Effector Protein Serine Carboxypeptidase FgSCP Is Essential for Full Virulence in F. graminearum and Is Involved in Modulating Plant Immune Responses.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is a significant pathogen affecting wheat crops. During the infection process, effector proteins are secreted to modulate plant immunity and promote infection. The toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is produced in infected wheat grains, posing a threat to human and animal health. Serine carboxypeptidases (SCPs) belong to the α/ß hydrolase family of proteases and are widely distributed in plant and fungal vacuoles as well as animal lysosomes. Research on SCPs mainly focuses on the isolation, purification of a small number of fungi as well as their study in plants.However, their functions in F. graminearum, a fungal pathogen, remain relatively unknown. In this study, the biological functions of the FgSCP gene in F. graminearum were investigated. The study revealed that mutations in FgSCP affected nutritional growth, sexual reproduction, and stress tolerance of F. graminearum. Furthermore, the deletion of FgSCP resulted in reduced pathogenicity and hindered the biosynthesis of DON. The upregulation of FgSCP expression three days after infection indicated its involvement in host invasion, possibly acting as a "smokescreen" to deceive the host and suppress the expression of host defensive genes. Subsequently, we confirmed the secretion ability of FgSCP and its ability to inhibit the cell death induced by INF1 in Nicotiana. benthamiana cells, indicating its potential role as an effector protein in suppressing plant immune responses and promoting infection. In summary, we have identified FgSCP as an essential effector protein in F. graminearum, playing critical roles in growth, virulence, secondary metabolism, and host invasion.

Identification and Expression Profiles of 14 Odorant-Binding Protein Genes From Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).

The small white butterfly, Pieris rapae (L.), is an important insect pest of Brassica crops. This species utilize olfactory cues to find their hosts and mates. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the olfactory perception in this species remains unclear. Here, we identified 14 odorant-binding proteins (OBP) genes-essential for insect olfaction-in P. rapae by exploring a previously published transcriptome dataset. Proteins encoded by all of these genes contain N-terminal signal peptides and six positionally conserved cysteine residues, which are characteristic of insect OBPs. These OBPs displayed high amino acid identity with their respective orthologs in other lepidopterans, and several conserved motifs were identified within these OBPs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these OBPs were well segregated from each other and clustered into different branches. PrapOBP1 and PrapOBP2 were clustered into the 'general odorant-binding protein' clade, and PrapOBP3 and PrapOBP4 fall into the 'pheromone-binding protein' clade. The 14 OBP genes were located on seven genomic scaffolds. Of these, PrapOBP1, 2, 3, and 4 were located on scaffold332, whereas PrapOBP5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were located on scaffold116. Ten of the 14 genes had antenna-biased expression. Of these, PrapOBP1, 2, 4, and 13 were enriched in male antennae, whereas PrapOBP7 and PrapOBP10 were female-biased. Our findings suggest that these OBPs may be involved in olfactory communication. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification and characterization of OBPs in P. rapae, and our findings provide a solid foundation for studying the functions of these genes.

Evaluation of electric car styling based on analytic hierarchy process and Kansei engineering: A study on mainstream Chinese electric car brands.

To evaluate the fuzzy and uncertain factors brought by human's emotional sensibilities during the design of new energy vehicle models, a scientific design evaluation method was adopted. This study combines the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Kansei Engineering to assess the design of new energy vehicle models. It uses both objective criteria and subjective user perceptions. First, it quantified the design imagery vocabulary through Kansei Engineering and identified the target imagery vocabulary. Secondly, the AHP method was used to establish a relationship between design features and imagery vocabulary. Thrid, the study created an evaluation index system for design imagery, and adopted the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation matrix to rank the representative vehicles and brands in the Chinese new energy vehicle market. Based on the weight analysis results, the vehicle functionality (whether it is safe and reliable), the elegance of design, and the intricacy of vehicle structure were identified as the top three aspects that affect the impression of new energy vehicles. Therefore, we need to focus on these aspects during the design of new energy vehicles. Additionally, by integrating objective evaluation and emotional analysis results, we assessed the design for each new energy vehicle brand. The results of this study are important for developing the new energy vehicle market.

A study on satisfaction evaluation of Chinese mainstream short video platforms based on grounded theory and CRITIC-VIKOR.

In recent years, Chinese short video platforms have experienced vigorous development, accompanied by increasing expectations and demands from users. This study aims to explore the factors influencing user satisfaction on mainstream Chinese short video platforms and provide a scientific and objective evaluation framework to support the enhancement of user satisfaction and the development of short video platforms. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, multiple mainstream Chinese short video platforms were evaluated and analyzed. Firstly, semi-structured interviews with users were conducted using Grounded Theory to delve into the key factors shaping users' expectations, needs, and satisfaction towards short video platforms. Secondly, the CRITIC-VIKOR method was employed to assign comprehensive weights to various factors and to evaluate the satisfaction levels of the mainstream platforms. The study revealed that the core categories affecting user satisfaction include content quality and interaction, trust and values, and user experience. The weighted values of the main categories are as follows: interface and interaction design 0.124, personalized experience 0.115, platform stability and performance 0.075, privacy and security 0.133, user service and communication 0.060, social impact and values 0.124, content quality and diversity 0.088, social interaction 0.094, and advertising experience 0.186. Furthermore, the satisfaction evaluation of mainstream short video platforms indicated that bilibili platform garnered the highest user satisfaction among surveyed users. This study provides specific directions for improving user experience and enhancing user satisfaction for short video platforms, while also offering a evaluation framework based on Grounded Theory and CRITIC-VIKOR method for similar studies, thus expanding the theoretical and practical fields of user satisfaction research.