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Chlorophyll loss is a major problem during green vegetable storage. However, the molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, a 21 days of storage experiments showed chlorophyll content was higher in light-stored Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) leaves than those in dark-stored samples. Transcriptome analyses were performed on these samples to determine the effects of light. Among 311 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), early light-induced protein 1 (ELIP1) was identified as the main control gene for chlorophyll synthesis. Tissues and subcellular localization indicated that ELIP1 was localized in the nucleus. Motifs structure analyses, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays, luciferase reporter assays, and overexpression experiments demonstrated that ELIP1 regulated the expressions of genomes uncoupled 4 (GUN4), Glutamyl-tRNA reductase family protein (HEMA1), and Mg-protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase (CHLM) by binding to G-box-like motifs and affected chlorophyll biosynthesis during the storage of Chinese cabbage. It is a possible common tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway for chlorophylls, hemes, and bilin pigments in photosynthetic organisms. Our research also revealed that white light can be used as a regulatory factor to improve the storage ability and extent shelf life of Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a new circular DNA virus identified from a Chinese jujube tree showing mosaic-like symptoms. The genome of this virus is 7194 bp in length and contains five putative open reading frames (ORFs), all on the plus-strand of the genome. The genomic organization, primer binding sites and the sizes of the ORFs were similar to those reported for other badnaviruses (family Caulimoviridae), except for ORF3, which was split into ORF3a and ORF3b with a 70-nt intergenic region. Furthermore, this new virus shares low nucleotide sequence identity (<50%) with other members of the family Caulimoviridae. Consequently, we propose this virus as a new member of the family Caulimoviridae and refer to it as jujube mosaic-associated virus (JuMaV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to identify wood surface types and carry out board grading, a collaborative classification method without image segmentation is proposed to sort four wood surface types: radial texture, tangential texture, live knot and dead knot. Firstly, three-level dual-tree complex wavelet decomposition is applied to the board image and 40-dimensional feature vector is obtained; secondly, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used for feature selection and dimension reduction, and after optimization 11 key features are chosen; finally, the surface types are identified by compressed sensing classifier based on the features optimized by PSO. Four types of Xylosma samples are used for the experiment. The classification accuracy of the above four types are 100, 86.7, 96.7 and 86.7 %, respectively. Theoretical and experimental results show that the direction property of dual-tree complex wavelet can express the complex information of wood surface and the classification realized by compressed sensing is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing multifunctional composites has received widespread attention for cancer treatment. Herein, a metal–phenolic network (MPN)-based composite loading with chemotherapy agents (TAFP) exhibits high anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy via photothermal therapy (PTT), chemo-dynamic therapy (CDT), and chemotherapy. The nanocomposite was formed by mixing the chemotherapeutic drugs (cisplatin, DDP) into the tannic acid (TA) and Fe3+ network (TAFe) to integrate the synergistic effect of PTT, CDT, and chemotherapy. Due to the acidic tumor microenvironment, the active substances could be released with the degradation of the metal–phenolic network, and the released DDP would induce the chemotherapy. More importantly, the released TA under the acidic environment could increase iron bioavailability by converting Fe3+ to Fe2+, which converts hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to highly toxic hydroxyl radical via the Fenton reaction. Meanwhile, the heat generated from TAFP after near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation could enhance the therapeutic effect of CDT and chemotherapy. Furthermore, the composite exhibited unique anticancer efficacy in vivo with low toxicity. Collectively, this work may facilitate the development of metal–phenolic network-based photothermal agents for clinic anti-tumor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a high value-added platform compound, converted into bio-based polyesters and biofuels etc. In this paper, we used two commercially available hexamethylenimine and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure-directing agents to synthesize HMWW zeolite nanosheets via one step. A series of HMWW zeolite nanosheets with different disorder index (DI) were controllably prepared by adjusting the amount of CTAB, operating also as an in situ exfoliating agent, converting fructose into HMF in the tetrahydrofuran/NaCl-H2O biphasic solvent with low boiling point. Successful construction of disordered HMWW zeolite nanosheets was verified by PXRD. Further characterizations by BET, SEM and TEM etc. show that HMWW4.0 with the optimum DI of 0.67 has a disordered network-like arrangement of layers with the external surface area of 224 m2/g and the mesoporous size of 3.5 nm. Catalytic evaluations showed that HMF selectivity was closely related to DI of the catalysts. Under the optimized DI, fructose molecules are readily accessible to acidic sites on the external surface while larger external surface area is exposed. The HMWW4.0 zeolite catalyzed fructose dehydration in the biphasic solvent, producing 90% HMF selectivity with 93% fructose conversion at 140 °C for 6 h. In the reuses of the HMWW4.0 catalyst, HMF selectivity was around 90% with fructose conversion decreasing by ca. 10% after six runs, indicating that it possesses the promising stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the lifetimes of system components are assumed to have independent and nonidentical uncertainty distributions with uncertain parameters. The reliability functions and mean time to failure of the general systems are investigated according to the uncertainty theory. Basic models of the general systems with bi-uncertain variables are established and analyzed, including series, parallel and series–parallel systems. The explicit expressions of reliability function and mean time to failure of each model are presented. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the applications of the developed models and perform a comparison for the models with uncertain and bi-uncertain variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional stability, the change of emotion response among situations, was associated with mental illness, such as depression. The current study aimed to explore the modulation of attentional deployment on emotional stability by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a sequential risk-taking task. During the task, participants were asked to open a series of boxes consecutively and decided when to stop. Each box contained a reward, except one containing a devil to zero reward in the trial. When participants stopped, both collected gains and missed chances were revealed. The attentional deployment was manipulated during the outcome feedback, i.e., inducing participants to focus on the good part (GF context) or the bad part (MF context) of the decision outcome. Besides, the Control context was also set, in which the attentional deployment was not manipulated. The behavioral results showed that the emotional stability was stronger in GF context relative to MF and Control contexts. At the neural level, with outcomes getting better, activations of ventral striatum (VS) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) increased faster in GF context than that in MF and Control contexts. In addition, in GF context, the changing of SFG activation with outcomes getting better was associated with emotional stability. The current study highlighted that focusing on the good part of decision outcomes could enhance emotional stability effectively and SFG played a vital role in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the capacity of critical flicker frequency (CFF) in discriminating cataract eyes with or without macula disease using trichromatic flickers, and to develop a model to predict postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of macular disease. CFF threshold measurements of red (R-CFF), green (G-CFF), and yellow (Y-CFF) flickers were conducted both preoperatively and postoperatively. A generalized estimating equations model (GEE) was employed to examine the relationship between CFF threshold and 3-month postoperative BCVA.A total of 115 eyes were enrolled, with 59 eyes in the cataract alone group and 56 eyes in the cataract with macular disease group completing the follow-up. R-CFF was found to be consistent before and after cataract removal (P = 0.06), even in cases where OCT was not performed successfully (P > 0.05). Y-CFF showed the highest AUC (0.798) for differentiating ocular comorbidities. According to the GEE model, in patients with a CFF threshold below 26 Hz, the odds ratios for achieving a postoperative VA of 20/40 or better were 34.8% for R-CFF, 26.0% for G-CFF, and 24.5% for Y-CFF.CFF emerges as a promising tool for predicting postoperative BCVA, providing valuable supplementary insights when fundus examination is obstructed. R-CFF demonstrates the best resistance to cataracts, while Y-CFF exhibits the highest sensitivity both in identifying macular diseases and predicting postoperative BCVA of 20/40 or better.Methods: To investigate the capacity of critical flicker frequency (CFF) in discriminating cataract eyes with or without macula disease using trichromatic flickers, and to develop a model to predict postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of macular disease. CFF threshold measurements of red (R-CFF), green (G-CFF), and yellow (Y-CFF) flickers were conducted both preoperatively and postoperatively. A generalized estimating equations model (GEE) was employed to examine the relationship between CFF threshold and 3-month postoperative BCVA.A total of 115 eyes were enrolled, with 59 eyes in the cataract alone group and 56 eyes in the cataract with macular disease group completing the follow-up. R-CFF was found to be consistent before and after cataract removal (P = 0.06), even in cases where OCT was not performed successfully (P > 0.05). Y-CFF showed the highest AUC (0.798) for differentiating ocular comorbidities. According to the GEE model, in patients with a CFF threshold below 26 Hz, the odds ratios for achieving a postoperative VA of 20/40 or better were 34.8% for R-CFF, 26.0% for G-CFF, and 24.5% for Y-CFF.CFF emerges as a promising tool for predicting postoperative BCVA, providing valuable supplementary insights when fundus examination is obstructed. R-CFF demonstrates the best resistance to cataracts, while Y-CFF exhibits the highest sensitivity both in identifying macular diseases and predicting postoperative BCVA of 20/40 or better.Results: To investigate the capacity of critical flicker frequency (CFF) in discriminating cataract eyes with or without macula disease using trichromatic flickers, and to develop a model to predict postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of macular disease. CFF threshold measurements of red (R-CFF), green (G-CFF), and yellow (Y-CFF) flickers were conducted both preoperatively and postoperatively. A generalized estimating equations model (GEE) was employed to examine the relationship between CFF threshold and 3-month postoperative BCVA.A total of 115 eyes were enrolled, with 59 eyes in the cataract alone group and 56 eyes in the cataract with macular disease group completing the follow-up. R-CFF was found to be consistent before and after cataract removal (P = 0.06), even in cases where OCT was not performed successfully (P > 0.05). Y-CFF showed the highest AUC (0.798) for differentiating ocular