Privacy-Preserving Average Consensus Algorithm Under Round-Robin Scheduling Protocol

Dear Editor,Over the past decades,cooperative control and distributed optimization have gained significant research attention due to their broad applications such as signal processing,robotics,and social networks[1],[2].As a fundamental component of distributed control and optimization,the issue of average consensus has become a recurring topic of interest[3],[4].

Calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase OsCIPK23 functions in pollination and drought stress responses in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Drought is very harmful to grain yield due to its adverse effect on reproduction, especially on pollination process in rice. However, the molecular basis of such an effect still remains largely unknown. Here, we report the role of a member of CBL （Calcineurin B-Like） Interacting Protein Kinase （CIPK） family, OsCIPK23, in pollination and stress responses in rice. Molecular analyses revealed that it is mainly expressed in pistil and anther but up-regulated by pollination, as well as by treatments of various abiotic stresses and phytohormones. RNA interference-mediated suppression of OsCIPK23 expression significantly reduced seed set and conferred a hypersensitive response to drought stress, indicating its possible roles in pollination and drought stress. In consistent, overexpression of OsCIPK23 induced the expression of several drought tolerance related genes. Taken together, these results indicate that OsCIPK23 is a multistress induced gene and likely mediates a signaling pathway commonly shared by both pollination and drought stress responses in rice.

Electrochemical disinfection using the gas diffusion electrode system

A study on the electrochemical disinfection with H202 generated at the gas diffusion electrode （GDE） from active carbon/poly- tetrafluoroethylene was performed in a non-membrane cell. The effects of Pt load and the pore-forming agent content in GDE, and operating conditions were investigated. The experimental results showed that nearly all bacterial cultures inoculated in the secondary effluent from wastewater treatment plant could be inactivated within 30 min at a current density of 10 mA/cm^2. The disinfection improved with increasing Pt load. Addition of the pore-forming agent NH4HCO3 improved the disinfection, while a drop in the pH value resulted in a rapid rise of germicidal efficacy and the disinfection time was shortened with increasing oxygen flow rate. Adsorption was proved to be ineffective in destroying bacteria, while germicidal efficacy increased with current density. The acceleration rate was different, it initially increased with current density. Then decreased, and finally reached a maximum at a current density of 6.7 mA/cm^2. The disinfection also improved with decreasing total bacterial count. The germicidal efficacy in the cathode compartment was approximately the same as in the anode compartment, indicating that the contribution of direct oxidation and the indirect treatment of bacterial cultures by hydroxyl radical was similar to the oxidative indirect effect of the generated H2O2.

Synthesis of Polycaprolactone with Two Carboxyl End Groups

At 225℃. caprolactone has been polymerized in the presence of succinic acid under dry nitrogen atmosphere. Characterizations of the polymer through IR and molecular weight measurements by 1H-NMR and end group titration have shown that the polycaprolactone obtained is of two carboxyl end groups. The molecular weight of it increases with decreasing of the acid content in the reaction mixture under the same polymerization conditions. With a certain ratio of acid to caprolactone. the maximum of molecular weight of the polymer will be reached at the reaction time of 3h.

WheatCENet:A Database for Comparative Co-expression Network Analysis of Allohexaploid Wheat and Its Progenitors

Genetic and epigenetic changes after polyploidization events could result in variable gene expression and modified regulatory networks.Here,using large-scale transcriptome data,we constructed co-expression networks for diploid,tetraploid,and hexaploid wheat species,and built a platform for comparing co-expression networks of allohexaploid wheat and its progenitors,named WheatCENet.WheatCENet is a platform for searching and comparing specific functional coexpression networks,as well as identifying the related functions of the genes clustered therein.Functional annotations like pathways,gene families,protein-protein interactions,microRNAs(miRNAs),and several lines of epigenome data are integrated into this platform,and Gene Ontology(GO)annotation,gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA),motif identification,and other useful tools are also included.Using WheatCENet,we found that the network of WHEAT ABERRANT PANICLE ORGANIZATION I(WAPOI)has more co-expressed genes related to spike development in hexaploid wheat than its progenitors.We also found a novel motif of CCWWWWWWGG(CArG)specifically in the promoter region of WAPO-Al,suggesting that neofunctionalization of the WAPO-AI gene affects spikelet development in hexaploid wheat.WheatCENet is useful for investigating co-expression networks and conducting other analyses,and thus facilitates comparative and functional genomic studies in wheat.

Neuronal and synaptic adaptations underlying the benefits of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease

Deep brain stimulation(DBS)is a well-established and effective treatment for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease(PD),yet its underlying mechanisms remain enigmatic.Optogenetics,primarily conducted in animal models,provides a unique approach that allows cell type-and projection-specific modulation that mirrors the frequency-dependent stimulus effects of DBS.Opto-DBS research in animal models plays a pivotal role in unraveling the neuronal and synaptic adaptations that contribute to the efficacy of DBS in PD treatment.DBS-induced neuronal responses rely on a complex interplay between the distributions of presynaptic inputs,frequency-dependent synaptic depression,and the intrinsic excitability of postsynaptic neurons.This orchestration leads to conversion of firing patterns,enabling both antidromic and orthodromic modulation of neural circuits.Understanding these mechanisms is vital for decoding position-and programming-dependent effects of DBS.Furthermore,patterned stimulation is emerging as a promising strategy yielding long-lasting therapeutic benefits.Research on the neuronal and synaptic adaptations to DBS may pave the way for the development of more enduring and precise modulation patterns.Advanced technologies,such as adaptive DBS or directional electrodes,can also be integrated for circuit-specific neuromodulation.These insights hold the potential to greatly improve the effectiveness of DBS and advance PD treatment to new levels.

