Transcription factor SlSTOP1 regulates Small Auxin-Up RNA Genes for tomato root elongation under aluminum stress.

Aluminum (Al) stress, a prevalent constraint in acidic soils, inhibits plant growth by inhibiting root elongation through restricted cell expansion. The molecular mechanisms of Al-induced root inhibition, however, are not fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the role of Small Auxin-up RNAs (SlSAURs), which function downstream of the key Al stress-responsive transcription factor SENSITIVE TO PROTON RHIZOTOXICITY 1 (SlSTOP1) and its enhancer STOP1-INTERACTING ZINC-FINGER PROTEIN 1 (SlSZP1), in modulating root elongation under Al stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Our findings demonstrated that tomato lines with knocked out SlSAURs exhibited shorter root lengths when subjected to Al stress. Further investigation into the underlying mechanisms revealed that SlSAURs interact with Type 2C Protein Phosphatases (SlPP2Cs), specifically D-clade Type 2C Protein Phosphatases (SlPP2C.Ds). This interaction was pivotal as it suppresses the phosphatase activity, leading to the degradation of SlPP2C.D's inhibitory effect on plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Consequently, this promoted cell expansion and root elongation under Al stress. These findings increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which Al ions modulate root elongation. The discovery of the SlSAUR-SlPP2C.D interaction and its impact on H+-ATPase activity also provides a perspective on the adaptive strategies employed by plants to cope with Al toxicity, which may lead to the development of tomato cultivars with enhanced Al stress tolerance, thereby improving crop productivity in acidic soils.

CsHSFA1d Promotes Drought Stress Tolerance by Increasing the Content of Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides and Scavenging Accumulated Reactive Oxygen Species in Cucumber.

Drought is the most severe form of stress experienced by plants worldwide. Cucumber is a vegetable crop that requires a large amount of water throughout the growth period. In our previous study, we identified that overexpression of CsHSFA1d could improve cold tolerance and the content of endogenous jasmonic acid in cucumber seedlings. To explore the functional diversities of CsHSFA1d, we treat the transgenic plants under drought conditions. In this study, we found that the heat shock transcription factor HSFA1d (CsHSFA1d) could improve drought stress tolerance in cucumber. CsHSFA1d overexpression increased the expression levels of galactinol synthase (CsGolS3) and raffinose synthase (CsRS) genes, encoding the key enzymes for raffinose family oligosaccharide (RFO) biosynthesis. Furthermore, the lines overexpressing CsHSFA1d showed higher enzymatic activity of GolS and raffinose synthase to increase the content of RFO. Moreover, the CsHSFA1d-overexpression lines showed lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and higher ROS-scavenging enzyme activity after drought treatment. The expressions of antioxidant genes CsPOD2, CsAPX1 and CsSOD1 were also upregulated in CsHSFA1d-overexpression lines. The expression levels of stress-responsive genes such as CsRD29A, CsLEA3 and CsP5CS1 were increased in CsHSFA1d-overexpression lines after drought treatment. We conclude that CsHSFA1d directly targets and regulates the expression of CsGolS3 and CsRS to promote the enzymatic activity and accumulation of RFO to increase the tolerance to drought stress. CsHSFA1d also improves ROS-scavenging enzyme activity and gene expression indirectly to reduce drought-induced ROS overaccumulation. This study therefore offers a new gene target to improve drought stress tolerance in cucumber and revealed the underlying mechanism by which CsHSFA1d functions in the drought stress by increasing the content of RFOs and scavenging the excessive accumulation of ROS.

Phase imaging through a single multimode fiber.

Phase imaging techniques are pivotal for achieving high-contrast visualization of unstained biological specimens in vitro, which is typically not applicable in narrow spaces. Recently, multimode fiber (MMF) has shown promise in enabling high-resolution in vivo endoscopy in biological research. Herein, we introduce a novel, to the best of our knowledge, phase imaging microscopy technique employing a single multimode fiber, showcasing remarkable capabilities in high-contrast imaging and quantitative shape reconstruction through frequency-domain modulation. Our method, validated through comparisons with reflection and phase-contrast results, demonstrates exceptional ability in imaging diverse samples, including microspheres, semiconductor chips, and oral epithelial cells. Notably, the quantitative reconstruction of surface shape achieves a sensitivity of less than 100 nm, enabling the extraction of three-dimensional information from single focal plane images. Moreover, our technique excels in contrast enhancement and defocused background suppression, presenting a promising avenue for minimally invasive, high-contrast, label-free in vivo phase imaging.

