Search

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a malignant breast cancer. There is an urgent need for effective drugs to be developed for TNBC. Tubocapsicum anomalum (T. anomalum) has been reported to have an anti-tumor effect, and six novel withanolides were isolated from it and designated as TAMEWs. However, its anti-TNBC effect is still unknown. The results of an MTT assay indicated a higher sensitivity of TNBC cells to TAMEWs compared to other cells. TAMEWs induced apoptosis via mitochondrial dysfunction. They caused increased levels of lipid ROS and Fe2+, with downregulation of GSH and cystine uptake, and it has been confirmed that TAMEWs induced ferroptosis. Additionally, the results of Western blotting indicate that TAMEWs significantly decrease the expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins. Through further investigation, it was found that the knockdown of the p53 gene resulted in a significant reversal of ferroptosis and the expressions of its associated proteins SLC7A11, ASCT2, and GPX4. In vivo, TAMEWs suppressed TNBC growth with no obvious damage. The IHC results also showed that TAMEWs induced apoptosis and ferroptosis in vivo. Our findings provide the first evidence that TAMEWs suppress TNBC growth through apoptosis and ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine yeast Scheffersomyeces spartinae W9 is a promising biocontrol agent for gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea in strawberries. Improving the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae W9 is necessary for its commercial application. In this study, different concentrations of β-glucan were added to the culture medium to evaluate its effect on the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae W9. The results showed that 0.1% β-glucan could increase the biocontrol effect of S. spartinae W9 against B. cinerea in strawberries and in vitro. We found that adding 0.1% β-glucan to the culture medium promoted the growth of S. spartinae W9 in wounds of strawberries, enhanced biofilm formation ability, and secreted more β-1,3-glucanase. In addition, 0.1% β-glucan increased the survival rate of S. spartinae W9 under oxidative, thermal, osmotic, and plasma membrane stressors. Transcriptome analysis revealed 188 differential expressed genes in S. spartinae W9 cultured with or without 0.1% β-glucan, including 120 upregulated and 68 downregulated genes. The upregulated genes were associated with stress response, cell wall formation, energy production, growth, and reproduction. Thus, culturing with 0.1% β-glucan is an effective way to improve the biocontrol ability of S. spartinae W9 against gray mold in strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the key factors involved in the regulation of chilling injury formation in carbohydrate metabolism of peach fruit, we systematically analyzed the response of peach fruit to cold stress from physiological and transcriptomic perspectives. Cold stress in peach elevated malondialdehyde, impaired membranes, reduced sucrose via invertase-mediated hydrolysis to fructose/glucose, and may activate pentose phosphate pathway while inhibiting glycolysis pathways for metabolic maintenance and energy conservation, as suggested by phosphofructokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity shifts. Transcriptome and weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed a series of genes respond to low-temperature stress in starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, including vacuolar invertases gene (PpVIN), hexokinase gene (PpHXK), trehalose-phosphate synthase gene (PpTPS), trehalose-phosphate phosphatase gene (PpTPP) , and fructokinase gene (PpFRK), of these hub genes have been reported to resist to cold stress. In addition, by constructing co-expression network, several transcription factors (TFs) were involved in regulating hub genes related to carbohydrate metabolism in peach fruit, such as ZAT12, bZIP23, bZIP53, CBF5, and others. These TFs may serve as key regulators of the transcriptional network, modulating gene expression related to carbohydrate metabolism in response to cold stress. • Chilling stress led to the damage of cell membrane in peach fruit. • Sucrose converts to fructose and glucose with invertase in peach stored at 4 °C. • Several genes that respond to cold stress were found in the sugar metabolism pathway. • WGCNA identified hub genes that may be essential for the chilling tolerance in peach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia (PE) is an unusual multisystem condition that occurs during pregnancy and is characterized by maternal endothelial dysfunction and damage to various organs. The catabolism of L-tryptophan (Trp) is involved in various biological activities, including healthy pregnancy. Our previous work revealed that PE significantly elevated the concentration of indole-3-lactic acid (ILA), a Trp derivative, during the third trimester of pregnancy. However, the effects of ILA on the occurrence of PE and its influence on fetoplacental vascular functionality remain unknown. Twenty-five Trp metabolites were detected in maternal serum. The effects of ILA on the functions of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were examined. Furthermore, a soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) induced PE-like mouse model was established and treated with ILA. We found that the ratio of ILA to Trp gradually increased as pregnancy progressed. PE did not significantly change the concentration of ILA during either the first or second trimester. Moreover, as an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand, ILA promoted HUVEC proliferation, migration and tube formation through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway after AhR activation. Importantly, ILA administration alleviated sFlt-1-induced PE-like symptoms in mice. Similarly, our in vitro study demonstrated that ILA significantly relieved sFlt-1-induced HUVEC dysfunction by increasing the VEGFA and PIGF levels. These data strongly suggest that PE-elevated ILA in the third trimester is a protective mechanism against vascular dysfunction. Therefore, we propose that ILA is a novel and promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of PE that promotes endothelial cell functions. [Display omitted] • Tryptophan-derived ILA promoted the angiogenic response of HUVECs by activating AhR signaling pathways. • ILA administration mostly alleviated the sFlt-1-induced PE-like symptoms in mice. • ILA relieved sFlt-1-induced HUVEC dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit and vegetables production is permanently affected by many threats including fungal pathogens, which leads to serious losses from harvest to final consumption. Chemical preservatives are effective but may pose an increased risk of drug resistance and contamination to the environment. The demand for natural substances as fungicides is gradually increasing. Tea tree oil (TTO) obtained by steam distillation of Melaleuca alternifolia , has been widely used as 'green' and 'safety' antifungal agent for many years. This paper comprehensively summarized the source, composition, extraction methods and biological functions of TTO and its applications in the storage of fruit and vegetables. In particular, we focused on the functions of TTO as antimicrobial agents to reduce the occurrence and spread of diseases and activate plants' defense system, including preservation effects, antimicrobial mechanisms and application methods. This was highly intended to help and serve as a reference for the pertinent researchers. • Tea tree oil is a promising natural product with diverse biological properties. • The review emphasizes the application of TTO in fruit and vegetables storage. • An exposition of resistance mechanisms to microbial in fruit and vegetables. • A discussion of challenges in research and application in postharvest systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A free-standing MOF film with a hierarchical porous structure is prepared through in-situ chemical conversion. • MOF film simultaneously exhibits high water adsorption rate and excellent photothermal conversion capability. • MOF film is suitable for water harvesting in arid and desert regions with limited power supply. Adsorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) emerges as a new method to solve water scarcity in desolate and arid areas. Due to their designable and adjustable water sorption property, metal–organic frameworks have recently been proposed as the most promising hygroscopic sorbent materials for highly efficient water collecting in solar-powered AWH applications. However, their practical usage is still hindered by their powdery nature and poor photothermal properties, limiting the overall mass and heat transport efficiency. In this work, we prepared a free-standing MOF film with a hierarchical porous structure that simultaneously exhibits a rapid water vapor adsorption rate and excellent photothermal conversion capability. The hierarchical porous structure could provide abundant fast water transport channels and promote longer light-matter interaction paths within the pores. The porous MOF films thus exhibit a water adsorption capacity of 6.13 g m−2 and an adsorption rate of 8.16 g m-2h−1 even at a low relative