Individualized prediction of anxiety and depressive symptoms using gray matter volume in a non-clinical population.

Machine learning is an emerging tool in clinical psychology and neuroscience for the individualized prediction of psychiatric symptoms. However, its application in non-clinical populations is still in its infancy. Given the widespread morphological changes observed in psychiatric disorders, our study applies five supervised machine learning regression algorithms-ridge regression, support vector regression, partial least squares regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and Elastic-Net regression-to predict anxiety and depressive symptom scores. We base these predictions on the whole-brain gray matter volume in a large non-clinical sample (n = 425). Our results demonstrate that machine learning algorithms can effectively predict individual variability in anxiety and depressive symptoms, as measured by the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire. The most discriminative features contributing to the prediction models were primarily located in the prefrontal-parietal, temporal, visual, and sub-cortical regions (e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, and putamen). These regions showed distinct patterns for anxious arousal and high positive affect in three of the five models (partial least squares regression, support vector regression, and ridge regression). Importantly, these predictions were consistent across genders and robust to demographic variability (e.g. age, parental education, etc.). Our findings offer critical insights into the distinct brain morphological patterns underlying specific components of anxiety and depressive symptoms, supporting the existing tripartite theory from a neuroimaging perspective.

Altered resting-state brain function in endurance athletes.

Previous research has confirmed significant differences in regional brain activity and functional connectivity between endurance athletes and non-athletes. However, no studies have investigated the differences in topological efficiency of the brain functional network between endurance athletes and non-athletes. Here, we compared differences in regional activities, functional connectivity, and topological properties to explore the functional basis associated with endurance training. The results showed significant correlations between Regional Homogeneity in the motor cortex, visual cortex, cerebellum, and the training intensity parameters. Alterations in functional connectivity among the motor cortex, visual cortex, cerebellum, and the inferior frontal gyrus and cingulate gyrus were significantly correlated with training intensity parameters. In addition, the graph theoretical analysis results revealed a significant reduction in global efficiency among athletes. This decline is mainly caused by decreased nodal efficiency and nodal local efficiency of the cerebellar regions. Notably, the sensorimotor regions, such as the precentral gyrus and supplementary motor areas, still exhibit increased nodal efficiency and nodal local efficiency. This study not only confirms the improvement of regional activity in brain regions related to endurance training, but also offers novel insights into the mechanisms through which endurance athletes undergo changes in the topological efficiency of the brain functional network.

Spatial Localization of a Transformer Robot Based on Ultrasonic Signal Wavelet Decomposition and PHAT-ß-γ Generalized Cross Correlation.

Because large oil-immersed transformers are enclosed by a metal shell, the on-site localization means it is difficult to achieve the accurate location of the patrol micro-robot inside a given transformer. To address this issue, a spatial ultrasonic localization method based on wavelet decomposition and PHAT-ß-γ generalized cross correlation is proposed in this paper. The method is carried out with a five-element stereo ultrasonic array for the location of a transformer patrol robot. Firstly, the localization signal is decomposed into wavelet coefficients of different scales, which would realize the adaptive decomposition of the frequency of the localization signal from low frequencies to high frequencies. Then, the wavelet coefficients are denoised and reconstructed by using the semi-soft threshold function. Second, a modified phase transform-beta-gamma (PHAT-ß-γ) method is used to calculate the exact time delay between different sensors by increasing the weights of the PHAT weighting function and introducing a correlation function. Finally, by using the proposed method, the accurate localization of the transformer patrol micro-robot is achieved with a five-element stereo ultrasonic array. The simulation and test results show that inside a transformer experimental oil tank (120 cm × 100 cm × 100 cm, L × W × H), the relative error of transformer patrol micro-robot spatial localization is within 4.1%, and the maximum localization error is less than 3 cm, which meets the requirement of engineering localization.

Acyltransferase zinc finger DHHC-type containing 2 aggravates gastric carcinoma growth by targeting Nrf2 signaling: A mechanism-based multicombination bionic nano-drug therapy.

