We revise the definition of graph operations in [WDK2018] and adapt correspondingly the construction of graph term algebras. As a first contribution to a prospective research field Universal Graph Algebra, we generalize some basic concepts and results from algebras to graph algebras. To tackle this generalization task, we revise and reformulate traditional set-theoretic definitions, constructions and proofs in Universal Algebra by means of more category-theoretic concepts and constructions. Especially, we generalize the concept generated subalgebra and prove that all monomorphic homomorphisms between graph algebras are regular. Derived graph operations are the other main topic. After an in depth analysis of terms as representations of derived operations in traditional algebras, we identify three basic mechanisms to construct new graph operations out of given ones: parallel composition, instantiation, and sequential composition. As a counterpart of terms, we introduce graph operation expressions with a structure as close as possible to the structure of terms. We show that the three mechanisms allow us to construct for any graph operation expression a corresponding derived graph operation in any graph algebra.

Neural networks models are mostly represented by oriented graphs where only the components, constitutive elements of the graph, are transcribed into mathematical xpression. Indeed, accurate knowledge of the full expression of the model is required in certain situations such as selecting among several reference models, the one that best fits the available data or comparing the explanatory and predictive performance of an established model with respect to some reference models. In this paper, we establish a formalism of the mathematical expression for multilayer perceptron neural network in a general framework, MLP-p-n-q, with p, n and q natural integers and show its restriction to cases where one has a hidden layer and multivariate outputs (MLP-p-1-q), and then a single output (MLP-p-1-1). Then, we give some specific cases of the most commonly used models. An application case is presented in the context of solving a nonlinear regression problem.

The study of the pathogenesis of febrile seizures and their consequences frequently necessitates gene expression analysis. The primary methodology employed for such analysis is reverse transcription with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). To guarantee the accuracy of data obtained by RT-qPCR, it is crucial to utilize stably expressed reference genes. The objective of this study was to identify the most suitable reference genes for use in the analysis of mRNA production in various brain regions of rats following prolonged neonatal febrile seizures. The expression stability of eight housekeeping genes was evaluated using the online tool RefFinder in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal regions and in the temporal and medial prefrontal cortex of the brain. The Ppia gene exhibited the greatest stability of expression. Conversely, the genes with the least stable expression level are Actb and Ywhaz; thus, it is not recommended to use them for normalization in a febrile seizure model. Additionally, the majority of housekeeping genes demonstrate age-related, region-specific fluctuations. Therefore, it is crucial to employ the appropriate housekeeping genes for each brain structure under investigation when examining the expression dynamics of genes of interest in a febrile seizure model.

Important tumor biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and mechanisms of tumorigenesis were discovered in animal models. Mouse models of malignant gliomas were represented by transplantable, chemically-induced, and genetically-engineered cells. The aim of the study was to investigate the morphological, molecular, and immunological characteristics of two original glioblastoma (GB) strains, M2 and M6. These are new, chemically-induced, trans-plantable tissue models of malignant diffuse mouse glioma. Tissues from M2 GB and M6 GB were transplanted into immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. The clinical manifestations of M2 GB and M6 GB growth in mice include motility disorders, cachexia, and priapism. Morphologically, M2 GB and M6 GB are characterized by diffuse proliferation, cellular and nuclear polymorphism, high mitotic activity, and pathological forms of mitosis due to the aggressive nature of these tumors. Flow cytometry showed that CD3+ T lymphocytes (~32%) and F4/80+ macrophages (~28-50%) highly infiltrated both tumors. M2 GB had higher levels of F4/80+ macrophages than M6 GB. Cdkn2a, S100b, Mki67, Pten, Vegfa, Hif1a, Sox2, Abcb1, and Gfap genes were overexpressed in both tumors. Cd133, Tp53, and Pdgfra expression was increased in M2 GB. High expression of Pi3k and Gdnf was observed in M6 GB. Expression of Cd44, Pi3k, Hif1a, Gdnf and Egfr was higher in the M6 GB tissues com-pared to M2 GB, while Cdkn2a, Tp53, Cd133 and Pdgfra were higher in the M2 GB tissue compared to M6 GB. The transplantable M2 GB and M6 GB tissue models have intratumor immune responses, clinical and morphological features similar to human GB, as well as gene expression patterns that are important for further studies on tumorigenesis. These models can be used to develop diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and study carcino-genesis.

INTRODUCTION: This study focusses on diagnosis of stages of AD (Alzheimer’s disease) including MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) from two data modalities - gene expression and clinical data of ADNI (Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative ) participants using multiclassification. The gene expression dataset is highly imbalanced and of HDLSS (high-dimensional and low-sample-size) characteristics. This is the only study where multiclassification based AD stage diagnosis is done to identify multiple stages of Alzheimer. We are able to achieve the best multiclassification result in both the modalities and identify new genetic biomarkers. METHODS: Combination of XGBoost and SFBS (“Sequential Floating Backward Selection”) methods is used to select features. We are able to select the most effective 95 gene probsets out of 49,386. For clinical study data, 8 most effective biomarkers could be selected using SFBS. For both genomic and clinical data, DL (‘Deep Learning’) classifier is used to identify stages - CN (Cognitive Normal), MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment), AD (Alzheimer’s Disease / Dementia). Because of high data imbalance in genomic data, border line oversampling is used for model training and original data for validation. RESULT & DISCUSSION: With clinical data, we achieved ‘ROC AUC’ scores 0.97, 0.95, 0.94 for CN, MCI, Dementia stage respectively . We achieve ‘ROC AUC’ scores 0.75, 0.74, 0.70 for CN, MCI, Dementia stage respectively and 0.67 for both micro average F1 scores and micro weighted F1 score. This is the best result so far for AD stage diagnosis from gene expression profile data through multiclassification with ADNI data. Results reflect that our multiclassification model can efficiently handle the imbalanced data of HDLSS nature to identify samples of minority class. MAPK14, ZNF835, MID1, HLA-DQA1, TEP1 are some of the new genes found to be associated with AD risk. DRAXIN, HSPA12B, USP47 etc. are found to be AD preventive or suppressor.

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a typical class of small RNAs that could modulate gene expression in trans at the post-transcriptional level. miRNAs bind to the miRNA binding sites (MBSs) in target mRNAs by sequence complementarity. Alternative splicing (AS) is another commonly occurred process in pre-mRNAs that changes the isoforms of a gene. It is hypothesized that there should be an interaction for gene regulation that involves both AS and miRNA targeting. Studies have verified this hypothesis in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. High-throughput sequencing data suggested that in Arabidopsis a considerably large fraction of MBSs are affected by AS events. The overlapping between MBS and AS exceeds the randomly simulated number. Functional experiments have indicated that the AS events are required for the gene expression changes of miRNA targets. Therefore, AS and MBS are mutually favored. The observed expression changes caused by miRNAs could also be contributed by AS events. In the present perspective article, we propose that the AS analysis should be incorporated in the differential-expression analysis of miRNA studies. When defining a differentially-expressed gene, it should be clarified whether the change in gene expression is caused by AS events or solely by miRNA targeting.

This paper proposes a novel facial expression recognition network called the Lightweight Facial Network with Spatial Bias (LFNSB). The LFNSB model balances model complexity and recognition accuracy. It has two key components: a lightweight feature extraction network (LFN) and a Spatial Bias (SB) module for aggregating global information. The LFN introduces combined channel operations and depthwise convolution techniques, effectively reducing the number of parameters while enhancing feature representation capability. The Spatial Bias module enables the model to focus on local facial features while also capturing the dependencies between different facial regions. Additionally, a novel loss function called Cosine-Harmony Loss is designed. This function optimizes the relative positions of feature vectors in high-dimensional space, resulting in better feature separation and clustering. Experimental results on the AffectNet and RAF-DB datasets show that the proposed LFNSB model performs excellently in facial expression recognition tasks. It achieves high recognition accuracy while significantly reducing the number of parameters, thus substantially lowering model complexity.

Micro-expression (ME) is one of the key psychological stress reactions. It is a modest, spontaneous facial mechanism. ME has significant applicability in a variety of psychologically-related sectors because to its precision and unpredictability with regard to psychological manifestations. Nevertheless, the current Micro-expression recognition (MER) algorithms have poor accuracy and a limited quantity of ME data, and this study issue has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we present an approach for deep learning based on a Spatio-temporal capsule network (STCP-Net). STCP-Net has four components: a jitter reduction module, a differential feature extraction module, an STCP module, and a fully linked layer. The first two modules are aimed to extract diversifying differential features more precisely and to limit the influence of head jitter. The STCP module is used to extract Spatio-temporal features layer by layer, taking the temporal and geographical connection between features into account. This research runs sufficient trials using the Leave One Subject Out (LOSO) methodology for cross-validation using the CASMEII dataset. The conclusion and analysis demonstrate that the algorithm is innovative and efficient.

Identifying the primary site of origin of metastatic cancer is vital for guiding treatment decisions, especially for patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Despite advanced diagnostic techniques, CUP remains difficult to pinpoint and is responsible for a considerable number of cancer-related fatalities. Understanding its origin is crucial for effective management and potentially improving patient outcomes. This study introduces a machine learning framework ONCOfind-AI that leverages transcriptome-based gene set features to enhance the accuracy of predicting the origin of metastatic cancers. By ensuring compatibility between RNA-sequencing and micro-array data, we were able to construct a more comprehensive training dataset. Integrating data from different platforms improved the accuracy of our machine learning models for predicting cancer origins. Our method was validated using external data from clinical samples collected through Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center and the Gene Expression Omnibus. The external validation results demonstrated a top-1 accuracy ranging from 0.80 to 0.86, with a top-2 accuracy of 0.90. This study highlights that incorporating biological knowledge through curated gene sets can merge gene expression data from different platforms, enhancing the compatibility needed for more effective machine learning prediction models.

Allopolyploidy in plants involves the merging of two or more distinct parental genomes into a single nucleus, a significant evolutionary process in the plant kingdom. Transcriptomic analysis provides valuable insights into the fate of duplicated genes, evolutionary novelties, and environmental adaptations exhibited by allopolyploid plants. However, transcriptome profiling is challenging due to genomic redundancy, which is further complicated by the presence of multiple chromosomes sets and the variations among homoeologs and allelic genes. Prior to transcriptome analysis, sub-genome phasing and homoeology inference are essential for obtaining a comprehensive view of gene expression. This review aims to clarify the terminology in this field, identify the most challenging aspects of transcriptome analysis, explain their inherent difficulties, and suggest reliable analytic strategies. Furthermore, bulk RNA-seq is highlighted as a primary method for studying allopolyploid expression, with an emphasis on the critical steps of read mapping and normalization in differential gene expression analysis.

The role of astro- and microglial cells in the pathogenesis of epilepsy is currently under active in-vestigation. It is proposed that the activity of these cells may be regulated by agonists of peroxi-some proliferator-activated nuclear receptors (PPARs). The objective of this study was to investi-gate the effects of the PPAR β/δ agonist GW0742 (Fitorine) on the behavior and gene expression of astro- and microglial proteins involved in the regulation of epileptogenesis in rat brain in a lithi-um-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A seven-day administration of GW0742 at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day has been shown to suppress TLE-related behavioral hyperactivity in the Open Field test and to attenuate the TLE-induced increase in gene expression and protein levels of astro- and microglial activation markers Gfap and Aif1 in the dorsal hippocampus and temporal cortex. Furthermore, GW0742 reversed the TLE-related increase in Lcn2 gene expression (a marker of the A1 phenotype of astrocytes) in the temporal cortex, the increase in the ratio of Nos2/Arg1 gene expression (markers of the M1/M2 phenotypes of microglia), and the decrease in Arg1 gene ex-pression in the dorsal hippocampus. The results suggest that GW0742 may mitigate behavioral and biochemical abnormalities in a lithium-pilocarpine model of TLE.

The present study was performed to examine that transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in root-surrounding tissues on deciduous teeth during the physiological root resorption regulates the differentiation induction into odontoclast. We prepared root-surrounding tissues with (R) or without (N) physiological root resorption scraped off at three regions (R1-R3 or N1-N3) from the cervical area to the apical area of the tooth and measured both TGF-β and the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activities. The TGF-β activity level was increased in N1-N3, whereas the TRAP activity was increased in R2 and R3. In vitro experiments for RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation revealed that TGF-β in N1-N3 and R1-R3 enhanced the TRAP activity in RAW264 cells. A genetic study indicated that the mRNA level of TGF-β1 in N1 and N2 was significantly increased, and corresponded with that of osteoprotegerin (OPG). In contrast, the expression level of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) was increased in R2 and R3. Our findings suggest that TGF-β is closely related to the regulation of OPG induction and RANKL-mediated odontoclast differentiation depending on the timing of RANKL and OPG mRNA expression in the root-surrounding tissues of deciduous teeth during physiological root resorption.

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a surrogate indicator for atherosclerosis and has been shown to predict cardiovascular risk in multiple large studies. Identifying and characterizing molecular markers for carotid atheroma plaque formation can be critical for early intervention and prevention of atherosclerosis. This study performed transcription factor (TF) network analysis of transcriptomic data focusing on two TF genes, ZNF385D, HAND2, whose polymorphisms reportedly associate with carotid atherosclerosis. Gene expression data were measured from pieces of carotid endarterectomy of hypertensive patients each paired with one sample of distant macroscopically intact tissue. TF networks were reconstructed for ZNF385D and HAND2 and their association with carotid atheroma progression examined using gene-set enrichment analysis with high statistical significance (p<6.95e-7) suggesting involvement of expression quantitative loci (eQTL). Examination of the regulation and correlation patterns suggests high clinical and interventional impacts of the two TF genes on impairing carotid atheroma plaque formation and preventing carotid atherosclerosis.

Deeper understanding of biological processes, disease mechanisms, and prospective therapeutic targets can be attained by Gene Expression Network Analysis (GENA), which offers a potent framework for revealing the intricate regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression. GENA is a computational method used to understand the intricate interactions and relationships between the genes in a biological system. It entails using network theory, statistical analysis, and gene expression data to pinpoint functional modules, regulatory linkages, and important genes or pathways involved in a particular biological process or illness. This chapter broadly outlines the principles and practice of GENA, to an novice reader and outlines a simple method of performing a GENA using online Rice gene expression datasets available in various websites.

