TMEM120B strengthens breast cancer cell stemness and accelerates chemotherapy resistance via ß1-integrin/FAK-TAZ-mTOR signaling axis by binding to MYH9.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer stem cell (CSC) expansion results in tumor progression and chemoresistance; however, the modulation of CSC pluripotency remains unexplored. Transmembrane protein 120B (TMEM120B) is a newly discovered protein expressed in human tissues, especially in malignant tissues; however, its role in CSC expansion has not been studied. This study aimed to determine the role of TMEM120B in transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ)-mediated CSC expansion and chemotherapy resistance. METHODS: Both bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry assays were performed to examine expression patterns of TMEM120B in lung, breast, gastric, colon, and ovarian cancers. Clinicopathological factors and overall survival were also evaluated. Next, colony formation assay, MTT assay, EdU assay, transwell assay, wound healing assay, flow cytometric analysis, sphere formation assay, western blotting analysis, mouse xenograft model analysis, RNA-sequencing assay, immunofluorescence assay, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were performed to investigate the effect of TMEM120B interaction on proliferation, invasion, stemness, chemotherapy sensitivity, and integrin/FAK/TAZ/mTOR activation. Further, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, GST pull-down assay, and immunoprecipitation assays were performed to evaluate the interactions between TMEM120B, myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), and CUL9. RESULTS: TMEM120B expression was elevated in lung, breast, gastric, colon, and ovarian cancers. TMEM120B expression positively correlated with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis. Overexpression of TMEM120B promoted breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and stemness by activating TAZ-mTOR signaling. TMEM120B directly bound to the coil-coil domain of MYH9, which accelerated the assembly of focal adhesions (FAs) and facilitated the translocation of TAZ. Furthermore, TMEM120B stabilized MYH9 by preventing its degradation by CUL9 in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. Overexpression of TMEM120B enhanced resistance to docetaxel and doxorubicin. Conversely, overexpression of TMEM120B-∆CCD delayed the formation of FAs, suppressed TAZ-mTOR signaling, and abrogated chemotherapy resistance. TMEM120B expression was elevated in breast cancer patients with poor treatment outcomes (Miller/Payne grades 1-2) than in those with better outcomes (Miller/Payne grades 3-5). CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that TMEM120B bound to and stabilized MYH9 by preventing its degradation. This interaction activated the ß1-integrin/FAK-TAZ-mTOR signaling axis, maintaining stemness and accelerating chemotherapy resistance.

Buoyancy-Driven Dissolution Instability in a Horizontal Hele-Shaw Cell.

The dissolution of minerals within rock fractures is fundamental to many geological processes. Previous research on fracture dissolution has highlighted the significant role of buoyancy-driven convection leading to dissolution instability. Yet, the pore-scale mechanisms underlying this instability are poorly understood primarily due to the challenges in experimentally determining flow velocity and concentration fields. Here, we integrate pore-scale simulations with theoretical analysis to delve into the dissolution instability prompted by buoyancy-driven convection in a radial horizontal geometry. Initially, we develop a pore-scale modeling approach incorporating gravitational effects, subsequently validating it through experiments. We then employ pore-scale numerical simulations to elucidate the 3D intricacies of flow-dissolution dynamics. Our findings reveal that a simple criterion can delineate the condition for the onset of buoyancy-driven dissolution instability. If the characteristic length falls below a critical threshold, dissolution remains stable. Conversely, exceeding this threshold leads to two distinct regimes: the unstable regime of the confined domain affected by the initial aperture and the unstable regime of the semi-infinite domain independent of the initial aperture where the instability is no longer influenced by the lower boundary. We demonstrate that the pore-scale mechanism for this instability is due to the concentration boundary layer attaining a gravitationally unstable critical thickness. Through theoretical analysis of this layer and the time scales of diffusion and advection, we establish a theoretical model to predict where the dissolution instability occurs. This model aligns closely with our numerical simulations and experimental data across diverse conditions. Our work improves the understanding of buoyancy-driven dissolution instability in radial horizontal geometry. It is also of practical significance in understanding cavity formation in karst hydrology and preventing leaks in geological CO2 storage.

Simple and field-adapted species identification of biological specimens combining multiplex multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification, lateral flow dipsticks, and universal primers for initial rapid screening without standard PCR laboratory.

