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Abstract Background Thermosensitive male sterility (TMS) is a heritable agronomic trait influenced by the interaction between genotype and environment. The anthers of plants are composed of various specialized cells, each of which plays different roles in plant reproduction. In rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), Polima (pol) temperature-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterility (TCMS) is widely used in two-line breeding because its fertility can be partially restored at certain temperatures. The pol-TCMS line exhibits abnormal anther development and pollen abortion at high (restrictive) temperatures (HT, 25 °C) compared to at low (permissive) temperatures (LT, 16 °C). However, the response of different anther cell types to HT and the dynamic regulation of genes under such conditions remain largely unknown. Results We present the first single-cell transcriptomic atlas of Brassica napus early developing flower bud tissues in response to HT. We identified 8 cell types and 17 transcriptionally distinct cell clusters via known marker genes under LT and HT treatment conditions. Under HT conditions, changes in the gene expression patterns of different cell clusters were observed, with the number of down-regulated genes in various cell types exceeding that of up-regulated genes. Pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed that HT strongly affected the development of early stamen/anther tissue cells. In combination with the snRNA-seq, WGCNA, and bulk RNA-seq results, we found that many transcription factors play crucial roles in the response to HT, especially heat response family genes. Conclusions Our study revealed the transcriptional regulatory network of floral bud tissue in the pol-TCMS line under HT/LT conditions and increased our understanding of high-temperature-induced anther developmental abnormalities, which may help researchers utilize TCMS in the two-line breeding of Brassica plants.

Abstract In yeast and mammals, the EXO70 subunit of the exocyst complex plays a key role in mediating the tethering of exocytic vesicles to the plasma membrane (PM). In plants, however, the role of EXO70 in regulating vesicle tethering during exocytosis remains unclear. In land plants, EXO70 has undergone significant evolutionary expansion, resulting in multiple EXO70 paralogues that may allow the exocyst to form various isoforms with specific functions. Previous research in Arabidopsis has shown that generally disrupting exocyst function leads to various defects in cellulose synthase (CESA) complex (CSC) trafficking. In this study, we utilized real-time imaging combined with genetic approaches to explore the role of EXO70A1, a member of the EXO70 family in Arabidopsis, in CSC trafficking. The exo70a1 mutant exhibited a decrease in crystalline cellulose content and a reduced density of functional CSCs in the PM. Moreover, the delivery of tdTomato-CESA6 from the cortex to the PM was compromised in the mutant, leading to the accumulation of CSC vesicles at the cell cortex. However, the velocity of tdTomato-CESA6 in the PM was unaffected in exo70a1. These findings suggest that EXO70A1 has a specific role in tethering CSCs to the PM.

ABSTRACT Importance Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a diffuse connective tissue disease with complex clinical manifestations and prolonged course. The early diagnosis and condition monitoring of SLE are crucial to disease prognosis. Objective To assess the diagnostic value of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in childhood‐onset SLE (cSLE). Methods Fifty‐seven children diagnosed with SLE, 40 children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and 40 healthy children were included. Peripheral blood samples from each patient were collected. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the expression of lncNEAT1_1 and lncNEAT1_2 in peripheral blood. Associations among parameters were analyzed using the Mann‐Whitney U test or independent sample t‐test. Results The expression of both lncNEAT1_1 and lncNEAT1_2 in patients with cSLE were significantly higher than that of healthy control and patients with JIA. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.633 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.524–0.742; P = 0.024) for lncNEAT1_1. The AUC of lncNEAT1_2 was 0.812 (95% CI, 0.727–0.897; P < 0.0001) to discriminate individuals with cSLE from health control and children with JIA with a sensitivity of 0.622 and a specificity of 0.925. Moreover, lncNEAT1_2 expression was higher in patients with cSLE presenting with fever, lupus nephritis, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, active disease activity, and decreased C3 level, compared with those without these conditions. However, no similar correlation was observed for lncNEAT1_1. Interpretation The expression of lncNEAT1_2 was significantly elevated in children with SLE, especially those with fever, renal involvement, and low C3 levels. These findings suggest that lncNEAT1_2 may represent a potential biomarker for cSLE.

Objective: Research has shown that cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) involves a series of physiological and pathological mechanisms, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis. The cannabinoid receptor 2 agonist AM1241 has been found to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects. However, it is unclear whether AM1241 has a protective effect against brain ischemia-reperfusion injury, and its underlying mechanisms are not yet known. Methods: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and anti-apoptotic effects of AM1241 and its mechanisms in BV2 cells stimulated with H2O2 and in a C57BL/6 mouse model of CIRI in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Results: In vitro, AM1241 significantly inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the increase in Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2/TLR4) complex induced by H2O2. Under H2O2 stimulation, MD2 overexpression resulted in increased levels of MD2/TLR4 complex, TNF-α, IL-6, NOX2, BAX, and Cleaved-Caspase3 (C-Caspase3), as well as the activation of the MAPK pathway and NF-κB, which were reversed by AM1241. In addition, molecular docking experiments showed that AM1241 directly interacted with MD2. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments further confirmed the binding of AM1241 to MD2. In vivo, AM1241 significantly attenuated neurofunctional impairment, brain edema, increased infarct volume, oxidative stress levels, and neuronal apoptosis in CIRI mice overexpressing MD2. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates for the first time that AM1241 alleviates mouse CIRI by inhibiting the MD2/TLR4 complex, exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress and anti-apoptotic effects.

This study delves into the machining defects encountered during the milling of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP), with a special focus on fishbone-like cracks on the machined surface, which have never been focused before. Through a series of experiments, models for post-machining fiber burrs and matrix cracks were developed and analyzed, uncovering the causes of fishbone crack formation. The research reveals that the formation mechanisms of burrs vary with fiber orientation, burrs are not only from fiber bending under tool pressure but also from fiber buckling. Fishbone cracks are believed to be induced by growing burrs as the tool wear, and propagate along the in-plane and subsurface. Propagation downwards is along the fiber direction, while propagation inward is at an angle of approximately 40° ± 3°. This research is vital for enhancing the machining quality of composite materials and their engineering applications.

