Kinematics Analysis of Cervical Rotation-Traction Manipulation Measured by a Motion Capture System

Objectives. To analyze the kinematics of cervical rotation-traction manipulation (CRTM). Methods. An experimental study measuring the kinematics of CRTM was conducted. A total of 18 healthy volunteers participated in the study. A single manipulator operated the CRTM for all subjects. Motion capture technology was adopted to track the trajectory during the CRTM operation. Results. The manipulated side did not influence the cervical spine motion. The motion ranges obtained during CRTM were well below the active range of motion reported in the literature. The head rotation angle after thrusting was less than the angle of the rotary-position (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the head rotation angle between pretraction and upward-thrust. The thrust direction of CRTM was mainly upward. The thrust operation was of high-velocity and low-amplitude (thrust velocity: 203.06±49.95 mm/s; thrust acceleration: 3836.27±1262.28 mm/s2; thrust displacement: 3.25±1.30 mm). Conclusions. CRTM has clear operation steps and repeatability that is suitable for clinical application

Overexpression of the Rice SUMO E3 Ligase Gene OsSIZ1 in Cotton Enhances Drought and Heat Tolerance, and Substantially Improves Fiber Yields in the Field under Reduced Irrigation and Rainfed Conditions

Srivastava, Anurag/0000-0003-3493-1375; esmaeili, Nardana/0000-0002-4912-9695; PEHLIVAN, NECLA/0000-0002-2045-8380; Luo, Hong/0000-0001-9223-1786WOS: 000402074100009PubMed: 28340002The Arabidopsis SUMO E3 ligase gene AtSIZ1 plays important roles in plant response to abiotic stresses as loss of function in AtSIZ1 leads to increased sensitivity to drought, heat and salt stresses. Overexpression of the AtSIZ1 rice homolog, OsSIZ1, leads to increased heat and drought tolerance in bentgrass, suggesting that the function of the E3 ligase SIZ1 is highly conserved in plants and it plays a critical role in abiotic stress responses. To test the possibility that the SUMO E3 ligase could be used to engineer drought-and heat-tolerant crops, the rice gene OsSIZ1 was overexpressed in cotton. We report here that overexpression of OsSIZ1 in cotton results in higher net photosynthesis and better growth than wild-type cotton under drought and thermal stresses in growth chamber and greenhouse conditions. Additionally, this tolerance to abiotic stresses was correlated with higher fiber yield in both controlled-environment and field trials carried out under reduced irrigation and rainfed conditions. These results suggest that OsSIZ1 is a viable candidate gene to improve crop yields under water-limited and rainfed agricultural production systems.USDA-Ogallala Aquifer Program; Texas State Support Committee; Cotton IncorporatedCotton R&D Corp; Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Council of Higher Education of TurkeyMinistry of National Education - Turkey; National Key R & D Program for Crop Breeding [2016YFD0100306-4]; National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [31571718]This project was supported with grants from the USDA-Ogallala Aquifer Program, Texas State Support Committee; Cotton Incorporated; Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences [a fellowship to X.Y]; the Council of Higher Education of Turkey [a fellowship to N.P.]; the National Key R & D Program for Crop Breeding [grant 2016YFD0100306-4 to G.S.]; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant 31571718 to G.S.]

Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals Potential Gene Biomarkers and Analysis of Function in Human Degenerative Disc Annulus Fibrosus Cells

Low back pain is a major cause of disability worldwide. Although numerous potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis or treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) have been identified subsequent to the development of molecular biology technologies, the mechanisms of IDD remain unknown. Published studies found the unbalance of anabolism and catabolism of annulus fibrosus (AF) played an important role in it. The present study was aimed to identify the potential targets and signaling pathways of IDD, through the combined analysis of differential expression and based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset from NCBI. PPI Networks Analysis indicated that MMP2 and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and estrogen signaling pathway may play important roles in initiation and development of IDD. This study forecasted the pathogenesis molecular mechanism of IDD and the potential prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers, but we need to make further molecular biological experiments to confirm our assumptions

The yield difference between wild-type cotton and transgenic cotton that expresses IPT depends on when water-deficit stress is applied

