Genome-wide analysis of nuclear factor Y genes and functional investigation of watermelon ClNF-YB9 during seed development

The nuclear factor Y(NF-Y) gene family is a class of transcription factors that are widely distributed in eukaryotes and are involved in various biological processes. However, the NF-Y gene family members in watermelon, a valued and nutritious fruit, remain largely unknown and their functions have not been characterized. In the present study, 22 ClNF-Y genes in watermelon, 29 CsNF-Y genes in cucumber, and 24CmNF-Y genes in melon were identified based on the whole-genome investigation and their protein properties, gene location, gene structure, motif composition, conserved domain, and evolutionary relationship were investigated. ClNF-YB9 from watermelon and its homologs in cucumber and melon were expressed specifically in seeds. Its expression remained low in the early stages of watermelon seed development,increased at 20 days after pollination(DAP), and peaked at 45–50 DAP. Moreover, the knockout mutant Clnf-yb9 exhibited abnormal leafy cotyledon phenotype, implying its critical role during seed formation.Finally, protein interaction assays showed that ClNF-YB9 interacts with all ClNF-YCs and the ClNF-YB9-YC4 heterodimer was able to recruit a ClNF-YA7 subunit to assemble a complete NF-Y complex, which may function in seed development. This study revealed the structure and evolutionary relationships of the NF-Y gene family in Cucurbitaceae and the novel function of ClNF-YB9 in regulating seed development in watermelon.

The NAC transcription factor LuNAC61 negatively regulates fiber development in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Flax is a crucial fiber crop that exhibits excellent textile properties and serves as a model plant for investigating phloem fiber development. The regulation of multiple genes significantly influences fiber development, notably involving NAC(NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2) transcription factors in forming the fiber secondary cell wall(SCW).Overexpression of LuNAC61 in flax resulted in sparse top meristematic zone leaves and significantly reduced stem cellulose content. Scanning electron microscopy and staining observations revealed a significant reduction in fiber bundles. β-Glucuronidase(GUS) staining analysis demonstrated high activity of the LuNAC61 promoter in the bast fibers of the flax stem. Additionally, several members of the LuPLATZ and LuCesA families exhibited significant coexpression with LuNAC61. Subcellular localization indicated the presence of LuPLATZ24 protein in the nucleus and cytoplasm, LuNAC61 protein exclusively in the nucleus, and LuCesA10 in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum. LuPLATZ24 positively regulates LuNAC61, whereas LuNAC61 negatively affects LuCesA10, suggesting the involvement of a metabolic network in regulating flax fiber development. In conclusion, this study provides a critical opportunity for a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the mechanisms governing flax fiber development and the potential use of biotechnology to enhance flax fiber yield.

Enhancement of porcine in vitro embryonic development through luteolin‑mediated activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway

Background Oxidative stress,caused by an imbalance in the production and elimination of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS),has been recognized for its detrimental effects on mammalian embryonic development.Luteolin(Lut)has been documented for its protective effects against oxidative stress in various studies.However,its specific role in embryonic development remains unexplored.This study aims to investigate the influence of Lut on porcine embryonic development and to elucidate the underlying mechanism.Results After undergoing parthenogenetic activation(PA)or in vitro fertilization,embryos supplemented with 0.5μmol/L Lut displayed a significant enhancement in cleavage and blastocyst formation rates,with an increase in total cell numbers and a decrease in the apoptosis rate compared to the control.Measurements on D2 and D6 revealed that embryos with Lut supplementation had lower ROS levels and higher glutathione levels compared to the control.Moreover,Lut supplementation significantly augmented mitochondrial content and membrane potential.Intriguingly,activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway was observed in embryos supplemented with Lut,leading to the upregulation of antioxidant-related gene transcription levels.To further validate the relationship between the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway and effects of Lut in porcine embryonic development,we cultured PA embryos in a medium supplemented with brusatol,with or without the inclusion of Lut.The positive effects of Lut on developmental competence were negated by brusatol treatment.Conclusions Our findings indicate that Lut-mediated activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway contributes to the enhanced production of porcine embryos with high developmental competence,and offers insight into the mechanisms regulating early embryonic development.