Complex diseases such as cancer are caused by changes in the Gene Regulatory Networks. Systems that model the complex dynamics of these networks along with adapting to real gene expression data are closer to reality and can help understand the creation and treatment of cancer. In this paper, for the first time, modelling of gene regulatory networks is performed using delayed nonlinear variable order fractional systems in the state space by a new tool called GENAVOS. This tool uses gene expression time series data to identify and optimize system parameters. This software has several tools for analyzing system dynamics. The results show that the nonlinear variable order fractional systems have very good flexibility in adapting to real data. We found that regulatory networks in cancer cells actually have a larger delay parameter than in normal cells. It is also possible to create chaos, periodic and quasi-periodic oscillations by changing the delay, degradation and synthesis rates. Our findings indicate a profound effect of time-varying order on these networks, which may be related to a type of cellular memory due to epigenetic and environmental factors. We showed that by changing the delay parameter and the variable order function for a normal cell system, its behavior changes and becomes quite similar to the behavior of a cancer cell. This work also confirms the effective role of the miR-17-92 cluster in the cancer cell cycle. GENAVOS is available at https://github.com/hanif-y/GENAVOS with its user guide and MATLAB codes.

Numerous in vitro studies on isolated cells have been conducted to uncover the molecular mechanisms of action of Panax ginseng Meyer root extracts and purified ginsenosides. However, the concentrations of ginsenosides and the extracts used in these studies were much higher than detected in pharmacokinetic studies in humans and animals orally administered with ginseng preparations at therapeutic doses. Our study aimed to assess: (a) the effects of ginsenoside Rg5, the major "rare" ginsenoside of Red Ginseng, on gene expression in the murine neuronal cell line HT22 in a wide range of concentrations, from 10-4 to 10-18 M, and (b) the effects of differentially expressed genes on cellular and physiological functions in organismal disorders and diseases. Gene expression profiling was performed by transcriptome-wide mRNA microarray analyses in HT22 cells after treatment with ginsenoside Rg5. Ginsenoside Rg5 exhibits soft-acting effects on gene expression of neuronal cells in a wide range of physiological concentrations and strong reversal impact at high (toxic) concentration: significant up- or downregulation of expression of about 300 genes at concentrations from 10-6 M to 10-18 M, and dramatically increased both the number of differentially expressed target genes (up to 1670) and the extent of their expression (fold changes compared to unexposed cells) at a toxic concentration of 10-4 M. Network pharmacology analyses of genes expression profiles using Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software showed that at low physiological concentrations, ginsenoside Rg5 has the potential to activate the biosynthesis of cholesterol and to exhibit predictable effects in senescence, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and immune response, suggesting soft-acting, beneficial effects on organismal death, movement disorders, and cancer.

Facial expression has lots of applications in human-computer interaction. Although feature extraction and selection have been well studied, the specificity of each expression variation is not fully explored in state-of-the-art works. In this work, the problem of multiclass expression recognition is converted into triplet-wise expression recognition. For each expression triplet, a new feature optimization model based on Action Unit (AU) weighting and patch weight optimization is proposed to represent the specificity of the expression triplet. Sparse representation based approach is then proposed to detect the active AUs of testing sample for better generalization. The algorithm achieved competitive accuracies of 89.67% and 94.09% for Jaffe and CK+ databases, respectively. Better cross-database performance has also been observed.

In the paper, the author presents explicit and unified expressions for a sequence of improper integrals in terms of the beta functions and the Wallis ratios. Hereafter, the author derives integral representations for the Catalan numbers originating from combinatorics.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension significantly contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for these conditions. This systematic review conducts a thorough analysis of the literature, with a specific focus on investigating miRNA expression patterns in patients with CAD and hypertension. The review encompasses an unspecified number of eligible studies that employed a variety of patient demographics and research methodologies, resulting in diverse miRNA expression profiles. This review highlights the complex involvement of miRNAs in CAD and hypertension and the potential for advances in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Future research endeavours are imperative to validate these findings and elucidate the precise roles of miRNAs in disease progression, offering promising avenues for innovative diagnostic tools and targeted interventions.

In this manuscript we use an exactly solvable stochastic binary model for regulation of gene expression to analyse the dynamics of response to a treatment aiming to modulate the number of transcripts of RKIP gene. We demonstrate the usefulness of our method simulating three treatment scenarios aiming to reestablish RKIP gene expression dynamics towards pre-cancerous state: i. to increase the promoter’s ON state duration; ii. to increase the mRNAs’ synthesis rate; iii. to increase both rates. We show that the pre-treatment kinetic rates of ON and OFF promoter switching speeds and mRNA synthesis and degradation will affect the heterogeneity and time for treatment response. Hence, we present a strategy for reducing drug dosage by simultaneously targeting multiple kinetic rates. That enables a reduction of treatment response time and heterogeneity which in principle diminishes the chances of emergence of resistance to treatment. This approach may be useful for inferring kinetic constants related to expression of antimetastatic genes or oncogenes and on the design of multi-drug therapeutic strategies targeting master regulatory genes.

Berberine (BER) is a natural alkaloid found in various Berberis species, used traditionally in herbal medicine and dietary supplements. BER exhibited various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-tumour properties by modulating cellular pathways and influencing gene expression. While BER shows promise in various health applications, its possible toxicity raises concerns. In 2023, EFSA issued a call for data on BER- and protoberberine (PROTBER)-containing products, to comprehensively assess its safety and potential health claims. With these premises, new data was collected by assessing: i) the phytochemical profile of BER- and PROTBER-containing preparations by newly developed HPLC-DAD method; ii) in silico and in vitro investigation of pharmacokinetics properties of BER; iii) in vitro cytotoxicity in different human cell lines and, iv) biological and molecular activities of extracts containing BER and PROTBER in in vitro human non-cancer cells. By testing 16 commercial Berberis extracts, the evidence collected showed a good qualitative reliability in terms of phytochemical profile and limited relapses on cytotoxicity even at 200 µg/ml after a 24h of exposure, while evidencing a good cellular bioavailability and cell migration inhibition. The potential for plant-drug interactions affecting CYP450 proved to be minimal. Overall, our work provides a useful overview to better elucidate potential concerns on botanicals containing BER and minor PROTBER commonly used in food supplement.

Accurate and robust deep learning models for facial expression recognition are challenging to achieve, given the diversity of human faces and variations in images, including different facial poses and lighting conditions. In this work, we proposed a clock-driven convolutional Spiking Neural Network (SNN) and STDP fine-tune architecture, meticulously calibrated its hyperpa-rameters, and experimented with various optimization methods. The best model resulted was trained and evaluated on the Fer2013 and FER+ database, obtaining an accuracy of 61.87% and 79.97% without requiring auxiliary training data or face registration. To our best knowledge, the proposed SNN achieved comparable accuracy to CNNs of similar depth and possessed advantages of low energy consumption and high computational efficiency. The computational efficiency of the proposed SNN is approximately three times that of CNNs. Along with this, we introduced the very recent cumulative spike guided encoder visualization technique and revealed the strong encoding capability of the proposed SNN.

Alfalfa, an important legume forage, is an ideal crop for sustainable agriculture and a potential bioenergy plant. Drought, one of the most common environmental stresses, substantially affects plants’ growth, development and productivity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are newly discovered gene expression regulators that have been linked to several plant stress responses. To elucidate the role of miRNAs in drought stress regulation of alfalfa, a high-throughput sequencing approach was used to analyze 12 small RNA libraries comprising of 4 samples, each with 3 biological replicates. We identified 348 known miRNAs, belonging to 80 miRNA families, from the 12 libraries and 281 novel miRNAs using Mireap software. 18 known miRNAs in roots and 12 known miRNAs in leaves were screened out as drought-responsive miRNAs. Except for miR319d and miR157a which were upregulated under drought stress, the expression pattern of drought-responsive miRNAs were different between roots and leaves in alfalfa. This is the first study discovering miR157a, miR1507, miR3512, miR3630, miR5213, miR5294, miR5368 and miR6173 are drought-responsive miRNAs. Target transcripts of drought-responsive miRNAs were computationally predicted. All 447 target genes for the known miRNAs were predicted using an online tool. This study provides a significant insight on understanding drought-responsive mechanisms of alfalfa.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can act as a nonpermeating cryoprotectant, reducing the toxicity of glycerol. The dog spermatozoa were diluted and frozen in freezing extender supplemented with 0 (control), 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 % (w/v) CMC. Post-thaw, the sperm kinematic parameters (CASA), viability (SYBR-14/PI), and acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA) were evaluated. The expression of genes related to apoptosis (BCL2, BAX, and ANAXA), motility (BACTIN), cold shock proteins (YBX3), and ROS (CAT, ROMO1, and SMOX) was evaluated using qPCR. The total motility was higher in the 0.1 % CMC group compared to the other groups (p<0.05). In addition, the expression of the antiapoptotic gene BCL2 was upregulated in 0.1 % CMC group compared to the control, whereas the gene expression of BAX and SMOX exhibited lower levels in 0.1 and 0.25 % CMC groups than the control group (p<0.05). The expression of YBX3 genes was significantly decreased with 0.25 % CMC supplementation. No significant differences were found in viability, acrosome integrity, or the relative expression of ANAXA, BACTIN, CAT, and ROMO1 genes between the groups. In conclusion, the addition of CMC to a freezing extender improved sperm motility and alleviated cryostress by regulating the gene expression of BCL2, BAX, SMOX, and YBX3.

With advances in next-generation sequencing(NGS) technologies, large number of multiple types of high-throughput genomics data are available. A great challenge in exploring cancer mechanism is to identify the driver genes from the mutation genes by analyzing and integrating multi-types genomics data. Breast cancer is known as a heterogeneous disease. The identification of subtype-specific driver genes is critical to guide the diagnosis, assessment of prognosis and treatment of breast cancer. We developed an integrated frame based on gene expression profilings and copy number variation(CNV) data to identify breast cancer subtype-specific driver genes. In this frame, we employed statistical machine-learning method to select gene subsets and utilized an module-network analysis method to identify potential candidate driver genes. The final subtype-specific driver genes were acquired by paired-wise comparison in subtypes. To validate specificity of the driver genes, the gene expression data of these genes were applied to classify the patient samples with 10-fold cross validation and the enrichment analysis were also conducted on the identified driver genes. The experimental results show that the proposed integrative method can identify the potential driver genes and the classifier with these genes acquired better performance than with genes identified by other methods.

Pigment dispersion can lead to pigmentary glaucoma, a poorly understood condition of younger myopic eyes with fluctuating high intraocular pressure. It has been difficult to investigate its pathogenesis without a model similar to human eyes in size and behavior. Here we present a porcine ex vivo model that recreates several features of pigmentary glaucoma, including intraocular hypertension, accumulation of pigment in the trabecular meshwork, and declining phagocytosis. We found that trabecular meshwork cells regulate outflow, form actin stress fibers, and have a decreased phagocytic activity. Gene expression microarrays and a pathway analysis of TM monolayers as well as ex vivo anterior segment perfusion cultures indicated that RhoA plays a central role in regulating the cytoskeleton, motility, and phagocytosis in the trabecular meshwork, providing new insights and targets to investigate in pigmentary glaucoma.

Zanthoxylum armatum is an forest tree with apomixis characteristic, and RWP-RKs are plant-specific transcription factors known to regulate nitrogen response and embryonic development. However, the genome-wide analysis of RWP-RK family genes in Z.armatum is unclear. In this study, 36 ZaRWP-RK transcription factors were identified in the genome of Z.armatum, among which 15 genes were belonged to the RKD subfamily and 21 belonged to the NLP subfamily. Duplication events of ZaRWP-RK genes were mainly segmental duplication, and synteny analysis revealed close phylogenetic relationship between Z.armatum and Arabidopsis. The analysis of cis-elements indicated that ZaRWP-RK genes may be involved in the regulation of embryonic development of Z.armatum by responding to plant hormones such as abscisic acid, auxin, and gibberellin. Real-time PCR showed that the expression levels of most ZaRWP-RK genes were significantly increased from flowers to young fruits. Protein-protein interaction network analysis further revealed the potential roles of the ZaRWP-RK proteins in apomixis. Collectively, this study provide a theoretical basis for future investigations into the ZaRWP-RK genes and their regulatory mechanisms in the apomixis process of Z.armatum.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in numerous biological processes and serve crucial regulatory functions in both animals and plants. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding of lncRNAs and their patterns of expression and roles in sharks. In the current study, we systematically identified and characterized lncRNAs in the blue shark Prionace glauca from four tissues (liver, spleen, muscle, and kidney) using high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics tools. A total of 21,932 high confidence lncRNAs were identified with 8,984 and 3,067 stably and tissue-specific expressed lncRNAs, respectively. In addition, a total of 45,007 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs were obtained among tissues, with kidney versus muscle having the largest numbers across tissues. DE lncRNAs trans target protein-coding genes were predicted, and functional gene ontology enrichment of these genes showed GO terms such as muscle system processes, cellular/metabolic processes, and stress and immune responses, all of which correspond with the specific biological functions of each tissue analyzed. These results advance our knowledge of lncRNAs in sharks and present novel data on tissue-specific lncRNAs, providing key information to support future functional shark investigations.

This work presents an approach for detecting mathematical formulas in scanned document images. The proposed approach is end-to-end trainable. Since many OCR engines cannot reliably work with the formulas, it is essential to isolate them to obtain the clean text for information extraction from the document. Our proposed pipeline comprises a hybrid task cascade network with deformable convolutions and a Resnext101 backbone. Both of these modifications help in better detection. We evaluate the proposed approaches on the ICDAR-2017 POD and Marmot datasets and achieve an overall accuracy of 96% for the ICDAR-2017 POD dataset. We achieve an overall reduction of error of 13%. Furthermore, the results on Marmot datasets are improved for the isolated and embedded formulas. We achieved an accuracy of 98.78% for the isolated formula and 90.21% overall accuracy for embedded formulas. Consequently, it results in an error reduction rate of 43% for isolated and 17.9% for embedded formulas.

Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. is an adaptogenic plant traditionally used to enhance mental and physical capacities in cases of weakness, exhaustion, tiredness, loss of concentration, and during recovery. According to ancient records, Red Ginseng root preparations enhance longevity with long-term intake. Recent pharmacokinetic studies of ginsenosides in humans and our in vitro study in neuronal cells suggest that ginsenosides are effective when their level in blood is shallow - at concentrations from 10-6 to 10-18 M. In the present study, we compared the effects of Red Ginseng root preparation HRG80TM(HRG) at concentrations from 0.01 to 10,000 ng/ml with effects of White Ginseng (WG) and purified ginsenosides Rb1, Rg3, Rg5 and Rk1 on gene expression of isolated hippocampal neurons. The aim of this study was to predict the effects of differently expressed genes on cellular and physiological functions in organismal disorders and diseases. Gene expression profiling was performed by transcriptome-wide mRNA microarray analyses in murine HT22 cells after treatment with ginseng preparations. Ingenuity pathway downstream/upstream analysis (IPA) was performed with datasets of significantly up-or downregulated genes, and expected effects on cellular function and disease were identified by IPA software. Ginsenosides Rb1, Rg3, Rg5, and Rk1 have substantially various effects on gene expression profiles (signatures) and are different from signatures of HRG and WG. Furthermore, the signature of HRG is changed significantly with dilution from 10000 to 0.01 ng/ml. Network pharmacological analyses of gene expression profiles showed that HRG exhibits predictable positive effects in neuroinflammation, senescence, apoptosis, and immune response, suggesting beneficial soft-acting effects in cancer, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems diseases and disorders in a wide range of low concentrations in blood.

