Low-volume jet injection for intradermal immunization in rabbits

BACKGROUND: This study tested a low-volume (20–30 μl/20–30 μg DNA) jet injection method for intradermal delivery of a DNA vaccine. Jet injection offers the advantages of a needle-less system, low-cost, rapid preparation of the injected DNA solution, and a simple delivery system. More than one construct can be injected simultaneously and the method may be combined with adjuvants. RESULTS: Low-volume jet injection targeted delivery of a DNA solution exclusively to the dermis and epidermis of rabbits. A three injection series of plasmid DNA, encoding the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen stimulated a humoral immune response in 2/5 rabbits. One rabbit developed a significant rise in antibody titer after 1 injection and one following 2 injections. There were no significant differences between jet injection and particle bombardment in the maximal antibody titers or number of injections before response. A three injection series of the same plasmid DNA by particle bombardment elicited a significant rise in antibody titer in 3/5 rabbits. One rabbit developed antibody after 1 injection and two after 3 injections. In contrast, 0/5 rabbits receiving DNA by needle and syringe injection responded. In the jet injection and particle bombardment groups, gene expression levels in the skin did not predict response. While immune responses were similar, luciferase gene expression levels in the skin following particle bombardment were 10–100 times higher than jet injection. CONCLUSION: Low-volume jet injection is a simple, effective methodology for intradermal DNA immunization

NFT1000: A Visual Text Dataset For Non-Fungible Token Retrieval

With the rise of 'Metaverse' and 'Web3.0', NFT ( Non-Fungible Token ) has emerged as a kind of pivotal digital asset, garnering significant attention. By the end of November 2023, more than 1.4 billion NFT tokens have been minted across various blockchain platforms. To effectively locate a satisfactory NFT token, conducting searches within the extensive array of NFT data is essential. The challenge in NFT retrieval is heightened due to the high degree of similarity among different NFT tokens, in terms of regional and semantic aspects. Achieving accurate and efficient retrieval within the large-scale, highly similar NFT data presents a formidable challenge for both the academic and industrial communities. In this paper, we will introduce a dataset named 'NFT Top1000 Visual Text Dataset'(henceforth, NFT1000), containing 7.56 million image-text pairs, and being collected from 1000 most famous PFP NFT collections by sales volume on the Ethereum blockchain. Based on the dataset, we test the CLIP (Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining) models as a baseline. Additionally, we also propose a concept of Comprehensive Variance Index (CVI in short), which is a robust metric designed to assess the similarity and retrieval difficulty of visual-text pairs data.Comment: 6 pages,7 figure

Rescue of Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure by Estrogen Therapy.

BackgroundEstrogen pretreatment has been shown to attenuate the development of heart hypertrophy, but it is not known whether estrogen could also rescue heart failure (HF). Furthermore, the heart has all the machinery to locally biosynthesize estrogen via aromatase, but the role of local cardiac estrogen synthesis in HF has not yet been studied. Here we hypothesized that cardiac estrogen is reduced in HF and examined whether exogenous estrogen therapy can rescue HF.Methods and resultsHF was induced by transaortic constriction in mice, and once mice reached an ejection fraction (EF) of ≈35%, they were treated with estrogen for 10 days. Cardiac structure and function, angiogenesis, and fibrosis were assessed, and estrogen was measured in plasma and in heart. Cardiac estrogen concentrations (6.18±1.12 pg/160 mg heart in HF versus 17.79±1.28 pg/mL in control) and aromatase transcripts (0.19±0.04, normalized to control, P<0.05) were significantly reduced in HF. Estrogen therapy increased cardiac estrogen 3-fold and restored aromatase transcripts. Estrogen also rescued HF by restoring ejection fraction to 53.1±1.3% (P<0.001) and improving cardiac hemodynamics both in male and female mice. Estrogen therapy stimulated angiogenesis as capillary density increased from 0.66±0.07 in HF to 2.83±0.14 (P<0.001, normalized to control) and reversed the fibrotic scarring observed in HF (45.5±2.8% in HF versus 5.3±1.0%, P<0.001). Stimulation of angiogenesis by estrogen seems to be one of the key mechanisms, since in the presence of an angiogenesis inhibitor estrogen failed to rescue HF (ejection fraction=29.3±2.1%, P<0.001 versus E2).ConclusionsEstrogen rescues pre-existing HF by restoring cardiac estrogen and aromatase, stimulating angiogenesis, and suppressing fibrosis

Detection of Favorable QTL Alleles and Candidate Genes for Lint Percentage by GWAS in Chinese Upland Cotton