humidity level of 20 %, and it could be solar-heated to 75 ℃ under 1 sun irradiation, which is sufficient to drive the desorption process. This work offers an alternative approach for developing novel monolithic MOF material that integrates water adsorption and photothermal desorption and advancing air–water harvesting technology for application in arid and desert regions and areas with limited power supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile L -cysteine (L -cys) mediated one-pot green method is explored to prepare a chain-like Au nanoparticle (AuNP) assembly structure. In this method, the L -cys can be used as a morphology inducer to control the morphology of nanoparticles and as a template molecule to trigger the AuNP assembly to form 1D AuNCs. The formation of the assembly structure was dependent on the concentration of the L -cys. The obtained AuNCs represent significant absorption in the NIR region, which is tunable by adjusting the amount of L -cys and AgNO3. The good photothermal conversion ability proves that the AuNCs can be used as a PTT agent in cancer therapy. Biocompatible mesoporous silica is further employed to coat the AuNCs, improving the biocompatibility and drug delivery ability. Doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded on AuNCs@mSiO2 by adsorption and then is used for drug delivery and photothermal cancer therapy. Cellular and animal experiments reveal that AuNCs@mSiO2@DOX exhibits a considerable tumor inhibition effect with the irradiation of an 808 nm NIR laser, reflecting that the AuNCs@mSiO2@DOX could act as a promising candidate for photothermal-chemo synergetic cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plant-pathogen interactions, numerous pathogens secrete polygalacturonase (PG) to degrade plants cell walls, whereas plants produce PG-inhibiting protein (PGIP) that specifically binds to pathogen-derived PG to inhibit its activity and resist pathogen infection. In the present study, we dshowed that PpPGIP1 was significantly upregulated in peaches after Monilinia fructicola infection, and the prokaryotic expression of the PpPGIP1 protein inhibited M. fructicola by mitigating its PG activity. Transient overexpression of PpPGIP1 in peaches significantly enhanced their resistance to M. fructicola. PpPGIP1 promoter had several W-box the defense elements that can bind to WRKY transcription factors. Transcriptome analysis identified 20 differentially expressed WRKY genes, including the classic disease resistance gene WRKY33. PpWRKY33 is significantly upregulated in M. fructicola infected peaches. PpWRKY33 is localized in the nucleus and can bind to the W-box in the PpPGIP1 promoter to transcriptional activate the expression of PpPGIP1. Transient overexpression PpWRKY33 upregulated PpPGIP1 expression in peaches, and silencing PpWRKY33 decreased the PpPGIP1 expression. These results indicated that PpPGIP1 positively regulates fungal disease resistance in peaches and is transcriptionally activated by PpWRKY33. These findings reveal the disease resistant role of PpPGIP1 in peaches, and provide new insights into its transcriptional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest peach fruit is susceptible to Monilinia fructicola commomnly known as brown rot , which has caused significant economic losses in the peach industry. The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of agaro-oligosaccharides on peach fruit against Monilinia fructicola , as well as its associated mechanisms. Results showed that agaro-oligosaccharides treatment did not affect the growth of Monilinia fructicola in vitro test and it did not have a significant influence on fruit quality. However, AO treatment led to a notable reduction in both disease incidence and lesion diameter in Monilinia fructicola -inoculated peach fruit. Agaro-oligosaccharides-treated fruit exhibited increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbic acid peroxidase with elevated expression levels of their respective genes as well as higher contents of ascorbic acid and glutathione. Furthermore, agaro-oligosaccharides increased the activities of chitinase and beta-1, 3-glucanase along with up-regulated gene expression levels. Increased activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase, along with elevated expression levels of their corresponding genes, were also observed in agaro-oligosaccharides-treated fruit, resulting in the accumulation of total phenols, flavonoid, and lignin. These findings demonstrated that agaro-oligosaccharides induced the disease resistance of peach fruit, which was attributed to the activation of antioxidative and phenylpropanoid metabolism. • AO controlled the development of brown rot in postharvest peach fruit. • AO showed no direct inhibitory effect on Monilinia fructicola in vitro. • AO induced the resistance via activating antioxidative and phenylpropane metabolisms. • AO has a promising application in postharvest peach fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid advancement of the internet, there has been a dramatic increase in short-text data. Due to the brevity of short texts, sparse features, and limited contextual information, short-text classification has become a challenging task in natural language processing. However, current methods primarily capture semantic information from locally-sequenced words in short text, which ignores the intricate feature relationships that pervade both the intra-text and inter-text. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel Edge-Enhanced Minimum-Margin Graph Attention Network (EMGAN) for short text classification to address this issue. Specifically, we construct a Heterogeneous Information Graph (HIG) to represent complex relationships among short text features. HIG mainly considers the relationship between document features and three attribute features, such as entities, topics, and keywords, and can represent short text features from multiple dimensions and levels. Then, to enhance the connectivity and expressiveness of the HIG for more effective propagation of feature information within it, we present a novel X-shaped structure edge-enhancement method. It enriches their relationships by reconstructing the edge structures. Furthermore, we design a Minimum Margin Graph Attention Network (MMGAN) for short text classification. Specifically, this method aims to explore the minimum margin between high-order neighbors and central nodes at the minimum cost, efficiently extracting and aggregating feature information. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our proposed EMGAN model outperforms existing methods on five datasets, validating its effectiveness in short-text classification. Our code is submitted at https://github.com/w123yy/EMGAN. • A new method for efficient classification of short texts. • Heterogeneous infographics represent complex relationships among short texts. • The edge enhancement method enriches edge relations and enhances graph structure. • Minimum margin attention network aggregates feature to solve feature sparsity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constant tidal form factor, defined by the ratio of the sum of K 1 and O 1 tidal amplitudes to the sum of M 2 and S 2 tidal amplitudes, has been widely used to represent tidal feature for nearly 120 years. Tides can be classified as semi-diurnal, mixed semi-diurnal, mixed diurnal and diurnal regimes based on tidal form factors. It is well-known that K 1 and O 1 tidal amplitudes have significant 18.61-year nodal variations. Therefore, the relative strength of semi-diurnal and diurnal tides changes during the 18.61-year nodal cycle. Consequently, local tidal regimes in some sea areas are not fixed, but periodically change during the 18.61-year nodal cycle. Such periodical tidal regime shift cannot be reflected by constant tidal form factor, which motivates present research. The purpose of this study is to propose a time-varying tidal form factor which considers the 18.61-year nodal modulations of main constituents based on the equilibrium tidal theory. 1249 tide gauges and a global tide model (EOT20) derived from multi-satellite altimeters are used to detect potential tidal regime shift related to the 18.61-year nodal cycle in the global ocean. It is found that there are 154 tide gauges and 17.32% ocean grid points in EOT20 model which exist tidal regime shift caused by the 18.61-year nodal cycle. Tidal form factor can be modified by ∼17% during the 18.61-year cycle in the global ocean. Furthermore, the deviations between theoretical and actual nodal modulations in some coastal resonant areas do not significantly influence the calculation of temporal tidal form factors. • Constant tidal from factors cannot reflect periodically tidal regime shift. • A temporal tidal form factor is proposed. • Tidal regime shift related to the nodal cycle widely exists in the global ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Transcriptome reveals trehalose may activate Ca2 +-ROS and MAPK-WRKY-ROS pathway. • PpCDPK24-PpRBOHE and PpMAPKKK2-PpWRKY40- PpRBOHEpro show potential interactions. • Trehalose alleviates chilling injury of peach by improving antioxidant capacity. Peach fruit is prone to chilling injury (CI) during low-temperature storage, resulting in quality deterioration and economic losses. Our previous studies have found that exogenous trehalose treatment can alleviate the CI symptoms of peach by increasing sucrose accumulation. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential molecular mechanism of trehalose treatment in alleviating CI in postharvest peach fruit. Transcriptome analysis showed that trehalose induced gene expression in pathways of plant MAPK signaling, calcium signaling, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis indicated that PpCDPK24 may activate the ROS signaling pathway by phosphorylating PpRBOHE. Besides, PpWRKY40 mediates the activation of PpMAPKKK2-induced ROS signaling pathway by interacting with the PpRBOHE promoter. Accordingly, trehalose treatment significantly enhanced the activities of antioxidant-related enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and gluathione reductase (GR), as well as the transcription levels AsA-GSH cycle related gene, which led to the reduction of H 2 O 2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in peach during cold storage. In summary, our results suggest that the potential molecular mechanism of trehalose treatment is to enhance antioxidant capacity by activating CDPK-mediated Ca2 + −ROS signaling pathway and WRKY-mediated MAPK-WRKY-ROS signaling pathway, thereby reducing the CI in peach fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine antifungal peptide epinecidin-1 (EPI) have been shown to inhibit Botrytis cinerea growth, while the molecular mechanism have not been explored based on omics technology. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of EPI against B. cinerea by transcriptome technology. Our findings indicated that a total of 1671 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the mycelium of B. cinerea treated with 12.5 μmol/L EPI for 3 h, including 773 up-regulated genes and 898 down-regulated genes. Cluster analysis showed that DEGs (including steroid biosynthesis, (unsaturated) fatty acid biosynthesis) related to cell membrane metabolism were significantly down-regulated, and almost all DEGs involved in DNA replication were significantly inhibited. In addition, it also induced the activation of stress-related pathways, such as the antioxidant system, ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) and MAPK signaling pathways, and interfered with the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation pathways related to mitochondrial function. The decrease of mitochondrial related enzyme activities (succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and adenosine triphosphatase), the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and the increase content of hydrogen peroxide further confirmed that EPI treatment may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Based on this, we speculated that EPI may impede the growth of B. cinerea through its influence on gene expression, and may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. [Display omitted] • EPI significantly down-regulated cell membrane metabolic pathways of B. cinerea. • EPI may hinder the DNA replication process of B. cinerea. • EPI may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in B. cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a retraction notice for an article titled "MicroRNA-503 Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Targeting PDK1/PI3K/AKT Pathway." The retraction is due to concerns about the duplication of images from other unrelated articles in Figures 2, 5, and 7. The authors did not respond to queries or provide an explanation for the duplicated images. The article will remain online but will be marked as retracted. [Extracted from the article]

The miR-15a/16 gene cluster is located in human chromosome 13 (13q14.3) and mouse chromosome 14 (14qC3). These genes are involved in cancer development and immune regulation. Our group has previously verified the binding of the 3′-untranslated region of NKG2D gene by miR-16 through dual-luciferase reporter assay. Herein, we found that miR-16 overexpression inhibited the NKG2D expression of CD8+ T cells, and that CD8+ NKG2D+ T cell frequency increased in miR-15/16−/− mice. CD8+ NKG2D+ T cells derived of miR-15/16−/− mice displayed activatory phenotype with enhanced IFN-γ production and cytotoxicity. The transfection of lentivirus containing antago-miR-16 sequences enhanced the NKG2D expression level of CD8+ T cells. However, no significant differences in CD8+ NKG2D+ T cell frequencies existed between wild-type and miR-15/16-transgenic mice because NKG2D was not expressed on the rest CD8+ T cells. When CD8+ T cells of miR-15/16-transgenic mice were treated with IL-2 in vitro , the magnitude of NKG2D expression and activation of CD8+ T cells was lower than that of wild-type mice. miR-15/16−/− mice showed that the exacerbation of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) with more CD8+ T cells accumulated in inflamed colons, whereas miR-15/16-transgenic mice ameliorated DSS-induced colitis with less infiltration of CD8+ T cells. When NKG2D+ cells were depleted with NKG2D antibody in miR-15/16−/− mice, the aggravated colitis disappeared. All these results demonstrated that NKG2D could be upregulated by decreased miR-16 in CD8+ T cells to mediate inflammation. Thus, gene therapy based on the overexpression of miR-16 in CD8+ T cells can be used for patients with inflammatory diseases. • miR-15a/16 regulates NKG2D expression on CD8+T cells. • Enhanced activities of CD8+ NKG2D + T cells in miR-15/16 knock-out mice. • miR-15a/16 knock-out exacerbates DSS-induced colitis in mice. • NKG2D+ cells depletion ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in miR-15a/16 knock-out mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CCN proteins are a family of extracellular matrix- (ECM-) associated proteins which currently consist of six secreted proteins (CCN1-6). CCN3 protein, also known as nephroblastoma overexpressed protein (NOV), is a member of the CCN family with multiple biological functions, implicated in major cellular processes such as cell growth, migration, and differentiation. Recently, CCN3 has emerged as a critical regulator in a variety of diseases, including immune-related diseases, including rheumatology arthritis, osteoarthritis, and systemic sclerosis. In this review, we will briefly introduce the structure and function of the CCN3 protein and summarize the roles of CCN3 in immune-related diseases, which is essential to understand the functions of the CCN3 in immune-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a joint modeling approach to investigating the observed and latent risk factors of mixed types of outcomes. The proposed model comprises three parts. The first part is an exploratory factor analysis model that summarizes latent factors through multiple observed variables. The second part is a proportional hazards model that examines the observed and latent risk factors of multivariate time-to-event outcomes. The third part is a linear regression model that investigates the determinants of a continuous outcome. We develop a Bayesian approach coupled with MCMC methods to determine the number of latent factors, the association between latent and observed variables, and the important risk factors of different types of outcomes. A modified stochastic search item selection algorithm, which introduces normal-mixture-inverse gamma priors to factor loadings and regression coefficients, is developed for simultaneous model selection and parameter estimation. The proposed method is subjected to simulation studies for empirical performance assessment and then applied to a study concerning the risk factors of type 2 diabetes and the associated complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nephroblastoma overexpressed protein (NOV/CCN3), the early discovered member of the CCN family, has recently been suggested to be involved in a number of inflammatory processes, including wound healing, alveolar epithelial cell inflammation, cancer metastasis, and macrophage foam cell formation. However, the role of CCN3 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a classic autoimmune and inflammatory disease, remains elusive. RA is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that eventually leads to cartilage and bone destruction and joint dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the potential of serum CCN3 as a biomarker for RA. The serum levels of CCN3 were measured by ELISA. The clinical and laboratory parameters were collected from a clinical record system, and disease activity was determined by joint disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Our results showed that the serum levels of CCN3 were significantly increased in RA patients compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the CCN3 level was positively correlated with DAS28 (CRP), DAS28 (ESR), and the level of anti-CCP Ab, an autoantibody highly specific for RA. Furthermore, CCN3 showed a positive correlation with inflammatory cytokine IL-6, while no significant correlation with TNF-α was observed. These data suggest that CCN3 plays an important role in the development of RA and might be a potential disease activity biomarker for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maturity, storage temperature, and postharvest treatment are all important factors that determine how postharvest storage affects qualities that make peaches attractive to consumers. In this study, the combined effects of maturity stage (as determined by IAD value; M1: 1.0 ~ 1.4, M2: 0.6 ~ 1.0 and M3: 0.2 ~ 0.6), treatment with or without 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP), and storage at different temperatures (5°C, 10°C, and 20°C) were measured in "Hujingmilu" peaches. Our results showed that treatment with 1‐MCP helps to maintain fruit postharvest quality, but efficacy is influenced by postharvest factors. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that1‐MCP application increases the storage potential of fruit and has the potential to make fruit harvested at middle maturity (M2) more acceptable to consumers. In addition, low maturity fruit (M1) treated with 1‐MCP are more suitable for long‐term transportation in cold storage. Practical applications: This study investigated the effects of different temperatures and different maturities on 1‐MCP‐treated peach fruit and provided postharvest strategies for peaches in different commercial demands. This work will help to extend the storage life and expand the sales area of peach fruit and increase the industrial income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IAD (the difference in absorbance at 670 and 720 nm), measured using a DA metre, may have utility as a harvest index for fleshy fruit. In this study, the relationship between the IAD index and chlorophyll content, background colour (L*, a*, b*), firmness, extractable juice, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acid (TA), and SSC/TA ratio were modelled using linear regression in six peach cultivars (BaiFeng, ZaoLuZhen, YuLu, ChiTao, ZhaoYang, BaiLi). Results showed that higher IAD values were accompanied by higher chlorophyll content, firmness, TA, and b* values, and lower a* values. A significant positive relationship was observed between IAD and chlorophyll (r2 > 0.8) and firmness (r2 > 0.6) in all cultivars. The linear regression models established by the correlation of firmness and IAD could be used to predict the maturity of 'YuLu' peaches in each year of harvest; no significant difference was observed between the estimated and observed values after regression prediction. Because of good repeatability and high prediction accuracy, we suggest that IAD index can serve as a non-destructive indicator to assay and predict peach maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mung bean seeds were soaked in 0.5 g/L of sucrose solution for 24 hr at 25°C and sprayed with this solution every 12 hr during the germination for 5 days. Our results showed that exogenous sucrose significantly increased vitamin C content throughout germination, and sucrose‐treated sprouts had 23% more vitamin C (20.8 mg/100 g FW) than in control sprouts on day 5. This may be related to higher levels of glucose and l‐galactono‐1, 4‐lactone dehydrogenase activity seen in the treated group versus the control. Total phenolic content and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase were significantly higher in sucrose‐treated mung bean sprouts than the controls, which contributed to the higher antioxidant activity in sucrose‐treated sprouts. These results indicate that exogenous sucrose treatment increases the content of vitamin C and total phenolics, and enhances the antioxidant activity in mung bean sprouts. It suggests that exogenous sucrose treatment could be an effective technique for producing mung bean sprouts with more vitamin C and higher antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aim of the study was to study the role of dysregulated expression of a microRNA (miRNA), miR-503, in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and investigate the underlying mechanism. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and in situ hybridization staining (ISH) were used to evaluate the expression level of miR-503 in NSCLC tissues and paired adjacent tissues. CCK-8, colony formation and flow cytometry were performed to explore the effects of miR-503 overexpression on cell proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis. Cells with miR-503 overexpression were used to initiate xenograft models. Dual luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were conducted to investigate the interaction of miR-503 and its potential target. Results: Significantly downregulated miR-503 was found in NSCLC tumor tissues and cell lines. miR-503 overexpression significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. PDK1 was predicted as the direct targets of miR-503. PDK1 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-503 on biological functions, while PDK1 silencing significantly counteracted miR-503 inhibitor-induced pro-tumor effects in A549 cells. Mechanistically, upregulation of miR-503 inhibited PDK1 expression and subsequently caused the inactivation of PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion: Our results suggest that miR-503 inhibits NSCLC progression by targeting PDK1/PI3K/AKT pathway, potentiating the use of miR-503 as a biomarker and therapeutic target for NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Effective detection of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) activity is extremely crucial and urgent for epigenetic research. Herein, a novel label-free electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing method was developed for the detection of TDG activity using DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuNPs) triggered hybridization chain reaction (HCR). In this assay, the thiol modified hairpin probe DNA (hp-DNA) with 5′ overhangs and one mismatched base pair of guanines: thymine (G: T) in the stem part was boned onto gold electrode. TDG specifically removed T base of the G: T mismatch to produce apyrimidinic (AP) sites through the N-glycosidic bond hydrolysis. The AP site was then cleaved by the catalysis of Endonuclease IV (EnIV) to generate dsDNA containing a free 3' end in the long sequence, which serves as a complementary sequence to hybridize with the specific sequence (ssDNA1) of DNA-AuNPs. Then, the functionalized DNA-AuNPs with initiator strands (ssDNA2) could trigger HCR to form nicked double helices DNA polymer which can embed numerous ECL indicator, Ru(phen) 3 2+, resulting in significantly increased ECL signal. The proposed strategy combined the amplification function of DNA-AuNPs triggered HCR and the inherent high sensitivity of the ECL technique, a detection limit of 1.1 × 10−5 U/μL (0.0028 ng/mL) for TDG determination was obtained. In addition, this method was successfully applied to evaluate TDG activity in cancer cell, which provides great possibility for TDG activity assay in related clinical diagnostics. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A label-free ECL biosensing method for ultrasensitive thymine DNA glycosylase was developed. • The ECL biosensing method is based on the dual-amplification of DNA-AuNPs and HCR. • A detection limit of 1.1 × 10−5 U/μL was obtained for thymine DNA glycosylase. • The method was applied to evaluate TDG activity in cancer cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of crossbreeding on the growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Chinese native Yanan (YN) pig breed and related crossbreeds, including Duroc × Yanan (DY) and Duroc × (Berkshire × Yanan) (DBY). In total, 60 pigs (20 per breed) were used in the study. The results showed that both crossbreeds, especially DBY pigs, exhibited improved growth and carcass characteristics compared with those of purebred YN pigs. Moreover, the two crossbreeds, especially DBY pigs, produced acceptable meat-quality characteristics (normal pH and meat-colour values, high intramuscular fat content and water-holding capacity, acceptable muscle-fibre parameters, and strong pork flavour) similar to those of YN pigs. M. longissimus lumborum contained eight essential amino acids, with high contents in all pigs. C18:1, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:2 were the main fatty acids in M. longissimus lumborum in the three breeds, and a polyunsaturated : saturated fatty acid ratio of ~0.2 was observed in DBY and YN pigs. These results indicated that DBY pigs exhibit an acceptable total production performance and could be extensively used in commercial pig production to provide high-quality niche products. Crossbreeding pattern is an effective measure for improving total production performance of native pig breeds. Here, the crossbreeding of Chinese Yanan pigs with Duroc and Berkshire breeds improved growth and carcass parameters, while maintaining superior meat quality. The results indicated that the two crossbred pigs, especially DBY crossbred pigs, could be extensively used in commercial pig production to provide superior pork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-throughput experimental data are accumulating exponentially in public databases. Unfortunately, however, mining valid scientific discoveries from these abundant resources is hampered by technical artifacts and inherent biological heterogeneity. The former are usually termed "batch effects," and the latter is often modeled by subtypes. Existing methods either tackle batch effects provided that subtypes are known or cluster subtypes assuming that batch effects are absent. Consequently, there is a lack of research on the correction of batch effects with the presence of unknown subtypes. Here, we combine a location-and-scale adjustment model and model-based clustering into a novel hybrid one, the batch-effects-correction-with-unknown-subtypes model (BUS). BUS is capable of (a) correcting batch effects explicitly, (b) grouping samples that share similar characteristics into subtypes, (c) identifying features that distinguish subtypes, (d) allowing the number of subtypes to vary from batch to batch, (e) integrating batches from different platforms, and (f) enjoying a linear-order computation complexity. We prove the identifiability of BUS and provide conditions for study designs under which batch effects can be corrected. BUS is evaluated by simulation studies and a real breast cancer dataset combined from three batches measured on two platforms. Results from the breast cancer dataset offer much better biological insights than existing methods. We implement BUS as a free Bioconductor package BUScorrect. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A novel yeast S. pararoseus ZMY-1 was isolated from mangrove forest mud. • S. pararoseus ZMY-1 significantly inhibits B. cinerea in vivo and in vitro. • S. pararoseus ZMY-1 reduces natural decay incidence in strawberries. • S. pararoseus ZMY-1 rapidly colonizes on surface or in wounds of strawberry fruit. • S. pararoseus ZMY-1 is a potential biocontrol agent against postharvest decay. Abstract In this study, we isolated a marine yeast from mud obtained from a mangrove swamp in Zhangzhou, China. The yeast was identified as Sporidiobolus pararoseus by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and partial sequencing of internally transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The isolate, designated, ZMY-1, inhibits Botrytis cinerea both in vitro and in vivo at different concentrations, with increasing effects at higher concentrations. ZMY-1 at 1×108 cells mL−1 significantly inhibits gray mold caused by B. cinerea in strawberries and decreases natural decay without affecting fruit qualities during storage. ZMY-1 survives and grows in wounds and on the surface of strawberry fruit at both 20 °C and 4 °C. Unwashed ZMY-1 cell cultures and washed cell suspensions inhibit B. cinerea in vivo and in vitro , but culture filtrates and autoclaved cultures have no effect, suggesting that ZMY-1 antagonism does not depend on antibacterial compounds. These findings demonstrate that S. pararoseus ZMY-1 has potential use as a biocontrol agent against gray mold on strawberry fruit, without adverse effects on fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola is the major fungal disease during postharvest storage of peach fruit. In this study, the effects of marine yeast Sporidiobolus pararoseus and alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) used alone or in combination to control brown rot in peach fruit were investigated. The results showed that AOS and S. pararoseus used alone could reduce the disease incidence and lesion diameter of brown rot, and their combination significantly increased the control effect than either treatment alone. Especially in the early stage of disease, the incidence of the untreated control fruit has reached 90%, while the incidences of AOS and S. pararoseus treatment were 36.7% and 30%, however, the combination treatment only showed 13.3% of incidence. The combination treatment of AOS and S. pararoseus can also reduce the weight loss and maintain fruit quality of peaches. Meanwhile, AOS could promote the colonization of S. pararoseus in peach fruit wounds and improve the survival of S. pararoseus under stresses. The combined treatment of S. pararoseus and AOS significantly increased the activities and gene expression of resistance-related enzymes such as catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), β -1,3-glucanase (GNS), chitinase (CHI), promoted the accumulation of total phenols. These findings indicated that the increased biocontrol efficacy of AOS combined with S. pararoseus may be attributed to the promoting growth of S. pararoseus by AOS and the enhanced disease resistance of peaches. Overall, the combined application of AOS and S. pararoseus could be an effective method to control brown rot of peach fruit. • AOS and S. pararoseus used alone or in combination reduced brown rot of peach fruit. • The combination treatment significantly improved the control effect. • AOS promoted the growth of S. pararoseus both in vitro and in peach fruit wounds. • AOS combined with S. pararoseus increased the induced resistance of peach fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberries were sprayed with 1.4 mL L −1 of tea tree oil (TTO) 6, 3, and 0 d before harvest to investigate the effects of preharvest TTO treatment on fruit quality parameters. The results showed that TTO treatment reduces the incidence of natural decay and delays the loss of firmness during storage at 20 °C for 5 d. TTO treatment has no effect on total soluble solids content or titratable acidity. Preharvest treatment with TTO reduces the number of microorganisms on the surface of fruit at harvest, reduces H 2 O 2 accumulation by increasing the activities of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, and increases β-1,3-glucanase activity by the first day postharvest. Treated fruits also accumulate more phenolics as a result of increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. A total of 188 differentially expressed proteins were identified by comparing untreated and TTO-treated fruit using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ). Of these, 29 were more abundant and 159 were less abundant in TTO-treated fruit. Three proteins related to cell wall metabolism were down-regulated by TTO treatment, while 4 proteins involved in stress response were up-regulated. Therefore, TTO treatment prior to harvest effectively controls postharvest decay in strawberries by reducing microorganisms at harvest, delaying fruit senescence, and inducing defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MYTH test screened 22 proteins interacted with PpVIN2 in peach fruit. • PpPGIP1 in peach fruit is sensitives to chilling temperature storage. • PpPGIP1 positively regulates VIN activity via an interaction with PpVIN2. • PpPGIP1 is related to the rapid decomposition of sucrose and CI in peach fruit. The vacuolar invertase (VIN) gene PpVIN2 is induced at chilling temperatures, and plays an important role in sucrose metabolism in peach fruit during cold storage. Using a dual membrane yeast two-hybrid system, we found 22 proteins interacted with PpVIN2. Of these, PpPGIP1 (polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein) is a leucine-rich repeat glycoprotein and sensitives to chilling temperature (5 °C), based on the expression level of which increased significantly accompanied with the chilling injury. Colocalization of PpPGIP1 and PpVIN2 was demonstrated by confocal microscopy and their interaction between was demonstrated by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). Transient overexpression of PpPGIP1 in peach fruit increased VIN activity significantly. Transient virus-induced gene silencing of PpPGIP1 decreased VIN activity significantly, which led to decreases sucrose decomposition. PpPGIP1 recombinant protein was successfully expressed by constructing pMAL-c6T-PpPGIP1, and PpPGIP1 increased the VIN activity in vitro. Taken together, PpPGIP1 positively regulates VIN activity via an interaction with PpVIN2; this interaction results in accelerated sucrose decomposition in peaches under chilling temperature. These findings provide a new perspective for understanding the new function of PpPGIP1 related with the rapid decomposition of sucrose and the occurrence of chilling injury in peach fruit during cold storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel is a yew compound antitumor agent with accurate antitumor efficacy, but its application is limited due to the high and serious adverse effects, and finding effective combination therapy options is a viable strategy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become hotspots in enhancing anti-tumor immunity by blocking immune checkpoint signaling pathways, but their response rate to monotherapy use is not high and the efficacy is minimal. OBJECTIVE: To explore the anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of the combination of PD-1 inhibitors and Docetaxel through in vivo experiments and develop a feasible combination treatment for the therapy of prostate cancer. METHODS: Tumor-bearing mice were subcutaneously injected with 0.1 ml RM-1 cells. Treatment were taken when the tumor growed up to 3 mm, after which the tumor and spleen were removed to test the antitumor effect with Flow cytometric (FACS) analysis, Immunohistochemistry, Western Blot. RESULTS: In this experiment, we found that PD-1 inhibitors combined with Docetaxel had a synergistic effect on mouse prostate cancer, inhibited the growth of prostate cancer, improved survival and reduced adverse reactions, increased spleen and tumor infiltrative CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, especially in group combination with low-dose Docetaxel, and were related to the PI3K/AKT/NFKB-P65/PD-L1 