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory diseases, abortion, and encephalomyelitis in horses. EHV-1 immediate-early (IE) protein, essential for viral replication, is transactivated by the binding of a multiprotein complex including the open reading frame 12 (ORF12) and some host factors to the IE promoter region. Promoter-associated non-coding RNAs (pancRNAs), which are transcribed from bidirectional promoters, regulate the transcription of neighboring genes in mammals and pathogens. In this study, we identified a novel pancRNA transcribed from across the areas of the 5’-untranslated region and promoter of EHV-1 IE and named it IE pancRNA. IE pancRNA and mRNA were simultaneously expressed in EHV-1-infected RN33B-A68B2M cells. This pancRNA was also transcribed in RK13 and E. Derm cells, which are highly susceptible to EHV-1 infection. Furthermore, IE pancRNA upregulated IE gene expression in the presence of ORF12, and stable expression of IE pancRNA increased the number of EHV-1-infected RN33B-A68B2M cells. These results suggest that IE pancRNAs facilitate EHV-1 proliferation by promoting IE gene expression.

Background: Fold change is widely used in biomedical research to quantify the magnitude of group differences in omics variables. However, the exact calculation method is often not reported, leading to inconsistent results. This study re-evaluates different fold-change calculation methods and provides a clear preference. Methods: Data scenarios with different distributions of treatment/test and reference data were created to challenge the assumption of interchangeable calculation methods. The main difference lies in the definition of the expected values of the groups used to calculate the log ratio, which is the basis of the fold change calculation. In addition, a multi-omics biomedical dataset was analyzed. Results: Using the arithmetic mean as the expected value for the treatment and reference groups resulted in incorrect fold change values more frequently than other methods, especially when the standard deviations between subgroups differed widely. Conclusions: The inferior arithmetic mean method is often perceived as the standard, although mathematically different equations are possible that differ mainly in the estimation of the expected value. Alternatives that define expectation by median, geometric mean, or paired fold change combinations are less susceptible to violations of equal variances or similar treatment/reference distributions.

This paper presents ConF, a novel deep learning model designed for accurate and efficient prediction of non-coding RNA families. NcRNAs are essential functional RNA molecules involved in various cellular processes, including replication, transcription, and gene expression. Identifying ncRNA families is crucial for comprehensive RNA research, as ncRNAs within the same family often exhibit similar functionalities. Traditional experimental methods for identifying ncRNA fam-ilies are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Computational approaches relying on annotated secondary structure data face limitations in handling complex structures like pseudoknots and have restricted applicability, resulting in suboptimal prediction performance. To overcome these chal-lenges, ConF integrates mainstream techniques such as residual networks with dilated convolutions and cross multi-head attention mechanisms. By employing a combination of dual-layer convolu-tional networks and BiLSTM, ConF effectively captures intricate features embedded within RNA sequences. This feature extraction process leads to significantly improved prediction accuracy compared to existing methods. Experimental evaluations conducted on a ten-fold publicly available dataset demonstrate the superiority of ConF in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and other perfor-mance metrics. Overall, ConF represents a promising solution for accurate and efficient ncRNA family prediction, addressing the limitations of traditional experimental and computational methods.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. This study explores the potential influence of gut hormone receptor and immune response gene expression on COVID-19 outcomes in MAFLD patients. Methods: We investigated gene expression levels of AHR, FFAR2, FXR, and TGR5 in patients with MAFLD and COVID-19 compared to controls. We examined associations between gene expression and clinical outcomes. Results: COVID-19 patients displayed altered AHR expression, potentially impacting immune response and recovery. Downregulated AHR in MAFLD patients correlated with increased coagulation parameters. Elevated FFAR2 expression in MAFLD linked to specific immune cell populations and hospital stay duration. Significantly lower FXR expression was observed in both MAFLD and severe COVID-19. Conclusion: Our findings suggest potential modulatory roles for AHR, FFAR2, and FXR in COVID-19 and MAFLD.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous inherited retinal disorder. Mutations in KIZ cause autosomal recessive (AR) RP. We aimed to characterize the genotype, expression pattern, and phenotype in a large cohort of KIZ cases. Sanger and whole exome sequencing were used to identify KIZ variants. Medical records were reviewed and analyzed. Thirty one patients with biallelic KIZ mutations were identified: 28 homozygous for c.226C>T (p.R76*), 2 compound heterozygous for p.R76* and c.3G>A (p.M1?), and one homozygous for c.247C>T (p.R83*). c.226C>T is a founder mutation among patients of Jewish descent. Clinical parameters were less severe in KIZ compared to DHDDS and FAM161A cases. RT-PCR analysis in fibroblast cells revealed the presence of four different transcripts in both WT and mutant samples with a lower percentage of the WT transcript in patients. Sequence analysis identified an exonic sequence enhancer (ESE) that includes the c.226 position which is affected by the mutation. KIZ mutations are an uncommon cause of IRD worldwide, but are not rare among Ashkenazi Jews. Our data indicate that p.R76* affect an ESE which in turn results in pronounced skipping of exon 3. Therefore, RNA-based therapies might show low efficacy since the mutant transcripts is spliced.

The Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) gene family, which is required for plant growth, development, and stress tolerance, remains largely unexplored in cauliflower. In this study, we identified and characterized cauliflower BI-1 family genes. On the basis of aligned homologous sequences and collinearity with Arabidopsis genes, we identified nine cauliflower BI-1 genes, which encoded proteins that varied regarding length, molecular weight, isoelectric point, and subcellular localization (i.e., Golgi apparatus, plasma membrane, cell membrane, and chloroplast). Phylogenetic analyses detected evolutionary conservation and divergence among these genes. Ten structural motifs were identified, with Motif 5 crucial for inhibiting apoptosis. According to the cis-regulatory elements in their promoters, these genes likely influence hormone signaling and stress responses. Expression profiles among tissues highlighted the diversity in the functions of these genes, which were significantly expressed in the silique and root. Focusing on BobBIL4, we investigated its role in brassinosteroid (BR)-mediated root development and salt stress tolerance. BobBIL4 expression levels increased in response to BR and salt treatments. The functional characterization of this gene in Arabidopsis revealed it enhances root growth and salinity tolerance. These findings provide insights into BI-1 gene functions in cauliflower, while also highlighting the potential utility of BobBIL4 for improving crop stress resistance.

Originating in the Mediterranean, B. oleracea is grown all over the world and is highly valued for its nutritional value and variety in cooking. Its susceptibility to pests, diseases, and environmental stressors, however, poses significant challenges to sustaining consistent crop quality and productivity. The BASIC PENTACYSTEINE gene significantly impacts plant growth and responses to abiotic stresses. Nevertheless, little is known about its precise role and the underlying biological processes in B. oleracea. Eleven BPC genes in B. oleracea were identified by a thorough genome-wide investigation and categorized into three categories according to their structural traits and gene motifs. There were eight different chromosomes on which these BoBPCs were located. Comparative synteny analysis was used to reveal the evolutionary traits of potatoes, Arabidopsis, and B. oleracea. The BoBPC family genes in B. oleracea were found to have specific cis-elements linked to growth, stress responses, and hormone regulation when their promoter regions were studied. Cuticular wax synthesis expression revealed that all BoBZR1 genes, from wild to mutant, expressed at varied amounts in distinct types. Moreover, distinctive BoBPC gene expression patterns were found in the seven distinct tissues that were studied. Our thorough analysis shows that the BoBPC family is widely involved in B. oleracea developmental processes. The present findings provide an established theoretical basis for further exploration into the composition and roles of BoBPC in B. oleracea.

Background: Interleukins play dual roles in breast cancer, acting as both promoters and 11 inhibitors of tumorigenesis within the tumor microenvironment, which is shaped by their 12 inflammatory functions. This study analyzed the subtype-specific prognostic significance 13 of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory signatures using microarray-based gene ex- 14 pression analysis. Correlations between these interleukin signatures and immune cell 15 markers (CD8, IgKC, CD20) and immune checkpoints (PD-1) were also evaluated. 16 Materials and Methods: The study investigated the prognostic significance of an anti- 17 inflammatory interleukin signature (IL-12, IL-21, IFN-γ) and a pro-inflammatory interleu- 18 kin signature (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, CXCL1) for metastasis-free survival (MFS) 19 using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses in a cohort of 461 patients with 20 early breast cancer. Correlations were analyzed using the Spearman-Rho correlation coef- 21 ficient. 22 Results: Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that the prognostic significance of the anti-inflam- 23 matory signature was specifically pronounced in the basal-like subtype (p=0.004, Log 24 Rank). This signature retained independent prognostic significance in multivariate Cox 25 regression analysis (HR 0.463, 95% CI 0.290-0.741; p=0.001). Higher expression of the anti- 26 inflammatory interleukin signature was associated with longer MFS. The pro-inflamma- 27 tory interleukin signature showed a significant prognostic effect in the whole cohort, with 28 higher expression associated with shorter MFS (p=0.034). Strong correlations were found 29 between the anti-inflammatory signature and CD8 expression (ρ=0.391; p<0.001) and be- 30 tween the pro-inflammatory signature and PD-1 expression (ρ=0.627; p<0.001).

Drought is one of the most serious abiotic stressors in the environment, restricting agricultural production by reducing plant growth, development, and productivity. To investigate such a complex and multifaceted stressor and its effects on the plants, a systems biology-based approach is necessitated, entailing the generation of co-expression networks, identification of highly-priority transcription factors (TFs) dynamic mathematical modeling, and computational simulations. Here, we studied a high-resolution drought transcriptome of Arabidopsis. We revealed distinct temporal transcriptional signatures and demonstrated the involvement of specific biological pathways. Generation of a large-scale co-expression network followed by network centrality analyses identified 117 TFs that possess critical properties of hubs, bottlenecks, and high clustering coefficients nodes. Dynamic transcriptional regulatory modeling on integrated TF-target and transcriptome datasets uncovered major transcriptional events during the course of drought stress. Mathematical transcriptional simulations allowed us to ascertain the activation status of major TFs as well as the transcriptional intensity and amplitude of their target genes. Finally, we validated our predictions by providing experimental evidence of gene expression under drought stress for a set of four TFs and their major target genes using qRT-PCR. Taken together, we provided a systems-level perspective on the dynamic transcriptional regulation during drought stress in Arabidopsis and uncovered numerous novel TFs that can potentially be used in future genetic crop engineering programs.

Europium is one of the most reactive lanthanides and humans use it in many different applica-tions, but we still know little about its potential toxicity and cellular response to its exposure. Two strains of the eukaryotic microorganism model Tetrahymena thermophila adapted to high concentrations of two Eu(III) compounds (EuCl3 or Eu2O3) were obtained and compared to a control strain and cultures treated with both compounds. In this ciliate, EuCl3 is more toxic than Eu2O3. LC50 values show that this microorganism is more resistant to these Eu(III) compounds than other microorganisms. Oxidative stress originated mainly by Eu2O3 is minimized by overexpression of genes encoding important antioxidant enzymes. The overexpression of metallothionein genes under treatment with Eu(III) compounds supports the possibility that this lanthanide may interact with the -SH groups of the cysteine residues from metallothi-oneins and/or displace essential cations of these proteins during their homeostasis function. Both lipid metabolism (lipid droplets that fuse with europium-containing vacuoles) and au-tophagy are involved in the cellular response to europium stress. Bioaccumulation, together with a possible biomineralization to europium phosphate, seems to be the main mechanism of Eu(III) detoxification in these cells.

【Objectives】To elucidate and enhance the impact of nitrogen fertilizer on capsaicin, thus providing guidance on fertilizer application for the cultivation of high spiciness chilli.【Methods】The experiment was conducted with five nitrogen fertilizer concentrations, N1 (urea 750 kg.hm-2), N2 (urea 562.5 kg.hm-2), N3 (urea 375 kg.hm-2), N4 (urea 187.5 kg.hm-2), and N0 (no nitrogen fertilizer). Nitrogen treatment was applied to two varieties with different spiciness from seedling stage, and the fruit was sampled at three fruit developmental periods, and the contents of capsaicin, capsaicin precursors, capsaicin competitive substances, as well as capsaicin related enzyme activities and gene expression were analyzed.【Results】When applying N2 and N3, both types of peppers exhibited higher fruit length, fruit width, and fruit weight, which favored yield increase. Specifically, N2 resulted in varied increases in total phenol, flavonoid, and tannin contents of the two varieties. Moreover, placenta weight and PAL enzyme activity of capsaicin synthase significantly increased, while capsaicin degrading enzyme activities of POD and PPO decreased notably. Additionally, the expression of capsaicin synthetic genes such as PAL, AT3, 4CL, C4H, COMT, PAMT, and HCT was up-regulated in N2-treated fruits, leading to a significantly higher capsaicin content compared to the other four treatments. Further reduction of nitrogen application to N3 and N4 resulted in decreased precursor substance total phenol content and PAL activity, increased competitive substance flavonoid, lignin, POD and PPO enzyme activities, at the same time, the expression levels of capsaicinoid synthetic genes were down-regulated in N3, N4 treatments, which lead to an reduction in total capsaicinoid content. During fruit development, the capsaicinoid content showed a trend of 35 d > 50 d > 20 d for both varieties. Additionally, the contents of total capsaicinoid, total phenol, flavonoid, and lignin, as well as PAL enzyme activity and the expression of PAL, AT3, 4CL, C4H, COMT, PAMT, and HCT of the fruit, exhibited characteristics of lower layer > middle layer > upper layer. Furthermore, the activities of capsaicinoid degrading enzymes POD and PPO gradually increased from bottom to top.【Conclusions】The N2 (562.5 kg.hm-2) treatment resulted increases of placenta mass, maximum precursor substance total phenol content and synthase enzyme activity, and decreases of competing substances and degradative enzyme activity, resulting in more substances being available for capsaicin synthesis. Combined with the higher fruit weight in the N2 treatment, N2 was therefore considered to be a suitable nitrogen fertilizer dosage for high spiciness chilli cultivation.