Species identification of biological specimens can provide the valuable clues and accelerate the speed of prosecution material processing for forensic investigation, especially when the case scene is inaccessible and the physical evidence is cumbersome. Thus, establishing a rapid, simple, and field-adapted species identification method is crucial for forensic scientists, particularly as first-line technology at the crime scene for initial rapid screening. In this study, we established a new field-adapted species identification method by combining multiplex multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA), lateral flow dipstick (LFD) system, and universal primers. Universal primers targeting COX I and COX II genes were used in multiplex MIRA-LFD system for seven species identification, and a dedicated MIRA-LFD system primer targeting CYT B gene was used to detect the human material. DNA extraction was performed by collecting DNA directly from the centrifuged supernatant. Our study found that the entire amplification process took only 15 min at 37 °C and the results of LFDs could be visually observed after 10 min. The detection sensitivity of human material could reach 10 pg, which is equivalent to the detection of single cell. Different common animal samples mixed at the ratio of 1 ng:1 ng, 10 ng:1 ng, and 1 ng:10 ng could be detected successfully. Furthermore, the damaged and degraded samples could also be detected. Therefore, the convenient, feasible, and rapid approach for species identification is suitable for popularization as first-line technology at the crime scene for initial rapid screening and provides a great convenient for forensic application.

ZNF500 abolishes breast cancer proliferation and sensitizes chemotherapy by stabilizing P53 via competing with MDM2.

Zinc finger protein 500 (ZNF500) has an unknown expression pattern and biological function in human tissues. Our study revealed that the ZNF500 mRNA and protein levels were higher in breast cancer tissues than those in their normal counterparts. However, ZNF500 expression was negatively correlated with advanced TNM stage (p = 0.018), positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.014), and a poor prognosis (p < 0.001). ZNF500 overexpression abolished in vivo and in vitro breast cancer cell proliferation by activating the p53-p21-E2F4 signaling axis and directly interacting with p53 via its C2H2 domain. This may prevent ubiquitination of p53 in a manner that is competitive to MDM2, thus stabilizing p53. When ZNF500-∆C2H2 was overexpressed, the suppressed proliferation of breast cancer cells was neutralized in vitro and in vivo. In human breast cancer tissues, ZNF500 expression was positively correlated with p53 (p = 0.022) and E2F4 (p = 0.004) expression. ZNF500 expression was significantly lower in patients with Miller/Payne Grade 1-2 than in those with Miller/Payne Grade 3-5 (p = 0.012). ZNF500 suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation and sensitizes cells to chemotherapy.

Novel broad-spectrum bacteriophages against Xanthomonas oryzae and their biocontrol potential in rice bacterial diseases.

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS)-caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), respectively-are two major bacterial diseases that threaten the safe production of rice, one of the most important food crops. Bacteriophages are considered potential biocontrol agents against rice bacterial pathogens, due to their host specificity and environmental safety. It is common for BLB and BLS to occur together in fields, which highlights the need for broad-spectrum phages capable of infecting both Xoo and Xoc. In this study, two lytic broad-spectrum phages (pXoo2106 and pXoo2107) that can infect various strains of Xoo and Xoc were assessed. Both phages belong to the class Caudoviricetes and one of them to the family Autographiviridae, while the other belongs to an unclassified family. Two phages alone or combined in a phage cocktail could effectively inhibit Xoo and Xoc growth in vitro. In an in vivo biocontrol experiment, the phage cocktail reduced the total CFU and significantly eased the symptoms caused by Xoo or Xoc. Our results suggest that pXoo2106 and pXoo2107 have a broad-spectrum host range targeting different X. oryzae strains, and have strong biocontrol potential in field applications against both BLB and BLS.

Molecular Origin of Wetting Characteristics on Mineral Surfaces.