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that PD-1 inhibitors in combination with Docetaxel are a viable combination strategy and provide a safe and effective combination option for the clinical treatment of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the antifungal activities of tea tree oil (TTO) combined with hot air (HA) treatment against Botrytis cinerea , the causal agent of strawberry gray mold, was tested in vitro and in vivo . Results showed that both TTO and HA treatment inhibit mycelial growth and destroy the hyphal ultrastructure of B. cinerea . The combined treatment (TTO + HA) results in a significantly synergistic effects in in vitro tests. Compared with control fruit, each treatment (TTO, HA, TTO + HA) reduced the gray mold in strawberry fruit inoculated with B. cinerea , the combined treatment resulted in lowest decay incidence and lesion diameter. The combined treatment also induced higher activities of chitinase (CHI) and β-1, 3-glucanase (GLU) and these strawberries subjected to this combined treatment maintained a better commercial quality as measured by firmness, TSS, a* value and sensory evolution, than those treated with TTO or HA alone. It was concluded that combined TTO and HA treatment of strawberry fruit is more effective at controlling decay and maintaining fruit quality than single treatment, that may be a potential strategy for commercial application in strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nuclear main control room (MCR) is a crucial part of a nuclear power plant (NPP) where qualified staffs are monitoring and controlling the function and productivity of the whole plant. In a safely operated NPP, the performance of MCR personnel is critical. A properly designed MCR and human-system interface (HSI) is central to safe and efficient operations of the plant, since it reduces the occurrence of incidents, accidents and the risks of human related errors; thus, the physical characteristics of the users must be considered in the design of the MCR, taking into account the height and size of those users. The design of large display panels, control consoles, vertical control panels, and machinery rooms must be adequately designed, and the application of the anthropometric principles in all design stages of the MCR is crucial. When human anthropometry is taken into considerations in the design process, the MCR suits better the capabilities and limitations of the operators. During the design process, manufacturers and designers should consider the sizes, shapes, abilities, and constraints of the people for whom they are designing the MCR since anthropometric data varies significantly between different communities in various geographical territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing method for quantitative detection of DNA hydroxymethylation (5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-hmC) using T4 β-glucosyltransferase (β-GT) and graphene oxide (GO) for enzymatic and chemical modification of the 5-hmC. β-GT selectively glucosylated the hydroxymethyl group of 5-hmC to improve selectivity, whereas GO, which loads substantial amounts of the ECL reagent, was used as the signal amplification element to enhance assay sensitivity. The ECL bioassay involved the capture of DNA containing 5-hmC, which was chemically modified with a glucose moiety, through hybridization with complimentary 5′-thiol-modified DNA on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) under the catalysis of β-GT. The dichlorotris (1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium-assembled GO (Ru(phen) 3 2+ /GO) composite was coupled to the electrode surface via a bridging agent, and provided excellent ECL signal. The bridging agent used was 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA), boronic acid and its derivatives can interact with 1,2- or 1,3-diols (such as glucose) to generate 5- or 6-membered cyclic boronate esters. The obtained ECL intensity was positively correlated with the concentration of DNA containing 5-hmC, the linear range was from 0.01 pM to 1.00 nM, with a low limit of detection of 3.84 fM. Our results demonstrate that use of enzymatic and chemical modification in combination with highly sensitive ECL is a facile and promising approach for DNA hydroxymethylation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review describes the construction of the siVEGF complex, its mechanism of action in the organism and its application in disease in three main parts. [Display omitted] Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important factor in the development of some diseases such as tumors, ocular neovascular disease and endometriosis. Inhibition of abnormal VEGF expression is one of the most effective means of treating these diseases. The resistance and side effects of currently used VEGF drugs limit their application. Herein, small interfering RNA for VEGF (siVEGF) are developed to inhibit VEGF expression at the genetic level by means of RNA interference. However, as a foreign substance entering the organism, siVEGF is prone to induce an immune response or mismatch, which adversely affects the organism. It is also subjected to enzymatic degradation and cell membrane blockage, which greatly reduces its therapeutic effect. Targeted siVEGF complexes are constructed by nanocarriers to avoid their clearance by the body and precisely target cells, exerting anti-vascular effects for the treatment of relevant diseases. In addition, some multifunctional complexes allow for the combination of siVEGF with other therapeutic tools to improve the treat efficiency of the disease. Therefore, this review describes the construction of the siVEGF complex, its mechanism of action, application in anti-blood therapy, and provides an outlook on its current problems and prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Whole-body or T cell-specific deletion of JAK2 completely prevented EAE onset. • JAK1/2 inhibitor baricitinib alleviated EAE severity. • Selective JAK2 inhibitor fedratinib alleviated EAE severity. • Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of JAK2 reduced T H 1 differentiation. • JAK2 promoted T H 1 polarization via STAT5/T-bet signaling. Multiple sclerosis (MS) has been considered as a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. However, the signaling pathways regulating effector T cells in MS have yet to be elucidated. Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) plays a crucial role in hematopoietic/immune cytokine receptor signal transduction. Here, we tested the mechanistic regulation of JAK2 and the therapeutic potential of pharmacological JAK2 inhibition in MS. Both inducible whole-body JAK2 knockout and T cell-specific JAK2 knockout completely prevented the onset of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a widely used MS animal model. Mice with JAK2 deficiency in T cells exhibited minimal demyelination and minimal CD45+ leukocyte infiltration in the spinal cord, accompanied by a remarkable reduction of T helper cell type 1 (T H 1) and type 17 (T H 17) in the draining lymph nodes and spinal cord. In vitro experiments showed that disruption of JAK2 markedly suppressed T H 1 differentiation and IFNγ production. The phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) was reduced in JAK2 deficient T cells, while STAT5 overexpression significantly increased T H 1 and IFNγ production in STAT5 transgenic mice. Consistent with these results, JAK1/2 inhibitor baricitinib or selective JAK2 inhibitor fedratinib attenuated the frequencies of T H 1 as well as T H 17 in the draining lymph nodes and alleviated the EAE disease activity in mice. Our findings suggest that overactive JAK2 signaling in T lymphocytes is the culprit in EAE, which may serve as a potent therapeutic target for autoimmune disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Epinecidin-1 had anti B. cinerea activity in vitro and in peach fruit. • Epinecidin-1 damaged B. cinerea mycelia cell membranes. • Epinecidin-1 induced ROS accumulation in B. cinerea. • Epinecidin-1 interacted with B. cinerea genomic DNA. This study investigated the mechanism of epinecidin-1 against Botrytis cinerea , in vitro, and its effectiveness at inhibiting gray mold on postharvest peach fruit. We found that in vitro, epinecidin-1 had significantly greater antifungal activity against B. cinerea than either clavanin-A or mytimycin, two other marine derived antimicrobial peptides that we tested. Its antifungal activity was heat-resistant (15 min at 40–100 °C) and tolerant to lower concentrations of cations (<100 mM Na+, K+; <10 mM Ca2+). Epinecidin-1 interacted directly with B. cinerea genomic DNA, and that in mycelia, epinecidin-1 exposure induced accumulation of intracellular ROS and increased the permeability of cell membranes resulting in leakage of nucleic acids and aberrant cell morphology. Meanwhile, 200 μM of epinecidin-1 had a significant inhibitory effect on gray mold injected into peach fruit. These results suggested that epinecidin-1 showed promise as a potential method for controlling postharvest gray mold in peaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress play critical roles in myoblast differentiation. However, the regulation roles of miRNAs and ER stress in myogenic differentiation have not been