Nitrate improves aluminium resistance through SLAH-mediated citrate exudation from roots.

Aluminium (Al) toxicity is one of the major constraint for crop production in acidic soil, and the inappropriate utilization of nitrogen fertilizer can accelerate soil acidification. Despite previous studies investigating the regulation of nitrogen forms in Al toxicity of plants, the underlying mechanism, particularly at the molecular level, remains unclear. This study aims to uncover the potentially regulatory mechanism of nitrate (NO3 - ) in the Al resistance of maize and Arabidopsis. NO3 - conservatively improves Al resistance in maize and Arabidopsis, with nitrate-elevated citrate synthesis and exudation potentially playing critical roles in excluding Al from the root symplast. ZmSLAH2 in maize and AtSLAH1 in Arabidopsis are essential for the regulation of citrate exudation and NO3 - -promoted Al resistance, with ZmMYB81 directly targeting the ZmSLAH2 promoter to activate its activity. Additionally, NO3 - transport is necessary for NO3 - -promoted Al resistance, with ZmNRT1.1A and AtNRT1.1 potentially playing vital roles. The suppression of NO3 - transport in roots by ammonium (NH4 + ) may inhibit NO3 - -promoted Al resistance. This study provides novel insights into the understanding of the crucial role of NO3 - -mediated signalling in the Al resistance of plants and offers guidance for nitrogen fertilization on acid soils.

The WRKY10-VQ8 module safely and effectively regulates rice thermotolerance.

WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses. However, their roles in thermal response are still largely elusive, especially in rice. In this study, we revealed the functions of WRKY10 TF and VQ8 protein containing VQ motif in rice thermotolerance. Overexpression of WRKY10 or loss of VQ8 function increases thermosensitivity, whereas conversely, overexpression of VQ8 or loss of WRKY10 function enhances thermotolerance. Overexpression of WRKY10 accelerates reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in chloroplasts and apoplasts, and it also induces the expression of heat shock TF and protein genes. We also found that WRKY10 regulates nuclear DNA fragmentation and hypersensitive response by modulating NAC4 TF expression. The balance between destructive and protective responses in WRKY10-overexpression plant is more fragile and more easily broken by heat stress compared with wild type. In vitro and in vivo assays revealed that VQ8 interacts with WRKY10 and inhibits the transcription activity via repressing its DNA-binding activity. Our study demonstrates that WRKY10 negatively regulates thermotolerance by modulating the ROS balance and the hypersensitive response and that VQ8 functions antagonistically to positively regulate thermotolerance. The functional module of WRKY10-VQ8 provides safe and effective regulatory mechanisms in the heat stress response.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Cataract: Sonographic Features and Perinatal Outcome in 41 Cases.

PURPOSE: To describe the prenatal ultrasonographic characteristics and perinatal outcomes of congenital cataract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed congenital cataract diagnosed prenatally at four referral centers between August 2004 and February 2019. The diagnosis was confirmed by postnatal ophthalmologic evaluation of liveborn infants or autopsy for terminated cases. Maternal demographics, genetic testing results, prenatal ultrasound images, and perinatal outcomes were abstracted. RESULTS: Total of 41 cases of congenital cataract diagnosed prenatally among 788 751 women undergoing anatomic survey. Based on the sonographic characteristics, 16/41 (39.0 %) had a dense echogenic structure, 15/41 (36.6 %) had a hyperechogenic spot and 10/41 (24.4 %) had the "double ring" sign. 17/41 (41.5 %) were isolated, and 24/41 (58.5 %) had associated intraocular and extraocular findings. Microphthalmia, cardiac abnormalities, and central nervous system abnormalities were the most common associated abnormalities. Regarding potential etiology, 6 cases had a known family history of congenital cataract, 4 cases had confirmed congenital rubella infection, and 2 cases had aneuploidy. 31/41 (75.6 %) elected termination and 10/41 (24.4 %) elected to continue their pregnancy. Among the 10 cases, one case died, one case was lost to follow-up, and the remaining 8 cases were referred for ophthalmologist follow-up and postnatal surgery. CONCLUSION: Once fetal cataracts are detected, a detailed fetal anatomy survey to rule out associated abnormalities and a workup to identify the potential etiology are recommended. Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cataracts provides vital information for counseling and subsequent management.

A comparative study of information-based source number estimation methods and experimental validations on mechanical systems.

