Full-length transcriptome and RNA-Seq analyses reveal the resistance mechanism of sesame in response to Corynespora cassiicola.

BACKGROUND: Corynespora leaf spot is a common leaf disease occurring in sesame, and the disease causes leaf yellowing and even shedding, which affects the growth quality of sesame. At present, the mechanism of sesame resistance to this disease is still unclear. Understanding the resistance mechanism of sesame to Corynespora leaf spot is highly important for the control of infection. In this study, the leaves of the sesame resistant variety (R) and the sesame susceptible variety (S) were collected at 0-48 hpi for transcriptome sequencing, and used a combined third-generation long-read and next-generation short-read technology approach to identify some key genes and main pathways related to resistance. RESULTS: The gene expression levels of the two sesame varieties were significantly different at 0, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hpi, indicating that the up-regulation of differentially expressed genes in the R might enhanced the resistance. Moreover, combined with the phenotypic observations of sesame leaves inoculated at different time points, we found that 12 hpi was the key time point leading to the resistance difference between the two sesame varieties at the molecular level. The WGCNA identified two modules significantly associated with disease resistance, and screened out 10 key genes that were highly expressed in R but low expressed in S, which belonged to transcription factors (WRKY, AP2/ERF-ERF, and NAC types) and protein kinases (RLK-Pelle_DLSV, RLK-Pelle_SD-2b, and RLK-Pelle_WAK types). These genes could be the key response factors in the response of sesame to infection by Corynespora cassiicola. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that specific modules could be enriched, which manifested as enrichment in biologically important pathways, such as plant signalling hormone transduction, plant-pathogen interaction, carbon metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, MAPK and other stress-related pathways. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an important resource of genes contributing to disease resistance and will deepen our understanding of the regulation of disease resistance, paving the way for further molecular breeding of sesame.

Complete genome sequence of a novel dsRNA virus from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

Fusarium oxysporum is a widespread plant pathogen that causes fusarium wilt and fusarium root rot in many economically significant crops. Here, a novel dsRNA virus tentatively named "Fusarium oxysporum virus 1" (FoV1) was identified in F. oxysporum strain 3S-18. The genome of FoV1 is 2,944 nucleotides (nt) in length and contains two non-overlapping open reading frames (ORF1 and 2). The larger of these, ORF2, encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 590 amino acids with a molecular mass of 67.52 kDa. ORF1 encodes a putative nucleocapsid protein consisting of 134 amino acids with a molecular mass of 34.25 kDa. The RdRp domain of FoV1 shares 60.00% to 84.24% sequence identity with non-segmented dsRNA viruses. Phylogenetic analysis further suggested that FoV1 is a new member of the proposed genus "Unirnavirus" accommodating unclassified monopartite dsRNA viruses.

Reason and control strategy for denitrification and anammox sludge flotation in nitrogen removal process: Mechanisms, strategies and perspectives.

Anaerobic biological treatment technology, especially denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) technology as mainstream process, played dominant role in the field of biological wastewater treatment. However, the above process was prone to sludge floating during high load operation and thereby affecting the efficient and stable operation of the system. Excessive production of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) was considered to be the main reason for anaerobic granular sludge flotation, but the summaries in this area were not comprehensive enough. In this review, the potential mechanisms of denitrification and anammox sludge floatation were discussed from the perspective of granular sludge structural characteristics, nutrient transfer, and microbial flora change respectively, and the corresponding control strategies were also summarized. Finally, this paper indicated that future research on sludge flotation should focus on reducing the negative effects of EPS in sludge particles.

