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Abstract Coix lacryma-jobi L. is one of the most economically and medicinally important corns. This study constructed a high-density genetic linkage map of C. lacryma-jobi based on a cross between the parents 'Qianyi No. 2' × 'Wenyi No. 2' and their F2 progeny through high-throughput sequencing and the construction of a specific-locus amplified fragment (SLAF) library. After pre-processing, 325.49 GB of raw data containing 1628 M reads were obtained. A total of 22,944 high-quality SLAFs were identified, among which 3952 SLAFs and 3646 polymorphic markers met the requirements for the construction of a genetic linkage map. The integrated map contained 3605 high-quality SLAFs, which were grouped into ten genetic linkage groups. The total length of the map was 1620.39 cM, with an average distance of 0.45 cM and an average of 360.5 markers per linkage group. This report presents the first high-density genetic map of C. lacryma-jobi. This map was constructed using an F2 population and SLAF-seq approach, which allows the development of a large number of polymorphic markers in a short period. These results provide a platform for precise gene/quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, map-based gene separation, and molecular breeding in C. lacryma-jobi. They also help identify a target gene for tracking, splitting quantitative traits, and estimating the phenotypic effects of each QTL for QTL mapping. They are of great significance for improving the efficiency of discovering and utilizing excellent gene resources of C. lacryma-jobi.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a member of the Asteraceae family, is widely used in traditional herbal medicine. This review summarized agronomic conditions, genetic diversity, clinical application, and phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of safflower. The genetic diversity of the plant is rich. Abundant in secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, polysaccharides, fatty acids, polyacetylene, and other bioactive components, the medicinal plant is effective for treating cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and respiratory diseases. Especially, Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYSA) has a variety of pharmacological effects. In terms of treatment and prevention of some space sickness in space travel, safflower could be a potential therapeutic agent. Further studies are still required to support the development of safflower in medicine. Our review indicates that safflower is an important medicinal plant and research prospects regarding safflower are very broad and worthy of further investigation.

Abstract G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a key role in regulating the homeostasis of the internal environment and are closely associated with tumour progression as major mediators of cellular signalling. As a diverse and multifunctional group of proteins, the G protein signalling regulator (RGS) family was proven to be involved in the cellular transduction of GPCRs. Growing evidence has revealed dysregulation of RGS proteins as a common phenomenon and highlighted the key roles of these proteins in human cancers. Furthermore, their differential expression may be a potential biomarker for tumour diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Most importantly, there are few systematic reviews on the functional/mechanistic characteristics and clinical application of RGS family members at present. In this review, we focus on the G-protein signalling regulator (RGS) family, which includes more than 20 family members. We analysed the classification, basic structure, and major functions of the RGS family members. Moreover, we summarize the expression changes of each RGS family member in various human cancers and their important roles in regulating cancer cell proliferation, stem cell maintenance, tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. On this basis, we outline the molecular signalling pathways in which some RGS family members are involved in tumour progression. Finally, their potential application in the precise diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of different types of cancers and the main possible problems for clinical application at present are discussed. Our review provides a comprehensive understanding of the role and potential mechanisms of RGS in regulating tumour progression. Video Abstract

Abstract Background Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a complex chronic pain disorder that significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) uses infrared or near-infrared light to produce analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and biological stimulation effects. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effect of LLLT on burning pain, quality of life, and negative emotions in patients with BMS. Methods The PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched up January 2023 to identify relevant articles. All randomized controlled trials that were published in English and examined the use of LLLT treatment for BMS were included. The methodological quality of the included trials was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate burning pain, quality of life, and negative emotions. Sensitivity, subgroup, and funnel plot analyses were also carried out. Results Fourteen RCTs involving a total of 550 patients with BMS met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that LLLT (measured by the Visual Analog Scale; SMD: -0.87, 95% CI: -1.29 to -0.45, P