Small cutting thicknesses are commonly employed to minimize surface damage during the CFRP finishing process. However, reducing cutting thickness is not always beneficial to surface quality and the cutting process, particularly in cases involving tool wear. In this paper, the influence of cutting thicknesses on CFRP material removal behavior is studied, considering different stages of tool wear, through finite element simulations and orthogonal cutting experiments. The results show that tool wear exerts a more pronounced impact on the chip formation mechanism at smaller cutting thicknesses. When the fiber cutting angle θ = 0°, machining quality is minimally influenced by the cutting thickness but is primarily affected by tool wear. When θ = 45°/90°, it becomes challenging to form cutting chips when using worn tools at small cutting thicknesses (≤10 μm), but appropriately increasing the cutting thickness is conducive to fiber removal and enhancing machining quality. When θ = 135°, the chip formation mechanism remains relatively unchanged with tool wear, but the increase in cutting thickness results in a substantial rise in subsurface damage. This research illuminates the complex relationship between cutting thickness, tool wear and machining quality of CFRP, offering valuable insights for the CFRP cutting process.

Abstract Background Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases and can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis or disease monitoring. However, reports on circRNA in childhood‐onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate circEPSTI1 expression in cSLE and evaluate its potential as a biomarker for diagnosing cSLE. Methods This study included 70 children diagnosed with cSLE, 20 diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), 20 diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), and 50 healthy children at the Rheumatology Department of Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2019. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine circEPSTI1 expression in the children. Correlations between circEPSTI1 and clinical features were assessed using Spearman's correlation test. Additionally, we calculated the receiver operating characteristic curve to assess the diagnostic efficacy. Results We found that circEPSTI1 expression was higher in children with cSLE (4.62 ± 3.55) than that in healthy children (1.00 ± 0.45), those with JDM (1.06 ± 0.76), and those with JIA (0.96 ± 0.48). The area of the curve of circEPSTI1 was 0.892 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.832–0.952, p

Glioblastoma (GBM) cells have the potential to switch from being “proliferative cells” to peritumoral “invasive cells”. Peritumoral GBM cells have highly invasive properties that allow them to survive surgery, leading to recurrence. The mechanisms underlying the manner in which the tumor microenvironment (TME) regulates the invasiveness of GBM remain unclear. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed heterogeneity in GBM cells, microglia and macrophages. In this study, the Oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) expression indicated higher invasiveness in core GBM cells. Under environmental stress, the expression of OSMR and LIFR were up-regulated with the effect of hypoxic, acidic, and low-glucose conditions in vitro. Functional experiments revealed that TME stress significantly influences the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM cells. The differences in core/peripheral TMEs in GBM affected the invasive properties, indicating the significant role of OSMR expression within the TME in tumor progression and postoperative therapy.

Hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury is a common injury in liver surgery and liver transplantation that can lead to liver function damage, including oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy and inflammatory reactions. Pyroptosis is a type of inflammatory programmed cell death that has been implicated in ischemia‒reperfusion injury-associated inflammatory reactions. Although circular RNAs can regulate cell death in hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury, their relationship with pyroptosis remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of circular RNA on pyroptosis in hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury. We constructed a mouse hepatic ischemia‒reperfusion injury model for circular RNA sequencing and obtained 40 circular RNAs with significant differential expression, of which 39 were upregulated and 1 was downregulated. Subsequently, the endogenous competitive RNA network was constructed using TarBase, miRTarBase, TargetScan, RNAhybrid, and miRanda. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology functional analyses of downstream target genes revealed that circRNA-Phf21a_0002 might affect pyroptosis by regulating the mTOR signaling pathway and Bach1 by sponging let-7b-5p. The overexpression plasmid upregulated the expression of circRNA-Phf21a_0002 in a hypoxia/reoxygenation model, which aggravated pyroptosis in AML12 cells and apoptosis and necrosis of hepatocytes. Next, we investigated the underlying mechanism and found that circRNA-Phf21a_0002 enabled the expression of Bach1 through sponging of let-7b-5p. The aggravation of pyroptosis via overexpression of circRNA-Phf21a_0002 was reversed by let-7b-5p mimics in hypoxia/reoxygenation-subjected AML12 cells. Collectively, our study clarifies that circRNA-Phf21a_0002 aggravates the pyroptosis of hepatocytes related to ischemia-reperfusion by sponging let-7b-5p. These findings provide new molecular mechanisms and novel biomarkers for follow-up treatment.

In this paper, the problem of existence-uniqueness and global exponential stability of periodic solution (i.e., stationary oscillation) for a class of nonlinear delay systems with impulses was studied. Some new sufficient conditions ensuring the existence of stationary oscillation for the addressed equations were derived by using the inequality technique that has been reported in recent publications. Our proposed method, which is different with the existing results in the literature, shows that nonlinear delay systems may admit a stationary oscillation using proper impulsive control strategies even if it was originally unstable or divergent. As an application, we considered the single species logarithmic population model and established a new criterion to guarantee the existence of positive stationary oscillation. Some numerical examples and their computer simulations were also given at the end of this paper to show the effectiveness of our development control method.

Abstract Objectives Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Some patients remain in an active state even though they were administrated with a combination of corticosteroid and methotrexate. Existing research has suggested that interferon and Janus kinase played an important role in pathogenesis. Existing research has suggested the efficacy of JAK inhibitors (JAKi). Our retrospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy of tofacitinib in refractory JDM patients. Methods A total of eighty-eight patients in China who had been diagnosed with JDM and subjected to tofacitinib therapy for over 3 months were retrospectively analyzed. Skin and muscle manifestations were assessed using the Cutaneous Assessment Tool-binary method (CAT-BM), Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale (CMAS), and kinase. Pulmonary function was assessed using a high-resolution CT (computerized tomography) scan and pulmonary symptoms. All patients were subjected to regular follow-up, and core measures were assessed every 3 months after initiation. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon single test, Mann–Whitney U test, and chi-square test. Results Compared with the baseline data, skin and muscle manifestations were found significantly improved during the respective follow-up visit. At the most recent follow-up, nearly 50% of patients achieved a clinical complete response and six patients received tofacitinib monotherapy. Sixty percent of patients suffering from interstitial lung disease well recovered on high-resolution CT. Seventy-five percent of patients showed a reduction in the size or number of calcinosis, and 25% of patients showed completely resolved calcinosis. Conclusion In this study, the result suggested that tofacitinib therapy exerted a certain effect on skin manifestations, muscle manifestations, interstitial lung disease (ILD), calcinosis, as well as downgrade of medication. In-depth research should be conducted to focus on the correlation between the pathogenesis of JDM and JAKi.

Compared to fibre-dominated behaviour, a response dominated by the matrix under shear loading can considerably limit the load-bearing capability and restrict the utilisation of composite materials. It is therefore practically significative to understand the shear response of composite materials. This paper presents a detailed experimental and numerical investigation on the fracture behaviour of composite laminates subjected to shear-dominated loading. Composite specimen with a lay-up of [(0/90)4/0]S are tested using the V-Notched Rail (VRS) shear test method. Subsequently, the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) investigation is also conducted on the fracture surfaces of the tested specimens to get insights into the damage mechanisms due to shear loading. In addition, a high-fidelity computational damage model is developed to predict the shear fracture behaviour of fibre-reinforced composites. Simulation results, including loading response, strain distribution and shear fracture, well correlated with experimental results, which demonstrates the predictive capability of the developed elastic-plastic damage model.

