An ethylene biosynthesis enzyme controls quantitative variation in maize ear length and kernel yield.

Maize ear size and kernel number differ among lines, however, little is known about the molecular basis of ear length and its impact on kernel number. Here, we characterize a quantitative trait locus, qEL7, to identify a maize gene controlling ear length, flower number and fertility. qEL7 encodes 1-aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylate oxidase2 (ACO2), a gene that functions in the final step of ethylene biosynthesis and is expressed in specific domains in developing inflorescences. Confirmation of qEL7 by gene editing of ZmACO2 leads to a reduction in ethylene production in developing ears, and promotes meristem and flower development, resulting in a ~13.4% increase in grain yield per ear in hybrids lines. Our findings suggest that ethylene serves as a key signal in inflorescence development, affecting spikelet number, floral fertility, ear length and kernel number, and also provide a tool to improve grain productivity by optimizing ethylene levels in maize or in other cereals

Integrated multi-omics and bioinformatic methods to reveal the mechanisms of sinomenine against diabetic nephropathy

Abstract Objectives Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes, the diagnosis and treatment of DN is still limited. Sinomenine (SIN) is an active extract of herbal medicine and has been applied into the therapy of DN. Methods In the part of bioinformatic analyses, network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses were conducted to predict the important pathway of SIN treatment for DN. In-vivo study, DN rats were randomized to be treated with vehicle or SIN (20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg) daily by gavage for 8 weeks. Then, the pharmacological effect of SIN on DN and the potential mechanisms were also evaluated by 24 h albuminuria, histopathological examination, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Results Firstly, network pharmacology and molecular docking were performed to show that SIN might improve DN via AGEs/RAGE, IL-17, JAK, TNF pathways. Urine biochemical parameters showed that SIN treatment could significantly reduce 24 h albuminuria of DN rats. Transcriptomics analysis found SIN could affect DN progression via inflammation and EMT pathways. Metabolic pathway analysis found SIN would mainly involve in arginine biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism to affect DN development. Conclusions We confirmed that SIN could inhibit the progression of DN via affecting multiple genes and metabolites related pathways

Design and simulation of submarine dual-mode SOFC-MGT hybrid power generation system

[Objectives] Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Micro Gas Turbine(SOFC-MGT) hybrid power generation system will help to improve the endurance and stealth of conventionally powered submarines. So in order to analyze the performance characteristics of this system in different operating modes,[Methods] the fuel cell AIP system improved by Matlab/Simulink is combined with Micro Gas Turbine(MGT)to form a top-level cyclic hybrid power generation system in this paper. And the dual-mode is proposed according to the sailing state of the submarine. The simulation model of SOFC-MGT hybrid power generation system and exhaust treatment system is established to analyze the performance indicators under design conditions, as well as the influences of current,water-carbon ratio,CH4 flow rate,air component and other factors on the system performance.[Results] The simulation results verify the validity and feasibility of the model; in these two modes,the power generation efficiency is 59.48% and 61.61%,and the maximum power is 217 kW and 223 kW,where the system net power in the mode 2 is higher. The submarine dual-mode SOFC-MGT hybrid power system can maintain stable output power and high power generation efficiency under different working conditions of the submarine,achieving obviously better performance than other AIP systems.[Conclusions] This study results can provide theoretical support for the application of SOFC-MGT hybrid power generation system to conventional submarines

In Vivo Dual-Modality Fluorescence and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Lymph Node Mapping with Good Biocompatibility Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles

Multifunctional manganese oxide nanoparticles (NPs) with impressive enhanced T1 contrast ability show great promise in biomedical diagnosis. Herein, we developed a dual-modality imaging agent system based on polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated manganese oxide NPs conjugated with organic dye (Cy7.5), which functions as a fluorescence imaging (FI) agent as well as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging agent. The formed [email protected] NPs with the size of ~10 nm exhibit good colloidal stability in different physiological media. Serial FI and MRI studies that non-invasively assessed the bio-distribution pattern and the feasibility for in vivo dual-modality imaging-guided lymph node mapping have been investigated. In addition, histological and biochemical analyses exhibited low toxicity even at a dose of 20 mg/kg in vivo. Since [email protected] NPs exhibited desirable properties as imaging agents and good biocompatibility, this work offers a robust, safe, and accurate diagnostic platform based on manganese oxide NPs for tumor metastasis diagnosis

Brevinin-2 Drug Family—New Applied Peptide Candidates Against Methicillin-Resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and Their Effects on Lys-7 Expression of Innate Immune Pathway DAF-2/DAF-16 in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

