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Soil salinization is a globally prevalent abiotic environmental stress. The imbalance of ions caused by high concentrations of sodium chloride results in a 40% reduction in soybean yield. Soybean, as an important crop for soil quality improvement, necessitates the identification of salt-tolerant varieties and germplasms to effectively utilize and enhance saline-alkali land. In this study, we assessed the salt tolerance of 435 soybean varieties and germplasms during the seedling stage. Among them, Qihuang34, You2104, Hongzhudou, Pamanheidou, and Osage exhibited grade 1 salt tolerance rates surpassing other tested materials. Furthermore, Hongzhudou and Qihuang34 demonstrated higher salt tolerance during germination and emergence stages based on their elevated rates of emergence, salt tolerance index, chlorophyll content, and shoot fresh weights. Overall findings provide valuable resources for molecular breeding efforts aimed at developing salt-tolerant soybean varieties suitable for cultivation in saline-alkali soils.

Abstract Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is a devastating disease that is present in all major soybean-producing regions. The limited availability of resistant germplasm has resulted in a scarcity of commercial soybean cultivars that are resistant to the disease. To date, only the Chinese soybean landrace SX6907 has demonstrated an immune response to ASR. In this study, we present the isolation and characterization of Rpp6907-7 and Rpp6907-4, a gene pair that confer broad-spectrum resistance to ASR. Rpp6907-7 and Rpp6907-4 encode atypic nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins that are found to be required for NLR-mediated immunity. Genetic analysis shows that only Rpp6907-7 confers resistance, while Rpp6907-4 regulates Rpp6907-7 signaling activity by acting as a repressor in the absence of recognized effectors. Our work highlights the potential value of using Rpp6907 in developing resistant soybean cultivars.

Summary: Host specificity plays important roles in expanding the host range of rhizobia, while the genetic information responsible for host specificity remains largely unexplored. In this report, the roots of four symbiotic systems with notable different symbiotic phenotypes and the control were studied at four different post-inoculation time points by RNA sequencning (RNA-seq). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were divided into “found only in soybean or Lotus,” “only expressed in soybean or Lotus,” and “expressed in both hosts” according to the comparative genomic analysis. The distributions of enriched function ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways vary significantly in different symbiotic systems. Host specific genes account for the majority of the DEGs involved in response to stimulus, associated with plant-pathogen interaction pathways, and encoding resistance (R) proteins, the symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) proteins and the target proteins in the SNF-related modules. Our findings provided molecular candidates for better understanding the mechanisms of symbiotic host-specificity.

Abstract We perform a systematic bootstrap analysis of four-point one-loop Mellin amplitudes for super gluons in AdS5 × S3 with arbitrary Kaluza-Klein weights. The analysis produces the general expressions for these amplitudes at extremalities two and three, as well as analytic results for many other special cases. From these results we observe remarkable simplicity. We find that the Mellin amplitudes always contain only simultaneous poles in two Mellin-Mandelstam variables, extending a previous observation in the simplest case with the lowest Kaluza-Klein weights. Moreover, we discover a substantial extension of the implication of the eight-dimensional hidden conformal symmetry, which goes far beyond the Mellin poles associated with the leading logarithmic singularities. This leaves only a small finite set of poles which can be determined on a case-by-case basis from the contributions of protected operators in the OPE.

Soybean (Glycine max), the primary source of high-quality plant protein, plays a crucial role as a grain and oil crop in China. Harnessing the full potential of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean production holds immense significance for agriculture and ecology alike. Zhongdou 63, a newly developed early-maturing summer soybean cultivar in 2021, exhibits remarkable traits such as high yield, superior quality, multi-resistance, and wide adaptability. In this study, eight distinct rhizobia strains from diverse regions were meticulously screened to identify highly effective strains specifically suited for Zhongdou 63. The aboveground biomass, plant height, chlorophyll content, root length, nodule number, and nodule dry weight of Zhongdou 63 were measured and the data were subjected to statistical analysis. The results demonstrated that Y63-1 is a predominant strain of Zhongdou 63. Subsequently, we conducted further investigations on the broad-spectrum nodulation characteristics of Y63-1. Ten representative soybean cultivars were individually inoculated with Y63-1 and subsequently analyzed for nodule numbers and nodule dry weight in their symbiotic systems with rhizobia. The findings revealed that Y63-1 effectively formed nodules with all ten soybean varieties tested. In summary, our current study identified highly efficient broad-spectrum Bradyrhizobium elkanii strain Y63-1 as the predominant strain in Zhongdou 63 and provided a theoretical foundation for enhancing yield potential not only in Zhongdou 63 but also in other varieties through inoculation with highly efficient rhizobia in production.

Abstract Dynamics of high energy scattering in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) are primarily probed through detector energy flow correlations. One important example is the Energy-Energy Correlator (EEC), whose back-to-back limit probes correlations of QCD on the lightcone and can be described by a transverse-momentum dependent factorization formula in the leading power approximation. In this work, we develop a systematic method to go beyond this approximation. We identify the origin of logarithmically enhanced contributions in the back-to-back limit as the exchange of operators with low twists and large spins in the local operator product expansion. Using techniques from the conformal bootstrap, the large logarithms beyond leading power can be resummed to all orders in the perturbative coupling. As an illustration of this method, we perform an all-order resummation of the leading and next-to-leading logarithms beyond the leading power in N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 Super Yang-Mills theory.

Abstract We study three-point correlation functions of scalar operators in conformal field theories with boundaries and interfaces. We focus on two cases where there are one bulk and two boundary operators (B∂∂), or two bulk and one boundary operators (BB∂). We perform a detailed analysis of the conformal blocks in different OPE channels. In particular, we obtain the bulk channel conformal blocks of the BB∂ three-point functions for arbitrary exchanged spins in a series expansion with respect to the radial coordinates. We also study examples of such three-point functions in the simplest holographic dual where the AdS d+1 space contains a brane filling an AdS d subspace. Such a setup arises in top-down models with probe branes and is also relevant for the functional approach to boundary and interface CFT correlators. We systematically study the Witten diagrams in this setup both in position space and in Mellin space. We also discuss in detail how to decompose these Witten diagrams into conformal blocks.

