Genome-wide analysis of WD40 protein family and functional characterization of BvWD40-82 in sugar beet

Sugar beet is one of the most important sugar crops in the world. It contributes greatly to the global sugar production, but salt stress negatively affects the crop yield. WD40 proteins play important roles in plant growth and response to abiotic stresses through their involvement in a variety of biological processes, such as signal transduction, histone modification, ubiquitination, and RNA processing. The WD40 protein family has been well-studied in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and other plants, but the systematic analysis of the sugar beet WD40 proteins has not been reported. In this study, a total of 177 BvWD40 proteins were identified from the sugar beet genome, and their evolutionary characteristics, protein structure, gene structure, protein interaction network and gene ontology were systematically analyzed to understand their evolution and function. Meanwhile, the expression patterns of BvWD40s under salt stress were characterized, and a BvWD40-82 gene was hypothesized as a salt-tolerant candidate gene. Its function was further characterized using molecular and genetic methods. The result showed that BvWD40-82 enhanced salt stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings by increasing the contents of osmolytes and antioxidant enzyme activities, maintaining intracellular ion homeostasis and increasing the expression of genes related to SOS and ABA pathways. The result has laid a foundation for further mechanistic study of the BvWD40 genes in sugar beet tolerance to salt stress, and it may inform biotechnological applications in improving crop stress resilience

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

Robust Design Optimization of the Cogging Torque for a PMSM Based on Manufacturing Uncertainties Analysis and Approximate Modeling

A permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is a crucial device for power conversion in an energy system. The cogging torque of the PMSM is a crucial output characteristic, the robustness of which affects the operational reliability of the energy system. Therefore, the robust design optimization (RDO) of cogging torque has aroused widespread concern. There are several challenges in designing a robust cogging torque PMSM. In particular, some design parameters contain repetitive units, and the finite element analysis (FEA) method is time-consuming. State-of-the-art RDO methods usually treat these uncertainties from repetitive units as the same parameter, which neglects the fluctuation of the manufacturing process and cannot obtain a robust solution for the cogging torque of the motor efficiently and accurately. In order to solve this issue, an approximate modeling method based on manufacturing uncertainties analysis for RDO is proposed in this paper. First, the peak-to-peak value of cogging torque (Tcpp) is used to characterize the cogging torque, which is decoupled to an ideal component and fluctuation component produced by the center values and manufacturing tolerances of design parameters. The design of experiments (DoE) and simulation of the two components are carried out. Then, these two components are approximated separately, and the approximate model of Tcpp is obtained by adding the two components. Finally, the proposed approximate model is embedded into the RDO algorithm, and the PMSM design scheme for good Tcpp robustness is obtained. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through a case study of the PMSM

Marine Vibrio spp. protect carbon steel against corrosion through secreting extracellular polymeric substances

The protection of marine materials against corrosion using marine bacterial biofilms is a promising strategy. However, little is known about the mechanisms of this attractive corrosion prevention method. In this work, the corrosion behaviors of X80 carbon steel (CS) in the presence of three different marine Vibrio species were studied. The results demonstrated that all the three Vibrio spp. displayed significant corrosion protection with a weight loss reduction of up to 68%. Moreover, their corrosion prevention performance was tightly related to their abilities to form biofilms, which was in the order of Vibrio sp. EF187016 \u3e Vibrio alginolyticus \u3e Vibrio parahaemolyticus. To further investigate the corrosion prevention mechanism caused by marine biofilms, the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of Vibrio sp. EF187016 was extracted and added to 3.5 wt% NaCl for abiotic corrosion testing. The results suggested that the EPS inhibited corrosion, which means EPS can play a significant role in corrosion protection by biofilm

Integrating serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to reveal the active constituents and mechanism of Corydalis Rhizoma in treating Alzheimer's disease

BackgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative condition. The search for multi-target traditional Chinese medicines or ingredients for treating AD has attracted much attention. Corydalis rhizome (CR) is a traditional Chinese medicine. Its main components are alkaloids, which have therapeutic effects that can potentially be used for treating AD. However, no systematic study has been conducted to explore the anti-AD efficacy of CR, as well as its active compounds and mechanisms of action.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to clarify CR's active constituents and its pharmacological mechanisms in treating AD.MethodsA D-galactose & scopolamine hydrobromide-induced AD mouse model was used and CR was administered orally. The prototypical alkaloid components were identified in the serum. The core components, key targets, and possible mechanisms of action of these alkaloids were revealed through network pharmacology. Molecular docking of the key target was performed. Finally, the mechanism was validated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of BV2 microglia.ResultsThe results showed that CR improved anxiety-like behavior, spatial and non-spatial recognition, and memory capacity in AD mice. It also achieved synergistic AD treatment by modulating neurotransmitter levels, anti-neuroinflammation, and anti-oxidative stress. The core components that enhance CR's efficacy in treating AD are protoberberine-type alkaloids. The CR may induce the polarization of LPS-activated BV2 microglia from phenotype M1 to M2. This is partially achieved by modulating the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, which could be the mechanism by which CR treats AD through anti-inflammation.ConclusionThe present study provided a theoretical and experimental basis for the clinical application of CR in treating AD. It also provides information that aids the secondary development, and precise clinical use of CR

Microbial ingress and in vitro degradation enhanced by glucose on bioabsorbable Mg–Li–Ca alloy

© 2020 [The Author/The Authors] Biodegradable magnesium alloys are challenging to be implanted in patients with hyperglycemia and diabetes. A hypothesis is suggested that glucose accelerates microbial ingress and in vitro degradation of Mg–Li–Ca implants. Corrosion resistance and mechanical properties was demonstrated using electrochemical, hydrogen evolution and tensile tests. The bacteria from Hank\u27s solution were isolated via 16S rRNA gene analysis. The results revealed that Mg–1Li–1Ca alloy exhibited different responses to Hank\u27s solution with and without glucose. The solution acidity was ascribed to Microbacterium hominis and Enterobacter xiangfangensis, indicating that glucose promoted microbial activity and degradation and deterioration in mechanical property of Mg–1Li–1Ca alloy

Long-term outcomes of COVID-19 convalescents: An 18.5-month longitudinal study in Wuhan

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the full scope of long-term outcomes and the ongoing pathophysiological alterations among COVID-19 survivors. Methods: We established a longitudinal cohort of 208 COVID-19 convalescents and followed them at 3.3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.3, 4.4, visit 1), 9.2 (IQR: 9.0, 9.6, visit 2), and 18.5 (IQR: 18.2, 19.1, visit 3) months after infection, respectively. Serial changes in multiple physical and psychological outcomes were comprehensively characterized. We, in addition, explored the potential risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and sequelae symptoms. Results: We observed continuous improvement of sequelae symptoms, lung function, chest computed tomography (CT), 6-minute walk test, and the Borg dyspnea scale, whereas sequelae symptoms (at least one) and abnormal chest CT patterns still existed in 45.2% and about 30% of participants at 18.5 months, respectively. Anxiety and depression disorders were alleviated for the convalescents, although depression status was sustained for a longer duration. Conclusions: Most COVID-19 convalescents had an overall improved physical and psychological health status, whereas sequelae symptoms, residual lesions on lung function, exercise impairment, and mental health disorders were still observed in a small proportion of participants at 18.5 months after infection. Implementing appropriate preventive and management strategies for the ever-growing COVID-19 population is warranted