Frontal EEG alpha asymmetry predicts foreign language anxiety while speaking a foreign language.

Engaging in dialog requires interlocutors to coordinate sending and receiving linguistic signals to build a discourse based upon interpretations and perceptions interconnected with a range of emotions. Conversing in a foreign language may induce emotions such as anxiety which influence the quality communication. The neural processes underpinning these interactions are crucial to understanding foreign language anxiety (FLA). Electroencephalography (EEG) studies reveal that anxiety is often displayed via hemispheric frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). To examine the neural mechanisms underlying FLA, we collected self-reported data on the listening and speaking sections of the Second language skill specific anxiety scale (L2AS) over behavioral, cognitive, and somatic domains and recorded EEG signals during participation in word chain turn-taking activities in first (L1, Chinese) and second (L2, English) languages. Regression analysis showed FAA for the L2 condition was a significant predictor primarily of the behavioral and somatic domains on the L2AS speaking section. The results are discussed along with implications for improving communication during L2 interactions.

Social life of free-living amoebae in aquatic environment- comprehensive insights into interactions of free-living amoebae with neighboring microorganisms.

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are prevalent in nature and man-made environments, and they can survive in harsh conditions by forming cysts. Studies have discovered that some FLA species are able to show pathogenicity to human health, leading to severe infections of central nervous systems, eyes, etc. with an extremely low rate of recovery. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a surveillance framework for FLA in environmental habitats. While many studies investigated the risks of independent FLA, interactions between FLA and surrounding microorganisms determined microbial communities in ecosystems and further largely influenced public health. Here we systematically discussed the interactions between FLA and different types of microorganisms and corresponding influences on behaviors and health risks of FLA in the environment. Specifically, bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes can interact with FLA and cause either enhanced or inhibited effects on FLA infectivity, along with microorganism community changes. Therefore, considering the co-existence of FLA and other microorganisms in the environment is of great importance for reducing environmental health risks.

Isolation of Naegleria lustrarea n. sp. (Excavata, Discoba, Heterolobosea) from the feces of Ambystoma annulatum (Ringed Salamander) in Northwest Arkansas.

The salamander, Ambystoma annulatum, is considered a "species of special concern" in the state of Arkansas, USA, due to its limited geographic range, specialized habitat requirements and low population size. Although metazoan parasites have been documented in this salamander species, neither its native protists nor microbiome have yet been evaluated. This is likely due to the elusive nature and under-sampling of the animal. Here, we initiate the cataloguing of microbial associates with the identification of a new heterlobosean species, Naegleria lustrarea n. sp. (Excavata, Discoba, Heterolobosea), isolated from feces of an adult A. annulatum.

Functional analysis of fasciclin-like arabinogalactan in carotenoid synthesis during tomato fruit ripening.

Carotenoids are important pigmented nutrients synthesized by tomato fruits during ripening. To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying carotenoid synthesis during tomato fruit ripening, we analyzed carotenoid metabolites and transcriptomes in six development stages of tomato fruits. A total of thirty different carotenoids were detected and quantified in tomato fruits from 10 to 60 DPA. Based on differential gene expression profiles and WGCNA, we explored several genes that were highly significant and negatively correlated with lycopene, all of which encode fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs). The FLAs are involved in plant signal transduction, however the functional role of these proteins has not been studied in tomato. Genome-wide analysis revealed that cultivated and wild tomato species contained 18 to 22 FLA family members, clustered into four groups, and mainly evolved by means of segmental duplication. The functional characterization of FLAs showed that silencing of SlFLA1, 5, and 13 were found to contribute to the early coloration of tomato fruits, and the expression of carotenoid synthesis-related genes was up-regulated in fruits that changed phenotypically, especially in SlFLA13-silenced plants. Furthermore, the content of multiple carotenoids (including (E/Z)-phytoene, lycopene, γ-carotene, and α-carotene) was significantly increased in SlFLA13-silenced fruits, suggesting that SlFLA13 has a potential inhibitory function in regulating carotenoid synthesis in tomato fruits. The results of the present study broaden the idea of analyzing the biological functions of tomato FLAs and preliminary evidence for the inhibitory role of SlFLA13 in carotenoid synthesis in fruit, providing the theoretical basis and a candidate for improving tomato fruit quality.

Transperineal Laser Ablation (TPLA) Treatment of Focal Low-Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer.

