Effects of Heterologously Overexpressing PIP5K-Family Genes in Arabidopsis on Inflorescence Development

Castor is one of the top 10 oil crops in the world and has extremely valuable uses.Castor inflorescences directly affect yield,so the study of inflorescence development is very important in increasing castor yield.Our previous studies have shown that the PIP5K gene family(PIP5Ks)is associated with inflorescence development.In this study,to determine the function of each PIP5K gene in castor,a female Lm-type castor line,aLmAB2,was used to determine the relative expression levels of the PIP5Ks in castor inflorescences.Six PIP5K genes were heterologously overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana,the relative expression of each gene and the effect on plants was determined in A.thaliana,and the relationships among the PIP5Ks in castor were inferred.The expression levels of the PIP5Ks in the female Lm-type castor line aLmAB2 were analyzed.The relative expression levels of the PIP5K9 and PIP5K11 genes were high(p<0.05)in isofemale inflorescences,and those of PIP5K1,PIP5K2,PIP5K6,and PIP5K8 were high(p<0.05)in female inflorescences but low(p<0.05)in bisexual inflorescences.The PIP5Ks were heterologously overexpressed in A.thaliana,and T3-generation plants with stable genetic resistance,i.e.,AT-PIP5K^(+)plants(AT-PIP5K1^(+),AT-PIP5K2^(+),AT-PIP5K6^(+),AT-PIP5K8^(+),AT-PIP5K9^(+),and ATPIP5K11^(+) plants),were obtained.Biological tests of the AT-PIP5K+plants showed that the growth of the main stem was significantly delayed in AT-PIP5K+plants compared with Columbia wild-type(WT)A.thaliana plants;the PIP5K1 and PIP5K2 genes promoted lateral stem growth and flower and silique development;and the PIP5K6,PIP5K8,PIP5K9 and PIP5K11 genes inhibited lateral stem growth and flower and silique development.The correlations among PIP5Ks in castor suggest that there may be a synergistic relationship among PIP5K1,PIP5K2,and PIP5K6 in castor inflorescences,and PIP5K8,PIP5K9,and PIP5K11 are complementary to the other three genes.

Transcriptome Analysis of Inflorescence Development at the Five-Leaf Stage in Castor(Ricinus communis L.)

The yield of castor is influenced by the type of inflorescence and the proportion of female flowers.However,there are few studies on the genetic mechanism involved in the development and differentiation of castor inflorescences.In this study,we performed transcriptomic analyses of three different phenotypes of inflorescences at the five-leaf stage.In comparison to the MI(complete pistil without willow leaves),290 and 89 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were found in the SFI(complete pistil with willow leaves)and the BI(monoecious inflorescence),respectively.Among the DEGs,104 and 88 were upregulated in the SFI and BI,respectively,compared to the MI.In addition,186 DEGs and 1 DEG were downregulated in the SFI and BI compared to the MI.Moreover,we conducted GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs.In comparison to the MI,the SFI and BI exhibited the enrichment of functional branches in DEGs,specifically in pollen wall assembly,pollen development,and cellular component assembly involved in morphogenesis.In our study,RADL5 showed low expression levels between SFI-vs.-MI types.In addition,we found that the expression of NAC in the SFI differed from that in MI and BI,and some genes related to hormonal signaling changed their expression levels during inflorescence differentiation.These results reveal the genetic mechanism of sex genotypes in castor,which will not only guide researchers in the breeding of castor but also provide a reference for genetic research on other flowering plants.

Clinical-radiomics nomogram for predicting esophagogastric variceal bleeding risk noninvasively in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND Esophagogastric variceal bleeding(EGVB)is a serious complication of patients with decompensated cirrhosis and is associated with high mortality and morbidity.Early diagnosis and screening of cirrhotic patients at risk for EGVB is crucial.Currently,there is a lack of noninvasive predictive models widely available in clinical practice.AIM To develop a nomogram based on clinical variables and radiomics to facilitate the noninvasive prediction of EGVB in cirrhotic patients.METHODS A total of 211 cirrhotic patients hospitalized between September 2017 and December 2021 were included in this retrospective study.Patients were divided into training(n=149)and validation(n=62)groups at a 7:3 ratio.Participants underwent three-phase computed tomography(CT)scans before endoscopy,and radiomic features were extracted from portal venous phase CT images.The independent sample t-test and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression were used to screen out the best features and establish a radiomics signature(RadScore).Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the independent predictors of EGVB in clinical settings.A noninvasive predictive nomogram for the risk of EGVB was built using independent clinical predictors and RadScore.Receiver operating characteristic,calibration,clinical decision,and clinical impact curves were applied to evaluate the model’s performance.RESULTS Albumin(P=0.001),fibrinogen(P=0.001),portal vein thrombosis(P=0.002),aspartate aminotransferase(P=0.001),and spleen thickness(P=0.025)were selected as independent clinical predictors of EGVB.RadScore,constructed with five CT features of the liver region and three of the spleen regions,performed well in training(area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)=0.817)as well as in validation(AUC=0.741)cohorts.There was excellent predictive performance in both the training and validation cohorts for the clinical-radiomics model(AUC=0.925 and 0.912,respectively).Compared with the existing noninvasive models such as ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to platelets and Fibrosis-4 scores,our combined model had better predictive accuracy with the Delong's test less than 0.05.The Nomogram had a good fit in the calibration curve(P>0.05),and the clinical decision curve further supported its clinical utility.CONCLUSION We designed and validated a clinical-radiomics nomogram able to noninvasively predict whether cirrhotic patients will develop EGVB,thus facilitating early diagnosis and treatment.

