ARF2-PIF5 interaction controls transcriptional reprogramming in the ABS3-mediated plant senescence pathway.

One of the hallmarks of plant senescence is the global transcriptional reprogramming coordinated by a plethora of transcription factors (TFs). However, mechanisms underlying the interactions between different TFs in modulating senescence remain obscure. Previously, we discovered that plant ABS3 subfamily MATE transporter genes regulate senescence and senescence-associated transcriptional changes. In a genetic screen for mutants suppressing the accelerated senescence phenotype of the gain-of-function mutant abs3-1D, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (ARF2) and PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 5 (PIF5) were identified as key TFs responsible for transcriptional regulation in the ABS3-mediated senescence pathway. ARF2 and PIF5 (as well as PIF4) interact directly and function interdependently to promote senescence, and they share common target genes such as key senescence promoting genes ORESARA 1 (ORE1) and STAY-GREEN 1 (SGR1) in the ABS3-mediated senescence pathway. In addition, we discovered reciprocal regulation between ABS3-subfamily MATEs and the ARF2 and PIF5/4 TFs. Taken together, our findings reveal a regulatory paradigm in which the ARF2-PIF5/4 functional module facilitates the transcriptional reprogramming in the ABS3-mediated senescence pathway.

Endoplasmic reticulum protein ALTERED MERISTEM PROGRAM 1 negatively regulates senescence in Arabidopsis.

Plant senescence is a highly regulated developmental program crucial for nutrient reallocation and stress adaptation in response to developmental and environmental cues. Stress-induced and age-dependent natural senescence share both overlapping and distinct molecular responses and regulatory schemes. Previously, we have utilized a carbon-deprivation (C-deprivation) senescence assay using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings to investigate senescence regulation. Here we conducted a comprehensive time-resolved transcriptomic analysis of Arabidopsis wild type seedlings subjected to C-deprivation treatment at multiple time points, unveiling substantial temporal changes and distinct gene expression patterns. Moreover, we identified ALTERED MERISTEM PROGRAM 1 (AMP1), encoding an endoplasmic reticulum protein, as a potential regulator of senescence based on its expression profile. By characterizing loss-of-function alleles and overexpression lines of AMP1, we confirmed its role as a negative regulator of plant senescence. Genetic analyses further revealed a synergistic interaction between AMP1 and the autophagy pathway in regulating senescence. Additionally, we discovered a functional association between AMP1 and the endosome-localized ABNORMAL SHOOT3 (ABS3)-mediated senescence pathway and positioned key senescence-promoting transcription factors downstream of AMP1. Overall, our findings shed light on the molecular intricacies of transcriptome reprogramming during C-deprivation-induced senescence and the functional interplay among endomembrane compartments in controlling plant senescence.

The role of free fatty acid receptor pathways in a selective regulation of TRPA1 and TRPV1 by resolvins in primary sensory neurons.

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 and vanilloid 1 (TRPA1 and TRPV1, respectively) channels contribute to inflammatory and neuropathic pain, indicating that their pharmacological inhibition could be a novel strategy for treating painful diseases. However, the mechanisms of TRPA1/V1 channel modulation have been mostly characterized to be upregulation and sensitization via variety of exogenous stimuli, endogenous inflammatory mediators, and metabolites of oxidative stress. Here we used calcium imaging of dorsal root ganglion neurons to identify an inhibitor signaling pathway for TRPA1 and TRPV1 regulated by resolvins (RvD1 and RvE1), which are endogenous anti-inflammatory lipid mediators. TRPA1 and TRPV1 channel activations were evoked by the TRPA1 agonist allyl isothiocyanate and the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin. Our results show that RvD1-induced selective inhibition of TRPA1 activity was mediated by free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4)-protein kinase C (PKC) signaling. Experiments assessing RvE1-induced TRPV1 inhibition showed that RvE1 actions required both FFAR1 and FFAR4. Combined stimulation of FFAR1/FFAR4 or FFAR1/PKC mimicked TRPV1 inhibition by RvE1, and these effects were blocked by a protein kinase D (PKD) inhibitor, implying that PKD is an effector of the FFAR/PKC signaling axis in RvE1-induced TRPV1 inhibition. Despite selective inhibition of TRPV1 in the nanomolar range of RvE1, higher concentrations of RvE1 also inhibited TRPA1, possibly through PKC. Collectively, our findings reveal FFAR1 and FFAR4 as key signaling pathways mediating the selective targeting of resolvins to regulate TRPA1 and TRPV1, elucidating endogenous analgesic mechanisms that could be exploited as potential therapeutic targets.