Improving cotton yield is a major breeding goal for Chinese upland cotton. Lint percentage is an important yield component and a critical economic index for cotton cultivars, and raising the lint percentage has a close relationship to improving cotton lint yield. To investigate the genetic architecture of lint percentage, a diversity panel consisting of 355 upland cotton accessions was grown, and the lint percentage was measured in four different environments. Genotyping was performed with specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). Twelve single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with lint percentage were detected via a genome-wide association study (GWAS), in which five SNP loci distributed on chromosomes At3 (A02) and At4 (A08) and contained two major-effect QTLs, which were detected in the best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) and in more than three environments simultaneously. Furthermore, favorable haplotypes (FHs) of two major-effect QTLs and 47 putative candidate genes in the two linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks of these associated loci were identified. The expression levels of these putative candidate genes were estimated using RNA-seq data from ten upland cotton tissues. We found that Gh_A02G1268 was very highly expressed during the early fiber development stage, whereas the gene was poorly expressed in the seed. These results implied that Gh_A02G1268 may determine the lint percentage by regulating seed and fiber development. The favorable QTL alleles and candidate genes for lint percentage identified in this study will have high potential for improving lint yield in future Chinese cotton breeding programs

Study On Acoustic Characteristics Of Internal Leakage Of Micro-start Spring Safety Valve

To investigate the noise radiation in the leakage of the safety valve. The acoustic fluid-solid coupling simulation analysis of the leakage process of the safety valve is used to study the flow field when the safety valve is leaking. The sound source characteristics of different inlet pressures and different leakage holes when the internal leakage of the safety valve occurs are analyzed, and the noise source is analyzed in combination with the flow field simulation. The results show that when the internal leakage of the safety valve occurs, the noise is mainly dominated by the quadrupole sound source caused by the jet, accompanied by the dipole sound source. At the same time, the noise sound pressure level is positively correlated with the working medium pressure of the safety valve and is quadratically correlated with the inner leakage hole

Review of phytochemical and nutritional characteristics and food applications of Citrus L. fruits

Since the dietary regimen rich in fruits is being widely recognized and encouraged, Citrus L. fruits have been growing in popularity worldwide due to their high amounts of health-promoting phytonutrients and bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins, carotenoids, pectins, and fatty acids. The diverse physicochemical properties and multiple utilization of citrus fruits in food industry are associated with their unique chemical compositions. Throughout the world, citrus has been used for producing various value-added and nutritionally enhanced products, including juices, wines, jams, canned citrus, and dried citrus. However, the current studies regarding the phytochemical and nutritional characteristics and food applications of citrus are scattered. This review systematically summarizes the existing bibliography on the chemical characteristics, functional and nutraceutical benefits, processing, and potential applications of citrus. A thorough understanding of this information may provide scientific guidance for better utilizing citrus as a functional fruit and benefit the extension of citrus value chain

Review of phytochemical and nutritional characteristics and food applications of Citrus L. fruits

Since the dietary regimen rich in fruits is being widely recognized and encouraged, Citrus L. fruits have been growing in popularity worldwide due to their high amounts of health-promoting phytonutrients and bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, vitamins, carotenoids, pectins, and fatty acids. The diverse physicochemical properties and multiple utilization of citrus fruits in food industry are associated with their unique chemical compositions. Throughout the world, citrus has been used for producing various value-added and nutritionally enhanced products, including juices, wines, jams, canned citrus, and dried citrus. However, the current studies regarding the phytochemical and nutritional characteristics and food applications of citrus are scattered. This review systematically summarizes the existing bibliography on the chemical characteristics, functional and nutraceutical benefits, processing, and potential applications of citrus. A thorough understanding of this information may provide scientific guidance for better utilizing citrus as a functional fruit and benefit the extension of citrus value chain

Identification, Expression, and Functional Analysis of the Group IId WRKY Subfamily in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

WRKY transcription factors have diverse functions in regulating stress response, leaf senescence, and plant growth and development. However, knowledge of the group IId WRKY subfamily in cotton is largely absent. This study identified 34 group IId WRKY genes in the Gossypium hirsutum genome, and their genomic loci were investigated. Members clustered together in the phylogenetic tree had similar motif compositions and gene structural features, revealing similarity and conservation within group IId WRKY genes. During the evolutionary process, 14 duplicated genes appeared to undergo purification selection. Public RNA-seq data were used to examine the expression patterns of group IId WRKY genes in various tissues and under drought and salt stress conditions. Ten highly expressed genes were identified, and the ten candidate genes revealed distinct expression patterns under drought and salt treatments by qRT-PCR analysis. Among them, Gh_A11G1801 was used for functional characterization. GUS activity was differentially induced by various stresses in Gh_A11G1801p::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis plants. The virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of Gh_A11G1801 resulted in drought sensitivity in cotton plants, which was accompanied by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reduced catalase (CAT) content. Taken together, these findings obtained in this study provide valuable resources for further studying group IId WRKY genes in cotton. Our results also enrich the gene resources for the genetic improvements of cotton varieties that are suitable for growth in stressful conditions