Global job satisfaction and fluctuation among community general practitioners: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Community General Practitioners (CGPs) are crucial to primary healthcare worldwide. Their job satisfaction significantly impacts the quality and accessibility of healthcare. However, a comprehensive global perspective on this issue remains absent, necessitating this systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis sourced literature from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang, up to June 14, 2023. Of the 2,742 identified studies, 100 articles were selected for meta-analysis to assess satisfaction levels, and 97 studies were chosen for comparative analysis of influential factors. We employed both meta-analytic and comparative analytic methodologies, focusing on varying geographical, economic, and temporal contexts. RESULTS: The pooled rate and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for job satisfaction among CGPs was 70.82% (95%CI: 66.62-75.02%) globally. Studies utilizing 5-point score scale obtained a random effect size of 3.52 (95%CI: 3.43-3.61). Diverse factors influenced satisfaction, with remuneration and working conditions being predominant. A noticeable decline in job satisfaction has been observed since the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, with satisfaction rates dropping from an average of 72.39% before 2009 to 63.09% in those published after 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The downward trend in CGPs' job satisfaction is concerning and warrants urgent attention from policymakers, especially in regions with an acute shortage of CGPs. The findings from this comprehensive review and meta-analysis provide essential insights for informed healthcare policy-making. It highlights the urgency of implementing strategies to enhance CGP satisfaction, thereby improving the effectiveness of primary healthcare systems globally.

Associations of mitochondrial DNA copy number with incident risks of gastrointestinal cancers: A prospective case-cohort study.

Epidemiological investigations implied that mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) variations could trigger predisposition to multiple cancers, but evidence regarding gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) was still uncertain. We conducted a case-cohort study within the prospective Dongfeng-Tongji cohort, including incident cases of colorectal cancer (CRC, n = 278), gastric cancer (GC, n = 138), and esophageal cancer (EC, n = 72) as well as a random subcohort (n = 1173), who were followed up from baseline to the end of 2018. We determined baseline blood mtDNAcn and associations of mtDNAcn with the GICs risks were estimated by using weighted Cox proportional hazards models. Significant U-shaped associations were observed between mtDNAcn and GICs risks. Compared to subjects within the second quartile (Q2) mtDNAcn subgroup, those within the 1st (Q1), 3rd (Q3), and 4th (Q4) quartile subgroups showed increased risks of CRC (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval, CI] = 2.27 [1.47-3.52], 1.65 [1.04-2.62], and 2.81 [1.85-4.28], respectively) and total GICs (HR [95%CI] = 1.84 [1.30-2.60], 1.47 [1.03-2.10], and 2.51 [1.82-3.47], respectively], and those within Q4 subgroup presented elevated GC and EC risks (HR [95% CI] = 2.16 [1.31-3.54] and 2.38 [1.13-5.02], respectively). Similar associations of mtDNAcn with CRC and total GICs risks remained in stratified analyzes by age, gender, smoking, and drinking status. This prospective case-cohort study showed U-shaped associations between mtDNAcn and GICs risks, but further research works are needed to uncover underlying biological mechanisms.

Spatially variant deblur and image enhancement in a single multimode fiber imaged by deep learning.

A single multimode fiber has been applied in minimally invasive endoscopy with wavefront shaping for biological research such as brain imaging. Most of the fibers, such as step-index and graded-index multimode fibers, give rise to spatially variant blur due to limits on the numerical aperture and collection efficiency. Routines to solve this problem are based on iterative algorithms, which are often slow and computer-intense. We developed a method to synthesize datasets for driving a deep learning network to deblur and denoise the spatially variant degraded image. This approach is fast (5 ms), up to three orders of magnitude faster than the iterative way. Furthermore, our method can be applied to different types of fiber endoscopy, and two types of fiber are tested here. The performance is verified on fluorescence beads and three kinds of biological tissue sections in the experiment, demonstrating effectiveness in image enhancement.

Preparation of porous aromatic framework modified graphene oxide for pipette-tip solid-phase extraction of theophylline in tea.

A new material called as porous aromatic frameworks modified graphene oxide (PAFs-GO) was synthesized, and it was used as an adsorbent in pipette-tip SPE for the effective purification and enrichment of theophylline in tea sample by HPLC. The properties of PAFs-GO were characterized by field emission SEM, FTIR, thermogravimetry analysis and Brunauer Emmett Teller N2 adsorption-desorption analysis. The results of static adsorption and dynamic adsorption test showed PAFs-GO had higher adsorption ability (93.25 mg/g) than graphene oxide. The LOD and LOQ of the method were 0.0141 and 0.0471 µg/mL, respectively. The acceptable method reproducibility was found as intra- and inter-day precisions, yielding the RSDs <4.62%. By introducing PAFs as support skeleton, the specific surface area of GO was effectively increased, and the penetrability was improved. Studies showed that the proposed method had been successfully applied for purification and enrichment of theophylline in complex tea matrix.

Optimization of heteroatom doped graphene oxide by deep eutectic solvents and the application for pipette-tip solid-phase extraction of flavonoids.