Utilize multi-metabolic parameters as determinants for prediction of skeletal muscle mass quality in elderly type2 diabetic Chinese patients.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, an age-related disorder characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is recently recognized as a complication in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Skeletal muscles play a crucial role in glycemic metabolism, utilizing around 80% of blood glucose. Accordingly, we aimed to explore the relationship between glucose metabolism and muscle mass in T2DM. METHODS: We employed the AWGS 2019 criteria for diagnosing low muscle mass and 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) diabetes diagnostic standards. This study included data of 191 individuals aged 60 and above with T2DM of Shanghai Pudong Hospital from November 2021 to November 2022. Fasting C-peptide (FPCP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) and postprandial 2-hour C-peptide (PPCP), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glycated albumin (GA), serum lipids spectrum, renal and hepatic function, hemoglobin, and hormone were measured. Based on the findings of univariate analysis, logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were established. RESULTS: Participants with low muscle mass had significantly lower alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, and both FPCP and PPCP levels (P < 0.05). Compared with those without low muscle mass, low muscle mass group had significantly higher FPG, HbA1c, GA levels (P < 0.05). Body fat (BF, OR = 1.181) was an independent risk factor for low muscle mass. PPCP (OR = 0.497), BMI (OR = 0.548), and female (OR = 0.050) were identified as protective factors for low skeletal muscle. The AUC of BMI was the highest, followed by the PPCP, gender and BF (0.810, 0.675, 0.647, and 0.639, respectively), and the AUC of the combination of the above four parameters reached 0.895. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional study, BMI, Female, and PPCP associated with T2DM were protective factors for low muscle mass. BF was associated with T2DM and risk factor for low muscle mass.

Genome-wide characterization of the wall-associated kinase-like (WAKL) family in sesame (Sesamum indicum) identifies a SiWAKL6 gene involved in resistance to Macrophomina Phaseolina.

BACKGROUND: Sesame charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina is one of the most serious fungal diseases in sesame production, and threatens the yield and quality of sesame. WAKL genes are important in the plant response to biotic stresses by sensing and transmitting external signals to the intracellular receptor. However, there is still a lack about the WAKL gene family and its function in sesame resistance to M. phaseolina. The aim of this study was to interpret the roles of WAKL genes in sesame resistance to M. phaseolina. RESULTS: In this study, a comprehensive study of the WAKL gene family was conducted and 31 WAKL genes were identified in the sesame genome. Tandem duplication events were the main factor in expansion of the SiWAKL gene family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sesame SiWAKL gene family was divided into 4 groups. SiWAKL genes exhibited different expression patterns in diverse tissues. Under M. phaseolina stress, most SiWAKL genes were significantly induced. Notably, SiWAKL6 was strongly induced in the resistant variety "Zhengzhi 13". Functional analysis showed that SiWAKL6 was induced by salicylic acid but not methyl jasmonate in sesame. Overexpression of SiWAKL6 in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants enhanced their resistance to M. phaseolina by inducing the expression of genes involved in the salicylic acid signaling pathway and reconstructing reactive oxygen species homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results provide a better understanding of functions about SiWAKL gene family and suggest that manipulation of these SiWAKL genes can improve plant resistance to M. phaseolina. The findings contributed to further understanding of functions of SiWAKL genes in plant immunity.

