Global progress and future prospects of early gastric cancer screening.

Gastric cancer is a prevalent malignancy that poses a serious threat to global health. Despite advances in medical technologies, screening methods, and public awareness, gastric cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early gastric cancer frequently does not present with characteristic symptoms, while advanced stage disease is characterized by a dismal prognosis. As such, early screening in gastric cancer is of great importance. In recent years, advances have been made globally in both clinical and basic research for the screening of early gastric cancer. The current predominant screening methods for early gastric cancer include imaging screening, endoscopic screening and serum biomarker screening. Imaging screening encompasses upper gastrointestinal barium meal, multidimensional spiral computed tomography (MDCT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasonography. Endoscopic screening methods include white light endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, computed virtual chromoendoscopy, and other endoscopic techniques like endocytoscopy, confocal laser endomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography and so on. Biomarkers screening involves the assessment of conventional biomarkers such as CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 as well as more emerging biomarkers such as peptides (PG, G-17, GCAA, TAAs and others), DNA (cfDNA, DNA methylation, MSI), noncoding RNA (miRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, and tsRNA) and others. Each screening method has its strengths and limitations. This article systematically summarizes worldwide progress and future development of early gastric cancer screening methods to provide new perspectives and approaches for early diagnostic and treatment advancements in gastric cancer worldwide.

Pseudohalogen Ammonium Salt-Assisted Syntheses of Large-Sized Indium Phosphide Quantum Dots with Near-Infrared Photoluminescence.

The development of indium phosphide (InP)-based quantum dots (QDs) with a near-infrared (NIR) emission area still lags behind the visible wavelength region and remains problematic. This study describes a one-step in situ pseudohalogen ammonium salt-assisted approach to generate NIR-emitted InP-based QDs with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs). The coexistence of NH4+ and PF6- ions from NH4PF6 may in situ synchronously etch and passivate the surface oxides and impede the creation of traps under the whole growth process of InP QDs. Experimental findings demonstrated that the in situ pseudohalogen ammonium salt-assisted syntheses technique may feature emission at a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) peak as fine as ∼45 nm and broaden the emission range to around ∼780 nm. A two-step approach for ZnS shells was developed to further improve the PLQY of NIR-emitted InP QDs. Furthermore, the constructed high-power intrinsically stretchable NIR color-conversion film employing the InP-based QDs/polymer composites presented excellent luminescence conversion ability and stretchability.

Isolation of endophytic fungi from Cotoneaster multiflorus and screening of drought-tolerant fungi and evaluation of their growth-promoting effects.

In the context of climate change and human factors, the drought problem is a particularly serious one, and environmental pollution caused by the abuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is increasingly serious. Endophytic fungi can be used as a protection option, which is ecologically friendly, to alleviate abiotic stresses on plants, promote plant growth, and promote the sustainable development of agriculture and forestry. Therefore, it is of great significance to screen and isolate endophytic fungi that are beneficial to crops from plants in special habitats. In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from Cotoneaster multiflorus, and drought-tolerant endophytic fungi were screened by simulating drought stress with different concentrations of PEG-6000, and the growth-promoting effects of these drought-tolerant strains were evaluated. A total of 113 strains of endophytic fungi were isolated and purified from different tissues of C. multiflorus. After simulated drought stress, 25 endophytic fungi showed strong drought tolerance. After ITS sequence identification, they belonged to 7 genera and 12 species, including Aspergillus, Fusarium, Colletotrichum, Penicillium, Diaporthe, Geotrichum, and Metarhizium. According to the identification and drought stress results, 12 strains of endophytic fungi with better drought tolerance were selected to study their abilities of dissolving inorganic phosphorus and potassium feldspar powder and producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). It was found that the amount of dissolved phosphorus in 7 strains of endophytic fungi was significantly higher than that of CK, and the content of soluble phosphorus was 101.98-414.51 µg. ml-1; 6 endophytic fungi had significantly higher potassium solubilization than CK, and the content of water-soluble potassium ranged from 19.17 to 30.94 mg·l-1; 6 strains have the ability to produce IAA, and the yield of IAA ranged between 0.04 and 0.42 mg. ml-1. This study for the first time identified the existence of endophytic fungi with drought tolerance and growth-promoting function in C. multiflorus, which could provide new direction for plant drought tolerance and growth promotion fungi strain resources. It also provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent application of endophytic fungi of C. multiflorus in agricultural and forestry production to improve plant tolerance.

