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With the development of technology, people expect real-time communication with computers. Wearable devices, such as those for monitoring physiological signals, have rapidly developed and are now being applied in college and university evaluation. Due to the non-standard and unscientific practices in teaching, teachers may experience psychological obstacles when evaluating students. To ensure successful evaluation, we must motivate teachers to correctly understand and actively participate in the evaluation process, thus facilitating communication between people and computers. Emotion recognition based on multi-physiological signals, such as ECG, pulse, electromyography, electrodermal, and respiratory signals, is an effective method for achieving this. This dissertation conducts in-depth research on the methods for emotion recognition based on multi-physiological signals. It explores feature extraction methods, feature selection, and fusion to provide objective assessments of physiological and psychological activity states, which are used as a basis for accurate emotional judgments.

Flood submergence has devastating effects on agricultural production in China, with rice being particularly vulnerable to its impacts. Previous studies on rice submergence stress have primarily focused on immediate yield reduction and short-term growth. In this study, a submergence stress experiment was carried out by using the method of potted rice flooding. The growth recovery characteristics of rice under different submergence stress were analyzed through the continuous observation of rice growth after the disaster. The results showed that submergence stress had a persistent effect on rice growth, which persisted until the recovery period after the disaster. The recovery ability of rice plants decreased with the aggravation of stress, leading to increased damage to the plant. The average yield decreased by 17.07% and 15.56% due to submergence stress during the jointing and booting stage, respectively. The current study pointed out that the growth traits of and, furthermore, the mechanism of physiological changes in rice during the recovery period need to be explored in order to understand the effects of flooding stress on rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel evolution usually occurs among related species with similar morphological characters in adaptation to particular environments. Four wild almond species (Prunus) sharing the character of dry mesocarp splitting are distributed in China, most of which occur in arid Northwestern China. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the phylogenetic relationship, evolutionary history, and environmental adaptation of these wild almond species based on genome-wide SNP data and chloroplast genomes. Chloroplast phylogeny showed P. pedunculata and P. tenella were clustered with wild cherry species (Prunus), while P. mongolica and P. tangutica were clustered with wild peach species (Prunus). Genomic phylogeny suggested P. tenella formed an independent clade. An ABC-RF approach showed P. pedunculata was merged with P. tenella and, then, diverged from the ancestor of P. mongolica and P. tangutica. P. tenella was split from other wild almond species at ca. 7.81 to 17.77 Ma. Genetic environment association analysis showed precipitation variables contributed the most to genetic variations between P. mongolica from an arid environment and P. tangutica from a humid environment. Finally, a total of 29 adaptive loci were successfully annotated, which were related to physiological processes in response to abiotic stresses. Inconsistent genomic and chloroplast phylogenetic positions of P. tenella suggested this species could have originated from historical hybridization among different clades of Prunus. Physiological mechanisms promoted P. mongolica in adapting to the arid environment in Northwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As an experimental biological science, physiology has been taught as an integral component of medical curricula for a long time in China. The teaching effectiveness of physiology courses will directly affect students' learning of other medical disciplines. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situation and changes in physiology teaching over 30 years in Chinese medical schools. Methods: National survey was conducted online on the platform SoJump via WeChat and the web. The head of the physiology department in medical school was asked to indicate the information of physiology education from three periods: 1991–2000, 2001–2010, and 2011–2020. The responses of 80 leaders of the Department of Physiology from mainland Chinese medical schools were included in the study for analysis. Results: The survey showed that the class hours, both of theory and practice, had been decreased. During the past 20 years, the total number of physiology teachers, the number of physiology teachers who had been educated in medical schools, and the number of technicians had been reduced, whereas teachers with doctor's degrees had been increased. In addition to traditional didactic teaching, new teaching approaches, including problem-based learning/case-based learning/team-based learning, integrated curriculum and