Fruit color is one of the most important traits of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). However, the differences in the pigments of different varieties of Jujube are not well studied. In addition, the genes responsible for fruit color and their underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, two jujube varieties, namely “Fengmiguan” (FMG) and “Tailihong” (TLH), were considered. The metabolites from jujube fruits were investigated using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Transcriptome was used to screen anthocyanin regulatory genes. The gene function was confirmed by overexpression and transient expression experiments. The gene expression was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses and subcellular localization. Yeast-two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation were used to screen and identify the interacting protein. These cultivars differed in color owing to their respective anthocyanin accumulation patterns. Three and seven types of anthocyanins were found in FMG and TLH, respectively, which played a key role in the process of fruit coloration. ZjFAS2 positively regulates anthocyanin accumulation. The expression profile of ZjFAS2 exhibited its different expression trends in different tissues and varieties. Subcellular localization experiments showed that ZjFAS2 was localized to the nucleus and membrane. A total of 36 interacting proteins were identified, and the possibility of ZjFAS2 interacting with ZjSHV3 to regulate jujube fruit coloration was studied. Herein, we investigated the role of anthocyanins in the different coloring patterns of the jujube fruits and provided a foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying jujube fruit coloration.

In order to enhance the adaptability of energy management strategy (EMS) to complex and changeable driving cycles, this paper proposed an adaptive energy management strategy (A-EMS) based on intelligent recognition of driving cycle (IRDC) by the back propagation neural network (BPNN) and genetic algorithm (GA). Firstly, BPNN is employed to design IRDC. Secondly, the equivalent fuel consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) is derived based on Pontryagin's minimum principle (PMP). Then, GA is used to optimize the MAP of the initial equivalent factor (EF) with the initial state of charge (SOC) and mileage. At the same time, the SOC penalty function and the velocity penalty function are employed to modify the initial EF, and then an adaptive minimum equivalent fuel consumption strategy (A-ECMS) is established. Finally, A-ECMS strategy model based on IRDC is modelled by the Matlab/Simulink software, and its model control effect is verified. Simulation results show that compared with ECMS strategy, A-ECMS strategy can maintain high fuel economy under complex driving cycles, and improve the vehicle's fuel economy up to 3%.

ObjectiveThe anti-MDA5 (anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5) antibody is often associated with a poor prognosis in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) patients. In many developing countries, there is limited ability to access myositis- specific antibodies due to financial and technological issues, especially in remote regions. This study was performed to develop a prediction model for screening anti-MDA5 antibodies in JDM patients with commonly available clinical findings.MethodsA cross-sectional study was undertaken with 152 patients enrolled from the inpatient wards of Beijing Children’s Hospital between June 2018 and September 2021. Stepwise logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and the random forest (RF) method were used to fit the model. Model discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analysis were performed for validation.ResultsThe final prediction model included eight clinical variables (gender, fever, alopecia, periungual telangiectasia, digital ulcer, interstitial lung disease, arthritis/arthralgia, and Gottron sign) and four auxiliary results (WBC, CK, CKMB, and ALB). An anti-MDA5 antibody risk probability–predictive nomogram was established with an AUC of 0.975 predicted by the random forest algorithm. The model was internally validated by Harrell’s concordance index (0.904), the Brier score (0.052), and a 500 bootstrapped satisfactory calibration curve. According to the net benefit and predicted probability thresholds of decision curve analysis, the established model showed a significantly higher net benefit than the traditional logistic regression model.ConclusionWe developed a prediction model using routine clinical assessments to screen for JDM patients likely to be anti-MDA5 positive. This new tool may effectively predict the detection of anti-MDA5 in these patients using a non-invasive and efficient way.

Background. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a very common neurodegenerative disease that adversely affects the physical and mental health of many patients, but there is currently no effective treatment. Objective. To this end, this study focused on investigating the potential mechanisms leading to dopaminergic neuronal apoptosis in PD. Methods. Rotenone induces damage in dopaminergic neuronal MN9D cells. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was detected by western blot. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of MALAT1 and miR-23b-3p. The expression of α-synuclein was detected by ELISA. A dual luciferase gene reporter assay was used to determine the targeted regulatory relationship between MALAT1 and miR-23b-3p and miR-23b-3p and α-synuclein. MN9D supernatant was cocultured with BV-2 cells, or BV-2 cells were treated with exogenous α-synuclein and then treated with an autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) and autophagy activator (RAPA). The expression of α-synuclein in BV-2 cells was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of MIP-1α, a marker of microglial activation, was detected by ELISA. The nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines was detected by ELISA. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of autophagy-related proteins. Apoptosis of MN9D cells was detected after coculture of BV-2 supernatant with MN9D. Results. The expression of MALAT1 and α-synuclein was upregulated, while the expression of miR-23b-3p was downregulated in damaged MN9D cells, resulting in cell apoptosis. MALAT1 can negatively regulate the expression of miR-23b-3p, while miR-23b-3p negatively regulates the expression of α-synuclein. α-synuclein can enter BV-2 cells through cell phagocytosis. Coculture of BV-2 cells with α-synuclein or with MN9D supernatant overexpressing MALAT1 resulted in a decrease in the autophagy level of BV-2 cells and an inflammatory reaction. However, miR-23b-3p mimics and knockdown of α-synuclein reversed the effect of MALAT1 on autophagy and the inflammatory response of BV-2 cells. In addition, after coculture of BV-2 cells with α-synuclein, the level of autophagy further decreased when 3-MA was added, while the opposite result occurred when RAPA was added. After coculture of α-synuclein-treated BV-2 cell supernatant with MN9D cells, autophagy-impaired BV-2 promoted the apoptosis of MN9D cells, and 3-MA aggravated the autophagy disorder of BV-2 and further promoted the apoptosis of MN9D cells, while RAPA reversed the autophagy disorder of BV-2 and alleviated the apoptosis of MN9D cells. Conclusion. MALAT1 can promote α-synuclein expression by regulating miR-23b-3p, thereby inducing microglial autophagy disorder and an inflammatory response leading to apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons. This newly discovered molecular mechanism may provide a potential target for the treatment of PD.

