Multi-surrogate framework with an adaptive selection mechanism for production optimization

Data-driven surrogate models that assist with efficient evolutionary algorithms to find the optimal development scheme have been widely used to solve reservoir production optimization problems.However,existing research suggests that the effectiveness of a surrogate model can vary depending on the complexity of the design problem.A surrogate model that has demonstrated success in one scenario may not perform as well in others.In the absence of prior knowledge,finding a promising surrogate model that performs well for an unknown reservoir is challenging.Moreover,the optimization process often relies on a single evolutionary algorithm,which can yield varying results across different cases.To address these limitations,this paper introduces a novel approach called the multi-surrogate framework with an adaptive selection mechanism(MSFASM)to tackle production optimization problems.MSFASM consists of two stages.In the first stage,a reduced-dimensional broad learning system(BLS)is used to adaptively select the evolutionary algorithm with the best performance during the current optimization period.In the second stage,the multi-objective algorithm,non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II(NSGA-II),is used as an optimizer to find a set of Pareto solutions with good performance on multiple surrogate models.A novel optimal point criterion is utilized in this stage to select the Pareto solutions,thereby obtaining the desired development schemes without increasing the computational load of the numerical simulator.The two stages are combined using sequential transfer learning.From the two most important perspectives of an evolutionary algorithm and a surrogate model,the proposed method improves adaptability to optimization problems of various reservoir types.To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method,four 100-dimensional benchmark functions and two reservoir models are tested,and the results are compared with those obtained by six other surrogate-model-based methods.The results demonstrate that our approach can obtain the maximum net present value(NPV)of the target production optimization problems.

Survey and Prospect for Applying Knowledge Graph in Enterprise Risk Management

Enterprise risk management holds significant importance in fostering sustainable growth of businesses and in serving as a critical element for regulatory bodies to uphold market order.Amidst the challenges posed by intricate and unpredictable risk factors,knowledge graph technology is effectively driving risk management,leveraging its ability to associate and infer knowledge from diverse sources.This review aims to comprehensively summarize the construction techniques of enterprise risk knowledge graphs and their prominent applications across various business scenarios.Firstly,employing bibliometric methods,the aim is to uncover the developmental trends and current research hotspots within the domain of enterprise risk knowledge graphs.In the succeeding section,systematically delineate the technical methods for knowledge extraction and fusion in the standardized construction process of enterprise risk knowledge graphs.Objectively comparing and summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of each method,we provide recommendations for addressing the existing challenges in the construction process.Subsequently,categorizing the applied research of enterprise risk knowledge graphs based on research hotspots and risk category standards,and furnishing a detailed exposition on the applicability of technical routes and methods.Finally,the future research directions that still need to be explored in enterprise risk knowledge graphs were discussed,and relevant improvement suggestions were proposed.Practitioners and researchers can gain insights into the construction of technical theories and practical guidance of enterprise risk knowledge graphs based on this foundation.

Comparison of Combustion Characteristics of Tars Produced with Tobacco Stem Biomass Gasification

In order to study the combustion characteristics of tar in biomass gasifier inner wall and gasification gas,“tobacco stem semi-tar inside furnace”,“tobacco stem tar inside furnace”and“tobacco stem tar out-of-furnace”were subjected to thermogravimetric experiments,and the combustion characteristics and kinetic characteristics were analyzed.The result shows that“tobacco stem semi-tar inside furnace”has the highest value and“tobacco stem tar out-of-furnace”is has the lowest value on ignition characteristics,combustion characteristics and combustible stability;“tobacco stem semi-tar inside furnace”has the lowest value and“tobacco stem tar outside furnace”has the highest value on burnout characteristics;“tobacco stem tar outside furnace”has the highest value and“tobacco stem tar inside furnace”has the lowest value on integrated combustion characteristics.

Forest succession trajectories after fi res in valleys and on slopes in the Greater Khingan Mountains,China

Accurate assessment of postfire vegetation recovery is important for forest management and the conservation of species diversity.Topography is an important factor aff ecting vegetation recovery but whether species composition varies with diff erent recovery stages and between valleys and slopes is unclear.Using fi eld data and a space-for-time substitution method,we quantifi ed species richness and diversity to obtain the successional trajectories of valleys and slopes.We surveyed the species of 10 burned areas from 1986 to 2010 in the Greater Khingan Mountains in northeastern China,and found that with increasing postfi re recovery time,species richness in both valleys and slopes gradually decreased.However,species richness in valleys was relatively higher.Shrubs recovered rapidly in the valleys,and species diversity maximized approximately 11 years after fi re.However,it maximized 17–18 years after fi re on the slopes.Numerous shade-tolerant species were present in the valleys 11 years after fi re but not until after 18 years on slopes.Larch appeared earlier than 11 years after fi re and its recovery was slow in the valleys but appeared quickly on slopes and established dominance early.Our study provides some new insights into vegetation succession after fi re at local scales.After fi re,the vegetation recovery processes diff er with topography and it aff ects the initial rate of recovery and species composition at diff erent successional stages.