formative evaluation systems, had been employed, mostly for more than 5 years, in some medical schools. Conclusion: The present study has provided historical data regarding the current status of physiology education in China and that in the past thirty years by showing that physiology education in China has developed quickly,even it faces many challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-harvest fruit rot caused by Alternaria species is one of the most important threats to the fruit industry. Post-harvest rot on sweet cherry (Prunus avium) fruit was observed in the fruit markets of the Haidian district of Beijing, China. The fungal isolates obtained from the infected sweet cherry fruits matched the descriptions of Alternaria alternata based on the morphology and multi-gene (ITS, endo-PG, and Alta1) sequence analysis. Pathogenicity tests indicated that ACT-3 was the most virulent isolate, exhibiting typical post-harvest fruit rot symptoms. Physiological studies revealed that the optimal conditions for the growth of ACT-3 were temperature of 28℃, water activity of 0.999, and pH of 8 with 87, 85, and 86mm radial growth of ACT-3 on a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, respectively, at 12days post-inoculation (dpi). Moreover, the fungus showed the highest growth on a Martin agar medium (MAM) modified (85mm) and a PDA medium (84mm) at 12 dpi. The proliferation of the fungus was visualized inside the fruit tissues by confocal and scanning electron microscope (SEM), revealing the invasion and destruction of fruit tissues. Alternaria mycotoxins, tenuazonic acid (TeA), and alternariol (AOH) were detected in five representative isolates by HPLC analysis. The highest concentrations of TeA (313 μg/mL) and AOH (8.9 μg/mL) were observed in ACT-6 and ACT-3 isolates, respectively. This study is the first to present a detailed report on the characteristics and proliferation of A. alternata associated with sweet cherry fruit rot and the detection of toxic metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with cognitive impairment (CI) in community-dwelling Chinese older adults, and to investigate whether this relationship is modified by the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele. Methods: The study is a secondary analysis of 703 participants aged ≥60 years randomly enrolled from the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging II prospective cohort. The education-adjusted Mini-Mental State Examination and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale were used to measure the cognitive performance of the subjects. The main effects and interactions (additive and multiplicative) of the BDNF Met and the APOE ε4 alleles on CI were estimated by logistic regression models. Results: In total, 84 out of 703 older adults aged ≥60 years old had CI. No significant difference was observed in the risk of CI between participants with the BDNF Met allele and that of subjects without the BDNF Met allele (p = 0.213; p = 0.164). Individuals carrying both the BDNF Met and APOE ε4 alleles had an almost 1.5-fold increased odds of CI compared with carriers of the BDNF Met allele but without the APOE ε4 allele. The additive association indicated a positive interaction of both BDNF Met and APOE ε4 alleles with wide CIs (p = 0.021; p = 0.018). Conclusion: The results suggest that the APOE ε4 allele may be a potential modifier for the association of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism with CI in community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnesium (Mg) is both an essential macro-element and a known catalyst, and it plays a vital role in various physiological activities and mechanisms in relation to chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, epidemiological evidence involving this is limited and not entirely consistent. This study aims to explore the association of serum Mg concentrations with the risk of CKD among general Chinese adults. Methods: A total of 8,277 Chinese adults were included in the wave of 2009 from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The primary outcome was the risk of CKD, which was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship of serum Mg concentrations with the risk of CKD. Results: Included were 8,277 individuals, with an overall CKD prevalence of 11.8% (n = 977). Compared with the first quartile of serum Mg, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of serum Mg were 0.74 (0.58, 0.93), 0.87 (0.69, 1.11) and 1.29 (1.03, 1.61), respectively. Similar results were observed in our several sensitivity analyses. Restricted cubic spline analysis demonstrated a nonlinear (similar "J"-shaped) association between serum Mg concentrations and the risk of CKD (Pnonlinearity <0.001), with a threshold at around a serum Mg value of 2.2 mg/dL. Conclusions: Our results suggested a similar "J"-shaped association between serum Mg concentration and the risk of CKD among Chinese adults. Further large prospective studies are needed to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the main environmental factors affecting crop growth, and breeding drought-tolerant cultivars is one of the most economic and effective ways of increasing yields and ensuring sustainable agricultural production under drought stress. To