Superlinear damped vibration problems on time scales with nonlocal boundary conditions

This paper studies a class of superlinear damped vibration equations with nonlocal boundary conditions on time scales by using the calculus of variations. We consider the Cerami condition, while the nonlinear term does not satisfy Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz condition such that the critical point theory could be applied. Then we establish the variational structure in an appropriate Sobolev’s space, obtain the existence of infinitely many large energy solutions. Finally, two examples are given to prove our results

Applications of variational methods to some three-point boundary value problems with instantaneous and noninstantaneous impulses

In this paper, we study the multiple solutions for some second-order p-Laplace differential equations with three-point boundary conditions and instantaneous and noninstantaneous impulses. By applying the variational method and critical point theory the multiple solutions are obtained in a Sobolev space. Compared with other local boundary value problems, the three-point boundary value problem is less studied by variational method due to its variational structure. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the results of multiplicity

Population genetics of foxtail millet and its wild ancestor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Foxtail millet (<it>Setaria italica </it>(L.) P. Beauv.), one of the most ancient domesticated crops, is becoming a model system for studying biofuel crops and comparative genomics in the grasses. However, knowledge on the level of genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium (LD) is very limited in this crop and its wild ancestor, green foxtail (<it>Setaria viridis </it>(L.) P. Beauv.). Such information would help us to understand the domestication process of cultivated species and will allow further research in these species, including association mapping and identification of agricultural significant genes involved in domestication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we surveyed DNA sequence for nine loci across 50 accessions of cultivated foxtail millet and 34 of its wild progenitor. We found a low level of genetic diversity in wild green foxtail (θ = 0.0059), θ means Watterson's estimator of θ. Despite of a 55% loss of its wild diversity, foxtail millet still harbored a considerable level of diversity (θ = 0.0027) when compared to rice and sorghum (θ = 0.0024 and 0.0034, respectively). The level of LD in the domesticated foxtail millet extends to 1 kb, while it decayed rapidly to a negligible level within 150 bp in wild green foxtail. Using coalescent simulation, we estimated the bottleneck severity at k = 0.6095 when ρ/θ = 1. These results indicated that the domestication bottleneck of foxtail millet was more severe than that of maize but slightly less pronounced than that of rice.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results in this study establish a general framework for the domestication history of foxtail millet. The low level of genetic diversity and the increased level of LD in foxtail millet are mainly caused by a population bottleneck, although gene flow from foxtail millet to green foxtail is another factor that may have shaped the pattern of genetic diversity of these two related gene pools. The knowledge provided in this study will benefit future population based studies in foxtail millet.</p

Ultrathin Nanosheets of Oxo‐functionalized Graphene Inhibit the Ion Migration in Perovskite Solar Cells

n/

Identification and characterization of a novel gene involved in glandular trichome development in Nepeta tenuifolia

Nepeta tenuifolia is a medicinal plant rich in terpenoids and flavonoids with antiviral, immunoregulatory, and anti-inflammatory activities. The peltate glandular trichome (PGT) is a multicellular structure considered to be the primary storage organ for monoterpenes; it may serve as an ideal model for studying cell differentiation and the development of glandular trichomes (GTs). The genes that regulate the development of GTs have not yet been well studied. In this study, we identified NtMIXTA1, a GT development-associated gene from the R2R3 MYB SBG9 family. NtMIXTA1 overexpression in tobacco resulted in the production of longer and denser GTs. Virus-induced gene silencing of NtMIXTA1 resulted in lower PGT density, a significant reduction in monoterpene concentration, and the decreased expression of genes related to monoterpene biosynthesis. Comparative transcriptome and widely targeted metabolic analyses revealed that silencing NtMIXTA1 significantly influenced the expression of genes, and the production of metabolites involved in the biosynthesis of terpenoids, flavonoids, and lipids. This study provides a solid foundation describing a mechanism underlying the regulation of GT development. In addition, this study further deepens our understanding of the regulatory networks involved in GT development and GT development-associated metabolite flux, as well as provides valuable reference data for studying plants with a high medicinal value without genetic transformation

Novel genomes and genome constitutions identified by GISH and 5S rDNA and knotted1 genomic sequences in the genus Setaria