Relationship between multifunctionality and rural sustainable development: Insights from 129 counties of the Sichuan Province, China

Rural areas are multifunctional and often have production,living,and ecological functions.The high-quality and balanced development of these three functions is key to sustainable rural development(SRD).Thus,the evaluation of SRD based on rural multifunctionality is of immense significance.This study clarifies the rela‐tionship between multifunctionality and sustainable rural development.An evaluation index system with six sub-components was established for calculating the SRD.In addition,we included 129 counties from the Sich‐uan Province in our case study,and used this index system to analyze the characteristics of rural multifunc‐tionality for evaluating the SRD.The results showed indisputable evidence of multifunctional development.At the county level,rural multifunctionality faces the challenge of insufficient and uneven development,particu‐larly in production functions.Significant spatial differences existed in rural multifunctional development,and the suburban counties generally performed better.Moreover,a mutually reinforcing relationship between pro‐duction,living,and ecological functions was established;however,there was still a significant gap in realizing SRD.Our results emphasize the necessity of a differentiated SRD strategy that should be formulated and imple‐mented based on rural multifunctionality differentiation rules.Our study offers useful guidance for realizing rural multifunctional and sustainable development.

Maternal zinc alleviates tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress on embryonic development involving the activation of Nrf2/PGC-1αpathway

Background Mitochondrial dysfunction induced by excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species(ROS)damages embryonic development and leads to growth arrest.Objective The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether maternal zinc(Zn)exert protective effect on oxidative stress targeting mitochondrial function using an avian model.Result In ovo injected tert-butyl hydroperoxide(BHP)increases(P<0.05)hepatic mitochondrial ROS,malondialdehyde(MDA)and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine(8-OHdG),and decreases(P<0.05)mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)copy number and adenosine triphosphate(ATP)content,contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction.In vivo and in vitro studies revealed that Zn addition enhances(P<0.05)ATP synthesis and metallothionein 4(MT4)content and expression as well as alleviates(P<0.05)the BHP-induced mitochondrial ROS generation,oxidative damage and dysfunction,exerting a protective effect on mitochondrial function by enhancing antioxidant capacity and upregulating the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and PGC-1α.Conclusions The present study provides a new way to protect offspring against oxidative damage by maternal Zn supplementation through the process of targeting mitochondria involving the activation of Nrf2/PGC-1αsignaling.

Anethole improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos by reducing oxidative stress via the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway

Background Anethole(AN)is an organic antioxidant compound with a benzene ring and is expected to have a positive impact on early embryogenesis in mammals.However,no study has examined the effect of AN on porcine embryonic development.Therefore,we investigated the effect of AN on the development of porcine embryos and the underlying mechanism.Results We cultured porcine in vitro-fertilized embryos in medium with AN(0,0.3,0.5,and 1 mg/mL)for 6 d.AN at 0.5 mg/mL significantly increased the blastocyst formation rate,trophectoderm cell number,and cellular survival rate compared to the control.AN-supplemented embryos exhibited significantly lower reactive oxygen species levels and higher glutathione levels than the control.Moreover,AN significantly improved the quantity of mitochondria and mitochondrial membrane potential,and increased the lipid droplet,fatty acid,and ATP levels.Interestingly,the levels of proteins and genes related to the sonic hedgehog(SHH)signaling pathway were significantly increased by AN.Conclusions These results revealed that AN improved the developmental competence of porcine preimplantation embryos by activating SHH signaling against oxidative stress and could be used for large-scale production of high-quality porcine embryos.

