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Summary: Seed vigour, including rapid, uniform germination and robust seedling establishment under various field conditions, is becoming an increasingly essential agronomic trait for achieving high yield in crops. However, little is known about this important seed quality trait. In this study, we performed a genome‐wide association study to identify a key transcription factor ZmRap2.7, which regulates seed vigour through transcriptionally repressing expressions of three ABA signalling genes ZmPYL3, ZmPP2C and ZmABI5 and two phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding genes ZCN9 and ZCN10. In addition, ZCN9 and ZCN10 proteins could interact with ZmPYL3, ZmPP2C and ZmABI5 proteins, and loss‐of‐function of ZmRap2.7 and overexpression of ZCN9 and ZCN10 reduced ABA sensitivity and seed vigour, suggesting a complex regulatory network for regulation of ABA signalling mediated seed vigour. Finally, we showed that four SNPs in ZmRap2.7 coding region influenced its transcriptionally binding activity to the downstream gene promoters. Together with previously identified functional variants within and surrounding ZmRap2.7, we concluded that the distinct allelic variations of ZmRap2.7 were obtained independently during maize domestication and improvement, and responded separately for the diversities of seed vigour, flowering time and brace root development. These results provide novel genes, a new regulatory network and an evolutional mechanism for understanding the molecular mechanism of seed vigour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Maize plastid terminal oxidase1 (ZmPTOX1) plays a pivotal role in seed development by upholding redox balance within seed plastids. This study focuses on characterizing the white kernel mutant 3735 (wk3735) mutant, which yields pale‐yellow seeds characterized by heightened protein but reduced carotenoid levels, along with delayed germination compared to wild‐type (WT) seeds. We successfully cloned and identified the target gene ZmPTOX1, responsible for encoding maize PTOX—a versatile plastoquinol oxidase and redox sensor located in plastid membranes. While PTOX's established role involves regulating redox states and participating in carotenoid metabolism in Arabidopsis leaves and tomato fruits, our investigation marks the first exploration of its function in storage organs lacking a photosynthetic system. Through our research, we validated the existence of plastid‐localized ZmPTOX1, existing as a homomultimer, and established its interaction with ferredoxin‐NADP+ oxidoreductase 1 (ZmFNR1), a crucial component of the electron transport chain (ETC). This interaction contributes to the maintenance of redox equilibrium within plastids. Our findings indicate a propensity for excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in wk3735 seeds. Beyond its known role in carotenoids' antioxidant properties, ZmPTOX1 also impacts ROS homeostasis owing to its oxidizing function. Altogether, our results underscore the critical involvement of ZmPTOX1 in governing seed development and germination by preserving redox balance within the seed plastids. Significance Statement: Aside from its established role as a vital regulator of redox states and its involvement in carotenoid metabolism, as observed in Arabidopsis leaves and tomato fruits, this study marks the inaugural exploration into PTOX's function within storage organs lacking a photosynthetic system. Our findings elucidate how ZmPTOX1 significantly impacts protein and starch accumulation in seeds, along with the pace of seed germination. Moreover, it actively maintains redox equilibrium across various stages of seed development and germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin γ-1 heavy chain constant region (IGHG1) is a functional isoform of immunoglobulins and plays an important role in the cytolytic activity of immune effector cells. Dysregulated IGHG1 was implicated in the occurrence and development of various tumors. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is an endogenous fluorophore and is used in photodynamic therapy, which induces the generation of reactive oxygen species to initiate the death of tumor cells. However, the roles of IGHG1 in the colorectal cancer cell proliferation and PpIX accumulation have not been reported yet. Data from qRT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that IGHG1 was up-regulated in the colorectal cancer cells. Colorectal cancer cells were then transfected with shRNA targeting IGHG1 to down-regulate IGHG1 and conducted with Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) and colony formation assays. Results demonstrated that shRNA-mediated down-regulation of IGHG1 decreased cell viability of colorectal cancer and suppressed cell proliferation. Moreover, PpIX accumulation was promoted and the hemin content was decreased by the silence of IGHG1. Interference of IGHG1 reduced the phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and ferrochelatase (FECH) expression, resulting in retarded cell proliferation in an MEK-FECH axis-dependent pathway.