In order to identify a Lactobacillus sp. strain with efficient and safe in starch degradation, this study analyzed five distinct strains: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum JYI-3913 and AS1.555, Lactobacillus amylovorus CGMCC1.3395, Lactobacillus amylophilus CGMCC1.3394, and Lactobacillus paracasei CGMCC1.12731. The preliminary screening and re-screening for amylase production capabilities, the determination of enzyme production curve and growth curve were carried out to select the strain with the best ability to produce amylase. Subsequently, a detailed safety evaluation of the strain was carried out, including drug sensitivity test, drug resistance genetic testing, plasmid detection, hemolysis test, nitroreductase production, azoreductase production and amine production capacity detection, and acute oral toxicity test in mice. Results showed that, under the same culture conditions, the starch degradation transparent zone of L. amylovorus CGMCC1.3395 exhibited a clear transparent zone of starch degradation. Its starch degradation rate and amylase activity were 97.28% and 36.94 U/mL, respectively. And this strain displayed a relatively brief lag phase, while extending the log phase and stationary phase. Overall, this strain demonstrated superior integrated amylase production capabilities when compared to the other strains under investigation. In terms of antibiotic sensitivity, the selected strain exhibited sensitivity or intermediate sensitivity to the majority of the 22 tested antibiotics, with resistance observed for ampicillin, kanamycin, and four fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Moreover, this strain showed no associated drug-resistance genes and plasmids, thereby eliminating the risk of antibiotic-resistance gene transmission. It also lacked a hemolytic effect and did not produce potentially harmful metabolites such as nitroreductase, azoreductase, histamine, and tyramine. Mice displayed normal growth and weight gain over a 14 day feeding period, indicating the non-toxicity of the strain. In conclusion, L. amylovorus CGMCC1.3395 demonstrated a potent and safe capability for amylase production. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the safe employment of this strain in the fermentation of starch-rich foods.

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are often highly concentrated in sedimentary phosphate deposits, and the microdistribution characteristics and occurrence state of rare earth in these deposits play a crucial role in the overall development and utilization of mineral resources. This study aims to analyze the microdistribution of REEs in REE-bearing phosphate deposits in the Zhijin region of Guizhou at the microstructural level and investigate their occurrence modes. Specifically, rock and mineral identification, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) were utilized to analyze the samples. The correlation between the distribution of REEs and phosphorus was examined. In addition, the microdistribution of REEs in specific mineral phases and the locations of their occurrence were investigated. The analysis revealed that no REEs existed independently in the deposit. Instead, the distribution of REEs was highly consistent and significantly positively correlated with that of phosphorus. In the microarea structure, REEs were predominantly found both in particles, such as bioclasts, sand debris, and agglomerates, and in phosphate cement, where the main mineral components were collophane and apatite. Conversely, the content of REEs in dolomitized sand debris edges, sparry dolomitic cement, and siliceous cement was considerably lower. Based on these findings, it is speculated that REEs primarily occur within the lattice defects of apatite or on the surface of collophanite. There is a notable contrast in the REE content between the unaltered sand debris at the periphery and the dolomitized sand debris, indicating that the dolomitization in the diagenetic stage resulted in a depletion of REE abundance in the ore. Obviously, the dominant gangue mineral, dolomite, does not serve as the primary host for REEs. Furthermore, the highest concentration of REEs was inside organisms. This finding suggests that the high content of REEs in biological soft tissue may remain under the influence of waves and tides, and REE-bearing apatite may be preferentially separated and fill the cavities of deceased organisms. The second highest content of REEs was found in the shells of organisms, indicating that small shelly organisms absorb phosphorus materials through their life activities to construct their shells, resulting in REE enrichment. Quantitative analysis through sequential extraction procedures displayed that most REEs were present in the residual state, with a smaller portion combined with organic matter. These results confirm that REEs in the Zhijin phosphate deposits primarily exist as isomorphic substitutions in the lattice defects of apatite, with a secondary occurrence as organic matter-bound REEs.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that can result in adverse cardiovascular outcomes but is often difficult to detect. The use of machine learning (ML) algorithms for detecting AF has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. This study aims to systematically evaluate and summarize the overall diagnostic accuracy of the ML algorithms in detecting AF in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. Methods: The searched databases included PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar. The selected studies were subjected to a meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy to synthesize the sensitivity and specificity. Results: A total of 14 studies were included, and the forest plot of the meta-analysis showed that the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 97% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94–0.99) and 97% (95% CI: 0.95–0.99), respectively. Compared to traditional machine learning (TML) algorithms (sensitivity: 91.5%), deep learning (DL) algorithms (sensitivity: 98.1%) showed superior performance. Using multiple datasets and public datasets alone or in combination demonstrated slightly better performance than using a single dataset and proprietary datasets. Conclusions: ML algorithms are effective for detecting AF from ECGs. DL algorithms, particularly those based on convolutional neural networks (CNN), demonstrate superior performance in AF detection compared to TML algorithms. The integration of ML algorithms can help wearable devices diagnose AF earlier.

