Comprehensive Genomic Analysis of SnRK in Rosaceae and Expression Analysis of RoSnRK2 in Response to Abiotic Stress in Rubus occidentalis.

The sucrose nonfermenting 1-related protein kinase (SnRK) plays an important role in responding to abiotic stresses by phosphorylating the target protein to regulate various signaling pathways. However, little is known about the characteristics, evolutionary history, and expression patterns of the SnRK family in black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.) or other Rosaceae family species. In this study, a total of 209 SnRK genes were identified in 7 Rosaceae species and divided into 3 subfamilies (SnRK1, SnRK2, and SnRK3) based on phylogenetic analysis and specific motifs. Whole-genome duplication (WGD) and dispersed duplication (DSD) were considered to be major contributions to the SnRK family expansion. Purifying selection was the primary driving force in the SnRK family evolution. The spatial expression indicated that the RoSnRK genes may play important roles in different tissues. In addition, the expression models of 5 RoSnRK2 genes in response to abiotic stresses were detected by qRT-PCR. The proteins encoded by RoSnRK2 genes localize to the cytoplasm and nucleus in order to perform their respective functions. Taken together, this study provided an analysis of the SnRK gene family expansion and evolution, and contributed to the current knowledge of the function of 5 RoSnRK2 genes, which in turn expanded understanding of the molecular mechanisms of black raspberry responses to abiotic stress.

The involvement of Ein3-binding F-box protein PbrEBF3 in regulating ethylene signaling during Cuiguan pear fruit ripening.

Ein3-binding F-box (EBF) proteins have been determined to modulate ethylene response processes by regulating EIN3/EIL protein degradation in Arabidopsis and tomato. However, the function of pear PbrEBFs in ethylene-dependent responses during fruit ripening remains unclear. In this study, PbrEBF1, PbrEBF2, and PbrEBF3 display contrasting expression patterns in response to ethylene and 1-MCP treatment. PbrEBF3 displayed potential fruit ripening-associated function in a transient expression experiment. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and Firefly luciferase complementation imaging (LCI) assays indicated that PbrEBF3 interacts with PbrEIL1, PbrEIL2, and PbrEIL3 proteins. In turn, the transcription of PbrEBF3 is directly regulated by PbrEILs via a feedback loop. PbrEILs trigger a transcriptional cascade of PbrERF24 and finally affect ethylene synthesis. Overall, PbrEBF3 plays a central role in pear fruit ripening through mediation of the ethylene signaling pathway.

The mediation effects of psychological factors in the relationship between mouth dryness and oral health related quality of life / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of psychological factors as mediators in the casual relationship between mouth dryness and oral health-related quality of life of adults and to explore gender differences in what psychological factors play an important role in mediating the path of mouth dryness to quality of life. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 321 adults who are above 20 and under 65 years of age. Collected data were analyzed via statistical packages using a multi-group analysis through the SEM (Structural Equation Model). RESULTS: Based on the statistical analysis, stress was a major psychological factor in male subjects. While depression served as a main mediator in female subjects. We discovered that the path coefficients of the following paths showed significant gender differences: mouth dryness --> depression, depression --> quality of life, stress --> quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: A gender-specific approach regarding effective prevention of stress and depression may be important for understanding the relationship between mouth dryness and quality of life.

Comparison of alveolar ridge preservation methods using three-dimensional micro-computed tomographic analysis and two-dimensional histometric evaluation

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the efficacy of alveolar ridge preservation methods with and without primary wound closure and the relationship between histometric and micro-computed tomographic (CT) data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Porcine hydroxyapatite with polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was implanted into a canine extraction socket. The density of the total mineralized tissue, remaining hydroxyapatite, and new bone was analyzed by histometry and micro-CT. The statistical association between these methods was evaluated. RESULTS: Histometry and micro-CT showed that the group which underwent alveolar preservation without primary wound closure had significantly higher new bone density than the group with primary wound closure (P<0.05). However, there was no significant association between the data from histometry and micro-CT analysis. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that alveolar ridge preservation without primary wound closure enhanced new bone formation more effectively than that with primary wound closure. Further investigation is needed with respect to the comparison of histometry and micro-CT analysis.

Tunable spatial heterogeneity in structure and composition within aqueous microfluidic droplets.

In this paper, we demonstrate biphasic microfluidic droplets with broadly tunable internal structures, from simple near-equilibrium drop-in-drop morphologies to complex yet uniform non-equilibrium steady-state structures. The droplets contain an aqueous mixture of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and dextran and are dispensed into an immiscible oil in a microfluidic T-junction device. Above a certain well-defined threshold droplet speed, the inner dextran-rich phase is "stirred" within the outer PEG-rich phase. The stirred polymer mixture is observed to exhibit a near continuum of speed and composition-dependent phase morphologies. There is increasing interest in the use of such aqueous two-phase systems in microfluidic devices for biomolecular applications in a variety of contexts. Our work presents a method to go beyond equilibrium phase morphologies in generating microfluidic "multiple" emulsions and at the same time raises the possibility of biochemical experimentation in benign yet complex biomimetic milieus.