Cotton refers to species in the genus
that bear spinnable seed coat fibers. A total of 50 species in the genus
have been described to date. Of these, only four species, viz.
, and
are cultivated; the ...rest are wild. The black dot-like structures on the surfaces of cotton organs or tissues, such as the leaves, stem, calyx, bracts, and boll surface, are called gossypol glands or pigment glands, which store terpenoid aldehydes, including gossypol. The cotton (
) pigment gland is a distinctive structure that stores gossypol and its derivatives. It provides an ideal system for studying cell differentiation and organogenesis. However, only a few genes involved in the process of gland formation have been identified to date, and the molecular mechanisms underlying gland initiation remain unclear. The terpenoid aldehydes in the lysigenous glands of
species are important secondary phytoalexins (with gossypol being the most important) and one of the main defenses of plants against pests and diseases. Here, we review recent research on the development of gossypol glands in
species, the regulation of the terpenoid aldehyde biosynthesis pathway, discoveries from genetic engineering studies, and future research directions.
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The Seven Victories is one of the most influential works in Catholic literature from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The seven victories spiritual cultivation contained therein is the result ...of the localization of the practice of the Christian faith in the West. It is still a living tradition in the Christian religion and even in Western culture. Since the end of the Ming Dynasty, The Seven Victories has aroused significant repercussions in the ecclesiastical and academic worlds. Some scholars converted to Catholicism because of The Seven Victories and wrote preambles in response to it; some scholars wrote essays criticizing the ethical ideas of The Seven Victories; and some scholars were inspired by The Seven Victories to write about Confucian ideas of sin, the work of reform, and the liturgy of repentance. Together, these constitute the history of the reception of The Seven Victories in China. Through Confucian culture integration, Chinese Christian scholars have developed a localized interpretation of the seven victories spiritual cultivation, resulting in a localized Chinese spiritual cultivation of sin.
Vitex negundo has strong antioxidant activity, but its primary antioxidant components are not clear. In this study, the antioxidant components were screened by offline two-dimensional liquid ...chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection (2D-LC-ECD) and subsequently assessed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identification, radical scavenging capacity, and molecular docking. Various fractions were isolated from Vitex negundo leaves, and 39 antioxidant components were screened and identified. All of the fractions containing the antioxidant components exhibited certain antioxidant activity. Correlation analysis revealed a strong correlation between the response of LC-ECD and the in vitro antioxidant activity of the fractions. Molecular docking demonstrated that components with high response to LC-ECD exhibited robust interaction with antioxidant-related target proteins. The main antioxidant components of Vitex negundo leaves were isoorientin, chlorogenic acid, agnuside, cynaroside, and scutellarin. The 2D-LC-ECD combined with LC-MS/MS was rapid and effective in screening the antioxidant components in Vitex negundo leaves and could also provide technical support for the discovery of antioxidant components with different polarities and contents in other medicinal and edible plants.
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Societal Impact Statement
Gossypol and its derivatives represent a class of toxic and immunosuppressive compounds that are naturally synthesized in cottonseed. These compounds pose several health ...hazards to humans and animals, such as heart and lung damage, breathing difficulties, and death in swine. In poultry, gossypol reduces egg production and slows growth. Studies have also shown that gossypol can indirectly harm humans and animals through the food chain. Although several physical and chemical approaches are adopted to reduce gossypol levels in cottonseed before food and feed processing, these techniques are expensive. Therefore, genetically regulating gossypol production in cotton could provide a cheaper alternative.
Summary
Cotton (Gossypium spp.), the most important fiber crop, is cultivated in over a hundred countries to provide raw materials for the growing textile industry. The seed obtained after delinting cotton is a rich source of protein with a vast potential for oil and feed production. Cottonseed oil production is estimated at 5.08 million metric tons and is expected to generate over 6.56 billion United States Dollars in revenue by 2029. The cake from defatted cottonseed is used as animal feed and food supplements. However, the contamination of gossypol in cottonseed limits its use. Gossypol ingestion impairs weight gain and causes anorexia, respiratory distress, and death under extreme exposure. This review highlights the significance of cottonseed oil and meal; the pharmacological uses and impact of gossypol; the chemistry, toxicity, and bioactivity of gossypol; and the physical and chemical methods used in gossypol removal during feed and food supplement processing. In addition, the biosynthetic pathway of gossypol and attempts to genetically transform some key regulators of this pathway to produce glandless cottonseed or reduce the gossypol levels in the seed are discussed.