First Report of Root Rot Caused by Pythium myriotylum on Sesame in China.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is a very important oilseed crop and cultivated on 11.7 million hectares, producing 6.02 million tons of seeds with an average seed yield of 512 kg ha-1 in the world (Yadav et al. 2022). In June of 2021, diseased roots were observed on sesame in the villages of Mada and Hanba, Xiangcheng city (114.88°N, 33.13°E), Henan province, China. The diseased plants appeared stunted and wilted at the seedling stage. Approximately 7.1% to 17.7% of plants were affected in two fields, 0.6 ha in total, and disease severity in each affected plant ranged from 50% to 80%. Twenty-four disease plants were collected to confirm the pathogen. The diseased roots were cut into small fragments (2 to 5 mm long), surface sterilized with 75% ethanol (for 1 min), and 10% sodium hypochlorite (for 1 min) and then rinsed in sterilized water three times (1 min each rinse). The fragments were blotted dry and transferred to a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium (potato 200 g/L, glucose 20 g/L, agar 18 g/L) amended with streptomycin (50 µg/mL). After incubation at 28°C for 24 h, white mycelium grew out from plant fragments. Then, a total of seven morphologically similar strains were transferred onto fresh V8 agar by hyphal tip transfer (Rollins 2003). By light microscope observations, the sporangia were filamentous or digitated, and undifferentiated or inflated lobulate. The oospores were mostly aplerotic, globose or subglobose in shape, and 20.4 to 42.6 µm in diameter (n = 90, n: Total number of oospores measured). Furthermore, antheridia were bulbous-like or clavate-like and were observed attached to the surface of the oospores. The zoospores were abundant and ranged from 8.5 to 14.2 µm in diameter. The morphology characteristics of all strains were consistent with those of Pythium myriotylum (Watanabe et al. 2007). Genomic DNA was extracted from the representative strain 20210628 using the CTAB method (Wangsomboondee et al. 2002). The complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI, COX1) can be valid and useful barcodes for accurate identification of many oomycetes (Robideau et al. 2011). The ITS and COI were amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 (Riit et al. 2016) and primers OomCox-Levup/OomCox-Levlo (Robideau et al. 2011), respectively. The nucleotide sequences obtained were deposited in the GenBank database under the accession numbers OM230138.2 (ITS) and ON500503.1 (COI). GenBank BLAST search identified the sequences as P. myriotylum ITS and COI sequences (e.g., HQ237488.1 and MK510848.1, respectively) with 100% coverage and 100% identity. To evaluate the pathogenicity, sesame seeds (cultivar: Jinzhi No.3) were planted in 12-cm-diameter plastic pots containing a mixture of sterilized soil, vermiculite and peat mossat a ratio of 3:1:1. Oospores were collected following the procedure of Raftoyannis et al. (2006) with minor modifications. Three-leaf stage sesame roots were soaked with 5 mL of oospore suspension at 1 × 106/mL of the 20210628 strain, and the control plants were inoculated with sterilized water. All plants were maintained in a greenhouse (28±2°C, > 80% R. H.). The experiment was repeated twice with three replications. The plants inoculated with P. myriotylum showed the water soak symptom on the stem base 7 days after inoculation, while control plants were symptomless. Three weeks after inoculation, the plants showed root tissue necrosis, root rot, and dwarfing symptoms that were similar to those observed on sesame plants in the field, while control plants remained healthy. P. myriotylum was re-isolated from the inoculated plants and the morphology was the same as the original strain 20210628. These results suggest that P. myriotylum is the causal agent of sesame root rot. Previous studies have revealed that P. myriotylum can cause root rot in peanuts (Yu et al. 2019), chili pepper (Hyder et al. 2018), green bean (Serrano et al. 2008) and aerial blight of tomato (Roberts et al. 1999). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. myriotylum causing root rot on sesame. This pathogen can infect plant roots and develop rapidly if no effective control measures are implemented. Once the disease breaks out in a large area, the yield of sesame will be seriously threatened. The results provide important implications for the prevention and management of this disease.

Molecular characterization of a novel victorivirus infecting Corynespora cassiicola.

A novel victorivirus was detected in an isolate of Corynespora cassiicola strain 20180909-03 and was named "Corynespora cassiicola victorivirus 1" (CcVV1). The complete genome sequence of this virus is 5140 bp in length and contains 57% GC with two large open reading frames (ORFs) overlapping at the tetranucleotide AUGA. The ORFs were predicted to encode a coat protein (CP) and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively, which are conserved in dsRNA fungal viruses of the family Totiviridae. Comparison and phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of RdRp and CP showed that CcVV1 is a new member of the genus Victorivirus. This is the first report of a genomic sequence of a victorivirus infecting Corynespora cassiicola.

Complete genome sequence of a novel fusarivirus from the phytopathogenic fungus Corynespora cassiicola.

