Opportunities and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence in China's elderly care services.

The challenge of elderly care presents a formidable task, demanding the collective attention of governmental bodies and diverse sectors of society. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the research and development of Social Elderly Care Service (ECS) has emerged as a dominant trend, holding substantial importance in the establishment of an efficient ECS system. This study aims to serve as a comprehensive reference for the advancement of China's ECS system, achieved through the harmonious integration of a social ECS system with AI capabilities. This paper introduces the fundamental theory of AI, delving into the intricacies of the greyscale model of AI. Furthermore, it provides an overview of the current landscape of elderly care and elder care institutions, offering scientific data and insights to propel further research on AI development and system construction. Through an analysis of the existing research status, the study identifies prevalent issues within the AI-ECS integration, emphasizing pivotal factors influencing the construction of a robust social ECS system. To address these concerns, the study puts forth specific and viable policy recommendations. Notably, the questionnaire's statistics underscore that 83% of the elderly populace would opt for AI-driven solutions in selecting intelligent products, thereby underscoring the pivotal role of AI within the social ECS system. The challenges facing elderly care systems, including demographic shifts, resource constraints, and evolving societal norms, demand innovative solutions for providing efficient and effective care. This study addresses these challenges by exploring the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Social Elderly Care Services (ECS) in China. By delving into the theory of AI and assessing the existing research status, the study identifies key issues in AI-ECS integration and proposes viable policy recommendations. Insights from stakeholder surveys further highlight the importance of AI-driven solutions in meeting the needs of the elderly population.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the TCP Transcription Factor Gene Family in Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

TCP transcription factors play a key role in regulating various developmental processes, particularly in shoot branching, flower development, and leaf development, and these factors are exclusively found in plants. However, comprehensive studies investigating TCP transcription factors in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) are lacking. In this study, we identified 27 CaTCP members in the pepper genome, which were classified into Class I and Class II through phylogenetic analysis. The motif analysis revealed that CaTCPs in the same class exhibit similar numbers and distributions of motifs. We predicted that 37 previously reported miRNAs target 19 CaTCPs. The expression levels of CaTCPs varied in various tissues and growth stages. Specifically, CaTCP16, a member of Class II (CIN), exhibited significantly high expression in flowers. Class I CaTCPs exhibited high expression levels in leaves, while Class II CaTCPs showed high expression in lateral branches, especially in the CYC/TB1 subclass. The expression profile suggests that CaTCPs play specific roles in the developmental processes of pepper. We provide a theoretical basis that will assist in further functional validation of the CaTCPs.

Graphene enhances artemisinin production in the traditional medicinal plant Artemisia annua via dynamic physiological processes and miRNA regulation.

We investigated the effects of graphene on the model herb Artemisia annua, which is renowned for producing artemisinin, a widely used pharmacological compound. Seedling growth and biomass were promoted when A. annua was cultivated with low concentrations of graphene, an effect which was attributed to a 1.4-fold increase in nitrogen uptake, a 15%-22% increase in chlorophyll fluorescence, and greater abundance of carbon cycling-related bacteria. Exposure to 10 or 20 mg/L graphene resulted in a âˆ¼60% increase in H2O2, and graphene could act as a catalyst accelerator, leading to a 9-fold increase in catalase (CAT) activity in vitro and thereby maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. Importantly, graphene exposure led to an 80% increase in the density of glandular secreting trichomes (GSTs), in which artemisinin is biosynthesized and stored. This contributed to a 5% increase in artemisinin content in mature leaves. Interestingly, expression of miR828 was reduced by both graphene and H2O2 treatments, resulting in induction of its target gene AaMYB17, a positive regulator of GST initiation. Subsequent molecular and genetic assays showed that graphene-induced H2O2 inhibits micro-RNA (miRNA) biogenesis through Dicers and regulates the miR828-AaMYB17 module, thus affecting GST density. Our results suggest that graphene may contribute to yield improvement in A. annua via dynamic physiological processes together with miRNA regulation, and it may thus represent a new cultivation strategy for increasing yield capacity through nanobiotechnology.

