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Ethylene at least partly regulates some aspects during non-climacteric ripening in strawberry. However, the ethylene signaling pathway genes in the strawberry fruit have not been comprehensively and systematically analyzed. In the present study, 15 FaETRs and 14 FaEIN3/EINs were identified in the octoploid strawberry genome. Subcellular localization analysis predicted that FaETRs and FaEIN3/EINs are respectively localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and the nucleus. The phylogenetic trees showed that FaETRs were classified into two subgroups, while FaEIN3/EINs were divided into three clades, which was supported by gene structure and conserved motif analysis. FaETRs and FaEIN3/EINs could interact with several components, such as CTR1, RTE1, EIN2 and ERF1B, in the ethylene signaling pathway by protein–protein interaction network analysis. Transcriptomic data showed that FaETRs were mainly expressed at the early stage of fruit development in three strawberry cultivars. Additionally, a couple of FaETRs (FaETR2 and FaETR13) and FaEINs (FaEIN2 and FaEIN7) could be induced by 1 μM ABA and inhibited by 100 μM nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA, an ABA biosynthesis blocker). These findings suggested that the FaETR- and FaEIN3/EIN-mediated ethylene signaling pathway might play a role in strawberry fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene response factors (ERFs) belonging to the APETALA2/ERF superfamily acted at the end of the ethylene signaling pathway, and they were found to play important roles in plant growth and development. However, the information of ERF genes in strawberry and their involvement in fruit ripening have been limited. Here, a total of 235 ERF members were identified from 426 AP2/ERF genes at octoploid strawberry genome level and classified into six subgroups according to their sequence characteristics and phylogenetic relationship. Conserved motif and gene structure analysis supported the evolutionary conservation of FaERFs. Syntenic analysis showed that four types of duplication events occurred during the expansion of FaERF gene family. Of these, WGD/segmental duplication played a major role. Transcriptomic data of FaERF genes during fruit ripening and in response to abscisic acid screened one activator (FaERF316) and one repressor (FaERF118) that were involved in fruit ripening. Transcriptional regulation analysis showed some transcription factors related to ripening such as ABI4, TCP15, and GLK1 could bind to FaERF316 or FaERF118 promoters, while protein–protein interaction analysis displayed some proteins associated with plant growth and development could interact with FaERF118 or FaERF316. These results suggested that FaERF118 and FaERF316 were potential genes to regulate strawberry ripening. In summary, the present study provides the comprehensive and systematic information on FaERF family evolution and gains insights into FaERF's potential regulatory mechanism in strawberry ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A cohort study was conducted among a representative sample of preschool children who experienced lockdown and home confinement in Shanghai during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Compared with a pre-pandemic cohort of preschoolers, experiencing a two-month strict lockdown was associated with a 3.1% increase in the prevalence of being at risk for mental health disorders among preschool children. • Children of parents with lower levels of education were more likely to be at risk for mental health problems associated with the lockdown. • Preschool children had longer screen time and daytime sleep duration and experienced a worse family environment during the lockdown. From January 24, 2020, to March 24, 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shanghai implemented lockdown measures to stop transmission of the virus. Over 26 million residents, including 0.8 million children aged 3–6, were confined at home. The present study leveraged a city-wide cohort study of preschool children in Shanghai—the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation, Preschool (SCHEDULE-P) study—and used a quasi-experimental design to study the impact of lockdown on preschool children's mental health and changes in their home environment and lifestyles. Two cohorts—the pre-pandemic cohort and the pandemic cohort—were investigated and compared using the difference-in-differences estimation framework. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to screen children who were at risk for mental health distress. The Index of Child Care Environment questionnaire was used to evaluate the quality and quantity of stimulation and support available to children in their family environment. Children's screen time, sleep duration, and household socioeconomic status were also queried. All measures were reported by parents. The results showed that having experienced lockdown and home confinement was associated with a 3.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.9% to 4.4%) increase in the percentage of children at risk for mental health distress, was associated with longer screen time (21.2 min/day, 95% CI: 17.8–24.6), longer sleep duration (15.7 min/day, 95% CI: 14.0, 17.4), and a less favorable family environment. Children of parents with lower levels of education were more likely to experience mental health challenges associated with the lockdown. The study was limited by relying on parents as informants for measuring the key variables. Since both parents and children experienced lockdown, this hindered our ability to isolate the impact of lockdowns solely on children. In summary, the study provides evidence on the influence of lockdown measures on mental health and well-being among young children. Authorities need to manage the risks and consider long-term consequences when issuing measures to contain COVID-19 transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory arterial disease characterized by build-up of atheromatous plaque, which narrows the lumen of arteries. Hypercholesterolemia and excessive oxidative stress in arterial walls are among the main causative factors of atherosclerosis. Transient receptor potential channel M2 (TRPM2) is a Ca2+-permeable cation channel activated by oxidative stress. However, the role of TRPM2 in atherosclerosis in animal models is not well studied. In the present study, with the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-PCSK9 and TRPM2 knockout (TRPM2−/−) mice, we determined the role of TRPM2 in hypercholesterolemia-induced atherosclerosis. Our results demonstrated that TRPM2 knockout reduced atherosclerotic plaque area in analysis of En face Oil Red O staining of both whole aortas and aortic-root thin sections. Furthermore, TRPM2 knockout reduced the expression of CD68, α-SMA, and PCNA in the plaque region, suggesting a role of TRPM2 in promoting macrophage infiltration and smooth-muscle cell migration into the lesion area. Moreover, TRPM2 knockout reduced the expression of ICAM-1, MCP-1, and TNFα and decreased the ROS level in the plaque region, suggesting a role of TRPM2 in enhancing monocyte adhesion and promoting vascular inflammation. In bone-marrow-derived macrophages and primary cultured arterial endothelial cells, TRPM2 knockout reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines/factors and decreased ROS production. In addition, a TRPM2 antagonist N-(p-amylcinnamoyl) anthranilic acid (ACA) was able to inhibit atherosclerotic development in an ApoE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis. Taken together, the findings of our study demonstrated that TRPM2 contributes to the progression of hypercholesterolemia-induced atherosclerosis. Mechanistically, TRPM2 channels may provide an essential link that can connect ROS to Ca2+ and inflammation, consequently promoting atherosclerotic progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a crucial role in promoting tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between macrophage polarization and the antitumor effect of Atractylenolide II (AT-II) in lung cancer cells. Cell viability, migration, and invasion were determined by MTT assay, wound healing assay, and transwell assay, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis showed the percentage of CD206+ cells. Gene expression was determined by real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. Lewis lung carcinoma mouse xenograft and metastasis models were used to examine the effects of AT-II on lung cancer in vivo. AT-II (2.5 and 5 µM) did not cause significant inhibition of A549 cell viability but markedly inhibited IL-4/IL-13-induced M2-like polarization, evidenced by the decreased expression of the M2 surface marker CD206, down-regulation of specific M2-marker genes (Arg-1, IL-10 and TGF-β) as well as inhibition of M2 macrophages-mediated invasion and migration of A549 cells. In addition, AT-II inhibited IL-4/IL-13-induced activation of the STAT6 signaling pathway that is vital in the M2-like polarization of macrophages. In animal models, administration of AT-II (50 mg kg−1, i.g., QD for 21 days) significantly inhibited tumor growth, reduced pulmonary metastatic nodules, and down-regulated the percentages of M2 macrophages (F4/80+ and CD206+) in total macrophages (F4/80+) in tumor tissues and pulmonary metastatic nodules. AT-II effectively inhibits M2-like polarization, thereby inhibiting lung cancer cell metastasis both in vivo and in vitro, revealing a novel potential strategy for the antitumor effect of AT-II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adversary makes malicious samples capable of triggering erroneous judgments in deep learning models by introducing imperceptible perturbations to the original benign texts. These malicious samples are referred to as adversarial texts. The exploration of adversarial text generation methods not only facilitates our understanding of the robustness of mainstream deep neural networks against such adversarial attacks but also aids in developing appropriate defensive strategies. Nevertheless, the mainstream research on textual adversarial attacks has mainly focused on attack effectiveness, overlooking the associated attack cost. For real-world attacks, considerations such as the time cost, material cost, manpower cost, and various constraints are also crucial. In this paper, we propose a low-cost adversarial text