Corynespora cassiicola is an important phytopathogenic fungus that severely impairs crop production. Here, we report the molecular characterization of a novel positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) mycovirus, Corynespora cassiicola fusarivirus 1 (CcFV1), isolated from C. cassiicola strain 20200826-3-1. Excluding the poly(A) tail, the genome of the virus is 6491 nt in length and contains three putative open reading frames (ORFs). The large ORF1 encodes a polypeptide of 1524 aa with a conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain and a helicase (Hel) domain. BLASTp analysis showed that CcFV1 ORF1 has the highest similarity to Setosphaeria turcica fusarivirus 1 (StFV1, 50.45% identity, E-value 0.0). ORF2 encodes a polypeptide with a conserved chromosome segregation ATPase (Smc) domain. The smaller ORF3 encodes a polypeptide with an unknown function. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ORF1- encoded polypeptide showed that CcFV1 is phylogenetically related to members of the newly proposed family "Fusariviridae". Thus, we suggest that CcFV1 might be a novel member of the family "Fusariviridae", and is the first to be discovered in C. cassiicola.

The mechanism of sesame resistance against Macrophomina phaseolina was revealed via a comparison of transcriptomes of resistant and susceptible sesame genotypes.

BACKGROUND: Sesame (Sesamum indicum) charcoal rot, a destructive fungal disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid (MP), is a great threat to the yield and quality of sesame. However, there is a lack of information about the gene-for-gene relationship between sesame and MP, and the molecular mechanism behind the interaction is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to interpret the molecular mechanism of sesame resistance against MP in disease-resistant (DR) and disease-susceptible (DS) genotypes based on transcriptomics. This is the first report of the interaction between sesame and MP using this method. RESULTS: A set of core genes that response to MP were revealed by comparative transcriptomics and they were preferentially associated with GO terms such as ribosome-related processes, fruit ripening and regulation of jasmonic acid mediated signalling pathway. It is also exhibited that translational mechanism and transcriptional mechanism could co-activate in DR so that it can initiate the immunity to MP more rapidly. According to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of differentially expressed gene sets between two genotypes, we found that leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) proteins may assume an important job in sesame resistance against MP. Notably, compared with DS, most key genes were induced in DR such as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and resistance genes, indicating that DR initiated stronger pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Finally, the study showed that JA/ET and SA signalling pathways all play an important role in sesame resistance to MP. CONCLUSIONS: The defence response to MP of sesame, a complex bioprocess involving many phytohormones and disease resistance-related genes, was illustrated at the transcriptional level in our investigation. The findings shed more light on further understanding of different responses to MP in resistant and susceptible sesame.

COVID-19, community response, public policy, and travel patterns: A tale of Hong Kong.

The COVID-19 outbreak has necessitated a critical review of urban transportation and its role in society against the backdrop of an exogenous shock. This article extends the transportation literature regarding community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons can be obtained from the case of Hong Kong in 2020. Individual behavior and collective responsibility are considered crucial to ensure both personal and community wellbeing in a pandemic context. Trends in government policies, the number of infectious cases, and community mobility are examined using multiple data sources. The mobility changes that occurred during the state of emergency are revealed by a time-series analysis of variables that measure both the epidemiological severity level and government stringency. The results demonstrate a high response capability of the local government, inhabitants, and communities. Communities in Hong Kong are found to have reacted faster than the implementation of health interventions, whereas the government policies effectively reduced the number of infection cases. The ways in which community action are vital to empower flexible and adaptive community responses are also explored. The results indicate that voluntary community involvement constitutes a necessary condition to help inform and reshape future transport policy and response strategies to mitigate the pandemic.

Complete genome sequence of a novel victorivirus isolated from the sesame charcoal rot fungus Macrophomina phaseolina.

Macrophomina phaseolina is an important phytopathogenic fungus with a broad host range. Here, the complete genome sequence of a novel victorivirus, tentatively named Macrophomina phaseolina victorivirus 1 (MpV1), was identified from strain 2012-019 of M. phaseolina. The MpV1 genome is 5,128 nucleotides long with a predicted GC content of 62%. Sequence analysis indicated that two open reading frames (ORF 1 and 2) overlap at a tetranucleotide AUGA sequence. Proteins encoded by ORF1 and ORF2 showed significant sequence similarity to coat proteins and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, respectively, of members of the family Totiviridae. Analysis of the genomic structure of MpV1, homolog searches of the deduced amino acid sequences, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that MpV1 is a new member of the genus Victorivirus. As far as we know, this is the first report of the full-length nucleotide sequence of the genome of a novel victorivirus that infects M. phaseolina.

