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Background: Preoperative anxiety is closely related to opioid-induced hyperalgesia, and high levels of preoperative anxiety have the potential to aggravate opioid-induced hyperalgesia. We aimed to estimate the effect of estazolam, remimazolam, and their combination on preoperative anxiety and opioid-induced hyperalgesia in patients undergoing elective gynecological laparoscopic surgery., Methods: We carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment between October 2020 and April 2021. Starting on 9, October 2020,a total of 108 patients were split into four groups: (1 mg estazolam or starch was taken orally on the evening before surgery; 0.1 mg/kg remimazolam or normal saline was administered intravenously after entering the operating room) Group E received estazolam and normal saline; Group R received starch and remimazolam; participants in Group ER were given not only estazolam but also remimazolam; participants in Group C were given starch and normal saline. We recorded pain intensity at rest at 24 hours postoperatively as the primary outcome and measured pain intensity, sufentanil consumption, and adverse events within 72 hours postoperatively., Results: The mean anxiety scores were significantly lower in Groups E, R, and ER than in Group C before surgery. Compared with Group C, mean pain scores were significantly lower in Group ER at 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery and lower in Groups R or E at 4, 8, and 24 hours after surgery. The mean pain scores in Group E (at 8 and 24 hours postoperatively) and Group R (at 8 hours postoperatively) were both significantly higher than those in Group ER. Moreover, the mean cumulative sufentanil consumption was significantly lower in Group ER at 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery and lower in Groups E or R at 0.5 hours after surgery, compared with Group C., Conclusions: The preoperative application of estazolam, remimazolam, and their combination can relieve preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain for patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery. Moreover, the preoperative combination can also significantly reduce postoperative sufentanil consumption.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.

Background: Frailty has become a significant public health issue. The recent increase in the number of frail older adults has led to increased attention being paid to psychological care services in communities. The social isolation of pre-frail older adults can impact their psychological distress., Aim: To explore the mediating effect of health literacy between social isolation and psychological distress among communitydwelling older adults with pre-frailty., Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 254 pre-frail older individuals aged 60 years and over. Social isolation, health literacy, and psychological distress were comprehensively measured using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, 12-item Short-Form Health Literacy Questionnaire, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10. Data were evaluated using the SPSS 27.0 package program and the PROCESS macro tool. Descriptive statistical analyses, correlation analyses, and bootstrap mediation tests were used to assess associations between the variables., Results: The results showed that social isolation had an effect on health literacy among pre-frail older adults ( β = 0.240, P < 0.001), social isolation impact on psychological distress pre-frail older adults ( β = -0.415, P < 0.001); health literacy was identified effect on psychological distress among pre-frail older persons ( β = -0.307, P < 0.001). Health literacy partially mediated the relationship between social isolation and psychological distress among community-dwelling older adults with pre-frailty, with a mediation effect of -0.074, accounting for 17.83% of the total effect., Conclusion: Health literacy significantly affects the relationship between social isolation and psychological distress among pre-frail older adults. Apart from fostering social connections, improved health literacy measures should be considered., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest with any financial organization, corporation, or individual that can inappropriately influence this work., (©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Starch degradation plays a central role in fruit ripening. The β-amylase (Bam) catalysts starch degradation of apple fruit. However, the molecular mechanism regulating Bam gene expression in apples remains unclear. Using yeast one-hybrid library screening, we identified a transcription factor MdGTL1a that directly binds to the MdBam8 promoter. This bind was verified by using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay and confirmed to enhance the promotor activity of MdBam8 by promoter-β-glucuronidase transactivation assay. Transient over-expression of MdGTL1a activated MdBam8 expression and further enhanced starch degradation in apple flesh. Subcellular localization analyses in tobacco protoplasts demonstrated that the nucleus was the exclusive location of the MdGTL1a-GFP fusion protein. Exogenous salicylic acid treatment decreased MdGTL1a expression and resulted in higher starch content in apples, which was consistent with the fruit ripening. It is concluded that salicylic acid treatment could enhance apple storage quality by inhibiting starch degradation through a crucial transcription factor, MdGTL1a., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the integrated radar and communication system (IRCS), the design of signal that can simultaneously satisfy the radar detection and communication transmission is very important and difficult. Recently, some new properties of a class of solvable chaotic system have been studied for wireless applications, such as low bit error rate (BER) wireless communications and low cost target detection. In this paper, a novel IRCS based on the chaotic signal is proposed, and the performance of proposed scheme is analyzed. First, the solvable chaotic system and signal generation method are introduced. Second, the system and frame structures of IRCS using chaos as baseband signal and the corresponding signal processing algorithms are given. Third, the ambiguity function, radar detection errors and communication decoding errors of the proposed scheme are analyzed. Numerous simulations of the proposed IRCS are performed and the simulation results show that the proposed chaotic signal can satisfy the performance requirements of target detection effectively, as well as the high-performance wireless communication. In this context, the proposed IRCS based on chaotic signal is a good choice for the future integrated system., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a worldwide problem that threatens the industry. However, the genetic mechanism underlying plant disease resistance against ARD remains unclear. In this study, a negative regulatory microRNA in Malus domestica, mdm-miR397b, and its direct target MdLAC7b (Laccase) was selected for examination based on our previous small RNA and degradome sequencing results. Overexpressing the mdm-miR397b-MdLAC7b module altered the lignin deposition and jasmonic acid contents in apple roots, which also led to increased resistance to Fusarium solani. Additionally, Y1H library screening using mdm-miR397b promoter recombinants identified a transcription factor, MdERF61, that represses mdm-miR397b transcriptional activity by directly binding to 2 GCC-boxes in the mdm-miR397b promoter. In summary, our results suggest that the MdERF61-mdm-miR397b-MdLAC7b module plays a crucial role in apple resistance to F. solani and offers insights for enhancing plant resistance to soil-borne diseases in apples., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Objective: To investigate whether the combination of chemotherapy with staged Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) therapy could enhance health-related quality of life (QoL) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and prolong the time before deterioration of lung cancer symptoms, in comparison to chemotherapy alone., Methods: A prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was conducted from December 14, 2017 to August 28, 2020. A total of 180 patients with stage I B-IIIA NSCLC from 5 hospitals in Shanghai were randomly divided into chemotherapy combined with CHM (chemo+CHM) group (120 cases) or chemotherapy combined with placebo (chemo+placebo) group (60 cases) using stratified blocking randomization. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life-Core 30 Scale (QLQ-C30) was used to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) during postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with early-stage NSCLC. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed in the safety analysis., Results: Out of the total 180 patients, 173 patients (116 in the chemo+CHM group and 57 in the chemo+placebo group) were included in the PRO analyses. The initial mean QLQ-C30 Global Health Status (GHS)/QoL scores at baseline were 57.16 ± 1.64 and 57.67 ± 2.25 for the two respective groups (P>0.05). Compared with baseline, the chemo+CHM group had an improvement in EORTC QLQ-C30 GHS/QoL score at week 18 [least squares mean (LSM) change 17.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) 14.29 to 21.38]. Conversely, the chemo+placebo group had a decrease in the score (LSM change -13.67, 95% CI -22.70 to -4.63). A significant between-group difference in the LSM GHS/QoL score was observed, amounting to 31.63 points (95% CI 25.61 to 37.64, P<0.001). The similar trends were observed in physical functioning, fatigue and appetite loss. At week 18, patients in the chemo+CHM group had a higher proportion of improvement or stabilization in GHS/QoL functional and symptom scores compared to chemo+placebo group (P<0.001). The median time to deterioration was longer in the chemo+CHM group for GHS/QoL score [hazard ratio (HR)=0.33, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.48, P<0.0010], physical functioning (HR=0.43, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.75, P=0.0005), fatigue (HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.72, P<0.0001) and appetite loss (HR=0.65, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.00, P=0.0215). The incidence of AEs was lower in the chemo+CHM group than in the chemo+placebo group (9.83% vs. 15.79%, P=0.52)., Conclusion: The staged CHM therapy could help improve the PROs of postoperative patients with early-stage NSCLC during adjuvant chemotherapy, which is worthy of further clinical research. (Registry No. NCT03372694)., (© 2024. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The understanding of the interfacial processes is critically important for extending the practical application of ionic liquids, particularly for the role of interfacial water. In the electrochemical system based on ionic liquid electrolytes, small amounts of water at the interface generate a significant change in the electrochemical behaviors of ionic liquids. Therefore, the investigation on the interfacial behavior of water is highly desired in ionic liquids with different anions, water content, and hydrophilicity. Herein, based on the probe strategy, in situ surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with electrochemical control (EC-SERS) was developed to investigate the influence of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of ionic liquids on the interfacial water. The water-sensitive transformation reaction of 4,4'-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) to para -aminothiophenol (PATP) was employed as a probe reaction for investigating the behavior of interfacial water. The changes of relative SERS intensities of DMAB to PATP served as an indication of the quantity variation of interfacial water. The results show that the transformation reaction efficiencies were critically dependent on the additional water contents, potential, and hydrophilicity of ionic liquids. With a very low molar fraction of additional water (X w = 0.01), transformation efficiency of DMAB (the amount of interfacial water) followed the sequence of [BMIm]BF 4 < [BMIm]PF 6 < [BMIm]Tf 2 N. It was in agreement with the hydrophobicity order of the ionic liquids. With the increase in additional water content, the potential for the full transformation was positively moved, and the efficiency increased significantly. The stronger hydrophobicity allowed more water molecules to migrate to the interface, which was attributed to the difference in interactions between water and the anions of ionic liquids. It demonstrated that the small amount of water tended to gather at the interface in hydrophobic ionic liquids. Compared to traditional cyclic voltammetry, the EC-SERS technique combined with probe reactions is more sensitive to interfacial water. It is anticipated to develop as a promising tool for the investigating water-related issues at interfaces and to provide guidance to screen ionic liquids for practical application.