Risk Management Situation and Strategic Analysis of Supply Chains of Small and Medium Enterprises in Luzhou Liquor Industry Development Zone

After entering the information-based society, profound reform has happened in the business pattern of enterprises, and thecompetitive mode between traditional enterprises has been transformed into the competition between supply chains in nowadays. The liquorindustry in Luzhou is the pillar industry of economy, which involves “Luzhou Old Cellar”, “Ichiro Liquor”and other large-scale enterpriseswith well-known brands. Besides, many small and medium-sized enterprises are developing and flourishing in Luzhou. Compared with thedevelopment of large enterprises, the development of small and medium sized enterprises has more uncertainty and risks. At present, Luzhou Cityis setting about to build Huangyi into a liquor centralized zone, which is also a clusterization strategy for industry development of Luzhou liquor.For Luzhou Liquor Zone, the implementation of supply chain management of small and medium-sized enterprises can greatly reduce the cost ofenterprises and improve effi ciency of operation. The growth and development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Luzhou Liquor Zone andthe promotion of advantages of industrial clusters are closely related to the risks of the supply chain.

Free vibration of non-uniform axially functionally graded beams using the asymptotic development method

The asymptotic development method is applied to analyze the free vibration of non-uniform axially functionally graded(AFG) beams, of which the governing equations are differential equations with variable coefficients. By decomposing the variable flexural stiffness and mass per unit length into reference invariant and variant parts, the perturbation theory is introduced to obtain an approximate analytical formula of the natural frequencies of the non-uniform AFG beams with different boundary conditions.Furthermore, assuming polynomial distributions of Young's modulus and the mass density, the numerical results of the AFG beams with various taper ratios are obtained and compared with the published literature results. The discussion results illustrate that the proposed method yields an effective estimate of the first three order natural frequencies for the AFG tapered beams. However, the errors increase with the increase in the mode orders especially for the cases with variable heights. In brief, the asymptotic development method is verified to be simple and efficient to analytically study the free vibration of non-uniform AFG beams, and it could be used to analyze any tapered beams with an arbitrary varying cross width.

The development of brain functional connectivity networks revealed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Previous studies on brain functional connectivity networks in children have mainly focused on changes in function in specific brain regions, as opposed to whole brain connectivity in healthy children. By analyzing the independent components of activation and network connectivity between brain regions, we examined brain activity status and development trends in children aged 3 and 5 years. These data could provide a reference for brain function rehabilitation in children with illness or abnormal function. We acquired functional magnetic resonance images from 15 3-year-old children and 15 5-year-old children under natural sleep cond让ions. The participants were recruited from five kindergartens in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen City, China. The parents of the participants signed an informed consent form with the premise that they had been fully informed regarding the experimental protocol. We used masked independent component analysis and BrainNet Viewer software to explore the independent components of the brain and correlation connections between brain regions. We identified seven independent components in the two groups of children, including the executive control network, the dorsal attention network, the default mode network, the left frontoparietal network, the right frontoparietal network, the salience network, and the motor network. In the default mode network, the posterior cingulate cortex, medial frontal gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule were activated in both 3- and 5-year-old children, supporting the "three-brain region theory” of the default mode network. In the frontoparietal network, the frontal and parietal gyri were activated in the two groups of children, and functional connectivity was strengthened in 5-year-olds compared with 3-year-olds, although the nodes and network connections were not yet mature. The high-correlation network connections in the default mode networks and dorsal attention networks had been significantly strengthened in 5-year-olds vs. 3-year-olds. Further, the salience network in the 3-year-old children included an activated insula/inferior frontal gyrus-anterior cingulate cortex network circu让 and an activated thalamus-parahippocampal-posterior cingulate cortex-subcortical regions network circuit. By the age of 5 years, no des and high-correlation network connections (edges) were reduced in the salience network. Overall, activation of the dorsal attention network, default mode network, left frontoparietal network, and right frontoparietal network increased (the volume of activation increased, the signals strengthened, and the high-correlation connections increased and strengthened) in 5-year-olds compared with 3-year-olds, but activation in some brain nodes weakened or disappeared in the salience network, and the network connections (edges) were reduced. Between the ages of 3 and 5 years, we observed a tendency for function in some brain regions to be strengthened and for the generalization of activation to be reduced, indicating that specialization begins to develop at this time. The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in China with approval No. SIAT-IRB- 131115-H0075 on November 15, 2013.