facilitate the breeding of drought-tolerant wheat, this study was conducted to evaluate genotypic differences in the drought tolerance of 334 wheat genotypes collected from China and Australia with the aim of screening for drought-tolerant and -sensitive genotypes and to elucidate the corresponding physiological mechanisms. A hydroponic-air experiment (roots exposed to air for 7 h/d and continued for 6 d) showed significant genotypic differences in shoot and root dry weights among the genotypes. The relative shoot and root dry weights, expressed as the percentage of the control, showed a normal distribution, with variation ranges of 20.2–79.7% and 32.8–135.2%, respectively. The coefficients of variation were in the range of 18.2–22.7%, and the diversity index was between 5.71 and 5.73, indicating a rich genetic diversity among the wheat genotypes for drought tolerance. Using phenotypic differences in relative dry weights in responses to drought stress, 20 of each of the most drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive genotypes were selected; these were further evaluated in pot experiments (watering withheld until the soil moisture content reached four percent). The results showed that the trends in drought tolerance were consistent with the hydroponic-air experiment, with genotypes W147 and W235 being the most drought-tolerant and W201 and W282 the most sensitive. Significant genotypic differences in water use efficiency in response to drought were observed in the pot experiment, with the drought-tolerant genotypes being markedly higher and the two sensitive genotypes being no different from the control. A marked increase in bound water content in the drought stress plants was observed in the two drought-tolerant genotypes, while a decrease occurred in the free water. The reductions in photochemical efficiencies of PSII, transpiration rates, net photosynthesis rates, chlorophyll contents and stomatal conduction in the drought-sensitive genotypes W201 and W282 under drought stress were higher than the two tolerant genotypes. This study provides a theoretical guide and germplasm for the further genetic improvement of drought tolerance in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes have important nutritional and economic values, but their production faces continuous cropping obstacles that seriously affect their yield formation. In order to reduce the negative impact of the continuous cropping obstacles of legumes, it is necessary to understand the response mechanisms of legumes to continuous cropping, the causes of continuous cropping obstacles and the measures to alleviate continuous cropping obstacles. This review aimed to identify the current knowledge gap in the field of continuous cropping obstacles of legumes and provide direction and focus for future research. The continuous cropping obstacles of legumes start with soil degradation, leading to oxidative stress in the plants. This triggers the expression of plant-hormone- and signal-molecule-related genes, activating the defense system and causing continuous cropping obstacles. Although there has been progress in researching these challenges in legume crops, many questions remain. We believe that the exploration of molecular mechanisms of legume crops responding to continuous cropping, rhizosphere signal exchange and soil environment repair mechanisms after long-term continuous cropping of soybean, and the excavation of candidate genes and functional loci related to continuous cropping obstacles in legume crops are breakthroughs for proposing effective continuous cropping obstacle management strategies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High alkaline environment can lead to respiratory alkalosis and ammonia toxification to freshwater fish. However, the Amur ide (Leuciscus waleckii), which inhabits an extremely alkaline lake in China with titratable alkalinity up to 53.57 mM (pH 9.6) has developed special physiological and molecular mechanisms to adapt to such an environment. Nevertheless, how the Amur ide can maintain acid-base balance and perform ammonia detoxification effectively remains unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to study the ammonia excretion rate (T amm), total nitrogen accumulation in blood and tissues, including identification, expression, and localization of ammonia-related transporters in gills of both the alkali and freshwater forms of the Amur ide. The results showed that the freshwater form Amur ide does not have a perfect ammonia excretion mechanism exposed to high-alkaline condition. Nevertheless, the alkali form of Amur ide was able to excrete ammonia better than freshwater from Amur ide, which was facilitated by the ionocytes transporters (Rhbg , Rhcg1 , Na+/H+ exchanger 2 (NHE2), and V-type H+ ATPase (VHA)) in the gills. Converting ammonia into urea served as an ammonia detoxication strategy to reduced endogenous ammonia accumulation under high-alkaline environment. • Amur ide thrives in extreme alkali-saline lake. • A unique physiological and molecular mechanism for ammonia excretion. • Gill Rh proteins and H+ transporters actively facilitate ammonia excretion. • Decrease in endogenous ammonia accumulation and maintain acid-base balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]