A Simple and Effective Technique for Production of Pycnidia and Pycnidiospores by Macrophomina phaseolina.

Production of pycnidia and pycnidiospores by Macrophomina phaseolina is not often seen in vitro. The objective of this study is to develop a simple and effective technique to obtain pycnidiospores of M. phaseolina isolates in vitro and to evaluate germination rates and pathogenicity of pycnidiospores. We found M. phaseolina isolates can produce pycnidia on oatmeal agar (OMA) under ultraviolet light with 365 nm wavelength (UV). For evaluating the effect of OMA and UV on growth of M. phaseolina, combinations of two agar media and three lighting conditions were tested. The results confirm that all six M. phaseolina isolates produced pycnidia only on OMA under UV. The pycnidiospores produced on OMA under UV had germination rates higher than 90%. In pathogenicity tests, inoculation with the pycnidiospores showed symptoms later than inoculation with hypha-colonized toothpicks. Significant differences in the pathogenicity is detected between isolates Mp2014003 and Mp2014024 when inoculation is done with the pycnidiospores (P < 0.001), but not when hypha-colonized toothpicks are used as inoculum (P = 0.091). This study provides a new method for obtaining pycnidiospores of M. phaseolina for future investigations.

An RSSI Classification and Tracing Algorithm to Improve Trilateration-Based Positioning.

Received signal strength indicator (RSSI)-based positioning is suitable for large-scale applications due to its advantages of low cost and high accuracy. However, it suffers from low stability because RSSI is easily blocked and easily interfered with by objects and environmental effects. Therefore, this paper proposed a tri-partition RSSI classification and its tracing algorithm as an RSSI filter. The proposed filter shows an available feature, where small test RSSI samples gain a low deviation of less than 1 dBm from a large RSSI sample collected about 10 min, and the sub-classification RSSIs conform to normal distribution when the minimum sample count is greater than 20. The proposed filter also offers several advantages compared to the mean filter, including lower variance range with an overall range of around 1 dBm, 25.9% decreased sample variance, and 65% probability of mitigating RSSI left-skewness. We experimentally confirmed the proposed filter worked in the path-loss exponent fitting and location computing, and a 4.45-fold improvement in positioning stability based on the sample standard variance, and positioning accuracy improved by 20.5% with an overall error of less than 1.46 m.

A novel double-stranded RNA mycovirus that infects Macrophomina phaseolina.

Macrophomina phaseolina is a pathogenic fungus of the family Botryosphaeriaceae that causes stem rot or leaf blight in many economically important plants. Mycoviruses exist widely in fungi, but there are only a limited number of reports on mycovirus infection in M. phaseolina. A novel dsRNA virus, tentatively named "Macrophomina phaseolina fusagravirus 1" (MpFV1), was isolated from strain 2012-19 of M. phaseolina, and its molecular features were examined. The full-length cDNA of MpFV1 comprises 9,289 nucleotides with a predicted GC content of 48.1% and two discontinuous open reading frames (ORF 1 and 2). A-1 frameshift region with two typical factors, including a shifty heptamer (GGAAAAC) and an H-type pseudoknot, was predicted in the junction region of ORF1 and ORF2. The protein encoded by ORF1 shows significant similarity to a hypothetical protein, whereas ORF2 encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) via a ribosomal frameshifting mechanism. Homology searches and phylogenetic analysis based on the RdRp sequence suggested that MpFV1 is a new member of the proposed family "Fusagraviridae".

Preparation and diagnostic use of a novel recombinant single-chain antibody against rabies virus glycoprotein.

