545 results on '"Huijun Wu"'
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2. Temporally-coordinated bivalent histone modifications of BCG1 enable fungal invasion and immune evasion
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Xiaozhen Zhao, Yiming Wang, Bingqin Yuan, Hanxi Zhao, Yujie Wang, Zheng Tan, Zhiyuan Wang, Huijun Wu, Gang Li, Wei Song, Ravi Gupta, Kenichi Tsuda, Zhonghua Ma, Xuewen Gao, and Qin Gu
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Science - Abstract
Abstract Bivalent histone modifications, including functionally opposite H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks simultaneously on the same nucleosome, control various cellular processes by fine-tuning the gene expression in eukaryotes. However, the role of bivalent histone modifications in fungal virulence remains elusive. By mapping the genome-wide landscape of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 dynamic modifications in Fusarium graminearum (Fg) during invasion, we identify the infection-related bivalent chromatin-marked genes (BCGs). BCG1 gene, which encodes a secreted Fusarium-specific xylanase containing a G/Q-rich motif, displays the highest increase of bivalent modification during Fg infection. We report that the G/Q-rich motif of BCG1 is a stimulator of its xylanase activity and is essential for the full virulence of Fg. Intriguingly, this G/Q-rich motif is recognized by pattern-recognition receptors to trigger plant immunity. We discover that Fg employs H3K4me3 modification to induce BCG1 expression required for host cell wall degradation. After breaching the cell wall barrier, this active chromatin state is reset to bivalency by co-modifying with H3K27me3, which enables epigenetic silencing of BCG1 to escape from host immune surveillance. Collectively, our study highlights how fungal pathogens deploy bivalent epigenetic modification to achieve temporally-coordinated activation and suppression of a critical fungal gene, thereby facilitating successful infection and host immune evasion.
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- 2024
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3. SREM: Smart renewable energy management scheme with distributed learning and EV network
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Huakun Huang, Sihui Xue, Lingjun Zhao, Dingrong Dai, Weijia Wang, Huijun Wu, and Zhou Cao
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distributed learning ,EV ,intelligent recommendation ,IoV ,smart energy management ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 ,Electronic computers. Computer science ,QA75.5-76.95 - Abstract
In this article, aiming to develop the Green Internet of Vehicles (G‐IoV), we propose a smart energy management system that leverages the intelligence edge clients and the distributed electric vehicles (EVs). The system proposed in this article incorporates the benefits of both software, specifically in terms of the user interface, and hardware, specifically in terms of edge clients. In particular, this system integrates intelligence edge clients with an EV CAN bus network as an electronic control unit. By leveraging the intelligent edge clients recommendation system, EVs can make informed decisions on battery charging or discharging actions. As a result, a virtual‐power‐plant (VPP) can treat the EVs network as a vast intelligent energy storage facility, efficiently managing the battery energy of all distributed EVs connected to the platform and fully utilizing the electricity generated from renewable energy sources. We experimentally verify that using federal learning to train models in EV networks versus training models directly in EVs, using federal learning in EV networks yields better experimental results.
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- 2024
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4. The autophagy-related proteins FvAtg4 and FvAtg8 are involved in virulence and fumonisin biosynthesis in Fusarium verticillioides
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Yujie Wang, Xin Liu, Yujiao Xu, Yiying Gu, Xinyue Zhang, Mengxuan Zhang, Wen Wen, Yin-Won Lee, Jianrong Shi, Sherif Ramzy Mohamed, Amira A. Goda, Huijun Wu, Xuewen Gao, and Qin Gu
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Autophagy ,Fusarium verticillioides ,virulence ,fumonisin biosynthesis ,Infectious and parasitic diseases ,RC109-216 - Abstract
Autophagy is the main intracellular degradation system by which cytoplasmic materials are transported to and degraded in the vacuole/lysosome of eukaryotic cells, and it also controls cellular differentiation and virulence in a variety of filamentous fungi. However, the contribution of the autophagic pathway to fungal development and pathogenicity in the important maize pathogen and mycotoxigenic fungus Fusarium verticillioides is still unknown. In this study, we characterized two autophagy-related proteins, FvAtg4 and FvAtg8. The F. verticillioides deletion mutants ΔFvAtg4 and ΔFvAtg8 were impaired in autophagosome formation, aerial hyphal formation, sexual growth, lipid turnover, pigmentation and fungal virulence. Interestingly, ΔFvAtg4 and ΔFvAtg8 were defective in fumonisin B1 (FB1) synthesis, which may have resulted from decreased intracellular levels of alanine in the mutants. Our results indicate that FvAtg4 and FvAtg8 contribute to F. verticillioides pathogenicity by regulating the autophagic pathway to control lipid turnover, fumonisin biosynthesis, and pigmentation during its infectious cycle.
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- 2022
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5. The neural correlates of apathy in the context of aging and brain disorders: a meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies
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Hongjie Yan, Huijun Wu, Zenglin Cai, Shouyun Du, Lejun Li, Bingchao Xu, Chunqi Chang, and Nizhuan Wang
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apathy ,meta-analysis ,mental disorder ,neurodegenerative disorder ,traumatic brain injury ,normal cognitive aging ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
IntroductionApathy is a prevalent mood disturbance that occurs in a wide range of populations, including those with normal cognitive aging, mental disorders, neurodegenerative disorders and traumatic brain injuries. Recently, neuroimaging technologies have been employed to elucidate the neural substrates underlying brain disorders accompanying apathy. However, the consistent neural correlates of apathy across normal aging and brain disorders are still unclear.MethodsThis paper first provides a brief review of the neural mechanism of apathy in healthy elderly individuals, those with mental disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and traumatic brain injuries. Further, following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the structural and functional neuroimaging meta-analysis using activation likelihood estimation method is performed on the apathy group with brain disorders and the healthy elderly, aiming at exploring the neural correlates of apathy.ResultsThe structural neuroimaging meta-analysis showed that gray matter atrophy is associated with apathy in the bilateral precentral gyrus (BA 13/6), bilateral insula (BA 47), bilateral medial frontal gyrus (BA 11), bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, left caudate (putamen) and right anterior cingulate, while the functional neuroimaging meta-analysis suggested that the functional connectivity in putamen and lateral globus pallidus is correlated with apathy.DiscussionThrough the neuroimaging meta-analysis, this study has identified the potential neural locations of apathy in terms of brain structure and function, which may offer valuable pathophysiological insights for developing more effective therapeutic interventions for affected patients.
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- 2023
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6. Coal life-cycle analysis embedded with land–energy nexus of a coal-based city in China
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Huijun Wu, Qianqian Wang, Yuhuan Xu, Yuanyuan Ye, and Xiaoyu Zeng
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Coal-based city ,Coal life-cycle ,Substance flow analysis ,Land–energy nexus ,Embed ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 ,Environmental effects of industries and plants ,TD194-195 - Abstract
Land and energy play key roles in coal-based cities where the extensive exploitation and use of coal resources have resulted in resource abuse and serious pollution. Here, we used substance flow analysis integrated nexus theory to establish a new model for coal life-cycle analysis embedded with land–energy nexus. The coal life-cycle includes coal mining, coal processing, product utilization, and waste disposal. Then we firstly apply the model to analyze land use and energy consumption of Huainan City which is a typical coal-based city in China from 1990–2020. The results show that the unit land use decreases from 11.33 ha/GWh in 1990 to 7.20 ha/GWh in 2020 and the unit energy consumption also decreases from 474.08 tce/GWh in 1990 to 320.52 tce/GWh in 2020. However, the total land use and energy consumption in Huainan city increased by 365% and 395%, respectively. The indirect land use and indirect energy consumption accounted for 85% and 0.3%, respectively. Product utilization stage contributed the largest land use and energy consumption, accounting for 80% and 95%, respectively. Then we conducted sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis and find that the land use and energy consumption in high-efficiency development scenario will be 9%–20% lower in 2030 than other two scenarios. Finally, we explored some policies to reduce land use and energy consumption of the city, including increasing the demand for alternative energy, popularizing technology, implementing a safe, efficient, and green mining. The new model and first application on coal-based city hope to not only provide foundation for researching nexus theory, but also promote sustainable development of other resource-based cities in China.
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- 2023
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7. Microbial succession and exploration of higher alcohols-producing core bacteria in northern Huangjiu fermentation
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Yi Yan, Leping Sun, Xuan Xing, Huijun Wu, Xin Lu, Wei Zhang, Jialiang Xu, and Qing Ren
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Microbiota ,Higher alcohols ,Core bacteria ,Huangjiu ,Fermentation ,Biotechnology ,TP248.13-248.65 ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Abstract Higher alcohols (HAs) are abundant compounds that provide important flavors in Huangjiu, but they also cause hangover. Previous studies have shown the production of HAs to be related to yeast, but the correlations between HAs and other microorganisms are rarely reported. In this study, we detected changes in levels of HAs and microbial dynamics during the Huangjiu fermentation process. Relationships were characterized using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The functional core HA-producing bacteria were selected by bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS). The result showed that 2-methyl-1-propanol, phenethyl alcohol and 3-methyl-1-butanol were the principle HAs present at high levels. Lactococcus and Saccharomyces were predominant at the genus level of bacteria and fungi, respectively. A total of 684 correlations between HAs and microorganisms were established. Five genera were screened as functional core HA-producing bacteria. Our findings might provide some new inspiration for controlling the content of HAs, enhancing international prestige and market expansion of Huangjiu.