The significant regulatory role of palmitoylation modification in cancer-related targets has been demonstrated previously. However, the biological functions of Nrf2 in stomach cancer and whether the presence of Nrf2 palmitoylation affects gastric cancer (GC) progression and its treatment have not been reported. Several public datasets were used to look into the possible link between the amount of palmitoylated Nrf2 and the progression and its outcome of GC in patients. The palmitoylated Nrf2 levels in tumoral and peritumoral tissues from GC patients were also evaluated. Both loss-of-function and gain-of-function via transgenic experiments were performed to study the effects of palmitoylated Nrf2 on carcinogenesis and the pharmacological function of 2-bromopalmitate (2-BP) on the suppression of GC progression in vitro and in vitro. We discovered that Nrf2 was palmitoylated in the cytoplasmic domain, and this lipid posttranslational modification causes Nrf2 stabilization by inhibiting ubiquitination, delaying Nrf2 destruction via the proteasome and boosting nuclear translocation. Importantly, we also identify palmitoyltransferase zinc finger DHHC-type palmitoyltransferase 2 (DHHC2) as the primary acetyltransferase required for the palmitoylated Nrf2 and indicate that the suppression of Nrf2 palmitoylation via 2-bromopalmitate (2-BP), or the knockdown of DHHC2, promotes anti-cancer immunity in vitro and in mice model-bearing xenografts. Of note, based on the antineoplastic mechanism of 2-BP, a novel anti-tumor drug delivery system ground 2-BP and oxaliplatin (OXA) dual-loading gold nanorods (GNRs) with tumor cell membrane coating biomimetic nanoparticles (CM@GNRs-BO) was established. In situ photothermal therapy is done using near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation to help release high-temperature-triggered drugs from the CM@GNRs-BO reservoir when needed. This is done to achieve photothermal/chemical synergistic therapy. Our findings show the influence and linkage of palmitoylated Nrf2 with tumoral and peritumoral tissues in GC patients, the underlying mechanism of palmitoylated Nrf2 in GC progression, and novel possible techniques for addressing Nrf2-associated immune evasion in cancer growth. Furthermore, the bionic nanomedicine developed by us has the characteristics of dual drugs delivery, homologous tumor targeting, and photothermal and chemical synergistic therapy, and is expected to become a potential platform for cancer treatment.

Positive effects of brisk walking and Tai Chi on cognitive function in older adults: An fNIRS study.

Exercise has shown to have beneficial effects on cognition in older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cortical hemodynamic responses during the word-color Stroop test (WCST) prior and after acute walking and Tai Chi exercise by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty participants (9 males, mean age 62.8 ± 5.2), first underwent a baseline WCST test, after which they took three WCST tests in a randomized order, (a) after sitting rest (control), (b) after 6 minutes performing Tai Chi Quan, and (c) after a bout of 6 minutes brisk walking. During these four WCST tests cortical hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal area were monitored with fNIRS. Both brisk walking and Tai Chi enhanced hemodynamic activity during the Stroop incongruent tasks, leading to improved cognitive performance (quicker reaction time). Brisk walking induced a greater hemodynamic activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) area, whereas Tai Chi induced a greater bilateral hemodynamic activity in the DLPFC and VLPFC areas. The present study provided empirical evidence of enhanced hemodynamic response in task- specific regions of the brain that can be achieved by a mere six minutes of brisk walking or Tai Chi in older adults.

Reactivity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, but not the amygdala, to negative emotion faces predicts greed personality trait.

This study explored whether amygdala reactivity predicted the greed personality trait (GPT) using both task-based and resting-state functional connectivity analyses (ntotal = 452). In Cohort 1 (n = 83), task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (t-fMRI) results from a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis revealed no direct correlation between amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry faces and GPT. Instead, whole-brain analyses revealed GPT to robustly negatively vary with activations in the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), supramarginal gyrus, and angular gyrus in the contrast of fearful + angry faces > shapes. Moreover, task-based psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses showed that the high GPT group showed weaker functional connectivity of the vmPFC seed with a top-down control network and visual pathways when processing fearful or angry faces compared to their lower GPT counterparts. In Cohort 2, resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) analyses indicated stronger connectivity between the vmPFC seed and the top-down control network and visual pathways in individuals with higher GPT. Comparing the two cohorts, bilateral amygdala seeds showed weaker associations with the top-down control network in the high group via PPI analyses in Cohort 1. Yet, they exhibited distinct rs-FC patterns in Cohort 2 (e.g., positive associations of GPT with the left amygdala-top-down network FC but negative associations with the right amygdala-visual pathway FC). The study underscores the role of the vmPFC and its functional connectivity in understanding GPT, rather than amygdala reactivity.