棉酚及其衍生物是一类在棉籽中天然合成的具有毒性和免疫抑制作用的化合物。这些化合物对人类和动物的健康造成了一些危害, 如心脏和肺部损伤、呼吸困难和猪的死亡。在家禽中, 棉酚会减少鸡蛋产量并减缓生长。研究还表明, 棉酚可以通过食物链间接伤害人类和动物。尽管在食品和饲料加工之前采用了几种物理和化学方法来降低棉籽中的棉酚水平, 但这些技术成本高昂。因此, 通过基因调控棉花中棉酚的生产可以提供一种更便宜的替代品。.
Gossypol and its derivatives represent a class of toxic and immunosuppressive compounds that are naturally synthesized in cottonseed. These compounds pose several health hazards to humans and animals, such as heart and lung damage, breathing difficulties, and death in swine. In poultry, gossypol reduces egg production and slows growth. Studies have also shown that gossypol can indirectly harm humans and animals through the food chain. Although several physical and chemical approaches are adopted to reduce gossypol levels in cottonseed before food and feed processing, these techniques are expensive. Therefore, genetically regulating gossypol production in cotton could provide a cheaper alternative.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Plastid retrograde signaling plays a key role in coordinating the expression of plastid genes and photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes (PhANGs). Although plastid retrograde signaling can be ...substantially compromised by mitochondrial dysfunction, it is not yet clear whether specific mitochondrial factors are required to regulate plastid retrograde signaling. Here, we show that mitochondrial ATP synthase beta-subunit mutants with decreased ATP synthase activity are impaired in plastid retrograde signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression levels of PhANGs were significantly higher in the mutants affected in the AT5G08670 gene encoding the mitochondrial ATP synthase beta-subunit, compared to wild-type (WT) seedlings when treated with lincomycin (LIN) or norflurazon (NF). Further studies indicated that the expression of nuclear genes involved in chloroplast and mitochondrial retrograde signaling was affected in the AT5G08670 mutant seedlings treated with LIN. These changes might be linked to the modulation of some transcription factors (TFs), such as LHY (Late Elongated Hypocotyl), PIF (Phytochrome-Interacting Factors), MYB, WRKY, and AP2/ERF (Ethylene Responsive Factors). These findings suggest that the activity of mitochondrial ATP synthase significantly influences plastid retrograde signaling.
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White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) forms brush‐like root structures called cluster roots under phosphorus‐deficient conditions. Clusters secrete citrate and other organic compounds to mobilize sparingly ...soluble soil phosphates. In the context of aluminum toxicity tolerance mechanisms in other species, citrate is released via a subgroup of MATE/DTX proteins (multidrug and toxic compound extrusion/detoxification). White lupin contains 56 MATE/DTX genes. Many of these are closely related to gene orthologs with known substrates in other species. LaMATE is a marker gene for functional, mature clusters and is, together with its close homolog LaMATE3, a candidate for the citrate release. Both were highest expressed in mature clusters and when expressed in oocytes, induced inward‐rectifying currents that were likely carried by endogenous channels. No citrate efflux was associated with LaMATE and LaMATE3 expression in oocytes. Furthermore, citrate secretion was largely unaffected in P‐deficient composite mutant plants with genome‐edited or RNAi‐silenced LaMATE in roots. Moderately lower concentrations of citrate and malate in the root tissue and consequently less organic acid anion secretion and lower malate in the xylem sap were identified. Interestingly, however, less genistein was consistently found in mutant exudates, opening the possibility that LaMATE is involved in isoflavonoid release.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic in China, the silent management (Lockdown) policy has caused severe sleep problems for university students. Long-term isolation may further deteriorate sleep quality, and ...it requires practical interventions. Today in mental and sleep health, interventions based on Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian ethics have been proven effective in reducing cognition and sleep disorders. However, such interventions also have limitations. They tend to focus on peace of mind or some technical means with the main direction of symptom improvement but neglect the mundane activities of daily life.
