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The improper disposal of uranium mine tailings and smelting wastewater poses significant environmental hazards, including contamination of water bodies and soil, and potential health risks to humans through the accumulation of uranium in bones and organs. This study examines the removal of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) from water using biochar derived from agricultural waste enhanced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and magnetization modifications involving the incorporation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles onto the biochar surface. The adsorption capacities were evaluated through batch experiments, and the mechanisms were analyzed using SEM, FT-IR, XPS, and BET surface analysis. These modifications were found to significantly increase the biochar's specific surface area from 17.606 m2/g to 195.62 m2/g and pore volume from 0.037 cm3/g to 0.132 cm3/g, and surface enrichment with oxygen-containing functional groups, particularly carboxyl groups. The inherent adsorption efficiency of biochar for U(VI) is significantly enhanced by these modifications, with the adsorption capacities of H2O2-modified (HBC) and magnetized HBC (MBC) reaching 69.50 mg/g and 77.58 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption mechanisms of BC, HBC, and MBC for U(VI) involve complexation reactions where hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, among other oxygen-containing functional groups on the biochar, interact with uranyl ions. HBC and MBC exhibit enhanced complexation due to higher carboxyl content, leading to improved U(VI) adsorption. Additionally, the presence of iron-containing functional groups on the surface of MBC contributes to electrostatic interactions and facilitates complexation reactions between Fe-O and uranyl ions, enhancing the overall adsorption process. These findings highlight the potential of modified biochar for the removal of U(VI) from water, particularly for the treatment of mine tailings and smelting wastewater, with significant implications for industrial applications in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a human gene therapy product where T cells from a patient are genetically modified to enable them to recognize desired target antigen(s) more effectively. In recent years, promising antitumor activity has been seen with autologous CAR T cells. Since 2017, six CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Despite the rapid progress of CAR T-cell therapies, considerable statistical challenges still exist for this category of products across all phases of clinical development that need to be addressed. These include (but not limited to) dose finding strategy, implementation of the estimand framework, use of real-world data in contextualizing single-arm CAR T trials, analysis of safety data and long-term follow-up studies. This paper is the first step in summarizing and addressing these statistical hurdles based on the development of the six approved CAR T-cell products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsanthin is a natural red–orange pigment present in red paprika and has been proven to have various health benefits. The rising consumption of chili peppers and the global demand of natural color promote the need for capsanthin quantification analysis. In the present study, a high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the analysis of capsanthin in chili peppers and their products. The chromatographic and extraction parameters were optimized. The concentration of capsanthin ranged from 0.5 to 200 mg/L which showed good linearity (R2 > 0.99). The LOD and LOQ of samples ranged from 0.014 to 0.092 mg/kg and 0.049–0.12 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery experiment (recovery rate 84.79–103.55%, RSD 1.64–9.27%) and interlaboratory test (the RSD of repeatability and reproducibility was in the range of 3.11–4.06% and 4.66–5.52%, respectively) demonstrated good accuracy, precision, repeatability, and reproducibility of the proposed method. The results indicate that the developed method will be a valuable tool for routine analysis of capsanthin in chili peppers and their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive fluoride intake during enamel development can affect enamel mineralization, leading to dental fluorosis. However, its potential mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the impact of fluoride on the expressions of RUNX2 and ALPL during mineralization and the effect of TGF-β1 administration on fluoride treatment. A dental fluorosis model of newborn mice and an ameloblast cell line ALC were both used in the present study. The mice of the NaF group, including the mothers and newborns, were fed with water containing 150 ppm NaF after delivery to induce dental fluorosis. The mandibular incisors and molars showed significant abrasion in the NaF group. Immunostaining, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting analysis indicated that exposure to fluoride markedly down-regulated RUNX2 and ALPL in mouse ameloblasts and ALCs. Besides, fluoride treatment significantly decreased the mineralization level detected by ALP staining. Furthermore, exogenous TGF-β1 up-regulated RUNX2 and ALPL and promoted mineralization, while the addition of SIS3 could block such TGF-β1-induced up-regulation. In TGF-β1 conditional knockout mice, the immunostaining of RUNX2 and ALPL was weaker compared with wild-type mice. Exposure to fluoride inhibited the expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad3. Co-treatment of TGF-β1 and fluoride up-regulated RUNX2 and ALPL compared with the fluoride alone treatment, promoting mineralization. Collectively, our data indicated that TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway was necessary for the regulatory effects of fluoride on RUNX2 and ALPL, and the fluoride-induced suppression of ameloblast mineralization was mitigated by activating TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: An LRR-RLK gene causing interspecific hybrid breakdown between Gossypium. anomalum and G. hirsutum was identified by deploying a map-based cloning strategy. The self-destructing symptoms of hybrid incompatibility in most cases are attributed to autoimmunity. The cloning of genes responsible for hybrid incompatibility in cotton is helpful to clarify the mechanisms underlying hybrid incompatibility and can break the barriers in distant hybridization. In this study, a temperature-dependent lethality was identified in CSSL11-9 (chromosome segment substitution line) with Gossypium anomalum chromosome segment on chromosome A11. Transcriptome analysis showed the differentially expressed genes related to autoimmune responses were highly enriched, suggesting that expression of CSSL11-9 plant lethal gene activated autoimmunity in the absence of any pathogen or external stimulus, inducing programmed cell death (PCD) and causing a lethal phenotype. The lethal phenotype was controlled by a pair of recessive genes and then fine mapped between JAAS3191-JAAS3050 interval, which covered 63.87 kb in G. hirsutum genome and 98.66 kb in G. anomalum. We demonstrated that an LRR-RLK gene designated as hybrid breakdown 1 (GoanoHBD1) was the causal gene underlying this locus for interspecific hybrid incompatibility between G. anomalum and G. hirsutum. Silencing this LRR-RLK gene could restore CSSL11-9 plants from a lethal