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Spiral phase contrast imaging alleviates the information load by extracting the geometric features of objects and is one of the most representative branches of instant imaging processing. The self-healing capacity of edge detectors can enhance their robustness to obstacles in practical applications. Here, a self-healing spiral phase contrast imaging scheme is proposed and experimentally demonstrated by a liquid crystal edge detector combining a spiral phase, an axicon phase, and a lens phase. The spiral phase is encoded into a liquid crystal by photopatterning. Self-healing contrast imaging is characterized by a series of edge images of both high-contrast amplitude-type and low-contrast phase-type objects. This work extends the self-healing capacity of these detectors to instant imaging processing and paves the way for optical applications with self-healing features.

Rice (Oryza sativa), the staple food for almost half of the world's population, prefers ammonium (NH4 +) as the major nitrogen resource, and while NH4 + has profound effects on rice growth and yields, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of steroidal hormones playing key roles in plant growth and development. In this study, we show that NH4 + promotes BR biosynthesis through miR444 to regulate rice root growth. miR444 targeted five homologous MADS-box transcription repressors potentially forming homologous or heterogeneous complexes in rice. miR444 positively regulated BR biosynthesis through its MADS-box targets, which directly repress the transcription of BR-deficient dwarf 1 (OsBRD1), a key BR biosynthetic gene. NH4 + induced the miR444-OsBRD1 signaling cascade in roots, thereby increasing the amount of BRs, whose biosynthesis and signaling were required for NH4 +-dependent root elongation inhibition. Consistently, miR444-overexpressing rice roots were hypersensitive to NH4 + depending on BR biosynthesis, and overexpression of miR444's target, OsMADS57, resulted in rice hyposensitivity to NH4 + in root elongation, which was associated with a reduction of BR content. In summary, our findings reveal a cross talk mechanism between NH4 + and BR in which NH4 + activates miR444-OsBRD1, an undescribed BR biosynthesis-promoting signaling cascade, to increase BR content, inhibiting root elongation in rice.

Background Host genetics is known to determine the composition of the plant microbiome, which plays an essential role in plant growth and nutrient use efficiency. Although an increasing number of candidate genetic loci controlling microbial selection have been identified through the population-level association studies in plants, only a few have been shown to shape microbiome assembly, and the genetic factors driving microbiome assembly remain largely elusive. Results In this study, we use a segregating F2 population of LYP9, the widely cultivated super hybrid rice, to map root microbiome-associated loci by simultaneous whole genome resequencing and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. We identify 60 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that correlate with the abundance of 43 ASVs of the root microbiome and reveal several microbiome-associated hotspot genomic regions. One such region is associated with different microbial taxa and contains 7 cytochrome P450 genes potentially involved in the brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis pathway. We further show that the miR444-overexpressing rice plants with increased BR biosynthesis alter the composition of the root microbiome and that the BR receptor OsBRI1 confers the distinction between nitrate- and ammonium-grown rice root microbiomes. Conclusions Using QTL analysis, our study identifies a set of genetic loci that link the root microbiome composition of the hybrid rice LYP9 and reveals that OsBRI1 regulates the assembly of the nitrogen-dependent rice root microbiome.

Biological nitrogen removal from wastewater is widely used all over the world on account of high efficiency and relatively low cost. However, nitrogen removal efficiency is not optimized when the organic matter has inadequate effect for the lack of a sufficient carbon source in influent. Although addition of an external carbon source (e.g., methanol and acetic acid) could solve the insufficient carbon source problem, it raises the operating cost of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). On the other hand, large amounts of sludge are produced during biological sewage treatment, which contain high concentrations of organic matter. This paper reviews the emerging technologies to obtain an internal organic carbon resource from sewage sludge and their application on improving nitrogen removal of low carbon/nitrogen wastewater of WWTPs. These are methods that could solve the insufficient carbon problem and excess sludge crisis simultaneously. The recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from treated sludge before recycling as an internal carbon source should also be emphasized, and the energy and time consumed to treat sludge should be reduced in practical application.

Recently, terahertz waves of higher frequencies compared to microwave and radio frequency have shown great potential in radar detection and high-speed wireless communication. To spatially control the wavefront of terahertz beams, various novel components, such as terahertz filters, polarization converters and lenses, have been investigated. Metamaterials and metasurfaces have become the most promising technique for the free manipulation of terahertz waves. Metadevices integrated with liquid crystals have been widely used in active terahertz devices. In this review, the birefringence of liquid crystals in the terahertz band and terahertz devices based on liquid crystals are summarized. By integrating liquid crystals with plasmonic metamaterials, the functions become dynamically adjustable and are reconstructed. Utilizing liquid crystals to change the resonance of metamaterials, tunable filters, absorbers, and programmable metasurfaces are realized. To solve the problem of low efficiency, terahertz wavefront shaping devices based on dielectric metasurfaces and liquid crystals, such as a variable deflection angle grating and zoom metalenses, are presented. Finally, we discuss and anticipate the future developments of liquid-crystal-integrated meta-devices, which will inspire broad applications in terahertz communication and imaging.

Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) reside on the cell surface and recognize apoplastic colonization by plant-infecting microbes to initiate immune responses. Whether RLKs can also recognize intracellular colonization by viruses to activate antiviral defense mechanisms in plants remains unknown. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a trans -Golgi network/early endosome (TGN/EE)-localized RLK that recognizes viral proteins and inhibits infection in rice. OsVIRK1, a cysteine-rich receptor-like kinase, promotes rice resistance to rice stripe virus (RSV), one of the most devastating viruses of rice. OsVIRK1 transcription is induced in RSV-infected rice, and its protein accumulates through autophosphorylation and redox-mediated regulation. OsVIRK1 physically interacts with the RSV coat protein (CP), a known immune elicitor, and nonstructural protein 3 (NS3), an antiviral RNA-silencing suppressor, at the TGN/EE. OsVIRK1 is required for CP-triggered defense gene expression. It phosphorylates NS3, reducing NS3 accumulation in the cytoplasm and thus repressing its activity as an RNA-silencing suppressor. Our findings suggest that OsVIRK1 recognizes viral proteins at the TGN/EE to inhibit infection by activating plant antiviral immunity and dampening viral counterdefense.

Radiation-induced degradation of materials is a critical challenge in nuclear facilities, directly influencing safety, durability, and environmental protection. Mobile hot cells, as flexible platforms for post-irradiation examination, provide unique opportunities to evaluate the performance of shielding and structural materials under high-dose radiation exposure. This paper reviews recent advances in radiation shielding materials, including lead, stainless steel, sand, ZnBr₂ solutions, and composite polymers, with emphasis on their irradiation performance, mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. Transparent shielding materials such as ZnBr₂-based viewing windows are highlighted for their superior attenuation efficiency and potential as new functional materials. In addition, lightweight composites, nanomaterials, and rare-earth element–based materials are discussed as promising candidates for balancing shielding efficiency with structural reliability. Experimental data on dose attenuation and post-irradiation performance are analyzed to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating advanced materials into mobile hot cell systems. Future research trends include the development of multifunctional composites, intelligent monitoring of material degradation, and environmentally sustainable shielding solutions. By focusing on irradiation performance evaluation, this study provides insights into material innovation for nuclear safety, radiation protection, and advanced engineering applications.

Plant RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE1 (RDR1) is a key component of the antiviral RNA-silencing pathway, contributing to the biogenesis of virus-derived small interfering RNAs. This enzyme also is responsible for producing virus-activated endogenous small interfering RNAs to stimulate the broad-spectrum antiviral activity through silencing host genes. The expression of RDR1 orthologs in various plants is usually induced by virus infection. However, the molecular mechanisms of activation of RDR1 expression in response to virus infection remain unknown. Here, we show that a monocot-specific microRNA, miR444, is a key factor in relaying the antiviral signaling from virus infection to OsRDR1 expression. The expression of miR444 is enhanced by infection with Rice stripe virus (RSV), and overexpression of miR444 improves rice (Oryza sativa) resistance against RSV infection accompanied by the up-regulation of OsRDR1 expression. We further show that three miR444 targets, the MIKCC-type MADS box proteins OsMADS23, OsMADS27a, and OsMADS57, form homodimers and heterodimers between them to repress the expression of OsRDR1 by directly binding to the CArG motifs of its promoter. Consequently, an increased level of miR444 diminishes the repressive roles of OsMADS23, OsMADS27a, and OsMADS57 on OsRDR1 transcription, thus activating the OsRDR1-dependent antiviral RNA-silencing pathway. We also show that overexpression of miR444-resistant OsMADS57 reduced OsRDR1 expression and rice resistance against RSV infection, and knockout of OsRDR1 reduced rice resistance against RSV infection. In conclusion, our results reveal a molecular cascade in the rice antiviral pathway in which miR444 and its MADS box targets directly control OsRDR1 transcription.

A protein expression system recently developed for the thermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus islandicus was employed to produce recombinant protein for EstA, a thermophilic esterase encoded in the same organism. Large amounts of protein were readily obtained by an affinity protein purification, giving SisEstA. Upon Escherichia coli expression, only the thioredoxin-tagged EstA recombinant protein was soluble. The fusion protein was then purified, and removing the protein tag yielded EcSisEstA. Both forms of the thermophilic EstA enzyme were characterized. We found that SisEstA formed dimer exclusively in solution, whereas EcSisEstA appeared solely as monomer. The former exhibited a stronger resistance to organic solvents than the latter in general, having a much higher temperature optimum (90°C vs. 65°C). More strikingly, SisEstA exhibited a half-life that was more than 32-fold longer than that of EcSisEstA at 90°C. This indicated that thermophilic enzymes yielded from homologous expression should be better biocatalysts than those obtained from mesophilic expression.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Polyethyleneimine functionalized magnetic graphene oxide adsorbent (PEI-mGO) was synthesized by introducing polyethyleneimine onto Fe3O4/graphene oxide. The structures and morphologies of PEI-mGO was identified by using Fourier-tranform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) methods. Quantities of bar-like Fe3O4 nanoparticles were observed on the surfaces of PEI-mGO. The adsorption of PEI-mGO for Cu(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), Co(II) and Cd(II) was compared. The adsorption results indicated that PEI-mGO showed higher uptake for Hg(II) than the other ions. The influence of various variables for the adsorption of Hg(II) on PEI-mGO was explored. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm could be described well by the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models. The maximal uptake of PEI-mGO for Hg(II) from Langmuir model was 857.3 mg g−1, which was higher than that reported previously. The adsorption removal was a fast and endothermic process governed by the chemical process. The uptake increased with increasing temperature. PEI-mGO showed an excellent performance for removal of Hg(II) with 93.3% removal efficiency from simulated wastewater. Adsorption-desorption cycled experiments indicated that PEI-mGO could be recycled. PEI-mGO could be easily separated from the adsorbed solution by using a magnet. Hence, this novel adsorbent would be promising for the removal of Hg(II) from wastewater.