A novel pathogen Fusarium cuneirostrum causing common bean(Phaseolus vulgaris)root rot in China

Several fungal pathogens cause root rot of common bean,among which Fusarium spp.are the most common pathogens causing Fusarium root rot(FRR)worldwide.FRR has been becoming an increasingly severe disease of common bean in China,but the species of Fusarium spp.have remained unclear.Thus,this study was performed to identify the pathogen causing common bean root rot in Liangcheng County,Inner Mongolia,China.Nineteen Fusarium-like isolates were obtained after pathogen isolation and purification.The pathogenicity test indicated that eight isolates caused severe disease symptoms on common bean,while 11 other isolates were not pathogenic.The eight pathogenic isolates,FCL1–FCL8,were identified as Fusarium cuneirostrum by morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis using partial sequences of EF-1α,ITS,28S,and IGS regions.Host range test showed that the representative F.cuneirostrum isolate FCL3 was also pathogenic to mung bean,while not pathogenic to adzuki bean,chickpea,cowpea,faba bean,pea,and soybean.Moreover,50 common bean and 50 mung bean cultivars were screened for resistance to FRR,and seven highly resistant or resistant cultivars of common bean were identified,while no resistant cultivars of mung bean were screened.This study revealed that F.cuneirostrum was one of common bean FRR pathogens in Inner Mongolia and it could induce mung bean root rot as well.To our knowledge,this is the first report of F.cuneirostrum causing FRR of common bean in China.

Numerical Simulation-Based Analysis of the Impact of Overloading on Segmentally Assembled Bridges

Segmentally assembled bridges are increasinglyfinding engineering applications in recent years due to their unique advantages,especially as urban viaducts.Vehicle loads are one of the most important variable loads acting on bridge structures.Accordingly,the influence of overloaded vehicles on existing assembled bridge structures is an urgent concern at present.This paper establishes thefinite element model of the segmentally assembled bridge based on ABAQUS software and analyzes the influence of vehicle overload on an assembled girder bridge struc-ture.First,afinite element model corresponding to the target bridge is established based on ABAQUS software,and the load is controlled to simulate vehicle movement in each area of the traveling zone at different times.Sec-ond,the key cross-sections of segmental girder bridges are monitored in real time based on the force character-istics of continuous girder bridges,and they are compared with the simulation results.Finally,a material damage ontology model is introduced,and the structural damage caused by different overloading rates is compared and analyzed.Results show that thefinite element modeling method is accurate by comparing with on-site measured data,and it is suitable for the numerical simulation of segmental girder bridges;Dynamic sensors installed at 1/4L,1/2L,and 3/4L of the segmental girder main beams could be used to identify the dynamic response of segmental girder bridges;The bottom plate of the segmental girder bridge is mostly damaged at the position where the length of the precast beam section changes and the midspan position.With the increase in load,damage in the direction of the bridge develops faster than that in the direction of the transverse bridge.Thefindings of this study can guide maintenance departments in the management and maintenance of bridges and vehicles.

The diverse roles of cytokinins in regulating leaf development

Leaves provide energy for plants,and consequently for animals,through photosynthesis.Despite their important functions,plant leaf developmental processes and their underlying mechanisms have not been well characterized.Here,we provide a holistic description of leaf developmental processes that is centered on cytokinins and their signaling functions.Cytokinins maintain the growth potential(pluripotency)of shoot apical meristems,which provide stem cells for the generation of leaf primordia during the initial stage of leaf formation;cytokinins and auxins,as well as their interaction,determine the phyllotaxis pattern.The activities of cytokinins in various regions of the leaf,especially at the margins,collectively determine the final leaf morphology(e.g.,simple or compound).The area of a leaf is generally determined by the number and size of the cells in the leaf.Cytokinins promote cell division and increase cell expansion during the proliferation and expansion stages of leaf cell development,respectively.During leaf senescence,cytokinins reduce sugar accumulation,increase chlorophyll synthesis,and prolong the leaf photosynthetic period.We also briefly describe the roles of other hormones,including auxin and ethylene,during the whole leaf developmental process.In this study,we review the regulatory roles of cytokinins in various leaf developmental stages,with a focus on cytokinin metabolism and signal transduction processes,in order to shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying leaf development.