Abstract Background Soybean is one of the most important oil crops in the world. The domestication of wild soybean has resulted in significant changes in the seed oil content and seed size of cultivated soybeans. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of seed formation and oil content accumulation, WDD01514 (E1), ZYD00463 (E2), and two extreme progenies (E23 and E171) derived from RILs were used for weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) combined with transcriptome analysis. Results In this study, both seed weight and oil content in E1 and E171 were significantly higher than those in E2 and E23, and 20 DAF and 30 DAF may be key stages of soybean seed oil content accumulation and weight increase. Pathways such as “Photosynthesis”, “Carbon metabolism”, and “Fatty acid metabolism”, were involved in oil content accumulation and grain formation between wild and cultivated soybeans at 20 and 30 DAF according to RNA-seq analysis. A total of 121 oil content accumulation and 189 seed formation candidate genes were screened from differentially expressed genes. WGCNA identified six modules related to seed oil content and seed weight, and 76 candidate genes were screened from modules and network. Among them, 16 genes were used for qRT-PCR and tissue specific expression pattern analysis, and their expression-levels in 33-wild and 23-cultivated soybean varieties were subjected to correlation analysis; some key genes were verified as likely to be involved in oil content accumulation and grain formation. Conclusions Overall, these results contribute to an understanding of seed lipid metabolism and seed size during seed development, and identify potential functional genes for improving soybean yield and seed oil quantity.

Abstract We continue to explore the bootstrap approach to five-point correlation functions for IIB supergravity on AdS 5 × S 5. Building on the result of [1], we develop an improved algorithm that allows us to more efficiently compute correlators of higher Kaluza-Klein modes. The new method uses only factorization and a superconformal twist, and is entirely within Mellin space where the analytic structure of holographic correlators is simpler. Using this method, we obtain in a closed form all five-point functions of the form 〈pp222〉, extending the earlier result for p = 2. As a byproduct of our analysis, we also obtain explicit results for spinning four-point functions of higher Kaluza-Klein modes.

Abstract We carry out a bootstrap study of four-point correlators in 4d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs which are dual to super Yang-Mills on AdS 5 × S 3. We focus on the simplest 1 2 $$ \frac{1}{2} $$ -BPS operators which correspond to the super gluons in the massless current multiplet. Our computation is based on an ansatz in position space which is inspired by a hidden symmetry structure manifest in the leading terms of the Lorentzian singularities of the correlators. By using other consistency conditions, we completely fix the super gluon correlators at one and two loops in the bulk genus expansion, up to possible counterterms. Our results reveal a number of interesting properties enriched by the color structures. In particular, the implication of hidden conformal symmetry on the full super gluon reduced correlator exhibits an analogous pattern as in the AdS 5 × S 5 supergravity correlators recently computed up to two loops.

We present a powerful new approach to compute tree-level higher-point holographic correlators. Our method only exploits the flat-space limit, where we point out an important simplification, and factorization of amplitudes in AdS. In particular, it makes minimal use of supersymmetry, crucial in all previous bootstrap methods. We demonstrate our method by computing the six-point super gluon amplitude of super Yang-Mills in AdS_{5}.

Abstract We study four-point functions of spinning operators in the flavor current multiplet in four dimensional N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs, using superspace techniques. In particular we explicitly construct the differential operators relating the different components of the super-correlator. As a byproduct of our analysis, we report the computation of the four-point amplitudes of gluons in bosonic Yang-Mills theories on AdS5 and we give evidence of an AdS double copy relation between the gluon amplitude and its gravitational counterpart.

Abstract We initiate the study of bound state scattering in AdS space at the level of Witten diagrams. For concreteness, we focus on the case with only scalar fields and analyze several basic diagrams which more general diagrams reduce to. We obtain closed form expressions for their Mellin amplitudes with arbitrary conformal dimensions, which exhibit interesting behavior. In particular, we observe that certain tree-level bound state Witten diagrams have the same structure as loop diagrams in AdS.

Abstract We initiate the study of one-loop gluon amplitudes in AdS space. These amplitudes were recently computed at tree level for a variety of backgrounds of the form AdS d+1 × S 3. For concreteness, we compute the one-loop correction to the massless gluon amplitude on AdS 5 ×S 3, which corresponds to the four-point correlator of the flavor current multiplet in the dual 4d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFT. This requires solving a mixing problem that involves tree-level amplitudes of arbitrarily massive Kaluza-Klein modes. The final answer has the same color structure as in flat space but the dependence on Mandelstam variables is more complicated, with logarithms replaced by polygamma functions.

Li-rich manganese-based (LRM) cathode materials are known as one of the most promising cathode materials for new-generation lithium-ion batteries. At present, exploring the complex voltage decay mechanism of LRM is the main task to promote its commercialization. Herein, the structural evolution and transition metal valence state change of LRM during different reaction stages under different temperatures are discussed, and the mechanism of voltage decay is finally determined based on the electrochemical properties. The results show the evolution of irreversible thermodynamic structure is the fundamental cause leading to voltage decay of LRM cathode, and it worsens with increasing temperature. The early activation of inert Mn, multiple phase transitions, migration of transition metals to the surface, anisotropy of internal valence states caused by partial valence failure and severe interfacial reactions are all strong proofs of the above views. In summary, the reason for voltage decay is revealed by investigating the sensitivity of the LRM cathode materials to temperature. This work not only provides strong evidence for the mechanism of the voltage decay, but also points out the direction to modification design for achieving future commercialization of LRM cathode materials.

Abstract We develop an analytic approach to the four-point crossing equation in CFT, for general spacetime dimension. In a unitary CFT, the crossing equation (for, say, the s- and t-channel expansions) can be thought of as a vector equation in an infinite-dimensional space of complex analytic functions in two variables, which satisfy a boundedness condition at infinity. We identify a useful basis for this space of functions, consisting of the set of s- and t-channel conformal blocks of double-twist operators in mean field theory. We describe two independent algorithms to construct the dual basis of linear functionals, and work out explicitly many examples. Our basis of functionals appears to be closely related to the CFT dispersion relation recently derived by Carmi and Caron-Huot.