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- 2022
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8. Occupation-modulated language networks and its lateralization: A resting-state fMRI study of seafarers
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Huijun Wu, Deyuan Peng, Hongjie Yan, Yang Yang, Min Xu, Weiming Zeng, Chunqi Chang, and Nizhuan Wang
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functional magnetic resonance imaging ,lateralization ,occupational neuroplasticity ,occupation ,language network ,seafarers ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
IntroductionStudies have revealed that the language network of Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area is modulated by factors such as disease, gender, aging, and handedness. However, how occupational factors modulate the language network remains unclear.MethodsIn this study, taking professional seafarers as an example, we explored the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the language network with seeds (the original and flipped Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area).ResultsThe results showed seafarers had weakened RSFC of Broca’s area with the left superior/middle frontal gyrus and left precentral gyrus, and enhanced RSFC of Wernicke’s area with the cingulate and precuneus. Further, seafarers had a less right-lateralized RSFC with Broca’s area in the left inferior frontal gyrus, while the controls showed a left-lateralized RSFC pattern in Broca’s area and a right-lateralized one in Wernicke’s area. Moreover, seafarers displayed stronger RSFC with the left seeds of Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area.DiscussionThese findings suggest that years of working experience significantly modulates the RSFC of language networks and their lateralization, providing rich insights into language networks and occupational neuroplasticity.
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- 2023
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9. A Comparative Assessment of Different Aerogel-Insulated Building Walls for Enhanced Thermal Insulation Performance
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Jianming Yang, Huijun Wu, Yuying Liang, Jian Cen, and Xianyong Zhang
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aerogel ,building ,energy-efficient ,thermal insulation ,wall ,Science ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 ,Inorganic chemistry ,QD146-197 ,General. Including alchemy ,QD1-65 - Abstract
Aerogel is widely recognized as a superinsulating material with great potential for enhancing the thermal insulation performance of building walls. It can be applied in various forms such as aerogel plasters (AP), aerogel fibrous composites (AFC), and aerogel concrete (AC) in practical engineering applications. This study aims to investigate the most efficient application form for maximizing building insulation performance while minimizing the amount of aerogel used. To predict the thermal insulation performance of aerogel-insulated walls, a resistance–capacitance network model integrating the aerogels’ effective thermal conductivity model was developed and was validated by comparing it with Fluent simulation software results in terms of surface temperature. Using the validated models, the thermophysical parameters, transient thermal properties, and transmission load were predicted and compared among AP, AFC, and AC walls. The results indicate that using AFC can result in approximately 50% cost savings to achieve the same thermal resistance. After adding a 20 mm thickness of aerogel to the reference wall without aerogel, the AFC wall exhibited the highest improvement in thermal insulation performance, reaching 46.0–53.5%, followed by the AP wall, and then the AC wall, aligning with considerations of microstructural perspectives, thermal resistance distributions, and thermal non-uniformity factors. Therefore, giving priority to AFC use could reduce the required amount of silica aerogel and enhance economic efficiency. These results provide valuable insights for theoretical models and the application of aerogel-insulated walls in building engineering insulation.
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- 2023
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10. Fusion of Building Information Modeling and Blockchain for Metaverse: A Survey
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Huakun Huang, Xiangbin Zeng, Lingjun Zhao, Chen Qiu, Huijun Wu, and Lisheng Fan
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Blockchain ,building information modeling (BIM) ,city information modeling (CIM) ,device-free localization ,metaverse ,Electronic computers. Computer science ,QA75.5-76.95 ,Information technology ,T58.5-58.64 - Abstract
Metaverse and blockchain, as the latest buzzwords, have attracted great attention from industry and academia. They will inevitably promote technological innovation in the field of building information modeling (BIM) in the future. BIM organizes various building information into a whole by establishing a virtual three-dimensional model of architectural engineering using digital technology. The metaverse seamlessly integrates the real world and the virtual world, and conducts rich activities such as creation, display, and trading. Therefore, through the exploration of the metaverse, it will be possible to build an exciting digital world and transform the physical world better. Meanwhile, introducing the blockchain technology could ensure the fairness and security of resource transactions, data storage, and other activities. In this survey, we delve into the metaverse and blockchain empowerment by studying BIM components, metaverse applications in virtual world construction, and the latest research on blockchain. We also discuss how BIM technology and blockchain can be integrated with metaverse. The collaborations between academia and industry would be certainly required for further development and interdisciplinary research on the metaverse and the integration of blockchain into BIM. We hope to see our survey help researchers, engineers and educators build an open, fair and rational future BIM ecosystem.
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- 2022
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11. Microbiota Composition during Fermentation of Broomcorn Millet Huangjiu and Their Effects on Flavor Quality
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Ke Wang, Huijun Wu, Jiaxuan Wang, and Qing Ren
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broomcorn millet ,Huangjiu ,volatile flavor compounds ,microorganism ,correlation analysis ,Chemical technology ,TP1-1185 - Abstract
Broomcorn millet Huangjiu brewing is usually divided into primary fermentation and post-fermentation. Microbial succession is the major factor influencing the development of the typical Huangjiu flavor. Here, we report the changes in flavor substances and microbial community during the primary fermentation of broomcorn millet Huangjiu. Results indicated that a total of 161 volatile flavor compounds were measured during primary fermentation, and estragole was detected for the first time in broomcorn millet Huangjiu. A total of 82 bacteria genera were identified. Pediococcus, Pantoea, and Weissella were the dominant genera. Saccharomyces and Rhizopus were dominant among the 30 fungal genera. Correlation analysis showed that 102 microorganisms were involved in major flavor substance production during primary fermentation, Lactobacillus, Photobacterium, Hyphodontia, Aquicella, Erysipelothrix, Idiomarina, Paraphaeosphaeria, and Sulfuritalea were most associated with flavoring substances. Four bacteria, Lactobacillus (R1), Photobacterium (R2), Idiomarina (R3), and Pediococcus (R4), were isolated and identified from wheat Qu, which were added to wine Qu to prepare four kinds of fortified Qu (QR1, QR2, QR3, QR4). QR1 and QR2 fermentation can enhance the quality of Huangjiu. This work reveals the correlation between microorganisms and volatile flavor compounds and is beneficial for regulating the micro-ecosystem and flavor of the broomcorn millet Huangjiu.
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- 2023
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12. Plant–Microbes Interaction: Exploring the Impact of Cold-Tolerant Bacillus Strains RJGP41 and GBAC46 Volatiles on Tomato Growth Promotion through Different Mechanisms
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Abdur Rashid Khan, Qurban Ali, Muhammad Ayaz, Muhammad Saqib Bilal, Taha Majid Mahmood Sheikh, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, and Xuewen Gao
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Bacillus strains ,tomato plants ,volatile organic compounds ,GC-MS analysis ,PGPR ,antioxidant enzymes ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
The interaction between plant and bacterial VOCs has been extensively studied, but the role of VOCs in growth promotion still needs to be explored. In the current study, we aim to explore the growth promotion mechanisms of cold-tolerant Bacillus strains GBAC46 and RJGP41 and the well-known PGPR strain FZB42 and their VOCs on tomato plants. The result showed that the activity of phytohormone (IAA) production was greatly improved in GBAC46 and RJGP41 as compared to FZB42 strains. The in vitro and in-pot experiment results showed that the Bacillus VOCs improved plant growth traits in terms of physiological parameters as compared to the CK. The VOCs identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, namely 2 pentanone, 3-ethyl (2P3E) from GBAC46, 1,3-cyclobutanediol,2,2,4,4-tetramethyl (CBDO) from RJGP41, and benzaldehyde (BDH) from FZB42, were used for plant growth promotion. The results of the partition plate (I-plate) and in-pot experiments showed that all the selected VOCs (2P3E, CBDO, and BDH) promoted plant growth parameters as compared to CK. Furthermore, the root morphological factors also revealed that the selected VOCs improved the root physiological traits in tomato plants. The plant defense enzymes (POD, APX, SOD, and CAT) and total protein contents were studied, and the results showed that the antioxidant enzymes and protein contents significantly increased as compared to CK. Similarly, plant growth promotion expression genes (IAA4, ARF10A, GA2OX2, CKX2, and EXP1) were significantly upregulated and the ERF gene was downregulated as compared to CK. The overall findings suggest that both Bacillus isolates and their pure VOCs positively improved plant growth promotion activities by triggering the antioxidant enzyme activity, protein contents, and relative gene expressions in tomato plants.
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- 2023
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13. A new dietary guideline balancing sustainability and nutrition for China’s rural and urban residents
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Huijun Wu, Graham K. MacDonald, James N. Galloway, Yong Geng, Xin Liu, Ling Zhang, and Songyan Jiang
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Natural resources ,Nutrition ,Sustainability aspects of food production ,Science - Abstract
Summary: Diets have important but often complex implications for both environmental quality and nutrition. We establish a production-oriented life cycle model to quantify and compare the farm-to-gate environmental impacts and food nutritional qualities underlying rural and urban diets in China from 1980 to 2019, a period of rapid urbanization and socioeconomic changes. The environmental impacts of rural diets were generally higher than those of urban diets, but this gap reduced after 2000. Environmental and nutritional values varied considerably across the 31 Chinese provinces due to their different food intakes and dietary structures. Dietary changes coinciding with urbanization increased greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication potential, and nutritional quality, but decreased energy consumption and acidification potential. Based on our results, we propose a new dietary guideline to mitigate environmental impacts and improve nutritional quality.
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- 2022
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14. Revealing plant growth-promoting mechanisms of Bacillus strains in elevating rice growth and its interaction with salt stress
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Qurban Ali, Muhammad Ayaz, Guangyuan Mu, Amjad Hussain, Qiu Yuanyuan, Chenjie Yu, Yujiao Xu, Hakim Manghwar, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, and Xuewen Gao
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rice ,cell physiology ,cellular interactions ,antioxidant enzymes ,PGPR ,biofilm ,Plant culture ,SB1-1110 - Abstract
Soil salinity is a major environmental stress that has been negatively affecting the growth and productivity of rice. However, various salt-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been known to promote plant growth and alleviate the damaging effects of salt stress via mitigating physio-biochemical and molecular characteristics. This study was conducted to examine the salt stress potential of Bacillus strains identified from harsh environments of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau region of China. The Bacillus strains NMTD17, GBSW22, and FZB42 were screened for their response under different salt stress conditions (1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 16%). The screening analysis revealed strains NMTD17, GBSW22, and FZB42 to be high-salt tolerant, moderate-salt tolerant, and salt-sensitive, respectively. The NMTD17 strain produced a strong biofilm, followed by GBSW22 and FZB42. The expression of salt stress-related genes in selected strains was also analyzed through qPCR in various salt concentrations. Further, the Bacillus strains were used in pot experiments to study their growth-promoting ability and antioxidant activities at various concentrations (0, 100, 150, and 200 mmol). The analysis of growth-promoting traits in rice exhibited that NMTD17 had a highly significant effect and GSBW22 had a moderately significant effect in comparison with FZB42. The highly resistant strain NMTD17 that stably promoted rice plant growth was further examined for its function in the composition of rhizobacterial communities. The inoculation of NMTD17 increased the relative abundance and richness of rhizobacterial species. These outcomes propose that NMTD17 possesses the potential of PGPR traits, antioxidants enzyme activities, and reshaping the rhizobacterial community that together mitigate the harmful effects of salinity in rice plants.