内镜黏膜下剥离术与外科手术治疗早期胃癌的有效性及安全性的Meta分析

目的内镜黏膜下剥离术(ESD)与外科手术是早期胃癌(EGC)的常用治疗方法,但其相关风险及获益目前仍存在争议,该研究旨在比较两种治疗方法在治疗EGC的有效性、安全性等方面的差异。方法检索1990年1月-2016年6月发表在Pubmed、CBM、Embase、Cochrane Library、中国知网数据库、维普数据库及万方数据库的有关ESD与外科手术治疗EGC对比研究的所有中英文文献,根据纳入和排除标准对搜索的相关文献进行二次筛选,并对纳入的研究进行质量评价,采用Revman 5.3软件进行Meta分析。结果总共有12篇文献符合纳入标准,且均为回顾性队列研究,共涉及4 331个研究对象。Meta分析的结果显示:ESD与外科手术相比,复发率[(22/2 586,0.85%)vs(6/1 134,0.53%),P=0.370]及5年生存率[(852/909,93.72%)vs(707/746,94.77%),P=0.340]差异无统计学意义,虽然外科手术在整块切除率方面稍高于ESD组[(99/99,100.00%)vs(95/103,92.23%),P=0.020],但是外科手术组的手术时间[标准化均数差(SMD)=-3.04,95%CI:-3.64^-2.45,P=0.000]及住院时间(SMD=-2.53,95%CI:-3.73^-1.32,P=0.000)比ESD组延长,且术后并发症增多[(45/816,5.50%)vs(101/686,14.72%),P=0.000]。结论对于EGC的治疗,两种治疗方法在复发率及5年生存率方面无明显差异,虽然ESD组在整块切除率上不及外科手术组,但其具有创伤小、手术时间短、术中及术后并发症少、住院时间短且恢复快等显著优势,可作为EGC的首选治疗方法。

水下与常规内镜下黏膜切除术治疗大肠息肉有效性及安全性的Meta分析

目的比较常规内镜下黏膜切除术(CEMR)与水下内镜下黏膜切除术(UEMR)两种治疗方法在切除大肠息肉方面的有效性及安全性。方法检索近5年(2016年1月-2021年1月)发表在PubMed、Embase、Cochrane Library、中国知网(CNKI)、中国生物医学文献数据库(CBM)及万方等数据库有关UEMR及CEMR治疗大肠息肉的对比研究,采用Review Manager 5.3.5软件对两种手术方式的整块切除率、治愈性切除率、复发率、不良事件发生率、术中出血、迟发性出血和穿孔等多个方面进行Meta分析。结果共纳入10篇文献,涉及1954名患者,2351个息肉病变。其中,UEMR组1151个,CEMR组1200个。Meta分析的结果显示:与CEMR相比,UEMR在整块切除率(RR=1.10,P=0.000)、治愈性切除率(RR=1.36,P=0.000)及切除时间(MD=-8.06,P=0.030)上更具优势,并有更低的术后复发率(RR=0.45,P=0.000)、不良事件发生率(RR=0.69,P=0.020)和术中出血率(RR=0.58,P=0.003),但迟发性出血和穿孔方面,两者差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论UEMR是一种安全、有效并可以替代CEMR的技术方法,值得在临床推广应用。

Preliminary results of environmental monitoring of the natural gas hydrate production test in the South China Sea

Natural gas hydrate (NGH)is considered as one of the new clean energy sources of the 21st century with the highest potential.The environmental issues of NGH production have attracted the close attention of scientists in various countries.From May 10 to July 9,2017,the first offshore NGH production test in the South China Sea (SCS)was conducted by the China Geological Survey.In addition,environmental security has also been effectively guaranteed via a comprehensive environmental monitoring system built during the NGH production test.The monitoring system considered sea-surface atmosphere methane and carbon dioxide concentrations,dissolved methane in the sea water column,and the seafloor physical oceanography and marine chemistry environment.The whole process was monitored via multiple means, in multiple layers,in all domains,and in real time.After the production test,an environmental investigation was promptly conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of the NGH production test. The monitoring results showed that the dissolved methane concentration in seawater and the near-seabed environment characteristics after the test were consistent with the background values,indicating that the NGH production test did not cause environmental problems such as methane leakage.

