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Mushrooms are the most conspicuous fungal structures. Transcription factors (TFs) Bri1 and Hom1 of the model fungus Schizophyllum commune are involved in late stages of mushroom development, while Wc-2, Hom2, and Fst4 function early in development. Here, it is shown that Bri1 and Hom1 also stimulate vegetative growth, while biomass formation is repressed by Wc-2, Hom2, and Fst4. The Δ bri1 Δ bri1 and the Δ hom1 Δ hom1 strains formed up to 0.6 fold less biomass when compared to wild-type, while Δ wc-2 Δ wc-2 , Δ hom2 Δ hom2 , and Δ fst4 Δ fst4 strains formed up to 2.8 fold more biomass. Inactivation of TF gene tea1 , which was downregulated in the Δ wc-2 Δ wc-2 , Δ hom2 Δ hom2 , and Δ fst4 Δ fst4 strains, resulted in a strain that was severely affected in mushroom development and that produced 1.3 fold more biomass than the wild-type. In contrast, introducing a constitutive active version of hom2 that had 4 predicted phosphorylation motifs eliminated resulted in radial growth inhibition and prompt fructification in both Δ hom2 and wild-type strains, even in sterile monokaryons. Together, it is concluded that TFs involved in mushroom formation also modulate vegetative growth. Among these TFs is the homeodomain protein Hom2, being the first time that this class of regulatory proteins is implicated in repression of vegetative growth in a eukaryote.

The Kaiser Permanente (KP) Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH), in collaboration with the University of California—San Francisco, undertook genome-wide genotyping of >100,000 subjects that constitute the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort. The project, which generated >70 billion genotypes, represents the first large-scale use of the Affymetrix Axiom Genotyping Solution. Because genotyping took place over a short 14-month period, creating a near-real-time analysis pipeline for experimental assay quality control and final optimized analyses was critical. Because of the multi-ethnic nature of the cohort, four different ethnic-specific arrays were employed to enhance genome-wide coverage. All assays were performed on DNA extracted from saliva samples. To improve sample call rates and significantly increase genotype concordance, we partitioned the cohort into disjoint packages of plates with similar assay contexts. Using strict QC criteria, the overall genotyping success rate was 103,067 of 109,837 samples assayed (93.8%), with a range of 92.1–95.4% for the four different arrays. Similarly, the SNP genotyping success rate ranged from 98.1 to 99.4% across the four arrays, the variation depending mostly on how many SNPs were included as single copy vs. double copy on a particular array. The high quality and large scale of genotype data created on this cohort, in conjunction with comprehensive longitudinal data from the KP electronic health records of participants, will enable a broad range of highly powered genome-wide association studies on a diversity of traits and conditions.

Background Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the tenth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. While it is usually lethal when metastatic, RCC is successfully treated with surgery when tumors are confined to the kidney and have low tumor volume. Because most early stage renal tumors do not result in symptoms, there is a strong need for biomarkers that can be used to detect the presence of the cancer as well as to monitor patients during and after therapy. Methods We examined genome-wide DNA methylation alterations in renal cell carcinomas of diverse histologies and benign adjacent kidney tissues from 96 patients. Results We observed widespread methylation differences between tumors and benign adjacent tissues, particularly in immune-, G-protein coupled receptor-, and metabolism-related genes. Additionally, we identified a single panel of DNA methylation biomarkers that reliably distinguishes tumor from benign adjacent tissue in all of the most common kidney cancer histologic subtypes, and a second panel does the same specifically for clear cell renal cell carcinoma tumors. This set of biomarkers were validated independently with excellent performance characteristics in more than 1,000 tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe renal cell carcinoma datasets. Conclusions These DNA methylation profiles provide insights into the etiology of renal cell carcinoma and, most importantly, demonstrate clinically applicable biomarkers for use in early detection of kidney cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of cancer deaths worldwide. New diagnostic and therapeutic options are needed for more effective and early detection and treatment of this malignancy. We identified 703 genes that are highly expressed in HCC using DNA microarrays and further characterized them in order to uncover novel tumor markers, oncogenes and therapeutic targets for HCC. Using Gene Ontology annotations, genes with functions related to cell proliferation and cell cycle, chromatin, repair and transcription were found to be significantly enriched in this list of highly expressed genes. We also identified a set of genes that encode secreted (e.g. GPC3, LCN2 and DKK1) or membrane-bound proteins (e.g. GPC3, IGSF1 and PSK-1), which may be attractive candidates for the diagnosis of HCC. A significant enrichment of genes highly expressed in HCC was found on chromosomes 1q, 6p, 8q and 20q and we also identified chromosomal clusters of genes highly expressed in HCC. The microarray analyses were validated by RT–PCR and PCR. This approach of integrating other biological information with gene expression in the analysis helps select aberrantly expressed genes in HCC that may be further studied for their diagnostic or therapeutic utility.

Skin aging and skin wrinkles are mainly caused due to ultra violet rays and outcome of photodamage. A cosmetic serum is a water-or oil-based solution that is extremely concentrated. Because the results of utilizing concentrates are seen almost instantly, we experience psychological fulfillment in addition to a rapid cosmetic benefit. One of serum's characteristics is its quick absorption and deep penetration. Kiwi seed, Aloe Vera, glycerin and lemon grass oil face serum is a highly concentrated cosmetic product. When using kiwi seed and aloe Vera we get not only a quick cosmetic effect but also psychological satisfactions, serum has a property of rapid absorption and ability to penetrate into deeper layer of the skin. Kiwi seed extract contain high concentration of vitamin C which helps in skin problem like aging, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, Aloe Vera gel is commonly used treat different skin disease, sun burn, minor cuts, insect bites, and used as wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect. Vitamin E helps to increase skin hydration, blood flow and collagen production. The face serum was evaluated for its physiochemical parameters, pH, globule size, washability, cyclic temperature consistency. The stability study results showed that there was no change in visual appearance, homogeneity, pH and cyclic temperature of face serum.