Modulation of IKs channel-PIP2 interaction by PRMT1 plays a critical role in the control of cardiac repolarization.

Recent studies have shown that protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is highly expressed in the human heart, and loss of PRMT1 contributes to cardiac remodeling in the heart failure. However, the functional importance of PRMT1 in cardiac ion channels remains uncertain. The slow activating delayed rectifier K+ (IKs ) channel is a cardiac K+ channel composed of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 subunits and is a new therapeutic target for treating lethal arrhythmias in many cardiac pathologies, especially heart failure. Here, we demonstrate that PRMT1 is a critical regulator of the IKs channel and cardiac rhythm. In the guinea pig ventricular myocytes, treatment with furamidine, a PRMT1-specific inhibitor, prolonged the action potential duration (APD). We further show that this APD prolongation was attributable to IKs reduction. In HEK293T cells expressing human KCNQ1 and KCNE1, inhibiting PRMT1 via furamidine reduced IKs and concurrently decreased the arginine methylation of KCNQ1, a pore-forming α-subunit. Evidence presented here indicates that furamidine decreased IKs mainly by lowering the affinity of IKs channels for the membrane phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 ), which is crucial for pore opening. Finally, applying exogenous PIP2 to cardiomyocytes prevented the furamidine-induced IKs reduction and APD prolongation. Taken together, these results indicate that PRMT1 positively regulated IKs activity through channel-PIP2 interaction, thereby restricting excessive cardiac action potential.

Riverside underwater noise pollution threaten porpoises and fish along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China.

The Yangtze River exhibits a high biodiversity and plays an important role in global biodiversity conservation. As the world's busiest inland river in regard to shipping, little attention has been paid to underwater noise pollution. In 2017, the underwater noise level in 25 riverside locations along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River mainly at night time were investigated by using passive acoustic monitoring method. Approximately 88% and 40% of the sampled sites exhibit noise levels exceeding the underwater acoustic thresholds of causing responsiveness and temporary threshold shift, respectively, in cetacean. Noise pollution may impose a high impact on fish with physostomous swim bladders and Weberian ossicles, such as silver carp, bighead carp, goldfish and common carp, whereas it may affect fish with physoclistous swim bladders and without Weberian ossicles, such as lake sturgeon and paddlefish, to a lesser extent. Noise levels reductions of approximately 10 and 20 dB were observed in the middle and lower reaches, respectively, of the Yangtze River over the 2012 level. The green development mode of the ongoing construction of green shipping in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, including the development of green shipping lanes, ports, ships and transportation organizations, may account for the alleviated underwater noise pollution. Follow-up noise mitigation endeavors, such as the extension of ship speed restrictions and the study and implementation of the optimal navigation speed in ecologically important areas, are required to further reduce the noise level in the Yangtze River to protect local porpoises and fish.

Trifunctional metasurface based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons.

In this paper, we propose the design of a metasurface that can achieve three functions in different frequency bands. The proposed metasurface is composed of two kinds of unit cells which are designed on the basis of the spatial k-dispersion engineering of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs). By arranging these two kinds of unit cells in the chessboard configuration, the three functions of transmission, anomalous refraction and absorption can be integrated into one metasurface. High transmission and strong absorption can be achieved in 2.0-9.0 GHz and 12.6-20.0 GHz, respectively. Meanwhile, anomalous refraction can be achieved in 10-11.7 GHz due to forward scattering cancellation of two unit cells. To verify the design, a prototype was fabricated and measured. The measured results are consistent with the simulation ones. The metasurface can integrate multiple functions into one aperture and therefore has potential application values in multifunctional microwave devices such as shared-aperture antennas, etc.

