Study on plant protection unmanned aerial vehicle spraying technology based on the thrips population activity patterns during the cotton flowering period.

Over the years, thrips have transitioned from a minor nuisance to a major problem, significantly impacting the yield and quality of cotton. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for plant protection have emerged as an effective alternative to traditional pesticide spraying equipment. UAVs offer advantages such as avoiding crop damage and enhancing pesticide deposition on the plants and have become the primary choice for pesticide application in cotton fields. In this study, a 2-year field experiment found that the thrips population in a cotton field in Xinjiang, China, exhibited gradual growth during the early flowering phase, peaking in late July. The thrips population gradually shifted from the lower canopy to the upper canopy as the cotton flowers opened layer by layer. From 09:00 to 11:00 (GMT+8) and 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT+8), thrips mainly flew outside the flowers, while from 17:00 to 19:00 (GMT+8), they mostly inhabited the inner whorls of flowers. The insecticides 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion and 10% spinetoram suspension concentrate, sprayed by UAV, had the best control effect on thrips, with 80.51% and 79.22% control effect after 7 days of spraying, respectively. The optimal spraying time for 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion was 19:00 (GMT+8), and the control effect on thrips reached 91.16% at 7 days of spraying. During the cotton flowering period, thrips inhabited flowers in the evening and flew outside during the day. The best control effect on thrips was achieved with UAV-sprayed 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion at 19:00 (GMT+8).

Autologous Tissue Repair and Total Face Restoration.

Importance: Total face restoration remains a challenge in modern reconstructive surgery. After 17 years of experiments and preliminary clinical studies, a new concept of face prefabrication was developed for face restoration with autologous tissue. Objective: To evaluate the long-term results of face restoration with autologous tissue and report a finalized and standardized approach of face prefabrication. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this single-center long-term retrospective study, 32 patients who underwent total face restoration between 2005 and 2022 were reviewed. These patients underwent total facial reconstruction, which included flap prefabrication, 3-dimensional printing, tissue expansion, and flap transfer with aid of indocyanine green angiography (IGA). The flap first undergoes prefabrication by transferring vascularized fascia under the skin of the selected chest. A tissue expander is then placed under the fascia to create a large, thin, reliable skin flap after expansion. Once completed, the flap is transferred to the face during the second stage of the reconstruction. Intraoperative IGA is performed to guide the design of subsequent openings for facial fissures. Data were analyzed from July to September 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Flap healing, reconstructive outcome, and patient recovery were assessed during follow-up. Three questionnaires, including the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Aesthetic and Functional Status Score of Facial Soft-Tissue Deformities/Defects, and the EuroQoL Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L), were used to evaluate the quality of life and satisfaction with facial aesthetic and functional status. Results: Of 24 included patients, 14 (58%) were male, and the mean (range) age was 32.9 (8-62) years. The mean (range) follow-up was 5.6 (2-12) years. All patients reported a significant improvement in quality of life (SF-36), especially in mean (SD) social functioning (preoperative score, 53.65 [34.51]; postoperative score, 80.73 [19.10]) and emotional stability (preoperative score, 56.67 [25.55]; postoperative score, 71.17 [18.51]). A total of 22 patients (92%) went back to work. Mean (SD) facial aesthetic status (preoperative score, 4.96 [3.26]; postoperative score, 11.52 [3.49]; P < .001) and functional status (preoperative score, 11.09 [3.51]; postoperative score, 15.78 [3.26]; P < .001) also improved. In addition, there was a significant increase in overall satisfaction and self-reported health status (preoperative score, 8.13 [1.52]; postoperative score, 3.58 [2.31]). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, 5-year follow-up results suggested that this innovative approach to total face restoration offered a safe and valid option for indicated patients, with acceptable reconstructive and cosmetic outcomes.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine retention enema combined with perineal massage (THREM): a promising therapeutic strategy for refractory chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Background: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a debilitating condition characterized by lower urinary tract symptoms and persistent pelvic pain or discomfort lasting for more than three months. Currently available oral drug therapies exhibit limited efficacy in the treatment of CP/CPPS. Therefore, personalized and combination therapies are recommended by Chinese CP/CPPS guidelines, which primarily include traditional Chinese medicine, radiofrequency therapy, urethral lavage, transrectal prostate massage, extracorporeal shock wave therapy. However, a significant number of patients do not respond well to all types of these therapeutic methods. Among those who have sequentially or simultaneously undergone at least three different treatment modalities, in addition to oral medications, for more than 1 year, they are defined as patients with refractory CP/CPPS. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the clinical effect of traditional Chinese herbal medicine retention enema combined with perineal massage (THREM) in managing refractory CP/CPPS. Methods: A total of 20 patients with refractory CP/CPPS, who did not show significant improvement despite receiving multiple conventional treatments, including oral medications, were included in this study. Following THREM therapy, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), visual analogue scale (VAS), and National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) quality of life (QoL) score were used to assess treatment efficacy. Results: Six months after THREM therapy, a significant decrease in IPSS, VAS, and QoL scores was observed (P<0.01). Importantly, 85% of the patients experienced a reduction in symptoms of ≥60%, with an average degree of alleviation reaching 70.25%±24.20%. Conclusions: THREM treatment demonstrated excellent efficacy in managing refractory CP/CPPS at least for 6 months. It has promising clinical application prospects. Further research is warranted to validate these results and explore the underlying mechanisms of THREM therapy.

