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Background Salicylic Acid (SA) is a pivotal phytohormone in plant innate immunity enhancement of triggered by various pathogens, such as Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the causal agent of Huanglongbing (HLB). WRKY is a plant specific transcription factor (TF) family, which plays crucial roles in plant response to biotic stresses. So far, the evolutionary history, functions, and expression patterns under SA treatment and CLas infection of WRKY family are poorly understood in Citrus, despite the release of the genome of several Citrus species. A comprehensive genomic and expressional analysis is worth to conduct for this family. Results Here, a genome-wide identification of WRKY TFs was performed in two Citrus species: Citrus sinensis (HLB-sensitive) and Poncirus trifoliata (HLB-tolerant). In total, 52 CsWRKYs and 51 PtrWRKYs were identified, whose physical and chemical properties, chromosome locations, phylogenetic relationships and structural characteristics were comparatively analyzed. Especially, expression patterns of these WRKY genes before and after SA treatment and CLas infection were compared. Based on this result, seven pairs of orthologous WRKY genes showing opposite expression patterns in two Citrus species were screened out. Moreover, two pairs of orthologous WRKY genes with significant differences in the number or type of stress-responsive cis-elements in the promoter regions were discovered. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activation activity assays revealed that these two pairs of orthologous genes are classic WRKY TFs localize in the nucleus and could function as transcriptional activators. Conclusion In this study, we systematically analyzed the genomic characterization of WRKY family in two Citrus species, together with the analyses of expression patterns under SA signaling and CLas infection. Our study laid a foundation for further study on the function of WRKY TFs in HLB response and SA signaling of Citrus.

By using the reductive perturbation method, the existence of dust acoustic shock waves is given for a dusty plasma considering the dust size distribution. The effects of both the dust size distribution and the dust charge variation on the characteristics of the shock wave are discussed. It is shown that the amplitude of a shock wave in plasmas considering a dust size distribution is larger than that in the case of a mono-sized dusty plasma, while its width considering the dust size distribution is smaller than that of the mono-sized dusty plasma. The speed of the shock waves also depends on different dust size distributions.

Background Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is a practical treatment that can complement conventional rehabilitation by providing high-intensity repetitive training for patients with stroke. RAGT systems are usually either of the end-effector or exoskeleton types. We developed a novel hybrid RAGT system that leverages the advantages of both types. Objective This single-blind randomized controlled trial evaluated the beneficial effects of the novel RAGT system both immediately after the intervention and at the 3-month follow-up in nonambulatory patients with subacute stroke. Methods We recruited 40 patients with subacute stroke who were equally randomized to receive conventional rehabilitation either alone or with the addition of 15 RAGT sessions. We assessed lower-extremity motor function, balance, and gait performance by using the following tools: active range of motion (AROM), manual muscle test (MMT), the Fugl–Meyer Assessment (FMA) lower-extremity subscale (FMA-LE) and total (FMA-total), Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke (PASS), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) balance and gait subscores, and the 3-m and 6-m walking speed and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests. These measurements were performed before and after the intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. Results Both groups demonstrated significant within-group changes in the AROM, MMT, FMA-LE, FMA-total, PASS, BBS, POMA, TUG, and 3-m and 6-m walking speed tests before and after intervention and at the 3-month follow-up (p p = 0.014) and total (p = 0.002) assessments. Conclusion Although the novel hybrid RAGT is effective, strong evidence supporting its clinical effectiveness relative to controls in those with substantial leg dysfunction after stroke remains elusive. Trial registration The study was registered with an International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number, ISRCTN, ISRCTN15088682. Registered retrospectively on September 16, 2016, at https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15088682

