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IntroductionCervicogenic headache (CEH) is a secondary headache characterized by chronic, unilateral headache. Ultrasound-guided injections of the greater occipital nerve (GON) and the third occipital nerve (TON) are effective in the treatment of CEH, as is meridian sinew tuina for the treatment of CEH, but the evidence of clinical efficacy of combining these two therapies is valid. Therefore, we have designed a randomized controlled trial with the aim of investigating the efficacy and safety of ultrasound localization meridian sinew tuina combined with GON and TON injections for the treatment of CEH.Methods and analysisIn this study, we enroll 60 patients experiencing CEH. The control group receives ultrasound-guided injections of GON and TON. The intervention group is treated with ultrasound localization meridian sinew tuina combined with the injection of GON and TON. Meridian sinew tuina is performed once a day for 30 min for 3 days. The primary observational index includes the Short-Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). The Secondary outcomes include Cervical Range of Motion (ROM) and Medical Infrared Thermography (MIT). MIT is used to measure the change in skin temperature in the area of the patient’s meridian sinew tuina treatment of GON and TON before and after the intervention. There are 5 time points assessed as baseline, day 3, day 15, day 30, and day 60.DiscussionThis study proposes to combine ultrasound-guided injections of GON and TON for the treatment of CEH after identifying the treatment area of meridian sinew tuina under ultrasound localization. Meanwhile, MIT is utilized to provide objective evidence of the efficacy of CEH.Clinical trial registrationChiCTR2300076128.

Capsaicinoids are produced uniquely in pepper fruits, and its level determines the commercial quality and health-promoting properties of pepper. So, it is particularly important to increase capsaicinoids content in pepper. Rhizosphere microbiota is critical to plant growth and performance, and affected by plant varieties. However, the impact of pepper varieties with different capsaicinoids yields on the rhizosphere microbiota is poorly understood. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, we investigated the rhizosphere microbial community among five pepper varieties containing different capsaicinoids. Our results demonstrated that pepper variety significantly influenced the diversity and structure of rhizosphere microbial community. Bacterial diversity in varieties with high capsaicinoids content was significantly higher than in varieties with low capsaicinoids content, while fungal diversity was opposite to bacterial diversity. The correlation analysis revealed that 19 dominant bacterial genera (e.g., Chujaibacter, Rhodanobacter, and Gemmatimonas) were significantly correlated with capsaicinoids content, and nine of them were also significantly associated with soil nutrients, whereas only one fungal genus (Podospora) was significantly correlated with capsaicinoids content. Additionally, almost all genera which significantly correlated to capsaicinoids content were biomarkers of the five pepper varieties and the correlation was well corresponding to the capsaicinoids content. Overall, our results confirmed that the variety of pepper significantly affected the rhizosphere microbial community in the fields, and bacteria and fungi responded differently to capsaicinoids, which may affect the biosynthesis of capsaicinoids and contribute to further improvement of capsaicinoids production in pepper fruits.

Fermented chopped chili pepper (FCCP) is the most important fermented and processed chili pepper product, and most pepper varieties can be processed with obvious flavor differences. Many studies have tried to explain these differences using the results of component analysis, processing technology, the microbes involved, etc., but few have examined the characteristics of these varieties along with the flavor of products. We conducted a physiochemical characteristic analysis of 35 kinds of fresh chili peppers with different genotypes and made fermented products from 17 varieties, using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) to correlate their components with FCCP products. The results were as follows: (1) Protein, total acids, a* (representation of the object’s red and green color), protopectin, and fruit thickness are the five key indexes that affect the quality of fresh chili peppers the most. (2) Protein, total acids, a*, protopectin, and fruit thickness are also the key indexes that affect the quality of FCCP. (3) Suitable ranges of fresh chili pepper to manufacture FCCP are 1.3–2.0 g/100 g for protein, 2.5–4.0 g/kg for total acids, 10–15 g/100 g for protopectin, 30–39 for a*, and 1.2–2.0 mm for fruit thickness. (4) Sensory appraisal shows crispness is the most important mouthfeel sensation and can decrease during the process. The varieties with the top three scores were A12 (21G675), A13 (20Z663), and A14 (21Z698) with scores of 87.92, 74.08, and 74.15, respectively. The varieties in the top three scores are pod peppers. The PCA and CA showed that pod peppers were the most suitable materials for making FCCP. Our results will benefit others in selecting fresh chili peppers for making FCCP and provide data support for directing processable variety breeding.

