Search Results (29)

The Fabaceae family, the third-largest among flowering plants, is nutritionally vital, providing rich sources of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Leguminous plants, such as soybeans, peas, and chickpeas, typically contain two to three times more protein than cereals like wheat and rice, with low fat content (primarily unsaturated fats) and no cholesterol, making them essential for cardiovascular health and blood sugar management. Since the release of the soybean genome in 2010, genomic research in Fabaceae has advanced dramatically. High-quality reference genomes have been assembled for key species, including soybeans (Glycine max), common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), and model legumes like Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus, leveraging long-read sequencing, single-cell technologies, and improved assembly algorithms. These advancements have enabled telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies, pan-genome constructions, and the identification of structural variants (SVs) and presence/absence variations (PAVs), enriching our understanding of genetic diversity and domestication history. Functional genomic tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, mutagenesis, and high-throughput omics (transcriptomics, metabolomics), have elucidated regulatory networks controlling critical traits like photoperiod sensitivity (e.g., E1 and Tof16 genes in soybeans), seed development (GmSWEET39 for oil/protein transport), nitrogen fixation efficiency, and stress resilience (e.g., Rpp3 for rust resistance). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and comparative genomics have further linked genetic variants to agronomic traits, such as pod size in peanuts (PSW1) and flowering time in common beans (COL2). This review synthesizes recent breakthroughs in legume genomics, highlighting the integration of multi-omic approaches to accelerate gene cloning and functional confirmation of the genes cloned. Full article

The pseudo response regulator (PRR) gene is an important component of the core oscillator involved in plant circadian rhythms and plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development and stress responses. In this study, we investigated the function of GmPRR7b by overexpression and gene editing approaches. It was found that GmPRR7b plays a role in delaying flowering. While GmPRR7b overexpressing plants showed significantly delayed flowering compared to untransformed WT, GmPRR7b edited plants flowered earlier than the control WT. On the basis of previous research results and bioinformatics analysis, we re-identified 14 soybean PRR genes and analysed their rhythmic expression. Based on the rhythmic expression pattern, we found that GmPRR5/9a and GmPRR5/9b interacted with GmPRR7b by yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments. Combined with the expression regulatory networks of the GmPRR7b, we inferred a possible regulatory mechanism by which GmPRR7b affects flowering through quit rhythm expression. These research elements provide valuable references for understanding growth, development, and circadian regulation in soybean. Full article

Background: Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) form a multigene family that is widely distributed in plants, animals, and insects. To date, PPOs have been identified in plants such as Populus L. and Solanum tuberosum L., but studies on PPOs in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) remain limited. Methods: To clarify the nature, structure, evolution, expression pattern, and interaction network of PPOs in these plants, we performed bioinformatics analysis and evaluated the expression patterns of PPOs in soybean and wild soybean throughout the growth period and under salt stress. Results: We identified 17 and 15 genes belonging to the PPO family. These genes were distributed across chromosomes 7 and 6 and could be divided into three groups. Most of these genes only contained one coding sequence (CDS), and their gene structure, conserved motifs, and 3D structures were very similar. Although there were a few intraspecies gene duplications, 75 gene replication pairs between soybean and wild soybean were detected. A Ka/Ks analysis showed that the PPOs in these plants were mainly subjected to purity selection. Moreover, the expression of the PPO genes varied greatly during different stages of the growth period and under salt stress, showing high temporal and spatial specificity. The protein interaction networks of these genes appeared to be quite distinct. Through the interaction analysis of the candidate gene GmPPO2 selected under salt stress, Glyma.07G059000, Glyma.10G279000, and Glyma.03G167900 were identified as the candidate genes regulating salt stress tolerance in soybean. Conclusions: These findings provide a foundation for further research on the evolution of soybean and wild soybean, as well as the functions of the PPO gene family. Full article