generation method based on the universal strategy in the black-box attack scenario, Universal Chinese Text Tricker (UCTT), for tendency classification on Chinese texts. UCTT is both text-independent and model-independent, which markedly reduces its attack cost. Instead of crafting adversarial texts for a specific text, UCTT generates universal perturbations based on a universal word substitution list, which is applicable to any data in tendency classification datasets. Given a perturbation rate, we can use the word list to craft adversarial texts by simple substitutions without accessing the target model. In the framework of adversarial text generation based on word importance, UCTT utilizes count, arithmetic progression, linear normalization, and nonlinear normalization to calculate the scores of the important words in the dataset and then computes the candidate word frequencies, which in turn constructs the universal word substitution list. Compared with other black-box methods, the experimental results on real-world tendency classification datasets show that UCTT exhibits an effective attack capability while significantly reducing the attack cost. Compared to the powerful baseline we designed that exceeds the SOTA, UCTT improves the efficiency of adversarial text generation by up to a factor of 7 without accessing the target model. In addition to demonstrating excellent attack performance on mainstream models, UCTT is also capable of attacking the powerful ChatGPT in the physical world, which cannot be directly attacked by traditional adversarial text generation methods due to the hard labels produced by the target model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children now are facing an increasing risk of early life stress (ELS), which leads to detrimental psychosocial outcomes. Behavior studies suggested that positive parental interactions might moderate the negative impact of ELS, but the related biological alteration remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether positive parent–child interactions moderate the association between maltreatment (as a severe form of ELS) and hair cortisol concentration (HCC), as well as between HCC and psychosocial outcomes in young children. Participants were 6-year-old Chinese children (N = 257, Mage = 6.2, 121 were male) selected by stratified cluster random sampling from a Shanghai population representative cohort. Proximal 3 cm hair strands were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry for HCC. Children’s psychosocial outcome was evaluated using the parental report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parents also reported the frequency of positive parent–child interactions using the Chinese Parent–Child Interaction Scale (CPCIS) as well as the history of maltreatment. Multi-level logistic regression models adjusting for individual, kindergarten, and district confounders were used to evaluate the associations between maltreatment, HCC, and psychosocial outcomes. Interactions terms tested whether more frequent positive parent–child interactions moderates the association between maltreatment and HCC, as well as between HCC and psychosocial outcomes. Maltreated children exhibited higher levels of HCC (B = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.38,2.02; p = 0.004), and children with higher HCC exhibited poorer psychosocial outcomes (B = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.18,0.51; p < 0.001). Positive parent–child interactions did not have a moderating effect on the association between maltreatment and HCC, but they demonstrated a moderating effect on the association between increased HCC and psychosocial outcomes (interaction term: B = −0.42, 95% CI: −0.75,−0.10; p = 0.01). These findings provide evidence that positive parental interaction may serve as a moderator between chronic cortisol exposure and psychosocial problems. It highlights the importance of frequent parent–child interactions, especially among children under a high risk of ELS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actigraphy is widely used in sleep studies but lacks a universal unsupervised algorithm for sleep/wake identification. An unsupervised algorithm is useful in large-scale population studies and in cases where polysomnography (PSG) is unavailable, as it does not require sleep outcome labels to train the model but utilizes information solely contained in actigraphy to learn sleep and wake characteristics and separate the two states. In this study, we proposed a machine learning unsupervised algorithm based on the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for sleep/wake identification. The proposed algorithm is also an individualized approach that takes into account individual variabilities and analyzes each individual actigraphy profile separately to infer sleep and wake states. We used Actiwatch and PSG data from 43 individuals in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis study to evaluate the method performance. Epoch-by-epoch comparisons and sleep variable comparisons were made between our algorithm, the unsupervised algorithm embedded in the Actiwatch software (AS), and the pre-trained supervised UCSD algorithm. Using PSG as the reference, the accuracy was 85.7% for HMM, 84.7% for AS, and 85.0% for UCSD. The sensitivity was 99.3%, 99.7%, and 98.9% for HMM, AS, and UCSD, respectively, and the specificity was 36.4%, 30.0%, and 31.7%, respectively. The Kappa statistic was 0.446 for HMM, 0.399 for AS, and 0.311 for UCSD, suggesting fair to moderate agreement between PSG and actigraphy. The Bland–Altman plots further show that the total sleep time, sleep latency, and sleep efficiency estimates by HMM were closer to PSG with narrower 95% limits of agreement than AS and UCSD. All three methods tend to overestimate sleep and underestimate wake compared to PSG. Our HMM approach is also able to differentiate relatively active and sedentary individuals by quantifying variabilities in activity counts: individuals with higher estimated activity variabilities tend to show more frequent sedentary behaviors. Our unsupervised data-driven HMM algorithm achieved better performance than the commonly used Actiwatch software algorithm and the pre-trained UCSD algorithm. HMM can help expand the application of actigraphy in cases where PSG is hard to acquire and supervised methods cannot be trained. In addition, the estimated HMM parameters can characterize individual activity patterns and sedentary tendencies that can be further utilized in downstream analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is often subjected to cold stress in temperate regions when insulation measures are not strictly applied in protected cultivation. Cold stress adversely influences plant growth and development by triggering a massive change to the transcriptome. To provide the potential strategies in improving strawberry cold tolerance and give a glimpse into the understanding of the complex cold signaling pathways in plants, this study identified attractive candidate genes and revealed diverse regulatory networks that responded to cold stress in strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) by a transcriptomic analysis. Totally, there were 2397 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under cold stress treatment (T1) vs. normal treatment (CK). Of these, 1180 DEGs were upregulated, while 1217 DEGs were downregulated. Functional enrichment analysis showed that DEGs were significantly (adjusted P value < 0.05) overrepresented in six pathways including plant hormone signal transduction, flavonoid biosynthesis, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, starch and sucrose metabolism, circadian rhythm, and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism. The cold signaling initiated expression of downstream cold-responsive (COR) genes with cis-acting element ABRE or CRT/DRE in the ABA-independent or ABA-dependent pathway to impel plant defense against the stress. Strikingly, GIGANTEA (gene id 101308922), two-component response regulator-like PRR95 (gene id 101295449), and ethylene-responsive transcription factor ERF105-like (gene id 101295082) were dramatically induced under low-temperature treatment, indicating that they played an important role in response to cold stress in strawberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have high surface area, tunable pore size, and high loading capacity, making them promising for drug delivery. However, their synthesis requires organic solvents, high temperature and high pressure that are incompatible with biomacromolecules. Zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIF-8) which forms through coordination between zinc ions and 2-methylimidazole (MeIM) have emerged as an advanced functional material for drug delivery due to its unique features such as high loading and pH-sensitive degradation. In this study, we took advantage of a natural biomineralization process to create aluminum-containing nanoZIF-8 particles for antigen delivery. Without organic solvents or stabilizing agent, nanoparticles (ZANPs) were synthesized by a mild and facile method with aluminum, model antigen ovalbumin (OVA) and ZIF-8 integrated. A high antigen loading capacity (%) of 30.6% and a pH dependent antigen release were achieved. A Toll-like receptor 9 agonist cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG) was adsorbed on the surface of ZANPs (hereafter CpG/ZANPs) to boost the immune response. After subcutaneous injection in vivo, CpG/ZANPs targeted lymph nodes (LNs), where their cargo was efficiently internalized by LN-resident antigen-presenting cells (APCs). ZANPs decomposition in lysosomes released antigen into the cytoplasm and enhanced cross-presentation. Moreover, CpG/ZANPs induced strong antigen-specific humoral and cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses that significantly inhibited the growth of EG7-OVA tumors while showing minimal cytotoxicity. We demonstrate that ZANPs may be a safe and effective vehicle for the development of cancer vaccines. We describe the synthesis of aluminum integrated MOFs (ZANPs) for efficiently vaccine delivery. ZANPs were accumulated in lymph node and taken up by DCs after subcutaneous injection after which potent antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune response were generated in immunized mice. Unlabelled Image • A facile and green synthesis method of aluminum adjuvant-integrated zeolitic imidazolate framework was developed by taking advantage of a natural biomineralization process. • This pH-responsive aluminum-integrated zeolitic imidazolate framework can serve as a potential vaccine delivery platform to induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Augmented endothelium-dependent contractions (EDC) contributes to endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease progression. An early signal in EDC is cytosolic [Ca2+] i rise in endothelial cells, which stimulates the production of contractile prostanoids, leading to vascular contraction. In this study, the molecular identity of Ca2+-permeable channels in endothelial cells and its function were investigated. Vascular tension was measured by wire myograph. EDCs were elicited by acetylcholine (ACH) in the presence of NG-nitro- l -arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). [Ca2+] i was measured using a Ca2+-sensitive fluorescence dye. Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) was used for prostaglandin measurement. Immunohistochemical staining found the expression of transient receptor potential channel C5 (TRPC5) in endothelial and smooth muscle cells of mouse carotid arteries. ACH-induced EDC in male mouse carotid arteries was found to be substantially reduced in TRPC5 knockout (KO) mice than in wild-type (WT) mice. TRPC5 inhibitors clemizole and ML204 also reduced the EDC. Furthermore, ACH-induced Ca2+ entry in endothelial cells was lower in TRPC5 KO mice than in WT mice. Moreover, the EDC was abolished by a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor NS-398, but not affected by a COX-1 inhibitor valeryl salicylate (VAS). Enzyme immunoassay results showed that TRPC5 stimulated the COX-2-linked production of prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α), prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2), and prostaglandin D 2 (PGD 2). Exogeneous PGF 2α , PGE 2 , and PGD 2 could induce contractions in carotid arteries. Our present study demonstrated that TRPC5 in endothelial cells contributes to EDC by stimulating the production of COX-2-linked prostanoids. The finding extends our knowledge about EDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LED-based light sources that can provide narrowly-centered spectrum have been frequently applied to manipulate the plant growth, development and metabolism in recent years. This study aimed to find out the effect of different light qualities on the production of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins. The results showed RL (red light), BL (blue light), RBL (red light: blue light = 1:1) induced the strawberry fruit coloration earlier by increasing the content of total anthocyanins as a result of high expression of related genes, which was also concluded from a ⁎ , C ⁎ , h° values in ‘Tokun’ at 28 DAF, and RBL significantly promoted anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in these two strawberry genotypes during fruit development. Simultaneously, the contents of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in ‘Toyonaka’ were also remarkably upregulated by BL and RL, respectively, indicating different strawberry genotypes to some extent probably had a distinct response to light quality. Hence, genotype factor should be taken into consideration when supplement of light quality was used as practical application in strawberry cultivation. Taken together, this study provided an insight into a further understanding of roles of light quality in the color formation for strawberry and a potential means to increase the health-related values of strawberry through altering the anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin contents of the fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigs are susceptible to cold stress due to the absence of brown fat caused by the partial deletion of uncoupling protein 1 during their evolution. Some local pig breeds in China exhibit potential cold adaptability, but research has primarily focused on fat and intestinal tissues. Skeletal muscle plays a key role in adaptive thermogenesis in mammals, yet the molecular mechanism of cold adaptation in porcine skeletal muscle remains poorly understood. This study investigated the cold adaptability of two pig breeds, Mashen pigs (MS) and Large White pigs (LW), in a four-day cold (4 °C) or normal temperature (25 °C) environment. We recorded phenotypic changes and collected blood and longissimus dorsi muscle for transcriptome sequencing. Finally, the PRSS8 gene was randomly selected for functional exploration in porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells. A decrease in body temperature and body weight in both LW and MS pigs under cold stress, accompanied by increased shivering frequency and respiratory frequency, were observed. However, the MS pigs demonstrated stable physiological homeostasis, indicating a certain level of cold adaptability. The LW pigs primarily responded to cold stress by regulating their heat production and glycolipid energy metabolism. The MS pigs exhibited a distinct response to cold stress, involving the regulation of heat production, energy metabolism pathways, and robust mitochondrial activity, as well as a stronger immune response. Furthermore, the functional exploration of PRSS8 in porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells revealed that it affected cellular energy metabolism and thermogenesis by regulating ERK phosphorylation. These findings shed light on the diverse transcriptional responses of skeletal muscle in LW and MS pigs under cold stress, offering valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the Chinese Government has ordered a nationwide school closure as an emergency measure to prevent spreading of the infection. With the right parenting approaches, family bonds can be strengthened, and child psychological needs met.[12] Since the COVID-19 epidemic is no longer confined to China,[13] school closure and home confinement-related issues also become relevant in other affected countries. [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: This was a cross‐sectional survey to investigate the relationship of age, parent education, sleep duration, physical activity, and dietary habits with overweight or obesity in school‐age children in Shanghai. METHODS: The survey gathered information from 13,001 children in grades 1 through 5 (age 6 to 10 years) among 26 elementary schools in 7 districts. Activity level was evaluated using the International Children's Leisure Activities Study Survey Questionnaire (CLASS‐C). The definitions of normal, overweight, and obese were adjusted for each age. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis indicated that age, being male, having ≤10 hours of sleep on non‐school days, eating ≥1 vegetable/day, or drinking ≥1 sugar‐sweetened drink/day increased the risk for a child being overweight or obese compared with having >10 hours of sleep or ≤3 vegetables or ≤3 sugar‐sweetened drinks/month (p ≤ .008). Having >2 hours of outdoor activities on non‐school days reduced the risk of being overweight or obese compared with ≤2 hours of outdoor activities on non‐school days (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that age, sex, sleep, and some dietary habits impacted weight, and suggests that specific cultural and economic factors may impact risk of a child being overweight or obese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We identified 27,172 differential methylated regions (DMRs) and 8268 DMR-related genes (DMGs). • By combining the WGBS-seq and the previous RNA-seq data, a total of 94 overlap genes were obtained. • We found that 9 DMGs were likely to be involved in milk production of Kazakh horse. Horse Milk has important quantitative characteristics and high economic value. However, the DNA methylation regulators involved in horse milk traits have not been clarified. To explore the important role of genome-wide DNA methylation in regulating equine milk yield, this study systematically investigated the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of Kazakh horse blood by comparing a high-production group (HP, average daily milk yield of 7.5 kg) and low-production group (LP, average daily milk yield of 3.2 kg) using deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. First, both groups showed similar proportions of methylation at CpG sites. Subsequently, we identified 26,677 differential methylated regions (DMRs) of CG, 15 DMRs of CHG, 480 DMRs of CHH and 8268 DMR-related genes (DMGs). GO and KEGG analyses revealed that some DMGs were involved in regulating milk and milk component formation. By combining the WGBS-seq and the previous RNA-seq data, a total of 94 overlapping genes were obtained. Finally, we found that 9 DMGs are likely involved in milk production by Kazakh horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin plays a potential role in preserving the postharvest quality of fresh products. This study investigated the effect of exogenous melatonin on sugar metabolism and quality change in kiwiberries under cold storage. Our results showed that melatonin improved fruit appearance, increased total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and ascorbate accumulation, and inhibited firmness and weight loss during storage. In addition, melatonin treatment increased the ratio of fruit-soluble solids to acid and upregulated the content of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and soluble sugars by regulating the activities of SS, SPS, AI, and NI enzymes as well as their transcript levels. Melatonin application inhibited the activity of AL and upregulated the transcript levels of HK and FK genes to slow down the starch decomposition, thereby delaying the softening of kiwiberries during the storage. These results indicated that melatonin application after the harvest of kiwiberry could improve both the external and internal quality of the fruit and inhibit senescence by modulating sugar metabolism. [Display omitted] • Melatonin maintained quality and delayed senescence of kiwiberry. • Melatonin notably increased sucrose, glucose, and fructose content in kiwiberry. • Melatonin altered enzyme activities and gene expression involving sugar metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A growing body of literature reveals the causal pathways between physical activity and brain function, indicating that increasing physical activity among children could