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- 2022
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15. Bacillus halotolerans KKD1 induces physiological, metabolic and molecular reprogramming in wheat under saline condition
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Xiaohui Wu, Yaning Fan, Ruoyi Wang, Qian Zhao, Qurban Ali, Huijun Wu, Qin Gu, Rainer Borriss, Yongli Xie, and Xuewen Gao
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Bacillus halotolerans ,PGPR ,genome analysis ,salt stress ,plant-stress response ,plant physiological and metabolism ,Plant culture ,SB1-1110 - Abstract
Salt stress decreases plant growth and is a major threat to crop yields worldwide. The present study aimed to alleviate salt stress in plants by inoculation with halophilic plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from an extreme environment in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Wheat plants inoculated with Bacillus halotolerans KKD1 showed increased seedling morphological parameters and physiological indexes. The expression of wheat genes directly involved in plant growth was upregulated in the presence of KKD1, as shown by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis. The metabolism of phytohormones, such as 6-benzylaminopurine and gibberellic acid were also enhanced. Mining of the KKD1 genome corroborated its potential plant growth promotion (PGP) and biocontrol properties. Moreover, KKD1 was able to support plant growth under salt stress by inducing a stress response in wheat by modulating phytohormone levels, regulating lipid peroxidation, accumulating betaine, and excluding Na+. In addition, KKD1 positively affected the soil nitrogen content, soil phosphorus content and soil pH. Our findings indicated that KKD1 is a promising candidate for encouraging wheat plant growth under saline conditions.
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- 2022
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16. Intracellular glycosyl hydrolase PslG shapes bacterial cell fate, signaling, and the biofilm development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Jingchao Zhang, Huijun Wu, Di Wang, Lanxin Wang, Yifan Cui, Chenxi Zhang, Kun Zhao, and Luyan Ma
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Pseudomonas aeruginos ,biofilm ,cyclic-di-GMP ,glycosyl hydrolase ,PslG ,polysaccharide ,Medicine ,Science ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Biofilm formation is one of most important causes leading to persistent infections. Exopolysaccharides are usually a main component of biofilm matrix. Genes encoding glycosyl hydrolases are often found in gene clusters that are involved in the exopolysaccharide synthesis. It remains elusive about the functions of intracellular glycosyl hydrolase and why a polysaccharide synthesis gene cluster requires a glycosyl hydrolase-encoding gene. Here, we systematically studied the physiologically relevant role of intracellular PslG, a glycosyl hydrolase whose encoding gene is co-transcribed with 15 psl genes, which is responsible for the synthesis of exopolysaccharide PSL, a key biofilm matrix polysaccharide in opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We showed that lack of PslG or its hydrolytic activity in this opportunistic pathogen enhances the signaling function of PSL, changes the relative level of cyclic-di-GMP within daughter cells during cell division and shapes the localization of PSL on bacterial periphery, thus results in long chains of bacterial cells, fast-forming biofilm microcolonies. Our results reveal the important roles of intracellular PslG on the cell fate and biofilm development.
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- 2022
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17. Dynamical Complexity Fingerprints of Occupation-Dependent Brain Functional Networks in Professional Seafarers
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Hongjie Yan, Huijun Wu, Yanyan Chen, Yang Yang, Min Xu, Weiming Zeng, Jian Zhang, Chunqi Chang, and Nizhuan Wang
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brain entropy ,dynamical complexity ,efficiency ,graph theory ,occupational neuroplasticity ,seafarer ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
The complexity derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data has been applied for exploring cognitive states and occupational neuroplasticity. However, there is little information about the influence of occupational factors on dynamic complexity and topological properties of the connectivity networks. In this paper, we proposed a novel dynamical brain complexity analysis (DBCA) framework to explore the changes in dynamical complexity of brain activity at the voxel level and complexity topology for professional seafarers caused by long-term working experience. The proposed DBCA is made up of dynamical brain entropy mapping analysis and complex network analysis based on brain entropy sequences, which generate the dynamical complexity of local brain areas and the topological complexity across brain areas, respectively. First, the transient complexity of voxel-wise brain map was calculated; compared with non-seafarers, seafarers showed decreased dynamic entropy values in the cerebellum and increased values in the left fusiform gyrus (BA20). Further, the complex network analysis based on brain entropy sequences revealed small-worldness in terms of topological complexity in both seafarers and non-seafarers, indicating that it is an inherent attribute of human the brain. In addition, seafarers showed a higher average path length and lower average clustering coefficient than non-seafarers, suggesting that the information processing ability is reduced in seafarers. Moreover, the reduction in efficiency of seafarers suggests that they have a less efficient processing network. To sum up, the proposed DBCA is effective for exploring the dynamic complexity changes in voxel-wise activity and region-wise connectivity, showing that occupational experience can reshape seafarers’ dynamic brain complexity fingerprints.
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- 2022
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18. A Review of Data-Driven Building Energy Prediction
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Huiheng Liu, Jinrui Liang, Yanchen Liu, and Huijun Wu
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data driven ,building energy prediction ,machine learning ,influencing factors ,Building construction ,TH1-9745 - Abstract
Building energy consumption prediction has a significant effect on energy control, design optimization, retrofit evaluation, energy price guidance, and prevention and control of COVID-19 in buildings, providing a guarantee for energy efficiency and carbon neutrality. This study reviews 116 research papers on data-driven building energy prediction from the perspective of data and machine learning algorithms and discusses feasible techniques for prediction across time scales, building levels, and energy consumption types in the context of the factors affecting data-driven building energy prediction. The review results revealed that the outdoor dry-bulb temperature is a vital factor affecting building energy consumption. In data-driven building energy consumption prediction, data preprocessing enables prediction across time scales, energy consumption feature extraction enables prediction across energy consumption types, and hyperparameter optimization enables prediction across time scales and building layers.
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- 2023
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19. Spatiotemporal variations of water, land, and carbon footprints of pig production in China
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Huijun Wu, Xinyue Chen, Ling Zhang, Xin Liu, Songyan Jiang, and Yongxin Liu
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pig production ,water-land-carbon ,life cycle ,environmental footprint ,virtual footprint ,Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering ,TD1-1066 ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 ,Science ,Physics ,QC1-999 - Abstract
Pig production not only consumes large water and land, but also emits substantial greenhouse gases. Scholars have used environmental footprint, including water, land, and carbon footprints, to assess the environmental impacts of pig production. However, there is a lack of simultaneous analysis of water, land, and carbon footprints for pig production, particularly in China, the leading pig breeding and consumption country in the world. In this study, we used environmental footprint analysis to develop a water-land-carbon footprint model for pig production system from the life cycle perspective. We also examined virtual water, land and carbon flows embedded in trade. The life cycle of pig production mainly involves feed crop cultivation, feed production, and pig breeding. Then we analyzed the water, land, and carbon footprints of the pig production in China from 1990 to 2018. The findings indicated that both the total water footprint and the total land footprint increased, whereas the total carbon footprints fluctuated over the years. All the unit footprints generally decreased. Feed crop cultivation had a significant impact on the footprints. Regarding the spatial characteristics in China, all the three total footprints were generally higher in the southeast compared to the northwest. While the unit footprints in different provinces exhibited spatial heterogeneity, primarily attributed to the different feed consumptions. Overall, the trade of feed crop shifted virtual water, land and carbon flows from the north to the south, reducing the three total footprints on the whole. To achieve a resource-saving and eco-friendly pig production in China, we proposed some potential recommendations, including improving feed crop cultivation techniques, reducing feed conversion ratio, implementing precision feeding, and managing manure. We hope not only mitigate the environmental impacts of China’s pig production, but also provide references for achieving agricultural sustainability in other regions of the world.
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- 2023
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20. Experimental Investigation of Indoor Thermal Comfort under Different Heating Conditions in Winter
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Zhaosong Fang, Zhisheng Guo, Weibin Chen, Huijun Wu, and Zhimin Zheng
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radiant floor heating ,convection heating ,thermal environment ,thermal comfort ,Building construction ,TH1-9745 - Abstract
Owing to historical reasons, only a few locations in the Guangdong province use heating to enhance interior thermal conditions. With the variation in climate and increase in people’s lifestyle requirements, winter heating has become increasingly necessary. However, a literature review revealed that only a few studies have investigated the heating requirements during winter in the Guangdong province. In this study, we compared the thermal comfort of radiant floor heating with wall-mounted air conditioner heating. A Guangzhou University climate chamber was used in several investigations. The findings revealed that the thermal neutral temperatures of radiant heating and air conditioner heating were 22.0 °C and 23.0 °C, respectively, about 1 °C variation in temperature. Additionally, in the research on thermal reactions and local skin temperature measurements, the impact of local thermal discomfort on the overall thermal experience was also considered. The findings showed a direct relationship between the local thermal discomfort caused by radiant heating and general thermal sensation. Thermal sensation of the subjects mainly originated from the lower extremities and was significantly affected by Va (air velocity). The relationship between the local thermal discomfort of convective heating and general thermal sensation was weak and mainly caused by the uneven thermal environment. Thus, in south China, for lowering energy usage, radiant floor heating should be used to create an improved indoor thermal environment in winter.