A biomimetic renal fibrosis progression model on-chip evaluates anti-fibrotic effects longitudinally in a dynamic fibrogenic niche.

Although renal fibrosis can advance chronic kidney disease and progressively lead to end-stage renal failure, no effective anti-fibrotic drugs have been clinically approved. To aid drug development, we developed a biomimetic renal fibrosis progression model on-chip to evaluate anti-fibrotic effects of natural killer cell-derived extracellular vesicles and pirfenidone (PFD) across different fibrotic stages. First, the dynamic interplay between fibroblasts and kidney-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) resembling the fibrogenic niche on-chip demonstrated that myofibroblasts induced by stiff ECM in 3 days were reversed to fibroblasts by switching to soft ECM, which was within 2, but not 7 days. Second, PFD significantly down-regulated the expression of α-SMA in NRK-49F in medium ECM, as opposed to stiff ECM. Third, a study in rats showed that early administration of PFD significantly inhibited renal fibrosis in terms of the expression levels of α-SMA and YAP. Taken together, both on-chip and animal models indicate the importance of early anti-fibrotic intervention for checking the progression of renal fibrosis. Therefore, this renal fibrosis progression on-chip with a feature of recapitulating dynamic biochemical and biophysical cues can be readily used to assess anti-fibrotic candidates and to explore the tipping point when the fibrotic fate can be rescued for better medical intervention.

Interrelationship of lipid aldehydes (MDA, 4-HNE, and 4-ONE) mediated protein oxidation in muscle foods.

Proteins and essential fatty acids are crucial components of the human diet. However, lipids and proteins are susceptible to oxidative modification during food processing resulting in changes to their structural characteristics and functional properties. Food products rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids are highly susceptible to lipid peroxidation and generate bifunctional reactive aldehydes. Bifunctional aldehydes such as malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), and 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) readily bind to protein nucleophiles and lead to intra- or intermolecular protein cross-linking. In comparison with lipid oxidation, the degradation of proteins by prooxidants appears to be more intricate and results in a greater diversity of oxidation products. Although individual oxidation processes involving lipids and proteins received increasing attention in the past decades, the interactions between those aldehydes and protein oxidation in food have not been extensively explored. Studies indicate that the reactions of lipid and protein oxidation may take place simultaneously or independently, but oxidation products that arose from one reaction may further interact with lipids or proteins. The present review presents a perspective on reactive aldehydes and the role of aldehydes in inducing protein oxidation in muscle foods. Emphasis is focused on the interaction mechanism of the lipid, protein, and myoglobin protein oxidations. In addition, the occurrence of aldehydes derived from lipid oxidation in food systems as well as the endogenous antioxidant peptides or amino acids in meat and plant proteins are also briefly described.

Proteomic and bioinformatic analyses of proteins in the outer membrane and extracellular compartments and outer membrane vesicles of Candidatus Liberibacter species.

Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most devastating citrus disease in the world. Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las) is the prevalent HLB pathogen, which is yet to be cultivated. A recent study demonstrates that Las does not contain pathogenicity factors that are directly responsible for HLB symptoms. Instead, Las triggers systemic and chronic immune responses, representing a pathogen-triggered immune disease. Importantly, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes systemic cell death of phloem tissues, thus causing HLB symptoms. Because Las resides in the phloem tissues, it is expected that phloem cell might recognize outer membrane proteins, outer membrane vesicle (OMV) proteins and extracellular proteins of Las to contribute to the immune responses. Because Las has not been cultivated, we used Liberibacter crescens (Lcr) as a surrogate to identify proteins in the OM fraction, OMV proteins and extracellular proteins by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We observed OMVs of Lcr under scanning electron microscope, representing the first experimental evidence that Liberibacter can deliver proteins to the extracellular compartment. In addition, we also further analyzed LC-MS/MS data using bioinformatic tools. Our study provides valuable information regarding the biology of Ca. Liberibacter species and identifies many putative proteins that may interact with host proteins in the phloem tissues.

Melatonin and Indole-3-Acetic Acid Synergistically Regulate Plant Growth and Stress Resistance.

