The phylogenetically-related pattern recognition receptors EFR and XA21 recruit similar immune signaling components in monocots and dicots

During plant immunity, surface-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). The transfer of PRRs between plant species is a promising strategy for engineering broad-spectrum disease resistance. Thus, there is a great interest in understanding the mechanisms of PRR-mediated resistance across different plant species. Two well-characterized plant PRRs are the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) EFR and XA21 from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and rice, respectively. Interestingly, despite being evolutionary distant, EFR and XA21 are phylogenetically closely related and are both members of the sub-family XII of LRR-RKs that contains numerous potential PRRs. Here, we compared the ability of these related PRRs to engage immune signaling across the monocots-dicots taxonomic divide. Using chimera between Arabidopsis EFR and rice XA21, we show that the kinase domain of the rice XA21 is functional in triggering elf18-induced signaling and quantitative immunity to the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000 and Agrobacterium tumefaciens in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the EFR:XA21 chimera associates dynamically in a ligand-dependent manner with known components of the EFR complex. Conversely, EFR associates with Arabidopsis orthologues of rice XA21-interacting proteins, which appear to be involved in EFR-mediated signaling and immunity in Arabidopsis. Our work indicates the overall functional conservation of immune components acting downstream of distinct LRR-RK-type PRRs between monocots and dicots

Direct imaging of structural disordering and heterogeneous dynamics of fullerene molecular liquid

Structural rearrangements govern the various properties of disordered systems and visualization of these dynamical processes can provide critical information on structural deformation and phase transformation of the systems. However, direct imaging of individual atoms or molecules in a disordered state is quite challenging. Here, we prepare a model molecular system of C70 molecules on graphene and directly visualize the structural and dynamical evolution using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. E-beam irradiation stimulates dynamics of fullerene molecules, which results in the first-order like structural transformation from the molecular crystal to molecular liquid. The real-time tracking of individual molecules using an automatic molecular identification process elucidates the relaxation behavior of a stretched exponential functional form. Moreover, the directly observed heterogeneous dynamics bear similarity to the dynamical heterogeneity in supercooled liquids near the glass transition. Fullerenes on graphene can serve as a new model system, which allows investigation of molecular dynamics in disordered phases

LRR-RLK family from two Citrus species: Genome-wide identification and evolutionary aspects

Background: Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) represent the largest subfamily of plant RLKs. The functions of most LRR-RLKs have remained undiscovered, and a few that have been experimentally characterized have been shown to have important roles in growth and development as well as in defense responses. Although RLK subfamilies have been previously studied in many plants, no comprehensive study has been performed on this gene family in Citrus species, which have high economic importance and are frequent targets for emerging pathogens. In this study, we performed in silico analysis to identify and classify LRR-RLK homologues in the predicted proteomes of Citrus clementina (clementine) and Citrus sinensis (sweet orange). In addition, we used large-scale phylogenetic approaches to elucidate the evolutionary relationships of the LRR-RLKs and further narrowed the analysis to the LRR-XII group, which contains several previously described cell surface immune receptors. Results: We built integrative protein signature databases for Citrus clementina and Citrus sinensis using all predicted protein sequences obtained from whole genomes. A total of 300 and 297 proteins were identified as LRR-RLKs in C. clementina and C. sinensis, respectively. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were estimated using Arabidopsis LRR-RLK as a template and they allowed us to classify Citrus LRR- 34 RLKs into 16 groups. The LRR-XII group showed a remarkable expansion, containing approximately 150 paralogs encoded in each Citrus genome. Phylogenetic analysis also demonstrated the existence of two distinct LRR-XII clades, each one constituted mainly by RD and non-RD kinases. We identified 68 orthologous pairs from the C. clementina and C. sinensis LRR-XII genes. In addition, among the paralogs, we identified a subset of 78 and 62 clustered genes probably derived from tandem duplication events in the genomes of C. clementina and C. sinensis, respectively. Conclusions: This work provided the first comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the LRR-RLKs in Citrus. A large expansion of LRR-XII in Citrus genomes suggests that it might play a key role in adaptive responses in host-pathogen co-evolution, related to the perennial life cycle and domestication of the citrus crop species