Identification and expression analysis of LEA gene family members in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an economically important crop containing capsaicinoids in the seed and placenta, which has various culinary, medical, and industrial applications. Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are a large group of hydrophilic proteins participating in the plant stress response and seed development. However, to date there have been no genome-wide analyses of the LEA gene family in pepper. In the present study, 82 LEA genes were identified in the C. annuum genome and classified into nine subfamilies. Most CaLEA genes contain few introns (≤ 2) and are unevenly distributed across 10 chromosomes. Eight pairs of tandem duplication genes and two pairs of segmental duplication genes were identified in the LEA gene family; these duplicated genes were highly conserved and may have performed similar functions during evolution. Expression profile analysis indicated that CaLEA genes exhibited different tissue expression patterns, especially during embryonic development and stress response, particularly in cold stress. Three out of five CaLEA genes showed induced expression upon cold treatment. In summary, we have comprehensively reviewed the LEA gene family in pepper, offering a new perspective on the evolution of this family.

The Molecular Mechanism of GhbHLH121 in Response to Iron Deficiency in Cotton Seedlings.

Iron deficiency caused by high pH of saline-alkali soil is a major source of abiotic stress affecting plant growth. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the iron deficiency response in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impacts of iron deficiency at the cotton seedling stage and elucidated the corresponding molecular regulation network, which centered on a hub gene GhbHLH121. Iron deficiency induced the expression of genes with roles in the response to iron deficiency, especially GhbHLH121. The suppression of GhbHLH121 with virus-induced gene silence technology reduced seedlings' tolerance to iron deficiency, with low photosynthetic efficiency and severe damage to the structure of the chloroplast. Contrarily, ectopic expression of GhbHLH121 in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance to iron deficiency. Further analysis of protein/protein interactions revealed that GhbHLH121 can interact with GhbHLH IVc and GhPYE. In addition, GhbHLH121 can directly activate the expression of GhbHLH38, GhFIT, and GhPYE independent of GhbHLH IVc. All told, GhbHLH121 is a positive regulator of the response to iron deficiency in cotton, directly regulating iron uptake as the upstream gene of GhFIT. Our results provide insight into the complex network of the iron deficiency response in cotton.

Integration of eQTL and machine learning to dissect causal genes with pleiotropic effects in genetic regulation networks of seed cotton yield.

The dissection of a gene regulatory network (GRN) that complements the genome-wide association study (GWAS) locus and the crosstalk underlying multiple agronomical traits remains a major challenge. In this study, we generate 558 transcriptional profiles of lint-bearing ovules at one day post-anthesis from a selective core cotton germplasm, from which 12,207 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) are identified. Sixty-six known phenotypic GWAS loci are colocalized with 1,090 eQTLs, forming 38 functional GRNs associated predominantly with seed yield. Of the eGenes, 34 exhibit pleiotropic effects. Combining the eQTLs within the seed yield GRNs significantly increases the portion of narrow-sense heritability. The extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) machine learning approach is applied to predict seed cotton yield phenotypes on the basis of gene expression. Top-ranking eGenes (NF-YB3, FLA2, and GRDP1) derived with pleiotropic effects on yield traits are validated, along with their potential roles by correlation analysis, domestication selection analysis, and transgenic plants.

Global identification of natural antisense transcripts in Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense under chilling stress.

Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) in model plants have been recognized as important regulators of gene expression under abiotic stresses. However, the functional roles of NATs in crops under low temperature are still unclear. Here, we identified 815 and 689 NATs from leaves of Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense under chilling stress. Among those, 224 NATs were identified as interspecific homologs between the two species. The correlation coefficients for expression of NATs and their cognate sense genes (CSG) were 0.43 and 0.37 in G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, respectively. Furthermore, expression of interspecific NATs and CSGs alike was highly consistent under chilling stress with correlation coefficients of 0.90-0.91. Four cold-associated NATs were selected for functional validation using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). Our results suggest that CAN1 engage in the molecular regulation of chilling stress by regulating SnRK2.8 expression. This highly conserved NAT have valuable potential for applications in breeding cold-tolerant cotton.

