PatWRKY71 transcription factor regulates patchoulol biosynthesis and plant defense response.

Patchoulol, a valuable compound belonging to the sesquiterpenoid family, is the primary component of patchouli oil produced by Pogostemon cablin (P. cablin). It has a variety of pharmacological and biological activities and is widely used in the medical and cosmetic industries. However, despite its significance, there is a lack of research on the transcriptional modulation of patchoulol biosynthesis.Salicylic acid (SA), is a vital plant hormone that serves as a critical signal molecule and plays an essential role in plant growth and defense. However, to date, no studies have explored the modulation of patchoulol biosynthesis by SA. In our study, we discovered that the application of SA can enhance the production of patchoulol. Utilizing transcriptome analysis of SA-treated P. cablin, we identified a crucial downstream transcription factor, PatWRKY71. The transcription level of PatWRKY71 was significantly increased with the use of SA. Furthermore, our research has revealed that PatWRKY71 was capable of binding to the promoter of PatPTS, ultimately leading to an increase in its expression. When PatWRKY71 was silenced by a virus, the expression of both PatWRKY71 and PatPTS was reduced, resulting in the down-regulation of patchoulol production. Through our studies, we discovered that heterologous expression of PatWRKY71 leads to an increase in the sensitivity of Arabidopsis to salt and Cd, as well as an outbreak of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, we uncovered the regulatory role of PatWRKY71 in both patchoulol biosynthesis and plant defense response. This discovery provided a theoretical basis for the improvement of the content of patchoulol and the resistance of P. cablin through genetic engineering.

Demonstration of an 8-Gbit/s quadrature-phase-shift-keying coherent underwater wireless optical communication link using coherent heterodyne detection under scattering conditions.

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate an 8-Gbit/s quadrature-phase-shift-keying (QPSK) coherent underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) link under scattering conditions at 532 nm. At the transmitter, we generate the 532-nm QPSK signal using second-harmonic generation (SHG), where the 1064-nm signal modulated with four phase levels of an 8-phase-shift-keying (8-PSK) format is phase doubled to produce the 532-nm QPSK signal. To enhance the receiver sensitivity, we utilize a local oscillator (LO) at the receiver from an independent laser source. The received QPSK data beam is mixed with the independent LO for coherent heterodyne detection. Results show that the bit error rates (BERs) of the received QPSK signal can reach below the 7% forward error correction (FEC) limit under turbid water with attenuation lengths (γL) up to 7.4 and 6.1 for 2- and 8-Gbit/s QPSK, respectively. The corresponding receiver sensitivities are -34.0 and -28.4 dBm for 2- and 8-Gbit/s QPSK, respectively.

High beam quality continuous-wave 320 nm UV laser from a walk-off compensated intracavity frequency-doubled Pr:YLF laser.

We report a high beam quality continuous-wave (CW) 320 nm ultra-violet (UV) laser. An end-pumped praseodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Pr:YLF) laser is constructed in a typical V-shaped cavity structure, while the UV output is obtained through intracavity frequency doubling using L i B 3 O 5 (LBO). We investigate the dependence of the UV output power, as well as the spot profile on the LBO length, and find that the "walk-off" within LBO severely affects both the frequency-doubling efficiency and the beam quality of the UV output. Rotated twin LBO crystals are then applied to substitute for single long LBO crystal to compensate the walk-off effect, resulting in high-power 320 nm output up to 410 mW under the absorbed pump power of 4.0 W at 444 nm, with a high beam quality of M x2=1.02 and M y2=1.04.

High-Dose Influenza Vaccine Is Associated With Reduced Mortality Among Older Adults With Breakthrough Influenza Even When There Is Poor Vaccine-Strain Match.