The issue of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) developing a resistance to drugs such as methicillin has long been the focus for new drug development. In recent years, antimicrobial peptides, such as small molecular peptides with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and special antibacterial mechanism, have shown a strong medicinal potential. In particular, the Brevinin-2 family has been shown to have a significant inhibitory effect against gram-positive bacteria (G+). In this study, we researched the influence of MRSA on the behavior and survival rate of nematodes. We established an assay of Caenorhabditis elegans&#8315;MRSA antimicrobial peptides to screen for new potent anti-infective peptides against MRSA. From the Brevinin-2 family, 13 peptides that had shown strong effects on G+ were screened for their ability to prolong the lifespan of infected worms. Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were used to evaluate the effect on the innate immune pathway dauer formation defective (DAF)-2/DAF-16 of C. elegans. The assay successfully screened and filtered out four of the 13 peptides that significantly improved the survival rate of MRSA-infected worms. The result of real-time PCR indicated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of lys-7 were consistently upregulated by being treated with four of the Brevinin-2 family. The Brevinin-2 family peptides, including Brevinin-2, Brevinin-2-OA3, Brevinin-2ISb, and Brevinin-2TSa, also played an active role in the DAF-2/DAF-16 pathway in C. elegans. We successfully demonstrated the utility of anti-infective peptides that prolong the survival rate of the MRSA-infected host and discovered the relationship between antibacterial peptides and the innate immune system of C. elegans. We demonstrated the antimicrobial effects of Brevinin-2 family peptides, indicating their potential for use as new drug candidates against MRSA infections

Removing Noises Induced by Gamma Radiation in Cerenkov Luminescence Imaging Using a Temporal Median Filter

Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) can provide information of medical radionuclides used in nuclear imaging based on Cerenkov radiation, which makes it possible for optical means to image clinical radionuclide labeled probes. However, the exceptionally weak Cerenkov luminescence (CL) from Cerenkov radiation is susceptible to lots of impulse noises introduced by high energy gamma rays generating from the decays of radionuclides. In this work, a temporal median filter is proposed to remove this kind of impulse noises. Unlike traditional CLI collecting a single CL image with long exposure time and smoothing it using median filter, the proposed method captures a temporal sequence of CL images with shorter exposure time and employs a temporal median filter to smooth a temporal sequence of pixels. Results of in vivo experiments demonstrated that the proposed temporal median method can effectively remove random pulse noises induced by gamma radiation and achieve a robust CLI image

β₁-Adrenoceptor Autoantibodies from DCM Patients Enhance the Proliferation of T Lymphocytes through the β₁-AR/cAMP/PKA and p38 MAPK Pathways

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Autoantibodies against the second extracellular loop of the β₁-adrenergic receptor (β₁-AA) not only contribute to increased susceptibility to heart failure, but also play a causative role in myocardial remodeling through their sympathomimetic-like effects that are induced upon binding to the β₁-adrenergic receptor. However, their role in the function of T lymphocytes has never been previously investigated. Our present study was designed to determine whether β₁-AA isolated from the sera of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients caused the proliferation of T cells and the secretion of cytokines.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>Blood samples were collected from 95 DCM patients as well as 95 healthy subjects, and β₁-AA was detected using ELISA. The CD3⁺T lymphocytes were selected separately through flow cytometry and the effect of β₁-AA on T lymphocyte proliferation was examined by CCK-8 kits and CFSE assay. Western blotting was used to analyze the expressions of phospho-VASP and phospho-p38 MAPK.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>β₁-AA enhanced the proliferation of T lymphocytes. This effect could be blocked by the selective β₁-adrenergic receptor antagonist metoprolol, PKA inhibitor H89, and p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Furthermore, the expression of the phosphorylated forms of phospho-VASP and phospho-p38 MAPK were markedly increased in the presence of β₁-AA. β₁-AA also inhibited the secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) while promoting an increase in interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These results demonstrate that β₁-AA isolated from DCM patients binds to β₁-AR on the surface of T cells, causing changes in T-cell proliferation and secretion through the β₁-AR/cAMP/PKA and p38 MAPK pathways.</p> </div

The predictive value of the modified AFP model for liver transplantation outcomes in multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Abstract Background There is a lack of studies focusing on the benefit of liver transplantation (LT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with > 3 tumors. This study aims to establish a model to effectively predict overall survival in Chinese HCC patients with multiple tumors (> 3 tumors) who undergo LT. Methods This retrospective study included 434 HCC liver transplant recipients from the China Liver Transplant Registry. All HCC patients had more than 3 tumor nodules. Three selection criteria systems (i.e., AFP, Metroticket 2.0, and Up-to-7) were compared regarding the prediction of HCC recurrence. The modified AFP model was established by univariate and multivariate competing risk analyses. Results The AFP score 2 and the AFP score ≥ 3 groups had 5-year recurrence rates of 19.6% and 40.5% in our cohort. The prediction of HCC recurrence based on the AFP model was associated with a c-statistic of 0.606, which was superior to the Up-to-7 and Metroticket 2.0 models. AFP level > 1000 ng/mL, largest tumor size ≥ 8 cm, vascular invasion, and MELD score ≥ 15 were associated with overall survival. The 5-year survival rate in the modified AFP score 0 group was 71.7%. Conclusions The AFP model is superior in predicting tumor recurrence in HCC patients with > 3 tumors prior to LT. With the modified AFP model, patients likely to derive sufficient benefit from LT can be identified