fully revealed and need to be further studied. Here, we discovered that the expression levels of miR-181a-5p were strongly upregulated during C2C12 cell differentiation. miR-181a-5p overexpression promoted ER stress and differentiation of C2C12 cells, which was accompanied by increasing expression levels of marker genes related to ER stress-mediated apoptosis and myogenic differentiation. Opposite results were observed after inhibition of the miR-181a-5p expression. The gain- and loss-of-function experiments on C2C12 cells showed that miR-181a-5p affected the development of muscle fiber type, but had no significant influence on C2C12 cell proliferation. In the ER-stressed C2C12 cells induced by thapsigargin (Tg), the expression levels of both miR-181a-5p and marker genes related to ER stress and myogenesis were upregulated. In the ER-stressed C2C12 cells and porcine muscle fibroblast (PMF) cells pretreated with Tg, we found that miR-181a-5p targeted glucose-regulated protein, 78 kDa/binding immunoglobulin protein (GRP78/BIP), and influenced cell apoptosis. In conclusion, these results indicate that miR-181a-5p and ER stress have positive synergistic effects on myogenic differentiation by increasing the expression levels of myogenic differentiation key genes and activating the ER stress-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot air (HA) treatment (38 °C, 12 h) and Cryptococcus laurentii were investigated separately or in combination for controlling postharvest decay caused by artificially inoculated with Botrytis cinerea , or natural infection in cherry tomato at different maturity stages. Results indicated that the combined treatment significantly reduced disease incidence of gray mold in cherry tomato at both mature green and pink stages regardless fruit were artificially inoculated with B. cinerea before or after treatment. The disease incidence of mature green fruit was lower than that of pink fruit with the same treatment. Similar results were observed on testing fruit with natural infection. HA could postpone fruit softening and increase the population density of C. laurentii in fruit wounds. Moreover, HA combined with C. laurentii induced higher activities of peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chitinase, and β-1, 3-glucanases than the control. These results suggest that HA combined with C. laurentii had a curative and preventive effect to control postharvest disease in cherry tomato at both mature green and pink stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problems with intergranular oxidation, energy efficiency and carbon footprint of the conventional endothermic atmosphere (CO–H 2 –N 2 ) carburizing are forcing heat treating and manufacturing companies to move toward increasingly capital- and operating-cost expensive, low-pressure/vacuum carburizing methods. To offer a less-expensive alternative, a new activated carburizing method has recently been developed, bridging the endothermic atmosphere and vacuum processes, where a plasma-activated, oxygen-free, non-equilibrium nitrogen–hydrocarbons gas blend is utilized. The optimization of activated carburizing for industrial application presented here involved improvement of multi-dimensional case uniformity. As a part of this optimization, a computational fluid dynamics study was conducted for examination of gas flow field inside heat treating furnace and trays holding steel parts treated. To maximize carburizing rate and mitigate soot in non-equilibrium nitrogen–hydrocarbon atmospheres, effects of different gas mixture combinations were investigated. A mixture of N 2 –0.4% C 3 H 8 –1% CH 4 mixture has been found to provide a well carburized case with minimized soot in the atmosphere and reduced coke deposition on the metal surface. The soot formation mechanisms for non-equilibrium carburizing atmospheres were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converting nitrate to ammonia (NH 3) with the use of electricity produced from renewable energy provides an alternative and sustainable route for NH 3 synthesis under ambient conditions. However, due to the complex mechanism involving eight electrons and nine protons transfer processes in nitrate-to-ammonia conversion, reactions run with Cu-based catalysts for NH 3 often exhibit limited selectivity and yield. Here, we report a single-atom Ni-alloyed Cu catalyst that exclusively converts nitrate into NH 3 with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of ~100% and a yield rate of 326.7 μmol h−1 cm−2 at − 0.55 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). X-ray absorption fine structure evidence and density functional theory calculations reveal that the activated single Ni atom on the Cu catalyst regulates the third protonation step of the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (eNO 3 -RR) and increases the interaction between the Ni atom and the crucial NOOH* intermediate, thus decreasing the limiting potential and inhibiting byproduct formation. A rough estimation suggests that the price of fertilizer produced by this single-atom alloyed catalyst through the eNO 3 -RR is competitive with the Haber-Bosch process. Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction constitutes an alternative and sustainable route for NH 3 synthesis under ambient conditions. Here, the authors present a single-atom Ni-alloyed Cu electrocatalyst that exclusively converts nitrate into NH 3 with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of ~100%. [Display omitted] • A single-atom Ni-alloyed Cu electrocatalyst that specifically converts nitrate into NH 3. • A maximum Faradaic efficiency of ~100% can be achieved on Ni 1 Cu-SAA. • Incorporated single Ni atom decreases the limiting potential and inhibits byproduct formation. • Fertilizer prices produced by eNO 3 -RR on Ni 1 Cu-SAA are competitive with the Haber-Bosch process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trehalose alleviates the effects of chilling injury in peach fruit • NMR reveals higher sucrose content in trehalose treated peaches • Trehalose treatment decreases expression of SnRK1, promoting the accumulation of sucrose • Trehalose improves the cold tolerance of peach by affecting sucrose levels Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was applied to identify the metabolic differences in trehalose-treated and -untreated peach fruit during storage at 5°C in this study. Forty-one metabolites were identified using NMR; trehalose-treated peaches had higher sucrose, proline, and choline content, and lower glucose, fructose and gluconic acid content. These metabolic changes were accompanied by lower levels of chilling injury (CI). Trehalose-treated fruit had lower levels PpSnRK1 expression, resulting in lower sucrose decomposition and higher sucrose synthesis. We suggest that accumulated sucrose in trehalose-treated peaches is associated with the decrease in expression of PpSnRK1 and increases in the expression and activity of the sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS). This probably results in the improvement of chilling resistance in peach fruit. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard methods for detecting differential gene expression are mostly designed for analyzing a single gene expression experiment. When data from multiple related gene expression studies are available, separately analyzing each study is not ideal as it may fail to detect important genes with consistent but relatively weak differential signals in multiple studies. Jointly modeling all data allows one to borrow information across studies to improve the analysis. However, a simple concordance model, in which each gene is assumed to be differential in either all studies or none of the studies, is incapable of handling genes with study-specific differential expression. In contrast, a model that naively enumerates and analyzes all possible differential patterns across studies can deal with study-specificity and allow information pooling, but the complexity of its parameter space grows exponentially as the number of studies increases. Here, we propose a correlation motif approach to address this dilemma. This approach searches for a small number of latent probability vectors called correlation motifs to capture the major correlation patterns among multiple studies. The motifs provide the basis for sharing information among studies and genes. The approach has flexibility to handle all possible study-specific differential patterns. It improves detection of differential expression and overcomes the barrier of exponential model complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To evaluate if the addition of glutamine (Gln) precursors could enhance the utilization rate of plant protein on molecular level, the expressions of glutamine synthetase ( GS) gene were analysed under supplementation of α-ketoglutaric acid ( AKG), ornithine-α-ketoglutaric acid ( OKG), glutamic acid (Glu), and Gln. The relative quantification of GS gene expression in the plant meal ( PM) group was significantly lower than the fish meal ( FM) group. All the four additives increased the GS gene expression. The additive that most significantly increased the GS gene expression, Gln concentration and GS activity was glutamic acid. Supplementation of AKG in plant meal can improve the GS activity