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Cactus-like hierarchical CoB2O4@FeOOH/NF enables the fast mass transfer, abundant accessible active sites and strong synergism induced by Fe–B bond for optimizing electrical conductivity and the generation of CoOOH for triggering OER processes.

To obtain an accurate one-dimensional velocity model, we developed the EA_VELEST method based on the evolutionary algorithm and the VELEST program. This method can quickly generate a suitable 1D velocity model and finally input it into the 3D velocity inversion process using the TomoDD method. We adopt TomoDD methods to inverse the high-resolution three-dimension velocity structure and relative earthquake hypocenters for this sequence. This system processing flow was applied to the Sichuan Maerkang earthquake swarm in 2022. By collecting the seismic phase data of the Maerkang area between 1 January 2009 and 15 June 2022, we relocated the historical earthquakes in the area and obtained accurate 3D velocity imaging results. The relocated hypocenters reveal a SE-trending secondary fault, which is located ~5 km NW of the Songgang fault. In the first ten-hour of the sequence, events clearly down-dip migrated toward the SE direction. The inverted velocity structure indicates that the majority of earthquakes during the sequence occurred along the boundaries of the high and low-velocity zones or high and low-VP/VS anomalies. Especially both the two largest earthquakes, MS 5.8 and MS 6.0, occurred at the discontinuities of high and low-velocity zones. The EA_VELEST method proposed in this paper is a novel method that has played a very good enlightenment role in the optimization of the one-dimensional velocity model in geophysics and has certain reference significance. The 3D velocity results obtained in this paper and the analysis of tectonic significance provide a reference for the seismogenic environment of this Maerkang earthquake and the deep 3D velocity of the Ganzi block.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a severe fungal disease of cucumber worldwide. Identification of genetic factors resistant to PM is of great importance for marker-assisted breeding to ensure cucumber production. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in plant development and immunity; however, whether they have a role in PM response in cucurbit crops remains unknown. We performed strand-specific RNA sequencing and miRNA sequencing using RNA from cucumber leaves of two near-isogenic lines (NILs), S1003 and NIL (Pm5.1) infected with PM, and systematically characterized the profiles of cucumber lncRNAs and messenger RNA (mRNAs) responsive to PM. In total, we identified 12,903 lncRNAs and 25,598 mRNAs responsive to PM. Differential expression (DE) analysis showed that 119 lncRNAs and 136 mRNAs correlated with PM resistance. Functional analysis of these DE lncRNAs and DE mRNAs revealed that they are significantly associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis, and endocytosis. Particularly, two lncRNAs, LNC_006805 and LNC_012667, might play important roles in PM resistance. In addition, we also predicted mature miRNAs and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks of lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA involved in PM resistance. A total of 49 DE lncRNAs could potentially act as target mimics for 106 miRNAs. Taken together, our results provide an abundant resource for further exploration of cucumber lncRNAs, mRNAs, miRNAs, and ceRNAs in PM resistance, and will facilitate the molecular breeding for PM-resistant varieties to control this severe disease in cucumber.

BackgroundTrichomes are excellent model systems for the analysis of cell differentiation and play essential roles in plant protection. From cucumber inbred line ‘WD1’, we identified an EMS-induced trichome abnormally developing mutant,nps, which exhibited smaller, denser and no pyramid-shaped head trichomes.ResultsUsing F2and BC1populations constructed from a cross betweennpsand ‘9930’, the genetic analysis showed that thenpstrait is controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. We identifiedCsNpsby map-based cloning with 576 individuals of the F2population generated from the cross ofnpsand inbred line ‘9930’. TheCsNpswas located at a 13.4-kb genomic region on chromosome 3, which region contains three predicted genes. Sequence analysis showed that only one single nucleotide mutation (C → T) between 9930 andnpswas found in the second exon ofCsa3G748220, a plant-specific class I HD-Zip gene. The result of allelism test also indicated thatnpsis a novel allelic mutant ofMict(Micro-trichome). Thus,npswas renamedmict-L130F. By comparing the transcriptome ofmict-L130Fvs WD1 and 06–2 (mict) vs 06–1 (wildtype, near-isogenic line of 06–2), several potential target genes that may be related to trichome development were identified.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate thatMict-L130Fis involved in the morphogenesis of trichomes. Map-based cloning of theMict-L130Fgene could promote the study of trichome development in cucumber.