ZnO-ZnS Heterostructure as a Potent Photocatalyst in the Preparation of Some Substituted Chromenes and Remarkable Antigastrointestinal Cancer Activity.

The nanosized hybrid material ZnO-ZnS was synthesized using the well-known sol-gel method, as a simple and environmentally friendly procedure. The material was then characterized using various techniques including FESEM, TEM, UV-vis, DRS, EDS, XRD, and FT-IR. The characterization studies revealed the generation of ZnO-ZnS nanoparticles with a mean size of around 25 nm. Moreover, DRS analysis provided a band gap of 3.05 eV for this nanomaterial. The photocatalytic properties of the ZnO-ZnS heterojunction was investigated in the synthesis of some substituted chromenes under mild reaction conditions. The results showed that the prepared nanophotocatalyst exhibits significantly higher activity compared to its individual components (ZnO and ZnS) and provides 73-87% yield with 0.01 g of ZnO-ZnS after 30 min. In addition, the nanophotocatalyst demonstrated a high reusability in the desired condensation reaction. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO-ZnS can be attributed to the slower recombination of the electron-hole pairs in this semiconductor material. The reactive species OH•, •O2-, and h+ are believed to play important roles in the photocatalytic system. Furthermore, cellular toxicity of ZnO-ZnS nanoparticles was evaluated on HCT-116 human gastrointestinal cancer cell line by MTT assay. The results proved a distinct reduction of cell viability, proofing cytotoxicity of nanoparticles on the cancer cells. This study highlights the potential of the nanoparticles against gastrointestinal cancer.

Prefrontal cortical hemodynamics and functional network organization during Tai Chi standing meditation: an fNIRS study.

Introduction: Tai Chi standing meditation (Zhan Zhuang, also called pile standing) is characterized by meditation, deep breathing, and mental focus based on theories of traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of the present study was to explore prefrontal cortical hemodynamics and the functional network organization associated with Tai Chi standing meditation by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods: Twenty-four channel fNIRS signals were recorded from 24 male Tai Chi Quan practitioners (54.71 ± 8.04 years) while standing at rest and standing during Tai Chi meditation. The general linear model and the SPM method were used to analyze the fNIRS signals. Pearson correlation was calculated to determine the functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortical sub-regions. The small world properties of the FC networks were then further analyzed based on graph theory. Results: During Tai Chi standing meditation, significantly higher concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin were observed in bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), frontal eye field (FEF), and pre-motor cortex (PMC) compared with the values measured during standing rest (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, significant decreases in deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration were observed in left VLPFC, right PMC and DLPFC during Tai Chi standing meditation than during standing rest (p < 0.05). Functional connectivity between the left and right PFC was also significantly stronger during the Tai Chi standing meditation (p < 0.05). The functional brain networks exhibited small-world architecture, and more network hubs located in DLPFC and VLPFC were identified during Tai Chi standing meditation than during standing rest. Discussion: These findings suggest that Tai Chi standing meditation introduces significant changes in the cortical blood flow and the brain functional network organization.

Metal Clusters Effectively Adjust the Local Environment of Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Bifunctional Overall Water Splitting.

Compared with single-atom catalysts, clusters not only possess more metal-loadings and stability but also provide flexible active sites to break the linear scaling relationship of multistep reactions. However, exploring precise structure-activity relationships and the synergistic effect between clusters and nanosheets is still in its infancy. Here, based on first-principles and nonequilibrium Green's function simulation, the C2N-supported Fe and Co tetrahedral clusters exhibit remarkable bifunctional catalytic performance with a very low overpotential of hydrogen (0.12 and 0.07 V) /oxygen (0.20 and 0.55 V) evolution reactions (HER/OER), respectively. The C2N-regulated Fe and Co clusters have suitable d-band centers around the Fermi surface for HER. In turn, the Fe and Co clusters activate the subadjacent dual-carbon sites for OER. Simultaneously, the cluster enhances the electronic conductivity of C2N, and the initial current only needs ultralow bias voltage around 0.1-0.4 V. The desired metal cluster regulation strategy offers cost-effective potential for advancing clean energy technology.