BACKGROUND: High-dose (HD) influenza vaccine offers improved protection from influenza virus infection among older adults compared with standard-dose (SD) vaccine. Here, we explored whether HD vaccine attenuates disease severity among older adults with breakthrough influenza. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of US claims data for influenza seasons 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019, defined as 1 October through 30 April, among adults aged ≥65 years. After adjusting the different cohorts for the probability of vaccination conditional on patients' characteristics, we compared 30-day mortality rate post-influenza among older adults who experienced breakthrough infection after receipt of HD or SD influenza vaccines and among those not vaccinated (NV). RESULTS: We evaluated 44 456 influenza cases: 23 109 (52%) were unvaccinated, 15 037 (33.8%) received HD vaccine, and 6310 (14.2%) received SD vaccine. Significant reductions in mortality rates among breakthrough cases were observed across all 3 seasons for HD vs NV, ranging from 17% to 29% reductions. A significant mortality reduction of 25% was associated with SD vaccination vs NV in the 2016-2017 season when there was a good match between circulating influenza viruses and selected vaccine strains. When comparing HD vs SD cohorts, mortality reductions were higher among those who received HD in the last 2 seasons when mismatch between vaccine strains and circulating H3N2 viruses was documented, albeit not significant. CONCLUSIONS: HD vaccination was associated with lower post-influenza mortality among older adults with breakthrough influenza, even during seasons when antigenically drifted H3N2 circulated. Improved understanding of the impact of different vaccines on attenuating disease severity is warranted when assessing vaccine policy recommendations.

Pretreatment with metformin prevents microcystin-LR-induced tau hyperphosphorylation via mTOR-dependent PP2A and GSK-3ß activation.

Microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) is a toxin secreted by freshwater cyanobacteria that is considered a potential environmental risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). A previous study indicated that tau protein hyperphosphorylation via protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and GSK-3ß inhibition was the mechanism by which MC-LR induces neurotoxicity; however, how MC-LR-induced neurotoxicity can be effectively prevented remains unclear. In this study, the reversal effect of metformin on MC-LR-induced neurotoxicity was investigated. The results showed that metformin effectively prevented tau hyperphosphorylation at Ser202 caused by MC-LR through PP2A and GSK-3b activity. The effect of metformin on PP2A activity was dependent on the inhibition of mTOR in MC-LR-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Metformin prevented spatial memory deficits in rats caused by intrahippocampal MC-LR administration. In sum, the results suggested that metformin can ameliorate the MC-LR-induced AD-like phenotype by preventing tau phosphorylation at Ser202, which was mainly mediated by mTOR-dependent PP2A and GSK-3ß activation.

High energy mid-infrared laser pulse output from a BaGa4Se7 crystal-based optical parametric oscillator.

We report a high energy, narrow spectral linewidth mid-infrared laser pulse output from a Nd:Y3Al5O12 laser-pumped BaGa4Se7 (BGSe) crystal-based optical parametric oscillator (OPO). Output pulse energy of 21.5 mJ was obtained at 3816 nm, with spectral width of 12 nm and pulse width of 11.4 ns, corresponding to peak power as high as 1.89 MW. A BGSe crystal with aperture size of 10mm×10mm and length of 16 mm was applied as the nonlinear crystal in a pump fed back OPO for achieving such high pulse energy output from the simple oscillator scheme.

[Study on Chemical Components of Tripterospermum chinense ( â ¡)].

Objective: To investigate the chemical components of Tripterospermum chinense. Methods: Various column chromatography were used in the isolation and purification,and physiochemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures. Results: A novel monoterpenoid and seven known compounds were isolated and identified as tripterospermum acid ester A( 1),strychnovoline( 2),p-hydroxybenzaldehyde( 3),isovitexin( 4),7-O-rhamnopyransoyl-isoorientin( 5),trifoliside( 6),2″-O-rhamnopyransoyl-trifoliside( 7) and sweroside( 8). Conclusion: Compound 1 is a new monoterpenoid,compounds 2,3 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Chemical Constituents from Roots and Rhizome of Trillium tschonoskii( â £)].

Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents from the roots and rhizome of Trillium tschonoskii. Methods: The85% methanol elution parts from the roots and rhizome of Trillium tschonoskii were separated and purified by polyamide,silica gel,RPC18,Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and the preparation of high performance liquid. Chemical structures were identified by MS,1D and 2D-NMR experiment. Results: Ten steroidal saponins compounds were isolated and identified as diosgenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-( 1→4)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-( 1→4)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl( 1 →2) ]-ß-D-glucopyranoside( 1),trikamsteroside E( 2),deoxytrikamsteroside E( 3),( 23 S,24S,25S)-spirostan-5-ene-1ß,3ß,21,23,24-pentahydroxy-1ß-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-( 1 →2)-[O-ß-D-xylopyranosyl( 1→3) ]-O-α-L-pyranarabinoside( 4),trikamsteroside B( 5),27-hydroxy-trikamsteroside B( 6),3-acetyl-pennogenin( 7),dioscoreanoside I( 8),sileneoside G( 9) and intergristerone B( 10). Conclusion: Compounds 8 ~ 10 are isolated from this genus for the first time,compounds 1,3,4,6,7 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Evaluation of vascular function in patients with Fabry disease].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the endothelial functions and autoregulation capacity of cerebral blood flow in patients with Fabry disease. METHODS: Brachial artery vasodilation was assessed in 8 patients with Fabry disease and 14 healthy controls by means of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and Nitroglycerin-mediated dilation (NMD). Cerebrovascular reactivity was calculated in terms of breath-holding index (BHI) and vascular motor reactivity (VMR) by TCD-CO2 test in 4 patients and 14 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, brachial artery vasodilation experiment showed no difference (the patients: FMD 15.94%±5.03% and NMD 23.92%±7.23%, the controls: FMD 14.57%±5.84% and NMD 22.64%±6.96%), there was no relationship between FMD or NMD and the age, course of disease, MSSI or enzyme activity. In respect of cerebrovascular autoregulation capacity, there was no difference in anterior circulation, while cerebrovascular reactivity tended to be impaired in posterior circulation. CONCLUSION: Endothelial function showed no decline in patients with Fabry disease, but cerebrovascular autoregulation capacity tended to be impaired in posterior circulation.

[Preliminary Study on the Detection of Pork Tenderness by Three-Dimensional Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy].

Tenderness is an important index to evaluate the pork's quality, in this paper a method called three-dimensional diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was proposed to detect pork tenderness. Because pork has a strong scattering impact on light, this method introduced more scattering information of pork samples into spectral analysis of tenderness. Using the special data acquisition system, three-dimensional diffuse reflectance spectra of 64 pork samples were constructed by collecting the emergent light signals of different distances away from the light incident point. And n-way partial least squares (NPLS) regression was applied to establish the calibration model between the pork tenderness and three-dimensional diffuse reflectance spectra which were denoised by wavelet transform. The determination coefficient of model for the calibration set (R2(Cal)) is 0.883 1, and the root mean squared error of calibration (RMSEC) is 3.685 0N. The determination coefficient of model for the prediction set (R2(Pred)) is 0.874 7, and the root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP) is 3.975 6N. The result indicates that the NPLS model of pork tenderness built by three-dimensional diffuse reflectance spectra has higher calibration accuracy and prediction stability than the traditional diffuse reflectance spectra. Three-dimensional diffuse reflectance spectroscopy can be expected to be a new method to quickly detect the tenderness and the other qualities of pork.

[Bactericidal Activity of Constructed Recombinant Fusion Protein Pheromonicin-CT].

OBJECTIVE: To construct engineering peptide pheromonicin-Clostrzaum tretant krn-ui), and to test its bactericidal activity. METHODS: We amplified the gene of variable regions from hybridoma cells which secreted monoclonal antibody (mAb) against antigen in the membrane of Clostridium tetani and linked the small antibody mimetic to the channel-forming domain of colicin Ia to create Ph-CT. The Ph-CT was purified by CM sepharose ion-exchange column. Its in vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated by colony culture with different doses of Ph-CT (final concentration 2, 4, 8, and 16 microg/mL,respectively). Then we inoculated culture medium with CT strains and different doses of Ph-CT (final concentration of 4 and 16 microg/mL). The in vivo antibacterial activity of Ph-CT was evaluated by cumulative survival of mice. After 16 hours' anaerobic culture, the mice was treated with filtered CT medium or CT medium. RESULTS: We constructed Ph-CT successfully. CT colonies appeared in the CT medium treated with Ph-CT (2, 4 microg/mL), while no colony appeared in the CT medium treated with Ph-CT (8, 16 microg/mL). All mice survived when they were injected with filtered CT medium treated with Ph-CT (4, 16 microg/mL) and CT medium treated with Ph-CT (16 microg/mL). Three (50%) mice survived when they were injected with CT medium treated with Ph-CT (4 microg/mL). All mice in the control groups died after CT infections. CONCLUSION: Ph-CT may be of value as antibiotics against Clostridium tetani.