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- 2022
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21. Understanding consumers’ behavior intention of recycling mobile phone through formal channels in China: The effect of privacy concern
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Ling Zhang, Wenchun Ran, Songyan Jiang, Huijun Wu, and Zengwei Yuan
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e-waste ,Formal recycling ,Privacy concern ,Urban mining ,China ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 ,Environmental effects of industries and plants ,TD194-195 - Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore consumers’ intention of recycling obsolete mobile phone through formal channels in China. Taking Jiangsu Province as an example, the survey results revealed that although nearly half of consumers prefer to save their obsoleted mobile phones at residence, those who are willing to participate in recycling prefer formal recycling channels instead of informal ones. To explore the determinants of formal recycling intention from the perspective of consumers’ psychological characteristics, an integrative model based on the theory of planned behavior was established, in which the effect of consumers’ privacy concern was thoroughly explored. The results indicated that recycling attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and moral norm are all positively influential factors. Inconsistent with prior studies, consumers’ privacy concern is found to have a direct positive rather than a negative effect on formal recycling intention. It also has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between subjective norm and formal recycling intention. Therefore, to promote consumers’ formal recycling behavior of obsolete mobile phones, a series of measures are proposed to influence these psychological factors in the model. First, a positive social atmosphere for participation in formal recycling should be vigorously created. Then, further efforts are required to increase the publicity and availability of formal recycling channels. Furthermore, joint efforts should be made for privacy information protection during formal recycling processes, including establishing certification standards for secure data erasure, further routinizing recycling processes and establishing a credible image to obtain consumers’ trust by formal recycling enterprises, etc.
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- 2021
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22. Bacillus spp.-Mediated Growth Promotion of Rice Seedlings and Suppression of Bacterial Blight Disease under Greenhouse Conditions
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Faheem Uddin Rajer, Muhammad Kaleem Samma, Qurban Ali, Waleed Ahmed Rajar, Huijun Wu, Waseem Raza, Yongli Xie, Hafiz Abdul Samad Tahir, and Xuewen Gao
- Subjects
Bacillus spp. ,broad-range antagonism ,bacterial blight ,biocontrol ,growth promotion ,lipopeptides ,Medicine - Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major cereal and staple food crop worldwide, and its growth and production are affected by several fungal and bacterial phytopathogens. Bacterial blight (BB) is one of the world’s most devastating rice diseases, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). In the current study, Bacillus atrophaeus FA12 and B. cabrialesii FA26 were isolated from the rice rhizosphere and characterized as having broad-range antifungal and antibacterial activities against various phytopathogens, including Xoo. In addition, the selected strains were further evaluated for their potent rice growth promotion and suppression efficacy against BB under greenhouse conditions. The result shows that FA12 and FA26, applied as seed inoculants, significantly enhanced the vigor index of rice seedlings by 78.89% and 108.70%, respectively. Suppression efficacy against BB disease by FA12 and FA26 reached up to 59.74% and 54.70%, respectively, in pot experiments. Furthermore, MALDI-TOF MS analysis of selected strains revealed the masses ranged from m/z 1040 to 1540, representing that iturins and fengycin are the major antimicrobial compounds in the crude extracts, which might have beneficial roles in rice defence responses against BB. In conclusion, FA12 and FA26 possess broad-range antagonistic activity and have the capability to promote plant growth traits. More importantly, applying these strains has a high potential for implementing eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable management practices for BB disease.
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- 2022
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23. Salt Tolerant Bacillus Strains Improve Plant Growth Traits and Regulation of Phytohormones in Wheat under Salinity Stress
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Muhammad Ayaz, Qurban Ali, Qifan Jiang, Ruoyi Wang, Zhengqi Wang, Guangyuan Mu, Sabaz Ali Khan, Abdur Rashid Khan, Hakim Manghwar, Huijun Wu, Xuewen Gao, and Qin Gu
- Subjects
genetic features ,halophilic Bacillus spp. ,phytohormones ,ROS regulation ,salinity ,wheat ,Botany ,QK1-989 - Abstract
Soil salinity is a major constraint adversely affecting agricultural crops including wheat worldwide. The use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to alleviate salt stress in crops has attracted the focus of many researchers due to its safe and eco-friendly nature. The current study aimed to study the genetic potential of high halophilic Bacillus strains, isolated from the rhizosphere in the extreme environment of the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau region of China, to reduce salt stress in wheat plants. The genetic analysis of high halophilic strains, NMCN1, LLCG23, and moderate halophilic stain, FZB42, revealed their key genetic features that play an important role in salt stress, osmotic regulation, signal transduction and membrane transport. Consequently, the expression of predicted salt stress-related genes were upregulated in the halophilic strains upon NaCl treatments 10, 16 and 18%, as compared with control. The halophilic strains also induced a stress response in wheat plants through the regulation of lipid peroxidation, abscisic acid and proline in a very efficient manner. Furthermore, NMCN1 and LLCG23 significantly enhanced wheat growth parameters in terms of physiological traits, i.e., fresh weight 31.2% and 29.7%, dry weight 28.6% and 27.3%, shoot length 34.2% and 31.3% and root length 32.4% and 30.2%, respectively, as compared to control plants under high NaCl concentration (200 mmol). The Bacillus strains NMCN1 and LLCG23 efficiently modulated phytohormones, leading to the substantial enhancement of plant tolerance towards salt stress. Therefore, we concluded that NMCN1 and LLCG23 contain a plethora of genetic features enabling them to combat with salt stress, which could be widely used in different bio-formulations to obtain high crop production in saline conditions.
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- 2022
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24. Melatonin and Its Homologs Induce Immune Responses via Receptors trP47363-trP13076 in Nicotiana benthamiana
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Mengmeng Kong, Tao Sheng, Jing Liang, Qurban Ali, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, Jian Chen, Jia Liu, and Xuewen Gao
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melatonin ,5-methoxytryptamin ,5-methoxyindole ,disease resistance ,Nicotiana benthamiana ,stomatal closure ,Plant culture ,SB1-1110 - Abstract
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a naturally occurring small molecule, can protect plants against abiotic stress after exogenous treatmenting with it. It is not known if melatonin homologs, such as 5-methoxytryptamine and 5-methoxyindole, that are easy and more cost-effective to synthesize can stimulate the plant immune system in the same manner as melatonin. In the present study, we assessed the biological activity of the melatonin homologs, 5-methoxytryptamin and 5-methoxyindole. The results showed that melatonin and its homologs all induced disease resistance against Phytophthora nicotianae in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The application of all three compounds also induced stomatal closure and the production of reactive oxygen species. Gene expression analysis indicated that the expression of genes involved in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO) production, and salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis was significantly upregulated by all three compounds. Four homologs of the melatonin receptors were identified by blasting search with the phytomelatonin receptor in Arabidopsis. Molecular docking studies were also used to identify four putative melatonin receptors in N. benthamiana. Further experimentation revealed that silencing of the melatonin receptors trP47363 and trP13076 in N. benthamiana compromised the induction of stomatal closure, PR-1a gene expression and SA accumulation by all three compounds. Collectively, our data indicate that the induction of defense responses in N. benthamiana by melatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, and 5-methoxyindole involves the melatonin receptors trP47363 and trP13076.
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- 2021
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25. Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis Strains Derived from the Novel Crystal Protein Cry31Aa with High Nematicidal Activity against Rice Parasitic Nematode Aphelenchoides besseyi
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Zhao Liang, Qurban Ali, Yujie Wang, Guangyuan Mu, Xuefei Kan, Yajun Ren, Hakim Manghwar, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, and Xuewen Gao
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Bacillus thuringiensis ,Cry toxin ,nematicidal activity ,pore-formation ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
The plant parasitic nematode, Aphelenchoides besseyi, is a serious pest causing severe damage to various crop plants and vegetables. The Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains, GBAC46 and NMTD81, and the biological strain, FZB42, showed higher nematicidal activity against A. besseyi, by up to 88.80, 82.65, and 75.87%, respectively, in a 96-well plate experiment. We screened the whole genomes of the selected strains by protein-nucleic acid alignment. It was found that the Bt strain GBAC46 showed three novel crystal proteins, namely, Cry31Aa, Cry73Aa, and Cry40ORF, which likely provide for the safe control of nematodes. The Cry31Aa protein was composed of 802 amino acids with a molecular weight of 90.257 kDa and contained a conserved delta-endotoxin insecticidal domain. The Cry31Aa exhibited significant nematicidal activity against A. besseyi with a lethal concentration (LC50) value of 131.80 μg/mL. Furthermore, the results of in vitro experiments (i.e., rhodamine and propidium iodide (PI) experiments) revealed that the Cry31Aa protein was taken up by A. besseyi, which caused damage to the nematode’s intestinal cell membrane, indicating that the Cry31Aa produced a pore-formation toxin. In pot experiments, the selected strains GBAC46, NMTD81, and FZB42 significantly reduced the lesions on leaves by up to 33.56%, 45.66, and 30.34% and also enhanced physiological growth parameters such as root length (65.10, 50.65, and 55.60%), shoot length (68.10, 55.60, and 59.45%), and plant fresh weight (60.71, 56.45, and 55.65%), respectively. The number of nematodes obtained from the plants treated with the selected strains (i.e., GBAC46, NMTD81, and FZB42) and A. besseyi was significantly reduced, with 0.56, 0.83., 1.11, and 5.04 seedling mL−1 nematodes were achieved, respectively. Moreover, the qRT-PCR analysis showed that the defense-related genes were upregulated, and the activity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increased while malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased in rice leaves compared to the control. Therefore, it was concluded that the Bt strains GBAC46 and NMTD81 can promote rice growth, induce high expression of rice defense-related genes, and activate systemic resistance in rice. More importantly, the application of the novel Cry31Aa protein has high potential for the efficient and safe prevention and green control of plant parasitic nematodes.
