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There is tremendous potential for both small- and large-scale applications of low-temperature operational ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs), which operate between 350 °C and 550 °C. Unfortunately, the low operating temperature of CFCs was hampered by inadequate oxygen reduction electrocatalysts. In this work, the electrochemical characteristics of a semiconductor heterostructure composite based on WO3-CaFe2O4 deposited over porous Ni-foam are investigated. At low working temperatures of 450–500 °C, the developed WO3-CaFe2O4 pasted on porous Ni–foam heterostructure composite cathode exhibits very low area-specific resistance (0.78 Ω cm2) and high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity. For button-sized SOFCs with H2 and atmospheric air fuels, we have demonstrated high-power densities of 508 mW cm−2 running at 550 °C, and even potential operation at 450 °C, using WO3-CaFe2O4 seeded on porous Ni-foam cathode. Moreover, WO3-CaFe2O4 composite heterostructure with Ni foam paste exhibits very low activation energy compared to both WO3 and CaFe2O4 alone, which supports ORR activity. To comprehend the enhanced ORR electrocatalytic activity of WO3-CaFe2O4 pasted on porous Ni-foam heterostructure composite, several spectroscopic tests including X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used. The findings may also aid in the creation of useful cobalt-free electrocatalysts for LT-SOFCs.

With the rapid development of large-scale enterprise informatization construction, the network scale has become huge and complex, and the data traffic carried by the network is increasing. Accurate network traffic identification is the basis of network management and is of great significance to enterprise informatization construction and operation and maintenance. In response to the network operation and maintenance requirements of large enterprises, this paper analyzes the network architecture and network traffic distribution of large enterprise groups from the perspective of enterprise network operators and introduces the current operation and maintenance process of enterprise network performance failures. Maintenance process optimization and reengineering are carried out to plan and find out the shortcomings of the current process links and put forward corresponding solutions. Based on the research of traffic identification in recent years, a fast P2P network traffic anomaly identification algorithm based on decision tree model is proposed, which improves the efficiency and accuracy of network traffic application identification and network traffic anomaly data identification.

Reactivation of consolidated memories can induce a labile period, in which these reactivated memories might be susceptible to change and need reconsolidation. Prediction error (PE) has been recognized as a necessary boundary condition for memory destabilization. Moreover, memory strength is also widely accepted as an essential boundary condition to destabilize fear memory. This study investigated whether different strengths of conditioned fear memories require different degrees of PE during memory reactivation in order for the memories to become destabilized. Here, we assessed the fear-potentiated startle and skin conductance response, using the post-retrieval extinction procedure. A violation of expectancy (PE) was induced during retrieval to reactivate enhanced (unpredictable-shock) or ordinary (predictable-shock) fear memories that were established the day before. Results showed that a PE retrieval before extinction can prevent the return of predictable-shock fear memory but cannot prevent the return of unpredictable-shock fear memory, indicating that a single PE is insufficient to destabilize enhanced fear memory. Therefore, we further investigated whether increasing the degree of PE could destabilize enhanced fear memory using different retrieval strategies (multiple PE retrieval and unreinforced CS retrieval). We found that spontaneous recovery of enhanced fear memory was prevented in both retrieval strategies, but reinstatement was only prevented in the multiple PE retrieval group, suggesting that a larger amount of PE is needed to destabilize enhanced fear memory. The findings suggest that behavioral updating during destabilization requires PE, and the degree of PE needed to induce memory destabilization during memory retrieval depends on the strength of fear memory. The study indicates that memory reconsolidation inference can be used to destabilize stronger memories, and the findings shed lights on the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorders and anxiety disorders.

Reducing the operating temperature of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) to 300–600 °C is a great challenge for the development of SOFC. Among the extensive research and development (R&D) efforts that have been done on lowering the operating temperature of SOFCs, nanomaterials have played a critical role in improving ion transportation in electrolytes and facilitating electrochemical catalyzation of the electrodes. This work reviews recent progress in lowering the temperature of SOFCs by using semiconductor-ionic conductor nanomaterial, which is typically a composition of semiconductor and ionic conductor, as a membrane. The historical development, as well as the working mechanism of semiconductor-ionic membrane fuel cell (SIMFC), is discussed. Besides, the development in the application of nanostructured pure ionic conductors, semiconductors, and nanocomposites of semiconductors and ionic conductors as the membrane is highlighted. The method of using nano-structured semiconductor-ionic conductors as a membrane has been proved to successfully exhibit a significant enhancement in the ionic conductivity and power density of SOFCs at low temperatures and provides a new way to develop low-temperature SOFCs.

