Search

Summary: Drought, especially terminal drought, severely limits wheat growth and yield. Understanding the complex mechanisms behind the drought response in wheat is essential for developing drought‐resistant varieties. This study aimed to dissect the genetic architecture and high‐yielding wheat ideotypes under terminal drought.An automated high‐throughput phenotyping platform was used to examine 28 392 image‐based digital traits (i‐traits) under different drought conditions during the flowering stage of a natural wheat population. Of the i‐traits examined, 17 073 were identified as drought‐related. A genome‐wide association study (GWAS) identified 5320 drought‐related significant single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 27 SNP clusters.A notable hotspot region controlling wheat drought tolerance was discovered, in which TaPP2C6 was shown to be an important negative regulator of the drought response. The tapp2c6 knockout lines exhibited enhanced drought resistance without a yield penalty. A haplotype analysis revealed a favored allele of TaPP2C6 that was significantly correlated with drought resistance, affirming its potential value in wheat breeding programs.We developed an advanced prediction model for wheat yield and drought resistance using 24 i‐traits analyzed by machine learning. In summary, this study provides comprehensive insights into the high‐yielding ideotype and an approach for the rapid breeding of drought‐resistant wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although waste‐to‐energy (WtE) incineration projects have boosted the economic effectiveness of the waste management system, locals frequently view them with suspicion, opposition, or even outright rejection because of potential environmental and health risks. In this study, by incorporating two additional variables, namely, objective knowledge and benefit perceptions, the planned risk information seeking model (PRISM) was extended in the context of the WtE incineration project. A total of 1726 respondents were interviewed in person. Results from the structural equation modeling indicated that the extended PRISM achieved excellent fits, suggesting the generalizability of the model in these contexts. Objective knowledge and subjective knowledge have a positive and direct impact on perceived knowledge insufficiency. The impact of benefit and risk perceptions on worry is the opposite, with risk perceptions having a greater direct effect on worry. However, compared with risk perceptions, the direct effect that benefit perceptions have on perceived knowledge insufficiency is stronger. Additionally, perceived knowledge insufficiency partially or completely mediates the relationships between all antecedents, except perceived seeking control, and information‐seeking intention. This study suggests that risk managers carefully consider how to establish powerful communication tactics to shape these antecedents when introducing a "not in my backyard" project to the local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the job demands of healthcare workers (HCWs) working in mobile cabin hospitals in Shanghai and identify the influencing factors. Design: The study had a cross‐sectional design. Methods: Using the convenience sampling method, we selected 1223 HCWs (medical team members) working in these mobile cabin hospitals during April–May 2022. The findings of the general information questionnaire and the hierarchy scale of job demands of HCWs working in mobile cabin hospitals were used for the investigation. Results: The total score of job demands of the included HCWs was 132.26 ± 9.53; the average score of the items was 4.73 ± 0.34. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that the following HCWs had significantly higher job demands: female HCWs and HCWs who received psychological training or intervention during the COVID‐19 pandemic, were satisfied with the doctor/nurse–patient relationship, received support from family members/friends/colleagues, believed that the risk of working in mobile cabin hospitals was high, had adapted to the working environment of mobile cabin hospitals and had college/undergraduate level of education. They would benefit from increased social support and better training in terms of psychological coping mechanisms(both theoretical knowledge and applicable skills) and COVID‐19 prevention,control and treatment abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effect of Guilu Erxian ointment on the outcome of IVF-ET in older patients with poor ovarian response infertility of kidney-qi deficiency type, and to verify and analyze the mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine on improving older patients with poor ovarian response infertility of kidney-qi deficiency type from the perspective of metabolomics using targeted metabolomics technology, identify the related metabolic pathways, and provide metabolic biomarker basis and clinical treatment ideas for improving older patients with poor ovarian response infertility. Methods: This study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, and a total of 119 infertile patients who underwent IVF-ET at Shandong Center for Reproduction and Genetics of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine were selected. Eighty older patients with infertility undergoing IVF were randomly divided into older treatment