This paper investigates one eigenvalue decomposition-based source number estimation method, and three information-based source number estimation methods, namely the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Minimum Description Length (MDL) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and improves BIC as Improved BIC (IBIC) to make it more efficient and easier for calculation. The performances of the abovementioned source number estimation methods are studied comparatively with numerical case studies, which contain a linear superposition case and a both linear superposition and nonlinear modulation mixing case. A test bed with three sound sources is constructed to test the performances of these methods on mechanical systems, and source separation is carried out to validate the effectiveness of the experimental studies. This work can benefit model order selection, complexity analysis of a system, and applications of source separation to mechanical systems for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis purposes.

The RAE1-STOP1-GL2-RHD6 module regulates the ALMT1-dependent aluminum resistance in Arabidopsis.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is one of the major constraints for crop production in acid soils, Al-ACTIVATED MALATE TRANSPORTER1 (ALMT1)-dependent malate exudation from roots is essential for Al resistance in Arabidopsis, in which the C2H2-type transcription factor SENSITIVE TO PROTONRHIZOTOXICITY1 (STOP1) play a critical role. In this study, we reveal that the RAE1-GL2-STOP1-RHD6 protein module regulated the ALMT1-mediated Al resistance. GL2, STOP1 and RHD6 directly target the promoter of ALMT1 to suppress or activate its transcriptional expression, respectively, and mutually influence their action on the promoter of ALMT1 by forming a protein complex. STOP1 mediates the expression of RHD6 and RHD6-regulated root growth inhibition, while GL2 and STOP1 suppress each other's expression at the transcriptional and translational level and regulate Al-inhibited root growth. F-box protein RAE1 degrades RHD6 via the 26S proteasome, leading to suppressed activity of the ALMT1 promoter. RHD6 inhibits the transcriptional expression of RAE1 by directly targeting its promoter. Unlike RHD6, RAE1 promotes the GL2 expression at the protein level and GL2 activates the expression of RAE1 at the transcriptional level by directly targeting its promoter. The study provides insights into the transcriptional regulation of ALMT1, revealing its significance in Al resistance and highlighting the crucial role of the STOP1-associated regulatory networks.

Determining the nutritional values of new corn varieties on pigs and broilers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional values of three new corn varieties (high-iron corn, cadmium-resistant corn, low-phytate phosphorus corn) cultivated with molecular marker-assisted selection breeding technique fed to growing pigs and broilers. Exp. 1 was conducted to compare the nutritional values of high-iron corn, high-chromium corn, low-phytate phosphorus corn and conventional corn fed to growing pigs based on a 15 × 2 Youden square design. Exp.2 was conducted to compare the nutritional values of high-iron corn, low-phytate phosphorus corn and conventional corn fed to broilers based on a completely randomized design. Parameters including nutrient digestibility, available energy and amino acids, and mineral deposition were measured. The results shows that the iron content in the high-iron corn and the cadmium content in the cadmium-resistant corn were 29.608 mg/kg and 0.0057 mg/kg, respectively, both were greater than those in the other three kinds of corns. When fed to growing pigs, the neutral detergent fiber digestibility of the high-iron corn group was lower than that of the conventional corn group (p < 0.05), and the acid detergent fiber digestibility of the high-iron group and the low-phytate phosphorus corn group was lower than that of the conventional corn group (p < 0.01). In addition, the digestible energy value of the high-iron corn in growing pigs was lower than that of the conventional corn (p < 0.05). When fed to broilers, it was observed that the tibia length of the low-phytate phosphorus corn group and the high-iron corn group was lower than that of the conventional corn group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the iron emission in feces of broilers fed the low-phytate phosphorus corn was lower than those fed the conventional corn and the high-iron corn (p < 0.05). In conclusion, modern breeding techniques could provide new plant ingredients which have potential benefits to pig and broiler production, but the comprehensive effects may be better when applied to growing pigs considering growth performance and environment effects. The breeding techniques related to the current study rarely changed the available energy values of the corn in growing pigs and broilers.

Improved broad learning system for machinery intelligent fault diagnosis with increasing fault samples, fault modes, and running conditions.

Intelligent fault diagnosis (IFD) plays an indispensable role in protecting machinery from catastrophic accidents. Existing IFD methods are mainly developed in the framework of one-time learning. Therefore, they work under the hypothesis of complete dataset. Nevertheless, it is unrealistic to gain the complete dataset of machinery faults at once. More practically, new data will be progressively acquired over time. Therefore, it is urgently required to develop the incremental learning (IL) capabilities for IFD models to learn new knowledge continually from new data. For this purpose, this study proposes an improved broad learning system (IBLS) for lifelong learning IFD. Firstly, the initial IBLS is constructed based on the original broad learning system (BLS). Then, the IL capabilities of the IBLS are developed for three scenarios: increasing fault samples, increasing fault modes, and increasing running conditions. Based on these IL capabilities, the IBLS can be progressively updated to learn more and more diagnosis functions. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed IBLS is verified using three experiments of high-speed train bearing, disc component, and Case Western Reserve University bearing. The results show that the IBLS is capable of learning continually new knowledge from new data. Besides, the diagnosis accuracy of the IBLS is 12.45%, 7.84%, and 5.10% higher than that of the original BLS in the three case studies. The satisfying results prove that the proposed IBLS is a useful method to solve the lifelong learning IFD problem.