Mapping intron retention events contributing to complex traits using splice quantitative trait locus.

BACKGROUND: Alternative splicing (AS) of mRNA plays an important roles in transcriptome diversity, involving regulation of plant growth and stress response. Understanding the variation of AS events underlying GWAS loci in a crop population can provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of complex agronomic traits. To date, genome-wide association studies relating AS events to agronomic traits have rarely been conducted at the population level in crops. RESULTS: Here, a pipeline was constructed to identify candidate AS events related to complex traits. Firstly, ovule transcriptome data were used to characterize intron retention (IR), the predominant type of AS in plants, on a genome-wide scale. This was done in a natural population consisting of 279 upland cotton lines. Secondly, splice quantitative trait locus (sQTL) analysis was carried out, which yielded a total of 2295 sQTLs involving 1607 genes. Of these, 14.25% (n = 427) were cis-regulatory loci. Integration with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) revealed that 53 (21.4%) cis-sGenes were regulated by both cis-sQTLs and cis-eQTLs. Finally, co-localization analysis integrated with GWAS loci in this population showed 32 cis-QTLs to be co-located with genetic regulatory loci related to fiber yield and quality traits, indicating that sQTLs are likely to participate in regulating cotton fiber yield and quality. An in-depth evaluation confirmed that differences in the IR rates of sQTL-regulated candidate genes such as GhLRRK1 and GhGC1 are associated with lint percentage (LP), which has potential in breeding applications. CONCLUSION: This study provides a clue that AS of mRNA has an impact on crop yield, along with functional sQTLs are new genetic resources for cotton precision breeding.

Genome-wide analysis and identification of stress-responsive genes of the CCCH zinc finger family in Capsicum annuum L.

The CCCH zinc finger gene family encodes a class of proteins that can bind to both DNA and RNA, and an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that the CCCH gene family plays a key role in growth and development and responses to environmental stress. Here, we identified 57 CCCH genes in the pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genome and explored the evolution and function of the CCCH gene family in C. annuum. Substantial variation was observed in the structure of these CCCH genes, and the number of exons ranged from one to fourteen. Analysis of gene duplication events revealed that segmental duplication was the main driver of gene expansion in the CCCH gene family in pepper. We found that the expression of CCCH genes was significantly up-regulated during the response to biotic and abiotic stress, especially cold and heat stress, indicating that CCCH genes play key roles in stress responses. Our results provide new information on CCCH genes in pepper and will aid future studies of the evolution, inheritance, and function of CCCH zinc finger genes in pepper.

Phylogenomic analysis of cytochrome P450 multigene family and its differential expression analysis in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

Plant cytochrome P450 is a multifamily enzyme widely involved in biochemical reactions for the synthesis of antioxidants, pigments, structural polymers, and defense-related compounds. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an economically important plant. A comprehensive identification and characterization of P450 genes would provide valuable information on the evolutionary relationships of genes and their functional characteristics. In this study, we identified P450 genes in pepper with the aid of bioinformatics methods to investigate the phylogenetic relation, gene structure, chromosomal localization, duplicated events, and collinearity among Solanaceae species. We identified and classified 478 genes of P450 from the pepper genome into two major clades and nine subfamilies through phylogenetic analysis. Massive duplication events were found in the P450 gene family, which may explain the expansion of the P450 gene family. In addition, we also found that these duplication genes may have undergone strict purification selection during evolution. Gene expression analysis showed that some P450 genes that belong to clan 71 in pepper may play an important role in placenta and pericarp development. Through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and transcriptome analysis, we also found that many P450 genes were related to defensive and phytohormone response in pepper. These findings provide insight for further studies to identify the biological functions of the P450 genes in pepper.

Mild cold stress specifically disturbs clustering movement of DFCs and sequential organ left-right patterning in zebrafish.

