The radish is a highly self-incompatible plant, and consequently it is difficult to produce homozygous lines. Bud pollination in cross-fertilization plants should be done by opening immature pollen and attaching pollen to mature flowers. It accordingly takes a lot of time and effort to develop lines with fixed alleles. In the current study, a haploid breeding method has been applied to obtain homozygous plants in a short period of time by doubling chromosomes through the induction of a plant body in the haploid cells, in order to shorten the time to breed inbred lines. We constructed genetic maps with an F1 population derived by crossing parents that show a superior and inferior ability to regenerate microspores, respectively. Genetic maps were constructed from the maternal and parental maps, separately, using the two-way pseudo-testcross model. The phenotype of the regeneration rate was examined by microspore cultures and a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was performed based on the regeneration rate. From the results of the culture of microspores in the F1 population, more than half of the group did not regenerate, and only a few showed a high regeneration rate. A total of five significant QTLs were detected in the F1 population, and five candidate genes were found based on the results. These candidate genes are divided into two classes, and appear to be related to either PRC2 subunits or auxin synthesis.

For many years, an increasing number of diagnosed atopy and skin problems have been observed. For people affected by the problem of atopy, the selection of skin care products, including cosmetics, is extremely important. Cleansing cosmetics, due to their ability to cause skin irritations and disturb the hydrolipidic barrier, can increase problems with atopic skin. New solutions to reduce the effects of these products on the skin are very important. In this work, the effect of ectoine on the properties of anionic surfactants was analyzed. Based on model systems, analysis of the effect of ectoine on the irritating effect of four anionic surfactants and their ability to solubilize model sebum was performed. Antioxidant activity was also evaluated, and cytotoxic studies were performed on cell cultures. It was shown that the addition of ectoine to the anionic surfactant solutions improves its safety of use. After introducing ectoine to the surfactant solution, a decrease of irritant potential (about 20%) and a decrease in the ability to solubilize of model sebum (about 10-20%) was noted. Addition of ectoine to surfactant solutions also reduced their cytotoxicity by up to 60%. The obtained results indicate that ectoine may be a modern ingredient that improves the safety of cleansing cosmetics.

In a recent study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of a collection of resveratrol-derived monomers and dimers against a series of foodborne pathogens. Out of the tested molecules, dehydro-δ-viniferin and dehydro-ε-viniferin emerged as the most promising derivatives. To define the structural elements essential to the antimicrobial activity against the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes Scott A as a model Gram-positive microorganism, the synthesis of a series of simplified benzofuran-containing derivatives was carried out. The systematic removal of the aromatic moieties of the parent molecules allowed a deeper insight into the most relevant structural features affecting the activity. While the overall structure of compound 1 could not be altered without a substantial loss of antimicrobial activity, the structural simplification of compound 2 (minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 16 µg/mL, minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) >512 µg/mL) led to the analogue 7 with increased activity (MIC 8 µg/mL, MBC 64 µg/mL).

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an aggressive malignancy with a very poor outcome. Although chemotherapy (CT) treatment has poor efficacy, it can enhance tumor immunogenicity. Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAA) are self-proteins that are overexpressed in tumors that may induce antibody production and can be PDA theranostic targets. However, the prognostic value of TAA-antibody association as Circulating Immune Complexes (CIC) has not yet been elucidated, mainly due to the lack of techniques that lead to their identification. In this study, we show a novel method to separate IgG, IgM, and IgA CIC from sera to use them as prognostic biomarkers of CT response. The PDA Immune-Complexome (IC) was identified using a LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer followed by computational analysis. The analysis of the IC of 37 PDA patients before and after CT revealed differential associated antigens (DAA) for each immunoglobulin class. Our method identified different PDA-specific CIC in patients that were associated with poor prognosis patients. Finally, CIC levels were significantly modified by CT suggesting that they can be used as effective prognostic biomarkers to follow CT response in PDA patients.

The tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family is an E3 ubiquitin ligase family. Recent reports have indicated that some TRIM proteins have antiviral functions, especially against retroviruses. However, most studies mainly focus on the relationship between TRIM21 and interferon or other antiviral effectors. The effect of TRIM21 on virus-encoded proteins remains unclear. In this study, we screened candidate interacting proteins of HBV DNA polymerase (Pol) by FLAG affinity purification and mass spectrometry assay and identified TRIM21 as its regulator. We used a coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay to demonstrate that TRIM21 interacted with the TP domain of HBV DNA Pol. In addition, TRIM21 promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of HBV DNA Pol using its RING domain, which has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. Lys260 and Lys283 of HBV DNA Pol were identified as targets for ubiquitination mediated by TRIM21. Finally, we uncovered that TRIM21 degrades HBV DNA Pol to restrict HBV DNA replication, and its SPRY domain is critical for this activity. Taken together, our results indicate that TRIM21 suppresses HBV DNA replication mainly by promoting the ubiquitination of HBV DNA Pol, which may provide a new potential target for the treatment of HBV.