It is of great significance to design highly efficient electrocatalysts with abundant earth elements instead of precious metals for water splitting. Herein, Mo-doped NiFe-layered double hydroxides/NiSe heterostructure (Mo-NiFe LDH/NiSe) was fabricated by coupling Mo-doped NiFe LDH and NiSe on nickel foam (NF). The heterostructure electrocatalyst showed ultra-low overpotential (250 mV) and remarkable durability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at 150 mA cm

Sex determination is a crucially important developmental event that is pervasive throughout nature and enhances the adaptation of species. Among plants, cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) can generate both unisexual and bisexual flowers, and the sex type is mainly controlled by several 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthases (CsACSs). However, the regulatory mechanism of these synthases remains elusive. Here, we used gene expression analysis, protein–DNA interaction assays, and transgenic plants to study the function of a gynoecium-specific gene, ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR31 (CsERF31), in female flower differentiation. We found that in a predetermined female flower, ethylene signaling activates CsERF31 by CsEIN3, and then CsERF31 stimulates CsACS2, which triggers a positive feedback loop to ensure female rather than bisexual flower development. A similar interplay is functionally conserved in melon (Cucumis melo L.). Knockdown of CsERF31 by RNAi causes defective bisexual flowers to replace female flowers. Ectopic expression of CsERF31 suppresses stamen development and promotes pistil development in male flowers, demonstrating that CsERF31 functions as a sex switch. Taken together, our data confirm that CsERF31 represents the molecular link between female–male determination and female–bisexual determination, and provide mechanistic insight into how ethylene promotes female flowers, rather than bisexual flowers, in cucumber sex determination.

An unusual flower and tendril (uft) mutant in cucumber was caused by a mutation in Csa1G056950 encoding an F-box protein. Flowers and tendrils are important agronomic and yield traits of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). In this study, we identified an unusual flower and tendril (uft) mutant from an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis population. Genetic analysis revealed that the phenotype of the uft mutant was regulated by a single recessive nuclear gene. Map-based cloning and MutMap+ results demonstrated that Csa1G056950 (CsUFO), encoding an F-box protein, was the causal gene for the uft mutant phenotype of cucumber. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation (C to T) in the second exon of CsUFO resulted in premature translation termination. The expression level of CsUFO was significantly decreased in apical buds of the uft mutant compared with the wild-type (WT) WD1. Transcriptome analysis indicated that many genes for organ development were down-regulated in uft plants, suggesting CsUFO-associated networks that regulate flower and tendril development. These findings provide a new insight into understanding the molecular mechanisms of flower organogenesis in cucumber.

CsSh5.1, which controls hypocotyl elongation under high temperature conditions in cucumber, was mapped to a 57.1 kb region on chromosome 5 containing a candidate gene encoding a xyloglucan galactosyltransferase. Hypocotyl growth is a vital process in seedling establishment. Hypocotyl elongation after germination relies more on longitudinal cell elongation than cell division. Cell elongation is largely determined by the extensibility of the cell wall. Here, we identified a spontaneous mutant in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), sh5.1, which exhibits a temperature-insensitive short hypocotyl phenotype. Genetic analysis showed that the phenotype of sh5.1 was controlled by a recessive nuclear gene. CsSh5.1 was mapped to a 57.1 kb interval on chromosome 5, containing eight predicted genes. Sequencing analysis revealed that the Csa5G171710 is the candidate gene of CsSh5.1, which was further confirmed via co-segregation analysis and genomic DNA sequencing in natural cucumber variations. The result indicated that hypocotyl elongation might be controlled by this gene. CsSh5.1 encodes a xyloglucan galactosyltransferase that specifically adds galactose to xyloglucan and forms galactosylated xyloglucans, which determine the strength and extensibility of the cell walls. CsSh5.1 expression in wild-type (WT) hypocotyl was significantly higher than that in sh5.1 hypocotyl under high temperature, suggesting its important role in hypocotyl cell elongation under high temperature. The identification of CsSh5.1 is helpful for elucidating the function of xyloglucan galactosyltransferase in cell wall expansion and understanding the mechanism of hypocotyl elongation in cucumber.