Microarray-Assisted Fine-Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci for Cold Tolerance in Rice

Many important agronomic traits, including cold stress resistance, are complex and controlled by quantitative trait loci （QTLs）. Isolation of these QTLs will greatly benefit the agricultural industry but it is a challenging task. This study explored an integrated strategy by combining microarray with QTL-mapping in order to identify cold-tolerant QTLs from a cold-tolerant variety ILl12 at early-seedling stage. All the early seedlings of IL112 survived normally for 9 d at 4-5℃, while Guichao2 （GC2）, an indica cultivar, died after 4 d under the same conditions. Using the F2-3 population derived from the progeny of GC2 and ILl12, we identified seven QTLs for cold tolerance. Furthermore, we performed Affymetrix rice whole-genome array hybridization and obtained the expression profiles of ILl12 and GC2 under both low-temperature and normal conditions. Four genes were selected as cold QTL-related candidates, based on microarray data mining and QTL-mapping. One candidate gene, LOC_Os07g22494, was shown to be highly associated with cold tolerance in a number of rice varieties and in the F2-3 population, and its overexpression transgenic rice plants displayed strong tolerance to low temperature at early-seedling stage. The results indicated that overexpression of this gene （LOC_Os07g22494） could increase cold tolerance in rice seedlings. Therefore, this study provides a promising strategy for identifying candidate genes in defined QTL regions.

LjaFGD:Lonicera japonica functional genomicsdatabase

Lonicera japonica Thunb.,a traditional Chinese herb,has been used for treating human diseases for thousands of years.Recently,the genome of L.japonica has been decoded,providing valuable information for research into gene function.However,no comprehensive database for gene functional analysis and mining is available for L.japonica.We therefore constructed LjaFGD(www.gzybioinformatics.cn/LjaFGD and bioinformatics.cau.edu.cn/LjaFGD),a database for analyzing and comparing gene function in L.japonica.We constructed a gene co-expression network based on 77 RNA-seq samples,and then annotated genes of L.japonica by alignment against protein sequences from public databases.We also introduced several tools for gene functional analysis,including Blast,motif analysis,gene set enrichment analysis,heatmap analysis,and JBrowse.Our co-expression network revealed that MYB and WRKY transcription factor family genes were co-expressed with genes encoding key enzymes in the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid and luteolin in L.japonica.We used flavonol synthase 1(LjFLS1)as an example to show the reliability and applicability of our database.LjaFGD and its various associated tools will provide researchers with an accessible platform for retrieving functional information on L.japonica genes to further biological discovery.

MCENet: A database for maize conditional co-expression network and network characterization collaborated with multi-dimensional omics levels

Maize （Zea mays） is the most widely grown grain crop in the world, playing important roles in agriculture and industry. However, the functions of maize genes remain largely unknown. High-quality genome- wide transcriptome datasets provide important biological knowledge which has been widely and suc- cessfully used in plants not only by measuring gene expression levels but also by enabling co-expression analysis for predicting gene functions and modules related to agronomic traits. Recently, thousands of maize transcriptomic data are available across different inbred lines, development stages, tissues, and treatments, or even across different tissue sections and cell lines. Here, we integrated 701 transcriptomic and 108 epigenomic data and studied the different conditional networks with multi-dimensional omics levels. We constructed a searchable, integrative, one-stop online platform, the maize conditional co- expression network （MCENet） platform. MCENet provides 10 global/conditional co-expression net- works, 5 network accessional analysis toolkits （i.e., Network Search, Network Remodel, Module Finder, Network Comparison, and Dynamic Expression View） and multiple network functional support toolkits （e.g., motif and module enrichment analysis）. We hope that our database might help plant research communities to identify maize functional genes or modules that regulate important agronomic traits.

Deep brain stimulation for Tourette’s syndrome

Tourette syndrome(TS)is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of multiple motor and vocal tics.TS usually co-occurs with one or multiple psychiatric disorders.Although behavioral and pharmacological treatments for TS are available,some patients do not respond to the available treatments.For these patients,TS is a severe,chronic,and disabling disorder.In recent years,deep brain stimulation(DBS)of basal ganglia-thalamocortical networks has emerged as a promising intervention for refractory TS with or without psychiatric comorbidities.Three major challenges need to be addressed to move the field of DBS treatment for TS forward:(1)patient and DBS target selection,(2)ethical concerns with treating pediatric patients,and(3)DBS treatment optimization and improvement of individual patient outcomes(motor and phonic tics,as well as functioning and quality of life).The Tourette Association of America and the American Academy of Neurology have recently released their recommendations regarding surgical treatment for refractory TS.Here,we describe the challenges,advancements,and promises of the use of DBS in the treatment of TS.We summarize the results of clinical studies and discuss the ethical issues involved in treating pediatric patients.Our aim is to provide a better understanding of the feasibility,safety,selection process,and clinical effectiveness of DBS treatment for select cases of severe and medically intractable TS.