Search

Previous studies have shown that abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene are involved in pulp maturation and peel coloration in the nonclimacteric citrus fruits. There are also signs indicating that other plant hormones may play some roles in citrus fruit ripening. In this study, we compared profiles of genome-wide gene expression and changes in hormones and peel pigments between fruits of Shatangju mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco, designated WT) and its natural mutant, Yuenongwanju (designated MT). The MT fruit matures ~2 months later than the WT fruit. Significant differences in fruit diameter, total soluble solids, titratable acid content, chlorophylls and carotenoids were detected between the fruits of the two genotypes at the sampled time points. Genome-wide transcriptome profiling showed that many genes involved in auxin and ABA metabolism and/or signaling pathways were differentially expressed between the MT and the WT fruits. Importantly, the expression of CrYUCCA8 was significantly lower and the expression of CrNCED5 was significantly higher in WT than in MT fruits at 230 and 250 DPA, respectively. In addition, the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) level in the MT fruit was significantly higher than that in the WT counterpart, whereas a significantly lower level of ABA was detected in the mutant. Treatment of the WT fruit with exogenous IAA significantly delayed fruit maturation. Our results provide experimental evidence supporting the notion that auxin is a negative regulator of fruit maturation in citrus.

Abstract Purpose The current study was designed to investigate the analgesic effect of esketamine on patients underwent thoracoscopic surgery and the underlying mechanism. Methods In this randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study, 60 patients scheduled to undergo thoracoscopic lobectomy or segmentectomy were randomized to two groups to receive esketamine (group ESK) or saline (group SAL), respectively. 0.25 mg·kg−1 esketamine was given in group ESK for induction of anesthesia, and 0.12 mg·kg−1·h−1 esketamine for intraoperative maintenance. Group SAL received an equal volume of saline. The primary outcomes were the visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores at rest and deep cough state which evaluated at departure from post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) (T1), 6 h, 24 h and 48 h after surgery (T2–T4). The secondary outcomes included the levels of white blood cell (WBC) count, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT), anxiety/depression scores at T3, oxygen saturation (SpO2), and adverse reactions. Results Esketamine significantly decreased both rest and cough VAS pain scores at T1, and rest pain scores at T1, T2 and T4. Patients in ESK group had significantly lower WBC and ANC levels than SAL group, while the alteration of IL-6 and PCT levels between groups showed no significance. The anxiety scores of patients in both groups were significantly decreased after surgery. However, the depression scores of patients in ESK group did not decrease after surgery when compared with the preoperation. The postoperative SpO2 and the incidence of adverse reaction including postoperative nausea, vomiting, dizziness and dissociative symptom showed no significant difference between two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion Esketamine can alleviate the acute postoperative pain of patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery without increasing adverse reactions, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with the reduction of postoperative inflammation. Trial registration Registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on February 7, 2022 (ChiCTR 2200056524). Graphical Abstract

This study examines the collective impact of postponement, scrap, and subcontracting standard components on the multiproduct replenishing decisions. Rapid response, desirable quality, and various goods guide the client’s demands in today’s competitive market. Therefore, many manufacturing firms search for alternative fabrication and outsourcing strategies during the production planning stage to satisfy the client’s expectations, minimize fabrication-inventory costs, and smoothen machine utilization. To effectively help producers meet today's client's needs and enhance their competitive advantage, we develop a two-stage multiproduct replenishing system incorporating scraps, standard parts subcontracting, commonality, and delayed differentiation. To reduce the production uptime, stage one has a hybrid fabrication process for the common components (i.e., a partial outsourcing strategy), and stage two manufactures the finished multiproduct. In-house fabrication processes in both stages are imperfect; a screening process detects and removes scraps to maintain the finished batch quality. We determine the cost-minimized operating cycle. The findings reveal the collective impact of postponement, scrap, and external suppliers on this multi-product replenishment problem and can be used to facilitate production planning and decision-making.

Secondary trunk Ginkgo biloba is one of the specific germplasms of G. biloba. In this study, paraffin sectioning, high-performance liquid chromatography and transcriptome sequencing technology were used to study the development of the secondary trunk of G. biloba from the morphological, physiological and molecular levels. The results showed that the secondary trunk of G. biloba originated from the latent buds in the stem cortex at the junction of the root and stem of the main trunk. The development process of secondary trunk was divided into 4 periods: the dormancy period of the secondary trunk buds, the differentiation period, the formation period of transport tissue, and the budding period. Transcriptome sequencing was performed by comparing the germination period and elongation growth period of the secondary trunk with the normal parts of the same period where no secondary trunks occurred. Differential genes involved in phytohormone signal transduction, phenylpropane biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, glycolysis and other pathways can regulate not only the inhibition of early dormant buds but also the later development of the secondary trunk. Genes related to IAA synthesis are upregulated and indole-3-acetic acid content is increased, leading to the up-regulated expression of IAA intracellular vector genes. The IAA response gene (SAUR) receives and responds to IAA signals to promote the development of the secondary trunk. Through the enrichment of differential genes and functional annotations, a key regulatory pathway map for the occurrence of the secondary trunk of G. biloba was sorted out.