To explore the causal pathogen and the correlated rhizosphere soil microecology of sugarcane root rot, we sampled the sugarcane root materials displaying different disease severity, and the corresponding rhizosphere soil, for systematic root phenotype and microbial population analyses. We found that with increased level of disease severity reflected by above-ground parts of sugarcane, the total root length, total root surface area and total volume were significantly reduced, accompanied with changes in the microbial population diversity and structure in rhizosphere soil. Fungal community richness was significantly lower in the rhizosphere soil samples from mildly diseased plant than that from either healthy plant, or severely diseased plant. Particularly, we noticed that a peculiar decrease of potential pathogenic fungi in rhizosphere soil, including genera Fusarium, Talaromyces and Neocosmospora, with increased level of disease severity. As for bacterial community, Firmicutes was found to be of the highest level, while Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi of the lowest level, in rhizosphere soil from healthy plant compared to that from diseased plant of different severity. FUNGuild prediction showed that the proportion of saprophytic fungi was higher in the rhizosphere soil of healthy plants, while the proportion of pathogenic fungi was higher in the rhizosphere soil of diseased plants. By co-occurrence network analysis we demonstrated the Bacillus and Burkholderia were in a strong interaction with Fusarium pathogen(s). Consistently, the biocontrol and/or growth-promoting bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere soil were mostly (6 out of 7) belonging to Bacillus and Burkholderia species. By confrontation culture and pot experiments, we verified the biocontrol and/or growth-promoting property of the isolated bacterial strains. Overall, we demonstrated a clear correlation between sugarcane root rot severity and rhizosphere soil microbiome composition and function, and identified several promising biocontrol bacteria strains with strong disease suppression effect and growth-promoting properties.

Al/Fe bimetals prepared by a compound casting method, combining the excellent properties of both the Al alloy and the ductile cast iron, exhibit great potential for application in achieving engine weight reduction. However, the problem of insufficient interfacial bonding ability because of the difference in thermophysical properties of Al and Fe is particularly prominent. Therefore, in this work, the electrodeposited Cu coating on the surface of the Fe matrix was used as the interlayer of Al/Fe bimetal fabricated by coupling hot-dipping with compound casting to solve the above problem. The effect of Cu interlayer thickness on the interfacial microstructure and shear strength of bimetal was investigated. The experimental results showed that the shear strength up to 77.65 MPa in regard to Al/Fe bimetal with a 5 μm Cu interlayer was obtained. No Cu element was detected at the interface of bimetal regardless of the thickness of the Cu interlayer. The diffusion behavior of the Cu atom at the interface and the influence of the Cu layer at the atomic scale on diffusion reaction and the Al/Fe interface were further revealed by combining first-principle and molecular dynamics calculations. The simulation results revealed that the Cu layer gradually dissolved into an Al alloy at 750 °C, thereby promoting the diffusion reaction of the Al/Fe interface. Meanwhile, the protective role of the Cu layer against oxidation on the surface of the Fe matrix was confirmed. As a result, the interfacial bonding performance was enhanced when the Cu interlayer was introduced.