The fruit peel of a color mutant jujube cultivar, ‘Sanbianhong’ (SBF), was investigated using an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) at five ripening stages (S1, Young fruit stage; S2, swelling stage; S3, white-mature stage; S4, pre-mature stage and S5, mature stage). Lutein, β-carotene, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and 13 anthocyanins were identified. Chlorophyll a and cyanidin 3-O-galactoside were considered key color metabolites in S1 with the content of 1.083 mg/g of fresh weight (FW) and 4.585 mg/g of FW, respectively. Delphinidin (0.488 mg/g FW) and cyanidin (6.259 mg/g FW) were identified as the key pigments in S3. Delphinidin 3-O-glucoside (0.256 mg/g FW) was identified as the key anthocyanin in maturity S5. Herein, the identification and quantitation of pigment-related metabolites of SBF were studied for the first time, and the results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the pigment changes of jujube fruit during ripening.

Cuproptosis represents a novel copper-dependent regulated cell death, distinct from other known cell death processes. In this report, a comprehensive analysis of cuproptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was conducted using multi-omics including genomics, bulk RNA-seq, single cell RNA-seq and proteomics. ATP7A, PDHA1 and DLST comprised the top 3 mutation genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LIHC; 9 cuproptosis-related genes showed significant, independent prognostic values. Cuproptosis-related hepatocytes were identified and their function were evaluated in single cell assays. Based on cuproptosis-related gene expressions, two immune patterns were found, with the cuproptosis-C1 subtype identified as a cytotoxic immune pattern, while the cuproptosis-C2 subtype was identified as a regulatory immune pattern. Cuproptosis-C2 was associated with a number of pathways involving tumorigenesis. A prognosis model based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of cuproptosis patterns was constructed and validated. We established a cuproptosis index (CPI) and further performed an analysis of its clinical relevance. High CPI values were associated with increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and advanced tumor stages. Taken together, this comprehensive analysis provides important, new insights into cuproptosis mechanisms associated with human HCC.

Abstract Nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) can direct the release of inflammatory factors and influence autophagy and apoptosis in hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) in mice. As pyroptosis is involved in a number of inflammatory reactions, in this report, we investigated the potential for NOD1 to affect pyroptosis. We found that an increased expression of NOD1 during IRI was related to activation of the pyroptotic signaling pathway. With NOD1 activation, cleavage fragments of Caspase‐1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and interleukin (IL)‐1β were all increased. Moreover, downregulation of NOD1 expression in AML12 cells exerted an opposite effect. Expression levels of cleaved‐Caspase‐1 and cleaved‐GSDMD decreased after exposure to IRI and the number of cell membrane pores and apoptotic or pyroptotic cells decreased, along with the contents of inflammatory factors and lactate dehydrogenase in the supernatants of AML12 cells. Based on these findings, we conclude that NOD1 aggravates the pyroptotic cell death associated with hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion injury in a mouse model via the Caspase‐1/GSDMD axis. These findings help to alleviate pyroptotic cell death during liver transplantation or resection, providing new insights into novel protective therapies for liver IRI.

Abstract Background Transposable elements (TE) account for more than 50% of human genome. It has been reported that some types of TEs are dynamically regulated in the reprogramming of human cell lines. However, it is largely unknown whether some TEs in Macaca mulatta are also regulated during the reprogramming of cell lines of monkey. Results Here, we systematically examined the transcriptional activities of TEs during the conversion of Macaca mulatta fibroblast cells to neuroepithelial stem cells (NESCs). Hundreds of TEs were dynamically regulated during the reprogramming of Macaca mulatta fibroblast cells. Furthermore, 48 Long Terminal Repeats (LTRs), as well as some integrase elements, of Macaca endogenous retrovirus 3 (MacERV3) were transiently activated during the early stages of the conversion process, some of which were further confirmed with PCR experiments. These LTRs were potentially bound by critical transcription factors for reprogramming, such as KLF4 and ETV5. Conclusion These results suggest that the transcription of TEs are delicately regulated during the reprogramming of Macaca mulatta fibroblast cells. Although the family of ERVs activated during the reprogramming of fibroblast cells in Macaca mulatta is different from those in the reprogramming of human fibroblast cells, our results suggest that the activation of some ERVs is a conserved mechanism in primates for converting fibroblast cells to stem cells.

Abstract Increasing evidence has accrued indicating that autophagy is associated with hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). This report demonstrates that interferon regulatory factor‐1 (IRF‐1) was upregulated in response to hepatic IRI and was associated with autophagic activation. As a result of these processes, there is an aggravation of liver damage, effects that can be offset by IRF‐1 depletion. In addition, these effects of IRF‐1 are associated with JNK pathway activation followed by increases in Beclin1 protein levels. This JNK‐induced autophagic cell death then leads to cell failure, and plays an important role in liver function damage. We conclude that IRF‐1 activates autophagy through JNK‐mediated autophagy. Accordingly, these findings indicating that the IRF‐1/JNK pathway activates autophagy to exacerbate liver IRI in this mouse model may provide new insights into novel protective therapies for hepatic IRI.

Chlorophyll molecules are non-covalently associated with chlorophyll-binding proteins to harvest light and perform charge separation vital for energy conservation during photosynthetic electron transfer in photosynthesis for photosynthetic organisms. The present study characterized a pale-green leaf (pgl) maize mutant controlled by a single recessive gene causing chlorophyll reduction throughout the whole life cycle. Through positional mapping and complementation allelic test, Zm00001d008230 (ZmCRD1) with two missense mutations (p.A44T and p.T326M) was identified as the causal gene encoding magnesium-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester cyclase (MgPEC). Phylogenetic analysis of ZmCRD1 within and among species revealed that the p.T326M mutation was more likely to be causal. Subcellular localization showed that ZmCRD1 was targeted to chloroplasts. The pgl mutant showed a malformed chloroplast morphology and reduced number of starch grains in bundle sheath cells. The ZmCRD1 gene was mainly expressed in WT and mutant leaves, but the expression was reduced in the mutant. Most of the genes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, chlorophyll degradation, chloroplast development and photosynthesis were down-regulated in pgl. The photosynthetic capacity was limited along with developmental retardation and production reduction in pgl. These results confirmed the crucial role of ZmCRD1 in chlorophyll biosynthesis, chloroplast development and photosynthesis in maize.