Abstract Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is one of the earliest cultivated crops and includes five domesticated species, C. annuum var. annuum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, C. baccatum var. pendulum and C. pubescens. Here, we report a pepper graph pan-genome and a genome variation map of 500 accessions from the five domesticated Capsicum species and close wild relatives. We identify highly differentiated genomic regions among the domesticated peppers that underlie their natural variations in flowering time, characteristic flavors, and unique resistances to biotic and abiotic stresses. Domestication sweeps detected in C. annuum var. annuum and C. baccatum var. pendulum are mostly different, and the common domestication traits, including fruit size, shape and pungency, are achieved mainly through the selection of distinct genomic regions between these two cultivated species. Introgressions from C. baccatum into C. chinense and C. frutescens are detected, including those providing genetic sources for various biotic and abiotic stress tolerances.

The stay-green trait is of considerable importance in extending the shelf life of green pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum L.) and in enhancing the appearance of ornamental plants. The study revealed the genetic and regulatory mechanisms of the stay-green trait in pepper, which will aid in the selection of ornamental pepper varieties. In this study, a pepper mutant with stay-green fruit named TNX348 was identified from a germplasm resource bank. Two segregating populations were constructed using the stay-green mutant TNX348 and then used in bulked segregant analysis combined with RNA sequencing and linkage analyses. The causal gene of the stay-green trait was mapped to an approximately 131-kb region, and a senescence-induced chloroplast protein gene, CaSGR1 (Capana01g000359), was identified as a candidate gene. Sequencing analysis revealed a G→A single-base mutation of CaSGR1 in TNX348 that led to early termination of translation. Based on the single-base mutation, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker co-segregating with the stay-green trait was developed. Furthermore, in transcriptome analysis, expression patterns of 11 hormone transduction-related transcription factors, such as abscisic acid-insensitive (ABI), abscisic acid-responsive element-binding factor (ABF), and NAC transcription factor, were similar or opposite to that of CaSGR1. The results indicated that the transcription factors might mediate chlorophyll degradation by regulating the expression of CaSGR1.

From connected sensors in soils, on animals or crops, and on drones, to various software and services that are available, “smart” technologies are changing the way farming is carried out. These technologies allow producers to look beyond what the eye can see by collecting non-traditional data and then using analytics tools to improve both food sustainability and profitability. “Smart Agriculture/farming” (SA) or “Digital Agriculture” (DA), often used interchangeably, refer to precision agriculture that is thus connected in a network of sensing and acting. It is a concept that employs modern information technologies, precision climate information, and crop/livestock developmental information to connect production variables to increase the quantity and quality of agricultural and food products. This is achieved by measuring and analyzing variables accurately, feeding the information into the cloud from edge devices, extracting trends from the various data, and subsequently providing information back to the producer in a timely manner. Smart agriculture covers many disciplines, including biology, mechanical engineering, automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and information technology-digital platforms. Minimum standards have been proposed for stakeholders with the aim to move toward this highly anticipated and ever-changing revolution. These foundational standards encompass the following general categories, including precise articulation of objectives, and baseline standards for the Internet of Things (IoT), including network infrastructure (e.g., stable 4G or 5G networks or a wireless local area network (WLAN) are available to end users). To sum up, SA aims to improve production efficiency, enhance the quality and quantity of agricultural products, reduce costs, and improve the environmental footprint of the industry. SA’s ecosystem should be industry self-governed and collaboratively financed. SA stakeholders and end-users’ facilities should meet standard equipment requirements, such as sensor accuracy, end data collectors, relevant industry compliant software, and trusted data analytics. The SA user is willing to be part of the SA ecosystem. This short perspective aims to summarize digital/smart agriculture concept in plain language.