Hong Qu (HQ), obtained through fermentation of various grains using Monascus spp., has been widely utilized as the main and characteristic initial saccharification and traditional fermentation starter in the food brewing industry. The quality, color, and flavor of HQ and HQ wine are closely related to the saccharifying power (SP) and Monascus pigments (MPs) of Monascus spp. In this study, to optimize the culture medium in submerged fermentation by M. purpureus G11 for improving SP and MPs, the effects of carbon source, nitrogen source, inorganic salts, and vitamins on SP activity and biosynthesis of MPs were explored through single-factor analysis and response surface Box–Behnken experiments. The results showed that the optimal medium composition was 6.008% rice powder, 1.021% peptone, 0.0049% CuSO4, and 0.052% vitamin B1. Validation experiments performed under the optimized fermentation conditions showed a significant increase in MPs and SP by 14.91% and 36.24%, with maximum MPs and SP reaching 112.61 and 365.12 u/mL, respectively. This study provides a theoretical basis for enhancing MPs and SP in M. purpureus for HQ production, to improve the production efficiency and shorten the production cycle of HQ-related fermentation products.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) with excellent mechanical properties have broad application scope and application prospects. However, it is difficult to obtain the optimized element composition, based on the traditional equiatomic or near-equiatomic statistical analysis of the phase selection rules. The non-equiatomic HEAs have abundant constituents combination by optimizing the type and content of elements. In this study, Ni10Cr6WFe9TiAlx (x = 0, 1.0 and 1.5, at.%) HEAs were prepared by vacuum arc melting. The effect of Al content x on microstructure and mechanical properties of HEAs was systematically studied. The results show that the HEAs are composed mainly of face-centered cubic (FCC) with hexagonal Al2W phase. The increase of Al content promotes the formation of the hexagonal Al2W phase. When the Al mole content is 1.0, the Ni10Cr6WFe9TiAl HEA material has achieved superior mechanical properties. The alloy exhibited a high ultimate tensile strength of 741 MPa and a large total elongation of 46%. The improvement in the mechanical properties of the Ni10Cr6WFe9TiAl HEA is mainly attributed to the precipitation strengthening of the high-density Al2W phase. This work provides a reference for the future design of Al2W precipitation-strengthened non-equiatomic HEAs with ideal properties.

Monascus pigments (MPs) display many beneficial biological activities and have been widely utilized as natural food-grade colorants in the food processing industry. The presence of the mycotoxin citrinin (CIT) seriously restricts the application of MPs, but the gene regulation mechanisms governing CIT biosynthesis remain unclear. We performed a RNA-Seq-based comparative transcriptomic analysis of representative high MPs-producing Monascus purpureus strains with extremely high vs. low CIT yields. In addition, we performed qRT-PCR to detect the expression of genes related to CIT biosynthesis, confirming the reliability of the RNA-Seq data. The results revealed that there were 2518 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 1141 downregulated and 1377 upregulated in the low CIT producer strain). Many upregulated DEGs were associated with energy metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism, with these changes potentially making more biosynthetic precursors available for MPs biosynthesis. Several potentially interesting genes that encode transcription factors were also identified amongst the DEGs. The transcriptomic results also showed that citB, citD, citE, citC and perhaps MpigI were key candidate genes to limit CIT biosynthesis. Our studies provide useful information on metabolic adaptations to MPs and CIT biosynthesis in M. purpureus, and provide targets for the fermentation industry towards the engineering of safer MPs production.

The formation of underground stem bulblets in lilies is a complex biological process which is key in their micropropagation. Generally, it involves a stem-to-bulblet transition; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. It is important to understand the regulatory mechanism of bulblet formation for the reproductive efficiency of Lilium. In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of underground stem bulblet formation under different conditions regarding the gravity point angle of the stem, i.e., vertical (control), horizontal, and slanting. The horizontal and slanting group displayed better formation of bulblets in terms of quality and quantity compared with the control group. A transcriptome analysis revealed that sucrose and starch were key energy sources for bulblet formation, auxin and cytokinin likely promoted bulblet formation, and gibberellin inhibited bulblet formation. Based on transcriptome analysis, we identified the LoLOB18 gene, a homolog to AtLOB18, which has been proven to be related to embryogenic development. We established the stem bud growth tissue culture system of Lilium and silenced the LoLOb18 gene using the VIGS system. The results showed that the bulblet induction was reduced with down-regulation of LoLOb18, indicating the involvement of LoLOb18 in stem bulblet formation in lilies. Our research lays a solid foundation for further molecular studies on stem bulblet formation of lilies.

Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is one of the major rice diseases. In order to better understand the inhibitory mechanism of lauric acid on the disease, RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to analyze the transcriptome changes in Rhizoctonia solani treated with lauric acid for 3 h, 6 h, 18 h, and 24 h, including 2306 genes; 1994 genes; 2778 genes; and 2872 genes. Based on gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, we found that protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (KO04141), carbon metabolism (KO01200), and starch and sucrose metabolism were significantly enriched. Most oxidoreductase, dehydrogenase, reductase, and transferase genes are downregulated in this process. Lauric acid can affect ergosterol content, mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, hydrogen peroxide content, electrolyte leakage, reactive oxygen species balance, and can induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Lauric acid also increased the expression levels of ER chaperone glucose regulatory protein Grp78 (BIP), protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), and Calpain (CNX), and decreased the expression levels of HSP40, HSP70, and HSP90 genes. Lauric acid affected the ergosterol content in the cell membrane of R. solani, which induces ER stress and increases the BiP level to induce the apoptosis of Rhizoctonia solani. These results indicated that lauric acid could be used to control rice sheath blight.

Ultrasonic-assisted grinding processing can effectively reduce the surface roughness and enhance the processing efficiency in the processing of hard and brittle materials. However, the most common ultrasonic assisted grinding is a type of contact ultrasonic grinding where the grinding tool directly contacts the workpiece, which means that it is necessary to accurately control the pre-pressure of the grinding tool on the workpiece. The control of pre-pressure will inevitably increase the complexity of the grinding device, and it is easy to wear the workpiece because of improper pre-pressure control. In this paper, a non-contact ultrasonic grinding method is proposed and the machining mechanism of non-contact ultrasonic grinding is revealed. The resonant frequency of the ultrasonic vibration system and vibration amplitude of the grinding tool working face were simulated and experimentally tested, respectively. Then, the experiment of non-contact ultrasonic grinding of a sapphire wafer was carried out. The result showed that non-contact ultrasonic grinding of the sapphire wafer could reduce the surface roughness by 48.6%. Compared with traditional contact grinding of sapphire wafer under certain pre-pressure conditions, the experimental results show that non-contact ultrasonic grinding has better effects in reducing surface roughness, improving processing efficiency, and improving the quality uniformity of the workpiece machining surface.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Al2O3 mass fraction on the corrosive-wear and electrochemical performance of NiTi coating in 3.5% NaCl solution. Design/methodology/approach: The NiTi–xAl2O3 coatings were fabricated on S355 steel by laser cladding, and their corrosive-wear and electrochemical performance were investigated using a wear tester and electrochemical workstation, respectively. Findings: The wear rates of NiTi–5%Al2O3, –10%Al2O3 and –15%Al2O3 coatings are 82.33, 54.23 and 30.10 µm3 mm−1 N−1, respectively, showing that the wear resistance of NiTi–15%Al2O3 coating is the best. The wear mechanism is abrasive wear, which is attributed to the increase of coating hardness by the Al2O3 addition. The polarization resistance of NiTi–5%Al2O3, –10%Al2O3 and –15%Al2O3 coatings is 3,639, 5,125 and 10,024 O cm2, respectively, exhibiting that the NiTi–15% Al2O3 coating has the best corrosion resistance. Originality/value: The roles of Al2O3 in the corrosive-wear and electrochemical performance of NiTi–xAl2O3 coating were revealed through the experimental investigation. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-02-2024-0044/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the OpenGL three-dimensional model of mine system, using Visual Studio 2012 as the development tool, in VB.NET object-oriented programming language, the 3D virtual mine visualization model is studied by using the graphics and image technology provided by OpenGL and triangulation algorithm, and the virtual 3D mine visualization system with high generality, strong sense of reality and good man-machine interaction is realized, and has been applied in Pingmei No. 1 mine. The results show that the system can easily and intuitively understand the mine ventilation system and provide a reliable guarantee for the safety management of coal mine.