Deuteration of amine compounds has been widely of concern because of its practical role in organic reaction mechanisms and drug research; however, only limited deuteration label methods are accessible with D 2 O as a deuterium source. Herein, we propose a convenient deuteration protocol, including preparing D 2 by the AlGa activation method, using PtRu nanowires as catalysts, and utilizing the elementary step in the couple reaction involving an imine unit, to realize the rapid preparation of a secondary amine with a diversified deuteration label. The self-coupling between nitriles not only provides a symmetric secondary amine with four α-D atoms but also produces high-valued ND 3 in an atomic-economic way.

Flavonols are widely synthesized throughout the plant kingdom, playing essential roles in plant physiology and providing unique health benefits for humans. Their glycosylation plays significant role in improving their stability and solubility, thus their accumulation and function. However, the genes encoding the enzymes catalyze this glycosylation remain largely unknown in apple. This study utilized a combination of methods to identify genes encoding such enzymes. Initially, candidate genes were selected based on their potential to encode UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs) and their expression patterns in response to light induction. Subsequently, through testing the in vitro enzyme activity of the proteins produced in Escherichia coli cells, four candidates were confirmed to encode a flavonol 3-O-galactosyltransferase (UGT78T6), flavonol 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UGT78S1), flavonol 3-O-xylosyltransferase/arabinosyltransferase (UGT78T5), and flavonol 3-O-rhamnosyltransferase (UGT76AE22), respectively. Further validation of these genes' functions was conducted by modulating their expression levels in stably transformed apple plants. As anticipated, a positive correlation was observed between the expression levels of these genes and the content of specific flavonol glycosides corresponding to each gene. Moreover, overexpression of a flavonol synthase gene, MdFLS, resulted in increased flavonol glycoside content in apple roots and leaves. These findings provide valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at enriching apple flesh with flavonols and for identifying flavonol 3-O-glycosyltransferases of other plant species., (© 2024 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: The meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine interventions on patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Approach: The authors conducted a comprehensive search across eight databases. The aim was to identify randomized controlled trials examining the effectiveness of telemedicine for patients with DFU. Methodological qualities of included studies were assessed using Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention . Subsequently, a meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 to synthesize the findings. Results: Ten studies involving 1,678 patients with DFU were included in the meta-analysis. In comparison to the face-to-face intervention group, telemedicine interventions significantly reduced the amputation rate (risk ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.44-0.92, p = 0.02), decreased costs (mean difference [MD] = -4158.51, 95% CI = -7304.69 to -1012.34, p = 0.01), better controlled fasting blood glucose (MD = -0.89, 95% CI = -1.43 to -0.36, p = 0.001), and achieved superior glycated hemoglobin control (MD = -0.71, 95% CI = -1.01 to -0.41, p < 0.00001). No significant differences were observed between the telemedicine group and the face-to-face group in terms of healing rate, mortality, and healing time. Innovations: Our study suggests that telemedicine is a viable strategy for managing DFU. Conclusions: The meta-analysis indicates that telemedicine interventions have a positive effect on DFU. Nevertheless, more well-designed and high-quality studies are needed to reach a conclusion with greater confidence.