PKNOX1 acts as a transcription factor of DHH and promotes the progression of stomach adenocarcinoma by regulating the Hedgehog signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the effects and potential mechanism by which PBX/knotted 1 homeobox 1 (PKNOX1) may exacerbate stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). METHODS: For the in silico analysis, we examined TCGA-PKNOX1 expression using the UALCAN website, as well as its expression patterns in the GSE172032 and GSE174237 datasets, obtained from the GEO database. The associated patient survival curves, were analysed via the KMplot webtool. In vitro, we measured cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion using cell counting kit-8, colony formation, wound healing, and cell migration assays, respectively. Real time qPCR and western blotting assessed the mRNA and protein levels of PKNOX1, Snail, vimentin, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, desert hedgehog (DHH), cyclin D2, glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1, and smoothened. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was performed using LinkedOmics webtools and the clusterProfiler package in R. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the interactions of PKNOX1 with DHH, and of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) with PKNOX1. RESULTS: PKNOX1 was highly expressed in STAD and linked to poor patient survival. Downregulation of PKNOX1 inhibited STAD cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Upregulation of TEAD4 promoted colony formation and migration, while these effects were reversed by PKNOX1 depletion. Furthermore, PKNOX1 regulated the activation of the hedgehog signalling pathway at the gene level, as we identified PKNOX1 to be a putative transcription factor for DHH that promotes its expression. CONCLUSION: Our results show that PKNOX1 acts as a candidate transcription factor for DHH and facilitates STAD development by regulating the hedgehog signalling pathway.

Using DeepContact with Amira graphical user interface.

DeepContact is a deep learning software for high-throughput quantification of membrane contact site (MCS) in 2D electron microscopy images. This protocol will guide users through incorporating available DeepContact models in Amira's artificial intelligence module, thereby allowing invoking of DeepContact functions in organelle segmentation and quantifying of MCS with a user-friendly graphical user interface of Amira software. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Liu et al. (2022).1.

Distributed attribute representation in the superior parietal lobe during probabilistic decision-making.

Several studies have examined the neural substrates of probabilistic decision-making, but few have systematically investigated the neural representations of the two objective attributes of probabilistic rewards, that is, the reward amount and the probability. Specifically, whether there are common or distinct neural activity patterns to represent the objective attributes and their association with the neural representation of the subjective valuation remains largely underexplored. We conducted two studies (nStudy1 = 34, nStudy2 = 41) to uncover distributed neural representations of the objective attributes and subjective value as well as their association with individual probability discounting rates. The amount and probability were independently manipulated to better capture brain signals sensitive to these two attributes and were presented simultaneously in Study 1 and successively in Study 2. Both univariate and multivariate pattern analyses showed that the brain activities in the superior parietal lobule (SPL), including the postcentral gyrus, were modulated by the amount of rewards and probability in both studies. Further, representational similarity analysis revealed a similar neural representation between these two objective attributes and between the attribute and valuation. Moreover, the SPL tracked the subjective value integrated by the hyperbolic function. Probability-related brain activations in the inferior parietal lobule were associated with the variability in individual discounting rates. These findings provide novel insights into a similar neural representation of the two attributes during probabilistic decision-making and perhaps support the common neural coding of stimulus objective properties and subjective value in the field of probabilistic discounting.

Prediction and Control of Thermal Transport at Defective State Gr/h-BN Heterojunction Interfaces.

The control of interfacial thermal conductivity is the key to two-dimensional heterojunction in semiconductor devices. In this paper, by using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations, we analyze the regulation of interfacial thermal energy transport in graphene (Gr)/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heterojunctions and reveal the variation mechanism of interfacial thermal energy transport. The calculated results show that 2.16% atomic doping can effectively improve interfacial heat transport by more than 15.6%, which is attributed to the enhanced phonon coupling in the mid-frequency region (15-25 THz). The single vacancy in both N and B atoms can significantly reduce the interfacial thermal conductivity (ITC), and the ITC decreases linearly with the increase in vacancy defect concentration, mainly due to the single vacancy defects leading to an increased phonon participation rate (PPR) below 0.4 in the low-frequency region (0-13 THz), which shows the phonon the localization feature, which hinders the interfacial heat transport. Finally, a BP neural network algorithm is constructed using machine learning to achieve fast prediction of the ITC of Gr/h-BN two-dimensional heterogeneous structures, and the results show that the prediction error of the model is less than 2%, and the method will provide guidance and reference for the design and optimization of the ITC of more complex defect-state heterogeneous structures.

An environment-friendly approach using deep eutectic solvent combined with liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplets for simultaneous determination of preservatives in beverages.