Background: This interventional pilot study aimed to evaluate the short-term (3 years) efficacy of focal laser ablation (FLA) in treating the index lesion of low-intermediate-risk prostate cancer, along with assessing the safety of the procedure (ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04045756). Methods: Forty patients aged between 46 and 86 with histologically proven organ-confined prostate cancer and low-to-intermediate progression risk were included. FLA was performed under percutaneous fusion magnetic resonance/ultrasound guidance in a Day Hospital setting under local anesthesia. Patients underwent regular clinical and functional assessments through the international index of erectile function (IIEF-5) and the International Prostatism Symptom Score (IPSS), PSA measurements, post-procedure MRI scans, and biopsies at 36 months or if positive findings were detected earlier. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess trends in PSA levels and cavity dimensions over time. Results: Forty patients were initially included, with fifteen lost to follow-up. At 36 months, a mean PSA reduction of 60% was observed, and 80% of MRI scans showed no signs of in-field clinically significant residual/recurrent cancer. Biopsies at 36 months revealed no malignant findings in 20 patients. No deterioration in sexual function or urinary symptoms was recorded. Conclusions: FLA appears to be safe, feasible, and effective in the index lesion treatment of low-intermediate-risk prostate cancer, with a high rate of tumor eradication and preservation of quality of life.

Influence of salt and temperature in the growth of pathogenic free-living amoebae.

Introduction: Free-living amoebae are an extensive group of protistans that can be found in a wide variety of environments. Among them, the Acanthamoeba genus and Naegleria fowleri stand out as two of the most pathogenic amoebae and with a higher number of reported cases. N. fowleri is mainly found in warm freshwater water bodies whereas amoebae of the Acanthamoeba genus are broadly distributed through natural and anthropogenic environments. In this regard, the management and the control of the amoebic populations in swimming pools has become a major public health challenge for institutions. Methods: The aim of this work was to evaluate the growth pattern of trophozoites of A. griffini and N. fowleri at different temperatures and salt concentrations. Results and discussion: Our results showed that A. griffini resisted a higher concentration of salt than N. fowleri. Moreover, no trophozoites could withstand the salt levels of the sea in in vitro conditions. This work supports the contention that salinity could represent an important and useful tool for the control of the most pathogenic amoebic populations in recreational water bodies.

Metagenomics insights into microbiome and antibiotic resistance genes from free living amoeba in chlorinated wastewater effluents.

Free living amoeba (FLA) are among the organisms commonly found in wastewater and are well-established hosts for diverse microbial communities. Despite its clinical significance, there is little knowledge on the FLA microbiome and resistome, with previous studies relying mostly on conventional approaches. In this study we comprehensively analyzed the microbiome, antibiotic resistome and virulence factors (VFs) within FLA isolated from final treated effluents of two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) using shotgun metagenomics. Acanthamoeba has been identified as the most common FLA, followed by Entamoeba. The bacterial diversity showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in FLA microbiomes obtained from the two WWTPs. At phylum level, the most dominant taxa were Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The most abundant genera identified were Enterobacter followed by Citrobacter, Paenibacillus, and Cupriavidus. The latter three genera are reported here for the first time in Acanthamoeba. In total, we identified 43 types of ARG conferring resistance to cephalosporins, phenicol, streptomycin, trimethoprim, quinolones, cephalosporins, tigecycline, rifamycin, and kanamycin. Similarly, a variety of VFs in FLA metagenomes were detected which included flagellar proteins, Type IV pili twitching motility proteins (pilH and rpoN), alginate biosynthesis genes AlgI, AlgG, AlgD and AlgW and Type VI secretion system proteins and general secretion pathway proteins (tssM, tssA, tssL, tssK, tssJ, fha, tssG, tssF, tssC and tssB, gspC, gspE, gspD, gspF, gspG, gspH, gspI, gspJ, gspK, and gspM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to examine both the microbiomes and resistome in FLA, as well as their potential pathogenicity in treated effluents. Additionally, this study showed that FLA can host a variety of potentially pathogenic bacteria including Paenibacillus, and Cupriavidus that had not previously been reported, indicating that their relationship may play a role in the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as the evolution of novel pathogens.

Enhanced Luminescence of Yb3+ Ions Implanted to ZnO through the Selection of Optimal Implantation and Annealing Conditions.