Abiotic stresses have had a substantial impact on fruit crop output and quality. Plants have evolved an efficient immune system to combat abiotic stress, which employs reactive oxygen species (ROS) to activate the downstream defence response signals. Although an aquaporin protein encoded by PbPIP1;4 is identified from transcriptome analysis of Pyrus betulaefolia plants under drought treatments, little attention has been paid to the role of PIP and ROS in responding to abiotic stresses in pear plants. In this study, we discovered that overexpression of PbPIP1;4 in pear callus improved tolerance to oxidative and osmotic stresses by reconstructing redox homeostasis and ABA signal pathways. PbPIP1;4 overexpression enhanced the transport of H 2 O 2 into pear and yeast cells. Overexpression of PbPIP1;4 in Arabidopsis plants mitigates the stress effects caused by adding ABA, including stomatal closure and reduction of seed germination and seedling growth. Overexpression of PbPIP1;4 in Arabidopsis plants decreases drought-induced leaf withering. The PbPIP1;4 promoter could be bound and activated by TF PbHsfC1a. Overexpression of PbHsfC1a in Arabidopsis plants rescued the leaf from wilting under drought stress. PbHsfC1a could bind to and activate AtNCED4 and PbNCED4 promoters, but the activation could be inhibited by adding ABA. Besides, PbNCED expression was up-regulated under H 2 O 2 treatment but down-regulated under ABA treatment. In conclusion, this study revealed that PbHsfC1a is a positive regulator of abiotic stress, by targeting PbPIP1;4 and PbNCED4 promoters and activating their expression to mediate redox homeostasis and ABA biosynthesis. It provides valuable information for breeding drought-resistant pear cultivars through gene modification., (© 2023 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The plant Goniothalamus leiocarpus of the Annonaceae family is used as an alternative medicine in tropical regions. Applying high-speed counter current chromatography (HSCCC), eight new bioactive styrylpyrone isomers, including 6 R ,7 S ,8 R ,2' S -goniolactone B ( 1 ), 6 S ,7 S ,8 S ,2' S -goniolactone B ( 2 ), 6 R ,7 R ,8 R ,2' S -goniolactone B ( 3 ), 6 R ,7 S ,8 S ,2' S -goniolactone C ( 4 ), 6 R ,7 S ,8 R ,2' S -goniolactone C ( 5 ), 6 S ,7 R ,8 S ,2' S -goniolactone C ( 6 ), and two positional isomers, 6 R ,7 R ,8 R ,2' S -goniolactone G ( 7 ) and 6 S ,7 R ,8 R ,2' S -goniolactone G ( 8 ), were isolated from a chloroform fraction (2.1 g) of G. leiocarpus , which had a prominent spot by TLC analysis. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by MS, NMR, IR, and UV spectra, and their absolute configurations were determined by Mosher's method, ECD, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The isolates are characteristic components found in plants of the genus Goniothalamus and consist of two structural moieties: a styrylpyrone and a dihydroflavone unit. The isolation of the eight new compounds demonstrates the effectiveness of HSCCC in separating the isomers of natural styrylpyrone. In a bioactivity assessment, compounds 1 and 6 exhibited cytotoxic effects against the human colon carcinoma cell lines LS513 and SW620 with IC 50 values ranging from 1.6 to 3.9 μM. Compounds 1 , 2 , 7 , and 8 showed significant synergistic activity against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Aryl amines are highly useful organic chemicals, but large-scale, transition-metal-free syntheses of aryl amines are surprisingly underdeveloped. A mild and scalable (up to 500 mmol) aryl amine synthesis from benzyne chemistry was invented using easily accessible aryl chlorides as precursors, NaH as a stoichiometric base, and a new type of sodium alkoxide cluster, X@RONa , as a catalyst. The cluster catalyst X@RONa featured an externally hydrophobic dodecameric sodium alkoxide shell housing an encapsulated center anion. The cluster made from methoxy- tert -butanol was found to be the most effective. The intramolecular version of this reaction allowed the synthesis of indolines and indoles. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies revealed that the rate-determining step was likely the transport of solid NaH into the X@RONa cluster in the organic phase.

Background: Serum iron, an essential component of hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis in vivo, is a crucial parameter for evaluating the body's iron storage and metabolism capacity. Iron deficiency leads to reduced Hb synthesis in red blood cells and smaller red blood cell volume, ultimately resulting in iron-deficiency anemia. Although serum iron cannot independently evaluate iron storage or metabolism ability, it can reflect iron concentration in vivo and serve as a good predictor of iron-deficiency anemia. Therefore, exploring the influence of different serum iron levels on anemia and diagnosing and treating iron deficiency in the early stages is of great significance for patients with lung cancer., Aim: This study aims to explore the related factors of cancer-related anemia (CRA) in lung cancer and construct a nomogram prediction model to evaluate the risk of CRA in patients with different serum iron levels., Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 1610 patients with lung cancer, of whom 1040 had CRA. The relationship between CRA and its influencing factors was analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Lung cancer patients were divided into two groups according to their serum iron levels: decreased serum iron and normal serum iron. Each group was randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort at a ratio of 7:3. The influencing factors were screened by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, and nomogram models were constructed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the models., Results: CRA in lung cancer is mainly related to surgery, chemotherapy, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score, serum iron, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, and total cholesterol (p < 0.05). CRA in lung cancer patients with decreased serum iron is primarily associated with albumin, age, and cancer staging, while CRA in lung cancer patients with normal serum iron is mainly related to CRP, albumin, total cholesterol, and cancer staging. The area under the ROC curve of the training cohort and validation cohort for the prediction model of lung cancer patients with decreased serum iron was 0.758 and 0.760, respectively. Similarly, the area under the ROC curve of the training cohort and validation cohort for the prediction model of lung cancer patients with normal serum iron was 0.715 and 0.730, respectively. The calibration curves of both prediction models were around the ideal 45° line, suggesting good discrimination and calibration. DCA showed that the nomograms had good clinical utility., Conclusion: Both models have good reliability and validity and have significant clinical value. They can help doctors better assess the risk of developing CRA in lung cancer patients. CRP is a risk factor for CRA in lung cancer patients with normal serum iron but not in patients with decreased serum iron. Therefore, whether CRP and the inflammatory state represented by CRP will further aggravate the decrease in serum iron levels, thus contributing to anemia, warrants further study., (© 2024 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The properties of layered intercalation hybrids are closely related to interlayer molecular packing. To develop functional intercalation hybrids, it is essential to gain deep insights into interlayer molecular packing. This work reports a new comprehensive insight into the controllable multiphase interlayer molecular packing in 4-(phenylazo)benzoate anion-intercalated layered zinc hydroxide (LZH-4-PAB intercalation hybrids). The new insight breaks up the general understanding that the interlayer molecular packing of anions is usually single-phase, lacking diversity and controllability. Furthermore, it uncovers an interesting stepwise rather than the generally expected continuous phase transition of the interlayer molecular packing. The intercalated 4-PAB anions initially organize into the horizontal monolayer packing (θ = 0°, Phase I), which stepwise transforms to the tilted interdigitated antiparallel bilayer packing (θ ≈ 50°, Phase II) along with an increased intercalation loading and eventually to the vertical interdigitated antiparallel bilayer packing (θ = 90°, Phase III). The LZH-4-PAB hybrids exhibited a greatly enhanced interlayer molecular packing-dependent UV-vis absorption. This study provides helpful guidance for developing property-tailored intercalation hybrids. It may attract new interest in more layered intercalation hybrids. New and rich intercalation chemistry might be discovered in more functional intercalation hybrids beyond the 4-PAB anion-intercalated layered zinc hydroxide.