Evaluation of temperature distribution for bone drilling considering aging factor

Bone drilling is a routine operation in surgeries, such as neurosurgery and orthopedics. However, the excessive drilling temperature may cause severe thermal damage to the bone tissue. Therefore, the drilling temperature determination of bone tissue can reduce the harm caused by thermal damage. A time-varying temperature field simulation model of bone drilling was set up by ABAQUS software in this paper, based on the Johnson-Cook model. Then it was validated with experiments by drilling cortical bone of fresh bovine shaft of the femur. The relative error between the experimental values and the theoretical values within 7.67% showed a good consistency. Furthermore, the aging factor is also considered to evaluate the temperature field of bone drilling. The results showed that the drilling temperature near the bone-drill area increased significantly. The drilling temperature of cortical bone decreases sharply with the radial distance and exhibits a hysteresis lag in the axial distribution. The aging factor mainly affects the peak of drilling temperature. The peak of drilling temperature tends to increase with age. The peak drilling temperature in the elderly (70y) was up to 6.8% higher than that in the young (20y), indicating that the elderly is more prone to excessive drilling temperature. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the temperature control of elderly bone tissue

Genetic architecture behind developmental and seasonal control of tree growth and wood properties in Norway spruce

Genetic control of tree growth and wood formation varies depending on the age of the tree and the time of the year. Single-locus, multi-locus, and multi-trait genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted on 34 growth and wood property traits in 1,303 Norway spruce individuals using exome capture to cover similar to 130K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). GWAS identified associations to the different wood traits in a total of 85 gene models, and several of these were validated in a progenitor population. A multilocus GWAS model identified more SNPs associated with the studied traits than single-locus or multivariate models. Changes in tree age and annual season influenced the genetic architecture of growth and wood properties in unique ways, manifested by non-overlapping SNP loci. In addition to completely novel candidate genes, SNPs were located in genes previously associated with wood formation, such as cellulose synthases and a NAC transcription factor, but that have not been earlier linked to seasonal or age-dependent regulation of wood properties. Interestingly, SNPs associated with the width of the year rings were identified in homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana BARELY ANY MERISTEM 1 and rice BIG GRAIN 1, which have been previously shown to control cell division and biomass production. The results provide toots for future Norway spruce breeding and functional studies

Privacy-Preserving Bidirectional Data Transmission of Smart Grid via Semi-Quantum Computation: On Mutual Identity and Message Authentication

This paper is concerned with the privacy-preserving bidirectional electric power data transmission problem of the smart grid. A privacy-preserving bidirectional data transmission (BDT) protocol is developed over semi-quantum computation with aim to achieve bidirectional sensitive data flow between power suppliers and users. The minimal quantum cost is pursued under practical constraints while ensuring that power sensitive information is not leaked. To achieve the goal, a two-way data transmission protocol is first proposed that combines mutual identity authentication with message authentication for the benefits of enhanced security. Furthermore, for the preservation of privacy, a semi-quantum duplex communication approach is utilized, wherein the quantum state is randomly divided into two parts: teleportation and measurement qubits. The effectiveness of the privacy-preserving scheme against existing attack strategies is also rigorously analyzed. Lastly, simulation studies conducted on the IBM quantum cloud platform validate and underscore the superiority of the developed privacy-preserving BDT protocol.This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the UK, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant 820776 (INTEGRADDE), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany, and the Royal Society of the UK