Recent progress on the organic and metal complex-based fluorescent probes for monitoring nitric oxide in living biological systems.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important gaseous signaling molecule related to various human diseases. To investigate the biological functions of NO, many strategies have been developed for real-time monitoring the NO levels in biological systems. Among these strategies, fluorescent probes are considered to be one of the most efficient and applicable methods owing to their excellent sensitivity and selectivity, high spatiotemporal resolution, noninvasiveness, and experimental convenience. Therefore, great efforts have been paid to the design, synthesis, and fluorescence investigation of novel NO fluorescent probes in the past several years. However, few of them exhibit practical applications owing to the low concentration, short half-life, and rapid diffusion characteristics of NO in biological systems. Rational design of NO fluorescent probes with excellent selectivity and sensitivity, low cytotoxicity, long-lived fluorescent emission, and low background interference is still a challenge for scientists all over the word. To provide spatial-temporal information, this article focuses on the progress made in the organic and metal complex-based NO fluorescent probes during the past five years. The key structural elements and sensing mechanisms of NO fluorescent probes are discussed. Some novel ratiometric, luminescence, and photoacoustic probes with low background interference and deep tissue penetrating ability are mentioned. All these probes have been used for imaging exogenous and endogenous NO in cells and animal models. More importantly, this article also describes the development of multi-functional NO fluorescent probes, such as organelle targeting probes, dual-analysis probes, and probe-drug conjugates, which will inspire the design of various functional fluorescent probes.

Correction to: Electroacupuncture Upregulated Ghrelin in Rats with Functional Dyspepsia via AMPK/TSC2/Rheb­Mediated mTOR Inhibition.

The original version of the article is missing the grant information in Acknowledgments section. Corrected version of Acknowledgments is given below.

Electroacupuncture Upregulated Ghrelin in Rats with Functional Dyspepsia via AMPK/TSC2/Rheb-Mediated mTOR Inhibition.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal motility disorder is an important pathological basis for functional dyspepsia (FD). Epigastric ache and discomfort are the main symptoms of FD, and ghrelin deficiency is closely related to the occurrence and development of FD. While electroacupuncture (EA) alleviated the symptoms of FD patients and improved their quality of life, there is a lack of sufficient mechanistic evidence to support these beneficial effects. METHODS: An in vivo FD model was established in wild-type and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) knockout (-/-) rats. FD rats were subjected to EA with or without mTOR agonists or inhibitors. Gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion were assessed, and pathological changes in the hypothalamus, gastric antrum, and small intestine were examined histologically. In addition, ghrelin expression and AMPK/TSC2/Rheb/mTOR activation were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot. RESULTS: EA alone or in combination with mTOR inhibitors improved gastrointestinal function in FD rats by increasing the rates of intestinal propulsion and gastric emptying, and pathological changes in the hypothalamus, gastric antrum, and small intestine were alleviated. This may be related to the significant upregulation of ghrelin expression and the effective activation of the AMPK/TSC2/Rheb/mTOR signaling pathway. Interestingly, EA also improved gastrointestinal function and ghrelin expression in mTOR (-/-) KO FD rats. CONCLUSION: Altering the level of ghrelin by regulating AMPK/TSC2/Rheb-mediated mTOR inhibition is an important way through which EA treats FD. The complex EA-mediated regulatory mechanisms of the brain-gut axis still require further exploration.

Practical quantum digital signature with a gigahertz BB84 quantum key distribution system: erratum.

In this erratum the formulas (6) and (8) of Opt. Lett.44, 139 (2019) OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.44.000139 have been updated.

Practical quantum digital signature with a gigahertz BB84 quantum key distribution system.