With the increasing growth of location-based services (LBS), Wi-Fi localization have attracted great interest due to its ubiquitous wireless coverage in indoor environments. Recently, deep neural networks (DNNs) improved the localization performance using Wi-Fi signals. However, DNN models are vulnerable to adversarial examples by adding a subtle perturbation, which will influence wireless localization accuracy. In this paper, we propose adversarial deep learning for an indoor localization system with Wi-Fi received signal strength indicator (RSSI). In particular, we consider adversarial attacks on floor classification and location prediction with Wi-Fi RSSI, where three white-box attacks methods are exploited including fast gradient sign attack (FGSM), projected gradient descent (PGD), and momentum iterative method (MIM). In the experiment, we show that the performances of DNN-based floor classification and location prediction are greatly influenced under these white-box attacks. We have also implemented adversarial training to generate effective robust floor classification model against adversaries.

In today's health-conscious era, fruits are essential for a balanced diet, with the kiwi fruit standing out for its exceptional nutrient density and health benefits and commonly known as 'Green kiwi,' this fruit is belongs to the family Actinidiaceae and the genus Actinidia, species deliciosa. The kiwi is rich in a diverse array of nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals such as triterpenoids, saponins, amino acids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds (flavonoids, polyphenols, anthraquinones, and coumarins), carbohydrates, and sugars. These constituents contribute to its significant pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet, and anti-tumor activities. Notably, its high vitamin C content suggests potential therapeutic benefits for severe conditions like cancer and heart disease. This review offers an overview of the botanical aspects, chemical components, and recent biological and pharmacological findings related to kiwi fruit.

In an effort to expand the Gossypium hirsutum L. (cotton) expressed sequence tag (EST) database, ESTs representing a variety of tissues and treatments were sequenced. Assembly of these sequences with ESTs already in the EST database (dbEST, GenBank) identified 9675 cotton sequences not present in GenBank. Statistical analysis of a subset of these ESTs identified genes likely differentially expressed in stems, cotyledons, and drought-stressed tissues. Annotation of the differentially expressed cDNAs tentatively identified genes involved in lignin metabolism, starch biosynthesis and stress response, consistent with pathways likely to be active in the tissues under investigation. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified among these ESTs, and an inexpensive method was developed to screen genomic DNA for the presence of these SSRs. At least 69 SSRs potentially useful in mapping were identified. Selected amplified SSRs were isolated and sequenced. The sequences corresponded to the EST containing the SSRs, confirming that these SSRs will potentially map the gene represented by the EST. The ESTs containing SSRs were annotated to help identify the genes that may be mapped using these markers.

Twelve strains of asparaginase (L-asparagine amidohydrolase, E.C. 3.5.1.1) producing filamentous fungi were isolated from the bark and leaves of Aegle marmelos Linn. In the present study, a new method of isolation and selective screening of asparaginase producing endophytic fungi was developed. Asparaginases producing filamentous fungi were screened by a novel rapid dye based agar plug assay. Agar plug screen is a novel method for efficient screening of large number of fungal isolates. All endophytic fungi could grow on modified Czapek Dox agar medium with phenol red, a dye indicator that changes from yellow (acidic condition) to pink (alkaline condition). This method is not only rapid and cost effective but also less labor intensive and could be efficiently used for isolating high yielding strains.

Scope and method of study. The goal of this research was to isolate Xcm-induced transcripts in upland cotton Im216, assign putative identities and monitor gene expression levels within the host plant to identify genes involved in defense and in the cotton phytoalexin pathway. Two thousand expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library were screened for redundant genes using macroarrays. The unique transcripts were used to generate boutique microarrays to establish an expression profile of 192 Im216 genes in response to Xcm. Findings and conclusions. We generated ∼2000 ESTs from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library prepared from upland cotton Im216 foliage leaves infected with Xcm. These ESTs were composed of a total of 161 unique non-redundant contigs, consisting of 110 (68%) contigs with similarity to sequences submitted to Genbank; 51 (32%) contigs with no homology to sequences in GenBank. These were classified into seven categories according to their putative functions. An additional 30 clones whose single-pass sequences were not good were also arrayed, as they might be new transcripts worth adding to the Im216 database. Expression profiles of non-inoculated and Xcm-inoculated Im216 plants from tissues harvested at six different time points were compared by various hybridizations of cDNA arrays derived from these SSH clones. Experiments with three biological samples were conducted to ascertain if any biological variation occurred. Expression profiles revealed 83% and 88% of the genes were induced 2-fold at 8 hpi and 14 hpi respectively. At 20 and 30 hpi, 86% and 92% of the genes were induced 2-fold respectively. Interestingly, at the later time points, 45 hpi and 60 hpi, ∼88% and ∼96% of the genes on the array were induced two fold. Seventeen percent, 12%, 14%, 8%, 11% and 4% of the arrayed genes were less than 2-fold induced at 8, 14, 20, 30, 45 and 60 hpi repectively. Using K-means clustering, the genes were grouped according to their expression profiles.