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Japonica rice variety Kanto 194 as the donor of resistance gene Stv-bi and low-amylose content gene Wx-mq was used to improve the resistance and eating quality of Wuyujing 3 by the breeding strategy of backcross. In continuous backcross and selfcross generations, the related molecular markers with Stv-bi and Wx-mq genes were utilized for genotypic detection by associated with resistance identification of rice stripe disease and agronomic traits selection. Finally, 10 improved lines with homozygous genotype Stv-biStv-biWx-mqWx-mq were obtained from BC3F4 generation. The results of comparative analysis indicated that most characters of these lines were consistent with those of recipient parent Wuyujing 3, except for the improved resistance, appearance and eating quality. By evaluation of the comprehensive performance of them, two excellent lines K01 and K04 were selected for further experiments.

GW2 is an important gene that regulates grain width and weight. We used cDNA clone to obtain the sequences of GW2 from large- and small-grained rice varieties, TD70 and Kasalath, respectively. Then, we developed a dCAPS (derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence) marker on the basis of the sequence difference between functional and nonfunctional GW2 genes to analyze the genotypes and phenotypes of recombinant inbred lines. Results showed that the sequence of GW2TD70 had a single nucleotide deletion at site 316 that generates a termination codon. This codon terminated the GW2 protein in advance. By contrast, the sequence of GW2Kasalath encoded an intact protein. A novel dCAPS marker was designed in accordance with a base A deletion at site 316 of the sequence. After the PCR product was digested by ApoI, TD70 showed 21 and 30 bp fragments, and Kasalath showed a 51 bp fragment. Up to 82 lines contained GW2TD70, and 158 lines contained GW2Kasalath. The lines that contained TD70 alleles displayed substantial increases in width and 1000-grain weight. This result suggested that GW2 played a critical role in rice breeding.

Nanjing 5718 is a rice variety with good eating quality approved by Jiangsu province in 2019 and was confirmed as super rice by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs in 2021. Studying its yield composition characteristics, photosynthetic characteristics, and physiological basis can be helpful to investigate photosynthetic traits of super rice variety, improve its photo- synthetic performance through genetic improvement, and provide the theoretical basis for high-yield breeding and cultivation of japonica rice. In this study, the parents of Nanjing 5718 and Huaidao 5, a widely popularized rice variety with the same growth period type, as the control, dry weight of aboveground of plant, chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic rates, and photochemical characteristics of photosystem II (PSII), core antenna protein expression, photosynthetic enzyme activities, and chloroplast ultrastructure were investigated in Nanjing 5718 from full expansion of flag leaves at the beginning of booting to 35 days after flowering. The results showed the pigment contents of the leaves in Nanjing 5718 were higher, which were close to male parent Yanjing 608. The net photosynthetic rates, dry weight, and PSII electron transfer activities of flag leaves at the late growth stage were significantly higher in Nanjing 5718 than those in parents and Huaidao 5. The light energy conversion performance of PSII was superior. The core antenna protein CP43 and CP47 were more stable under strong light and high temperature, and their adjustment ability of Nanjing 5718 was better than that of parents and Huaidao 5. In addition, the activities of RuBP carboxylase in flag leaves were higher, the contents of photosynthetic products were higher, the chloroplast structure was more stable, the senescence characteristics appeared later, and the chloroplast decay rates were slower in Nanjing 5718, compared with parents and Huaidao 5. The results indicated that high photosynthetic performance of flag leaves was the basis for the formation of high yield characteristics of super rice Nanjing 5718 with large panicles. The great activity and function of photosystem proteins were main factors of improving leaf photosynthesis, and the stability of chloroplast structure could provide powerful support for high photosynthetic efficiency of leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by abdominal pain. Our recent study has shown that the acid‐sensitive ion channel 1 (ASIC1) in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is involved in stomachache of adult offspring rats subjected with prenatal maternal stress (PMS). MiR‐485 is predicted to target the expression of ASIC1. The aim of the present study was designed to determine whether miR‐485/ASIC1 signaling participates in enterodynia in the spinal dorsal horn of adult offspring rats with PMS. Methods: Enterodynia was measured by colorectal distension (CRD). Western blotting, qPCR, and in situ hybridization were performed to detect the expression of ASICs and related miRNAs. Spinal synaptic transmission was also recorded by patch clamping. Results: PMS offspring rats showed that spinal ASIC1 protein expression and synaptic transmission were significantly enhanced. Administration of ASICs antagonist amiloride suppressed the synaptic transmission and enterodynia. Besides, PMS induced a significant reduction in the expression of miR‐485. Upregulating the expression markedly attenuated enterodynia, reversed the increase in ASIC1 protein and synaptic transmission. Furthermore, ASIC1 and miR‐485 were co‐expressed in NeuN‐positive spinal dorsal horn neurons. Conclusions: Overall, these data suggested that miR‐485 participated in enterodynia in PMS offspring, which is likely mediated by the enhanced ASIC1 activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scintillators are widely used for high-energy radiation detection. Hybrid inorganic-organic composite scintillators with high light yields, high light decay rates, excellent stability, and low costs are in great demand. Here, we report a novel scintillator composed of Ce-doped Li 6 Gd(BO 3 ) 3 (LGBO) microphosphors (MPs) and polymethyl methacrylate for X-ray and thermal neutron detection. The Ce-doped LGBO MPs, fabricated using a facile high-temperature solid-state reaction method, exhibit intense blue light at 416 nm under X-ray and UV excitation and have a high photoluminescence quantum yield of ∼63%. More importantly, the composite scintillator based on these MPs has excellent transparency and luminescence intensity. The luminescence integral intensity of composite scintillators is superior to that of commercial CsI:Na under X-ray excitation, and the light yield under thermal neutron irradiation is 21,000 photons/thermal neutron. The scintillation decay time is found to be below 600 ns. The neutron-gamma signal discrimination and neutron detection efficiency of the composite scintillators are acceptable for practical application. There is an excellent separation between neutron and background events. It represents significant improvements in scintillator performances, especially for reliable thermal neutron scintillators that are likely to improve the data qualities of scientific instruments, including charge-coupled device-based imagers and Anger logic-based position-sensitive detectors in neutron user facilities., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)