This paper presents a novel architecture for detecting mathematical formulas in document images, which is an important step for reliable information extraction in several domains. Recently, Cascade Mask R-CNN networks have been introduced to solve object detection in computer vision. In this paper, we suggest a couple of modifications to the existing Cascade Mask R-CNN architecture: First, the proposed network uses deformable convolutions instead of conventional convolutions in the backbone network to spot areas of interest better. Second, it uses a dual backbone of ResNeXt-101, having composite connections at the parallel stages. Finally, our proposed network is end-to-end trainable. We evaluate the proposed approach on the ICDAR-2017 POD and Marmot datasets. The proposed approach demonstrates state-of-the-art performance on ICDAR-2017 POD at a higher IoU threshold with an f1-score of 0.917, reducing the relative error by 7.8%. Moreover, we accomplished correct detection accuracy of 81.3% on embedded formulas on the Marmot dataset, which results in a relative error reduction of 30%.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer tumors frequently have intratumor heterogeneity. Tumors with high intratumor heterogeneity have caused therapeutic resistance and have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) heterogeneity in response to HER2-targeted therapies. This study aimed to investigate whether high HER2 heterogeneity levels were clinically related to poor prognosis for HER2-targeted adjuvant therapies resistance in primary breast cancers. METHODS: This study included patients with primary breast cancer (n = 251) treated with adjuvant HER2-targeted therapies. HER2 heterogeneity was manifested by the shape of HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization amplification (FISH) distributed histograms with HER2 gene copy number within a tumor sample. Those heterogeneity classified each tumor into the biphasic grade graph (high heterogeneity [HH]) group and the monophasic grade graph (low heterogeneity [LH]) group. Both groups were evaluated for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for a median of ten years of annual follow-up. RESULTS: Of 251 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, 46 (18.3%) and 205 (81.7%) were classified into the HH and LH groups, respectively. The HH group had more distant metastases and a poorer prognosis than the LH group (DFS: P < 0.001 (HH:63% vs LH:91% at 10 years), and OS: P = 0.012 (HH:78% vs LH:95% at 10 years). CONCLUSION: High HER2 heterogeneity is a poor prognostic factor in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. A novel approach of heterogeneity, which is manifested by the shape of HER2 FISH distributions, might be clinically useful in the prognosis prediction of patients after HER2 adjuvant therapy.

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) is a lipid kinase that phosphorylates diacylglycerol (DAG) to generate phosphatidic acid (PA). Based on converting one important signaling molecule (DAG) to another (PA), DGK plays an important role in plant responses to abiotic stress including waterlogging stress. However, no studies have been reported on the characterization of the DGK gene family in the waterlogging-tolerant kiwifruit germplasm, Actinidia valvata Dunn. Here, we identified 18 AvDGK genes in the A. valvata genome. The phylogenetic analysis showed that AvDGKs can be classified into three clusters, and members within the same cluster have similar domain distribution, exon-intron structures and conserved motif compositions. Chromosome localization analysis revealed that all the AvDGK genes are located across 18 different chromosomes. There were 29 duplicated gene pairs in kiwifruit and all had undergone purifying selection during evolution. Promoter cis-element analysis revealed that the cis-elements within AvDGK genes are associated with multiple functions, including phytohormone signal transduction, stress response, and plant growth and development. The expression pattern analyses indicated that AvDGK play an important role in the fruit development and plant response to waterlogging stress. AvDGKs gene family in the tetraploid A. valvata genome might promote PA synthesis and subsequent signal transduction both under short-term and long-term waterlogging stress. These results provide information regarding the structural characteristics and potential function of DGK genes within kiwifruit and lay a fundamental basis for further research into breeding for enhancing the kiwifruit’s tolerance to waterlogging stress.

The Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) is a multifunctional protein found in most eukaryotic taxa. In plants, TCTP regulates cell-cycle progression as well as programmed cell death and is involved in plant regeneration and responses to abiotic and biotic stress, among other functions. Additionally, there is evidence that the transcript and protein are transported over long-distance. Potatoes are a crop of agricultural interest that can reproduce asexually by regeneration from stolons and tubers. Therefore, in this study the effect of transient expression of Solanum tuberosum TCTP (StTCTP) on tuberization was analyzed. StTCTP mRNA was shown to be transported long-distance. Additionally, transient overexpression of StTCTP resulted in tuber bearing shoots with a greater diameter compared to control plants. Furthermore, the early stages of tuberization were induced compared to control plants, in which only mature tubers were observed.

The comprehensibility of good predictive models learned from high-dimensional gene expression data is attractive because it can lead to biomarker discovery. Several good classifiers provide comparable predictive performance but differ in their abilities to summarize the observed data. We extend a Bayesian Rule Learning (BRL-GSS) algorithm, previously shown to be a significantly better predictor than other classical approaches in this domain. It searches a space of Bayesian networks using a decision tree representation of its parameters with global constraints, and infers a set of IF-THEN rules. The number of parameters and therefore the number of rules are combinatorial to the number of predictor variables in the model. We relax these global constraints to a more generalizable local structure (BRL-LSS). BRL-LSS entails more parsimonious set of rules because it does not have to generate all combinatorial rules. The search space of local structures is much richer than the space of global structures. We design the BRL-LSS with the same worst-case time-complexity as BRL-GSS while exploring a richer and more complex model space. We measure predictive performance using Area Under the ROC curve (AUC) and Accuracy. We measure model parsimony performance by noting the average number of rules and variables needed to describe the observed data. We evaluate the predictive and parsimony performance of BRL-GSS, BRL-LSS and the state-of-the-art C4.5 decision tree algorithm, across 10-fold cross-validation using ten microarray gene-expression diagnostic datasets. In these experiments, we observe that BRL-LSS is similar to BRL-GSS in terms of predictive performance, while generating a much more parsimonious set of rules to explain the same observed data. BRL-LSS also needs fewer variables than C4.5 to explain the data with similar predictive performance. We also conduct a feasibility study to demonstrate the general applicability of our BRL methods on the newer RNA sequencing gene-expression data.

Acetamiprid is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid insecticide used in agriculture to control aphids. While recent studies have documented resistance to acetamiprid in several aphid species, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome and metatranscriptome of a laboratory strain of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris, 1776), with reduced susceptibility to acetamiprid after nine generations of exposure to identify candidate genes and the microbiome involved in the adaptation process. Sequencing of the transcriptome of both selected (RS) and non-selected (SS) strains allowed the identification of 14858 genes and 4938 new transcripts. Most of the differentially expressed genes were associated with catalytic activities and metabolic pathways involving carbon and fatty acids. Specifically, the alcohol-forming fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) and acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSF2), both involved in the synthesis of epidermal wax layer components, were significantly upregulated in RS, suggesting that adaptation to acetamiprid involves the synthesis of a thicker protective layer. Metatranscriptomic analysis revealed subtle shifts in the microbiome of RS. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of acetamiprid adaptation by the pea aphid and provide new insights for aphid control strategies.

Introduction This study was conducted to validate the findings of a prior study published in JDD in September 2023, which reported that a topical firming and toning body lotion (FTB – SkinMedica®, Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie Company, Irvine, CA) upregulated several genes in a UV irradiated 3D full-thickness human skin model, outperforming other products, including TransFORM Body Treatment with TriHex Technology® (ATF – Alastin Skincare®, a Galderma company Fort Worth, Texas, USA ). Given the unique response reported for FTB, we conducted this study to assess the reproducibility of these results and explore gene expression at multiple time points, along with validating protein expression in an ex vivo model. Materials and Methods Experiments were conducted using an ex vivo model with photodamaged skin from facelift patients, under an Institutional Review Board approved study. Skin samples were processed, cultured in transwells with Skin Media, and treated daily with either TransFORM or FTB for 7 days. A control group was left untreated. Gene expression was assessed using RT-PCR on days 1 and 3, immunofluorescence after 3 and 7 days of treatment. Skin samples were fixed, paraffin-embedded, sectioned, and stained with an anti-tropoelastin antibody. Fluorescence detection and imaging were conducted to assess protein expression changes. Results Gene expression data from our study and the initial study showed a few similarities but multiple discrepancies. In particular, as opposed to results previously reported at only the 24-hour time point, additional time points showed complete reversal of many of these results. For example, COL1A1 expression at 24 hours was similar for FTB in both studies but differed for TransFORM which showed higher levels at 24 hours. However, at day 3, COL1A1 expression decreased markedly for FTB and was sustained for TransFORM. Other genes, such as COL3A1, COL5, ELN, VEGFC, ATG7, ATG12, BECN1, POMP, PSMB5, and PSMB6, exhibited varying expression patterns between the studies and across different time points. From a translational perspective, histological analysis showed that TransFORM enhanced elastin fiber presence in the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) more effectively than FTB at both day 3 and day 7. FTB-treated samples maintained a gap in the DEJ, while TransFORM-treated samples exhibited increased cellular proliferation and DEJ undulation, indicative of a healthier regenerative response. Conclusion This study highlights the problems of examining data and drawing conclusions using a single point of examination. In addition, when a study reports positive results for only 1 product among a range of 8 competitive products, further questioning is essential to exclude the possibility of the experimental model favoring that particular product. The additional 3-day timepoint and further translational examination of histological changes, paints a completely different picture to that reported in the prior publication TransFORM outperformed FTB in most gene expression and histological parameters when assessed over multiple time points in a physiologically relevant ex vivo model.

One of the most crucial elements in deeply understanding humans on a psychological level is manifested through facial expressions. The analysis of a human behavior can be informed by their facial expressions, making it essential to employ indicators such as expression (Expr), valence-arousal (VA), and action units (AU). In this paper, we introduce the method proposed in the Challenge of the 6th Workshop and Competition on Affective Behavior Analysis in-the-wild (ABAW) at CVPR 2024. Our proposed method utilizes the multi-modal Aff-wild2 dataset, which is splitted into spatial and audio modalities. For the spatial data, we extract features using a SimMiM model that was pre-trained on a diverse set of facial expression data. For the audio data, we extract features using a WAV2VEC model. To fusion the extracted spatial and audio features, we employed the cascaded cross-attention mechanism of a transformer.

Background: Capsaicinoid are a group of compounds and widely used in the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. Capsaicinoid are unique synthesized and accumulated in the pepper fruits. MeJA can enhance the capsaicinoid production. Temporal and spatial expression of capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes are helpful to understand the molecular mechnism of capsaicinoid biosynthesis in the fruits of pepper. Although some of the capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes in pepper have been identified, the expression of these genes at different developing stages of fruit has not been systemically investigated, and little is known about the molecular basis of MeJA inducing capsaicinoid biosynthesis. Results: HPLC study revealed that the capsaicinoid accumulation in the developing fruit of pepper initially appeared at 24 DAP (day after pollination), was actively development at 36 DAP and peaked at 48 DAP. 11 genes that encoded enzymes involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis were isolated and characterized. Gene expression with quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that the CaCS was unique expressed in placenta and the other 10 genes were expressed in all selected tissues and 9 of 11 genes (except CaCa4H and CaCa3H) were strongly expressed in placenta tissue. Spatial expression analysis demostrated that the 11 gene could be collectively grouped into four categories based on the patterns of relative expression of the genes during fruit development. Category I has 2 and they displayed a bell-shaped expression pattern with the peak expression at 24 DAP, Category II contains 5 genes and expression of the 5 genes was constantly increased from 0 to 36 DAP and peaked at 36 DAP. Category III comprises of 2 genes and both genes reached the peak at 48 DAP. Category IV consists of 2 genes and they showed a high expression at 36 and 48 DAF, but unexpressed from 0 to 12 DAP. The gene expressions of the 11 genes were up-regulated by MeJA. 3 genes showed a high expression at 24 h; 4 genes reached the peak at 12 h; the top expression were observed at 18 h; The last one, CaACYase, achieved the highest level at 8 h. Conclusion: The biosynthesis of capsaicinoid in pepper fruit is developmentally regulated. The expression of the majority of capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes is highly consistent with the development accumulation of capsaicinoid in pepper fruit. These results not only provide the initial information on spatial and temporal expression of capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes in pepper developing fruit, but are also valuable to identify the MeJA-induced genes for capsaicinoid biosynthesis and accumulation during pepper fruit development.

Solanesol is a noncyclic terpene alcohol composed of nine isoprene units and it mainly accumulates in solanaceous plants, especially tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Here, RNA-seq analyses of tobacco leaves, stems, and roots were used to identify solanesol biosynthesis genes. Six 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase, two 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase, two 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate cytidylyltransferase, four 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-d-erythritol kinase, two 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase, four 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate synthase, two 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase, six isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, and two solanesyl diphosphate synthase (SPS) genes were identified to be involved in solanesol biosynthesis. Furthermore, the two N. tabacum SPS (NtSPS1 and NtSPS2), which had two conserved aspartate-rich DDxxD domains, were highly homologous with SPS enzymes from other solanaceous plant species. In addition, the solanesol contents of three organs, and leaves from four growing stages, corresponded with the distribution of chlorophyll. Our findings provide a comprehensive evaluation of the correlation between the expression of different biosynthetic genes and the accumulation of solanesol in tobacco.

In the paper, by a very simple approach, the author establishes an expression in terms of a lower Hessenberg determinant for the Euler polynomials. By the determinantal expression, the author finds a recurrence relation for the Euler polynomials. By the way, the author derives the corresponding expression and recurrence relation for the Euler numbers.