Functional Studies of Castor(Ricinus communis L.)PLC Family Genes in Arabidopsis Inflorescence Development

Castor(Ricinus communis L.)is one of the top 10 oil crops in the world,and inflorescence is a trait that directly affects its yield.Phospholipase C(PLCs)is involved in many plant activities and metabolic processes.To study the functions of PLC family genes in the regulation of the inflorescence development of the female line of Lm-type castor aLmAB2,we determined the expression levels of six PLC family genes of three types of inflorescences of aLmAB2(isofemale line,female line,bisexual line)at different developmental stages.The results showed that the 6 genes of the castor PLC family had relative expression levels at different developmental stages of the three types of inflorescences.The subcellular location of all six protein products was the cell membrane.The six genes were heterologously overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana to obtain the T3 generation-resistant Arabidopsis thaliana plants.The results showed that the overexpression of six genes significantly promoted the maturation of Arabidopsis thaliana,the growth of lateral moss,and the development of flowers and pods,but the development of basal leaves and stem leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana was significantly inhibited.According to homology analysis,it is speculated that PLC2,PLC2M,PLC2N,PLC4,PLC4X2,and PLC6 genes have the same regulatory function.

Silencing of the Nonspecific Phospholipase C6(NPC6)Gene Induces Ricinoleic Acid Accumulation in Castor Seeds

Castor,scientifically known as Ricinus communis L.,is among the top ten oil crops globally.It is considered a renewable resource and is commonly referred to as‘green oil’.Castor seeds contain castor oil as their main component,which is predominantly composed of ricinoleic acid.This study utilized RNAi technology to silence the NPC6 gene in NO.2129 castor,resulting in the creation of mutant plants L1 and L2.The weight of 100 dry seed kernels from L1 and L2 exceeds that from NO.2129.The crude fat and ricinoleic acid levels of L1 and L2 were higher than those of NO.2129 at various developmental stages.In the proteomics analysis of 60-day-old castor seeds,a total of 21 differentially expressed proteins were identified,out of which 19 were successfully recognized.Eleven of the differentially expressed proteins identified were legumins,which play a crucial role in nutrient storage within the seed.Silencing the NPC6 gene results in the accumulation of ricinoleic acid in castor seeds.The findings of this study not only enhance our knowledge of NPC6’s role in regulating castor seed oil synthesis but also offer fresh perspectives for investigating oil synthesis and accumulation in other plant species.

Proteomic Analyses of Three Inflorescence Styles of Castor(Ricinus communis L.)at Different Developmental Stages

Castor(Ricinus communis L.)is one of ten oil crops in the world and has complex inflorescence styles.Generally,castor has three inflorescence types:single female inflorescence(SiFF),standard female inflorescence(StFF)and bisexual inflorescence(BF).StFF is realized as a restorer line and as a maintainer line,which was applied to castor hybrid breeding.However,the developmental mechanism of the three inflorescences is not clear.Therefore,we used proteomic techniques to analyze different inflorescence styles.A total of 72 diferentially abundant protein species(DAPs)were detected.These DAPs are primarily involved in carbon and energy metabolism and carbon fixation in the photosynthetic organism pathway.The results showed that DAPs are involved in photosynthesis to control the distribution of imported carbohydrates and exported photoassimilates and thus affect the inflorescence development of castor.In addition,these DAPs are also involved in cysteine and methionine metabolism.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)results demonstrated that the proteomics data collected in this study were reliable.Our findings indicate that the carbon cycle and amino acid metabolism influence the inflorescence development of castor.

Proteomic Study of Differentially Expressed Proteins in Seeds between Parents and Offspring of Castor Bean(Ricinus communis L.)

