Phytohormonal regulation determines the organization pattern of shoot aerenchyma in greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza).

Airspace or aerenchyma is crucial for plant development and acclimation to stresses such as hypoxia, drought, and nutritional deficiency. Although ethylene-mediated signaling cascades are known to regulate aerenchyma formation in stems and roots under hypoxic conditions, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, the cellular dynamics underlying airspace formation in shoots are poorly understood. We investigated the stage-dependent structural dynamics of shoot aerenchyma in greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), a fast-growing aquatic herb with well-developed aerenchyma in its floating fronds. Using X-ray micro-computed tomography and histological analysis, we showed that the spatial framework of aerenchyma is established before frond volume increases, driven by cell division and expansion. The substomatal cavity connecting aerenchyma to stomata formed via programmed cell death (PCD) and was closely associated with guard cell development. Additionally, transcriptome analysis and pharmacological studies revealed that the organization of aerenchyma in common duckweed is determined by the interplay between PCD and proliferation. This balance is governed by spatiotemporal regulation of phytohormone signaling involving ethylene, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid. Overall, our study reveals the structural dynamics and phytohormonal regulation underlying aerenchyma development in duckweed, improving our understanding of how plants establish distinct architectural arrangements. These insights hold the potential for wide-ranging application, not only in comprehending aerenchyma formation across various plant species but also in understanding how airspaces are formed within the leaves of terrestrial plants.

Sterol Biosynthesis Contributes to Brefeldin-A-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Resistance in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism in most eukaryotes. In this response, sterols in the phospholipid bilayer play a crucial role in controlling membrane fluidity and homeostasis. Despite the significance of both the ER stress response and sterols in maintaining ER homeostasis, their relationship remains poorly explored. Our investigation focused on Chlamydomonas strain CC-4533 and revealed that free sterol biosynthesis increased in response to ER stress, except in mutants of the ER stress sensor IRE1. Transcript analysis of Chlamydomonas experiencing ER stress unveiled the regulatory role of the IRE1/bZIP1 pathway in inducing the expression of ERG5, which encodes C-22 sterol desaturase. Through the isolation of three erg5 mutant alleles, we observed a defect in the synthesis of Chlamydomonas' sterol end products, ergosterol and 7-dehydroporiferasterol. Furthermore, these erg5 mutants also exhibited increased sensitivity to ER stress induced by brefeldin A (BFA, an inhibitor of ER-Golgi trafficking), whereas tunicamycin (Tm, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation) and dithiothreitol (DTT, an inhibitor of disulfide-bond formation) had no such effect. Intriguingly, the sterol biosynthesis inhibitors fenpropimorph (Fp) and fenhexamid (Fh), which impede steps upstream of the ERG5 enzyme in sterol biosynthesis, rescued BFA hypersensitivity in CC-4533 cells. Collectively, our findings support the conclusion that the accumulation of intermediates in the sterol biosynthetic pathway influences ER stress in a complex manner. This study highlights the significance and complexity of regulating sterol biosynthesis during the ER stress response in microalgae.

Effects of left thigh blood flow restriction exercise on muscle strength and golf performance in amateur golfers.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of lower-extremity strengthening exercise (LSE) with and without blood flow restriction (BFR) on the left thigh on golf performance. Eighteen amateur golfers with more than 1 year of golf experience participated in the study and were randomly divided into two groups: LSE+BFR group (LSE with BFR on the left thigh, n=9) and LSE group (LSE without BFR, n=9). The LSEs consisted of squats, lunges, and standing leg curls. All exercises were performed 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Changes in thigh muscle strength, plantar foot pressure (weight transfer), and golf performance, such as club head speed, ball speed, and carry distance were measured before and after the exercise program. Right knee extension (P<0.001) and left knee extension and flexion (P<0.001) strength were higher in the LSE+BFR group than in the LSE group. The changes in plantar foot pressure confirmed that smooth weight transfer appeared in E1 (event 1) (address) (P<0.05) of the LSE+BFR group, which confirmed that the carry distance (P<0.05) of the LSE+BFR group improved after the exercise program. The results of this study showed that BFR muscle strengthening exercise are more effective than basic simple muscle strengthening exercise in improving golf performance through muscle strength and weight transfer improvement.