Surgical Treatment for Extensive Postburn Facial Deformity Using Tube Flap and Cervicofacial Flap.

The current concept of facial unit reconstruction has evolved from simple coverage of defects to the reconstruction of the 3-dimensional structure and delicate features. The reshaping of the middle third of the face, including the nose and cheek, remains a challenge for plastic surgeons due to its complex structure and the dynamic relationship between each part. In this article, the authors describe a clinical report of extensive facial burns with skin lesions in the middle third of the face. The 30-year-old female patient sustained burns throughout the full thickness of the skin burns on the entire nose and left cheek with hypertrophic scar. The authors performed an expanded cervical-facial flap and tube flap of the upper extremity to reconstruct the entire nasal and cheek region. The patient underwent 8 stages of the operation successively resulting in a satisfactory level of appearance and function.

Internal Fixation of Redistributed Orbital Fat in Transconjunctival Lower Eyelid Blepharoplasty.

SUMMARY: Fat redistribution combined with release of the tear trough ligament in transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty is widely performed to correct lower eyelid bags and tear trough deformities, but suturing the released fat in such a narrow, dissected space remains a challenge. The purpose of this study was to introduce a new surgical technique of internal fixation that advances and sutures the pedicled orbital fat firmly to the midcheek through premaxillary and prezygomatic spaces. Twenty-two patients (age range, 22 to 39 years) with predominant orbital fat prolapse and tear trough deformity without noticeable lower eyelid skin laxity were treated with this method, all of whom had impressive correction of the eyelid bags and tear trough deformities and were pleased with the aesthetic results during an average follow-up of 11.8 months (range, 10 to 14 months). No patient had postoperative hematoma, ectropion, or midface numbness. The maneuver of internal fixation of redistributed orbital fat provides a novel and safe approach to correct eyelid bags and tear trough deformities without additional percutaneous sutures in transconjunctival lower eyelid blepharoplasty. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Genetically modified soybean lines exhibit less transcriptomic variation compared to natural varieties.

Genetically modified (GM) soybeans provide a huge amount of food for human consumption and animal feed. However, the possibility of unexpected effects of transgenesis has increased food safety concerns. High-throughput sequencing profiling provides a potential approach to directly evaluate unintended effects caused by foreign genes. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analyses to evaluate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in individual soybean tissues, including cotyledon (C), germ (G), hypocotyl (H), and radicle (R), instead of using the whole seed, from four GM and three non-GM soybean lines. A total of 3,351 DEGs were identified among the three non-GM soybean lines. When the GM lines were compared with their non-GM parents, 1,836 to 4,551 DEGs were identified. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the DEGs showed more abundant categories of GO items (199) among non-GM lines than between GM lines and the non-GM natural varieties (166). Results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that most KEGG pathways were the same for the two types of comparisons. The study successfully employed RNA sequencing to assess the differences in gene expression among four tissues of seven soybean varieties, and the results suggest that transgenes do not induce massive transcriptomic alterations in transgenic soybeans compared with those that exist among natural varieties. This work offers empirical evidence to investigate the genomic-level disparities induced by genetic modification in soybeans, specifically focusing on seed tissues.