Abstract Drought is the No. 1 factor that limits agricultural production in the world, thus, making crops more drought tolerant is a major goal in agriculture. Many genes with functions in abiotic stress tolerance were identified, and overexpression of these genes confers increased drought tolerance in transgenic plants. The isopentenyltransferase gene (IPT) that encodes a rate limiting enzyme in cytokinin biosynthesis is one of them. Interestingly, when IPT-transgenic cotton was field-tested at two different sites, Texas and Arizona, different results were obtained. To explain this phenomenon, reduced irrigation experiments with different timing in applying water deficit stress were conducted. It was found that the timing of water deficit stress is critical for IPT-transgenic cotton to display its yield advantage over control plants (i.e. wild-type and segregated non-transgenic plants). If water deficit stress occurs before flowering (vegetative phase), IPT-transgenic cotton would outperform control plants; however, if water deficit stress occurs at or after flowering (reproductive phase), there would not be a yield difference between IPT-transgenic and control cotton plants. This result suggests that an early induction of IPT expression (before first flowering) is needed in order to realize the benefits of IPT-expression in transgenic plants that face water-deficit stress later in development

Identification and Functional Analysis of microRNAs Involved in the Anther Development in Cotton Genic Male Sterile Line Yu98-8A

Hybrid vigor contributes in a large way to the yield and quality of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fiber. Although microRNAs play essential regulatory roles in flower induction and development, it is still unclear if microRNAs are involved in male sterility, as the regulatory molecular mechanisms of male sterility in cotton need to be better defined. In this study, two independent small RNA libraries were constructed and sequenced from the young buds collected from the sporogenous cell formation to the meiosis stage of the male sterile line Yu98-8A and the near-isogenic line. Sequencing revealed 1588 and 1536 known microRNAs and 347 and 351 novel miRNAs from male sterile and male fertile libraries, respectively. MicroRNA expression profiles revealed that 49 conserved and 51 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed. Bioinformatic and degradome analysis indicated the regulatory complexity of microRNAs during flower induction and development. Further RT-qPCR and physiological analysis indicated that, among the different Kyoto Encyclopedia Gene and Genomes pathways, indole-3-acetic acid and gibberellic acid signaling transduction pathways may play pivotal regulatory functions in male sterility

Phenotypes of wild-type and <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants.

<p><b>A</b>. Plants at the beginning of treatment. <b>B</b>. Plants after 90 days under regular irrigation condition. <b>C</b>. Plants after 90 days under reduced irrigation condition (1/3 of regular irrigation). <b>D</b>. Plants at the end of reduced irrigation treatment (120 days).</p

Molecular analysis of <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton.

<p><b>A</b>. PCR analysis of <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants using the <i>SARK</i> promoter specific forward primer and the <i>IPT</i> specific reverse primer. WT, wild-type; 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 9, six independent <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants. <b>B</b>. RNA blot analysis of wild-type and <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants using an <i>IPT</i> DNA fragment as a probe. <b>C</b>. Relative <i>IPT</i> expression in two <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants under well watered and water-deficit conditions. The quantitative RT-PCR experiments were conducted using the cotton ubiquitin gene <i>UBQ7</i> as the internal standard. SNT, segregating non-transgenic. <b>D</b>. DNA blot analysis of wild-type, segregating non-transgenic, and four <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants. M, DNA molecular size marker.</p

Cotton yield and boll number of wild-type, segregating non-transgenic, and four independent <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton plants under regular irrigation and reduced irrigation conditions in greenhouse.

<p><b>A</b>. Cotton yield per plant under regular and reduced irrigation conditions. <b>B</b>. Boll number per plant under regular and reduced irrigation conditions. Dark bar, regular irrigation; light bar, reduced irrigation. * statistically significant at 1%.</p

Biomass and photosynthetic analysis of wild-type, segregating non-transgenic, and four independent <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic plants under regular irrigation and reduced irrigation conditions in greenhouse.

<p><b>A</b>. Fresh shoot weight under regular and reduced irrigation conditions. <b>B</b>. Fresh root weight under regular and reduced irrigation conditions. <b>C</b>. Photosynthetic analysis under regular and reduced irrigation conditions. WT, wild-type; SNT, segregating non-transgenic; IPT2, IPT5, IPT6, and IPT9, four independent <i>P_SARK::IPT</i>-transgenic cotton lines. Dark bar, regular irrigation; light bar, reduced irrigation. * statistically significant at 1%.</p