Castor bean(Ricinus communis L.),is one of the top 10 oilseed crops in the world and,therefore,of high economic value.Hybridization is one of the most effective ways to breed new varieties with high yield,high oil content,and better stress resistance.Therefore,prediction of desired traits in castor hybrid offspring is particularly important.In this study,proteomic analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed proteins(DEPs)in seeds between castor hybrid offspring and their female(Lm female line aLmAB2)and male parents(CSR·181).Among the DEPs upregulated in the seeds of hybrid offspring,the majority were related to seed yield and stress tolerance,while some were related to oil synthesis and fatty acid synthesis and metabolism in seeds.In other words,the hybrid offspring showed heterosis for seed yield,stress tolerance,oil synthesis,and fatty acid synthesis and metabolism when compared with their parents.Further,real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were performed on 12 genes encoding DEPs involved in oil synthesis,pollen abortion,yield,and stress tolerance of seeds.The results showed that the expression levels of the 12 genes were consistent with those of the DEPs.

Atlas of dynamic spectra of fast radio burst FRB 20201124A

Fast radio bursts(FRBs) are highly dispersed millisecond-duration radio bursts,[1,2]of which the physical origin is still not fully understood. FRB 20201124A is one of the most actively repeating FRBs. In this paper, we present the collection of 1863 burst dynamic spectra of FRB 20201124A measured with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST). The current collection, taken from the observation during the FRB active phase from April to June 2021, is the largest burst sample detected for any FRB so far. The standard PSRFITs format is adopted, including dynamic spectra of the burst, and the time information of the dynamic spectra, in addition, mask files help readers to identify the pulse positions are also provided. The dataset is available in Science Data Bank, with the link https://www.doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.j00113.00076.

A Study of Methods to Identify Industry-University-Research Institution Cooperation Partners based on Innovation Chain Theory

Purpose: This study aims at identifying potential industry-university-research collaboration(IURC) partners effectively and analyzes the conditions and dynamics in the IURC process based on innovation chain theory.Design/methodology/approach: The method utilizes multisource data, combining bibliometric and econometrics analyses to capture the core network of the existing collaboration networks and institution competitiveness in the innovation chain. Furthermore, a new identification method is constructed that takes into account the law of scientific research cooperation and economic factors.Findings: Empirical analysis of the genetic engineering vaccine field shows that through the distribution characteristics of creative technologies from different institutions, the analysis based on the innovation chain can identify the more complementary capacities among organizations.Research limitations: In this study, the overall approach is shaped by the theoretical concept of an innovation chain, a linear innovation model with specific types or stages of innovation activities in each phase of the chain, and may, thus, overlook important feedback mechanisms in the innovation process.Practical implications: Industry-university-research institution collaborations are extremely important in promoting the dissemination of innovative knowledge, enhancing the quality of innovation products, and facilitating the transformation of scientific achievements.Originality/value: Compared to previous studies, this study emulates the real conditions of IURC. Thus, the rule of technological innovation can be better revealed, the potential partners of IURC can be identified more readily, and the conclusion has more value.

剖腹产围术期体温保护的临床随机对照研究

目的观察围术期保温对剖腹产手术中产妇体温下降的影响。方法选取120例蛛网膜下腔麻醉下行剖腹产的患者将其随机分为实验组(S组)和对照组(C组),每组60例。实验组(S组):在麻醉之前30 min使用加温服给予加温,温度设定为40℃。对照组(C组):麻醉前30 min不给予加温服保温。记录两组血氧饱和度(SpO2)、血压、心率(HR)及鼓膜室温度。麻醉前30 min测量两组体温为基础体温,麻醉后每15 min测量1次体温,两组进行比较。结果两组基础体温比较无差异(P <0.05),但麻醉后手术时两组体温差异有统计学意义(P <0.05)。实验组基础体温为(36.6±0.3℃),麻醉时体温为(36.5±0.3℃)最后下降至(36.1±0.2℃),对照组基础体温为(36.4±0.4)℃,麻醉时体温为(36.3±0.3)℃,最后下降至(35.4±0.4℃)(P <0.05)。两组血液动力学比较,差异无统计学意义(P <0.05)。结论腰麻前30 min积极主动的升温能够预防足月孕妇行剖腹产手术中的体温下降。