Successful replantation of amputated facial tissues by supermicrosurgery.

BACKGROUND: Although replantation of amputated facial segments remains challenging in reconstructive surgery, it offers excellent aesthetic and functional outcomes. METHODS: From May 2004 to October 2019, 12 patients underwent replantation of amputated facial tissues by supermicrosurgery. The case details, such as the rationale for replantation, the operation method, and postoperative therapy, are described. Four cases are discussed to demonstrate the replantation of different facial parts. RESULTS: Facial tissue replantation was successful in all 12 patients without secondary surgery. The cases included the nose (1 patient), ears (8 patients), lips (2 patients), and one of the soft tissue segments surrounding the lower jaw. Venous congestion occurred in three patients who received a solitary arterial repair and were treated with bloodletting. All patients expressed satisfaction with the cosmetic and functional results at the final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Supermicrosurgical facial tissue replantation is a promising and effective procedure for providing patients with the best aesthetic and functional outcomes.

Identification of LncRNAs and Functional Analysis of ceRNA Related to Fatty Acid Synthesis during Flax Seed Development.

Flax is a flowering plant cultivated for its oil and contains various unsaturated fatty acids. Linseed oil is known as the "deep-sea fish oil" of plants, and is beneficial to brain and blood lipids, among other positive effects. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in plant growth and development. There are not many studies assessing how lncRNAs are related to the fatty acid synthesis of flax. The relative oil contents of the seeds of the variety Heiya NO.14 (for fiber) and the variety Macbeth (for oil) were determined at 5 day, 10 day, 20 day, and 30 day after flowering. We found that 10-20 day is an important period for ALA accumulation in the Macbeth variety. The strand-specific transcriptome data were analyzed at these four time points, and a series of lncRNAs related to flax seed development were screened. A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed and the accuracy of the network was verified using qRT-PCR. MSTRG.20631.1 could act with miR156 on the same target, squamosa promoter-binding-like protein (SPL), to influence fatty acid biosynthesis through a gluconeogenesis-related pathway during flax seed development. This study provides a theoretical basis for future studies assessing the potential functions of lncRNAs during seed development.

Tissue expansion techniques in reconstructive surgery: a 10-year bibliometric analysis.

Background: Tissue expansion (TE) has attracted significant attention from researchers over the past decade. However, there are currently no bibliometric analyses in this field. We aimed to quantitatively and visually analyze the literature to explore the hotspots and frontiers in TE research. Methods: We extracted all the documents on this topic published from the Web of Science Core Citation (WOSCC) database between 2012 and 2021. CiteSpace (version 5.8 R3) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.18) were used to perform the visualization analysis. Results: A total of 1,085 documents were included in the analysis. The publication trend fluctuated over time. The United States led the research, and Harvard University was the most productive institution. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery published the largest number of documents and had the most citations. Kim JYS was the most prolific and most cited author. The high-frequency keywords were "complications", "breast reconstruction", "outcomes", "tissue expander", "mastectomy", and "acellular dermal matrix" (ADM). "Surgical site infection", "tissue expander/implant", "bilateral prophylactic mastectomy", and "activated controlled expansion" were the keywords with the strongest citation bursts until 2021. Conclusions: This study provided a complete analysis of the research on TE. The effect of ADM on the complication rates after breast reconstruction is the current hotspot of TE research in surgery. Patient-activated controlled expansion might be a promising future research direction for TE.

A LuALS Mutation with High Sulfonylurea Herbicide Resistance in Linum usitatissimum L.

The cultivation of herbicide-resistant crops is an effective tool for weed management in agriculture. Weed control in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) remains challenging due to the lack of available herbicide-resistant cultivars. In this study, a mutant resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides was obtained by ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) mutagenesis using an elite cultivar, Longya10. Whole-plant dose-response assays revealed that, compared to Longya10, the mutant was 11.57-fold more resistant to tribenuron-methyl (TBM) and slightly resistant to imazethapyr (resistance index (mutant/Longya10) < 3). In vitro acetolactate synthase assays showed that the relative resistance of the mutant was 12.63 times more than that of Longya10. A biochemical analysis indicated that there was a Pro197Ser (relative to the Arabidopsis thaliana ALS sequence) substitution within the LuALS1, conferring high resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides in the mutant. Additionally, two cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers, BsaI-LuALS1 and EcoO109I-LuALS1, were developed based on the mutation site for marker assistant selection in breeding. Moreover, the mutant did not cause losses in natural field conditions. We find a mutant with ALS-inhibiting herbicide resistance chemically induced by EMS mutagenesis, providing a valuable germplasm for breeding herbicide-resistant flax varieties.