Rabies virus (RABV) causes a fatal infectious disease, but effective protection may be achieved with the use of rabies immunoglobulin and a rabies vaccine. Virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNA), which play an important role in the prevention of rabies, are commonly evaluated by the RABV neutralizing test. For determining serum VNA levels or virus titers during the RABV vaccine manufacturing process, reliability of the assay method is highly important and mainly dependent on the diagnostic antibody. Most diagnostic antibodies are monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) made from hybridoma cell lines and are costly and time consuming to prepare. Thus, production of a cost-effective mAb for determining rabies VNA levels or RABV titers is needed. In this report, we describe the prokaryotic production of a RABV-specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv) protein with a His-tag (scFv98H) from a previously constructed plasmid in a bioreactor, including the purification and refolding process as well as the functional testing of the protein. The antigen-specific binding characteristics, affinity, and relative affinity of the purified protein were tested. The scFv98H antibody was compared with a commercial RABV nucleoprotein mAb for assaying the VNA level of anti-rabies serum samples from different sources or testing the growth kinetics of RABV strains for vaccine manufactured in China. The results indicated that scFv98H may be used as a novel diagnostic tool to assay VNA levels or virus titers and may be used as an alternative for the diagnostic antibody presently employed for these purposes.

A hybrid spatio-temporal data indexing method for trajectory databases.

In recent years, there has been tremendous growth in the field of indoor and outdoor positioning sensors continuously producing huge volumes of trajectory data that has been used in many fields such as location-based services or location intelligence. Trajectory data is massively increased and semantically complicated, which poses a great challenge on spatio-temporal data indexing. This paper proposes a spatio-temporal data indexing method, named HBSTR-tree, which is a hybrid index structure comprising spatio-temporal R-tree, B*-tree and Hash table. To improve the index generation efficiency, rather than directly inserting trajectory points, we group consecutive trajectory points as nodes according to their spatio-temporal semantics and then insert them into spatio-temporal R-tree as leaf nodes. Hash table is used to manage the latest leaf nodes to reduce the frequency of insertion. A new spatio-temporal interval criterion and a new node-choosing sub-algorithm are also proposed to optimize spatio-temporal R-tree structures. In addition, a B*-tree sub-index of leaf nodes is built to query the trajectories of targeted objects efficiently. Furthermore, a database storage scheme based on a NoSQL-type DBMS is also proposed for the purpose of cloud storage. Experimental results prove that HBSTR-tree outperforms TB*-tree in some aspects such as generation efficiency, query performance and query type.

Suppressing the HIFU interference in ultrasound guiding images with a diffusion-based deep learning model.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In ultrasound guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery, it is necessary to transmit sound waves at different frequencies simultaneously using two transducers: one for the HIFU therapy and another for the ultrasound imaging guidance. In this specific setting, real-time monitoring of non-invasive surgery is challenging due to severe contamination of the ultrasound guiding images by strong acoustic interference from the HIFU sonication. METHODS: This paper proposed the use of a deep learning (DL) solution, specifically a diffusion implicit model, to suppress the HIFU interference. We considered the images contaminated with HIFU interference as low-resolution images, and those free from interference as high-resolution. While suppressing HIFU interference using the diffusion implicit (HIFU-Diff) model, the task was transformed into generating a high-resolution image through a series of forward diffusion steps and reverse sampling. A series of ex-vivo and in-vivo experiments, conducted under various parameters, were designed to validate the performance of the proposed network. RESULTS: Quantitative evaluation and statistical analysis demonstrated that the HIFU-Diff network achieved superior performance in reconstructing interference-free images under a variety of ex-vivo and in-vivo conditions, compared to the most commonly used notch filtering and the recent 1D FUS-Net deep learning network. The HIFU-Diff maintains high performance with 'unseen' datasets from separate experiments, and its superiority is more pronounced under strong HIFU interferences and in complex in-vivo situations. Furthermore, the reconstructed interference-free images can also be used for quantitative attenuation imaging, indicating that the network preserves acoustic characteristics of the ultrasound images. CONCLUSIONS: With the proposed technique, HIFU therapy and the ultrasound imaging can be conducted simultaneously, allowing for real-time monitoring of the treatment process. This capability could significantly enhance the safety and efficacy of the non-invasive treatment across various clinical applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first diffusion-based model developed for HIFU interference suppression.