云南农村小学青年教师职业压力源调查分析

以《小学青年教师职业压力量表》作为研究工具,对云南省曲靖市某县5所农村小学的212名青年教师进行问卷调查,探讨其职业压力的影响因素。结果显示:该地区小学青年教师职业压力从整体水平来看处于一般水平,其职业压力影响因素从高到低排列依次为:工作压力、应试压力、学生压力、职业期许、个人成长、人际交往。职业压力源部分影响因素在学历、教龄和是否担任班主任这一职务上存在显著性差异,职业压力影响因素在性别、年龄、婚姻、职称上无显著差异。

Identification of Monocytes Associated with Severe COVID-19 in the PBMCs of Severely Infected Patients Through Single-Cell Transcriptome Sequencing

Understanding the immunological characteristics of monocytes-including the characteristics associated with fibrosis-in severe coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is crucial for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of the disease and preventing disease severity.In this study,we performed single-cell transcriptomic sequencing of peripheral blood samples collected from six healthy controls and 14 COVID-19samples including severe,moderate,and convalescent samples from three severely/critically ill and four moderately ill patients.We found that the monocytes were strongly remodeled in the severely/critically ill patients with COVID-19,with an increased proportion of monocytes and seriously reduced diversity.In addition,we discovered two novel severe-disease-specific monocyte subsets:Mono 0 and Mono 5.These subsets expressed amphiregulin(AREG),epiregulin(EREG),and cytokine interleukin-18(IL-18)gene,exhibited an enriched erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog(ErbB)signaling pathway,and appeared to exhibit pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammation characteristics.We also found metabolic changes in Mono 0 and Mono 5,including increased glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and an increased hypoxia inducible factor-1(HIF-1)signaling pathway.Notably,one pre-severe sample displayed a monocyte atlas similar to that of the severe/critical samples.In conclusion,our study discovered two novel severedisease-specific monocyte subsets as potential predictors and therapeutic targets for severe COVID-19.Overall,this study provides potential predictors for severe disease and therapeutic targets for COVID-19 and thus provides a resource for further studies on COVID-19.

FRB 171019:an event of binary neutron star merger?

The fast radio burst,FRB 171019,was relatively bright when discovered first by ASKAP but was identified as a repeater with three faint bursts detected later by GBT and CHIME.These observations lead to the discussion of whether the first bright burst shares the same mechanism with the following repeating bursts.A model of binary neutron star merger is proposed for FRB 171019,in which the first bright burst occurred during the merger event,while the subsequent repeating bursts are starquake-induced,and generally fainter,as the energy release rate for the starquakes can hardly exceed that of the catastrophic merger event.This scenario is consistent with the observation that no later burst detected is as bright as the first one.

FAST Observations of an Extremely Active Episode of FRB 20201124A.Ⅲ.Polarimetry

As the third paper in the multiple-part series,we report the statistical properties of radio bursts detected from the repeating fast radio burst(FRB)source FRB 20201124A with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope during an extremely active episode between the 25th and 28th of September 2021(UT).We focus on the polarization properties of536 bright bursts with S/N>50.We found that the Faraday rotation measures(RMs)monotonically dropped from-579to-605 rad m^(-2)in the 4 day window.The RM values were compatible with the values(-300 to-900 rad m^(-2))reported 4 months ago.However,the RM evolution rate in the current observation window was at least an order of magnitude smaller than the one(~500 rad m^(-2)day^(-1))previously reported during the rapid RM-variation phase,but is still higher than the one(≤1 rad m^(-2)day^(-1))during the later RM no-evolution phase.The bursts of FRB 20201124A were highly polarized with the total degree of polarization(circular plus linear)greater than 90%for more than 90%of all bursts.The distribution of linear polarization position angles(PAs),degree of linear polarization(L/I)and degree of circular polarization(V/I)can be characterized with unimodal distribution functions.During the observation window,the distributions became wider with time,i.e.,with larger scatter,but the centroids of the distribution functions remained nearly constant.For individual bursts,significant PA variations(confidence level 5σ)were observed in 33%of all bursts.The polarization of single pulses seems to follow certain complex trajectories on the Poincarésphere,which may shed light on the radiation mechanism at the source or the plasma properties along the path of FRB propagation.