(1) Selecting high-quality varieties with disease resistance by crossbreeding artificially is the most fundamental way to address the damage caused by Calonectria spp in eucalypt plantations. However, understanding the mechanism of the formation of disease-resistant heterosis in eucalypt is crucial for the success of crossbreeding. (2) Two eucalypt hybrids, susceptible EC333 (H1522 × unknown) and resistant EC338 (W1667 × P9060) were screened in our previous study on the infection of the isolates of Calonectria., which causes eucalypt leaf blight. RNA-Seq sequencing was performed on susceptible hybrid EC333, disease-resistant hybrid EC338 (W1667 × P9060), and their parents. A comparison was conducted between the the transcriptomic data sequenced and the reference genome of Eucalyptus grandis, and the The differential expression of genes and functional annotations between hybrids and parents was identified. (3) Gene differential expression analysis shows that there are 3912 differentially expressed genes between EC333 and EC338, with 1631 up-regulated and 2281 down-regulated. The expression trends of differential gene sets in P9060 and EC338 were similar. However, the expression trend of W1767 was opposite that of EC338. The similarity of expression levels and the advantage of stress resistance of E. pellita suggested that genes with significant differences in expression are likely to be related to disease resistance. The GSEA enrichment based on GO annotation revealed that the carbohydrate binding pathway (GO:0030246) is differentially expressed between EC338 and EC333. The gene pathway that differentially expressed between EC338 and EC333, was revealed by GSEA enrichment based on KEGG annotation, is Sesquiterpenoid and Triterpenoid biosynthesis (EGR00909). The Alternative Splicing analysis demonstrated that the AS events gene between EC338 and EC333 is LOC104426602. According to SNP analysis, EC338 has 626 more high-impact mutation loci than the male parent P9060, and 396 more than the female parent W1767, the maternal parent W1767 has 259 more mutation loci in the downstream region than EC338, while the male parent P9060 has 3107 fewer mutation loci in the downstream region than EC338. Additionally, EC338 has 9631 more mutation loci in the exon region than EC333. These findings suggested that the genetic pathways, specific gene regions, and their quantities might play crucial roles in the formation of heterosis linked to the resistance against eucalypt leaf blight. The modules were found in WGCNA, which were strongly and oppositely correlated with EC338 and EC333, such as module MEsaddlebrown is likely to be associated with leaf blight resistance. (4) The present study provides a detailed explanation of the genetic basis for the heterosis of resistance to eucalypt leaf blight, providing a basis for exploring genes related to resistance to eucalypt leaf blight.

The production of recombinant enzymes, mainly used for obtaining pure and functional target molecules, holds significant importance in modern biotechnology. This study aimed to produce recombinant α-amylases (Amy3500 and Amy1974), derived from B. amyloliquefaciens MDC1974 and B. subtilis MDC3500 respectively, using the pBE-S shuttle vector, and to characterize them. Both α-amylase genes were molecularly cloned into the E. coli/B. subtilis pBE-S shuttle vector, both with (Amy1974sig and Amy3500sig) and without their own signal peptides (Amy1974 and Amy3500), along with a signal peptide originating from the plasmid, and tested in flask fermentations. For recombinant Amy3500, the amylase variants resulted in similar levels of volumetric activity (700-750 U/mL). In contrast, the expression of Amy1974 nearly doubled compared to Amy1974sig with double signal peptides, reaching 2000 U/mL. The SDS-PAGE estimated the molecular weight of Amy1974 α-amylase to be 54.6 kDa, which was in accordance with the theoretical molecular mass calculations. However, the estimated molecular weight of Amy3500 amylase was significantly reduced when exiting the producer cells. Ca2+ had no significant activating effect on the activities of Amy1974 amylase and Amy3500 amylase, likely due to its tight binding to the protein scaffold. Both enzymes exhibited broad activity peaks between 45-70°C, with a maximum at 65°C. The Amy1974 and Amy3500 α-amylases demonstrated broad pH optima and pH-dependent thermostability, with optimum pH values at 6.5 and 5.8, and thermal stability peaks at pH 7.6 and 5.9, respectively. Both α-amylases displayed high relative activity against various starches, including corn amylopectin and potato amylose, while showing comparatively lower activity towards cyclodextrins. The Amy1974 amylase converts starch to dextrins of varying lengths, whereas Amy3500 almost entirely converts starch into glucose.

The treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is complex and impacted by the location of the primary tumor (LPT). Our study aims to emphasize the importance of LPT as a prognostic and predictive marker, as well as to examine the significance of HER2 overexpression in patients with mCRC, particularly in relation to response to anti-EGFR therapy. In this study, 181 patients with KRAS wild-type mCRC who received anti-EGFR therapy were included. Among them, 101 had left colon cancer (LCC) and 80 had right colon cancer (RCC). Results demonstrated that patients with KRAS wild-type LCC had better median overall survival (OS) (43 vs. 33 months, p = 0.005) and progression-free survival (PFS) (6 vs. 3 months, p &lt; 0.001) compared to those with RCC. Multivariate analysis identified mucinous adenocarcinoma (p &lt; 0.001), RCC location (p = 0.022), perineural invasions (p = 0.034), and tumors at the resection margin (p = 0.001) as independent predictors of OS, while mucinous adenocarcinoma (p = 0.001) and RCC location (p = 0.004) independently correlated with significantly shorter PFS. In addition, HER2 positive expression was significantly associated with worse PFS compared to HER2 negative results (p &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, LPT is an important marker for predicting outcomes in the treatment of wild-type mCRC using anti-EGFR therapy, since patients with RCC have a statistically significantly shorter PFS and OS. Further investigation is needed to understand the role of HER2 overexpression in wild-type mCRC, as these patients also exhibit shorter survival.

Barth Syndrome, a rare X-linked disorder affecting 1:300,000 live births, results from defects in Tafazzin, an acyltransferase that remodels cardiolipin and is essential for mitochondrial respiration. Barth Syndrome patients develop cardiomyopathy, muscular hypotonia and cyclic neutropenia during childhood, rarely surviving to middle age. At present, no effective therapy exists and downstream transcriptional effects of Tafazzin dysfunction are incompletely understood. To identify novel, cell-specific, pathological pathways that mediate heart dysfunction, we performed single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) on wild-type (WT) and Tafazzin-knockout (Taz-KO) mouse hearts. We determined differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and inferred predicted cell-cell communication networks from these data. Surprisingly, DEGs were distributed heterogeneously across the cell types, with fibroblasts, cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, macrophages, adipocytes and pericytes exhibiting the greatest number of DEGs between genotypes. One differentially expressed gene was detected for the lymphatic endothelial and mesothelial cell types, while no significant DEGs were found in the lymphocytes. A Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of these DEGs showed cell-specific effects on biological processes such as fatty acid metabolism in adipocytes and cardiomyocytes, increased translation in cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts, in addition to other cell-specific processes. Analysis of ligand-receptor pair expression, to infer intercellular communication patterns, revealed the strongest dysregulated communication involved adipocytes and cardiomyocytes. For the knockout hearts, there was a strong loss of ligand-receptor pair expression involving adipocytes, and cardiomyocyte expression of ligand-receptor pairs underwent reorganization. These findings suggest that adipocyte and cardiomyocyte mitochondria may be most sensitive to mitochondrial Tafazzin deficiency and that rescuing adipocyte mitochondrial dysfunction, in addition to cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dysfunction, may provide therapeutic benefit in Barth Syndrome patients.

Thorough and precise gene structure annotations are essential for maximizing the benefits of genomic data and unveiling valuable genetic insights. The cucumber genome was first released in 2009 and updated in 2019. To increase the accuracy of predicted gene models, 64 published RNA-seq data and 9 new strand-specific RNA-seq data from multiple tissues were used for manual comparison with the gene models. The updated annotation file (version 2.0) contains increased 24,145 predicted genes from previous version (24317 genes) with a higher BUSCO value of 96.9%. 6231 and 1490 transcripts were adjusted and newly added, respectively, accounting for 31.99% of the overall gene tally. These newly added and adjust genes were renamed (CsaV3.1_XGXXXXX), while genes remaining unaltered preserve their original des ignations. A random selection of 21 modified/added genes were validated using RT-PCR analyses. Additionally, tissue-specific patterns of gene expression were examined using newly obtained transcriptome data with the revised gene prediction model. This improved annotation of cucumber genome will provide essential and accurate resources for studies in cucumber.

Myocardial hypertrophy is the most common condition that accompanies heart changings in children. Transcriptional pathways regulating gene expression playing a critical role both in cardiac embryogenesis and in the pathogenesis of congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, neonatal posthypoxic myocardial hypertrophy and congenital heart diseases. This paper describes the state of cardiac gene expression and potential pharmacological modulators at different transcriptional levels. An experimental model of perinatal cardiac hypoxia showed downregulated expression of genes responsible for cardiac muscle integrity and overexpressed genes associated with energy metabolism and apoptosis, which may provide a basis for a therapeutic approach. Current evidence suggests that RNA drugs, theaflavin, neuraminidase, proton pump and histone deacetylase inhibitors are promising pharmacological agents in progressive cardiac hypertrophy. The different points of application of the above drugs makes combined use possible, potentiating the effects of inhibition in specific signaling pathways. The special role of N-acetyl cysteine in both the inhibition of several signaling pathways and the reduction of oxidative stress was emphasized.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), particularly miR-16 and miR-21, play a crucial role in mul-tiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis by regulating gene expression. This study evalu-ated the prognostic significance of circulating miR-16 and miR-21 expression levels in 48 patients with MM at diagnosis treated with lenalidomide/dexamethasone (LD) compared with 15 healthy individuals (HI). All patients were treated with LD, 13 at first line and 35 at relapse, of whom 21 were tested twice at diagnosis and before LD initiation. The results revealed significantly lower levels of miR-16 and miR-21 in patients than in HIs, both at diagnosis and relapse, with decreased miR-16 levels at diagnosis, indicating improved overall survival (OS) (p value 0.024). Furthermore, miR-16 and miR-21 levels were associated with disease markers, while both corre-lated with the depth of response and mir-16 with sustained response to LD treatment. The ratios of both miR-16 and miR-21 expression levels (prior to LD treat-ment/diagnosis) below 2 predicted a shorter time to response (P = 0.027) and a longer time to next treatment (P = 0.042), respectively. These findings suggested a prognostic value for serum miR-16 and miR-21 levels in MM, as their expression levels corre-lated with disease variables and treatment outcomes.

Viral contamination in the aquaculture industry is a significant challenge that requires further research. Emerging evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a role in regulating various biological processes, including immunity. However, most studies have focused on model organisms, and little is known about non-coding RNAs in the immune response to viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in rainbow trout. In this study, we investigated the listing of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in rainbow trout challenged with VHS virus. We explored their potential role in defense-like responses based on transcriptomic analysis of the virus-treated and control groups. As a result of this research, 4207 lncRNAs were identified, of which 182 lncRNAs were differentially expressed between treated and untreated samples. Among 7753 lncRNA transcripts, 1920 were novel intergenic (class code “u”), and 3748 transcripts were potentially novel isoform of lncRNAs. Gene ontology analysis revealed biological pathways associated with the stress response and immune signaling. Pairs of genes such as TP63-MSTRG.62, IL10-MSTRG.9783, IL10-MSTRG.9784, TK1-MSTRG.22826, and MSTRG.17881-GLI1 showed cis interactions, while DOCK10-MSTRG.30015, MSTRG.36357-LOC101268921, and MSTRG.34190-ENPP2 showed trans interactions. In this study, the role of lncRNAs in regulating the expression of the target genes was clearly identified. This finding is consistent with the regulatory processes of immune system responses mediated by cytokines, as well as the regulation of oxygen levels in response to viral infection. The information presented here highlights the various regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in the expression of immune system genes in fish treated with VHS virus.

The early elongation events in transcription or translational control in the N-terminal of genes are assuming critical roles in their heterologous expression. The secretory expression of the alkaline pectin lyase APL in B. subtilis were studied to explore the effects of the N-terminal 5-7 amino acids sequences of different signal peptides on gene transcription and protein secretion in this study. The first 5 amino acid sequences of the N-terminal of the signal peptide LipA were identified to play an important role in promoting the expression of APL for the first time. Meanwhile, it also revealed that the signal peptide LipA could lead to higher secretory expression than other signal peptides not because of its sequence structure associated with secretion is stronger but because the N-terminal sequences showed greater advantages in gene transcription. At this basis, the recombinant strain structed in this work showed a new record for the highest extracellular yields (12 295 U/ml) of APL in B. subtilis which was 1.9 times higher than that expressed in the recombinant Escherichia coli strain we had reported before. The novel theories revealed in this study would assuming significance roles for improving expression of foreign proteins in or out of the cells.

Survival of Medulloblastoma (MB) depends on various factors, including the gene expression profiles of MB tumor tissues. In this study, we identified 967 MB survival related genes (SRBs) using the gene expression dataset of Cavalli et al. (2017) and the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Notably, the SRGs were over-represented on chromosomes 6 and 17, known for the abnormalities monosomy 6 and isochromosome 17 in MB. The most significant SRG was HMGA1 (high mobility group AT-hook 1), which is a known oncogene and a histone H1 competitor. High expression of HMGA1 was associated with worse survival, primarily in the Group 3γ subtype. The high expression of HMGA1 was unrelated to any known somatic copy number alteration. Most SRGs on chromosome 17p were associated with low expression in Group 4β, the MB subtype with 93% deletion of 17p and 98% copy gain of 17q. Pathway analysis showed that both chromosomes 6 and 17 included SRGs related to telomere maintenance and provide a rationale for testing telomerase inhibitors in Group 3 MBs. We conclude that HMGA1, along with other SRGs on chromosome 6 and 17 warrant further investigation as potential therapeutic targets in selected subgroups or subtypes of MB.

The antimicrobial peptide LRGG (LLRLLRRGGRRLLRLL-NH2) was designed and chemically synthesized in a study conducted by Jia et al. Gram-negative bacteria were found to be sensitive to LRGG and exhibited a high therapeutic index. Genetic engineering methods were used to create the prokaryotic fusion expression vector pQE-GFP-LRGG, and the resulting corresponding fusion protein GFP-LRGG was subsequently expressed and purified. The precursor GFP was then removed by TEV proteolysis, and pure LRGG was obtained after another round of purification and endotoxin removal. The prokaryotic-expressed antimicrobial peptide LRGG displays a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect on gram-negative bacteria and can eliminate 99.99% of E. coli within 100 minutes at the minimal MIC concentration. Compared to the chemically synthesized LRGG, the prokaryotic-expressed LRGG exhibits similar temperature, pH, salt ion, serum stability, and cell selectivity. Furthermore, prokaryotic-expressed LRGG showed excellent therapeutic effects in both the infection model of cell selectivity and no embryotoxicity in a Galleria mellonella infection model. The mechanism by which LRGG causes bacterial death was found to be disruption of Gram-negative cell membrane.

Background and Objectives: Most of the research of the BRCA1 inactivation is focused on monoallelic germline alterations and loss of heterozygosity in tumour. The aim of this study was to identify characteristic transcriptomic pattern of monoallelic somatic BRCA1 inactivation and estimate its impact to the event-free breast cancer survival prognosis. Materials and Methods: We conducted global transcriptome sequencing of breast cancer tissue samples to identify differentially expressed genes and signalling pathways associated with monoallelic somatic BRCA1 inactivation. The study group involved 36 patient samples categorized based on BRCA1 inactivation status. Subsequently, the differential gene expression and Kaplan-Meier analyses in the groups with and without monoallelic somatic BRCA1 inactivation were performed. Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis showed tendency for longer event-free survival in patients with monoallelic somatic BRCA1 inactivation, suggesting somatic BRCA1 inactivation is favourable prognostic. Differential gene expression analysis followed by the STRING tool enrichment analysis showed significant enrichment of proteins in the extracellular region and extracellular space. Conclusion: In this study we identified transcriptomic profile of differentially expressed genes TPSD1, FABP4, CARTPT and MMP9 as indicative for homologous recombination impaired tumours with tendency for better therapy results.