Arabidopsis ABCG27 plays an essential role in flower and leaf development by modulating abscisic acid content.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that mediates stress responses and regulates plant development. Several ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in the G subfamily of ABC (ABCG) proteins have been reported to transport ABA. We investigated whether there are any other ABCG proteins that mediate plant developmental processes regulated by ABA in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The ABCG27 gene was upregulated in response to exogenous ABA treatment. The abcg27 knockout mutant exhibited two developmental defects: epinastic leaves and abnormally long pistils, which reduced fertility and silique length. ABCG27 expression was induced threefold when flower buds were exposed to exogenous ABA, and the promoter of ABCG27 had two ABA-responsive elements. ABA content in the pistil and true leaves were increased in the abcg27 knockout mutant. Detached abcg27 pistils exposed to exogenous ABA grew longer than those of the wild-type control. ABCG27 fused to GFP localized to the plasma membrane when expressed in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts. A transcriptome analysis of the pistils and true leaves of the wild type and abcg27 knockout mutant revealed that the expression of organ development-related genes changed in the knockout mutant. In particular, the expression of trans-acting small interference (ta-si) RNA processing enzyme genes, which regulate flower and leaf development, was low in the knockout mutant. Together, these results suggest that ABCG27 most likely function as an ABA transporter at the plasma membrane, modulating ABA levels and thereby regulating the development of the pistils and leaves under normal, non-stressed conditions.

One-year Cohort Follow-up on the Diagnosis and Posttraumatic Symptoms in Child Sexual Assault Victims in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: The victims and their families of child sexual abuse (CSA) may confront persistent psychological sequela. We aimed to investigate the psychological symptoms, diagnosis, and family functions in children and adolescents with CSA. METHODS: We assessed the symptom scales at 6-month intervals, and conducted diagnostic re-assessments at 1-year intervals. Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales IV (FACES-IV), and Family Communication Scale (FCS) scores were reported by children or parents. RESULTS: We found in parent-reported TSCYC, that posttraumatic stress symptoms domain scores significantly decreased with time progression. The scores decreased more in the evidence-based treatment group over time in anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptom domains of TSCC. In FACES-IV and FCS scores, indices of family function have been gradually increasing both after 6 months and after 1 year compared to the initial evaluation. Further, about 64% of the children diagnosed with psychiatric diseases, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the initial assessment maintained the same diagnosis at follow-up. CONCLUSION: We observed changes in psychological symptoms and family functioning in sexually abused children with time progression during 1 year. It is postulated that PTSD may be a persistent major mental illness in the victims of CSA.

Dual-afferent sensory input training for voluntary movement after stroke: A pilot randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Stimulation through afferent sensory input is necessary to improve voluntary functional movement in stroke patients. OBJECTIVES: Dual-afferent sensory input, which combines electromyography-triggered functional electric stimulation (ETFES) and action observation, was investigated to determine its effects on voluntary movements in stroke patients. METHODS: This study was conducted on 18 patients with left hemiplegia diagnosed between 6 and 24 months prior. The 9 subjects in the dual-afferent sensory input (DASI) group underwent ETFES with action observation training for 4 weeks (20 min/d, 5 d/wk), while the 9 control group subjects underwent functional electric stimulation (FES) for the same duration. The outcome measures were the movement-related cortical potential (MRCP), H-reflex, electromyography (EMG), and balance. RESULTS: The control and DASI groups showed significant increases in MRCP, muscle activity, and balance, while H-reflex was significantly decreased. MRCP and balance showed significant differences between DASI and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: DASI stimulates voluntary movement in patients, causes rapid activation of the cerebral cortex, and reduces excessive excitation of spinal motor neurons. Therefore, DASI, which stimulates voluntary movement, has a greater effect on brain activation in stroke patients.

Plant ABC Transporters Enable Many Unique Aspects of a Terrestrial Plant's Lifestyle.

