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Background The growth habit (GH), also named the branching habit, is an important agronomic trait of peanut and mainly determined by the lateral branch angle (LBA). The branching habit is closely related to peanut mechanized farming, pegging, yield, and disease management. Objectives However, the molecular basis underlying peanut LBA needs to be uncovered. Methods In the present study, an erect branching peanut mutant, eg06g, was obtained via 60Co γ-ray-radiating mutagenesis of a spreading-type peanut cultivar, Georgia-06G (G06G). RNA-seq was performed to compare the transcriptome variation of the upper sides and lower sides of the lateral branch of eg06g and G06G. Results In total, 4908 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 5833 DEGs were identified between eg06g and G06G from the lower sides and upper sides of the lateral branch, respectively. GO, KEGG, and clustering enrichment analysis indicated that the carbohydrate metabolic process, cell wall organization or biogenesis, and plant hormone signal transduction were mainly enriched in eg06g. Conclusions Further analysis showed that the genes involved in starch biosynthesis were upregulated in eg06g, which contributed to amyloplast sedimentation and gravity perception. Auxin homeostasis and transport-related genes were found to be upregulated in eg06g, which altered the redistribution of auxin in eg06g and in turn triggered apoplastic acidification and activated cell wall modification-related enzymes, leading to tiller angle establishment through the promotion of cell elongation at the lower side of the lateral branch. In addition, cytokinin and GA also demonstrated synergistic action to finely regulate the formation of peanut lateral branch angles. Collectively, our findings provide new insights into the molecular regulation of peanut LBA and present genetic materials for breeding peanut cultivars with ideotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Frozen shoulder (FS) is a painful and debilitating condition affecting the shoulder joint. When patients fail to improve after conservative treatments, operative treatments including arthroscopic capsular release (ACR) and manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) are recommended. However, the comparison between these two interventions remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of ACR and MUA for refractory FS. Methods: A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched for eligible studies until December 10, 2023. Meta‐analyses were conducted using Manager V.5.3.3. Pooled effect sizes were expressed as the weighted mean difference (WMD) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of eight comparative studies with 768 patients were included. Compared with MUA, ACR had statistically better Δ VAS (WMD, −0.44; 95% CI, −0.71 to −0.18; I2 = 6%; p = 0.001) at over 12‐month follow‐up, which did not reach the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Other outcomes regarding pain relief, function, and range of motion (ROM) improvements were not statistically different between the two groups at different follow‐up timepoints. Compared with the MUA group, the ACR group had a significantly higher rate of severe complications (OR, 4.14; 95% CI, 1.01 to 16.94; I2 = 0%; p = 0.05), but comparable rates of mild complications and additional intervention. Conclusions: In treating refractory FS, ACR demonstrated comparable pain relief, functional and ROM improvements, rates of mild complications and additional intervention but a higher risk of severe complications to MUA during short‐term follow‐up periods. Notably, ACR exhibited statistically superior improvement in the long‐term pain relief compared to the MUA group, although it did not reach the MCID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over time, the amount of germs resistant to antibacterial medications has been steadily rising because of their prolonged and indiscriminate use. The increase in drug resistance significantly threatens to human health and has become a globally recognized issue of concern. Therefore, identifying new antibacterial drugs is urgently needed. Forward: Polysaccharides are natural macromolecular substances that exist in plants, microorganisms, and animals, They have an immense amount of use in the food and medical industries. Polysaccharides can be categorized as plant, animal, or microbial based on the sources of the polysaccharides. Conclusion: Polysaccharides are natural compounds with antibacterial properties that exerts antibacterial activity by disrupting bacterial cell walls and cell membranes. They show potential as candidates for the creation and application of novel antibiotics. This article reviews the classification of polysaccharides, their isolation and purification, mechanisms of action, and antibacterial activity. The primary objective of this study is to lay down an empirical groundwork for examining the antibacterial properties of polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Twenty-eight QTLs for LLS disease resistance were identified using an amphidiploid constructed mapping population, a favorable 530-kb chromosome segment derived from wild species contributes to the LLS resistance. Late leaf spot (LLS) is one of the major foliar diseases of peanut, causing serious yield loss and affecting the quality of kernel and forage. Some wild Arachis species possess higher resistance to LLS as compared with cultivated peanut; however, ploidy level differences restrict utilization of wild species. In this study, a synthetic amphidiploid (Ipadur) of wild peanuts with high LLS resistance was used to cross with Tifrunner to construct TI population. In total, 200 recombinant inbred lines were collected for whole-genome resequencing. A high-density bin-based genetic linkage map was constructed, which includes 4,809 bin markers with an average inter-bin distance of 0.43 cM. The recombination across cultivated and wild species was unevenly distributed, providing a novel recombination landscape for cultivated-wild Arachis species. Using phenotyping data collected across three environments, 28 QTLs for LLS disease resistance were identified, explaining 4.35–20.42% of phenotypic variation. The major QTL located on chromosome 14, qLLS14.1, could be consistently detected in 2021 Jiyang and 2022 Henan with 20.42% and 12.12% PVE, respectively. A favorable 530-kb chromosome segment derived from Ipadur was identified in the region of qLLS14.1, in which 23 disease resistance proteins were located and six of them showed significant sequence variations between Tifrunner and Ipadur. Allelic variation analysis indicating the 530-kb segment of wild species might contribute to the disease resistance of LLS. These associate genomic regions and candidate resistance genes are of great significance for peanut breeding programs for bringing durable resistance through pyramiding such multiple LLS resistance loci into peanut cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) constitute extensive enzyme superfamilies in the plants, playing pivotal roles in a multitude of biosynthetic and detoxification pathways essential for growth and development, such