Role Of Hubs Research Articles

Insights on the Sun Birth Environment in the Context of Star Cluster Formation in Hub–Filament Systems

Cylindrical molecular filaments are observed to be the main sites of Sunlike star formation, while massive stars form in dense hubs at the junction of multiple filaments. The role of hub–filament configurations has not been discussed yet in relation to the birth environment of the solar system and to infer the origin of isotopic ratios of short-lived radionuclides (SLR, such as 26Al) of calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) observed in meteorites. In this work, we present simple analytical estimates of the impact of stellar feedback on the young solar system forming along a filament of a hub–filament system. We find that the host filament can shield the young solar system from stellar feedback, both during the formation and evolution of stars (stellar outflow, wind, and radiation) and at the end of their lives (supernovae). We show that a young solar system formed along a dense filament can be enriched with supernova ejecta (e.g., 26Al) during the formation timescale of CAIs. We also propose that the streamers recently observed around protostars may be channeling the SLR-rich material onto the young solar system. We conclude that considering hub–filament configurations as the birth environment of the Sun is important when deriving theoretical models explaining the observed properties of the solar system.

The Role Of Urban Space Spatial Hubs As A Positive Product Of Community Behavior

There has been an increasing interest in knowing the effects of urban space on the behavior of society and how it can be used proactively to influence specific behaviors. The field of research is relevant to various fields, including design, geography, urban planning, and human sciences. The result is an arrangement of various ideas, hypotheses, and techniques to see how urban space can improve societal behavior. Studies of urban spaces have become more accurate after the advent of the Syntax Space theory and its various applications, which provided accurate mathematical numerical measurements of urban spaces' general characteristics. In this paper, the axes analysis relied upon using the Depth Maps program and the different measurements it produces to examine the properties of space to indicate positive behavior. The research problem crystallizes: Is there a possibility of measuring the structural properties of space? For the urban space of the proposed base plan for the city of Basra and to achieve the goal represented by the possibility of reaching a method for measuring the space characteristics of the study area (Basra city). Some characteristics (total integration, local interdependence, local control, and density) were highlighted, and the spatial (descriptive) data was interpreted using the Depth Maps program designed by Toner to analyze the spatial structure of the city and to know the validity of the space characteristics and their positive or negative impact on community behavior.

Two-stage robust optimal operation of AC/DC distribution networks with power electronic transformers

Power electronic transformers (PET) are a new type of power electronic equipment with a multi-port flexible dispatch function, which can play the role of a power hub in a system composed of multiple AC-DC hybrid distribution grids for interactive sharing of power in multiple regions. In this study, a two-stage robust optimization operation model of a hybrid AC-DC distribution network with PET is proposed based on PET power transmission and transformation characteristics. The stochastic uncertainty of the distributed renewable energy output in the AC-DC grid is handled by a two-stage robust optimization method to determine the minimum total system operation cost under the worst case of distributed renewable energy output. Finally, a constrained column generation algorithm is used to solve the two-stage robust optimization model in the min-max-min form and verifies the validity of the model in this study.

Computational predictions of 3D chromatin many-body interactions reveal roles of chromatin hubs in gene expression.