Interface engineering can be used to tune the properties of heterostructure materials at an atomic level, yielding exceptional final physical properties. In this work, we synthesized a heterostructure of a p-type semiconductor (NiO) and an n-type semiconductor (CeO2) for solid oxide fuel cell electrolytes. The CeO2-NiO heterostructure exhibited high ionic conductivity of 0.2 S cm−1 at 530 °C, which was further improved to 0.29 S cm−1 by the introduction of Na+ ions. When it was applied in the fuel cell, an excellent power density of 571 mW cm−1 was obtained, indicating that the CeO2-NiO heterostructure can provide favorable electrolyte functionality. The prepared CeO2-NiO heterostructures possessed both proton and oxygen ionic conductivities, with oxygen ionic conductivity dominating the fuel cell reaction. Further investigations in terms of electrical conductivity and electrode polarization, a proton and oxygen ionic co-conducting mechanism, and a mechanism for blocking electron transport showed that the reconstruction of the energy band at the interfaces was responsible for the enhanced ionic conductivity and cell power output. This work presents a new methodology and scientific understanding of semiconductor-based heterostructures for advanced ceramic fuel cells.

Previous studies have found that individuals exhibit empathic responses when others are treated unfairly. However, there remains a lack of clarity over the extent to which self-interest regulates these empathic responses, and in identifying which component of empathy is more likely to be affected. To investigate these issues, an experiment was designed based on a money distribution task with two conditions [observation condition (OC) vs. participation condition (PC)], and carried out using scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs). Behavioral data showed that the participants’ empathic responses were consistent with their coplayers’ emotional expressions in the OC, whereas they were inconsistent with the coplayers’ expressions in the PC. The electrophysiological data showed that the neural encoding of facial expressions (reflected in the N170) was not affected by self-interest. However, the late stage of empathic responses (LPP) showed a decline when participants’ self-interest was involved. Disadvantageous inequality and relatively fair distribution to others elicited a more pronounced feedback-related negativity (FRN) than advantageous inequality distribution in both the OC and PC. As the late stage of empathic responses is also indexed by the LPP amplitude, these results indicate that the participants were more concerned for their own outcomes than for others’ benefits when self-interest was involved, which reduced their empathy toward their coplayers at the late stage of empathic responses.

Plant pathogens generally employ superoxide dismutase (SOD) to detoxify host defense reactive oxygen species (ROS), and to scavenge ROS derived from their own metabolism. However, the roles of SODs in an important vascular pathogen, Verticillium dahliae, are unclear. Our previous study has shown that a putative signal-peptide-lacking manganese superoxide dismutase (VdSOD3) is present in the exoproteome of V. dahliae cultured in tissues of host cotton, suggesting that VdSOD3 may be exported out of the fungal cells and contribute to the SOD activity extracellularly. Here, we confirm that the N-terminal of VdSOD3 is not a functional signal peptide by yeast signal trap assay. Despite lacking the signal peptide, the extracellular distribution of VdSOD3 was observed in planta by confocal microscopy during infection. Loss-of-function of VdSOD3 decreased extracellular and intracellular SOD activities of V. dahliae by 58.2% and 17.4%, respectively. Deletion mutant of VdSOD3 had normal growth and conidiation but showed significantly reduced virulence to susceptible hosts of cotton and Nicotiana benthamiana. Our data show that signal-peptide-lacking VdSOD3 is a dual function superoxide dismutase, localizing and functioning intracellularly and extracellularly. Whereas nonessential for viability, VdSOD3 plays a vital role in the virulence of V. dahliae.

