Revisiting the role of light signaling in plant responses to salt stress.

As one of the grave environmental hazards, soil salinization seriously limits crop productivity, growth, and development. When plants are exposed to salt stress, they suffer a sequence of damage mainly caused by osmotic stress, ion toxicity, and subsequently oxidative stress. As sessile organisms, plants have developed many physiological and biochemical strategies to mitigate the impact of salt stress.

Manipulation of artificial light environment improves plant biomass and fruit nutritional quality in tomato.

Introduction: The yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum. L) are often decreased when plants suffer from low light intensity and short-photoperiod in winter. Manipulation of the artificial light environment is a feasible technology to promote off-seasonal production and improve fruit nutritional quality in the greenhouse.

Effect of electro-stimulated Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus casei on ensiling quality, anti-nutrients, and bacterial community of mulberry leaf silage.

Background: There are few studies on the effects of electrically stimulated bacteria on anti-nutritional factors and microbial communities in mulberry leaf silage. This study aimed to examine the impact of the combined use of electrically stimulated Bacillus subtilis (EB) and Lactobacillus casei (LC) on the quality and degradation of anti-nutritional factors in mulberry leaf silage.

Results: The results revealed that the synergistic effect of EB and LC significantly enhanced the nutritional value of mulberry leaves, as evidenced by the promotion of lactic acid synthesis, the reduction of anti-nutritional factors, and the augmentation of lactic acid bacteria following a 60-day silage period.

Transcriptome analysis expands underlying mechanisms of quorum sensing mediating heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification process at low temperature.

Quorum sensing (QS) could regulate the behavior of microbial communities and help them resist adverse low-temperature environments. A newly isolated heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) bacterium, strain YB1107, exhibited strong tolerance to harsh cold environments, removing 93.5 % of ammonia within 36 h and achieving a maximum specific growth rate of 0.

Fulvic acid mediated highly efficient heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification by Paracoccus denitrificans XW11 with reduced C/N ratio.

Reducing the C/N ratio requirements for heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HNAD) is crucial for its practical application; however, it remains underexplored. In this study, a highly efficient HNAD bacterium, Paracoccus denitrificans XW11, was isolated. The HNAD characteristics of XW11 were studied, and the redox mediator fulvic acid (FA) was used to reduce the C/N requirements.

DRED: A Comprehensive Database of Genes Related to Repeat Expansion Diseases.

Expansion of tandem repeats in genes often causes severe diseases, such as fragile X syndrome, Huntington's disease, and spinocerebellar ataxia. However, information on genes associated with repeat expansion diseases is scattered throughout the literature, systematic prediction of potential genes that may cause diseases via repeat expansion is also lacking. Here, we develop DRED, a Database of genes related to Repeat Expansion Diseases, as a manually-curated database that covers all known 61 genes related to repeat expansion diseases reported in PubMed and OMIM, along with the detailed repeat information for each gene.

Apparent Diffusion Coefficient on Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Predict the Prognosis of Patients with Endometrial Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) may help diagnose endometrial cancer (EC). However, the association between ADC and the recurrence and survival of EC remains unknown. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate whether pretreatment ADC on DWI could predict the prognosis of women with EC.

Carbon metabolism characteristics of quorum quenching bacteria Rhodococcus sp. BH4 determine the bioaugmentation efficiency under different carbon source conditions.

Carbon sources are critical factors influencing bacterial bioaugmentation, however, the underlying mechanisms, particularly the metabolic characteristics of bioaugmented bacteria remain poorly understood. The bioaugmented bacterium Rhodococcus sp. BH4 secretes the quorum quenching (QQ) enzyme QsdA to disrupt the quorum sensing (QS) in the activated sludge (AS) process, reducing AS yield in-situ.

Light quality regulates plant biomass and fruit quality through a photoreceptor-dependent HY5-LHC/CYCB module in tomato.

Increasing photosynthesis and light capture offers possibilities for improving crop yield and provides a sustainable way to meet the increasing global demand for food. However, the poor light transmittance of transparent plastic films and shade avoidance at high planting density seriously reduce photosynthesis and alter fruit quality in vegetable crops, and therefore it is important to investigate the mechanisms of light signaling regulation of photosynthesis and metabolism in tomato (). Here, a combination of red, blue, and white (R1W1B0.

-Methyladenosine mRNA Modification: From Modification Site Selectivity to Neurological Functions.

The development of various chemical methods has enabled scientists to decipher the distribution features and biological functions of RNA modifications in the past decade. In addition to modifying noncoding RNAs such as tRNAs and rRNAs, -methyladenosine (mA) has been proven to be the most abundant internal chemical modification on mRNAs in eukaryotic cells and is also the most widely studied mRNA modification to date. Extensive studies have repeatedly demonstrated the important functions of mA in various biological conditions, ranging from embryonic organ development to adult organ function and pathogenesis.

Effects and plasma proteomic analysis of GLP-1RA versus CPA/EE, in combination with metformin, on overweight PCOS women: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by reproductive dysfunctions and metabolic disorders. This study aims to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) + Metformin (Met) versus cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol (CPA/EE) + Met in overweight PCOS women and identify potential proteomic biomarkers of disease risk in women with PCOS.

Methods: In this prospective, open-label randomized controlled trial, we recruited 60 overweight PCOS women into two groups at a 1:1 ratio to receive CPA/EE (2 mg/day: 2 mg cyproterone acetate and 35-μg ethinylestradiol,) +Met (1500 mg/day) or GLP-1 RA (liraglutide, 1.