Apple fruit skin color fading is not well understood although the molecular mechanism of skin color formation is well known. The red-fleshed apple cultivar 'Daihong' (DH) exhibited fading skin color during fruit development despite having a heterozygous R6 allele but lacking Red-TE for red fruit skin. In this study, transcriptomic analysis revealed the expression level of MdMYB10 increased with fruit development whereas reduced expression levels of MdMYBPA1 , MdCHS , MdANS , MdUFGT , MdLAR , and MdANR were observed, consistent with decreased levels of chalcone, anthocyanin, catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) indicated a global gain in cytosine methylation levels and increased methylation in 5' and 3' flanking regions of genes and transposable elements (TEs), and in TE bodies in all CG, CHG and CHH contexts, especially the mCHH context, during fruit development. The increased DNA methylation was attributed to reduced expression levels of DNA demethylase genes, including MdDME1 , MdROS1 , and MdROS2 . Association analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between promoter methylation levels of MdCHS , MdCHI , MdMYBPA1 , and their respective transcript levels, as well as a negative correlation between promoter methylation levels of MdCHS , MdCHI , MdANR , and MdFLS , and the content of chalcones, naringenin-7-glucoside, epicatechin, and quercetin. Treatment with the DNA demethylation agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine verified the negative correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression within the flavonoid pathway. These findings suggest that hypermethylation in promoter regions of genes of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is associated with the reduction of gene expression and flavonoid content, and fruit skin color fading during DH apple development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest associated with this work., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Although maturity date (MD) is an essential factor affecting fresh fruit marketing and has a pleiotropic effect on fruit taste qualities, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we functionally characterized two adjacent NAM-ATAF1/2-CUC2 (NAC) transcription factors (TFs), PpNAC1 and PpNAC5, both of which were associated with fruit MD in peach. PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 were found capable of activating transcription of genes associated with cell elongation, cell wall degradation and ethylene biosynthesis, suggesting their regulatory roles in fruit enlargement and ripening. Furthermore, PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 had pleiotropic effects on fruit taste due to their ability to activate transcription of genes for sugar accumulation and organic acid degradation. Interestingly, both PpNAC1 and PpNAC5 orthologues were found in fruit-producing angiosperms and adjacently arranged in all 91 tested dicots but absent in fruitless gymnosperms, suggesting their important roles in fruit development. Our results provide insight into the regulatory roles of NAC TFs in MD and fruit taste., (© 2023 The Authors New Phytologist © 2023 New Phytologist Foundation.)

In the present work, Fe 88 Zr 8-x Sm x B 4 (x = 2, 4) amorphous alloys (AAs) were successfully synthesized into the shape of 40-micrometer-thick ribbons and their magnetic properties were measured. The Fe 88 Zr 8-x Sm x B 4 (x = 2, 4) AAs exhibited a rather high maximum magnetic entropy change (-Δ S m peak ): ~3.53 J/(K × kg) near 317 K for x = 2 and ~3.79 J/(K × kg) near 348 K for x = 4 under 5 T. The effects of a Sm substitution for Zr on the Curie temperature ( T c ) and -Δ S m peak were studied and compared to those of Nd and Pr substitutions, for the purpose of revealing the mechanism involved in more detail.

Bud dormancy is crucial for winter survival and is characterized by the inability of the bud meristem to respond to growth-promotive signals before the chilling requirement (CR) is met. However, our understanding of the genetic mechanism regulating CR and bud dormancy remains limited. This study identified PpDAM6 (DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-box) as a key gene for CR using a genome-wide association study analysis based on structural variations in 345 peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch) accessions. The function of PpDAM6 in CR regulation was demonstrated by transiently silencing the gene in peach buds and stably overexpressing the gene in transgenic apple (Malus × domestica) plants. The results showed an evolutionarily conserved function of PpDAM6 in regulating bud dormancy release, followed by vegetative growth and flowering, in peach and apple. The 30-bp deletion in the PpDAM6 promoter was substantially associated with reducing PpDAM6 expression in low-CR accessions. A PCR marker based on the 30-bp indel was developed to distinguish peach plants with non-low and low CR. Modification of the H3K27me3 marker at the PpDAM6 locus showed no apparent change across the dormancy process in low- and non-low- CR cultivars. Additionally, H3K27me3 modification occurred earlier in low-CR cultivars on a genome-wide scale. PpDAM6 could mediate cell-cell communication by inducing the expression of the downstream genes PpNCED1 (9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 1), encoding a key enzyme for ABA biosynthesis, and CALS (CALLOSE SYNTHASE), encoding callose synthase. We shed light on a gene regulatory network formed by PpDAM6-containing complexes that mediate CR underlying dormancy and bud break in peach. A better understanding of the genetic basis for natural variations of CR can help breeders develop cultivars with different CR for growing in different geographical regions., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Background: Alysiinae Leach is a species-rich subfamily in Braconidae, of which several species play an important role in biological control. The monotypic genus Eurymerostumespiraculum Bhat, 1980 was discovered in Tibet and Yunnan provinces for the first time, representing the first record of the genus Eurymeros Bhat, 1980 (Braconidae, Alysiinae) in China., New Information: The rare genus Eurymeros Bhat, 1980 (Braconidae, Alysiinae) and its only known species, E.tumespiraculum Bhat, 1980, are newly recorded from China. The morphological variation of the Chinese specimens is described and illustrated., (Jia-Chen Zhu, Shu-Qian Fang, Qing-Yan Zhao, Jun-Li Yao, Yan-Qiong Peng, Van Achterberg Cees, Xue-Xin Chen.)