group and older placebo group, and another 39 young healthy women who underwent IVF-ET or ICSI due to male factors were selected as the normal control group. Flexible GnRH antagonist protocol was used for ovulation induction in all three groups, and Guilu Erxian ointment and placebo groups started taking Guilu Erxian ointment and placebo from the third day of menstruation until IVF surgery. And ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-QTRAP MS) was used to detect metabolites in the three groups of samples. Results: Compared with the placebo group, the number of oocytes retrieved, 2PN fertilization, high-quality embryos, total number of available embryos and estrogen on HCG day were increased in the treatment group, and the differences were statistically significant (P > 0.05), but the clinical pregnancy rate of fresh embryos and frozen embryos were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The results of targeted metabolomics analysis showed that follicular fluid in the treatment group clustered with the normal young group and deviated from the placebo group. A total of 55 significant differential metabolites were found in the follicular fluid of older patients with poor ovarian response of kidney-qi deficiency type and patients in the normal young group, after Guilu Erxian ointment intervention, Metabolites such as LAspartic acid, Glycine, L-Serine, Palmitoleic Acid, Palmitelaidic acid, L-Alanine, Gamma-Linolenic acid, Alpha-Linolenic Acid, and N-acetyltryptophan were down-regulated, mainly involving amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. Conclusion: Guilu Erxian ointment can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and IVF outcomes of older patients with poor ovarian response of kidney-qi deficiency type. There were differences in follicular fluid metabolites between older patients with poor ovarian response of kidney-qi deficiency type and normal women. L-Aspartic acid, L-Alanine, Aminoadipic acid, L-Asparagine, L-Arginine, LSerine, Gamma- Linolenic acid, Pentadecanoic acid and Alpha-Linolenic Acid are closely related to older patients with poor ovarian response due to deficiency of kidney-qi and may be inferred as biomarkers. The mechanism of Guilu Erxian ointment intervention may be mainly through amino acid metabolism and fatty acid metabolism regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the clinical effect of acupoint application on the outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) of the phlegm-dampness type and elucidate its possible mechanism of action from the perspective of follicular fluid metabolomics. Methods. A total of 90 patients undergoing IVF-ET due to infertility were selected and divided into three groups: the treatment group (PCOS with acupoint application, n = 30), the control group (PCOS without acupoint application, n = 30), and the normal group (non-PCOS, n = 30). All patients received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Among them, the treatment group was also given the acupoint application from the day of pituitary downregulation to the day of the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) trigger. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography connected with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was adopted for untargeted metabolomic analysis of follicular fluid collected from the three groups of patients on the day of oocyte pick-up (OPU). The significantly differential metabolites were screened using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, and the related metabolic pathways were identified by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Results. Metabolomic analysis showed that the treatment group's follicular fluid samples were aggregated with the normal group and separated from the control group. A total of 34 significantly differential metabolites were found in the follicular fluid of patients with phlegm-dampness PCOS and normal people. With the intervention of acupoint application, seven metabolites (pseudouridine, phenol, 2-oxoadipic acid, 9R,10S-EpOME, DL-lactate, nicotinamide, and DL-indole-3-lactic acid) were all downregulated, mainly involving the pathways of pyruvate metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, biosynthesis of amino acids, and pyrimidine metabolism. Conclusions. Acupoint application can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and the outcome of IVF-ET treatment in patients with PCOS of the phlegm-dampness type, and its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the pathways of pyruvate metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, biosynthesis of amino acids, and pyrimidine metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In clinical practice, the ideal time at which to perform a Frozen–thawed Embryo Transfer (FET) after a failed In-vitro Fertilization-embryo Transfer (IVF-ET) is still unclear to most practicing physicians. In addition, physicians often delay the introduction of FET due to concerns on the possible residual effects of ovarian hyperstimulation, which may interfere with the regular menstrual cycle. Moreover, given that most of the published studies on the topic are retrospective with contradictory findings, it is crucial to provide evidence-based randomized control guides for clinical practice. Methods/analysis: The study is a