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging is a promising technique that combines the advantages of PET and MR to provide both functional and structural information of the brain. Deep learning (DL) is a subfield of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on developing algorithms and models inspired by the structure and function of the human brain's neural networks. DL has been applied to various aspects of PET/MR imaging in AD, such as image segmentation, image reconstruction, diagnosis and prediction, and visualization of pathological features. In this review, we introduce the basic concepts and types of DL algorithms, such as feed forward neural networks, convolutional neural networks, recurrent neural networks, and autoencoders. We then summarize the current applications and challenges of DL in PET/MR imaging in AD, and discuss the future directions and opportunities for automated diagnosis, predictions of models, and personalized medicine. We conclude that DL has great potential to improve the quality and efficiency of PET/MR imaging in AD, and to provide new insights into the pathophysiology and treatment of this devastating disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the tourism industry has developed rapidly. However, traditional tourism information has the disadvantages of slow response speed and limited information content, which cannot reflect the evolution trend of spatial and temporal patterns of tourism information in time. Here, based on the Baidu Index, we construct an evaluation framework to analyse the spatial and temporal flow of tourism information in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban cluster from 2011 to 2021. Then, we analyse the urban links between different network levels from the evolution pattern. Finally, we use the geodetector model to analyse its driving mechanism. The results show that Chengdu and Chongqing are the most active cities in the study area in terms of tourism information. The unbalanced development of tourism information between Chengdu and Chongqing and other cities in the region gradually deepens during the period 2011–2019 (polarization effect), but the unbalanced development moderates after 2019. On the other hand, cities in the middle of the Chengdu–Chongqing cluster always have weak agglomeration effects of tourism information. Cities with high tourism information outflow rates in the Chengdu–Chongqing city cluster are mainly concentrated around Chengdu. The average outflow rate of Deyang is the highest, at 27.8%. Cities with low tourist information outflow rates are primarily located in the west, central and south. Ya'an is the city with the lowest outflow rate, with an average of −62.2%. Specifically, Chengdu is the dominant and most radiantly influential city. The tourism information of the Chengdu–Chongqing urban cluster shows a radial network with Chengdu and Chongqing as the core. The driving force analysis shows that the push factor of tourist source, such as the number of people buying pension insurance, is the core driving mechanism, while the pull factor of destination, such as the park green area, and resistance factors such as psychological distance, are in the secondary position. In general, this paper uses Internet tourism data to expand the traditional tourism information research of the Chengdu–Chongqing urban cluster, which can better respond to the changes and needs of the tourism market and provide reference for the spatial optimization of tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanin, a kind of flavonoid, plays a crucial role in plant resistance to abiotic stress. Salt stress is a kind of abiotic stress that can damage the growth and development of plant seedlings. However, limited research has been conducted on the involvement of maize seedlings in salt stress resistance via anthocyanin accumulation, and its potential molecular mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, it is of great significance for the normal growth and development of maize seedlings to explore the potential molecular mechanism of anthocyanin improving salt tolerance of seedlings via transcriptome analysis. In this study, we identified two W22 inbred lines (tolerant line pur–W22 and sensitive line bro–W22) exhibiting differential tolerance to salt stress during seedling growth and development but showing no significant differences in seedling characteristics under non–treatment conditions. In order to identify the specific genes involved in seedlings' salt stress response, we generated two recombinant inbred lines (RILpur–W22 and RILbro–W22) by crossing pur–W22 and bro–W22, and then performed transcriptome analysis on seedlings grown under both non–treatment and salt treatment conditions. A total of 6100 and 5710 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in RILpur–W22 and RILbro–W22 seedlings, respectively, under salt–stressed conditions when compared to the non–treated groups. Among these DEGs, 3160 were identified as being present in both RILpur–W22 and RILbro–W22, and these served as commonly stressed EDGs that were mainly enriched in the redox process, the monomer metabolic process, catalytic activity, the plasma membrane, and metabolic process regulation. Furthermore, we detected 1728 specific DEGs in the salt–tolerant RILpur–W22 line that were not detected in the salt–sensitive RILbro–W22 line, of which 887 were upregulated and 841 were downregulated. These DEGs are primarily associated with redox processes, biological