A comparative analysis of small RNAs between two Upland cotton backcross inbred lines with different fiber length: Expression and distribution

The cotton fiber is the most important raw material for the textile industry and an ideal model system for studying cell elongation. However, the genetic variation of fiber elongation in relation to miRNA is poorly understood. A high-throughput comparative RNA-seq of two lines differing in fiber length(FL) from a backcross inbred line(BIL)population of G. hirsutum × G. barbadense revealed differentially expressed(DE) miRNAs and their targets in rapidly elongating fibers. A real-time quantitative PCR analysis was further performed to validate the results. A total of 463(including 47 DE) miRNAs were identified,and seven DE miRNAs were co-localized with seven FL quantitative trait loci(QTL)identified in the G. hirsutum × G. barbadense population. Of 82(including 21 DE) targets identified, nine(including one DE) were also co-localized with the seven FL QTL. The relationship between the allopolyploid and its diploid ancestral species with respect to miRNAs and their targets was also characterized. These results will facilitate the understanding of the molecular genetic mechanism of fiber elongation with regards to miRNAs in cotton.

Correlation between Geographical Regional Economy and Construction of County-level Vocational Education Centers

In the period of Eleventh Five-Year Plan,the construction of county-level vocational education centers in Shanxi Province made great contribution to local social and economic development. Due to influence of special geography,population environment and regional economic development situation,it forms the pattern of strong in southeast and weak in northwest. Thus,scientific making plan for construction of vocational education centers in northwestern counties( cities) and establishing long-term mechanism for construction of vocational education centers will be helpful for serving regional economic construction.

Pillar[6]arene-based supramolecular self-assemblies for twopronged GSH-consumption-augmented chemo/photothermal therapy

The abundant intracellular glutathione(GSH)in cancer cells severely undermines the therapeutic efficacy of different treatments due to their role in protecting cancer cells from the associated oxidative stress.Developing a highly integrated system to consume GSH would help to improve the therapeutic outcomes.In this study,supramolecular prodrug self-assemblies(SPSAs)with IR825 loaded inside were developed to consume GSH via two-pronged pathways while augmenting the therapeutic potency of chemo/photothermal treatment.SPSAs were prepared using water-soluble pillar[6]arene(WP[6])as host units and H_(2)O_(2)-responsive nitrogen mustard prodrug,chlorambucil-(phenylboronic acid pinacol ester)conjugates(Cb-BE),as the guests.When SPSAs were internalized by cancer cells,the generation of quinone methide(QM)from Cb-BE and singlet oxygen(^(1)O_(2))from irradiation-activated IR825 could consume GSH in a concerted way.As such,the therapeutic efficacies of the released chlorambucil and the accompanied hyperthermia were augmented toward synergistically inhibiting tumor growth.

Superatomic Aub clusters ligated by different N-heterocyclic carbenes and their ligand-dependent catalysis, photoluminescence, and proton sensitivity

We report herein a class of superatomic AU13 clusters stabilized by different N-heterocyclic carbenes(NHCs).The clusters show diverse metal surface structures,properties and functions as exemplified by:(1)the first anionic AU13 cluster[Au1g(NHC-1)sBr6],which has bulky NHC-1 ligands that lead to a rather open metal surface contributing to its high catalytic activity;(2)the tricationic cluster[Au13(NHC-2)sBr2]+which has bidentate,benzyl-rich NHC-2 ligands that make it ultra-stable and highly-luminescent,suitable for bio-imaging;and(3)by bearing two pyridyl groups on NHC-3,the dicationic cluster[Au:a(NHC-3)gClg]f+exhibits reversible and stable visible absorption and solubility responses to protonation/deprotonation cycles,making it a potential pH sensor(NHC-1=1,3-disopropylbenzimidazolin-ylidene;NHC-2=1,3-bis(1-benzyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-ium-yl)propane;NHC-3=1,3-bis(icolyI)benzimidazolin-ylidene).The study nicely demonstrates the importance of ligands in designing metal nanoclusters with desired functionalities.

miR-130b inhibits proliferation and promotes differentiation in myocytes via targeting Sp1

Muscle regeneration after damage or during myopathies requires a fine cooperation between myoblast proliferation and myogenic differentiation.A growing body of evidence suggests that microRNAs play critical roles in myocyte proliferation and differentiation transcriptionally.However,the molecular mechanisms underlying the orchestration are not fully understood.Here,we showed that miR-130b is able to repress myoblast proliferation and promote myogenic differentiation via targeting Sp1 transcription factor.Importantly,overexpression of miR-130b is capable of improving the recovery of damaged muscle in a freeze injury model.Moreover,miR-130b expression is declined in the muscle of muscular dystrophy patients.Thus,these results indicated that miR-130b may play a role in skeletal muscle regeneration and myopathy progression.Together,our findings suggest that the miR-130b/Sp1 axis may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with muscle damage or severe myopathies.

EXTENSION OF THE TOPSIS METHOD BASED ON PROSPECT THEORY AND TRAPEZOIDAL INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY NUMBERS FOR GROUP DECISION MAKING

Considering the decision maker＇s risk psychological factors and information ambiguity under uncertainty, a novel TOPSIS based on prospect theory （PT） and trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers （YrIFNs） for group decision making is investigated, in which the criteria values and the criteria weights take the form of TrIFNs, and weights of decision makers are unknown. Firstly, distance measures for TrIFNs are used to induce value function under trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy environment. Secondly, the concepts of distance measures and trapezoidal intuitionistie fuzzy weighted averaging operator are employed to induce the weights of decision makers and thus the decision makers＇ options can be aggregated. Then the PT-based separation measures and relative closeness coefficient are defined and an algorithm for ranking alternatives under trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy environment is proposed. Finally, a numerical example further illustrates the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed TOPSIS method.