Background: The Setaria genus is increasingly of interest to researchers, as its two species, S. viridis and S. italica, are being developed as models for understanding C4 photosynthesis and plant functional genomics. The genome constitution of Setaria species has been studied in the diploid species S. viridis, S. adhaerans and S. grisebachii, where three genomes A, B and C were identified respectively. Two allotetraploid species, S. verticillata and S. faberi, were found to have AABB genomes, and one autotetraploid species, S. queenslandica, with an AAAA genome, has also been identified. The genomes and genome constitutions of most other species remain unknown, even though it was thought there are approximately 125 species in the genus distributed world-wide.Results: GISH was performed to detect the genome constitutions of Eurasia species of S. glauca, S. plicata, and S. arenaria, with the known A, B and C genomes as probes. No or very poor hybridization signal was detected indicating that their genomes are different from those already described. GISH was also performed reciprocally between S. glauca, S. plicata, and S. arenaria genomes, but no hybridization signals between each other were found. The two sets of chromosomes of S. lachnea both hybridized strong signals with only the known C genome of S. grisebachii. Chromosomes of Qing 9, an accession formerly considered as S. viridis, hybridized strong signal only to B genome of S. adherans. Phylogenetic trees constructed with 5S rDNA and knotted1 markers, clearly classify the samples in this study into six clusters, matching the GISH results, and suggesting that the F genome of S. arenaria is basal in the genus.Conclusions: Three novel genomes in the Setaria genus were identified and designated as genome D (S. glauca), E (S. plicata) and F (S. arenaria) respectively. The genome constitution of tetraploid S. lachnea is putatively CCC’C’. Qing 9 is a B genome species indigenous to China and is hypothesized to be a newly identified species. The difference in genome constitution and origin of S. verticillata and S. faberi is also discussed. The new genomes and the genome constitutions of Setaria species identified in this report provide useful information for Setaria germplasm management, foxtail millet breeding, grass evolution and the development of S. viridis and S. italica as a new model for functional genomics.Peer reviewedBotan

GPX8 regulates pan-apoptosis in gliomas to promote microglial migration and mediate immunotherapy responses

IntroductionGliomas have emerged as the predominant brain tumor type in recent decades, yet the exploration of non-apoptotic cell death regulated by the pan-optosome complex, known as pan-apoptosis, remains largely unexplored in this context. This study aims to illuminate the molecular properties of pan-apoptosis-related genes in glioma patients, classifying them and developing a signature using machine learning techniques.MethodsThe prognostic significance, mutation features, immunological characteristics, and pharmaceutical prediction performance of this signature were comprehensively investigated. Furthermore, GPX8, a gene of interest, was extensively examined for its prognostic value, immunological characteristics, medication prediction performance, and immunotherapy prediction potential. ResultsExperimental techniques such as CCK-8, Transwell, and EdU investigations revealed that GPX8 acts as a tumor accelerator in gliomas. At the single-cell RNA sequencing level, GPX8 appeared to facilitate cell contact between tumor cells and macrophages, potentially enhancing microglial migration. ConclusionsThe incorporation of pan-apoptosis-related features shows promising potential for clinical applications in predicting tumor progression and advancing immunotherapeutic strategies. However, further in vitro and in vivo investigations are necessary to validate the tumorigenic and immunogenic processes associated with GPX8 in gliomas

Silicon and oxygen synergistic effects for the discovery of new high-performance nonfullerene acceptors

In organic electronics, an aromatic fused ring is a basic unit that provides -electrons to construct semiconductors and governs the device performance. The main challenge in developing new pi -skeletons for tuning the material properties is the limitation of the available chemical approach. Herein, we successfully synthesize two pentacyclic siloxy-bridged pi -conjugated isomers to investigate the synergistic effects of Si and O atoms on the geometric and electronic influence of pi -units in organic electronics. Notably, the synthesis routes for both isomers possess several advantages over the previous approaches for delivering conventional aromatic fused-rings, such as environmentally benign tin-free synthesis and few synthetic steps. To explore their potential application as photovoltaic materials, two isomeric acceptor-donor-acceptor type acceptors based on these two isomers were developed, showing a decent device efficiency of 10%, which indicates the great potential of this SiO-bridged ladder-type unit for the development of new high-performance semiconductor materials.Developing a new pi -skeletal aromatic fused-ring for tuning material properties in organic electronics is still a challenge due to limited chemical approach. Here, the authors enrich the chemistry by synthesizing SiO-bridged ladder-type pi -skeletons with enhanced planarity and deeper energy levels than CO-bridged counterpart