Reliability of nephrolithometric nomograms in patients treated with minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A precision study

Objectives:The study aimed to evaluate quality of nephrolithometric nomograms to predict stone-free rates(SFRs)and complication rates(CRs)in case of minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PNL).In the last decade,nomograms have been introduced to estimate the SFRs and CRs of PNL.However,no data are available regarding their reliability in case of utilization of miniaturized devices.Herein we present a prospective multicentric study to evaluate reliability of Guy’s stone score(GSS),the stone size,tract length,obstruction,number of involved calyces,and essence of stone(S.T.O.N.E.)nephrolithometry score and Clinical Research Office of the Endourological Society(CROES)score in patients treated with minimally invasive PNL.Methods:We evaluated SFRs and CRs of 222 adult patients treated with miniaturized PNL.Patients were considered stone-free if no residual fragments of any size at post-operative unenhanced computed tomography scan.Patients demographics,SFRs,and CRs were reported and analyzed.Performances of nomograms were evaluated with the area under the curve(AUC).Results:We included 222 patients,the AUCs of GSS,CROES score,and S.T.O.N.E.nephrolithometry score were 0.69(95%confidence interval[CI]0.61-0.78),0.64(95%CI 0.56-0.73),and 0.62(95%CI 0.52-0.71),respectively.Regarding SFRs,at multivariate binomial logistic regression,only the GSS had significance with an odds ratio of 0.53(95%CI 0.31e0.95,p=0.04).We did not find significant correlation with complications,with only a trend for GSS.Conclusion:This is the first study evaluating nomograms in miniaturized PNL.They still show good reliability;however,our data showed lower performances compared to standard PNL.We emphasize the need of further studies to confirm this trend.A dedicated nomogram for minimally invasive PNL may be necessary.

The application of indocyanine green in guiding prostate cancer treatment

Objective:Indocyanine green(ICG)with near-infrared fluorescence absorption is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for clinical applications in angiography,blood flow evaluation,and liver function assessment.It has strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region,where light can penetrate deepest into biological tissue.We sought to review its value in guiding prostate cancer treatment.Methods:All related literature at PubMed from January 2000 to December 2020 were reviewed.Results:Multiple preclinical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of ICG in identifying prostate cancer by using different engineering techniques.Clinical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of ICG in guiding sentinel node dissection during radical prostatectomy,and possible better preservation of neurovascular bundle by identifying landmark prostatic arteries.New techniques such as adding fluorescein in additional to ICG were tested in a limited number of patients with encouraging result.In addition,the use of the ICG was shown to be safe.Even though there are encouraging results,it does not carry sufficient sensitivity and specificity in replacing extended pelvic lymph node dissection during radical prostatectomy.Conclusion:Multiple preclinical and clinical studies have shown the usefulness of ICG in identifying and guiding treatment for prostate cancer.Larger randomized prospective studies are warranted to further test its usefulness and find new modified approaches.

Fast object detection based on binary deep convolution neural networks

In this study,a fast object detection algorithm based on binary deep convolution neural networks(CNNs)is proposed.Convolution kernels of different sizes are used to predict classes and bounding boxes of multi-scale objects directly in the last feature map of a deep CNN.In this way,rapid object detection with acceptable precision loss is achieved.In addition,binary quantisation for weight values and input data of each layer is used to squeeze the networks for faster object detection.Compared to full-precision convolution,the proposed binary deep CNNs for object detection results in 62 times faster convolutional operations and 32 times memory saving in theory,what’s more,the proposed method is easy to be implemented in embedded computing systems because of the binary operation for convolution and low memory requirement.Experimental results on Pascal VOC2007 validate the effectiveness of the authors’proposed method.

A systems biology approach identifies a regulator,BplERF1,of cold tolerance in Betula platyphylla

Cold is an abiotic stress that can greatly affect the growth and survival of plants.Here,we reported that an AP2/ERF family gene,BplERF1,isolated from Betula platyphylla played a contributing role in cold stress tolerance.Overexpression of BplERF1 in B.platyphylla transgenic lines enhanced cold stress tolerance by increasing the scavenging capability and reducing H_(2)O_(2) and malondialdehyde(MDA)content in transgenic plants.Construction of BplERF-mediated multilayered hierarchical gene regulatory network(ML-hGRN),using Top-down GGM algorithm and the transcriptomic data of BplERF1 overexpression lines,led to the identification of five candidate target genes of BplERF1 which include MPK20,ERF9,WRKY53,WRKY70,and GIA1.All of them were then verified to be the true target genes of BplERF1 by chromatin-immunoprecipitation PCR(ChIP-PCR)assay.Our results indicate that BplERF1 is a positive regulator of cold tolerance and is capable of exerting regulation on the expression of cold signaling and regulatory genes,causing mitigation of reactive oxygen species.