It is of great clinical importance to explore more efficacious treatments for OCD. Recently, cognitive-coping therapy (CCT), mainly focusing on recognizing and coping with a fear of negative events, has been reported as an efficacious psychotherapy. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanism remains unknown. This study of 79 OCD patients collected Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans before and after four weeks of CCT, pharmacotherapy plus CCT (pCCT), or pharmacotherapy. Amygdala seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed. Compared post- to pretreatment, pCCT-treated patients showed decreased left amygdala (LA) FC with the right anterior cingulate gyrus (cluster 1) and with the left paracentral lobule/the parietal lobe (cluster 2), while CCT-treated patients showed decreased LA-FC with the left middle occipital gyrus/the left superior parietal/left inferior parietal (cluster 3). The z-values of LA-FC with the three clusters were significantly lower after pCCT or CCT than pretreatment in comparisons of covert vs. overt and of non-remission vs. remission patients, except the z-value of cluster 2 in covert OCD. CCT and pCCT significantly reduced the Y-BOCS score. The reduction in the Y-BOCS score was positively correlated with the z-value of cluster 1. Our findings demonstrate that both pCCT and CCT with large effect sizes lowered LA-FC, indicating that FCs were involved in OCD. Additionally, decreased LA-FC with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) or paracentral/parietal cortex may be a marker for pCCT response or a marker for distinguishing OCD subtypes. Decreased LA-FC with the parietal region may be a common pathway of pCCT and CCT. Trial registration: ChiCTR-IPC-15005969.

The propagation of dust-acoustic waves in a dusty plasma bounded in finite symmetrical cylindrical geometry has been theoretically investigated. By using the reductive perturbation method, we obtain a quasi-nonlinear Schrodinger equation. It is shown that there is a dark envelope soliton under certain conditions, while its amplitude will decrease with the time. The dependence of both the dispersion relation and group velocity of envelope solitary waves on the radius of cylinder has been given. Moreover, we define the duration time of dark envelope solitons and give the theoretical ones. It is found that the duration time increases as the radius of cylinder increases, while it decreases as the viscosity coefficient of dusty plasmas increases.

Background The smart hospital's concept of using the Internet of Things (IoT) to reduce human resources demand has become more popular in the aging society. Objective To implement the voice smart care (VSC) system in hospital wards and explore patient acceptance via the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Methods A structured questionnaire based on TAM was developed and validated as a research tool. Only the patients hospitalized in the VSC wards and who used it for more than two days were invited to fill the questionnaire. Statistical variables were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0. A total of 30 valid questionnaires were finally obtained after excluding two incomplete questionnaires. Cronbach’s α values for all study constructs were above 0.84. Result We observed that perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness, perceived usefulness on user satisfaction and attitude toward using, and attitude toward using on behavioral intention to use had statistical significance (p Conclusion We have successfully developed the VSC system in a Taiwanese academic medical center. Our study indicated that perceived usefulness was a crucial factor, which means the system function should precisely meet the patients' demands. Additionally, a clever system design is important since perceived ease of use positively affects perceived usefulness. The insight generated from this study could be beneficial to hospitals when implementing similar systems to their wards.

The ergot alkaloids are a class of natural products known for their pharmacologically privileged molecular structure that are used in the treatment of neurological ailments, such as Parkinsonism and dementia. Their synthesis via chemical and biological routes are therefore of industrial relevance, but suffer from several challenges. Current chemical synthesis methods involve long, multi-step reactions with harsh conditions and are not enantioselective; biological methods utilizing ergot fungi, produce an assortment of products that complicate product recovery, and are susceptible to strain degradation. Reconstituting the ergot alkaloid pathway in a strain strongly amenable for liquid fermentation, could potentially resolve these issues. In this work, we report the production of the main ergoline therapeutic precursor, D-lysergic acid, to a titre of 1.7 mg L−1 in a 1 L bioreactor. Our work demonstrates the proof-of-concept for the biological production of ergoline-derived compounds from sugar in an engineered yeast chassis.

Climate response to low warming scenarios that meet 2015 Paris Agreement is distinct from that to the medium/high-emissions scenarios analyzed in previous studies. The present study investigates changes in the North Pacific subtropical gyre and the underlying mechanisms under 1.5 °C low warming scenario by 11-member ensemble simulations from the Community Earth System Model. Specifically, atmospheric CO2 concentration peaks in 2036 and then decreases, with global mean surface temperature (GMST) first increasing and then stabilizing after 2045. The changes of the lower thermocline depth are consistently weaker in the subtropics than in the tropics or high latitudes through 2100. During GMST increasing stage, the subtropical circulation strengthens in the upper 1000 m north of 30° N as a result of the enhanced wind stress. When GMST stabilizes, the subtropical circulation strengthens in the surface layer (0–150 m) and the main thermocline (150–600 m) but displays insignificant change in the intermediate layer (600–1000 m). Wind and stratification changes are both important in driving the North Pacific subtropical gyre changes, because sea surface warming is much weaker in the low warming scenario than that in the medium/high-emissions scenarios. In addition, as the surface wind change displays substantial natural variability and is strongly model-dependent, it dominates the differences in projected subtropical circulation changes across models. This study highlights the importance of wind changes in projections of the subtropical circulation changes under low warming scenarios.