Accurate determination of the wetting characteristics on mineral surfaces is critical for many natural processes and industrial applications where multiphase flow in porous media is involved. The wetting behaviors on mineral surfaces are controlled by water-mineral interactions, giving rise to various wetting characteristics, including contact line advancement, formation of precursor films, etc. However, a fundamental understanding of wetting characteristics on different mineral surfaces is still lacking at the molecular level. Here, utilizing a comprehensive set of molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the wetting characteristics of water on various mineral surfaces and obtain the corresponding water-mineral interaction properties (including the areal density of water-mineral interaction energy and the work of adhesion of the water-mineral interface), mineral wettability, and structural and diffusion properties of water molecules near the surface. We show that the diffusion properties of water molecules on mineral surfaces play an important role in wetting characteristics. We find that the contact line tends to advance forward in the jumping mode or the rolling mode during the wetting process, which depends on the diffusion capacity of the water molecules on mineral surfaces. The corresponding evolution of the solid-liquid friction coefficient during dynamic spreading is also analyzed. We further demonstrate the strong impact of isomorphic substitution and charge-balancing counterions on wetting characteristics on the surfaces of clay minerals. It is shown that the introduction of charge-balancing counterions can shift the mineral surface from strongly hydrophilic to strongly hydrophobic and lead to completely different wetting characteristics. Our results provide a clearer picture of the molecular underpinnings in mineral wetting phenomena and deepen the understanding of the control of water-mineral interactions on the wetting properties.

Three-Dimensional Visualization Reveals Pore-Scale Mechanisms of Colloid Transport and Retention in Two-Phase Flow.

Colloids are ubiquitous in the natural environment, playing an important role in facilitating the transport of absorbed contaminants. However, due to the complexities arising from two-phase flow and difficulties in three-dimensional observations, the detailed mechanisms of colloid transport and retention under two-phase flow are still not well understood. In this work, we visualize the colloid transport and retention during immiscible two-phase flow based on confocal microscopy. We find that the colloid transport and retention behaviors depend strongly on the flow rate and pore/grain size. At low levels of saturation (high flow rate) with the wetting liquid mainly present as pendular rings, the colloids can aggregate at the liquid filaments in small-grain packings and are uniformly distributed in large-grain packings. Through theoretical analysis of the pendular ring geometry, we elucidate the mechanism responsible for the strong dependence of colloid clogging behavior on solid grain size. Our results further demonstrate that even at dilute concentrations, colloids can alter the flow paths and the wetting fluid topology, suggesting a strong two-way coupling dynamics between immiscible two-phase flow and colloid transport and calling for improved predictive models to incorporate the overlooked clogging behavior.

Vps33B in Dendritic Cells Regulates House Dust Mite-Induced Allergic Lung Inflammation.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most specialized APCs that play a critical role in driving Th2 differentiation, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Here we show that vacuolar protein sorting 33B (Vps33B) plays an important role in this process. Mice with Vps33b-specific deletion in DCs, but not in macrophages or T cells, were more susceptible to Th2-mediated allergic lung inflammation than wild-type mice. Deletion of Vps33B in DCs led to enhanced CD4+ T cell proliferation and Th2 differentiation. Moreover, Vps33B specifically restrained reactive oxygen species production in conventional DC1s to inhibit Th2 responses in vitro, whereas Vps33B in monocyte-derived DCs and conventional DC2s was dispensable for Th2 development in asthma pathogenesis. Taken together, our results identify Vps33B as an important molecule that mediates the cross-talk between DCs and CD4+ T cells to further regulate allergic asthma pathogenesis.

Genetic characterisation of sarcomatoid carcinomas reveals multiple novel actionable mutations and identifies KRAS mutation as a biomarker of poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcomatoid component occurs in various epithelial malignancies and is associated with an aggressive disease course and poor clinical outcome. As it is largely rare, the molecular events underlying sarcomatoid carcinomas (SCs) remain poorly characterised. Here, we performed targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) on patients with surgically resected SCs comprising distinct tissues of origin. METHODS: A total of 71 patients with pathological diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinomas and underwent surgery were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from surgery to death from any cause. Patients alive or lost to follow-up were censored. Genomic DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples was extracted for NGS and tumour mutation burden (TMB) analysis. RESULTS: In general, SCs occurred more commonly in males, except those of the gallbladder. SCs of the lung and the larynx were associated with a higher proportion of smokers (p=0.0015). Alterations in TP53, RB1, TERT and KRAS were highly frequent, with KRAS mutations being a biomarker of poor prognosis (median OS=8 vs 16 months, p=0.03). Multiple alterations in potentially actionable genes, including ROS1 and NTRK1 fusions and ERBB2 amplification, were detected in the extra-pulmonary cohort. A relatively high proportion (30%) of patients with extra-pulmonary SC had high TMB, with a median of 5.39 mutations per Mb. Lastly, copy number variations were common in SCs, and were non-overlapping between the primary and metastatic tumours. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that comprehensive genetic testing may be necessary to inform treatment options and identify prognostic biomarkers.