regulation, and the plasma membrane. Notably, the anthocyanin synthesis related genes in RILpur–W22 were strongly induced under salt treatment conditions, which was consistented with the salt tolerance phenotype of its seedlings. In summary, the results of the transcriptome analysis not only expanded our understanding of the complex molecular mechanism of anthocyanin in improving the salt tolerance of maize seedlings, but also, the DEGs specifically expressed in the salt–tolerant line (RILpur–W22) provided candidate genes for further genetic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to search for the predictive value of 3D fat analysis and calculation technique (FACT) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters in identifying osteoporosis in women. Methods: We enrolled 48 female subjects who underwent 3.0 T MRI, including 3D FACT and IVIM sequences. Bone mineral density (BMD) values and Fracture Risk Assessment (FRAX) scores were obtained. Proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in the bone marrow and the real diffusion (D) value of intervertebral discs were measured on 3D FACT and IVIM images, respectively. Accuracy and bias were assessed by linear regression analysis and Bland–Altman plots. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess the measurements' reproducibility. Spearman's rank correlation was applied to explore the correlation. MRI-based parameters were tested for significant differences among the three groups using ANOVA analyses. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Results: The PDFF of the vertebral body showed a negative correlation with BMD (R = −0.393, p = 0.005) and a positive correlation with the FRAX score (R = 0.706, p < 0.001). The D value of intervertebral discs showed a positive correlation with BMD (R = 0.321, p = 0.024) and a negative correlation with the FRAX score (R = −0.334, p = 0.019). The area under the curve values from the ROC analysis showed that the 3D FACT and IVIM sequences could accurately differentiate between normal and osteoporosis (AUC = 0.88 using the PDFF; AUC = 0.77 using the D value). The PDFF value demonstrated a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 78.6%, 89.5%, 84.6%, and 85.0%, respectively, in its ability to predict osteoporosis. The D value had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 63.16%, 92.9%, 65.0%, and 77.8%, respectively, for predicting osteoporosis. Conclusions: The 3D FACT- and IVIM-measured PDFF and D values are promising biomarkers in the assessment of bone quality and fracture risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venous cystic adventitial disease (VCAD) is a rare vascular anomaly located in the common femoral vein in most cases. We describe the case of a 59-year-old female patient with right leg edema who was misdiagnosed with deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremity at another hospital. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed a round mass in the popliteal vein, with a narrow lumen. Considering the location of the lesion, absence of a history of deep venous thrombosis and trauma, and clinical manifestations, the diagnosis is likely a popliteal vein adventitial cyst. Segmental popliteal vein resection and reconstruction were performed using a cylindrical great saphenous vein graft. No joint connection was found during the operation, and the postoperative pathology confirmed VCAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, sweet corn, particularly sh2 sweet corn, has low seed vigor owing to its high sugar and low starch content, which is a major problem in sweet corn production, particularly at low temperatures. There is considerable variation in the germination rates among sweet corn varieties under low-temperature conditions, and the underlying mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unclear. In this study, we screened two inbred sweet corn lines (tolerant line L282 and sensitive line L693) differing in their low-temperature germination rates; while no difference was observed in their germination rates at normal temperatures. To identify the specifically induced genes influencing the germination capacity of sweet corn at low temperatures, a transcriptome analysis of the two lines was conducted at both normal and low temperatures. Compared to the lines at a normal temperature, 3926 and 1404 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from L282 and L693, respectively, under low-temperature conditions. Of them, 830 DEGs were common DEGs (cDEGs) that were identified from both L282 and L693, which were majorly enriched in terms of microtubule-based processes, histone H3-K9 modification, single-organism cellular processes, and carbohydrate metabolic processes. In addition, 3096 special DEGs (sDEGs), with 2199 upregulated and 897 downregulated, were detected in the tolerant line L282, but not in the sensitive line L693. These sDEGs were primarily related to plasma membranes and oxygen-containing compounds. Furthermore, electric conductivity measurements demonstrated that the membrane of L282 experienced less damage, which is consistent with its strong tolerance at low temperatures. These results expand our understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in the cold germination of sweet corn and provide a set of