Rare earth-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:RE) systems are attractive for future optoelectronic devices such as phosphors, displays, and LEDs with emission in the visible spectral range, working even in a radiation-intense environment. The technology of these systems is currently under development, opening up new fields of application due to the low-cost production. Ion implantation is a very promising technique to incorporate rare-earth dopants into ZnO. However, the ballistic nature of this process makes the use of annealing essential. The selection of implantation parameters, as well as post-implantation annealing, turns out to be non-trivial because they determine the luminous efficiency of the ZnO:RE system. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the optimal implantation and annealing conditions, ensuring the most efficient luminescence of RE3+ ions in the ZnO matrix. Deep and shallow implantations, implantations performed at high and room temperature with various fluencies, as well as a range of post-RT implantation annealing processes are tested: rapid thermal annealing (minute duration) under different temperatures, times, and atmospheres (O2, N2, and Ar), flash lamp annealing (millisecond duration) and pulse plasma annealing (microsecond duration). It is shown that the highest luminescence efficiency of RE3+ is obtained for the shallow implantation at RT with the optimal fluence of 1.0 × 1015 RE ions/cm2 followed by a 10 min annealing in oxygen at 800 °C, and the light emission from such a ZnO:RE system is so bright that can be observed with the naked eye.

Pathogenic free-living amoebic encephalitis from 48 cases in China: A systematic review.

Background: Free-living amoebae (FLA) including Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., and Balamuthia mandrillaris can become pathogenic and cause severe cerebral infections, named primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), and balamuthia amoebic encephalitis (BAE), respectively. FLA encephalitis has been reported across China, but the clinical data descriptions and analytical results of these different reports vary widely. Currently, no consensus treatment has been established. We conduct a systematic review to evaluate the exposure location, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of three FLA encephalitis and aim to reveal the differences between three FLA encephalitis in China. Methods: We used MEDLINE (PubMed interface), EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, and China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc) databases for literatures published and manually retrieve the hospital records of our hospital. The search time was up to August 30, 2022, with no language restrictions. Results: After excluding possible duplicate cases, a total of 48 patients of three FLA encephalitis were collected. One from the medical records of our hospital and 47 patients from 31 different studies. There were 11 patients of PAM, 10 patients of GAE, and 27 patients of BAE. The onset of PAM is mostly acute or subacute, and the clinical symptoms are acute and fulminant hemorrhagic meningoencephalitis. Most patients with GAE and BAE have an insidious onset and a chronic course. A total of 21 BAE patients (77.8%) had skin lesions before onset of symptoms. Additionally, 37 cases (77.1%) were diagnosed with FLA encephalitis before death. And there were 4 of PAM, 2 of GAE, and 10 of BAE diagnosed using next generation sequencing. No single agent can be proposed as the ideal therapy by itself. Only 6 cases were successfully treated. Conclusions: This review provides an overview of the available data and studies of FLA encephalitis in China and identify some potential differences. FLA encephalitis is a rare but pathogenic infection, and physicians should early identify this encephalitis to improve survival.

Multi-residue analysis of certain lanolin nipple care products for trace contaminants.

BACKGROUND: Topical lanolin is commonly used on nipples to aid breastfeeding success. The raw material undergoes refinement to remove contaminants such as pesticides, which may accumulate from exogenous environmental sources. The level of refinement influences final lanolin purity. For use in nipple creams, a lanolin which complies with a published monograph (either USP or Ph. Eur.) is desirable to ensure a non-toxic product with neutral taste and smell, and low allergenicity. METHODS: The aim of this study was to determine the residual trace pesticide levels and quantify the Free Lanolin Alcohols (FLA) levels in two commercially available lanolin products (HPA LANOLIN (Lansinoh Laboratories Inc.); PURELAN (Medela AG)) and two lanolin ingredients (PHARMALAN PH EU-SO-(RB) and CORONA-8 SO-(RB) (Croda, Goole, UK)) using established validated methods. Test samples were subjected to Gas-Chromatographic and Liquid-Chromatographic analysis to quantify and identify a panel of 178 pesticide residues. FLA levels and the presence of oxidative metabolites were also determined. RESULTS: The purity of the lanolin ingredients was consistent with expectations based on their level of refinement; lanolin in compliance with the Ph. Eur. monograph demonstrated the highest level of purity. Differences were seen between the lanolin nipple creams tested, in terms of FLA levels and pesticide residue levels. Specifically, the HPA LANOLIN contained an extremely low level of FLA (0.61%), which was fourfold less than in the PURELAN (2.76%). Additionally, the HPA LANOLIN did not contain any detectable pesticide residues. The PURELAN was found to contain a number of pesticide residues, however the detected levels were low and within the permitted limits and so despite their presence, the PURELAN was still compliant with the relevant monographs. CONCLUSIONS: This data reinforces that the purity of monograph compliant Lanolin makes it suitable for use on the nipples of breastfeeding mothers. A higher level of refinement leads to a reduction in pesticide contaminants also reduces FLA levels in the final material, minimizing the risk of allergenicity.

The fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins of Camellia oil tree are involved in pollen tube growth.

Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs) are a class of highly glycosylated glycoproteins that perform crucial functions in plant growth and development. This study was carried out to further explore their roles in pollen tube growth. The results showed that seven members (CoFLA1/2/3/4/7/8/17) of the CoFLAs family were identified by sequence characteristics, and they all possessed the fasciclin 1 (FAS1) domain and H1 and H2 conserved domains. They were all located on the plasma membranes of tobacco epidermal cells, and the GPI-anchor sequences of CoFLA1/2/3/4 determined the membrane localization. In flower tissues, CoFLA2 and CoFLA8 were not expressed in the pollen tube but were expressed in the unpollinated style and ovary; the others were all expressed in the pollen tube. In the pollination-compatible style and ovary, they exhibited different expression patterns. Furthermore, all CoFLAs promoted pollen germination in vitro, while only CoFLA7 significantly promoted pollen tube elongation, and the expression of CoFLA1/3/4/7/17 in pollen tubes was regulated by CoFLA proteins. The ABA and ABA synthetic inhibitor (sodium tungstate, ST) both inhibited pollen tube elongation; however, only ST downregulated the expression of CoFLA1/7/17 and upregulated the expression of CoFLA4. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CoFLAs may be significant in pollen tube growth in C. oleifera and that some CoFLAs may participate in the regulation of ABA signaling.

Distribution and Current State of Molecular Genetic Characterization in Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae.

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa widely distributed in the environment, found in a great diversity of terrestrial biomes. Some genera of FLA are linked to human infections. The genus Acanthamoeba is currently classified into 23 genotypes (T1-T23), and of these some (T1, T2, T4, T5, T10, T12, and T18) are known to be capable of causing granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) mainly in immunocompromised patients while other genotypes (T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T10, T11, T12, and T15) cause Acanthamoeba keratitis mainly in otherwise healthy patients. Meanwhile, Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of an acute infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), while Balamuthia mandrillaris, like some Acanthamoeba genotypes, causes GAE, differing from the latter in the description of numerous cases in patients immunocompetent. Finally, other FLA related to the pathologies mentioned above have been reported; Sappinia sp. is responsible for one case of amoebic encephalitis; Vermamoeba vermiformis has been found in cases of ocular damage, and its extraordinary capacity as endocytobiont for microorganisms of public health importance such as Legionella pneumophila, Bacillus anthracis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among others. This review addressed issues related to epidemiology, updating their geographic distribution and cases reported in recent years for pathogenic FLA.

Exploring the nature of interaction between shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and free-living amoeba - Acanthamoeba sp.

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in nature, known to cause severe eye infections and central nervous system disorders. There is growing attention to the potential role that these protozoa could act as reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, to the possibility that, the persistence and spread of the latter may be facilitated, by exploiting internalization into amoebae. Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic agents capable of causing serious diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Cattle represent the main natural reservoir of STEC, which are frequently found also in other domestic and wild ruminants, often without causing any evident symptoms of disease. The aspects related to the ecology of STEC strains in animal reservoirs and the environment are poorly known, including the persistence of these microorganisms within niches unfavorable to survival, such as soils or waters. In this study we investigated the interaction between STEC strains of serotype O157: H7 with different virulence gene profiles, and a genus of a wild free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba sp. Our results confirm the ability of STEC strains to survive up to 20 days within a wild Acanthamoeba sp., in a quiescent state persisting in a non-cultivable form, until they reactivate following some stimulus of an unknown nature. Furthermore, our findings show that during their internalization, the E. coli O157 kept the set of the main virulence genes intact, preserving their pathogenetic potential. These observations suggest that the internalization in free-living amoebae may represent a means for STEC to resist in environments with non-permissive growth conditions. Moreover, by staying within the protozoa, STEC could escape their detection in the vehicles of infections and resist to the treatments used for the disinfection of the livestock environment.