We conducted an innovative tranquil sitting intervention program based on the Chinese Confucian value of the "tranquility and reverence" method, integrating various intervention techniques traditionally recognized as effective for achieving more lasting mental health and sleep quality. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of a tranquil sitting intervention in improving sleep problems in isolated university students. Using a randomized control trial (RCT), the participants in the intervention program (
= 35) practiced the tranquil sitting intervention program for ten weeks. They had their PSQI scores measured at the pre-experimental, post-test, and 1-month follow-up time points and compared to the control group (
= 35).
The participants who received the tranquil sitting intervention had significantly better sleep quality than the control group, with moderate to large effect sizes in the middle and late stages. The instructor may challenge the intervention group at the beginning of the tranquil sitting technique. However, the improvement in sleep quality was significant after fully mastering the method.
The intervention program in this study emphasized the importance of "tranquility" and showed the same sleep improvement as in other traditional interventions. In conclusion, this intervention is a feasible and promising new approach to improving sleep quality among youths.
High-pressure adsorption attracts research interests following the world’s attention to alternative fuels, and it exerts essential effect on the study of hydrogen/methane storage and the development ...of novel materials addressing to the storage. However, theoretical puzzles in high-pressure adsorption hindered the progress of application studies. Therefore, the present paper addresses the major theoretical problems that challenged researchers: i.e., how to model the isotherms with maximum observed in high-pressure adsorption; what is the adsorption mechanism at high pressures; how do we determine the quantity of absolute adsorption based on experimental data. Ideology and methods to tackle these problems are elucidated, which lead to new insights into the nature of high-pressure adsorption and progress in application studies, for example, in modeling multicomponent adsorption, hydrogen storage, natural gas storage, and coalbed methane enrichment, was achieved.
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Purpose The objective of this study is to gain a more nuanced understanding of the specific impact of income inequality on the utilization of healthcare services for older adults. Additionally, the ...study aims to elucidate the moderating and mediating roles of public transfer income and psychological health in this context. Methods A systematic examination of the impact of income inequality on healthcare utilization among older adults was conducted through field questionnaire surveys in six cities across three major geographical regions (West, Central, and East). The analysis employed baseline regression, as well as mediating and moderating effect tests. Results First, there is a negative relationship between income inequality and the use of therapeutic healthcare services (β 1 = −0.484, P < 0.01) and preventive healthcare services (β 2 = −0.576, P < 0.01) by older adults. This relationship is more pronounced in the low- and medium-income groups as well as in the western region. The mediating effect of psychological state is significant (β 3 = −0.331, P < 0.05, β 4 = −0.331, P < 0.05). Public transfer income plays a significant role in regulation. The moderating effect of public transfer income on therapeutic services was more significant in low-income groups (β 5 = 0.821, P < 0.01). The moderating effect of public transfer income on preventive services was more significant in middle-income groups (β 6 = 0.833, P < 0.01). Conclusion The study clearly demonstrates a significant negative correlation between income inequality and the utilization of healthcare services by older adults. Furthermore, the study reveals that this relationship is particularly pronounced among older adults in low- and medium-income and Western regions. This detailed analysis of regional and income level heterogeneity is of particular value in this field of research. Secondly, this study attempts to integrate the two pivotal dimensions of public transfer income and psychological state for the first time, elucidating their moderating and mediating roles in this relationship. The findings indicate that public transfer income serves as a moderating factor, exerting a notable “reordering effect” on income inequality and resulting in a “deprivation effect.” Such factors may impede the utilization of medical services, potentially influencing the psychological state of older adults.
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