to a normal phenotype. Our findings provide new insights into reproductive isolation and may benefit cotton breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desizing and biodegradability are considered among the most important processes in the textile industry. Desizing removes the protective coating on the surface of yarn to ensure high efficiency and enhanced quality of subsequent stages such as bleaching, scouring, dyeing and printing, while good biodegradation ensures green environment. Many different factors including the interaction in the sizing agent, the interaction between the sizing agent and textile fibers, and desizing agent influence the desizing efficiency of sizing agents. During the last decades, sizing with new agents with enhanced properties have been extensively studied. However, reviews on desizability, biodegradability of sizing agents and their mechanism seem very rare. In this review, methods of desizing which are frequently used and the factors that influence desizing mechanism and biodegradability have been discussed. Knowledge about the effect of these factors in desizing and biodegradation, and the mechanisms could serve as a platform to develop sizing agents with good desizing efficiency and biodegradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centromeres in eukaryotes are composed of highly repetitive DNAs, which evolve rapidly and are thought to achieve a favorable structure in mature centromeres. However, how the centromeric repeat evolves into an adaptive structure is largely unknown. We characterized the centromeric sequences of Gossypium anomalum through chromatin immunoprecipitation against CENH3 antibodies. We revealed that the G. anomalum centromeres contained only retrotransposon-like repeats but were depleted in long arrays of satellites. These retrotransposon-like centromeric repeats were present in the African–Asian and Australian lineage species, suggesting that they might have arisen in the common ancestor of these diploid species. Intriguingly, we observed a substantial increase and decrease in copy numbers among African–Asian and Australian lineages, respectively, for the retrotransposon-derived centromeric repeats without apparent structure or sequence variation in cotton. This result indicates that the sequence content is not a decisive aspect of the adaptive evolution of centromeric repeats or at least retrotransposon-like centromeric repeats. In addition, two active genes with potential roles in gametogenesis or flowering were identified in CENH3 nucleosome-binding regions. Our results provide new insights into the constitution of centromeric repetitive DNA and the adaptive evolution of centromeric repeats in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dynamic environments, statistical learning of spatial and temporal regularities guides visual attention in space and time. In the current study, we explored whether and how combined spatiotemporal regularities regarding target events guide visual attention. In three experiments, participants performed the additional singleton task. They were asked to search for a target stimulus with a unique shape among five non-target distractors and respond to the orientation of a line inside the target. Unbeknownst to the participants, the moment in time that the search display was presented was predictive of the target location. Specifically, the target was more likely to be presented at one high-probability location after a short interval and at another high-probability location after a long interval. The results showed that participants' performance was better for high-probability locations than for low-probability locations. Moreover, visual search efficiency was greater when the target appeared at the high-probability location after its associated interval than when it occurred there after its nonassociated interval, regardless of whether the distribution of intervals was uniform (Experiment 1), exponential (Experiment 2), or anti-exponential (Experiment 3). Taken together, the results indicate that implicitly learned spatiotemporal regularities dynamically guide visual attention towards the probable target location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ouabain is a cardiac glycoside long studied for treating heart diseases, but the attempts to evaluate its anti-psoriatic activity have not been reported. We aimed to explore the effects of ouabain on proliferation and metabolism towards psoriatic keratinocytes. In human HaCaT keratinocytes, ouabain potently decreased viability, promoted apoptosis and caused G2/M cycle arrest. Metabolomics analysis indicated that ouabain markedly impaired glutathione metabolism. The solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) is an amino acid transporter highly specific to cysteine, which is critical for glutathione synthesis. Ouabain downregulated SLC7A11, reduced cysteine uptake and subsequently inhibited glutathione synthesis, probably through inhibiting Akt/mTOR/beclin axis that regulate protein activity of SLC7A11. The impaired glutathione synthesis and oxidative stress caused by ouabain may contribute to its cytotoxicity towards psoriatic keratinocytes. Our results provide experimental evidence supporting further study of ouabain as a potential anti-psoriatic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the use of natural dyes for simultaneous dyeing and finishing of textiles has become a popular trend with the expanding interest in eco-textiles and environmental-friendly processing techniques. In this study, the natural dye was extracted from biomass lotus seedpod waste, and the effects of temperature, time, and pH as well as a metal mordant on fabric dyeing performance were investigated, and then it was applied to eco-dyeing and functional finishing of cotton fabric together with the bio-mordant chitosan. The dyeing performance and functionality of cotton fabric were characterized through SEM, UV–Vis, Datacolor and indicators such as color strength, color fastness, ultraviolet protection factor, and bacterial inhibition rate. The results showed that the color stability of natural dye was higher under acidic conditions, and the pH had more influence on the dyeing effect of the fabric compared with temperature and time. Though metal mordanting could obtain a higher color strength, it had a certain effect on the color phase of the dyed fabric. SEM showed that cationized chitosan was successfully deposited on the surface of cotton fibers, which improved the dye exhaustion rate of the fabric by reducing the electrostatic repulsion between cotton fibers and dye molecules, thus increasing the color strength (K/S value of about 4–5 for directly dyed cotton fabric and 7.6446 for chitosan pretreated dyed cotton fabric) and various color fastness (rubbing, washing, saliva, and light fastness were greater than or equal to grade 4). Compared with other fabrics, the chitosan pretreated dyed cotton fabric had a higher ultraviolet protection factor (UPF value = 63.4) and excellent inhibition of E. coli and S. aureus (99.86 and 99.99% initial inhibition, 99.08 and 98.21% after ten cycles of washing). This study provides a new idea for the high-value utilization of biomass waste in textile processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive polymer coatings have exhibited great potential for wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding fabrics. Here, we report an efficient yet simple