Construction of a mutant Bacillus subtilis strain for high purity poly-γ-glutamic acid production.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a Bacillus subtilis strain for improved purity of poly-γ-glutamic acid. RESULTS: The construction of strain GH16 was achieved by knocking out five genes encoding extracellular proteins and an operon from Bacillus subtilis G423. We then analyzed the amount of protein impurities in the γ-PGA produced by the resulting strain GH16/pHPG, which decreased from 1.48 to 1.39%. Subsequently the fla-che operon, PBSX, as well as the yrpD, ywoF and yclQ genes were knocked out successively, resulting in the mutant strains GH17, GH18 and GH19. Ultimately, the amount of protein impurities was reduced from 1.48 to 0.83%. In addition, the amount of polysaccharide impurities in the γ-PGA was also decreased from 2.21 to 1.93% after knocking out the epsA-O operon. CONCLUSIONS: The high purity γ-PGA producer was constructed, and the resulting strain was a promising platform for the manufacture of other highly pure extracellular products and secretory proteins.

Target identification of anti-diabetic and anti-obesity flavonoid derivative (Fla-CN).

Fla-CN is a flavonoid derivative with anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects; however, its biological targets are still unknown. In this study, we developed bifunctional affinity-based probes to identify the direct targets of Fla-CN. When using probe 3, we observed the co-location of probe 3 and mitochondria in both HepG2 and 3T3-L1 cells. The putative target proteomes were obtained using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and photo-affinity labelling. Pyruvate carboxylase, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial complex I, and F1FO-ATPase were validated as the direct targets of Fla-CN by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and biochemical assays. It was elucidated that the Tyr651, Gln870 and Lys912 were the key amino acid residues near the binding site of pyruvate carboxylase with Fla-CN. The direct interaction of Fla-CN and the above four targets allowed elucidation of its complicated molecular mechanism, including the activation of adenosine 5-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and the inhibition of gluconeogenesis. Further investigation for activation of AMPK in normal and insulin resistance (IR) HepG2 cells, indicated that Fla-CN could target insulin resistance tissues.

Cutaneous balamuthiasis: A clinicopathological study.

INTRODUCTION: Balamuthia mandrillaris, a free-living amoeba, causes an uncommon infection that is characterized by cutaneous and neurological involvement, which carries a poor prognosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study including patients with clinical suspicion of cutaneous balamuthiasis, their skin biopsies, and/or a positive direct immunofluorescence test. The data were collected from the Dermatology and Pathology service of the Hospital Cayetano Heredia and the Instituto Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Lima, Peru, from January 1985 to June 2007. We identified 60 biopsies from 35 patients, from which clinical data were available in 30. RESULTS: Twenty-two (73%) patients had centrofacial lesions, mostly located on the nose. The classical lesion was an asymptomatic, erythematous, or violaceous infiltrated plaque. Twenty-two (73%) patients had neurologic involvement. Fifty (83%) biopsies showed granulomatous dermatitis and 75% showed ill-defined tuberculoid granulomas without caseous necrosis. Multinucleated giant cells were observed in 52 (87%) biopsies. Trophozoite forms were identified in the biopsies of 25 (71%) patients. Direct immunofluorescence was positive in 25 (71%) patients. CONCLUSION: B. mandrillaris is a pathogen that is capable of inducing a characteristic skin lesion with a reaction pattern of ill-defined tuberculoid granulomas and many giant cells.

The strengths and weaknesses of Live Fluorescently Labelled Algae (LFLA) to estimate herbivory in protozooplankton and mixoplankton.