candidate genes for further genetic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins are a class of antioxidants that scavenge free radicals in cells and play an important role in promoting human health and preventing many diseases. Here, we characterized a maize Bronze gene (BZ1) from the purple colored W22 introgression line, which encodes an anthocyanin 3-O-glucosyltransferase, a key enzyme in the anthocyanin synthesis pathway. Mutation of ZmBZ1 showed bronze-colored seeds and reduced anthocyanins in seeds aleurone layer, seedlings coleoptile, and stem of mature plants by comparison with purple colored W22 (WT). Furthermore, we proved that maize BZ1 is an aleurone layer-specific expressed protein and sub-located in cell nucleus. Real-time tracing of the anthocyanins in developing seeds demonstrated that the pigment was visible from 16 DAP (day after pollination) in field condition, and first deposited in the crown part then spread all over the seed. Additionally, it was transferred along with the embryo cell activity during seed germination, from aleurone layer to cotyledon and coleoptile, as confirmed by microscopy and real-time qRT-PCR. Finally, we demonstrated that the ZmBZ1 contributes to stress tolerance, especially salinity. Further study proved that ZmBZ1 participates in reactive oxygen scavenging (ROS) by accumulating anthocyanins, thereby enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this article is to investigate whether the percutaneous delivery of compound lidocaine cream by roller microneedles can shorten the minimal effective onset time of anesthesia, enhance the intensity of anesthesia and prolong the analgesic time, so as to provide a theoretical basis for exploring a comfortable, safe and effective anesthesia method for photoelectric cosmetic surgery. Methods: A total of 90 healthy volunteers, including 18 male and 72 female, met the criteria and were enrolled in the study from December 2020 to September 2021 in Department of Plastic and Burn Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. This study adopted a two‐factor randomized block design of 3 (anesthesia time on the test side: 30, 45, 60 min) × 2 (the test side: the left and right side), and the subjects were divided into group A (n = 30), group B (n = 30), and group C (n = 30). On the test side, the compound lidocaine cream was used for topic anesthesia for 10 min, then the roller microneedle was used to roll on the treatment area, compound lidocaine cream was appropriately supplemented, and the topic anesthesia was kept continued for 20 min (group A), 35 min (group B), and 50 min (group C), respectively. The mirrorsymmetrical area of the test side of the three groups was the control side, and the compound lidocaine cream was used for topic anesthesia for 60 min. Photoelectric therapy was performed after anesthesia was completed. The analgesic effect of the subjects on both sides was comprehensively compared; the scores were obtained using the Kuttner Facial Expression Scale, the Frankl Treatment Compliance Scale, the Houpt Behavior Scale, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS); the satisfaction with anesthesia was investigated. Before and after treatment the skin temperature, color and adverse reactions of the subjects were recorded. Results: Comparing both sides of the same group, there was no significant difference in terms of the comprehensive evaluation, intraoperative comfort, tolerance, cooperation, pain or satisfaction between the 30‐min test side and the routine anesthesia side in group A; the comprehensive evaluation, intraoperative tolerance, cooperation degree, pain degree and satisfaction evaluation of the subjects on the 45‐min test side in group B were significantly better than those on the control side; the comprehensive evaluation, intraoperative comfort, tolerance, cooperation, pain and satisfaction of the subjects on the 60‐min test side in group C were significantly better than those on the control side. Comparing groups on the control side, there was no significant difference in the comprehensive evaluation, intraoperative comfort, tolerance, cooperation, pain or satisfaction between the three groups of subjects on the control side. Comparing the three groups on the test side, with the prolongation of compound lidocaine cream indwelling time, the subjects' comprehensive evaluation, comfort and pain degree were significantly improved. There was no significant difference in postoperative bruising, swelling, pain, discoloration, redness, or tenderness between the test side and the control side. Conclusion: The percutaneous delivery of compound lidocaine cream by roller microneedles can not only shorten the effective time of anesthesia, but also has a good analgesic effect without obvious adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epialleles, the heritable epigenetic variants that are not caused by changes in DNA sequences, can broaden genetic and phenotypic diversity and benefit to crop breeding, but very few epialleles related to agricultural traits have been identified in maize. Here, we cloned a small kernel mutant, smk-wl10 , from maize, which encoded a tubulin-folding cofactor B (ZmTFCB) protein. Expression of the ZmTFCB gene decreased in the smk-wl10 mutant, which arrested embryo, endosperm and basal endosperm