strategy to improve EMI shielding performances of polypyrrole (PPy) coated fabrics by the low-temperature in-situ polymerization of Py. The PPy coating polymerized at 0 °C results in a uniform and compact microstructure which confers the coated fabric with better air permeability, flexibility and lighter weight than the PPy modified fabric obtained at higher temperature. Moreover, the low-temperature treatment of PPy coated fabric enhances its electrical conductivity due to a high doping level of PPy. The EMI shielding performance of PPy coated fabric polymerized at 0 °C reaches 26.4 dB, demonstrating 63.47% enhancement of that fabricated from 20 °C at the same deposition cycle. In addition, the PPy coated fabric obtained from low temperature demonstrates more stable and durable EMI shielding properties than that obtained at high temperature. This work provides insights into fabricating conductive polymer composites with high EMI performances for intelligent integrated equipment as well as human health protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidoxime is publicly acknowledged well-performed uranium adsorption material at present. However, its uranium adsorption is limited due to the influence of other metal ions. Protein has abundant amino and carboxyl and has high selectivity for a specific ion. Yet, it has not been used as an adsorbent only for seawater uranium extraction. Here, amidoxime and protein are combined to fabricate a composite film material (TB@PAO) to extract uranium from seawater. The simulated seawater experiment shows that the uranyl adsorption capacity of TB@PAO is 11.24 mg·g− 1, which is 4 times vanadium adsorption and 7 times iron adsorption. The uranyl's adsorption distribution coefficient is 1.5 × 105, suggesting TB@PAO has high uranyl adsorption affinity. This work does not only provide an adsorbent for seawater uranium extraction, but also offer a way for the design of a highly selective seawater uranium extraction material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance flexible electronic textiles exhibit considerable potential for use as wearable energy storage and sensor fields. In this paper, we fabricated multifunctional PANI/PLA composite electronic fabrics by a simple in-situ polymerization reaction. The fabrics have an areal specific capacitance of 1171.4 mF/cm2 when used as an electrode, and the capacitance retention of 93.02% after 2000 charge/discharge cycles. The symmetric all-solid-state supercapacitors assembled based on PANI/PLA fabrics demonstrated an attractive capacitive performance with a high energy density of 30.27 μWh/cm2 at a power density of 0.217 mW/cm2. Meanwhile, the PANI/PLA electronic fabrics can also be used as flexible sensors to monitor the movement of the human body in real time. More importantly, the PANI/PLA functional fabrics also possess good flame retardant performance, antibacterial and electromagnetic shielding properties. These results indicate that the prepared PANI-coated PLA fabrics have broad application potential in wearable electronic textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Angiogenesis plays a major role in atherosclerotic plaque development and instability. Our study aims to develop a novel optical and magnetic resonance (MR) dual-modality molecular imaging probe to early detect unstable plaques in vivo by targeting biomarkers of angiogenesis in murine models of atherosclerosis (AS). Methods: Immunofluorescence and western blot were used to detect the expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in activated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs). After synthesis and identification of novel short peptide VRBP1-targeted VEGFR2, HUVECs were co-cultured with FITC-VRBP1 to test specific affinity of VRBP1. Then VRBP1-UCNPstargeting VEGFR2 were constructed by conjugating VRBP1 to the surface of NaGdF4:Yb,Er@NaGdF4 nanoparticles. The characterization of the nanoparticles was performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), distribution of size, hydrodynamic size, zeta potential, absorption spectra, emission spectra, imaging intensity of different concentrations, binding affinity and cytotoxicity of nanoprobes in vitro. The upconversion luminescence (UCL) and MR imaging were performed to identify unstable atherosclerotic plaque in ApoE−/− mice in vivo and ex vivo. Morphological staining was used to verify AS model and angiogenesis, and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) was used to confirm accumulation of the nanoparticles after imaging. Results: After induced by hypoxia and ox-LDL, the expression of VEGFR2 in activated HUVECs was enhanced. FITC-VRBP1 can specifically bind to the HUVECs. Characterization of the nanoparticles showed that particles size is uniform with a stable structure, specific optical and MR signal, good binding affinity to VEGFR2 and low cytotoxicity. In vivo and ex vivo UCL imaging and quantitative analysis revealed that distinctive optical signal was observed in the regions of left carotid common arteries (LCCAs) of AS group after injection of VRBP1-UCNPs. Higher signal intensity on T1-weighted MR imaging appeared in the LCCA wall of AS group after injection. The results of morphological staining demonstrated angiogenesis in the atherosclerotic plaques, Gd ions in LCCAs, aortic arch and renal arteries bifurcations detected by ICP-AES confirmed accumulation of the nanoparticles in plaque. Conclusions: We successfully design and synthesize a novel UCNPs using peptide VRBP1 targeting to VEGFR2. In vivo imaging demonstrates that VRBP1-UCNPs can be used to perform optical/MR dual-modality imaging targeting angiogenesis in plaques, which is a promising technique to early detect unstable atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to evaluate the paste stability and desizability of new starch grafted copolymer [poly(sodium allyl sulfonate)-g-starch-g-poly(ethyl acrylate)] (PSAS-g-starch-g-PEA) for providing an important supporting role in sizing application. The PSAS-g-starch-g-PEA samples were prepared by grafting reaction of acid-thinned starch (AHS) with SAS and subsequent with EA in water phase. The PSAS-g-starch-g-PEA granules were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Also, paste stability was assessed and desizability was investigated in terms of desizing efficiency, swelling ability of the film and time interval for the break of starch film in water. Compared with control AHS, the PSAS-g-starch-g-PEA had higher paste stability, desizing efficiency and swelling ability, and lower time interval required, concluding that the PSAS and PEA branches could promote the paste stability and desizability of starch. Increasing the number of both branches facilitated the paste stability and desizability. PSAS-g-starch-g-PEA displayed potential value in textile sizing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rg2 and Re are both rhamnose-containing ginsenosides isolated exclusively from Panax plants, which exhibit broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. However, limitations of current plant-relied manufacturing methods have largely hampered their medical applications. Here, we report elucidation of the complete biosynthetic pathway of these two ginsenosides by the identification of a rhamnosyltransferase PgURT94 from Panax ginseng. We then achieve de novo bio-production of Rg2 and Re from glucose by reconstituting their biosynthetic pathways in yeast. Through