Study on the Functional Zoning of Town-level Spatial Development——With Batang Township in Gangnan District,Guigang City,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China as a Case Study

By taking Batang Township in Gangnan District,Guigang City,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for an example,Principal Component Analysis(PCA),GIS technique and SPSS13.0 were applied to comprehensively evaluate 3 principal factors:value of ecological environment,foundation of economic development,value of natural resources;three-dimensional coordinates of economy-ecology-resource combinations were obtained;and finally,functional zoning for the spatial development was realized,22 administrative villages in this town were classified into 6 categories.Among these 6 types of functional zoning,regions of key development and moderate development are Batang Village,Xinlu Village,Suwan Village,Xinmeng Village,Bancun Village,Daxin Village and Gaoxin Village,which are endowed with excellent traffic conditions,solid economic foundation and low sensitivity of ecological environment,thus are suitable to be developed as major spatial carriers of town and industrial development;regions of controlled development are mainly Gaobei Village,Gaoling Village,Sugang Village,Mulong Village and Zhenxin Village,which have moderate economic foundation,dominant crop farming and moderate sensitivity of ecological environment,and also are close to the key developed areas,thus they should be developed with proper control;grey elastic regions mainly include Hengling Village,Sanban Village,Xueshan Village,Shanquan Village and Xinhua Village,which have poor economic foundation and low sensitivity of ecological environment,but excellent natural resources and traffic conditions,thus can be developed as backup land for towns and industrial development;regions of moderate and key protection include Gaolang Village,Cenxi Village,Xin'an Village and Xin'he Village,which have fragile ecological environment and poor economic foundation,thus should be developed according to the principle of "protection first,intensive exploration".

Recommendations for Sustainable Development of Selenium-enriched Functional Agriculture in Guangxi under the New Normal

Taking Scientific Outlook on Development as the guiding principle,this paper introduced the principles of innovation,coordination,green,openness and sharing. Based on gifted advantages of selenium-enriched soil and selenium-enriched industry development in Guangxi,it discussed current practice,stressed green,ecological,characteristic demonstration,transformation and upgrading,and targeted poverty alleviation. Finally,it came up with perspective,practical,and operational strategies and recommendations for development of selenium-enriched industry,to provide reference for sustainable development of selenium-enriched functional industry in Guangxi.

Industrial Policy Analysis of Restricted Development Zones in Western China——A Study of State-level Main Producing Areas of Agricultural Products and Key Ecological Functional Areas

As one of the important policies of promoting the formation of main functional areas, the industrial policy directly determines the sustainable growth of space control ability of main functional areas. A restricted development zone is a type of main functional area which provides agricultural products and ecological products, assures the supply of national agricultural products and the stability of ecosystems, as well as safeguards the ecological functions and agricultural functions of wider regions by restricting its own development. Therefore scientific, complete and operable industrial policy support is needed. Restricted development zones are distributed widely in western China. With the restriction of their main functions, differential industrial policies should be implemented in the development of the restricted development zones: Dealing well with the relationship between industrial development and ecological protection, developing special industries which are friendly to resources and environment and appropriate for local conditions, guiding and encouraging industries to learn from regions with favorable development conditions, orderly withdrawing industries and enterprises adverse to main functions, facilitating industrial structure upgrading, optimizing industrial organization, improving industrial technological level and rationalizing industrial layout.

A Review of the Development of Systemic-Functional Grammar

50 years has seen Systemic-Functional Grammar(SFG)growing into its prosperity. With the efforts of Halliday and many other linguists, SFG has developed from Scale and Category Grammar to Systemic Grammar and then to Functional Grammar. The development of this general linguistic theory's features and framework is the main focus of this study. SFG views language as a social semiotic resource people use to express meanings in context.