as the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. However, CYPs have not yet been systematically studied in the cultivated peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), a globally significant cash crop. This study addresses this knowledge deficit through a comprehensive genome-wide analysis, leading to the identification of 589 AhCYP genes in peanuts. Through phylogenetic analysis, all AhCYPs were systematically classified into 9 clans, 43 gene families. The variability in the number of gene family members suggests specialization in biological functions. Intriguingly, both tandem duplication and fragment duplication events have emerged as pivotal drivers in the evolutionary expansion of the AhCYP superfamily. Ka/Ks analysis underscored the substantial influence of strong purifying selection on the evolution of AhCYPs. Furthermore, we selected 21 genes encoding 8 enzymes associated with the flavonoid pathway. The results of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments unveiled stage-specific expression patterns during the development of peanut testa, with discernible variations between pink and red testa. Importantly, we identified a direct correlation between gene expression levels and the accumulation of metabolites. These findings offer valuable insights into elucidating the comprehensive functions of AhCYPs and the underlying mechanisms governing the divergent accumulation of flavonoids in testa of different colors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is known as a valuable genetic resource for both vegetables and medicinal purposes. However, little is known about the organization and diversity of repetitive DNA sequences, and the usefulness of such resources in analyzing genetic diversity and DNA fingerprinting in A. officinalis cultivars. In this study, a large-scale genome-wide identification of microsatellite molecular markers in A. officinalis genome was performed. Genetic diversity and DNA fingerprinting of 24 cultivars were carried out using the information obtained from polymorphic simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers. The polymorphism information content were found in the range of 0.21–0.43 with an average of 0.35. The genetic distance of 24 cultivars were ranged from 0.26 to 1.07, with an average value of 0.75, indicating relatively high genetic diversity among these accessions. The dendrogram constructed by unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustering method classified these cultivars into two discrete groups revealing the genetic relatedness and diversity among these cultivars. Furthermore, the 24 cultivars were fingerprinted using three SSR primers. Our results showed that the primer pair Asp-SSR-2-C6 enabled the identification of 12 cultivars, whereas Asp-SSR-3-C10 and Asp-SSR-6-C4 primers could differentiate 13 and 10 cultivars, respectively. The present study deciphered the reliability of SSR markers for DNA fingerprinting and genetic diversity analysis in asparagus cultivars, which will facilitate the conservation, breeding and future genetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Testa color is an important trait of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) which is closely related with the nutritional and commercial value. Pink and red are main color of peanut testa. However, the genetic mechanism of testa color regulation in peanut is not fully understood. To elucidate a clear picture of peanut testa regulatory model, samples of pink cultivar (Y9102), red cultivar (ZH12), and two RNA pools (bulk red and bulk pink) constructed from F4 lines of Y9102 x ZH12 were compared through a bulk RNA-seq approach. Results: A total of 2992 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among which 317 and 1334 were up-regulated and 225 and 1116 were down-regulated in the bulk red-vs-bulk pink RNA pools and Y9102-vs-ZH12, respectively. KEGG analysis indicates that these genes were divided into significantly enriched metabolic pathways including phenylpropanoid, flavonoid/anthocyanin, isoflavonoid and lignin biosynthetic pathways. Notably, the expression of the anthocyanin upstream regulatory genes PAL, CHS, and CHI was upregulated in pink and red testa peanuts, indicating that their regulation may occur before to the advent of testa pigmentation. However, the differential expression of down-stream regulatory genes including F3H, DFR, and ANS revealed that deepening of testa color not only depends on their gene expression bias, but also linked with FLS inhibition. In addition, the down-regulation of HCT, IFS, HID, 7-IOMT, and I2'H genes provided an alternative mechanism for promoting anthocyanin accumulation via perturbation of lignin and isoflavone pathways. Furthermore, the co-expression module of MYB, bHLH, and WRKY transcription factors also suggested a fascinating transcriptional activation complex, where MYB-bHLH could utilize WRKY as a co-option during the testa color regulation by augmenting anthocyanin biosynthesis in peanut. Conclusions: These findings reveal candidate functional genes and potential strategies for the manipulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis to improve peanut varieties with desirable testa color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress could inhibit the growth and development of crops and negatively affect yield and quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the physiological responses of different asparagus cultivars to salt stress. Twenty days old seedlings ofasalt-tolerant Apollo andasalt-sensitive cultivar JL1 were subjected to 0 (CK) and120 mM NaCl stress for 20 d. Their changes in growth, ion contents, antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expression were analyzed. Salt stress significantly inhibited the growth of both cultivars, and JL1 showed a greater decrease than Apollo. The root development of Apollo was promoted by 120 mM NaCl treatment. The Na+ content in roots, stems, and leaves of both cultivars was increased under salt stress, while K+ content and K+/Na+ decreased. The salt-tolerant cultivar Apollo showed less extent of increase in Na+ and decrease in K+ content and kept a relatively high K+/Na+ ratio to compare with JL1. The contents of proline, soluble sugar and protein increased in Apollo, while thesesubstances changed differently in JL1 under salt stress. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were gradually increased under salt stress in Apollo, while the corresponding enzyme activities in JL1 were decreased at the late stage of salt stress. The expression of SOD, POD, and CAT genes of both cultivars changed in a similar way to the enzyme activities. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was increased slightly in Apollo, while increased significantly in JL1. At the late stage of salt stress, Apollomaintained a relatively high K+/Na+, osmotic adjustment ability and antioxidant defense capability, and therefore exhibited higher tolerance to salt stress than that of JL1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AhFAD2 is a key enzyme catalyzing the conversion of oleic acid into linoleic acid. The high oleic acid characteristic of peanut mainly comes from the homozygous recessive mutation of AhFAD2A and AhFAD2B genes (aabb). However, even in high-oleic-acid varieties with the aabb genotype, the oleic acid content of seeds with different maturity varies significantly. Therefore, in addition to AhFAD2A and AhFAD2B, other FAD2 members or regulators may be involved in this process. Which FAD2 genes are involved in the regulatory processes associated with seed maturity is still unclear. In this study, four stable lines with different genotypes (AABB, aaBB, AAbb, and aabb) were used to analyze the contents of oleic acid and linoleic acid at different stages of seed development in peanut. Three new AhFAD2 genes (AhFAD2–7, AhFAD2–8, and AhFAD2–9) were cloned based on the whole-genome sequencing results of cultivated peanuts. All peanut FAD2 genes showed tissue preference in expression; however, only the expression level of AhFAD2-7 was positively correlated with the linoleic acid concentration in peanut seeds. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of oleic acid accumulation by maturity, and AhFAD2-7 plays an important role in the maturity dependent accumulation of oleic acid and linoleic acid in peanut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed size is a key factor affecting crop yield and a major agronomic trait concerned in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) breeding. However, little is known about the regulation mechanism of peanut seed size. In the present study, a peanut small seed mutant1 (ssm1) was identified through irradiating peanut cultivar Luhua11 (LH11) using 60Coγ ray. Since the globular embryo stage, the embryo size of ssm1 was significantly smaller than that of LH11. The dry seed weight of ssm1 was only 39.69% of the wild type LH14. The seeds were wrinkled with darker seed coat. The oil content of ssm1 seeds were also decreased significantly. Seeds of ssm1 and LH11 were sampled 10, 20, and 40 days after pegging (DAP) and were used for RNA-seq. The results revealed that genes involved in plant hormones and several transcription factors related to seed development were differentially expressed at all three stages, especially at DAP10 and DAP20. Genes of fatty acid biosynthesis and late embryogenesis abundant protein were significantly decreased to compare with LH11. Interestingly, the gene profiling data suggested that PKp2 and/or LEC1 could be the key candidate genes leading to the small seed phenotype of the mutant. Our results provide valuable clues for further understanding the mechanisms underlying seed size control in peanut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Early identification of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is key to prioritizing therapy and preventing permanent blindness. This study aims to propose a machine learning model for DR early diagnosis using metabolomics and clinical indicators. Methods: From 2017 to 2018, 950 participants were enrolled from two affiliated hospitals of Wenzhou Medical University and Anhui Medical University. A total of 69 matched blocks including healthy volunteers, type 2 diabetes, and DR patients were obtained from a propensity score matching-based metabolomics study. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system was utilized for serum metabolic fingerprint data. CART decision trees (DT) were used to identify the potential biomarkers. Finally, the nomogram model was developed using the multivariable conditional logistic regression models. The calibration curve, Hosmer–Lemeshow test, receiver operating characteristic curve, and decision curve analysis were applied to evaluate the performance of this predictive model. Results: The mean age of enrolled subjects was 56.7 years with a standard deviation of 9.2, and 61.4% were males. Based on the DT model, 2-pyrrolidone completely separated healthy controls from diabetic patients, and thiamine triphosphate (ThTP) might be a principal metabolite for DR detection. The developed nomogram model (including diabetes duration, systolic blood pressure and ThTP) shows an excellent quality of classification, with AUCs (95% CI) of 0.99 (0.97–1.00) and 0.99 (0.95–1.00) in training and testing sets, respectively. Furthermore, the predictive model also has a reasonable degree of calibration. Conclusions: The nomogram presents an accurate and favorable prediction for DR detection. Further research with larger study populations is needed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribosome biogenesis is tightly associated with plant growth and reproduction. Mutations in genes encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs) or ribosome biogenesis factors (RBFs) generally result in retarded growth and delayed flowering. However, the early-flowering phenotype resulting from the ribosome biogenesis defect is rarely reported. We previously identified that the AAA-ATPase MIDASIN 1 (MDN1) functions as a 60S RBF in Arabidopsis. Here, we found that its weak mutant mdn1-1 is early-flowering. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is down-regulated, while that of some autonomous pathway genes and ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) is up-regulated in mdn1-1. Phenotypic analysis revealed that the flowering time of mdn1-1 is severely delayed by increasing FLC expression, suggesting that the early flowering in mdn1-1 is likely associated with the downregulation of FLC. We also found that the photoperiod pathway downstream of CONSTANTS (CO) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) might contribute to the early flowering in mdn1-1. Intriguingly, the abi5-4 allele completely blocks the early flowering in mdn1-1. Collectively, our results indicate that the ribosome biogenesis defect elicited by the mutation of MDN1 leads to early flowering by affecting multiple flowering regulation pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut is one of the most important oil crops in the world, the growth and productivity of which are severely affected by salt stress. 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) plays an important role in stress resistances. However, the roles of exogenous EBL on the salt tolerance of peanut remain unclear. In this study, peanut seedlings treated with 150 mM NaCl and with or without EBL spray were performed to investigate the roles of EBL on salt resistance. Under 150 mM NaCl conditions, foliar application of 0.1 µM EBL increased the activity of catalase and thereby could eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Similarly, EBL application promoted the accumulation of proline and soluble sugar, thus maintaining osmotic balance. Furthermore, foliar EBL spray enhanced the total chlorophyll content and high photosynthesis capacity. Transcriptome analysis showed that under NaCl stress, EBL treatment up-regulated expression levels of genes encoding peroxisomal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide carrier (PMP34), probable sucrose-phosphate synthase 2 (SPS2) beta-fructofuranosidase (BFRUCT1) and Na+/H+ antiporters (NHX7 and NHX8), while down-regulated proline dehydrogenase 2 (PRODH). These findings provide valuable resources for salt resistance study in peanut and lay the foundation for using BR to enhance salt tolerance during