Abstract Highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC) had a significant predictive effect on tumor growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the mechanisms of HULC on HCC still need to be clarified. We attempted to determine the roles of HULC and miR‐107 in autophagy and invasion of HCC. HULC siRNA reduced the level of autophagy. The impact of HULC siRNA on invasion can be reversed by activating autophagy in HCC cell lines. Further studies on HULC and autophagy were conducted. An interacting sequence between HULC and miR‐107, as well as miR‐107 and Atg12, was predicted by software. The relationship of each pair of molecules was confirmed by luciferase reporter assays. The negative impacts of miR‐107 on autophagy and invasion were proved in HCC cell lines. The inhibitor of miR‐107‐promoted invasion can also be reversed by Atg12 siRNA. The changes of miR‐107, Atg12, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, and autophagy in transplanted tumors of mouse models also confirmed the results in HCC cell lines. Finally, we find that HULC acts as an endogenous sponge, which abolishes the binding of miR‐107 on the Atg12 3′‐UTR and promotes autophagy and metastasis of HCC.

Rejection is still a critical barrier to the long-term survival of graft after liver transplantation, requiring clinicians to unveil the underlying mechanism of liver transplant rejection. The cellular diversity and the interplay between immune cells in the liver graft microenvironment remain unclear. Herein, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing analysis to delineate the landscape of immune cells heterogeneity in liver transplantation. T cells, NK cells, B cells, and myeloid cell subsets in human liver and blood were enriched to characterize their tissue distribution, gene expression, and functional modules. The proportion of CCR6+CD4+ T cells increased within an allograft, suggesting that there are more memory CD4+ T cells after transplantation, in parallel with exhausted CTLA4+CD8+ T and actively proliferating MKI67+CD8+ T cells increased significantly, where they manifested heterogeneity, distinct function, and homeostatic proliferation. Remarkably, the changes of CD1c+ DC, CADM+ DC, MDSC, and FOLR3+ Kupffer cells increase significantly, but the proportion of CD163+ Kupffer, APOE+ Kupffer, and GZMA+ Kupffer decreased. Furthermore, we identified LDLR as a novel marker of activated MDSC to prevent liver transplant rejection. Intriguingly, a subset of CD4+CD8+FOXP3+ T cells included in CTLA4+CD8+ T cells was first detected in human liver transplantation. Furthermore, intercellular communication and gene regulatory analysis implicated the LDLR+ MDSC and CTLA4+CD8+ T cells interact through TIGIT-NECTIN2 signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings have gained novel mechanistic insights for understanding the immune landscape in liver transplantation, and it outlines the characteristics of immune cells and provides potential therapeutic targets in liver transplant rejection.

As a globally distributed cereal, wheat is an essential part of the daily human dietary structure. Various changes in nutrient composition and starch structure can reflect the quality of wheat. In this study, we carried out a series of measurements to reveal the levels of wheat quality during long-term storage. We found that the deterioration of wheat was apparent after two years of storage: (1) the content of fatty acid increased from 12.47% to 29.02%; (2) the malondialdehyde content increased to 37.46%; (3) the conductivity significantly increased from 35.71% to 46.79%; and (4) other indexes, such as the amylopectin content, peak viscosity, and disintegration rate, increased noticeably during storage. Moreover, SEM images revealed a certain degree of damage on the surface of starch granules, and an X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed A-type crystalline starch of wheat. Additionally, FTIR spectra suggested that the ratio of amylose and amylopectin decreased with a decreasing content of amylose and increasing content of amylopectin. The ratio of amylose and amylopectin can lead to variations in wheat machining characteristics. Therefore, wheat should be kept at an average of 20 °C with safe water content for less than two years to maintain reasonable quality.

Abstract Background The sensitivity of plants to ammonia is a worldwide problem that limits crop production. Excessive use of ammonium as the sole nitrogen source results in morphological and physiological disorders, and retarded plant growth. Results In this study we found that the root growth of Panax notoginseng was inhibited when only adding ammonium nitrogen fertilizer, but the supplement of nitrate fertilizer recovered the integrity, activity and growth of root. Twelve RNA-seq profiles in four sample groups were produced and analyzed to identify deregulated genes in samples with different treatments. In comparisons to NH 4+ ${~}_{4}^{+}$ treated samples, ACLA-3 gene is up-regulated in samples treated with NO 3− ${~}_{3}^{-}$ and with both NH 4+ $_{4}^{+}$ and NO 3− ${~}_{3}^{-}$, which is further validated by qRT-PCR in another set of samples. Subsequently, we show that the some key metabolites in the TCA cycle are also significantly enhanced when introducing NO 3− ${~}_{3}^{-}$. These potentially enhance the integrity and recover the growth of Panax notoginseng roots. Conclusion These results suggest that the activated TCA cycle, as demonstrated by up-regulation of ACLA-3 and several key metabolites in this cycle, contributes to the increased Panax notoginseng root yield when applying both ammonium and nitrate fertilizer.

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play important roles by regulating other genes. Rosa rugosa Thunb. is an important ornamental and edible plant, yet there are only a few studies on the miRNAs and their functions in R. rugosa. Results We sequenced 10 samll RNA profiles from the roots, petals, pollens, stamens, and leaves and 4 RNA-seq profiles in leaves and petals to analysis miRNA, phasiRNAs and mRNAs in R. rugosa. In addition, we acquired a degradome sequencing profile from leaf of R. rugosa to identify miRNA and phasiRNA targets using the SeqTar algorithm. We have identified 321 conserved miRNA homologs including primary transcripts for 25 conserved miRNAs, and 22 novel miRNAs. We identified 592 putative targets of the conserved miRNAs or tasiRNAs that showed significant accumulations of degradome reads. We found differential expression patterns of conserved miRNAs in five different tissues of R. rugosa. We identified three hundred and thirty nine 21 nucleotide (nt) PHAS loci, and forty nine 24 nt PHAS loci, respectively. Our results suggest that miR482 triggers generations of phasiRNAs by targeting nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) disease resistance genes in R. rugosa. Our results also suggest that the deregulated genes in leaves and petals are significantly enriched in GO terms and KEGG pathways related to metabolic processes and photosynthesis. Conclusions These results significantly enhanced our knowledge of the miRNAs and phasiRNAs, as well as their potential functions, in R. rugosa.

Flavonoids give plants their rich colors and play roles in a number of physiological processes. In this study, we identified a novel colorless maize mutant showing reduced pigmentation throughout the whole life cycle by EMS mutagenesis. E183K mutation in maize chalcone synthase C2 (ZmC2) was mapped using MutMap strategy as the causal for colorless, which was further validated by transformation in Arabidopsis. We evaluated transcriptomic and metabolic changes in maize first sheaths caused by the mutation. The downstream biosynthesis was blocked while very few genes changed their expression pattern. ZmC2-E183 site is highly conserved in chalcone synthase among Plantae kingdom and within species’ different varieties. Through prokaryotic expression, transient expression in maize leaf protoplasts and stable expression in Arabidopsis, we observed that E183K and other mutations on E183 could cause almost complete protein aggregation of chalcone synthase. Our findings will benefit the characterization of flavonoid biosynthesis and contribute to the body of knowledge on protein aggregation in plants.