In order to improve the permeation and adsorption properties of graphene oxide, heteroatoms and deep eutectic solvent were introduced in this study. After being modified, the structural properties of graphene oxide were improved and the materials were applied to the determination of myricetin and rutin in tea sample by pipette-tip solid-phase extraction method. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray diffractomer, energy dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, and specific surface area by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 adsorption desorption analysis. Meanwhile, they were tested by static and dynamic adsorption. The result showed that the materials after modifying had better adsorption amount for myricetin and rutin than graphene oxide. The calibration graphs of myricetin and rutin in MeOH were linear over 0.10-500.00 µg/mL, and the limits of detection and quantification were in the range of 0.00546-0.0182 µg/mL and 0.00741-0.0247 µg/mL, respectively. A reliable analytical method was developed for recognition targets in tea sample by DES modified nitrogen-doped graphene oxide with satisfactory extraction recoveries (myricetin 99.77%, rutin 98.14%). It was potential for the rapid purification of myricetin and rutin in tea sample combined with the pipette-tip solid-phase extraction.

Association of healthy lifestyles with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: results from the DFTJ cohort.

AIM: To examine the associations of healthy lifestyles with risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and whether the association was mediated by systemic immune-inflammatory biomarkers (SIIBs). METHODS: The study included 10,347 subjects with MASLD, who were enrolled in the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study. The healthy lifestyles referred to non-smoking, being physically active (≥7.5 metabolic equivalents-hours/week), low-risk alcohol consumption (1-14 g/day for women and 1-28 g/day for men), and optimal sleep duration (≥6 to ≤8 h/day). Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the relationship between each lifestyle and SIIBs with the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. A mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the role of SIIBs on the association between healthy lifestyles and mortality. RESULTS: There were 418 MASLD subjects dead till the follow-up of 2018, including 259 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Compared to MASLD participants with 0-1 healthy lifestyle score (HLS), those with 3-4 HLS had the lowest risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR), 0.46; 95% CI, (0.36-0.60)], and CVD mortality [HR (95%CI), 0.41 (0.29-0.58)]. Mediation analyses indicated that SIIBs mediated the association between healthy lifestyles and mortality, with proportions ranging from 2.5% to 6.1%. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that adherence to healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce mortality for MASLD patients, and the decreased SIIBs may partially explain the protection mechanism of healthy lifestyles.

SlWRKY37 targets SlLEA2 and SlABI5-like7 to regulate seed germination vigor in tomato.

Seed germination is a critical phase for the life cycle and propagation of higher plants. This study explores the role of SlWRKY37, a WRKY transcription factor in tomato, in modulating seed germination. We discovered that SlWRKY37 expression is markedly downregulated during tomato seed germination. Through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing, we demonstrate that SlWRKY37 knockout enhances germination, while its overexpression results in a delay compared to the wild type. Transcriptome analysis revealed 679 up-regulated and 627 down-regulated genes in Slwrky37-CRISPR deletion mutants relative to the wild type. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated these differentially expressed genes are linked to seed dormancy, abscisic acid homeostasis, and protein phosphorylation pathways. Bioinformatics and biochemical assays identified SlABI5-like7 and SlLEA2 as key transcriptional targets of SlWRKY37, integral to tomato seed dormancy regulation. Additionally, SlWRKY37 was found to be post-translationally phosphorylated at Ser65, a modification crucial for its transcriptional activation. Our findings elucidate the regulatory role of SlWRKY37 in seed dormancy, suggesting its potential as a target for gene editing to reduce seed dormancy in tomato breeding programs.

[Mid-term and long-term clinical effect of micro-perforating trabecular surgery with amniotic membrane implants on open angle glaucoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mid-term and long-term clinical effect and complication of micro-perforating trabecular surgery (MPTS) with amniotic membrane implants on open angle glaucoma (OAG). METHODS: Thirty OAG patients (49 eyes) were treated with MPTS with amniotic membrane implants. Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, visual field, type of blebs, and complications were recorded pre-and post-operatively. RESULTS: Patients were followed up for 6~24(15.93+/-2.35) months. The mean IOPs before the operation and 24 months after the operation were (36.84+/-11.02) mmHg and (18.24+/-1.34) mmHg, respectively (P=0.000). The mean numbers of anti-glaucoma drugs used before and after the operation were (2.76+/-0.69) and (0.59+/-0.89), respectively (P<0.05). The global index of the early to moderate glaucomatous visual field loss was significantly improved postoperatively (P<0.05), and no significant difference was found in aggressive glaucoma pre- and postoperatively. Functional filter bleb was formed in 70.8% patients 24 months after the operation. The complete success rate and quality success rate were 75.5% (37/49) and 93.9% (46/49), respectively. There was no significant change in visual acuity pre- and postoperatively and no severe complication was found. CONCLUSION: Micro-perforating trabecular surgery with amniotic membrane implants is effective and safe for OAG, with reliable effect on lowering IOP in the mid-term and long-term.