Development of a Functional Food Snack Product Utilizing Underexplored and Underutilized Ingredients: Spirulina Microalgae and Bilberry

Spirulina, a protein-rich cyanobacterium, and Bilberry, a dark berry, have the potential to be used as functional food ingredients in the food industry. These two underexplored and underutilized ingredients were used to develop an adolescent-friendly functional snack food product in the light of food industry trends. Stages of product development, shelf life/physiochemical analysis (texture, pH, color, and water activity) and sensory evaluation were utilized in developing a functional snack mini muffin containing Spirulina and Bilberry. Aqueous (AQ) and 80% ethanol (ET) extracts of mini muffin formulations (chocolate, 1% Spirulina (S) + 4% Bilberry (B), 2% Spirulina (S) + 8% Bilberry (B)) were prepared using a standard protocol. Antioxidant potential was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Potential (FRAP) assays. Utilizing a 5-point hedonic scale (1—Dislike very much, 2—Dislike a little, 3—Neither like nor dislike, 4—Like a little, 5—Like very much), 3 mini muffin formulations (chocolate, 1% S + 4% B, 2% S +8% B), were tested among consumer panelists, with 1% S + 4% B being the most acceptable based on taste, texture, color, aroma, appearance, etc. Texture (post-peak (N) of the mini muffin did not vary between chocolate and 1 S% + 4% B formulations;however, 2% S + 8% B was 1.09 times higher compared to its counterparts. pH, color, and water activity remained constant over the 9-day shelf-life period. The Spirulina and Bilberry muffins developed exhibited antioxidant activities (highest in 2% S + 8% B), and were accepted by the sensory panelists for color, taste, mouthfeel, and aroma (panelists preferred 1% S + 4% B).

Agriculture Development in Agriculture Oriented County Based on Territorial Function ——A Case Study of Long’an County in GuangXi Zhuang Autonomous Region

[Objective] The aim was to research development plan of major agriculture-oriented county （MAOA or MAOC hereafter） based on territorial function. [Method] The relationship between Major Function Oriented Zoning （MFOZ hereafter） and agricultural development is explored with the case of Long＇an County in Guangxi. [Result] In the research, agricultural function, featured by composition and diversification, is considered one of territorial function typs, contributed by ecology, land, industries and population. With Long＇an as a study case, it can be concluded that the plan of major agriculture-oriented counties is as follows： With guidance of territorial function, the counties should formulate the strategies of major function oriented zones, strive for more social and economic resources for agricultural development, extend agricultural functions, enhance the role of agricultural additional functions, strengthen ecological conservation, improve agricultural productivity and transportation, reinforce exchange of countryside with other regions. In addition, attention should be paid to reconstruction of population and industry pattern for redistribution on the basis of evaluation on bearing capacity of resources and environment. [Conclusion] In future, major agriculture oriented county should coordinate relationship among agriculture, industries, ecology and population with rational distribution of territorial function in county to guarantee stable and sustainable agricultural development.

Pattern and Significance of Seedling Development in Titanotrichum oldhamii (Gesneriaceae)

The seedling development of Titanotrichum oldhamii (Hemsl.) Solereder has been investigated to provide insight into the evolution and systematic position of Titanotrichum. In T. oldhamii, the size differentiation of the two cotyledons begins while the hypocotyl grows. However, both of the two cotyledons develop normally and locate at the same level. Finally, the two cotyledons are almost equal in size. The aerial shoot (including stem and leaves) is produced from the permanent activity of the apical meristem in the plumular bud. Even though the seedling development in Titanotrichum basically conforms to the general growth pattern of the seedling in the Cyrtandroideae, it is remarkably different from that of other Cyrtandroideae. Based on the revealed evidence in seedling development in Titanotrichum and other comparative data, the authors have evaluated the possible evolutionary pathway of Titanotrichum and further discussed the familial placement of this genus.

