maize.

The Pumilio (Pum) RNA-binding protein family regulates post-transcription and plays crucial roles in stress response and growth. However, little is known about Pum in plants. In this study, a total of 19 genes were identified and classified into two groups in maize.

The Maize ZmBES1/BZR1-9 Transcription Factor Accelerates Flowering in Transgenic and Rice.

In model plants, the BRI1-EMS suppressor 1 (BES1)/brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1) transcription factors play vital roles in regulating growth, development, and stimuli response. However, the roles of maize members are largely unknown. In this research, the gene was ectopically expressed in and rice for the phenotyping of flowering.

Molecular and Functional Analysis of Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase Genes Enhancing Salt Tolerance in (Wall.) Lindl.

Trehalose is a reducing disaccharide, acting as a protectant against various environmental stresses in numerous organisms. In plants, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) plays a crucial role in trehalose biosynthesis. (Wall.

Application of Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain Over the Past 22 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Purpose: Acupuncture is widely used to relieve shoulder pain. A survey was conducted in order to recognize hotspots and frontiers of acupuncture for shoulder pain from the year 2000-2022.

Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was used to collect literature related to acupuncture therapy for shoulder pain, which spanned January 2000 to August 2022.

Maize ZmBES1/BZR1-3 and -9 Transcription Factors Negatively Regulate Drought Tolerance in Transgenic .

The BRI1-EMS suppressor 1 (BES1)/brassinazole-resistant 1(BZR1) transcription factors play crucial roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. However, little is known about the function of maize's BES1/BZR1s. In this study, the and genes were cloned from maize's inbred line, B73, and they were functionally evaluated by analyzing their expression pattern, subcellular localization, transcriptional activation activity, as well as their heterologous expression in , respectively.

Zinc Transporter ZmLAZ1-4 Modulates Zinc Homeostasis on Plasma and Vacuolar Membrane in Maize.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and functions as a cofactor for hundreds of transcription factors and enzymes in numerous biological processes. Zinc deficiency is common abiotic stress resulting in yield loss and quality deterioration of crops, but zinc excess causes toxicity for biological systems. In plants, zinc homeostasis is tightly modulated by zinc transporters and binding compounds that uptake/release, transport, localize, and store zinc, as well as their upstream regulators.

A ratiometric photoelectrochemical microsensor based on a small-molecule organic semiconductor for reliable analysis.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing has been developing quickly in recent years, while its application is still in the infancy. The complexity of biological environments poses a high challenge to the specificity and reliability of PEC sensing. We herein proposed the concept of small-molecule organic semiconductor (SMOS)-based ratiometric PEC sensing making use of the structural flexibility as well as readily tunable energy band of SMOS.

Rigidity Bridging Flexibility to Harmonize Three Excited-State Deactivation Pathways for NIR-II-Fluorescent-Imaging-Guided Phototherapy.

Small organic phototherapeutic molecules of the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window (1000-1700 nm) serve as promising candidates for theranostics. However, developing such versatile agents for fluorescence-guided photodynamic/photothermal therapy remains a demanding task stirred by competitive energy dissipation pathways, including radiative decay, internal conversion, and intersystem crossing. To the best of current knowledge, the current paradigm for addressing the issue has deliberately approached the optimum balance among three deactivation processes through offsetting from each other, possibly leading to a comprehensively compromised theranostic efficacy.

A new strategy to construct gold nanocluster-based optical probes using luminescence resonance energy transfer.

Monolayer-protected metal nanoclusters (MPCs) are emerging as intriguing luminescent materials, but the construction of MPC-based optical probes is still scarce because of both the limited photoluminescence efficiency of MPCs and the lack of recognition mechanism. We herein propose a luminescence resonance energy transfer-based strategy to circumvent these problems.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analyses of Gene Family under Osmotic Stress in .

Sucrose non-fermenting-1 (SNF1)-related protein kinase 2's (SnRK2s) are plant-specific serine/threonine protein kinases and play crucial roles in the abscisic acid signaling pathway and abiotic stress response. is a relict xerophyte shrub and extremely tolerant of abiotic stresses. Therefore, we performed genome-wide identification of the genes and analyzed their expression profiles under osmotic stresses including drought and salinity.

Flexible Designing Strategy to Construct Activatable NIR-II Fluorescent Probes with Emission Maxima beyond 1200 nm.

Activatable second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescent probes that can be lighted up by specific targets have attracted great attention because of their high specificity and resolution, which hold great promise in deep-tissue imaging. However, such probes were relatively rarely reported so far, and the emission maximum is still limited (mainly located at 900-1000 nm). To solve the problem, herein, we proposed a flexible strategy to modulate the emission wavelength of NIR-II fluorescent probes, and four proof-of-concept probes (, , , and ) based on D-π-A molecular skeleton were obtained.

Maize transcription factor ZmBES1/BZR1-5 positively regulates kernel size.