and Gln concentration. Effect of OKG on the activity of GS was not significant. The GS expression was up-regulated by Gln, but had no significant effects on the Gln concentration and GS activity. In conclusion, substitution of plant protein for animal protein reduced the GS gene expression, and the supplementation of Gln precursors was capable of promoting the expression of GS gene in common carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Preharvest spraying with C. laurentii reduced postharvest decay of strawberry fruit. [•] The frequency of spraying C. laurentii significantly influenced control efficiency. [•] Three applications of C. laurentii before harvest improved biocontrol efficiency. [•] Preharvest treatment with C. laurentii did not significantly affect fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mutant p53 plays a vital role in the control of cell survival and division under various stresses, including apoptosis and ferroptosis. Here, we showed that eupaformosanin (Eup), a natural compound isolated from Eupatorium cannabinum Linn., significantly inhibited the viability of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Meanwhile, mitochondrial apoptosis contributed to the apoptosis induced by Eup, followed by the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP; Δψm) and accumulation of mitochondrial ROS (mt ROS). Apoptosis inhibitor Z-VAD rescued Eup-induced cell death. Afterward, ferroptosis-induced cell death was demonstrated after treatment with Eup, accompanied by lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, glutathione (GSH) depletion, and iron increase. These events were blocked by ferroptosis inhibitors ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1), deferoxamine (DFO), and liproxstatin-1 (lip-1), indicating that ferroptosis facilitated Eup-induced cell death. Furthermore, Eup regulated mutant p53 ubiquitination. Mutant p53 signaling pathway participated in Eup-induced apoptosis and ferroptosis, which were rescued when mutant p53 was silent in TNBC cells. Also, Eup exerted an anti-TNBC effect by inducing apoptosis and ferroptosis in vivo. Taken together, the data demonstrate that the natural compound Eup is a potential TNBC therapeutic agent that induces apoptosis and ferroptosis through ubiquitination of mutant p53. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea tree oil liposomes (TTO-LPs) were prepared using thin film dispersion and orthogonal optimization. TTO solid liposomes (TTO-SLPs) were then generated from TTO-LPs by spray drying, using (2-Hydroxypropyl)-β-Cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) as a drying protective agent. The physical and chemical characteristics of TTO-LPs and TTO-SLPs were determined, and their antifungal activities against Monilinia fructicola were measured. Finally, TTO-SLPs were applied to peaches to test their antifungal effects on fruit during storage. The optimal process parameters for the preparation of TTO-LPs were as follows: TTO concentration, 2 mL L−1; phosphate buffered solution (PBS) pH, 7.1; soybean lecithin-cholesterol mass ratio, 4:1; ultrasonic power, 500 W. With these parameters, encapsulation efficiency reached 81.75%. TTO-LPs exhibited stability and high antifungal activity. Encapsulation into solid liposomes improved the thermal stability of TTO and maintained their antifungal properties. TTO-SLPs inhibited postharvest brown rot, preserving fruit quality after harvest. TTO-SLPs therefore offer a potentially efficient biological method for controlling brown rot and quality decline of postharvest peach fruit, without the adverse environmental effects associated with synthetic fungicides. • TTO-LPs and TTO-SLPs were prepared and characterized. • TTO-LPs are stable and have antifungal activity. • TTO-SLPs have better thermal stability than TTO. • TTO-SLPs inhibit peach brown rot without negative effect on fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Candida pseudolambica W16 inhibits gray mold in peach fruit. • C. pseudolambica W16 grows rapidly in wounds and on surfaces of peach fruit. • VOCs from C. pseudolambica W16 suppress germination and growth of B. cinerea. • VOCs cause morphological and ultrastructural changes in B. cinerea. • 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol are the main component of VOCs. The effectiveness of Candida pseudolambica W16 as a biocontrol agent against Botrytis cinerea in peach fruit was investigated. The results show that C. pseudolambica W16 significantly reduced the disease incidence of gray mold by 41.2 % on day 3 in peach inoculated with B. cinerea , and repressed natural decay whilst having no negative effects on postharvest quality of non-inoculated fruit. The modes of action investigated were including in vivo growth dynamics, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) effects, parasitism, and biofilm formation. C. pseudolambica W16 rapidly colonized on the fruit surface and within the wounds that are artificially made in peaches; these were determined using growth assays and scanning electronic microscopy, respectively. VOCs emitted from C. pseudolambica W16 inhibited the mycelial growth and conidia germination o f B. cinerea , and caused abnormalities in mycelium morphology and ultrastructure. Fourteen VOCs were identified with the main compounds being 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol, which made up 85.90 % of the relative peak area. C. pseudolambica W16 did not produce detectable amounts of the hydrolytic enzymes chitinase, β-1,3- glucanase, protease, or cellulase. Its ability to form a biofilm was weak. These results indicate that the rapid growth and antifungal VOCs production of C. pseudolambica W16 are the primary modes of action against B. cinerea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS), a clinically high mortality disease, has not been effectively treated till now, and the development of anti-acute lung injury drugs is imminent. Acute lung injury was efficiently treated by inhibiting the cascade of inflammation, and reducing the inflammatory response in the lung. A series of novel compounds with highly efficient inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors were designed by using 4-indolyl-2-aminopyrimidine as the core skeleton. Totally eleven 4-indolyl-2-arylaminopyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized. As well, the related anti -ALI activity of these compounds was evaluated. Compounds 6c and 6h showed a superior activity among these compounds, and the inhibition rate of IL-6 and IL-8 release ranged from 62% to 77%, and from 65% to 72%, respectively. Furthermore, most of compounds had no significant cytotoxicity in vitro. The infiltration of inflammatory cells into lung tissue significantly reduced by using compound 6h (20 mg/kg) in the ALI mice model, which achieved the effect of protecting lung tissue and improving ALI. In addition, the inflammatory response was inhibited by using compound 6h through inhibiting phosphorylation of p-38 and ERK in MAPK signaling pathway, and resulted in protective effect on ALI. These data indicated that compound 6h showed good anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo , which was expected to become a leading compound for the treatment of ALI. [Display omitted] • A novel series of 2-arylamino-4-indolyl pyrimidine derivatives were designed. • Eleven compounds were prepared and evaluated. • Most of the compounds effectively suppressed LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-8. • Compound 6h could be a potent anti-inflammatory candidate for ALI therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently developed electrocatalysts are difficult to achieve high thermodynamic stability at each active site. Early transition metal oxides are promising electrocatalysts with excellent thermodynamic stability and water dissociation ability for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, they have not been developed as direct-electrocatalysts for water splitting. Here, we introduce oxygen vacancies (Vo) by electrodeposition to convert early transition metal oxides (scandium oxide (Sc 2 O 3), yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3), and zirconium oxide (ZrO 2)) into active electrocatalysts. By optimizing the metal element species and Vo content, the screened Y 2 O 2.13 @GP shows the lowest overpotential (266 mV at 500 mA cm−2. Moreover, Y 2 O 2.13 @GP is able to operate stably for over 1000 h at a current density of 500 mA cm−2 under harsh industrial conditions of 6.0 M KOH and 80°C without dissolution and reconstruction. Experimental studies and theoretical calculations indicate that the introduction of Vo can enhance the conductivity of the catalyst, increase the exposure of the active sites, modulate the electronic structure of Y 2 O 2.13 @GP, and decrease the *H adsorption and water dissociation energy barriers. [Display omitted] • Early transition metal oxides are used for the first time as direct-electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction. • Y 2 O 2.13 @GP is able to operate stably for over 1000 h (at 500 mA cm−2) under harsh industrial conditions. • Density functional theory calculations indicate that Vo can decrease the *H adsorption and H 2 O dissociation energy barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]