Magnetosome Gene Duplication as an Important Driver in the Evolution of Magnetotaxis in the Alphaproteobacteria

The evolution of microbial magnetoreception (or magnetotaxis) is of great interest in the fields of microbiology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, geomicrobiology, and geochemistry. Current genomic data from magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), the only prokaryotes known to be capable of sensing the Earth’s geomagnetic field, suggests an ancient origin of magnetotaxis in the domain Bacteria. Vertical inheritance, followed by multiple independent magnetosome gene cluster loss, is considered to be one of the major forces that drove the evolution of magnetotaxis at or above the class or phylum level, although the evolutionary trajectories at lower taxonomic ranks (e.g., within the class level) remain largely unstudied. Here we report the isolation, cultivation, and sequencing of a novel magnetotactic spirillum belonging to the genus Terasakiella (Terasakiella sp. strain SH-1) within the class Alphaproteobacteria. The complete genome sequence of Terasakiella sp. strain SH-1 revealed an unexpected duplication event of magnetosome genes within the mamAB operon, a group of genes essential for magnetosome biomineralization and magnetotaxis. Intriguingly, further comparative genomic analysis suggests that the duplication of mamAB genes is a common feature in the genomes of alphaproteobacterial MTB. Taken together, with the additional finding that gene duplication appears to have also occurred in some magnetotactic members of the Deltaproteobacteria, our results indicate that gene duplication plays an important role in the evolution of magnetotaxis in the Alphaproteobacteria and perhaps the domain Bacteria

Development of a Novel miR-3648-Related Gene Signature as a Prognostic Biomarker in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is a typical immunogenic malignant tumor with a dismal 5-year survival rate lower than 20%. Although miRNA-3648 (miR-3648) is expressed abnormally in EA, its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment remains unknown. In this study, we sought to identify immune-related genes (IRGs) that are targeted by miR-3648 and develop an EA multigene signature. Methods: The gene expression data of 87 EA tumor samples and 67 normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database were downloaded, respectively. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), the CIBERSORT algorithm, and Cox regression analysis were applied to identify IRGs and to construct a prognostic signature and nomogram. Results: MiR-3648 was expectedly highly expressed in EA tumor tissues (P=2.6e-8), and related to the infiltration of activated natural killer cells (NK cells) and activated CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells). A total of 70 miR-3648-targeted genes related to immune cell infiltration were identified. Among them, 4 genes (C10orf55, DLL4, PANX2, and NKAIN1) were closely related to overall survival (OS), and were thus selected to construct a 4-gene risk score (RS). The RS had a superior capability to predict OS [area under the curve (AUC) =0.740 for 1 year; AUC =0.717 for 3 years; AUC =0.622 for 5 years]. A higher score was indicative of a poorer prognosis than a lower score [hazard ratio (HR) =2.71; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45–5.09; P=0.002]. Furthermore, the nomogram formed by combining the RS and the TNM classification of malignant tumors (TNM stage) improved the accuracy of survival prediction [Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) =0.698]. Conclusions: MiR-3648 may play a critical role in EA pathogenesis. The novel 4-gene signature may serve as a prognostic tool to manage patients with EA

Research on the sustainable development of tourism coupled with economic and environment data——a case study of Hangzhou

The scale of tourism has continued to expand in recent years, and many associated activities cause damage to the natural environment. The tourism, economy and natural environment constitute a system: destruction of the natural environment reduces the value of tourism and a lack of tourism affects the development of the economy. To explore the relationship between the tourism, economy and natural environment, and to explore possibilities for sustainable development, this paper takes Hangzhou, a tourist city in China, as a research object. An analysis of time series data is carried out. First, the tourism, economy and natural environment subsystems are constructed by extracting time series data acquired between 2010 and 2020. Second, a tourism evaluation model with coupled economic and natural environment data is constructed and the coupling degree and coupling coordination level in Hangzhou are evaluated. Third, the time series of each subsystem and the coupling coordination level of the whole system are analyzed. Finally, an optimization strategy is proposed for the coupled coordinated development of the tourism, economy and natural environment in Hangzhou. A key result is that the tertiary industry represented by tourism has become the main source of local income. Hangzhou's tourism coupling coordination level has changed from slight disorder in 2010 to good in 2020. It is also found that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a major factor restricting the development of tourism. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Hangzhou's tourism industry and economy were synchronized. After the outbreak of COVID-19, both the number of tourists and tourism revenue in Hangzhou fell by nearly 15%

Genome-wide identification of the soybean cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase gene family and its diverse roles in response to multiple abiotic stress

Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) irreversibly degrades cytokinin, regulates growth and development, and helps plants to respond to environmental stress. Although the CKX gene has been well characterized in various plants, its role in soybean remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, the evolutionary relationship, chromosomal location, gene structure, motifs, cis-regulatory elements, collinearity, and gene expression patterns of GmCKXs were analyzed using RNA-seq, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and bioinformatics. We identified 18 GmCKX genes from the soybean genome and grouped them into five clades, each comprising members with similar gene structures and motifs. Cis-acting elements involved in hormones, resistance, and physiological metabolism were detected in the promoter regions of GmCKXs. Synteny analysis indicated that segmental duplication events contributed to the expansion of the soybean CKX family. The expression profiling of the GmCKXs genes using qRT-PCR showed tissue-specific expression patterns. The RNA-seq analysis also indicated that GmCKXs play an important role in response to salt and drought stresses at the seedling stage. The responses of the genes to salt, drought, synthetic cytokinin 6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA), and the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at the germination stage were further evaluated by qRT-PCR. Specifically, the GmCKX14 gene was downregulated in the roots and the radicles at the germination stage. The hormones 6-BA and IAA repressed the expression levels of GmCKX1, GmCKX6, and GmCKX9 genes but upregulated the expression levels of GmCKX10 and GmCKX18 genes. The three abiotic stresses also decreased the zeatin content in soybean radicle but enhanced the activity of the CKX enzymes. Conversely, the 6-BA and IAA treatments enhanced the CKX enzymes’ activity but reduced the zeatin content in the radicles. This study, therefore, provides a reference for the functional analysis of GmCKXs in soybean in response to abiotic stresses

International Geomagnetic Reference Field: the 12th generation

The 12th generation of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) was adopted in December 2014 by the Working Group V-MOD appointed by the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA). It updates the previous IGRF generation with a definitive main field model for epoch 2010.0, a main field model for epoch 2015.0, and a linear annual predictive secular variation model for 2015.0-2020.0. Here, we present the equations defining the IGRF model, provide the spherical harmonic coefficients, and provide maps of the magnetic declination, inclination, and total intensity for epoch 2015.0 and their predicted rates of change for 2015.0-2020.0. We also update the magnetic pole positions and discuss briefly the latest changes and possible future trends of the Earth’s magnetic fiel

Differences in perceived causes of childhood obesity between migrant and local communities in China: a qualitative study

In developing countries, obesity traditionally affectsmore affluent children, butis spreading to a wider social group. Understanding the perceivedcontributors can provide valuable insights to plan preventive interventions. We exploreddifferences in the perceived causes of childhood obesity between local and migrant communities in a major Chinese city. We conducted 20 focus groups (137 parents, grandparents, school teachers) and 11semi-structured interviews with school Principals from migrant and local communities in Guangzhou. Data were transcribed and analysed using a thematic approach. We found that Lack of influence from grandparents, who were perceived to promote obesogenic behaviorin local children, fewer opportunities for unhealthy snacking and less pressure for academic attainment leading to moreactive play were interpreted as potential "protective" factors among migrant children. Nevertheless, two perceived causes of obesity were more pronounced in migrant than local children: lack of parental monitoring after-school andunsafe neighborhoods limiting physical-activity. Two barriers that restricted child physical activity were only found in the migrant community: limited home space, and cultural differences, inhabitinginteractive play with local children. Future interventions should consider uniquedeterminants of obesity in children from different social backgrounds, with tailored strategies to prevent further rise of the epidemic

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Exchanging faces: Dubbing foreign films in China, 1949-1994

My dissertation examines dubbed foreign films, which were the Chinese people’s “window to the outside world” during the Cold War era. Between 1949 and 1994, when Hollywood’s path to China was blocked by Cold War politics, the Chinese Communist Party dubbed and screened over one thousand films from the Soviet bloc, Western Europe, and beyond. These foreign films made up close to one half of all films screened in China and were more popular and profitable than domestic Chinese films. Despite their immense popularity and lasting impact, no comprehensive study on these films has emerged. I argue that dubbed foreign films disrupt the familiar narratives of Chinese cultural history, by showing that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) never achieved full control over its cinema, and its ideological indoctrination was always confined by its technology. I use government documents, film companies’ internal publications, and audience memoirs to construct a history of the PRC’s foreign film import and exhibition. I demonstrate that the CCP used foreign films to fulfill three functions: as ideological textbooks, as diplomatic tokens, and as program fillers and revenue earners to supplement China’s meager domestic film output. Much as the CCP wished to regulate the content of foreign films, pragmatic concerns such as diplomatic relationships and the demands of the film exhibition industry compelled them to screen foreign films that were not up to their ideological standards. As a result, foreign films were relatively free from the notoriously severe censorship imposed on domestic films. At times, dubbed films could even betray their propagandist purpose and constitute a legitimate space of mild dissent against mainstream aesthetics and ideology. I also examine the impact that decades of foreign film dubbing as opposed to subtitling had on the Chinese audience. The Chinese dubbing practice, with its emphasis on synchrony or “matching voices,” carried with itself an ideology that unwittingly subverted the CCP’s nationalism and authoritarianism. Dubbing obscured the boundary between the Chinese and the foreign. The foreign body and milieu, socialist or capitalist, acquired a degree of immediacy and Chinese identity through the accompanying Chinese voice. The Chinese voice, bent by the imperative to adhere to the foreign lips and body, acquired a “foreign accent” as it departed in unobtrusive yet substantial ways from the linguistic and vocal norms of the time. In short, instead of simply grafting a Chinese voice onto a foreign figure, dubbing turned the foreign figure Chinese and the Chinese voice foreign. Furthermore, the dubbing voice was subversive not only because it had a foreign accent, but also because its mission – to become one with the body on the screen – made it unsuitable as a mouthpiece of the CCP and distinguished it from mainstream voices that were dedicated to single-minded propaganda. In sum, my dissertation demonstrates how dubbed foreign films that were imported, dubbed, and exhibited by the CCP subverted the party’s own ideology due to stubborn, pragmatic circumstances. Revising Xiaomei Chen’s theory that emphasizes “counter-discourse” and the binary between official and unofficial Occidentalism, my research reveals that subversion occurred inadvertently and from within the system