With the increase in environmental protection awareness, the development of strategies to reduce the use of organic solvent used during the extraction process has attracted wide attention. A simple and green ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction combined with liquid-liquid microextraction based on solidification of floating organic droplets method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of five preservatives (methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, isopropyl paraben, isobutyl paraben) in beverages. Extraction conditions including the volume of DES, value of pH, and concentration of salt were statistically optimized through response surface methodology using a Box-Behnken design. Complex Green Analytical Procedure Index (ComplexGAPI) was successfully used to estimate the greenness of the developed method and compare with the previous methods. As a result, the established method was linear, precise, and accurate over the range of 0.5-20 µg mL-1. Limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.15-0.20 µg mL-1 and 0.40-0.45 µg mL-1, respectively. The recoveries of all five preservatives ranged from 85.96% to 110.25%, with relative standard deviation less than 6.88% (intra-day) and 4.93% (inter-day). The greenness of the present method is significantly better compared with the previous reported methods. Additionally, the proposed method was successfully applied to analysis of preservatives in beverages and is a potentially promising technique for drink matrices.

The regulating effect of boron doping and its concentration on the photocatalytic overall water splitting of a polarized g-C3N5 material.

Photocatalytic overall water splitting with two-dimensional materials is a promising strategy to solve the problems of environmental pollution and energy shortage. However, conventional photocatalysts are often limited to a narrow visible photo-absorption range, low catalytic activity, and poor charge separation. Herein, given the intrinsic polarization facilitating the improvement of photogenerated carrier separation, we adopt a polarized g-C3N5 material combining the doping strategy to alleviate the abovementioned problems. Boron (B), as a Lewis acid, has a great chance to improve the capture and catalytic activity of water. By doping B into g-C3N5, the overpotential for the complicated four-electron process of the oxygen reduction reaction is only 0.50 V. Simultaneously, the B doping-induced impurity state effectively reduces the band gap and broadens the photo-absorption range. Moreover, with the increase of B doping concentration, the photo-absorption range and catalytic activity can be gradually improved. Whereas when the concentration exceeds 33.3%, the reduction potential of the conduction band edge will not meet the demand for hydrogen evolution. Therefore, excessive doping is not recommended in experiments. Our work affords not only a promising photocatalyst but also a practical design scheme by combining polarizing materials and the doping strategy for overall water splitting.

Metabolic network changes during skotomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana mutant (atdfb-3).

The metabolic networks underlying skotomorphogenesis in seedlings remain relatively unknown. On the basis of our previous study on the folate metabolism in seedlings grown in darkness, the plastidial folylpolyglutamate synthetase gene (AtDFB) T-DNA insertion Arabidopsis thaliana mutant (atdfb-3) was examined. Under the nitrate-sufficient condition, the mutant exhibited deficient folate metabolism and hypocotyl elongation, which affected skotomorphogenesis. Further analyses revealed changes to multiple intermediate metabolites related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the etiolated atdfb-3 seedlings. Specifically, the sugar, polyol, and fatty acid contents decreased in the atdfb-3 mutant under the nitrate-sufficient condition, whereas the abundance of various organic acids and amino acids increased. In response to nitrate-limited stress, multiple metabolites, including sugars, polyols, fatty acids, organic acids, and amino acids, accumulated more in the mutant than in the wild-type control. The differences in the contents of multiple metabolites between the atdfb-3 and wild-type seedlings decreased following the addition of exogenous 5-F-THF under both nitrogen conditions. Additionally, the mutant accumulated high levels of one-carbon metabolites, such as Cys, S-adenosylmethionine, and S-adenosylhomocysteine, under both nitrogen conditions. Thus, our data demonstrated that the perturbed folate metabolism in the atdfb-3 seedlings, which was caused by the loss-of-function mutation to AtDFB, probably altered carbon and nitrogen metabolism, thereby modulating skotomorphogenesis. Furthermore, the study findings provide new evidence of the links among folate metabolism, metabolic networks, and skotomorphogenesis.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus VP1 promotes viral replication by regulating the expression of chemokines and GBP1.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is an acute, highly contagious, and economically destructive pathogen of vesicular disease that affects domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals. The FMDV VP1 protein is an important part of the nucleocapsid and plays a significant role during FMDV infection. However, the signal pathways mediated by VP1 in the life cycle of FMDV and the related mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Here, we performed RNA-seq to compare gene expression profiles between pCAGGS-HA-VP1 transfected PK-15 cells and pCAGGS-HA (empty vector) transfected PK-15 cells. The results showed 5,571 genes with significantly different expression levels, of which 2,981 were up-regulated and 2,590 were down-regulated. GO enrichment analysis showed that 51 GO terms were significantly enriched in cell components including protein complex, membrane and organelle part. KEGG enrichment analysis showed 11 KEGG pathways were significantly enriched which were mainly related to the immune system, infectious viral disease, and signal transduction. Among the up-regulated genes, the chemokines such as CCL5, CXCL8, and CXCL10 in turn promoted FMDV replication. In contrast, GBP1, an interferon-stimulated gene that was suppressed by VP1 and FMDV, could effectively inhibit FMDV replication. Our research provides a comprehensive overview of the response of host cells to VP1 protein and a basis for further research to understand the roles of VP1 in FMDV infection including the genes involved in FMDV replication.