stepwise strain engineering and fed-batch fermentation, the maximum yield of Rg2 and Re reach 1.3 and 3.6 g/L, respectively. Our work completes the identification of the last missing enzyme for Rg2 and Re biosynthesis and achieves their high-level production by engineered yeasts. Once scaled, this microbial biosynthesis platform will enable a robust and stable supply of Rg2 and Re and facilitate their food and medical applications. A key missing enzyme in the plant Panax ginseng Rg2 and Re2 ginsenoside biosynthesis pathway is identified, and its expression is engineered in yeast for high-level production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biomarker enrichment study designs that start with an all-comer population, simultaneous evaluation of the entire and the marker-selected populations can be more desirable than pre-specifying the testing order, when the degree of marker predictiveness is uncertain. While there has been substantial research on this approach, our goal is to provide a complete overview and guidance in all aspects of this approach, including the interim analysis potentially using different endpoints, combination tests with associated multiplicity control, and the final treatment effect estimation. Regulatory/operational aspects and actual cases demonstrating the potential advantage of this approach are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immobilizing inorganic or organic particles on cotton fabric to increase the surface roughness, followed by coating with low surface reagents to reduce the surface energy, are the dominant strategies to prepare the superhydrophobic cotton surface. However, the inorganic or organic particles can easily fall off the surface of the fabrics. Thus, the surface roughness of the fabric could be reduced during the process, resulting in the poor durability of the superhydrophobic fabric. In this work, the surface of the cotton fabric was etched by cellulase. Following this, the treated fabric was grafted using a diblock copolymer (poly[(methyl methacrylate)-b-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)] (PMMA-b-PDMAEMA)), which was synthesized following the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization process. The mist polymerization technology was used for the process. The coatings successfully endowed the cotton fabric with superhydrophobic properties. The maximum WCA value recorded was 159.9 °. The treated fabric exhibited excellent mechanical and chemical stability. Moreover, the modified cotton sample also exhibited good self-cleaning effects in the presence of solid dust and liquid contaminants. It also exhibited excellent oil-water separation properties. Therefore, the superhydrophobic fabric prepared using a combination of the etching method and mist polymerization technology can find its potential application in home and industrial areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protective factor of neural cells; the possible relationship between the NGF and the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) hasn't been completely known. In this study, we observed and analyzed the expression and distribution of NGF, as well as the possible relationship between the NGF expression and distribution and the neural cell death in both SOD1 wild-type (WT) and Tg(SOD1*G93A)1Gur (TG) mice applying the fluorescence immunohistochemistry method. The results showed that the expression and distribution of NGF in the anterior horn (AH), the lateral horn (LH), and the surrounding central canal (CC) significantly increased at the supper early stage of ALS (Pre-onset stage) and the early stage (Onset stage), but the NGF expression and distribution in the AH, the LH, and the surrounding CC significantly reduced at the progression stage. The astrocyte, neuron, and oligodendrocyte produced the NGF and the neural precursor cells (NPCs) produced the NGF. The neural cell death gradually increased accompanying with the reduction of NGF expression and distribution. Our data suggested that the NGF was a protective factor of neural cells, because the neural cells in the AH, the LH, and the surrounding CC produced more NGF at the supper early and early stage of ALS; moreover, the NPCs produced the NGF. It implied that the NGF exerted the protective effect of neural cells, prevented from the neural cell death and aroused the potential of self-repair in the development of ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At maturation stage of enamel development, a specialized basal lamina (sBL) was built between ameloblasts and enamel. After the teeth eruption, the ameloblasts transform into the inner cell layer of junctional epithelium. The inner cell layer forms the internal basal lamina of junctional epithelium. However, the composition of the sBL and internal basal lamina was not clarified. The objective of our study was to make a description of the localization of amelotin (AMTN), laminin γ2 (LAMC2) and Odontogenesis-associated phosphoprotein (ODAPH) on the sBL and internal basal lamina. In immunohistochemical study, AMTN, LAMC2 and ODAPH were detected on the sBL at maturation stage. AMTN was also detected in ameloblasts at maturation stage. The expression of AMTN decreased from early-to-late maturation stage. In contrast, the expression of LAMC2 and ODAPH was stable. Immunofluorescence double-staining showed the localization of AMTN was close to enamel surface. However, the localization of ODAPH was close to ameloblasts. LAMC2 and ODAPH were observed on internal basal lamina of junctional epithelium. In contrast, no expression of AMTN was detected on internal basal lamina of junctional epithelium. Our results suggested that ODAPH might participate in enamel maturation and periodontal health, which might provide a better understanding of enamel defects and periodontal disease in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Stable and durable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance was achieved in harsh environments by applying a thin protective coating of hydrophobic 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) on polypyrrole (PPy)-modified fabrics. The damaged POTS layer can be instantaneously self-healed (~ 4 s) for the first time by the microwave heating effect of PPy. The self-healing process is repeatable even after severe damages, highlighting the great potential to exploit EMI shielding materials’ instant microwave heating effects to enable robust and durable EMI shielding applications.Durable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is highly desired, as electromagnetic pollution is a great concern for electronics’ stable performance and human health. Although a superhydrophobic surface can extend the service lifespan of EMI shielding materials, degradation of its protection capability and insufficient self-healing are troublesome issues due to unavoidable physical/chemical damages under long-term application conditions. Here, we report, for the first time, an instantaneously self-healing approach via microwave heating to achieve durable shielding performance. First, a hydrophobic 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (POTS) layer was coated on a polypyrrole (PPy)-modified fabric (PPy@POTS), enabling protection against the invasion of water, salt solution, and corrosive acidic and basic solutions. Moreover, after being damaged, the POTS layer can, for the first time, be instantaneously self-healed via microwave