The Correlation Between Impaired Thyroid Hormone Sensitivity and Diabetic Nephropathy in Euthyroid Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Dengrong Ma,1 Pingping Zhao,1 Jie Gao,1 Xinyuan Guo,1 Mei Han,1 Xiaohui Zan,1 Chongyang Chen,1 Xiaoyu Lv,1 Jingfang Liu1,2 1The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Endocrinology, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jingfang Liu, Department of Endocrinology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No. 11 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-931-8356242, Email [email protected]: To investigate the association between impaired thyroid hormone sensitivity and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in euthyroid patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods: 1305 euthyroid patients with T2DM who were hospitalized in the Endocrinology Department of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University between July 2021 and August 2023 were selected. Several indices, such as the parameters thyroid feedback quantile index (PTFQI), thyroid feedback quantile index (TFQI), thyroid stimulating hormone index (TSHI), serum-free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine (FT3/FT4) ratio, and thyrotropin thyroxine resistance index (TT4RI) to evaluate thyroid hormone sensitivity were used. The patients were subdivided into four groups (Q1 to Q4) based on the quartile levels of the five indices. The correlation between thyroid hormone sensitivity and DN was analyzed by binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis.Results: The levels of PTFQI, TFQI, and TSHI in the DN group were higher than those in the Non-DN group [0.04(− 0.21, 0.31) vs − 0.003(− 0.27, 0.25), 0.05(− 0.20, 0.30) vs 0.006(− 0.26, 0.25), 2.54± 0.52 vs 2.47± 0.51, all P 0.05). As the levels of PTFQI, TFQI, and TSHI increased, and the FT3/FT4 levels decreased, the prevalence of DN and the urinary albumin-to-creatinine (UACR) level showed an upward trend (all Ptrend test< 0.05), while the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) level showed a downward trend (all Ptrend test< 0.05).Conclusion: Among euthyroid patients with T2DM, impaired thyroid hormone sensitivity is associated with DN, as well as elevated UACR levels and decreased eGFR levels.Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, thyroid hormone sensitivity, diabetic nephropath

Immunoglobulin G N-Glycosylation and Inflammatory Factors: Analysis of Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Moyamoya Disease

Xu Zan,1,&ast; Chao Liu,2,&ast; Xinyue Wang,3 Shuyu Sun,3 Zhongchen Li,2 Wenyu Zhang,1 Tanggui Sun,2 Jiheng Hao,2 Liyong Zhang2 1School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurosurgery, Liaocheng People’s Hospital, Liaocheng, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Public Health, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jiheng Hao, Email [email protected] Liyong Zhang, Email [email protected]: N-glycosylation-modified immunoglobulin G (IgG) is crucial for managing the inflammatory response balance and significantly influences the progression of many inflammatory disorders. IgG N-glycosylation has been demonstrated to correlate with many risk factors for moyamoya disease (MMD), such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. This research aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of IgG N-glycosylation for MMD.Methods: Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was employed to examine the properties of IgG N-glycans in blood samples from 116 patients with MMD and 126 controls, resulting in the quantitative determination of 24 initial glycan peaks (GP). Through the Lasso algorithm and multivariate logistic regression analysis, we constructed a diagnostic model based on initial glycans and related inflammatory factors to distinguish MMD patients from healthy individuals.Results: After adjusting for potential confounding variables, including age, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), neutrophil count (NEUT), and lymphocyte count (LYM), our study demonstrated significant differences in the characteristics of 6 initial glycans and 16 derived glycans between the MMD cohort and the healthy control group. Based on the above findings, we developed an MMD diagnostic model that combines initial glycans with related inflammatory factors. The curve of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was utilized to evaluate the model’s ability to distinguish MMD patients from healthy subjects. The findings indicated a robust area under the curve (AUC) of 0.963 (95% CI: 0.940, 0.987).Conclusion: This study found that the occurrence and progression of MMD may be associated with decreased levels of sialylation, galactosylation, and fucosylation and increased bisecting GlcNAc. This may be involved in the occurrence of MMD by regulating the balance of inflammation. Therefore, the IgG N-glycosylation is expected to become a potential biomarker for the screening of MMD.Keywords: moyamoya disease, immunoglobulin G, N-glycans, inflammation, biomarker