Pepper is a horticultural crop that does not tolerate low temperatures. To investigate how the grafted pepper responds to low temperature stress in the short term, transcriptome analysis was performed on grafted seedlings treated with low temperature for 1 h, 4 h, 12 h and 24 h compared with those treated for 0 h. The results showed that genes related to CAM4, MPK8, RbohD and OXI1 might be related to the response of grafted seedlings to low temperature stress in the short term. To investigate how low temperature tolerant rootstocks can improve the low temperature tolerance of grafted peppers, morphological and physiological indices of self-rooted and grafted seedlings were analyzed under low temperature conditions for different days. The results showed that the degree of wilting, REL and MDA content of grafted seedlings were significantly lower than those of self-rooted seedlings, and the antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly higher than those of self-rooted seedlings under low temperature stress. The results indicated that grafted pepper would activate ROS-related genes in a short period of time after low temperature stress and produce a large amount of ROS in response to the low temperature stress. When ROS accumulated to a certain level, the grafted pepper could increase the enzyme activity of antioxidant system to remove the ROS produced in the body, and help the pepper seedlings adapt to low temperature stress through osmoregulation mechanism, so as to resist the damage caused by low temperature. The results of the study provide ideas for growing pepper in low temperature environment.

The male-sterile line has been largely used in the hybrid seed production of pepper, which can effectively improve the efficiency of hybrid seed production. However, the formation mechanism of male sterility in pepper remains unclear. In the present study, we compared the gene expression patterns between pepper cytoplasmic male sterile line 9704A and its maintainer 9704B during floral bud development using RNA sequencing technology. A total of 547 976 and 2 416 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) were identified in the stage S1, S2 and S3, respectively, and more than 70% of the DEGs were down-regulated in the sterile line. Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to further understand the functions of these identified DEGs. The results showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in pathways of starch and sucrose metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions. A number of genes, such as MS1, PME5, ATPB, and lots of transcription factors were found down-regulated in the sterile line, and we also identified a series of genes with large differences in expression patterns between sterile line and maintainer line. Collectively, our findings laid a foundation for further molecular breeding in pepper and provided new insights into its mechanism underlying the male sterility. Keywords: pepper, capsicum annuum, cytoplasmic male sterility, comparative transcriptome analysis, DEGs

Light is vital for plant growth and development, and the germination of many plant seeds and the development of seedlings are very sensitive to the light environment. Under no or low light conditions, pepper seedlings will accelerate the elongation of the hypocotyl to obtain light. To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which light regulates hypocotyl elongation in pepper, RNA sequencing was performed to analyze the hypocotyls and cotyledons of the yellowing mutant R24 under three different light intensity treatments. A total of 35,341 gene were identified; moreover, during the treatment, 9695 new genes and 13,123 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed, respectively. Some genes related to brassino-lide receptor protein kinase BRI1, light capture proteins LHCA and LHCB, and auxin response factor may regulate the response of hot pepper cotyledons and hypocotyls to different light intensity. KEGG functional enrichment analysis revealed that the most abundant pathways were phenylpropane biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and carbon metabolism. This study provides a valuable reference for understanding the molecular mechanism of pepper’s response to different light intensities at the seedling stage and for improving the local light environment to overcome the hypocotyl elongation of pepper crop under low light conditions.

Pepper is a typical warmth-loving vegetable that lacks a cold acclimation mechanism and is sensitive to cold stress. Lysine acetylation plays an important role in diverse cellular processes, but limited knowledge is available regarding acetylation modifications in the resistance of pepper plants to cold stress. In this study, the proteome and acetylome of two pepper varieties with different levels of cold resistance were investigated by subjecting them to cold treatments of varying durations followed by recovery periods. In total, 6,213 proteins and 4,574 lysine acetylation sites were identified, and this resulted in the discovery of 3,008 differentially expressed proteins and 768 differentially expressed acetylated proteins. A total of 1,988 proteins were identified in both the proteome and acetylome, and the functional differences in these co-identified proteins were elucidated through GO enrichment. KEGG analysis showed that 397 identified acetylated proteins were involved in 93 different metabolic pathways. The dynamic changes in the acetylated proteins in photosynthesis and the “carbon fixation in the photosynthetic organisms” pathway in pepper under low-temperature stress were further analyzed. It was found that acetylation of the PsbO and PsbR proteins in photosystem II and the PsaN protein in photosystem I could regulate the response of pepper leaves to cold stress. The acetylation levels of key carbon assimilation enzymes, such as ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoribulokinase, and triosephosphate isomerase decreased, leading to decreases in carbon assimilation capacity and photosynthetic efficiency, reducing the cold tolerance of pepper leaves. This study is the first to identify the acetylome in pepper, and it greatly expands the catalog of lysine acetylation substrates and sites in Solanaceae crops, providing new insights for posttranslational modification studies.