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- 2022
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26. The Role of Pyoluteorin from Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 in Suppressing the Growth and Pathogenicity of Pantoea ananatis on Maize
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Qin Gu, Junqing Qiao, Ruoyi Wang, Juan Lu, Zhengqi Wang, Pingping Li, Lulu Zhang, Qurban Ali, Abdur Rashid Khan, Xuewen Gao, and Huijun Wu
- Subjects
Pseudomonas protegens ,Pantoea ananatis ,pyoluteorin ,orfamide ,biofilm ,biocontrol ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
The rhizospheric bacterium Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 can colonize the seed and root surfaces of plants, and can protect them from pathogen infection. Secondary metabolites, including lipopeptides and polyketides produced by Pf-5, are involved in its biocontrol activity. We isolated a crude extract from Pf-5. It exhibited significant surface activity and strong antibacterial activity against Pantoea ananatis DZ-12, which causes maize brown rot on leaves. HPLC analysis combined with activity tests showed that the polyketide pyoluteorin in the crude extract participated in the suppression of DZ-12 growth, and that the lipopeptide orfamide A was the major biosurfactant in the crude extract. Further studies indicated that the pyoluteorin in the crude extract significantly suppressed the biofilm formation of DZ-12, and it induced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in DZ-12 cells. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observation revealed that the crude extract severely damaged the pathogen cells and caused cytoplasmic extravasations and hollowing of the cells. The pathogenicity of DZ-12 on maize leaves was significantly reduced by the crude extract from Pf-5 in a dose-dependent manner. The polyketide pyoluteorin had strong antibacterial activity against DZ-12, and it has the potential for development as an antimicrobial agent.
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- 2022
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27. THE RESEARCH OF THE VARIATION LAWS OF SETTLEMENT AND INTERNAL FORCE OF PILE GROUPS OF RAILWAY BRIDGE CAUSED BY PUMPING BRINE
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Guodong Li, Huijun Wu, Yazhou Li, and Zhongchang Wang
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Skin friction ,Pile groups ,Pumping water ,Groundwater level drop ,Neutral point ,Axis force ,Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) ,TA1-2040 - Abstract
Taking Yingzigou Bridge of Dezhou-Dajiawa railway as the engineering background, the three-dimensional fluid-solid coupling models of pile group caps were established on the basis of five-stage field monitoring data of the settlement and groundwater level drop by using FLAC3D software. On the basis of the field monitoring data checking, the variation of axial force and skin friction of piles at different positions under the condition of water level drop was simulated. The results show that with the underground water level dropped, the axial force of pile along the shaft increased first and then decreased. The cross section of maximum axial force moved down constantly. In the same ground water levels drop, the distance between the maximum axial force and neutral point of each pile and the top of the pile was corner pile > side pile> near borehole center pile > center pile. The size of the pile axial force and negative skin friction resistance was corner pile > side pile> near borehole center pile > center pile. The upper part of the pile was subjected to negative skin friction resistance. The skin friction resistance of each pile along the shaft increased first and then decreased. The lower part of the pile was subjected to positive skin friction resistance. The skin friction resistance of each pile along the shaft increased. The location of the maximum negative friction resistance was about 10m distance from the top of the pile. The maximum negative friction resistance of corner pile was -36.5kPa. The distance of neutral point of center pile from the top was 35.2m. The neutral point of each pile was in accordance with the position of the maximum axial force of the pile. A reliable basis was provided for high-speed railway survey and design and the prevention and control of land subsidence along the railway.
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- 2019
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28. Q-Learning Based Physical-Layer Secure Game Against Multiagent Attacks
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Yan Xu, Junjuan Xia, Huijun Wu, and Liseng Fan
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Q-learning ,power allocation ,smart attacks ,stochastic game ,Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering ,TK1-9971 - Abstract
In this paper, we consider a Q-learning-based power allocation strategy for a secure physical-layer system under dynamic radio environments. In such a system, the transmitter sends the information to the receiver threatened by M(M ≥ 2) intelligent attackers which have several attack modes and will bring out the severe issue of information security. To safeguard the system security, we formulate the insecure problem as a stochastic game which consists of M+1 players: the transmitter which can flexibly choose its transmit power, and M smart attackers that can determine their attack types. Then, the Nash equilibria (NEs) of the physical-layer secure game are derived, and their existence conditions are taken into account. The simulation results show that the proposed power allocation strategy in the stochastic game can efficiently suppress the attack rate of smart attackers even if there exist multiple smart attackers.
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- 2019
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29. MARL-Based Distributed Cache Placement for Wireless Networks
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Xiaosheng Lin, Yuhao Tang, Xianfu Lei, Junjuan Xia, Qingfeng Zhou, Huijun Wu, and Liseng Fan
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Multi-agent reinforcement learning ,distributed cache placement ,cache hit probability ,frequency maximum Q-value ,distributed Q-learning ,Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering ,TK1-9971 - Abstract
We investigate a distributed caching strategy based on multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) in a cache-aided network, where all wireless nodes have limited storage capacity and serve for certain coverage. The wireless nodes can collaboratively optimize distributed caching strategy to maximize the network performance measured by the average cache hit probability. Specifically, we firstly model the distributed caching strategy problem as a fully cooperative repeated game and then analyze how to improve the average cache hit probability under the MARL framework. We further propose the caching strategy based on the frequency maximum Q-value (FMQ) and the caching strategy based on the distributed Q-learning (DQ) to optimize the distributed caching strategy. The simulation results show that the proposed FMQ-based strategy significantly improves the average cache hit probability, while the proposed DQ-based strategy can converge to the optimal strategy with probability one. Moreover, the proposed FMQ-based and DQ-based strategies are not only superior to Q-learning based strategy but also superior to the probabilistic caching placement (PCP) and most popular content (MPC) strategies.
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- 2019
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30. Development and thermal properties of a novel sodium acetate trihydrate-Acetamide-micron/nano aluminum nitride composite phase change material
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Fengping Wu, Zhongqi Lin, Tao Xu, Jiayu Chen, Gongsheng Huang, Huijun Wu, Xiaoqing Zhou, Dengjia Wang, Yanfeng Liu, and Jianqing Hu
- Subjects
Sodium acetate trihydrate ,Micron/nano aluminum nitride ,Nucleating agent ,Composite phase change material ,Thermal conductivity enhancement ,Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials ,TA401-492 - Abstract
Heat storage phase change materials (PCM) has been widely used in various thermal energy systems, such as solar-heat pump. Harvesting solar energy requires low-cost and efficient PCM with proper melting points and high energy absorbing capacity. This paper proposed a novel Sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) -Acetamide (AC) -micron/nano Aluminum nitride (AlN) composite phase change material (CPCM) with a melting point of 47.3 °C for solar-heat pump implementation. 10 wt% AC was selected as modifier to lower the melting point of SAT. The nano AlN or micron AlN was added to CPCM to suppress “supercooling” and improve its thermal conductivity. In order to determine the optimal ratio of mixture and examine the composite's thermal properties, DSC, SEM, XRD, FTIR and other characterization methods were implemented in this study. The results showed that 3 μm and 30 nm mixed AlN were the most effective nucleating agent and thermal conductivity filler. Also, the optimal composite with 5 wt% mixed AlN could reduce the “supercooling” degree to 0.27 °C and improve the thermal conductivity to 0.6484 W/m·K. After 100 heat absorbing and releasing cycles, the latent heat of CPCM maintained a respectable value of 226.8 kJ/kg.
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- 2020
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31. Repetitive Religious Chanting Invokes Positive Emotional Schema to Counterbalance Fear: A Multi-Modal Functional and Structural MRI Study
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Junling Gao, Stavros Skouras, Hang Kin Leung, Bonnie Wai Yan Wu, Huijun Wu, Chunqi Chang, and Hin Hung Sik
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emotion regulation ,religious chanting ,functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) ,religious schema ,brain asymmetry ,amygdala ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
IntroductionDuring hard times, religious chanting/praying is widely practiced to cope with negative or stressful emotions. While the underlying neural mechanism has not been investigated to a sufficient extent. A previous event-related potential study showed that religious chanting could significantly diminish the late-positive potential induced by negative stimuli. However, the regulatory role of subcortical brain regions, especially the amygdala, in this process remains unclear. This multi-modal MRI study aimed to further clarify the neural mechanism underlying the effectiveness of religious chanting for emotion regulation.MethodologyTwenty-one participants were recruited for a multi-modal MRI study. Their age range was 40–52 years, 11 were female and all participants had at least 1 year of experience in religious chanting. The participants were asked to view neutral/fearful pictures while practicing religious chanting (i.e., chanting the name of Buddha Amitābha), non-religious chanting (i.e., chanting the name of Santa Claus), or no chanting. A 3.0 T Philips MRI scanner was used to collect the data and SPM12 was used to analyze the imaging data. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to explore the potential hemispheric asymmetries in practitioners.ResultsCompared to non-religious chanting and no chanting, higher brain activity was observed in several brain regions when participants performed religious chanting while viewing fearful images. These brain regions included the fusiform gyrus, left parietal lobule, and prefrontal cortex, as well as subcortical regions such as the amygdala, thalamus, and midbrain. Importantly, significantly more activity was observed in the left than in the right amygdala during religious chanting. VBM showed hemispheric asymmetries, mainly in the thalamus, putamen, hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellum; areas related to skill learning and biased memory formation.ConclusionThis preliminary study showed that repetitive religious chanting may induce strong brain activity, especially in response to stimuli with negative valence. Practicing religious chanting may structurally lateralize a network of brain areas involved in biased memory formation. These functional and structural results suggest that religious chanting helps to form a positive schema to counterbalance negative emotions. Future randomized control studies are necessary to confirm the neural mechanism related to religious chanting in coping with stress and negative emotions.