peanut production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garden asparagus is a major dioecious plant that serves as a model for understanding sex determination and sex chromosome evolution. The shared cytogenetic homology of the sex chromosomes, with the exception of a mega base region missing from the X chromosome, has considerably hindered the identification of male and female plants. In this study, two male‐specific sequence‐tagged site (STS) markers Asp‐YS1 and Asp‐YS2, located on the Y chromosome, were discovered for early sex identification. The Asp‐YS1 and Asp‐YS2 markers were particularly effective in amplifying a fragment of 490‐bp and 296‐bp, respectively. Most of the male progenies of selected cultivars, and one homozygous male cultivar ('Y14'), showed male‐specific amplification using these two markers. Of the 24 tested cultivars, the results of 21 cultivars demonstrated male‐specific amplification using the newly identified STS markers suggesting greater applicability and higher specificity over the previously existed Asp1‐T7sp marker, which is limited to some commercial cultivars. These findings presented the establishment of an efficient molecular method for sex identification in asparagus, enabling the rapid selection of male parental lines in future breeding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral branch angle (LBA), or branch habit, is one of the most important agronomic traits in peanut. To date, the underlying molecular mechanisms of LBA have not been elucidated in peanut. To acquire the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to LBA, a TI population was constructed through the hybridization of a bunch-type peanut variety Tifrunner and prostrate-type Ipadur. We report the identification of DEGs related to LBA by sequencing two RNA pools, which were composed of 45 F3 lines showing an extreme opposite bunch and prostrate phenotype. We propose to name this approach Bulk RNA-sequencing (BR-seq) as applied to several plant species. Through BR-seq analysis, a total of 3083 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 13 gravitropism-related DEGs, 22 plant hormone-related DEGs, and 55 transcription factors-encoding DEGs. Furthermore, we also identified commonly expressed alternatively spliced (AS) transcripts, of which skipped exon (SE) and retained intron (RI) were most abundant in the prostrate and bunch-type peanut. AS isoforms between prostrate and bunch peanut highlighted important clues to further understand the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of branch angle regulation. Our findings provide not only important insights into the landscape of the regulatory pathway involved in branch angle formation but also present practical information for peanut molecular breeding in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Systemic acquired resistance is an essential immune response that triggers a broad‐spectrum disease resistance throughout the plant. In the present study, we identified a peanut lesion mimic mutant m14 derived from an ethyl methane sulfonate‐mutagenized mutant pool of peanut cultivar "Yuanza9102." Brown lesions were observed in the leaves of an m14 mutant from seedling stage to maturity. Using MutMap together with bulked segregation RNA analysis approaches, a G‐to‐A point mutation was identified in the exon region of candidate gene Arahy.R60CUW, which is the homolog of AtNPR3 (Nonexpresser of PR genes) in Arabidopsis. This point mutation caused a transition from Gly to Arg within the C‐terminal transactivation domain of AhNPR3A. The mutation of AhNPR3A showed no effect in the induction of PR genes when treated with salicylic acid. Instead, the mutation resulted in upregulation of WRKY genes and several PR genes, including pathogenesis‐related thaumatin‐ and chitinase‐encoding genes, which is consistent with the resistant phenotype of m14 to leaf spot disease. Further study on the AhNPR3A gene will provide valuable insights into understanding the molecular mechanism of systemic acquired resistance in peanut. Moreover, our results indicated that a combination of MutMap and bulked segregation RNA analysis is an effective method for identifying genes from peanut mutants. Significance Statement: Peanut is one of the most important oil crops in the world. In the present study, we identified a peanut lesion mimic mutant m14 and found that a G‐to‐A point mutation in the exon region of candidate gene AhNPR3A. The mutant site contributed to the lesion mimic phenotype of m14, and is related to the systemic acquired resistance of the peanut plant. AhNPR3A is valuable for improving the resistance of peanut and further understanding of the molecular mechanism of systemic acquired resistance in peanut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The candidate recessive gene AhRt2 responsible for red testa of peanut was identified through combined BSA-seq and linkage mapping approaches. The testa color of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important trait, and those with red testa are particularly popular owing to the high-anthocyanin content. However, the identification of genes underlying the regulation of the red testa trait in peanut are rarely reported. In order to fine map red testa gene, two F2:4 populations were constructed through the cross of YZ9102 (pink testa) with ZH12 (red testa) and ZH2 (red testa). Genetic analysis indicated that red testa was controlled by a single recessive gene named as AhRt2 (Red testa gene 2). Using BSA-seq approach, AhRt2 was preliminary identified on chromosome 12, which was further mapped to a 530-kb interval using 220 recombinant lines through linkage mapping. Furthermore, functional annotation, expression profiling, and the analyses of sequence variation confirmed that the anthocyanin reductase namely (Arahy.IK60LM) was the most likely candidate gene for AhRt2. It was found that a SNP in the third exon of AhRt2 altered the encoding amino acids, and was associated with red testa in peanut. In addition, a closely linked molecular marker linked with red testa trait in peanut was also developed for future studies. Our results provide valuable insight into the molecular mechanism underlying peanut testa color and present significant diagnostic marker resources for marker-assisted selected breeding in peanut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, more patients suffer from multiple chronic diseases. However, the hospital's existing chronic disease management is carried out according to the department. This means that a patient needs to go to more than one department for a chronic disease treatment. Therefore, this study proposes 6 dimensions (organizational management, medical service support, medical service, community alliance, self-management support, management information system) and 36 questions, to help evaluate the current chronic disease management system in China's large third-class hospitals. In this study, 143 survey samples from doctors and nurses were collected. A principal component analysis was used to extract three key elements of chronic disease management service delivery system (service management organization, management information system, medical core