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.

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.

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.

Intravoxel incoherent motion magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of cervical cancer and evaluation of response of uterine cervical cancer to radiochemotherapy: A pilot study

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of intravoxel incoherent motion(IVIM) diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) to diagnose cervical cancer and to evaluate the response of uterine cervical cancer to radiochemotherapy(CRT).Methods This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. A total of 23 patients with primary cervical cancer who were undergoing CRT and 16 age-matched healthy subjects were prospectively recruited for IVIM(b = 0–800 s/mm2) and standard pelvic MRI. Bi-exponential analysis was performed to derive f(perfusion fraction), D*(pseudo-diffusion coefficient), and D(true molecular diffusion coefficient) in cervical cancer(n = 23) and the normal cervix(n = 16). The apparent diffusion coefficient(standard ADC) was calculated. The independent-samples t-test and paired-samples t-test were used for comparisons.Results Pre-treatment cervical cancer had the lowest standard ADC(1.15 ± 0.13 × 10-3 mm2/s) and D(0.89 ± 0.10 × 10-3 mm2/s) values, and these were significantly different from the normal cervix and posttreatment cervical cancer(P = 0.00). The f(16.67 ± 5.85%) was lowest in pre-treatment cervical cancer and was significantly different from the normal cervix and post-treatment cervical cancer(p = 0.012 and 0.00, respectively). No difference was observed in D*.Conclusion IVIM is potentially promising for differentiating between the normal cervix and cervical cancer because pre-treated cervical cancer has low perfusion and diffusion IVIM characteristics. Further, the standard ADC, D, and f of cervical cancer showed a tendency to normalize after CRT; thus, IVIM may be useful for monitoring the response to CRT in cervical cancer.

Acquired renal arteriovenous malformation:the diagnostic value of three-dimensional multidetector-row computed tomography

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of three-dimensional multidetector-row computed tomography(MDCT) in detecting acquired renal arteriovenous malformation(RAVM) and to compare its performance with that of ultrasonography and digital subtraction angiography(DSA). Methods The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and written informed consent was obtained from all patients before examination. All 14 patients with acquired RAVM underwent MDCT, including cortical and medullary phase enhancement angiography and three-dimensional(3D) reconstruction. Five and nine patients were further examined and their diagnoses confirmed by DSA and surgery, respectively. The MDCT images, including 3D reconstructions, were analyzed for RAVM independently and in consensus by two observers using a workstation.Results Among the 14 patients with acquired RAVM, 12 with maximum lesion diameter ≥ 10 mm, and one with a maximum lesion diameter between 5 and 10 mm, were correctly diagnosed with MDCT angiography. Among these patients, four diagnoses were confirmed by DSA. One patient with a lesion 5–10 mm in diameter was misdiagnosed with a renal aneurysm by MDCT angiography. The other one with the maximum diameter of the lesion between 5 mm and 10 mm was misdiagnosed as renal aneurysm with MDCT angiography, which was diagnosed as renal arteriovenous malformation with DSA. Among 14 lesions in 14 patients, eight and six originated in the left and right kidney, respectively.Conclusion MDCT angiography can accurately diagnose RAVM and improve our understanding of the disease, which will allow clinicians to provide better care.

Metasurface-based computational imaging:a review

Metasurface-based imaging has attracted considerable attention owing to its compactness,multifunctionality,and subwavelength coding capability.With the integration of computational imaging techniques,researchers have actively explored the extended capabilities of metasurfaces,enabling a wide range of imaging methods.We present an overview of the recent progress in metasurface-based imaging techniques,focusing on the perspective of computational imaging.Specifically,we categorize and review existing metasurface-based imaging into three main groups,including(i)conventional metasurface design employing canonical methods,(ii)computation introduced independently in either the imaging process or postprocessing,and(iii)an end-to-end computation-optimized imaging system based upon metasurfaces.We highlight the advantages and challenges associated with each computational metasurface-based imaging technique and discuss the potential and future prospects of the computational boosted metaimager.

Recent advances on electroactive CNT-based membranes for environmental applications:The perfect match of electrochemistry and membrane separation

Global climate change,growing population,and environmental pollution underscore the need for a greater focus on providing advanced water treatment technologies.Although electrochemical basedprocesses are becoming promising solutions,they still face challenges owing to mass transport and upscaling which hinder the exploitation of this technology.Electrode design and reactor configuration are key factors for achieving operational improvements.The electroactive membrane has proven to be a breakthrough technology integrating electrochemistry and membrane separation with an enhanced mass transport by convection.In this review article,we discuss recent progress in environmental applications of electroactive membranes with particular focus on those composed of carbon nanotubes(CNT)due to their intriguing physicochemical prope rties.Their applications in degradation of refractory contaminants,detoxification and sequestration of toxic heavy metal ions,and membrane fouling alleviations are systematically reviewed.We then discuss the existing limitations and opportunities for future research.The development of advanced electroactive systems depends on interdisciplinary collaborations in the areas of materials,electrochemistry,membrane development,and environmental sciences.

TESTING SERIAL CORRELATION IN SEMIPARAMETRIC VARYING COEFFICIENT PARTIALLY LINEAR ERRORS-IN-VARIABLES MODEL

The authors propose a V_(N,p) test statistic for testing finite-order serial correlation in asemiparametric varying coefficient partially linear errors-in-variables model.The test statistic is shownto have asymptotic normal distribution under the null hypothesis of no serial correlation.Some MonteCarlo experiments are conducted to examine the finite sample performance of the proposed V_(N,p) teststatistic.Simulation results confirm that the proposed test performs satisfactorily in estimated sizeand power.