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by infections with virulent strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is one of the most important infectious disease affecting wild, peridomestic, and domestic birds worldwide. Vaccines constructed from live, low-virulence (lentogenic) viruses are the most accepted prevention and control strategies for combating ND in poultry across the globe. Avian macrophages are one of the first cell lines of defense against microbial infection, responding to signals in the microenvironment. Although macrophages are considered to be one of the main target cells for NDV infection in vivo, very little is known about the ability of NDV to infect chicken macrophages, and virulence mechanisms of NDV as well as the polarized activation patterns of macrophages and correlation with viral infection and replication. In the present study, a cell culture model (chicken bone marrow macrophage cell line HD11) and three different virulence and genotypes of NDV (including class II virulent NA-1, class II lentogenic LaSota, and class I lentogenic F55) were used to solve the above underlying questions. Our data indicated that all three NDV strains had similar replication rates during the early stages of infection. Virulent NDV titers were shown to increase compared to the other lentogenic strains, and this growth was associated with a strong upregulation of both pro-inflammatory M1-like markers/cytokines and anti-inflammatory M2-like markers/cytokines in chicken macrophages. Virulent NDV was found to block toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 expression, inducing higher expression of type I interferons in chicken macrophages at the late stage of viral infection. Only virulent NDV replication can be inhibited by pretreatment with TLR7 ligand. Overall, this study demonstrated that virulent NDV activates a M1-/M2-like mixed polarized activation of chicken macrophages by inhibition of TLR7, resulting in enhanced replication compared to lentogenic viruses.

Fear generalization is an etiologically significant indicator of anxiety disorders, and understanding how to inhibit it is important in their treatment. Prior studies have found that reducing fear generalization using a generalization stimulus (GS) is ineffective in removing a conditioned fear that incorporates local features, and that topological properties appear to play a comparatively more significant role in the processes of perception and categorization. Our study utilized a conditioned-fear generalization design to examine whether the topological properties of stimuli influence the generalization and return of fear. Fear was indexed using online expectancy ratings and skin conductance responses (SCRs). The study’s 52 participants were divided into three groups: Group 1, conditioned danger cue (CS+) extinction; Group 2, extinction of one GS; Group 3, extinction of three GSs. We found that the three groups acquired conditioned fear at the same level. In the generalization and extinction phase, fear was transferred to the GS with the same topological properties as CS+, and gradual decreases in both shock expectancy and SCRs over non-reinforced extinction trials were observed. In the test phase, participants’ online expectancy ratings indicated that fear did not return in Group 1, but did return in Groups 2 and 3. All three groups demonstrated successful GS fear extinction, but only Group 1 did not show a return of fear for CS+. Regarding SCRs results, none of the groups demonstrated a return of fear, suggesting that utilization of topological properties successfully reduced the return of conditioned fear. Our results indicate that, in clinical settings, using GS with topological equivalence to CS+ might offer a potential method with which to extinct conditioned fear.

The theory of memory reconsolidation argues that consolidated memory is not unchangeable. Once a memory is reactivated it may go back into an unstable state and need new protein synthesis to be consolidated again, which is called “memory reconsolidation”. Boundary studies have shown that interfering with reconsolidation through pharmacologic or behavioral intervention can lead to the updating of the initial memory, for example, erasing undesired memories. Behavioral procedures based on memory reconsolidation interference have been shown to be an effective way to inhibit fear memory relapse after extinction. However, the effectiveness of retrieval–extinction differs by subtle differences in the protocol of the reactivation session. This represents a challenge with regard to finding an optimal operational model to facilitate its clinical use for patients suffering from pathogenic memories such as those associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Most of the laboratory models for fear learning have used a single conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US). This has simplified the real situation of traumatic events to an excessive degree, and thus, limits the clinical application of the findings based on these models. Here, we used a basic visual compound CS model as the CS to ascertain whether partial repetition of the compound CSs in conditioning can reactivate memory into reconsolidation. The results showed that the no retrieval group or the 1/3 ratio retrieval group failed to open the memory reconsolidation time window. The 2/3 repetition retrieval group and the whole repetition retrieval group were able to prevent fear reinstatement, whereas only a 2/3 ratio repetition of the initial compound CS as a reminder could inhibit spontaneous recovery. We inferred that a retrieval–extinction paradigm was also effective in a more complex model of fear if a sufficient prediction error (PE) could be generated in the reactivation period. In addition, in order to achieve an optimal effect, a CS of moderate discrepancy should be used as a reminder.