Chromatin 3D organization plays important roles in the regulation of gene expression. Hi-C measurements provide a projection of 3D chromatin organization onto a 2D heatmap, which depicts the population-averaged pairwise contact frequencies between all genomic elements. These 2D heatmaps highlight structural units of chromatin organization such as TADs. As distal cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers interact with promoters to increase the transcriptional output of target genes in a tissue-specific manner, quantifying cell-type specific chromatin spatial organization is therefore critical. However, TADs have been found to be largely invariant across cell types, suggesting that features of 2D Hi-C heatmaps are insufficient to gain understanding of tissue-specific gene expression. Another challenge is when multiple genomic elements are involved: It is not possible to obtain higher-order many-body interactions from Hi-C data. In order to address these problems, we apply CHROMATIX, a computational method which reconstructs ensembles of single-cell chromatin conformations by deconvolving Hi-C data. We reconstructed large ensembles (2×104) of independent 3D single-cell chromatin conformations which reproduce imaging, Dip-C, and 3D FISH single cell measurements. The reconstructed ensembles of single-cell chromatin structures further enable us to uncover statistically significant 3D hubs of higher-order many-body interactions. We uncovered chromatin hubs of many-bodies across hundreds of loci in B-lymphocyte cells. We illustrate the functional roles of these 3D hubs of many-body interactions in regulating gene expression. Using the example of eQTL associated genes, we show that higher-order 3D hubs provide the physical basis of differential gene expression, with detailed examples of hubs of 1-gene-to-many-eQTLs and many-genes-to-1-eQTL. Overall, our results show 3D chromatin many-body hubs are important for regulating gene expression, and they can be discovered through CHROMATIX computational modeling single-cell 3D chromatin conformations using population Hi-C data.

The Role of GmSnRK1-GmNodH Module in Regulating Soybean Nodulation Capacity.

SnRK1 protein kinase plays hub roles in plant carbon and nitrogen metabolism. However, the function of SnRK1 in legume nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation is still elusive. In this study, we identified GmNodH, a putative sulfotransferase, as an interacting protein of GmSnRK1 by yeast two-hybrid screen. The qRT-PCR assays indicate that GmNodH gene is highly expressed in soybean roots and could be induced by rhizobial infection and nitrate stress. Fluorescence microscopic analyses showed that GmNodH was colocalized with GsSnRK1 on plasma membrane. The physical interaction between GmNodH and GmSnRK1 was further verified by using split-luciferase complementary assay and pull-down approaches. In vitro phosphorylation assay showed that GmSnRK1 could phosphorylate GmNodH at Ser193. To dissect the function and genetic relationship of GmSnRK1 and GmNodH in soybean, we co-expressed the wild-type and mutated GmSnRK1 and GmNodH genes in soybean hairy roots and found that co-expression of GmSnRK1/GmNodH genes significantly promoted soybean nodulation rates and the expression levels of nodulation-related GmNF5α and GmNSP1 genes. Taken together, this study provides the first biological evidence that GmSnRK1 may interact with and phosphorylate GmNodH to synergistically regulate soybean nodulation.

The Alteration of Akkermansiaceae/Lachnospiraceae Ratio Is a Microbial Feature of Antibiotic-Induced Microbiota Remodeling

Antibiotic treatment has been shown to cause gut microbiota dysbiosis. However, lacking critical features defining gut microbiota dysbiosis makes it challenging to prevent. By co-occurrence network analysis, we found that despite short antibiotic courses eliminating certain microbial taxa, the Akkermansia genus played the role of a high-centrality hub to maintain microbiota homeostasis. When the antibiotic courses continued, the elimination of Akkermansia induced a significant microbiota remodeling of the gut microbiota networks. Based on this finding, we found that under long-term antibiotic stress, the gut microbiota was rearranged into a stable network with a significantly lower Akkermansiaceae/Lachnospiraceae (A/L) ratio and no microbial hub. By functional prediction analysis, we confirmed that the gut microbiota with a low A/L ratio also had enhanced mobile elements and biofilm-formation functions that may be associated with antibiotic resistance. This study identified A/L ratio as an indicator of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. This work reveals that besides the abundance of specific probiotics, the hierarchical structure also critically impacts the microbiome function. Co-occurrence analysis may help better monitor the microbiome dynamics than only comparing the differentially abundant bacteria between samples.