Formation Mechanism of Biomass Aromatic Hydrocarbon Tar on Quantum Chemistry

The formation process of aromatic hydrocarbon tar during the pyrolysis process of biomass components of cel-lulose and lignin was carried out by quantum chemical calculation based on density functional theory method B3LYP/6-31G++(d,p).5 Hydroxymethylfurfural was chosen as the model compound of cellulose and hemicel-lulose,and syringa ldehyde was chosen as the model compound of lignin.The calculation results show that the formation process of cellulose monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon tar is the conversion process of benzene ring from furan ring,and the highest reaction energy barrier appears in the process of decarbonylation,which is 370.8 kJ/mol.The formation of lignin monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon tar is mainly the process of side chains removal and the formation of phenol,The highest reaction energy barrier appears in the process of decarbonyla-tion,which is 374.9 kJ/mol.The reaction mechanism of phenanthrene formation from naphthalene was selected as the formation of cellulose and lignin polycydic aromatic hydrocarbon tar.The calculation results show that he total barrier of the pathway that naphthalene dehydrogenates to form naphthalene free radicals and then reacts with ethylene twice by addition action,finally occurs cydization reactions and isomerizes to produce phenan-threne is lowest,that is 38.6 kJ/mol.So it is proved that the evolution of tar is the process of deoxygenation and cyclization with the increase of the temperature from a theoretical point of view.

Matching characteristics of magnetic field configuration and chamfered channel wall in a magnetically shielded Hall thruster

To date, the selection of the magnetic field line used to match the chamfered inner and outer channel walls in a magnetically shielded Hall thruster has not been quantitatively studied. Hence, an experimental study was conducted on a 1.35 k W magnetically shielded Hall thruster with a xenon propellant. Different magnetic field lines were chosen, and corresponding tangentially matched channel walls were manufactured and utilized. The results demonstrate that high performance and a qualified anti-sputtering effect cannot be achieved simultaneously. When the magnetic field lines that match the chamfered wall have a strength at the channel centerline of less than 12% of the maximum field strength, the channel wall can be adequately protected from ion sputtering. When the magnetic field lines have a strength ratio of 12%–20%, the thruster performance is high. These findings provide the first significant quantitative design reference for the match between the magnetic field line and chamfered channel wall in magnetically shielded Hall thrusters.

Force Spectrum of Single CsgA Nanofiber Reveal Surprising Properties

CsgA protein monomers consist of aβ-helix of five repeat units possessing several conservative residues and thus,inherently fibrillate.CsgA protein monomers could self-assemble into hierarchical nanofiber structure cross multiple scales after expression and secretion by E.Coli cells.Previous researches show that CsgA nanofibers could provide adhesion,stiffness,and mechanical homogeneity for the biofilms,host cells’fibronectin binding for internalization,or protection against phage attack.CsgA nanofibers have obtained various applications in material science and synthetic biology.To illustrate,CsgA nanofibers have characteristics of intrinsic hierarchical structures across multiple scales,robustness in harsh environments and programmable functionality via biological tools.Studying the force spectrum or mechanical properties of the nanofiber can provide fundamental information of self-assembly process and ultra-stability in extreme conditions.Single molecule techniques such as atomic force microscopy,optical tweezers,and magnetic tweezers have been widely applied to study proteins.In these studies,proteins are usually chemically conjugated or genetically constructed to have a tag such as histidine,cysteine or biotin.Genetic engineering requires modification of the plasmids encoding the specific protein,and also involve special protein expression and purification.Such study needs collaboration from multi-disciplinary.It normally studies one protein at a time which gives out clear signal but lacks throughput and efficiency.Here we have established a simple method to measure all kinds of proteins without labels.The carboxyl terminus of a protein is attached to the amine group on a magnetic bead,and the amine terminus of the protein is attached to glutaraldehyde on the glass slide.Then we used magnetic tweezers to manipulate and stretched the bead and protein.Extension versus rotation relation was used to identify a single protein or protein fibril.The fiber under tension is also observed by Scanning Electronic Microcopy which convinces that single CsgA-His fibril is linked to a microbead.The peak of diameter distribution is around 15 nm.The fracture of fibers was observed in real time on SEM.Force-extension curves of single fibers are obtained in real time.The force-extension curves generally agree with the worm like chain model.The persistence lengths from the fitting are from 0.9 to 49.8 nm.The elongation ratio increases gradually with force until reaches a plateau.The maximum elongation ratio of 78 nanofibers were made into an elongation ratio distribution diagram,more than half of CsgA-His nanofibers has an elongation ratio from 0 to 2,some are distributed in 2~10,and a few are distributed in 10~18.The maximum elongation ratio of CsgA-His nanofibers is 17.1,indicating that the fibril’s flexibility is much higher than DNA or silk fiber.For forces less than 20 pN,the extension was reversible.With a 42.1 pN holding force,the extension jumped in steps of from 30 to 365 nm and was irreversible.At the scale tested,the jumps corresponded to the unfolding of multiple beta sheets in the fiber.Work for CsgA-His nanofibers during stretching increase with the normalized strain fractions.The experimental data agree with a theoretical prediction for a single CsgA protein from a SMD calculation.Therefore,our results provide key information for the understandings of CsgA protein nanofiber assembly and biofilm robustness.