randomized, non-inferiority, parallel-group, controlled trial that will enroll a total of 732 women undergoing their first FET after a failed fresh embryo transfer (ET) cycle. The participants will then be randomized into two groups based on a computer-generated randomized list. The two groups include: (i) an immediate group were FET will be carried out during the first menstrual cycle after a failed fresh ET cycle and (ii) a delayed group where FET will be carried out during the second menstrual cycle after a failed fresh ET cycle. Primary outcomes will be defined as viable pregnancies with fetal heartbeats, diagnosed through pelvic ultrasonography after twelve weeks of gestation. Ethics and dissemination: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Assisted Reproductive Medicine at the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SDTCM/E-2020.2.01). In addition, written informed consent will be obtained from all the participants before the study. The results of this trial will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. Discussion: Currently, there is no consensus with regard to the duration after which the effects of ovarian stimulation are observed after a failed fresh ET and the optimal time required to begin FET. Moreover, no randomized controlled trial exists that compares the ongoing pregnancy rates after immediate versus delayed FET following a failed fresh ET cycle. Therefore, it is important to conduct a well-designed randomized trial to determine whether it is necessary to delay FET for at least one menstrual cycle after the failure of fresh ET. Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR2000033313 (http://www.chictr.org.cn/enIndex.aspx). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To reduce the sampling rate from analog to digital converter for the feedback loop of digital predistortion (DPD) in a microwave power amplifier (MPA), a model was proposed and used to obtain the formulae for the cyclostationarity of the digital modulation signal, which shows that the nonlinear parameter of the MPA model is only determined by the correlation matrix of the signal and can be estimated with the under‐sampled output signal. The output signal of the MPA, similar to a high sampling rate, can be recovered by combining the nonlinear parameter with the input signal. Then the DPD of the MPA is implemented through indirect learning architecture to realize its linearization. A Ka‐band traveling wave tube amplifier is used to the circuit for performing a low sampling rate DPD process to validate the rationality of the proposed model and formulae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is the weakening of ovarian oocyte production and quality. It will further become premature ovarian failure without timely cure. However, disease pathology and diagnostic markers are still incompletely understood. Liu-Wei-Di-Huang (LWDH) pill, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is commonly used in the treatment of DOR in China. To explore the mechanism of the effect of LWDH on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in patients with DOR, a pseudotargeted metabolomics study combined with multivariate data processing strategy was carried out. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach was applied to characterize metabolic biomarker candidates. Multiple pattern recognition was used to determine groups and confirm important variables. A total of 21 potential biomarkers were characterized, and related metabolic pathways were identified. The study displayed that the established pseudotargeted metabolomics strategy is a powerful approach for investigating the mechanism of DOR and LWDH. In addition, the approach may highlight biomarkers and metabolic pathways and can capture subtle metabolite changes from headache, which may lead to an improved mechanism understanding of DOR diseases and LWDH treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discoveries in high pressure science have revealed entirely unexpected chemical behavior of two-dimensional (2D) materials. However, there is still a lack of unambiguous insight on the pressure-driven behavior of in-plane bonds in the 2D layered structures. Layered germanium phosphide (GeP5) is a metal with honeycomb-like sheets structurally similar to semiconducting black phosphorous, but with electrical conductivity ten times higher than that of graphite. Here, we report a remarkable pressure-dependent structural transformation that includes lengthening of the main in-plane bonds under pressure, although practically high pressure usually leads to shorter stiffer bonds. In situ Raman measurements show that there is significant phonon mode softening through the 2D–3D structural reconstruction, correlating with the in-plane bond extensions in GeP5 upon compression. This is accompanied by unusually superconducting behavior, on both sides of the transformation. This superconductivity with a maximum transition value of 10.5 K at 13.5 GPa shows a robust character without obvious reduction up to 60 GPa and is accompanied by pressure-induced amorphization in GeP5. Our experimental results, together with those from first principles calculations, not only provide the detailed high-pressure phase diagram of GeP5 but also connect the pressure-dependent bond extension with enhanced superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered black phosphorus (BP) has recently emerged as a promising semiconductor because of its tunable band gap, high carrier mobility and strongly in-plane anisotropic properties. One-dimensional (1D) BP materials are attractive for applications in electronic and thermal devices, owing to their tailored charge and phonon transports along certain orientations. However, the fabrication of 1D BP materials still remains elusive thus far. We herein report the successful synthesis and characterization of nanotube-like BP for the first time by a selective composite with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanotubes under high pressure and high temperature conditions. The produced 1D BP/h-BN composites possess flexible diameter, length and thickness by adjusting the experimental synthesis parameters. Interestingly, it is important to notice that the stability of our BP sample has been significantly improved under the formation of heterostructures, which can actively promote their commercial applications. Our experimental work, together with first-principles calculations, presents a new scalable strategy of designing 1D tube-like BP/h-BN heterostructures that are promising candidates for flexible and high efficiency electronic platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one typical aluminum‐ and sodium‐bearing silicate mineral in the crust, the high‐pressure behaviors of NaAlSi2O6 jadeite are always of interest for investigation. However, the phase transition of jadeite at lower mantle remains elusive; thus, further static compression experiments and systematic theoretical calculations are highly needed. Here, we report a new monoclinic to monoclinic phase transition of jadeite with a volume collapse of 3.17% at around 68 GPa by in situ Raman experiments and first‐principles calculations at high pressures. Such transition leads to the increase of coordination numbers of Si from four‐ to five‐fold coordination, because of Bader charge transfer between Si─O and Al─O bonds. The physical mechanism behind this transition provides important value to understand the minerals in the lower mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent V ehicle I nitiative (IVI ) focuses on preventing highway crashes by drivers. It takes into account both driving environment and vehicle state. Intelligent V ehicle S ensing is analyzed.

Objective. We reveal the relationship between progesterone level in follicular fluid and oocyte quality based on sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment-ion spectra (SWATH™), a powerful high-resolution mass spectrometric data independent acquisition technique. Method. Follicular fluid samples were collected from 22 subjects (the level of progesterone > 1.5 ng/mL) of progesterone group, as well as from 22 subjects (the level of progesterone < 1.5 ng/mL) of control group, and analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF. All methods were performed in accordance with ISO 9001:2008. Novel SWATH acquisition mode on an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (with resolving power 20,000–40,000) was investigated for the analysis of human follicular fluid. The principal component variable grouping detects intersample variable correlation and groups variables with similar profiles which simplifies interpretation and highlights related ions and fragments. It can also extract product ion spectra from the data collected by fragmenting a wide precursor ion window. Results. Follicular fluid from the two groups differed with respect to five metabolites. Follicular fluid from the progesterone group contained elevated levels of 8-hydroxyguanosine and 4-hydroxynonenal and reduced levels of ATP, estradiol, and L-carnitine. The increased progesterone level on the day of HCG injection could negatively impact oocyte quality, thus reducing the pregnancy rate of IVF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current airspace is sectorized according to some predefined rules that are not flexible. To facilitate utilizing the airspace more efficiently, methods to design sectors need to be promoted. In this paper, we propose an undirected graph cut-based approach that employs a memetic local search-embedded constrained evolution algorithm, NSGA-II, to generate nondominated airspace configurations. We also propose a new concave hull-based method to automatically depict sector boundaries. In addition, we also study the configuration transition problem. We define the similarity of the two different configurations and calculate their similarity with a bisection diagram and a minimum cost flow algorithm. We build a forward network to represent configuration transitions across several consecutive time periods and use multiobjective dynamic programming to determine a series of nondominated configuration links from the first period to the end. We test our approaches by simulation in high-altitude airspace controlled by Beijing Area Control Center. The results show that our sectorization method outperforms the current configuration in practice, providing a lower sector number, lower intersector flow, more balanced workload distribution among the different sectors, and no constraint violations, so that the proposed approach shows its significant potential as practical applications for dynamic airspace configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]