Digital Communications as Means of Innovative Activity of Public Libraries in Ukraine

The aim of the article is to represent modern digital communication as an innovative mean of public libraries in Ukraine, and the importance of its development in crisis phenomena conditions. The research methodology founds on the application of a set of general scientific methods (generalisation, analysis, synthesis, prognostication), and special librarian ones. The organic combination of systemic, sociocommunicative, structural and functional research ways has contributed to the achievement of the set goal. The scientific novelty of the study consists in substantiating the value approach to the individualisation of public libraries service activity, when providing a friendly, comfortable communication environment for the user in conditions of digitalisation of social processes becomes the leading aim. Library innovations have been singled out. They are based on innovative information technologies, but have different social and technological grounds, in particular: organisational, service, product, technical, business. Conclusions. In current conditions, public libraries play the role of information hubs, where information streams flow for their further processing and redistribution according to users’ needs. The main goal of individualising the service activity is to provide a user-friendly and comfortable communication environment. The variety of innovations that have rapidly met library activities have different social and technological grounds. We have highlighted the following: organisational, service, product, technical, business ones. Nowadays, the activity of blighty public libraries is developing in innovative directions using various channels of communication with users, in particular, their own sites, blogs, social networks, messengers, online platforms, media formats, channels in Tik- Tok and YouTube. Libraries of Ukraine fill the information space with their own products (databases, electronic catalogues, collections of digitised publications, etc.), provide virtual services, organise access to external resources, etc. The implementation of modern information technologies into library processes has brought library and information users’ services to a new level. The library digital model of today makes it possible to conduct a full-fledged dialogue with distant users, and allow them to access library services at the same level as those readers who work with information directly in book collections.

Higher TYROBP and lower SOX6 as predictive biomarkers for poor prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma: A pilot study

Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of renal cancer, accounting for approximately 75% of all histological types of renal cancer, and is the leading cause of death from renal cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of tyrosine kinase binding protein (TYROBP) and sex-determining region Y Box-6 (SOX6) in the ccRCC was not precise. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to explore the hub role of TYROBP and SOX6 on the ccRCC. A total of 6 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) were recruited. HE staining was performed to observe the pathology result of ccRCC. Immunohistochemistry and Immunofluorescence assay was made to detect the protein expression of TYROBP. Total RNA was extracted using TRIzol to examine the mRNA expression of TYROBP via the Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The strong correlation between the expression of TYROBP and the survival time of ccRCC patients was performed by the BP neural network and support vector machine. Compared with the control group, the expression of SOX6 was downregulated in the samples with ccRCC. However, the expression of TYROBP was higher in the samples with ccRCC than in the control group. Compared with the patients with high SOX6 expression, the patients with low SOX6 expression have a poor survival prognosis (HR=0.39, P < .05). However, the patients with high TYROBP expression have a shorter survival time than the patients with low TYROBP expression (HR=1.66, P < .05). The genes related with TYROBP and SOX6 are mainly enriched in the regulation of cell activation, leukocyte activation, negative regulation of cell activation, myeloid leukocyte activation, positive regulation of response to external stimulus, immune response-regulating signaling pathway. The interaction between TYROBP, SOX6, and kidney neoplasms was drawn, and the inference score of TYROBP and SOX6 on the kidney neoplasms was high. In conclusion, TYROBP is highly expressed in renal clear cell carcinoma, and when this molecule is highly expressed, the survival prognosis of renal carcinoma is poor. TYROBP and SOX6 may be potential targets for diagnosing and treating renal clear cell carcinoma.

Golgi Complex form and Function: A Potential Hub Role Also in Skeletal Muscle Pathologies?

A growing number of disorders has been associated with mutations in the components of the vesicular transport machinery. The early secretory pathway consists of Endoplasmic Reticulum, numerous vesicles, and the Golgi Complex (GC), which work together to modify and package proteins to deliver them to their destination. The GC is a hub organelle, crucial for organization of the other secretory pathway components. As a consequence, GC's form and function are key players in the pathogenesis of several disorders. Skeletal muscle (SKM) damage can be caused by defective protein modifications and traffic, as observed in some Limb girdle muscular dystrophies. Interestingly, in turn, muscle damage in Duchenne dystrophic SKM cells also includes the alteration of GC morphology. Based on the correlation between GC's form and function described in non-muscle diseases, we suggest a key role for this hub organelle also in the onset and progression of some SKM disorders. An altered GC could affect the secretory pathway via primary (e.g., mutation of a glycosylation enzyme), or secondary mechanisms (e.g., GC mis-localization in Duchenne muscles), which converge in SKM cell failure. This evidence induces considering the secretory pathway as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of muscular dystrophies.