comorbidities. According to the GEE model, in patients with a CFF threshold below 26 Hz, the odds ratios for achieving a postoperative VA of 20/40 or better were 34.8% for R-CFF, 26.0% for G-CFF, and 24.5% for Y-CFF.CFF emerges as a promising tool for predicting postoperative BCVA, providing valuable supplementary insights when fundus examination is obstructed. R-CFF demonstrates the best resistance to cataracts, while Y-CFF exhibits the highest sensitivity both in identifying macular diseases and predicting postoperative BCVA of 20/40 or better.Conclusion: To investigate the capacity of critical flicker frequency (CFF) in discriminating cataract eyes with or without macula disease using trichromatic flickers, and to develop a model to predict postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of macular disease. CFF threshold measurements of red (R-CFF), green (G-CFF), and yellow (Y-CFF) flickers were conducted both preoperatively and postoperatively. A generalized estimating equations model (GEE) was employed to examine the relationship between CFF threshold and 3-month postoperative BCVA.A total of 115 eyes were enrolled, with 59 eyes in the cataract alone group and 56 eyes in the cataract with macular disease group completing the follow-up. R-CFF was found to be consistent before and after cataract removal (P = 0.06), even in cases where OCT was not performed successfully (P > 0.05). Y-CFF showed the highest AUC (0.798) for differentiating ocular comorbidities. According to the GEE model, in patients with a CFF threshold below 26 Hz, the odds ratios for achieving a postoperative VA of 20/40 or better were 34.8% for R-CFF, 26.0% for G-CFF, and 24.5% for Y-CFF.CFF emerges as a promising tool for predicting postoperative BCVA, providing valuable supplementary insights when fundus examination is obstructed. R-CFF demonstrates the best resistance to cataracts, while Y-CFF exhibits the highest sensitivity both in identifying macular diseases and predicting postoperative BCVA of 20/40 or better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within ultra-deep tight sandstone gas reservoirs, natural fractures indicate significant effects on reservoir performance because they can serve as storage spaces for hydrocarbons and improve the permeability. Accurate prediction of natural fractures in ultra-deep reservoirs is critical to the exploration and development of tight gas in Keshen 2 Block of Kuqa Depression. In this study, several conventional logs are selected and the R/S analysis method is introduced to predict the development and distribution of natural fractures in ultra-deep tight sandstone reservoirs. Fracture development coefficient Q is calculated based on the second derivatives of lg(R/S) function and corresponding weight of each log parameter, which matches well with linear fracture density measured from image logs. There is a positive correlation between parameter Q and fracture density, higher Q values usually indicate larger fracture density. Factors causing mismatches between calculated parameter Q and fracture density are also analyzed. Fracture dip angle, fracture filling condition, vertical resolution of logs, multiple interpretations of conventional logs, and lateral detection difference between image and conventional logs may contribute to generate those false appearances. The results in this study are expected to provide new geological references for the exploration and development of ultra-deep tight gas in Keshen 2 Block of Kuqa Depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to measure the diagnostic values of biomarkers of bacterial infection in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients. The serum and clinical data of 82 IIM patients with/without bacterial infection were collected. Concentrations of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in IIM patients and healthy controls. There were no significant differences in serum suPAR and sTREM-1 levels between healthy controls and non-infection IIM patients. Serum levels of suPAR, sTREM-1, PCT and CRP measured in this study were significantly higher in the IIM patient group with concurrent infection than in the non-infection IIM patient group ( p < 0.05). The biomarker suPAR showed the highest diagnostic value with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 81.6, 77.3, 75.6 and 82.9%, respectively. Combining suPAR negative and CRP negative to rule out bacterial infection in IIM patients provides a very high specificity of 97.4%. Both suPAR and CRP positive to confirm bacterial infection give the specificity of 90.9%. The inflammatory biomarkers suPAR, sTREM-1, PCT and CRP offer diagnostic accuracy in detecting bacterial infection in IIM patients. Particularly, suPAR is the most sensitive and specific biomarker to predict bacterial infection in IIM patients. Combination of suPAR and CRP serum levels provides an even better confirmation of bacterial infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell division is a complex process requiring the cell to have many internal checks so that division may proceed and be completed correctly. Failure to divide correctly can have serious consequences, including progression to cancer. During mitosis, chromosomal segregation is one such process that is crucial for successful progression. Accurate segregation of chromosomes during mitosis requires regulation of the interactions between chromosomes and spindle microtubules. If left uncorrected, chromosome attachment errors can cause chromosome segregation defects which have serious effects on cell fates. In early prometaphase, where kinetochores are exposed to multiple microtubules originating from the two poles, there are frequent errors in kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Erroneous attachments are classified into two categories, syntelic and merotelic. In this paper, we consider a stochastic model for a possible function of syntelic and merotelic kinetochores, and we provide theoretical evidence that merotely can contribute to lessening the stochastic noise in the time for completion of the mitotic process in eukaryotic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]