Lignified stone cell content is a key factor used to evaluate fruit quality, influencing the economic value of pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) fruits. However, our understanding of the regulatory networks of stone cell formation is limited due to the complex secondary metabolic pathway. In this study, we used a combination of co-expression network analysis, gene expression profiles, and transcriptome analysis in different pear cultivars with varied stone cell content to identify a hub MYB gene, PbrMYB24. The relative expression of PbrMYB24 in fruit flesh was significantly correlated with the contents of stone cells, lignin, and cellulose. We then verified the function of PbrMYB24 in regulating lignin and cellulose formation via genetic transformation in homologous and heterologous systems. We constructed a high-efficiency verification system for lignin and cellulose biosynthesis genes in pear callus. PbrMYB24 transcriptionally activated multiple target genes involved in stone cell formation. On the one hand, PbrMYB24 activated the transcription of lignin and cellulose biosynthesis genes by binding to different cis-elements [AC-I (ACCTACC) element, AC-II (ACCAACC) element and MYB-binding sites (MBS)]. On the other hand, PbrMYB24 bound directly to the promoters of PbrMYB169 and NAC STONE CELL PROMOTING FACTOR (PbrNSC), activating the gene expression. Moreover, both PbrMYB169 and PbrNSC activated the promoter of PbrMYB24, enhancing gene expression. This study improves our understanding of lignin and cellulose synthesis regulation in pear fruits through identifying a regulator and establishing a regulatory network. This knowledge will be useful for reducing the stone cell content in pears via molecular breeding., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Stone cells are often present in pear fruit, and they can seriously affect the fruit quality when present in large numbers. The plant growth regulator NAA, a synthetic auxin, is known to play an active role in fruit development regulation. However, the genetic mechanisms of NAA regulation of stone cell formation are still unclear. Here, we demonstrated that exogenous application of 200 μM NAA reduced stone cell content and also significantly decreased the expression level of PbrNSC encoding a transcriptional regulator. PbrNSC was shown to bind to an auxin response factor, PbrARF13. Overexpression of PbrARF13 decreased stone cell content in pear fruit and secondary cell wall (SCW) thickness in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In contrast, knocking down PbrARF13 expression using virus-induced gene silencing had the opposite effect. PbrARF13 was subsequently shown to inhibit PbrNSC expression by directly binding to its promoter, and further to reduce stone cell content. Furthermore, PbrNSC was identified as a positive regulator of PbrMYB132 through analyses of co-expression network of stone cell formation-related genes. PbrMYB132 activated the expression of gene encoding cellulose synthase (PbrCESA4b/7a/8a) and lignin laccase (PbrLAC5) binding to their promotors. As expected, overexpression or knockdown of PbrMYB132 increased or decreased stone cell content in pear fruit and SCW thickness in Arabidopsis transgenic plants. In conclusion, our study shows that the 'PbrARF13-PbrNSC-PbrMYB132' regulatory cascade mediates the biosynthesis of lignin and cellulose in stone cells of pear fruit in response to auxin signals and also provides new insights into plant SCW formation., (© 2023 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays crucial roles for the reversible operation of lithium metal batteries. However, fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of SEI formation and evolution is still limited. Herein, we develop a depth-sensitive plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (DS-PERS) method to enable in-situ and nondestructive characterization of the nanostructure and chemistry of SEI, based on synergistic enhancements of localized surface plasmons from nanostructured Cu, shell-isolated Au nanoparticles and Li deposits at different depths. We monitor the sequential formation of SEI in both ether-based and carbonate-based dual-salt electrolytes on a Cu current collector and then on freshly deposited Li, with dramatic chemical reconstruction. The molecular-level insights from the DS-PERS study unravel the profound influences of Li in modifying SEI formation and in turn the roles of SEI in regulating the Li-ion desolvation and the subsequent Li deposition at SEI-coupled interfaces. Last, we develop a cycling protocol that promotes a favorable direct SEI formation route, which significantly enhances the performance of anode-free Li metal batteries., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The novel Fe 87 Ce 13-x B x (x = 5, 6, 7) metallic glass (MG) ribbons were fabricated in this work. The compositional dependence of glass forming ability (GFA), magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of these ternary MGs, and the mechanism involved was investigated. The GFA and Curie temperature ( T c ) of the MG ribbons were found to improve with the boron content, and the peak value of magnetic entropy change (-Δ S m peak ) reaches a maximum of 3.88 J/(kg × K) under 5 T when x = 6. Based on the three results, we designed an amorphous composite that exhibits a table-shape magnetic entropy change (-Δ S m ) profile with a rather high average -Δ S m (-Δ S m average ~3.29 J/(kg × K) under 5 T) from 282.5 K to 320 K, which makes it a potential candidate for the highly efficient refrigerant in a domestic magnetic refrigeration appliance.

Objective: To investigate the application effect of functional acupoint electrical stimulation combined with tadara irregular administration in middle-aged and elderly patients with erectile dysfunction (ED), and to provide reference for clinical treatment., Methods: A total of 40 middle-aged and elderly patients with ED admitted to the pelvic floor Center of our hospital from March 2021 to March 2023 were randomly divided into two groups with 20 cases in each group.The control group was treated with tadalafil regularly, and the observation group was treated with functional acupoint electrical stimulation on the basis of this treatment. The total course of treatment was 6 weeks.The clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by the International Erectile Function Index (IIEF-5), penile hardness score (EHS), serum total testosterone (TT) level, sexual satisfaction scale (SS) and pelvic floor electromyography, and the occurrence of adverse events was recorded., Results: The total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (90% vs 70%, P < 0.05). After 6 weeks of treatment, both groups showed improvements in IIEF-5, EHS, SS, and TT compared to before treatment (P < 0.01). However, the improvement in the observation group was significantly better than that in the control group［IIEF-5: (22.13±2.11) vs (19.69±2.04), EHS: (3.68±0.47) vs (2.89±0.60), SS: (77.41±7.59) vs (70.32±7.28), TT: (13.43±3.89) nmol/L vs (8.85±3.02) nmol/L, all P < 0.01］; There were no significant changes in pelvic floor muscle electromyography values in the control group before and after treatment (P > 0.05), while in the observation group, pelvic floor muscle electromyography values (PFMV) in the pre-resting phase, fast muscle (Type II muscle) phase, slow muscle (Type I muscle) phase, endurance testing phase, and post-resting phase all improved compared to before treatment and were superior to the control group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Functional acupoint electrical stimulation combined with tadara irregular administration can improve the therapeutic effect of middle-aged and elderly patients with ED, improve pelvic floor function, safe and reliable.

Wound healing is a slow and complex biological process, including inflammatory reaction, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix deposition, tissue remodeling, and so on. Wnt signaling pathway can be divided into classical pathway and non-classical pathway. Wnt classical pathway, also known as Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, plays an important role in cell differentiation, cell migration, and maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Many inflammatory factors and growth factors are involved in the upstream regulation of this pathway. The activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the occurrence, development, regeneration, repair and related treatment of skin wounds. This article review the relationship between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and wound healing, meanwhile summarizes its effects on important processes of wound healing, such as inflammation, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, hair follicle regeneration, and skin fibrosis, as well as the role of inhibitors of Wnt signaling pathway in wound healing.

Gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) has been widely studied in flowering plants, but studies of the mechanisms underlying pollen tube growth arrest by self S-RNase in GSI species are limited. In the present study, two leucine-rich repeat extensin genes in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), PbLRXA2.1 and PbLRXA2.2, were identified based on transcriptome and quantitative real-time PCR analyses. The expression levels of these two LRX genes were significantly higher in the pollen grains and pollen tubes of the self-compatible cultivar 'Jinzhui' (harboring a spontaneous bud mutation) than in those of the self-incompatible cultivar 'Yali'. Both PbLRXA2.1 and PbLRXA2.2 stimulated pollen tube growth and attenuated the inhibitory effects of self S-RNase on pollen tube growth by stabilizing the actin cytoskeleton and enhancing cell wall integrity. These results indicate that abnormal expression of PbLRXA2.1 and PbLRXA2.2 is involved in the loss of self-incompatibility in 'Jinzhui'. The PbLRXA2.1 and PbLRXA2.2 promoters were directly bound by the ABRE-binding factor PbABF.D.2. Knockdown of PbABF.D.2 decreased PbLRXA2.1 and PbLRXA2.2 expression and inhibited pollen tube growth. Notably, the expression of PbLRXA2.1, PbLRXA2.2, and PbABF.D.2 was repressed by self S-RNase, suggesting that self S-RNase can arrest pollen tube growth by restricting the PbABF.D.2-PbLRXA2.1/PbLRXA2.2 signal cascade. These results provide novel insight into pollen tube growth arrest by self S-RNase., (© 2022 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of multiple precision behavioral therapy (MPBT) on mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence (SUI) with female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in women., Methods: We randomly divided 90 female patients with mild to moderate SUI with FSD into three groups of an equal number: control group A, control group B and an MPBT group, treated by electrical stimulation, Kegel training and MPBT, respectively, all for 8 weeks. Using International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), Female Sexual Function Indexes (FSFI) and Glazer protocol, we evaluated the clinical effects, recorded the cost of treatment, and compared them among the three groups of patients., Results: Totally, 87 of the patients completed the treatment, 27 in control group A, 30 in control group B and 30 in the MPBT group. There was no significant difference in the baseline data among the three groups (P > 0.05). ICIQ-SF and IIQ-7 scores, FSFI and Glazer values were remarkably improved in the MPBT group after treatment (P < 0.05). The therapeutic effect was significantly better and the treatment cost markedly lower in the MPBT than in the control groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Multiple precision behavioral therapy can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction in women, with low cost and high safety.