heating for a very short time, i.e., 4 s, benefiting from the intense thermal energy generated by PPy under electromagnetic wave radiation. This self-healing ability is also repeatable even after intentionally severe plasma etching, which highlights the great potential to achieve robust and durable EMI shielding applications. Significantly, this approach can be extended to other EMI shielding materials where heat is a triggering stimulus for healing thin protection layers. We envision that this work could provide insights into fabricating EMI shielding materials with durable performance for portable and wearable devices, as well as for human health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) in nociceptive neurons is an important molecular component contributing to peripheral pain transduction. The present study aimed to evaluate the role and mechanism of TMEM16A in chronic nociceptive responses elicited by spared nerve injury (SNI). In this study, SNI was used to induce neuropathic pain. Drugs were administered intrathecally. The expression and cellular localization of TMEM16A, the ERK pathway, and NK-1 in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were detected by western blot and immunofluorescence. Behavioral tests were used to evaluate the role of TMEM16A and p-ERK in SNI-induced persistent pain and hypersensitivity. The role of TMEM16A in the hyperexcitability of primary nociceptor neurons was assessed by electrophysiological recording. The results show that TMEM16A, p-ERK, and NK-1 are predominantly expressed in small neurons associated with nociceptive sensation. TMEM16A is colocalized with p-ERK/NK-1 in DRG. TMEM16A, the MEK/ERK pathway, and NK-1 are activated in DRG after SNI. ERK inhibitor or TMEM16A antagonist prevents SNI-induced allodynia. ERK and NK-1 are downstream of TMEM16A activation. Electrophysiological recording showed that CaCC current increases and intrathecal application of T16Ainh-A01, a selective TMEM16A inhibitor, reverses the hyperexcitability of DRG neurons harvested from rats after SNI. We conclude that TMEM16A activation in DRG leads to a positive interaction of the ERK pathway with activation of NK-1 production and is involved in the development of neuropathic pain after SNI. Also, the blockade of TMEM16A or inhibition of the downstream ERK pathway or NK-1 upregulation may prevent the development of neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a method for the simultaneous determination of arabinose, galactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, and maltose in fruits, vegetables, and their products using ion chromatography-pulsed amperometric detection on a gold working electrode. Sample preparation involved simple extraction, dilution with water, and filtration before injection into the system. Separation of the analytes was performed with gradient elution on a Thermo Scientific CarboPac PA20 Analytical Column (3.0 × 150 mm) and a Guard column (2 mm × 50 mm) with a mobile phase. The optimized parameters were an eluent concentration of 10 mmol/L, a column temperature of 30 °C, and a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. In methodological evaluation, parameters (selectivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), relative standard deviation (RSD), recovery percentages, and CV%) resulted in compliance with reference values at each level of fortification. All validation parameters were acceptable in the characterization of sugars in fruits, vegetables, and their products. After method validation, we analyzed the sugar content in fresh and dried jujube. The method was accurate, reliable, and reproducible and can be used for the determination of arabinose, galactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose and maltose in fruits, vegetables, and their products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low-cycle fatigue (LCF) properties of Ti6Al4V and laser-welded joints with different welding speeds are studied using smooth and notched flat specimens. A local strain approach is proposed to estimate the LCF properties of the notched flat specimen based on elastic–plastic finite element analysis (EPFEA). The local strain used in the approach is defined as the average strain in the plastic zone at the notch root and critical section of the notched flat specimen. The results indicate that the local strain approach is suitable for estimating the LCF properties of the notched flat Ti6Al4V titanium alloy specimen. The stress–strain relationship derived from the microhardness can be used in the EPFEA. The LCF properties of the Ti6Al4V laser-welded joints are worse in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) than in the base metal (BM) due to the martensite structure in the HAZ and the mechanical heterogeneity in the welded joints. The LCF properties of the Ti6Al4V laser-welded joints with different welding speeds are close under low strain levels and worse with higher welding speeds under high strain levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid developments in the electric industry have promoted an increasing demand for lithium resources. Lithium in salt lake brines has emerged as the main source for industrial lithium extraction, owing to its low cost and extensive reserves. The effective separation of Mg2+ and Li+ is critical to achieving high recovery efficiency and purity of the final lithium product. This paper summarizes Mg2+/Li+ separation materials and methods in the field of lithium recovery from salt lake brines. The review begins with an introduction to the global distribution and demand for lithium resources, followed by a description of the materials used in various separation techniques, including precipitation, adsorption, solvent extraction, nanofiltration membrane, electrodialysis, and electrochemical methods. A comparison, analysis, and outlook of such methods are comprehensively discussed in terms of principles, mechanisms, synthesis/operation, development, and industrial applications. We conclude with a presentation of challenges and insights into the future directions of lithium extraction from salt lake brines. A combination of the advantages of various materials is the most logical step toward developing novel methods for extracting lithium from brines with high separation selectivity, stability, low cost, and environmentally friendly characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-halamine-containing mesoporous silica was prepared by treating the silica with (3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate), followed by grafting reaction of an N-halamine precursor, 3-(3′-hydroxypropyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (APDMH). The resulting N-halamine mesoporous silica was applied to the surface of cotton by a coating process. The coated cotton showed good static and dynamic hydrophobic properties (static contact angle, 138.91°). After soaking in household bleach, N-halamines were formed on the coated fabric, which provided good antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. The chlorinated sample inactivated 98.93% of Staphylococcus epidermidis, 97.83% of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and 82.24% of Candida albicans within 60 min, respectively. The coated and chlorinated samples showed high hydrophobicity toward other water-based liquids such as coffee, cola, green tea and milk. Further, the chlorinated fabric samples degraded ammonia in aqueous