Indirect effects of trophic interactions govern carbon circulation in two beech forest soil ecosystems

Abstract Forest soils harbour a vast array of organisms that govern the processing of organic matter. Through their trophic interactions, they give rise to carbon flows that sustain soil ecosystem functioning. Understanding how soil food webs shape carbon flows may enhance our knowledge about the role of biodiversity on soil processes. In this work, we assembled trophic networks representing soil food webs of two beech forests during spring and autumn, and compiled mass‐balanced models quantifying carbon flows between their components. These models were investigated using network analysis to identify the role of the components on carbon flow, cycling and functional trophic relationships. Moreover, we explored how the structure of carbon exchanges promote efficiency and stability. Results indicate the importance of indirect interactions. Most trophic groups exhibit a diffuse dependency on all the compartments for their carbon requirement although certain groups such as Collembola play the role of hubs in distributing carbon. Indirect interactions often reverse the impacts of direct trophic relationships being antagonistic to the direction of change predicted based on predator–prey interactions. The high incidence of generalist feeding habits increases the redundancy of energy channels thereby making such food webs more resilient against perturbations but at the expense of carbon transfer efficiency. Although differences can be observed across sites and periods, food web structure rather than environmental variability seems to be the main factor responsible for patterns of carbon flows in the two beech forests. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Comprehensive analysis and optimization of combined cooling heating and power system integrated with solar thermal energy and thermal energy storage

The introduction of solar thermal energy and the thermal energy storage are effective methods for reducing the fossil fuel consumption and improving the operation performance of combine cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system. In this study, a CCHP system integrated with solar thermal energy and thermal energy storage is proposed. The thermal energy storage device, which plays the role of energy hub, absorbs the solar thermal energy form the parabolic trough collector and excess thermal energy in the flue gas and then releases the thermal energy when necessary. Transient model of the system is established and the corresponding performance of the proposed system in the typical days are compared with those of the separated system and the conventional CCHP systems. The primary energy saving rate of the proposed system in the typical days of summer, winter and transition seasons are found to be at least 11 percent higher than the other CCHP systems. The capacity of the system is then adjusted for the best economy and corresponding thermal energy storage device capacity is found. Considering the peak-flat-valley electricity price, the operation strategy is then optimized and the equivalent levelized cost of electricity is reduced by 14.3%. This paper provides a viable option for improving the CCHP system performance and economy in solar-abundant regions.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated AtGATA25 mutant represents a novel model for regulating hypocotyl elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana

BackgroundPlants have evolved to adapt to the ever-changing environments through various morphological changes. An organism anticipates and responds to changes in its environment via the circadian clock, an endogenous oscillator lasting approximately 24 h. The circadian clock regulates various physiological processes, such as hypocotyl elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phytochrome interacting factor 4 (PIF4), a member of the bHLH protein family, plays a vital hub role in light signaling pathways and temperature-mediated growth response mechanisms. PIF4 is controlled by the circadian clock and interacts with several factors. However, the components that regulate PIF4 transcription and activity are not clearly understood.Methods and ResultsHere, we showed that the Arabidopsis thaliana GATA25 (AtGATA25) transcription factor plays a fundamental role in promoting hypocotyl elongation by positively regulating the expression of PIF4. This was confirmed to in the loss-of-function mutant of AtGATA25 via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, which inhibits hypocotyl elongation and decreases the expression of PIF4. In contrast, the overexpression of AtGATA25 in transgenic plants resulted in increased expression of PIF4 and enhanced hypocotyl elongation. To better understand AtGATA25-mediated PIF4 transcriptional regulation, we analyzed the promoter region of the target gene PIF4 and characterized the role of GATA25 through transcriptional activation analysis.ConclusionOur findings suggest a novel role of the AtGATA25 transcription factor in hypocotyl elongation.