There is very limited research on the application of moderate halophiles for biotreatment of hypersaline wastewater widely generated from some industries. This study demonstrated the development of moderate halophiles inoculated from saltern sediments into aerobic granule sludge (AGS) to treat hypersaline wastewater with a salinity of 100 g/L. The granulation of moderate halophiles can occur without applying the settling velocity selective pressure. The saltern sediment initially aggregated into single small granules and finally developed into 1200 ± 50 μm multiparticle granules. The halophiles affiliated in Halomonas was dominant in the granular bacterial community, with a relative abundance of 94.52%. Halomonas ventosae secreted sulfated polysaccharides. The sulfated polysaccharides content accounted for 63.95 ± 2.10% in the polysaccharides (PS), having an adhesive role in connecting single granules. Multiparticle granules showed the clear stratified structure, with α-D-glucopyranose polysaccharides in the inner bounders and β-D-glucopyranose polysaccharides in the outer. The moderately granular sludge showed the stable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of >90% and the aerobic total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal efficiency (equal to ammonia removal) of 70 ± 5.00%. This paper contributes new insight into the formation of moderately halophilic granular sludge and accelerates the application of moderately halophilic granular sludge to treat hypersaline wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

ATP-sensitive K + (K ATP ) channel couples membrane excitability to intracellular energy metabolism. Maintaining K ATP channel surface expression is key to normal insulin secretion, blood pressure and cardioprotection. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating K ATP channel internalization and endocytic recycling, which directly affect the surface expression of K ATP channels, are poorly understood. Here we used the cardiac K ATP channel subtype, Kir6.2/SUR2A, and characterized Rab35 GTPase as a key regulator of K ATP channel endocytic recycling. Electrophysiological recordings and surface biotinylation assays showed decreased K ATP channel surface density with co-expression of a dominant negative Rab35 mutant (Rab35-DN), but not other recycling-related Rab GTPases, including Rab4, Rab11a and Rab11b. Immunofluorescence images revealed strong colocalization of Rab35-DN with recycling Kir6.2. Rab35-DN minimized the recycling rate of K ATP channels. Rab35 also regulated K ATP channel current amplitude in isolated adult cardiomyocytes by affecting its surface expression but not channel properties, which validated its physiologic relevance and the potential of pharmacologic target for treating the diseases with K ATP channel trafficking defects.

Ischemic stroke is a major global health issue. Ischemia and subsequent reperfusion results in stroke-related brain injury. Previous studies have demonstrated that nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEATa and early growth response 1 (EGR1) are involved in ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury). In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of NEAT1/EGR1 axis as well as its downstream effector RNA binding motif protein 25 (RBM25) in cerebral IR injury. Oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were used to establish in vitro and in vivo models of cerebral IR injury, respectively. According to our data, NEAT1, EGR1, and RBM25 levels were elevated in OGD/R-exposed SK-N-SH and SH-SY5Y cells and cerebral cortex of MCAO mice. NEAT1, EGR1, or RBM25 knockdown effectively reduced infarct volumes and apoptosis, and improved neurological function. Mechanistically, NEAT1 directly interacted with EGR1, which restrained WW domain containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (WWP1)-mediated ubiquitination of EGR1 and subsequently caused EGR1 accumulation. EGR1 bound to RBM25 promoter and transcriptionally activated RBM25. Rescue experiments indicated that RBM25 overexpression abolished the therapeutic effects of NEAT1 knockdown. In conclusion, this work identified a novel NEAT1/EGR1/RBM25 axis in potentiating brain injury after IR insults, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for ischemic stroke., (© 2022 International Society for Neurochemistry.)

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of blade acupuncture combined with functional exercise for chronic pain after non-small cell lung cancer surgery., Methods: A total of 62 patients with chronic pain after surgery for non-small cell lung cancer were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 31 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were treated with functional exercise. On the base of the treatment in the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with blade acupuncture at the tendon nodes or painful points, once a week for 4 weeks. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of pain before treatment and day 1, day 7, day 14, day 28 of treatment and day 90, day 180 when follow up were compared between the two groups; the brief pain inventory (BPI) scores before and after treatment were compared between the two groups., Results: The VAS score in the observation group at each time point after treatment was lower than that before treatment ( P <0.01), and lower than that in the control group ( P <0.01). Compared before treatment, the daily life score, emotion score, walking ability score, sleep score and life enjoyment score and total score of BPI in the observation group were reduced after treatment ( P <0.05), and the daily life score, emotion score, sleep score and total score of BPI in the observation group were lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: The blade acupuncture combined with functional exercise could effectively alleviate the chronic pain after non-small cell lung cancer surgery, improve the quality of life of patients, and the effect is lasting and stable.

Biofouling is a problem affecting the operation of nanofiltration systems due to the complexity of the carbon matrix affecting bacteria and biofilm growth. This study used membrane fouling simulators to investigate the effects of five different carbon sources on the biofouling of nanofiltration membranes. For all the carbon sources analyzed, the increase in pressure drop was most accelerated for acetate. The use of acetate as the single carbon source produced less adenosine triphosphate but more extracellular polymers than glucose. The microbial community was analyzed using 16 s rRNA. The use of more than a single carbon source produced an increase in bacteria diversity even at similar concentrations. The relative abundance of proteobacteria was the highest at the phylum level (95%) when a single carbon source was added. Additionally, it was found that the use of different carbon sources produced a shift in the microbial community, affecting the biofouling and pressure drop on membranes.