transfer layer developments. Overexpression of ZmTFCB could complement the defective phenotype of smk-wl10. No nucleotide sequence variation in ZmTFCB could be found between smk-wl10 and wild type (WT). Instead, we detected hypermethylation of nucleotide CHG (where H is A, C or T nucleotide) sequence contexts and increased level of histone H3K9me2 methylation in the upstream sequence of ZmTFCB in smk-wl10 compared with WT, which might respond to the attenuating transcription of ZmTFCB. In addition, yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays identified a strong interaction between ZmTFCB and its homolog ZmTFCE. Thus, our work identifies a novel epiallele of the maize ZmTFCB gene, which might represent a common phenomenon in the epigenetic regulation of important traits such as kernel development in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although bulked segregant analysis (BSA) has been used extensively in genetic mapping, user-friendly tools which can integrate current algorithms for researchers with no background in bioinformatics are scarce. To address this issue, we developed an R package, PNGSeqR, which takes single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from next-generation sequencing (NGS) data in variant call format (VCF) as the input file, provides four BSA algorithms to indicate the magnitude of genome-wide signals, and rapidly defines the candidate region through the permutation test and fractile quantile. Users can choose the analysis methods according to their data and experimental design. In addition, it also supports differential expression gene analysis (DEG) and gene ontology analysis (GO) to prioritize the target gene. Once the analysis is completed, the plots can conveniently be exported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize originated from tropical regions and is extremely sensitive to low temperature during germination. Our previous work identified a major QTL, qp1ER1-1, for low temperature germination ability (LTGA) of maize. Here, we introgressed qp1ER1-1 from the tolerant line L220 into the sensitive line PH4CV to generate two near isogenic lines NIL220-3 and NIL220-25. When germinated under cold temperature for 25 days (Cold-25), the NILs showed similar seedling root length and shoot length to L220, but significantly higher than PH4CV. However, when germinated under cold temperature for 15 days (Cold-15) or under normal temperature (25 °C) for 3 days (CK-3), all lines showed similar seedling performance, indicating that introgression of qp1ER1-1 from L220 into PH4CV could improve LTGA of NIL220-3 and NIL220-25. The whole seedlings, including root and shoot, of Cold-15 and CK-3 were harvested for transcriptome analysis, when both stayed at a similar developmental stage. Dry seed embryo was sequenced as a non-germination control (CK-0). Compared with PH4CV, the tolerant line (L220, NIL220-3, and NIL220-25) specifically expressed genes (different expressed genes, DEGs) were identified for CK-0, Cold-15, and CK-3. Then, DEGs identified from Cold-15, but not from CK-0 or CK-3, were defined as tolerant line specifically expressed LTGA genes. Finally, 1786, 174, and 133 DEGs were identified as L220, NIL220-3, and NIL220-25 specifically expressed LTGA genes, respectively. Of them, 27 were common LTGA genes that could be identified from all three tolerant lines, with two (Zm00001d031209 and Zm00001d031292) locating in the confidence interval of qp1ER1-1. In addition, GO analysis revealed that L220 specifically expressed LTGA genes were majorly enriched in the cell division process and plasma membrane related categories. Taken together, these results provided new insight into the molecular mechanism of maize seed LTGA and facilitated the cloning of the qp1ER1-1 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special electromagnetic properties of metamaterials have contributed to the development of terahertz technology, and terahertz broadband absorbers for various applications have been investigated. The design of metamaterial absorbers with tunability is in a particularly attractive position. In this work, a tunable broadband terahertz metamaterial absorber is proposed based on the phase transition material vanadium dioxide (VO2). The simulation results show that an excellent absorption bandwidth reaches 3.78 THz with the absorptivity over 90% under normal incidence. The absorptivity of the proposed structure can be dynamically tuned from 2.7% to 98.9% by changing the conductivity of VO2, which changes the structure from a perfect reflector to an absorber. An excellent amplitude modulation with the absorptivity is realized. The mechanism of broadband absorption is explored by analyzing the electric field distribution of the absorber based on impedance matching theory. In addition, it also has the advantage of polarization and incident angle insensitivity. The proposed absorber may have a wide range of promising applications in areas such as terahertz imaging, sensing, and detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: RUBylation plays essential roles in plant growth and development through regulating Cullin‐RING ubiquitin E3 ligase (CRL) activities and the CRL‐mediated protein degradations. However, the function of RUBylation in regulating kernel development remains unclear.Through