[Chemical Constituents from Saururus chinensis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of active components of Saururus chinensis on anti-nicotine withdrawal symptoms. METHODS: Various column chromatography were used in the isolation and purification, and physiochemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures. RESULTS: Six chemical compounds were isolated from the active part of anti-withdrawal symptoms, and were identified as 4'-hydroxyl-3,3',4,5,5'-pentamethoxy-7,7'-epoxylignan (1) ,3-(2-nitroethyl)-1-methoxyindole(2), elemicin (3), erythro-(7R, 8S) - (-) - (3,4,5-trimethoxy-7-hydroxy-1'-allyl-3', 5'-dimethoxy)-8-O-4'-neolignan (4), 3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenylacrylaldehyde (5) and dibutyl phthalate (6). CONCLUSION: Compound 1 is a novel lignan, compounds 2 - 6 are firstly isolated from this plant.

[Study on Phenylpropanoids of Gardenia jasminoides].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the phenylpropanoids constituents of Gardenia jasminoides. METHODS: Various column chromatography were used in the isolation and purification, physiochemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures. RESULTS: Eight compounds were isolated from Gardenia jasminoides, including 4-hydroxy-cinnamic acid methylester (1), 3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-cinnamic acid methylester (2), pisoninol II (3), 7-hydroxy-orebiusin A (4), (E) -3-(4'-hydroxyphenyl) -acrylic acid n-butyl ester (5), (E) -3-(4'-methoxyphenyl) -acrylic acid n-butyl ester (6), 4-methoxyl-phenylpropanol n-butyl ether (7) and cycloolivil (8). CONCLUSION: All compounds are firstly isolated from this plant.

[Study on chemical components of Tripterospermum chinense].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical components of the whole herb of Tripterospermum chinense. METHODS: Various column chromatography methods were used in the isolation and purification. Physio-chemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures. RESULTS: Ten compounds were isolated and identified as 1, 7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone(1),1,3-dihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyxanthone (2) 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone (3),1,8-dihydroxyxanthone(4),2'-deoxythymidine(5), 4-hydroxyphthalide(6),2,4-dihydroxy benzyl alcohol (7),2,5-dihydroxyphenetole (8), saponarin (9) and 4'-methoxysaponarin(10). CONCLUSION: Compounds 2 - 8 and 10 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Phenylpropanoids constituents of Eucommia ulmoides leaves].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate phenylpropanoids constituents from Eucommia ulmoides leaves. METHODS: Various column chromatographic methods were used in isolation and purification. Physiochemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures of phenylpropanoids. RESULTS: Nine phenylpropanoids were isolated and identified as caffeic acid (1), chlorogenic acid methylester (2), syringin (3), guaiacylglycerol (4), 5-methoxy-guaiacylglycerol (5), 5,9-dimethoxy-guaiacylglycerol (6), 9-n-butyl-guaiacylglycerol (7), 9-n-butyl-isoguaiacylglycerol (8), 8'-methoxy-olivil (9). CONCLUSION: Compounds 5 - 9 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Study on chemical constituents of Eucommia ulmoides leaves].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of Eucommia ulmoides leaves. METHODS: Various column chromatography were used in the isolation and purification, physiochemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures. RESULTS: Ten compounds were isolated and identified as borreriagenin (1), n-butyl-O-ß-D-fructopyranoside (2), α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->1')-3'-amino-3'-deoxy-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), ß-D-fructofuranosyl-α-D-galactopyranoside (4), ß-D-fructose (5), diisobutyl phthalate (6), 5-hydroxy-9-isopropylether-guaiacylglycerol (7), 4-hydroxyphenylethanol-8-O-ß-D-apiofuranosyl(1-->6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (8), lariciresinol (9), and (3S,5R,6R,9S)-tetrahydroxy-7-ene-megastigmane (10). CONCLUSION: All compounds are isolated from this genus for the first time.