Quantum digital signature (QDS) can guarantee message integrity and non-repudiation with information-theoretical security, and it has attracted more attention recently. Since proposed by Andersson et al. [Phys. Rev. A93, 032325 (2016)PLRAAN1050-294710.1103/PhysRevA.93.032325], a quantum digital signature protocol using an insecure channel has been realized with several different quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. Here we report an experimental QDS based on a BB84 QKD system. An asymmetric Faraday-Sagnac-Michelson interferometer structure has been designed in our system, which is intrinsically stable against channel disturbance. The innovatory structure supports the system to work at high speed and, in practice, the repetition rate is in gigahertz. A 0.044 bit/s signature rate has been attained with a 25 dB channel loss composed of a 25 km installed fiber with additional optical attenuation in a 10-10 security level. Thus, our QDS device is stable and highly efficient. This Letter provides a further step for the practical application of QDS.

Daylight length-dependent translocation of VIVID photoreceptor in cells and its essential role in conidiation and virulence of Beauveria bassiana.

The fungal insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana has the blue-light photoreceptor VIVID (VVD) but lacks a pigmentation pattern to trace its light responses. Here, we show that the fungal vvd is transcriptionally expressed, and linked to other blue/red photoreceptor genes, in a daylight length-dependent manner. GFP-tagged VVD fusion protein was localized to periphery, cytoplasm and vacuoles of hyphal cells in light/dark (L:D) cycles of 24:0 and 16:8 and aggregated in cytoplasm with shortening daylight until transfer into nuclei in full darkness. Deletion of vvd caused more reduced (91%) conidiation capacity in L:D 12:12 cycle of blue light (450/480 nm) than of yellow-to-red (540-760 nm) and white lights (∼70%). The conidiation defect worsened with shortened daylight in different L:D cycles of white light, coinciding well with drastic repression of key activator genes in central development pathway. Intriguingly, the deletion mutant displayed blocked secretion of cuticle-degrading Pr1 proteases, retarded dimorphic transition in insect haemocoel, and hence a lethal action twice longer than those for control strains against Galleria mellonella regardless of the infection passing or bypassing insect cuticle. Conclusively, VVD sustains normal conidiation in a daylight length-dependent manner and acts as a vital virulence factor in B. bassiana.

Experimental three-party quantum random number generator based on dimension witness violation and weak measurement.

Random number generation is an important task in modern science. A variety of quantum random number generation protocols have been proposed and realized. These protocols, however, are all based on two parties. Based on the weak measurement technique, we propose and realize a quantum random number generator among three observers. The violation of a double classical dimension witness based on the determinant value is first observed in experiment. With the heralding single-photon source, our experimental setup attains the independent assumption and the dimension assumption, which means our setup is semi-device-independent (DI). This Letter sheds new light on generating DI-type random number among multi-user and it has potential application prospect on the quantum cryptography and quantum random number in network environment.

Proof of principle implementation of phase-flip error rejection quantum key distribution.

Improving the tolerance of channel noise is an important task for devising and implementing quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols. Quantum phase-flip error rejection (QPFER) code [Phys. Rev. Lett.92, 077902 (2004)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.92.077902] has been introduced by Wang to increase the tolerable phase-flip noise of QKD implementations. However, an experiment that demonstrates its advantages is still missing. Here, we experimentally verify the QPFER code with the assistance of two photon quantum states generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion. The methods of parity check and postselection are introduced to the protocol for achieving the phase-flipping rejection. Comparing with the standard realization of the single photon polarization encoding BB84 scheme, the quantum error rate after decoding is obviously reduced when the probability of channel noise is less than 25%. The experiment results also show that QPFER protocol can reduce error rate, obtain a higher key rate, and be robust in the noisy channel when the noise level is in a proper region.

Proof-of-principle implementation of a quantum random number generator with independent devices and a dimension witness.