广东沿海海草床的现状、面临的威胁与保护建议

海草床是地球上最具价值的生态系统之一,为人类提供广泛的生态系统服务。我国乃至全球范围内海草床面临着人类活动威胁,且呈退化趋势。广东海草研究起步较晚,近年来涌现的一些研究成果将广东海草分布特征清晰地呈现在世人面前,并发现海草床受到的威胁来源多样,但缺乏系统的总结。基于广东滨海地区未来一段时间将持续面临高强度人类活动压力的背景下,为有效保护海草床及其生物多样性,亟需进一步深入了解广东海草床存在的问题,从而提出针对性的保护建议。本文通过回顾21世纪以来广东海草床研究成果,汇总了广东海草分布信息,并结合现场调研和国内外海草床的研究报道,梳理了广东海草床面临的威胁。结果表明广东沿岸海草分布广泛,现有海草床面积约1,540ha。海草种类共5种,以卵叶喜盐草(Halophilaovalis)和贝克喜盐草(H.beccarii)为主,日本鳗草(Zosterajaponica)、单脉二药草(Haloduleuninervis)和短柄川蔓草(Ruppia brevipedunculata)分布较少。本文阐明了人为因素和自然因素如何影响海草的生长和分布,并指出了广东海草床主要面临着海水养殖、渔业捕捞、陆源污染、海洋工程等人类活动的威胁。此外,物种入侵和全球气候变化的影响也不容忽视。针对上述威胁,在现有的保护基础之上,建议加强海草床生态系统研究、提升海草调查监测能力、建立健全海草保护监管体系、管控污染物排放、强化海草床生态修复并开展海草科普宣传等工作。

A citrullinated antigenic vaccine in treatment of autoimmune arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is an inflammatory autoimmune disease triggered by antigenic peptides with environmental and genetic risk factors.It has been shown that antigen-specific targeting could be a promising therapeutical strategy for RA by restoring immune tolerance to self-antigens without compromising normal immunity.Citrullination of antigens enhances antigenic properties and induces autoimmune responses.Here,we showed that citrullinated antigenic(citAg)vaccine ameliorated collageninduced arthritis with decreased T-helper 1(Th1)and Th17 cells,downregulated proinflammatory cytokines including interlukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-a,and inhibited antigen recall responses.B cell receptor sequencing further revealed that citAg vaccine could dampen the dysregulated V(D)J recombination,restoring the immune repertoire.Taken together,the results demonstrated that citAg vaccine might have a therapeutic effect on RA.

Predesigned covalent organic framework with sulfur coordination: Anchoring Au nanoparticles for sensitive colorimetric detection of Hg(Ⅱ)

Targeted construction of new covalent organic frameworks(COFs)with specific purposes and rationalities to build colorimetric assay platform for environmental pollutant monitoring have attracted increasing interest.However,it is still challenging due to lack of available coordination sites inside COFs pores and only a slight bonding ability for anchoring metal.In this work,a two-dimensional(2D)COFs(termed as Tz-COF)with high crystallinity,excellent chemical stability,and abundant sulfur coordination in its skeletons was synthesized and used for the confined growth of Au NPs.It was found that the Au NPs showed significant dispersibility for the support of Tz-COF.The proposed Tz-COF@Au NPs possessed outstanding Hg^(2+)-activated peroxidase-like activity benefited from physicochemical properties of gold amalgam and synergistic effect between COFs and Au NPs to oxidize chromogenic substrate.Based on highly efficient activity and distinctive color evolution,the strategy for detecting Hg^(2+)was developed and successfully applied to determine the content of Hg^(2+)in real environmental samples.This work manifests that a potential strategy to establish a colorimetric assay platform for environmental pollutant monitoring based on the targeted manufacturing of novel COFs with specific functions.