[Study on chemical constituents of Gardenia jasminoides(III)].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of Gardenia jasminoides fruits. METHODS: Various column chromatography were used in the isolation and purification, and physiochemical constant determination and spectral analysis were adopted to determine the chemical structures. RESULTS: Twelve compounds were isolated from Gardenia jasminoides including jasminoside I (1), gardenoside (2), gardaloside (3), 3-hydroxy-urs-12-ene-11-ketone(4), 5, 4'-dihydroxyl-7, 3', 5'-trimethoxyflavone (5), 5, 7, 3', 4', 5'-pentamethoxyflavone(6), 3, 5, 6, 4'-tetrahydroxy-3', 5'-dimethoxyflavone (7), shikimic acid (8), 1, 2, 4-benzenetriol (9), 3, 4-dimethoxy-benzoic acid (10), dibutyl phthalate (11) and diisobutyl phthalate (12). CONCLUSION: Compounds 4 - 7 and 9 -10 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Study on chemical constituents of iridoids from eucommiae folium].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of iridoids from Eucommiae Folium. METHODS: The compounds were isolated and purified by various column chromatography, the structures were identified on the basis of physiochemical properties and spectral analysis. RESULTS: Nine iridoids were isolated and identified as asperuloside (1), daphylloside (2), scandoside methyl ester (3), loganin (4), 8-epi-loganin (5), 7-epi-loganin (6), deacetyl asperulosidic acid methyl ester (7), geniposide (8) and geniposidic acid (9). CONCLUSION: Compounds 2 - 7 are isolated from this plant for the first time, compounds 4 - 6 are isolated from this genus for the first time.

Advancing driver fatigue detection in diverse lighting conditions for assisted driving vehicles with enhanced facial recognition technologies.

Against the backdrop of increasingly mature intelligent driving assistance systems, effective monitoring of driver alertness during long-distance driving becomes especially crucial. This study introduces a novel method for driver fatigue detection aimed at enhancing the safety and reliability of intelligent driving assistance systems. The core of this method lies in the integration of advanced facial recognition technology using deep convolutional neural networks (CNN), particularly suited for varying lighting conditions in real-world scenarios, significantly improving the robustness of fatigue detection. Innovatively, the method incorporates emotion state analysis, providing a multi-dimensional perspective for assessing driver fatigue. It adeptly identifies subtle signs of fatigue in rapidly changing lighting and other complex environmental conditions, thereby strengthening traditional facial recognition techniques. Validation on two independent experimental datasets, specifically the Yawn and YawDDR datasets, reveals that our proposed method achieves a higher detection accuracy, with an impressive 95.3% on the YawDDR dataset, compared to 90.1% without the implementation of Algorithm 2. Additionally, our analysis highlights the method's adaptability to varying brightness levels, improving detection accuracy by up to 0.05% in optimal lighting conditions. Such results underscore the effectiveness of our advanced data preprocessing and dynamic brightness adaptation techniques in enhancing the accuracy and computational efficiency of fatigue detection systems. These achievements not only showcase the potential application of advanced facial recognition technology combined with emotional analysis in autonomous driving systems but also pave new avenues for enhancing road safety and driver welfare.

Epidemiological feature analysis of SVEIR model with control strategy and variant evolution.

The complex interactions were performed among non-pharmaceutical interventions, vaccinations, and hosts for all epidemics in mainland China during the spread of COVID-19. Specially, the small-scale epidemic in the city described by SVEIR model was less found in the current studies. The SVEIR model with control was established to analyze the dynamical and epidemiological features of two epidemics in Jinzhou City led by Omicron variants before and after Twenty Measures. In this study, the total population (N) of Jinzhou City was divided into five compartments: the susceptible (S), the vaccinated (V), the exposed (E), the infected (I), and the recovered (R). By surveillance data and the SVEIR model, three methods (maximum likelihood method, exponential growth rate method, next generation matrix method) were governed to estimate basic reproduction number, and the results showed that an increasing tendency of basic reproduction number from Omicron BA.5.2 to Omicron BA.2.12.1. Meanwhile, the effective reproduction number for two epidemics were investigated by surveillance data, and the results showed that Jinzhou wave 1 reached the peak on November 1 and was controlled 7 days later, and that Jinzhou wave 2 reached the peak on November 28 and was controlled 5 days later. Moreover, the impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions (awareness delay, peak delay, control intensity) were discussed extensively, the variations of infection scales for Omicron variant and EG.5 variant were also discussed. Furthermore, the investigations on peaks and infection scales for two epidemics in dynamic zero-COVID policy were operated by the SVEIR model with control. The investigations on public medical requirements of Jinzhou City and Liaoning Province were analyzed by using SVEIR model without control, which provided a possible perspective on variant evolution in the future.