The Ethylene-Response Factor (ERF) subfamily transcription factors (TFs) belong to the APETALA2/Ethylene-Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily and play a vital role in plant growth and development. However, identification and analysis of the ERF subfamily genes in maize have not yet been performed at genome-wide level. In this study, a total of 76 ERF subfamily TFs were identified and were found to be unevenly distributed on the maize chromosomes. These maize ERF (ZmERF) TFs were classified into six groups, namely groups B1 to B6, based on phylogenetic analysis. Synteny analysis showed that 50, 54, and 58 of the ZmERF genes were orthologous to those in rice, Brachypodium, and Sorghum, respectively. Cis-element analysis showed that elements related to plant growth and development, hormones, and abiotic stress were identified in the promoter region of ZmERF genes. Expression profiles suggested that ZmERF genes might participate in plant development and in response to salinity and drought stresses. Our findings lay a foundation and provide clues for understanding the biological functions of ERF TFs in maize.

Williams's jerboa (Scarturus williamsi), a medium-sized jerboa distributed in Anatolia and its adjacent regions, is a member of the four- and five-toed jerboas found mostly in Asia. Disagreements about the taxonomy of this taxon at the genus/species level continue to exist. Here, we report the first effort to sequence and assemble the mitochondrial genome of Williams's jerboa from Turkey. The mitochondrial genome of S. williamsi was 16,653 bp in total length and contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and two non-coding regions (the D-loop and OL region) with intergenic spacer. All of the genes, except ND6 and eight tRNAs, were encoded on the heavy chain strand, similar to the features of mitogenomes of other rodents. When compared with all available rodent mitochondrial genomes, Williams's jerboa showed (1) a serine deletion at the 3'-end of the ATP8 gene, (2) the ND5 gene terminated with a TAG codon and (3) a tandem repeat cluster (273 bp in length) in the control region. Williams's jerboa and Siberian jerboa grouped as sister taxa despite the high genetic distance (17.6%) between them, belonging to Allactaginae. This result is consistent with the latest pre-revision, which suggests that Williams's jerboa and the Siberian jerboa may belong to separate genera, as Scarturus and Orientallactaga, respectively. The present study provides a reference mitochondrial genome for Williams's jerboa for further molecular studies of other species of Dipodoidea and Rodentia.

Prostate cancer is an androgen-dependent cancer with unique metabolic features compared to many other solid tumors, and typically does not exhibit the "Warburg effect". During malignant transformation, an early metabolic switch diverts the dependence of normal prostate cells on aerobic glycolysis for the synthesis of and secretion of citrate towards a more energetically favorable metabolic phenotype, whereby citrate is actively oxidised for energy and biosynthetic processes (i.e. de novo lipogenesis). It is now clear that lipid metabolism is one of the key androgen-regulated processes in prostate cells and alterations in lipid metabolism are a hallmark of prostate cancer, whereby increased de novo lipogenesis accompanied by overexpression of lipid metabolic genes are characteristic of primary and advanced disease. Despite recent advances in our understanding of altered lipid metabolism in prostate tumorigenesis and cancer progression, the intermediary metabolism of the normal prostate and its relationship to androgen signaling remains poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the fundamental metabolic relationships that are distinctive in normal versus malignant prostate tissues, and the role of androgens in the regulation of lipid metabolism at different stages of prostate tumorigenesis.

Emerging evidence implicates an interplay among multiple organs such as brain, vasculature, gut and lung in the development of established pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This has led us to propose that activated microglia mediated-enhanced sympathetic activation contributes to PAH pathophysiology. Since enhanced sympathetic activity is observed in human PAH and the gut is highly innervated by sympathetic nerves that regulate its physiological functions, we hypothesized that PAH would be associated with gut pathophysiology. A monocrotaline rat model of PAH was utilized to investigate the link between gut pathology and PAH. Haemodynamics, histology, immunocytochemistry and 16S RNA gene sequencing were used to assess cardiopulmonary functions, gut pathology and gut microbial communities respectively. Monocrotaline treatment caused increased right ventricular systolic pressure, haemodynamics and pathological changes associated with PAH. PAH animals also showed profound gut pathology that included increased intestinal permeability, increased muscularis layer, decreased villi length and goblet cells. These changes in gut pathology were associated with alterations in microbial communities, some unique to PAH animals. Furthermore, enhanced gut-neural communication involving the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and increased sympathetic drive were observed. In conclusion, our data show the presence of gut pathology and distinct changes in gut microbiota and increased sympathetic activity in PAH. They suggest that dysfunctional gut-brain crosstalk could be critical in PAH and considered a future therapeutic target for PAH.