Recently, increasing heat and drought events have threatened the resilience of Chinese fir forests. Trees primarily respond to these threats by downregulating photosynthesis including through stomatal limitation that causes a drop in productivity at noon (known as the midday depression). However, the effects of these events on midday and afternoon GPP inhibition are rarely analyzed on a fine timescale. This may result in negligence of critical responses. Here, we investigated the impact of climatic events on the midday depression of photosynthesis at a subtropical fir forest in Huitong from 2016 to 2022 using data from the Himawari 8 meteorological satellite and flux tower. Our results indicated that the highest number of midday depression occurred in 2022 (126 times) with the highest average temperature (29.1 °C). A higher incidence of midday depression occurred in summer and autumn, with 48 and 34 occurrences, respectively. Compound drought, heat, and drought events induced increases in midday depression at 74.3%, 66.0%, and 47.5%. Thus, trees are more likely to adopt midday depression as an adaptive strategy during compound drought and heat events. This study can inform forest management and lead to improvements in Earth system models. Full article

Infrared small target detection technology plays a crucial role in various fields such as military reconnaissance, power patrol, medical diagnosis, and security. The advancement of deep learning has led to the success of convolutional neural networks in target segmentation. However, due to challenges like small target scales, weak signals, and strong background interference in infrared images, convolutional neural networks often face issues like leakage and misdetection in small target segmentation tasks. To address this, an enhanced U-Net method called MST-UNet is proposed, the method combines multi-scale feature decomposition and fusion and attention mechanisms. The method involves using Haar wavelet transform instead of maximum pooling for downsampling in the encoder to minimize feature loss and enhance feature utilization. Additionally, a multi-scale residual unit is introduced to extract contextual information at different scales, improving sensory field and feature expression. The inclusion of a triple attention mechanism in the encoder structure further enhances multidimensional information utilization and feature recovery by the decoder. Experimental analysis on the NUDT-SIRST dataset demonstrates that the proposed method significantly improves target contour accuracy and segmentation precision, achieving IoU and nIoU values of 80.09% and 80.19%, respectively. Full article

Accurate context awareness of land vehicles can assist integrated navigation systems. Motion behavior recognition is one context awareness of vehicles, based on which constraint information helps reduce the impact of short-term blockage of navigation signals on radio-frequency-based positioning systems. To improve the reliability of behavior recognition, we proposed a machine learning-based vehicle motion behavior recognition and constraint method (MLMRC). The machine learning-based recognition process is directly driven by raw data from low-cost MEMS-IMU, while the traditional threshold-based method relies on previous experience. Four categories of constraint information—sensor error calibration, velocity constraint, angle constraint, and position constraint—were constructed from the recognition results. Both the simulated vehicle experiment and real vehicle experiment demonstrate the performance of the MLMRC method. When there is a short-term blockage, the MLMRC method can reduce the positioning error from 17.2% to 38.3% compared with the traditional method, which effectively improves positioning accuracy and provides support for autonomous vehicles in complex urban environments. Full article

YTH N⁶-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1 (YTHDF1), an m6A reader, has a role in the development and progression of breast cancer as well as the immunological microenvironment. The networks of competing endogenous RNA in cancer have received much attention in research. In tumor gene therapy, the regulatory networks of m6A and competing endogenous RNA are increasingly emerging as a new route. We evaluated the relationship between the YTHDF1 expression, overall survival, and clinicopathology of breast cancer using TCGA, PrognoScan, and other datasets. We used Western blot to demonstrate that YTHDF1 is substantially expressed in breast cancer tissues. Furthermore, we explored YTHDF1′s functions in the tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and tumor microenvironment. Our findings indicate that YTHDF1 is a critical component of the m6A regulatory proteins in breast cancer and may have a particular function in the immunological microenvironment. Crucially, we investigated the relationship between YTHDF1 and the associated competitive endogenous RNA regulatory networks, innovatively creating three such networks (Dehydrogenase/Reductase 4-Antisense RNA 1-miR-378g-YTHDF1, HLA Complex Group 9-miR-378g-YTHDF1, Taurine Up-regulated 1-miR-378g-YTHDF1). Furthermore, we showed that miR-378g could inhibit the expression of YTHDF1, and that miR-378g/YTHDF1 could impact MDA-MB-231 proliferation. We speculate that YTHDF1 may serve as a biomarker for poor prognosis and differential diagnosis, impact the growth of breast cancer cells via the ceRNA network axis, and be a target for immunotherapy against breast cancer. Full article