Plant growth and development exhibit plasticity, and plants can adapt to environmental changes and stress. Various phytohormones interact synergistically or antagonistically to regulate these responses. Melatonin and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) are widespread across plant kingdom. Melatonin, an important member of the neuroendocrine immune regulatory network, can confer autoimmunity and protect against viral invasion. Melatonin functions as a plant growth regulator and biostimulant, with an important role in enhancing plant stress tolerance. IAA has a highly complex stress response mechanism, which participates in a series of stress induced physiological changes. This article reviews studies on the signaling pathways of melatonin and IAA, focusing on specific regulatory mechanisms. We discuss how these hormones coordinate plant growth and development and stress responses. Furthermore, the interactions between melatonin and IAA and their upstream and downstream transcriptional regulation are discussed from the perspective of modulating plant development and stress adaptation. The reviewed studies suggest that, at low concentrations, melatonin promotes IAA synthesis, whereas at high levels it reduces IAA levels. Similarly to IAA, melatonin promotes plant growth and development. IAA suppresses the melatonin induced inhibition of germination. IAA signaling plays an important role in plant growth and development, whereas melatonin signaling plays an important role in stress responses.

Subtyping Evaluation of Salmonella Enteritidis Using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing with Nanopore Reads.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation of foodborne pathogens predominantly relies on sequencing platforms that generate short reads. Continuous improvement of long-read nanopore sequencing, such as Oxford nanopore technologies (ONT), presents a potential for leveraging multiple advantages of the technology in public health and food industry settings, including rapid turnaround and onsite applicability in addition to superior read length. Using an established cohort of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates for subtyping evaluation, we assessed the technical readiness of nanopore long read sequencing for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) of a major foodborne pathogen. By multiplexing three isolates per flow cell, we generated sufficient sequencing depths in <7 h of sequencing for robust subtyping. SNP calls by ONT and Illumina reads were highly concordant despite homopolymer errors in ONT reads (R9.4.1 chemistry). In silico correction of such errors allowed accurate allelic calling for cgMLST and allelic difference measurements to facilitate heuristic detection of outbreak isolates. IMPORTANCE Evaluation, standardization, and implementation of the ONT approach to WGS-based, strain-level subtyping is challenging, in part due to its relatively high base-calling error rates and frequent iterations of sequencing chemistry and bioinformatic analytics. Our study established a baseline for the continuously evolving nanopore technology as a viable solution to high-quality subtyping of Salmonella, delivering comparable subtyping performance when used standalone or together with short-read platforms. This study paves the way for evaluating and optimizing the logistics of implementing the ONT approach for foodborne pathogen surveillance in specific settings.

Citrus Huanglongbing is a pathogen-triggered immune disease that can be mitigated with antioxidants and gibberellin.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating disease of citrus, caused by the phloem-colonizing bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Here, we present evidence that HLB is an immune-mediated disease. We show that CLas infection of Citrus sinensis stimulates systemic and chronic immune responses in phloem tissue, including callose deposition, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H2O2, and induction of immunity-related genes. The infection also upregulates genes encoding ROS-producing NADPH oxidases, and downregulates antioxidant enzyme genes, supporting that CLas causes oxidative stress. CLas-triggered ROS production localizes in phloem-enriched bark tissue and is followed by systemic cell death of companion and sieve element cells. Inhibition of ROS levels in CLas-positive stems by NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) indicates that NADPH oxidases contribute to CLas-triggered ROS production. To investigate potential treatments, we show that addition of the growth hormone gibberellin (known to have immunoregulatory activities) upregulates genes encoding H2O2-scavenging enzymes and downregulates NADPH oxidases. Furthermore, foliar spray of HLB-affected citrus with gibberellin or antioxidants (uric acid, rutin) reduces H2O2 concentrations and cell death in phloem tissues and reduces HLB symptoms. Thus, our results indicate that HLB is an immune-mediated disease that can be mitigated with antioxidants and gibberellin.

Activation of the BABA-induced priming defence through redox homeostasis and the modules of TGA1 and MAPKK5 in postharvest peach fruit.