Abstract Pepper species (Capsicum spp.) are widely used as food, spice, decoration, and medicine. Despite the recent old-world culinary impact, more than 50 commercially recognized pod types have been recorded worldwide from three taxonomic complexes (A, B, and P). The current study aimed to apply a pan-plastome approach to resolve the plastomic boundaries among those complexes and identify effective loci for the taxonomical resolution and molecular identification of the studied species/varieties. High-resolution pan-plastomes of five species and two varieties were assembled and compared from 321 accessions. Phyloplastomic and network analyses clarified the taxonomic position of the studied species/varieties and revealed a pronounced number of accessions to be the rare and endemic species, C. galapagoense, that were mistakenly labeled as C. annuum var. glabriusculum among others. Similarly, some NCBI-deposited plastomes were clustered differently from their labels. The rpl23-trnI intergenic spacer contained a 44 bp tandem repeat that, in addition to other InDels, was capable of discriminating the investigated Capsicum species/varieties. The rps16-trnQ/rbcL-accD/ycf3-trnS gene set was determined to be sufficiently polymorphic to retrieve the complete phyloplastomic signal among the studied Capsicum spp. The pan-plastome approach was shown to be useful in resolving the taxonomical complexes, settling the incomplete lineage sorting conflict and developing a molecular marker set for Capsicum spp. identification.

With increasingly frequent extreme weather events, lodging has become an important limiting factor for crop yield and quality and for mechanical harvesting. Lodging resistance is a precondition for “super high yield” crops, and the question of how to achieve lodging resistance to guarantee high yield is an urgent scientific problem. Here, we summarize the anatomical results of lodging resistance stems and find that the lodging resistance of stems is closely related to stem components. Therefore, we focus on the roles of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, which provide stem rigidity and strength, in crop lodging resistance. By combing the synthetic regulatory molecular network of lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, we find that only some of the genes involved in the biosynthesis and regulation of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose have been shown to significantly affect lodging resistance. However, many relevant genes remain to be studied in sufficient detail to determine whether they can be applied in breeding for lodging resistance. This work provides valuable information for future studies of lodging resistance.

The inbred “SJ11-3” pepper was cultured in yellow brown soil, paddy soil, fluvo-aquic soil, and pastoral soil, and the factors affecting the absorption of trace elements and fruit quality were analyzed. The results showed that the physicochemical properties of the soils were significantly different, which led to differences in the nutritional quality of pepper fruits. The pH value had a significant effect on the absorption of trace elements in pepper. The increase of pH promoted the absorption of magnesium and molybdenum but inhibited the absorption of zinc, copper, manganese, and iron. The stepwise multivariable regression analysis showed that the amount of molybdenum in soil was the main factor affecting the total amino acid content of pepper. Total nitrogen, zinc, and copper were the main factors that contributed to the soluble sugar content of pepper, and the available potassium was the major determinant of the vitamin C content of pepper. This study provides new insight on the pepper fruit quality grown on different types of soil with varying levels of trace elements.

