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The saline groundwater level of many supratidal wetlands is rising, which is expected to continue into the future because of sea level rise by the changing climate. Plant persistence strategies are increasingly important in the face of changing climate. However, the response of seed persistence to increasing groundwater level and salinity conditions is poorly understood despite its importance for the continuous regeneration of plant populations. Here, we determined the initial seed germinability and viability of seven species from supratidal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta and then stored the seeds for 90 days. The storage treatments consisted of two factors: groundwater level (to maintain moist and saturated conditions) and groundwater salinity (0, 10, 20, and 30 g/L). After retrieval from experimental storage, seed persistence was assessed. We verified that the annuals showed greater seed persistence than the perennials in the supratidal wetlands. Overall, seed persistence was greater after storage in saturated conditions than moist conditions. Salinity positively affected seed persistence under moist conditions. Surprisingly, we also found that higher groundwater salinity was associated with faster germination speed after storage. These results indicate that, once dispersed into habitats with high groundwater levels and high groundwater salinity in supratidal wetlands, many species of seeds may not germinate but maintain viability for some amount of time to respond to climate change.

Celery is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables worldwide. Boron (B), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) are essential microelements for plant growth with Cu also important in controlling fungal diseases. But little is known about the combined effects of B, Zn, and Cu fertilizers on celery. A pot experiment was conducted during two growing seasons (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) using a novel foliar fertilizer: a copper-based-zinc-boron foliar fertilizer (Cu-ZnB) based on the Bordeaux mixture (BDM). Celeries were sprayed with water (the control); BDM; 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 g L−1 copper foliar fertilizer (CFF1, CFF2, and CFF3), and with 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 g L−1 the Cu-ZnB (Cu-ZnB1, Cu-ZnB2, and Cu-ZnB3). During both seasons, Cu-ZnB1 increased celery yield and decreased disease index, compared with control and BDM treatments. Application of Cu-ZnB1 also increased vitamin C content while reducing nitrate content of celery compared with BDM and increased leaf Zn and B concentration compared with the control, BDM, and CFF1 treatments. Furthermore, Leaf Cu concentration in Cu-ZnB1 treatment was lower by 76.9% compared with BDM. Spraying Cu-ZnB1 also significantly increased SOD, POD, and CAT activities, while decreasing MDA content of functional leaves. By applying Cu-ZnB during 2015–2\016, soil available Cu concentration was reduced by 24.9–42.2%, compared with BDM. Hence, applying 1.0 g L−1 Cu-ZnB to celery is recommended for enhancing plant nutritional quality and yield; simultaneously, it reduces the levels of Cu in the soil and disease index of celery.

Abstract Gender dysphoria (GD) is characterized by an incongruence between the gender assigned at birth and the gender with which one identifies. The biological mechanisms of GD are unclear. While common genetic variants are associated with GD, positive findings have not always been replicated. To explore the role of rare variants in GD susceptibility within the Han Chinese population, whole-genome sequencing of 9 Han female-to-male transsexuals (FtMs) and whole-exome sequencing of 4 Han male-to-female transsexuals (MtFs) were analyzed using a pathway burden analysis in which variants are first collapsed at the gene level and then by Gene Ontology terms. Novel nonsynonymous variants in ion transport genes were significantly enriched in FtMs (P- value, 2.41E-10; Fold enrichment, 2.8) and MtFs (P- value, 1.04E-04; Fold enrichment, 2.3). Gene burden analysis comparing 13 GD cases and 100 controls implicated RYR3, with three heterozygous damaging mutations in unrelated FtMs and zero in controls (P = 0.001). Importantly, protein structure modeling of the RYR3 mutations indicated that the R1518H mutation made a large structural change in the RYR3 protein. Overall, our results provide information about the genetic basis of GD.