In poikilothermic animals, the distinct acclimatization ability of different organs has been previously addressed, while the tissue-specific role of cold stress in early development is largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that despite its role in delaying embryonic development, mild cold stress (22°C) does not disturb multiple-organ progenitor specification, but does give rise to organ left-right (LR) patterning defects. Regarding the mechanism, the data showed that mild cold stress downregulated the expression of cell-adhesion genes cdh1 and cdh2 during gastrulation, especially in dorsal forerunner cells (DFCs), which partially disturbed the clustering movement of DFCs, Kupffer's vesicle (KV) morphogenesis, and ciliogenesis. As a result, the defects of KV/cilia disrupted asymmetric nodal signaling and subsequent heart and liver LR patterning. In conclusion, our data novelly identified that, in early development, DFCs are more sensitive to mild cold stress, and mild cold stress repressed the expression of cell adhesion-related gene cdh1 and cdh2. This role partially disturbed the clustering movement of DFCs, which resulted in defective KV/cilia development and sequential organ LR patterning defects.

Research Orientation and Development of Social Psychology's Concept of Justice in the Era of Cloud Computing.

With the maturity and rapid expansion of social psychology, great progress has been made in the integration of social psychology with other disciplines. From the very beginning, social psychology is destined to have a diversified and multidisciplinary research orientation and disciplinary nature, which also makes it difficult for social psychology to be defined in a single disciplinary field and a single research method. With the rapid development of the Internet, the emergence of cloud computing technology not only facilitates the orientation of psychological research, but also promotes the emergence and development of some new psychological disciplines. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study the orientation of social psychology and its current development in the context of cloud computing era. This paper collects, organizes, and integrates the research data of college students' view of justice from the perspective of social psychology through cloud computing technology, and uses empirical research methods to conduct in-depth research on people's view of justice in social psychology. This paper collects the data reports of college students on social justice issues through cloud computing technology to make the results more accurate. The experimental results show that nearly 70% of college students pay more attention to social justice issues. This data clearly reflects the optimistic trend of people's attention to justice issues in social psychology.

Surface Functionalization of Single-Layered Ti3C2Tx MXene and Its Application in Multilevel Resistive Memory.

MXenes are a new type of two-dimensional material, and they have attracted extensive attention because of their outstanding conductivity and rich surface functional groups that make surface engineering easy and possible for adapting to diverse applications. However, there are scarce studies on surface engineering of MXene. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that octylphosphonic acid-modified Ti3C2Tx MXene can be used as an active layer for memory devices and exhibits stable ternary memory behavior. Low threshold voltage, steady retention time, clearly distinguishable resistance states, high ON/OFF rate, OFF/ON1/ON2 = 1:102.7:104.1, and considerable ternary yield (58%) were obtained. In the proof of the mechanism, in situ conductive atomic force microscopy was conducted and the electrode-area relationship was analyzed to demonstrate that charge trapping and filament conduction are more suitable in the nonvolatile information memory of Ti3C2Tx-OP MXene devices. In addition, a polyethylene-terephthalate-based flexible Ti3C2Tx-OP memory device can maintain its stable ternary memory performance after being bent 5000 times. This work provides an easy method for surface modification of MXene and broadens the field of MXene.

Independent Memcapacitive Switching Triggered by Bromide Ion Migration for Quaternary Information Storage.

Memcapacitors are emerging as an attractive candidate for high-density information storage due to their multilevel and adjustable capacitances and long-term retention without a power supply. However, knowledge of their memcapacitive mechanism remains unclear and accounts for the limited implementation of memcapacitors for multilevel memory technologies. Here, repeatable and reproducible quaternary memories fabricated from hybrid perovskite (CH3 NH3 SnBr3 ) memcapacitors are reported. The device can be modulated to at least four capacitive states ranging from 0 to 169 pF with retention for 104 s. Impressively, an effective device yield approaching 100% for quaternary memory switching is achieved by a batch of devices; each state has a sufficiently narrow distribution that can be distinguished from the others and is superior to most multilevel memories that have a low device yield as well as an overlapping distribution of states. The memcapacitive switching stems from the modulated p-i-n junction capacitance triggered by Br- migration, as demonstrated by in situ element mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and frequency-dependent capacitance measurements; this mechanism is different from the widely reported memristive switching involving filamentary conduction. The results provide a new way to produce high-density information storage through memcapacitors.