Abstract We present a systematic study of holographic correlators in a vast array of SCFTs with non-maximal superconformal symmetry. These theories include 4d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SCFTs from D3-branes near F-theory singularities, 5d Seiberg exceptional theories and 6d E-string theory, as well as 3d and 4d phenomenological models with probe flavor branes. We consider current multiplets and their generalizations with higher weights, dual to massless and massive super gluons in the bulk. At leading order in the inverse central charge expansion, connected four-point functions of these operators correspond to tree-level gluon scattering amplitudes in AdS. We show that all such tree-level four-point amplitudes in all these theories are fully fixed by symmetries and consistency conditions and explicitly construct them. Our results encode a wealth of SCFT data and exhibit various interesting emergent structures. These include Parisi-Sourlas-like dimensional reductions, hidden conformal symmetry and an AdS version of the color-kinematic duality.

Auxin has been reported to regulate plant growth and development, as well as to mediate plant adaption to abiotic stresses, including drought. AUX/LAX family displays auxin uptake functions and comprises four highly conserved genes AUX1 and LIKE AUX1 (LAX1, LAX2, and LAX3) in Arabidopsis. There are fifteen GmLAX family genes in the soybean genomes and several members were regulated by dehydration stress. In this study, the sequence differences and expression pattern of GmLAXs-I were analyzed under stress treatment between the soybean drought-tolerant Jindou 21 and drought-sensitive varieties Zhongdou 33. Five homologous genes of AUX1 were all responsive to PEG, salt, ABA and IAA stimuli. There were two SNPs in the promoter region of GmLAX4 gene, and this gene was differentially expressed in two cultivars. Moreover, our results showed YFP-GmLAXs are predominantly localized in plasma membrane. Taken together, our results suggest that GmLAXs are involved in abiotic response, which can provide theoretical and technical support for the genetic improvement of soybean drought tolerance.

Abstract Recently four-point holographic correlators with arbitrary external BPS operators were constructively derived in [1, 2] at tree-level for maximally superconformal theories. In this paper, we capitalize on these theoretical data, and perform a detailed study of their analytic properties. We point out that these maximally supersymmetric holographic correlators exhibit a hidden dimensional reduction structure à la Parisi and Sourlas. This emergent structure allows the correlators to be compactly expressed in terms of only scalar exchange diagrams in a dimensionally reduced spacetime, where formally both the AdS and the sphere factors have four dimensions less. We also demonstrate the superconformal properties of holographic correlators under the chiral algebra and topological twistings. For AdS5 × S 5 and AdS7 × S 4, we obtain closed form expressions for the meromorphic twisted correlators from the maximally R-symmetry violating limit of the holographic correlators. The results are compared with independent field theory computations in 4d N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM and the 6d (2, 0) theory, finding perfect agreement. For AdS4 × S 7, we focus on an infinite family of near-extremal four-point correlators, and extract various protected OPE coefficients from supergravity. These OPE coefficients provide new holographic predictions to be matched by future supersymmetric localization calculations. In deriving these results, we also develop many technical tools which should have broader applicability beyond studying holographic correlators.

Abstract An accurate state of charge (SOC) estimation in battery management systems (BMS) is of crucial importance to guarantee the safe and effective operation of automotive batteries. However, the BMS consistently suffers from inaccuracy of SOC estimation. Herein, we propose a SOC estimation approach with both high accuracy and robustness based on an improved extended Kalman filter (IEKF). An equivalent circuit model is established, and the simulated annealing-particle swarm optimization (SA-PSO) algorithm is used for offline parameter identification. Furthermore, improvements have been made with noise adaptation, a fading filter and a linear-nonlinear filtering based on the traditional EKF method, and rigorous mathematical proof has been carried out accordingly. To deal with model mismatch, online parameter identification is achieved by a dual Kalman filter. Finally, various experiments are performed to validate the proposed IEKF. Experimental results show that the IEKF algorithm can reduce the error to 2.94% under dynamic stress test conditions, and robustness analysis is verified with noise interference, hence demonstrating its practicability for extending to state estimation of battery packs applied in real-world operating conditions.

As one of important implications on electric vehicles, driving cycles are recognized as essential components for evaluating the comprehensive performances and they have drawn much attention for research. Currently, driving cycles are constructed specifiedly in international standards based on local traffic conditions. However, without consideration of the private driving habits, unproper cycles lead to the imprecision on predicting the remaining useful life or estimating states. Herein, a novel methodology based on Markov chain and Monte Carlo method is developed to extract the personal driving characteristics as the elements of divided kinematic fragments. Principal component analysis is adopted to address the high-dimensional parameter vector, and cluster is used to classify the kinematic fragments. The statistics analysis demonstrates that the processed database exhibits great consistency with our developed driving cycle compared against original database, where temperature, state-of-charge and consistency are utilized to describe the personal patterns. Moreover, by using the operational driving data, the developed driving cycle is comparable against other driving cycles, which exhibits good performance. Overall, the presented driving cycle of electric vehicle can be considered as an effective way in evaluating the private driving habits, predicting the battery states and other related applications. The method may be promoted for future better energy management on electric vehicles owing to the promotion of connected and autonomous vehicles.

Abstract Background Plant papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) are a large class of proteolytic enzymes and play important roles in root nodule symbiosis (RNS), while the whole-genome studies of PLCP family genes in legume are quite limited, and the roles of Glycine max PLCPs (GmPLCPs) in nodulation, nodule development and senescence are not fully understood. Results In the present study, we identified 97 GmPLCPs and performed a genome-wide survey to explore the expansion of soybean PLCP family genes and their relationships to RNS. Nineteen paralogous pairs of genomic segments, consisting of 77 GmPLCPs, formed by whole-genome duplication (WGD) events were identified, showing a high degree of complexity in duplication. Phylogenetic analysis among different species showed that the lineage differentiation of GmPLCPs occurred after family expansion, and large tandem repeat segment were specifically in soybean. The expression patterns of GmPLCPs in symbiosis-related tissues and nodules identified RNS-related GmPLCPs and provided insights into their putative symbiotic functions in soybean. The symbiotic function analyses showed that a RNS-related GmPLCP gene (Glyma.04G190700) really participate in nodulation and nodule development. Conclusions Our findings improved our understanding of the functional diversity of legume PLCP family genes, and provided insights into the putative roles of the legume PLCPs in nodulation, nodule development and senescence.