In the intricate dance between viruses and host cells, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) serve as crucial orchestrators of gene expression and cellular processes. We will delve into the riveting realm of viral hijacking, where viruses deftly exploit host RBPs to manipulate cellular machinery for their replication and pathogenesis. Through a masterstroke of molecular subterfuge, viruses co-opt RBPs involved in various facets of RNA metabolism - from transcription to degradation - to promote viral gene expression and evade host immune defenses. This manipulation leads to global alterations in cellular RNA metabolism, impacting essential host genes vital for immune responses and homeostasis.Unveiling this clandestine alliance between viruses and RBPs is not just a scientific pursuit, but a critical imperative for devising innovative antiviral strategies to disrupt these interactions. By unraveling the intricate interplay between viral proteins and host RBPs throughout the viral life cycle - from entry to assembly - researchers aim to identify vulnerabilities that can be targeted for therapeutic intervention. Strategies such as disrupting viral protein-RBP interactions hold promise for inhibiting viral replication and curbing pathogenesis, offering a beacon of hope in the battle against viral infections.Our manuscript elucidates the indispensable roles played by RBPs in viral replication, translation, and pathogenesis, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms driving viral success. Delving deeper, it explores how viruses intricately entwine with host RBPs, manipulating cellular signaling pathways to create a hospitable environment for viral spread. By dissecting these manipulative tactics, researchers uncover new targets for antiviral therapy, envisioning a future where tailored interventions disrupt viral-host RBP interactions with precision and efficacy.As the narrative unfolds, the therapeutic implications of targeting RBPs or their interactions with viral proteins emerge as a promising frontier in the fight against viral infections. From small molecule inhibitors to RNA-based therapeutics, innovative approaches are on the horizon, offering new avenues for combatting viral diseases. We set the stage for future research, beckoning researchers to delve deeper into the molecular intricacies of viral hijacking of RBPs and charting a course towards novel therapeutic interventions that promise to reshape the landscape of antiviral therapy.\Ultimately, it beckons the scientific community to embark on a voyage of discovery, unraveling the secrets of viral hijacking of RBPs and paving the way for transformative advances in antiviral therapeutics. The stage is set for a new chapter in the battle against viral infections, where knowledge becomes the sword and innovation the shield against the pernicious machinations of viral pathogens.

Abstract: Kiwifruit, a perennial horticultural crop known for its nutritional value, faces significant challenges due to biotic and abiotic stresses, affecting its yield and quality. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like proteins (LRR-RLPs), a major group of receptor-like proteins in plants, have diverse functions in plant physiology, including growth, development, signal transduction, and stress responses. Despite their importance, the specific roles of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs in response to biotic and abiotic stresses remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the expression patterns of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs under various stress conditions, including pathogen stress, heat stress, waterlogging stress, and copper stress. Through genome and transcriptome analyses, we identified a total of 101, 164, and 105 LRR-RLPs in Actinidia Chinensis 'Hongyang', Actinidia eriantha 'Huate', and Actinidia chinensis 'Red5' kiwifruit, respectively, classified into 9 subgroups based on phylogenetic relationships. Synteny analysis revealed that the expansion of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs was primarily attributed to segmental duplication events. Using RNA-seq data from pathogen-infected kiwifruits, we identified specific LRR-RLP genes potentially involved in different stages of pathogen infection. Additionally, we observed the potential involvement of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs in abiotic stress responses, with upstream transcription factors possibly regulating their expression. Furthermore, protein interaction network analysis unveiled the participation of kiwifruit LRR-RLP genes in the regulatory network of abiotic stress responses. These findings highlight the crucial roles of LRR-RLPs in mediating both biotic and abiotic stress responses in kiwifruit, offering valuable insights for the breeding of stress-resistant kiwifruit varieties.

Abstract: Brassinosteroids (BR) are essential plant hormones that play a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development, as well as their resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, including pathogen infections. In the context of plant im-munity, BR influence various processes such as the expression of genes related to pathogen defense, the production of antimicrobial compounds, and the re-inforcement of the plant cell structure. The aim of work is understand the role of BR in plant defense against abiotic and biotic stresses. BR are involved in the regulation of metabolic processes, water economy, and photosynthesis, contributing to increased plant resistance to abiotic stresses. The study discusses various mechanisms of BR action on plant immunity, including the regulation of gene expression related to defense, activation of the plant defense system, in-teraction with other plant hormones, regulation of water and salt balance, and influence on photosynthetic processes. In the context of plant immunity, BR influence various processes, including the expression of genes related to pathogen defense, the production of antimicrobial compounds, and the reinforcement of the plant cell structure. Additionally, BR are involved in the regulation of metabolic processes, water economy, and photosynthesis, con-tributing to increased plant resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The paper emphasizes the importance of further research on the role and mechanisms of action of BR in plant immunity, which may contribute to the development of more effective strategies for the use of BR in agriculture, horticulture, and plant protection.

Epithelial ovarian cancer significantly contributes to cancer-related mortality in women, often recurring post-treatment with chemotherapy resistance. Dietary interventions have demonstrated influence on cancer progression; for instance, caloric restriction has exhibited tumor growth reduction and enhanced survival in animal cancer models. This study aims to calculate a transcriptomic signature based on caloric-restriction for ovarian cancer patients and explore its correlation with disease progression. We identified proteins modulated by fasting, intermittent fasting or caloric restriction in human females. Based on their gene expression, we calculated a Non-Fasting Genomic Signature score for ovarian cancer samples from the TCGA database. We examined the association between this genomic profile and clinical characteristics. The non-fasting signature, comprising eight genes, demonstrated higher prevalence in primary ovarian tumors compared to normal tissue. Patients with elevated signature expression exhibited reduced overall survival and increased lymphatic invasion. The mesenchymal subtype, associated with chemotherapy resistance, displayed the highest signature expression. Multivariate analysis suggested the non-fasting genomic signature as a potential independent prognostic factor. Ovarian cancer tumors expressing a “non-fasting” transcriptional profile correlate with poorer outcomes, emphasizing the potential impact of caloric restriction on improving patient survival and treatment response. Further investigations, including clinical trials, are warranted to validate these findings.

This study aimed to produce single-chain recombinant eel follicle-stimulating hormone (rec-eel FSH) analogs with high activity in Chinese hamster ovary DG44 (CHO DG44) cells. We recently reported that an O-linked glycosylated carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP) of the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) β-subunit plays contributes on high activity and time-dependent secretion in mammalian cells. We constructed a mutant (FSH-M) in which a linker including the eCG β-subunit CTP region (amino acids 115 to149) was inserted between the β-subunit and α-subunit of wild-type single chain eel FSH (FSH-wt). Plasmids containing eel FSH-wt and eel FSH-M were transfected into CHO DG44 cells. Single cells expressing each protein were isolated from 10 and 7 clones, respectively. Secretion increased gradually during the cultivation period and peaked at 4,000–5,000 ng/mL on day 9. The molecular weight of eel FSH-wt was 34–40 kDa, while that of eel FSH-M increased substantially, with two bands at 39–46 kDa. Treatment with PNGase F to remove the N glycosylation sites decreased the molecular weight remarkably to approximately 8 kDa. The EC50 value and maximal responsiveness of eel FSH-M were approximately 1.23- and 1.06-fold higher than those of eel FSH-wt, indicating that the mutant showed slightly higher biological activity. Phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase (pERK1/2) activation exhibited a sharp peak at 5 min, followed by a rapid decline. These findings indicate that the new rec-eel FSH molecule with the eCG β-subunit CTP linker showed potent activity and could be produced in massive quantities using the stable CHO DG44 cell system.

Thymomas (TH) are a unique group of heterogeneous tumors of the thymic epithelium. In particular, the subtypes B2 and B3 tend to be aggressive and metastatic. Radical tumor resection remains the only curative option for localized tumors, while more advanced TH require multimodal treatment. Deep sequencing analyses have failed to identify known oncogenic driver mutations in TH, with the notable exception of the GTF2I mutation, which occurs predominantly in type A and AB TH. However, there are multiple alternative non-mutational mechanisms (e.g., perturbed thymic developmental programs, metabolism, non-coding RNA networks) that control cellular behavior and tumorigenesis through deregulation of critical molecular pathways. Here, we attempted to show how the results of studies investigating such alternative mechanisms could be integrated into a current model of TH biology. This model could be used to focus ongoing research and therapeutic strategies.

We produced a recombinant eel luteinizing hormone (rec-eel LH) analog with high potency in Chinese hamster ovary DG44 (CHO DG44) cells. The eel LH mutant (LH-M), which had a linker comprising the equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) β-subunit carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP) region (amino acids 115 to149), was inserted between the β-subunit and α-subunit of wild-type tethered eel LH (LH-wt). Monoclonal cells transfected with the eel LH-wt and eel LH-M plasmids were isolated from five and nine clones of CHO DG44 cells, respectively. The secreted quantities abruptly increased on day 3, with peak levels of 5,000–7,500 ng/mL on day 9. The molecular weight of eel LH-wt was 32–36 kDa while that of eel LH-M increased to approximately 38–44 kDa, indicating the detection of two bands. Treatment with peptide N-glycanase F decreased the molecular weight by approximately 8 kDa. The oligosaccharides at the eCG β-subunit O-linked glycosylation sites were appropriately modified post-translation. The EC50 value and maximal responsiveness of eel LH-M increased by approximately 2.90- and 1.29-fold, respectively, indicating that the mutant exhibited more potent biological activity than eel LH-wt. Phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase (pERK1/2) activation resulted in a sharp peak 5 min after agonist treatment, with a rapid decrease thereafter. These results indicate that the new rec-eel LH analog which contains the eCG β-subunit CTP linker comprising O-linked glycosylation sites, had more potent activity than the wild-type in vitro. Taken together, this new eel LH analog can be produced in large quantities using a stable CHO DG44 cell system.

This study was conducted with the objective of investigating the enrichment of weaned piglet diets with organic selenium (proteinate selenium) and inorganic selenium (sodium selenite) with two addition levels (0.15 and 0.30 mg/kg). A total of 40 piglets (20 castrated males and 20 females) weaned at 28 days of age with an average initial weight of 6.60±1.06 kg were used. The treatments were: Control diet (Control diet); Selenium-enriched control diet proteinate with 0.15 mg/kg of selenium added (SeOrg-0.15); Selenium-enriched control diet proteinate with 0.30 mg/kg of selenium added (SeOrg-0.30); Control diet enriched with sodium selenite with 0.15 mg/kg of selenium added (SeInorg-0.15); and Control diet enriched with sodium selenite with 0.30 mg/kg of selenium added (SeInorg-0.30). The presence of selenium in the control diet came from the ingredients and the mineral supplement. The following data were analyzed: productive performance; digestibility of nutrients and energy; morphometry and intestinal integrity; serum biochemical parameters; and gene expression of selenoproteins in intestinal epithelium and liver tissue of piglets. The SeOrg-0.30 treatment caused a reduction (P

Traditional methods for discovery and development of new drugs can be a very time-consuming and expensive process because it includes several stages such as compound identification, pre-clinical and clinical trials before the drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, drug repurposing, namely using currently FDA-approved drugs as therapeutics for other diseases than what they are originally prescribed for, is emerging to be a faster and more cost-effective alternative to current drug discovery methods. In this paper, we have described a three-step in silico protocol for analyzing transcriptomics data using online databases and bioinformatics tools for identifying potentially repurposable drugs. The efficacy of this protocol was evaluated by comparing its predictions with the findings of two case studies of recently reported repurposed drugs: HIV treating drug Zidovudine for the treatment of Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration and the antidepressant Imipramine for Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma. The proposed protocol successfully identified the published findings, thus demonstrating the efficacy of this method. In addition, it also yielded several novel predictions that have not yet been published, including the finding that Imipramine could potentially treat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a disease that currently does not have any treatment or vaccine. Since this in-silico protocol is simple to use and does not require advanced computer skills, we believe any motivated participant with access to these databases and tools would be able to apply it to large datasets to identify other potentially repurposable drugs in the future.

The global craft beer market is witnessing substantial growth, with a particular spotlight on sour beers. These unique brews are created through lactic fermentation initiated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, the presence of hops, renowned for their antimicrobial properties, can pose a limitation within the realm of sour beer production. This research aims to explore and assess the potential of sour beer as a probiotic beverage. It involves a comparative analysis of the viability of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19 (F19) and 431 (L431) in a sour beer with an International Bitterness Unit (IBU) value of 26.65, alongside examining the ex-pression of genes such as horA, horB, horC, hitA, bsrA, and recA, which are associated with hop resistance. The study encompasses the development of two formulations of sour beers characterized by both high hop content and a robust probiotic count (8.44 – 8.77 log CFU/mL). The findings suggest that both probiotic strains of F19 and L431, are well-suited to produce sour beers with elevated hop levels, demonstrating excellent stability. Notably, the expression of genes responsible for hops resistance exhibited distinct modulation patterns among the two strains. It appears that a higher concentration of bsrA, as observed in strain L431, may be more effective in mitigating the effects of hop-related stress, potentially surpassing the combined expression of horA and bsrA. Nonetheless, further research is essential to validate this observation in gene expression. F19 and L431 emerge as promising candidates for the development of sour beers with increased hop intensity.

Abstract: The baculovirus expression vector (BEV) system is an efficient, cost effective and scalable method to produce recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapy vectors. Most BEV designs emulate the wild type AAV transcriptome and translate the AAV capsid proteins, VP1, VP2 and VP3 from a single mRNA transcript with three overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). Non-canonical translation initiation codons for VP1 and VP2 reduce their abundances relative to VP3. Changing capsid ratios to improve rAAV vector efficacy requires theoretical modification of translational context. We have made a Lac repressor inducible system to empirically regulate expression of VP1 and VP2 proteins relative to VP3 in the context of the BEV. We demonstrate the use of this system to tune the abundance, titer and potency of a neurospecific rAAV9 serotype derivative. VP1:VP2:VP3 ratios of 1:1:8 gave optimal potency for this rAAV. It was discovered that ratios of capsid proteins expressed were different than ratios that ultimately were in purified capsids. Over expressed VP1 did not become incorporated into capsids while over expressed VP2 did. Overabundance of VP2 correlated with reduced rAAV titers. This work demonstrates a novel technology for controlling production of rAAV in the BEV system and shows a new perspective on the biology of rAAV capsid assembly.