Apple bud sports offer a rich resource for clonal selection of numerous elite cultivars. The accumulation of somatic mutations as plants develop may potentially impact the emergence of bud sports. Previous studies focused on somatic mutation in the essential genes associated with bud sports. However, the rate and function of genome-wide somatic mutations that accumulate when a bud sport arises remain unclear. In this study, we identified a branch from a 10-year-old tree of the apple cultivar 'Oregon Spur II' as a bud sport. The mutant branch showed reduced red coloration on fruit skin. Using this plant material, we assembled a high-quality haplotype reference genome consisting of 649.61 Mb sequences with a contig N50 value of 2.04 Mb. We then estimated the somatic mutation rate of the apple tree to be 4.56 × 10 -8 per base per year, and further identified 253 somatic single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including five non-synonymous SNPs, between the original type and mutant samples. Transcriptome analyses showed that 69 differentially expressed genes between the original type and mutant fruit skin were highly correlated with anthocyanin content. DNA methylation in the promoter of five anthocyanin-associated genes was increased in the mutant compared with the original type as determined using DNA methylation profiling. Among the genetic and epigenetic factors that directly and indirectly influence anthocyanin content in the mutant apple fruit skin, the hypermethylated promoter of MdMYB10 is important. This study indicated that numerous somatic mutations accumulated at the emergence of a bud sport from a genome-wide perspective, some of which contribute to the low coloration of the bud sport., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Allele-specific expression (ASE) can lead to phenotypic diversity and evolution. However, the mechanisms regulating ASE are not well understood, particularly in woody perennial plants. In this study, we investigated ASE genes in the apple cultivar 'Royal Gala' (RG). A high quality chromosome-level genome was assembled using a homozygous tetra-haploid RG plant, derived from anther cultures. Using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from RG flower and fruit tissues, we identified 2091 ASE genes. Compared with the haploid genome of 'Golden Delicious' (GD), a parent of RG, we distinguished the genomic sequences between the two alleles of 817 ASE genes, and further identified allele-specific presence of a transposable element (TE) in the upstream region of 354 ASE genes. These included MYB110a that encodes a transcription factor regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. Interestingly, another ASE gene, MYB10 also showed an allele-specific TE insertion and was identified using genome data of other apple cultivars. The presence of the TE insertion in both MYB genes was positively associated with ASE and anthocyanin accumulation in apple petals through analysis of 231 apple accessions, and thus underpins apple flower colour evolution. Our study demonstrated the importance of TEs in regulating ASE on a genome-wide scale and presents a novel method for rapid identification of ASE genes and their regulatory elements in plants., (© 2022 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative disorder. The functions of lncRNA RMRP have been characterized mainly in various human cancers. However, the functional network of RMRP in AD progression remains unknown., Methods: Human serum samples, AD transgenic (Tg) mice as well as SH-SY5Y cells were used in this study. The RNA expression patterns of RMRP, miR-3142 and TRIB3 were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Levels of apoptosis- or autophagy-associated biomarkers and TRIB3 level were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blotting or immunofluorescence assays, respectively. Bioinformatics methods and luciferase assays were used to predict and validate the interactions among RMRP, miR-3142, and TRIB3. Flow cytometry, TUNEL staining and EdU assays were used to examine the apoptosis and proliferation of neurons, respectively., Results: The elevated RMRP and TRIB3 expressions and activation of autophagy were observed in AD. Knockdown of RMRP restrained neuronal apoptosis and autophagy activation in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, TRIB3 overexpression reversed the biological effects of RMRP silencing on Aβ 1-42 -induced cell apoptosis and autophagy. Further mechanistic analysis showed RMRP acted as a sponge of miR-3142 to elevate TRIB3 level., Conclusion: These data illustrated that knockdown of RMRP inhibited autophagy and apoptosis via regulating miR-3142/TRIB3 axis in AD, suggesting that inhibition of RMRP maybe a therapeutic strategy for AD., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Signal transduction pathways mediated by sensor histidine kinases and cognate response regulators control a variety of physiological processes in response to environmental conditions in most bacteria. Comparatively little is known about the mechanism(s) by which single-domain response regulators (SD-RRs), which lack a dedicated output domain but harbour a phosphoryl receiver domain, exert their various regulatory effects in bacteria. Here we have examined the role of the SD-RR proteins encoded by the phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc). We describe the identification and characterization of a SD-RR protein named McvR (motility, chemotaxis, and virulence-related response regulator) that is required for virulence and motility regulation in Xcc. Deletion of the mcvR open reading frame caused reduced motility, chemotactic movement, and virulence in Xcc. Global transcriptome analyses revealed the McvR had a broad regulatory role and that most motility and pathogenicity genes were down-regulated in the mcvR mutant. Bacterial two-hybrid and protein pull-down assays revealed that McvR did not physically interact with components of the bacterial flagellum but interacts with other SD-RR proteins (like CheY) and the subset of DNA-binding proteins involved in gene regulation. Site-directed mutagenesis and phosphor-transfer experiments revealed that the aspartyl residue at position 55 of the receiver domain is important for phosphorylation and the regulatory activity of McvR protein. Taken together, the findings describe a previously unrecognized class of SD-RR protein that contributes to the regulation of motility and virulence in Xcc., (© 2022 The Authors. Molecular Plant Pathology published by British Society for Plant Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

BABY BOOM (BBM) is a member of the APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) family and its expression has been shown to improve herbaceous plant transformation and regeneration. However, this improvement has not been shown clearly for tree species. This study demonstrated that the efficiency of transgenic apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) plant production was dramatically increased by ectopic expression of the MdBBM1 gene. "Royal Gala" apple plants were first transformed with a CaMV35S-MdBBM1 construct (MBM) under kanamycin selection. These MBM transgenic plants exhibited enhanced shoot regeneration from leaf explants on tissue culture media, with most plants displaying a close-to-normal phenotype compared with CaMV35S-GUS transgenic plants when grown under greenhouse conditions, the exception being that some plants had slightly curly leaves. Thin leaf sections revealed the MBM plants produced more cells than the GUS plants, indicating that ectopic-expression of MdBBM1 enhanced cell division. Transcriptome analysis showed that mRNA levels for cell division activators and repressors linked to hormone (auxin, cytokinin and brassinosteroid) signalling pathways were enhanced and reduced, respectively, in the MBM plants compared with the GUS plants. Plants of eight independent MBM lines were compared with the GUS plants by re-transforming them with an herbicide-resistant gene construct. The number of transgenic plants produced per 100 leaf explants was 0-3% for the GUS plants, 3-8% for five MBM lines, and 20-30% for three MBM lines. Our results provided a solution for overcoming the barriers to transgenic plant production in apple, and possibly in other trees., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.)

MicroRNA172 (miR172) plays a role in regulating a diverse range of plant developmental processes, including flowering, fruit development and nodulation. However, its role in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis is unclear. In this study, we show that transgenic apple plants over-expressing miR172 show a reduction in red coloration and anthocyanin accumulation in various tissue types. This reduction was consistent with decreased expression of APETALA2 homolog MdAP2&#95;1a (a miR172 target gene), MdMYB10, and targets of MdMYB10, as demonstrated by both RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses. The positive role of MdAP2&#95;1a in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis was supported by the enhanced petal anthocyanin accumulation in transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing MdAP2&#95;1a, and by the reduction in anthocyanin accumulation in apple and cherry fruits transfected with an MdAP2&#95;1a virus-induced-gene-silencing construct. We demonstrated that MdAP2&#95;1a could bind directly to the promoter and protein sequences of MdMYB10 in yeast and tobacco, and enhance MdMYB10 promotor activity. In Arabidopsis, over-expression of miR172 reduced flavonoid (including anthocyanins and flavonols) concentration and RNA transcript abundance of flavonoid genes in plantlets cultured on medium containing 7% sucrose. The anthocyanin content and RNA abundance of anthocyanin genes could be partially restored by using a synonymous mutant of MdAP2&#95;1a, which had lost the miR172 target sequences at mRNA level, but not restored by using a WT MdAP2&#95;1a. These results indicate that miR172 inhibits flavonoid biosynthesis through suppressing the expression of an AP2 transcription factor that positively regulates MdMYB10., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.)