Cold stress has become one of the main abiotic stresses in pepper, which severely limits the growth and development of pepper. In this study, the physiological indicators and transcriptome of a cold-tolerance (CT) inbred line A188 and a cold-sensitive (CS) inbred line A122 under cold–rewarm treatments were studied; the aim of this study was to determine the potential of the key factors in pepper response to cold stress. Compared with CT, CS wilts more seriously after cold stress, with poor resilience, higher content of malondialdehyde, and lower content of soluble sugar and total chlorophyll. Moreover, during cold treatment, 7333 and 5953 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed for CT and CS, respectively. These DEGs were significantly enriched in pathways related to photosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and DNA damage repair. Interestingly, in addition to the widely studied transcription factors related to cold, it was also found that 13 NAC transcription factors increased significantly in the T4 group; meanwhile, the NAC8 (Capana02g003557) and NAC72 (Capana07g002219) in CT were significantly higher than those in CS under rewarming for 1 h after 72 h cold treatment. Notably, weighted gene coexpression network analysis identified four positively correlated modules and eight hub genes, including zinc finger proteins, heat shock 70 kda protein, and cytochrome P450 family, which are related to cold tolerance. All of these pathways and genes may be responsible for the response to cold and even the cold tolerance in pepper.

The yield of pepper with purple leaves (PF) is low, while the pepper with green leaves (GM) is not resistant to strong light and high temperature. In this study, we analyzed the photosynthesis characteristics and genetic stability of their hybrid progenies using PF(CS3) and GM(SJ11-3) as controls. Based on the decreased purple color and increased green color, the hybrid pepper was divided into five groups: Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5. Results showed that as the purple color increased, the anthocyanin content in leaves increased. Simultaneously, we found that PF exhibited higher resistance to strong light and high temperature. Thus, the purple hybrid progenies with higher photosynthetic rate were recommended, as they showed higher yield and better resistance to strong light and high temperature.

Abstract Background Extracts of plants have been considered as sources of natural antioxidant agents. In this study, we aimed to explore the antioxidant capacity of the aqueous root extract of Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. Methods Using vitamin C (Vc) as a positive control, we analyzed the aqueous root extract of A. cochinchinensis free radical scavenging ability in vitro. We also established a mouse aging model using D-galactose and then treated it with aqueous root extract or Vc. The blood cell count and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) contents were measured; pathological examination of tissues was performed; and SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and NOS expression levels in the serum, liver, and brain tissues were investigated. Results In vitro, compared with the antioxidant Vc, the aqueous root extract showed similar 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic·scavenging activities and even significantly increased superoxide anion (p < 0.05) and hydroxyl radical (OH) (p < 0.01) scavenging activities. The aqueous extract significantly increased the white blood cell count as well as enhanced SOD, CAT, and NOS activities (p < 0.01) in aging mice. In addition, the aqueous extract increased the NO content (p < 0.05) and reduced the MDA content (p < 0.05). Conclusions The aqueous root extract of A. cochinchinensis showed as strong antioxidant ability as Vc and might prevent aging by reducing radicals.

Abstract Proximity barcoding assay, a high-throughput method for single-exosome analysis, was employed to profile surface proteins on individual exosomes of SCZ patients. This analysis identified five differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between SCZ patients and healthy controls (HC) and six DEPs between antipsychotic responders and non-responders. Furthermore, two exosome clusters were found to be associated with SCZ, and certain DEPs were correlated with cognitive functions.

Abstract Background The effect of childhood trauma on Internet gaming disorder remains unclear. In this study, we examined this association in Chinese students and explored the possible associated roles of psychological resilience and depression. Methods In total, 8,579 students from Hunan Province, China, provided information regarding their sociodemographic factors, history of childhood trauma, any symptoms of depression, psychological resilience, and characteristics of Internet gaming disorder for this cross-sectional study. The impact of childhood trauma on Internet gaming disorder, as well as the extent to which it was mediated by depression and moderated by psychological resilience was evaluated. Results The influence of childhood trauma on Internet gaming disorder was partially mediated by depression (B = 0.07, 95% CI [0.04, 0.05], p