Background. Parents' beliefs about and engagement in reading aloud to young children and other positive parenting practices have been associated with early childhood development (ECD) and later achievement. Aim. This exploratory study sought to assess parental attitudes and self-reported practices regarding ECD in a rural, low-income community in the Dominican Republic with many risk factors for ECD delays, including high rates of poverty, iron-deficiency anemia, and malnutrition. Methods. We used the Parent Reading Belief Inventory and open-ended questions to evaluate parental beliefs regarding reading, self-efficacy in promoting child development, current positive parenting practices, and parents' concerns about the development of their 0- to 5-year-old children in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. We explored associations between demographic factors and strength of positive parenting beliefs and practices. Results. Overall participants had positive attitudes toward reading and their own importance in promoting their children's development. Participants with at least some high school education had significantly higher Parent Reading Belief Inventory scores (P = .03) than those with less formal education. Participants reported frequently singing, talking, and playing with their children, but less frequently reading with them. Few participants had access to reading materials for young children. Parental interest in programs to support ECD was high. Parents raised concerns about their children's behavior, personal and educational attainment, and early literacy. Conclusion. Children whose parents have less formal education may benefit most from interventions to promote beliefs and practices likely to improve ECD. In this community, there is high interest in learning more about ECD.

The Salzburg Database is a repository of polygonal areas of various classes and sizes, with and without holes. Positive weights are assigned to all edges of all polygons. We introduce this collection and describe the generators that produced its polygons. The source codes for all generators as well as the polygons generated are publicly available.

Although rotational changes in lower limb alignment after total hip arthroplasty (THA) affect functional stem anteversion, less is known about the effects of femoral rotational alignment in the standing position. This study investigated postoperative changes in femoral rotation and evaluated the association with whole-body alignment in patients who underwent THA.

Early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ERAT) during a 90-day blanking period (BP) often occurs after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Left atrial reverse remodeling (LARR), which is the reduction in LA volume (LAV), also occurs during the BP. Both ERAT and LARR are associated with late recurrence (LR, greater than 90 days after ablation). We investigated the association between ERAT and LARR following non-paroxysmal AF (NPAF) ablation.

Immotile cilia sense extracellular signals such as fluid flow, but whether Ca2+ plays a role in flow sensing has been unclear. Here, we examined the role of ciliary Ca2+ in the flow sensing that initiates the breaking of left-right (L-R) symmetry in the mouse embryo. Intraciliary and cytoplasmic Ca2+ transients were detected in the crown cells at the node. These Ca2+ transients showed L-R asymmetry, which was lost in the absence of fluid flow or the PKD2 channel. Further characterization allowed classification of the Ca2+ transients into two types: cilium-derived, L-R-asymmetric transients (type 1) and cilium-independent transients without an L-R bias (type 2). Type 1 intraciliary transients occurred preferentially at the left posterior region of the node, where L-R symmetry breaking takes place. Suppression of intraciliary Ca2+ transients delayed L-R symmetry breaking. Our results implicate cilium-derived Ca2+ transients in crown cells in initiation of L-R symmetry breaking in the mouse embryo.

Clathrin-coated vesicles mediate trafficking of proteins and nutrients in the cell and between organelles. Proteins included in the clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) category include clathrin heavy chain (CHC), clathrin light chain (CLC), and a variety of adaptor protein complexes. Much is known about the structures of the individual CCV components, but data are lacking about the structures of the fully assembled complexes together with membrane and in complex with cargo. Here, we determined the structures of natively assembled CCVs in a variety of geometries. We show that the adaptor β2 appendages crosslink adjacent CHC β-propellers and that the appendage densities are enriched in CCV hexagonal faces. We resolve how adaptor protein 2 and other associated factors in hexagonal faces form an assembly hub with an extensive web of interactions between neighboring β-propellers and propose a structural model that explains how adaptor binding can direct the formation of pentagonal and hexagonal faces.