The function of floral organ identity genes, APETALA1/2/3 , PISTILLATA, AGAMOUS , and SEPALLATA1/2/3 , in flower development is highly conserved across angiosperms. Emerging evidence shows that these genes also play important roles in the development of the fruit that originates from floral organs following pollination and fertilization. However, their roles in fruit development may vary significantly between species depending on the floral organ types contributing to the fruit tissues. Fruits of the Rosaceae family develop from different floral organ types depending on the species, for example, peach fruit flesh develops from carpellary tissues, whereas apple and strawberry fruit flesh develop from extra-carpellary tissues, the hypanthium and receptacle, respectively. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding floral organ gene function in Rosaceae fruit development and analyze the similarities and diversities within this family as well as between Rosaceae and the model plant species Arabidopsis and tomato. We conclude by suggesting future research opportunities using genomics resources to rapidly dissect gene function in this family of perennial plants., Competing Interests: Authors AG and J-LY were employed by company The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yao, Kang, Gu and Gleave.)

Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF‑1α) has been reported to play a key role in protecting neurons from ischaemic injury. However, the exact molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. PC12 cells were exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) conditions to mimic ischaemic injury in vitro. The expression of the HIF‑1α mRNA, miR‑20a‑5p, and kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) mRNA was tested using qRT-PCR. Levels of the HIF‑1α, LC3I/II, P62, LAMP2, cathepsin B (CTSB) and KIF5A proteins were determined using western blotting. The CCK‑8 assay was conducted to assess PC12 cell viability. DQ‑Red‑BSA and LysoSensor Green DND‑189 dyes were employed to measure the proteolytic activity and pH of lysosomes, respectively. The interaction between miR‑20a‑5p and HIF‑1α or KIF5A was verified by performing chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and/or dual‑luciferase reporter assays. TUNEL staining was adopted to assess PC12 cell death. GFP‑LC3 and RFP‑GFP‑LC3 probes were used to examine the autophagy status and autophagy flux of PC12 cells. A rat middle cerebral artery occlusion‑reperfusion (MCAO/R) model was established to investigate the role of the HIF‑1α/miR‑20a‑5p/KIF5A axis in ischaemic stroke in vivo. OGD/R exposure initiated PC12 cell autophagy and injury. HIF‑1α expression was substantially increased in PC12 cells after OGD/R exposure. Overexpression of HIF‑1α reversed the effects of OGD/R on reducing cell viability, blocking autophagy flux and inducing lysosome dysfunction. These rescue effects of HIF‑1α depended on KIF5A. HIF‑1α negatively regulated miR‑20a‑5p expression by targeting its promoter region, and miR‑20a‑5p directly targeted and negatively regulated the KIF5A mRNA. Overexpression of miR‑20a‑5p abolished the effects of HIF‑1α on rescuing OGD/R‑induced injury in PC12 cells. The effects of the HIF‑1α/miR‑20a‑5p/KIF5A axis were verified in MCAO/R rats. HIF‑1α protects PC12 cells from OGD/R‑induced cell injury by regulating autophagy flux through the miR‑20a‑5p/KIF5A axis.

Background: MicroRNA172 (miR172) has been proven to be critical for fruit growth, since elevated miR172 activity blocks the growth of apple ( Malus x domestica Borkh.) fruit. However, it is not clear how overexpression of miR172 affects apple fruit developmental processes., Methods: To answer this question, the present study, analyzed global transcriptional changes in miR172-overexpressing (miR172OX) and nongenetically modified wild-type (WT) apple fruit at two developmental stages and in different fruit tissues via RNA-seq. In addition, two cultivars, 'Hanfu' and 'M9', which have naturally fruit size variation, were included to identify miR172-dependent DEGs. qRT-PCRwas used to verify the reliability of our RNA-seq data., Results: Overexpression of miR172 altered the expression levels of many cell proliferation- and cell expansion-related genes. Twenty-four libraries were generated, and 10,338 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between miR172OX and WT fruit tissues. 'Hanfu' and 'M9' are two common cultivars that bear fruit of different sizes (250 g and 75 g, respectively). Six libraries were generated, and 3,627 DEGs were detected between 'Hanfu' and 'M9'. After merging the two datasets, 6,888 candidate miR172-specific DEGs were identified. The potential networks associated with fruit size triggered traits were defined among genes belonging to the families of hormone synthesis, signaling pathways, and transcription factors. Our comparative transcriptome analysis provides insights into transcriptome responses to miR172 overexpression in apple fruit and a valuable database for future studies to validate functional genes and elucidate the fruit developmental mechanisms in apple., Competing Interests: Jia-Long Yao is employed by the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (©2021 Zhou et al.)

Discharging of aprotic sodium-oxygen (Na-O 2 ) batteries is driven by the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction in the presence of sodium cations (Na + -ORR). However, the mechanism of aprotic Na + -ORR remains ambiguous and is system dependent. In-situ electrochemical Raman spectroscopy has been employed to study the aprotic Na + -ORR processes at three atomically ordered Au( hkl ) single-crystal surfaces for the first time, and the structure-intermediates/mechanism relationship has been identified at a molecular level. Direct spectroscopic evidence of superoxide on Au(110) and peroxide on Au(100) and Au(111) as intermediates/products has been obtained. Combining these experimental results with theoretical simulation has revealed that the surface effect of Au( hkl ) electrodes on aprotic Na + -ORR activity is mainly caused by the different adsorption of Na + and O 2 . This work enhances our understanding of aprotic Na + -ORR on Au( hkl ) surfaces and provides further guidance for the design of improved Na-O 2 batteries.

Plasmonic core-shell nanostructures have attracted considerable attention in the scientific community recently due to their highly tunable optical properties. Plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies are one of the main applications of plasmonic nanomaterials. When excited by an incident laser of suitable wavelength, strong and highly localized electromagnetic (EM) fields are generated around plasmonic nanomaterials, which can significantly boost excitation and/or radiation processes that amplify Raman, fluorescence, or nonlinear signals and improve spectroscopic sensitivity. Herein, recent developments in plasmon-enhanced spectroscopies utilizing core-shell nanostructures are reviewed, including shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS), plasmon-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy, and plasmon-enhanced nonlinear spectroscopy., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The signaling pathways of both auxin and ethylene regulate peach fruit ripening via the Aux/IAA and ERF transcription factors, respectively. However, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate both auxin and ethylene signals during peach fruit ripening remain unclear. In this study, we show that PpIAA1 and PpERF4 act as key players in a positive feedback loop, and promote peach fruit ripening by directly binding to and enhancing the activity of target gene promoters. PpIAA1 increased the expression of the ethylene biosynthesis gene PpACS1. Furthermore, PpERF4 enhanced the transcription of PpACO1 and PpIAA1 genes by binding to their promoters. Additionally, PpIAA1 and PpERF4 bound to each other to form a complex, which then enhanced the transcription of abscisic acid biosynthesis genes (PpNCED2 and PpNCED3) and the fruit softening gene (PpPG1) to levels higher than those achieved by each transcription factor individually. Moreover, overexpression of PpIAA1 in tomato accelerated fruit ripening and shortened the fruit shelf-life by increasing the production of ethylene and the expression levels of ripening regulator genes. Collectively, these results advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying peach fruit ripening and softening via auxin and ethylene signaling pathways., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)