Abstract We demonstrate the simplicity of AdS 5 × S 5 IIB supergravity at one loop level, by studying non-planar holographic four-point correlators in Mellin space. We develop a systematic algorithm for constructing one-loop Mellin amplitudes from the tree-level data, and obtain a simple closed form answer for the O 2 SG O 2 SG O p SG O p SG $$ \left\langle {\mathcal{O}}_2^{SG}{\mathcal{O}}_2^{SG}{\mathcal{O}}_p^{SG}{\mathcal{O}}_p^{SG}\right\rangle $$ correlators. The structure of this expression is remarkably simple, containing only simultaneous poles in the Mellin variables. We also study the flat space limit of the Mellin amplitudes, which reproduces precisely the IIB supergravity one-loop amplitude in ten dimensions. Our results provide nontrivial evidence for the persistence of the hidden conformal symmetry at one loop.

Abstract Witten diagrams are basic objects for studying dynamics in AdS space, and also play key roles in the analytic functional bootstrap. However, these diagrams are notoriously hard to evaluate, making it extremely difficult to search for recursion relations among them. In this note, we present simple methods to obtain recursion relations for exchange Witten diagrams from conformal block recursion relations. We discover a variety of new relations, including the dimensional reduction formulae for exchange Witten diagrams. In particular, we find a five-term recursion relation relating exchange Witten diagrams in d and d − 2 dimensions. This gives the holographic analogue of a similar formula for conformal blocks due to Parisi-Sourlas supersymmetry. We also extend the analysis to two-point functions in CFTs with conformal boundaries, and obtain similar results.

Abstract Surface operators in the 6d (2,0) theory at large N have a holographic description in terms of M2 branes probing the AdS7 × S 4 M-theory background. The most symmetric, 1/2-BPS, operator is defined over a planar or spherical surface, and it preserves a 2d superconformal group. This includes, in particular, an SO(2, 2) subgroup of d conformal transformations, so that the surface operator may be viewed as a conformal defect in the 6d theory. The dual M2 brane has an AdS3 induced geometry, reflecting the 2d conformal symmetry. Here we use the holographic description to extract the defect CFT data associated to the surface operator. The spectrum of transverse fluctuations of the M2 brane is found to be in one-to-one correspondence with a protected multiplet of operator insertions on the surface, which includes the displacement operator. We compute the one-loop determinants of fluctuations of the M2 brane, and extract the conformal anomaly coefficient of the spherical surface to order N 0. We also briefly discuss the RG flow from the non-supersymmetric to the 1/2-BPS defect operator, and its consistency with a “b-theorem” for the defect CFT. Starting with the M2 brane action, we then use AdS3 Witten diagrams to compute the 4-point functions of the elementary bosonic insertions on the surface operator, and extract some of the defect CFT data from the OPE. The 4-point function is shown to satisfy superconformal Ward identities, and we discuss a related sub- sector of “twisted” scalar insertions, whose correlation functions are constrained by the residual superconformal symmetry.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a legume crop with great economic value that provides rich protein and oil for human food and animal feed. In order to cope with the ever-increasing need for soybean products and the changing environment, soybean genetic improvement needs to be accelerated. In recent years, the rapid developed genome editing technologies, such as zinc finger nuclease (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR/Cas), have shown broad application prospects in gene function research and improvement of important agronomic traits in many crops, and has also brought opportunities for soybean breeding. Here we systematically reviewed recent advances in genome editing technology. We also summarized the significances, current applications, challenges and future perspectives in soybean genome editing, which could provide references for exerting the feature and advantage of this technology to better soybean improvement.

Abstract Background Soybean oil is a major source of edible oil, and the domestication of wild soybean has resulted in significant changes in oil content and composition. Extensive efforts have been made to identify genetic loci that are related to soybean oil traits. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to soybean seed oil and compare the fatty acid composition between wild and cultivated soybean. Results Using the specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) method, a total of 181 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between wild soybean ZYD00463 (Glycine soja) and cultivated soybean WDD01514 (Glycine max) were genotyped. Finally, a high-density genetic linkage map comprising 11,398 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers on 20 linkage groups (LGs) was constructed. Twenty-four stable QTLs for seed oil content and composition were identified by model-based composite interval mapping (CIM) across multiple environments. Among these QTLs, 23 overlapped with or were adjacent to previously reported QTLs. One QTL, qPA10_1 (5.94–9.98 Mb) on Chr. Ten is a novel locus for palmitic acid. In the intervals of stable QTLs, some interesting genes involved in lipid metabolism were detected. Conclusions We developed 181 RILs from a cross between wild soybean ZYD00463 and cultivated soybean WDD01514 and constructed a high-density genetic map using the SLAF-seq method. We identified 24 stable QTLs for seed oil content and compositions, which includes qPA10_1 on Chr. 10, a novel locus for palmitic acid. Some interesting genes in the QTL regions were also detected. Our study will provide useful information for scientists to learn about genetic variations in lipid metabolism between wild and cultivated soybean.

Considered to be the state-of-art solution for intelligent management of electric vehicles, cloud-control has been broadly investigated especially for parameterization and state estimation. Considering the operational cloud-database, the sampling intervals contribute to the precision and robustness of the battery management, and a balance between storage and performance is of crucial importance for real-time controlling. Unfortunately, the comprehensive performances on variable sampling intervals are doubtful for the development of cloud-control. Herein, the research of sampling intervals is carried out and the operational applications are simulated for validation including the precision, robustness and information content. 5th-order spherical simplex-redial Kalman filter and particle swarm optimization-simulated annealing methods are developed for researching the influences on precision of state of charge (SOC) estimation and parameterization under stable or dynamic conditions. Moreover, the information content of the desecrated database is evaluated based on the information entropy. The comparative results are carried out for separate characteristic, and the analysis exhibit the special performances for diverse sampling interval. The research confirms the differences on diverse intervals on operational applications, and the analysis might deliver effective guidance for future processing framework based on cloud-controlling towards specific intentions.