Ectoine Globally Hypomethylates DNA in Skin Cells and Suppresses Cancer Proliferation.

Epigenetic modifications, mainly aberrant DNA methylation, have been shown to silence the expression of genes involved in epigenetic diseases, including cancer suppression genes. Almost all conventional cancer therapeutic agents, such as the DNA hypomethylation drug 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine, have insurmountable side effects. To investigate the role of the well-known DNA protectant (ectoine) in skin cell DNA methylation and cancer cell proliferation, comprehensive methylome sequence analysis, 5-methyl cytosine (5mC) analysis, proliferation and tumorigenicity assays, and DNA epigenetic modifications-related gene analysis were performed. The results showed that extended ectoine treatment globally hypomethylated DNA in skin cells, especially in the CpG island (CGIs) element, and 5mC percentage was significantly reduced. Moreover, ectoine mildly inhibited skin cell proliferation and did not induce tumorigenicity in HaCaT cells injected into athymic nude mice. HaCaT cells treated with ectoine for 24 weeks modulated the mRNA expression levels of Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b, Dnmt3l, Hdac1, Hdac2, Kdm3a, Mettl3, Mettl14, Snrpn, and Mest. Overall, ectoine mildly demethylates DNA in skin cells, modulates the expression of epigenetic modification-related genes, and reduces cell proliferation. This evidence suggests that ectoine is a potential anti-aging agent that prevents DNA hypermethylation and subsequently activates cancer-suppressing genes.

Using Twitter-Based Data for Sexual Violence Research: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Scholars have used data from in-person interviews, administrative systems, and surveys for sexual violence research. Using Twitter as a data source for examining the nature of sexual violence is a relatively new and underexplored area of study. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to perform a scoping review of the current literature on using Twitter data for researching sexual violence, elaborate on the validity of the methods, and discuss the implications and limitations of existing studies. METHODS: We performed a literature search in the following 6 databases: APA PsycInfo (Ovid), Scopus, PubMed, International Bibliography of Social Sciences (ProQuest), Criminal Justice Abstracts (EBSCO), and Communications Abstracts (EBSCO), in April 2022. The initial search identified 3759 articles that were imported into Covidence. Seven independent reviewers screened these articles following 2 steps: (1) title and abstract screening, and (2) full-text screening. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) empirical research, (2) focus on sexual violence, (3) analysis of Twitter data (ie, tweets or Twitter metadata), and (4) text in English. Finally, we selected 121 articles that met the inclusion criteria and coded these articles. RESULTS: We coded and presented the 121 articles using Twitter-based data for sexual violence research. About 70% (89/121, 73.6%) of the articles were published in peer-reviewed journals after 2018. The reviewed articles collectively analyzed about 79.6 million tweets. The primary approaches to using Twitter as a data source were content text analysis (112/121, 92.5%) and sentiment analysis (31/121, 25.6%). Hashtags (103/121, 85.1%) were the most prominent metadata feature, followed by tweet time and date, retweets, replies, URLs, and geotags. More than a third of the articles (51/121, 42.1%) used the application programming interface to collect Twitter data. Data analyses included qualitative thematic analysis, machine learning (eg, sentiment analysis, supervised machine learning, unsupervised machine learning, and social network analysis), and quantitative analysis. Only 10.7% (13/121) of the studies discussed ethical considerations. CONCLUSIONS: We described the current state of using Twitter data for sexual violence research, developed a new taxonomy describing Twitter as a data source, and evaluated the methodologies. Research recommendations include the following: development of methods for data collection and analysis, in-depth discussions about ethical norms, exploration of specific aspects of sexual violence on Twitter, examination of tweets in multiple languages, and decontextualization of Twitter data. This review demonstrates the potential of using Twitter data in sexual violence research.

Pore-Scale Mechanisms of Solid Phase Emergence During DNAPL Remediation by Chemical Oxidation.