Understanding the molecular mechanism of drought resistance in Shanlan upland rice by transcriptome and phenotype analyses.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important grain crop worldwide, and drought has become an important factor restricting rice yield. As a unique rice germplasm in Hainan (China), Shanlan upland rice has rich genetic diversity and certain advantage for breeding water-saving and drought-resistance rice. 48 varieties, including 41 Shanlan upland rice, 3 upland rice, and 4 irrigated rice varieties was cultivated in soil pots. The drought resistance was assessed at the seedling stage using the stress coefficients of seven indicators, as the D value calculating from five principal components to rank the varieties. Five cultivars with strong, medium, and low resistance, were selected for transcriptome sequencing. The results of the GSEA analysis showed that free amino acid content increased through the redistribution of energy in Shanlan upland rice to cope with drought stress. In addition, we found that Os03g0623100 was significantly up-regulated under drought stress conditions in varieties with high drought resistance, as compared with low resistance cultivars. The Os03g0623100 was predicted to interact with LEA protein in the STRING database, which may contribute to maintaining the energy metabolisms to under stress conditions. This study provides a view of Shanlan upland rice as a drought-resistant germplasm resource, and a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of crop drought resistance.

Advances in Face-Lift Surgical Techniques: 2016-2021.

BACKGROUND: Face-lift surgery is the most crucial and constantly evolving technique of facial rejuvenation. Periodic reviews synthesizing the latest face-lift techniques may help surgeons sharpen their surgical procedures. METHODS: A literature search was conducted of the PubMed databases using the search term "face lift" and "rhytidectomy." Articles reporting rhytidectomy of the forehead/brow, midface, lower face, and neck were included. Sixty-nine articles were selected after independent screening by three of the authors. The Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine scale was used for evaluating evidence level. RESULTS: Of the 69 candidate articles, 10 studies (15%) reported techniques of neck lifting; 10 studies (15%) introduced techniques of endoscopic brow lifting; 7 studies (10%) pertained to brow lifting without endoscopic techniques. The most frequently reported locations of rhytidectomy were the brow/forehead (20%), neck (19%), and face-neck (17%). Additionally, articles regarding Asian face-lifts (14%) have been increasing. The evidence level of the articles was generally low, with only 10 articles assessed as level 1-3 with 59 articles as level 4-5. CONCLUSIONS: Face-lift articles with high-level evidence are still lacking. Prominently, forehead lifting and neck lifting have become upward trends of rhytidectomy in recent years, and the techniques of short-scar face-lift have been more valued. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Discovery of ZQ-8, a Novel Starting Point To Develop Inhibitors against the Potent Molecular Target Chitinase.

In a previous study, we found that compound ZQ-8 had a strong impact on the growth and development of Helicoverpa armigera. However, the mechanism and target of ZQ-8 are not clear, which makes it difficult to optimize the structure of this compound. In this study, the preliminary mode of action of ZQ-8 was studied through RNA sequencing and molecular docking. We also analyzed the underlying mechanisms from the aspect of ZQ-8 with respect to chitinase. The results showed that ZQ-8 mainly affects chitinase activity in the epidermis of H. armigera. ZQ-8 can competitively combine with chitinase 2 and endochitinase to form a relatively stable complex of ZQ-8, resulting in the failure of chitinase to degrade chitin. These findings indicate that the epidermis of H. armigera was identified as the action site of ZQ-8 and chitinase 2 and endochitinase were potential targets.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Uncover Key Regulators of Skin Regeneration in Human Long-Term Mechanical Stretch-Mediated Expansion Therapy.