One-Step Fabrication of Bio-Compatible Coordination Complex Film on Diverse Substrates for Ternary Flexible Memory.

Recently, resistance random access memories (RRAMs) have been studied extensively, because the demand for information storage is increasing. However, it remains challenging to obtain a flexible device because the active materials involved need to be nontoxic, nonpolluting, distortion-tolerable, and biodegradable as well adhesive to diverse flexible substrates. In this paper, tannic acid (TA) and an iron ion (FeIII ) coordination complex were employed as the active layer in a sandwich-like (Al/active layer/substrate) device to achieve memory performance. A nontoxic, biocompatible TA-FeIII coordination complex was synthesized by a one-step self-assembly solution method. The retention time of the TA-FeIII memory performance was up to 15 000 s, the yield up to 53 %. Furthermore, the TA-FeIII coordination complex can form a high-quality film and shows stable ternary memory behavior on various flexible substrates, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), printer paper, and leaf. The device can be degraded by immersing it in vinegar solution. Our work will broaden the application of organic coordination complexes in flexible memory devices with diverse substrates.

Mussel-Inspired Polydopamine Coating for Flexible Ternary Resistive Memory.

In recent years, numerous organic molecules and polymers carrying various functional groups were synthesized and used in fabrication of wearable electronic devices. Compared to previous materials that suffer from poisonousness, stiffness and complex film fabrication, we circumvent above matters by taking advantage of mussel-inspired polydopamine as our active material to realize resistive random access memories (RRAMs). Polydopamine thin films were grown on indium tin oxide glass catalyzed by Cu2 SO4 /H2 O2 and characterized by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV/Vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The Al/Polydopamine film/ITO devices possess ternary memory behavior with good ternary device yield with two threshold voltages around 1.50 V and 3.50 V, long data retention over 104  s of continuous reading or 104 pulse reading. The two resistance switchings are attributed to defects functioning as charge traps and the formation of conductive filaments. A flexible device based on Al/polydopamine film/ITO/polyethylene terephthalate retains its ternary memory behavior after being bent with a bending radius of 1.54 cm and bending cycles up to 5000, demonstrating good compatibility and flexibility of polydopamine.

Deferred Versus Immediate Stenting in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have evaluated the efficacy of deferred stenting vs immediate stenting in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, but the findings were not consistent across these studies. This meta-analysis aims to assess optimal treatment strategies in patient with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for studies that assessed deferred vs immediate stenting in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Nine studies including 1456 patients in randomized controlled trials and 719 patients in observational studies were included in the meta-analysis. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of no- or slow-reflow between deferred stenting and immediate stenting in randomized controlled trials (odds ratio [OR] 0.51, 95%CI 0.17-1.53, P=0.23, I2=70%) but not in observational studies (OR 0.13, 95%CI 0.06-0.31, P<0.0001, I2=0%). Deferred stenting was associated with an increase in long-term left ventricular ejection fraction (weighted mean difference 1.90%, 95%CI 0.77-3.03, P=0.001, I2=0%). No significant differences were observed in the rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.27-1.01, P=0.06 [randomized OR 0.98, 95%CI 0.73-1.30, P=0.87, I2=0%; nonrandomized OR 0.30, 95%CI 0.15-0.58, P=0.0004, I2=0%]), major bleeding (OR=0.1.61, 95%CI 0.70-3.69, P=0.26, I2=0%), death (OR=0.78, 95%CI 0.53-1.15, P=0.22, I2=0%), MI (OR=0.97, 95%CI 0.34-2.78, P=0.96, I2=35%) and target vessel revascularization (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.40-2.37, P=0.95, I2=24%), between deferred and immediate stenting. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with immediate stenting, a deferred-stenting strategy did not reduce the occurrence of no- or slow-reflow, death, myocardial infarction, or repeat revascularization compared with immediate stenting in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, but showed an improved left ventricular function in the long term.