genetic and molecular analyses of a small kernel 501 (smk501) mutant in maize (Zea mays), we cloned the smk501 gene, revealed its molecular function, and defined its roles in RUBylation pathway and seed development.Smk501 encodes a RUBylation activating enzyme E1 subunit ZmECR1 (E1 C‐TERMINAL RELATED 1) protein. Destruction in RUBylation by smk501 mutation resulted in less embryo and endosperm cell number and smaller kernel size. The transcriptome and proteome profiling, hormone evaluation and cell proliferation observation revealed that disturbing ZmECR1 expression mainly affects pathways on hormone signal transduction, cell cycle progression and starch accumulation during kernel development. In addition, mutant in zmaxr1 (Auxin resistant 1), another RUB E1 subunit, also showed similar defects in kernel development. Double mutation of zmecr1 and zmaxr1 lead to empty pericarp kernel phenotype.RUBylation is a novel regulatory pathway affecting maize kernel development, majorly through its functions in modifying multiple cellular progresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Splicing of plant organellar group II introns from precursor-RNA transcripts requires the assistance of nuclear-encoded splicing factors. Maturase (nMAT) is one such factor, as its three homologs (nMAT1, 2 and 4) have been identified as being required for the splicing of various mitochondrial introns in Arabidopsis. However, the function of nMAT in maize (Zea mays L.) is unknown. In this study, we identified a seed development mutant, empty pericarp 2441 (emp2441) from maize, which showed severely arrested embryogenesis and endosperm development. Positional cloning and transgenic complementation assays revealed that Emp2441 encodes a maturase-related protein, ZmnMAT3. ZmnMAT3 is highly expressed during seed development and its protein locates to the mitochondria. The loss of function of ZmnMAT3 resulted in the reduced splicing efficiency of various mitochondrial group II introns, particularly of the trans -splicing of nad1 introns 1, 3 and 4, which consequently abolished the transcript of nad1 and severely impaired the assembly and activity of mitochondrial complex I. Moreover, the Zmnmat3 mutant showed defective mitochondrial structure and exhibited expression and activity of alternative oxidases. These results indicate that ZmnMAT3 is essential for mitochondrial complex I assembly during kernel development in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leafy (Lfy1) is a typical late‐flowering mutant with locus being fine‐mapped, but its underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study, two near‐isogenic lines, with and without the Lfy1 locus, were developed for phenotypic and transcriptional analysis of Lfy1‐mediated floral transition. Phenotypic observation showed that wild‐type (WT) plants transited into the tassel primordium at the V6 (6 expanded leaves) stage, whereas the Lfy1 mutant maintained the vegetative stage up to the V9 stage. Transcriptome analysis of shoot tips of both lines revealed more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the V5 (394) than the V3 stage (227). Functional enrichment analysis showed that circadian clock pathway genes exhibited lower expression levels in the Lfy1 mutant than in the WT at the V5 stage. A few integrator genes that functioned as downstream regulators of circadian clock genes also showed a lower transcript abundance in mutant lines, suggesting that the Lfy1‐mediated late‐flowering phenotype was partially caused by inefficient expression of circadian clock pathway genes. These results provide molecular clues for the late‐flowering phenotype of the Lfy1 mutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to widen the absorption band of the metamaterial absorber to expand its application field, using the electromagnetic characteristics of water in the microwave band, a water-based metamaterial absorber with a structure different from the traditional "metal layer–dielectric layer–metal layer" one is proposed. The numerical simulation results show that its absorptivity of incident electromagnetic waves exceeds 90% in the ultra-wide operating band of 7.84–74.16 GHz and the absorption bandwidth can cover five bands including the X-band, Ku-band, K-band, Ka-band, and U-band. Based on the theories of equivalent medium and impedance matching, the mechanism of broadband absorption was explored by analyzing the electromagnetic field distribution and power loss density of the absorber. The designed absorber has the absorption performance of polarization independence, and it can work under a wide incident angle. In addition, the absorber has excellent thermal stability which can still maintain stable operation when the temperature changes from 0 °C to 100 °C. This water-based metamaterial absorber is of low cost, and its manufacturing process is relatively convenient, so it has broad application prospects in the fields of radar stealth, microwave darkroom, and prevention of electromagnetic radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize transformation is highly based on the formation of embryonic callus, which is mainly derived from scutellum cells of the immature maize embryo. However, only a few genes involved in callus induction have been identified in maize. To reveal the potential genes