Tissue expansion is a commonly performed therapy to grow extra skin in vivo for reconstruction. While mechanical stretch-induced epidermal changes have been extensively studied in rodents and cell culture, little is known about the mechanobiology of the human epidermis in vivo. Here, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to interrogate the changes in the human epidermis during long-term tissue expansion therapy in clinical settings. We also verified the main findings at the protein level by immunofluorescence analysis of independent clinical samples. Our data show that the expanding human skin epidermis maintained a cellular composition and lineage trajectory that are similar to its non-expanding neighbor, suggesting the cellular heterogeneity of long-term expanded samples differs from the early response to the expansion. Also, a decrease in proliferative cells due to the decayed regenerative competency was detected. On the other hand, profound transcriptional changes are detected for epidermal stem cells in the expanding skin versus their non-expanding peers. These include significantly enriched signatures of C-FOS, EMT, and mTOR pathways and upregulation of AREG and SERPINB2 genes. CellChat associated ligand-receptor pairs and signaling pathways were revealed. Together, our data present a single-cell atlas of human epidermal changes in long-term tissue expansion therapy, suggesting that transcriptional change in epidermal stem cells is the major mechanism underlying long-term human skin expansion therapy. We also identified novel therapeutic targets to promote human skin expansion efficiency in the future.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveals lineage trajectory of human scalp hair follicle and informs mechanisms of hair graying.

Hair conditions, such as hair loss and graying, are prevalent human conditions. But they are often poorly controlled due to our insufficient understanding of human scalp hair follicle (hsHF) in health and disease. Here we describe a comprehensive single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analysis on highly purified black and early-stage graying hsHFs. Based on these, a concise single-cell atlas for hsHF and its early graying changes is generated and verified using samples from multiple independent individuals. These data reveal the lineage trajectory of hsHF in unprecedented detail and uncover its multiple unexpected features not found in mouse HFs, including the presence of an innerbulge like compartment in the growing phase, lack of a discrete companion layer, and enrichment of EMT features in HF stem cells (HFSCs). Moreover, we demonstrate that besides melanocyte depletion, early-stage human hair graying is also associated with specific depletion of matrix hair progenitors but not HFSCs. The hair progenitors' depletion is accompanied by their P53 pathway activation whose pharmaceutical blockade can ameliorate hair graying in mice, enlightening a promising therapeutic avenue for this prevalent hair condition.

Research on lncRNA related to drought resistance of Shanlan upland rice.

BACKGROUND: Drought has become the major abiotic stress that causes losses in rice yields and consequently is one of the main environmental factors threatening food security. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is known to play an important role in plant response to drought stress, while the mechanisms of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in drought resistance in upland rice have been rarely reported. RESULTS: In our study, a total of 191 lncRNAs, 2115 mRNAs and 32 miRNAs (microRNAs) were found by strand-specific sequencing and small RNA sequencing to be differentially expressed in drought-stressed rice. Functional analysis of results indicate that they play important roles in hormone signal transduction, chlorophyll synthesis, protein synthesis and other pathways. Construction of a ceRNA network revealed that MSTRG.28732.3 may interact with miR171 in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway and affect the ability of plants to withstand drought stress by regulating Os02g0662700, Os02g0663100 and Os06g0105350. The accuracy of the regulatory network was verified by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSION: Our results provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the potential function of lncRNA in plant drought resistance, and they provide new genetic resources for drought-resistant rice breeding.

Antecubital Fossa Perforator Flaps for Soft-Tissue Defect Repair of the Anterior Elbow: Anatomical Study and Clinical Application.

BACKGROUND: The antecubital fossa is a main perforator cluster region located beside the anterior elbow defect, rendering it crucial to harvest the perforator pedicled flaps for the anterior elbow defects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 30 preserved cadaveric forearms were dissected in order to describe the perforator anatomy in the antecubital fossa. For each perforator, the number, the site of origin, the diameter at its origin, and the trajectory were recorded. In addition, all the patients treated for anterior elbow defects using inferior cubital artery (ICA) perforator pedicled flaps between June 2013 and June 2018 were reviewed in this retrospective study. RESULTS: A total of 85 perforators were dissected in the antecubital fossa area from the 30 specimens. Among these, 65 perforators originated from the radial artery, 6 from the recurrent radial artery, 13 from the brachial artery, and 1 from the ulnar artery. Each forearm specimen had a constant and large ICA perforator. All perforators originated from source vessels 2-5 cm distal from the interepicondylar line and could be harvested as perforator pedicled flap for anterior elbow reconstruction. In the clinical study, 11 patients with anterior elbow defects were treated with ICA perforator pedicled flaps with satisfactory functional and aesthetic outcomes. CONCLUSION: The antecubital fossa has a constant and dominant ICA perforator and many other perforators. The pedicled antecubital fossa perforator flaps could be harvested flexibly with a reliable blood supply for anterior elbow reconstruction.