Exploring high-efficiency electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the most important concerns to produce hydrogen in water electrolysis. Herein, the FNM/Co

Exploring non-noble metal materials as bifunctional catalysts for water electrolysis is of great significance for the development and utilization of hydrogen energy. Herein, a flower branch-leaf shaped phosphide/oxide heterogeneous electrocatalyst located on Ni foam (CoP/P-NiO/NF) was developed through hydrothermal and phosphorization strategy. Benefiting from the strong ability to dissociate H

Glioma is a common primary intracranial brain disease that exhibits an increasing incidence and mortality rate. Accumulating evidences have suggested that Ribosomal protein S14 (RPS14) was involved in cell proliferation and tumor progression. Nevertheless, the biological function and underlying mechanism of RPS14 in glioma are still largely unclear. Herein, we found that RPS14 was overexpressed in glioma. In the loss-of-function experiments, RPS14 depletion markedly suppressed glioma cell proliferation, migration and prompted cell apoptosis in vitro. Further study suggested that RPS14 depletion inhibited tumor growth of glioma in vivo. Additionally, human phospho-kinase array profiling and Western blot analysis revealed that the effects of RPS14 knockdown on glioma may be closely associated with p53 signaling pathway. Further study indicated that addition of p53 inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) could attenuate the influences of RPS14 knockdown on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Taken together, our findings suggested that RPS14 exhibits a pro-oncogenic role in glioma progression and may be act as a novel potential therapeutic target for gliomas.

The growth behaviour of austenite grain in a V–N microalloyed medium carbon steel and its effect on splitting fracture property were investigated by mechanical tests, fracture morphology and microstructure analysis. When the heating temperature is 800 °C, the austenite grain size is 7.6 μm, and the fracture surface is uneven with the impact energy of 235.9 J. When the heating temperature increases to 1100 °C, the austenite grain size grows up to 65.5 μm and the impact fracture surface is much more even with the impact energy of 13.6 J. It is believed that the coarse austenite grain size of 65.5 μm is beneficial for the splitting fracture property of V–N microalloyed medium carbon steel connecting rod. In addition, austenite grain sizes of V–N microalloyed medium carbon steel increase with the increasing in heating temperature and holding time. Then, a grain growth model is established to predict austenite grain growth behaviour.