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- 2020
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32. Occupational Neuroplasticity in the Human Brain: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Studies
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Huijun Wu, Hongjie Yan, Yang Yang, Min Xu, Yuhu Shi, Weiming Zeng, Jiewei Li, Jian Zhang, Chunqi Chang, and Nizhuan Wang
- Subjects
occupational science ,neuroplasticity ,occupational neuroplasticity ,neuroimaging ,meta-analysis ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
Many studies have revealed the structural or functional brain changes induced by occupational factors. However, it remains largely unknown how occupation-related connectivity shapes the brain. In this paper, we denote occupational neuroplasticity as the neuroplasticity that takes place to satisfy the occupational requirements by extensively professional training and to accommodate the long-term, professional work of daily life, and a critical review of occupational neuroplasticity related to the changes in brain structure and functional networks has been primarily presented. Furthermore, meta-analysis revealed a neurophysiological mechanism of occupational neuroplasticity caused by professional experience. This meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies showed that experts displayed stronger activation in the left precentral gyrus [Brodmann area (BA)6], left middle frontal gyrus (BA6), and right inferior frontal gyrus (BA9) than novices, while meta-analysis of structural studies suggested that experts had a greater gray matter volume in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (BA22) and right putamen than novices. Together, these findings not only expand the current understanding of the common neurophysiological basis of occupational neuroplasticity across different occupations and highlight some possible targets for neural modulation of occupational neuroplasticity but also provide a new perspective for occupational science research.
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- 2020
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33. Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor with multiple liver metastases: A case report with literature review
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Yijun Xia, Lei Zhang, Huijun Wu, Liang Qiao, and Long Xia
- Subjects
Medicine (General) ,R5-920 - Abstract
Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs) are a group of extremely rare tumors that are difficult to differentiate from common hepatic malignancies on routine imaging studies. By presenting a case of PHNET, we herein introduce our experience with the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of patients with this rare disease. The patient was preoperatively diagnosed with hepatic hydatidosis but postoperatively diagnosed with a PHNET with multiple liver metastases. He was successfully treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. This case indicates that the clinical diagnosis of PHNET is a medical challenge. Although peptide receptor radionuclide therapy has been suggested as the mainstay of treatment for well-differentiated somatostatin receptor-positive PHNETs, patients with a large tumor burden may also benefit from transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.
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- 2020
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34. The advance of assembly of exopolysaccharide Psl biosynthesis machinery in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Huijun Wu, Di Wang, Maomao Tang, and Luyan Z. Ma
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biofilm ,exopolysaccharide Psl ,glycosyl hydrolase ,Pseudomonas aeruginosa ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Abstract Biofilms are microbial communities embedded in extracellular matrix. Exopolysaccharide Psl (ePsl) is a key biofilm matrix component that initiates attachment, maintains biofilms architecture, and protects bacteria within biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen. There are at least 12 Psl proteins involved in the biosynthesis of this exopolysaccharide. However, it remains unclear about the function of each Psl protein and how these proteins work together during the biosynthesis of ePsl. PslG has been characterized as a degrader of ePsl in extracellular or periplasm and PslD is predicted to be a transporter. In this study, we found that PslG and its glycoside hydrolytic activity were also involved in the biosynthesis of ePsl. PslG localized mainly in the inner membrane and some in the periplasm. The inner membrane association of PslG was critical for the biosynthesis of ePsl. The expression of PslA, PslD, and PslE helped PslG remain in the inner membrane. The bacterial two‐hybrid results suggested that PslE could interacted with either PslA, PslD, or PslG. The strongest interaction was found between PslE and PslD. Consistently, PslD was disabled to localize on the outer membrane in the ΔpslE strain, suggesting that the PslE‐PslD interaction affected the localization of PslD. Our results shed light on the assembly of ePsl biosynthesis machinery and suggested that the membrane‐associated PslG was a part of ePsl biosynthesis proteins complex.
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- 2019
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35. Novel Genetic Dysregulations and Oxidative Damage in Fusarium graminearum Induced by Plant Defense Eliciting Psychrophilic Bacillus atrophaeus TS1
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Muhammad Zubair, Ayaz Farzand, Faiza Mumtaz, Abdur Rashid Khan, Taha Majid Mahmood Sheikh, Muhammad Salman Haider, Chenjie Yu, Yujie Wang, Muhammad Ayaz, Qin Gu, Xuewen Gao, and Huijun Wu
- Subjects
psychrophilic ,biotic/abiotic stresses ,biochemical ,genetic dysregulations ,necrosis inducing proteins ,plant defense induction ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
This study elaborates inter-kingdom signaling mechanisms, presenting a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to combat biotic as well as abiotic stress in wheat. Fusarium graminearum is a devastating pathogen causing head and seedling blight in wheat, leading to huge yield and economic losses. Psychrophilic Bacillus atrophaeus strain TS1 was found as a potential biocontrol agent for suppression of F. graminearum under low temperature by carrying out extensive biochemical and molecular studies in comparison with a temperate biocontrol model strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 at 15 and 25 °C. TS1 was able to produce hydrolytic extracellular enzymes as well as antimicrobial lipopeptides, i.e., surfactin, bacillomycin, and fengycin, efficiently at low temperatures. The Bacillus strain-induced oxidative cellular damage, ultrastructural deformities, and novel genetic dysregulations in the fungal pathogen as the bacterial treatment at low temperature were able to downregulate the expression of newly predicted novel fungal genes potentially belonging to necrosis inducing protein families (fgHCE and fgNPP1). The wheat pot experiments conducted at 15 and 25 °C revealed the potential of TS1 to elicit sudden induction of plant defense, namely, H2O2 and callose enhanced activity of plant defense-related enzymes and induced over-expression of defense-related genes which accumulatively lead to the suppression of F. graminearum and decreased diseased leaf area.
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- 2021
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36. Mycosubtilin Produced by Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633 Inhibits Growth and Mycotoxin Biosynthesis of Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides
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Chenjie Yu, Xin Liu, Xinyue Zhang, Mengxuan Zhang, Yiying Gu, Qurban Ali, M. Sherif Ramzy Mohamed, Jianhong Xu, Jianrong Shi, Xuewen Gao, Huijun Wu, and Qin Gu
- Subjects
mycosubtilin ,Bacillus subtilis ,Fusarium graminearum ,Fusarium verticillioides ,biocontrol ,mycotoxins ,Medicine - Abstract
Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides are fungal pathogens that cause diseases in cereal crops, such as Fusarium head blight (FHB), seedling blight, and stalk rot. They also produce a variety of mycotoxins that reduce crop yields and threaten human and animal health. Several strategies for controlling these diseases have been developed. However, due to a lack of resistant cultivars and the hazards of chemical fungicides, efforts are now focused on the biocontrol of plant diseases, which is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. In the present study, the lipopeptide mycosubtilin purified from Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633 significantly suppressed the growth of F. graminearum PH-1 and F. verticillioides 7600 in vitro. Mycosubtilin caused the destruction and deformation of plasma membranes and cell walls in F. graminearum hyphae. Additionally, mycosubtilin inhibited conidial spore formation and germination of both fungi in a dose-dependent manner. In planta experiments demonstrated the ability of mycosubtilin to control the adverse effects caused by F. graminearum and F. verticillioides on wheat heads and maize kernels, respectively. Mycosubtilin significantly decreased the production of deoxynivalenol (DON) and B-series fumonisins (FB1, FB2 and FB3) in infected grains, with inhibition rates of 48.92, 48.48, 52.42, and 59.44%, respectively. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that mycosubtilin significantly downregulated genes involved in mycotoxin biosynthesis. In conclusion, mycosubtilin produced by B. subtilis ATCC6633 was shown to have potential as a biological agent to control plant diseases and Fusarium toxin contamination caused by F. graminearum and F. verticillioides.
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- 2021
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37. Genomic Features and Molecular Function of a Novel Stress-Tolerant Bacillus halotolerans Strain Isolated from an Extreme Environment
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Xiaohui Wu, Huijun Wu, Ruoyi Wang, Zhengqi Wang, Yaming Zhang, Qin Gu, Ayaz Farzand, Xue Yang, Mikhail Semenov, Rainer Borriss, Yongli Xie, and Xuewen Gao
- Subjects
Qinghai–Tibet Plateau ,Bacillus halotolerans ,stress tolerance ,biocontrol ,genomic features ,comparative genomic analysis ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 - Abstract
Due to its topographical position and climatic conditions, the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau possesses abundant microorganism resources. The extremophilic strain KKD1 isolated from Hoh Xil possesses strong stress tolerance, enabling it to propagate under high salinity (13%) and alkalinity (pH 10.0) conditions. In addition, KKD1 exhibits promising biocontrol activity against plant pathogens. To further explore these traits at the genomic level, we performed whole-genome sequencing and analysis. The taxonomic identification according to the average nucleotide identity based on BLAST revealed that KKD1 belongs to Bacillus halotolerans. Genetic screening of KKD1 revealed that its stress resistance mechanism depends on osmotic equilibrium, membrane transportation, and the regulation of ion balance under salt and alkaline stress. The expression of genes involved in these pathways was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR. The presence of different gene clusters encoding antimicrobial secondary metabolites indicated the various pathways by which KKD1 suppresses phytopathogenic growth. Moreover, the lipopeptides surfactin and fengycin were identified as being significant antifungal components of KKD1. Through comparative genomics analysis, we noticed that KKD1 harbored specific genes involved in stress resistance and biocontrol, thus providing a new perspective on the genomic features of the extremophilic Bacillus species.