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) has proven successful in the remediation of aquifers contaminated with dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). However, the treatment efficiency can often be hampered by the formation of solids or gas, reducing the contact between remediation agents and residual DNAPLs. To further improve the efficiency of ISCO, fundamental knowledge is needed about the complex multiphase flow and reactive transport processes as new solid and fluid phases emerge at the microscale. Here, via microfluidic experiments, we study the pore-scale dynamics of trichloroethylene degradation by permanganate. We visualize how the remediation evolves under the influence of solid phase emergence and explore the roles of injection rate, oxidant concentration, and stabilization supplement. Combining image processing, pressure analysis, and stoichiometry calculations, we provide comprehensive descriptions of the oxidant concentration-dependent growth patterns of the solid phase and their impact on the remediation efficiency. We further corroborate the stabilization mechanism provided by phosphate supplement, which is effective in inhibiting solid phase generation and thus highly beneficial for the oxidation remediation. This work elucidates the pore-scale mechanisms during remediation of chlorinated solvents with a particular context in the solid phase production and the associated effects, which is of general significance to understanding various processes in natural and engineered systems involving solid phase emergence or aggregation phenomena, such as groundwater and soil remediation.

Tunable and Contamination-Free Injection with Microfluidics by Stepinjection.

Droplet microfluidics with picoinjection provides significant advantages to multistep reactions and screenings. The T-junction design for picoinjection is convenient in adding picoliter reagents into passing droplets to initiate reactions. However, conventional picoinjectors face difficulties in eliminating cross-contamination between droplets, preventing them from widespread use in sensitive biological and molecular assays. Here, we introduce stepinjection, which uses a T-junction with a stepped channel design to elevate the diffusional buffer zone into the main channel and consequently increases the pressure difference between droplets and the inlet of the injection channel. To demonstrate the stepinjector's ability to perform contamination-sensitive enzymatic assays, we inject casein fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-casein) into a mixture of savinase and savinase-free (labeled with a red fluorescent dye) droplets. We observe no cross-contamination using stepinjection but find a severe cross-talk using an optimal picoinjection design. We envision that the simple, tunable, and reliable stepinjector can be easily integrated in various droplet processing devices, and facilitate various biomedical and biochemical applications including multiplex digital PCR, single-cell sequencing, and enzymatic screening.

Adverse events following immunization with bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine in Jiangsu, China.

AIMS: The bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV; Sabin types 1 and 3) replaced the trivalent OPV (Sabin types 1, 2 and 3) globally in April 2016. A routine schedule of 1 dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine and 3 subsequent doses of bOPV was implemented in Jiangsu simultaneously. The schedule was changed to 2 inactivated poliovirus vaccines + 2 bOPV on 1 September 2019. Although OPV type 2 has been removed, challenges persist because of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) with bOPV. Therefore, we analysed and evaluated the safety profile of bOPV administered in children based on passive postmarketing AEFI surveillance. METHODS: We collected all bOPV-related AEFI reports in Jiangsu from the Chinese National AEFI Information System (CNAEFIS) between May 2016 and April 2020. We obtained the administered doses of bOPV from the Jiangsu Provincial Electronic Immunization Registries System. A descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS: In total, 2084 bOPV-related AEFIs were retrieved from the CNAEFIS. The overall reporting rate was 24.16 per 100 000 doses. Most AEFIs were nonserious. The most frequently reported symptoms were fever, rash and gastrointestinal disorders. Only 1.34% of AEFIs were serious, which thrombocytopenic purpura accounted for the largest category. Seventeen serious adverse events, including 2 vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) cases, were considered to be related to bOPV vaccination. The rate of VAPP was 0.2 per million doses. CONCLUSION: AEFI analysis showed that bOPV was well tolerated. The events most frequently reported were nonserious. However, bOPV can still cause VAPP. Attention should be given to risks related to bOPV.