involved in the callus induction of maize, we carried out a high-throughput RNA sequencing on embryos that were cultured for 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days, respectively, on a medium containing or lacking 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. In total, 7,525 genes were found to be induced by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and categorized into eight clusters, with clusters 2 and 3 showing an increasing trend related to signal transmission, signal transduction, iron ion binding, and heme binding. Among the induced genes, 659 transcription factors belong to 51 families. An AP2 transcription factors, ZmBBM2 , was dramatically and rapidly induced by auxin and further characterization showed that overexpression of ZmBBM2 can promote callus induction and proliferation in three inbred maize lines. Therefore, our comprehensive analyses provide some insight into the early molecular regulations during callus induction and are useful for further identification of the regulators governing callus formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonances with narrow linewidths generated in metamaterials are valuable for numerous applications ranging from bio-sensing to narrow-band filter. And breaking structural symmetry of metamaterials is one of the common and efficient approaches to achieve such sharp resonances. In this paper, we present symmetry breaking introduced in vertical split ring resonators (VSRR) metamaterials to excite narrow resonance. Different from the previously reported planar asymmetric metamaterials, the three-dimensional metamaterials are dominantly excited by the magnetic field component of the terahertz illumination together with the electric component. In this case, sharp resonances with characteristic magnetic field distributions are excited. And the sharpest resonance shows up with an ultra-narrow line-width (full width at half maximum, FWHM is 5.90 GHz) and high Q of 327 at 1.93 THz. Through systematic theoretical analysis and numerical mode implementation, we reveal the sharp resonance dips are produced by resonance hybridization between a resonance mode induced by the destruction of the structural symmetry and another special resonance inherent in the symmetric VSRR metamaterials. In addition, the fabrication robustness and sensing potential of the asymmetric VSRR metamaterials are explored in this paper. The results show that the AVSRR design is insensitive to the errors in the fabrication process, like rough metal surface and smooth metal corner, but highly sensitive to the approaching substance, which prove the excellent sensing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolyte cations have been demonstrated to effectively enhance the rate and selectivity of the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), yet their implementation in electrolyte‐free membrane electrode assembly (MEA) electrolyzer presents significant challenges. Herein, an anchored cation strategy that immobilizes Cs+ on carbon vacancies was designed and innovatively implemented in MEA electrolyzer, enabling highly efficient CO2 electroreduction over commercial silver catalyst. Our approach achieves a CO partial current density of approximately 500 mA cm−2 in the MEA electrolyzer, three‐fold enhancement compared to pure Ag. In situ Raman and theoretical analyses, combined with machine learning potentials, reveal anchored Cs induces an electric field that significantly promotes the adsorption of *CO2− intermediates through performing muti‐point energy calculations on each structure. Furthermore, reduced adsorption of *OH intermediates effectively hampers competing hydrogen evolution reaction, as clarified by disk electrode experiments and density functional theory studies. Additionally, coupling our system with commercial polysilicon solar cells yields a notable solar‐to‐CO energy conversion efficiency of 8.3 %. This study opens a new avenue for developing effective cation‐promoting strategy in MEA reactors for efficient CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, we report that lncRNA SNHG16 is upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues, and correlates with tumor size, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Kaplan-Meier analysis shows that the patients with high SNHG16 expression have poorer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than the patients with low SNHG16 expression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis reveals that SNHG16 expression could be regarded as an independent predictor for DFS and OS in NSCLC patients. Cell experiments show that SNHG16 promotes NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. miR-146a is further identified and confirmed to be the target of SNHG16, and SNHG16 functions by targeting miR-146a. Subsequently, MUC5AC, a major mucin in the human respiratory tract correlated with post-operative metastasis and recurrence of NSCLC, is confirmed to be regulated by SNHG16 and miR-146a, and plays a positive role in promoting cell proliferation, migration and invasion, which might be involved in the oncogenic activity of SNHG16-miR-146a axis in NSCLC. Animal experiments also confirm these conclusions. Collectively, these results elucidate a potential mechanism underlying the carcinogenesis role