solutions. These attractive functions make the new N-halamine mesoporous silica coated cotton fabrics as an excellent candidate of multipurpose functional fibrous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study is to compare the femoral triangle (FT) and adductor canal (AC) blocks in terms of the analgesic efficacy and ambulatory outcomes in the context of multimodal analgesia following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: Patients presenting for TKA were assigned to a preoperative ultrasound-guided single-injection FT or AC block. Combined spinal and epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine was administered for TKA. Perioperatively a multimodal analgesic regimen was applied up to 48 h after surgery. The primary outcome was the average pain score during movement in the first 24 h postoperatively. The secondary outcomes included pain scores at rest and during movement at postoperative predetermined time points, cumulative opioid consumption in oral morphine equivalents, functional mobility measured by the timed "Up and Go" (TUG) test and muscle strength in the lower extremity. Results: Ninety-eight patients completed the study. Patients in the FT group had lower median pain scores during movement in the first 24 h postoperatively than those in the AC group (1.3 [1.0–3.3] vs. 3.0 [1.7–4.3]; median difference: − 1.0, adjusted 95% CI from − 1.7 to − 0.3, P = 0.010). There were significant differences in the pain scores at rest and during movement at 12 and 24 h postoperatively between the two groups (P = 0.008 and 0.005, respectively). Cumulative oral morphine equivalent consumption in the first and second 24 h postoperatively, Functional mobility reflected by the TUG test and muscle strength in the lower extremity showed no significantly statistically differences between the two groups. Conclusions: The preoperative FT block provided improved analgesic outcomes without compromising functional mobility in the context of multimodal analgesia following TKA compared with the AC block. Trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn. Identifier: ChiCTR-INR-17012716. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of amyloid plaques usually occurs in the early-stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Stimulated emission depletion (STED) imaging provided a powerful tool for visualizing amyloid structures on the nanometer scale. However, many commercial probes adopted in detecting amyloid fibrils are inapplicable to STED imaging, owing to their unmatched absorption and emission wavelengths, small Stokes' shift, easy photo-bleaching, etc. Herein, we demonstrated a polarity-activated STED probe based on an intramolecular charge transfer donor (D)-π-acceptor (A) compound. The electron-rich carbazole group and the electron-poor pyridinium bromide group, linked by π-conjugated thiophen-bridge, ensure strong near infrared (NIR) emission with a Stokes' shift larger than 200 nm. The tiny change in polarity before and after binding with amyloid plaques leads to a transition from weakly emission charge-transfer (CT) state (φ < 0.04) to highly emissive locally-excited (LE) state (φ = 0.57), giving rise to a fluorescence Turn-On probe. Together with large Stokes' shift, good photostability and high depletion efficiency, the super-resolution imaging of the formation and morphology of amyloid fibrils in vitro based on this probe was realized with a lateral spatial resolution better than 33 nm at an extremely low depletion power. Moreover, the ex-vivo super-resolution imaging of (E)-1-butyl-4(2-(5-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)thiophen-2-yl)vinyl) pyridinium bromide (CTPB) probe in Aβ plaques in the brain slices of a Tg mouse was demonstrated. This research provides a demonstration of the super resolution imaging probe of amyloid fibrils based on polarity-response mechanism, providing a new approach to the development of future amyloid probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: LC–MS based untargeted metabolomics are the main untargeted methods used for juice metabolomics to solve the authentication problem faced in fruit juice industry. Objectives: To evaluate the performances of different untargeted metabolomics methods on fruit juices metabolomics and authentication, orange and apple fruit juices were selected for this study. Methods: IDA-MS and SWATH-MS based on UHPLC-QTOF were used for the metabolomics and authenticity determination of apple and orange juices, including the lab-made samples of oranges (Citrus sinensis Osb.) from Jiangxi Province, apples (Malus domestica Borkh) from Shandong Province, and different brands of commercial orange and apple juice samples from markets. Results: IDA-MS and SWATH-MS could both acquire numerous MS1 features and MS2 information of juice components, while SWATH-MS excels at the acquisition rate of MS2. Distinctive separation between authentic orange juice and not authentic orange juice could be seen from principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis based on both IDA-MS and SWATH-MS. After analysis of variance, fold change analysis and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant mode, 53 and 46 potential markers were defined by IDA-MS and SWATH-MS (with 77.4% and 100% MS2 acquisition rate) separately. Subsequently, these potential markers were putatively annotated using general chemical databases with 6 more annotated by SWATH-MS. Furthermore, 7 of the potential markers, l-asparagine, umbelliferone, glucosamine, phlorin, epicatechin, phytosphingosine and chlorogenic acid, were identified with standards. For the consideration of model simplicity, two determined makers (umbelliferone and chlorogenic acid) were selected to construct the DD-SIMCA model in commercial samples because of their good correlation with apple adulteration proportion, and the sensitivity and specificity of the model were 100% and 95%. Conclusion: SWATH-MS excels at the MS2 acquisition of juice components and potential markers. This study provides an overall performance comparison between IDA-MS and SWATH-MS, and guidance for the method selection on fruit juice metabolomics and juice authenticity determination. Two of the potential markers determined, umbelliferone and chlorogenic acid, could be used as apple juice indicators in orange juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation of C2H4 from C2H4/C2H2/C2H6 mixture with high working capacity is still a challenging task. Herein, we deliberately design a Th-metal-organic framework (MOF) for highly efficient separation of C2H4 from a binary C2H6/C2H4 and ternary C2H4/C2H2/C2H6 mixture. The synthesized MOF Azole-Th-1 shows a UiO-66-type structure with fcu topology built on a Th6 secondary building unit and a tetrazole-based linker. Such noticeable structure, is connected by a N,O-donor ligand with high chemical stability. At 100 kPa and 298 K Azole-Th-1 performs excellent separation of C2H4 (purity > 99.9%) from not only a binary C2H6/C2H4 (1:9, v/v) mixture but also a ternary mixture of C2H6/C2H2/C2H4 (9:1:90, v/v/v), and the corresponding working capacity can reach up to 1.13 and 1.34 mmol g−1, respectively. The separation mechanism, as unveiled by the density functional theory calculation, is due to a stronger van der Waals interaction between ethane and the MOF skeleton. Separation of ethylene from C2 ternary mixture with high working capacity is a challenging task. Here, the authors