The characteristics and trend of adverse events following immunization reported by information system in Jiangsu province, China, 2015-2018.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse events following immunization is an important factor influencing public trust in vaccination. Publicizing its incidence timely can increase public trust. The aim of this study is to describe the incidence and characteristics of adverse events following immunization in Jiangsu province of China from 2015 to 2018. METHODS: All information of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) was gained from Jiangsu Province Vaccination Integrated Service Management Information System. The reported AEFI trend was analyzed using Chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 77,980 AEFI cases were reported through the AEFI system; Among which, 77,731 were classified as non-serious AEFI cases and 249 were serious AEFI cases. The male to female ratio was 1.31:1, cases less than 7 years old accounted for 97.7%. The total estimated AEFI rate was 62.70/100,000 doses. By severity, 60.75/100,000, 4.46/100,000 and 0.11/100,000 AEFI cases were common vaccine reaction, rare vaccine reaction, and serious rare vaccine reaction, respectively. The top two serious AEFI were thrombocytopenic purpura and febrile. The incidence rates showed the increasing trend and the linear trend of the increasing incidence rates passed the significant test at 0.05 levels. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of AEFI monitoring in Jiangsu Province is increasing and higher than the national average and most countries. The majority of AEFI cases were common adverse reactions, while the serious vaccine reactions caused by vaccines were extremely low. To elevate the sensitivity of AEFI surveillance may reduce the incidence of developing serious AEFI cases.

Protein kinase p38α signaling in dendritic cells regulates colon inflammation and tumorigenesis.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play pivotal roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, but how the DCs regulate diverse immune networks on homeostasis breakdown remains largely unknown. Here, we report that, in response to epithelial barrier disruption, colonic DCs regulate the differentiation of type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells through p38α-dependent IL-27 production to initiate an effective immune response. Deletion of p38α in DCs, but not in T cells, led to increased Tr1 and protected mice from dextran sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis and chronic colitis-associated colorectal cancer. We show that higher levels of IL-27 in p38α-deficient colonic cDC1s, but not cDC2s, were responsible for the increase of Tr1 cells. Moreover, p38α-dependent IL-27 enhanced IL-22 secretion from intestinal group 3 innate lymphoid cells and protected epithelial barrier function. In p38α-deficient DCs, the TAK1-MKK4/7-JNK-c-Jun axis was hyperactivated, leading to high IL-27 levels, and inhibition of the JNK-c-Jun axis suppressed IL-27 expression. ChIP assay revealed direct binding of c-Jun to the promoter of Il27p28, which was further enhanced in p38α-deficient DCs. In summary, here we identify a key role for p38α signaling in DCs in regulating intestinal inflammatory response and tumorigenesis, and our finding may provide targets for the treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases.

Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality as a Tool for Studying Bystander Behaviors in Interpersonal Violence: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: To provide participants with a more real and immersive intervening experience, virtual reality (VR) and/or augmented reality (AR) technologies have been integrated into some bystander intervention training programs and studies measuring bystander behaviors. OBJECTIVE: We focused on whether VR or AR can be used as a tool to enhance training bystanders. We reviewed the evidence from empirical studies that used VR and/or AR as a tool for examining bystander behaviors in the domain of interpersonal violence research. METHODS: Two librarians searched for articles in databases, including APA PsycInfo (Ovid), Criminal Justice Abstracts (EBSCO), Medline (Ovid), Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ProQuest), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), and Scopus till April 15, 2020. Studies focusing on bystander behaviors in conflict situations were included. All study types (except reviews) written in English in any discipline were included. RESULTS: The search resulted in 12,972 articles from six databases, and the articles were imported into Covidence. Eleven studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All 11 articles examined the use of VR as a tool for studying bystander behaviors. Most of the studies were conducted in US young adults. The types of interpersonal violence were school bullying, dating violence, sexual violence/assault, and soccer-associated violence. VR technology was used as an observational measure and bystander intervention program. We evaluated the different uses of VR for bystander behaviors and noted a lack of empirical evidence for AR as a tool. We also discuss the empirical evidence regarding the design, effectiveness, and limitations of implementing VR as a tool in the reviewed studies. CONCLUSIONS: The reviewed results have implications and recommendations for future research in designing and implementing VR/AR technology in the area of interpersonal violence. Future studies in this area may further contribute to the use of VR as an observational measure and explore the potential use of AR to study bystander behaviors.

Metabolite Profiling and Transcriptome Analysis Provide Insight into Seed Coat Color in Brassica juncea.

