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Carotenoids play important roles in many biological processes, such as light harvesting, photoprotection and visual attraction in plants. However, the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis is still not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that SlBBX20, a B-box (BBX) zinc-finger transcription factor, is a positive regulator of carotenoid accumulation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Overexpression of SlBBX20 leads to dark green fruits and leaves and higher levels of carotenoids relative to the wild-type. Interactions between SlBBX20 and DE-ETIOLATED 1 (Sl DET1) lead to the ubiquitination and 26S proteasome-mediated degradation of SlBBX20. Moreover, deficiencies in the components of the CUL4-DDB1-DET1 complex enhanced the stability of the SlBBX20 protein. Thus, we conclude that SlBBX20 is a substrate of the CUL4-DDB1-DET1 E3 ligase. SlBBX20 can activate the expression of PHYTOENE SYNTHASE 1, encoding a key enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, by directly binding to a G-box motif in its promoter, which results in the elevated levels of carotenoids in SlBBX20 overexpression lines. We identified a key regulator of carotenoid biosynthesis and demonstrated that the stability of SlBBX20 is regulated by ubiquitination. These findings provide us a new target for the genetic improvement of the nutritional quality of tomato fruit.

CeO 2 nanoparticles are potential anti-wear additives because of their outstanding anti-wear and load-bearing capacity. However, the shear-sintering tribo-film formation mechanism of oxide nanoparticles limits the tribo-film formation rate and thickness greatly. In this study, by compounding with zinc dioctyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), ultra-fine CeO 2 nanoparticles modified with oleylamine (OM) can quickly form 2 µm ultra-thick tribo-film, which is 10–15 times thicker than that of ZDDP and CeO 2 , respectively. The ultra-thick tribo-film presents a nanocomposite structure with amorphous phosphate as binder and nano-CeO 2 as filling phase, which leads to the highest loading capacity of composite additives. The results of adsorption experiments tested by dissipative quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) showed that the P B value of additive has nothing to do with its equilibrium adsorption mass, but is directly proportional to its adsorption rate in 10 s. The compound additive of CeO 2 and ZDDP presented the co-deposition mode of ZDDP monolayer rigid adsorption and CeO 2 viscoelastic adsorption on the metal surface, which showed the highest adsorption rate in 10 s. It is found that the tribo-film must have high film forming rate and wear resistance at the same time in order to achieve super thickness. Cerium phosphate was formed from ZDDP and CeO 2 through tribochemistry reaction, which promotes the formation of an ultra-thick tribo-film with nanocomposite structure, which not only maintains the low friction characteristics of CeO 2 , but also realizes high P B and high load-carrying capacity.

Slope fractures play an important role in slope destabilization accidents induced by rainfall, but its influence on seepage field and slope stability is not fully studied, especially under the conditions of soil permeability anisotropy. This study aims to investigate the influence of anisotropic permeability property of soil and fractures on the seepage field and slope stability under rainfall conditions. The surface cracks of the slope are regarded as continuous medium, and the saturated-unsaturated seepage theory is applied to the numerical simulation of the fractured soil slopes with different anisotropic permeability ratios by Geo-studio software. The evolution of seepage field and slope stability under the rainfall conditions are investigated using finite element simulation tool. The simulation results reveal that fractures mainly impact the pressure distribution in the seepage field of the shallow layer of slope, and have little effect on the deep layer. Furthermore, the anisotropic permeability of the soil has a significant effect on the seepage field, safety factor, and fracture action of the slope under rainfall conditions. These findings provide critical insights into slope engineering and management under anisotropic soil conditions.

The inflorescences and lateral branches of higher plants are generated by lateral meristems. The structure of the inflorescence has a direct effect on fruit yield in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We previously demonstrated that miR156a plays important roles in determining the structures of the inflorescences and lateral branches in tomato by suppressing the expression of the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN LIKE (SPL) transcription factor gene family. However, information on regulatory pathways associated with inflorescence morphogenesis is still lacking. In this study, we demonstrate that SPL13 is the major SPL involved in miR156a‐regulated tomato inflorescence structure determination and lateral branch production. Suppressing the expression of SPL13 in tomato increases the number of inflorescences on vegetative branches and lateral branches, decreases the number of flowers and fruit, and reduces fruit size and yield. Genetic and biochemical evidence indicate that SPL13 controls inflorescence development by positively regulating the expression of the tomato inflorescence‐associated gene SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT) by directly binding to its promoter region. Thus, our findings provide a major advance to our understanding of the miR156a‐SlSPL‐based mechanism that regulates plant architecture and yield in tomato.

NDH-1 is a key component of the cyclic-electron-transfer around photosystem I (PSI CET) pathway, an important antioxidant mechanism for efficient photosynthesis. Here, we report a 3.2-Å-resolution cryo-EM structure of the ferredoxin (Fd)-NDH-1L complex from the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus . The structure reveals three β-carotene and fifteen lipid molecules in the membrane arm of NDH-1L. Regulatory oxygenic photosynthesis-specific (OPS) subunits NdhV, NdhS and NdhO are close to the Fd-binding site whilst NdhL is adjacent to the plastoquinone (PQ) cavity, and they play different roles in PSI CET under high-light stress. NdhV assists in the binding of Fd to NDH-1L and accelerates PSI CET in response to short-term high-light exposure. In contrast, prolonged high-light irradiation switches on the expression and assembly of the NDH-1MS complex, which likely contains no NdhO to further accelerate PSI CET and reduce ROS production. We propose that this hierarchical mechanism is necessary for the survival of cyanobacteria in an aerobic environment. NDH-1 is a key component of the cyclic-electron-transfer around photosystem I pathway, an antioxidant mechanism for efficient photosynthesis. Here, authors report a cryo-EM structure of the ferredoxin (Fd)-NDH-1L complex from the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus .

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) is considered a key factor in driving the future development of intelligent transport, which requires high-quality communication and fast sensing of vehicle information in high-speed mobile scenarios. However, high-speed mobility makes the wireless channel change rapidly, which requires frequent channel estimation and channel feedback between a vehicle and the roadside unit (RSU), resulting in an increase in communication overhead. At the same time, the high maneuverability of vehicles leads to frequent switching and misalignment of communication beams, so the RSU must have better beam prediction and tracking capabilities. To address this problem, this paper proposes an adaptive frame structure design scheme for sensing-assisted downlink (DL) communication. The basic idea of the scheme involves analyzing the communication model during the vehicle’s movement. This analysis aims to establish a theoretical relationship between the Symbol Error Rate (SER) and the following two key factors: the vehicle’s starting position and the distance it travels across. Subsequently, the scheme leverages the vehicle’s position data, as detected by the RSU, to calculate the real-time SER for DL communication. The SER threshold is set based on the requirements of DL communication. If the real-time SER is below this threshold, channel estimation becomes unnecessary. This decreases the frequency of channel estimation and frees up time and frequency resources that would otherwise be occupied by channel estimation processes within the frame structure. The design of an adaptive frame structure, as detailed in the above scheme, is presented. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed method is analyzed and compared with that of the traditional communication protocol frame structure and the beam prediction-based frame structure. The simulation results indicate that the communication throughput of the proposed method can be improved by up to 6% compared with the traditional communication protocol frame structure while maintaining SER performance.

MASH treatment should prevent progression to cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation, and all-cause mortality; however, observation of theses clinical outcomes requires long-term follow-up. [...]the FDA requires at least one of the following surrogate histologic endpoints for conditional approval: [...]FGF19 agonists cause an increase in cholesterol, which is obviously unacceptable for MASH patients who already have a high cardiovascular risk due to metabolic abnormalities, thus becoming its inherent flaw. [...]no pharmacotherapies are widely accepted for MASH, and the treatment of MASH is a rough patch before 2024. [9–11] Although survodutide also showed the potential to improve MASH, the criteria seemed to be easier to implement: a ≥2-point decrease in NAS score with a ≥1-point decrease in either lobular inflammation or hepatocellular ballooning. [...]the potential effect of survodutide on MASH resolution needs to be further confirmed. Taking into account liver and metabolic endpoints together, including easily accessible cardiometabolic risk factors of MASLD (e.g., body mass index, glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol), in endpoint settings could potentially hold greater clinical significance in future MASH trials.

As tower cranes (TC) getting more use in the construction process, a reliable TC energy consumption calculation model is increasingly required for construction management. This paper proposed a semi-empirical model, which is based on the division of TC work cycle. For fitting the coefficients, Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) was adopted. To simplify the model, variables with weak regression significance to energy consumption were deleted in turn. The best suitable version achieves a Mean Absolute Percentage Error of 25.55%, a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 1036.19 kJ, and a Coefficient of Determination (R 2 ) of 0.83, with just one independent variable. A comparative analysis showed the proposed model had the highest accuracy and fitting degree among all the models for TC energy consumption calculation. Through physical transformation of the proposed model, several key engineering parameters (i.e., load mass, number of work cycles, and hoisting height) affecting TC energy consumption were extracted. The innovation of this empirical study lies in confirming the feasibility of the stage-based calculation model and the small sample fitting strategy, providing new ideas of constructing and optimizing energy consumption models for other construction machinery. At the same time, the proposed model lays a foundation for research related to TC energy consumption to be more reliable.

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a standard therapy for treating bone defects, with collagen-based barrier membranes widely used clinically. However, these membranes face challenges like poor mechanical properties, early bacterial invasion and immunomodulation deficiency, potentially risking GBR failure. Orchestrating macrophage activation and controlling their M1 or M2 polarization are effective strategies for bone repair. Here, we present a Janus collagen-based barrier membrane with immunomodulation. The porous layer promotes direct osteogenic differentiation and inward growth of osteoblasts. The dense layer prevents invasion of soft tissue into bone defects and protects bone defects from bacterial infection. The membrane also enhances rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell infiltration, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation by regulating the immune microenvironment, demonstrating superior bone regeneration compared to the commercial Bio-Gide® membrane. Overall, the Janus collagen-based membrane reduces tissue inflammation and fosters an osteoimmune environment conducive to new bone formation, offering effective material design for advanced GBR technology. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes are used to treat bone defects, but face challenges in regulating the immune microenvironment. Here, Yang et al. report a Janus collagen-based barrier membrane that modulates the osteoimmune microenvironment to effectively promote bone regeneration.

Prefabricated construction involves manufacturing components in a factory and then transporting them to a construction site for assembly, yielding resource savings and improved efficiency. However, the large size and weight of prefabricated components, along with strict delivery requirements, introduce logistical challenges, such as increased carbon emissions during transport and site congestion. This study addresses the dual-objective vehicle scheduling problem for prefabricated components. It proposes a dual-objective optimization model for prefabricated component logistics, guided by the Just-In-Time (JIT) strategy. The model comprehensively considers on-site and off-site logistics, accounts for uncertainties, and details the logistics process for each component. Its objectives are to reduce carbon emissions during logistics and enhance customer satisfaction. An improved Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is used to solve the model, offering enhanced solution diversity and local search capabilities. The model is validated through case studies, with sensitivity analyses conducted to further assess performance. Results indicate that the proposed model provides effective vehicle scheduling solutions that meet optimization objectives. Compared to traditional logistics models, the JIT logistics model demonstrates greater resilience to uncertainty, providing scientifically based decision support for logistics management in prefabricated construction.