Recent advances in antimony removal using carbon-based nanomaterials:A review

Recently,special attention has been deserved to environmental risks of antimony(Sb)element that is of highly physiologic toxicity to human.Conventional coagulation and ion exchange methods for Sb removal are faced with challenges of low efficiency,high cost and secondary pollution.Adsorption based on carbon nanomaterials(CNMs;e.g.,carbon nanotubes,graphene,graphene oxide,reduced graphene oxide and their derivatives)may provide effective alternative because the CNMs have high surface area,rich surface chemistry and high stability.In particular,good conductivity makes it possible to create linkage between adsorption and electrochemistry,thereby the synergistic interaction will be expected for enhanced Sb removal.This review article summarizes the state of art on Sb removal using CNMs with the form of nano-adsorbents and/or filtration membranes.In details,procedures of synthesis and functionalization of different forms of CNMs were reviewed.Next,adsorption behavior and the underlying mechanisms toward Sb removal using various CNMs were presented as resulting from a retrospective analysis of literatures.Last,we prospect the needs for mass production and regeneration of CNMs adsorbents using more affordable precursors and objective assessment of environmental impacts in future studies.

Dual-color terahertz spatial light modulator for single-pixel imaging

Spatial light modulators(SLM),capable of dynamically and spatially manipulating electromagnetic waves,have reshaped modern life in projection display and remote sensing.The progress of SLM will expedite next-generation communication and biomedical imaging in the terahertz(THz)range.However,most current THz SLMs are adapted from optical alternatives that still need improvement in terms of uniformity,speed,and bandwidth.Here,we designed,fabricated,and characterized an 8×8THz SLM based on tunable liquid crystal metamaterial absorbers for THz single-pixel compressive imaging.We demonstrated dual-color compressive sensing(CS)imaging for dispersive objects utilizing the large frequency shift controlled by an external electric field.We developed auto-calibrated compressive sensing(ACS)algorithm to mitigate the impact of the spatially nonuniform THz incident beam and pixel modulation,which significantly improves the fidelity of reconstructed images.Furthermore,the complementary modulation at two absorption frequencies enables Hadamard masks with negative element values to be realized by frequency-switching,thereby halving the imaging time.The demonstrated imaging system paves a new route for THz single-pixel multispectral imaging with high reliability and low cost.

Bone metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma:facts and hopes from clinical and translational perspectives

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and bone metastasis(BM)suffer from greatly reduced life quality and a dismal prognosis.However,BM in HCC has long been overlooked possibly due to its relatively low prevalence in previous decades.To date,no consensus or guidelines have been reached or formulated for the prevention and management of HCC BM.Our narrative review manifests the increasing incidence of HCC BM to sound the alarm for additional attention.The risk factors,diagnosis,prognosis,and therapeutic approaches of HCC BM are detailed to provide a panoramic view of this disease to clinicians and specialists.We further delineate an informative cancer bone metastatic cascade based on evidence from recent studies and point out the main factors responsible for the tumor-associated disruption of bone homeostasis and the formation of skeletal cancer lesions.We also present the advances in the pathological and molecular mechanisms of HCC BM to shed light on translational opportunities.Dilemmas and challenges in the treatment and investigation of HCC BM are outlined and discussed to encourage further endeavors in the exploration of underlying pathogenic and molecular mechanisms,as well as the development of novel effective therapies for HCC patients with BM.

TAPP1 inhibits the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells via suppressing the Mek/Erk pathway

Oligodendrocytes（OLs） are glial cells that form myelin sheaths around axons in the central nervous system（CNS）.Loss of the myelin sheath in demyelinating and neurodegenerative diseases can lead to severe impairment of movement.Understanding the extracellular signals and intracellular factors that regulate OL differentiation and myelination during development can help to develop novel strategies for enhancing myelin repair in neurological disorders.Here,we report that TAPP1 was selectively expressed in differentiating OL precursor cells（OPCs）.TAPP1 knockdown promoted OL differentiation and myelin gene expression in culture.Conversely,over-expression of TAPP1 in immature OPCs suppressed their differentiation.Moreover,TAPP1 inhibition in OPCs altered the expression of Erk1/2 but not AKT.Taken together,our results identify TAPP1 as an important negative regulator of OPC differentiation through the Mek/Erk signaling pathway.

ZERO FINITE-ORDER SERIAL CORRELATION TEST IN A PARTIALLY LINEAR SINGLE-INDEX MODEL

这份报纸的目的是在一个部分线性的单个索引的模型测试内在的连续关联。在温和条件下面，当在错误条款没有连续关联时，建议测试统计被显示 asymptotically 有标准 chisquared 分发。说明他们的有限样品性质，模拟实验，以及一个真实数据例子，也被提供。建议测试统计的有限样品表演以估计的尺寸和力量是令人满意的，这被揭示。

High-Performance Ru_(2)P Anodic Catalyst for Alkaline Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Exploring efficient and economical electrocatalysts and understanding the mechanism for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)are crucial to facilitate the development of alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells(APEFCs).Herein,Ru_(2)P was synthesized and used as an anodic HOR electrocatalyst for APEFC,achieving a peak power density of 1.3 W cm^(−2),the highest value among Pt-free anode electrocatalysts reported under the same conditions.Fromthe density functional theory(DFT)calculations and experimental results,it was found that besides the optimized hydrogen binding energy,the enhanced adsorption strength of oxygenated species(OH*)and the reduced work function of Ru_(2)P contributed to the enhanced HOR performance.The normalized exchange current densities of Ru_(2)P/C were 0.37 mA cm_(ECSA)^(−2) and 0.27 mAμgRu^(−1),respectively,both approximately three times higher than those of Ru when conducted in the rotating disk electrode(RDE)system.Our work provides a new pathway for exploring highly active Pt-free HOR electrocatalysts and expanding the family of anodic electrocatalysts for APEFCs.