Avian paramyxovirus serotype 4 (APMV-4) is found sporadically in wild birds worldwide, and it is an economically important poultry pathogen. Despite the existence of several published strains, very little is known about the distribution, host species, and transmission of APMV-4 strains. To better understand the relationships among these factors, we conducted an APMV-4 surveillance of wild birds and domestic poultry in six provinces of China suspected of being intercontinental flyways and sites of interspecies transmission. APMV-4 surveillance was conducted in 9,160 wild birds representing seven species, and 1,461 domestic poultry in live bird markets (LMBs) from December 2013 to June 2016. The rate of APMV-4 isolation was 0.10% (11/10,621), and viruses were isolated from swan geese, bean geese, cormorants, mallards, and chickens. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the 11 isolated viruses indicated that all the isolates belonging to genotype I were epidemiologically connected with wild bird-origin viruses from the Ukraine and Italy. Moreover, chicken-origin APMV-4 strains isolated from the LBMs were highly similar to wild bird-origin viruses from nearby lakes with free-living wild birds. In additional, a hemagglutination-negative APMV-4 virus was identified. These findings, together with recent APMV-4 studies, suggest potential virus interspecies transmission between wild birds and domestic poultry, and reveal possible epidemiological intercontinental connections between APMV-4 transmission by wild birds.

Ehrlichia minasensis, a recently described Ehrlichia species that is the most closely related to, but clearly distinct from, Ehrlichia canis, has been circulating in not only bovines, cervids, and dogs but also several tick species from Canada, Brazil, France, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Israel. However, there are no reports of E. minasensis in China. The purpose of this study was to explore whether E. minasensis is present naturally in ticks in China. Through PCR targeting of the genus-conserved dsb gene, E. minasensis DNA was detected in Haemaphysalis hystricis ticks removed from free-ranging sheep in Hainan Province, South China in 2017. The partial sequence of the dsb, 16S rRNA, and groEL genes demonstrated that the Hainan strain shared 99% identity with the dsb gene of E. minasensis strain UFMG-EV (GenBank: JX629808), with the 16S rRNA of E. minasensis isolate E-2650 (MH500005) and with the groEL gene of E. minasensis strain UFMG-EV (JX629806), respectively. Moreover, sequence analysis of the major immunogenic tandem repeat protein (trp36) revealed that the Hainan strain harbored a unique tandem repeat sequence (APEAAPVSAPEAAPVSAPVS) and a C-terminal region that differed from those of other known E. minasensis strains. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis based on the entire amino acid sequence of trp36 revealed that the Hainan strain was closely related to a recently described E. minasensis strain from Brazil, of which the sister clade contained different strains of E. canis. The discovery of this novel Hainan strain in H. hystricis ticks represents the first known natural presence of E. minasensis in South China, highlighting the need for its constant surveillance.

Vaccines with live, low-virulence Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains are still the most accepted prevention and control strategies for combating Newcastle disease (ND), a major viral disease that hampers the development of the poultry industry worldwide. However, the mechanism underlying vaccine-mediated innate cell immune responses remains unclear. Here, a high-throughput Illumina sequencing approach was employed to determine cellular miRNA expression profiles in chicken macrophages infected with the LaSota virus, a widely used vaccine strain for mass vaccination programs against ND in poultry. Compared to the control group, 112 and 115 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified at 24 hpi (hours post inoculation) and 48 hpi, respectively. Meanwhile, 174 DE miRNAs were identified between 24 hpi and 48 hpi. Furthermore, 12 upregulated and 6 downregulated DE miRNAs were observed in common at 24 and 48 hpi compared with 0 hpi. In addition, target prediction and functional analysis of these DE miRNAs revealed significant enrichment for several signaling pathways, especially in the immune-related genes and pathways, such as the RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Our findings not only lay the foundations for further investigating the roles and regulatory mechanisms of miRNA in vaccine-mediated innate cellular immune responses, but also extend new insights into the interactions between the host and NDV infection.