A Homozygotic Mutation in KDSR may Cause Keratinization Disorders and Thrombocytopenia: A Case Report

Pathogenic mutations in 3-keto-dihydrosphingosine reductase(KDSR)gene are associated with keratinization disorders and impaired platelet function.However,no case with both homozygotic mutation of KDSR and hepatic hemangioendothelioma has ever been reported due to its low prevalence.Here we report a seven months old Chinese boy with a homozygotic missense mutation in KDSR and both of his parents carry a same heterozygous mutation.He was born with thick plate-like scales overlying erythrodermic skin,but the skin symptoms were resolved spontaneously over the first month of his birth.He was also diagnosed with hepatic hemangioendothelioma at birth and accepted a resection surgery at 2 months old.At birth,his platelet count was severely low(10-20×10~9/L)with recurrent skin and gingival bleeding.Meanwhile,he suffered a mild normocytic,normochromic anemia with normal iron and hematinic levels.The anemia spontaneously recovered over the first 6 months,while the platelet count keeped at a low level(4-20×10~9/L).Treatment with corticosteroids,immunoglobulin or thrombopoietin was all suboptimal.

Spatiotemporal miRNA and transcriptomic network dynamically regulate the developmental and senescence processes of poplar leaves

Poplar is an important afforestation and urban greening species.Poplar leaf development occurs in stages,from young to mature and then from mature to senescent;these are accompanied by various phenotypic and physiological changes.However,the associated transcriptional regulatory network is relatively unexplored.We first used principal component analysis to classify poplar leaves at different leaf positions into two stages:developmental maturity(the stage of maximum photosynthetic capacity);and the stage when photosynthetic capacity started to decline and gradually changed to senescence.The two stages were then further subdivided into five intervals by gene expression clustering analysis:young leaves,the period of cell genesis and functional differentiation(L1);young leaves,the period of development and initial formation of photosynthetic capacity(L3-L7);the period of maximum photosynthetic capacity of functional leaves(L9-L13);the period of decreasing photosynthetic capacity of functional leaves(L15-L27);and the period of senescent leaves(L29).Using a weighted co-expression gene network analysis of regulatory genes,high-resolution spatiotemporal transcriptional regulatory networks were constructed to reveal the core regulators that regulate leaf development.Spatiotemporal transcriptome data of poplar leaves revealed dynamic changes in genes and miRNAs during leaf development and identified several core regulators of leaf development,such as GRF5 and MYB5.This in-depth analysis of transcriptional regulation during leaf development provides a theoretical basis for exploring the biological basis of the transcriptional regulation of leaf development and the molecular design of breeding for delaying leaf senescence.

Defect engineering of molybdenum disulfide through ion irradiation to boost hydrogen evolution reaction performance

The inert basal plane of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) restrains its further hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance.This work attempts ion irradiation to activate inert basal plane of MoS2 nanosheet to improve its electrocatalytic performance.Experimental results demonstrate the sulphur vacancies generated by ion irradiation on the basal plane of MoS2 mainly boost the efficiency of HER performance.The moderate fluence of carbon ion irradiation gains the optimum HER performance with an onset potential of 77 mV and Tafel slope of 66 mV/dec.

Modification of physicochemical properties and degradation of barley flour upon enzymatic extrusion

In order to evaluate the application potential of enzyme-extruded barley flour(EEBF)in the brewing of whole-barley beer,the physicochemical properties,mashing and fermentation effects of EEBF were studied,and conventional extruded barley flour(CEBF)and steam-cooked barley flour(SCBF)were taken as controls.The water solubility index(WSI)of EEBF(46.88%-52.63%)was much higher than that of CEBF(6.70%)and SCBF(4.59%).The results of degree of gelatinization(DG)and enthalpy(ΔH)suggested that EEBF was almost completely gelatinized,and the rapid visco analyzer(RVA)exhibited that the peak viscosity of EEBF was drastically reduced.The weight-average molecular weight of EEBF(<10^(6) g/mol)was significantly lower than that of CEBF and SCBF.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)showed that the heat-treatments caused starch granules to break and aggregate,and there were many hydrolyzed pores on the surface of EEBF.Both the long-and short-range order of EEBF were destroyed.Although EEBF caused serious filtration blocking,it greatly improved the alcohol content of finished beer(5.41%vol).Overall,the thermal modification of barley flour by enzyme-extrusion meets the needs of fermentation,and could improve the problem of limited leaching of unmalted barley,which was benefit for the production of whole-barley beer.

Economic potentials of energy storage technologies in electricity markets with renewables

The increasing penetration of renewables in power systems urgently entails the utilization of energy storage technologies.As the development of energy storage technologies depends highly on the profitability in electricity markets,to evaluate the economic potentials for various types of energy storage technologies under the compre-hensive market environment is of great significance.To this end,this study aims at conducting a quantitative analysis on the economic potentials for typical energy storage technologies by establishing a joint clearing model for electric energy and ancillary service(AS)markets considering the operating features of energy storage systems(ESSs).Furthermore,a test system is adopted for numerical analysis that accurately represents for the real-world operation characteristics of power systems in China,with which the market prices,and operation schedules and profitability of ESSs are comparatively studied.The proposed methodology and results could provide benefi-cial references for the modifications on electricity markets and the development of ESSs towards the increasing penetration of renewables in power systems.