Leaf-chewing insects are important pests that cause yield loss and reduce seed quality in soybeans (Glycine max). Breeding soybean varieties that are resistant to leaf-chewing insects can minimize the need for insecticide use and reduce yield loss. The marker gene for QTL-M, Glyma.07g110300 (LOC100775351) that encodes a UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) is the major determinant of resistance against leaf-chewing insects in soybean; it exhibits a loss of function in insect-resistant soybean germplasms. In this study, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation introduced the CRISPR/Cas9 expression vector into the soybean cultivar Tianlong No. 1 to generate Glyma.07g110300-gene mutants. We obtained two novel types of mutations, a 33-bp deletion and a single-bp insertion in the GmUGT coding region, which resulted in an enhanced resistance to Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura. Additionally, overexpressing GmUGT produced soybean varieties that were more sensitive to H. armigera and S. litura. Both mutant and overexpressing lines exhibited no obvious phenotypic changes. The difference in metabolites and gene expression suggested that GmUGT is involved in imparting resistance to leaf-chewing insects by altering the flavonoid content and expression patterns of genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis and defense. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the GmUGT gene in the ugt72b1 mutant of Arabidopsis substantially rescued the phenotype of H. armigera resistance in the atugt72b1 mutant. Our study presents a strategy for increasing resistance against leaf-chewing insects in soybean through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis of the UGT genes.

Finding the shortest path of the traveling salesman problem (TSP) is a typical NP-hard problem and one of the basic optimization problems. TSP in three-dimensional space (3D-TSP) is an extension of TSP. It plays an important role in the fields of 3D path planning and UAV inspection, such as forest fire patrol path planning. Many existing studies have focused on the expected length of the shortest path of TSP in 2D space. The expected length of the shortest path in 3D space has not yet been studied. To fill this gap, this research focuses on developing models to estimate the expected length of the shortest path of 3D-TSP. First, different experimental scenarios are designed by combining different service areas and the number of demand points. Under each scenario, the specified number of demand points is randomly generated, and an improved genetic algorithm and Gurobi are used to find the shortest path. A total of 500 experiments are performed for each scenario, and the average length of the shortest path is calculated. The models to estimate the expected length of the shortest path are proposed. Model parameters are estimated and k-fold cross-validation is used to evaluate the goodness of fit. Results show that all the models fit the data well and the best model is selected. The developed models can be used to estimate the expected length of the shortest path of 3D-TSP and provide important references for many applications.

Abstract We develop an analytic approach to Boundary Conformal Field Theory (BCFT), focussing on the two-point function of a general pair of scalar primary operators. The resulting crossing equation can be thought of as a vector equation in an infinite-dimensional space V $$ \mathcal{V} $$ of analytic functions of a single complex variable. We argue that in a unitary theory, functions in V $$ \mathcal{V} $$ satisfy a boundedness condition in the Regge limit. We identify a useful basis for V $$ \mathcal{V} $$ , consisting of bulk and boundary conformal blocks with scaling dimensions which appear in OPEs of the mean field theory correlator. Our main achievement is an explicit expression for the action of the dual basis (the basis of linear functionals on V $$ \mathcal{V} $$ ) on an arbitrary conformal block. The practical merit of our basis is that it trivializes the study of perturbations around mean field theory. Our results are equivalent to a BCFT version of the Polyakov bootstrap. Our derivation of the expressions for the functionals relies on the identification of the Polyakov blocks with (suitably improved) boundary and bulk Witten exchange diagrams in AdS d+1. We also provide another conceptual perspective on the Polyakov block expansion and the associated functionals, by deriving a new Lorentzian OPE inversion formula for BCFT.

Legume nodule development and senescence directly affect nitrogen fixation efficiency and involve a programmed series of molecular events. These molecular events are carried out synchronously by legumes and rhizobia. The characteristics and molecular mechanisms of nitrogen fixation at soybean important developmental stages play critical roles in soybean cultivation and fertilizer application. Although the gene expression of soybean were analyzed in nodules at five important soybean developmental stages, information on the expression of rhizobial genes in these nodule samples is limited. In the present study, we investigated the expression of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens 113-2 genes in the nodule samples from five developmental stages of soybean (Branching stage, flowering stage, fruiting stage, pod stage and harvest stage). Similar gene expression patterns of B. diazoefficiens 113-2 were existed during optimal symbiotic functioning, while different expression patterns were found among early nodule development, nitrogen fixation progress and nodule senescence. Besides, we identified 164 important different expression genes (DEGs) associated with nodule development and senescence. These DEGs included those encoding nod, nif, fix proteins and T3SS secretion system-related proteins, as well as proteins involved in nitrogen metabolism, ABC transporters and two-component system pathways. Gene Ontology, KEGG pathway and homology analysis of the identified DEGs revealed that most of these DEGs are uncharacterized genes associated with nodule development and senescence, and they are not core genes among the rhizobia genomes. Our results provide new clues for the understanding of the genetic determinants of soil rhizobia in nodule development and senescence, and supply theoretical basis for the creation of high efficiency soybean cultivation technology.

Crop yield has been maintaining its attraction for researchers because of the demand of global population growth. Mutation of flowering activators, such as florigen, increases plant biomass at the expense of later flowering, which prevents crop maturity in the field. As a result, it is difficult to apply flowering activators in agriculture production. Here, we developed a strategy to utilize florigen to significantly improve soybean yield in the field. Through the screening of transgenic lines of RNAi-silenced florigen homologs in soybean (Glycine-max-Flowering Locus T Like, GmFTL), we identified a line, GmFTL-RNAi#1, with minor changes in both GmFTL expression and flowering time but with notable increase in soybean yield. As expected, GmFTL-RNAi#1 matured normally in the field and exhibited markedly high yield over multiple locations and years, indicating that it is possible to reach a trade-off between flowering time and high yield through the fine-tuning expression of flowering activators. Further studies uncovered an unknown mechanism by which GmFTL negatively regulates photosynthesis, a substantial source of crop yield, demonstrating a novel function of florigen. Thus, because of the highly conserved functions of florigen in plants and the classical RNAi approach, the findings provide a promising strategy to harness early flowering genes to improve crop yield.