DeepContact: High-throughput quantification of membrane contact sites based on electron microscopy imaging.

Membrane contact site (MCS)-mediated organelle interactions play essential roles in the cell. Quantitative analysis of MCSs reveals vital clues for cellular responses under various physiological and pathological conditions. However, an efficient tool is lacking. Here, we developed DeepContact, a deep-learning protocol for optimizing organelle segmentation and contact analysis based on label-free EM. DeepContact presents high efficiency and flexibility in interactive visualizations, accommodating new morphologies of organelles and recognizing contacts in versatile width ranges, which enables statistical analysis of various types of MCSs in multiple systems. DeepContact profiled previously unidentified coordinative rearrangements of MCS types in cultured cells with combined nutritional conditions. DeepContact also unveiled a subtle wave of ER-mitochondrial entanglement in Sertoli cells during the seminiferous epithelial cycle, indicating its potential in bridging MCS dynamics to physiological and pathological processes.

RNA Binding Protein OsTZF7 Traffics Between the Nucleus and Processing Bodies/Stress Granules and Positively Regulates Drought Stress in Rice.

Tandem CCCH zinc finger (TZF) proteins are the essential components of processing bodies (PBs) and stress granules (SGs), which play critical roles in growth development and stress response in both animals and plants through posttranscriptional regulation of target mRNA. In this study, we characterized the biological and molecular functions of a novel tandem zinc finger protein, OsTZF7. The expression of OsTZF7 was upregulated by abiotic stresses, including polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000, NaCl, and abscisic acid (ABA) in rice. Accordingly, the overexpression of OsTZF7 increased drought tolerance and enhanced sensitivity to exogenous ABA in rice, whereas the knockdown of OsTZF7 resulted in the opposite phenotype. RNA-seq analysis revealed that genes related to "response to stress," "abscisic acid signaling," "methylated histone binding," and "cytoplasmic mRNA processing body" are regulated by OsTZF7. We demonstrated that OsTZF7 can traffic between the nucleus and PBs/SGs, and the leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES) mediates the nuclear export of OsTZF7. Additionally, we revealed that OsTZF7 can bind adenine- and uridine-rich (AU-rich) element (ARE) or ARE-like motifs within the 3' untranslated region of downregulated mRNAs, and interact with PWWP family proteins in vitro. Together, these results indicate that OsTZF7 positively regulates drought response in rice via ABA signaling and may be involved in mRNA turnover.

The Study of Magnetic Properties for Non-Magnetic Ions Doped BiFeO3.

BiFeO3 is considered as a single phase multiferroic. However, its magnetism is very weak. We study the magnetic properties of BiFeO3 by Cu and (Cu, Zn). Polycrystalline samples Bi(Fe0.95Cu0.05)O3 and BiFe0.95(Zn0.025Cu0.025)O3 are prepared by the sol-gel method. The magnetic properties of BiFe0.95(Zn0.025Cu0.025)O3 are greater than that of BiFeO3 and Bi(Fe0.95Cu0.05)O3. The analyses of X-ray absorption fine structure data show that the doped Cu atoms well occupy the sites of the Fe atoms. X-ray absorption near edge spectra data confirm that the valence state of Fe ions does not change. Cu and Zn metal ion co-doping has no impact on the local structure of the Fe and Bi atoms. The modification of magnetism by doping Zn can be understood by the view of the occupation site of non-magnetically active Zn2+.