Composite quantile regression (CQR) is a powerful complement to the usual mean regression and becomes increasingly popular due to its robustness and efficiency. In longitudinal studies, it is necessary to consider the intra-subject correlation among repeated measures to improve the estimation efficiency. This paper proposes a new approach that uses copula to account for intra-subject dependence in CQR. By using the copula-based covariance matrix, efficient CQR estimating equations are constructed for the longitudinal data partial linear varying coefficient models. Our proposed new methods are flexible, and can provide efficient estimation. The properties of the proposed methods are established theoretically, and assessed numerically through simulation studies and real data analysis.

Monitoring precursory decline in groundwater radon at the Antung hot spring is a useful means of forecasting the magnitude and precursor time of local disastrous earthquakes. With the help of a case study in southeastern Taiwan, this paper demonstrates the effect of tectonic setting in the subduction zone on the correlation between radon decline, precursory time and earthquake magnitude. Given a radon-monitoring site located near the plate boundary in the tectonic setting of advanced arc-continental collision, the observed radon decline and precursory time prior to the earthquakes in the tectonic setting of initial arc-continental collision are smaller than those observed prior to the earthquakes occurring on the plate boundary in the tectonic setting of advanced arc-continental collision. In the advanced arc-continental collision state, the coupling between the plates is strong and the stress transfer is efficient, whereas in the incipient collision state, the coupling and stress transfer are not as good. It also takes additional time lag and attenuation for the stress transfer from one tectonic setting to the other. This paper presents the difference in the precursory behavior of groundwater radon between earthquakes which occurred in two different tectonic settings: advanced and initial arc-continental collision.

An overreliance on commercial, kit-based RNA extraction in the molecular diagnoses of infectious disease presents a challenge in the event of supply chain disruptions and can potentially hinder testing capacity in times of need. In this study, we adapted a well-established, robust TRIzol-based RNA extraction protocol into a high-throughput format through miniaturization and automation. The workflow was validated by RT-qPCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection to illustrate its scalability without interference to downstream diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. This semi-automated, kit-free approach offers a versatile alternative to prevailing integrated solid-phase RNA extraction proprietary systems, with the added advantage of improved cost-effectiveness for high volume acquisition of quality RNA whether for use in clinical diagnoses or for diverse molecular applications.

NB-LRR genes in the three Solanum species showed specific constitution characteristics and evolved multiple clusters and duplicates. Some genes could respond to biotic stresses such as tomato bacterial wilt. Nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR, NLR) is a largest resistance gene family in plants, which plays a key role in response to biotic stresses. In this study, NB-LRR genes in cultivated tomato Solanum lycopersicum (Sl) and its wild relatives S. pennellii (Spe) and S. pimpinellifolium (Spi) were analyzed using bioinformatics approaches. In total, 238, 202 and 217 NB-LRR genes of 8 different types were found in Sl, Spe and Spi, respectively. The three species showed similar genomic characteristics. The NB-LRR genes were mainly distributed on chromosomes 4, 5 and 11 and located at the distal zones, forming multiple clusters and tandem duplicates. A large number of homologs appeared through gene expansion, with most Ka/Ks values being less than 1, indicating that purifying selection had occurred in evolution. These genes were mainly expressed in root and could respond to different biotic stresses. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that SlNLR genes could respond to tomato bacterial wilt, with SlNLR1 probably involved in the resistance response, whereas others being the opposite. The transcription factors (TFs) and interaction proteins that regulate target genes were mainly Dof, NAC and MYB families and kinases. The results provide a basis for the isolation and application of related genes in plant disease resistance breeding.

The Kelvin–Helmholtz instability on the ionopause of Venus with different density ratios and magnetic Reynolds numbers has been simulated numerically by using the magnetohydrodynamics equations. For the special case of a Venus-like planet, the plasma density increases from the magnetosheath to the ionosphere. The numerical simulation shows that the density increasing toward the planet has more important effects than the magnetic Reynolds number on the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. And during the evolution of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, there are three different phases, the linear growth phase, followed by a nonlinear phase with vortex-like structure, and finally, the turbulent phase. During the nonlinear evolution of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, the spatial scale of the vortex has a width of about $\sim 12a$ , where $a$ is the half width of the shear layer located at the Venusian ionopause. For each phase, the vorticity of the system also has different characteristics. Supersonic flow could appear at the position where the vorticity is stronger in both nonlinear and turbulent phases.

