A bHLH transcription factor,CsSPT,regulates high-temperature resistance in cucumber

High-temperature stress threatens the growth and yield of crops. Basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH) transcription factors(TFs) have been shown to play important roles in regulating high-temperature resistance in plants. However, the bHLH TFs responsible for high-temperature tolerance in cucumbers have not been identified. We used transcriptome profiling to screen the high temperature-responsive candidate bHLH TFs in cucumber. Here, we found that the expression of 75 CsbHLH genes was altered under high-temperature stress. The expression of the CsSPT gene was induced by high temperatures in TT(Thermotolerant) cucumber plants. However, the Csspt mutant plants obtained by the CRISPR-Cas9 system showed severe thermosensitive symptoms, including wilted leaves with brown margins and reduced root density and cell activity.The Csspt mutant plants also exhibited elevated H_(2)O_(2) levels and down-regulated photosystem-related genes under normal conditions.Furthermore, there were high relative electrolytic leakage(REC), malondialdehyde(MDA), glutathione(GSH), and superoxide radical(O_(2)^(·-)) levels in the Csspt mutant plants, with decreased Proline content after the high-temperature treatment. Transcriptome analysis showed that the photosystem and chloroplast activities in Csspt mutant plants were extremely disrupted by the high-temperature stress compared with wildtype(WT) plants. Moreover, the plant hormone signal transduction, as well as MAPK and calcium signaling pathways were activated in Csspt mutant plants under high-temperature stress. The HSF and HSP family genes shared the same upregulated expression patterns in Csspt and WT plants under high-temperature conditions. However, most bHLH, NAC, and bZIP family genes were significantly down-regulated by heat in Csspt mutant plants. Thus, these results demonstrated that CsSPT regulated the high-temperature response by recruiting photosynthesis components, signaling pathway molecules, and transcription factors. Our results provide important insights into the heat response mechanism of CsSPT in cucumber and its potential as a target for breeding heat-resistant crops.

3D printing of personalized polylactic acid scaffold laden with GelMA/autologous auricle cartilage to promote ear reconstruction

At present,the clinical reconstruction of the auricle usually adopts the strategy of taking autologous costal cartilage.This method has great trauma to patients,poor plasticity and inaccurate shaping.Three-dimensional(3D)printing technology has made a great breakthrough in the clinical application of orthopedic implants.This study explored the combination of 3D printing and tissue engineering to precisely reconstruct the auricle.First,a polylactic acid(PLA)polymer scaffold with a precisely customized patient appearance was fabricated,and then auricle cartilage fragments were loaded into the 3D-printed porous PLA scaffold to promote auricle reconstruction.In vitro,gelatin methacrylamide(GelMA)hydrogels loaded with different sizes of rabbit ear cartilage fragments were studied to assess the regenerative activity of various autologous cartilage fragments.In vivo,rat ear cartilage fragments were placed in an accurately designed porous PLA polymer ear scaffold to promote auricle reconstruction.The results indicated that the chondrocytes in the cartilage fragments could maintain the morphological phenotype in vitro.After three months of implantation observation,it was conducive to promoting the subsequent regeneration of cartilage in vivo.The autologous cartilage fragments combined with 3D printing technology show promising potential in auricle reconstruction.

人工智能新闻主播何以被接受?:新技术与社会行动者的双重视角

伴随着传统媒体的智能化转型,人工智能主播(AI主播)日渐出现在新闻节目中。作为一项新兴传播实践,AI主播面对的节目受众如何对其进行感知,其接受度又受到何种因素影响,成为本文关注的核心命题。本研究基于新技术与社会行动者的双重视角,通过问卷调查的方法对如上问题进行探究。结果表明:在新技术特质层面,感知新颖性正向预测新闻AI主播的态度与接受度,而感知智能优势对态度与接受度的影响并不显著。在社会行动者特质层面,感知可信度、感知形象拟人化与感知能动性均正向预测新闻AI主播的态度与接受度。除此之外,感知新颖性、感知可信度、感知拟人化与感知能动性通过态度的中介作用正向影响受众对于新闻AI主播的接受度。本研究拓展了新闻AI主播接受度的前因变量,为理解新闻AI主播的社会扩散过程提供了更为情境化的视角。

Clinical effects of innovative tuina manipulations on treating cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type and changes in cerebral blood flow

OBJECTIVE:To determine the clinical effect,treatment times,and rheoencephalogram changes in vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis patients treated with innovative Tuina manipulations.METHODS:One hundred and twenty six cervical spondylosis patients(vertebral artery type) were randomly divided into test and control groups.Patients in the test group were treated with innovative Tuina manipulations,while those in the control group were treated with the routine Tuina manipulations according to the textbook of Chinese Massage for Acupuncture and Moxibustion majors.The clinical effects,treatment times,clinical symptoms,and cerebral blood flow were measured.RESULTS:The response to the treatment was 100% in the test group and 88.71% in the control group.Patients in the test group required(7 ± 4) treatments before recovery,while those in the control group required(15 ± 7) treatments before recovery(P<0.05).The clinical symptoms exhibited greater improvement in the test group compared to the control group(P<0.05).There were no differences in cerebral blood flow between the two groups.CONCLUSION:Both innovative Tuina manipulations and routine Tuina manipulations produced satisfactory therapeutic results in vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis patients.However,the innovative manipulation was more effective in improving the functional symptoms,although there were no changes in the cerebral blood flow.

Facile preparation of low swelling,high strength,self-healing and pH-responsive hydrogels based on the triple-network structure

A polyacrylic acid(PAA)/gelatin(Gela)/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)hydrogel was prepared by copolymerization,cooling,and freezing/thawing methods.This triplenetwork(TN)structure hydrogel displayed superior mechanical properties,low swelling ratio and self-healing properties,The superior mechanical properties are attributed to the triple helix association of Gela and PVA crystallites by reversible hydrogen bonding.The characterization results indicated that the fracture stress and the strain were 808 kPa and 370% respectively,while the compression strength could reach 4443 kPa and the compressive modulus was up to 39 MPa under the deformation of 90%.The hydrogen bonding in PVA contributed to maintain and improve the self-healing ability of hydrogels.Every type of hydrogels exhibited a higher swelling ratio under alkaline conditions,and the swelling ratios of PAA,PAA/PVA and PAA/Gela hydrogels were 27.71,12.30 and 9.09,respectively.The PAA/Gela/PVA TN hydrogel showed the lowest swelling ratio(6.57)among these hydrogels.These results indicate that the novel TN hydrogels possess good environmental adaptability and have potential applications in the biomedical engineering and sensor field.

Novel robust cellulose-based foam with pH and light dual-response for oil recovery

We fabricated pH and light dual-responsive adsorption materials which could induce the transition of surface wettability between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity by using ATRPo The structure and morphology of adsorption materials were confirmed by ATR-FTIR, XPS, TGA and SEM. It showed that the modified cellulose （CE）- based foam was hydrophobic, which can adsorb a range of oils and organic solvents in water under pH = 7.0 or visible light irradiation （λ〉500 nm）. Meanwhile, the wettability of robust CE-based foam can convert hydrophobicity into hydrophilicity and underwater oleophobicity under pH = 3.0 or UV irradiation （λ = 365 nm）, giving rise to release oils and organic solvents. Most important of all, the adsorption and desorption processes of the modified CE-based foam could be switched by external stimuli. Furthermore, the modified CE-based foam was not damaged and still retained original performance after reversible cycle repeated for many times with variation of surface wettability. In short, it indicates that CE-based foam materials with switchable surface wettability are new responsive absorbent materials and have owned potential application in the treatment of oil recovery.