The priming of defence responses in pathogen-challenged model plants undergoes a preparation phase and an expression phase for defence function. However, the priming response in postharvest fruits has not been elucidated. Here, we found that 50 mM ß-aminobutyric acid (BABA) treatment could induce two distinct pathways linked with TGA1-related systemic acquired resistance (SAR), resulting in the alleviation of Rhizopus rot in postharvest peach fruit. The first priming phase was elicited by BABA alone, leading to the enhanced transcription of redox-regulated genes and posttranslational modification of PpTGA1. The second phase was activated by an H2 O2 burst via up-regulation of PpRBOH genes and stimulation of the MAPK cascade on pathogen invasion, resulting in a robust defence. In the MAPK cascade, PpMAPKK5 was identified as a shortcut interacting protein of PpTGA1 and increased the DNA binding activity of PpTGA1 for the activation of salicylic acid (SA)-responsive PR genes. The overexpression of PpMAPKK5 in Arabidopsis caused the constitutive transcription of SA-dependent PR genes and as a result conferred resistance against the fungus Rhizopus stolonifer. Hence, we suggest that the BABA-induced priming defence in peaches is activated by redox homeostasis with an elicitor-induced reductive signalling and a pathogen-stimulated H2 O2 burst, which is accompanied by the possible phosphorylation of PpTGA1 by PpMAPKK5 for signal amplification.

Alterations in Sucrose and Phenylpropanoid Metabolism Affected by BABA-Primed Defense in Postharvest Grapes and the Associated Transcriptional Mechanism.

Defense elicitors can induce fruit disease resistance to control postharvest decay but may incur quality impairment. Our present work aimed to investigate the resistance against Botrytis cinerea induced by the elicitor ß-aminobutyric acid (BABA) and to elucidate the specific transcriptional mechanism implicated in defense-related metabolic regulations. The functional dissection results demonstrated that, after inoculation with the fungal necrotroph B. cinerea, a suite of critical genes encoding enzymes related to the sucrose metabolism and phenylpropanoid pathway in priming defense in grapes were transcriptionally induced by treatment with 10 mM BABA. In contrast, more UDP-glucose, a shared precursor of phenylpropanoid and sucrose metabolism, may be redirected to the phenylpropanoid pathway for the synthesis of phytoalexins, including trans-resveratrol and ɛ-viniferin, in 100 mM BABA-treated grapes, resulting in direct resistance but compromised soluble sugar contents. An R2R3-type MYB protein from Vitis vinifera, VvMYB44, was isolated and characterized. VvMYB44 expression was significantly induced upon the grapes expressed defensive reaction. Subcellular localization, yeast two-hybrid, and coimmunoprecipitation assays revealed that the nuclear-localized VvMYB44 physically interacted with the salicylic acid-responsive transcription coactivator NPR1 in vivo for defense expression. In addition, VvMYB44 directly bound to the promoter regions of sucrose and phenylpropanoid metabolism-related genes and transactivated their expression, thus tipping the balance of antifungal compound accumulation and soluble sugar maintenance. Hence, these results suggest that 2R-type VvMYB44 might be a potential positive participant in BABA-induced priming defense in grape berries that contributes to avoiding the excessive consumption of soluble sugars during the postharvest storage.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Involvement of chemosensory proteins in host plant searching in the bird cherry-oat aphid.

Chemosensory systems are considered to play an important role in host plant selection in herbivorous insects. However, few studies have focused on chemosensory proteins (CSPs) for aphid host-location mechanisms. The roles of CSPs in searching for different Poaceae species (wheat, barley, triticale, maize and sorghum) were tested in Rhopalosiphum padi, an important cereal pest. The olfactometer assays showed that R. padi responds to plant odors. Seven R. padi CSP genes were identified. Influence of aphid morph, tissue and starvation state on expression patterns of CSPs was evaluated. Expression levels of CSP1, CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6 in winged aphids were significantly higher than those in wingless ones. Transcription levels of four genes (CSP1, CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6) were relatively higher in the head with antennae, and the four genes tended to be upregulated following starvation. Silencing of three CSPs (CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6) altered aphid host-location behavior in response to the five different host plants tested. Three volatile compounds of host plants (octanal, [E]-2-hexenol and linalool) have significant attraction to winged R. padi according to the four-arm olfactometer tests. Molecular docking predicted hydrogen bonding sites which played key roles in the binding of CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6 with volatile compounds. Knockdown of CSP4 or CSP5 significantly decreased the staying time of R. padi in the arms with octanal. However, knockdown of CSP6 could not affect the response of R. padi to octanal. These results bring evidence for the involvement of three CSPs in R. padi host-location behavior.

Expression patterns and functional analysis of the short neuropeptide F and NPF receptor genes in Rhopalosiphum padi.