report a Th-azole framework (Azole-Th-1) for highly efficient purification of ethylene from C2H4/C2H6 and C2H4/C2H2/C2H6 mixtures, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under salt stress, the plants need to maintain a low Na+ concentration and Na+/K+ ratio in the cell cytoplasm to keep normal growth and development. High-affinity K+ transporter (HKT) genes are known to play an important role in regulating the transportation of Na+ and K+ in higher plants. However, reports on its potential role in conferring stress tolerance in cotton are rare. In a previous study, we isolated a potassium transporter SbHKT1 from halophyte Salicornia bigelovii. With the intention to assess whether the SbHKT1 gene would improve salt tolerance in cotton, cotton plants overexpressing SbHKT1 were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transgenic technology. Overexpression of SbHKT1 in cotton increased germination rate and biomass as well as root systems compared with wild-type plants. Transgenic cotton had significantly higher K+ content, lower Na+ content, and lower Na+/K+ ratio than wild-type plants in leaves, stems and roots under salt stress. Moreover, there were significant higher activity of antioxidant enzymes including SOD, POD, and CAT and lower malondialdehyde content which means better cell membrane integrity in transgenic cotton compared to control plants. These results indicated that overexpressing SbHKT1 in cotton improved salt tolerance by increasing the capacity of K+ uptake, K+/Na+ homeostasis, and the scavenging of reactive oxygen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of tertiary amination/hydroxypropylsulfonation on the adhesion-to-fibers and film properties of corn starch for warp sizing, a series of tertiary aminated and hydroxypropylsulfonated corn starch (TAHPSS) samples were prepared by the tertiary amination and hydroxypropylsulfonation of acid-hydrolyzed corn starch (AHS) with 2- dimethylaminoethyl chloride hydrochloride (DMC-HCl) and 3-chloro-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt (CHPS-Na) simultaneously. The adhesion was evaluated by measuring the bonding force of starch to the fibers. The film properties were investigated in terms of tensile strength, breaking elongation, degree of crystallinity, and moisture regain. The results showed that tertiary amination/hydroxypropylsulfonation was able to increase bonding forces of starch to cotton and polyester fibers, enhance breaking elongation and moisture regain of the starch film and to decrease the tensile strength and degree of crystallinity of the film, thereby improving the adhesion and reducing film brittleness. Increasing the level of tertiary amination/hydroxypropylsulfonation was favorable for gradually improving the adhesion and decreasing the brittleness. The TAHPSS showed potential for use in cotton warp sizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many cases, it is time-consuming for researchers to find proper collaborators who can provide researching guidance besides simply collaborating. The Most Beneficial Collaborators (MBCs), who have high academic level and relevant research topics, can genuinely help researchers to enrich their research. However, how can we find the MBCs? In this paper, we propose a most Beneficial Collaborator Recommendation model called BCR. BCR learns on researchers' publications and associates three academic features: topic distribution of research interest, interest variation with time and researchers' impact in collaborators network. We run a topic model on researchers' publications in each year for topic clustering. The generated topic distribution matrix is fixed by a time function to fit the interest dynamic transformation. The academic social impact is also considered to mine the most prolific researchers. Finally, a TopN MBCs recommendation list is generated according to the computed score. Extensive experiments on a dataset with citation network demonstrate that, in comparison to relevant baseline approaches, our BCR performs better in terms of precision, recall, F1 score and the recommendation quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A fiber length QTL, qFL-chr1, was fine mapped to a 0.9 cM interval of cotton chromosome 1. Two positional candidate genes showed positive correlation between gene expression level and fiber length. Abstract: Prior analysis of a backcross-self mapping population derived from a cross between Gossypium hirsutum L. and G. barbadense L. revealed a QTL on chromosome 1 associated with increased fiber length ( qFL-chr1), which was confirmed in three independent populations of near-isogenic introgression lines (NIILs). Here, a single NIIL, R01-40-08, was used to develop a large population segregating for the target region. Twenty-two PCR-based polymorphic markers used to genotype 1672 BCF plants identified 432 recombinants containing breakpoints in the target region. Substitution mapping using 141 informative recombinants narrowed the position of qFL-chr1 to a 1.0-cM interval between SSR markers MUSS084 and CIR018. To exclude possible effects of non-target introgressions on fiber length, different heterozygous BCF plants introgressed between SSR markers NAU3384 and CGR5144 were selected to develop sub-NILs. The qFL-chr1 was further mapped at 0.9-cM interval between MUSS422 and CIR018 by comparisons of sub-NIL phenotype, and increased fiber length by ~1 mm. The 2.38-Mb region between MUSS422 and CIR018 in G. barbadense contained 19 annotated genes. Expression levels of two of these genes, GOBAR07705 (encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase) and GOBAR25992 (encoding amino acid permease), were positively correlated with fiber length in a small F population, supporting these genes as candidates for qFL-chr1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this work were to examine the influences of starch quaternization/maleation on the film properties and adhesion-to-fibers of starch, and also to reveal if the quaternization/maleation could improve the adhesion-to-fibers and film properties of starch. A series of quaternized and maleated cornstarch (QMS) with the total degree of substitution ( DS) values of 0.02-0.061 were prepared via a quaternization of acid-thinned cornstarch with N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride for introducing 3-(trimethylammonium chloride)-2-hydroxypropyl (TACHP) substituents onto the backbones of starch, and a further maleation with maleic anhydride for the introduction of maleate substituents. The effects of starch quaternization/maleation on paste viscosity, paste stability, adhesion strengths to both cotton and viscose fibers, and film properties of starch were investigated. The degree of crystallinity of starch film was quantitatively obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that the quaternization/maleation was able to stabilize the viscosity, increase adhesion strengths of starch to both cotton and viscose fibers, enhance breaking elongation, moisture regain, and bending endurance of starch film, and decrease tensile strength and degree of crystallinity of starch film, thereby improving the adhesion and displaying toughening effect to the film. Increasing the level of starch quaternization/maleation was capable of gradually increasing adhesion and toughness of the film. The quaternization/maleation with the DS values of 0.04-0.061 could be applied for the alleviation of the intrinsic