Functional heterogeneity of Wnt-responsive and Hedgehog-responsive neural stem cells in the murine adult hippocampus.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult hippocampus are composed of multiple subpopulations. However, their origin and functional heterogeneity are still unclear. Here, we found that the contribution of murine Wnt-responsive (Axin2) and Hedgehog-responsive (Gli1) embryonic neural progenitors to adult NSCs started from early and late postnatal stages, respectively.

Acceleration of nitrogen removal performance in a biofilm reactor augmented with Pseudomonas sp. using polycaprolactone as carbon source for treating low carbon to nitrogen wastewater.

Heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) process was achieved in a moving bed biofilm reactor after 180-days acclimation using PCL as carbon source for low C/N wastewater treatment. A novel HN-AD strain, JQ-H3, with ability of PCL degradation was augmented to improve nitrogen removal. TN removal efficiencies of 82.

Long-term effect of light rare earth element neodymium on Anammox process.

During the mining of rare earth minerals, the application of neodymium-containing manures, and the treatment of spent neodymium iron boron magnet, the generation of ammonia wastewater containing neodymium is increasing. Thus, the effects of neodymium (Nd(III)) on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) were investigated from the aspects of performance, kinetics, statistics, microbial community and sludge morphology, and the recovery strategy of EDTA-2Na wash was discussed. The nitrogen removal efficiency of the Anammox reactor decreased significantly and eventually collapsed at the Nd(III) dosing levels of 20 and 40 mg L, respectively.

Electrospinning Preparation, Structure, and Properties of FeO/Tb(acac)phen/Polystyrene Bifunctional Microfibers.

Compared to single functional materials, multifunctional materials with magnetism and luminescence are more attractive and promising; Thus, it has become an important subject. In our work, bifunctional FeO/Tb(acac)phen/polystyrene) microfibers with magnetic and luminescent properties (acac: acetylacetone, phen: 1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized by simple electrospinning process. The doping of FeO and Tb(acac)phen made the fiber diameter larger.

Association Between Polymorphisms and Efficacy of Clopidogrel in Minor Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

Background: CYP2B6 (cytochrome P450 subfamily IIB polypeptide 6), encoded by the gene, is a critical enzyme involved in clopidogrel metabolism. However, the association between polymorphisms and the efficacy of clopidogrel in minor stroke or transient ischemic attack for secondary stroke prevention remains unclear.

Methods: Based on CHANCE (Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients With Acute Nondisabling Cerebrovascular Events) randomized clinical trial of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin alone, we investigated the role of polymorphisms and the efficacy of clopidogrel in patients with minor stroke or transient ischemic attack in China from October 2009 to July 2012.

The Roles of Aerobic Exercise and Folate Supplementation in Hyperhomocysteinemia-Accelerated Atherosclerosis.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. Effective interventions to reduce HHcy-accelerated atherosclerosis are required.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise (AE) and folate (FA) supplementation on plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level and atherosclerosis development in a mouse model.

Phytopathogenic bacteria utilize host glucose as a signal to stimulate virulence through LuxR homologues.

Chemical signal-mediated biological communication is common within bacteria and between bacteria and their hosts. Many plant-associated bacteria respond to unknown plant compounds to regulate bacterial gene expression. However, the nature of the plant compounds that mediate such interkingdom communication and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly characterized.

Tetratricopeptide repeat protein SlREC2 positively regulates cold tolerance in tomato.

Cold stress is a key environmental constraint that dramatically affects the growth, productivity, and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified REDUCED CHLOROPLAST COVERAGE 2 (SlREC2) encoding a tetratricopeptide repeat protein that positively regulates tomato cold tolerance. Disruption of SlREC2 largely reduced abscisic acid (ABA) levels, photoprotection, and the expression of C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF)-pathway genes in tomato plants under cold stress.

Upregulated antimicrobial immune response mediated by neutrophils in the development from allergic rhinitis to asthma.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma are closely related, and AR is regarded as an important risk factor for the onset of asthma. However, the pathogenesis of the development of asthma from AR is still undefined.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the development of asthma from AR by comparing the transcriptome features of patients with AR with and without asthma.

AAV13 Enables Precise Targeting of Local Neural Populations.

As powerful tools for local gene delivery, adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are widely used for neural circuit studies and therapeutical purposes. However, most of them have the characteristics of large diffusion range and retrograde labeling, which may result in off-target transduction during in vivo application. Here, in order to achieve precise gene delivery, we screened AAV serotypes that have not been commonly used as gene vectors and found that AAV13 can precisely transduce local neurons in the brain, with a smaller diffusion range than AAV2 and rigorous anterograde labeling.

Mid-long term forecasting of reservoir inflow using the coupling of time-varying filter-based empirical mode decomposition and gated recurrent unit.

Accurate and reliable runoff forecast is beneficial to watershed planning and management and scientific operation of water resources system. However, due to the comprehensive influence of climatic conditions, geographical environment, and human activities, the runoff series is nonlinear and non-stationary, and there are still great challenges in mid-long term runoff forecasting. In order to improve the prediction accuracy, a novel model TVF-EMD-PE-PSO-GRU (TEPPG) was proposed in this study.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Peptide Nanofibers for Self-Delivery of Indomethacin and Tyroservatide in Cancer Therapy.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have drawn considerable attention in the field of cancer treatment, yet these drugs display limited potency and selectivity against cancer cells. To address these problems, we designed a peptide-based self-delivery system [Indomethacin-Phe-Phe-Tyr (HPO)-Ser-Val, IDM-FFpYSV] that combines an NSAID molecule (indomethacin, or IDM) and a segment of anticancer tripeptide (tyroservatide, or YSV). IDM-FFpYSV is capable of self-assembling in an aqueous solution to afford nanofibrillar hydrogels under the catalysis of alkaline phosphatases (ALPs), which are overexpressed on the plasma membrane of cancer cells.