The short neuropeptide F (sNPF) and NPF receptor (NPFR) genes play important roles in many physiological processes. However, information on the survival-related functions of sNPF and NPFR under different stress conditions is lacking in aphids. In this study, we cloned sNPF and NPFR, and investigated the expression levels of these genes in different developmental stages, wing morphs, and stress conditions of the bird cherry-oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.), an important agricultural pest. The sNPF and NPFR transcript levels varied among developmental stages, and their expression levels in alate females were significantly higher than those in apterous females. In addition, starvation resulted in significantly increased sNPF expression, which then recovered after refeeding. Heat stress and insecticides significantly affected transcription of both genes. sNPF and NPFR knockdown in R. padi using RNA interference revealed optimal interference efficiency at 48 h post-injection. sNPF knockdown significantly decreased adult longevity, 15-d fecundity, and food intake. Additionally, mortality under starvation, insecticides, and heat stress conditions was significantly higher after injection with double-stranded sNPF in R. padi. NPFR knockdown significantly affected food intake and starvation resistance in R. padi. These results strongly indicate that sNPF plays vital roles in food intake, longevity, and reproduction in R. padi, and it can significantly affect the pest's response to stress conditions.

Residue Dynamics of Streptomycin in Citrus Delivered by Foliar Spray and Trunk Injection and Effect on 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' Titer.

Streptomycin (STR) has been used to control citrus huanglongbing (HLB) caused by 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) via foliar spray. Here, we studied the residue dynamics of STR and its effect on CLas titers in planta applied by foliar spray and trunk injection of 3-year-old citrus trees that were naturally infected by CLas in the field. After foliar spray, STR levels in leaves peaked at 2 to 7 days postapplication (dpa) and gradually declined thereafter. The STR spray did not significantly affect CLas titers in leaves of treated plants as determined by quantitative PCR. After trunk injection, peak levels of STR were observed 7 to 14 dpa in the leaf and root tissues, and near-peak levels were sustained for another 14 days before significantly declining. At 12 months after injection, moderate to low or undetectable levels of STR were observed in the leaf, root, and fruit, depending on the doses of STR injected, with a residue level of 0.28 µg/g in harvested fruit at the highest injection concentration of 2.0 µg/tree. CLas titers in leaves were significantly reduced by trunk injection of STR at 1.0 or 2.0 g/tree, starting from 7 dpa and throughout the experimental period. The reduction of CLas titers was positively correlated with STR residue levels in leaves. The in planta minimum effective concentration of STR needed to suppress the CLas titer to an undetectable level (cycle threshold ≥36.0) was 1.92 µg/g fresh weight. Determination of the in planta minimum effective concentration of STR against CLas and its spatiotemporal residue levels in planta provides the guidance to use STR for HLB management.

Inactivation Efficacy of 405 nm LED Against Cronobacter sakazakii Biofilm.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the inactivation efficacy of a 405-nm light-emitting diode (LED) against Cronobacter sakazakii biofilm formed on stainless steel and to determine the sensitivity change of illuminated biofilm to food industrial disinfectants. The results showed that LED illumination significantly reduced the population of viable biofilm cells, showing reduction of 2.0 log (25°C), 2.5 log (10°C), and 2.0 log (4°C) between the non-illuminated and LED-illuminated groups at 4 h. Images of confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed the architectural damage to the biofilm caused by LED illumination, which involved destruction of the stereoscopic conformation of the biofilm. Moreover, the loss of biofilm components (mainly polysaccharide and protein) was revealed by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, and the downregulation of genes involved in C. sakazakii biofilm formation was confirmed by real time quantitative PCR analysis, with greatest difference observed in fliD. In addition, the sensitivity of illuminated-biofilm cells to disinfectant treatment was found to significantly increased, showing the greatest sensitivity change with 1.5 log reduction between non-LED and LED treatment biofilms in the CHX-treated group. These results indicated that 405 nm LED illumination was effective at inactivating C. sakazakii biofilm adhering to stainless steel. Therefore, the present study suggests the potential of 405 nm LED technology in controlling C. sakazakii biofilms in food processing and storage, minimizing the risk of contamination.

Potential Mechanisms of AtNPR1 Mediated Resistance against Huanglongbing (HLB) in Citrus.

Huanglongbing (HLB), a bacterial disease caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is a major threat to the citrus industry. In a previous study conducted by our laboratory, several citrus transgenic trees expressing the Arabidopsis thaliana NPR1 (AtNPR1) gene remained HLB-free when grown in a field site under high HLB disease pressure. To determine the molecular mechanisms behind AtNPR1-mediated tolerance to HLB, a transcriptome analysis was performed using AtNPR1 overexpressing transgenic trees and non-transgenic trees as control, from which we identified 57 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Data mining revealed the enhanced transcription of genes encoding pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), transcription factors, leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs), and putative ankyrin repeat-containing proteins. These proteins were highly upregulated in the AtNPR1 transgenic line compared to the control plant. Furthermore, analysis of protein-protein interactions indicated that AtNPR1 interacts with CsNPR3 and CsTGA5 in the nucleus. Our results suggest that AtNPR1 positively regulates the innate defense mechanisms in citrus thereby boosting resistance and effectively protecting the plant against HLB.