通过USP7结合分子胶上调P53蛋白

Molecular glues are typically small chemical molecules that act at the interface between a target protein and degradation machinery to trigger ternary complex formation.Identifying molecular glues is challenging.There is a scarcity of target-specific upregulating molecular glues,which are highly anticipated for numerous targets,including P53.P53 is degraded in proteasomes through polyubiquitination by specific E3 ligases,whereas deubiquitinases(DUBs)remove polyubiquitination conjugates to counteract these E3ligases.Thus,small-molecular glues that enhance P53 anchoring to DUBs may stabilize P53 through deubiquitination.Here,using small-molecule microarray-based technology and unbiased screening,we identified three potential molecular glues that may tether P53 to the DUB,USP7,and elevate the P53 level.Among the molecular glues,bromocriptine(BC)is an FDA-approved drug with the most robust effects.BC was further verified to increase P53 stability via the predicted molecular glue mechanism engaging USP7.Consistent with P53 upregulation in cancer cells,BC was shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in vitro and suppress tumor growth in a xenograft model.In summary,we established a potential screening platform and identified potential molecular glues upregulating P53.Similar strategies could be applied to the identification of other types of molecular glues that may benefit drug discovery and chemical biology studies.

Xanthoangelol alleviates ischemic stroke injury by inhibiting the inflammatory activation of microglia

Background:Local inflammation induced by microglial activation plays a significant role in the pathological process of cerebral ischemia.Angelica keiskei(Miq.)Koidz.,a traditional botanical drug,can be used as a diuretic,laxative or galactagogue.Xanthoangelol(XA),an active chalcone compound from the aerial part of Angelica keiskei,has anti-inflammatory effects in the peripheral tissues.However,its effect against neuroinflammation is yet unclear.Objective:The present study aims to investigate whether XA could mitigate ischemic stroke damage through attenuating neuroinflammation due to microglia activation.Methods:Middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R)induced cerebral ischemia and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion(OGD/R)or lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia cells were utilized to evaluate XA’s protection against ischemic injury and neuroinflammation.The severity of brain injury was assessed using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining and neurological assessment.The expressions of inflam-matory cytokines were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Reactive oxygen species(ROS)were assessed using dichlorodihydrofluores-cein diacetate(DCF-DA)staining.NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation was confirmed by immunofluorescence(IF)staining.The expressions of proteins were quantified by Western blotting.Results:XA was efficacious in reducing infarct size and improving neurological function in MCAO/R mice.In ischemic brain tissue,XA reduced microglial activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression.In lipopolysac-charide(LPS)and OGD/R-induced cell models,XA suppressed the production of ROS and decreased the secretion of inflammatory cytokines.Additionally,XA suppressed the nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and blocked the activation of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasome.The protec-tion of XA against MCAO/R-induced damages was not attenuated in TLR4^(−/−)and MD2^(−/−)mice.Mito-TEMPO treatment reversed XA’s anti-inflammatory properties in OGD/R-induced BV2 cells.Conclusion:XA attenuates ischemic stroke injury by suppressing microglial inflammatory responses.This efficacy is tied to its antioxidant activity and is independent of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)or myeloid differentiation protein 2(MD2).

Metal-organic framework nanofilm enhances serum metabolic profiles for diagnosis and subtype of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease(CVD)is a global health problem and is thought to be responsible for almost half of all deaths in the world.Nevertheless,currently available diagnostic methods for CVD are strongly depended on clinical observation and monitoring,which commonly result in false diagnosis.Herein,an attractive strategy of a metal-organic framework(MOF)nanofilm-based laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry(LDI-MS)was developed for enhancing serum metabolic profiling,which could provide precise diagnosis and molecular subtyping of CVD.The porous MOF nanofilm fabricated on indium-tin oxide(ITO)glass possessed enhanced ionization efficiency and size-exclusion effect,which endowed it as substrate with high sensitivity and selectivity for serum metabolites.Furthermore,the MOF nanofilm with uniform surface and high orientation provided high-quality and high-reproducibility serum metabolic profiles(SMPs)without any tedious pretreatment.Further analysis of extracted serum metabolic fingerprints could successfully distinguish patients with CVD from healthy controls and also differentiate two major subtypes of CVD.This work not only extends the application of MOF nanofilm as an attractive MS probe,but also provide an alternative way for precise diagnosis of CVD in molecular level.

