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Glucosinolates (GSLs) are secondary metabolites that are produced in Brassicaleorder plants and play an important role in their defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition, GSLs were reported to possess health benefits like anticancer and anti-inflammation activity. In the present study, the GSL profiles of 13 radishes (Raphanus sativusL) cultivars or inbred lines with different root phenotypes were analyzed. A total of four aliphatics and three indolic GSL compounds were consistently detected from all tested radish accessions. Based on the amounts and profiles of the GSL compounds, we identified that glucoraphasatin (GRH) and glucobrassicin (GBS) were the most abundant in the aliphatic and indolic GSLs, respectively, in young radishes. In addition, we performed a correlation heatmap analysis between the profiles of the individual GSL compounds and the GSL biosynthetic genes involved in the secondary modifications. We found that RsGRS1 plays a major role in the highest abundance of GRH in the aliphatic GSLs. Contrastingly, RsCYP81F3and its paralogs, RsCYP81Fsmight contribute to the profiles of the indolic GSLs in young radishes. In this study, we found that there was a substantial correlation between the transcription of the genes involved in the secondary modification phase of the GSL biosynthetic pathway and the profiles of the aliphatic and indolic GSL compounds.

Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) are emerging as a promising technology for lower power generation temperature ranges using highly conductive protonic conducting oxides. However, the sluggish cathodic kinetics, the representative rate-determining step of ceramic fuel cells, remained a major challenge to overcome. To tackle the challenge, modifications of the cathode that optimize the key microstructural properties of porosity and cathode–electrolyte interface. Here, the microstructural properties were successfully controlled by varying the ethyl cellulose (EC) content of PrBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ(PBSCF) slurry using a simple and cost-effective spin coating process. As a result, PCFC containing PBSCF cathode with optimal microstructure significantly reduced the activation energy to ~ 0.85 eV and recorded a high peak power density of 477 mW cm−2at 500 °C. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis demonstrated that porosity and cathode–electrolyte interface are the critical factors that enhance the mass transfer of the reaction gas and the bulk diffusion of protons, respectively. Our findings are meaningful in that demonstrating the effective approach to overcome the challenges of PCFCs by providing new insights for cathode design.

Background:: Despite promising advances in stem cell-based therapy, the treatment of ischemic cardiovascular diseases remains a big challenge due to both the insufficient in vivoviability of transplanted cells and poor angiogenic potential of stem cells. The goal of this study was to develop therapeutic human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs) for ischemic cardiovascular diseases with a novel M13 peptide carrier. Method:: In this study, an engineered M13 peptide carrier was successfully generated using a QuikChange Kit. The cellular function of M13 peptide carrier-treated hCPCs was assessed using a tube formation assay and scratch wound healing assay. The in vivoengraftment and cell survival bioactivities of transplanted cells were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry after hCPC transplantation into a myocardial infarction animal model. Results:: The engineered M13RGD+SDKPpeptide carrier, which expressed RGD peptide on PIII site and SDKP peptide on PVIII site, did not affect morphologic change and proliferation ability in hCPCs. In contrast, hCPCs treated with M13RGD+SDKPshowed enhanced angiogenic capacity, including tube formation and migration capacity. Moreover, transplanted hCPCs with M13RGD+SDKPwere engrafted into the ischemic region and promoted in vivocell survival. Conclusion:: Our present data provides a promising protocol for CPC-based cell therapy via short-term cell priming of hCPCs with engineered M13RGD+SDKPbefore cell transplantation for treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Calcium (Ca2+) deficiency leads to disease symptoms such as blossom-end-rot (BER), resulting in the cessation of apical growth, curling, shoot and flower tip necrosis, and fruit chlorosis in hot peppers (Capsicum annuumL.). Previous reports have stated that an excessive supply of cations like potassium (K+) and magnesium (Mg2+) affects the incidence of BER in plants of the Solanaceae family, such as tomato. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation between the contents of three cations and BER symptoms in pepper fruits. We assessed the distribution of three cations (Ca2+, K+, and Mg2+) in three distinct sections (pedicel, proximal half, and distal half) of the pepper fruit in both healthy and BER-defective peppers. We found that the overall amount of Ca2+was not correlated with BER symptoms in pepper fruits. Instead, a high Ca2+/ K+ratio in the pedicel of pepper fruit has a correlative impact on BER symptoms in the chili pepper fruit. Therefore, the manifestation of BER symptoms could be associated with the Ca2+/ K+value and the relative percentage of the calcium-to-potassium ratio in the pedicel of the pepper fruit. Furthermore, we performed a transcriptomic analysis on both BER-resistant and BER-sensitive pepper fruits to gain a more profound understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving BER symptoms in chili peppers. BER-resistant pepper cultivar was shown to deploy defense programs against calcium-deficient stress conditions. We believe that our study provides helpful insights into the importance of the Ca2+/ K+ratio in preventing physiological diseases, such as BER, in chili pepper cultivation.

Achieving reasonable performance in ceramic fuel cells at low operating temperatures is primarily hindered by the limitations of cathode properties. Aiming to formulate a guideline for the selection of cathode materials, we compared the most representative high-performance low-temperature cathode materials: lanthanum strontium cobalt oxide (LSC), samarium strontium cobalt oxide (SSC), praseodymium barium strontium cobalt iron oxide (PBSCF), and barium strontium cobalt iron oxide (BSCF) over the same anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell platform. The nanostructured LSC, SSC, PBSCF, and BSCF cathode layers were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. The PBSCF cathode material showed the highest performance owing to the low activation loss and low polarization resistance under biased conditions. SSC exhibited the mildest degradation; however, its electrochemical performance was worse than those of LSC and PBSCF. LSC and PBSCF exhibited considerably high degradation rates, which were attributed to the surface composition alteration owing to strontium and/or barium segregation. At the same time, as-deposited BSCF exhibited significantly different microstructure from those of other cathode materials; it showed the worst performance and the fastest degradation as well, which was attributed to its composition and phase instability. Although numerous issues still need to be solved for the practical application of these cathode materials, we expect that the results of the present study will provide a guideline for selecting and improving cathode materials for the low-temperature operation of ceramic fuel cells.