The random number is a paramount issue in modern science. How to estimate the genuine randomness of the data generated by a given device is a central problem. Lunghi et al. proposed a self-testing quantum random number generator from a prepare-and-measure scenario with independent devices. Based on this Letter, Han et al. proposed a more efficient method (Han16 protocol for short) to estimate the genuine randomness. Here we report a proof-of-principle realization of the Han16 protocol with a HSPS. The experimental results demonstrate that the Han16 protocol almost doubles the generation rate of the quantum random number with regard to the previous protocol. In addition, the results of the experiment show that the Han16 protocol is practical, and the experimental device can tolerate loss and noise.

[Research on the Reaction Dynamics between Peroxynitrite and Tyrosine Catalyzed with Mimic Enzyme through Flow Injection Analyzer].

As a highly active free radical in vivo, peroxynitrite can damage various biological macromolecules and cause a series of major diseases, which is of great significance to determine its content and reactive mechanism. It is very difficult to capture the dynamic process of peroxynitrite due to its active property and fast reacted rate. In this paper, we firstly explored the kinetic characteristics of peroxynitrite and tyrosine with the presence of Hemoglobin and Hemin by using flow injection analyzer. The results showed that the oxidation processes of peroxynitrite and tyrosine catalyzed with hemoglobin and hemin were in accordance with Michaelis-Menten's dynamics law; Based on the Michaelis constant (K(m)) and the maximum initial rate (V(max)), we deduced the reaction mechanism that peroxynitrite, catalyzed by mimic enzymes, directly oxidized tyrosine combined with mimic enzymes, rather than decomposed to · OH and O(-2)·; In addition, we detected the rate constant of the reaction catalyzed by these two kinds of enzymes at different temperature and pH, resulting that the optimum conditions of hemoglobin to catalyze this system were 25 ℃ and pH 8, the rate constant was 1.035×10(6) mol·L(-1) · s(-1), while hemin was 37 ℃ and pH 9.5, the rate constant was 6.842×10(5) mol·L(-1) · s(-1); Comparing the kinetic parameters, K(m)Hb(4.46 µmol·L(-1))V(Hemin)(max)(0.026 ΔIF/s), we discovered that the rate constant of hemoglobin in optimum condition was greater than that in hemin, and the catalytic activity of hemoglobin was higher than that of hemin. All these results have provided kinetic parameters for the study of determining the content of peroxynitrite and exploring its reaction mechanism with enzymatic method. It also laid a theoretical foundation for developing new diagnosis technology to prevent and cure diseases caused by free radicals in vivo.

[Study of Reaction Dynamics between Bovine Serum Albumin and Folic Acid by Stopped-Flow/Fluorescence].

As a kind of coenzyme of one-carbon enzymes in vivo, folic acid belongs to B vitamins, which can interact with other vitamins and has great significance for converting among amino acids, dividing growth of cells and protein synthesis reactions. Half-life, concentration and reaction rate constant of drugs are important parameters in pharmacokinetic study. In this paper, by utilizing fluorescence spectrophotometer and stopped-flow spectrum analyzer, reaction kinetic parameters between bovine serum albumin(BSA) and folic acid in a bionic system have been investigated, which provide references for parameters of drug metabolism related to folic acid. By using Stern-Volmer equation dealing with fluorescence quenching experiments data, we concluded that under 25, 30, and 37 degrees C, the static quenching constants of folic acid to intrinsic fluorescence from bovine serum albumin were 2.455 x 10(10), 4.900 x 10(10) and 6.427 x 10(10) L x mol(-1) x s(-1) respectively; The results of kinetic reaction rate have shown that the reaction rate of BSA and folic acid are greater than 100 mol x L(-1) x s(-1) at different temperatures, pH and buffering media, illustrating that the quenching mechanism between BSA and folic acid is to form composite static quenching process. Reaction concentration of bovine serum albumin and its initial concentration were equal to the secondary reaction formula, and the correlation coefficient was 0.998 7, while the half-life (t1/2) was 0.059 s at physiological temperature. With the increase of folic acid concentration, the apparent rate constant of this reaction had a linear increasing trend, the BSA fluorescence quenching rate constant catalyzed by folic acid was 3.174 x 10(5) mol x L(-1) x s(-1). Furthermore, with different buffer, the apparent rate constant and reaction rate constant of BSA interacting with folic acid were detected to explore the influence on the reaction under physiological medium, which is of great significance to determine the clinical regimen, forecast the efficacy and toxicity of drugs and rational drug.