Climate change has been significantly affecting smallholder farmer's livelihood and food security. However, efforts to support farmer adaptation are hampered by the lack of scientific and context based evidences. Hence, this paper identified the major adaptation strategies to climate change (CC) and analysed the determinants of adoption of adaptation strategies to climate change in Eastern Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Three-stage sampling technique was used to select the study sites and sample households. Copies of 485 questionnaires were administered and complemented with data from focus group discussion and key informant interviews. Results of the descriptive analysis identified that use of soil and water conservation practices, planting trees, improved crop seeds, irrigation and use of non-farm income generating activities are the most utilized adaptation strategies to climate change. Results of the multinomial logistic regression (MNL) revealed that households' adaptation to climate change was found positively and significantly affected by education, livestock holding, cooperatives membership, extension services, farmers income and households perception to climate change. On the contrary, age of the household head, distance to market and agro-ecology were found negatively and statistically affecting smallholder farmers adoption of adaptation strategies to climate change. Thus, public policy on climate change adaptation need to take into account local people's resource base and their lifelong outlooks so as to reduce the potential drawbacks of climate change on farmers' livelihood.

AchieveBP is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an education intervention for patients with chronic hypertension who have uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) at discharge from an urban emergency department (ED). The study examined efficacy and moderators of an educational intervention in an RCT on BP control at 180-day post-intervention.

Astronauts are under high stress for a long time because of the microgravity condition, which leads to anxiety, affects their learning and memory abilities, and seriously impairs the health of astronauts. Aromatherapy can improve the physical and mental health of astronauts in a way that moisturizes them softly and silently. However, the strong volatility of fragrances and inconvenience of aroma treatment greatly limit their application in the field of spaceflight. In this study, reactive mesoporous silica nanoparticles were prepared to encapsulate and slowly release limonene. The limonene loaded nanoparticles were named limonene@mesoporous silica nanoparticles-cyanuric chloride (LE@MSNs-CYC). LE@MSNs-CYC were then applied to wallpaper to improve the convenience of aromatherapy. LE@MSNs-CYC could chemically react with the wallpaper, thus firmly adsorbed on the wallpaper. In the following, the mice were treated with hindlimb unloading (HU) to simulate a microgravity environment. The results showed that 28-day HU led to an increase in the level of anxiety and declines in learning, memory, and physical health in mice. LE@MSNs-CYC showed significant relief effects on anxiety, learning, memory, and physical health of HU treated mice. Subsequently, the molecular mechanisms were explored by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis related hormones, immune-related cytokines, learning, and memory-related neurotransmitters and proteins.

Drug resistance and cellular adhesion are two key elements of both dissemination and prevalence of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Smi1 belongs to a family of hub proteins conserved among the fungal kingdom whose functions in cellular signaling affect morphogenesis, cell wall synthesis and stress resistance. The data presented here indicate that C. albicans SMI1 is a functional homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae KNR4 and is involved in the regulation of cell wall synthesis. Expression of SMI1 in S. cerevisiae knr4Δ null mutants rescued their sensitivity to caspofungin and to heat stress. Deletion of SMI1 in C. albicans resulted in sensitivity to the cell-wall-perturbing compounds Calcofluor White and Caspofungin. Analysis of wild-type and mutant cells by Atomic Force Microscopy showed that the Young's Modulus (stiffness) of the cell wall was reduced by 85% upon deletion of SMI1, while cell surface adhesion measured by Force Spectroscopy showed that the surface expression of adhesive molecules was also reduced in the mutant. Over-expression of SMI1, on the contrary, increased cell surface adhesion by 6-fold vs the control strain. Finally, Smi1-GFP localized as cytoplasmic patches and concentrated spots at the sites of new cell wall synthesis including the tips of growing hyphae, consistent with a role in cell wall regulation. Thus, Smi1 function appears to be conserved across fungi, including the yeast S. cerevisiae, the yeast and hyphal forms of C. albicans and the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.

The cell wall polymers wall teichoic acid (WTA) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) are often modified with glycosyl and D-alanine residues. Recent studies have shown that a three-component glycosylation system is used for the modification of LTA in several Gram-positive bacteria including Bacillus subtilis and Listeria monocytogenes. In the L. monocytogenes 1/2a strain 10403S, the cytoplasmic glycosyltransferase GtlA is thought to use UDP-galactose to produce the C55-P-galactose lipid intermediate, which is transported across the membrane by an unknown flippase. Next, the galactose residue is transferred onto the LTA backbone on the outside of the cell by the glycosyltransferase GtlB. Here we show that GtcA is necessary for the glycosylation of LTA in L. monocytogenes 10403S and B. subtilis 168 and we hypothesize that these proteins act as C55-P-sugar flippases. With this we revealed that GtcA is involved in the glycosylation of both teichoic acid polymers in L. monocytogenes 10403S, namely WTA with N-acetylglucosamine and LTA with galactose residues. These findings indicate that the L. monocytogenes GtcA protein can act on different C55-P-sugar intermediates. Further characterization of GtcA in L. monocytogenes led to the identification of residues essential for its overall function as well as residues, which predominately impact WTA or LTA glycosylation.