FAST Observations of an Extremely Active Episode of FRB 20201124A.Ⅳ.Spin Period Search

We report the properties of more than 800 bursts detected from the repeating fast radio burst(FRB)source FRB 20201124A with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope during an extremely active episode on UTC 2021 September 25th-28th in a series of four papers.In this fourth paper of the series,we present a systematic search of the spin period and linear acceleration of the source object from both 996 individual pulse peaks and the dedispersed time series.No credible spin period was found from this data set.We rule out the presence of significant periodicity in the range between 1 ms and 100 s with a pulse duty cycle<0.49±0.08(when the profile is defined by a von-Mises function,not a boxcar function)and linear acceleration up to 300 m s^(-2)in each of the four one-hour observing sessions,and up to 0.6 m s^(-2)in all 4 days.These searches contest theoretical scenarios involving a 1 ms–100 s isolated magnetar/pulsar with surface magnetic field<10^(15)G and a small duty cycle(such as in a polar-cap emission mode)or a pulsar with a companion star or black hole up to 100 M_(⊙)and P_(b)>10 hr.We also perform a periodicity search of the fine structures and identify 53 unrelated millisecond-timescale“periods”in multicomponents with the highest significance of 3.9σ.The“periods”recovered from the fine structures are neither consistent nor harmonically related.Thus they are not likely to come from a spin period.We caution against claiming spin periodicity with significance below~4σwith multi-components from one-off FRBs.We discuss the implications of our results and the possible connections between FRB multi-components and pulsar microstructures.

FAST Observations of an Extremely Active Episode of FRB 20201124A.Ⅱ.Energy Distribution

We report the properties of more than 800 bursts detected from the repeating fast radio burst(FRB)source FRB20201124A with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST)during an extremely active episode on UTC 2021 September 25–28 in a series of four papers.In this second paper of the series,we study the energy distribution of 881 bursts(defined as significant signals separated by dips down to the noise level)detected in the first four days of our 19 hr observational campaign spanning 17 days.The event rate initially increased exponentially but the source activity stopped within 24 hr after the 4th day.The detection of 542 bursts in one hour during the fourth day marked the highest event rate detected from one single FRB source so far.The bursts have complex structures in the time-frequency space.We find a double-peak distribution of the waiting time,which can be modeled with two log-normal functions peaking at 51.22 ms and 10.05 s,respectively.Compared with the emission from a previous active episode of the source detected with FAST,the second distribution peak time is smaller,suggesting that this peak is defined by the activity level of the source.We calculate the isotropic energy of the bursts using both a partial bandwidth and a full bandwidth and find that the energy distribution is not significantly changed.We find that an exponentially connected broken-power law function can fit the cumulative burst energy distribution well,with the lower and higher-energy indices being-1.22±0.01 and-4.27±0.23,respectively.Assuming a radio radiative efficiency ofη_(r)=10^(-4),the total isotropic energy of the bursts released during the four days when the source was active is already 3.9×10^(46)erg,exceeding~23%of the available magnetar dipolar magnetic energy.This challenges the magnetar models which invoke an inefficient radio emission(e.g.,synchrotron maser models).

Inadvertent placement of a urinary catheter into the ureter: A report of 3 cases and review of the literature

We describe three cases of inadvertent placement of the urinary catheter into the ureter.An 85-year-old gentleman on long-term indwelling catheter(IDC)for neurogenic bladder presented with fever and right flank pain.CT of abdomen and pelvis demonstrated the tip of the IDC to be located within the right vesicoureteric junction with acute right hydronephrosis and acute pyelonephritis.A 74-year-old woman,on long-term IDC for neurogenic bladder was found to have hydronephrosis on ultrasound imaging.Contrast-enhanced CT intravenous pyelography done subsequently showed the IDC was in the right distal ureter.A 47-year-old lady,on IDC for urinary retention and voiding dysfunction likely secondary to schizophrenia and anti-psychotic medications,presented with raised creatinine.A non-enhanced CT of her abdomen and pelvis was done and showed that the tip of the urethral IDC was located up to the left vesicoureteric junction.In all patients,the hydronephrosis resolved after changing the catheter and they were well on discharge.We also review the literature to identify the incidence,outcomes and possible risk factors.To our knowledge,only 20 cases have been reported thus far in the English literature.Although serious complications can occur,the incidence is very low.One risk factor that has been identified is long-term catheterization in patients with neurogenic bladder.We do not recommend routine imaging after catheterization in this group of patients.However,we should still be mindful of the possibility of this occurrence and evaluate and treat as necessary when clinical suspicion arises.

Scintillation Arc from FRB 20220912A

We present the interstellar scintillation analysis of fast radio burst(FRB)20220912A during its extremely active episode in 2022using data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope(FAST).We detect a scintillation arc in the FRB’s secondary spectrum,which describes the power in terms of the scattered FRB signals’time delay and Doppler shift.The arc indicates that the scintillation is caused by a highly localized region.Our analysis favors a Milky Way origin of the ionized interstellar medium(IISM)for the localized scattering medium but cannot rule out a host galaxy origin.We present our method for detecting the scintillation arc,which can be applied generally to sources with irregularly spaced bursts or pulses.These methods could help shed light on the complex interstellar environment surrounding the FRBs and in our Galaxy.