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- 2021
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38. 5-Methoxyindole, a Chemical Homolog of Melatonin, Adversely Affects the Phytopathogenic Fungus Fusarium graminearum
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Mengmeng Kong, Jing Liang, Qurban Ali, Wen Wen, Huijun Wu, Xuewen Gao, and Qin Gu
- Subjects
melatonin homolog ,5-methoxyindole ,Fusarium graminearum ,reactive oxygen species ,cell death ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a destructive fungal pathogen that threatens the production and quality of wheat, and controlling this pathogen is a significant challenge. As the cost-effective homolog of melatonin, 5-methoxyindole showed strong activity against F. graminearum. In the present study, our results showed the strong adverse activity of 5-methoxyindole against F. graminearum by inhibiting its growth, formation, and conidia germination. In addition, 5-methoxyindole could induce malformation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and cell death in F. graminearum hyphae and conidia. In response to 5-methoxyindole, F. graminearum genes involved in scavenging reactive oxygen species were significantly downregulated. Overall, these findings reveal the mechanism of antifungal action of melatonin-homolog 5-methoxyindole. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that a novel melatonin homolog confers strong antifungal activity against F. graminearum, and 5-methoxyindole is a potential compound for protecting wheat plants from F. graminearum infection.
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- 2021
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39. Effect of volatile compounds produced by Ralstonia solanacearum on plant growth promoting and systemic resistance inducing potential of Bacillus volatiles
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Hafiz Abdul Samad Tahir, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, Waseem Raza, Asma Safdar, Ziyang Huang, Faheem Uddin Rajer, and Xuewen Gao
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Bacillus subtilis ,Growth promotion ,Induced resistance ,PPO and PAL ,VOCs ,Botany ,QK1-989 - Abstract
Abstract Background Microbial volatiles play an expedient role in the agricultural ecological system by enhancing plant growth and inducing systemic resistance against plant pathogens, without causing hazardous effects on the environment. To explore the effects of VOCs of Ralstonia solanacearum TBBS1 (Rs) on tobacco plant growth and on plant growth promoting efficiency of VOCs produced by Bacillus subtilis SYST2, experiments were conducted both in vitro and in planta. Results The VOCs produced by SYST2 significantly enhanced the plant growth and induced the systemic resistance (ISR) against wilt pathogen Rs in all experiments. The SYST2-VOCs significantly increased PPO and PAL activity and over-expressed the genes relating to expansin, wilt resistance, and plant defense while repressed the genes relating to ethylene production. More interestingly, VOCs produced by pathogen, Rs had no significant effect on plant growth; however, Rs-VOCs decreased the growth promoting potential of SYST2-VOCs when plants were exposed to VOCs produced by both SYST2 and Rs. The co-culture of SYST2 and Rs revealed that they inhibited the growth of each other; however, the inhibition of Rs by SYST2-VOCs appeared to be greater than that of SYST2 by Rs-VOCs. Conclusion Our findings provide new insights regarding the interaction among SYST2-VOCs, Rs-VOCs and plant, resulting in growth promotion and induced systemic resistance against the bacterial wilt pathogen Rs. This is the first report of the effect of VOCs produced by pathogenic microorganism on plant growth and on plant growth-promoting and systemic resistance-inducing potential of PGPR strain SYST2.
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- 2017
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40. Fisetin Prolongs Therapy Window of Brain Ischemic Stroke Using Tissue Plasminogen Activator: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
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Limin Wang MS, Di Cao MS, Huijun Wu MS, Hongning Jia MS, Chaoping Yang MS, and Lihua Zhang BS
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Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system ,RC666-701 - Abstract
Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) can be utilized to treat ischemic stroke with safety and effectiveness but limited by a narrow therapeutic window. In the present clinical trial among patients with stroke, we sought to evaluate the potential of fisetin to extend the therapeutic window of rt-PA treatment. Patients with stroke were divided based on their onset-to-treatment time (OTT) and then randomly assigned to receive the rt-PA treatment combined with fisetin or placebo. Primary outcome was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS), and secondary outcome was assessed by serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2, MMP 9, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Fisetin dramatically improved the treatment outcomes of the patients with stroke in the delayed OTT strata, as revealed by lower NIHSS scores. The beneficial effect of fisetin was likely attributable to reduced levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and CRP in the serum, as evidenced by strong linear correlations between serum levels of such markers with the NIHSS scores in all enrolled patients. Fisetin may possess the potential to supplement traditional rt-PA treatments among patients with stroke, particularly for those with delayed OTT, and thereby extend the otherwise narrow therapeutic window and improve the treatment outcomes.
- Published
- 2019
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41. Corrigendum: Bacillus velezensis FZB42 in 2018: The Gram-Positive Model Strain for Plant Growth Promotion and Biocontrol
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Ben Fan, Cong Wang, Xiaofeng Song, Xiaolei Ding, Liming Wu, Huijun Wu, Xuewen Gao, and Rainer Borriss
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Bacillus velezensis ,FZB42 ,AmyloWiki ,induced systemic resistance (ISR) ,non-ribosomal synthesized lipopeptides (NRPS) ,non-ribosomal synthesized polyketides (PKS) ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Published
- 2019
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42. Multi-Granularity Whole-Brain Segmentation Based Functional Network Analysis Using Resting-State fMRI
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Yujing Gong, Huijun Wu, Jingyuan Li, Nizhuan Wang, Hanjun Liu, and Xiaoying Tang
- Subjects
multi-granularity ,ontology relationship ,resting-state ,fMRI ,brain network ,small-worldness ,Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,RC321-571 - Abstract
In this work, we systematically analyzed the effects of various nodal definitions, as determined by a multi-granularity whole-brain segmentation scheme, upon the topological architecture of the human brain functional network using the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 19 healthy, young subjects. A number of functional networks were created with their nodes defined according to two types of anatomical definitions (Type I and Type II) each of which consists of five granularity levels of whole brain segmentations with each level linked through ontology-based, hierarchical, structural relationships. Topological properties were computed for each network and then compared across levels within the same segmentation type as well as between Type I and Type II. Certain network architecture patterns were observed in our study: (1) As the granularity changes, the absolute values of each node's nodal degree and nodal betweenness change accordingly but the relative values within a single network do not change considerably; (2) The average nodal degree is generally affected by the sparsity level of the network whereas the other topological properties are more specifically affected by the nodal definitions; (3) Within the same ontology relationship type, as the granularity decreases, the network becomes more efficient at information propagation; (4) The small-worldness that we observe is an intrinsic property of the brain's resting-state functional network, independent of the ontology type and the granularity level. Furthermore, we validated the aforementioned conclusions and measured the reproducibility of this multi-granularity network analysis pipeline using another dataset of 49 healthy young subjects that had been scanned twice.
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- 2018
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43. Bacillus velezensis FZB42 in 2018: The Gram-Positive Model Strain for Plant Growth Promotion and Biocontrol
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Ben Fan, Cong Wang, Xiaofeng Song, Xiaolei Ding, Liming Wu, Huijun Wu, Xuewen Gao, and Rainer Borriss
- Subjects
Bacillus velezensis ,FZB42 ,AmyloWiki ,induced systemic resistance (ISR) ,non-ribosomal synthesized lipopeptides (NRPS) ,non-ribosomal synthesized polyketides (PKS) ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Bacillus velezensis FZB42, the model strain for Gram-positive plant-growth-promoting and biocontrol rhizobacteria, has been isolated in 1998 and sequenced in 2007. In order to celebrate these anniversaries, we summarize here the recent knowledge about FZB42. In last 20 years, more than 140 articles devoted to FZB42 have been published. At first, research was mainly focused on antimicrobial compounds, apparently responsible for biocontrol effects against plant pathogens, recent research is increasingly directed to expression of genes involved in bacteria–plant interaction, regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs), and on modification of enzymes involved in synthesis of antimicrobial compounds by processes such as acetylation and malonylation. Till now, 13 gene clusters involved in non-ribosomal and ribosomal synthesis of secondary metabolites with putative antimicrobial action have been identified within the genome of FZB42. These gene clusters cover around 10% of the whole genome. Antimicrobial compounds suppress not only growth of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but could also stimulate induced systemic resistance (ISR) in plants. It has been found that besides secondary metabolites also volatile organic compounds are involved in the biocontrol effect exerted by FZB42 under biotic (plant pathogens) and abiotic stress conditions. In order to facilitate easy access to the genomic data, we have established an integrating data bank ‘AmyloWiki’ containing accumulated information about the genes present in FZB42, available mutant strains, and other aspects of FZB42 research, which is structured similar as the famous SubtiWiki data bank.
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- 2018
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44. The carB Gene of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) is Associated with Nematicidal Activity against the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne javanica
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Yanfei Xia, Shen Li, Guohui Xu, Shanshan Xie, Xueting Liu, Xiaomin Lin, Huijun Wu, and Xuewen Gao
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biocontrol ,Meloidogyne javanica ,carB gene ,Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) ,culture filtrate ,Medicine - Abstract
Biological nematicides have been widely used to lower the losses generated by phytoparasitic nematodes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nematicidal effects of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) against Meloidogyne javanica and to identify nematicide-related genes. Culture filtrates of BL21(DE3) caused juvenile mortality and inhibited egg hatching in a dose-dependent manner. In the greenhouse, treatment of tomato seedlings with BL21(DE3) culture filtrates at 50 and 100% concentrations not only reduced the amount of M. javanica egg masses and galls, but improved plant root and shoot fresh weight. Culture filtrate analysis indicated that the nematicidal active ingredients of strain BL21(DE3) were non-proteinaceous, heat and cold resistant, sensitive to pH and volatile. To identify the genes associated with nematicidal activity, a BL21(DE3) library of 5000 mutants was produced using Tn5 transposase insertion. The culture filtrate of the MB12 mutant showed no nematicidal activity after 72 h of treatment and thermal asymmetrical interlaced PCR demonstrated that the carB gene was disrupted. Nematicidal activity was restored when the pH of the MB12 culture filtrate was adjusted to the original pH value (4.15) or following MB12 complementation with the carB gene, confirming a role for carB in mediating pH value and nematicidal activity. The outcomes of this pilot study indicate that BL21(DE3) is a potential microorganism for the continuable biological control of root-knot nematode in tomato and that carB affects the nematicidal activity of BL21(DE3) by modulating the pH environment.