drawbacks (insufficient adhesion and film brittleness) of cornstarch for warp sizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality features of banana puree after high pressure processing (HPP) at 500 MPa for 10 min and thermal pasteurization (TP) at 90 °C for 2 min during 30 days of refrigerated storage were compared in this study. Initial counts in banana puree of greater than 3.80 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g of total aerobic bacteria (TAB) and 3.10 log CFU/g of molds and yeasts (M&Y) were reduced by HPP and TP. TAB were approximately 1.0 CFU/g, and M&Y were less than 0.3 log CFU/g in HPP- and TP-processed puree during storage. HPP and TP did not change pH, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), lightness ( L), and yellowness ( b), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (AC), but HPP raised redness ( a) and TP reduced a and ascorbic acid (AA). During storage, L, a, and b in HPP- and TP-processed purees did not change but HPP-processed puree increased pH and decreased TA. After storage, the percentage of TPC and AA was 75.85 and 55.09 % in the HPP group and 96.30 and 68.09 % in the TP group, indicating a significant loss of TPC and a greater loss of AA in HPP-processed puree. The loss of AC agreed with the loss of AA and TPC. HPP preserved particle size distribution and viscosity of purees, whereas TP increased the number of smaller particles and viscosity after processing and in storage. Twenty-six volatiles (18 esters) and 22 volatiles (15 esters) were detected in HPP- and TP-processed purees, and the ester fraction was 69.79 and 52.36 %, respectively. HPP was found to be an effective alternative pasteurization method for preserving the quality of fresh banana puree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Message: We reported the first development of Gossypium anomalum -derived microsatellite markers and identification of recombination between sexually incompatible species by a synthesized hexaploid on genome level. Abstract: To continue to develop improved cotton varieties, it is essential to transfer desired characters from diploid wild cotton species such as Gossypium anomalum to cultivated allotetraploid cotton species. However, interspecific reproductive barriers limit gene transfer between species. In a previous study, we used colchicine treatment to produce a synthesized hexaploid derived from an interspecific hybrid between Gossypium hirsutum and G. anomalum and demonstrated its hybridity and doubled status using morphological, cytological and molecular marker methods. In the current study, to effectively monitor G. anomalum genome components in the G. hirsutum background, we developed 5974 non-redundant G. anomalum-derived SSR primer pairs using RNA-Seq technology, which were combined with a publicly available physical map. Based on this combined map and segregation data from the BCF population, we identified a set of 230 informative G. anomalum-specific SSR markers distributed on the chromosomes, which cover 95.72 % of the cotton genome. After analyzing BCF segregation data, 50 recombination types from 357 recombination events were identified, which cover 81.48 % of the corresponding G. anomalum genome. A total of 203 recombination events occurred on chromosome 11, accounting for 56.86 % of the recombination events on all chromosomes. Recombination hotspots were observed at marker intervals JAAS1148-NAU5100 on chromosome 1 and JAAS0426-NAU998 on chromosome 2. Therefore, all G. anomalum chromosomes are capable of recombining with At chromosomes in G. hirsutum. This study represents an important step towards introgressing desirable traits into cultivated cotton from the wild cotton species G. anomalum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The first high-density linkage map was constructed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for somatic embryogenesis (SE) in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) using leaf petioles as explants. Abstract: Cotton transformation is highly limited by only a few regenerable genotypes and the lack of understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of somatic embryogenesis (SE) in cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.). To construct a more saturated linkage map and further identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for SE using leaf petioles as explants, a high embryogenesis frequency line (W10) from the commercial Chinese cotton cultivar CRI24 was crossed with TM-1, a genetic standard upland cotton with no embryogenesis frequency. The genetic map spanned 2300.41 cM in genetic distance and contained 411 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Of the 411 mapped loci, 25 were developed from unigenes identified for SE in our previous study. Six QTLs for SE were detected by composite interval mapping method, each explaining 6.88-37.07 % of the phenotypic variance. Single marker analysis was also performed to verify the reliability of QTLs detection, and the SSR markers NAU3325 and DPL0209 were detected by the two methods. Further studies on the relatively stable and anchoring QTLs/markers for SE in an advanced population of W10 × TM-1 and other cross combinations with different SE abilities may shed light on the genetic and molecular mechanism of SE in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-020-00993-1 The original version of this article unfortunately contained an error in affiliation of Zunchun Xie. The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-020-00993-1. The author Zunchun Xie is only affiliated with Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China but in the article, the author is also linked to another affiliation Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China and published incorrectly. [Extracted from the article]

We crossed Luyuan343, containing the Gossypium barbadense (GB) genomic component, with Lumianyan22, a high-yielding Gossypium hirsutum (GH) variety, to evaluate the introgressive exogenous genomic components that contribute to fiber quality in upland cotton. A total of 158 of 334 mapping simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci screened from 18,467 SSR primer pairs were identified as putative GB introgression loci. Twenty-four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for fiber quality and lint percentage were detected by WinQTLCart 2.5 based on three phenotypic datasets collected over 2 years in two different locations. Of these QTLs, 20 were mapped in the introgression chromosomal regions; the GB alleles contributed to improved fiber quality at eight loci, which were located in the introgression segments of chromosome (Chr.) 3, Chr.7 and Chr.25. A total of eight digenic epistasis and nine significant QTL × environment (QE) interactions were identified by QTLNetwork-2.2. Fiber elongation was found to be most easily influenced by environment since all QTLs for this trait showed significant QE interaction with large effects. Fiber length, fiber strength, and lint percentage were scarcely affected by environment as no or minor QE interaction effects for these traits were detected. Genome-wide identification of the introgressive GB components and mapping of the fiber-related QTLs indentified in this study will be beneficial for the simultaneous marker-assistant selection of improved fiber quality and lint yield in upland cotton breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]