Isolation and characterization of putative functional long terminal repeat retrotransposons in the Pyrus genome

Annotation of 440 isolated LTR retrotransposons. (XLSX 88 kb

Manipulating dc currents with bilayer bulk natural materials

The principle of transformation optics has been applied to various wave phenomena (e.g., optics, electromagnetics, acoustics and thermodynamics). Recently, metamaterial devices manipulating dc currents have received increasing attention which usually adopted the analogue of transformation optics using complicated resistor networks to mimic the inhomogeneous and anisotropic conductivities. We propose a distinct and general principle of manipulating dc currents by directly solving electric conduction equations, which only needs to utilize two layers of bulk natural materials. We experimentally demonstrate dc bilayer cloak and fan-shaped concentrator, derived from the generalized account for cloaking sensor. The proposed schemes have been validated as exact devices and this opens a facile way towards complete spatial control of dc currents. The proposed schemes may have vast potentials in various applications not only in dc, but also in other fields of manipulating magnetic field, thermal heat, elastic mechanics, and matter waves

Label-free biochips for rapid detection of soybean allergen GlymBd 30K (P34) in foods

Purpose: To develop an innovative method for detection of soybean allergen, Gly mBd 30K (P34) in foods using a biosensor based on high spatial imaging ellipsometer.Methods: Two monoclonal antibodies, 2D1 and 5F9, each known to have specific bioactivity against P34 allergen, were selected and separately immobilized as ligands on silicon wafer surface to allow capture of the P34 allergen. The resultant changes on the wafer surface were viewed directly as images in gray scale.Results: Images indicated that these two antibodies detected the presence of P34 allergen in soybean extract with sensitivity of 1 mg/L and a detection time of about 15 min. For the detection of P34 allergen in foods, results from biochip detection were consistent with those obtained using ELISA detection.Conclusion: These results show that the biochip may be an effective analytical tool for food allergen detection.Keywords: Soybean Allergen, Gly mBd 30K, Biochip, Detection, Food

Vehicle-Scheduling Model for Operation Based on Single-Depot

Centralized assigning of bus running between multiple lines can save operation cost of transit agency. As more big transit terminals can serve for multiple bus lines being established, coordinating the operation of these lines’ vehicles becomes more economical and perspective. This paper proposed a vehicle-scheduling model for multiple lines which share vehicle resource together and service based on the same terminal. The optimization goal is to minimize the number of vehicles while considering reducing the invalid operation time under the constraint of timetable schemes and matching time for vehicle crossing two lines. A case in Ningbo city, China, was conducted to compare the performance of the cross-line schedules with the original schedules assigning vehicles within respective lines. The optimized schedules can reduce 7.14% vehicles in need while meeting the timetable schemes of all bus lines, which indicated that the proposed model is suitable for operation practice

Stability and drug dissolution evaluation of Qingkailing soft/hard capsules based on multi-component quantification and fingerprint pattern statistical analysis

Purpose: To carry out a post-marketing evaluation of the stability and drug dissolution of Qingkailing soft/hard capsules.Methods: High performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) method was developed for the determination of three key ingredients (chlorogenic acid, geniposide and baicalin) and fingerprints of QKL soft/hard capsules. Stability tests were carried out based on long-term testing. The drug release profile of Qingkailing soft and hard capsules were studied using semi-bionic incubation experiments.Results: The linearity, precision, stability, repeatability and recovery of HPLC and fingerprint all met the requirements of CFDA. Stability data from long-term studies showed that within 6 months the contents of the three key ingredients in both soft and hard capsules remained > 90 %. However, fingerprint pattern statistical analysis showed that the soft capsule is more stable than the hard capsule. Furthermore, the key ingredients of the hard capsule dissolved much faster (p < 0.05) than from the soft capsule. The level of dissolved drug of hard capsule is about 4 times the rate of soft capsule, after a 4-h incubation in gastric lavage fluid. In intestinal lavage fluid, more than 90 % of chlorogenic acid, geniposide and baicalin of hard capsule were dissolved in 2 h, while the soft capsule displayed a 12 h sustained release. Fingerprint pattern statistical analysis also showed that most of the components of soft capsule dissolved after 8 h.Conclusion: Compared with the hard capsule, Qingkailing soft capsule has certain advantages in stability and drug dissolution, which may affect the biopharmaceutics and the clinical effects of the drug.Keywords: Qingkailing capsule, Chlorogenic acid, Geniposide, Baicalin, Fingerprint, Sustained release, Principal component analysi

MS1, a direct target of MS188, regulates the expression of key sporophytic pollen coat protein genes in Arabidopsis

© 2020 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Sporophytic pollen coat proteins (sPCPs) derived from the anther tapetum are deposited into pollen wall cavities and function in pollen-stigma interactions, pollen hydration, and environmental protection. In Arabidopsis, 13 highly abundant proteins have been identified in pollen coat, including seven major glycine-rich proteins GRP14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and GRP-oleosin; two caleosin-related family proteins (AT1G23240 and AT1G23250); three lipase proteins EXL4, EXL5 and EXL6, and ATA27/BGLU20. Here, we show that GRP14, 17, 18, 19, and EXL4 and EXL6 fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) are translated in the tapetum and then accumulate in the anther locule following tapetum degeneration. The expression of these sPCPs is dependent on two essential tapetum transcription factors, MALE STERILE188 (MS188) and MALE STERILITY 1 (MS1). The majority of sPCP genes are up-regulated within 30 h after MS1 induction and could be restored by MS1 expression driven by the MS188 promoter in ms188, indicating that MS1 is sufficient to activate their expression; however, additional MS1 downstream factors appear to be required for high-level sPCP expression. Our ChIP, in vivo transactivation assay, and EMSA data indicate that MS188 directly activates MS1. Together, these results reveal a regulatory cascade whereby outer pollen wall formation is regulated by MS188 followed by synthesis of sPCPs controlled by MS1