service). Then, multiple regression was used to establish the relationship model between the overall performance of the system and the main elements. Three key service nodes of the system (medical specialist support, patient tracking management and personalized intervention) were determined according to the weight of the regression model. The regression coefficients of the above three main elements show a similar impact on the overall performance of the system, but the key service nodes under each major element have relative differences, including medical specialist support, patient tracking management and personalized intervention. Finally, to establish a chronic disease management system with multiple departmental continuous care for chronic diseases, it is necessary to improve the chronic disease management system from three aspects of medical specialty support, patient tracking management and personalized intervention. This paper proposes corresponding improvement strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribosomes are required for plant growth and development, and ribosome biogenesis-deficient mutants generally display auxin-related phenotypes. Although the relationship between ribosome dysfunction and auxin is known, many aspects of this subject remain to be understood. We previously reported that MIDASIN 1 (MDN1) is an essential pre-60S ribosome biogenesis factor (RBF) in Arabidopsis. In this study, we further characterized the aberrant auxin-related phenotypes of mdn1-1 , a weak mutant allele of MDN1. Auxin response is disturbed in both shoots and roots of mdn1-1 , as indicated by the DR5:GUS reporter. By combining transcriptome profiling analysis and reporter gene detection, we found that expression of genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling is changed in mdn1-1. Furthermore, MDN1 deficiency affects the post-transcriptional regulation and protein distribution of PIN-FORMED 2 (PIN2, an auxin efflux facilitator) in mdn1-1 roots. These results indicate that MDN1 is required for maintaining the auxin system. More interestingly, MDN1 is an auxin-responsive gene, and its promoter can be targeted by multiple AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs), including ARF7 and ARF19, in vitro. Indeed, in arf7 arf19 , the auxin sensitivity of MDN1 expression is significantly reduced. Together, our results reveal a coordination mechanism between auxin and MDN1-dependent ribosome biogenesis for regulating plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MicroRNAs are important gene expression regulators in plants immune system. Aspergillus flavus is the most common causal agents of aflatoxin contamination in peanuts, but information on the function of miRNA in peanut-A. flavus interaction is lacking. In this study, the resistant cultivar (GT-C20) and susceptible cultivar (Tifrunner) were used to investigate regulatory roles of miRNAs in response to A. flavus growth. Results: A total of 30 miRNAs, 447 genes and 21 potential miRNA/mRNA pairs were differentially expressed significantly when treated with A. flavus. A total of 62 miRNAs, 451 genes and 44 potential miRNA/mRNA pairs exhibited differential expression profiles between two peanut varieties. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that metabolic-process related GO terms were enriched. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses further supported the GO results, in which many enriched pathways were related with biosynthesis and metabolism, such as biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and metabolic pathways. Correlation analysis of small RNA, transcriptome and degradome indicated that miR156/SPL pairs might regulate the accumulation of flavonoids in resistant and susceptible genotypes. The miR482/2118 family might regulate NBS-LRR gene which had the higher expression level in resistant genotype. These results provided useful information for further understanding the roles of miR156/157/SPL and miR482/2118/NBS-LRR pairs. Conclusions: Integration analysis of the transcriptome, miRNAome and degradome of resistant and susceptible peanut varieties were performed in this study. The knowledge gained will help to understand the roles of miRNAs of peanut in response to A. flavus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plant height, mainly decided by main stem height, is the major agronomic trait and closely correlated to crop yield. A number of studies had been conducted on model plants and crops to understand the molecular and genetic basis of plant height. However, little is known on the molecular mechanisms of peanut main stem height. Results: In this study, a semi-dwarf peanut mutant was identified from 60Co γ-ray induced mutant population and designated as semi-dwarf mutant 2 (sdm2). The height of sdm2 was only 59.3% of its wild line Fenghua 1 (FH1) at the mature stage. The sdm2 has less internode number and short internode length to compare with FH1. Gene expression profiles of stem and leaf from both sdm2 and FH1 were analyzed using high throughput RNA sequencing. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in hormone biosynthesis and signaling pathways, cell wall synthetic and metabolic pathways. BR, GA and IAA biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways were significantly enriched. The expression of several genes in BR biosynthesis and signaling were found to be significantly down-regulated in sdm2 as compared to FH1. Many transcription factors encoding genes were identified as DEGs. Conclusions: A large number of genes were found differentially expressed between sdm2 and FH1. These results provide useful information for uncovering the molecular mechanism regulating peanut stem height. It could facilitate identification of causal genes for breeding peanut varieties with semi-dwarf phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate lung cancer patients and attitudes of their caregivers toward advance directives (ADs) in China. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Oncology outpatient clinic in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. A questionnaire was used to survey the attitudes of lung cancer patients and caregivers toward ADs. Results: A total of 148 lung cancer patients and 149 caregivers were enrolled into the study. Of these, 94.6% and 89.9% of patients and caregivers had not heard of AD and none of those in the study had ever signed an AD. A total of 79.7% patients and 75.2% caregivers were willing to sign ADs after they were provided with information. Patients who preferred the end of life period to sign ADs were 5.4 times more likely to have ADs than patients who chose to sign ADs when their disease was diagnosed (P < 0.05, 95%CI [1.27–22.93]). Caregivers who were reluctant to undergo chemotherapy when diagnosed with cancer were 2.16 times more likely to sign ADs than those willing to receive chemotherapy (P < 0.05, 95%CI [1.20–3.90]). Conclusions: In China, lung cancer patients and their caregivers showed lack of knowledge about ADs, and the completion rate of ADs was extremely low. However, participants were positive about ADs and public education on ADs may help to increase the completion rate of ADs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea. L) is