Exchanging faces: Dubbing foreign films in China, 1949-1994

My dissertation examines dubbed foreign films, which were the Chinese people’s “window to the outside world” during the Cold War era. Between 1949 and 1994, when Hollywood’s path to China was blocked by Cold War politics, the Chinese Communist Party dubbed and screened over one thousand films from the Soviet bloc, Western Europe, and beyond. These foreign films made up close to one half of all films screened in China and were more popular and profitable than domestic Chinese films. Despite their immense popularity and lasting impact, no comprehensive study on these films has emerged. I argue that dubbed foreign films disrupt the familiar narratives of Chinese cultural history, by showing that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) never achieved full control over its cinema, and its ideological indoctrination was always confined by its technology. I use government documents, film companies’ internal publications, and audience memoirs to construct a history of the PRC’s foreign film import and exhibition. I demonstrate that the CCP used foreign films to fulfill three functions: as ideological textbooks, as diplomatic tokens, and as program fillers and revenue earners to supplement China’s meager domestic film output. Much as the CCP wished to regulate the content of foreign films, pragmatic concerns such as diplomatic relationships and the demands of the film exhibition industry compelled them to screen foreign films that were not up to their ideological standards. As a result, foreign films were relatively free from the notoriously severe censorship imposed on domestic films. At times, dubbed films could even betray their propagandist purpose and constitute a legitimate space of mild dissent against mainstream aesthetics and ideology. I also examine the impact that decades of foreign film dubbing as opposed to subtitling had on the Chinese audience. The Chinese dubbing practice, with its emphasis on synchrony or “matching voices,” carried with itself an ideology that unwittingly subverted the CCP’s nationalism and authoritarianism. Dubbing obscured the boundary between the Chinese and the foreign. The foreign body and milieu, socialist or capitalist, acquired a degree of immediacy and Chinese identity through the accompanying Chinese voice. The Chinese voice, bent by the imperative to adhere to the foreign lips and body, acquired a “foreign accent” as it departed in unobtrusive yet substantial ways from the linguistic and vocal norms of the time. In short, instead of simply grafting a Chinese voice onto a foreign figure, dubbing turned the foreign figure Chinese and the Chinese voice foreign. Furthermore, the dubbing voice was subversive not only because it had a foreign accent, but also because its mission – to become one with the body on the screen – made it unsuitable as a mouthpiece of the CCP and distinguished it from mainstream voices that were dedicated to single-minded propaganda. In sum, my dissertation demonstrates how dubbed foreign films that were imported, dubbed, and exhibited by the CCP subverted the party’s own ideology due to stubborn, pragmatic circumstances. Revising Xiaomei Chen’s theory that emphasizes “counter-discourse” and the binary between official and unofficial Occidentalism, my research reveals that subversion occurred inadvertently and from within the system.U of I OnlyAuthor requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD syste

Development and Application of an Interval-Valued Pythagorean Fuzzy Set-Based Grade Evaluation Method to Foreign Fiber Content

To solve the problem of the grade evaluation of foreign fiber content in cotton, this paper divided the problem into multi-criteria decision-making field and proposed an interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy set foreign fiber content grade evaluation method. Taking into account the various properties of foreign fibers, the multi-criteria evaluation of single foreign fiber content and comprehensive foreign fiber content is carried out to improve the quality of cotton textiles. Based on the Pythagorean fuzzy set, we used AHP and TOPSIS methods to determine the relevant weight information, combined with the grade evaluation index of foreign fiber content and the interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy weighted average or geometric operators to construct a fiber multi-criteria decision model. Then, the evaluation index function is improved to make the score function more consistent with the facts, and the digitization and intelligence methods required for foreign fiber content detection and grade evaluation are developed. Further, an example is given to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the model. In addition, the multi-criteria decision-making method adopted has high theoretical innovation and application value for the textile industry