Corneodesmosin as a potential target of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective:The relationship between oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and Corneodesmosin (CDSN) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the correlation between CDSN and the prognosis and survival time of patients with OSCC.Methods:Bioinformatics were used to identify the hub role of CDSN in the OSCC. A total of 200 patients with OSCC were recruited. Clinical and follow-up data were recorded, and the expression level of CDSN was detected. Pearson chi-square test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to analyze the relationship between prognosis and related parameters in patients with OSCC. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression and Cox proportional risk regression were applied for further analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve and survival curve of subjects were plotted.Results:CDSN was identified as the most significant hub gene of the OSCC by the cytoHubba. By the comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD) analysis, there was strong relationship between the CDSN and mouth neoplasms, head and neck neoplasms, squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck. The OSCC patients with low expression level of CDSN have poor overall survival compared with the high expression level of CDSN (HR = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.57-0.98, P = .036). Spearman correlation coefficient analysis showed that CDSN expression level was significantly correlated with prognosis (ρ = -0.528, P < .001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that poor prognosis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.096, 95%CI: 0.049-0.189, P < .001) was significantly associated with low expression of CDSN. Cox regression analysis showed that the survival time of OSCC patients was shorter when CDSN expression was low (HR = 0.588, 95%CI: 0.420-0.823, P = .002). Strong predictive value of CDSN for the OSCC survival time was obtained by the biological process (BP)-neural network and support vector machine (SVM).Conclusion:CDSN was significantly correlated with OSCC, and the shorter the survival time of patients with OSCC was, the worse the prognosis was.

Network Analysis of the Herb-Drug Interactions of Citrus Herbs Inspired by the "Grapefruit Juice Effect".

This study was performed to investigate the herb–drug interactions (HDIs) of citrus herbs (CHs), which was inspired by the “grapefruit (GF) juice effect”. Based on network analysis, a total of 249 components in GF and 159 compounds in CHs exhibited great potential as active ingredients. Moreover, 360 GF-related genes, 422 CH-related genes, and 111 genes associated with drug transport and metabolism were collected, while 25 and 26 overlapping genes were identified. In compound–target networks, the degrees of naringenin, isopimpinellin, apigenin, sinensetin, and isoimperatorin were higher, and the results of protein–protein interaction indicated the hub role of UGT1A1 and CYP3A4. Conventional drugs such as erlotinib, nilotinib, tamoxifen, theophylline, venlafaxine, and verapamil were associated with GF and CHs via multiple drug transporters and drug-metabolizing enzymes. Remarkably, GF and CHs shared 48 potential active compounds, among which naringenin, tangeretin, nobiletin, and apigenin possessed more interactions with targets. Drug metabolism by cytochrome P450 stood out in the mutual mechanism of GF and CHs. Molecular docking was utilized to elevate the protein–ligand binding potential of naringenin, tangeretin, nobiletin, and apigenin with UGT1A1 and CYP3A4. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated their regulating effect. Overall, this approach provided predictions on the HDIs of CHs, and they were tentatively verified through molecular docking and cell tests. Moreover, there is a demand for clinical and experimental evidence to support the prediction.