an important oil crop worldwide. The common testa colours of peanut varieties are pink or red. But the peanut varieties with dark purple testa have been focused in recent years due to the potential high levels of anthocyanin, an added nutritional value of antioxidant. However, the genetic mechanism regulating testa colour of peanut is unknown. In this study, we found that the purple testa was decided by the female parent and controlled by a single major gene named AhTc1. To identify the candidate gene controlling peanut purple testa, whole‐genome resequencing‐based approach (QTL‐seq) was applied, and a total of 260.9 Gb of data were generated from the parental and bulked lines. SNP index analysis indicated that AhTc1 located in a 4.7 Mb region in chromosome A10, which was confirmed by bulked segregant RNA sequencing (BSR) analysis in three segregation populations derived from the crosses between pink and purple testa varieties. Allele‐specific markers were developed and demonstrated that the marker pTesta1089 was closely linked with purple testa. Further, AhTc1 encoding a R2R3‐MYB gene was positional cloned. The expression of AhTc1 was significantly up‐regulated in the purple testa parent YH29. Overexpression of AhTc1 in transgenic tobacco plants led to purple colour of leaves, flowers, pods and seeds. In conclusion, AhTc1, encoding a R2R3‐MYB transcription factor and conferring peanut purple testa, was identified, which will be useful for peanut molecular breeding selection for cultivars with purple testa colour for potential increased nutritional value to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arachis hypogaea L. geocarpy is a unique feature different from other legume plants. Flowering and fertilization occur above ground, while the following processes of pod formation and development proceed in the soil. The zygote divides only few times to develop into pre-embryo and then further embryo developmental process stops when the gynoecium is exposed to light condition or normal day/night period. In this study, eight phytochrome genes were identified in two wild peanuts (four in Arachis duranensis and four in Arachis ipaensis). Using RACE and homologous cloning, the full CDS of AhphyA, AhphyA-like, AhphyB and AhphyE were acquired in cultivated peanut. Protein structure analysis showed that the conservative coding domains of phytochromes from a number of other plant species were found in these proteins. The C-terminal of AhphyA, AhphyA-like and AhphyB could interact with phytochrome-interacting factor 3 in vitro. The expression patterns of these genes in various tissues were analyzed by qRT-PCR, and significant differences were observed. Interestingly, the expression levels of AhphyA-like changed significantly during gynophore growth and early pod development. Furthermore, protein accumulation patterns of AhphyA and AhphyB in gynophore were different during early pod development stages in that AhphyA and AhphyB proteins were not detected in S1 and S2 gynophores, while significant accumulation of AhphyA and AhphyB were detected in S3 gynophore. These results provided evidence that phytochromes mediated light signal transduction may play key roles in peanut geocarpy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is a consortium of Ontario’s twenty-one university libraries. Scholars Portal E-journals (SP E-Journals) is an OCUL-sponsored digital repository containing over 45 million full text scholarly articles drawn from 19,000 journals covering every academic discipline. SP E-Journals exports its holdings to various knowledge bases including SFX. Scholars Portal (SP), OCUL’s shared technology infrastructure provider, maintains a central SFX instance for member libraries’ content subscribed via OCUL. The University of Windsor’s library is an OCUL member library that, until recently, used SFX as its Open Uniform Resource Locator link resolver for OCUL and local subscription content. This study will examine the work flow and problems encountered in maintaining central and local SFX instances, as well as discuss the advantages and challenges of providing and maintaining access to electronic serials at the consortium and member library levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bacterial wilt (BW) disease is a widespread disease in peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.), reducing peanut production because of high susceptibility of most cultivated species. However, Arachis glabrata, a perennial wild relative, has high resistance to soil-borne diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been characterized as important factors in plant growth, development, and biotic/abiotic stress responses. However, their roles in response to pathogen are still unknown in peanut. Here, we constructed four miRNA libraries from A. hypogaea and A. glabrata and identified 155 known miRNAs, 31 novel miRNAs, and 173 plausible candidates of novel miRNAs. After infected with BW, the expression of many known miRNA was induced or inhibited in both cultivated and wild-type peanuts. Many miRNAs displayed differential expression patterns in these two species, and the expression of some miRNAs was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. A total of 309 targets were predicted, among which 74 of them were confirmed by degradome sequencing. More than 10 % of the targets were defense response genes, such as hypersensitive-induced response protein, leucine-rich repeat (LRR) receptor-like serine/threonine-protein kinase, GRAS, aquaporin, lipid transfer protein, ARF, MYB transcription factors, and MLP-like protein. Our results indicate that diverse set of miRNAs of cultivated and wild peanut species is responsive to BW infection and suggests a possible role in peanut disease resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) genes play key roles in plant stem cell maintenance and development. WOX genes showed specific expression patterns which are important for their functions. WOX13 subfamily genes as the ancestor genes of this family were less studied in the past. In this study, we cloned three Arachis hypogaea (peanut) WOX13 (AhWOX13) subfamily genes from peanut: WOX13A and WOX13B1, 2. WOX13B1 encoded a same protein as WOX13B2, and there were only two-base difference between these two genes. Differential expression patterns were observed for these three AhWOX13 subfamily genes in different tissues and developmental stages. Phylogenic trees analysis showed that these AhWOX13 subfamily genes were the most conserved WOX genes and belonged to the ancient clade of WOX family. This was also supported by the conserved motif analysis. Selective pressure analysis showed that the WOX family genes mainly underwent weak purifying selection (ω = 0.58097), while many positive mutations accumulated during the evolution history. Under the purifying selection, gene duplication event and loss of duplicated gene play important roles in the expansion and evolution of WOX family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) plays critical roles in plant secondary metabolism, which is important for the interaction between plants and the environment. CHI genes are widely studied in various higher