The main substances of rice are starches, which vary their metabolism during storage. We conducted a series of tests including rice physicochemical properties, edible quality, starch content and chain length distribution along with starch structure variation to disclose the shift of rice quality by observing the changes of rice during storage. The results showed that: (1) the rice deterioration occurred as time passed, and the germination rate decreased from 70.8% to 29.4% during the storage; (2) fatty acid values increased significantly during long-term storage; (3) electrical conductivity increased as time passed; and (4) the two-year-storage rice showed significantly decreased viscosity and edible quality after sensory evaluation, decreased hardness and damaged surface area of starch granules as storage time passed. Additionally, the damaged surface area of starch granules increased with storage time. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the short-range order and spiral degree of rice starch first decreased in the first year and then increased over the storage time. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction showed that the main starch of rice was A-type crystalline. Meanwhile, apparent amylose content increased from 31.00% to 33.85%, then decreased to 31.75%. The peak viscosity reduced from 2735.00 mPa·s to 2163.67 mPa·s and the disintegration value was brought down from 1377.67 mPa·s to 850.33 mPa·s. Based on the results, rice should not be stored for more than 2 years under suitable granary conditions to maintain it at a good quality.

The docking mechanism is a key component for on-orbit refueling technology. In this paper, the design and analysis of a novel floating docking mechanism for on-orbit berthing-based refueling is presented. Compared with traditional berthing and docking, the berthing here is high in success rate and low in impact, which is accomplished by stretching out a docking subassembly instead of pulling back the client spacecraft. However, the berthing also has two problems: initial deviations between two spacecraft and an additional force generated by a hard alloy refueling pipe, which both seriously affect the docking operation. Thus, the docking mechanism is designed to have alignment abilities and decrease the additional force as much as possible. Based on the principles above, we introduced spring pins and a helical refueling pipe to design a light, compact, and simple docking mechanism. To further reduce the additional force, we proposed an elliptical-helical pipe and analyzed its mechanical properties. Finally, simulations and experiments were conducted to validate the proposed mechanism. The results show that the proposed mechanism with an elliptical-helical pipe has a high tolerance for linear and angular misalignment and superior dynamic performance during docking.

Dry drilling gives a higher request to the anti-friction property of cutting tools. However, most tool coatings commonly have less lubricant effect. In present paper, WS2/Cr layer was deposited on AlCrN layer by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system, forming the WS2/Cr-AlCrN lubricant-hard coatings. Its microstructure was studied using scanning electric microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Dry sliding tests were carried out against Ti6Al4V balls to evaluate the lubricant effect of the lubricant-hard coatings with different Cr contents in WS2/Cr layer. Dry drilling performance of WS2/Cr-AlCrN coating was also studied compared with uncoated and AlCrN coated tool in dry drilling of Ti6Al4V and 7075Al. It is found that as Cr contents increased, WS2/Cr became denser but the crystallinity decreased. The coating with Cr content of ~9.8 at.% had the best lubricant effect with the lowest friction coefficient and the narrowest wear track. Dry drilling tests show that WS2/Cr-AlCrN coated tool had the longest tool life and produced the lowest surface roughness. The high wear resistance of AlCrN layer was mainly played near cutting edge. While the anti-friction role of the lubricant layer was mainly played on drill flute, resulting in less material adhesion and improved chip removal.

The size distribution of condensed products during the combustion of aluminized propellants and flow characteristics of the gas-solid two-phase flow in solid rocket motor were studied in this paper. Firstly, based on the laser scattering technology, an online detection system for condensed products in plume was established, and the size detection of condensed products in the plume of solid rocket motor is carried out. Secondly, a numerical model of two-phase flow in solid rocket motor is established by combining the real size distribution of products in the plume with discrete phase model through the Rosin-Rammler distribution function. Besides, numerical simulation research is carried out under the same experimental conditions, focusing on the influence of condensed products with real size on the characteristics of solid rocket motor. The results show that the innovation measurement system can be used to obtain the size distribution characteristic of condensed products in the plume. At the particle size of stable stage, the mean size, Dv50, is 104 μm, which is the smallest among all stages. It is also suggested that condensed products at the end stage have the most impact on the flow behavior in solid rocket motor, in that the shock structure, Mach number, and temperature distribution in the near field of plume are significantly changed.

Aiming at the requirements of titanium alloy holes in aircraft industry, the 3-DOF cutting stability and surface quality optimization of parallel kinematic manipulator (PKM) are studied. The variation of natural frequencies with the end-effector position of the PKM is analyzed. The cutting force model of titanium alloy helical milling based PKM is developed, and the cutting force coefficients are identified. The prediction model for 3-DOF the stability of helical milling based on the PKM is established through a Semi-Discrete method, and the stability lobes are obtained. The correctness of the stability lobes is verified by subjecting the cutting force signal to time-frequency transformation and roughness detection. The step-cutter is used for machining process improvement to enhance the stability domain. The method proposed in this paper can provide a reference for further optimization of the prediction and optimization of the milling process of difficult-to-process materials based on PKM in the future.

Background/Aims: Interferon regulatory factor 1(IRF-1) and high mobility group box 1(HMGB1) have been independently identified as being key players in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). We attempted to determine whether IRF-1 activates autophagy to aggravate hepatic IRI by increasing HMGB1 release. Methods: The hepatic IRI model was generated in C57BL/6 mice, euthanized at 2, 6, 12 or 24 h after reperfusion. To examine the effects of HMGB1 release inhibition, Glycyrrhiza acid (GA) was administered to the mice and at six hours after injectiont. AML12 cells were immersed in mineral oil for 90 min and then cultured in complete Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM)/F12 to simulate IRI. AML12 cells were treated with IRF-1 siRNA, Ad-IRF-1 or GA. The serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), as well as histological changes were examined. Next, autophagic vacuoles were detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or LC3 dots. The expression of IRF-1 and HMGB1 mRNA were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of IRF-1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), Bcl-2, Beclin 1, HMGB1 were detected by western blotting or immunohistochemistry. Results: The levels of hepatic IRF-1, mRNA and protein were significantly increased in livers after exposure to IRI, together with, IRI-induced increase of HMGB1 mRNA and release of HMGB1 in liver tissue. Knockout of IRF-1 decreased expression and release of HMGB1 in liver, and inhibiting the release of HMGB1 could alleviate hepatic IRI. In addition, knockout of IRF-1 downregulated LC3II and Beclin1, while number of autophagosomes or LC3 dots were increased. Up-regulating IRF-1 expression could increase the levels of LC3Ⅱ expression in AML12 cells after exposure to IRI. The levels of HMGB1 in Ad-IRF-1 transfected AML12 cell supernatants increased, together with number of LC3 dots increasing. However, GA could inhibit both Ad-IRF-1 induced HMGB1 release and the increase in the number of LC3 dots. Conclusions: IRF-1 activates autophagy to aggravate hepatic IRI by increasing HMGB1 release.