Comprehensive analysis of sesame LRR-RLKs: structure, evolution and dynamic expression profiles under Macrophomina phaseolina stress.

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) can participate in the regulation of plant growth and development, immunity and signal transduction. Sesamum indicum, one of the most important oil crops, has a significant role in promoting human health. In this study, 175 SiLRR-RLK genes were identified in S. indicum, and they were subdivided into 12 subfamilies by phylogenetic analysis. Gene duplication analysis showed that the expansion of the SiLRR-RLK family members in the sesame was mainly due to segmental duplication. Moreover, the gene expansion of subfamilies IV and III contributed to the perception of stimuli under M. phaseolina stress in the sesame. The collinearity analysis with other plant species revealed that the duplication of SiLRR-RLK genes occurred after the differentiation of dicotyledons and monocotyledons. The expression profile analysis and functional annotation of SiLRR-RLK genes indicated that they play a vital role in biotic stress. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction and coexpression networks suggested that SiLRR-RLKs contributed to sesame resistance to Macrophomina phaseolina by acting alone or as a polymer with other SiLRR-RLKs. In conclusion, the comprehensive analysis of the SiLRR-RLK gene family provided a framework for further functional studies on SiLRR-RLK genes.

Spatial variations of the third and fourth COVID-19 waves in Hong Kong: A comparative study using built environment and socio-demographic characteristics.

Since the first confirmed case was reported in January 2020, Hong Kong has experienced multiple waves of COVID-19 outbreaks. Recent literature has explored the spatial patterns of disease incidence and their relationships with the built environment and demographic characteristics. Nonetheless, few studies aim at the comparative patterns of different epidemic waves occurring in the same spatial context. This study analyses spatial patterns of the third and fourth COVID-19 epidemic waves and then evaluates the spatial relationship between case incidence and built environment and socio-demographic characteristics. By collecting local-related cases, this study incorporates a two-fold analytical strategy: (1) Using rank-size distribution and log-odd ratio to depict the spatial pattern of COVID-19 incidence rates; (2) through global and local regression models, investigating incidence's associations with the urban built environment and socio-demographic characteristics. The results reveal that the two different epidemic waves have far distinct spatial tendencies to their infection risk factors, reflecting location-specific associations with the built environments and socio-demographics. Collectively, we discover that the third and fourth COVID-19 waves are likely associated with residential context and urban activities, respectively. Practical implications are discussed that would be of interest to policymakers and health professionals.

Effect of Matching Between the Adopted Corporate Response Strategy and the Type of Hypocrisy Manifestation on Consumer Behavior: Mediating Role of Negative Emotions.

Consumers may sense hypocrisy in corporate social responsibility (CSR) if they note inconsistency in enterprises' words and deeds related to CSR. This inconsistency originates from the intentional selfish actions and unintentional actions of enterprises. Studies have revealed that consumers' perception of hypocrisy has a negative influence on enterprise operation. However, studies have not examined how corporate responses to consumers' hypocrisy perception affect consumers' attitude and behavior. Therefore, the present study attempted to determine the measures that should be undertaken by enterprises to reduce consumers' negative response to them when consumers perceive them to be hypocritical. We conducted a situational simulation experiment to explore the effect of the match between corporate hypocrisy manifestation (moral hypocrisy vs. behavioral hypocrisy) and the corporate response strategy (reactive CSR communication vs. proactive CSR communication) on consumers' negative behaviors toward an enterprise and to test the mechanism influencing this effect. The results indicated that the interaction between the type of corporate hypocrisy and the corporate response strategy has a significant effect on consumers' negative behaviors toward an enterprise. Consumers' negative emotions have a mediating influence on the aforementioned effect. This study explored the response strategies of enterprises during a corporate hypocrisy crisis, classified corporate hypocrisy crises into two types (moral hypocrisy vs. behavioral hypocrisy) according to the different manifestations of corporate hypocrisy, and introduced situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) into research on corporate hypocrisy. The present results help expand knowledge on corporate hypocrisy.