Abstract We develop new techniques to compute five-point correlation functions from IIB supergravity on AdS5 × S 5. Our methods rely entirely on symmetry and general con- sistency conditions, and eschew detailed knowledge of the supergravity effective action. We demonstrate our methods by computing the five-point function of the 20 ′ operator, which is the superconformal primary of the stress tensor multiplet. We also develop systematic methods to compute the five-point conformal blocks in series expansions. Using the ex- plicit expressions of the conformal blocks, we perform a Euclidean OPE analysis of the 20 ′ five-point function. We find expected agreement with non-renormalized quantities and also extract new CFT data at strong coupling.

Abstract We revisit the calculation of holographic correlators in AdS 3. We develop new methods to evaluate exchange Witten diagrams, resolving some technical difficulties that prevent a straightforward application of the methods used in higher dimensions. We perform detailed calculations in the AdS 3 × S 3 × K 3 background. We find strong evidence that four-point tree-level correlators of KK modes of the tensor multiplets enjoy a hidden 6d conformal symmetry. The correlators can all be packaged into a single generating function, related to the 6d flat space superamplitude. This generalizes an analogous structure found in AdS 5 × S 5 supergravity.

Abstract We revisit the problem of performing conformal block decomposition of exchange Witten diagrams in the crossed channel. Using properties of conformal blocks and Witten diagrams, we discover infinitely many linear relations among the crossed channel decomposition coefficients. These relations allow us to formulate a recursive algorithm that solves the decomposition coefficients in terms of certain seed coefficients. In one dimensional CFTs, the seed coefficient is the decomposition coefficient of the double-trace operator with the lowest conformal dimension. In higher dimensions, the seed coefficients are the coefficients of the double-trace operators with the minimal conformal twist. We also discuss the conformal block decomposition of a generic contact Witten diagram with any number of derivatives. As a byproduct of our analysis, we obtain a similar recursive algorithm for decomposing conformal partial waves in the crossed channel.

Abstract Background The plant architecture has significant effects on grain yield of various crops, including soybean (Glycine max), but the knowledge on optimization of plant architecture in order to increase yield potential is still limited. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 system has revolutionized genome editing, and has been widely utilized to edit the genomes of a diverse range of crop plants. Results In the present study, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system to mutate four genes encoding SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcription factors of the SPL9 family in soybean. These four GmSPL9 genes are negatively regulated by GmmiR156b, a target for the improvement of soybean plant architecture and yields. The soybean Williams 82 was transformed with the binary CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid, assembled with four sgRNA expression cassettes driven by the Arabidopsis thaliana U3 or U6 promoter, targeting different sites of these four SPL9 genes via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A 1-bp deletion was detected in one target site of the GmSPL9a and one target site of the GmSPL9b, respectively, by DNA sequencing analysis of two T0-generation plants. T2-generation spl9a and spl9b homozygous single mutants exhibited no obvious phenotype changes; but the T2 double homozygous mutant spl9a/spl9b possessed shorter plastochron length. In T4 generation, higher-order mutant plants carrying various combinations of mutations showed increased node number on the main stem and branch number, consequently increased total node number per plants at different levels. In addition, the expression levels of the examined GmSPL9 genes were higher in the spl9b-1 single mutant than wild-type plants, which might suggest a feedback regulation on the expression of the investigated GmSPL9 genes in soybean. Conclusions Our results showed that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis of four GmSPL9 genes in different combinations altered plant architecture in soybean. The findings demonstrated that GmSPL9a, GmSPL9b, GmSPL9c and GmSPL9 function as redundant transcription factors in regulating plant architecture in soybean.

In the present study, we sequenced the complete genome of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens 113-2. The genomic characteristics of six selected rhizobial strains (two fast-growing rhizobia, two medium-slow-growing rhizobia and two slow-growing rhizobia) with four different legume hosts were analyzed by comparative genomic analysis. Genomes of B. diazoefficiens 113-2 and B. diazoefficiens USDA110 were found to share a large synteny blocks and a high ANI value, supporting 113-2 as a strain of B. diazoefficiens. 5,455 singletons and 11,656 clusters were identified among the six rhizobia genomes, and most of the pair-wise comparisons clusters were shared by the two genomes of strains in the same genus. Similar genus-specific gene numbers in the assigned COG functional terms were present in the two strains of the same genus, while the numbers were decreased with the increase of growth rate in most of the COG terms. KEGG pathway analysis of B. diazoefficiens 113-2 suggested that the rhizobial genes in ABC transporters and Two-Component system were mainly species-specific. Besides, the candidate genes related to secretion system and surface polysaccharides biosynthesis in the genomes of the six strains were explored and compared. 39 nodulation gene families, 12 nif gene families and 10 fix gene families in the genomes of these six strains were identified, and gene classes in most of gene families and the types and total gene numbers of gene families were substantially different among these six genomes. We also performed synteny analyses for above-mentioned nod, nif, and fix gene groupings, and selected NodW, NolK, NoeJ, NifB, FixK, and FixJ gene families to perform phylogeny analyses. Our results provided valuable molecular insights into species specificity and host specificity. The genetic information responsible for host specificity will play important roles in expanding the host range of rhizobia among legumes, which might provide new clues for the understanding of the genetic determinants of non-legume-rhizobium symbiosis.