The production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli is often challenged by cytoplasmic expression due to proteolytic degradation and inclusion body formation. Extracellular expression can overcome these problems by simplifying downstream processing and improving protein yields. This study aims to compare the efficiency of two Bacillus subtilis chitosanase signal peptides in mediating extracellular secretion in E. coli. We identified a naturally occurring mutant signal peptide (mCsn2-SP) from B. subtilis CH2 chitosanase (CH2CSN), which is characterized by a deletion of six amino acids in the N-region relative to the signal peptide (Csn1-SP) from B. subtilis CH1 chitosanase (CH1CSN). The CH1CSN and CH2CSN genes were cloned into the pET-11a vector and protein secretion was evaluated in E. coli BL21(DE3) host cells. Expression was induced with 0.1 mM and 1 mM IPTG at 30°C for one and three days. CH2CSN showed higher secretion levels compared to CH1CSN under all experimental conditions, especially with 0.1 mM IPTG induction for 3 days, which resulted in a 2.37-fold increase in secretion. These results suggest that signal peptide deletion variants may have an effect on protein secretion efficiency and help to further understand the function of signal peptides.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly prevalent and aggressive malignancy, with mortality rates that reach 60%, mainly due to an excessive diagnostic delay. MiRNAs, a class of crucial epigenetic gene-expression regulators, have emerged as potential diagnostic biomarkers, with >200 molecules reported to be dysregulated in OSCC. We had previously established an in silico methodology for the identification of the most disease-specific molecules by bridging genetics and epigenetics. Here, we identified the stage-specific miRNAs that govern the asymptomatic early stages of oral tumorigenesis by exploiting the reverse interplay between miRNA-levels and their target-genes’ expression. Incorporating gene expression data from our group’s experimental hamster model of sequential oral oncogenesis, we bioinformatically detected the miRNAs that simultaneously target/regulate >75% of the genes that are characteristically upregulated or downregulated in the consecutive stages of hyperplasia, dysplasia and early-invasion OSCC, while exhibiting the opposite expressional dysregulation in OSCC-derived tissue and/or saliva specimens. We found that all stages share the downregulation of miR-34a-5p, miR124-3p, and miR-125b-5p, while miR-1-3p is underexpressed in dysplasia and early-invasion. Malignant early-invasion stage is distinguished by the downregulation of miR-147a and the overexpression of miR-155-5p, miR-423-3p and miR-34a-5p. The identification of stage-specific miRNA molecules may facilitate their utilization as biomarkers for presymptomatic OSCC diagnosis.

Recently intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDCP) has attracted increasing interest owing to its unfavorable prognoses. To effectively identify the IDCP-specific gene expression profile, we took a novel approach of characterizing a typical IDCP case using spatial gene expression analysis. A formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sample was subjected to Visium CytAssist Spatial Gene Expression analysis. IDCP within invasive prostate cancer sites was recognized as a distinct cluster separate from other invasive cancer clusters. Highly expressed genes defining the IDCP cluster, such as MUC6, MYO16, NPY, and KLK12, reflected the aggressive nature of high-grade prostate cancer. IDCP sites also showed increased hypoxia markers HIF1A, BNIP3L, PDK1, and POGLUT1; decreased fibroblast markers COL1A2, DCN, and LUM; and decreased immune cell markers CCR5 and FCGR3A. Overall, these findings indicate that the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and reduced accessibility to immune cells, which reflect the pathological characteristics of IDCP, may influence the aggressiveness of high-grade prostate cancer.

This study identified the effects of substituting fishmeal (FM) with soy protein concentrate (SPC) supplemented with lysine and methionine in the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) diet on the expression of genes related to growth, stress, immunity, and digestion. Three experimental diets were prepared; the control diet (Con) contained 60% FM, and 25% (SPC25) and 50% (SPC50) FM were replaced by SPC. After the 140-day feeding period, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed availability, biological indices and chemical composition of the muscle were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. The gene expression levels of growth-related genes (IGF, GFB-3), immune-related genes (IL-8 and caspase), stress-related genes (SOD, GPX, PRX, TRX) were higher in Con fish than in those fed the SPC25 and SPC50 diets. Chymo-TRY2, TRY2 and TRY3 in the stomach of fish fed the SPC25 diet were higher than fish fed the Con or SPC50 diets. TRY2 and lipase of fish fed the SPC25 diet were higher than those of fish fed the other diets but TRY3 was not significantly affected by the treatments in the intestine. In conclusion, substituting 25% FM with SPC was the most effective for the expression of growth, immune, stress, and digestive enzyme genes.

In pattern recognition domain, deep architectures are widely used nowadays and they have achieved fine grades. However, these deep architectures need special demands, especially big datasets and GPU. Aiming to gain better grades without deep networks, we propose a simplified algorithm framework using fusion features extracted from the salient areas of faces. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm has achieved a better result than some deep architectures. For extracting more effective features, this paper firstly defines the salient areas on the faces. This paper normalizes the salient areas of the same location in the faces to the same size, therefore it can gain more similar features from different subjects. LBP and HOG features are extracted from the salient areas, fusion features’ dimensions are reduced by Principal Component Analysis( PCA) and we apply softmax to classify the six basic expressions at once. This paper proposes a salient areas definitude method which uses peak expressions frames to compare with their neutral faces. This paper also proposes and applies the idea of normalizing the salient areas to align the specific areas which express the different expressions. This makes the salient areas found from different subjects have the same size. Besides, gamma correction method is firstly applied on LBP features in our algorithm framework which improves our recognition rates significantly. By applying this algorithm framework, our research has gained state-of-the-art performances on CK+ database and JAFFE database.

Background: The commonly known assumption that combinations of several herbs in one formulation can have better efficacy due to additive or synergistic effects has not been systematically studied despite some evidence supporting the synergy concept. Study aim: The study aimed to reveal the molecular interactions in situ of host cells in response to the intervention of BHP and justify the benefits of implementing BHP in clinical practice. Results: This overview provides the results of recent clinical and network pharmacology studies of botanical herbal preparations (BHP) of Rhodiola with other plants, including Ashwagandha, Green Tea, Eleutherococcus, Schisandra, Eleutherococcus, Leuzea, Caffeine, Cordyceps, Gingko, Black Cohosh, saffron, and L-carnosine. Conclusions: The most important finding from network pharmacology studies of BHP was the evidence supporting the synergistic interaction of BHP ingredients, revealing unexpected new pharmacological activities unique and specific to the new BHP. Some studies show the superior efficacy of BHP compared with mono-drugs. At the same time, some a priori-designed combinations can fail, presumably due to antagonistic interactions and crosstalk between molecular targets within molecular networks involved in the cellular and overall response of organisms on the intervention. Network pharmacology studies help predict the results of studies to discover new indications and unpredicted adverse events.

This review deals with the developmental origins of extraocular, jaw and laryngeal muscles, the expression, regulation and functional significance of myosin heavy chains (MyHCs) they express and changes in MyHC expression during phylogeny. Myogenic progenitors from mesoderm in the prechordal plate and branchial arches specify craniofacial muscle allotypes with different repertoires for MyHC expression. To cope with very complex eye movements, extraocular muscles express 11 MyHCs, ranging from the superfast extraocular MyHC to the slowest, non-muscle MyHC IIB. They have distinct global and orbital layers, singly- and multiply-innervated fibres, longitudinal MyHC variations, and palisade endings that mediate axon reflexes. Jaw-closing muscles express the high-force masticatory MyHC, cardiac or limb MyHCs depending on the appropriateness for the acquisition and mastication of their food. Laryngeal muscles express extraocular and limb muscle MyHCs but shift towards slower MyHCs in large animals. During postnatal development, MyHC expression of craniofacial muscles is subject to neural and hormonal modulation. The primary and secondary myotubes of developing EOMs are postulated to induce, via different retrogradely transported neurotrophins, the rich diversity of neural impulse patterns that regulate the specific MyHCs they express. Thyroid hormone shifts 2A MyHC towards 2B in jaw, laryngeal muscles and possibly extraocular muscles.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of plasma treated metal contaminated water, used for irrigation, on plant growth. Zinc (Zn) is one of the more commonly used metals. It can enter the environment from industrial processes as particles released into the atmosphere or as wastewater discharged into waterways or the ground. Exposure to large amounts of zinc, even for a short time, can seriously affect human health. In this experiment, three different DBD O2 plasma treated zinc contaminated water and a control (tap water) were used, with Arabidopsis thaliana as the model plant. The treatments were: i) Control, ii) Zn water, iii) Zn+O3(30 min), and iv) Zn+O3(60 min). Arabidopsis plant exhibited maximum growth in the Zn+O3(30 min) treatment. All growth parameters, except leaf area, followed this trend: Zn+O3(30 min) > Control > Zn water > Zn+O3(60 min). Gene expression analysis revealed that reduced metal ion stress and controlled oxidation due to active oxygen species contributed to favorable/improved growth of Arabidopsis in the Zn+O3(30 min) treatment. Therefore, 30 minutes of DBD O2 plasma treated zinc contaminated water [Zn+O3(30 min)] can mitigate the adverse effects of excess zinc ions and promote the growth of Arabidopsis plants.

Uveal melanoma (UM) poses a significant clinical challenge due to its high metastasis rate and poor prognosis. Melatonin, noted for its anti-cancer properties in various malignancies, including cutaneous melanoma, shows promise in UM treatment. This study aimed to evaluate melatonin receptor expression in primary UM and its association with UM-related mortality and prognostic factors. Immunohistochemical analysis of 47 primary UM tissues showed low expression of MTNR1A and MTNR1B receptors, with MTNR1A significantly higher in patients who succumbed to UM. Analysis of TCGA data from 80 UM patients revealed RNA expression for MTNR1A, RORα, and NQO2, but not MTNR1B or GPR50. Higher MTNR1A RNA levels were observed in patients with a BAP1 mutation, and higher NQO2 RNA levels were noted in patients with the epithelioid tumor cell type. However, Kaplan-Meier analysis did not show distinct survival probabilities based on receptor expression. The study concludes that UM clinical samples express melatonin receptors, suggesting a potential mechanism for melatonin's anti-cancer effects. Despite finding higher MTNR1A expression in patients who died of UM, no survival curve differences were observed. Further research is needed to explore additional mechanisms of melatonin’s oncostatic effects, including its antioxidant properties and immune modulation.

Genetic transformation is a critical tool for gene manipulation and functional analyses in plants, enabling the exploration of key phenotypes and agronomic traits at the genetic level. While dicotyledonous plants offer various tissues for in vitro culture and transformation, monocotyledonous plants, such as rice, have limited options. This study presents an efficient method for genetically transforming rice (Oryza sativa L.) using seed-derived embryogenic calli as explants. Two target genes were utilized to assess regeneration efficiency: green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and the apple FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)-like gene (MdFT1). Antisense MdFT1 was cloned into a vector controlled by the rice α-amylase 3D (Ramy3D) promoter, while eGFP was fused to Cas9 under the Ubi promoter. These vectors were introduced separately into rice embryogenic calli from two Korean cultivars using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic seedlings were successfully regenerated via hygromycin selection using an in vitro cultivation system. PCR confirmed stable transgene integration in the transgenic calli and their progeny. Fluorescence microscopy revealed eGFP expression, and antisense MdFT1-expressing lines exhibited notable phenotypic changes, including variations in plant height and grain quality. This study demonstrated the effective use of seed-derived embryogenic calli for rice transformation, offering a promising approach for developing transgenic plants in monocot species.

Inducer of C-Repeat Binding Factor (CBF) expression (ICE), a well-known MYC-type bHLH transcription factor, plays a crucial role in the ICE-CBF-cold regulated (COR) cold signaling pathway. Brassica rapa (B. rapa), an important oilseed and vegetable crop, exhibits strong chilling and freezing tolerance. However, the exact molecular mechanisms by which ICE1 functions in B. rapa remain unclear. Here, 41 ICE1 homologous genes were identified from six widely cultivated Brassica species using a bioinformatics approach. These genes exhibit high conservation but reveal evolutionary complexity between diploid and allotetraploid species. Low-temperature stress induced ICE1 homolog expression, with patterns differing between strong and weak cold-tolerant varieties. Two novel ICE1 paralogs, BrICE1 and BrICE2, were cloned from Longyou 6. They positively regulate cold tolerance in B. rapa via a CBF-dependent pathway, contributing to reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenfging and osmotic adjustment. Immunoblot analysis revealed that low temperatures induce BrICE1 and BrICE2 degradation via the 26S-proteasome pathway. In summary, ICE1 exhibits complex evolutionary relationships in Brassica species. BrICE1 and BrICE2 positively regulate cold tolerance via the CBF-dependent pathway and ROS scavenging mechanism and are also responsible for balancing the development and cold defense of B. rapa.

Serine peptidases (SPs) of the chymotrypsin S1A subfamily are an extensive group of enzymes found in all animal organisms, including insects. Here we provide analysis of SPs in the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor transcriptomes and genomes datasets and profile their expression pattern at various stages of ontogeny. A total of 269 SPs were identified, including 137 with con-served catalytic triad residues, while others 125 lacking conservation were proposed as non-active serine peptidase homologs (SPHs). Seven deduced sequences exhibit a complex do-main organization with two or three peptidase units (domains), predicted both as active or non-active. The largest group of 84 SP and 102 SPH had no regulatory domains in the propep-tide, and the majority of them were expressed only in the feeding life stages, larvae and adults, presumably playing an important role in digestion. The remaining 53 SP and 23 SPH had differ-ent regulatory domains, showed constitutive or upregulated expression at eggs or/and pupae stages, participating in regulation of various physiological processes. The majority of polypep-tidases was mainly expressed at the pupal and adult stages. The data obtained expand our knowledge on SPs/SPHs and provide a foundation for further research on the functions of this gene family in T. molitor.