Effects of the Supplementation of Essential Oil Mixtures on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Immune Status and Microbial Community in Weaned Piglets.

Since essential oils-such as cinnamaldehyde, thymol, carvacrol, and eugenol-have antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, this study aimed to examine the supplementation of different essential oil mixtures together with 1600 mg/kg zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, incidence of diarrhea, serum immune indices, fecal volatile fatty acids, and microflora structure in weaned piglets. A total of 240 weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of 8.85 ± 0.21 kg were randomly allocated to 30 pens (6 pens per diet, 4 males and 4 females per pen). Five different experimental diets were prepared and administered for 28 days: (i) a control diet (C), a corn-soybean basal diet without antibiotics, ZnO, or a supplementation of growth promoters; (ii) a control diet with 400 mg/kg essential oil mixtures 1 (EOM1); (iii) a control diet supplemented with ZnO at 1600 mg/kg (Z); (iv) a diet incorporating the Z diet with the addition of essential oil mixtures 1 at 400 mg/kg (ZOM1); and (v) a diet incorporating the Z diet with the addition of essential oil mixtures 2 at 400 mg/kg (ZOM2). During day (d) 14-28 and d 1-28 of the experiment, the average daily gain (ADG) in piglets in the ZOM1 and ZOM2 groups were higher (p < 0.05) compared to the C group. The diarrhea incidence of the Z, ZOM1, and ZOM2 groups were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and the piglets of the ZOM1 group exhibited the lowest diarrhea incidence throughout the trial period. Additionally, the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ash, organic matter (OM), and ether extract (EE) were higher than those fed the Z diet, and higher levels of NDF, ADF, and crude protein (CP) were observed in groups other than those fed the ZOM1 diet (p < 0.01). On d 14, the pigs fed EOM1 and ZOM2 diets showed a somewhat lower (p < 0.1) immunoglobulin G (lgG) level in serum than those fed the C diet. Additionally, the IL-8 level in serum in the ZOM1 group tended to be higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.1). The piglets fed the ZOM1 diet showed a tendency of lower (p = 0.05) acetate concentration in feces on d 14. Principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the composition of fecal microbial communities among the groups. Dietary EOM1 significantly increased the number of fecal bacteroides (p < 0.05) and tended to increase the number of Prevotella (p < 0.1). Therefore, EOM1 combined with 1600 mg/kg ZnO tends to reduce diarrhea incidence, tends to improve the fecal microbial community structure and growth performance of weaned piglets, and has the potential to replace pharmacological dosages of ZnO.

Method for vibration response simulation and sensor placement optimization of a machine tool spindle system with a bearing defect.

Bearing defects are one of the most important mechanical sources for vibration and noise generation in machine tool spindles. In this study, an integrated finite element (FE) model is proposed to predict the vibration responses of a spindle bearing system with localized bearing defects and then the sensor placement for better detection of bearing faults is optimized. A nonlinear bearing model is developed based on Jones' bearing theory, while the drawbar, shaft and housing are modeled as Timoshenko's beam. The bearing model is then integrated into the FE model of drawbar/shaft/housing by assembling equations of motion. The Newmark time integration method is used to solve the vibration responses numerically. The FE model of the spindle-bearing system was verified by conducting dynamic tests. Then, the localized bearing defects were modeled and vibration responses generated by the outer ring defect were simulated as an illustration. The optimization scheme of the sensor placement was carried out on the test spindle. The results proved that, the optimal sensor placement depends on the vibration modes under different boundary conditions and the transfer path between the excitation and the response.

Performance of bioelectrode based on different carbon materials in bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion for methanation of maize straw.

The performance of the bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion (BEAD) reactor was investigated with different carbon material-modified electrodes for the methanation of maize straw. The carbon material-modified electrodes used titanium (Ti) mesh modified with carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon black (CB), and activated carbon (AC). The maximum cumulative methane production obtained in the Ti-CNT reactor was (616.4 ± 9.3) mL/g VS, while the maximum methane production rate in the Ti-AC reactor was (61.9 ± 1.0) mL/g VS.d.The electroactive bacteria were well enriched by the different electrodes, and the enriched electroactive bacteria further facilitate the direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) for methane production. Additionally, we found the phylum Firmicutes showed a linear relationship to methanogenic performance, as well as the Genus Proteiniborus. The Ti-CNT electrode shows better performance by the electrochemical analysis. These findings provide critical knowledge for the large-scale use of the BEAD process and the treatment of maize straw.