The symbiosis receptor kinase SymRK plays an essential role in symbiotic signal transduction and nodule organogenesis. Several proteins bind to SymRK, but how the symbiosis signals are transduced from SymRK to downstream components remains elusive. We previously demonstrated that both SymRK interacting protein 1 (SIP1, an ARID-type DNA-binding protein) and SymRK interacting E3 ligase [SIE3, a RING (Really Interesting New Gene)-containing E3 ligase] interact with SymRK to regulate downstream cellular responses in Lotus japonicus during the legume-rhizobia symbiosis. Here, we show that SIE3 interacts with SIP1 in both yeast cells and Nicotiana benthamiana. SIE3 associated with itself and formed a homodimer. The cysteine 266 residue was found to be essential for SIE3 dimerization and for promoting nodulation in transgenic hairy roots of L. japonicus. Our findings provide a foundation for further investigating the regulatory mechanisms of the SymRK-mediated signaling pathway, as well as the biological function of E3 ligase dimerization in nodule organogenesis.

Abstract We present a universal treatment for imposing superconformal constraints on Mellin amplitudes for SCFTd with 3 ≤ d ≤ 6. This leads to a new technique to compute holographic correlators, which is similar but complementary to the ones introduced in [1, 2]. We apply this technique to theories in various spacetime dimensions. In addition to reproducing known results, we obtain a simple expression for next-next-to-extremal four-point functions in AdS 7 × S 4. We also use this machinery on AdS 4 × S 7 and compute the first holographic one-half BPS four-point function. We extract the anomalous dimension of the R-symmetry singlet double-trace operator with the lowest conformal dimension and find agreement with the 3d N=8 $$ \mathcal{N}=8 $$ numerical bootstrap bound at large central charge.

Abstract We extend the Mellin space techniques of [1] for computing holographic four-point correlation functions in maximally superconformal theories to theories with only eight Poincaré supercharges. The one-half BPS operators in these correlators are taken to be the superconformal primary in the Dk $$ \mathcal{D}\left[k\right] $$ multiplet (with k = 2 corresponding to the flavor current multiplet), and transform in the adjoint representation of a flavor group G. Because of the smaller R-symmetry group SU(2), each individual superconformal Ward identity is less powerful. On the other hand, the constraining power is compensated in number by the different flavor channels in the four-point function. As concrete test cases, we study the Seiberg theories in five dimensions and E-string theory in six dimensions at the large N limit. We show that the flavor current multiplet four-point functions are fixed by superconformal symmetry up to two free parameters, which are proportional to the squared OPE coefficients for the flavor current multiplet and the stress tensor multiplet.

Abstract We revisit the calculation of holographic correlators for eleven-dimensional supergravity on AdS 7 × S 4. Our methods rely entirely on symmetry and eschew detailed knowledge of the supergravity effective action. By an extension of the position space approach developed in [1, 2] for the AdS 5 × S 5 background, we compute four-point correlators of one-half BPS operators for identical weights k = 2, 3, 4. The k = 2 case corresponds to the four-point function of the stress-tensor multiplet, which was already known, while the other two cases are new. We also translate the problem in Mellin space, where the solution of the superconformal Ward identity takes a surprisingly simple form. We formulate an algebraic problem, whose (conjecturally unique) solution corresponds to the general one-half BPS four-point function.

Abstract We give a detailed account of the methods introduced in [1] to calculate holographic four-point correlators in IIB supergravity on AdS5 × S 5. Our approach relies entirely on general consistency conditions and maximal supersymmetry. We discuss two related methods, one in position space and the other in Mellin space. The position space method is based on the observation that the holographic four-point correlators of one-half BPS single-trace operators can be written as finite sums of contact Witten diagrams. We demonstrate in several examples that imposing the superconformal Ward identity is sufficient to fix the parameters of this ansatz uniquely, avoiding the need for a detailed knowledge of the supergravity effective action. The Mellin space approach is an “on-shell method” inspired by the close analogy between holographic correlators and flat space scattering amplitudes. We conjecture a compact formula for the four-point correlators of one-half BPS single-trace operators of arbitrary weights. Our general formula has the expected analytic structure, obeys the superconformal Ward identity, satisfies the appropriate asymptotic conditions and reproduces all the previously calculated cases. We believe that these conditions determine it uniquely.

Abstract We extend the Mellin representation of conformal field theory (CFT) to allow for conformal boundaries and interfaces. We consider the simplest holographic setup dual to an interface CFT — a brane filling an AdS d subspace of AdS d+1 — and perform a systematic study of Witten diagrams in this setup. As a byproduct of our analysis, we show that geodesic Witten diagrams in this geometry reproduce interface CFT d conformal blocks, generalizing the analogous statement for CFTs with no defects.

Delaying the nodule senescence of legume crops can prolong the time of nitrogen fixation and attenuate the lack of fertilizer in the later stage of legume crop cultivation, resulting in improved crop yield and reduced usage of nitrogen fertilizer. However, effective measures to delay the nodule senescence of legume crops in agriculture are relatively lacking. In the present review, we summarized the structural and physiological characteristics of nodule senescence, as well as the corresponding detection methods, providing technical support for the identification of nodule senescence phenotype. We then outlined the key genes currently known to be involved in the regulation of nodule senescence, offering the molecular genetic information for breeding varieties with delayed nodule senescence. In addition, we reviewed various abiotic factors affecting nodule senescence, providing a theoretical basis for the interaction between molecular genetics and abiotic factors in the regulation of nodule senescence. Finally, we briefly prospected research foci of nodule senescence in the future.

The anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence is a remarkable tool for analytically studying strongly coupled physics. Thanks to the AdS/CFT correspondence, strongly correlated quantum systems can be understood as weakly coupled gravity theories, which live in a holographic spacetime with an extra emergent dimension and constant negative curvature. Fundamental observables such as correlation functions are identified with scattering amplitudes in curved spacetime, which, in principle, can be computed by using standard perturbation theory. Unfortunately, such holographic calculations are notoriously difficult, even for tree-level processes involving four external particles. Despite relentless efforts over the past two decades, a full solution to this problem was not found. In this article, we introduce a powerful new method that solves this long-standing problem. We give a closed-form formula for all such four-point functions in a class of theories that constitute the best-known paradigms of AdS/CFT. These models exhaust the theories compatible with maximal supersymmetry, and they live in three, four, and six dimensions. Pivotal to our construction is the use of symmetries. We show that in a judiciously chosen limit, symmetry principles dictate a drastic simplification in holographic correlators, allowing them to be directly computed. Having solved this limit, we further show that the full correlators can be recovered from this special configuration by using only symmetries. In addition to providing valuable explicit expressions that have a wide range of applications in AdS/CFT, our analysis leads to several important conceptual lessons. Our results point out remarkable simplicities underlying the holographic correlators, as well as concrete ways to search for such structures. Moreover, our construction identifies previously unknown elegant underlying organizing principles for holographic correlators. These qualitative features of holographic correlators also echo the exciting progress in the scattering amplitude program in flat space, suggesting tantalizing prospects of future cross-fertilization of ideas.