improve rather than undermine their scholastic performance. However, past studies of physical activity and scholastic performance among students often relied on parent-reported grade information, and did not explore whether the association varied among different levels of scholastic performance. Our study among fifth-grade students in Shanghai sought to determine the association between regular physical activity and teacher-reported academic performance scores (APS), with special attention to the differential associational patterns across different strata of scholastic performance. Method: A total of 2,225 students were chosen through a stratified random sampling, and a complete sample of 1470 observations were used for analysis. We used a quantile regression analysis to explore whether the association between physical activity and teacher-reported APS differs by distribution of APS. Results: Minimal-intensity physical activity such as walking was positively associated with academic performance scores (β = 0.13, SE = 0.04). The magnitude of the association tends to be larger at the lower end of the APS distribution (β = 0.24, SE = 0.08) than in the higher end of the distribution (β = 0.00, SE = 0.07). Conclusion: Based upon teacher-reported student academic performance, there is no evidence that spending time on frequent physical activity would undermine student’s APS. Those students who are below the average in their academic performance could be worse off in academic performance if they give up minimal-intensity physical activity. Therefore, cutting physical activity time in schools could hurt the scholastic performance among those students who were already at higher risk for dropping out due to inadequate APS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we proposed a semi-automatic technique with a marker indicating the target to locate and segment nodules. For the lung nodule detection, we develop a Gabor texture feature by FCM (Fuzzy C Means) segmentation. Given a marker indicating a rough location of the nodules, a decision process is followed by applying an ellipse fitting algorithm. From the ellipse mask, the foreground and background seeds for the random walk segmentation can be automatically obtained. Finally, the edge of the nodules is obtained by the random walk algorithm. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are evaluated with the various types of the nodules to identify the edges, so that it can be used to locate the nodule edge and its growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A total of four FvbZIP-S1 genes were identified in strawberry genome database. • In FvbZIP-S1 subfamily, FvbZIP11 most highly expressed in different tissues, and especially it had a very remarkable transcript accumulation during the fruit development. • Constitutive expression of FvbZIP11 in tomato caused a plant growth impairment, but significantly increased the fruit TSS and SS content and SS/TA ratio. Consumers and breeders value strawberry fruit with high sugar content and sweetness. However, many factors negatively affect this trait. bZIP-S1 subfamily was closely correlated with the carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, it can regulate plant development and growth, and respond to various stress. In the present study, a total of four bZIP-S1 members were identified in strawberry. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed a member of this subfamily, designated as bZIP11 , most highly expressed in different tissues of strawberry. Especially, it had a significant transcript accumulation during the fruit development and ripening. Constitutive expression of FvbZIP11 in tomato caused severe plant growth retardation which was accompanied by wrinkled and curly leaves. The leaf yellowish and chlorotic patches were reflected in decrease of chlorophyll. Meanwhile, epidermal cells were smaller in leaves of transgenic plant. In addition, the total soluble solid and soluble sugar content of the fruit was significantly higher than WT during the fruit ripening. Taken together, the heterologous overexpression of strawberry bZIP11 induced sugar accumulation and hindered plant growth in tomato, which provided more information for improving strawberry fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To investigate the application value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), the difference of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value calculated from ADC map was used, in evaluating the pathologic grade of astrocytic tumors. Methods: 33 patients with histopathologically proven supratentorial astrocytic tumors were included in this prospective study. All of them received conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DWI with diffusion factor of 0 and 50 s/mm and of 0 and 3,000 s/mm, and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) examinations. Pseudo-color ADC maps were obtained by means of using ADC map with low b value (0 and 50 s/mm) minus ADC map with high b value (0 and 3,000 s/mm). Results: The highest ADC value of grades I-II, grade III, and grade IV was (0.91 ± 0.07) × 10, (1.81 ± 0.38) × 10, and (2.36 ± 0.32) × 10 mm/s, respectively, and there was statistical difference among them ( p < 0.001). The highest ADC value between low-grade (grades I-II) and high-grade (grades III-IV) astrocytic tumors showed statistical difference as well ( p < 0.001). The highest ADC value of astrocytic tumors correlated positively with the pathologic grade of tumor ( r = 0.853, p < 0.001). Positive correlation was found between the highest ADC value and maximum relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) value ( r = 0.829, p < 0.001) in high-grade astrocytic tumors; however, the highest ADC value and maximum rCBV value had no significant correlation in low-grade astrocytic tumors ( r = 0.259, p = 0.536). Conclusion: Quantitative analysis of highest ADC value of supratentorial astrocytic tumors may provide valuable information of tumor microcirculation and perfusion, thus allowing a promising new method for preoperatively assessing the pathologic grade of tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dysfunction of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is one of the key factors in the pathogenesis of asthma. How miR-98-5p works in asthma has not been completely elucidated. This work focused on how miR-98-5p functions in the proliferation and migration of human ASMCs treated with interleukin-13 (IL-13). MiR-98-5p expression in plasma of asthmatic patients and IL-13-stimulated ASMCs was probed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RAS-relevant C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1) protein expression in ASMCs was assessed by Western blot. The growth of ASMCs was measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. The migration of ASMCs was examined by Transwell assay. Besides, the apoptosis of ASMCs was analyzed by flow cytometry. The targeting relationship between miR-98-5p and RAC1 3′-UTR was verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. MiR-98-5p expression was reduced in patients' plasma and IL-13-stimulated ASMCs, and RAC1 expression was upregulated in ASMCs treated with IL-13. MiR-98-5p overexpression inhibited IL-13-induced proliferation and migration of ASMCs while promoting the apoptosis. The opposite result was observed after inhibiting miR-98-5p expression. Besides, RAC1 was identified as a direct downstream target of miR-98-5p in ASMCs. The restoration of RAC1 expression counteracted the impacts of miR-98-5p overexpression on IL-13-stimulated proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of ASMCs. MiR-98-5p inhibits IL-13-induced proliferation and migration and accelerates the apoptosis of ASMCs by downregulating RAC1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuins (SRTs) are a group of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)‐dependent deacetylase that target both histone and nonhistone proteins. The biological function of SRT in horticultural plants has been rarely studied. In this study, FaSRT1‐2 was identified as a key member of the 8 FaSRTs encoded in cultivated strawberry genome. Transient overexpression of FaSRT1‐2 in strawberry fruit accelerated ripening, increased the content of anthocyanins and sugars, enhanced ripening‐related gene expression. Moreover, stable transformation of FaSRT1‐2 in strawberry plants resulted in enhanced vegetative growth, increased sensitivity to heat stress and increased susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea infection. Interestingly, knocking out the homologous gene in woodland strawberry had the opposite effects. Additionally, we found the content of stress‐related hormone abscisic acid (ABA) was decreased, while the growth‐related gibberellin (GA) concentration was increased in FaSRT1‐2 overexpression lines. Gene expression analysis revealed induction of heat shock proteins, transcription factors, stress‐related and antioxidant genes in the FaSRT1‐2‐overexpressed plants while knocked‐out of the gene had the opposite impact. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that FaSRT1‐2 could positively promote strawberry plant vegetative growth and fruit ripening by affecting ABA and GA pathways. However, it negatively regulates the resistance to heat stress and B. cinerea infection by influencing the related gene expression. Summary statement: FaSRT1‐2 is likely to exert a positive regulatory effect on both strawberry fruit ripening and vegetative growth by stimulating sugar, anthocyanin, and the gibberellin metabolism pathway. Moreover, FaSRT1‐2 appears to enhance the susceptibility of strawberry plants to heat stress while also promoting defence against Botrytis cinerea through alterations in abscisic acid metabolism and stress‐related genes expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) plays an important role in plant stress responses. Here, five FaG6PDH sequences were obtained in strawberry, designated as FaG6PDH-CY, FaG6PDH-P1, FaG6PDH-P1.1, FaG6PDH-P2 and FaG6PDH-P0, which were divided into cytosolic (CY) and plastidic (P) isoforms based on the bioinformatic analysis. The respective FaG6PDH genes had distinct expression patterns in all tissues and at different stages of fruit development. Notably, FaG6PDH-CY was the most highly expressed gene among five FaG6PDH members, indicating it encoded the major G6PDH isoform throughout the plant. FaG6PDH positively regulated cold tolerance in strawberry. Inhibition of its activity gave rise to greater cold-induced injury in plant. The FaG6PDH-CY transcript had a significant increase under cold stress, similar to the G6PDH enzyme activity, suggesting a principal participant in response to cold stress. Further study showed that the low-temperature responsiveness (LTR) element in FaG6PDH-CY promoter can promote the gene expression when plant encountered cold stimuli. Besides, FaG6PDH-CY was involved in regulating cold-induced activation of antioxidant enzyme genes (FaSOD, FaCAT, FaAPX and FaGR) and RBOH-dependent ROS generation. The elevated FaG6PDH-CY enhanced ROS-scavenging capability of antioxidant enzymes to suppress ROS excessive accumulation and relieved the oxidative damage, eventually improving the strawberry resistance to cold stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapid economic growth in China since 1978, rural-urban inequality has widened. High levels of socioeconomic inequality can have profound implications for child development and lifelong educational equity. Using a dataset containing early childhood development (ECD) outcomes of 0- to 3-year-olds (N = 9,053) from study sites in Eastern, Central, and Western China, the study finds that the risks of cognitive, language, and motor delay are, respectively, 43.2, 18.3, and 20.7 percentage points higher in rural study sites than in urban Shanghai (ps <.01). Impact evaluation of cluster-randomized experiments shows that parental training (focusing on child psychosocial stimulation and caregiver-child interaction) can improve parenting beliefs and practices (or investments) and ECD outcomes of disadvantaged rural children (p<.01). Such programs can play an important role in advancing progress toward more social equality and economic equity, the stated goals of China's "Common Prosperity" policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mother–child interaction is highly dynamic and reciprocal. Switching roles in these back‐and‐forth interactions serves as a crucial feature of reciprocal behaviors while the underlying neural entrainment is still not well‐studied. Here, we designed a role‐controlled cooperative task with dual EEG recording to explore how differently two brains interact when mothers and children hold different roles. When children were actors and mothers were observers, mother–child interbrain synchrony emerged primarily within the theta oscillations and the frontal lobe, which highly correlated with children's attachment to their mothers (self‐reported by mothers). When their roles were reversed, this synchrony was shifted to the alpha oscillations and the central area and associated with mothers' perception of their relationship with their children. The results suggested an observer‐actor neural alignment within the actor's oscillations, which was related to the actor‐toward‐observer emotional bonding. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how interbrain synchrony is established and dynamically changed during mother–child reciprocal interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play important roles in plant growth and development, as well as stresses responsiveness. Nowadays, it has been found that LEAs also have function in fruit ripening. However, the comprehensive analysis on a genome-wide basis of LEA family remains limited, and the role of LEA in fruit ripening has not been fully explored yet, especially in strawberry, an economic important plant and ideal material for studying fruit ripening. Results: In this study, a total of 266 putative LEA proteins were identified and characterized in strawberry genome. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that they were mostly localized in chloroplast, cytoplasm and nucleus. Duplication events detection revealed that whole genome duplication or segmental was the main driver for the expansion of LEA family in strawberry. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that FaLEAs were classified into eight groups, among which, LEA2 was the largest subgroup with 179 members, followed by LEA3, dehydrin (DHN), LEA4 and SMP (seed maturation protein). The LEA1 and DHN groups were speculated to play dominant roles in strawberry fruit development and ripening, according to their larger proportion of members detected as differentially expressed genes during such process. Notably, the expression of FaLEA167 belonging to LEA1 group was altered by strawberry maturation, and inhibited by overexpression of negative regulators of ripening (a cytosolic/plastid glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, FaGAPC2 and a cytosolic pyruvate kinase, FaPKc2.2). Subsequently, overexpression of FaLEA167 significantly increased the percentage of fruit at green stage, while reduced the full red fruit proportion. In consistent, the anthocyanins content and the fruit skin color variable reflecting a range from greenness to redness (a* value) were significantly reduced. Whereas, FaLEA167 overexpression apparently up-regulated citric acid, soluble protein and malondialdehyde content, but had no obvious effects on total soluble solids, sugar, flavonoids, phenolics content and antioxidant capacity. Conclusions: These findings not only provided basic information of FaLEA family for further functional research, but also revealed the involvement of FaLEA167 in negatively regulating strawberry fruit ripening, giving new insights into understanding of FaLEA functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the Chinese similar case matching task is to compare the similarity of two case texts with a given anchor text and find out which text is more similar to the anchor text. In the area of law, it plays an important role and has been of interest to many researchers. Previous approaches have compared legal texts only at the text semantic level, without incorporating article information of law. In addition, the position correlation of words in case texts is often important, but it has not been considered in previous approaches. This paper proposes a method which extracts features from the semantic similarity level and from the level of related articles of law, respectively, to enable similarity comparisons of legal case texts. When similarity comparisons are made at the semantic similarity level, a novel capsule network method is proposed based on siamese structure that introduces the position correlation and the routing mechanism within the capsule network is improved so that deep text features between case pairs can be learned. When similarity comparisons are made at the level of related articles of law, related articles of law are selected and coded and interacted with the case text features to generate legal features. Experiment is conducted with a real-world legal text dataset, and the proposed model outperformed all baseline models, demonstrating effectiveness of the proposed model. Further, to confirm the generality of the improved capsule network proposed in the paper on long text datasets, this paper also carried out experiments on two long text datasets, demonstrating effectiveness of the improved capsule network proposed in the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Message: PbMYB1L enhances the cold tolerance and anthocyanin accumulation of transgenic Arabidopsis by regulating the expression of genes related to the cold-responsive genes pathway and anthocyanin synthesis pathway. MYB transcription factors (TFs) have been demonstrated to play diverse roles in plant growth and development. In the present study, we identified a novel R2R3-MYB transcription factor, PbMYB1L, from the peel of 'Red Zaosu' pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), which was induced by cold stress and acted as a positive regulator in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Notably, the transgenic Arabidopsis lines exhibited enhanced tolerance to cold stress. Compared to the Arabidopsis wild-type plants, the transgenic lines displayed longer primary roots and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels including O2−, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, significant upregulation of key cold-responsive genes AtCBF1, AtCBF2, AtCBF3, AtCBF4, and AtKIN1 was observed in the transgenic plants under cold stress conditions compared to wild type. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PbMYB1L had significant anthocyanin accumulation in leaves after cold treatment with quantitative results indicating higher expression of anthocyanin structural genes compared to wild type. These findings suggest that PbMYB1L not only plays a vital role in conferring cold tolerance but also acts as a crucial regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins widely accumulate in the vegetative and reproductive tissues of strawberries and play an important role in stress resistance and fruit quality. Compared with other fruits, little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating anthocyanin accumulation in strawberry vegetative tissues. In this study, we revealed an R2R3–MYB transcription factor, FaMYB10-like (FaMYB10L), which positively regulated anthocyanin accumulation and was induced by light in the petiole and runner of cultivated strawberry. FaMYB10L is a homologue of FveMYB10-like and a nuclear localization protein. Transient overexpression of FaMYB10L in a white fruit strawberry variety (myb10 mutant) rescued fruit pigmentation, and further qR–PCR analysis revealed that FaMYB10L upregulated the expression levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes and transport gene. A dual luciferase assay showed that FaMYB10L could activate the anthocyanin transport gene FaRAP. Anthocyanin accumulation was observed in FaMYB10L-overexpressing strawberry calli, and light treatment enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling indicated that the DEGs involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and induced by light were enriched in FaMYB10L-overexpressing strawberry calli. In addition, yeast two-hybrid assays and luciferase complementation assays indicated that FaMYB10L could interact with bHLH3. These findings enriched the light-involved regulatory network of anthocyanin metabolism in cultivated strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tillering is an important part in strawberry growth, and strawberries can reproduce nutritionally through stolons to generate genetically stable