Avian orthoavulavirus 13 (AOAV-13), also named avian paramyxovirus 13 (APMV-13), has been found sporadically in wild birds around the world ever since the discovery of AOAV-13 (AOAV-13/wild goose/Shimane/67/2000) in a wild goose from Japan in 2000. However, there are no reports of AOAV-13 in China. In the present study, a novel AOAV-13 virus (AOAV-13/wild goose/China/Hubei/V93-1/2015), isolated from a wild migratory waterfowl in a wetland of Hubei province of China, during active surveillance from 2013 to 2018, was biologically and genetically characterized. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated a very close genetic relationship among all AOAV-13 strains, as revealed by very few genetic variations. Moreover, pathogenicity tests indicated that the V93-1 strain is a low virulent virus for chickens. However, the genome of the V93-1 virus was found to be 16,158 nucleotides (nt) in length, which is 12 nt or 162 nt longer than the other AOAV-13 strains that have been reported to date. The length difference of 12 nt in strain V93-1 is due to the existence of three repeats of the conserved sequence, “AAAAAT”, in the 5′-end trailer of the genome. Moreover, the HN gene of the V93-1 virus is 2070 nt in size, encoding 610 aa, which is the same size as the AOAV-13 strain from Japan, whereas that of two strains from Ukraine and Kazakhstan are 2080 nt in length, encoding 579 aa. We describe a novel AOAV-13 in migratory waterfowl in China, which suggests that diversified trailer region sequences and HN gene lengths exist within serotype AOAV-13, and highlight the need for its constant surveillance in poultry from live animal markets, and especially migratory birds.

Abstract Background With the rapid development of perinatal medicine and neonatal resuscitation technology, neonatal mortality gradually reduces, but sepsis is still a neonatal critical illness and an important cause of death. The onset of sepsis in premature infants is insidious, and the clinical symptoms lack of specificity. The available laboratory tests exhibit limited sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis, and there is a certain degree of time lag. Therefore, it is particularly important to find a method for early detection of severe infection in premature infants. Main body Sepsis is the third leading cause of death with poor prognosis in infants. Early and accurate identification of sepsis are particularly important. Heart rate variability may present before clinical symptoms of sepsis. The study is to summarize the available data on the relationship between heart rate variability and development of sepsis in early infants. We searched six database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI, using the following terms for our search strategy (Infants, Newborn) OR (Newborn Infant) OR (Newborn Infants) OR (Newborns) OR (Newborn) OR (Neonate) OR (Neonates) AND (Sepsis) OR (Bloodstream Infection) OR (Bloodstream Infections) OR (Pyemia) OR (Pyemias) OR (Pyohemia) OR (Pyohemias) OR (Pyaemia) OR (Pyaemias) OR (Septicemia) OR (Septicemias) OR (Blood Poisoning) OR (Blood Poisonings) OR (Severe Sepsis) OR (Sepsis, Severe) AND (Heart Rate Variability). Premature infants would experience the reduction in heart rate variability before clinical symptoms of sepsis present. Conclusion The application of heart rate variability, a noninvasive monitoring method, to the identification and diagnosis of sepsis in premature infants can enable clinicians to identify, diagnose, and treat children with sepsis early, thereby reducing the mortality of premature infants and neurological damage.

Abstract Depression has been reported as one of the most prevalent psychiatric illnesses globally. This study aimed to obtain information on the global burden of depression and its associated spatiotemporal variation, by exploring the correlation between the global burden of depression and the social development index (SDI) and associated risk factors. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease study from 1990 to 2019, we described the prevalence and burden of disease in 204 countries across 21 regions, including sex and age differences and the relationship between the global disease burden and SDI. The age-standardized rate and estimated annual percentage change were used to assess the global burden of depression. Individuals with documented depression globally ranged from 182,183,358 in 1990 to 290,185,742 in 2019, representing an increase of 0.59%. More patients experienced major depressive disorder than dysthymia. The incidence and disability-adjusted life years of depression were the highest in the 60–64 age group and much higher in females than in males, with this trend occurring across all ages. The age-standardized incidence and adjusted life-years-disability rates varied with different SDI levels. Relevant risk factors for depression were identified. National governments must support research to improve prevention and treatment interventions.