Heterosis of growth traits in economic fish has benefited the production of aquaculture for many years, yet its genetic and molecular basis has been remained obscure. Nowadays, a new germplasm of hybrid Jinhu grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × E. tukula♂), exhibiting paternal-biased growth heterosis, has provided an excellent model for investigating the potential regulatory mechanisms of heterosis. We integrated transcriptome and methylome to unravel the changes of gene expression, epigenetic modification, and subgenome dominance in Jinhu grouper compared with maternal E. fuscoguttatus. Integration analyses showed that the heterotic hybrids showed lower genomic DNA methylation levels than the purebred parent, and the up-regulated genes were mostly DNA hypomethylation. Furthermore, allele-specific expression (ASE) detected paternal subgenome dominance regulated paternal-biased heterosis, and paternal bias differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were wholly up-regulated in the muscle. Muti-omics results highlighted the role of lipid metabolism, particularly “Fatty acid synthesis”, “EPA biosynthesis”, and “Signaling lipids”, in Jinhu grouper heterosis formation. Coherently, our studies have proved that the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) of Jinhu grouper was greater than that of maternal E. fuscoguttatus (8.46% vs 7.46%). Finally, we constructed a potential regulatory network for control of the heterosis formation in Jinhu grouper. Among them, fasn, pparg, dgat1, igf1, pomca, fgf8a, and fgfr4, were identified as key genes. Our results provide new and valuable clues for understanding paternal-biased growth heterosis in Jinhu grouper, taking a significant step towards the molecular basis of heterosis.

Abiotic stress is responsible for significant reduction in crop plant productivity worldwide. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a natural component of sunlight and a permanent environmental stimulus. This study investigated the distinct responses of young wheat and einkorn plants to excessive UV-B radiation (180 min at λmax 312 nm) following foliar pretreatment with 1 µM synthetic cytokinin 4PU-30. Results demonstrated that UV radiation significantly amplified hydrogen peroxide levels in both wheat and einkorn, with einkorn exhibiting more pronounced increase compared to wheat. This elevation indicated the induction of oxidative stress by UV radiation in the two genotypes. Intensified antioxidant enzyme activities and increased accumulation of typical stress markers and non-enzyme protectants were evidenced. Transcriptional activity of genes encoding key antioxidant enzymes was also investigated aiming to elucidate the genetic regulation of the antioxidant systems in both wheat and einkorn seedlings. Our results suggested a role for POX1 and POX7 genes in the UV-B tolerance of the two wheat species as well as a cytokinin stimulated UV-B stress response in einkorn mediated through upregulation of the tau subfamily gene GSTU6. Based on these findings it could be concluded that 4PU-30 had the potential of alleviating oxidative stress by attenuating the symptoms of superfluous UV-B illumination in the two examined plant species.

Mutations that provide environment dependent selective advantages drive adaptive divergence among species. Many phenotypic differences among related species are more likely to result from gene expression divergence rather than from non-synonymous mutations. In this regard, cis-regulatory mutations play an important part in generating functionally significant variation. Some proposed mechanisms that explore the role of cis-regulatory mutations in gene expression divergence involve microsatellites. Microsatellites exhibit high mutation rates and are abundant in both coding and non-coding regions and could influence gene function and products. Here we tested the hypothesis that microsatellites contribute to gene expression divergence among species with 50 individuals from nine closely related Helianthus species using an RNA-seq approach. Differential expression analyses of the transcriptomes revealed that genes containing microsatellites in non-coding regions (UTRs and introns) are more likely to be differentially expressed among species when compared to genes with microsatellites in the coding regions and transcripts lacking microsatellites. We detected a greater proportion of shared microsatellites in 5’UTRs and coding regions compared to 3’UTRs and non-coding transcripts among Helianthus spp. Further, allele frequency differences measured by pairwise FST at single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), indicate greater genetic divergence in transcripts containing microsatellites compared to those lacking microsatellites. A gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that microsatellite-containing differentially expressed genes are significantly enriched for GO terms associated with regulation of transcription and transcription factor activity. Collectively, our study provides compelling evidence to support the role of microsatellites in gene expression divergence.

Accurate and robust deep learning models for facial expression recognition are challenging to achieve, given the diversity of human faces and variations in images, including different facial poses and lighting conditions. In this work, we proposed a clock-driven convolutional Spiking Neural Network (SNN) and STDP fine-tune architecture, meticulously calibrated its hyperparameters, and experimented with various optimization methods. The best model resulted was trained and evaluated on the Fer2013 and FER+ database, obtaining an accuracy of 61.87% and 79.97% without requiring auxiliary training data or face registration. To our best knowledge, the proposed SNN achieved comparable accuracy to CNNs of similar depth and possessed the advantages of low energy consumption and high computational efficiency. The computational efficiency of the proposed SNN is approximately three times that of CNNs. Along with this, we introduced the very recent cumulative spike guided encoder visualization technique and revealed the strong encoding capability of the proposed SNN.

Molecular studies regarding regulatory elements such as small ncRNAs and their mechanisms are poorly understood in infectious diseases. Tuberculosis is one of the oldest infectious diseases of humanity, and it is still a challenge to prevent and treat it. The control of the infection as well as its diagnosis are still complex, and treatments used are linked to several side effects. This study aimed to investigate miRNA’s expression profile to identify possible biomarkers for tuberculosis. We applied NGS techniques to investigate miRNA’s global expression profile from blood samples of infected patients with tuberculosis, their respective healthy physicians, and external healthy individuals as controls. Samples from 22 individuals run through a differential expression, target genes, gene set enrichment, and miRNA-gene network analysis. We observed 153 altered miRNAs, among which, only three DEmiRNAs (hsa-let-7g-5p, hsa-miR-486-3p and hsa-miR-4732-5p) were found between the investigated patients and their respective physicians. These DEmiRNAs are suggested to play an important role in granuloma regulation and their immune physiopathology. Our results propose that miRNAs may be involved in immune modulation, regulating the repertoire of genes expressed in the immune system’s cells. Our findings encourage the application of miRNAs as potential biomarkers for tuberculosis.

In the face of rising global demand and unsustainable production methods, cultivated crustacean meat (CCM) is proposed as an alternative means to produce delicious lobster, shrimp and crab products. Cultivated meat requires starting stem cells that may vary in terms of potency, and propensity to proliferate or differentiate into myogenic (muscle-related) tissues. We suggest that regenerating crustacean limbs harbor a range of stem cells suitable for cultivated meat production and present a humane tissue source because they can be accessed non-lethally. To investigate stem cell activity in this model, we have conducted RNA-Seq analysis across six stages of claw regeneration in the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (four pre-molt and two post-molt stages), along with histology and real time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Differential expression analysis revealed expression patterns of significantly up- or down-regulated genes in 14 functional categories. Relative expression of select stem cell target genes (including endocrine, myogenic, cell cycle and pluripotency factors) highlighted two growth peaks during pre-molt regeneration and limited stem cell activity after the molt. Histology and qPCR results support the overall finding that pre-molt limb regeneration stages harbor more stem cell activity, likely making them a more prolific cell source for CCM development.

Abstract: Transcription factors are crucial pre-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that can modulate the expression of downstream genes by binding to their promoter regions. DOF (DNA binding with One Finger) proteins are a unique class of transcription factors with extensive roles in plant growth and development. Our previous research indicated a decrease in iron content in chlorotic bamboo leaves. However, to our knowledge, genes related to iron metabolism pathways in bamboo species have not yet been studied. Therefore, in the current study, we identified iron metabolism-related (IMR) genes in bamboo and determined the transcription factors that significantly influence them. Among these, DOFs were found to have widespread effects and potentially significant impacts on their expression. We identified specific DOF members in Dendrocalamus latiflorus with binding abilities through homology with Arabidopsis DOF proteins, and established connections between some of these members and IMR genes using RNA-seq data. Additionally, molecular docking confirmed the binding interactions between these DlDOFs and the DOF binding sites in the promoter regions of IMR genes. The co-expression relationship between the two gene sets was further validated using q-PCR experiments. This study paves the way for research into iron metabolism pathways in bamboo and lays the foundation for understanding the role of DOF transcription factors in D. latiflorus.

To address the response of small RNAs (sRNAs) biogenesis to drought stress, we identified sRNAs biogenesis genes, including 11 encoding argonauts (AGO), 8 encoding dicer-like proteins (DCL), and 9 encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDR) in the peach genome. Notably, the largest numbers of sRNAs biogenesis genes are located to chromosome 1. The PAZ, PIWI, and MID domains were identified in PpAGOs, while the ribonuclease IIIa and IIIb domains were characterized in PpDCLs. The RDRP domain was recognized in PpRDRs. Orthologous similarity and collinearity analyses between Arabidopsis and peach revealed 5, 1, and 2 collinear blocks in AGOs, DCLs, and RDRs, respectively. Moreover, 41, 40, and 42 cis-acting elements were located in the promoters of PpAGOs, PpDCLs, and PpRDRs, respectively, with the majority related to drought stress response. Analysis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data revealed that sRNAs biogenesis genes were involved in drought stress response in different tissues. Furthermore, the expression of candidate genes was verified in two peach cultivars, Beijing 2-7 (BJ2-7) and Sinai (SN), which are drought tolerance and sensitive, respectively. Interestingly, the expression of PpAGO2b, PpDCL2b, PpDCL4, and PpRDR4 genes was induced in ‘BJ2-7’ but inhibited in ‘SN’ under drought stress. Overall, this study provides insight into the roles of sRNA biogenesis genes in response to drought stress in peach.

Many protein expression systems are primary utilised to produce a single, specific recombinant protein. In contrast, most biological processes such as virus assembly rely upon a complex of several interacting proteins rather than the activity of a sole protein. The high complexity of the baculovirus genome, coupled with a multiphase replication cycle incorporating distinct transcriptional steps, made it the ideal system to manipulate for high-level expression of a single or co-expression of multiple foreign proteins within a single cell. We have developed and utilised a series of recombinant baculovirus systems to unravel the sequential assembly process of a complex non-enveloped model virus, Bluetongue virus (BTV). The high protein yields expressed by the baculovirus system not only facilitated structure-function analysis of each viral proteins but were also advantageous to crystallography studies and supported the first atomic level resolution of a recombinant viral protein, the major BTV capsid protein. Further, the formation of recombinant double-shelled virus-like particles (VLPs) provided insights into the structure-function relationships among the four major structural proteins of the BTV whilst also representing a potential candidate for a viral vaccine. The baculovirus multi-gene expression system facilitated the study of structurally complex viruses (both non-enveloped and enveloped viruses) and heralded in a new generation of viral vaccines.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) significantly damage biological systems related to reproductive, neurological, and metabolic functions. Approximately 1,000 chemicals are known to possess endocrine-acting properties, including bisphenol A (BPA) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). This study primarily focuses on the potential effects of EDCs on the transcriptional levels of innate immune prophenoloxidase (proPO) system-related genes to oxidative stress in the gonad and stomach of the mud crab Macrophthalmus japonicus, an indicator species for assessing coastal benthic environments, when exposed to BPA or DEHP. After EDC exposure, the expression of lipopolysaccharide and β-1,3-glucan-binding protein (LGBP), a pattern recognition protein that activates the proPO system, was upregulated in the stomach of M. japonicus, whereas LGBP gene expression was downregulated in the gonad. In the gonad, which is a reproductive organ, EDC exposure mainly induced the transcriptional upregulation of trypsin-like serine protease (Tryp) at relatively low concentrations. In the stomach, which is a digestive organ, LGBP expression was upregulated at relatively low concentrations of EDCs over 7 days, whereas all proPO system-related genes (LGBP, Tryp, serine protease inhibitor (Serpin), and peroxinectin (PE)) responded to all concentrations of EDCs. These results suggest that the antioxidant and immune defense responses of the proPO system to EDC toxicity may vary, causing different degrees of damage depending on the tissue type in the mud crab.

In this study, global response analysis was performed to explore the mechanism of action of Usnic acid and its synergy with Norfloxacin, a well-known quinolone antibiotic to which MRSA clinical isolates showed resistance (MIC, 500 µg/mL). Microdilution assay, growth kinetics, microscopic analysis, and cell-based assays consistently showed that Usnic acid possess strong anti-staphylococcal activity (MIC, 7.8 µg/ml), causes cell leakage, modulates efflux pump activity, and synergizes with Norfloxacin against multi-drug resistant clinical isolate MRSA 2071. Whole cell proteome profiling using gel-free based nano-LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS revealed several proteins whose expression was significantly modulated by Usnic acid and Norfloxacin alone or in combination. Usnic acid downregulated the abundance of RNA polymerase subunits (RpoB, RpoC), carbamoyl phosphate synthase large subunit (PyrAB), chaperone (GroEL), and adenylosuccinate synthetase (PurA). Interestingly, proteins found to be upregulated in the presence of Usnic acid and Norfloxacin included oxidative stress-related proteins such as peroxidase (Tpx), alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AphC), and general stress protein (UspA). This study clearly showed that Usnic acid affects numerous cellular targets and can potentiate the action of Norfloxacin. Furthermore, an in-vivo study emphasized the use of Usnic acid to develop as a safe phytopharmaceutical to repurpose old antibiotics through combination therapy against MRSA infections.

The aim of present study was to link the gene expression profile of selected candidate genes with blood profile, growth performance and carcass traits of Barki lambs. Thirty-eight Barki lambs were divided into 3 groups (fast, intermediate and slow growing) according to growth perfor-mance. Body tissues (muscle, liver and fat) were taken from for RNA isolation and Real-time PCR. The results indicated that, the final body weight hot carcass weight were heavier (P ≤ 0.05) in fast (49.9 Kg and 24.57) than intermediate (40.7 and 19.07 Kg) and slow (30.8 and 15.10 Kg) growing animals. The blood profile of total protein, total lipids, calcium, T3 and T4 hormones did not differ among sheep groups. Genes involved in protein biosynthesis (RPL7), fatty acid oxidation (CPT1) and lipolysis (FABP4) were up regulated in fast and intermediate growing lambs in all studied tissues. While, gene-regulating lipogenesis (ADIPOQ) was expressed simi-larly in fat and liver tissues, but increased its expression in muscle of fast and intermediate growing lambs. Expression of CAPN3 was increased in fast and intermediate growing compared to slow growing lambs. In conclusion, the current study providing an evidence for the im-portance of co-expression of these genes in main body tissues linked with growth performance of Barki lambs.

In this paper, an analytical form of Rump Function is presented. This seminal function constitutes a fundamental concept of digital signal processing theory and is also involved in many other areas of applied mathematics. In particular, Rump Function is performed in a simple manner as the limit of a sequence of real functions letting ? tend to infinity. This limit is zero for strictly negative values of the real variable ? whereas it coincides with the independent variable ? for strictly positive values of the variable ?. The novelty of this work compared to other research studies concerning analytical expressions of the Ramp Function, is that the proposed formula is not exhibited in terms of miscellaneous special functions, e.g. Gamma Function, Biexponential Function or any other special functions such as Error Function, Hyperbolic Function, Orthogonal polynomials etc. Hence, this formula may be much more practical, flexible and useful in the computational procedures which are inserted into digital signal processing techniques and other engineering practices.