Present paper studies the contribution of both the quantum effect and the dust size distribution effect on the shock wave characters. It is concluded that the quantum effect of dust particles is negligible, while the quantum effects of both electrons and ions on the shock wave of a quantum dusty plasma cannot be neglected in certain cases. It is found that the speed and the amplitude of the shock wave, considering the dust size distribution, are larger than that of the quantum dusty plasma with the average dust size of a monosized dust plasma. Furthermore, the speed and the amplitude of the shock wave increase, while the width of the shock wave decreases as the ratios of the maximum dust size to the minimum one increases. The quantum effects may affect both the amplitude and width of the shock wave, while it has no effect on the shock wave speed. The width of the shock wave increases, while its amplitude decreases as $$H_e$$ and $$H_i$$ increase.

Incident wave reflection and transmission caused by the impurity in one-dimensional bead chain are studied. As the number of impurities increases, the energy of the transmitted and reflected waves oscillates periodically. When the number of impurities is so large that its length is greater than the width of the incident wave, the transmission and reflection remain constant. In this paper, the dependence of the energy of transmitted and reflected waves on the number of impurity particles in each segment is studied. It is noted that both the reflection and the transmission depend not only on the numbers and the permutation of the impurity but also on the parameters of the incident wave. This behavior can be used to detect the impurities in the bead chain by measuring the reflection of an incident wave.

SHP2 phosphatase, encoded by the PTPN11 gene, is a non-receptor PTP, which plays an important role in growth factor, cytokine, integrin, hormone signaling pathways, and regulates cellular responses, such as proliferation, differentiation, adhesion migration and apoptosis. Many studies have reported that upregulation of SHP2 expression is closely related to human cancer, such as breast cancer, liver cancer and gastric cancer. Hence, SHP2 has become a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. In this paper, we reported the identification of compound 1 as SHP2 inhibitor. Fragment-based ligand design, De novo design, ADMET and Molecular docking were performed to explore potential selective SHP2 allosteric inhibitors based on SHP836. The results of docking studies indicated that the selected compounds had higher selective SHP2 inhibition than existing inhibitors. Compound 1 was found to have a novel selectivity against SHP2 with an in vitro enzyme activity IC50 value of 9.97 μM. Fluorescence titration experiment confirmed that compound 1 directly bound to SHP2. Furthermore, the results of binding free energies demonstrated that electrostatic energy was the primary factor in elucidating the mechanism of SHP2 inhibition. Dynamic cross correlation studies also supported the results of docking and molecular dynamics simulation. This series of analyses provided important structural features for designing new selective SHP2 inhibitors as potential drugs and promising candidates for pre-clinical pharmacological investigations.

Theoretical investigations are carried out for the cylindrical and spherical dust-ion acoustic solitary waves with the kinematic viscosity. By the reductive perturbation technique the damped KdV-Burgers equation is obtained, and an approximate analytical solution is given. Using this solution, the effects of different physical parameters on dust-ion acoustic solitary wave are discussed. The results may have applications in laboratory and space plasmas.

Influence of interactions between Laccase and carbon nano-tubes modified by perylene derivative on structural parameters and electrochemical behaviors of immobilized redox protein, was investigated systematically by the means of spectrometry, photography and electro-chemistry. Sophisticated interactions including abutting coordination could result in anomalistic agglomeration of nano-composite with Lac incorporation which displayed better hydrophobicity than free Laccase and high resistance of charge shuttle. It would retard the progress of thermal decomposition of nano-composite and would lead to the formation of composite without emission of fluorescence. Strong binding of Laccase with perylenyl derivative (binding constant: 7.5×104 L/mol) would alter the mechanism of electron transferring. T1 Cu2+ of Laccase in the status of complexation played the intra-molecular electron relay with mid-wave potential at −135.6 mV and demonstrated undesirable dynamics in electron transferring (7.7×10−2 s−1). The catalytic function in oxygen reduction was prohibited for the abutting coordination and only weak catalytic effect could be achieved in the presence of electron relay. The whole catalytic cycle was limited by the mass transferring of electron mediator.