This paper presents an analytical study of the dynamic responses in the vehicle–pavement–foundation system, where the vehicle is simplified to a two-degree-of-freedom system, the pavement is modeled using both Euler–Bernoulli (E-B) beam and Timoshenko beam with consideration of pavement roughness, and the subgrade is simulated with a Winkler foundation model featuring cubic nonlinear stiffness. The focus is on using approximate analytical solutions of pavement response to discuss the impact of nonlinear stiffness under various parameter conditions. In previous analytical studies of vehicle–pavement–foundation systems, vehicles were typically simplified to a constant moving force, leading to the conclusion that when the applied force is small, the impact of nonlinear stiffness on the pavement’s dynamic response is minimal; whereas when the force is large, the pavement response increases with the increase in nonlinear stiffness. In this study, the force exerted by the vehicle on the pavement is harmonic, and the impact of nonlinear stiffness on the pavement response is different and much more complex. The research finds that there is a critical value for nonlinear stiffness under the given vehicle parameter conditions: when the nonlinear stiffness is less than the critical value, it has almost no effect on the pavement response; when it exceeds the critical value, the pavement’s response first decreases and then increases with the increase in nonlinear stiffness. The critical value of nonlinear stiffness is not fixed and increases as the vehicle velocity and foundation damping. Moreover, an increase in nonlinear stiffness also causes an increase in the offset between the wheel position and the position of maximum pavement deformation. Under the same parameter conditions, the offset in the E-B beam is significantly greater than that in the Timoshenko beam. Our study’s results enhance the understanding of the nonlinear dynamics within the vehicle–pavement interaction.

Cracks, common indicators of deterioration in bridge frameworks, frequently stem from wear and rust, leading to increased local flexibility and changes in the structure’s dynamic behavior. This study examines how these cracks affect the dynamics of footbridges when subjected to loads generated by walking individuals. The pedestrian is modeled as a linear oscillator, while the cracked bridge is represented by a simply supported beam following Euler–Bernoulli’s theory. The use of the Dirac delta function allows for the precise representation of the localized stiffness reduction at the crack location, facilitating the calculation of analytical expressions for the beam’s vibration modes. The research suggests that the presence of cracks minimally affects the bridge’s mid-span displacement. However, with a limited depth of cracks, the appearance of cracks notably amplifies the mid-span acceleration amplitude of the bridge, leading to a pronounced concentration of energy at the third natural frequency of the bridge in the acceleration spectrum. As the depth and number of cracks increase, the acceleration amplitude continues to decrease, but the corresponding spectrum remains almost unchanged. The study’s outcomes enhance the comprehension of how cracks affect the performance of bridge structures when subjected to loads from pedestrians, offering insights for the monitoring and evaluation of the condition of cracked footbridges.

IntroductionSchizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by impairment in reasoning, affectivity, and social relationships. Previous studies have shown delayed motor development and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) level change in individuals with schizophrenia. We researched the month of walking alone (MWA) and BDNF level between drug-naive first-episode schizophrenia patients (FEP) and healthy control (HC), as well as how they behave in neurocognitive function and severity of symptoms. Predictors of schizophrenia were further explored too.MethodsWe researched the MWA and BDNF levels between FEP and HCs in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from August 2017 to January 2020, as well as how they behave in neurocognitive function and the severity of symptoms. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the risk factors affecting the onset and treatment outcome of schizophrenia.ResultsWe find that FEP showed a walking delay and lower BDNF levels compared to HCs, which were associated with cognitive impairment and severity of symptoms. According to the difference and correlation analysis results, and combined with the appropriate application conditions for binary logistic regression, Wechsler Intelligence Scale Picture completion, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, and Trail Making Test: part A were added to the binary logistic regression analysis to distinguish FEP and HCs.ConclusionOur study has shown delayed motor development and changes in BDNF levels in schizophrenia, extending insight into the early identification of patients with schizophrenia versus healthy populations.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops in China, but floods bring substantial decreases in production over the past several decades. In order to investigate the mechanisms of waterlogging resistance in mutant hot pepper, we measured the agronomic traits of mutant and wild-type, as well as the activities of root antioxidant enzymes and the contents of osmotic regulation substance. At the same time, we did transcriptome sequencing on the plant roots, and screened for differentially expressed genes between mutant and wild-type. The results showed that, under waterlogging stress, the mutants could grow normally, and the activities of their superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase were significantly increased, as well as the contents of proline and soluble sugar. The accumulation of malondialdehyde and hydroxyl radical in mutants was significantly reduced. Among the 61 differentially expressed genes from transcriptome analysis, 24 genes were up-regulated and 37 genes were down-regulated in mutants. After functional analysis, we found 8 genes related to the metabolism of endogenous hormone and protective enzymes, among which, auxin-induced protein related gene cap.ARATH, ethylene response related gene Cap.RAP2, MYB family related gene Cap.MYB1R1, and the 4 genes related to peroxidase Cap.POD, were significantly up-regulated in mutants, while the Capana01g001329 gene was down-regulated. These results suggest that under waterlogging stress, the mutant could enhance its resistance to waterlogging by regulating the genes involved in metabolism of endogenous hormones and protective enzymes. This study provides the scientific basis for elucidating the gene regulation network of mutant pepper under waterlogging stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundDysregulation of immunity, such as levels of inflammatory factors, has been regarded as a sign of schizophrenia. Changes in cytokine levels are not only described in the early onset of disease, but also observed in ultra-high risk (UHR) individuals. This study aimed to investigate the potential of cytokines as biomarkers for psychotic disorders and in individuals at UHR of developing a psychotic disorder in the future.MethodsThe Luminex liquid chip technology was used to detect the concentrations of Interferon-gamma (INF-γ), Interleukin (IL)-2, Interleukin (IL)-4, Interleukin (IL)-6, Interleukin (IL)-17, Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-beta (TNF-β) in the plasma of all subjects. Meanwhile, the plasma level of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) was measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Then, the levels of these cytokines were compared among patients with Drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia (FES; n = 40), UHR population (UHR; n = 49), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 30). Baseline cytokine levels were compared among UHR individuals who later transitioned (UHR-T; n = 14), those who did not transition (UHR-NT; n = 35), and HCs (n = 30).ResultsOur analysis results showed that IL-1β levels were significantly higher in UHR group than HC group (p = 0.015). Meanwhile, TNF-α concentration was significantly increased in FES group compared with HC group (p = 0.027). IL-17 (p = 0.04) and TNF-β (p = 0.008) levels were significantly higher in UHR-T group compared with UHR-NT group.ConclusionIn conclusion, our findings suggest that the immuno-inflammatory activation level is increased in the early stage of psychosis before psychotic conversion and the Drug-naïve FES. IL-1β and TNF-α are the representatives of the specific biomarkers for UHR and FES, respectively. IL-17 and TNF-β may be the potential selective predictive biomarkers for future transition in UHR individuals.

BackgroundIndividuals who experience the prodromal phase of schizophrenia (SCZ), a common and complex psychiatric disorder, are referred to as ultra-high-risk (UHR) individuals. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) is imperative in the microbiota-gut-brain axis and brain function. Accumulating amount of evidence shows the connections between psychiatric disorders and SCFAs. This study aims to explore the underlying roles SCFAs play in SCZ by investigating the association of alterations in SCFAs concentrations with common cognitive functions in both the SCZ and UHR populations.MethodsThe study recruited 59 SCZ patients (including 15 participants converted from the UHR group), 51 UHR participants, and 40 healthy controls (HC) within a complete follow-up of 2 years. Results of cognitive functions, which were assessed by utilizing HVLT-R and TMT, and serum concentrations of SCFAs were obtained for all participants and for UHR individuals at the time of their conversion to SCZ.ResultsFifteen UHR participants converted to SCZ within a 2-year follow-up. Valeric acid concentration levels were lower in both the baseline of UHR individuals whom later converted to SCZ (p = 0.046) and SCZ patients (p = 0.036) than the HC group. Additionally, there were lower concentrations of caproic acid in the baseline of UHR individuals whom later transitioned to SCZ (p = 0.019) and the UHR group (p = 0.016) than the HC group. Furthermore, the caproic acid levels in the UHR group are significantly positively correlated with immediate memory (r = 0.355, p = 0.011) and negatively correlated with TMT-B (r = -0.366, p = 0.009). Significant differences in levels of acetic acid, butyric acid and isovaleric acid were absent among the three groups and in UHR individuals before and after transition to SCZ.ConclusionOur study suggests that alterations in concentrations of SCFAs may be associated with the pathogenesis and the cognitive impairment of schizophrenia. Further researches are warranted to explore this association. The clinical implications of our findings were discussed.