Plants monitor environmental cues to balance growth by optimizing their inflorescence architecture. TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) and its orthologues regulate the inflorescence structure in cucumber, yet the mechanisms underlying their responses to environmental factors and the formation of terminal flowers remain elusive. Here, we performed map-based cloning to identify the gene that controls a season-dependent determinate growth phenotype and found that it was caused by the complete deletion of CsTFL1 in the genome of cucumber line WI1983Hde. In the CsTFL1 deletion plants (CsTFL1del ), determinate growth could be partially rescued by high-temperature and long-day conditions. The expressions of CsTFL1 and its orthologue CsTFL1d could be upregulated by long-day and high-temperature signals. Knockdown of CsTFL1d resulted in determinate growth and the formation of terminal flowers in WT. These results indicate that the induction of CsTFL1d expression by long-day and high- temperature might partially rescue determinate growth of CsTFL1del . Furthermore, biochemical analyses showed that CsTFL1d interacts directly with CsNOT2a, which indicated that CsTFL1d and CsTFL1 function via similar regulatory mechanism. Our data suggest that CsTFL1 and CsTFL1d co-contribute to inhibit determinate growth by responding to temperature and photoperiod signals. It provides mechanistic insights into how environmental cues sculpt the inflorescence architecture of cucumber. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Trichomes that cover the epidermis of aerial plant organs play multiple roles in plant protection. Compared with a unicellular trichome in model plants, the development mechanism of the multicellular trichome is largely unclear. Notably, variations in trichome development are often accompanied by defects in the biosynthesis of cuticle and secondary metabolites; however, major questions about the interactions between developmental differences in trichomes and defects in metabolic pathways remain unanswered. Here, we characterized the glabrous mutantmict/csgl1/cstbhvia combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to extend our limited knowledge regarding multicellular trichome development and metabolism in cucumber.Mictwas found to be explicitly expressed within trichome cells. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that genes involved in flavonoid and cuticle metabolism are significantly downregulated inmictmutants. Further metabolomic analysis confirmed that flavonoids, lipids, and cuticle compositions are dramatically altered inmictmutants. Additional studies revealed thatMictregulates flavonoid, lipid, and cuticle biosynthesis by likely directly binding to downstream functional genes, such asCsTT4,CsFLS1,CsCER26, andCsMYB36. These findings suggest that specific metabolic pathways (e.g., flavonoids and cuticle components) are co-regulated byMictand provide insights into transcriptional regulation mechanisms of multicellular trichome development and its specific metabolism in cucumber.

The leaf is an important photosynthetic organ and plays an essential role in the growth and development of plants. Leaf color mutants are ideal materials for studying chlorophyll metabolism, chloroplast development, and photosynthesis. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced mutant, yl2.1, which exhibited yellow cotyledons and true leaves that did not turn green with leaf growth. The yl2.1 locus was controlled by a recessive nuclear gene. The CsYL2.1 was mapped to a 166.7-kb genomic region on chromosome 2, which contains 24 predicted genes. Only one non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found between yl2.1 and wt-WD1 that was located in Exon 7 of Csa2G263900, resulting in an amino acid substitution. CsYL2.1 encodes a plastid isoform of triose phosphate isomerase (pdTPI), which catalyzes the reversible conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP) in chloroplasts. CsYL2.1 was highly expressed in the cotyledons and leaves. The mesophyll cells of the yl2.1 leaves contained reduced chlorophyll and abnormal chloroplasts. Correspondingly, the photosynthetic efficiency of the yl2.1 leaves was impaired. Identification of CsYL2.1 is helpful in elucidating the function of ptTPI in the chlorophyll metabolism and chloroplast development and understanding the molecular mechanism of this leaf color variant in cucumber.

Unisexual flowers provide a useful system for studying plant sex determination. In cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), three major Mendelian loci control unisexual flower development, Female (F), androecious [a; 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate {ACC} synthase 11, acs11], and Monoecious (M; ACS2), referred to here as the Female, Androecious, Monoecious (FAM) model, in combination with two genes, gynoecious (g, the WIP family C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor gene WIP1) and the ethylene biosynthetic gene ACC oxidase 2 (ACO2). The F locus, conferring gynoecy and the potential for increasing fruit yield, is defined by a 30.2-kb tandem duplication containing three genes. However, the gene that determines the Female phenotype, and its mechanism, remains unknown. Here, we created a set of mutants and revealed that ACS1G is responsible for gynoecy conferred by the F locus. The duplication resulted in ACS1G acquiring a new promoter and expression pattern; in plants carrying the F locus duplication, ACS1G is expressed early in floral bud development, where it functions with ACO2 to generate an ethylene burst. The resulting ethylene represses WIP1 and activates ACS2 to initiate gynoecy. This early ACS1G expression bypasses the need for ACS11 to produce ethylene, thereby establishing a dominant pathway for female floral development. Based on these findings, we propose a model for how these ethylene biosynthesis genes cooperate to control unisexual flower development in cucumber.