Autologous rib cartilage as implanted stiffener of phalloplasty: comparing three different methods.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining the length, rigidity, and appearance of a reconstructed phallus in the long term has been challenging for phalloplasty and may depend on choosing the optimal implanted stiffener. The aim of this study was to determine the best type of stiffener for a reconstructed phallus regarding aesthetic and functional parameters. METHODS: From 1987 to 2018, 376 individuals underwent phalloplasty at a single institution of which 81 met the following inclusion criteria: biological male gender, age between 18 and 60 years, radial forearm flap for tube-within-a-tube phalloplasty with rib cartilage and secondary glans sculpting and unimpaired urination preoperatively. Those were divided into three groups with regard to different types of autologous rib cartilage stiffener. A group with a cartilage strip, T-shaped cartilage, and mushroom-shaped cartilage group were evaluated regarding preserved length and aesthetic features of the phallus during a minimum period of 12 months. The rib cartilage length in the phallus was 10.5 cm in all groups. RESULTS: The length of the phallus was 10.8 ± 0.5 cm in the cartilage strip group, 11.3 ± 0.3 cm in the T-shaped cartilage group and 11.3 ± 0.3 cm in the mushroom-shaped cartilage group at 1-year postoperatively. The aesthetic appearance score of mushroom-shaped cartilage group was 1.67 ± 0.48, significantly higher than the cartilage strip group (1.38 ± 0.50, p = 0.03) at 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The mushroom-shaped autologous rib cartilage group showed superior length preservation and aesthetic appearance and appeared as the best type of stiffener for one-phase phalloplasty.

CD39+ Fibroblasts Enhance Myofibroblast Activation by Promoting IL-11 Secretion in Hypertrophic Scars.

Fibroblasts (Fbs) are critical to hypertrophic scar (HTS) formation and were recently shown to be highly heterogeneous. However, Fb heterogeneity in HTSs has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we observed an increased fraction of CD39+ Fbs in HTS after screening four Fb subtypes (CD26+, CD36+, FAP+, and CD39+). CD39+ Fbs, enriched in the upper dermis, were positively correlated with scar severity. The transcriptional analysis of CD39+ and CD39- Fbs sorted from HTS revealed that IL-11 was more highly expressed in CD39+ Fbs. We then showed that IL-11 was upregulated in HTSs and that its expression was induced by TGFß1 in vitro. TGFß1 also stimulated the expression of CD39 at the transcriptional and protein levels, mediating the maintenance of the CD39+ phenotype. Furthermore, IL-11 facilitated myofibroblast activation and extracellular matrix production in both CD39+ and CD39- Fbs. Interestingly, CD39+ Fbs secreted more IL-11 on TGFß1 treatment and were less responsive to IL-11 than CD39- Fbs. Notably, a CD39 inhibitor effectively reduced stretch-induced scar formation and attenuated bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis, suggesting an antiscarring approach by targeting CD39+ Fbs.

Genome-wide identification and functional characterization of LEA genes during seed development process in linseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.).

BACKGROUND: LEA proteins are widely distributed in the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as in micro-organisms. LEA genes make up a large family and function in plant protection against a variety of adverse conditions. RESULTS: Bioinformatics approaches were adopted to identify LEA genes in the flax genome. In total, we found 50 LEA genes in the genome. We also conducted analyses of the physicochemical parameters and subcellular location of the genes and generated a phylogenetic tree. LuLEA genes were unevenly mapped among 15 flax chromosomes and 90% of the genes had less than two introns. Expression profiles of LuLEA showed that most LuLEA genes were expressed at a late stage of seed development. Functionally, the LuLEA1 gene reduced seed size and fatty acid contents in LuLEA1-overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis lines. CONCLUSION: Our study adds valuable knowledge about LEA genes in flax which can be used to improve related genes of seed development.