offspring. However, excessive tillering during the fruit-growing stage can negatively impact fruit yield and quality. In this study, different concentrations of exogenous rac-GR24 (GR24) are used to treat the strawberry plants. It was found that GR24 effectively inhibited the sprouting of strawberry stolons, while promoting the growth of the stems and leaves. Among the treatments, the most effective concentration was found to be 5 μmol/L GR24. This treatment resulted in a decrease in the glucose content in the strawberry crowns and also caused changes in the contents of two endogenous phytohormones, gibberellic acid (GA3) and trans-zeatin riboside (tZR). Transcriptome data further suggested that exogenous GR24 may inhibit strawberry plant tillering by affecting various phytohormone signaling pathways and the sugar metabolism pathway. In 5 μmol/L GR24-treated plants, the expression level of type-B response regulator (B-ARR) was down-regulated and the expression level of CYTOKININ RESPONSE 1 (CRE1), histidine-containing phosphotransfer protein (AHP), and type-A response regulator (A-ARR) were up-regulated, suggesting the inhibition of the cytokinin (CTK) signaling pathway. The down-regulation of auxin (AUX) and auxin response factor (ARF), as well as the up-regulation of auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (AUX/IAA), led to the inhibition of the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) signaling pathway. Additionally, the up-regulation of pyrabactin resistance 1/ pyrabactin resistance 1-like (PYR/PYL), non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2), and ABRE binding factors (ABF) and the down-regulation of protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) were observed in the up-regulated abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways. In the sugar metabolism pathway, the up-regulation of invertase (INV), hexokinase (HK), and fructokinase (FRK) and the down-regulation of trehalase (TREH) and beta-amylase (BMY) led to a decreased glucose synthesis and an increased glucose consumption. Therefore, GR24 can effectively inhibit strawberry plant tillering through these pathways, making it an effective reagent for tillering inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GR24, a synthetic strigolactone analogue, plays a crucial role in a wide range of life processes. Studying the effects of the pre-harvest application of GR24 on strawberry ripening and fruit quality provides a scientific basis for the application of GR24 in horticultural crop production. GR24 solutions at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 µmol/L were applied to strawberries at the de-greening stage. The results showed that pre-harvest treatment with 1 µmol/L GR24 increased fruit weight and size; promoted fruit softening; increased the content of sugars, total flavonoids, total phenolics, and anthocyanins, and increased antioxidant activity. These results proved that GR24 effectively accelerated fruit ripening and improved fruit quality. In addition, to gain more insight into the biological mechanism of GR24 in fruit ripening, we conducted a combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. It was found that the differences were related to sugar and flavonoid biosynthesis, particularly in the later stage of fruit ripening. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that GR24 increased gene expression activity and metabolite accumulation in the anthocyanin and sugar biosynthetic pathway, thereby promoting strawberry color and flavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strawberry has received much attention due to its nutritional value, unique flavor, and attractive appearance. The availability of the whole genome sequence and multiple transcriptome databases allows the great possibility to explore gene functions, comprehensively. Gene expression profiles of a target gene can provide clues towards the understanding of its biological function. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a preferred method for rapid quantification of gene expression. The accuracy of the results obtained by this method requires the reference genes with consistently stable expression to normalize its data. Results: In present study, the expression stability of seven candidate reference genes in diverse sample subsets of different tissues and fruit developmental stages, and plant subjected to light quality and low temperature treatments was evaluated using three statistical algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. Our data indicated that the expression stability of reference genes varied under different experimental conditions. Overall, DBP, HISTH4, ACTIN1 and GAPDH expressed much more stably. PIRUV, ACTIN2 and 18S were not recommended for normalization in given experimental conditions due to low stability. In addition, the relative expression pattern of HY5 (ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5) was conducted to further confirm the reliability of the reference genes, which demonstrated the correct adoption of reference genes was of great importance in qRT-PCR analysis. Conclusions: Expression stability of reference genes from strawberry varied across selected experimental conditions. Systematic validation of reference genes prior to calculation of target gene expression level should be done to improve the accuracy and consistency of qRT-PCR analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light conditions can cause quantitative and qualitative changes in anthocyanin. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism of light quality-regulated anthocyanin accumulation in fruits. In this study, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were applied to explore the effect of red and blue light on strawberry coloration. The results showed contents of total anthocyanins (TA), pelargonidin 3-glucoside (Pg3G) and pelargonidin 3-malonylglucoside (Pg3MG) significantly increased after blue and red light treatment. Pg3G was the major anthocyanin component in strawberry fruits, accounting for more than 80% of TA, whereas Pg3MG accounted for a smaller proportion. Comparative transcriptome analysis was conducted using libraries from the treated strawberries. A total of 1402, 5034, and 3764 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in three pairwise comparisons (red light versus white light, RL-VS-WL; blue light versus white light, BL-VS-WL; blue light versus red light, BL-VS-RL), respectively. Photoreceptors and light transduction components remained dynamic to up-regulate the expression of regulatory factors and structural genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis under red and white light, whereas most genes had low expression levels that were not consistent with the highest total anthocyanin content under blue light. Therefore, the results indicated that light was an essential environmental factor for anthocyanin biosynthesis before the anthocyanin concentration reached saturation in strawberry fruits, and blue light could quickly stimulate the accumulation of anthocyanin in the fruit. In addition, red light might contribute to the synthesis of proanthocyanidins by inducing LAR and ANR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is marked by seizures stemming from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, causing involuntary movement or behavior. Many scientists have been working hard to explore the cause of epilepsy and seek the prevention and treatment. In the field of machine learning, epileptic diagnosis based on EEG signal has been a very hot research topic; many methods have been proposed, and considerable progress has been achieved. However, resorting the epileptic diagnosis techniques based on EEG to the reality applications still faces many challenges. Low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is one of the most important methodological challenges for EEG data collection and analysis. This paper discusses an automated diagnostic method for epileptic detection using a Fréchet Mean embedded in the Grassmann manifold analysis. Fréchet mean-based Grassmann discriminant analysis (FMGDA) algorithm to implement the EEG data dimensionality reduction and clustering task. The method is resorted to reduce Grassmann data from high-dimensional data to a relative lower-dimensional data and maximize between-class distance and minimize within-class distance simultaneously. Every EEG feature is mapped into the Grassmann manifold space first and then resort the Fréchet mean to represent the clustering center to carry out the clustering work. We designed a detailed experimental scheme to test the performance of our proposed algorithm; the test is assessed on several benchmark datasets. Experimental results have delivered that our approach leads to a significant improvement over state-of-the-art Grassmann manifold methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract \nThe home language environment is a significant correlate of early childhood development outcomes; however, less is known about this mechanism in rural and peri-urban China where rates of developmental delay are as high as 52%. This study examines associations between the home language environment and child development in a sample of 158 children (58% boys) aged 18–24 months (Mage  = 21.5) from rural and peri-urban households in Western China. Results show a significant association between adult-child conversation count and language development, suggesting the home language environment may be a mechanism for child development in rural and peri-urban China. 22.5% of the sample were at risk of language delay. Mother’s employment and child’s age were significant factors in the home language environment. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS This research investigates the links between the home language environment and ECD in rural and peri-urban communities in China. This study shows significant positive associations between measures of the home language environment and language development outcomes, as well as with overall ECD outcomes. Adult-child conversations were more important for language development outcomes than was the number of adult words spoken. Female-initiated conversations were more important than child-initiated conversations for language development. This research investigates the links between the home language environment and ECD in rural and peri-urban communities in China.This study shows significant positive associations between measures of the home language environment and language development outcomes, as well as with overall ECD outcomes.Adult-child conversations were more important for language development outcomes than was the number of adult words spoken.Female-initiated conversations were more important than child-initiated conversations for language development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunization is one of the most far-reaching and cost-effective strategies for promoting good health and saving lives. A complex immunization schedule, however, may be burdensome to parents and lead to reduced vaccine compliance and completion. Thus, it is critical to develop combination vaccines to reduce the number of injections and simplify the immunization schedule. This study aimed to investigate the current status of the pentavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis inactivated poliomyelitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate (DTaP-IPV/Hib) vaccination in Southern China as well as explore the factors in the general population associated with uptake and the differences between urban and rural populations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with recently enrolled kindergarten students in Hainan Province between December 2022 and January 2023. The study employed a stratified multistage cluster random sampling method. Information regarding the demographic characteristics and factors that influence decisions were collected from the caregivers of children via an online questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the status of DTap-IPV/Hib vaccinations. Results: Of the 4818 valid responses, 95.3% of children were aged 3–4 years, and 2856 (59.3%) held rural hukou. Coverage rates of the DTaP-IPV/Hib vaccine, from 1 to 4 doses, were 24.4%, 20.7%, 18.5%, and 16.0%, respectively. Caregivers who are concerned about vaccine efficacy [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30–1.79], the manufacturer (aOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.69–2.49), and a simple immunization schedule (aOR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04–1.54) are factors associated with a higher likelihood of vaccinating children against DTaP-IPV/Hib. In addition, caregivers in urban areas showed more concern about the vaccine price (P = 0.010) and immunization schedule (P = 0.022) in regard to vaccinating children. Conclusions: The DTaP-IPV/Hib vaccine coverage rate in Hainan Province remains low. Factors such as lower socioeconomic status, cultural beliefs, concerns about vaccine safety, and cost may hinder caregivers from vaccinating their children. Further measures, such as health education campaigns to raise knowledge and awareness, and encouragement of domestic vaccine innovation, which would reduce out-of-pocket costs, could be implemented to improve the coverage of DTap-IPV/Hib vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celery (Apium graveolens L.) is an important vegetable crop cultivated worldwide for its medicinal properties and distinctive flavor. Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis is a valuable tool for the identification and classification of species. Currently, less research has been conducted on aroma compounds in different celery varieties and colors. In this study, five different colored celery were quantitatively analyzed for VOCs using HS-SPME, GC-MS determination, and stoichiometry methods. The result revealed that γ-terpinene, d-limonene, 2-hexenal,-(E)-, and β-myrcene contributed primarily to the celery aroma. The composition of compounds in celery exhibited a correlation not only with the color of the variety, with green celery displaying a higher concentration compared with other varieties, but also with the specific organ, whereby the content and distribution of volatile compounds were primarily influenced by the leaf rather than the petiole. Seven key genes influencing terpenoid synthesis were screened to detect expression levels. Most of the genes exhibited higher expression in leaves than petioles. In addition, some genes, particularly AgDXS and AgIDI, have higher expression levels in celery than other genes, thereby influencing the regulation of terpenoid synthesis through the MEP and MVA pathways, such as hydrocarbon monoterpenes. This study identified the characteristics of flavor compounds and key aroma components in different colored celery varieties and explored key genes involved in the regulation of terpenoid synthesis, laying a theoretical foundation for understanding flavor chemistry and improving its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit softening is a crucial factor that controls shelf life and commercial value. Pectate lyase (PL) has a major role in strawberry fruit softening. However, the PL gene family in strawberry has not been comprehensively analyzed. In this study, 65 FaPL genes were identified in the octoploid strawberry genome. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that FaPLs are mostly localized to the extracellular and cytoplasmic spaces. Duplication event analysis suggested that FaPL gene family expansion is mainly driven by whole genome or segmental duplication. The FaPL family members were classified into six groups according to the phylogenetic analysis. Among them, FaPL1, 3, 5, 20, 25, 42, and 57 had gradually increased expressions during strawberry fruit development and ripening and higher expression levels in the fruits with less firmness than that in firmer fruit. This result suggested that these members are involved in strawberry softening. Furthermore, overexpression of FaPL1 significantly reduced the fruit firmness, ascorbic acid (AsA), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content but obviously increased the anthocyanins, soluble proteins, and titratable acidity (TA), while it had no apparent effects on flavonoids, phenolics, and soluble sugar content. These findings provide basic information on the FaPL gene family for further functional research and indicate that FaPL1 plays a vital role in strawberry fruit softening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MYB and BBX transcription factors play important roles in flavonoid biosynthesis. Here, we obtained transgenic woodland strawberry with stable overexpression of FaMYB5, demonstrating that FaMYB5 can increase anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin content in roots, stems and leaves of woodland strawberry. In addition, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays and yeast two-hybridization demonstrated that the N-terminal (1-99aa) of FaBBX24 interacts with FaMYB5. Transient co-expression of FaBBX24 and FaMYB5 in cultivated strawberry 'Xiaobai' showed that co-expression strongly promoted the expression of F3′H, 4CL-2, TT12, AHA10 and ANR and then increased the content of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin in strawberry fruits. We also determined that FaBBX24 is also a positive regulator of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in strawberry. The results reveal a novel mechanism by which the FaMYB5–FaBBX24 module collaboratively regulates anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin in strawberry fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red pears are appreciated for their abundant nutritional benefits and visually striking red hue, rendering them a favored option among consumers and stimulating substantial market demand. The present study employs the flesh of a red pear as the explant, subjecting the flesh callus to varying sugar sources, MS concentrations, light qualities, and temperatures to investigate the alterations in secondary metabolites, including anthocyanins, within the callus. It was found that sucrose can induce more anthocyanins, and its related metabolites and genes also increase as the sucrose and MS concentrations increase. Under the conditions of red-blue light and a temperature of 15 °C, it can further induce the production of more anthocyanins and secondary metabolites and can also upregulate the synthesis of anthocyanin-related genes. As such, this investigation serves to elucidate the factors that contribute to anthocyanin accumulation in red pears, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for understanding the mechanisms underlying color change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a common pathological process caused by various acute and chronic liver injury factors, which is mainly characterized by inflammation and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the liver. A better understanding of the mechanisms leading to liver fibrosis helps develop better treatments. The exosome is a crucial vesicle secreted by almost all cells, containing nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, cytokines, and other bioactive components, which play an important role in the transmission of intercellular material and information. Recent studies have shown the relevance of exosomes in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis, and exosomes dominate an essential role in hepatic fibrosis. In this review, we systematically analyze and summarize exosomes from diverse cell sources as potential promoters, inhibitors, and even treatments for hepatic fibrosis to provide a clinical reference for exosomes as the diagnostic target or therapeutic means of hepatic fibrosis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is a worldwide demanded edible fruit with high economic and nutritional value; however, a very short storage life largely limits its supply and marketing. In this study, strawberries were treated using sodium selenite with different concentrations (6, 12, 18, and 24 mg/L), and the postharvest fruit quality and resistance to Botrytis cinerea were substantially assessed. Among all concentrations, 12 mg/L Se was the most effective treatment, which maintained fruit skin brightness, reduced natural decay incidence, severity, and weight loss, increased the Se content in fruit, and thus maintained the postharvest fruit quality of the strawberry. Furthermore, strawberries treated with 12 mg/L Se had lower flavonoid, phenolic, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, H2O2, and O2− contents compared to the control and, correspondingly, lower antioxidant capacity; moreover, 12 mg/L Se treatment decreased the decay incidence and severity caused by the infection of