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II.

AIMS: The present study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly adapted Chinese version of an instrument designed to measure structural empowerment among staff nurses. BACKGROUND: Structural empowerment has been shown to be important to nurses in Western cultures, but its importance in China is unknown. METHODS: A convenience sample of 650 staff nurses was selected from six hospitals in Harbin, China. After linguistic adaptation using the forward-backward translation method, the 19-item Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II-CV) was answered by participants. Content validity, Cronbach's alpha, item-to-total correlation and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the translated instrument. RESULTS: In the factor analysis, a six-factor solution was found to be reasonable with the sub-dimensions of structural empowerment that included support (three items), resources (three items), information (three items), opportunity (three items), formal power (three items) and informal power (four items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total instrument was 0.92 and ranged from 0.68 to 0.86 in the six subscales. The item-to-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 to 0.80. The findings also gave support for content validity. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence was found to support the reliability and validity of the CWEQ-II-CV scale that measures the quality of the work environment for nurses from a structural empowerment perspective. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The translated version of CWEQ-II-CV can provide an effective evaluation tool for structural empowerment in the Chinese nursing workplace.

Establishment and validation of a prediction model for nonrecovery of left ventricular ejection fraction in acute myocardial infarction patients combined with decreased left ventricular ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for nonrecovery of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during follow-up in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) combined with reduced LVEF, and establish and verify a risk prediction model based on these factors. METHODS: In this study, patients with AMI who underwent PCI in a high-volume PCI center between December 2018 and December 2021 were consecutively enrolled, screened, and randomly assigned to the model establishment and validation cohorts. A predictive model method based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used for establishment and validation. RESULTS: Cardiac troponin I, myoglobin, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, multivessel disease, and no-reflow were identified as potential predictors of LVEF recovery failure. The areas under the curve were 0.703 and 0.665 in the model establishment and validation cohorts, respectively, proving that the prediction model had some predictive ability. The calibration curves of the two cohorts showed good agreement with those of the nomogram model. In addition, the decision curve analysis showed that the model had a net clinical benefit. CONCLUSION: This prediction model can assess the risk of nonrecovery of LVEF in patients with AMI undergoing PCI combined with LVEF reduction during follow-up, and conveniently screen high-risk patients with nonrecoverable LVEF early.

[Study on nondestructive rapid identification method of foods containing trans-fatty acids using diffuse near infrared spectroscopy].

A rapid nondestructive method for identifying intact foods containing trans fatty acids (TFA) using diffuse near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) was proposed in the present paper. The diffuse Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectra of intact samples were collected by fiber probe, and the reference data of TFA content were determined by Chinese standard method GB/T 22110-2008 (gas chromatography (GC) method). In this work, all the samples were classified into two categories: foods with TFA and foods without TFA according to the TFA content of the foods. The identification models were established by different supervised pattern recognition algorithms including partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA), support vector machine (SVM), soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) and K-nearest neighbor method (KNN) etc. The performances of the established models employing different algorithms, data pretreatments and wavelength bands were compared. The results show that PLSDA and SVM algorithms have the ability of identifying intact foods with TFA, and the performance of identification models established by PLSDA is better than that of SVM. The PLSDA models established by the wavelength bands of 4 138-4 428, 5 507-5 963 and 7 794-8 960 cm(-1) which were pretreated with pretreatment methods of auto scaling and second derivative have the best performance. The correct classification percentages of its calibration and validation set are 96.4% and 88%, respectively, which indicates that this method is feasible for the identification of foods with TFA. This NIR method above mentioned has the characteristics of rapidness, non-destruction and easy operation due to the elimination of sample pretreatment such as oil extraction and grinding, therefore it is very suitable for on-line and in-site detection application.