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs involved in the post-transcriptional gene regulation and play a critical role in plant growth, development and stress responses. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is one of the important agricultural crops worldwide. However, the watermelon miRNAs and phasiRNAs and their functions are not well explored. Results Here we carried out computational and experimental analysis of miRNAs and phased small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) in watermelon by analyzing 14 small RNA profiles from roots, leaves, androecium, petals, and fruits, and one published small RNA profile of mixed tissues. To identify the targets of miRNAs and phasiRNAs, we generated a degradome profile for watermelon leaf which is analyzed using the SeqTar algorithm. We identified 97 conserved pre-miRNAs, of which 58 have not been reported previously and 348 conserved mature miRNAs without precursors. We also found 9 novel pre-miRNAs encoding 18 mature miRNAs. One hundred and one 21 nucleotide (nt) PHAS loci, and two hundred and forty one 24 nt PHAS loci were also identified. We identified 127 conserved targets of the conserved miRNAs and TAS3-derived tasiRNAs by analyzing a degradome profile of watermelon leaf. Conclusions The presented results provide a comprehensive view of small regulatory RNAs and their targets in watermelon.

Abstract Background Recent results demonstrated that either non-coding or coding genes generate phased secondary small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) guided by specific miRNAs. Till now, there is no studies for phasiRNAs in Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen (P. notoginseng), an important traditional Chinese herbal medicinal plant species. Methods Here we performed a genome-wide discovery of phasiRNAs and its host PHAS loci in P. notoginseng by analyzing small RNA sequencing profiles. Degradome sequencing profile was used to identify the trigger miRNAs of these phasiRNAs and potential targets of phasiRNAs. We also used RLM 5’-RACE to validate some of the identified phasiRNA targets. Results After analyzing 24 small RNA sequencing profiles of P. notoginseng, 204 and 90 PHAS loci that encoded 21 and 24 nucleotide (nt) phasiRNAs, respectively, were identified. Furthermore, we found that phasiRNAs produced from some pentatricopeptide repeat-contain (PPR) genes target another layer of PPR genes as validated by both the degradome sequencing profile and RLM 5’-RACE analysis. We also found that miR171 with 21 nt triggers the generations of 21 nt phasiRNAs from its conserved targets. Conclusions We validated that some phasiRNAs generated from PPRs and TASL genes are functional by targeting other PPRs in trans. These results provide the first set of PHAS loci and phasiRNAs in P. notoginseng, and enhance our understanding of PHAS in plants.

The study of the single-particle erosion mechanism is essential to understand the material removal mechanism in the non-contact polishing process and ultimately ensure the high-efficiency, non-damage, and ultra-smooth processing of optical glass. In this study, the theoretical model of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is established to reveal the dynamic removal process of a single particle impacting the optical glass. The single-particle erosion mechanisms, which include ductile–brittle transition, crack initiation, and propagation, are discussed in detail through theoretical simulation. A series of particle impact experiments are designed to validate the correctness of the SPH model. The experimental data show good agreement with the simulation results in terms of the depth and width of the eroded craters. Thereafter, the SPH simulation is conducted by studying the effect of various impact parameters, such as impact speed, impact angle, and abrasive diameter, on the material removal process. With the gradual increase of impact velocity and particle size, the material removal mode changes from plastic removal to brittle removal. Although the large impact velocity and particle size increase the material removal rate, they lead to the occurrence of brittle removal and reduce the surface and sub-surface quality. When the impact angle is between 45° and 75°, the material removal rate is the largest, and the increase of the material removal rate does not cause damage to the subsurface layer of the material.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099741.].

Testis development and spermatogenesis are strictly regulated by numbers of genes and non-coding genes. However, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as key regulators in multitudinous biological processes have not been systematically identified in bovine testes during sexual maturation. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed lncRNA and mRNA expression profiling of six bovine testes at 3 days after birth and 13 months by RNA sequencing. 23,735 lncRNAs and 22,118 mRNAs were identified, in which 540 lncRNAs (P-value < 0.05) and 3,525 mRNAs (P-adjust < 0.05) were significantly differentially expressed (DE) between two stages. Correspondingly, the results of RT-qPCR analysis showed well correlation with the transcriptome data. Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that DE genes and target genes of DE lncRNAs were enriched in spermatogenesis. Furthermore, we constructed lncRNA–gene interaction networks; consequently, 15 DE lncRNAs and 12 cis-target genes were involved. The target genes (SPATA16, TCF21, ZPBP, PACRG, ATP8B3, COMP, ACE, and OSBP2) were found associated with bovine sexual maturation. In addition, the expression of lncRNAs and cis-target genes was detected in bovine Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, and spermatogonia. Our study identified and analyzed lncRNAs and mRNAs in testis tissues, suggesting that lncRNAs may regulate testis development and spermatogenesis. Our findings provided new insights for further investigation of biological function in bovine lncRNA.

Salsola collina Pall has a long history of being used as a traditional medicine to treat hypertension, headache, insomnia, constipation and vertigo. However, only a few biologically active substances have been identified from S. collina. Here, the shoots and roots of S. collina, namely L-Sc and R-Sc, were studied. The primary and secondary metabolites were investigated using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). A total of 637 putative metabolites were identified and these metabolites were mainly classified into ten different categories. Correlation analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis of metabolites showed that the L-Sc samples could be clearly separated from the R-Sc samples. Differential accumulated metabolite analysis revealed that most of differential primary metabolites were significantly lower in the L-Sc than in the R-Sc. Conversely, the major differential secondary metabolites had higher levels in the L-Sc than in the R-Sc. Further analysis indicated that the flavonoids were the major putative antioxidant components and most of putative antioxidant components exhibited higher relative concentrations in the L-Sc than the R-Sc. These results improve our understanding of metabolite accumulation and provide a reference for the study of medicinal value in S. collina.