Objective To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of modified 'Huoxue Shugan' (HXSG) formulas used as Chinese herbal medicine in treating patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and depression. Methods A systematic literature search of articles up to March 2018 will be performed in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System and Wanfang Database. Inclusion criteria are as follows: randomised controlled trials of modified HXSG formulas in patients with CHD and depression. The primary outcome measures will be CHD-related clinical evaluation (frequency of acute angina, severity of angina pectoris, ECG changes, dose of nitroglycerin) and the scores or amount of reduction in scales measuring depression (ie, the Hamilton Depression Scale or other widely used depression scales). The safety outcome measures will be adverse events, liver and kidney function. RevMan V.5.3 software will be used for data synthesis, sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses and risk of bias assessment. A funnel plot will be developed to evaluate reporting bias. Stata V.12.0 will be used for meta-regression and Egger tests. We will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system to assess the quality of evidence. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review does not require ethics approval and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018089641. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive symptoms are marked features of schizophrenia, and emerging evidence has suggested that abnormalities of the brain network underlying these symptoms may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of the disease. We constructed two brain functional networks based on the positive and negative correlations between positive symptom scores and brain connectivity in drug-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES, n = 45) by using a machine-learning approach (connectome-based predictive modeling, CPM). The accuracy of the model was r = 0.47 (p = 0.002). The positively and negatively associated network strengths were then compared among FES subjects, individuals at genetic high risk (GHR, n = 41) for schizophrenia, and healthy controls (HCs, n = 48). The results indicated that the positively associated network contained more cross-subnetwork connections (96.02% of 176 edges), with a focus on the default-mode network (DMN)-salience network (SN) and the DMN-frontoparietal task control (FPT) network. The negatively associated network had fewer cross-subnetwork connections (71.79% of 117 edges) and focused on the sensory/somatomotor hand (SMH)-Cingulo opercular task control (COTC) network, the DMN, and the visual network with significantly decreased connectivity in the COTC-SMH network in FES (FES < GHR, p = 0.01; FES < HC, p = 0.01). Additionally, the connectivity strengths of the right supplementary motor area (SMA) (p < 0.001) and the right precentral gyrus (p < 0.0001) were reduced in FES. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to generate two brain networks associated with positive symptoms by utilizing CPM in FES. Abnormal segregation, interactions of brain subnetworks, and impaired SMA might lead to salience attribution abnormalities and, thus, as a result, induce positive symptoms in schizophrenia.

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The glutamatergic system has previously been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the mechanisms of action of antipsychotic treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the levels of glutamate (Glu) or Glu/total creatine (Glu/Cr+PCr) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and psychiatric symptoms as well as the response to antipsychotic treatment. We performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H–MRS) to measure Glu and Glu/Cr+PCr in the ACC of 35 drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and 40 well-matched healthy controls (HCs). After scanning, we treated the patients with risperidone for eight weeks. Remission status was based on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores at week 8. At baseline, there were no significant differences in the levels of Glu or Glu/Cr+PCr in the ACC between drug-naïve FES patients and HCs. Lower baseline levels of Glu/Cr+PCr but not Glu in the ACC were associated with more severe negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Compared to the remission group (RM), the non-remission group (NRM) had lower baseline ACC Glu levels (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that ACC Glu levels may be related to the severity of symptoms in the early stages of schizophrenia and therefore may be a marker with which to evaluate the treatment effect of antipsychotics in schizophrenia patients.

In this paper, a plane pendulum model is proposed to investigate the lateral vibration of a suspension bridge under crowd excitation. The plane model consists of two strings and a rigid body, which represent cables and the bridge deck, respectively. The lateral force induced by crowd is expressed as a cosine function with random phase. Comparing with other existing pedestrian-footbridge interaction models, the proposed model has two features: one is that the structural characteristics of the suspension bridge are taken into account. The other is that the expression of the lateral force induced by crowd has a unified form for different lateral bridge amplitudes. By numerically analyzing the solution stability of the plane model, we exhibit the whole changing process how a suspension bridge increases its lateral amplitude from small to large. It is shown that the worst case occurs when the lateral natural frequency of the bridge is half the lateral step frequency of the pedestrians. Based on the analysis results, the plane pendulum model can be easily used to explain why the central span of the London Millennium Bridge has large lateral oscillations at about 0.48 Hz.