Two central circadian oscillators OsPRR59 and OsPRR95 modulate magnesium homeostasis and carbon fixation in rice.

Photosynthesis, which provides oxygen and energy for all living organisms, is circadian regulated. Photosynthesis-associated metabolism must tightly coordinate with the circadian clock to maximize the efficiency of the light-energy capture and carbon fixation. However, the molecular basis for the interplay of photosynthesis and the circadian clock is not fully understood, particularly in crop plants. Here, we report two central oscillator genes of circadian clock, OsPRR95 and OsPRR59 in rice, which function as transcriptional repressors to negatively regulate the rhythmic expression of OsMGT3 encoding a chloroplast-localized Mg2+ transporter. OsMGT3-dependent rhythmic Mg fluctuations modulate carbon fixation and consequent sugar output in rice chloroplasts. Furthermore, sugar triggers the increase of superoxide, which may act as a feedback signal to positively regulate the expression of OsPRR95 and OsPRR59. Taken together, our results reveal a negative-feedback loop that strengthens the crosstalk between photosynthetic carbon fixation and the circadian clock, which may improve plan adaptation and performance in fluctuating environments.

Carbon-nitrogen trading in symbiotic nodules depends on magnesium import.

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation provides large amounts of nitrogen for global agricultural systems with little environmental or economic costs. The basis of symbiosis is the nutrient exchange occurring between legumes and rhizobia, but key regulators controlling nutrient exchange are largely unknown. Here, we reveal that magnesium (Mg), an important nutrient factor that preferentially accumulates in inner cortical cells of soybean nodules, shows the most positive correlation with nodule carbon (C) import and nitrogen (N) export. We further identified a pair of Mg transporter genes, GmMGT4 and GmMGT5, that are specifically expressed in the nodule cortex, modulating both nodule Mg import and C-N transport processes. The GmMGT4&5-dependent Mg import activates the activity of a plasmodesmata-located ß-1,3-glucanase GmBG2 and consequently keeps plasmodesmata permeable for C-N transport in nodule inner cortical cells. Our studies discovered an important regulating pathway for host plants fine-tuning nodule C-N trading to achieve optimal growth, which may be helpful for optimizing nutrient management for soybean production.

A natural uORF variant confers phosphorus acquisition diversity in soybean.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for all organisms. Because P fertilizers are a non-renewable resource and high fixation in soils, sustainable agriculture requires researchers to improve crop P acquisition efficiency. Here, we report a strong association signal at a locus of CPU1 (component of phosphorus uptake 1), from a genome-wide association study of P acquisition efficiency in a soybean core collection grown in the field. A SEC12-like gene, GmPHF1, is identified as the causal gene for CPU1. GmPHF1 facilitates the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) exit of the phosphate transporter, GmPT4, to the plasma membrane of root epidermal cells. A common SNP in an upstream open reading frame (uORF) of GmPHF1, which alters the abundance of GmPHF1 in a tissue-specific manner, contributes to P acquisition diversity in soybean. A natural genetic variation conditions diversity in soybean P acquisition, which can be used to develop P-efficient soybean genotypes.

Effect of irradiation of silicon photodiode arrays for ITER radial x-ray camera investigated by measuring response and current-voltage characteristics.

The response and current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of irradiated and non-irradiated silicon photodiode arrays (SPDAs) for use in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor camera are measured and compared. Irradiation experiments are carried out using a uranium-zirconium hydride pulsed reactor. The total equivalent 1 MeV neutron fluence with energy above 0.01 MeV is ∼9.89 × 1013 n cm-2. The output signal of the irradiated SPDA (XD2) shows a nonlinear trend during the irradiation experiment. The final signal is about 5.6% of the original one in the visible light region. Tests on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) show that the XD2 signal is 70%-80% of that of a non-irradiated SPDA (XD3). This indicates that irradiated SPDAs can still observe plasma radiation after exposure to 9.89 × 1013 n cm-2 neutron fluence. However, because the neutron fluence of external camera detectors will reach 1.4 × 1016 n cm-2 in D-T phase, the SPDAs might become unusable at some point. The responsivity ratio of irradiated and non-irradiated SPDAs is about 4%-20% from 7 to 13 keV. The degradation of responsivity is related to the energy level. After irradiation, the reversed dark current rises from 0.1 to 10 nA to a level of around 1 µA. In terms of tests of XD2 on EAST, zero bias is a good working condition for irradiated SPDAs.