Robot control based on visual information perception is a hot topic in the industrial robot domain and makes robots capable of doing more things in a complex environment. However, complex visual background in an industrial environment brings great difficulties in recognizing the target image, especially when a target is small or far from the sensor. Therefore, target recognition is the first problem that should be addressed in a visual servo system. This paper considers common complex constraints in industrial environments and proposes a You Only Look Once Version 2 Region of Interest (YOLO-v2-ROI) neural network image processing algorithm based on machine learning. The proposed algorithm combines the advantages of YOLO (You Only Look Once) rapid detection with effective identification of ROI (Region of Interest) pooling structure, which can quickly locate and identify different objects in different fields of view. This method can also lead the robot vision system to recognize and classify a target object automatically, improve robot vision system efficiency, avoid blind movement, and reduce the calculation load. The proposed algorithm is verified by experiments. The experimental result shows that the learning algorithm constructed in this paper has real-time image-detection speed and demonstrates strong adaptability and recognition ability when processing images with complex backgrounds, such as different backgrounds, lighting, or perspectives. In addition, this algorithm can also effectively identify and locate visual targets, which improves the environmental adaptability of a visual servo system

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a new class of non-coding RNA that has recently attracted researchers' interest. Studies have demonstrated that circRNA can function as microRNA sponges or competing endogenous RNAs. Although circRNA has been explored in some species and tissues, the genetic basis of testis development and spermatogenesis in cattle remains unknown. We performed ribo-depleted total RNA-Seq to detect circRNA expression profiles of neonatal (one week old) and adult (4 years old) Qinchuan cattle testes. We obtained 91 112 596 and 80 485 868 clean reads and detected 21 753 circRNAs. A total of 4248 circRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between neonatal and adult cattle testes. Among these circRNAs, 2225 were upregulated, and 2023 were downregulated in adult cattle testis. Genomic feature, length distribution and other characteristics of the circRNAs in cattle testis were studied. Moreover, Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses were performed for source genes of circRNAs. These source genes were mainly involved in tight junction, adherens junction, TGFβ signalling pathway and reproduction, such as PIWIL1, DPY19L2, SLC26A8, IFT81, SMC1B, IQCG and TTLL5. CircRNA expression patterns were validated by RT-qPCR. Our discoveries provide a solid foundation for the identification and characterization of key circRNAs involved in testis development or spermatogenesis.

The mobile satellite laser ranging system TROS1000, successfully developed in 2010, achieves a high repetition rate and enables daytime laser ranging. Its measurement range has reached up to 36000 km with an accuracy as precise as 1 cm. Using recent observations in Wuhan, Jiufeng, Xianning, and Rongcheng, Shandong, we introduce the progress made using this mobile observation system.

This paper studies the control performance of visual servoing system under the planar camera and RGB-D cameras, the contribution of this paper is through rapid identification of target RGB-D images and precise measurement of depth direction to strengthen the performance indicators of visual servoing system such as real time and accuracy, etc. Firstly, color images acquired by the RGB-D camera are segmented based on optimized normalized cuts. Next, the gray scale is restored according to the histogram feature of the target image. Then, the obtained 2D graphics depth information and the enhanced gray image information are distort merged to complete the target pose estimation based on the Hausdorff distance, and the current image pose is matched with the target image pose. The end angle and the speed of the robot are calculated to complete a control cycle and the process is iterated until the servo task is completed. Finally, the performance index of this control system based on proposed algorithm is tested about accuracy, real-time under position-based visual servoing system. The results demonstrate and validate that the RGB-D image processing algorithm proposed in this paper has the performance in the above aspects of the visual servoing system.

The rearrangement of the transfection (RET) gene, which mediates the functions of the ganglion in the gastrointestinal tract, plays an important role in the development of the gastrointestinal nervous system. Therefore, the RET gene is a potential factor influencing animal body measurement. The aim of this study was to reveal the significant genetic variations in the bovine RET gene and investigate the relationship between genotypes and body measurement in two Chinese cattle breeds (Qinchuan and Nanyang cattle). In this study, two SNPs (c.1407A>G and c.1425C>G) were detected in the exon 7 of RET gene by sequencing. For the SNP1 and SNP2, the GG genotype was significantly associated with body height, hip height, and chest circumference in Qinchuan cattle (p < 0.05). Individuals with an AG-CC genotype showed the lowest value of all body measurement in both breeds. Our results demonstrate that the polymorphisms in the bovine RET gene were significantly associated with body measurement, which could be used as DNA marker on the marker-assisted selection (MAS) and improve the performance of beef cattle.

Nuclear receptor subfamily 6, group A, member 1 (NR6A1), as an important member of the nuclear receptor family, plays an important role in regulating growth, metabolism, and differentiation of embryonic stem cells. For this reason, the NR6A1 gene is considered to be a promising candidate for economic traits and was found to be associated with body size traits in many livestock. However, no studies have been conducted on NR6A1 in donkeys so far. Thus, in this research, we focused on donkeys and identified a 13 bp deletion in intron-1 of the NR6A1 gene among 408 individuals from Guanzhong and Dezhou donkeys using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three genotypes were identified, namely II, ID, and DD. The association analysis indicated that the body lengths and body heights5f genotype II individuals were significantly different to those of genotype ID in Dezhou donkeys. Conclusively, the 13 bp deletion was associated with growth traits in both Guanzhong donkeys and Dezhou donkeys, indicating that the NR6A1 gene could be a possible candidate gene in marker-assisted selection for donkey breeding programs.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that are critical in post-transcriptional regulation. Macaca mulatta is an important nonhuman primate that is often used in basic and translational researches. However, the annotation of miRNAs in Macaca mulatta is far from complete, and there are no reports of miRNA editing events in Macaca mulatta, although editing may affect the biogenesis or functions of the miRNAs. To improve miRNA annotation and to reveal editing events of miRNAs in Macaca mulatta, we generated 12 small RNA profiles from eight tissues and performed comprehensive analysis of these profiles. We identified 479 conserved pre-miRNAs that have not been reported in Macaca mulatta and 17 species specific miRNAs. Furthermore, we identified 3386 editing sites with significant editing levels from 471 pre-miRNAs after analyzing the 12 self-generated and 58 additional published sRNA-seq profiles from 17 different types of organs or tissues. In addition to 16 conserved A-to-I editing sites, we identified five conserved C-to-U editing sites in miRNAs of Macaca mulatta and Homo sapiens. We also identified 11 SNPs in the miRNAs of Macaca mulatta. The analysis of the potential targets of 69 miRNAs with editing or mutation events in their seed regions suggest that these editing or mutation events severely changed their targets and their potential functions. These results significantly increase our understanding of miRNAs and their mutation/editing events in Macaca mulatta.