of SNHG16 in NSCLC, and indicate that SNHG16 could act as a novel promising marker for prognosis, and a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid breeding of Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujube) is limited by embryo abortion. Improving the success of embryogenic progeny and immature embryo culture techniques could increase the breeding efficiency of new jujube varieties. We optimised the current immature embryo culture techniques by using immature embryos before the globular stage of Chinese jujube variety Lengbaiyu. The optimal growth media were as follows: for 30-day-old immature embryo growth, MS + IBA 0.8 mg·L−1 + ZT 0.5 mg·L−1 + GA3 7.0 mg·L−1 + NAA 0.2 mg·L−1 + LH 0.5 mg·L−1 + 5% sucrose, with 22.22% embryonic growth rate and 0.41% plantlet formation rate; and for young embryo differentiation, MS + TDZ (0.8 mg·L−1) + IAA (0.5 mg·L−1) + sucrose (3%), with 81.12% differentiation rate. Thus, regeneration via callus induction effectively improved the efficiency of embryo rescue from young immature embryos in Lengbaiyu, which might provide new approaches for breeding Chinese jujube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a distinctive neoplasm composed of myofibroblastic and fibroblastic spindle cells, accompanied by the inflammatory infiltration of plasma cells, lymphocytes and/or eosinophils. Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS), which primarily consists of cells with a round or epithelioid morphology, is associated with a poor prognosis and rapid development of local recurrence, and has been recognized to be a variant of IMT. Diagnosis of EIMS is difficult owing to its close resemblance to malignant mesothelioma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor and other malignant diseases. In the present study, a case of this rare tumor was evaluated in a 26‑year‑old male who was admitted to hospital after experiencing abdominal pain for ~18 days and abdominal distention for 1 week. The patient's tumor was examined by imaging, gross examination, histology, immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The magnetic resonance imaging enhanced‑scanning image revealed that the morphology of the tumor was irregular, and signal was medley consisting of high and low hybrid reinforcement. Tumors were located in the bladder and rectal pit, in the lower part of the lower abdomen, indicating the presence of malignancy and involvement of the small intestine and rectum. Enhanced‑scanning imaging revealed notable inhomogeneous enhancement. Gross examination revealed that the tumor was solid and had a variegated appearance with alternating fleshy and mucoid areas in the cut surface. Microscopically, the tumors were dominated by sheets of epithelioid‑to‑round cells with a prominent inflammatory infiltrate. The majority of the stroma was myxoid. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells exhibited diffuse strong staining for ALK receptor tyrosine kinase (hereafter ALK), vimentin, tumor protein P53, desmin, Wilms' tumor 1 and programmed death‑ligand 1. FISH analysis also revealed the existence of ALK rearrangement. The expression of PD‑L1 in EIMS indicates that the immune checkpoint blockade could represent a novel therapy for the treatment of EIMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Tobacco smoke is by far the greatest risk factor for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nicotine, an active alkaloid in tobacco, is unable to initiate tumorigenesis in humans and rodents, but can promote the growth and metastasis of various tumors, including NSCLC, initiated by tobacco carcinogens. Recently, cigarette smoke is reported to downregulate 24 miRNAs more than 3-fold in the lungs of rats, and most of these downregulated miRNAs are associated with NSCLC initiation and development. Nicotine as the major tobacco component might be associated with the expression changes of some miRNAs. Methods qRT-PCR was performed to determine the miRNA and mRNA expression, and western blot was conducted to measure protein expression. MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation. Results The effects of nicotine on the expression of 24 miRNAs in NSCLC cell lines were determined, and the results showed that nicotine treatment decreased miR-99b and miR-192 expression. Cell proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) detection showed that nicotine promoted NSCLC cell proliferation and EMT, and restoration of miR-99b or miR-192 expression relieved the effects of nicotine on NSCLC cell proliferation and EMT. Subsequently, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) and retinoblastoma 1 (RB1) were confirmed to be the targets of miR-99b and miR-192, respectively, and were upregulated by nicotine in NSCLC cells. In addition, FGFR3 or RB1 knockdown inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and EMT. Conclusion This study, for the first time, elucidates nicotine-miR-99b/miR-192-FGFR3/RB1 regulatory network that nicotine promotes NSCLC cell proliferation and EMT by downregulating miR-99b and miR-192, and upregulating their targets FGFR3 and RB1. These findings offer novel insights into the understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms of NSCLC related with the nicotine effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]