An Evaluation of South Korean Container Sea Port Development Policy

As Busan New Port has been developed with a total scale of 30 berths in 2020, the chronic problem of Busan port, a lack of port facilities, is being addressed, and there is a growing interest in regard to port development with an optimal scale. The Korean container port development under the master plan for national port development reveals a severe problem of excess supply of port facility in some ports. This paper, the authors analysed the second and the third master plan for national port development implemented in 2001 and 2011, and a revised plan in 2006, along with the amended predictions for container throughput. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the implementation of the initial plan, and the current situation of South Korea＇s main container ports of Busan, Gwangyang, Incheon, and Pyeongtaek ＆ Dangjin was examined. Through the analysis of port vitalizations, we have examined the actual problems for the prediction of container throughput. Also, this research analysed the functional difference of each port and organized the function of each one discriminatively. Therefore, identifies the problems, which arise with making the container throughput forecasts, which is a fimdamental aspect of existing port development policy, and suggest a direction for future port development by synthesizing the results of analysis.

The role of Dby mRNA in early development of male mouse zygotes

Ejaculated mammalian spermatozoa contain a complex yet specific population of mRNA. However, the possible roles that mRNA has in early zygotic and embryonic development remain unclear. We found that Dby mRNA is selectively retained in capacitated mouse spermatozoa, and is transferred into the oocyte during fertilization by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction even though no DBY protein expression is detected. The cellular location ofDby mRNA is seen in the post-acrosome region, and it comprises nearly half of the mouse spermatozoa in in situ hybridization. In contrast, transcripts of the control gene, Smcy, are not detected in capacitated mouse spermatozoa, although the H-Y antigen encoded by Smcy is expressed on the surface of the spermatozoa. In our microinjection experiment, the zygotic development rate of the as-Dby male pronucleus injection group was significantly lower than that of the as-Smcy male pronucleus injection group （35.9% vs. 95%, P = 0.001） and the as-Dby female pronucleus injection group （35.9% vs. 93.8%, P = 0.001）. The rate of male-developed zygotes was also lower than that of the as-Smcy male pronucleus injection group （17.4% vs. 57.9%, P = 0.002） and the as-Dby female pronucleus injection group （17.4% vs. 54.1%, P = 0.002）. Thus, we conclude that Dby mRNA is selectively retained in capaci- tated mouse spermatozoa, and it has an important role in the early zygotic development of male mouse zygotes. This might imply that spermatozoa mRNA is involved in early zygotic and embryonic stages of reproduction.

Major Function Oriented Zone: New Method of Spatial Regulation for Reshaping Regional Development Pattern in China

Newest planning methods implemented by Chinese government are promoting a coordinated regional development and shaping an orderly spatial structure by applying the regulation of territorial function. This article analyzes the problems of spatial planning and regional strategy caused by the wrongly-set primary goal of economic development; it states that the three-fold objective of competitiveness, sustainability, and welfare fairness shall be the principal for China to implement the spatial regulation in the new era; it discusses about theoretical thoughts and technology framework of conducting the ′Major Function Oriented Zone′ based on their different major functions that each region plays in urbanization and industrialization, ecological constructions, grain productions, and protection of natural and cultural heritages; it introduces the new concept of ′Major Function Oriented Zone′ that include the major functions category, the stereo regional equilibrium mode, the two-level zoning specification, and the territorial development intensity; it offers a zoning scheme that defines development-optimized and development-prioritized zones as regions with massive urbanization and industrialization, development-restricted zones as ecological constructing or grain producing regions, development-prohibited zones as natural and cultural heritage protecting regions; and finally it addresses the main obstacle for implementing ′Major Function Oriented Zone′, which is the institutional arrangement of the supreme goal of high GDP growth rate that is currently being implemented.

Study on Decision Support System of Agricultural Sustainable Development of Jianli County in Jianghan Plain

With the agricultural development and the modernization of decision-making, it is necessary to establish the agricultural sustainable development decision support system supported by GIS. We set Jianli county as an example; our aim is to realize decision spatialiazation with the support of information system, remote sensing and artificial intelligence. The system components are described in the aspects of database, knowledge base, model-base and method-base. This system will provide a workable system for local decision-makers and agricultural management sections.