Inhibition of LIM kinase reduces contraction and proliferation in bladder smooth muscle

Overactive bladder(OAB)is the most bothersome symptom in lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS).Current pharmacologic treatment aims to inhibit detrusor contraction;however,shows unsatisfied efficacy and high discontinuation rate.LIM kinases(LIMKs)promote smooth muscle contraction in the prostate;however,their function in the bladder smooth muscle remains unclear.Here,we studied effects of the LIMK inhibitors on bladder smooth muscle contraction and proliferation both in vitro and in vivo experiments.Bladder expressions of LIMKs are elevated in OAB rat detrusor tissues.Two LIMK inhibitors,SR7826 and LIMKi3,inhibit contraction of human detrusor strip,and cause actin filament breakdown,as well as cell proliferation reduction in cultured human bladder smooth muscle cells(HBSMCs),paralleled by reduced cofilin phosphorylation.Silencing of LIMK1 and LIMK2 in HBSMCs resulted in breakdown of actin filaments and decreased cell proliferation.Treatment with SR7826 or LIMKi3 decreased micturition frequency and bladder detrusor hypertrophy in rats with bladder outlet obstruction.Our study suggests that LIMKs may promote contraction and proliferation in the bladder smooth muscle,which could be inhibited by small molecule LIMK inhibitors.LIMK inhibitors could be a potential therapeutic strategy for OAB-related LUTS.

Visual knowledge guided intelligent generation of Chinese seal carving

We digitally reproduce the process of resource collaboration,design creation,and visual presentation of Chinese seal-carving art.We develop an intelligent seal-carving art-generation system(Zhejiang University Intelligent Seal-Carving System,http://www.next.zju.edu.cn/seal/;the website of the seal-carving search and layout system is http://www.next.zju.edu.cn/seal/search_app/)to deal with the difficulty in using a visual knowledge guided computational art approach.The knowledge base in this study is the Qiushi Seal-Carving Database,which consists of open datasets of images of seal characters and seal stamps.We propose a seal character generation method based on visual knowledge,guided by the database and expertise.Furthermore,to create the layout of the seal,we propose a deformation algorithm to adjust the seal characters and calculate layout parameters from the database and knowledge to achieve an intelligent structure.Experimental results show that this method and system can effectively deal with the difficulties in the generation of seal carving.Our work provides theoretical and applied references for the rebirth and innovation of seal-carving art.

Removal of the rate table:MEMS gyrocompass with virtual maytagging

High-performance micro-electro-mechanical system(MEMS)gyrocompasses for north-finding systems have been very popular for decades.In this paper,a MEMS north-finding system(NFS)based on virtual maytagging(VM)is presented for the first time.In stark contrast to previous schemes of MEMS-based NFSs(e.g.,carouseling,maytagging)and the abandoning rate table,we developed a honeycomb disk resonator gyroscope(HDRG)and two commercial accelerometers for azimuth detection.Instead of the physical rotation of the integrated turntable in traditional NFSs,the vibratory working modes of the HDRG are rotated periodically with electronic control to reduce the uncertainty in the azimuth.After systematically analyzing the principle of NFSs with VM,we designed tests to verify the practicability at the sensor level.A bias instability of 0.0078°/h can be obtained during one day with VM in an HDRG.We also implemented comparative north-finding experiments to further check our strategy at the system level.The accuracy in the azimuth can reach 0.204°for 5 min at 28.2°latitude with VM and 0.172°with maytagging.The results show that without any mechanical turning parts,VM technology makes it possible to develop high-precision handheld MEMS NFSs.

DNAH2 facilitates the homologous recombination repair of Fanconi anemia pathway through modulating FANCD2 ubiquitination

Fanconi anemia(FA),an X-linked genetic or autosomal recessive disease,exhibits complicated pathogenesis.Previously,we detected the mutated Dynein Axonemal Heavy Chain 2(DNAH2)gene in 2 FA cases.Herein,we further investigated the potential association between DNAH2 and the homologous recombination repair pathway of FA.The assays of homologous recombination repair,mitomycin C(MMC)sensitivity,immunofluorescence,and ubiquitination modification were performed in U2OS and DR-U2OS cell lines.In MMC-treated U2OS cells,the downregulation of the DNAH2 gene increased the sensitivity of cells to DNA inter-strand crosslinks.We also observed the reduced enrichment of FANCD2 protein to DNA damage sites.Furthermore,the ubiquitination modification level of FANCD2 was influenced by the deficiency of DNAH2.Thus,our results suggest that DNAH2 may modulate the cell homologous recombination repair partially by increasing the ubiquitination and the enrichment to DNA damage sites of FANCD2.DNAH2 may act as a novel co-pathogenic gene of FA patients.