How can Chinese metropolises drive global carbon emissions? Based on a nested multi-regional input-output model for China

Given metropolises' participation in complex regional and global trade networks, they have huge demands for vast carbon-embodied intermediate and final goods. To clarify embodied carbon transfers of metropolises in regional and international trade, a metropolis-centered model was constructed by nesting the World's multi-regional input-output table and China's multi-regional input-output (CMRIO) table. Based on this model, we analyzed the multi-scale impact of two typical Chinese metropolises, namely Beijing and Shanghai, on global carbon emissions. Structural decomposition analysis and social network analysis (SNA) were used to explore the driving factors of consumption-based carbon (CBC) and the roles of metropolises in the carbon networks. Results showed that both Beijing and Shanghai are net embodied carbon consumers, which respectively drove 231.19 and 219.52 Mt global carbon emissions in 2017. These figures were underestimated by 12.54 % and 15.41 % when using the CMRIO. After China's economy entered a new normal, instead of technological progress, structural adjustment became the prominent factor driving the CBC reduction of metropolises. During 2012–2017, the consumption structure optimization reduced 18.87 and 32.48 Mt CBC in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively. Compared with other domestic regions, the CBC of Beijing has continued to increase, whereas that of Shanghai has declined. At the international scale, the combined net carbon emission imported by the two metropolises was 88.43 Mt in 2017, equivalent to 18.09 % of China's total carbon deficit. This indicates that metropolises have become pioneering regions for China to alleviate the carbon deficit in international trade. By using SNA, we further found that both metropolises are crucial carbon consumers in the global carbon network, with strong stability and obvious hub roles. Furthermore, various urban functions and geographical locations form the heterogeneous structural characteristics of CBC in the two metropolises, highlighting the need for different strategies for embodied carbon mitigation in these metropolises.

Same mesozooplankton functional groups, different functions in three Arctic marine ecosystems

Abstract The trophic relationships interconnecting marine organisms together into a dynamic trophic network drive the structure and the functioning of the entire ecosystem. Since the flow of carbon within trophic networks is controlled by a variety of functional traits related to food acquisition and individual survival, it is crucial to understand how functional diversity relates to marine ecosystems properties such as the resistance and resilience against perturbations. In the Arctic, marine ecosystems are facing stronger and faster environmental changes than anywhere on Earth, leading to profound perturbations in the planktonic assemblages at the base of the trophic networks. While it is known that mesozooplankton plays a crucial role of matter and energy hub within marine Arctic food web, the precise role of the diverse mesozooplankton functional groups in carbon circulation and in marine ecosystems functioning remains poorly known. We coupled a trait‐based approach of mesozooplankton diversity to an ecological network analysis approach to test whether similar mesozooplankton functional groups played similar ecological roles in three Arctic ecosystems during the summer period. We formed nine mesozooplankton functional groups by gathering different species according to their feeding strategies. Then we implemented those into inverse food web models (linear inverse modelling) describing three contrasted Arctic ecosystems. In each ecosystem, we performed sensitivity analysis experiments where each mesozooplankton functional group was removed one at a time. Our results showed that, although the same main functional groups composed the three ecosystems, the few outstanding changes observed in the carbon circulation within the food web were strongly controlled by both the initial whole‐network properties and productivity of the ecosystem. The various roles played by a given mesozooplankton functional group in the ecosystem depend on its impact on carbon flows through the food web it belongs to. As a result, identifying which functional groups could be threatened, and which carbon flows could be altered by climate change is critical information to predict future ecosystems functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Reorganized Hubs of Brain Functional Networks after Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI)-associated damage to hub regions can lead to disrupted modular structures of functional brain networks and may result in widespread cognitive and behavioral deficits. The spatial layout of brain connections and modules is essential for understanding the reorganization of brain networks to trauma. We investigated the roles of hubs in inter-subnetwork information coordination and integration using participation coefficients (PCs) in 74 patients with acute mTBI and 51 matched healthy controls. In some brain networks, such as default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN), mild TBI patients had decreased PC levels, while this measure was saliently increased in patients in other networks, such as the visual network. The hub disruption index was defined as the gradient of a straight line fitted to scatterplots of individual mTBI in participation coefficient versus mean participation coefficient of healthy groups. There was a trend of radical reorganization of some efficient "hub" nodes in patients (κ = -0.15), compared with controls (κ close to 0). The PC of brain hubs can also differentiate mTBI patients from controls with an 88% accuracy, and decreased PC levels in FPN can predict patient' s worse cognitive information processing speed (r = 0.36, p < 0.002) and working memory performance (r = 0.35, p < 0.002). Reduced PC within the DMN was associated with patients' complaints of post-concussion symptoms (r = -0.35, p < 0.002). This evidence suggests a trend of spatial transition of hub profiles in acute mTBI, and graph metrics of PC measures can be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers.