B. cinerea. Collectively, our findings may provide a reference for developing safe and environmentally friendly alternative methods to sustain quality and manage gray mold in postharvest strawberries as well as other horticultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is a crucial water-soluble antioxidant in strawberry fruit, but limited research is currently available on the identification and functional validation of key genes involved in AsA metabolism in strawberries. This study analyzed the FaMDHAR gene family identification, which includes 168 genes. Most of the products of these genes are predicted to exist in the chloroplast and cytoplasm. The promoter region is rich in cis-acting elements related to plant growth and development, stress and light response. Meanwhile, the key gene FaMDHAR50 that positively regulates AsA regeneration was identified through comparative transcriptome analysis of 'Benihoppe' strawberry (WT) and its natural mutant (MT) with high AsA content (83 mg/100 g FW). The transient overexpression experiment further showed that overexpression of FaMDHAR50 significantly enhanced the AsA content by 38% in strawberry fruit, with the upregulated expression of structural genes involved in AsA biosynthesis (FaGalUR and FaGalLDH) and recycling and degradation (FaAPX, FaAO and FaDHAR) compared with that of the control. Moreover, increased sugar (sucrose, glucose and fructose) contents and decreased firmness and citric acid contents were observed in the overexpressed fruit, which were accompanied by the upregulation of FaSNS, FaSPS, FaCEL1 and FaACL, as well as the downregulation of FaCS. Additionally, the content of pelargonidin 3-glucoside markedly decreased, while cyanidin chloride increased significantly. In summary, FaMDHAR50 is a key positive regulatory gene involved in AsA regeneration in strawberry fruit, which also plays an important role in the formation of fruit flavor, apperance and texture during strawberry fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Flavonoids have a major contribution to the fruit quality in cultivated strawberries and are regulated by MYB, bHLH and WD40 transcriptional factors. We reported here the identification of the FaMYB5, an R2R3‐MYB transcription factor, which positively regulated the accumulation of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins through the trans‐activation of the F3'H and LAR. The strawberry FaEGL3 and FaLWD1/FaLWD1‐like interact with the R2R3‐FaMYB5 to form an MYB‐bHLH‐WD40 complex (MBW), enhancing the regulatory efficiency. The R2R3‐FaMYB5 was constitutively expressed in various tissues and in fruits of different developmental stages, which was strikingly contrasting to the fruit‐specific expression patterns of FaMYB10. Meanwhile, R2R3‐FaMYB5 failed to promote a stable accumulation of anthocyanin glycosides in the mature fruits of the myb10 mutant, mainly due to the suppressed expression of TT19. The R2R3‐FaMYB5 was regulated by an antisense long noncoding RNA lncRNA‐myb5. Additionally, the R2R3‐FaMYB5 protein could interact with FaBT2 and was degraded through the ubiquitin/26 S proteasome pathway. Transcriptome and metabolome data showed that R2R3‐FaMYB5 enhanced the gene expression and the metabolite accumulation involved in the flavonoid, phenylpropanoid and lignin biosynthesis pathways. Collectively, we conclude that the FaMYB5 is an R2R3‐MYB activator involved in the composition of MBW, which positively regulates the biosynthesis of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin. These findings provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate flavonoids in strawberry fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus plants are sensitive to waterlogging, and the roots are the first plant organ affected by hypoxic stress. The AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding factors) can modulate plant growth and development. However, the information on AP2/ERF genes in citrus rootstock and their involvement in waterlogging conditions is limited. Previously, a rootstock cultivar, Citrus junos cv. Pujiang Xiangcheng was found to be highly tolerant to waterlogging stress. In this study, a total of 119 AP2/ERF members were identified in the C. junos genome. Conserved motif and gene structure analyses indicated the evolutionary conservation of PjAP2/ERFs. Syntenic gene analysis revealed 22 collinearity pairs among the 119 PjAP2/ERFs. The expression profiles under waterlogging stress showed differential expression of PjAP2/ERFs, of which, PjERF13 was highly expressed in both root and leaf. Furthermore, the heterologous expression of PjERF13 significantly enhanced the tolerance of transgenic tobacco to waterlogging stress. The overexpression of PjERF13 decreased the oxidative damage in the transgenic plants by reducing the H2O2 and MDA contents and increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities in the root and leaf. Overall, the current study provided basic information on the AP2/ERF family in the citrus rootstock and uncovered their potential function in positively regulating the waterlogging stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between dietary patterns and precocious puberty among Shanghai children. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Shanghai children by multistage stratified cluster random sampling in June 2014. Diet was assessed using a simplified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Height, weight, and Tanner stages of breast development, pubic hair growth, and testicular volume were carefully measured. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns, and logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between dietary patterns and precocious puberty. Results. Three distinct dietary patterns, “traditional diet,” “unhealthy diet,” and “protein diet,” were established. Neither the “traditional diet” pattern nor the “protein diet” pattern showed any association with precocious puberty, taking gender, BMI, and adjustment factors into consideration. The “unhealthy diet” pattern was significantly positively associated with precocious puberty in both boys (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.02–1.51) and girls (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.10–1.56). The relationship remained positive only for girls (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04–1.49) after adjustment for age and BMI but statistically nonsignificant after further adjustment for socioeconomic factors in both boys and girls. Conclusions. Dietary patterns were found to be related to precocious puberty among Shanghai children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of detached ripening is significant for prolonging fruit shelf life. Although light quality and sucrose affecting strawberry fruit ripening have been widely reported, little information is available about how they co-regulate the strawberry detached ripening process. In this study, different light qualities (red light—RL, blue light—BL, and white light—WL) and 100 mM sucrose were applied to regulate the ripening of initial red fruits detached from the plant. The results showed RL-treated samples (RL + H2O, RL + 100 mM sucrose) had brighter and purer skin color with a higher L*, b*, and C* value, and promoted the ascorbic acid. Almost all light treatments significantly decreased TSS/TA (total soluble solid/titratable acid) and soluble sugar/TA ratio, which is exacerbated by the addition of sucrose. Blue or red light in combination with sucrose notably increased total phenolic content and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. In addition, blue or red light combined with sucrose increased abscisic acid (ABA) content and promoted ABA signaling by inducing ABA-INSENSITIVE 4 (ABI4) expression and inhibiting SUCROSE NONFERMENTING1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 2.6 (SnRK2.6) expression. The strawberries exposed to blue and red light significantly improved auxin (IAA) content compared to the control (0 d), whereas the addition of sucrose inhibited IAA accumulation. Moreover, sucrose treatment suppressed the AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID 11 (AUX/IAA11) and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 6 (ARF6) expression under different light qualities. Overall, these results indicated that RL/BL + 100 mM sucrose might promote the detached ripening of strawberries by regulating abscisic acid and auxin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cherry [Cerasus pseudocerasus (Lindl.) G. Don] is an important fruit tree from China that has excellent ornamental, economic, and nutritional values with various colors. The dark-red or red coloration of fruit, an attractive trait for consumers, is determined by anthocyanin pigmentation. In this study, the coloring patterns during fruit development in dark-red and yellow Chinese cherry fruits were firstly illustrated by integrated transcriptome and widely-targeted metabolome analyses. Anthocyanin accumulation in dark-red fruits was significantly higher compared with yellow fruits from the color conversion period, being positively correlated to the color ratio. Based on transcriptome analysis, eight structural genes (CpCHS, CpCHI, CpF3H, CpF3'H, CpDFR, CpANS, CpUFGT, and CpGST) were significantly upregulated in dark-red fruits from the color conversion period, especially CpANS, CpUFGT, and CpGST. On contrary, the expression level of CpLAR were considerably higher in yellow fruits than in dark-red fruits, especially at the early stage. Eight regulatory genes (CpMYB4, CpMYB10, CpMYB20, CpMYB306, bHLH1, CpNAC10, CpERF106, and CpbZIP4) were also identified as determinants of fruit color in Chinese cherry. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry identified 33 and 3 differential expressed metabolites related to anthocyanins and procyanidins between mature dark-red and yellow fruits. Cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside was the predominant anthocyanin compound in both fruits, while it was 6.23-fold higher in dark-red than in yellow fruits. More accumulated flavanol and procyanidin contents resulted in less anthocyanin content in flavonoid pathway in yellow fruits due to the higher expression level of CpLAR. These findings can help understand the coloring mechanism of dark-red and yellow fruits in Chinese cherry, and provide genetic basis for breeding new cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]