Alkaline aqueous zinc-ion batteries possess a wider potential window than those in mildly acidic systems; they can achieve high energy density and are expected to become the next generation of energy storage devices. In this paper, a hollow porous P-NiCo₂O₄@Co₃O₄ nanoarray is obtained by ion etching and the calcination and phosphating of ZiF-67, which is directly grown on foam nickel substrate, as a precursor. It exhibits excellent performance as a cathode material for alkaline aqueous zinc-ion batteries. A high discharge specific capacity of 225.3 mAh g⁻¹ is obtained at 1 A g⁻¹ current density, and it remains 81.9% when the current density is increased to 10 A g⁻¹. After one thousand cycles of charging and discharging at 3 A g⁻¹ current density, the capacity retention rate is 88.8%. Even at an excellent power density of 25.5 kW kg⁻¹, it maintains a high energy density of 304.5 Wh kg⁻¹. It is a vital, promising high-power energy storage device for large-scale applications. Full article

Excessive phosphorus in aquatic systems poses a threat to ecosystem stability and human health. Precipitation has a profound influence on the phosphorus biogeochemical process; however, it has been inadequately considered at the watershed scale. In this study, the Bayesian latent variable regression model was utilized to quantify the impact of rainfall on the concentration of total phosphorus using daily monitoring data from 2019 to 2021. The results revealed a piecewise linear relationship between total phosphorus concentration and precipitation. It was further inferred that the breakpoint (The total rainfall during a single rainfall event equal to 39.4 ± 0.45 mm) represented the tipping point for the transformation of the primary river runoff generation mechanism. Subsequently, the excess phosphorus load caused by rainfall events was estimated in the Shahe basin by combining the regional nutrient management approach with the results of the Bayesian latent variable regression model. The results indicated that rainfall events were one of the most significant sources of TP loads from 2006 to 2017, accounting for 28.2% of the total. Non-artificial land, including farmland, forests, and grasslands, serves as the primary source of the excess phosphorus load resulting from rainfall events. This study provides insights into how to quantify the phosphorus load resulting from rainfall events at the basin scale, which is valuable for phosphorus management. Environmental managers should prioritize the regulation of phosphorus in non-artificial land moving forward. Implementing hierarchical management based on calibrated curve numbers and soil phosphorus content could prove to be an efficient approach for regulating phosphorus in the watershed. Full article

Development is a complex process involving precise regulation. Developmental regulation may vary in tissues and individuals, and is often altered in disorders. Currently, the regulation of developmental timing across neocortical areas and developmental changes in Down syndrome (DS) brains remain unclear. The changes in regulation are often accompanied by changes in the gene expression trajectories, which can be divided into two scenarios: (1) changes of gene expression trajectory shape that reflect changes in cell type composition or altered molecular machinery; (2) temporal shift of gene expression trajectories that indicate different regulation of developmental timing. Therefore, we developed an R package TempShift to separates these two scenarios and demonstrated that TempShift can distinguish temporal shift from different shape (DiffShape) of expression trajectories, and can accurately estimate the time difference between multiple trajectories. We applied TempShift to identify sequential gene expression across 11 neocortical areas, which suggested sequential occurrence of synapse formation and axon guidance, as well as reconstructed interneuron migration pathways within neocortex. Comparison between healthy and DS brains revealed increased microglia, shortened neuronal migration process, and delayed synaptogenesis and myelination in DS. These applications also demonstrate the potential of TempShift in understanding gene expression temporal dynamics during different biological processes. Full article

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a common and multifactorial disease in the elderly that may lead to irreversible vision loss; yet the pathogenesis of AMD remains unclear. In this study, nontargeted metabolomics profiling using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass spectrometry was applied to discover the metabolic feature differences in both faeces and serum samples between Chinese nonobese subjects with and without nAMD. In faecal samples, a total of 18 metabolites were significantly altered in nAMD patients, and metabolic dysregulations were prominently involved in glycerolipid metabolism and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism. In serum samples, a total of 29 differential metabolites were founded, involved in caffeine metabolism, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and purine metabolism. Two faecal metabolites (palmitoyl ethanolamide and uridine) and three serum metabolites (4-hydroxybenzoic acid, adrenic acid, and palmitic acid) were selected as potential biomarkers for nAMD. Additionally, the significant correlations among dysregulated neuroprotective, antineuroinflammatory, or fatty acid metabolites in faecal and serum and IM dysbiosis were found. This comprehensive metabolomics study of faeces and serum samples showed that alterations in IM-mediated neuroprotective metabolites may be involved in the pathophysiology of AMD, offering IM-based nutritional therapeutic targets for nAMD. Full article