The allotetraploid species Brassica juncea (mustard) is grown worldwide as oilseed and vegetable crops; the yellow seed-color trait is particularly important for oilseed crops. Here, to examine the factors affecting seed coat color, we performed a metabolic and transcriptomic analysis of yellow- and dark-seeded B. juncea seeds. In this study, we identified 236 compounds, including 31 phenolic acids, 47 flavonoids, 17 glucosinolates, 38 lipids, 69 other hydroxycinnamic acid compounds, and 34 novel unknown compounds. Of these, 36 compounds (especially epicatechin and its derivatives) accumulated significantly different levels during the development of yellow- and dark-seeded B. juncea. In addition, the transcript levels of BjuDFR, BjuANS,BjuBAN, BjuTT8, and BjuTT19 were closely associated with changes to epicatechin and its derivatives during seed development, implicating this pathway in the seed coat color determinant in B. juncea. Furthermore, we found numerous variations of sequences in the TT8A genes that may be associated with the stability of seed coat color in B. rapa, B. napus, and B. juncea, which might have undergone functional differentiation during polyploidization in the Brassica species. The results provide valuable information for understanding the accumulation of metabolites in the seed coat color of B. juncea and lay a foundation for exploring the underlying mechanism.

Neighbouring plants modify maize root foraging for phosphorus: coupling nutrients and neighbours for improved nutrient-use efficiency.

Nutrient distribution and neighbours can impact plant growth, but how neighbours shape root-foraging strategy for nutrients is unclear. Here, we explore new patterns of plant foraging for nutrients as affected by neighbours to improve nutrient acquisition. Maize (Zea mays) was grown alone (maize), or with maize (maize/maize) or faba bean (Vicia faba) (maize/faba bean) as a neighbour on one side and with or without a phosphorus (P)-rich zone on the other in a rhizo-box experiment. Maize demonstrated root avoidance in maize/maize, with reduced root growth in 'shared' soil, and increased growth away from its neighbours. Conversely, maize proliferated roots in the proximity of neighbouring faba bean roots that had greater P availability in the rhizosphere (as a result of citrate and acid phosphatase exudation) compared with maize roots. Maize proliferated more roots, but spent less time to reach, and grow out of, the P patches away from neighbours in the maize/maize than in the maize/faba bean experiment. Maize shoot biomass and P uptake were greater in the heterogeneous P treatment with maize/faba bean than with maize/maize system. The foraging strategy of maize roots is an integrated function of heterogeneous distribution of nutrients and neighbouring plants, thus improving nutrient acquisition and maize growth. Understanding the foraging patterns is critical for optimizing nutrient management in crops.

The Hidden Pandemic of Family Violence During COVID-19: Unsupervised Learning of Tweets.

BACKGROUND: Family violence (including intimate partner violence/domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse) is a hidden pandemic happening alongside COVID-19. The rates of family violence are rising fast, and women and children are disproportionately affected and vulnerable during this time. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a large-scale analysis of public discourse on family violence and the COVID-19 pandemic on Twitter. METHODS: We analyzed over 1 million tweets related to family violence and COVID-19 from April 12 to July 16, 2020. We used the machine learning approach Latent Dirichlet Allocation and identified salient themes, topics, and representative tweets. RESULTS: We extracted 9 themes from 1,015,874 tweets on family violence and the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) increased vulnerability: COVID-19 and family violence (eg, rising rates, increases in hotline calls, homicide); (2) types of family violence (eg, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse); (3) forms of family violence (eg, physical aggression, coercive control); (4) risk factors linked to family violence (eg, alcohol abuse, financial constraints, guns, quarantine); (5) victims of family violence (eg, the LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning] community, women, women of color, children); (6) social services for family violence (eg, hotlines, social workers, confidential services, shelters, funding); (7) law enforcement response (eg, 911 calls, police arrest, protective orders, abuse reports); (8) social movements and awareness (eg, support victims, raise awareness); and (9) domestic violence-related news (eg, Tara Reade, Melissa DeRosa). CONCLUSIONS: This study overcomes limitations in the existing scholarship where data on the consequences of COVID-19 on family violence are lacking. We contribute to understanding family violence during the pandemic by providing surveillance via tweets. This is essential for identifying potentially useful policy programs that can offer targeted support for victims and survivors as we prepare for future outbreaks.