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- 2021
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45. Transcriptome Profiling Unravels a Vital Role of Pectin and Pectinase in Anther Dehiscence in Chrysanthemum
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Qian Li, Ze Wu, Huijun Wu, Weimin Fang, Fadi Chen, and Nianjun Teng
- Subjects
chrysanthemum morifolium ,anther dehiscence ,rna-seq ,pectin degradation ,cmerf72 ,cmlob27 ,Biology (General) ,QH301-705.5 ,Chemistry ,QD1-999 - Abstract
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium (Ramat.) Kitamura) plants have great ornamental value, but their flowers can also be a source of pollen contamination. Previously, morphological and cytological studies have shown that anthers of some chrysanthemum cultivars such as ‘Qx-115′ fail to dehisce, although the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of anther indehiscence in chrysanthemum via transcriptome analysis of a dehiscent cultivar (‘Qx-097′) and an indehiscent cultivar (‘Qx-115′). We also measured related physiological indicators during and preceding the period of anther dehiscence. Our results showed a difference in pectinase accumulation and activity between the two cultivars during dehiscence. Detection of de-esterified pectin and highly esterified pectin in anthers during the period preceding anther dehiscence using LM19 and LM20 monoclonal antibodies showed that both forms of pectin were absent in the stomium region of ‘Qx-097′ anthers but were abundant in that of ‘Qx-115′ anthers. Analysis of transcriptome data revealed a significant difference in the expression levels of two transcription factor-encoding genes, CmLOB27 and CmERF72, between ‘Qx-097′ and ‘Qx-115′ during anther development. Transient overexpression of CmLOB27 and CmERF72 separately in tobacco leaves promoted pectinase biosynthesis. We conclude that CmLOB27 and CmERF72 are involved in the synthesis of pectinase, which promotes the degradation of pectin. Our results lay a foundation for further investigation of the role of CmLOB27 and CmERF72 transcription factors in the process of anther dehiscence in chrysanthemum.
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- 2019
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46. Stomatal Closure and SA-, JA/ET-Signaling Pathways Are Essential for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 to Restrict Leaf Disease Caused by Phytophthora nicotianae in Nicotiana benthamiana
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Liming Wu, Ziyang Huang, Xi Li, Liumin Ma, Qin Gu, Huijun Wu, Jia Liu, Rainer Borriss, Zhen Wu, and Xuewen Gao
- Subjects
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 ,stomata ,ABA ,ISR ,Nicotiana benthamiana ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that induces resistance to a broad spectrum of pathogens. This study analyzed the mechanism by which FZB42 restricts leaf disease caused by Phytophthora nicotianae in Nicotiana benthamiana. The oomycete foliar pathogen P. nicotianae is able to reopen stomata which had been closed by the plant innate immune response to initiate penetration and infection. Here, we showed that root colonization by B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42 restricted pathogen-mediated stomatal reopening in N. benthamiana. Abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA)-regulated pathways mediated FZB42-induced stomatal closure after pathogen infection. Moreover, the defense-related genes PR-1a, LOX, and ERF1, involved in the SA and jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET) signaling pathways, respectively, were overexpressed, and levels of the hormones SA, JA, and ET increased in the leaves of B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42-treated wild type plants. Disruption of one of these three pathways in N. benthamiana plants increased susceptibility to the pathogen. These suggest that SA- and JA/ET-dependent signaling pathways were important in plant defenses against the pathogen. Our data thus explain a biocontrol mechanism of soil rhizobacteria in a plant.
- Published
- 2018
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47. Response of soil organic carbon fractions, microbial community composition and carbon mineralization to high-input fertilizer practices under an intensive agricultural system.
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Jing Li, Xueping Wu, Mesfin Tsegaye Gebremikael, Huijun Wu, Dianxiong Cai, Bisheng Wang, Baoguo Li, Jiancheng Zhang, Yongshan Li, and Jilong Xi
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Microbial mechanisms associated with soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition are poorly understood. We aim to determine the effects of inorganic and organic fertilizers on soil labile carbon (C) pools, microbial community structure and C mineralization rate under an intensive wheat-maize double cropping system in Northern China. Soil samples in 0-10 cm layer were collected from a nine-year field trial involved four treatments: no fertilizer, CK; nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers, NP; maize straw combined with NP fertilizers, NPS; and manure plus straw and NP fertilizers, NPSM. Soil samples were analyzed to determine labile C pools (including dissolved organic C, DOC; light free organic C, LFOC; and microbial biomass C, MBC), microbial community composition (using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles) and SOC mineralization rate (from a 124-day incubation experiment). This study demonstrated that the application of chemical fertilizers (NP) alone did not alter labile C fractions, soil microbial communities and SOC mineralization rate from those observed in the CK treatment. Whereas the use of straw in conjunction with chemical fertilizers (NPS) became an additional labile substrate supply that decreased C limitation, stimulated growth of all PLFA-related microbial communities, and resulted in 53% higher cumulative mineralization of C compared to that of CK. The SOC and its labile fractions explained 78.7% of the variance of microbial community structure. Further addition of manure on the top of straw in the NPSM treatment did not significantly increase microbial community abundances, but it did alter microbial community structure by increasing G+/G- ratio compared to that of NPS. The cumulative mineralization of C was 85% higher under NPSM fertilization compared to that of CK. Particularly, the NPSM treatment increased the mineralization rate of the resistant pool. This has to be carefully taken into account when setting realistic and effective goals for long-term soil C stabilization.
- Published
- 2018
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48. Effects of straw return on bacterial communities in a wheat-maize rotation system in the North China Plain.
- Author
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Dali Yu, Zhiguo Wen, Xiumei Li, Xiaojun Song, Huijun Wu, and Peilong Yang
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Straw return plays an important role in reducing the use of chemical fertilizer, promoting soil carbon sequestration, thus maintaining soil fertility and alleviating environmental pollution. To examine the effects of straw return on soil bacterial communities, quantitative PCR and high-throughput sequencing approaches were used to analyze the bacterial abundance and community structures at the depths of 5-25 cm and 25-45 cm in the soils under six-year continuous straw return and removal treatments in Langfang, Hebei, the North China Plain. As a result, straw return had no effects on soil chemical properties, bacterial abundance, richness or diversity at both soil depths. In contrast, vertical distributions of available nitrogen and available potassium were affected. Similarly, straw return also changed the vertical distributions of Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Principal coordinate analysis based on weighted UniFrac distance matrix indicated a moderate separation of the bacterial community in the soil treated with straw return from that with straw removal at 5-25 cm depth, but they were not distinctly distinguished at 25-45 cm depth. T-test identified increased abundance of Candidatus Latescibacteria in the soil under straw return treatment at 5-25 cm depth but no differentially abundant phyla at 25-45 cm depth was found. These results suggested a selection effect from the six-year continuous straw return treatment and the soil bacterial communities were moderately changed.
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- 2018
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49. Fengycin Produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 Inhibits Fusarium graminearum Growth and Mycotoxins Biosynthesis
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Alvina Hanif, Feng Zhang, Pingping Li, Chuchu Li, Yujiao Xu, Muhammad Zubair, Mengxuan Zhang, Dandan Jia, Xiaozhen Zhao, Jingang Liang, Taha Majid, Jingyuau Yan, Ayaz Farzand, Huijun Wu, Qin Gu, and Xuewen Gao
- Subjects
fungal-bacterial interactions ,Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ,Fusarium graminearum ,Fengycin ,mycotoxins ,Medicine - Abstract
Fusarium graminearum is a notorious pathogen that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops. It produces secondary metabolites, such as deoxynivalenol, diminishing grain quality and leading to lesser crop yield. Many strategies have been developed to combat this pathogenic fungus; however, considering the lack of resistant cultivars and likelihood of environmental hazards upon using chemical pesticides, efforts have shifted toward the biocontrol of plant diseases, which is a sustainable and eco-friendly approach. Fengycin, derived from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42, was purified from the crude extract by HPLC and further analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS. Its application resulted in structural deformations in fungal hyphae, as observed via scanning electron microscopy. In planta experiment revealed the ability of fengycin to suppress F. graminearum growth and highlighted its capacity to combat disease incidence. Fengycin significantly suppressed F. graminearum, and also reduced the deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), and zearalenone (ZEN) production in infected grains. To conclude, we report that fengycin produced by B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42 has potential as a biocontrol agent against F. graminearum and can also inhibit the mycotoxins produced by this fungus.
- Published
- 2019
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50. Hydrophobicity of Polyacrylate Emulsion Film Enhanced by Introduction of Nano-SiO2 and Fluorine
- Author
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Tao Xu, Qiangqiang Xiao, Jiayu Chen, Li Li, Xiongjun Yang, Lifang Liu, Wenhui Yuan, Bingjian Zhang, and Huijun Wu
- Subjects
polyacrylate emulsion ,nano-SiO2 ,fluorine ,ultraviolet shielding effect ,hydrophobicity ,Organic chemistry ,QD241-441 - Abstract
This study proposes to utilize modified Nano-SiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate emulsion that was synthesized with a semi-continuous starved seed emulsion polymerization to improve the hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and UV-Vis absorption of polyacrylate emulsion film. To verify the proposed method, a series inspection had been conducted to investigate the features of the emulsion film. The morphological analysis indicated that Nano-SiO2 was surrounded by a silane molecule after modification, which can efficiently prevent silica nanoparticles from aggregating. Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed that modified SiO2 and dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFMA) were successfully introduced to the copolymer latex. The particle size of latex increased with the introduction of modified Nano-SiO2 and DFMA. UV-Vis absorption spectra revealed that modified silicon nanoparticles can improve the ultraviolet shielding effect obviously. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy illustrated that the film⁻air interface was richer in fluorine than film section and the glass side. The contact angle of modified Nano-SiO2/fluorinated polyacrylate emulsion containing 3 wt % DFMA was 112°, slightly lower than double that of polyacrylate emulsion, indicating composite emulsion films possess better hydrophobicity. These results suggest that introducing modified Nano-SiO2 and fluorine into polyacrylate emulsion can significantly enhance the thermal stability of emulsion films.
- Published
- 2019
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