Abstract This study assessed the global and regional burden of IS (ischemic stroke) deaths due to LPA (low physical activity) from 1990 to 2019, analyzed regional, sex, and age differences in ASMR (age-standardized mortality rate), and provided a comprehensive understanding of the impact of age, period, and cohort on low physical activity related ischemic stroke ASMR. We conducted an APC (age-period-cohort) analysis of the global and four World Bank income level regions’ IS mortality data attributed to LPA from 1990 to 2019, using the GBD2019 database, and the results showed that the global net drift of the Ischemic stroke age-standardized mortality attributable to low physical activity was − 1.085%[95% CI: − 1.168, − 1.003].The ASMR drop is most pronounced in the high-income zone, with a net drift of − 2.473% [95% CI: − 2.759, − 2.187] across the four income groups. The influence of age on mortality is increasing in the worldwide old population, while the period and cohort effects are decreasing. We also performed a Joinpoint regression analysis, which revealed that the specific time of considerable drop in ASMR of IS in the global LPA population was 2002–2007, with an APC of -2.628%. The specific period of considerable drop in ASMR in high-income regions with the highest variation was 1999–2007, with an APC = − 4.726%. The global burden of public health deaths caused by LPA is diminishing, with the most notable progress observed in high-income regions. However, in low and lower-middle income areas, the situation continues to deteriorate. Within the global elderly population, the effects of age on mortality is increasing, while the effects of period and cohort are diminishing. These trends vary across income levels, highlighting the necessity for enhanced international collaboration to formulate context-specific public health strategies aimed at enhancing cardiovascular health on a global, regional, and national scale.

Abstract Background Lumbar puncture in the lateral decubitus position will make the neonates uncomfortable and is likely to cause position change and unstable vital signs, and the application of sedative drugs will cause adverse effects. This study explored a novel method for lumbar puncture in the prone position for low weight neonates. Methods The neonates were randomly assigned into the standard position group receiving lumbar puncture in the lateral decubitus position; and the improved position group receiving lumbar puncture in the prone position. The success rate of first time attempts and the overall success rate of lumbar puncture, incidence of adverse effects, NIAPAS scores were collected and compared between these two groups. The difference in success rate and adverse effects incidence rate was analysed through Chi-square. Student’s t-test was used for the test of NIAPAS rating. Results The improved position group had a higher success rate of first attempt and overall success rate, significantly lower incidence of adverse effect and lower NIAPAS scores than those of the standard position group (P

We investigate the Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) can convert high temperature steam into H2 and O2 with high efficiency. The SOEC operating temperature is very close to the temperature of solar dish engine system which heats up the water to high temperature steam. We design an advanced the hydrogen production system utilizes solar energy as the only prime energy source in which the thermal energy is provided by solar dish thermal engine subsystem while the electrical energy is supplied by photovoltaic subsystem. Energy and exergy analysis have been conducted to investigate the thermodynamic-electrochemical characteristics of the hydrogen production by hybrid system of SOEC and solar energy. The effects of some important operating parameters, such as temperature, flow rate of H2O and current density have been studied. It is found that an increase in temperature and decrease in operating voltage can reduce the exergy loss in the hybrid system. The findings show that the difference between energy and exergy efficiency is small for the high temperature thermal energy input is only a small fraction of the total energy input. Numerical simulations are implemented for illustration and verification of the effectiveness of the solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seedling deetiolation, a critical process in early plant development, is regulated by an intricate transcriptional network. Here, we identified VQ MOTIF-CONTAINING PROTEIN29 (VQ29) as a novel regulator of the photomorphogenic response in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We showed that 29 of the 34 VQ proteins present in Arabidopsis exhibit transcriptional activity in plant cells and that mutations in the VQ motif affect the transcriptional activity of VQ29. We then functionally characterized VQ29 and showed that the hypocotyl growth of plants overexpressing VQ29 is hyposensitive to far-red and low-intensity white light, whereas a vq29 loss-of-function mutant exhibits decreased hypocotyl elongation under a low intensity of far-red or white light. Consistent with this, VQ29 expression is repressed by light in a phytochrome-dependent manner. Intriguingly, our yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and coimmunoprecipitation assays snowed that VQ29 physically interacts with PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORl (PIF1). We then showed that VQ29 and PIFl directly bind to the promoter of a cell elongation-related gene, XYLOGLUCAN ENDOTRANSGLYCOSYLASE7, and coactivate its expression. Furthermore, the vq29 pifl double mutant has shorter hypocotyls than either of the corresponding single mutants. Therefore, our study reveals that VQ29 is a negative transcriptional regulator of light-mediated inhibition of hypocotyl elongation that likely promotes the transcriptional activity of PIF1 during early seedling development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]