Genome sequence of the cultivated cotton <i>Gossypium arboreum</i>

The complex allotetraploid nature of the cotton genome (AADD; 2n = 52) makes genetic, genomic and functional analyses extremely challenging. Here we sequenced and assembled the Gossypium arboreum (AA; 2n = 26) genome, a putative contributor of the A subgenome. A total of 193.6 Gb of clean sequence covering the genome by 112.6-fold was obtained by paired-end sequencing. We further anchored and oriented 90.4% of the assembly on 13 pseudochromosomes and found that 68.5% of the genome is occupied by repetitive DNA sequences. We predicted 41,330 protein-coding genes in G. arboreum. Two whole-genome duplications were shared by G. arboreum and Gossypium raimondii before speciation. Insertions of long terminal repeats in the past 5 million years are responsible for the twofold difference in the sizes of these genomes. Comparative transcriptome studies showed the key role of the nucleotide binding site (NBS)-encoding gene family in resistance to Verticillium dahliae and the involvement of ethylene in the development of cotton fiber cells.Genetics &amp; HereditySCI(E)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Research progress and breakthrough directions of the key technical fields for large scale and efficient exploration and development of coalbed methane in Xinjiang

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has presented the expected resource conditions and work foundations for a large-scale coalbed methane (CBM) exploration and development, which shows that its CBM resources below the depth of 2000 m are 7.5 trillion m3, 450 CBM wells have been constructed, and the annual gas production has approached to 80 million m3. Xinjiang has put forward the goal of the annual CBM production of 2.5 billion m3 in 2025. Therefore, the large-scale and efficient development of CBM in Xinjiang has become an urgent and significant demand. In this paper, the main research progresses of Xinjiang CBM made in five key technical fields have been systematically summarized, including the CBM enrichment model and area optimization technology, the prediction and detection technology for sweet spot distribution, the technological strategy of the accelerated rolling development and rapid increase of reserves and productions, the geological adaptation technology system, and the cooperative exploration and development of CBM with coal, oil and gas. Then, the potential breakthrough directions have been analyzed and proposed. Research has shown that the coal reservoirs in Xinjiang show the unique geological characteristics of CBM, including widely developed multi-thick coal seams, low rank coal development, the frequent occurrence of steep coal seams, the significant deformation and structural control of coal bodies, complex hydrologic and outcrop conditions, and the gas-bearing and physical properties with three “low” (low gas content, methane concentration, and gas saturation) and five “high” (high gas intensity, porosity, stress change, reservoir pressure change, and permeability change). The Xinjiang CBM has multiple genetic types and enrichment models, including biogenic mechanism, thermogenic mechanism, and biogenic-thermogenic composite genetic mechanism, etc., and their corresponding enrichment models. Biogenic gas reservoirs or biogenic gas contribute widely. The distribution and occurrence patterns of CBM in Xinjiang show some significant differences between foreland basin and intermountain basin. Therefore, the first breakthrough direction is to innovate and form the scientific evaluation based on the principle of “two separation” (low-rank and middle- and high-rank; shallow and deep coal) and “two combination” (geological and engineering evaluation; multivariate data) and the precise target optimization technology based on “machine learning + three-dimensional geological modeling”. The sweet spot of deep CBM/CMG (coal measure gas) in Xinjiang is mainly the uplift of the depression in the basin, the depression of the uplift in the basin, and the slope around the basin margin. The potential well location is the structurally high position, and the potential reservoir is the fissure-developed primary structure coal seam or pore and fissure-developed coal bearing sand conglomerate reservoir. Then, the second breakthrough direction is the sweet spot prediction and exploration technology for deep CBM/CMG based on “new method of geophysics, rock physics and rock mechanics stratigraphy” and “new concept of geological and engineering sweet spot”. The basic principles of the accelerated rolling development are low-risk, short-cycle, high-efficiency, and multi-batch project deployment. The technical strategies of the rapid increase of CBM reserves and productions in the middle and shallow coal seams include the new well layout and construction in the new optimized block and the old well reconstruction for the increase of CBM production in the mature block. While this strategy for the deep coal seam is to give priority to deployment and development in the sweet spot in the deep but gentle slope in the large basin and the uplift in the basin. Then, the third breakthrough direction is the engineering deployment methods and technical strategies for the scientific accelerated rolling development, and efficient and rapid increase of the gas reserves and productions. The important progresses have been made in the engineering technologies of Xinjiang CBM, such as the differential optimization and deployment of the well type and pattern, the drilling and cementing with a low reservoir damage, the high reliability logging and well testing, the efficient staged fracturing with the multi-well types, and the drainage control with the low casing pressure and controlled pressure. The fourth breakthrough direction is to develop and construct a geological adaptability technology system for a large-scale and efficient exploration and development of CBM in Xinjiang. For the middle and shallow CBM and coal cooperative exploration and development, the gas extraction followed by coal mining, the co-extraction of CBM and coal, and the co-extraction of CBM and in-situ oil-rich coal should be conducted. For the deep CBM, oil, and gas cooperative exploration and development, the development of coal measure superimposed gas reservoir, the co-exploration and co-extraction of CBM and CMG, and the exploration and development of the whole petroleum system in coal-bearing sequence should be conducted. These cooperative exploration and development of deep CBM, oil, and gas is the fifth breakthrough direction, whose developments have been considered and explored. The results of this study are expected to provide the technical support and engineering decision reference for a large-scale and efficient exploration and development of CBM in Xinjiang