Gene Expression Profiling Indicated Diverse Functions and Characteristics of Core Genes in Pea Aphid.

The pea aphid is a global insect pest, and variable phenotypes can be produced by pea aphids in the same genotype in response to changes in external environmental factors. However, detailed dynamic gene regulation networks and the core markers involved in different biological processes of pea aphids have not yet been reported. In this study, we obtained the published genomic and transcriptomic data, and performed transcriptome profiling of five pea aphid morphs (winged asexual female, wingless asexual female, wingless sexual female, winged male and wingless male) from each of three pea aphid genotypes, i.e., the transcriptomes from a total of 15 types of pea aphids were analyzed and the type-specific expression of genes in five different morphs was identified. The expression profiling was verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis. Moreover, we determined the expression features and co-expression networks of highly variable genes. We also used the ARACNe method to obtain 263 core genes related to different biological pathways. Additionally, eight of the identified genes were aligned with transcription factor families, indicating that they act as transcription factors and regulate downstream genes. Furthermore, we found reliable markers using random forest methodology to distinguish different morphs of pea aphids. Our study provides a systematic and comprehensive approach for analyzing the core genes that may play important roles in a multitude of biological processes from the insect transcriptomes.

A Novel Software and Method for the Efficient Development of Polymorphic SSR Loci Based on Transcriptome Data.

Traditional methods for developing polymorphic microsatellite loci without reference sequences are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the polymorphisms of simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci developed from expressed sequence tag (EST) databases are generally poor. To address this issue, in this study, we developed a new software (PSSRdt) and established an effective method for directly obtaining polymorphism details of SSR loci by analyzing diverse transcriptome data. The new method includes three steps, raw data processing, PSSRdt application, and loci extraction and verification. To test the practicality of the method, we successfully obtained 1940 potential polymorphic SSRs from the transcript dataset combined with 44 pea aphid transcriptomes. Fifty-two SSR loci obtained by the new method were selected for validating the polymorphic characteristics by genotyping in pea aphid individuals. The results showed that over 92% of SSR loci were polymorphic and 73.1% of loci were highly polymorphic. Our new software and method provide an innovative approach to microsatellite development based on RNA-seq data, and open a new path for the rapid mining of numerous loci with polymorphism to add to the body of research on microsatellites.

Quantum control of spin-nematic squeezing in a dipolar spin-1 condensate.

Versatile controllability of interactions and magnetic field in ultracold atomic gases ha now reached an era where spin mixing dynamics and spin-nematic squeezing can be studied. Recent experiments have realized spin-nematic squeezed vacuum and dynamic stabilization following a quench through a quantum phase transition. Here we propose a scheme for storage of maximal spin-nematic squeezing, with its squeezing angle maintained in a fixed direction, in a dipolar spin-1 condensate by applying a microwave pulse at a time that maximal squeezing occurs. The dynamic stabilization of the system is achieved by manipulating the external periodic microwave pulses. The stability diagram for the range of pulse periods and phase shifts that stabilize the dynamics is numerical simulated and agrees with a stability analysis. Moreover, the stability range coincides well with the spin-nematic vacuum squeezed region which indicates that the spin-nematic squeezed vacuum will never disappear as long as the spin dynamics are stabilized.

Phase diagram and spin mixing dynamics in spinor condensates with a microwave dressing field.

Spinor condensates immersed in a microwave dressing field, which access both negative and positive values of the net quadratic Zeeman effect, have been realized in a recent experiment. In this report, we study the ground state properties of a spinor condensate with a microwave dressing field which enables us to access both negative and positive values of quadratic Zeeman energy. The ground state exhibits three different phases by varying the magnetization and the net quadratic Zeeman energy for both cases of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions. We investigate the atomic-number fluctuations of the ground state and show that the hyperfine state displays super-Poissonian and sub-Poissonian distributions in the different phases. We also discuss the dynamical properties and show that the separatrix has a remarkable relation to the magnetization.