plants. However, little information about CHI genes is available in peanut. Based on conservation of CHI gene family, we cloned the peanut type II CHI gene ( AhCHI II) cDNA and genome sequence. The amino acid sequence of peanut CHI II was highly homologous to type II CHI from other plant species. qRT-PCR results showed that peanut CHI II is mainly expressed in roots; however, peanut CHI I is mainly expressed in tissues with high content of anthocyanin. Gene duplication and gene cluster analysis indicated that CHI II was derived from CHI I 65 million years ago approximately. Our gene structure analysis results are not in agreement with the previous hypothesis that CHI II was derived from CHI I by the insertion of an intron into the first exon. Moreover, no positive selection pressure was found in CHIs, while, 32.1 % of sites were under neutral selection, which may lead to mutation accumulation and fixation during great changes of environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON (LEC) genes, AtLEC1 and AtLEC2, are important embryonic regulators that play key roles in morphogenesis and maturation phases during embryo development. Ectopic expression of AtLEC1 and AtLEC2 in tobacco caused abnormality in transgenic seedling. When transgenic seeds germinated on medium containing 30 µM DEX, LEC1 transgenic seedlings were ivory and fleshy, with unexpanded cotyledons, stubby hypocotyls, short roots and no obvious callus formation at the shoot meristem position. While LEC2 transgenic seedlings formed embryonic callus on the shoot apical meristem and somatic embryo-like structures emerged from the surface of the callus. When callus were transferred to hormone free MS0 medium more shoots were regenerated from each callus. However, shoot formation was not observed in LEC1 overexpressors. To investigate the mechanisms of LEC2 in somatic embryogenesis, we studied global gene expression by digital gene expression profiling analysis. The results indicated that ectopic expression of LEC2 genes induced accumulation of embryo-specific proteins such as seed storage proteins, late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes, products of steroid biosynthesis related genes and key regulatory genes of the embryo development. Genes of plant-specific transcription factors such as NAC domain protein, AP2 and GRAS family, resistance-related as well as salicylic acid signaling related genes were up-regulated in LEC2 transgenic seedlings. Ectopi c expression of LEC2 induced large number of somatic embryo formation and shoot regeneration but 20 d DEX induction of LEC1 is not sufficient to induce somatic embryogenesis and shoot formation. Our data provide new information to understand the mechanisms on LEC2 gene’s induction of somatic embryogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this study is to explore the status of contemporary ethnic entrepreneurship studies in 1999-2008 in order to map the intellectual structure of ethnic entrepreneurship research and to provide insights for future research in this field. Design/methodology/approach – This study collected citation data from SSCI, resulting in a data set of 403 journal articles and 18,656 cited references. Then using co-citation analysis, this study identified the core research themes in the ethnic entrepreneurship literature in 1999-2008. Findings – The results showed that contemporary ethnic entrepreneurship studies clustered around a few key research themes and their research foci have shifted from research on enclave economies, ethnic enterprises, and social embeddedness to research on immigrant entrepreneurs, immigrant networks, and transnational entrepreneurs. Research limitations/implications – With the qualification of citation and co-citation analysis, this study profiles the changing paradigms of contemporary ethnic entrepreneurship studies and traces the development of ethnic entrepreneurship research, and thus provides important insights on future ethnic entrepreneurship research, including transnational entrepreneurs, theory refinement and theory development on ethnic entrepreneurship, as well as ethnic culture and entrepreneurship. Limitations of using SSCI data are also discussed. Originality/value – The intellectual structure of ethnic entrepreneurship literature has received relatively little attention in spite that a large number of studies have been done in this field. This study provides researchers with a new way of profiling key themes and their relationships in ethnic entrepreneurship, which will help the academia and practitioners better understand contemporary ethnic entrepreneurship studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively few investigations have previously been made on the effects of surface conditions on corona-generated audible noise for the long-term aged ac conductors. In the present work these were investigated by means of comparing audible noise on typical aged conductors with that on new ones. The aged conductors from the ac power transmission lines had been in service for 12, 15 and 20 years, and their surface morphology, composition and roughness had been analyzed in our previous paper. A microphone and sound level meter was employed to measure the audible noise of the aged conductors in a small corona cage. As a result of the much intense corona discharge on the surfaces of the aged conductors, the audible noise of the aged conductors was much higher than the new conductors in dry condition. In wet condition, the corona discharge was found to be become more serious than the conductor in dry condition; hence, the audible noise was about 3 to 5dB stronger than that in dry condition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Fatigue is the most common symptom in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients. Many fatigue instruments have been used in SLE, with Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) mostly adopted. However, fatigue instruments haven't been tested in the Chinese SLE population. The aim of our study was to test the psychometric properties of FSS in Chinese SLE patients.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. 201 patients diagnosed with SLE were enrolled in the study with convenience sampling. Fatigue score, depression score and vitality subscale score of SF-36 were collected. Floor and ceiling effects were tested. Factor analysis was conducted. Reliability and validity of FSS were also tested.Results: Floor (4.50%) and ceiling (4.00%) effects were minimal. One factor was extracted, explaining 61.80% of total variance. When item1 and item 2 were deleted, one factor explained 69.54% of variance, and Cronbach's Alpha increased from 0.92 to 0.93. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.94. Fatigue correlated with both depression (r = 0.52, P < 0.01) and vitality (r = - 0.55, P < 0.01), indicating acceptable construct validity for original FSS. When item 1 and 2 were removed, the correlation coefficient between 7-item FSS and vitality increased (r = - 0.58, P < 0.01), while correlation coefficient between 7-item FSS and depression remained the same (r = 0.52, P < 0.01). Known-groups validity was verified by that patients with depression showed higher fatigue score both for 9-item (Z = -5.56, P < 0.001) and 7-item FSS (Z = -5.70, P < 0.001).Conclusions: 9-item FSS is a reliable instrument and can be used to assess fatigue problem in Chinese SLE patients, and 7-item FSS also demonstrated good psychometric properties in the same participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysulfonamide (PSA), with its chemical stability and acid‐resistance, is seen as a potential material for reverse osmosis. However, the present PSA thin film composite membranes fabricated via prevailing interfacial polymerization (IP) approach generally exhibited nonfavored desalination performance. In this work, PSA membrane was assembled via spinning‐assist layer‐by‐layer (sLbL) on a poly(vinyl alcohol) modified polyethersulfone substrate. Fabrication was carried out through sequential interfacial reaction between naphthalene‐1,3,6‐trisufonylchloride and piperazine by alternately dipping and drying the substrate in two monomer phases. Morphology, chemical composition, surface charge distribution as well as surface hydrophilicity were investigated as a function of repeated cycles. The sLbL assembly approach implemented facile control over membrane properties with well‐organized selective layer thickness growth and twofold to threefold reduced surface roughness. As measured from spectroscopic ellipsometry, the sLbL assembled membranes exhibited a linear thickness growth at ~2.72 nm per layer. Performance test indicated that the salt rejection and water flux showed a trade‐off pattern with increasing layer number. The PSA membrane with five layers showed a preferable NaCl rejection of 95.7 ± 0.4% with a water flux of 12.4 ± 0.9 L m−2 h−1 at 10 bar, whereas the IP membrane exhibited only 58% and a 22.12 L m−2 h−1 flux. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47138. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The referral service is a significant component of healthcare reform in China, and the measurement of patient satisfaction with the referral service process will help to improve the quality of referral medical delivery. Furthermore, the referral service in China includes inter-institutional collaborations between hospitals at different levels and multi-nodes throughout the referral process. It is therefore necessary to identify the key nodes that affect patient satisfaction during the referral service process.Methods: This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 110 patients to collect data regarding patient satisfaction at the following healthcare nodes: primary-level hospital, referral appointment registration, claim of appointment number in the outpatient department, examination service, admission service, and overall satisfaction during the referral service process. Correlation analysis and logistic regression methods were used to establish a mathematical model of patient satisfaction between five nodes and overall satisfaction. Additionally, a peak-end model was formed to identify the peak node impacting overall patient satisfaction during the referral service based on the sample data.Results: Over 80% of referral patients rated the overall referral service as 'good'. The correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant correlation between the satisfaction of each node and the overall satisfaction (P < 0.05). The results of the regression model showed that the satisfaction of five nodes determined the overall satisfaction and that "admission service at the higher-level hospital" exerted the greatest impact on overall satisfaction (β = 0.312), while "referral appointment registration" had the lowest influence on overall satisfaction (β = 0.177). The peak-end model also revealed that "admission service at the higher-level hospital" had a greater effect on overall satisfaction.Conclusion: Our study showed that the key nodes affecting patient satisfaction were "transferring service at the primary-level hospital" and "admission service at the higher-level hospital". Furthermore, the efficacy of the referral services is determined by the gatekeepers' management of the referral system at the primary-level hospital and the allocation and management of bed resources at the higher-level hospital. These findings can serve as a science-based guidance for them to improve their performance in inter-regional healthcare collaborations in the referral service process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize rough dwarf disease, caused by rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), is a devastating disease in maize (Zea mays L.). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play critical roles in regulation of plant growth, development, and adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. To elucidate the roles of miRNAs in the regulation of maize in response to RBSDV, we employed high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the miRNAome and transcriptome following RBSDV infection. A total of 76 known miRNAs, 226 potential novel miRNAs and 351 target genes were identified. Our dataset showed that the expression patterns of 81 miRNAs changed dramatically in response to RBSDV infection. Transcriptome analysis showed that 453 genes were differentially expressed after RBSDV infection. GO, COG and KEGG analysis results demonstrated that genes involved with photosynthesis and metabolism were significantly enriched. In addition, twelve miRNA-mRNA interaction pairs were identified, and six of them were likely to play significant roles in maize response to RBSDV. This study provided valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanism of maize disease resistance, and could be useful in method development to protect maize against RBSDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of corona-generated space charge on the resultant electric field near a conductor were determined both for a simulated test line and a corona cage, since both are used in predicting the corona behavior of EHV and UHV transmission lines. Programs were developed for the calculation of the potential, the electric field and the space charge distributions for a simulated test line and a corona cage. Algorithms based on the charge simulation and the finite-element methods were used to solve Poisson?s equation; and the method of characteristics to solve the current continuity equation. The resultant electric field on the ground plane of the two configurations was measured with a rotating field-mill, and the results fitted well with the calculated data. It was found the electric field at the surface of the conductor increased linearly, for both experimental configurations, before the voltage reached the corona inception value; but was reduced once corona-generated space charge was produced. The space charge and density distribution in the corona cage differed greatly from that around the test line: the electric field at the surface of the conductor in the test line decreased faster with voltage than that in the corona cage, the relative difference increasing as V/usb>app/Von was raised. The difference reached an asymptote of about 16% when the applied voltage was about 25% above the corona inception level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]