Terrestrial plants have two to four times more ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes than other organisms, including their ancestral microalgae. Recent studies found that plants harboring mutations in these transporters exhibit dramatic phenotypes, many of which are related to developmental processes and functions necessary for life on dry land. These results suggest that ABC transporters multiplied during evolution and assumed novel functions that allowed plants to adapt to terrestrial environmental conditions. Examining the literature on plant ABC transporters from this viewpoint led us to propose that diverse ABC transporters enabled many unique and essential aspects of a terrestrial plant's lifestyle, by transporting various compounds across specific membranes of the plant.

Neurofeedback training improves the dual-task performance ability in stroke patients.

Owing to the reduced capacity for information processing following a stroke, patients commonly present with difficulties in performing activities of daily living that combine two or more tasks. To address this problem, in the present study, we investigated the effects of neurofeedback training on the abilities of stroke patients to perform dual motor tasks. We randomly assigned 20 patients who had sustained a stroke within the preceding 6 months to either a pseudo-neurofeedback (n = 10) or neurofeedback (n = 10) group. Both groups participated in a general exercise intervention for 8 weeks, three times a week for 30 min per session, under the same conditions. An electrode was secured to the scalp over the region of the central lobe (Cz), in compliance with the International 10-20 System. The electrode was inactive for the pseudo-training group. Participants in the neurofeedback training group received the 30-min neurofeedback training per session for reinforcing the sensorimotor rhythm. Electroencephalographic activity of the two groups was compared. In addition, selected parameters of gait (velocity, cadence [step/min], stance phase [%], and foot pressure) were analyzed using a 10-m walk test, attention-demanding task, walk task and quantified by the SmartStep system. The neurofeedback group showed significantly improved the regulation of the sensorimotor rhythm (p < 0.001) and ability to execute dual tasks (p < 0.01). Significant improvements on selected gait parameters (velocity and cadence; p < 0.05) were also observed. We thus propose that the neurofeedback training is effective to improve the dual-task performance in stroke patients.

Analgesic effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on central post-stroke pain.

Pain that occurs after a stroke lowers the quality of life. Such post-stroke pain is caused in part by the brain lesion itself, called central post-stroke pain. We investigated the analgesic effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in stroke patients through quantitative sensory testing. Fourteen participants with central post-stroke pain (7 female and 7 male subjects) were recruited and were allocated to either tDCS (n = 7) or sham-tDCS (n = 7) group. Their ages ranged from 45 to 55 years. tDCS was administered for 20 min at a 2-mA current intensity, with anodal stimulations were performed at primary motor cortex. The sham-tDCS group was stimulated 30-second current carrying time. Both group interventions were given for 3 days per week, for a period of 3 weeks. Subjective pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0 to 10. Sensations of cold and warmth, and pain from cold and heat were quantified to examine analgesic effects. The sham-tDCS group showed no statistically significant differences in time. In contrast, tDCS group showed decreased VAS scores and skin temperature (p < 0.05). The threshold temperatures for the sense of cold and pain from cold increased (p < 0.05), and those for the sense of warmth and pain from heat decreased (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that tDCS improved sensory identification and exerted analgesic effects in the stroke patients with central post-stroke pain.

Effect of lithospermi radix on contact dermatitis induced by dinitrofluorobenzene in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. (Lithospermi Radix, LR) is a kind of heat clearing and blood cooling medicinal herbs. It can clear away heat and cool the blood, reduce toxins and disperse maculae. LR has long been used as efficacious therapy for inflammation, burns, frostbite and skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. METHODS: In the present study, we investigate anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects of LR by using the 1-fluoro-2, 4- dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced contact dermatitis mouse model. RESULTS: Topical application of 10 mg/mL of LR effectively inhibited skin lesions induced by repeated paintings with DNFB. Topical application of LR also inhibited hyperplasia, edema, spongiosis and infiltrations of mononuclear cells. In addition, production levels of total immunoglobulin and IgG1 in serum were decreased by using LR in vivo. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that LR acts as an antiinflammatory agent, improving skin lesions in CD mice.