蛋白-DNA协同组装构建亚微米级复合结构

以大肠杆菌菌毛蛋白CsgA组装形成的蛋白纤维为模板,引导不同数目的DNA四面体(tetrahedron DNA nanostructure,TDN)组装构建了蛋白-DNA亚微米复合结构. TDN经次氮基三乙酸(NTA)修饰后在Ni2+的螯合作用下与CsgA蛋白单体结合,利用CsgA的自组装能力将TDN有序地排列在形成的蛋白纤维上.原子力显微镜(atomic force microscopy,AFM)成像结果表明,控制TDN与CsgA的浓度比为1:500,可以得到单个TDN与蛋白纤维的组装产物.将2个TDN通过杂交形成二聚体(dTDN)与CsgA蛋白进行组装,得到的亚微米复合结构保持了很好的直链形态,在蛋白纤维上连有3个dTDN结构的比例达44%.

Facile Generation of Strained Peptidyl Thiolactones from Hydrazides and Its Application in Assembling MUC-1 VNTR OIigomers

An efficient method for the activation of C-terminal 4-mecaptoproline-or penicillamine-containing peptide hydrazides in ligation re-actions is reported herein.The corresp on ding peptide hydrazides can be readily prepared using solid-phase peptide synthesis,and subsequently activated by acetylacet one(acac)without exoge nous thiol additives.Strained peptidyl thiolactones could be the possible reactive in termediates that drastically accelerate the reacti on rates at the sterically demandi ng proline and valine sites.This developed protocol allows for sequential peptide ligations in a one-pot manner,and expedites the assembly of mucin 1(MUC-1)variable number tandem repeat(VNTR)trimers in various glycosylated forms.

SUMO E3 Ligases GmSIZ1a and GmSIZ1b regulate vegetative growth in soybean

SIZ1 is a small ubiquitin-related modifier（SUMO） E3 ligase that mediates post-translational SUMO modification of target proteins and thereby regulates developmental processes and hormonal and environmental stress responses in Arabidopsis. However,the role of SUMO E3 ligases in crop plants is largely unknown. Here, we identified and characterized two Glycine max（soybean） SUMO E3 ligases, GmSIZ1a and GmSIZ1b. Expression of GmSIZ1a and GmSIZ1b was induced in response to salicylic acid（SA）, heat, and dehydration treatment, but not in response to cold, abscisic acid（ABA）, and Na Cl treatment. Although GmSIZ1a was expressed at higher levels than GmSIZ1b, both genes encoded proteins with SUMO E3 ligase activity in vivo.Heterologous expression of GmSIZ1a or GmSIZ1b rescued the mutant phenotype of Arabidopsis siz1-2, including dwarfism, constitutively activated expression of pathogen-related genes, and ABA-sensitive seed germination.Simultaneous downregulation of GmSIZ1a and GmSIZ1b（GmSIZ1a/b） using RNA interference（RNAi）-mediated gene silencing decreased heat shock-induced SUMO conjugation in soybean. Moreover, GmSIZ1 RNAi plants exhibited reduced plant height and leaf size. However,unlike Arabidopsis siz1-2 mutant plants, flowering time and SA levels were not significantly altered in GmSIZ1 RNAi plants. Taken together, our results indicate that GmSIZ1a and GmSIZ1b mediate SUMO modification and positively regulate vegetative growth in soybean.

Transcriptional regulators dictate innate lymphoid cell fates

Research on innate lymphoid cells （ILC） has recently been a fast paced topic of immunological research. As ILCs are able to produce signature Th cytokine, ILCs have garnered considerable attention and have been described to represent the innate counterpart of the CD4＋ T helper （Th） cells. The development and function of ILCs are precisely regulated by a network of crucial tran- scription factors, which are also involved in the devel- opment or differentiation of conventional natural killer （cNK） cells and T cells. In this review, we will summarize the key transcriptional regulators and their functions through each phases of ILC development. With the phase of ILC lineage commitment, we will focus in particular on the roles of the transcription regulators Id2 and GATA-3, which in collaboration with other transcriptional factors, are critically involved in the generation of ILC fate determined progenitors. Once an ILC lineage has been established, several other transcription factors are required for the specification and functional regulation of distinct mature ILC subsets. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the interactions and regulatory mech- anisms mediated by these transcription factors will help us to further understand how ILCs exert their helper-like functions and bridge the innate and adaptive immunity.