The Live Fluorescently Labelled Algae (LFLA) technique has been used numerous times to estimate microzooplankton herbivory. Yet, it is unknown how mixoplankton (i.e., single-cell organisms that can combine phototrophy and phagotrophy) affect the outcome of this technique. Hence, we conducted a broad-spectrum assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the LFLA technique, using several mixoplanktonic and protozooplanktonic grazers. Species from different taxonomic groups and different feeding mechanisms were tested in short-term experiments (ca. 5 h) in the laboratory, at different prey concentrations and during light and dark periods of the day. Overall, our findings suggest that the LFLA technique, due to its short-term nature, is an effective tracker of diel ingestion and digestion rates, and can detect new mixoplanktonic predators. We recommend that, irrespective of the prey concentration, incubations to measure grazing rates with this technique should generally be concluded within 1 h (adaptable to the environmental temperature). Nevertheless, our results also call for caution whenever using LFLA in the field: feeding mechanisms other than direct engulfment (like peduncle feeding) may provide severely biased ingestion rates. Furthermore, size and species selectivity are very hard to circumvent. To reduce the effects of selectivity, we propose the combined use of two distinctly coloured fluorochromes (i.e., distinct emission spectra). With this modification, one could either label different size ranges of prey or account for species-specific interactions in the food web.

FLA11 and FLA12 glycoproteins fine-tune stem secondary wall properties in response to mechanical stresses.

Secondary cell walls (SCWs) in stem xylem vessel and fibre cells enable plants to withstand the enormous compressive forces associated with upright growth. It remains unclear if xylem vessel and fibre cells can directly sense mechanical stimuli and modify their SCW during development. We provide evidence that Arabidopsis SCW-specific Fasciclin-Like Arabinogalactan-proteins 11 (FLA11) and 12 (FLA12) are possible cell surface sensors regulating SCW development in response to mechanical stimuli. Plants overexpressing FLA11 (OE-FLA11) showed earlier SCW development compared to the wild-type (WT) and altered SCW properties that phenocopy WT plants under compression stress. By contrast, OE-FLA12 stems showed higher cellulose content compared to WT plants, similar to plants experiencing tensile stress. fla11, OE-FLA11, fla12, and OE-FLA12 plants showed altered SCW responses to mechanical stress compared to the WT. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and RNA-seq analysis revealed the up-regulation of genes and pathways involved in stress responses and SCW synthesis and regulation. Analysis of OE-FLA11 nst1 nst3 plants suggests that FLA11 regulation of SCWs is reliant on classical transcriptional networks. Our data support the involvement of FLA11 and FLA12 in SCW sensing complexes to fine-tune both the initiation of SCW development and the balance of lignin and cellulose synthesis/deposition in SCWs during development and in response to mechanical stimuli.

Data on nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs) projects and best practices in Europe.

This data article refers to the paper "Assessing Nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs) development in Europe" [1]. Data linked with this article relate to collected best practices NZEBs throughout Europe. Data on building geometry, year of construction or renovation, primary energy consumption, saving percentages, renewable production, heating demand are provided. Data allow an overview of the status of most commonly implemented efficiency measures and renewables in NZEBs. In particular, data are available in relation technologies, such as heating, domestic hot water, lighting, renewable sources, ventilation, cooling. Heat recovery efficiency data are also collected. U-values are detailed for roofs, walls, floors, windows. Further data can be visualized in relation to technologies costs, cost of construction and maintenance.

Comprehensive Analysis of Arabinogalactan Protein-Encoding Genes Reveals the Involvement of Three BrFLA Genes in Pollen Germination in Brassica rapa.

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a superfamily of hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins that are massively glycosylated, widely implicated in plant growth and development. No comprehensive analysis of the AGP gene family has been performed in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis). Here, we identified a total of 293 putative AGP-encoding genes in B. rapa, including 25 classical AGPs, three lysine-rich AGPs, 30 AG-peptides, 36 fasciclin-like AGPs (FLAs), 59 phytocyanin-like AGPs, 33 xylogen-like AGPs, 102 other chimeric AGPs, two non-classical AGPs and three AGP/extensin hybrids. Their protein structures, phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal location and gene duplication status were comprehensively analyzed. Based on RNA sequencing data, we found that 73 AGP genes were differentially expressed in the floral buds of the sterile and fertile plants at least at one developmental stage in B. rapa, suggesting a potential role of AGPs in male reproductive development. We further characterized BrFLA2, BrFLA28 and BrFLA32, three FLA members especially expressed in anthers, pollen grains and pollen tubes. BrFLA2, BrFLA28 and BrFLA32 are indispensable for the proper timing of pollen germination under high relative humidity. Our study greatly extends the repertoire of AGPs in B. rapa and reveals a role for three members of the FLA subfamily in pollen germination.