The BES1/BZR1 transcription factors regulate the expression of genes responsive to brassinosteroids and play pivotal roles in plant development, but their role in regulating kernel development in maize remains unclear. In this study, we found that ZmBES1/BZR1-5 positively regulates kernel size. Association analysis of candidate genes in 513 diverse maize inbred lines indicated that three SNPs related to ZmBES1/BZR1-5 were significantly associated with kernel width and whilst four SNPs were related to 100-kernel weight.

The diagnostic performance of automated versus handheld breast ultrasound and mammography in symptomatic outpatient women: a multicenter, cross-sectional study in China.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) for breast cancer by comparing it to handheld ultrasound (HHUS) and mammography (MG).

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2016 and March 2017 in five tertiary hospitals in China, and 1922 women aged 30-69 years old were recruited. Women aged 30-39 years (group A) underwent ABUS and HHUS, and women aged 40-69 (group B) underwent additional MG.

Developing a ratiometric two-photon probe with baseline resolved emissions by through band energy transfer strategy: Tracking mitochondrial SO during neuroinflammation.

Sulfur dioxide (SO) with the largest quantity and widest distribution in the atmosphere is closely related to many nervous system diseases via mitochondria respiration. It is of great significance to monitor this gaseous molecule during various physiological and pathological processes, but currently the task still remains challenging due to the lack of reliable tools. Through-bond energy transfer (TBET) is a relatively new strategy to fabricate ratiometric fluorescent probes, which does not need spectral overlap between the energy donor and acceptor while provides high energy-transfer efficiency.

Clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in transthoracic biopsy of malignant anterior mediastinal masses.

Background: Given low incidence and high heterogeneity, the treatment strategies of anterior mediastinal masses (AMMs) are diverse based on pathology. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in transthoracic biopsy of malignant AMMs when compared with that of ultrasound (US) alone and to screen lesions that are more suitable for CEUS evaluation and guidance.

Methods: We reviewed all the US- and CEUS-guided transthoracic core needle biopsy (CNB) of AMMs performed in National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College between July 2013 and April 2019.

Maize ZmBES1/BZR1-5 Decreases ABA Sensitivity and Confers Tolerance to Osmotic Stress in Transgenic .

The BRI1-EMS suppressor 1 (BES1)/brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1) transcription factors, key components in the brassinosteroid signaling pathway, play pivotal roles in plant growth and development. However, the function of BES1/BZR1 in crops during stress response remains poorly understood. In the present study, we characterized ZmBES1/BZR1-5 from maize, which was localized to the nucleus and was responsive to abscisic acid (ABA), salt and drought stresses.

Analysis of patterns and risk factors regarding the onset of nodules in the contralateral thyroid lobe during follow-up ultrasonography among patients after unilateral lobectomy for the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: This study tries to find the patterns of new nodules in contralateral thyroid lobe among papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) after lobectomy using ultrasonography.

Methods: Of note, 456 PTCs were enrolled. Clinicopathological features of primary tumors and sonographic patterns of new nodules in contralateral lobe were documented.

Simultaneous imaging of mitochondrial viscosity and hydrogen peroxide in Alzheimer's disease by a single near-infrared fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift.

It has been speculated that both the intracellular viscosity and H2O2 level in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains are higher than that in healthy brains, but direct evidence from living beings is scarce. Herein, we report a NIR emissive fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift for the associated detection of mitochondrial viscosity and H2O2 in live rat brains with AD for the first time.

Lighting Up NIR-II Fluorescence in Vivo: An Activable Probe for Noninvasive Hydroxyl Radical Imaging.

The detection of hydroxyl radical (·OH) in vivo faces challenges as ·OH has short lifetime and low concentration in the body. Fluorescence imaging within the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) is a promising approach to in vivo organ and tissue imaging, but ·OH fluorescent probes emitting at this region have not been reported up to now because of the difficulty of probe design. Herein, we report the strategy to fabricate the first NIR-II probe for ·OH by directly breaking/recovering the conjugated system and rigid planar structure of an organic fluorophore, which could regulate the fluorescence intensity regardless of emission wavelength.

Development of a red absorbing Se-rhodamine photosensitizer and its application for bio-orthogonally activatable photodynamic therapy.

A π-extended red absorbing Se-rhodamine (Se-NR) was synthesised and characterized. By masking the amine of Se-NR as an azide, we successfully constructed a bio-orthogonally activatable photosensitizer (Se-NR-Az). Se-NR-Az was not photocytotoxic, but when activated by the Staudinger reaction, photocytotoxicity was restored.

Usefulness of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound guided coaxial needle biopsy for focal liver lesions.

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)-guided coaxial needle biopsies for focal liver lesions (FLL) that were inconspicuous or could not be accurately identified the active site on B-mode ultrasound (US).

Materials And Methods: This prospective study included 76 patients who had CEUS-guided coaxial needle biopsies for FLL between December 2015 and June 2017. We recorded characteristics of target lesions.

A ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe for imaging hydrogen sulfide in lysosomes.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a kind of gaseous signalling molecule that plays pivotal role in various biological processes. So far, it is still a challenge to develop convenient and reliable methods for HS detection in lysosomes. Herein, we developed a novel ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe LR-HS for imaging HS in lysosomes.