Development of neutron activation system on EAST.

A neutron activation system (NAS) has been developed on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) for the investigation of time-integrated neutron yield. It is a robust neutron diagnostic with high precision and a wide dynamic range. Some high purity materials with a proper nuclear reaction energy threshold and cross section are tested as neutron detectors in the NAS, and they are delivered to the tokamak device by a pneumatic transfer system. The length of the pneumatic pipeline is about 50 m, and the transfer time ranges from 10 s to 20 s. The decay gamma rays of the activated samples are measured with a high-purity germanium spectrometer, and its detection efficiencies are 6.9% at 336 keV and 1.7% at 1779 keV, respectively. Indium and silicon samples with a reaction threshold of 0.3 MeV and 4.0 MeV, respectively, were successfully implemented in the diagnosis of DD and DT neutron yield in the EAST. The neutron flux of the NAS was compared with the count of the fission chamber in the EAST neutral beam injection experiment, and the DD neutron yield evaluated by the NAS ranges from 1.9 × 1012 n/shot to 5.9 × 1014 n/shot during recent experimental campaign.

Tetrahydrocurcumin induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis involving p38 MAPK activation in human breast cancer cells.

Curcumin (CUR) is a major naturally-occurring polyphenol of Curcuma species, which is commonly used as a yellow coloring and flavoring agent in foods. In recent years, it has been reported that CUR exhibits significant anti-tumor activity in vivo. However, the pharmacokinetic features of CUR have indicated poor oral bioavailability, which may be related to its extensive metabolism. The CUR metabolites might be responsible for the antitumor pharmacological effects in vivo. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is one of the major metabolites of CUR. In the present study, we examined the efficacy and associated mechanism of action of THC in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells for the first time. Here, THC exhibited significant cell growth inhibition by inducing MCF-7 cells to undergo mitochondrial apoptosis and G2/M arrest. Moreover, co-treatment of MCF-7 cells with THC and p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, effectively reversed the dissipation in mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), and blocked THC-mediated Bax up-regulation, Bcl-2 down-regulation, caspase-3 activation as well as p21 up-regulation, suggesting p38 MAPK might mediate THC-induced apoptosis and G2/M arrest. Taken together, these results indicate THC might be an active antitumor form of CUR in vivo, and it might be selected as a potentially effective agent for treatment of human breast cancer.

A real-time n/γ digital pulse shape discriminator based on FPGA.

A FPGA-based real-time digital pulse shape discriminator has been employed to distinguish between neutrons (n) and gammas (γ) in the Neutron Flux Monitor (NFM) for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The discriminator takes advantages of the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) parallel and pipeline process capabilities to carry out the real-time sifting of neutrons in n/γ mixed radiation fields, and uses the rise time and amplitude inspection techniques simultaneously as the discrimination algorithm to observe good n/γ separation. Some experimental results have been presented which show that this discriminator can realize the anticipated goals of NFM perfectly with its excellent discrimination quality and zero dead time.

A novel compact real time radiation detector.

A novel compact real time radiation detector with cost-effective, ultralow power and high sensitivity based on Geiger counter is presented. The power consumption of this detector which employs CMOS electro circuit and ultralow-power microcontroller is down to only 12.8 mW. It can identify the presences of 0.22 µCi (60)Co at a distance of 1.29 m. Furthermore, the detector supports both USB bus and serial interface. It can be used for personal radiation monitoring and also fits the distributed sensor network for radiation detection.

A simple and efficient method for extraction of Taq DNA polymerase

Background Thermostable DNA polymerase (Taq Pol ?) from Thermus aquaticus has been widely used in PCR, which was usually extracted with Pluthero's method. The method used ammonium sulfate to precipitate the enzyme, and it saved effort and money but not time. Moreover, we found that 30-40% activity of Taq Pol I was lost at the ammonium sulfate precipitation step, and the product contained a small amount of DNA. Results We provided a novel, simplified and low-cost method to purify the Taq Pol ? after overproduction of the enzyme in Escherichia coli, which used ethanol instead of ammonium sulfate to precipitate the enzyme. The precipitate can be directly dissolved in the storage buffer without dialysis. In addition, DNA and RNA contamination was removed with DNase I and RNase A before precipitation, and the extraction procedure was optimized. Our improvements increase recovery rate and specific activity of the enzyme, and save labor, time, and cost. Conclusions Our method uses ethanol, DNase I, and RNase A to purify the Taq Pol ?, and simplifies the operation, and increases the enzyme recovery rate and quality.