Botrytis cinerea infection can be very devastating for tomato production, as it can result in a large-scale reduction in tomato fruit production and fruit quality after harvest. Thus, it negatively affects tomato yield and quality. In this study, a biocontrol bacteria CQ-4 was isolated and screened from the rhizosphere soil of tomato plants. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that it belongs to the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has a strong antagonistic effect against Botrytis cinerea. In addition, the bacterium’s antibacterial spectrum is relatively extensive, and antagonistic tests have shown that it also has varying degrees of inhibition on other 12 plant diseases. The growth promotion test showed that the strain has a clear promotion effect on tomato seed germination and seedling growth. The growth-promoting effect on plant height, stem thickness, dry and fresh weight and main root length of tomato seedlings was significantly improved after the seeds were soaked in a bacterial solution of 2.5 × 108 cfu mL−1 concentration. This did not only maintain the nutritional quality of tomato fruits, but also prevents them from rotting. In vitro and pot experiments showed that the strain CQ-4 can effectively control tomato gray mold, and the control effects on tomato leaves and fruits reached 74.4% and 66.0%, respectively. Strain CQ-4 induce plants to up-regulate the activities of four disease-resistant defense enzymes. The peak enzymatic activities of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) were increased by 35.6%, 37.6%, 46.1%, and 38.4%, respectively, as compared with the control group. This study found that the strain can solubilize phosphorus, fix nitrogen, and produce cellulase, protease, ferrophilin, and other antibacterial metabolites, but it does not produce chitinase, glucanase, and HCN (hydrocyanic acid). This research screened out an excellent Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain that can stably and effectively control tomato gray mold, and it provided theoretical basis for further development and the application of biological agents.

Chlorophyll plays an essential role in photosynthetic light harvesting and energy transduction in green tissues of higher plants and is closely related to photosynthesis and crop yield. Identification of transcription factors (TFs) involved in regulating chlorophyll biosynthesis is still limited in soybean (Glycine max), and the previously identified GmGATA58 is suggested to potentially modulate chlorophyll and nitrogen metabolisms, but its complete function is still unknown. In this study, subcellular localization assay showed that GmGATA58 was localized in the nucleus. Histochemical GUS assay and qPCR assay indicated that GmGATA58 was mainly expressed in leaves and responded to nitrogen, light and phytohormone treatments. Overexpression of GmGATA58 in the Arabidopsis thaliana ortholog AtGATA21 (gnc) mutant complemented the greening defect, while overexpression in Arabidopsis wild-type led to increasing chlorophyll content in leaves through up-regulating the expression levels of the large of chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway genes, but suppressing plant growth and yield, although the net photosynthetic rate was slightly improved. Dual-luciferase reporter assay also supported that GmGATA58 activated the transcription activities of three promoters of key chlorophyll biosynthetic genes of soybean in transformed protoplast of Arabidopsis. It is concluded that GmGATA58 played an important role in regulating chlorophyll biosynthesis, but suppressed plant growth and yield in transgenic Arabidopsis.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most popular vegetables in the world. In tomato production, due to the effects of diseases, insect pests, drought, and cold damage, large-scale production reduction is often caused. Plant trichomes are protruding attachments distributed on the surface of different plants, providing protection for plants. When the plant is under external stress, the trichomes can play an important role in protecting the plant from damage through its physical structure. The density and type of different trichomes are closely related to the stress resistance of tomatoes. The tomato wo mutant LA3186 (referred to herein as “3186M”), LA3186 (referred to herein as “3186L”), the ln mutant LA3-071 (referred to herein as “3-071”), and the tomato cultivar Jia Ren (referred to herein as “JR”, used as the control), which possess different numbers of trichomes on the surface of the leaves, were used as materials; the glandular characteristics, types, and densities of the trichomes were observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM); and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the subcellular structure in the leaves. The relationship between the different tomato trichomes and stress resistance was investigated with treatments of low temperature, drought, disease, and insects. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical basis for the further utilization and regulation of the trichome-related characteristics of tomatoes.

Molecular breeding has become an important approach for crop improvement, and a prerequisite for molecular breeding is elucidation of the functions of genetic loci or genes. Soybean is one of the most important food and oil crops worldwide. However, due to the difficulty of genetic transformation in soybean, studies of its functional genomics lag far behind those of other crops such as rice, which severely impairs the progress of molecular improvement in soybean. Here, we describe an effective large-scale strategy to investigate the functions of soybean genes via overexpression of a full-length soybean cDNA library in Arabidopsis. The overexpression vector pJL12 was modified for use in the construction of a normalized full-length cDNA library. The constructed cDNA library showed good quality; repetitive clones represented approximately 4%, insertion fragments were approximately 2.2 kb, and the full-length rate was approximately 98%. This cDNA library was then overexpressed in Arabidopsis, and approximately 2000 transgenic lines were preliminarily obtained. Phenotypic analyses of the positive T1 transgenic plants showed that more than 5% of the T1 transgenic lines displayed abnormal developmental phenotypes, and approximately 1% of the transgenic lines exhibited potentially favorable traits. We randomly amplified 4 genes with obvious phenotypes (enlarged seeds, yellowish leaves, more branches, and dense siliques) and repeated the transgenic analyses in Arabidopsis. Subsequent phenotypic observation demonstrated that these phenotypes were indeed due to the overexpression of soybean genes. We believe our strategy represents an effective large-scale approach to investigate the functions of soybean genes and further reveal genes favorable for molecular improvement in soybean.