OsPPG encodes a pseudouridine-5'-phosphate glycosidase and regulates rice spikelet development

Florets are the basic structural units of spikelets,and their morphogenesis determines the yield and quality of rice grains.However,whether and how pseudouridine-5’-phosphate glycosidase participates in rice spikelet development remains an open question.In this study,we identified a novel gene,OsPPG,which encodes a peroxisome-localized pseudouridine-5’-phosphate glycosidase and regulates the development of rice spikelets.osppg mutants exhibited abnormal sterile lemma,lemma,palea,lodicule,stamens,and pistils;male sterility;shorter panicles;and reduced plant height.OsPPG was found to regulate several OsMADS genes,thereby affecting the morphogenesis of rice spikelets.Furthermore,metabolomics revealed that the OsPPG gene was involved in the decomposition of pseudouridine via the pyrimidine metabolism pathway and may affect the jasmonic acid signaling pathway.These results suggest that OsPPG is a key regulator of rice spikelet development.

Traffic flow of connected and automated vehicles at lane drop on two-lane highway: An optimization-based control algorithm versus a heuristic rules-based algorithm

This paper investigates traffic flow of connected and automated vehicles at lane drop on two-lane highway. We evaluate and compare performance of an optimization-based control algorithm(OCA) with that of a heuristic rules-based algorithm(HRA). In the OCA, the average speed of each vehicle is maximized. In the HRA, virtual vehicle and restriction of the command acceleration caused by the virtual vehicle are introduced. It is found that(i) capacity under the HRA(denoted as C_(H)) is smaller than capacity under the OCA;(ii) the travel delay is always smaller under the OCA, but driving is always much more comfortable under the HRA;(iii) when the inflow rate is smaller than C_(H), the HRA outperforms the OCA with respect to the fuel consumption and the monetary cost;(iv) when the inflow rate is larger than C_(H), the HRA initially performs better with respect to the fuel consumption and the monetary cost, but the OCA would become better after certain time. The spatiotemporal pattern and speed profile of traffic flow are presented, which explains the reason underlying the different performance. The study is expected to help for better understanding of the two different types of algorithm.

Efficient control of connected and automated vehicles on a two-lane highway with a moving bottleneck

This paper investigates the traffic flow of connected and automated vehicles(CAVs)inducing by a moving bottleneck on a two-lane highway.A heuristic rules-based algorithm(HRA)has been used to control the traffic flow upstream of the moving bottleneck.In the HRA,some CAVs in the control zone are mapped onto the neighboring lane as virtual ones.To improve the driving comfort,the command acceleration caused by virtual vehicle is restricted.Comparing with the benchmark in which the CAVs change lane as soon as the lane changing condition is met,the HRA significantly improves the traffic flow:the overtaking throughput as well as the outflow rate increases,the travel delay and the fuel consumption decrease,the comfort level could also be improved.

Phase behavior of rotationally asymmetric Brownian kites containing 90°internal angles

Previous Monte Carlo simulations have shown that ordered tetratic phases can emerge in a dense two-dimensional Brownian system of rotationally asymmetric hard kites having 90°internal angles.However,there have been no experimental investigations yet to compare with these simulation results.Here,we have fabricated two types of micron-sized kites having internal angles of 72°-90°-108°-90°and 72°-99°-90°-99°,respectively,and we have experimentally studied their phase behavior in two-dimensional systems.Interestingly and in contrast to the Monte Carlo simulations,the experimental results show a phase sequence of isotropic fluid-hexagonal rotator crystal-square crystal as the area fractionφA increases for both types of kites.The observed square crystal displays not only a quasi-long-range translational order but also(quasi-)long-range 4-fold bond-and molecular-orientational order;these characteristics confirm that tetratic order can emerge even in dense Brownian systems of rotationally asymmetric particles.A model based on local polymorphic configurations(LPCs)is proposed to understand the origin of the square lattice order in these dense kite systems.The results in this study provide a new route to realize custom-designed self-assembly of colloids by controlling LPCs.

Netrin-3 Suppresses Diabetic Neuropathic Pain by Gating the Intra-epidermal Sprouting of Sensory

tDiabetic neuropathic pain(DNP)is the most common disabling complication of diabetes.Emerging evi-dence has linked the pathogenesis of DNP to the aberrant sprouting of sensory axons into the epidermal area;however,the underlying molecular events remain poorly understood.Here we found that an axon guidance molecule,Netrin-3(Ntn-3),was expressed in the sensory neurons of mouse dorsal root ganglia(DRGs),and downregulation of Ntn-3 expression was highly correlated with the severity of DNP in a diabetic mouse model.Genetic ablation of Ntn-3 increased the intra-epidermal sprouting of sensory axons and worsened the DNP in diabetic mice.In contrast,the elevation of Ntn-3 levels in DRGs significantly inhibited the intra-epidermal axon sprouting and alleviated DNP in diabetic mice.In con-clusion,our studies identified Ntn-3 as an important regula-tor of DNP pathogenesis by gating the aberrant sprouting of sensory axons,indicating that Ntn-3 is a potential druggable target for DNP treatment.

CMT2D neuropathy is influenced by vitamin D-mediated environmental pathway

Dear Editor,Peripheral neuropathy is a group of devastating diseases affecting periphe-ral nerves and may cause symptoms such as extreme numbness,muscle weakness,and paralysis.Currently,there are no effective therapies for these diseases.Great progress has been made in identifying genetic causes for peripheral neuropathy owing to the advances in genetic testing in the last decade.For example,>100 genes have been identified to be associated with Charcot–Marie–Tooth(CMT)neuropathy,a group of disorders among the most common forms of inherited peripheral neuropathy.