EuRBG10 involved in indole alkaloids biosynthesis in Eucommia ulmoides induced by drought and salt stresses

Alkaloids are natural products with many important medicinal activities. To explore the mechanism of abiotic stress promoting alkaloid biosynthesis in Eucommia ulmoides, transcriptomic analysis and metabonomic analysis were used, virus–induced gene silencing (VIGS) lines of target gene were constructed. The results showed that drought and salt stress caused wilting and blackening of leaves, decreased chlorophyll level, and significantly induced MDA and relative conductivity. To resist the damage of stress to cells, the level of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids increased significantly with the extension of stress time. Transcriptomic results showed that, were. Six alkaloid related genes (AWGs) were gathered in five modules positively correlated with either salt stress or alkaloid contents by WGCNA. Results of GO and KEGG enrichment revealed that biosynthesis of alkaloid, especially indole alkaloid was induced, and degradation of alkaloid was inhibited under salt stress. Combining the results of transcriptome and metabolomics, it was suggested that EuRBG10 promotes the production of indole alkaloids and EuAMO5 inhibits the degradation of alkaloids, which may be the core mechanism of the indole alkaloid biosynthesis pathway (map00901) induced by salt stress. The results of these hub proteins were also consistent with the chordal graph of KEGG enrichment. Hub roles of EuRGB10 was checked in E. ulmoides by VIGS. Our findings provide a preliminary understanding of abiotic stress regulating secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, and propose hub genes that can be used to improve the level of bioactive components in medicinal plant.

High-Speed Rail Network Structural Characteristics and Evolution in China

Based on high-speed rail (HSR) network data from 2008 to 2020, this study explores the structural characteristics and evolution of China’s HSR network from the perspective of the overall network and urban node network centrality. We show that the overall connectivity of the HSR network has improved significantly, whereas the accessibility of the HSR network has improved slightly. Furthermore, both the density and accessibility of the HSR network in different regions gradually show a decreasing trend from the east coast zone to the southwest. We also find that from the perspective of urban node network centrality, cities with high degree centrality and high betweenness centrality are densely distributed along the northern coast, eastern coast, as well as middle reaches of both the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Finally, the node cities have shown a significant increase in both degree centrality and betweenness centrality; thus, both the hub role and radiation capacity have improved. Our study suggests that the government should closely monitor the development of HSR networks in the western region.

Ca2+ Oscillations, Waves, and Networks in Islets From Human Donors With and Without Type 2 Diabetes.

Pancreatic islets are highly interconnected structures that produce pulses of insulin and other hormones, maintaining normal homeostasis of glucose and other nutrients. Normal stimulus-secretion and intercellular coupling are essential to regulated secretory responses, and these hallmarks are known to be altered in diabetes. In the current study, we used calcium imaging of isolated human islets to assess their collective behavior. The activity occurred in the form of calcium oscillations, was synchronized across different regions of islets through calcium waves, and was glucose dependent: higher glucose enhanced the activity, elicited a greater proportion of global calcium waves, and led to denser and less fragmented functional networks. Hub regions were identified in stimulatory conditions, and they were characterized by long active times. Moreover, calcium waves were found to be initiated in different subregions and the roles of initiators and hubs did not overlap. In type 2 diabetes, glucose dependence was retained, but reduced activity, locally restricted waves, and more segregated networks were detected compared with control islets. Interestingly, hub regions seemed to suffer the most by losing a disproportionately large fraction of connections. These changes affected islets from donors with diabetes in a heterogeneous manner.