The leaf is an important photosynthetic organ and plays an essential role in the growth and development of plants. Leaf color mutants are ideal materials for studying chlorophyll metabolism, chloroplast development, and photosynthesis. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced mutant, yl2.1, which exhibited yellow cotyledons and true leaves that did not turn green with leaf growth. The yl2.1 locus was controlled by a recessive nuclear gene. The CsYL2.1 was mapped to a 166.7-kb genomic region on chromosome 2, which contains 24 predicted genes. Only one non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found between yl2.1 and wt-WD1 that was located in Exon 7 of Csa2G263900, resulting in an amino acid substitution. CsYL2.1 encodes a plastid isoform of triose phosphate isomerase (pdTPI), which catalyzes the reversible conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP) in chloroplasts. CsYL2.1 was highly expressed in the cotyledons and leaves. The mesophyll cells of the yl2.1 leaves contained reduced chlorophyll and abnormal chloroplasts. Correspondingly, the photosynthetic efficiency of the yl2.1 leaves was impaired. Identification of CsYL2.1 is helpful in elucidating the function of ptTPI in the chlorophyll metabolism and chloroplast development and understanding the molecular mechanism of this leaf color variant in cucumber.

TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors widely implicated in leaf morphogenesis and senescence, flowering, lateral branching, hormone crosstalk, and stress responses. However, the relationship between the transcription pattern of TCPs and organ development in cucumber has not been systematically studied. In this study, we performed a genome-wide identification of putative TCP genes and analyzed their chromosomal location, gene structure, conserved motif, and transcript expression. A total of 27 putative TCP genes were identified and characterized in cucumber. All 27 putative CsTCP genes were classified into class I and class II. Class I comprised 12 CsTCPs and Class II contained 15 CsTCPs. The 27 putative CsTCP genes were randomly distributed in five of seven chromosomes in cucumber. Four putative CsTCP genes were found to contain putative miR319 target sites. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that 27 putative CsTCP genes exhibited different expression patterns in cucumber tissues and floral organ development. Transcript expression and phenotype analysis showed that the putative CsTCP genes responded to temperature and photoperiod and were induced by gibberellin (GA)and ethylene treatment, which suggested that CsTCP genes may regulate the lateral branching by involving in multiple signal pathways. These results lay the foundation for studying the function of cucumber TCP genes in the future.

Background: The trichomes of cucumber fruits are also called spines. Cucumber has important commercial value, and its fruit spines represent a classical tissue with which to study the cell division and differentiation mode of multicellular trichomes. Although there have been many studies on the development of unicellular trichomes in model plants, the molecular mechanism of multicellular trichome formation remains elusive. In this study, we used a pair of cucumber materials defined as having hard (Ts, wild type) or tender (ts, mutant) spines in a previous study. The whole developmental process of fruit spines was continuously observed by microscopy and SEM. In an attempt to define the developmental stages of fruit spines, transcriptome profiles at different stages were determined to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of spine development. Results: According to significant phenotypic differences, the developmental process of fruit spines was clearly defined as involving four stages. Comparison of transcriptome profiles showed that 803 and 722 genes were upregulated in the stalk (stage II and stage III) and base (stage IV) developmental stages of fruit spines, respectively. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that for all developmental stages of fruit spines, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and signal transduction were the most noticeable pathways. However, during the development of the stalk, genes related to auxin polar transport and HD-ZIP transcription factors were significantly upregulated. bHLH transcription factors and cytoskeleton-related genes were significantly upregulated during the development of the base. In addition, stage III was the key point for differentiating between the wild type and mutant. We detected 628 DEGs between the wild type and mutant at this stage. These DEGs are mainly involved in calcium signaling of the cytoskeleton and auxin polar transport, indicating that the main reason for the disorder of the fruit spine developmental pattern in the mutant was a change in cell polarity caused by blocked intercellular signal transmission.Conclusions: Our study defines in great detail the developmental stages of cucumber fruit spines. At the same time, transcriptome profiles are used to present the gene regulatory networks at different developmental stages of cucumber fruit spines. In addition, we analyzed transcriptomic data of a wild type and mutant to elucidate the biological pathways involving C-type lectin receptor-like kinase that regulate the development of fruit spines.