Typical representations for arbitrary-oriented object detection tasks include the oriented bounding box (OBB), the quadrilateral bounding box (QBB), and the point set (PointSet). Each representation encounters problems that correspond to its characteristics, such as boundary discontinuity, square-like problems, representation ambiguity, and isolated points, which lead to inaccurate detection. Although many effective strategies have been proposed for various representations, there is still no unified solution. Current detection methods based on Gaussian modeling have demonstrated the possibility of resolving this dilemma; however, they remain limited to OBB. To go further, in this paper, we propose a unified Gaussian representation called G-Rep to construct Gaussian distributions for OBB, QBB, and PointSet, which achieves a unified solution to various representations and problems. Specifically, PointSet- or QBB-based object representations are converted into Gaussian distributions and their parameters are optimized using the maximum likelihood estimation algorithm. Then, three optional Gaussian metrics are explored to optimize the regression loss of the detector because of their excellent parameter optimization mechanisms. Furthermore, we also use Gaussian metrics for sampling to align label assignment and regression loss. Experimental results obtained on several publicly available datasets, such as DOTA, HRSC2016, UCAS-AOD, and ICDAR2015, show the excellent performance of the proposed method for arbitrary-oriented object detection. Full article

Background: There is a lack of instruments for measuring quality of life (QOL) in Chinese patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This study aimed to translate the Mild Cognitive Questionnaire (MCQ) into the Chinese language and to evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the MCQ-Chinese among older adults with MCI. Methods: Linguistic translation and validation of the questionnaire were conducted according to the MCQ developer and Oxford University Innovation guidelines. After a pilot test, the final version of the MCQ-Chinese was applied to a convenience sample of older adults with MCI (n = 186). Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the reliability and construct validity of the MCQ-Chinese. In addition, non-parametric analysis was used to assess convergent and discriminant validity. Results: The total scale and all the factors had good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.90 to 0.92. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated satisfactory goodness of fit for the 2-factor MCQ. The MCQ-Chinese had a good convergent validity, and the discriminant validity was confirmed with a significant difference in MCQ scores in different health conditions. Conclusions: MCQ-Chinese is a reliable tool for assessing QOL among Chinese older adults with MCI. Full article

Renewable energy is usually connected to the DC micro-grid by a large number of power electronic devices, which have the advantages of a fast system response, but the disadvantage to reduce the inertia of the system, which makes the stability of the system worse. It is necessary to increase the inertia of DC micro-grid so that it can recover and stabilize well when it receives a disturbance. In this paper, a small-signal model of DC micro-grid with constant power load (CPL) is established, and a flexible virtual inertial (FVI) control method based on DC bus voltage real-time variation is proposed, by controlling the DC/DC converter of the energy storage system, the problem of system oscillation caused by introducing voltage differential link to the system is solved. Compared with the droop control method, the FVI control method can increase the inertia of DC micro-grid system, reduce the influence of small disturbances, and improve the stability of the system. Finally, the validity of the FVI control method based on small signal model is verified in dSPACE. Full article

In recent years, malignant breast cancer metastasis has caused a great increase in mortality. Research on the genetic and molecular mechanisms of malignant breast cancer has continued to deepen, and targeted therapy has become the general trend. Among them, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA)-related molecules have received much attention. Homeobox transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) has been reported to function extensively as a ceRNA in breast cancer. Notably, miR-203 and Caveolin 1 (CAV1) have also been found to play a role in breast cancer. However, the relationship between the three remains unclear. In this study, we present a new mechanic through bioinformatics tool and basic experiments: the HOTAIR/miR-203/CAV1 axis, which complemented the role network of HOTAIR as a ceRNA, thus, it will provide a novel potential idea for breast cancer research and therapy. Full article