Effects of Astragalus polysaccharides on memory impairment in a diabetic rat model.

OBJECTIVE: Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) are active constituents of Astragalus membranaceus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of APS on memory impairment in a diabetic rat model and their mechanisms. METHODS: A diabetic model was established in 50 male Wistar rats with streptozotocin intra-peritoneal injection. A blood glucose level higher than 16.7 mmol/L obtained 72 hours after the injection was regarded as a successful diabetic model. The modeled rats were divided into model group, high, medium, and low doses of APS, and piracetam groups (positive control). A group of ten rats without streptozotocin-induced diabetes were used as a normal control. After respective consecutive 8-week treatments, the levels of blood fasting plasma glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c, memory performance, hippocampal malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase were determined. RESULTS: After the 8-week APS treatment, serum fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and insulin levels were decreased compared with those of the model group (P<0.05). Importantly, memory impairment in the diabetic model was reversed by APS treatments. In addition, hippocampal malondialdehyde concentration was lowered, whereas that of superoxide dismutase was higher after APS treatments. CONCLUSION: APS are important active components responsible for memory improvement in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The potential mechanism of action is associated with the effects of APS on glucose and lipid metabolism, and antioxidative and insulin resistance. APS are constituents of A. membranaceus that are potential candidate therapeutic agents for the treatment of memory deficit in diabetes.

The effect of variants in the promoter of BMPER on the intramuscular fat deposition in longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the contribution of BMPER promoter SNPs to the gene expression and intramuscular fat content in longissimus dorsi muscle. Firstly the promoter region of BMPER was comparatively scanned by direct sequencing with pool DNA of two groups (n=15 for each group) with high (H) or low (L) IMF content. Two SNPs, c.-1423A>G and c.-1344A>C, were found to have reverse allele distribution in the two groups. Genotyping by PCR-SSCP in a larger population revealed that the two SNPs interlock completely to form only A-A or G-C haplotype. The IMF content and BMPER expression level of A-A/A-A genotype were higher than G-C/G-C genotype, and luciferase assay revealed that A-A haplotype promoter activity was also higher than G-C haplotype. Putative transcription factor prediction suggested that c.-1344 A>C mutation might shift the promoter binding affinity with GATAs. We concluded that BMPER promoter polymorphisms have an effect on IMF content, and A-A haplotype could be used as a candidate genetic marker for preferable IMF deposition.

The novel porcine gene early growth response 4 (Egr4) is differentially expressed in the ovaries of Erhualian and Pietrain pigs.

The early growth response 4 (Egr4) gene plays a critical role in human and mouse fertility. In the present study, Affymetrix microarray gene chips were used to evaluate differential gene expression in the ovaries between Erhualian and Pietrain pigs. In all, 487 and 573 transcripts were identified with significantly higher and lower expression, respectively, in Erhualian compared with Pietrain sows. The Egr4 gene, one of the differentially expressed genes, was cloned and its genomic structure was analysed. Egr4 expression is increased 120-fold in ovaries from Erhualian sows. The full-length cDNA of porcine Egr4 was obtained by in silico cloning and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The gene consists of two exons and its predicted protein contains a Cys2His2 zinc finger structure. The porcine transcript is alternatively spliced by exon sequence deletion, producing two different mRNAs differing at the 5' end of Exon 2. Egr4 transcripts were detected in the central nervous system, including the cerebrum, cerebellum, hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and were highly expressed in the ovary. The Egr4 gene was evaluated as a candidate gene for porcine reproductivity. To investigate the role of Egr4 in the ovary, Egr4 was knocked down using short interference (si) RNA in porcine granulosa cells. Knockdown of Egr4 using siRNA effectively inhibited Egr4 mRNA and protein expression and knockdown significantly affected the expression of Bax, P450arom, P450scc, Egr1, Egr2, and Egr3. In conclusion, these observations establish an important role for Egr4 in the porcine ovary.