Background: Since the National Action Plan for Measles Elimination 2006–2012 was released in 2006, China has entered into an era of accelerated measles elimination. Despite substantial decline, measles outbreak continued to occur mainly in a non-targeted population, in particular health workers due to occupational exposure. We investigated a measles outbreak in a Chinese medicine hospital, Beijing, in March 2018. Methods: Descriptive analysis was performed on epidemiology of the outbreak, clinical and laboratory evaluations, vaccination status of cases, and public health response. A case-control study was also conducted to identify the associated risk factors for measles. Results: From March 13, 2018, through March 27, 2018, a total of 11 measles cases in health workers were reported in Hospital X, Beijing. The median age of cases was 26 years (range, 21–53) and 4 (36.4%) were male. Of the 11 cases, ten had not been vaccinated or had unknown vaccination status; two occurred in emergency departments. No inpatients became infected, 141 (83.9%) of whom in affected departments were 55 years of age or older. The outbreak was confirmed by laboratory testing; the virus strain was genotype H1. The response activities included isolation of cases, and enhanced health surveillance of health workers and inpatients, particularly in affected departments. A total of 2234 doses of measles-containing vaccines (MCVs) were administered, covering 93.3% of susceptible health workers, in addition to 973 doses to the susceptible individuals in household and community. Lack of documentation of MCV vaccination before the outbreak was identified as a risk factor for measles (odd ratio: 3.333, 95% confidence interval: 1.295–8.621). Conclusions: High coverage of outbreak response immunization activities contributed largely to limit the spread of measles and might provide an indirect protection for inpatients. 2-Dose measles-containing vaccination of personnel in healthcare settings is warranted to prevent potential nosocomial transmission of measles. Keywords: Measles, Outbreak, Health workers, Vaccination, Measles elimination

Trichomes and fruit spines are important traits that directly affect the appearance quality and commercial value of cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Tril (Trichome-less), encodes a HD-Zip IV transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the initiation of trichomes and fruit spines, but little is known about the details of the regulatory mechanisms involved. In this study, analysis of tissue expression patterns indicated that Tril is expressed and functions in the early stages of organ initiation and development. Expression of Tril under the control of its own promoter (the TrilPro::Tril-3*flag fragment) could partly rescue the mutant phenotypes of tril, csgl3 (cucumber glabrous 3, an allelic mutant of tril), and fs1 (few spines 1, a fragment substitution in the Tril promoter region), providing further evidence that Tril is responsible for the initiation of trichomes and fruit spines. In lines with dense spine, fs1-type lines, and transgenic lines of different backgrounds containing the TrilPro::Tril-3*flag foreign fragment, spine density increased in conjunction with increases in Tril expression, indicating that Tril has a gene dosage effect on fruit spine density in cucumber. Numerous Spines (NS) is a negative regulatory factor of fruit spine density. Characterization of the molecular and genetic interaction between Tril and NS/ns demonstrated that Tril functions upstream of NS with respect to spine initiation. Overall, our results reveal a novel regulatory mechanism governing the effect of Tril on fruit spine development, and provide a reference for future work on breeding for physical quality in cucumber.

The woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca, is a model plant for the diverse Rosaceae family, which contains many valuable fruit and ornamental crops. Light is an important external environment factor which influences all aspects of plant growth and development, including fruit ripening. Transcription regulation of light will provide insights into effect of light for fruit ripening. We treat strawberry fruit with dark or light, and by the RNA-Seq method, compare transcriptional level between dark-treated and light-treated strawberry fruits. Additionally, we detect anthocyanin and sugar accumulation in two-treated conditions of fruits. Moreover, we detect the protein change of FvMYB10, a key regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis, under dark and light. Light can promote anthocyanin and soluble sugar accumulation in mature fruit, and also increases the expression of aroma-related genes and stabilizes FvMYB10 protein. Our findings reveal that light is essential for anthocyanin and sugar accumulation and regulates FvMYB10 at transcriptional level and post-translation level.